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FictionMystery

Cases for literature lovers

Feature by Amy Scribner

A pair of hair-raising whodunits aimed at bibliophiles are worthy of a top place on your summertime reading list.

Magpie Murders by screenwriter and bestselling author Anthony Horowitz (Moriarty) is a wickedly clever Agatha Christie-style novel within a novel. As editor Susan Ryeland reads through the manuscript for the ninth novel from her publishing house’s bestselling author, Alan Conway, she finds that his Magpie Murders is a crisp murder mystery set in the bucolic English village of Saxby-on-Avon, a town filled with Georgian stone homes and terraces, where you “didn’t need to read Jane Austen. If you stepped outside, you would find yourself actually in her world.”

In Conway’s story, local cleaning lady Mary Elizabeth Blakiston and the wealthy man she works for, Sir Magnus Pye, have both been killed inside Pye Hall. There is no shortage of suspects: Could it have been Pye’s sister who was cut out of the family fortune? The vicar who stands to lose his lovely view when Pye sells off his land for the construction of a cookie-cutter housing development? The son of the cleaning lady who was heard shouting at his mother just before her death? Conway’s brilliant London detective, Atticus Pünd, comes to the secretive town of Saxby-on-Avon for what might be his last investigation.

But the final chapters of the Magpie Murders manuscript are missing, and Conway is now out of the picture in a very unexpected way. Susan comes to suspect that the fictional manuscript holds a darker, real-life story. As life imitates art, Susan becomes a detective of sorts as she begins to interview Conway’s associates in order to piece together what really happened to him and discover where those lost chapters are hidden. Magpie Murders is brilliantly constructed, a thoroughly satisfying read that left me dazzled.

In Midnight at the Bright Ideas Bookstore, first-time author Matthew Sullivan creates a vivid world inside Denver’s Bright Ideas Bookstore, where 30-year-old Lydia Smith works and nurtures the store’s “BookFrogs,” damaged men who spend their days wandering the cozy aisles.

When one of the youngest BookFrogs, Joey Molina, hangs himself inside the store, it is Lydia who finds him. Joey leaves Lydia a set of books that contain coded messages within their pages. The discovery cracks open a long-held secret from her youth—the fact that she famously survived a brutal triple-murder while at a sleepover—and Lydia begins to unravel a horrifying connection between Joey and her traumatic past.

Sullivan, a former bookseller himself, weaves an intense, unsettling story. Joey is an enigmatic character, “haunted but harmless—a dust bunny blowing through the corners of the store.” And the flashbacks to that fateful night from Lydia’s childhood, narrated by her father, literally had me reminding myself to breathe.

Twisty and dark, Midnight at the Bright Ideas Bookstore is a remarkable debut novel that will leave readers unsettled and probably yearning to pay a visit to their local bookstore.

 

This article was originally published in the July 2017 issue of BookPage. Download the entire issue for the Kindle or Nook.

A pair of hair-raising whodunits aimed at bibliophiles are worthy of a top place on your summertime reading list.

NonfictionFood & Drink

A taste of summer

Feature by Julie Hale

There’s no better way to spend a lazy July afternoon than dipping into the pages of a good book. The lighthearted titles below are just right for poolside perusal.

Nothing says summer like a simple, classic ice-cream cone. Author Amy Ettinger salutes the timeless treat in Sweet Spot: An Ice Cream Binge Across America, a breezy, appealing book that tracks the history and development of the frozen favorite. A self-described “ice cream snob” ever in pursuit of “the perfect scoop,” Ettinger explores the culinary advancements that have affected the creamy concoction over the years and shares personal anecdotes about her lifelong love affair with the sweet stuff.

As she travels across the country investigating ice cream’s allure, Ettinger attends classes at Pennsylvania State University’s prestigious ice-cream making school, which is equipped with its very own creamery, and chats with ice-cream icon Jerry Greenfield of Ben & Jerry’s fame. Along the way, she serves up plenty of tasty trivia (back in 1790, George Washington spent $200 on ice cream; in today’s economy, that’s around $3,000) and shares the backstories of famous brands like Carvel, Breyers and Good Humor. Ettinger also includes recipes—Arnie’s Ballpark Chocolate is a standout—but you don’t have to be a foodie to savor her tribute to a summer staple. “Ice cream,” Ettinger says, has “the ability to add the words So what? to life’s dire circumstances.” Her travelogue is a scoop of fun for everyone.

LAUGHS FOR THE LADIES
We have good news for the legion of readers who love mother-daughter co-authors Lisa Scottoline and Francesca Serritella: The eighth book from the bestselling team comes out this month. The delightfully companionable essay collection I Need a Lifeguard Everywhere but the Pool offers more of the invaluable life perspectives—and big laughs—that fans anticipate from this terrific twosome.

In brief, razor-sharp pieces, mother and daughter provide insights from different stages in the female experience. Their essays brim with we’ve-all-been-there moments. Serritella, a 30-something Manhattanite who’s on “guyatus”—that’s a hiatus from guys—writes candidly about the realities of life in the city and the process of owning her independence. “Being single is a status,” she says, “it’s not an urgent problem in need of remediation.” Scottoline, who lives on a farm in Pennsylvania, reflects on her iPhone obsession, Twitter dependency and the surreal experience of purchasing diapers for her incontinent dog. Her can-do attitude is a true spirit-booster, and she entreats women to stand on their own two feet and stop waiting for a lifeguard to save the day. “Who better to trust with your life than you?” she writes. “Who’s more reliable than a woman?” Indeed, when it comes to feel-good and uproarious storytelling, this duo always delivers.

