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In the midst of a very crazy busy week, I took an evening on Wednesday to kick it back a notch and just savor the arrival of summer. The weather was spectacular, and it was wonderfully restorative to just sit outside and watch evening envelop the patio. I was so relaxed until I realized that I had failed to leave on lights in the kitchen or on the patio, or to turn the pool light on (I am out of practice on what one does on a summer evening). Thus I was trying to navigate my way back to the house, in the dark, without falling into the pool. I crashed into the hibiscus plants a few times as I shimmied my way away from the water’s edge.
Speaking of hibiscus, we learned this week that squirrels love them. My husband headed onto the deck the other morning and saw a squirrel on the patio calmly chomping on a hibiscus leaf. Lovely! The best news in gardening is that after a year of not blooming, the hydrangeas are back and they look better than ever.
Last weekend was a blur of feting my dad and Tom, but in between I read GENUINE FRAUD by e. Lockhart, which will be in stores on September 5th. I had read her last book, WE WERE LIARS, and loved it; it was a Bookreporter.com Bets On selection. This one is really sharp as well, and also will be a Bets On pick. GENUINE FRAUD is written backwards, so you are peeling back the layers of the story as you read. And again, it’s not what you thought at the start. Imogen reinvents herself again and again. Jule has her own ways of adapting to circumstances. What is real, and what is imagined?
On Wednesday, I spoke to a group of librarians in Nassau County, New York, presenting new and upcoming titles. It was fun to share books that we have featured here, and upcoming ones that I am passionate about, to a live audience and entertain their feedback as well. I presented 100 titles in two hours!
I have been doing a big cleanout in the office as we prepare to move sometime in July. Something to note in this digital age: Over the last 21 years, we have accumulated A LOT of blank paper and envelopes --- legal size, letter size and all sizes of envelopes. Of course, anything with the address will be obsolete, but there is a lot of blank paper as well. Things like FAX cover sheets also are a thing of the past. Some boxes are packed; many more to go.
A company is not just about what you do and where you work; at its heart, it's about the people. Over the last 21 years, I have worked with some of the best, and many still keep in touch. When I announced in last week’s newsletter that we were moving, Alex Kassl, who started working with us when he was right out of college 10 years ago, dropped me a note to say that he wanted to come by and see the old digs one last time. It was wonderful to see him, and for Tom and me to reminisce with him about the two years that he spent with us. It meant a ton to me that he did that.
Now to this week’s update...
Don Winslow is a former investigator, anti-terrorist trainer and trial consultant. This extensive background has helped pave the way for his latest novel, THE FORCE, which is based on years of research inside the NYPD. Denny Malone is a highly decorated NYPD detective sergeant who has done whatever it takes to serve and protect in a city built by ambition and corruption. No one is clean, not even Malone himself. He and his partners have stolen millions of dollars in drugs and cash in the wake of the biggest heroin bust in the city’s history. Now Malone is caught in a trap and being squeezed by the Feds, and he must walk the thin line between betraying his brothers and partners, his job, his family, and the woman he loves.
According to Joe Hartlaub in his review, “THE FORCE features some of Winslow’s best writing…[and] contains a spellbinding story with characters you will never forget from first page to last.” By the way, Lee Child was in the audience at Don’s New York event earlier this week. What I love about Lee is that he is a real fan as much as he is a bestselling author.
Dean Koontz introduces readers to Jane Hawk, a remarkable heroine who makes her debut in THE SILENT CORNER, the first of what promises to be another successful series for the Odd Thomas author. Jane is shocked to learn that her husband, who had everything to live for, has killed himself. But he’s not alone. It turns out that a number of talented, accomplished and seemingly happy people have been committing suicide at an alarming rate. Jane is determined to learn why and becomes the most-wanted fugitive in America, as her enemies are protecting a secret so important and terrifying that they will destroy anyone who gets in their way.
Reviewer Ray Palen calls Koontz’s new thriller “timely and hard-hitting” and goes on say, “I am excited to learn that THE SILENT CORNER is the start of a series for the strong heroine Jane Hawk, and I eagerly await the next adventure from her place in the silent corner."
Adriana Trigiani, a longtime favorite here at Bookreporter.com, is back with a new novel, KISS CARLO, the story of an Italian-American family on the cusp of change. It’s 1949, and The Palazzini Cab Company & Western Union Telegraph Office, owned and operated by Dominic Palazzini and his three sons, is flourishing. But a decades-long feud that split Dominic and his brother, Mike, and their once-close families sets the stage for a re-match. To make matters even more complicated, the arrival of an urgent telegram from Italy upends the life of the orphaned Nicky Castone, who lives and works with his Uncle Dom and his family. At the age of 30, Nicky decides he wants more.
