January 2013
Can you believe one month of the year is almost gone? I’m having a hard time believing it myself. Did anyone make a resolution about reading more books in 2013? Our poll this month asks how many books you plan to read. We’re not giving any results away…so get voting. We want as many of you as possible to weigh it. The poll is open until January 31st, so make sure to vote!
Edward F. CrokerI have no ambition in this world but one, and that is to be a fireman. The position may, in the eyes of some, appear to be a lowly one; but we who know the work which the fireman has to do believe that his is a noble calling. Our proudest moment is to save lives. AttributionEdward F. Croker
Editorial Content for SuspectBookContributorsReviewer (text)Joe Hartlaub
Generally speaking, I prefer dogs to people. I can think of literally hundreds of folks by name who I would throw under the bus before I would let it hit a three-legged mixed breed street cur that I had never seen before. Accordingly, I was a mark for SUSPECT by Robert Crais before I even cracked its binding --- and it’s not even an Elvis Cole book. Of course, it’s not your grandfather’s LAD, A DOG either. Read More TeaserAfter a shocking assault killed his partner and nearly killed him, LAPD cop Scott James is an angry emotional wreck. Maggie is a German shepherd who survived three tours in Iraq and Afghanistan sniffing explosives, but when she lost her handler to an IED, she developed PTSD similar to Scott's. They are each other's last chance, and their case takes them through the darkest moments of their personal hells. Can the two survive together? PromoAfter a shocking assault killed his partner and nearly killed him, LAPD cop Scott James is an angry emotional wreck. Maggie is a German shepherd who survived three tours in Iraq and Afghanistan sniffing explosives, but when she lost her handler to an IED, she developed PTSD similar to Scott's. They are each other's last chance, and their case takes them through the darkest moments of their personal hells. Can the two survive together? About the BookLAPD cop Scott James is not doing so well. Eight months ago, a shocking nighttime assault by unidentified men killed his partner Stephanie, nearly killed him, and left him enraged, ashamed, and ready to explode. He is unfit for duty --- until he meets his new partner. Maggie is not doing so well, either. A German shepherd who survived three tours in Iraq and Afghanistan sniffing explosives before losing her handler to an IED, her PTSD is as bad as Scott’s. They are each other’s last chance. Shunned and shunted to the side, they set out to investigate the one case that no one wants them to touch: the identity of the men who murdered Stephanie. What they begin to find is nothing like what Scott has been told, and the journey will take them both through the darkest moments of their own personal hells. Whether they will make it out again, no one can say. Editorial Content for Enemy of Mine: A Pike Logan ThrillerContributorsReviewer (text)Joe Hartlaub
If you read Brad Taylor’s first two Pike Logan books, ONE ROUGH MAN and ALL NECESSARY FORCE, you probably thought you’d need a note from your doctor stating that it would be safe for you to read the third. Installments one and two were non-stop wild rides, utilizing Taylor’s background of over two decades in the U.S. Army Infantry and Special Forces to provide a dark yet adrenaline-charged view of special op missions and the people who make them happen. Read More TeaserA tentative peace between Israel and Palestine has been brokered by the United States. But the Taskforce gets wind of an assassination attempt on the American envoy sent to solidify the treaty and must devote every resource to saving his life. Taskforce operator Pike Logan and his partner, Jennifer Cahill, are charged with following the assassin’s flimsy trail through the Middle East, a trail that becomes more muddled at every turn. PromoA tentative peace between Israel and Palestine has been brokered by the United States. But the Taskforce gets wind of an assassination attempt on the American envoy sent to solidify the treaty and must devote every resource to saving his life. Taskforce operator Pike Logan and his partner, Jennifer Cahill, are charged with following the assassin’s flimsy trail through the Middle East, a trail that becomes more muddled at every turn. About the BookRetired Delta Force officer Brad Taylor returns with the third explosive installment in the Pike Logan Thrillers. In retired Delta Force officer Brad Taylor’s third Pike Logan thriller, a tentative peace between Israel and Palestine has been brokered by the United States. But the Taskforce --- a clandestine team operating outside of US law to protect the country from terrorism --- gets wind of an assassination attempt on the American envoy sent to solidify the treaty. The Taskforce must devote every resource to