Last of April Titles

Back from vacation and now I have to speed type the last of the April titles I want to mention.

Kemper Donovan has a debut novel coming out on April 5, The Decent Proposal.  Richard Baumbach, a struggling, penniless, Hollywood producer and Elizabeth Santiago, a successful, work oriented lawyer, both receive a proposal from an anonymous person. Split one million dollars if they agree to spend at least 2 hours together - just talking 0 every week for a year.  Both agree. The story is really about how this proposal affects not only themselves, but everyone they know.There is a lot of love/hate out there about this book but you have to agree it is an interesting proposal.

Paul Vidich has published short fiction before but on April 12, he has his first full length novel coming out - An Honorable Man. If you miss John Le Carre, you should give this spy thriller a read. In Washington, during the early 1950s - the Cold War was at its height. George Mueller works for the CIA and the director discovers a traitor in their midst. Someone is informing the enemy. The Director trusts Mueller and puts him in charge of finding the leak. However, Mueller has secrets too and soon the suspicion starts to fall on him. Vidich might not be Le Carre but this is definitely a good start.

If you have followed the adventures of Laurie R. King's Mary Russell - the wife of Sherlock Holmes, then you must read her book that comes out on April 5 - The Murder of Mary Russell. Well - I can't tell you much of the plot of this title other than a man, identifying himself as Holmes' housekeeper's son, gains entrance into the home and other arrive back to find that Mary has disappeared and there is blood. Reviewers have praised this work. Some, who have purposefully stayed away from the series, have become devoted fans.

Anna Quindlen has Miller's Valley coming out on April 12. I happen to love Quindlen. If you like leisurely paced, character driven plots - Quindlen will be for you. Her stories are always so.....well, comfortable is the word I come up with. They just feel like you are there and it is home. This story is told through the eyes of Mimi Miller and we meet her in her teenage years on a farm in eastern Pennsylvania. We follow her through love, marriage, work and family. The state would like to demolish a failing dam and flood the valley that belongs to the Miller clan. Will things change or will they remain the same.

One last book and this one is nonfiction. James McBride has Kill 'Em and Leave: Searching for the Real James Brown coming out on April 5. Following a remark made by Brown's grandson, McBride headed down South - talking to musicians in Brown's band, friends, former managers and ex-wives. This is more commentary than a linear biography than a look at the forces that shaped him. An interesting and highly reviewed work.

I hope you can find something in one of these which interests you. I promise - next month - I am not on vacation and I will get all the May titles in.