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Bookreporter.com Newsletter |
May 3, 2013 |
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M is for May Flowers, M is for Mystery, But WHAT is W For?
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In our town, there is a house on a corner property where the homeowner creates elaborate displays with flowers and all kinds of thematic wooden cutouts and blowups to celebrate seasons and holidays. The last two weeks the daffodils are in bloom; we have a guessing game going, trying to figure out how many bulbs were planted. My guess is something like 3,000. Amidst the tulips are six-foot-high wooden daffodils that teased the coming of these spectacular blooms. I love the imagination and energy that these people put into making a lot of us smile as we drive by their house. While we talked about it among members of our family, a recent post on our community Facebook page made me realize how many others in town feel the same way about these folks. I want to remember to drop a note in their mailbox to thank them for the joy that they bring. I think their random act of kindness deserves a thank you. And if they ever sell the house, we hope they leave their plans behind, though this is really a huge labor of love and that cannot be mapped out on paper.
I am tapping out this note on Thursday night from a hotel room in New York after attending the Edgar Awards, the annual mystery award ceremony that is a celebration of books and authors with a prize that bears the likeness of Edgar Allan Poe. It’s one of the industry’s most prestigious awards, and the evening is always fun with lots of hugs from author friends and colleagues --- and lots and lots of book-themed talk. The Best Novel prize was won by Dennis Lehane for LIVE BY NIGHT; Chris Pavone won Best First Novel for THE EXPATS, while Karin Slaughter won Best Short Story for "The Unremarkable Heart," which appeared in MYSTERY WRITERS OF AMERICA PRESENTS VENGEANCE. I loved seeing that Paul French win the "Fact Crime" Edgar for MIDNIGHT IN PEKING, which we featured here last year. Paul flew in from his home in Shanghai, winning him the “longest distance traveled” moniker. I think that trip was really worth all the miles. You can see the complete list of winners here.
Out this week is THE MYSTERY BOX, the latest collection of short mysteries from Mystery Writers of America. In this new anthology, bestselling author Brad Meltzer introduces 21 original stories from today's most prominent mystery writers, including Steve Berry, Laura Lippman, Katherine Neville and R.L. Stine (who I had the pleasure of sitting with at dinner last night). Joe Hartlaub has our review and says, "Kudos to Brad Meltzer for bringing his ‘A’ game to the task of editing this collection, and to each and all of the contributors who so obviously did the same when writing these stories."
I am spending my Friday in the city at "Open House at Random House," where readers are invited to spend the day with a select group of authors and publishing folks from the publishing house. They did an event like this last December that I was not able to attend, and I am looking forward to this one. The aforementioned Karin Slaughter will be doing a session, as will William Landay (DEFENDING JACOB), R.J. Palacio (WONDER), Colum McCann (TRANSATLANTIC), Marisha Pessl (NIGHT FILM) and Alex Guarnaschelli (fun for me because I love "Chopped"!) among other guests, including the headliner, Lauren Graham, the star of "Gilmore Girls" and "Parenthood" whose debut novel SOMEDAY, SOMEDAY, MAYBE is just out. My friends Mary Ellen and Beverley are joining me for what promises to be a brilliantly fun day. While I relish my Fridays working at home where I can write in peace, the lineup for this event was just too good to pass up! I love hearing authors talk about their work. And spending it with friends will make it all the more fun!
We typically go out to dinner Friday nights and then watch a movie before I get some more reading in. After a week of writing and reading, I like this escape. Last week, we watched The Great Gatsby on Netflix. The last time I had seen it was in a theater in 1974! I once again enjoyed it, and it made me want to re-read the book even more. One of our readers, Marge, watched it as well and shared this: “I re-read the book last week (seems like I loved it more the 2nd time around!), and then rented the Robert Redford movie!” My husband noted in the credits that the wardrobe in the original was designed by Ralph Lauren during what I think was the point at which his career was really taking off. I will see the new movie, and I look forward to seeing the differences in these two versions. By the way, my husband noted something in the movie. Daisy has not seen Jay in eight years, and her daughter is seven; he did math and said, “Is she Jay’s child?” I had never thought about that and now must re-read the book for that as well.
The fabulous last lines are not in this version of the movie. Those mean so much to one of our twentysomething former staffers, Maureen, that she had them tattooed onto her arm (see the photo above). And Maureen is not a young woman who gets a tattoo lightly.
