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December 26, 2012

December 26, 2012

The following are lists of books releasing the weeks of December 24th and December 31st that we think will be of interest to Bookreporter.com readers.

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On Sale the Week of December 24th in Hardcover

December 26th

THE INTERCEPT: A Jeremy Fisk Novel by Dick Wolf
“Law & Order” creator Dick Wolf introduces NYPD intelligence officer Jeremy Fisk, who must unravel a tricky bombing plot cooked up by Osama bin Laden before his death. A few days before a Fourth of July gala at the new Freedom Tower building, five airline passengers and a female flight attendant overcome what appears to be a lone terrorist aiming to crash their plane in New York. Fisk determines that the bomber actually acted as a decoy for a Saudi nationalist on the plane who goes missing.
William Morrow * 9780062064837

TOO BRIGHT TO HEAR TOO LOUD TO SEE by Juliann Garey
Greyson Todd is a successful Hollywood studio executive who leaves his wife and young daughter, and for a decade travels the world giving free reign to the bipolar disorder he's been forced to keep hidden for almost 20 years. This novel intricately weaves together three timelines: the story of Greyson's travels; the progressive unraveling of his own father seen through Greyson's eyes as a child; and the intimacies and estrangements of his marriage.
Soho Press * 9781616951290
On Sale the Week of December 24th in Paperback

December 24th

ALL NECESSARY FORCE: A Pike Logan Thriller by Brad Taylor
The CIA, FBI and Department of Defense systems have spiked, but traditional intel is going nowhere. It falls to the Taskforce --- a top-secret team that exists outside the bounds of U.S. law and is charged with finding and destroying asymmetric threats --- to stop the unknown conspirators.
Signet Select * 9780451415936

CATCH ME: A Detective D.D. Warren Novel by Lisa Gardner
Charlene Rosalind Carter Grant tells a chilling story: Each year at 8:00 p.m. on January 21st, a woman has died. The victims have been childhood best friends from a small town in New Hampshire; the motive remains unknown. Now only one friend, Charlie, remains to count down her final hours --- and she’s hiring Detective D. D. Warren to investigate the case after she’s killed.
Signet * 9780451413437

COVERT WARRIORS: A Presidential Agent Novel by W. E. B. Griffin and William E. Butterworth IV
Few in the U.S. government want to believe that a Third World country and its chest-thumping leader could pose a credible threat. But then why are the Chinese helping to train its special forces? Why are the Russians helping to build a nuclear power plant? Charley Castillo and his men go in to investigate, but they have no idea what they have just gotten themselves into.
Jove * 9780515151268

THE DARLINGS by Cristina Alger
Now that he's married to the daughter of a billionaire, attorney Paul Ross has grown accustomed to New York society and all of its luxuries. But Paul's luck is about to take a catastrophic turn, and suddenly, he must decide where his loyalties lie.
Penguin Books * 9780143122753

DRIFTING HOUSE by Krys Lee
Spanning Korea and the United States, from the postwar era to contemporary times, Krys Lee's stories illuminate a people torn between the traumas of their collective past and the indignities and sorrows of their present.
Penguin Books * 9780143122937

FEAR COLLECTOR by Gregg Olsen
For two women, Ted Bundy is the ultimate obsession. One is a cop whose sister may have been one of Bundy’s victims. The other is a deranged groupie who corresponded with Bundy in prison and raised her son to finish what Bundy started. To charm and seduce innocent girls. To kidnap and brutalize more women than any serial killer in history. And to lure one obsessed cop into a trap as sick and demented as Bundy himself.
Kensington * 9780786020461

THE LOST GODDESS by Tom Knox
While working on a dig in the most remote part of France, Julia Kerrigan comes across the find of her career --- a trove of skeletons, many with holes at the front of the skull and arrow wounds studding the various bones. Her excitement about this discovery disappears the following day, however, as her mentor and a friend are brutally murdered.
Plume * 9780452298989

MARGARET FROM MAINE by Joseph Monninger
Margaret Kennedy lives on a dairy farm in rural Maine. Her husband Thomas --- injured in a war overseas --- will never be the man he was. When the President signs a bill in support of wounded veterans, Margaret is invited to the nation’s capital. Charlie King, a handsome Foreign Service officer, volunteers to escort her. As the rhododendron blossoms along the Blue Ridge Highway, the unlikely pair fall in love --- but Margaret cannot ignore the tug of her marriage vows.
Plume * 9780452298682