Jane Krebs has our review and says, “Adriana Trigiani is known for her engrossing, heartfelt sagas, and KISS CARLO succeeds in continuing this tradition. Above all in this novel, her readers will enjoy the fun of good storytelling and the warmth of her theme --- La famiglia e tutto: Family is everything.”
Our Women’s Fiction Author Spotlight of THE LIGHT IN SUMMER, Mary McNear’s latest Butternut Lake novel, wraps up this week with our review and interview. Now more than ever, Billy Harper savors the time she spends with a good book, especially the ones with perfect endings. But she is about to learn that anything is possible when you spend your summer days in Butternut Lake. Coming to terms with her past will force Billy to have a little bit of faith in herself and others --- and realize that happiness doesn’t always mean perfection.
According to reviewer Megan Elliott, “McNear’s characters are fresh and fun, and watching them stumble their way toward happiness is a treat. Anyone in the mood for a heartwarming beach read will be glad they grabbed this one from the shelf.” Megan also had the opportunity to ask Mary some questions about the book; you can read the interview here.
Other books we’re reviewing this week include J.R.R. Tolkien’s BEREN AND LUTHIEN, a story that Christopher Tolkien has told in his father's own words by first giving its original form, and then passages in prose and verse from later texts that illustrate the narrative as it changed; MEN WITHOUT WOMEN, a new collection of short stories from Haruki Murakami, whose tales revolve around men who, in their own ways, find themselves alone; and TRAP THE DEVIL by Ben Coes, which marks the return of Dewey Andreas, who must unravel a brutal plot before its conspirators succeed in killing millions of innocents.
In this week’s Summer Reading contests, we gave away BEFORE WE WERE YOURS by Lisa Wingate (a Bets On pick), RISE AND SHINE, BENEDICT STONE by Phaedra Patrick, SWIMMING HOME by Mary-Rose MacColl (which we feature later in this newsletter), and WATCH ME DISAPPEAR by Janelle Brown. Next week’s prizes will be COCOA BEACH by Beatriz Williams, THE COUPLE NEXT DOOR by Shari Lapena (a Bets On pick that’s now available in paperback), HARMONY by Carolyn Parkhurst, and THE PEOPLE WE HATE AT THE WEDDING by Grant Ginder (after reading our review last week, I really want to read this!).
You’ll have another chance to win a copy of COCOA BEACH, as it’s one of our current Word of Mouth prizes; the other is THE CHILD by Fiona Barton, which will be an upcoming Bets On title; I liked it even better than THE WIDOW. Let us know by Friday, July 7th at noon ET what books you’ve read, and you’ll be in the running to win both novels.
We’re continuing to give away the audio version of THE CHILD (read by Mandy Williams and Rosalyn Landor with a full cast) and THE SUNSHINE SISTERS written and read by Jane Green in this month’s Sounding Off on Audio contest. All you have to do is submit your comments about the audiobooks you’ve listened to, and you’ll have a chance to win both audio titles. Be sure to enter by Wednesday, July 5th at noon ET.
Congratulations to the winners of our Father’s Day contest! Five lucky readers received all 12 of our featured titles. The prizes are going out this weekend.
Our latest poll asks: Have you ever interacted with an author? If so, how? Did you meet that author face to face or communicate with him or her online? Click here to let us know!
In our previous poll, we asked which bestselling authors who have books releasing this year would you like to see in person, whether or not they will be on tour near you. The top five vote-getters were John Grisham (47%), David Baldacci (42%), Michael Connelly (39%), Stephen King (36%) and Sue Grafton (32%). Click here for all the results.
News & Pop Culture
Reader Mail
Maureen wrote about winning our Word of Mouth Contest prize of MAGPIE MURDERS by Anthony Horowitz and THE SUNSHINE SISTERS by Jane Green: “Carol, I am very excited about winning. Thank you for the opportunity to read both of these novels. I love Bookreporter.com. It is by far the best website for all things books. I look forward to starting these books soon.”
Hedy wrote this about the Mitch Albom article that I shared last week. “Just want to thank you for the link to this wonderful article. I too cried my eyes out. As a grandmother of a childhood cancer survivor, I found this very humbling. Julian is now nine years out of treatment from sarcoma, and the article once again reminds me how lucky we are and to never take it for granted. Always knew I liked Mitch from TUESDAYS WITH MORRIE. Keep up the great newsletter!”
