November 5, 2021
November 5, 2021
New Fiction
April in Spain by John Banville – On the idyllic coast of San Sebastian, Spain, Dublin pathologist Quirke is struggling to relax, despite the beaches, the cafes and the company of his disarmingly lovely wife. When he glimpses a familiar face in the twilight at Las Acadas bar, it’s hard at first to tell whether his imagination is just running away with him. Because this young woman can’t be April Latimer. She was murdered by her brother, years ago – the conclusion to an unspeakable scandal that shook one of Ireland’s foremost political dynasties. Unable to ignore his instincts, Quirke makes a call back home to Ireland and soon Detective St. John Strafford is dispatched to Spain. But he’s not the only one en route. A relentless hit man is on the hunt for his latest prey, and the next victim might be Quirke himself.
A Bitter Feast by Deborah Crombie – Scotland Yard Detective Superintendent Duncan Kincaid and his wife, Detective Inspector Gemma James, have been invited for a relaxing weekend in the Cotswolds, one of Britain’s most beautiful and enchanting regions. They are guests at Beck House, the family estate of Gemma’s detective sergeant, Melody Talbot, whose father is the well-known publisher of one of London’s most influential newspapers. A centerpiece of this glorious fall getaway is a harvest luncheon catered by up and coming local chef Viv Holland. Attended by the food world’s elite, the event could make Viv a star. But a tragic car accident and a series of mysterious deaths shock the village and pull Duncan and Gemma into the investigation. Each new revelation makes it clear that the killer has a connection with Viv’s pub – and, perhaps, with Beck House itself. Does the truth lie in the tangled relationships between the staff at Beck House and Viv’s new pub? Or is it buried deeper, in Viv’s tumultuous past? It’s up to Duncan and Gemma to discover the truth before the murderer strikes again.
The Lincoln Highway by Amor Towles – In June 1954, eighteen-year-old Emmett Watson is driven home to Nebraska by the warden of the juvenile work farm where he has just served fifteen months for involuntary manslaughter. His mother long gone, his father recently deceased, and the family farm foreclosed upon by the bank, Emmett’s intention is to pick up his eight year old brother, Billy, and head to California, where they can start their lives anew. But when the warden drives away, Emmett discovers that two friends from the work farm have hidden themselves in the trunk of the warden’s car. Together, they have hatched an altogether different plan for Emmett’s future, one that will take them all on a fateful journey in the opposite direction – to the city of New York.
The Burning by Jonathan and Jess Kellerman – A raging wildfire. A massive blackout. A wealthy man shot to death in his palatial hilltop home. For Clay Edison, it’s all in a day’s work. As a deputy coroner, caring for the dead, he speaks for those who cannot speak for themselves. He prides himself on an unflinching commitment to the truth. Even when it gets him into trouble. Then, while working the murder scene, Clay is horrified to discover a link to his brother, Luke. Horrified. But not surprised. Luke is fresh out of prison and struggling to stay on the straight and narrow. And now he’s gone AWOL. The race is on for Clay to find him before anyone else can. Confronted with Luke’s legacy of violence, Clay is forced to reckon with his own suspicions, resentments, and loyalties. Is his brother a killer? Or could he be the victim in all of this, too?