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Editorial Content for The Secret Book Society

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Reviewer (text)

L. Dean Murphy

Thrice-widowed Clara Chambers, the Countess of Duxbury, cordially invites Eleanor Clarke, Rose Wharton and Lavinia Cavendish to her London estate in June 1895, the year Charlotte Cooper defeated Helen Jackson to win the ladies’ singles title at the Wimbledon Championships.  Read More

Teaser

London, 1895: Trapped by oppressive marriages and societal expectations, three women receive a mysterious invitation to an afternoon tea at the home of the reclusive Lady Duxbury. Beneath the genteel facade of the gathering lies a secret book club --- a sanctuary where they can discover freedom, sisterhood and the courage to rewrite their stories. All are drawn to the enigmatic Lady Duxbury, a thrice-widowed countess whose husbands’ untimely deaths have sparked whispers of murder. As the women form deep, heartwarming friendships, they uncover secrets about their marriages, their pasts and the risks they face. Their courage is their only weapon in the oppressive world that has kept them silent. But when secrets are deadly, one misstep could cost them everything.

Promo

London, 1895: Trapped by oppressive marriages and societal expectations, three women receive a mysterious invitation to an afternoon tea at the home of the reclusive Lady Duxbury. Beneath the genteel facade of the gathering lies a secret book club --- a sanctuary where they can discover freedom, sisterhood and the courage to rewrite their stories. All are drawn to the enigmatic Lady Duxbury, a thrice-widowed countess whose husbands’ untimely deaths have sparked whispers of murder. As the women form deep, heartwarming friendships, they uncover secrets about their marriages, their pasts and the risks they face. Their courage is their only weapon in the oppressive world that has kept them silent. But when secrets are deadly, one misstep could cost them everything.

About the Book

A captivating new historical novel from Madeline Martin, set in Victorian London about a forbidden book club, dangerous secrets and the women who dare to break free.

You are cordially invited to the Secret Book Society.

London, 1895: Trapped by oppressive marriages and societal expectations, three women receive a mysterious invitation to an afternoon tea at the home of the reclusive Lady Duxbury. Beneath the genteel facade of the gathering lies a secret book club --- a sanctuary where they can discover freedom, sisterhood and the courage to rewrite their stories

Eleanor Clarke, a devoted mother suffocating under the tyranny of her husband. Rose Wharton, a transplanted American dollar princess struggling to fit the mold of an aristocratic wife. Lavinia Cavendish, an artistic young woman haunted by a dangerous family secret. All are drawn to the enigmatic Lady Duxbury, a thrice-widowed countess whose husbands’ untimely deaths have sparked whispers of murder.

As the women form deep, heartwarming friendships, they uncover secrets about their marriages, their pasts and the risks they face. Their courage is their only weapon in the oppressive world that has kept them silent. But when secrets are deadly, one misstep could cost them everything.

Audiobook available, read by Saskia Maarleveld 

Editorial Content for Sherlock Holmes and the Real Thing: A Case History Recorded by John H. Watson, M.D.

Contributors

Reviewer (text)

Ray Palen

It is no secret that my all-time favorite fictional character is Sherlock Holmes. However, as a Holmesian, it is sometimes difficult to navigate all of the options available in the age of public domain. There are literally thousands of novels, short stories, films, TV shows and streaming series about Holmes, and not all of them are great. Read More

Teaser

London, 189–: While the great city is brought to a standstill by a series of blizzards, a landlady complains that her artist tenant is behind on rent. The next thing you know, there are several corpses, and Sherlock Holmes and his biographer, John H. Watson, MD, find themselves drawn into one of the most bizarre cases of the great detective’s career. And into the cutthroat big business of Art, where chicanery and mendacity (and cut throats) proliferate. What makes a work of art worth killing for? Is it the artist, his mistress, his dealer or his blackmailer? The cast of characters is large. But are they perpetrators, accomplices or victims? And just who is Juliet Packwood, with whom Watson has become infatuated?

