24 books like Cotton Malone

There is nothing like a good evil villain - one whom you don’t know whether to love, hate, feel sorry for, or simply hope they get killed off.

This is book 11 of David S. Brody’s Templar in America series. (yes, I have read them all). I love how, in each of his books, he postulates a new group who came to America before Columbus. Each book is smothered in proof. This book is about Rome in America and why ancient Jews may have run to America to hide away.

I love the way that David ages his characters by book, and in this case, the main protagonist, Cam, is starting to feel his years. Every one of us has to overcome bureaucracy, work with people we don’t like, and get the job done, sometimes at great personal risk.

This book spoke to me personally about my journey to find… show more.

Ernest Dempsey is a maverick. He really pushes the gauntlet and what I like is that he has strong but flawed characters. I mean - who doesn’t want to own the International Archeological Agency - but its owner, Tommy, is actually just a pudgy rich kid.

Dempsey himself couldn’t get a book deal at all… for years, and then he persevered and just exploded. That’s like his plots and characters. They build and build, and they face lots of action. There is never a still moment in this book. Hero Sean Wyatt finds his friend kidnapped and a professor murdered, and this sets him off chasing a 4,000-year-old mystery.

This book is like Indiana Jones. You don’t quite take it seriously, but you enjoy it immensely. 

I will almost never buy a book on Atlantis anymore… except this one got me. Want to know why? I liked the write-up. I was short on adventure novels and I fell in love and read the whole series.

The two characters, Nina Wide and Eddie Chase, are brilliant. Eddie is a wise-cracking, no-nonsense guy, a British cockney who does the stupidest things and blows stuff up. You can't help but love him. In this book, Nina gets a tip on where to find Atlantis (here, her parents got killed trying to find it), and Eddie has to look after her.

McDermott writes like Clive Cussler on cocaine, so there is literally never a dull moment. Atlantis stuff can be really trite, but this is really good. I had some good laughs and could identify with the frustrations of someone on a goose chase. I also liked the villain in… show more.

Clive Cussler sold a hundred million books, but for me Juan Cabrillo is by far my most favourite character. Why - because he speaks to me personally. I loved this book because it was written after Clive died, but it’s as good if not better than his early ones. Cabrillo is a team guy, and I love that. He always does the hardest stuff himself. As a leader, that speaks to me.

In this book, we deal with the Saudis as well as Mossad, the US Military, and private groups. How often do we find ourselves in these situations of having to keep everyone happy whilst playing one off against another? In this book, Cabrillo also has to deal with AI-induced soldiers as well as manage to complete the mission. It’s got everything in this book. History, modern opponents, high technology, and very real characters that you either love or… show more.

Clawson's protagonist, Harry Fox, is a criminal, working for criminals—which makes him a bit unusual in a field dominated by historians and law enforcement. And yet…Harry is highly sympathetic.

I love how Clawson uses Harry's interactions with secondary characters and random strangers to develop that side of his character. This book delivers on medieval clues and ciphers without ever losing that focus on character.

As a history geek myself, I get excited when I recognize the characters from my research, emerging from a thriller plot, in this case, the historian Geoffrey of Monmouth. (Don't worry if you haven't heard of him, he's a little obscure, but that only makes it more fun to see his work incorporated into fiction!)

Silva's series follows a retired Mossad agent who is now an art restorer. As an art school drop-out, that instantly appealed to me!

Much as I enjoy adventure and history both, it's character that keeps me engaged. Silva's not creating just one person, he builds an entire network of ex-Mossad agents, family members, and more—while still driving a plot that keeps you guessing.

Silva's attention to historical detail is as rich as his protagonist's focus on art history. Every one of his scenes accomplishes so much to bring characters, settings, and conflicts to life. You can read the series out of order, but you'll miss some of the richness of the changing relationships Silva invests in.

Silva's work explores our own relationships with history as well, especially when his characters launch an "op" that requires using every tool in their espionage kit to bring off near-magic results. 

A hot, cranky contractor, paired with a sassy innkeeper and meddling romantic ghost? What’s not to like? This is book 3 of the Innsborro Triology and it was a hard one for me to pick out of the three of them (because I love them all) but this one wraps up all loose ends and I love a hot, cranky man with a tool belt. The chemistry between Ryder and Hope flies off the pages. I mean the fireworks exuded each time I turned a page. It was amazing. I could not read this series fast enough. Nora Roberts was one of the first romance authors I read way, way…way back (eh, eh..clearing throat). If you ever have a chance to pick up any of her trilogies, this is one I would definitely recommend. It is a very sweet and comical story of three brothers renovating an Inn with their… show more.

It’s always good to have a book to read during the holidays about the holidays. This book does that and more. The main character Jane’s calamitous life feels like that never-ending Christmas song racing towards the new year. Jane is not sure she will make it in one piece. It is an easy read with lots of action and romance. Because it is divided into 12 crazy moments it is perfect to stop and start this book without having to back up and reread, you just read the next adventure.

I personally love this book for several reasons; first, I love reading about strong women. Second, the experiences are real-life situations that draw you into Rocky’s life as if it is your own. Her solutions are at times quirky but make you realize that her solution is perfect for her and the search for her perfect solution allowed me to see what I would have done instead. Third, it is at times funny and at times tense. This balance of emotions and actions keeps you on the edge of your seat.

I’ve chosen this final recommendation because it is a little different from the standard religious conspiracy thriller. I love John Case’s writing (actually a husband and wife collaboration). Although The Genesis Code from this pair could be regarded as a better example of the genre, I prefer The Eighth Day because it deviates from the usual strictly Christian or Islamic subject matter. Plus, refreshingly, it doesn’t make the main character a superhero of espionage, an out-of-control academic, or a swaggering investigative journalist. It involves a demonic tribe in the hinterlands of Turkey and a billionaire’s megalomania. Be prepared for some surprising twists! Dark, fast-paced, and full of intrigue.