The Great Gatsby film in its latest incarnation releases next Friday, May 10th, and to celebrate its arrival in theaters, we’ve built a bookshelf called 20 Books from the ’20s: Reading Beyond Gatsby. Along with THE GREAT GATSBY, you’ll find 19 other mutually influential texts of the 1920s. Please take a moment and check out these time-honored tomes (and their authors) of the decade that remains prominent and inspires books --- and pop culture in general --- to this day.
After months of speculation (and some pretty good but wrong guesses), we now know that the “W” in Sue Grafton’s upcoming Kinsey Millhone mystery stands for “Wasted.” Lots of people’s money seemed to be on “Witness,” “Wicked,” “Wrath” and “Whodunit.” W IS FOR WASTED will be published on September 10th.
One of the biggest book releases of the season is NOS4A2. It’s written by Joe Hill, the bestselling author of HEART-SHAPED BOX and HORNS (and the son of Stephen King). In this spine-tingling novel of supernatural suspense, we are introduced to Charles Talent Manx, who likes to take children for rides in his 1938 Rolls-Royce Wraith with the NOS4A2 vanity plate. With his old car, he can slip right out of the everyday world, and onto the hidden roads that transport them to an astonishing --- and terrifying --- playground of amusements he calls “Christmasland.” Victoria McQueen, the only kid to ever escape Manx’s unmitigated evil, is all grown up now and desperate to forget. But Manx never stopped thinking about Vic. He is on the road again and has picked up a new passenger: Vic’s own son.
Joe Hartlaub already knows this book will be on his “Best Of” list at the end of the year. In his review, he says, “From the first paragraph to the Acknowledgements section at the end of the book, NOS4A2 has the potential to blow the roof off of the (commercially) moribund state of horror fiction all by itself --- in the same way, interestingly enough, that a book about a certain pyrotechnic teenager did a few decades ago.” That’s just a tiny sample of the praise he gives this book. Click here to read the rest of his rave review. By the way, those in the office who read NOS4A2 are wild about it as well. I kept seeing advance copies arrive --- and disappear.
Back in March, we posted a giveaway for THE APPLE ORCHARD by Susan Wiggs. This week, we launch a Women’s Fiction Author Spotlight feature with our review of the book, which is now in stores, and our interview. In this stand-alone novel, Tess Delaney makes a living restoring stolen treasures to their rightful owners --- people like Annelise Winther, who refuses to sell her long-gone mother's beloved necklace. To Annelise, the jewel's value is in its memories. But Tess's own history is filled with gaps. So she is shocked when she discovers that the grandfather she never knew is in a coma --- and that she has been named in his will to inherit half of Bella Vista, a hundred-acre apple orchard in the magical Sonoma town called Archangel. Reviewer Alexis Burling calls the book “a complicated and engrossing glimpse into one family’s fractured past, and a shared future that remains --- at least up until the gratifying Epilogue --- fragile and uncertain.” I really enjoyed it and our advance readers have been giving it high marks. We also have a fun interview with Susan, where she offers much insight into the writing of the book and reveals a hilarious trick she used on her students during her days teaching math.
Our second featured Women’s Fiction author is Deanna Raybourn, whose new book, A SPEAR OF SUMMER GRASS, is now in stores. We gave away copies in a contest last month, and this week we’re pleased to share our review and interview. As the fallout to her latest scandal, Delilah Drummond has been exiled to Kenya and her favorite stepfather's savanna manor house. There, she meets Ryder White, who becomes her guide to the complex beauty of this unknown world. Only when this sacred place is profaned by bloodshed does Delilah discover what is truly worth fighting for --- and what she can no longer live without. According to Alexis Burling, the author “succeeds in telling a genuinely interesting story about a strong, fiercely independent woman --- and a country --- on the verge of a life-changing transformation.” In her interview, Deanna discusses the challenges of writing a book set mostly in East Africa during a time of political, economic and racial tensions, and explains why she decided to write FAR IN THE WILDS, a prequel novella available in eBook format.
