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June 24, 2011

 
Bookreporter.com Newsletter June 24, 2011
 
Bourbon Street with Books!

I travel so much that when I get to explore some place new, it’s quite exciting. I am feeling that way about attending the American Library Association (ALA) Annual Conference in New Orleans this weekend. Lucky for me, my son Greg is working this trip with me and has stomped these grounds before, thus I know I have an intrepid travel companion.

Greg is one of those people who remembers everything about the places he’s been to before and has a real knack for charting some incredible experiences wherever he goes. He flew down a day ahead of me to get some geocaching done and to enjoy some time on the steamboat Natchez. I was joking that it was like I had an advance man traveling with me, as he had scouted where my hotel was in relation to his as well as where the drug and convenience stores were before I arrived. We have a really busy agenda through Monday, and thus his skill for getting us to see something special on the way to a business function is going to come in handy!

Yesterday I caught up with Amy Alessio, a librarian pal from Schaumburg, Illinois, who also reviews for us on Teenreads.com, and Erin Downey, another librarian pal. Amy’s favorite yarn shop, The Quarter Stitch, is in New Orleans, and I have been hearing about it from her for years, so as soon as I landed we headed over there; they had scouted ahead for turquoise yarn! We got to Crescent City Books, a terrific used bookshop that was open late for ALA and was running a nice discount for attendees that Greg took advantage of. Before I arrived, he picked up a copy of BEAUTIFUL CRESCENT, the book that every licensed tour guide in New Orleans must read to be vetted for the job. There are four other bookstores in New Orleans that I wanted to get to --- Garden District Book Shop, Faulkner House Books, Octavia Books and Maple Street Book Shop --- but as always there will not be enough time to do everything. Today we plan to get to Garden District, and Faulkner is on the agenda for Monday. I will be back here in January to get to the others.

This ALA conference seems to have even more authors than usual making appearances, like John Hart, who I plan to hunt down as I finished his upcoming IRON HOUSE (pre-order at IndieBound or Amazon) last weekend, and I have been bubbling about it to people all week. It hits stores on July 12th. I will be wearing shoes that I can move quickly in as there is a lot of ground to cover!

Karin Slaughter is touring only in libraries for her book tour for FALLEN, which came out this week (yes, no worries, books will be for sale at her tour venues; you won’t have to get on a wait list!). This tour will give her the opportunity to talk about her SaveTheLibraries.com program. She also will be at ALA, and I look forward to seeing her speak on Monday. We have more about FALLEN below in this newsletter, including our review by Joe Hartlaub, who says, “[Karin] Slaughter knows how to surprise and shock her audience, and she takes this talent to new heights here.” We’re also hosting a special contest to celebrate the book’s release, so click here to enter to win one of our 10 copies of FALLEN, or click on the ad currently running on Bookreporter.com.

Joe also reviewed Joseph Finder’s BURIED SECRETS, the second book to star “private spy” Nick Heller. We’ve been featuring BURIED SECRETS in our Suspense/Thriller Author Spotlight for the past few weeks, and it also came out Tuesday. Erin and Eric from our staff joined me at Joseph's reading the other night in New York. I know how much he loves to do research, and I always enjoy his back stories. This time he shared his story about how he found a funeral director to lock him in a casket, so he could research being buried alive to be sure that the scenes for his main character were authentic. In that situation I personally would have been stuck on “get me out of here” too much to take many mental notes. The things authors do for authenticity!

BURIED SECRETS is his best book, and Nick Heller is definitely a character to keep an eye on. By the way, at the reading Lee Child was in the audience, and all I could picture was a showdown between Nick Heller and Jack Reacher. Joe says, “It’s a smart, sharp and fast-paced novel that’s part thriller, part mystery, and all-entrancing” in his review. You can also read Joe’s interview with Joseph here. Also, check out www.JosephFinder.com for more info about the book.

