THE ADULTS by Caroline Hulse (Fiction/Humor)
Audiobook available; read by Penelope Rawlins, Peter Kenny and Sarah Ovens
Claire and Matt are no longer together but decide that it would be best for their daughter, Scarlett, to have a “normal” family Christmas. They can’t agree on whose idea it was to go to the Happy Forest holiday park, or who said they should bring their new partners. But someone did, and it’s too late to pull the plug. Claire brings her new boyfriend, Patrick, a seemingly sensible, eligible from a distance Ironman in Waiting. Matt brings the new love of his life, Alex, who’s funny, smart and extremely patient. They all drink a little too much after Scarlett’s bedtime, overshare classified secrets about their pasts…and before you know it, their holiday is a powder keg that ends where this novel begins --- with a tearful, frightened call to the police. Reviewed by Norah Piehl.
ALL THE LIVES WE NEVER LIVED by Anuradha Roy (Fiction)
Audiobook available, read by Vikas Adam
This is the story of Myshkin and his mother, Gayatri, a rebellious, alluring artist who abandons parenthood and marriage to follow her primal desire for freedom. Though freedom may be stirring in the air of India, across the world the Nazis have risen to power in Germany. At this point of crisis, a German artist from Gayatri’s past seeks her out. His arrival ignites passions she has long been forced to suppress. What follows is her life as pieced together by her son, a journey that takes him through India and Dutch-held Bali. Excavating the roots of the world in which he was abandoned, he comes to understand his long-lost mother, and the connections between strife at home and a war-torn universe overtaken by patriotism. Reviewed by Katherine B. Weissman.
BECOMING by Michelle Obama (Memoir)
Audiobook available, read by Michelle Obama
As First Lady of the United States of America --- the first African American to serve in that role --- Michelle Obama established herself as a powerful advocate for women and girls in the U.S. and around the world, dramatically changing the ways that families pursue healthier and more active lives, and standing with her husband as he led America through some of its most harrowing moments. In her memoir, Michelle invites readers into her world, chronicling the experiences that have shaped her --- from her childhood on the South Side of Chicago to her years as an executive balancing the demands of motherhood and work, to her time spent at the world’s most famous address. Reviewed by Roberta O’Hara.
BROKEN GROUND: A Karen Pirie Novel by Val McDermid (Mystery/Thriller)
Audiobook available, read by Cathleen McCarron
Six feet under in a Highland peat bog lies Alice Somerville’s inheritance, buried by her grandfather at the end of World War II. But when Alice finally uncovers it, she finds an unwanted surprise --- a body with a bullet hole between the eyes. Meanwhile, cold case detective Karen Pirie is called in to unravel a case where nothing is quite as it seems. And as she gets closer to the truth, it becomes clear that not everyone shares her desire for justice. Or even the idea of what justice is. Reviewed by Ray Palen.
THE DAKOTA WINTERS by Tom Barbash (Fiction)
Audiobook available, read by Jim Meskimen
It’s the fall of 1979 in New York City when 23-year-old Anton Winter, back from the Peace Corps and on the mend from a nasty bout of malaria, returns to his childhood home in the Dakota. His father, the famous late-night host Buddy Winter, is there to greet him, himself recovering from a breakdown. Before long, Anton is swept up in an effort to reignite Buddy’s stalled career. But the more he finds himself enmeshed in his father’s professional and spiritual reinvention, the more Anton questions his own path, and fissures in the Winter family begin to threaten their close bond. Reviewed by Cindy Burnett.
EVENING IN PARADISE: More Stories by Lucia Berlin (Fiction/Short Stories)
Audiobook available, read by Kyla Garcia
In 2015, Farrar, Straus and Giroux published A MANUAL FOR CLEANING WOMEN, a posthumous story collection by a relatively unknown writer, to widespread acclaim. The book’s author, Lucia Berlin, earned comparisons to Raymond Carver, Grace Paley, Alice Munro and Anton Chekhov. EVENING IN PARADISE is a careful selection from Berlin’s remaining stories --- 22 gems that showcase the gritty glamour that made readers fall in love with her. From Texas to Chile, Mexico to New York City, Berlin finds beauty in the darkest places and darkness in the seemingly pristine. Reviewed by Harvey Freedenberg.
