What's on my must-read list this winter? Read on to find out!
Freefall, by Jessica Barry. In Maine, Maggie Carpenter receives news that her daughter, Allison, is presumed dead following the crash of a private plane in the Colorado Rockies, though Allison's body has not yet been recovered. The deceased pilot has been identified as Allison's fiance, a pharmaceutical company CEO. After two years estrangement from her daughter, Maggie didn't even know that Allison was engaged, and as she begins to dig into the last two years of her daughter's life, Maggie discovers that she barely knew her daughter anymore, least of all why Allison might want the authorities to believe she died in the crash...
The Dreamers, by Karen Thompson Walker. I was a huge fan of Walker's 2012 debut, The Age of Miracles, and her new novel is already creating a lot of pre-publication buzz, so this is right at the top of my January reading list. It all starts in on the campus of a small California college, where a student falls asleep and cannot be awakened. Then another, and another, the sleeping sickness (which occasionally ends in death) spreading across campus and the nearby town, which are quickly quarantined. Cue students inside the quarantine zone planning their escapes, others volunteering to care for their stricken friends as the number of infected continue to climb. Shifting seamlessly among multiple characters, Walker has written what early reviews are calling a "provocative, hypnotic" and "skillful" novel. I can't wait.
The Accidental Further Adventures of the Hundred-Year-Old Man, by Jonas Jonasson. In this sequel to Jonasson's best-selling The 100-Year-Old Man Who Climbed Out the Window and Disappeared (2012), centenarian Allan Karlsson and his sidekick, petty thief Julius Jonasson, are back and as uproariously funny as ever as they fly in a hot air balloon well-stocked with champagne, only to crash land into the sea. Then they're rescued by a North Korean ship carrying contraband uranium, and things really start to get interesting!
Happy Holidays and Happy Reading! I'll be back with my 2018 wrap-up next week!
Thursday, December 20, 2018
Tuesday, December 18, 2018
Meg's Picks: January 2019, part 1
Need some suspense in your life? Here are a few titles that have made my list next month, including a couple of spectacular debuts!
An Anonymous Girl, by Greer Hendricks & Sarah Pekkanen. New psychological fiction from the authors of the 2018 best-seller The Wife Between Us. When Jessica signs up for an ethics study of women ages 18-32, she has no idea that the doctor running the study will be so dangerously controlling. As the study progresses and she shares, and overshares, with the doctor, Jessica begins to wonder whether she'll ever be able to leave the study at all... Also available in Large Print.
The Woman Inside, by E.G. Scott. Scott is the pseudonym for a pair of writers, one a publishing professional and the other a screenwriter, making their debut with a dark marital thriller that is already in development for a TV series. After nearly two decades of marriage, Rebecca and Paul are growing apart, separated by a slowly unraveling string of secrets. Like Rebecca's career-ending substance abuse problem. Or Paul's failure to mention that he's withdrawn all of their savings from the bank, or his adultery. Fans of Gillian Flynn's Gone Girl will want to check this out in the new year.
The Nowhere Child, by Christian White. White's impressive debut starts with Australian teacher Kim Leamy being approached by American James Finn, who claims the 30-year-old woman is actually Sammy Went, who was abducted from Kentucky at the age of 2 back in 1990. When James admits he's actually Stuart Went, Sammy's brother, and shares all of the documentation of Sammy's disappearance, Kim is intrigued, and together they work to unearth what really happened. Don't skip ahead, the ending is worth the wait!
An Anonymous Girl, by Greer Hendricks & Sarah Pekkanen. New psychological fiction from the authors of the 2018 best-seller The Wife Between Us. When Jessica signs up for an ethics study of women ages 18-32, she has no idea that the doctor running the study will be so dangerously controlling. As the study progresses and she shares, and overshares, with the doctor, Jessica begins to wonder whether she'll ever be able to leave the study at all... Also available in Large Print.
The Woman Inside, by E.G. Scott. Scott is the pseudonym for a pair of writers, one a publishing professional and the other a screenwriter, making their debut with a dark marital thriller that is already in development for a TV series. After nearly two decades of marriage, Rebecca and Paul are growing apart, separated by a slowly unraveling string of secrets. Like Rebecca's career-ending substance abuse problem. Or Paul's failure to mention that he's withdrawn all of their savings from the bank, or his adultery. Fans of Gillian Flynn's Gone Girl will want to check this out in the new year.
The Nowhere Child, by Christian White. White's impressive debut starts with Australian teacher Kim Leamy being approached by American James Finn, who claims the 30-year-old woman is actually Sammy Went, who was abducted from Kentucky at the age of 2 back in 1990. When James admits he's actually Stuart Went, Sammy's brother, and shares all of the documentation of Sammy's disappearance, Kim is intrigued, and together they work to unearth what really happened. Don't skip ahead, the ending is worth the wait!
Thursday, December 13, 2018
Reading Ahead: January 2019, part 3
Winter is often the season when many readers turn to easy reading to while away a bitterly cold night. If that sounds like you, read on!
Turning Point, by Danielle Steel. Four busy and dedicated California doctors are chosen for an honor and a unique project: to work with their counterparts in Paris in a mass-casualty training program. As professionals, they will gain invaluable experience. As men and women, they will find that their time in the City of Lights offers them a variety of personal opportunities. But when an unspeakable act of mass violence calls them all into action, this will be their turning point, when each must make choices that will change each of them forever. Also available in Large Print.
Untouchable, by Jayne Ann Krentz. This is the wrap-up of Krentz's Cutler, Sutter & Salinas trilogy, following 2016's When All The Girls Have Gone and 2017's Promise Not To Tell. FBI consultant Jack Lancaster has always been drawn to the coldest of cold cases. A survivor of a fire himself, he finds himself with a unique perspective on arson cases in particular. But the more cases he solves, the closer he slips toward darkness. His salvation is meditation therapist Winter Meadows, who can manage to lead him back toward the light when his thoughts are at their darkest. As long as Quinton Zane is alive, though, Jack will never have peace, and so the battle begins. Also available in Large Print.
The Best of Us, by Robyn Carr. Latest in Carr's Sullivan's Crossing series, after 2018's The Family Gathering, finds Dr. Leigh Culver enjoying the slower pace of practicing medicine in Timberlake, Colorado after her years in Chicago. The only drawback is that she misses her aunt Helen, who raised Leigh, but perhaps the gorgeous mountain views will entice Helen to visit often? Neither of them expected to miss one another so much, though, and Helen never thought she'd fall for a place like Sullivan's Crossing, but that's just the beginning of what happens upon her first fateful visit. Also available in Large Print.
Turning Point, by Danielle Steel. Four busy and dedicated California doctors are chosen for an honor and a unique project: to work with their counterparts in Paris in a mass-casualty training program. As professionals, they will gain invaluable experience. As men and women, they will find that their time in the City of Lights offers them a variety of personal opportunities. But when an unspeakable act of mass violence calls them all into action, this will be their turning point, when each must make choices that will change each of them forever. Also available in Large Print.
Untouchable, by Jayne Ann Krentz. This is the wrap-up of Krentz's Cutler, Sutter & Salinas trilogy, following 2016's When All The Girls Have Gone and 2017's Promise Not To Tell. FBI consultant Jack Lancaster has always been drawn to the coldest of cold cases. A survivor of a fire himself, he finds himself with a unique perspective on arson cases in particular. But the more cases he solves, the closer he slips toward darkness. His salvation is meditation therapist Winter Meadows, who can manage to lead him back toward the light when his thoughts are at their darkest. As long as Quinton Zane is alive, though, Jack will never have peace, and so the battle begins. Also available in Large Print.
The Best of Us, by Robyn Carr. Latest in Carr's Sullivan's Crossing series, after 2018's The Family Gathering, finds Dr. Leigh Culver enjoying the slower pace of practicing medicine in Timberlake, Colorado after her years in Chicago. The only drawback is that she misses her aunt Helen, who raised Leigh, but perhaps the gorgeous mountain views will entice Helen to visit often? Neither of them expected to miss one another so much, though, and Helen never thought she'd fall for a place like Sullivan's Crossing, but that's just the beginning of what happens upon her first fateful visit. Also available in Large Print.
Thursday, December 6, 2018
Reading Ahead: January 2019, part 2
Need a new thriller to get your blood running on a cold winter's night? Consider one of these up and coming titles!
The Suspect, by Fiona Barton. The bestselling author of The Widow (2016) returns with a twisted psychological thriller about every parent's worst nightmare. When two eighteen-year-old girls go missing on a trip to Thailand, their frantic, worried families are thrust into the spotlight overnight. What were the girls doing before they disappeared? Journalist Kate Waters wants the exclusive, to be the first to the find the truth, but in the process she's forced to deal with her own issues, including her son who left for his own international travels two years ago...and hasn't been heard from since.
What Doesn't Kill Her, by Christina Dodd. Following 2018's Dead Girl Running, we again meet up with Kellen Adams, who has a year-long gap in her memory. A gunshot to the head will do that, it seems. But she's slowly piecing things back together and what she learns changes everything. Like that she bends, but doesn't break. And that even on the run in the wilderness, carrying a priceless burden, she has her sights set on her pursuers, vowing to end this chase as the hunter, not the hunted...
Judgement, by Joseph Finder. Massachusetts Superior Court judge Juliana Brody is rumored to be in consideration for the federal circuit, and she doesn't want anything to jeopardize that. But while at a conference in Chicago, she indulges in a one-night-stand with a man who seems gentle and vulnerable. Their mutual understanding is that this will never happen again. Upon returning home, however, Juliana soon realizes that this was no chance encounter, and that the man in Chicago has an integral role in the sexual discrimination case she's presiding over. Her indiscretion has been recorded, but it soon becomes clear that personal humiliation or even the end of her career may be the least of her concerns. It could spell mortal peril for her and for those she holds most dear.
The Suspect, by Fiona Barton. The bestselling author of The Widow (2016) returns with a twisted psychological thriller about every parent's worst nightmare. When two eighteen-year-old girls go missing on a trip to Thailand, their frantic, worried families are thrust into the spotlight overnight. What were the girls doing before they disappeared? Journalist Kate Waters wants the exclusive, to be the first to the find the truth, but in the process she's forced to deal with her own issues, including her son who left for his own international travels two years ago...and hasn't been heard from since.
What Doesn't Kill Her, by Christina Dodd. Following 2018's Dead Girl Running, we again meet up with Kellen Adams, who has a year-long gap in her memory. A gunshot to the head will do that, it seems. But she's slowly piecing things back together and what she learns changes everything. Like that she bends, but doesn't break. And that even on the run in the wilderness, carrying a priceless burden, she has her sights set on her pursuers, vowing to end this chase as the hunter, not the hunted...
Judgement, by Joseph Finder. Massachusetts Superior Court judge Juliana Brody is rumored to be in consideration for the federal circuit, and she doesn't want anything to jeopardize that. But while at a conference in Chicago, she indulges in a one-night-stand with a man who seems gentle and vulnerable. Their mutual understanding is that this will never happen again. Upon returning home, however, Juliana soon realizes that this was no chance encounter, and that the man in Chicago has an integral role in the sexual discrimination case she's presiding over. Her indiscretion has been recorded, but it soon becomes clear that personal humiliation or even the end of her career may be the least of her concerns. It could spell mortal peril for her and for those she holds most dear.
