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A Spectacular Summer Week
It’s been a gorgeous few days in the tri-state area --- the kind of weather where it’s lovely to sit outside and read in the evening. The hydrangeas are not as lush as last year; I am blaming the cold winter. Oh, the hibiscus-loving squirrel is back. I kid you not. Last weekend, our lone hibiscus plant was looking lush with some gorgeous yellow flowers popping out everywhere.(I had only bought one as I wanted to see if the squirrel would indulge.) We moved it to where it was last year, and bam!, the “flower eater” found it and chewed most of it. I have now hidden that planter in the middle of a bunch of other pots, just to see what happens.
On Wednesday night, I had a really lovely dinner with William Kent Krueger and Nicole Baart (pictured with me above), and their literary agents, Danielle Egan-Miller and Mariana Fisher. Kent’s next book is DESOLATION MOUNTAIN, his latest Cork O'Connor mystery, which is one of our featured Summer Reading titles and will be on sale August 21st. In it, Cork and his son Stephen work together to uncover the truth behind the tragic plane crash of a senator on Desolation Mountain and the mysterious disappearances of several first responders. Nicole’s next book is YOU WERE ALWAYS MINE and will be on sale October 16th. Here, a single mother becomes caught up in a mystery that threatens to rip her family apart. I look forward to reading them both.
Troy Juliar from Recorded Books was also at this dinner, and I enjoyed talking to him about the growth of digital audio. We mused about narrators, and I ran my theory by him that part of the digital explosion is coming from the amount of time we spend looking at screens. He had a name for what I feel is happening --- screen fatigue. He said that people are listening before bed at night; being read to is a relaxing experience. I have been trying to think of what to listen to next. I think CALYPSO by David Sedaris. I have been back to plotting the podcast that I want to do. One of my favorite podcasts is “How I Built This” with Guy Raz, and another is "Skimm’d from the Couch," where the founders of The Skimm talk to female entrepreneurs about how they got started.
As promised, we have a full report of the goings-on at ThrillerFest last Friday from our very own Rebecca Munro, who joined me and our Editorial Director, Tom Donadio, as we attended some informative and entertaining panel discussions featuring many of the top thriller authors in the field, including Lee Child, Megan Abbott, Joseph Finder and Gregg Hurwitz. This was Rebecca’s first ThrillerFest, so I know the experience was extra special for her, especially since she (and Tom) had the honor of meeting the one and only George R. R. Martin and having her copy of A GAME OF THRONES signed by him.
Tom was there on Saturday for "Meet the Masters." This lively panel, moderated by Jeff Ayers, featured Martin, who is this year's ThrillerMaster (ThrillerFest's lifetime achievement honor), along with past ThrillerMasters Lee Child, R.L. Stine, Heather Graham and David Morrell. It was clear to Tom that they all had a blast as they talked about their books, their experiences working on the big and small screens, social media, book signings and memorable fan encounters.
Later that evening was the Thriller Awards Banquet, where Martin received his ThrillerMaster Award. James Rollins, author of the long-running Sigma Force adventure series, received the Silver Bullet Award for his philanthropic endeavors. He’s the founder of Authors United, a group of bestselling authors dedicated to raising funds and awareness for USA Cares, which seeks to help soldiers and their families through job placement, housing assistance and emergency aid. Robert and Patricia Gussin, the founders of Oceanview Publishing, were the recipients of the Thriller Legends Award, which was created to extend a special thank you to those who have made an extraordinary contribution to International Thriller Writers.
Here are the winners in the six main categories: FINAL GIRLS by Riley Sager (Best Hardcover Novel), THE FREEDOM BROKER by K.J. Howe (Best First Novel), GRIEVANCE by Christine Bell (Best Paperback Original Novel), “Charcoal and Cherry” by Zoë Z. Dean from Ellery Queen Mystery Magazine (Best Short Story), THE RAINS by Gregg Hurwitz (Best Young Adult Novel), and SECOND CHANCE by Sean Black (Best eBook Original Novel).
Quick note here: I had the pleasure of interviewing Riley last year at the Morristown Festival of Books. It’s always nice when someone you've interviewed gets recognition like this.
