Recreation

New Titles Fiction November 2014 (arrived in October 2014)

Adventure

The red eagles, David Downing.
World War II is nearly over. For the Russians, the enemy is no longer Nazi Germany, but the American behemoth that threatens to topple the Communist revolution. Deep within the walls of the Kremlin, Stalin's top man hatches a brilliant plan that will alter the course of postwar history and it's all based on a deception as simple as the shell game.
Zodiac Station, Tom Harper.
Thriller set around the Arctic Ocean where a disaster at a scientific rresearch station deep in the Arctic Circle uncovers a sinister plot.
Betrayal, Will Jordan.
Third story featuring British CIA agent Ryan Drake.
The golden hour, Todd Moss.
Action thriller about 21st century espionage by a former deputy Assistant Secretary of State.
Desert god, Wilbur Smith.
Across the lush plains of Egypt, Taita, a freed eunuch slave, wears his authority lightly. Not only is he the close advisor to the Pharaoh, but he is guardian to Pharaoh Tamose's two teenage sisters, the young beauties Tehuti and Bekatha. But the kingdom is not at peace.

American Fiction

The UnAmericans : stories, Molly Antopol.
Traces the experiences of protagonists from a range of cultures, including a blacklisted Hollywood actor who struggles to connect with his son, and a dissenting gallery worker who begins smuggling and curating underground art.
Mercy Snow, Tiffany Baker.
Tale of love and redemption in a small depressed town where locals blame a girl's older brother for an accident and she has to fight for justice.
Painted horses, Malcolm Brooks.
Robust tale of America in the 1950s and a young archaeologist on her way to A canyon in Montana. If you like Annie Proulx and Cormac McCarthy, you might like to try this.
You're a big girl now, Neil Gordon.
Sequel to "The company you keep," recently filmed. Story of a journalist who has to investigate her own family.
Mr. Miracle, Debbie Macomber.
A heartwarming Christmas novel of romance, hope, and the comforts of home.
Famous writers I have known, James Magnuson.
A semi-literate con man poses as a famously reclusive author teaching a college writing course funded by a terminally ill, extremely wealthy novelist and exploits a long-simmering feud between the pair.
We are called to rise, Laura McBride.
Based on real events. A very well reviewed story set in Las Vegas. North & South's reviewer said "this beautiful but heartbreaking tale is my book of the year."
The appetites of girls, Pamela Moses.
Four college roommates find friendship and strength that helps them overcome food-related challenges in their relationships with their mothers and a jealous sibling.
Rooms, Lauren Oliver.
Young Adult author's adult debut. Has echoes of "The lovely bones" in a tale of family, ghosts and secrets in which the dead and living intersect.
Leaving time, Jodi Picoult.
For more than a decade, Jenna Metcalf has never stopped thinking about her mother, Alice, who mysteriously disappeared in the wake of a tragic accident. Refusing to believe that she would be abandoned as a young child, Jenna searches for her mother regularly online and pores over the pages of Alice's old journals.
Some luck, Jane Smiley.
First in a new epic trilogy that will span a century of America.
A sudden light, Garth Stein.
When a boy tries to save his parent's marriage he uncovers a legacy of family secrets in this unusual ghost story by the author of "A sudden light."
The ghost apple, Aaron Thier.
New Hampshire's Tripoli College is a humble New England institution which maintains a branch campus on the Caribbean island of St. Renard. Originally founded as a free school for Native Americans, it is now beset by financial problems and so has entered into an increasingly troubling financial relationship with a snack food giant called Big Anna Brands, the same corporation that controls most of the land on the island.

Australian fiction

Lyrebird Hill, Anna Romer.
Ruby Cardel has the semblance of a normal life a loving boyfriend, a fulfilling career but in one terrible moment, her life unravels. The discovery that the death of her sister, Jamie, was not an accident makes her question all she's known about herself and her past.
Thornwood House, Anna Romer.
When Audrey Kepler inherits an abandoned homestead in rural Queensland, she jumps at the chance to escape her loveless existence in the city and make a fresh start. In a dusty back room of the old house, she discovers the crumbling photo of a handsome World War Two medic Samuel Riordan, the homestead's former occupant.
The rosie effect, Graeme Simsion.
Don Tillman and Rosie Jarman are now married and living in New York. Don has been teaching while Rosie completes her second year at Columbia Medical School. Just as Don is about to announce that Gene, his philandering best friend from Australia, is coming to stay, Rosie drops a bombshell: she's pregnant.

