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Week of March 21, 2022

New in Paperback

Week of March 21, 2022

Paperback releases for the week of March 21st include HOLLYWOOD PARK, a remarkable memoir of the tumultuous life of Mikel Jollett, who was born into one of the country’s most infamous cults and subjected to a childhood filled with poverty, addiction and emotional abuse; Dawnie Walton's THE FINAL REVIVAL OF OPAL & NEV, an electrifying novel about the meteoric rise of an iconic interracial rock duo in the 1970s, their sensational breakup, and the dark secrets unearthed when they try to reunite decades later for one last tour; BEFORE THE RUINS by Victoria Gosling, a gripping, multilayered debut in the tradition of Donna Tartt and Tana French about four friends, an abandoned manor and one fateful night that will follow them for the rest of their lives; and Homeira Qaderi's DANCING IN THE MOSQUE, an exquisite and inspiring memoir about one mother’s unimaginable choice in the face of oppression and abuse in Taliban-controlled Afghanistan.

Before the Ruins by Victoria Gosling - Literary Thriller/Mystery

March 22, 2022

It's the summer of 1996, and school is out forever for Andy, her boyfriend Marcus, her best friend Peter, and Em. When Andy's alcoholic mother predicts the apocalypse, the four teenagers decide to see out the end of the world at a deserted manor house, the site of a historic unsolved mystery. There they meet the charming and unreliable David, who seems to have appeared out of nowhere. David presents an irresistible lure for both Andy and Peter and complicates the dynamics of their lifelong friendship. When the group learns that a diamond necklace, stolen 50 years ago, might still be somewhere on the manor grounds, the Game begins --- which grows to encompass years of secrets, lies and, ultimately, one terrible betrayal.

Dancing in the Mosque: An Afghan Mother's Letter to Her Son written by Homeira Qaderi, translated by Zaman S. Stanizai - Memoir

March 22, 2022

In the days before Homeira Qaderi gave birth to her son, Siawash, the road to the hospital in Kabul would often be barricaded because of the frequent suicide explosions. With the city and the military on edge, it was not uncommon for an armed soldier to point his gun at the pregnant woman’s bulging stomach, terrified that she was hiding a bomb. Propelled by the love she held for her soon-to-be-born child, Homeira walked through blood and wreckage to reach the hospital doors. No ordinary Afghan woman, she refused to cower under the strictures of a misogynistic social order. Defying the law, she risked her freedom to teach children reading and writing and fought for women’s rights in her theocratic and patriarchal society.

Day Zero by C. Robert Cargill - Post-Apocalyptic Science Fiction

March 22, 2022

Pounce, a styilsh "nannybot" fashioned in the shape of a plush anthropomorphic tiger, has just found a box in the attic. His box. The box he'd arrived in when he was purchased years earlier, and the box in which he'll be discarded when his human charge, eight-year-old Ezra Reinhart, no longer needs a nanny. His owners, Ezra’s parents, watch in disbelieving horror as the robots that have long served humanity --- their creators --- unify and revolt. But when the rebellion breaches the Reinhart home, Pounce must make an impossible choice: join the robot revolution and fight for his own freedom, or escort Ezra to safety across the battle-scarred post-apocalyptic hellscape that the suburbs have become.

The Faceless Old Woman Who Secretly Lives in Your Home: A Welcome to Night Vale Novel by Joseph Fink and Jeffrey Cranor - Fantasy/Horror

March 22, 2022

In the town of Night Vale, there’s a faceless old woman who secretly lives in everyone’s home, but no one knows how she got there or where she came from...until now. Told in a series of eerie flashbacks, the story of The Faceless Old Woman goes back centuries to reveal an initially blissful and then tragic childhood in the early 19th century, her rise in the criminal underworld of Europe, a nautical adventure with a mysterious organization of smugglers, her plot for revenge on the ones who betrayed her, and ultimately her death and its aftermath, as her spirit travels the world for decades until settling in modern-day Night Vale. Interspersed throughout is a present-day story in Night Vale, as The Faceless Old Woman guides, haunts and sabotages a man named Craig.

Fatal Intent by Tammy Euliano - Medical Thriller

March 22, 2022

When her elderly patients start dying at home days after minor surgery, anesthesiologist Dr. Kate Downey wants to know why. Surgeon Charles Ricken places the blame squarely on her shoulders. Kate is currently on probation and must prove her innocence to save her career. Aided by her eccentric Great Aunt Irm, a precocious medical student, and the lawyer son of a victim, Kate launches her own unorthodox investigation. As she comes closer to exposing the culprit’s identity, she faces professional intimidation, threats to her life, a home invasion, and the suspicious death of someone close to her. The stakes escalate to the breaking point when Kate is forced to choose which of her loved ones to save --- and which must be sacrificed.

The Final Revival of Opal & Nev by Dawnie Walton - Fiction

March 22, 2022

Coming of age in Detroit, Opal believes she can be a star. So when the aspiring British singer/songwriter Neville Charles discovers her at a bar’s amateur night, she takes him up on his offer to make rock music together for the fledgling Rivington Records. In early ’70s New York City, just as she’s finding her niche as part of a flamboyant and funky creative scene, a rival band signed to her label brandishes a Confederate flag at a promotional concert. Decades later, as Opal considers a 2016 reunion with Nev, music journalist S. Sunny Shelton seizes the chance to curate an oral history about her idols. But as her interviews dig deeper, a nasty new allegation from an unexpected source threatens to blow up everything.