Tuesday, December 4, 2018
Reading Ahead: January 2019, part 1
It's time to start thinking about keeping warm with red-hot thrillers this winter! Here are a few to consider adding to your list as the mercury starts to dip.
The Rule of Law, by John Lescroart. Last seen in 2018's Poison, Dismas Hardy is concerned: something is troubling his long-time and most-trusted assistant, Phyllis. And then? She disappears without a word. Then Hardy finds out that her brother, who has been in prison for armed robbery and attempted murder, has just been released. When Phyllis is found and arrested for the murder of a human trafficker, there's simply too much coincidence for Hardy to leave it alone. He has to put the pieces together, fast, if there's any hope of saving his trusted colleague.
Daughter of War, by Brad Taylor. Pike Logan and fellow Taskforce operator Jennifer Cahill are back after 2018's Operator Down and they're hot on the trail of a North Korean looking to sell sensitive information the Syrian regime. Then they stumble on something even more grave: the sale of a lethal substance known as Red Mercury, a weapon of mass destruction against American and Kurdish forces. Can the Taskforce unravel the plot and neutralize the threat before the conspiracy comes to a deadly end?
Liar, Liar, by James Patterson & Candice Fox. Harriet Blue is a great cop who has gone very, very bad. In the space of a week, she's committed theft and fraud, resisted arrest, assaulted an officer, and is now considered a dangerous fugitive. All of this because of one man who killed the person she held most dear...and intends to kill her next.
The New Iberia Blues, by James Lee Burke. This twenty-second entry in Burke's long-running Detective David Robicheaux series finds Robicheaux meeting up with a figure from his past, a once undersized twelve-year-old boy on the streets of New Orleans who, twenty-five years later, has fulfilled his dreams of Hollywood splendor. But when Robicheaux comes to Cormier's estate, it isn't to offer congratulations--he's looking for answers related to a nearby homicide. Cormier isn't saying much, but Robicheaux knows better. It's only as he wades deeper into the investigation, however, that he discovers just how dark and convoluted this case is.
The Rule of Law, by John Lescroart. Last seen in 2018's Poison, Dismas Hardy is concerned: something is troubling his long-time and most-trusted assistant, Phyllis. And then? She disappears without a word. Then Hardy finds out that her brother, who has been in prison for armed robbery and attempted murder, has just been released. When Phyllis is found and arrested for the murder of a human trafficker, there's simply too much coincidence for Hardy to leave it alone. He has to put the pieces together, fast, if there's any hope of saving his trusted colleague.
Daughter of War, by Brad Taylor. Pike Logan and fellow Taskforce operator Jennifer Cahill are back after 2018's Operator Down and they're hot on the trail of a North Korean looking to sell sensitive information the Syrian regime. Then they stumble on something even more grave: the sale of a lethal substance known as Red Mercury, a weapon of mass destruction against American and Kurdish forces. Can the Taskforce unravel the plot and neutralize the threat before the conspiracy comes to a deadly end?
Liar, Liar, by James Patterson & Candice Fox. Harriet Blue is a great cop who has gone very, very bad. In the space of a week, she's committed theft and fraud, resisted arrest, assaulted an officer, and is now considered a dangerous fugitive. All of this because of one man who killed the person she held most dear...and intends to kill her next.
The New Iberia Blues, by James Lee Burke. This twenty-second entry in Burke's long-running Detective David Robicheaux series finds Robicheaux meeting up with a figure from his past, a once undersized twelve-year-old boy on the streets of New Orleans who, twenty-five years later, has fulfilled his dreams of Hollywood splendor. But when Robicheaux comes to Cormier's estate, it isn't to offer congratulations--he's looking for answers related to a nearby homicide. Cormier isn't saying much, but Robicheaux knows better. It's only as he wades deeper into the investigation, however, that he discovers just how dark and convoluted this case is.
Thursday, November 29, 2018
What I've Been Reading: November 2018
I've been reading non-fiction and book club books, which seem to be slowing me down a little lately. That and the early evenings that make me want to retire earlier and earlier! But I've gotten a few things finished...
The Good Neighbor: The Life and Work of Fred Rogers, by Maxwell King. I am absolutely a child of the PBS era and have a soft, nostalgic place in my heart for Mister Rogers' Neighborhood. So this, the first full-length biography of an American icon, is right up my alley. Following Fred's story from a shy, kindhearted boy through his education where he excelled at music, and told with the help of numerous interviews and archival documents, King's biography is simply perfect, thoughtful and insightful and wonderfully detailed.
How to Knit A Heart Back Home, by Rachael Herron. Herron, writer and fellow knitter, has a great knack for writing perfectly flawed characters who find each other in the most entertaining ways. Here, bookshop owner and long-time knitter Lucy has made peace with being single, choosing to live vicariously through the exploits of her socially avid best friend, Molly. Then Owen comes back to town to deal with some family issues, and Lucy goes to pieces. In high school, Lucy had been Owen's math tutor, her the nerd and him the bad boy with a tough home life. They shared one intensely memorable kiss...just before he left town. Now after close to two decades, he's back and maybe, just maybe, they might find their next steps together...
The Visitors, by Catherine Burns. Burns' debut, which was published last September, has been on my list for some time, and now I know why. This is not a comfortable read, both claustrophobic and grimly tense. Marion Zetland lives in her crumbling childhood home with her older brother John--she a timid spinster who spends her days napping with teddy bears and avoiding conflict of any kind, he a surly recluse who spends the bulk of his time in their basement, which is off limits to everyone else. Marion has spent years turning a blind eye to John's ominous deeds until one day, these heinous responsibilities fall to her and she must unravel many truths, including her own. A slow and uncomfortable start picks up a full head of steam about halfway through, and the finish is absolutely worth it. If you're looking for a novel full of dark suspense, add this to your list.
The Law of Similars, by Chris Bohjalian. Bohjalian (Midwives, The Sandcastle Girls, etc.) is a favorite of mine and I parcel his books out as stories to savor. Here, Vermont widower and attorney Leland is consumed by his job, the raising of his young daughter...and a collection of anxieties manifesting as illness. Over the counter remedies and antibiotics have failed him. It's only when he turns to homeopathy that he begins to see improvement, not least because he is instantly smitten with his homeopath, Carissa Lake. But after one of Carissa's patients falls into an allergy-induced coma, possibly because of her prescribed remedy, Leland's office begins to investigate the case. Leland is faced with a monumental ethical dilemma as love and legal obligations clash head-on. Fascinating on multiple levels, this was definitely a novel to linger over.
The Tea Girl of Hummingbird Lane, by Lisa See. My book club's November selection, The Tea Girl of Hummingbird Lane is the story of Li-yan and her family, living in a remote village in a southern province of China where life revolves around the seasons and the farming and harvesting of tea. It is only after a stranger visits their village that Li-yan begins to venture forth, receiving an education and beginning to reject traditional beliefs. It is the birth of her daughter, born out of wedlock with a man her family considers a poor choice, that finally causes Li-yan to break away. She gives her daughter up at an orphanage in hopes of giving the girl a better life, then makes her own way in the world, choosing city over village. This is also the story of Haley, Li-yan's daughter, who is being raised by an American couple in California, and her own unique struggles with identity.
We Should All Be Feminists, by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie. Adapted from Adichie's much-admired TEDx talk of the same name, this long essay is both personal and eloquently argued, offering a unique definition of feminism for the twenty-first century, one rooted in inclusion and awareness. Drawing on her own experiences and her understanding of the often-masked realities of sexual politics, this is both Adichie's own exploration of what it means to be a woman now, and also a rallying cry to the world. I loved it so much, I read it twice.
The Stranger in the Woods, by Michael Finkel. This is a reread for me, the selection for my book club's December meeting. You can read my original review here.
I have nine books left to read in 2018 in order to hit 100 books in a calendar year. Think I can do it?
The Good Neighbor: The Life and Work of Fred Rogers, by Maxwell King. I am absolutely a child of the PBS era and have a soft, nostalgic place in my heart for Mister Rogers' Neighborhood. So this, the first full-length biography of an American icon, is right up my alley. Following Fred's story from a shy, kindhearted boy through his education where he excelled at music, and told with the help of numerous interviews and archival documents, King's biography is simply perfect, thoughtful and insightful and wonderfully detailed.
How to Knit A Heart Back Home, by Rachael Herron. Herron, writer and fellow knitter, has a great knack for writing perfectly flawed characters who find each other in the most entertaining ways. Here, bookshop owner and long-time knitter Lucy has made peace with being single, choosing to live vicariously through the exploits of her socially avid best friend, Molly. Then Owen comes back to town to deal with some family issues, and Lucy goes to pieces. In high school, Lucy had been Owen's math tutor, her the nerd and him the bad boy with a tough home life. They shared one intensely memorable kiss...just before he left town. Now after close to two decades, he's back and maybe, just maybe, they might find their next steps together...
The Visitors, by Catherine Burns. Burns' debut, which was published last September, has been on my list for some time, and now I know why. This is not a comfortable read, both claustrophobic and grimly tense. Marion Zetland lives in her crumbling childhood home with her older brother John--she a timid spinster who spends her days napping with teddy bears and avoiding conflict of any kind, he a surly recluse who spends the bulk of his time in their basement, which is off limits to everyone else. Marion has spent years turning a blind eye to John's ominous deeds until one day, these heinous responsibilities fall to her and she must unravel many truths, including her own. A slow and uncomfortable start picks up a full head of steam about halfway through, and the finish is absolutely worth it. If you're looking for a novel full of dark suspense, add this to your list.
The Law of Similars, by Chris Bohjalian. Bohjalian (Midwives, The Sandcastle Girls, etc.) is a favorite of mine and I parcel his books out as stories to savor. Here, Vermont widower and attorney Leland is consumed by his job, the raising of his young daughter...and a collection of anxieties manifesting as illness. Over the counter remedies and antibiotics have failed him. It's only when he turns to homeopathy that he begins to see improvement, not least because he is instantly smitten with his homeopath, Carissa Lake. But after one of Carissa's patients falls into an allergy-induced coma, possibly because of her prescribed remedy, Leland's office begins to investigate the case. Leland is faced with a monumental ethical dilemma as love and legal obligations clash head-on. Fascinating on multiple levels, this was definitely a novel to linger over.
The Tea Girl of Hummingbird Lane, by Lisa See. My book club's November selection, The Tea Girl of Hummingbird Lane is the story of Li-yan and her family, living in a remote village in a southern province of China where life revolves around the seasons and the farming and harvesting of tea. It is only after a stranger visits their village that Li-yan begins to venture forth, receiving an education and beginning to reject traditional beliefs. It is the birth of her daughter, born out of wedlock with a man her family considers a poor choice, that finally causes Li-yan to break away. She gives her daughter up at an orphanage in hopes of giving the girl a better life, then makes her own way in the world, choosing city over village. This is also the story of Haley, Li-yan's daughter, who is being raised by an American couple in California, and her own unique struggles with identity.
