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A Brilliant Summer Party, Houseguests and Great Reading
Last Saturday, my husband Tom and I headed out to Lisa Scottoline's farm in Pennsylvania for a pre-publication party celebrating her latest book, THIS CHANGES EVERYTHING (which will be a Bookreporter.com Bets On pick), as well as the paperback release of her daughter Francesca Serritella's book, FULL BLOOM.
Those in attendance were booksellers, media and influencers. Lisa is an outstanding hostess. The guests had fun exploring her home, especially the shelves of books in every room, and the rest of the farm, including some stunning gardens.
Lisa also shared access to her office, which has her treadmill desk (and yes, blowups of Bradley Cooper) and a full simulated Formula One setup, as she loves the sport. My husband teaches race car driving, and he wants to get Lisa out on the track. We also went to the barn to see her horses. Yes, horses and Formula One. I love Lisa's range of interests.
Lisa and Francesca spoke briefly about their books and spent the rest of the time mingling, talking to readers and posing for photos.
It was such fun to catch up with two brilliant booksellers, both of whom are pictured above: Susan Kehoe from Browseabout Books in Lewes, Delaware, and Kate Czyzewski from Thunder Road Books in Spring Lake, New Jersey. I loved hearing what is working in their stores and what they are excited about.
We have our review of THIS CHANGES EVERYTHING this week from Rebecca Munro, who has this to say about it: “Paired with Scottoline’s taut, cleverly constructed pacing, Julia’s emotional reckoning both propels and supports the suspense plot. Each storyline pushes the other forward, taking off at breakneck speed and gripping readers from the very first page.... THIS CHANGES EVERYTHING --- much like its title suggests --- will change everything about your summer reading list. This one is hard to top.”
Don’t miss my interview with Lisa in next week’s newsletter, followed by my Bets On commentary in the July 31st newsletter.
My latest “Bookreporter Talks To” interview is with John Searles, whose new novel, SINGLE GIRLS, is a work of dramatic fiction set in the 1960s. It focuses on Helen Gurley Brown and the team of women she assembled who transformed Cosmopolitan into one of the best-selling magazines of all time. An upcoming Bets On selection, the book has been compared to “Mad Men” and “Sex and the City.”
John worked at Cosmopolitan and shares his encounters with Helen through the years. The novel is deeply informed by real events, Helen's memoirs, published biographies, and his personal knowledge of the editors who worked there. John had always wanted to write about Helen and had told her so during their friendship, but he had been constrained by publishing expectations to stay within his established genre: suspense/thrillers. The audiobook is narrated by his friend, Amy Ryan, who starred in the film adaptation of his earlier novel, STRANGE BUT TRUE.
I worked at Mademoiselle, and during our conversation, I talk about my background there and how I navigated my early career before leaving Condé Nast and starting The Book Report Network almost 30 years ago.
Click here to watch the interview or here to listen to the podcast. We will feature my Bets On commentary in next week’s newsletter.
Art restorer and legendary spy Gabriel Allon searches for the missing wife of a British billionaire in RANSOM, an electrifying new tale of greed, corruption and betrayal from Daniel Silva. The publisher promises a “heart-pounding climax and shocking final twist.”
Kate Ayers has our review and says, “What started as a missing-person case becomes a deadly race against the clock to save thousands of people from rogue foreign attacks. How they do it is, as always with Gabriel, masterful. The truly frightening part, though, is how plausible their scheme is…. Don’t take your eyes off of Gabriel Allon; he’s not hanging around restoring paintings. Daniel Silva has many more challenges for him. As for how he’ll top this one, we’ll have to wait and see (but hopefully not too long).”
Rachel Beanland, the author of FLORENCE ADLER SWIMS FOREVER and THE HOUSE IS ON FIRE, is back with a new novel, THE HALF LIFE. Set on a remote Italian island, this upcoming Bets On title is about a navy wife’s reckoning with power, love and the price of staying silent in the Atomic Age.
According to Rebecca Munro in her review, “Eileen is a spectacularly developed and distinctly unique character whose reckonings with American exceptionalism and her own coming of age are inextricably tied. Add to this the little-known history of American submarines in the Atomic Age, and you have a true masterwork.... Full of probing questions of complicity and autonomy, populated by richly rendered, complex characters...THE HALF LIFE is Rachel Beanland at her best.”
Don’t miss my interview with Rachel in next week’s newsletter, followed by my Bets On commentary in the July 31st newsletter.
Other books we’re reviewing this week include:
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HOT GIRL MURDER CLUB: An aspiring singer-actress driven by her sister's mysterious death finds herself at the epicenter of a thrilling murder investigation. As the spotlight turns her into an alleged killer overnight, the stakes reach an all-time high in Ashley Winstead’s buzzy and bloody new thriller.