saving his life --- and preventing another bloody outbreak of violence. Taskforce operator Pike Logan and his partner, Jennifer Cahill, are charged with following the assassin’s flimsy trail through the Middle East, a trail that becomes more muddled at every turn. They must contend with terrorist organizations, independent killers, and shaky allies to uncover the biggest threat of all: an American citizen hiding a secret that just may destroy everything, including the Taskforce. Brad Taylor is the complete package: a writer who understands how to tell a thrilling story, who possesses the knowledge to construct an intricate and utterly believable plot, and who has more than enough on-the-ground experience to back it up. His first two books appeared on bestseller lists nationwide, including The New York Times, Publishers Weekly and USA Today. Propulsive and compelling, ENEMY OF MINE is sure to join them. Editorial Content for American TropicBookContributorsReviewer (text)Joe Hartlaub
It’s been almost 10 years since the publication of KING BONGO, Thomas Sanchez’s last work. He has never been the most prolific of authors, having published only six novels since 1973, when the highly and still acclaimed RABBIT BOSS was unleashed upon an unsuspecting world. Sanchez’s latest finds him exploring a new theme in a familiar place --- Key West, the setting for 1989’s MILE ZERO --- in this novel-length but shorter work, with mixed results. Read More Teaser
The exotic island city of Key West is being terrorized by horrific murders committed by a mysterious voodoo assassin. With each new kill, it becomes clear that the skeleton-clad executioner has an ecological agenda. Everyone dreads being the killer’s next victim as the clock counts down to the end of hurricane season and the final dramatic explosion of fear and rage. PromoThe exotic island city of Key West is being terrorized by horrific murders committed by a mysterious voodoo assassin. With each new kill, it becomes clear that the skeleton-clad executioner has an ecological agenda. Everyone dreads being the killer’s next victim as the clock counts down to the end of hurricane season and the final dramatic explosion of fear and rage. About the BookThomas Sanchez’s AMERICAN TROPIC is a heart-racing ecological thriller that showcases today’s headline issues. Sanchez’s first Key West novel, MILE ZERO, was hailed by The Washington Post Book World as a “holy terror of a book of immense power and passion,” acclaimed by The New York Times Book Review as “dazzling,” and lauded by Vanity Fair as “mythmaking and magisterial.” Now, Sanchez returns again to America’s famous southernmost continental point, Key West. This exotic island city in the Florida Keys is being terrorized by horrific murders committed by a mysterious voodoo assassin. With each new kill, it becomes clear that the skeleton-clad executioner has an ecological agenda. The novel propels us through a complex maze populated by rapacious developers, ruthless scammers, and common folk engaged in heroic acts to save their community. The characters, from the defenders of America’s only continental reef to the destroyers of marine life, are all swept up in this torrent of horrors. Everyone dreads being the killer’s next victim as the clock counts down to the end of hurricane season and the final dramatic explosion of fear and rage. With canny perception and striking revelations, AMERICAN TROPIC illuminates a world of dark desires, hidden truths, and colliding destinies. Editorial Content for Not Dead YetBookContributorsReviewer (text)Joe Hartlaub
If you are unfamiliar with Peter James’s books, particularly what is known in some circles as the Dead series starring Roy Grace, do yourself a favor and read his latest novel. This fine set of police procedurals is just beginning to acquire the recognition it has long deserved, and NOT DEAD YET is a great place to start, featuring the sharp characterization, surprises and dark humor that have constituted the hallmarks of James’ writing from the first installment. Read More Teaser
Days before Gaia Lafayette, one of Hollywood's hottest stars, leaves home for a movie role in Brighton, England, there is a bungled attempt on her life. Detective Superintendent Roy Grace is charged with protecting Gaia on location in Brighton from her dangerously obsessive Number One fan, a clever maniac who will stop at nothing to kill her. PromoDays before Gaia Lafayette, one of Hollywood's hottest stars, leaves home for a movie role in Brighton, England, there is a bungled attempt on her life. Detective Superintendent Roy Grace is charged with protecting Gaia on location in Brighton from her dangerously obsessive Number One fan, a clever maniac who will stop at nothing to kill her. About the Book
Roy Grace tracks a stalker obsessed with a Hollywood starlet in NOT DEAD YET, the latest from #1 international bestselling author Peter James.
