In this spiritually enriching book, Thomson dives into her grieving journey after losing her husband, Dale Thomson, to colon cancer alongside Parkinson's disease. It begins with her observations of the minor signs of Dale's disease, which can usually be mistaken as typical lapses that can happen arbitrarily along the usual busyness of life until it eventually prompts them to seek medical guidance as the signs intensify. Upon facing this "giant in the room," the couple finds their faith tested and strengthened after 44 years of marriage. Her husband’s words stick with her: "Why not me?” he asks. “Why should it be someone else? God must think we can handle it.”

Thomson's searching memoir is notable for the intimate second-person perspective in which she writes as if she is composing a personal letter to readers. With frank, non-linear outbursts of sorrow, she explores grief with unflinching honesty, defying the world's two- or three-month rule of moving on. "Each person's grief is unique to their situation," she notes, her prose calm, open-hearted, at times even cheerful. Her own unique story is gracefully intertwined with scripture, inspirational sayings, and takeaway insights in each chapter that emphasize the magnitude and the ongoing journey of her loss. While her account is somewhat segmented, it conveys her message with power: that people can find joy despite loss when they learn to grieve with God.

Thomson writes, "I believe even the ugly and unwanted parts of our lives are all a part of God's plan," as she surrenders to her faith that what she wants isn't always what God wills. Finding Joy in the Midst of Grief is a gentle yet urgent reminder that faith can be a sustaining and uplifting anchor and a living testament to the enduring power of belief in God's grace—perfect for readers looking for the opportunity to deepen their faith in the face of grief.

Takeaway: A bereaved wife’s touching journey to joy and strengthened faith after loss.

Comparable Titles: Rebecca Foster's Faith's Guiding Light, Sarah Mitchell's Embracing Hope Amidst Sorrow.

Production grades
Cover: B
Design and typography: A-
Illustrations: N/A
Editing: A-
Marketing copy: A

Click here for more about Finding Joy In the Midst of Grief

Former National Transportation Safety Board employee-turned-accident investigative consultant Frank Adams tackles murder and conspiracy in this action-thriller from Meier (author of Dung Beetles of Libera). Hired by grieving widow Helen Rawlson to investigate a plane crash that claimed the life of her husband, Charles Rawlson—a powerful CEO and rising star within her father’s company, Amertek Electronics —Frank uncovers more than simple murder at work in a frigid Washington, D.C.. As Charles’ truth is revealed and the threads of corporate conspiracy tugged, Frank becomes the target of mysterious foreign hitmen with an agenda all their own.

Fans of the classic detective format will find this series starter a detective romp in the classic hard-boiled mode, as grizzled, grumbling, whisky-drinking Frank is approached at his office by Helen, a woman with “the aroma of old money in her understated elegance.” Setting Frank and the story apart, however, is his past with the NTSB and his knowledge of avionics, something Meier details with persuasive precision in the book’s most compelling scenes, as Frank investigates the crash site and examines the plane’s remains. Meier blends that lived-in realism with more traditional genre elements, with Frank quipping in the face of torture, or women saying things to him like “All the best men are either disgustingly faithful or critically wounded”—a line worthy of the vintage thrillers that inspire Meier.

Still, the plot lacks urgency until Frank’s in danger, and that old-school pulp-mystery spirit extends to some reductive characterizations, such as the helpful cab driver, Pedro Gonzalez, who manages to call Frank “senor” five times in half a page. The action is crisp and convincing, and the frozen setting shines as a hostile, miserable place, captured with the touch of hard-edge poetry—like bursts of rain that hit “the windshield and froze there in hard, flat teardrops”—of Meier at his best.

Takeaway: Hard-boiled D.C. mystery pitting an accident consultant against a deadly conspiracy.

Comparable Titles: John J. Nance, John Copenhaver’s The Savage Kind.

