On January 19, the Mystery Writers of America announced the 2016 nominees for the Edgar Awards. I can't let that pass without listing them. I will give title, author and brief description for the nominees for Best Novel and Best First Novel by an American Author. Luckily, the library has all available or on order.
Best Novel
The Strangler Vine by M.J. Carter. A mix of adventure and historical mystery. While tracking down a missing writer who has exposed the true nature of Calcutta society in 1837 India, a young soldier with few prospects, a secret political agent and a master of disguise are drawn into the mysterious Thuggee cult and its even more ominous suppression.
The Lady From Zagreb by Philip Kerr. I love this author's Bernie Gunther series and this is one of them. Bernie is a WWII and after German PI. Think Raymond Chandler type PI. In this work, Gunther is forced to do favors for Joseph Goebbels. Set in Croatia, Bernie finds himself in a world of mindless brutality where everyone has an agenda.
Life or Death by Michael Robotham. Robotham writes fast paced, psychological suspense stories and this is no different. Brutalized in prison for a decade for his alleged knowledge about where a fortune in stolen money is hidden. Audie mysteriously escapes the day before his scheduled release in a determined effort to save someone's life.
Let Me Die in His Footsteps by Lori Roy. Roy has won the Edgar before so we will see. In this story, a 15 year old girl from a small Kentucky town sneaks onto a rival family's property and discovers a dead body. She is forced to confront dangerous past events in order to protect the future. There is a kind of Appalachian atmosphere in this one or maybe Southern Gothic.
Canary by Duane Swierczynski. Sarie Holland is a typical honors student, yet her life becomes anything but when she gives a cute guy a ride and it turns out to be a drug buy. Before she knows it, he's on the run, and she's been arrested. In order to avoid possible jail time, Sarie agrees to become a confidential informant for well-meaning undercover narcotics officer Ben Wildey, Now she is in real trouble.
Night Life by David C. Taylor. Although Taylor has written for television and film, this is his debut novel so receiving this nomination might be more than enough glory this first time out. This work may be the start of a strong series. It's main character, Michael Cassidy, is a NYC cop. In 1954 New York City, cop Michael Cassidy, whose father is a successful Broadway producer and his godfather is a Mafia boss, investigates the brutal murders of young men that garners the attention of the FBI, CIA and the Mafia, while spending his nights with a beautiful new neighbor--who may actually be his enemy.
OK - Best First Novel
Past Crimes by Glen Erik Hamilton. This may also be the start of a series featuring Van Shaw. When his estranged grandfather is shot and left for dead, Shaw. am Army Ranger, must try to find the murderer before he is arrested for the crime.
Where All Light Tends To Go by David Joy. I am a sucker for a strong sense of place and this one has that. The beauty of the Appalachian mountains contrasted against the dark depths of realistic life in those same mountains. Jacob McNeely, the 18-year-old son of a meth-addicted mother and a sociopathic father who operates a drug ring, has always believed he can’t transcend his roots. But when his childhood sweetheart, Maggie Jennings, graduates from high school, she asks him to leave the mountains with her, and he begins to envision a life free of his family legacy. Threats to his father’s business provoke violence, however, ensnaring Jacob in murder and betrayal even as he plans his escape.
Luckiest Girl Alive by Jessica Knoll. This one has gotten quite a few negative reviews so I am surprised to see it on this list. Grooming herself for an ideal life involving a successful career and a happy marriage, a rising young journalist confronts a violent episode from her past that threatens to unravel everything she has worked to achieve. It is said to be dark and brooding.
The Sympathizer by Viet Thanh Nguyen. I am not exactly sure I would define this as a mystery but I guess the mystery writers did so who am I to judge. Viet Thanh Nguyen escaped to this country with his family after the Vietnam war when he was 4 or 5. This work is obviously based on his cultural experiences. It begins with its nameless protagonist, a highly placed young aide to a general in the South Vietnamese army, recalling how he finalized the details of escape before the fall of Saigon. But our hero is a double agent, a communist sympathizer who will continue to feed information to the North even after he makes the harrowing escape with his loyalist friend Bon and the general's family on the last plane out, and becomes part of the Vietnamese refugee community in Southern California.
Lastly, Unbecoming by Rebecca Scherm. After a heist she planned lands two men she loves in prison, a woman flees Paris and assumes a new identity, furtively checking news from her hometown as her web of deception unravels.
Let's guess who wins the two prizes.
Saturday, January 23, 2016
Friday, January 15, 2016
February Titles
There are only a few big names out this month in my opinion so I am going to start with the thrillers and mystery titles out this month. There are one or two big names there.
First, Jeffrey Archer has Cometh the Hour, the sixth in his Clifton Chronicles, coming out on February 16. Archer writes a combination of suspense/family sagas. This title can be read alone although if you have read the previous novels, you will enjoy catching up on your familiar friends and enemies. It starts with a suicide note which effects most of the major characters and continues on with tales of spies; rescues and love. Reviewers have been singing it's praises.
M.C. Beaton has another Hamish MacBeth cozy coming out on February 23, Death of a Nurse. It is hard to not like these mysteries (this is number 31). Hamish MacBeth for the uninitiated, is a small town Scottish policeman who always gets his man but is definitely not looking for advancement thank you. In this case, a new man, James Harrison, moves to town with a private nurse. When Hamish goes to welcome him, he gets treated rudely but makes a date with the nurse who later turns up dead. Of course Hamish MUST find the killer.
Alex Berenson has The Wolves coming out on February 9. Berenson writes fast paced suspense with a current event slant. This is the tenth in the John Wells series. This is a sequel to Twelve Days where John Wells barely managed to defuse a world war starting between Iran and the US. Unfortunately, the person who got the ball rolling for that, managed to escape. In this series entry, Wells is determined to nab him. Not everyone thinks this is a good idea.
The Art of War by Stephen Coonts comes out on February 2. I get confused by Coonts' series. He has 10 Jake Grafton titles which seem to have stopped in 2003 and he has the Tommy Carmellini series which this where this book is. However, Jake Grafton is a major part of the Tommy Carmellini series. So why aren't they all in the Jake Grafton series???? I don't know. In this the Chinese military are beginning to attacking fishing vessels and seizing natural resources in the South Chinese sea. The US goes on high alert. However, at home, a Chinese sleeper cell has planted a nuclear weapon in the harbor at Norfolk, Virginia. Then, the CIA director is assassinated and Jake Grafton is appointed to take his place. Grafton gets wind of the plot and he and Tommy Carmellini must stop it. If you haven't read Coonts before, he is kind of like a Nelson DeMille or maybe in some ways, a Vince Flynn. Try him.
