February 7, 2020

February 7, 2020

Quick Links to Features on Bookreporter.com

Reviews  |  Features  |  Bookreporter.com Bets On  |  Upcoming Bets On
Contests  |  Word of Mouth  |  Sounding Off on Audio
Coming Soon  |  New in Paperback  |  On Sale This Week  |  Books on Screen
  Book Festivals  |  Carol's Event Schedule  |  Read This Newsletter Online
"Bookreporter Talks To" Podcast  |  "Bookreporter Talks To" Videos

Here are some of the books that Carol has been reading in preparation for
the Tucson Festival of Books, where she is moderating five panels.

Carol talks about this week's Bookreporter update in our latest promo video.

Above are the lovely amaryllis plants that are blooming all over Carol's house.

A Sad Farewell to a Beloved Author

Last Friday night, as we were getting ready to send the newsletter, we heard the sad news that Mary Higgins Clark passed away at the age of 92. We reviewed so many of her books throughout the years, including countless stand-alone mysteries and her Under Suspicion series, which she co-wrote with Alafair Burke. Our own Barbara Lipkien Gershenbaum, a frequent reviewer of her work, shared this with us: “Mary Higgins Clark was one of the world's best mystery writers. She had a sharp and clear writing style combined with a talent for creating characters who were finely limned. Her ability to create plots that kept readers on the edge of their seat is well known, and her stellar reputation grew with each of her many books regardless of genre.”

Another huge fan of the "Queen of Suspense" is my son, Greg, who was inspired this week to pen this wonderful tribute to her. Fun fact (which I mentioned last week): Mary had a beach house in the same town as my parents. She told Greg to drop by if he saw her out gardening. I pictured him hopping on his bike to do that and panicked. She assured me that she would not mind! Also, when he was 11 years old in 2002, we went to the National Book Festival where we stood on a very long line for him to meet Mary. I told her that she had inspired me to visit Mount Vernon with her book, MOUNT VERNON LOVE STORY: A Novel of George and Martha Washington. Mary urged us to go later that day, which we did. I found myself sharing anecdotes from the book with my family as we walked around the house and the grounds.

My mom remembered her coming to a book group meeting with the Book Buffs book group in Spring Lake, New Jersey, and she was such fun to talk to. She was so engaged with her readers. I never saw Mary "off." Over the past week on Facebook and Instagram, I loved seeing authors sharing photos of themselves with her --- and telling stories about how special she was and how she had influenced their careers. What a legacy she has left. And if you have not read her 2002 memoir, KITCHEN PRIVILEGES, I highly recommend it. One of my favorite parts was when her car broke down the night she got her first big book deal. She was at Fordham in night school and was fretting about how she was going to pay to repair it. She went out and bought herself a Cadillac! 

I have been doing a crazy amount of reading in preparation for the Tucson Festival of Books, where I am moderating five panels. Between this and prep for "Bookreporter Talks To" interviews, I am reading as fast as I can. Above you can see some of the books I have been reading.

Note that this week we are not bringing you a new video/podcast. I was so hoarse last week that there is no way I could have done a full-length interview. I even sound hoarse on this week’s promo video, where Austin brilliantly edited out my coughing jag that was not pretty. We have a huge lineup coming in the next few weeks, beginning with Allison Pataki next week, so stay tuned!

The above amaryllis plants are blooming all over the house. They really look lovely, and the pops of color are amazingly cheerful this time of year. I thought I bought more in white…I clearly mixed up the labels, or the store did. They are so stunning. I gave a number of them as gifts, and people have been calling and emailing about how fabulous they are! I take no credit. I literally plant and water. 

We have 14 reviews to share with you this week. Among them are CROOKED RIVER, the latest installment in Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child’s series featuring Agent Pendergast, who races to uncover the mystery of several light green-shoe-clad severed feet found floating in the Atlantic; THE MUSEUM OF DESIRE, Jonathan Kellerman’s new psychological thriller, in which psychologist Alex Delaware and detective Milo Sturgis struggle to make sense of a seemingly inexplicable massacre; and WHEN TIME STOPPED, Ariana Neumann’s memoir that dives into the secrets of her father’s past --- years spent hiding in plain sight in war-torn Berlin, the annihilation of dozens of family members in the Holocaust, and the courageous choice to build anew.

Ariana was on “Today” this week to talk about the book. Click here to watch the interview. I had the pleasure of meeting her at lunch in the fall, and I was mesmerized as I heard her stories about discovering her father’s hidden history --- and the ramifications on her family. Fascinating!