Promo

London, 189–: While the great city is brought to a standstill by a series of blizzards, a landlady complains that her artist tenant is behind on rent. The next thing you know, there are several corpses, and Sherlock Holmes and his biographer, John H. Watson, MD, find themselves drawn into one of the most bizarre cases of the great detective’s career. And into the cutthroat big business of Art, where chicanery and mendacity (and cut throats) proliferate. What makes a work of art worth killing for? Is it the artist, his mistress, his dealer or his blackmailer? The cast of characters is large. But are they perpetrators, accomplices or victims? And just who is Juliet Packwood, with whom Watson has become infatuated?

About the Book

Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson delve into the world of art forgery in this new historical mystery from the author of SHERLOCK HOLMES AND THE TELEGRAM FROM HELL.

London, 189–: The great city is brought to a standstill by a series of blizzards and Sherlock Holmes is bored to distraction. It would take a miracle to bring a case to the detective’s door.

What arrives is not promising: a landlady who complains her artist tenant is behind on rent. Not exactly the miracle for which Holmes was hoping. But, next thing you know, there are several corpses and Sherlock Holmes and his biographer, John H. Watson, MD, find themselves drawn into one of the most bizarre cases of the great detective’s career. And into the cutthroat big business of Art, where chicanery and mendacity (and cut throats) proliferate.

What makes a work of art worth killing for? Is it the artist, his mistress, his dealer or his blackmailer? The cast of characters is large. But are they perpetrators, accomplices or victims? And just who is Juliet Packwood, with whom Watson has become infatuated?

Oh, and there’s one other problem: Is this a genuine Holmes case or a clever forgery? Is this the real thing?

If you can’t tell the difference, what is the difference?

Audiobook available, read by David Robb and Nick Meyer 

Editorial Content for Breathe in, Bleed Out

Contributors

Reviewer (text)

Ray Palen

Dragging a body through six inches of snow is even harder than I expected.”

This chilling line begins the terror that Brian McAuley has conceived for his thrilling new novel, BREATHE IN, BLEED OUT. It also brings Hannah back to the moment when her fiancé, Ben, was accidentally killed during a wilderness trip. She has not been able to shake herself clean of these memories, which now haunt her dreams as well as her waking hours. Read More

Teaser

Hannah has been running from her demons ever since she emerged from a harrowing wilderness trip without her fiancé. No one knows exactly what happened the day Ben died, and Hannah would like to keep it that way...even if his ghost still haunts her with vivid waking nightmares that are ruining her life. So when her friend group gets an exclusive invitation to a restorative spiritual retreat in Joshua Tree, Hannah reluctantly agrees in search of a fresh start. Despite her skepticism of the strange Guru Pax and his belief in the supernatural world, Hannah soon finds healing through all the yoga, sound baths and hot springs offered at the tech-free haven. But this peaceful journey of self-discovery quickly descends into a violent fight for self-preservation when a mysterious killer starts picking off retreat attendees in increasingly gruesome ways.

Promo

Hannah has been running from her demons ever since she emerged from a harrowing wilderness trip without her fiancé. No one knows exactly what happened the day Ben died, and Hannah would like to keep it that way...even if his ghost still haunts her with vivid waking nightmares that are ruining her life. So when her friend group gets an exclusive invitation to a restorative spiritual retreat in Joshua Tree, Hannah reluctantly agrees in search of a fresh start. Despite her skepticism of the strange Guru Pax and his belief in the supernatural world, Hannah soon finds healing through all the yoga, sound baths and hot springs offered at the tech-free haven. But this peaceful journey of self-discovery quickly descends into a violent fight for self-preservation when a mysterious killer starts picking off retreat attendees in increasingly gruesome ways.

About the Book

It's a Midsommar night's Scream in this blood-soaked thriller set at a remote healing retreat from horror author Brian McAuley.

Hannah has been running from her demons ever since she emerged from a harrowing wilderness trip without her fiancé. No one knows exactly what happened the day Ben died, and Hannah would like to keep it that way even if his ghost still haunts her with vivid waking nightmares that are ruining her life. So when her friend group gets an exclusive invitation to a restorative spiritual retreat in Joshua Tree, Hannah reluctantly agrees in search of a fresh start.

