Books like 'Smoke & Mirrors'
Readers who enjoyed Smoke & Mirrors by Richard Bard also liked the following books featuring the same tropes, story themes, relationship dynamics and character types.
sc-fi action / adventure mystery military, war & conflict realistic paranormal military terrorism kidnapping espionage
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Mosaic by Michael C. Grumley
Rated: 4.56 of 5 stars · 18 ratingsThe world is losing hope. Political and social infighting threaten to destroy the world. Rancor and hatred only grow stronger, engulfing entire nations. And each day moral and economic strife brings embroiled countries ever closer to war. But hope is not dead. Everywhere, pockets of honor and compassion continue to persevere. Where human lives are cherished and valor endures...Categorized as:
conspiracies military political-intrigue politics action-adventure adult audiobook book -
![Ripple by Michael C. Grumley]()
Ripple by Michael C. Grumley
Rated: 4.46 of 5 stars · 24 ratingsIt began in Ethiopia, hundreds of thousands of years ago. When a handful of genetic mutations caused evolution to split from the primates. And mankind was born.Now, eons later, evidence of more splits from the apes are being unearthed. And with them, a disturbing realization. Ours was only one of many.And yet we survived. But it was not by luck or chance...Categorized as:
conspiracies military political-intrigue politics suspense action-adventure adult aliens -
![The Interludes by Santino Hassell, Ais]()
The Interludes by Santino Hassell, Ais
Rated: 4.56 of 5 stars · 16 ratingsThe Interludes is an anthology of stand alone stories that exist between Book #2 (Afterimage) and Book #4 (Fade) of the In The Company of Shadows series. This anthology contains key plot points and major development of characters and relationships that cannot be missed...Categorized as:
crime espionage military paranormal political-intrigue suspense abuse action-adventure -
![Mountain of Mars by Glynn Stewart]()
Mountain of Mars by Glynn Stewart
Rated: 4.52 of 5 stars · 24 ratingsThe Mage-King of Mars is deadChaos rocks Olympus MonsA new monarch must rise – but she does not stand alone!As the celebration of the victory at Legatus cools, a shuttle accident claims the lives of the Mage-King of Mars and his heir. The Crown and the Mountain fall to the Mage-King’s daughter, seventeen-year-old Kiera Alexander... -
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![Boneshaker by Joshua Dalzelle]()
Boneshaker by Joshua Dalzelle
Rated: 4.53 of 5 stars · 23 ratingsMarine First Lieutenant Jacob Brown is bored.For months he's been sitting around on an alien planet, waiting for command to recall his scout team so they could rest and be re-outfitted. The team went through hell during their previous mission, losing both their commanding officer and their ship...Categorized as:
espionage military political-intrigue action-adventure adult aliens book colonization -
![Freedom™ by Daniel Suarez]()
Freedom™ by Daniel Suarez
Rated: 4.31 of 5 stars · 40 ratingsThe propulsive, shockingly plausible sequel to New York Times bestseller Daemon, the "Greatest. Techno-thriller. Period."**William O'Brien, former director of cybersecurity and communications systems policy at the White House2009 saw one of the most inventive techno-thriller debuts in decades as Daniel Suarez introduced his terrifying and tantalizing vision of a new world order...Categorized as:
conspiracies crime espionage military political-intrigue politics suspense 21st-century -
![MindWar by Douglas E. Richards]()
MindWar by Douglas E. Richards
Rated: 4.40 of 5 stars · 26 ratingsNick Hall returns in a riveting stand-alone thriller, set in a stunning future that is rapidly approaching.From the NY Times bestselling author whose books have been downloaded over a million times.Nick Hall has revolutionary electronics implanted in his brain that allow him to read minds--including thoughts, memories, and even intent... -
![Against All Odds by Richard Bard]()
Against All Odds by Richard Bard
Rated: 4.67 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsThe highly anticipated series finale to the #1 Wall Street Journal bestseller Publishers Weekly called “a terrifically entertaining thriller!”In this conclusion to Richard Bard’s popular Brainrush series, Jake Bronson’s family and friends face their biggest threat ever...Categorized as:
