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Week of May 29, 2017

New in Paperback

Week of May 29, 2017

Paperback releases for the week of May 29th include Anne Rice's PRINCE LESTAT AND THE REALMS OF ATLANTIS, which marks the return of the indomitable vampire hero Lestat de Lioncourt, who finds himself at war with a strange, ancient, otherworldly form that has somehow taken possession of his immortal body and spirit; LILY AND THE OCTOPUS by Steven Rowley, in which a struggling writer vows to save his ailing, elderly dachshund by any means necessary; MODERN LOVERS, Emma Straub's novel about a tight-knit group of friends from college --- and what it means to finally grow up, well after adulthood has set in; and THE COUPLE NEXT DOOR by Shari Lapena, a domestic suspense debut about a young couple and their apparently friendly neighbors --- a twisty, rollercoaster ride of lies, betrayal, and the secrets between husbands and wives.

Another Brooklyn by Jacqueline Woodson - Fiction

May 30, 2017

Running into a long ago friend sets memory in motion for August, a woman who once lived in a Brooklyn where friendship was everything --- until it wasn’t anymore. For August and her girls, Brooklyn was a place where they believed as they walked the streets and confided in each other, that they were beautiful, talented, brilliant --- a part of a future that belonged to them. But beneath the veneer, there was another Brooklyn, a dangerous place where men reached for them in dark hallways, where ghosts haunted their nights and mothers disappeared. A world where madness was just a sunset away and fathers found hope in religion. 

Arrowood by Laura McHugh - Psychological Thriller/Mystery

May 30, 2017

Arrowood, the most ornate and grand of the historical houses that line the Mississippi River, has a mystery it has never revealed: It’s where Arden Arrowood’s younger twin sisters vanished on her watch 20 years ago, never to be seen again. After the twins’ disappearance, Arden’s parents divorced and the Arrowoods left the big house that had been in their family for generations. Arden has held on to the hope that her sisters are still alive, and it seems she can’t move forward until she finds them. When her father dies and she inherits Arrowood, Arden returns to her childhood home determined to discover what really happened to her sisters that traumatic summer.

The Beauty of the End by Debbie Howells - Psychological Thriller

May 30, 2017

Ex-lawyer Noah Calaway is haunted by the memory of the beguiling young woman who left him at the altar 16 years earlier. Then one day, he receives a troubling phone call. April, the woman he once loved, lies in a coma, the victim of an apparent overdose --- and the lead suspect in a brutal murder. While Noah searches for evidence that will clear April's name, a teenager named Ella begins to sift through the secrets of her own painful family history. The same age that April was when Noah first met her, Ella harbors a revelation that could be the key to solving the murder. As the two stories converge, there are shocking consequences when the truth emerges at last. Or so everyone believes…

The Boy in the Shadows by Carl-Johan Vallgren - Thriller

May 30, 2017

Joel, whose older brother was kidnapped years earlier, goes missing under suspicious circumstances. His frantic wife turns to Danny Katz --- an old friend with a troubled past --- for help. A brilliant computer programmer and recovering heroin addict, Katz is also the divorced father of two young girls. Before long, he discovers he isn't the only one trying to find Joel. The deeper Katz digs, the more upsetting the secrets he uncovers about the wealthy and powerful family at the heart of the investigation. Chillingly, the case takes a violent turn that reveals a disorienting connection to Katz's own troubled childhood.

Bright, Precious Days by Jay McInerney - Fiction

May 30, 2017

Russell and Corrine Calloway seem to be living the dream: a calendar filled with high-society parties; jobs they care about and enjoy; twin children, a boy and a girl whose birth was truly miraculous; a loft in TriBeCa and summers in the Hamptons. But beneath the glossy surfaces, things are simmering. Russell, editor-in-chief of a boutique publisher, has cultural clout but is on the edge financially, and feels compelled to pursue an audacious --- and potentially ruinous --- opportunity. Meanwhile, Corrine’s world is turned upside down when the man with whom she’d had an ill-fated affair in the wake of 9/11 suddenly reappears, and the Calloways find themselves tested more severely than they ever could have imagined.

