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Invasive Species
by Ellery Adams
The women in Cold Harbor all have something to prove, and they'll have to do it in a world full of monsters. Something's not right in Cold Harbor—more so than usual. While this sleepy small town has seen its fair share of monsters in cheating husbands and leering bosses, none are as hungry as Mrs. Smith. The mysterious resident has finally emerged from her crumbling mansion on the hill, mesmerizing the townspeople with her beauty. Her secret? Nine human sacrifices to feed her immortality. Natalie Scott is more worried about Mrs. Smith blocking her first real estate sale—the one that will take her from stay-at-home mom to working woman extraordinaire. She's eager to prove herself in a world where the social mores of 1980s suburbia reign, where she's expected to keep a magazine-perfect home and raise beautiful children, all while sticking to her husband's budget. Natalie's two best friends are facing their own demons, and Mrs. Smith and her deep, dark woods are an easy scapegoat for everyone's problems. But Natalie's twelve-year-old daughter, Jill, and her Icelandic housekeeper, Una, can sense something deeper at play. Armed with library books and a whole lot of grit, Jill and Una team up to save the town once and for all. But as the rest of Cold Harbor sinks into anger, fear, and jealousy, they'll have to confront the question: What does it really mean to be a monster?
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The Lumber Baron's Wife
by Lynn Austin
After a devastating loss, Hannah Wagner never imagined she'd leave her comfortable home for the harsh, unfamiliar wilderness near Lake Michigan. But when Henry Abernathy—a friend of her husband, John—offers them a fresh start in a booming lumber town, where John's skills as a doctor are sorely needed, Hannah reluctantly agrees. There, she meets Kate, Henry's spirited, much younger wife. Kate's sharp tongue and outsider status have made her unwelcome among the town's elite, and when she begins confiding in Hannah, it's clear her marriage is not what it seems and that a secret from her past could destroy everything. Present day. Ashley Gilbert never planned to settle in Michigan, but when her husband lands his dream job as a conservationist, she agrees to follow. While restoring their historic home, built in the 19th century for a doctor and his wife, Ashley becomes captivated by its past and its connection to the nearby Abernathy mansion, now being transformed into a museum. While volunteering with the restoration, she stumbles upon the unsolved mystery of Kate Abernathy's disappearance. What begins as curiosity soon becomes a quest for the truth—one that will connect her to two women whose stories and struggles echo and inspire her own.
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Hope Rises
by David Baldacci
Walter Nash, working under the alias of Dillon Hope, is on the road to revenge after becoming an informant for the FBI against a global criminal operation headed up by Victoria Steers. Steers has ripped everything Nash held dear away from him. He has nothing left to lose and with long, rigorous training under his belt the gentle and sensitive Nash has transformed into something he never thought he'd be, a physically imposing man with lethal skills. And now he has only goal left in life: taking down Victoria Steers. In order to succeed, he's going to need to cross enemy lines and work the job from the inside. But Steers is shrewd and only brings those she trusts completely into her inner circle. Nash must rely on every ounce of his hard-earned skills in order to prove himself an ally to Steers if he's ever going to get close enough to decimate her criminal empire. Yet, despite hating the woman for destroying his life, Nash finds himself oddly drawn to Steers in ways that he never could've imagined. And what he ultimately discovers will turn all he believed upside down, forcing Nash to do something truly unfathomable. So, will the truth set Nash free? Or end him?
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A Disorganised Death
by Simon Brett
Professional declutterer Ellen Curtis doesn't do house clearances. So, when Tamara Nicklin, owner of a local gastropub, asks Ellen to clear her late father's house, she's not interested, even when Tamara admits that the real reason she wants to hire Ellen is to find his missing will. Then Ellen discovers Tamara's husband has plans for the house. Plans Tamara doesn't know about. And it's clear to Ellen that this is the right job for her, after all. Ellen dives in, and what she finds in the dead man's house soon makes her wonder if Tamara's father really fell down the stairs, or if he was pushed. Can she sort through the secrets and lies to find not just the missing will, but the truth? This thoroughly engaging contemporary mystery, packed with red herrings, is perfect for fans of Richard Osman, Janice Hallett and M.C. Beaton.