This week, we launch two new Paperback Spotlights. First up is GOLD by Chris Cleave, a book I loved so much that I made it a Bookreporter.com Bets On selection when it released in hardcover last year. It’s now available in paperback, giving me the perfect reason to talk about it again. Kate Meadows is a world champion athlete whose eight-year-old daughter is battling a recurrence of childhood leukemia just as Kate is about to compete for her last chance at an Olympic gold medal. For years, Kate has sacrificed everything for her family and watched her best friend and closest rival, Zoe Castle, conquer the world stage. Kate has never won gold and will have to go through Zoe --- who has everything to lose --- to get it. Now her child is facing a life-threatening illness, and the stakes are higher than ever. Click here to read more about the book, including our review, an excerpt, and a Q&A with the author.
Our second featured paperback is THE INQUISITOR’S WIFE, a new historical novel from Jeanne Kalogridis that releases on May 7th. In Spain, the Inquisition is targeting conversos, Christians of Jewish descent, who practice Judaism secretly in their homes. Marisol Garcia, a young conversa, is hurriedly wed to Gabriel, a civil lawyer working for the Inquisition, in hopes that he will protect her. But she still yearns for the childhood love who abandoned her four years earlier and is shocked when he reappears suddenly at her wedding. When her father is arrested and tortured, Marisol finds herself caught between her love for him and her desire to save the lives of her people. Click here to read more about the book and an excerpt, and don’t miss our review in next week’s newsletter.
We continue to feature Nicole Baart in our Women’s Fiction Author Spotlight. Her new book, SLEEPING IN EDEN, releases on May 21st, and follows the lives of a middle-aged doctor and a love-struck young woman who intersect across time. It’s a haunting novel about love, jealousy, and the boundaries between loyalty and truth. We’re giving 50 readers the chance to win a copy of the book and comment on it. To enter, please fill out this form by Thursday, May 9th at noon ET.
Our Mother’s Day Author Blogs are back for a fourth year! From now until Mother’s Day, we’re sharing pieces from authors who talk about how their moms influenced them to become readers and writers, along with their own experiences as mothers and their views on motherhood. We’re leading off this year’s series with Lee Woodruff, whose novel THOSE WE LOVE MOST recently released in paperback. In the days to come, we’ll be hearing from Patti Callahan Henry, Drusilla Campbell, Ellen Sussman, and more.
Our Eighth Annual Mother’s Day Contest ends this Monday, May 6th at noon ET, so if you haven’t entered yet, please do so NOW. We’re giving away five tote bags, along with nine fabulous books and some goodies to pamper Mom: a bath sponge shaped like a flower, an eye mask that can be either chilled or heated, and Godiva dark chocolate truffles. And, ahem, if you have not done your Mother’s Day shopping yet, consult our featured titles for ideas.
On ReadingGroupGuides.com, we have a special offer for book groups that we wanted to be sure to have on your radar. SHADOW OF NIGHT --- the much-anticipated sequel to Deborah Harkness’s debut novel, A DISCOVERY OF WITCHES --- releases in paperback on May 28th. To celebrate, we’re giving one book group the chance to win a Skype chat with Deborah and copies of SHADOW OF NIGHT. Five other groups will win copies of the book. Please note: All Skype chats must be scheduled between June 2nd and June 8th. Deborah lives in a remote area and will be in a spot conducive to a Skype chat on these dates. Please be sure your group will be available for the Skype chat and indicate the dates that work for you when you respond, or just enter to win the book portion of the giveaway! To enter, please fill out this form by Wednesday, May 22nd at noon ET.
Along with The Great Gatsby, you can look forward to seeing Iron Man 3, What Maisie Knew and The Iceman come to life on the big screen this month. Click here for all the movies, TV shows and DVDs that appear in May’s Books on Screen feature.
Our current Word of Mouth contest is still up. Let us know what you’ve read by Friday, May 10th at noon ET, and you’ll be entered to win a copy of NOS4A2, along with A DELICATE TRUTH by John le Carre and IS THIS TOMORROW by Caroline Leavitt.
I’d like to remind you that Power Reader Day at BookExpo America will be Saturday, June 1st at the Jacob K. Javits Center. Tickets are $49 for you to attend this previously-not-open-to-the-public trade show. We will be doing a Speed Dating Session for Book Groups that is open to all Power Reader Day attendees. Register for Power Reader Day here, and sign up for the Speed Dating event here.