Rosalie wrote, “Carol: So excited to see you will be in Avalon on 6/28! Enjoyed your talk last year in Stone Harbor, NJ and look forward to seeing you in Avalon. Love Bookreporter.com!” Looking forward to seeing her too. For readers in the South Jersey area, looking forward to seeing you!
Winter is Here: Well, it is on "Game of Thrones." See the latest trailer here, and I love that it was announced on the first day of summer.
John Green: It was announced yesterday that the next book from the mega-bestselling author of the 2012 book THE FAULT IN OUR STARS will be published on October 10th and is called TURTLES ALL THE WAY DOWN. He has this to say about it: “This is my first attempt to write directly about the kind of mental illness that has affected my life since childhood, so while the story is fictional, it is also quite personal.”
Terrific Piece by Nina Riggs’ husband: You’ve read our review of THE BRIGHT HOUR and my Bets On copy. Now you can read here what Nina’s husband did after she died.
Next week, I have two events lined up where I will be “talking books.” June 27th at 7:00pm at the Rockville Centre Library (221 N Village Avenue, Rockville Centre, NY) for a Summer Reading Kickoff Presentation of new and upcoming books. Then, on June 28th at 7:00pm, an event presented by the Avalon Public Library at the Avalon Elementary School (235 32nd Street, Avalon, NJ) for “Beach Book Picks.” Hope to see some of you there!
Tom has a two-day golf tournament; hoping it does not rain like it did last Saturday when I thought there were fish swimming in his golf bag. Greg is in Ottawa this weekend camping with his Land Rover buddies and off-roading. Cory has a meeting at Children’s Specialized Hospital to plan the next HighlanderThon (a dance marathon) for NJIT; he loves this event, and what touches him most are the kids who attend. I love that he feels this strongly about this program and dedicates time to it.
As for my weekend, I will be reading and also carving out time to unpack the many boxes that I brought home from the office. I am a big fan of Beatriz Williams, and the aforementioned COCOA BEACH, which releases on Tuesday, has been sitting on my pile for a while. I want to dive into it this weekend.
Read on, and have a great week.
Carol Fitzgerald (Carol@bookreporter.com)
P.S. For those of you who are doing online shopping, if you use the store links below, Bookreporter.com gets a small affiliate fee on your purchases. We would appreciate your considering this!
Featured Review: THE FORCE by Don Winslow
THE FORCE by Don Winslow (Thriller)
Audiobook available, read by Dion Graham
Denny Malone is “the King of Manhattan North,” a highly decorated NYPD detective sergeant who has done whatever it takes to serve and protect in a city built by ambition and corruption, where no one is clean --- including Malone himself. What only a few know is that Denny Malone and his partners have stolen millions of dollars in drugs and cash in the wake of the biggest heroin bust in the city’s history. Now Malone is caught in a trap and being squeezed by the Feds, and he must walk the thin line between betraying his brothers and partners, the Job, his family, and the woman he loves, trying to survive while the city teeters on the brink of a racial conflagration that could destroy them all. Reviewed by Joe Hartlaub.
- Click here to read more about the book.
Click here to read the review.
Featured Review: THE SILENT CORNER by Dean Koontz
THE SILENT CORNER by Dean Koontz (Thriller)
Audiobook available, narrated by Elisabeth Rodgers
“I very much need to be dead.” These are the chilling words left behind by a man who had everything to live for, but took his own life. In the aftermath, his widow, Jane Hawk, is determined to find the truth, no matter what. People of talent and accomplishment, people admired and happy and sound of mind, have been committing suicide in surprising numbers. When Jane seeks to learn why, she becomes the most-wanted fugitive in America. Her powerful enemies are protecting a secret so important --- so terrifying --- that they will exterminate anyone in their way. But all their power and viciousness may not be enough to stop a woman as clever as they are cold-blooded, as relentless as they are ruthless. Reviewed by Ray Palen.
- Click here to read more about the book.
Click here to read the review.
Featured Review: KISS CARLO by Adriana Trigiani
KISS CARLO by Adriana Trigiani (Historical Fiction)
Audiobook available, performed by Edoardo Ballerini
It’s 1949, and South Philadelphia bursts with opportunity during the post-war boom. The Palazzini Cab Company & Western Union Telegraph Office, owned and operated by Dominic Palazzini and his three sons, is flourishing. But a decades-long feud that split Dominic and his brother, Mike, and their once-close families sets the stage for a re-match. Amidst the hoopla, the arrival of an urgent telegram from Italy upends the life of Nicky Castone (Dominic and his wife’s orphaned nephew) who lives and works with his Uncle Dom and his family. Nicky decides, at 30, that he wants more. Reviewed by Jane Krebs.
