Have you ever given much thought as to how dependent on technology our world has become?

If you haven’t, read this thriller by William R. Forstchen. “One Second After” (Tor, $9.99) will give you pause and might even make you think twice about what would happen if our power grid, communications and even our electronic-ignition cars were stilled by a terrorist attack.

This is fiction, but it seems pretty clear that it’s not out of the realm of possibility.

Set in the Black Mountain area of North Carolina, this book should keep readers on the edge of their seats. The author is a professor of history at Montreat College.

Greenville author Gregory Funaro sets his second suspense novel featuring FBI agent Sam Markham in the Raleigh area, where Markham is on the trail of a serial killer. “The Impaler” (Pinnacle, $7.99) is filled with graphic descriptions of barbaric crimes in which the victims are impaled on wooden stakes. This one is a thrill a minute and hard to put down.

“Burn Down the Sky” (Voyager, $7.99) by James Jaros tells the story of a world decimated by natural and manmade disasters. Bands of marauders seek out the small groups that are in hiding across the country, mainly to kidnap the young girls. I would caution that this thriller is quite violent, but it is a well-written story.

You can’t go wrong with a Karen Rose novel. “You Belong to Me” (Signet, $7.99) is the first of a new romantic suspense series featuring Dr. Lucy Trask, a Baltimore medical examiner, and Detective J.D. Fitzpatrick. A case from 20 years ago comes back into play, with Lucy as its focal point. I’m eagerly looking forward to the next book in the series.

I love Elizabeth Peters’ Amelia Peabody series. In “A River in the Sky” (Harper, $9.99), Amelia and her husband, Emerson, follow another archaeologist, George Morley, on a trip to Palestine, where he thinks he is going to find the Ark of the Covenant. Emerson is actually there to keep an eye on Morley for the British authorities. There’s lots of action in this volume.

“He Trots the Air,” by Marilyn M. Fisher (Bedside Books, $19.95), is a novel featuring investigator Connie Holt. Connie must discover who is trying to drug a horse in order to effect the outcome of an important race. She is also faced with changes in her personal life as well as authenticating a painting for her old friend.

Contact Faye Dasen at fdasen@thepilot.com.