 

This article was originally published in the July 2017 issue of BookPage. Download the entire issue for the Kindle or Nook.

There’s no better way to spend a lazy July afternoon than dipping into the pages of a good book. The lighthearted titles below are just right for poolside perusal.

Fiction

Family secrets turn deadly

Feature by Annie Metcalf

This summer, two domestic thrillers provide a dark take on the secrets families keep from one another and the emotional damage wrought when those secrets emerge during times of crisis. 

WIFE, MOTHER, STRANGER
In Watch Me Disappear, when Billie Flanagan goes missing, her husband, Jonathan, and teenage daughter, Olive, are devastated. One year later, money is tight—Jonathan has quit his tech journalism gig to write a memoir, and the bills for Olive’s private school are mounting—and Billie's life insurance money hasn’t come through. Just when Jonathan is completing the steps necessary for Billie to be declared legally dead, Olive begins having visions. She sees her mother, asking to be found, and becomes convinced that Billie is alive.

As Olive earnestly searches places similar to those in her visions, and Jonathan reluctantly revisits Billie’s belongings and computer files, incongruities emerge. Did she or did she not see her estranged parents after running away at 17? What exactly happened during Billie's years in Oregon with her ex? And if she wasn’t hiking with her trainer those weekends away, where was she? The more Jonathan uncovers, the harder it is to keep the anger and hurt out of his memoir. Because if Billie isn’t dead, then why isn’t she with her family?

Brown’s third novel is a slow-burning family drama that hinges on the well-worn question of how one can ever claim to truly know another person. The sequence of new information Jonathan and Olive discover is meant to be surprising, but once Billie’s character is firmly established in the prologue, all the twists are fairly predictable, and certainly not shocking. The strongest aspect of the novel is the relationship between Jonathan and Olive, a timid father-daughter bond that Brown captures with depth, nuance and tenderness. How Jonathan and Olive react to the destruction of their family narrative is the true crux of this novel.

RIPPLES FROM A SINGLE MOMENT
If Watch Me Disappear slowly peeled back layers of a family lie, Robyn Harding’s The Party delivers the nonstop, nail-biting tension of watching multiple characters lie and self-sabotage. Hannah Sanders is desperate for her 16th birthday party to impress Lauren and Ronnie, two popular girls who have recently absorbed Hannah into their orbit. With her parents, uptight Kim and penned-in Jeff, at odds over a past indiscretion, it’s easy for Hannah to sneak alcohol into the basement. Her party guests sneak in more booze, drugs and boys, but the festivities come to a bloody halt when Ronnie is badly injured. When the injury leads to permanent disfigurement, adults and teens alike reveal their ugly side.

In the chaotic aftermath, everyone involved makes decisions that turn a bad situation worse. Kim, obsessed with her social standing as a responsible mother, is so desperate to prove that the accident wasn’t due to neglectful parenting that she loses her capacity for empathy and spirals out of control. Jeff, chafing at the restrictions in his marriage (brought on by his own mistakes), becomes entangled in a spectacularly ill-advised emotional affair. Ronnie’s mother Lisa, devastated at her daughter’s distress, is out for revenge—and a lot of money—in a nasty lawsuit against the Sanders. And amidst the adult acrimony, the teenagers are playing out their own cruel drama to its bleak conclusion.

When their cherished beliefs are exposed as total falsehoods or naïve misunderstandings, the families in these novels are rocked to their core. Neither The Party nor Watch Me Disappear feature a true thriller moment such as a missing fact or shocking twist, but they are subtly thrilling in their adherence to the idea that human nature is darker, crueler, and stranger than we want to believe.

It’s Private Eye July at BookPage! All month long, we’re celebrating the sinister side of fiction with the year’s best mysteries and thrillers. Look for the Private Eye July magnifying glass for a daily dose of murder, espionage and all those creepy neighbors with even creepier secrets.

This summer, two domestic thrillers provide a dark take on the secrets families keep from one another and the emotional damage wrought when those secrets emerge during times of crisis.
Romance

She’s smart—he’s smitten

Feature by Lois Dyer

Brainy, beautiful heroines are romance fan favorites, especially when their intelligence seduces the hero every bit as much as their lovely face. Who doesn’t love quick wit wrapped in a pretty package? These are our favorite romances with brilliant, mystery-solving leading ladies. 

A DARING MASQUERADE
Lord of Lies is the third entry in the Fallen Ladies series from Wisconsin author Amy Sandas. When her sister is kidnapped, beautiful debutante Portia Chadwick seeks help from the mysterious man known as Nightshade.

Dell Turner grew up on the streets of London and earns his living helping clients with impossible situations. His persona as Nightshade is only one of his many artful disguises, and no one has ever seen past the illusion. Much to his shock, Lady Portia has an uncanny ability to recognize him, no matter the clever makeup and acting ability. He knows there’s no future between a highborn lady and a man of low birth whose work often skirts the edges of legality. Nevertheless, Dell finds Portia’s bravery, honesty, intelligence and beauty an irresistible lure. He believes their association will be brief, and they will soon part ways without harm to either of them.

Portia is equally intrigued and fascinated by the aura of danger that surrounds Dell. When her sister returns, Portia convinces Dell to extend their contract and investigate further, for her gut instinct tells her all is not yet safe with her world. Dell has never worked with a client who insists on being a part of his investigation, but Portia quickly proves an asset. When their inquiries unveil a shocking development, Dell fears allowing Portia to assist him may lead to her death. Can he keep her in his life, knowing she’s endangered? And how can Portia return to the placid life of society soirees after falling in love with the dangerous Nightshade and his shadowy world?

