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Brown Paper Bags of Books (Not Tied With String);
These Are a Few of My Favorite Things
What a nice long weekend I had. I felt like I had been off a month, even though I spent Saturday in the office packing up for our move. It is much easier to get things done for the move when I am not trying to work as well.
It is quite amazing how much one can collect in 21 years! A whole lot of throwing out has been going on, along with a whole lot of organizing. My lists have lists. We are moving the lights and fans from our present office to the new one (I really like these and selected them when we designed the space). Picture my call to the moving company --- “Can your movers work in the dark?” --- as I want to move these in advance of the furniture.
Greg and I have been toting brown paper bags of books over to the new space every day. The security team there must be wondering what is going on as we carry brown grocery bags upstairs and return with them empty minutes later, and this happens throughout the day. I also have a huge box of cords and another huge box of software in the office; I am sure that most of the computers that should have been attached to these are long gone. But there is a part of me that worries that whatever I toss will be the one thing I need.
The rest of our break was a great long weekend of reading, cooking nice dinners, floating in the pool and kicking it back a big notch. I took my own advice last weekend and binge read books two and three in Carrie Doyle’s Hamptons Murder Mystery series --- DEATH ON LILY POND LANE and DEATH ON WEST END ROAD. These are really fun reads, and Carrie’s protagonist, who is an innkeeper as well as a chef in a gourmet restaurant, inspired me to bake savory muffins --- something I had not thought about making before. I used Jiffy Cornbread Mix and added fresh corn, jalapenos, cheese, Indian spice-infused honey and sage. I was told by Tom and Greg that they were great!
Our readers shared some photos over the weekend, and I am spotlighting two with you. First up, Melanie, who edits our Word of Mouth and Sounding Off on Audio features attended Mary Alice Monroe’s tour event for BEACH HOUSE FOR RENT in Wellington, Florida. You can see a photo of the two of them above; Melanie is on the left. Melanie appreciated Mary Alice talking about her creative process, which was very different from other authors she's heard discuss their work. Mary Alice said she picks a species of wildlife first. She learns about it through research and immerses herself in the species by volunteering at a rescue to learn more about the animal. THEN the characters come forth in her mind and the story unfolds!
Kate shared the photo above of a Little Lending Library, with this comment: “Thought of you when I saw this outside of Volcanoes National Park on the big island of Hawaii. My sister, Kristin, and I had just visited a winery in Volcanoes, HI. Both the winery and the book exchange were major surprises!” I love that readers share their author and vacation memories with me.
Now to this week’s update, with a big round of applause to Tom Donadio, who pulled off this update in three days. Impressive!
Beatriz Williams takes her readers back to sunny Florida and Prohibition-era Cocoa Beach in her latest historical novel, COCOA BEACH. Here, we are introduced to Virginia Fortescue, who flees her oppressive home in New York City for the battlefields of World War I France. She proceeds to fall in love with Captain Simon Fitzwilliam, but the dark secrets of his past will damage their eventual marriage. Five years later, Virginia, who is now a widow, arrives in Cocoa Beach, Florida, to settle her husband’s estate. However, she is not convinced that Simon died in the fire that destroyed the seaside home he built for her and their daughter, and is determined to uncover the truth, for the sake of the daughter Simon never met.
According to reviewer Catherine Rubino, “Beatriz Williams creates a strong and determined narrator in Virginia, who is not to be trifled with, especially when it comes to her family. She also does a great job of developing her other characters, enriching their storylines with a multitude of details.” We have a discussion guide for COCOA BEACH on ReadingGroupGuides.com, which you can see here. I am so impressed with Beatriz’s attention to detail in each of her books. So well done.
Mary Kubica, the New York Times bestselling author of THE GOOD GIRL, PRETTY BABY and DON’T YOU CRY, is back with another gripping novel of psychological suspense, EVERY LAST LIE. Clara Solberg’s life changes forever when her husband, Nick, is killed in a car crash. Miraculously, though, their four-year-old daughter, Maisie, a passenger in the vehicle, isn’t hurt at all. Although the crash is ruled an accident, Clara begins to question what really happened that afternoon and becomes convinced that something much more sinister is at play here. Who would have wanted Nick dead, and why? This chilling thriller is told in the alternating perspectives of Clara's investigation and Nick's last months leading up to the crash.
