Author: Black, Lisa, 1963- author. Published: 2023 2022 Call Number: LP F BLACK Format: Large print Summary: "When D.C. crime scene analyst Dr. Ellie Carr is called to investigate the heartrending case of a missing baby, she's shocked to discover that the child's mother is her own cousin. Close during their impoverished childhoods, Ellie and Rebecca eventually drifted apart. Rebecca is now half of a Washington power couple, and she and her wealthy lobbyist husband, Hunter, have been living a charmed life in an opulent mansion--until their infant son is taken. Every contact leaves a trace. That's the basic principle of forensic science followed by pathologist Dr. Rachael Davies. A reluctant Ellie is teamed with Rachael, employed by Hunter to help with the investigation. But in this case, discovering where those traces lead quickly becomes a dangerous journey through a web of greed and deadly ambition. At first antagonists, then allies, Ellie and Rachael race to find the baby alive and bring the kidnappers to justice. What seemed like a simple ransom grab reveals links to a lobbying effort to loosen regulations on a billion-dollar gaming empire. Unless they can piece together the evidence before the Senate hearing, Rebecca's son--and others like him--will face an unthinkable fate..."--
Author: Brennan, Allison, author. Published: 2023 2021 Call Number: LP F BRENNAN Format: Large print Summary: "Lucas Vega is obsessed with the death of Candace Swain, who left a sorority party one night and never came back. Her body was found a week after she disappeared, but the case has grown cold. Three years later while interning at the medical examiner's, Lucas discovers new information, but the police are not interested. Lucas knows he has several credible pieces of the puzzle. He just isn't sure how they fit together. So he creates a podcast to revisit Candace's last hours. Then he encourages listeners to crowdsource what they remember and invites guest lecturer Regan Merritt, a former US marshal, to come on and share her expertise. New tips come in that convince Lucas and Regan they are onto something. Podcast callers hint at Candace's secret life, a much darker picture than Lucas imagined--and one that implicates other sorority sisters. Then shockingly a sorority alum, one of the last people to see Candace before she disappeared, turns up dead. Regan uses her own resources to bolster their theory and learns that Lucas is hiding his own secret. The pressure is on to solve the murder, but first Lucas must come clean about his real motives in pursuing this podcast--before the killer silences him forever."--
Author: Davis, Susan Page, author. Published: 2023 2022 Call Number: LP F DAVIS Format: Large print Summary: "Murder strikes Skirmish Cove during the coastal town's winter carnival. Jillian Tunney, part owner of the nearby Novel Inn, discovers the body of a clerk at her favorite bookstore. With her sister Kate and brother, Officer Rick Gage, she tries to find out who killed him. Meanwhile, Jillian is immersed in redecorating one of the themed rooms, but Kate is annoyed when a mysterious guest at the inn doesn't want to leave his room. The innkeepers find they have way too many secrets to solve."--
Author: Seeck, Max, 1985- author. London, Kristian, translator. Published: 2023 Call Number: F SEECK Format: Books Summary: "While her colleagues investigate the brutal murder of a prominent businessman, Jessica Niemi must battle demons from her past in this terrifying new novel from the New York Times bestselling author of The Witch Hunter. Powerful executive Eliel Zetterborg has been found murdered in his upscale Helsinki home. What at first seems like a straightforward case soon proves to be anything but when it becomes clear the murderer has other targets. The only clue the police have is a photo of Zetterborg with three men whose faces have all been scratched off. Detective Jessica Niemi has taken some time off from her work with the Helsinki police to track down the coven that nearly killed her, and her partner, Yusuf, is assigned to lead the investigation. But as Yusuf delves into the case, he realizes he needs Jessica's help. And as they dig deeper, they realize that the evil they've been hunting all along has returned and is lying in wait for the right moment to strike"--
Author: Burke, Kelsy, 1985- author. Published: 2023 Call Number: 306.771 Format: Books Summary: "For readers of Peggy Orenstein and Rebecca Traister, an authoritative, big think look at pornography in all its facets -- historical, religious, and cultural. In the 1960s, sex researchers Masters and Johnson declared the end of the fake orgasm. Nearly two decades later, in 1982, evangelical activist Tim LaHaye foretold that the entire pornography industry would soon be driven out of business. Neither prediction proved true. Instead, with the rise of the internet, pornography saturates the American conscience more than ever and has reshaped our understanding of sexuality, relationships, media, and even the nature of addiction. Dr. Kelsy Burke has spent the last five years researching and interviewing internet pornography's opponents and its sympathizers. In The Pornography Wars, Burke does a deep dive into the long history of pornography in America and then turns her gaze on our present society to examine the ways this industry touches on the most intimate parts of American lives. She offers a complete understanding of the major players in the debates around porn's place in society: everyone from sex workers, activists, therapists, religious leaders, and consumers. In doing so, she addresses and debunks the myths that surround porn and porn usage while showing how everything from the way we teach children about sex to the legal protections for what can be published is tied up in the deeply complicated battles over pornography. Sweeping, savvy, and deeply researched, The Pornography Wars is a necessary and comprehensive new look at pornography and American life." --Front jacket flap.
