May 2008

Audrey Howard — The Long Way Home

Amy Pearson's family is desperately poor - even by the standards of Edwardian Liverpool - but they have each other. Until Amy is torn from her home by her rich aunt, a woman obsessed by religion and snobbery who wants a girl she can mould as she wishes. Amy has to endure a forced marriage and a tragic war before she can at last find what she seeks.

John Connelly — The Reapers

They are the Reapers, the elite among killers. The assassin Louis is one of them. But now Louis, and his partner, Angel, are themselves targets. A wealthy recluse sends them to a town, ruled by a man, with very  personal reasons for wanting Louis's blood spilt. There they find themselves trapped, isolated, and at the mercy of a killer feared above all others: Bliss. Thanks to former detective Charlie Parker, help is on its way. But can Angel and Louis stay alive long enough for it to reach them?

Susan Sallis — Rachel’s Secret

In 1943, two schoolgirls, Rachel and Meriel, best friends in the Gloucestershire city where they have grown up, amuse themselves by tracking down
imaginary German spies. It all seems a harmless way of whiling away the long school holidays, until their game turns into a frightening reality, the consequences of which affect their whole lives. Rachel becomes a reporter on the local paper while Meriel, a GI bride, goes to live in
Florida. But the bonds which hold them together can never be broken, as the secrets and scandals which first surfaced in those far-off wartime days eventually come to light.

Anna Jacobs — Chestnut Lane

When novelist Sophie Carr rescues a man hiding in her garden from a group of paparazzi, she finds that her new neighbour is ageing pop star Jez Winter. He's had a tough time lately, with an intruder slashing his face, then a car accident putting his ability to play music at risk. Life's not been easy for Sophie either, losing her husband just as she was taking off as a novelist and having difficulties with her control freak son William and her daughter Andi, who is into recreational drugs and has lost her way in life since her father's death. And Sophie also has a secret to hide. One that makes her very wary of getting involved with Jez.

Tami Hoag — Deeper Than the Dead

Thomas Crane is a normal ten-year-old boy, except for one thing - his father may be a serial killer. Peter Crane is a community leader, but his seeming generosity may be a clever cover for cultivating his own victims. Duane Larkin has a history of violence that may determine his son's future and send him down a dark path. Even at the tender age of ten, Dennis Larkin is a troubled boy. Tony Mendez is a tenacious veteran homicide detective, determined to bring the killer down - no matter who he might be. And FBI Special Agent Anne Navarro is a female scientist in the world of hard-nosed cops. But with her own quiet determination she will do her part to solve the crimes - and perhaps save a child in the process.