Alliance Public Library

Agatha Christie: Surpassed only by the Bible and Shakespeare, Agatha Christie is the most successful writer of all time. We all know her characters and incredible plot twists, but what do we know about Agatha herself? Combining rare access to Agatha’s family, her personal archive and speaking to those who know her work best, discover what made the world’s most successful crime writer tick.  

Wander: Aaron Eckhart stars as retired detective Arthur Bretnik whose traumatic past has driven him into a state of paranoia and isolation. With the help of a close friend, Jimmy Cleats (Tommy Lee Jones), Bretnik is pulled into investigating the seemingly accidental death of a local young woman in the town of Wander. The expert detective must decipher whether he s a victim of his own psychological delusions or a witness to horrifying cruelty and corruption.

The War with Grandpa: Sixth-grader Peter (Oakes Fegley) is pretty much your average kid-he likes gaming, hanging with his friends and his beloved pair of Air Jordans. But when his recently widowed grandfather Ed (Robert De Niro) moves in with Peter’s family, the boy is forced to give up his most prized possession of all, his bedroom. Unwilling to let such an injustice stand, Peter devises a series of increasingly elaborate pranks to drive out the interloper, but Grandpa Ed won’t go without a fight.

Just Mercy: After graduating from Harvard, Bryan had his pick of lucrative jobs. Instead, he heads to Alabama to defend those wrongly condemned. One of his first, and most incendiary, cases is that of Walter McMillian, who, in 1987, was sentenced to die for the notorious murder of an 18-year-old girl, despite a preponderance of evidence proving his innocence and the fact that the only testimony against him came from a criminal with a motive to lie.

Spiral: A same-sex couple moves to a small town so they can enjoy a better quality of life as they raise their 16-year-old daughter. But nothing is as it seems in their picturesque neighborhood. And when they see that the folks next door are throwing a very strange party, being the new family in town suddenly feels extremely dangerous.

All Creatures Great and Small: Season One: Fresh out of Glasgow Veterinary College, James Herriot (Nicholas Ralph) follows his dream to become a vet in the magnificent Yorkshire Dales. He soon discovers that treating the animals is as much about treating their owners, and the Dales farmers are a tough crowd to please.

Wild Mountain thyme: The headstrong farmer Rosemary Muldoon (Emily Blunt) has her heart set on winning her neighbor Anthony Reilly’s love. The problem is Anthony (Jamie Dornan) seems to have inherited a family curse, and remains oblivious to his beautiful admirer. Stung by his father Tony Reilly’s (Christopher Walken) plans to sell the family farm to his American nephew (Jon Hamm), Anthony is jolted into pursuing his dreams in this comedic, moving and wildly romantic tale.

Alone: Jessica, a grief-stricken young widow, flees the city in an attempt to cope with the loss of her husband. When Jessica is tracked on the highway and then kidnapped by a mysterious man, she wakes to find herself locked in a cabin in the Pacific Northwest. She soon escapes into the untamed wilderness with only her wits to rely on for survival as she is pursued by her murderous captor.

Hope Gap: Grace lives an idyllic life in a British seaside town, but her world soon comes crashing down when her husband of 29 years tells her he’s leaving her for another woman. Through stages of shock, disbelief and anger — and with support from her son — Grace ultimately regains her footing while learning it’s never too late to be happy.

Made in Italy: Made in Italy is a heart-warming father son story set in glorious Tuscany about bohemian London artist Robert, who returns to Italy with his estranged son Jack (make a quick sale of the house they inherited from his late wife. Neither expects to find the once beautiful villa in such a state of disrepair… Renovations go badly, with father and son soon finding themselves at odds.

The Secrets She Keeps: Season One: Laura Carmichael and Jessica De Gouw star in this “fresh spin on the thriller genre.” Although they are both heavily pregnant and due at the same time, their lives could not be more different. Both women have secrets. And both will risk everything to conceal the truth. But their worlds are about to collide in one shocking act that cannot be undone.

Rhythm of War by Brandon Sanderson: After forming a coalition of human resistance against the enemy invasion, Dalinar Kholin and his Knights Radiant have spent a year fighting a protracted, brutal war. Now, as new technological discoveries by Navani Kholin’s scholars begin to change the face of the war, the enemy prepares a bold and dangerous operation.

