I am headed on vacation after this post is published. Then, I will be back for the first week in January and then out for 4 to 6 weeks. I am afraid the blog will be dormant while I am gone. However, you have January titles and the next post will be February titles so....I hope to be back in February to do at least one post on the March titles. So hopefully, all months will be covered.
First I am going to cover Nicholas Petrie's Burning Bright which comes out on January 10. I loved his first title, The Drifter, featuring Peter Ash, a PTSD suffering veteran who has to live in the outdoors to soothe his claustrophobia. Here while wandering the the northern California forest, he comes upon a bear and while climbing a tree to avoid the bear, he discovers a girl. June Cassidy is a journalist who is being hunted by men in dark cars because of something her mother was working on. How could Ash NOT come to the rescue? This will be a must read for me.
Two Days Gone by Randall Silvis is also coming out on January 10. Here, a small town esteemed professor and author, Thomas Huston, goes missing when his wife and children are discovered murdered. The police sergeant in charge, Ryan Demarco, looked on him as a friend - how could he have done this? As Demarco investigates, he starts question his former view of Huston. Did he? Could he have?
Tim Dorsey has Clownfish Blues coming out on January 24. Did you know that Tim Dorsey graduated from Auburn? He was the editor of the student newspaper while he was there. Then, he wrote for a Montgomery Paper for awhile. Now, he is famous. This is the 20th Serge A Storm title and each one keeps getting funnier.Here, Serge and his ever present compadre Coleman are driving around in a silver Corvette shooting their own version of Route 66 when they get mixed up with money-laundering drug cartels trying to game the state lottery system. Watch out bad guys, Serge is dangerous.
Deanna Raybourn has the second in the Veronica Speedwell series, A Perilous Undertaking coming on January 10. If you like your mysteries with a Victorian feel, this series is for you. Veronica is a butterfly hunter and an adventuress. She has a natural historian as a companion, Stoker. Together they take on hunts for more than animal life. Veronica is invited to a ladies only club where she meets a mysterious lady who challenged her to find the real murderer of a woman and by doing so, save the life of art patron Miles Ramsforth. There are many secrets and much danger in this challenge and Veronica is up for the task.
Lastly, I have an offering by Nicola Moriarty - and yes, she is the sister of the very popular Lianne. She has The Fifth Letter coming out on January 24. This is very much a kind of 'what would you do' type story. Four friends have stayed together through thick and thin. Joni, Deb, Eden and Trina are now adults with families and careers and well...it is harder to stay firmly together. On a vacation to the beach, Joni suggests that they each write a letter about a dark secret. Later, Joni finds a half burnt letter in the fireplace filled with bitterness and dislike. Which one of her friends feels this way? Why does she feel this way? And what should Joni do about it? Sounds interesting to me.
Hope you all have a great holiday and I will return in 2017.
Thursday, December 22, 2016
Friday, December 16, 2016
New January Thrillers
There are some exciting thrillers coming in January - one one by an A list author but plenty that are just as good. See if you would like to give one of them a try.
First, the big name, Stuart Woods has Below the Belt coming out on January 3. This is Woods 40th Stone Barrington title. It is mostly more of the usual with Stone fighting the bad guys while keeping a drink in one hand and a lady companion in the other. Here, though there is political intrigue also. If you like the series - you of course will read this one.
Alex Berenson has The Prisoner, the eleventh in the John Wells series, coming out on January 31. Wells, a CIA agent who became a Muslim when he infiltrated al Qaeda years ago, is forced to go undercover again as an al Qaeda jihadi to discover who is giving ISIS national secrets. Said to be fast moving and suspenseful.
This Is Not Over by Holly Brown comes out on January 17. This title has had interesting reactions from reviewers. One particular reviewer said that she really disliked the two main characters but she couldn't stop reading - she stayed up late reading and rushed home from work to read. Dawn's dream luxury weekend at the beach turned into a nightmare and she demanded a refund. Miranda, the owner, gave her a refund but kept $200 because she said the stain wouldn't come out of the sheets. Dawn would not let it go and wrote a scathing review of the home. Miranda retaliated...on and on and on. Two different women who refused to give way. It gets much darker and frightening.
Heather Graham and Jon Land co-authored The Rising out on January 17. This one is kind of romantic suspense with a little scifi thrown into it. Alex is a high school football star and homecoming king. He is injured in a game and ended up in the hospital where a strange shadow is discovered in his brain. Then, his doctor is killed and his parents are found dead at his home. Alex takes off and is followed by his tutor, Samantha. Who is trying to kill him? Alex knew he was adopted but had no idea where he was from.......
