One of my very favorite things, reading-wise, is hitting on a new series as it starts. Does it sort of suck waiting for a year for a new book? Absolutely. But the anticipation? The feeling of finally holding that new installment in your hands and settling in with it? Those feelings are the drug of the bibliophile.
You may remember me going on about the first novel in Ellison Cooper's series, Caged, featuring FBI Senior Special Agent Sayer Altair. In fact, I couldn't keep that one to myself, either. The sequel, Buried, picks up six months later as SSA Altair heads back into the field after riding the desk following an on-the-job injury. As fate would have it, her first day starts with a bang, taking her immediately to a mass grave deep in a national park that soon proves likely to be the dump-site of another killer. Though the remains date back over the last two decades (around the time a local teen went missing) cold cases meet active case when another body is found, this one quite recent. The ties that bind will bring Altair full circle, back to a subject she's been studying and who might just be able to help her stop the predator before he can bring down more prey.
For readers who love engrossing page-turning thrillers with plenty of plot-twists, I cannot recommend Ellison Cooper highly enough. Fans of Tess Gerritsen, Lisa Gardner, Thomas Harris and Karin Slaughter should absolutely add Cooper to their lists, ASAP.
Tuesday, July 23, 2019
Thursday, July 11, 2019
Meg's Picks: August 2019, part 1
There are so many things I want to talk about that are coming up, I had to start early!
City of Windows, by Robert Pobi. This buzz-worthy series launch introduces retired FBI agent (and astrophysicist) Dr. Lucas Page. In the field, Page was best known for his ability to survey a crime scene and allow him to break down the topography to math and statistical probabilities, like being able to pinpoint the origin of a sniper shot in the middle of a city. But the loss of a leg, an arm, and an eye during a shootout put an end to his FBI career, as well as his first marriage. There's nothing wrong with his brain, though, and ten years later he is teaching at Columbia University and writing books. He's reluctant to put his new life on the line when he's called upon to help investigate the shooting of his former partner, but old loyalties run deep. A tense plot and unique protagonist make this a good bet for a breakout thriller this summer.
The Doll Factory, by Elizabeth MacNeal. Psychological suspense meets 1850's London in this sharp new novel. A chance encounter in a crowd is a brief, forgettable encounter for alluring artist Iris, but for curiosity collector Silas, it is the beginning of an obsession--one that will only deepen and darken as Iris's star begins to rise among the city's artists. Fans of Caleb Carr's The Alienist should be placing their requests now.
Inland, by Tea Obreht. Obreht made quite a name for herself with 2011's award-winning novel The Tiger's Wife. She returns now with a tale set in late-1800s Arizona, where Nora waits on the family farm while her husband treks for water to revive their failing farm. Her two older sons have vanished after a fight, leaving Nora to fend for herself when a local outlaw starts making his presence known. If your ideal summer read is full of larger-than-life characters and gorgeous prose, look no further.
The Perfect Wife, by J.P. Delaney. Five years ago, Abbie suffered a terrible accident and is finally coming back to consciousness with the help of new technology. She's a wonderful mother and a talented artist and certainly will be again, or so says the man who claims to be her husband. The catch? It's not really Abbie--the real Abbie disappeared and was never found. The Abbie who is waking up is actually a companion robot or "cobot", developed by the original Abbie's husband. It's as she begins to uncover her namesake's secrets that things start to get scary. Tech suspense with a twist.
City of Windows, by Robert Pobi. This buzz-worthy series launch introduces retired FBI agent (and astrophysicist) Dr. Lucas Page. In the field, Page was best known for his ability to survey a crime scene and allow him to break down the topography to math and statistical probabilities, like being able to pinpoint the origin of a sniper shot in the middle of a city. But the loss of a leg, an arm, and an eye during a shootout put an end to his FBI career, as well as his first marriage. There's nothing wrong with his brain, though, and ten years later he is teaching at Columbia University and writing books. He's reluctant to put his new life on the line when he's called upon to help investigate the shooting of his former partner, but old loyalties run deep. A tense plot and unique protagonist make this a good bet for a breakout thriller this summer.
The Doll Factory, by Elizabeth MacNeal. Psychological suspense meets 1850's London in this sharp new novel. A chance encounter in a crowd is a brief, forgettable encounter for alluring artist Iris, but for curiosity collector Silas, it is the beginning of an obsession--one that will only deepen and darken as Iris's star begins to rise among the city's artists. Fans of Caleb Carr's The Alienist should be placing their requests now.
Inland, by Tea Obreht. Obreht made quite a name for herself with 2011's award-winning novel The Tiger's Wife. She returns now with a tale set in late-1800s Arizona, where Nora waits on the family farm while her husband treks for water to revive their failing farm. Her two older sons have vanished after a fight, leaving Nora to fend for herself when a local outlaw starts making his presence known. If your ideal summer read is full of larger-than-life characters and gorgeous prose, look no further.
The Perfect Wife, by J.P. Delaney. Five years ago, Abbie suffered a terrible accident and is finally coming back to consciousness with the help of new technology. She's a wonderful mother and a talented artist and certainly will be again, or so says the man who claims to be her husband. The catch? It's not really Abbie--the real Abbie disappeared and was never found. The Abbie who is waking up is actually a companion robot or "cobot", developed by the original Abbie's husband. It's as she begins to uncover her namesake's secrets that things start to get scary. Tech suspense with a twist.
Tuesday, July 2, 2019
Reading Ahead: August 2019, part 1
Various flavors of suspense are on the menu for next month. Which will be your favorite?
The Last Widow, by Karin Slaughter. Readers haven't seen GBI special agent Will Trent since 2016's The Kept Woman, but the wait is finally over. Here he and Sara Linton, GBI medical examiner and Will's fiancee, must do battle with a group of radical homegrown terrorists bent on wreaking catastrophe on the state's capitol...just for starters. Slaughter is one of my favorites--this new title cannot get here quickly enough!
Outfox, by Sandra Brown. FBI special agent Drex Easton, hero of 2018 bestseller Tailspin, returns on the trail of a serial killer who has been preying on wealthy single women for decades. The quarry is cunning, leaving no clues, just a string of missing women and emptied bank accounts. He follows a lead and goes undercover, only to find himself falling for the suspected killer's next victim. If you like your suspense with a healthy dose of heat, Brown has you covered.
A Dangerous Man, by Robert Crais. Crais's latest picks up with investigators Elvis Cole and Joe Pike, following 2017's The Wanted. Pike rescues a young bank teller from two abductors, and then things get complicated. The abductors wind up dead, the teller vanishes, and Elvis does some digging to try and find out why the woman was targeted in the first place. Then things start to get really interesting...
The Turn of the Key, by Ruth Ware. Ware has a beautiful touch when it comes to modern gothic, and this updated retelling of Henry James's The Turn of the Screw is the perfect combination of classic elements and modern creepiness. Rowan Caine describes, in a series of letters to a lawyer from where she sits in prison, how she took a nanny position with the Elincourts because it solved both her job and living situation woes in one easy step. But the well-behaved girls were less so once their parents left, and the house's smart control system was no longer working as intended. High on the creeping dread factor, this is guaranteed to keep you up past your bedtime.
The Last Widow, by Karin Slaughter. Readers haven't seen GBI special agent Will Trent since 2016's The Kept Woman, but the wait is finally over. Here he and Sara Linton, GBI medical examiner and Will's fiancee, must do battle with a group of radical homegrown terrorists bent on wreaking catastrophe on the state's capitol...just for starters. Slaughter is one of my favorites--this new title cannot get here quickly enough!
Outfox, by Sandra Brown. FBI special agent Drex Easton, hero of 2018 bestseller Tailspin, returns on the trail of a serial killer who has been preying on wealthy single women for decades. The quarry is cunning, leaving no clues, just a string of missing women and emptied bank accounts. He follows a lead and goes undercover, only to find himself falling for the suspected killer's next victim. If you like your suspense with a healthy dose of heat, Brown has you covered.
A Dangerous Man, by Robert Crais. Crais's latest picks up with investigators Elvis Cole and Joe Pike, following 2017's The Wanted. Pike rescues a young bank teller from two abductors, and then things get complicated. The abductors wind up dead, the teller vanishes, and Elvis does some digging to try and find out why the woman was targeted in the first place. Then things start to get really interesting...
The Turn of the Key, by Ruth Ware. Ware has a beautiful touch when it comes to modern gothic, and this updated retelling of Henry James's The Turn of the Screw is the perfect combination of classic elements and modern creepiness. Rowan Caine describes, in a series of letters to a lawyer from where she sits in prison, how she took a nanny position with the Elincourts because it solved both her job and living situation woes in one easy step. But the well-behaved girls were less so once their parents left, and the house's smart control system was no longer working as intended. High on the creeping dread factor, this is guaranteed to keep you up past your bedtime.
Thursday, June 27, 2019
Meg's Picks: July 2019, part 2
Summer reads come in all shapes and sizes. If your preferences run serious or suspenseful, these might just be what you were looking for!
The Nickel Boys, by Colson Whitehead. Whitehead's 2016 novel The Underground Railroad won the 2017 Pulitzer Prize for Fiction and the 2016 National Book Award for Fiction. So if we're eager to see what comes next, I think that's only natural. Here, the strand of history he's dramatized follows two boys sentenced to a hellish reform school in Jim-Crow era Florida, based on an actual reformatory which operated for 111 years. If you prefer your summer reads serious and intense, you cannot miss this.
Lock Every Door, by Riley Sager. Riley Sager is totally a staff darling here at the library. We loved his debut, Final Girls, and his sophomore novel, The Last Time I Lied. We absolutely anticipate a hat-trick with Lock Every Door, in which Jules's new job as an apartment sitter in one of New York's oldest and most glamorous buildings may just cost more than it pays...
Stone Cold Heart, by Caz Frear. Frear is another new favorite, following her stellar suspense debut last summer, Sweet Little Lies, with a second novel featuring Detective Constable Cat Kinsella. She's back at London Metropolitan Police with her wisecracking partner Parnell, both of them trying to avoid the ire of boss DI Kate Steele. It's all business when they catch a case, though, involving a young Australian woman who's turned up dead following a party thrown by her new boss. The lead suspect's alibi is his wife, and she contradicts him, but which one is lying, and why? Murder is only the beginning of the mystery here.
Someone We Know, by Shari Lapena. Following 2018's An Unwanted Guest. Someone has been sneaking into houses, and their inhabitants computers, in a quiet suburb in upstate New York. They've been learning their neighbors' secrets, and perhaps sharing them. Who is he? What might he have learned? After two anonymous letters show up, rumors circulate, suspicions grow, and then a woman is found murdered. How far will these nice, unassuming neighbors go in order to keep their secrets?
The Nickel Boys, by Colson Whitehead. Whitehead's 2016 novel The Underground Railroad won the 2017 Pulitzer Prize for Fiction and the 2016 National Book Award for Fiction. So if we're eager to see what comes next, I think that's only natural. Here, the strand of history he's dramatized follows two boys sentenced to a hellish reform school in Jim-Crow era Florida, based on an actual reformatory which operated for 111 years. If you prefer your summer reads serious and intense, you cannot miss this.
Lock Every Door, by Riley Sager. Riley Sager is totally a staff darling here at the library. We loved his debut, Final Girls, and his sophomore novel, The Last Time I Lied. We absolutely anticipate a hat-trick with Lock Every Door, in which Jules's new job as an apartment sitter in one of New York's oldest and most glamorous buildings may just cost more than it pays...