The Chicken Sisters by KJ Del’Antonia: In tiny Merinac, Kansas, Chicken Mimi’s and Chicken Frannie’s have spent a century serving up the best fried chicken alongside a legendary feud between their respective owners. Tired of being caught in the middle, employee Amanda sends an SOS to Food Wars, the reality TV restaurant competition that promises $100,000 to the winner. But in doing so, she launches both families out of the frying pan and directly into the fire.

How to Raise and Elephant by Alexander McCall Smith: Mma Ramotswe is confronted by a distant relative, Blessing, who asks for help with an ailing cousin. The help requested is of a distinctly pecuniary nature, which makes both Mr. J.L.B. Matekoni and Mma Makutsi suspicious. And there is no peace at home, either, as the new neighbors are airing their marital grievances rather loudly.

In the Lion’s Den by Barbara Taylor Bradford: With Malvern’s daughter Alexis running away to the country after a terrible tragedy and refusing to return, James’ ascent to head of the company seems inevitable. But even a charmed life like James’ is not without its setbacks. Spanning the years from 1889 to 1892, In the Lion’s Den is Barbara Taylor Bradford at her historical storytelling best.

The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue: France, 1714: in a moment of desperation, a young woman makes a Faustian bargain to live forever and is cursed to be forgotten by everyone she meets. Thus begins the extraordinary life of Addie LaRue, and a dazzling adventure that will play out across centuries and continents, across history and art. But everything changes when, after nearly 300 years, Addie stumbles across a young man in a hidden bookstore and he remembers her name.

V2: a novel of World War II by Robert Harris: It’s November 1944–Willi Graf, a German rocket engineer, is launching Nazi Germany’s V2 rockets at London from Occupied Holland. When rumors of a defector circulate through the German ranks, Graf becomes a suspect. Unknown to each other, Graf and Connolly find themselves on opposite sides in the hunt for the saboteur. Their destinies are on a collision course.

The Abstainer by Ian McGuire: Stephen Doyle, an Irish-American veteran of the Civil War, arrives in Manchester from New York with a thirst for blood. He has joined the Fenians, a secret society intent on ending British rule in Ireland by any means necessary. When a long-lost nephew returns from America and arrives on O’Connor’s doorstep looking for work, O’Connor cannot foresee the way his fragile new life will be imperiled–and how his and Doyle’s fates will be intertwined.

The Thursday Murder Club by Richard Osman: In a peaceful retirement village, four unlikely friends meet weekly in the Jigsaw Room to discuss unsolved crimes; together they call themselves The Thursday Murder Club. When a local developer is found dead, the Thursday Murder Club suddenly find themselves in the middle of their first live case. The friends might be septuagenarians, but they are cleverer than most. Can our unorthodox but brilliant gang catch the killer before it’s too late?

Smoke Signal by L.T. Ryan: Rachel Hatch returns to Hawk’s Landing after closing the chapter on her father’s death. A death on a neighboring reservation has Sheriff Dalton Savage and his small department working overtime to figure out the truth. Hatch tries to maintain her distance from the case. As the case investigation progresses, Hatch’s past comes crashing back. To save the people who matter most in her life, Hatch must make the ultimate sacrifice.

The Greatest Secret by Rhonda Byrne: From Rhonda Byrne, the author of the worldwide phenomenon The Secret, comes The Greatest Secret—a long-awaited major new work that offers revelations and practices to end suffering and discover lasting happiness. This book reveals the greatest discovery a human being can ever make, and shows you the way out of negativity, problems, and what you don’t want, to a life of permanent happiness and bliss.

Empty out the Negative by Joel Osteen: When you give space to negative emotions, they take up space that you need for the good things that move you toward your destiny. Power up and get your mind going in the right direction, and you’ll step into all the new things God has in store for you.

Modern Warriors by Pete Hegseth: After three Army deployments—earning two Bronze Stars and a Combat Infantryman’s Badge—Pete Hegseth knows what it takes to be a modern warrior. In Modern Warriors he presents candid, unfiltered conversations with fellow modern warriors. Together these stories and images provide an unvarnished representation of battlefield leadership, military morale, and the strain of war.

Post Corona by Scott Galloway: New York Times bestselling author Scott Galloway argues the pandemic has not been a change agent so much as an accelerant of trends already well underway. And the pandemic has accelerated deeper trends in government and society, exposing a widening gap between our vision of America as a land of opportunity, and the troubling realities of our declining wellbeing.

