Skip to main content

Editorial Content for American Rapture

Contributors

Reviewer (text)

Sarah Rachel Egelman

CJ Leede’s new novel, AMERICAN RAPTURE, blends horror into a traditional coming-of-age tale, gives it a healthy dose of romance, and burns American religious hypocrisy and climate crisis short-sightedness to the ground. Lest you think this sounds like too much for one book, trust Leede to manage it and do so with complex characters, an interesting landscape, and a good amount of blood and gore. Read More

Teaser

A virus is spreading across America, transforming the infected and making them feral with lust. Sophie, a good Catholic girl, must traverse the hellscape of the midwest to try to find her family while the world around her burns. Along the way she discovers there are far worse fates than dying a virgin. The end times are coming.

Promo

A virus is spreading across America, transforming the infected and making them feral with lust. Sophie, a good Catholic girl, must traverse the hellscape of the midwest to try to find her family while the world around her burns. Along the way she discovers there are far worse fates than dying a virgin. The end times are coming.

About the Book

From CJ Leede, the author of MAEVE FLY, comes a scorching new apocalyptic novel. Neil Gaiman's AMERICAN GODS meets "The Last of Us" in this epic and sweeping story about the end of the world as we know it.

A virus is spreading across America, transforming the infected and making them feral with lust.

Sophie, a good Catholic girl, must traverse the hellscape of the midwest to try to find her family while the world around her burns. Along the way she discovers there are far worse fates than dying a virgin.

The end times are coming.

Audiobook available, read by Moniqua Plante

Editorial Content for The Night Woods: A Mercy Carr Mystery

Contributors

Reviewer (text)

Pamela Kramer

In THE NIGHT WOODS, the latest installment in Paula Munier’s mystery series, Mercy Carr and her husband, Troy, have settled into their new historic home, Grackle Tree Farm, and are awaiting the birth of their first child. Mercy is restless, and as her delivery date nears, she worries more and more about being a mother. Will a baby change her? Will she be unable to continue working and solving murders? Will she be a decent mother? Will her baby be a dainty feminine girl with whom she will have nothing in common? (She's hoping for a boy.) Read More

Teaser

Record snow, sleet and rain are pummeling Vermont, and a wild boar has escaped from an exclusive hunting club nearby. But that won’t stop a very pregnant Mercy Carr from hiking her beloved woods with her loyal dog, Elvis. She’s supposed to be decorating the nursery and helping her mother plan the baby shower, but she’d much rather be playing Scrabble with Homer Grant, a word-loving, shotgun-toting hermit living deep in the forest. But when she and Elvis drop by Homer’s cabin for their weekly game, they arrive to find an unknown dead man --- and no sign of Homer. As they search the woods, Mercy discovers a patch of devastation that could only be left behind by wild boar. She’s relieved when Elvis tracks Homer, injured but alive. But Homer’s troubles are far from over, as he’s still the number one suspect and he remembers nothing of the attack.

Promo

Record snow, sleet and rain are pummeling Vermont, and a wild boar has escaped from an exclusive hunting club nearby. But that won’t stop a very pregnant Mercy Carr from hiking her beloved woods with her loyal dog, Elvis. She’s supposed to be decorating the nursery and helping her mother plan the baby shower, but she’d much rather be playing Scrabble with Homer Grant, a word-loving, shotgun-toting hermit living deep in the forest. But when she and Elvis drop by Homer’s cabin for their weekly game, they arrive to find an unknown dead man --- and no sign of Homer. As they search the woods, Mercy discovers a patch of devastation that could only be left behind by wild boar. She’s relieved when Elvis tracks Homer, injured but alive. But Homer’s troubles are far from over, as he’s still the number one suspect and he remembers nothing of the attack.

About the Book

The sixth Mercy Carr mystery in which Mercy and Elvis must prove the innocence of a new friend accused of murder.

Record snow, sleet and rain are pummeling Vermont and a wild boar has escaped from an exclusive hunting club nearby. But that won’t stop a very pregnant and very bored Mercy Carr from hiking her beloved woods with her loyal dog Elvis. She’s supposed to be decorating the nursery and helping her mother plan the baby shower, but she’d much rather be playing Scrabble with Homer Grant, a word-loving, shotgun-toting hermit living deep in the forest. But when she and Elvis drop by Homer’s cabin for their weekly game, they arrive to find an unknown dead man --- and no sign of Homer.

As they search the woods, Mercy discovers a patch of devastation that could only be left behind by wild boar. She’s relieved when Elvis tracks Homer, injured but alive. But Homer’s troubles are far from over, as he’s still the number one suspect and he remembers nothing of the attack. When another corpse with a link to Homer is found, Mercy is determined to help her friend, an effort complicated by the unexpected arrival of her young cousin Tandie, sent by Mercy’s mother to keep an eye on her until the baby is born.

As the floods worsen, Troy and Susie Bear are called out with all the other first responders, and Mercy finds herself alone at Grackle Tree Farm with a concussed Homer, Tandie and Elvis. As waters rise and the wild boar rampages, Mercy realizes that the murderer is out there ready to strike again, this time much closer to home.