Alison Gaylin has What Remains of Me coming out on February 23. Gaylin writes character driven, fast paced, suspense like Harlan Coben or C.J. Box. In this stand alone, Kelley Michelle Lund goes to jail for murder - 35 years later, 5 years after Lund was freed, her father-in-law is found murdered in the same way. Was she guilty of that crime too? Her husband believes in her but her husband's sister think Lund is a psychopath. Who is right?
One of the big names, Jonathan Kellerman, has Breakdown: An Alex Delaware Novel coming out on February 2nd. No need to describe Kellerman's style of writing. Delaware, a child psychologist, is called in to examine the son of an emotionally deranged actress. Five years later, he is called again when the actress if found almost naked and raving in a stranger's yard. The star, Zelda, is catatonic and cannot tell him the where about of the child. Delaware starts to investigate when he is notified that Zelda is has been found murdered. Now he and his sidekick, Milo Sturgis have a murder as well as a missing person to investigate.
J.D. Robb, another author who needs no description, has Brotherhood in Death coming out on February 2. This is the 42nd Eve Dallas title so you know how popular this series is. I think people like these because they can depend on them for some love, some sex, some zingy dialog and some suspense and mystery. this one has all of those things. If you like this series, you will read it, if you don't - I don't think anything I said will tempt you. Just know it is coming.
OK - that isn't all of the thrillers out this month but it gives you a heads up on some. Enjoy!
First, Jeffrey Archer has Cometh the Hour, the sixth in his Clifton Chronicles, coming out on February 16. Archer writes a combination of suspense/family sagas. This title can be read alone although if you have read the previous novels, you will enjoy catching up on your familiar friends and enemies. It starts with a suicide note which effects most of the major characters and continues on with tales of spies; rescues and love. Reviewers have been singing it's praises.
M.C. Beaton has another Hamish MacBeth cozy coming out on February 23, Death of a Nurse. It is hard to not like these mysteries (this is number 31). Hamish MacBeth for the uninitiated, is a small town Scottish policeman who always gets his man but is definitely not looking for advancement thank you. In this case, a new man, James Harrison, moves to town with a private nurse. When Hamish goes to welcome him, he gets treated rudely but makes a date with the nurse who later turns up dead. Of course Hamish MUST find the killer.
Alex Berenson has The Wolves coming out on February 9. Berenson writes fast paced suspense with a current event slant. This is the tenth in the John Wells series. This is a sequel to Twelve Days where John Wells barely managed to defuse a world war starting between Iran and the US. Unfortunately, the person who got the ball rolling for that, managed to escape. In this series entry, Wells is determined to nab him. Not everyone thinks this is a good idea.
The Art of War by Stephen Coonts comes out on February 2. I get confused by Coonts' series. He has 10 Jake Grafton titles which seem to have stopped in 2003 and he has the Tommy Carmellini series which this where this book is. However, Jake Grafton is a major part of the Tommy Carmellini series. So why aren't they all in the Jake Grafton series???? I don't know. In this the Chinese military are beginning to attacking fishing vessels and seizing natural resources in the South Chinese sea. The US goes on high alert. However, at home, a Chinese sleeper cell has planted a nuclear weapon in the harbor at Norfolk, Virginia. Then, the CIA director is assassinated and Jake Grafton is appointed to take his place. Grafton gets wind of the plot and he and Tommy Carmellini must stop it. If you haven't read Coonts before, he is kind of like a Nelson DeMille or maybe in some ways, a Vince Flynn. Try him.
Alison Gaylin has What Remains of Me coming out on February 23. Gaylin writes character driven, fast paced, suspense like Harlan Coben or C.J. Box. In this stand alone, Kelley Michelle Lund goes to jail for murder - 35 years later, 5 years after Lund was freed, her father-in-law is found murdered in the same way. Was she guilty of that crime too? Her husband believes in her but her husband's sister think Lund is a psychopath. Who is right?
One of the big names, Jonathan Kellerman, has Breakdown: An Alex Delaware Novel coming out on February 2nd. No need to describe Kellerman's style of writing. Delaware, a child psychologist, is called in to examine the son of an emotionally deranged actress. Five years later, he is called again when the actress if found almost naked and raving in a stranger's yard. The star, Zelda, is catatonic and cannot tell him the where about of the child. Delaware starts to investigate when he is notified that Zelda is has been found murdered. Now he and his sidekick, Milo Sturgis have a murder as well as a missing person to investigate.
J.D. Robb, another author who needs no description, has Brotherhood in Death coming out on February 2. This is the 42nd Eve Dallas title so you know how popular this series is. I think people like these because they can depend on them for some love, some sex, some zingy dialog and some suspense and mystery. this one has all of those things. If you like this series, you will read it, if you don't - I don't think anything I said will tempt you. Just know it is coming.
OK - that isn't all of the thrillers out this month but it gives you a heads up on some. Enjoy!
Saturday, January 9, 2016
LibraryReads for February
The list of titles that librarians across the country love the most that are being published in February, just came out. This is a good one and really, there is only one that I would not have put on there. Checked these out and see what you think.
Most popular is Ruta Sepetys' Salt to the Sea. Sepetys writes historical fiction and as with a lot of historical fiction, it can be describing traumatic events. She, herself, it an interesting story - a Lithuanian American born in Detroit, founder of a firm that represents musicians and an author. This story is about the sinking of the M.V. Wilhelm Gustloff, a passenger liner designed to hold less than 1500 passengers that contained over 10,000 evacuees escaping Stalin in 1945. When a Russian submarine torpedoed it, 9,343 passengers died. This is told from the point of view of four young people who had been thrown together. Reviewers call it 'intensely satisfying'; 'well researched'; 'amazing'; and impossible to put down.
Now for the rest in no particular order:
Black Rabbit Hall by Eve Chase. The only author that I can compare Chase to is Kate Morton. They both write moody, kind of Gothic fiction. In this story, the 4 Alton children spend their summers playing at Black Rabbit Hall. Then a tragedy occurs and everything changes. 30 years later, Lorna decides her wedding should be there when she discovers a message left by one of the children carved into a tree. The tale goes back and forth between the two time periods and the secret unfolds. Reviewers seems to love this book.
