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Week of March 19, 2018

New in Paperback

Week of March 19, 2018

Paperback releases for the week of March 19th include END GAME by David Baldacci, which marks the return of CIA assassins Will Robie and Jessica Reel, who are sent to investigate the disappearance of their handler, code-named Blue Man --- and find themselves up against an adversary with superior firepower and a home-court advantage; THE CONFESSIONS OF YOUNG NERO, Margaret George's novel about Emperor Nero, one of the most notorious and misunderstood figures in history, and his ruthless ascension to the throne; and THE DEVIL AND WEBSTER, a twisty novel from Jean Hanff Korelitz about a college president, a baffling student protest, and some of the most hot-button issues on today's college campuses.

The Baby Plan by Kate Rorick - Fiction

March 20, 2018

Nathalie Kneller’s plan is to announce her pregnancy now that she’s finally made it past 12 weeks! But just as she’s about to deliver the big news to her family, her scene-stealing sister throws up all over the Thanksgiving centerpiece. Lyndi Kneller’s plan is to finally get her life together. She has a new apartment, a new promotion and a new boyfriend. What she didn’t count on was a new baby! Sophia Nunez’s plan is to finally be able to enjoy life as a make-up artist to one of Hollywood’s biggest stars and girlfriend to one of rock’s hottest musicians. But after 18 years, she discovers the stork is once again on its way. Now these women are about to jump headlong into the world of modern-day pregnancy.

Casey Stengel: Baseball's Greatest Character by Marty Appel - Sports/Biography

March 20, 2018

For more than 50 years, Casey Stengel lived baseball, first as a player and then as a manager. He made his biggest mark on the game, revolutionizing the role of manager while winning an astounding 10 pennants and seven World Series Championships with the Yankees. Playing with and against a Who's Who of Cooperstown --- Babe Ruth, Christy Mathewson, Ty Cobb --- and forming indelible, and sometimes complicated, relationships with Yogi Berra, Joe DiMaggio, Mickey Mantle and Billy Martin, Stengel was, for an astonishing five decades, the undisputed, hilarious and beloved face of baseball. Marty Appel paints an intimate portrait of a private man who was larger than life and remains the embodiment of the national pastime.

The Confessions of Young Nero by Margaret George - Historical Fiction

March 20, 2018

Built on the backs of those who fell before it, Julius Caesar's imperial dynasty is only as strong as the next person who seeks to control it. No one is safe from the sting of betrayal: man, woman or child. While Nero idealizes the artistic and athletic principles of Greece, his very survival rests on his ability to navigate the sea of vipers that is Rome, including his own mother, a cold-blooded woman whose singular goal is to control the empire. But as Agrippina's machinations earn her son a title he is both tempted and terrified to assume, Nero's determination to escape her thrall will shape him into the Emperor he was fated to become.

The Devil and Webster by Jean Hanff Korelitz - Fiction

March 20, 2018

Students at Webster College begin the fall semester with an outdoor encampment around "The Stump" --- a traditional campus gathering place for generations of student activists --- to protest a popular professor's denial of tenure. A former student radical herself, Naomi Roth, the college’s first female president, admires the protestors' passion, especially when her own daughter, Hannah, joins their ranks. Then Omar Khayal, a charismatic Palestinian student with a devastating personal history, emerges as the group's leader, and the demonstration begins to consume Naomi's life. As the crisis slips beyond her control, Naomi must take increasingly desperate measures to protect her friends, colleagues and family from an unknowable adversary.

The Diamond Setter written by Moshe Sakal, translated by Jessica Cohen - Literary Fiction

March 20, 2018

The uneventful life of a jeweler from Tel Aviv changes abruptly in 2011 after Fareed, a handsome young man from Damascus, crosses illegally into Israel and makes his way to the ancient port city of Jaffa in search of his roots. In his pocket is a piece of a famous blue diamond known as "Sabakh." Intending to return the diamond to its rightful owner, Fareed is soon swept up in Tel Aviv's vibrant gay scene, and a turbulent protest movement. He falls in love with both an Israeli soldier and his boyfriend --- the narrator of this book --- and reveals the story of his family's past: a tale of forbidden love beginning in the 1930s that connects Fareed and the jeweler.

