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January 28, 2025

In this newsletter, you will find books releasing the weeks of January 27th and February 3rd that we think will be of interest to Bookreporter.com readers, along with Bonus News, where we call out a contest, feature or review that we want to let you know about so you have it on your radar.

This week, we are calling attention to our review of GOOD DIRT, which is now available and will be a Bookreporter.com Bets On selection. The daughter of an affluent Black family pieces together the connection between a childhood tragedy and a beloved heirloom in this moving novel from Charmaine Wilkerson, the New York Times bestselling author of BLACK CAKE, a “Read with Jenna” Book Club pick and a Bets On title.

January 28, 2025

This Bookreporter.com Special Newsletter spotlights a book that we know people will be talking about this winter. Read more about it, and enter our Winter Reading Contest by Wednesday, January 29th at noon ET for a chance to win one of five copies of PRESUMED GUILTY by Scott Turow, which is now available and will be a Bookreporter.com Bets On pick. Please note that each contest is only open for 24 hours, so you will need to act quickly!

Han Kang, author of We Do Not Part

One winter morning, Kyungha receives an urgent message from her friend, Inseon, to visit her at a hospital in Seoul. Inseon has injured herself in an accident, and she begs Kyungha to return to Jeju Island, where she lives, to save her beloved pet --- a white bird called Ama. A snowstorm hits the island when Kyungha arrives. She must reach Inseon’s house at all costs, but the icy wind and squalls slow her down as night begins to fall. She wonders if she will arrive in time to save the animal --- or even survive the terrible cold that envelops her with every step. Lost in a world of snow, she doesn’t yet suspect the vertiginous plunge into the darkness that awaits her at her friend’s house.

Jonathan Evison, author of The Heart of Winter

Abe Winter and Ruth Warneke were never meant to be together --- at least if you ask Ruth. Yet their catastrophic blind date in college evolved into a 70-year marriage and a life on a farm on Bainbridge Island with their hens and beloved Labrador, Megs. Through the years, the Winters have fallen in and out of lockstep, and from their haunting losses and guarded secrets, a dependable partnership has been forged. But when Ruth’s loose tooth turns out to be something much more malicious, the beautiful, reliable life they’ve created together comes to a crisis. As Ruth struggles with her crumbling independence, Abe must learn how to take care of her while their three living children question his ability to look after his wife. And once again, the couple has to reconfigure how to be there for each other.

Markus Zusak, author of Three Wild Dogs (and the truth): A Memoir

What happens when the Zusak family opens their home to three big, wild, street-hardened dogs --- Reuben, more wolf than hound; Archer, blond, beautiful, destructive; and the rancorously smiling Frosty, who walks like a rolling thunderstorm? The answer can only be chaos: There are street fights, park fights, public shamings, property damages, injuries, hospital visits, wellness checks, pure comedy, shocking tragedy and carnage that must be read to be believed. There is a reckoning of shortcomings and failure, a strengthening of will, but most important of all, an explosion of love --- and the joy and recognition of family.

Kate Fagan, author of The Three Lives of Cate Kay

Cate Kay knows how to craft a story. As the creator of a bestselling book trilogy that struck box office gold as a film series, she’s one of the most successful authors of her generation. The thing is, Cate Kay doesn’t really exist. She’s never attended author events or granted any interviews. Her real identity had been a closely guarded secret, until now. As a young adult, she and her best friend, Amanda, dreamed of escaping their difficult homes and moving to California to become movie stars. But the day before their grand adventure, a tragedy shattered their dreams, and Cate has been on the run ever since, taking on different names and charting a new future. But after a shocking revelation, Cate understands that returning home is the only way she’ll be a whole person again.

Brad Meltzer, author of The JFK Conspiracy: The Secret Plot to Kill Kennedy — and Why It Failed

John F. Kennedy, the 35th president of the United States, is often ranked among Americans’ most well-liked presidents. Yet what most Americans don’t know is that JFK’s historic presidency almost ended before it began --- at the hands of a disgruntled sociopathic loner armed with dynamite. On December 11, 1960, shortly after Kennedy’s election and before his inauguration, a retired postal worker named Richard Pavlick waited in his car on a quiet street in Palm Beach, Florida. Pavlick knew the president-elect’s schedule. He knew when Kennedy would leave his house. He knew where Kennedy was going. From there, Pavlick had a simple plan --- one that could’ve changed the course of history.