A Girls' Guide To Moving On by Debbie Macomber. Macomber is a popular author who writes contemporary romances and inspirational stories about women in difficult situations. If I was comparing her to anyone, it would be Richard Paul Evans. They are kind of sweet stories. This one is about a mother, Leanne, and her daughter-in-law who both leave cheating spouses to start over.
Be Frank With Me by Julia Claiborne Johnson. Johnson is a debut author who writes quirky, moving fiction. I can not say to whom she compares. This story is quite original and the reviewers just love it. I have put it on my list to check out when it arrives. Hired to assist a famed reclusive writer trying to recapture her lost fortunes by completing a new manuscript, Alice Whitley becomes obsessed with identifying the paternity of her employer's precocious young son. Frank, the son, favors clothing from 1930, does not get along with other kids and knows more than he should. One reviewer says it was "Deeply felt, but never sentimental....Peopled with deeply flawed, fully realized characters I cared about." I can't wait.
Flight of Dreams by Ariel Lawhon. Once again, I don't know who to compare this author to....maybe a little of Caleb Car mixed with some Phillip Kerr. She writes atmospheric historical mysteries although this one is more historical than mystery because we know the ending. It is the story of the last flight of the Hindenburg. Lawhon uses the real names of crew and passengers. It follows the airship for the 3 days of travel. Because we don't know today how the tragedy occurred, Lawhon follows 4 of the crew members and builds a tale around their interaction and the unraveling of secrets. Reviewers LOVED this book. I am surprised it didn't make it to the top of the list.
13 Ways of Looking At a Fat Girl by Mona Awad. Another debut author that is funny in a very sad way. This tale is about how destructive a negative body image can be. It follows Lizzie/Elizabeth/Liz from a teenager to a married adult. As an overweight teen, she hates herself and after loosing weight with a self punishing drive, she still hates herself. Said to be a funny as it is heartbreaking, it is the story of a young woman whose life is destroyed by a negative body image.
Fighting Dirty by Lori Foster. Foster writes steamy romances and this one is the fourth in the Ultimate series. The series follows MMA fighters. This one follows Armie and Merissa's story. Armie is the bad boy and best friend of Merissa's brother and Merissa is the good girl. Can Merissa convince Armie that she won't give up? What do you think?
Find Her by Lisa Gardner. Gardner writes intricately plotted suspense kind of like Chelsea Cain and in particular this title is almost like Cain's Kick series. This title is the 8th in the D.D. Warren series and is darker that the previous ones. It follows Flora Dane who was kidnapped while on spring break 7 years ago and survived 472 days before breaking free. Now, she has become a vigilante of sorts until.....she is captured again and this time, it doesn't look like she will escape. Now it is up to D.D. Warren to find her.\
The Opposite of Everyone by Joshilyn Jackson. Jackson writes moving Southern fiction with characters who come from tough backgrounds. This title is no different. Paula Vauss was born in Alabama but spent the first decade of her life travelling with her mother, Kai, an itinerant storyteller. Then, because of a mistold story, Kai lands in jail and Paula in foster care. Now, Paula is a tough divorce attorney in Atlanta. Every month she sends money to her mother who she has not seen in 15 years. Then, her last check is returned and Paula discovers she is not an only child but an older sister. Now, Paula feels like she has to find out what has happened. She sets off on a discovery of her past.
Said to be a beautiful novel by a master of language.
Lastly, The Girl in the Red Coat by Kate Hamer. Hamer is another debut author. This title was published in Great Britain last February and was a finalist for the Costa Book Award for First Novel. It will be published in this county on March 5 (guess that is early enough to make the Feb list). It is not your standard run of the mill suspense story although from the title you would never know that.
Carmel is 8 years old and she has always been different (sensitive and distracted). Her mother, Beth, is newly single and when she takes Carmel to a local festival, Carmel disappears. Beth never gives up on the hope of finding her. The story is told alternating between Beth and Carmel. It seems that a gentleman approached her and told her he was her grandfather and that her mother had had an accident. In reality, she begins a very strange period with a man who believes she is a savior. Although there is a good amount of suspense and people are saying they had difficulty putting it down, there is also a great deal about the relationship between a mother and daughter.
Hope there is something above that appeals to you. Next week we will go into the popular offerings in February. Oh - and Happy New Year!!
Most popular is Ruta Sepetys' Salt to the Sea. Sepetys writes historical fiction and as with a lot of historical fiction, it can be describing traumatic events. She, herself, it an interesting story - a Lithuanian American born in Detroit, founder of a firm that represents musicians and an author. This story is about the sinking of the M.V. Wilhelm Gustloff, a passenger liner designed to hold less than 1500 passengers that contained over 10,000 evacuees escaping Stalin in 1945. When a Russian submarine torpedoed it, 9,343 passengers died. This is told from the point of view of four young people who had been thrown together. Reviewers call it 'intensely satisfying'; 'well researched'; 'amazing'; and impossible to put down.
Now for the rest in no particular order:
Black Rabbit Hall by Eve Chase. The only author that I can compare Chase to is Kate Morton. They both write moody, kind of Gothic fiction. In this story, the 4 Alton children spend their summers playing at Black Rabbit Hall. Then a tragedy occurs and everything changes. 30 years later, Lorna decides her wedding should be there when she discovers a message left by one of the children carved into a tree. The tale goes back and forth between the two time periods and the secret unfolds. Reviewers seems to love this book.
A Girls' Guide To Moving On by Debbie Macomber. Macomber is a popular author who writes contemporary romances and inspirational stories about women in difficult situations. If I was comparing her to anyone, it would be Richard Paul Evans. They are kind of sweet stories. This one is about a mother, Leanne, and her daughter-in-law who both leave cheating spouses to start over.
Be Frank With Me by Julia Claiborne Johnson. Johnson is a debut author who writes quirky, moving fiction. I can not say to whom she compares. This story is quite original and the reviewers just love it. I have put it on my list to check out when it arrives. Hired to assist a famed reclusive writer trying to recapture her lost fortunes by completing a new manuscript, Alice Whitley becomes obsessed with identifying the paternity of her employer's precocious young son. Frank, the son, favors clothing from 1930, does not get along with other kids and knows more than he should. One reviewer says it was "Deeply felt, but never sentimental....Peopled with deeply flawed, fully realized characters I cared about." I can't wait.
