As I write this, the banquet hosted each year by the Mystery Writers of America is only days away, and I'm excited to finally learn if Alex Carr's riveting novel, THE PRINCE OF BAGRAM PRISON, captures the Edgar Award for best paperback original. About this novel, The New York Times Book Review pointed out that Carr writes "vivid American spies, male and female. She captures both the weariness of jaded case officers and the energetic cynicism of their younger colleagues. And in Katherine Caldwell, she has created the kind of smart striver who's neither fatally ambitious nor an unbelievable femme fatale. Kat knows her business and understands bad odds, in romance and in spycraft." So fingers crossed that it will win not only praise but a major award.
Otherwise, the weather has just turned here in New York City, which means it's time for summer reading. Luckily, you need look no further. A perfect list of titles is below.
Death Angel by Linda Howard (4/28) — In Linda Howard’s gifted hands, second chances, unexpected romance, and unrelenting action combine into a riveting novel of suspense.
Cry Mercy by Mariah Stewart (4/28) — Cry Mercy is the pulse-stopping second book in the Mercy Street Foundation series from wildly popular NYT bestselling author Mariah Stewart.
Rescue Me by Christy Reece (4/28) — This talented debut author is sure to impress fans of Suzanne Brockman and Cherry Adair with the first book in her blockbuster romantic suspense trilogy.
Return to Me by Christy Reece (5/19) — Christy Reece’s second book in her dynamic and entertaining romantic suspense trilogy.
The Map Thief by Heather Terrell (4/28) — Katherine Neville meets Alison Weir in The Map Thief, Heather Terrell’s sequel to her acclaimed debut, The Chrysalis.
BALLANTINE TRADE PAPERBACKS (REISSUES)
A Dangerous Mourning by Anne Perry (5/26) — The second book in the bestselling William Monk series — a fast-paced mystery set in Victorian London, featuring a detective with dangerous secrets of his own.
Callander Square by Anne Perry (5/26) — The second of the bestselling Charlotte and Thomas Pitt mystery series — a haunting story of money, aristocracy and murder in Victorian London.
Defend and Betray by Anne Perry (5/26) — The third book in the bestselling William Monk series — a chilling Victorian mystery of social and moral nuance.
Paragon Walk by Anne Perry (5/26) — "Perry has the great gift of making it all seem immediate and very much alive." —The Philadelphia Inquirer