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We're Betting You'll Love This Contest!

The prizes include books by Megan Abbott, Marie Benedict, Tess Gerritsen, Nancy Horan, William Kent Krueger, Tracey Lange, Kate Morton, Lisa See and Thrity Umrigar. Enter by January 12th at noon ET.

Two Mauled Bodies. Top-Secret Autopsies. The Most Chilling Cases of Kay Scarpetta’s Career.

The chief medical examiner is in a Northern Virginia wilderness examining the remains of two campers wanted by federal law enforcement.

THE FROZEN RIVER is December's "Good Morning America" Book Club Pick

This gripping mystery is inspired by the life and diary of Martha Ballard, a renowned 18th-century midwife who defied the legal system.

Katherine Faulkner's Second Novel Consistently Upends Readers’ Expectations

THE OTHER MOTHERS is a fresh and deftly paced thriller about murder, class and motherhood in an exclusive London community.

We're Celebrating the Holiday Season in Style with Our 24-Hour Holiday Cheer Contests

Our final prize book is THE BERRY PICKERS by Amanda Peters. The contest will be up on Tuesday, December 12th at noon ET.

We Have "Reader Perfect" Suggestions for Holiday Giving and Getting in Different Genres

Among them are DIAMONDS AND DEADLINES by Betsy Prioleau and MOTHER-DAUGHTER MURDER NIGHT by Nina Simon.

Latest Features and Contests


Special Contest: Enter to Win Our End-of-the-Year Celebration, Featuring All 44 "Bets On" Titles from 2023

We are thrilled to announce our End-of-the-Year Contest featuring Carol Fitzgerald's Bookreporter.com Bets On picks from 2023. One Grand Prize winner will be awarded all 44 books, while 11 other readers will receive four of these titles. The deadline for your entries is Friday, January 12th at noon ET.

» Click here to enter the contest.


Bookreporter.com Bets On: THE MYSTERY GUEST: A Maid Novel, by Nita Prose


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.

» Click here to read more of Carol's Bets On commentary.


Bookreporter.com Bets On: THE SPECTACULAR by Fiona Davis


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.

» Click here to read more of Carol's Bets On commentary.


Bookreporter.com Bets On: THE MANOR HOUSE by Gilly Macmillan

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. This is set up very early. But by page five, Tom is found dead in their swimming pool.

» Click here to read more of Carol's Bets On commentary.


Bookreporter.com's 16th Annual Holiday Author Blogs: Authors Write About Their Favorite Holiday Memories
of Giving or Receiving Books


We have brought back our Holiday Author Blogs for a 16th year. From now through Friday, December 15th, we will feature a new blog post from an author each weekday talking about the books that they have given and/or received during the holidays.

We kicked off the feature with Laurie Frankel, whose new novel, FAMILY FAMILY, releases on January 23rd. You can read her terrific piece, "Book-Elfing," here.

Still to come are contributions from Ashley Elston (FIRST LIE WINS), Armando Lucas Correa (THE SILENCE IN HER EYES), Freida McFadden (THE TEACHER), Allison Pataki (FINDING MARGARET FULLER), and Jonathan Santlofer (THE LOST VAN GOGH).

» Click here to read Bookreporter.com's 2023 Holiday Author Blogs.


Bookreporter.com's Holiday Cheer Contests and Feature


This year, we celebrate the holiday season in style with three Holiday Cheer contests. Our prize books are THE BERRY PICKERS by Amanda Peters, THE JOLLIEST BUNCH: Unhinged Holiday Stories by Danny Pellegrino, and MOTHER-DAUGHTER MURDER NIGHT by Nina Simon.

Our final 24-hour contest of the year will go live on Tuesday, December 12th at noon ET. Five readers will win a copy of THE BERRY PICKERS. If you would like to receive a special Holiday Cheer newsletter alerting you to this giveaway, you can sign up for it here.

» Click here to learn more about our featured titles.


Bookreporter.com’s “What to Give, What to Get” Guide: "Reader Perfect" Suggestions for Holiday Giving and Getting


We at Bookreporter.com know that readers crave ideas for gift-giving --- and getting --- at the holidays. With this in mind, we're offering a "What to Give, What to Get" Guide with "Reader Perfect" suggestions. We have book ideas for everyone on your holiday list. And while you're looking for gifts for others, may we suggest you jot down notes for books YOU want? Let the shopping begin!

» Click here to see our "What to Give, What to Get" feature.


Our Favorite Monthly Lists & Picks for December


Each month, we share top book picks from Indie Next and LibraryReads, as well as the Target Book Club title. We also feature a number of other prominent picks, including Oprah’s Book Club, the Barnes & Noble Book Club, Reese's Book Club, Jenna Bush Hager's "Read with Jenna" Today Show Book Club, the "Good Morning America" Book Club, and Simon & Schuster’s Book Club Favorites.