This is your last newsletter reminder to enter our Valentine’s Day contest, where five of you will win five love-themed books for yourself or that special someone in your life: THE GIRL HE USED TO KNOW by Tracey Garvis Graves (a Bets On pick that is now in paperback), POSTSCRIPT by Cecelia Ahern, and THE WOMEN IN BLACK by Madeleine St John, along with advance copies of GROWN UPS by Emma Jane Unsworth (on sale May 12th) and THE END OF THE DAY by Bill Clegg (on sale June 2nd and a future Bets On selection). All you have to do is fill out this form by Thursday, February 13th at noon ET for your chance to be a lucky (and beloved!) winner.

In this week’s Winter Reading contests, we gave away JFK AND MARY MEYER: A Love Story by Jesse Kornbluth and THE SCENT KEEPER by Erica Bauermeister, which is this month’s Reese Witherspoon x Hello Sunshine Book Club pick. Next week’s prizes will be MERCY HOUSE by Alena Dillon and THE QUEEN’S FORTUNE: A Novel of Desiree, Napoleon, and the Dynasty That Outlasted the Empire by the aforementioned Allison Pataki. We will review both books in next Friday’s newsletter, and the latter is an upcoming Bets On selection.

You’ll also have the opportunity to win THE QUEEN’S FORTUNE in our latest Word of Mouth contest, in addition to THE GIRL WITH THE LOUDING VOICE by Abi Daré, which is this month’s "Read with Jenna" Today Show Book Club pick. Submit your comments about the books you’ve read, and you’ll be in the running to win both these novels. The deadline for your entries is Friday, February 21st at noon ET.

Our New in Paperback roundups for February are now available. We’re featuring paperback reprints from such bestselling authors as Daniel Silva (THE NEW GIRL), Dean Koontz (THE NIGHT WINDOW: A Jane Hawk Novel), Sandra Brown (OUTFOX), Philippa Gregory (TIDELANDS), and Elin Hilderbrand (SUMMER OF ’69); nonfiction titles, including SAY NOTHING: A True Story of Murder and Memory in Northern Ireland by Patrick Radden Keefe, DANNEMORA: Two Escaped Killers, Three Weeks of Terror, and the Largest Manhunt Ever in New York State by Charles A. Gardner, and SEPARATE: The Story of Plessy v. Ferguson, and America's Journey from Slavery to Segregation by Steve Luxenberg; and paperback originals like A COLD TRAIL by Robert Dugoni, SISTERS BY CHOICE: A Blackberry Island Novel by Susan Mallery, and THE MISFORTUNES OF FAMILY by Meg Little Reilly.

For our latest poll, we’ve listed 20 of these paperbacks, and we’re asking you which, if any, you have read or are planning to read. Click here to let us know. We love seeing what you would like to read, or have read!

Our previous poll asked which recently released or upcoming fiction titles you have read or are planning to read. Here are your top five picks: AMERICAN DIRT by Jeanine Cummins (56%), DEAR EDWARD by Ann Napolitano (44%), LADY CLEMENTINE by Marie Benedict (42%), A LONG PETAL OF THE SEA by Isabel Allende (38%), and LONG BRIGHT RIVER by Liz Moore (37%). Click here for all the results.

We’ve also updated our Books on Screen feature for this month. February’s roundup includes the feature films Emma, The Call of the Wild and The Invisible Man; the first season of "High Fidelity" on Hulu, along with the season premieres of "Outlander" on Starz and "The Sinner" on USA Network; and the DVD releases of Doctor Sleep, The Good Liar, Jojo Rabbit and Color Out of Space.

February’s Sounding Off on Audio contest kicked off this week. Let us know by Monday, March 2nd at noon ET what audiobooks you’ve listened to, and you’ll have a chance to win the audio versions of J. D. Robb's GOLDEN IN DEATH, read by Susan Ericksen, and Steve Berry's THE WARSAW PROTOCOL, read by Scott Brick. We will have reviews of the print editions of both later this month.

Speaking of audiobooks, the finalists for the 25th Audie Awards were announced this week by the Audio Publishers Association (APA). Among the finalists are Michelle Obama, Margaret Atwood, Malcolm Gladwell, Tom Hanks, Marlon James, Sir Elton John, Demi Moore, Ann Patchett, Meryl Streep and Colson Whitehead. Click here for all the nominees. The winners will be revealed at the Audie Awards® Gala on March 2nd in New York City, hosted by author and “CBS Sunday Morning” correspondent Mo Rocca.

