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Two Nights of Talking Books
On Wednesday afternoon, I headed to Avalon, NJ for one of my favorite events: a night with readers at the Avalon Public Library. I was introduced to this library by two fabulous women who read this newsletter, Deb Martinelli and Jen Gensemer, when they first invited me to speak at the Stone Harbor Women’s Club in 2016. Last year, the event moved to the library where we again found ourselves this year.
My friend Beverley has a house in the area, so this gives us a chance to get together there each summer. This year, her daughter Ashley and sister-in-law Maria were there, too. My neighbor, Susan, has a summer home in Stone Harbor; she read about the event and popped over as well. And in a real surprise during the evening, a woman introduced herself as Patricia from Berlin, Germany, who has been a reader of our newsletter for about 20 years; she joked that when we send the newsletter on Friday night; it’s her Saturday morning. She was in town to see her mom and was able to time a visit to meet there. You can see me with her above.
At dinner after the event, the book conversation continued, with Beverley, Ashley and Maria commenting about the books I had presented, as well as others that they were excited about. They all read widely, and I found myself thinking of more books to recommend; their enthusiasm was contagious.
On Thursday night, I had dinner with my friends Patty and Cathy (writing those names, I had a memory of "The Patty Duke Show"). While we started out catching up on our lives, we spent a lot of time talking about books; there were lots of fingers flying as they were jotting notes into their phones on what to read. I loved hearing what they have loved (A GENTLEMAN IN MOSCOW), as well as what they were more lukewarm on. Cathy recommended RED NOTICE by Bill Browder. Since I am not familiar with it, I am going with the publisher's description, which reads, "A financial caper, a crime thriller, and a political crusade, RED NOTICE is the story of one man taking on overpowering odds to change the world, and also the story of how, without intending to, he found meaning in his life."
Patty is in two book groups; one of them had recently read NEED TO KNOW, though she had to miss the meeting where it was discussed, which she regretted as she had some opinions she wanted to share on the book, but instead got to share them with me. NEED TO KNOW is the current prize in our "What’s Your Book Group Reading This Month?" contest on ReadingGroupGuides.com.
I finished THE BANKER’S WIFE by Cristina Alger last week and enjoyed it so much that I am making it a Bets On selection this week. I have 10 pages left in Fiona Davis’ THE MASTERPIECE, which I loved. This, too, will be a Bets On title; Fiona's writing, plotting and storytelling have gotten stronger with each book. On Tuesday, I am going to take a tour of Grand Central with her; I am really looking forward to this!
Next up for me is GHOSTED by Rosie Walsh, which has been getting wonderful buzz, and WE ALL LOVE THE BEAUTIFUL GIRLS by Joanne Proulx. I heard about the latter title at a publisher event last week, and I was lucky enough to snag a copy at an open house event for booksellers that they had this week, where I also picked up a copy of DEAR EVAN HANSEN by Val Emmich, as well as THE WAR OUTSIDE by Monica Hesse. I was absolutely crazy about her last book, GIRL IN THE BLUE COAT. My to-be-read pile is constantly growing!
Now to this week’s update...
The latest title in our Fiction Author Spotlight is MAKE ME EVEN AND I’LL NEVER GAMBLE AGAIN, hedge fund pioneer Jerrold Fine's debut novel, which releases on August 14th and will be a Bets On selection. Rogers Stout has the gambler’s gifts --- a titanic brain, an uncanny ability to read people, and a risk-taker’s daring. As an apathetic high school student who loves baseball but lacks a 90-mph fastball, he knows that the game does not begin until the ball leaves the pitcher’s hand. But his life needs direction. Everything changes the summer he is invited into the boisterous environment of an investment bank’s trading room, and to a gambling hall dive where he immediately wins big at poker, capturing the attention of his co-workers with his card-playing skills.
In May, a select group of readers won advance copies of MAKE ME EVEN AND I’LL NEVER GAMBLE AGAIN in our Sneak Peek contest. We received some wonderful feedback from them about the book, which you can take a look at here. We plan to bring you our review and discussion guide, along with our interview with Jerrold, in the August 17th newsletter. My Bets On commentary will follow in the August 24th newsletter.
