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Thrillers and Suspense April 2021
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Ocean Prey
by John Sandford
What it's about: Picking up a stalled FBI case involving three murdered Coast Guardsmen, Lucas Davenport teams up with detective Virgil Flowers to investigate the suspicious activities of a sophisticated boat and mysterious diver.
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| Girls with Bright Futures by Tracy Dobmeier and Wendy KatzmanWhat it's about: One place at Stanford. Three qualified applicants from the same prep school. And three mothers determined to see their daughter win admission.
Meet the mean girls: stay-at-home mom Kelly, a Stanford alum; tech CEO Alicia, whose donations might make up for her daughter's lackluster grades; and single mom Maren, whose daughter is valedictorian.
Reviewers say: Girls with Bright Futures is a "bracingly vicious portrait of entitlement" (Kirkus Reviews). |
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Death with a double edge : a Daniel Pitt novel
by Anne Perry
What it is: Joining forces with Toby Kitteridge to investigate the murder of a senior barrister, Daniel Pitt follows leads through London’s teeming underworld, before hostile adversaries begin targeting his loved ones.
About the author: Anne Perry is the New York Times bestselling author of two acclaimed series set in Victorian England: the William Monk novels and the Charlotte and Thomas Pitt novels.
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Mother May I
by Joshilyn Jackson
What it is: Blackmailed by a mysterious kidnapper to commit a seemingly harmless act, a once-poor woman who married into wealth triggers a devastating chain of consequences.
Reviewers say: A thriller with a sharp #MeToo edge that examines how “one wild night” can have terrible consequences.
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Northern spy : a novel
by Flynn Berry
What it is: Certain that her beloved sister did not join the IRA by choice, a Catholic BBC producer confronts impossible decisions that test family bonds, the limits of her ideals and her responsibilities as a mother.
Reviewers say: A poignant and lyrical novel that asks what is worth sacrificing for peace—and provides some answers.
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Just My Luck
by Adele Parks
What it is: A group of friends who have played the lottery together for fifteen years finally hit it big just as a rift forms in the group as a result of one person’s lies and betrayal.
Reviewers say: Full of plot twists and sketchy characters, Parks' latest will have readers wondering what they would do in the same position.
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Hour of the witch
by Chris Bohjalian
What it is: A resourceful Puritan woman in 1662 Boston plots to escape a violent marriage only to find herself targeted by her disapproving and superstitious neighbors for failing to save a child’s life.
Reviewers say: With its exploration of themes including domestic abuse, toxic masculinity, and mass hysteria, the novel feels like anything but a period piece. Bohjalian fans and newcomers alike will be satisfied.
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When the stars go dark : a novel
by Paula McLain
What it is: Retreating to her childhood foster home in the wake of a tragedy, a veteran missing-persons detective becomes entwined in the search for a local teen whose disappearance eerily resembles an unsolved case from the detective’s past.
Reviewers say: McLain matches poetic prose with deep characterizations as she shines a light on the kindness in her characters’ souls. Fans of literary suspense won’t be able to put this one down..
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You love me : a you novel
by Caroline Kepnes
What it is: Retreating to a cozy island in the Pacific Northwest, Joe Goldberg takes a job at the local library where he becomes obsessed with librarian Mary Kay DiMarco and decides he is ready to make her do the right thing by making room for him in her life.
Reviewers say: With the Netflix show, You, based on Joe's exploits and set to return for a third season, there's never been a better time to get acquainted with Kepnes' dangerously appealing leading man.
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Legacy of War
by Wilbur Smith
What it is: A sequel to Courtney’s War finds a plot against Saffron and her husband, Gerhard, triggering consequences throughout post-World War II Europe, before Leon finds himself caught between colonialism and rebellion in an independence-seeking Kenya.
Reviewers say: His legions of fans are sure to be pleased with this page-turning adventure thriller in the classic tradition.
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| An Inconvenient Woman by Stéphanie BuelensWhat it is: an intricately plotted work of psychological suspense featuring well-developed, morally ambiguous characters with complicated personal lives.
Starring: Claire Fontaine, who makes shocking allegations about her ex-husband, including that he drove her daughter to suicide; Claire's ex-husband Simon Miller, who can no longer tolerate Claire's behavior; Sloan Wilson, a former LAPD detective hired by Simon to "deal with" Claire.
Reviewers say: An Inconvenient Woman is "a piercing, high-speed nightmare best consumed in a single breathless sitting" (Kirkus Reviews). |
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| Just One Bite by Jack HeathWhat it's about: FBI consultant (and admitted cannibal) Timothy Blake has an unlikely side-hustle -- body disposal for the local crime lord. In this sequel to Hangman, Timothy’s disparate professional lives collide following the disappearance of a college professor.
Is it for you? The story is told in a darkly humorous tone but is still best for readers with strong stomachs, and those who can appreciate characters who manage to be engaging (if not exactly likeable). |
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| Drive Your Plow Over the Bones of the Dead by Olga TokarczukWhat it's about: Translated from the original Polish, this stylistically complex blend of literary fiction and suspenseful detective story follows quirky, reclusive Janina Duszejko as she involves herself in the investigation of a neighbor's murder.
Read it for: the offbeat tone, compelling writing, and Janina's insightful reflections on life in a small Polish village.
Try this next: Death in Her Hands, which also features an acclaimed author of literary fiction (in this case, Otessa Moshfegh) dipping her toe into the genre. |
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