Featuring: Giaime Alonge, Shannon Bowring, Mason Coile, Michael Connelly, Melissa de la Cruz, David Goodman, Austin Kelley, Vaseem Khan, David McCullough, Mark Ronson, Alan Siegel, Martin Suarez & Ian Frisch

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Giaime Alonge, THE FEELING OF IRON (Europa)

From the horrors of WWII to the spy games of the Cold War: a haunting tale of survival, vengeance, and the enduring shadows of history 

Shlomo Libowitz and Anton Epstein, two Jewish prisoners subjected to horrific experiments in a Nazi concentration camp, survive the unimaginable. Decades later, their lives converge again as they hunt Hans Lichtblau, the SS officer who tormented them, now operating in the shadowy world of Cold War geopolitics.   

Their pursuit takes them from the ashes of Europe to the jungles of Central America, where justice and revenge blur against the backdrop of CIA conspiracies and a haunting past. But one life may be too short to settle all accounts, and Anton and Shlomo’s belated revenge is also a race against time…  

With vivid characters and a masterful blend of fact and fiction, perfectly balanced between two continents and two eras, The Feeling of Iron confronts the moral ambiguities of vengeance and the inescapable echoes of history.

The synopsis for this novel caught my eye, and I’m very much looking forward to reading it as soon as I can. (It’ll be nice to read some fiction set during the Second World War and Cold War, rather than history for work.) The Feeling of Iron is due to be published by Europa Editions in North America, on August 5th.

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Review copy received via Edelweiss

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Shannon Bowring, IN A DISTANT VALLEY (Europa)

Both a love letter and a window into the rural places that have shaped many, In a Distant Valley sets the stage for a final act to play out across a deep winter in snowy Maine.

For a while, Rose Douglas believed life had given her a break. She was enjoying a steady job at the local clinic in Dalton; her two young boys, Adam and Brandon, were doing well in school; and their little family had found an easy friendship with widower Nate Theroux and his daughter, Sophie. The possibility of something deeper even hung between her and Nate—until the day Tommy Merchant, her ex and the father of her sons, showed up without warning on her doorstep. While Rose knows all too well his erratic and abusive nature, he swears he’s clean, and ready to turn over a new leaf.

Tommy isn’t the only one who’s found his way back to the town that defined him. Lost after a disastrous stint living down south with her father, Angela Muse has returned home to Dalton. There she runs into Greg Fortin, the friend who once saved her life when they were children and finally starts to believe there may be someone who understands her in a world that offers more questions than answers.

But secrets are the lifeblood of a small town, and everyone in Dalton soon finds themselves part of a chain of events hurtling towards outcomes beyond their control, where more than one future will be decided. Brimming with compassion and heart, In a Distant Valley is the remarkable conclusion to the story readers have been following since Shannon Bowring’s debut novel, The Road to Dalton.

If you’ve been reading CR for the past few years, you’ll hopefully have noticed that I loved Bowling’s first two Dalton novels — The Road to Dalton and Where the Forest Meets the River. Naturally, then, the third book in the series has been a must-read ever since I learned it was on the way. I’ll be reading this in the next couple of weeks, hopefully. In a Distant Valley is due to be published by Europa Editions in North America and in the UK, on October 7th.

Also on CR: Reviews of The Road to Dalton and Where the Forest Meets the River

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Review copy received from the publisher

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Mason Coile, EXILES (G. P. Putnam’s Sons)

A terrifying locked-room mystery from the author of William — this time set on a remote outpost on Mars.

The human crew sent to prepare the first colony on Mars arrives to find the new base half-destroyed and the three robots sent to set it up in disarray — the machines have formed alliances, chosen their own names, and picked up some disturbing beliefs. Each must be interrogated. But one of them is missing.

In this barren, hostile landscape where even machines have nightmares, the astronauts will need to examine all the stories — especially their own — to get to the truth.

Exiles is a terrifying, taut, one-sitting read, and Mason Coile once again blends science fiction and psychological horror to engage some of humanity’s deepest questions.

The last novel from Andrew Pyper, writing as Mason Coile. The premise is great, and the synopsis cemented my interest in reading this. Exiles is due to be published by G. P. Putnam’s Sons in North America (September 16th) and Baskerville in the UK (September 18th).

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Review copy received from the publisher

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Michael Connelly, NIGHTSHADE (Little, Brown)

Introducing Detective Stilwell: a cop relentlessly following his mission in the seemingly idyllic setting of Catalina Island.

Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Detective Stilwell has been “exiled” to a low-key post policing rustic Catalina Island, after department politics drove him off a homicide desk on the mainland. But while following up the usual drunk-and-disorderlies and petty thefts that come with his new territory, Detective Stilwell gets a report of a body found weighed down at the bottom of the harbor—a Jane Doe identifiable at first only by a streak of purple dye in her hair. At the same time, a report of poaching on a protected reserve turns into a case fraught with violence and danger as Stilwell digs into the shady past of an island bigwig.

Crossing all lines of protocol and jurisdiction, Stilwell doggedly works both cases. Though hampered by an old beef with an ex-colleague determined to thwart him at every turn, he is convinced he is the only one who can bring justice to the woman known as “Nightshade.” Soon, his investigation uncovers closely guarded secrets and a dark heart to the serene island that was meant to be his escape from the evils of the big city.

New Connelly! Naturally, I read this as soon as I got it. A new protagonist, and set on Catalina Island (mostly), I very much enjoyed this. I’d certainly be interested in reading another novel starring Detective Stilwell and his Catalina compatriots. Fans of Connelly’s novels will find plenty to love here, and newcomers could find an excellent introduction to a new favourite crime/mystery author… Nightshade is out now, published by Little, Brown in North America, and Orion Books in the UK.

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Melissa de la Cruz, WHEN STARS ALIGN (Mindy’s Book Studio)

Three girls in Hollywood who thought they’d rule the world. Reality bites in a touching novel about success, friendship, and redemption…

Best friends Miranda Montana, Germaine St. Germaine-Chang, and Sicily Bell were the darlings of Hollywood who rose from teen success to in-demand idols of screaming fans and paparazzi. They rode the momentum like there was no tomorrow. But nothing lasts forever.

Now Miranda, the wild-child movie star, drifts from rehab to dead-end relationships as she tries for a comeback from a very public fall from grace. Germaine, the daughter of billionaire hotel moguls, has lost her purpose. And then there’s Sicily, the all-American pop star who had a record deal, sold-out concerts, and controlling parents who squeezed the very life out of her. After a decade, fate reconnects these three young women for a long-awaited confrontation with the secrets, betrayals, heartbreak, and family traumas of the past.

Settling old scores is just the beginning. It’s also time to repair the damage done and to hold fast to the most galvanizing success of their lives: their friendship.

I’ve never read anything by Melissa de la Cruz, but the synopsis for When Stars Align caught my attention, and I thought I’d give it a try. Looking forward to doing so, sometime over the summer. When Stars Align is out now, published by Mindy’s Book Studio in North America and in the UK.

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Review copy received via NetGalley

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David Goodman, A RELUCTANT SPY (Headline)

Jamie Tulloch is a successful exec at a top tech company, a long way from the tough upbringing that drove him to rise so far and so quickly.

But he has a secret…since the age of 23, he’s had a helping hand from the Legend Programme, a secret intelligence effort to prepare impenetrable backstories for undercover agents. Real people, living real lives, willing to hand over their identities for a few weeks in return for a helping hand with plum jobs, influence and access.

When his tap on the shoulder finally comes, it’s swiftly followed by the thud of a body. Arriving at a French airport ready to hand over his identity, Jamie finds his primary contact dead, the agent who’s supposed to step into his life AWOL and his options for escape non-existent.

Pitched into a deadly mission on hostile territory, Jamie must contend with a rogue Russian general, arms dealers, elite hackers, CIA tac-ops and the discovery of a brewing plan for war. Dangerously out of his depth, he must convince his sceptical mission handler he can do the job of a trained field agent while using his own life story as convincing cover.

Can Jamie play himself well enough to avoid being killed – and to avert a lethal global conflict?

Not sure why it’s taken me so long to buy this book, but I’ve heard nothing but good things since it was published. Also, I’m a huge fan of spy fiction, so this was a must-read anyway. Looking forward to getting to it very soon.  A Reluctant Spy is out now, published by Headline in the UK.

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Austin Kelley, THE FACT CHECKER (Grove Press)

It’s just a puff piece about a farmer’s market, I said to myself. It’s not going to kill anyone.

It started out like any other morning for the Fact Checker. The piece, “Mandeville/Green,” didn’t raise any red flags. There were more pressing stories that week — it being 2004 New York City and all.

“Mandeville/Green” was a light, breezy look at a local farm called New Egypt, whose Ramapo tomatoes were quickly becoming the summer’s hottest produce. At first glance, the story seemed straightforward, but one line made the Fact Checker pause: a stray quote from a New Egypt volunteer named Sylvia making a cryptic reference to “nefarious business” at the farmer’s market. “People sell everything here,” she’s alleged to have said. “It ain’t all green.”

