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Week of July 23, 2018

New in Paperback

Week of July 23, 2018

Paperback releases for the week of July 23rd include DEATH IN ST. PETERSBURG by Tasha Alexander, which finds Lady Emily applying her own set of skills to investigate the murder of a ballerina, whose body was discovered following a performance of "Swan Lake"; LOCKDOWN, a novel of psychological suspense from Laurie R. King that finds a community coming together when threatened by someone with a thirst for revenge; DUNBAR, Edward St. Aubyn's reimagining of "King Lear," William Shakespeare's most devastating family story; and NEED TO KNOW by Karen Cleveland, in which a high-powered CIA analyst makes a shocking discovery about her husband that leads her to question everything she believes.

The Boy at the Door by Alex Dahl - Psychological Thriller

July 24, 2018

Cecilia Wilborg has it all --- a loving husband, two beautiful daughters and a gorgeous home in the affluent Norwegian town of Sandefjord. However, one mistake from her past could bring it all crashing down around her. Annika Lucasson lives a dark life with her abusive, drug-dealing boyfriend. She's lost everything one too many times, and now she has one last chance to save herself, thanks to Cecilia. Annika knows her secret --- and just how much she's willing to do to make it all go away. When someone forgets to pick up their little boy at the local pool, Cecilia agrees to take him home, only to find an abandoned, empty house. It's the first step in the unraveling of her meticulously crafted life, as her and Annika's worlds collide.

City of Endless Night: A Pendergast Novel by Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child - Thriller

July 24, 2018

It begins as a manhunt for Grace Ozmian, the missing daughter of a wealthy tech billionaire. At first, the NYPD assumes that Grace has simply sped off on another wild adventure. But the case becomes something altogether different when the young woman's body is discovered, the head nowhere to be found. Lieutenant CDS Vincent D'Agosta quickly takes the lead. He knows his investigation will attract fierce scrutiny, so D'Agosta is delighted when FBI Special Agent A.X.L. Pendergast shows up at the crime scene also assigned to the case. But neither are prepared for what lies ahead, as it quickly becomes clear that a diabolical presence is haunting the greater metropolitan area.

Class Mom by Laurie Gelman - Fiction

July 24, 2018

Jen Dixon is not your typical Kansas City kindergarten class mom --- or mom in general. Jen already has two college-age daughters by two different (probably) musicians, and it’s her second time around the class mom block with five-year-old Max --- this time with a husband and father by her side. Though her best friend and PTA President sees her as the “wisest” candidate for the job (or oldest), not all of the other parents agree. Throw in an old flame from Jen’s past, a hyper-sensitive “allergy mom,” a surprisingly sexy kindergarten teacher, and an impossible-to-please Real Housewife-wannabe, causing problems at every turn, and the job really becomes much more than she signed up for.

Day of the Dead by Nicci French - Psychological Thriller/Mystery

July 24, 2018

A decade ago, psychologist Frieda Klein was sucked into the orbit of Dean Reeve, a psychopath who was obsessed with her. In the years since, Frieda has worked with --- and sometimes against --- the London police in solving their most baffling cases. But now she's in hiding, driven to isolation by Reeve. When a series of murders announces his return, Frieda must emerge from the shadows to confront her nemesis. Criminology student Lola Hayes has tracked Frieda down with a single-minded pursuit: she wants to delve inside the mind of a woman besieged by darkness. But in following every move Frieda makes, Lola is exposing herself to the same terrors --- and the same twisted fixation of a diabolical psychopath.

Death in St. Petersburg: A Lady Emily Mystery by Tasha Alexander - Historical Mystery

July 24, 2018

After the final curtain of “Swan Lake,” an animated crowd exits the Mariinsky theatre brimming with excitement from the night’s performance. But outside the scene is somber. A ballerina’s body lies face down in the snow, blood splattered like rose petals over the costume of the Swan Queen. Amongst the theatergoers is Lady Emily, accompanying her dashing husband Colin in Russia on assignment from the Crown. But it soon becomes clear that Colin isn’t the only one with work to do. When the dead ballerina’s aristocratic lover comes begging for justice, Emily must apply her own set of skills to discover the rising star’s murderer.

