Happy #BookBday (5/6/14 Edition)

Happy #BookBday (5/6/14 Edition)

What a lovely day for a #BookBday! Today we celebrate:

THE SNOW QUEEN by Michael Cunningham
The Pulitzer Prize-winning author's latest novel about the complex dynamics between a couple and a brother and a mysterious light in the sky received two starred reviews and “at its heart...is about family, and how we reconcile our closest human relationships with our innermost thoughts, hopes, and fears.” (Publishers Weekly)

ALIAS HOOK by Lisa Jensen
In this retelling of the Captain Hook story from Peter Pan, the villain’s one hope for redemption comes in the form of Stella Parrish, a grown woman who dreams her way to the Neverland in defiance of Pan’s rules. “Following in the footsteps of Gregory Maguire, Carolyn Turgeon, and Frank Beddor, Jensen offers a humanized take on Captain Hook that will be sure to entertain fans of the fairy tale-retelling genre.” — Library Journal

THE WATER RAT OF WANCHAI by Ian Hamilton
In this prequel to the series, we find out how forensic accountant and martial arts expert Ava Lee got her start working for the mysterious businessman, Uncle, as they globetrot to track down large sums of money that have disappeared. “[Ava Lee] is sort of a cross between James Bond and Sara Paretsky’s V. I. Warshawski. The action zooms from Toronto to Hong Kong, Bangkok, Guyana, and the British Virgin Islands, from five-star hotels to back alleys. Terrific fun.” — Booklist. Check out the whole Ava Lee series

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We Love the Ava Lee Mysteries

We Love the Ava Lee Mysteries

Today we’re thrilled to share with you Ian Hamilton’s mystery series starring Ava Lee, a forensic accountant who also happens to be a deadly martial artist with a taste for luxury and a mind like a steel trap. Yeah girl! 

Ava made her debut in THE DISCIPLE OF LAS VEGAS which Booklist called, "Slick, fast-moving escapism reminiscent of Ian Fleming, with more to come in what shapes up as a high-energy, high-concept series.” DISCIPLE was followed by another globetrotting follow-the-money adventure, THE WILD BEASTS OF WUHAN.

Now, Ava must rescue her family from gangsters and bankruptcy in the third book in the series, THE RED POLE OF MACAU (available Dec. 31), which is getting terrific reviews:

"Hamilton delivers a fantastic read once again. Recommended for mystery and crime thriller fans." Library Journal, starred review

"Asian locales and action increasing to a deadly climax add to the appeal...in Hamilton’s surefire series." – Booklist 

"Hamilton delivers colorful snapshots of Hong Kong and Macau, a well-paced plot, and a smart and capable heroine who’ll make you see accounting in a whole new light." – Kirkus Reviews

Can't get enough of Ava Lee? The fourth book in the series, THE WATER RAT OF WANCHAI is coming in May 2014, but the e-galley is available now. Get whitelisted and download your copy. [...]

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For Your Consideration… December LibraryReads suggestions

For Your Consideration… December LibraryReads suggestions

Friends, thank you again for choosing Julia Spencer-Fleming's THROUGH THE EVIL DAYS and Barry Maitland's THE RAVEN'S EYE for the November LibraryReads list. 

We're already halfway through the month, which means only two more weeks to nominate titles for the December list (due Nov. 1). Never fear! We're happy to help you whittle down the "To Read" pile with our favorite December books:

THE HOUSEMAID'S DAUGHTER by Barbara Mutch
This moving debut novel is a December Indie Next selection! Set in the arid plains of Apartheid-era South Africa, THE HOUSEMAID'S DAUGHTER tells the story of Cathleen, an estranged young woman whose only true companions are her diary and her housemaid's daughter. But one night changes everything and Cathleen must choose between conforming to society or finding the girl she has come to love as her own daughter. "Rich in detail and subtle in its politics, this affecting novel tells a poignant, inspiring story." – Booklist, starred review

NetGalley logoAvailable on NetGalley. Email library@macmillanusa.com (subject line: HOUSEMAID'S DAUGHTER) to get pre-approved for a galley.


