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True Crime

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Murder at Teal’s Pond is an atmospheric and page-turning historical true crime book with all the elements of a future classic in the vein of The Devil in the White City and In Cold Blood.

Authors David Bushman and Mark T. Givens are Twin Peaks aficionados and have been writing and podcasting about the show for years. When they learned that Laura Palmer, the victim at the heart of the show, was inspired by a real woman—the beautiful and mysterious Hazel Drew—they became utterly fascinated by Hazel’s unsolved murder, determined to find out what exactly happened to her back in 1908.

Who would want to kill Hazel, an enigmatic—and powerless—domestic worker? Was it a crime of passion or premeditated? Did she have a secret lover, or was she witness to a crime? In this expertly researched book, Bushman and Givens investigate the prominent families, politicians, and power brokers of the time, as well as Hazel’s own family. The authors leave no stone unturned in their search for what happened on that fateful day in July of 1908.

In the end, we must accept there will never be a happy ending for Hazel, but I do believe the authors have provided her with long-overdue justice.

—Liz Pearsons, Editor

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After finishing a novel, especially a riveting historical novel, I always wonder what inspired the author to tell that particular story. When I asked Gemma Liviero what sparked the idea for this novel, she shared how she came across a devastating account of a sixteen-year-old British soldier during World War I who, injured and suffering from shell shock, wandered away from the trenches. What unfolded after he was arrested for desertion haunted Gemma, and from that seed grew Half in Shadow.

Both heartbreaking and life-affirming, Half in Shadow takes an unflinching look at grief, guilt, and loyalty. At the center of the book lies a love story between two characters who have lost so much. Josephine works for the Belgian resistance, desperate to protect what’s left of her family. Arthur, a British soldier caught behind enemy lines, has no home to return to. They find solace in each other, but the war makes it nearly impossible for them to stay together.

What I love most about this book is the thread of hope woven throughout. Although the characters endure unbearable suffering and loss, they hold on to hope—hope for their families, hope for redemption, and hope for one another.

—Jodi Warshaw, Editor

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When author C. J. Washington first heard his father tell the story of a woman diagnosed with a mysterious condition called pseudocyesis, it immediately sparked his imagination. What would cause a person to experience the symptoms of pregnancy without being pregnant?

In The Intangible, Amanda Jackson has suffered a miscarriage, but her body pretends otherwise, leading doctors to diagnose her with phantom pregnancy. With her marriage strained to its limits, Amanda turns to neuroscientist Patrick Davis for answers. But, as Amanda comes to find out, Patrick and his wife, Marissa, are experiencing an unimaginable loss of their own.

The characters’ emotions are so raw and palpable, and the consequences so explosive, I couldn’t help but be engrossed in this story. This remarkable debut novel is a powerful portrayal of how the intensity of grief can blur reality.

—Selena James, Editor

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From the bestselling author of the Jon Reznick series comes an adrenaline-filled story with a powerful new detective: Jack McNeal. McNeal is the type of NYPD detective who stands out. He is known in his department, Internal Affairs, for bringing down the corrupt cops of New York City—until he is suddenly thrown under the lens of investigation when the body of his estranged wife, Caroline, is found in Washington, DC.

As McNeal delves deeper into Caroline’s disappearance, he discovers that her work as a political journalist had led her to investigate an eerily similar disappearance of a DC socialite years earlier. The connections that McNeal makes between the disappearances send him on a twisty, dark journey into the lives of the most powerful people in America.

J. B. Turner is a complete master of high-octane thrillers; the tension is palpable from the very first page. In addition to the gripping, fast-paced action, I loved following the journey of a man used to keeping people within the lines transforming into someone who stops at nothing to discover the truth, even taking himself outside his comfort zone—and the law—to do so.

—Victoria Haslam, Editor

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Have you ever felt yourself torn between two places? This feeling of being pulled between homes, but not fully fitting in either, is at the heart of Mansi Shah’s debut novel.