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Clawed and Dangerous
by Rita Mae Brown
The leaves have fallen in Crozet, Virginia, and with a sudden downpour of cold rain, autumn gloom has settled. But Harry and her best friend, Susan, are determined to cheer up the town, and with the help of a kind local doctor, they just might succeed. Not only is Dr. Anglin kind and generous, he's also the owner of multiple properties, and he agrees to let Harry and Susan use one of his homes to throw a spooky Halloween bash. Harry and Susan quickly bury themselves in the flurry of planning: witches, ghosts, and headless horsemen abound. But around town, things grow even spookier when a local townsperson turns up dead. Soon, one dead body turns into multiple—and what's even spookier is that the deaths seem to be connected. Could these deaths be the result of a lover's quarrel? Or is something even more sinister haunting the town? With help from her feline sidekicks Mrs. Murphy and Pewter, and her helpful hounds Tee Tucker and Pirate, Harry has no choice but to get to the bottom of it.
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The Sapphire Sea
by Davis Bunn
When it comes to the bittersweet memories of his late mother, Colin Eames is a relatable boy, recalling her tales of a faraway place called the Sapphire Sea where happiness forever is a way of life. Other than that, Colin is different. To Child Services, he is a prodigy to be nurtured. To his classmates, he's an outsider. To his father, a man of political ambitions and unchecked rage, Colin is a trial, defying the narrowed path his father demands. When Colin is accepted into the Outer Banks Academy for the Gifted, it's his chance to slip out from under his father's control, to chart his own course, and to embark on a quest for the one thing that eludes him: love. As the years pass and Colin's freedom offers dream opportunities, his yearning to make a connection grows stronger. It's a difficult longing for an awkward teenager for whom the simplest interactions are a mystery. Then he meets Mira, an empathic girl weathering tragic losses of her own. She's there for him, supporting each new step he takes. Even those with Tiana, a history student from Hawaii who ushers Colin into a new world of first kisses, belonging, and trust—far from the confusion and loneliness of his childhood days. For Colin, maybe the promise of the Sapphire Sea wasn't a bedtime story after all, but rather a true and genuine place in the heart—one worth searching and waiting for.
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The Patchwork Players
by Jennifer Chiaverini
Acclaimed TV actress Julia Merchaud almost can't believe her good fortune. Her beloved historical drama, A Patchwork Life, revived her career and made stars of several younger actors. But Julia's happiness turns to dismay when she learns that the hit show will have only one more season. Can she convince everyone to stay just a little longer?Inspiration comes after a conversation with Summer Sullivan, one of the expert quilters who helped Julia prepare for her role. When Summer confides that Elm Creek Quilt Camp is in financial trouble, Julia concocts a brilliant plan that will help the Elm Creek Quilters and herself. Julia sets about persuading the cast and crew to join her for what she promises will be a marvelous week at a luxurious nineteenth-century mansion amid the autumnal splendor of central Pennsylvania, a creative and dynamic working vacation they'll never forget. Secretly, she hopes the bonding experience will convince them to abandon their other plans and sign on for another few seasons. But after several joyful days of quilting and camaraderie, Julia's scheme takes an unexpected turn. Soon she'll have to make hard choices about which matters more—career or friendship.
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The Faith of Beasts
by James S. A. Corey
The monstrous Carryx empire was built by subjugation and war. Thousands of species are bound to their Sovran's command in an endless, blood-soaked test: be useful in the eternal conflict or be slaughtered. Dafyd Alkhor, highest among their human captives, is feared and despised by the very people he champions. Ruthless in carving out his niche in the eternal war machine of the empire, he will reshape human nature itself as a tool for their alien masters' use. But Dafyd's loyalty is not what it seems. The Swarm, an agent of the Carryx's deathless enemy, has been smuggled into the Carryx world-palace along with the human slaves. Its mission: discover a way to bring down the empire's eternal reign. But the longer it lives among and within humanity, the more it forgets that it is a weapon. As the human captives spread through the battlefronts of empire, the awesome power of the Carryx becomes clear. And with it, a desperate plan for their destruction. But empires hide secrets, and even the deathless enemy may not be what it appears.-- Provided by publisher.