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COUNTRY PEOPLE: Pulitzer Prize finalist Daniel Mason’s latest novel --- which is this month’s “Good Morning America” Book Club pick --- is a luminous exploration of marriage and parenthood, the nature of belief and the power of stories, and the ways in which we find connection in an increasingly fragmented world.
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THE PARISIAN HEIST: Jo Piazza, the bestselling author of THE SICILIAN INHERITANCE and EVERYONE IS LYING TO YOU, has penned a propulsive dual-timeline mystery drenched in art-world intrigue and brimming with family secrets, betrayal and the intoxicating lure of power.
I’m Betting You’ll Love…
My latest Bets On picks are THE SHAMPOO EFFECT by Jenny Jackson (this month’s “Read with Jenna” and Barnes & Noble Book Club selections) and WHEN YOU LOVED ME by Beatriz Williams. Click on each of the titles for my commentary. If you missed my interviews with Jenny or Beatriz, be sure to check them out here:
Revisiting My “Bookreporter Talks To” Interview with Rebecca Armitage
Out in paperback this week is THE HEIR APPARENT by Rebecca Armitage, a modern fairy tale about a British princess who must decide between her duty to her family --- or to her own heart. I talked to Rebecca about the book following its hardcover release last year. Be sure to watch or listen to the interview if you haven’t already. I loved this book so much, and I am happy to know that those who missed it earlier will now be able to enjoy it as summer reading.
Summer Reading Contest Update
We gave away the aforementioned HOT GIRL MURDER CLUB by Ashley Winstead and THIS CHANGES EVERYTHING by Lisa Scottoline in this week’s Summer Reading contests. Next week’s prize will be the aforementioned FULL BLOOM by Francesca Serritella. The contest will be up at noon ET on the day of its paperback release, Tuesday, July 21st.
Word of Mouth Contest Reminder
THIS CHANGES EVERYTHING is also a prize in our latest Word of Mouth contest, along with the aforementioned THE HALF LIFE by Rachel Beanland. Submit your comments about the books you’ve read for your chance to win both these titles. Please do so by Friday, July 24th at noon ET.
Remember to Vote in Our Poll
Our poll continues to ask which of 35 titles releasing this month you are looking forward to reading. Click here to let us know by Friday, July 24th at noon ET.
On Saturday, August 8th, the East Hampton Library will present its 22nd Annual Authors Night fundraiser, featuring 100 authors across all genres. Among them are Jenna Blum, Brisa Carleton, Alex DeMille, Xochitl Gonzalez, Jay McInerney, Chris Pavone, Deborah Goodrich Royce, and the aforementioned John Searles.
The evening will begin at 5pm with the Book Signing Cocktail Party reception under a grand tent, where guests will meet and mingle with the authors, buy their books, and have them personally inscribed. At 8pm, guests with higher level tickets will continue the evening at one of the Author Dinner Parties, held at private area homes in honor of one or more of the guest authors.
Click here for all the details and to purchase tickets. I cannot make it out to East Hampton this year. If any of you are going, I would love a report on it. It's always such a brilliant author event!
News & Pop Culture
Reader Mail:
Diane shared on Facebook about winning a book in one of our Summer Reading contests: “Thank you for THE LAKE HOUSE. It’s perfect for me because I live in a lake community and often read on the beach where lots of other people will see the book. Thanks so much. It was a nice surprise.”
Judy wrote, “You and your staff certainly know how to make this avid reader and lover of Ann Patchett’s writing a very happy person. Your wonderful surprise package was waiting for me on the bench in front of my house when I returned home from the dentist in the pouring rain. Needless to say, once I dried myself off, the pages of WHISTLER began to turn. Thank you. I am loving my new book and will be delighted to pass it on when I finish. Also, I must thank you for sharing your insights on upcoming books, as well as your enlightening author interviews.”
I loved this note from Rebecca, who wrote about watching “Bookaccino Live” on her flight home from Heathrow: “I was supposed to be home the day before --- but due to a glitch at Heathrow, I was in the air. Thanks for having the audio. I made it all the way to Colson Whitehead before it cut out!” Lucky for her, she can watch the video!
I am way behind on answering reader mail, but know that I do have notes flagged to answer!
Project Hail Mary: We watched this film on Prime Video and loved it. I can see why the book has been on the New York Times and USA Today bestseller lists for weeks. I confess to not having read the book first. It's a great story about humanity. Ryan Gosling deserves an award nomination for this.
Harry Styles: I came across a video of him singing “Bridge Over Troubled Water” that I just loved. You can give it a listen here. While it does not have the full orchestra behind him on this video, you see how he performed it so well. You should be able to search and find clips of the full orchestration elsewhere.