Production grades
Cover: A-
Design and typography: A
Illustrations: N/A
Editing: A-
Marketing copy: A

Click here for more about GUIDANCE TO DEATH

Ptah (Show Me a Beautiful Woman) fuses history, mythology, and fantasy into a spellbinding time-traveling adventure to start off the First People series. Ancient myths come to life when Auset, an Egyptian goddess, seeks help stopping Apep, the god of chaos and destruction. In modern times, six-year-old Sochima, his twelve-year old sister Aminata, and Aminata’s former best friend, Amaris, are bequeathed the heart of Auset’s husband and brother Ausar, the Egyptian god whose body was cut into 14 pieces and spread throughout time by his brother, Set. Since Ausar is the only force that can stop Apep, the children must work together and bravely travel through time collecting the 14 pieces in hopes of reconstructing Ausar’s body before Apep awakens.

Ptah excels at crafting engaging historical landscapes full of memorable characters and dynamic action. A delicate balance exists between fact, myth, and imagination, and readers of all ages will revel in the meticulous world-building tying the three together. History buffs may recognize familiar figures such as Imhotep, architect of the step pyramid, and Mansa Musa, the ruler of Mali, while also learning new historical facts such as the origins of the city name Timbuktu or how the Olmec civilization made rubber. These fascinating and informative elements seamlessly weave into high-stakes action and quick-paced chapters as the children battle a variety of malicious foes.

Resting at the core of this thrilling adventure is an emotional journey revolving around friendship, family, and self-discovery. Valuable lessons of courage, self-confidence, and confronting grief shine brightly as the children grow bolder with each harrowing undertaking. Readers are left sitting on the edge of their seats, holding their breath, and eager for more. Children of all ages will be captivated by this unique historical fantasy packed with notable characters, nail-biting quests, and high stakes. Bring on book two.

Takeaway: Standout series starter blending time travel, adventure, and vengeful gods.

Comparable Titles: Heidi Heilig’s The Girl from Everywhere, Patience Agbabi’s The Infinite.

Production grades
Cover: B
Design and typography: A
Illustrations: N/A
Editing: B
Marketing copy: A

Click here for more about Children of the Sun

Veteran novelist Koelsch (MOOSE. INDIAN.: A Dark Confession) presents a cozy, speculative novella set on the margin of the American Civil War. In 1862, wounded veteran Thomas Wade Duncan regains consciousness on Black Ledge Cove, a New England island populated exclusively by women. Grieving the loss of his leg, Duncan suffers as his begrudging hostess, the widow Ann Holland Dawes, detoxifies him from laudanum. When Milly, an apprentice midwife, reveals that the local library features tools of witchcraft that connect mothers to their beloved, dead children, Duncan begs her to help him discover if his fiancée, Cynthia Ladd, has committed suicide as he fears.

At its heart, this haunting tale focuses on Duncan’s acceptance of his newly changed body. Although it does not describe the Civil War battle Thomas survived, the aftermath remains strong in the novel’s backdrop. Thomas is stranded, both literally and existentially, and readers will sympathize with his struggle to break free of substance abuse while habituating himself to life without a leg. Most redeeming is his mission to find Cynthia and undo the pain he caused her in ending their engagement. Hope for her renewed love pulls him through his darkest moments. Koelsch never wastes a line, and the prose is so evocative and the milieu so vivid that readers may wish that this affair were longer, with further exploration of Cynthia’s physical and emotional journey.

“I know neither my place nor time. Many have been my experiences with thin, smoky mists… When am I? Where am I?” The depiction of a gothic, foggy New England community ratchets up suspense without bringing angst as the hero perseveres in his goal. The use of old-fashioned language matches the era without posing difficulty to readers’ comprehension. First-person point of view plunges the reader into Duncan’s anguished situation, heightening anticipation. Thick with mystery, this cozy suspense offers historical fiction fans a treat to savor.

Takeaway: Vivid, suspenseful speculative novella of the Civil War.

Comparable Titles: Anita Frank’s The Lost Ones, Stacey Halls’s Mrs England.