FOR THE SAKE OF THE GAME: Stories Inspired by the Sherlock Holmes Canon edited by Laurie R. King and Leslie S. Klinger (Mystery/Short Stories)
Audiobook available, read by a full cast
FOR THE SAKE OF THE GAME is the latest volume in the award-winning series from Laurie R. King and Leslie S. Klinger, with stories of Sherlock Holmes, Dr. Watson and friends in a variety of eras and forms. King and Klinger have a simple formula: ask some of the world’s greatest writers --- regardless of genre --- to be inspired by the stories of Arthur Conan Doyle. Some tales are pastiches, featuring the recognizable figures of Holmes and Watson; others step away in time or place to describe characters and stories influenced by the Holmes world. Some of the authors spin whimsical tales of fancy; others tell hardcore thrillers or puzzling mysteries. One beloved author writes a song; two others craft a melancholy graphic tale of insectoid analysis. Reviewed by Ray Palen.
FOX 8: A Story by George Saunders (Fiction)
Audiobook available, read by George Saunders
Fox 8 has always been known as the daydreamer in his pack, the one his fellow foxes regard with a knowing snort and a roll of the eyes. That is, until he develops a unique skill: He teaches himself to speak “Yuman” by hiding in the bushes outside a house and listening to children’s bedtime stories. The power of language fuels his abundant curiosity about people --- even after “danjer” arrives in the form of a new shopping mall that cuts off his food supply, sending Fox 8 on a harrowing quest to help save his pack. Reviewed by Eileen Zimmerman Nicol.
HAZARDS OF TIME TRAVEL by Joyce Carol Oates (Dystopian/Science Fiction)
Audiobook available, read by Andi Arndt
“Time travel” --- and its hazards --- are made literal in Joyce Carol Oates’ new novel, in which a recklessly idealistic girl dares to test the perimeters of her tightly controlled (future) world and is punished by being sent back in time to a region of North America --- “Wainscotia, Wisconsin”--- that existed 80 years before. Cast adrift in time in this idyllic Midwestern town, she is set upon a course of “rehabilitation” --- but cannot resist falling in love with a fellow exile and questioning the constraints of the Wainscotia world with results that are both devastating and liberating. Reviewed by Roberta O’Hara.
INTO THE NIGHT by Sarah Bailey (Mystery)
Audiobook available, read by Kate Hosking
Detective Sergeant Gemma Woodstock finds herself lost and alone after a recent move to Melbourne, brokenhearted by the decisions she's had to make. Her new workplace is a minefield, and Detective Sergeant Nick Fleet, the partner she has been assigned, is uncommunicative and often hostile. When a homeless man is murdered and Gemma is put on the case, she can't help feeling a connection with the victim and his lonely, isolated existence. Then Sterling Wade, an up-and-coming actor filming his breakout performance in a closed-off city street, is murdered in the middle of an action-packed shot, and Gemma and Nick have to put aside their differences to unravel the mysteries surrounding the actor's life and death. Reviewed by Kate Ayers.
KINGDOM OF THE BLIND: A Chief Inspector Gamache Novel by Louise Penny(Mystery)
Audiobook available, read by Robert Bathurst
When a peculiar letter arrives inviting Armand Gamache to an abandoned farmhouse, the former head of the Sûreté du Québec discovers that a complete stranger has named him one of the executors of her will. Still on suspension, Gamache accepts and soon learns that the other two executors are Myrna Landers, the bookseller from Three Pines, and a young builder. None of them had ever met the elderly woman. The will is so odd and includes bequests that are so wildly unlikely that Gamache and the others suspect the woman must have been delusional. But what if, Gamache begins to ask himself, she was perfectly sane? When a body is found, the terms of the bizarre will suddenly seem less peculiar and far more menacing. Reviewed by Roz Shea.
KITCHEN YARNS: Notes on Life, Love, and Food by Ann Hood (Essays)
Audiobook available, read by Nina Alvamar
From her Italian-American childhood through raising and feeding a growing family and cooking with her new husband, food writer Michael Ruhlman, Ann Hood has long appreciated the power of a good meal. Growing up, she tasted love in her grandmother’s tomato sauce and dreamed of her mother’s special-occasion Fancy Lady Sandwiches. Later, the kitchen became the heart of Hood’s own home. She cooked pork roast to warm her first apartment, used two cups of dried basil for her first attempt at making pesto, taught her children how to make their favorite potatoes, found hope in her daughter’s omelet after a divorce, and fell in love again --- with both her husband and his foolproof chicken stock. Reviewed by Leah DeCesare (www.leahdecesare.com).