R.O. Kwon’s debut, THE INCENDIARIES, has been getting a great deal of buzz leading up to its release this week. It has received praise from such heavyweight authors as Celeste Ng, Lauren Groff and Viet Thanh Nguyen, and has been named a Most Anticipated Book of 2018 by the New York Times, Entertainment Weekly, Elle, Time, Parade, Vanity Fair, Cosmopolitan, Esquire, PBS and the BBC, to name just a few. The book revolves around a young woman at an elite American university who is drawn into acts of terrorism by a cult tied to North Korea.
Maya Gittelman has our review and calls THE INCENDIARIES “[r]azor-sharp and intoxicating” and goes on to say, “R.O. Kwon wields adroit prose, at times both mesmeric and acerbic. This is a powerhouse of a debut, a masterpiece of fiction and an indictment of blind faith.”
Other books we’re reviewing this week include BLOODY SUNDAY, the latest installment in Ben Coes’ series starring Dewey Andreas, who must access an antidote to save himself from a deadly poison, while also thwarting the nuclear ambitions of both North Korea and Iran; A MEASURE OF DARKNESS by the father-son writing team of Jonathan Kellerman and Jesse Kellerman, which finds deputy coroner Clay Edison going to extreme lengths for a forgotten Jane Doe; and THE SINNERS, a new Quinn Colson novel from Ace Atkins, whose protagonist may not be able to handle the violence (in all its many forms) that comes his way.
In addition to the aforementioned THE BANKER'S WIFE, A NOISE DOWNSTAIRS by Linwood Barclay and BELIEVE ME by JP Delaney, both of which we reviewed last week, are my latest Bets On picks. Click on each of the titles to see why I’m betting you’ll love these new releases.
In this week’s Summer Reading contests, we gave away the aforementioned NEED TO KNOW by Karen Cleveland, SHE WAS THE QUIET ONE by Michele Campbell, and TAILSPIN by Sandra Brown. Next week’s prizes will be EMMA IN THE NIGHT by Wendy Walker, LITTLE GIRL LOST by Wendy Corsi Staub, and the aforementioned THE MASTERPIECE by Fiona Davis. The first contest of the week will go live on Tuesday, August 7th at noon ET.
If you didn’t win TAILSPIN in our Summer Reading contest, you’ll have another chance as it’s one of our current Word of Mouth prize books; the other is AN UNWANTED GUEST by Shari Lapena. Let us know by Friday, August 17th at noon ET what books you’ve read, and you’ll be in the running to win both these highly anticipated thrillers.
Our Books on Screen feature has been updated for August. Feature films include Crazy Rich Asians, Juliet, Naked and The Wife. On the small screen will be the Netflix release of the movie The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society, along with the series premiere of "Tom Clancy's Jack Ryan" on Amazon Video, the season two premieres of Audience Network's "Mr. Mercedes" and EPIX's "Get Shorty," and the conclusion of HBO's miniseries "Sharp Objects.” And among this month’s DVD releases are On Chesil Beach, The Yellow Birds and The House of Tomorrow.
While we’re on the subject, our latest poll question asks how often you see movies in theaters. Click here to let us know!
In our previous poll, we were curious about the subscription services that you may or may not use. Your top three preferences are Amazon Prime (65%), Netflix (64%) and Basic cable (62%), followed by HBO (34%), Showtime (24%) and Starz (21%). Click here for all the results.
This month’s Sounding Off on Audio contest is now up and running. The prize books are the audio versions of Linda Castillo's A GATHERING OF SECRETS, read by Kathleen McInerney, and I SEE LIFE THROUGH ROSÉ-COLORED GLASSES, written and read by Lisa Scottoline and Francesca Serritella. Submit your comments about the audiobooks you’ve listened to for your chance to win both these audio titles. The deadline for your submissions is Tuesday, September 4th at noon ET.
