June 21, 2024
New Fiction
That Night in the Library by Eva Jurczyk – On the night before graduation, seven students gather in the basement of their university’s rare books library. They’re not allowed in the library after closing time, but it’s the perfect place for the ritual they want to perform – one borrowed from the Greeks, said to free those who take part in it from the fear of death. And what better time to seek the wisdom of ancient gods than in the hours before they’ll scatter in different directions to start their real lives? But just a few minutes into their celebration, the lights go out – and one of them drops dead. As the body count rises with nothing but the books to protect them, the group must figure out how to survive the night while trapped with a murderer.
A Talent for Murder by Peter Swanson – Martha Ratliff conceded long ago that she’d likely spend her life alone. She was fine with it, happy with her solo existence, stimulated by her work as a librarian in Maine. But then she met Alan, a charming and sweet natured salesman whose job took him on the road for half the year. When he asked her to marry him, she said yes, even though he still felt a little bit like a stranger. A year in and the marriage was good, except for that strange blood streak on the back of one of his shirts he’d worn to a conference in Denver. Her curiosity turning to suspicion, Martha investigates the cities Alan visited over the past year and uncovers a disturbing pattern – five unsolved cases of murdered women. Is she married to a serial killer? Or could it merely be a coincidence? Unsure what to think, Martha contacts an old friend from graduate school for advice. Lily Kintner once helped Martha out of a jam with an abusive boyfriend and may have some insight. Intrigued, Lily offers to meet Alan to find out what kind of man he really is…but what Lily uncovers is more perplexing and wicked than they ever could have expected.
The Housemaid is Watching by Freida McFadden – I used to clean people’s houses – now, I have one of my own. The charming kitchen, the quiet cul-de-sac, the huge year where my kids can play. My husband and I worked so hard for this life. When our new neighbour invites us to dinner, a maid opens the door. Looking at her white apron and neat hair is like looking in the mirror; I know exactly what it’s like to be in her shoes. But her cold stare gives me chills… That’s not the only strange thing here. I’m sure I saw a shadowy figure watching us. My husband leaves the house late at night. And one woman’s words chill me to the bone: be careful of your neighbours. I thought I’d left my darkest secrets behind. But could this quiet street be the most dangerous place of all?
The Paris Widow by Kimberly Belle – When Stella met Adam, she thought she had finally found a nice, normal guy – a welcome change from her previous boyfriend and her precarious jet-setter lifestyle with him. But her secure world comes crashing down when Adam goes missing after an explosion in the city square. Unable to reach him, she panics. As the French police investigate, it’s revealed that Adam was on their radar as a dealer of rare and stolen antiquities with a long roster of criminal clients. Reeling from this news, Stella is determined not to leave Paris until she has the full story. Was Adam a random victim or the target of the explosion? And why is someone following her through the streets of Paris?