July 2, 2013

July 2nd

THE ARRIVALS by Melissa Marr
Chloe walks into a bar and blows five years of sobriety. When she wakes, she finds herself in an unfamiliar world, The Wasteland. She discovers that people from all times and places have also arrived there, including a brother and sister from the Wild West, a prohibition bootlegger, a one-time hippie, a mentally unbalanced 1950s housewife, and a former carnival artist. None know why they arrived there --- or if there is a way out of a world populated by monsters and filled with corruption.
William Morrow * 9780061826962

THE FAME THIEF: A Junior Bender Mystery by Timothy Hallinan
Few people can say no to 93-year-old Irwin Dressler, Hollywood’s scariest mob boss-turned-movie king. Dressler wants LA burglar Junior Bender to solve a “crime” committed over 60 years ago, when his friend Dolores La Marr’s career was destroyed over some controversial photos of her at a Las Vegas party. What Junior finds as he starts digging is that some vendettas never die --- they only get more dangerous.
Soho Crime * 9781616952808

THE FIRE WITNESS by Lars Kepler
Flora Hansen calls herself a medium and makes a living by pretending to commune with the dead. But after a gruesome murder at a rural home for wayward girls, Hansen begins to suffer visions that are all too real. The only member of the police force who believes her is Detective Inspector Joona Linna. The case seems obvious at first, but as Linna refuses to accept easy answers, his search leads him into darker, more violent territory, and finally to a shocking confrontation with a figure from his past.
Sarah Crichton Books * 9780374298661

FIVE STAR BILLIONAIRE by Tash Aw
FIVE STAR BILLIONAIRE is a dazzling novel that offers rare insight into the world of Shanghai, a city of elusive identities and ever-changing skylines, grand ambitions and outsize dreams. Bursting with energy, contradictions, and the promise of possibility, Tash Aw’s remarkable new book is poignant and comic, exotic and familiar, cutting-edge and classic, suspenseful and yet beautifully unhurried.
Spiegel & Grau * 9780812994346

THE HUMANS by Matt Haig
An extraterrestrial visitor arrives on Earth and does not have positive first impressions of the human species. The visitor, who takes the form of Cambridge University’s prominent mathematician Andrew Martin, is eager to complete his task and return home to his own utopian planet. While initially disgusted by the human way of life, he starts to realize that there may be more to this weird species. As he forges bonds with Martin’s family, he sees hope in human imperfection and begins to question his mission.
Simon & Schuster * 9781476727912

IT RUNS IN THE FAMILY: A Memoir by Richard Manning
Richard Manning, raised on a piece of farmland in Michigan, had a father who was a jack of many trades and a mother who concealed her own troubled childhood beneath a religious faith that explained away uncertainty, illness and tragedy. IT RUNS IN THE FAMILY traces Manning’s journey away from his family, through the fire-ravaged wilderness of Montana, and finally to a remote village in Panama, where he comes to pursue a past he had vowed to leave behind.
St. Martin's Press * 9780312620301

THE LEMON ORCHARD by Luanne Rice
Julia’s life has been turned upside down by her daughter’s death. While she expects to find nothing more than peace and solitude as she house-sits, she finds herself drawn to the handsome man who oversees the lemon orchard. Roberto reveals to Julia the heartbreaking story of his own loss --- yet, unlike Julia, his daughter was lost but never found. Despite the odds, he cannot bear to give up hope.
Pamela Dorman Books * 9780670025275

LET IT BURN: An Alex McKnight Novel by Steve Hamilton
While Alex McKnight swore to serve and protect Detroit as a police officer, the city will forever remind him of his partner’s death and of the bullet still lodged in his own chest. Alex soon gets a call from his old sergeant, who informs him that the man he helped put away will be getting out of prison. He is reminded of his gut feeling that they arrested the wrong man --- and that the real killer is still out there killing.
Minotaur Books * 9780312640224

MIDNIGHT by Kevin Egan
When Judge Alvin Canter quietly expires in his chambers on December 31st, his loyal clerk and secretary know their jobs will vanish at closing time --- unless they can conceal the judge’s death until after midnight. Neither Tom Carroway nor Carol Scilingo can afford to be out of work, and they both have secrets they’re desperate to keep hidden. They plan to make it look like the judge died at home on New Year’s Day, but when other people get involved, Tom and Carol find themselves over their heads in an increasingly dangerous conspiracy.
Forge Books * 9780765335265