We Should All Be Feminists, by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie. Adapted from Adichie's much-admired TEDx talk of the same name, this long essay is both personal and eloquently argued, offering a unique definition of feminism for the twenty-first century, one rooted in inclusion and awareness. Drawing on her own experiences and her understanding of the often-masked realities of sexual politics, this is both Adichie's own exploration of what it means to be a woman now, and also a rallying cry to the world. I loved it so much, I read it twice.
The Stranger in the Woods, by Michael Finkel. This is a reread for me, the selection for my book club's December meeting. You can read my original review here.
I have nine books left to read in 2018 in order to hit 100 books in a calendar year. Think I can do it?
Tuesday, November 20, 2018
Meg's Picks: December 2018, part 1
Looking for something unexpected? I've got two suggestions for you today--one, a debut with an unusual protagonist and the second, a series starter from a reader favorite.
Hunting Annabelle, by Wendy Heard. This unique debut thriller already has a lot of readers buzzing. Sean Suh has served three years in a psychiatric prison for murder, so now that he's out, he copes by avoiding interaction with other people and wandering a local amusement park as he suppresses his darker impulses. He's instantly smitten when he meets Annabelle, who is beautiful and kind. But when she is abducted while they're on their first date, he finds himself the prime--and only--suspect. Frustrated by the police's unwillingness to search for Annabelle and her abductor, Sean begins his own investigation and digs into Annabelle's past--which turns out to be far murkier than readers might have expected. Billed as delightfully dark and twisted, this is a sure bet for readers of Caroline Kepnes (You, etc.).
Murder at the Mill, by M.B. Shaw. This first mystery from bestseller Tilly Bagshawe writing under a pseudonym finds artist Iris Grey hiding away in a Hampshire cottage, taking a break from her strained marriage. While there, she accepts a commission to paint the portrait of crime writer Dominic Wetherby, who lives next door. It's only when a local's father is discovered dead that Iris discovers she's got a talent for investigating murder...and suspects abound. Fans of Bagshawe's and readers of amateur sleuths should all be lining up.
Hunting Annabelle, by Wendy Heard. This unique debut thriller already has a lot of readers buzzing. Sean Suh has served three years in a psychiatric prison for murder, so now that he's out, he copes by avoiding interaction with other people and wandering a local amusement park as he suppresses his darker impulses. He's instantly smitten when he meets Annabelle, who is beautiful and kind. But when she is abducted while they're on their first date, he finds himself the prime--and only--suspect. Frustrated by the police's unwillingness to search for Annabelle and her abductor, Sean begins his own investigation and digs into Annabelle's past--which turns out to be far murkier than readers might have expected. Billed as delightfully dark and twisted, this is a sure bet for readers of Caroline Kepnes (You, etc.).
Murder at the Mill, by M.B. Shaw. This first mystery from bestseller Tilly Bagshawe writing under a pseudonym finds artist Iris Grey hiding away in a Hampshire cottage, taking a break from her strained marriage. While there, she accepts a commission to paint the portrait of crime writer Dominic Wetherby, who lives next door. It's only when a local's father is discovered dead that Iris discovers she's got a talent for investigating murder...and suspects abound. Fans of Bagshawe's and readers of amateur sleuths should all be lining up.
Thursday, November 15, 2018
Reading Ahead: December 2019, part 4
Up for some spy games?
The Enemy of My Enemy, by WEB Griffin & William E. Butterworth IV. Latest in the Clandestine Operations series, following 2017's Death at Nuremberg, finds special agent James Cronley Jr. fighting both ex-Nazis and Soviet NKGB can lead to some strange alliances. A month ago, Cronley captured two Nazi war criminals, but not without some fallout. With the Austrian police on high alert, Cronley decides to lay low, but that only lasts until someone breaks the two criminals out of jail, putting Cronley back out on the hunt--and in the open--once more. Also available in Large Print.
A Delicate Touch, by Stuart Woods. When an old acquaintance reaches out to Stone Barrington, asking for help, he couldn't possibly say no. After all, the job seems easy enough--she just needs help solving a puzzle. Until the solution reveals a much bigger, darker scandal--one that goes back decades, and a number of New York's most elite citizens are implicated. Once again, Barrington is caught between a rock and a hard place.
The Enemy of My Enemy, by WEB Griffin & William E. Butterworth IV. Latest in the Clandestine Operations series, following 2017's Death at Nuremberg, finds special agent James Cronley Jr. fighting both ex-Nazis and Soviet NKGB can lead to some strange alliances. A month ago, Cronley captured two Nazi war criminals, but not without some fallout. With the Austrian police on high alert, Cronley decides to lay low, but that only lasts until someone breaks the two criminals out of jail, putting Cronley back out on the hunt--and in the open--once more. Also available in Large Print.
A Delicate Touch, by Stuart Woods. When an old acquaintance reaches out to Stone Barrington, asking for help, he couldn't possibly say no. After all, the job seems easy enough--she just needs help solving a puzzle. Until the solution reveals a much bigger, darker scandal--one that goes back decades, and a number of New York's most elite citizens are implicated. Once again, Barrington is caught between a rock and a hard place.
Thursday, November 8, 2018
Reading Ahead: December 2018, part 3
What single suspense novel am I looking forward to most next month? Well I think I'd have to say it's Watching You, by Lisa Jewell. I've been a fan of Jewell's since reading The Making of Us several years ago, I really enjoy her plot twists and multi-faceted characters. If you're looking for a new twisted suspense novel this winter, Watching You should be on your list (and if you need something to tide you over, I'd also recommend The Third Wife, 2015). Melville Heights is one of the best neighborhoods in Bristol, England--the sort of area that doctors and lawyers call home. It's a place where every house holds at least one secret, but certainly not where you'd expect a brutal murder to occur. Who winds up dead, and why, and whodunnit? Jewell leads readers along through the fascinating cast and keeps you guessing right to the end.
Tuesday, November 6, 2018
Reading Ahead: December 2018, part 2
Thrillers are the name of the game next month, with some long-awaited new titles from some of our readers' favorites!
The Boy, by Tami Hoag. New in Hoag's Doucet series (following 1997's A Thin Dark Line), The Boy finds Detective Nick Fourcade in the most brutal and confusing crime scene he's encountered to date. Genevieve Gauthier's home doesn't show signs of forced entry and she is physically unharmed, inexplicably left alive as a witness, telling a story of an unknown intruder who has murdered her 7-year-old son KJ. Who would kill a child and leave the only witness behind? When KJ's babysitter, Nora, is reported missing the following day, the sleepy Louisiana community is in an uproar. Nick and his wife, fellow detective Annie Broussard, must sift through Genevieve's past and Nora's disappearance to uncover the truth.
Pandemic, by Robin Cook. Taking on a cutting-edge tale of gene modification, Cook's latest begins when a young woman collapses on the New York subway and dies upon her arrival at the hospital. With eerie echoes of the 1918 flu pandemic near the hundredth anniversary, the incident begins to show anomalies when veteran medical examiner Jack Stapleton autopsies the woman. First, she had a heart transplant. Second, impossibly, her transplanted heart matches her DNA. His investigation leads him to a gene-editing biotechnology that has captured the imagination of the medical community...and the attention of its most unethical members.
The Boy, by Tami Hoag. New in Hoag's Doucet series (following 1997's A Thin Dark Line), The Boy finds Detective Nick Fourcade in the most brutal and confusing crime scene he's encountered to date. Genevieve Gauthier's home doesn't show signs of forced entry and she is physically unharmed, inexplicably left alive as a witness, telling a story of an unknown intruder who has murdered her 7-year-old son KJ. Who would kill a child and leave the only witness behind? When KJ's babysitter, Nora, is reported missing the following day, the sleepy Louisiana community is in an uproar. Nick and his wife, fellow detective Annie Broussard, must sift through Genevieve's past and Nora's disappearance to uncover the truth.
Pandemic, by Robin Cook. Taking on a cutting-edge tale of gene modification, Cook's latest begins when a young woman collapses on the New York subway and dies upon her arrival at the hospital. With eerie echoes of the 1918 flu pandemic near the hundredth anniversary, the incident begins to show anomalies when veteran medical examiner Jack Stapleton autopsies the woman. First, she had a heart transplant. Second, impossibly, her transplanted heart matches her DNA. His investigation leads him to a gene-editing biotechnology that has captured the imagination of the medical community...and the attention of its most unethical members.
Thursday, November 1, 2018
Reading Ahead: December 2018, part 1
As usual, there's not a very long list of new books due out in December (January will be a different story!), but the ones coming are big names for the most part, and ones you won't want to miss!
Of Blood and Bone, by Nora Roberts. Second in fan-favorite Roberts's new post-apocalyptic series, The Chronicles of the One, (following 2017's Year One), Of Blood and Bone begins a dozen years after the close of Year One. Fallon Swift, now thirteen, is gifted and therefore hunted. But her training under the guidance of Mallick, whose own skills have been honed over centuries, must begin. Fallon's identity, that of The One, cannot be hidden much longer, and she must be ready for the challenges ahead. Also available in Large Print.
Verses for the Dead, by Douglas Preston & Lincoln Child. Following City of Endless Night (2018), the New York City field office of the FBI undergoes a leadership overhaul, and one of the changes made is unthinkable: the notorious rogue agent Pendergast must work with a partner. Together with junior agent Coldmoon, Pendergast travels to Miami where a series of murders has a gruesome, puzzling M.O.: all of the victims have their hearts cut out and are left, along with notes from the killer, on gravestones of women who committed suicide. As the new duo work together, trying desperately to make a connection beyond that of the graves, they realize that this particular mystery may stretch back decades, making these new crimes almost pale by comparison. Pendergast is among my very favorite characters, and this new installment will be at the top of my reading list this winter.
Of Blood and Bone, by Nora Roberts. Second in fan-favorite Roberts's new post-apocalyptic series, The Chronicles of the One, (following 2017's Year One), Of Blood and Bone begins a dozen years after the close of Year One. Fallon Swift, now thirteen, is gifted and therefore hunted. But her training under the guidance of Mallick, whose own skills have been honed over centuries, must begin. Fallon's identity, that of The One, cannot be hidden much longer, and she must be ready for the challenges ahead. Also available in Large Print.
Verses for the Dead, by Douglas Preston & Lincoln Child. Following City of Endless Night (2018), the New York City field office of the FBI undergoes a leadership overhaul, and one of the changes made is unthinkable: the notorious rogue agent Pendergast must work with a partner. Together with junior agent Coldmoon, Pendergast travels to Miami where a series of murders has a gruesome, puzzling M.O.: all of the victims have their hearts cut out and are left, along with notes from the killer, on gravestones of women who committed suicide. As the new duo work together, trying desperately to make a connection beyond that of the graves, they realize that this particular mystery may stretch back decades, making these new crimes almost pale by comparison. Pendergast is among my very favorite characters, and this new installment will be at the top of my reading list this winter.
