New Title Radar – Week of August 1
Next week, look for a debut novel set amid P.T. Barnum’s Manhattan circus, a debut thriller with a half-Inuit protaganist, and a controversial religious thriller from Christian publisher Howard Books – as well as appearances from Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child, Sherrilyn Kenyon, Charlaine Harris and Sara Shepard. In nonfiction, there’s a 9/11 survivor’s drama, a look at the history of the FBI by bestselling investigative writer Ronald Kessler, and an entertaining search for the Garden of Eden.
Watch List
Among the Wonderful by Stacy Carlson (Steerforth) is a debut set in 1840s Manhattan, and follows a giantess and a taxidermist in the employ of P.T. Barnum, as they struggle to break free of their personal and emotional shackles. It’s an Indie Next Pick for August and a buzz title on our very own GalleyChat. Kirkus says, “a nice commentary on the entertainment racket, with carefully crafted prose that too often goes on just a beat too long. Still, a refreshing take on an aspect of and time in American history that are too little known.”
White Heat by M.J. McGrath (Viking; Blackstone Audio; Thorndike Large Print) is a debut thriller about a half Inuit/half white woman who makes her living leading white (or qalunaat) tourists on hunting expeditions near her tiny outpost town of Autisaq on Canada’s Ellesmere Island. In a starred review, Booklist says it “transports the reader to a land of almost incomprehensible cold and an unfamiliar but fascinating culture, taking on issues of climate change, energy exploration, local politics, and drug and alcohol abuse. Edie, a fiercely independent woman in a male-dominated milieu, is sure to win fans. Expect great things from this series.” Holds are building quickly: Cuyahoga quintupled their original order as a result and other libraries are showing 10:1 holds.
The Second Messiah: A Thriller by Glenn Meade (Howard/S&S) follows an archeologist and a police inspector investigating a controversial Dead Sea scroll. PW says, “Fans of Davis Bunn or Dan Brown won’t bat an eye at Meade’s unblinking look at the Vatican and the religious secrecy that fuels such novels. With a plot that screams, a controversial edge, and characters with attitude and something to prove, this has all the makings to be the next Da Vinci Code.”
Usual Suspects
Cold Vengeance by Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child (Grand Central; Hachette Audio) is the latest mystery featuring Special Agent Pendergast.
Retribution (Dark-Hunter Series #20) by Sherrilyn Kenyon (St. Martin’s; Macmillan Audio) is a supernatural thriller about a vampire who has sworn to protect humans locked in confrontation with a human adopted by vampires who has sworn to protect them.
Home Improvement: Undead Edition by Charlaine Harris and Toni L.P. Kelner (Ace; Brilliance Audio) is a collection of paranormal short stories about the perils of do-it-yourself, with a never-before- published Sookie Stackhouse story.
The Wild Rose by Jennifer Donnelly (Hyperion) is the final installment in the series that began with The Tea Rose and The Winter Rose, with a mix of familiar characters and the story of the star-crossed romance between two intrepid adventurers in the arly 20th Century. Booklist says, “Donnelly has leaned more toward Indiana Jones than Barbara Taylor Bradford, and the result is a perfect vacation read.”
Young Adult
Never Have I Ever (Lying Game Series #2) by Sara Shepard is the second book in the latest series from the author of the bestselling Pretty Little Liars series.
Nonfiction
Angel in the Rubble: The Miraculous Rescue of 9/11’s Last Survivor by Genelle Guzman-McMillan (Howard/S&S); Simon and Schuster Audio) tells the story of a woman who was buried under the rubble of the World Trade Center for 27 hours.
The Secrets of the FBI by Ronald Kessler (Crown; Random House Audio; Center Point Large Print) uncovers the history and espionage techniques of the federal agency. LJ says, “Having reported on the FBI for decades and written two best sellers on the agency, Kessler really does have some secrets to share. These have less to do with how the FBI functions than with what its agents have learned while dealing with the White House, Wall Street, terrorists, spies, the Mafia, and more.”
Paradise Lust: Searching for the Garden of Eden by Brook Wilensky-Lanford (Grove Press) investigates the many searches for the “real” location of the Garden of Eden. Booklist says, “Wilensky-Lanford’s tone is indeed light and entertaining, she portrays her obsessed subjects with respect and even a little sympathy. In the end, the book is less about Eden-finding or myth-busting than it is a study of the undying human need for meaning, symbolism, and unity in a fractured and profane world.”
Now in Trade Paperback
The Hare with Amber Eyes by Edmund de Waal (Picador). This was Nancy Pearl’s favorite work of nonfiction published in 2010.
I Curse the River of Time by Per Petterson (Picador)