News & Pop Culture
Reader Mail:
Marilyn wrote this about "Sharp Objects": Knowing this book was about to become a TV adaptation, I quickly read it and thought it was better than GONE GIRL. Excellent backstory explaining each person and lots of good twists. But I just could not see it as a good TV adaptation without an X rating. First episode: no backstory, no explanation of who is who, let alone why. My husband had not read the book, and I spent more time explaining than it took to see the episode. Will not watch the remaining shows. I am now 80 years old, a longtime faithful reader of Bookreporter and hope we both continue for many more.” I agree with Marilyn about the show, and I, too, hope we both continue for many more years!
Reeves also wrote about "Sharp Objects," saying, "I was so disappointed in this series and gave up after two episodes. Seemed like they were way too into her messed-up head, the excessive drinking, etc. I, too, think 'The Affair' has redeemed itself this season. Most of the characters are annoyingly flawed still, but this year's plot lines rise above them! "Secret Smile" on Amazon Prime, based on a Nicci French book, is a very well done psychological thriller in six parts. 'Red Oaks' also is on Amazon and is a very funny but gentle look at various characters young and middle-aged at a Jewish country club in North Jersey in the mid '80s. I was so sad after the third and final season ended. Paul Reiser stars.
A Hotel for Sourdough Starter: I am not kidding. My friend Nora shared this with me; it’s in Brooklyn, and details are here.
The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society: I know this is noted above, but I am so excited about it that I am mentioning again that it’s coming to Netflix on Friday, August 10th.
Last weekend, I was looking through some old photo albums and found the photo of me typing above. I am not sure how old I was, but I was playing library in that picture. My dad said he still has that typewriter around; I spent many an hour hunting and pecking there. It’s also the reason that I do not type using the correct fingers. When I started banging around on the typewriter, I was about three years old and my fingers could not hit all the keys. Today I use most of the fingers on my left hand correctly, and hunt and peck with the right! And yes, Linwood Barclay’s A NOISE DOWNSTAIRS did prompt me to seek out this photo.
Tom is playing in a member/guest golf tournament with a friend today and tomorrow. Greg had a great time in Michigan last weekend, made all the more fun as Liverpool beat Manchester United 4-1. You can see a photo of him with the team manager above. He had figured out the hotel that the team was staying at, and thus was able to snag this shot. This weekend, he has an off-road event at a friend’s house; they have a field behind their barn for this event. Greg told me he is sleeping in a treehouse. Cory has plans, but they remain unknown at this time, but they will involve hanging out with his girlfriend, Sam. Cory would make a great secret agent as he knows how to keep his cards close.
As for me? My friend Annie, who loves to knit, is coming over tonight for homemade pizza. Tom usually makes the dough, and I could not find the cookbook (our cookbook shelf is three deep), so I riffed on another recipe that I found. The usual recipe has one add-an-egg; this one did not, but I added it anyway. I know, why follow directions? We will see how this comes out. Tomorrow night, Cathy aka Dez is joining me for dinner. So far, all I know is that we are going to have a burrata. One has to start somewhere!
I was absolutely blown away by a fabulous gift from Deb and Jen; Deb had taken a cruise to Alaska (she got home on Wednesday) and picked up the stunning yarns above at the Aurora Yarns of Alaska store in Skagway, Alaska. I have been longing to create a gradient scarf, and these yarns --- along with the pattern that accompanied them --- will be perfect for doing that. I LOVE this idea. I am off to find my needles, read the last 10 pages of THE MASTERPIECE, and I think I'll read GHOSTED next. I am not sure about the weather this weekend; the storms here have been fierce! This has not been the best summer of weather.
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 INCENDIARIES by R.O. Kwon
THE INCENDIARIES by R.O. Kwon (Fiction)
Audiobook available, read by Keong Sim
Phoebe Lin and Will Kendall meet during their first month at prestigious Edwards University. A grieving Phoebe, who blames herself for her mother’s recent death, is increasingly drawn into a religious group --- a secretive extremist cult --- founded by a charismatic former student who has an enigmatic past that involves North Korea and Phoebe's Korean American family. Meanwhile, Will struggles to confront the fundamentalism he's tried to escape, and the obsession consuming the one he loves. When the group bombs several buildings in the name of faith, killing five people, Phoebe disappears. Will devotes himself to finding her, seeking answers to what happened to Phoebe and if she could have been responsible for this violent act. Reviewed by Maya Gittelman.