M.A. Lawson has K Street also coming out on the January 17. This is the third in the Kay Hamilton series. In the first one, she gets fired from the DEA; in the second one, she gets a new job with The Callahan Company and almost gets killed; here, in the third one, she is going to the company office to give them her resignation and finds that the company office has been attacked, her boss is mortally wounded, only saying NSA before succumbing to death and the safe and the computer has been stolen. Who has done this? She has to find out. Reviewers really enjoy this series for straight political intrigue with little if any sex.
Lastly, Jonathan Moore has The Dark Room coming out on January 10. This is a followup to the author's first title The Poison Artist. Here, San Francisco homicide detective Gavin Cain is pulled away in the middle of an exhumation by the mayor. The mayor has received threatening black & white photos and the promise that more would be released unless the mayor killed himself. Cain is on the trail of the blackmailer and discovers dark secrets.
OK - there you go for this week. I am hoping to do one more entry before Christmas but see if one of these is meant for you.
First, the big name, Stuart Woods has Below the Belt coming out on January 3. This is Woods 40th Stone Barrington title. It is mostly more of the usual with Stone fighting the bad guys while keeping a drink in one hand and a lady companion in the other. Here, though there is political intrigue also. If you like the series - you of course will read this one.
Alex Berenson has The Prisoner, the eleventh in the John Wells series, coming out on January 31. Wells, a CIA agent who became a Muslim when he infiltrated al Qaeda years ago, is forced to go undercover again as an al Qaeda jihadi to discover who is giving ISIS national secrets. Said to be fast moving and suspenseful.
This Is Not Over by Holly Brown comes out on January 17. This title has had interesting reactions from reviewers. One particular reviewer said that she really disliked the two main characters but she couldn't stop reading - she stayed up late reading and rushed home from work to read. Dawn's dream luxury weekend at the beach turned into a nightmare and she demanded a refund. Miranda, the owner, gave her a refund but kept $200 because she said the stain wouldn't come out of the sheets. Dawn would not let it go and wrote a scathing review of the home. Miranda retaliated...on and on and on. Two different women who refused to give way. It gets much darker and frightening.
Heather Graham and Jon Land co-authored The Rising out on January 17. This one is kind of romantic suspense with a little scifi thrown into it. Alex is a high school football star and homecoming king. He is injured in a game and ended up in the hospital where a strange shadow is discovered in his brain. Then, his doctor is killed and his parents are found dead at his home. Alex takes off and is followed by his tutor, Samantha. Who is trying to kill him? Alex knew he was adopted but had no idea where he was from.......
M.A. Lawson has K Street also coming out on the January 17. This is the third in the Kay Hamilton series. In the first one, she gets fired from the DEA; in the second one, she gets a new job with The Callahan Company and almost gets killed; here, in the third one, she is going to the company office to give them her resignation and finds that the company office has been attacked, her boss is mortally wounded, only saying NSA before succumbing to death and the safe and the computer has been stolen. Who has done this? She has to find out. Reviewers really enjoy this series for straight political intrigue with little if any sex.
Lastly, Jonathan Moore has The Dark Room coming out on January 10. This is a followup to the author's first title The Poison Artist. Here, San Francisco homicide detective Gavin Cain is pulled away in the middle of an exhumation by the mayor. The mayor has received threatening black & white photos and the promise that more would be released unless the mayor killed himself. Cain is on the trail of the blackmailer and discovers dark secrets.
OK - there you go for this week. I am hoping to do one more entry before Christmas but see if one of these is meant for you.
Tuesday, December 13, 2016
LibraryReads January List
The LibraryRead list contains authors not as known as some others. There are no big name authors this month but that doesn't mean there are no really good titles coming. I am pretty excited about some of these. Let's see what you think.
The top vote getter was JP Delaney's The Girl Before which comes out on January 24. Ron Howard has already purchased the film rights so you know it has to be good. One Folgate Street is a stunning house built by Edward Monkford, an architect. Emma was looking for a 'flat' where she felt safe and that was in this building. Monkford has some strange requirements but she took it and then...... Jane also was looking for a flat and came upon the same one, she also took it and then began following the clues to it's former tenant. Would it end the same way?
The rest in no particular order:
Katherine Arden's The Bear and the Nightingale comes out on January 10. This story is based on a Russian fairy tale and takes place in 14th century Russia. Vasya's stepmother and the new village priest attempt to end pagan offerings. Vasya realizes it is up to her to stop the Bear from awakening. Said to be captivating.