Norah Piehl has our review and says, “Clara’s conviction that there’s more to this story than meets the eye compels her to play amateur detective, sometimes making questionable choices as she tries to care for her young children…. Believe it or not, all of these various threads do come together, as the reader’s suspicions mount alongside Clara’s.” Be sure to check out the discussion guide for EVERY LAST LIE on ReadingGroupGuides.com here. I have to catch up on this one from Mary!
Other books we’re reviewing this week include DANGEROUS MINDS, Janet Evanovich’s new mystery featuring Emerson Knight and Riley Moon; A GAME OF GHOSTS, the latest installment in John Connolly’s supernatural thriller series starring Charlie Parker; and KENNEDY AND KING by Steven Levingston, which traces the emergence of John F. Kennedy and Martin Luther King Jr., their powerful impact on each other and on the shape of the civil rights battle between 1960 and 1963.
THE MARRIAGE PACT by Michelle Richmond, a future Bookreporter.com Bets On selection that will be in stores on July 25th, is our latest Suspense/Thriller Author Spotlight title. Newlyweds Alice and Jake are a picture-perfect couple, and their life together holds endless possibilities. After receiving an enticing wedding gift from one of Alice’s prominent clients, they decide to join an exclusive and mysterious group known only as The Pact. The goal of The Pact seems simple: to keep marriages happy and intact. But the young lovers will soon discover that for adherents to The Pact, membership is for life. And The Pact will go to any lengths to enforce that rule. We’re giving 25 readers the chance to win a copy of THE MARRIAGE PACT and share their feedback on it. To enter, please fill out this form by Thursday, July 20th at noon ET.
I am looking forward to what readers have to say about this book. There was a moment when Alice and Jake were following the rituals of The Pact that I found myself wishing my husband and I exchanged gifts like these two did. Then the more I read, I realized that I could pass on those gifts when I saw what else was involved!
THE CHILD by Fiona Barton, which we reviewed in last week’s newsletter, is my latest Bets On pick. Click here to find out why I’m betting you’ll love it.
In this week’s Summer Reading contests, we gave away BLACKOUT by Marc Elsberg and SAME BEACH, NEXT YEAR by Dorothea Benton Frank. Next week’s prizes will be THE ALMOST SISTERS by Joshilyn Jackson, THE BOOKSHOP AT WATER'S END by Patti Callahan Henry, A STRANGER IN THE HOUSE by Shari Lapena, and THE WANGS VS. THE WORLD by Jade Chang. The first contest of the week will be up on Monday, July 10th at noon ET.
THE BOOKSHOP AT WATER'S END is one of the books we’re featuring in this month’s New in Paperback roundups. Other titles include THE WHISTLER by John Grisham, TRULY, MADLY, GUILTY by Liane Moriarty, AROUND THE WAY GIRL by Taraji P. Henson, and a number of notable debut novels, including BEHIND CLOSED DOORS by B. A. Paris, THE DOLLHOUSE by Fiona Davis, and ALL IS NOT FORGOTTEN by Wendy Walker --- all three of which were Bets On picks when they released in hardcover.
B. A. Paris’ highly anticipated second psychological thriller, THE BREAKDOWN, is one of the prizes we’re awarding to the winners of our Word of Mouth contest, along with TWO NIGHTS, a stand-alone thriller from Kathy Reichs. Let us know by Friday, July 21st at noon ET what books you’ve finished reading, and you’ll have an opportunity to win both novels.
We also have a new Sounding Off on Audio contest to tell you about. This month’s prize books are the audio versions of Daniel Silva's HOUSE OF SPIES, performed by George Guidall, and Adriana Trigiani's KISS CARLO, performed by Edoardo Ballerini. Submit your comments about the audiobooks you’ve listened to, and you’ll be in the running to win both audio titles.
Our Books on Screen feature has been updated for July. The major TV highlight is, of course, the season seven premiere of “Game of Thrones” on July 16th, but you can also catch the premiere of NBC’s “Midnight, Texas” (based on Charlaine Harris’ series of the same name) on July 24th. In theaters this month are Spider-Man: Homecoming and Atomic Blonde, and DVD releases include The Lost City of Z and The Zookeeper's Wife.
Do your feelings about the characters in a book influence whether or not you like the book? That’s our latest poll question; click here to let us know your thoughts on this! Reader mail prompted this question, as so many of you are so vocal on this subject.