Daniel Silva is back with THE OTHER WOMAN, the 18th installment in his series of thrillers starring legendary art restorer and assassin Gabriel Allon. In an isolated village in the mountains of Andalusia, a mysterious Frenchwoman who is the keeper of the Kremlin’s most closely guarded secret begins work on a dangerous memoir. Long ago, the KGB inserted a mole into the heart of the West --- a mole who stands on the doorstep of ultimate power. Only one man can unravel the conspiracy: Gabriel Allon.
Roz Shea calls THE OTHER WOMAN “[t]ightly plotted and positively jammed with fascinating bits of spycraft…” She goes on to say, “If you are an ardent fan of spycraft, Silva provides a veritable handbook of the vernacular and sleight of hand still employed from [Kim] Philby’s days, hugely updated with the fiendish electronic listening devices in use today.” You can see Daniel talking about THE OTHER WOMAN on "Today" here.
GIVE ME YOUR HAND, a new psychological thriller from the aforementioned Megan Abbott (which I talked about in last week’s newsletter), also released this week. Kit Owens and Diane Fleming developed an unlikely friendship in high school. But then Diane shared a secret that changed everything between them. More than a decade later, the past comes roaring back when Kit discovers that Diane is her competition for a position both women covet. Soon enough, the two former friends find themselves locked in a dangerous game of cat-and-mouse that threatens to destroy them both.
According to reviewer Norah Piehl, Abbott “effectively employs plausible coincidences to cross Diane and Kit’s paths again and again, with increasingly dire results. Her novel explores issues of loyalty, betrayal, trust and psychopathy, all playing out against the background of a competitive academic research lab…. For those who like psychological thrillers that really make you think, you can’t do much better than GIVE ME YOUR HAND.” I read this last weekend and agree with Norah’s review; Megan’s writing follows no predicted path.
Other books we’re reviewing this week include THE LAST TIME I LIED, the aforementioned Riley Sager’s second novel, in which a rising star in the New York art scene returns to her childhood summer camp to uncover the truth about a tragedy that happened there 15 years ago; MY YEAR OF REST AND RELAXATION, Ottessa Moshfegh’s novel about a young woman's efforts to duck the ills of the world by embarking on an extended hibernation with the help of one of the worst psychiatrists in the annals of literature and the battery of medicines she prescribes; and A PLACE FOR US by debut author Fatima Farheen Mirza, which is the first novel from Sarah Jessica Parker’s new publishing imprint, SJP for Hogarth.
My three latest Bookreporter.com Bets On selections are THE SUMMER WIVES by Beatriz Williams, THE WIDOWER’S NOTEBOOK by Jonathan Santlofer, and THE LIDO by Libby Page, all three of which we reviewed last week. Click on each of the titles for my Bets On commentary.
THE SUMMER WIVES is one of our Summer Reading prize books next week; the others are BELIEVE ME by JP Delaney and A NOISE DOWNSTAIRS by Linwood Barclay (you can see our reviews of each in next week’s newsletter), along with CLASS MOM by Laurie Gelman. The first contest of the week will go live on Monday, July 23rd at noon ET. This week, we gave away THE AMAZING ADVENTURES OF AARON BROOM by A. E. Hotchner, COTTAGE BY THE SEA by Debbie Macomber, and THE FAMILY TABOR by Cherise Wolas.
A NOISE DOWNSTAIRS is one of our current Word of Mouth prizes, in addition to BLOODY SUNDAY by Ben Coes. Let us know by Friday, August 3rd at noon ET what books you’ve read, and you’ll be in the running to win both these upcoming thrillers.
Also, we’re giving away the audio versions of BELIEVE ME (read by Sally Scott and others) and COTTAGE BY THE SEA (read by Karissa Vacker) in our Sounding Off on Audio contest. Submit your comments about the audiobooks you’ve listened to for your chance to win both these audio titles. Please do so by Wednesday, August 1st at noon ET.
For our latest poll, we’re curious about the paid subscription services you may or may not subscribe to (Hulu, Netflix, Amazon Prime, etc.). Click here to let us know!
