Reading Ahead: May 2013, part 1

Publishing typically has two "big" seasons.  One occurs in October-December, during the holiday lead-up, because books make excellent gifts.  (Obviously.)  The other occurs from May-July, as to many, summer means time off to enjoy a good book.  This year, May is kicking of with a bang and some hugely anticipated titles.  Ready to see some of the pending thrillers that have readers aflutter? 

Inferno, by Dan Brown

A Delicate Truth, by John Le Carre

Murder as a Fine Art, by David Morrell

Deeply Odd, by Dean Koontz

Pirate Alley, by Stephen Coonts

Dan Brown is back with a new Robert Langdon novel, Inferno, which follows Langdon through a riddle woven around Dante's classic work.  This is classic Brown--classical art, futuristic science, thrilling chases through the heart of Italian cities.  Lots of excitement around this title, and with good reason!  If you missed any of the former Langdon titles, make sure to start with Angels & Demons, the first of the series.

And in an interesting departure, David Morrell has for us a work of historical suspense set in Victorian London, which really has me intrigued.  Thomas de Quincey, an English essayist most infamous for his Confessions of an English Opium Eater, here comes under fire for a different essay, entitled "On Murder Considered One of the Fine Arts", which appears to be a blueprint for a spree of vicious mass murders.  De Quincey, desperate to clear his name but crippled by his opium addiction, is aided by devoted daughter Emily and a pair of Scotland Yard detectives.  I am very interested to see how this fascinating premise plays out, and what this will mean for Morrell's future work, which until now has consisted of contemporary thrillers.  

I'll be back next week with some more big titles you won't want to miss.  In the meantime, happy reading!