Fun weekend on tap after a very long week of days and nights out. My mom’s birthday is Sunday, so we are celebrating with a dinner on Saturday night. As many of you know, I am a huge Simon and Garfunkel fan. Greg and I are headed to Westchester on Sunday to a small art gallery where Art Garfunkel is doing a private rehearsal for fans followed by a Q&A session. Art has been recovering from a serious throat ailment. As the person coordinating the afternoon’s session writes, “While his voice has recovered significantly, it is not yet 100%. However, he is in good form and is now working to perfect his stage show. Since his fans have been so supportive of him during this time, Art wanted to offer up a special thank you.”
It should be a fun afternoon, and I promised Greg that I would not turn fangirl like I did 10 years ago when we went to see Art together and were invited backstage! It’s one of those stories that even I can laugh at; I walked out and Greg, who was 13 at the time, said very diplomatically, "We all had our roles tonight and played them well. You definitely had the rabid fan role nailed." My intelligent question for Sunday: "Can I get the liner notes from the CD of The Singer in a format that I can read?” Whoever designed the colored type over the colored background did not keep in mind that some of us needed to see the words! I think that sounds intelligent and not too fangirl.
Have a great week….and read on.
Carol Fitzgerald ([email protected])
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Now in Stores: NOS4A2 by Joe Hill
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NOS4A2 by Joe Hill (Supernatural Thriller/Horror)
Charles Talent Manx likes to take children for rides in his 1938 Rolls-Royce Wraith with the NOS4A2 vanity plate. With his old car, he can slip right out of the everyday world, and onto the hidden roads that transport them to an astonishing --- and terrifying --- playground of amusements he calls “Christmasland.” Victoria McQueen, the only kid to ever escape Manx’s unmitigated evil, is all grown up now and desperate to forget. But Manx is on the road again and has picked up a new passenger: Vic’s own son. Reviewed by Joe Hartlaub.
-Click here to read more about the book.
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Click here to read a review. |
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Now in Stores: 12th OF NEVER by James Patterson and Maxine Paetro
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12th OF NEVER by James Patterson and Maxine Paetro (Thriller)
After only a week at home with her new daughter, Lindsay Boxer is forced to return to work to face two of the biggest cases of her career. A rising star football player for the San Francisco 49ers is the prime suspect in a grisly murder. At the same time, an eccentric English professor has been having vivid nightmares about a violent murder and is convinced it’s real. Lindsay doesn't believe him, but then a shooting is called in --- and it fits the professor's description perfectly. Reviewed by Joe Hartlaub.
-Click here to read more about the book.
-Click here to read an excerpt.
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Click here to read a review. |
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Bookreporter.com Talks to Susan Wiggs, Author of THE APPLE ORCHARD
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In a departure from her popular Lakeshore Chronicles series, Susan Wiggs has written THE APPLE ORCHARD, a novel of sisters, friendship, and how memories are woven like a spell around us. Bookreporter.com’s Alexis Burling spoke with Wiggs about the format of her book and her ability to seamlessly weave together details of two disparate settings in order to draw a complete picture of the characters’ family history. She also explains how writing the novel was similar to a treasure hunt (a nod to protagonist Tess’s job), talks about the inclusion of taste-tempting recipes that are sprinkled throughout the story, and reveals a unique test-taking “tip” that she told her students about when she was a math teacher.
THE APPLE ORCHARD by Susan Wiggs (Romance)
Tess Delaney makes a living restoring stolen treasures to their rightful owners --- people like Annelise Winther, who refuses to sell her long-gone mother's beloved necklace. To Annelise, the jewel's value is in its memories. But Tess's own history is filled with gaps. So she is shocked when she discovers that the grandfather she never knew is in a coma --- and that she has been named in his will to inherit half of Bella Vista, a hundred-acre apple orchard in the magical Sonoma town called Archangel. Reviewed by Alexis Burling.
-Click here to read more about the book.
-Click here to read a review.
-Click here to read an excerpt.
-Click here to read Susan Wiggs’s bio.
-Click here to visit Susan Wiggs’s official website.
-Connect with Susan Wiggs on Facebook and Twitter.
-Click here to read more in our Women’s Fiction Author Spotlight.