Jane Harper's The Dry comes out on January 10 also. Harper is a debut author from Australia. It has had rave reviews over there and in the US. Here Agent Aaron Falk is summoned to the funeral of his long ago best friend and family who died in the murder/suicide. Falk starts investigating and discovers the town has some grudges and secrets. Apparently, his friend and Falk had some secrets too.
Sarah Pinborough's Behind Her Eyes comes out on January 31. This title has been really well reviewed. People say that it is riveting and plotted extremely well along with an unbelievable ending. Louise meets David in a bar - there is an instant attraction. After a kiss goodnight - he leaves. When Louise shows up to work the next morning, she discovers David is her new boss AND he is married. Adele becomes a close friend of Louise. Louise senses something is horribly wrong with the couple. What the heck is going on?????
Will Schwalbe's Books for Living comes out on December 27th and is the sole nonfiction title on the list this month. Here Schwalbe focuses on the books that changed his life. A book about books - unfortunate that it is not out early in December - it would make a good Christmas gift.
Susan Rivers' The Second Mrs. Hockaday comes out on January 10, Debut author who has written an emotional historical fiction novel. Placidia is seventeen when she marries Major Hocksaday, a much older man with a small child. After only two days, he must leave to fight in the Civil War and she is left to manage his large farm and son with no help. He returns two years later to find that she is in jail and it is said that she had a child and killed the infant. What actually happened?
Brunonia Barry's The Fifth Petal comes out on January 24. Barry goes back to the scene of her bestselling first title, The Lace Reader. It also has some of the same characters. Here, the Chief of Police, John Rafferty (now married to Towner Whitney) investigates a 25 year old murder of 3 women said to be related to the original Salem witches. Said to be beautifully written, if you read and liked the first one, this one is a must.
Lindsey Lee Johnson's The Most Dangerous Place on Earth comes out on January 10. The above mentioned most dangerous place on earth is a high school in an affluent area in California. This title follows a group of students when they move from middle school where a tragic incident took place, into high school where they are still being affected by the tragedy. Said to be a compelling read that takes a realistic look at the high school culture.
Peter Swanson's Her Every Fear comes out also on January 10. Kate Priddy swapped apartments with her cousin that she had never met - Kate coming to Boston from London and Corbin going the opposite way. She discovers that her next door neighbor is murdered and there are some that implicate Corbin. Could Corbin have done it? .....Said to be a real page turner.
Lastly, Elle Katharine White's Heartstone comes out on January 17. This is White's first novel. Here she has taken the plot of Pride and Prejudice and made it into a historical fantasy with warriors and dragons and grphons. White is praised for her world building and those that love fantasy - loved this book.
OK - there you go. Hope something interests you.
The top vote getter was JP Delaney's The Girl Before which comes out on January 24. Ron Howard has already purchased the film rights so you know it has to be good. One Folgate Street is a stunning house built by Edward Monkford, an architect. Emma was looking for a 'flat' where she felt safe and that was in this building. Monkford has some strange requirements but she took it and then...... Jane also was looking for a flat and came upon the same one, she also took it and then began following the clues to it's former tenant. Would it end the same way?
The rest in no particular order:
Katherine Arden's The Bear and the Nightingale comes out on January 10. This story is based on a Russian fairy tale and takes place in 14th century Russia. Vasya's stepmother and the new village priest attempt to end pagan offerings. Vasya realizes it is up to her to stop the Bear from awakening. Said to be captivating.
Jane Harper's The Dry comes out on January 10 also. Harper is a debut author from Australia. It has had rave reviews over there and in the US. Here Agent Aaron Falk is summoned to the funeral of his long ago best friend and family who died in the murder/suicide. Falk starts investigating and discovers the town has some grudges and secrets. Apparently, his friend and Falk had some secrets too.
Sarah Pinborough's Behind Her Eyes comes out on January 31. This title has been really well reviewed. People say that it is riveting and plotted extremely well along with an unbelievable ending. Louise meets David in a bar - there is an instant attraction. After a kiss goodnight - he leaves. When Louise shows up to work the next morning, she discovers David is her new boss AND he is married. Adele becomes a close friend of Louise. Louise senses something is horribly wrong with the couple. What the heck is going on?????
Will Schwalbe's Books for Living comes out on December 27th and is the sole nonfiction title on the list this month. Here Schwalbe focuses on the books that changed his life. A book about books - unfortunate that it is not out early in December - it would make a good Christmas gift.