The Search for John Lennon by Leslie-Ann Jones: Pulling back the many hidden layers of John Lennon’s life, Lesley-Ann Jones closely tracks the events and personality traits that led to the rock star living in self-imposed exile in New York—where he was shot dead outside his apartment on that fateful autumn day forty years ago. The Search for John Lennon delves deep into psyche of the world’s most storied musician—the good, the bad and the genius—forty years on from his tragic death.

No Time like the Future by Michael J. Fox: Fox shares personal stories and observations about illness and health, aging, the strength of family and friends, and how our perceptions about time affect the way we approach mortality. He describes how his challenge to learn how to walk again, only to suffer a devastating fall, nearly caused him to ditch his trademark optimism.

Home Body by Rapi Kaur: Rupi Kaur constantly embraces growth, and in home body, she walks readers through a reflective and intimate journey visiting the past, the present, and the potential of the self. Home Body is a collection of raw, honest conversations with oneself – reminding readers to fill up on love, acceptance, community, family, and embrace change.

The Best of Me by David Sedaris: For more than 25 years, David Sedaris has been carving out a unique literary space, virtually creating his own genre. The Best of Me spans a career spent watching and learning and laughing – quite often at himself – and invites listeners deep into the world of one of the most brilliant and original writers of our time.

Frontier Follies by Ree Drummond: In this relatable, charming book, Ree unveils real goings-on in the Drummond house and around the ranch. In stories brimming with the lively wit and humor, Ree pulls back the curtain and shares her experiences with childbirth, wildlife, isolation, teenagers, in-laws, and a twenty-five-year marriage to a cowboy/rancher.

Group: how one therapist and a circle of strangers saved my life by Christie Tate: Christie Tate had just been named the top student in her law school and finally had her eating disorder under control. Why was she envisioning putting an end to the isolation and sadness that still plagued her despite her achievements? Enter Dr. Rosen, a therapist who assures her that if she joins one of his psychotherapy groups, he can transform her life.

Truly, Madly, Deeply by Karen Kingsbury: When eighteen-year-old Tommy Baxter declares to his family that he wants to be a police officer after graduation, his mother, Reagan, won’t hear of it, but Tommy’s father, Luke Baxter, is proud. Soon Realizations come to light that rock Tommy’s world, and he becomes determined to spend his future fighting crime.

The Once and Future Witches by Alix E. Harrow: When the Eastwood sisters join the suffragists of New Salem, they pursue the forgotten words and ways that might turn the women’s movement into the witch’s movement. Stalked by shadows and hunted by forces who will not suffer a witch to vote — and perhaps not even to live — the sisters will need to delve into the oldest magics, draw new alliances, and heal the bond between them if they want to survive. There’s no such thing as witches. But there will be.

Unrestricted Access: new and classic short fiction by James Rollins: At the center of Unrestricted Access is the never-before-published novella “Sun Dogs. Other stories-each with an introduction by James Rollins-are just as compelling, offering broader insight into this acclaimed master’s fictional universes.

Goodnight Beautiful by Aimee Molloy: Annie spends most of her time alone while Sam, her therapist husband, works long hours in his downstairs office, tending to the egos of his (mostly female) clientele. Little does Sam know that through a vent in his ceiling, every word of his sessions can be heard from the room upstairs. Who could resist listening? Everything is fine until the French girl in the green mini Cooper shows up, throwing a wrench into Sam and Annie’s happily ever after.

The Cold Millions by Jess Walker: Gig and Rye Dolan work odd jobs each day just to secure a meal, and spend nights sleeping wherever they can. When Rye’s turn on the soap box catches the eye of well-known activist and suffragette Elizabeth Gurley, he is swept into the world of labor activism-and dirty business. With his brother’s life on the line, Rye must evade the barbaric police force, maneuver his way out of the clutches of a wealthy businessman-and figure out for himself what he truly stands for.

Tom Clancy: Shadow of the Dragon by Marc Cameron: The Chinese Ministry of State Security are dealing with the disappearance of the brilliant scientist, Liu Wangshu. Finding Liu is too great an opportunity to pass up, but there’s one more problem. A high-level Chinese mole, codenamed Surveyor, has managed to infiltrate American Intelligence. President Jack Ryan has only one choice: send John Clark to find an old student of the professor’s who may hold the key to his whereabouts.

