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Latest Update on Our GoFundMe Campaign
to Expand The Book Report Network:
Big News --- We Are HALFWAY There!
Thank you to those of you who already have donated to our GoFundMe campaign. So far we have raised $25,022 of our $50,000 goal, with online donations and checks!
In addition to your contributions, we are loving the comments that have been shared with donations about how you enjoy this newsletter and Bookreporter.com. Here are a few from this week:
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Carolyn: “I read Carol's newsletter every week. I find her comments and Bets On picks helpful. I don't have as much time to read as I once did, so I depend on her newsletter to steer me to my next good book!"
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Three of Carol's recent reads will be Bets On picks: A NEARLY NORMAL FAMILY
by M.T. Edvardsson (on sale June 25th), THE SUMMER COTTAGE by Viola Shipman
(on sale April 23rd), and MISTRESS OF THE RITZ by Melanie Benjamin (on sale May 21st).
Lisa See is holding up a copy of her new book, THE ISLAND OF SEA WOMEN,
during her appearance at Indigo in Short Hills, NJ.
While at the Indigo event, Carol met Monica Vesely, a Bookreporter reader who was accompanied by a friend. Both Monica and her friend shared stories about their newly formed book group.
Melanie, our Word of Mouth and Sounding Off on Audio editor, met author Lisa Ko
at the Brandeis Author Luncheon in Boca Raton, FL.
Spring Has Sprung --- and the Sugar Moon Was SO Bright!
The Sugar Moon has made sleeping “interesting” this week. I am one of those people who needs complete darkness to sleep well; blackout drapes are de rigueur. Little things like the red button on a TV or the blue light that indicates my phone charger is working will wake me up. Hotel rooms are often a nightmare with the lights on the phones and the sprinkler systems. This week it felt like it was 2pm at 3am; the moon was that bright. I was wearing eyeshades last night like some Hollywood celebrity. But I did get some good reading in when the moon woke me up. More on that in a second.
When we left off last week, I was headed to Indigo in Short Hills, NJ, to see Lisa See. It was a lovely evening where Lisa gave a brilliant talk about her latest book, THE ISLAND OF SEA WOMEN. One man in the audience was of Korean descent and gave Lisa praise as being “immortal” for writing about the island of Jeju and its inhabitants, which was quite a wonderful moment to have been a part of. He feels this was a story that needed to be told.
As Lisa was signing and taking photos with readers, a young woman came over to introduce herself to me. Monica Vesely had been at the Morristown Festival of Books when I interviewed Kate Quinn and subsequently signed up for the Bookreporter newsletter. She read that I was going to be at Indigo, and I am so happy she came up to say hello. You can see a picture of the two of us above. She was with a friend, and they both shared stories about their newly formed book group, which I loved hearing about.
Cristina, Sarah and Patti, some of our Coral Gables readers, caught up with Lisa at Books & Books there. Lisa recognized Cristina as she had taped the two of us for Facebook Live at the Miami Book Fair two years ago. Here’s a treat: I found this interview done this week where Lisa is interviewed by Sarah McCoy, who you may know as the author of MARILLA OF GREEN GABLES.
Last weekend, I hung out on the couch kicking things back a BIG notch with some great reading. First up was A NEARLY NORMAL FAMILY by M.T. Edvardsson; it’s a Swedish translation from Rachel Willson-Broyles and a complete page-turner. Stella is 18 years old and accused of murdering a man in his early 30s. How did these two meet, and what would be her reason for wanting to kill him? We start out hearing the story from her father’s point of view; he is a pastor and a tad naïve about what is going on. We then hear Stella’s point of view, and whoa, the story has a whole other side to it. Then let’s flip one more time and hear from Stella’s mother, who is a criminal defense attorney. Who is lying? Who is telling the truth? What is the truth? A bookseller friend, Pamela Klinger-Horn, hit it right, saying that this book is perfect for fans of William Landay’s DEFENDING JACOB. I agree. It will be a Bookreporter.com Bets On pick when it releases on June 25th.
Next, I thoroughly enjoyed THE SUMMER COTTAGE by Viola Shipman, which is set in Saugatuck, Michigan; it will be in stores on April 23rd. Adie Lou Kruger (I must ask where that name came from) is getting divorced from her professor husband, who took a shine to one of his grad students. As they are splitting up their assets, she realizes that she wants Cozy Cottage, a summer home that needs a lot of love to be restored. While it’s short on the latest design features, it’s big on memories as Adie Lou’s grandparents were big on rules for enjoying life at the cottage, and she intends to keep forging these traditions and transform the house into a B&B. I loved reading about the home restoration --- and all the crazy moments that she went through before the place was ready to rent. And from there, it was as much fun to see life from the other side of the front desk, as she caters to demanding guests --- but also encourages them to adapt her grandparents’ rules. Great fun...and, yes, it also will be a Bets On.