Our previous poll asked if you’ve ever interacted with an author. 62% of you have been fortunate enough to see an author at a book signing, while 40% have communicated with an author through email and 36% via the author’s website. Click here for all the results.
The nominees for this year’s Macavity Awards have been announced, and you can see them all here. The winners will be announced at Bouchercon in Toronto on October 12th.
News & Pop Culture
Reader Mail:
Simone wrote, “Awesome, thank you so much!” after winning a copy of HARMONY by Carolyn Parkhurst.
Joanne wrote, "Thank you so much! I look forward to using it!” after winning THE BEACH HOUSE COOKBOOK. The cocktail pictured above is a Beergarita, one of the fun drink recipes you will find in Mary Kay Andrews' cookbook.
Susan wrote about THE HANDMAID’S TALE: “I loved the book and have read it more than once, but felt the Hulu series was very slow. The acting was well done by Elizabeth Moss, but the contemporary updates made to the script did not work. Do not avoid reading the book based upon this show, as it was one of the best books by Margaret Atwood in my opinion and very prescient regarding women’s rights.” I have four episodes left to watch.
Mary Ann wrote, “I have to tell you how impressed I was with your presentation at Rockville Centre. You have provided me with a bounty of books to put on my reading list. I found you to be lively, interesting and so knowledgeable..I am signing up for the Bookreporter newsletter and am so looking forward to continuing a great 'conversation' with you. I read THE SCRIBE OF SIENA as I just love time travel books, especially as this one transported me to one of my favorite cities. I contacted the author Melodie Winawer through Facebook and had a very interesting chat with this first-time author, a true Renaissance woman, maintaining a medical practice while writing. So very happy to have had the opportunity to listen to you; you are inspiring.” Mary Ann, you're welcome. So glad to have you as a reader. And Melodie is one very inspiring author. A few months ago at her book launch lunch, I loved chatting with her about creating dinner parties with ancient recipes!
Bob wrote to share, “Thought you might like to know that Hulu will be filming a 10-part series based on Stephen King's stories located in the fictional town of Castle Rock. The stars announced so far include Melanie Lynskey, Andre Holland, Jane Levy and Sissy Spacek. Some of the filming is due to start late this summer in my little town of Orange, MA. Needless to say, I and other local residents are excited about our town being a part of a TV series.” What fun!
Reese Witherspoon’s Book Club: Her latest selection is THE ALICE NETWORK by Kate Quinn. Thanks to our readers who saw my note on social media and jumped on to vote for this to be the selection.
Baby Driver: Enjoyed this film. There was a terrific opening chase scene, and the music was great. I do have to say that I kept seeing Ansel Elgort in his The Fault in Our Stars role, Jon Hamm as Don Draper and Kevin Spacey as Frank Underwood. This is the danger of iconic roles. And yes, I loved it wrapping with Simon & Garfunkel’s "Baby Driver"; always thought that song deserved a movie. I could have tweaked the film a bit to make it even shorter and tighter (there was one section with Hamm that dragged on way too long), but it was overall fun!
Great inspiring video from Budweiser: Dare you not to tear up watching this.
Quiet weekend on tap; just the way I want it. I think Tom and Greg are hanging at the hacienda for most of the weekend, and shockingly Cory will be here all weekend as well. It's Son 2A's birthday, so celebrating will be going on. I am debating what to read next and am thinking it will be CAMINO ROAD by John Grisham. My husband has been perusing our bookshelves to see how many first editions I have on tap. Clearly he has book collecting on his mind, and I want to see what he has learned.
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: COCOA BEACH by Beatriz Williams
COCOA BEACH by Beatriz Williams (Historical Fiction)
Audiobook available, performed by Eva Kaminsky and Alex Wyndham
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. Five years later, the newly widowed Virginia Fitzwilliam arrives in Cocoa Beach, Florida, to settle her husband’s estate. Despite the evidence, Virginia does not believe Simon perished in the fire that destroyed the seaside home he built for her and their young daughter. Separated from her husband since the early days of their marriage, the headstrong Virginia plans to uncover the truth, for the sake of the daughter Simon never met. Reviewed by Catherine Rubino.
- Click here to read more about the book.
- Click here to read an excerpt.
- Click here for the discussion guide.
Click here to read the review.