Stone Cold Heart, by Caz Frear. Frear is another new favorite, following her stellar suspense debut last summer, Sweet Little Lies, with a second novel featuring Detective Constable Cat Kinsella. She's back at London Metropolitan Police with her wisecracking partner Parnell, both of them trying to avoid the ire of boss DI Kate Steele. It's all business when they catch a case, though, involving a young Australian woman who's turned up dead following a party thrown by her new boss. The lead suspect's alibi is his wife, and she contradicts him, but which one is lying, and why? Murder is only the beginning of the mystery here.
Someone We Know, by Shari Lapena. Following 2018's An Unwanted Guest. Someone has been sneaking into houses, and their inhabitants computers, in a quiet suburb in upstate New York. They've been learning their neighbors' secrets, and perhaps sharing them. Who is he? What might he have learned? After two anonymous letters show up, rumors circulate, suspicions grow, and then a woman is found murdered. How far will these nice, unassuming neighbors go in order to keep their secrets?
Tuesday, June 18, 2019
Meg's Picks: July 2019, part 1
History, humor, and heart. These are just some of the bounty of July's new novels.
Dragonfly, by Leila Meacham. At the height of World War II, a group of young Americans receive a mysterious summons from their government, asking if they willing to fight for their country. While they are from very different backgrounds, each heeds the call for their own personal reasons. The group, code name Dragonfly, bond immediately. This is war, however, and the stakes in the cat-and-mouse game they're playing are incredibly high. One or more of them will have to pay the ultimate price... For fans of Kristin Hannah's The Nightingale, most definitely.
The Chelsea Girls, by Fiona Davis. Hazel and Maxine meet as USO performers in Italy at the end of World War II, one a sheltered daughter of a renowned theater family, the other facing discrimination owing to a German-born grandfather. Following the war, Hazel pens a Broadway-bound play based on her experiences during the war, and Maxine comes from Hollywood to star...but a secret will threaten to tear their friendship apart. Davis has been developing quite a fan-base with novels like The Dollhouse and The Address--this latest is sure to be in demand.
You've Been Volunteered, by Laurie Gelman. Gelman's debut, Class Mom (2017), introduced snarky 40-something mom Jen Dixon whose appointment to kindergarten class mom put her smack in the middle of PTA drama with hilarious results. In this follow-up, Jen's son Max is now in third grade and Jen is once again catapulted into the role of class mom, even as her family life gets pulled in a dozen different directions. If your perfect summer read is a laugh-out-loud speed read, this is for you!
The Lager Queen of Minnesota, by J. Ryan Stradal. I adored Stradal's 2015 debut, Kitchens of the Great Midwest, and I've been anxiously awaiting her new novel, inspired by true events in Stradal's own family. Once upon a time, Helen Blotz inherited the family farm, which alienated her sister Edith. Helen used the proceeds from the sale of the farm to invest in her husband's family soda business, helping to turn it into the hottest brewery in Minnesota. Two generations later, the brewery's success is waning, though Edith's granddaughter's brewpub may bring family together again. Stradal's characters are deftly drawn and are deeply memorable. Have I mentioned I can't wait?
Dragonfly, by Leila Meacham. At the height of World War II, a group of young Americans receive a mysterious summons from their government, asking if they willing to fight for their country. While they are from very different backgrounds, each heeds the call for their own personal reasons. The group, code name Dragonfly, bond immediately. This is war, however, and the stakes in the cat-and-mouse game they're playing are incredibly high. One or more of them will have to pay the ultimate price... For fans of Kristin Hannah's The Nightingale, most definitely.
The Chelsea Girls, by Fiona Davis. Hazel and Maxine meet as USO performers in Italy at the end of World War II, one a sheltered daughter of a renowned theater family, the other facing discrimination owing to a German-born grandfather. Following the war, Hazel pens a Broadway-bound play based on her experiences during the war, and Maxine comes from Hollywood to star...but a secret will threaten to tear their friendship apart. Davis has been developing quite a fan-base with novels like The Dollhouse and The Address--this latest is sure to be in demand.
You've Been Volunteered, by Laurie Gelman. Gelman's debut, Class Mom (2017), introduced snarky 40-something mom Jen Dixon whose appointment to kindergarten class mom put her smack in the middle of PTA drama with hilarious results. In this follow-up, Jen's son Max is now in third grade and Jen is once again catapulted into the role of class mom, even as her family life gets pulled in a dozen different directions. If your perfect summer read is a laugh-out-loud speed read, this is for you!
The Lager Queen of Minnesota, by J. Ryan Stradal. I adored Stradal's 2015 debut, Kitchens of the Great Midwest, and I've been anxiously awaiting her new novel, inspired by true events in Stradal's own family. Once upon a time, Helen Blotz inherited the family farm, which alienated her sister Edith. Helen used the proceeds from the sale of the farm to invest in her husband's family soda business, helping to turn it into the hottest brewery in Minnesota. Two generations later, the brewery's success is waning, though Edith's granddaughter's brewpub may bring family together again. Stradal's characters are deftly drawn and are deeply memorable. Have I mentioned I can't wait?
Thursday, June 13, 2019
Reading Ahead: July 2019, part 3
If variety is the spice of life, then this summer's book list is quite spicy!
Lady in the Lake, by Laura Lippman. Modern psychological insights meet classic noir in Lippman's latest, set in 1960's Baltimore. Thirty-something housewife Maddie separates from her husband after an old friend reminds her of all she used to long to be, beyond marriage and motherhood. She relishes her newfound freedom, her own apartment, her affair with a city patrolman. It's only when she manages to leverage her story concerning a murdered child and her correspondence with the killer into a position with the Star that Maddie really hits her stride. If a sophisticated crime novel is your favorite brand of summer reading, this should absolutely hit your list.
The Golden Hour, by Beatriz Williams. Willams's latest is an epic foray into one of the most enigmatic couples in history, the Duke and Duchess of Windsor, as seen through the eyes of a young woman who arrives in the Bahamas in 1941 determined to work her way into their inner circle. Williams is fast becoming a favorite staple for summer reading enthusiasts.
Window on the Bay, by Debbie Macomber. This standalone romance from Macomber finds college friends Jenna and Maureen now divorced empty nesters, each encouraged by their children to try dating again. Maybe it's time to dust off their passports and travel? Or maybe romance is right in their own backyard, just waiting to surprise them. A comfortable, easy read.
Surfside Sisters, by Nancy Thayer. Keely was eager to leave Nantucket behind to follow her dream of becoming a writer. Now a successful novelist with all that accompanies it, living in New York, keely's starting to reconsider what's important to her. A relationship gone sour has resulted in some serious writer's block, made worse when her editor rejects her latest novel. The slower, calmer pace of island life may be just the cure for what ails her.
I'll be picking up next week with my Meg's Picks posts--hint: there's a LOT of them for July! See you then!
Lady in the Lake, by Laura Lippman. Modern psychological insights meet classic noir in Lippman's latest, set in 1960's Baltimore. Thirty-something housewife Maddie separates from her husband after an old friend reminds her of all she used to long to be, beyond marriage and motherhood. She relishes her newfound freedom, her own apartment, her affair with a city patrolman. It's only when she manages to leverage her story concerning a murdered child and her correspondence with the killer into a position with the Star that Maddie really hits her stride. If a sophisticated crime novel is your favorite brand of summer reading, this should absolutely hit your list.
The Golden Hour, by Beatriz Williams. Willams's latest is an epic foray into one of the most enigmatic couples in history, the Duke and Duchess of Windsor, as seen through the eyes of a young woman who arrives in the Bahamas in 1941 determined to work her way into their inner circle. Williams is fast becoming a favorite staple for summer reading enthusiasts.
Window on the Bay, by Debbie Macomber. This standalone romance from Macomber finds college friends Jenna and Maureen now divorced empty nesters, each encouraged by their children to try dating again. Maybe it's time to dust off their passports and travel? Or maybe romance is right in their own backyard, just waiting to surprise them. A comfortable, easy read.
Surfside Sisters, by Nancy Thayer. Keely was eager to leave Nantucket behind to follow her dream of becoming a writer. Now a successful novelist with all that accompanies it, living in New York, keely's starting to reconsider what's important to her. A relationship gone sour has resulted in some serious writer's block, made worse when her editor rejects her latest novel. The slower, calmer pace of island life may be just the cure for what ails her.
I'll be picking up next week with my Meg's Picks posts--hint: there's a LOT of them for July! See you then!
Tuesday, June 11, 2019
Reading Ahead: July 2019, part 2
A selection of new suspense for your perusal!
Game of Snipers, by Stephen Hunter. Hunter's latest Bob Lee Swagger novel, following 2017's G-Man, finds storied marksman Swagger, now 72 and retired, enjoying the solitude of his Idaho ranch. That peace is interrupted by a stranger, Janet McDowell, who comes to Swagger for help: track down the man who killed her son, a task that will require him to assemble his old team and work with both the FBI and Mossad in a race to the epic showdown implied by the title.
Good Girl, Bad Girl, by Michael Robotham. Robotham's new haunting thriller features a forensic psychologist, Cyrus Haven, who is preoccupied by two major cases. One is the case of a murdered young figure skater, cut down just as her star was on the rise. The other is to assess the fitness for release of a highly vulnerable teen from a children's home--she was found six years ago, hiding in a North London home when a murder had recently occurred. At that time, she was malnourished and so traumatized she couldn't remember her name. Though the two girls' cases are vastly different, Cyrus soon discovers the very adult problems of each were absolutely enough to incite violence. If one girl already died for such secrets, might the other still be in danger?
Bark of Night, by David Rosenfelt. When lawyer Andy Carpenter finds out that his veterinarian has been instructed to euthanize a perfectly healthy French bulldog, Truman, he's understandably angry and agrees to take on Truman as part of his canine rescue program. When they check the dog's microchip, however, they discover that the man who dropped him off was not his owner, and then his real owner is found murdered. And then the man who ordered Truman's demise is also found murdered...
The Shameless, by Ace Atkins. Years ago, teenager Brandon Taylor walked into the woodlands of Mississippi and was found a week later, dead of what was ruled a self-inflicted gunshot wound. But a cold-case podcaster and her producer are in town now, questioning the ruling and asking after files and evidence that seem to have gone missing. Sheriff Quinn Colson (last seen in 2018's The Sinners) wants to help, but an old case that was supposedly closed will have to take a back burner to his current concerns: a crime syndicate running guns, drugs and a human trafficking ring through the county, and a racist gubernatorial candidate whose campaign seems to be funded by the syndicate. If Quinn can't shut the whole thing down, fast, trouble is going to make itself right at home in the county, for good.
Game of Snipers, by Stephen Hunter. Hunter's latest Bob Lee Swagger novel, following 2017's G-Man, finds storied marksman Swagger, now 72 and retired, enjoying the solitude of his Idaho ranch. That peace is interrupted by a stranger, Janet McDowell, who comes to Swagger for help: track down the man who killed her son, a task that will require him to assemble his old team and work with both the FBI and Mossad in a race to the epic showdown implied by the title.
Good Girl, Bad Girl, by Michael Robotham. Robotham's new haunting thriller features a forensic psychologist, Cyrus Haven, who is preoccupied by two major cases. One is the case of a murdered young figure skater, cut down just as her star was on the rise. The other is to assess the fitness for release of a highly vulnerable teen from a children's home--she was found six years ago, hiding in a North London home when a murder had recently occurred. At that time, she was malnourished and so traumatized she couldn't remember her name. Though the two girls' cases are vastly different, Cyrus soon discovers the very adult problems of each were absolutely enough to incite violence. If one girl already died for such secrets, might the other still be in danger?
Bark of Night, by David Rosenfelt. When lawyer Andy Carpenter finds out that his veterinarian has been instructed to euthanize a perfectly healthy French bulldog, Truman, he's understandably angry and agrees to take on Truman as part of his canine rescue program. When they check the dog's microchip, however, they discover that the man who dropped him off was not his owner, and then his real owner is found murdered. And then the man who ordered Truman's demise is also found murdered...