The plot twists are intriguing, and the details of both upper-class London and its gritty underbelly are fascinating, but it is the riveting characters that drive this excellent historical romance. Both Dell and Portia are passionate, honorable and stubborn; they are also uniquely, unexpectedly perfect for each other.

CRACKING THE CODE
New York Times bestselling author Julie Garwood returns to the world of the FBI with Wired. Allison Trent is a computer genius. Most people notice her beauty first and miss the amazing brain behind the pretty face. FBI agent Liam Scott isn’t one of those people—he seeks out Allison for her computer hacking skills. When she agrees to work with him to expose a mole inside his department, Liam knows he should lock down the attraction he feels for her. But he quickly learns that denying his feelings is easier said than done.

Their relationship grows steadily stronger and hotter, but as they search for the mole, the two soon discover that Allison is in danger. Is it the person that leaked confidential FBI information? Or is her would-be assassin someone from her rocky personal life? Her cousin is a criminal, her alcoholic uncle and his wife hate her, and her ex-roommate is trying to sell a unique computer program he stole from Allison.

This excellent romantic suspense novel nails every twist, turn and surprise. The romance between the genius heroine and brave hero is sometimes tender, always endearing and sizzles with sexual tension.

MATHEMATICIAN + DUKE
Academic librarian and author Manda Collins returns readers to Beauchamp House, England and the Studies in Scandal series in Duke With Benefits. Lady Daphne Forsyth is a brilliant mathematician and particularly adept at solving puzzles. She’s one of four uniquely talented young women who have inherited the estate of an independent woman who valued their intelligence. Daphne was instructed by the late owner to solve a puzzle and find the legendary Cameron Cypher, which is rumored to lead the finder to great riches. She’s continually distracted, however, by handsome Dalton Beauchamp, the Duke of Maitland. Dalton is entranced by the intelligent, blunt and outspoken Daphne, whose beauty is only exceeded by her amazing intellect. Daphne is equally attracted to Dalton, but her experience with her callous, dissipated father has her convinced that marriage is not for her. She wants to seduce the duke—he wants to marry her. 

The couple appears at an impasse, but when a man is murdered in the library, Dalton is determined to solve the case, keep Daphne safe and help her find the Cameron Cypher. Neither anticipate just how difficult it will be to unravel the tangled web of deception and intrigue that threatens their very lives. Unmasking a killer and surviving will take all their combined wit and wisdom.

The Regency setting of the novel comes alive with historical detail, and Collins enhances the mystery plot with interesting twists. The hero and heroine seem an unlikely pair on the surface but in truth are a perfect match. Daphne has a genius IQ but lacks people skills, and Dalton is a model of gracious extroversion. And while intelligent, he is not a prodigy like Daphne. The genuine affection between the two is tender, and the sexual tension is smoldering. Duke with Benefits has all the elements romance readers love.

 

Lois Dyer writes from her home in Port Orchard, Washington.

It’s Private Eye July at BookPage! All month long, we’re celebrating the sinister side of fiction with the year’s best mysteries and thrillers. Look for the Private Eye July magnifying glass for a daily dose of murder, espionage and all those creepy neighbors with even creepier secrets.

Brainy, beautiful heroines are romance fan favorites, especially when their intelligence seduces the hero every bit as much as a lovely face and sexy curves. Who doesn’t love quick wit wrapped in a pretty package?

Children's & YAPicture Book

School spirit: Get ready for class!

Feature by Julie Hale

Prepping for a new school year (and saying goodbye to summer) is never easy! If you’re looking for a way to get your little ones excited about academic life, check out the picture books below. As these titles prove, school definitely rules.

FROM A STUDENT’S PERSPECTIVE
In the original and inspiring first-person poems that comprise Sally Derby’s A New School Year: Stories in Six Voices (ages 5 to 9), youngsters of different backgrounds express their uncertainties about life in the classroom. On the night before and throughout the first day of school, Derby’s delightful characters share varying viewpoints. In “Feeling Lucky,” fourth-grader Carlos is excited about his new school shoes—“black with a silver stripe”—and starts the morning on a positive note: “I bet I find a new friend quick.” A poem called “Seven O’Clock Butterflies” finds Katie, a second-grader, fighting off nerves: “Maybe tomorrow / would be better than today / for starting back to school,” she thinks. (We’ve all been there!) In soft, colorful watercolor illustrations, Mika Song imbues each student with a distinct personality. These appealing poems will put anxious pupils-to-be at ease.

CREATURE IN THE CLASSROOM
Wonderful and whimsical, The Teacher’s Pet (ages 4 to 7) by Anica Mrose Rissi is the story of a class experiment gone awry. Softhearted Mr. Stricter and his students are excited about the pet tadpoles they’ve been caring for as a science project. But they can only keep one, Bruno—a critter who surprises them all by maturing into an enormous hippo instead of a frog. Bruno has a monster appetite (he eats scissors, books—even desks!), takes up half the room and proves to be generally unmanageable. Mr. Stricter lets Bruno have his way until the students are forced to take matters into their own hands. Irresistible illustrations by Zachariah Ohora, who favors strong swaths of color and bold black lines, add to the appeal of Rissi’s out-of-the ordinary story. There’s nothing average about this madcap classroom adventure.

