Fiction 5: Eclectic mix of new books
There's a nice variety in my picks of December new fiction – adventure, humor, romance and mystery. In Raiders of the Lost Heart two rival archaeologists are forced to keep their discoveries — and lingering attraction — under wraps from a thief. In Rebecca, Not Becky De’Andrea accepts her therapist's challenge to make a white friend after she moves from Atlanta to a white Virginia suburb. The Frozen River is a gripping historical mystery inspired by the life and diary of Martha Ballard, a renowned 18th-century midwife. In The Curse of Penryth Hall an American heiress tries to solve a gruesome murder at an English Manor House. In the thriller The Fourth Rule Riley Wolfe swindles the rich out of their undeserved treasures.
1. Raiders of the Lost Heart by Jo Segura
It's been archaeologist Dr. Socorro “Corrie” Mejía’s life goal to lead an expedition deep into the Mexican jungle in search of the long-lost remains of her ancestor, Chimalli, an Aztec ancient warrior. But when she is invited to join an all-expenses-paid dig to do just that, Corrie is sure it’s too good to be true and she’s right.
As the world-renowned expert on Chimalli, Corrie should be leading the expedition, not sharing the glory with her disgustingly handsome nemesis. But Dr. Ford Matthews has been finding new ways to best her since they were in grad school. Ford isn’t thrilled with this partnership either. With his life in shambles, the last thing he needs is a reminder of their rocky past.
They start to work together when they realize a thief is lurking around their campsite, forcing them to keep their discoveries — and lingering attraction — under wraps. With money-hungry artifact smugglers, the Mexican authorities, and the lies between them closing in, there’s only one way this all ends—explosively.
"Sexy escapist fun and delightful in every way."–Jenna Levine, USA Today bestselling author of My Roommate is a Vampire
"This book has it all! Passion, adventure, and so much swoon! Perfect novel for anyone who grew up wishing they could accompany Harrison Ford on a quest! Obsessed!"–Alana Albertson author of Ramón and Julieta
2. Rebecca, Not Becky by Christine Platt & Catherine Wigginton Greene
De’Andrea Whitman, her husband Malik, and their 5-year-old daughter, Nina, are new to the upper-crust white suburb of Rolling Hills, Virginia. De’Andrea is heartbroken to leave her comfortable life in the Black oasis of Atlanta. Between her mother-in-law’s Alzheimer's diagnosis, her daughter starting kindergarten and the overwhelming whiteness of Rolling Hills, she's struggling to adjust to her new community. Her therapist proposes a challenge: make a white girlfriend.
When Rebecca Myland learns about her new neighbors, the Whitmans, she's thrilled. As chair of the Parent Diversity Committee at her daughters’ school, she’s championed racial diversity in the community. What could be better than a brand-new Black family? It’s serendipitous when her daughter, Isabella, and Nina become best friends on the first day of kindergarten. Now, Rebecca can put everything she’s learned about antiracism into practice. And finally, the Parent Diversity Committee will have some diversity.
De’Andrea reluctantly joins Rebecca’s committee. The painfully earnest white woman is so overly eager it makes De’Andrea wonder if Rebecca’s therapist told her to make a Black friend! But when Rolling Hill’s rising racial sentiments bring the two women together in common cause, they find it isn’t the only thing they have in common
"A deep exhale of a narrative, Rebecca, Not Becky kept me laughing... and thinking. This is a reminder that talking about race doesn't have to be hard. It simply requires us to be honest." –New York Times bestselling author Jacqueline Woodson
3. The Frozen River by Ariel Lawhon
An NPR Book of the Year – From the New York Times bestselling author of I Was Anastasia and Code Name Hélène comes a gripping historical mystery inspired by the life and diary of Martha Ballard, a renowned 18th-century midwife who defied the legal system and wrote herself into American history.
Maine, 1789: When the Kennebec River freezes, entombing a man in the ice, Martha Ballard is summoned to examine the body and determine cause of death. As a midwife and healer, she is privy to much of what goes on behind closed doors in Hallowell. Her diary is a record of every birth and death, crime and debacle that unfolds in the close-knit community. Months earlier, Martha documented the details of an alleged rape committed by two of the town’s most respected gentlemen. One of those men has now been found dead in the ice. When a local physician undermines her conclusion, declaring the death an accident, Martha investigates the shocking murder on her own.
Over the course of one winter, as the trial nears, and whispers and prejudices mount, Martha doggedly pursues the truth. Her diary soon lands at the center of the scandal, implicating those she loves. Martha must decide where her loyalties lie.
“The Frozen River is so vivid, so textured and multilayered, that I felt I'd opened a door and entered post-revolutionary America, walking beside Lawhon's compelling characters in a time and place riven by hardship, disease, and misogyny, but also intense love and searing natural beauty. This novel was unlike anything I'd read before, and it left me awe-struck.” –Lauren Belfer, New York Times bestselling author of Ashton Hall
4. The Curse of Penryth Hall by Jess Armstrong
After the Great War, American heiress Ruby Vaughn made a life for herself running a rare bookstore in Exeter. When she delivers a box of books to a folk healer deep in the Cornish countryside, she is brought back to the one place she swore she’d never return. A more sensible soul would have delivered the package and left without rehashing old wounds. But no one has ever accused Ruby of being sensible. Thus begins her visit to Penryth Hall.
A foreboding fortress, Penryth Hall is home to Ruby’s once dearest friend, Tamsyn, and her husband, Sir Edward Chenowyth. It’s an unsettling place, and after a more unsettling evening, Ruby is eager to depart. But her plans change when Edward is found dead. His gruesome death in the orchard brings whispers of a returned curse. It also brings Ruan Kivell, the person whose books brought her to Cornwall. He's the man locals believe can break the curse. Ruby doesn’t believe in curses. But the villagers believe the curse will soon claim its next victim: Tamsyn.
To protect her friend, Ruby works alongside Kivell to find out what really happened in the orchard that night.
"Clear your calendar before you pick up The Curse of Penryth Hall, because once you start reading you won't want to stop." -Katharine Schellman author or Murder at Midnight and The Last Drop of Hemlock
5. The Fourth Rule by Jeff Lindsay
Riley Wolfe is a master of heists and disguises who swindles the rich out of their undeserved treasures. However, there's a dangerous new international criminal, the Cobra, who has a personal vendetta against Riley.
But Riley's not letting this threat slow him down. He prepares to take on the most powerful cultural institution in the world and bring home the Rosetta Stone. Riley is put to the ultimate test with his most venomous villain. Will he make it out alive?
"The Fourth Rule offers up a tasty combination plate of humor, deception, suspense and villainy – and that is just on the part of the protagonist. Wait until you meet the villain(s).” —Book Page
“Bestseller Lindsay ratchets up the stakes for master thief Riley Wolfe in his nail-biting fourth thriller featuring the charismatic antihero…Series fans will be captivated.” —Publishers Weekly