Featured Review: EVERY LAST LIE by Mary Kubica
EVERY LAST LIE by Mary Kubica (Psychological Thriller)
Audiobook available, read by Carly Robins and Graham Hamilton
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. Tormented by grief and her obsession that Nick's death was far more than just an accident, Clara is plunged into a desperate hunt for the truth. Who would have wanted Nick dead? And, more important, why? Clara will stop at nothing to find out --- and the truth is only the beginning of this twisted tale of secrets and deceit. Reviewed by Norah Piehl.
- Click here to read more about the book.
- Click here for the discussion guide.
Click here to read the review.
New Suspense/Thriller Author Spotlight & Contest:
THE MARRIAGE PACT by Michelle Richmond
We have 25 copies of THE MARRIAGE PACT by Michelle Richmond --- an intense and shocking tale that asks: How far would you go to protect your marriage? --- to give away to readers who would like to read the book, which releases on July 25th, and share their comments on it. To enter, please fill out this form by Thursday, July 20th at noon ET.
THE MARRIAGE PACT by Michelle Richmond (Psychological Thriller)
Newlyweds Alice and Jake are a picture-perfect couple. Alice, once a singer in a well-known rock band, is now a successful lawyer. Jake is a partner in an up-and-coming psychology practice. Their life together holds endless possibilities. After receiving an enticing wedding gift from one of Alice’s prominent clients, they decide to join an exclusive and mysterious group known only as The Pact.
The goal of The Pact seems simple: to keep marriages happy and intact. And most of its rules make sense. Always answer the phone when your spouse calls. Exchange thoughtful gifts monthly. Plan a trip together once per quarter...
Never mention The Pact to anyone.
Alice and Jake are initially seduced by the glamorous parties, the sense of community, their widening social circle of like-minded couples.
And then one of them breaks the rules.
The young lovers are about to discover that for adherents to The Pact, membership, like marriage, is for life. And The Pact will go to any lengths to enforce that rule.
For Jake and Alice, the marriage of their dreams is about to become their worst nightmare.
THE MARRIAGE PACT will be a Bookreporter.com Bets On selection. Read Carol's commentary in the August 4th Bookreporter.com Weekly Update newsletter.
- Click here to read an excerpt.
- Click here to read Michelle Richmond’s bio.
- Visit Michelle Richmond’s website and Instagram.
- Connect with Michelle Richmond on Facebook and Twitter.
Click here to read more in our Suspense/Thriller Author Spotlight
and enter the contest.
Bookreporter.com Bets On: THE CHILD by Fiona Barton
THE CHILD by Fiona Barton (Psychological Thriller)
There is always some mild --- okay, maybe not so mild --- trepidation when I pick up a book from an author whose debut novel nailed it for me. So when Fiona Barton’s THE CHILD crossed my desk, those feelings ran through my mind. I thought THE WIDOW had a strong voice and solid plotting. In reading the opening pages of THE CHILD, I exhaled a bit as I quickly saw that Fiona was in a great groove. The story begins as Kate Waters, a news reporter, is intrigued by an article in her paper about a skeleton of a baby being found in the debris of a home that is being demolished. She wants to know more, so she heads to the scene.
What, if anything, is the connection between this body and that of a newborn baby who was plucked from the maternity ward in a local hospital and was never found? Kate’s investigation takes her to the old neighborhood as she sleuths out who lived where --- and what they knew. Soon Kate knows more than she wants, and the closure she will bring to the families will take on a very different tone.
The story is told from four perspectives --- Emma, Angela, Kate and Jude --- each of whom brings her own angle to the story. Book groups, there is a lot to discover here about mothers and motherhood.
Fiona shows her great writing chops as the storyline here did have a surprise for me; I had guessed it was going another way. I love being surprised. I am not sharing any more, as it’s a thriller and I want to keep all clues and red herrings safely locked down. If you liked the writing and pacing in THE WIDOW, you will note the same here. I am looking forward to what’s next for Fiona!
- Click here to read more about the book.
- Click here to read a review.
Click here for more books we’re betting you’ll love.
