You know, sometimes when I write these release posts and see all the new books in series that I've started and not progressed with, I wish for more hours in the day. It doesn't bother me that I have a wish list that can reach to the moon and back again. No, what would bother me is not having that wish list at all. I already know that I'll never be able to read all the books that I want to read in my lifetime-- but the thought of having nothing to read scares the puddin' outta me. Probably why I have books on my to-be-read shelves that number in the hundreds. If they were in the double or even-- gulp-- single digits, I would be very twitchy indeed!
There are a couple more titles than usual in this month's post; I just couldn't narrow the list any further. As usual, I have them grouped by their release dates, and I have all the information you'll need to find them at all your favorite book spots. Happy Summer Reading!
=== June 1 ===
Title: The Square of Revenge
Author: Pieter Aspe (the "Flemish Georges Simenon")
Series: Inspector Van In, set in Belgium. This is the first book to be translated into English.
ISBN: 9781605984469
Publisher: Pegasus
Hardcover, 336 pages
Synopsis: "The beautiful medieval architecture of Bruges belies the dark longings
of her residents. When the wealthy and powerful Ludovic Degroof’s
jewelry store is broken into, nothing is stolen, but the jewels have
been dissolved in jars if aqua regia, an acid so strong it can even melt
gold. In the empty safe is a scrap of paper on which a strange square
has been drawn. At first, Inspector Van In pays little attention to the
paper, focusing on the bizarre nature of the burglary. But when
Degroof’s offspring also receive letters with this same square, Van In
and the beautiful new DA Hannelore Martens find themselves unraveling a
complex web of enigmatic Latin phrase and a baroness’ fallen family and
Degroof’s relationship with a hostage grandchild, ransomed for a
priceless collection of art."
=== June 4 ===
Title: Angel City
Series: #2 in the Angelus Trilogy set in various locations
ISBN: 9780399158759
Publisher: Blue Rider Press
Hardcover, 528 pages
Synopsis: "It’s been almost three years since we left Detective Jay Harper and
high-priced escort Katherine Taylor on the esplanade of Lausanne
Cathedral, bruised and battered from a biblical showdown with the
Nephilim. Katherine has retreated to small-town life in the woods of
Washington State with her son, Max—and a close protection detail of
heavily-armed, elite members of the Swiss Guard. Harper is living in
Paris, haunted by voices in his head and bone-tired after what turns out
to be two and a half million years on Earth.
Though Katherine
and Harper have been prevented from remembering each other , baby Max
has unwittingly stirred the interest of vengeful spirits—and only a
worldwide (and cosmic) effort to save his life will bring Harper and
Katherine together again. Meanwhile, from the shadows steps a
defrocked priest named Astruc, whose face looks as if it has been clawed
by some terrible beast and who hides his eyes behind blue lenses. He
and his brilliant young ward, Goose, have discovered something
unfathomable in the Catacombs under Paris, something that will confirm
that “the time of the prophecy” is at hand. . . .
Electrifying from its explosive first scene to its unexpected and shocking conclusion, Angel City reunites the unforgettable characters from The Watchers to reveal more of the earthly—and otherworldy—mysteries of the Angelus trilogy."
Title: Lost
Series: #3 Lacey Flint, set in London, England
ISBN: 9781250028563
Publisher: Minotaur Books
Hardcover, 400 pages
*Upcoming review on Kittling: Books
Synopsis: "Like everyone reading the newspapers these days, 10-year-old Barney
Roberts knows the killer will strike again soon. The victim will be
another boy, just like him. The body will be drained of blood, and left
somewhere on a Thames beach. There will be no clues for London
detectives Dana Tulloch and Mark Joesbury to find. There will be no
warning about who will be next. There will be no real reason for
Barney’s friend and neighbor, Lacey Flint, on leave from her job as a
London police detective, to become involved…and no chance that she can
stay away. With the clock ticking, the violence escalating, and young
lives at stake, Lacey and Barney both know they can’t afford a single
wrong step if they hope to make it through alive.
S.J. Bolton, an
award-winning author of five novels, delivers her most compelling novel
to date, in which a fragile police detective and a courageous, lonely
eleven-year-old boy must work together to unmask a killer. Lost provides
all of the pulse-pounding suspense, beautifully drawn characters, and
intricate plotting thriller fans could hope for—and more.
Please note, this title is published in the UK as Like This For Ever."
