| Mob Queen by Erin BledsoeVirginia Hill leaves her small Georgia town to move to 1930s Chicago with her abusive husband. After divorcing him, she works as a waitress at a restaurant owned by the mafia and soon embraces that life. She rises through the ranks, moves to New York, dates Bugsy Siegel, and more. Based on a real woman, Mob Queen offers a fascinating look at mafia history. You may also like Lou Berney's Crooks. |
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| A Promise to Arlette by Serena Burdickn an idyllic Massachusetts neighborhood, local boy Sidney and his
British bride Ida haven't recovered from the war. They hide it well until 1952 when a neighbor shows off a famous Man Ray photo, leading Ida
to steal it. She heads to California to confront Mr. Ray, knowing her beloved friend Arlette was actually the photographer. Set in England, France, and the United States before, during, and after World War II,
this is an evocative and haunting novel. Also try The German Wife by Kelly Rimmer. |
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| The Harvey Girls by Juliette FayIn 1926, two new Harvey Girls (waitresses who must be single and between the ages of 18 and 30) are hired on the same day. But both have lied: Charlotte is married to an abusive college professor, and
Billie is only 15 but needs money to send home. The two secretive roommates are at odds, but they grow close while completing their extensive training in Kansas and working at the Grand Canyon's
El Tovar hotel. This book is perfect for fans of atmospheric, well-researched novels that highlight female friendship. |
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| Fonseca by Jessica Francis KaneMining a real 1952 trip to Mexico by Penelope Fitzgerald, this “masterful” (Publishers Weekly) novel follows the acclaimed English writer as she travels with her six-year-old son while broke and pregnant. She’s come at the behest of the eccentric Delaney sisters, who’ve dangled an inheritance before her, but it turns out she's not the only one seeking
the money. For fans of Penelope Fitzgerald and those who enjoy witty stories starring real people. |
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| When Sleeping Women Wake by Emma Pei YinSet during the Japanese invasion and occupation of Hong Kong in 1941, this moving debut follows three women: a Chinese wife who was unable to birth the son her wealthy husband desired; her maid, who's been like
a sister to her for decades; and her beloved daughter. As they navigate
a new world, each will resist in her own way. Read-alikes include Andrew X. Pham's Twilight Territory and Eve J. Chung's Daughters of Shandong. |
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| The English Masterpiece by Katherine ReayAt London's Tate Modern Gallery, Lily Summers happily works as powerful curator Diana Gilden's assistant. But after viewing a painting Diana has authenticated at a 1973 Picasso exhibit, Lily blurts out that it's a fake, shocking the crowd and threatening her own career. Digging into the past, Lily tries to uncover the truth. Well-researched and evocative, this compelling novel has intrigue, memorable characters, and a bit of romance. For fans of Kate Quinn and Fiona Davis. |
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| The Art of a Lie by Laura Shepherd-RobinsonAfter her husband's violent murder, Hannah Cole still runs her confectionary shop in 1749 London, but money is tighter than ever.
She gets a bit of help from a stranger who knew her husband, but
Chief Magistrate Henry Fielding thinks she may have been involved in her husband's death. His suspicions lead her to look for the killer on her own. Read-alikes include Katharine Schellman's The Body in the Garden and Kate Saunders' The Secrets of Wishtide. |
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| The Original by Nell StevensIn 1899, 25-year-old Grace Inderwick, who has face blindness, travels with her aunt to Rome to meet someone claiming to be her cousin Charles who is thought to have been lost at sea years ago. While Grace ponders growing up with her cold relatives and her remarkable ability to copy paintings, she and others wonder if the man is an imposter hoping to inherit a sizeable English estate. For fans of captivating and evocative stories about art forgery and fans of authors Sarah Waters and Emma Donoghue. |
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Contact your librarian for more great books!
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