Flight of Dreams by Ariel Lawhon. Once again, I don't know who to compare this author to....maybe a little of Caleb Car mixed with some Phillip Kerr. She writes atmospheric historical mysteries although this one is more historical than mystery because we know the ending. It is the story of the last flight of the Hindenburg. Lawhon uses the real names of crew and passengers. It follows the airship for the 3 days of travel. Because we don't know today how the tragedy occurred, Lawhon follows 4 of the crew members and builds a tale around their interaction and the unraveling of secrets. Reviewers LOVED this book. I am surprised it didn't make it to the top of the list.
13 Ways of Looking At a Fat Girl by Mona Awad. Another debut author that is funny in a very sad way. This tale is about how destructive a negative body image can be. It follows Lizzie/Elizabeth/Liz from a teenager to a married adult. As an overweight teen, she hates herself and after loosing weight with a self punishing drive, she still hates herself. Said to be a funny as it is heartbreaking, it is the story of a young woman whose life is destroyed by a negative body image.
Fighting Dirty by Lori Foster. Foster writes steamy romances and this one is the fourth in the Ultimate series. The series follows MMA fighters. This one follows Armie and Merissa's story. Armie is the bad boy and best friend of Merissa's brother and Merissa is the good girl. Can Merissa convince Armie that she won't give up? What do you think?
Find Her by Lisa Gardner. Gardner writes intricately plotted suspense kind of like Chelsea Cain and in particular this title is almost like Cain's Kick series. This title is the 8th in the D.D. Warren series and is darker that the previous ones. It follows Flora Dane who was kidnapped while on spring break 7 years ago and survived 472 days before breaking free. Now, she has become a vigilante of sorts until.....she is captured again and this time, it doesn't look like she will escape. Now it is up to D.D. Warren to find her.\
The Opposite of Everyone by Joshilyn Jackson. Jackson writes moving Southern fiction with characters who come from tough backgrounds. This title is no different. Paula Vauss was born in Alabama but spent the first decade of her life travelling with her mother, Kai, an itinerant storyteller. Then, because of a mistold story, Kai lands in jail and Paula in foster care. Now, Paula is a tough divorce attorney in Atlanta. Every month she sends money to her mother who she has not seen in 15 years. Then, her last check is returned and Paula discovers she is not an only child but an older sister. Now, Paula feels like she has to find out what has happened. She sets off on a discovery of her past.
Said to be a beautiful novel by a master of language.
Lastly, The Girl in the Red Coat by Kate Hamer. Hamer is another debut author. This title was published in Great Britain last February and was a finalist for the Costa Book Award for First Novel. It will be published in this county on March 5 (guess that is early enough to make the Feb list). It is not your standard run of the mill suspense story although from the title you would never know that.
Carmel is 8 years old and she has always been different (sensitive and distracted). Her mother, Beth, is newly single and when she takes Carmel to a local festival, Carmel disappears. Beth never gives up on the hope of finding her. The story is told alternating between Beth and Carmel. It seems that a gentleman approached her and told her he was her grandfather and that her mother had had an accident. In reality, she begins a very strange period with a man who believes she is a savior. Although there is a good amount of suspense and people are saying they had difficulty putting it down, there is also a great deal about the relationship between a mother and daughter.
Hope there is something above that appeals to you. Next week we will go into the popular offerings in February. Oh - and Happy New Year!!
Wednesday, December 30, 2015
The Last of the January Titles
I have left too many books for this last entry in 2015 for January titles. My remedy is to shorten my descriptions and give you as many titles as possible for your choice. It is going to be quite a month.
Tawni O'Dell has Angels Burning coming out on January 5. O'Dell writes charter driven, psychological suspense novels and this one is no different. The coal mining area of PA is a frequent place setting. In this story a teenage girl goes missing and the man imprisoned for killing Police Chief Dove Carnahan's mother is released. All lead Dove to face some dark issues in her past.
Benjamin Black has Even the Dead: A Quirke Novel coming out on January 12. When John Banville writes mysteries, he assumes the name of Benjamin Black and this is the seventh in his Quirke series. Quirke is a pathologist with severe problems of his own. In this one, Quirke is experience hallucinations and blackouts while investigating a suspicious death. Then his daughter asks for his help in finding a missing pregnant woman. Quickly, he is pulled into a dark mystery. Beautiful writing.
After the Crash by Michel Bussi has been on the best seller list in France for two years. On January 5, it moves to the US. The plot line is very interesting.In the days before DNA, a plane crashes into the Swiss Alps. There is only one survivor out of 169 people. - a 3 month old girl. There were 2 girls of the same age on the plane and no one knows which family has the surviving infant. 18 years later, the private detective on the case from the beginning, is completing his case files. His intention is to present them to the young girl herself before killing himself. Then, suddenly, he finds a revelation and then is killed before he can say anything. Hmmmm - sounds good.
If you like historical fiction, and I do, then Bernard Cornwell is an author you follow. Warriors of the Storm, the ninth in the Saxon Stories or The Last Kingdom series, comes out on January 19. The BBC is creating a television series from these titles. This title focuses on the fight for Northumbria as Uhtred tries to fight off the Vikings and the Irish who have bonded to take over that part of England.
Reed Farrel Coleman has Where It Hurts coming out on January 26. Coleman is a gritty, hard boiled mystery author kind of like Dennis Lehane or Robert Crais. Here he starts a new series about a retired Suffolk County cop who lost everything when his son died. He now is a courtesy van driver for a run down hotel where he lives. An ex-con he knows, asks him to find out who beat the con's son to death and the investigation begins.
Sarah Graves has The Girls She Left Behind coming out on January 12. This is the second of Graves' Lizzie Snow series - a much darker series than her previous Home Repair is Homicide series. This one is intricately plotted and very atmospheric - kind of like Chevy Stevens or perhaps a little like Laura Lippman. Anyway, Snow has left Boston to take a job as deputy sheriff in Bearkill Maine.
Her long missing niece may have been spotted in the area. when a teen aged girl goes missing and Henry Gemerle, a sociopath who locked three young girls in a basement for years escapes a mental hospital AND Jane Crimmins who was one of Gemerle's prisoners before escaping comes to town, things heat up in Maine.