» Click here for December's Favorite Monthly Lists & Picks.

Bookreporter Talks To...

As part of our mission to expand The Book Report Network, we have been shooting video interviews with authors and posting them on our YouTube channel. We also have been making them available as podcasts. Carol loves interviewing authors, so this feels like a natural.

Douglas Brunt's latest book, THE MYSTERIOUS CASE OF RUDOLF DIESEL: Genius, Power, and Deception on the Eve of World War I, was an instant New York Times bestseller when it released in September. Doug talks about the origin of the story, which came about as he bought an older boat, and how his fascination with the character of Rudolf Diesel sprang from there. Many know about Diesel fuel, but few are aware that it was named for the man who invented it, along with the first Diesel engine. Doug explains why he chose to include a wider view of what was going on in the world at the time, as well as theories about Diesel’s fate. He goes on to present his thoughts on what really happened; to him, it was neither suicide nor murder. Watch the video or listen to the podcast.

THE SPY COAST kicks off Tess Gerritsen's new series, The Martini Club, and is a Bets On selection. In this fresh take on the spy thriller, a retired CIA operative in small-town Maine tackles the ghosts of her past. Tess shares where she got the idea for this book, which has a very interesting origin. She has visited the international locations where the action takes place, and she discusses how she was able to make those scenes feel so authentic. She did not plot the novel in advance, which is surprising when readers see how well it all came together. Carol thinks this is her best book yet. Watch the video or listen to the podcast.

Carol talks to Jessica Knoll about her new novel, BRIGHT YOUNG WOMEN, which is a Bets On title. This book is a fictional look at the victims of a serial killer, based on Ted Bundy, though he is never called by name here. Jessica talks about the structure of the novel, where the crimes that open the book are captured hour by hour and day by day. She explores the three characters in the book, as well as the research that she did to get the right tone and tenor for the story. Jessica realizes that if the victims had survived, they would be in their 50s and 60s today. She also touches on the television series adaptation that she has been tapped to write, as well as her experience with the film adaptation of LUCKIEST GIRL ALIVE. Watch the video or listen to the podcast.

» Click here for a complete list of our "Bookreporter Talks To" videos and podcasts, along with upcoming interviews.

Latest Reviews

Francis Ford Coppola is one of the great American dreamers, and his most magnificent dream is American Zoetrope, the production company he founded in San Francisco years before his gargantuan success, when he was only 30. Through Zoetrope’s experimental, communal utopia, Coppola attempted to reimagine the entire pursuit of moviemaking. Now, more than 50 years later, despite myriad setbacks, the visionary filmmaker’s dream persists, most notably in the production of his decades-in-the-making film and the culmination of his utopian ideals, Megalopolis. Granted total and unprecedented access to Coppola’s archives, conducting hundreds of interviews with the artist and those who have worked closely with him, Sam Wasson weaves together an extraordinary portrait.

Light and dark. This is the cursed birthright placed upon Clara and Natasha by their godfather, Drosselmeyer. Charming Clara grows into a life of beauty and ease, while Natasha is relegated to her sister’s shadow. But Natasha seizes the opportunity for revenge one Christmas Eve, when Drosselmeyer arrives at the family gala with the Nutcracker, an enchanted gift that offers entry into an alternate world: the Kingdom of Sweets. Following Clara into the glittering land of snow and sugar, Natasha discovers a source of power far greater than Drosselmeyer: the Sugar Plum Fairy. But as Natasha uncovers the truth about a dark destiny crafted long before her birth, she must reckon with forces both earthly and magical, human and diabolical, and decide to which world she truly belongs.

Benedict Arnold committed treason. For more than two centuries, that’s all that most Americans have known about him. Yet Arnold was much more than a turncoat --- his achievements during the early years of the Revolutionary War defined him as the most successful soldier of the era. GOD SAVE BENEDICT ARNOLD tells the gripping story of Arnold’s rush of audacious feats --- his capture of Fort Ticonderoga, his Maine mountain expedition to attack Quebec, the famous artillery brawl at Valcour Island, the turning-point battle at Saratoga --- that laid the groundwork for our independence.

After three decades in counterintelligence, Brad Trasker is retired, disillusioned and dealing with a tragic loss. Spy games are behind him until he attends the launch of a next-generation aircraft. When the project of innovative aerospace CEO Kylie Connor explodes on the tarmac --- nearly killing her in the process --- Trasker is pulled back into the line of fire. The mystery of the sabotage quickly deepens. All of Kylie’s data has been wiped from the server. One of her engineers has disappeared. A seed investor has died in a suspicious car accident. And a cold-blooded murder raises the stakes even higher. To discover who’s pulling the strings behind a dangerous conspiracy, Trasker needs to find a motive. Corporate espionage, revenge or something he can’t yet see?