Shipwrecked: Nightmare at Sea on Netflix: This documentary chronicles the 2012 Costa Concordia cruise ship disaster. The film includes survivor interviews, black box recordings, and cell phone footage to tell the harrowing story of this night at sea.
Sunday will be the FIFA World Cup Final. Since England is not in the final, I am pulling for Argentina. I mean, they are wearing turquoise and white, so how can I not? For the consolation round tomorrow, I am pulling for England. I confess to knowing as much about soccer as I do about golf, but given that the matches are being played in the area, it has been fun watching the rabid fans. Morocco practiced locally and stayed in town here. The Argentina bus pulled into Short Hills, NJ last night as they are staying there, and crowds lined the streets. I have been told that hotel prices in the area have been crazy with the final at MetLife Stadium on Sunday.
On Sunday night, we are going to see The Odyssey, which clocks in at 172 minutes. I always bring knitting with me to the movies, so I assume that I will get a lot of inches done. I also joke that any kid with THE ODYSSEY on their summer reading list can get a primer with the movie. Actually, the writing prompt for this summer assignment should be “Compare and contrast the book and the film adaptation.” Director Christopher Nolan and cinematographer Hoyte van Hoytema talk about filming the movie in this New York Times interview.
This reminds me of the summer that Cory had MOBY-DICK on his summer reading list. He, like most kids, procrastinated reading it and other titles on the list until the last few weeks of summer when we were at the beach. We had a DVD player in the back of our car. He asked if there was a way that we could watch the movie (this was way before streaming was a thing). Later I heard Ray Bradbury speak at San Diego Comic-Con, and he talked about how he, too, could not get through the book. I texted that to Cory, and he felt some vindication.
I did a little more digging on this and read that “Bradbury initially panicked when [director and producer John] Huston offered him the job [of writing the screenplay for the film adaptation of MOBY-DICK] in 1953, confessing he had never been able to finish reading the daunting novel. Huston simply told him to go home, read what he could, and focus on the book's cinematic action. Bradbury ultimately wove the dense, thematic metaphors of Melville's original text into a streamlined script that captured the essence of the whaling tragedy.”
We had a week of company, including Tom's sister and our friend Cathy, as well as a friend of Greg's. I joked that it was like we were running a B&B. And I enjoyed every minute of it. We love that we are able to share the house with friends like this. I baked two blueberry pies and blueberry corn muffins, and now we will be moving on to making peach everything!
I am reading and loving CITY OF WIDOWS by Nadia Hashimi, which releases on July 28th. It novelizes a story about what happened when we pulled our support of Afghanistan in 2020 and what it meant for the women who had enjoyed freedoms, as the Taliban rejoiced and took over. It's so well done. I will be interviewing Nadia next week. I also will be talking to Ben Reeves about EVERYTHING WAS BEAUTIFUL AND NOTHING HURT, which is an instant New York Times bestseller, and Sophie Chen Keller about LITTLE WONDER. All three of these books will be Bets On selections.
It has been a summer of great reading for me. I hope it has been the same for you. I am lining up the rest of my summer reading in piles according to publication dates and then planning through fall and into early 2027. I am excited about what is to come, as well as what is out now. There is something truly wonderful about knowing that there are terrific books on the horizon.
Read on, and have a great week.
Carol Fitzgerald ([email protected])
P.S. For those of you who shop online, if you use the store links that appear on our site for shopping, Bookreporter.com gets a small affiliate fee on your purchases from Amazon, Barnes & Noble and Bookshop/IndieBound. As you read our reviews and features, we would appreciate your considering this as you buy!
Featured Review:
THIS CHANGES EVERYTHING by Lisa Scottoline
An Upcoming Bookreporter.com Bets On Title
THIS CHANGES EVERYTHING by Lisa Scottoline (Psychological Thriller)
Audiobook available; read by Maria Marquis, Kate Burton, Soneela Nankani, Stacy Carolan and Max Meyers
Julia Pritzker loves her new life as a wife and mother in beautiful Tuscany --- except that she misses her best friend, Courtney, back in the States. One night, Julia calls Courtney and reaches her as she’s arriving at her grandmother’s farm in Pennsylvania. A dreadful premonition overwhelms Julia as Courtney enters the house --- and makes a heartbreaking discovery. Her beloved grandmother has been murdered, and the killer is escaping out the back door. Rushing to support Courtney, Julia flies home the next morning. The local police believe the murder was a botched burglary, but the women suspect something much more sinister and enlist hotshot Philly lawyer Bennie Rosato to assist. But events take a deadly turn, and Julia becomes the target of a murderous conspiracy. Reviewed by Rebecca Munro.
- Click here to read more about the book.
- Click here to read an excerpt.
- Click here for the discussion guide on ReadingGroupGuides.com.
