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| A Very Vexing Murder by Lucy AndrewHarriet Smith isn't the gullible girl she appears to be in Jane Austen's Emma, but a clever young con woman. Known in the village of Highbury as someone who can help with delicate matters, she's hired by Mrs. Churchill to break up her nephew's engagement and find the jewelry she thinks his betrothed stole. But there's also a killer about, and Harriet is afraid it's someone from her past. Try these next: Vanessa Kelly's Emma Knightly mysteries; Kelly Gardiner and Sharmini Kumar's Miss Caroline Bingley, Private Investigator. |
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| Good Joy, Bad Joy by Mikki BrammerAt 89, widowed Joy Bridport lives alone, though she has daily check-ins with her longtime best friend Hazel to make sure they are both still kicking. When cancer leaves adventurous Hazel with just months to live, it makes Joy question her own sedate life, leading to risk taking, rule breaking, and petty crime in this moving and heart-warming story about friendship, grief, and second chances. Read-alikes: Hillary Yablon's Sylvia's Second Act; Marianne Cronin's Eddie Winston Is Looking for Love.
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| How to Fake It in Society by KJ CharlesNewly rich after agreeing to a marriage of convenience with a client who wished to disinherit her nephew on her deathbed, shopkeeper Titus Pilcrow finds himself adrift in London society, until French nobleman Nicolas-Marc, the Comte de La Motte, offers to help him acclimate. But Titus has no idea that Nico is actually a con man who's after his fortune to help a family member escape from a dangerous moneylender. Try this next: A Lady for All Seasons by TJ Alexander. |
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| The Ending Writes Itself by Evelyn ClarkeSix aspiring authors are summoned to a secluded Scottish island, where they discover a celebrated novelist has died and a high-stakes contest will determine who completes his final manuscript. Evoking the spirit of Agatha Christie, this twisty locked-room mystery mixes rivalry, dark humor, and publishing world satire. |
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| Operation Bounce House by Matt DinnimanWhen gamers from Earth are enlisted to "evict" the inhabitants of the isolated colony planet New Sonora with remote war machines, Oliver Lewis must take up arms against them to defend the only home he's ever known. From the author of the critically acclaimed Dungeon Crawler Carl series comes a new standalone, with biting humor and thought-provoking commentary on genocide, artificial intelligence, and fear of the other. |
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| Nothing Tastes as Good by Luke DumasDesperate for a change, obese 28-year-old Emmett Truesdale signs up for a clinical trial of Obexity, a new gene therapy treatment designed to help with weight loss. As the weight falls off, Emmett's confidence grows...but he soon discovers there's a dark side to Obexity. This thought-provoking latest from the author of The Paleontologist is "superbly well timed for the current cultural moment" (Kirkus Reviews). |
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| Mad Mabel by Sally HepworthThe quiet Melbourne life of elderly Elsie unravels when her troublesome neighbor is found dead, exposing Elsie's hidden identity as a once-notorious juvenile killer. As police and documentarians press for answers, Elsie recounts her troubled past. Through dual timelines, this darkly witty thriller explores memory, justice, and buried violence. |
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| Moonlight Murder by Uzma JalaluddinAfter her teenage son's hit-and-run death 18 years ago, Kausar Khan moved away from Toronto's Golden Crescent neighborhood. Returning to be near family, it isn't long before Kausar's granddaughter needs her to use her aunty detective skills when a high school friend goes missing and is later found dead. Kausar investigates the boy's death and sees links to her son's killing in this "stellar" (Booklist) 2nd outing. Try this next: Ausma Zehanat Khan's Inaya Rahman novels.
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| Molka by Monika KimSeoul office worker Dahye is reeling from her boyfriend's betrayal after he's caught up in a hidden camera scandal. Meanwhile, her voyeuristic coworker Junyoung has installed cameras throughout their workplace, which he uses to spy on Dahye and their other women colleagues. As Junyoung's interest in Dahye turns to obsession, Dahye's continued downward spiral turns into a quest for vengeance...with Junyoung in the crosshairs. |
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| The Foursome by Christina Baker KlineUsing their tour earnings, famous cojoined twins Eng and Chang Bunker settle in 1839 North Carolina, buying land and enslaved people and making powerful friends. Sarah and Adelaide Yates, sisters from a once-prominent local family, become their wives and they have 21 children. Sarah, who doesn't always agree with the others, narrates several decades of their lives in this "remarkable" (Publishers Weekly) novel based on the author's family history. Try this next: Elizabeth Weiss' The Sisters Sweet.