- Click here to read more about the book.
Click here to read the review.
Featured Review: BEREN AND LUTHIEN by J.R.R. Tolkien, edited by Christopher Tolkien
BEREN AND LUTHIEN written by J.R.R. Tolkien, edited by Christopher Tolkien, with illustrations by Alan Lee (Fantasy)
In this book, Christopher Tolkien has attempted to extract the story of Beren and Lúthien from the comprehensive work in which it was embedded. But that story was itself changing as it developed new associations within the larger history. To show something of the process whereby this legend of Middle-earth evolved over the years, he has told the story in his father's own words by giving, first, its original form, and then passages in prose and verse from later texts that illustrate the narrative as it changed. Presented together for the first time, they reveal aspects of the story, both in event and in narrative immediacy, that were afterwards lost. Reviewed by Stephen Hubbard.
- Click here to read more about the book.
Click here to read the review.
Bookreporter.com Talks to Mary McNear,
Author of THE LIGHT IN SUMMER
Our Latest Women's Fiction Author Spotlight Title
Mary McNear is the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of the Butternut Lake series, the latest installment of which, THE LIGHT IN SUMMER, is now available. In this interview, conducted by Bookreporter.com’s Megan Elliott, McNear explains what inspired her to make a single parent the main character in this fifth installment of the series, and why secrets --- those we keep and those we eventually choose (or are forced) to reveal --- are such rich terrain for writers. She also talks about the challenges of writing several chapters from the perspective of a teenage boy (her protagonist’s son) and gives us a sneak peek at the sixth (and, she believes, final) Butternut Lake novel.
THE LIGHT IN SUMMER: A Butternut Lake Novel by Mary McNear (Fiction)
For the lovely Billy Harper, Butternut Lake is the place she feels most at home, even though lately she feels that the only one listening to her is Murphy, her faithful Labrador Retriever. Her teenage son, Luke, has gone from precious to precocious practically overnight. Her friends are wrapped up in their own lives, and Luke’s father, Wesley, disappeared before his son was even born. But Billy is about to learn that anything is possible during the heady days of summer. Coming to terms with her past --- the death of her father, the arrival of Cal Cooper, a complicated man with a definite interest in Billy, even the return of Wesley --- will force her to have a little bit of faith in herself and others...and realize that happiness doesn’t always mean perfection. Reviewed by Megan Elliott.
- Click here to read more about the book.
- Click here to read a review.
- Click here to read an excerpt.
- Click here to read Mary McNear's bio.
- Connect with Mary McNear on Facebook and Twitter.
- Click here to see the 25 winners selected to read and comment on the book.
- Click here to read more in our Women's Fiction Author Spotlight.
Click here to read our interview.
Now Available: SWIMMING HOME by Mary-Rose MacColl
SWIMMING HOME by Mary-Rose MacColl (Historical Fiction)
London 1925: Fifteen-year-old Catherine Quick longs to feel once more the warm waters of her home, to strike out into the ocean off the Torres Strait Islands in Australia and swim, as she’s done since she was a child. But now, orphaned and living with her aunt Louisa in London, Catherine feels that everything she values has been stripped away from her.
Louisa, a London surgeon who fought boldly for equality for women, holds strict views on the behavior of her young niece. She wants Catherine to pursue an education, just as she herself did. Catherine is rebellious, and Louisa finds it difficult to block painful memories from her past. It takes the enigmatic American banker Manfred Lear Black to convince Louisa to bring Catherine to New York where Catherine can train to become the first woman to swim the English Channel. And finally, Louisa begins to listen to what her own heart tells her.
Click here to visit the publisher’s website for more about the book.
Bookreporter.com's Summer Reading
Contests and Feature
Summer is just around the corner! At Bookreporter.com, this means it's time for us to share some great summer book picks with our Summer Reading Contests and Feature. We are hosting a series of 24-hour contests for these titles on select days through August 24th, so you will have to check the site each day to see the featured prize book and enter to win. We also are sending a special newsletter to announce the day's title, which you can sign up for here.
Our next prize book will be announced on Monday, June 26th at noon ET.
This year's featured titles include:
Click here to read all the contest details
and see the prize books being awarded in May, June, July and August.