- Click here to visit Lisa Scottoline's website.
- Click here for Lisa Scottoline's book tour schedule.
Click here to read our review.
THIS CHANGES EVERYTHING will be a Bookreporter.com Bets On pick.
Don't miss Carol's interview with Lisa Scottoline in next week's newsletter,
followed by her Bets On commentary in the July 31st newsletter.
Featured Review: RANSOM by Daniel Silva
RANSOM by Daniel Silva (Thriller/Adventure)
Audiobook available, read by Edoardo Ballerini
Alice Winter, one of Britain’s most dazzling socialites, seemingly has the perfect life --- a lavish home in posh Knightsbridge, a grand estate in Devon, millions of followers on social media who eagerly await her next post. But when she disappears without a trace while on holiday with three old friends from Cambridge, her desperate husband, the real estate baron Edward Knight, turns to none other than Gabriel Allon to find her. Gabriel soon discovers that Alice Winter is not the woman she appears to be. She has a reckless side, and she has secrets. But Edward Knight has a secret too, a secret so dangerous that Gabriel will have no choice but to return to the life he thought he had left behind. An old enemy lurks there, waiting for him to make one misstep, waiting for the perfect moment to exact vengeance. Reviewed by Kate Ayers.
- Click here to read more about the book.
Click here to read our review.
Featured Review: THE HALF LIFE by Rachel Beanland
An Upcoming Bookreporter.com Bets On Title
THE HALF LIFE by Rachel Beanland (Historical Fiction)
Audiobook available, read by Andi Arndt
When 23-year-old Eileen O'Malley meets charismatic naval officer Paul Archer in a Charleston department store, she doesn’t expect to fall so hard, so fast. But soon she has a ring on her finger and is following him to La Maddalena. Eileen joins a makeshift community of navy wives who are hell-bent on making the island feel a little more like home. But for Eileen, whose brother died in Vietnam, home is a loaded word, and she begins to love the place for all the ways it is not like where she comes from. Still, it doesn’t take long for her to be confronted with the complexities of being an American abroad. Soon, Eileen’s marriage falters and her loyalties begin to shift as she is drawn into a web of secrets --- and to a local journalist who forces her to imagine a life beyond the one she’s been handed. Reviewed by Rebecca Munro.
- Click here to read more about the book.
- Click here for the discussion guide on ReadingGroupGuides.com.
Click here to read our review.
THE HALF LIFE will be a Bookreporter.com Bets On pick.
Don't miss Carol's interview with Rachel Beanland in next week's newsletter,
followed by her Bets On commentary in the July 31st newsletter.
Bookreporter.com Bets On:
THE SHAMPOO EFFECT by Jenny Jackson
and WHEN YOU LOVED ME by Beatriz Williams
THE SHAMPOO EFFECT by Jenny Jackson (Fiction)
I loved Jenny Jackson's debut, PINEAPPLE STREET, so I was excited to read her new novel, THE SHAMPOO EFFECT. This time the setting is seaside Massachusetts in a town called Greenhead, which is inspired by Ipswich, where Jenny grew up. Caroline is there for a writing fellowship and plans to get a long work of fiction done. Her mother is a bestselling thriller author, and Caroline has worked at a publishing house. But now she wants to be on the other side of it, as an author in her own right.
On the ferry ride over, Caroline encounters a young man, Van Whittaker, who she later learns has lived in Greenhead his entire life. Their whole “meet-cute” scene leads to another casual meeting and then some dates. Van has a close-knit group of friends who also are lifers in town. Through him, she comes to know them and is treated like an outsider right from the very start.
- Click here to read more about the book.
- Click here to read our review.
- Click here to watch Carol's “Bookreporter Talks To” interview with Jenny Jackson.
- Click here to listen to a podcast of the interview.
- Click here to see why the book is this month's “Read with Jenna” Book Club pick.
Click here to read more of Carol's commentary on THE SHAMPOO EFFECT.
WHEN YOU LOVED ME by Beatriz Williams (Historical Romance/Mystery)
I love the Winthrop Island books by Beatriz Williams. With WHEN YOU LOVED ME, she shares a multilayered story that combines historical fiction, mystery, romance and family drama. This series has allowed Beatriz to build a rich, interconnected world where characters evolve across multiple novels.
Here we meet Lucy Cooper, whose father, Bud, has died recently. He had lived his whole life on Winthrop Island. For years, he sought to find a legendary pirate treasure, which was rumored to have been buried somewhere on the island more than a century ago. In doing so, he had mortgaged the house and his savings. So Lucy has come home with her precocious young daughter, Elise, to settle his estate, and she finds a huge pile of debt.
- Click here to read more about the book.
- Click here to read our review.
- Click here to read an excerpt.