The Couple Next Door by Shari Lapena - Psychological Thriller

May 30, 2017

Anne and Marco Conti seem to have it all --- a loving relationship, a wonderful home, and their beautiful baby, Cora. But one night when they are at a dinner party next door, a terrible crime is committed. Suspicion immediately focuses on the parents. But the truth is a much more complicated story. Inside the curtained house, an unsettling account of what actually happened unfolds. Detective Rasbach knows that the panicked couple is hiding something. Both Anne and Marco soon discover that the other is keeping secrets, secrets they've kept for years.

Daughters of the Bride by Susan Mallery - Romance

May 30, 2017

As the awkward one, Courtney Watson may not be as together as her sisters, but she excels at one thing: keeping secrets, including her white-hot affair with a sexy music producer. Planning Mom's wedding exposes her startling hidden life, changing her family's view of her forever. When Sienna's boyfriend proposes in front of her mom and sisters, he takes her by surprise. Should she say "I do" even if she's not sure she does? Rachel thought love would last forever…right up until her divorce. As Mom's wedding day draws near and her ex begs for a second chance, she's forced to acknowledge some uncomfortable truths about why her marriage failed and decide if she'll let pride stand in the way of her own happily-ever-after.

Dead Certain by Adam Mitzner - Psychological Thriller/Mystery

June 1, 2017

By day, Ella Broden works as a buttoned-up attorney on some of the city’s most grueling cases. By night, she pursues her passion for singing in the darkest clubs of Manhattan. No one knows her secret, not even her younger sister, Charlotte. But it seems she’s not the only one in the family with something to hide. When Charlotte announces she’s sold her first novel, Ella couldn’t be more thrilled…until she gets a call that her sister has gone missing. Ella starts investigating with the help of Detective Gabriel Velasquez, an old flame in the NYPD, and what she finds is shocking. If art imitates life, then Charlotte's novel may contain details of her real-life affairs. And any one of her lovers could be involved in her disappearance.

Forgive Me by D.J. Palmer - Thriller

May 30, 2017

Angie DeRose strives to find and rescue endangered runaways. But in the wake of her mother's sudden death, she makes a life-altering discovery. Hidden among the mementos in her parents' attic is a photograph of a little girl, with a code and a handwritten message on the back: "May God forgive me." Angie has no idea what it means or how to explain other questionable items among her mother's possessions. The lies she unearths will bring her past and present together with terrifying force. And everything she cherishes will be threatened by the repercussions of one long-ago choice --- and an enemy who will kill to keep a secret hidden forever.

Guilty Minds by Joseph Finder - Thriller

May 30, 2017

The chief justice of the Supreme Court is about to be defamed, his career destroyed, by a powerful gossip website that specializes in dirt on celebs and politicians. Their top reporter has written an exposé claiming that he had liaisons with an escort, a young woman prepared to tell the world her salacious tale. Intelligence operative Nick Heller has just 48 hours to disprove the story. But when the call girl is found murdered, Nick resolves to find the mastermind behind the conspiracy before anyone else falls victim to the maelstrom of political scandal and ruined reputations predicated upon one long-buried secret.

Hard Cold Winter: A Van Shaw Novel by Glen Erik Hamilton - Thriller

May 30, 2017

When an old crony of Van Shaw’s late grandfather calls in a favor, the recently discharged Ranger embarks on a dangerous journey to the Olympic Mountains, in search of a missing girl tied to Van’s own criminal past. What he finds instead is a brutal murder scene, including a victim from one of Seattle’s most influential families. But the dead bodies are only the start of Van’s troubles. A fellow Ranger from Afghanistan turns up at Van’s doorstep, seeking support from his former sergeant even as Van wrestles with his own reemerging symptoms of PTSD. The murder investigation leads to heavy pressure, with a billionaire businessman on one side and vicious gangsters on the other, each willing to play dirty to get what they want.

Heaven's Ditch: God, Gold, and Murder on the Erie Canal by Jack Kelly - History

May 30, 2017

The technological marvel of its age, the Erie Canal grew out of a sudden fit of inspiration. Proponents didn't just dream; they built a 360-mile waterway entirely by hand and largely through wilderness. As excitement crackled down its length, the canal became the scene of the most striking outburst of imagination in American history. It made New York the financial capital of America and brought the modern world crashing into the frontier. Men and women saw God face to face, gained and lost fortunes, and reveled in a period of intense spiritual creativity. HEAVEN’S DITCH illuminates the spiritual and political upheavals along this "psychic highway" from its opening in 1825 through 1844.

