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Week of February 19, 2024

New in Paperback

Week of February 19, 2024

Paperback releases for the week of February 19th include THE COLLECTOR, a stunning thriller from Daniel Silva in which legendary art restorer and spy Gabriel Allon joins forces with a brilliant and beautiful master-thief to track down the world’s most valuable missing painting --- but soon he finds himself in a desperate race to prevent an unthinkable conflict between Russia and the West; I HAVE SOME QUESTIONS FOR YOU by Rebecca Makkai, a stirring investigation into collective memory and a deeply felt examination of one woman’s reckoning with her past, with a transfixing mystery at its heart; Lynne Olson's EMPRESS OF THE NILE, the remarkable story of the intrepid French archaeologist who led the international effort to save ancient Egyptian temples from the floodwaters of the Aswan Dam; and SINK, Joseph Earl Thomas' wrenching and redemptive coming-of-age story about the difficulty of growing up in a hazardous home and the glory of finding salvation in geek culture.

The 23rd Midnight by James Patterson and Maxine Paetro - Thriller

February 20, 2024

Detective Lindsay Boxer put serial killer Evan Burke in jail. Reporter Cindy Thomas wrote a book that put him on the bestseller list. An obsessed maniac has turned Burke’s true-crime story into a playbook. And he's embellishing it with gruesome touches all his own. Now Lindsay is tracking an elusive suspect, and the entire Murder Club is facing destruction.

All the Rage: A D.I. Adam Fawley Thriller by Cara Hunter - Mystery/Thriller

February 20, 2024

After being abducted and assaulted, a teenage girl somehow managed to escape from her captor. She is traumatized and needs to heal, but the police need her help to catch her assailant --- information she clearly knows but is unwilling to give. Without the girl’s assistance, DI Adam Fawley’s investigation is at a dead end. When another girl vanishes under the same circumstances, he recognizes a disturbing pattern --- and a link to something long buried in his past.

The Applicant by Nazlı Koca - Fiction

February 20, 2024

Leyla, a Turkish twenty-something living in Berlin, is scrubbing toilets at an Alice in Wonderland-themed hostel after failing her thesis, losing her student visa and suing her German university in a Kafkaesque attempt to reverse her failure. She attempts to find solace in the techno beats of Berlin’s nightlife but with little success. Right as the clock winds down on the hold on her visa, Leyla meets a conservative Swedish tourist and --- against her political convictions and better judgment --- begins to fall in love, or something like it. Will she accept an IKEA life with the Volvo salesman and relinquish her creative dreams, or return to Turkey to her mother and sister, codependent and enmeshed, her father’s ghost still haunting their lives?

Blind Spots by Thomas Mullen - Science Fiction/Noir Thriller

February 20, 2024

Seven years ago, everyone in the world went blind in a matter of months. Technology helped people adjust to the new normal, creating a device that approximates vision, downloading visual data directly to people’s brains. But what happens when someone finds a way to hack it and change what people see? Homicide detective Mark Owens has been on the force since before The Blinding. When a scientist is murdered, and the only witness insists the killer was blacked out of her vision, Owens doesn’t believe her --- until a similar murder happens in front of him. With suspects ranging from tech billionaires to anti-modernity cultists --- and with the bodies piling up --- Owens must conduct an investigation in which he can’t even trust his own eyes.

Burning Distance by Joanne Leedom-Ackerman - Political Thriller/Mystery

February 20, 2024

When 10-year-old Elizabeth West’s father dies in a tragic plane crash, her family moves to London. Her mother marries a knighted British businessman who has two children, and Elizabeth (Lizzy) and her two sisters move in with their new family. At age 16, while attending the American School of London, Lizzy meets and falls in love with Adil Hasan. But when Adil’s father is deported, Lizzy and Adil are separated. Lizzy’s family has also become involved with French-German industrialist Gerald Rene Wagner. Little does she know that Adil’s family has ties to the man as well. When a member of her family is murdered in Berlin under mysterious circumstances, questions surface about Wagner’s dealings, and Lizzy reexamines what really may have happened to her father.