Tuesday, October 30, 2018
What I've Been Reading: October 2018
Well, it was bound to happen. I have hit a bit of a reading lull, or at least it feels that way, somehow. There have been a few titles that I've finished within a day or two this past month, but everything else has been mostly read simultaneously, a few pages at a time--to me, that just feels less fulfilling. Anyone else?
In any case, here we go!
A Man Called Ove, by Frederik Backman. I've held off on this one, which I know so many people have read and loved, because I knew my bookclub would read it and I wanted to wait. So now we've met, and I've read it! Ove is the neighborhood curmudgeon, keeping the world at arm's length and subscribing to a merciless sense of fair play. We meet him on one of his darkest days, which is turned around by a chance annoyance--a new family moving in, and making a hash of things in the process. Ove, who has not let anyone into his life in such a long time, soon finds himself surrounded by people who need him, and it is only most reluctantly that he acknowledges his need for them, too. A fast read, and an inspiring one. I very much enjoyed it, and it made for excellent discussion with the book club members.
A Breath After Drowning, by Alice Blanchard. Child psychiatrist Kate Wolf is devastated when one of her young patients commits suicide. Still reeling, she takes on a new patient, a girl abandoned at the hospital by her mother. Her confidence shaken, Kate doubts her ability to help her new patient, only to find the girl and her family have ties to Kate's own past, forcing her to acknowledge her own personal tragedy. While the plot here is fascinating, I found the style abrupt, almost as though too much of the story had been edited out--it felt like there were holes and that I was having to infer an awful lot. Sadly, not my favorite.
Leave No Trace, by Mindy Mejia. Ten years ago, a man and his son disappeared into the acres of forest in Minnesota near the Boundary Waters, and the townsfolk have presumed them dead for years. Now, the son has reappeared, found ransacking an outdoor equipment store. Violent and uncommunicative, he's sent to the local psychiatric facility where he chooses only to communicate with speech therapist Maya. He's still unwilling to share all of his secrets: where they've been, why they disappeared, why he came back. And Maya certainly has secrets of her own, including the reason she wants to help him return to the wild and his father. Beautifully written in taut, spare prose, this is a suspense novel to be savored--I didn't want to miss the smallest detail.
Lost Girls: an unsolved American mystery, by Robert Kolker. In 2010, the remains of five young women were found on the same Long Island Beach, all of them sex workers who had once used Craigslist to post their ads. Kolker investigates their individual pasts, their disappearances, the police investigation, and the nearby gated community which appears to be peopled with very private citizens, all with something to hide. The five women are all believed to have been killed by the same person, called the Long Island Serial Killer or LISK (sometimes also called the Gilgo Beach Killer or the Craigslist Ripper). I'm on a true-crime jag, and this was compellingly written. The case is currently still unsolved.
Something in the Water, by Catherine Steadman. I read this on a recommendation from a coworker, who said she couldn't put it down. I can concur, it was absolutely gripping. In a novel where you start at the end and work backward, we meet Erin while she's digging a grave for her husband. It is only as we track back her relationship with her husband, their recent wedding and their honeymoon in Bora Bora that we slowly get the picture of how she has come to this desperate situation, a young documentary film-maker, now a widow, hiding a body in the English countryside. Steadman's debut is excellent, and I look forward to her next outing.
Orphans of the Carnival, by Carol Birch. Julia Pastrana was a wonder of her time, a queen of the freakshow, touring New Orleans, New York, London, Vienna, and Moscow. Today, she would be diagnosed with hypertrichosis terminalis, but in the mid 1800s, physicians declared she was half brute, half human--as an act, she was often called the Bear Woman. Fluent in English, Spanish and French, Julia was also an accomplished musician and dancer with an excellent singing voice. Leaving the small Mexican village where she grew up in hopes of a better life with the sideshow troupe in New Orleans, Julia seeks happiness and perhaps love, which she finds with Theodore Lent. Based on a true story and framed in Birch's flavorful prose, this was a delectable read.
The Home for Unwanted Girls, by Joanna Goodman. Maggie is a young woman in Quebec in the 1950s, her mother French and her father English. Caught between two worlds, she is pushed to reject her French background, only to fall for a French boy who lives on a neighboring farm. Maggie becomes pregnant and is sent away, forced to have her baby in secrecy and give her up immediately. Elodie grows up in Quebec's impoverished orphanage system, only to have all orphanages turned into mental institutions by governmental decree--as a result, Elodie and thousands of orphans like her are declared mentally ill. Told in two parts that intertwine but never touch, the stories of Maggie and her daughter are hauntingly poignant. I'd recommend this to readers who liked Lisa Wingates's Before We Were Yours.
In any case, here we go!
A Man Called Ove, by Frederik Backman. I've held off on this one, which I know so many people have read and loved, because I knew my bookclub would read it and I wanted to wait. So now we've met, and I've read it! Ove is the neighborhood curmudgeon, keeping the world at arm's length and subscribing to a merciless sense of fair play. We meet him on one of his darkest days, which is turned around by a chance annoyance--a new family moving in, and making a hash of things in the process. Ove, who has not let anyone into his life in such a long time, soon finds himself surrounded by people who need him, and it is only most reluctantly that he acknowledges his need for them, too. A fast read, and an inspiring one. I very much enjoyed it, and it made for excellent discussion with the book club members.
A Breath After Drowning, by Alice Blanchard. Child psychiatrist Kate Wolf is devastated when one of her young patients commits suicide. Still reeling, she takes on a new patient, a girl abandoned at the hospital by her mother. Her confidence shaken, Kate doubts her ability to help her new patient, only to find the girl and her family have ties to Kate's own past, forcing her to acknowledge her own personal tragedy. While the plot here is fascinating, I found the style abrupt, almost as though too much of the story had been edited out--it felt like there were holes and that I was having to infer an awful lot. Sadly, not my favorite.
Leave No Trace, by Mindy Mejia. Ten years ago, a man and his son disappeared into the acres of forest in Minnesota near the Boundary Waters, and the townsfolk have presumed them dead for years. Now, the son has reappeared, found ransacking an outdoor equipment store. Violent and uncommunicative, he's sent to the local psychiatric facility where he chooses only to communicate with speech therapist Maya. He's still unwilling to share all of his secrets: where they've been, why they disappeared, why he came back. And Maya certainly has secrets of her own, including the reason she wants to help him return to the wild and his father. Beautifully written in taut, spare prose, this is a suspense novel to be savored--I didn't want to miss the smallest detail.
Lost Girls: an unsolved American mystery, by Robert Kolker. In 2010, the remains of five young women were found on the same Long Island Beach, all of them sex workers who had once used Craigslist to post their ads. Kolker investigates their individual pasts, their disappearances, the police investigation, and the nearby gated community which appears to be peopled with very private citizens, all with something to hide. The five women are all believed to have been killed by the same person, called the Long Island Serial Killer or LISK (sometimes also called the Gilgo Beach Killer or the Craigslist Ripper). I'm on a true-crime jag, and this was compellingly written. The case is currently still unsolved.
Something in the Water, by Catherine Steadman. I read this on a recommendation from a coworker, who said she couldn't put it down. I can concur, it was absolutely gripping. In a novel where you start at the end and work backward, we meet Erin while she's digging a grave for her husband. It is only as we track back her relationship with her husband, their recent wedding and their honeymoon in Bora Bora that we slowly get the picture of how she has come to this desperate situation, a young documentary film-maker, now a widow, hiding a body in the English countryside. Steadman's debut is excellent, and I look forward to her next outing.
Orphans of the Carnival, by Carol Birch. Julia Pastrana was a wonder of her time, a queen of the freakshow, touring New Orleans, New York, London, Vienna, and Moscow. Today, she would be diagnosed with hypertrichosis terminalis, but in the mid 1800s, physicians declared she was half brute, half human--as an act, she was often called the Bear Woman. Fluent in English, Spanish and French, Julia was also an accomplished musician and dancer with an excellent singing voice. Leaving the small Mexican village where she grew up in hopes of a better life with the sideshow troupe in New Orleans, Julia seeks happiness and perhaps love, which she finds with Theodore Lent. Based on a true story and framed in Birch's flavorful prose, this was a delectable read.
The Home for Unwanted Girls, by Joanna Goodman. Maggie is a young woman in Quebec in the 1950s, her mother French and her father English. Caught between two worlds, she is pushed to reject her French background, only to fall for a French boy who lives on a neighboring farm. Maggie becomes pregnant and is sent away, forced to have her baby in secrecy and give her up immediately. Elodie grows up in Quebec's impoverished orphanage system, only to have all orphanages turned into mental institutions by governmental decree--as a result, Elodie and thousands of orphans like her are declared mentally ill. Told in two parts that intertwine but never touch, the stories of Maggie and her daughter are hauntingly poignant. I'd recommend this to readers who liked Lisa Wingates's Before We Were Yours.
Tuesday, October 23, 2018
Meg's Picks: November 2018, part 2
I've mentioned before, these are often my favorite posts: full of new titles that might be off the beaten track a bit but still very worthy of the spotlight. If you're tired of the same-old-same-old, here are a few to take into consideration...
Come With Me, by Helen Schulman. Schulman, author of the 2011 bestseller This Beautiful Life, returns here with a thrilling and somewhat alarming tale of the possibilities of technology. Stanford junior and tech start-up genius Donny has developed an algorithm that may allow people to access their "multiverses", the lives they might have had if life choices had been played out differently. One of his first test subjects is PR part-timer Amy Reed, whose daydreams often drift to a simpler, less encumbered life, one without her out-of-work husband and rowdy children. As the testing draws her daydreams frighteningly close to the surface, Amy and her family have to make some serious choices. Dark comedy fans should absolutely check this out.
The Shadows We Hide, by Allen Eskens. In this sequel to 2014's The Life We Bury, Joe Talbert returns to investigate the murder of the father he never knew, and to reckon with his family's past. What he discovers upon arriving in his father's small hometown is that no one has much to say about the deceased except that his death was long overdue. Upon further digging, it seems the man had been a cheat and generally nasty character. But Joe must continue to dig, both to solve the murder as well as to fill in the missing pieces of his own family history. I'm recommending this to fans of Jane Harper (The Dry, etc.).
Once A Midwife, by Patricia Harman. This new addition to Harman's popular Hope River series (The Midwife of Hope River, etc.) follows midwife Patience Hester through World War II, facing trouble when her husband Daniel refuses to fight after seeing too much bloodshed in the first world war. This earns him not only the scorn of his neighbors, but also a prison sentence, leaving Patience behind to support their family, raising their four young children in his absence. Historical fiction fans looking for a different take on WWII fiction might want to add this to their reading lists.
