New Title Radar – Week of July 4
Next week, look out for two titles librarians have been talking about – a new thriller by Chevy Stevens about an adoptee who discovers her fraught roots, and Alice LePlante’s probing look into the mind of a woman with dementia. Usual suspects Barbara Delinsky, Tess Gerritson and J.A. Jance also weigh in, along with YA author Sara Shepard. And in nonfiction, Rolling Stone writer Janet Reitman reveals the inner workings of Scientology.
Watch List
Never Knowing by Chevy Stevens (St. Martins) is a thriller about an adoptee who searches for her birth mother, only to discover that the woman is the only surviving victim of the serial killer who was her father. This one could be big: it follows Stevens’ popular debut, Still Missing (2010). and has been a buzz title among librarians in our Twitter GalleyChat (reminder: the next GalleyChat is on Tuesday, July 12, from 4 to 5 pm, Eastern). Kirkus says it’s “as finely calculated in its escalating suspense as Stevens’ grueling debut.”
Turn of Mind by Alice LaPlante (Atlantic Monthly) is a debut novel about a retired orthopedic surgeon succumbing to dementia, who is uncertain whether or not she was involved in the murder of her friend. The publisher has high expectations for this one, co-sponsoring a librarian dinner in San Francisco with EarlyWord to get the word out. A New York Times is in the works.
Usual Suspects
Escape by Barbara Delinsky (Doubleday) is the story of a lawyer who breaks abruptly from her career and marriage and seeks a fresh start in New Hampshire. PW says, “Delinsky keeps the story moving with some nice twists on a familiar plot, rich characterizations, and real-feeling dilemmas that will keep readers hooked.”
Betrayal of Trust (J. P. Beaumont Series #20) by J. A. Jance (Morrow) is a thriller about privileged teens and the well-heeled parents who extricate them from the consequences of their crimes. Kikus declares that this story that will leave readers “wanting more.”
The Silent Girl: A Rizzoli & Isles Novel by Tess Gerritsen (Ballantine) is a thriller about a twisted killer in Boston’s Chinatown, featuring homicide detective Jane Rizzoli and medical examiner Maura Isles in their 10th outing. Booklist says, “Recent series entries have been solid, workmanlike thrillers, but this one has some real spark to it. Fans should definitely check it out, and readers who have wandered away from the series might want to give it another try.”
Young Adult
Twisted (Pretty Little Liars Series #9) by Sara Shepard (HarperTeen) is the latest installment in the #1 New York Times bestselling series, which is also an ABC Family hit TV series.
Nonfiction
Inside Scientology: The Story of America’s Most Secretive Religion by Janet Reitman (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt) is an exploration of the “church” created by science fiction writer L. Ron Hubbard in 1954, by a contributing writer to Rolling Stone. LJ says her tone is “evenhanded,” while PW declares that “Reitman plows through her abundant material without an organizing narrative arc; consequently, many of the chapters pile on without providing satisfying conclusions. The only hopeful conclusion Reitman offer,sand most readers will agree, is that Scientology is shrinking, with less than 250,000 members worldwide.”