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Editorial Content for Bryant & May: The Lonely Hour: A Peculiar Crimes Unit Mystery

Contributors

Reviewer (text)

Joe Hartlaub

My favorite occurrence at the end of each year is the appearance of a new Bryant & May/Peculiar Crimes Unit (PCU) novel. Anyone who loves reading and has not experienced one of these books is being cheated, though it is easy enough to rectify the matter. With the newly published THE LONELY HOUR, Christopher Fowler has written 16 of them, as well as a short story collection (with another on the way). Read More

Teaser

When a man is found hanging upside down inside a willow tree on Hampstead Heath, surrounded by a baffling assortment of occult objects, the Peculiar Crimes Unit is called in to investigate. Was this a botched satanic ritual pulled off by bored teenagers, a gang initiation, or the work of a mastermind with grander intentions? Bryant and May set off in search of answers. When another body is pulled from the river at dawn, it becomes clear that a killer lurks in the night. To catch him, the PCU switches to graveyard shifts, but the team still comes up short. As they explore a night city where the normal rules do not apply, they’re drawn deeper into a case that involves murder, arson, kidnapping, blackmail, loneliness and bats.

Promo

When a man is found hanging upside down inside a willow tree on Hampstead Heath, surrounded by a baffling assortment of occult objects, the Peculiar Crimes Unit is called in to investigate. Was this a botched satanic ritual pulled off by bored teenagers, a gang initiation, or the work of a mastermind with grander intentions? Bryant and May set off in search of answers. When another body is pulled from the river at dawn, it becomes clear that a killer lurks in the night. To catch him, the PCU switches to graveyard shifts, but the team still comes up short. As they explore a night city where the normal rules do not apply, they’re drawn deeper into a case that involves murder, arson, kidnapping, blackmail, loneliness and bats.

About the Book

The brilliant Arthur Bryant and John May take the late, late shift in a cat-and-mouse hunt with a killer who preys on his victims at the same time every night --- the lonely hour of 4am.

When a man is found hanging upside down inside a willow tree on Hampstead Heath, surrounded by a baffling assortment of occult objects, the Peculiar Crimes Unit is called in to investigate. Was this a botched satanic ritual pulled off by bored teenagers, a gang initiation or the work of a mastermind with grander intentions? Bryant and May set off in search of answers and are soon reminded that London is a city steeped in blood and magic. 

When another body is pulled from the river at dawn, it becomes clear that a killer lurks in the night. To catch him, the PCU switches to graveyard shifts, but the team still comes up short. As they explore a night city where the normal rules do not apply, they’re drawn deeper into a case that involves murder, arson, kidnapping, blackmail, loneliness and bats. 

May takes a technological approach, while Bryant goes in search of his usual academics and misfits for help, for this investigation reveals impossibilities at every turn. How do you stop a killer who appears not to exist? Luckily, impossibilities are what the Peculiar Crimes Unit does best.

Audiobook available, read by Tim Goodman

Editorial Content for The Glittering Hour

Contributors

Reviewer (text)

Megan Elliott

For Selina Lennox, the parties never stop. It’s 1925, and she’s one of the brightest of the Bright Young Things. Life is a seemingly endless succession of cocktails, costume parties and wild treasure hunts through nighttime London. Read More

Teaser

Selina Lennox is a Bright Young Thing. Her life is a whirl of parties and drinking, pursued by the press and staying on just the right side of scandal, all while running from the life her parents would choose for her. Lawrence Weston is a penniless painter who stumbles into Selina's orbit one night and can never let her go, even while knowing someone of her stature could never end up with someone of his. Except Selina falls hard for Lawrence, envisioning a life of true happiness. But when tragedy strikes, Selina finds herself choosing what's safe over what's right.

Promo

Selina Lennox is a Bright Young Thing. Her life is a whirl of parties and drinking, pursued by the press and staying on just the right side of scandal, all while running from the life her parents would choose for her. Lawrence Weston is a penniless painter who stumbles into Selina's orbit one night and can never let her go, even while knowing someone of her stature could never end up with someone of his. Except Selina falls hard for Lawrence, envisioning a life of true happiness. But when tragedy strikes, Selina finds herself choosing what's safe over what's right.

About the Book

Award-winning author Iona Grey's next unforgettable historical novel is about true love found and lost, and the secrets we keep from one another.