Production grades
Cover: B+
Design and typography: A
Illustrations: A
Editing: A
Marketing copy: A

Click here for more about The Peculiar Affliction of Thomas Wade Duncan

Cetas (Thrown To The Wind) continues the adventures of Etienne Gayneau in this second installment of her A Country For Castoffs historical fiction series. In 17th-century Dutch New York, Etienne hangs out with young Lanape tribespeople Alsoomse and her brother Kitchi, and they become close enough for them to call him ”Little Brother," even if his feelings for Alsoomse are more complicated than that. The story begins with news of a Native attack on Dutch settlements, inflaming long-held prejudices held by some and panic on the part of Etienne, who is worried about his friends.

Cetas deftly blends real-life figures with imagined characters to bring this early colonial era alive, especially with regard to Native American beliefs, customs, and real-world politics. The Natives who attacked the fort are rivals of the Lanape and Mohawk tribes, both of whom prefer to trade with the colonists. However, many settlers regard all of the Natives as less than human, especially since a number of women and children were taken prisoner by the rival Esopus tribe. Amid this conflict and context, Cetas explores cross-cultural connections: after Etienne tracks down his friends, he tells the Lenape tribe's sachem (chief) about the attacks, and the sachem (who is also Alsoomse and Kitchi's father) hatches a plan to rescue some of the Dutch and establish an alliance against the Esopus.

In the course of an exciting story, Etienne is questioned by the Dutch, captured by the Esopus, and rescues a baby in peril, all as he and his friends appreciably mature in the face of conflict, working together to try to bring a vicious English settler to justice. A long denouement feels like an extended set-up for the next entry, but readers interested in 17th-century encounters between Dutch settlers and Native American tribes will find a narrative that's exciting, harrowing, and respectful to the tribes and their beliefs.

Takeaway: Compelling, respectful novel of 17th century Native Americans and Dutch settlers.

Comparable Titles: Susan Cooper’s Ghost Hawk, Patricia Clark Smith’s Weetamoo.

Production grades
Cover: A
Design and typography: A
Illustrations: N/A
Editing: A-
Marketing copy: A

Click here for more about A Home in the Wilderness

In this witty, suspenseful whodunnit, a Washington, D.C., sex worker and journalist team up to solve the murder of the sex-worker’s client, not long after their tryst. Told in first person by the escort herself, and alive with insight and telling detail about her work and life, Naked Came the Detective lives up to its playful title, immersing readers into an investigation into the killing of a high-profile businessman amid the corridors of power. Using her skills and a network of connections through her clients, the unnamed protagonist begins to piece together the dark truth, even if it means putting herself in danger.

This fast-paced mystery will keep readers invested until the final page with its razor sharp, quick witted protagonist and colorful assortment of characters. The story kicks off when, as a sort of farewell gift, the escort mails Chris, a reporter and client who considers her his “ATF,” a journal of the evidence she's collected on the death of one of her prestigious clients … after she has pulled off a disappearing act. Since she’s always operated in the shadows, never divulging personal information, she’s uniquely positioned to take on an investigation that will win her powerful foes. As she pieces together that her client, Ben, was running a Ponzi scheme that many of her other clients had invested in, she fears that her lucrative escort work will be in jeopardy. It doesn't take long for her to uncover that her life is, too, as she realizes that the killer is someone very close to her—and may be keeping an eye on her through unconventional means.

Scandal, murder, and duplicity create a thrilling tension in this suspenseful, character-driven novella, Jackson’s debut. Jackson’s research into the reality of sex work gives the story persuasive power, the mystery plotting is suitably twisty, and the protagonist is funny, focused, and quick on her feet. Fans of cozy mysteries and unreliable narrators will speed through this novella.

Takeaway: Promising debut whodunnit with a sharp-witted escort as detective.

Comparable Titles: A.R. Torre’s The Girl in 6E, Gillian Flynn’s “The Grownup.”