PET PUPIL
A furry friend comes to class in Maria Gianferrari’s Hello Goodbye Dog (ages 4 to 6). Zara, the story’s wheelchair-bound main character, adores her brown mutt, Moose. As she heads to school, he wants to tag along, but dogs aren’t allowed in class! There’s no stopping Moose—again and again, he manages to escape from home and make his way to school, where he eventually causes chaos in the cafeteria. Zara soon has a brilliant idea: enroll Moose in dog-therapy class. Thanks to his gentle nature, Moose aces his tests and gets to join Zara at school as a reading dog. At last, students and staff can give the tail-wagging pooch a warm welcome. Antics-filled mixed-media illustrations by Patrice Barton bring extra liveliness to the proceedings. This heart-warming, hilarious story is sure to stir up back-to-school excitement.

Prepping for a new school year (and saying goodbye to summer) is never easy! If you’re looking for a way to get your little ones excited about academic life, check out the picture books below. As these titles prove, school definitely rules.

Fiction

Summer shorts

Feature by Julie Hale

A great short story offers a quick and powerful reprieve from reality. If escape is what you crave, then check out the stellar new collections featured below. Written by three of today’s top literary fiction authors, these stories will sweep you away.

“People pretend the world is ordinary every day,” a character says in Samantha Hunt’s hypnotic collection, The Dark Dark. But Hunt knows better; her narrative worlds are twilit realms suffused with dark possibility, in which jarring connections and overpowering transformations prove the rule. In a taut, “Twin Peaks”-ish story called “The Yellow,” a dead dog is resurrected when the man who killed him shares a moment of unexpected intimacy with its owner. In the bleakly humorous “Love Machine,” an FBI agent develops romantic feelings for a robot. The narrator of “Beast”—a woman grappling with the routines of life and marriage—turns into a deer at night. That’s right—a deer. Equipped with a voice that’s delicately poetic yet quietly ominous, Hunt can make the impossible seem plausible. She’s in a class by herself.

GLOBE TROTTER
In his radiant new book, The Mountain, Paul Yoon moves with ease through eras and locales, from New York State in the early 1900s to modern-day Russia. Despite the disparate settings, the six stories in this collection feel of a piece, as each features displaced characters who are adrift in the world. The solitary narrator of “A Willow and the Moon” tries in the decades after World War II to come to terms with his family’s history. “Still a Fire” follows a drug-addicted nurse as she ekes out a meager existence in France during the late 1940s. Yoon uses precise, measured prose to create atmospheric narratives that lack neat resolutions. The Mountain’s overall mood is one of wistfulness—a feeling that stays with the reader after the final page has been turned.

MODERN PULSE
Sarah Hall’s Madame Zero is a bold set of stories that speak to the times. Through these perceptive, sharply realized narratives, Hall explores gender roles, female sexuality and the power dynamics inherent in romantic relationships, demonstrating along the way a remarkable ability to shift between voices and forms. A three-page thriller about a deadly epidemic, “One in Four” is a letter written by a drug-industry insider to his wife. “Case Study 2” is just that—an objective, nearly clinical account of a troubled foster child who was brought up in a commune. In “Evie,” the title character’s aggressively erotic actions bewilder her husband and signal the approach of tragedy. Humming with tension and enlivened by Hall’s nimble prose, these of-the-moment stories form a collection that’s destined to endure.

 

This article was originally published in the August 2017 issue of BookPage. Download the entire issue for the Kindle or Nook.

A great short story offers a quick and powerful reprieve from reality. If escape is what you crave, then check out the stellar new collections featured below. Written by three of today’s top literary fiction authors, these stories will sweep you away.

Romance

Dislike at first sight

Feature by Lois Dyer

Sometimes a romance starts with honest-to-god love at first sight. But other times, a pair doesn’t exactly start off strong. In the three titles we’ve chosen for you this month, each couple begins with mixed feelings, unsure if a fairy-tale ending is even possible. Fortunately for readers, the journey is oh-so-satisfying.

COWBOY UP
Third-generation rancher and rodeo competitor Kari Lynn Dell returns readers to the world of professional rodeo in Tougher in Texas, the third book in her Texas Rodeo series. Independent, sassy and tough, beautiful rodeo competitor Shawnee Pickett is the opposite of tall, dark and intense producer Cole Jacobs. He has his hands full keeping Jacobs Livestock horses and bulls performing at top level for contracted rodeos. The last thing Cole wanted was to deal with Shawnee on his team. Shawnee has known Cole and his family for years, and has always enjoyed teasing the stoic cowboy. Now that they’re working closely on a daily basis, however, she learns there’s much more to him than a hard body and a handsome face. Should she give in to the lure of temptation and sleep with Cole? They both have trust issues from traumatic events in their pasts, and given how close their family ties are, hooking up could damage those relationships. But despite both of their efforts to keep the other at arm’s length, they’re irresistibly drawn together. But when Cole learns the truth about the big secret she’s been keeping, will he still want her?

The rodeo setting rings with authenticity and vibrant color, and the hero and heroine are layered and well-developed, their relationship romantic and realistic with lots of sexual tension. This latest in a unique, stellar series is sure to send readers racing to download the other novels in the series, Reckless in Texas and Tangled in Texas.

HOW TO PLAN A KILLER WEDDING
Canadian author Casey Griffin brings readers a lighthearted blend of love and mystery with A Wedding Tail, the third novel in her Rescue Dog Romance series. Cynical wedding planner Zoe Plum plans perfect weddings for happy couples. After her groom left her waiting at the altar six years earlier, she locked her battered heart behind a wall and avoided involvement with men. When handsome, romantic musician Levi Dolson serves as a last-minute groomsman for a wedding party, Zoe is definitely attracted to him. Unfortunately for Levi, she’s equally determined not to acknowledge how she feels.

