Fiction

What She Knew by Gilly McMillan. Thriller by this new author is getting rave reviews, calling it very sophisticated and mature, especially for a debut novelist.  "Newly single mother Rachel lets her son run ahead to the swing. When she arrives, he's gone.  With amazing pacing, McMillan weaves a variety of narrators' perspectives in this taut thriller and police procedural.  The author is a keen observer of the savagery of the Internet and insentivity of the press."  "Addictive ... Stayed up almost all night."  "Will keep you riveted to the last page."

What She Left Behind by Marie Wiseman. “I found this book to be pretty captivating and a quick read.  The book flip flops back in forth in time.  The more current period features an adolescent girl who goes through some fairly cliche moments but if you can get tolerate it the story that takes place in the past is very interesting.  You will truly appreciate how much we have advanced in the mental health field after reading this.”

What They Do in the Dark by Amanda Coe.“Interesting English story. See 'We Have to Talk about Kevin' for genre.”

What We Talk About When We Talk About Anne Frank: Storiesby Nathan Englander.  “In eight short stories, Englander grapples with the weight of the past, the relationship between history and the present, and the place of the Holocaust in modern life. Englander's characters wrestle with issues of faith, justice, desire and love, and his stories explore classic themes of sexual longing and ingenuity in the face of adversity.”  (Barnard Book Club)

When She Woke by Hilary Jordan “A very intriguing futuristic novel that explores hot issues like separation of church and state, technology  vs. privacy, criminal justice, and abortion through the eyes of a young woman.  Makes you wonder what our world could be like in the not so distant future.  I don't usually like futuristic books but this one is well worth the time.”

When the Killing's Done by T.C. Boyle.  “Set in the Channel Islands off California, the protagonist is a biologist with the Parks Service whose job is to save the native birds by eradicating rats from the islands.  Her antagonist is an animal-rights activist who believes that she is playing god by saving one animal and not another, and will go to any lengths to ruin her plans.”

Where the Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens. We imagine most of you have heard of this book, if not read it.  Reese Witherspoon picked it for her book list, and she was tapped to produce the film adaptation.  If you haven't gotten to it yet, have at it!  The novel tells the story of Kya, a young girl who is forced to raise herself in the marshes of coastal North Carolina.  Kya is a remarkable girl; gritty and resourceful. The marsh itself is a character in the novel, a surrogate mother of sorts. The novel alternates between two narratives: Kya's 1940s and 1950s childhood, and the investigation of the murder of Chase Andrews, a young man whose death forces Kya to confront the outside world.  Warning: Some felt it started a little slow, though all reviewers seemed to agree, once it got going, it was a rip-roaring read.

Where They Found Her by Kimberly McCreight From Amazon: "An idyllic suburban town. A devastating discovery. Shocking revelations that will change three lives forever. At the end of a long winter in well-to-do Ridgedale, New Jersey, the body of a newborn is found in the woods fringing the campus of the town's prestigious university. No one knows the identity of the baby, what ended her very short life, or how she came to be found among the fallen leaves. But for the residents of Ridgedale, there is no shortage of opinions. When freelance journalist and recent Ridgedale transplant Molly Sanderson is unexpectedly called upon to cover the disturbing news for the Ridgedale Reader—the town's local paper—she has good reason to hesitate. A severe depression followed the loss of her own baby, and this assignment could unearth memories she has tried hard to bury. But the disturbing history Molly uncovers is not her own. Her investigation reveals a decades-old trail of dark secrets hiding behind Ridgedale's white picket fences. Told from the perspectives of three Ridgedale women, Kimberly McCreight's taut and profoundly moving novel unwinds the tangled truth behind the tragedy, revealing that these women have far more in common than they could ever have imagined: that the very worst crimes are committed against those we love. And that—sooner or later—the past catches up to all of us."

While I Was Gone, by Sue Miller, author of the Good Mother. Definitely in the beach book category.  "Narrator Jo Becker, now a veterinarian married to a minister in a small Massachusetts town, was once a runaway bride who assumed a false name and lived with other dissaffected '60s bohemians in a group house in Cambridge. Her special friend in the house was sweet-spirited and generous Dana Jablonski, whose shocking and unsolved murder broke up the group and left Jo with unresolved questions about her own identity. She manages to ignore the memories of that time until, almost three decades later, one of the former housemates, Eli Mayhew, moves to her town. Eli, now a distinguished research scientist, provides a revelation that acts as the catalyst provoking Jo to face her guilt about her past behavior ... "

The Whistling Season by Ivan Doig. “Set in Montana in the early 1900s.  A widower with 3 sons responds to an ad from a woman seeking a housekeeping position. Good storytelling.  Well written.  Broad appeal.”