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Week of December 25, 2023

New in Paperback

Week of December 25, 2023

Paperback releases for the week of December 25th include WHERE ARE THE CHILDREN NOW? by Alafair Burke, the highly anticipated follow-up to Mary Higgins Clark’s iconic novel, WHERE ARE THE CHILDREN?, featuring the children of Nancy Harmon facing peril once again as adults; PAYBACK IN DEATH, the 57th installment in J. D. Robb's In Death series, in which a retired colleague of Lt. Eve Dallas falls victim to a staged suicide; ALL GOOD PEOPLE HERE, Ashley Flowers' propulsive debut novel about a journalist who uncovers her hometown’s dark secrets when she becomes obsessed with the unsolved murder of her childhood neighbor --- and the disappearance of another girl 20 years later; and the paperback original ON THE PLUS SIDE, a sparkling romantic comedy by Jenny L. Howe in which the new guest on a plus-size makeover show has her style --- and her love life --- transformed.

All Good People Here by Ashley Flowers - Mystery/Thriller

December 26, 2023

Two decades ago, six-year-old January Jacobs was discovered in a ditch hours after her family awoke to find her gone. Her killer was never brought to justice. Margot Davies, her next-door neighbor, is now a big-city journalist, but she’s always been haunted by the feeling that she could've suffered the same fate as January. When Margot returns home to help care for her uncle after he's diagnosed with early-onset dementia, she feels like she’s walked into a time capsule. Then news breaks about five-year-old Natalie Clark from the next town over, who’s gone missing under circumstances eerily similar to January’s. With all the old feelings rushing back, Margot vows to find Natalie and solve January’s murder once and for all. But the police, Natalie’s family and the townspeople all seem to be hiding something.

Clive Cussler Fire Strike: A Novel of the Oregon Files by Mike Maden - Thriller/Adventure

December 26, 2023

When Juan Cabrillo is hired to extract an undercover operative in Kenya, he finds himself on the trail of a deadly international plot. A Saudi Prince seeks to unleash a deadly assault on U.S. forces, sparking a new war in the Middle East and ultimately destroying Israel. Cabrillo’s crew have met their most fearsome adversaries yet: a force of bio-hacked soldiers endowed with extreme strength and stamina and an unquenchable appetite for violence. The Oregon team must journey from the Amazon rainforest to an abandoned monastery in Eritrea before a final showdown in the mountains of Yemen, using every shred of courage and cunning they can muster to disable the ship-killer missile before the Arabian Sea becomes a mass grave.

Familia by Lauren E. Rico - Fiction

December 26, 2023

As the fact checker for a popular magazine, Gabby DiMarco believes in absolute, verifiable Truths --- until they throw the facts of her own life into question. The genealogy test she took as research for an article has yielded a baffling result: Gabby has a sister. Except, as Gabby’s beloved parents would confirm if they were still alive, that’s impossible. Isabella Ruiz can still picture the face of her baby sister, who disappeared from the streets of San Juan 25 years ago. Isabella, an artist, has fought hard for the stable home and loving marriage she has today --- yet the longing to find Marianna has never left. At last, she’s found a match, and Gabby has agreed to come to Puerto Rico. But Gabby, as defensive and cautious as Isabella is impulsive, offers no happy reunion. She insists there’s been a mistake.

The Foxglove King by Hannah Whitten - Dark Fantasy/Romance

December 26, 2023

When Lore was 13, she escaped a cult in the catacombs beneath the city of Dellaire. And in the 10 years since, she’s lived by one rule: don’t let them find you. Easier said than done, when her death magic ties her to the city. Mortem, the magic born from death, is a high-priced and illicit commodity in Dellaire, and Lore’s job running poisons keeps her in food, shelter and relative security. But when a run goes wrong and Lore’s power is revealed, she’s taken by the Presque Mort, a group of warrior-monks sanctioned to use Mortem working for the Sainted King. Entire villages on the outskirts of the country have been dying overnight, seemingly at random. Lore can either use her magic to find out what’s happening and who in the King’s court is responsible, or die.

The Last Word by Taylor Adams - Psychological Thriller

December 26, 2023

Emma Carpenter lives in isolation with her golden retriever, Laika, house-sitting an old beachfront home on the rainy Washington coast. Her only human contact is her enigmatic old neighbor, Deek, and (via text) the house’s owner, Jules. One day, she reads a poorly written --- but gruesome --- horror novel by H. G. Kane and posts a one-star review that drags her into an online argument with none other than the author himself. Soon after, disturbing incidents start to occur at night. To Emma, this can’t just be a coincidence. Could he be stalking her? When Emma digs into Kane’s life and work, she learns that he has published 16 other novels, all similarly sadistic tales of stalking and murder. But who is he? How did he find her? And what else is he capable of?

On the Plus Side by Jenny L. Howe - Romantic Comedy

December 26, 2023

Everly Winters is perfectly happy to navigate life like a good neutral paint color: appreciated but unnoticed. That’s why she’s still a receptionist instead of exploring a career in art, why she lurks but never posts on the forums for her favorite makeover show, “On the Plus Side,” and why she’s crushing so hard on her forever-unattainable co-worker. But then someone secretly nominates Everly for the next season of “On the Plus Side.” Overwhelmed by the show’s extremely extroverted hosts, she finds comfort in a surprising friendship with the grumpy but kind cameraman, Logan. Soon Everly realizes that he’s someone she doesn’t mind being noticed by. But when their growing connection is caught on camera, it sends the show’s ratings into a frenzy. Can Everly risk heartbreak with the whole world watching?

