So what other books should you be reading? We've got you, fam, as Youngest would say. We're each going to suggest one book, fiction or nonfiction, that we're looking forward to in the coming weeks, and then ask you to do the same in the comments. Just one, you guys!My pick is VOX, by Christina Dalcher, coming out on August 21. Here's the description:
On the day the government decrees that women are no longer allowed more than one hundred words per day, Dr. Jean McClellan is in denial. This can't happen here. Not in America. Not to her.It's getting crazy good reviews, and of course, being described as THE HANDMAID'S TALE for this generation.
Soon women are not permitted to hold jobs. Girls are not taught to read or write. Females no longer have a voice. Before, the average person spoke sixteen thousand words each day, but now women have only one hundred to make themselves heard.
For herself, her daughter, and every woman silenced, Jean will reclaim her voice.
Reds? What are you looking forward to?
LUCY BURDETTE: This is not brand-new, but it's a delightful memoir for Francophiles or anyone who would find a train wreck of home renovation entertaining: L'Appart--The Delights and Disasters of Making my Paris Home. David is a former pastry chef at Chez Panisse who lives in Paris now. He has a hugely successful blog and many cookbooks, and I find him endlessly entertaining.Bestselling author and world-renowned chef David Lebovitz continues to mine the rich subject of his evolving ex-Pat life in Paris, using his perplexing experiences in apartment renovation as a launching point for stories about French culture, food, and what it means to revamp one's life. Includes dozens of new recipes.
When David Lebovitz began the project of updating his apartment in his adopted home city, he never imagined he would encounter so much inexplicable red tape while contending with the inconsistent European work ethic and hours. Lebovitz maintains his distinctive sense of humor with the help of his partner Romain, peppering this renovation story with recipes from his Paris kitchen. In the midst of it all, he reveals the adventure that accompanies carving out a place for yourself in a foreign country—under baffling conditions—while never losing sight of the magic that inspired him to move to the City of Light many years ago, and to truly make his home there.
HANK PHILLIPPI RYAN: I cannot wait to read BAD BLOOD, by John Carryrou, the non-fiction inside story of the crash of the multi-billion dollar biotech start up that turned out to be a fraud. (You know I am a pushover for journalist books.)
The full inside story of the breathtaking rise and shocking collapse of Theranos, the multibillion-dollar biotech startup, by the prize-winning journalist who first broke the story and pursued it to the end, despite pressure from its charismatic CEO and threats by her lawyers.
In 2014, Theranos founder and CEO Elizabeth Holmes was widely seen as the female Steve Jobs: a brilliant Stanford dropout whose startup "unicorn" promised to revolutionize the medical industry with a machine that would make blood testing significantly faster and easier. Backed by investors such as Larry Ellison and Tim Draper, Theranos sold shares in a fundraising round that valued the company at more than $9 billion, putting Holmes's worth at an estimated $4.7 billion. There was just one problem: The technology didn't work.
A riveting story of the biggest corporate fraud since Enron, a tale of ambition and hubris set amid the bold promises of Silicon Valley.
(Doesn't that sound great??)
JULIA: It does! I'm fascinated by the Theranos story - I'll have to get this.
DEBORAH CROMBIE: Well, I am holding my breath for TIME'S CONVERT by Deborah Harkness, the long-awaited follow-up to her DISCOVERY OF WITCHES trilogy. It's out September 18th and I have it pre-ordered. I suspect I'll have to hide in a closet or something and binge read.
"On the battlefields of the American Revolution, Matthew de Clermont meets Marcus MacNeil, a young surgeon from Massachusetts, during a moment of political awakening when it seems that the world is on the brink of a brighter future. When Matthew offers him a chance at immortality and a new life free from the restraints of his puritanical upbringing, Marcus seizes the opportunity to become a vampire. But his transformation is not an easy one and the ancient traditions and responsibilities of the de Clermont family clash with Marcus's deeply held beliefs in liberty, equality, and brotherhood.
Fast-forward to contemporary Paris, where Phoebe Taylor--the young employee at Sotheby's whom Marcus has fallen for--is about to embark on her own journey to immortality. Though the modernized version of the process at first seems uncomplicated, the couple discovers that the challenges facing a human who wishes to be a vampire are no less formidable than they were in the eighteenth century. The shadows that Marcus believed he'd escaped centuries ago may return to haunt them both--forever.
A passionate love story and a fascinating exploration of the power of tradition and the possibilities not just for change but for revolution, Time's Convert channels the supernatural world-building and slow-burning romance that made the All Souls Trilogy instant bestsellers to illuminate a new and vital moment in history, and a love affair that will bridge centuries."
