Crime: Wild Fire by Nelson DeMille<br/> The Collectors by David Baldacci<br/> Villains by Paul Ferris and Reg McKay<br/> Switchback by Matthew Klein

Wild Fire by Nelson DeMille

Nelson DeMille writes big, fat thrillers that actually do thrill, unlike some others writers I could name. Wild Fire is yet another. A bunch of lunatics called The Custer Hill Club, in memory of the general of the same name, are about to detonate a couple of Russian nuclear bombs in two American cities. Then Operation Wildfire will kick in, and destroy most of the Middle Eastin retaliation. So who stands between them and Armageddon? Just one ex-NYPD cop and his FBI agent wife. But who's going to believe them? Wild Fire is a real page turner. A book you can't put down until the sheer weight of the thing forces a rest. But don't worry, the pace of the story will soon have you speeding through it again.

The Collectors by David Baldacci
Baldacci's "Camel Club" group is back, and this time they get involved not only in high-level government shenanigans, but also with the rarest book in US history, the murder of its owner, and a top-class con artist on the run from a heist. As usual, Baldacci delivers the goods in fine style, with thrills and spills aplenty as his ageing heroes creak their way to a thrilling denouement.

Villains by Paul Ferris and Reg McKay
Suddenly there's been an influx of true crime books written by real life, reformed criminals, and this is my favourite. Tales of infamy, violence, robbery and any other villainy you can shake a stick at. It's breathtaking in its outrageousness, sad, funny, horrible ­ often on the same page ­ and written with inside knowledge by Ferris, a real gangster, and McKay, an expert on the subject and a best-selling author. This one may turn your stomach, but I guarantee the pages will keep turning too.

Switchback by Matthew Klein
For Timothy Van Bender, making money is easy. He's a natural salesman and rich from his father's legacy. But he wants more, so he gambles with his client's cash. Then, one day, he drops $24m betting against the Japanese yen, and everything goes down the drain. His largest investor wants his money back and the cupboard is bare. Then his wife commits suicide and we're in a different novel. What if she could come back to life in a different body? OK, I can suspend belief and disbelief, but this plot change just didn't gel with me. Try Switchback by all means, but don't say I didn't warn you.