News & Pop Culture

Reader Mail:

Jayme wrote, “I just wanted to send a note to tell you that I really enjoyed the snippets of upcoming books by authors that you presented in your newsletter this week. For those of us who can’t get to author events, it was nice to get a little feel of the authors and what motivated them to write their books. Please keep creating those fun and insightful videos. I hope you are feeling better.”

Roe wrote, "Just had to shoot this email to you to tell you how much I enjoyed the short video you did with authors at Winter Institute. It was so much fun to hear from each author about their upcoming book...kind of like a parent telling us about their new child. My already overloaded TBR list has now expanded. Thank you for taking the time to do this.”

Patrice wrote this about one of our Winter Reading newsletters for the aforementioned JFK AND MARY MEYER: A Love Story: “Thank you for this newsletter. It is so needed this time of year. I have the winter blues. And I just had a birthday that made me eligible for retirement. Even the birds have noticed and are singing their little hearts out trying to cheer me up. I keep telling them the groundhog was wrong, but they won't hear of it. So this book looks good! Happy midwinter to you all."

Beth wrote, "Thank you for your chicken rice recipe. It’s perfect and very timely. I have had a terrible cold since Thursday, and it doesn’t look like it’s going away anytime soon. Plus, even when I’m not sick, I hate to cook. But even I can do this recipe. I took me 20 minutes to write this email. I’m using voice recognition on my iPhone, and it’s misunderstanding most of my words because my nose is so stuffed up.”

Susi wrote about winning WHEN WE WERE VIKINGS in our Winter Reading contest: “I’m beyond excited to read this book! Can’t wait.” 

Ideas for More Reading After AMERICAN DIRT: As I mentioned in my Bets On commentary last week, AMERICAN DIRT had me wanting to read more on migrants and immigration. Here’s a link to some suggested titles.

"The Stranger" on Netflix: An addictive watch last weekend! Here’s a terrific interview with Harlan Coben on "Today."

"Cheer" on Netflix: I binged this series about a college cheer team from Corsicana, Texas, last Sunday. So well done; I want to hear more about these characters.

"Homeland" on Showtime: The final season kicks off this Sunday night. I have the first four episodes here to binge tonight and tomorrow night. Over the course of its run, this show portrayed so much that was going on in the Middle East. At times it was eerily clairvoyant on what was happening; this season, they are focusing on winding down U.S. efforts there.

Academy Awards Airing Sunday Night: I hope Brad Pitt wins; I have enjoyed his acceptance speeches so far! We still need to watch Judy since I think that Renée Zellweger is going to win Best Actress, and it’s the one big film that we have not seen.

I have zero weekend plans, except getting a long overdue haircut and watching the Oscars --- and read read reading. If I take a reading break, the loom has sat on the floor for weeks; I want to crank up a video to learn more about technique as my ends are definitely not tight enough. If I feel better, I am going to head back to yoga, which I have missed enormously. Last week, I was too sick to breathe in and out without coughing. Now I want to be sure that I am healthy enough to not catch anything new!

My husband is on book five of Nick Petrie’s Peter Ash series. He has read through all the books in rapid succession. I loved helping him find something new to enjoy. And I look forward to meeting Nick in Tucson. 

I tried two new recipes during the Super Bowl, both recommendations curated by Alex, who writes for Morning Brew. One was Pepperoni Pizza Dip. I would make this again, but would try ricotta as the base layer. The other was BBQ Jackfruit Sliders. I had picked up a can of Jackfruit at Trader Joe’s after seeing a HUGE --- as in, bigger than watermelon size --- jackfruit in the supermarket. I thought it was $1.99 and was thinking of buying it to see what it was; ends up it was $1.99 a pound. Jackfruit has the consistency of pork. I cannot say it was my favorite, but it definitely was interesting. I have to come up with something to enjoy during the Oscars. Sadly, I do not like champagne. 

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!

Remembering Mary Higgins Clark,
the "Queen of Suspense"

We at Bookreporter.com mourn the loss of Mary Higgins Clark, the "Queen of Suspense," who has died at the age of 92 of natural causes.

Higgins Clark's resume is impressive: 38 suspense novels, four collections of short stories, a historical novel, a memoir and two children’s books. With bestselling author Alafair Burke, she wrote the Under Suspicion series, including THE CINDERELLA MURDER, ALL DRESSED IN WHITE, THE SLEEPING BEAUTY KILLER, EVERY BREATH YOU TAKE and YOU DON'T OWN ME. With her daughter Carol Higgins Clark, she coauthored five more suspense novels. More than 100 million copies of her books are in print in the United States alone.