We kept “our Joe” extra busy this week as he also contributed our review of THE HYPNOTIST by Lars Kepler, the latest eerie Swedish thriller to make its way across the Atlantic. It’s about a detective who tries hypnotism on the lone witness --- a young boy who’s catatonic after barely escaping the killer’s knife --- to solve a brutal triple homicide. Joe says, “Put on an extra sweater while you are reading; this one will chill you to the bone.” I have this one on my stack to read, and I am kicking myself that its on-sale date crept up on me before I read it. I truly hate when that happens; I need to work on my “read by this date” schedule and reorder my stacks!

Amie Taylor reviews THE DARK ENQUIRY by Deanna Raybourn, the latest in her Lady Julia Grey series and our most recent Romantic Suspense Author Spotlight title. Lady Julia follows an investigation right into a den of supernatural occurrences and black magic practitioners, and her brother just happens to be a frequent visitor. Amie says, “The only problem with THE DARK ENQUIRY is that when readers turn the last page and sigh in satisfaction, they’ll know they’ll have to wait until the next novel is published to re-enter the world of these beloved friends.” You can also read Amie’s interview with Deanna here. THE DARK ENQUIRY is in stores now.

Daisy Goodwin/span>’s THE AMERICAN HEIRESS is my latest Bookreporter.com Bets On selection. I started reading the manuscript for this book on my way back from vacation last September and wrapped it up the next day with a lazy day in the hammock, which is to say that I have been waiting a LONG while to share it with you. Here’s the measure of how good the story is --- I remembered many of the details of it when I went to write my blurb this week...and I have read a lot of books between then and now. It’s a book to get lost in as a wealthy American heiress living in a Newport mansion sails across the ocean to find herself a title, which in the late 1800s was all the rage. Money was not enough; a title meant something. Melanie Smith has our review and says, “This is an exceptionally thoughtful and stunning historical novel that will leave you reeling and astonished.”

One of my favorite Bookreporter.com features, Young Adult Books You Won't Want to Miss, has been updated this week. As promised, we have a review of TIGHTER by Adele Griffin, which I mentioned in last week’s newsletter. You can read this feature here. Also, if you did not have the chance to check out our Father’s Day Blog Series, which concluded with a stellar weekend lineup that included Gregg Hurwitz, Karin Slaughter and Steve Berry, you can read through the entire series here. So many great pieces!

Please don't forget to answer our current poll, which continues to look at the effects of the spring’s higher gas prices on your budgets. Weigh in here. Our questionA> is "Name up to five authors whose books you always buy regardless of your economic situation." Answer here
. You can also weigh in on some of your recent reads in our Word of Mouth feature. Your entry could win you a copy of ESCAPE by Barbara Delinsky, THE SILENT GIRL: A Rizzoli & Isles Novel by Tess Gerritsen and SMOKIN' SEVENTEEN: A Stephanie Plum Novel by Janet Evanovich. We’ll select five winners.

On my desk I have a copy of the cutest children’s book, PIG KAHUNA (order at IndieBound or Amazon) by Jennifer Sattler. Every time I look at it, I smile. It is the story of two adorable pigs --- Fergus and his little brother, Dink --- who love collecting the things that wash up on the beach. One day the two of them find their greatest treasure, an abandoned surfboard. They make it the coveted piece in their collection and name it "Dave." But when “Dave” gets washed out to sea, Fergus finds the courage to overcome his fear of the water to rescue him. The resulting picture is so adorable I actually had it framed for a friend who is a surfer. I had the pleasure of having dinner with Jennifer back in January, and she shared stories about how she began the story working in one medium before realizing it was not conveying the look and feel she wanted. So she started over. The result is wonderful, and I think it will make you --- and the young readers in your life --- smile as well.

Speaking of smiling, I discovered Sheer Bliss pomegranate ice cream, and it is fabulous though pricey. It’s the kind of delight where just one teaspoon can be enough! It comes packaged in a metal can, which I did some research about and found this: “SheerBliss claims that the metal container not only looks great, but differentiates the product in the freezer aisles of the supermarkets, protects the ice-cream better than traditional paperboard containers by preventing crystallization and eliminating the need for preservatives. The tin is so durable that it often experiences an afterlife as pencil or candle holder.” I plan to do just that with my empty container!

