November 1, 2024

November 1, 2024

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The Extra Hour: How Shall I Spend It?

Long-time readers know that this is my favorite weekend of the year. Why? Because we will get an extra hour to do with it what we want --- the hour that we lost back in March. And I have so many ways to spend this hour. Yes, I know that it will be dark earlier in the evening, and the shorter days of daylight are on the horizon. But for this weekend, there will be 60 minutes that I did not have since this weekend last year.

I wonder how many words I can read or listen to in that hour. That would be the most delightful way to spend the extra time.

We have so much to share this week, so let’s get to it.

My latest “Bookreporter Talks To” interview is with Susan Rieger, whose new novel, LIKE MOTHER, LIKE MOTHER, is November's Barnes & Noble Book Club pick and will be a Bookreporter.com Bets On selection. In it, three generations of strong-willed women are unknowingly shaped by the secrets buried in their family’s past.

Susan explains what drove her to write LIKE MOTHER, LIKE MOTHER and why it is structured as a mystery, with the feel of literary Russian nesting dolls. She also reveals which was her favorite character to write and discusses the use of genealogy, as well as DNA. And Susan talks about what it was like to start writing fiction late in life. Click here to watch the video or here to listen to the podcast.

We have our review this week from Jane T. Krebs, who says, “The awareness that each conversation might have its roots in our real world adds a little something to this already engaging novel.... LIKE MOTHER, LIKE MOTHER sweeps aside some traditional assumptions of what makes a good mother and then presents other working models. The characters first must reckon with the identity and actions of the mothers who came before them. Then they have to determine if those truths matter now.” Don’t miss my Bets On commentary in next week’s newsletter.

Enter Our New Word of Mouth Contest
We are giving away LIKE MOTHER, LIKE MOTHER in our latest Word of Mouth contest, along with THE AUTHOR'S GUIDE TO MURDER by Beatriz Williams, Lauren Willig and Karen White (aka Team W). Let us know by Friday, November 15th at noon ET what books you’ve read, and you’ll have a chance to win both these titles.

On Tuesday night, Amanda Peters joined our “Bookaccino Live” Book Group program to talk about her national bestseller, THE BERRY PICKERS, which is now available in paperback. This Bets On pick was the 2023 Barnes & Noble Discover Prize winner and was awarded the 2024 Andrew Carnegie Medal for Excellence in Fiction.

Amanda talked about her inspiration for the novel, which involved a trip to Maine with her father to show her where his family, who was part of the Mi'kmaq tribe, came from. She shared that the story was first written in only one voice and explained when she made the decision to change that. The audience questions flew fast and furious. Click here to watch the video or here to listen to the podcast. Our attendees hailed from a whopping 39 states and DC! Amanda lives in Nova Scotia, where she was born and raised, so she was especially thrilled to hear that 12 members of our audience lived in Canada.

Amanda also told us that her collection of short stories, WAITING FOR THE LONG NIGHT MOON, will be out in the US on February 11th. Click here to read more about the book. And in case you missed it, you can watch or listen to the interview that I did with Amanda when THE BERRY PICKERS first came out.

I am happy to announce that Ariel Lawhon will be our final “Bookaccino Live” Book Group guest of the year. The event will be held on Tuesday, December 3rd at 8pm ET. We will talk about her national bestseller, THE FROZEN RIVER, which was a “Good Morning America” Book Club pick and an NPR Book of the Year. Releasing in paperback on Tuesday, this gripping mystery is inspired by the life and diary of Martha Ballard, a renowned 18th-century midwife who defied the legal system and wrote herself into American history.

Just as we did on Tuesday night, there will be a two-part Q&A session after I talk to Ariel. For the first part, those who are asking a question on camera will be featured. This includes spending time with Ariel backstage in our virtual green room before the show starts. If you would like to ask your question "live on screen" this way, please email me with the subject line "Ariel" by noon ET on December 3rd. Be sure to include your name, city and state, as well as your question. If you do not want to appear on camera but still would like to ask a question, please note that you want to be off camera, and share your question --- adding your name, city and state.

You can sign up for the event by clicking here. In the meantime, for those who would like to win up to 12 paperback copies of THE FROZEN RIVER for your book group in our “What’s Your Book Group Reading This Month?” contest on ReadingGroupGuides.com, be sure to fill out the form on this page by Wednesday, November 13th at noon ET.