Bookreporter.com's Greg Fitzgerald reflects on Higgins Clark’s remarkable career and legacy in this lovely tribute.

Click here to read our tribute to Mary Higgins Clark.

Featured Review: CROOKED RIVER
by Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child

CROOKED RIVER: A Pendergast Novel by Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child (Thriller)
Audiobook available, read by Jefferson Mays
Appearing out of nowhere to horrify the quiet resort town of Sanibel Island, Florida, dozens of identical, ordinary-looking shoes float in on the tide and are washed up on the tropical beach --- each one with a crudely severed human foot inside. In short order, Agent Pendergast finds himself facing the most complex and inexplicable challenge of his career: a tangled thread of evidence that spans seas and traverses continents, connected to one of the most baffling mysteries in modern medical science. Through shocking twists and turns, all trails lead back to a powerful adversary with a sadistic agenda and who --- in a cruel irony --- ultimately sees in Pendergast the ideal subject for their malevolent research. Reviewed by Ray Palen.

- Click here to read more about the book.

Click here to read our review.

Featured Review: THE MUSEUM OF DESIRE
by Jonathan Kellerman

THE MUSEUM OF DESIRE: An Alex Delaware Novel by Jonathan Kellerman (Psychological Thriller)
Audiobook available, read by John Rubinstein 
LAPD Lieutenant Milo Sturgis has solved a lot of murder cases. On many of them --- the ones he calls “different” --- he taps the brain of brilliant psychologist Dr. Alex Delaware. But neither Alex nor Milo are prepared for what they find on an early morning call to a deserted mansion in Bel Air. This is predation, premeditation and cruelty on a whole new level. Four people have been slaughtered and left displayed bizarrely and horrifically in a stretch limousine. Confounding the investigation, none of the victims seems to have any connection to any other, and a variety of methods have been used to dispatch them. As Alex and Milo make their way through blind alleys and mazes baited with misdirection, they encounter a crime so vicious that it stretches the definitions of evil. Reviewed by Joe Hartlaub.

- Click here to read more about the book.
- Click here to read an excerpt.

Click here to read our review.

Featured Review: WHEN TIME STOPPED
by Ariana Neumann

WHEN TIME STOPPED: A Memoir of My Father's War and What Remains by Ariana Neumann (Memoir)
Audiobook available, read by Rebecca Lowman
Of 34 Neumann family members, 25 were murdered by the Nazis. One of the survivors was Hans Neumann, who traveled to Berlin and hid in plain sight under the Gestapo’s eyes. What Hans experienced was so unspeakable that, when he built an industrial empire in Venezuela, he couldn’t bring himself to talk about it. All his daughter Ariana knew was that something terrible had happened. When Hans died, he left Ariana a small box filled with letters, diary entries and other memorabilia. Ten years later, Ariana finally summoned the courage to have the letters translated, and she began reading. What she discovered launched her on a worldwide search that would deliver indelible portraits of a family loving, finding meaning, and trying to survive amid the worst that can be imagined. Reviewed by Barbara Bamberger Scott.

- Click here to read more about the book.

Click here to read our review.

Bookreporter.com's 15th Annual Valentine's Day Contest:
Enter to Win Books for Yourself or Your Valentine!

Valentine's Day is only a few heartbeats away. We can't think of a better way to celebrate this special day than to cuddle up with your loved one...and a good book, of course!

We're giving five readers the chance to win five love-themed books. Be sure to enter between now and Thursday, February 13th at noon ET for your opportunity to be a lucky (and beloved!) winner.

If you're feeling frisky, share with us your all-time book character crush. Don't be shy, we all got 'em! We'll post the top 10 literary loves and lusts --- along with the five winners --- shortly after the contest ends.

This year's featured Valentine’s Day titles are:

• THE END OF THE DAY by Bill Clegg
• THE GIRL HE USED TO KNOW by Tracey Garvis Graves
• GROWN UPS by Emma Jane Unsworth
• POSTSCRIPT by Cecelia Ahern
• THE WOMEN IN BLACK by Madeleine St John

Click here to enter the contest.

Bookreporter.com's Sixth Annual
Winter Reading Contests and Feature

Our Winter Reading Contests and Feature have returned for a sixth year! On select days through February 19th at noon ET, we are hosting a series of 24-hour contests spotlighting a book releasing this winter (or a recently published title that we would like to get into your hands now) and giving five lucky readers a chance to win it. We also are sending a special newsletter to announce the day's title, which you can sign up for here.

Our next prize book will be announced on Monday, February 10th at noon ET.