The Bookreporter.com redesign continues to hum along, and I am falling in love with it more each day. Like a great book, I really look forward to sharing it with you. Soon. Very soon! There is just soooooo much to think about. We are so embedded in the design these days that when I look at the current site I need to reacclimate myself.

Here’s wishing you a weekend and week of great reading. I will have more to report on from ALA next week. And a reminder to those of you in the Tri-State area. Tuesday night is the Romance Writers of America Literacy Signing for Charity at the Marriott Marquis Hotel in New York City from 5:30-7:30. I am on a crack o’ dawn flight on Tuesday to make it there in time. It always is a really fun evening, and I want to be sure that even if there are flight delays I will be there. When I get up at 4AM on Tuesday, I hope I STILL think this was a great idea.

Carol Fitzgerald (Carol@bookreporter.com)


 

Now in Stores: FALLEN by Karin Slaughter

FALLEN by Karin Slaughter (Thriller)
There’s no police training stronger than a cop’s instinct. Faith Mitchell’s mother isn’t answering her phone. Her front door is open. There’s a bloodstain above the knob. Her infant daughter is hidden in a shed behind the house. All that the Georgia Bureau of Investigations taught Faith Mitchell goes out the window when she charges into her mother’s house, gun drawn. She sees a man dead in the laundry room. She sees a hostage situation in the bedroom. What she doesn’t see is her mother...


“You know what we’re here for. Hand it over, and we’ll let her go.”

When the hostage situation turns deadly, Faith is left with too many questions, not enough answers. To find her mother, she’ll need the help of her partner, Will Trent, and they’ll both need the help of trauma doctor Sara Linton. But Faith isn’t just a cop anymore --- she’s a witness. She’s also a suspect. The thin blue line hides police corruption, bribery, even murder. Faith will have to go up against the people she respects the most in order to find her mother and bring the truth to light --- or bury it forever.

Karin Slaughter’s most exhilarating novel yet is a thrilling journey through the heart and soul, where the personal and the criminal collide, and conflicted loyalties threaten to destroy reputations and ruin lives. It is the work of a master of the thriller at the top of her game, and a whirlwind of unrelenting suspense.

-Click here to read a review of FALLEN.
-Click here to read an excerpt from FALLEN.
-Click here to enter to win a copy of FALLEN.

 

Click here to read more about Karin Slaughter and FALLEN.

 
Bookreporter.com Talks to Joseph Finder, Author of BURIED SECRETS

Although Joseph Finder’s original plan was to become a spy, lucky for us he became an award-winning author of thrillers instead. BURIED SECRETS marks the return of private spy Nick Heller, who was introduced to the world two years ago in VANISHED. Heller now finds himself in the middle of a life-or-death situation when a friend’s teenage daughter is abducted and held prisoner in an underground crypt. Bookreporter.com’s Joe Hartlaub spoke with Finder about the creation of his protagonist and his ability to reward followers of the series and newcomers alike. He reveals his keen interest in weapons, his knowledge of the CIA, his Batphone, and a recent brush with claustrophobia --- as well as allowing himself to be buried alive.

BURIED SECRETS: A Nick Heller Novel by Joseph Finder (Thriller)
Private spy Nick Heller is urgently summoned by an old family friend whose teenage daughter has just been kidnapped. Alexa’s abduction was clearly a sophisticated job as she is now buried alive, held prisoner in an underground crypt. To find out who’s holding Alexa hostage, Nick needs to know why. Once he does, he will uncover an astonishing conspiracy that reaches far beyond anything he could have imagined. Reviewed by Joe Hartlaub.

-Click here to read a review of BURIED SECRETS.
-Click here to read an excerpt from BURIED SECRETS.
-Click here to read critical praise for BURIED SECRETS.
-Click here to read Joseph Finder's bio.
-Click here to see Joseph Finder's backlist.
-Visit Joseph Finder's official website, www.JosephFinder.com.
-Click here to see the 20 winners selected to read and comment on BURIED SECRETS.
-Click here to see our Suspense/Thriller Author Spotlight feature for Joseph Finder and BURIED SECRETS.