Unmasked by L.T. Ryan: A heinous crime leads the FBI in search of answers. Blake Brier finds himself sucked back into the life he left behind. Blake grows more entangled in the plot of a hacktivist group turned terrorist organization. And when it becomes personal, Blake will stop at nothing to find the truth.

Perestroika in Paris by Jane Smiley: Paras, short for “Perestroika,” is a spirited racehorse at a racetrack west of Paris. One afternoon at dusk, she finds the door of her stall open and–she’s a curious filly–wanders all the way to the City of Light. But then Paras meets a human boy and the unlikeliest of friendships bloom. But how long can a runaway horse stay undiscovered in Paris? How long can a boy keep her hidden and all to himself?

The Awakening by Nora Roberts: When Breen Kelly inherits money from her long-lost father and travels to Ireland, it will unlock mysteries she couldn’t have imagined. Here, she will begin to understand why she kept seeing that silver-haired, elusive man and where her true destiny lies—through a portal in Galway that takes her to a land of faeries and mermaids, to a man named Keegan, and to the courage in her own heart that will guide her through a powerful, dangerous destiny.

Batman: death in the family:  Immerse yourself in this interactive movie, based on the iconic DC storyline event, where your choices will shape the destinies of Gotham City’s Caped Crusaders.

Fatima: A trial of faith unfolds at the apex of World War I when a 10-year-old shepherdess and her two young cousins in Fátima, Portugal, who report seeing visions of the Virgin Mary.

Superman: man of tomorrow: Daily Planet intern Clark Kent takes learning-on-the-job to new extremes when Lobo and Parasite set their sights on Metropolis.

Grant: the complete miniseries: The documentary-series examines Grant’s life story using his perspective and experiences to explore a turbulent time in history: the Civil War and Reconstruction.

Trump Card: Filmmaker Dinesh D’Souza examines the ideas of socialism and the state of politics in America.

Ava: Ava is a deadly assassin who works for a black ops organization, traveling the globe specializing in high profile hits. When a job goes dangerously wrong she is forced to fight for her own survival.

Hard Kill: When billionaire tech CEO Donovan Chalmers (Bruce Willis) hires a team of mercenaries to protect a lethal piece of technology, security expert and team leader (Jesse Metcalfe) finds himself in a deadly showdown with an old enemy. Miller and his team must race against the clock to protect the fate of the human race before it’s too late.

The Killing Floor: Tells the little-known true story of the struggle to build an interracial labor union in the Chicago Stockyards.

Unhinged: Rachel (Caren Pistorius) is running late to work when she has an altercation at a traffic light with a stranger (Crowe) whose life has left him feeling powerless and invisible. Soon, Rachel finds herself, and everyone she loves, the target of a man who decides to make one last mark upon the world by teaching her a series of deadly lessons.

The Rental: Two couples on an ocean side getaway grow suspicious that the host of their seemingly perfect rental house may be spying on them. Before long, what should have been a celebratory weekend trip turns into something far more sinister, as well-kept secrets are exposed and the four old friends come to see each other in a whole new light.

The Silencing: A reformed hunter living in isolation on a wildlife sanctuary becomes involved in a deadly game of cat and mouse when he and the local Sheriff set out to track a vicious killer who may have kidnapped his daughter years ago.

Waiting for the Barbarians: The Magistrate of an isolated frontier settlement on the border of an unnamed empire looks forward to an easy retirement until the arrival of Colonel Joll, whose task it is to report on the activities of the barbarians and on the security situation on the border. Joll conducts a series of ruthless interrogations, which leads the Magistrate to question his loyalty to the empire.

Daylight by David Baldacci: For many long years, Atlee Pine was tormented by uncertainty after her twin sister, Mercy, was abducted at the age of six and never seen again. Now, just as Atlee is pressured to end her investigation into Mercy’s disappearance, she finally gets her most promising breakthrough and finally discovers the truth about what happened, and that truth will shock Pine to her very core.

Marauder by Clive Cussler: While stopping a violent attack on a Kuwaiti oil tanker, Juan Cabrillo and his team discover something even more dangerous: a ruthless billionaire’s dying wish has allowed a paralyzing chemical to end up in the hands of a terrorist group. And the billionaire’s daughter will stop at nothing to see his plan through.

The Kingdom by Jo Nesbo: A mechanic from a rural mountain village finds the limits of his family loyalties tested when his entrepreneur brother announces plans to revitalize the community through a hotel project that becomes increasingly overshadowed by greed and dangerous secrets.