conspiracies crime espionage kidnapping military political-intrigue politics suspense -
![In the Requiem by Hailey Turner]()
In the Requiem by Hailey Turner
Rated: 4.55 of 5 stars · 16 ratingsNever let go. Weighed down by scandal, Captain Jamie Callahan must choose between saving his family’s reputation and his father’s political aspirations, or taking down the enemy once and for all. Choosing one over the other will have lasting repercussions he can’t escape. Whatever path Jamie ultimately picks, Staff Sergeant Kyle Brannigan will be right by his side to face the consequences... -
![Alpha Class: Engineering by T.S. Paul, Michael Anderle]()
Alpha Class: Engineering by T.S. Paul, Michael Anderle
Rated: 4.40 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsWide Open Spaces. Ancient Ruins. Pissed Off Governments. Five Adventurous Students. What could possibly go wrong?Tag along as we follow Alpha Class when they study with Jeo, the lead of the Engineering team, and learn about engineering by reviewing important marvels across the earth.Without getting permission.If they thought the moon was dangerous, wait till they return to Earth... -
![A.L.I.V.E. by R.D. Brady]()
A.L.I.V.E. by R.D. Brady
Rated: 4.40 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsAre we alone in the universe?The United States government has known the answer for decades.And that answer is about to escape.Reports of unknown objects in the sky date back hundreds of years. But since the early twentieth century, the frequency of those reports has increased dramatically...Categorized as:
conspiracies military paranormal political-intrigue suspense action-adventure adult aliens -
![Hijackers by C.R. Daems]()
Hijackers by C.R. Daems
Rated: 4.40 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsAnna's nice comfortable world is in turmoil. Because of their success in destroying the foreign Raiders, Anna, Kris, and Adrian were promoted to full commander, and the project team was disbanded. Kris and Adrian were given NIA offices to manage on Stone Ring and Westar, and Anna is being pressured to move to Eastar to manage the NIA station... -
![In the Blood by Hailey Turner]()
In the Blood by Hailey Turner
Rated: 4.42 of 5 stars · 21 ratingsRunning out of time. Captain Jamie Callahan is frustrated with his team constantly being at the mercy of the enemy in order to further the MDF’s goals. To make matters worse, his father’s political campaign is ramping up and Jamie’s every move is being watched by the media. He is acutely aware of all the eyes trained on him, his team, and Staff Sergeant Kyle Brannigan in particular... -
![Diplomatic Immunity by Lois McMaster Bujold]()
Diplomatic Immunity by Lois McMaster Bujold
Rated: 4.20 of 5 stars · 25 ratingsA rich Komarran merchant fleet has been impounded at Graf Station, in distant Quaddiespace, after a bloody incident on the station docks involving a security officer from the convoy's Barrayaran military escort. Lord Miles Vorkosigan of Barrayar and his wife, Lady Ekaterin, have other things on their minds, such as getting home in time to attend the long-awaited births of their first children...Categorized as:
crime espionage military political-intrigue politics suspense action-adventure adult -
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![Cetaganda by Lois McMaster Bujold]()
Cetaganda by Lois McMaster Bujold
Rated: 4.20 of 5 stars · 25 ratingsThe latest installment in the adventures of Miles Vorkosigan. Miles and Cousin Ivan travel to Cetaganda to play the part of sprigs of nobility doing their diplomatic duty. But when the Empress of Cetaganda dies naturally, and her lifelong attendant dies unnaturally, Miles and Ivan finds themselves in the thick of it...Categorized as:
crime espionage military political-intrigue politics suspense 20th-century action-adventure -
![Stolen Thoughts by Tim Tigner]()
Stolen Thoughts by Tim Tigner
Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars · 16 ratingsHow would your life change …if you could read another’s thoughts?If you were the one …to break the biological code?Imagine John Grisham meets Michael Crichton in a fast-paced, philosophical mystery thriller._______________________________________There’s been a breakthrough on the campus of Caltech. A discovery. An invention...Categorized as:
conspiracies crime espionage military political-intrigue politics suspense action-adventure -