Author: Doller, Trish, author. Published: 2023 Call Number: F DOLLER Format: Books Summary: "On the road to love, you don't need a GPS...Carla Black's life motto is "here for a good time, not for a long time." She's been traveling the world on her own in her vintage Jeep Wrangler for nearly a decade, stopping only long enough to replenish her adventure fund. She doesn't do love and she doesn't ever go home. Eamon Sullivan is a modern-day cartographer who creates digital maps. His work helps people find their way, but he's the one who's lost his sense of direction. He's unhappy at work, recently dumped, and his one big dream is stalled out--literally. Fate throws them together when Carla arrives in Dublin for her best friend's wedding and Eamon is tasked with picking her up from the airport. But what should be a simple drive across Ireland quickly becomes complicated with chemistry-filled detours, unexpected feelings, and a chance at love--if only they choose it"--
Author: Escobar, Mario, 1971- author. Abernathy, Gretchen, translator. Published: 2023 Call Number: F ESCOBAR Format: Books Summary: "The true story of an astonishingly brave woman who saved hundreds of mothers and their children during the Spanish Civil War and WWII"-- "Elisabeth Eidenbenz left Switzerland in 1937 to aid children orphaned during the Spanish Civil War. Now, her work has led her to France, where she's determined to provide expectant mothers and their unborn children a refuge amid one of the worst humanitarian crises of the twentieth century. Desperate to escape the invasion of Franco's Fascist troops, Isabel Duenas becomes one of many Spanish patriots fleeing their country. She leaves behind her husband as he fights for democracy, and she seeks asylum in a refugee camp across the border in France. Without adequate shelter, clean drinking water, or medical care, Isabel's future looks bleak--until she meets Elisabeth." --Front jacket flap
Author: Kolber, Aundi, author. Published: 2023 Call Number: 158.1 Format: Books Summary: In Strong like Water, author and trauma therapist Aundi Kolber offers a framework for true flourishing. With each page, you'll: Learn how your nervous system shapes your experience so that we can move through pain instead of being stuck in it. Explore various practices, rhythms, and resources to support you in challenging circumstances with compassion and hope. Discover how to internalize connection, love, and safety--empowering you with greater resilience. A different, more expansive way of healing, wholeness, and possibly--especially--strength is possible. We were made to be strong like water.