Selina Lennox is a Bright Young Thing. Her life is a whirl of parties and drinking, pursued by the press and staying on just the right side of scandal, all while running from the life her parents would choose for her.

Lawrence Weston is a penniless painter who stumbles into Selina's orbit one night and can never let her go, even while knowing someone of her stature could never end up with someone of his. Except Selina falls hard for Lawrence, envisioning a life of true happiness. But when tragedy strikes, Selina finds herself choosing what's safe over what's right.

Spanning two decades and a seismic shift in British history as World War II approaches, Iona Grey's THE GLITTERING HOUR is an epic novel of passion, heartache and loss.

Audiobook available, read by Imogen Church

Editorial Content for The Broken Road: George Wallace and a Daughter's Journey to Reconciliation

Reviewer (text)

Barbara Bamberger Scott

George Wallace, the four-time governor of Alabama, was a controversial figure by any reckoning. His daughter, Peggy Wallace Kennedy, seeks to smooth some of his edges for posterity’s sake, and for our finer understanding of the man, his policies and his actions. Read More

Teaser

Former governor of Alabama and presidential candidate George Wallace was notorious for his hateful rhetoric and political stunts. At the end of his life, he came to renounce his views, although he could never attempt to fully repair the damage he caused. But after her own political awakening, his daughter, Peggy Wallace Kennedy, dedicated her life to spreading the new Wallace message --- one of peace and compassion. In her new memoir, Peggy looks back on the politics of her youth and attempts to reconcile her adored father with the man who coined the phrase “Segregation now. Segregation tomorrow. Segregation forever.”

Promo

Former governor of Alabama and presidential candidate George Wallace was notorious for his hateful rhetoric and political stunts. At the end of his life, he came to renounce his views, although he could never attempt to fully repair the damage he caused. But after her own political awakening, his daughter, Peggy Wallace Kennedy, dedicated her life to spreading the new Wallace message --- one of peace and compassion. In her new memoir, Peggy looks back on the politics of her youth and attempts to reconcile her adored father with the man who coined the phrase “Segregation now. Segregation tomorrow. Segregation forever.”

About the Book

From the daughter of one of America's most virulent segregationists, a memoir that reckons with her father George Wallace's legacy of hate --- and illuminates her journey towards redemption.

Peggy Wallace Kennedy has been widely hailed as the “symbol of racial reconciliation” (Washington Post). In the summer of 1963, though, she was just a young girl watching her father stand in a schoolhouse door as he tried to block two African-American students from entering the University of Alabama. This man, former governor of Alabama and presidential candidate George Wallace, was notorious for his hateful rhetoric and his political stunts. But he was also a larger-than-life father to young Peggy, who was taught to smile, sit straight and not speak up as her father took to the political stage. At the end of his life, Wallace came to renounce his views, although he could never attempt to fully repair the damage he caused. But Peggy, after her own political awakening, dedicated her life to spreading the new Wallace message-one of peace and compassion.

In this powerful new memoir, Peggy looks back on the politics of her youth and attempts to reconcile her adored father with the man who coined the phrase “Segregation now. Segregation tomorrow. Segregation forever.” Timely and timeless, THE BROKEN ROAD speaks to change, atonement, activism and racial reconciliation.

Editorial Content for Murder, She Wrote: A Time for Murder

Contributors

Reviewer (text)

Ray Palen

Well, loyal readers, the time has finally come. The 50th Murder, She Wrote book has arrived! Jon Land, who took over the writing of the series in 2018, has slid so easily into the driver's seat, allowing fans not to miss a single Cabot Cove slice of pie at the local diner --- or an occasional murder or two. Read More

Teaser

Young Jessica Fletcher's life couldn't be more ordinary. She teaches at the local high school while she and her loving husband, Frank, are raising their nephew, Grady, together. But when the beloved principal dies under mysterious circumstances, Jessica knows something is off and, for the very first time, investigates a death. Present-day Jessica returns to high school for a colleague's retirement party and has fun seeing familiar faces. That is, until the colleague winds up dead --- and his death has mysterious links to Jessica's very first murder case. With nothing but her own instincts to guide her, Jessica embarks on a quest to find out what really happened all those years ago and who's behind these murders.

