Several well-regarded authors at the top of the BQ curiosity list have books coming out before year-end. Here are a few of the highly anticipated novels to add to your watch list:

• Thirteen Moons by Charles Frazier. The beneficiary of a bidding war among publishers for the follow-up to his debut novel, Cold Mountain, Frazier has finally turned in a completed manuscript to Random House. His latest tells the story of a white man who fights to preserve the homeland of the Cherokee Indians. Due out in October.

• A Spot of Bother by Mark Haddon. The author of The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time returns with a novel about a man whose attempts to age quietly are spoiled by his zany family. September.

• Under Orders by Dick Francis. Though he said he would never write another book after his wife died in 2000, Francis is back in the saddle with his 39th novel. September.

• Rise and Shine by Anna Quindlen. In a late addition to the fall Random House offerings, Quindlen shares the story of two sisters and the meaning of success. August 22.

• The Ruins by Scott Smith. Smith's first novel since the 1993 bestseller A Simple Plan takes readers on a chilling journey with college grads vacationing in Mexico. July 20.

THE SANDS OF TIME

Dear Burning Questions,
What is John Jakes currently working on? Is there any chance of resurrecting the Kent Family Chronicles with a new volume?

Ron Kletchka
Wichita, Kansas

Fans of John Jakes' gripping historical novels (which include the Kent Family Chronicles and the North and South trilogy) will doubtless be counting the days until November 7, when The Gods of Newport (Dutton) goes on sale. Though Jakes is best known for writing about the South, the new novel is set in Newport, Rhode Island, during the 1890s, where scandal swirls around a nouveau riche robber baron who is determined to win social standing—and a respectable husband—for his daughter.

As for your question about the Kent Family Chronicles, Jakes himself has an answer for you: "The prospect is intriguing, but so are a lot of other new projects. It's true that a lot of readers ask for more Kent Family novels, but an equal number would like to see the story of the Crowns from Homeland and American Dreams continue. We'll just have to wait and see."

FURUTANI IN FUTURE

Dear Burning Questions,
Whatever happened to Dale Furutani?

Karen Oshiro
Valrico, Florida

Since Dale Furutani concluded his Samurai mystery trilogy in 2000 with Kill the Shogun (Morrow), many foreign translations of his books, which also include the two Ken Tanaka detective novels, have been published. But for those who read him in English there has only been one short story, published in the 2002 mystery collection Murder on Sunset Boulevard (Top Publications).

The Macavity and Anthony award-winning author explains his absence to BQ: "For most of the last five years I've been living in Japan, doing a lot of research and traveling, but very little writing." Furutani and his wife are back in the U.S. and recently built a house in Seattle. "Now that we're settling in one place for a while," he says, "I am working on two new books, one set in 1550 Japan and one set in modern Los Angeles." He stresses that the latter will not be a Tanaka book, "It's a thriller, not a mystery."

WHAT'S COOKING

Dear Burning Questions,
Nobody's heard a peep from Dennis Lehane since the publication of Shutter Island in 2003. Any idea what's in the works, and if his next novel will be a return to the Kenzie-Gennaro series?

Randy Raab
East Hanover, New Jersey

BQ is happy to report that we got more than a peep from the acclaimed mystery writer, whose novel Mystic River became an Oscar-winning film in 2004. Here's what he had to say about his absence from the mystery scene:

"It has been a while, hasn't it? Rest assured, however, that I can now proudly say that I'm pretty much unbeatable at Madden Football on PS2. I also took a cooking class (got an F+) and finally taught my dog Marlon to roll over. So, hey, progress and spiritual growth. All good. In addition, I have a collection of five short stories and a play coming out in August. It's entitled Coronado. And I've spent the better part of three years working on a novel about the Boston Police Strike of 1919 that will be the first book in a trilogy. Or quartet. Or decalogue. (There are still some minor details to work out.) So, no, the new novel won't be a Kenzie-Gennaro installment. They're still ducking my calls, the ingrates. All goofing around aside, my sincere thanks for the interest and my apologies for the wait. Hopefully it'll be worth it."

WINNER'S CIRCLE

Congratulations to the winners of our Dee Henderson contest, sponsored by Tyndale House Publishers. Grand Prize winner Sue Heilman of Stoughton, Wisconsin, received a signed complete Dee Henderson library. Second Prize winner Danette Wood of Baltimore, Maryland, won signed copies from four top Tyndale Fiction authors.

And these runners-up received a Tyndale Fiction book bag and a Dee Henderson bookmark: Martha Ulman, Somerset, NJ; Melissa Taylor, Holland, MI; Clydia DeFreesa, Ruston, LA; Lenora Lanning, Cedar Springs, MI; Debbie De Louise, Hicksville, NY; Art Mock, Millwood, VA; Anne Vantran, East Taunton, MA; Chanel H. Cordell, Blairsville, GA; Teresa Newton, Lawrenceburg, TN; Angie Stewart, Topeka, KS.

And the winner of our BQ Reader's Reward for the April BQ for You question is: Brewer Staub Jr. of Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania.