April 21, 2023
The Golden Spoon by Jessa Maxwell – Every summer for the past ten years, six awestruck bakers have descended on the manicured grounds of Grafton, the leafy and imposing Vermont estate that is not only the filming site for Bake Week but also the childhood home of the show’s famous host, celebrated baker Betsy Martin. Long hailed as “America’s Grandmother”” for her charisma and warmth on-screen, it’s Betsy’s perfectionism behind the scenes that got her to this vaulted place in life, and she very much intends to continue her reign as America’s preeminent baking celebrity. But when someone dies on set, secrets emerge that threated to put them all in the unflattering glare of notoriety.
The London Séance Society by Sarah Penner – 1873. At an abandoned chateau on the outskirts of Paris, a dark séance is about to take place, led by acclaimed spiritualist Vaudeline D’Allaire. Known worldwide for her talent in conjuring the spirits of murder victims to ascertain the identities of the people who killed them, she is highly sought after by widows and investigators alike. Lenna Wickes has come to Paris to find answers about her sister’s death, but to do so, she must embrace the unknown and overcome her own logic-driven bias against the occult. When Vaudeline is beckoned to England to solve a high-profile murder, Lenna accompanies her as an understudy. But as the women team up with the powerful men of London’s exclusive Séance Society to solve the mystery, they begin to suspect that they are not merely out to solve a crime, but perhaps entangled in one themselves…
Her Deadly Game by Robert Dugoni – Keera Duggan was building a solid reputation as a Seattle prosecutor, until her romantic relationship with a senior colleague ended badly. For the competitive former chess prodigy, returning to her family’s failing criminal defense law firm to work for her father is the best shot she has. With the right moves, she hopes to restore the family’s reputation, her relationship with her father, and her career. Keera’s chance to play in the big leagues comes when she’s retained by Vince LaRussa, an investment adviser accused of murdering his wealthy wife. There’s little hard evidence against him, but considering the couple’s impending and potentially nasty divorce, LaRussa faces life in prison. The prosecutor is equally challenging: Miller Ambrose, Keera’s former lover, who’s eager to destroy her in court on her first homicide defense. As Keera and her team follow the evidence, they uncover a complicated and deadly game that’s more than Keera bargained for. When shocking information turns the case upside down, Keera must decide between her duty to her client, her family’s legacy, and her own future.
I Will Find You by Harlan Coben – David Burroughs was once a devoted father to his three-year-old son, Matthew, living a dream life just a short drive away from the working-class suburb where he and his wife, Cheryl, first fell in love – until one fateful night when David woke suddenly to discover Matthew had been murdered while David was sleep just down the hall. Half a decade later, David’s been wrongly accused and convicted of the murder, left to serve out his time in a maximum-security prison – a fate that, grieving and racked with guilt, David didn’t have the will to fight. The world has moved on without him. Then Cheryl’s younger sister, Rachel, makes a surprise appearance during visiting hours bearing a strange photograph. It’s a vacation shot a friend shared with her of a bustling amusement park, and in the background, just barely in frame, is a boy bearing an eerie resemblance to David’s son. Even though it can’t be, David just knows: Matthew is still alive. David plans a harrowing escape, determined to achieve the impossible – save his son, clear his own name, and discover the real story of what happened. But with his life on the line on and the FBI following his every move, can David evade capture long enough to reveal the shocking truth?