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Week of August 27, 2018

New in Paperback

Week of August 27, 2018

Paperback releases for the week of August 27th include Dean Koontz's THE CROOKED STAIRCASE, in which Jane Hawk (who captivated readers in THE SILENT CORNER and THE WHISPERING ROOM) faces the fight of her life, against the threat of a lifetime; ENEMY OF THE STATE by Kyle Mills, the latest installment in Vince Flynn's series starring Mitch Rapp, who finds himself alone and targeted by a country that is supposed to be one of America’s closest allies; and Tom Rinaldi's THE RED BANDANNA, which recounts the incredible story of Welles Crowther, whose actions on 9/11 offer a lasting lesson on character, calling and courage.

Bluebird, Bluebird by Attica Locke - Mystery/Thriller

August 28, 2018

When it comes to law and order, East Texas plays by its own rules --- a fact that Darren Mathews, a black Texas Ranger, knows all too well. Deeply ambivalent about growing up black in the lone star state, he was the first in his family to get as far away from Texas as he could. Until duty called him home. When his allegiance to his roots puts his job in jeopardy, he travels up Highway 59 to the small town of Lark, where two murders --- a black lawyer from Chicago and a local white woman --- have stirred up a hornet's nest of resentment. Darren must solve the crimes --- and save himself in the process --- before Lark's long-simmering racial fault lines erupt.

The Crooked Staircase: A Jane Hawk Novel by Dean Koontz - Thriller

August 28, 2018

Battling the strange epidemic of murder-suicides that claimed Jane Hawk’s husband, and is escalating across the country, has made the rogue FBI agent a wanted fugitive. Jane’s ruthless pursuers can’t stop her from drawing a bead on her prey: a cunning man with connections in high places, a twisted soul of unspeakable depths with an army of professional killers on call. Propelled by her righteous fury and implacable insistence on justice, Jane will confront head-on the lethal forces arrayed against her. But nothing can prepare her for the chilling truth that awaits when she descends the crooked staircase to the dark and dreadful place where her long nightmare was born.

Enemy of the State: A Mitch Rapp Novel by Vince Flynn and Kyle Mills - Political Thriller

August 28, 2018

After 9/11, the United States made one of the most secretive and dangerous deals in its history. The evidence against the powerful Saudis who coordinated the attack would be buried. In return, King Faisal would promise to keep the oil flowing and deal with the conspirators in his midst. When the king’s own nephew is discovered funding ISIS, the president suspects that the Saudis never intended to live up to their agreement. He decides that the royalty needs to be sent a message and that Mitch Rapp is just the man to deliver it. The catch? America can’t be seen moving against an ally. Rapp will be on his own.

The Grave's a Fine and Private Place: A Flavia de Luce Novel by Alan Bradley - Historical Mystery

August 28, 2018

In the wake of an unthinkable family tragedy, 12-year-old Flavia de Luce is struggling to fill her empty days. For a needed escape, Dogger, the loyal family servant, suggests a boating trip for Flavia and her two older sisters. As their punt drifts past the church where a notorious vicar had recently dispatched three of his female parishioners by spiking their communion wine with cyanide, Flavia, an expert chemist with a passion for poisons, is ecstatic. Suddenly something grazes her fingers as she dangles them in the water. She clamps down on the object, which turns out to be a human head, attached to a human body. If anything could take Flavia’s mind off sorrow, it is solving a murder --- although one that may lead the young sleuth to an early grave.

Housegirl by Michael Donkor - Fiction

August 28, 2018

As a housegirl, Belinda knows how to follow the rules. Mary, a young housegirl-in-training, is still learning the rules. Amma has had enough of the rules. A straight-A student at her exclusive London school, she has always been the pride of her Ghanaian parents --- until now. Watching their once-confident teenager grow sullen and wayward, they decide that sensible Belinda is the shining example Amma needs. So Belinda must leave Mary behind as she is summoned from Ghana to London, where she tries to impose order on her unsettling new world. As summer turns to autumn, Belinda and Amma are surprised to discover common ground. But when the cracks in their defenses open up, the secrets they have both been holding tightly threaten to seep out.

The Language of Solitude by Jan-Philipp Sendker - Mystery/Thriller

August 28, 2018

Brooding expat and journalist Paul Leibovitz is beginning to imagine a new life for himself in Hong Kong, one in which the grief over a recent family tragedy doesn’t consume him and his love for Christine Wu brings him great joy. When Christine gets an unexpected and emotionally charged letter from her estranged brother, Paul journeys with her to a remote village outside of Shanghai, where a mysterious illness is affecting the locals. Paul discovers that a powerful chemical conglomerate is polluting a nearby lake, and Chinese officials are doing nothing to stop it. If Paul doesn’t walk away, he could pull the woman he loves reluctantly back into a world she escaped from decades ago --- putting their relationship and their lives at risk.

A Life of Adventure and Delight by Akhil Sharma - Fiction/Short Stories

August 28, 2018

Akhil Sharma delivers eight stories that focus on Indian protagonists at home and abroad, plunging readers into the unpredictable workings of the human heart. A young woman in an arranged marriage awakens one day surprised to find herself in love with her husband. A retired divorcé tries to become the perfect partner by reading women’s magazines. A man’s longstanding contempt for his cousin suddenly shifts inward when he witnesses his cousin caring for a sick woman. The protagonists in A LIFE OF ADVENTURE AND DELIGHT deceive themselves and engage in odd behaviors as they navigate how to be good, how to make meaningful relationships, and the strengths and pitfalls of self-interest.