Editorial Content for The Big Empty: An Elvis Cole and Joe Pike Novel

Contributors

Reviewer (text)

Ray Palen

The pleasure of reading a new Elvis Cole and Joe Pike novel from Robert Crais is the equivalent of a child approaching numerous presents under the tree on Christmas morning. THE BIG EMPTY does not disappoint, and there are so many thrills to unwrap within its pages. Read More

Teaser

Traci Beller was 13 when her father disappeared in the sleepy town of Rancha, not far from Los Angeles. The evidence says Tommy Beller abandoned his family, but Traci never believed it. The police couldn't find her dad and neither could the detectives her mother hired. But now, 10 years later, Traci is a super-popular influencer with millions of followers and the money to hire a new detective: Elvis Cole. Elvis heads to Rancha where he learns that an ex-con named Sadie Givens and her daughter, Anya, might have a line on the missing man. But when Elvis finds himself shadowed by a deadly gang of vicious criminals, the simple missing persons case becomes far more sinister and dangerous. Elvis calls in his ex-Marine friend, Joe Pike, to help, but even Pike might not be able to help.

Promo

Traci Beller was 13 when her father disappeared in the sleepy town of Rancha, not far from Los Angeles. The evidence says Tommy Beller abandoned his family, but Traci never believed it. The police couldn't find her dad and neither could the detectives her mother hired. But now, 10 years later, Traci is a super-popular influencer with millions of followers and the money to hire a new detective: Elvis Cole. Elvis heads to Rancha where he learns that an ex-con named Sadie Givens and her daughter, Anya, might have a line on the missing man. But when Elvis finds himself shadowed by a deadly gang of vicious criminals, the simple missing persons case becomes far more sinister and dangerous. Elvis calls in his ex-Marine friend, Joe Pike, to help, but even Pike might not be able to help.

About the Book

Private investigator Elvis Cole and his enigmatic partner, Joe Pike, face a cryptic case and a terrifying, unpredictable killer in this twisty, satisfying thriller from #1 New York Times bestselling author Robert Crais.

Traci Beller was 13 when her father disappeared in the sleepy town of Rancha, not far from Los Angeles. The evidence says Tommy Beller abandoned his family, but Traci never believed it. The police couldn't find her dad and neither could the detectives her mother hired. But now, 10 years later, Traci is a super-popular influencer with millions of followers and the money to hire a new detective: Elvis Cole.

Taking on a 10-years-cold missing person case is almost always a loser, but Elvis heads to Rancha where he learns that an ex-con named Sadie Givens and her daughter, Anya, might have a line on the missing man. But when Elvis finds himself shadowed by a deadly gang of vicious criminals, the simple missing persons case becomes far more sinister and dangerous. Elvis calls in his ex-Marine friend, Joe Pike, to help, but even Pike might not be able to help.

As Elvis Cole and Joe Pike follow Tommy Beller's trail into the twisted, nightmare depths of a monstrous evil, the case flips on its head. Victims become predators, predators become pray, and when everyone is a victim, can Elvis Cole save them all?

In a case that tests Elvis Cole's loyalty to his clients and himself, the truth must come out no matter the cost. Elvis must face The Big Empty and see justice done. 

Audiobook available, read by Luke Daniels

Editorial Content for The Favorites

Contributors

Reviewer (text)

Megan Elliott

Can you take Cathy and Heathcliff’s tortured romance out of the Yorkshire moors? Layne Fargo proves that the answer is yes in THE FAVORITES, a reimagining of WUTHERING HEIGHTS set in the exclusive world of competitive ice dance. Read More

Teaser

Katarina Shaw has always known that she was destined to become an Olympic skater. When she meets Heath Rocha, a lonely kid stuck in the foster care system, their instant connection makes them a formidable duo on the ice. Clinging to skating --- and each other --- to escape their turbulent lives, Kat and Heath go from childhood sweethearts to champion ice dancers. Until a shocking incident at the Olympic Games brings their partnership to a sudden end. As the 10-year anniversary of their final skate approaches, an unauthorized documentary reignites the public obsession with Shaw and Rocha, claiming to uncover the “real story.” Kat wants nothing to do with the documentary, but she can’t stand the thought of someone else defining her legacy. So after a decade of silence, she’s telling her story.

Promo

Katarina Shaw has always known that she was destined to become an Olympic skater. When she meets Heath Rocha, a lonely kid stuck in the foster care system, their instant connection makes them a formidable duo on the ice. Clinging to skating --- and each other --- to escape their turbulent lives, Kat and Heath go from childhood sweethearts to champion ice dancers. Until a shocking incident at the Olympic Games brings their partnership to a sudden end. As the 10-year anniversary of their final skate approaches, an unauthorized documentary reignites the public obsession with Shaw and Rocha, claiming to uncover the “real story.” Kat wants nothing to do with the documentary, but she can’t stand the thought of someone else defining her legacy. So after a decade of silence, she’s telling her story.