A reminder that we will be hosting our 13 ½ Annual Book Group Speed Dating event next Friday, November 8th at 1pm ET. If you are a bookseller, librarian or book group leader, and would be interested in attending this event, please email me using the subject line “Speed Dating.” Tell me a bit about yourself and what you do with book groups. This is a “trade only” event, but we will be sharing the publisher videos, PowerPoint slides and other materials later this month.

Fiona Davis recently shared some exciting news on social media: “Earlier this year, Corinne Horowitz Levine from the travel agency Novel Travels reached out to me. She wanted to put together a tour of the New York City locations featured in my books. I thought it was a great idea, and now it's ready for lift off. It includes five days in late March 2025 in the Big Apple, one Broadway show, two hangs with yours truly, and the chance to hit all the hot spots of my novels in the hands of a professional tour guide.”

Wow!!! This truly is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for fans of Fiona to meet her and “walk the pages of her novels,” while spending five fun days (March 27-31, 2025) in New York City. Click here for the full itinerary. And for more information, be sure to reach out to Corinne at Corinne@novel-travels.com, or call 561-596-6960.

Do let us know if you will be participating in this fabulous experience. Corinne has thought about so many of the details to make this a very special trip!

THE GREY WOLF is the 19th installment in Louise Penny’s series starring Chief Inspector Armand Gamache. Relentless phone calls, a missing coat, an intruder alarm, a note for Gamache reading “this might interest you,” a puzzling scrap of paper with a mysterious list --- and then a murder. All propel him and his team toward a terrible realization. Something much more sinister than any one murder or any one case is fast approaching.

In her review, Pamela Kramer has some advice for those who are dipping into the series for the first time: “Newcomers will be fine as Louise Penny provides enough backstory to make it all work, but be prepared to fall in love with the characters, the Three Pines setting, and the intricate, deliciously malevolent plot that she masterminds. You will be caught in its web right up to the last page.”

I love that Louise has done this with THE GREY WOLF. I have enjoyed her books in the past, but I do not always remember the details. So this really is terrific. I have a copy here and look forward to reading it.

November’s “Good Morning America” Book Club pick is THE BLUE HOUR by Paula Hawkins, which will be a Bets On selection. An isolated Scottish island, accessible to the mainland only 12 hours a day. A famous (some might say infamous) artist whose notoriously unfaithful husband disappeared after visiting her 20 years ago. A present-day discovery that intimately connects three people and unveils a web of secrets and lies.

According to Ray Palen in his review, “THE BLUE HOUR really shows off Paula Hawkins’ writing skills in the subtle way that she buries and uncovers one clue after another. There is much to savor here. I was especially impressed by how she was able to shift from writing high-octane psychological thrillers to a novel that would have made Daphne du Maurier proud.” I so agree! Don’t miss my interview with Paula in next week's newsletter and my Bets On commentary in two weeks.

Our latest Mystery Mayhem Author Spotlight title is THE GRAYS OF TRUTH by Sharon Virts, which will be a Bets On pick.

In Reconstruction-era Baltimore, members of the city’s elite keep turning up dead. When Jane Gray Wharton’s husband, Ned, dies unexpectedly while overnighting at his brother’s home, Jane has no reason to question the circumstances of his death. But on a visit to the same house a few weeks later, both Jane and her daughter fall gravely ill, and Jane begins to suspect foul play. Though a trained chemist and former nurse, Jane is haunted by a history of delusion, loss and institutionalization. As the unexpected and devastating deaths begin to multiply, Jane’s grip on reality starts to slip.

Amy Gwiazdowski has our review and says, “What I really love about this book is the mystery.... Jane is a compelling character with a history of delusion that leaves not only her family but also readers to wonder if she is the best judge of reality. Virts does a fine job creating a setting for this story to play out. I love when historical fiction is the backdrop to a ghostly and sometimes ghastly mystery. THE GRAYS OF TRUTH is a truly wonderful read for the fall season.” We will share my interview with Sharon in next week’s newsletter, followed by my Bets On commentary in two weeks.

Other books we're reviewing this week include:

• KARLA’S CHOICE: John le Carré’s son, Nick Harkaway, brings back iconic spy George Smiley in a thriller that covers the period of time between THE SPY WHO CAME IN FROM THE COLD and TINKER TAILOR SOLDIER SPY.
   