Louis L'Amour's Lost Treasures: Volume 1: Mysterious Stories, Lost Notes and Unfinished Manuscripts from One of the World's Most Popular Novelists by Louis L'Amour with Beau L'Amour - Western/Short Stories

August 28, 2018

Using his father’s handwritten notes, journal entries and correspondences, Beau L’Amour uncovers how and why many never-before-seen manuscripts were written --- and speculates about the ways they might have ended. These selections celebrate Louis L’Amour’s vision and virtuosity, including the first seven chapters of a powerful novel about the Trail of Tears, a chilling Western horror story, and a tale of the American Revolution featuring a character related to L’Amour’s well-known Sackett family. At the other end of the spectrum are classic adventures, such as "The Golden Tapestry," set in 1960s Istanbul, as well as several uniquely different attempts at what would have been the most profoundly intimate of all of L’Amour’s novels.

Rebellion by Molly Patterson - Fiction

August 28, 2018

In 1900, Addie, an American missionary in China, goes missing during the Boxer Rebellion. Her sister Louisa anticipates tragedy, certain that Addie’s fate is intertwined with her own legacy of loss. In 1958, Louisa’s daughter Hazel has her world upended by the untimely death of her husband. Yet even while she learns to enjoy her independence, Hazel realizes that the tradeoff for some freedoms is more precious than expected. Nearly half a century later, Juanlan has returned to her parents’ home in Heng’an. Her father is ill, and her sister-in-law is soon to give birth. Frustrated by obligation and the smallness of her own dreams, Juanlan at last dares to follow desire, only to discover an anger that cannot be contained.

The Red Bandanna: A Life. A Choice. A Legacy. by Tom Rinaldi - Biography

August 28, 2018

One Sunday morning before church, when Welles Crowther was a young boy, his father gave him a red handkerchief for his back pocket. Welles kept it with him that day, and just about every day to come. When the Twin Towers fell, Welles’ parents had no idea what happened to their son, who had taken a Wall Street job there. Eight months after the attacks, his mother read a news account from several survivors who said they and others had been led to safety by a stranger, carrying a woman on his back, down nearly 20 flights of stairs. They didn’t know his name, but despite the smoke and panic, one of them remembered a single detail clearly: the man was wearing a red bandanna.

The Salt Line by Holly Goddard Jones - Post-Apocalyptic Thriller/Science Fiction

August 28, 2018

In an unspecified future, the United States' borders have receded behind a salt line --- a ring of scorched earth that protects its citizens from deadly disease-carrying ticks. Those within the zone live safe, if limited, lives in a society controlled by a common fear. Few have any reason to venture out of the zone, except for the adrenaline junkies who pay a fortune to tour what's left of nature. Those among the latest expedition include a popstar and his girlfriend, Edie; the tech giant Wes; and Marta; a seemingly simple housewife. Once out of the zone, the group find themselves at the mercy of deadly ticks --- and at the center of a murderous plot.

Sold on a Monday by Kristina McMorris - Historical Fiction

August 28, 2018

2 CHILDREN FOR SALE. The sign is a last resort. It sits on a farmhouse porch in 1931, but could be found anywhere in an era of breadlines, bank runs and broken dreams. It could have been written by any mother facing impossible choices. For struggling reporter Ellis Reed, the gut-wrenching scene evokes memories of his family’s dark past. He snaps a photograph of the children, not meant for publication. But when it leads to his big break, the consequences are more devastating than he ever imagined. At the paper, Lillian Palmer is haunted by her role in all that happened. She is far too familiar with the heartbreak of children deemed unwanted. As the bonds of motherhood are tested, she and Ellis must decide how much they are willing to risk to mend a fractured family.

Strong to the Bone: A Caitlin Strong Novel by Jon Land - Thriller

August 28, 2018

1944: Texas Ranger Earl Strong investigates a triple murder inside a Nazi POW camp in Texas. The Present: His daughter, fifth generation Texas Ranger Caitlin Strong, finds herself pursuing the killer her father never caught in the most personal case of her career --- a conspiracy stretching from that Nazi POW camp to a modern-day neo-Nazi gang. A sinister movement has emerged from the shadows of history, determined to undermine the American way of life. Its leader, Armand Fisker, has an army at his disposal, a deadly bio-weapon, and a reputation for being unbeatable. To prevent an unspeakable cataclysm, Caitlin and her outlaw lover, Cort Wesley Masters, must win a war the world thought was over.

Tear Me Apart by J.T. Ellison - Thriller

August 28, 2018

When the famed photographer Miranda Brand died mysteriously at the height of her career, it sent shock waves through Callinas, California. Decades later, old wounds are reopened when her son, Theo, hires the ex-journalist Kate Aitken to create an archive of his mother’s work. From Miranda’s vast maze of personal effects, Kate pieces together a portrait of a vibrant artist buckling under the pressures of ambition, motherhood, and marriage. As the summer progresses, Kate navigates vicious local rumors and her growing attraction to the enigmatic Theo, all while unearthing the shocking details of Miranda’s private life. But Kate has secrets of her own, and when she stumbles across a diary that may finally resolve the mystery of Miranda’s death, her curiosity starts to spiral into a dangerous obsession.

When You Can't Stop by James W. Hall - Thriller

August 28, 2018

Despite Harper McDaniel’s best efforts, the man responsible for the murder of her husband and son was exonerated thanks to some slick legal wrangling. This blatant injustice has only made Harper more determined than ever to bring down the culprit. Her ammunition? Incriminating information about his olive oil operations in Italy. But the clues that she follows are leading her into the depths of a corrupt plot that is more poisonous and far-reaching than she realizes. Accompanied by her brother and mobster grandfather, Harper treks across Spain from Seville to a medieval castle, home to a successful olive farmer who is one of Harper’s closest allies. Shadowed every step of the way by a ruthless assassin, Harper is moving ever deeper into enemy territory.