Monday, December 18, 2017

"Carrying the Gentleman's Secret"

New from Harlequin Historical: Carrying the Gentleman's Secret by Helen Dickson.

About the book, from the publisher:

Unmarried and pregnant!

Alex Golding had a duty to stop his brother-in-law’s bigamous marriage. But when he saw the bride, he offered whatever comfort he could to sweet young seamstress Lydia Brook…

Lydia has spent weeks trying to forget her brief encounter with Mr. Golding—she knows the rich widower can never love her. But when it’s Alex who offers her the investment to open her own shop, she can’t say no. This time their passion is as unexpected as its dramatic consequences…she’s expecting his baby!
Visit Helen Dickson's website.

--Marshal Zeringue

"The Bomb Maker"

New from The Mysterious Press: The Bomb Maker by Thomas Perry.

About the book, from the publisher:

A bomb is more than a weapon. A bomb is an expression of the bomber’s thoughts about you, his predictions of your behavior—a performance designed to fool you into making one fatally wrong move. In The Bomb Maker, Edgar Award-winning author Thomas Perry introduces us to the dark corners of a mind intent on transforming a simple machine into an act of murder—and to those committed to preventing that outcome at any cost.

A threat is called into the LAPD Bomb Squad, a team dispatched to a house whose owner is away, and a bomb disguised inside photography equipment explodes in the kitchen. But it is a second bomb hidden in the basement that has devastating consequences—half of the entire Bomb Squad is obliterated within seconds. The fragmented unit turns to Dick Stahl, a former Bomb Squad commander who now operates his own private security company. Stahl is reluctant to accept the offer, but senior technicians he had trained were among those killed. On his first day back as the head of the squad, Stahl’s team is dispatched to a suspected car bomb outside a gas station. It quickly becomes clear to him that they are dealing with the same mastermind behind the weapon that killed fourteen highly trained men and women barely twenty-four hours before—and that the intended target may be the Bomb Squad itself.

As the shadowy organization sponsoring this campaign of terror puts increasing pressure on the bomb maker, and Stahl becomes dangerously entangled with a member of his own team, the fuse on this high-stakes plot only burns faster. The Bomb Maker is Thomas Perry’s biggest, most unstoppable thriller yet.
Learn more about the book and author at Thomas Perry's website and Facebook page.

The Page 69 Test: Silence.

The Page 99 Test: Nightlife.

The Page 69/99 Test: Fidelity.

The Page 69/99 Test: Runner.

The Page 69 Test: Strip.

The Page 69 Test: The Informant.

The Page 69 Test: The Boyfriend.

The Page 69 Test: A String of Beads.

The Page 69 Test: Forty Thieves.

Writers Read: Thomas Perry (January 2017).

The Page 69 Test: The Old Man.

--Marshal Zeringue

Sunday, December 17, 2017

"The Wolves of Winter"

New from Scribner: The Wolves of Winter by Tyrell Johnson.

About the book, from the publisher:

A captivating tale of humanity pushed beyond its breaking point, of family and bonds of love forged when everything is lost, and of a heroic young woman who crosses a frozen landscape to find her destiny. This debut novel is written in a post-apocalyptic tradition that spans The Hunger Games and Station Eleven but blazes its own distinctive path.

Forget the old days. Forget summer. Forget warmth. Forget anything that doesn’t help you survive in the endless white wilderness beyond the edges of a fallen world.

Lynn McBride has learned much since society collapsed in the face of nuclear war and the relentless spread of disease. As the memories of her old life continue to haunt, she’s forced to forge ahead in the snow-drifted Canadian Yukon, learning how to hunt and trap and slaughter.

Shadows of the world before have found her tiny community—most prominently in the enigmatic figure of Jax, who brings with him dark secrets of the past and sets in motion a chain of events that will call Lynn to a role she never imagined.

Simultaneously a heartbreakingly sympathetic portrait of a young woman searching for the answer to who she is meant to be and a frightening vision of a merciless new world in which desperation rules, The Wolves of Winter is enveloping, propulsive, and poignant.
Visit Tyrell Johnson's website.

--Marshal Zeringue

"Transmedium"

New from the University of Chicago Press: Transmedium: Conceptualism 2.0 and the New Object Art by Garrett Stewart.

