ALL IS NOT FORGOTTEN by Wendy Walker (Psychological Thriller)
Audiobook available, read by Dylan Baker
In the small, affluent town of Fairview, Connecticut, everything seems picture perfect. Until one night when young Jenny Kramer is attacked at a local party. In the hours immediately after, she is given a controversial drug to medically erase her memory of the violent assault. But in the weeks and months that follow, as she heals from her physical wounds, and with no factual recall of the attack, Jenny struggles with her raging emotional memory. As they seek help for their daughter, the fault lines within Tom and Charlotte's marriage and their close-knit community emerge from the shadows where they have been hidden for years. Reviewed by Sarah Rachel Egelman.
ALL THE MISSING GIRLS by Megan Miranda (Psychological Thriller/Mystery)
Audiobook available, read by Rebekkah Ross
It’s been 10 years since Nicolette Farrell left her rural hometown after her best friend, Corinne, disappeared from Cooley Ridge without a trace. Back again to tie up loose ends and care for her ailing father, Nic is soon plunged into a shocking drama that reawakens Corinne’s case and breaks open old wounds long since stitched. Told backwards --- Day 15 to Day 1 --- from the time Nic’s younger neighbor, Annaleise, goes missing, Nic works to unravel the truth about her disappearance, revealing shocking truths about Nic's friends and family, and what really happened to Corinne that night 10 years ago. Reviewed by Barbara Lipkien Gershenbaum.
THE ASSISTANTS by Camille Perri (Fiction/Humor)
Audiobook available, read by Jorjeana Marie
Tina Fontana is a 30-year-old executive assistant to Robert Barlow, the CEO of Titan Corp. But after six years, the glamour of working for a media company in New York has completely faded, though her student loan debt has not. When a technical error with Robert’s expense report presents Tina with the opportunity to pay off the entire balance of her loans with what essentially would be pocket change for her boss, she hesitates. As she begins to fall down the rabbit hole of her morally questionable plan, other assistants with crushing debt and fewer scruples approach her to say that they want in. Before she knows it, Tina is at the forefront of a movement that has implications far beyond what anyone anticipated. Reviewed by Rebecca Munro.
THE BOY IN THE SHADOWS by Carl-Johan Vallgren (Thriller)
Audiobook available, read by Matt Bates
Joel, whose older brother was kidnapped years earlier, goes missing under suspicious circumstances. His frantic wife turns to Danny Katz --- an old friend with a troubled past --- for help. A brilliant computer programmer and recovering heroin addict, Katz is also the divorced father of two young girls. Before long, he discovers he isn't the only one trying to find Joel. The deeper Katz digs, the more upsetting the secrets he uncovers about the wealthy and powerful family at the heart of the investigation. Chillingly, the case takes a violent turn that reveals a disorienting connection to Katz's own troubled childhood. Reviewed by Joe Hartlaub.
BURN WHAT WILL BURN by CB McKenzie (Noir Mystery)
Audiobook available, read by Bon Shaw
Bob Reynolds is a newcomer to town who isn’t entirely welcome or on good footing with the sheriff. But he has interests other than drinking and spending his inheritance, including one that goes by the name Tammy Fay Smith and who may have caught the sheriff's eye as well. Reynolds would rather pretend he never saw the body in the creek, but when it disappears, he begins to doubt what little he knew about this secretive town. Try as he might, he just can't forget the body, despite the advice he's given to do so, and despite the evidence to suggest that he might be disappearing himself soon enough. Reviewed by Joe Hartlaub.
THE CHARMERS by Elizabeth Adler (Mystery)
When Mirabella Matthews’ Aunt Jolly dies unexpectedly and under mysterious circumstances, Mirabella suddenly finds herself the new owner of a villa in the South of France. But with the inheritance come unexpected mysteries…and dangers. On her way to the villa, Mirabella is run off the road by a motorcycle, and that’s only just the beginning. It turns out that Aunt Jolly had a past, and as the various men who were a part of it show up, Mirabella must find out who can be trusted and who is using charm to mask the face of a murderer. Reviewed by Amie Taylor.