Camp Zero by Michelle Min Sterling - Dystopian/Science Fiction

February 20, 2024

In remote northern Canada, a team led by a visionary American architect is break­ing ground on a building project called Camp Zero, intended to be the beginning of a new way of life. A clever and determined young woman code-named Rose is offered a chance to join the Blooms, a group hired to entertain the men in camp --- but her real mission is to secretly monitor the mercurial architect in charge. In return, she’ll receive a home for her climate-displaced Korean immigrant mother and herself. Rose quickly secures the trust of her target, only to discover that everyone has a hidden agenda, and nothing is as it seems.

The Collector by Daniel Silva - Thriller/Adventure

February 20, 2024

Legendary art restorer and spy Gabriel Allon joins forces with a brilliant and beautiful master-thief to track down the world’s most valuable missing painting. But soon he finds himself in a desperate race to prevent an unthinkable conflict between Russia and the West.

The Destroyer of Worlds: A Return to Lovecraft Country by Matt Ruff - Historical Fantasy/Horror

February 20, 2024

Atticus Turner and his father, Montrose, travel to North Carolina, where they plan to mark the centennial of their ancestor’s escape from slavery by retracing the route he took. But an encounter with an old nemesis turns their reenactment into a real life-and-death pursuit. Back in Chicago, George Berry fights for his own life. Diagnosed with cancer, he strikes a devil’s bargain with the ghost of Hiram Winthrop, who promises a miracle cure. But to receive it, George will first have to bring Winthrop back from the dead. Meanwhile, 15-year-old Horace Berry joins his mother, Hippolyta, and her friend, Letitia Dandridge, on a research trip to Nevada. But Hippolyta has a secret agenda that will take her and Horace to the far end of the universe and bring a new threat home to Letitia’s doorstep.

The Distance Between Us by Maggie O'Farrell - Fiction

February 20, 2024

On a cold February afternoon, Stella catches sight of a man she hasn't seen for many years but instantly recognizes. Or thinks she does. At the same moment on the other side of the globe, in the middle of a crowd of Chinese New Year revellers, Jake realizes that things are becoming dangerous. They know nothing of one another's existence, but both Stella and Jake flee their lives: Jake in search of a place so remote it doesn't appear on any map, and Stella for a destination in Scotland, the significance of which only her sister, Nina, will understand.

Empress of the Nile: The Daredevil Archaeologist Who Saved Egypt's Ancient Temples from Destruction by Lynne Olson - Biography

February 20, 2024

In the 1960s, the world’s attention was focused on a nail-biting race against time. Fifty countries contributed nearly a billion dollars to save a dozen ancient Egyptian temples, built during the height of the pharaohs’ rule, from drowning in the floodwaters of the massive new Aswan High Dam. But the extensive press coverage at the time overlooked the gutsy French archaeologist who made it all happen. Without the intervention of Christiane Desroches-Noblecourt, the temples would now be at the bottom of a vast reservoir. It was an unimaginably large and complex project that required the fragile sandstone temples to be dismantled, stone by stone, and rebuilt on higher ground.

I Have Some Questions for You by Rebecca Makkai - Fiction

February 20, 2024

A successful film professor and podcaster, Bodie Kane is content to forget her past --- the family tragedy that marred her adolescence, her four largely miserable years at a New Hampshire boarding school, and the murder of her former roommate, Thalia Keith, in the spring of their senior year. Though the circumstances surrounding Thalia’s death and the conviction of the school’s athletic trainer, Omar Evans, are hotly debated online, Bodie prefers --- needs --- to let sleeping dogs lie. But when the Granby School invites her back to teach a course, Bodie is inexorably drawn to the case and its increasingly apparent flaws. In their rush to convict Omar, did the school and the police overlook other suspects? Is the real killer still out there?