Focused, deceptively easygoing Levi is committed to prying the real Zoe out from behind the happily single facade she shows the world. He’s convinced she’s the woman for him, but can’t get her to admit that their connection goes beyond the physical. He easily charms her cute little dachshund Freddy, but Zoe isn’t as easily swayed.

When a series of assaults on Zoe’s business, wedding parties and vehicle threaten her safety, she’s shaken and turns to Levi for help. Coping with the puzzling and mysterious threats draws them closer together, and when all seems lost, Levi and Freddy are all that stand between Zoe and danger. What’s a girl to do when confronted with a gorgeous man and an adorable dog determined to rescue her from both evil intent and not-so-happy singlehood? Could Zoe be ready to plan her own wedding?

This quirky, often hilarious novel boasts a charming cast of characters, buttressed by a solid mystery plot and plenty of sexual tension.

ONE SULTRY SUMMER
Harper Sloan hits it out of the park with Kiss My Boots, the second novel in her Coming Home series. Beautiful Quinn Davis lives life on her own terms in her small Texas hometown. She fell in love with Tate Montgomery when they were only teenagers, and when he returned to Georgia to go to college, he promised to love her forever. Then he stopped taking her calls and letters. He broke her heart, and she’s never forgiven him. When Tate returns unexpectedly, taking up his late grandfather’s medical practice, Quinn is determined to ignore him.

Tate had valid reasons for breaking contact with the only girl he ever loved. Now those reasons are gone, and he’s damned if he’ll let anything stand between him and Quinn. He knows he’ll have to grovel, probably beg and certainly explain what happened to Quinn and her two very protective older brothers. Quinn’s heart has always belonged to Tate, but after the long years of separation, can she trust him again? She’s grown accustomed to days without him, but now that he’s back, every hour they spend apart feels like weeks. Is there any hope they can move past old hurts to find a happy future together, or will he break her fragile heart a second time?

This steamy novel is all about second chances and learning to trust again. The honorable hero and heroine, charming small-town setting and endearing secondary characters are certain to garner more readers for Sloan.

 

Lois Dyer writes from her home in Port Orchard, Washington.

ALSO IN BOOKPAGE: Go Behind the Book with Kari Lynn Dell. 

Sometimes a romance starts with honest to god love-at-first-sight. But other times, a pair doesn’t exactly start off strong. In the three titles we’ve chosen for you this month, each couple begins with mixed feelings, unsure if a fairytale ending is even possible. Fortunately for readers, the journey is oh-so-satisfying.

FictionWorld Fiction

Fissures in wedlock

Feature by Lauren Bufferd

Both books examine the easy power of sexual desire and the troubled untangling of domestic ties. And despite the differences in time and place, both novels feature protagonists with a loneliness at their core—acutely aware of what divides them from their family and friends.

Daphne du Maurier’s classic Rebecca may be the ultimate second-wife story, and Lily Tuck uses it as a touchstone for her seventh novel. Sisters relates a very personal story of an unnamed narrator, her family—including her husband and stepchildren—and the all-too-real presence of her husband’s first wife known only as she. It is she that the narrator is fixated on, her marriage, her mothering style, her aptitude at the piano, even her dog. Nothing in the narrator’s experience can equal her husband’s first marriage, his life with her in France, even his affair and subsequent divorce. With a mixture of curiosity, envy and compulsion, the narrator’s preoccupation with her threatens all current relationships, not just with her husband but with his son and daughter as well.

Tuck eschews a climactic confrontation and prefers to quietly highlight the damage caused by obsession, exposing the risks of paying back betrayal with betrayal. Though the conclusion feels abrupt, the story is elegantly told and the portrait of a marriage unflinching.

Set against the turbulent politics of Nigeria in the 1980s, Ayobami Adebayo’s debut, Stay with Me, tells the story of a marriage that frays under the forces of fidelity and fertility. Yejide and Akin met and fell in love at university. Four years after they married, Yejide is running a successful salon, and Akin is comfortably employed as well. But they remain childless. The couple tries fertility doctors, healers, pilgrimages and charms until, under the pressure of Nigerian ideals of masculinity, Akin’s family insists he take a second wife, going so far as to bring the young woman to their home. To say this causes havoc would be an understatement. Yet, when Yejide finally does get pregnant, the results take an enormous toll on the couple.

Though the tragedies of Stay with Me are melodramatic in scope, Adebayo displays a quiet empathy when the couple confronts the truth of their fertility problems and struggle with sickle cell anemia (an enormous problem in Nigeria, where one in four people is infected). Stay with Me offers a unique look at a couple coping with biological forces that are out of their control and a marriage that is tested almost beyond endurance.

Though very different in style, scope and setting, these two novels are a welcome addition to the exploration of marriage in fiction, examining the boundaries and the limitlessness of love between two—or even three—people.

 

This article was originally published in the September 2017 issue of BookPage. Download the entire issue for the Kindle or Nook.

Love, fidelity, jealousy and desire are some of the issues explored in two new novels about marriage—one by a seasoned writer known for her brevity and psychological portraits, the other a debut by one of Nigeria’s freshest voices.

Fiction

The power of faith to transform fear

Feature by Lonna Upton

September brings cooler, crisper air to revive our senses, and these three inspirational works are sure to revive our souls. From Mitford to Paris, Oregon to England, these novels explore the calming nature of faith.