COLLECTING THE DEAD by Spencer Kope (Mystery/Thriller)
Audiobook available, read by P. J. Ochlan
Magnus "Steps" Craig is part of the elite three-man Special Tracking Unit of the FBI. Called in on special cases where his skills are particularly needed, he works as a tracker. The media dubs him "The Human Bloodhound," since Steps is renowned for his incredible ability to find and follow trails over any surface better than anyone else. But there's a secret to his success. Steps has a special ability --- a kind of synesthesia --- where he can see the “essence” of a person, something he calls “shine,” on everything they've touched. When the remains of a murdered woman are found, Steps recognizes the shine left by the murderer from another crime scene with a physically similar victim. Reviewed by Joe Hartlaub.
DISAPPEARANCE AT DEVIL'S ROCK by Paul Tremblay (Supernatural Thriller/Horror)
Audiobook available, performed by Erin Bennett
Elizabeth Sanderson receives the devastating news that her 13-year-old son, Tommy, has vanished without a trace. Josh and Luis, the friends who were the last to see Tommy before he disappeared, may not be telling the whole truth about that night in Borderland State Park, when they were supposedly hanging out at a landmark the local teens have renamed Devil’s Rock. Living in an all-too-real nightmare, Elizabeth is wholly unprepared for the strange series of events that follow. As the search grows more desperate, and the implications of what happened become more haunting and sinister, no one is prepared for the shocking truth about that night and Tommy’s disappearance at Devil’s Rock. Reviewed by Sarah Rachel Egelman.
FIRST COMES LOVE by Emily Giffin (Fiction)
Audiobook available, read by Emily Foster and Catherine Taber
Growing up, Josie and Meredith Garland shared a close relationship. But when tragedy strikes their family, they grow apart. Fifteen years later, Josie and Meredith are following different paths. Josie is a first grade teacher with the yearning to become a mother. Meredith is a successful attorney, married and raising a four-year-old-daughter, yet questions whether this is the life she truly desires. As the anniversary of their tragedy looms, they must confront the issues that divide them and also come to terms with their own choices. Reviewed by Norah Piehl.
THE GAMES: A Private Novel by James Patterson and Mark Sullivan (Thriller)
Audiobook available, read by Jay Snyder
Two years after the action nearly spilled from the field to the stands during the World Cup championship match, Jack Morgan is back in Rio for the Olympics. But when prominent clients he's supposed to be protecting disappear, and bodies mysteriously start to litter the streets, Jack is drawn deep into the heart of a ruthless underworld populated by disaffected residents trying to crash the world's biggest party. As the opening ceremonies near, with the world watching in horror, Jack must sprint to the finish line to defuse a threat that could decimate Rio and turn the games from a joyous celebration into a deadly spectacle. Reviewed by Joe Hartlaub.
THE HATCHING by Ezekiel Boone (Apocalyptic Thriller/Horror)
Audiobook available, read by George Newbern
Deep in the jungle of Peru, where so much remains unknown, a black, skittering mass devours an American tourist whole. Thousands of miles away, an FBI agent investigates a fatal plane crash in Minneapolis and makes a gruesome discovery. Unusual seismic patterns register in a Kanpur, India earthquake lab, confounding the scientists there. During the same week, the Chinese government “accidentally” drops a nuclear bomb in an isolated region of its own country. As these incidents begin to sweep the globe, a mysterious package from South America arrives at a Washington, D.C. laboratory. The world is on the brink of an apocalyptic disaster. An ancient species, long dormant, is now very much awake. Reviewed by Joe Hartlaub.
HERE COMES THE SUN by Nicole Dennis-Benn (Fiction)
Audiobook available, read by Bahni Turpin
At an opulent resort in Montego Bay, Margot hustles to send her younger sister, Thandi, to school. Taught as a girl to trade her sexuality for survival, Margot is ruthlessly determined to shield Thandi from the same fate. When plans for a new hotel threaten their village, Margot sees not only an opportunity for her own financial independence but also perhaps a chance to admit a shocking secret: her forbidden love for another woman. As they face the impending destruction of their community, each woman --- fighting to balance the burdens she shoulders with the freedom she craves --- must confront long-hidden scars. Reviewed by Maya Gittelman.
