New books 2/20/17
The Bertie Project by Alexander McCall Smith
The return of his overbearing mother and other local dramas compel Bertie to consider moving away from Scotland Street, where newfound love, an estranged marriage and a high-profile guest render his grandmother’s home a tempting alternative.
The Book of American Martyrs by Joyce Carol Oates
When evangelical Luther Dunphy assassinates abortion doctor Augustus Voorhees, the two grieving families find their lives intricately linked.
Burning World by Isaac Marion
Learning survival skills and considering a relationship with the woman who restarted his heart, reluctant zombie R watches as helicopters appear on the horizon to restore order to his mysterious, undead world.
A Darkness Absolute by Kelley Armstrong
Homicide detective Casey Duncan and fellow deputy, Will, are stranded in a blizzard, only to discover a captive former resident and two murder victims who may or may not have been targeted by an outsider in their off-the-grid community.
The Devil Crept In by Ania Ahlborn
In the town of Deer Valley, Oregon, which has a history of unsolved crimes, young crime show aficionado Stevie Clark is determined to find out what really happened to his best friend, Jude, who has been missing for several days.
From Bacteria to Bach and Back by Daniel C. Dennett
A leading philosopher offers a major new account of the origins of the conscious mind that explores the deep interactions of evolution, brains, and human culture, demonstrating the role of culture in installing memes, including language, in the mind.
Garden of Lamentations by Deborah Crombie
While Gemma James investigates the murder of a young nanny who may be one of a series of victims, Duncan Kincaid uncovers information that puts those closest to him in danger.
Lonely Hearts Hotel by Heather O’Neill
Two orphaned soulmates—one a piano prodigy, the other a dancing savant—dream up a plan for the most extraordinary circus show the world has ever seen against a backdrop of the Great Depression.
My Not So Perfect Life by Sophie Kinsella
After being fired by Demeter Farlowe, Katie Brenner retreats to her family’s farm to help them set up a vacation business, but when Demeter shows up out of the blue, Katie has a new chance at re-evaluating and resetting her life.
Night Bird by Brian Freeman
Homicide detective Frost Easton does not like coincidences, so when a series of bizarre deaths rock San Francisco–during which seemingly random women suffer violent psychotic breaks–Frost looks for a connection that leads him to controversial psychiatrist Francesca Stein.
Norse Mythology by Neil Gaiman
The New York Times best-selling author of A View From the Cheap Seats presents a bravura rendering of the major Norse pantheon that traces the genesis of the legendary nine worlds and the exploits of its characters, illuminating the characters and natures of iconic figures Odin, Thor and Loki.
The One Inside by Sam Shepard
An evocative first work of long fiction by the Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright traces the experiences of a man who is overwhelmed by memories of his early years, marked by filmmaking, his late father, war and a haunting affair.
Perpetual Now by Michael D. Lemonick
Lemonick profiles the experiences of a renowned artist, musician and pilot who suffered hippocampus damage from encephalitis, rendering her a severe amnesiac who lives in a perpetual present and cannot remember her life beyond 15 minutes.
The Refugees by Viet Thanh Nguyen
The Pulitzer Prize-winning author of The Sympathizer presents a new collection of stories, written over a 20-year period, which explores questions of home, family, immigration, the American experience and the relationships and desires for self-fulfillment that define our lives.
Robert B. Parker’s Revelation by Robert Knott
When a particularly intimidating criminal and his cold-blooded posse escape from prison, Cole and Hitch join their Territorial lawmen team to capture the fugitives and rescue a woman who was kidnapped during the escape.
Swimming Lessons by Claire Fuller
Returning home to care for her aging father twelve years after her mother’s disappearance, Flora discovers that before she went missing, her mother wrote letters to her father about their marriage and hid them among his thousands of books.
This Close to Happy by Daphne Merkin
A former New Yorker staff writer and award-winning author of Dreaming of Hitler draws on her journalistic essays on depression to trace her lifelong battle with the disease, marked by her wealthy but inconsistent family and her numerous pursuits in therapy and hospitalization.
Turn: The Hollows Begins with Death by Kim Harrison
Trisk and her hated rival, Kal, become fugitives after a world-saving experiment gone wrong gives way to the rise of a paranormal species that wages war against a weaker human race.
What You Break by Reed Farrel Coleman
Investigating the brutal murder of a wealthy businessman’s granddaughter, Gus Murphy navigates a minefield of hostile police, street gangs and a Russian mercenary with ties to heinous crimes committed decades earlier in Vietnam and Russia.
What You Don’t Know by Joann Chaney
Years after helping convict a serial killer who had been regarded as a successful pillar of the community, Detective Paul Hoskins and his larger-than-life partner are bafflingly relegated to mediocre jobs before discovering that the man they once arrested has been sabotaging their careers.