Despite her skepticism of the strange Guru Pax and his belief in the supernatural world, Hannah soon finds healing through all the yoga, sound baths, and hot springs offered at the tech-free haven. But this peaceful journey of self-discovery quickly descends into a violent fight for self-preservation when a mysterious killer starts picking off retreat attendees in increasingly gruesome ways. As the body count rises and Hannah's sanity frays, she'll have to confront her dark past and uncover the true nature of a ruthless monster hellbent on killing her vibe for good.

Audiobook available, read by Jeremy Carlisle Parker 

Editorial Content for The Possession of Alba Díaz

Contributors

Reviewer (text)

Ray Palen

Isabel Cañas' official bio refers to her as a Mexican-American writer of speculative fiction, though I feel that is underselling her. In a brief period of time, she has gained quite the reputation as an author to watch in the area of historically infused gothic horror. Her latest effort, THE POSSESSION OF ALBA DÍAZ, has all of this and more in a smartly written, disturbing look at possession and the nature of evil. Read More

Teaser

In 1765, plague sweeps through Zacatecas. Alba flees with her wealthy merchant parents and fiancé, Carlos, to his family’s isolated mine for refuge. But she begins suffering from strange hallucinations, sleepwalking and violent convulsions. She senses something cold lurking beneath her skin. Something angry. Something wrong. Elías, haunted by a troubled past, came to the New World to make his fortune and escape his family’s legacy of greed. Alba, as his cousin’s betrothed, is none of his business. Which, of course, is why he can’t help but notice the growing tension between them every time she enters the room…and why he notices her deteriorate when the demon’s thirst for blood gets stronger. In the fight for her life, Alba and Elías become entangled with the occult, the Church, long-kept secrets and each other.

Promo

In 1765, plague sweeps through Zacatecas. Alba flees with her wealthy merchant parents and fiancé, Carlos, to his family’s isolated mine for refuge. But she begins suffering from strange hallucinations, sleepwalking and violent convulsions. She senses something cold lurking beneath her skin. Something angry. Something wrong. Elías, haunted by a troubled past, came to the New World to make his fortune and escape his family’s legacy of greed. Alba, as his cousin’s betrothed, is none of his business. Which, of course, is why he can’t help but notice the growing tension between them every time she enters the room…and why he notices her deteriorate when the demon’s thirst for blood gets stronger. In the fight for her life, Alba and Elías become entangled with the occult, the Church, long-kept secrets and each other.

About the Book

When a demonic presence awakens deep in a Mexican silver mine, the young woman it seizes must turn to the one man she shouldn’t trust, from bestselling author Isabel Cañas.

In 1765, plague sweeps through Zacatecas. Alba flees with her wealthy merchant parents and fiancé, Carlos, to his family’s isolated mine for refuge. But safety proves fleeting as other dangers soon bare their teeth: Alba begins suffering from strange hallucinations, sleepwalking and violent convulsions. She senses something cold lurking beneath her skin. Something angry. Something wrong.

Elías, haunted by a troubled past, came to the New World to make his fortune and escape his family’s legacy of greed. Alba, as his cousin’s betrothed, is none of his business. Which, of course, is why he can’t help but notice the growing tension between them every time she enters the room...and why he notices her deteriorate when the demon’s thirst for blood gets stronger.

In the fight for her life, Alba and Elías become entangled with the occult, the Church, long-kept secrets and each other...not knowing that one of these things will spell their doom. 

Audiobook available, read by Carolina Hoyos and Anthony Rey Perez

Editorial Content for A Different Kind of Power: A Memoir

Contributors

Reviewer (text)

Roberta O'Hara

Dame Jacinda Ardern’s foray into politics began with three little words: “I’ll do it.”