When Sylvia abruptly disappears the morning after an unexpectedly long night with the Fact Checker, he becomes obsessed with finding her. Did Sylvia discover something unsavory about New Egypt or its messianic owner? Is it possible she had some reason to fear for her safety? Or was it simply something the Fact Checker said?

Striking the perfect balance of humor, wonder, sadness, and poignancy, Austin Kelley’s debut novel takes readers on a quixotic quest from one hidden corner of New York City to another — from an underground supper club in the Financial District to an abandoned-boat-turned-anarchist-community-space on the Gowanus Canal. As the story develops, the Fact Checker begins to question his perception of what’s real and what’s not. Facts can be deceiving, after all, and if you aren’t careful, you might miss the truth right in front of your eyes.

My second job after finishing my PhD was as a fact checker at a news magazine in New York, so when I saw the premise for Kelley’s new novel it naturally caught my attention. My time as a fact checker, however, did not involve any mysteries. The Fact Checker is out now, published by Grove Press in North America and in the UK.

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Vaseem Khan, THE GIRL IN CELL A (Hodder)

THE WORLD KNOWS HER AS THE GIRL IN CELL A.

Convicted of murder at seventeen, infamous killer and true crime celebrity Orianna Negi has always maintained her innocence.

BUT IF SHE DIDN’T KILL GIDEON WYCLERC…

Orianna has a blind spot over that fateful day: she can’t remember what happened. Forensic psychologist Annie Ledet is tasked with unlocking the truth.

… THEN WHO DID?

Orianna grew up in Eden Falls, ruled by the insular Wyclerc dynasty and its ruthless patriarch , Amos. As their sessions progress, Annie reaches into Orianna’s past to a shattering realisation…

Scandal. Sex. Power. Race. And murder.Between guilt and innocence lies a fallen Eden.

I’ve been a fan of Vaseem Khan’s books since Midnight at Malabar House, and have thoroughly enjoyed every one of his books since. Where his Malabar series is set in the 1950s, this next novel is a contemporary crime/mystery novel. The Girl in Cell A is out now, published by Hodder in North America and in the UK.

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Review copy received via NetGalley

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David McCullough, HISTORY MATTERS (Simon & Schuster)

In this posthumous collection of thought-provoking essays — many never published before — Pulitzer Prize–winning historian and bestselling author David McCullough affirms the value of history, how we can be guided by its lessons, and the enduring legacy of American ideals.

History Matters brings together selected essays by beloved historian David McCullough, some published here for the first time, written at different points over the course of his long career but all focused on the subject of his lifelong passion: the importance of history in understanding our present and future. Edited by McCullough’s daughter, Dorie McCullough Lawson, and his longtime researcher, Michael Hill, History Matters is a tribute to a master historian and offers fresh insights into McCullough’s enduring interests and writing life. The book also features a foreword by Jon Meacham.

McCullough highlights the importance of character in political leaders, with Harry Truman and George Washington serving as exemplars of American values like optimism and determination. He shares his early influences, from the books he cherished in his youth to the people who mentored him. He also pays homage to those who inspired him, such as writer Paul Horgan and painter Thomas Eakins, illustrating the diverse influences on his writing as well as the influence of art.

Rich with McCullough’s signature grace, curiosity, and narrative gifts, these essays offer vital lessons in viewing history through the eyes of its participants, a perspective that McCullough believed was crucial to understanding the present as well as the past. History Matters is testament to McCullough’s legacy as one of the great storytellers of this nation’s history and of the lasting promise of American ideals.

One of the masters of popular American history, McCullough’s work has been familiar to me for decades. While I admit I haven’t read all of his work (they’re long books, but all excellent), everything I’ve read has been engaging and enjoyable. In this collection of essays, readers get a bit of a behind-the-scenes look at how he thought about his chosen field and subject. I enjoyed this. History Matters is due to be published by Simon & Schuster in North America and in the UK, on September 16th.

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Review copy received via Edelweiss

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Mark Ronson, NIGHT PEOPLE (Grand Central)

Capturing the music, characters, escapades, and energy of his DJ days, a profound memoir from seven-time Grammy-winning record producer Mark Ronson.

Lady Gaga, Adele, Amy Winehouse, Dua Lipa, Bruno Mars, Miley Cyrus, the Barbie soundtrack — behind some of the biggest musical moments in the past two decades is one man: Mark Ronson. Night People conjures the undeniable magic of the city’s bygone nightlife — a time when clubs were diverse, glamorous, and a little lawless, and each night brought a heady mix of music, ambition, danger, delight, and possibility. It’s about the beauty of what you can create with just two Technics and a mixer, in a golden era before Giuliani, camera phones, and bottle service upended everything. It’s also about a teenager finding his way — stalking DJ Stretch Armstrong and biting his mixes, crate-digging in every corner of New York, grinding gig after gig through a decade of incredible music — and finding a community of people who, in their own strange, cracked ways, lived for the night.

