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Thrillers and Suspense July 2021
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| Scorpion by Christian CantrellWhat it's about: In the near future, CIA analyst Quinn Mitchell's job gets much easier thanks to the Epoch Index, which compiles enough information to accurately predict people's actions.
What could go wrong? The more Quinn uses the Epoch Index, the darker the predictions become. And it's not long before she begins to raise dangerous questions about how such a powerful tool could be used for evil ends. |
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| The Anatomy of Desire by L.R. DornWhat it is: An intricately plotted modern reinterpretation of Theodore Dreiser's classic crime novel An American Tragedy, originally published in 1925.
The setup: Two women rent a canoe to spend a day at the lake, rowing into a secluded cove. Later, the empty boat is found near one of the women's dead bodies, while the other woman has vanished completely.
Did you know? An American Tragedy was inspired by the 1906 disappearance of Grace Mae Brown in upstate New York. |
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| Just Get Home by Bridget FoleyPicture it: Downtown Los Angeles, moments after a catastrophic earthquake nearly levels the city.
Starring: Single mom Dessa, who left her daughter Olivia with a babysitter in Van Nuys to enjoy a rare night on the town; Beegie, a street smart 14-year-old looking for reasons to avoid going "home" to her abusive foster parents.
The goal: Survive the journey across the sprawling city, which on that night is dangerous for reasons beyond just the earthquake. |
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| Girl in the Walls by A.J. GnuseWhat it's about: After her parents die in a car crash, 11-year-old Elise runs away from her foster home, sneaks into her old house, and decides to live in the walls and crawlspaces, hiding from the family who just moved in.
The new neighbors: The Mason family, including 13-year-old Eddie and 16-year-old Marshall, who both begin to suspect something is wrong with their new home and, dismissed by their parents, turn to a much more dubious source to "exorcise" the house.
Reviewers say: Girl in the Walls is "haunting and, like the characters, unforgettable". |
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| House Standoff by Michael LawsonSeries alert: House Standoff is the 15th entry in the series of fast-paced thrillers starring political fixer Joe DeMarco.
When last we left our hero: Joe was investigating a plane crash in the Adirondacks. Now he's in Wyoming to discover the truth about the death of someone from his past and what, if anything, it has to do with a Cliven Bundy-inspired rancher's ongoing standoff with the federal government. |
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| The Disappearing Act by Catherine SteadmanWhat it's about: BAFTA-nominated British star Mia Eliot comes to Los Angeles during pilot season for a change of scenery after dealing with a stalker. She meets and hits it off with Emily Bryant, another actor auditioning for the same part, but Emily vanishes, only for another woman to turn up at Mia's door claiming to be Emily.
Read it for: The well-developed characters, high-drama tone, and gritty portrayal of the dark side of Hollywood.
Want a taste? "Sometimes, no matter how hard you try, you just can't disappear." |
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| The End of Men by Christina Sweeney-BairdWhat it is: The compelling and thought-provoking story of an apocalyptic outbreak of disease that seems to be only fatal to men.
Why you might like it: Though written before the COVID pandemic, Christina Sweeney-Baird's debut novel is eerily relatable, portraying the quotidian changes in her characters' routines, the grief for losses in their personal lives, and the fraying social fabric in realistic detail.
Featuring: A woman constantly on the move with her son, trying to avoid the disease that killed her husband; a nanny who uses the upheaval to balance the scales with her entitled employer; doctors hunting for a vaccine with a variety of motivations; a brilliant scientist who sees the opportunity to strike it rich as society tries to rebuild. |
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Contact your librarian for more great books!
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