The Shameless, by Ace Atkins. Years ago, teenager Brandon Taylor walked into the woodlands of Mississippi and was found a week later, dead of what was ruled a self-inflicted gunshot wound. But a cold-case podcaster and her producer are in town now, questioning the ruling and asking after files and evidence that seem to have gone missing. Sheriff Quinn Colson (last seen in 2018's The Sinners) wants to help, but an old case that was supposedly closed will have to take a back burner to his current concerns: a crime syndicate running guns, drugs and a human trafficking ring through the county, and a racist gubernatorial candidate whose campaign seems to be funded by the syndicate. If Quinn can't shut the whole thing down, fast, trouble is going to make itself right at home in the county, for good.
Thursday, June 6, 2019
Reading Ahead: July 2019
I know, we're already talking July! But this summer's books just cannot wait any longer! And some of your favorite best-selling authors are leading the charge!
The New Girl, by Daniel Silva. Legendary chief of Israeli intelligence Gabriel Allon (last seen in 2018's The Other Woman) has spent much of his life fighting terrorists. Now, he's the one man who can be trusted to track down the men who have brutally kidnapped the daughter of the much-maligned crown prince of Saudi Arabia and rescue the young woman in question. In the process, Gabriel and the prince become uneasy allies in a secret game that may change relations in the Middle East forever. If you like your espionage plotted at breakneck speed, this is for you.
Under Currents, by Nora Roberts. At a distance, the Bigelow family looks like perfection: successful surgeon father, stylish wife, two children who excel. But those children, Zane and Britt, know the truth: appearances can be very deceiving. As Zane's father's abuse becomes more severe, and his mother ever complicit, Zane tries to protect his little sister, even as he counts down the time until he can be free of this oppressive household. It's only after one final act shatters the facade that Zane realizes that there is both pain and freedom in facing the truth, and he vows to do better as he forges a new life and starts a family of his own. How long will it be, though, before darkness looms again in his life?
Labyrinth, by Catherine Coulter. The new FBI thriller from Coulter (Paradox, 2018, etc.) finds Agent Sherlock navigating the winding roads of West Virginia only to lose control of her vehicle. She's knocked unconscious, but upon waking, she's sure she remembers someone else involved in the accident. Perhaps he is involved in the string of local murders she's investigating?
Smokescreen, by Iris Johansen. When forensic sculptor Eve Duncan learns that a guerilla attack on an African village has left a number of children burned beyond recognition, she races to the site to lend a hand in identifying the bodies for their desperate families. Upon her arrival at the site, however, she soon realizes that something even more dire is afoot. Series fans won't want to miss out.
Shamed, by Linda Castillo. Castillo returns to Painter's Mill and Police Chief Kate Burkholder as an Amish woman has been murdered and her young grandchild kidnapped. Kate now needs answers from the tight-lipped Amish community, and quickly, as she learns that long-kept secrets may be responsible for a current crime-spree. If you're looking for an Amish cozy, this isn't it--Castillo's Amish suspense series is gritty and deeply engrossing.
The New Girl, by Daniel Silva. Legendary chief of Israeli intelligence Gabriel Allon (last seen in 2018's The Other Woman) has spent much of his life fighting terrorists. Now, he's the one man who can be trusted to track down the men who have brutally kidnapped the daughter of the much-maligned crown prince of Saudi Arabia and rescue the young woman in question. In the process, Gabriel and the prince become uneasy allies in a secret game that may change relations in the Middle East forever. If you like your espionage plotted at breakneck speed, this is for you.
Under Currents, by Nora Roberts. At a distance, the Bigelow family looks like perfection: successful surgeon father, stylish wife, two children who excel. But those children, Zane and Britt, know the truth: appearances can be very deceiving. As Zane's father's abuse becomes more severe, and his mother ever complicit, Zane tries to protect his little sister, even as he counts down the time until he can be free of this oppressive household. It's only after one final act shatters the facade that Zane realizes that there is both pain and freedom in facing the truth, and he vows to do better as he forges a new life and starts a family of his own. How long will it be, though, before darkness looms again in his life?
Labyrinth, by Catherine Coulter. The new FBI thriller from Coulter (Paradox, 2018, etc.) finds Agent Sherlock navigating the winding roads of West Virginia only to lose control of her vehicle. She's knocked unconscious, but upon waking, she's sure she remembers someone else involved in the accident. Perhaps he is involved in the string of local murders she's investigating?
Smokescreen, by Iris Johansen. When forensic sculptor Eve Duncan learns that a guerilla attack on an African village has left a number of children burned beyond recognition, she races to the site to lend a hand in identifying the bodies for their desperate families. Upon her arrival at the site, however, she soon realizes that something even more dire is afoot. Series fans won't want to miss out.
Shamed, by Linda Castillo. Castillo returns to Painter's Mill and Police Chief Kate Burkholder as an Amish woman has been murdered and her young grandchild kidnapped. Kate now needs answers from the tight-lipped Amish community, and quickly, as she learns that long-kept secrets may be responsible for a current crime-spree. If you're looking for an Amish cozy, this isn't it--Castillo's Amish suspense series is gritty and deeply engrossing.
Tuesday, May 28, 2019
Meg's Picks: June 2019, part 2
New novels from favorite authors and debuts are on the horizon. What's on your reading list?
Searching for Sylvie Lee, by Jean Kwok. I adored Kwok's debut, Girl in Translation (2010), and given the buzz about her upcoming novel, I'm extra excited. Amy Lee's family was too poor to keep her older sister Sylvie, who was then raised for some time by a distant relative. Now an adult, Sylvie has disappeared, and as Amy starts to retrace Sylvie's steps in an effort to find her, she uncovers a number of her sister's deeply buried secrets. For those who like a page-turner with strong family ties, this should be at the top of your list for summer reads.
Conviction, by Denise Mina. Mina, who is best known for her series of novels set in historical Glasgow (The Red Road, etc.), moves seamlessly into the present with a timely new novel of suspense. Anna McDonald left her past behind in London and started over in Glasgow, which was great, until it wasn't. Now her husband's run off with her best friend, Estelle. Anna and Estelle's former rock-star husband fall in together on a road-trip that follows the true-crime podcast they're binge-listening...until Anna's past looms up on all sides. A story in a story that is getting some excellent advance praise.
Girl in the Rearview Mirror, by Kelsey Rae Dimberg. I'm always on the lookout for the next debut smash, and I think this might be just such a novel. Finn Hunt is bored with her office job and jumps at the chance to nanny for Phoenix's first family, the Martins. Philip is being groomed to take on his father's seat in the Senate, and Marina is a museum director who oozes class and glamor. Finn's new life as nanny to four-year-old Amabel makes her feel protective of the family she views as completely ideal...until a stranger hands her information that shatters her illusions and may yet bring down the family's dynasty. This is one to watch!
The Most Fun We Ever Had, by Claire Lombardo. Speaking of brilliant debuts to watch next month, Lombardo's thriller is garnering huge praise already. David and Marilyn meet and marry in the 1970s, raising four daughters in a rambling suburban Chicago home that had belonged to Marilyn's father. The daughters all find professional success of one sort or another, but decades later, none of them have yet found the spark shared by their parents, even after forty years of marriage. Each of the four sisters struggles in different ways, and sibling rivalries and secrets are never far below the surface over the course of the story, one year in the Sorenson family. Expect your friends to be talking about this one.
Searching for Sylvie Lee, by Jean Kwok. I adored Kwok's debut, Girl in Translation (2010), and given the buzz about her upcoming novel, I'm extra excited. Amy Lee's family was too poor to keep her older sister Sylvie, who was then raised for some time by a distant relative. Now an adult, Sylvie has disappeared, and as Amy starts to retrace Sylvie's steps in an effort to find her, she uncovers a number of her sister's deeply buried secrets. For those who like a page-turner with strong family ties, this should be at the top of your list for summer reads.
Conviction, by Denise Mina. Mina, who is best known for her series of novels set in historical Glasgow (The Red Road, etc.), moves seamlessly into the present with a timely new novel of suspense. Anna McDonald left her past behind in London and started over in Glasgow, which was great, until it wasn't. Now her husband's run off with her best friend, Estelle. Anna and Estelle's former rock-star husband fall in together on a road-trip that follows the true-crime podcast they're binge-listening...until Anna's past looms up on all sides. A story in a story that is getting some excellent advance praise.
Girl in the Rearview Mirror, by Kelsey Rae Dimberg. I'm always on the lookout for the next debut smash, and I think this might be just such a novel. Finn Hunt is bored with her office job and jumps at the chance to nanny for Phoenix's first family, the Martins. Philip is being groomed to take on his father's seat in the Senate, and Marina is a museum director who oozes class and glamor. Finn's new life as nanny to four-year-old Amabel makes her feel protective of the family she views as completely ideal...until a stranger hands her information that shatters her illusions and may yet bring down the family's dynasty. This is one to watch!
The Most Fun We Ever Had, by Claire Lombardo. Speaking of brilliant debuts to watch next month, Lombardo's thriller is garnering huge praise already. David and Marilyn meet and marry in the 1970s, raising four daughters in a rambling suburban Chicago home that had belonged to Marilyn's father. The daughters all find professional success of one sort or another, but decades later, none of them have yet found the spark shared by their parents, even after forty years of marriage. Each of the four sisters struggles in different ways, and sibling rivalries and secrets are never far below the surface over the course of the story, one year in the Sorenson family. Expect your friends to be talking about this one.
Tuesday, May 21, 2019
Meg's Picks: June 2019, part 1
I have to say, sometimes the length of time I have to hold back on these lists is crazy-making! I've had some of these titles on order for months, and I am so excited I finally get to share now that they're on the near horizon.
After the End, by Clare Mackintosh. Latest by Mackintosh (Let Me Lie, etc.) is an emotional page-turner about impossible choices, and the different paths that life can take. Based loosely on her own experiences, this departure from her normal mystery-thrillers follows the journey of couple Max and Pip Adams as they must make heart-rending decision regarding the care of their terminally ill son. Make sure you bring your tissues!
Recursion, by Blake Crouch. Crouch, author of Dark Matter and the Wayward Pines trilogy, follow Dark Matter's Barry Sutton as he investigates a technology that was originally created in order to preserve our most beloved memories, and which now is also being used to implant false memories, shredding reality and ruining lives. I'm recommending this for fans of Andy Weir (The Martian) and Michael Crichton.
The First Mistake, by Sandie Jones. Author of 2018 reader favorite The Other Woman, Jones brings readers a new novel of domestic suspense. Alice is happily remarried to Nathan after the death of her first husband, and grateful for her good friend Beth. But she's growing suspicious about Nathan's long stretches away on business. Then she starts to wonder about just how reliable Beth is, after all. Deftly paced suspense with a roller-coaster's worth of twists and turns--if it's not on your list, it should be!
The Islanders, by Meg Mitchell Moore. Moore (The Admissions, etc.) follows the lives of three strangers who connect one summer on Block Island. Anthony's second novel has been a flop, and he's retreated to house-sit and hopefully jump-start the work on his comeback novel. Island bakery owner Joy is trying to juggle keeping her small business solvent while single-parenting her teenage daughter. And Lu is supposed to be riding herd on her young sons, but is more and more absorbed by a side-project she's keeping a secret from everyone including her husband. Moore is a reliably engaging storyteller, so you won't want to miss this.
Thursday, May 16, 2019
Reading Ahead: June 2019, part 4
Reconnecting seems to be a popular theme with summer reads this year--as evidenced by these three titles, all coming out in just a few weeks!