- Click here to read more about the book.
- Click here to read an excerpt.
Click here to read the review.
Featured Review: BLOODY SUNDAY by Ben Coes
BLOODY SUNDAY by Ben Coes (Thriller)
Audiobook available, read by Ari Fliakos
Dewey Andreas, still reeling from recent revelations about his own past, is ready to retire from the CIA. But he's the only available agent with the skills to carry out the CIA's plan to stop North Korea from launching a nuclear attack on the United States. The plan is to inject a singular designer poison into the head of the North Korean military and, in exchange for the nuclear plans, provide him with the one existing dose of the antidote. But it goes awry when Dewey manages to inject a small amount of the poison into himself. Now, to survive, Dewey must get into North Korea and access the antidote and, while there, thwart the nuclear ambitions of both North Korea and Iran. And he has less than 24 hours to do so. Reviewed by Joe Hartlaub.
- Click here to read more about the book.
- Click here to read an excerpt.
Click here to read the review.
Featured Review: A MEASURE OF DARKNESS
by Jonathan Kellerman and Jesse Kellerman
A MEASURE OF DARKNESS by Jonathan Kellerman and Jesse Kellerman (Mystery/Thriller)
Audiobook available, read by Dennis Boutsikaris
A wild party in a gentrifying East Bay neighborhood. A heated argument that spills into the street. Gunshots. Chaos. For Clay Edison and his fellow coroners, it’s the start of a long night and the first of many to come. The victims keep piling up. Then the smoke clears and the real mystery emerges --- one victim’s death doesn’t match the others. And it falls to Clay to give her a name and a voice. Haunted by the cruelty of her death, he embarks upon a journey into the bizarre, entering a hidden world where innocence and perversity meet and mingle. There, his relentless pursuit of the truth opens the gateway to a dark and baffling past --- and brings him right into the line of fire. Reviewed by Joe Hartlaub.
- Click here to read more about the book.
- Click here to read an excerpt.
Click here to read the review.
New Fiction Author Spotlight:
MAKE ME EVEN AND I'LL NEVER GAMBLE AGAIN
by Jerrold Fine
MAKE ME EVEN AND I'LL NEVER GAMBLE AGAIN by Jerrold Fine (Fiction)
Drawing from his own experiences in the turbulent '70s and '80s, hedge fund pioneer Jerrold Fine blends a heartfelt story of a young man fiercely intent on achieving independence with a fascinating insider’s look at the perks and pitfalls of a high-stakes life in the world of financial markets in his debut novel.
Rogers Stout has the gambler’s gifts --- a titanic brain, an uncanny ability to read people, and a risk-taker’s daring. As an apathetic high school student who loves baseball but lacks a 90-mph fastball, he knows that the game does not begin until the ball leaves the pitcher’s hand. But his life needs direction.
Everything changes the summer he is invited into the boisterous environment of an investment bank’s trading room, and to a gambling hall dive where he immediately wins big at poker, capturing the attention of his co-workers with his card-playing skills. Intrigued by trading markets, Rogers’ intellectual curiosity takes him to Wharton and then Wall Street, where he faces challenges as an outsider who thinks and acts differently from the white-shoe establishment. With his intuition and prowess, he’s ready to rewrite the rules and tackle markets with a flair that leaves his employers flabbergasted.
Rogers senses opportunity and willingly accepts the challenge that awaits him. He leans heavily on his gut instincts and the unusual cadre of friendships he cultivates, but learns the hard way to be alert to the perils that await him. He longs to prove himself and achieve his goals, yet is torn between the thrill of trading and investing, and pursuing a higher purpose in life. And through it all, he still feels the loss of his mother, who died when he was too young to remember her --- an open wound that refuses to heal.