Eighteen-year-old Ardern had just said yes to a sitting Member of Parliament (MP) who “seemed to think [she] could be useful” in a campaign for New Zealand’s Labour Party. Her yes, she reflected, meant that she could help change things that she thought “didn’t feel right.” Read More

Teaser

What if we could redefine leadership? What if kindness came first? Jacinda Ardern grew up the daughter of a police officer in small-town New Zealand, but as the 40th Prime Minister of her country, she commanded global respect for her empathetic leadership that put people first. A DIFFERENT KIND OF POWER is the remarkable story of how a Mormon girl plagued by self-doubt made political history and changed our assumptions of what a global leader can be. Through her personal experiences and reflections, Ardern is a model for anyone who has ever doubted themselves, or has aspired to lead with compassion, conviction and courage.

Promo

What if we could redefine leadership? What if kindness came first? Jacinda Ardern grew up the daughter of a police officer in small-town New Zealand, but as the 40th Prime Minister of her country, she commanded global respect for her empathetic leadership that put people first. A DIFFERENT KIND OF POWER is the remarkable story of how a Mormon girl plagued by self-doubt made political history and changed our assumptions of what a global leader can be. Through her personal experiences and reflections, Ardern is a model for anyone who has ever doubted themselves, or has aspired to lead with compassion, conviction and courage.

About the Book

From the former prime minister of New Zealand, then the world’s youngest female head of government and just the second to give birth in office, comes a deeply personal memoir chronicling her extraordinary rise and offering inspiration to a new generation of leaders.

What if we could redefine leadership? What if kindness came first? Jacinda Ardern grew up the daughter of a police officer in small-town New Zealand, but as the 40th Prime Minister of her country, she commanded global respect for her empathetic leadership that put people first. This is the remarkable story of how a Mormon girl plagued by self-doubt made political history and changed our assumptions of what a global leader can be.

When Jacinda Ardern became Prime Minister at age 37, the world took notice. But it was her compassionate yet powerful response to the 2019 Christchurch mosque attacks, resulting in swift and sweeping gun control laws, that demonstrated her remarkable leadership. She guided her country through unprecedented challenges --- a volcanic eruption, a major biosecurity breach, and a global pandemic --- while advancing visionary new policies to address climate change, reduce child poverty, and secure historic international trade deals. She did all this while juggling first-time motherhood in the public eye.

Ardern exemplifies a new kind of leadership --- proving that leaders can be caring, empathetic and effective. She has become a global icon, and now she is ready to share her story, from the struggles to the surprises, including for the first time the full details of her decision to step down during her sixth year as Prime Minister.

Through her personal experiences and reflections, Ardern is a model for anyone who has ever doubted themselves, or has aspired to lead with compassion, conviction and courage. A DIFFERENT KIND OF POWER is more than a political memoir. It’s an insight into how it feels to lead, ultimately asking: What if you, too, are capable of more than you ever imagined?

Audiobook available, read by Jacinda Ardern

Editorial Content for The Laughing Dead: A Steinbeck and Reed Thriller

Contributors

Reviewer (text)

Ray Palen

Jess Lourey’s Steinbeck and Reed series, which has garnered plenty of accolades, continues with THE LAUGHING DEAD.

Cold case agent Evangeline “Van” Reed and forensic scientist Harry Steinbeck have made a formidable pair and worked on some unique and borderline supernatural cases together. However, this third book will explore an idea posed in THE REAPING --- that Steinbeck’s long-missing sister may have been a victim of Reed’s father, Frank, who ran an infamous cult in the area. Read More

Teaser

The bodies of three teenage girls are found in central Minnesota --- each with her mouth fixed in a ghoulish grin. But authorities eventually close and forget the curious case, dubbed the Laughing Dead. Decades later, cold case agent Evangeline “Van” Reed is called to the scene of a crime where the victim wears that same horror-movie smile. But this time someone seems to be sending a message: Van’s police ID has turned up at the scene, making her the prime suspect. It’s not that outlandish, considering her secrets --- ones she’s never even told her partner, forensic scientist Harry Steinbeck. As she feels others closing in, Van reopens the mystery of the Laughing Dead, hoping to find a connection to clear her name. But the more she digs backward in time, the closer she comes to a terrible truth: Everything she has spent her life trying to hide is returning to haunt her.

