Editorial Content for The House of Lincoln
Book
Contributors
Reviewer (text)
Nancy Horan, the bestselling author of LOVING FRANK and UNDER THE WIDE AND STARRY SKY, makes a triumphant return with THE HOUSE OF LINCOLN, a richly woven work of historical fiction that tells the story of Abraham Lincoln’s transformation from lawyer to president. Read More
Teaser
THE HOUSE OF LINCOLN tells the story of Abraham Lincoln's ascendance from rumpled lawyer to U.S. president to Great Emancipator through the eyes of a young immigrant who arrives in Lincoln's home of Springfield, Illinois, from Madeira, Portugal. Showing intelligence beyond society's expectations, 14-year-old Ana Ferreira is offered a job in the Lincoln household assisting Mary Lincoln with their boys and with the hosting duties borne by the wife of a rising political star. Ana bears witness to the evolution of Lincoln's views on equality and the Union, and observes in full complexity the psyche and pain of his bold, polarizing wife. Yet, alongside her dearest friend in the Black community, she also directly experiences how slavery contradicts the promise of freedom in her adopted country.
Promo
THE HOUSE OF LINCOLN tells the story of Abraham Lincoln's ascendance from rumpled lawyer to U.S. president to Great Emancipator through the eyes of a young immigrant who arrives in Lincoln's home of Springfield, Illinois, from Madeira, Portugal. Showing intelligence beyond society's expectations, 14-year-old Ana Ferreira is offered a job in the Lincoln household assisting Mary Lincoln with their boys and with the hosting duties borne by the wife of a rising political star. Ana bears witness to the evolution of Lincoln's views on equality and the Union, and observes in full complexity the psyche and pain of his bold, polarizing wife. Yet, alongside her dearest friend in the Black community, she also directly experiences how slavery contradicts the promise of freedom in her adopted country.
About the Book
Nancy Horan, author of the million-copy New York Times bestseller LOVING FRANK, returns with THE HOUSE OF LINCOLN, which tells the story of Abraham Lincoln's ascendance from rumpled lawyer to U.S. president to Great Emancipator and presents Lincoln's Midwestern home as a complex third home front of the Civil War.
Rich with historical detail, THE HOUSE OF LINCOLN is an insightful account of Lincoln's transformative vision for democracy as observed through the eyes of a young immigrant who arrives in Lincoln's home of Springfield, Illinois, from Madeira, Portugal.
Showing intelligence beyond society's expectations, 14-year-old Ana Ferreira is offered a job in the Lincoln household assisting Mary Lincoln with their boys and with the hosting duties borne by the wife of a rising political star. Ana bears witness to the evolution of Lincoln's views on equality and the Union, and observes in full complexity the psyche and pain of his bold, polarizing wife, Mary. Yet, alongside her dearest friend in the Black community, Ana confronts the racial prejudice her friend encounters daily as she watches the inner workings of the Underground Railroad, and directly experiences how slavery contradicts the promise of freedom in her adopted country.
Culminating in an account of the little-known Springfield race riot of 1908, THE HOUSE OF LINCOLN takes readers on a journey through the historic changes that reshaped America and continue to reverberate today.
Audiobook available, read by Sarah Welborn
Editorial Content for Cross Down: An Alex Cross and John Sampson Thriller
Contributors
Reviewer (text)
There is no need to sing the praises of James Patterson. If you are not aware of him or his reputation in the literary world, then you have been living under a rock for the past few decades. Patterson really came to fame with his Alex Cross series that began with clever nursery rhyme titles. Now, with the release of CROSS DOWN, it has evolved into something much more diverse and important. Read More
Teaser
The brilliant crime-solving duo of Washington, DC’s Metro PD and the FBI has a proven MO: Detective Alex Cross makes his own rules. Detective John Sampson enforces them. When military-style attacks erupt, brutally sidelining Cross, Sampson is sent reeling. The patterns are too random --- Sampson’s friend, his partner, his brother --- have told him. Don’t trust anyone. As a shadow force advances on the nation’s capital, Sampson alone must protect the Cross family, his own young daughter and every American, including the president.
