And now a couple of really good thrillers you can get at the bookstore, today.

“Walking Dead” by Greg Rucka. (Bantam Books $25, 305 pages. Hard cover.) www.gregrucka.com
There are five novels in Rucka’s Atticus Kodiak series. Having read them all I can tell you with 100% certainty that “Walking Dead” is the absolute best one. All are good. “Walking Dead” is beyond excellent.

Atticus, a former bodyguard-turned-international-fugitive is on a one-man crusade. Most normal people think that being willing to die for our cause is “the ultimate commitment.”

Atticus knows the truth – there are things that are so important that being willing to die isn’t enough. You have to be willing to do things that are much worse than merely dying.

The writing is tight and action filled. Here’s what happens when a couple of the bad guys attempt to take advantage of Atticus.
Then he turned away, saying, “Kill him.”
At least I’m pretty sure that’s what he said, but I could be wrong. Everything after the word “kill” was lost when I started laying down fire.

I put the first two at the shotgun, and the double-tap hit him before he could bring his gun to bear.”