Dunbar by Edward St. Aubyn - Fiction

July 24, 2018

Henry Dunbar, the once all-powerful head of a global media corporation, is not having a good day. In his dotage he hands over care of the corporation to his two eldest daughters, Abby and Megan, but as relations sour he starts to doubt the wisdom of past decisions. Now imprisoned in Meadowmeade, an upscale sanatorium in rural England, with only a demented alcoholic comedian as company, Dunbar starts planning his escape. As he flees into the hills, his family is hot on his heels. But who will find him first --- his beloved youngest daughter, Florence, or the tigresses Abby and Megan, so keen to divest him of his estate?

Fierce Kingdom by Gin Phillips - Thriller

July 24, 2018

The zoo is nearly empty as Joan and her four-year-old son soak up the last few moments of playtime. They are happy, and the day has been close to perfect. But what Joan sees as she hustles her son toward the exit gate minutes before closing time sends her sprinting back into the zoo, her child in her arms. And for the next three hours, she keeps on running. Joan’s intimate knowledge of her son and of the zoo itself --- the hidden pathways and under-renovation exhibits, the best spots on the carousel and overstocked snack machines --- is all that keeps them a step ahead of danger.

Flight of the Fox by Gray Basnight - Thriller

July 23, 2018

College professor Sam Teagarden stumbles upon a decades-old government cover-up when an encoded document mysteriously lands in his inbox, followed by a cluster of mini-drones programmed to kill him. That begins a terrifying flight from upstate New York, to Washington, to Key West, as Teagarden must outfox teams of hitmen equipped with highly sophisticated technology. While a fugitive, he races to decode the journal, only to realize the dreadful truth --- it’s the reason he’s being hunted because it details criminal secrets committed by the U.S. in the 20th century. If he survives and publishes the decoded diary, he’ll be a heroic whistleblower. But there is no guarantee. He may also end up dead.

Gather the Daughters by Jennie Melamed - Dystopian Fiction

July 24, 2018

Years ago, just before the country was incinerated to wasteland, 10 men and their families colonized an island off the coast. They built a radical society of ancestor worship, controlled breeding, and the strict rationing of knowledge and history. Only the Wanderers --- chosen male descendants of the original 10 --- are allowed to cross to the wastelands. The daughters of these men are wives-in-training. At the first sign of puberty, they face their Summer of Fruition, a ritualistic season that drags them from adolescence to matrimony. At the end of one summer, little Caitlin Jacob sees something so horrifying, so contradictory to the laws of the island, that she must share it with the others.

The Ice-Cream Makers by Ernest van der Kwast - Fiction

July 24, 2018

As the heir to a proud Northern Italian ice-cream dynasty, Giovanni Calamine’s family is none too happy when he decides to break with tradition and travel the world as a notable poet. So when Giovanni receives an unexpected call from his brother, he is faced with a difficult decision: return home to serve in his family’s interests or continue on his own path in life once and for all.

The Last Thing I Told You by Emily Arsenault - Psychological Thriller

July 24, 2018

Therapist Dr. Mark Fabian has been bludgeoned to death in his office. But that doesn’t stop former patient Nadine Raines from talking to him --- in her head. Why did she come back to her hometown after so many years away? She committed a shockingly violent act when she was 16, and has never really been able to explain that dark impulse. Meanwhile, Detective Henry Peacher discovers that shortly before he died, Fabian pulled the files of two former patients: Nadine Raines and Johnny Streeter, the latter of whom is now serving a life sentence for a mass shooting five years ago. Could there be a decades-old connection between Nadine and Streeter? Maybe that would explain why Fabian ended up dead two days after Nadine’s return.

Little Girl Lost by Wendy Corsi Staub - Psychological Thriller

July 24, 2018

May 1968: In Harlem, a church janitor finds an innocent newborn in a basket. Meanwhile, in Brooklyn, an elusive serial killer prowls slumbering families, leaving a trail of blood and a twisted calling card. October 1987: Amelia Crenshaw embarks on a search to discover the truth about the birth mother who abandoned her, never suspecting she’s on a collision course with a killer. Detective Stockton Barnes, a brash young NYPD detective, trails a missing millionaire whose disappearance is rooted in a nightmare that began 20 years ago. The past returns with a brutal vengeance as a masked predator picks off victims whose fates intertwine with a notorious murder spree solved back in ’68. Or was it?