Promo
The brilliant crime-solving duo of Washington, DC’s Metro PD and the FBI has a proven MO: Detective Alex Cross makes his own rules. Detective John Sampson enforces them. When military-style attacks erupt, brutally sidelining Cross, Sampson is sent reeling. The patterns are too random --- Sampson’s friend, his partner, his brother --- have told him. Don’t trust anyone. As a shadow force advances on the nation’s capital, Sampson alone must protect the Cross family, his own young daughter and every American, including the president.
About the Book
In this #1 New York Times bestseller, Alex Cross is gravely injured. Only his partner and friend, John Sampson, can keep him safe...and get justice.
For the first time, John Sampson is on his own.
The brilliant crime-solving duo of Washington, DC’s Metro PD and the FBI has a proven MO: Detective Alex Cross makes his own rules. Detective John Sampson enforces them.
When military-style attacks erupt, brutally sidelining Cross, Sampson is sent reeling. The patterns are too random --- Sampson’s friend, his partner, his brother --- have told him. Don’t trust anyone.
As a shadow force advances on the nation’s capital, Sampson alone must protect the Cross family, his own young daughter and every American, including the president.
Audiobook available; read by William Stephens, Kiff VandenHeuvel, Mela Lee, Inger Tudor, Zeno Robinson, Wayne Carr and Peter Giles
Editorial Content for Identity
Book
Contributors
Reviewer (text)
Morgan Albright appears to have her life together in Nora Roberts' latest novel, IDENTITY. She owns a house, works two jobs to save money to buy her own business, and has planned her future carefully. The pieces seem to be falling into place. But when a handsome stranger enters the bar she works at one night, the result is the destruction of life as she knows it. It's not just that everything financial has been stolen from her; she must go forward knowing that the sociopath who killed her roommate is now after her. Read More
Teaser
Former Army brat Morgan Albright has finally planted roots in a friendly neighborhood near Baltimore. Her friend and roommate, Nina, helps her make the mortgage payments, as does her job as a bartender. But after she and Nina host their first dinner party --- attended by Luke, the flirtatious IT guy --- her carefully built world is shattered. The back door glass is broken, cash and jewelry are missing, her car is gone, and Nina lies dead on the floor. A horrific truth soon emerges: "Luke" is actually a cold-hearted con artist named Gavin who targets a particular type of woman, steals her assets and identity, and then commits his ultimate goal: murder. It turns out that Nina wasn't his type. Morgan is. Nina was simply in the wrong place at the wrong time. And Morgan's nightmare is just beginning.
Promo
Former Army brat Morgan Albright has finally planted roots in a friendly neighborhood near Baltimore. Her friend and roommate, Nina, helps her make the mortgage payments, as does her job as a bartender. But after she and Nina host their first dinner party --- attended by Luke, the flirtatious IT guy --- her carefully built world is shattered. The back door glass is broken, cash and jewelry are missing, her car is gone, and Nina lies dead on the floor. A horrific truth soon emerges: "Luke" is actually a cold-hearted con artist named Gavin who targets a particular type of woman, steals her assets and identity, and then commits his ultimate goal: murder. It turns out that Nina wasn't his type. Morgan is. Nina was simply in the wrong place at the wrong time. And Morgan's nightmare is just beginning.
About the Book
The #1 New York Times bestselling author's terrifying new thriller about one man's ice-cold malice, and one woman's fight to reclaim her life.
Former Army brat Morgan Albright has finally planted roots in a friendly neighborhood near Baltimore. Her friend and roommate Nina helps her make the mortgage payments, as does Morgan's job as a bartender. But after she and Nina host their first dinner party --- attended by Luke, the flirtatious IT guy who'd been chatting her up at the bar --- her carefully built world is shattered. The back door glass is broken, cash and jewelry are missing, her car is gone and Nina lies dead on the floor.
A horrific truth soon emerges: It was Morgan who let the monster in. "Luke" is actually a cold-hearted con artist named Gavin who targets a particular type of woman, steals her assets and identity and then commits his ultimate goal: murder.
What the FBI tells Morgan is beyond chilling. Nina wasn't his type. Morgan is. Nina was simply in the wrong place at the wrong time. And Morgan's nightmare is just beginning. Soon she has no choice but to flee to her mother's home in Vermont. While she struggles to build something new, she meets another man, Miles Jameson. He isn't flashy or flirtatious, and his family business has deep roots in town. But Gavin is still out there hunting new victims, and he hasn't forgotten the one who got away.