THE RULES OF INHERITANCE: A Memoir by Claire Bidwell Smith
When both of her parents die of cancer, Claire Bidwell Smith finds herself alone in the world and inconsolable at the revelation that suddenly she is no one's special person. It is only when Claire eventually falls in love, marries and becomes a mother that she emerges from the fog of grief.
Plume * 9780452298873

THE SPY WHO JUMPED OFF THE SCREEN by Thomas Caplan
Former covert operative Ty Hunter has become, almost by accident, the number one film star in the world. Recruited for a clandestine mission to prevent the theft of nuclear warheads, he deploys every skill he has as an actor, soldier and spy to match wits and muscle with an enigmatic billionaire and his nefarious protégé --- even as he falls for the entrancing woman closest to them both.
Penguin Books * 9780143122876

TOUCHSTONE by Melanie Rawn
Cayden Silversun is part Elven, part Fae, part human Wizard --- and all rebel. His aristocratic mother would have him follow his father to the Royal Court, to make a high society living off the scraps of kings. But Cade lives and breathes for the theater. With his company, he’ll enter the highest reaches of society and power, as an honored artist --- or die trying.
Tor Fantasy * 9780765363473


December 26th

BEAUTIFUL SACRIFICE by Elizabeth Lowell
Archaeologist Lina Taylor has devoted her life to studying ancient Mayan artifacts, but the professor’s structured, studious life spins out of control when some valuable and important Mayan artifacts go missing. Lina is recruited to recover the missing pieces, which, she discovers, may be being used by fanatics determined to create chaos and usher in annihilation.
Avon * 9780061664397

CAPITOL MURDER by Phillip Margolin
Private investigator Dana Cutler and lawyer Brad Miller are forced by a terrorist attack on a football stadium --- and by the escape of EXECUTIVE PRIVILEGE’s convicted serial killer Clarence Little --- to follow a sinister trail of lies, treachery and betrayal into an unexpected new arena: the U.S. Congress.
Harper * 9780062069900

THE HOPE VENDETTA by Scott Mariani
Ex-SAS operative and hero-for-hire Ben Hope has decided to put down his gun for good. When his professor and friend asks him to help find his missing daughter, Ben declines, but puts his buddy, Charlie Palmer, on the case. However, when Charlie runs into trouble, Ben reluctantly joins him to find out what might have happened.
Pocket Books * 9781439193488

THE LADY MOST WILLING...: A Novel in Three Parts by Julia Quinn, Eloisa James and Connie Brockway
When Laird Taran Ferguson’s nephews refuse to wed and secure his birthright, he takes matters into his own hands, raiding a ball and kidnapping four likely brides. But which one is ready to fall in love with the Scottish lord? Add a very angry duke, a decrepit castle, and a fierce Highland storm that is holding all of Taran’s “guests” captive to the mix, and readers will find themselves transported to a world of temptation, passion, and new and unexpected love.
Avon * 9780062107381

LEFT FOR DEAD by J. A. Jance
Ali Reynolds investigates two shocking cases of victims brutally left for dead --- Santa Cruz County deputy sheriff Jose Reyes, Ali’s classmate from the Arizona Police Academy, and an unidentified young woman presumed to be an illegal border crosser. Together with her friend, Sister Anselm, and a conscientious officer who won’t let the case drop despite pressure from above, Ali digs for clues to find the true culprits.
Pocket Books * 9781451628609

RAYLAN by Elmore Leonard
With the closing of the Harlan County, Kentucky, coal mines, marijuana has become the biggest cash crop in the state. A hundred pounds of it can gross $300,000, but that’s chump change compared to the quarter million a human body can get you --- especially when it’s sold off piece by piece. When two dope-dealing brothers decide to branch out into the body business, it’s up to U.S. Marshal Raylan Givens to stop them.
William Morrow Paperbacks * 9780062119476

SNUFF: A Novel of Discworld by Terry Pratchett
Terry Pratchett has enthralled millions of fans worldwide with his hilarious satires set in Discworld, a universe remarkably similar to our own. In this latest installment, Lady Sybil has finally lured her husband, Sam Vimes, on a countryside vacation away from Ankh-Morpork. But it’s not long before a body is discovered, and Sam must rely on his instincts, guile and street smarts to see justice done.
Harper * 9780062218865