 

Click here to read our interview with Joseph Finder.

 
Bookreporter.com Talks to Deanna Raybourn, Author of THE DARK ENQUIRY

Deanna Raybourn’s romantic Lady Julia Grey series has garnered loyal readers, along with a RITA Award. To the delight of her fans, Lady Julia returns in THE DARK ENQUIRY. In the first installment, SILENT IN THE GRAVE, Julia was investigating the mysterious death of her husband with the help of a private enquiry agent named Nicholas Brisbane. Four books later, Julia and Nicholas are newlyweds, but all is not happily ever after as their latest investigation stirs a pot of tension between them. Bookreporter.com’s Amie Taylor spoke with Raybourn about her unique take on the Victorian era and how Victorian women were not as proper as history makes them seem. She also discusses the Spiritualist movement, séances, Gypsies, Transylvania, and sniffing moors.

THE DARK ENQUIRY: A Lady Julia Grey Novel by Deanna Raybourn (Romantic Suspense)
Lady Julia Grey is once again hot on the heels of a ruthless killer as she and her husband, private enquiry agent Nicholas Brisbane, attempt to settle back into what was supposed to be an ordinary life in Victorian England, after their return from numerous close calls and exotic adventures abroad. Reviewed by Amie Taylor.

-Click here to read a review of THE DARK ENQUIRY.
-Click here to read an excerpt from THE DARK ENQUIRY.
-Click here to read critical praise for THE DARK ENQUIRY.
-Click here to read Deanna Raybourn's bio.
-Click here to see Deanna Raybourn's backlist.
-Visit Deanna Raybourn's official website, www.DeannaRaybourn.com.
-Click here to see the 20 winners selected to read and comment on THE DARK ENQUIRY.
-Click here to see our Romantic Suspense Author Spotlight feature for Deanna Raybourn and THE DARK ENQUIRY.

 

Click here to read our interview with Deanna Raybourn.

 
Bookreporter.com Bets On: THE AMERICAN HEIRESS by Daisy Goodwin

THE AMERICAN HEIRESS by Daisy Goodwin (Historical Fiction)
THE AMERICAN HEIRESS, Daisy Goodwin’s debut novel, opens in Newport, Rhode Island, in its glory days when the Astors ruled the social scene and midnight balls were all the rage. But money is not everything, and Cora Cash’s mother wants what many mothers of the day want for their society daughters --- a royal title. Thus they travel to England in search of one, and they learn that this is a time when money really does buy anything. These lush times set the scene for a look at the steamy and darker sides of this world. The fashions, customs and other historical details are just pitch perfect. Goodwin’s spirited and upbeat writing style is completely entertaining.

For humor, I actually read this book in manuscript form last summer, and along the way I misplaced the last few pages. When I realized they were missing, I flew up from the hammock and dashed into the house to find them as I HAD to know how it ended. The suspense is there right to the end. Doubt me? Get to the last few pages! And may I say I have looked forward to sharing this one with readers for months.

It’s a perfect read for those who enjoyed “Downton Abbey,” the PBS Masterpiece Theatre series, and anyone who enjoyed all the details of the Royal Wedding. There’s a treasure trove of discussion material for book clubs who enjoy historical fiction.

-Click here to read a review of THE AMERICAN HEIRESS.
-Click here to read an excerpt from THE AMERICAN HEIRESS.

 

Click here to see all the titles we’re betting you’ll love.

 
Now in Stores: THE HYPNOTIST by Lars Kepler

THE HYPNOTIST by Lars Kepler (Thriller)
In the frigid clime of Tumba, Sweden, a gruesome triple homicide attracts the interest of Detective Inspector Joona Linna, who demands to investigate. The killer is still at large, and there’s only one surviving witness --- the boy whose family was killed before his eyes. Desperate for information, Linna sees only one option: hypnotism. Reviewed by Joe Hartlaub.