About the Book

To the world, they were a scandal. To each other, an obsession.

An epic love story set in the sparkling, savage sphere of elite figure skating starring a woman determined to carve her own path on and off the ice. Now with bonus material, including two never-before-seen chapters!

She might not have a famous name, funding or her family’s support, but Katarina Shaw has always known that she was destined to become an Olympic skater. When she meets Heath Rocha, a lonely kid stuck in the foster care system, their instant connection makes them a formidable duo on the ice. Clinging to skating --- and each other --- to escape their turbulent lives, Kat and Heath go from childhood sweethearts to champion ice dancers, captivating the world with their scorching chemistry, rebellious style and roller-coaster relationship.

Until a shocking incident at the Olympic Games brings their partnership to a sudden end.

As the 10-year anniversary of their final skate approaches, an unauthorized documentary reignites the public obsession with Shaw and Rocha, claiming to uncover the “real story” through interviews with their closest friends and fiercest rivals. Kat wants nothing to do with the documentary, but she can’t stand the thought of someone else defining her legacy. So, after a decade of silence, she’s telling her story: from the childhood tragedies that created her all-consuming bond with Heath to the clash of desires that tore them apart. Sensational rumors have haunted their every step for years, but the truth may be even more shocking than the headlines.

Audiobook available, read by a full cast

Editorial Content for Save Our Souls: The True Story of a Castaway Family, Treachery, and Murder

Contributors

Reviewer (text)

Ray Palen

Matthew Pearl earned his reputation as a great writer with a series of well-researched historical thrillers that rivaled the work of authors such as Dan Brown. His latest book, SAVE OUR SOULS, is his second foray into nonfiction and is just as fascinating as his fiction. Read More

Teaser

On December 10, 1887, a shark fishing boat disappeared. On board the doomed vessel were the Walkers --- the ship’s captain Frederick, his wife Elizabeth, their three teenage sons, and their dog --- along with the ship’s crew. The family had spotted a promising fishing location when a terrible storm arose, splitting their vessel in two and leaving those onboard adrift on the perilous sea. When the castaways awoke the next morning, they discovered they had been washed ashore --- on an island inhabited by a large but ragged and emaciated man who introduced himself as Hans. It turned out that Hans had a secret. And as the Walker family gradually came to learn more, what seemed like a stroke of luck to have the mysterious man’s assistance became something ominous, something darker.

Promo

On December 10, 1887, a shark fishing boat disappeared. On board the doomed vessel were the Walkers --- the ship’s captain Frederick, his wife Elizabeth, their three teenage sons, and their dog --- along with the ship’s crew. The family had spotted a promising fishing location when a terrible storm arose, splitting their vessel in two and leaving those onboard adrift on the perilous sea. When the castaways awoke the next morning, they discovered they had been washed ashore --- on an island inhabited by a large but ragged and emaciated man who introduced himself as Hans. It turned out that Hans had a secret. And as the Walker family gradually came to learn more, what seemed like a stroke of luck to have the mysterious man’s assistance became something ominous, something darker.

About the Book

From the bestselling author of THE TAKING OF JEMIMA BOONE, the unbelievable true story of a real-life Swiss Family Robinson (and their dog) who faced sharks, shipwreck and betrayal.

On December 10, 1887, a shark fishing boat disappeared. On board the doomed vessel were the Walkers --- the ship’s captain Frederick, his wife Elizabeth, their three teenage sons, and their dog --- along with the ship’s crew. The family had spotted a promising fishing location when a terrible storm arose, splitting their vessel in two and leaving those onboard adrift on the perilous sea.

When the castaways awoke the next morning, they discovered they had been washed ashore --- on an island inhabited by a large but ragged and emaciated man who introduced himself as Hans. Hans appeared to have been there for a while and could quickly educate the Walkers and their crew on the island’s resources. But Hans had a secret...and as the Walker family gradually came to learn more, what seemed like a stroke of luck to have the mysterious man’s assistance became something ominous, something darker.

Like David Grann and Stacy Schiff, Matthew Pearl unveils one of the most incredible yet little-known historical true stories, and the only known instance in history of an actual family of castaways. SAVE OUR SOULS asks us to consider who we might become if we found ourselves trapped on a deserted island.

Audiobook available, read by George Newbern