Organized around the venues that defined his experience of the downtown scene, Ronson evokes the specific rush of that decade and those spaces—where fashion folks and rappers on the rise danced alongside club kids and 9-to-5’ers — and invites us into the tribe of creatives and partiers who came alive when the sun went down. A heartfelt coming-of-age tale, Night People is the definitive account of ’90s New York nightlife and the making of a musical mastermind.

I’ve been familiar with Ronson’s name for years, but I never took much note of what he worked on, despite also being aware of his impact on the music world. As a long-time fan of music biographies and memoirs, though, I thought I’d give this a try. Looking forward to it. Night People is due to be published by Grand Central Publishing in North America and Century in the UK, on September 16th.

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Review copy received via NetGalley

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Alan Siegel, STUPID TV, BE MORE FUNNY (Grand Central)

This comprehensive account of the meteoric rise of The Simpsons combines incisive pop culture criticism and interviews with the show’s creative team that take readers inside the making of an American phenomenon during its most influential decade, the 1990s.

The Simpsons is an American institution. But its status as an occasionally sharp yet ultimately safe sitcom that’s still going after 33 years on the air undercuts its revolutionary origins. The early years of the animated series didn’t just impact Hollywood, they changed popular culture. It was a show that altered the way we talked around the watercooler, in school hallways, and on the campaign trail, by bridging generations with its comedic sensibility and prescient cultural commentary.

In Stupid TV, Be More Funny, writer Alan Siegel reveals how the first decade of the show laid the groundwork for the series’ true influence. He explores how the show’s rise from 1990 to 1998 intertwined with the supposedly ascendent post-Cold War America, turning Fox into the juggernaut we know today, simultaneously shaking its head at America’s culture wars while finding itself in the middle of them. By packing the book with anecdotes from icons like Conan O’Brien and Yeardley Smith, Siegel alaso provides readers with an unparalleled look inside the making of the show.

Through interviews with the show’s legendary staff and whip-smart analysis, Siegel charts how The Simpsons developed its singular sensibility throughout the ‘90s, one that was at once groundbreakingly subversive for a primetime cartoon and shocking wholesome. The result is a definitive history of The Simpsons‘ most essential decade.

It’s about the Simpsons. Of course I am interested in reading this. Stupid TV, Be More Funny is due to be published by Grand Central Publishing in North America and Twelve in the UK, on June 10th.

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Review copy received via NetGalley

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Martin Suarez & Ian Frisch, INSIDE THE CARTEL (Dey Street)

The gripping true story, that reads like fiction, of how legendary FBI Special Agent Martin Suarez went deep undercover — and lived a double-life for years — to infiltrate Colombia’s most insidious drug cartels.

Martin Suarez, a legend within the FBI who specialized in Colombian drug cartels, holds the record for the longest time spent continuously undercover. As his alter ego Manny, Martin followed the unspoken rules of the cartels: He knew the right lingo to use, the right whiskey to drink, the right watch to wear, the wrong questions to ask. He smuggled over $1 billion worth of cocaine into the United States for the Medellín Cartel and, as his cover deepened, he graduated to become a high-level money launderer for the North Coast Cartel. He helped wash tens of millions of dollars worth of drug money, ensnaring himself in a high-stakes game of cat and mouse while simultaneously exposing the Black Market Peso Exchange, the most insidious money laundering apparatus in the world that involved billionaire bankers, blue-chip American corporations, and even the President of Colombia himself.

Martin was raised by a father who served in the military and valorized the nobility of the FBI, and Martin stopped at nothing to allow his father to live vicariously through his son. He wanted nothing more than to make his father proud — and to be a good husband to his wife, and a loving father to his two young sons. He became a man caught between two worlds — that of an undercover agent who wanted to rid the world of its evils, but also that of a family man who was trying not to lose himself in this dark, brutal underworld that captivated the globe during the War on Drugs.

And yet his worlds begin to collide as danger creeps dangerously close to his doorstep when his cover is blown and a cartel-hired sicario comes hunting for him.

Inside the Cartel is told with the pulse-racing action of a Hollywood blockbuster. This is the story of Suarez and his time undercover and how maintaining the trust of hardened criminals can start to tear away at even the most principled soldier.

Brought to mind the movie American Made, when I read the synopsis. Inside the Cartel is due to be published by Dey Street Books in North America (September 16th) and in Harper Element in the UK (September 25th).

Follow the Author: Goodreads
Review copy received via Edelweiss