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Week of December 29, 2014

New in Paperback

Week of December 29, 2014

Releases for the week of December 29th include THE FOREVER GIRL by Alexander McCall Smith, a novel about love and following one’s heart, and the unexpected places to which this can lead us; Charles Todd's HUNTING SHADOWS, in which a dangerous case with ties leading back to the battlefields of World War I dredges up dark memories for Scotland Yard Inspector Ian Rutledge; and LINCOLN'S BOYS, Joshua Zeitz's intimate look into Abraham Lincoln’s White House and the aftermath of his death, via the lives of his two closest aides.

Bad Wolf by Nele Neuhaus - Mystery

December 30, 2014


As two grisly murder cases collide, Inspectors Pia Kirchhoff and Oliver von Bodenstein dig deep into the past and underneath the veneer of bourgeois society to come up against a terrible secret that is about to impact their personal lives as well. In Nele Neuhaus' second U.S. publication of her popular series, tensions run high, and a complex and unpredictable plot propels her characters forward at breakneck speed.

Be Careful What You Wish For by Jeffrey Archer - Historical Fiction

December 30, 2014


The latest volume in Jeffrey Archer’s The Clifton Chronicles opens with Harry Clifton and his wife Emma rushing to the hospital to learn the fate of their son Sebastian, who has been involved in a fatal car accident. BE CAREFUL WHAT YOU WISH FOR follows the dazzling tale of the Clifton family's love, loss, betrayal and ambition into the 1960s.

Broken Bonds: A Cold Creek Novel by Karen Harper - Romantic Suspense

December 30, 2014


The three Lockwood sisters are still recovering from the events that led to the destruction of their family when they were children. Determined to move forward, Tess and Kate are making fresh starts, and older sister Charlene is back in town as she figures out her next move. Char soon runs afoul of some locals who think she's sticking her nose where it doesn't belong. She is certain something sinister is being covered up, and when she witnesses Matt Rowan being run off the road, she knows she's right.

The Dead in Their Vaulted Arches: A Flavia de Luce Novel by Alan Bradley - Historical Mystery

December 30, 2014


Eleven-year-old chemist and aspiring detective Flavia de Luce gathers with her family at the railway station, awaiting the return of her long-lost mother. Yet upon the train’s arrival, Flavia is approached by a stranger who whispers a cryptic message into her ear. Moments later he is dead, mysteriously pushed under the train by someone in the crowd. Who was this man, what did his words mean, and why were they intended for Flavia?

The Death Class: A True Story About Life by Erika Hayasaki - Inspirational/Personal Growth

December 30, 2014


When nurse Norma Bowe decided to teach a course on death at a college in New Jersey, she never expected it to be popular. But year after year students crowd into her classroom, and the reason is clear: Norma’s “death class” is really about how to make the most of what poet Mary Oliver famously called our “one wild and precious life.” By following her over four years, Erika Hayasaki shows how Norma steers four extraordinary students from their tormented families and neighborhoods toward happiness.

The Forever Girl by Alexander McCall Smith - Fiction

December 30, 2014


Alexander McCall Smith's THE FOREVER GIRL is a novel about love and following one’s heart, and the unexpected places to which this can lead us. Through the lives of Clover and James, and Amanda and David, the author of the No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency series tells a tale full of love and heartbreak, humor and melancholy, that demonstrates the myriad ways in which love shapes our lives.

Hazardous Duty: A Presidential Agent Novel by W. E. B. Griffin and William E. Butterworth IV - Thriller/Adventure

December 30, 2014


Mexican drug cartels are shooting up the streets of Laredo and El Paso. Somali pirates are holding three U.S. tankers for ransom. The President is fed up and has what he thinks is a pretty bright idea --- to get hold of Colonel Charley Castillo and his merry band and put them on the case. But everybody knows that the President hates Castillo’s guts, has just had him forcibly retired from the military, and now Castillo’s men are scattered far and wide, many of them in hiding.

Hunting Shadows: An Inspector Ian Rutledge Mystery by Charles Todd - Historical Mystery

December 30, 2014


A society wedding becomes a crime scene when a man is murdered. After another body is found, the baffled local constabulary turns to Scotland Yard. Though the second crime had a witness, her description of the killer is so strange it’s unbelievable. In going over the details of the case, Inspector Ian Rutledge is reminded of a dark episode he witnessed in the war. To stop a murderer, will the ethical detective choose to follow the letter --- or the spirit --- of the law?

The Kill Switch: A Tucker Wayne Novel by James Rollins and Grant Blackwood - Thriller/Adventure

December 30, 2014


The mission seems simple enough: extract a pharmaceutical magnate from Russian soil, a volatile man who holds the secret to a deadly bioweapon. But nothing is as it appears to be. A conspiracy of world-shattering scope unravels as former Army Ranger Tucker Wayne and his stalwart companion, Kane, a military working dog of exceptional abilities, struggle to keep one move ahead of their deadly enemies.