Our previous poll asked about your social media habits. Which social media platforms do you use on a regular basis? Here are the results: Goodreads (62%), Facebook (60%), Pinterest (26%), Instagram (21%), Twitter (13%), None of these (17%). And on which of the following social media platforms do you talk about or note the books that you are reading? Goodreads (54%), Facebook (34%), Pinterest (7%), Instagram (6%), Twitter (6%), None of these (34%).
News & Pop Culture
Springsteen: For those of you who wanted to see Bruce Springsteen on Broadway, and were not able to get tickets, here is some good news. The show is being taped and will be airing on Netflix beginning December 15th, the same night as his last performance.
Unfortunately, no one from our team was unable to attend yesterday's Random House Open House event. If anyone was there, we would love to hear from you about it!
I have a friend who had a baby recently, and I made the sweet hat above for her. You can see more about the yarn and characters here; they have many animals and color schemes.
Last weekend, I looked for a new blast of color for the garden and found some stunning zinnias on sale. Take a look at them above. I also planted lots of basil. What you see above is one of four containers of basil. Pesto anyone? Lots of mozzarella, basil and tomato salads, too. I prepare them with blackberry balsamic vinegar, which is terrific. We originally bought it at Olive With a Twist in Frenchtown, NJ. Now they only make it as Blackberry Ginger.
On Sunday, Tom’s mom, sister and niece are coming to the house before the latter two head off to Hong Kong. My niece is doing a semester in Singapore this fall --- a real adventure. My sister’s daughter, also my niece <g>, headed to Bali, Malaysia and Thailand today for a couple of weeks. Asia seems to have a pull on our family these days.
I am pondering what to read next. As for knitting, there are enough unfinished projects to keep me going for a long time. I can pick one, any one!
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 OTHER WOMAN by Daniel Silva
THE OTHER WOMAN by Daniel Silva (Thriller/Adventure)
Audiobook available, read by George Guidall
In an isolated village in the mountains of Andalusia, a mysterious Frenchwoman begins work on a dangerous memoir. It is the story of a man she once loved in the Beirut of old, and a child taken from her in treason’s name. The woman is the keeper of the Kremlin’s most closely guarded secret. Long ago, the KGB inserted a mole into the heart of the West --- a mole who stands on the doorstep of ultimate power. Only one man can unravel the conspiracy: Gabriel Allon, the legendary art restorer and assassin who serves as the chief of Israel’s vaunted secret intelligence service. Gabriel and the Russians will engage in a final epic showdown, with the fate of the postwar global order hanging in the balance. Reviewed by Roz Shea.
- Click here to read more about the book.
Click here to read the review.
Featured Review: GIVE ME YOUR HAND by Megan Abbott
GIVE ME YOUR HAND by Megan Abbott (Psychological Thriller)
Audiobook available, read by Chloe Cannon
Kit Owens harbored only modest ambitions for herself when the mysterious Diane Fleming appeared in her high school chemistry class. But Diane's academic brilliance lit a fire in Kit, and the two developed an unlikely friendship. Until Diane shared a secret that changed everything between them. More than a decade later, Kit thinks she's put Diane behind her forever and she's begun to fulfill the scientific dreams Diane awakened in her. But the past comes roaring back when she discovers that Diane is her competition for a position both women covet, taking part in groundbreaking new research led by their idol. Soon enough, the two former friends find themselves locked in a dangerous game of cat-and-mouse that threatens to destroy them both. Reviewed by Norah Piehl.
- Click here to read more about the book.
Click here to read the review.
Featured Review: MY YEAR OF REST AND RELAXATION by Ottessa Moshfegh
MY YEAR OF REST AND RELAXATION by Ottessa Moshfegh (Fiction)
Audiobook available, read by Julia Whelan
Our narrator should be happy, shouldn't she? She's young, thin, pretty, a recent Columbia graduate, works an easy job at a hip art gallery, lives in an apartment on the Upper East Side of Manhattan paid for (like the rest of her needs) by her inheritance. But there is a dark and vacuous hole in her heart, and it isn't just the loss of her parents, or the way her Wall Street boyfriend treats her, or her sadomasochistic relationship with her best friend, Reva. It's the year 2000 in a city aglitter with wealth and possibility. What could be so terribly wrong? Reviewed by Sarah Jackman.