Lastly, Thomas Perry has Forty Thieves coming on January 8. Perry writes dark and disturbing suspense stories kind of like Jeffrey Deaver or Don Winslow - maybe even Andrew Klavan. In this title a husband and wife detective team (Sid and Ronnie Abel) take on a husband and wife assassins for hire (Ed and Nicole Hoyt) when the police can find the killer of a middle aged research scientist and someone wants to make sure that the Abels can't find the answer.
OK - there you go for January. I think there is enough for me to keep reading next month. How about you?
Tawni O'Dell has Angels Burning coming out on January 5. O'Dell writes charter driven, psychological suspense novels and this one is no different. The coal mining area of PA is a frequent place setting. In this story a teenage girl goes missing and the man imprisoned for killing Police Chief Dove Carnahan's mother is released. All lead Dove to face some dark issues in her past.
Benjamin Black has Even the Dead: A Quirke Novel coming out on January 12. When John Banville writes mysteries, he assumes the name of Benjamin Black and this is the seventh in his Quirke series. Quirke is a pathologist with severe problems of his own. In this one, Quirke is experience hallucinations and blackouts while investigating a suspicious death. Then his daughter asks for his help in finding a missing pregnant woman. Quickly, he is pulled into a dark mystery. Beautiful writing.
After the Crash by Michel Bussi has been on the best seller list in France for two years. On January 5, it moves to the US. The plot line is very interesting.In the days before DNA, a plane crashes into the Swiss Alps. There is only one survivor out of 169 people. - a 3 month old girl. There were 2 girls of the same age on the plane and no one knows which family has the surviving infant. 18 years later, the private detective on the case from the beginning, is completing his case files. His intention is to present them to the young girl herself before killing himself. Then, suddenly, he finds a revelation and then is killed before he can say anything. Hmmmm - sounds good.
If you like historical fiction, and I do, then Bernard Cornwell is an author you follow. Warriors of the Storm, the ninth in the Saxon Stories or The Last Kingdom series, comes out on January 19. The BBC is creating a television series from these titles. This title focuses on the fight for Northumbria as Uhtred tries to fight off the Vikings and the Irish who have bonded to take over that part of England.
Reed Farrel Coleman has Where It Hurts coming out on January 26. Coleman is a gritty, hard boiled mystery author kind of like Dennis Lehane or Robert Crais. Here he starts a new series about a retired Suffolk County cop who lost everything when his son died. He now is a courtesy van driver for a run down hotel where he lives. An ex-con he knows, asks him to find out who beat the con's son to death and the investigation begins.
Sarah Graves has The Girls She Left Behind coming out on January 12. This is the second of Graves' Lizzie Snow series - a much darker series than her previous Home Repair is Homicide series. This one is intricately plotted and very atmospheric - kind of like Chevy Stevens or perhaps a little like Laura Lippman. Anyway, Snow has left Boston to take a job as deputy sheriff in Bearkill Maine.
Her long missing niece may have been spotted in the area. when a teen aged girl goes missing and Henry Gemerle, a sociopath who locked three young girls in a basement for years escapes a mental hospital AND Jane Crimmins who was one of Gemerle's prisoners before escaping comes to town, things heat up in Maine.
Lastly, Thomas Perry has Forty Thieves coming on January 8. Perry writes dark and disturbing suspense stories kind of like Jeffrey Deaver or Don Winslow - maybe even Andrew Klavan. In this title a husband and wife detective team (Sid and Ronnie Abel) take on a husband and wife assassins for hire (Ed and Nicole Hoyt) when the police can find the killer of a middle aged research scientist and someone wants to make sure that the Abels can't find the answer.
OK - there you go for January. I think there is enough for me to keep reading next month. How about you?
Friday, December 18, 2015
More January Titles
While preparing for the holidays, you can't help but be attracted by some of the holiday titles. However, here, we are talking about January titles to get us ready for next month. I will not post next week, however, I will try to post between Christmas and New Years so...be on the lookout. OK - for some more January titles.....
If you read W.E.B. Griffin, he has The Hunting Trip under his real name, William E. Butterworth III, on December 29. That is almost January. This title is not in his usual category but contains quite a bit of humor and is kind of autobiographical although he says it is not an autobiography. It tells the story of Philip W. Williams III who becomes a special agent and best selling novelist and describes some raucous adventures across Europe and the US.
Carla Buckley has The Good Goodbye coming out on January 12. Buckley writes psychological suspense and this one really pulls the heart strings. Arden and Rory are cousins who are as close as sisters. Arden's mother and Rory's father own a restaurant together that recently has had financial problems because of a bad investment made by Rory's father. When they can't go to the schools of their dreams, they end up at a low tier state university. Then, a tragedy occurs. There is a fire in the dorm room and both girls are in the ICU and a boy is dead. The families were in turmoil before the incident and now the stress makes it much worse. The story investigates what was really happening behind the outward scene and secrets are revealed. Reviewers say it is compelling and emotional.
Carol Goodman also writes psychological suspense and if you have read Kimberly McCreight (Reconstructing Amelia) or Tana French (The Likeness) - give her a try. River Road comes out on January 19 and it is a compelling, character-driven work. Nan Lewis is a creative writing professor who hits a deer on the way home from a holiday party on the same stretch of road where her 4 year old daughter was killed by a hit and run driver. The next morning, the body of her favorite student is found in the same spot. Police have her as a primary suspect. What happened that night?
Ann Morgan has Beside Myself coming out on January 12. I've been waiting for this one ...it sounds very interesting. I would compare it to S.J. Watson's Before I Go To Sleep or Mary Kubica's The Good Girl. This story focuses on two twins, Helen - the stronger, favored twin and Ellie, slower, quieter. One day, Helen convinces Ellie to change their clothes and hair and teaches her how to use Helen's mannerisms. They think it will be fun to see how long it takes people to notice. Well, no one does notice and when Helen is ready to give up and change back, Ellie refuses. What was suppose to be a funny joke turned into a life long nightmare for the real Helen. Will she ever be able to be the person she was born to be? Is she really Helen? Just the kind of thing I have to read and find out.
A debut novelist is the last suggestion. Nicholas Petrie has The Drifter coming out on January 12. As a debut author, I can't really tell you to who I would compare him. I can tell you that he won an award for short fiction while an undergraduate at the University of Michigan. I can tell you that he has an MFA from the University of Washington. I can tell you that he won an award for a short story he wrote, This story is about a veteran with PTSD, Peter Ash. He has spent a year roaming the woods because he is severely claustrophobic when around people. Ash, however, comes to the aid of the family of a veteran friend who committed suicide. While she tries to fix up her house, he discovers a huge, ugly, vicious dog under the porch and a suitcase full of money and plastic explosives. As he investigates, danger moves closer. This appears to be the first in a series. All reviewers say it is hard to put down and the characterizations are really, really good.
