WORD Christchurch Writers and Readers Festival 2014
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"Everyone is a moon, and has a dark side which he never shows to anybody." ~ Mark Twain (1835-1910), American writer
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Inside man
by Jeff Abbott
Going undercover in one of Miami's most prominent and dangerous families to discover who murdered his friend, Sam Capra, playing a part where one wrong move means death, faces off against an unstable tycoon whose darkest secret could destroy them all.
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All day and a night: a novel of suspense
by Alafair Burke
Taking the wrongful conviction claim of Anthony Amaro, who believes he has evidence exonerating him in the murder of her sister, Carrie Blank works alongside NYPD Detective Ellie Hatcher to reopen the investigation that led to Amaro's arrest, which results in violence as they get closer to the truth.
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Replay
by Marc Levy
Stabbed from behind while jogging and collapsing in a pool of blood, an investigative reporter regains consciousness to discover it's exactly two months earlier and he must spend the next 60 days trying to uncover his murderer and his motives.
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| The catch: a novel by Taylor StevensOnce more making use of her skill with languages, Vanessa "Michael" Munroe is passing as a man, working for a Djibouti-based security company whose specialty is ships at sea. Complications ensue when the one she's been coerced into working on -- which just happens to be smuggling guns with her bosses' knowledge -- is attacked by Somali pirates. Escaping with the unconscious captain -- who apparently is the prize the pirates are after -- Michael lies low while she figures out what to do and how to help her crew. Chock-full of action without much introspection, this 4th in the series is a must-read for adrenaline junkies who appreciate a good, violent fight; for Michael's reasoning for hiding out in Africa, start at the beginning, with The Informationist. |
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Angelica's smile
by Andrea Camilleri
Investigating a rash of burglaries being committed by a brazen gang whose leader sends him menacing letters, Sicilian inspector Salvo Montalbano falls for one of the theft victims only to face greater challenges when one of the burglars is found dead. By the award-winning author of The Potter's Field.
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Forty acres: a thriller
by Dwayne Smith
Befriended by some of America's most successful and wealthy black men, a talented African-American lawyer working out of a Queens storefront accepts their invitation to a weekend getaway only to learn that they are part of a secret organisation that would promote white slavery.
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| The American mission by Matthew PalmerInspired by the author's years with the U.S. Foreign Service, this debut follows a State Department diplomat who loses his security clearance over a massacre in Darfur. But an opportunity in the Congo might turn things around for him -- at least until he discovers that shady Consolidated Mining wants to destroy part of the area in search of profits, and isn't going to let a tiny village stop them. "First-rate fiction," says Kirkus Reviews, thanks in part to author Matthew Palmer's firm grasp of Congolese issues and the intricacies of political diplomacy. Palmer's name may ring a bell; though The American Mission is his debut, both his brother Daniel and his late father Michael are well-known thriller writers. |
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Bestselling author Chelsea Cain has taken a break from writing about Detective Archie Sheridan and the beautiful serial killer who tortured him to launch a new series starring 21-year-old Kick Lannigan. Kick was kidnapped at age six and rescued after five years of depraved abuse; a self-sufficient if still damaged martial-arts expert, she's now dedicated to tracking down abducted children. Fast-paced and, like the Archie Sheridan novels, at times pretty gruesome and hard to read, this series starts with One Kick. No doubt the hold list is long; whet your appetite with the below assortment of kidnapping-themed reads.
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| A foreign country by Charles CummingWhen the newly appointed Chief of MI6 -- Amelia Levene, the first woman ever to take the post -- disappears just before taking office, disgraced former MI6 officer Thomas Kell is offered a chance to redeem his career by conducting a discreet operation to find her. He accepts, not expecting that in the course of his search he'll unearth a shocking conspiracy. Author Charles Cumming is known for a vast insider's knowledge of spycraft, well-crafted prose that's on the literary side, and engaging, intricate plots; A Foreign Country offers all of these plus lead characters who make realistic, if sometimes flawed, choices. |
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| The October list by Jeffery DeaverFans of the film Memento will enjoy this cleverly structured book, which begins with a bang -- and then works backward through the previous three days, forcing readers to constantly reevaluate what they think they know. The story opens with a woman whose daughter has been kidnapped; she's being held not only for a financial reward but also for the "October list," which contains contact information for some highly sensitive clients of an investment firm. But that brief précis doesn't do justice to the ingenious plot that anchors a breathtakingly suspenseful book offering "brilliant craftsmanship in a vastly entertaining package" (Publishers Weekly). You'll have to read it to believe it. |
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| What comes next by John KatzenbachRetired psychology professor Adrian Thomas is on his way home one day, planning his suicide (he's just been diagnosed with an extreme variation of dementia and is already hallucinating) when he witnesses a teen girl apparently being kidnapped. Less than impressed with official police efforts (who themselves don't feel he's the ideal witness), Adrian decides to track her down himself. If a hero whose body and mind are rapidly failing doesn't amp up the suspense, consider what we learn from the victim and her abductors: she's the latest victim of a sadistic couple who put their victims' slow torture and eventual death up for public display on the Internet -- and take guidance for "what comes next" from their equally twisted audience. |
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| The edge of normal: a novel by Carla NortonStill struggling to live a normal life after years of torture at the hands of a sadistic kidnapper, Reeve LeClaire (new name, new face, years of therapy) reluctantly agrees to help with the rehabilitation of another rescued abductee, a young girl named Tilly -- only to discover that Tilly's abductor is not only still at large but still pursuing her. Armed with knowledge that Tilly has shared only with her (and not with the police), Reeve begins to investigate the predator's identity. If tales of victimised women who survive to help those in similar situations are your cup of tea, you're in luck. You can also try Others of My Kind by James Sallis. |
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| The never list by Koethi ZanSarah Farber and her best friend Jennifer had always tried to stay safe, even composing lists of things never to do (never park farther than six spots from your destination, never help a stranger with a flat tire), but that didn't stop them from being abducted and held captive in a cellar for three years by a man who tortured and raped them and two other women. A decade later, Sarah has changed her name, but she's still terrified, agoraphobic, and isolated. Jennifer didn't survive. Squeamish readers will be put off by the descriptions of what happened in the basement, but Sarah's search for the truth behind Jennifer's disappearance is a gripping, intense experience that fans of Minette Walters' The Devil's Feather will enjoy. |
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Contact your librarian for more great books!
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