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| Happy Ending by Chloe LieseAfter discovering that their former spouses are in a relationship with each other, bookseller Thea Meyer and Michelin star chef Alex Bruscato fake a relationship of their own, but wind up catching real feelings while on a family beach vacation with their exes. For fans of: feel-good fake relationship romances starring relatable characters, like Funny Story by Emily Henry. |
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| A Perfect Hand by Ayelet WaldmanIn 1879 England, clever Alice Lockey has risen from tenant farmer's daughter to being lady's maid to the eldest daughter at Alderwick Park. In a ploy to spend time with handsome valet Charlie, Alice tries to end her lady's infatuation with one (no-good) man and push her toward Charlie's employer. If they marry, then Alice and Charlie can work together as husband and wife. But soon the women's suffrage movement causes Alice to wonder what she really wants. For fans of: amusing, richly detailed stories of class, gender, and changing times. |
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| All Them Dogs by Djamel WhiteAfter killing a rival and hiding in England for a few years, brash young Tony Ward is back in Dublin. Working as a local crime boss’s enforcer, he's paired up with Flute Walsh, whom he knew in school, and when they develop a strong connection, their already violent lives get more dangerous. "A debut novel of rare force and control" (Kirkus Reviews), All Them Dogs is both brutal, and tender. For fans of: Douglas Stuart's Young Mungo; Karl Geary's Juno Loves Legs. |
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| The Fox and the Devil by Kiersten WhiteA tale of revenge and obsession unfolds as a vampire hunter's daughter pursues a terrifying serial killer who has murdered her father, crossing paths with a mysterious beautiful woman who may be more than the monster she seems. In turn both horrific and romantic, this gothic historical fantasy will be a treat for lovers of the sapphic and macabre as found in Francesca May's This Vicious Hunger.
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| When the World Sleeps: Stories, Words, and Wounds of Palestine by Francesca AlbaneseItalian legal scholar and human rights expert Francesca Albanese, the first woman to serve as the United Nations Special Rapporteur on the occupied Palestinian territories, profiles ten individuals who have shaped her thinking on the reality of day-to-day life for Palestinians in Gaza and the West Bank. For another heart-wrenching and incisive look at this complex region, read A Genocide Foretold: Reporting on Survival and Resistance in Occupied Palestine by Chris Hedges. |
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| Stealing America: The Hidden Story of Indigenous Slavery in U.S. History by Linford D. FisherBrown University historian Linford D. Fisher's sweeping and well-researched revisionist history reveals the enslavement of approximately 600,000 Indigenous North Americans between 1492 and the 19th century, detailing how the practice spurred land theft, forced removal, and the establishment of Indian boarding schools. Further reading: The Other Slavery: The Uncovered Story of Indian Enslavement in America by Andrés Reséndez. |
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| American Rambler: Walking the Trail of Johnny Appleseed by Isaac Fitzgerald Memoirist Isaac Fitzgerald (Dirtbag, Massachusetts) combines a love of walking and a fascination with pioneer Johnny Appleseed (aka John Chapman) in his traveling tale, in which he attempts to walk along Chapman’s historic route from Massachusetts to Indiana. Along his journey, Fitzgerald shares his curiosity about the Appleseed legend, myth-making, his own history, and small-town America in a "stirring, singular" (Publishers Weekly) memoir. Read-alike: This Land Is Your Land: A Road Trip Through U.S. History by Beverly Gage. |
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| Wombat Waiting by Katherine ApplegateCaught on the sidelines of a deadly California wildfire, stray pup Wombat and dog-shy human kid Henry each cope with disaster in their own way. Find out what happens when their paths cross in this gripping and heartwarming tale written in an easy-to-read, poem-like style.
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| Change of Plans by Sarah DessenFinley’s annual visit with her mom unexpectedly turns into a stay at a lake house with estranged family members. As Finley gets a job, makes new friends, and bonds with new-to-her family, she finds her whole outlook shifting. Fans of author Sarah Dessen’s big-hearted novels will appreciate this moving story. |
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| The Second Life of Snap by Erin Entrada KellyIn a future devastated by climate change and ruled by tech mega-corporation Lockwood, 12-year-old Zuzu and her friends find an unlikely ally in Snap, a reprogrammed Lockwood robot who shows unusual curiosity and loyalty. This bittersweet yet hopeful read will give you lots to think about. For fans of: Peter Brown's The Wild Robot; Guojing's Oasis.
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| Dad by Christian RobinsonThrough spare text and an inclusive lineup of animals and humans, this picture book highlights the many facets of fatherhood: present and absent, strong and vulnerable, caring and fallible. Creator Christian Robinson's signature collage art is bold and highly expressive, inviting readers of all ages into the sweetness and complexity of parent/child bonds. |
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| Shards of Silence by Brian Lee YoungA scholarship to an elite boarding school is a huge opportunity for Derrick, who grew up in Navajo Nation. While rocked by culture shock and academic pressure, he learns more about his beloved great-grandmother’s experience at a brutal residential school. This authentic coming-of-age story traces an engaging search for truth. |
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Contact your librarian for more great books!
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