Hope you find one of these that strikes your fancy. Enjoy!
If you read W.E.B. Griffin, he has The Hunting Trip under his real name, William E. Butterworth III, on December 29. That is almost January. This title is not in his usual category but contains quite a bit of humor and is kind of autobiographical although he says it is not an autobiography. It tells the story of Philip W. Williams III who becomes a special agent and best selling novelist and describes some raucous adventures across Europe and the US.
Carla Buckley has The Good Goodbye coming out on January 12. Buckley writes psychological suspense and this one really pulls the heart strings. Arden and Rory are cousins who are as close as sisters. Arden's mother and Rory's father own a restaurant together that recently has had financial problems because of a bad investment made by Rory's father. When they can't go to the schools of their dreams, they end up at a low tier state university. Then, a tragedy occurs. There is a fire in the dorm room and both girls are in the ICU and a boy is dead. The families were in turmoil before the incident and now the stress makes it much worse. The story investigates what was really happening behind the outward scene and secrets are revealed. Reviewers say it is compelling and emotional.
Carol Goodman also writes psychological suspense and if you have read Kimberly McCreight (Reconstructing Amelia) or Tana French (The Likeness) - give her a try. River Road comes out on January 19 and it is a compelling, character-driven work. Nan Lewis is a creative writing professor who hits a deer on the way home from a holiday party on the same stretch of road where her 4 year old daughter was killed by a hit and run driver. The next morning, the body of her favorite student is found in the same spot. Police have her as a primary suspect. What happened that night?
Ann Morgan has Beside Myself coming out on January 12. I've been waiting for this one ...it sounds very interesting. I would compare it to S.J. Watson's Before I Go To Sleep or Mary Kubica's The Good Girl. This story focuses on two twins, Helen - the stronger, favored twin and Ellie, slower, quieter. One day, Helen convinces Ellie to change their clothes and hair and teaches her how to use Helen's mannerisms. They think it will be fun to see how long it takes people to notice. Well, no one does notice and when Helen is ready to give up and change back, Ellie refuses. What was suppose to be a funny joke turned into a life long nightmare for the real Helen. Will she ever be able to be the person she was born to be? Is she really Helen? Just the kind of thing I have to read and find out.
A debut novelist is the last suggestion. Nicholas Petrie has The Drifter coming out on January 12. As a debut author, I can't really tell you to who I would compare him. I can tell you that he won an award for short fiction while an undergraduate at the University of Michigan. I can tell you that he has an MFA from the University of Washington. I can tell you that he won an award for a short story he wrote, This story is about a veteran with PTSD, Peter Ash. He has spent a year roaming the woods because he is severely claustrophobic when around people. Ash, however, comes to the aid of the family of a veteran friend who committed suicide. While she tries to fix up her house, he discovers a huge, ugly, vicious dog under the porch and a suitcase full of money and plastic explosives. As he investigates, danger moves closer. This appears to be the first in a series. All reviewers say it is hard to put down and the characterizations are really, really good.
Hope you find one of these that strikes your fancy. Enjoy!
Thursday, December 10, 2015
LibraryReads for January
The LibraryReads list for January came out today. Three of them are titles I have already put on request for me. Let's see what you think.
Number one vote getter for January is Elizabeth Strout's My Name is Lucy Barton. Strout writes emotional literary fiction with complex characters. Her plots tend to be slow paced and the mood reflective. If I was comparing her to someone, it might be Ron Rash or Geraldine Brooks. In this tale, Lucy Barton recalls her 9 week stay in the hospital after what was suppose to be a routine operation. Her husband sent for her long estranged mother. Lucy and her mother talked about everything but what had caused the estrangement. Having been raised in poverty, Lucy escaped and became an author. Truly, this is about family relationships and how they form us.
The next is The Readers of Broken Wheel by Katarina Bivald. This is a translated Swedish novel that features a Swedish girl names Sara that goes to visit her older American pen pal, Amy, in a small town in Iowa, called Broken Wheel. Sara and Amy had written each other with book recommendations and viewpoints. When Sara arrives, she finds that Amy had died. The people of Broken Wheel though know all about Sara and welcome her with open arms. When she decides to stay, she realizes that no one else in Broken Wheel actually cares about books so she opens a small bookstore. Of course librarians are going to love a book about the power of books and reading and that is what this is.
Next comes, The Swans of Fifth Avenue by Melanie Benjamin. She generally writes historical, literary fiction like Louise Erdrich or Barbara Kingsolver. This story takes us to the 1960's in Manhattan and the friendship between Truman Capote and Babe Paley.Babe made the mistake of confiding in Truman and when he wrote about the secrets.....they were friends no more. Throughout the story though, the descriptions and stories of the 'in' crowd in the Manhattan of that time, are fascinating.
Then we have Ashley Bell by Dean Koontz. I don't think I have to tell you all what his books are like. He has been popular for horror/thrillers for many many years. This story features Bibi Blair who at 22 is diagnosed with terminal brain cancer. Two days later, she has been cured and is convinced she was cured because she is suppose to save someone named Ashley Bell. Her search to find Ashley Bell lead her to mystery and crime.
Next come short stories by Helen Ellis, American Housewife. All the stories have to do with American woman at home. What she reveals is not always pretty, is often humorous and sometimes scary. Her stories are David Sedaris-like. Some of the titles are: What I Do All Day; The Wainscoting War; Dumpster Diving With the Stars and Southern Lady Code. Some reviewers have loved it and thought it hilarious while others have not cared for it. If you like Sedaris, give Ellis a try and see what you think.
OK - NOW - this is one I have on my list. I love Bill Bryson and have read everything he has written. I find his humor, my type of humor. His new title, The Road to Little Dribbling: Adventures of an American in Britain made my list as well as this list. The first book of his I read was Notes on a Small Island. It reported on a walk he took around England before moving back to the US with his wife. Well, he wrote several more books over here and then, several years ago, he moved back to England with his wife and children. This is a repeat at the walking travelogue. I can't wait. Everyone of his books had me laughing out loud.