INGRID THOFT: I can’t wait for the newest installment in Robert Galbraith’s Cormoran Strike series, LETHAL WHITE. We all know by now that Galbraith is really J.K. Rowling and that her literary prowess is not limited to a boy wizard. This P.I. series is terrific, and I highly recommend it.
"Lethal White is the fourth book in the Cormoran Strike series from the international bestselling author Robert Galbraith.
“I seen a kid killed…He strangled it, up by the horse.”
When Billy, a troubled young man, comes to private eye Cormoran Strike’s office to ask for his help investigating a crime he thinks he witnessed as a child, Strike is left deeply unsettled. While Billy is obviously mentally distressed, and cannot remember many concrete details, there is something sincere about him and his story. But before Strike can question him further, Billy bolts from his office in a panic.
Trying to get to the bottom of Billy’s story, Strike and Robin Ellacott—once his assistant, now a partner in the agency—set off on a twisting trail that leads them through the backstreets of London, into a secretive inner sanctum within Parliament, and to a beautiful but sinister manor house deep in the countryside.
And during this labyrinthine investigation, Strike’s own life is far from straightforward: his newfound fame as a private eye means he can no longer operate behind the scenes as he once did. Plus, his relationship with his former assistant is more fraught than it ever has been—Robin is now invaluable to Strike in the business, but their personal relationship is much, much trickier than that.
The most epic Robert Galbraith novel yet, Lethal White is both a gripping mystery and a page-turning next installment in the ongoing story of Cormoran Strike and Robin Ellacott."
HALLIE EPHRON: I'm in the middle of two nonfictions: EUNICE: THE KENNEDY WHO CHANGED THE WORLD, the biography of Eunice Kennedy, a force to be reckoned with, a truly underestimated Kennedy by Eileen McNamara. Also reading THE SOUL OF AN OCTOPUS by Sy Montgomery all about the 'intelligent alien.' Standing by is an advance copy of Joseph Olshan's BLACK DIAMOND FALL, and the wonderful Lori Rader-Day's UNDER A DARK SKY. JENN MCKINLAY: October 23, 2018 - don't call me, don't text me, don't email me, because I won't answer. I will be reading KINGDOM OF ASH the final volume in Sarah J. Maas's fantastic A Throne of Glass series. I can NOT freaking wait! Aelin is the most badass heroine I've ever read. Love her and I'm not a huge fantasy reader.
Years in the making, Sarah J. Maas’s #1 New York Times bestselling Throne of Glass series draws to an epic, unforgettable conclusion. Aelin Galathynius’s journey from slave to king’s assassin to the queen of a once-great kingdom reaches its heart-rending finale as war erupts across her world. . .
Aelin has risked everything to save her people-but at a tremendous cost. Locked within an iron coffin by the Queen of the Fae, Aelin must draw upon her fiery will as she endures months of torture. Aware that yielding to Maeve will doom those she loves keeps her from breaking, though her resolve begins to unravel with each passing day…
With Aelin captured, Aedion and Lysandra remain the last line of defense to protect Terrasen from utter destruction. Yet they soon realize that the many allies they’ve gathered to battle Erawan’s hordes might not be enough to save them. Scattered across the continent and racing against time, Chaol, Manon, and Dorian are forced to forge their own paths to meet their fates. Hanging in the balance is any hope of salvation-and a better world.
And across the sea, his companions unwavering beside him, Rowan hunts to find his captured wife and queen-before she is lost to him forever.
As the threads of fate weave together at last, all must fight, if they are to have a chance at a future. Some bonds will grow even deeper, while others will be severed forever in the explosive final chapter of the Throne of Glass series.
RHYS BOWEN: The book I'm really waiting for is Louise Penny's next Inspector Gamache novel, KINGDOM OF THE BLIND. Alas this year it doesn't come out until November! Usually she's late in August but now I have three months more to wait.
But a book that has blown me away this year is Robert Dugoni's THE EXTRAORDINARY LIFE OF SAM HELL. So different from his usual mystery books, and based on the personal experience of his brother born with Down's Syndrome, it is the story of a boy born with Ocular Albinism... with red pupils that make other children call him Devil Boy. It is a moving tale of the quest for belief, for meaning in life. It should also silence the critics who label us as "genre writers" and think we are not capable of more!JULIA: All right, dear readers, now it's your turn. What's the one book you'd like to put onto everyone's TBR pile?