Lockdown by Laurie R. King - Psychological Suspense

July 24, 2018

A year ago, Principal Linda McDonald arrived at Guadalupe determined to overturn the school’s reputation for truancy, gang violence and neglect. One of her initiatives is Career Day --- bringing together children, teachers and community presenters in a celebration of the future. But there are some in attendance who reject McDonald’s bright vision. A principal with a secret. A husband with a murky past. A cop with too many questions. A kid under pressure to prove himself. A girl struggling to escape a mother’s history. A young basketball player with an affection for guns. Even the school janitor has a story he dare not reveal. But no one at the gathering anticipates the shocking turn of events that will transform a day of possibilities into an explosive confrontation.

The Long Drop by Denise Mina - Historical/Psychological Thriller

July 24, 2018

In 1950s Glasgow, a household of women were found slaughtered in their beds. The father, William Watt, had a cast iron alibi, but police were convinced he was guilty. Determined to clear his name, Watt let it be known that he would pay for information. Step forward career criminal Peter Manuel, with compelling details only the murderer could know. Watt agreed to meet him. They spent 12 hours together, driving and drinking in Glasgow pubs and clubs. No one knows what happened that night. The next time they met was in the High Court where Manuel was defending himself against the murder charges. He called Watt as a witness and quizzed him about their long, shady night together.

Need to Know by Karen Cleveland - Thriller

July 24, 2018

Vivian Miller. High-powered CIA analyst, happily married to a man she adores, mother of four beautiful children. Until the moment she makes a shocking discovery that makes her question everything she believes. She thought she knew her husband inside and out. But now she wonders if it was all a lie. How far will she go to learn the truth? And does she really need to know?

Nightblind by Ragnar Jónasson - Mystery/Thriller

July 24, 2018

Ari Thor Arason is a local policeman who has an uneasy relationship with the villagers in an idyllically quiet fishing village in Northern Iceland --- where no one locks their doors. The peace of this close-knit community is shattered by a murder. One of Ari’s colleagues is gunned down at point-blank range in the dead of night in a deserted house. With a killer on the loose and the dark Arctic waters closing in, it falls to Ari Thor to piece together a puzzle that involves a new mayor and a psychiatric ward in Reykjavik. It becomes all too clear that tragic events from the past are weaving a sinister spell that may threaten them all.

Now My Heart Is Full: A Memoir by Laura June - Memoir

July 24, 2018

Laura June’s daughter, Zelda, was only a few moments old when she held her for the first time, looked into her eyes, and thought, I wish my mother were here. It wasn’t a thought she was used to having. Laura was in second grade when she realized her mother was an alcoholic. As the years went by, she spiraled deeper --- and by the time of her death, before Zelda’s birth, the two had drifted apart entirely. In NOW MY HEART IS FULL, Laura June explores how raising her daughter forced her to confront this tragic legacy and recognize the connective tissue that binds generations of women together.

Unlocked: An Oral History of Haden's Syndrome by John Scalzi - Science Fiction/Thriller

July 24, 2018

Not long from now, a virus will sweep the globe. Most will suffer no worse than flu-like symptoms, but an unlucky one percent will be changed forever. Hundreds of millions become "locked in," awake, aware, but completely unable to control their bodies. This is the story of the doctors, scientists, engineers, politicians and heroes who remade the world. It is the story of the chaotic outbreak, the fight for a cure, the changes that followed. It is an oral history, straight from the mouths of those who survived the most dynamic period in human history.

Your Second Life Begins When You Realize You Only Have One by Raphaelle Giordano - Fiction

July 24, 2018

At 38 and a quarter years old, Paris native Camille has everything she needs to be happy, or so it seems: a good job, a loving husband, a wonderful son. Why then does she feel as if happiness has slipped through her fingers? All she wants is to find the path to joy. When Claude, a French Sean Connery look-alike and routinologist, offers his unique advice to help get her there, she seizes the opportunity with both hands. Camille's journey is full of surprising escapades, creative capers and deep meaning, as she sets out to transform her life and realize her dreams one step at a time.