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Week of January 27, 2025

Paperback releases for the week of January 27th include Ashley Elston's adult debut novel, FIRST LIE WINS, which, according to our reviewer Ray Palen, is "extremely clever and throws one twist after another at you in a narrative that will consume you straight through to the dynamic finale"; FINLAY DONOVAN ROLLS THE DICE, the fourth installment in Elle Cosimano's beloved mystery series featuring Finlay Donovan and her nanny/partner-in-crime, Vero; THE LOST TOMB by Douglas Preston, in which a jaw-dropping discovery of an Egyptian tomb opens up a slew of archaeological mysteries and deadly tales; Dolly Alderton's GOOD MATERIAL, a sharply funny and exquisitely relatable story of romantic disaster and friendship --- and how to survive both; and DEAR SISTER, a profound, intimate story of resilience and the unbreakable bond of family from Michelle Horton, who fights the criminal justice system to release her incarcerated sister after she kills her longtime abuser.

Dear Sister: A Memoir of Secrets, Survival, and Unbreakable Bonds by Michelle Horton

February 2025

I read DEAR SISTER last fall as I prepared for an interview at the Morristown Festival of Books with its author, Michelle Horton. I always thought that if a person killed someone in self-defense, he or she would be acquitted. I was so far off the mark.

Michelle writes about her sister, Nikki, who was in an abusive relationship for nine years. When her partner went to shoot Nikki and himself, which would make their children orphans, Nikki grabbed the gun and shot him. She had hidden the abuse from her family, masking it with long sleeves and excuses for her various wounds. But she confided in friends who were there to support her.