Production grades
Cover: A
Design and typography: A
Illustrations: N/A
Editing: A-
Marketing copy: A

Click here for more about Naked Came the Detective

Winner’s self-described “fictional memoir” imagines the life of his great aunt Dorle Jarmel Soria, a project inspired by his discovery of fascinating “artifacts of her storied existence” after her death, including love letters. But he also “found a twisted puzzle full of fascism and fraud.” Dorle is feisty and temperamental, a woman whose zeal to do “something vital in the world” led her to work with Toscanini and the New York Philharmonic in the 1930s and to become one of the first female students of the Columbia School of Journalism. “A marvelous woman and grand,” in the words of one male contemporary, Dorle was fascinated by powerful men, and she fell in love with a variety of men whose mysteries and legacies Winner compellingly teases out.

These include a British policeman, a Syrian antiquities dealer, the geneticist JBS Haldane, “who cured tetanus and fought Franco,” and—most curiously, especially since Dorle was an Orthodox Jew—a married American reporter, John Carter, who was “deputized by Goering to start a ‘Hitlerist’ party to run in the 1932 election.” That revelation stuns Winner; this book is, in many ways, his search for answers. Winner’s account stands out for its honest, searching depiction of the protagonist and her family, including Winner himself. His assiduous research, his determination to get to the bottom of things, and his fascination for the past make an intimate page-turner of a work of investigative portraiture.

Winner deftly conjures Dorle, the people she interacted with, and the world she lived in. Apart from Haldane, the most interesting person is Carter, who comes across as a political opportunist as Winner finds himself unable to definitively untangle the man’s true beliefs and loyalties—and what Dorle knew of his sympathies. With consummate skill he builds a seamless narrative, blending Dorle’s love letters and his own research, filling the gaps by relying on his imagination. The result is an engrossing story about the life and times of a singular woman who lived life to the fullest.

Takeaway: Fascinating “fictional memoir” of a trailblazing great aunt and her mysteries.

Comparable Titles: Heidi Ardizzone’s An Illuminated Life, Annie Ernaux ‘s A Woman’s Story.

Production grades
Cover: A
Design and typography: A
Illustrations: A
Editing: A
Marketing copy: A

Click here for more about Master Lovers

Safari author Plansky’s Auto starts the Cray & Fraser series with a gripping tale at the intersection of cybersecurity and self-driving vehicles. The narrative kicks off with a dramatic self-driving SUV crash, claiming the CEO Niall Spencer's life just days before a high-stakes public launch, setting the stage for a suspenseful story. Isabella Cray, a whitehat hacker, takes center stage as she's brought in to investigate the hack leading to the murder. Her character adds a unique twist—she's a high-functioning psychopath, whose complexities are revealed through flashback conversations with her therapist, providing both insight into her condition and arresting suspense.

Auto is an adrenaline-charged, tech-savvy thriller seamlessly weaving elements of cybercrime, psychology, and suspense and a convincing feel for both California highways and a Silicon Valley tech world convinced it’s a utopia—and “skeptical of anyone interfering with how they do things." The tension escalates as she becomes the target of a relentless stalker, surviving three murder attempts that fuel her determination to unveil the sinister and yet oddly familiar mastermind behind it all. The core of the narrative lies in the partnership between Cray and FBI cybercrime agent William Fraser. Their relentless pursuit across the sprawling San Francisco Bay Area is rife with heart-pounding moments as they race against time to uncover the CEO's killer, with the future of auto-transportation hanging in the balance.

Plansky's writing style is brisk and engaging, keeping readers on edge throughout the story with jolting twists and a strong feel for squealing tires, “cacaphon[ies’ of horns,” and the unfathomable horror of rushing headlong against oncoming traffic. The blend of science-fiction, psychological intricacy, and high-stakes intrigue in the murder mystery makes Auto an enthralling read. The novel's unique narrative structure, with each chapter corresponding to a day of the week, offers a fresh reading experience. Subtle references to Isaac Asimov's works anchor Auto within the rich tapestry of sci-fi thrillers, appealing to genre enthusiasts.

Takeaway: Buckle up as this self-driving-car thriller hits the gas.

Comparable Titles: Linwood Barclay’s Look Both Ways, J. Luke Bennecke’s Civil Terror Gridlock.