Audiobook available, read by January LaVoy
Editorial Content for The Paris Daughter
Book
Contributors
Reviewer (text)
Paris is the setting of Kristin Harmel’s THE PARIS DAUGHTER, where the threat of German occupation looms over everyone.
Two young women, Elise and Juliette, meet by chance in a park and become good friends. That they are pregnant and give birth to girls almost the same age cements the bond that they feel. There is also the fact that both are Americans who moved to France to be with their French husbands. Their daughters end up feeling almost like sisters as they often play together. Read More
Teaser
Paris, 1939: Young mothers Elise and Juliette become fast friends the day they meet in the beautiful Bois de Boulogne. Though there is a shadow of war creeping across Europe, neither woman suspects that their lives are about to irrevocably change. When Elise becomes a target of the German occupation, she entrusts Juliette with the most precious thing in her life --- her young daughter, playmate to Juliette’s own little girl. But nowhere is safe in war, not even a quiet little bookshop like Juliette’s Librairie des Rêves. When a bomb falls on their neighborhood, Juliette’s world is destroyed along with it. More than a year later, with the war finally ending, Elise returns to reunite with her daughter, only to find her friend’s bookstore reduced to rubble --- and Juliette nowhere to be found.
Promo
Paris, 1939: Young mothers Elise and Juliette become fast friends the day they meet in the beautiful Bois de Boulogne. Though there is a shadow of war creeping across Europe, neither woman suspects that their lives are about to irrevocably change. When Elise becomes a target of the German occupation, she entrusts Juliette with the most precious thing in her life --- her young daughter, playmate to Juliette’s own little girl. But nowhere is safe in war, not even a quiet little bookshop like Juliette’s Librairie des Rêves. When a bomb falls on their neighborhood, Juliette’s world is destroyed along with it. When the war finally ends, Elise returns to reunite with her daughter, only to find her friend’s bookstore reduced to rubble --- and Juliette nowhere to be found.
About the Book
“A gorgeous, gut-wrenching” (Kate Quinn, New York Times bestselling author) historical novel about two mothers facing unthinkable choices as the Nazis invade France --- from the New York Times bestselling author Kristin Harmel.
Paris, 1939: Young mothers Elise and Juliette become fast friends the day they meet in the beautiful Bois de Boulogne. Though there is a shadow of war creeping across Europe, neither woman suspects that their lives are about to irrevocably change.
When Elise becomes a target of the German occupation, she entrusts Juliette with the most precious thing in her life --- her young daughter, playmate to Juliette’s own little girl. But nowhere is safe in war, not even a quiet little bookshop like Juliette’s Librairie des Rêves, and, when a bomb falls on their neighborhood, Juliette’s world is destroyed along with it.
When the war finally ends, Elise returns to reunite with her daughter, only to find her friend’s bookstore reduced to rubble --- and Juliette nowhere to be found. What happened to her daughter in those last, terrible moments? Juliette has seemingly vanished without a trace, taking all the answers with her. Elise’s desperate search leads her to New York --- and to Juliette --- one final, fateful time.
A sweeping celebration of resilience, motherhood and love, THE PARIS DAUGHTER is “historical fiction at its best” (Sadeqa Johnson, New York Times bestselling author).
Audiobook available, read by Madeleine Maby
Editorial Content for Cassandra in Reverse
Book
Contributors
Reviewer (text)
Holly Smale starts her debut novel on what seems like a pretty bad day for her protagonist, Cassandra. She’s lost her boyfriend, her job and her flat, all in short order. It’s no wonder that she tops it all off with a panic attack. But when she wakes up after passing out, she gradually realizes that she’s also, somehow, traveled back in time to the start of that horrible day. Read More
Teaser
Cassandra Penelope Dankworth is a creature of habit. She likes what she likes (museums, jumpsuits, her boyfriend, Will) and strongly dislikes what she doesn't (mess, change, her boss drinking out of her mug). Her life runs in a pleasing, predictable order…until now. She's just been dumped. She's just been fired. Her local café has run out of banana muffins. Then, something truly unexpected happens: Cassie discovers she can go back and change the past. One small rewind at a time, Cassie attempts to fix the life she accidentally obliterated. But soon she'll discover she's trying to fix all the wrong things.