Jennie Pickett, an Oregon frontier woman balancing her family and a dream, stands tall as the heroine of Jane Kirkpatrick’s All She Left Behind. Bestselling author of more than 30 books, Kirkpatrick masterfully weaves the ups and downs of Jennie’s life with real events in the late 19th century, creating a story that inspires us while we travel with Jennie down a trail filled with difficulties, decisions and desires.

Gifted in homeopathic remedies, Jennie knows that God has called her to do more with her gift; however, women have limited rights in the 1870s, and Jennie has learning difficulties. She’ll need her faith and ferocity as she handles each obstacle in her way.

Kirkpatrick captivates with a straightforward perspective of the traumatic effects of addiction on a family. Jennie deals with her first husband’s decline into alcohol and drug abuse, doing her best to salvage their marriage and understand her husband’s demons. When the marriage ends in disaster, Jennie rises above her circumstances to begin a new life.

Jennie’s second marriage to a prominent pastor propels her into a journey of self-healing as she works toward her dream of healing others. Kirkpatrick powerfully connects her 19th-century heroine to women of today through descriptions of Jennie’s struggles to find time for both family and career, and the way in which she ultimately finds peace through the power of faith and healing.

LIGHT IN THE DARKNESS
In her latest novel, The Space Between Words, Michèle Phoenix beautifully entwines the lives of Jessica, a survivor of the 2015 Paris terror attacks, and Adeline, a victim of Protestant persecution in 17th-century France.

Jessica’s trip to visit her best friend, Patrick, leaves her hollow after she watches dozens of concertgoers suffer and die during the horrific shooting. After, she no longer finds joy in her life—only fear. Patrick, never fearful or lacking enthusiasm, encourages her to move past the terror and begin their planned antique treasure hunt in the French countryside.

The journey of healing begins when Jessica finds an antique sewing box—or the box finds her—and she follows centuries-old clues to determine the fate of Adeline’s family. Along the way, Jessica struggles to understand how anyone, at any time in history, can find God in their lives while mired in terror. Mysterious pages from an old Bible keep readers connecting clues from beginning to end, and the depth of Jessica’s despair keeps us rallying for her recovery.

Phoenix’s vivid descriptions of the brutality against French Protestants in the 17th century, as well as Jessica’s recollection of the bloodshed she witnessed at the theater, rivet us with a visceral understanding of the evil inflicted upon innocents during both eras. Until she can make sense of Adeline’s story, courage, wisdom and faith flutter just beyond Jessica’s grasp, weakening her ability to mend her own brokenness.

OUR FAVORITE FAMILY
Jan Karon never disappoints, and readers will devour the 14th book in the bestselling author’s heartwarming Mitford series. To Be Where You Are cheerfully takes us back to mingle with the Kavanagh family and the other residents of Mitford, a small Southern town with its share of troubles—which are always manageable through a little love and lots of prayer.

Father Tim Kavanagh—retired, quick-witted prayer partner to Mitford’s residents—and his wife, Cynthia, guide three generations of their family in this inspirational collection of events, all filled with Karon’s loving attention to detail.

Between these pages, Father Kavanagh steps into a new career; the newspaper editor struggles to revive the romance in his marriage; and plans for the Christmas parade, held on a nontraditional date, prove alarming. Dooley and Lace—newlyweds now handling Meadowgate Farm, a vet practice and their 4-year-old—keep us cheering them on despite the ripple effects of a lost cell phone, stressful emergencies with animals and a building crisis, all while they plan a party to end all parties for their son.

Karon satiates her fans’ craving for more Mitford with these stories of grace and compassion, all told with a dose of humor and humility.

 

This article was originally published in the September 2017 issue of BookPage. Download the entire issue for the Kindle or Nook.

September brings cooler, crisper air to revive our senses, and these three inspirational works are sure to revive our souls. From Mitford to Paris, Oregon to England, these novels explore the calming nature of faith.

Children's & YAPicture Book

Forever friends in new picture books

Feature by Julie Hale

The start of the school year brings big changes for little students: a new teacher, different stuff to study and—yikes!—a classroom filled with unfamiliar faces. If your youngsters are feeling shy about finding new buddies at school or on the playground, then take a peek at the titles below. Each one celebrates the specialness of friendship and proves that bonds can blossom where least expected.

FROM FOES TO FRIENDS
David Elliott’s ever-so-clever tale of two sheep, Baabwaa & Wooliam (ages 4 to 8), has the makings of a classic. Baabwaa and Wooliam are homebodies (she’s a knitter; he’s a bookworm), but when Wooliam gets the adventure itch, they decide to hit the road. All too soon, they encounter a suspicious-looking sheep with an oversize snout, dirty coat and terrible teeth—the proverbial wolf in sheep’s clothing! The two friends run from the trickster (“If this is an adventure,” Baabwaa says, “I’m not a fan!”), but the chase ends—and friendship ensues—when the wolf asks for help with an unusual undertaking. The story’s droll humor is underscored by Melissa Sweet’s illustrations, which have bold touches of color and smart details (check out the nifty trailer the sheep call home). Here’s hoping Elliott continues the adventures of this wonderful, woolly pair.

OPPOSITES ATTRACT
Vibrant colors, lively mixed-media illustrations and a dynamic storytelling style make Ed Vere’s Max and Bird (ages 3 and up) extra special. The friendship of Max, a black kitten, and tiny Bird starts off swimmingly. But Max’s observation that his new pal “looks like a tasty snack” is a red flag for Bird. He knows that true friends help each other, and when he asks Max to assist him in learning how to fly, the two embark on an unexpected adventure that teaches them all about the pleasures of partnership. “I don’t want to eat you up,” Max determines in the end. “It’s not what friends do.” The third title from Vere to feature Max—a wide-eyed protagonist with plenty of kittenish appeal—this tale of an unexpected alliance between two contrary creatures definitely soars.