• THE QUEEN: Nick Cutter, who wrote the #HorrorBookTok sensation THE TROOP, returns with a heart-pounding novel of terror about a young woman searching for her missing friend and uncovering a shocking truth.
   
• GATHER ME: Glory Edim, the renowned founder of Well-Read Black Girl, has penned an inspiring memoir of family, community and resilience, and an ode to the power of books to help us understand ourselves.

I’m Betting You’ll Love…
My latest Bets On picks are Ina Garten’s memoir, BE READY WHEN THE LUCK HAPPENS, and Nita Prose’s holiday novella, THE MISTLETOE MYSTERY. Click on each of the titles for my Bets On commentary.

Vote in Our New Poll --- and Check Out Results from the Last Poll
This week, Barnes & Noble revealed the 13 finalists for their 2024 Best Book of the Year. We’re curious to see which of these books, if any, you would pick as your favorites. Click here to let us know in our latest poll, and we’ll give you the results on Friday, November 15th, which is when B&N will announce their Book of the Year.

In our previous poll, we listed 20 nonfiction titles releasing in October and asked which of them, if any, you have read or are planning to read. Below are your top five picks, and you can see all the results here.

• BE READY WHEN THE LUCK HAPPENS: A Memoir by Ina Garten (39%)
• FRAMED: Astonishing True Stories of Wrongful Convictions by John Grisham and Jim McCloskey (31%)
• WHAT I ATE IN ONE YEAR: (and related thoughts) by Stanley Tucci (23%)
• FROM HERE TO THE GREAT UNKNOWN: A Memoir by Lisa Marie Presley and Riley Keough (21%)
• WAR by Bob Woodward (21%)

News & Pop Culture

Reader Mail:

I missed this email last week about the Morristown Festival of Books from Abby: “I saw your moderation of the Marjan Kamali/Dinaw Mengestu session. You did an excellent job, and I thought they were both such interesting people. I had recently read THE LION WOMEN OF TEHRAN for a local book club and thought it was a very interesting, informative book. I did see your friend, Julia, moderate the panel with Lynda Cohen Loigman and Susan Minot, and she did a good job too. They are very interesting women. THE LOVE ELIXIR OF AUGUSTA STERN is an upcoming book club book as well. It was a beautiful day for the Morristown Festival of Books. And, as usual, they hit it out of the park. Hopefully I will get to talk to you next year.” I hope so too!

And there were lovely notes about Tuesday's event with Amanda Peters.

Ellen said, “Last night was the first time I have ever been able to attend. I’ve been working at night for the last 12 years and have wished to come and be a part of this. I enjoyed myself thoroughly. I will be using THE BERRY PICKERS for the book club that I run, and I cannot wait to see the Ariel Lawhon event. Thanks for running such a great program.”

Nancy wrote, “I am so happy that you have this on YouTube. So many times, I am in the middle of making dinner! I loved the conversation with Amanda Peters. It is such a great experience to hear from these authors. The book was fabulous. Thank you.”

Featured Review: THE GREY WOLF by Louise Penny

THE GREY WOLF by Louise Penny (Mystery)
Audiobook available, read by Jean Brassard
Relentless phone calls interrupt the peace of a warm August morning in Three Pines. Someone has managed to track down Armand Gamache, head of homicide at the Sûreté, as he sits with his wife in their back garden. Reine-Marie watches with increasing unease as her husband refuses to pick up, though he clearly knows who is on the other end. When he finally answers, his rage shatters the calm of their quiet Sunday morning. That's only the first in a sequence of strange events that begin THE GREY WOLF. A missing coat, an intruder alarm, a note for Gamache reading "this might interest you," a puzzling scrap of paper with a mysterious list --- and then a murder. All propel Chief Inspector Gamache and his team toward a terrible realization. Something much more sinister than any one murder or any one case is fast approaching. Reviewed by Pamela Kramer.

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

Click here to read our review.

Featured Review: THE BLUE HOUR by Paula Hawkins
November’s “Good Morning America” Book Club Pick
and an Upcoming Bookreporter.com Bets On Title

THE BLUE HOUR by Paula Hawkins (Psychological Thriller)
Audiobook available, read by Gemma Whelan
Welcome to Eris: an island with only one house, one inhabitant, one way out. Unreachable from the Scottish mainland for 12 hours each day. Once home to Vanessa, a famous artist whose notoriously unfaithful husband disappeared 20 years ago. Now home to Grace, a solitary creature of the tides, content in her own isolation. But when a shocking discovery is made in an art gallery far away in London, a visitor comes calling. And the secrets of Eris threaten to emerge. Reviewed by Ray Palen.