Five Bad Deeds by Caz Frear - Psychological Thriller

Teacher, mother, wife and all-around good citizen Ellen Walsh is juggling nonstop commitments --- from raising a teen and two toddlers to job-hunting to finally renovating her dream home, the Meadowhouse. Amidst the chaos, an ominous note arrives in the mail, declaring: People have to learn there are consequences, Ellen. And I’m going to teach you that lesson. Right under your nose. Why would someone send her this? Ellen has no clue. But someone blames her for all the bad they’ve experienced. Could the five bad deeds that come to haunt Ellen explain why things have gone so horribly wrong? As she races to discover who’s set on destroying her reputation and her future, Ellen continues to receive increasingly threatening messages…each one hitting closer to everything she cherishes.

The late Anthony Veasna So’s debut story collection, AFTERPARTIES, was a landmark publication. And he was equally known for his comic, soulful essays, published in n+1, The New Yorker and The Millions. SONGS ON ENDLESS REPEAT gathers those essays together, along with previously unpublished fiction. Written with razor-sharp wit and an unflinching eye, the essays examine his youth in California, the lives of his refugee parents, his intimate friendships, loss, pop culture and more. And in linked fiction following three Cambodian American cousins who stand to inherit their late aunt’s illegitimate loan-sharking business, So explores community, grief and longing with inimitable humor and depth.

Meet the Benedettos by Katie Cotugno - Romantic Comedy

A few years after a reality TV show skyrocketed the Benedettos to pop-culture fame, the five twentysomething sisters are nearly broke and living together in their parents’ crumbling McMansion. Lilly, the sensible second-eldest sister, is all too aware that her family is viewed as a spectacle, but she’s focused on holding herself and her family together. The Benedettos’ fortunes finally appear to be brightening when Charlie Bingley, the dashing star of Captain Fantastic, moves into their Los Angeles neighborhood with his friend, Will Darcy, in tow. It isn’t long before Charlie falls for the warm and lovely eldest sister, June. Lilly has no such luck: the arrogant and judgmental Will Darcy, a man plagued by his own private demons, seems ready to clash with her at every turn --- yet the two can’t seem to stay away from each other.

Here in the Dark by Alexis Soloski - Psychological Thriller

A former actress, Vivian Parry now works as the junior theater critic at a major Manhattan magazine. Her nights are spent beyond the lights, in a reserved seat, giving herself over to the shows she loves. By day, she savages them. Angling for a promotion, she reluctantly agrees to an interview, a conversation that reveals secrets she thought she had long since buried. Then her interviewer disappears, and she learns --- from his devastated fiancée --- that she was the last person to have seen him alive. When the police refuse to investigate, Vivian does what she promised herself she would never do again: she plays a part. Assuming the role of amateur detective, she turns her critical gaze toward an unsanitary private eye, a sketchy internet startup, a threatening financier, fake blood and one very real corpse.

Preparations are underway for Glenfest, Glendara’s literary festival. Phyllis Kettle, the local bookshop owner, is especially pleased to have persuaded Gavin Featherstone, the local bestselling recluse writer, to take part. The festival begins, and an eager crowd awaits Featherstone’s appearance on stage. He is unexpectedly engaging, but when he stands to read from his new book, he stumbles and keels over on the platform. Solicitor Benedicta “Ben” O’Keeffe discovers that she holds Featherstone’s will at the office, drafted by her predecessor. Soon, she’s drawn into a complicated legal wrangle over the man’s estate involving his family and the assistant who lived with him. But nothing can be resolved yet, as a killer cannot inherit from their victim --- and Gavin Featherstone’s death was a murder.

Dreaming of Water by A. J. Banner - Psychological Thriller

Astrid Johansen swore she would never return to Heron Bay, Washington. In that idyllic coastal town, her little sister, Nina, drowned in a reflecting pool under Astrid’s watch 17 years ago. Though guilt has kept her away, Astrid can’t ignore her aunt Maude’s urgent plea to come back. Maude claims to have found a letter that will change everything about the past. When Astrid arrives in Heron Bay, she finds Maude unconscious, perhaps the victim of an attack. As Maude lingers in a coma, Astrid uncovers alarming evidence that Nina’s drowning that tragic night was no accident. The ensuing investigation leads her down a trail of dark memories, lies and betrayals that will shatter her perception of everyone she thought she knew --- even herself.