New Releases - January 2022

Crimes and Cover, by Amanda Flower
Christmas is coming to Cascade Springs, and so is the wedding of Charming Books proprietor Violet Waverly and police chief David Rainwater. Grandma Daisy and Violet's best friend, Sadie, go all out to make the nuptials the event of the season--whether Violet likes it or not. But the reception becomes memorable for all the wrong reasons when a woman's dead body floats by on the frigid Niagara River.
Violet is shocked to recognize the deceased as a mysterious woman who visited Charming Books two days before the wedding, toting a rare first edition of Henry David Thoreau's Walden. Well aware that a mint condition copy could be worth more than $14,000, Violet told the woman she would have to have the book appraised before she could consider buying it. Displeased, the woman tucked the book under her arm and stormed out. Now she's dead, and an enigmatic message scrawled in pen upon her palm reads, "They stole my book."
It's a confounding case. But, Violet can draw on the resources of her bookshop's magical consciousness, which communicates clues to Violet via quotes from Walden. Violet sets out to recover the priceless book by solving a murder most transcendental.

One Step Too Far, by Lisa Gardner
A thrilling new novel that sends missing persons expert Frankie Elkin into a national forest in Wyoming looking for a young man who disappeared without a trace.  But when the search team encounters immediate threats to their survival, Frankie realizes she's up against something very dark--and she's running out of time.

Something to Hide, by Elizabeth George
Detective Sergeant Barbara Havers and Detective Inspector Thomas Lynley are back. When a police detective is taken off life support after falling into a coma, an autopsy reveals the murderous act that precipitated her death. She'd been working on a special task force within North London's Nigerian community, and Acting Detective Superintendent Thomas Lynley is assigned to the case, which has far-reaching cultural associations that have nothing to do with life as he knows it. He's assisted by Detective Sergeants Barbara Havers and Winston Nkata. They must sort through the lies and the secret lives of people whose superficial cooperation masks the damage they do to one another.

The Overnight Guest, by Heather Gudenkauf
True crime writer Wylie Lark doesn't mind being snowed in at the farmhouse where she's retreated to write her new book. It would be perfect, if not for the fact that decades earlier, at this very house, two people were murdered and a girl disappeared without a trace.
As the storm worsens, Wylie finds herself trapped inside the house, haunted by the secrets contained within its walls--haunted by secrets of her own. Then she discovers a small child in the snow just outside. After bringing the child inside, she begins to search for answers. But soon it becomes clear that the farmhouse isn't as isolated as she thought, and someone is willing to do anything to find them.

Quicksilver, by Dean Koontz
Quinn Quicksilver was born a mystery. Quinn had a happy if unexceptional life. Until the day of "strange magnetism." Now Quinn is on the run and fleeing for his life.During a shoot-out at a ranch, he finally meets his companions: Bridget Rainking, gifted in foresight and firearms, and her grandpa Sparky, a romance novelist with an unusual past. Bridget knows what it's like to be Quinn. She's hunted, too. The only way to stay alive is to keep moving.The formidable trio is impelled by that same inexplicable magnetism toward the inevitable. With every mile, something sinister is in the rearview--an enemy that is more than a match for Quinn.

Lightning in a Mirror, by Jayne Ann Krentz

Olivia LeClair's experiment with speed dating is not going well.  Now Harlan Rancourt- long believed dead- sits down at her table and tells her she's the only one who can help him locate the legendary Vortex lab. She doesn't have much choice, though, because her psychic investigation firm works for the Foundation and the director is adamant that she assists Harlan. There's just one problem- no one knows Harlan's real agenda. For now, it's a case of the enemy of my enemy is my friend because others are after the secrets of the long-lost lab. Neither trusts the other but Olivia and Harlan soon realize they must work together to survive and unlock the Bluestone Project's most dangerous secrets before more innocent people die.

The Horsewoman, by James Patterson and Mike Lupica
Maggie Atwood and Becky McCabe, mother and daughter, both champion riders, vowed to never, ever, go up against one another. 
Until the tense, harrowing competitions leading to the Paris Olympics. 
Mother and daughter share a dream: to be the best horsewoman in the world.
Coronado is Maggie's horse. An absolutely top-tier Belgian warmblood. 
Sky is Becky's horse. A small, speedy Dutch warmblood. 

Ever Constant, by Tracie Peterson and Kimberly Woodhouse

On the surface, Whitney Powell is happy working with her sled dogs and welcoming the new additions to her family through her sisters' marriages and an upcoming birth. But her life is full of complications. When villagers in outlying areas come down with a horrible sickness, Dr. Peter Cameron turns to Whitney and her dogs for help navigating the deep snow, and they become close while ministering to the sick together. Peter has recognized her finer qualities but is troubled by the emotions and secrets she keeps buried within. He wants to help but wonders if she is more of a risk than his heart can take. As sickness spreads throughout Nome and another man courts Whitney, she and Peter will discover that sometimes it is only in weakness that you can find strength.  

Invisible, by Danielle Steel
Antonia Adams is the product of a loveless marriage between a model and an aristocrat. She learns that the only way to feel safe is to hide from the dangers around her-- to be "invisible."
In her isolation, books are her refuge and movies her escape. Her love of the movies turns into a dream to become a screenwriter, and a summer job at a Hollywood studio. There, a filmmaker notices her, and she can remain invisible no longer. She is thrust into the public eye--and even more so when they fall in love.
When tragedy strikes, she must decide whether she will remain center stage or become invisible again, where she feels safest. Will she face her demons, or run and hide?