JMc-author
  James McCrone.
 
 

REVIEWS


Support your local bookstores, they support writers!

The Faithless Elector thrillers and the NEW! Bastard Verdict are available at local bookstores everywhere! As well as Amazon, Bookshop.org, and as e-readers.

BASTARD VERDICT weaves high stakes and low politics into a noir tale of power, loss and corruption. Set in the aftermath of the Scottish Independence Referendum of 2014, it investigates many of the questions raised in Scotland at the time and still not answered.

YOU DON'T NEED TO WIN, JUST DON'T LOSE

In politics, people cheat to win, or because they're afraid to lose. The difference can be deadly.

ISBN 978-0-999-13774-1 286 pages Retail $17.99

Distributor:  Ingram, standard discount and return applies

Download INFO SHEET
Reviews for Bastard Verdict:

“A slow-burn thriller that really pays off!” – Independent Book Review

“Bastard Verdict is a gripping and explosive political thriller. Set in the aftermath of the Scottish Independence Referendum of 2014, it investigates many of the questions raised in Scotland at the time and still not answered.” – Lin Anderson, author of the new Party House, and the Rhona MacLeod mysteries

“McCrone crafts a novel that is gripping, thought-provoking, and even educational. Bastard Verdict cleverly combines the facts of the 2014 Scottish Independence Referendum with an intriguing, crime-filled plot, resulting in a compelling thriller that leaves readers desperate to know what will happen next.” —BookTrib/Abigail White

"Reading #BastardVerdict is akin to watching The Bourne Identity or Taken—nefarious security services, car chases, state-sanctioned assassinations...A light summer read which will have you shouting, “just one more chapter”-Craig Kelly/Tangled Web

“Once again James McCrone has created a political thriller as fresh as tomorrow’s headlines. McCrone gets my vote. Maybe even two votes. Three if no one is looking.” —Tom Straw, author of seven New York Times bestsellers as Richard Castle.

“Set in the long shadow of the Scottish independence referendum, if you like your ‘what if’ political thrillers doused in dirty deeds and mired in murder, this is for you.” – Gordon J Brown, author of No More Games

“McCrone's deft prose and sharp characters make Bastard Verdict a must-read political thriller.” — Richie Narvaez, award-winning author of Hipster Death Rattle

"Bastard Verdict is a satisfyingly twisty story." –Fiona Erskine, author of The Chemical Detective

“An intricately planned plot with growing tension. The more Imogen Trager uncovers, the less trust she has for those around her. This thriller could easily be turned into a movie.” – US Review of Books

“A fast-paced, political thriller and whodunit with an all too believable conclusion – probably more fact than fiction! Imogen Trager uncovers interference at the highest levels in the Scottish Independence referendum.” —Andrew James Greig, author of Whirligig and the new Song of Winter. CWA New Blood Dagger Longlist and McIlvanney Best Scottish Crime Novel Finalist

*    *    *

EMERGENCY POWERS - The accidental President is no accident.
In Emergency Powers, when the president dies in office, FBI Agent Imogen Trager knows that the conspiracy she chased madly down a blind alley still has life in it, and she’s running out of time.

ISBN 978-0-999-13772-7 300 pages Retail $15.99

Distributor:  Ingram, standard discount and return applies

“Tense action, dire motives, and dark secrets. A high-stakes political thriller that feels so chillingly true, you pray it’s not.” — TOM STRAW, Seven-time NYT bestselling author, as Richard Castle

“A great read! McCrone decisively establishes his mastery of compelling, heart-pounding and thoroughly intriguing geo-political thrillers.” — STEPHEN MACK JONES, August Snow, Lives Laid Away

In EMERGENCY POWERS “McCrone takes ‘any means necessary’ to a level that once seemed unimaginable. That it seems more plausible and possible today should give all of us pause. A TIMELY AND CAUTIONARY TALE.” —Dennis Heizel, BookTrib

“James McCrone excels in crafting the unexpected, not just for Imogen but in the lives and deaths of those surrounding her. His ability to portray a heroine who makes both good and bad decisions, struggles to get her personal life and professional career back on track, and faces the ultimate sacrifice as a result of her decisions is well-done, providing many action-packed and unexpected moments throughout.” — DIANE DONOVAN, Sr. Reviewer, Midwest Book Review

“Highly recommended for fans of intelligent thrillers revolving around politics. The writing style is crisp and straightforward, keeping the pace moving swiftly. The mystery is tautly plotted, and from the first page to the last, the reader is gripped by the layered unfolding of events. A read that feels ripped from the headlines.”- PEN & INK REVIEWS

McCrone’s research and political insight are an intriguing backdrop to this tale…and will be a pleasant surprise to readers used to more gunplay-style action. Great for fans of Brad Meltzer, David Baldacci. — PUBLISHERS WEEKLY

