January 12, 2024

January 12, 2024

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The Chat of the Crowd

It has been such a busy start to the year that the other night I asked my husband what the date was. When he said January 10th, I thought he was wrong. It had to be at least the first week in February. The past nine days in the office have been so busy. We are working on some terrific events and batting around new contest ideas.

It was really nice to host our first “Bookaccino Live” book preview event of the year on Wednesday. We will have the video of that for you next week, but in the meantime, you can see a list of the books that we talked about here.

We loved seeing the chat amongst the members of the audience who were there live. While we are not in the same room physically, we definitely feel their energy. There were more than 300 people in attendance, and after we turned off the cameras, Tom and I answered questions from the audience about book trends and upcoming titles for about a half hour. The opportunity to interact like that with readers is something that we never take for granted, and we so appreciate it. Luckily we quit when we did as my laptop battery was dying.

My latest “Bookreporter Talks To” interview is with Amanda Peters, whose hit debut novel, THE BERRY PICKERS, is a Bookreporter.com Bets On selection. Amanda, who is a mixed-race of Mi’kmaq and European ancestry, was born and raised in Annapolis Valley, Nova Scotia. She explains how a trip with her father to Maine to see the actual site of the blueberry picking that is depicted in the book spurred the story. As he walked her through the fields and showed her the cabin where he and his family had lived during picking season, the story came to her.

Amanda had the opening line very quickly, and from there she wrote the book over a period of four years. For a long time, it was just in the voice of Joe, but she later saw that to have Norma’s story told would bring something else to the novel. She shares how writing THE BERRY PICKERS has brought her closer to her Mi’kmaq roots and her very pleasant surprise at how the book has resonated so well with American readers. Plus, she discusses what she is working on now and offers a look ahead beyond that. Click here to watch the video or here to listen to the podcast.

Please keep in mind that this month’s “Bookaccino Live” Book Group event will take place on Wednesday, January 24th at 8pm ET.

THE HEIRESS is a new work of Gothic suspense from Rachel Hawkins, whose previous New York Times bestsellers are THE WIFE UPSTAIRS, RECKLESS GIRLS and THE VILLA. Her latest twisted thriller is about an infamous heiress and the complicated inheritance she left behind.

According to our reviewer Pamela Kramer, “Hawkins forces us to consider this question: What are the truths that we can live with and the truths that we don't need to know?... In THE HEIRESS, we are left wondering who the good guys are and what the truth is. It's an interesting point, and Hawkins has us thinking carefully about our own truths and how they influence our lives.”

Featured Review: THE HEIRESS by Rachel Hawkins

THE HEIRESS by Rachel Hawkins (Gothic Thriller)
Audiobook available; read by Dan Bittner, Eliza Foss, John Pirhalla and Patti Murin
When Ruby McTavish Callahan Woodward Miller Kenmore dies, she’s not only North Carolina’s richest woman, she’s also its most notorious. The victim of a famous kidnapping as a child and a widow four times over, Ruby ruled the tiny town of Tavistock from Ashby House, her family’s estate high in the Blue Ridge Mountains. But in the aftermath of Ruby’s death, her adopted son, Camden, wants little to do with the house or the money --- and even less to do with the surviving McTavishes. Ten years later, his uncle’s death pulls Camden and his wife, Jules, back into the family fold at Ashby House. Its views are just as stunning as ever, its rooms just as elegant, but the legacy of Ruby is inescapable. And as Ashby House tightens its grip on Camden and Jules, questions about the infamous heiress come to light. Reviewed by Pamela Kramer.

- Click here to read more about the book.
- Click here to read an excerpt.
- Click here for the discussion guide on ReadingGroupGuides.com.

Click here to read our review.