Earthly Remains: A Commissario Guido Brunetti Mystery by Donna Leon - Mystery

March 20, 2018

Commissario Guido Brunetti loses patience at work, and in the aftermath realizes that he needs a break and is granted leave from the Questura. His wife, Paola, urges him to spend time at a villa owned by a wealthy relative on Sant’Erasmo, one of the largest islands in the laguna. There he passes his days rowing with the villa’s caretaker, Davide Casati, who is seeking the reason his bee colonies in the laguna are suffering. The recuperative stay goes according to plan until Casati goes missing following a sudden storm. Compelled to investigate, Brunetti sets aside his leave of absence to understand what happened to the man who has become his friend, in the process dredging up dark memories of an accident and cover-up years before.

End Game by David Baldacci - Thriller

March 20, 2018

Will Robie and Jessica Reel are two of the most lethal people alive. They're the ones the government calls in when the utmost secrecy is required to take out those who plot violence and mass destruction against the United States. And through every mission, one man has always had their backs: their handler, code-named Blue Man. But now, Blue Man is missing. Sent to investigate, Robie and Reel arrive in the small town of Grand to discover that it has its own share of problems. A stagnant local economy and a woefully understaffed police force have made this small community a magnet for crime, drugs and a growing number of militant fringe groups. But lying in wait in Grand is an even more insidious and sweeping threat, one that may shake the very foundations of America.

Every Day Above Ground: A Van Shaw Novel by Glen Erik Hamilton - Thriller

March 20, 2018

A terminally ill ex-con tells Van Shaw of an easy fortune in gold, abandoned and nearly forgotten after its original owner died in prison. For the dying man, the money is a legacy to ensure his preteen daughter’s future. For Van, the gold is cash he desperately needs to rebuild his destroyed family home. However, the safe holding the fortune is a trap --- set by a mysterious player armed with tremendous resources and a lifetime of hatred. Now, Shaw’s partner is in the clutches of the hunters, and the former army ranger may be their next prey. But when the ex-con’s innocent daughter is threatened too, Van’s own hard childhood means he can’t let her come to harm.

Firstborn: A Progeny Novel by Tosca Lee - Supernatural Thriller

March 20, 2018

Face-to-face with her past, Audra Ellison now knows the secret she gave up everything --- including her memory --- to protect. A secret made vulnerable by her rediscovery, and so powerful neither the Historian nor the traitor Prince Nikola will ever let her live to keep it. With Luka in the Historian’s custody and the clock ticking down on his life, Audra only has one impossible chance: find and kill the Historian and end the centuries-old war between the Progeny and Scions at last --- all while running from the law and struggling to control her growing powers. With the help of a heretic monk and her Progeny friends, Audra will risk all she holds dear in a final bid to save them all and put her powers to the ultimate test.

Gumshoe for Two by Rob Leininger - Mystery

March 20, 2018

Ex-IRS agent turned gumshoe-in-training Mortimer Angel is approached by a beautiful hooker, Holiday, in a casino bar in Reno. Mort first met Holiday two months ago, but now learns that she’s not really a hooker. She’s a college engineering student, searching for her younger sister, Allie, who disappeared three months ago. While in the bar with Mort, Holiday gets an unexpected phone call from Allie, who says she’s in Gerlach, a small town in Nevada. The phone call is cut off. Holiday hires Mort on the spot, dragging him off to Gerlach. When Mort finds a connection between Allie and US Senator Harry Reinhart, a presidential candidate who vanished without a trace three days ago, things quickly turn deadly --- very deadly.

Miracle at Augusta by James Patterson and Peter de Jonge - Fiction

March 20, 2018

A year ago, Travis McKinley, an unknown golfing amateur, shocked the world by winning the PGA Senior Open at Pebble Beach. Now he's famous, he makes his living playing the game he loves, and everything should be perfect. Still Travis can't shake the feeling that he's a fraud, an imposter who doesn't deserve his success --- and after a series of disappointments and, to be honest, personal screw-ups, he might just prove himself right. A shot at redemption arrives in an unexpected form: a teenage outcast with troubles of his own --- and a natural golf swing. As this unlikely duo sets out to achieve the impossible on the world's most revered golf course, Travis is about to learn that sometimes the greatest miracles of all take place when no one is watching.

Mr. Rochester by Sarah Shoemaker - Historical Fiction

March 20, 2018

For 170 years, Edward Fairfax Rochester has stood as one of literature's most romantic, complex and mysterious heroes. Sometimes haughty, sometimes tender --- professing his love for Jane Eyre in one breath and denying it in the next --- Mr. Rochester has for generations mesmerized, beguiled and, yes, baffled fans of Charlotte Brontë's masterpiece. But his own story has never been told. Now, out of Sarah Shoemaker's rich and vibrant imagination, springs Edward: a vulnerable, brilliant, complicated man whom we first meet as a motherless, lonely little boy roaming the corridors and stable yards of Thornfield Hall.