Thanks, ladies, for all the terrific suggestions of books that belong in my teetering to-be-read pile . . .
ReplyDeleteI’d like to add the next “In Death” book in J.D. Robb’s amazing Eve Dallas series to the list. “Leverage in Death” [September 4th] is the forty-seventh book in the series; it opens with a inexplicable suicide bombing in a Wall Street office that purports to be an attempt to stop a business merger. But it’s really something much more sinister . . . .
47th book in the series?? that has to be a record!
DeleteJ. D. Robb/Nora Roberts is a powerhouse, and the Eve Dallas books never seem to repeat previous plots. I highly recommend them, too. Good call, Joan!
DeleteI'm heading into Liz Milliron's new book, Root of All Evil, which you read about yesterday right here!
ReplyDeletelooking forward to that one too Edith!
DeleteThat's the kind of quick response to guest posts we like to see!
DeleteI bought it yesterday:-)
DeleteI'm most looking forward to Lily White in Detroit by Cynthia Harrison. Cynthia is the first author friend I ever made back when I first started publishing in 2013. This is her first crime novel after having focused mostly on romances. It released this week, and I can't wait to read it!
ReplyDeleteAnd here's the description:
DeletePrivate investigator Lily White has a client with a faulty moral compass. When the client is arrested for murdering his wife and her alleged lover, Lily follows her intuition and her own leads. If she’s wrong, she’ll at least know she did her job.
Detroit police detective Derrick Paxton remembers Lily from another case. He understands she suffers from PTSD and thinks her judgment is impaired. He goes after her client and the evidence he needs to close the case. When Lily is kidnapped, the case takes an unexpected turn.
In a sometimes racially divided city, a black cop and a white PI work together to peel back every layer to find the truth. What they find leads them to each other, but do they have enough to bring the true criminals to justice?
Thanks, Julia! Doesn't it sound fabulous?
DeleteSo many great choices--I'm going to go with William Kent Krueger's latest Cork O'Connor book because it's due out in just a few days--August 21st! And it's especially appropriate, I think, because I first 'met' him and his work here on JRW.
ReplyDeleteOh yes, me too on Kent Kreuger! Also Steve Hamilton has a new book in his series after some time away...
DeleteI love both these guys so much. Also their writing. :-)
DeleteMe, too, on Kent!
DeleteThese books sound so good! I too am most looking forward to Louise Penny's Kingdom of the Blind but I have a couple more on my list as well.
ReplyDeleteYou've hit the ones I'm waiting for, or have, on my pile. Also looking forward to Annette Dashofy's newest (although that doesn't come out until September) CRY WOLF, and I want to read the debut from a fellow Level Best author, Peter WJ Hayes. I'll round out August with Hank, of course!
ReplyDeleteMary/Liz
Here's the flap copy from Annette's book, the 7th in the Zoe Chambers series:
DeleteRural Pennsylvania’s Vance Township Police Chief Pete Adams is down an officer and has been dealing with extra shifts as well as a pair of bickering neighbors, one of whom owns a machete and isn’t afraid to use it.
Golden Oaks Assisted Living is outside Pete’s jurisdiction, but a murder in the facility his Alzheimer’s-afflicted father calls home makes the case personal.
Paramedic and Deputy Coroner Zoe Chambers has been itching for an opportunity to take the lead in a death investigation. She gets her chance when her boss is hospitalized and not only assigns her to the Golden Oaks homicide but puts her in charge of the county coroner’s office.
As if she doesn’t have enough to handle, a long-lost, over-protective, older half-brother walks into her life threatening to drive a wedge between her and the man she loves.
A second dead body leads them to realize the case may have dark ties to a distant past…and if Zoe doesn’t untangle the web of lies, Pete will be the one to pay the ultimate price.
What to read, what to read?
ReplyDeleteWell, I just finished the new Ace Atkins book 'The Sinners' and really liked that.
And 'Trust Me', I'm eagerly awaiting Hank's new book. As for other Jungle Red books, I am looking forward to starting on the series by Rhys and Lucy now that I've picked up the first book in each at their Brookline event. And of course, I'm waiting for word on the next book from Ingrid! Oh, and starting to catch up on Julia's book with my now signed copy of Book 1! Jenn's Library series too.
And let us not forget that Edith Maxwell/Maddie Day has a new series starting (all the way in December) with the first book entitled 'Murder on Cape Cod'.
I'm still trying to get my hands on a copy of the Adam Hamdy thriller Free Fall, book 2 in a trilogy. I reviewed the first one for Mystery Scene and loved it!
