By the staff at Covered Treasures
“Leaving any bookstore is hard, especially on a day in August when the street outside burns and glares, and the books inside are cool and crisp to the touch.”— Jane Smiley
These new fiction books are a wonderful way to round out the summer, whether outside basking in the sun or inside listening to the rain and rolling thunderstorms.
Bear
By Julia Phillips (Hogarth Press) $28
Sam and Elena are sisters, living on an island off the coast of Washington where they were born and raised. One night Sam spots a bear swimming the dark waters of the channel. When the bear turns up by their home, Sam, terrified, is more convinced than ever that it’s time to leave the island. But Elena responds differently to the massive beast. A story about the bonds of sisterhood and the mysteries of the animals that live among us—and within us, Bear is a propulsive, mythical, richly imagined novel from one of the most acclaimed young writers in America.
The Briar Club
By Kate Quinn (William Morrow & Co.) $29
This story takes place in Washington, D.C., in 1950. Everyone keeps to themself at Briarwood House, an all-female boardinghouse in the heart of the nation’s capital where secrets hide behind white picket fences. When a shocking act of violence tears the house apart, the Briar Club women must decide once and for all: Who is the true enemy? The Briar Club is an intimate and thrilling novel of secrets and loyalty put to the test.
The Midnight Feast
By Lucy Foley (William Morrow & Co.) $30
It’s the opening night of The Manor, the newest and hottest luxury resort. Just outside The Manor’s immaculately kept grounds, an ancient forest bristles with secrets. And it’s not too long before the local police are called. Turns out the past has crashed the party with deadly results. Everyone’s got a secret. Everyone’s got an agenda. But not everyone will survive. This story is packed with twists and turns that are perfect for those who love a good murder-mystery.
A Death in Cornwall (Gabriel Allon No. 24)
By Daniel Silva (Puffin) $32
Art restorer and legendary spy Gabriel Allon has slipped quietly into London to attend a reception. But when an old friend from the Devon and Cornwall Police seeks his help with a baffling murder investigation, he finds himself pursuing a powerful and dangerous new adversary. Elegant and suspenseful, A Death in Cornwall is Daniel Silva at his best—a dazzling tale of murder, power, and insatiable greed that will hold readers spellbound until they turn the final page.
Sipsworth
By Simon Van Booy (David R. Godine Publisher) $27
Over the course of a single week in a small English village, a widowed octogenarian who has spent her last years alone discovers an unexpected reason to live. After living abroad for 60 years, Helen Cartwright returns to the English town where she was born. She buys a suburban house on Westminster Crescent and settles into a repetitive, reclusive existence. Three uneventful, lonely years later, Helen’s life takes a sudden turn when an unexpected guest arrives: a small, good-natured mouse. This book illuminates not only the sustaining friendship forged between widower and mouse but the reverberations of goodness that ripple out from acts of kindness.
By Any Other Name
By Jodi Picoult (Ballantine Books) $30
Young playwright Melina Green has just written a new work inspired by the life of her Elizabethan ancestor Emilia Bassano. But seeing it performed is unlikely in a theater world where the playing field isn’t level for women. In 1581, young Emilia is a ward of English aristocrats. But like most women of her day, she is allowed no voice of her own. She begins to form a plan to secretly bring a play of her own to the stage by paying an actor named William Shakespeare to front her work. Told in intertwining timelines, By Any Other Name is a sweeping tale of ambition, courage, and desire, told by two women who are determined to create something beautiful despite the prejudices they face. Picoult’s latest novel, rooted in historical sources, goes on sale Aug. 20.
Until next month, happy reading.
The staff at Covered Treasures can be reached at books@ocn.me.
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