THE MANSION by Ezekiel Boone (Horror/Thriller)
Audiobook available, read by George Newbern
Years ago, Shawn Eagle and Billy Stafford created a revolutionary computer called Eagle Logic. But they parted ways following a major falling-out. Now Billy is beset by poverty and addiction, and Shawn is the most famous man in the world. Unable to let the past be forgotten, Shawn decides to resurrect his and Billy’s biggest failure: a next-generation computer program named Nellie that can control a house’s every function. He decides to set it up in the abandoned mansion they worked near all those years ago. But something about Nellie isn’t right --- and the reconstruction of the mansion is plagued by accidental deaths. Shawn is forced to bring Billy back, despite their longstanding mutual hatred, to discover and destroy the evil that lurks in the source code. Reviewed by Lorraine W. Shanley.
THE MUSEUM OF MODERN LOVE by Heather Rose (Fiction)
Audiobook available, read by Laurel Lefkow
Unexpectedly separated from his wife, Arky Levin suddenly has the space he needs to work composing film scores --- but none of the peace of mind he needs to create. As he wanders the city, it’s almost by chance that he stumbles upon an exhibition that will change his life. Visitors to the Museum of Modern Art sit across a table from the performance artist Marina Abramović, for as short or long a period as they choose. Although some go in skeptical, almost all leave moved. And the participants are not the only ones to find themselves changed by this unusual experience: Arky finds himself drawn to the exhibit. He returns day after day to watch other people sit with Abramović --- and he begins to understand what might be missing in his life and what he must do. Reviewed by Norah Piehl.
NEWCOMER by Keigo Higashino (Mystery)
Audiobook available, read by P. J. Ochlan
Detective Kyochiro Kaga of the Tokyo Police Department has just been transferred to a new precinct in the Nihonbashi area of Tokyo. Newly arrived, but with a great deal of experience, Kaga is promptly assigned to the team investigating the murder of a woman. But the more he investigates, the greater number of potential suspects emerges. It isn’t long before it seems that nearly all the people living and working in the business district of Nihonbashi have a motive for murder. To prevent the murderer from eluding justice, Kaga must unravel all the secrets surrounding a complicated life. Buried somewhere in the woman’s past, her family history and the last few days of her life is the clue that will lead to the murderer. Reviewed by Megan Elliott.
ONCE UPON A RIVER by Diane Setterfield (Historical Mystery)
Audiobook available, read by Juliet Stevenson
On a dark midwinter’s night in an ancient inn on the river Thames, an extraordinary event takes place. The regulars are telling stories to while away the dark hours, when the door bursts open on a grievously wounded stranger. In his arms is the lifeless body of a small child. Hours later, the girl stirs, takes a breath and returns to life. Is it a miracle? Is it magic? Or can science provide an explanation? These questions have many answers, some of them quite dark indeed. Those who dwell on the river bank apply all their ingenuity to solving the puzzle of the girl who died and lived again, yet as the days pass the mystery only deepens. Reviewed by Rebecca Munro.
RAPID FALLS by Amber Cowie (Psychological Thriller)
Audiobook available, read by Kate Marcin
It’s been 20 years since Cara’s boyfriend died in a horrible accident and her sister, Anna, went to prison. The tragedy has become a local legend, but Cara has moved past her grief to have a successful career and a happy family. Pity about Anna. Recently released from incarceration, she’s struggling with addiction, guilt and shame --- a shattered life. Cara’s forgiveness seems to be the only thing that helps her pick up the pieces. But as Anna pulls herself together, her memories of that night on the bridge start to come into focus. And few of them match her sister’s. As past secrets unfold and nothing is what it seems anymore, Anna desperately searches for the truth. But what if Cara doesn’t want her to find it? Reviewed by Kate Ayers.
ROBERT B. PARKER’S BLOOD FEUD: A Sunny Randall Novel by Mike Lupica (Mystery)
Audiobook available, read by Kate Burton
Sunny Randall is "on" again with Richie, the ex-husband she never stopped loving and never seemed to be able to let go, despite her discomfort with his Mafia connections. When Richie is shot and nearly killed, Sunny is dragged into the thick of his family's business as she searches for answers and tries to stave off a mob war. But as the bullets start flying in Boston's mean streets, Sunny finds herself targeted by the deranged mastermind of the plot against the Burke family, whose motive may be far more personal than she could have anticipated. Reviewed by Joe Hartlaub.