QUEST FOR COMPANIONSHIP
A curious fox named Marco sets out on an unforgettable voyage in Dashka Slater’s The Antlered Ship (ages 4 to 8). Marco is filled with wonder about the world. “Why don’t trees ever talk? How deep does the sun go when it sinks into the sea?” he asks himself. When an unusual ship commanded by a deer arrives at the dock, Marco joins the crew with the hope of finding a likeminded fox who will be his friend. The seafarers meet with nasty weather—and an even nastier gang of pirates—but by working as a team, they manage to sail to a marvelous island. In the end, Marco learns that true friendship is closer than he imagined. Terry and Eric Fan’s breathtaking illustrations have an old-fashioned realism that suits the book’s timeless storyline. Little readers will want to follow Marco on this amazing journey.

The start of the school year brings big changes for little students: a new teacher, different stuff to study and—yikes!—a classroom filled with unfamiliar faces. If your youngsters are feeling shy about finding new buddies at school or on the playground, then take a peek at the titles below. Each one celebrates the specialness of friendship and proves that bonds can blossom where least expected.

Children's & YAPicture Book

Majestic moon: New picture books celebrate Earth’s satellite

Feature by Julie Hale

It’s been a big year for the moon, thanks to the spectacle that was the Great American Eclipse. No doubt about it, when it comes to magic and mystery, the moon puts its cosmic competition in the shade! If you haven’t already introduced your young ones to the wonders of moon, our roundup of lunar-inspired titles is a great place to start.

MOON WALK
Rachael Cole’s sweet, simple City Moon (ages 3 to 7) takes place on a crisp autumn evening. After darkness has fallen, “after tooth-brushing time,” a boy and his mother head out for a stroll, hand in hand, to find the moon. “We crane our necks up to the sky, but it’s hiding,” the boy says. “Where is it?” The city streets hum with after-dark activities. There are shoppers and dog-walkers, cyclists and joggers, colorful taxicabs and a fierce-looking fire engine. When mother and son finally come upon the moon, full and beaming above the dark cityscape, the reader shares their sense of surprise. Blanca Gómez’s collage-like, urban-inspired illustrations are a feast for the eyes. The book’s closing image of the boy asleep in bed, his room illuminated by the moon, sums up the enchantment of this tranquil little tale.

AN UNFORGETTABLE GAME
When the Moon Comes (ages 4 to 8) by Paul Harbridge is a luminous story of friendship and full-moon magic. As December sets in with a hard freeze and snow, a group of kids gets set to play a nighttime game of hockey. Only one thing is missing: the moon. They wait for it to get full (“This week the moon is growing”), their excitement increasing. When the big night finally arrives, the kids bundle up and trek down to the frozen water. As the full moon rises above the trees, the book’s narrator—a young boy—stops midgame to take in the sight. With his friends, he shares a night on the ice that’s truly special. Artist Matt James creates a winter wonderland in breathtaking illustrations that have texture and a sense of mystery. This one-of-a-kind moonlit adventure is sure to capture young imaginations.

NIGHT SPRITE
The captivating story of a solitary forest urchin, Wee Sister Strange (ages 4 to 8) by Holly Grant will leave little readers mesmerized. Grant tells the tale of her heroine—a pale slip of a girl with red hair and a crown of leaves—through rhymed stanzas. At home in the woods, Wee Sister Strange goes exploring after sundown: “She drinks up the moon / Like a cat drinking cream. / She drinks up the dark / Like it’s tea with the queen.” Wee Sister Strange is brave enough to climb a tree, dive into a bog and befriend a bear. She’s clearly looking for something on her way through the woods, but the reader doesn’t find out what it is until the book’s final heartwarming scenes. Artist K.G. Campbell’s marvelous illustrations transport the reader to an intriguing otherworld. This fantastical tale has all the makings of a classic.

It’s been a big year for the moon, thanks to the spectacle that was the Great American Eclipse. No doubt about it, when it comes to magic and mystery, the moon puts its cosmic competition in the shade! If you haven’t already introduced your young ones to the wonders of moon, our roundup of lunar-inspired titles is a great place to start.

Romance

Love in the limelight

Feature by Lois Dyer

Have you ever contemplated being rich and famous? Dreamed of walking a red carpet or seeing your face featured on Page Six? All that attention sounds glamorous, right? Perhaps it would be a dream come true and a wonderful experience, but in the book duet we’ve chosen for you this month, fame and fortune complicate our couples’ chances of happy ever after to an amazing degree. Can lovers find happiness with the world watching their every move? Let’s find out . . .

MUTUALLY BENEFICIAL MARRIAGE
Former fashion designer K.M. Jackson closes out her Unconventional Brides series with The Betting Vow. Supermodel Leila Darling is ready to move on from print ads and runway modeling. After a small part in a movie earns her critical acclaim, she’s energized and determined to focus on her acting career. A recently broken engagement, however, has only contributed to her reputation as a high-maintenance party girl. Handsome TV executive Carter Bain has had a crush on Leila Darling since the first time he saw the beautiful model in a print ad, and he wants to sign her for a sitcom on his network. When Leila’s manager introduces them at a party in Las Vegas, the two find themselves sharing drinks and playing poker, which results in an unconventional agreement—a six-month marriage.