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Kill for a Million
by Janet Dailey
Frank Culhane's murder remains unsolved while his widow, Lila, is still battling to keep her beloved ranch from the grasp of his embittered first wife and grown children. As for arresting Frank's killer, time is running out for Detective Sam Rafferty to prove himself and save his career, and for his number one suspect (and Lila's lover) Culhane ranch manager Roper McKenna, to prove his innocence. Both men are staking their fates on the outcome of the imminent reining event of the year: the Run for a Million. Roper's dream of riding in Run for a Million is finally coming true. And for his struggling family, the million-dollar prize will mean everything. He'll be competing on borrowed stallion Fire Dance, with Lila's legendary stallion, One in a Million, as one of his backups. For now, only winning matters. But suddenly, even that is in jeopardy. On the road, a huge semi almost sideswipes Roper's truck and horse trailer. He just manages to save the rig from rolling, but the horses are severely shaken. Was it an accident, or an attempt to sabotage Roper?
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Death by Chocolate Ladyfingers
by Sarah Graves
As the sun sets on summer in Eastport, local celebrations are in full swing—and Jake and Ellie have their hands full supplying the most decadent of desserts for extended family gatherings, class reunions, and other catered events. The organizers for Eastport High School's Class of '86 reunion thought it would be fun for former schoolmates to dress up in costume for a masquerade ball. Unfortunately, masks cannot hide old grudges borne out of teenage angst. So, when Cindy Munson's body is discovered murdered on the night of the dance, suspicion immediately falls upon Eastport High's one-time notorious school bully, Terry Lawson. Don attended the dance to apologize to those he harassed, only to be publicly rebuffed by Cindy. With the evidence stacked against him—Cindy's body was found in his car—and no memory of what happened, Don is arrested. He's more concerned about his six-year-old daughter going into child services than his own jail time. Remembering her own experiences in foster care, Jake volunteers to look after the little girl while conducting her own investigation into the night of the dance with Ellie. But someone doesn't want the amateur sleuths digging up past, humiliating secrets that may point to vengeful present-day motives—even if it means adding Jake and Ellie to a killer's body count.
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Last One Out
by Jane Harper
Carralon Ridge, a once vibrant village in rural New South Wales, has become a shell of itself, its houses and buildings bought up and left to rot by the mining company operating at its borders. A decade into its slow death, surrounded by industrial noise and swathed in thick layers of dust, the skeletal town is all but abandoned, with just a handful of residents clinging onto what remains. After years of scorning those who left the Ridge behind as it fell into ruin, Ro never imagined she'd become one of them. But everything changed when she lost her son. Five years ago, Sam vanished while visiting during a break from college, leaving behind a rental car with his belongings inside. Sam had loved Carralon Ridge, and had been working on an oral history of the town to preserve its legacy before it vanished altogether. It wasn't long after his disappearance that the rest of the family began to crumble away too. But when Ro returns to Carralon Ridge to be with her husband and daughter on the anniversary of Sam's disappearance, she begins to suspect that something important was overlooked in his case. Because while nothing can stop Carralon Ridge from dying, someone seems to want to make sure that its secrets die with it.
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When the Wolves Are Silent
by C. S. Harris
Sebastian faces his greatest challenge yet when the dissolute sons of London's power brokers begin turning up dead in what seem to be ritualistic sacrifices. As he digs deeper, numerous suspects emerge, including ones with ties to the Revolutionary War, members of a neo-Druid movement, and a printer of political tracts. It seems many people wanted the men dead, and Sebastian has to find the killer to keep them from striking again. -- Provided by publisher.
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Elegy in Blue
by Mark Helprin
High in a subsidized studio apartment, the unnamed 82-year-old narrator of Elegy in Blue looks out across the rooftops of Brooklyn all the way to the sea. His distinguished career on Wall Street is in ruins, his mansion in Brooklyn Heights has been burned to the ground, and most of all, his father, his son, and his wife—the stunningly beautiful and equally kind Clare—have been taken from him, one by one, over the decades, by war and an act of violence. Now his allegiance is to his ghosts. He's almost lost to memory, reflection, and a purposeful letting go of life. But when violence threatens to destroy another family, he takes drastic action in hope of restoring a portion of justice to the world. Can he fashion his life into an elegy, one that heals a broken heart and relieves the sting of death? Told in an exceptional literary voice, mixing comedy and tragedy, Elegy in Blue is a hymn to New York, memory, loyalty, and love.