Production grades
Cover: A
Design and typography: A
Illustrations: N/A
Editing: A
Marketing copy: A

Click here for more about Auto

Named for an especially brutal game theory stratagem, this standalone second novel in Plansky’s Cray and Fraser series, a mystery involving a murder at a tech company, a psychopathic hacker who has recently made a turn from blackhat to whitehat, and the world’s most powerful quantum computer, all as Los Angeles—and the U.S.—is caught in a whirlwind of protest, civil unrest, and cyber-crime. Enter FBI Special Agent Will Fraser, who knows that hacker, Isabella Cray, from a previous case. With Cray’s ex-love gone missing, and the FBI eager to know why, she and Fraser find themselves fighting their way through the streets of Los Angeles, the desolation of the High Desert, and more, negotiating with national anarchist radicals, Antifa, ruthless billionaires and cyber-criminals for hire.

The cast is large and varied, the twists and reveals numerous, and the subject matter is fairly timely, drawing from contemporary wide political, socioeconomic and racial divides. Cray is a big personality who isn't always the easiest to cheer for—with her psychopathy, the author works hard to show her as a multidimensional person who struggles every day to relate in a way that is socially acceptable to the world around her. Cray and Fraser trust each other most of the time, but not always, as few in this fast-paced story are who or what they say they are, and danger is around every corner and behind every door.

Readers versed in radicalized political movements will have no trouble keeping track of who is fighting for what, though some preferring simpler, more fantastical fare may have to work to keep up. Action is crisp, bursts of violence jolt, and the of-the-moment plotting is urgent, compelling, and convincing. Setting the series apart is Plansky’s refusal to offer a simple "hero,” making the bold choice to foreground Cray’s challenging, polarizing personality. This entry is well researched and steeped in its moment, a juicy read for consumers of the genre.

Takeaway: Juicy, of-the-moment thriller of hackers, a psychopath, and the FBI.

Comparable Titles: Daniel Scanlan’s The Hacker, Blake Pierce’s Just Me.

Production grades
Cover: A
Design and typography: A
Illustrations: N/A
Editing: A
Marketing copy: A

Click here for more about Grim Trigger

Strugar (the writer) and Embeli (the cartoonist) combine on a light-hearted middle-grade graphic novel that doubles as a work of graphic medicine. Parents interested in getting their kids to take skin care and sun exposure seriously will find this a useful resource, while kids will enjoy its gentle humor. Strugar is a dermatologist whose goal is to provide a fun way of talking about taking care of one's skin during the summer, especially since kids often spend so much time outside. The story follows siblings Mia and Luka and their summer adventures with Mia's friend Anya and Luka's friend Jude. Luka and Jude are both scared of ghosts, and after watching Ghostbusters, Luka is worried that his dad is becoming a ghost.

After Luka and Jude play a gross practical joke on the girls, they decide to get back at them by playing up the possibility that their dad is a ghost. Meanwhile, Luka gets a horrible sunburn and continues to be freaked out by the idea of ghosts and monsters. Embeli’s warm, inviting art is playful and always clear in its storytelling, and the characters—whether human, robot, or irritated nerve endings—are deftly designed, each expressive and highly specific despite a rigorous economy of line. Writer Strugar inserts herself as a character and a love interest for the dad when he insists on taking Luka to see her, and the kids share the names of her and her husband’s real-life kids.

The doctor has a robot in her office and doles out several pages worth of skin-protection directives that include sunscreen and protective clothing. The book concludes with several pages worth of crossword puzzles, word searches, quizzes, and how-tos on things like oatmeal baths. The silly fake ghost story and activities are a nice way to get kids to not only think about the importance of skincare and safety but also to share easy-to-understand guidance for them and parents alike.

Takeaway: Fun, wonderfully drawn story showcasing the urgent facts of skin and sun exposure.

Comparable Titles: Betty Nguyen and Brandon Pham’s Dermatology for Kids, Katherine C. Troutman’s Sunny Goes to the Beach.