As Rogers plays his career hand, life plays another. Should he follow the temptress Elsbeth and her ravishing beauty, or Charlotte, his high-spirited first love?
- Click here to read an excerpt.
- Click here to see advance readers' comments.
- Click here to read Jerrold Fine's bio.
- Click here to visit Jerrold Fine's website.
Click here to read more in our Fiction Author Spotlight.
Don't miss our review, author interview and discussion guide
in the August 17th newsletter, followed by Carol's Bookreporter.com Bets On commentary in the August 24th newsletter.
Bookreporter.com Bets On: A NOISE DOWNSTAIRS
by Linwood Barclay
A NOISE DOWNSTAIRS by Linwood Barclay (Psychological Thriller)
After reading A NOISE DOWNSTAIRS by Linwood Barclay, I daresay that you will not look at an Underwood typewriter the same way again. In it, Paul, a college professor, has been a witness to a terrible crime that has him suffering from PTSD. His wife brings home an Underwood typewriter as a present, hoping that seeing it will encourage him to share his thoughts on the tragedy that has befallen him and help him move on. Soon Paul starts hearing the typewriter typing downstairs during the night, and left for him are terse messages that only increase his angst.
A NOISE DOWNSTAIRS is brisk, and there is one big action point that will give you pause and then a few more rapid-fire ones at the end that keep the story ramping up until the very last page. Linwood is brilliant at laying clues that keep you guessing. In fact, you will read thinking, Is this the clue?, trying to best the author.
Linwood’s description of the Underwood typewriter made me long for the old cast iron one that I typed merrily along on for many years as a kid. I loved it (and last month, my dad told me he still has it in the attic!). And I loved this book. To me, it's Linwood's best book.
- Click here to read more about the book.
- Click here to read a review.
- Click here to visit Linwood Barclay's website.
Bookreporter.com Bets On: BELIEVE ME by JP Delaney
BELIEVE ME by JP Delaney (Psychological Thriller)
I loved JP Delaney’s THE GIRL BEFORE (I still want to see the house he wrote about there), so I looked forward to reading BELIEVE ME.
Here, the protagonist is a young woman from the UK named Claire Wright, who is a struggling actor, living in New York without a green card. She freelances as a decoy for a group of lawyers; her role is to try to seduce husbands whose wives think they are cheating. Tables twist when one of the women who hired her is found dead, and it’s one brutal crime. Claire is enlisted to help find the murderer, but as she assumes this role, what is going on here? Who is really the suspect?
It’s one very gripping story that had me snagging late-night reading and early mornings wondering who I should believe.
- Click here to read more about the book.
- Click here to read a review.
- Click here to read an excerpt.
Bookreporter.com Bets On: THE BANKER'S WIFE
by Cristina Alger
THE BANKER'S WIFE by Cristina Alger (Thriller)
In THE BANKER'S WIFE by Cristina Alger, Annabel Werner is living in Geneva, Switzerland, with her husband, Matthew, who works in finance at Swiss United, an offshore bank. Her world is shattered when she learns that he has been killed in a private plane crash. As she grieves, she finds out there may be a much more sinister reason for this crash. Her skills in the art world have her looking very closely at clues and facts that are not adding up.
At the same time, a young journalist, Marina Tourneau, who is writing for a society magazine, has learned that her much-loved boss has died unexpectedly. He had been in deep about a story, which involves some very powerful men in the financial world and nefarious offshore trades. As Marina starts using her research chops to sniff around to try to figure out what happened, she runs into a real dilemma. The people she is writing about are very close to some people she knows. So does the story get told? And is it connected to what happened to that airplane?
This is a fast-paced, well-done look inside the world of offshore trading where the numbered accounts may belong to anyone, including terrorists and world leaders who have a lot to hide. And the way the money gets hidden is not exactly legal, or above board. I have often heard the line "Follow the money," and that is exactly what people are doing here. Cristina had written a book called THE DARLINGS back in 2012, and reading THE BANKER’S WIFE has me wanting to track that one down as I like her writing style!