THE REST OF US by Jessica Lott
As a college student, Terry fell madly and destructively in love with Rhinehart, her famous poetry professor, tumbling into a relationship from which she never fully recovered. Fifteen years later, after stumbling upon Rhinehart’s obituary online, Terry finds herself taking stock of the ways her life has not lived up to her youthful expectations and grows distraught at the thought that she’ll never see him again. But a shocking encounter will turn Terry’s life completely upside down.
Simon & Schuster * 9781451645873

UNSEEN by Karin Slaughter
Will Trent is a Georgia Bureau of Investigation agent whose latest case has him posing as Bill Black, a scary ex-con who rides a motorcycle around Macon, Georgia, and trails an air of violence wherever he goes. The cover has worked, and he has caught the eye of a wiry little drug dealer who thinks he might be a useful ally. But undercover and cut off from the support of the woman he loves, Sara Linton, Will finds his demons catching up with him.
Delacorte Press * 9780345539472

WHISTLING PAST THE GRAVEYARD by Susan Crandall
Susan Crandall’s latest novel takes place in the summer of 1963 and introduces readers to nine-year-old Starla Claudelle, who runs away from home to be with her mother in Nashville and is offered a ride by a black woman who is traveling with a white baby. As the two unlikely companions make their long and sometimes dangerous journey, Starla’s eyes are opened to the harsh realities of 1963 southern segregation.
Gallery Books * 9781476707723


July 3rd

MY EDUCATION by Susan Choi
Regina Gottlieb had been warned about Professor Nicholas Brodeur long before arriving as a graduate student at his prestigious university. He is said to lie in the dark in his office while undergraduate women read couplets to him. He is condemned on the walls of the women’s restroom, and enjoys films by Roman Polanski. But no one has warned Regina about his exceptional physical beauty --- or his charismatic, volatile wife.
Viking Adult * 9780670024902

July 2nd

ANCIENT LIGHT by John Banville
Is there any difference between memory and invention? This question haunts Alexander Cleave, whose stunted acting career is suddenly revived by a movie role portraying a man who may not be who he says he is. Cleave explores memories of his first love affair with his best friend's mother, as well as those of his daughter, lost to a kind of madness of mind and heart that he can only fail to understand.
Vintage * 9780307946928

BACK TO BLOOD by Tom Wolfe
As a police launch speeds across Miami's Biscayne Bay --- with officer Nestor Camacho on board --- Tom Wolfe introduces the Cuban mayor; the black police chief; a wanna-go-muckraking young journalist and his Yale-marinated editor; an Anglo sex-addiction psychiatrist and his Latina nurse; a billionaire porn addict; a nest of shady Russians; and many more unforgettable characters.
Back Bay Books * 9780316036337

THE BAT: The First Inspector Harry Hole Novel by Jo Nesbo
Paperback Original
Inspector Harry Hole is sent to Sydney to observe a murder case. The victim is a 23-year-old minor celebrity. Not one to sit on the sidelines, Harry befriends the lead detectives and a witness. They discover that this is only one in a string of unsolved murders, and the pattern points to a psychopath working his way across the country. Harry fears that no one is safe, least of all those investigating the case.
Vintage * 9780345807090

THE BEAUTIFUL MYSTERY: A Chief Inspector Gamache Novel by Louise Penny
When the renowned choir director at a monastery is murdered, Chief Inspector Armand Gamache and Jean-Guy Beauvoir of the Sûreté du Québec are called in to investigate. They learn that one of the brothers, in this life of prayer and contemplation, has been contemplating murder. As the peace of the monastery crumbles, Gamache is forced to confront some of his own demons, as well as those roaming the remote corridors.
Minotaur Books * 9781250031129

THE BOOK OF SECRETS by Elizabeth Joy Arnold
Paperback Original
After more than 20 years of marriage, Chloe comes home one night to find that her husband, Nate, is gone. All he has left behind is a cryptic note explaining that he has returned to their childhood town, a place Chloe never wants to see again. While trying to reach Nate, Chloe stumbles upon a notebook tucked inside his antique copy of The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe. Written in code, the pages contain long-buried secrets from their past, and clues to why he went home after all these years.
Bantam * 9780553592535

THE CARE AND HANDLING OF ROSES WITH THORNS by Margaret Dilloway
Thirty-six-year-old Gal Garner lives a regimented life. Only at home, in her garden, does she come alive. It's here that she experiments with Hulthemia roses. But even her passion has a highly structured goal: Gal wants to win Queen of Show in a major competition and bring that rose to market. Then one afternoon, Gal's teenage niece, Riley, the daughter of her estranged sister, arrives unannounced. Neither one of them will ever be the same.
Berkley Trade * 9780425260975