Days before one of Hollywood’s hottest stars, Gaia Lafayette, leaves her Bel Air home for a movie role on location in Brighton, England, there is a bungled attempt on her life. The whole city of Brighton awaits Gaia’s arrival, including her dangerously obsessive Number One fan looking for revenge and an anxious Detective Superintendent Roy Grace, charged with protecting Gaia.
When a mutilated torso is found on a chicken farm miles away in the countryside, Roy Grace has no reason at all to connect this to the star’s visit to the county. But as events rapidly begin to unfold, Roy Grace and his team find themselves in a desperate race against time to save Gaia’s life from a clever maniac who will stop at nothing to kill her.
Editorial content for The Boy in the Snow: An Edie Kiglatuk MysteryContributorsReviewer (text)Joe Hartlaub
I would wager that Alaska is not the first place one would normally choose for the setting of a complex mystery novel, which is one factor that makes THE BOY IN THE SNOW all the more potentially intriguing. This is the second of British author M.J. McGrath’s Edie Kiglatuk novels (following WHITE HEAT). Kiglatuk is a half-Inuit whose usual residence is Ellesmere Island, in remote northern Canada by the Arctic Circle. Read More Teaser
Half-Inuit Edie Kiglatuk finds herself in Alaska with Sergeant Derek Palliser, helping her ex-husband Sammy in his bid to win the famous Iditarod dog sled race. The race takes a grim turn when Edie stumbles upon the body of a baby left out in the forest. The state troopers are keen to pin the death on the Dark Believers --- a sinister offshoot of a Russian Orthodox sect --- but Edie’s instincts tell her otherwise. PromoHalf-Inuit Edie Kiglatuk finds herself in Alaska with Sergeant Derek Palliser, helping her ex-husband Sammy in his bid to win the famous Iditarod dog sled race. The race takes a grim turn when Edie stumbles upon the body of a baby left out in the forest. The state troopers are keen to pin the death on the Dark Believers --- a sinister offshoot of a Russian Orthodox sect --- but Edie’s instincts tell her otherwise. About the BookM. J. McGrath’s debut novel, WHITE HEAT earned both fans and favorable comparisons to bestselling Scandinavian thrillers such as SMILLA'S SENSE OF SNOW and the Kurt Wallander series. In THE BOY IN THE SNOW, half-Inuit Edie Kiglatuk finds herself in Alaska with Sergeant Derek Palliser, helping her ex-husband Sammy in his bid to win the famous Iditarod dog sled race. The race takes a grim turn when Edie stumbles upon the body of a baby left out in the forest. The state troopers are keen to pin the death on the Dark Believers --- a sinister offshoot of a Russian Orthodox sect --- but Edie’s instincts tell her otherwise. Her investigations take her into a world of corrupt politics, religious intolerance, greed and sex trafficking. But just as she begins to get some answers, Edie finds herself confronted by a painful secret from her past. Editorial Content for The History of UsBookContributorsReviewer (text)Jane Krebs
In Leah Stewart’s THE HISTORY OF US, a family is torn apart and then reconfigured in 1993 when a plane crash kills Rachel and her husband, parents of Theodora, Joshua and Claire. Eloise, Rachel’s younger sister, is called from the hallways of Harvard and a promising teaching and research career to return to Cincinnati to care for the three children. She immediately packs her things, puts her life on hold, and tries to become a mother, a father, a bread-winner, a foundation. Read More Teaser
Eloise Hempel’s life is turned upside down when she must raise her sister's three children after her sister's untimely death. Nearly two decades after returning to Cincinnati and moving back into her mother's house, she is ready to resume her own life. However, when her mother creates a competition for which of the now-grown kids gets the house, their makeshift family starts to fall apart. PromoEloise Hempel’s life is turned upside down when she must raise her sister's three children after her sister's untimely death. Nearly two decades after returning to Cincinnati and moving back into her mother's house, she is ready to resume her own life. However, when her mother creates a competition for which of the now-grown kids