About the book, from the publisher:

If you attend a contemporary art exhibition today, you’re unlikely to see much traditional painting or sculpture. Indeed, artists today are preoccupied with what happens when you leave behind assumptions about particular media—such as painting, or woodcuts—and instead focus on collisions between them, and the new forms and ideas that those collisions generate.

Garrett Stewart in Transmedium dubs this new approach Conceptualism 2.0, an allusion in part to the computer images that are so often addressed by these works. A successor to 1960s Conceptualism, which posited that a material medium was unnecessary to the making of art, Conceptualism 2.0 features artworks that are transmedial, that place the aesthetic experience itself deliberately at the boundary between often incommensurable media. The result, Stewart shows, is art whose forced convergences break open new possibilities that are wholly surprising, intellectually enlightening, and often uncanny.
--Marshal Zeringue

"Black Star Renegades"

New from St. Martin's Press: Black Star Renegades by Michael Moreci.

About the book, from the publisher:

In the tradition of Star Wars, a galaxy-hopping space adventure about a galactic kingdom bent on control and the young misfit who must find the power within before it’s too late.

Cade Sura holds the future of the galaxy in his hands: the ultimate weapon that will bring total peace. He didn’t ask for it, he doesn’t want it, and there’s no worse choice to wield it in all of space, but if he doesn’t, everyone’s totally screwed. The evil Praxis kingdom is on the cusp of having every star system under its control, and if that happens, there’ll be no contesting their cruel reign. Especially if its fanatical overlord, Ga Halle, manages to capture Cade and snag the all-powerful weapon for herself.

Cade can’t hide from Praxis, and he can’t run from the destiny that’s been shoved into his hands. So he only has one option:

He has to fight.

Cade’s not going to let destiny send him on a suicide run, though. With some help from his friends—rebels and scoundrels alike—Cade’s going to use this weapon to chart a new destiny for the galaxy, and for himself.

He just has to do so before everyone around him discovers that he’s a complete and total fraud.

Blending the space operatics of Star Wars and the swagger of Guardians of the Galaxy, Black Star Renegades is a galaxy-hopping adventure that blasts its way from seedy spacer bars to sacred temples guarded by deadly creatures—all with a cast of misfit characters who have nowhere to go and nothing to lose.
Visit Michael Moreci's website.

--Marshal Zeringue

Saturday, December 16, 2017

"You'll Miss Me When I'm Gone"

New from Simon Pulse: You'll Miss Me When I'm Gone by Rachel Lynn Solomon.

About the book, from the publisher:

A moving, lyrical debut novel about twins who navigate first love, their Jewish identity, and opposite results from a genetic test that determines their fate—whether they inherited their mother’s Huntington’s disease.

Eighteen-year-old twins Adina and Tovah have little in common besides their ambitious nature. Viola prodigy Adina yearns to become a soloist—and to convince her music teacher he wants her the way she wants him. Overachiever Tovah awaits her acceptance to Johns Hopkins, the first step on her path toward med school and a career as a surgeon.

But one thing could wreck their carefully planned futures: a genetic test for Huntington’s, a rare degenerative disease that slowly steals control of the body and mind. It’s turned their Israeli mother into a near stranger and fractured the sisters’ own bond in ways they’ll never admit. While Tovah finds comfort in their Jewish religion, Adina rebels against its rules.

When the results come in, one twin tests negative for Huntington’s, and the other tests positive.

These opposite outcomes push them farther apart as they wrestle with guilt, betrayal, and the unexpected thrill of first love. How can they repair their relationship, and is it even worth saving?
Visit Rachel Lynn Solomon's website.

--Marshal Zeringue

"Firefly Cove"

New from Kensington Books: Firefly Cove by Davis Bunn.

About the book, from the publisher:

From the internationally bestselling author of Miramar Bay comes a deeply emotional novel that explores the challenges of living, the joys of loving, and the bittersweet act of letting go...

I have this, Lucius thought to himself. I have today.

Since the age of seven, Lucius Quarterfield has known he is dying. Doctors told him he had a “bad ticker” and might not live to see his next birthday. But somehow, the frail yet determined boy managed to hang on and surprise everyone. The bullies who teased him. The family who neglected him. The professionals who offered little hope for a normal life. To their surprise, Lucius not only survived to adulthood, he thrived, turning a small car dealership into a successful chain. But now, at twenty-eight, his time is finally running out. So he’s returning to the one place he ever felt happy, near the only woman he ever truly wanted—the California seaside town of Miramar Bay…

Was it so much to ask, a healthy tomorrow shared with a woman he loved?

