January 8, 2021

New Fiction

I Follow You by Peter James – To the outside world, suave, charming and confident doctor Marcus Valentine has it all: a loving wife, three kids, a great job.  But there’s something missing, there always has been…or rather, someone…  Driving to work one morning, his mind elsewhere and not on the road, he almost mows down a female jogger on a crossing.  As she runs on, Marcus is transfixed.  Infatuated.  She is the splitting image of a girl he was crazy about in his teens.  A girl he has never been able to get out of his head.  Lynette had dumped him harshly.  For years he has fantasized about seeing her again and rekindling their flame.  Might that jogger possibly be her after all this time?  Could this be the most incredible coincidence?  Despite all his attempts to resist, his thoughts are consumed by this woman. And when events take a tragically unexpected turn, his obsession threatens to destroy both their worlds.  But still he won’t stop.  Can’t stop.

Better Luck Next Time by Kate Hilton - It isn’t easy being related to a feminist icon, especially when she’s celebrating the greatest moment of her storied career.  Just ask the daughters of Lydia Hennessey, who could have it all if only they’d stop self-destructing. Mariana, the eldest, is on the verge of throwing away a distinguished reputation in journalism, along with her marriage. Nina, the middle daughter, has returned from a medical mission overseas as a changed woman but won’t discuss it with anyone. And Beata, the youngest, has a hostile teenaged son who just discovered the existence of a father who didn’t know about him either. Meanwhile, their cousin Zoe is making divorce look like a death match, while her brother, Zack, is grappling with the fallout from his popular television dramedy, which is based far too closely on Lydia herself.  It might be easier to find their paths if they could step out of Lydia’s shadow—but the biggest women’s march in history is underway, and Lydia and her family are at the centre of it.
Over the course of an eventful year, the Hennessey children contend with the big struggles of midlife: aging parents, raging teens, crumbling marriages and bodies, new loves and the choice between playing it safe or taking life-altering risks. And as they inch toward a new definition of happiness, they might even persuade their parents—and themselves—that they’re all grown up.

The Forgotten Daughter by Joanna Goodman – 1992: French Canadian factions renew Quebec’s fight to gain independence, and wild, beautiful Veronique Fortin, daughter of a radical separatist convicted of kidnapping and murdering a prominent politician in 1970, has embraced her father’s cause.  So it is a surprise when she falls for James Phenix, a journalist of French Canadian heritage who opposes Quebec separatism.  Their love affair is as passionate as it is turbulent as they negotiate a constant struggle between love and morals.  At the same time, James’s older sister, Elodie Phenix, one of the Duplessis orphans, becomes involved with a coalition demanding justice and reparations for their suffering in the 1950s when Quebec’s orphanages were converted to mental hospitals, a heinous political act of Premier Maurice Duplessis that affected five thousand children.  Veronique is the only person Elodie can rely on as she fights for retribution, reliving her trauma, while Elodie becomes a sisterly presence for Veronique, who continues to struggle with her family’s legacy. 

The Sea Gate by Jane Johnson – After Rebecca’s mother dies, she must sort through her empty flat and come to terms with her loss.As she gets through her mother’s mail, she finds a handwritten envelope.In it is a letter that will change her life forever.Olivia, her mother’s elderly cousin, needs help to save her beloved home.Rebecca immediately goes to visit Olivia in Cornwall only to find a house full of secrets – treasures in the attic and a mysterious tunnel leading form the cellar to the sea – and Olivia, nowhere to be found.As it turns out, the old woman is stuck in hospital with no hope of being discharged until her house is made habitable again. Rebecca sets to work restoring the home to its former glory, but as she peels back the layers of paint and grime, she uncovers even more buried secrets – secrets from a time when the Second World War was raging, when Olivia was a young woman, and when both romance and danger lurked around every corner…