This year's featured titles are:

• ALL THE WAYS WE SAID GOODBYE: A Novel of the Ritz Paris by Beatriz Williams, Lauren Willig and Karen White
• INHERITANCE by Evelyn Toynton
• JFK AND MARY MEYER: A Love Story by Jesse Kornbluth
• THE LAST ROMANTICS by Tara Conklin
• LIFE IS A 4-LETTER WORD: Laughing and Learning Through 40 Life Lessons by Dr. David A. Levy
• A LONG PETAL OF THE SEA by Isabel Allende
• THE MAGICAL LANGUAGE OF OTHERS: A Memoir by E. J. Koh
• MERCY HOUSE by Alena Dillon
• THE QUEEN'S FORTUNE: A Novel of Desiree, Napoleon, and the Dynasty That Outlasted the Empire by Allison Pataki
• SAINT X by Alexis Schaitkin
• THE SCENT KEEPER by Erica Bauermeister
• WHEN WE WERE VIKINGS by Andrew David MacDonald

Click here to read all the contest details
and learn more about our featured titles.

February’s New in Paperback Roundups

February's roundup of New in Paperback fiction titles includes THE NEW GIRL by Daniel Silva, a stunning thriller of deception, betrayal and vengeance featuring Gabriel Allon, the legendary chief of Israeli intelligence; DAISY JONES & THE SIX, a gripping novel from Taylor Jenkins Reid about the whirlwind rise of an iconic 1970s rock group and their beautiful lead singer, revealing the mystery behind their infamous breakup; SUMMER OF '69, Elin Hilderbrand's first historical novel, in which four siblings experience the drama, intrigue and upheaval of a summer when everything changed; TIDELANDS, in which Philippa Gregory turns from the glamour of the royal courts to tell the story of an ordinary woman living in a dangerous time for a woman to be different; and THE STATIONERY SHOP by Marjan Kamali, a beautiful and timely exploration of devastating loss, unbreakable family bonds and the overwhelming power of love.

Among our nonfiction highlights are SAY NOTHING by Patrick Radden Keefe, a gripping, intricate narrative about a notorious killing in Northern Ireland and its devastating repercussions; PARKLAND, Dave Cullen's intimate, deeply moving account of the extraordinary teenage survivors of the Parkland shooting who became activists and pushed back against the NRA and feckless Congressional leaders --- inspiring millions of Americans to join their grassroots #neveragain movement; DANNEMORA, in which former corrections officer Charles A. Gardner tells from an insider’s point of view what transpired in June 2015, when two convicted murderers broke out of the Clinton Correctional Facility in Dannemora, New York, launching the most extensive manhunt in state history; and SEPARATE, in which Steve Luxenberg draws from letters, diaries and archival collections to tell the story of Plessy v. Ferguson through the eyes of the people caught up in the case.

Find out what's New in Paperback for the weeks of
February 3rd, February 10th, February 17th and February 24th.

February’s Books on Screen Feature

Here is a preview of this month's movies, TV shows and DVDs that are based on books. For a complete list of February's offerings, please click here.
 

In Theaters

The Call of the Wild
Release Date: February 21st (wide)
Based on: THE CALL OF THE WILD by Jack London

Emma
Release Date: February 21st (limited)
Based on: EMMA by Jane Austen

The Invisible Man
Release Date: February 28th (wide)
Based on: THE INVISIBLE MAN by H.G. Wells
 

On TV

"High Fidelity"
Release Date: February 14th on Hulu (Season One)
Based on: HIGH FIDELITY by Nick Hornby

"The Sinner"
Air Dates: Thursdays at 9pm ET/PT on USA Network; Season Three Premiere on February 6th
Based on: THE SINNER by Petra Hammesfahr

"Outlander"
Air Dates: Sundays at 8pm ET/PT on Starz; Season Five Premiere on February 16th
Based on: THE FIERY CROSS by Diana Gabaldon
 

On DVD

Doctor Sleep
DVD Release Date: February 4th
Based on: DOCTOR SLEEP by Stephen King

The Good Liar
DVD Release Date: February 18th
Based on: THE GOOD LIAR by Nicholas Searle

 "Bookreporter Talks To" Videos & Podcasts

In late August, we launched “Bookreporter Talks To,” a video and podcast series where we deliver a long-form, in-depth author interview every week. For years, I have moderated book festivals and author events around the country. But we know that readers often do not live where they can attend an author event. Our goal --- to bring these author interviews to readers, wherever they may be. Watch on video, or listen as a podcast. (The podcasts include audio excerpts.)