Moonflower Murders by Anthony Horowitz: Stefan Codrescu, a Romanian maintenance man in a historic Suffolk hotel, is found guilty of a murder that occurred at the hotel. Late author Alan Conway based a book in his detective series on the hotel. Cecily Treherne, the daughter of the hotel owner, read the book and believes the truth of Stefan’s innocence is found in its pages. But now…she has disappeared and editor Susan Ryeland travels to Suffolk to investigate.

Crisis by Kurt Schlichter: Kelly TurnbullBrought back to the United States to work with an elite group of operators who are seeking to stop the slide to open civil war, Turnbull pursues a leftist terrorist mastermind who will stop at nothing to burn down the country. His odyssey takes him from an attack on Capitol Hill to the “liberated zone” of Minneapolis to a desperate battle in the California desert. Turnbull is once again locked and loaded, with his trusty Wilson Combat .45 and his trademark bad attitude.

A Song for Dark Times by Ian Rankin: When his daughter Samantha calls in the dead of night, John Rebus knows it’s not good news. Her husband has been missing for two days. Rebus fears the worst – and knows from his lifetime in the police that his daughter will be the prime suspect. As he leaves at dawn to drive to the windswept coast – and a small town with big secrets – he wonders whether this might be the first time in his life where the truth is the one thing he doesn’t want to find.

The Butcher’s Blessing by Ruth Gilligan: The Butcher’s roam from farm to farm in Ireland, enacting ancient methods of cattle slaughter. For photographer Ronan, the Butchers are ideal subjects: representatives of an older, more folkloric Ireland whose survival is now being tested. As he moves through the countryside, Ronan captures this world image by image-a lake, a cottage, and his most striking photo: a single Butcher, hung upside down in a pose of unspeakable violence.

Private Moscow by James Patterson: Before the New York Stock Exchange bell rings, a bullet rips through the air and finds its mark. In the aftermath of the murder, the victim’s wife hires Jack to find the killer. Jack identifies another murder in Moscow that appears to be linked. So he heads to Russia, and begins to uncover a conspiracy that could have global consequences.

They Never Learn by Layne Fargo: Scarlett Clark is an exceptional English professor. But she’s even better at getting away with murder. Every year, she searches for the worst man at Gorman University and plots his well-deserved demise. Thanks to her meticulous planning, she’s avoided drawing attention to herself–but as she’s preparing for her biggest kill yet, the school starts probing into the growing body count on campus putting her secret life at risk of exposure.

Deadly Cross by James Patterson: Kay Willingham, ex-wife of the sitting vice-president, is murdered inside a luxury limousine. Few, including her onetime psychologist, had any inkling of Kay’s troubled past in the Deep South. Murdered alongside her is Randall Christopher, a respected educator whose political ambitions may have endangered their lives. Alex is left without a suspect, even as he faces a desperate choice between breaking a trust and losing his way, as a detective, and as the protector of his family.

Didn’t See That Coming by Rachel Hollis: As Rachel writes, it is up to you how you come through your pain—you can come through changed for the better, having learned and grown, or stuck in place where your identity becomes rooted in what hurt you. To Rachel, a life well lived is one of purpose, focused only on the essentials. This is a small book about big feelings: inspirational, aspirational, and an anchor that shows that darkness can co-exist with the beautiful.

Speaking for Myself by Sarah Huckabee Sanders: Sarah Huckabee Sanders describes what it was like on the front lines and inside the White House, discussing her faith, being a working, her relationship with the press, and her unique role in the historic fight raging between the Trump administration and its critics for the future of our country.  Sarah offers unique perspective and unprecedented access to both public and behind-the-scenes conversations within the Trump White House.

Blackout by Candace Owens: Political activist and social media star Candace Owens explains all the reasons how the Democratic Party policies hurt, rather than help, the African American community, and why she and many others are turning right.

Rise Up: Confronting a Country at the Crossroads by Al Sharpton: Reverend Sharpton revisits the highlights of the Obama administration, the 2016 election and Trump’s subsequent hold on the GOP, and draws on his decades-long experience with other key players in politics and activism to shed light on everything from race relations and gender bias to climate change and the global pandemic.