Author: Adams, Ellery, author. Published: 2023 Call Number: F ADAMS Format: Books Summary: When Kelly Walsh, the woman her ex-husband left her for, is murdered, bookstore owner and bibliotherapist Nora Pennington and The Secret, Book, and Scone Society seek justice for Kelly amidst gossip and suspicion. Miracle Springs, North Carolina, is famed for its healing springs. But bookstore owner Nora Pennington has a tendency to land in a different kind of hot water. Though she loves to practice bibliotherapy by finding the perfect books for her customers while listening to their secrets, she also likes to bury her nose in the occasional local crime...Nora escaped her past a decade ago. So it feels like a visit from another world when Kelly Walsh--the woman her ex-husband left her for--walks through the door of Miracle Books along with her son, a sweet, serious boy with a talent for origami. Kelly hasn't come to gloat, though. As it turns out, she's been dumped too. She's also terribly ill, and all she wants from Nora is forgiveness. Shockingly, however, this woman who's been the victim of so much misfortune is about to become a murder victim. Who would do such a thing? Certainly not Nora, but that doesn't stop the gossip and suspicion--especially after Kelly's brother claims that he saw the two women arguing. In seeking justice for Kelly, The Secret, Book, and Scone Society joins forces with the sheriff's department, but they've barely begun their probe when life throws another wrench. After serving a twenty-year sentence, Estella's father returns to Miracle Springs. And when his past comes back to haunt him, it might be more than the four friends can handle.
Author: Connolly, Rebecca, author. Published: 2023 Call Number: F CONNOLLY Format: Books Summary: "Based on a true story, this historical novel focuses on Edith Cavell's work as a nurse in Belgium during World War I, her involvement smuggling wounded Allied soldiers to freedom, and her eventual arrest and execution"-- "Can one nurse on a mission of mercy and rebellion turn the tide of WWI? November 1914--The Great War has come to Brussels, the Germans have occupied the city, and Edith Cavell, Head Nurse at Berkendael Medical Institute, faces an impossible situation. As matron of a designated Red Cross hospital, Edith has sworn an oath to help any who are wounded, under whatever flag they are found. But Governor von Lüttwitz, the ranking German officer, has additional orders for her. She and her nurses must also stand guard over the wounded Allied prisoners of war and prevent them from escaping.Edith feels that God called her to be a healer, not a jailer. How can she heal these broken boys, only to allow them to be returned to the hands of their oppressors to be beaten again? So when members of the Belgian resistance, desperate for help, bring two wounded British soldiers to her hospital in secret, she makes a decision that will change everything: she will heal the soldiers, and then attempt to smuggle them out of the hospital to freedom. With her loyal friend and fellow nurse, Elizabeth, by her side, Edith establishes her hospital as a safe house for the resistance, laboring tirelessly to save as many soldiers as she can. Working under the watchful eyes of the German army, Edith faces challenging odds and charges of treason-which carries the death penalty if she is caught--as she fights alongside the resistance to bring-and keep-hope to her small corner of a war-torn world.Based on a true story, Under the Cover of Mercy is the remarkable account of one woman who defied an entire nation in order to heal those who needed her help the most. "--
Author: Lee, Helen Elaine, author. Published: 2023 Call Number: F LEE Format: Books Summary: "Ranita Atwater is wrapping up her four-year sentence for opioid possession at Oak Hills Correctional Center, near Boston. With three years of sobriety, she is determined to stay clean and regain custody of her two children from her aunts who have been raising them. My name is Ranita, and I'm an addict, she has said again and again at [Narcotics Anonymous] meetings. But who else is she? Who might she choose to become? She is gaining her freedom, but she is leaving behind the group of women who have helped to get her through. And she is losing her lover, Maxine, who has inspired her to imagine herself and the world differently. Drawing on Maxine's love, the solace of books, and the curiosity, respect, and wonder imparted by her people, Ranita is determined to confront the weight of the past and discover what might lie beyond mere survival. With her fierce and often funny voice, she reveals how rocky and winding the path to healing is for a Black woman. She must steer clear of the temptation of oblivion. She must weather the resentment and mistrust of her children. She must atone. And she must face her unhealed wounds and honor the body that has seldom felt like it belongs to her. Will she be able to draw on family, memory, faith, and nature to keep choosing life? Will she discover abundance in her pomegranate heart, alongside all the loss? With lyrical and masterful prose, Helen Elaine Lee paints a humane, unflinching, and hopeful portrait of the devastating and interconnected effects of addiction, incarceration, racism, and misogyny...and of one woman's determination to own and tell her story." --