British Fiction

It must have been the mistletoe, Judy Astley.
A family Christmas in Cornwall for the newly single? Thea's parents have split up but still seem to be together. Both her younger sister and her brother are Smug Marrieds. But Thea is newly single and very much wishes she wasn't.
A history of loneliness, John Boyne.
From the author of "The boy in the striped pyjamas" comes the tale of a young Irishman training for the priesthood in the 1970s and how, forty years later, he has to confront the scandals in the Irish Church.
Here are the young men, Rob Doyle.
During his first holiday on the island of Porquerolles Dr Mahe caught a glimpse of something irresistible. As the memory continues to haunt him, he falls prey to a delusion that may offer an escape from his conventional existence or may destroy him.
Two more pints, Roddy Doyle.
Two men meet for a pint or two in a Dublin pub. They chew the fat, set the world to rights, curse the ref, say a last farewell. Just like sitting in a rough pub and listening in.
The school gate survival guide, Kerry Fisher.
Feisty Maia Etxeleku is a cleaner for ladies who lunch. She spends her life wiping up spilt Sauvignon and hoovering around handbags before rushing back home to skivvy after her children's feckless father on an estate where survival depends on your ability to look the other way. But an unusual inheritance catapults her into a different world.
Twist, Tom Grass.
Modernisation and retelling of "Oliver Twist" as an 18 year old street artist and freerunner on the run from police and saved by the mysterious Dodge who introduces him to art collector Cornelius Faginescu.
Miss Carter's war, Sheila Hancock.
Miss C, having worked for a SOE behind enemy ines, returns to Britain and sets out on a social justice mission teaching grirls in a London grammar school.
Dear thief, Samantha Harvey.
Story of a woman writing to her estranged friend about their shared past and a betrayal that happened fifteen years earlier.
Wife on the run, Fiona Higgins.
When social media and a mobile phone expose a high school scandal and a husband's shameful secrets the only thing left to do is run. In the remarkable new novel from the bestselling author of The Mothers' Group a beleaguered wife and mother escapes it all on a family road trip without technology to reclaim her life and rebuild her family.
Sleep in peace tonight, James MacManus.
Story of London Blitz, a vivid recreation of courage, sacrifice and ordinary life, featuring Roosevelt's adviser.
The assassination of Margaret Thatcher : and other stories, Hilary Mantel.
Hilary Mantel delivers a brilliant collection of contemporary short stories that demonstrate what modern England has become.
Head of state, Andrew Marr.
The first novel from Britain's most celebrated political commentator is a political satire about the U.K. on the verge of whether to stay in the EU or go its own way.
The tree house : and other stories, Colin McPhillamy ; with an introduction by Collin Johnson.
This is a collection of plays and short stories all originally broadcast on BBC Radio in the UK. First published to support performances at the Edinburgh Festival, it includes The Tree House which was performed by the author as a solo stage piece at the Edinburgh Festival.
HRH Prince Philip : escape from the palace, Thomas J O'Mara.
Prince Philip has a dilemma. It's 1966 and Prince Philip is the only grey man in a world bursting with an endless kaleidoscope of colour. He longs to break free of the royal shackles and dreams of escape from his gilded cage. Zany tale of life at the palace.
Daughter, Jane Shemilt.
A Richard & Judy Booklclub title in Britain. A teenage girl goes missing and the girl's mother discovers she didn't know her daughter as well as she thought.
Hotel Alpha, Mark Watson.
Three decades ago, a businessman built the hotel of the title, one of London's finest. Time has moved on, however, and the people who love the hotel have to accept change.
Indian summer, Marcia Willett.
For retired actor Sir Mungo, his quiet, home village in Devon provides a perfect setting. Close by are his brother and his wife, and the rural location makes his home the ideal getaway for his dear friends in London.