Promo

The bodies of three teenage girls are found in central Minnesota --- each with her mouth fixed in a ghoulish grin. But authorities eventually close and forget the curious case, dubbed the Laughing Dead. Decades later, cold case agent Evangeline “Van” Reed is called to the scene of a crime where the victim wears that same horror-movie smile. But this time someone seems to be sending a message: Van’s police ID has turned up at the scene, making her the prime suspect. It’s not that outlandish, considering her secrets --- ones she’s never even told her partner, forensic scientist Harry Steinbeck. As she feels others closing in, Van reopens the mystery of the Laughing Dead, hoping to find a connection to clear her name. But the more she digs backward in time, the closer she comes to a terrible truth: Everything she has spent her life trying to hide is returning to haunt her.

About the Book

Two murder investigations, decades apart, threaten to expose a cold case agent’s darkest secrets in a pulse-pounding thriller by the Edgar Award–nominated author of THE TAKEN ONES.

The bodies of three teenage girls are found in central Minnesota --- each with her mouth fixed in a ghoulish grin, smiling at a deadly joke no one can hear. But authorities eventually close and forget the curious case, dubbed the Laughing Dead.

Decades later, cold case agent Evangeline “Van” Reed is called to the scene of a crime where the victim wears that same horror-movie smile. But this time someone seems to be sending a message: Van’s police ID has turned up at the scene, making her the prime suspect. It’s not that outlandish, considering her secrets --- ones she’s never even told her partner, forensic scientist Harry Steinbeck.

As she feels others closing in, Van reopens the mystery of the Laughing Dead, hoping to find a connection to clear her name. But the search only gets darker. Because the more Van digs backward in time, the closer she comes to a terrible truth: Everything she has spent her life trying to hide is returning to haunt her.

Audiobook available, read by Carly Robins 

Editorial Content for The Man No One Believed: The Untold Story of the Georgia Church Murders

Contributors

Reviewer (text)

Kate Ayers

In March 1985, 12 people were attending a Bible study in Rising Daughter Baptist Church. A young white man walked into the southern Georgia place of worship. One of the ladies there asked if she could help him. He said he wanted to talk to someone and then pointed at Deacon Harold Swain. A church is supposed to be a welcoming place, so Deacon Swain didn’t hesitate to see what he could do for the man. But the conversation went all kinds of sideways, and it ended with Swain dead, along with his wife, Thelma, when she came to his aid. Read More

Teaser

In 1985, a white man walked into a South Georgia church and brutally murdered Harold and Thelma Swain, two pillars of the area’s Black community. The killer vanished into the night. For 15 years, the case remained unsolved. Then authorities zeroed in on Dennis Perry, a carpenter who grew up nearby. Convicted with devastatingly flawed evidence, Perry received a double life sentence. When award-winning journalist and South Georgia native Joshua Sharpe retraces the case, he discovers a winding path of corruption, devastating missteps and secrets. He eventually uncovers explosive evidence that helps prove Perry’s innocence. And he confronts a long-ignored suspect: an alleged white supremacist who had bragged about committing the murders. But the fight for the truth is not easily won.

Promo

In 1985, a white man walked into a South Georgia church and brutally murdered Harold and Thelma Swain, two pillars of the area’s Black community. The killer vanished into the night. For 15 years, the case remained unsolved. Then authorities zeroed in on Dennis Perry, a carpenter who grew up nearby. Convicted with devastatingly flawed evidence, Perry received a double life sentence. When award-winning journalist and South Georgia native Joshua Sharpe retraces the case, he discovers a winding path of corruption, devastating missteps and secrets. He eventually uncovers explosive evidence that helps prove Perry’s innocence. And he confronts a long-ignored suspect: an alleged white supremacist who had bragged about committing the murders. But the fight for the truth is not easily won.

About the Book

The riveting story of a 1985 double murder, a long-overdue investigation, and the fight to exonerate an innocent man.

