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Editorial Content for California Bear

Contributors

Reviewer (text)

Megan Elliott

From “Dateline” episodes to Netflix miniseries, Americans can’t get enough of true crime, even when the practice of turning real-life tragedies into bingeable entertainment leaves us feeling somewhat queasy. The murky ethics of the true-crime industry are just one of the targets that Duane Swierczynski takes aim at in his new book, CALIFORNIA BEAR. His twisty, engaging and surprisingly heartfelt 11th novel follows a motley group of unlikely investigators as they hunt for a notorious serial killer known as the California Bear. Read More

Teaser

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.

Promo

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.

About the Book

This "fresh, exciting, and brilliantly unpredictable" thriller (James Patterson) from a "great storyteller" (Michael Connelly) follows four unlikely vigilantes who pit themselves against the villain behind California’s coldest case when they decide to take justice into their own hands.

NONE OF YOU ARE SAFE

“KILLER”: 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.” You see, the ex-cop has a special job in mind for the ex-con.

THE GIRL DETECTIVE: Fourteen-year-old Matilda Finnerty has been handed a potential death sentence in the form of a leukemia diagnosis. But that’s not going to stop her from tackling the most important mystery of her life: Is her father guilty of murder?

GENE JEANIE: 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, who is only now emerging from hibernation when the conditions are just right. And this time, the California Bear is not content to hunt in the shadows.

From two-time Edgar nominee Duane Swierczynski, CALIFORNIA BEAR is clever, moving and surprising as it takes aim at the true crime industry, Hollywood, justice and the killers inside us all.

Audiobook available, read by James Urbaniak and Jesse Vilinsky

Editorial Content for Deep Freeze

Contributors

Reviewer (text)

Ray Palen

Michael C. Grumley, author of the Breakthrough and Monument series, pens a stand-alone thriller that is reminiscent of a Michael Crichton, James Rollins or Preston & Child novel.

Full of surprises and a few shocking turns, DEEP FREEZE opens as a bus packed with men, women and children takes a dive off a bridge into a freezing river. A man gallantly pushes a mother and her child to safety, but his fate is uncertain and the bus sinks quickly into the frigid water. Read More

Teaser

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.

Promo

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.

About the Book

From the bestselling author of the Breakthrough series: In his next near-future thriller, Michael C. Grumley explores humanity’s thirst for immortality --- at any cost.

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. Critical information is being kept from him. Secrets. Supposedly for his own good. But who is doing this? Why? And the most important question: Can he keep himself alive long enough to uncover the truth?

Audiobook available, read by Scott Brick

Editorial Content for The Vacation House

Contributors

Reviewer (text)

Kate Ayers

There’s a vacation house in idyllic Paxos, a forgotten part of Greece that has the feeling of paradise. Thirteen-year-old Sophie lived there with her family and loved it. Sometimes she nearly forgot that their Paxos home didn’t belong to them; they were simply the caretakers. Read More

Teaser

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?

Promo

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?

About the Book

The Edgar-nominated, #1 internationally bestselling author of THE DAUGHTER and THE PLAYGROUND weaves a breathtaking tale of betrayal, family and secrets from the past in this crackling novel of psychological suspense.

Two women. Two secrets. One terrible night.

PAXOS, GREECE

The vacation house is a luxurious getaway for a wealthy English family, windows open to sun and the sea, a sparkling swimming pool and a verdant garden. 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. Slender, blonde and expensively dressed, she’s the classic “yummy mummy” of high society: cook, organizer, arm candy and speechwriter to her influential husband.

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.

BOUND BY THE PAST

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?

Audiobook available, read by Amalia Vitale

Editorial Content for River East, River West

Contributors

Reviewer (text)

Rebecca Munro

Spanning two decades and countless revolutionary developments, Aube Rey Lescure’s RIVER EAST, RIVER WEST is a poignant debut centered on two wildly different figures observing modern China and the startling similarities that draw them together. Read More

Teaser

Shanghai, 2007: Feeling betrayed by her American mother's engagement to their rich landlord, Lu Fang, teenager Alva begins plotting her escape. But the exclusive American School --- a potential ticket out --- is not what she imagined, and she's surprised to discover an institution run by an exclusive community of expats, and the ever-wilder thrills of a city where foreigners can ostensibly act as they please. Qingdao, 1985: Newlywed Lu Fang works as a lowly shipping clerk. Though he aspires to a bright future, he is one of many casualties of harsh political reforms. Then China opens up to foreigners and capital, and Lu Fang meets a woman who makes him question what he should settle for.

