June 10, 2022
New Fiction
Two Nights in Lisbon by Chris Pavone – Ariel Pryce wakes up in Lisbon alone. Her husband is gone – no warning, no note, not answering his phone. Something is wrong. She starts with hotel security, then the police, then the American embassy, each time confronting questions she can’t fully answer: What exactly is John doing in Lisbon? Who would want to harm him? And why does Ariel know so little about her new – and much younger-husband? The clock is ticking. Ariel is increasingly frustrated and desperate, and the one person in the world who can help is the person she least wants to ask.
Sweet Sweet Revenge LTD. By Jonas Jonasson – Not only has he heartlessly tricked his young ex-wife, Jenny, out of her art gallery inheritance, but he has also abandoned his son, Kevin, to die in the middle of the Kenyan savanna. It doesn’t occur to Victor that Kevin might be rescued and adopted by a Maasai medicine man, the happy-go-lucky Ole Mbatian Jr., or that he might be expected to undergo the rituals expected of all new Maasai warriors – which have him running back to Stockholm as fast as his legs will carry him. Back in Stockholm, Kevin crosses paths with Jenny. They have much to discuss, not least a shared desire to get even with Victor, when they oh-so-conveniently run into an adman selling revenge services – who has an ingenious idea involving Victor’s cellar, a goat, some forged paintings, four large boxes of naughty toys, and a whole lot of flour. Their encounter commences a madcap journey spanning five continents, whirling around the most colorful of characters.
The Wedding Dress Sewing Circle by Jennifer Ryan – After renowned fashion designer Cressida Westcott loses both her home and her design house in the London Blitz, she has nowhere to go but the family manor house she fled decades ago. Praying that her niece and nephew will be more hospitable than her brother had been, Cressida arrives with nothing but the clothes she stands in, at a loss as to how to rebuild her business while staying in a quaint country village. Cressida’s niece, Violet Westcott, is thrilled that her famous aunt is coming to stay – the village has been interminably dull with all the men off fighting. But just as Cressida arrives, so does Violet’s conscription letter. It couldn’t have come at a worse time: How will she ever find a suitably aristocratic husband if she has to spend her days wearing a frumpy uniform and doing war work? Meanwhile, the local vicar’s daughter, Grace Carlisle, is trying in vain to repair her mother’s gown, her only chance of a white wedding. When Cressida appears at the local Sewing Circle meeting, Grace asks for her help – but Cressida has much more to teach the ladies than just simple sewing skills. Before long, Cressida’s spirit and ambition galvanize the village group into action, and they find themselves mending wedding dresses not only for local brides but for brides across the country. And as the women dedicate themselves to helping others celebrate love, they might even manage to find it for themselves.
The Murders at Fleat House by Lucina Riley – When a young student is found dead at a private boarding school, it’s elite reputation is at risk. The headmaster is determined to write the death off as a tragic accident – but Detective Jazz Hunter will soon suspect that a murder has been committed. Escaping her own problems in London, the beautiful and isolated landscape of rural Norfolk had felt like the ideal place for Jazz to hide. But when it becomes clear the victim was tangled in a web of loyalties and old vendettas that go far beyond just one student, and as the body count begins to grow, Jazz knows she is running out of time. All roads lead back to the closed world of the school. But Fleat House and its residents refuse to give up their secrets so easily and as her investigation gathers pace, Jazz realises that they are even more sinister than she could possibly have imagined.