Featured Review: DANGEROUS MINDS
by Janet Evanovich
DANGEROUS MINDS: A Knight and Moon Novel by Janet Evanovich (Mystery)
Audiobook available, read by Lorelei King
Buddhist monk Wayan Bagus lost his island of solitude and wants to get it back. The island was about 200 miles northeast of Samoa. It had a mountain, beaches, a rain forest and a volcano. And now it’s gone. Vanished without a trace. Brilliant and boyishly charming Emerson Knight likes nothing better than solving an unsolvable, improbable mystery. When clues lead to a dark and sinister secret that is being guarded by the National Park Service, Emerson will need to assemble a crack team for help. Since a crack team isn’t available, he enlists Riley Moon and his cousin Vernon. Together, this ragtag, mismatched trio will embark on a worldwide investigation that will expose a conspiracy 100 years in the making. Reviewed by Jane Krebs.
- Click here to read more about the book.
Click here to read the review.
Take a Quick Thriller Book Cover Survey
and Enter to Win a Prize!
In our first Thriller Book Cover Survey, we are looking for your thoughts on two potential book covers for MISTER TENDER'S GIRL by Carter Wilson, a psychological thriller that will be released in February 2018. Once you’ve completed the survey, you’ll be eligible to enter to win one of 15 copies of a book and a tote bag from the survey's sponsor. Please note that only U.S. residents are eligible to win. The survey is quick --- it should take you only 10 minutes, and your feedback would be greatly appreciated. We love offering opportunities like this to our readers to actively participate in getting books you want to read in your hands. The survey is open until Friday, July 14th at noon ET.
MISTER TENDER'S GIRL by Carter Wilson (Psychological Thriller)
At 14, Alice Hill was viciously attacked by two of her classmates and left to die. The teens claim she was a sacrifice for a man called Mister Tender, but that could never be true: Mister Tender doesn't exist. His sinister character is pop-culture fiction, nothing more.
Over a decade later, Alice has changed her name and is trying to heal. But someone is watching her. They know more about Alice than any stranger: her scars, her fears and the secrets she keeps locked away. She can try to escape her past, but he is never far behind.
Addictive and chillingly surprising, this ripped-from-the-headlines thriller will have you transfixed until the very last page.
Click here to take the survey.
July's New in Paperback Roundups
July's roundup of New in Paperback fiction titles includes John Grisham's THE WHISTLER, a high-stakes thrill ride through the darkest corners of the Sunshine State; THE FALL, in which John Lescroart puts Dismas Hardy and his daughter in the middle of an uncertain murder case where winning the trial could mean losing everything; and two debut psychological thrillers --- BEHIND CLOSED DOORS by B. A. Paris, about a seemingly happy couple whose family and friends have no idea what their lives are actually like behind closed doors, and ALL IS NOT FORGOTTEN by Wendy Walker, which poses an intriguing question: Will she choose to remember the one thing she wanted to forget?
Among this month’s nonfiction offerings are AROUND THE WAY GIRL, Taraji P. Henson's inspiring and funny memoir about family, friends, the hustle required to make it in Hollywood, and the joy of living your own truth; THE HOUSE BY THE LAKE by Thomas Harding, a groundbreaking and revelatory new history of Germany, told over a tumultuous century through the story of a small wooden house; and CITY OF SEDITION, in which John Strausbaugh tells the spellbinding story of the huge --- and hugely conflicted --- role that New York City played in the Civil War.
Find out what's New in Paperback for the weeks of
July 3rd, July 10th, July 17th and July 24th.
July's Books on Screen Feature
Bookreporter.com's Summer Reading
Contests and Feature
Summer is here! 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, July 10th 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.
A GAME OF GHOSTS: A Charlie Parker Thriller by John Connolly (Supernatural Thriller)
Audiobook available, read by Jeff Harding
It is deep winter, and the darkness is unending. A private detective named Jaycob Eklund has vanished, and Charlie Parker is assigned to track him down. Parker’s employer, Edgar Ross, an agent of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, has his own reasons for wanting Eklund found. Eklund is no ordinary investigator --- he is obsessively tracking a series of homicides and disappearances, each linked to reports of hauntings. Now Parker is drawn into Eklund’s world: a realm in which the monstrous Mother rules a crumbling criminal empire, in which men strike bargains with angels, and in which the innocent and guilty alike are pawns in a game of ghosts. Reviewed by Joe Hartlaub.