BTW, this book made me want to grab a map and note upcoming books set in every vacation spot around the country. Hmmm…I may do just that.
I have enjoyed many of Melanie Benjamin’s novels, and her upcoming MISTRESS OF THE RITZ, coming out on May 21st, is the third book that I am making a Bets On. It’s set in Paris during World War II, where Blanche Auzello and her husband, Claude, are the mistress and master of the Hôtel Ritz, one of the city's best-known hotels. Blanche is American and is hiding a secret from the Nazis who are encamped at the Ritz. She’s also a member of the Resistance, going to all lengths to try to outwit the Germans, who she feels are causing blight on a place she loves so much. It’s based on true events, and you will find yourself rooting for both Blanche and Claude as they navigate some very tough waters, putting their lives on the line. I read a lot of this book when the moon was shining through my window! It has a conclusion that I did not see coming.
Some really great reading…and I am looking forward to more this weekend.
I was not the only one at an author event this week. Melanie, who edits our Word of Mouth and Sounding Off on Audio features, attended the Brandeis Author Luncheon in Boca Raton, FL on Wednesday. Among the author guests were the aforementioned Kate Quinn, Pam Jenoff and Lisa Ko, the latter of whom you can see with Melanie above. Melanie also shared that THE HUNTRESS and THE SILENT PATIENT both are trending on Word of Mouth. My book group is reading THE HUNTRESS next month.
Now to this week’s update...
Harlan Coben is back with a new novel of domestic suspense, RUN AWAY, in which a perfect family is shattered by the loss of a daughter who is addicted to drugs, has an abusive boyfriend and doesn’t want to be found. Joe Hartlaub has our review and says, “What you will find in RUN AWAY as things progress and conclude would be more than enough to keep you reading and entertained throughout, but you will get even more than you might reasonably expect…. [E]very parent --- or everyone who knows a parent --- who reads this fine work will feel a shiver and hope that what transpires in these pages never happens to them.” I read it…and I do agree. I have not read Harlan in a while and have to say this is edgier than the books of his that I remember!
RUN AWAY is one of our current Word of Mouth prize books; the other is BLOOD OATH by Linda Fairstein, which we plan to review next week. Submit your comments about the books you’ve read by Friday, March 29th at noon ET, and you’ll have a chance to win both these anticipated thrillers.
Other books we’re reviewing this week include THE PARADE, Dave Eggers’ new work of fiction that tells the story of the role that two foreigners play in a nation’s fragile peace; QUEENIE, Candice Carty-Williams’ debut novel that offers a bittersweet account of a tumultuous, transformative year in one young woman’s life; THE LAST YEAR OF THE WAR, Susan Meissner’s novel about a German American teenager whose life changes forever when her immigrant family is sent to an internment camp during World War II; and MEMORIES OF THE FUTURE by Siri Hustvedt, which tells the story of a young Midwestern woman’s first year in New York City in the late 1970s and her obsession with her mysterious neighbor.
My three latest Bets On selections are HOUSE ON FIRE by Bonnie Kistler, the audiobook of I.M. by Isaac Mizrahi, and THE END OF LONELINESS by Benedict Wells. Click on each of the titles for my commentaries.
Our Spring Preview contests kicked off this week with our first two giveaways: LAWN BOY by Jonathan Evison (now available in paperback) and A PEOPLE'S HISTORY OF HEAVEN by Mathangi Subramanian. Next week’s prizes will be DAISY JONES & THE SIX by Taylor Jenkins Reid (a Bets On pick) and NANAVILLE: Adventures in Grandparenting by Anna Quindlen, which releases on April 23rd. The first contest of the week will go live on Tuesday, March 26th at noon ET.
Let us know by Monday, April 1st at noon ET what audiobooks you’ve listened to in this month’s Sounding Off on Audio contest, and you’ll be in the running to win the audio versions of Greg Iles’ CEMETERY ROAD, read by Scott Brick, and James Rollins’ CRUCIBLE, read by Christian Baskous.