- Click here to read more about the book.
Click here to read the review.
Featured Review: THE LAST TIME I LIED by Riley Sager
THE LAST TIME I LIED by Riley Sager (Psychological Thriller)
Audiobook available, read by Nicol Zanzarella
Two Truths and a Lie. Vivian, Natalie, Allison and first-time camper Emma Davis played it all the time in their cabin at Camp Nightingale. But the games ended the night Emma sleepily watched the others sneak out of the cabin into the darkness. Now a rising star in the New York art scene, Emma is asked to return to the newly reopened camp as a painting instructor. Seeing an opportunity to find out what really happened to her friends all those years ago, she agrees. Emma is assigned to the same cabin she slept in as a teenager, and cryptic clues that Vivian left behind about the camp's twisted origins begin surfacing. As she digs deeper, Emma finds herself sorting through lies from the past while facing mysterious threats in the present. Reviewed by Ray Palen.
- Click here to read more about the book.
- Click here to read an excerpt.
Click here to read the review.
Bookreporter.com Bets On: THE SUMMER WIVES
by Beatriz Williams
THE SUMMER WIVES by Beatriz Williams (Historical Fiction)
Beatriz Williams is an author who I have been following for a while. Her latest book, THE SUMMER WIVES, which I think is her best yet, is an atmospherically rich story full of detail and brilliantly drawn characters. Here she explores another branch of the Schuyler family. It opens in late spring 1969 on a small island off the coast of New England, and the setting alone makes it a lovely summer read. In it, Miranda Schuyler is an actress who has come back to town to hide out and lick her wounds after fleeing a troubled marriage in London and a career on the skids. She heads back to Greyfriars, the palatial Fisher home, on Winthrop Island.
Miranda first came to the island in 1951 when her widowed mother was about to be married to Hugh Fisher. There she met her stepsister, Isobel, who has lived a life of luxury --- something that is new for Miranda. But she also sees class distinction here between the island owners and those who work there, including some Portuguese fishermen, one of whom, Joseph Vargas, catches her eye. Events then had her spurned from the island, so her return now is surprising to many. With careful plotting, Beatriz unravels secrets and long-held conflicts.
- Click here to read more about the book.
- Click here to read a review.
- Click here to read an excerpt.
- Click here to read our interview with Beatriz Williams.
Click here to read more of Carol's commentary.
Bookreporter.com Bets On: THE WIDOWER'S NOTEBOOK
by Jonathan Santlofer
THE WIDOWER'S NOTEBOOK: A Memoir by Jonathan Santlofer (Memoir)
Years ago, I met Jonathan Santlofer at a thriller writer event; I was a fan of his work, and he was a lot of fun to talk to. He has a quick wit and is the kind of person who can turn a casual evening into an adventure, which happened with him more than once. His latest work, THE WIDOWER'S NOTEBOOK, is not a thriller, but rather a memoir in which he looks at his first two years as a widower. In doing so, he draws back the curtain on every emotion and the days when he felt void of emotion. Readers will see the cloudy haze of grief that envelops him and how he emerges from that fog.
Four years ago, I heard that his wife, Joy, had died suddenly. I knew that after her death, he and his daughter, Doria, had devoted themselves to getting a book that Joy had been working on about the history of food in New York published. But I did not know much more. I see why now. Jonathan was going through the motions and in something of a fog after Joy’s sudden passing; reading it, I could feel him trying to write and swim towards the surface.
- Click here to read more about the book.
- Click here to read a review.
Click here to read more of Carol's commentary.
Bookreporter.com Bets On: THE LIDO by Libby Page
THE LIDO by Libby Page (Fiction)
THE LIDO by Libby Page is a complete joy of a book; just looking at its cover makes me smile. And I can think of so many friends who I’m sure will enjoy it.