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Guilt
by Keigo Higashino
Homicide Detective Godai of the Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department is assigned to investigate the death of a lawyer, Kensuke Shiraishi, whose body was found on a Central Tokyo riverbank. His investigation leads him to one Tatsuro Kuraki, who claims to have had limited contact with Shiraishi. But, surprising the investigators, Kuraki not only confesses to the lawyer's murder, but another one from thirty years ago, for which another man was arrested and died in custody before trial. This brings unexpected resolution to two cases but there is one problem: to Detective Godai the confession rings false. And Godai is not the only one who cannot accept Kuraki's explanation of both murders and his professed motives. The confessed murderer's son and the victim's daughter both feel strongly that both the act and the motive claimed are untrue. As Godai investigates further, he discovers that the relation between the murder of thirty years ago and the recent one is complex, raising multi-faceted questions of guilt and innocence. Guilt is a rich novel about crime and its aftereffects on those left behind by both the victim and perpetrator, a twisting, compelling work that will surprise and astonish.
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A Deadly Episode
by Anthony Horowitz
They're making a major feature film of the first Hawthorne/Horowitz mystery novel. Except—they're behind schedule, they've run out of money, and the star has just been murdered. Ex-Detective Inspector Daniel Hawthorne is dead. Or, rather, the actor playing him in the film adaptation of The Word is Murder is. Rising star David Caine has been stabbed, and it seems that everyone on the set had a motive. Caine had just fired his PA. He had fallen out with his director, slept with the screenwriter, humiliated his co-star and dropped his agent days before he was about to sign a multi-million-dollar deal to appear in the next Spider-Man movie. But what if Caine's murderer had made a mistake? What if it was the real Hawthorne who was the intended victim? For it turns out that the brilliant detective may have got it wrong ten years earlier. An innocent man has died in jail. And perhaps someone has decided that Hawthorne must pay the price. From the film set on the south coast of England, the story moves to Reeth, in Yorkshire, the village where Hawthorne grew up. For once, the local police are helpful. DS Sarah Milnes gives Hawthorne carte blanche to investigate and there may even be a hint of romance in the air. Which leaves his hapless sidekick, Horowitz, on his own, stumbling his way to the truth.
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Chasing the Clouds Away
by Debbie Macomber
Maisy Gallagher has her own dreams, but when her father passes away, she selflessly sets them aside to help her family. Despite knowing it was the right thing to do, she can't help but wish for the road not taken. Chase Furst, the hardened heir to a financial empire, is on the other hand primarily focused on his own life and on his work as a bank executive. His childhood was marred by his mother's struggle with addiction, and left him cynical and emotionally distant. But then Chase meets Maisy, a beautiful woman full of optimism and kindness who can see past his defenses. To his surprise and annoyance, she offers to help him during a time of need, and declines his offer of payment. Instead, she asks him to pay it forward—and not with money or a quick fix, but through an act of true selflessness. At a loss, Chase doesn't know where to begin.
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Meet Me in Italy
by Brenda Novak
In the wake of her debut novel's breakout success—and a very painful public divorce—Charlotte Williams-Jackson has something to prove. With her second novel overdue, she's scrambling to hold it together. But her focus is rocked when she discovers that her childhood wasn't as it seemed—and she has a tween half-sister who's been orphaned in Italy. Alongside her best friend, Sloane, and Sloane's charming brother, Julian, Charlotte ventures to the Amalfi Coast to meet her sister. She would never turn her back on family, especially since this girl doesn't have anyone else, but between her looming deadline and her entire identity being flipped upside down, it's a lot. Determined to rebuild her life, Charlotte must confront the relationships she's held dear—and the loss of those she thought she had but didn't—forcing her to question everything she understood about herself and the bonds that shape a family.
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The Mother-Daughter Book Club
by Susan Patterson
Between their busy lives and their far-flung residences, the Mother-Daughter Book Club—four longtime college friends and their five daughters—more often discuss the books on their nightstands via 2 a.m. texts than in-person meetings. And maybe it's just as well, after what happened at their last get-together. So, it's an emotional reunion when they finally gather again, this time on the spectacular shores of Italy's Lake Como. Sightseeing excursions, reminiscing, and a hint of vacation romance all build toward the book club's trademark Night of Secrets. These friends, and sometime rivals, are close readers—of novels, memoirs, and of each other. But as the years and the distance cast shadows and doubt, confidences and sympathies turn into surprising revelations.