Production grades
Cover: A
Design and typography: A
Illustrations: A
Editing: A-
Marketing copy: A

Click here for more about SKINVENTUREZ: The Sunscreaming Summer

Vince Reismuller, a battle-hardened Marine veteran and security factotum for the wealthy Arena family, must rescue his employer's kidnapped son Tommy even as it becomes clear that a murder and more may connect with his employer's shady past. In addition, Vince has to protect the Arena daughter, Morgan, from a young man harassing her and figure out if Tommy is guilty of a crime himself. The various strands start coming together, amidst deadly violence, even as Vince and Morgan struggle with their growing feelings for each other. Vince navigates through stock fraud, greed and hatred to protect the Arenas and come to terms with himself and his violent past.

Morelli places the emphasis heavily on action, and he's a master at choreographing the fight scenes. Vince doesn't pull any punches and neither does Morelli when describing the scenes. "This is only the start of how much I am going to hurt you," Vince explains to an antagonist. In a terrifically staged scene, Vince and his associates attack a house, and readers will find themselves in Alistair MacLean territory, holding their breath until the wind-up. Morelli has clearly done a lot of research, and occasionally he shares more than some readers may want to know about firearms or mountain lions, slowing the pace, but overall the book moves rapidly toward a satisfying conclusion.

However, the action is not the whole story. Morelli has elevated the theme, giving his tale a richer background than is usually found in this genre. Behind all the conflict is stock-market manipulation and other corporate chicanery, and the financial theme provides an effective contrast to the street fighting, while making the characters less black-and-white. Morelli also does a great job fleshing out Vince's character. The police detective on the case, Jerrell Troy, is a former comrade-in-arms, and their rocky yet close friendship comes across as very real. Readers will hope to meet Vince in a sequel.

Takeaway: Two-fisted novel of revenge, told with breathless suspense.

Comparable Titles: Lee Child, Alistair MacLean.

Production grades
Cover: A-
Design and typography: A-
Illustrations: N/A
Editing: A-
Marketing copy: B+

Click here for more about Intended Consequences

In this suspenseful romantic thriller, the fourth in Flade’s Philly Heat series, public defender Hannah Patel's life is being threatened by a devious stalker. Assigned to watch over her and investigate her case, Detective Doyle Murphy feels in his gut the stalker won’t stop until Hannah is dead. Complicating the case, though, is how his life becomes entangled with Hannah's professionally and personally, especially as romance buds in the midst of attacks on Hannah and those closest to her—and as Doyle remains convinced the stalker must be “a serpent hiding in plain sight.” Watching and plotting his next move, that culprit becomes even more obsessed and enraged the closer Hannah and Doyle get to one another, putting both of their lives in jeopardy.

Flade has written an entertaining thrill ride of a story filled with twists, turns and romance. Beautiful Dangerous proves to be a page-turner from the opening chapter. As Hannah endures grief from the death of her brother, Doyle makes startling discoveries that could connect that death and Hannah's current predicament. Hannah proves a strong protagonist, as, facing pressures from work and the stress of keeping her family out of the loop and safe, she still is determined to help Doyle bring her stalker to justice. The burgeoning connection between Hannah and Doyle, meanwhile, is touchingly developed in moments like Doyle talking her through a panic attack with patience and empathy.

Flade deftly sows reasons for readers to feel that everyone Hannah knows is a potential suspect, and the final revelations prove jolting. She also blends the sweetness of a new romance with the death, violence, and tension of a thriller, with welcome attention paid to Hannah’s trauma and healing. With a smart, quick witted protagonist, and a strong, emotionally intelligent love interest, Beautiful Dangerous will grip fans of fast-paced suspense novels with themes of romance, mystery, and murder.

Takeaway: A scary-good romantic thriller where no one is to be trusted.

Comparable Titles: Julia Heaberlin's Black-eyed Susans, Lisa Lutz's The Passenger.