By the way, this follows a long history of The Book Report Network delivering compelling programming to readers. Back in 1997, the company hosted the first online interview with John Grisham, which started a tradition of ongoing interviews with authors.

Authors interviewed to date include:

• Linwood Barclay (ELEVATOR PITCH) Video | Podcast
• Patti Callahan (BECOMING MRS. LEWIS) Video | Podcast
• Fiona Davis (THE CHELSEA GIRLS) Video | Podcast
• Nelson DeMille and Alex DeMille (THE DESERTER) Video | Podcast
• Sally Hepworth (THE MOTHER-IN-LAW) Video | Podcast
• Marjan Kamali (THE STATIONERY SHOP) Video | Podcast
• Mary Beth Keane (ASK AGAIN, YES) Video | Podcast
• Raymond Khoury (EMPIRE OF LIES) Video | Podcast
• Jesse Kornbluth (JFK AND MARY MEYER: A Love Story) Video | Podcast
• William Kent Krueger (THIS TENDER LAND) Video | Podcast
• Jean Kwok (SEARCHING FOR SYLVIE LEE) Video | Podcast
• Shari Lapena (SOMEONE WE KNOW) Video | Podcast
• Gilly Macmillan (THE NANNY) Video | Podcast
• Liz Moore (LONG BRIGHT RIVER) Video | Podcast
• Heather Morris (THE TATTOOIST OF AUSCHWITZ; CILKA'S JOURNEY) Video | Podcast
• Whitney Scharer (THE AGE OF LIGHT) Video | Podcast
• Cara Wall (THE DEARLY BELOVED) Video | Podcast
• Sheila Weller (CARRIE FISHER: A Life on the Edge) Video | Podcast
• Karen White (THE CHRISTMAS SPIRITS ON TRADD STREET; ALL THE WAYS WE SAID GOODBYE) Video | Podcast
• Beatriz Williams (THE GOLDEN HOUR; THE WICKED REDHEAD; ALL THE WAYS WE SAID GOODBYE) Video | Podcast

Upcoming interviews include:

• Marie Benedict (LADY CLEMENTINE)
• Therese Anne Fowler (A GOOD NEIGHBORHOOD)
• Allison Pataki (THE QUEEN'S FORTUNE: A Novel of Desiree, Napoleon, and the Dynasty That Outlasted the Empire)
• Luanne Rice (LAST DAY)
• Alexis Schaitkin (SAINT X)
• Amanda Eyre Ward (THE JETSETTERS)

Watch our "Bookreporter Talks To" interviews and listen to our podcasts.

More Reviews This Week

CLEANING THE GOLD: A Jack Reacher and Will Trent Short Story by Karin Slaughter and Lee Child (Thriller)
Audiobook available, read by Eric Jason Martin and Jeff Harding
Will Trent is undercover at Fort Knox. His assignment: to investigate a 22-year-old murder. His suspect’s name: Jack Reacher. Jack Reacher is in Fort Knox on his own mission: to bring down a dangerous criminal ring operating at the heart of America’s military. Except now Will Trent is on the scene. But there’s a bigger conspiracy at play --- one that neither the special agent nor the ex-military cop could have anticipated. And the only option is for Jack Reacher and Will Trent to team up and play nicely. If they can... Reviewed by Joe Hartlaub.

INTERIOR CHINATOWN by Charles Yu (Fiction)
Audiobook available, read by Joel de la Fuente
Willis Wu doesn’t perceive himself as a protagonist even in his own life: He’s merely Generic Asian man. Sometimes he gets to be Background Oriental Making a Weird Face or even Disgraced Son, but he is always relegated to a prop. Yet every day he leaves his tiny room in a Chinatown SRO and enters the Golden Palace restaurant, where “Black and White,” a procedural cop show, is in perpetual production. He’s a bit player here, too, but he dreams of being Kung Fu Guy --- the most respected role that anyone who looks like him can attain. At least that’s what he has been told, time and time again. Except by one person, his mother. Who says to him: Be more. Reviewed by Roz Shea.

THE AUTHENTICITY PROJECT by Clare Pooley (Fiction)
Audiobook available, read by Anna Cordell
Julian Jessop, an eccentric, lonely artist and septuagenarian, believes that most people aren't really honest with each other. But what if they were? And so he writes --- in a plain, green journal --- the truth about his own life and leaves it in his local café. It's run by the incredibly tidy and efficient Monica, who furtively adds her own entry and leaves the book in the wine bar across the street. Before long, the others who find the green notebook add the truths about their own deepest selves --- and soon find each other In Real Life at Monica's Café. Reviewed by Norah Piehl.