The new Archer Mayor book 'Bury The Lead' is due out in late September. Nick Wilkshire's 'Remember Tokyo' is due early October as is John Sandford's 'Holy Ghost'. The first official Firefly tie in novel is due mid-October and that is a must by for me, a devoted fan of the TV show and movie.
And let us not forget that the new Michael Connelly is due the day before Halloween. And for me, I'm hoping it is not as disappointing to me as 'The Late Show' was.
Meanwhile, what I'm reading right now is Sheila Connolly's 'A Scandal in Skibereen', Book 2 in her County Cork series.
Thanks, Jay!
DeleteJay, we need to give you your own Book Look!
DeleteEdith, I cheerlead for authors that really entertain me with their books and you definitely qualify for that.
DeleteJulia, I don't know about that. But I will always respond when one of the JRWs puts up this topic!
Jessica Strawser, Not That I Could Tell. Domestic thriller and mystery, set in Yellow Springs, Ohio
ReplyDeleteI read that, and really enjoyed the focus on female friendship within a tricksy plot. Here's the description:
DeleteWhen a group of neighborhood women gathers, wine in hand, around a fire pit where their backyards meet one Saturday night, most of them are just ecstatic to have discovered that their baby monitors reach that far. It’s a rare kid-free night, and they’re giddy with it. They drink too much, and the conversation turns personal.
By Monday morning, one of them is gone.
Everyone knows something about everyone else in the quirky small Ohio town of Yellow Springs, but no one can make sense of the disappearance. Kristin was a sociable twin mom, college administrator, and doctor’s wife who didn’t seem all that bothered by her impending divorce—and the investigation turns up more questions than answers, with her husband, Paul, at the center. For her closest neighbor, Clara, the incident triggers memories she thought she’d put behind her—and when she’s unable to extract herself from the widening circle of scrutiny, her own suspicions quickly grow. But the neighborhood’s newest addition, Izzy, is determined not to jump to any conclusions—especially since she’s dealing with a crisis of her own.
As the police investigation goes from a media circus to a cold case, the neighbors are forced to reexamine what’s going on behind their own closed doors—and to ask how well anyone really knows anyone else.
Adding to my list... you'll meet him soon on JR, Edwin Hill has his debut novel LITTLE COMFORT coming out in 10 days. I can't wait to read it. I read an excerpt of it a few years back at the New England Crime Bake as part of their manuscript critiques, and I loved the bit that I read. Now I feel a tiny bit of ownership (it's gotten 2 STARRED reviews) for the debut of what I fully expect to be a hugely successful series.
ReplyDeleteHere's the (very tempting)description:
DeleteHarvard librarian Hester Thursby knows that even in the digital age, people still need help finding things. Using her research skills, Hester runs a side business tracking down the lost. Usually, she’s hired to find long-ago prom dates or to reunite adopted children and birth parents. Her new case is finding the handsome and charismatic Sam Blaine.
Sam has no desire to be found. As a teenager, he fled his small New Hampshire town with his friend, Gabe, after a haunting incident. For a dozen years, Sam and Gabe have traveled the country, reinventing themselves as they move from one mark to another. Sam has learned how trusting wealthy people can be—especially the lonely ones—as he expertly manipulates his way into their lives and homes. In Wendy Richards, the beautiful, fabulously rich daughter of one of Boston’s most influential families, he’s found the perfect way to infiltrate the milieu in which he knows he belongs—a world of Brooks Brothers suits, Nantucket summers, and effortless glamour.
As Hester’s investigation closes in on their brutal truth, the bond between Sam and Gabe is tested and Hester unknowingly jeopardizes her own safety. While Gabe has pinned all his desperate hopes of a normal life on Hester, Sam wants her out of the way for good. And Gabe has always done what
Sam asks . . .
British police procedurals are my favorite mystery sub-genre (I'm talking' to you, Deb!), so I'm looking forward to reading "Sweet Little Lies" by Caz Frear. Crime Reads recently featured the debut novel as one of their five top choices for a summer read, noting that it won the top prize for an unpublished author in England. The female protagonist is a detective whose investigation stirs up old family history. Sounds promising--a tonic for late-summer doldrums.
ReplyDeleteAdding to list! Thanks, Katie!
DeleteThat's going on my list, too! Thanks, Katie!
DeleteAnd here's the flap copy:
DeleteTwenty-six-year-old Cat Kinsella overcame a troubled childhood to become a Detective Constable with the Metropolitan Police Force, but she’s never been able to banish these ghosts. When she’s called to the scene of a murder in Islington, not far from the pub her estranged father still runs, she discovers that Alice Lapaine, a young housewife who didn’t get out much, has been found strangled.