Promo

Young Jessica Fletcher's life couldn't be more ordinary. She teaches at the local high school while she and her loving husband, Frank, are raising their nephew, Grady, together. But when the beloved principal dies under mysterious circumstances, Jessica knows something is off and, for the very first time, investigates a death. Present-day Jessica returns to high school for a colleague's retirement party and has fun seeing familiar faces. That is, until the colleague winds up dead --- and his death has mysterious links to Jessica's very first murder case. With nothing but her own instincts to guide her, Jessica embarks on a quest to find out what really happened all those years ago and who's behind these murders.

About the Book

In the 50th entry in this USA Today bestselling series, two timelines converge as Jessica Fletcher returns to high school to investigate the murder of an old colleague, while we meet Jessica as a young teacher solving her very first murder.

Young Jessica Fletcher’s life couldn’t be more ordinary. She teaches at the local high school while she and her loving husband, Frank, are raising their nephew, Grady, together. But when the beloved principal dies under mysterious circumstances, Jessica knows something is off and, for the very first time, investigates a death.

Present-day Jessica returns to high school for a colleague’s retirement party and has fun seeing familiar faces. That is, until the colleague winds up dead --- and his death has mysterious links to Jessica’s very first murder case. 

With nothing but her own instincts to guide her, Jessica embarks on a quest to find out what really happened all those years ago and who’s behind these murders. Because time is running out to catch this killer.

Audiobook available, read by Laural Merlington

Editorial Content for Sidney Lumet: A Life

Contributors

Reviewer (text)

Stuart Shiffman

The directorial career of Sidney Lumet coincides neatly with the growth of movies as a fundamental cornerstone of the entertainment industry. Lumet’s five-decade career as the definitive New York film director began with the classic 12 Angry Men, and was followed by such landmark films as Serpico, Dog Day Afternoon, Network and Find Me Guilty. You may not have seen the latter, but if gangster movies are your thing, I highly recommend it. Read More

Teaser

Acclaimed as the ultimate New York movie director, Sidney Lumet began his astonishing five-decades-long directing career with the now classic 12 Angry Men, followed by such landmark films as Serpico, Dog Day Afternoon and Network. His remarkably varied output included award-winning adaptations of plays by Anton Chekhov, Arthur Miller, Tennessee Williams and Eugene O’Neill, whose Long Day’s Journey into Night featured Katharine Hepburn and Ralph Richardson in their most devastating performances. With the help of exclusive interviews with family, colleagues and friends, author Maura Spiegel provides a vibrant portrait of the life and work of this extraordinary director whose influence is felt through generations.

Promo

Acclaimed as the ultimate New York movie director, Sidney Lumet began his astonishing five-decades-long directing career with the now classic 12 Angry Men, followed by such landmark films as Serpico, Dog Day Afternoon and Network. His remarkably varied output included award-winning adaptations of plays by Anton Chekhov, Arthur Miller, Tennessee Williams and Eugene O’Neill, whose Long Day’s Journey into Night featured Katharine Hepburn and Ralph Richardson in their most devastating performances. With the help of exclusive interviews with family, colleagues and friends, author Maura Spiegel provides a vibrant portrait of the life and work of this extraordinary director whose influence is felt through generations.

About the Book

The first-ever biography of the seminal American director whose remarkable life traces a line through American entertainment history.

Acclaimed as the ultimate New York movie director, Sidney Lumet began his astonishing five-decades-long directing career with the now classic 12 Angry Men, followed by such landmark films as Serpico, Dog Day Afternoon and Network. His remarkably varied output included award-winning adaptations of plays by Anton Chekhov, Arthur Miller, Tennessee Williams and Eugene O’Neill, whose Long Day’s Journey into Night featured Katharine Hepburn and Ralph Richardson in their most devastating performances.

Renowned as an “actor’s director,” Lumet attracted an unmatched roster of stars, among them: Henry Fonda, Sophia Loren, Marlon Brando, Anna Magnani, Sean Connery, Ingrid Bergman, Paul Newman, Al Pacino, Ethan Hawke and Philip-Seymour Hoffman, accruing 18 Oscar nods for his actors along the way.

With the help of exclusive interviews with family, colleagues and friends, author Maura Spiegel provides a vibrant portrait of the life and work of this extraordinary director whose influence is felt through generations, and takes us inside the Federal Theater, the Group Theatre, the Actors Studio and the early “golden age” of television.

From his surprising personal life, with four marriages to remarkable women --- all of whom opened their living rooms to Lumet’s world of artists and performers like Marilyn Monroe and Michael Jackson --- to the world of Yiddish theater and Broadway spectacles, SIDNEY LUMET: A LIFE is a book that anyone interested in American film of the 20th century will not want to miss.