Mrs. Everything, by Jennifer Weiner. Growing up as young girls in the 1950s, Jo and Bethie Kaufman may be sisters, but that's about all they have in common. Jo is a tomboy and Bethie is the "pretty one" who loves to dress up. When their father dies unexpectedly, the Kaufman women have to learn to take care of themselves and one another in a time when women had few options. As time moves forward, the sisters grow apart and together again as they find their way in a changing world. Inspiring and insightful reading material from Weiner for your summer reading.
The Summer of Sunshine and Margot, by Susan Mallery. Twin sisters Sunshine and Margot grew up with a mother who spent more time with her boyfriends than raising them. Different but very close, the two stumble along as they raise themselves and help each other through work disasters and heartbreaks. Their heart-tugging journeys toward happily-ever-after are helped along once Margot is hired by a Hollywood Golden Age star who treats the twins as though they were her own daughters. Light and fast, but lively and feel-good from reader favorite Mallery.
Lost and Found, by Danielle Steel. We all wonder what might have been, about the ones that got away. In Steel's latest, Maddie Allen sets off on a cross-country road trip to reconnect with three very different men, each of whom she might have married once and didn't, after a forced pause from her busy career gives her the opportunity to look back...and ahead.
Mrs. Everything, by Jennifer Weiner. Growing up as young girls in the 1950s, Jo and Bethie Kaufman may be sisters, but that's about all they have in common. Jo is a tomboy and Bethie is the "pretty one" who loves to dress up. When their father dies unexpectedly, the Kaufman women have to learn to take care of themselves and one another in a time when women had few options. As time moves forward, the sisters grow apart and together again as they find their way in a changing world. Inspiring and insightful reading material from Weiner for your summer reading.
The Summer of Sunshine and Margot, by Susan Mallery. Twin sisters Sunshine and Margot grew up with a mother who spent more time with her boyfriends than raising them. Different but very close, the two stumble along as they raise themselves and help each other through work disasters and heartbreaks. Their heart-tugging journeys toward happily-ever-after are helped along once Margot is hired by a Hollywood Golden Age star who treats the twins as though they were her own daughters. Light and fast, but lively and feel-good from reader favorite Mallery.
Lost and Found, by Danielle Steel. We all wonder what might have been, about the ones that got away. In Steel's latest, Maddie Allen sets off on a cross-country road trip to reconnect with three very different men, each of whom she might have married once and didn't, after a forced pause from her busy career gives her the opportunity to look back...and ahead.
Tuesday, May 14, 2019
Reading Ahead: June 2019, part 3
There are certain authors that readers automatically associate with summer--characters we love, engaging story lines, settings that evoke all things summer. If that's right up your alley, here are a few titles to be on the lookout for this season.
The Bookshop on the Shore, by Jenny Colgan. Eager to escape the noisy crowds of London and provide a better life for her young son, single mum Zoe accepts help from a friend who finds her a job in a bookshop in the Scottish Highlands, where she'll be working for shop owner Nina (Colgan fans will remember Nina from The Bookshop on the Corner, 2016). A second job as an au pair for three motherless children will provide housing for Zoe and young Hari. While this all looks grand on paper, the reality is a bit more chaotic than Zoe had anticipated: the family's castle, while grand, is crumbling. The widower is in over his head after his three children have been kicked out of school, leaving them to run run wild and unsupervised. Is Zoe up to the challenge?
The Friends We Keep, by Jane Green. Evvie, Maggie, and Topher were the best of friends during their years at university, but time has dragged them apart over the decades that followed. Time also has a way of growing secrets, making them harder to hide, making the truth more painful once it comes to light. And when these three finally reunite at their 30th college reunion, they are hoping to reconnect after years of failing to keep in touch. The secrets that come out threaten to tear them apart all over again, making this a touching story of friendship and forgiveness.
Summer of '69, by Elin Hilderbrand. The four Levin siblings have spent every summer of their childhood at their grandmother's house on Nantucket, but 1969 is the year that everything changed: Blair, 24, is married and pregnant, and her husband Angus has requested she stay home in Boston with him this summer. Anti-war activist Kirby has been arrested twice during demonstrations and chooses friends and a job on Martha's Vineyard over family time on Nantucket this year. Tiger has been deployed to Vietnam, sending letters home to Jessie, 13 and alone on Nantucket with Nonny this summer. Hilderbrand has an excellent touch both with the cultural upheaval of the time, but also with the complications of family relationships.
The Bookshop on the Shore, by Jenny Colgan. Eager to escape the noisy crowds of London and provide a better life for her young son, single mum Zoe accepts help from a friend who finds her a job in a bookshop in the Scottish Highlands, where she'll be working for shop owner Nina (Colgan fans will remember Nina from The Bookshop on the Corner, 2016). A second job as an au pair for three motherless children will provide housing for Zoe and young Hari. While this all looks grand on paper, the reality is a bit more chaotic than Zoe had anticipated: the family's castle, while grand, is crumbling. The widower is in over his head after his three children have been kicked out of school, leaving them to run run wild and unsupervised. Is Zoe up to the challenge?
The Friends We Keep, by Jane Green. Evvie, Maggie, and Topher were the best of friends during their years at university, but time has dragged them apart over the decades that followed. Time also has a way of growing secrets, making them harder to hide, making the truth more painful once it comes to light. And when these three finally reunite at their 30th college reunion, they are hoping to reconnect after years of failing to keep in touch. The secrets that come out threaten to tear them apart all over again, making this a touching story of friendship and forgiveness.
Summer of '69, by Elin Hilderbrand. The four Levin siblings have spent every summer of their childhood at their grandmother's house on Nantucket, but 1969 is the year that everything changed: Blair, 24, is married and pregnant, and her husband Angus has requested she stay home in Boston with him this summer. Anti-war activist Kirby has been arrested twice during demonstrations and chooses friends and a job on Martha's Vineyard over family time on Nantucket this year. Tiger has been deployed to Vietnam, sending letters home to Jessie, 13 and alone on Nantucket with Nonny this summer. Hilderbrand has an excellent touch both with the cultural upheaval of the time, but also with the complications of family relationships.
Tuesday, May 7, 2019
Reading Ahead: June 2019, part 2
Suspense? Mysteries? Sure!
The Last House Guest, by Megan Miranda. Latest from the author of The Perfect Stranger (2017) and All the Missing Girls (2016). Avery Greer, resident of coastal Littleport, ME, is good friends with Sadie Loman. This is mostly unusual because locals like Avery don't normally mix much with the wealthy summer visitor set. After a decade of summers spent as BFFs, the friendship ends...but only because Sadie is found dead. The death, ruled a suicide, doesn't keep some folks (the local detective and Sadie's brother, for starters) from feeling like Avery might have been involved. It's up to Avery to prove her innocence once and for all. A gripping thriller with a strong female lead? Yes, please!
The Sentence is Death, by Anthony Horowitz. In 2018's meta-mystery, The Word is Murder, a defrocked Scotland Yard detective turned private investigator named Daniel Hawthorne got aid from a novelist named Anthony Horowitz. (No relation.) Now, the duo is back, this time investigating the untimely demise of celebrity divorce attorney Richard Price, clobbered in his home with a pricey bottle of wine.
The Last House Guest, by Megan Miranda. Latest from the author of The Perfect Stranger (2017) and All the Missing Girls (2016). Avery Greer, resident of coastal Littleport, ME, is good friends with Sadie Loman. This is mostly unusual because locals like Avery don't normally mix much with the wealthy summer visitor set. After a decade of summers spent as BFFs, the friendship ends...but only because Sadie is found dead. The death, ruled a suicide, doesn't keep some folks (the local detective and Sadie's brother, for starters) from feeling like Avery might have been involved. It's up to Avery to prove her innocence once and for all. A gripping thriller with a strong female lead? Yes, please!
The Sentence is Death, by Anthony Horowitz. In 2018's meta-mystery, The Word is Murder, a defrocked Scotland Yard detective turned private investigator named Daniel Hawthorne got aid from a novelist named Anthony Horowitz. (No relation.) Now, the duo is back, this time investigating the untimely demise of celebrity divorce attorney Richard Price, clobbered in his home with a pricey bottle of wine.
Thursday, May 2, 2019
Reading Ahead: June 2019, part 1
Summer always means truckloads of new fiction titles, and if you're the kind of reader that thrives on an embarrassment of choices, this is only the beginning!
Big Sky, by Kate Atkinson. Atkinson brings back former policeman-turned-PI Jackson Brodie (last seen in 2010's Started Early, Took My Dog), who is now living in Yorkshire and grappling with the mysteries of parenting. Brodie himself had a difficult childhood, making his journey through co-parenting a teenager a particular challenge. Add that to a case surveilling an adulterer and a chance encounter interrupting a suicide, and Brodie has himself quite a full plate. Series fans will not want to miss this. New to the series? Start with 2004's Case Histories.
Backlash, by Brad Thor. Scott Harvath, ex- Navy SEAL and current Secret Service agent, was last seen in 2018's Spymaster. Now, he finds himself far from home, surrounded by his enemies, and badly double-crossed. Worse still--no one is coming to help him. No one even knows where he is. His immediate goal? Survive. His ultimate goal? Revenge.
The Oracle, by Clive Cussler and Robin Burcell. Sam and Remi Fargo. Married couple. Professional treasure hunters. (Last seen in The Gray Ghost, 2018.) Now, they're chasing an ancient scroll which may or may not be cursed: When a long-lost kingdom fell centuries ago, the sacred scroll's location was lost, as well. The Fargo's most recent archaeological dig has produced some clues, though, send them on an adventure to find the scroll and lift the curse, though not without running afoul of bandits and kidnappers in the process. Some real Indiana-Jones-type stuff here for adventure fans.
Big Sky, by Kate Atkinson. Atkinson brings back former policeman-turned-PI Jackson Brodie (last seen in 2010's Started Early, Took My Dog), who is now living in Yorkshire and grappling with the mysteries of parenting. Brodie himself had a difficult childhood, making his journey through co-parenting a teenager a particular challenge. Add that to a case surveilling an adulterer and a chance encounter interrupting a suicide, and Brodie has himself quite a full plate. Series fans will not want to miss this. New to the series? Start with 2004's Case Histories.
Backlash, by Brad Thor. Scott Harvath, ex- Navy SEAL and current Secret Service agent, was last seen in 2018's Spymaster. Now, he finds himself far from home, surrounded by his enemies, and badly double-crossed. Worse still--no one is coming to help him. No one even knows where he is. His immediate goal? Survive. His ultimate goal? Revenge.
The Oracle, by Clive Cussler and Robin Burcell. Sam and Remi Fargo. Married couple. Professional treasure hunters. (Last seen in The Gray Ghost, 2018.) Now, they're chasing an ancient scroll which may or may not be cursed: When a long-lost kingdom fell centuries ago, the sacred scroll's location was lost, as well. The Fargo's most recent archaeological dig has produced some clues, though, send them on an adventure to find the scroll and lift the curse, though not without running afoul of bandits and kidnappers in the process. Some real Indiana-Jones-type stuff here for adventure fans.
Tuesday, April 30, 2019
Can't keep it to myself: Celeste Ng
Like many readers in the last year and a half, I had read Celeste Ng's celebrated novel Little Fires Everywhere. But recently, I went back and read her 2014 novel, Everything I Never Told You, which is my book club's pick for our May meeting. The story of a Chinese-American family living in 1970's small town Ohio, this delves into the years before and the months following a pivotal moment in the family's timeline.