PERFECT LITTLE CHILDREN by Sophie Hannah (Psychological Thriller)
Audiobook available, read by Laura Kirman
All Beth has to do is drive her son to his soccer game, watch him play and then return home. Just because she knows her ex-best friend lives near the field, that doesn’t mean she has to drive past her house and try to catch a glimpse of her. Why would Beth do that and risk dredging up painful memories? Nevertheless, she parks outside the open gates of Newnham House, watches from across the road as Flora arrives, and calls to her children, Thomas and Emily, to get out of the car. But there’s something terribly wrong. Flora looks the same, only older. Twelve years ago, Thomas and Emily were five and three years old. Today, they look precisely as they did then. Why haven’t they grown? How is it possible that they haven’t grown up? Reviewed by Ray Palen.

THE GOOD KILLER by Harry Dolan (Thriller)
Audiobook available, read by James Patrick Cronin
Sean Tennant and Molly Winter are living quietly and cautiously in Houston when a troubled, obsessive stranger shatters the safety they have carefully constructed for themselves. Sean is at a shopping mall when Henry Alan Keen, scorned by a woman he’s been dating, pulls out a gun at the store where she works and begins shooting everyone in sight. A former soldier, Sean rushes toward Keen and ends the slaughter with two well-placed shots --- becoming a hero with his face plastered across the news. But Sean’s newfound notoriety exposes him to the wrath of two men he thought he had left safely in his past. One of them blames Sean for his brother’s death. The other wants to recover a treasure that Sean and Molly stole from him. Reviewed by Joe Hartlaub.

BEHIND EVERY LIE by Christina McDonald (Domestic Thriller/Mystery)
Audiobook available, read by Lisa Flanagan
Eva Hansen wakes in the hospital after being struck by lightning and discovers that her mother, Kat, has been murdered. Eva was found unconscious down the street. She can’t remember what happened, but the police are highly suspicious of her. Determined to clear her name, Eva heads from Seattle to London --- Kat’s former home --- for answers. But as she unravels her mother’s carefully held secrets, Eva soon realizes that someone doesn’t want her to know the truth. And with violent memories beginning to emerge, Eva doesn’t know who to trust. Least of all herself. Reviewed by Sarah Rachel Egelman.

THE CATCH: A Novella by Mick Herron (Thriller)
Audiobook available, read by Gerard Doyle
John Bachelor is the saddest kind of spy: not a joe in the field, not even a desk jockey, but a milkman --- a part-time pension administrator whose main job is to check in on aging retired spies. Late in his career and having lost his wife, his house and his savings after a series of unlucky choices, John has been living in a dead man's London apartment, hoping the bureaucracy isn't going to catch up with him and leave him homeless. But keeping a secret among spies is a fool's errand, and now John has made himself eminently blackmailable. Reviewed by Joe Hartlaub.

THE BETTER LIAR by Tanen Jones (Psychological Thriller)
Audiobook available; read by Lisa Flanagan, Karissa Vacker and Kristen Sieh
Robin Voigt is dead. If Leslie had arrived at her sister’s apartment just hours earlier, this would have been their first reunion in a decade. In the years since Robin ran away from home as a teenager, Leslie has stayed in New Mexico, taking care of their dying father. But when he passed away, Leslie received a rude awakening: She and Robin would receive the inheritance he left them together --- or not at all. Now her half of the money may be beyond her grasp. When she meets a charismatic young woman who bears an uncanny resemblance to Robin, the two make a reckless bargain: Mary will impersonate Robin for a week in exchange for Robin’s half of the cash. But neither realizes how high the stakes will become when Mary takes a dead woman’s name. Reviewed by Pamela Kramer.

THE WHISPERS OF WAR by Julia Kelly (Historical Fiction)
Audiobook available, read by Mary Woodvine
In August of 1939, as Britain watches the headlines in fear of another devastating war with Germany, three childhood friends must choose between friendship or country. Erstwhile socialite Nora is determined to find her place in the Home Office’s Air Raid Precautions Department, matchmaker Hazel tries to mask two closely guarded secrets with irrepressible optimism, and German expat Marie worries that she and her family might face imprisonment in an internment camp if war is declared. When Germany invades Poland and tensions on the home front rise, Marie is labeled an enemy alien, and the three friends find themselves fighting together to keep her free at any cost. Reviewed by Rebecca Munro.

