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Week of January 5, 2015

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Week of January 5, 2015

Releases for the week of January 5th include MR. MERCEDES, Stephen King's bestseller that finds three unlikely heroes trying to stop a lone killer from blowing up thousands; THE ACCIDENT by Chris Pavone, in which the lives of a veteran CIA operative, a literary agent and an author collide as the latter's book begins its dangerous march toward publication; THE PEARL THAT BROKE ITS SHELL, Nadia Hashimi's debut novel that interweaves the tales of two women separated by a century who share similar destinies; and JFK IN THE SENATE: Pathway to the Presidency, the first book to deal exclusively with John F. Kennedy's Senate years, as author John T. Shaw looks at how the young Senator was able to catapult himself on the national stage.

The Accident by Chris Pavone - Thriller

January 6, 2015


Literary agent Isabel Reed is turning the final pages of a mysterious, anonymous manuscript that contains explosive revelations about powerful people. Veteran CIA operative Hayden Gray, determined that this sweeping story be buried, is suddenly staring down the barrel of a gun. And the author himself is hiding in a shadowy expat life while always looking over his shoulder. Over the course of one long day, these lives collide as the book begins its dangerous march toward publication.

At Home in Last Chance: A Place to Call Home, Book 3 by Cathleen Armstrong - Romance

January 6, 2015


In Last Chance, New Mexico, Kaitlyn Reed is working to reestablish a relationship with the seven-year-old daughter she left behind six months earlier. Meanwhile, Steven Braden is trying to prove to his family that he is not the irresponsible charmer they have always known him to be. As Kaitlyn and Steven find themselves drawn to one another, one big question keeps getting in the way: How will they learn to trust each other when they don't even trust themselves?

Beyond All Dreams by Elizabeth Camden - Historical Romance

January 6, 2015


Anna O'Brien leads a quiet life as a map librarian at the Library of Congress until she stumbles across the baffling mystery of a ship disappeared at sea. Thwarted in her attempts to uncover information, she turns to dashing congressman Luke Callahan for help. Anna and Luke are soon embroiled in secrets much bigger and more perilous than they ever imagined. Is bringing the truth to light worth risking all they've ever dreamed for their futures?

A Circle of Wives by Alice LaPlante - Psychological Thriller

January 6, 2015


When Dr. John Taylor is found dead in a hotel room in his hometown, the local police find enough incriminating evidence to suspect foul play. Detective Samantha Adams is innocently thrown into a high-profile murder case that is more intricately intertwined than she ever could imagine. It turns out that Dr. Taylor was married to three very different women in three separate cities. And when these three unsuspecting ladies show up at his funeral, suspicions run high.

Death of a Nightingale: A Nina Borg Novel written by Lene Kaaberbol and Agnete Friis, translated from the Danish by Elisabeth Dyssegaard - Mystery/Thriller

November 5, 2013


When Natasha Doroshenko, a Ukrainian woman convicted of the attempted murder of her abusive boyfriend, escapes from police custody and desperately tries to locate her daughter in a refugee camp, Nina Borg, a big-hearted Red Cross nurse, comes to her aid. DEATH OF A NIGHTINGALE is a chilling tale filled with the dark memories of the Stalinist era.

Esther: Royal Beauty: A Dangerous Beauty Novel by Angela Hunt - Historical Fiction

January 6, 2015


When Xerxes, king of Persia, issues a call for beautiful young women, Hadassah, a Jewish orphan, is forcibly taken to the pagan ruler's palace. The girl known to the Persians as Esther eventually wins the king's heart and a queen's crown. She keeps her ethnic identity a secret until she learns that an evil and ambitious man has won the king's permission to exterminate all Jews. Purposely violating an ancient Persian law, Esther risks her life in order to save her people...and bind her husband's heart.

Fight Back With Joy: Celebrate More. Regret Less. Stare Down Your Greatest Fears by Margaret Feinberg - Memoir/Inspirational

January 6, 2015


When Margaret Feinberg learned she had cancer, she knew she would need great strength to overcome it. She believed the weapon she selected for the battle would change everything. And she decided that weapon would be joy. Here Margaret shares her journey of using joy to fight back fear, regret and pain. Whatever you face today, discover with Margaret how to embrace a way of living that’s deeper and fuller than you’ve ever known --- a life radiant with joy.

Gideon by Alex Gordon - Paranormal Thriller/Horror

January 6, 2015


When Lauren’s father dies, she makes a shocking discovery. The man she knew as John Reardon was once a completely different person, with a different name. Now, she’s determined to find out who he really was, even though her only clues are an old photograph, some letters, and the name of a town --- Gideon. But someone or something doesn’t want her to discover the truth. A strange man is stalking her, appearing everywhere she turns, and those who try to help her end up dead.

The Girl with a Clock for a Heart by Peter Swanson - Thriller

January 6, 2015


George Foss’s comfortable, predictable life is shattered when a beautiful woman who vanished without a trace 20 years ago sits down next to him at a bar. Ex-girlfriend Liana Dector, the first love George couldn’t quite forget, needs his help. Ruthless men believe she stole some money and will do whatever it takes to get it back. George makes a choice that will plunge him into a terrifying whirlpool of lies, secrets, betrayal and murder from which there is no sure escape.