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Ghost Town
by Tom Perrotta
Jimmy Perrini lives in 1970s suburban New Jersey, a few miles from Manhattan, but a world apart. At the end of eighth grade, after tragedy strikes, Jimmy finds himself lost in a fog of grief that alienates him from friends and family, drifting instead into troubling friendships with two older teenagers: one a notorious local burnout with a fast car, an endless supply of weed, and a shaky grasp of reality; the other a smart, eccentric girl, whom Jimmy finds himself drawn to as they become entranced by her Ouija board, which may just offer the only salve to their grief. As a fateful public drama unfolds, Jimmy is torn between the occult beyond and the cold realities of the place he has called home. Narrated by a much older Jimmy, a literary-turned-commercial novelist, Ghost Town reveals how the past haunts the present—the way our ghosts are always with us, even when we think we've left them behind.
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Death Times Seven
by Anne Perry
1913: Junior attorney Daniel Pitt must step in for his friend, fellow attorney Toby Kitteridge, whose parents have been brutally attacked. Toby's mother is dead and his father, a village vicar, is barely alive. With Toby returning to the family home in rural Ipswich, struggling with grief and disbelief, Daniel remains in London to substitute for Toby and defend Peter Ward, on trial for the sexual assault and murder of a young woman. Daniel is convinced that Ward is innocent, yet the evidence seems to prove otherwise. Eager to assist, his pathologist wife, Miriam fford Croft, offers her forensics expertise and exposes a community of fellow pathologists who may have purposefully omitted information from their autopsy reports. Despite Miriam's involvement in the case, Daniel finds himself distracted by his desire to help Toby, who is too distraught to investigate the attack on his parents. And when the evidence points to Toby's father as the killer of Toby's mother, Daniel faces two of the greatest challenges of his young career: proving the innocence of both Peter Ward and Reverend Kitteridge. One mistake in London and a blameless man will hang. One mistake in Ipswich and Toby's father will go to prison for life.
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Paradox
by Douglas Preston
When a reclusive man is found dead under grisly circumstances in the Colorado wilderness, CBI Agent Frankie Cash and Eagle County Sheriff Jim Colcord, whom we met in the New York Times bestseller, Extinction, team up again on their most enigmatic and dangerous case yet. Their investigation uncovers a trail of bizarre killings, baffling money transfers, and a fanatical secret society. And all the while, the resurrected Neanderthals, who vanished into the Colorado mountains, seem to be biding their time for something spectacular.
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Cat on a Hot Tin Woof
by Spencer Quinn
Join Chet the dog, the most lovable narrator in all of fiction (Boston Globe), and his human partner Bernie as they scramble to solve a case exposing the dark side of internet fame. Chet the dog is less than enthusiastic about the Little Detective Agency's next case. Chet and his human partner, PI Bernie Little, have been hired to find a missing person—only the missing person is a cat. Miss Kitty, an internet sensation, has disappeared, and Chet and Bernie have been hired to find her before her many followers realize something is wrong. Miss Kitty belongs to Bitty, a sweet teenage girl who lives with her mom. Bitty and her mother are struggling financially, but the arrival of Miss Kitty and the chance discovery of her social media appeal has changed everything. Bitty now has sponsors, a high-powered agent, and all the tools needed to thrive online, and real money is flowing in. At least, it was. With Miss Kitty gone, the family's income is on the line. The case presents a slew of challenges for Chet and Bernie. For one thing, a potential witness is a pig named Senor Piggy who may be in possession of an important piece of evidence. For another, it seems like a possible perp has been killed twice—and there's evidence implicating Bernie in the crime.
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Cherry Baby
by Rainbow Rowell
Everybody knows that Cherry's husband, Tom, is in Hollywood making a movie. Almost nobody knows that he isn't coming home. Tom is the creator of Thursday—a semi-autobiographical webcomic that's become an international phenomenon. Semi-autobiographical. That means there's a character in this movie based on Cherry. Wide-hipped, heavy-chested, double-chinned Cherry never wanted this. No fat girl wants to see herself caricatured on the page—let alone on the big screen. But there's no getting away from it. While her soon-to-be ex-husband is in Los Angeles getting rich and famous and being the internet's latest boyfriend, Cherry is stuck in Omaha taking care of the dog he always wanted and the house they were going to raise a family in—and wondering who she's supposed to be without him. One night, Cherry decides to leave all her problems, including Tom's overgrown puppy, at home. She ventures out to see her favorite band play her favorite album and someone recognizes her from across the room. Russ Sutton knew Cherry when she was a young art student with a fondness for pin-up dresses and patent leather heels. Russ knows Cherry. He likes Cherry. And best of all, he's never heard of Thursday. Tender, funny, and utterly human, Cherry Baby is Rainbow Rowell's richest, most surprising, and sexiest novel yet.