And in more audiobook contest news, please keep in mind our ReadingGroupGuides.com giveaway for Melinda Gates’ upcoming book, THE MOMENT OF LIFT: How Empowering Women Changes the World. Ten book groups will win six digital copies of the audiobook, which is read by Melinda herself, and share their comments on it. We also are awarding 40 listeners a physical copy of the audiobook, which releases on April 23rd. To enter, all you have to do is fill out this form by Wednesday, April 3rd at noon ET. I started listening to an advance copy this afternoon and found myself completely caught up in it. Melinda articulates what comes from lifting women up in life. She is an excellent narrator, and I am looking forward to hearing more.
Our poll continues to ask which of 20 fiction titles releasing this month you are planning to read, if any. Click here to let us know.
The first-ever Colorado Book and Arts Festival took place last Saturday in Arvada, Colorado. This one-day literary arts festival, which celebrates books, art and music for the whole family, was made possible by Tattered Cover Book Store’s partnership with the Arvada Center for the Arts and Regis University. Roberta Gately, the author of LIPSTICK IN AFGHANISTAN, THE BRACELET and FOOTPRINTS IN THE DUST, was one of 40 authors who attended the festival, and she talks about her experiences there in this terrific blog post. Many thanks to Roberta for taking the time to share her insights with us!
News & Pop Culture
Reader Mail: Pat wrote, “Carol, I know a book you might like: THE SUSPECT by Fiona Barton. It's a good story, but even if you didn't like the story, you would love the cover. The protector is turquoise, but the actual binding cover is the prettiest shades of turquoise: light and dark! Check it out if you haven't seen it. It reminded me of your love for anything that color. Thanks for the great recommendations. I always look forward to reading anything Bookreporter!” Pat, thanks for the recommendation. I reached out to get a copy!
Delia Owens on "CBS Sunday Morning": Here’s a link to the interview that I mentioned last week.
Emilia Clarke, aka "Game of Thrones" Mother of Dragons: Great piece in The New Yorker about her brain aneurysm surgeries after seasons one and three.
"Finding Neverland": I watched part two on HBO, and it is really sad to see what those boys went through.
Knitting with Wegmans Bags...Seriously: This woman made a skirt from 140 bags and a coordinating jacket from 170 bags. One cannot make these things up.
I have library events scheduled for Fairfield, CT (April 30th), Rockville Centre, NY (June 20th) and Avalon, NJ (June 28th). More to come on each of these soon.
This is the time of year when I miss having kids in school who are headed on spring break, so I too could take a break.
Quiet weekend on tap. There will be basketball, including my favorite parts: commentary by Charles Barkley and the Capital One commercials. My dad is coming over tomorrow to help Tom install a piece that he built for the kitchen, and my mom is coming too. We'll make something fun for dinner! I am excited to get some more upcoming books read (so many good ones this year) and kick it back a notch. I also got a screener of the first episodes of the new season of "The Chi" from Showtime and am looking forward to watching; I thought season one was terrific.
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: RUN AWAY by Harlan Coben
RUN AWAY by Harlan Coben (Thriller)
Audiobook available, read by Steven Weber
You've lost your daughter. She's addicted to drugs and to an abusive boyfriend. And she's made it clear that she doesn't want to be found. Then, by chance, you see her playing guitar in Central Park. But she's not the girl you remember. This woman is living on the edge, frightened and clearly in trouble. You don't stop to think. You approach her, beg her to come home. She runs. And you do the only thing a parent can do: you follow her into a dark and dangerous world you never knew existed. Before you know it, both your family and your life are on the line. And in order to protect your daughter from the evils of that world, you must face them head on. Reviewed by Joe Hartlaub.
- Click here to read more about the book.
Click here to read the review.
Featured Review: THE PARADE by Dave Eggers
THE PARADE by Dave Eggers (Fiction)
Audiobook available, read by Dion Graham
An unnamed country is leaving the darkness of a decade at war, and to commemorate the armistice, the government commissions a new road connecting two halves of the state. Two men, foreign contractors from the same company, are sent to finish the highway. While one is flighty and adventurous, wanting to experience the nightlife and people, the other wants only to do the work and go home. But both men must eventually face the absurdities of their positions, and the dire consequences of their presence. Reviewed by Harvey Freedenberg.
- Click here to read more about the book.
- Click here to read an excerpt.
Click here to read the review.