Cat and her team immediately suspect Alice’s husband, until she receives a mysterious phone call that links the victim to Maryanne Doyle, a teenage girl who went missing in Ireland eighteen years earlier. The call raises uneasy memories for Cat—her family met Maryanne while on holiday, right before she vanished. Though she was only a child, Cat knew that her charming but dissolute father wasn’t telling the truth when he denied knowing anything about Maryanne or her disappearance. Did her father do something to the teenage girl all those years ago? Could he have harmed Alice now? And how can you trust a liar even if he might be telling the truth?
Determined to close the two cases, Cat rushes headlong into the investigation, crossing ethical lines and trampling professional codes. But in looking into the past, she might not like what she finds. . . .
Wow, this sounds GREAT!
DeleteRhys, I read THE EXTRAORDINARY LIFE OF SAM HELL last month, and it's a prize winner if every I saw one.
ReplyDeleteRight now I'm reading Yrsa Sigurdardottir's third in the Thora Godmundsdottir series, all of which are now available in translation. If you are a fan of Icelandic noir,don't miss these. I'm also reading the newest Jussi Adler Olson, WASHINGTON DECREE, so terrifying that I have to take it in small doses.
This is has been the August of visitors, the latest group being my son and family. Having a 14 year old boy in the house is interesting. Yesterday we went to the American Falls and took a ride on the Maid of the Mist, had fun and got soaked. Today they leave and I plan to spend the weekend washing sheets!
Sounds good!
DeleteALL I NEED! Is more books. And yes, and yet. Has anyone read The Book of M by Peng Shepherd? It is amazing. Magical realism, sort of Stephen King meets Mark Helprin.
ReplyDeleteYes, I am appearing with Edwin Hill on booktour--he was my banquet seatmate at Malice, lucky me! He is adorable. Loved the Jessica Strawser book. happy 8/18/18 everyone!
Ten more days. Trust Me.
DeleteI've started The Book of M, but found it slow getting into, I think because I expected a more science-based end of the world story.
DeleteReally? SO interesting. We'll have to talk. I thought it was instantly wonderful. Hmm! Well, it's more philosophical than scientific, I think.
DeleteI'm scribbling like mad to write down all these suggestions. Thank you, Ladies!
ReplyDeleteI'm almost finished with Anne Tyler's newest, Clock Dance. I am dragging it out because I don't want it to end. IMO, it's her best in a while and in different ways somewhat reminiscent of two of her outstanding older works -- Breathing Lessons and Ladder of Years.
Here's the flap copy for CLOCK DANCE:
DeleteWilla Drake can count on one hand the defining moments of her life. In 1967, she is a schoolgirl coping with her mother's sudden disappearance. In 1977, she is a college coed considering a marriage proposal. In 1997, she is a young widow trying to piece her life back together. And in 2017, she yearns to be a grandmother but isn't sure she ever will be. Then, one day, Willa receives a startling phone call from a stranger. Without fully understanding why, she flies across the country to Baltimore to look after a young woman she's never met, her nine-year-old daughter, and their dog, Airplane. This impulsive decision will lead Willa into uncharted territory--surrounded by eccentric neighbors who treat each other like family, she finds solace and fulfillment in unexpected places. A bewitching novel of hope and transformation, Clock Dance gives us Anne Tyler at the height of her powers.
You’ve mentioned a bunch of my anticipated reads already. Add Bellewether by Susanna Kearsley to that list. And David Hewson’s latest Nic Costas.
ReplyDeleteYes, I bought the Nic Costa in audio but now to find the time to listen...
DeleteThis is one of the many reasons I love the fabulous Jungle Reds. If I hadn't met you here I would have met each of you, individually, in the stacks of the library searching, the same titles. For starters, thank you Ingrid Thoft for the heads up on the upcoming Robert Galbraith title. I've read the first three and I'm delighted to know there's more on the way. Hallie- I also have "Under a Dark Sky" by Lori Rader-Day waiting in the wings on my Kindle. I'm currently working my was thru James W Ziskin''s Ellie Stone Series (psst Hank, she's a reporter). And finally I'm waiting for the next two releases from Catriona McPherson. Although we are not related, I friend told me of her writing based on our shared surname. She has a stand alone, "Go To My Grave" and the second in a new series "Scot Soda" coming out soon. For me, reading Catriona is like sitting in the room with my dear Scottish sister-in-law. Ant way, this should keep me busy until Halloween.