- Click here for the discussion guide on ReadingGroupGuides.com.
- Click here to watch Carol's “Bookreporter Talks To” interview with Beatriz Williams.
- Click here to listen to a podcast of the interview.
Click here to read more of Carol's commentary on WHEN YOU LOVED ME.
Featured Review:
HOT GIRL MURDER CLUB by Ashley Winstead
HOT GIRL MURDER CLUB by Ashley Winstead (Psychological Thriller)
Audiobook available, read by Brittany Pressley
Ten years ago, aspiring singer-actress Scout Sage lost the only thing that mattered: her sister, Georgia. Ever since Georgia’s mysterious death at a Hollywood party, Scout has done her best to honor her memory. But when a slew of targeted murders makes headlines across L.A., all pointing to Scout as the killer, she turns overnight from a mid-tier pop star into the world’s most famous (alleged) murderer. Now everything she’s worked to build --- including the justice she wants for Georgia --- will fall apart unless Scout can prove she’s not guilty. Meanwhile, the young and unusual detective assigned to her case, herself no stranger to tragedy, begins to unearth secrets not even Scout knows, let alone her millions of new fans. Reviewed by Ray Palen.
- Click here to read more about the book.
- Click here to read an excerpt.
Click here to read our review.
Featured Review: COUNTRY PEOPLE by Daniel Mason
July’s “Good Morning America” Book Club Pick
COUNTRY PEOPLE by Daniel Mason (Fiction)
Audiobook available, read by a full cast
Miles Krzelewski is a devoted husband, a doting father beloved for his outlandish bedtime stories, and the proud owner of a truffle-hunting dog in a land with no truffles. He is also a bit lost, 12 years late with his PhD on Russian folktales and increasingly haunted by a sense that he’s become a disappointment to his family. So when his wife, Kate, accepts a visiting professorship at a prestigious college in the faraway forests of Vermont, he decides that this will be the year to finally move forward with his life. But Miles is a man of many enthusiasms. No sooner does he arrive than he finds himself entangled with a cast of characters as colorful as those of any of his folktales. Then Miles stumbles upon a bizarre --- perhaps ridiculous --- local legend, which might not be just a legend after all. Reviewed by Harvey Freedenberg.
- Click here to read more about the book.
- Click here to read an excerpt.
- Click here for the discussion guide on ReadingGroupGuides.com.
- Click here to see why the book is this month's “Good Morning America” Book Club pick.
Click here to read our review.
Featured Review: THE PARISIAN HEIST by Jo Piazza
THE PARISIAN HEIST by Jo Piazza (Historical Mystery/Thriller)
Audiobook available, read by Allyson Ryan and Brittany Pressley
Emma, a struggling American artist in Paris, meets Stella Swanson, the widow of one of the most notorious art dealers in the business. She becomes both a player and a pawn in a family battle to protect their empire and conceal its crimes. In the late 1800s, young widow Jo van Gogh inherits hundreds of paintings from her brother-in-law, Vincent, that the art world deems worthless. Determined to prove their genius, she becomes consumed by Vincent’s legacy. As her devotion deepens, a vanished painting and a thwarted love affair leave her unsure who she can trust and how much of herself she’s willing to lose in the process. The lives of these two women converge as Emma uncovers the Swanson family’s darkest secrets and agrees to mastermind a daring heist inside the Musée d’Orsay. Reviewed by Pamela Kramer.
- Click here to read more about the book.
Click here to read our review.
Bookreporter.com's 22nd Annual
Summer Reading Contests and Feature
Summer is here! At Bookreporter.com, this means it's time for us to share some great summer book picks with our Summer Reading Contests and Feature.
We are hosting a series of 24-hour contests for these titles on select days through mid-August, so you will have to check the site each day to see the featured prize book and enter to win.
We also are sending a special newsletter to announce the day's title, which you can sign up for here.
Our next prize book will be FULL BLOOM by Francesca Serritella, a stunning novel about ambition and untapped desire in which a woman's life is forever changed by a mysterious perfume. The contest will be up at noon ET on the day of its paperback release, Tuesday, July 21st.
This year's featured titles are:
Click here to read all the contest details
and learn more about our featured titles.
CATCH THE DEVIL: A True Story of Murder, Deception, and Injustice on the Gulf Coast by Pamela Colloff (True Crime)
Audiobook available, read by Gabra Zackman
For more than three decades, Paul Skalnik roamed the Gulf Coast lying about who he was. He passed himself off as a fighter pilot, a high-rolling oilman, a criminal defense attorney, an undercover agent, and a terminal cancer patient. In these guises, he married nine women --- some at the same time. When Skalnik got caught, he would run a different con. Locked up with other men awaiting trial, he claimed they confessed their crimes to him. In 1985, Jim Dailey, a down-on-his-luck Vietnam veteran, was implicated in the murder of a 14-year-old girl and landed in the Pinellas County Jail with Skalnik. No forensic evidence or motive linked Dailey to the killing, but Skalnik’s account of his "confession" helped put Dailey on death row. More than three decades later, another man took responsibility for the killing, but Skalnik refused to recant his testimony. Reviewed by Philip Zozzaro.