 

Click here to read a review of THE HYPNOTIST.

 
New Paperback Spotlight: THE CANARY LIST by Sigmund Brouwer

THE CANARY LIST by Sigmund Brouwer (Suspense)
Protected by the dark of night, Jaimie Piper runs. But is anywhere safe when Evil is hunting you?

She’s just a 12-year-old girl, bumped around between foster homes and relegated to school classes for challenged kids, those lagging in their test scores or with behavioral issues. But her real problem is that she can sense something the other kids can’t --- something dark. Something compelling her to run for her life.

All Crockett Grey wants is to mark the anniversary of his daughter’s death alone. But when his student Jaimie comes to him, terrified, her need for protection collides with his grief, and a tangled web of bizarre events sends them both spiraling toward destruction.

Crockett’s one hope of getting his life back is to uncover the mysterious secrets of Jaimie’s past and her strange gift. It isn’t long before his discoveries lead him to a darker conspiracy, secrets guarded by the highest seat of power in the world --- the Vatican.


-Click here to read more about THE CANARY LIST.
-Click here to read an excerpt from THE CANARY LIST.
-Click here to read Sigmund Brouwer’s bio.
-Click here to read critical praise for Sigmund Brouwer.

 

Click here to see our Paperback Spotlight feature for THE CANARY LIST.

 
Featured One to Watch Author: Alice LaPlante, Author of TURN OF MIND
In Alice LaPlante's masterful, haunting debut novel, TURN OF MIND, a former surgeon suffering from dementia becomes the primary suspect in the murder of her best friend and neighbor.

-Click here to read a second excerpt from TURN OF MIND.
-Click here to read critical praise for TURN OF MIND.
-Click here to read Alice LaPlante’s bio.
-Click here to see the 20 winners selected to read and comment on TURN OF MIND.

More about TURN OF MIND:
A stunning first novel, both literary and thriller, about a retired orthopedic surgeon with dementia, TURN OF MIND has already received worldwide attention. With unmatched patience and a pulsating intensity, Alice LaPlante brings us deep into a brilliant woman’s deteriorating mind, where the impossibility of recognizing reality can be both a blessing and a curse.

As the book opens, Dr. Jennifer White’s best friend, Amanda, who lived down the block, has been killed, and four fingers surgically removed from her hand. Dr. White is the prime suspect, and she herself doesn’t know whether she did it. Told in White’s own voice, fractured and eloquent, a picture emerges of the surprisingly intimate, complex alliance between these life-long friends --- two proud, forceful women who were at times each other’s most formidable adversaries.

As the investigation into the murder deepens and White’s relationships with her live-in caretaker and two grown children intensify, a chilling question lingers: Is White’s shattered memory preventing her from revealing the truth or helping her to hide it?
 
Click here to see our One to Watch Author Spotlight feature for Alice LaPlante and TURN OF MIND.

 
Featured Suspense/Thriller Author: Chevy Stevens, Author of NEVER KNOWING
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STILL MISSING announced Chevy Stevens as a suspense/thriller author to watch. Her second novel, NEVER KNOWING, ups the ante with its portrayal of a woman whose biological mother survived the wrath of a gruesome killer.

-Click here to read a second excerpt from NEVER KNOWING.
-Click here to read critical praise for NEVER KNOWING.
-Click here to read Chevy Stevens’s bio.
-Click here to see Chevy Stevens’s backlist.
-Visit Chevy Stevens’s official website, www.ChevyStevens.com.
-Click here to see the 20 winners selected to read and comment on NEVER KNOWING.

More about NEVER KNOWING:
From the acclaimed author of STILL MISSING comes a psychological thriller about one woman’s search into her past and the deadly truth she uncovers. All her life, Sara Gallagher has wondered about her birth parents. As an adopted child with two sisters who were born naturally to her parents, Sara did not have an ideal home life. The question of why she was given up for adoption has always haunted her. Finally, she is ready to take steps and find closure. But some questions are better left unanswered.

