Starred Review Round-Up (9/14/21)

We’re seeing stars! These titles all received multiple starred reviews:

FIGHT NIGHT by Miriam Toews
ISBN 9781635578171 | on sale 10/5/21

“Fierce and funny, this gives undeniable testimony to the life force of family. It’s a knockout.”–Publishers Weekly, starred review

“Funny and sad and exquisitely tender.”–Kirkus Reviews, starred review

APPLES NEVER FALL by Liane Moriarty
ISBN 9781250220257 | on sale 9/14/21

“Funny, sad, astute, occasionally creepy, and slyly irresistible.”–Kirkus Reviews, starred review

“Moriarty is at her best in the suburbs, and here the alternating points of view give a full picture and a gentle skewering of the pain points of suburban living. As the two time lines converge, and a happy ending is reached, no clue is left abandoned, not even in the chilling final chapter.”–Booklist, starred review

MARKED MAN: A Joe Gunther Novel by Archer Mayor
ISBN 9781250224163 | on sale 10/12/21

“Mayor matches vivid characters with clever plot twists. This is a perfect jumping-on point for newcomers.”–Publishers Weekly, starred review

“This is the thirty-second Joe Gunther novel, and it’s been clear for quite awhile that Mayor’s series—a perfect mix of character, setting, and story—is one of the best American police procedurals going.”–Booklist, starred review

THE HERON’S CRY: A Detective Matthew Venn Novel by Ann Cleeves
ISBN 9781250204479 | on sale 9/7/21

“This character-driven exploration of people’s darkest flaws is a sterling example of Cleeves’ formidable talents.”–Kirkus Reviews, starred review

“Fans of Cleeves’s ‘Vera Stanhope’ and ‘Shetland’ mysteries will be eager for her latest novel, where a police team struggles to cope with professional and personal lives.”–Library Journal, starred review

THE DAYS OF AFREKETE by Asali Solomon
ISBN 9780374140052 | on sale 10/19/21

“Solomon brings wit and incisive commentary to this pristine take on two characters’ fascinating and painful lives.”–Publishers Weekly, starred review

“In her second novel, Solomon charts the social and cultural geography of her native Philadelphia with clear-eyed affection, and gives each woman character a full-throated voice. Unforgettable.”–Booklist, starred review

HARSH TIMES by Mario Vargas Llosa
ISBN 9780374601232 | on sale 11/16/21

“Thematically, it’s classic Vargas Llosa in its obsession with power struggles, military hierarchies, and brothels. But it’s also an unsettling reminder of the complicated relationship between storytelling and politics.”–Booklist, starred review

“History here gets a compelling human face through an artist’s dramatic brilliance.”–Kirkus Reviews, starred review