- Click here to read more about the book.
August'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. 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 Tuesday, August 7th 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.
THE SINNERS: A Quinn Colson Novel by Ace Atkins (Thriller)
Audiobook available, read by MacLeod Andrews
The Pritchards were an evil, greedy family who made their living dealing drugs and committing mayhem. Years ago, Quinn Colson's late uncle had put the clan's patriarch in prison, but now he's getting out, with revenge, power and family business on his mind. To make matters worse, a shady trucking firm with possible ties to the Gulf Coast syndicate has moved into Tibbehah, and they have their own methods of intimidation. With his longtime deputy Lillie Virgil now working up in Memphis, Colson finds himself having to fall back on some brand-new deputies to help him out. But with Old West-style violence breaking out, and his own wedding on the horizon, this is without a doubt Colson's most trying time as sheriff. Reviewed by Joe Hartlaub.
A DOUBLE LIFE by Flynn Berry (Psychological Thriller)
Audiobook available, read by Fiona Hardingham
Claire’s father is one of the most notorious murder suspects in the country, though no one knows it. Nearly 30 years ago, while Claire and her brother slept upstairs, a brutal crime was committed in her family's townhouse. The next morning, her father's car was found abandoned near the English Channel, with bloodstains on the front seat. Her mother insisted she'd seen him in the house that night, but his powerful, privileged friends maintained his innocence. The first lord accused of murder in more than a century, he has been missing ever since. When the police tell Claire they've found him, her carefully calibrated existence begins to fracture. Reviewed by Stuart Shiffman.
THE LATE BLOOMERS’ CLUB by Louise Miller (Fiction)
Audiobook available, read by Emily Rankin
Nora, the owner of the Miss Guthrie Diner, discovers that she and her younger sister Kit stand to inherit the home and land of the town's beloved cake lady, Peggy Johnson. Kit, an aspiring (and broke) filmmaker, thinks her problems are solved when she and Nora find out that Peggy was in the process of selling the land to a big-box developer before her death. But Nora isn't quite ready to let go of the land, complete with a charming farmhouse, an ancient apple orchard and the clues to a secret life that no one knew Peggy had. Troubled by the conflicting needs of the town, and confused by her growing feelings towards Elliot, the big-box developer's rep, Nora throws herself into solving the one problem that everyone in town can agree on --- finding Peggy's missing dog, Freckles. Reviewed by Kate Ayers.
WHAT TO READ AND WHY by Francine Prose (Literary Criticism)
Audiobook available, read by Allyson Johnson
In an age defined by hyper-connectivity and constant stimulation, Francine Prose makes a compelling case for the solitary act of reading and the great enjoyment it brings. WHAT TO READ AND WHY includes selections culled from Prose’s previous essays, reviews and introductions, combined with new, never-before-published pieces that focus on her favorite works of fiction and nonfiction, on works by masters of the short story, and even on books by photographers like Diane Arbus. Reviewed by Pauline Finch.
BAD CALL: A Summer Job on a New York Ambulance by Mike Scardino (Memoir)
Audiobook available, read by Daniel Thomas May
BAD CALL is Mike Scardino's account of the summers he spent working as an "ambulance attendant" on the mean streets of late-1960s New York. Fueled by adrenaline and Sabrett's hot dogs, young Mike spends his days speeding from one chaotic emergency to another. His adventures take him into the middle of incipient race riots, to the scene of a plane crash at JFK airport and into private lives all over Queens, where New Yorkers are suffering, and dying, in unimaginable ways. Learning on the job, Mike encounters all manner of freakish accidents, meets countless unforgettable New York characters, falls in love, is nearly murdered, and gets an early and indelible education in the impermanence of life and the cruelty of chance. Reviewed by Bianca Ambrosio.