ONCE UPON A LIE
by Maggie Barbieri
In a dramatic departure from her Murder 101 series, Maggie Barbieri has written a gripping novel about one burnt out mother's desperate determination to protect her family's future by facing down her past. What starts out as a standard suburban mystery evolves into an unexpectedly riveting tale of ordinary cruelty and complicated heroism. "...Barbieri skillfully avoids tipping her hand until the last possible moment, leaving readers both breathless and unnerved by the novel’s conclusion." – Publishers Weekly, starred & boxed review

NetGalley logoAvailable on NetGalley. Email library@macmillanusa.com (subject line: ONCE UPON A LIE) to get pre-approved for a galley.


THE TRIP TO ECHO SPRING: On Writers and Drinking
by Olivia Laing
“The tortured relationship between literary lions and their liquor illuminates the obscure terrain of psychology and art in this searching biographical meditation…. Laing explores this rich topic through an unusual mix of biographical research, astute literary interpretation, and wonderfully atmospheric travelogue... The result is a fine study of a human frailty through the eyes of its most perceptive victims.” – Publishers Weekly, starred review. If that's not enough of an endorsement, Library Journal's Barbara Hoffert made it one of her picks saying, “Perennially astonishing authors framed by a perennially popular theme.”

Email library@macmillanusa.com (subject line: TRIP TO ECHO SPRING) to get request an e-galley.


THE RED POLE OF MACAU
by Ian Hamilton
Booklist called the exotic Ava Lee mystery series, “Slick, fast-moving escapism reminiscent of Ian Fleming,” and the third entry shows no sign of flagging. In THE RED POLE OF MACAU, Ava must rescue her half-brother Michael and his business partner Simon from a disastrous multi-million-dollar real-estate deal in Macau that could bankrupt them. When the developers turn out to be gangsters and kidnap Simon, Ava must use all her skills to outwit the gangsters, rescue Simon, and save her family’s future.

Edelweiss DRC button
Available for download on Edelweiss.

For more December LibraryReads title suggestions, view our collection on Edelweiss.

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Meet Ava Lee the Forensic Accountant, Martial Arts Master, & Sleuth

Meet Ava Lee the Forensic Accountant, Martial Arts Master, & Sleuth

 

Ava Lee, martial arts master and unflappable forensic accountant, is back in her second outing, THE WILD BEASTS OF WUHAM, and this time she's unraveling a financial scandal in the art world to the tune of $100 million. From Denmark to the Faroe Islands, New York to London, Ava tracks down the provenance of a series of meticulously forged paintings.

Booklist is of the first to review THE WILD BEASTS OF WUHAN and they said, "You haven’t seen cold and calculating until you’ve double-crossed this number cruncher. Another strong entry from Arthur Ellis Award–winner Hamilton."

Library Journal gave the first Ava Lee novel, THE DISCIPLE OF LAS VEGAS, a starred review and said, "This financial mystery echoes Sue Grafton’s Kinsey Millhone series heroine, but Ava is edgier and computer savvy; she is as resourceful as Stieg Larsson’s Lisbeth Salander but without the emotional baggage and extreme violence. Highly recommended."

The Ava Lee Series has been sold in more than twenty countries, and has been optioned for film by Strada Films/Union Pictures. 

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#FridayReads: Excerpts

#FridayReads: Excerpts

Happy Friday, everyone!

I've collected a few chapter one excerpt links for a little lunchtime reading:

Start reading THE PERFECT GHOST by Linda Barnes on LindaBarnes.com.

Start reading KITTY ROCKS THE HOUSE by Carrie Vaughn on HeroesAndHeartbreakers.com (registration required).

Start reading SEA CHANGE by S. M. Wheeler on Tor.com.

Start reading THE DISCIPLE OF LAS VEGAS by Ian Hamilton on CriminalElement.com.

Also on CriminalElement.com listen to an audio excerpt of RAGE AGAINST THE DYING by Becky Masterman. 

And definitely check out our Spring 2013 Debut Chapter E-Sampler which is downloadable from NetGalley and exclusively for librarians. Details here.

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