Audiobook available, read by Kathleen McInerney

Editorial Content for The Mysterious Bookshop Presents the Best Mystery Stories of the Year: 2024

Contributors

Reviewer (text)

Ray Palen

Otto Penzler is the founder of The Mysterious Press and the proprietor of The Mysterious Bookshop, the world’s oldest mystery fiction specialty bookshop. Each year, Penzler publishes a collection of the best short stories from the previous year, and a different author gets to select the tales and curate the finished product. For this edition, we are blessed with the man who has been responsible for more fictional killings than anyone alive: Anthony Horowitz. Read More

Teaser

From a pool of over 3,000 considered stories published last year --- anything that touched on crime, mystery and suspense --- these are the very best, selected by series editor Otto Penzler and guest editor Anthony Horowitz. The tales included cover a range of styles, highlighting the diversity of subjects and forms comprising the genre we call mystery fiction. Featuring a mixture of household names, masters of the short form and newcomers to the field, the collection offers a variety that promises something for every reader. And it’s all capped off by a vintage story from the first half of the previous century, sourced directly from the rare book room at The Mysterious Bookshop, the oldest mystery fiction specialty store in the world.

Promo

From a pool of over 3,000 considered stories published last year --- anything that touched on crime, mystery and suspense --- these are the very best, selected by series editor Otto Penzler and guest editor Anthony Horowitz. The tales included cover a range of styles, highlighting the diversity of subjects and forms comprising the genre we call mystery fiction. Featuring a mixture of household names, masters of the short form and newcomers to the field, the collection offers a variety that promises something for every reader. And it’s all capped off by a vintage story from the first half of the previous century, sourced directly from the rare book room at The Mysterious Bookshop, the oldest mystery fiction specialty store in the world.

About the Book

Anthony Horowitz selects and introduces the best mystery stories from the past year, under the auspices of the world’s oldest mystery fiction specialty bookshop.

From a pool of over 3,000 considered stories published last year --- anything that touched on crime, mystery and suspense, from venues as disparate as The Strand Magazine, Dark Yonder, Ellery Queen Mystery Magazine, The Bellevue Literary Review and more --- these are the very best, selected by series editor Otto Penzler and guest editor Anthony Horowitz.

The tales included cover a range of styles, highlighting the diversity of subjects and forms comprising the genre we call mystery fiction. Featuring a mixture of household names, masters of the short form and newcomers to the field, the collection offers a variety that promises something for every reader. And it’s all capped off by a vintage story from the first half of the previous century, sourced directly from the rare book room at The Mysterious Bookshop, the oldest mystery fiction specialty store in the world.

Audiobook available, read by Kim Niemi and BJ Harrison

Editorial Content for Mama: A Queer Black Woman’s Story of a Family Lost and Found

Reviewer (text)

Barbara Bamberger Scott

Nikkya Hargrove presents a bold, frank chronicle of a harsh upbringing, a willingness to love and be loved, and the ways in which her aspirations overcome what at times seemed like impossible barriers --- race and gender issues among them --- to adopt her younger brother and create a secure home with her beloved wife. Read More

Teaser

When her mother --- addicted to cocaine and just out of prison --- had a son and then died only a few months later, Nikkya Hargrove was faced with an impossible choice. Although she had just graduated from college, she decided to fight for custody of her half brother, Jonathan. Nikkya vividly recounts how she is subjected to preconceived notions that she, a Black queer young woman, cannot be given such responsibility. Her honest portrayal of the shame she feels accepting food stamps, her family’s reaction to her coming out, and the joy she experiences when she meets the woman who will become her wife reveal her sheer determination. And whether she’s clashing with Jonathan’s biological father or battling for Jonathan’s education rights after he’s diagnosed with ADHD and autism, this is a woman who won’t give up.

Promo

When her mother --- addicted to cocaine and just out of prison --- had a son and then died only a few months later, Nikkya Hargrove was faced with an impossible choice. Although she had just graduated from college, she decided to fight for custody of her half brother, Jonathan. Nikkya vividly recounts how she is subjected to preconceived notions that she, a Black queer young woman, cannot be given such responsibility. Her honest portrayal of the shame she feels accepting food stamps, her family’s reaction to her coming out, and the joy she experiences when she meets the woman who will become her wife reveal her sheer determination. And whether she’s clashing with Jonathan’s biological father or battling for Jonathan’s education rights after he’s diagnosed with ADHD and autism, this is a woman who won’t give up.

About the Book

In this searing and uplifting memoir, a young Black queer woman fresh out of college adopts her baby brother after their incarcerated mother dies, determined to create the kind of family she never had.

Nikkya Hargrove spent a good portion of her childhood in prison visiting rooms. When her mother --- addicted to cocaine and just out of prison --- had a son and then died only a few months later, Nikkya was faced with an impossible choice. Although she had just graduated from college, she decided to fight for custody of her half brother, Jonathan. And fight she did.
 
Nikkya vividly recounts how she is subjected to preconceived notions that she, a Black queer young woman, cannot be given such responsibility. Her honest portrayal of the shame she feels accepting food stamps, her family’s reaction to her coming out, and the joy she experiences when she meets the woman who will become her wife reveal her sheer determination. And whether she’s clashing with Jonathan’s biological father or battling for Jonathan’s education rights after he’s diagnosed with ADHD and autism, this is a woman who won’t give up.
 