From the moment Marilyn and James meet, they know that their relationship will be like no other. Born to Chinese parents, James has spent his life in America feeling distinctly "other", never quite fitting in, working toward the best education possible. Marilyn, raised by a single mother who teaches home ec, bucks against domesticity and wants desperately to be taken seriously as a student of math and science in a time when these are male dominated fields. These two outsiders find kindred spirits in one another, finally seen and accepted for who they are. Yet their own insecurities linger, causing tension and friction as they try to find their respective ways forward together as a couple and later as parents themselves. These long-held beliefs also will color how they parent their three children, Nathan, Lydia and Hannah, driving the family as a whole toward crisis. As the title suggests, communication, and the lack thereof, is one of the main themes in the novel. It's Ng's spare prose and beautifully drawn characters that made this almost impossible to put down.
Highly recommended.
From the moment Marilyn and James meet, they know that their relationship will be like no other. Born to Chinese parents, James has spent his life in America feeling distinctly "other", never quite fitting in, working toward the best education possible. Marilyn, raised by a single mother who teaches home ec, bucks against domesticity and wants desperately to be taken seriously as a student of math and science in a time when these are male dominated fields. These two outsiders find kindred spirits in one another, finally seen and accepted for who they are. Yet their own insecurities linger, causing tension and friction as they try to find their respective ways forward together as a couple and later as parents themselves. These long-held beliefs also will color how they parent their three children, Nathan, Lydia and Hannah, driving the family as a whole toward crisis. As the title suggests, communication, and the lack thereof, is one of the main themes in the novel. It's Ng's spare prose and beautifully drawn characters that made this almost impossible to put down.
Highly recommended.
Thursday, April 25, 2019
Meg's Picks: May 2019, part 3
Excellent historical novels and a new voice in contemporary fiction are just around the corner!
The Farm, by Joanne Ramos. From a board member of The Moth, this debut novel is creating a lot of buzz! The surrogate mothers at Golden Oaks live a life of luxury. Except that they cannot leave the property. Or contact outsiders. Filipino immigrant Jane is desperate for the surrogacy fee, but she's starting to have serious worries about what she's gotten herself into.
A Bend in the Stars, by Rachel Barenbaum. This debut from Barenbaum is a must for fans of historical sagas like All the Light We Cannot See and The Women in the Castle. Set in 1914 Russia, two siblings struggle to build their lives amid the war looming on the horizon. Miri is a surgeon, but in a place and time where a female doctor is an anomaly, she's rebuffed often, even by patients--until she is summoned to care for the injured at the front lines. For brother Vanya, a scientist testing Einstein's as-yet-unpublished theory of relativity, he will risk capture in order to test his equation.
The Guest Book, by Sarah Blake. This latest from poet and novelist Blake (The Postmistress) brings readers the story of the Milton family, starting in 1935 New York when the privileged family of five is beset by tragedy. In order to help his wife, Kitty, heal, Ogden buys Crockett's Island off the coast of Maine, a place which will become the family's summer refuge over the years. In 1959, the guests invited by the now-grown Milton children will stretch family tensions to the breaking point, uncovering secrets that will resonate for generations. Blake's prose is absolutely enchanting, and I am definitely putting this one at the top of my to-read list.
The Farm, by Joanne Ramos. From a board member of The Moth, this debut novel is creating a lot of buzz! The surrogate mothers at Golden Oaks live a life of luxury. Except that they cannot leave the property. Or contact outsiders. Filipino immigrant Jane is desperate for the surrogacy fee, but she's starting to have serious worries about what she's gotten herself into.
A Bend in the Stars, by Rachel Barenbaum. This debut from Barenbaum is a must for fans of historical sagas like All the Light We Cannot See and The Women in the Castle. Set in 1914 Russia, two siblings struggle to build their lives amid the war looming on the horizon. Miri is a surgeon, but in a place and time where a female doctor is an anomaly, she's rebuffed often, even by patients--until she is summoned to care for the injured at the front lines. For brother Vanya, a scientist testing Einstein's as-yet-unpublished theory of relativity, he will risk capture in order to test his equation.
The Guest Book, by Sarah Blake. This latest from poet and novelist Blake (The Postmistress) brings readers the story of the Milton family, starting in 1935 New York when the privileged family of five is beset by tragedy. In order to help his wife, Kitty, heal, Ogden buys Crockett's Island off the coast of Maine, a place which will become the family's summer refuge over the years. In 1959, the guests invited by the now-grown Milton children will stretch family tensions to the breaking point, uncovering secrets that will resonate for generations. Blake's prose is absolutely enchanting, and I am definitely putting this one at the top of my to-read list.
Tuesday, April 23, 2019
Meg's Picks: May 2019, part 2
I read a LOT of debut novels, and am constantly on the lookout for new titles on the horizon that strike my fancy. Here are a couple of historical fiction debuts that I've got my eye on next month, both of which may be excellent book club picks, too.
The Seven or Eight Deaths of Stella Fortuna, by Juliet Grames. This richly imagined debut is based on the story of the author's own grandmother. Beautiful, smart and determined, Stella Fortuna grows up in a mountain village in early 20th-century Italy. Her father suspects her of being cursed, as she won't succumb to patriarchal expectations, and word travels quickly in their small village. When the family immigrates to Connecticut just before World War II, it's not the land of opportunity they'd imagined, and Stella continues to defy expectations and accidents alike in order to protect her younger sister. It's only as forced marriages separate the two that the close-knit sisters slowly lose touch. I'm recommending this particularly for fans of Kate Atkinson (Life After Life, etc.)
The Confessions of Frannie Langton, by Sara Collins. Collins's debut is a historical murder mystery the likes of which I've yet to run across (though it does remind me a bit of Margaret Atwood's Alias Grace). After growing up in Jamaica in the early 1800s as the slave of John Langton, Frannie accompanies John to London after his plantation harvest burns. There she is gifted to John's fellow scientist, George Benham and his wife Meg. George asks Frannie to spy on Meg, but Frannie and Meg soon wind up with a very different relationship. After the Benham's turn up dead, Frannie is immediately held as a suspect, but was she actually involved?
The Seven or Eight Deaths of Stella Fortuna, by Juliet Grames. This richly imagined debut is based on the story of the author's own grandmother. Beautiful, smart and determined, Stella Fortuna grows up in a mountain village in early 20th-century Italy. Her father suspects her of being cursed, as she won't succumb to patriarchal expectations, and word travels quickly in their small village. When the family immigrates to Connecticut just before World War II, it's not the land of opportunity they'd imagined, and Stella continues to defy expectations and accidents alike in order to protect her younger sister. It's only as forced marriages separate the two that the close-knit sisters slowly lose touch. I'm recommending this particularly for fans of Kate Atkinson (Life After Life, etc.)
The Confessions of Frannie Langton, by Sara Collins. Collins's debut is a historical murder mystery the likes of which I've yet to run across (though it does remind me a bit of Margaret Atwood's Alias Grace). After growing up in Jamaica in the early 1800s as the slave of John Langton, Frannie accompanies John to London after his plantation harvest burns. There she is gifted to John's fellow scientist, George Benham and his wife Meg. George asks Frannie to spy on Meg, but Frannie and Meg soon wind up with a very different relationship. After the Benham's turn up dead, Frannie is immediately held as a suspect, but was she actually involved?
Thursday, April 18, 2019
Meg's Picks: May 2019, part 1
Reader's block or no, there are still books I am excited about! Here are a few, coming to library shelves next month!
The Light From Other Stars, by Erika Swyler. I absolutely adored Swyler's 2015 debut novel, The Book of Speculation, so I am eagerly awaiting her sophomore effort. It's Florida in 1986 and while 11-year-old Nedda dreams of being an astronaut, her current reality is her grief-stricken father and his eccentric experiments. The explosion of the Challenger, just 10 miles away, changes everything for both of them. I'm recommending this not just for fans of Swyler's first novel, but also for readers of speculative fiction like that of Audrey Niffenegger (The Time Traveler's Wife, etc.) and Margaret Atwood (The Handmaid's Tale, etc.).
The Flight Portfolio, by Julie Orringer. Another long-awaited new work from an author who has wowed readers (in this case, with The Invisible Bridge, 2010). Here, Orringer draws on the true story of American journalist Varian Fry, who left his wife and and job behind in New York in order to help Jewish artists flee occupied Europe during the Holocaust. Orringer is another novelist I love for the sheer magnificence of her prose--you won't want to miss this.
How Not to Die Alone, by Richard Roper. For readers looking for a novel that feels like that of Maria Semple (Where'd You Go, Bernadette?, etc.) or Gail Honeyman (Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine), Roper's debut is the way to go. Andrew, 42 and single, accidentally created a second life with a white lie when interviewing for a job. Now everyone in his office believes he's married, with two children. In reality, his only family is an estranged sister and his friends are members of an online model train forum. It's only after he begins to train coworker Peggy that he begins to see that he might not have to live in his stifling comfort zone forever...but what will the truth cost him?
The Light From Other Stars, by Erika Swyler. I absolutely adored Swyler's 2015 debut novel, The Book of Speculation, so I am eagerly awaiting her sophomore effort. It's Florida in 1986 and while 11-year-old Nedda dreams of being an astronaut, her current reality is her grief-stricken father and his eccentric experiments. The explosion of the Challenger, just 10 miles away, changes everything for both of them. I'm recommending this not just for fans of Swyler's first novel, but also for readers of speculative fiction like that of Audrey Niffenegger (The Time Traveler's Wife, etc.) and Margaret Atwood (The Handmaid's Tale, etc.).
The Flight Portfolio, by Julie Orringer. Another long-awaited new work from an author who has wowed readers (in this case, with The Invisible Bridge, 2010). Here, Orringer draws on the true story of American journalist Varian Fry, who left his wife and and job behind in New York in order to help Jewish artists flee occupied Europe during the Holocaust. Orringer is another novelist I love for the sheer magnificence of her prose--you won't want to miss this.
How Not to Die Alone, by Richard Roper. For readers looking for a novel that feels like that of Maria Semple (Where'd You Go, Bernadette?, etc.) or Gail Honeyman (Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine), Roper's debut is the way to go. Andrew, 42 and single, accidentally created a second life with a white lie when interviewing for a job. Now everyone in his office believes he's married, with two children. In reality, his only family is an estranged sister and his friends are members of an online model train forum. It's only after he begins to train coworker Peggy that he begins to see that he might not have to live in his stifling comfort zone forever...but what will the truth cost him?
Tuesday, April 16, 2019
Reading Ahead: May 2019, part 3
Summer is not far off, no matter what the temperatures outside may be like. Just look at the books on the horizon!
The Rosie Result, by Graeme Simsion. This third installment in Simsion's extremely popular Don Tillman trilogy (after The Rosie Project and The Rosie Effect) finds Don and Rosie up against a new challenge: their eleven-year-old son, Hudson, who is having issues at school. Don's very familiar with being socially awkward, and figures he's the best person to help Hudson learn to fit in better. Of course, that may not go quite as smoothly as Don might have planned...
Sunset Beach, by Mary Kay Andrews. Drue Campbell isn't doing so well, adrift without a job, but insult is added to injury when her estranged father reappears in her life after a twenty year absence. And that reappearance? Is at her mother's funeral. Oh, and he's now married to Drue's arch-nemesis from middle school, and they're offering her a job. Out of options, she begrudgingly takes the position, only to find herself unwittingly investigating a possible case of corruption in her father's law firm. Andrews is great for a fast page-turner that will make you laugh--perfect for an early summer read.
Queen Bee, by Dorothea Benton Frank. Frank is another author that readers automatically associate with summer books, and they won't be disappointed here. Beekeeper Holly lives a quiet life on Sullivan's Island, tending her hives and working at the library. Holly calls her demanding hypochondriac mother The Queen Bee--Holly's sister Leslie married and moved away just to be free of the family drama. But when Leslie's marriage implodes and she moves back to the island, Holly's quiet life is upended and chaos reigns on all sides. Will she ever find a way back to peace?
