March 24, 2015

March 23rd

THE ANIMALS by Christian Kiefer (Literary Thriller)
Bill Reed manages a wildlife sanctuary in rural Idaho, caring for injured animals that are unable to survive in the wild. Seemingly rid of his troubled past, Bill hopes to marry the local veterinarian and live a quiet life together, the promise of which is threatened when a childhood friend is released from prison. Suddenly forced to confront the secrets of his criminal youth, Bill battles fiercely to preserve the shelter that protects these wounded animals and to keep hidden his turbulent, even dangerous, history.
Liveright * 9780871408839

NIGHT AT THE FIESTAS: Stories by Kirstin Valdez Quade (Fiction/Short Stories)
Kirstin Valdez Quade's stories plunge us into the fierce, troubled hearts of characters defined by the desire to escape the past or else to plumb its depths. The deadbeat father of a pregnant teenager tries to transform his life by playing the role of Jesus in a bloody penitential Passion. A young man discovers that his estranged father and a boa constrictor have been squatting in his grandmother’s empty house. One girl attempts to uncover the mystery of her cousin's violent past, while another young woman finds herself at an impasse when she is asked to hear her priest's confession.
W. W. Norton & Company * 9780393242980


March 24th

BENEATH THE SURFACE: Killer Whales, SeaWorld, and the Truth Beyond Blackfish by John Hargrove, with Howard Chua-Eoan (Nature & Ecology)
When two fellow trainers were killed by orcas in marine parks, John Hargrove decided that SeaWorld's wildly popular programs were both detrimental to the whales and ultimately unsafe for trainers. After leaving SeaWorld, he became one of the stars of the controversial documentary "Blackfish" and now contributes his expertise to an advocacy movement that is convincing both federal and state governments to act. In BENEATH THE SURFACE, Hargrove paints a compelling portrait of these highly intelligent and social creatures.
Palgrave Macmillan Trade * 9781137280107

THE CAVENDON WOMEN by Barbara Taylor Bradford (Historical Fiction)
THE CAVENDON WOMEN, the sequel to Barbara Taylor Bradford’s CAVENDON HALL, follows the Inghams’ and the Swanns’ journey from a family weekend in the summer of 1926 through to the devastation of the Wall Street crash of 1929. It all begins on a summer weekend in July of 1926 when, for the first time in years, the earl has planned a family weekend. As the family members come together, secrets, problems, joys and sorrows are revealed.
St. Martin's Press * 9781250032386

CUBA STRAITS: A Doc Ford Novel by Randy Wayne White (Thriller/Adventure)
Doc Ford’s old friend, General Juan Garcia, has gone into the lucrative business of smuggling Cuban baseball players into the U.S. He is also feasting on profits made by buying historical treasures for pennies on the dollar. He prefers what dealers call HPC items --- high-profile collectibles --- but when he manages to obtain a collection of letters written by Fidel Castro between 1960 and 1962 to a secret girlfriend, it’s not a matter of money anymore. Garcia has stumbled way out of his depth.
G.P. Putnam's Sons * 9780399158148

THE DOG WHO SAVED ME by Susan Wilson (Fiction)
Boston police officer Cooper Harrison never thought he’d go back to his hometown of Harmony Farms. But when his faithful K-9 partner Argos is killed in the line of duty, Cooper, caught in a spiral of trauma and grief, has nowhere else to turn. Jobless and on the verge of divorce, he accepts an offer for the position of dog officer in Harmony Farms. Cooper refuses to get emotionally invested in another dog the way he had with Argos --- until he finds himself rescuing a wounded and gun-shy yellow lab gone feral.
St. Martin's Press * 9781250014344

THE FIFTH HEART by Dan Simmons (Historical Mystery)
In 1893, Sherlock Holmes and Henry James come to America together to solve the mystery of the 1885 death of Clover Adams. Holmes has faked his own death because he has come to the conclusion that he is a fictional character. This leads to serious complications for James. If his esteemed fellow investigator is merely a work of fiction, what does that make him? And what can the master storyteller do to fight against the sinister power that may or may not be controlling them from the shadows?
Little, Brown and Company * 9780316198820

INSPECTOR OF THE DEAD by David Morrell (Historical Thriller)
The year is 1855. The Crimean War is raging. The incompetence of British commanders causes the fall of the English government. The Empire teeters. Amid this crisis comes opium-eater Thomas De Quincey, one of the most notorious and brilliant personalities of Victorian England. Along with his irrepressible daughter, Emily, and their Scotland Yard companions, Ryan and Becker, De Quincey finds himself confronted by an adversary who threatens the heart of the nation.
Mulholland Books * 9780316323932

THE LOST BOYS SYMPHONY by Mark Andrew Ferguson (Fiction)
After Henry's girlfriend, Val, leaves him and transfers to another school, his grief begins to manifest itself in bizarre and horrifying ways. After weeks of sleepless nights and sick delusions, Henry decides to run away and find Val. Once on the George Washington Bridge, however, a powerful hallucination knocks him out cold. When he awakens, he finds out that he has been kidnapped by two strangers who claim to be future versions of himself.
Little, Brown and Company * 9780316323994