gets the house, their makeshift family starts to fall apart. About the BookSOMETIMES HOME IS THE HARDEST PLACE TO GO. Eloise Hempel is on her way to teach a class at Harvard when she receives the devastating news that her sister and her husband have been killed in a tragic accident. Eloise leaves her life in Cambridge and moves back into her family’s century-old house in Cincinnati, pouring her own money into the house’s upkeep and her heart into raising her sister’s three children, Theodora, Josh, and Claire. Nearly twenty years later, the now-grown children seem ready to leave home, and Eloise plans to sell the house and finally start a life that’s hers alone. But when Eloise’s mother decides that they should all compete for the chance to keep the house and Claire reveals a life-changing secret, the makeshift family begins to fall apart. From the celebrated author of THE MYTH OF YOU AND ME, THE HISTORY OF US is a heartrending story of love, loss, family, and the life you make in the path not taken. Editorial Content for Summerset AbbeyBookContributorsReviewer (text)Melanie Smith
SUMMERSET ABBEY is the first installment of an ambitious historical romance trilogy centering on the excesses and decline of the peerage in Edwardian-era Britain. In the early 1900s, the separation of classes defined European ideals but was finally reaching a path of permanent decline. While old-fashioned traditions were the norm, Art Noveau, industrialization and basic issues like human rights and women’s suffrage were being brought to the forefront --- all subjects that appear in the background of this novel. Read More Teaser
Rowena and Victoria, daughters to the second son of the Earl of Summerset, have always treated their governess’s daughter, Prudence, like a sister. But when their father dies and they move in with their uncle’s family in a much more traditional household, Prudence is relegated to the maids’ quarters, much to the girls’ shock and dismay. The ever-present specter of class expectations makes it difficult for Prudence to maintain a foot in both worlds. PromoRowena and Victoria, daughters to the second son of the Earl of Summerset, have always treated their governess’s daughter, Prudence, like a sister. But when their father dies and they move in with their uncle’s family in a much more traditional household, Prudence is relegated to the maids’ quarters, much to the girls’ shock and dismay. The ever-present specter of class expectations makes it difficult for Prudence to maintain a foot in both worlds. About the Book1913: In a sprawling manor on the outskirts of London, three young women seek to fulfill their destinies and desires amidst the unspoken rules of society and the distant rumblings of war... Rowena Buxton Sir Philip Buxton raised three girls into beautiful and capable young women in a bohemian household that defied Edwardian tradition. Eldest sister Rowena was taught to value people, not wealth or status. But everything she believes will be tested when Sir Philip dies, and the girls must live under their uncle’s guardianship at the vast family estate, Summerset Abbey. Standing up for a beloved family member sequestered to the “underclass” in this privileged new world, and drawn into the Cunning Coterie, an exclusive social circle of aristocratic “rebels,” Rowena must decide where her true passions --- and loyalties --- lie. Victoria Buxton Frail in body but filled with an audacious spirit, Victoria secretly dreams of attending university to become a botanist like her father. But this most unladylike wish is not her only secret --- Victoria has stumbled upon a family scandal that, if revealed, has the potential to change lives forever... Prudence Tate Prudence was lovingly brought up alongside Victoria and Rowena, and their bond is as strong as blood. But by birth she is a governess’s daughter, and to the lord of Summerset Abbey, that makes her a commoner who must take her true place in society --- as lady’s maid to her beloved “sisters.” But Pru doesn’t belong in the downstairs world of the household staff any more than she belongs upstairs with the Buxton girls. And when a young lord catches her eye, she begins to wonder if she’ll ever truly carve out a place for herself at Summerset Abbey. |