The Rosie Result, by Graeme Simsion. This third installment in Simsion's extremely popular Don Tillman trilogy (after The Rosie Project and The Rosie Effect) finds Don and Rosie up against a new challenge: their eleven-year-old son, Hudson, who is having issues at school. Don's very familiar with being socially awkward, and figures he's the best person to help Hudson learn to fit in better. Of course, that may not go quite as smoothly as Don might have planned...
Sunset Beach, by Mary Kay Andrews. Drue Campbell isn't doing so well, adrift without a job, but insult is added to injury when her estranged father reappears in her life after a twenty year absence. And that reappearance? Is at her mother's funeral. Oh, and he's now married to Drue's arch-nemesis from middle school, and they're offering her a job. Out of options, she begrudgingly takes the position, only to find herself unwittingly investigating a possible case of corruption in her father's law firm. Andrews is great for a fast page-turner that will make you laugh--perfect for an early summer read.
Queen Bee, by Dorothea Benton Frank. Frank is another author that readers automatically associate with summer books, and they won't be disappointed here. Beekeeper Holly lives a quiet life on Sullivan's Island, tending her hives and working at the library. Holly calls her demanding hypochondriac mother The Queen Bee--Holly's sister Leslie married and moved away just to be free of the family drama. But when Leslie's marriage implodes and she moves back to the island, Holly's quiet life is upended and chaos reigns on all sides. Will she ever find a way back to peace?
Thursday, April 11, 2019
Reading Ahead: May 2019, part 2
Is historical fiction a win for you? If it is, here are three new titles from some of our favorite authors!
Mistress of the Ritz, by Melanie Benjamin. The Paris Ritz is run by free-spirited American Blanche Auzello and her serious-minded director husband, Claude. The hotel's glamor can't mask the tensions that plague the couple...or the havoc caused when the Germans march into the city and make the hotel their headquarters. Benjamin is notable for making real historical figures come to life in her stories (The Aviator's Wife, etc.)--readers will find themselves caught up in a story that is not often told.
Resistance Women, by Jennifer Chiaverini. In the wake of the success of Kristin Hannah's The Nightingale (2015), readers have been clamoring for more books, both fiction and non-fiction, that address the strong, secret resistance movement in Europe during World War II. Novelist Chiaverini (Mrs. Lincoln's Dressmaker, etc.) has taken up that call and brought readers an intense story of four women, two German and two American, who risk their lives to fight the rising fascist regime, even under the close scrutiny of the Gestapo.
The Yankee Widow, by Linda Lael Miller. Many readers may know Miller better as a prolific writer of romance novels, but here she's changed the pace and served up a compelling and revealing story of the devastation of the Civil War. In 1863, Union soldier Jacob Hammond is wounded at the Battle of Chancellorville and taken to a hospital in nearby Washington, D.C. Unfortunately, it's six long weeks before his wife, Caroline, receives the news. By the time she makes her way to his side, they have only a few hours together before he succumbs to his wounds. The grieving Caroline returns home only to have another battle erupt practically at her front door, forcing her to rise to new challenges the likes of which she'd never imagined.
Mistress of the Ritz, by Melanie Benjamin. The Paris Ritz is run by free-spirited American Blanche Auzello and her serious-minded director husband, Claude. The hotel's glamor can't mask the tensions that plague the couple...or the havoc caused when the Germans march into the city and make the hotel their headquarters. Benjamin is notable for making real historical figures come to life in her stories (The Aviator's Wife, etc.)--readers will find themselves caught up in a story that is not often told.
Resistance Women, by Jennifer Chiaverini. In the wake of the success of Kristin Hannah's The Nightingale (2015), readers have been clamoring for more books, both fiction and non-fiction, that address the strong, secret resistance movement in Europe during World War II. Novelist Chiaverini (Mrs. Lincoln's Dressmaker, etc.) has taken up that call and brought readers an intense story of four women, two German and two American, who risk their lives to fight the rising fascist regime, even under the close scrutiny of the Gestapo.
The Yankee Widow, by Linda Lael Miller. Many readers may know Miller better as a prolific writer of romance novels, but here she's changed the pace and served up a compelling and revealing story of the devastation of the Civil War. In 1863, Union soldier Jacob Hammond is wounded at the Battle of Chancellorville and taken to a hospital in nearby Washington, D.C. Unfortunately, it's six long weeks before his wife, Caroline, receives the news. By the time she makes her way to his side, they have only a few hours together before he succumbs to his wounds. The grieving Caroline returns home only to have another battle erupt practically at her front door, forcing her to rise to new challenges the likes of which she'd never imagined.
Tuesday, April 9, 2019
Reading Ahead: May 2019, part 1
I know, I've been MIA. A dreadful combination of reader's block (even librarians get the blues) and writer's block (it's been 5 years and over 700 posts. Sometimes a woman needs a break!). In any case, I'm working on shaking off both of these hindrances and appreciate your patience in the meantime.
The titles for next month just won't wait any longer, though, so here are the brief versions of a few you might want to reserve now:
The Last Time I Saw You, by Liv Constantine. Constantine's debut, The Last Mrs. Parrish, was on bestsellers' lists and was a huge favorite of library staff and patrons alike. The author, actually two sisters who write together, returns here with a new page-turner: when her high-society mother is murdered, Dr. Kate English's perfect world begins to crumble. She leans heavily on the shoulder of an old friend to get her through the mourning, but then finds that the murderer may not be done...not by a long shot.
Keep You Close, by Karen Cleveland. Cleveland is another author whose debut, Need to Know, absolutely wowed us with plot twists galore. We're delighted she's back with a new novel of deception and betrayal--when single parent and FBI analyst Stephanie finds a gun in her teenage son's room, she is beyond unprepared. Then a colleague on the domestic terrorism squad turns her shock into a spiral of terror and conspiracy with three little words: "It's about Zachary."
The Never Game, by Jeffery Deaver. Author of the best-selling Lincoln Rhyme series kicks off a new series here featuring professional "reward seeker" Colter Shaw. Shaw, son of a survivalist and an extraordinary tracker, works with law enforcement to help find missing persons. But in this seemingly simple case of a young woman's disappearance in Silicon Valley turns into something much bigger than anyone could have guessed.
Cari Mora, by Thomas Harris. Best known for his novels featuring the diabolical Hannibal Lecter, Harris treats readers to a new thriller with another unforgettable heroine. For years, ruthless men have sought the legendary twenty-five million in cartel gold. In fact, it lies hidden beneath a mansion in Miami Beach. Cari Mora, the house's caretaker, is a woman who has escaped the war in her native country, though not unscathed. When the frontrunner in the race to find the gold comes up against Cari, he will find himself up against a skilled survivor the likes of which he hadn't ever expected...
The Night Before, by Wendy Walker. Connecticut author Wendy Walker is a library favorite! Laura has led a troubled life, from a tragedy when she was young through a number of terribly failed romances, the last of which sent her running from her Wall Street job to lick her wounds in the home of her sister Rosie, located in the Connecticut suburb where they grew up. Laura isn't content to brood for long, though, and soon goes out with a man she met on a dating site. Except she never comes home, and Rosie's starting to worry...not just about what he may have done to Laura, but what she may have done to him.
The titles for next month just won't wait any longer, though, so here are the brief versions of a few you might want to reserve now:
The Last Time I Saw You, by Liv Constantine. Constantine's debut, The Last Mrs. Parrish, was on bestsellers' lists and was a huge favorite of library staff and patrons alike. The author, actually two sisters who write together, returns here with a new page-turner: when her high-society mother is murdered, Dr. Kate English's perfect world begins to crumble. She leans heavily on the shoulder of an old friend to get her through the mourning, but then finds that the murderer may not be done...not by a long shot.
Keep You Close, by Karen Cleveland. Cleveland is another author whose debut, Need to Know, absolutely wowed us with plot twists galore. We're delighted she's back with a new novel of deception and betrayal--when single parent and FBI analyst Stephanie finds a gun in her teenage son's room, she is beyond unprepared. Then a colleague on the domestic terrorism squad turns her shock into a spiral of terror and conspiracy with three little words: "It's about Zachary."
The Never Game, by Jeffery Deaver. Author of the best-selling Lincoln Rhyme series kicks off a new series here featuring professional "reward seeker" Colter Shaw. Shaw, son of a survivalist and an extraordinary tracker, works with law enforcement to help find missing persons. But in this seemingly simple case of a young woman's disappearance in Silicon Valley turns into something much bigger than anyone could have guessed.
Cari Mora, by Thomas Harris. Best known for his novels featuring the diabolical Hannibal Lecter, Harris treats readers to a new thriller with another unforgettable heroine. For years, ruthless men have sought the legendary twenty-five million in cartel gold. In fact, it lies hidden beneath a mansion in Miami Beach. Cari Mora, the house's caretaker, is a woman who has escaped the war in her native country, though not unscathed. When the frontrunner in the race to find the gold comes up against Cari, he will find himself up against a skilled survivor the likes of which he hadn't ever expected...
The Night Before, by Wendy Walker. Connecticut author Wendy Walker is a library favorite! Laura has led a troubled life, from a tragedy when she was young through a number of terribly failed romances, the last of which sent her running from her Wall Street job to lick her wounds in the home of her sister Rosie, located in the Connecticut suburb where they grew up. Laura isn't content to brood for long, though, and soon goes out with a man she met on a dating site. Except she never comes home, and Rosie's starting to worry...not just about what he may have done to Laura, but what she may have done to him.
Tuesday, March 26, 2019
Meg's Picks: April 2019, part 3
So many great new titles to read in the coming month! As if the choices weren't hard enough, here are two more that are on my radar.
The Red Daughter, by John Burnham Schwartz. In the 1960s, Joseph Stalin's daughter Svetlana Alliluyeva defects to America, running from her father's brutal legacy. Her escort? Young lawyer Paul Horvath, furnished by the CIA. Her life in America is not what she had expected, filled with stumbling blocks and mistakes, and she ultimately turns to Paul for help--even as the CIA keeps tabs on their relationship. Schwartz's father was that young lawyer, and here has crafted a fictional account of these events based on his own research and his father's reminiscences. For fans of Amor Towles (A Gentleman in Moscow, etc.) and Paula McLain (The Paris Wife, etc.), this should absolutely be on your list.
I Know Who You Are, by Alice Feeney. Feeney's follow-up to the extremely popular Sometimes I Lie (2018) stars actress Aimee Sinclair, who everyone seems to think they know from...something? It's hard to be almost famous, almost known. But one person knows Aimee very, very well--both who she is...and what she has done. And when her husband disappears, she doesn't know what to think or how to act. Of course the police think she's hiding something, and she is, but it's an older, darker secret, one that someone out there seems to know. If Aimee is going to survive this, she's got a lot of digging to do. Psychological suspense fans are already lining up--are you one of them?
The Red Daughter, by John Burnham Schwartz. In the 1960s, Joseph Stalin's daughter Svetlana Alliluyeva defects to America, running from her father's brutal legacy. Her escort? Young lawyer Paul Horvath, furnished by the CIA. Her life in America is not what she had expected, filled with stumbling blocks and mistakes, and she ultimately turns to Paul for help--even as the CIA keeps tabs on their relationship. Schwartz's father was that young lawyer, and here has crafted a fictional account of these events based on his own research and his father's reminiscences. For fans of Amor Towles (A Gentleman in Moscow, etc.) and Paula McLain (The Paris Wife, etc.), this should absolutely be on your list.