Featured Review: QUEENIE by Candice Carty-Williams
QUEENIE by Candice Carty-Williams (Fiction)
Audiobook available, read by Shvorne Marks
Queenie Jenkins is a 25-year-old Jamaican British woman living in London, straddling two cultures and slotting neatly into neither. She works at a national newspaper, where she’s constantly forced to compare herself to her white middle-class peers. After a messy breakup from her long-term white boyfriend, Queenie seeks comfort in all the wrong places, including several hazardous men who do a good job of occupying brain space and a bad job of affirming self-worth. As Queenie careens from one questionable decision to another, she finds herself wondering, “What are you doing? Why are you doing it? Who do you want to be?” --- all of the questions today’s woman must face in a world trying to answer them for her. Reviewed by Norah Piehl.
- Click here to read more about the book.
Click here to read the review.
Featured Review: THE LAST YEAR OF THE WAR
by Susan Meissner
THE LAST YEAR OF THE WAR by Susan Meissner (Historical Fiction)
Audiobook available, read by Kimberly Farr
Elise Sontag is a typical Iowa 14-year-old in 1943 --- aware of the war but distanced from its reach. Then her father, a legal U.S. resident for nearly two decades, is suddenly arrested on suspicion of being a Nazi sympathizer. The family is sent to an internment camp in Texas, where Elise feels stripped of everything beloved and familiar, including her own identity. The only thing that makes the camp bearable is meeting fellow internee Mariko Inoue, a Japanese-American teen from Los Angeles, whose friendship empowers Elise to believe the life she knew before the war will again be hers. But when the Sontag family is exchanged for American prisoners behind enemy lines in Germany, Elise will face head-on the person the war desires to make of her. Reviewed by Rebecca Wasniak.
- Click here to read more about the book.
Click here to read the review.
Featured Review: MEMORIES OF THE FUTURE
by Siri Hustvedt
MEMORIES OF THE FUTURE by Siri Hustvedt (Fiction)
Audiobook available, read by Katherine Fenton
As she listens to Lucy Brite through the thin walls of her dilapidated building, S.H., aka “Minnesota,” transcribes her neighbor’s bizarre and increasingly ominous monologues in a notebook, along with sundry other adventures, until one frightening night when Lucy bursts into her apartment on a rescue mission. Forty years later, S.H., now a veteran author, discovers her old notebook, as well as early drafts of a never-completed novel while moving her aging mother from one facility to another. Ingeniously juxtaposing the various texts, S.H. measures what she remembers against what she wrote that year and has since forgotten to create a dialogue between selves across decades. The encounter both collapses time and reframes its meanings in the present. Reviewed by Sarah Rachel Egelman.
- Click here to read more about the book.
Click here to read the review.
Bookreporter.com Bets On:
HOUSE ON FIRE, I.M. Audiobook
and THE END OF LONELINESS
HOUSE ON FIRE by Bonnie Kistler (Psychological Thriller)
HOUSE ON FIRE by Bonnie Kistler is a well-paced and emotionally charged domestic thriller. As the book opens, Leigh Huyett and her husband, Pete Conley, have taken a short vacation to celebrate their anniversary; it is a second marriage for both. She has a daughter, Chrissy, who is in middle school and twin older sons in college. He has a son, Kip, who is a senior in high school newly accepted to Duke University, and a young daughter. On the way home from a party, Kip is arrested for drunk driving. The truck he was driving crashed into a tree. And oh, this is his second offense; he already has lost his license to a DUI and should not be driving. Chrissy was with him in the car. Twelve hours later, she is dead and he is charged with manslaughter. What happened that night --- and after --- will keep you turning the pages.
- Click here to read more about the book.
- Click here to read a review.
- Click here to visit Bonnie Kistler's website.
Click here to read more of Carol's commentary on HOUSE ON FIRE.
I.M.: A Memoir (Audiobook) written and read by Isaac Mizrahi (Memoir)
I have been raving about the audiobook of I.M. by Isaac Mizrahi for weeks now. After I finished listening to it, I was sorry that it was over. Mornings of “commuting with Isaac” as he narrated his life story made me happy to be stuck in traffic.
This is a memoir about a fashion designer who is a fashion icon, as well as a big personality. It’s life according to Isaac, and there are self-deprecating moments, deeply honest passages, and many, many whole sections where you will find yourself laughing out loud. From the time he was a young child, you can picture him eyeing the room to work it for the best results. When you learn that at age six he concocted a scenario to have his mother buy him his first Barbie and at seven knifed the school bus tire to try to get out of a day at school, you quickly see that Isaac was ready to be in charge, even if the world was not ready for him to be.
- Click here to read more about the audiobook.
- Click here to read a review of the hardcover.
Click here to read more of Carol's commentary on I.M.