THE FIFTH TO DIE by J. D. Barker (Thriller)
Audiobook available, read by Edoardo Ballerini and Graham Winton
Detective Porter and the team have been pulled from the hunt for Anson Bishop, the Four Monkey Killer, by the feds. When the body of a young girl is found beneath the frozen waters of Jackson Park Lagoon, she is identified as Ella Reynolds, missing three weeks. But how did she get there? The lagoon froze months earlier. More baffling? She’s found wearing the clothes of another girl, missing less than two days. Obsessed with catching Bishop, Porter follows a single grainy photograph from Chicago to the streets of New Orleans and stumbles into a world darker than he could have possibly imagined, where he quickly realizes that the only place more frightening than the mind of a serial killer is the mind of the mother from which he came. Reviewed by Ray Palen.
THE BOY AT THE DOOR by Alex Dahl (Psychological Thriller)
Audiobook available; read by Mozhan Marno, Sophie Amoss and Jenna Lamia
Cecilia Wilborg has it all --- a loving husband, two beautiful daughters and a gorgeous home in the affluent Norwegian town of Sandefjord. However, one mistake from her past could bring it all crashing down around her. Annika Lucasson lives a dark life with her abusive, drug-dealing boyfriend. She's lost everything one too many times, and now she has one last chance to save herself, thanks to Cecilia. Annika knows her secret --- and just how much she's willing to do to make it all go away. When someone forgets to pick up their little boy at the local pool, Cecilia agrees to take him home, only to find an abandoned, empty house. It's the first step in the unraveling of her meticulously crafted life, as her and Annika's worlds collide. Reviewed by Norah Piehl.
IN SEARCH OF MARY SHELLEY: The Girl Who Wrote Frankenstein by Fiona Sampson (Biography)
We know the facts of Mary Shelley’s life in some detail. But there has been no literary biography written this century, and previous books have ignored the real person, despite the fact that Mary and her group of second-generation Romantics were extremely interested in the psychological aspect of life. In this probing narrative, Fiona Sampson pursues Mary Shelley through her turbulent life, much as Victor Frankenstein tracked his monster across the arctic wastes. Sampson has written a book that finally answers the question of how it was that a 19-year-old came to write a novel so dark, mysterious, anguished and psychologically astute that it continues to resonate two centuries later. Reviewed by Ray Palen.
FINAL RESTING PLACE: A Lincoln and Speed Mystery by Jonathan F. Putnam (Historical Mystery)
Audiobook available, read by Lloyd James
It is the summer of 1838, and Springfield is embroiled in a tumultuous, violent political season. All of Springfield’s elite have gathered at a grand party to celebrate the Fourth of July. Spirits are high --- until a prominent local politician is assassinated in the midst of fireworks. When his political rival is arrested, young lawyer Lincoln and his best friend Joshua Speed are back on the case to investigate. Lincoln’s ne’er-do-well father and stepbrother appear in town and threaten Lincoln’s good name and political future. And before long, anonymous letters start appearing in the local newspapers, with ominous threats that make Lincoln fear for himself and his loved ones. Reviewed by Ray Palen.
FREEFALL by Adam Hamdy (Thriller)
Audiobook available, read by Luke Thompson
Eight months after confronting Pendulum, John Wallace is losing himself in a dangerous warzone in a misguided attempt at penance for what he has done. But an assassination attempt makes Wallace realize that he has been targeted for death once again. This time, Wallace is prepared; tracking down his would-be assassin, he discovers a link to his nemesis, Pendulum. The link is the missing piece of a puzzle that has tormented FBI Agent Christine Ash ever since they confronted Pendulum, but with no Bureau support she has been unable to pursue her case. Wallace's proof breaks it, but also exposes them both to terrible danger. Reviewed by Lorraine W. Shanley.
Next Week’s Notables:
Noteworthy Books Releasing on August 7th
Below are some notable titles releasing on August 7th 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 August 6th, see our “On Sale This Week” newsletter here.
BIBLIOMYSTERIES: Volume Two: Stories of Crime in the World of Books and Bookstores edited by Otto Penzler (Mystery/Short Stories)
If you like mysteries and you like books, what could be better than combining both worlds, with mysteries set against a background involving books? This collection of crime for bibliophiles includes stories about rare books, bookshops, libraries, manuscripts, magical books, collectors --- in short, the wonderful universe that makes this precious object we all love so important and priceless.
