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.

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?

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?

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!

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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?

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.

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?

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.

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.

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.

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.

Reading Ahead: March 2019, part 3

Gothics, suspense, historical fiction are all on the menu next month. Ready for a new favorite?

The Island of Sea Women, by Lisa See. Mi-ja and Young-sook are best friends living on the Korean island of Jeju, though they come from very different backgrounds. When they are old enough, they begin working with their village's all-female diving collective. As time goes on, however, (the story begins in the 1930s during a period of Japanese colonialism and runs to present day) their country is caught between warring empires, pitting family against family, the force of dark secrets tearing at their friendship. Fans of See's earlier work (The Teagirl of Hummingbird Lane, Snow Flower and the Secret Fan, etc.) won't want to miss this.

The Night Visitors, by Carol Goodman. When Alice flees a relationship gone dangerous with her ten-year-old son Oren in tow, she meets up with social worker Mattie. Mattie doesn't take the pair to a shelter, however, but home to her ramshackle house in the woods. While Mattie's heart is in the right place, and she has plenty of room, Oren also reminds her very much of her younger brother, who died thirty years ago. And Mattie isn't the only one harboring some unsettling secrets. Goodman is a personal favorite, and this latest gothic thriller is already on my to-read list this spring.

All the Wrong Places, by Joy Fielding. After being let go from her advertising job due to a merger, and breaking up with her cheating boyfriend, Paige Hamilton is in serious need of some personal validation. On impulse, she signs up for a dating app, the same one her friend Chloe uses, it turns out. When both women, as well as another person close to Paige, start dating Mr. Right Now, no one could predict that something so innocuous could have such dangerous consequences...

The Mark (The Big Kahuna) , by Janet Evanovich and Peter Evanovich. FBI Agent Kate O'Hare and charming con-man Nicolas Fox team up again on another case that the FBI would ordinarily shrug off: finding a missing Silicon Valley billionaire, nicknamed The Big Kahuna. Beyond the man's greedy trophy wife and shady business partner, neither of whom seem terribly interested in the man's whereabouts, the investigation's only real lead seems to be the beach bum son, living the dream in Hawaii. What can Kate and Nick do but go undercover, posing as a married couple in the laid-back surfer community. Expect lots of Evanovich's signature humor here.

Silent Night, by Danielle Steel. The daughter of Hollywood royalty, Paige Watts has channeled her own acting aspirations into her daughter's career--by age nine, Emma has the lead role on a hit TV show. But after the unthinkable happens, Emma goes to live with her aunt Whitney, who chose a very different path from sister Paige. This isn't a bad thing, because Emma needs all the help she can get in the wake of tragedy, and her road to healing will change her, and everyone around her.

Reading Ahead: March 2019, part 2

Lots of suspense series and sequels to be had next month. Are your favorites on the list? Or will you discover a new favorite? Read on!

Black and Blue, by David Rosenfelt. This is the third entry in Rosenfelt's thriller series featuring New Jersey state police office Doug Brock, following Blackout and Fade to Black. Brock has been working hard to recover after being shot in the line of duty, but between lingering amnesia and solving two murder cases, his recovery hasn't been particularly restful. Now a new murder fits the MO of one of Brock's old, cold cases and he must retrace steps he doesn't remember taking to solve the case before the killer can strike again. Rosenfelt is steadily building on to his fan base, so if you're a thriller reader in search of a newer series to jump in on, here's your chance!

Wolf Pack, by C.J. Box. Wyoming game warden Joe Pickett returns in this nineteenth series outing. The good news is that Pickett has his job back after the adventures of The Disappeared (2018). The bad news is that he's discovered that someone is using a drone to kill wildlife, and that someone turns out to be the wealthy, mysterious man dating Joe's own daughter, Lucy. When Joe tries to get the drone's owner to abide by some rules, he's met with resistance, not just from the owner, but also from the FBI and the Department of Justice. On full alert now, Joe also has a vicious group of cartel assassins, known as the Wolf Pack, in the area who are bent on taking down Lucy's new beau, and anyone he's associated with...

The Malta Exchange, by Steve Berry. Former Justice Department operative Cotton Malone returns in Berry's latest novel, on the trail of some potentially history-shaking letters between Winston Churchill and Benito Mussolini that vanished in 1945. This leads him to the Knights of Malta, now controlled by the Secreti as the election of a new pope looms. Fans of Dan Brown, if you're not reading Steve Berry, you should be!

The Last Act, by Brad Parks. Based on the real life case of Wachovia Bank, this latest by Parks finds an out-of-work stage actor Tommy Jump about to pose as a felon to go into a low-security prison and cozy up to Mitchell Dupree, a banker arrested for laundering money for a particularly vicious Mexican cartel. This may just be the hardest role of Tommy's life, if he survives. For thriller readers who like a twisty plot and lots of surprises, this should absolutely be on your reading list this spring.

Crown Jewel, by Christopher Reich. Bestseller Reich brings readers a new new Simon Riske novel (following his debut in 2018's The Take). Here, the restorer of high-end automobiles who moonlights as a problem solver to the wealthy is working for Toby Stonewood, managing partner of the Casino de Monte-Carlo. The casino is losing millions and Toby is sure he's being cheated, but cannot figure out the culprit, turning to Simon to unravel the mystery. What follows is a 007-worthy tale of fast cars, rich women, Bosnian bad guys, and the beauty of Monaco. Perfect.

Dark Tribute, by Iris Johansen. Number 25 in Johansen's long-running Eve Duncan series. Despite a tragic childhood, violin prodigy Cara Delaney has finally found her stride in her career as a professional musician and in her relationship with her guardians, forensic sculptor Eve Duncan and ex-Navy SEAL Joe Quinn. Cara's sense of peace is upended when she's kidnapped by a man who has a score to settle with her family. With everyone she loves in immediate danger, Cara will have to use every skill she has to stay alive and protect those closest to her at all costs.