Another week, another batch of books for your TBR pile. Happy reading, folks.
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Jonathan Lee, The Great Mistake
(Knopf)
“An exceptional work of historical fiction about one of the key figures in the development of 19th-century New York City…A highly satisfying mix of mystery and character portrait, revealing the constrained heart beneath the public carapace.”
–Kirkus Reviews
Leonardo Padura, The Transparency of Time
(FSG)
“Dressed in the grungy trappings of a crime drama, this literary tour-de-force from Padura offers a colorful cultural history of Cuba and the island’s historical contact with Europe that helped to shape its people’s religious beliefs.”
–Publishers Weekly
Katherine Dykstra, What Happened to Paula: On the Death of an American Girl
(Norton)
“Dykstra casts a searing light on racism, sexism, and the stigma of being a ‘bad’ girl. This is the perfect blueprint for any true crime writer moved to investigate a cold case.”
–Publishers Weekly
Alex Michaelides, The Maidens
(Celadon)
“Michaelides’ stage-setting skills are as masterful here, as they were in The Silent Patient (2019); another tense, cleverly twisted winner.”
–Booklist
PJ Vernon, Bath Haus
(Doubleday)
“Suspenseful, sensual, and exceedingly clever, this thriller is the literary equivalent of sipping a glass of white wine while listening to your neighbors have a lovers’ spat . . . before one of them picks up a knife. Vernon has an electric style that leaps off the page.”
–The Washington Post
Camille Aubray, The Godmothers
(William Morrow)
“An addictive and tense multigenerational feminist romp through WWII-era New York City, where a quartet of Italian sisters-in-law run a crime family…credibly flips the script on male-dominated Mafia stories.”
–Publishers Weekly
Chris Offutt, The Killing HIlls
(Grove)
“…Offutt brilliantly evokes the body and soul of his wounded hero. It adds up to a mesmerizing and nightmarish view of what lurks just over the hills. This is sure to be Offutt’s breakout.”
–Publishers Weekly
James Ellroy, Widespread Panic
(Knopf)
“Devious and delicious. . . . Ellroy’s total command of the jazzy, alliterative argot of the era never fails to astonish. This is a must for L.A. noir fans.”
–Publishers Weekly
Melissa Larsen, Shutter
(Berkley)
“In this twisty thriller, Betty’s first-person narration will keep readers on their toes. Recommended for fans of thrillers with unreliable narrators, and psychologically intense plots involving movies and filmmaking.”
–Library Journal
Caitlin Wahrer, The Damage
(Pamela Dorman Books)
“Compelling, relatable conflict and well-crafted twists create depth in this thoughtful
blend of family drama and mystery.”
–Booklist