Come With Me, by Helen Schulman. Schulman, author of the 2011 bestseller This Beautiful Life, returns here with a thrilling and somewhat alarming tale of the possibilities of technology. Stanford junior and tech start-up genius Donny has developed an algorithm that may allow people to access their "multiverses", the lives they might have had if life choices had been played out differently. One of his first test subjects is PR part-timer Amy Reed, whose daydreams often drift to a simpler, less encumbered life, one without her out-of-work husband and rowdy children. As the testing draws her daydreams frighteningly close to the surface, Amy and her family have to make some serious choices. Dark comedy fans should absolutely check this out.
The Shadows We Hide, by Allen Eskens. In this sequel to 2014's The Life We Bury, Joe Talbert returns to investigate the murder of the father he never knew, and to reckon with his family's past. What he discovers upon arriving in his father's small hometown is that no one has much to say about the deceased except that his death was long overdue. Upon further digging, it seems the man had been a cheat and generally nasty character. But Joe must continue to dig, both to solve the murder as well as to fill in the missing pieces of his own family history. I'm recommending this to fans of Jane Harper (The Dry, etc.).
Once A Midwife, by Patricia Harman. This new addition to Harman's popular Hope River series (The Midwife of Hope River, etc.) follows midwife Patience Hester through World War II, facing trouble when her husband Daniel refuses to fight after seeing too much bloodshed in the first world war. This earns him not only the scorn of his neighbors, but also a prison sentence, leaving Patience behind to support their family, raising their four young children in his absence. Historical fiction fans looking for a different take on WWII fiction might want to add this to their reading lists.
Thursday, October 18, 2018
Meg's Picks: November 2018, part 1
Surprising new reads from beloved authors, coming soon to a library shelf near you!
Fire & Blood, by George R.R. Martin. Sorry, Game of Thrones / A Song of Ice and Fire fans, this isn't book six, which has been "in process" for over seven years now. Instead, this is a bit of a prequel to Martin's epic series, focusing on the history of House Targaryen, 300 years prior to the series opener. (Which, if you ask fans, is approximately how long it's taking Martin to get The Winds of Winter finished. Sorry, George, but you're killing us!) So, with a bit of luck, this will help tide us over during the interminable wait. Beginning with the legendary Aegon the Conqueror who, as the presiding member of the last remaining house of dragonlords to survive the Doom of Valyria, took up residence on Dragonstone and crafted the Iron Throne. What really happened during the Dance of Dragons? What was Westeros like when dragons ruled the skies? The real stories behind the legends are now revealed.
Robert B. Parker's Blood Feud, by Mike Lupica. When polled, fans of legendary Robert B. Parker voted overwhelmingly that they wanted to see more of his sole female protagonist, Boston PI Sunny Randall, last featured in 2007's Spare Change. Written by Edgar finalist Lupica (Too Far, etc.), Sunny's first outing in over a decade finds her at odds with her ex, Mafia bookie Richie Burke, only to have the situation made more complicated when Richie is shot in the back over an old conflict with the Irish mob. Despite warnings to avoid the situation, Sunny jumps in with both feet, determined to put to rest the ghosts from Richie's past...and her own. From what I've heard, Lupica will be writing a followup, so keep an eye out.
Fire & Blood, by George R.R. Martin. Sorry, Game of Thrones / A Song of Ice and Fire fans, this isn't book six, which has been "in process" for over seven years now. Instead, this is a bit of a prequel to Martin's epic series, focusing on the history of House Targaryen, 300 years prior to the series opener. (Which, if you ask fans, is approximately how long it's taking Martin to get The Winds of Winter finished. Sorry, George, but you're killing us!) So, with a bit of luck, this will help tide us over during the interminable wait. Beginning with the legendary Aegon the Conqueror who, as the presiding member of the last remaining house of dragonlords to survive the Doom of Valyria, took up residence on Dragonstone and crafted the Iron Throne. What really happened during the Dance of Dragons? What was Westeros like when dragons ruled the skies? The real stories behind the legends are now revealed.
Robert B. Parker's Blood Feud, by Mike Lupica. When polled, fans of legendary Robert B. Parker voted overwhelmingly that they wanted to see more of his sole female protagonist, Boston PI Sunny Randall, last featured in 2007's Spare Change. Written by Edgar finalist Lupica (Too Far, etc.), Sunny's first outing in over a decade finds her at odds with her ex, Mafia bookie Richie Burke, only to have the situation made more complicated when Richie is shot in the back over an old conflict with the Irish mob. Despite warnings to avoid the situation, Sunny jumps in with both feet, determined to put to rest the ghosts from Richie's past...and her own. From what I've heard, Lupica will be writing a followup, so keep an eye out.
Thursday, October 11, 2018
Reading Ahead: November 2018, part 4
It's mystery season! If you're looking for a suspenseful tale to keep you company on a chilly November night, here are a few you can look forward to!
You Don't Own Me, by Mary Higgins Clark & Alafair Burke. This sixth novel in Clark's bestselling Under Suspicion series (and the fifth co-authored by Burke) finds the cold-case television show host Laurie Moran happily planning her future with her fiance. Then she's approached by the Bell family, who are desperate to have their son's case, that of a distinguished doctor who was shot dead in the driveway of his Greenwich Village home five years earlier, featured on Laurie's show. Since Dr. Bell's murder, his widow has lived under a cloud of suspicion, depicted as a mentally unstable gold-digger by the media. She sees the show as an opportunity to clear her name once and for all. But once Laurie dives in, she'll find that the good doctor had secrets of his own... Series fans are already lining up for this one--have you placed your request yet?
Kingdom of the Blind, by Louise Penny. Penny's hugely popular Inspector Gamache series continues in this latest entry, following 2017's Glass Houses, after which Gamache found himself suspended from the force. Of course, suspension or no, when Gamache is enlisted to be an executor for a stranger's estate and a key beneficiary turns up dead, he cannot help but investigate. Series fans who have been waiting for an entry that features psychologist-turned-bookseller Myrna Lander more prominently during one of Gamache's cases in Three Pines will be delighted with this newest title.
Look Alive Twenty-Five, by Janet Evanovich. Trenton's Red River Deli is one of the best around--famous for its pastrami and coleslaw...and now for its disappearing managers, as three of them have gone missing in the last month. The only clue? For each of them, one shoe has been found. The police are baffled. Locals have speculated that it might be aliens. But one thing's for sure--their new manager, Stephanie Plum, is going to get to the bottom of it.
You Don't Own Me, by Mary Higgins Clark & Alafair Burke. This sixth novel in Clark's bestselling Under Suspicion series (and the fifth co-authored by Burke) finds the cold-case television show host Laurie Moran happily planning her future with her fiance. Then she's approached by the Bell family, who are desperate to have their son's case, that of a distinguished doctor who was shot dead in the driveway of his Greenwich Village home five years earlier, featured on Laurie's show. Since Dr. Bell's murder, his widow has lived under a cloud of suspicion, depicted as a mentally unstable gold-digger by the media. She sees the show as an opportunity to clear her name once and for all. But once Laurie dives in, she'll find that the good doctor had secrets of his own... Series fans are already lining up for this one--have you placed your request yet?
Kingdom of the Blind, by Louise Penny. Penny's hugely popular Inspector Gamache series continues in this latest entry, following 2017's Glass Houses, after which Gamache found himself suspended from the force. Of course, suspension or no, when Gamache is enlisted to be an executor for a stranger's estate and a key beneficiary turns up dead, he cannot help but investigate. Series fans who have been waiting for an entry that features psychologist-turned-bookseller Myrna Lander more prominently during one of Gamache's cases in Three Pines will be delighted with this newest title.
Look Alive Twenty-Five, by Janet Evanovich. Trenton's Red River Deli is one of the best around--famous for its pastrami and coleslaw...and now for its disappearing managers, as three of them have gone missing in the last month. The only clue? For each of them, one shoe has been found. The police are baffled. Locals have speculated that it might be aliens. But one thing's for sure--their new manager, Stephanie Plum, is going to get to the bottom of it.
Tuesday, October 9, 2018
Reading Ahead: November 2018, part 3
This is the prime season for easy, entertaining reads. Here are a few that readers are already beginning to line up for.
Beauchamp Hall, Danielle Steel. Steel's latest features a young American woman who finds adventure, professional satisfaction, and love when she becomes involved with the filming of a Downton Abbey-type television program near London. And she's a long way from her roots in small-town Michigan. Lots of heart, lots of fun, perfect for Steel's fans. Also available in Large Print.
Master of His Fate, by Barbara Taylor Bradford. Bradford kicks off a new historical fiction series set in Victorian England in her latest novel. James Lionel Falconer is young, charming and confident, rising from his start as an assistant in his father's Camden Town market stall to a high position in a classy trading company. While personal tragedy nearly undoes James, it's a royal summons that ultimately will let him prove his worth. Bradford fans will be delighted with her new cast of characters.
Night of Miracles, by Elizabeth Berg. This sequel to Berg's hugely popular The Story of Arthur Truluv follows Lucille Howard, who is now teaching baking classes out of her home to help fill her time after a personal loss. She reaches out to a new resident and hires her as an assistant, and helps other neighbors who are experiencing personal struggles. If your preference is warm, comforting, easy reading to curl up with this time of year, this is just the thing. Also available in Large Print.
The Noel Stranger, by Richard Paul Evans. Second in Evans's Noel collection, following The Noel Diary (2017). Maggie, newly divorced and still reeling from her ex-husband's arrest for bigamy, decides to buy a Christmas tree to try and cheer herself up. She's soon swept off her feet by the charming Andrew, who delivers the tree to her home. But when Andrew proves to have some dark secrets of his own, Maggie has to decide whether to trust in the possibility of love again or run for the hills. Can love conquer all?
Beauchamp Hall, Danielle Steel. Steel's latest features a young American woman who finds adventure, professional satisfaction, and love when she becomes involved with the filming of a Downton Abbey-type television program near London. And she's a long way from her roots in small-town Michigan. Lots of heart, lots of fun, perfect for Steel's fans. Also available in Large Print.
Master of His Fate, by Barbara Taylor Bradford. Bradford kicks off a new historical fiction series set in Victorian England in her latest novel. James Lionel Falconer is young, charming and confident, rising from his start as an assistant in his father's Camden Town market stall to a high position in a classy trading company. While personal tragedy nearly undoes James, it's a royal summons that ultimately will let him prove his worth. Bradford fans will be delighted with her new cast of characters.
Night of Miracles, by Elizabeth Berg. This sequel to Berg's hugely popular The Story of Arthur Truluv follows Lucille Howard, who is now teaching baking classes out of her home to help fill her time after a personal loss. She reaches out to a new resident and hires her as an assistant, and helps other neighbors who are experiencing personal struggles. If your preference is warm, comforting, easy reading to curl up with this time of year, this is just the thing. Also available in Large Print.
The Noel Stranger, by Richard Paul Evans. Second in Evans's Noel collection, following The Noel Diary (2017). Maggie, newly divorced and still reeling from her ex-husband's arrest for bigamy, decides to buy a Christmas tree to try and cheer herself up. She's soon swept off her feet by the charming Andrew, who delivers the tree to her home. But when Andrew proves to have some dark secrets of his own, Maggie has to decide whether to trust in the possibility of love again or run for the hills. Can love conquer all?