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Revenge Prey
by John Sandford
Leonard Summers (not his real name) is on the run. A former high-ranking Russian intelligence officer who defected to the U.S. after providing critical information about Russian spies in U.S. government service, Leonard, his wife Martha, and son Bernard have spent the past year holed up in a CIA facility near Washington. After the CIA makes a deal with the U.S. Marshal Service's Witness Protection Program (WPP), Leonard's family is transported to Minneapolis. The plan is to hide them in a wooded Minneapolis suburb that resembles their former home and dacha near Moscow. The Summers are received at their destination by Lucas Davenport and fellow marshal Shelly White. Unbeknownst to them, the WPP group has been tracked by a Russian hit team. And while nobody in the WPP has ever been attacked, Leonard might be the first victim. As shots are fired and enemies dodged, Lucas must move quickly to uncover where the leak is coming from, before the hit team can strike again.
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The Insomniacs
by Allison Winn Scotch
In the city that never sleeps, it's not always easy to share what's on your mind with the people who know you best. Huddled in an all-night diner over coffee and pancakes, a lonely middle-aged mom, an injured baseball pro, an elusive retiree, and a young waitress examine the thoughts that plague them in the middle of the night. Empty-nester Sybil does what she does best: rolls up her sleeves and spearheads the efforts to turn this group of strangers into friends. Aimless after an injury threatens to ruin his career, Zeke finds genuine connection among the unlikely group. Tight-lipped Julian, who's seemingly adrift in retirement and attempting to rebuild a relationship with his daughter, expands their circle when he takes their cagey diner waitress, Betty, under his wing. Betty, cautious about strangers and uncertain about strokes of good luck, entertains the trio in an attempt to resolve her own problems, which she keeps close to the vest. Within a few restless months, the group of strangers have become a fragile family. And when one of them goes missing in the dead of night, they're thrust into a propulsive mystery pulled straight from the true-crime podcasts Sybil obsesses over. Though ill-prepared and unequipped for the job, they begin to piece together the clues left behind. In chasing down answers, they uncover a reason for their friend's disappearance, and are forced to wrestle with the question of how well you can really know anyone—and once you do, how much are you willing to risk to save them? And in doing so, save yourself?
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Go Gentle
by Maria Semple
Adora Hazzard has it all figured out. A Stoic philosopher and divorcée, she lives a contented life on New York City's Upper West Side. Having discovered that the secret to happiness is to desire only what you have, she's applied this insight to blissful effect: relishing her teenage daughter, the freedom of being solo, and her job as a moral tutor for the twin boys of an old-money family. She's even assembled a coven—like-minded women who live on the same floor in the legendary Ansonia—and is making active efforts to grow its membership. Adora's carefully curated life is humming along brilliantly until a chance meeting with a handsome stranger. Soon, her ordered world is upended by black-market art deals, secret rendezvous, and international intrigue. And her past—which she has worked so hard to bury—lands like a bomb in her present. Inflamed by unquenchable desire, Adora finds herself a woman wanting more: and she'll risk everything to get it. Adora Hazzard's journey of self-discovery will grip you from the start. Romantic, hilarious, intelligent, and bursting with the stuff of life, Go Gentle is a thrilling story of one woman's mid-life transformation, cementing Maria Semple in the pantheon of our most exciting and important contemporary writers.
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Lidie: The Further Travels and Adventures of Lidie Newton
by Jane Smiley
1857. America's future is precarious; civil war looms on the horizon. After her abolitionist husband is murdered in the lawless Kansas Territory, Lidie Newton returns, in mourning, to her hometown of Quincy, Illinois. But her sisters have little comfort to offer, and Lidie is haunted by the memories of her failures—until she takes an interest in her niece, Annie. Beautiful, self-assured, and mischievous, Annie sticks out in Quincy. She becomes an actress at the local theater, and when she is offered the opportunity to perform abroad, she decides to run away. But travel is dangerous for a young unmarried woman, so Lidie, armed with her pistol and her wit, goes with her. The two women embark on a perilous journey across the Atlantic, rushing toward an unknown future in England. Once they arrive in Liverpool, they vanish into new roles in the household of Annie's benefactor, Mr. Mallory Cunningham. Annie takes a stage name and finds her way to a career, while Lidie becomes her lady's maid. But will either of them be content with her new lot in life? Exuberant and riveting, a sly commentary on truth and beauty and fulfillment that resonates with our times, Lidie delivers a panoramic portrait of a volatile era and the headstrong women trying to live an honest life in it.
