Thursday 21 November 2019

Books to Look Forward to from Simon & Schuster,

January 2020

When a man is found on a Norfolk beach, drifting in and out of consciousness, with no identification and unable to speak, interest in him is sparked immediately. From the hospital staff who find themselves inexplicably drawn to him; to international medical experts who are baffled by him; to the national press who call him Mr Nobody; everyone wants answers. Who is this man? And what happened to him? Neuropsychiatrist Dr Emma Lewis is asked to assess the patient. This is her field of expertise, this is the chance she's been waiting for and this case could make her name known across the world. But therein lies the danger. Emma left this same small town in Norfolk fourteen years ago and has taken great pains to cover all traces of her past since then.  But now something - or someone - is calling her back. And the more time she spends with her patient, the more alarmed she becomes.  Has she walked into danger?  Mr Nobody is by Catherine Steadman

Deep State is by Chris Hauty.  Hayley Chill isn't your typical West Wing intern. Ex-military and as patriotic as she is principled, she is largely vilified by her peers and lauded by her superiors - it's a quick way of making enemies.  It is Hayley who finds the body of the White House chief of staff, Peter Hall, on his kitchen floor having died from an apparent heart attack. It is also Hayley who notices a single clue which suggests his death was deliberate, targeted. That he was assassinated.  Unsure who to trust, Hayley works alone to uncover a wide-ranging conspiracy that controls the furthest reaches of the government. And Hall is just the beginning - the president is the next target.  Hayley must now do the impossible: stop an assassination, when she has no idea who the enemy is, all while staying hidden, with Peter's final words to her ringing in her ears: Trust no one. Because the Deep State will kill to silence her. And they are. It is entrenched. It is hidden. It is deadly.  Who can you trust?

February 2020

Firewatching is by Russ Thomas.  One wrong move. A body is found bricked into the walls of a house. From the state of the hands, it's clear they were buried alive and had tried to claw their way out before they died. Soon, the victim is linked to a missing person's case and DS Adam Tyler is called. Will ignite. As the sole representative of South Yorkshire's Cold Case Review Unit, Tyler recognises his role for what it is - a means of keeping him out of the way following an 'incident'. When this case falls in his lap, he grabs the opportunity to fix his stagnating career.  The City. When he discovers he has a connection to the case that hopelessly compromises him, he makes the snap decision not to tell his superiors. With such a brutal and sadistic murder to unpick, Tyler must move carefully to find out the truth, without destroying the case or himself.  Meanwhile, someone in the city knows exactly what happened to the body. Someone who is watching Adam closely. Someone with an unhealthy affinity with fire . . .


March 2020

It's sweltering in Charlotte, North Carolina, and Temperance Brennan, still recovering from neurosurgery following an aneurysm, is battling nightmares, migraines, and what she thinks might be hallucinations when she receives a series of mysterious text messages, each containing a new picture of a corpse that is missing its face and hands. Immediately, she's anxious to know who the dead man is, and why the images were sent to her.  An identified corpse soon turns up, only partly answering her questions.  To win answers to the others, including the man's identity, she must go rogue. With help from a number of law enforcement associates including her Montreal beau Andrew Ryan and the always-ready-with-a-smart-quip, ex-homicide investigator Skinny Slidell, and utilizing new cutting-edge forensic methods, Tempe draws closer to the astonishing truth.  But the more she uncovers, the darker and more twisted the picture becomes ...  A Conspiracy of Bones is by Kathy Reichs.

April 2020

Little Disasters is by Sarah Vaughan.  You think you have the perfect family.  But everything can be broken.  Liz and Jess have been friends for ten years, ever since they both started a family. But how well do they really know each other?  When Jess arrives at hospital with a story that doesn't add up, Liz is the doctor on call. Jess has devoted her life to family and home. But she is holding so many secrets. As the truth begins to emerge, Liz is forced to question everything she thought she knew: about Jess, and about herself.   When something feels so personal, how do you stay professional? 

May 2020

Los Angeles, December 4th - exactly three weeks until Christmas day. Angela Wood, a master in the art of pickpocket, has just finished for the day - six hundred and eighty-seven dollars - not bad for less than fifteen minutes work.  As she celebrates her profitable day with a cocktail, one of the patrons in the lounge she's in catches her attention by being rude to an old man. Angela decides to teach him a lesson, and steals the man's expensive-looking leather bag.  Inside is no money ... no laptop computer ... nothing of any value ... at least not to Angela. Just a black, leather-bound book, surprisingly heavy. Curiosity takes over and in the comfort of her apartment, Angela quickly leafs through the pages.  That is when the worst nightmare of her life begins.  This is no ordinary book.  Read it at your own peril.  Written in Blood is by Chris Carter.

Kill the King by Sandrone Dazieri and I Saw Him Die by Andrew Wilson are also due to be published in May 2020.

June 2020

The Other Passenger is by Louise Candlish.  You're feeling pretty smug about your commute to work by riverboat. No more traffic gridlock or getting stuck on the tube in tunnels (you're claustrophobic); now you've got an iconic Thames view, fresh air - a whole lifestyle upgrade. You've made new friends onboard - led by your hedonistic young neighbour, Kit - and just had your first 'water rats' Christmas drinks.  But the first day back after Christmas, Kit isn't on the morning boat. The river landmarks are all the same, but something's off. You disembark to find the police waiting. Kit's wife, Melia, has reported him missing and another passenger witnessed the two of you arguing on the last boat home after your drinks. Police say you had a reason to lash out at him. To kill him.  You protest. You and Kit are friends - ask Melia, she'll vouch for you. And who exactly is this other passenger pointing the finger? What do they know about your private lives? No, whatever coincidences might have occurred that night, you are innocent, totally innocent.  Aren't you?

When a string of horrific terrorist attacks plagues the Western world during the holiday season, the broader markets fall into a tailspin. The attacks are being coordinated by a shadowy former Iraqi commando who has disappeared into Europe's underground. The United States government has an asset who can turn the Iraqi against his masters: James Reece, the most-wanted domestic terrorist alive.  After avenging the deaths of his family and team members, Reece emerges deep in the wilds of Mozambique, protected by the family of his estranged best friend and former SEAL Team member. When a series of events uncovers his whereabouts, the CIA recruits him, using a Presidential pardon for Reece and immunity for the friends who helped him in his mission of vengeance.  Now a reluctant tool of the United States Government, Reece travels the globe, targeting terrorist leaders and unraveling a geopolitical conspiracy that exposes a traitorous CIA officer and uncovers a sinister assassination plot with worldwide repercussions.  True Believer is by Jack Carr.

Watch Him Die is by Craig Robertson.  Evil found its twin despite there being an ocean between Matthew Clelland and Ethan Garland.  One is dead but the dying has only just begun.  The search is on for dead bodies in Los Angeles. The hunt is on for live victims in Glasgow.  Meanwhile, the world is watching as a young man slowly dies in front of their eyes.

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