Thursday, October 4, 2018
Reading Ahead: November 2018, part 2
Publishers have been saving some real winners for next month--new titles by some of our patrons' favorite authors, guaranteed to please!
Heads You Win, by Jeffrey Archer. After his father is assassinated by the KGB in 1968, teenager Alexander Karpenko flips a coin to decide where he and his mother should immigrate: New York or London. What follows is both versions of what might have happened depending on that flip. Sort of a Sliding Doors meets coming-of-age tale, resulting in a fun and fast-paced novel. Also available in Large Print.
Nine Perfect Strangers, by Liane Moriarty. Can ten days at a health resort really change your life? Nine strangers are about to find out. Some have come to the remote Tranquillium House to lose weight, others to reboot their lives after personal and/or professional setbacks. For a former best-selling romance novelist, the character that most intrigues her is the charismatic and eccentric owner and director of the resort. What she and the other guests will be asking before their stay is over is: should they surrender to the process or should they run while they still can? This latest by Moriarty (Big Little Lies, etc.) is perfect for readers seeking a wickedly smart page-turner.
Tony's Wife, by Adriana Trigiani. It's the 1940s and Chi Chi Donatelli and Saverio Armandonada fall in love over the course of one perfect summer at the Jersey Shore. Both dream of singing with greats like Glenn Miller and Benny Goodman, but after they marry, the question arises: which of them will put aside their dreams in order to raise a family? Trigiani is a huge reader sweetheart with past favorites like The Shoemaker's Wife and Lucia, Lucia--I highly recommend placing your request now!
Heads You Win, by Jeffrey Archer. After his father is assassinated by the KGB in 1968, teenager Alexander Karpenko flips a coin to decide where he and his mother should immigrate: New York or London. What follows is both versions of what might have happened depending on that flip. Sort of a Sliding Doors meets coming-of-age tale, resulting in a fun and fast-paced novel. Also available in Large Print.
Nine Perfect Strangers, by Liane Moriarty. Can ten days at a health resort really change your life? Nine strangers are about to find out. Some have come to the remote Tranquillium House to lose weight, others to reboot their lives after personal and/or professional setbacks. For a former best-selling romance novelist, the character that most intrigues her is the charismatic and eccentric owner and director of the resort. What she and the other guests will be asking before their stay is over is: should they surrender to the process or should they run while they still can? This latest by Moriarty (Big Little Lies, etc.) is perfect for readers seeking a wickedly smart page-turner.
Tony's Wife, by Adriana Trigiani. It's the 1940s and Chi Chi Donatelli and Saverio Armandonada fall in love over the course of one perfect summer at the Jersey Shore. Both dream of singing with greats like Glenn Miller and Benny Goodman, but after they marry, the question arises: which of them will put aside their dreams in order to raise a family? Trigiani is a huge reader sweetheart with past favorites like The Shoemaker's Wife and Lucia, Lucia--I highly recommend placing your request now!
Tuesday, October 2, 2018
Reading Ahead: November 2018, part 1
Thrillers are the name of the game this fall! Wondering what will find its way onto the best-seller's lists in a hurry? Read on!
Past Tense, by Lee Child. Jack Reacher heads to rural New Hampshire, seeking any information concerning his late father, Stan Reacher. All he finds is an old case file regarding an assault, in which Stan Reacher was mentioned. Jack, being Jack, finds himself stepping in to stop a townie from beating a woman, humiliating the man publicly in the process. As Jack deals with the ensuing revenge posse, 30 miles away, a Canadian couple has car trouble and is forced to stay over at a small motel, a motel which becomes stranger and more ominous by the minute. This should prove an extremely satisfying installment in Child's long-running, popular series. Also available in Large Print.
Long Road to Mercy, by David Baldacci. Baldacci kicks of a new series in his latest, featuring Atlee Pine, an FBI agent and criminal profiler who specializes in serial killers. The case in her debut? A steadily lengthening list of missing persons in the area surrounding the Grand Canyon. I'm expecting this to recruit even more fans to Baldacci's camp.
Sea of Greed, by Clive Cussler and Graham Brown. After an explosion in the Gulf of Mexico destroys three oil rigs, Kurt Austin and the NUMA Special Projects Team are tasked by the President to investigate. The trail quickly leads to a billionaire in the field of alternative energy whose goal is to end the age of oil. But is she an environmental hero...or a rogue genetic engineer?
Target, by James Patterson. An elite squad of killers is on the loose--six assassins. In the wake of a leader's fall, Alex Cross joins the crowd of mourners, only to witness a sniper's bullet strike a target at the heart of DC. Cross's wife, Bree Stone, recently elevated to chief of DC detectives, must solve the case quickly or lose her position. The FBI, the Special Service, and Cross himself are all on the case, with Cross orchestrating one of the largest manhunts on record. But was this the only target? Or are the killers just getting started?
Past Tense, by Lee Child. Jack Reacher heads to rural New Hampshire, seeking any information concerning his late father, Stan Reacher. All he finds is an old case file regarding an assault, in which Stan Reacher was mentioned. Jack, being Jack, finds himself stepping in to stop a townie from beating a woman, humiliating the man publicly in the process. As Jack deals with the ensuing revenge posse, 30 miles away, a Canadian couple has car trouble and is forced to stay over at a small motel, a motel which becomes stranger and more ominous by the minute. This should prove an extremely satisfying installment in Child's long-running, popular series. Also available in Large Print.
Long Road to Mercy, by David Baldacci. Baldacci kicks of a new series in his latest, featuring Atlee Pine, an FBI agent and criminal profiler who specializes in serial killers. The case in her debut? A steadily lengthening list of missing persons in the area surrounding the Grand Canyon. I'm expecting this to recruit even more fans to Baldacci's camp.
Sea of Greed, by Clive Cussler and Graham Brown. After an explosion in the Gulf of Mexico destroys three oil rigs, Kurt Austin and the NUMA Special Projects Team are tasked by the President to investigate. The trail quickly leads to a billionaire in the field of alternative energy whose goal is to end the age of oil. But is she an environmental hero...or a rogue genetic engineer?
Target, by James Patterson. An elite squad of killers is on the loose--six assassins. In the wake of a leader's fall, Alex Cross joins the crowd of mourners, only to witness a sniper's bullet strike a target at the heart of DC. Cross's wife, Bree Stone, recently elevated to chief of DC detectives, must solve the case quickly or lose her position. The FBI, the Special Service, and Cross himself are all on the case, with Cross orchestrating one of the largest manhunts on record. But was this the only target? Or are the killers just getting started?
Thursday, September 27, 2018
What I've Been Reading: September 2018
It's that time again!
Sweet Little Lies, by Caz Frear. D.C. Cat Kinsella is hesitant as she investigates the murder of a young Islington housewife. The woman's body was found not far from the pub run by Cat's estranged father. When the woman turns out to be a girl the Kinsellas had met on holiday years earlier, Cat finds herself torn between loyalty to her dysfunctional family and dedication to her job. Full of twists and turns, this was a riveting procedural.
The Moth Presents: All These Wonders, edited by Catherine Burns. I am hopelessly in love with The Moth podcast. For those of you who are unfamiliar, The Moth is a non-profit group based out of New York City that is dedicated to the art and craft of storytelling. The group presents a wide range of themed storytelling events across the country--many of which have been recorded for the long-running podcast, which was my introduction. Celebrating their 20th anniversary (The Moth was founded in 1997), this collection of 45 stories culled from their events focuses on stories about risk, courage, and facing the unknown. I read this collection over two days, so enthralled was I in these people's stories. I very highly recommend both the book and the podcast--they are honest, wise, insightful, life-changing.
On Call in the Arctic, by Thomas J. Sims. As Sims was finishing his residency and on the cusp of beginning his career as a pediatric surgeon, he was alerted to the impending change in his life: he was going to be drafted as a M.A.S.H. surgeon and sent to Vietnam. His alternative was accepting a commission in the U.S. Public Health Service for an assignment in Anchorage, Alaska--he took it, and brought along his very pregnant wife and young daughter when the moved days later. His life changed again when he was reassigned: instead of being Chief of Pediatrics in Anchorage, he would now be serving as the sole physician in Nome, providing medical care to not only Nome's residents, but also those of thirteen surrounding Eskimo villages, with very little support and in archaic conditions. The stories he relates in this memoir are truly amazing, by turns spine-tingling, jaw-dropping, and heart-warming. I'm recommending this to readers who also liked The Stranger in the Woods by Michael Finkel.
Leverage in Death, by J.D. Robb. When a marketing executive walks into a board meeting wearing a suicide vest and takes out friends and coworkers on the day his company was set to sign a significant merger, NYPSD Lieutenant Eve Dallas is puzzled. She soon finds that the man's family was held hostage as collateral, forcing the man to commit this unthinkable act. But who would do such a thing? And why? The motive seems murky, only slowly clearing as the case progresses. I have to say, this was not one of my favorites in this long-running series--the pacing was off, there was a huge amount of stock market information that I personally found tedious. Your mileage may vary.
Today Will Be Different, by Maria Semple. This morning, Eleanor will take small actions to get her life in order. She will follow through. She will be a responsible adult, a good wife, an attentive mother, a patient friend. This ordinary, responsible day begins a slow-but-sure nosedive after her son finagles his way out of school for the day and then she finds that her husband, Joe, has told his office (but not her) that he's on vacation for the week. Eleanor abandons all of her best intentions in favor of unraveling the mysteries before her, because how is a person supposed to be a responsible adult when everything you counted on being true may not be? This second novel by Semple, author of the best-selling Where'd You Go, Bernadette?, was everything I needed it to be: introspective, funny, irreverent, and deeply relatable.
The Stranger Beside Me, by Ann Rule. Ann Rule, former policewoman, crime journalist, was volunteering at a crisis call center in Seattle as a series of murders occurred in the area. Then the crimes stopped as quickly as they started. Several years later, a man in Florida was arrested after a horrific multiple murder in a sorority house. The man was Ted Bundy, and man who was eventually linked to more than thirty murders across the country, and a man who had once been a fellow volunteer in the same crisis center as Ann Rule. This is her story, both of the crimes and of the man who committed them. I'm a true crime buff, and this really is the ultimate true crime story.
Sweet Little Lies, by Caz Frear. D.C. Cat Kinsella is hesitant as she investigates the murder of a young Islington housewife. The woman's body was found not far from the pub run by Cat's estranged father. When the woman turns out to be a girl the Kinsellas had met on holiday years earlier, Cat finds herself torn between loyalty to her dysfunctional family and dedication to her job. Full of twists and turns, this was a riveting procedural.
The Moth Presents: All These Wonders, edited by Catherine Burns. I am hopelessly in love with The Moth podcast. For those of you who are unfamiliar, The Moth is a non-profit group based out of New York City that is dedicated to the art and craft of storytelling. The group presents a wide range of themed storytelling events across the country--many of which have been recorded for the long-running podcast, which was my introduction. Celebrating their 20th anniversary (The Moth was founded in 1997), this collection of 45 stories culled from their events focuses on stories about risk, courage, and facing the unknown. I read this collection over two days, so enthralled was I in these people's stories. I very highly recommend both the book and the podcast--they are honest, wise, insightful, life-changing.
