Staff Choices

The newest thriller by Barry Eisler, features the background and how Dox became the dangerous yet interesting character in the Eisler collective.

I found it interesting to read where Doxs got his name from and why. It was also useful to understand Dox's family background. The story itself taking place in Indonesia added some foreign flavor to it. The love interest that dox had in this story was also very integral to shaping his character for the rest of the books about him. Plenty of action and a very different ending than I expected. But it was appropriate to the story.

The Whalebone Theatre by Joanna Quinn is a family saga; a novel in 5 Acts and an Encore spanning the years of 1919 - 1945. Three children, Cristabel, Flossie, and Digby grow up in an English manor house with little supervision. The adults are rather dysfunctional and turn the home into a sort of artist colony. Taras, an artist and a bit of a grifter, ends up in residence at Chilcombe manor with his entourage of family and a couple of free-spirited admirers. As the children grow up, they are the ones who have a sense of decency, maturity, and a devotion to each other. Taras helps set up the Whalebone Theatre styled from the ribs of a beached whale and is the one who encourages the children's creativity.

When WWII befalls England and the world, everyone must do their part. Cristabel and Digby are driven to do more dangerous work. Flossie remains at home but participates in the Women's Land Army. German soldiers are taken prisoner and are sent to work at the house tending the grounds, garden and stable. English soldiers are billeted inside. Every aspect of their lives are upturned; there is sacrifice and deprivation. It is a frightening time and showed a point of view I hadn't read before.

The story moves at a langurous pace through its 553 pages but I found the storyline engrossing. This is for readers who enjoy a long story, and are in it for the long haul; and who enjoy reading a historical fiction debut novel. 

Every now and then, a book unexpectantly falls into your hands and ends up being the most pleasant surprise! Matt Cain manages to do that with his charming novel; The Secret Life of Albert Entwistle. Albert is a 64 yeat old postal worker who, since his Mum died, lives a solitary life with his cat Gracie. With no friends, family or hobbies, the news of his forced retirement sends him spinning. He realizes he has no choice but to start truly living and emabarks on a painful yet exhilirating journey to do just that. He courageously starts to reveal himself to neighbors, co-workers and customers on his route, who unexpectantly teach him what love, acceptance and frienship are. Eventually he realizes he needs to go back and find a lost love from 40 years ago as he seeks the happiness that was once so cruelly denied him. The overarching message that it's never too late to find love, will touch you and remind you that joy is often just a journey away. Filled with humor and plenty of interesting, quirky characters, I loved this heartwarming feel-good book!

Love a good story about rich people behaving badly? The Social Climber by Amanda Pellegrino centers around the wealthy elite in a juicy revenge story. A domestic thriller about Eliza Bennett, an evangelical college graduate, who is set to marry Graham Walker, a wealthy Yale alum from a prestigious family. Eliza has many secrets from her past and as they start to unfold, we are left unsure of her true intentions. You get a sneak peek into Eliza’s college days in the dual timeline that reveal what shaped her into the woman she is today. The mystery behind Eliza’s secrets is slow to build yet keeps you in suspense.

The book reminded me a little of Luckiest Girl Alive by Jessica Knoll. Both books have plot twists that have me recommending them as must reads for domestic thriller fans. So strap on your Louboutin’s and hang on for a jaw dropping finish.

Dr. Benjamin Gilmer tells a fascinating story of solving a medical mystery that contributed to the Other Dr. Gilmer murdering his father, the reason he is serving a life sentence in prison, and his pursuit of getting him appropriate treatment. It's also a human interest story of the unlikely bond that develops between the two Dr. Gilmers (no relation) over a 10 year period and whose lives are forever intertwined.

In 2022 I learned that my heart holds a special place for cozy fantasies. The year started with House in the Cerulean Sea and ended with The Very Secret Society of Irregular Witches. Without a doubt, if you enjoyed the former, you will adore the latter. 

Sangu Mandanna hit it out of the park with this warm, uplifting tale of a lonely witch on a path to self-discovery and love. It has found family, a fun magic system, romance and a twist I did not see coming.  

Mika Moon is a witch, but outside of a small group of other witches (whom she only sees a few times a year disguised as a book club), no one knows it. The only family she’s ever known is Primrose, the aging leader of their group who took Mika in when she was orphaned at a young age.  

Against Primrose’s ‘rules’ Mika starts an online account where she posts videos pretending to be a witch. However, one person doesn’t quite believe she’s pretending and invites Mika to tutor three young witches he is keeping hidden. Although she knows that Primrose would never approve, Mika accepts the offer and travels to Nowhere House. 

Upon arrival she learns she has only a few short months to help her new students learn to control their magic, or their family and everything they’ve ever know could be torn apart. What follows is heartwarming, quirky and 100% worth reading. 

A Few Right Thinking Men is the first novel in the Rowland Sinclair Mysteries, the title is also known as A House Divided. It is set in 1931 Australia during a time of political and social tumult. Rowland returns from England to discover his eponymously named uncle has been murdered and he simply can’t let this rest. Rowland belongs to a wealthy family but has an entourage of less monied, artistic friends that is frowned upon by his stuffy older brother. His friends are his soundboard as well as providing a wellspring of opportunities for getting into trouble. This is a character-based story, with plenty of drama, understated humor with a mystery being woven in.

Author Sulari Gentill is also the author of Woman in the Library. I recommend listening to this series as the narrator is excellent in voicing all of the characters. This series is best read in order and is for fans of amateur sleuth novels.

 I had a bit of a wait on a library list for this book--obviously there are quite a few Krueger fans out there waiting to read this latest installment of the Cork O'Connor series. It was worth the wait. Love the character of Wolf; the crossing of paths with the old mide, Henry Meloux, and all the action that follows. The heart of the story is really about a precious resource and the extreme lengths that men will go through to extract it. For some, it becomes a test of character or self-discovery. Fox Creek is a story about that journey.

The Phone Booth at the Edge of the World is a fictional story wrapped around a real place in Japan. There, on a private residence, in a garden, one can find a telephone booth with a disconnected phone "that carries voices into the wind". It was installed there to help those grieving, to provide an outlet for the living, to perhaps say what you always meant to say to someone who you now mourn.

Yui is a young woman bereft from the tragic loss of both her mother and her daughter. She travels to this wind phone, far from her home, to find out for herself if it can help her find some solace. There, she meets another traveler, Takeshi. Together, they will find themselves visiting the phone booth many times over the course of years, meeting others who use the phone, and finding compassion with the family who tends it. 

Author Laura Imai Messina has written a beautiful, engaging, character-driven story. It is slow-moving, similar to the path of healing from loss. I was so moved and intrigued by this unique tribute, I found out several replicas of the wind phone have been built around the world.
 

If you love big messy family sagas like I do, you will really enjoy this new book by Jennifer Close. The story revolves around the Sullivan family who run a beloved restaurant in Oak Park, and find themselves at a crossroads when the family patriarch passes away.

With failed relationships, and careers on the rocks, sisters Gretchen, Jane and cousin Teddy all turn to the familiarity of the restaurant for comfort. Gretchen leaves the rock band she has been a lead singer with for decades. Jane finds the north shore life stuffy and small minded. Teddy leaves a successful restaurant in Chicago to get away form his love troubles.

JP Sullivan's has always been their foundation. Their place to land, their place to gather. As children the kitchen staff cooked them breakfast as their parents prepped for the lunch and dinner crowds. As teens and grown-ups the restaurant is the place they find comfort in for all the important events in their lives. Reminiscent of The Most Fun We Ever Had, Marrying the Ketchups is a delight.