March LibraryReads

The titles coming out in March that made the top 10 of librarians around the nation were announced this week. This month, 9 of the 10 are fiction titles. Many of those are by debut authors. Listed below they are:

The Weight of Blood by Laura McHugh. A debut novel for McHugh. Lucy's mother disappeared when she was young. When at 16, her friend goes missing and then is found murdered - Lucy begins to investigate. Somehow the pair are connected and Lucy finds her own family ties called into question. Just how important is family? The reviewer says this story is atmospheric and visceral, capturing the tone and feel of the Ozark area.

The Accident by Chris Pavone. Pavone, the author of last years The Expats, comes up with another intense suspense novel. Isabel, a literary agent, is targeted because of an anonymous manuscript that has landed in her hands. People are willing to kill to make sure it isn't published. All takes place in one day. The reviewer called it captivating.

The Divorce Papers by Susan Rieger. Another debut novelist. Sophie, a 29 year old lawyer gets pulled into working on a divorce case. This funny and well crafted story is told through personal correspondence, office memos, emails, articles, and legal papers. The reviewer says it is engaging and humorous.

The Outcast Dead by Elly Griffiths. This is the 6th in the Ruth Galloway series. Galloway is a forensic 
 archaeologist who discovers what she believes to be the body of a long-dead murderess, her find becomes the subject of a TV documentary on Women Who Kill. Meantime in the present day, a young child has died and DCI Harry Nelson suspects he may have been murdered by his mother. The reviewer says it is one of the most addictive mystery series being written today.

Panic by Lauren Oliver.  This title is really a teen dystopian novel.  I don't know why it made the list, but it did so here it goes. It takes place in the dead end town of Carp, in the summer. Graduating senior play the game Panic where the reward is high but so are the risks. 

A Circle of Wives by Alice LaPlante.  A prominent plastic surgeon is found dead under suspicious circumstances and police discover that he is a polygamist. The story is is narrated in alternating chapters by the three "wives" and the detective. The reviewer called it wholly captivating reading.

Gemini by Carol Cassella. Intensive care doctor Charlotte Reese receives an unidentified and comatose patient in the Seattle area hospital where she works. The woman was a victim of a hit and run, and is referred to as Jane Doe . The search for her family and the facts that caused this tragedy remain a mystery. This is a story of ethical dilemma combined with a love story. Interesting concept. The reviewer called it compulsively readable.

Precious Thing by Colette McBeth.  Rachel, a television reporter, is called to cover a missing girl story and discovers it is her best friend from high school. McBeth is another debut novelist and this novel has been compared to (you've guessed it!) Gone Girl. In the course of the investigation, she finds that perhaps she did not know Clara (the missing person) as well as she thought.

Kill Fee by Owen Laukkanen. This is the 3rd in Laukkanen's Windermere - Stevens series. The state police- FBI agent duo find themselves reunited when people start dying around the country in what looks like contracted hits. Apparently war veterans are being turned into killers by a mysterious man.

Finally, the non fiction work - Show Your Work! by Austin Kleon. It gives practical recommendations about using the Internet and social media to create a community. Said to be a very quick, enlightening guide to improving creativity and getting yourself out there in the world.