THE END OF LONELINESS written by Benedict Wells, translated by Charlotte Collins (Fiction)
THE END OF LONELINESS, written by Benedict Wells and translated by Charlotte Collins, is one of those slim novels that you might overlook. I am so glad I picked it up. It has strong storytelling and characters who will stay with you. It’s a sibling story, a love story, and a story that bobs and weaves so very well.
Jules Moreau, his brother Marty and sister Liz are split up and sent to boarding school following the death of their parents in a car crash. While the siblings are estranged, Jules meets Alva, a young woman living in the same home and caught up in her own grief after losing her sister.
- Click here to read more about the book.
Click here to read more of Carol's commentary on THE END OF LONELINESS.
Bookreporter.com's Eighth Annual
Spring Preview Contests and Feature
Spring is in the air! We’ve caught the fever --- and it’s being fueled by some wonderful new and upcoming releases. Our eighth annual Spring Preview Contests and Feature spotlights many of these picks, which we know people will be talking about over the next few months. We are hosting a series of 24-hour contests for these titles on select days through April 26th. You will need to check the site to see the featured book 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, March 26th at noon ET.
This year's featured titles include:
Click here to read all the contest details
and learn more about our featured titles.
Special Contest on ReadingGroupGuides.com:
Enter to Win the Audiobook Edition of Melinda Gates’
THE MOMENT OF LIFT and Share Your Comments on It
ReadingGroupGuides.com is proud to host a very special audiobook contest for THE MOMENT OF LIFT: How Empowering Women Changes the World, a timely and necessary call to action for women's empowerment. Ten book groups will win six digital copies of the audiobook, which is read by the author, Melinda Gates, and releases on April 23rd. Additionally, we will be giving 40 listeners a physical copy of the audiobook. To enter, please fill out this form by Wednesday, April 3rd at noon ET.
In order to qualify as a winning group, your group must be able to commit to listening to and discussing THE MOMENT OF LIFT, and sharing your group's feedback with us, by Friday, June 21st. We strongly encourage all winners to share their experiences on social media, including reviews on Amazon, Goodreads and Bookreporter.com's “Sounding Off on Audio” feature.
THE MOMENT OF LIFT: How Empowering Women Changes the World (Audiobook) written and read by Melinda Gates (Social Science/Women's Studies)
For the last 20 years, Melinda Gates has been on a mission to find solutions for people with the most urgent needs, wherever they live. Throughout this journey, one thing has become increasingly clear to her: If you want to lift a society up, you need to stop keeping women down.
In this moving and compelling book, Melinda shares lessons she’s learned from the inspiring people she’s met during her work and travels around the world. As she writes in the introduction, “That is why I had to write this book --- to share the stories of people who have given focus and urgency to my life. I want all of us to see ways we can lift women up where we live.”
Melinda’s unforgettable narrative is backed by startling data as she presents the issues that most need our attention --- from child marriage to lack of access to contraceptives to gender inequity in the workplace. And, for the first time, she writes about her personal life and the road to equality in her own marriage. Throughout, she shows how there has never been more opportunity to change the world ---- and ourselves.
Writing with emotion, candor and grace, she introduces us to remarkable women and shows the power of connecting with one another.
When we lift others up, they lift us up, too.
Click here to enter the contest.
What’s New This Month on ReadingGroupGuides.com
In addition to the audiobook contest for Melinda Gates’ THE MOMENT OF LIFT featured above, we have two other contests currently running on ReadingGroupGuides.com:
Win 12 Copies of THE HUNTRESS by Kate Quinn for Your Group
Kate Quinn follows up her 2017 bestseller, THE ALICE NETWORK, with another fascinating historical novel about a battle-haunted English journalist and a Russian female bomber pilot who join forces to track the Huntress, a Nazi war criminal gone to ground in America. We are celebrating the release of THE HUNTRESS with a special contest that will give three groups the chance to win 12 copies of the book. Enter here by Wednesday, April 3rd at noon ET.
"What's Your Book Group Reading This Month?": Win 12 Copies of SOLD ON A MONDAY by Kristina McMorris 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 SOLD ON A MONDAY, Kristina McMorris' New York Times bestseller about a Depression-era reporter who snaps a photo of two children being sold on a farmhouse porch, leading to his big break --- and devastating repercussions for everyone involved. Enter here by Wednesday, April 3rd 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.