- Click here to read more about the book.
- Click here for the discussion guide on ReadingGroupGuides.com.
- Click here to see why the book is November's "Good Morning America" Book Club pick.

Click here to read our review.

THE BLUE HOUR will be a Bookreporter.com Bets On pick.
Don't miss Carol's "Bookreporter Talks To" interview with Paula Hawkins in next week's newsletter, followed by her Bets On commentary in two weeks.

Featured Review:
LIKE MOTHER, LIKE MOTHER by Susan Rieger
November’s Barnes & Noble Book Club Pick
and an Upcoming Bookreporter.com Bets On Title

LIKE MOTHER, LIKE MOTHER by Susan Rieger (Fiction)
Audiobook available, read by Rebecca Lowman
Detroit, 1960. Lila Pereira is two years old when her angry, abusive father has her mother committed to an asylum. Lila never sees her mother again. Three decades later, Lila rises to the pinnacle of American media as the powerful, brilliant executive editor of The Washington Globe. Lila leaves the rearing of her daughters to her generous husband, Joe. Grace, their youngest daughter, feels abandoned. She wishes her mother would attend PTA meetings, not White House correspondents’ dinners. As she grows up, she cannot shake her resentment. She wants out from under Lila’s shadow, yet the more she resists, the more Lila seems to shape her life. Grace becomes a successful reporter, even publishing a bestselling book about her mother. In the process of writing it, she realizes how little she knows about her own family. Reviewed by Jane T. Krebs.

» LIKE MOTHER, LIKE MOTHER is November's Barnes & Noble Book Club pick. On Tuesday, December 3rd at 3pm ET, B&N will host a live virtual event with Susan Rieger. Click here to sign up.

- 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 watch our "Bookreporter Talks To" interview with Susan Rieger.
- Click here to listen to a podcast of the interview.

Click here to read our review.

LIKE MOTHER, LIKE MOTHER will be a Bookreporter.com Bets On pick.
Don't miss Carol's Bets On commentary in next week's newsletter.

New Mystery Mayhem Author Spotlight:
THE GRAYS OF TRUTH by Sharon Virts
An Upcoming Bookreporter.com Bets On Title

THE GRAYS OF TRUTH by Sharon Virts (Historical Mystery)
In Reconstruction-era Baltimore, members of the city’s elite keep turning up dead. Below the polished surface of high society, there are illicit affairs, jilted lovers, financial hardships and countless motives for murder. When Jane Gray Wharton’s husband, Ned, dies unexpectedly while overnighting at his brother’s home, Jane has no reason to question the circumstances of his death. But on a visit to the same house a few weeks later, both Jane and her daughter fall gravely ill, and Jane begins to suspect foul play.

Bookreporter.com Bets On:
BE READY WHEN THE LUCK HAPPENS by Ina Garten
and THE MISTLETOE MYSTERY by Nita Prose

BE READY WHEN THE LUCK HAPPENS: A Memoir by Ina Garten (Memoir)
I so enjoyed Ina Garten’s memoir, BE READY WHEN THE LUCK HAPPENS. I have been looking forward to this book for a while, and I listened to it on audio. Ina is the narrator, which makes it all the more special.

I have cooked from her cookbooks (and this book inspired me to do that a lot more), I went to the Barefoot Contessa store when it was in East Hampton, and I watched her show on Food Network, always getting ideas from her. But what I took away from this book was advice from a savvy businesswoman far beyond how to make a brilliant dinner party, or how to use a knife or an interesting ingredient. While cooking is at the heart of what she does, there are lessons on when to go big, when to fold and when to say, “This really is not worth the time that I am putting into it.”

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

Click here to read more of Carol's commentary on
BE READY WHEN THE LUCK HAPPENS.

THE MISTLETOE MYSTERY: A Maid Novella by Nita Prose (Mystery)
I love novellas. There are times when I am busy, and reading a short book from an author I love is just the trick. It gives me the feeling of accomplishment, albeit on a smaller scale than usual. I loved every minute of THE MISTLETOE MYSTERY, Nita Prose’s latest title featuring Molly the Maid. It has everything that the longer Molly books have had --- great characters in Molly, Juan Manuel and the others at the Regency Grand Hotel, clever writing, and a plot that showcases a mystery to be unraveled but in a shorter time frame.