Production grades
Cover: A-
Design and typography: A-
Illustrations: N/A
Editing: A
Marketing copy: A

Click here for more about Beautiful Dangerous

Veteran journalist Prichard offers a smart, shadowy mystery that illuminates a quagmire in sharply honed prose. Killing Grace begins its story in 1967, as the Vietnam war rages on and Lieutenant Ben Kinkaid of the US military police, patrolling the chaotic streets of Saigon, comes across US Army clerk Tommy Banks and his peace-tourist girlfriend, Grace Waverly, out after curfew. Tommy and Grace are secretly members of RAW, an anti-war group bent on stopping the war by any means necessary. (“we’re soldiers too,” Grace says: “warriors for peace.”) But when Grace is found dead near the Saigon River, Ben discovers a much larger conspiracy, an act of terror, that involves an arms dealer, an alphabet soup of agencies, and spies everywhere he turns—even deep in the U.S.

While not based on any particular true incident, Prichard’s arresting thriller still explores and exposes truths, in this case complex and conflicting facts and feelings about the war, from shocking (and still too little-known) corruption, in some cases from the “thousands of mysterious American civilians working in Vietnam,” to Ben’s hard-won understanding of “the way Vietnamese mothers collapsed when their kids were slaughtered.” Full of characters with strong opinions expressed in crisp, provocative dialogue, heart-wrenching war updates with the whiff of reportage, and urgent themes of love and survival, this thriller will keep readers gripped as Prichard explores competing sides of America’s political battle, from the perspectives of both Tommy and Ben, but also through convincing everyday detail, like a comparison of newspaper headlines covering an outbreak of violence at an anti-war rally.

Prichard served in army intelligence in Vietnam, and his account blends a strong sense of in-country life with an practical understanding of the shoe-leather work it takes to expose a truth. Best of all, he knows how to make that work tense and compelling. Killing Grace will help readers better understand the era while delivering a compelling page-turner.

Takeaway: Thrilling, immersive Saigon-set mystery during the Vietnam War.

Comparable Titles: Juris Jurjevics’s Red Flags, Con Sellers’s Where Have All the Soldiers Gone?

Production grades
Cover: A
Design and typography: A
Illustrations: N/A
Editing: A
Marketing copy: A

Click here for more about Killing Grace: A Vietnam War Mystery

Reardon’s intimate yet sweeping debut captures a moment, a milieu, and an ethos of change, as the class of 1964 in California’s Pacific Grove— a “Norman damned Rockwell”-looking place near Monterey”—faces the stripping away of the veneers of American life. It’s 1967, and the Pacific Grove cohort of Celia, now a college student, are jolted by the return of Jeremy, Celia’s one-time best friend, the boy notorious for killing, at age 11, his own abusive father. Traumatized Jeremy is in town to fix up and sell his dad’s house, securing a windfall for his mother before he enlists and heads to Vietnam, where he fully expects to die. But he might have found something to live for, as he and Celia enter a tense almost-romance.

Meanwhile, with friends Moose, Fletcher, Angie, and more, the pair get caught in the changing times, which Reardon captures with vivid detail and contextual precision, demonstrating that everyone knew what a big deal it was to go to the 1967 Monterey Pop Festival—but also why most of the cast, worn out from their interpersonal drama, sits out days two and three. Experiments with drugs, a trip to San Francisco’s Haight-Ashbury, and impassioned debates about feminism, the war, and more are convincing and exciting, though the novel’s heart is in its multiple POV characters’ struggles to connect with each other and to understand themselves.

Jeremy and Celia’s story is touching and often frustrating, in that real-life way, as Jeremy fights against lowering his walls even in the face of Celia’s campaign of sunbathing and lemonade-offering. But perhaps this quite long novel’s most moving passages concern Fletcher, Celia’s current bestie, a young man who knows he’s gay, even though Celia can’t quite admit it. Reardon’s handling of Fletcher’s self discovery, and eventual liberation in San Francisco, is deft, right down to the embarrassed confusion, on all sides, when his friends spot him kissing another man. An accomplished, humane, engaging novel.

Takeaway: Humane, engaging novel of coming-of-age in the summer of love.

Comparable Titles: David T. Iassak’s A Map of the Edge, Emma Cline’s The Girls.

