It’s a new year, and it’s bringing some great new books with it! We’re only just coming out of the Holiday publishing slowdown, so there are only a few titles being released this week, but they include well-known authors like Stuart Woods, Tami Hoag, Ian Rankin, and the duo of Douglas Preston & Lincoln Child. In addition we have a sweet children’s love story and the latest buzzy thriller from Lisa Jewell. Check out the list below, and may your 2019 be filled with incredible books!
FICTION
Watching You by Lisa Jewell
Melville Heights is one of the nicest neighbourhoods in Bristol, England; home to doctors and lawyers and old-money academics. It’s not the sort of place where people are brutally murdered in their own kitchens. But it is the sort of place where everyone has a secret. And everyone is watching you.
As the headmaster credited with turning around the local school, Tom Fitzwilliam is beloved by one and all—including Joey Mullen, his new neighbor, who quickly develops an intense infatuation with this thoroughly charming yet unavailable man. Joey thinks her crush is a secret, but Tom’s teenaged son Freddie—a prodigy with aspirations of becoming a spy for MI5—excels in observing people and has witnessed Joey behaving strangely around his father.
One of Tom’s students, Jenna Tripp, also lives on the same street, and she’s not convinced her teacher is as squeaky clean as he seems. For one thing, he has taken a particular liking to her best friend and fellow classmate, and Jenna’s mother—whose mental health has admittedly been deteriorating in recent years—is convinced that Mr. Fitzwilliam is stalking her.
Meanwhile, twenty years earlier, a schoolgirl writes in her diary, charting her doomed obsession with a handsome young English teacher named Mr. Fitzwilliam…
Description from Goodreads.
“Big Little Lies-esque small town drama with stakes as high as Amy from Gone Girl‘s IQ, Lisa Jewell’s latest thriller is not to be missed.” – InStyle
“Stellar domestic drama…Expert misdirection keeps the reader guessing, and the rug-pulled-out-from-beneath-your-feet conclusion—coupled with one final, bonechilling revelation—is stunning. Best not to bet on anyone. A compulsive read guaranteed to please fans of A. J. Finn and Ruth Ware.” – Booklist, STARRED REVIEW
“[The] suspense is going to have you turning the pages all night long.” – Bustle
Available Formats:
Print Book | Audiobook | eBook
MYSTERY
In a House of Lies by Ian Rankin
IN A HOUSE OF LIES…
Everyone has something to hide…
A missing private investigator is found, locked in a car hidden deep in the woods. Worse still – both for his family and the police – is that his body was in an area that had already been searched.
Everyone has secrets…
Detective Inspector Siobhan Clarke is part of a new inquiry, combing through the mistakes of the original case. There were always suspicions over how the investigation was handled and now – after a decade without answers – it’s time for the truth.
Nobody is innocent…
Every officer involved must be questioned, and it seems everyone on the case has something to hide, and everything to lose. But there is one man who knows where the trail may lead – and that it could be the end of him: John Rebus.
Description from Goodreads.
“Rankin remains a master of the contemporary police procedural.” – Publishers Weekly
“Rankin presents us with a disturbing picture of the modern world in which what used to be recognised as facts are merely one version of alternative realities. … As ever, Rankin contrives to marry intricate plotting to a narrative that never slackens its pace. He has become a consummate craftsman, his novels put together like pieces of fine furniture.” – The Scotsman
“A brilliantly twisted case for Rebus and Brillo. No one in Britain writes better crime novels today.” – Evening Standard
Available Formats:
Print Book | eBook | eAudiobook
A Delicate Touch by Stuart Woods
When an old acquaintance reaches out to Stone Barrington requesting assistance, the job seems easy enough. She needs an expert in an esoteric field, someone with both the knowledge and careful dexterity to solve a puzzle. But the solution to one small problem blows the lid open on a bigger scandal going back decades, and involving numerous prominent New Yorkers who would prefer the past stay buried.
With this explosive information in-hand, Stone Barrington is caught between a rock and a hard place, his only options either to play it safe to the detriment of others, or to see justice done and risk fatal exposure. But when it comes to Stone Barrington, danger is usually just around the corner . . . so he may as well throw caution to the wind.
Description from Goodreads.