LOT: Stories by Bryan Washington (Fiction/Short Stories)
Audiobook available; read by Bryan Washington, Dion Graham, JD Jackson and Bahni Turpin
In the city of Houston --- a sprawling, diverse microcosm of America --- the son of a black mother and a Latino father is coming of age. He's working at his family's restaurant, weathering his brother's blows, resenting his older sister's absence. And discovering he likes boys. Around him, others live and thrive and die in Houston's myriad neighborhoods: a young woman whose affair detonates across an apartment complex, a ragtag baseball team, a group of young hustlers, hurricane survivors, a local drug dealer who takes a Guatemalan teen under his wing, a reluctant chupacabra. Reviewed by Bianca Ambrosio.
THE TRIAL OF LIZZIE BORDEN: A True Story by Cara Robertson (True Crime/History)
Audiobook available, read by Amanda Carlin
When Andrew and Abby Borden were brutally hacked to death in Fall River, Massachusetts, in August 1892, the arrest of the couple’s younger daughter Lizzie turned the case into international news and her trial into a spectacle unparalleled in American history. Reporters flocked to the scene. Well-known columnists took up conspicuous seats in the courtroom. The defendant was relentlessly scrutinized for signs of guilt or innocence. Everyone --- rich and poor, suffragists and social conservatives, legal scholars and laypeople --- had an opinion about Lizzie Borden’s guilt or innocence. Was she a cold-blooded murderess or an unjustly persecuted lady? Did she or didn’t she? Reviewed by Curtis Edmonds.
THE FIFTH DOCTRINE by Karen Robards (Thriller)
Audiobook available, read by Julia Whelan
It took one hell of an effort for the authorities to finally get the jump on master manipulator Bianca St. Ives, but now that they have, it’s far from the capture she expected. Instead of taking her in, there’s an offer on the table, a one-shot deal that would allow Bianca to walk away scot-free as if they’d never found her. And all she has to do is run one last mission --- the kind from which she might never return. An intelligence operation is already underway in North Korea, one that’s poised to end the country’s existing tyrannical regime for good. But first, the US needs one of their own to go undercover as the female hacker who recently stole top-secret intel from NORAD. Enter Bianca. Reviewed by Pamela Kramer.
THE ELEPHANT OF SURPRISE: A Hap and Leonard Novel by Joe R. Lansdale (Thriller)
Audiobook available, read by Christopher Ryan Grant
Hap and Leonard are an unlikely pair, but they're the closest friend either of them has in the world. After years of crime-solving companionship, something has changed: Hap, recently married to their P.I. boss, Brett, is now a family man. Amidst the worst flood East Texas has seen in years, the two run across a woman who has had her tongue nearly cut out, pursued by a heavily armed pair of goons. It turns out the girl survived a mob hit, and the boss has come to clean up the mess. Hap and Leonard must save the girl and vanquish her foes before the foes get them first. With a new case to solve and a brand-new challenge to their relationship, will Hap and Leonard's friendship survive? Will they survive? Reviewed by Joe Hartlaub.
THE LOST NIGHT by Andrea Bartz (Psychological Thriller)
Audiobook available, read by Kristen Sieh and a full cast
In 2009, Edie had New York’s social world in her thrall. Mercurial and beguiling, she was the shining star of a group of recent graduates living in a Brooklyn loft and treating New York like their playground. When Edie’s body was found near a suicide note at the end of a long, drunken night, no one could believe it. A decade later, Lindsay has come a long way from the drug-addled world of Calhoun Lofts. She has devoted best friends, a cozy apartment and a thriving career as a magazine’s head fact-checker. But when a chance reunion leads Lindsay to discover an unsettling video from that hazy night, she starts to wonder if Edie was actually murdered --- and, worse, if she herself was involved. Reviewed by Lorraine W. Shanley.
ALL THE WRONG PLACES by Joy Fielding (Mystery/Thriller)
Audiobook available, read by Saskia Maarleveld
The man calling himself “Mr. Right Now” in his online profile knows that his perfect hair, winning smile and charming banter put women at ease, silencing any doubts they might have about going back to his apartment. There, he has a special evening all planned out: steaks, wine, candlelight…and, by the end of the night, pain and a slow, agonizing death. Driven to desperation, a young woman, her cousin, her best friend and her mother all decide to try their hand at online dating. They each download an app, hoping to right-swipe their way to love and happiness. But one of them unwittingly makes a date with the killer, starting the clock on a race to save her life. Reviewed by Ray Palen.