THE BUCKET LIST by Georgia Clark (Fiction)
Twenty-five-year-old Lacey Whitman is blindsided when she’s diagnosed with the BCRA1 gene mutation: the “breast cancer” gene. Her high hereditary risk forces a decision: increased surveillance or the more radical step of a preventative double mastectomy. Small-town Lacey is not so in touch with her sexuality, so she (and her friends) creates a “boob bucket list”: everything she wants do with and for her boobs before a possible surgery.
DOPESICK: Dealers, Doctors, and the Drug Company that Addicted America by Beth Macy (Psychology/Sociology)
In DOPESICK, Beth Macy takes us into the epicenter of America's 20-plus-year struggle with opioid addiction. Beginning with a single dealer who lands in a small Virginia town and sets about turning high school football stars into heroin overdose statistics, Macy endeavors to answer a grieving mother's question --- why her only son died --- and comes away with a harrowing story of greed and need.
THE MASTERPIECE by Fiona Davis (Historical Fiction)
In her latest novel, the nationally bestselling author of THE DOLLHOUSE and THE ADDRESS takes readers into the glamorous lost art school within Grand Central Terminal, where two very different women, 50 years apart, strive to make their mark on a world set against them.
THE MONEY SHOT: A Teddy Fay Novel Featuring Stone Barrington by Stuart Woods and Parnell Hall (Thriller/Adventure)
Ever a man of mystery and intrigue, Teddy Fay has donned a new disguise --- that of Mark Weldon, a stuntman and actor starring in Centurion Studios' newest film. When the picture's leading lady begins receiving blackmail threats, Teddy is in the perfect position to investigate, and it soon becomes clear that the villains have more in their sights than just money.
TAILSPIN by Sandra Brown (Romantic Suspense)
Rye Mallett is asked to fly into a completely fogbound northern Georgia town and deliver a mysterious black box to a Dr. Lambert. He is greeted first by a sabotage attempt on his plane that causes him to crash land, and then by Dr. Brynn O'Neal, who claims she was sent for the box in Dr. Lambert's stead. Soon Rye and Brynn are in a treacherous 48-hour race to deliver the box before time runs out.
AN UNWANTED GUEST by Shari Lapena (Psychological Thriller)
It's winter in the Catskills, and Mitchell's Inn is the perfect setting for a relaxing weekend away. So when the weather takes a turn for the worse, and a blizzard cuts off the electricity, the guests settle in for the long haul. Soon, though, one of the guests turns up dead. When a second guest dies, they start to panic. Within the snowed-in paradise, something --- or someone --- is picking off the guests one by one.
THE WASHINGTON DECREE by Jussi Adler-Olsen (Political Thriller)
Democratic Senator Bruce Jansen has been elected president of the United States. For 14-year-old Dorothy "Doggie" Rogers, Jansen's election is a personal victory: a job in the White House, proof to her Republican father that she was right to support Jansen. But the triumph is short-lived: Jansen's pregnant wife is assassinated on election night, and the alleged mastermind behind the shooting is none other than Doggie's own father.
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Our Latest Poll: Your Trips to the Movies
On average, how often do you see movies in theaters?
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More than once a week
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Once a week
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A few times a month
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Twice a month
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Once a month
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Every few months
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Once or twice a year
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I do not see movies in theaters.
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It varies, depending on what is playing.
Click here to vote in the poll by Friday, August 17th 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 August 3rd to August 17th at noon ET, three lucky readers each will be randomly chosen to win a copy of TAILSPIN by Sandra Brown and AN UNWANTED GUEST by Shari Lapena.
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 August 1st to September 4th at noon ET, two lucky readers each will be randomly chosen to win the audio versions of Linda Castillo's A GATHERING OF SECRETS, read by Kathleen McInerney, and I SEE LIFE THROUGH ROSÉ-COLORED GLASSES, written and read by Lisa Scottoline and Francesca Serritella.
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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