THE SECOND GOODBYE: A Pacific Homicide Novel by Patricia Smiley (Mystery)
For every homicide investigation she undertakes, Detective Davie Richards is determined to learn as much about the victim as she does about the killer. But there's nothing about 34-year-old Sara Montaine or her death that makes sense. Was Sara a saint caring for her dying husband or a gold-digger with a sketchy background? Did she commit suicide or was she murdered? Before her marriage, Sara lived comfortably without any obvious source of income, unusual for an orphan raised in foster care. As Davie digs deeper, she unearths Sara's troubled past and a viper's nest of villains who are willing to kill to keep their secrets hidden. Reviewed by L. Dean Murphy.
VENDETTA by Iris Johansen (Thriller)
Audiobook available, read by Elisabeth Rodgers
With his dying breath, Carl Venable, head of the CIA task force on terrorism and Jude Brandon’s final link to terrorist ringleader Max Huber, gives Brandon a mandate: keep his daughter, Rachel, safe at any cost. But Rachel Venable has a shocking, twisted past of her own, one that comes rushing back after her medical clinic in Guyana is attacked by Huber --- the same man who murdered her father and kept her imprisoned for months. Brandon and Catherine Ling, Rachel’s longtime ally and fierce protector, are determined to keep Rachel out of danger, but she knows that it’s impossible to stay hidden when Max Huber wants you dead. Reviewed by Judy Gigstad.
WINTER LOON by Susan Bernhard (Fiction)
Audiobook available, read by Vikas Adam
Abandoned by his father after his mother drowns in a frozen Minnesota lake, 15-year-old Wes Ballot is stranded with coldhearted grandparents and holed up in his mother’s old bedroom, surrounded by her remnants and memories. As the wait for his father stretches unforgivably into months, a local girl, whose own mother died a brutal death, captures his heart and imagination, giving Wes fresh air to breathe in the suffocating small town. When buried truths come to light in the spring thaw, wounds are exposed and violence erupts, forcing Wes to embark on a search for his missing father, the truth about his mother, and a future he must claim for himself --- a quest that begins back at that frozen lake. Reviewed by Rachel McConnell.
WRONG LIGHT: A Rick Cahill Novel by Matt Coyle (Hard-boiled Mystery/Thriller)
A demented soul is stalking Naomi Hendrix, waiting for the right moment to snatch her and fulfill a twisted fantasy. When Naomi’s radio station hires PI Rick Cahill to protect Naomi and track down the stalker, he discovers that Naomi is hiding secrets about her past that could help unmask the man. However, before Rick can extract the truth from Naomi, he is thrust into a missing person’s case --- an abduction he may have unwittingly caused. The investigating detective questions Rick’s motives for getting involved and pressures him to stop meddling. While Rick pursues Naomi’s stalker and battles the police, evil ricochets from his own past and embroils him in a race to find the truth about an old nemesis. Reviewed by L. Dean Murphy.
YOU DON'T OWN ME by Mary Higgins Clark and Alafair Burke (Mystery/Thriller)
Audiobook available, read by January LaVoy
Laurie Moran is approached by Robert and Cynthia Bell, the parents of Dr. Martin Bell, who was shot dead five years ago. The Bells are sure that Martin’s disgraced and erratic wife, Kendra, carried out the murder. Determined to prove Kendra’s guilt and win custody over their grandchildren, they plead with Laurie to feature their son’s case on “Under Suspicion.” Kendra has lived under a blanket of suspicion since Martin’s death, with the tabloid media depicting her as a secretive, mentally unstable gold-digger. But once Laurie dives into the case, she learns that Martin wasn’t the picture-perfect husband, father and doctor he appeared to be and was carrying secrets of his own. Reviewed by Amie Taylor.
ZERO SUM GAME by S. L. Huang (Science Fiction/Thriller)
Audiobook available, read by Lauren Fortgang
Cas Russell is good at math. Scary good. The vector calculus blazing through her head lets her smash through armed men twice her size and dodge every bullet in a gunfight, and she'll take any job for the right price. As far as Cas knows, she’s the only person around with a superpower...until she discovers someone with a power even more dangerous than her own. Someone who can reach directly into people’s minds and twist their brains into Möbius strips. Someone intent on becoming the world’s puppet master. Cas should run, like she usually does, but for once she's involved. There’s only one problem: she doesn’t know which of her thoughts are her own anymore. Reviewed by Pauline Finch.