DEAD MEN DON'T PLAY FETCH: An Andy Carpenter Mystery by David Rosenfelt (Mystery)
Audiobook available, read by Grover Gardner
Lou Campanelli runs a rehab center. When one of his patients, a homeless veteran, is charged with first-degree murder, he needs his old friend, defense lawyer Andy Carpenter, to help. The man whom Jason Maddox is accused of stabbing to death is none other than billionaire Paul Vincent, an eccentric businessman and inventor. Bickert dedicated a great portion of his life to philanthropy, with a soft spot for dog-related causes. This led him to befriend Jason, a physicist and war hero, whose life fell apart to the point where he ended up on the streets with his dog, just trying to survive. But why would Jason possibly have wanted to kill him? Once again, Andy is enmeshed in a puzzling, twisty case. But in order to reunite a man and his dog, Andy will have to untangle it all. Reviewed by Jack Kramer.
A DARK PATH: And Other Kate Burkholder Short Stories by Linda Castillo
(Mystery/Short Stories)
Audiobook available, read by Kathleen McInerney
For the first time in print comes a collection of five short stories in Linda Castillo’s Edgar Award-winning Kate Burkholder series: “The Pact,” “Disappeared,” “Blood Moon,” “Hallowed Ground” and “Dark Storm Rising.” In “Dark Path,” a brand-new story, an Amish couple disappears while en route to town. They recently had been threatened by their granddaughter’s troubled boyfriend --- and heavy weather is moving in. Kate rushes toward their remote farm, but a dog on the road causes her to crash into a ravine, where she discovers a shattered buggy. Together, she and her new canine friend must find the couple before it's too late. Reviewed by Ray Palen.
FAMOUS MEN by Julie Buntin (Fiction)
Audiobook available, read by Mara Wilson
Will Miles is trapped in tiny Greening, Michigan, where a toxic high school rumor has turned her into a social exile. But when she stumbles across the early poems of Nathaniel Fellow, a famous writer 40 years her senior who also grew up in Greening, she feels she has found a kindred spirit. A passing comment from her mother only adds to Will’s fascination: Is Nathaniel the father she's never known? Will orchestrates a plan to track Nathaniel down, and their meeting sparks a complicated, consuming relationship that gives her sidelong access to a world she’s only ever imagined. But when a torrent of information about his past threatens not just her life with Nathaniel but the story she tells herself about him, Will is faced with a choice that will change everything. Reviewed by Norah Piehl.
THE DEATH ROW CLUB by V. A. Vazquez (Psychological Thriller)
Audiobook available, read by Stephanie Németh-Parker
When Nicola Fischer’s father is arrested for the murder of five women --- including her best friend --- the entire world watches it unfold on “To Catch a Killer,” the hit true-crime TV show hosted by Greer Woods. Overnight, Nicola becomes a pariah. And to make matters worse, Greer --- once a budding friend and fellow child of a serial killer --- hasn’t returned a single call since the show aired. Then comes an unexpected invitation to the Death Row Club, a secret retreat for the adult children of serial killers, founded by none other than Greer herself. Desperate for answers and human connection, Nicola agrees to go. But when a mysterious girl arrives, claiming her father is a killer too, the club’s fragile peace is shattered, unraveling the buried secrets at its core. By morning, the girl has vanished. By afternoon, one of the club members is dead. Reviewed by Ray Palen.
WE WILL SEE YOU BLEED by Ron Currie (Thriller)
Audiobook available, read by Lisa Flanagan
It's late summer 1984, and Babs Dionne’s hometown of Waterville, Maine, is on the verge of collapse. A strike at the paper mill has dragged on for a year, pitting neighbor against neighbor, leaving everyone broke and exhausted. As head of the union local, Babs has presided over Little Canada’s decline. When her best friend, Rita, returns home after five years away, she is shocked by the state of things. And as the strike comes to a head, Rita notices something else: the men may be broken, but the women are furious. They need Babs to be the fearless woman who emerged from the woods 15 years ago, drenched in blood. They need Babs to face what she already knows: that the only way to fix things is to assume control. Completely. Mercilessly. Reviewed by Ray Palen.