 

Click here to see our Suspense/Thriller Author Spotlight feature for Chevy Stevens and NEVER KNOWING.

 
Featured Suspense/Thriller Author: Gregg Hurwitz, Author of YOU'RE NEXT

Mike Wingate seems to have it all in Gregg Hurwitz's latest nail-biter, YOU'RE NEXT--- a devoted wife, a beautiful daughter, a growing company --- until shadowy figures from his past begin emerging and force to him to protect his family at any cost.

-Click here to read a second excerpt from YOU’RE NEXT.
-Click here to read critical praise for YOU’RE NEXT.
-Click here to read Gregg Hurwitz’s bio.
-Click here to see Gregg Hurwitz’s backlist.
-Visit Gregg Hurwitz’s official website, www.GreggHurwitz.net.
-Click here to see the 20 winners selected to read and comment on YOU'RE NEXT.

More about YOU'RE NEXT:
Mike Wingate, abandoned by his father at four and raised in foster care, is finally living the life he always dreamed of --- he’s happily married with a precocious eight-year-old daughter, and his construction company is about to finish a “green” housing development that will secure a solid future for them all.

But then something from his own past, a past he doesn’t even remember, comes back to visit terror upon him and his family. Shady characters begin threatening Mike, and when he reports them, the police seem more interested in Mike’s murky past than in protecting him.

Now, with Mike, his wife Annabel and daughter Kat suddenly under attack from all sides, Mike turns to Shep, a dangerous man --- and Mike’s only true friend --- from his childhood days in foster care. Together they will do whatever it takes to protect Mike’s family against the hidden men behind the terrifying warning, “You’re Next.”

 

Click here to see our Suspense/Thriller Author Spotlight feature for Gregg Hurwitz and YOU’RE NEXT.

 
Bookreporter.com's Summer Reading Contests and Features

Summer is upon us! At Bookreporter.com, this means it's time for us to share some great summer book picks with our Summer Reading Contests and Features. We will be spotlighting a different title or two on select days from Tuesday, May 31st through Wednesday, July 27th, so you will have to check the site each day to see the featured prize book(s) and enter. Some days may even feature special bonus prizes, including beach items, a beach tote stocked with goodies, and additional books. We also will be sending a special daily newsletter to announce the day's title(s), which you can sign up for here.

Our next prize book will be announced on Monday, June 27th at noon ET.

-Click here to see this year's featured titles.
-Click here to receive our special newsletter announcing each day’s prize book.

 

Click here to read all the details of Bookreporter.com's Summer Reading Contests and Features.

 
Featured One to Watch Author: Margaret Leroy, Author of THE SOLDIER'S WIFE

Margaret Leroy's debut historical novel, THE SOLDIER'S WIFE, traces the relationship of a housewife and a Nazi soldier during the final days of World War II on the British island of Guernsey.

-Click here to read an excerpt from THE SOLDIER'S WIFE.
-Click here to read critical praise for THE SOLDIER'S WIFE.
-Click here to read Margaret Leroy's bio.
-Click here to see Margaret Leroy's backlist.
-Visit Margaret Leroy's official website, www.MargaretLeroy.com.
-Click here to see the 20 winners selected to read and comment on THE SOLDIER’S WIFE.

More about THE SOLDIER'S WIFE:
As World War II draws closer and closer to Guernsey, Vivienne de la Mare knows that there will be sacrifices to be made. Not just for herself, but for her two young daughters and for her mother-in-law, for whom she cares while her husband is away fighting. What she does not expect is that she will fall in love with one of the enigmatic German soldiers who take up residence in the house next door to her home. As their relationship intensifies, so do the pressures on Vivienne. Food and resources grow scant, and the restrictions placed upon the residents of the island grow with each passing week. Though Vivienne knows the perils of her love affair with Gunther, she believes that she can keep their relationship --- and her family --- safe. But when she becomes aware of the full brutality of the Occupation, she must decide if she is willing to risk her personal happiness for the life of a stranger.