Susan Rivers' The Second Mrs. Hockaday comes out on January 10, Debut author who has written an emotional historical fiction novel. Placidia is seventeen when she marries Major Hocksaday, a much older man with a small child. After only two days, he must leave to fight in the Civil War and she is left to manage his large farm and son with no help. He returns two years later to find that she is in jail and it is said that she had a child and killed the infant. What actually happened?
Brunonia Barry's The Fifth Petal comes out on January 24. Barry goes back to the scene of her bestselling first title, The Lace Reader. It also has some of the same characters. Here, the Chief of Police, John Rafferty (now married to Towner Whitney) investigates a 25 year old murder of 3 women said to be related to the original Salem witches. Said to be beautifully written, if you read and liked the first one, this one is a must.
Lindsey Lee Johnson's The Most Dangerous Place on Earth comes out on January 10. The above mentioned most dangerous place on earth is a high school in an affluent area in California. This title follows a group of students when they move from middle school where a tragic incident took place, into high school where they are still being affected by the tragedy. Said to be a compelling read that takes a realistic look at the high school culture.
Peter Swanson's Her Every Fear comes out also on January 10. Kate Priddy swapped apartments with her cousin that she had never met - Kate coming to Boston from London and Corbin going the opposite way. She discovers that her next door neighbor is murdered and there are some that implicate Corbin. Could Corbin have done it? .....Said to be a real page turner.
Lastly, Elle Katharine White's Heartstone comes out on January 17. This is White's first novel. Here she has taken the plot of Pride and Prejudice and made it into a historical fantasy with warriors and dragons and grphons. White is praised for her world building and those that love fantasy - loved this book.
OK - there you go. Hope something interests you.
Thursday, December 8, 2016
Best Mystery and Thrillers in 2016
It has been awhile I know. Holidays always mess me up. Also, I am going to try to do 4 entries before Christmas. Let's see if I can. This week, I am going to give you the list of 5 best Mystery titles and 5 best Thrillers title from 2016 according to the Library Journal editors. This might not be your list, but it is theirs.
Best Mystery Titles in alphabetical order by author:
E.J. Cooperman's Written Off - interesting plot by the author who came up with the asperger mysteries. Cooperman is the pseudonym for Jeffrey Cohen and writes cozy mysteries with likable, quirky characters. Here, a mystery author, Rachel Goldman, meets a man with the same name and occupation as her series detective - AND he is investigating a missing author who was her mentor. Hmmmm. How could this have happened???? Will she be next to disappear?
Laura DiSilverio's Close Call - DiSilverio tends to write gentle mysteries with humor also, although this one doesn't sound too gentle. Here Sydney Ellison has a chance encounter with an assassin and must join with her estranged sister to find the killer. Unfortunately, the assassin also saw Sydney so he is after them.
Jason Miller's Red Dog: A Slim in Little Egypt Mystery - Miller writes darkly humorous mysteries. Not cozy this time. This is the second in the series after "Down Don't Bother Me". Slim is a PI living in the impoverished southern Illinois coal country known as Little Egypt. The area is populated with drug addicts, gangs, environmental activists and regular people. Slim is hired to find a red haired pit bull. His investigation leads him to a culprit but when the culprit is found, his head is blown off by a shotgun blast. Digging further leads Slim into the dangerous world of dog fighting.
Susan Moody's The Quick and the Dead: An Alex Quick Mystery - This is the first in a series with the second title coming out in the beginning of 2017. Alex Quick is a former detective who set out on a new career after a divorce from a fellow officer. She developed a idea compiling art anthologies in collaboration with an academic friend, Dr. Helena Drummond. When Drummond disappears and Alex discovers a body at her house, Alex begins investigating as she is sure she wouldn't have committed murder. But the more she investigates the more she starts to wonder, did she?
Song Ying's Apricot's Revenge - This is a translation from a Chinese author. It is defined as a procedural mystery which is interesting as it gives a glance at how China handles their murders but it is also a look at a modern country struggling with contemporary issues. The plot has a journalist investigating the drowning death of a real estate mogul. A fascinating read on many levels - mysterious and cultural.
Best Thriller Titles in alphabetical order by author:
Harlan Coben's Fool Me Once - I love Coben so what can I say. Here, a widow spots her daughter playing with her late husband on nanny cam two weeks after he was killed. Really a must read.
Andrew Gross's The One Man - Andrew Gross got his training by co-authoring titles with James Patterson. In this one, an intelligence officer infiltrates Auschwitz to rescue a physicist. Extremely well reviewed by all. Said to be an "excellent historical mystery and one worth reading".