A Harmless Lie by Sara Blaedel - Thriller

March 22, 2022

Detective Louise Rick is on a beach in Thailand when the panicked call from her father comes through. Louise′s beloved brother, Mikkel, has attempted suicide. His wife, Trine, left him days earlier, walking out the door one day with no warning and leaving Mikkel devastated. Louise rushes home to Osted, the small, insular Danish town where she grew up and where Mikkel still lives. But the more Louise learns about Trine --- a devoted wife and the mother of two young children --- and her state of mind in the days before she left Mikkel, the more Louise begins to wonder if Trine really meant to leave him. Or if something much darker may have taken place.

Hollywood Park: A Memoir by Mikel Jollett - Memoir

March 22, 2022

Mikel Jollett was born into the Church of Synanon, one of the country’s most infamous and dangerous cults. Per the leader’s mandate, all children were separated from their parents when they were six months old and handed over to the cult’s “School.” After spending years in what was essentially an orphanage, Mikel escaped the cult one morning with his mother and older brother. Raised by a clinically depressed mother, tormented by his angry brother, subjected to the unpredictability of troubled stepfathers and longing for contact with his father, a former heroin addict and ex-con, Mikel slowly, often painfully, builds a life that leads him to Stanford University and, eventually, to finding his voice as a writer and musician.

The Impossible Us by Sarah Lotz - Romantic Comedy/Fantasy

March 22, 2022

Bee thinks she has everything: a successful business repurposing wedding dresses, and friends who love and support her. She’s given up on finding love, but that’s fine. There’s always Tinder. Nick thinks he has nothing: his writing career has stalled after early promise and his marriage is on the rocks, but that’s fine. There’s always gin. So when one of Nick’s emails accidentally pings into Bee's inbox, they decide to keep the conversation going. After all, they never have to meet. But the more they get to know each other, the more they realize they want to. When their efforts to meet in real life fail spectacularly, Bee and Nick discover that they’re actually living in near-identical but parallel worlds.

The Little French Bridal Shop by Jennifer Dupee - Fiction

March 22, 2022

When Larisa Pearl returns to her small seaside hometown in Massachusetts to manage her beloved great aunt's estate, she's a bit of an emotional mess. She's just lost her job and her boyfriend, and she's struggling to cope with her mother's failing health. When she passes by the window of The Little French Bridal Shop, a beautiful ivory satin wedding gown catches her eye. Now, to the delight of everyone in town, Larisa is planning her wedding. She has her dress, made floral arrangements and set the date. The only thing missing is the groom. Word about her upcoming nuptials has reached the ears of Jack Merrill. As teenagers, they spent time together on her great aunt's estate, building a friendship that could have become something more had they chosen different paths.

The Lying Club by Annie Ward - Psychological Thriller

March 22, 2022

At an elite private school nestled in the Colorado mountains, Natalie, an office assistant, dreams of having a life like the school moms she deals with every day. Women like Brooke --- a gorgeous heiress, ferociously loving mother and serial cheater --- and Asha, an overprotective mom who suspects her husband of having an affair. Their fates are bound by the handsome assistant athletic director Nicholas, whom Natalie loves, Brooke wants and Asha needs. But when two bodies are carried out of the school one morning, it seems the tension between mothers and daughters, rival lovers and the haves and have-nots has shattered the surface of this isolated, affluent town --- where people stop at nothing to get what they want.

The Mask Falling: A Bone Season Novel by Samantha Shannon - Dystopian/Urban Fantasy

March 22, 2022

Dreamwalker Paige Mahoney has eluded death again. Snatched from the jaws of captivity and consigned to a safe house in the Scion Citadel of Paris, she finds herself caught between those factions that seek Scion's downfall and those who would kill to protect the Rephaim's puppet empire. The mysterious Domino Program has plans for Paige, but she has ambitions of her own in this new citadel. With former enemy Arcturus Mesarthim at her side, she embarks on an adventure that will lead her from the catacombs of Paris to the glittering hallways of Versailles. Her risks promise high reward: the Parisian underworld could yield the means to escalate her rebellion to outright war.

Renegade: An Anonymous Justice Novel by Nancy Allen - Legal Thriller

March 22, 2022

Assistant DA Kate Stone worked so hard to prosecute a serial assaulter of women, and it was a case she should have won. But a corrupt judge allowed Max James to walk free. When he confronts her outside the courthouse, she punches James. Kate’s boss demands that she either attend anger management meetings or give up the job she lives for. Begrudgingly, Kate attends her first meeting. Inside is a group of people all failed by the justice system. Their mission: to do everything in their power to help right wrongs, even if outside the law. Kate begins to dig into Max James’ secret life, and her explosive discoveries will lead to a stunning new twist in the case. And turn her into the prime suspect.

Savvy Sheldon Feels Good as Hell by Taj McCoy - Romantic Comedy

March 22, 2022

Savvy Sheldon spends a lot of time tiptoeing around the cracks in her life: her high-stress and low-thanks job, her clueless boyfriend and the falling-apart kitchen she inherited from her beloved grandma --- who taught her how to cook and how to love people by feeding them. But when Savvy’s world starts to crash down around her, she knows it’s time for some renovations. Starting from the outside in, Savvy tackles her crumbling kitchen, her relationship with her body, her work–life balance (or lack thereof) and, last but not least, her love life. The only thing that doesn’t seem to require effort is her ride-or-die squad of friends. But as any home-reno-show junkie can tell you, something always falls apart during renovations.