“A rapid-fire FBI investigation exposes lies, money, and violence behind the American presidency…There are three tough female characters that steal the show: FBI agents Vega, Sartain, and Trager…These strong women shoulder much of the burden in this novel and deserve a large credit in why it succeeds.” -T. LIEBERMAN, Independent Book Review

“In this latest series entry, Imogen remains a memorable protagonist—a ‘bookish’ and ‘formal’ intellectual who’s as tough as she is smart. Emergency Powers “has a highly cinematic quality to it, with plenty of action along the way. -KIRKUS REVIEW

In Emergency Powers, James McCrone rockets the reader through a tale of political intrigue in a way fans of this series have come to expect and enjoy. This high-speed thriller is thought-provoking, well-researched, and timely. Add McCrone's books to your shelves. — J.J. HENSLEY, author of RESOLVE, BOLT ACTION REMEDY, and RECORD SCRATCH

Emergency Powers brings the Faithless Elector trilogy to a nail-biting finale. A dynamic mix of political intrigue and high-stakes personal drama, ultimately offering keen portraits of true patriotism—its weight, its costs, and the courage that drives it.— ART TAYLOR, Edgar Award-winning author of The Boy Detective & The Summer of ’74

McCrone’s knack for capturing the complexity of political vulnerability in an intelligent thriller is on full display here. As timely as it is compelling, this well-researched political thriller is top notch. The people in McCrone's world are smart, driven, and it kept me guessing until the very end. — MYSTI BERRY, editor, the LOW DOWN DIRTY VOTE series

Emergency Powers follows Trager "as she tries to wrangle with her demotion from golden girl to the FBI’s problem child and uncover the truth behind the incredible events unfolding at Capitol Hill and further afield…It beautifully combines the bureaucracy of a spy thriller with the tantalising chase that’s usually seen in detective novels. -HANNAH STEVENSON, Dorset Book Detective

*    *    *

Dark Network - Without Law, there's only Power
Dark Network finds the determined heroine Imogen Trager still searching for the truth. Pushed to the outside of the case for her conduct during the Faithless Elector investigation, she joins forces with Trey Kelly, an FBI network specialist, also a Bureau outsider. The nation is still without a president-elect, and there's only a month until the inauguration.

ISBN 978-0-692-79784-6 260 pages Retail $15.99

Distributor:  Ingram, standard discount and return applies

REVIEWS for Dark Network:
"Gripping and unpredictable, Dark Network could not have appeared at a better time...highly recommended for political thriller readers and mystery fans alike."--D. Donovan, Sr. Reviewer, Midwest Book Review

“Baldacci and Meltzer fans will appreciate the plot’s twists and the easy-to-empathize-with lead. McCrone’s second political thriller featuring FBI agent Imogen Trager builds on the dramatic tension of its predecessor, 2016’s Faithless Elector…”--Publishers Weekly

"[McCrone] yet again deftly delivers a combination of stirring action and remarkably intricate plot entanglements,” and “skillfully depicts a country pushed to the brink…A rousing and provocative political thriller…”-Kirkus Review

Cat and Mouse, Smoke and Mirrors - Much of the intrigue in the book comes from not knowing who is truly friend or foe, and McCrone does a commendable job at building a tense atmosphere. The cat and mouse game is as intense as ever, especially since in the end, it becomes debatable as to who plays which role out there. Our expectations are skillfully subverted on a few occasions and the game between hunters and hunted pulls us in unexpected directions on more than a few occasions.
McCrone's greatest strength in this book comes from his ability to create invigorating spy chase scenes, the kind where tracking technology and split-second decisions rule the day.-Quick Book Reviews Blog

“This is a fast-paced, well-timed political thriller that is sure to satisfy… Imogen Trager is a quick-thinking and professional character, while also remaining endearing and sympathetic. Her character should appeal to both male and female readers alike." -J Duffield, The US Review of Books

“The writing is crisp and well done with an atmosphere of foreboding… McCrone’s style is surprisingly mature…You'll love the ending.” R. Sakulich, The (Doylestown) Intelligencer

*    *    *

In Faithless Elector, everyone thinks the election is over...

In politics, six weeks can be a lifetime...or the end of one. *The first Imogen Trager thriller.

A young researcher uncovers a series of deaths among Electors and must race against time and secret, deadly efficient conspiracy.

ISBN 978-0-692-79783-9 204 pages Retail $15.99

Distributor:  Ingram, standard discount and return applies

REVIEWS FOR FAITHLESS ELECTOR

Faithless Elector is a "fast-moving topical thriller." Its surprising twists add up to a highly suspenseful read." --Publishers Weekly

"A gripping and intelligently executed political drama." -Kirkus Review

"The pleasure of Faithless Elector lies not just its smooth evocative prose, but in the author's justified confidence that good writing can make chases through recognizable locales sufficiently exciting without a Navy SEAL or a terrorist plot." --Plattsburgh Press-Republican

Reviews












 
BV.cvr
BUY