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Click here to read our interview. |
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Bookreporter.com Talks to Deanna Raybourn, Author of A SPEAR OF SUMMER GRASS
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Deanna Raybourn takes a break from her Lady Julia Grey mysteries to pen her latest stand-alone novel, A SPEAR OF SUMMER GRASS. In this interview with Bookreporter.com's Alexis Burling, Raybourn talks about the most significant challenge she faced in describing her setting --- an East Africa fraught with political, economic and racial tensions --- and the extensive research she conducted (which included reading close to 100 books!). She also explains why she wrote FAR IN THE WILDS, a prequel novella available in eBook format that tells Ryder’s story before he is introduced to Delilah, and previews her upcoming writing schedule.
A SPEAR OF SUMMER GRASS by Deanna Raybourn (Historical Romance)
As the fallout to her latest scandal, Delilah Drummond has been exiled to Kenya and her favorite stepfather's savanna manor house. There, she meets Ryder White, who becomes her guide to the complex beauty of this unknown world. Only when this sacred place is profaned by bloodshed does Delilah discover what is truly worth fighting for --- and what she can no longer live without. Reviewed by Alexis Burling.
-Click here to read more about the book.
-Click here to read a review.
-Click here to read an excerpt.
-Click here to read critical praise.
-Click here to watch the book trailer.
-Click here to read Deanna Raybourn’s bio.
-Visit Deanna Raybourn’s official website and blog.
-Connect with Deanna Raybourn on Facebook and Twitter.
-Click here to read more in our Women’s Fiction Author Spotlight.
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Click here to read our interview. |
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New Paperback Spotlight: GOLD by Chris Cleave
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GOLD by Chris Cleave (Fiction)
If your dreams pull you in one direction and your heart in another, which should you follow? This is the question that haunts Kate Meadows, a world champion athlete whose eight-year-old daughter Sophie is battling a recurrence of childhood leukemia just as Kate is about to compete for her last chance at an Olympic gold medal. For years, Kate has sacrificed everything for her family and watched her best friend and closest rival, Zoe Castle, conquer the world stage. Kate has never won gold. With her child facing a life-threatening illness, the stakes are higher than ever. How can she do what is right for her daughter without abandoning all of her dreams?
GOLD, a Bookreporter.com Bets On pick when it released in hardcover last year, is now available in paperback.
-Click here to read more about the book.
-Click here to read a review.
-Click here to read an excerpt.
-Click here to see why we’re betting you’ll love this book.
-Click here for the reading group guide.
-Click here to read Chris Cleave’s bio.
-Click here to watch an interview with Chris Cleave.
-Click here to visit Chris Cleave’s official website.
-Connect with Chris Cleave on Facebook and Twitter.
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Click here to read more in our Paperback Spotlight. |
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New Paperback Spotlight: THE INQUISITOR’S WIFE by Jeanne Kalogridis
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THE INQUISITOR'S WIFE: A Novel of Renaissance Spain by Jeanne Kalogridis (Historical Fiction)
1481 Seville: The Inquisition makes its first appearance in Spain. Its target: conversos, Christians of Jewish descent --- specifically those who practice Judaism secretly in their homes. The penalty for “crypto-Judaism”: Burning at the stake.
Marisol Garcia, a young conversa, is hurriedly wed to Gabriel, a civil lawyer working for the Inquisition, in hopes that he will protect her. But she still yearns for the childhood love who abandoned her four years earlier, and she’s shocked when he reappears suddenly at her wedding.
When her father is arrested and tortured, Marisol finds herself caught between her love for him and her desire to save the lives of her people. After becoming a favorite of the ruthless Queen Isabella, Marisol discovers a dangerous secret about her former lover, Antonio, and finds herself trapped in a life-threatening web of intrigue. As the Inquisition’s snares tighten around her, Marisol’s love for Antonio and loyalty to her Jewish family is tested as never before.
THE INQUISITOR'S WIFE releases on May 7th.
-Click here to read more about the book.
-Click here to read an excerpt.
-Click here to read Jeanne Kalogridis’s bio.
-Click here to visit Jeanne Kalogridis’s official website.
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Click here to read more in our Paperback Spotlight. |
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Bookreporter.com's Eighth Annual Mother's Day Contest: Books Mom Will Love
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Mother’s Day is a time to recognize the woman who raised and nurtured us. Why not brighten her special day with some great books? From now through May 6th at noon ET, readers will have the chance to win one of our five Bookreporter.com Mother’s Day tote bags. Each bag is filled with a selection of nine varied and wonderful books, along with a variety of gifts to treat Mom: Godiva dark chocolate truffles, a bath sponge shaped like a flower, and a gel eye mask that can be either chilled or heated.