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A Woman's Place
by Danielle Steel
In April 1912, twenty-three-year-old Lady Victoria Oldbrooke is traveling with her beloved father from England on the maiden voyage of the Titanic. But when the ship strikes an iceberg and lifeboats are lowered with women and children first, Lord Alfred gives his place to another, and they are separated. Before he goes down with the ship, he asks his friend Bert Banning, a mill owner from Manchester, to promise he'll marry his daughter and care for her. Devastated by the loss of Lord Alfred, Victoria and Bert take comfort in their growing friendship. Bert accepts his role as her guardian but, as friendship turns to deeper feelings, hesitates to propose. Not only is he forty years her senior, but her marrying an industrialist will cause Victoria to be ostracized by the aristocratic world she comes from. But she marries Bert and—cruelly shunned by everyone she knows, even family friends—moves to his home in Manchester. Isolated from her familiar universe and peers, she becomes fascinated by Bert's business and learns all she can about it. When he meets a tragic end, she steps into his shoes and applies everything she has learned, in spite of opposition from all sides.
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American Fantasy
by Emma Straub
When the American Fantasy cruise ship sets sail for a four-day themed voyage, aboard are all five members of a famous, nineties-era boy band and three thousand screaming women who have worshipped them since childhood. Feeling slightly out of place amid this crowd is Annie, newly divorced, turning fifty with an empty nest, and here on a lark to appease her sister. Yet when the lights come up and the idols of her youth begin to sing, something is unlocked. Call it memory. Call it nostalgia. Call it the chemical reaction of hormones, hope, and sexual reawakening. Between the slushy alcoholic drinks, the familiar music, and the throngs of middle-aged women acting like lovesick teenagers, Annie finally reconnects to a long-submerged part of herself. By the time she meets one of the band members—not just a celebrity but someone in need of a friend—she has accessed a new sense of possibility. In a smart and incisive book packed with laugh-out-loud reflections on fame, aging, marriage, and middle age, Emma Straub delivers a richly textured story that shows us real passion is never truly lost, that what we love makes us who we are, and that deep meaning can sometimes be found in a sea of screaming fans.
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Shadow Strike
by Brad Taylor
After its proxies are devastated and its offensive capability pummeled in the latest war in the middle east, a rogue group of Iranian regime officials create a brazen plot to strike back at their hated enemies once and for all. They envision a series of operational dominos culminating in a devastating attack, and the first step is the assassination of the Israeli prime minister. And there's only one assassin with the skills to pull it off: Abdul Rahman, known in the shadows as the Ghost. When a routine prison transfer is ambushed, the Ghost escapes and is given the assignment. The only Operator who can hunt him down is the man who stopped him before: Pike Logan.Pike and his team soon learn that the mission involves something bigger than just the escape of his old enemy. Working with Mossad agents, the pursuit leads the Taskforce to Argentina. They work to unravel the scope of the attack, and the chase leads them through the tempestuous waterfalls of Iguazu and the Triple Frontier, to the vibrant streets of Buenos Aires, and the tiny village of Ushuaia at the End of the World. As the team races against the clock, Pike learns the stakes are much greater than a single life—the consequences extend into the heartland of America itself. The Ghost may hold the key to an escalation that will upend the worldwide balance of power, and if Pike fails, the fallout won't just be personal—it'll be global.
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Lightning Runes
by Harry Turtledove
Los Angeles, 1940s. The war is over, but the shadows are growing teeth. In this gritty Historical Urban Fantasy, detective work requires more than a badge and a .38. It requires an understanding of the runes that thrum beneath the pavement. It started with a knock on the door. It usually does. Now there's a body, a missing musician, and a trail of magic that smells like ozone and bad luck. The LAPD is out of its depth. The square world is waking up to a reality they aren't prepared to handle. Between the smoky jazz clubs of Central Avenue and the grease-stained floors of neighborhood garages, a new kind of power is rising. It's electric. It's ancient. And in the wrong hands, it's a death sentence for the whole city. Harry Turtledove returns to the City of Shadows with a high-stakes mystery that stands entirely on its own.
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Oswego Public Library District
Montgomery Campus - 1111 Reading Drive, 60538Oswego Campus - 32 West Jefferson, 60543 (630) 554-3150
https://www.oswego.lib.il.us/
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