![The Vor Game by Lois McMaster Bujold]()
The Vor Game by Lois McMaster Bujold
Rated: 4.23 of 5 stars · 41 ratingsHugo Award Winner! Miles Vorkosigan graduates from the Academy, joins a mutiny, is placed under house arrest, goes on a secret mission, reconnects with his loyal Dendarii Mercenaries, rescues his Emperor, and thwarts an interstellar war. Situation normal, if you're Miles...Categorized as:
espionage military political-intrigue politics suspense 20th-century action-adventure audiobook -
![Tides of Fire by James Rollins]()
Tides of Fire by James Rollins
Rated: 4.22 of 5 stars · 18 ratingsIn the latest riveting thriller from the #1 New York Times bestselling author, an international research station in the Coral Sea comes under siege during a geological disaster that triggers massive quakes, deadly tsunamis, and volcanic eruptions. To stop the world from burning, it’s up to Sigma Force to uncover a secret buried at the heart of our planet... -
![In the Shadows by Hailey Turner]()
In the Shadows by Hailey Turner
Rated: 4.37 of 5 stars · 21 ratingsTake a chance. Staff Sergeant Alexei Dvorkin doesn’t trust easily, and he most certainly doesn’t trust spies. He’ll work with them if ordered to, but that doesn’t mean he has to like it. Except Agent Sean Delaney is proving to be the exception to the rule. There’s something about Sean that gets under Alexei’s skin and won’t let go...Categorized as:
crime espionage military paranormal political-intrigue suspense terrorism action-adventure -
![Retribution by Cameo Renae]()
Retribution by Cameo Renae
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsWar is coming between humans and Arvies, leaving me trapped between two enemies. This time, I don’t think I’ll survive.The government will stop at nothing to get me back in their clutches. They want what’s inside me—a power I call Venge—and will use my greatest weakness to bring me to my knees. The Arvies know of my gift, and use my telepathy and their numbers, in an effort to take me out...Categorized as:
conspiracies paranormal political-intrigue politics suspense action-adventure angst apocalyptic -
![Auberon by James S.A. Corey]()
Auberon by James S.A. Corey
Rated: 4.19 of 5 stars · 21 ratingsA novella set in the universe of James S. A. Corey’s NYT-bestselling Expanse series, Auberon explores a new and alien world and the age-old dangers that humanity has carried with it to the stars. Now a Prime Original series.Auberon is one of the first and most important colony worlds in humanity’s reach, and the new conquering faction has come to claim it...Categorized as:
crime military political-intrigue politics 21st-century action-adventure adult aliens -
![Alien Collective by Gini Koch]()
Alien Collective by Gini Koch
Rated: 4.30 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsDespite not having run for office, nor wanting to remain in office, Representative Jeff Martini is being wooed as the vice presidential running mate for a charismatic senator who seems likely to win the campaign... -
![The Windy City by Roland Smith, Michael P. Spradlin]()
The Windy City by Roland Smith, Michael P. Spradlin
Rated: 4.30 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsAfter Q and Angela help foil a Ghost Cell plot in San Antonio, they head to Chicago, the next stop on the Match tour. Since they've been busy fighting international terrorism, they're behind on their school assignments. Their parents tell them if they don't get caught up, it's off to boarding school...Categorized as:
crime espionage political-intrigue suspense terrorism action-adventure book children -
![Komarr by Lois McMaster Bujold]()
Komarr by Lois McMaster Bujold
Rated: 4.22 of 5 stars · 37 ratingsKomarr could be a garden with a thousand more years' work, or an uninhabitable wasteland if the terraforming fails. Now, the solar mirror vital to the terraforming of the conquered planet has been shattered by a ship hurtling off course. The Emperor of Barrayar sends his newest imperial auditor, Lord Miles Vorkosigan, to find out why...Categorized as:
crime espionage military political-intrigue politics suspense 20th-century action-adventure -
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![Catalyst by Fletcher DeLancey]()
Catalyst by Fletcher DeLancey