Next we have Sally Hepworth's The Things We Keep. Hepworth is an Australian author who generally writes emotional stories - what might be defined as 'women's fiction'. I would compare her to Kristen Hannah or Emily Giffin. This story is about a woman with early-onset Alzheimer's who voluntarily moves into a residential facility. There she meets a man about the same age with a different form of dementia. They develop a relationship. There is a second story which takes place about 18 months later where a single mother becomes the cook at the facility and we meet her 7 year old daughter. We get to see both residents through new eyes. Very very touching - sad but also uplifting. I have this on my list also.
Jane K. Cleland's Ornaments of Death is on the list although it actually is out already. Hummm. Oh well - it is the 10th in the Josie Prescott Antiques Mystery series. Josie prepares for her annual Christmas Party and the arrival of a relative. After the party, Ian, the cousin, goes missing with two valuable seventeenth century miniatures. Cleland writes gentle, cozy, mysteries so you know that Josie must investigate.
Then we have Ian Rankin who writes police procedurals with a strong sense of place (Scotland)
. If you read Denise Mina or George Pelacanos - you might give Rankin a try. Even Dogs in the Wild is the 20th in the Inspector Rebus series. Rebus is now retired but he gets called into a crime being investigated by Siobhan Clarke - the murder of a former Lord Advocate. Also involved is a potshot taken at Rebus' nemesis - Big Ger Cafferty - a semi retired gangster. Rebus is the only person Cafferty will trust. The plot is complex but the dialogue filled with one lines is both menacing and a dark humor. Rebus has his fans for his hilarious one liners and his well earned wisdom.
Lastly is another one that I am waiting for - What She Knew by Gilly Macmillan. This one is also already out and Macmillan is a debut author but the plot sounds great. Rachel Jenner is recently divorced and she and her eight year old son, Ben, are walking in the park. After running ahead, he disappears. Rachel is distraught. Days pass with no word or sign.Eventually, even Rachel becomes a suspect. Where is Ben?!? Reviewers say it is gripping, suspenseful and hard to put down. Sounds really good!
Hope you find something tempting above. Some January some December but if they sound good - who cares. Enjoy.
Number one vote getter for January is Elizabeth Strout's My Name is Lucy Barton. Strout writes emotional literary fiction with complex characters. Her plots tend to be slow paced and the mood reflective. If I was comparing her to someone, it might be Ron Rash or Geraldine Brooks. In this tale, Lucy Barton recalls her 9 week stay in the hospital after what was suppose to be a routine operation. Her husband sent for her long estranged mother. Lucy and her mother talked about everything but what had caused the estrangement. Having been raised in poverty, Lucy escaped and became an author. Truly, this is about family relationships and how they form us.
The next is The Readers of Broken Wheel by Katarina Bivald. This is a translated Swedish novel that features a Swedish girl names Sara that goes to visit her older American pen pal, Amy, in a small town in Iowa, called Broken Wheel. Sara and Amy had written each other with book recommendations and viewpoints. When Sara arrives, she finds that Amy had died. The people of Broken Wheel though know all about Sara and welcome her with open arms. When she decides to stay, she realizes that no one else in Broken Wheel actually cares about books so she opens a small bookstore. Of course librarians are going to love a book about the power of books and reading and that is what this is.
Next comes, The Swans of Fifth Avenue by Melanie Benjamin. She generally writes historical, literary fiction like Louise Erdrich or Barbara Kingsolver. This story takes us to the 1960's in Manhattan and the friendship between Truman Capote and Babe Paley.Babe made the mistake of confiding in Truman and when he wrote about the secrets.....they were friends no more. Throughout the story though, the descriptions and stories of the 'in' crowd in the Manhattan of that time, are fascinating.
Then we have Ashley Bell by Dean Koontz. I don't think I have to tell you all what his books are like. He has been popular for horror/thrillers for many many years. This story features Bibi Blair who at 22 is diagnosed with terminal brain cancer. Two days later, she has been cured and is convinced she was cured because she is suppose to save someone named Ashley Bell. Her search to find Ashley Bell lead her to mystery and crime.
Next come short stories by Helen Ellis, American Housewife. All the stories have to do with American woman at home. What she reveals is not always pretty, is often humorous and sometimes scary. Her stories are David Sedaris-like. Some of the titles are: What I Do All Day; The Wainscoting War; Dumpster Diving With the Stars and Southern Lady Code. Some reviewers have loved it and thought it hilarious while others have not cared for it. If you like Sedaris, give Ellis a try and see what you think.
OK - NOW - this is one I have on my list. I love Bill Bryson and have read everything he has written. I find his humor, my type of humor. His new title, The Road to Little Dribbling: Adventures of an American in Britain made my list as well as this list. The first book of his I read was Notes on a Small Island. It reported on a walk he took around England before moving back to the US with his wife. Well, he wrote several more books over here and then, several years ago, he moved back to England with his wife and children. This is a repeat at the walking travelogue. I can't wait. Everyone of his books had me laughing out loud.
Next we have Sally Hepworth's The Things We Keep. Hepworth is an Australian author who generally writes emotional stories - what might be defined as 'women's fiction'. I would compare her to Kristen Hannah or Emily Giffin. This story is about a woman with early-onset Alzheimer's who voluntarily moves into a residential facility. There she meets a man about the same age with a different form of dementia. They develop a relationship. There is a second story which takes place about 18 months later where a single mother becomes the cook at the facility and we meet her 7 year old daughter. We get to see both residents through new eyes. Very very touching - sad but also uplifting. I have this on my list also.
Jane K. Cleland's Ornaments of Death is on the list although it actually is out already. Hummm. Oh well - it is the 10th in the Josie Prescott Antiques Mystery series. Josie prepares for her annual Christmas Party and the arrival of a relative. After the party, Ian, the cousin, goes missing with two valuable seventeenth century miniatures. Cleland writes gentle, cozy, mysteries so you know that Josie must investigate.
Then we have Ian Rankin who writes police procedurals with a strong sense of place (Scotland)
. If you read Denise Mina or George Pelacanos - you might give Rankin a try. Even Dogs in the Wild is the 20th in the Inspector Rebus series. Rebus is now retired but he gets called into a crime being investigated by Siobhan Clarke - the murder of a former Lord Advocate. Also involved is a potshot taken at Rebus' nemesis - Big Ger Cafferty - a semi retired gangster. Rebus is the only person Cafferty will trust. The plot is complex but the dialogue filled with one lines is both menacing and a dark humor. Rebus has his fans for his hilarious one liners and his well earned wisdom.