Payback in Death by J. D. Robb - Mystery/Thriller

December 26, 2023

Lt. Eve Dallas is just home from a long-overdue vacation when she responds to a call of an unattended death. The victim is Martin Greenleaf, retired Internal Affairs Captain. At first glance, the scene appears to be suicide, but the closer Eve examines the body, the more suspicious she becomes. An unlocked open window, a loving wife and family, a too-perfect suicide note --- Eve's gut says it's a homicide. After all, Greenleaf put a lot of dirty cops away during his 47 years in Internal Affairs. It could very well be payback --- and she will not rest until the case is closed.

Two Dead Wives by Adele Parks - Psychological Thriller

December 26, 2023

It's a case that has gripped a nation: A woman with a shocking secret is missing, presumed dead. And her two husbands are suspects in her murder. DCI Clements knows the dark side of human nature and that love can make people do treacherous things. You can’t presume anything when it comes to crimes of the heart. Until a body is found, this scandalous and sad case remains wide open. Stacie Jones lives a quiet life in a small village, nursed by her father as she recovers from illness, and shielded from any news of the outside world. But their reclusive life is about to be shattered. How are these families linked, and can any of them ever rebuild their lives in the wake of tragedy?

The Vacation House by Jane Shemilt - Psychological Thriller

December 26, 2023

Paxos, Greece. The vacation house is a luxurious getaway for a wealthy English family. One hot summer night, while the parents and their friends drink wine and amuse themselves, a young woman --- the teenage daughter of the Greek caretaker --- ventures for a walk on their private beach. Her life will never be the same again. London, England, 10 years later. Julia is the perfect spouse and mother. But behind her winning smile is a stifled woman trapped in a gilded cage, stricken with anxiety and perfectionism. When Julia meets Laurel, a therapist who promises to help her find fulfillment, Julia opens herself up to the hope of a different future. What happened in Greece all those years ago that binds these two women together? And will uncovering the truth destroy everything…or set them free?

The Weekend Retreat by Tara Laskowski - Domestic Thriller/Mystery

December 26, 2023

Every year, the illustrious Van Ness siblings, heirs to a copper fortune, gather at their secluded winery estate for a joint birthday celebration. It's a tradition they've followed nearly all their lives, and now they are back with their significant others for a much-needed weekend of rest and relaxation. The trip should be the perfect escape, but it soon becomes clear that even a remote idyllic getaway can’t keep out the problems simmering in each of their lives. As old tensions are reignited, the three couples are pushed to the edge. Will their secrets destroy them, or will they destroy each other first? And who’s been watching them from beyond the vineyard gates? When a torrential rainstorm hits, plunging them into darkness, the answers prove all too deadly.

What Moves the Dead by T. Kingfisher - Horror

December 26, 2023

When Alex Easton, a retired soldier, receives word that their childhood friend Madeline Usher is dying, they race to the ancestral home of the Ushers in the remote countryside of Ruritania. What they find there is a nightmare of fungal growths and possessed wildlife, surrounding a dark, pulsing lake. Madeline sleepwalks and speaks in strange voices at night, and her brother Roderick is consumed with a mysterious malady of the nerves. Aided by a redoubtable British mycologist and a baffled American doctor, Alex must unravel the secret of the House of Usher before it consumes them all.

Where Are the Children Now? by Mary Higgins Clark and Alafair Burke - Psychological Thriller/Mystery

December 26, 2023

WHERE ARE THE CHILDREN NOW? is the thrilling sequel to WHERE ARE THE CHILDREN?, Mary Higgins Clark’s groundbreaking book that set the stage for future generations of psychological suspense novels. A lawyer turned successful podcaster, Melissa has recently married a man whose first wife died tragically, leaving him and their young daughter, Riley, behind. While Melissa and her brother, Mike, help their mom, Nancy, relocate from Cape Cod to the equally idyllic Hamptons, Melissa’s new stepdaughter goes missing. Drawing on the experience of their own abduction, Melissa and Mike race to find Riley to save her from the trauma they still struggle with --- or worse.

White Smoke: A Victoria Emerson Thriller by John Gilstrap - Political Thriller

December 26, 2023

One-time congressional representative Victoria Emerson has received a request from the deposed president of the United States --- come to the bunker at Hilltop Manor, where the remnants of the U.S. government have been imprisoned. A ruthless band has seized power, leaving civilians to die of starvation and untreated injuries. The self-appointed leader, Roger Parsons, plans to punish the former rulers for thrusting the country into Hell Day, the devastating war that changed the world in just a few hours. Victoria is reluctant to leave Ortho, the West Virginia town she has developed and defended. But as a born leader, she feels the call of duty. Forging her way through a landscape terrorized by local warlords and desperate scavengers, she arrives at Hilltop Manor to find a powder keg of battling factions.

Worthy Opponents by Danielle Steel - Romance

December 26, 2023

Spencer Brooke always knew she was destined to be CEO of her grandfather’s business --- the most respected and luxurious department store in New York City. She may be the owner of Brooke’s, but she’s also now a divorced single mother of twin boys. And with the ever-evolving landscape of the fashion industry comes new challenges for Spencer and the legacy she’s inherited. Mike Weston is known for making enormous profits by transforming small businesses into bigger, more successful ones. With his marriage at a breaking point, investing is where he thrives. And Brooke’s feels like the perfect opportunity. Yet the firm’s beautiful and savvy CEO turns down the offer before they even meet. But when bad luck strikes, suddenly she is backed into a corner.