When More Is Not Better by Roger Martin: American democratic capitalism is in danger. How can we save it? We must stop treating the economy as a perfectible machine, Martin argues, and shift toward viewing it as a complex adaptive system in which we must seek a fundamental balance of efficiency with resilience. Filled with keen economic insight and advice for citizens, executives, policymakers, and educators, When More Is Not Better is the must-read guide for saving democratic capitalism

The Innovation Delusion by Lee Vinsel: Historians of technology Lee Vinsel and Andrew Russell argue that our focus on shiny new things has made us poorer, less safe, and–ironically–less innovative. Drawing on years of original research and reporting, they show how our fixation on innovation has harmed the economy and offer a compelling plan for how we can shift our focus from the pursuit of growth at all costs, and back toward the people and technologies underpinning so much of modern life.

Obsession by Byron York: Byron York, chief political correspondent for the Washington Examiner, investigates the Democrats’ efforts to end the Trump administration through impeachment and other means.

Blitz by David Horowitz: Attacks made against Trump have been the most brutal ever mounted against a sitting president of the United States. Blinded by deep-seated hatred of his person and his policies, the Left even desperately tried to oust Trump in a failed impeachment bid. Horowitz shows that their very attacks backfired, turning Trump himself into a near martyr while igniting the fervor of his base.

Melania and Me by Stephanie Winston Wolkoff: A portrayal of Stephanie Winston Wolkoff’s fifteen-year friendship with Melania Trump and observations of what many see as the most chaotic White House in history.

Follow the Money by Dan Bongino: Follow the Money exposes the labyrinth of connections between D.C.’s slimiest swamp creatures–Democrat operatives, lying informants, desperate, and destructive FBI agents, Obama power brokers, CIA renegade John Brennan, George Soros, and more–who conspired to attack Trump by manufacturing one bogus scandal after another.

His Truth is Marching On: John Lewis and the Power of Hope by Jon Meachum: John Lewis, who at age twenty-five marched in Selma and was beaten on the Edmund Pettus Bridge, is a visionary and a man of faith. Using intimate interviews with Lewis and his family and deep research into the history of the civil rights movement, Meacham writes of how the activist and leader was inspired by the Bible, his mother’s unbreakable spirit, his sharecropper father’s tireless ambition, and his teachers in nonviolence.

The Empire of Gold by S.A. Chakraborty: Daevabad has fallen. After a brutal conquest stripped the city of its magic, Nahid leader Banu Manizheh and her resurrected commander, Dara, must try to repair their fraying alliance and stabilize a fractious, warring people. Nahri and Ali, now safe in Cairo, face difficult choices of their own. As peace grows more elusive and old players return, Nahri, Ali, and Dara come to understand that in order to remake the world they may need to fight those they once loved.

The Golden Cage by Camilla Lackberg: Jack, the perpetual golden boy, grew up wealthy, unlike Faye, who has worked hard to bury a dark past. When Jack needs help launching a new company, Faye leaves school to support him. Then Faye finds herself alone, shattered, and financially devastated–but hell hath no fury like a woman with a violent past bent on vengeance. Jack is about to get exactly what he deserves–and so much more.

The Pull of the Stars by Emma Donoghue: In an Ireland doubly ravaged by war and disease, Nurse Julia Power works at a hospital where expectant mothers who have fallen sick are quarantined into a separate ward to keep the plague at bay. Into Julia’s world step two outsiders: a woman doctor who is a rumored Rebel and a teenage girl procured from an orphanage as an extra set of hands. In the intensity of this ward, over three brutal days, Julia and the women come together in unexpected ways.

The Darkest Evening by Ann Cleeves: On the first snowy night of winter, Detective Inspector Vera Stanhope finds a car has skidded off a narrow road, its door left open, and she stops to help. There is no driver, so Vera assumes that the owner has gone to find help. But a cry calls her back: a toddler is strapped in the back seat. Vera takes the child and, driving on, she arrives at a place she knows well. Inside, there’s a party in full swing. Outside, a woman lies dead in the snow.

The Geometry of Holding Hands by Alexander McCall Smith: In Edinburgh, the latest whispers hint at mysterious goings-on, and who but Isabel can be trusted to get to the bottom of them? At the same time, she must deal with her two small children, her husband, and her rather tempestuous niece, Cat, whose latest romantic entanglement comes–to no one’s surprise–with complications. Still, even with so much going on, Isabel, through the application of good sense, logic, and ethics, will triumph.