On Call in the Arctic, by Thomas J. Sims. As Sims was finishing his residency and on the cusp of beginning his career as a pediatric surgeon, he was alerted to the impending change in his life: he was going to be drafted as a M.A.S.H. surgeon and sent to Vietnam. His alternative was accepting a commission in the U.S. Public Health Service for an assignment in Anchorage, Alaska--he took it, and brought along his very pregnant wife and young daughter when the moved days later. His life changed again when he was reassigned: instead of being Chief of Pediatrics in Anchorage, he would now be serving as the sole physician in Nome, providing medical care to not only Nome's residents, but also those of thirteen surrounding Eskimo villages, with very little support and in archaic conditions. The stories he relates in this memoir are truly amazing, by turns spine-tingling, jaw-dropping, and heart-warming. I'm recommending this to readers who also liked The Stranger in the Woods by Michael Finkel.
Leverage in Death, by J.D. Robb. When a marketing executive walks into a board meeting wearing a suicide vest and takes out friends and coworkers on the day his company was set to sign a significant merger, NYPSD Lieutenant Eve Dallas is puzzled. She soon finds that the man's family was held hostage as collateral, forcing the man to commit this unthinkable act. But who would do such a thing? And why? The motive seems murky, only slowly clearing as the case progresses. I have to say, this was not one of my favorites in this long-running series--the pacing was off, there was a huge amount of stock market information that I personally found tedious. Your mileage may vary.
Today Will Be Different, by Maria Semple. This morning, Eleanor will take small actions to get her life in order. She will follow through. She will be a responsible adult, a good wife, an attentive mother, a patient friend. This ordinary, responsible day begins a slow-but-sure nosedive after her son finagles his way out of school for the day and then she finds that her husband, Joe, has told his office (but not her) that he's on vacation for the week. Eleanor abandons all of her best intentions in favor of unraveling the mysteries before her, because how is a person supposed to be a responsible adult when everything you counted on being true may not be? This second novel by Semple, author of the best-selling Where'd You Go, Bernadette?, was everything I needed it to be: introspective, funny, irreverent, and deeply relatable.
The Stranger Beside Me, by Ann Rule. Ann Rule, former policewoman, crime journalist, was volunteering at a crisis call center in Seattle as a series of murders occurred in the area. Then the crimes stopped as quickly as they started. Several years later, a man in Florida was arrested after a horrific multiple murder in a sorority house. The man was Ted Bundy, and man who was eventually linked to more than thirty murders across the country, and a man who had once been a fellow volunteer in the same crisis center as Ann Rule. This is her story, both of the crimes and of the man who committed them. I'm a true crime buff, and this really is the ultimate true crime story.
Tuesday, September 25, 2018
Meg's Picks: October 2018, part 2
Suspense in a variety of flavors is in ready supply next month. What will you choose?
Go To My Grave, by Catriona McPherson. MacPherson, whose 2016 novel Quiet Neighbors was short-listed for an Agatha award, is back to thrill readers with a chilling Gothic stand-alone. The Breakers is an old bed and breakfast that stands along a remote stretch of beach in Galloway. Donna Weaver has put everything into restoring it and now it will house its first guests since the renovation. The group of estranged cousins soon realize that they've stayed here before, decades earlier, and that the pact they made about what happened that holiday, that they would take the secret of it to their graves, appears to have been broken. Amid the cozy surroundings, someone may end this vacation in their grave... If you like your psychological thrillers haunting and twisted, this is for you.
The Spite Game, by Anna Snoekstra. Snoekstra (Little Secrets, Only Daughter) brings readers the ultimate tale of revenge. Ava was bullied in high school, her trust turned against her most cruelly by the meanest of girls. She knows she needs to move on, and she will...just as soon as she's had her revenge. Bringing them down one by one is deeply satisfying and she saves the ringleader, Mel, for last. But Mel knows Ava's game, and she's willing to play it to the very bitter end. For fans of The Last Mrs. Parrish, I think this would be most enjoyable.
Family Trust, by Kathy Wang. Wang's debut has critics making some obvious connections to Kevin Kwan's Crazy Rich Asians, which makes sense, but Family Trust is less about the Huang family's obvious wealth and more about the family relationships. Family patriarch Stanley Huang is terminally ill. He's claimed for years that he's worth a small fortune, but as the end nears and the dysfunctional family gathers, tensions are running high. Where do loyalties lie? What will life look like after Stanley passes? And is any one of them telling the others the truth about their lives and motives? Expect your friends and neighbors to be talking about this one.
The Fallen Architect, by Charles Belfoure. Architect and author Belfoure, author of facinating historical novels like The Paris Architect and House of Thieves, takes us to London in 1900, where at the newly opened Britannia Empire Theater, a balcony collapses during a performance, killing 14 people and injuring dozens more. The theater's architect, Douglas Layton, takes the blame, labeled The Butcher of the West End, and is sentenced to prison time. Upon his release five years later, he finds work under an assumed name, but his past dogs him at every step. Can he ever be free? Belfoure's eye for detail is uncanny.
Go To My Grave, by Catriona McPherson. MacPherson, whose 2016 novel Quiet Neighbors was short-listed for an Agatha award, is back to thrill readers with a chilling Gothic stand-alone. The Breakers is an old bed and breakfast that stands along a remote stretch of beach in Galloway. Donna Weaver has put everything into restoring it and now it will house its first guests since the renovation. The group of estranged cousins soon realize that they've stayed here before, decades earlier, and that the pact they made about what happened that holiday, that they would take the secret of it to their graves, appears to have been broken. Amid the cozy surroundings, someone may end this vacation in their grave... If you like your psychological thrillers haunting and twisted, this is for you.
The Spite Game, by Anna Snoekstra. Snoekstra (Little Secrets, Only Daughter) brings readers the ultimate tale of revenge. Ava was bullied in high school, her trust turned against her most cruelly by the meanest of girls. She knows she needs to move on, and she will...just as soon as she's had her revenge. Bringing them down one by one is deeply satisfying and she saves the ringleader, Mel, for last. But Mel knows Ava's game, and she's willing to play it to the very bitter end. For fans of The Last Mrs. Parrish, I think this would be most enjoyable.
Family Trust, by Kathy Wang. Wang's debut has critics making some obvious connections to Kevin Kwan's Crazy Rich Asians, which makes sense, but Family Trust is less about the Huang family's obvious wealth and more about the family relationships. Family patriarch Stanley Huang is terminally ill. He's claimed for years that he's worth a small fortune, but as the end nears and the dysfunctional family gathers, tensions are running high. Where do loyalties lie? What will life look like after Stanley passes? And is any one of them telling the others the truth about their lives and motives? Expect your friends and neighbors to be talking about this one.
The Fallen Architect, by Charles Belfoure. Architect and author Belfoure, author of facinating historical novels like The Paris Architect and House of Thieves, takes us to London in 1900, where at the newly opened Britannia Empire Theater, a balcony collapses during a performance, killing 14 people and injuring dozens more. The theater's architect, Douglas Layton, takes the blame, labeled The Butcher of the West End, and is sentenced to prison time. Upon his release five years later, he finds work under an assumed name, but his past dogs him at every step. Can he ever be free? Belfoure's eye for detail is uncanny.
Thursday, September 20, 2018
Meg's Picks: October 2018, part 1
Historical fiction is on tap next month, and I am so excited!
In the House in the Dark of the Woods, by Laird Hunt. I am a huge fan of Laird Hunt's work--his 2014 novel Neverhome remains one of my favorite historical novels to date. His latest, a horror tale set in colonial New England, should make for perfect reading on a chilly October night. A law-abiding Puritan woman goes missing. Has she fled her family? Been kidnapped? A story of a bewitching, a betrayal, anger and redemption, will the evil she fears turn out to be within her all along? Hunt's prose is lyrical and evocative, so this should be prime atmospheric reading.
A Well-Behaved Woman, by Therese Fowler. Fowler's last novel, 2013's Z, focused on the turbulent life of Zelda Fitzgerald to excellent effect. Her second is the fascinating story of iron-willed Alva Vanderbilt and her family as they rule in New York during the Golden Age. Alva Smith, from a Southern family left destitute by the Civil War, married into the newly wealthy but socially ostracized Vanderbilt clan. Defying convention, Alma was not only a suffragette, but also went on to build 9 mansions, hosted grand balls, and arranged for her daughter to marry a duke. Those with an interest in The Golden Age should make it a point to pick this up.
The Kennedy Debutante, by Kerri Maher. Kathleen "Kick" Kennedy seems to be the Kennedy that history forgot, but not any longer, thanks to Maher's debut. Kick Kennedy moves in swank circles in 1938 London, thanks to her father's appointment as ambassador. Eager to slip away from the drama and responsibilities of her high-powered clan, Kick is ready for a life of her own and falls for Billy Harrington, the future Duke of Devonshire. But romance is rarely easy, and their families, hers Catholic and his Protestant, would never approve the match. When war breaks out and the Kennedys retreat to America, Kick begins to hunt for a way to return to England and her love. For fans of Adriana Trigiani and Beatriz Williams, this is a natural choice.
In the House in the Dark of the Woods, by Laird Hunt. I am a huge fan of Laird Hunt's work--his 2014 novel Neverhome remains one of my favorite historical novels to date. His latest, a horror tale set in colonial New England, should make for perfect reading on a chilly October night. A law-abiding Puritan woman goes missing. Has she fled her family? Been kidnapped? A story of a bewitching, a betrayal, anger and redemption, will the evil she fears turn out to be within her all along? Hunt's prose is lyrical and evocative, so this should be prime atmospheric reading.
A Well-Behaved Woman, by Therese Fowler. Fowler's last novel, 2013's Z, focused on the turbulent life of Zelda Fitzgerald to excellent effect. Her second is the fascinating story of iron-willed Alva Vanderbilt and her family as they rule in New York during the Golden Age. Alva Smith, from a Southern family left destitute by the Civil War, married into the newly wealthy but socially ostracized Vanderbilt clan. Defying convention, Alma was not only a suffragette, but also went on to build 9 mansions, hosted grand balls, and arranged for her daughter to marry a duke. Those with an interest in The Golden Age should make it a point to pick this up.
The Kennedy Debutante, by Kerri Maher. Kathleen "Kick" Kennedy seems to be the Kennedy that history forgot, but not any longer, thanks to Maher's debut. Kick Kennedy moves in swank circles in 1938 London, thanks to her father's appointment as ambassador. Eager to slip away from the drama and responsibilities of her high-powered clan, Kick is ready for a life of her own and falls for Billy Harrington, the future Duke of Devonshire. But romance is rarely easy, and their families, hers Catholic and his Protestant, would never approve the match. When war breaks out and the Kennedys retreat to America, Kick begins to hunt for a way to return to England and her love. For fans of Adriana Trigiani and Beatriz Williams, this is a natural choice.