“Suspenseful, twisty … Woods tells a fast, enjoyable crime story seasoned with tantalizing views of the lifestyles of the rich.” – Publishers Weekly
“The best of Woods’ recent thrillers, a primer on election rigging that plays to both Democrats’ recent alarm and Republicans’ attachment to the material perks of the good life.” – Kirkus Reviews
Available Formats:
Print Book | Audiobook | eBook | eAudiobook
SUSPENSE
Verses for the Dead by Douglas Preston & Lincoln Child
After an overhaul of leadership at the FBI’s New York office, Special Agent A. X. L. Pendergast is forced to accept an unthinkable condition of continued employment–he must work with a partner.
Pendergast and his new teammate, junior FBI agent Coldmoon, are assigned the case of a devious new killer whose killing spree spans the countryside, and whose crimes are distinguished by a mysterious M.O. Letters left at seemingly unrelated gravesites in the city of Miami.
That the connection between these old deaths defies easy explanation is the least of Pendergast’s worries. As Aloysius digs deeper, he soon realizes there may be more to the killer–and Pendergast’s new partner–than meets the eye.
Description from Goodreads.
“[Has] a nerve-wracking finish. Readers will love the quirky characters in this clever yarn. Pendergast and Coldmoon make an excellent pair.” – Kirkus Reviews, STARRED REVIEW
“Agent Pendergast is here to stay, and there’s plenty of reasons to be excited about the future of this series.” – CrimeReads
Available Formats:
Print Book | eBook | eAudiobook
The Boy by Tami Hoag
A panic-stricken woman runs in the dead of night, battered and bloodied, desperate to find help. . . .
When Detective Nick Fourcade enters the home of Genevieve Gauthier outside the sleepy town of Bayou Breaux, Louisiana, the bloody crime scene that awaits him is both the most brutal and the most confusing he’s ever seen. Genevieve’s seven-year-old son, P.J., has been murdered by an alleged intruder, yet Genevieve is alive and well, a witness inexplicably left behind to tell the tale. There is no evidence of forced entry, not a clue that points to a motive. Meanwhile, Nick’s wife, Detective Annie Broussard, sits in the emergency room with the grieving Genevieve. A mother herself, Annie understands the emotional devastation this woman is going through, but as a detective she’s troubled by a story that makes little sense. Who would murder a child and leave the only witness behind?
When the very next day P.J.’s sometimes babysitter, thirteen-year-old Nora Florette, is reported missing, the town is up in arms, fearing a maniac is preying on their children. With pressure mounting from a tough, no-nonsense new sheriff, the media, and the parents of Bayou Breaux, Nick and Annie dig deep into the dual mysteries. But sifting through Genevieve Gauthier’s tangled web of lovers and sorting through a cast of local lowlifes brings more questions than answers. Is someone from Genevieve’s past or present responsible for the death of her son? Is the missing teenager, Nora, a victim, or something worse? Then fingerprints at the scene change everything when they come back to a convicted criminal: Genevieve herself.
The spotlight falls heavily on the grieving mother who is both victim and accused. Could she have killed her own child to free herself of the burden of motherhood, or is the loss of her beloved boy pushing her to the edge of insanity? Could she have something to do with the disappearance of Nora Florette, or is the troubled teenager the key to the murder? How far will Nick and Annie have to go to uncover the dark truth of the boy?
Description from Goodreads.
“Hoag keeps the twists and turns coming all the way to the shocking conclusion.” – Publishers Weekly
“Hoag puts on quite the juggling act here, dazzling us with multiple theories about the boy’s murder, numerous potential suspects, and plot twists that keep us just slightly off-balance. A welcome return for a compelling investigative duo.” – Booklist
Available Formats:
CHILDREN’S
Robot in Love by T.L. McBeth
When a shiny, beautiful stranger catches Robot’s eye, he knows she’s the one. He thinks about her all the time. He even makes her a gift. But will he be able to keep his circuits from overheating and work up the courage to talk to her? T. L. McBeth spins a funny and heartwarming story of love–perfect for sharing at Valentine’s!
Description from Goodreads.
“Endearing and rendered exclusively in black, white, and red, Robot’s cartoonish love story ends with a happily-ever-after that will send kids’ laugh functions into overdrive.” – Booklist
“A love story that’s anything but robotic.” – Kirkus Reviews