Steve Hamilton's The Second Life of Nick Mason - Nick Mason got an early release from prison but what did he have to do to get it? All Nick wants to do is go straight and win back a relationship with his daughter and perhaps with his ex-wife but the criminal mastermind who controls him has other plans.
M.J. Rose's The Secret Language of Stones - this one has mystery, romance and the supernatural in it. It is the second of the La Luna series. The first title focused on the mother of Opaline- the main character here. It takes place during WWI in Paris. Opaline has a mysterious relationship with stones - as a jewelry designer - that is important but it also allows her to here messages that recently dead people want her to bring back to people they left behind. One of them has a message for her.
Hank Phillippi Ryan's Say No More - This is the fifth in the Jane Ryland series. Here Jane is investigating sexual assaults on a college campus and puts her life at risk.
OK - there they are - the 5 mysteries and 5 thrillers that the Library Journal felt were the best in the year. Give them a look and see what you think! Enjoy.
Best Mystery Titles in alphabetical order by author:
E.J. Cooperman's Written Off - interesting plot by the author who came up with the asperger mysteries. Cooperman is the pseudonym for Jeffrey Cohen and writes cozy mysteries with likable, quirky characters. Here, a mystery author, Rachel Goldman, meets a man with the same name and occupation as her series detective - AND he is investigating a missing author who was her mentor. Hmmmm. How could this have happened???? Will she be next to disappear?
Laura DiSilverio's Close Call - DiSilverio tends to write gentle mysteries with humor also, although this one doesn't sound too gentle. Here Sydney Ellison has a chance encounter with an assassin and must join with her estranged sister to find the killer. Unfortunately, the assassin also saw Sydney so he is after them.
Jason Miller's Red Dog: A Slim in Little Egypt Mystery - Miller writes darkly humorous mysteries. Not cozy this time. This is the second in the series after "Down Don't Bother Me". Slim is a PI living in the impoverished southern Illinois coal country known as Little Egypt. The area is populated with drug addicts, gangs, environmental activists and regular people. Slim is hired to find a red haired pit bull. His investigation leads him to a culprit but when the culprit is found, his head is blown off by a shotgun blast. Digging further leads Slim into the dangerous world of dog fighting.
Susan Moody's The Quick and the Dead: An Alex Quick Mystery - This is the first in a series with the second title coming out in the beginning of 2017. Alex Quick is a former detective who set out on a new career after a divorce from a fellow officer. She developed a idea compiling art anthologies in collaboration with an academic friend, Dr. Helena Drummond. When Drummond disappears and Alex discovers a body at her house, Alex begins investigating as she is sure she wouldn't have committed murder. But the more she investigates the more she starts to wonder, did she?
Song Ying's Apricot's Revenge - This is a translation from a Chinese author. It is defined as a procedural mystery which is interesting as it gives a glance at how China handles their murders but it is also a look at a modern country struggling with contemporary issues. The plot has a journalist investigating the drowning death of a real estate mogul. A fascinating read on many levels - mysterious and cultural.
Best Thriller Titles in alphabetical order by author:
Harlan Coben's Fool Me Once - I love Coben so what can I say. Here, a widow spots her daughter playing with her late husband on nanny cam two weeks after he was killed. Really a must read.
Andrew Gross's The One Man - Andrew Gross got his training by co-authoring titles with James Patterson. In this one, an intelligence officer infiltrates Auschwitz to rescue a physicist. Extremely well reviewed by all. Said to be an "excellent historical mystery and one worth reading".
Steve Hamilton's The Second Life of Nick Mason - Nick Mason got an early release from prison but what did he have to do to get it? All Nick wants to do is go straight and win back a relationship with his daughter and perhaps with his ex-wife but the criminal mastermind who controls him has other plans.
M.J. Rose's The Secret Language of Stones - this one has mystery, romance and the supernatural in it. It is the second of the La Luna series. The first title focused on the mother of Opaline- the main character here. It takes place during WWI in Paris. Opaline has a mysterious relationship with stones - as a jewelry designer - that is important but it also allows her to here messages that recently dead people want her to bring back to people they left behind. One of them has a message for her.
Hank Phillippi Ryan's Say No More - This is the fifth in the Jane Ryland series. Here Jane is investigating sexual assaults on a college campus and puts her life at risk.
OK - there they are - the 5 mysteries and 5 thrillers that the Library Journal felt were the best in the year. Give them a look and see what you think! Enjoy.
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