Hamnet by Maggie O’Farrell: A thrilling departure: a short, piercing, deeply moving novel about the death of Shakespeare’s 11 year old son Hamnet–a name interchangeable with Hamlet in 15th century Britain–and the years leading up to the production of his great play. Hamnet offers luminous portrait of a marriage, a shattering evocation of a family ravaged by grief and loss, and a hypnotic recreation of the story that inspired one of the greatest masterpieces of all time.

The Order by Daniel Silva: When Pope Paul VII dies suddenly, Gabriel is summoned to Rome by the Holy Father’s loyal private secretary, Archbishop Luigi Donati. A billion Catholic faithful have been told that the pope died of a heart attack. Donati, however, has two good reasons to suspect his master was murdered. The Swiss Guard who was standing watch outside the papal apartments the night of the pope’s death is missing. So, too, is the letter the Holy Father was writing during the final hours of his life. A letter that was addressed to Gabriel.

Relentless by R.A. Salvatore: Displaced in time and unexpectedly reunited with his son, Drizzt Do’Urden, Zaknafein has overcome the prejudices ingrained in him as a drow warrior to help his son battle the ambitious Spider Queen and stem the tide of darkness that has been unleashed upon the Forgotten Realms. When circumstances take an unexpected turn, Zaknafein discovers he must not only conquer the darkness but learn to accept the uncontrollable: life itself.

Shadows in Death by J.D. Robb: While Eve examines a fresh body in Washington Square Park, her husband, Roarke, spots a man among the onlookers he’s known since his younger days on the streets of Dublin. A man who claims to be his half-brother. A man who kills for a living and who burns with hatred for him. Eve is quick to suspect that the victim’s spouse resentful over his wife’s affair and poised to inherit her fortune would have happily paid an assassin to do his dirty work. Roarke is just as quick to warn her that if Lorcan Cobbe is the hitman, she needs to be careful.

Florence Sadler Swims Forever by Rachel Beanland: Esther and Joseph Adler find their apartment bursting at the seams with one daughter home from college, the other on bed rest, and an immigrant from Nazi Germany. When tragedy strikes during one of Florence’s practice swims, Esther makes the decision to keep the truth about Florence’s death from Fannie-at least until the baby is born. She pulls the rest of the family into an elaborate web of secret keeping and lies, forcing to the surface long-buried tensions that show us just how quickly the act of protecting those we love can turn into betrayal.

Outsider by Linda Castillo: “Chief of Police Kate Burkholder’s past comes back to haunt her when she receives a call from Amish widower Adam Lengacher. While enjoying a sleigh ride with his children, he discovered a car stuck in a snowdrift and an unconscious woman inside. Kate arrives at his farm and is shocked to discover the driver is a woman she hasn’t seen in ten years: fellow cop Gina Colorosa. The reunion takes an ominous turn when Kate learns Gina is wanted for killing an undercover officer.

Blacktop Wasteland by S.A. Cosby: Beauregard “Bug” Montage is a man with many different titles: husband, father, friend, honest car mechanic. However, Bug used to be known from the hills of North Carolina to the beaches of Florida as the best Wheel Man on the East Coast. After a series of financial calamities, Bug feels he has no choice but to take one final job as the getaway driver for a daring diamond heist that could solve all his money troubles and allow him to go straight once and for all.

Fast Girls by Elise Hooper: This novel explores the real life history of female athletes, members of the first integrated women’s Olympic team, and their journeys to the 1936 summer games in Berlin, Nazi Germany. It is a chronicle of three athletes who defied society’s expectations of what women could achieve.

Into Darkness by Terry Goodkind: The story of a world confronted by an apocalyptic nightmare. Continues Richard and Kahlan’s lives after the Sword of Truth series in novella form.

A Private Cathedral by James Lee Burke: When Detective Dave Robicheaux stops off at an amusement park to watch a teenaged Elvis-like rock-and-roller from his hometown of New Iberia named Johnny Shondell, he inadvertently stumbles into a real life Romeo and Juliet love story playing out in the in the New Iberia criminal underworld. A Private Cathedral is both vintage Burke and one of his most inventive works –mixing romance, violence, mythology and science fiction to produce a thrilling story about the all-consuming power of love.

A Beautifully Foolish Endeavor by Hank Green: The Carls disappeared the same way they appeared, in an instant. While the robots were on Earth, they caused confusion and destruction with only their presence. Part of their maelstrom was the sudden viral fame and untimely death of April May. Now mysterious books seem to predict the future and control the actions of their readers – all of which seems to suggest that April could be very much alive. In the midst of the search for the truth and the search for April is a growing force, something that wants to capture our consciousness and even control our reality.

