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Thrillers and Suspense October 2020
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| Watching You Without Me by Lynn CoadyStarring: Karen Petrie, a Toronto lawyer who returns to her hometown in Nova Scotia after her estranged mother Irene's death; Kelli, the disabled sister whose care Karen needs to arrange for; Kelli’s home care aide Trevor, whose overly familiar behavior makes Karen uneasy.
Read it for: the sensitive portrayal of the sisters' grief and its effect on their better judgement; the surprising moments of sardonic humor that pop up in Karen's sympathetic narration. |
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| Florida Man by Thomas CooperWhat it is: an atmospheric and darkly humorous tale of middle-aged malaise and long-held secrets set on a seedy island off the coast of the U.S.'s most singular state.
For fans of: Carl Hiaasen, Tim Dorsey, Randy Wayne White, and other authors who deftly combine suspense, crime, colorful characters, a strong sense of place, and lots of affectionate ribbing of their unique home state. |
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All the Best Lies
by Joanna Schaffhausen
Suspended cop Ellery Hathaway accompanies FBI agent Reed Markham on an investigation in Las Vegas, where they try to solve the cold-case murder of Markham’s mother before uncovering secrets about his adoptive father. By the author of The Vanishing Season.
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| We Are All the Same in the Dark by Julia HeaberlinWhat it's about: This intricately plotted and heartwrenching story centers on the disappearance of a young woman and her father, an unresolved case that still haunts the small West Texas town where they were last seen.
Starring: Wyatt Branson, the missing girl's brother who is ostracized after the court of public opinion decides he must have committed the crime; sheriff's deputy Odette Tucker, who visits Wyatt's farm after rumors spread that a teenage girl has been seen on the property; Angel, the traumatized teen whom Odette bonds with immediately. |
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| The Vacation by T. M. LoganPicture it: A lavish villa in the south of France, where college friends Kate, Rowan, Izzy, and Jennifer have all gathered (families in tow) for a long overdue reunion.
The problem? Between the financial disparities between the gathered families to the constant bickering of their children, things quickly grow tense. Then Kate discovers evidence that there might be a romantic connection between her husband and one of her friends. |
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36 Righteous Men
by Steven Pressfield
What it’s about: Set in a near-future world wracked by climate change-induced weather events, this fast-paced story follows the hunt for a serial killer who, inspired by Jewish legends, aims to kill the titular men to start the apocalypse.
Is it for you? This unconventional thriller contains some supernatural elements and is told primarily through the investigators’ case notes.
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All the Broken People
by Leah Konen
Moving to rustic Woodstock to escape an unhappy past, Lucy bonds with an alluring couple, Vera and John, who embroil her in a plot to fake John’s death, before Lucy finds herself framed for the man’s actual murder.
Reviewers say: A steady narrative draws the reader into Lucy's anxiety, and what might seem an implausible story is made believable by intricate plotting, culminating in a didn't-see-that-coming conclusion. Perfect for millennial fans of domestic thrillers.
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| Little Disasters by Sarah VaughanWhat it's about: Emergency room doctor Liz Trenchard is on duty one night when her friend Jess arrives with her ten-month-old daughter. The baby's injuries are consistent with child abuse, but Liz cannot believe her friend is capable of that and resolves to look for the truth, only to discover more than either woman bargained for.
Reviewers say: "The brisk plot gracefully touches on postpartum depression, female friendships, and the difficulties of parenting" (Publishers Weekly). |
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| Under Occupation by Alan FurstWhat it's about: French author Paul Ricard is known for his spy novels, but that doesn't mean he's working for the Resistance. At least he wasn't until a man running from the Gestapo slipped him an important stolen document shortly before being shot dead.
You might also like: Martin Cruz Smith's The Girl from Venice, which also features a protagonist living in Nazi-occupied territory who gets pulled into resistance activities after a chance encounter with a stranger. |
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| The Saboteur by Andrew GrossWhat it's about: Based on real events, this story follows Norwegian engineer Kurt Nordstrum, a member of the resistance, and his dangerous mission to prevent the Nazis from developing nuclear weapons.
The mission: sneak into the impenetrable and secretive Norsk Hydro factory to destroy the means of producing "heavy water", a critical part of the bomb-making process.
You might also like: the 1965 Kirk Douglas film The Heroes of Telemark, which also tells this remarkable tale. |
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| City of Secrets by Stewart O'NanWhat it is: the thought-provoking, compelling story of Yossi Brand, a Holocaust survivor who illegally immigrates to postwar Jerusalem and joins the Jewish underground movement against British occupation.
Read it for: the complex motives of the characters; the author's spare and elegant writing style.
Reviewers say: "imaginative and nimble" (Booklist); "a probing, keening thriller" (Kirkus Reviews). |
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| Blame the Dead by Ed RuggeroWhat it's about: Once a Philadelphia beat cop, Lieutenant Eddie Harkins is ordered to investigate the case of an unpopular Army doctor whose death took place during a German air raid on their Palermo base but has all the hallmarks of an inside job.
Why you might like it: the long list of suspects who all had good reasons to want the unlikable doctor dead; the well-rendered Italian setting, which is one of the less-featured locations for World War II fiction. |
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Contact your librarian for more great books!
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