Author: Cooney, Caroline B., author. Published: 2023 Call Number: F COONEY Format: Books Summary: "The Wrong Good Deed is a Sun City mystery that finds Clemmie caught up in another drama against her wishes when her neighbor Muffin drags her from Sunday morning service at Trinity Hill, convinced that the man she's just spotted across the aisle is a dangerous figure from her past. It turns out that Muffin, like Clemmie, has her own dark secret that she's been keeping for decades--and whether or not the man at Trinity Hill is who she thinks he is, other figures have emerged from Muffin's past--on national news, no less--that make it more and more likely that she won't be able to keep her secret much longer, and that her own life might truly be at risk"--
Author: Doctorow, Cory, author. Published: 2023 Call Number: F DOCTOROW Format: Books Summary: "New York Times bestseller Cory Doctorow's Red Team Blues is a grabby next-Tuesday thriller about cryptocurrency shenanigans that will awaken you to how the world really works. Martin Hench is 67 years old, single, and successful in a career stretching back to the beginnings of Silicon Valley. He lives and roams California in a very comfortable fully-furnished touring bus, The Unsalted Hash, that he bought years ago from a fading rock star. He knows his way around good food and fine drink. He likes intelligent women, and they like him back often enough. Martin is a-contain your excitement-self-employed forensic accountant, a veteran of the long guerilla war between people who want to hide money, and people who want to find it. He knows computer hardware and software alike, including the ins and outs of high-end databases and the kinds of spreadsheets that are designed to conceal rather than reveal. He's as comfortable with social media as people a quarter his age, and he's a world-level expert on the kind of international money-laundering and shell-company chicanery used by Fortune 500 companies, mid-divorce billionaires, and international drug gangs alike. He also knows the Valley like the back of his hand, all the secret histories of charismatic company founders and Sand Hill Road VCs. Because he was there at all the beginnings. He's not famous, except to the people who matter. He's made some pretty powerful people happy in his time, and he's been paid pretty well. It's been a good life. Now he's been roped into a job that's more dangerous than anything he's ever agreed to before-and it will take every ounce of his skill to get out alive"--
Author: Roberson, Blythe, author. Published: 2023 Call Number: 917.304 Format: Books Summary: "The author of How to Date Men When You Hate Men examines Americans' obsession with freedom, travel, and the open road in this funny, entertaining travelogue that blends the humorous observations of Bill Bryson with the piercing cultural commentary of Jia Tolentino"-- "For writer and comedian Blythe Roberson, there are only so many Mary Oliver poems you can read about being free, and only so many times you can listen to Joni Mitchell's travel album Hejira, before you too are itching to take off. Canonical American travel writers have long celebrated the road trip as the epitome of freedom. But why does it seem like all those canonical travel narratives are written by white men who have no problems, who only decide to go to the desert to see what having problems feels like?...Ultimately, Roberson ponders the question: Is quitting society and going on the road about enlightenment and liberty--or is it just selfish escapism?" --Front jacket flap
Author: Ma, Kathryn, author. Published: 2023 Call Number: F MA Format: Books Summary: "Eighteen-year-old Shelley, born into a much-despised branch of the Zheng family in Yunnan Province and living in the shadow of his widowed father's grief, dreams of bigger things. Buoyed by an exuberant heart and his cousin Deng's tall tales about the United States, Shelley heads to San Francisco to claim his destiny, confident that any hurdles will be easily overcome by the awesome powers of the "Chinese groove," a belief in the unspoken bonds between countrymen that transcend time and borders. Upon arrival, Shelley is dismayed to find that his "rich uncle" is in fact his unemployed second cousin once removed and that the grand guest room he'd envisioned is but a scratchy sofa. The indefinite stay he'd planned for? That has a firm two-week expiration date. Even worse, the loving family he hoped would embrace him is in shambles, shattered by a senseless tragedy that has cleaved the family in two. They want nothing to do with this youthful bounder who's barged into their lives. Ever the optimist, Shelley concocts a plan to resuscitate his American dream by insinuating himself into the family. And, who knows, maybe he'll even manage to bring them back together in the process."--
Author: Estrela, Joana, 1990- author, illustrator. Estrela, Joana, 1990- illustrator. Miller-Lachmann, Lyn, 1956- translator. Published: 2023 2021 Call Number: Y ESTRELA Format: Books Summary: "16-year-old Raquel lives in a small town in Portugal, the kind of place where everyone knows everyone else's business. Her parents are divorced and she's just been suspended for cursing out a school aide asking about her father's new marriage. She has two best friends, Luísa and Fred, but wants something more. Then, from afar, she sees Pardalita, a senior and a gifted artist who's moving to Lisbon to study in the fall. The two girls get to know each other while working on a play. And Raquel falls in love. Using a gorgeous blend of prose poems, illustrations, and graphic novel format, Estrela captures the feeling of being a teenager in a way that feels gentle, joyful, and real."--Provided by publisher.
Author: Little, Liv, author. Published: 2023 Call Number: F LITTLE Format: Books Summary: "Elsie is a sexy, funny, and fiercely independent woman in south London. But, at just twenty-eight, she is also tired. Though she spends her days writing tender poetry in her journal, her nights are spent working long hours for minimum wage at a neighborhood dive bar. Not even sleeping with her alluring coworker, Bea, can quell her existential dread. The difficulty of being estranged from her family, struggle of being continually rejected from jobs, and fear of never making money doing what she loves is too great. But Elsie is determined to keep the faith, for a little longer at least. Things will surely turn around. They have to..."--
Author: Holton, India, author. Published: 2023 Call Number: F HOLTON Format: Books Summary: "Known as Agent A, Alice is the top operative within the Agency of Undercover Note Takers, a secret government intelligence group that is fortunately better at espionage than at naming itself. From managing deceptive witches to bored aristocratic ladies, nothing is beyond Alice's capabilities. She has a steely composure and a plan always up her sleeve (alongside a dagger and an embroidered handkerchief). So when rumors of an assassination plot begin to circulate, she's immediately assigned to the case..."--
Author: Rule, Ann, author. Published: 2023 1997 Call Number: 364.1523 Format: Books Summary: Journeys inside the twisted mind of a killer, Dr. Debora Green, after the cancer specialist was arrested for the arson murders of two of her three children and the attempted poisoning of her estranged husband. This New York Times bestseller and shocking "tour de force from America's best true crime writer" (Kirkus Reviews)--which formed the basis for the Lifetime movie event A House on Fire--follows a woman whose seemingly perfect life hides a destructive madness. In this harrowing New York Times bestseller, Ann Rule is at her masterful best as she winnows horrific truths from the ashes of what seemed like paradise in Prairie Village, Kansas. Rule probes the case of Debora Green, a doctor and a loving mother who seemed to epitomize the dreams of the American heartland. A small-town girl with a genius IQ, she achieved an enviable life: her own medical practice, a handsome physician husband, three perfect children, and an opulent home in an exclusive Kansas City suburb. But when a raging fire destroyed that home and took two lives, the trail of clues led investigators to a stunning conclusion. Piece by piece, Ann Rule digs beneath this placid Midwestern facade to unveil a disturbing portrait of strangely troubled marriages, infidelity, desperation, suicide, and escalating acts of revenge that forever changed dozens of lives.
Author: Brennan, Allison, author. Published: 2023 Call Number: F BRENNAN Format: Books Summary: "For three years, women have been disappearing--and eventually turning up dead in the small bayou town of St. Augustine, Louisiana. Police detective Beau Hebert is the only one who seems to care, but with every witness quickly silenced and a corrupt police department set on keeping the cases unsolved, Beau's investigation stalls at every turn. With nobody else to trust, Beau calls in a favor from his friend on the FBI's Mobile Response Team. While LAPD detective Kara Quinn works undercover to dig into the women's murders and team leader Matt Costa officially investigates the in-custody death of a witness, Beau might finally have a chance at solving the case..."--