Fantasy

Strange brew, P.N. Elrod.
In this bewitching collection, nine of today's hottest paranormal authors spin otherworldly tales featuring witches and dark magic.
Broken, Kelley Armstrong.
When half-demon Xavier calls in the favour Elena owes him, it seems easy enough steal Jack the Ripper's 'From Hell' letter away from a Toronto collector who had himself stolen it from the Ripper evidence boxes in the Metropolitan Police files. But nothing in the supernatural world is ever as simple as it seems.
The lesser dead, Christopher Buehlman.
New York City in 1978 is a dirty, dangerous place to live. And die. Joey Peacock knows this as well as anybody he has spent the last forty years as an adolescent vampire, perfecting the routine he now enjoys: womanizing in punk clubs and discotheques, feeding by night, and sleeping by day with others of his kind in the macabre labyrinth under the city's sidewalks.
Poison fruit, Jacqueline Carey.
Third in the Angel of Hel series.
The relic guild, Edward Cox.
In the Labyrinth a young woman touched by magic fears for her life in a sealed city where the use of magic is punishable by death.
The outsorcerer's apprentice, Tom Holt.
A happy workforce is a productive workforce. At the moment, the Wizard's employees are neither. The goblins are upset with their working conditions, the dragonslayer has thrown a hissy fit over his medical insurance (or lack thereof) and everyone is upset about the terrible canteen coffee. Wacky fantasy comedy.
The incorruptibles, John Hornor Jacobs.
Shoe and Fish are mercenaries hired to guide a Senator and his spoilt family on a boat journey where elf-like natives lurk.
Dreamer's pool, Juliet Marillier.
Begins a new fantasy series, Blackthorn and Grim.
The falcon throne, Karen Miller.
First in Tarnished Crown epic fantasy series.

Fiction from the rest of the World

The king, Kader Abdolah
A hypnotic page-turner about the grinding gears of historical change and ruthless palace intrigue in Persia, c. 1848.
Three stories, J. M. Coetzee.
Three superb stories by the Booker and Nobel winner.
Henna House, Nomi Eve.
In Yemen in 1920 Adela Damari's parents desperately seek a future husband for their young daughter. After passage of the Orphan's Decree, any unbetrothed Jewish child left orphaned will be instantly adopted by the local Muslim community. With her parents' health failing, and no spousal prospects in sight, things change with a visitor and the secret of henna tattooing.
The human body, Paolo Giordano
From the author of the bestsller, "The solitude of prime numnbers," comes the story of a platoon of Italian soldiers, including one woman, posted to a base in Afghanistan.
A bad character, Deepti Kapoor.
Strong tale of modern Delhi, not seen much before in fiction, a city of violence, rage and corruption.
The Matiushin case, Oleg Pavlov
A young man is damaged by brutality at home and then in the army in this fascinating Russian novel.
The Mahe circle, Georges Simenon
During his first holiday on the island of Porquerolles Dr Mahe caught a glimpse of something irresistible. As the memory continues to haunt him, he falls prey to a delusion that may offer an escape from his conventional existence or may destroy him. One of the non-Maigret titles in the Simenon series from Penguin.
Quartet for the end of time, Johanna Skibsrud.
Excellent novel by Canadian author. A riot at a WWI veteran's camp in 1930s Washington has repercussions for four people.

Graphic Novel

Lucifer. Book four, Mike Carey
Black Widow. [1], The finely woven thread, Nathan Edmondson ; artist, Phil Noto
Sankarea. 7, Mitsuru Hattori
Sankarea. 8, Mitsuru Hattori
Uncanny Avengers. Avenge the earth, Rick Remender ; art, Daniel Acuna
Wandering son. Volume seven, Shimura Takako

