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Reviews

by John Grisham - Fiction, Historical Fiction, Historical Mystery, Historical Thriller, Mystery, Suspense, Thriller

Pete Banning was Clanton, Mississippi’s favorite son --- a decorated World War II hero, the patriarch of a prominent family, a farmer, father, neighbor and faithful member of the Methodist church. Then, one cool October morning, he rose early, drove into town, walked into the church, and calmly shot and killed his pastor and friend, the Reverend Dexter Bell. As if the murder wasn’t shocking enough, it was even more baffling that Pete's only statement about it --- to the sheriff, to his lawyers, to the judge, to the jury and to his family --- was: "I have nothing to say." He was not afraid of death and was willing to take his motive to the grave.

by John Grisham - Fiction, Historical Fiction, Historical Mystery, Historical Thriller, Mystery, Suspense, Thriller

Pete Banning was Clanton, Mississippi’s favorite son --- a decorated World War II hero, the patriarch of a prominent family, a farmer, father, neighbor and faithful member of the Methodist church. Then, one cool October morning, he rose early, drove into town, walked into the church, and calmly shot and killed his pastor and friend, the Reverend Dexter Bell. As if the murder wasn’t shocking enough, it was even more baffling that Pete's only statement about it --- to the sheriff, to his lawyers, to the judge, to the jury and to his family --- was: "I have nothing to say." He was not afraid of death and was willing to take his motive to the grave.

by David Rosenfelt - Fiction, Mystery

Andy Carpenter doesn’t usually stop to help others, but seeing a dog next to a homeless man inspires him to give the pair some money. Soon after, man and dog are attacked on the street. The dog defends its new owner, and the erstwhile attacker is bitten but escapes. The dog is quarantined, and the man, Don Carrigan, is heartbroken. In a matter of days, Don and his dog Zoey are living above Andy’s garage. It turns out that Don is wanted for a murder that happened two years ago. Don not only claims he’s innocent, but that he had no idea he was wanted for a crime he has no knowledge of in the first place. It’s up to Andy to exonerate his new friend, if he doesn’t get pulled into the quagmire first.

by Stephen L. Carter - Biography, History, Nonfiction

Eunice Hunton Carter, Stephen Carter’s grandmother, was raised in a world of stultifying expectations about race and gender, yet by the 1940s, her professional and political successes had made her one of the most famous black women in America. But her triumphs were shadowed by prejudice and tragedy. Greatly complicating her rise was her difficult relationship with her younger brother, Alphaeus, an avowed Communist who --- together with his friend Dashiell Hammett --- would go to prison during the McCarthy era. Yet she remained unbowed. INVISIBLE tells the true story of a woman who often found her path blocked by the social and political expectations of her time. But Eunice Carter never accepted defeat.

by Ian O'Connor - Biography, Nonfiction, Sports

Bill Belichick is perhaps the most fascinating figure in the NFL --- the infamously dour face of one of the winningest franchises in sports. As head coach of the New England Patriots, he’s led the team to six Super Bowl championship trophies. In Ian O’Connor’s revelatory biography, readers will come to understand and see Belichick’s full life in football --- from watching college games as a kid with his father, a Naval Academy scout, to orchestrating two Super Bowl–winning game plans as defensive coordinator for the Giants, to his dramatic leap to New England, where he has made history.

by Heather Won Tesoriero - Education, Nonfiction, Science

Andy Bramante left his successful career as a corporate scientist to teach public high school --- and now helms one of the most remarkable classrooms in America. Bramante’s unconventional class at Connecticut’s prestigious yet diverse Greenwich High School has no curriculum, tests, textbooks or lectures, and is equal parts elite research lab, student counseling office and teenage hangout spot. United by a passion to learn, Mr. B.’s band of whiz kids set out every year to conquer the brutally competitive science fair circuit. They have won the top prize at the Google Science Fair, made discoveries that eluded scientists three times their age, and been invited to the Nobel Prize ceremony in Stockholm.

by Max Allan Collins and A. Brad Schwartz - History, Nonfiction, True Crime

In 1929, 30-year-old gangster Al Capone ruled both Chicago's underworld and its corrupt government. To a public who scorned Prohibition, "Scarface" became a local hero and national celebrity. But after the brutal St. Valentine's Day Massacre transformed Capone into "Public Enemy Number One," the federal government found an unlikely new hero in a 27-year-old Prohibition agent named Eliot Ness. Chosen to head the legendary law enforcement team known as "The Untouchables," Ness set his sights on crippling Capone's criminal empire. Max Allan Collins and A. Brad Schwartz have recaptured a bygone bullet-ridden era while uncovering the previously unrevealed truth behind Scarface's downfall.

by Flynn Berry - Fiction, Psychological Suspense, Psychological Thriller, Suspense, Thriller

Nearly 30 years ago, while Claire and her brother slept upstairs, a brutal crime was committed in their grand London home. The next morning, her father's car was found abandoned, with bloodstains on the front seat. The first lord accused of murder in more than a century, he has been missing ever since. Now a doctor living under an assumed name, Claire learns the police may have found him, and her carefully calibrated existence begins to fracture. She starts to infiltrate his privileged inner circle, who have never broken their silence about what happened that night. Soon, Claire will learn how far she'll go to finally find the truth.

by David Rosenfelt - Fiction, Mystery

Defense lawyer Andy Carpenter is reluctant to take on any more cases. He’d much rather spend his time working for his dog rescue organization, the Tara Foundation, than find himself back in a courtroom. However, when a truck carrying over 70 dogs from the South to the rescue-friendly northeast turns up with a murdered driver, Andy can’t help but get involved. He is eager to help the dogs, many of whom come to the Tara Foundation while awaiting forever homes. The accused just happens to be his wife Laurie’s ex-fiance --- her tall, good-looking, ex-Marine ex-fiance. Even with dozens of cases behind Andy, this one may prove to be his most difficult.

by Tom Santopietro - Literary Criticism, Nonfiction, Performing Arts

Tom Santopietro traces the writing of TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD, the impact of the Pulitzer Prize, and investigates the claims that Lee’s book is actually racist. Here for the first time is the full behind-the-scenes story regarding the creation of the 1962 film, one that entered the American consciousness in a way that few other movies ever have. From the earliest casting sessions to the Oscars and the 50th anniversary screening at the White House, Santopietro examines exactly what makes the movie and Gregory Peck’s unforgettable performance as Atticus Finch so captivating.