2026 THRILLERS: PARADOX by DOUGLAS & ALETHEIA PRESTON and WITCH HUNT by RICHARD & BERNADETTE O’RAWE

My April 2026 reading has been dominated by two very good thrillers by father and daughter writing teams! Both are very suspenseful and have a touch of the extra-ordinary about them. Short reviews below.

Douglas Preston’s Extinction (2024) was a good fun read that showcased his ability to mix Crichton-like speculative ideas with a fast moving and exciting storyline. The story revolved around an ill-advised attempt to bring Neanderthals back from extinction and ended in spectacular fashion.

We now have a sequel, Paradox (Forge, 21 April 2026), which Preston has written in conjunction with his daughter Aletheia Preston.

I was expecting a novel that further detailed the hunt for the missing Neanderthals, but that is not the case. Although the pesky Neanderthals (“Neanders”) are still around, it is an entirely different mystery that concerns the central characters.

When a reclusive old prospector is found dead under grisly circumstances in the Colorado wilderness, CBI Agent Frankie Cash and Eagle County Sheriff Jim Colcord, both of whom were in the first book, team up again. The old man appears to have been ritualistically murdered, and as Cash and Colcord investigate they find links to other bizarre killings, rumours of UFOs, baffling money transfers and the theft of an ancient religious icon from the Vatican.

I actually enjoyed Paradox more than Extinction. The writing is smoother and the storyline has less jarring moments. The plot traverses a wide range of issues and there is a good sense of mystery around what is going on. As with the earlier books by Preston, there is plenty of Crichton-esque scientific speculation and lots of fascinating details to flesh out the story. The characters also seem richer and better developed this time and the book builds to a very tense and exciting conclusion that kept me reading late into the night.

I really enjoyed Paradox, and at the end of the Advanced Reading Copy I had, there was a teaser opening chapter for the next book in the series – Resurrection. It is probably one of the most gruesome openings I have come across for awhile. I can’t wait for the full book!

Paradox has been released in the United States and is due for release in Australia in September 2026!

For those who missed the first book, here is the link to my review of Extinction: https://murdermayhemandlongdogs.com/april-action-2024-three-good-thrillers-by-christopher-reich-c-j-tudor-and-douglas-preston/

Richard O’Rawe had some success a couple of years back with two quite good thrillers featuring ex-IRA soldier and professional thief Ructions O’Hare. Now he has teamed up with his daughter, Bernadette, to produce an even better crime novel about a killer who claims to be the reincarnation of the Witch Finder General Matthew Hopkins.

Witch Hunt, (Severn House, 5 May 2026), opens with Detective Superintendent Grace O’Malley of London’s Metropolitan Police receiving a dubious phone call that leads to a shocking personal revelation and a horrific murder. A self-proclaimed witch hunter, using the alias of Matthew Hopkins: the notorious seventeenth century witchfinder general who is reputed to have killed over two hundred poor women who were thought to be witches, is leading her to his first victim. Someone is exploiting the bloody history of the witchfinder to start a modern-day witch hunt, making sure their debut murder of a TV-medium is broadcast worldwide during Halloween night on Westminster Bridge. With the clock ticking, and under pressure from her bosses and the media, Grace needs to find out who is behind the premeditated crime before the witch hunter can strike again. But the more she investigates, the more she finds herself caught in an intricate web of lies, deceit and threats, and always one step behind a very clever killer.

This is a fast paced and totally engrossing crime thriller. The historical elements nicely bleed into the storyline and London serves as a great, atmospheric backdrop to the plot. There are plenty of twists and turns, and the book builds to a tense conclusion and a shocking final twist.

There are some good secondary characters, including Moses Blackmore a fire and brimstone Protestant preacher who plays an important part in the story. Grace is an engaging detective, sharp, grounded and tough when needed. However, she does have terrible taste in men, as witnessed by her sleazy husband, Dominic Boswell, an Assistant Commissioner in the police force and Grace’s boss. In fact, Grace’s relationship with her husband is the only bit that does not ring true, especially the weird opening scene involving him. The ending requires a grain of salt, or more, but is satisfying.

Readers who do not like the macabre, or slight touches of the supernatural, might want to give Witch Hunt a miss, but I think that most fans of tough British detective fiction will enjoy this one. I certainly did!

Witch Hunt is released in the United Kingdom on 5 May 2026.