Promo

Shanghai, 2007: Feeling betrayed by her American mother's engagement to their rich landlord, Lu Fang, teenager Alva begins plotting her escape. But the exclusive American School --- a potential ticket out --- is not what she imagined, and she's surprised to discover an institution run by an exclusive community of expats, and the ever-wilder thrills of a city where foreigners can ostensibly act as they please. Qingdao, 1985: Newlywed Lu Fang works as a lowly shipping clerk. Though he aspires to a bright future, he is one of many casualties of harsh political reforms. Then China opens up to foreigners and capital, and Lu Fang meets a woman who makes him question what he should settle for.

About the Book

Part mesmerizing coming-of-age tale, part intimate family drama, this stunning debut novel follows a young woman searching for belonging and opportunity in a rapidly changing world.

Shanghai, 2007: Feeling betrayed by her American mother's engagement to their rich landlord, Lu Fang, teenager Alva begins plotting her escape. But the exclusive American School --- a potential ticket out --- is not what she imagined, and she's surprised to discover an institution run by an exclusive community of expats, and the ever-wilder thrills of a city where foreigners can ostensibly act as they please.

Qingdao, 1985: Newlywed Lu Fang works as a lowly shipping clerk. Though he aspires to a bright future, he is one of many casualties of harsh political reforms. Then China opens up to foreigners and capital, and Lu Fang meets a woman who makes him question what he should settle for.

Seamlessly alternating between these two points of view, RIVER EAST, RIVER WEST explores complex questions of identity as Alva comes of age: Is she a local or a foreigner? Who is this man her mother married, and can he be a father when she never had one? A powerful reversal of the east-to-west immigrant narrative set against China's economic rise, this lauded debut novel is a profoundly moving portrait of girlhood, race and class, cultural identity and belonging, as it is the seductive allure of the American Dream.

Audiobook available, read by David Shih and Jennifer Lim

January 12, 2024

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.

First Lie Wins by Ashley Elston

January 2024

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.

February 2024 Bookaccino Live Event

January 9, 2024

In this newsletter, you will find books releasing the weeks of January 8th and January 15th 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 reviews of FIRST LIE WINS by Ashley Elston, which is January's Reese's Book Club pick and an upcoming Bookreporter.com Bets On title, and THE STORM WE MADE by Vanessa Chan, which is this month's "Good Morning America" Book Club selection.

Amy Jo Burns, author of Mercury

It’s 1990, and 17-year-old Marley West is blazing into the river valley town of Mercury, Pennsylvania. A perpetual loner, she seeks a place at someone’s table and a family of her own. The first thing she sees when she arrives in town is three men standing on a rooftop. The Joseph brothers become Marley’s whole world before she can blink. Soon, she is young wife to one, The One Who Got Away to another, and adopted mother to them all. As their own mother fades away and their roofing business crumbles under the weight of their unwieldy father’s inflated ego, Marley steps in to shepherd these unruly men. Years later, an eerie discovery in the church attic causes old wounds to resurface, and suddenly the family’s survival hangs in the balance.

Jonathan Santlofer, author of The Lost Van Gogh

For years, there have been whispers that, before his death, Van Gogh completed a final self-portrait. Curators and art historians have savored this rumor, hoping it could illuminate some of the troubled artist's many secrets, but even they have to concede that the missing painting is likely lost forever. But when Luke Perrone, artist and great-grandson of the man who stole the Mona Lisa, and Alexis Verde, daughter of a notorious art thief, discover what may be the missing portrait, they are drawn into a most epic art puzzle. When only days later the painting disappears again, they are reunited with INTERPOL agent John Washington Smith in a dangerous and deadly search that will not only expose secrets of the artist's last days but draw them into one of history's darkest eras.