WONDERSTRUCK: Awaken to the Nearness of God by Margaret Feinberg

In WONDERSTRUCK, Margaret Feinberg invites you to toss back the covers, climb out of bed, and drink in the fullness of life. Learn to unearth the extraordinary moments in everyday life, recognize the presence of God in the midst of your routine, and discover peace in knowing you're wildly loved. You'll find it is possible to regain the missing spark of mystery in the day-to-day.
Worthy Publishing * 9781617950889
On Sale the Week of December 31st in Hardcover

December 31st

EMPIRE AND HONOR: An Honor Bound Novel by W. E. B. Griffin and William E. Butterworth IV
In the closing months of World War II, the United States made a secret deal with the head of German intelligence’s Soviet section. In exchange for a treasure trove of intelligence, his people would be spirited to safety. If word got out, the U.S. would lose some of its best sources, not to mention its most valuable secrets. It’s up to Cletus Frade and his colleagues in the OSS to keep them all safe. But some people have other ideas.
Putnam Adult * 9780399160660

ME BEFORE YOU by Jojo Moyes
Louisa Clark takes a badly needed job working for ex–Master of the Universe Will Traynor, who is wheelchair-bound after an accident. Will has always lived a huge life and is pretty sure he cannot live the way he is. Louisa refuses to treat him with kid gloves, and soon his happiness means more to her than she expected. When she learns that Will has shocking plans of his own, she sets out to show him that life is still worth living.
Pamela Dorman Books * 9780670026609


January 1st

GUN MACHINE by Warren Ellis
After a shootout claims the life of his partner, Detective John Tallow unwittingly stumbles across an apartment stacked high with guns. When examined, each weapon leads to a different, previously unsolved murder. Confronted with the sudden emergence of hundreds of unsolved homicides, Tallow soon discovers a hunter who may be the most prolific murderer in New York City's history.
Mulholland Books * 9780316187404

RATLINES by Stuart Neville
As the Irish people prepare to welcome President John F. Kennedy to the land of his ancestors, a German national is murdered. This is the third foreigner to die within a few days, and Minister for Justice Charles Haughey wants the killing to end lest a shameful secret be exposed: the dead men were all Nazis granted asylum by the Irish government in the years following World War II.
Soho Crime * 9781616952044

THE WRATH OF ANGELS: A Charlie Parker Thriller by John Connolly
In the depths of the Maine woods, the wreckage of a plane is discovered. What it conceals is a list of names, a record of those who have struck a deal with the devil. Now a battle is about to commence between those who want the list to remain secret and those for whom it represents a crucial weapon in the struggle against the forces of darkness. The race to secure the prize draws in private detective Charlie Parker, who fears that his own name may be on the list.
Atria * 9781476703022


January 2nd

THE DEATH OF BEES by Lisa O'Donnell
After their parents die, sisters Marnie and Nelly are on their own. Only they know what happened to their parents, and they aren't telling. When Lennie, the old man next door, realizes his young neighbors are alone and need help, he offers to take them in. But questions from their friends, teachers and the authorities soon threaten to bring dark secrets about the girls' family to the surface.
Harper * 9780062209849

FIXING MY EYES ON JESUS: Daily Moments in His Word by Anne Graham Lotz
In FIXING MY EYES ON JESUS, you will read a Scripture and inspirational devotion for each day of the year that will encourage, uplift, renew and challenge you on your spiritual walk with Jesus. A perfect size for carrying with you on the go, in a beautiful package that also makes it a gorgeous gift for a friend or family member, this book is the spiritual nourishment you crave.
Zondervan * 9780310327844


January 3rd

THE FEMINIST AND THE COWBOY: An Unlikely Love Story by Alisa Valdes-Rodriguez
Alisa Valdes was raised in a home where feminism was religion, which spurred her into a prolific career as a feminist writer. However, as a single mom and serial dater at the age of 42, she still hadn't found what she was looking for. Until she met the Cowboy. His conservative beliefs and traditional views on gender roles make him everything she was raised to reject, but the way he makes her pulse race gives her second thoughts about rejecting him.
Gotham * 9781592407903
On Sale the Week of December 31st in Paperback

January 1st

ASHTON PARK: The Danforths of Lancashire, Book 1 by Murray Pura
Among the green hills and trees of Lancashire, only a few miles from the sea, lies the beautiful and ancient estate of Ashton Park. The year is 1916. The First World War has engulfed Europe and Sir William’s and Lady Elizabeth’s three sons are all in uniform --- and their four daughters are involved in various pursuits of the heart and soul.
Harvest House Publishers * 9780736952859