To enter, please fill out this form by Monday, May 6th at noon ET.
This year's featured Mother's Day titles are:
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Click here to read more about the prize books and enter the contest. |
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Featured Women’s Fiction Author Spotlight and Contest: SLEEPING IN EDEN by Nicole Baart
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We have 50 copies of SLEEPING IN EDEN by Nicole Baart, which releases on May 21st, to give away to readers who would like to read the book and comment on it. To enter, please fill out this form by Thursday, May 9th at noon ET.
SLEEPING IN EDEN by Nicole Baart (Fiction)
On a chilly morning in the Northwest Iowa town of Blackhawk, Dr. Lucas Hudson is filling in for the vacationing coroner on a seemingly open-and-shut suicide case. His own life is crumbling around him, but when he unearths the body of a woman buried in the barn floor beneath the hanging corpse, he realizes this terrible discovery could change everything...
Years before Lucas ever set foot in Blackhawk, Meg Painter met Dylan Reid. It was the summer before high school and the two quickly became inseparable. Although Meg's older neighbor, Jess, was the safe choice, she couldn't let go of Dylan no matter how hard she tried.
Caught in a web of jealousy and deceit that spiraled out of control, Meg's choices in the past ultimately collide with Lucas's discovery in the present, weaving together a taut story of unspoken secrets and the raw, complex passions of innocence lost.
-Click here to read more about the book.
-Click here to read an excerpt.
-Click here to read Nicole Baart’s bio.
-Click here to visit Nicole Baart’s official website.
-Connect with Nicole Baart on Facebook and Twitter.
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Click here to read more in our Women’s Fiction Author Spotlight and enter the contest. |
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Bookreporter.com’s Latest Bookshelf: 20 Books from the ’20s: Reading Beyond Gatsby
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As the May 10th film release of Baz Luhrmann's remake of THE GREAT GATSBY draws near, it seems that everyone is overcome with Gatsby fever. Pop culture emails from some of our favorite brands have been flooding our inboxes about the Roaring Twenties, and tweets about the steamy trio of Leonardo DiCaprio, Carey Mulligan and Tobey Maguire have been filling up our Twitter feeds. While the obsession with the hip, reimagined and modernized approach to the ’20s swirls around us, we at Bookreporter.com revisit the era in one of the ways we understand it best --- through great, classical literature.
Along with THE GREAT GATSBY, we have carefully curated a 1920s-themed bookshelf of 19 other masterpieces that have shaped and continue to shape the way we read and understand literature. Featuring all incredible authors and their works from the decade, we've included long-standing favorites such as Edith Wharton's THE AGE OF INNOCENCE, Virginia Woolf's MRS. DALLOWAY and D.H. Lawrence's LADY CHATTERLEY'S LOVER.
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Click here to see our "20 Books from the ’20s" bookshelf. |
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Now in Stores: MYSTERY WRITERS OF AMERICA PRESENTS THE MYSTERY BOX edited by Brad Meltzer
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MYSTERY WRITERS OF AMERICA PRESENTS THE MYSTERY BOX edited by Brad Meltzer (Mystery Anthology)
With this anthology, bestselling author Brad Meltzer introduces 21 original stories from today's most prominent mystery writers. From the foothills of Mount Fuji to Georgia's Okefenokee Swamp, from a physics laboratory in wartime Leipzig to an unusual fitness club in Boca Raton, these sometimes terrifying, sometimes funny, and always suspenseful tales will keep you riveted to the page. Reviewed by Joe Hartlaub.
-Click here to read more about the book.
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Click here to read a review. |
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This Week’s Reviews
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THE WOMAN UPSTAIRS by Claire Messud (Fiction)
Now in her late 30s, Nora Eldridge, a childless, unmarried third-grade teacher in Cambridge, Massachusetts, has given up her dream of becoming a great artist. But when videomaker Sirena Shahid and her husband and eight-year-old son arrive from Paris for a year abroad, they rekindle Nora’s long-dormant passions and instill hope that her fantasy is still attainable. THE WOMAN UPSTAIRS is a quiet novel of resentment and of the perils of fast friendship. Reviewed by Michael Magras.