In The Taste of Ginger, Preeti Desai is an Indian American lawyer living in Los Angeles who has spent most of her life trying to assimilate to American culture and working her way up the corporate ladder. But after Preeti falls in love with a white man, she finds herself on the outside of even her own family. When her brother and sister-in-law are in an accident while in India for a cousin’s wedding, Preeti rushes back to Ahmedabad, the city of her birth, for the first time as an adult. Surrounded by the sights, smells, and sounds of a place and culture that are at once both familiar and unknown, Preeti finds herself questioning the life and values she left behind in LA. She also begins to understand more about her parents’ choice to move to America, the hardships they’ve faced since, and everything they left behind in India, all while gaining a new appreciation for a land she’s just now getting to really know.

A poignant and timely story about immigration, cultural differences, and the desire to belong, The Taste of Ginger is one novel that’s not to be missed. With every page of this heartfelt and ultimately uplifting story about family, friendship, and personal discovery, I found myself cheering for Preeti as she searches for what she wants out of life and where she truly belongs.

—Alicia Clancy, Editor

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Sariah Wilson knows how to make me laugh. Her lively, charming romances are the perfect reads for when I’m in the mood to be carried away—and The Paid Bridesmaid in particular whisked me off to a lavish destination wedding in Hawaii where professional bridesmaid Rachel Vinson is about to meet the man of her dreams.

At a wedding she’s supposed to be working, of course. And her job requires organization, a high capacity for calmness in the face of chaos, and, above all, discretion. Now is not the time to get warm and fuzzy feelings for the devastatingly dashing groomsman. The focus should be on the bride—a hugely popular Instagram influencer who is sharing every lovingly curated detail of her happily-ever-after with her followers.

Which means that if Rachel messes up, it’ll be broadcast for everyone to see.

But is it possible to be a perfect paid bridesmaid, wrangling an unruly mother of the bride, a week’s worth of elaborate wedding activities, and dozens of cranky peacocks, all while falling in love?

Dear readers, I suspect you know the answer to that question. And I hope you’ll enjoy this sweet romantic romp as much as I did. I know I’ll be quoting this one for years to come. (The peacocks are for AMBIENCE, Rachel!)

—Alison Dasho, Editor

Southern Belle Insults Book 1 | Amazon Original Stories

Memoir

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If you are inspired by films like Remember the Titans and The Blind Side, then you’ll likely find yourself loving Maya Washington’s memoir about her father’s legacy in the world of American football.

Maya grew up knowing that her father, Gene Washington, had been a star college athlete at Michigan State University and a professional football player for the Minnesota Vikings, but it wasn’t until she began having candid conversations with her father and his former teammates that she discovered how they broke racial barriers in the 1960s and ultimately changed the game forever.

I found myself drawn to Maya’s warm and engaging voice as she traces her father’s journey from the segregated Jim Crow South to the North and captures what it was like for him to be one of the few Black players on the team. Maya develops a newfound appreciation for the game and a deeper connection to her father. I was moved by how Gene Washington helped pave the way for aspiring young Black athletes today and I bet you will be too.

—Carmen Johnson, Editor

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What would we see if we could travel through the memories of someone’s life? Ali gets to witness just that in My Grandma’s Photos as he takes a journey with his grandmother through her memories.

Ali’s grandma, first seen tired and forgetful, is suddenly young again and taking on the world. She’s quite a character, climbing the trees of her childhood with abandon (telling Ali that it’s not really something that can be taught—he’s just got to find his own tree and climb it), going on a picnic, owning her own seamstress shop, and meeting Ali’s grandpa and getting married. Ali’s grandmother shows him all the treasured memories and joy of a life well lived.

This is a story that reminds us of the magical bonds we have with our own grandparents and of how important it is to truly live every day and make memories that will live on, even after we’re no longer here.

—Marilyn Brigham, Editor

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True Crime

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