Tuesday, September 18, 2018
Reading Ahead: October 2018, part 4
The bookshelves are beginning to get the holiday spirit, but if you're not ready for that just yet (I'm not!!), there are still plenty of other options!
Winter in Paradise, by Elin Hilderbrand. This kickoff to Hilderbrand's new winter series takes readers to the warm beaches of St. John. A late-night phone call shatters everything Irene Steele holds dear--her husband has been found dead, but even more perplexing, he was found on the island of St. John in the Caribbean. Leaving the cold of home behind, Irene ventures into paradise, only to be hit with further devastation: her husband had a second family. In her search for truth, Irene will be pulled into a web of secrets and lies she would never have dreamed existed. Suspenseful stuff from bestselling Hilderbrand. Also available in Large Print.
Alaskan Holiday, by Debbie Macomber. Josie accepts a summer position in the remote town of Ponder, Alaska cooking in a lakeside lodge and quickly falls in love with the close-knit, rustic charm of the community. Also of chief interest is the quiet and intense Palmer Saxon, a swordsmith, of all things. Come fall, Josie knows she must return to reality: her dream job in Seattle, her mother, and all of the responsibilities await her. No matter that she and Palmer are falling in love, she has to return to the lower 48. But fate may have other plans for the star-crossed lovers. Also available in Large Print.
Christmas on the Island, by Jenny Colgan. On the remote Scottish isle of Mure, the holiday season is one of cold and ice, but the inhabitants are good at making it bright and cheerful, complete with cozy fires and a dram. Unless, of course, you've gotten pregnant by your ex-boss and don't quite know how to tell him, which is the position Flora has found herself in. In the season of glad tidings and good cheer, how will Joel take the news? And for another family, can they find the season's spirit with one of their own missing? Colgan is a favorite of mine, and I hope she'll be yours as well. Also available in Large Print.
The Next Person You Meet in Heaven, by Mitch Albom. In Albom's sequel to his best-selling The Five People You Meet in Heaven (2003), Eddie gets his heavenly reunion with Annie, the little girl he saved on Earth. The accident, during which Eddie gave his life to save Annie, took Annie's left hand. Injured, scarred and confused, Annie finds herself whisked away from all she's known by her guilt-stricken mother. Bullied by her peers and haunted by memories that stay just out of her grasp, Annie's life is difficult, until she is reconnected with childhood friend, Paulo. But you know that if Annie is reunited with Eddie, something else is on the horizon. Also available in Large Print.
The Collector's Apprentice, by B.A. Shapiro. Shapiro (The Art Forger, etc.) delivers another breath-taking historical thriller. When she's assumed to have stolen millions in an elaborate con for which her former fiance was responsible, 19-year-old Belgian Paulien Martens finds herself disowned, homeless and single in short order. Intent on proving her innocence, and also on getting even with George, Paulien recreates herself in Paris, styling herself as Vivienne Gregsby. Vivienne finds the perfect job, which lets her delve into the world of museums and artists. All's going according to plan, until her boss is found dead and Vivienne is arrested for his murder... Culture and intrigue, who could ask for more?
Winter in Paradise, by Elin Hilderbrand. This kickoff to Hilderbrand's new winter series takes readers to the warm beaches of St. John. A late-night phone call shatters everything Irene Steele holds dear--her husband has been found dead, but even more perplexing, he was found on the island of St. John in the Caribbean. Leaving the cold of home behind, Irene ventures into paradise, only to be hit with further devastation: her husband had a second family. In her search for truth, Irene will be pulled into a web of secrets and lies she would never have dreamed existed. Suspenseful stuff from bestselling Hilderbrand. Also available in Large Print.
Alaskan Holiday, by Debbie Macomber. Josie accepts a summer position in the remote town of Ponder, Alaska cooking in a lakeside lodge and quickly falls in love with the close-knit, rustic charm of the community. Also of chief interest is the quiet and intense Palmer Saxon, a swordsmith, of all things. Come fall, Josie knows she must return to reality: her dream job in Seattle, her mother, and all of the responsibilities await her. No matter that she and Palmer are falling in love, she has to return to the lower 48. But fate may have other plans for the star-crossed lovers. Also available in Large Print.
Christmas on the Island, by Jenny Colgan. On the remote Scottish isle of Mure, the holiday season is one of cold and ice, but the inhabitants are good at making it bright and cheerful, complete with cozy fires and a dram. Unless, of course, you've gotten pregnant by your ex-boss and don't quite know how to tell him, which is the position Flora has found herself in. In the season of glad tidings and good cheer, how will Joel take the news? And for another family, can they find the season's spirit with one of their own missing? Colgan is a favorite of mine, and I hope she'll be yours as well. Also available in Large Print.
The Next Person You Meet in Heaven, by Mitch Albom. In Albom's sequel to his best-selling The Five People You Meet in Heaven (2003), Eddie gets his heavenly reunion with Annie, the little girl he saved on Earth. The accident, during which Eddie gave his life to save Annie, took Annie's left hand. Injured, scarred and confused, Annie finds herself whisked away from all she's known by her guilt-stricken mother. Bullied by her peers and haunted by memories that stay just out of her grasp, Annie's life is difficult, until she is reconnected with childhood friend, Paulo. But you know that if Annie is reunited with Eddie, something else is on the horizon. Also available in Large Print.
The Collector's Apprentice, by B.A. Shapiro. Shapiro (The Art Forger, etc.) delivers another breath-taking historical thriller. When she's assumed to have stolen millions in an elaborate con for which her former fiance was responsible, 19-year-old Belgian Paulien Martens finds herself disowned, homeless and single in short order. Intent on proving her innocence, and also on getting even with George, Paulien recreates herself in Paris, styling herself as Vivienne Gregsby. Vivienne finds the perfect job, which lets her delve into the world of museums and artists. All's going according to plan, until her boss is found dead and Vivienne is arrested for his murder... Culture and intrigue, who could ask for more?
Thursday, September 13, 2018
Reading Ahead: October 2018, part 3
Suspense is the name of the game as we head into cooler weather. Which will you choose to cozy up with?
Elevation, by Stephen King. In the small town of Castle Rock, Scott Carey is rapidly losing weight, though his clothes still fit and he doesn't look any different. He's also rapidly losing patience with the lesbian couple next door, their dog who does its business regularly on Scott's front lawn, and their new restaurant venture in town, which is financial trouble due to a town boycott. When Scott can finally get past his own prejudice, he sees the dire predicament the couple is in, and tries to help, even as he attempts to get a handle on his mystery ailment. A story of unity and alliance in difficult times, this is high on my to-read list this fall.
The Forbidden Door, by Dean Koontz. Fourth in Koontz's mile-a-minute Jane Hawk series finds Jane, once a star agent with the FBI, now fugitive on a mission, heading into the endgame against a secret society that wants to eradicate free thought in favor of wide-spread technological mind control. While she has struck hard blows against the shadowy cabal, they are about to hit back, and the outcome becomes even more uncertain. Fans won't want to miss out! PS--this went to press a little earlier than originally slated, so place your hold now, it's here already! Also available in Large Print.
Vendetta, by Iris Johansen. With his dying breath, the head of the CIA task force on terrorism, Carl Venable, gives Jude Brandon a final instruction: keep his daughter, Rachel safe, at all costs. But Rachel has a twisted past of her own, and one that comes rushing back after the clinic she works in is attacked by a terrorist ringleader. The same ringleader is Brandon's ultimate nemesis, throwing Rachel and Brandon together in an all-or-nothing race to bring the man down before he can orchestrate more chaos. Everyone has a vendetta, but not everyone will get their revenge.
The Three Beths, by Jeff Abbott. Abbott (Blame, 2017, etc.) is becoming quite the reader favorite these days, so I'm expecting his latest to be quite popular. When Mariah Dunning's mother, Beth, disappeared over a year ago, Mariah was certain that her mother would never leave her. And despite the lack of evidence, or a body, suspicion for Beth's murder fell on her husband. Mariah is sure she's spotted her mother across a crowded food court, and begins to search for answers with renewed vigor--she must find her mother and clear her father's name. But when she discovers that two other women, both also named Beth, have disappeared from the area, Mariah may have to face a devastating truth. If you're looking for a gripping thriller this fall, this would be a great choice. Also available in Large Print.
Desperate Measures, by Stuart Woods. Stone Barrington hits the city that never sleeps in Woods's latest. Upon returning from a jaunt to Europe, Stone makes the acquaintance of a captivating woman, only to quickly discover that a series of crimes may continue...with her as the next target. Fans cannot get enough.
Elevation, by Stephen King. In the small town of Castle Rock, Scott Carey is rapidly losing weight, though his clothes still fit and he doesn't look any different. He's also rapidly losing patience with the lesbian couple next door, their dog who does its business regularly on Scott's front lawn, and their new restaurant venture in town, which is financial trouble due to a town boycott. When Scott can finally get past his own prejudice, he sees the dire predicament the couple is in, and tries to help, even as he attempts to get a handle on his mystery ailment. A story of unity and alliance in difficult times, this is high on my to-read list this fall.
The Forbidden Door, by Dean Koontz. Fourth in Koontz's mile-a-minute Jane Hawk series finds Jane, once a star agent with the FBI, now fugitive on a mission, heading into the endgame against a secret society that wants to eradicate free thought in favor of wide-spread technological mind control. While she has struck hard blows against the shadowy cabal, they are about to hit back, and the outcome becomes even more uncertain. Fans won't want to miss out! PS--this went to press a little earlier than originally slated, so place your hold now, it's here already! Also available in Large Print.
Vendetta, by Iris Johansen. With his dying breath, the head of the CIA task force on terrorism, Carl Venable, gives Jude Brandon a final instruction: keep his daughter, Rachel safe, at all costs. But Rachel has a twisted past of her own, and one that comes rushing back after the clinic she works in is attacked by a terrorist ringleader. The same ringleader is Brandon's ultimate nemesis, throwing Rachel and Brandon together in an all-or-nothing race to bring the man down before he can orchestrate more chaos. Everyone has a vendetta, but not everyone will get their revenge.
The Three Beths, by Jeff Abbott. Abbott (Blame, 2017, etc.) is becoming quite the reader favorite these days, so I'm expecting his latest to be quite popular. When Mariah Dunning's mother, Beth, disappeared over a year ago, Mariah was certain that her mother would never leave her. And despite the lack of evidence, or a body, suspicion for Beth's murder fell on her husband. Mariah is sure she's spotted her mother across a crowded food court, and begins to search for answers with renewed vigor--she must find her mother and clear her father's name. But when she discovers that two other women, both also named Beth, have disappeared from the area, Mariah may have to face a devastating truth. If you're looking for a gripping thriller this fall, this would be a great choice. Also available in Large Print.
Desperate Measures, by Stuart Woods. Stone Barrington hits the city that never sleeps in Woods's latest. Upon returning from a jaunt to Europe, Stone makes the acquaintance of a captivating woman, only to quickly discover that a series of crimes may continue...with her as the next target. Fans cannot get enough.
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