JFK in the Senate: Pathway to the Presidency by John T. Shaw - History/Politics

January 6, 2015


Before John F. Kennedy became a legendary young president, he was the junior senator from Massachusetts. The Senate was where JFK's presidential ambitions were born and first realized. In the first book to deal exclusively with JFK's Senate years, author John T. Shaw looks at how the young Senator was able to catapult himself on the national stage.

The Kept by James Scott - Historical Fiction

January 6, 2015


In the winter of 1897, a trio of killers descends upon an isolated farm in upstate New York. Midwife Elspeth Howell returns home to the carnage: her husband and four of her children are murdered. Before she can discover her remaining son Caleb, alive and hiding in the kitchen pantry, another shot rings out over the snow-covered valley. Twelve-year-old Caleb must tend to his mother until she recovers enough for them to take to the frozen wilderness in search of the men responsible.

Like a Flower in Bloom by Siri Mitchell - Historical Romance

January 6, 2015


For years, Charlotte Withersby has been free to pursue her love of plants and flowers by assisting her botanist father. But an intrusive uncle has convinced her father that Charlotte's future is to be a wife and mother. Her father is so dependent on her assistance that Charlotte believes he'll soon change his mind...and then Edward Trimble shows up. Suddenly juggling more suitors than she knows what to do with, Charlotte is caught in a trap of her own making. Will she have no choice but to leave her beloved flowers behind?

Lost Lake by Sarah Addison Allen - Fiction

January 6, 2015


Lost Lake is about to slip into Eby Pim’s past. All that’s left is a once-charming collection of lakeside cabins succumbing to the Southern Georgia heat and damp, and an assortment of faithful misfits drawn back to Lost Lake year after year by their own unspoken dreams and desires. It’s a lot, but not enough to keep Eby from relinquishing Lost Lake to a developer with cash in hand, and calling this her final summer at the lake. Until one last chance at family knocks on her door.

Love Gently Falling by Melody Carlson - Romance

January 6, 2015


Rita Jansen's mother is healing from a stroke but facing a long recovery. Without being able to run their family-owned salon, she could lose the business. Rita decides to help, but only has until Valentine's Day to come up with a plan. She finds herself renewing friendships with her childhood best friend, Marley, as well as her classmate Johnny. Though Rita believes Johnny is only being kind, with romance kindling in the air, their friendship may just fall into something more.

Mr. Mercedes by Stephen King - Thriller

January 6, 2015


A retired cop named Bill Hodges is still haunted by the unsolved case of a lone driver who plowed through a crowd in a stolen Mercedes, running over the innocent, backing up and charging again. When he gets a crazed letter from someone who self-identifies as the “perk” and threatens an even more diabolical attack, Hodges wakes up from his depressed and vacant retirement, hell-bent on preventing another tragedy.

The Pagan Lord by Bernard Cornwell - Historical Fiction/Adventure

January 6, 2015


At the onset of the 10th century, England is in turmoil. Alfred the Great is dead, and Edward his son reigns as king. Wessex survives, but peace cannot hold: the Danes in the north, led by Viking Cnut Longsword, stand ready to invade and will never rest until the emerald crown is theirs. Uhtred, once Alfred’s great warrior but now out of favor with the new king, must lead a band of outcasts north to recapture his old family home.

The Pearl that Broke Its Shell by Nadia Hashimi - Fiction

January 6, 2015


In Kabul, 2007, Rahima and her sisters can only sporadically attend school and can rarely leave the house. Their only hope lies in the ancient custom of bacha posh, which allows young Rahima to dress and be treated as a boy until she is of marriageable age. A century earlier, her great-aunt, Shekiba, saved herself and built a new life the same way. Crisscrossing in time, THE PEARL THAT BROKE ITS SHELL interweaves the tales of these two women separated by a century who share similar destinies.

The Polaris Protocol: A Pike Logan Thriller by Brad Taylor - Thriller/Adventure

January 6, 2015


Pike Logan and Jennifer Cahill are in Turkmenistan with the Taskforce --- a top-secret antiterrorist unit that operates outside US law --- when Jennifer gets a call from her brother, Jack. Working on an investigative report into the Mexican drug cartels, Jack Cahill has unknowingly gotten caught between two rival groups. His desperate call to his sister is his last before he’s kidnapped. In their efforts to rescue Jack, Pike and Jennifer uncover a plot much more insidious than illegal drug trafficking.

The Pope and Mussolini: The Secret History of Pius XI and the Rise of Fascism in Europe by David I. Kertzer - History

January 6, 2015


THE POPE AND MUSSOLINI tells the story of two men who came to power in 1922, and together changed the course of 20th-century history. In most respects, they could not have been more different. One was scholarly and devout, the other thuggish and profane. Yet Pope Pius XI and Italian dictator Benito Mussolini had many things in common, and each relied on the other to consolidate his power and achieve his political goals.