Nikkya’s moving story picks up where Bryan Stevenson’s JUST MERCY left off, exploring generational trauma and pulling back the curtain on family court and poverty in America. MAMA is an ode to motherhood and identity, and to finding strength in family and community, for readers of memoirs by Ashley C. Ford, Natasha Tretheway and Dawn Turner.

Audiobook available, read by Grace Porter

Editorial Content for Cracks Beneath the Surface: A Jhonni Laurent Mystery

Contributors

Reviewer (text)

L. Dean Murphy

It’s April 2019 in the rural farming community of Field’s Crossing, Indiana. Following Mary Ann Miller’s series debut, BONES UNDER THE ICE, in which snow plows had piled ice covering Stephanie Gattison’s body six weeks ago, Webster’s Park sports an emerald cloak of grass. Read More

Teaser

Spring has sprung, and Easter festivities are underway in Field’s Crossing, Indiana. The annual egg hunt is a huge success, thanks in no small part to Lisa DuVal, the owner of Big Al’s Diner, who dyed all of the eggs. But when Sheriff Jhonni Laurent discovers Lisa’s body in her catering van later that day, the happy holiday quickly sours, and Laurent begins a murder investigation. All are shocked at the reading of the will when it’s revealed that the diner will be inherited by Lisa’s best friend --- not by her daughter, which raises Laurent’s suspicions. While working to find the killer, Laurent uncovers some unsightly secrets that Lisa’s family had been concealing. Could they be involved in something shady? When another body is discovered, Laurent must work quickly to determine how the two crimes connect --- and who could be behind it all.

Promo

Spring has sprung, and Easter festivities are underway in Field’s Crossing, Indiana. The annual egg hunt is a huge success, thanks in no small part to Lisa DuVal, the owner of Big Al’s Diner, who dyed all of the eggs. But when Sheriff Jhonni Laurent discovers Lisa’s body in her catering van later that day, the happy holiday quickly sours, and Laurent begins a murder investigation. All are shocked at the reading of the will when it’s revealed that the diner will be inherited by Lisa’s best friend --- not by her daughter, which raises Laurent’s suspicions. While working to find the killer, Laurent uncovers some unsightly secrets that Lisa’s family had been concealing. Could they be involved in something shady? When another body is discovered, Laurent must work quickly to determine how the two crimes connect --- and who could be behind it all.

About the Book

The ice is melting --- but what will it reveal?

Spring has sprung, and Easter festivities are underway in Field’s Crossing, Indiana. The annual egg hunt is a huge success, thanks in no small part to Lisa DuVal, the owner of Big Al’s Diner who dyed all of the eggs. But when Sheriff Jhonni Laurent discovers Lisa’s body in her catering van later that day, the happy holiday quickly sours, and Laurent begins a murder investigation.

All are shocked at the reading of the will when it’s revealed that the diner will be inherited by Lisa’s best friend --- not by her daughter, which raises Laurent’s suspicions. While working to find the killer, Laurent uncovers some unsightly secrets that Lisa’s family had been concealing. Could they be involved in something shady?

As the investigation begins to take shape, it seems that the melting ice will reveal more than the first buds of spring. And when another body is discovered, Laurent must work quickly to determine how the two crimes connect --- and who could be behind it all.

October 18, 2024

Last Sunday found me not with a book in hand, but rather with a leaf skimmer. I made my way around the pool dragging leaves out while listening to audiobooks. I also made great headway clipping the dried flowers off the hydrangea bushes. I am happy that these shrubs bloomed so beautifully this year, but I was not budgeting enough Sunday afternoon time for clipping dead blooms. I did not have a headset on as I was outside working. There were more than a few times when I thought that neighbors might be curious about the monologues going on at our house if the breeze sent the audiobook discussions their way. That said, multitasking like this made the chores go a lot faster.

Which of the following nonfiction titles releasing in October have you read or do you plan to read? Please check all that apply.

October 18, 2024, 501 voters

October 18, 2024 - November 1, 2024

Here are reading recommendations with your comments and a rating of 1 to 5 stars for the contest period of October 18 - November 1.

The 2024 Kirkus Prize

The winners of the 2024 Kirkus Prize in the categories of Fiction, Nonfiction and Young Readers’ Literature were announced on October 16th in an in-person ceremony at the Tribeca Rooftop in New York that also was livestreamed on Kirkus's YouTube channel.

Kirkus editor-in-chief Tom Beer said, “This year’s prize-winning books --- each written with elegance and lucidity --- illuminate tragedies both personal and historical, helping us to better understand our world and the spirit of human resilience.”

October 15, 2024

In this newsletter, you will find books releasing the weeks of October 14th and October 21st 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 "What's Your Book Group Reading This Month?" contest on ReadingGroupGuides.com. Three book groups will win up to 12 copies of THE FROZEN RIVER by Ariel Lawhon, a national bestseller that releases in paperback on November 5th. The deadline for your entries is Wednesday, November 13th at noon ET.