An Interview with Warren C. Easley,
Author of BLOOD FOR WINE
Warren C. Easley was a research scientist and an international business executive before becoming an award-winning author. BLOOD FOR WINE is the fifth and latest book in his mystery series starring Cal Claxton, a former Los Angeles prosecutor who has settled in Oregon’s Red Hills after his wife’s suicide and runs a small law practice that includes some pro bono work. In this interview, Easley mentions the crime writers who most influenced his work in this series, discusses the feedback he has received from readers about Cal’s love interests that made him think about the direction in which he was taking his protagonist, and previews his next Cal Claxton mystery, MOVING TARGETS, which will be set primarily in Portland.
BLOOD FOR WINE: A Cal Claxton Oregon Mystery by Warren C. Easley (Mystery)
When former prosecutor Cal Claxton’s neighbor, Jim Kavanaugh, the owner and gifted vintner of an up-and-coming winery, is accused of murdering his wife, his freedom --- and the grape harvest --- is suddenly in jeopardy along with his reputation, and his business begins to slide. No gentleman farmer, this puts the rugged winemaker's property, his only financial asset, in play. When a blackmail plot is hatched against the owner of adjacent land, it begins to look like a brutal game of real-life Monopoly is underway. Cal agrees to defend Jim, a good friend, which pulls him reluctantly into the blackmail plot and might well make him the next target of a vicious, cunning killer. Reviewed by Roz Shea.
- Click here to read more about the book.
- Click here to read a review.
Click here to read the interview.
What's New This Month on ReadingGroupGuides.com
Here are the contests currently running on ReadingGroupGuides.com:
Win 12 Copies of ALL THE LIGHT WE CANNOT SEE by Anthony Doerr for Your Book Group
We are celebrating the recent paperback release of ALL THE LIGHT WE CANNOT SEE --- Anthony Doerr's Pulitzer Prize-winning novel about a blind French girl and a German boy whose paths collide in occupied France as both try to survive the devastation of World War II --- with a special contest that will give three groups the chance to win 12 copies of the book. Enter here by Monday, July 10th at noon ET.
"What's Your Book Group Reading This Month?": Win 12 Copies of THE HAMILTON AFFAIR by Elizabeth Cobbs for Your Group
Each month in our "What's Your Book Group Reading This Month" contest, we ask book groups to share the titles they are reading that month and rate them. From all entries, three winners will be selected, and each will win 12 copies of that month’s prize book for their group. Our current prize book is THE HAMILTON AFFAIR by Elizabeth Cobbs, which is now available in paperback and tells the sweeping, tumultuous, true story of Alexander Hamilton and Elizabeth Schuyler --- from passionate and tender beginnings to his fateful duel on the banks of the Hudson River. Enter here by Monday, July 10th at noon ET.
The following guides are now available:
Please note that these titles, for which we already had the guides when they appeared in hardcover, are now available in paperback:
Click here to visit ReadingGroupGuides.com.
MEN WITHOUT WOMEN: Stories written by Haruki Murakami, translated by Philip Gabriel and Ted Goossen (Fiction/Short Stories)
Audiobook available, read by Kirby Heyborne
Across seven tales, Haruki Murakami brings his powers of observation to bear on the lives of men who, in their own ways, find themselves alone. Here are vanishing cats and smoky bars, lonely hearts and mysterious women, baseball and the Beatles, woven together to tell stories that speak to us all. Reviewed by Pauline Finch.
TRAP THE DEVIL by Ben Coes (Thriller)
Audiobook available, read by Jay Snyder
A group of some of the most powerful people in the government, the military and the private sector has begun a brutal plan to quietly take over the reins of the U.S. government. They’ve begun to remove the people who stand in their way and replace them with their own sympathizers and puppets. They’ve already taken out the Speaker of the House --- whose death was made to look like an accidental drowning --- and the president and vice president are next. Once they have their own people in place, they plan to start a bloody, brutal war on an unimaginable scale. With the Secretary of State now dead, Dewey Andreas desperately tries to unravel the plot before the conspirators succeed in killing millions of innocents. Reviewed by Joe Hartlaub.
A HOUSE AMONG THE TREES by Julia Glass (Fiction)
Audiobook available, read by Mary Stuart Masterson
When the revered children's book author Mort Lear dies accidentally, he leaves his property and all its contents to his trusted assistant, Tomasina Daulair. Tommy must try to honor Morty's last wishes while grappling with their effects on several people, including Dani Daulair, her estranged brother; Meredith Galarza, the lonely, outraged museum curator to whom Lear once promised his artistic estate; and Nicholas Greene, the beguiling British actor cast to play Mort Lear in a movie. When the actor arrives for the visit he had previously arranged with the man he is to portray, he and Tommy are compelled to look more closely at Morty's past and the consequences of the choices they now face. Reviewed by Bronwyn Miller.