Our Short History by Lauren Grodstein - Fiction

March 20, 2018

Karen Neulander has always been fiercely protective of her son, Jacob. When Jacob’s father, Dave, found out Karen was pregnant and made it clear that fatherhood wasn’t in his plans, Karen walked out of the relationship, never telling Dave her intention was to raise their child alone. But now Jake is asking to meet his dad, and with good reason: Karen is dying. When she finally calls her ex, she’s shocked to find Dave ecstatic about the son he never knew he had. With just a few more months to live, Karen resists allowing Dave to insinuate himself into Jake’s life. She wrestles with the truth that the only thing she cannot bring herself to do for her son --- let his father become a permanent part of his life --- is the thing he needs from her the most.

Proof of Life: A J. P. Beaumont Novel by J.A. Jance - Mystery/Thriller

March 20, 2018

When his longtime nemesis, retired Seattle crime reporter Maxwell Cole, dies in what’s officially deemed to be an accidental fire, the retired J. P. Beaumont is astonished to be dragged into the investigation at the request of none other than the deceased victim himself. Caught up in a situation where old actions and grudges can hold dangerous consequences in the present, Beau is forced to operate outside the familiar world of law enforcement. While seeking justice for his frenemy and healing for a long-fractured family, he comes face to face with an implacable enemy who has spent decades hiding in plain sight.

The River of Kings by Taylor Brown - Fiction/Adventure

March 20, 2018

The Altamaha River, Georgia’s “Little Amazon,” is one of the last truly wild places in America. Crossed by roads only five times in its 137 miles, the black-water river is home to thousand-year-old virgin cypress, direct descendants of 18th-century Highland warriors, and a staggering array of rare and endangered species. Brothers Hunter and Lawton Loggins set off to kayak the river, bearing their father’s ashes toward the sea. As they proceed downriver, their story alternates with that of Jacques le Moyne, the first European artist in North America, who accompanied a 1564 French expedition that began as a search for riches and ended in a bloody confrontation with Spanish conquistadors and native tribes.

A Simple Favor by Darcey Bell - Psychological Thriller

March 20, 2018

When Emily asks Stephanie to pick up her son, Nicky, after school, she happily says yes. Nicky and Stephanie’s son, Miles, are classmates and best friends, and the five-year-olds love being together --- just like she and Emily. But Emily doesn’t come back. She doesn’t answer calls or return texts. Stephanie knows something is terribly wrong; Emily would never leave Nicky. Terrified, she reaches out to Emily’s husband, Sean, offering emotional support. Then, she and Sean receive shocking news. Emily is dead. The nightmare of her disappearance is over. Or is it? Because soon, Stephanie will begin to see that nothing --- not friendship, love, or even an ordinary favor --- is as simple as it seems.

The Trophy Child by Paula Daly - Psychological Thriller

March 20, 2018

Karen Bloom believes that tough discipline is the true art of parenting and that achievement leads to ultimate happiness. But in an unending quest for excellence, her seemingly flawless family starts to rebel against her. Her husband, Noel, is a handsome doctor with a proclivity for alcohol and women. Their prodigy daughter, Bronte, is excelling at school, music lessons and dance classes, yet she longs to run away. Verity, Noel’s teenage daughter from his first marriage, is starting to display aggressive behavior. And Karen’s son from a previous relationship falls deeper into drug use. When tragedy strikes the Blooms, Karen’s carefully constructed facade begins to fall apart --- and once the deadly cracks appear, they are impossible to stop.

The Ultimatum by Karen Robards - Thriller

March 20, 2018

Bianca St. Ives is known as the Guardian. Running a multinational firm with her father, she makes a living swindling con men out of money they stole. But her latest gig had a little hiccup --- if you count 200 million dollars and top secret government documents going missing as little. Her father also died on the mission, though the US government doesn't believe he's really dead. They'll stop at nothing to capture Richard St. Ives, a high-value target and someone who has been on most-wanted lists all over the world for over two decades. With only a fellow criminal for backup and her life on the line, it's up to Bianca to uncover the terrifying truth behind what really happened and set it right before it's too late.