Promo
Cassandra Penelope Dankworth is a creature of habit. She likes what she likes (museums, jumpsuits, her boyfriend, Will) and strongly dislikes what she doesn't (mess, change, her boss drinking out of her mug). Her life runs in a pleasing, predictable order…until now. She's just been dumped. She's just been fired. Her local café has run out of banana muffins. Then, something truly unexpected happens: Cassie discovers she can go back and change the past. One small rewind at a time, Cassie attempts to fix the life she accidentally obliterated. But soon she'll discover she's trying to fix all the wrong things.
About the Book
If you had the power to change the past, where would you start?
Cassandra Penelope Dankworth is a creature of habit. She likes what she likes (museums, jumpsuits, her boyfriend, Will) and strongly dislikes what she doesn't (mess, change, her boss drinking out of her mug). Her life runs in a pleasing, predictable order…until now.
- She's just been dumped.
- She's just been fired.
- Her local café has run out of banana muffins.
Then, something truly unexpected happens: Cassie discovers she can go back and change the past. One small rewind at a time, Cassie attempts to fix the life she accidentally obliterated, but soon she'll discover she's trying to fix all the wrong things.
Audiobook available, read by Kristin Atherton
Editorial Content for The Celebrants
Book
Contributors
Reviewer (text)
Steven Rowley, the bestselling and fan-favorite author of THE GUNCLE and LILY AND THE OCTOPUS, returns with THE CELEBRANTS, a darkly humorous, big-hearted chronicle of five friends and their pact to celebrate one another while they can…with a series of living funerals. Read More
Teaser
It’s been five years since Jordan Vargas last saw his college friends. Now Jordan, Jordy, Naomi, Craig and Marielle find themselves at the brink of a new decade, with all the responsibilities of adulthood, yet no closer to having their lives figured out. Though not for a lack of trying. Over the years they’ve reunited in Big Sur to honor a decades-old pact to throw each other living “funerals,” celebrations to remind themselves that life is worth living --- that their lives mean something, to one another if not to themselves. But this reunion is different. They’re not gathered as they were to bolster Marielle as her marriage crumbled, to lift Naomi after her parents died, or to intervene when Craig pleaded guilty to art fraud. This time, Jordan is sitting on a secret that will upend their pact.
Promo
It’s been five years since Jordan Vargas last saw his college friends. Now Jordan, Jordy, Naomi, Craig and Marielle find themselves at the brink of a new decade, with all the responsibilities of adulthood, yet no closer to having their lives figured out. Though not for a lack of trying. Over the years they’ve reunited in Big Sur to honor a decades-old pact to throw each other living “funerals,” celebrations to remind themselves that life is worth living --- that their lives mean something, to one another if not to themselves. But this reunion is different. They’re not gathered as they were to bolster Marielle as her marriage crumbled, to lift Naomi after her parents died, or to intervene when Craig pleaded guilty to art fraud. This time, Jordan is sitting on a secret that will upend their pact.
About the Book
A Big Chill for our times, celebrating decades-long friendships and promises --- especially to ourselves --- by the bestselling and beloved author of THE GUNCLE.
It’s been a minute --- or five years --- since Jordan Vargas last saw his college friends, and 28 years since their graduation when their adult lives officially began. Now Jordan, Jordy, Naomi, Craig and Marielle find themselves at the brink of a new decade, with all the responsibilities of adulthood, yet no closer to having their lives figured out. Though not for a lack of trying. Over the years they’ve reunited in Big Sur to honor a decades-old pact to throw each other living “funerals,” celebrations to remind themselves that life is worth living --- that their lives mean something, to one another if not to themselves.
But this reunion is different. They’re not gathered as they were to bolster Marielle as her marriage crumbled, to lift Naomi after her parents died or to intervene when Craig pleaded guilty to art fraud. This time, Jordan is sitting on a secret that will upend their pact.
A deeply honest tribute to the growing pains of selfhood and the people who keep us going, coupled with Steven Rowley’s signature humor and heart, THE CELEBRANTS is a moving tale about the false invincibility of youth and the beautiful ways in which friendship helps us celebrate our lives, even amid the deepest challenges of living.