Historical

Keepers of the covenant, Lynn Austin.
In a story drawn from the Old Testament books of Ezra and Nehemiah, Ezra, a Jewish scholar, is called upon to deliver his exiled people from Babylon to Jerusalem but the fight to keep God's Law is never easy.
The brewer's tale, Karen Brooks.
It had been Mother's secret and mine, one passed down through the de Winter women for generations. I would ensure it was kept that way, until I was ready to pass it on. When Anneke Sheldrake is forced to find a way to support her family after her father is lost at sea, she turns to the business by which her mother's family once prospered: brewing ale.
Gutenberg's apprentice, Alix Christie.
A first novel about the birth of printing in medieval Germany - a story of invention, intrigue and betrayal.
The last Viking, Berwick Coates.
England, 1066. With the death of Edward the Confessor, the future of England is hanging in the balance. Harold has been crowned king but the country he inherits is menaced by division within and enemies without.
The ice cream queen of Orchard Street, Susan Jane Gilman.
Debut novel about a young immigrant's rise to become the greatest ice cream maker in America.
The towers of Samarcand, James Heneage.
Second in "The Mistra chronicles" set in 15th century Europe.
Enemy of Rome, Douglas Jackson.
Fifth novel in the Rome series featuring Gaius Valerius Varens, set in 89 A.D.
The licence of war, V.C. Letemendia.
Features Laurence Beaumont who is the seductive, sardonic protagonist introduced in 'The best of men'. This novel blends history and fiction in a seventeenth century alive with intrigue, violence and wit, from the court of King Charles I at Oxford where poisonous rivalries fester, to stately country estates and the underworld of thieves and whores.
The day of atonement, David Liss.
Historical thriller about justice and retribution set during the time of The Inquisition.
Nightingale, Fiona McIntosh.
Amidst the carnage of Gallipoli, British nurse Claire Nightingale meets Australian Light Horseman Jamie Wren. Despite all odds, they fall deeply in love. Their flame burns bright and carries them through their darkest hours, even when war tears them apart.
A matter of heart, Tracie Peterson.
In 1890s Texas when two very different men enter Jessica's life, will she choose to pursue her dreams of adventure or follow the gentle urgings of her heart.
Victus : the fall of Barcelona, Albert Sanchez Pinol
Set in 18th century Spain and about a military mastermind whose betrayal leads to the conquest of Barcelona.

