Thriller Buzz Around Paradox and MacLeod Series
Douglas Preston and Aletheia Preston's thriller *Paradox* is earning glowing reviews ahead of its April 21, 2026 release from Forge, with early praise for its suspense. Lin Anderson's Rhona MacLeod CSI series is trending hard — *Picture Her Dead* earned 5 stars for twists, *The Wild Coast* hit paperback, and *The Killing Tide* was recommended for its police-journalist mystery blend. The Scottish crime series is gaining serious momentum among thriller readers.
*Paradox* is the second book in the series featuring CBI Agent Frankie Cash and Sheriff Jim Colcord, following the events of the bestseller *Extinction*. The plot centers on a series of grisly, ritualistic murders in the Colorado wilderness that are connected to a fanatical secret society and a mysterious alien artifact. The novel continues the storyline of resurrected Neanderthals who vanished into the Colorado mountains in the previous book. Co-author Aletheia Preston, a former San Francisco prosecutor, brings her legal expertise to the story, adding gritty procedural details to the high-stakes thriller. She and her father, Douglas Preston, first started writing stories together when she was four years old. Lin Anderson's Rhona MacLeod series is a long-running staple of the "Tartan Noir" genre, with 18 novels and one novella published as of 2024. The series follows the brilliant forensic scientist Dr. Rhona MacLeod as she investigates chilling mysteries across Scotland, from Glasgow to the Isle of Skye. Anderson's background lends authenticity to her crime writing; her father was a detective in the CID, and she attended forensic science classes while developing the series. A prominent figure in Scottish literature, Anderson is a co-founder of the Bloody Scotland international crime writing festival.