Independence by Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni - Historical Fiction

February 20, 2024

India, 1947. In a rural village in Bengal live three sisters. Priya is intelligent and idealistic, resolved to follow in her father’s footsteps and become a doctor. Deepa is the beauty, determined to make a marriage that will bring her family joy and status. Jamini is devout, sharp-eyed and a talented quiltmaker, with deeper passions than she reveals. Theirs is a home of love and safety, a refuge from the violent events taking shape in the nation. Then their father is killed during a riot, and even their neighbors turn against them. When the partition of India is officially decided, a drastic --- and dangerous --- change is in the air. The sisters find themselves separated from one another, each on different paths. They fear for what will happen not just to themselves, but to each other.

Near Miss: A Stone Barrington Novel by Stuart Woods and Brett Battles - Thriller/Adventure

February 20, 2024

Following a string of adventures, Stone Barrington is enjoying some downtime in New York City when a chance encounter introduces him to a charming new companion. Too bad she also comes with the baggage of a persistent ex-boyfriend intent on retribution. As Stone skillfully dodges each disturbance, it becomes clear that there's an even more treacherous game being played behind the scenes. When long-standing grudges resurface, Stone is brought back into the orbit of some familiar enemies. He must use all of his tricks --- as well as those of a few old friends --- to evade trouble before it's too late. But this time, danger just might catch up with him.

Nowhere Like Home by Sara Shepard - Domestic Thriller

February 20, 2024

When Lenna gets a call from her old friend, Rhiannon, she is startled. Rhiannon disappeared years ago without a trace. But Lenna is even more startled to learn that Rhiannon has a son and that she lives off the grid with a group of women in a community called Halcyon. Rhiannon invites Lenna, a new mother herself, to join them. Lenna decides to go and hopefully repair her relationship with Rhiannon, but as she drives into the desert and her cell service gets weaker, she becomes suspicious. Who are these women, and why did Rhiannon invite her here? And that is before she learns about the community's rules (no outside phone calls, no questions about people’s pasts) and the padlock on the gate that leads out to the main road. But Lenna has other concerns, secrets from her past that she is terrified will come out.

The Quantum Solution: An Evan Ryder Novel by Eric Van Lustbader - Thriller/Adventure

February 20, 2024

Evan Ryder is an extraordinary intelligence field agent now working for the security arm of Parachute, a private company and the world’s leader in the application of quantum technology. In the past, Ryder has done lethal battle in the modern global wars of power politics, extremist ideology, corrosive disinformation and outrageous greed. But now she finds herself in a battle arena whose dangers, while less obvious, are greater than anything the world has seen before --- the present and future war of weaponized quantum technology. When an elite Russian scientist and the American Secretary of Defense die, at the same time half a world apart, of inexplicable sudden catastrophic brain damage, the world’s intelligence services realize that the quantum war has truly begun.

The Raven Thief: A Secret Staircase Mystery by Gigi Pandian - Mystery

February 20, 2024

Secret Staircase Construction just finished their first project with Tempest Raj officially a part of the team --- a classic mystery novel-themed home interior. Their client is now ready to celebrate her new life without her cheating ex-husband, famous mystery author Corbin Colt. First up, a party, and Tempest and Grandpa Ash are invited to the exclusive mock séance to remove any trace of Corbin from the property --- for good. It's all lighthearted fun until Corbin's dead body crashes the party. The only possible suspects are the eight people around the séance table --- a circle of clasped hands that wasn't broken. Suspicion quickly falls on Grandpa Ash, the only one with actual blood on him. To prove her beloved grandfather’s innocence, Tempest must figure out what really happened.

The Sense of Wonder by Matthew Salesses - Fiction

February 20, 2024

When Won Lee, the first Asian American in the NBA, stuns the world in a seven-game winning streak, the global media audience dubs it “The Wonder” --- much to Won’s chagrin. Meanwhile, Won struggles to get attention from his coach, his peers, his fans and, most importantly, his hero, Powerball!, who also happens to be his teammate and the captain. Covering it all is sportswriter Robert Sung, who writes about Won's stardom while grappling with his own missed hoops opportunities, as well as his place as an Asian American in media. And to witness it all is Carrie Kang, a big studio producer, who juggles a newfound relationship with Won while attempting to bring K-drama to an industry not known to embrace anything new or different.