Featured Review: ANNA O by Matthew Blake

ANNA O by Matthew Blake (Psychological Thriller)
Audiobook available; read by Dan Stevens, Hannah Curtis, Sarah Cullum and Christine Rendel
Anna Ogilvy was a budding 25-year-old writer with a bright future. Then, one night, she stabbed two people to death with no apparent motive --- and hasn’t woken up since. Dubbed “Sleeping Beauty” by the tabloids, Anna’s condition is a rare psychosomatic disorder known to neurologists as “resignation syndrome.” Dr. Benedict Prince is a forensic psychologist and an expert in the field of sleep-related homicides. His methods are the last hope of solving the infamous “Anna O” case and waking Anna up so she can stand trial. But he must be careful treating such a high-profile suspect --- he has career secrets and a complicated personal life of his own. As Anna shows the first signs of stirring, Benedict must determine what really happened and if Anna should be held responsible for her crimes. Reviewed by Ray Palen.

- Click here to read more about the book.

Click here to read our review.

Featured Review: THE BOOK OF FIRE by Christy Lefteri

THE BOOK OF FIRE by Christy Lefteri (Fiction)
Audiobook available, read by Alix Dunmore
In present-day Greece, deep in an ancient forest, lives a family: Irini, a musician, who teaches children to read and play music; her husband, Tasso, who paints pictures of the forest, his greatest muse; and Chara, their young daughter, whose name means joy. On the fateful day that will forever alter the trajectory of their lives, flames chase fleeing birds across the sky. The wildfire that will consume their home, and their lives as they know it, races toward them. Months later, as the village tries to rebuild, Irini stumbles upon the man who started the fire, a land speculator who had intended only a small, controlled burn to clear forestland to build on but instead ignited a catastrophe. He is dying, although the cause is unclear, and in her anger at all he took from them, Irini makes a split-second decision that will haunt her. Reviewed by Rebecca Munro.

- Click here to read more about the book.
- Click here to read an excerpt.
- Click here for the discussion guide on ReadingGroupGuides.com.

Click here to read our review.

Bookreporter.com Bets On:
FIRST LIE WINS by Ashley Elston
Reese’s Book Club Pick for January

FIRST LIE WINS by Ashley Elston (Psychological Thriller)
When I was on vacation last summer, I read FIRST LIE WINS by Ashley Elston and could not wait for it to come out so I could discuss it with people. I read a lot of thrillers and am used to twists, but this book definitely ratcheted up the game…a lot! I am not alone in saying this as friends who are now reading it are calling and writing to tell me “how good” it is.

The protagonist is Evie Porter, a con woman, but on the current “job” she likes the guy she is conning, which definitely presents a challenge. She’s thinking about getting out of the game, but then someone shows up. This makes her wonder just how she ever will be able to walk away from the life she has been living --- and what that life would look like.

- Click here to read more about the book.
- Click here to read our review.
- Click here for the discussion guide on ReadingGroupGuides.com.
- Click here to visit Ashley Elston's website.
- Click here to visit the Reese's Book Club website.

Click here to read more of Carol's commentary.

Don't miss Carol's "Bookreporter Talks To" interview
with Ashley Elston in next week's newsletter.

Featured Review: RABBIT HOLE by Kate Brody

RABBIT HOLE by Kate Brody (Mystery)
Audiobook available, read by Rebecca Quinn Robertson
Ten years ago, Theodora “Teddy” Angstrom’s older sister, Angie, went missing. Her case remains unsolved. Now Teddy’s father, Mark, has killed himself. Unbeknownst to Mark’s family, he had been active in a Reddit community fixated on Angie, and Teddy can’t help but fall down the same rabbit hole. Teddy’s investigation quickly gets her in hot water with her gun-nut boyfriend, her long-lost half brother, and her colleagues at the prestigious high school where she teaches English. Further complicating matters is Teddy’s growing obsession with Mickey, a charming amateur sleuth who is eerily keen on helping her solve the case. As she struggles to reconcile new information with old memories, Teddy’s erratic behavior reaches a fever pitch, but she won’t stop until she finds Angie. Reviewed by Rebecca Munro.

- Click here to read more about the book.