-Click here to read an excerpt.
UNINTENDED CONSEQUENCES: A Stone Barrington Novel by Stuart Woods
Two unexpected invitations may be the first clues in an intricate puzzle that Stone Barrington must unravel to learn the truth...a puzzle that will lead him deep into the rarefied world of European ultra wealth and privilege, where billionaires rub elbows with spooks, insider knowledge is traded at a high premium, and murder is never too high a price to pay for a desired end. It soon becomes clear that beneath the bright lights of Europe lurks a shadowy underworld...and its only rule is deadly ambition. Reviewed by Judy Gigstad.
A BAT IN THE BELFRY: A Home Repair Is Homicide Mystery by Sarah Graves
A horrific storm bears down on Eastport, but one local teen will not live long enough to experience it. When Karen Hansen is found murdered in a local church bell tower, Sam Tiptree's good friend is implicated…which means that his mom, Jake, is on the hunt to discover the truth, even as the wind howls and rain buckets down. Reviewed by Terry Miller Shannon.
-Click here to read an excerpt.
SCREWED by Eoin Colfer (Crime Fiction)
In this riveting sequel to PLUGGED, Eoin Colfer adds an entirely new chapter to the adventures and misadventures of Daniel McEvoy, the down-on-his-luck Irish bouncer at a seedy New Jersey bar who, with the help of a motley crew of unlikely characters, solved a bizarre string of murders --- including the one of the girl he loved. But people around him continue to die mysteriously, and Daniel is called into action once again. Reviewed by L. Dean Murphy.
DEAD RUN: The Murder of a Lawman and the Greatest Manhunt of the Modern American West by Dan Schultz (True Crime)
In 1998 in Cortez, Colorado, three desperados in a stolen truck opened fire on the town cop, shooting him 20 times. Then they blasted their way past dozens of police cars and disappeared into 10,000 square miles of the harshest wilderness terrain on the North American continent. Self-trained survivalists, the outlaws eluded the most sophisticated law enforcement technology on the planet. DEAD RUN is the first in-depth account of this sensational case. Reviewed by Curtis Edmonds.
HELSINKI BLOOD: An Inspector Vaara Novel by James Thompson (Thriller)
Kari Vaara is recovering from the physical and emotional toll of solving the Lisbet Söderlund case when he’s approached with a plea: an Estonian woman begs him to find her daughter, Loviise, a young woman with Down syndrome who was promised work and a better life in Finland, and has since disappeared. As Kari works this new case, a past one comes back to haunt him when powerful enemies return to settle unfinished business. Reviewed by Joe Hartlaub.
CRIMINAL ENTERPRISE by Owen Laukkanen (Thriller)
From the outside, Carter Tomlin’s life looked perfect. In reality, he has lost his job, the bills are mounting, and that perfect life is hanging by a thread. Desperate, he robs a bank. Then another. As the red flags start to go up, FBI Special Agent Carla Windermere homes in on Tomlin from one direction, while Minnesota state investigator Kirk Stevens picks up the trail from another. But Tomlin has guns and a new taste for violence. And he’s not quitting anytime soon. Reviewed by Joe Hartlaub.
THE SCRIVENER'S TALE by Fiona McIntosh (Fantasy)
Ex-psychologist Gabe Figaret was done with patients for good, until he meets Angelina, a young mute woman he’s been asked to mentor. When she starts speaking about another realm called Morgravia, he doubts her, but soon comes under the spell of her compelling visions. As Gabe delves deeper into Angelina’s unsettled psyche, he learns more about his own soul, his past, and whom he can trust in his own troubled life. Reviewed by Stephen Hubbard.
THE FOREVER KNIGHT: A Novel of the Bronze Knight by John Marco (Fantasy)
Lukien is the Bronze Knight, beloved by his kingdom and renowned in battle throughout his world. After betraying his king and losing his beloved, he wishes only for death. But rather than die, Lukien is given a chance for redemption: to be the protector of the Inhumans --- those fragile mortals who live deep in the desert, far from the prying eyes of their world. These remarkable individuals have been granted magical powers in exchange for the hardships and handicaps life has handed them. And Lukien, now immortal himself, must be their champion. Reviewed by Stephen Hubbard.
