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Week of May 8, 2023

New in Paperback

Week of May 8, 2023

Paperback releases for the week of May 8th include ESCAPE, the third installment in James Patterson and David Ellis' fast-paced thriller series featuring Detective Billy Harney, who chases down a billionaire crime boss and a prison escape artist while a young girl's life hangs in the balance; THE MIDNIGHT LIBRARY by Matt Haig, a dazzling novel about all the choices that go into a life well lived; Alice Elliott Dark's FELLOWSHIP POINT, the masterful story of a lifelong friendship between two very different women with shared histories, divisive loyalties, hidden sorrows and 80 years of summers on a pristine point of land on the coast of Maine; THE UNSINKABLE GRETA JAMES, a tender and emotionally resonant story from Jennifer E. Smith in which an indie musician reeling from tragedy and a public breakdown reconnects with her father on a weeklong cruise; and TRAILED by Kathryn Miles, a riveting deep dive into the unsolved murder of two free-spirited young women in the wilderness, a journalist's obsession --- and a new theory of who might have done it.โ€‹

Adrift by Lisa Brideau - Thriller

May 9, 2023

Ess wakes up alone on a sailboat in the remote Pacific Northwest with no memory of who she is or how she got there. She finds a note, but it's more warning than comfort: Start over. Don't make yourself known. Don't look back. Ess must have answers. She sails over a turbulent ocean to a town hundreds of miles away that she hopes might offer insight. The chilling clues she uncovers point to a desperate attempt at erasing her former life. But why? And someone is watching her…someone who knows she must never learn her truth. In Ess' world, the earth is precariously balanced at a climate tipping point, and she is perched at the edge of a choice. Which life does she want? The one taken from her --- and the dangerous secret that was buried --- or the new one she can make for herself?

The Boyfriend Candidate by Ashley Winstead - Romantic Comedy

May 9, 2023

Alexis Stone, a shy school librarian, meets Logan at a hotel bar. Audacious and filterless, Logan is Alexis’ opposite. Just as she’s about to fulfill her hookup wish, the hotel catches fire in a freak lightning storm. In their rush to escape, Logan is discovered carrying her into the street, where people are waiting with cameras. Alexis is bewildered until suddenly pictures of her and Logan escaping the fire are all over the internet. It turns out Logan is none other than Logan Arthur, the hotshot candidate challenging the Texas governor’s seat. The salacious scandal is poised to sink his career --- and jeopardize Alexis’ job --- until a solution is proposed: he and Alexis could pretend to be in a relationship until Election Day…in two months. What could possibly go wrong?

Disappeared by Bonnar Spring - Mystery/Thriller

May 9, 2023

Julie Welch’s sister, Fay Lariviere, disappears from their hotel in Morocco. Although she leaves a note that she’ll be back in two days, Fay doesn’t return. Julie’s anger shifts to worry --- and to fear when she discovers a stalker. Then, an attack meant for Julie kills another woman. Searching Fay’s luggage and quizzing the hotel staff, Julie discovers Fay’s destination --- a remote village in the Saharan desert. Convinced her sister is in danger and propelled by her own jeopardy, Julie rushes to warn Fay. By the time she reaches the village, Julie finds that Fay has traveled deeper into the desert. With a villager as her guide, Julie follows, only to be stranded in the Sahara when the guide abandons her. Julie is eventually reunited with Fay --- in a prison cell --- and learns the reasons for Fay’s secrecy.

Dragons of Deceit: Dragonlance Destinies, Volume 1 by Margaret Weis and Tracy Hickman - Fantasy/Adventure

May 9, 2023

Destina Rosethorn believes herself to be a favored child of destiny. But when her father dies in the War of the Lance, she watches her carefully constructed world come crashing down. She loses not only her beloved father but also the legacy he has left her: the family lands and castle. To save her father, she hatches a bold plan --- to go back in time and prevent his death. First, she has to secure the Device of Time Journeying. But to change time, she’ll need another magical artifact --- the most powerful and dangerous artifact ever created. Destina’s quest sets in motion a chain of disastrous events that threaten to divert the course of the River of Time, alter the past and forever change the future.