 

Click here to see our One to Watch Author Spotlight feature for Margaret Leroy and THE SOLDIER'S WIFE.

 
Featured Women's Fiction Author: Emilie Richards, Author of SUNSET BRIDGE
A group of women form an unlikely friendship as they search for love and happiness along the Florida coast in Emilie Richards's latest novel, SUNSET BRIDGE.

-Click here to read a third excerpt from SUNSET BRIDGE.
-Click here to read critical praise for SUNSET BRIDGE.
-Click here to read Emilie Richards’s bio.
-Visit Emilie Richards’s official website, www.EmilieRichards.com.
-Click here to see the 20 winners selected to read and comment on SUNSET BRIDGE.

More about SUNSET BRIDGE:
Former socialite Tracy Deloche has nothing to her name but five ramshackle beach cottages and the unlikely friendships she's formed with her tenants. Wanda, wise waitress turned popular pie-shop owner. Janya, the young Indian wife whose arranged marriage surprises her every day. Alice, a widow raising her complex tween-age granddaughter. And Maggie, Wanda's daughter, a former Miami cop with a love life as complicated as Tracy's own.

The new man in Tracy's life hasn't mentioned love or commitment --- and Tracy has just discovered she's pregnant. Janya longs to be a mother --- and suddenly has two young siblings in her care. Maggie helps out at Wanda's Wonderful Pies…but is the kitchen big enough for both Gray women? And Alice may lose her beloved granddaughter to someone no one expected.

As a tropical storm brews, the wind carries surprises and secrets over the bridge to Happiness Key. Now, more than ever, five friends will discover just how much they need one another.

 
Click here to see our Women’s Fiction Author Spotlight feature for Emilie Richards and SUNSET BRIDGE.

 
Paperback Spotlight: THE BELLS by Richard Harvell
Richard Harvell's debut novel, THE BELLS, follows the life of Moses Froben, from his childhood in a rustic Swiss village to his rise to stardom on Austria's opera scene during the 18th century.

-Click here to read a third excerpt from THE BELLS.
-Click here to read critical praise for THE BELLS.
-Click here to read Richard Harvell’s bio.
-Visit Richard Harvell’s official website, www.RichardHarvell.com.
-Click here to see the 20 winners of THE BELLS.

More about THE BELLS:
Born in a belfry high in the Swiss Alps, Moses Froben and his deaf and mute mother ring the beautiful church bells each day. The townspeople assume Moses is also deaf, but shaped by the glorious music of the bells, he actually possesses a singular sense of hearing that makes him privy to any number of sins --- and puts him in grave danger. Moses finds refuge in a monastery’s choir and becomes its star singer, but he falls under the power of a man who will do anything to preserve Moses’s angelic voice forever. In this letter to his son, Moses recounts his life as a novice monk, the power and beauty of the music he loves, and a story of forbidden love.

 
Click here to see our Paperback Spotlight feature for THE BELLS.


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This Week’s Reviews

THE DOG WHO CAME IN FROM THE COLD: A Corduroy Mansions Novel by Alexander McCall Smith (Fiction)
In the elegantly crumbling mansion block called Corduroy Mansions, the comings and goings of the motley crew of residents continue apace. Our small, furry, endlessly surprising canine hero, Freddie de la Hay, has just been recruited by MI6 to infiltrate a Russian spy ring. Needless to say, the other denizens of Corduroy Mansions have issues of their own. Reviewed by Roz Shea.

-Click here to read an excerpt from THE DOG WHO CAME IN FROM THE COLD.

SILVER GIRL by Elin Hilderbrand (Fiction)
Meredith Martin Delinn just lost everything --- her friends, her homes, her social standing --- because her husband cheated rich investors out of billions. Desperate and facing homelessness, Meredith and an old friend depart for a summer on Nantucket in an attempt to heal. But the island can't offer complete escape, as they're plagued by new and old troubles alike. Reviewed by Bronwyn Miller.