KILLER VIBES: The First Peter Key Mystery by Jack Friday (Mystery/Humor)
Audiobook available, read by Max Meyers
Meet Peter Key, a self-proclaimed “laziest private investigator in Texas” (it’s harder than it looks), an unapologetic bisexual, a dedicated stoner, and the surprised recipient of a windfall inheritance from an uncle he barely knew. Peter’s life was a mess before, but now --- as the owner of a dilapidated house in one of the most desirable neighborhoods in Austin --- he has a mountain of debt to deal with and pressure to sell from every side. But Peter doesn’t like to be pushed around. And when he discovers a bag full of cash, he starts to suspect that his uncle’s death wasn’t an accident. He soon finds himself pulled into a lethal game where not everybody plays by the rules. Fortunately, Peter never has been good at following rules. Reviewed by Stuart Shiffman.
SOME PEOPLE by Parini Shroff (Fiction)
Audiobook available, read by Soneela Nankani
Malti Patel is absolutely fine. Concussed and bruised, maybe, but fine. Certainly fine enough not to need her daughter's soon-to-be ex-husband, Nathan Whitlock, playing nurse in her home while she recuperates. But that's exactly the quandary in which she finds herself. Her doctor insists on in-home supervision for seven days. With her daughter, Kavya, abroad at grad school in India, Nathan proves too much of a do-gooder to let Malti rehabilitate alone. Malti and Nathan want nothing to do with one another. But over the course of the week, they learn that they are the two people who know Kavya best --- and the ones who have hurt her so deeply that she has left them both. Reviewed by Norah Piehl.
Next Week’s Notables:
Noteworthy Books Releasing on July 21st
Below are some notable titles releasing on July 21st that we would like to make you aware of. We will have more on many of these books in the weeks to come. For a list of additional hardcovers and paperbacks available the week of July 20th, see our “On Sale This Week” newsletter here.
COOL MACHINE by Colson Whitehead (Historical Fiction)
From #1 New York Times bestselling author and two-time Pulitzer Prize winner Colson Whitehead comes an exuberantly entertaining novel that brings to life 1980s New York in the magnificent final volume of his Harlem Trilogy.
DAD, LOVE, ME: A Memoir by Matthew Quick (Memoir)
Written in the form of a letter to his ailing father, this debut memoir from the bestselling author of THE SILVER LININGS PLAYBOOK explores the complicated burden of caring for an abusive parent who is dying.
THE MORTONS by Justine Larbalestier and Scott Westerfeld (Fiction)
Sharp and hypnotic, THE MORTONS is an epic novel of alliances and power, loyalty and kinship, and the consequences of ruthless ambition.
OUR MARRIAGE IS MURDER by Carol Goodman (Psychological Thriller/Mystery)
In the latest thrilling mystery from Mary Higgins Clark Award–winning author Carol Goodman, a writers’ conference at an Italian castle turns deadly when a killer begins using a husband-and-wife writing team’s novel as a blueprint for murder.
THE STORY KEEPER by Kelly Rimmer (Gothic/Historical Mystery)
Kelly Rimmer, the bestselling author of THE THINGS WE CANNOT SAY, weaves an intricate and compelling tale, inviting readers into the heart of a family’s deepest secrets with an absorbing book-within-a-book mystery.
THE SUBTLE PLEASURES OF INDISCRETION: An Isabel Dalhousie Novel by Alexander McCall Smith (Mystery)
In this latest installment of Alexander McCall Smith's beloved Isabel Dalhousie series, everyone's favorite moral philosopher and amateur sleuth takes on a new set of delicate disputes.
THREE REASONS FOR REVENGE by Dervla McTiernan
(Psychological Thriller/Mystery)
From the #1 internationally bestselling author of WHAT HAPPENED TO NINA? comes a gripping high-stakes novel of suspense about three seemingly unconnected people, caught in a lethal web of deceit and unhealed wounds.
UNSAYABLE: A Life in Writing by Michael Cunningham (Memoir)
UNSAYABLE is an intimate memoir portraying a life spent trying to describe the indescribable, from the Pulitzer Prize–winning author of THE HOURS and DAY.
Click here to see the latest “On Sale This Week” newsletter.
From left to right: Kristin Harmel, Bryan Gruley, Dervla McTiernan
Upcoming Virtual Book and Author Events
Here are four upcoming virtual book and author events that you may be interested in attending. Click on the links for more info and to register.
Tuesday, July 21st at 9pm ET: Killer Author Club: Kimberly Belle, Heather Gudenkauf and Kaira Rouda will talk to Noelle W. Ihli about her latest novel, GRAY AFTER DARK, a thrilling tale of abduction and survival that is inspired by a true story.
Wednesday, July 22nd at 7pm ET: “Friends & Fiction”: Join “Friends & Fiction” for a conversation with F&F's own Kristin Harmel about her latest book, MEET ME IN PARIS. This captivating novel is about several intertwined stories of love, loss, courage and redemption set over the course of one magical week in Paris.