THE ANSWERS by Catherine Lacey (Fiction)
Audiobook available, read by Megan Tusing
Mary is a young woman living in New York City and struggling to cope with a body that has betrayed her. All but paralyzed with pain, she seeks relief from a New Agey treatment called Pneuma Adaptive Kinesthesia, PAKing for short. And, remarkably, it works. But PAKing is prohibitively expensive and Mary is dead broke. So she scours Craigslist for fast-cash jobs and finds herself applying for the “Girlfriend Experiment,” the brainchild of an eccentric actor, Kurt Sky, who is determined to find the perfect relationship --- even if that means paying different women to fulfill distinctive roles. Mary is hired as the “Emotional Girlfriend” and pulled into Kurt’s ego-driven and messy attempt at human connection. Reviewed by Norah Piehl.
- Click here to read an excerpt.
- Click here for the discussion guide.
GOING DEEP: John Philip Holland and the Invention of the Attack Submarine by Lawrence Goldstone (History)
Like Henry Ford and the Wright brothers, John Philip Holland was completely self-taught, a brilliant man raised in humble circumstances, earning his living as a schoolteacher and choirmaster. But all the while he was obsessed with creating a machine that could successfully cruise beneath the waves. His struggle to unlock the mystery behind controlled undersea navigation would take three decades. But his indestructible belief in himself and his ideas led him to finally succeed where so many others had failed. GOING DEEP is a vivid chronicle of the fierce battles not only under the water, but also in the back rooms of Wall Street and the committee rooms of Congress. Reviewed by Curtis Edmonds.
DIS MEM BER and Other Stories of Mystery and Suspense by Joyce Carol Oates (Mystery/Short Stories)
At the heart of this collection are girls and women confronting the danger around them, and the danger hidden inside their turbulent selves. In the title story, a precocious 11-year-old named Jill is in thrall to an older male relative, the mysterious, attractive black sheep of the family. Without telling her parents, Jill climbs into his sky-blue Chevy to be driven to an uncertain, and unforgettable, fate. In “The Drowned Girl,” a university transfer student becomes increasingly obsessed with the drowning/murder of another female student, as her own sense of self begins to deteriorate. And in the final story, “Welcome to Friendly Skies,” a trusting group of bird-watchers is borne to a remote part of the globe, to a harrowing fate. Reviewed by Alex Bowditch.
WOLF ON A STRING by Benjamin Black (Historical Mystery)
Audiobook available, read by Simon Vance
Christian Stern, an ambitious young scholar and alchemist, arrives in Prague intent on making his fortune at the court of the eccentric Rudolf II. The night of his arrival, he stumbles upon the body of a young woman whose throat has been slashed. Christian quickly finds himself entangled in the machinations of several ruthless courtiers, and before long he comes to the attention of the Emperor himself. Rudolf sets Christian the task of solving the mystery of the woman’s murder. But Christian soon realizes that he has blundered into the midst of a power struggle that threatens to subvert the throne itself. And as he gets ever nearer to the truth of what happened that night, he finally sees that his own life is in grave danger. Reviewed by Carly Silver.
PUTIN'S GAMBIT by Lou Dobbs and James O. Born (Thriller)
Audiobook available, read by Peter Larkin
Adjusting to civilian life has not been easy for former Marine Derek Walsh. As he navigates a brutal job on Wall Street and a challenging romance, he wonders if he could be doing more with his life. When an inexplicable $200 million dollar money transfer is made on his computer, he is thrust into the world of international terror, and the global economy is knocked off its hinges. On the other side of the Atlantic, radical Islamists and Russian extremists have set the wheels in motion for Russia to assert its power in Europe. The US President has proven to be weak on foreign policy, the military is stretched too thin, and Vladimir Putin judges this to be the time for Russia to regain its Soviet Empire. Reviewed by Joe Hartlaub.
ENDGAME: A Nameless Detective Novel by Bill Pronzini (Mystery)
Audiobook available, read by Nick Sullivan
The Nameless Detective has taken two cases that will test his agency's resources. One involves a woman whose husband died accidentally in a remote cabin in the Sierras. The wife isn’t buying that her husband was alone, and is determined to find out his secret and get closure…in spite of any potential heartbreak. The other case is a missing person…but the person missing was agoraphobic and never left the house. The husband swears that while their relationship was strained due to his wife’s condition, he was still in love with her. He begs Nameless to clear him and find his wife before the cops come for him. Reviewed by Kate Ayers.