Hero of the Empire: The Boer War, a Daring Escape, and the Making of Winston Churchill by Candice Millard - History

May 30, 2017

At the age of 24, Winston Churchill was utterly convinced it was his destiny to become prime minister of England. He arrived in South Africa in 1899, valet and crates of vintage wine in tow, to cover the brutal colonial war the British were fighting with Boer rebels and jumpstart his political career. But just two weeks later, Churchill was taken prisoner. Remarkably, he pulled off a daring escape --- traversing hundreds of miles of enemy territory, alone, with nothing but a crumpled wad of cash, four slabs of chocolate and his wits to guide him.

The Hopefuls by Jennifer Close - Fiction

May 30, 2017

A New York newlywed, Beth was supportive when her husband, Matt, decided to follow his political dreams all the way to Washington. Yet soon after they move to D.C., Beth realizes that she hates everything about it --- most of all, the lonely dinner parties where anyone who doesn’t work in politics is politely ignored. Things start to change when the couple meets a charismatic White House staffer named Jimmy and his wife, Ashleigh. The four become inseparable, coordinating brunches, birthdays and long weekends away. But as Jimmy’s star rises higher and higher, the couples’ friendship --- and Beth’s relationship with Matt --- is threatened by jealousy, competition and rumors.

House of Nails: A Memoir of Life on the Edge by Lenny Dykstra - Memoir

May 30, 2017

For the first time, former world champion, multimillionaire entrepreneur and imprisoned felon Lenny Dykstra tells all about his tumultuous career --- from battling through crippling pain to steroid use and drug addiction, to a life of indulgence and excess, followed by an epic plunge and the long road back to redemption. Was Lenny's hard-charging, risk-it-all nature responsible for his success in baseball and business and his precipitous fall from grace? What lessons, if any, has he learned now that he has had time to think and reflect?

Lily and the Octopus by Steven Rowley - Fiction

May 30, 2017

Ted, a gay, single, struggling writer, is stuck: unable to open himself up to intimacy except through the steadfast companionship of Lily, his elderly dachshund. When Lily’s health is compromised, Ted vows to save her by any means necessary. By turns hilarious and poignant, an adventure with spins into magic realism and beautifully evoked truths of loss and longing, LILY AND THE OCTOPUS reminds us how it feels to love fiercely, how difficult it can be to let go, and how the fight for those we love is the greatest fight of all.

Mischling by Affinity Konar - Historical Fiction

May 30, 2017

In 1944, twin sisters Pearl and Stasha Zagorski arrive in Auschwitz and become part of the experimental population of twins known as Mengele's Zoo. That winter, at a concert orchestrated by Mengele, Pearl disappears and Stasha is left in the Zoo alone, clinging to hope that her twin remains alive. After the Red Army liberates the camp, Stasha and her companion, Feliks --- who has also lost his twin to Mengele's Zoo --- travel through a devastated Poland, undeterred by injury, starvation or the chaos around them. As the young survivors discover what has become of the world, they must try to imagine a future within it.

Modern Lovers by Emma Straub - Fiction

May 30, 2017

Friends and former college bandmates Elizabeth, Andrew and Zoe have watched one another marry, buy real estate, and start businesses and families, all while trying to hold on to the identities of their youth. But nothing ages them like having to suddenly pass the torch to their own offspring. Now nearing 50, they all live within shouting distance in the same neighborhood deep in gentrified Brooklyn. The summer that their children reach maturity (and start sleeping together), the fabric of the adult lives suddenly begins to unravel, and the secrets and revelations that are finally let loose can never be reclaimed.

Not a Sound by Heather Gudenkauf - Psychological Thriller

May 30, 2017

When a tragic accident leaves nurse Amelia Winn deaf, she spirals into a depression that ultimately causes her to lose everything that matters. Now, two years later and with the help of her hearing dog, she is finally getting back on her feet. But when she discovers the body of a fellow nurse in the dense bush by the river, deep in the woods near her cabin, she is plunged into a disturbing mystery that could shatter the carefully reconstructed pieces of her life all over again. As clues begin to surface, Amelia finds herself swept into an investigation that hits all too close to home. But how much is she willing to risk in order to uncover the truth and bring a killer to justice?