Title: Capacity for Murder
Series: #3 Professor Bradshaw mystery set in turn-of-the-twentieth-century Seattle, Washington
ISBN: 9781464201288
Publisher: Poisoned Pen Press
Paperback, 250 pages
*Upcoming review on Kittling: Books
Synopsis: "Healing Sands Sanitarium, southwest of Seattle, Washington, sits
on the sandy doorstep of the Pacific Ocean. Famed for its restorative
rest-cure, fermented diets, and Dr. Hornsby's electrotherapeutics, no
one has ever died at Healing Sands. Until now. When Professor Bradshaw
is summoned to investigate, he knows this was no accident, but his only
clue to foul play is as insubstantial as smoke--to anyone other than an
electrical engineer. In this isolated location, suspects are limited to a
handful whose lives--and lies--must be exhumed and examined. A sinister
tale emerges as deep undercurrents turn personal, provoking Bradshaw to
make a decision about the woman he loves. And then an everyday object
provides the key, alerting Bradshaw that one among them is a walking
dead man, and another possesses the capacity for murder."
Title: A Serpent's Tooth
Series: #9 Sheriff Walt Longmire mystery set in Wyoming
ISBN: 9780670026456
Publisher: Viking
Hardcover, 352 pages
*Upcoming review on Kittling: Books
Synopsis: "
The success of Craig Johnson’s Walt Longmire series that began with The Cold Dish
continues to grow after A&E’s hit show Longmire
introduced new fans to the Wyoming sheriff. As the Crow Flies
marked the series’ highest debut on the New York Times bestseller list. Now, in his ninth Western mystery, Longmire stares down his most dangerous foes yet.
It’s homecoming in Absaroka County, but the football and festivities
are interrupted when a homeless boy wanders into town. A Mormon “lost
boy,” Cord Lynear is searching for his missing mother but clues are
scarce. Longmire and his companions, feisty deputy Victoria Moretti and
longtime friend Henry Standing Bear, embark on a high plains scavenger
hunt in hopes of reuniting mother and son. The trail leads them to an
interstate polygamy group that’s presiding over a stockpile of weapons
and harboring a vicious vendetta."
Title:
Thread and Buried
Author:
Janet Bolin
Series: #3 in the Threadville mysteries set in Pennsylvania
ISBN: 9780425252185
Publisher: Berkley Prime Crime
Mass Market Paperback, 320 pages
Synopsis: "
Every town has a legend. For Threadville, it’s the story of Snoozy
Gallagher, the hotel owner who disappeared thirty years ago with a bag
full of stolen jewelry, never to be heard from again. That is, until
now—when Snoozy’s loot is discovered buried behind Willow Vanderling’s
embroidery shop In Stitches.
When villagers mysteriously
become ill, and a body shrouded in materials from Threadville shops
appears in the exact spot where the treasure was—along with two
abandoned kittens—Willow needs answers. The random events are too
coincidental to be unrelated, but Willow will have to act quickly to
unravel the deadly mystery, or she might get tangled up as the killer’s
next victim…"
Title:
Looming Murder
Author: Carol Ann Martin
Series: #1 in the Weaving mystery series, set in the Blue Ridge Mountains
ISBN: 9780451413604
Publisher: Signet
Mass Market Paperback, 336 pages
Synopsis: "
Della Wright has come to peaceful and picturesque Briar Hollow, at
the foot of the Blue Ridge Mountains, to realize her lifelong dream of
owning a weaving studio. To promote her new business, Dream Weavers,
Della is offering weaving workshops for all levels of ability. In her
first class, she meets half a dozen of the town’s colorful characters,
who seem as eager to gossip as to learn how to work a loom.
But
when a shady local businessman is found murdered, Briar Hollow suddenly
appears a lot less idyllic. And when one of her weaving students is
suspected of the crime, Della can’t help getting entangled in the
investigation—with some help from her criminologist friend, Matthew. But
can she weave together clues as well as she weaves together yarn—and
stop a killer from striking again?"
Title: The Doll
Series: #4 in the Vanessa Michael Munroe series, set in Texas
ISBN: 9780307888785
Publisher: Crown
Hardcover, 352 pages
Synopsis: "Haunted by a life of violence and as proficient with languages as she is
with knives, Vanessa Michael Munroe, chameleon and hunter, has built
her life on a reputation for getting things done—dangerous and often
not-quite-legal things. Born to missionary parents in lawless Africa,
taken under the tutelage of gunrunners, and tortured by one of the
jungle’s most brutal men, Munroe was forced to do whatever it took to
stay alive.