CHOICES OF THE HEART: The Midwives, Book 3 by Laurie Alice Eakes
Esther Cherrett comes from a proud line of midwives and was trained by her mother to take over the family calling. When a terrible scandal threatens all she holds dear, Esther flees, taking a position as a teacher in the wild western mountains of Virginia. But instead of the refuge she was seeking, Esther finds herself in the midst of a deadly family feud --- and courted by two men on opposite sides of the conflict.
Revell * 9780800719869

THE COLUMBUS AFFAIR by Steve Berry
When a controversial report from a war-torn region is exposed as a fraud, investigative journalist Tom Sagan's professional reputation crashes and burns. He is haunted by bad decisions and the shocking truth he can never prove: that his downfall was a deliberate act of sabotage by an unknown enemy. But before Sagan can end his life, fate intervenes in the form of an enigmatic stranger with a request that cannot be ignored.
Ballantine Books * 9780345526526

A COUPLE AFTER GOD’S OWN HEART: Building a Lasting, Loving Marriage Together by Jim and Elizabeth George
Jim and Elizabeth George come together to share from 40-plus years of marital wisdom and experiences to help couples grow closer to each other and to God. Husbands and wives will discover how they can enrich their marriages by looking at the lives of key couples in the Bible, including Abraham and Sarah, Boaz and Ruth, and Joseph and Mary.
Harvest House Publishers * 9780736951203

THE DILEMMA OF CHARLOTTE FARROW: Avenue of Dreams, Book 2 by Olivia Newport
While the rest of Chicago focuses on the enormous spectacle of the 1893 World’s Columbian Exposition, Charlotte Farrow’s attentions are entirely on one small boy --- her boy --- whom she has kept a secret from her wealthy employers for nearly a year. When the woman who has been caring for her son abruptly returns him to the opulent Banning home, Charlotte must decide whether to come clean and face dismissal or keep her secret while the Bannings decide the child’s fate.
Revell * 9780800720391

THE DRESSMAKER by Kate Alcott
When Tess Collins, a fledgling seamstress and dress designer, finds herself onboard the Titanic, she's torn between two attractive and eligible men. But before the journey is over, survival takes priority, and the shocking aftermath of the disaster turns Tess's life upside down in unforeseeable ways.
Anchor * 9780307948199

HOME by Toni Morrison
Frank Money is an angry, self-loathing veteran of the Korean War who finds himself back in racist America with more than just physical scars. His home may seem alien to him, but he is shocked out of his crippling apathy by the need to rescue his medically abused younger sister and take her back to the small Georgia town that he’s hated all his life.
Vintage * 9780307740915

THE LESSON: Stoney Ridge Seasons, Book 3 by Suzanne Woods Fisher
Nineteen-year-old Mary Kate Lapp's dreams of travel have taken a backseat to her assignment to teach school this year. But when a sudden and unexplained death conveniently coincides with the arrival of a mysterious young man, M.K. is frustrated that no one takes it seriously. She’s determined to take matters into her own hands and get to the bottom of it. Will she find more than she bargained for?
Revell * 9780800719890

MIDWINTER BLOOD by Mons Kallentoft
Malin Fors is the most driven and talented superintendent who has ever worked at the police force in her small, isolated town. In her job, she is constantly moving through the borderland between life and death. She navigates her colleagues through crime investigations so gruesome that they make the darkest of nightmares seem like fairy tales.
Atria/Emily Bestler Books * 9781451642520

ONE PERFECT WORD: One Word Can Make All the Difference by Debbie Macomber
In the tradition of ONE SIMPLE ACT and GOD’S GUEST LIST, Debbie Macomber reveals in inspiring, moving stories that the simplicity of one perfect word can become profound. When Debbie took the time to intentionally focus on a single word --- such as prayer, trust, or surrender --- for a whole year, this act changed not only herself, but those around her as well.
Howard Books * 9781439195291

TO HONOR AND TRUST: Bridal Veil Island, Book 3 by Tracie Peterson and Judith Miller
Callie Deboyer is spending the winter at Bridal Veil Island working as a governess for the Bridgeport family. She wonders, though, if God is calling her to join her parents in their missionary work. When she enrolls young Thomas Bridgeport in golf lessons, Callie meets instructor Wesley Townsend, who urges her to take lessons as well. During their time together, Callie comes to care for Wes --- until she discovers that he's been hiding something very important from her.
Bethany House Publishers * 9780764208881