SILENCED by Kristina Ohlsson (Mystery)
A teenage girl was assaulted and raped on a midsummer’s eve 15 years ago. Cut to present: a man is killed in a hit and run. He has no identification on him and is not reported missing. The same day, a priest and his wife are found dead in an apparent suicide. Fredrika Bergman and her colleagues are assigned to all three of the seemingly unrelated cases. What is the thread of evil that connects them all? Reviewed by Joe Hartlaub.
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Contests Running on Other Sites in TheBookReportNetwork.com
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We have a number of contests currently running on our other sites in TheBookReportNetwork.com. Please take a look at them below, and enter for your chance to win some fabulous books!
ReadingGroupGuides.com
SHADOW OF NIGHT by Deborah Harkness
We are celebrating the May 28th paperback release of SHADOW OF NIGHT --- the much-anticipated sequel to Deborah Harkness’s debut novel, A DISCOVERY OF WITCHES --- with an exciting contest. One book group will win a Skype chat with Deborah and copies of SHADOW OF NIGHT, while five other groups will win copies of the book. All Skype chats must be scheduled between June 2nd and June 8th. The deadline for entries is Wednesday, May 22nd at noon ET.
“What Are You Reading?” Monthly Contest Feature
Let us know what your group is reading in April, and you will be entered in a giveaway to win multiple copies of a book for your group! Our latest prize book is ORPHAN TRAIN by Christina Baker Kline, a powerful novel of upheaval and resilience, of second chances, of unexpected friendship, and of the secrets we carry that keep us from finding out who we are. We have 12 copies of the book, which is now in stores, to give away to three groups. The deadline for entries is Monday, May 6th at noon ET.
Kidsreads.com
THE 39 CLUES: THE CAHILL VAULT, Book Two: SPYMASTERS by Clifford Riley
To celebrate the release of Clifford Riley's SPYMASTERS, the second volume in The 39 Clues: The Cahill Files series --- which features three stories previously published exclusively as eBook shorts --- we're running a special contest that will give 25 readers the opportunity to win a copy of these adventures through time. The deadline for entries is Monday, July 1st at noon ET.
KID PICKERS by Mike Wolfe with Lily Sprengelmeyer
To celebrate the release of KID PICKERS: How to Turn Junk into Treasure --- in which Mike Wolfe, the star of the hit show "American Pickers," shares his love of treasure-hunting with kids --- we’re running a special contest that will give five readers the opportunity to win a copy of this fun, tip-filled, how-to book. The deadline for entries is Tuesday, May 14th at noon ET.
FaithfulReader.com
THE GUARDIAN: Home to Hickory Hollow, Book 3 by Beverly Lewis
We are celebrating the release of THE GUARDIAN with a special contest that will give 50 readers the opportunity to win a copy of this third installment in Beverly Lewis's Home to Hickory Hollow series. The deadline for entries is Tuesday, May 14th at noon ET.
FaithfulReader.com's Monthly Contest
In our latest monthly contest, one reader will received a signed copy of TAYLOR'S GIFT: A Courageous Story of Giving Life and Renewing Hope. Todd and Tara Storch tragically lost their 13-year-old daughter in a skiing accident; their decision to donate Taylor's organs would help save the lives of five desperate people who were anxiously awaiting a miracle. The deadline for entries is Tuesday, May 14th at noon ET.
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Word of Mouth: Tell Us What You're Reading --- and You Could Win THREE Books!
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Tell us your current reading recommendations with your comments and a rating of 1 to 5 stars. During the contest period from April 26th to May 10th, FIVE lucky readers each will be randomly chosen to win a copy of A DELICATE TRUTH by John le Carré, IS THIS TOMORROW by Caroline Leavitt, and NOS4A2 by Joe Hill.
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 complete rules and guidelines, click here.
Please note: You must enter your full address, using correct capitalization and filling in all fields if you would like to be eligible to win a prize.
One more important note: We realize that many times, your opinion of a book will change as you get further along into the story. Thus, to ensure that your comments and ratings accurately reflect your entire reading experience, we ask that you finish reading the book before you submit your comments about it.
-To see reader comments from previous contest periods, click here.
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Click here to enter the contest. |
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As always, here are a few housekeeping notes. If you are seeing this newsletter in a text version, and would prefer to see the graphics, you can either read it online or change your preferences below.
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