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

Click here to read more of Carol's commentary on THE MISTLETOE MYSTERY.

Featured Review: KARLA’S CHOICE by Nick Harkaway

KARLA'S CHOICE: A John le Carré Novel by Nick Harkaway (Historical Thriller)
Audiobook available, read by Simon Russell Beale
It is spring in 1963, and George Smiley has left the Circus. With the wreckage of the West’s spy war against the Soviets strewn across Europe, he has eyes only for a more peaceful life. And indeed, with his marriage more secure than ever, there is a rumor that Smiley might almost be happy. But Control has other plans. A Russian agent has defected in the most unusual of circumstances, and the man he was sent to kill in London is nowhere to be found. Smiley reluctantly agrees to one last simple task: interview Susanna, a Hungarian émigré and employee of the missing man, and sniff out a lead. But in his absence, the shadows of Moscow have lengthened. Smiley soon finds himself entangled in a perilous mystery that will define the battles to come and set him on a collision course with the greatest enemy he will ever make. Reviewed by Lorraine W. Shanley.

- Click here to read more about the book.

Click here to read our review.

Featured Review: THE QUEEN by Nick Cutter

THE QUEEN by Nick Cutter (Supernatural Thriller/Horror)
Audiobook available; read by Ariel Blake, Zac Aleman, Corey Brill and Pete Simonelli
On a sunny morning in June, Margaret Carpenter wakes up to find a new iPhone on her doorstep. She switches it on to find a text from her best friend, Charity Atwater. The problem is, Charity has been missing for over a month. Most people in town --- even the police --- think she’s dead. Margaret and Charity have been lifelong friends. They share everything and know the most intimate details about one another. Except for the destructive secret hidden from them both. A secret that will trigger a chain of events ending in tragedy, bloodshed and death. And now Charity wants Margaret to know her story --- the real story. In a narrative that takes place over one feverish day, Margaret follows a series of increasingly disquieting breadcrumbs as she forges deeper into the mystery of her best friend --- a person she never truly knew at all. Reviewed by Ray Palen.

- Click here to read more about the book.

Click here to read our review.

Featured Review: GATHER ME by Glory Edim

GATHER ME: A Memoir in Praise of the Books That Saved Me by Glory Edim (Memoir)
Audiobook available, read by Glory Edim
Glory Edim, who grew up in Virginia to Nigerian immigrant parents, started the popular Well-Read Black Girl book club at age 30, eventually reaching a community of half a million readers. But her own love of books stretches far back. Edim’s father moved back to Nigeria while she was still a child, marking the beginning of a series of traumatic changes and losses for her family. What became an escape, a safe space and a second home for her and her brother was their local library. Books were where Edim found community, and as she grew older she discovered authors and ideas that she wasn’t being taught about in class. Reading wherever and whenever she could, be it in her dorm room or when traveling by subway or plane, she found the Black writers whose words would forever change her life. Reviewed by Barbara Bamberger Scott.

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

Click here to read our review.

What’s New on ReadingGroupGuides.com

More Reviews This Week

MURDER ISLAND: A Doc Savage Thriller by James Patterson and Brian Sitts (Thriller)
Audiobook available, read by Suzanne Elise Freeman and Tim Lounibos
When professor turned crime-fighter Brandt "Doc" Savage and his girlfriend, Kira Sunlight, land on a desert island in the middle of the Atlantic, they think they've found a perfect utopia. An escape from their tumultuous pasts. But they don't have long to enjoy their newfound peace before they are violently separated and dragged to opposite ends of the Earth. Doc's search for Kira takes him from the coast of Brazil to northern Europe and the jungles of the Congo, and he discovers they are entangled in a global conspiracy that is bigger than he ever could have imagined. Reviewed by Ray Palen.

THE RESTLESS WAVE: A Novel of the United States Navy by Admiral James Stavridis, USN, Ret. (Historical Fiction)
Audiobook available, read by Marc Cashman
Scott Bradley James arrives in Annapolis, Maryland, as a plebe in the class of 1941 without a terribly good idea why he wants to be a naval officer, other than that his father was a sailor, and he wants to see the world, whatever that means. Scott and his roommate become fast friends, and, after surviving scrapes of their own making, the two fetch up at Pearl Harbor. War is brewing, and their class has graduated early. They have been sent to battle stations. Admiral James Stavridis is an acclaimed novelist, a decorated military leader and a great student of military history. He draws on it all to capture the experience of being storm-tossed by the bloody first years of the Second World War. Scott Bradley James is a talented young officer, but he has a lot to learn. And war will have a lot to teach him. Reviewed by Stuart Shiffman.