Nutshell by Ian McEwan - Psychological Thriller

May 30, 2017

Trudy has been unfaithful to her husband, John. What’s more, she has kicked him out of their marital home, a valuable old London town house, and in his place is his own brother, the profoundly banal Claude. The illicit couple have hatched a scheme to rid themselves of her inconvenient husband forever. But there is a witness to their plot: the inquisitive, nine-month-old resident of Trudy’s womb. As Trudy’s unborn son listens, bound within her body, to his mother and his uncle’s murderous plans, he gives us a truly new perspective on our world, seen from the confines of his.

Ping-Pong Heart: A Sueño and Bascom Mystery Set in South Korea by Martin Limón - Historical Mystery

May 30, 2017

South Korea, 1974. US Army CID Sergeants George Sueño and Ernie Bascom are assigned an underwhelming case of petty theft: Major Frederick M. Schulz has accused Miss Jo Kyong-ja, an Itaewon bar girl, of stealing 25,000 won from him --- a sum equaling less than 50 US dollars. After two very divergent accounts of what happened, Miss Jo is attacked, and Schulz is found hacked to death only days later. Did tensions simply escalate to the point of murder?

Precious and Grace: No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency (17) by Alexander McCall Smith - Mystery

May 30, 2017

Mma Makutsi, who has recently been promoted to co-director, has been encouraging Mma Ramotswe to update to more modern office practices. An unusual case, however, will require both of them to turn their attention firmly to the past. A young Canadian woman who spent her early childhood in Botswana requests the agency’s help in recalling her life there. Precious and Grace set out to locate the house that the woman lived in and the caretaker who looked after her many years ago. But when the journey takes an unexpected turn, they are forced to consider whether some things are better left in the past.

Prince Lestat and the Realms of Atlantis: The Vampire Chronicles by Anne Rice - Paranormal Mystery/Thriller

May 30, 2017

The indomitable vampire hero, Lestat de Lioncourt, returns...caught up in an urgent and fundamental quest to understand the origins of the Undead and the deeper meanings of existence for both mortals and immortals. Now Lestat, Prince of the vast tribe of the undead, finds himself at war with a strange, ancient, otherworldly form that has somehow taken possession of his immortal body and spirit, and it is through this perilous and profound struggle that we come to be told the hypnotic tale of a great sea power of ancient times: a mysterious heaven on earth situated on a boundless continent in the Atlantic Ocean.

Surrender, New York by Caleb Carr - Psychological Thriller

May 30, 2017

In rural, impoverished Burgoyne County, New York, a pattern of strange deaths begins to emerge: adolescent boys and girls are found murdered, their corpses left hanging in gruesome, ritualistic fashion. Senior law enforcement officials are quick to blame a serial killer, but their efforts to apprehend this criminal are peculiarly ineffective. Meanwhile, in the county's small town of Surrender, Trajan Jones, a psychological profiler, and Michael Li, a trace evidence expert, teach online courses in profiling and forensic science from Jones' family farm. Alone and armed mainly with their wits, protected only by farmhands and Jones' unusual ''pet,'' the outcast pair are secretly called in to consult on the case.

Without Mercy: A Body Farm Novel by Jefferson Bass - Mystery/Thriller

May 30, 2017

Forensic anthropologist Bill Brockton has spent 25 years solving brutal murders, but none so bizarre and merciless as his latest case. A ravaged set of skeletal remains is found chained to a tree on a remote mountainside. As Brockton and his assistant, Miranda, dig deeper, they uncover warning signs of a deadly eruption of hatred and violence. But the shocking case is only the beginning of Brockton’s trials. Mid-case, the unthinkable happens: The deadliest criminal Brockton has ever foiled --- the sadistic serial killer Nick Satterfield --- escapes from prison, bent on vengeance. But simply killing Brockton isn’t enough. Satterfield wants to make him suffer first, by destroying everything he holds dear.