Killer: An Alex Delaware Novel by Jonathan Kellerman - Psychological Thriller

January 1, 2015


At the behest of the court, Dr. Alex Delaware becomes embroiled in a bizarre child custody dispute initiated by physician Constance Sykes against her sister and begins to realize that there is much about the siblings he has failed to comprehend. When the court battle between the Sykes sisters erupts into cold, calculating murder and a rapidly growing number of victims, Alex knows he’s been snared in a toxic web of pathology.

The Life Intended by Kristin Harmel - Fiction

December 30, 2014


After her husband’s sudden death over 10 years ago, Kate Waithman never expected to be lucky enough to find another love of her life. But now she’s planning her second walk down the aisle to a perfectly nice man. So why isn’t she more excited? At first, Kate blames her lack of sleep on stress. But when she starts seeing Patrick, her late husband, in her dreams, she begins to wonder if she’s really ready to move on.

Lincoln's Boys: John Hay, John Nicolay, and the War for Lincoln’s Image by Joshua Zeitz - Biography/History

December 30, 2014


Abraham Lincoln’s official secretaries, John Hay and John Nicolay, enjoyed more access, witnessed more history, and knew Lincoln better than anyone outside of the president’s immediate family. As Joshua Zeitz shows, the image of a humble man with uncommon intellect who rose from obscurity to become a storied wartime leader and emancipator is very much their creation.

The Man Who Walked Away by Maud Casey - Historical Fiction

December 30, 2014


This work of fiction is based on an actual mental patient in the late 19th century, Albert Dadas, who was a compulsive walker, and the doctor who treated him. THE MAN WHO WALKED AWAY is an interesting look at the human mind, especially when it does not function properly. What still remains in the 21st century is probably medicine's greatest mystery --- the workings of the human nervous system and the three pounds of gray matter that control it.

Moving Target by J. A. Jance - Thriller

December 30, 2014


Lance Tucker, an incarcerated juvenile offender doing time for expertly hacking into the San Leandro School District’s computer system, has been set on fire and severely burned. B. Simpson, Ali Reynolds’s fiancé and the man who helped put Lance in jail, feels obligated to get to the bottom of what really happened. Meanwhile, in England, Ali investigates the decades-old murder of Leland Brooks’ father, which Leland himself was once suspected of committing.

North of Boston by Elisabeth Elo - Literary Thriller

December 30, 2014


When the fishing boat Pirio Kasparov is on is rammed by a freighter, she finds herself abandoned in the North Atlantic. She survives nearly four hours in the water before being rescued by the Coast Guard. But the boat’s owner and her professional fisherman friend, Ned, is not so lucky. Compelled to look after Noah, the son of the late Ned, and her alcoholic prep school friend, Thomasina, Pirio can’t shake the lurking suspicion that the boat’s sinking --- and Ned’s death --- was no accident.

Notorious by Allison Brennan - Thriller

December 30, 2014


Maxine Revere has dedicated her life to investigating murders that the police have long since given up any hope of solving. A nationally renowned investigative reporter with her own TV show and a tough-as-nails reputation, Max tackles cold cases from across the country and every walk of life. But the one unsolved murder that still haunts her is a case from her own past.

Save Me by Kristyn Kusek Lewis - Fiction

December 30, 2014


Daphne Mitchell’s picture-perfect life is upended the day her husband, Owen, comes home from work to tell her he's fallen for someone else. Unable to hate him, but also equally incapable of moving forward, Daphne's life hangs in limbo until the day Owen's new girlfriend sustains near-fatal injuries in a car accident. As Daphne becomes a pillar of support for the devastated Owen, she has to find out whether forgiveness is possible and decide which path is the right one for her.

Sniper's Honor: A Bob Lee Swagger Novel by Stephen Hunter - Thriller/Adventure

December 30, 2014


Kathy Reilly of The Washington Post becomes interested in the story of Ludmilla “Mili” Petrova, a legendary, beautiful female sniper who seems to have vanished from history. Reilly enlists former marine sniper Bob Lee Swagger to parse out the scarce details of Mili’s military service. The more Swagger learns about Mili’s last mission, the more he’s convinced her disappearance was no accident.

The Unexpected Waltz by Kim Wright - Fiction

December 30, 2014


Kelly Wilder becomes recently widowed from a much older wealthy man with whom she spent her married life doing charity work and building a lovely home. Now, with too much time and money on her hands, Kelly has absolutely no idea what happens next. So, on a whim, she signs up for a ballroom dancing class and slowly, step by high-heeled step, begins to rebuild her life with the help of friends old and new.

Vanished: The Profiler, Book 2 by Elizabeth Heiter - Psychological Thriller

December 30, 2014


Eighteen years ago, FBI profiler Evelyn Baine's best friend, Cassie Byers, disappeared, the third in a series of unsolved abductions. Only a macabre nursery rhyme claiming that Evelyn was also an intended victim was left at the scene. Now, after all these years of silence, another girl has gone missing in South Carolina, and the Nursery Rhyme Killer is taking credit. But is Cassie's abductor really back, or is there a copycat at work?