Wednesday, July 22nd at 8pm ET: The Poisoned Pen Bookstore: Dervla McTiernan will talk about her new thriller, THREE REASONS FOR REVENGE, a gripping high-stakes novel of suspense about three seemingly unconnected people, caught in a lethal web of deceit and unhealed wounds.
Thursday, July 23rd at 8pm ET: The Poisoned Pen Bookstore: Bryan Gruley will talk about his latest novel, RIVER DEEP, the second installment in his Bitterfrost thriller series. Attorney Devyn Payne is left navigating thin ice as her small-town community fractures in the wake of a shocking crime.
"Bookreporter Talks To" Videos & Podcasts
“Bookreporter Talks To” is a video and podcast series that delivers long-form, in-depth author interviews. For years, Carol has moderated book festivals and author events around the country. But we know that readers often do not live where they can attend an author event. Our goal is to bring these author interviews to readers, wherever they may be. Watch on video, or listen as a podcast. (The podcasts include audio excerpts.)
Here is our latest interview:
Other authors we've interviewed recently include:
Upcoming interviews include:
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Rachel Beanland (THE HALF LIFE)
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Nadia Hashimi (CITY OF WIDOWS)
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Sophie Chen Keller (LITTLE WONDER)
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Ben Reeves (EVERYTHING WAS BEAUTIFUL AND NOTHING HURT)
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Lisa Scottoline (THIS CHANGES EVERYTHING)
Click here for a complete list of our
"Bookreporter Talks To" videos and podcasts.
Our Latest Poll: July Releases to Anticipate
Which of the following titles releasing in July have you read or do you plan to read? Please check all that apply.
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CATCH THE DEVIL: A True Story of Murder, Deception, and Injustice on the Gulf Coast, by Pamela Colloff
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CITY OF WIDOWS by Nadia Hashimi
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COOL MACHINE by Colson Whitehead
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COUNTRY PEOPLE by Daniel Mason
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THE COUNTRY ROAD MURDERS by James Patterson and Mike Lupica
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DAD, LOVE, ME: A Memoir, by Matthew Quick
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DEAD MEN DON'T PLAY FETCH: An Andy Carpenter Mystery, by David Rosenfelt
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THE DELIVERY by Gregg Hurwitz
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DOMINION: The Silk and Iron Trilogy, Book One by Jean Kwok
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EVERYTHING WAS BEAUTIFUL AND NOTHING HURT by Ben Reeves
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GETTING AWAY WITH MURDER by Shari Lapena
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THE GOOD PARTS by Evann Normandin
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THE HALF LIFE by Rachel Beanland
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HELPLESS by Jessica Knoll
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HOT GIRL MURDER CLUB by Ashley Winstead
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IN WONDERLAND by Joyce Maynard
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AN INFINITE LOVE STORY by Chanel Cleeton
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THE INTRIGUE by Silvia Moreno-Garcia
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IT WILL COME BACK TO YOU: Collected Stories, by Sigrid Nunez
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LOVE YOU MORE by Emily Giffin
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MAN OVERBOARD! by Kathleen Rooney
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MEET ME IN PARIS by Kristin Harmel
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THE MORTONS by Justine Larbalestier and Scott Westerfeld
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MOST ARDENTLY YOURS by Freya Sampson
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OUR MARRIAGE IS MURDER by Carol Goodman
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THE PARISIAN HEIST by Jo Piazza
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RANSOM by Daniel Silva
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SCAVENGING BEAUTY: A Memoir in Walks, by Angelica Glass
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SINGLE GIRLS by John Searles
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THE STORY KEEPER by Kelly Rimmer
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THE SUBTLE PLEASURES OF INDISCRETION: An Isabel Dalhousie Novel, by Alexander McCall Smith
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THIS CHANGES EVERYTHING by Lisa Scottoline
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THREE REASONS FOR REVENGE by Dervla McTiernan
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TRAITORS by Robert B. McCaw
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UNSAYABLE: A Life in Writing, by Michael Cunningham
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None of the above
Click here to vote in the poll by Friday, July 24th at noon ET.
Word of Mouth Contest: Tell Us What
You've Read --- and You Can Win Two Books!
Tell us about the books you’ve read with your comments and a rating of 1 to 5 stars. During the contest period from July 10th to July 24th at noon ET, three lucky readers each will be randomly chosen to win a copy of THE HALF LIFE by Rachel Beanland and THIS CHANGES EVERYTHING by Lisa Scottoline.
To make sure other readers will be able to find the books you write about, please include the full title and correct author names (your entry must include these to be eligible to win). For rules and guidelines, click here.
- To see reader comments from previous contest periods, click here.
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