Welcome to May!

Following a strong month of new releases in April, these next few weeks are poised to be even better for diehard fans of mysteries and thrillers.

Working hand-in-hand with the free version of our monthly reading guides on The Real Book Spy flagship site, this premium version features reviews from me as I offer up my thoughts on everything coming to bookstores this month.

Happy Reading!

The Boomerang by Robert Bailey

Release Date: May 1st

Thomas & Mercer

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John Grisham meets Yellowstone in a gripping political thriller by Wall Street Journal bestselling author Robert Bailey, as one man fights for family against a government with a shattering secret.

The president of the United States has terminal cancer. Chief of Staff Eli James, his faithful consigliere and best friend, is one of the few who know. But just as the president’s condition mysteriously improves, Eli’s hit with another blow: his daughter has cancer too.

Hell-bent on helping her, Eli turns to Big Pharma’s top lobbyist for advice, but their encounter yields more questions than answers. As he races along a twisted trail to the truth, he stumbles upon a devastating cover-up worth billions of dollars—and millions of lives.

Armed with this deadly secret, Eli goes rogue, fleeing with his family out west. To keep them safe, he forms an uneasy alliance with land baron Nester “the Beast” Sanchez, known for his ruthless power tactics. An epic showdown brews, and it’s the state versus one desperate citizen, willing to risk everything to save his daughter. Can Eli broker a truce with his once allies? Or will there be war in the desert?

TRBS Review: A taut, high-octane blend of political suspense and Western grit, The Boomerang is Robert Bailey at his absolute best. With echoes of John Grisham and the rugged heart of Yellowstone, this thriller races from the corridors of power to the unforgiving deserts of the American West. Eli James is a compelling hero—flawed, fierce, and utterly unforgettable—as he risks everything for the one thing that still matters: family. What begins as a quiet conspiracy explodes into a breakneck showdown with the fate of millions hanging in the balance. Explosive, emotional, and impossible to put down.