MY THREE DOGS by W. Bruce Cameron (Fiction)
Audiobook available, read by W. Bruce Cameron
When a tragic accident separates three dogs from their human, they find themselves up for adoption --- separately. But Riggs, a dedicated, loyal Australian Shepherd, refuses to see his family torn apart. After the exuberant and fun-loving doodle Archie and quick-witted Jack Russell Luna are taken to new homes, Riggs' powerful herding instincts send him on a journey to bring his pack back together again. Reviewed by Kate Ayers.

MY GOOD BRIGHT WOLF: A Memoir by Sarah Moss (Memoir)
Audiobook available, read by Morven Christie
A girl must watch her figure but never be vain. She must be intelligent but never a know-it-all. She must be ambitious, if she is clever, but not in a way that shows. She must cook and sew and make do and mend. She must know (but never say) that these skills are, in some fundamental way, flawed and frivolous --- feminine. Girls must stay small, even as they grow. Women must show restraint.  And yet. In books, in the landscape of imagination, a girl can run free. Here, with MY GOOD BRIGHT WOLF, Sarah Moss takes on these rules, these lessons from the fables of girlhood, and uses them to fearlessly investigate the nature of memory, the lure of self-control, the impact of privilege, scarcity, parents and love. Reviewed by Sarah Rachel Egelman.

THIS GIRL’S A KILLER by Emma C. Wells (Thriller/Humor)
Audiobook available, read by Stefanie Kay
Cordelia Black loves exactly three things: her chosen family, her hairdresser (worth every penny plus tip) and killing bad men. By day, she's an ambitious pharma rep with a flawless reputation and designer wardrobe. By night, she culls South Louisiana of unscrupulous men --- monsters who think they've evaded justice, until they meet her. But when the evening news starts throwing around the term "serial killer" and her best friend starts dating a man who just might unravel everything Cordelia has worked for, she must come face to face with the choices she's made. The good, the bad and the murderous. Her family and her freedom depend on it. Reviewed by Norah Piehl.

MASQUERADE by Mike Fu (Fiction)
Newly single Meadow Liu is house-sitting for his friend, artist Selma Shimizu, when he stumbles upon The Masquerade, a translated novel about a masked ball in 1930s Shanghai. The author’s name is the same as Meadow’s own in Chinese, Liu Tian --- a coincidence that proves to be the first of many strange happenings. Over the course of a single summer, Meadow must contend with a possibly haunted apartment, a mirror that plays tricks and a stranger speaking in riddles at the bar where he works, as well as a startling revelation about a former lover. And when Selma vanishes from her artist residency, Meadow is forced to question everything he knows as the boundaries between real and imagined begin to blur. Reviewed by Sam Johnson.

Next Week's Notables:
Noteworthy Books Releasing on November 5th

Below are some notable titles releasing on November 5th 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 November 4th, see our “On Sale This Week” newsletter here.

THE AUTHOR'S GUIDE TO MURDER by Beatriz Williams, Lauren Willig and Karen White (Mystery)
Agatha Christie meets “Murder, She Wrote” in this witty locked room mystery and literary satire by New York Times bestselling novelists Beatriz Williams, Lauren Willig and Karen White.

THE BOUNDARIES WE CROSS by Brad Parks (Domestic Thriller)
He swears by his boundaries. But did he cross the line? Find out in Brad Parks' new thriller, which Riley Sager calls “a full-throttle page-turner. Starts at a sprint and doesn't let up until the shocking conclusion.”

CARSON THE MAGNIFICENT by Bill Zehme with Mike Thomas (Biography)
CARSON THE MAGNIFICENT is a much-anticipated biography --- 20 years in the making --- of the entertainer who redefined late-night television and reshaped American culture.

DOUBLE BARREL BLUFF by Lou Berney (Thriller)
Lou Berney returns to his critically acclaimed thriller series starring former mob wheelman Shake Bouchon, who finds himself dragged into a high-stakes hostage rescue, among the mighty temples and shadowy underground of Cambodia.