KENNEDY AND KING: The President, the Pastor, and the Battle Over Civil Rights by Steven Levingston (History)
Audiobook available, read by Dan Woren
KENNEDY AND KING traces the emergence of two of the 20th century's greatest leaders, their powerful impact on each other and on the shape of the civil rights battle between 1960 and 1963. These two men from starkly different worlds profoundly influenced each other's personal development. Kennedy's hesitation on civil rights spurred King to greater acts of courage, and King inspired Kennedy to finally make a moral commitment to equality. Reviewed by Harvey Freedenberg.
UNSUB by Meg Gardiner (Psychological Thriller)
Audiobook available, read by Hillary Huber
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. Caitlin has never escaped the shadow of her father’s failure to protect their city. But now the ruthless madman is killing again and has set his sights on her, threatening to undermine the fragile barrier she rigidly maintains for her own protection, between relentless pursuit and dangerous obsession. Reviewed by Ray Palen.
SOUTH POLE STATION by Ashley Shelby (Fiction)
Unmoored by a recent family tragedy and on the verge of sinking her career, Cooper Gosling accepts her place in the National Science Foundation’s Artists & Writers Program and flees to Antarctica, where she encounters a group of misfits motivated by desires as ambiguous as her own. The only thing the Polies have in common is the conviction that they don’t belong anywhere else. Then a fringe scientist arrives, claiming climate change is a hoax. His presence will rattle this already-imbalanced community, bringing Cooper and the Polies to the center of a global controversy and threatening the ancient ice chip they call home. Reviewed by Norah Piehl.
THE REASON YOU'RE ALIVE by Matthew Quick (Fiction)
Audiobook available, performed by R.C. Bray
After 68-year-old David Granger crashes his BMW, medical tests reveal a brain tumor that he readily attributes to his wartime Agent Orange exposure. He wakes up from surgery repeating a name no one in his civilian life has ever heard --- that of a Native American soldier whom he was once ordered to discipline. David decides to return something precious he long ago stole from the man he now calls Clayton Fire Bear. It may be the only way to find closure in a world increasingly at odds with the one he served to protect. It may also help him to finally recover from his wife’s untimely demise. Reviewed by Sarah Jackman.
THE SECRET HISTORY OF JANE EYRE: How Charlotte Brontë Wrote Her Masterpiece by John Pfordresher (History)
Thwarted in her passionate, secret and forbidden love for a married man, Charlotte Brontë found herself living in a home suddenly imperiled by the fact that her father, the sole support of the family, was on the brink of blindness. After his hasty operation, as she nursed him in an isolated apartment kept dark to help him heal his eyes, Brontë began writing JANE EYRE, an invigorating romance that, despite her own fears and sorrows, gives voice to a powerfully rebellious and ultimately optimistic woman’s spirit. THE SECRET HISTORY OF JANE EYRE expands our understanding of both the novel and the inner life of its notoriously private author. Reviewed by Bianca Ambrosio.
FATEFUL MORNINGS: A Henry Farrell Novel by Tom Bouman (Mystery)
Audiobook available, read by Joe Barrett
In Wild Thyme, Pennsylvania, summer has brought Officer Henry Farrell nothing but trouble. Heroin has arrived with a surge in burglaries and other crime. When local carpenter Kevin O’Keeffe admits that he shot a man and that his girlfriend, Penny, is missing, the search leads the small-town cop to an industrial vice district across state lines that has already ensnared more than one of his neighbors. With the patience of a hunter, Farrell ventures into a world of shadow beyond the fields and forests of home. Reviewed by Joe Hartlaub.
THE LAST COWBOYS OF SAN GERONIMO by Ian Stansel (Western)
Audiobook available, read by Jordan Killam
When Silas Van Loy flees home on horseback to avoid capture for his brother’s murder, he is soon followed by both the police and his brother’s wife, Lena, who is intent on exacting revenge. She reluctantly lets her trusted stable assistant join her in a journey across the wilds of Northern California in the hopes of catching Silas for one final showdown. Author Ian Stansel follows the chase and shares the story of the brothers’ rise from hardscrabble childhood to their reign as the region’s preeminent horse trainers, tracking the tense sibling rivalry that ultimately leads to the elder’s death. Reviewed by Joe Hartlaub.