I Know Who You Are, by Alice Feeney. Feeney's follow-up to the extremely popular Sometimes I Lie (2018) stars actress Aimee Sinclair, who everyone seems to think they know from...something? It's hard to be almost famous, almost known. But one person knows Aimee very, very well--both who she is...and what she has done. And when her husband disappears, she doesn't know what to think or how to act. Of course the police think she's hiding something, and she is, but it's an older, darker secret, one that someone out there seems to know. If Aimee is going to survive this, she's got a lot of digging to do. Psychological suspense fans are already lining up--are you one of them?
Thursday, March 21, 2019
Meg's Picks: April 2019, part 2
What is on my list of things to read this spring? All three of these have made my list already! Why? Read on!
The Book of Dreams, by Nina George. In this follow up to best-sellers The Little Paris Bookshop and The Little French Bistro, former war reporter Henri Skinner lies in a coma after pulling a young girl from the Thames River. Henri's ex-girlfriend, Eddie, learns that she's been listed as next-of-kin in his will. His teenage son, Sam, forms a relationship with Eddie and waits for Henri to wake up so that they can meet for the first time. This tender, thoughtful look at unfinished relationships should make for excellent book club discussion.
Cape May, by Chip Cheek. In this buzz-worthy debut, it's 1957 and young newlyweds Henry and Effie travel from their home in Georgia to honeymoon in their relative's vacant Cape May, NJ cottage. It's September and the celebrated beach town is almost completely deserted, but then they couple bump into a glamorous trio who invite them to stay and join their ongoing party. Fueled by copious amounts of gin, the group descends en masse into a series of taboo indulgences. But can Henry and Effie really shed the mores of their upbringing without consequences? If you're looking for something steamy that still has the Gatsby-esque feel of a classic, this should absolutely be on your list. It is already on mine!
A Good Enough Mother, by Bev Thomas. As the director of a renowned trauma therapy unit, London psychotherapist Ruth Hartland absolutely knows better. But when she first sees new patient Dan Griffin, she momentarily mistakes him for her own troubled teenage son, Tom, who disappeared a year and a half ago. That instant emotional connection continues, threatening her ability to maintain professional boundaries with Dan. Thomas herself is former clinical psychologist with Britain's National Health Service, lending additional credibility to her debut. Fans of psychological fiction would do well to pick this one up.
The Book of Dreams, by Nina George. In this follow up to best-sellers The Little Paris Bookshop and The Little French Bistro, former war reporter Henri Skinner lies in a coma after pulling a young girl from the Thames River. Henri's ex-girlfriend, Eddie, learns that she's been listed as next-of-kin in his will. His teenage son, Sam, forms a relationship with Eddie and waits for Henri to wake up so that they can meet for the first time. This tender, thoughtful look at unfinished relationships should make for excellent book club discussion.
Cape May, by Chip Cheek. In this buzz-worthy debut, it's 1957 and young newlyweds Henry and Effie travel from their home in Georgia to honeymoon in their relative's vacant Cape May, NJ cottage. It's September and the celebrated beach town is almost completely deserted, but then they couple bump into a glamorous trio who invite them to stay and join their ongoing party. Fueled by copious amounts of gin, the group descends en masse into a series of taboo indulgences. But can Henry and Effie really shed the mores of their upbringing without consequences? If you're looking for something steamy that still has the Gatsby-esque feel of a classic, this should absolutely be on your list. It is already on mine!
A Good Enough Mother, by Bev Thomas. As the director of a renowned trauma therapy unit, London psychotherapist Ruth Hartland absolutely knows better. But when she first sees new patient Dan Griffin, she momentarily mistakes him for her own troubled teenage son, Tom, who disappeared a year and a half ago. That instant emotional connection continues, threatening her ability to maintain professional boundaries with Dan. Thomas herself is former clinical psychologist with Britain's National Health Service, lending additional credibility to her debut. Fans of psychological fiction would do well to pick this one up.
Tuesday, March 19, 2019
Meg's Picks: April 2019, part 1
Welcome to your source of all things new fiction! Wondering what to read next month? Short on time and need help finding a book you think you'll enjoy? We're here for that! Here are a few fiction titles I'm excited about, all coming out in April.
Lost Roses, by Martha Hall Kelly. Kelly is the author of the astoundingly well-received debut novel, Lilac Girls (2016). Her sophomore novel features Eliza Ferriday, mother of her debut's Caroline Ferriday. In 1914, Eliza travels to St. Petersburg, Russia with a Romanov cousin, Sonya. But while she's there, World War I erupts. The Romanov dynasty begins to crumble. Eliza is lucky enough to escape, but remains determined to help Sonya's family and others like them. Historical fiction readers who love their novels well-researched should absolutely check this out.
Miracle Creek, by Angie Kim. Somewhere in Virginia, there's an experimental medical device called the Miracle Submarine, a pressurized oxygen chamber in which individuals take therapeutic "dives" in hopes of curing anything from autism to infertility. Then the device explodes, killing two people, and owners Young and Pak Yoo are on trial for murder. Debut novelist Kim is not only a lawyer, but her son has been treated in such a chamber, lending additional depth to the story. There's a lot of buzz about this novel, and I'm recommending it to fans of Jodi Picoult and Liane Moriarty.
Feast Your Eyes, by Myla Goldberg. If Myla Goldberg's name looks familiar to you, it should--she's the author of the 2000 bestseller Bee Season, among other novels. So this reader is particularly excited for her latest work. In 1955, photographer Lillian Preston exhibits partially nude photos of herself and her daughter Samantha, sparking outrage and praise among critics and the public in general. The photos become the center of a well-publicized obscenity case and the repercussions have a lasting impact on the relationship between mother and daughter. Told mostly by Samantha in relation to a catalog of Lillian's work, but also in comments from friends, critics, and Lillian herself, this unique novel is sure to be a mainstay for book club readers.
Lost Roses, by Martha Hall Kelly. Kelly is the author of the astoundingly well-received debut novel, Lilac Girls (2016). Her sophomore novel features Eliza Ferriday, mother of her debut's Caroline Ferriday. In 1914, Eliza travels to St. Petersburg, Russia with a Romanov cousin, Sonya. But while she's there, World War I erupts. The Romanov dynasty begins to crumble. Eliza is lucky enough to escape, but remains determined to help Sonya's family and others like them. Historical fiction readers who love their novels well-researched should absolutely check this out.
Miracle Creek, by Angie Kim. Somewhere in Virginia, there's an experimental medical device called the Miracle Submarine, a pressurized oxygen chamber in which individuals take therapeutic "dives" in hopes of curing anything from autism to infertility. Then the device explodes, killing two people, and owners Young and Pak Yoo are on trial for murder. Debut novelist Kim is not only a lawyer, but her son has been treated in such a chamber, lending additional depth to the story. There's a lot of buzz about this novel, and I'm recommending it to fans of Jodi Picoult and Liane Moriarty.
Feast Your Eyes, by Myla Goldberg. If Myla Goldberg's name looks familiar to you, it should--she's the author of the 2000 bestseller Bee Season, among other novels. So this reader is particularly excited for her latest work. In 1955, photographer Lillian Preston exhibits partially nude photos of herself and her daughter Samantha, sparking outrage and praise among critics and the public in general. The photos become the center of a well-publicized obscenity case and the repercussions have a lasting impact on the relationship between mother and daughter. Told mostly by Samantha in relation to a catalog of Lillian's work, but also in comments from friends, critics, and Lillian herself, this unique novel is sure to be a mainstay for book club readers.
Thursday, March 14, 2019
Reading Ahead: April 2019, part 2
Machines, marriage and mysteries, oh my!
Machines Like Me, by Ian McEwan. McEwan (Atonement, etc.) pushes boundaries in his latest novel, set in an alternate version of 1980s London. Here, the British are losing the Falklands War and Alan Turing is not only alive, but his work has given rise to a line of androids almost indistinguishable from humans. When aimless 32-year-old Charlie Friend comes into money, he buys an "Adam", and he and his upstairs neighbor Miranda each input half of the personality parameters required to push Adam past his factory presets. It's not long, however, before a love triangle develops and the three confront a profound moral dilemma. I'm recommending this for fans of subversive fiction, like that of Margaret Atwood.
The View from Alameda Island, by Robyn Carr. Carr, one of my favorite authors for easy reading, delivers a stand alone novel about the unhappiness that can lurk behind even the most "perfect" of facades. Lauren Delaney has an enviable life: a successful career, a husband who is a prominent surgeon, two lovely daughters who are attending good colleges. Lauren, though, is deeply unhappy and refuses to pretend any longer, filing for divorce and starting over on her own, where she meets a kindred spirit also struggling to extricate himself from an unhappy marriage. Lauren's husband, infuriated by the upheaval in his deliberate, ordered life, will take extreme action, and Lauren's entire future may be at risk. This should make for some excellent vacation reading this spring.
Triple Jeopardy, by Anne Perry. First seen in Twenty One Days (2018), young lawyer Daniel Pitt, son of Thomas and Charlotte Pitt, is delighted that his sister is back for a visit from the States. But the family reunion is cut short when Daniel is called upon to represent a British diplomat who has fled from Washington, D.C. to London, claiming diplomatic immunity. The diplomat, Philip Sidney, is accused of theft and embezzlement. It's not long before the case against his client proves to be a smoke screen for something far more dangerous, and Daniel is determined to figure out just what that is. Perry fans will be delighted with their new young sleuth.
Machines Like Me, by Ian McEwan. McEwan (Atonement, etc.) pushes boundaries in his latest novel, set in an alternate version of 1980s London. Here, the British are losing the Falklands War and Alan Turing is not only alive, but his work has given rise to a line of androids almost indistinguishable from humans. When aimless 32-year-old Charlie Friend comes into money, he buys an "Adam", and he and his upstairs neighbor Miranda each input half of the personality parameters required to push Adam past his factory presets. It's not long, however, before a love triangle develops and the three confront a profound moral dilemma. I'm recommending this for fans of subversive fiction, like that of Margaret Atwood.
The View from Alameda Island, by Robyn Carr. Carr, one of my favorite authors for easy reading, delivers a stand alone novel about the unhappiness that can lurk behind even the most "perfect" of facades. Lauren Delaney has an enviable life: a successful career, a husband who is a prominent surgeon, two lovely daughters who are attending good colleges. Lauren, though, is deeply unhappy and refuses to pretend any longer, filing for divorce and starting over on her own, where she meets a kindred spirit also struggling to extricate himself from an unhappy marriage. Lauren's husband, infuriated by the upheaval in his deliberate, ordered life, will take extreme action, and Lauren's entire future may be at risk. This should make for some excellent vacation reading this spring.
Triple Jeopardy, by Anne Perry. First seen in Twenty One Days (2018), young lawyer Daniel Pitt, son of Thomas and Charlotte Pitt, is delighted that his sister is back for a visit from the States. But the family reunion is cut short when Daniel is called upon to represent a British diplomat who has fled from Washington, D.C. to London, claiming diplomatic immunity. The diplomat, Philip Sidney, is accused of theft and embezzlement. It's not long before the case against his client proves to be a smoke screen for something far more dangerous, and Daniel is determined to figure out just what that is. Perry fans will be delighted with their new young sleuth.
Tuesday, March 12, 2019
Reading Ahead: April 2019, part 1
Thrillers are thick on the ground, so if you're looking for fast reads with twisted plots, read on!
Redemption, by David Baldacci. Baldacci's latest in his Memory Man series featuring Amos Decker (The Fallen, 2018, etc.) hearkens back to Decker's early days as a detective. After a dozen years, the man who approaches Decker during a visit to his hometown of Burlington, Ohio is totally unrecognizable. His name, however, is one that Decker cannot every forget: Meryl Hawkins was the first man Decker ever arrested for murder. Hawkins continues to maintain he never committed the murders, and doubt begins to nag at Decker enough to review the old case, only to find a connection to a new crime in progress, one that he may be able to prevent if he can move quickly enough...