FLINT KILL CREEK: Stories of Mystery and Suspense by Joyce Carol Oates (Mystery & Thriller/Short Stories)
These new, recent and reformulated stories by Joyce Carol Oates, collected here for the first time, showcase a wide range of crime fiction and psychological suspense.

AN INSIGNIFICANT CASE by Phillip Margolin (Legal Thriller)
Going back to his long-time bestselling roots, Phillip Margolin returns with a brilliant stand-alone legal thriller in the tradition of John Grisham.

LOST AND LASSOED: A Rebel Blue Ranch Novel by Lyla Sage (Romance/Western)
From the bestselling author of DONE AND DUSTED and SWIFT AND SADDLED comes the highly anticipated next book in the Rebel Blue Ranch series, a small-town romance in which enemies turn to lovers when they’re forced to work together during one hot summer.

THE NIGHT BEFORE CHRISTMAS AT DUNDER MIFFLIN written by Brian Baumgartner and Ben Silverman, illustrated by Maël Gourmelen (Fiction/Humor)
Spend “The Night Before Christmas” at Dunder Mifflin in this hilarious and timeless illustrated retelling of the beloved poem, featuring a visit from Michael Scott as Santa and narrated by Kevin Malone (author Brian Baumgartner).

QUARRY’S RETURN by Max Allan Collins (Hard-boiled Mystery)
The hitman hero of the acclaimed Cinemax series comes out of retirement when his daughter, a true-crime writer, is abducted by the subject of one of her books.

RAISED BY WOLVES by James Patterson and Emily Raymond (Thriller)
The police are called to stop two teens ransacking a small-town grocery store. They have no identification. And they won’t speak a word. And the small town of Kokanee Creek is suddenly plunged into a sinister mystery.

WHAT THE CHICKEN KNOWS: A New Appreciation of the World's Most Familiar Bird by Sy Montgomery (Nature)
WHAT THE CHICKEN KNOWS is a charming and eye-opening exploration of the special relationship between humans and chickens.

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

From left to right: Don Bentley, J.T. Ellison, Vincent Tirado

  Upcoming Virtual Book and Author Events

Here are three upcoming virtual book and author events that you may be interested in attending. Click on the links for more info and to register.

Monday, November 4th at 7pm ET: Murder By The Book: Don Bentley will talk to Mystery & Thriller Maven’s Sara DiVello about his latest thriller, CAPTURE OR KILL, a continuation of Vince Flynn's series featuring Mitch Rapp, who faces an Iranian foe bent on destabilizing the Middle East.

Monday, November 4th at 8pm ET: Murder By The Book: Vincent Tirado will talk to Mystery & Thriller Maven’s Sara DiVello about their adult debut, WE CAME TO WELCOME YOU, a spine-chilling, propulsive psychological horror novel in which a married couple moves into a gated “community” that slowly creeps into a pervasive dread.

Wednesday, November 6th at 7pm ET: “Friends & Fiction”: Join “Friends & Fiction” for a conversation with J.T. Ellison about her latest novel, A VERY BAD THING. This taut thriller is about one author at the pinnacle of her career whose past threatens to destroy everything she has --- and everyone she knows.

 "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:

• Susan Rieger (LIKE MOTHER, LIKE MOTHER) Video | Podcast

Other authors we've interviewed this year include:

• Caro Carver (BAD TOURISTS) Video | Podcast
• Laura Dave (THE NIGHT WE LOST HIM) Video | Podcast
• Jean Hanff Korelitz (THE SEQUEL) Video | Podcast
• Marjan Kamali (THE LION WOMEN OF TEHRAN) Video | Podcast
• Amy Neff (THE DAYS I LOVED YOU MOST) Video | Podcast
• T.J. Newman (WORST CASE SCENARIO) Video | Podcast
• Dawn Tripp (JACKIE) Video | Podcast
• Chris Whitaker (ALL THE COLORS OF THE DARK) Video | Podcast
• Beatriz Williams (HUSBANDS & LOVERS) Video | Podcast
• Lisa Wingate (SHELTERWOOD) Video | Podcast

Upcoming interviews include:

• Paula Hawkins (THE BLUE HOUR)
• Sharon Virts (THE GRAYS OF TRUTH)

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

Our Latest Poll:
The Barnes & Noble Book of the Year Finalists

Click here to vote in the poll by Friday, November 15th at noon ET.

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

Click here to enter the contest.

Quick Links to Features on Bookreporter.com

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