ReplyDeleteSome day you should sit in a room with Catriona. She’s possibly the funniest human being I know.
DeleteI agree!!! I had the opportunity to meet her when she was moderating a panel interview of James Ziskin. wonderful evening.
DeleteI've just finished reading Jessica Strawser's NOT THAT I COULD TELL and also Lori Rader-Day's UNDER THE DARK SKY - loved both! Oh and also Linda Castillo's latest, A GATHERING OF SECRETS. Many that are on my upcoming TBR have already been mentioned. However, I am definitely looking forward to Kate Morton's THE CLOCKMAKER'S DAUGHTER. She does Gothic so very well.
ReplyDeleteI like Kate Morton as well! Here's the description for THE CLOCKMAKER'S DAUGHTER:
DeleteIn the summer of 1862, a group of young artists led by the passionate and talented Edward Radcliffe descends upon Birchwood Manor on the banks of the Upper Thames. Their plan: to spend a secluded summer month in a haze of inspiration and creativity. But by the time their stay is over, one woman has been shot dead while another has disappeared; a priceless heirloom is missing, and Edward Radcliffe’s life is in ruins.
Over one hundred and fifty years later, Elodie Winslow, a young archivist in London, uncovers a leather satchel containing two seemingly unrelated items: a sepia photograph of an arresting-looking woman in Victorian clothing, and an artist’s sketchbook containing a drawing of a twin-gabled house on the bend of a river.
Why does Birchwood Manor feel so familiar to Elodie? And who is the beautiful woman in the photograph? Will she ever give up her secrets?
Told by multiple voices across time, The Clockmaker’s Daughter is a story of murder, mystery, and thievery, of art, love, and loss. And flowing through its pages like a river is the voice of a woman who stands outside time, whose name has been forgotten by history, but who has watched it all unfold: Birdie Bell, the clockmaker’s daughter.
How could I have forgotten that there's a new Charles Todd Bess Crawford novel, A FORGOTTEN PLACE, out on September 18th that I can't wait to read!!!
ReplyDeleteLoving all the these suggestions, especially the David Lebovitz and the Robert Galbraith.
Lucky us here at Jungle Red--we never have to worry about running out of things to read!
I love these posts because there's ALWAYS several series books I've lost track of and am delighted to see are coming out.
DeleteCan I just add that I've finished Lucy's DEATH ON THE MENU and loved it!! And am now immersed in Rhys's FOUR WEDDINGS AND MAYBE A FUNERAL which is terrific, too. So lucky to have such talented writer friends, and Hank's TRUST ME to look forward to next week!
ReplyDeleteCrsossing fingers you love it, Debs..ahhh. Let me know, okay??? SO weird to think of you reading it!
DeleteAnxiously awaiting Uneasy Lies the Crown, the new Lady Emily book from Tasha Alexander. It's due Oct 13 and I can hardly wait. Rhys, you've surpassed yourself. Four Weddings...is terrific! I recommend it highly, everyone.
ReplyDeleteHere's the description for Tasha's upcoming book:
DeleteOn her deathbed, Queen Victoria asks to speak privately with trusted agent of the Crown, Colin Hargreaves, and slips him a letter with one last command: Une sanz pluis. Sapere aude. "One and no more. Dare to know."
The year is 1901 and the death of Britain's longest-reigning monarch has sent the entire British Empire into mourning. But for Lady Emily and her dashing husband, Colin, the grieving is cut short as another death takes center stage. A body has been found in the Tower of London, posed to look like the murdered medieval king Henry VI. When a second dead man turns up in London's exclusive Berkeley Square, his mutilated remains staged to evoke the violent demise of Edward II, it becomes evident that the mastermind behind the crimes plans to strike again.
The race to find the killer takes Emily deep into the capital's underbelly, teeming with secret gangs, street children, and sleazy brothels--but the clues aren't adding up. Even more puzzling are the anonymous letters Colin has been receiving since Victoria's death, seeming to threaten her successor, Edward VII. With the killer leaving a trail of dead kings in his wake, will Edward be the next victim?
Like Deb, I'm looking forward to Time's Convert. And for Katie Baer, since you love British crime fiction, check out Peter Grainger's DC Smith series. I stumbled across him several years back and introduced Deb to him, who introduced him and his second series on JRW several months back. His latest just came out last week, but I suggest you start at the beginning.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Dianne, for your recommendation for Peter Grainger. His series sounds like catnip to me, but--and this is a big but--his books seem to be available on Amazon ONLY in Kindle version. As a Luddite who only reads print books, I am stymied. Suggestions?