Click here to read our review.

Featured Review: COLD VICTORY by Karl Marlantes

COLD VICTORY by Karl Marlantes (Historical Fiction)
Audiobook available, read by Bronson Pinchot
Helsinki, 1947. Finland teeters between the Soviet Union and the West. Everyone is being watched. A wrong look or a wrong word could end in catastrophe. Natalya Bobrova, from Russia, and Louise Koski, from the United States, are young wives of their country’s military attachés. When they meet at an embassy party, their husbands, world-class skiers Arnie and Mikhail, drunkenly challenge each other to a friendly --- but secret --- cross-country wilderness race. If news of the race gets out and Mikhail loses, Natalya knows it would mean his death, her imprisonment and the loss of her two children. Meanwhile, Louise, who is childless, uses the race as an opportunity to raise money for a local orphanage, naïve to the danger it will bring to Natalya and her family. Reviewed by Lorraine W. Shanley.

- Click here to read more about the book.

Click here to read our review.

Featured Review: HOLIDAY COUNTRY by İnci Atrek

HOLIDAY COUNTRY by İnci Atrek (Fiction)
Audiobook available, read by Ayse Babahan
Ada adores spending every summer in a Turkish seaside town with her mother and grandmother at the family villa. The glittering waters, endless olive groves and her spirited friends make it easy to leave her idle life in California behind. But no matter how much Ada feels that she belongs to the country where her mother grew up, deep down, her connection to the culture feels as fleeting as the seasons. When Levent, a mysterious man from her mother’s past, shows up in their town, Ada can’t help but imagine a different future for her mother --- one that promises a return to home, to love, to happiness. But while playing matchmaker, Ada has to come to terms with her own intensifying attraction to Levent. Does the future she’s fighting for belong to her mother --- or to her alone? Reviewed by Norah Piehl.

- Click here to read more about the book.

Click here to read our review.

Register for the Buzz Books Editors and Authors Panel
on Wednesday, January 24th: A Free Virtual Event

More Reviews This Week

HOLMES, MARPLE & POE: The Greatest Crime-Solving Team of the Twenty-First Century by James Patterson and Brian Sitts (Thriller)
Audiobook available, read by Christine Lakin
In New York City, three intriguing, smart and stylish private investigators open Holmes, Marple & Poe Investigations. Who are these detectives with famous names and mysterious, untraceable pasts? Brendan Holmes (The Brain): Identifies suspects via deduction and logic. Margaret Marple (The Eyes): Possesses powers of observation too often underestimated. Auguste Poe (The Muscle): Chases down every lead no matter how dangerous or dark. The agency’s daring methodology and headline-making solves attract the attention of NYPD Detective Helene Grey. Her solo investigation into her three unknowable competitors rivals the best mysteries of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, Agatha Christie and Edgar Allan Poe. Reviewed by Ray Palen.

THE AMISH WIFE: Unraveling the Lies, Secrets, and Conspiracy That Let a Killer Go Free by Gregg Olsen (True Crime)
Audiobook available, read by James Daniel Burkdoll
In 1977, in an Ohio Amish community, pregnant wife and mother Ida Stutzman perished during a barn fire. The coroner’s report: natural causes. Ida’s husband, Eli, was never considered a suspect. But when he eventually rejected the faith and took his son, Danny, with him, murder followed. The dubious circumstances of the tragic blaze were willfully ignored and Eli’s shifting narratives disregarded. Could Eli’s subsequent cross-country journey of death --- including that of his own son --- have been prevented if just one person came forward with what they knew about the real Eli Stutzman? With the help of aging witnesses and shocking long-buried letters, Gregg Olsen finally uncovers the disturbing truth --- about Ida’s murder and the conspiracy of silence and secrets that kept it hidden for 45 years. Reviewed by Barbara Bamberger Scott.