In it, 86-year-old Rosemary Peterson has been swimming at The Lido in her hometown of Brixton since 1937. She’s already watched so much of the town change, and not in a good way, like the day she realized that the local library was closing forever. So when she learns that The Lido will be closing as a new condominium complex is coming into town, and that location will be their state-of-the-art, residents-only gym, she decides there has been enough change in the places she loves.
Kate Matthews is a twentysomething and is new to the town; she is a reporter who is a tad afraid of many things and suffers frequent panic attacks. When she goes to interview Rosemary about The Lido, she is told she must get in the pool and swim before she can hear her story. And she does.
- Click here to read more about the book.
- Click here to read a review.
- Click here to read an excerpt.
- Click here for the discussion guide.
Click here to read more of Carol's commentary.
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. You will need to check the site to see the featured prize book(s) and enter to win. We also are sending a special newsletter to announce each title, which you can sign up for here.
Our next prize book will be announced on Monday, July 23rd at noon ET.
This year’s prize books include:
- Click here to see the winners of our Summer Reading Contests.
Click here to read all the contest details
and see the prize books being awarded in May, June, July and August.
What's New This Month on ReadingGroupGuides.com
We currently have two contests running on ReadingGroupGuides.com:
"What's Your Book Group Reading This Month?" Contest: Enter to Win 12 Copies of NEED TO KNOW by Karen Cleveland 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.
This month's prize book is the paperback edition of Karen Cleveland's debut thriller, NEED TO KNOW, in which a high-powered CIA analyst makes a shocking discovery about her husband that leads her to question everything she believes. This New York Times bestseller was a Bookreporter.com Bets On pick when it released in hardcover earlier this year, and film rights have been sold to Universal Pictures for Charlize Theron. Enter here by Monday, September 10th at noon ET.
Enter to Win 12 Copies of RAINY DAY FRIENDS by Jill Shalvis for Your Group
We are celebrating the release of RAINY DAY FRIENDS --- a moving story of heart, loss, betrayal and friendship --- with a special contest that will give three groups the opportunity to win 12 copies of the book, which is the stand-alone second novel in Jill Shalvis' Wildstone series. Enter here by Wednesday, July 25th at noon ET.
Here are our latest featured guides:
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
A PLACE FOR US by Fatima Farheen Mirza (Fiction)
Audiobook available, read by Deepti Gupta and Sunil Malhotra
As an Indian wedding gathers a family back together, parents Rafiq and Layla must reckon with the choices their children have made. There is Hadia: their headstrong, eldest daughter, whose marriage is a match of love and not tradition. Huda, the middle child, determined to follow in her sister’s footsteps. And lastly, their estranged son, Amar, who returns to the family fold for the first time in three years to take his place as brother of the bride. What secrets and betrayals have caused this close-knit family to fracture? Can Amar find his way back to the people who know and love him best? Reviewed by Rebecca Munro.
- Click here to read an excerpt.
RESCUED: An Andy Carpenter Mystery by David Rosenfelt (Mystery)
Audiobook available, read by Grover Gardner
Defense lawyer Andy Carpenter is reluctant to take on any more cases. He’d much rather spend his time working for his dog rescue organization, the Tara Foundation, than find himself back in a courtroom. However, when a truck carrying over 70 dogs from the South to the rescue-friendly northeast turns up with a murdered driver, Andy can’t help but get involved. The accused just happens to be his wife Laurie’s ex-fiance; her tall, good-looking, ex-Marine ex-fiance. Even though he acknowledges having argued with the victim, he swears that he is not a killer. And though he would rather not, Andy has to admit he believes he's telling the truth. Reviewed by Stuart Shiffman.
SAFE HOUSES by Dan Fesperman (Thriller)
Audiobook available, read by Dan Fesperman
West Berlin, 1979. Helen Abell oversees the CIA's network of safe houses. Her world is upended when, during her routine inspection of an agency property, she overhears a meeting between two people unfamiliar to her speaking a coded language that hints at shadowy realities far beyond her comprehension. Before the day is out, she witnesses a second unauthorized encounter, one that will place her in the sight lines of the most ruthless and powerful man at the agency. Her attempts to expose the dark truths about what she has witnessed will bring about repercussions that reach across decades and continents into the present day when a young man is arrested for the double murder of his parents, and his sister takes it upon herself to find out why he did it. Reviewed by Lorraine W. Shanley.