The ability to survive, fight, adapt, and blend has
since taken her across the globe on behalf of corporations, heads of
state, and the few private clients who can afford her unique brand of
expertise, and these abilities have made her enemies.
On a busy
Dallas street, Munroe is kidnapped by an unseen opponent and thrust into
an underground world where women and girls are merchandise and a
shadowy figure known as The Doll Maker controls her every move. While
trusted friends race to unravel where she is and why she was taken,
everything pivots on one simple choice: Munroe must use her unique set
of skills to deliver a high-profile young woman into the same nightmare
that she once endured, or condemn to torture and certain death the one
person she loves above all else.
Driven by the violence that has
made her what she is, cut off from help, and with attempts to escape
predicted and prevented, Munroe will hunt for openings, for solutions,
and a way to strike back at a man who holds all the cards. Because only
one thing is certain: she cannot save everyone.
In this
high-octane thriller for fans of Lee Child, Stieg Larsson, and Robert
Ludlum's Bourne trilogy, Vanessa Michael Munroe will have to fight fast,
smart and furiously to overcome a dangerous nemesis and deliver her
trademark brand of justice."
=== June 13 ===
Title: Circle of Shadows
Series: #4 in the Westerman and Crowther series set in 18th century Germany
ISBN: 9780670026289
Publisher: Pamela Dorman Books
Hardcover, 384 pages
Synopsis: "The forthright Mrs. Harriet Westerman and her reclusive companion,
anatomist Gabriel Crowther, tackle their first case outside of England
in the fourth installment of Imogen Robertson’s heralded historical
suspense series.
As Germany’s elite are celebrating Shrove
Tuesday of 1784 with a masked ball, the beautiful Lady Martesen is
murdered. Daniel Clode, brother-in-law to Mrs. Westerman, is found near
the body. All evidence points to him as the killer. As Daniel awaits
execution, Westerman and Crowther arrive and quickly encounter a court
full of opulence, intrigue, and deadly secrets—but no one who will talk.
With Anne Perry’s eye for period detail and Tess Gerritsen’s forensics
knowledge, Robertson is emerging as a major author of highbrow suspense."
=== June 15 ===
Title: Shadows in the Cotswolds
Series: #10 in the Thea Osborne series set in England
ISBN: 9780749011239
Publisher: Allison and Busby
Hardcover, 288 pages
Synopsis: "When Thea Osborne agrees at the last minute to house-sit for Oliver
Meadows as a favor to her mother, she expects a few days of peace with
her spaniel, Hepzie. Uncomfortable with the news of her mother’s sudden
involvement with an old flame, and Thea herself unsure of how to deal
with her feelings for Drew Slocombe, she hopes that some time alone in
the historic town of Winchcombe will help to clear her head. But, as
usual, Thea quickly finds herself at the center of a dark mystery when
she discovers a dead body in the gardens of the house.
In the
latest installment to the popular Cotswolds series by Rebecca Tope, Thea
must work quickly to unravel the secrets which are being kept by Oliver
Meadows and his brother, Fraser, and discover exactly what lies beneath
the surface of their turbulent relationship. And amidst the chaos
caused by the investigation, will Thea find time to decide how she
should deal with her own problems too?"
=== June 18 ===
Title: Swimming with Sharks
Standalone
ISBN: 9781611099256
Publisher: AmazonCrossing
Paperback, 564 pages
Synopsis: "Ambitious, brilliant, and beautiful, Alex Sondheim is the undisputed
star of Wall Street—and she knows it. So it comes as no surprise when
Levy Manhattan Investments taps her to take their prestigious firm to
the next level. She can name her price, but can she live up to their
expectations?
Because behind the glittering facade of luxury
offices, five-star dinners, and million-dollar investments hides the
firm’s true power player: a deadly criminal cartel. Caught up in a
steamy relationship with handsome real-estate mogul Sergio Vitali, Alex
is blind to the danger—until an assassination attempt against the city’s
crusading mayor claims the lives of three innocent people. To protect
the city’s people and save herself, she’ll have to put everything on the
line: her job, her reputation…and her life."