MISLAID IN PARTS HALF-KNOWN by Seanan McGuire (Dark Fantasy)
Audiobook available, read by Jesse Vilinsky
Antsy is the latest student to pass through the doors at Eleanor West's School for Wayward Children. When the school’s (literally irresistible) mean girl realizes that Antsy's talent for finding absolutely anything may extend to doors, Antsy is forced to flee in the company of a small group of friends, looking for a way back to the Shop Where the Lost Things Go to be sure that Vineta and Hudson are keeping their promise. Along the way, they will travel from a world hiding painful memories that cut as sharply as its beauty, to a land that time wasn’t yet old enough to forget --- and more than one student's life will change forever. Reviewed by Rebecca Munro.

CALIFORNIA BEAR by Duane Swierczynski (Thriller)
Audiobook available, read by James Urbaniak and Jesse Vilinsky
Jack Queen has been exonerated and freed from prison thanks to retired LAPD officer Cato Hightower. But when guilt gnaws at Jack, he admits: “I actually did it.” To which Hightower responds: “Yeah, no kidding.” The ex-cop has a special job in mind for the ex-con. Fourteen-year-old Matilda Finnerty has been diagnosed with leukemia, but that’s not going to stop her from tackling the most important mystery of her life: Is her father guilty of murder? Jeanie Hightower mends family trees for a living, but the genealogist is unable to repair her own marriage. And her soon-to-be ex may have entangled her in a scheme that has drawn the bloody wrath of The Bear, a prolific serial killer who disappeared 40 years ago and is only now emerging from hibernation when the conditions are just right. Reviewed by Megan Elliott.

THE VACATION HOUSE by Jane Shemilt (Psychological Thriller)
Audiobook available, read by Amalia Vitale
Paxos, Greece. The vacation house is a luxurious getaway for a wealthy English family. One hot summer night, while the parents and their friends drink wine and amuse themselves, a young woman --- the teenage daughter of the Greek caretaker --- ventures for a walk on their private beach. Her life will never be the same again. London, England, 10 years later. Julia is the perfect spouse and mother. But behind her winning smile is a stifled woman trapped in a gilded cage, stricken with anxiety and perfectionism. When Julia meets Laurel, a therapist who promises to help her find fulfillment, Julia opens herself up to the hope of a different future. What happened in Greece all those years ago that binds these two women together? And will uncovering the truth destroy everything…or set them free? Reviewed by Kate Ayers.

DEEP FREEZE by Michael C. Grumley (Technothriller)
Audiobook available, read by Scott Brick
The accident came quickly. With no warning. In the dead of night, a precipitous plunge into a freezing river trapped everyone inside the bus. It was then that Army veteran John Reiff’s life came to an end. Extinguished in the sudden rush of frigid water. There was no expectation of survival. None. Let alone waking up beneath blinding hospital lights. Struggling to move, or see, or even breathe. But the doctors assure him that everything is normal. That things will improve. And yet, he has a strange feeling that there's something they're not telling him. As Reiff's mind and body gradually recover, he becomes certain that the doctors are lying to him. One by one, puzzle pieces are slowly falling into place, and he soon realizes that things are not at all what they seem. Reviewed by Ray Palen.

RIVER EAST, RIVER WEST by Aube Rey Lescure (Fiction)
Audiobook available, read by David Shih and Jennifer Lim
Shanghai, 2007: Raised by her American expat mother, 14-year-old Alva has never known her Chinese father and is certain a better life awaits them in America. But when her mother announces her engagement to their wealthy Chinese landlord, Lu Fang, Alva’s hopes are dashed. So she plots for the next best thing: the American School in Shanghai. Upon admission, though, Alva is surprised to discover an institution run by an exclusive community of expats. 1985: In the seaside city of Qingdao, Lu Fang is a young, married man and a lowly clerk in a shipping yard. When China opens its doors to the first wave of foreigners in decades, his world is split wide open after he meets an American woman who makes him confront difficult questions about his current status in life and how much will ever be enough. Reviewed by Rebecca Munro.