Audiobook available, read by Kate Mulligan

Editorial Content for The Attempted Murder of Teddy Roosevelt

Contributors

Reviewer (text)

Curtis Edmonds

“Dee-lighted,” Theodore Roosevelt says when he greets his Secretary of State, John Hay, in an early chapter of THE ATTEMPTED MURDER OF TEDDY ROOSEVELT. That could be an excellent one-word review of Burt Solomon’s novel. It is a thoroughly delightful read for several reasons. Read More

Teaser

September 3, 1902. Pittsfield, Massachusetts. Theodore Roosevelt has been president for less than a year when his horse-drawn carriage is broadsided by an electric trolley. Roosevelt is thrown clear, but his Secret Service bodyguard is killed instantly. Accident? Or assassination gone awry? Roosevelt has earned enemies galore and is convinced of foul play. He sets John Hay, the secretary of state, to investigate. Hay will cross paths with Emma Goldman and J.P. Morgan to discover the truth…and along the way he will pick up a sidekick, the crusading journalist Nellie Bly. Blending real events and novelistic logic, Hay uncovers a shocking solution that may protect the man who wants to transform the nation, but at the cost of upending the compass of his own life.

Promo

September 3, 1902. Pittsfield, Massachusetts. Theodore Roosevelt has been president for less than a year when his horse-drawn carriage is broadsided by an electric trolley. Roosevelt is thrown clear, but his Secret Service bodyguard is killed instantly. Accident? Or assassination gone awry? Roosevelt has earned enemies galore and is convinced of foul play. He sets John Hay, the secretary of state, to investigate. Hay will cross paths with Emma Goldman and J.P. Morgan to discover the truth…and along the way he will pick up a sidekick, the crusading journalist Nellie Bly. Blending real events and novelistic logic, Hay uncovers a shocking solution that may protect the man who wants to transform the nation, but at the cost of upending the compass of his own life.

About the Book

THE ATTEMPTED MURDER OF TEDDY ROOSEVELT is a historical thriller from award-winning political journalist Burt Solomon, featuring Teddy Roosevelt's near death.

September 3, 1902. Pittsfield, Massachusetts.

Theodore Roosevelt has been president for less than a year when his horse-drawn carriage is broadsided by an electric trolley. Roosevelt is thrown clear, but his Secret Service bodyguard is killed instantly.

Accident? Or assassination gone awry?

Roosevelt has earned enemies galore and is convinced of foul play. He sets John Hay, the secretary of state, to investigate. Hay will cross paths with Emma Goldman and J.P. Morgan to discover the truth…and along the way he will pick up a sidekick, the crusading journalist Nellie Bly.

Blending real events and novelistic logic, Hay uncovers a shocking solution that may protect the man who wants to transform the nation, but at the cost of upending the compass of his own life.

Audiobook available, read by Paul Heitsch

Sarah McCoy is the bestselling author of such novels as THE BAKER’S DAUGHTER, THE MAPMAKER’S CHILDREN and MARILLA OF GREEN GABLES, the latter of which recently released in paperback. A few years ago, Sarah flew out to Denver with her husband to visit his family for Christmas. While there, her sister-in-law suggested that they each think of an “experience gift” to give: “an activity wherein the presents were memories.” Sarah’s very special gift for her niece and two nephews was a trip to Tattered Cover Bookstore on Christmas Eve --- and what a fun, festive and memorable experience it turned out to be!

Sarah McCoy

Sarah McCoy is the New York Times, USA Today and international bestselling author of the novels MUSTIQUE ISLAND; MARILLA OF GREEN GABLES; THE MAPMAKER'S CHILDREN; THE BAKER'S DAUGHTER, a 2012 Goodreads Choice Award Best Historical Fiction nominee; the novella “The Branch of Hazel” in GRAND CENTRAL, THE TIME IT SNOWED IN PUERTO RICO, and LE SOUFFLE DES FEUILLES ET DES PROMESSES (PRIDE AND PROVIDENCE).

A.A. Milne

Promise me you'll never forget me because if I thought you would I'd never leave.

Attribution

A.A. Milne

December 12, 2019

Happy December! It’s the month when we are making lists and checking them twice. It’s also the time of year when it feels like every media outlet and book website is announcing their best of the year lists. On ReadingGroupGuides.com, we would like you and your book group to help us compile OUR “Best of 2019” list.