Saving Meghan, by D.J. Palmer. D.J. (Daniel) Palmer's newest novel finds devoted mother Becky Gerard working diligently to help her fifteen-year-old daughter Meghan, who has been in and out of hospitals and doctors' offices with a series of unexplained illnesses. Meghan's father, Carl, begins to worry that Becky is obsessed. The medical team begins to question whether Becky is demonstrating signs of Munchausen by proxy, with Meghan as her victim. Is Meghan really sick? Is something more sinister at work here? As suspicions grow and pit one character against another, one will have to risk everything to expose the truth.
Willing to Die, by Lisa Jackson. Eighth in Jackson's To Die series, following 2017's Expecting to Die, follows detectives Alvarez and Pescoli as they investigate the murders of Dr. Paul Letham and his wife, Brindel, who are found dead in separate beds in their beautiful San Francisco home.
Someone Knows, by Lisa Scottoline. Not guilty doesn't always mean innocent in Scottoline's latest. When Allie Garvey heads home after twenty years away, it's for the funeral of a childhood friend. And in addition to the expected sadness, Allie's also overwhelmed with dread--going home means seeing two people she'd hoped never to see again. The three of them have kept a terrible secret ever since a night of partying in the woods one night resulted in a prank gone tragically wrong. Teenage Allie thought getting caught would have been the worst thing, but adult Allie knows better--living decades with her guilt has been devastating. Back at the proverbial scene of the crime, Allie must dig back into her past to uncover the truth once and for all, if only to unburden herself. But the truth may just be more shocking than she could have ever imagined... Early reviews are saying that Scottoline has outdone herself this time, so this may just be the one to pick up this spring.
Redemption, by David Baldacci. Baldacci's latest in his Memory Man series featuring Amos Decker (The Fallen, 2018, etc.) hearkens back to Decker's early days as a detective. After a dozen years, the man who approaches Decker during a visit to his hometown of Burlington, Ohio is totally unrecognizable. His name, however, is one that Decker cannot every forget: Meryl Hawkins was the first man Decker ever arrested for murder. Hawkins continues to maintain he never committed the murders, and doubt begins to nag at Decker enough to review the old case, only to find a connection to a new crime in progress, one that he may be able to prevent if he can move quickly enough...
Saving Meghan, by D.J. Palmer. D.J. (Daniel) Palmer's newest novel finds devoted mother Becky Gerard working diligently to help her fifteen-year-old daughter Meghan, who has been in and out of hospitals and doctors' offices with a series of unexplained illnesses. Meghan's father, Carl, begins to worry that Becky is obsessed. The medical team begins to question whether Becky is demonstrating signs of Munchausen by proxy, with Meghan as her victim. Is Meghan really sick? Is something more sinister at work here? As suspicions grow and pit one character against another, one will have to risk everything to expose the truth.
Willing to Die, by Lisa Jackson. Eighth in Jackson's To Die series, following 2017's Expecting to Die, follows detectives Alvarez and Pescoli as they investigate the murders of Dr. Paul Letham and his wife, Brindel, who are found dead in separate beds in their beautiful San Francisco home.
Someone Knows, by Lisa Scottoline. Not guilty doesn't always mean innocent in Scottoline's latest. When Allie Garvey heads home after twenty years away, it's for the funeral of a childhood friend. And in addition to the expected sadness, Allie's also overwhelmed with dread--going home means seeing two people she'd hoped never to see again. The three of them have kept a terrible secret ever since a night of partying in the woods one night resulted in a prank gone tragically wrong. Teenage Allie thought getting caught would have been the worst thing, but adult Allie knows better--living decades with her guilt has been devastating. Back at the proverbial scene of the crime, Allie must dig back into her past to uncover the truth once and for all, if only to unburden herself. But the truth may just be more shocking than she could have ever imagined... Early reviews are saying that Scottoline has outdone herself this time, so this may just be the one to pick up this spring.
Thursday, February 28, 2019
Meg's Picks: March 2019, part 3
It's debut day here on Meg's Picks! Love trying new things? Want to branch out from your same old rotation of authors? Want to know what your friends are going to be talking about reading? Try one (or all!) of these!
The Woman in the Dark, by Vanessa Savage. In this creepy psychological debut, Patrick and Sarah move their family from Cardiff back to Patrick's childhood home in South Wales. They're disturbed to discover that the once magnificent Victorian house has been vacant the last 15 years, after the last family who lived there was murdered, leaving only one survivor. And the man responsible for the heinous crime is fresh out of prison. Unease will grow, both for the family and the reader, from the moment they walk in the door. I'm recommending this for fans of Shari LaPena's The Couple Next Door.
If, Then, by Kate Hope Day. In the quiet town of Clearing, Oregon, four neighbors begin to see themselves in parallel realities. For dedicated surgeon Ginny, seeing a beautiful coworker in bed with her husband makes her begin to doubt the stability of her marriage. Her scientist husband Mark grows increasingly paranoid due to visions of pending devastation. Brilliant scholar and new mother Cass is just getting back to working on a project that could make her career, only to see herself newly pregnant again. And Samara, mourning the passing of her mother and marveling at her father's ability to cope effortlessly, wonders about the secrets her parents have kept from her when her visions show her mother alive and well. For readers who enjoy imaginative, speculative fiction like Chloe Benjamin's The Immortalists and family-driven suspense like Celeste Ng's Little Fire's Everywhere.
House on Fire, by Bonnie Kistler. A drunk driving accident leaves one member of a blended family dead and another charged with manslaughter in this tightly plotted debut. While this series of events alone would be enough to cripple any family, it is followed by a series of half-truths and altered versions of events that causes a divide that may never be mended. Fans of Jodi Picoult would do well to pick this up.
Save Me from Dangerous Men, by S.A. Lelchuk. Nikki Griffin isn't your typical PI. Her office is above her bookstore, and in her downtime, she tracks dangerous men, the kind who hurt the women they claim to love. Nikki's regular PI work, this time following disgruntled tech employee Karen, suspected of selling secrets, begins to fall into the category of "in danger" and Nikki is forced to blow her cover to save Karen. In the process, though, Nikki will find herself on the run, as well. For readers who can't get enough Lisbeth Salander or Jack Reacher.
The Woman in the Dark, by Vanessa Savage. In this creepy psychological debut, Patrick and Sarah move their family from Cardiff back to Patrick's childhood home in South Wales. They're disturbed to discover that the once magnificent Victorian house has been vacant the last 15 years, after the last family who lived there was murdered, leaving only one survivor. And the man responsible for the heinous crime is fresh out of prison. Unease will grow, both for the family and the reader, from the moment they walk in the door. I'm recommending this for fans of Shari LaPena's The Couple Next Door.
If, Then, by Kate Hope Day. In the quiet town of Clearing, Oregon, four neighbors begin to see themselves in parallel realities. For dedicated surgeon Ginny, seeing a beautiful coworker in bed with her husband makes her begin to doubt the stability of her marriage. Her scientist husband Mark grows increasingly paranoid due to visions of pending devastation. Brilliant scholar and new mother Cass is just getting back to working on a project that could make her career, only to see herself newly pregnant again. And Samara, mourning the passing of her mother and marveling at her father's ability to cope effortlessly, wonders about the secrets her parents have kept from her when her visions show her mother alive and well. For readers who enjoy imaginative, speculative fiction like Chloe Benjamin's The Immortalists and family-driven suspense like Celeste Ng's Little Fire's Everywhere.
House on Fire, by Bonnie Kistler. A drunk driving accident leaves one member of a blended family dead and another charged with manslaughter in this tightly plotted debut. While this series of events alone would be enough to cripple any family, it is followed by a series of half-truths and altered versions of events that causes a divide that may never be mended. Fans of Jodi Picoult would do well to pick this up.
Save Me from Dangerous Men, by S.A. Lelchuk. Nikki Griffin isn't your typical PI. Her office is above her bookstore, and in her downtime, she tracks dangerous men, the kind who hurt the women they claim to love. Nikki's regular PI work, this time following disgruntled tech employee Karen, suspected of selling secrets, begins to fall into the category of "in danger" and Nikki is forced to blow her cover to save Karen. In the process, though, Nikki will find herself on the run, as well. For readers who can't get enough Lisbeth Salander or Jack Reacher.
Tuesday, February 26, 2019
Meg's Picks: March 2019, part 2
Want to know what's on my list next month? Here we go!
My Lovely Wife, by Samantha Downing. The couple in Downing's taut debut thriller have found a way to keep their marriage interesting after 15 years together: getting away with murder. As their hobby gains traction, however, they find themselves keeping secrets from one another, secrets that might just get one or both of them caught. If you're looking for a new thriller to keep you on the edge of your seat, this should absolutely be on your list.
White Elephant, by Julie Langsdorf. The titular 'white elephant' is an architectural monstrosity in Willard Park, D.C., a suburban neighborhood that prides itself on its trees and its friendly community. The house in question is loathed by most of the neighbors, but all out war is declared among residents when the owner cuts down a neighbor's maple tree to make his house more enticing to prospective buyers. Dysfunction abounds as residents out each other on tattle-tale local bulletin boards and start airing dirty laundry. If you're a fan of Meg Wolitzer (The Female Persuasion, etc.) or Ann Patchett (Commonwealth, etc.), you can't miss Langsdorf's darkly humorous debut.
Me for You, by Lolly Winston. Winston returns after more than a decade away (Good Grief, etc.), bringing readers the story of Rudy, a 54 year old widower who has been recently downsized out his job in finance. Returning to his first love, the piano, Rudy finds himself a temporary gig playing at Nordstrom's, though he stays on beyond the initial temp position. There he meets Sasha, a woman contending with losses of her own. As their friendship develops, Rudy is slightly alarmed to find himself falling for Sasha, uncertain whether he is willing or ready for another relationship. Just as Rudy may be finding a way back from grief, however, he's dealt another blow he never saw coming. Winston's style is gently poignant, and I adore her work.
My Lovely Wife, by Samantha Downing. The couple in Downing's taut debut thriller have found a way to keep their marriage interesting after 15 years together: getting away with murder. As their hobby gains traction, however, they find themselves keeping secrets from one another, secrets that might just get one or both of them caught. If you're looking for a new thriller to keep you on the edge of your seat, this should absolutely be on your list.
White Elephant, by Julie Langsdorf. The titular 'white elephant' is an architectural monstrosity in Willard Park, D.C., a suburban neighborhood that prides itself on its trees and its friendly community. The house in question is loathed by most of the neighbors, but all out war is declared among residents when the owner cuts down a neighbor's maple tree to make his house more enticing to prospective buyers. Dysfunction abounds as residents out each other on tattle-tale local bulletin boards and start airing dirty laundry. If you're a fan of Meg Wolitzer (The Female Persuasion, etc.) or Ann Patchett (Commonwealth, etc.), you can't miss Langsdorf's darkly humorous debut.
Me for You, by Lolly Winston. Winston returns after more than a decade away (Good Grief, etc.), bringing readers the story of Rudy, a 54 year old widower who has been recently downsized out his job in finance. Returning to his first love, the piano, Rudy finds himself a temporary gig playing at Nordstrom's, though he stays on beyond the initial temp position. There he meets Sasha, a woman contending with losses of her own. As their friendship develops, Rudy is slightly alarmed to find himself falling for Sasha, uncertain whether he is willing or ready for another relationship. Just as Rudy may be finding a way back from grief, however, he's dealt another blow he never saw coming. Winston's style is gently poignant, and I adore her work.
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