DICK FRANCIS’S BLOODLINE by Felix Francis
When Mark Shillingford calls a race in which his twin sister, Clare, comes in second when she could have won, he believes that she lost on purpose. After confronting her with his suspicions, Clare storms off. Hours later, she jumps to her death from the balcony of a London hotel. Devastated and guilty over her death, Mark goes in search of answers. What had led Clare to take her own life? Or was it not suicide at all?
Berkley * 9780425261354

A FISTFUL OF COLLARS: A Chet and Bernie Mystery by Spencer Quinn
Hoping to bring some Hollywood money to the Valley, the mayor lures a movie studio to town to shoot their next major production starring Thad Perry. Known for his bad behavior, Thad needs a babysitter, and the mayor hires Chet and Bernie for the job. When they dig into the details of an old crime, they discover that Thad has links to the Valley that go way back. To complicate matters, Thad’s cat seems hellbent on making trouble for Chet.
Atria Books * 9781451665178

HALLUCINATIONS by Oliver Sacks
Hallucinations range from the shimmering zigzags of a visual migraine to powerful visions brought on by fever, injuries, drugs, sensory deprivation, exhaustion, or even grief. Drawing on his own experiences, a wealth of clinical cases from among his patients, and famous historical examples ranging from Dostoevsky to Lewis Carroll, legendary neurologist Oliver Sacks investigates the mystery of these sensory deceptions: what they say about the working of our brains, how they have influenced our folklore and culture, and why the potential for hallucination is present in us all.
Vintage * 9780307947437

HARRY LIPKIN, PRIVATE EYE by Barry Fantoni
Harry Lipkin is a tough-talking, soft-chewing, rough-around-the-edges, slow-around-the-corners private investigator who specializes in the sort of cases that cops can't be bothered with. His latest client, Mrs. Norma Weinberger, has had someone stealing sentimental trinkets and the occasional priceless jewel from her; someone she employs, trusts, cares for, and treats like family. It is up to Harry to stop the crime.
Anchor * 9780307950468

HISS AND HERS: An Agatha Raisin Mystery by M.C. Beaton
Agatha has her eye on the local gardener, George Marston, and will do anything to get her man --- including footing the bill for a charity ball just for the chance to dance with him. And then George doesn't even show up. Only partly deterred, Agatha goes looking for him, and finds his dead body in a compost heap. Murder is definitely afoot, but this killer chose no ordinary weapon: A poisonous snake delivered the fatal strike.
Minotaur Books * 9781250021618

INNER HARBOR: Book Three of the Chesapeake Bay Saga by Nora Roberts
Paperback Original
Phillip Quinn has done everything to make his life seem perfect, but one look at Seth reminds him of the boy he once was. While Phillip intended to fulfill his father’s dying request and considered Seth to be a duty, he has grown to love Seth. When a stranger arrives in town to secretly study the Quinns, Phillip is determined to uncover her motives. But the secret she holds threatens the life the brothers have made for Seth.
Berkley Trade * 9780425262757

KILL YOU TWICE by Chelsea Cain
Portland detective Archie Sheridan gets a message from serial killer Gretchen Lowell, who claims to have inside knowledge about the grisly murder of a man who was found gagged, skinned, and hanging by his wrists from a tree. Archie agrees to visit Gretchen because he can’t risk losing his only lead in the case. But the ties between Archie and Gretchen have always been stronger, deeper and more complex than he’s willing to admit.
Minotaur Books * 9780312619794

LAURA LAMONT’S LIFE IN PICTURES by Emma Straub
Elsa Emerson relishes appearing onstage, where she soaks up the approval of her father and the embrace of the audience. But when tragedy strikes her family, her acting becomes more than a child's game of pretend. While still in her teens, Elsa marries and flees to Los Angeles. There she is discovered by Irving Green, one of the most powerful executives in Hollywood, who refashions her as a serious, exotic brunette and renames her Laura Lamont.
Riverhead Trade * 9781594631825

LEADER OF THE PACK: An Andy Carpenter Mystery by David Rosenfelt
Andy Carpenter is a lawyer who never forgets his clients. So when he gets a phone call from Joey Desimone, a man convicted of murder nine years ago who he always believed was innocent, Andy figures he owes him one. This is how Andy finds himself visiting Joey’s elderly uncle at his rest home. Is it possible that the old man holds the key to Joey’s freedom?
Minotaur Books * 9781250026453