THE MOSCOW DECEPTION by Karen Robards (Thriller)
Audiobook available, read by Julia Whelan
Still navigating the fallout from a shocking revelation that’s left a network of assassins’ crosshairs trained on her, Bianca St. Ives is ready to take fate into her own hands. But as Bianca races to outmaneuver her tireless pursuers, her father loops her in on a job that just might do the trick: recover King Priam’s Treasure, a collection of heavily guarded, priceless artifacts stolen by the Russians during World War II, and return it to Germany. Impossible? Maybe for some, but a high-risk heist is all in a day’s work for Bianca St. Ives, especially when there’s intel on the line --- intel that could finally bring down the shadowy forces seeking to bury Bianca for good. Reviewed by Melanie Reynolds.
AN OCEAN OF MINUTES by Thea Lim (Fiction)
Audiobook available, read by Lisa Rost-Welling
America is in the grip of a deadly flu pandemic. When Frank catches the virus, his girlfriend Polly will do whatever it takes to save him, even if it means risking everything. She agrees to a radical plan. If she signs up for a one-way trip into the future to work as a bonded laborer, the company will pay for the life-saving treatment Frank needs. Polly promises to meet Frank again in Galveston, Texas, where she will arrive in 12 years. But when Polly is re-routed an extra five years into the future, Frank is nowhere to be found. Alone in a changed and divided America, Polly must navigate a new life and find a way to locate Frank, to discover if he is alive, and if their love has endured. Reviewed by Sarah Rachel Egelman.
1968: Radical Protest and Its Enemies by Richard Vinen (History)
Audiobook available, read by Tim Gerard Reynolds
The year 1968 saw an extraordinary range of protests across much of the western world. Some of these were genuinely revolutionary --- around 10 million French workers went on strike and the whole state teetered on the brink of collapse. Others were more easily contained, but had profound longer-term implications --- terrorist groups, feminist collectives and gay rights activists could all trace important roots to 1968. 1968 is a striking and original attempt half a century later to show how these events, which in some ways still seem so current, stemmed from histories and societies that are in practice now extraordinarily remote from our own time. Reviewed by John Bentlyewski.
SPLINTER IN THE BLOOD by Ashley Dyer (Mystery/Thriller)
Audiobook available, read by Piers Hampton
After months of hunting a cold-blooded murderer that the press has dubbed the Thorn Killer, Detective Greg Carver is shot in his own home. His trusted partner, Ruth Lake, is alone with him. Yet instead of calling for help, she has rearranged the crime scene and wiped the room clean of prints. But Carver isn’t dead. Awakening in the hospital, Carver has no memory of being shot, but is certain that his assailant is the Thorn Killer. He insists the attack is retaliation, an attempt to scare the detective off the psychopath’s scent. One person knows the truth and isn’t telling. She’s also now leading the Thorn Killer investigation while Carver recuperates. Ruth is keeping a deadly secret, and she’ll cross every line to keep it from surfacing. Reviewed by Ray Palen.
SOME DIE NAMELESS by Wallace Stroby (Thriller)
Ray Devlin is retired, living a simple life off the grid in Florida, when a visit from an old colleague stirs some bad memories --- and ends with a gunshot. Soon Devlin is forced to again face a past he'd hoped to leave behind, as a member of a mercenary force that helped put a brutal South American dictator into power. Tracy Quinn is an investigative reporter at a struggling Philadelphia newspaper. Then one day, what appears to be a straightforward homicide draws her and Devlin together, and ultimately enmeshes both in a conspiracy that stretches over 20 years and reaches to the highest levels of the U.S. government. Before long, they're both the targets of a ruthless assassin haunted by his own wartime experiences. Reviewed by Joe Hartlaub.