Audiobook available, read by Steven Rowley
Editorial Content for The Private Life of Spies and The Exquisite Art of Getting Even: Stories of Espionage and Revenge
Book
Contributors
Reviewer (text)
Some wise person once told me that “excellence is not predictable.” But then I think of Mozart, Michelangelo, my flute teacher...and Scotland’s remarkable Alexander McCall Smith.
With the recent release of THE PRIVATE LIFE OF SPIES AND THE EXQUISITE ART OF GETTING EVEN --- a two-in-one reading treat on whimsically complementary subjects --- Smith once again blows apart the notion that excellence cannot continue on an almost infinite trajectory. Read More
Teaser
In this dual collection of short stories, Alexander McCall Smith brings his trademark humor and warmth to inventive tales of spying and vengeance. In one story, a spy dropped deep into enemy territory manages to disguise himself --- quite convincingly --- as a nun. In another, an invitation to join the Vatican Secret Service sends a prospective operative down a rabbit hole of controversy and confusion. A third story finds an author, on the brink of public ruin, seeing the error of his ways after an act of kindness saves the day. A keen observer of humanity imbued with a sparkling imagination, Smith illustrates throughout that transparency is paramount and forgiveness is restorative.
Promo
In this dual collection of short stories, Alexander McCall Smith brings his trademark humor and warmth to inventive tales of spying and vengeance. In one story, a spy dropped deep into enemy territory manages to disguise himself --- quite convincingly --- as a nun. In another, an invitation to join the Vatican Secret Service sends a prospective operative down a rabbit hole of controversy and confusion. A third story finds an author, on the brink of public ruin, seeing the error of his ways after an act of kindness saves the day. A keen observer of humanity imbued with a sparkling imagination, Smith illustrates throughout that transparency is paramount and forgiveness is restorative.
About the Book
From the beloved author of the No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency series comes a new short story collection: half spy stories, half tales of revenge, all highlight the kinder, funnier and gentler side of espionage and retribution.
In this dual collection of short stories, Alexander McCall Smith brings his trademark humor and warmth to inventive tales of spying and vengeance. In one story, a spy dropped deep into enemy territory manages to disguise himself --- quite convincingly --- as a nun. In another, an invitation to join the Vatican Secret Service sends a prospective operative down a rabbit hole of controversy and confusion. A third story finds an author, on the brink of public ruin, seeing the error of his ways after an act of kindness saves the day.
A keen observer of humanity imbued with a sparkling imagination, Alexander McCall Smith illustrates throughout that transparency is paramount and forgiveness is restorative. With surprising insight and a healthy helping of humor, these stories remind us that, in the end, the high road is often the better one for all involved.
Audiobook available, read by David Rintoul
Editorial Content for The Wolves Come at Night: A Taylor Jackson Novel
Contributors
Reviewer (text)
THE WOLVES COME AT NIGHT opens with a legend called “The Tale of Two Wolves.” It is worth sharing here as it is quite a foretelling of what’s to come in this story: Read More
Teaser
While the high-profile murder of a young country singer turns Nashville inside out, danger lurks in the woods beyond the city's border. There was a witness to the terrible crime, a college student who stumbled onto the scene. When the girl goes missing, the police don't know if she's run for cover or been taken...or if something more sinister is happening. The truth will shatter Taylor Jackson's career and bring her face to face with a deadly assassin who wants nothing more than to finish what they started.
Promo
While the high-profile murder of a young country singer turns Nashville inside out, danger lurks in the woods beyond the city's border. There was a witness to the terrible crime, a college student who stumbled onto the scene. When the girl goes missing, the police don't know if she's run for cover or been taken...or if something more sinister is happening. The truth will shatter Taylor Jackson's career and bring her face to face with a deadly assassin who wants nothing more than to finish what they started.
About the Book
A detective on the brink.
An assassin out for revenge.
A desperate mother racing against the clock.
While the high-profile murder of a young country singer turns Nashville inside out, danger lurks in the woods beyond the city's border. There was a witness to the terrible crime, a college student who stumbled onto the scene. When the girl goes missing, the police don't know if she's run for cover or been taken...or if something more sinister is happening.
The truth will shatter Taylor's career and bring her face to face with a deadly assassin who wants nothing more than to finish what they started.
Taylor Jackson is back. And you've never seen her quite like this.