Leila and Carter’s marriage of convenience is supposed to be good for both of their careers and neither expects love out of the deal. Except–the spark between them was undeniably strong since their first meeting. Can they share an apartment and keep their relationship platonic? It’s clear they have much in common, but is there any chance their business arrangement could end in true love? If they lay their hearts on the line and gamble on forever, do they really have a chance at living happily ever after?

There is much to enjoy in this novel, from the slow burn of growing affection that adds heat to an already powerful physical connection, to the cast of very likeable family and friends who support the couple. The background setting in the TV and modeling world add color to a plot driven by an engaging couple. Leila is smart, strong and perfectly balanced by the stable, wise and eminently sigh-worthy Carter. Romance readers will love this story.

HER BIGGEST FAN
The first full-length novel in her Montana Heat series, Jennifer Ryan’s Escape To You is a thrilling, heartwarming love story. The world believes that Oscar-winning actress Ashley Swan walked away from fame to find a more peaceful life. The reality is that Ashley was kidnaped by a man she thought was a friend and held hostage, tortured and imprisoned for nearly a year. Finally, her captor accidentally leaves her cell door ajar and Ashley escapes, taking her four-year-old fellow prisoner with her. She flees into the Montana wilderness with a full blown blizzard looming, knowing full well there’s little chance they’ll survive, but that even death is better than what they leave behind. Fate has other plans for Ashley and little Adam, however, for she stumbles across the isolated home of DEA agent Beck Cooke. Beck takes her and the child in, keeping them safe while they work out a plan to bring the sadistic madman to justice.

Slowly, despite the trauma she’s endured, Ashley begins to trust Beck. But before they can plan a future together, they will have to stop the madman stalking Ashley. Her kidnapper wants her back and he’s prepared to kill anyone who stands in his way. Will Ashley and Beck ever be safe from the danger that threatens them and the little boy they’ve both grown to love?

This romantic suspense novel is a riveting, nonstop roller coaster ride. The villain is supremely evil, the hero is wonderfully noble and the heroine is strong and beautiful inside and out. Readers will hold their breath during nail-biting danger and cheer with delight when these two damaged, good-hearted people fall in love. If you only have time to read one contemporary suspense novel this fall, pick this one—it doesn’t disappoint on any level.

 

Lois Dyer writes from her home in Port Orchard, Washington.

Have you ever contemplated being rich and famous? Dreamed of walking a red carpet or seeing your face featured on Page Six? All that attention sounds glamorous, right? Perhaps it would be a dream come true and a wonderful experience, but in the book duet we’ve chosen for you this month, fame and fortune complicate our couples’ chances of happy ever after to an amazing degree. Can lovers find happiness with the world watching their every move? Let’s find out . . .

Science Fiction & FantasyFiction

Writ large and small

Feature by Savanna Walker

The mainstreaming of science fiction and fantasy has given writers the freedom to experiment, to change how these stories are told and who gets to stand at the forefront of them.

James Bradley’s Clade marries narrative devices more commonly found in literary fiction to one of the newest subgenres of sci-fi—climate change fiction or “cli-fi.” Beginning with scientist Adam and his artist wife, Ellie, Clade follows the pair and their descendants through the changing ecological and political climate. Each chapter jumps forward in time and switches perspectives, stitching together a narrative of small, lyrical stories that only rarely intersect with the cataclysmic events erupting the world over.

Bradley captures how lives can be tinged with a sense of change happening too slowly for one individual to track—his characters are left with only a low whine of anxiety, a sense of things slipping away in their peripheral vision. The jumps in time between chapters make the increasingly dire situation on Earth even more alarming; the reader begins each section not knowing how much time has passed or which characters are missing due to catastrophe or disease or without any explanation at all.

Bleak and hopeful in equal measure, Clade is a striking paradox of a book—a soothing tale of the coming apocalypse.

As opposed to Clade’s ever-expanding family tree, The Tiger’s Daughter by K. Arsenault Rivera concerns itself with only two main characters. But while Bradley’s novel feels like a collection of impeccably constructed haiku, Rivera’s sweeping fantasy debut is like an epic poem from a bygone age.

Rivera wisely takes her time in the initial pages of The Tiger’s Daughter, sparing the reader tedious passages of exposition. Shizuka is the heir to the Hokkaran Empire, whereas Shefali grew up among her mother’s nomadic Qorin people. As Shefali and Shizuka move from initial distrust to hesitant acceptance, each learns about the other’s respective culture. Through references to the histories of their mothers, who fought against the same dangers that now threaten their daughters, Rivera implies an entire universe teeming with stories.

The Tiger’s Daughter is the rare introduction to a series that tells a complete story within the first installment, largely due to the complexity of its two leads. Both glory in their abilities and struggle with the resulting sense of isolation. Arrogant, ferociously loyal Shizuka is a dueling prodigy, but she worries she’ll never equal her mother’s legacy. And some of the novel’s most breathtaking passages spring from Shefali’s increasingly frantic attempts to cling to her humanity beneath her quiet, stoic exterior.

In a genre saturated with deconstructionist takes on epic fantasy, it is immensely satisfying to read Rivera’s debut, which wholeheartedly embraces its epic scale while effortlessly showcasing the diversity the genre has so often lacked. An adventure that aches with romance, written with easy, lyrical confidence, The Tiger’s Daughter gives the reader the incontrovertible sense that it will be a new fantasy classic.

 

This article was originally published in the October 2017 issue of BookPage. Download the entire issue for the Kindle or Nook.

The mainstreaming of science fiction and fantasy has given writers the freedom to experiment, to change how these stories are told and who gets to stand at the forefront of them.

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