IF, THEN by Kate Hope Day (Speculative Fiction)
Audiobook available, read by Rebecca Lowman
In the quiet haven of Clearing, Oregon, four neighbors find their lives upended when they begin to see themselves in parallel realities. At first the visions are relatively benign, but they grow increasingly disturbing --- and, in some cases, frightening. When a natural disaster threatens Clearing, it becomes obvious that the visions were not what they first seemed and that the town will never be the same. Reviewed by Rebecca Munro.
ON THE BRIGHT SIDE: The New Secret Diary of Hendrik Groen, 85 Years Old written by Hendrik Groen, translated by Hester Velmans (Fiction)
Audiobook available, read by Patrick Ryecart
Everyone's favorite octogenarian is back, and together with his pals in the Old-But-Not-Dead Club, he is more determined than ever to wreak havoc and turn a twinkly eye on the brighter side of life. After a year spent mourning the death of his beloved friend, Eefje, Hendrik may be older and a little more wobbly, but his youthful appetite for mischief hasn't diminished. When fears arise that the home is set for demolition, it's up to Hendrik and the Old-But-Not-Dead Club to intervene. Reviewed by Cindy Burnett.
THE DEEPEST BLUE: Tales of Renthia by Sarah Beth Durst (Dark Fantasy)
Audiobook available, read by Khristine Hvam
Life is precious and precarious on the islands of Belene. Besieged by a capricious ocean full of malicious spirits, the people of the islands seek joy where they can. Mayara, one of the island’s fearless oyster divers, has found happiness in love. But on the day of her wedding to the artist Kelo, a spirit-driven storm hits the island with deadly force. To save her loved ones, Mayara reveals a dangerous secret: she has the power to control the spirits. When the storm ends, she is taken into custody by the queen’s soldiers and imprisoned with other women like her. Whoever survives the Island of Testing will be declared heirs to the queen. But no matter if she wins or loses, Mayara knows that the life she dreamed of is gone. Reviewed by Pamela Kramer.
THE PARTING GLASS by Gina Marie Guadagnino (Historical Fiction)
Audiobook available, read by Cassandra Campbell
By day, Mary Ballard is lady’s maid to Charlotte Walden, wealthy and accomplished belle of New York City high society. But on her nights off, Mary sheds this persona to reveal her true self: Irish exile Maire O’Farren. She finds release from her frustration in New York’s gritty underworld --- in the arms of a prostitute and as drinking companion to a decidedly motley crew consisting of a barkeeper and members of a dangerous secret society. Meanwhile, Charlotte has a secret of her own --- she’s having an affair with a stable groom, unaware that her lover is actually Mary’s own brother. When the truth of both women’s double lives begins to unravel, Mary is left to face the consequences. Reviewed by Maya Gittelman.
MERCY RIVER: A Van Shaw Novel by Glen Erik Hamilton (Thriller)
Audiobook available, read by R.C. Bray
When his friend Leo Pak is arrested on suspicion of murder and armed robbery, Van Shaw journeys to a remote Oregon county to help his fellow Ranger. Van had been Leo’s sergeant when they served with the 75th Regiment in Afghanistan, and back in the States, Leo had helped Van when he needed it most. The murder victim --- the owner of a local gun shop where Leo worked part time --- was dealing in stolen heroin-grade opiates. Worse, the town has a dark history with a community of white supremacists, growing in strength and threatening to turn Mercy River into their private enclave. Van’s quest to clear Leo’s name will stir up old grudges and dark secrets beneath the surface of this secretive small town. Reviewed by Joe Hartlaub.
Next Week’s Notables:
Noteworthy Books Releasing on March 25th and 26th
Below are some notable titles releasing on March 25th and 26th 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 available the week of March 25th, see our “On Sale This Week” newsletter here.
March 25th
THE CORNWALLS ARE GONE by James Patterson and Brendan DuBois (Thriller)
Army intelligence officer Amy Cornwall receives a phone call with a terrifying ultimatum: locate and liberate an unnamed captive in 48 hours, or her kidnapped husband and 10-year-old daughter are dead.
March 26th
THE AMERICAN AGENT: A Maisie Dobbs Novel by Jacqueline Winspear (Historical Mystery)
Beloved heroine Maisie Dobbs investigates the mysterious murder of an American war correspondent in London during the Blitz in a page-turning tale of love and war, terror and survival.
BLACK AND BLUE: A Doug Brock Thriller by David Rosenfelt (Thriller)
Doug Brock hasn't had it easy since getting shot in the line of duty as a New Jersey state police officer and developing amnesia. But now an old case of his has resurfaced, and it’s up to him to retrace his steps --- steps he can’t remember --- to solve it.