THE TUTOR'S DAUGHTER by Julie Klassen
Determined to help her father when his boarding school fails, Emma Smallwood accompanies him to the cliff-top manor of a baronet and his four sons. But soon after they arrive, mysterious things begin to happen. The baronet's older sons both remember Miss Smallwood from their days at her father's academy, but now one of them becomes unexpectedly drawn to her. When suspicious acts escalate, can Emma figure out which brother to blame and which to trust with her heart?
Bethany House Publishers * 9780764210693

UNDER THE SUMMER SKY: The Dakota Diaries, Book 2 by Lori Copeland
When a man named Jones spots a lady who is about to become the victim of a marauding band of thugs, he quickly follows his instincts. A handy barrel and a nearby river seem the perfect getaway solution. How was he to know she couldn’t swim? Thus begins an adventure beyond what either could have anticipated. After Jones again rescues Trinity --- this time from the river --- they find their destination is the same: a small town in North Dakota.
Harvest House Publishers * 9780736930208

VANISHED: A Private Justice Novel by Irene Hannon
VANISHED opens with a shadowy figure caught in the beam of reporter Moira Harrison’s headlights --- followed by a solid thump before she loses control and crashes into a tree. But when Moira regains consciousness, the victim is nowhere to be seen. The police say the disappearance never happened, but Moira can’t forget the look of sheer terror she saw on the person’s face in the instant it was caught in the glare of her headlights. Now her only hope of discovering the truth is a former police detective turned private eye --- and her own investigate skills.
Revell * 9780800721237

WAITING FOR SPRING: Westward Winds, Book 2 by Amanda Cabot
After the loss of her husband and the birth of her baby, Charlotte flees to Cheyenne to put the pieces of her life back together. Wealthy cattle baron and political hopeful Barrett Landry must make a sensible match if he is to be elected senator of the soon-to-be state of Wyoming. Yet he can’t shake the feeling that Charlotte holds the key to his heart and his future. Will Charlotte and Barrett find the courage to look love in the face? Or will their fears blot out any chance for happiness?
Revell * 9780800734602


January 2nd

BEFORE THE POISON by Peter Robinson
Chris Lowndes always promised his wife they would return to the Yorkshire Dales one day. Now a grieving widower, he keeps his promise to his wife and rents an isolated house in the Dales. But then he finds out that the house was the scene of a legendary murder more than 50 years before.
William Morrow Paperbacks * 9780062204684

INTO THE DARKEST CORNER by Elizabeth Haynes
Catherine (now Cathy) Bailey learns of the impending release of her former lover Lee, whose erratic, controlling behavior frightened her. She begins to return home to find objects subtly rearranged in her apartment, one of Lee’s old tricks. Convinced she is back in his sights, Cathy prepares to wrestle with the demons of her past for the last time.
Harper Paperbacks * 9780062197269

THE ONE I LEFT BEHIND by Jennifer McMahon
A serial killer called Neptune begins kidnapping women during the summer of 1985. He leaves their severed hands on the police department steps and displays their bodies around town. Just when 13-year-old Reggie needs her mother, Vera, the most, Vera’s hand is found, yet there’s no body. Twenty-five years later, Reggie learns that her mother has been found alive. She must confront the ghosts of her past and find Neptune before he kills again.
William Morrow Paperbacks * 9780062122551

AN UNMARKED GRAVE: A Bess Crawford Mystery by Charles Todd
In the spring of 1918, battlefield nurse Bess Crawford discovers the body of an officer --- a family friend --- who has been murdered. Before she can report the terrible news, Bess falls ill, the latest victim of the Spanish flu epidemic. By the time she recovers, the murdered officer has been buried, and the only other person who saw the body has hanged himself. Or did he?
William Morrow Paperbacks * 9780062015730

WAITING FOR SUNRISE by William Boyd
Lysander Rief, a young English actor, becomes caught up in a feverish affair with a beautiful, enigmatic woman. When she goes to the police to press charges of rape, however, he is stunned. Only a carefully plotted escape saves him from trial. But the frenzied getaway sets off a chain of events that steadily dismantles Lysander's life as he knows it.
Harper Perennial * 9780061876776

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