DeleteKatie, you can read Kindle books on your computer, tablet, or even your Smart phone, and Kindle on any platform is free. I adore Peter Grainger's books--one of the best British crime series of the last few years. I think they are well worth giving digital books a try.
DeleteOh, Julia, there is no way I could limit myself to picking just one book! Many that have been mentioned here are books that I myself look forward to reading. Some of them are already sitting on my coffee table and whispering "read ME first!" Others mentioned here are going on my list.
ReplyDeleteAnd, Julia, while on vacation earlier this month I discovered one of your books in the house we rented. Naturally, I read it a long time ago.
DebRo
I love the idea that one of my books is in a vacation house!
DeleteI've already had the pleasure of reading Hank's unputdownable TRUST ME, which was terrific. I'm looking forward to the new one by Martin Limón, THE LINE, featuring the always entertaining and clever 8th Army CID Agents George Sueño and Ernie Bascom. And I'm in the middle of Lindsay Faye's GODS OF GOTHAM - I'm late to that party, but what writing! Flash stuff.
ReplyDeleteOh! How wonderful!! Really? Thank you!
DeleteJust read THE EXTRAORDINARY LIFE OF SAM HELL. Absolutely loved it. It was so different from his Tracy Crosswhite series that I've also read all of. I've preordered the next Cork O'Connor novel, so am looking forward to that. And, of course, I'm also eagerly awaiting the next Julia Spencer Fleming book--coming soon, I hope.
ReplyDeleteI should probably stop commenting here and get my words written for the day...
DeleteI'm reading Lucy's latest, and waiting for Deb to finish Rhys's latest while awaiting the delivery of Hank's latest . . . and now I find that Jenn has a new one coming up, too! I also have Kristan Higgins' "Good Luck With That" on my nightstand, to tide me over until Hank's book is delivered. But where is the next one by Ingrid? Or Julia? Or Hallie? (Okay, I know where Deb's next one is.) Looking a good way downrange, Ben Aaronovitch's new "Rivers of London" novel comes out in November. It's called "Lies Sleeping." Should be delightful.
ReplyDeleteI didn't know the next one was coming this fall! Love the Rivers of London series.
DeleteEeeek, I didn't know, either!!! I hope it actually comes out in November. Ben Aaronovitch is more famously late than me...
DeleteI love Amy Stewart's series about the historically real Kopp sisters. The first is called Girl Waits with Gun. The writing is excellent. And she's done great research on these very interesting New Jersey sisters.
ReplyDeleteThis American Life, I think, did a fascinating story on the Kopp sisters and Stewart's book.
DeleteI will look that up!
DeleteYour fellow Mainer ... Paul Doiron ... Stay Hidden is on my Kindle. Saving it for knee surgery recuperation.
ReplyDeleteHis books are great!
DeleteSeveral of these are already preordered including “Times Convert” by Deborah Harkness and the latest Robert Galbraith title. I’ve been undecided on getting Kate Morton’s latest. Thanks for all the suggestions. I’m always looking for a good British mystery and have enjoyed the most recent Anthony Horowitz books Magpie Murders and The Word is Murder.
ReplyDeleteGood call on Horowitz. I didn't realize he wrote for adults until a few years ago! (My son read all his YA Alex Rider series.)
DeleteI am just the worst at limiting my recommendations or choosing favorite books. The Reviewers Recommend panel that I'm on at Bouchercon limits my favorite books to five for 2018 and three that I'm looking forward to. I am going quite crazy trying to narrow those two selections down. But, because it's only a 45 minute time frame and there are four other reviewers besides me, it's a necessary requirement. If you see me at Bouchercon muttering to myself before the panel on Friday morning, I have succumbed to losing my mind.
ReplyDeleteSo, just one recommendation, Julia? OK, I'll play by the rules, with just a little bending. Catriona's new book Go to My Grave has already been mentioned, and my copy is waiting patiently for me. Since we're talking about our current reading here today, I will say that I just read Hank's outstanding Trust Me and am in the middle of trying to write a review that will do it justice. The Reds are really hitting it out of the park this year, with Death on the Menu maybe my favorite in the series so far, and I should finish Rhys' Four Funerals and Maybe a Wedding Today, which is thrilling me all the way through. My next read is probably going to be Lou Berney's November Road, which I want to get read before Bouchercon, so I can talk about it. Jenn's Hitting the Books is one I just posted about on my FB page. Trying to keep up with the Reds this year is a challenge.