Precious Thing by Colette McBeth - Mystery

January 6, 2015


When Rachel and Clara met in high school, they instantly fell under one another’s spell. Now in their late 20s, Rachel has a television career, an apartment and a boyfriend, while Clara’s life is spiraling further out of control. Yet despite everything, they remain inextricably bound. Then Rachel’s news editor assigns her to cover a police press conference, and she is shocked when she arrives to learn that the subject is Clara, who has been reported missing. Is it abduction, suicide --- or something else altogether?

Priscilla: The Hidden Life of an Englishwoman in Wartime France by Nicholas Shakespeare - Biography

January 6, 2015


When Nicholas Shakespeare stumbled across a trunk full of his late aunt’s personal belongings, he was unaware of where this discovery would take him and what he would learn about her hidden past. As a young boy, Shakespeare had always believed that his aunt was a member of the Resistance and had been tortured by the Germans. The truth turned out to be far more complicated.

Quarry's Choice by Max Allan Collins - Hard-boiled Crime Fiction

January 6, 2015


Quarry is a pro in the murder business. When the man he works for becomes a target himself, Quarry is sent South to remove a traitor in the ranks. But in this wide-open city --- with sin everywhere, and betrayal around every corner --- Quarry must make the most dangerous choice of his deadly career: Who to kill?

Radiance of Tomorrow by Ishmael Beah - Fiction

January 6, 2015


Benjamin and Bockarie are two longtime friends who return to their hometown of Imperi after the civil war in Sierra Leone. As more villagers begin coming back, they try to forge a new community by taking up their former posts as teachers, but they’re beset by such obstacles as a scarcity of food and a rash of murders, thievery, rape and retaliation. As Benjamin and Bockarie search for a way to restore order, they’re forced to reckon with the uncertainty of their past and future alike.

River Road by Jayne Ann Krentz - Romantic Suspense

January 6, 2015


It’s been 13 years since Lucy Sheridan was in Summer River. The last time she visited her aunt Sara there, she’d been sent home suddenly after being dragged out of a wild party by the guy she had a crush on. Mason Fletcher was the overprotective type who thought he had to come to her rescue. Now, returning after her aunt’s fatal car accident, Lucy is learning there was more to the story than she realized at the time.

The Secret of Magic by Deborah Johnson - Historical Fiction

January 6, 2015


Regina Robichard works for Thurgood Marshall, who receives an unusual letter asking the NAACP to investigate the murder of a returning black war hero. It is signed by M. P. Calhoun, the most reclusive author in the country. Once down in Mississippi, Regina finds that nothing in the South is as it seems. She must navigate the muddy waters of racism, relationships, and her own tragic past.

Steadfast Heart: Brides of Seattle, Book One by Tracie Peterson - Historical Romance

January 6, 2015


Twenty-year-old Lenore Fulcher's father wants to marry his daughter off to one of his business partners --- who is 17 years her senior --- an idea that is out of the question for Lenore. Kolbein Booth, a young lawyer from Chicago, arrives in Seattle looking for his headstrong sister, who he believes may have answered an advertisement for mail-order brides. Is this the man Lenore has been searching for? She may not have long to find out...

The String Diaries by Stephen Lloyd Jones - Horror/Thriller

January 6, 2015


Hannah frantically drives through the night --- her daughter asleep in the back, her husband bleeding out in the seat beside her. In the trunk of the car rests a cache of diaries dating back 200 years, tied and retied with strings through generations. The diaries carry the rules for survival that have been handed down from mother to daughter since the 19th century. But how can Hannah escape an enemy with the ability to look and sound like the people she loves?

Tesla: A Portrait with Masks by Vladimir Pistalo - Historical Fiction

January 6, 2015


Nikola Tesla was a man forever misunderstood. From his boyhood in what is present-day Croatia, where his father, a Serbian Orthodox priest, dismissed his talents, to his tumultuous years in New York City, where his heated rivalry with Thomas Edison yielded triumphs and failures, Tesla was both demonized and lionized. TESLA: A PORTRAIT WITH MASKS captures the whirlwind years of the dawn of the electrical age, when his flair for showmanship kept him in the public eye.

The Weight of Blood by Laura McHugh - Mystery/Thriller

January 6, 2015


Lucy Dane is haunted by the murder of her friend, Cheri, along with the disappearance of her mother who she never knew. With the help of a local boy, Daniel, she sets out to uncover the mystery behind Cheri’s death. What Lucy discovers is a secret that pervades the secluded Missouri hills, and beyond that horrific revelation is a more personal one concerning what happened to her mother more than a decade earlier.

Wrongful Death by Lynda La Plante - Mystery

January 6, 2015


Six months ago, London nightclub owner Josh Reynolds was found dead. Ruled a suicide, the police investigation was closed. Then a young man, awaiting trial for armed robbery, tells his guards that Reynolds was murdered and that he has information to share. DCI Anna Travis, who is called upon to review the case, finds herself faced with a dangerous choice. Will she close ranks to protect her people, or push to find the truth no matter what the consequences?