Jessica was the only daughter of the only dentist in town. An ardent reader and fan of Jane Austen, she was able to follow in her father’s footsteps, as he desired. But Jessica preferred the simple things in life—a trait that captivated Lucius from the moment he arrived in town on business. Her carefree approach to living and playful, quick wit were a breath of fresh air to a man who devoted all his time to work. They were complete opposites and perfect complements. Soon they were falling head over heels—until Lucius pulled away, to spare her the pain of his inevitable fate. Now, after all this time, he won’t put her through that again. His days are numbered. And whatever happens—with Jessica or anyone sharing his journey—he’s going to make each moment count. Because he knows that everything is about to change . . . he just can’t know exactly how.

Warm-hearted, wise, and wonderfully moving, Firefly Cove is a powerful novel of first love and second chances that will live in readers’ hearts for years to come.
Visit Davis Bunn's website.

--Marshal Zeringue

"The Case of The Unsuitable Suitor"

New from Severn House: The Case of The Unsuitable Suitor by Cathy Ace.

About the book, from the publisher:

The Women of the WISE Enquiries Agency are back.

When the village's prodigal son, Huw Hughes, returns and sets his cap at Annie Parker, Annie's colleagues at the WISE Enquiries Agency make it their business to unearth the truth as to why Huw has been widowed three times. Is Annie in danger?
Visit Cathy Ace's website, Facebook page, and Twitter perch.

--Marshal Zeringue

Friday, December 15, 2017

"The Highland Guardian"

New from Grand Central Publishing: The Highland Guardian by Amy Jarecki.

About the book, from the publisher:

He has sworn to protect her…

Captain Reid MacKenzie, Earl of Seaforth, is a man of his word. During a harrowing battle at sea, the heroic Highlander makes a vow to a dying friend to watch over the man’s daughter. His plan: send the child to boarding school as quickly as possible so he can continue his mission. But Reid’s new ward is no wee lass. She’s a ravishing, fully grown woman, and it’s all he can do to remember his duty and not seduce her himself.

But he might be her greatest threat…

Miss Audrey Kennet is stunned by the news. First this kilted brute tells Audrey her father is dead, and next he insists she marry. But as Reid scours England for the most suitable husband, Audrey soon realizes the brave, brawny Scot is the only man she wants–though loving him means risking her lands, her freedom, and even her life.
Visit Amy Jarecki's website.

--Marshal Zeringue

"Walk in the Fire"

Coming in January from Polis Books: Walk in the Fire by Steph Post.

About the book, from the publisher:

Life hasn’t gotten any easier for Judah Cannon. He may have survived the fiery showdown between his father, the tyrannical Pentecostal preacher Sister Tulah, and the Scorpions outlaw motorcycle club, but now Judah and Ramey, the love of his life turned partner in crime, are facing new and more dangerous adversaries. It will take all of their cunning and courage, their faith in one another and some unexpected help to give them even a shot of making it out alive.

In attempting to extricate the Cannon family from the crime ring they are known and feared for, Judah finds himself in the sights of Everett Weaver, a cold blooded killer and drug runner in Daytona Beach who shouldn’t be underestimated and doesn’t take no for an answer. Threatened by Weaver, saddled with guilt from his recovering, but now pill-popping, younger brother Benji and pressured to use his head and do the right thing by Ramey, Judah quickly arrives at a breaking point and things soon begin to go south.

Meanwhile, Special Agent Clive Grant, who has been unwillingly sent down from ATF headquarters in Atlanta, arrives in town to investigate the fire at Sister Tulah’s church. Clive, looking to prove himself, becomes obsessed with Tulah and her iron grip on Bradford County and is determined to take her down. His search leads him to Judah’s door and soon the Cannons are caught up in an increasingly tangled web of violence, lies and retribution spanning both sides of the law. Backed into a corner, but desperate to protect his family, Judah finds himself walking a dangerous path that might cost him everything or might win him it all, if only he can walk through the fire and come out on the other side.
Visit Steph Post's website.

Writers Read: Steph Post (April 2017).

My Book, The Movie: Lightwood.

The Page 69 Test: Lightwood.

--Marshal Zeringue