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First Lie Wins by Ashley Elston

January 2024

When I was on vacation last summer, I read FIRST LIE WINS by Ashley Elston and could not wait for it to come out so I could discuss it with people. I read a lot of thrillers and am used to twists, but this book definitely ratcheted up the game…a lot! I am not alone in saying this as friends who are now reading it are calling and writing to tell me “how good” it is.

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The Berry Pickers by Amanda Peters

December 2023

I had heard such great things about THE BERRY PICKERS by debut novelist Amanda Peters that I was curious to read it. Clearly, I was not alone as it was tough to get my hands on a copy. It was sold out in so many places. I had read the pitch for it, and when we shared it at our November “Bookaccino Live” book preview program, it was the book that our attendees most wanted to read.

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Absolution by Alice McDermott

December 2023

When we think about Vietnam, what comes to mind are soldiers, battles, napalm and a war that no one wants to talk about. With ABSOLUTION, Alice McDermott delivers a book with beautiful prose that I just inhaled, and it gave me a different perspective on the place before it really erupted.

But first, the setup. The story takes place before we formally entered the war in 1965. Trouble is brewing, but the US is not deeply involved. We are there more as advisors to the South Vietnamese. Alice explores these days through the story of the wives of those who accompanied their husbands to Vietnam in 1963.

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Class: A Memoir of Motherhood, Hunger, and Higher Education by Stephanie Land

December 2023

Only one memoir is on my Bets On list this year: CLASS by Stephanie Land. I had the pleasure of interviewing Stephanie twice in 2018 before her New York Times bestseller MAID came out in early 2019. That was before Zoom and video were readily available, so those interviews do not exist. I loved that the book enjoyed instant success, and it was fun to see it made into a hugely popular Netflix series.

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The Other Mothers by Katherine Faulkner

December 2023

I loved Katherine Faulkner's debut novel, GREENWICH PARK, and I am happy to share that THE OTHER MOTHERS is even better.

A young nanny has been found dead, and the mothers in the neighborhood are curious as to what happened. A new mom in their midst, Tash, has been looking for the right story to jump-start her career as a journalist. She spotted these other mothers at her son’s playgroup. They are sleek, sophisticated and way out of her league socially. They live in houses that are stately, very unlike her basement apartment. She budgets; they spend. But quickly she is a part of their circle, sipping lattes and enjoying spa treatments she cannot afford.

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The Mystery Guest: A Maid Novel by Nita Prose

December 2023

THE MAID was such a terrific debut, and I was wondering if Nita Prose could either match it or top it with THE MYSTERY GUEST. I am very pleased to say that she did. Once again, we have Molly the maid, who I came to love in the first book. She now is the Head Maid at the Regency Grand Hotel. When the book opens, mystery author J. D. Grimthorpe has come to the hotel to make an announcement. But at the start of the program, he takes a drink of tea, collapses and dies. From there the mystery unfolds.

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The Spectacular by Fiona Davis

December 2023

When I heard that Fiona Davis had written a book set at Radio City Music Hall, I decided to hold off on reading it until November when the Christmas Spectacular kicked off there. Pun intended. I am glad I did. THE SPECTACULAR opens in 1956 when 19-year-old Marion Brooks seizes an opportunity and auditions for the Rockettes. And she is selected. Her father, Simon, is furious. He had plans for her --- she would marry her boyfriend, Nathaniel, and they would continue to live in Bronxville. Instead, she moves into a rooming house with other Rockettes and theater folks and embarks on a grueling yet invigorating schedule to perfect the tightly choreographed routines.

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The Manor House by Gilly Macmillan

December 2023

I first read Gilly Macmillan when she wrote THE NANNY and have looked forward to each of her books since then. With THE MANOR HOUSE, she once again does not disappoint. Here we have a young couple who has won the lottery; I know many of us have dreamed of this. Nicole and Tom move into The Glass Barn, with state-of-the-art features and a design that is the envy of a lot of people. They have cool cars, and we know that their lives feel very grand.

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The Spy Coast by Tess Gerritsen

November 2023

In May, I had the pleasure of hearing Tess Gerritsen talk about THE SPY COAST, which had me excited about it. When I read the book, it really lived up to her description and enthusiasm for it. The idea for the characters came from some people in her Maine town who “had worked in government in Washington, DC.” And they said not much more. She realized along the way that they were retired CIA agents.

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The Leftover Woman by Jean Kwok

October 2023

Jean Kwok’s THE LEFTOVER WOMAN is the story of two women and one child. In China, Jasmine Yang had a baby girl. Her husband told her the infant died, but instead he had their girl given up for adoption. The One Child Policy was in place in China, and he wanted a son, not a daughter. Jasmine later learns what happened and heads to New York to find her child. To get there, she sells her wedding ring and entrusts her safe passage to snakeheads, to whom she owes a huge financial debt.

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