THE FOURTH MONKEY by J. D. Barker (Thriller)
Audiobook available, read by Edoardo Ballerini and Graham Winton
For over five years, the Four Monkey Killer has terrorized the residents of Chicago. When his body is found, the police quickly realize he was on his way to deliver one final message, one that proves he has taken another victim who may still be alive. When Detective Sam Porter, the lead investigator on the 4MK task force, discovers a personal diary in the jacket pocket of the body, he finds himself caught up in the mind of a psychopath, unraveling a twisted history in hopes of finding one last girl, all while struggling with personal demons of his own. With only a handful of clues, the elusive killer’s identity remains a mystery. Time is running out, and the Four Monkey Killer taunts from beyond the grave. Reviewed by Dunja Bonacci Skenderovic.
SWELL by Jill Eisenstadt (Fiction)
Audiobook available, read by Courtney Patterson
When Sue Glassman's family needs a new home, Sue relents and agrees to convert to Judaism. In return, Sue's father-in-law, Sy, buys the family a capacious but ramshackle beachfront house in Rockaway, Queens. The catch? Sy is moving in, too. And the house is haunted. On the weekend of Sue's conversion party, 90-year-old Rose, who (literally) got away with murder on the premises years earlier, shows up uninvited and seems intent on moving back in. Enter neighbor Tim --- a former lifeguard, former firefighter and reformed alcoholic --- who feels, for reasons even he can't explain, inordinately protective of the Glassmans. Reviewed by Megan Elliott.
THE LAKE: A Konrad Simonsen Thriller by Lotte and Søren Hammer (Mystery/Thriller)
The remains of a young woman are discovered in a lake north of Copenhagen. Her identity is a mystery and no one, it appears, has reported her missing. After months of fruitless investigation by the local police, the case is handed over to Konrad Simonsen. It soon becomes clear to Simonsen and his team that this unknown woman is the key to a world of trafficking, prostitution and violence. A world where everything comes with a price, no mistake goes unpunished and everyone knows how to keep a secret. Reviewed by Joe Hartlaub.
PLAYED! by Michael A. Kahn (Legal Thriller)
Every law firm has its backroom bench of brilliant workaholic nerds ferocious in their commitment to the law and to their clients. Such a player is Milton Bernstein of Abbott & Windsor. He's highly valued by the partners for his skills, but untested in the courtroom. Milton's younger brother, Hal, is his polar opposite --- strikingly handsome, a high school baseball legend in St. Louis who was on his way to the major leagues until he destroyed his prospects in a motorcycle accident. Neither brilliant nor driven, Hal has to face up to earning a living. For now he's killing time as a lifeguard at an exclusive country club. But the lives of both brothers are about to change. Reviewed by Roz Shea.
Next Week’s Notables:
Noteworthy Books Releasing on July 11th
Below are some notable titles releasing on July 11th 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 July 10th, see our “On Sale This Week” newsletter here.
THE ALMOST SISTERS by Joshilyn Jackson (Fiction)
A one-night stand produces a baby boy for 38-year-old Leia Birch Briggs. But before she can break the news of her impending single-motherhood (including the fact that her baby is biracial) to her conventional, Southern family, her stepsister Rachel’s marriage implodes. Worse, she learns her beloved 90-year-old grandmother is losing her mind and has been hiding her dementia. Tucked in the attic of the family’s big Victorian is a dangerous secret with roots that reach all the way back to the Civil War.
BED-STUY IS BURNING by Brian Platzer (Fiction)
Aaron, a disgraced rabbi turned Wall Street banker, and Amelia, his journalist girlfriend, live with their newborn in Bedford-Stuyvesant. The infusion of upwardly mobile professionals into Bed-Stuy’s historic brownstones belies the tension simmering on the streets below. But after a cop shoots a boy in a nearby park, conflict escalates to rioting.
THE BOOKSHOP AT WATER’S END by Patti Callahan Henry (Fiction)
Bonny Blankenship’s most treasured memories are of idyllic summers spent in Watersend, South Carolina, with her best friend, Lainey McKay. They swam and wished for happy-ever-afters, then escaped to the local bookshop. Until the night that changed everything, the night that Lainey’s mother disappeared. Now, in her early 50s, Bonny goes back to the beloved river house, where she is soon joined by Lainey. They reunite with bookshop owner Mimi, who is tangled with the past and its mysteries.