Rated: 4.64 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsAfter disobeying orders to save the planet of Alsea, Captain Ekatya Serrado has returned home to something less than a hero’s welcome. At her side is Dr. Lhyn Rivers, now the foremost authority on a culture that fascinates and terrifies.Ekatya and Lhyn share a secret: they are tyrees, linked by an Alsean empathic bond that should be biologically impossible for Gaians... -
![Agents of Mars by Glynn Stewart]()
Agents of Mars by Glynn Stewart
Rated: 4.41 of 5 stars · 16 ratingsAn enemy hidden in the shadowsA crack in the armor of secrecyOne chance to find an answerCaptain David Rice and the crew of Red Falcon have spent two years infiltrating the arms smuggling underworld of the Protectorate of the Mage-King of Mars. When the co-opted rebellion on Ardennes reveals a supply chain of weapons intended to fight Mars, this makes them the perfect team to investigate...Categorized as:
espionage military paranormal political-intrigue action-adventure adult aliens audiobook -
![Dead Shift by Richard Phillips, MacLeod Andrews]()
Dead Shift by Richard Phillips, MacLeod Andrews
Rated: 4.21 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsThe NSA’s most brilliant hacker is abducted and the world stands on the brink of cyberwar. The Ripper and his ghost team commandos are called to action, battling a host of enemies ranging from a genius tech-billionaire and the Chinese government to an emerging superintelligence capable of bringing the world to its knees...Categorized as:
crime espionage military paranormal political-intrigue suspense 21st-century action-adventure -
![The Third Temple by Christopher Cartwright]()
The Third Temple by Christopher Cartwright
Rated: 4.21 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsA mystery wrapped in a myth about the origins of humanity. A race to find an ancient pyramid hidden in plain sight. A secret so dangerous its guardians will kill to protect it. And an ancient covenant that might save the world, or destroy it completely...Categorized as:
paranormal political-intrigue terrorism military conspiracies action-adventure fiction mystery -
![Out of the Ashes by Hailey Turner]()
Out of the Ashes by Hailey Turner
Rated: 4.44 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsWar never leaves a soldier behind. Staff Sergeant Alexei Dvorkin is still healing from his brief stint as a prisoner of war. While his physical wounds have mended, the emotional scars left behind are slow to disappear...Categorized as:
crime espionage military paranormal political-intrigue suspense action-adventure adult -
![Written in Fire by Marcus Sakey]()
Written in Fire by Marcus Sakey
Rated: 4.19 of 5 stars · 35 ratingsThe explosive conclusion to the bestselling Brilliance TrilogyFor thirty years humanity struggled to cope with the brilliants, the one percent of people born with remarkable gifts. For thirty years we tried to avoid a devastating civil war.We failed.The White House is a smoking ruin. Madison Square Garden is an internment camp...Categorized as:
conspiracies espionage military paranormal political-intrigue politics suspense terrorism -
![Unto the Breach by John Ringo]()
Unto the Breach by John Ringo
Rated: 4.23 of 5 stars · 26 ratingsSequel to Ghost, Kildar and Choosers of the Slain.Michael Harmon has been there and done that. Rescued co-eds, killed major terrorists, stopped nuclear assaults. Now he'd just like to kick back and relax with his harem of lovelies. Unfortunately, the world keeps turning...Categorized as:
military political-intrigue suspense terrorism action-adventure adult book contemporary -
![A Memory Called Empire by Arkady Martine]()
A Memory Called Empire by Arkady Martine
Rated: 4.14 of 5 stars · 50 ratingsAmbassador Mahit Dzmare arrives in the center of the multi-system Teixcalaanli Empire only to discover that her predecessor, the previous ambassador from their small but fiercely independent mining Station, has died. But no one will admit that his death wasn't an accident—or that Mahit might be next to die, during a time of political instability in the highest echelons of the imperial court...Categorized as:
crime espionage political-intrigue politics suspense 21st-century action-adventure adult -
![Bunker: Lock and Load by Jay J. Falconer]()
Bunker: Lock and Load by Jay J. Falconer
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsAfter the insurgents take control, Jack Bunker must rally all his skills and training in an explosive battle for survival. Despite being outnumbered and outgunned, Bunker vows to never stop fighting to protect those he cares about, not until the threat is neutralized or he draws his last breath...Categorized as:
conspiracies military political-intrigue terrorism action-adventure adult apocalyptic audiobook -
![Blue Gemini by Mike Jenne]()
Blue Gemini by Mike Jenne
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsScott Ourecky wanted to fly—he never dreamed he'd end up in a secret military space program.The year is 1968: The Cold War is far from over, nuclear annihilation is always only a heartbeat away. America is racing the Soviet Union to land men on the Moon, a war is raging, and a pivotal presidential election looms on the horizon...Categorized as:
espionage military political-intrigue politics suspense action-adventure audiobook book -
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![Straits of Power by Joe Buff]()
Straits of Power by Joe Buff
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsThe next world war rages. With the Allies at a stalemate with the Berlin-Boer Axis, every battle takes on a new significance. But in a conflict fought with billion-dollar technology and campaigns comprising millions of soldiers, the outcome may rest in the hands of a single man ..Categorized as:
military political-intrigue terrorism action-adventure adult alternate-history book fiction -
![Space Murder by N.L. Haverstock, Nikki Haverstock]()
Space Murder by N.L. Haverstock, Nikki Haverstock
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsFor everything there is a season…Once the star student of her training class, Captain Liz Laika is now an outcast, a casualty of family scandal. Now stuck in the worst post in the Fleet, she should keep her head down. But when a Cerulean passenger is found decapitated, and Liz is framed for the murder, she has no choice but to fight for her life... -
![The Bronze Skies by Catherine Asaro]()
The Bronze Skies by Catherine Asaro
Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsMajor Bhaajan achieved the impossible. Born Undercity, the slums below the City of Cries on the planet Raylicon, she broke free to become a military officer with Imperial Space Command. Now retired from military duty, she works as a private investigator on retainer to the Majda Family.Hired by The Ruby Pharaoh herself, Major Bhaajan is tasked with finding a killer... -
![Control by David Mack]()
Control by David Mack
Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsFrom the New York Times bestselling author David Mack comes an original, thrilling Section 31 novel set in the Star Trek: The Next Generation universe!No law…no conscience…no mercy. Amoral, shrouded in secrecy, and answering to no one, Section 31 is the mysterious covert operations division of Starfleet, a rogue shadow group pledged to defend the Federation at any cost... -
![Lights Over Cloud Lake by Nathan Hystad]()
Lights Over Cloud Lake by Nathan Hystad
Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsGone Girl meets The X-Files in this Sci-Fi Thriller Cloud Lake is a hotspot for UFO sightings. Jessica Carver may have encountered one the night she disappeared. This is her story. Reporter Eva Heart is sent to Cloud Lake to write an exposé on flying saucer sightings, a subject she is extremely familiar with...Categorized as:
conspiracies political-intrigue suspense action-adventure adult aliens audiobook book -
![The Aleph Extraction by Dan Moren]()
The Aleph Extraction by Dan Moren
Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsAboard a notorious gangster's luxurious starliner, Simon Kovalic and his crew race to steal a mysterious artifact that could shift the balance of the war...Categorized as:
espionage military political-intrigue suspense action-adventure adult audiobook book -
![Phantom Orbit: A Thriller by David Ignatius]()
Phantom Orbit: A Thriller by David Ignatius
Rated: 4.25 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsA subtle and masterful novel from a prescient voice on the cutting edge of spy literature.David Ignatius is known for his uncanny ability, in novel after novel, to predict the next great national security headline. In Phantom Orbit, he presents a story both searing and topical, with stakes as far-reaching as outer space... -
![Digital Divide by K.B. Spangler]()
Digital Divide by K.B. Spangler