Escape: A Billy Harney Thriller by James Patterson and David Ellis - Thriller

May 9, 2023

As Chicago PD’s special-ops leader, Detective Billy Harney knows well that money is not the only valuable currency. The filthy rich man he’s investigating is down to his last 20 million. He’s also being held in jail. For now. Billy’s unit is called in when an escape plan results in officers down and inmates vanished. In an empty lot, Billy spots two Kevlar vests. Two helmets. Two assault rifles. And a handwritten note: Hi, Billy, Are you having fun yet?

Fellowship Point by Alice Elliott Dark - Fiction

May 9, 2023

Celebrated children’s book author Agnes Lee is determined to secure her legacy --- to complete what she knows will be the final volume of her pseudonymously written Franklin Square novels and permanently protect the peninsula of majestic coast in Maine known as Fellowship Point. To donate the land to a trust, Agnes must convince shareholders to dissolve a generations-old partnership. And one of those shareholders is her best friend, Polly Wister, who exalts in creating beauty and harmony in her home, in her friendships and in her family. Polly soon finds her loyalties torn between the wishes of her best friend and the wishes of her three sons. But what is it that Polly wants herself?

Just Like Mother by Anne Heltzel - Psychological Thriller/Horror

May 9, 2023

The last time Maeve saw her cousin was the night she escaped the cult in which they were raised. For the past two decades, Maeve has worked hard to build a normal life in New York City, where she keeps everything --- and everyone --- at a safe distance. When Andrea suddenly reappears, Maeve regains the only true friend she’s ever had. The more Maeve immerses herself in Andrea’s world, the more disconnected she feels from her life back in the city --- and the cousins’ increasing attachment triggers memories Maeve has fought hard to bury. But confronting the terrors of her childhood may be the only way for Maeve to transcend the nightmare still to come.

The Little Flower Shop by Lori Foster - Romance

May 9, 2023

Since her divorce, Emily Lucretia has been focused on her flower shop and taking care of her aging aunt and uncle. Saul Culver, the town’s favorite bachelor and owner of the local barbecue joint, has been interested in Emily for a while. But as much as Emily knows about flowers, she can be a little oblivious to her own appeal. Saul is determined to show her just how special she is, but he isn’t the only one trying to get Emily out of her shell. Well-meaning locals have started tagging photos of Emily with #theflowerlady on social media --- and now the entire town is involved in finding her Mr. Right. Saul won't give up easily. He has finally caught her attention and is determined to convince Emily --- and the town --- that this is the real deal and not just some passing trend.

Local Gone Missing by Fiona Barton - Mystery/Thriller

May 9, 2023

Elise King is a successful and ambitious detective --- or she was before a medical leave left her unsure if she'd ever return to work. She now spends most days watching the growing tensions in her small seaside town of Ebbing --- the weekenders renovating old bungalows into luxury homes, and the locals resentful of the changes. The conflicts boil over when a newcomer wants to put the town on the map with a weekend music festival, and two teenagers overdose on drugs. When a man disappears the first night of the festival, Elise starts digging for answers. Ebbing is a small town, but it's full of secrets and hidden connections that run deeper and darker than Elise ever could have imagined.

The Midnight Library by Matt Haig - Fiction

May 9, 2023

Somewhere out beyond the edge of the universe, there is a library that contains an infinite number of books, each one the story of another reality. One tells the story of your life as it is, along with another book for the other life you could have lived if you had made a different choice at any point in your life. While we all wonder how our lives might have been, what if you had the chance to go to the library and see for yourself? Would any of these other lives truly be better? Nora Seed finds herself faced with this decision. Confronted with the possibility of changing her life for a new one, she must search within herself as she travels through the Midnight Library to decide what is truly fulfilling in life, and what makes it worth living in the first place.

The Murder Rule by Dervla McTiernan - Psychological Thriller

May 9, 2023

First Rule: Make them like you. Second Rule: Make them need you. Third Rule: Make them pay. They think I’m a young, idealistic law student, that I’m passionate about reforming a corrupt and brutal system. They think I’m working hard to impress them. They think I’m here to save an innocent man on death row. They're wrong. I’m going to bury him.

