New Fiction April-June, 2013

Allende, Isabel: Maya’s Notebook -- This contemporary coming-of-age story centers upon Maya Vidal, a remarkable teenager abandoned by her parents. Maya grew up in a rambling old house in Berkeley with her grandmother Nini, whose formidable strength helped her build a new life after emigrating from Chile in 1973 with a young son, and her grandfather Popo, a gentle African-American astronomer.

Andrews, Mary Kay: Ladies’ Night -- Heartache, humor, and a little bit of mystery come together in a story about life’s unpredictable twists and turns. Mary Kay Andrews' Ladies' Night will have you raising a glass and cheering the characters on.

Atkins, Ace: Robert B. Parker’s Wonderland -- Henry Cimoli and Spenser have been friends for years, yet the old boxing trainer has never asked the private eye for a favor. Until now. A heavy-handed developer is trying to buy up Henry's condo on Revere Beach and sends thugs to move the process along. Soon Spenser and his apprentice, Zebulon Sixkill, find a trail leading to a mysterious and beautiful woman, a megalomaniacal Las Vegas kingpin, and plans to turn to a chunk of land north of Boston into a sprawling casino.

Berry, Steve: The King’s Deception -- Cotton Malone and his fifteen-year-old son, Gary, are headed to Europe. As a favor to his former boss at the Justice Department, Malone agrees to escort a teenage fugitive back to England. But after he is greeted at gunpoint in London, both the fugitive and Gary disappear, and Malone learns that he’s stumbled into a high-stakes diplomatic showdown—an international incident fueled by geopolitical gamesmanship and shocking Tudor secrets.

Burke, Alafair: If You Were Here -- “Exciting....Lawyer turned-journalist McKenna finds her life turned upside down when she recognizes a friend from her college years who disappeared without a trace a decade before on a video of a near-tragedy on the subway….Will engage [Burke’s] growing audience.” (Booklist)

Castillo, Linda: Her Last Breath -- An extraordinarily beautiful Amish woman, a dangerous femme fatale, is the central figure in a story that reveals a dark side of Painters Mill and its seemingly perfect Amish world.

Cook, Claire: Time Flies -- “A fun and inspiring read . . . Cook’s humor and narrative execution is impeccable; Deirdre’s increasing self-consciousness elicits support for her to overcome insecurity and endure in her journey to find happiness and fulfillment on her own terms.” (Publishers Weekly)

Cussler, Clive: Zero Hour -- “Classic Cussler: testosterone-driven action, over-the-horizon technical wizardry, beautiful and talented women, and exotic locations.” —Kirkus Reviews

Evanovich, Janet: Heist -- FBI Special Agent Kate O’Hare is known for her fierce dedication and discipline on the job, chasing down the world’s most wanted criminals and putting them behind bars. Her boss thinks she is tenacious and ambitious; her friends think she is tough, stubborn, and maybe even a bit obsessed. And while Kate has made quite a name for herself for the past five years the only name she’s cared about is Nicolas Fox—an international crook she wants in more ways than one.

Frank, Dorothea Benton: The Last Original Wife -- Told in the alternating voices of Les and Wes, The Last Original Wife is classic Dorothea Benton Frank: an intoxicating tale of family, friendship, self-discovery, and love, that is as salty as a Lowcountry breeze and as invigorating as a dip in Carolina waters on a sizzling summer day.

Hiaasen, Carl: Bad Monkey -- Here is Hiaasen doing what he does better than anyone else: spinning a tale at once fiercely pointed and wickedly funny in which the greedy, the corrupt, and the degraders of what’s left of pristine Florida—now, of the Bahamas as well—get their comeuppance in mordantly ingenious, diabolically entertaining fashion.

Hildebrand, Elin: Beautiful Day -- The Carmichaels and the Grahams have gathered on Nantucket for a wedding. Plans are being made according to the wishes of the bride's late mother, who left behind The Notebook: specific instructions for every detail of her youngest daughter's future nuptials. Everything should be falling into place for the beautiful event--but in reality, things are far from perfect.

Hill, Joe: NOS4A2 -- “Fascinating and utterly engaging, this novel is sure to leave readers wanting more. One thing is for certain, however. After reading this book, readers will never hear Christmas carols in quite the same way again.” (Library Journal (starred review)

Jackson, Lisa: Tell Me -- The most hated woman in Savannah, Georgia, is about to be set free. Twenty years ago, Blondell O'Henry was convicted of murdering her eldest daughter and wounding her two other children. The prosecution said that beautiful, selfish Blondell wanted to be rid of them to be with her lover. Now Blondell's son, Niall, has recanted his testimony and demolished the case. Reporter Nikki Gillette is determined to get the true story, and not just for professional reasons.

Johansen, Iris: Hunting Eve -- The stakes are raised high in Hunting Eve as Eve battles the man who is holding her prisoner. Secrets about why Eve has been targeted come into the light, bringing Eve even closer to danger.