LIE STILL by Julia Heaberlin
Paperback Original
When Emily and her husband move to the wealthy enclave of Clairmont, Texas, she hopes she can finally escape --- and outrun the stalker who has taunted her for years. But as she is drawn into a nest of secretive Texas women --- and into the company of their queen, Caroline Warwick --- Emily finds that acceptance is a very dangerous game. It isn’t long before Caroline mysteriously disappears and Emily is facing a rash of anonymous threats.
Bantam * 9780345527042

THE MARSEILLE CAPER by Peter Mayle
Lovable rogue and sleuth extraordinaire Sam Levitt is back in another beguiling romp through the South of France. Will Sam survive this latest caper unscathed? Will he live to enjoy another bowl of bouillabaisse? All will be revealed --- with luck, savvy, and a lot of help from Sam’s friends --- in the novel’s climax.
Vintage * 9780307740953

MOTHERLAND by Amy Sohn
It’s just before Labor Day, and five mothers and fathers in Cape Cod, Park Slope and Greenwich Village find themselves adrift professionally and personally. As their stories intersect in surprising ways and their deceptions spiral out of control, they begin to question their beliefs about family, happiness and themselves.
Simon & Schuster * 9781439158500

OFF THE GRID: A Monkeewrench Novel by P. J. Tracy
As Minneapolis homicide detectives Leo Magozzi and Gino Rolseth struggle to link three gruesome crimes, they learn that there have been similar murders in other cities around the U.S. Piece by piece, evidence accumulates, pointing to a suspect that shocks them to the core, uncovering a motive that puts the entire Midwest on high alert and Monkeewrench in the direct line of fire.
Signet * 9780451418791

THE OTHER WOMAN by Hank Phillippi Ryan
Jane Ryland, once a rising star in television news, now finds herself tracking down a candidate’s secret mistress just days before a pivotal Senate election. Meanwhile, Detective Jake Brogan is investigating a possible serial killer. As the body count rises and the election looms closer, it becomes clear to Jane and Jake that their cases are connected…and that they may be facing a ruthless killer who will stop at nothing to silence a scandal.
Forge Books * 9780765369130

THE QUEEN'S VOW: A Novel of Isabella of Castile by C. W. Gortner
“No one believed I was destined for greatness.” So begins Isabella’s story, in C. W. Gortner’s novel about one of history’s most famous and controversial queens --- the warrior who united a fractured country, the champion of the faith whose reign gave rise to the Inquisition, and the visionary who sent Columbus to discover a New World.
Ballantine Books * 9780345523976

THE RECIPE BOX by Sandra Lee
Paperback Original
Grace D’Angelo is a woman at her wits' end, barely managing her job, her rebellious teenager, and the horrifying fact that her lifelong best friend, Leeza, is dying of cancer. When Leeza succumbs to her illness, Grace realizes she must take drastic action to get her life back on track and repair her most precious relationships. She and her daughter move back to their hometown, where she comes to terms with the past, rediscovers the healing power of cooking, and connects with friends old and new.
Hyperion * 9781401310837

RECIPE FOR A HAPPY LIFE by Brenda Janowitz
Paperback Original
Hannah Goodman’s mother, Gray, is an award-winning photojournalist with little time for the banalities of child-rearing. Gray is determined that Hannah make her own way in the world, and she does just that when she becomes a successful lawyer in New York City. However, one day, the carefully constructed pieces of Hannah's life break apart and she discovers that where happiness is concerned, you don’t have to stick to the recipe.
St. Martin's Griffin * 9781250007865

SHINE SHINE SHINE by Lydia Netzer
Sunny Mann has masterminded a life for herself and her family in a quiet Virginia town. But when a fender bender on an average day sends her coiffed blonde wig sailing out the window, her secret is exposed. As her facade begins to unravel, we discover the singular world of Sunny, an everywoman searching for the perfect life, and Maxon, an astronaut on his way to colonize the moon.
St. Martin’s Griffin * 9781250020413

SILENT HOUSE by Orhan Pamuk
Fatma, a mostly bedridden widow, awaits the annual summer visit of her grandchildren. Her servant’s nephew, Hasan, is a high school dropout who has lately fallen in with right-wing nationalists. He will draw the visiting family into the growing political cataclysm issuing from Turkey’s tumultuous century-long struggle for modernity.
Vintage * 9780307744838

SOME KIND OF FAIRY TALE by Graham Joyce
For 20 years after Tara Martin disappeared from her small English town, her parents and her brother, Peter, have lived in denial of the grim fact that she was gone for good. And then suddenly, on Christmas Day, a disheveled and slightly peculiar-looking Tara stands on her parents’ doorstep. It's a miracle, but Tara's story just doesn't add up. And, incredibly, she barely looks a day older than when she vanished.
Anchor * 9780307949073