HOW TO SET A FIRE AND WHY by Jesse Ball (Fiction)
Audiobook available, read by Emma Galvin
Lucia’s father is dead, her mother is in a mental hospital, and she’s living in a garage-turned-bedroom with her aunt. And now she’s been kicked out of school --- again. Lucia spends her days riding the bus to visit her mother and following the only rule that makes any sense to her: Don’t do things you aren’t proud of. But when she discovers that her new school has a secret Arson Club, she’s willing to do anything to be a part of it, and her life is suddenly lit up. As Lucia’s fascination with the Arson Club grows, her story becomes one of misguided friendship and, ultimately, destruction. Reviewed by Norah Piehl.
JONATHAN UNLEASHED by Meg Rosoff (Romantic Comedy)
Audiobook available, read by Alexander Cendese
Jonathan Trefoil’s boss is unhinged, his relationship baffling, and his apartment just the wrong side of legal. His girlfriend wants to marry someone just like him --- only richer and with a different sense of humor. He doesn’t remember life being this confusing, back before everyone expected him to act like a grown-up. When his brother asks him to look after his dogs, Jonathan's world view begins to shift. Could a border collie and a cocker spaniel hold the key to life, the universe and everything? Their sly maneuvering on daily walks and visits to the alluring vet suggest that human emotional intelligence may not be top dog after all. Reviewed by Katherine B. Weissman.
A KILLING IN AMISH COUNTRY: Sex, Betrayal, and a Cold-blooded Murder by Gregg Olsen and Rebecca Morris (True Crime)
At just 30 years old, Barbara Weaver had everything she'd ever wanted. But while she was happy to live as the Amish have for centuries, her husband, Eli, was tempted by technology. Online he called himself "Amish Stud" and found no shortage of "English" women looking for love and sex. Barb Raber was raised Amish, but is now a Conservative Mennonite. When Eli starts asking people to kill his wife for him, Barb offers to help. One night, just after Eli had hitched a ride with a group of men to go fishing in the hours before dawn, Barb Raber entered the Weaver house and shot Barbara Weaver in the chest at close range. Reviewed by Barbara Bamberger Scott.
THE LIE by C.L. Taylor (Psychological Thriller)
Audiobook available, narrated by Penny Rawlins
Jane Hughes has a great boyfriend, a job in an animal shelter, and a tiny cottage in rural Wales. She's happier than she's ever been...but her life is a lie. Jane Hughes does not really exist. Five years earlier, Jane and her best friends set off on what was supposed to be the trip of a lifetime, but it rapidly descended into a nightmare that claimed the lives of two of her friends. Ever since, Jane has tried to put the past behind her and lead a normal life. But someone out there knows the truth about what happened --- and they won't stop until they've destroyed Jane and everything she loves. Reviewed by Christine M. Irvin.
THE MANDIBLES: A Family, 2029-2047 by Lionel Shriver (Fiction)
Audiobook available, performed by George Newbern
In 2029, the United States is engaged in a bloodless world war that will wipe out the savings of millions of American families. Overnight, on the international currency exchange, the “almighty dollar” plummets in value, to be replaced by a new global currency, the “bancor.” In retaliation, the president declares that America will default on its loans. What little remains to savers is rapidly eaten away by runaway inflation. The Mandibles have been counting on a sizable fortune filtering down when their 97-year-old patriarch dies. Once the inheritance turns to ash, each family member must contend with disappointment, but also the challenge of sheer survival. Reviewed by Jana Siciliano.