Mystery

Paying the ferryman, Jane A. Adams.
Latest novel featuring former policewoman Naomi Blake has a murder linked to what happened when she was still on the force.
Reykjavik nights, Arnaldur Indridason
On the beat in Reykavik is busy enough and then a man is found dead in this prequel to his popular series.
The dead pass, Bateman.
Hired to find the missing son of retired political activist Moira Doherty, Dan Starkey knows his new case is going to be challenging. Billy 'the Bear' Doherty isn't an easy man to find - a criminal with a nasty drug habit, his mum is convinced he's been murdered. Colin Bateman taking just his surname to show he means business.
The blood of an Englishman, M.C. Beaton.
Investigating the murder of a local baker during an amateur theatrical production, curmudgeon Agatha Raisin and her team of private detectives uncover a web of feuds and temperamental behaviours that place the team in mortal danger.
A walk among the tombstones : a Matt Scudder mystery, Lawrence Block.
1992 novel republished to coincide with the movie starring Liam Neeson and Dan Stevens.
The body on the beach, Simon Brett.
Fethering tale in which Carole finds a body on the beach but it disappears by the time the police arrive.
Murder at the Chase, Eric Brown.
Second in an entertaining old fashioned mystery series set in 1950's England.
The empire of night : Christopher Marlowe Cobb thriller, Robert Olen Butler.
It is 1917, and the United States is wavering on the brink of war. Kit is now a full-blown spy in England, working undercover in a castle on the Kentish coast owned by a suspected British government mole named Sir Albert Stockman. And Kit again has a female spy to deal with — his own mother.
Raging heat, Richard Castle.
An illegal immigrant falls from the sky and NYPD Homicide Detective Nikki Heat's investigation into his death quickly captures the imagination of her boyfriend, the Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist, Jameson Rook.
The lost key, Catherine Coulter and J.T. Ellison.
Second in series featuring FBI agent Nicholas Drummond.
Bitter remedy, Conor Fitzgerald.
Fifth in series featuring Commissario Alec Blume.
Damage, Felix Francis.
Murder on the racing scene in the fourth solo from the son of Dick.
Justice postponed, Anthea Fraser.
Biographer Rona Parish is doing work for a local magazine and meets a man with a tragic past which threatens his future.
The dark, V.M. Giambanco.
Dark crime tale featuring Seattle Homicide Detective Alice Madison and attorney Nathan Quinn facing off a sadistic killer.
The monogram murders : the new Hercule Poirot mystery, Sophie Hannah.
One of today's top mystery writers with a new authorised tale featuring the Belgian supersleuth.
Indelible, Peter Helton.
Painter/private eye Chris Honeysett and the Bath Arts Academy Exhibition where a murder is uncovered.
The soul of discretion, Susan Hill.
When one day DC Simon Serrailler is called in by Lafferton's new Chief Constable, Kieron Bright, he is met by four plainclothes officers. He is asked to take the lead role in a complex, potentially dangerous undercover operation and must leave town immediately.
Death is a word, Hazel Holt.
Sheila Malory and the case of a mysterious death that reveals there is a murderer at large in the pleasant Devon countryside.
Hardcastle's quartet, Graham Ison.
June 1918. A patrolling constable discovers the body of Georgina Cheney, wife of a naval commander, in the basement area of a house in Westminster. At first it is thought to be suicide or even a tragic accident. But as Divisional Detective Inspector Ernest Hardcastle of the A or Whitehall Division of the Metropolitan Police investigates, this seems unlikely.
Disclosures, Bill James.
Harpur and Iles and a local villain they can put up with but this character is being threatened by someone who's a lot more dangerous.
The perfect witness, Iris Johansen.
Tale of a woman with a photographic memory who has lived her life in the Witness Protection Programme.
Twisted, Lynda La Plante.
Wealthy, attractive and successful couple, with their strikingly beautiful teenage daughter Amy, seem settled and content. But appearances mask a strained relationship almost at breaking point. Things heat up and murder is going to happen.
A demon summer, G.M. Malliet.
Someone has been trying to poison the 15th Earl of Lislelivet and Father Max Tudor is on the case.
Deeds of darkness, Edward Marston.
In June 1916, a young woman is found murdered in a cinema. Harvery Marmion and Joe Keedy set out to find the killer who so elusively fled in the dark. Before long, two more victims, of striking similarity but differing backgrounds, are found dead around the city.
Proof positive, Archer Mayor.
Joe Gunther and his squad and the case of the death of a hoarder which has links to Vietnam and a hit team.
Rose Gold, Walter Mosley.
Latest Easy Rawlins tale is set in the era of radical black nationalism and political abductions.
Gods of gold, Chris Nickson.
Introduces a new historical mystery series featuring Detective Inspector Tom Harper in 1890s Leeds.
Hostage, Kristina Ohlsson
Flight to New York takes off from Stockholm and there's a bomb threat on board. Fredrika Bergman returns to the police force as negotiator.
Full measure, T. Jefferson Parker.
Departure from the crime novels he has written in the past, a tale of the bond between siblings as well as those connected through military service. Very well reviewed.
The beat goes on : [the complete Rebus short stories], Ian Rankin.
Over the years, Ian Rankin has amassed an incredible portfolio of short stories. Published in crime magazines, composed for events, broadcast on radio, they all share the best qualities of his phenomenally popular Rebus novels.
Her last whisper, Karen Robards.
Doctor Charlotte "Charlie" Stone and the case of the Cinderlella killer.
Savage magic, Lloyd Shepherd.
Historical mystery - third in series - featuring Constable Charles Haughton and his wife Abigail investigating murders around the Covent Garden.
A crime in Holland, Georges Simenon
When a French professor visiting the quiet, Dutch coastal town of Delfzjil is accused of murder, Maigret is sent to investigate. The community seem happy to blame an unknown outsider, but there are people much closer to home who seem to know much more than they're letting on.
The Handsome Man's De Luxe Cafe, Alexander McCall Smith.
It's back to Botswana for a new case involving Mme Ramotswe.
Nothing but lies, Lyndon Stacey.
Third in series featuring former police dog handler Daniel Whelan in the West Country.
The visitors, Simon Sylvester.
17 year old girl flees to a remote Scottish island and meets a man and his daughter who've just arrived there. When locals begin to disappear, suspicion falls on the newcomers.
Crooked herring, L. C. Tyler.
Zany tale in whicnh Ethelred, crime writer, has a fellow author turn up to say he may have murdered someone while drunk.
The mark of the midnight manzanilla, Lauren Willig.
Latest in the Pink Carnation series.
Paris match, Stuart Woods.
Stone Barrington has returned to Paris to attend to some business concerns, and finds himself embroiled in high-stakes trouble on both sides of the pond.