Next Week's Notables:
Noteworthy Books Releasing on January 16th

Below are some notable titles releasing on January 16th 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 January 15th, see our “On Sale This Week” newsletter here.

DREAM TOWN by Lee Goldberg (Thriller)
A gated dream town for the mega-rich becomes a murderous nightmare in a riveting Eve Ronin thriller by #1 New York Times bestselling author Lee Goldberg.

THE FURY by Alex Michaelides (Psychological Thriller)
From the #1 New York Times bestselling author of THE SILENT PATIENT comes a masterfully paced thriller about a reclusive ex-movie star and her famous friends whose spontaneous trip to a private Greek island is upended by a murder.

HERO by Thomas Perry (Thriller)
A private security agent finds that being branded as the City of Angels’ latest hero could also make her its next victim.

ONLY IF YOU'RE LUCKY by Stacy Willingham (Psychological Thriller)
From the author of A FLICKER IN THE DARK and ALL THE DANGEROUS THINGS comes a tantalizing thriller about the nature of friendship and belonging, about loyalty, envy and betrayal.

THE SILENCE IN HER EYES by Armando Lucas Correa (Psychological Thriller)
In the vein of Paula Hawkins and Ruth Ware, Armando Lucas Correa’s first psychological thriller is about a young woman with a rare neurological condition who is convinced her neighbor is going to be murdered.

WHERE YOU END by Abbott Kahler (Psychological Thriller)
From bestselling nonfiction author Abbott Kahler comes a spellbinding fiction debut. An unusual form of amnesia upends the lives of identical twins, forcing them to face the indelible, dangerous shadow of the past.

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

 "Bookreporter Talks To" Videos & Podcasts

“Bookreporter Talks To” is a video and podcast series that delivers a long-form, in-depth author interview every week. For years, Carol has 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 is to bring these author interviews to readers, wherever they may be. Watch on video, or listen as a podcast. (The podcasts include audio excerpts.)

Here is our latest interview:

• Amanda Peters (THE BERRY PICKERS) Video | Podcast

Other authors we've interviewed include:

• Ashley Audrain (THE WHISPERS) Video | Podcast
• Douglas Brunt (THE MYSTERIOUS CASE OF RUDOLF DIESEL: Genius, Power, and Deception on the Eve of World War I) Video | Podcast
• Fiona Davis (THE SPECTACULAR) Video | Podcast
• Katherine Faulkner (THE OTHER MOTHERS) Video | Podcast
• Tess Gerritsen (THE SPY COAST) Video | Podcast
• Angie Kim (HAPPINESS FALLS) Video | Podcast
• Jessica Knoll (BRIGHT YOUNG WOMEN) Video | Podcast
• William Kent Krueger (THE RIVER WE REMEMBER) Video | Podcast
• Jean Kwok (THE LEFTOVER WOMAN) Video | Podcast
• Gilly Macmillan (THE MANOR HOUSE) Video | Podcast
• Sarah Pekkanen (GONE TONIGHT) Video | Podcast
• Nita Prose (THE MYSTERY GUEST: A Maid Novel) Video | Podcast
• John Sargent (TURNING PAGES: The Adventures and Misadventures of a Publisher)
  Video | Podcast
• Thrity Umrigar (THE MUSEUM OF FAILURES) Video | Podcast
• Sharon Virts (VEIL OF DOUBT) Video | Podcast

Upcoming interviews include:

• Ashley Elston (FIRST LIE WINS)

Click here for a complete list of our
"Bookreporter Talks To" videos and podcasts.

Our Latest Poll: January Fiction Releases to Anticipate

Click here to vote in the poll by Friday, January 19th 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.

Quick Links to Features on Bookreporter.com

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  On Sale This Week | New in Paperback | Books on Screen
"Bookreporter Talks To" Videos & Podcasts | "Bookaccino Live: A Lively Talk About Books"
  Favorite Monthly Lists & Picks | Book Festivals

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