MARGARET THATCHER: HERSELF ALONE: The Authorized Biography by Charles Moore (Biography)
How did Margaret Thatcher change and divide Britain? How did her model of combative female leadership help shape the way we live now? How did the woman who won the Cold War and three general elections in succession find herself pushed out by her own MPs? Charles Moore's full account, based on unique access to Margaret Thatcher herself, her papers and her closest associates, tells the story of her last period in office, her combative retirement, and the controversy that surrounded her even in death. It includes the fall of the Berlin Wall, which she had fought for, and the rise of the modern EU that she feared. It lays bare her growing quarrels with colleagues and reveals the truth about her political assassination. Reviewed by Pauline Finch.

HUSBAND MATERIAL by Emily Belden (Romantic Comedy)
Audiobook available, read by Piper Goodeve
Twenty-nine-year-old Charlotte Rosen has a secret: she’s a widow. Ever since the fateful day that leveled her world, she has worked hard to move forward and has a great job at a hot social media analytics company. Yet Charlotte’s algorithms could never have predicted that her late husband’s ashes would land squarely on her doorstep five years later. Stunned but determined, Charlotte sets out to find meaning in this sudden twist of fate, even if that includes facing her ex-mother-in-law --- and her husband’s best friend, who seems to become a fixture at her side whether she likes it or not. But when her quest reveals a shocking secret, Charlotte is forced to answer questions she never knew to ask and to consider the possibility of forgiveness. Reviewed by Rebecca Munro.

Next Week’s Notables:
Noteworthy Books Releasing on February 11th

Below are some notable titles releasing on February 11th that we would like to make you aware of. We will have more on many of these books in the weeks to come. For a list of additional hardcovers and paperbacks available the week of February 10th, see our “On Sale This Week” newsletter here.

AMERICAN SHERLOCK: Murder, Forensics, and the Birth of American CSI by Kate Winkler Dawson (True Crime/Biography)
From the acclaimed author of DEATH IN THE AIR comes the riveting story of the birth of criminal investigation in the 20th century.

THE BURN by Kathleen Kent (Mystery/Thriller)
Rattled from a run-in with a cult and desperate for answers, Detective Betty Rhyzyk decides to go rogue --- but her investigation leads straight into the dark underworld of the Dallas drug cartel.

DEAD TO HER by Sarah Pinborough (Psychological Thriller)
For fans of Liane Moriarty, Liv Constantine and Lisa Jewell comes a twisty psychological thriller about a savvy second wife who will do almost anything to come out on top.

MERCY HOUSE by Alena Dillon (Fiction)
Inside a century-old row house in Brooklyn, renegade Sister Evelyn and her fellow nuns preside over a safe haven for the abused and abandoned. Little daunts Evelyn, until she receives word that Mercy House will be investigated by Bishop Hawkins, a man with whom she shares a dark history.

POSTSCRIPT by Cecelia Ahern (Fiction)
Sixteen years after Cecelia Ahern's bestselling phenomenon PS, I LOVE YOU captured the hearts of millions, the long-awaited sequel follows Holly as she helps strangers leave their own messages behind for loved ones.

THE QUEEN'S FORTUNE: A Novel of Desiree, Napoleon, and the Dynasty That Outlasted the Empire by Allison Pataki (Historical Fiction)
From the New York Times bestselling author of THE TRAITOR'S WIFE, THE ACCIDENTAL EMPRESS and SISI comes a sweeping novel about the extraordinary woman who captured Napoleon’s heart, created a dynasty and changed the course of history.

SALT RIVER: A Doc Ford Novel by Randy Wayne White (Thriller/Adventure)
The sins of the past come back to haunt Doc Ford and his old friend Tomlinson in this thrilling new novel from New York Times bestselling author Randy Wayne White.

SISTERS BY CHOICE: A Blackberry Island Novel by Susan Mallery (Fiction)
From the New York Times bestselling author of CALIFORNIA GIRLS comes an all-new original Blackberry Island novel told with Susan Mallery’s trademark humor and charm. SISTERS BY CHOICE is a heartfelt tale of love, family and the friendships that see us through.

Click here to see the latest "On Sale This Week" newsletter.

Our Latest Poll: February Paperbacks to Anticipate

Click here to vote in the poll by Friday, February 21st at noon ET.

Word of Mouth Contest: Tell Us What
You're Reading --- and You Can Win Two Books!

Click here to enter the contest.

Sounding Off on Audio Contest: Tell Us What
You're Listening to --- and You Can Win Two Audiobooks!

Click here to enter the contest.

Please visit the other websites in TheBookReportNetwork.com: ReadingGroupGuides.com, Teenreads.com, Kidsreads.com and AuthorsOnTheWeb.com.

And be sure to connect with us on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and Instagram.