BLOOD OATH by Linda Fairstein (Mystery/Thriller)
New York Times bestselling author Linda Fairstein explores the depths of Manhattan's secretive Rockefeller University in this timely, captivating thriller about the deep --- and often deadly --- reverberations of past sins.
CROWN JEWEL: A Simon Riske Novel by Christopher Reich (Thriller)
Stolen sports cars, brilliant casino heists and the brazen kidnapping of a prince: only the shadowy spy-for-hire Simon Riske can stop the mastermind behind it all.
DARK TRIBUTE: An Eve Duncan Novel by Iris Johansen (Thriller)
The carefully constructed world that violin prodigy Cara Delaney has built for herself is suddenly threatened when she is kidnapped by a mysterious man trying to settle a score against her family, setting off a violent chain of events that puts everyone Cara loves in danger.
INSIDE THE EMPIRE: The True Power Behind the New York Yankees by Bob Klapisch and Paul Solotaroff (Sports)
Using the 2018 baseball season as the backdrop, INSIDE THE EMPIRE gives readers the real, unvarnished “straight-from-the-gut” truth from Brian Cashman, Aaron Boone, Giancarlo Stanton, C.C. Sabathia --- even Hal Steinbrenner and Randy Levine --- and many more.
kaddish.com by Nathan Englander (Fiction/Humor)
The celebrated Pulitzer finalist and prize-winning author of DINNER AT THE CENTER OF THE EARTH and WHAT WE TALK ABOUT WHEN WE TALK ABOUT ANNE FRANK delivers a streamlined comic masterpiece about a son’s failure to say Kaddish for his father.
THE LAST SECOND: A Brit in the FBI Thriller by Catherine Coulter and J.T. Ellison (Thriller)
From New York Times bestselling authors Catherine Coulter and J.T. Ellison comes a riveting thriller pitting special agents Nicholas Drummond and Michaela Caine against a private French space agency that has the power to end the world as we know it.
THE NIGHT VISITORS by Carol Goodman (Psychological Thriller)
The latest thriller from the internationally bestselling author of THE LAKE OF DEAD LANGUAGES and THE OTHER MOTHER is a story of mistaken identities and missed chances, forgiveness and vengeance.
WILD CARD: A Stone Barrington Novel by Stuart Woods (Thriller/Adventure)
Stone Barrington and his latest paramour are enjoying a peaceful country retreat when their idyll is broken by an unwelcome stranger. He was sent by an enemy, someone who'd be happy to silence Stone and all his collaborators for good.
Click here to see the latest "On Sale This Week" newsletter.
Our Latest Poll: March Fiction Releases to Anticipate
Which of the following fiction titles releasing in March are you planning to read? Please check all that apply.
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THE AMERICAN AGENT: A Maisie Dobbs Novel, by Jacqueline Winspear
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BEAUTIFUL BAD by Annie Ward
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BLOOD OATH by Linda Fairstein
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CEMETERY ROAD by Greg Iles
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DAISY JONES & THE SIX by Taylor Jenkins Reid
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DARK TRIBUTE: An Eve Duncan Novel, by Iris Johansen
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THE FIFTH DOCTRINE by Karen Robards
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GINGERBREAD by Helen Oyeyemi
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HOUSE ON FIRE by Bonnie Kistler
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THE ISLAND OF SEA WOMEN by Lisa See
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THE LAST YEAR OF THE WAR by Susan Meissner
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THE MALTA EXCHANGE by Steve Berry
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ME FOR YOU by Lolly Winston
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THE NIGHT VISITORS by Carol Goodman
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THE PARADE by Dave Eggers
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THE PERFECT ALIBI by Phillip Margolin
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RUN AWAY by Harlan Coben
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UNTO US A SON IS GIVEN: A Commissario Guido Brunetti Mystery, by Donna Leon
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WILD CARD: A Stone Barrington Novel, by Stuart Woods
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WOLF PACK: A Joe Pickett Novel, by C. J. Box
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None of the above
Click here to vote in the poll by Friday, March 29th 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 March 15th to March 29th at noon ET, three lucky readers each will be randomly chosen to win a copy of BLOOD OATH by Linda Fairstein and RUN AWAY by Harlan Coben.
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 March 1st to April 1st at noon ET, two lucky readers each will be randomly chosen to win the audio versions of Greg Iles' CEMETERY ROAD, read by Scott Brick, and James Rollins' CRUCIBLE, read by Christian Baskous.
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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