Rated: 4.20 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsRachel Peng misses the Army. Her old life in Criminal Investigation Command hadn’t been easy, but she had enjoyed it. Now, as the first cyborg liaison to the Washington D.C. Metropolitan Police, Rachel is usually either bored senseless or is fighting off harassment from her coworkers...Categorized as:
conspiracies crime military political-intrigue politics suspense action-adventure adult -
![Eagle Station by Dale Brown]()
Eagle Station by Dale Brown
Rated: 4.20 of 5 stars · 10 ratings“Dale Brown is a superb storyteller.”— W. E. B...Categorized as:
espionage military political-intrigue politics suspense terrorism action-adventure adult -
![Burning Nation by Trent Reedy]()
Burning Nation by Trent Reedy
Rated: 4.20 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsIn this wrenching sequel to DIVIDED WE FALL, Danny and friends fight to defend Idaho against a Federal takeover and the ravages of a BURNING NATION.At the end of DIVIDED WE FALL, Danny Wright's beloved Idaho had been invaded by the federal government, their electricity shut off, their rights suspended. Danny goes into hiding with his friends in order to remain free...Categorized as:
military politics realistic suspense action-adventure alternate-history audiobook book -
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![The Lost Relic by Joshua James]()
The Lost Relic by Joshua James
Rated: 4.20 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsIndiana Jones meets The X-Files in this thrilling, globe-spanning adventure about the greatest treasure hunt of all time—where ancient secrets collide with cutting-edge technology. "EVERY RELIC CAN CHANGE HISTORY... OR DESTROY IT... -
![A Better World by Marcus Sakey]()
A Better World by Marcus Sakey
Rated: 4.16 of 5 stars · 36 ratingsThe brilliants changed everything.Since 1980, 1% of the world has been born with gifts we’d only dreamed of. The ability to sense a person’s most intimate secrets, or predict the stock market, or move virtually unseen. For thirty years the world has struggled with a growing divide between the exceptional...and the rest of us.Now a terrorist network led by brilliants has crippled three cities...Categorized as:
conspiracies crime espionage paranormal political-intrigue politics suspense action-adventure -
![Infinity Born by Douglas E. Richards]()
Infinity Born by Douglas E. Richards
Rated: 4.19 of 5 stars · 29 ratingsA breathtaking near-future thriller. From the NY Times bestselling author whose books have been downloaded over a million times.When DARPA's billion-dollar program to create Artificial Superintelligence is sabotaged, US operative Cameron Carr is tasked with finding the culprit. He's been on high-stakes missions before, but this time the stakes are nothing less than the future of humanity...Categorized as:
conspiracies espionage military political-intrigue suspense action-adventure adult ai -
![Time Frame by Douglas E. Richards]()
Time Frame by Douglas E. Richards
Rated: 4.18 of 5 stars · 29 ratingsSPLIT SECOND was the 27th bestselling Kindle book of 2017—out of almost 6 million titles. Now, this blockbuster continues with TIME FRAME, a standalone sequel that will leave you breathless. A daring attempt to go back a split second in time to destroy Kim Jong-un. A discovery so consequential it dwarfs even time travel. And a treacherous enemy bent on revenge...Categorized as:
espionage military political-intrigue suspense action-adventure adult assassinations audiobook -
![Kildar by John Ringo]()
Kildar by John Ringo
Rated: 4.19 of 5 stars · 27 ratingsProblems, problems, problems! All Mike Harmon ever wanted to be was a SEAL. But after problems in the teams, college student was a decent second best. However, trouble seemed to follow him where he went. Now, after having angered every terrorist on Earth and at least five governments, buying a farm in a third world country was looking pretty good. Of course, nothing was ever simple...Categorized as:
espionage military political-intrigue politics terrorism action-adventure adult alternate-history -
![The Gender War by Bella Forrest]()
The Gender War by Bella Forrest
Rated: 4.08 of 5 stars · 24 ratingsContinue Violet and Viggo's journey in the ELECTRIFYING fourth book of The Gender Game...Categorized as:
espionage military paranormal political-intrigue action-adventure audiobook book children
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