Hello friends, and welcome to the last newsletter before Christmas. We don't have a lot of new books to share this week, as publishing has rolled up the carpet and closed down the snack bar for the year. Most of what drops this week is paperback editions of previously published titles. So, you know, this one is for the holdouts.
For instance, here is Karl Marlantes's Cold Victory, his geopolitical thriller set in 1947, when tensions between Russia and Finland were high, and all it takes is a friendly cross-country skiing competition to put the world on edge. Naturally, things get really tense and that's before the military trucks come rolling in. This one is perfect for that historical thriller fan in the family who is always grousing about the lack of character-driven war movies.
And here is J. A. Jance's Cruel Intent, the latest Ali Reynolds thriller that puts the intrepid Reynolds in danger when she sets out to prove the innocence of her home renovation expert. It's so hard to find good independent contractors these days. Imagine Joanna Gaines taking time out from flipping adorable little rentals to exonerate Chip who had been tossed in the clink for smacking someone a little too hard with a ballpeen hammer. She bakes! She decorates! She solves crime!
And for the ancient history buff in the family, here is Mary Beard's awesome Emperor of Rome: Ruling the Ancient World. Beard, one of the most distinguished classical historians, takes us back to the heyday of the Roman Empire and walks us through nearly three centuries of Roman emperors. Everyone from Julius Caesar (assassinated in 44 BCE) to boy-king Alexander Severus (assassinated in 235 CE).
Clearly, Rome never had a proper retirement plan for its leaders.
And here is James Lee Burke's Harbor Lights, a collection of shorter fiction from the master of the atmospheric crime novel. Little bon mots that celebrate love, friendship, violence, survival, and revenge. That James Lee, never one to tell a story that doesn't involve bloodshed. Someday he'll surprise us and write a story about a boy and his father getting ice cream and sitting in a park. There might be a dog. We'll keep hoping.
And speaking of crime stories, here is the new Keigo Higashino novel. Invisible Helix is the latest novel about Japanese detectives Kusanagi and Utsumi and their Sherlockian consultant Manuba Yukawa, and it begins with the discovery of a body floating in Tokyo Bay. He's been shot, and his live-in girlfriend is nowhere to be found. It turns out that her relationship with the dead guy was abusive, which makes her a prime suspect, but they're going to have to find her first . . .
And here is the deluxe edition of Emily Rath's North is the Night. This one has cold winter nights, wolves prowling in the dark forest, death gods, and an impossible quest to steal someone back from the land of the dead. This one mashes all the fairy tales together into something delicious and grim. Recommended.
And speaking of dark nights, here is Geoffrey Cornelius's Starlore of the Constellations: The Astronomy, Myth and Symbolism of the Night Sky. This one is marvelously designed, and it contains all sorts of stories and myths surrounding the various constellations known to numerous cultures throughout the ages. Cornelius charts us through more than eighty different constellations. Such a great excuse to go outside and look up.
And speaking of legends and lore, here is Mason Walker and Clay Risen's Bourbon Lore: Legends of American Whiskey. Walker and Risen give us 100 bottles of brown stuff, and they detail the fact and fiction about the origins of each bourbon, which crafts an engaging history of this country. Intriguing and delightful.
And we'll keep this short this week. Shop early. Shop often. We'll be closing early on Christmas Eve and we'll be staying home on Christmas Day. Otherwise, we'll be here, ready and eager to send you home with an armload of books. Hit the gym once or twice if you need to build that upper body strength for all those books.
Happy holidays, dear friends!