When These Mountains Burn by David Joy: When his addict son gets in deep with his dealer, it takes everything Raymond Mathis has to bail him out of trouble one last time. Frustrated by the slow pace and limitations of the law, Raymond decides to take matters into his own hands. For months, the DEA has been chasing the drug supply in the mountains to no avail, when a lead–just one word–sets one agent on a path to crack the case wide. As chance brings together these men from different sides of a relentless epidemic, each may come to find that his opportunity for redemption lies with the other.

Utopia Avenue by David Mitchell: Soho, London, 1967. Folk-rock-psychedelic quartet Utopia Avenue is formed. Over two years and two albums, Utopia Avenue navigates the dark end of the Sixties: its parties, drugs and egos, political change and personal tragedy; and the trials of life as a working band in London, the provinces, European capitals and, finally, the Promised Land of America. What is art? What is fame? What is music? How can the whole be more than the sum of its parts? Can idealism change the world? How does your youth shape your life? This is the story of Utopia Avenue. Not everyone lives to the end.

The Room Where It Happened by John Bolton: With almost daily access to the president, John Bolton has produced a precise rendering of his days in and around the Oval Office. He shows a President addicted to chaos, who embraced our enemies and spurned our friends, and who was suspicious of his own government. In Bolton’s telling, all this helped put Trump on the bizarre road to impeachment.

The Hardest Job in the World by John Dickerson: The presidency is a job of surprises with high stakes, requiring vision, management skill, and an even temperament. Ultimately, in order to evaluate candidates properly for the job, we need to adjust our expectations, and be more realistic about the goals, the requirements, and the limitations of the office. As Dickerson writes, “Americans need their president to succeed, but the presidency is set up for failure. It doesn’t have to be.”

Liberal Privilege by Donald Trump, Jr.: While Americans strive to make an honest living by working hard, liberals within the swamp have perfected a way of barely working while elevating themselves above all of us. This book will take you behind the scenes of the swamp, just as the nation gears up for the next presidential election as Donald Trump, Jr. reveals the truth the media has long refused to cover.

Too Much and Never Enough by Mary L. Trump: In this revelatory, authoritative portrait of Donald J. Trump and the toxic family that made him, Mary L. Trump, a trained clinical psychologist and Donald’s only niece, shines a bright light on the dark history of their family in order to explain how her uncle became the man who now threatens the world’s health, economic security, and social fabric.

How to Destroy America in Three Easy Steps by Ben Shapiro: A growing number of Americans want to tear down what it’s taken us 250 years to build–and they’ll start by canceling our shared history, ideals, and culture. Traditional areas of civic agreement are vanishing. We can’t agree on what makes America special. We’re coming to the point that we can’t even agree what the word America itself means.

Donald Trump and His Assault on the Truth: Donald Trump and His Assault on Truth is based on the only comprehensive compilation and analysis of the more than 16,000 fallacious statements that Trump has uttered since the day of his inauguration. Drawing on Trump’s tweets, press conferences, political rallies, and TV appearances, The Washington Post identifies his most frequently used misstatements, biggest whoppers, and most dangerous deceptions.

Trump and the American Future by Newt Gingrich: The 2020 election will be a decisive choice for America, especially as we emerge from the coronavirus crisis. Not since the election of 1964 has the choice in an election been so stark. Featuring insights gleaned from the lifetime of experience and access only Newt Gingrich can bring, Trump and the American Future will be crucial reading for every citizen who wants to continue to make America great again.

The Impostors by Steve Bennen: I recent years, the Republican Party has undergone an astonishing metamorphosis, one so baffling and complete that few have fully reckoned with the reality and its consequences. The Impostors serves as a devastating indictment of the GOP’s breakdown while challenging Republicans with an imperative question: Are they ready to change direction? As Benen writes, “A great deal is riding on their answer.”

Fallout by John Soloman: An indispensable guide to the hidden background of recent events, Fallout shows how Putin’s bid for nuclear dominance produced a series of political scandals that ultimately posed one of the greatest threats to our democracy in modern American history.

Rage by Bob Woodward: An essential account of the Trump presidency draws on interviews with firsthand sources, meeting notes, diaries, and confidential documents to provide details about Trump’s moves as he faced a global pandemic, economic disaster, and racial unrest.