STRONG VENGEANCE: A Caitlin Strong Novel by Jon Land
Texas Ranger Caitlin Strong finds herself investigating the murder of the oil-rig crew that had found the wreckage of the Mother Mary, a slave ship that once carried invaluable treasure. The crew uncovered something beneath the surface of the sea that was connected to a terrorist attack about to be launched by a mad American-born cleric who has recruited an army of homegrown terrorists. Caitlin now must find the connection between the secret treasures of the Mother Mary and the terrorists.
Forge Books * 9780765368386

SWEET TOOTH by Ian McEwan
Set in 1972 during the Cold War, England's legendary intelligence agency MI5 embarks on an operation code-named "Sweet Tooth" to fund writers whose politics align with those of the government. Cambridge student Serena Frome is hired to infiltrate the literary circle of a promising young writer named Tom Haley. But when she begins to fall in love with him, she wonders how long she can conceal her undercover life.
Anchor * 9780345803450

TRUST YOUR EYES by Linwood Barclay
Thomas Kilbride is a map-obsessed schizophrenic so affected that he rarely leaves the self-imposed bastion of his bedroom. But with a computer program called Whirl360.com, he travels the world while never so much as stepping out the door. Then he sees something that anyone else might have stumbled upon --- but has not --- in a street view of downtown New York City: an image in a window. An image that looks like a woman being murdered.
Signet * 9780451414175

THE UNCOMMON APPEAL OF CLOUDS: An Isabel Dalhousie Novel by Alexander McCall Smith
In this ninth installment of Alexander McCall Smith’s Isabel Dalhousie series, the Edinburgh philosopher and amateur sleuth answers an unexpected appeal from a wealthy Scottish collector who has been robbed of a valuable painting. She soon discovers that the thieves may be closer to the owner than he ever would have expected. Against the backdrop of this intriguing case, Isabel copes with life’s issues, large and small.
Anchor * 9780307949233

July 8th

THE COLLECTIVE by Don Lee
An aspiring writer, a beautiful fledgling painter, and another would-be novelist become best friends in college. As adults, they reunite as the 3AC --- the Asian American Artists Collective --- until a racially-tinged controversy hits the headlines. Long after the 3AC has disbanded, Eric reflects on these events as he tries to make sense of Joshua’s recent suicide.
W. W. Norton & Company * 9780393345421


July 9th

FINDING COLIN FIRTH by Mia March
Paperback Original
After losing her job and leaving her beloved husband, journalist Gemma Hendricks is sure that scoring an interview with Colin Firth will save her career and marriage. Yet a heart-tugging local story about women, family ties, love and loss captures her heart --- and changes everything.
Gallery Books * 9781476710204

FOREVER, INTERRUPTED by Taylor Jenkins Reid
Paperback Original
Elsie Porter is an average twentysomething who heads to pick up a pizza for one on New Year's Day. She isn't expecting to see anyone, much less charming Ben Ross. Their chemistry is instant. Within weeks, the two are head over heels in love. By May, they've eloped. Only days later, Ben is out riding his bike when he is hit by a truck and killed. At the hospital, Elsie faces Susan, the mother-in-law who doesn't even know she exists.
Washington Square Press * 9781476712826

INDISCRETION by Charles Dubow
Harry and Madeleine Winslow share a love that is both envied and admired. One weekend at the start of the summer season, Harry and Maddy meet Claire and cannot help but be enchanted by her winsome youth, quiet intelligence and disarming naivete. Drawn by the Winslows' inscrutable magnetism, Claire eagerly falls into their welcoming orbit. But over the course of the summer, her reverence transforms into a dangerous desire.
William Morrow Paperbacks * 9780062201065

THE LEGEND OF BROKEN by Caleb Carr
In Caleb Carr's fascinating tale of the kingdom of Broken, legend meets history, new gods collide with old, science defies all expectation, virtue comes in many guises, and one noble soldier struggles to save a fortress city besieged by enemies within and without.
Random House Trade Paperbacks * 9780812984521

SERPENT’S KISS: A Witches of East End Novel by Melissa de la Cruz
Joanna and her daughters, bookish Ingrid and wild-child Freya, are just settling into the newfound peace that has been cast over their small, off-the-map town of North Hampton. With the centuries-old restriction against practicing magic lifted, casting spells, mixing potions and curing troubled souls has never felt so good for the three witches. That is, until everything gets turned upside down.
Hyperion * 9781401312633