THE MARSH KING'S DAUGHTER by Karen Dionne (Psychological Suspense)
Audiobook available, read by Emily Rankin
At last, Helena Pelletier has the life she deserves. Then she catches an emergency news announcement and realizes she was a fool to think she could ever leave her worst days behind her. Helena has a secret: she is the product of an abduction. Her mother was kidnapped as a teenager by her father and kept in a remote cabin. Helena, born two years after the abduction, loved her father --- until she learned precisely how savage a person he could be. More than 20 years later, she has buried her past so soundly that even her husband doesn’t know the truth. But now her father has killed two guards, escaped from prison, and disappeared into the marshland he knows better than anyone else in the world. Reviewed by Norah Piehl.
OUR LITTLE RACKET by Angelica Baker (Fiction)
Audiobook available, performed by Therese Plummer
When the investment bank Weiss & Partners is shuttered in September 2008, CEO Bob D’Amico must fend off allegations of malfeasance, as well as the judgment and resentment of his community. As panic builds, five women in his life must scramble to negotiate power on their own terms and ask themselves what --- if anything --- is worth saving. In the aftermath of this collapse, D’Amico’s teenage daughter, Madison, begins to probe her father’s heretofore secret world for information. Four other women in Madison’s life --- her mother Isabel, her best friend Amanda, her nanny Lily, and family friend Mina --- begin to question their own shifting roles in their insular, moneyed world. Reviewed by Lorraine W. Shanley.
UNDERTOW by Elizabeth Heathcote (Psychological Thriller)
Audiobook available, performed by Henrietta Meire
Carmen is happily married to Tom, although she knows she'll always live in the shadow of the mistress who ended his first marriage: Zena, who drowned in the sea late one night. Zena seems ever-more present, and when Carmen unknowingly stumbles on evidence that her husband has not been telling her the whole truth, she can't shake her unease. As she uncovers documents and photographs, a very different tale than the one Tom has led her to believe begins to unfold, and she finds herself increasingly isolated and paranoid. As the twisted events of that night begin to come to light, Carmen must ask herself if it's really a truth worth knowing…even if it destroys her and the lives of the people she loves most. Reviewed by Christine M. Irvin.
MILES OFF COURSE: A Rowland Sinclair Novel by Sulari Gentill (Historical Mystery)
Audiobook available, read by Rupert Degas
It is early in 1933, and wealthy bohemian Rowland Sinclair and his companions --- a poet, a painter and a sculptress who also models nude --- are ensconced in the superlative luxury of The Hydro Majestic-Medlow Bath. But Rowland, try as he might to lead the boho life in Sydney in the family mansion or in a luxury spa, can't dismiss the responsibilities of being a Sinclair. Most of them rest upon his conservative elder brother, Wilfred. And Wil now makes two claims on Rowly. One is to appear at an important upcoming board meeting of a firm where Rowly, pressured by Wil, serves as a director. The other is to hustle up into the high country where a longtime family stockman appears to have gone missing --- and find him. Reviewed by Roz Shea.
Next Week’s Notables:
Noteworthy Books Releasing on June 26th and 27th
Below are some notable titles releasing on June 26th and 27th that we would like to make you aware of. We will have more on many of these books in the weeks to come. For a list of additional hardcovers and paperbacks releasing the week of June 26th, see our “On Sale This Week” newsletter here.
June 26th
MURDER GAMES by James Patterson and Howard Roughan (Thriller)
Dr. Dylan Reinhart is a renowned, bestselling Ivy League expert on criminal behavior. When a copy of his book turns up at a gruesome murder scene, it looks like someone has been taking notes. Elizabeth Needham is the headstrong and brilliant NYPD detective in charge of the case who recruits Dylan to help investigate another souvenir left at the scene --- a playing card.
June 27th
THE CHILD by Fiona Barton (Psychological Thriller)
As an old house is demolished in a gentrifying section of London, a workman discovers a tiny skeleton, buried for years. For journalist Kate Waters, it’s a story that deserves attention. She cobbles together a piece for her newspaper, but at a loss for answers, she can only pose a question: Who is the Building Site Baby?
COCOA BEACH by Beatriz Williams (Historical Fiction)
Burdened by a dark family secret, Virginia Fortescue flees her oppressive home in New York City for the battlefields of World War I France. As the war rages, Virginia falls into a passionate affair with the dashing Captain Simon Fitzwilliam, only to discover that his past has its own dark secrets --- secrets that will damage their eventual marriage.