Sink: A Memoir by Joseph Earl Thomas - Memoir

February 20, 2024

Surrounded by the failure of systems, including his family, the public school system and democratic society, Joseph Earl Thomas grew up feeling like he was under constant threat. Roaches fell from the ceiling, most lessons were taught through violence, and, to make matters worse, he always seemed to be hungry. To escape these foes, he began retreating inward. In SINK, Thomas queries the possibility of escape through fantasy worlds, while grappling with children’s inability to change their circumstances. In a series of exacting and fierce vignettes, Thomas guides readers through the trouble of cruelty without heroics or reprieve and explores how the cycle of hostility permeates our environments. And yet, even in the depths of isolation, there are unexpected moments of joy carved out as Thomas finds kinship.

Stealing by Margaret Verble - Historical Fiction

February 20, 2024

Kit Crockett lives on a farm with her grief-stricken, widowed father. One day, she discovers that a mysterious and beautiful woman has moved in just down the road. Kit and the newcomer, Bella, become friends, and the lonely Kit draws comfort from her. But when a malicious neighbor finds out, Kit suddenly finds herself at the center of a tragic, fatal crime and becomes a ward of the court. Her Cherokee family wants to raise her, but the righteous Christians in town instead send her to a religious boarding school. Kit’s heritage is attacked, and she’s subjected to religious indoctrination and other forms of abuse. But Kit secretly keeps a journal recounting what she remembers --- and revealing just what she has forgotten. Over the course of STEALING, she unravels the truth of how she ended up at the school and plots a way out.

Tom Clancy Flash Point: A Jack Ryan Jr. Novel by Don Bentley - Thriller/Adventure

February 20, 2024

When a benign surveillance operation takes a deadly turn, Jack Ryan Jr. finds himself locked in a struggle with an unseen enemy bent on destroying the Campus. The chase leads Jack to the South China Sea where a midair collision between aircraft from rival nations threatens to serve as a flash point for the entire region. As Jack frantically tries to put the pieces of the conspiracy together, the Campus is hit with a crippling attack. When the dust settles, Jack is one of the few operators still standing and the Campus’s de facto leader. But the fight is just beginning. As tensions escalate, Jack’s mysterious adversary executes a brilliant campaign to paralyze the American government even as China inches closer to invading Taiwan.

The Trouble with You by Ellen Feldman - Historical Fiction

February 20, 2024

Raised never to step out of bounds, educated in one of the Sister Seven Colleges for a career as a wife and mother, torn between her cousin, Mimi, who is determined to keep her a “nice girl” --- the kind that marries a doctor --- and her aunt Rose, who has a rebellious past of her own, Fanny struggles to raise her young daughter and forge a new life by sheer will and pluck. When she gets a job as a secretary to the “queen” of radio serials --- never to be referred to as soaps --- she discovers she likes working. Through her friendship with an actress who stars in the series and a man who writes them, she comes face to face with the blacklist, which is destroying careers and wrecking lives. Ultimately, Fanny must decide between playing it safe or doing what she knows is right.

What Happened to Ruthy Ramirez by Claire Jiménez - Fiction

February 20, 2024

When 13-year-old Ruthy disappeared after track practice without a trace, it left her family scarred and scrambling. One night, 12 years later, oldest sister Jessica spots a woman on her TV screen in “Catfight,” a raunchy reality show. She rushes to tell her younger sister, Nina: This woman's hair is dyed red, and she calls herself Ruby, but the beauty mark under her left eye is instantly recognizable. Could it be Ruthy after all this time? Jessica and Nina hatch a plan to drive to where the show is filmed. When their mother Dolores catches wind of their scheme, she insists on joining, along with her best friend, Irene. What follows is a family road trip and reckoning that will force the Ramirez women to finally face the past and look toward a future --- with or without Ruthy in it.