No One Needs to Know by Lindsay Cameron - Psychological Thriller

May 9, 2023

On UrbanMyth, an anonymous discussion board grouped by zip code, the residents of Manhattan’s exclusive Upper East Side disclosed it all --- things they would never share with their friends or their spouses. So when a “hacktivist” group breaks into the forum and exposes the real identity of each poster, the repercussions echo down Park Avenue with a force that none could have anticipated. And someone ends up dead. Is the murderer Heather, the outsider who would do anything to get her daughter into the elite’s good graces and into their even better schools? Norah, the high-powered executive failing to balance work with the emotional responsibilities of motherhood? Or Poppy, whose perfect-on-the-outside façade conceals more than her share of secrets?

Seasonal Fears by Seanan McGuire - Dark Fantasy

May 9, 2023

Melanie has a destiny, though it isn’t the one everyone assumes it to be. She’s delicate; she’s fragile; she’s dying. Now, truly, is the winter of her soul. Harry doesn’t want to believe in destiny, because that means accepting the loss of the one person who gives his life meaning, who brings summer to his world. So, when a new road is laid out in front of them --- a road that will lead through untold dangers toward a possible lifetime together --- walking down it seems to be the only option. But others are following behind, with violence in their hearts. It looks like Destiny has a plan for them after all.

Sweet Sweet Revenge LTD written by Jonas Jonasson, translated by Rachel Willson-Broyles - Fiction/Dark Humor

May 9, 2023

Meet Ole Mbatian Jr., a Maasai warrior; Kevin, his sort-of-son; Agneta, a wronged and penniless ex-wife; and Johan, an unscrupulous Stockholm ad-man whose company specializes in revenge services. As Agneta and Kevin seek revenge against the gallery owner who has wronged them, this madcap, funny and philosophical novel takes off on a madcap journey that spans five continents and whirls around a colorful cast of characters, including a goat called Molly and the Pope. As he’s done in his previous novels, Jonas Jonasson acts as a travel guide through time, drops in a few lessons on colonialism and art history, and pokes fun at capitalism and the art world, with plenty of laughs along the way.

Take No Names by Daniel Nieh - Thriller

May 9, 2023

Victor Li is a man without a past. To his new employer, Mark, he’s just an anonymous hired hand to help with the dirty work. Together, they break into storage units that contain the possessions of the recently deported, pocketing whatever is worth selling. Only Victor and his sister, Jules, know that he’s a wanted man. Amid the backpacks and suitcases, Victor makes the find of a lifetime: a gem rare and valuable enough to change his fortunes in an instant. Thankfully, its former owner, a woman named Song Fei, also left a book of cryptic notes --- including the name of a gemstone dealer in Mexico City. When Victor and Mark cross the southern border, they quickly realize that this gem is wrapped up in a much larger scheme than they imagined.

Trailed: One Woman's Quest to Solve the Shenandoah Murders by Kathryn Miles - True Crime

May 9, 2023

In May 1996, two skilled backcountry leaders, Lollie Winans and Julie Williams, entered Virginia’s Shenandoah National Park for a week-long backcountry camping trip. During their final days in the park, they descended the narrow remnants of a trail and pitched their tent in a hidden spot. After the pair didn’t return home as planned, park rangers found a scene of horror at their campsite --- their tent slashed open, their beloved dog missing and both women dead in their sleeping bags. The unsolved murders of Winans and Williams continue to haunt all who had encountered them or knew their story. When award-winning journalist and outdoors expert Kathryn Miles begins looking into the case, she discovers conflicting evidence, mismatched timelines and details that just don’t add up.

The Unsinkable Greta James by Jennifer E. Smith - Fiction

May 9, 2023

Right after the sudden death of her mother and just before the launch of her high-stakes sophomore album, Greta James falls apart on stage. The footage quickly goes viral and she stops playing, her career suddenly in jeopardy --- the kind of jeopardy her father, Conrad, has always predicted. Months later, Greta reluctantly agrees to accompany Conrad on the Alaskan cruise her parents had booked to celebrate their 40th anniversary. It could be their last chance to heal old wounds in the wake of shared loss. But the trip will also prove to be a voyage of discovery for them both, and for Ben Wilder, a charming historian, onboard to lecture about THE CALL OF THE WILD, who is struggling with a major upheaval in his own life.