So, my one book I'll list that isn't in my meanderings above, a book I've been looking forward to for some time is Elly Griffiths'/Domenica de Rosa's stand-alone book entitled The Stranger Diaries. Dom writes two amazing series, the Ruth Galloway mysteries and the Stephens and Mephisto mysteries. The Stranger Diaries will be her first stand-alone written under her nom de plume Elly Griffiths. She has written some earlier books in her career under her real name Domenica de Rosa that are stand-alone novels, but they aren't mysteries. The Stranger Diaries comes out the first of November in the UK and can be ordered through British book sellers or online through Book Depository. It won't be out in the states until next March. I'm fortunate that I'll be receiving my copy from Dom at Bouchercon. I'm excited! Below is the description, including a blurb from Louise Penny, found on Book Depository's site.
The Stranger Diaries:
A dark story has been brought to terrifying life. Can the ending be rewritten in time?
'Compelling, intelligent and increasingly mesmerising' PETER JAMES
'At once a homage to the Gothic thriller, and a re-imagining, it is goose-bump spooky, smart, and haunting, in every sense. I loved this book! And you will too' LOUISE PENNY
A gripping contemporary Gothic thriller from the bestselling author of the Dr Ruth Galloway mysteries: Susan Hill meets Gone Girl and Disclaimer.
Clare Cassidy is no stranger to murder. As a literature teacher specialising in the Gothic writer RM Holland, she teaches a short course on it every year. Then Clare's life and work collide tragically when one of her colleagues is found dead, a line from an RM Holland story by her body. The investigating police detective is convinced the writer's works somehow hold the key to the case.
Not knowing who to trust, and afraid that the killer is someone she knows, Clare confides her darkest suspicions and fears about the case to her journal. Then one day she notices some other writing in the diary. Writing that isn't hers...
Oh! Thank you! Cannot wait to read your review!! Crossing fingers..xoxo
DeleteI'm super excited for Time's Convert, too, & am rereading the All Souls trilogy to prepare for it. It's been a long time since I read it.
ReplyDeleteI'm really looking forward to Rooted in Deception, the fourth Greenhouse Mystery by Wendy Tyson, which comes out in a couple of weeks. And I still haven't gotten to Donna Andrews' latest, Toucan Keep a Secret. Got a couple of books on the TBR pile before those, but I'm hoping to get to them in the next couple of weeks.
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ReplyDeleteBAD BLOOD is at the top of my list, along with TRUST ME by Hank, and THE WORD IS MURDER by Anthony Horowitz.
ReplyDeleteOh, I love those choices! LOVe Anthony Horowitz, my total favorite. And crossing fingers you love TRUST ME! Thank you!
DeleteInstead of TBR, I want to use Goodreads WTR (want to read). It sounds a little less imperative and more accurate for me. I am a slow reader and even in the summer and being retired, I find that I finish about a book a month. That doesn't mean that I don't sample a few other books which remain never finished. However, in the pile, I have a few "tomes". Like Grant or Don Quixote. Much of Don Quixote I have read over the years. Grant was a gift, so it would be rude to ignore it on the pile. I have been able to finish 12 chapters.
ReplyDeleteThe book I wish to finish before the end of the year is W.E.B. DuBois: Biography of a Race (1868-1919), by David Levering Lewis. DuBois lived 95 years, which means that this the first of at least 2 parts. It is 735 pages and I got a paperback copy at a good price on Amazon. I'll let you know how it reads when I am done.
My TBR pile just keeled over dead.
ReplyDeleteYup.
DeleteHallie, I saw Eileen McNamara give a talk on "Eunice" on BookTV (on C-Span 2) and she was fantastic! That immediately went on my TBR! And, of course, I'm awaiting the latest Gamache/Three Pines novel from Louise Penny--I have been since the moment I finished her last one.
ReplyDeleteI didn't get to the blog at all yesterday, but just have to add a thank you for this one! Several of the books you (collectively) mentioned are by favorite authors of mine, and in a couple cases, I wasn't aware they had a new one coming out so soon. Thank you!!!!
ReplyDeleteI'm trying to catch up on many series..... Martin Walker's Bruno series, the Monkeewrench series, just found The Paris Spy, in paperback, they work better for tucking into my bag and going out to lunch. Unfortunately, because I have had to downsize my home, so I have to pick and choose carefully what I put in my home and what put in my e-reader, but I'm looking to curling up in my cozy chair, under the redwoods and reading, reading, reading.
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