New Zealand Fiction

The Silver Gaucho, Jackie Ballantyne.
The Silver Gaucho is dead - and across Argentina an entire nation is in mourning. But for adventurer Lockie Steele, the death of the famous television idol is merely one part of a puzzling family mystery. Why does the wealthy and manipulative Mabon family wish to engage her services, and why are they prepared to go to such lengths to protect their secrets?
Reach, Laurence Fearnley.
One of the reasons she was attracted to etchings was the deep, rich, black of the oily ink. A good layer of black ink was fathomless, like the sky or the sea at night. It was black as the unconscious mind, full of life but beyond reach. Quinn is a successful artist creating new works for an upcoming exhibition. She lives on the coast with Marcus, a vet who left his wife for her and lost contact with his young daughter Audrey as a result.
Infidelities, Kirsty Gunn.
This new collection of stories offers a candid peek at infidelity in all its guises. These are tales of lust, deceit, resentment and regret - and of the secrets and lies that can chip away at human relationships. In a series of interwoven dramas, we find mothers yearning for adventure, for the exhilaration of the open road or the anonymity of the forest.
Of things gone astray, Janina Matthewson.
Christchurch born author who now lives in London. An interesting magical fable about people who lose something dear but peculiar to them.

Romance

The escape, Mary Balogh.
Her boss by arrangement, Teresa Carpenter.
Dr Perfect on her doorstep, Lucy Clark.
Interview with a tycoon, Cara Colter.
Frozen heart, melting kiss, Ellie Darkins.
Ella's wish, Jerry S. Eicher.
Dressed to thrill, Bella Frances.
Fast track, Julie Garwood.
Changing Constantinou's game, Jennifer Hayward.
Captured by the sheikh, Kate Hewitt.
Outback ghost, Rachael Johns.
The housekeeper's awakening, Sharon Kendrick.
A secret shared, Marion Lennox.
Love song, Elizabeth Lowell.
Flirting with the doc of her dreams, Janice Lynn.
More precious than a crown, Carol Marinelli.
After one forbidden night, Amber McKenzie.
Tycoon's temptation, Trish Morey.
The party dare, Anne Oliver.
The ultimate revenge, Victoria Parker.
Sleeping with the soldier, Charlotte Phillips.
In her rival's arms, Alison Roberts.
Damaso claims his heir, Annie West.

Saga

Sidney Sheldon's Chasing tomorrow, Tilly Bagshawe.
Tracy Whitney never thought she wanted to settle down. With her suave and handsome partner, Jeff Stevens, she'd been responsible for some of the world's most astounding heists, relishing the danger and intensity of life on the wild side. But there is still one thing missing from Tracy's perfect life: a baby
What tomorrow brings, Mary Fitzgerald.
A young girl falls in love with two very different men as Europe plunges into war.
Blackpeak Vines, Holly Ford.
Former television executive settles in a vineyard and brings celebrity guests and issues with her in this tale of life in the outback.
Return to Fourwinds, Elisabeth Gifford.
A runaway bride causes a family crisis in the second novel by the author of the bestselling "Secrets of the sea house."
Guarded passions, Rosie Harris.
Family saga set in 1970s Liverpool.
Under southern skies, Anne McCullagh Rennie.
Cate Perry's future couldn't look brighter. She's learning about life on the land, and has just completed her first solo flight over the vast Northern Territory cattle station she calls home. And she's falling in love with handsome, gentle Alf. Then a tragic freak accident changes Cate's life forever.
A perfect life, Danielle Steel.
The epitome of intelligence, high-powered energy, beauty, and grace, Blaise McCarthy is an icon in the world of television news, asking the tough questions and taking on the emotionally charged issues of world news and politics with courage and insight.

Science Fiction

Hieroglyph : stories and visions for a better future, Ed Finn and Kathryn Cramer (editor)
Inspired by New York Times bestselling author Neal Stephenson, some of today's leading writers, thinkers, and visionaries have come together in this anthology of stories, set in the near future.
A vision of fire, Gillian Anderson & Jeff Rovin.
X-Files star and co-author with a child psychologist whose young patient's violent visions may have supernatural implications.
Ancillary sword, Ann Leckie.
Follows multi award-winning "Ancillary justice" in her space opera series.
The hive construct, Alexander Maskill.
Prizewinning debut set in New Cairo, a city built deep in the Sahara and totally dependent on new technology.
Viewpoints critical : selected stories, L. E. Modesitt, Jr.
A collection of sixteen previously published and three new short stories.
A call to duty : a novel of the Honorverse, David Weber & Timothy Zahn.
First in "Manticore Ascendant," new series set in the Honorverse by two of the biggest SF names.