THE BOY WITH THE PERPETUAL NERVOUSNESS: A Memoir by Graham Caveney (Memoir)
Audiobook available, read by Jonathan Cowley
Raised in a small town in the north of England known primarily for its cotton mills, football team and deep roots in the “Respectable Working Class,” Graham Caveney armed himself against the confusing nature of adolescence with a thick accent, a copy of Kafka, and a record collection including the likes of the Buzzcocks and Joy Division. All three provided him the opportunity to escape, even if just in mind, beyond his small-town borders. But, when those passions are noticed and preyed upon by a mentor, everything changes. Now, as an adult, Caveney attempts to reconcile his past and present, coming to grips with both the challenges and wonder of adolescence, music and literature. Reviewed by Bianca Ambrosio.
UNLOADED VOLUME 2: More Crime Writers Writing Without Guns edited by Eric Beetner (Mystery & Thriller/Short Stories)
The Anthony-nominated collection of crime stories without guns is back for Volume 2. Two dozen more crime writers have come together to raise their voices and take pen in hand to call for a sensible and reasoned debate about guns in America. In stories of crime, mystery and suspense, these authors have left the guns out to show for a short while that we can do without them and the plot doesn’t fall apart. The top priority in these stories is to entertain with thrilling action and suspense that readers know and love about a crime story. To do so without guns leads to some creative leaps from writers who spin tales of simians on the loose, androids with buried secrets, punk rock shows and tattoo shops. Reviewed by L. Dean Murphy.
Next Week’s Notables:
Noteworthy Books Releasing on July 24th
Below are some notable titles releasing on July 24th 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 23rd, see our “On Sale This Week” newsletter here.
BELIEVE ME by JP Delaney (Psychological Thriller)
A struggling actor, Claire agrees to become a decoy for a firm of divorce lawyers. Hired to entrap straying husbands, she must catch them on tape with their seductive propositions. When the wife of one of Claire’s targets is violently murdered, the cops are sure the husband is to blame. Desperate to catch him before he kills again, they enlist Claire to lure him into a confession.
DAY OF THE DEAD by Nicci French (Psychological Thriller/Mystery)
A decade ago, psychologist Frieda Klein was sucked into the orbit of Dean Reeve, a psychopath who was obsessed with her. In the years since, Frieda has worked with --- and sometimes against --- the London police in solving their most baffling cases. But now she's in hiding, driven to isolation by Reeve. When a series of murders announces his return, Frieda must emerge from the shadows to confront her nemesis.
LITTLE GIRL LOST by Wendy Corsi Staub (Psychological Thriller)
May 1968: In Harlem, a church janitor finds an innocent newborn in a basket. Meanwhile, in Brooklyn, an elusive serial killer prowls slumbering families, leaving a trail of blood and a twisted calling card. October 1987: Amelia Crenshaw embarks on a search to discover the truth about the birth mother who abandoned her, never suspecting she’s on a collision course with a killer.
A NOISE DOWNSTAIRS by Linwood Barclay (Psychological Thriller)
College professor Paul Davis is a normal guy with a normal life. Until, driving along a deserted road late one night, he surprises a murderer disposing of a couple of bodies. That’s when Paul’s "normal" existence is turned upside down. His wife, Charlotte, brings home a vintage typewriter to encourage him to get started on that novel he’s always intended to write. However, Paul swears that it is possessed and types by itself at night.
Click here to see the latest "On Sale This Week" newsletter.
Our Latest Poll: Paid Subscription Services
Which, if Any, Do You Use?
To which of the following paid subscription services do you subscribe? Please check all that apply.
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Basic cable
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Hulu
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None of the above
Click here to vote in the poll by Friday, August 3rd 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 July 20th to August 3rd at noon ET, three lucky readers each will be randomly chosen to win a copy of BLOODY SUNDAY by Ben Coes and A NOISE DOWNSTAIRS by Linwood Barclay.
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 2nd to August 1st at noon ET, two lucky readers each will be randomly chosen to win the audio versions of JP Delaney's BELIEVE ME, read by Sally Scott and others, and Debbie Macomber's COTTAGE BY THE SEA, read by Karissa Vacker.
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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