MIKE HAMMER: KILL ME, DARLING by Mickey Spillane and Max Allan Collins (Noir Mystery)
PI Mike Hammer’s secretary and partner, Velda, has walked out on him without explanation. It then develops that an old cop who once worked with Velda turns up murdered. What’s more, Mike’s pal, Captain Pat Chambers, has discovered that Velda is in Florida, the moll of gangster and drug runner Nolly Quinn. Hammer hits the road and drives to Miami. But can they find Velda in time? And what is the connection between the murdered vice cop in Manhattan and Mike’s ex turning gun moll in Florida?
Titan Books * 9781783291380

THE MYSTERY WRITERS OF AMERICA COOKBOOK: Wickedly Good Meals and Desserts to Die For edited by Kate White and Mystery Writers of America (Cookbook)
This illustrated cookbook features more than 100 recipes from legendary mystery authors, including Lee Child, Mary Higgins Clark, Harlan Coben, Nelson DeMille, Gillian Flynn, Sue Grafton, Charlaine Harris, James Patterson, Louise Penny and Scott Turow. Whether you're planning a sinister dinner party or whipping up some comfort food perfect for a day of writing, you'll find plenty to savor in this cunning collection. Full-color photography is featured throughout, along with mischievous sidebars revealing the links between food and foul play.
Quirk Books * 9781594747571

NIGHT NIGHT, SLEEP TIGHT by Hallie Ephron (Mystery)
When Deirdre Unger arrived in Beverly Hills to help her bitter, disappointed father sell his dilapidated house, she discovers his lifeless body floating face down in the swimming pool. At first, she assumes his death was a tragic accident. But the longer she stays in town, the more she suspects that it is merely the third act in a story that has long been in the making. The sudden re-surfacing of Deirdre’s childhood best friend, Joelen Nichol, seems like more than a coincidence.
William Morrow * 9780062117632

THE PRECIOUS ONE by Marisa de los Santos (Fiction)
In all her life, Eustacia “Taisy” Cleary has given her heart to only three men: her first love, Ben Ransom; her twin brother, Marcus; and Wilson Cleary --- professor, inventor, philanderer, self-made millionaire, brilliant man, breathtaking jerk: her father. Seventeen years ago, Wilson ditched his first family for Caroline, a beautiful young sculptor. So why is Wilson calling Taisy now, inviting her for an extended visit? Why, now, does Wilson want Taisy to help him write his memoir?
William Morrow * 9780061670893

A REUNION OF GHOSTS by Judith Claire Mitchell (Fiction)
Sisters Lady, Vee and Delph share their family's apartment on Manhattan's Upper West Side. They love each other fiercely, but being an Alter isn't easy. Bad luck is in their genes, passed down through the generations. In the waning days of 1999, the trio decides it's time to close the circle of the Alter curse. But first, they must write the final chapter of a saga lifetimes in the making --- one that is inexorably intertwined with that of the 20th century itself.
Harper * 9780062355881

SIGNATURE KILL by David Levien (Thriller)
A young woman's body is found on a side street in Indianapolis, horrifyingly arranged. Meanwhile, Frank Behr takes on a no-win case to locate a single mother's wayward daughter who's been missing for months. Suddenly Behr feels the two cases may be connected, but he is years removed from his life as a legitimate police officer and has few friends left on the force. His pursuit of a potential serial killer ultimately will lead him to a devastating decision from which he will not be able to turn back.
Doubleday * 9780385532556

SOMEONE IS WATCHING by Joy Fielding (Thriller)
While spying on a deadbeat dad in the middle of the night, Bailey Carpenter, a special investigator for a hotshot Miami law firm, is blindsided --- attacked and nearly killed. With the police making no headway in solving her case, she’s determined to overcome her terror and reclaim the power she lost by unmasking her attacker and taking him down herself. But it’s a harrowing battle that threatens to wreck Bailey’s credibility, compromise an investigation, and maybe even claim her sanity.
Ballantine Books * 9780553390636

THE STRANGER by Harlan Coben (Thriller)
The Stranger appears out of nowhere. His identity is unknown, and his motives are unclear. But his information is undeniable. He whispers a few words in your ear and disappears, leaving you picking up the pieces of your shattered world. Adam Price has a lot to lose: a comfortable marriage to a beautiful woman, two wonderful sons, and all the trappings of the American Dream. Then he runs into the Stranger. When he learns a devastating secret about his wife, he confronts her, and the mirage of perfection disappears as if it never existed at all.
Dutton * 9780525953500

WHAT COMES NEXT AND HOW TO LIKE IT: A Memoir by Abigail Thomas (Memoir)
What comes next? What comes after the devastating loss of Abigail Thomas’ husband, a process both sudden and slow? What form does her lifelong platonic friendship take after a certain line is crossed? How to cope with her daughter’s diagnosed illness? Or the death of her beloved dog? And how to like it? How to accept, appreciate, enjoy? Who are our most trusted, valuable companions and what will we do for them?
Scribner * 9781476785059