Lastly is another one that I am waiting for - What She Knew by Gilly Macmillan. This one is also already out and Macmillan is a debut author but the plot sounds great. Rachel Jenner is recently divorced and she and her eight year old son, Ben, are walking in the park. After running ahead, he disappears. Rachel is distraught. Days pass with no word or sign.Eventually, even Rachel becomes a suspect. Where is Ben?!? Reviewers say it is gripping, suspenseful and hard to put down. Sounds really good!
Hope you find something tempting above. Some January some December but if they sound good - who cares. Enjoy.
Thursday, December 3, 2015
Not Too Many Big Names This Month
I hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving holiday and have started your holiday shopping. I, in fact, have only done the shopping for the grandchild but....that is why gift cards come in handy for the others. OK - when you start out looking at who is coming out with books this month - and you have trouble finding A list author's - you realize that maybe some of the others might be ready to move up. Let's see.
The only real blockbuster name for January is Stuart Woods. He has Scandalous Behavior coming out on January 12. This is the 36th in the Stone Barrington series. Stone, weary from all of his adventures, goes to a quiet English country town. However, if there is one thing we all know, it is that it won't be quiet for long.
Jeff Abbott might be ready to move up with his Sam Capra series. He has The First Order coming out on January 5. I read Abbott back in 1994 when he wrote almost cozy mysteries about Jordan Poteet. His last one in this series was published in 1996 with a suggestion from his publisher that he turn toward harder mysteries. Since then he has gone through mysteries to suspense to almost adventure suspense with the Sam Capra series. This series reads like Robert Ludlum's Bourne series or Vince Flynn's. work. Sam is an ex-CIA agent who owns a bar in Miami. He watched his brother be executed by extremists in an online video but was he really? Apparently not, and when Sam discovers his brother is plotting a murder - Sam needs to stop him.
Alafair Burke has The Ex coming out on January 26. Burke is an interesting person. She graduated from Stanford Law School, was the assistant district attorney for Portland, Oregon and is now a Professor of Law at Hofstra University in NY. Quite a background for the author of legal thrillers. Her work has been compared to Lisa Scottoline, Lisa Fairstein and Phillip Margolin. This story has a top criminal defense lawyer, Olivia Randall, defending an ex-fiancee, Jack Harris, who is being charged with a triple murder. This could be Burke's breakout - some reviewers say it is better than Grisham.
Tim Dorsey has Coconut Cowboy also coming out on January 26. I love the Serge A. Storms series and this is the 19th one. Storms is a lovable serial killer that only kills the people who really need to be kills. Kind of like a happy Dexter. His cohort, Coleman, is a drug addled, happy go lucky, laid back to the extreme, type of guy. They decide on a motorcycle tour where one towns speed trap leads them to uncover unbridled corruption. Oh oh - Storms knows how to handle that. No one writes like Dorsey - well perhaps Dave Barry a little but Barry is more preachy about things than Dorsey. Dorsey is straight out humor.
The Bitter Season by Tami Hoag comes out on January 12. If I was going to compare Hoag to any other authors, it would probably be Lisa Gardner or maybe Tess Gerritsen. This one brings back Nikki Liska and Sam Kovac, the fifth in the series, although Nikki is now working on cold cases so she can spend more time with her sons. They both miss each other - Nikki because of the boredom of her new case and Sam because of the stress of training a new partner on a double murder investigation. Strangely and gradually, their two cases are drawn together. Hoag's work is really plot driven and fast paced. If you try this one, you will be in for a ride.
OK - I'll be back with more of these 'second tier' authors next week. Hope you find something here that tempts you.
The only real blockbuster name for January is Stuart Woods. He has Scandalous Behavior coming out on January 12. This is the 36th in the Stone Barrington series. Stone, weary from all of his adventures, goes to a quiet English country town. However, if there is one thing we all know, it is that it won't be quiet for long.
Jeff Abbott might be ready to move up with his Sam Capra series. He has The First Order coming out on January 5. I read Abbott back in 1994 when he wrote almost cozy mysteries about Jordan Poteet. His last one in this series was published in 1996 with a suggestion from his publisher that he turn toward harder mysteries. Since then he has gone through mysteries to suspense to almost adventure suspense with the Sam Capra series. This series reads like Robert Ludlum's Bourne series or Vince Flynn's. work. Sam is an ex-CIA agent who owns a bar in Miami. He watched his brother be executed by extremists in an online video but was he really? Apparently not, and when Sam discovers his brother is plotting a murder - Sam needs to stop him.
Alafair Burke has The Ex coming out on January 26. Burke is an interesting person. She graduated from Stanford Law School, was the assistant district attorney for Portland, Oregon and is now a Professor of Law at Hofstra University in NY. Quite a background for the author of legal thrillers. Her work has been compared to Lisa Scottoline, Lisa Fairstein and Phillip Margolin. This story has a top criminal defense lawyer, Olivia Randall, defending an ex-fiancee, Jack Harris, who is being charged with a triple murder. This could be Burke's breakout - some reviewers say it is better than Grisham.
Tim Dorsey has Coconut Cowboy also coming out on January 26. I love the Serge A. Storms series and this is the 19th one. Storms is a lovable serial killer that only kills the people who really need to be kills. Kind of like a happy Dexter. His cohort, Coleman, is a drug addled, happy go lucky, laid back to the extreme, type of guy. They decide on a motorcycle tour where one towns speed trap leads them to uncover unbridled corruption. Oh oh - Storms knows how to handle that. No one writes like Dorsey - well perhaps Dave Barry a little but Barry is more preachy about things than Dorsey. Dorsey is straight out humor.
The Bitter Season by Tami Hoag comes out on January 12. If I was going to compare Hoag to any other authors, it would probably be Lisa Gardner or maybe Tess Gerritsen. This one brings back Nikki Liska and Sam Kovac, the fifth in the series, although Nikki is now working on cold cases so she can spend more time with her sons. They both miss each other - Nikki because of the boredom of her new case and Sam because of the stress of training a new partner on a double murder investigation. Strangely and gradually, their two cases are drawn together. Hoag's work is really plot driven and fast paced. If you try this one, you will be in for a ride.
OK - I'll be back with more of these 'second tier' authors next week. Hope you find something here that tempts you.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)