Production grades
Cover: A
Design and typography: A
Illustrations: N/A
Editing: A
Marketing copy: A

Click here for more about Flight of the Monarchs

The chaotic life of the high school senior Tess Barrett is turned upside down again in this fast-paced, page-turning thriller, the third installment of Sherer’s series. On the night of the homecoming dance, Tess faces a surprise attempt on her life, hitching up her dress and bringing down a hitman with a “perfectly executed spinning leg sweep.” Ever since the accident that killed her parents and took her eyesight, Tess has struggled to get back to normal, but now with students blaming her for intrusive security at school, plus a leaked video that seems to show her in a compromising situation, getting her life back on track isn’t enough. She has to discover who is trying to kill her.

Dealing with the cheer squad and squads of killers, horndog teachers, and shady oligarchs, Blind Trust offers a wild ride of high-stakes and twists and turns, the thrills and intrigue stretching from the tech world to Washington D.C., but always juxtaposed against the everyday frustrations of high school. Tess is constantly thrown into precarious situations as she elects to crack the case herself, but she’s surrounded by a colorful cast, from her seeing-eye assistant—whose attempt to score a kiss upsets Tess almost as much as the botched hit—to an eccentric top-notch hacker. Sherer ramps up the tension by making it clear Tess can’t trust many people now that she stands as sole heir to her father's fortune from his company, MondoHard.

The sharp-tongued protagonist is the star, continually trying to work out who is trying to take her life and who merely wants to ruin it in that high-school way, but well-rounded and diverse characters and narrators flesh out the story, often amusingly. Fans of action-packed thrillers with an ensemble cast—and thoughtful handling of physical and mental differences—and jolts of lively humor will race through this entry to its satisfying conclusion.

Takeaway: Fast-paced thriller pitting a blind high school senior against surprising enemies.

Comparable Titles: T.R. Ragan's Abducted, Stephanie Plum's One for the Money.

Production grades
Cover: B
Design and typography: A
Illustrations: N/A
Editing: A
Marketing copy: A

Click here for more about Blind Trust: A Tess Barrett Thriller (Tess Barrett Thriller Series Book 3)

The year is 4022, and third-grader Eudora Jenkins returns for the latest in Horn’s Eudora Space Kid series (after The Greatest Matchmaker in Space!) As always, Eudora—whose dream is to be the chief engineer of her spaceship home, the Athena—is full of mischief, and this time she’s taking on the fundamentals of math. When Eudora informs her teacher, Miss Allison, that she’s recalculated the value of pi, Miss Allison is understandably shocked, and Eudora’s revelation triggers an upheaval onboard. Soon, to stay true to Eudora’s new calculations, all the circles on the ship are changed into “squashed ovals,” a shift that causes quite the ruckus.

Once again, Horn’s descriptions of life in space steal the show. As Eudora muses on how the ship’s recreational activities are changed by her discovery—soccer, that “ancient Earth game with polkadot balls” is fun, but the players are being injured by the new oval-shaped balls—she vows to distract her friends and family from their problems. Her newest bigger-than-life idea is to engineer a snow day for the ship, by breaking into the weatherman’s computer and adjusting his forecast to predict an incoming storm. Obviously, that news throws the ship into chaos, especially when the model malfunctions and forecasts up to 150 feet of snow in one day.

Of course, Eudora ultimately jumps in to clean up her mess and learns some valuable lessons in the process, including how playing tricks on others can have unintended consequences—and why the value of pi should probably be left alone. Tondora delights with entertaining black and white illustrations that showcase Eudora’s side-splitting exploits, and Horn includes a tutorial on measuring pi in the backmatter. To top off all the fun, Eudora lands a job as the ship’s “official backup weather kid” in the end, a pretty good feat for the galaxy’s most audacious space kid.

Takeaway: Intergalactic adventure that pairs inventive fun with important life lessons.

Comparable Titles: J.I. Wagner’s Legacy of the Inventor, Stuart Gibbs’s Spy Camp.

Production grades
Cover: A
Design and typography: A
Illustrations: A
Editing: A
Marketing copy: A

Click here for more about Winter Storm Eudora (Eudora Space Kid Book 5)