In 1985, a white man walked into a South Georgia church and brutally murdered Harold and Thelma Swain, two pillars of the area’s Black community. The killer vanished into the night. For 15 years, the case remained unsolved. Then authorities zeroed in on Dennis Perry, a carpenter who grew up nearby. Convicted with devastatingly flawed evidence, Perry received a double life sentence.

When award-winning journalist and South Georgia native Joshua Sharpe retraces the case, he discovers a winding path of corruption, devastating missteps and secrets. Driven by the pursuit of the truth, Sharpe’s investigation takes him through dusty courthouse archives, down winding dirt roads, and into intense interviews. But he keeps knocking on doors --- even after they’re slammed in his face. Sharpe uncovers explosive evidence that helps prove Dennis Perry’s innocence. And he confronts a long-ignored suspect: an alleged white supremacist who had bragged about committing the murders.

But the fight for the truth is not easily won. When a key figure in the investigation turns up dead under suspicious circumstances, Sharpe’s sources and editors insist that he could be in danger. And even as evidence mounts of Perry’s innocence, local officials work to keep him in prison --- until Sharpe’s reporting forces the state to launch a new investigation --- 35 years after the Swains’ murders. Driven by Sharpe’s tireless reporting, THE MAN NO ONE BELIEVED tells the unbelievable story of one of the most confounding cases in Georgia history, the extraordinary fight to free an innocent man, and how state officials worked against the odds to deliver justice for the Swains after all.

Both a riveting true crime story and a searing indictment of American injustice, THE MAN NO ONE BELIEVED is a gripping work of literary journalism --- a moving examination of how we reckon with the sins of our past.

Audiobook available, read by David Sadzin

Editorial Content for Mean Moms

Book

Contributors

Reviewer (text)

Christine M. Irvin

Morgan, Frost and Belle are beautiful and wealthy women whose kids attend Atherton Academy, a private and prestigious school in New York City. They are all active in the school, helping with fundraisers and special promotions. Read More

Teaser

Meet Frost, Morgan and Belle --- a wealthy, gorgeous group of New York City moms, the queen bees of downtown Manhattan. Their children attend Atherton Academy, the top private school in the city, and their social lives revolve around elaborate themed parties. On the first day of school, the arrival of a new mom and mysterious beauty from Miami, Sofia, shakes up their world. When Sofia quickly integrates herself into their clique, inexplicably bad things start to happen to the women. Is someone at school out to get them?

Promo

Meet Frost, Morgan and Belle --- a wealthy, gorgeous group of New York City moms, the queen bees of downtown Manhattan. Their children attend Atherton Academy, the top private school in the city, and their social lives revolve around elaborate themed parties. On the first day of school, the arrival of a new mom and mysterious beauty from Miami, Sofia, shakes up their world. When Sofia quickly integrates herself into their clique, inexplicably bad things start to happen to the women. Is someone at school out to get them?

About the Book

Meet Frost, Morgan and Belle --- a wealthy, gorgeous group of New York City moms, the queen bees of downtown Manhattan. Their children attend Atherton Academy, the top private school in the city, and their social lives revolve around elaborate themed parties.

On the first day of school, the arrival of a new mom and mysterious beauty from Miami, Sofia, shakes up their world. When Sofia quickly integrates herself into their clique, inexplicably bad things start to happen to the women. Is someone at school out to get them?

Spanning the course of one eventful school year in New York, MEAN MOMS is part satire of upper-crust mom-ing and part mystery, interrogating the line between friendship and jealousy and getting at the question:

What would happen if the woman standing next to you at school pickup was actually a sociopath?

Audiobook available, read by January LaVoy 

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September 5, 2025, 684 voters

September 5, 2025 - September 19, 2025

Tell us about the books you’ve finished reading with your comments and a rating of 1 to 5 stars. During the contest period from September 5th to September 19th at noon ET, three lucky readers each will be randomly chosen to win a copy of THE ACADEMY by Elin Hilderbrand and Shelby Cunningham and ALL THIS COULD BE YOURS by Hank Phillippi Ryan.