"The Universe doesn't like secrets. It conspires to reveal the truth, to lead you to it." ~ from Lisa Unger's Beautiful Lies |
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New and Recently Released!
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| White Plague by James AbelThriller. Deep in the Arctic Ocean, an American submarine is in trouble. Not only is it adrift, it's also on fire -- and many of the crew members have been stuck by a mysterious and deadly disease. Marine physician and bioterrorism expert Joe Rush has been sent to figure out what went wrong -- and to either save or destroy the sub and all aboard. A blistering pace, plausible medical concerns, advanced technologies, and plenty of twists and turns make this debut novel (and likely series starter) a great choice for fans of Tom Clancy or Michael Crichton. |
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| The Girl on the Train: A Novel by Paula HawkinsPsychological Suspense. In recent years, Rachel has lost her husband and her home (both to another woman), as well as her job (to heavy drinking). Her only pleasure comes from watching a seemingly happy couple breakfast each morning as her train passes their home; she's even made up names and stories for them. But when the female half of the couple disappears, she can't stay away from the ensuing investigation, with dangerous results. Published to growing buzz and likened to Gone Girl for its twists, unreliable narration, and the perspectives of often disagreeable women, this chilling novel may also remind you of Hitchcock movies like Rear Window, and has already been optioned for film itself. |
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| A Pleasure and a Calling by Phil HoganPsychological Suspense. In this truly creepy novel, a local real estate agent named William Heming -- a success in his small English town -- secretly keeps the keys to every house he's ever shown. When the owners aren't home, he lets himself in to pry deeply into their private affairs, handle their things, and take mementos. He considers this disturbing behavior completely normal, but his routine is disrupted when he does something that risks alerting his victims to his habits. Narrated by Heming himself, this tense novel offers views both of Heming's difficult childhood and his increasingly desperate efforts to keep his current actions hidden. |
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| Her: A Novel by Harriet LanePsychological Suspense. Perhaps because she's so exhausted by her pregnancy and caring for a toddler, Emma finds herself drawn into a friendship with sophisticated Nina, a successful and stylish painter who makes everything appear effortless. But while Emma thinks she's met Nina for the first time, Nina remembers Emma from a previous encounter...and not fondly. Narrated by both women, Her offers domestic details that dovetail surprisingly well with Nina's menacing plan for Emma. |
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| Fifty Mice: A Novel by Daniel PyneSuspense Fiction. Jay Johnson has just been forced, against his will, into the Federal Witness Protection Program. Held on Catalina Island and issued a wife and child, Jay struggles to convince the federal agents that they have the wrong guy. He's failing, though, and as their patience wears thin, he attempts to plan an escape. But just how reliable is Jay's memory, after all? Does he actually know something he can't quite recall? This noirish novel riffs on memory and offers a "popcorn-dropping final twist," says Publisher's Weekly. |
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Bestselling novelist Lisa Unger is known for convoluted plots that manage to feel both unbelievable and totally plausible at the same time -- perhaps because she focuses on dark family histories, deeply buried secrets, and the destructive path these things always take as they come to light. Manipulation (frequently by women) and dysfunctional relationships often also play a role; both of these elements can be found in her new book, Crazy Love You. While you wait for your chance with it, try one of the books below; they offer some of the same things Unger's famous for.
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| Under Your Skin: A Novel by Sabine DurrantPsychological Suspense. Out on a run one day, London TV presenter Gaby Mortimer discovers a body -- and touches it before the police arrive. Soon she's got both the police and the media after her, while her already emotionally distant husband retreats physically (to Singapore!), and her job is given to a younger woman. With plenty of tension, a traumatized and complex main character, and a similar perspective to many of Lisa Unger's novels (especially the ones starring writer Ridley Jones), this debut should satisfy Unger's many fans. If you enjoy it, look for the author's next book, Remember Me This Way, coming out in May. |
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| A Good and Happy Child: A Novel by Justin EvansPsychological Suspense. George Davies' therapist thinks that George's fear of his own newborn son is rooted in his formative early years. And so George reluctantly agrees to write down his boyhood memories: his father's belief in demonic possession and mysterious death, his mother's emotional withholding, George's only childhood "friend," whom no one else could see (was he an imaginary pal or a hellish fiend?), and George's own erratic behavior. While A Good and Happy Child offers more horror elements than does Crazy Love You, both haunting tales deal with an adult man's troubled past and an eerie and dangerous childhood "friend." |
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| Sharp Objects: A Novel by Gillian FlynnPsychological Suspense. Like Lisa Unger's Crazy Love You (and Heartbroken), dysfunctional family relationships, long-buried secrets, and manipulative women lie at the heart of this compelling novel. After eight years away, reporter Camille Preaker has returned to her hometown to investigate the murders of two young girls. Haunted by memories of her long-dead sister, she must also deal with a Lolita-like half-sister and their mother, who may have caused Camille's childhood illnesses. As Camille investigates, she uncovers horrible family secrets and relives the childhood that led her to self-mutilation. Though you likely know author Gillian Flynn from the bestselling Gone Girl, this debut won both the Steel Dagger and the New Blood Dagger awards in 2007. |
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| Alone by Lisa GardnerPsychological Suspense. Bobby Dodge, a sniper with the Massachusetts State Police, is used to dangerous situations, and when he shoots and kills an armed man threatening his wife and child, people understand that he did what was necessary. But as he and others look more closely into the death of Jimmy Gagnon, it becomes clear that all is not as it seems. Jimmy's beautiful widow, Catherine, has a terrible past, a sickly son, and a powerful father-in-law who blames her -- and Bobby -- for his son's death. Soon Bobby is being accused of murder, Catherine's past has come back to haunt her, and it's unclear just who is manipulating whom, making for a tense, terrifying read that fans of Lisa Unger's novels will appreciate. |
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| Dark Tide: A Novel by Elizabeth HaynesPsychological Suspense. Genevieve Shipley is starting over: she's left a high-pressure sales career and a second job as an exotic dancer to begin a new life on a houseboat in Kent. But her hopes are shattered when her only friend from the club turns up, dead. Given the location of her death, it's possible that Genevieve was the real target, which means that the favor she's doing for the club's bouncer -- who's not returning her calls -- is more dangerous than he let on. As with Lisa Unger, the combination of a dangerous secret and a menacing tone makes for an arresting read. |
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Contact your librarian for more great books!
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