Fiction A to Z--September 2025
Recent Releases
Among Friends
by Hal Ebbott

Two wealthy men who’ve been friends since college gather at one’s New York country home to celebrate his 52nd birthday, bringing along their wives and teenage daughters. But tension, envy, and a devastating action reverberate afterward. Exploring male friendship and duality, this buzzy debut literary novel is "subtle, keenly intelligent, psychologically deft -- and deeply grim" (Kirkus Reviews). For fans of: John Cheever.
Imposter syndrome
by Joseph Knox

Sometimes bad people must decide to do good... On the run from his shady past, Lynch has just arrived in London, still looking over his shoulder. His phone is dead, he has no money, no contacts, no one at all. Until he runs into a young woman named Bobbie who mistakes him for her brother, Heydon Pierce, who disappeared 5 years ago without a trace. At Bobbie's suggestion, Lynch goes to the Pierce family home, posing as Heydon to try and con some money out of them. Unfortunately for Lynch, his subterfuge is instantly discovered. He instead strikes the devil's bargain with the family: their silence for his cooperation in finding out what really happened to Heydon. But Lynch's investigation goes too deep. Turns out, Heydon Pierce was tangled up with some dangerous and powerful people in London. Everyone has their own motives to keep Heydon well buried in the past. In such a conspiracy of mirrors, there's only one thing Lynch knows for certain: the only person he can trust is himself.
The strawberry patch pancake house
by Laurie Gilmore

Renowned chef Archer moves to Dream Harbor to raise his daughter, Daisy, and reluctantly hires Iris, a free-spirited job-hopper, as a nanny, sparking unexpected connections and the possibility of love as they navigate their new roles and Daisy's matchmaking efforts.
A sea of unspoken things : a novel
by Adrienne Young

After her twin brother Johnny's tragic death, James returns to their hometown to settle his affairs where she begins to uncover the dark secrets he left behind, some of which may involve his best friend and her ex-lover, Micah.
Abduction of a slave
by Dana Stabenow

In ancient Egypt, Tetisheri, Cleopatra's trusted agent, is sent to Cyrenaica to investigate a communication breakdown involving her uncle, a master trader. As she navigates a landscape filled with spies and hidden agendas, Tetisheri uncovers a web of intrigue linked to impending war and a local murder mystery.
The Satisfaction Café
by Kathy Wang

Having left Taiwan in the 1970s to attend Stanford graduate school, Joan marries a fellow student, but that lasts mere weeks. She stays in California, unexpectedly drawn to a wealthy, thrice-divorced older man. They marry, and in this quietly powerful portrait, Joan becomes a stepmother, a mother, a widow, and the owner of café designed to combat loneliness. For fans of: The Healing Season of Pottery by Yeon Somin; Welcome to the Hyunam-Dong Bookshop by Hwang Bo-Reum.
The story she left behind : a novel
by Patti Callahan Henry

In 1952, illustrator Clara Harrington travels to London with her daughter Wynnie to investigate a discovery linked to her vanished mother, a famed author, uncovering long-buried truths amid the chaos of the Great Smog and a remote Lake District retreat.
Bearer of bad news : a novel
by Elisabeth Dini

For someone who hates secrets, Las Vegas hairdresser Lucy Rey is about to be faced with a whole bunch of them. After discovering that her fiance has been cheating on her with someone from his improv class, Lucy finds herself short on funds and desperate for a change of scenery. Enter a most unusual job opportunity: a Bearer of Bad News. Sure, it's a little weird, but Lucy's employer is wealthy beyond compare, so who can blame her for wanting to outsource? Despite the few details, and the fact that the bad news sounds more like a vaguely worded threat, Lucy can't say no to the perks: an-all-expenses-paid trip to the Italian Dolomites plus a generous bonus if she proves she's found her client's sister and delivered the message. Then she learns that her mission is just the tip of the iceberg. Launched into a world of betrayal and greed involving eighty-year-old secrets, stolen jewels, and a World War II-era mystery, Lucy is in way over her head. And she's connected to this story in ways she never could have imagined. 
Contact your librarian for more great books!
Plainfield Area Public Library
15025 S. Illinois St.
Plainfield, Illinois 60544
815.436.6639
papl.info