Klaussman, Liza: Tigers in Red Weather -- " (A) smart, unsettling debut... Klaussmann's pitch-perfect portrait of the Derringer marriage gives the novel a strong emotional charge. Their complicated, painfully loving relationship and their mutual tenderness for fresh-faced Daisy ring true....stinging dialogue and sharp insights offer strong foundations on which this novice author can build." (Kirkus Reviews )

LeCarre, John: A Delicate Truth -- A counter-terrorist operation, codenamed Wildlife, is being mounted on the British crown colony of Gibraltar. Its purpose: to capture and abduct a high-value jihadist arms-buyer. Its authors: an ambitious Foreign Office Minister, a private defense contractor who is also his bosom friend, and a shady American CIA operative of the evangelical far-right. So delicate is the operation that even the Minister’s personal private secretary, Toby Bell, is not cleared for it.

Lescroart, John T.: The Ophelia Cut -- " Smart, riveting, and utterly compelling, The Ophelia Cut has and an incredible cast of characters from whom you will not want to depart...hands-down the best legal thriller I have read in years and a perfect case study for why readers love the brilliant John Lescroart. ” Brad Thor
McCall Smith, Alexander: Trains and Lovers -- A wonderful new stand-alone novel from the internationally beloved and best-selling Alexander McCall Smith: a story that explores the nature of love—and trains—through a series of intertwined romantic tales.

Michaels, Fern: The Blossom Sisters -- page-turning, richly rewarding new stand-alone novel filled with unforgettable characters, as a family is torn apart and then brought back together in a fight to save their fortune from a vengeful ex-wife.

Mosley, Walter: Little Green -- “In 2007’s Blonde Faith, set in 1967, Easy Rawlins drove drunkenly off a cliff in what his creator indicated was likely his last appearance. Now, after two months of sliding in and out of consciousness, Easy begins the long journey back to the living, in Mosley’s superb 12th mystery featuring his iconic sleuth…. If there were an Edgar for best comeback player, Easy Rawlins would be a shoo-in.” —Publishers Weekly (starred)

Nesbo, Jo: The Redeemer -- A shocking crime at Christmas time. Harry Hole—the Oslo Police Department’s best investigator and worst civil servant—has little to work with: no suspect, no weapon, and no motive. But Harry’s troubles will multiply as the chase takes him to the most forbidden corners of the former Yugoslavia.

Page, Katherine Hall: The Body in the Piazza -- Faith Fairchild is going to Italy, where murder and mayhem mix with pecorino, panna cotta, and Prosecco, in the latest entry in this "highly entertaining mystery series [that] effectively mixes modern-day moral dilemmas with charm, warmth, and humor.”

Sandford, John: Silken Prey -- “Dirty political tricksters give Lucas Davenport his most satisfying case in years . . . Sandford keeps every stage of the investigation clear, compelling and suspenseful while peeling back layer after layer of a world in which “everybody was hot, everybody was rich."”—Kirkus (starred review)

Shaara, Jeff: Chain of Thunder -- Continuing the trilogy that began with A Blaze of Glory, New York Times bestselling author Jeff Shaara returns to chronicle another decisive chapter in America’s long and bloody Civil War. In A Chain of Thunder, the action shifts to the fortress city of Vicksburg, Mississippi. There, in the vaunted “Gibraltar of the Confederacy,” a siege for the ages will cement the reputation of one Union general—and all but seal the fate of the rebel cause.

Shriver, Lionel: Big Brother -- Rich with Shriver’s distinctive wit and ferocious energy, Big Brother is about fat: an issue both social and excruciatingly personal. It asks just how much sacrifice we'll make to save single members of our families, and whether it's ever possible to save loved ones from themselves.

Sittenfeld, Curtis: Sisterland -- Funny, haunting, and thought-provoking, Sisterland is a beautifully written novel of the obligation we have toward others, and the responsibility we take for ourselves. With her deep empathy, keen wisdom, and unerring talent for finding the extraordinary moments in our everyday lives, Curtis Sittenfeld is one of the most exceptional voices in literary fiction today.

Sullivan, J. Courtney: The Engagements -- A gorgeous, sprawling novel about marriage—about those who marry in a white heat of passion, those who marry for partnership and comfort, and those who live together, love each other, and have absolutely no intention of ruining it all with a wedding.

Tanenbaum, Robert: Tragic -- A villainous union leader is willing to go to whatever lengths necessary to protect his corrupt longshoremen’s union. When a whistleblower tries to clean up the system, the leader sees his way of life threatened by this bold newcomer. He orders an open hit contract to kill the man, which is carried out by three of his underlings. Soon the law picks up on the trail, and Marlene Ciampi and Butch Karp team up to expose the man for the fraud and murderer that he is before the body count increases.

Thayer, Nancy: Island Girls -- Nancy Thayer returns to her beloved Nantucket in a highly emotional, wholly entertaining tale of three sisters forced to confront the past over one event-filled summer on the island.

Walls, Jeanette: Silver Star -- a heartbreaking and redemptive novel about an intrepid girl who challenges the injustice of the adult world—a triumph of imagination and storytelling.

Weisberger, Lauren: Revenge Wears Prada -- Andy Sachs is on top of the world. But karma’s a bitch. The morning of her wedding, Andy can’t shake the past. And when she discovers a secret letter with crushing implications, her wedding-day jitters turn to cold dread. Andy realizes that nothing—not her husband, nor her beloved career—is as it seems. She never suspected that her efforts to build a bright new life would lead her back to the darkness she barely escaped ten years ago—and directly into the path of the devil herself.