Title:
Death of a Dyer
Author:
Eleanor Kuhns
Series: #2 in the Will Rees series set in 18th century Maine
ISBN: 9781250033963
Publisher: Minotaur Books
Hardcover, 352 pages
Synopsis: "
Will Rees feels at home. It’s been a long time since he last felt this
way—not since before his wife died years ago and he took to the road as a
traveling weaver. Now, in 1796, Rees is back on his Maine farm, living
with his teenaged son, David, and his housekeeper, Lydia—whose presence
contributes more towards his happiness than he’s ready to admit. But his
domestic bliss is shattered the morning a visitor brings news of an old
friend’s murder.
Nate Bowditch and Rees hadn't spoken in many
long years, but as children they were closer than brothers, and Rees
feels his loss acutely. Asked to look into the circumstances surrounding
Nate’s death, Rees simply can’t refuse. At the Bowditch farmstead, Rees
quickly discovers that everyone—from Nate’s frosty wife to his missing
son to the shy serving girl—is hiding something. But are any of them
actually capable of murder? Or does the answer lie elsewhere, behind
stones no one even knew needed unturning?"
Title:
Hour of the Rat
Author:
Lisa Brackmann
Series: #2 in the Ellie Cooper series set in China
ISBN: 9781616952341
Publisher: Soho Crime
Hardcover, 371 pages
Synopsis: "
Iraq War vet Ellie McEnroe has a pretty good life in Beijing,
representing the work of controversial dissident Chinese artist Zhang
Jianli. Even though Zhang’s mysterious disappearance of over a year ago
has her in the sights of the Chinese authorities. Even though her
Born-Again mother has come for a visit and shows no signs of leaving.
But when her mom takes up with “that nice Mr. Zhou next door,” Ellie
decides that it’s time to get out of town—given her mother’s past bad
choices of men, no good can come of this.
An old Army buddy, Dog
Turner, gives her the perfect excuse. His unstable brother Jason has
disappeared in picturesque Yangshuo, a famous tourist destination, and
though Ellie knows it’s a long shot, she agrees to try to find him. At
worst, she figures she’ll have a few days of fun in some gorgeous
scenery.
But her plans for a relaxing vacation are immediately
complicated when her mother and the new boyfriend tag along. And as soon
as she starts asking questions about the missing Jason, Ellie realizes
that she’s stumbled into a dangerous conspiracy that may or may not
involve a sinister biotech company, eco-terrorists, an art-obsessed
Chinese billionaire and lots of cats—one that will take her on a wild
chase through some of China’s most beautiful—and most surreal—places."
=== June 20 ===
Title: Her Last Breath
Series: #5 in the Kate Burkholder series set in Ohio
ISBN: 9780312658571
Publisher: Minotaur Books
Hardcover, 320 pages
*Upcoming review on Kittling: Books
Synopsis: "What at first seems like a tragic, but routine car accident suddenly
takes on a more sinister cast as evidence emerges that nothing about the
crash is accidental. But who would want to kill an Amish deacon and
two of his children? He leaves behind a grieving widow and a young boy
who clings to life in the intensive care wing of a hospital, unable to
communicate. He may be the only one who knows what happened that
night. Desperate to find out who killed her best friend’s husband and
why, Kate begins to suspect she is not looking for a reckless drunk, but
instead is on the trail of a cold blooded killer amid the residents of
Painter’s Mill. It is a search that takes her on a chilling journey
into the darkest reaches of the human heart and makes her question
everything she has ever believed about the Amish culture into which she
was born."
=== June 25 ===
Title: The Raven's Gift
Standalone Thriller
ISBN: 9780143187493
Publisher: Pintail
Paperback, 288 pages
*Upcoming review on Kittling: Books
Synopsis: "
John Morgan and his wife can barely contain their excitement upon
arriving as the new teachers in a Yup'ik Eskimo village on the windswept
Alaskan tundra. But their move proves disastrous when a deadly epidemic
strikes and the isolated community descends into total chaos. When
outside aid fails to arrive, John’s only hope lies in escaping the
snow-covered tundra and the hunger of the other survivors—he must make
the thousand-mile trek across the Alaskan wilderness for help. He
encounters a blind Eskimo girl and an elderly woman who need his
protection, and he needs their knowledge of the terrain to survive. The
harsh journey pushes him beyond his limits as he discovers a new sense
of hope and the possibility of loving again."
Good crop of new books, eh? Which titles tickled your fancy? Do tell!
