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Reviews

Reviews

by John Banville - Fiction, Mystery

On the idyllic coast of San Sebastian, Spain, Dublin pathologist Quirke is struggling to relax. When he glimpses a familiar face in the twilight at Las Acadas bar, it's hard at first to tell if his imagination is just running away with him. Because this young woman can't be April Latimer. She was murdered by her brother years ago --- the conclusion to an unspeakable scandal that shook one of Ireland's foremost political dynasties. Unable to ignore his instincts, Quirke makes a call back home to Ireland, and soon Detective St. John Strafford is dispatched to Spain. But he's not the only one en route. A relentless hit man is on the hunt for his latest prey, and the next victim might be Quirke himself.

by John le Carré - Fiction, Mystery

Julian Lawndsley has renounced his high-flying job in the city for a simpler life running a bookshop in a small English seaside town. But only a couple of months into his new career, Julian’s evening is disrupted by a visitor. Edward, a Polish émigré living in Silverview, the big house on the edge of town, seems to know a lot about Julian’s family and is rather too interested in the inner workings of his modest new enterprise. When a letter turns up at the door of a spy chief in London warning him of a dangerous leak, the investigations lead him to this quiet town by the sea.

by A.F. Carter - Fiction, Mystery

A single mother, Git O’Rourke works hard to support her daughter Charlie, but still finds time to cut loose every once in a while and find a companion for the night. Which is exactly how she ends up in a hotel room with a strange man passed out on heroin, and how she comes to possess the bag of money and guns that he left open as he got his fix. When the dead body is discovered at the Skyview Motor Court, officer Delia Mariola recognizes the victim as the perpetrator in an earlier crime --- a domestic violence call. She knows he’s connected to the local mob, but the crime scene doesn’t exactly resemble their typical hit. Instead, all signs point to a pick-up gone wrong. Which means that all signs point to Git.

by Vera Kurian - Fiction, Psychological Suspense, Psychological Thriller, Suspense, Thriller

Chloe Sevre is a freshman honor student, a legging-wearing hot girl next door who also happens to be a psychopath. She spends her time on yogalates, at frat parties and plotting to kill Will Bachman, a childhood friend who grievously wronged her. Chloe is one of seven students at her DC-based college who are part of an unusual clinical study of psychopaths --- students like herself who lack empathy and can’t comprehend emotions like fear or guilt. The study, led by a renowned psychologist, requires them to wear smart watches that track their moods and movements. When one of the students in the study is found murdered in the psychology building, a dangerous game of cat and mouse begins, and Chloe goes from hunter to prey.

by Peter Heller - Fiction, Suspense, Thriller

Kingfisher Lodge is known by locals as "Billionaire's Mile" and is locked behind a heavy gate. Sandwiched between barbed wire and a meadow with a sign that reads "Don't Get Shot!" the resort boasts boutique fishing at its finest. Safe from viruses that have plagued America for years, Kingfisher offers a respite for wealthy clients. Now it also promises a second chance for Jack, a return to normalcy after a young life filled with loss. When he is assigned to guide a well-known singer, his only job is to rig her line, carry her gear, and steer her to the best trout he can find. But then a human scream pierces the night, and Jack soon realizes that this idyllic fishing lodge may be merely a cover for a far more sinister operation.

by Virginia Feito - Fiction, Psychological Suspense, Psychological Thriller, Suspense, Thriller

George March’s new novel is a smash. No one could be prouder than his dutiful wife, Mrs. March, who revels in his accolades. But one morning, the shopkeeper of her favorite patisserie suggests that her husband’s latest protagonist --- a detestable character named Johanna --- is based on Mrs. March herself. What could have merited this humiliation? That one casual remark robs Mrs. March of the belief that she knew everything about her husband --- and herself --- thus sending her on an increasingly paranoid journey. While snooping in George’s office, Mrs. March finds a newspaper clipping about a missing woman. Did George have anything to do with her disappearance?

by Hilary Davidson - Fiction, Psychological Suspense, Psychological Thriller, Suspense, Thriller

When her beloved sister Caroline dies suddenly, Deirdre is heartbroken. However, her sorrow turns to bone-chilling confusion when she receives a message Caroline sent days earlier warning that her death would be no accident. It claimed that Caroline’s husband, Theo, killed his first wife and got away with it. Reeling from the news, Deirdre confronts Theo on the way to the cemetery, and he reveals both his temper and his suspicion that Deirdre’s “perfect” sister was having an affair. Paranoid and armed with just enough information to make her dangerous, Deirdre digs into the disturbing secrets buried with Caroline. But as she gets closer to the truth, she realizes that her own life may be at risk…and that there may be more than one killer in the family.

by Liv Constantine - Fiction, Psychological Suspense, Psychological Thriller, Suspense, Thriller

Addison is about to get married but is not looking forward to the big day. She doesn't know who she really is. A few years ago, a kind driver found her bleeding next to a New Jersey highway and rescued her. While her physical wounds healed, Addison’s memory never returned. She doesn’t know her real name. Or how she ended up injured on the side of a road. Or why she can’t shake the notion that she may have done something very, very bad. In a posh home in the Boston suburbs, Julian tries to figure out what happened to his loving, caring wife, Cassandra, who disappeared without a trace two years ago. She never would have left him and their seven-year-old daughter Valentina of her own free will. Or would she?

by Amy Mason Doan - Fiction, Women's Fiction

In the summer of 1979, Jackie Pierce spent three months of infinite freedom at her bohemian uncle’s sprawling estate on the California coast. She and her cousin Willa fell into a fast friendship…until the summer abruptly ended in tragedy, and Willa silently slipped away into the night. Twenty years later, Jackie unexpectedly inherits The Sandcastle and returns there to ready it for sale. It turns out that before her estranged aunt’s death, she had promised an up-and-coming producer he could record a tribute album to her late uncle at the property’s studio. When a piece of the past resurfaces and sparks new questions about Willa’s disappearance, Jackie must discover if the dark secret she’s kept ever since is even the truth at all.

by Emma Brodie - Fiction, Women's Fiction

The year is 1969, and the Bayleen Island Folk Fest is abuzz with one name: Jesse Reid. Jesse’s intricate guitar riffs and supple baritone are poised to tip from fame to legend with this one headlining performance. That is, until his motorcycle crashes on the way to the show. Jane Quinn and her bandmates are asked to play in his place at the festival, and Jane delivers the performance of a lifetime. Jesse stays on the island to recover and strikes up a friendship with Jane, which soon turns into a passionate love affair. When Jane stumbles on the dark secret beneath Jesse’s music, she must reckon with the shadows of her own past. What follows is the birth of one of the most iconic albums of all time.