MURDER ON THE QUAI: An Aimée Leduc Investigation by Cara Black (Mystery)
Audiobook available, performed by Carine Montbertrand
November 1989: Aimée Leduc is in her first year of college at Paris’s preeminent medical school. She lives in a 17th-century apartment that overlooks the Seine with her father, who runs the family detective agency. But the week the Berlin Wall crumbles, so does Aimée’s life as she knows it. First, someone has sabotaged her lab work, putting her at risk of failing out of the program. Her father takes off to Berlin on a mysterious errand and asks Aimée to help out at the detective agency while he’s gone. But the case Aimée finds herself investigating --- a murder linked to a transport truck of Nazi gold that disappeared in the French countryside during the height of World War II --- has gotten under her skin. Reviewed by Ray Palen.
MY MRS. BROWN by William Morwich (Fiction)
Emilia Brown has spent a frugal, useful and wholly restrained life in Ashville, a small town in Rhode Island. She makes a modest living cleaning and running errands at the local beauty parlor. When the grand dame of Ashville passes away, Mrs. Brown is called upon to inventory her estate and comes across a dress that changes everything. It’s a simple yet exquisitely tailored Oscar de la Renta sheath and jacket --- a suit that Mrs. Brown realizes, with startling clarity, will say everything she has ever wished to convey. She must have it. And so she begins her odyssey to purchase it. Reviewed by Jesse Kornbluth for HeadButler.com.
THE NEW NEIGHBOR by Leah Stewart (Psychological Thriller)
Audiobook available, read by Dianna Dorman
Ninety-year-old Margaret Riley is content hiding from the world. She rarely leaves her Tennessee home, finding comfort in the mystery novels that keep her company. Her new neighbor, Jennifer Young, is also looking to hide. On the run from her old life, she and her young son have moved to a quiet town where no one from her past can find her. In Jennifer, Margaret sees a potential companion for her loneliness and a mystery to be solved. But when Jennifer refuses to befriend her, Margaret crosses more and more boundaries in pursuit of the truth, threatening to unravel the life Jennifer has so painstakingly created --- and reveal some secrets of her own. Reviewed by Joe Hartlaub.
NO GOOD TO CRY: A Rick Van Lam Mystery by Andrew Lanh (Mystery)
PI Rick Van Lam’s Vietnam-vet mentor and partner, Jimmy, and Jimmy’s old army pal, Ralph, are attacked as they walk down a city sidewalk. Ralph is killed, and Jimmy is struck by a car. While the battered Jimmy is under the care of Rick’s landlord and friend, Gracie, Rick finds himself in a quandary: He’s asked to clear the name of the two attackers named by the police. One is a boy named Simon Tran, known as Saigon; the other is Simon’s buddy, Frankie Croix. Working with Hank Nguyen, a young colleague who is now a state-cop-in-training, Rick tracks Simon to a Vietnamese gang in Little Saigon. How can he not strive to save Simon and Frankie, who refuse to be saved? Reviewed by Joe Hartlaub.
SOMEONE ALWAYS KNOWS: A Sharon McCone Mystery by Marcia Muller (Mystery)
Audiobook available, read by Laura Hicks
Finally settled into their new home and fully established in their new shared offices, private investigator Sharon McCone and her business partner husband Hy are starting to feel comfortable. That calm is shattered thanks to the reappearance of Hy's former colleague, Gage Renshaw, a shady troublemaker who they had presumed dead. Meanwhile, Sharon has a new client with a desire to rid a derelict house he has just bought from intruders, drug users and thugs. However, the abandoned house holds its share of secrets, and soon Sharon is searching for the individual who is obsessed with destroying her life. Reviewed by Maggie Harding.
WE COULD BE BEAUTIFUL by Swan Huntley (Psychological Thriller)
Audiobook available, read by Cassandra Campbell
Catherine West has spent her entire life surrounded by beautiful things. Yet, despite all this, she still feels empty. One night, at an art opening, Catherine meets William Stockton, a handsome man who shares her impeccable taste and love of beauty. He is educated, elegant, and even has a personal connection --- his parents and Catherine's parents were friends years ago. But as he and Catherine grow closer, she begins to encounter strange signs, and her mother, Elizabeth (now suffering from Alzheimer's), seems to have only bad memories of William as a boy. Is William lying about his past? If so, is Catherine willing to sacrifice their beautiful life in order to find the truth? Reviewed by Norah Piehl.
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