WITCHES OF EAST END by Melissa de la Cruz (Urban Fantasy)
The three Beauchamp women --- Joanna and her daughters, Freya and Ingrid --- live in North Hampton, out on the tip of Long Island. Their beautiful, mist-shrouded town seems almost stuck in time, and all three ladies lead seemingly quiet, uneventful existences. But they are harboring a mighty secret --- they are powerful witches banned from using magic. Reviewed by Kathleen M. Purcell.

HEAT WAVE by Nancy Thayer (Fiction)
In this charming page-turner, Carley Winsted's husband dies suddenly, leaving her and their two young daughters heartsick. Now Carley faces the question of financial survival: Can she manage to keep their huge Nantucket home and also support her family, even though she's never had interest in a career? Reviewed by Terry Miller Shannon.

THE PROFESSION by Steven Pressfield (Thriller)
The year is 2032. The third Iran-Iraq war is over, and the 11/11 dirty bomb attack on the port of Long Beach, California is receding into memory. Everywhere, military force is for hire. Even nation states enlist mercenary forces to suppress internal insurrections, hunt terrorists, and maintain the new New World Order. As THE PROFESSION builds to its heart-stopping climax, its narrator launches his most desperate mission. Reviewed by Ray Palen.

STRONG AT THE BREAK: A Caitlin Strong Novel by Jon Land (Thriller)
Texas Ranger Caitlin Strong and her notorious friend, Cort Wesley Masters, reunite to rescue Masters’s son, Dylan Torres --- and wipe out a radical militia movement bent on destroying the fabric of America. The movement is headed by Malcolm Arno, a ruthless and soulless man capable of the most vile crimes. Reviewed by Donna Volkenannt.

FORT FREAK: A Wild Cards Novel edited by George R. R. Martin (Science Fiction)
In 1946, an alien virus that rewrites human DNA was accidentally unleashed in the skies over New York City. It killed 90 percent of those it infected, while nine percent mutated into tragically deformed creatures and one percent gained superpowers. The Wild Cards shared-universe series is the tale of the history of the world since then --- and of the heroes among the one percent. Reviewed by Maggie Harding.

TUNNEL VISION by Gary Braver (Thriller)
Following a biking accident on icy Boston streets, grad student Zack Kashian lapses into a coma. When he wakes up on Easter muttering the Lord’s Prayer in Aramaic, the media is set abuzz about the “Miracle Man.” Religious fanatics flock to the hospital, and a small team of neuroscientists use Zack to secretly research near-death experiences. But sinister forces have taken an interest too --- forces to whom near-death experiences are deceptions by Satan himself. Reviewed by Roberta O’Hara.

THE BONES OF AVALON by Phil Rickman (Historical Mystery)
Some say that Glastonbury held the bones of King Arthur, for once it was called the Isle of Avalon. Now, in 16th-century England, Queen Elizabeth dispatches her consultant Dr. John Dee, along with her rumored lover Lord Dudley, to find the bones and prove her legitimacy to rule once and for all. But a nasty murder sidetracks them in their efforts. Reviewed by Kate Ayers.

CLARENCE DARROW: ATTORNEY FOR THE DAMNED by John A. Farrell (Biography)
John A. Farrell draws on previously unpublished correspondence and memoirs to offer a candid account of America’s legendary defense attorney, touching on Clarence Darrow’s divorce, affairs and disastrous finances; new details of his feud with his law partner, the famous poet Edgar Lee Masters; a shocking disclosure about one of his most controversial cases; and explosive revelations of shady tactics he used in his own trial for bribery. Reviewed by Stuart Shiffman.

NOBODY’S PERFECT: Two Men, One Call, and a Game for Baseball History by Armando Galarraga and Jim Joyce, with Daniel Paisner (Sports)
The perfect game is one of the rarest accomplishments in sports. No hits, no walks, no men reaching base. In more than 130 years of Major League Baseball, it has only happened 20 times. On June 2, 2010, Armando Galarraga threw baseball’s 21st perfect game. Except that’s not how it entered the record books. Reviewed by Ron Kaplan.

 

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