THE DUCHESS by Danielle Steel (Historical Fiction)
Angélique Latham has grown up under the loving tutelage of her father, the Duke of Westerfield. But when he dies, and her half-brothers deny her very existence, Angélique desperately makes her way to Paris. There she decides to open an elegant house of pleasure that will protect its women and serve only the best clients.
EVERY LAST LIE by Mary Kubica (Psychological Thriller)
Clara Solberg's world shatters when her husband and their four-year-old daughter are in a car crash, killing Nick while Maisie is remarkably unharmed. The crash is ruled an accident…until the coming days, when Maisie starts having night terrors that make Clara question what really happened on that fateful afternoon.
FINAL TARGET: A Jonathan Grave Thriller by John Gilstrap (Thriller)
The mission: Drop into the Mexican jungle, infiltrate a drug cartel’s compound and extract a kidnapped DEA agent. But when Jonathan Grave and his partner, Boxers, retrieve the hostage and return to the exfil point, all hell breaks loose. Ambushed, abandoned and attacked on all sides, their only hope of survival lies inside a remote orphanage where innocent children have been targeted for death.
THE RIGHT SIDE by Spencer Quinn (Mystery)
LeAnne Hogan went to Afghanistan as a rising star in the military and came back with a missing eye and half her face badly scarred. When she learns that the daughter of her hospital roommate, who died suddenly, has vanished, LeAnne and a new canine companion of hers are drawn into danger as dark and menacing as her last Afghan mission.
SEVEN STONES TO STAND OR FALL: A Collection of Outlander Fiction by Diana Gabaldon (Historical Fiction/Short Stories)
SEVEN STONES TO STAND OR FALL is a magnificent collection of Outlander short fiction --- including two never-before-published novellas --- featuring Jamie Fraser, Lord John Grey, Master Raymond and many more.
UNSUB by Meg Gardiner (Psychological Thriller)
Caitlin Hendrix has been a Narcotics detective for six months when the killer at the heart of all her childhood nightmares reemerges: the Prophet. An UNSUB --- what the FBI calls an unknown subject --- the Prophet terrorized the Bay Area in the 1990s and nearly destroyed her father, the lead investigator on the case. Twenty years later, two bodies are found bearing the haunting signature of the Prophet.
USE OF FORCE by Brad Thor (Thriller)
As a storm rages across the Mediterranean Sea, a terrifying distress call is made to the Italian Coast Guard. Days later, a body washes ashore. Identified as a high value terrorism suspect (who had disappeared three years prior), his name sends panic through the Central Intelligence Agency. Where was he headed? What was he planning? And could he be connected to the “spectacular attack” they have been fearing all summer?
Click here to see the latest "On Sale This Week" newsletter.
Our Latest Poll: Interacting with Authors
Have you ever interacted with an author? If so, how? Please check all that apply.
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Via the author’s website
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Via the author’s blog
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Written email
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Written snail mail
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On Facebook
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On Twitter
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On Goodreads
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On Instagram
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On Pinterest
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On YouTube
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Via a phone chat
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Via a Skype chat
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Face to face at a book signing
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Face to face at a book conference or festival
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I never have interacted with an author.
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I never have interacted with an author, but would like to.
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Other (Please specify)
Click here to vote in the poll by Friday, July 7th at noon ET.
Word of Mouth Contest: Tell Us What You're
Reading --- and You Can Win Two Books!
Tell us about the books you’ve finished reading with your comments and a rating of 1 to 5 stars. During the contest period from June 23rd to July 7th at noon ET, three lucky readers each will be randomly chosen to win a copy of THE CHILD by Fiona Barton and COCOA BEACH by Beatriz Williams.
To make sure other readers will be able to find the books you write about, please include the full title and correct author names (your entry must include these to be eligible to win). For rules and guidelines, click here.
- To see reader comments from previous contest periods, click here.
Sounding Off on Audio Contest: Tell Us What You're Listening to --- and You Can Win Two Audiobooks!
Tell us about the audiobooks you’ve finished listening to with your comments and a rating of 1 to 5 stars for both the performance and the content. During the contest period from June 1st to July 5th at noon ET, two lucky readers each will be randomly chosen to win the audio versions of Fiona Barton's THE CHILD, read by Mandy Williams and Rosalyn Landor with a full cast, and THE SUNSHINE SISTERS written and read by Jane Green.
To make sure other readers will be able to find the audiobook, please include the full title and correct author names (your entry must include these to be eligible to win). For complete rules and guidelines, click here.
- To see reader comments from previous contest periods, click here.
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