DARK SATURDAY by Nicci French (Psychological Thriller)
A decade ago, 18-year-old Hannah Docherty was arrested for the shocking murder of her family. It was an open-and-shut case, and Hannah has been incarcerated in a secure psychiatric hospital ever since. When psychotherapist Frieda Klein is asked to meet Hannah and give her assessment, she reluctantly agrees. But what she finds horrifies her. Hannah has become a tragic figure, old before her time. And Frieda is haunted by the idea that Hannah might, in fact, be innocent.
DOWN A DARK ROAD: A Kate Burkholder Novel by Linda Castillo (Mystery/Thriller)
Two years ago, Joseph King was convicted of murdering his wife and sentenced to life in prison. Now he has escaped and is headed for Painters Mill. Chief of Police Kate Burkholder grew up with King. As a 13-year-old Amish girl, she had worshipped the ground he walked on. She never could have imagined the nightmare scenario that becomes reality when King shows up with a gun and takes his five children hostage at their Amish uncle’s farm.
HELLO, SUNSHINE by Laura Dave (Fiction)
Sunshine Mackenzie is a culinary star with millions of fans, a line of #1 bestselling cookbooks, and a devoted husband happy to support her every endeavor. And then she gets hacked. When Sunshine’s secrets are revealed, her fall from grace is catastrophic. She’s forced to return to the childhood home --- and the estranged sister --- she’s tried hard to forget.
HOUSE OF SPIES by Daniel Silva (Thriller/Adventure)
Four months after the deadliest attack on the American homeland since 9/11, terrorists leave a trail of carnage through London’s West End. The attack is a brilliant feat of planning and secrecy, but with one loose thread. The thread leads Gabriel Allon and his team of operatives to the south of France and to the gilded doorstep of Jean-Luc Martel and Olivia Watson. Together, under Gabriel’s skilled hand, they will become an unlikely pair of heroes in the global war on terror.
I NEED A LIFEGUARD EVERYWHERE BUT THE POOL by Lisa Scottoline and Francesca Serritella (Humor/Essays)
The bestselling and “perennially hilarious” mother-daughter team is back with a new collection of stories from their real lives, guaranteed to make you laugh out loud. Join Lisa Scottoline and Francesca Serritella as they regret drunk-shopping online, try smell-dating, and explore the freedom of a hiatus from men --- a Guyatus.
SECRETS OF THE TULIP SISTERS by Susan Mallery (Fiction)
Kelly Murphy's life as a tulip farmer is pretty routine, but everything changes one sun-washed summer with two dramatic homecomings: Griffith Burnett --- Tulpen Crossing's prodigal son, who has set his sights on Kelly --- and Olivia, her beautiful, wayward and unwelcome sister. Tempted by Griffith, annoyed by Olivia, Kelly is overwhelmed by the secrets that were so easy to keep when she was alone. But Olivia's return isn't as triumphant as she pretends, and she feels cut off from her past.
TWO NIGHTS by Kathy Reichs (Thriller)
Meet Sunday Night, a woman with physical and psychological scars, and a killer instinct. Sunnie has spent years running from her past, burying secrets and building a life in which she needs no one and feels nothing. But a girl has gone missing, lost in the chaos of a bomb explosion, and the family needs Sunnie’s help. Is the girl dead? Did someone take her? If she’s out there, why doesn’t she want to be found?
WHERE THE LIGHT FALLS: A Novel of the French Revolution by Allison Pataki and Owen Pataki (Historical Fiction)
Three years after the storming of the Bastille, the streets of Paris are roiling with revolution. Jean-Luc, an idealistic young lawyer, hopes to join the cause. André, the son of a denounced nobleman, has evaded execution by joining the new French army. Sophie, a young aristocratic widow, embarks on her own fight for independence against her powerful, vindictive uncle. As chaos threatens to undo the progress of the Revolution, the lives of these compatriots become inextricably linked.
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Our Latest Poll: Liking Characters in a Book
Influencing Your Liking a Book
Do your feelings about the characters in a book influence whether or not you like the book?
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My feelings about the characters do not influence how I feel about a book.
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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 July 7th to July 21st at noon ET, three lucky readers each will be randomly chosen to win a copy of THE BREAKDOWN by B. A. Paris and TWO NIGHTS by Kathy Reichs.
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 July 5th to August 1st at noon ET, two lucky readers each will be randomly chosen to win the audio versions of Daniel Silva's HOUSE OF SPIES, performed by George Guidall, and Adriana Trigiani's KISS CARLO, performed by Edoardo Ballerini.
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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