Author: Kellerman, Jonathan, author. Published: 2023 Call Number: F KELLERMA Format: Books Summary: "Los Angeles is a city of stark contrast, the palaces of the affluent coexisting uneasily with the hellholes of the mad and the needy. It is that shadow world and the violence it breeds that draw brilliant psychologist Dr. Alex Delaware and Detective Milo Sturgis into an unsettling case of altruism gone wrong. On a superficially lovely morning a woman shows up for work with her usual enthusiasm. She's the newly hired personal assistant to a handsome, wealthy photographer and is ready to greet her boss with coffee and good cheer. Instead, she finds him slumped in bed, shot to death. The victim had recently received rave media attention for his latest project: images of homeless people in their personal "dream" situations, elaborately costumed and enacting unfulfilled fantasies. There are some, however, who view the whole thing as nothing more than crass exploitation, citing token payments and the victim's avoidance of any long-term relationships with his subjects. Has disgruntlement blossomed into homicidal rage? Or do the roots of violence reach down to the victim's family-a clan, sired by an elusive billionaire, that is bizarre in its own right? Then new murders arise, and Alex and Milo begin peeling back layer after layer of intrigue and complexity, culminating in one of the deadliest threats they've ever faced"--
Author: Engberg, Katrine, 1975- author. Chace, Tara, translator. Published: 2023 Call Number: F ENGBERG Format: Books Summary: While staying in Bornholm for the winter, Jeppe Kørner is drawn into a sinister mystery rooted in the past when an investigation into a severed corpse in Copenhagen leads Anette Werner to this seemingly peaceful refuge, and together they must unravel the island's secrets to stop a brutal killer. Jeppe Kørner, on leave from the police force and nursing a broken heart, has taken refuge on the island of Bornholm for the winter. Also on the island is Esther de Laurenti, a writer working on a biography on a female anthropologist with a mysterious past and coming to terms with her own crushing sense of loneliness in the wake of a dear friend's death. When Jeppe lends a helping hand at the island's local sawmill, he begins to realize that the island may not be the peaceful refuge it appears to be. Back in Copenhagen, Anette Werner is tasked with leading the investigation into a severed corpse discovered on a downtown playground. As she follows the strange trail of clues, they all seem to lead back to Bornholm. With an innocent offer to check out a lead, Jeppe unwittingly finds himself in the crosshairs of a sinister mystery rooted in the past, forcing him to team up with Anette and Esther to unravel the island's secrets before it's too late. With her signature "unforgettable characters and brilliant plot twists" (Kathy Reichs, #1 New York Times bestselling author), Katrine Engberg weaves a satisfying and white-knuckled finale to her Korner and Werner series that is a modern classic of Scandinavian noir.
Author: Oliver, Katie, author. Published: 2023 Call Number: PB OLIVER Format: Books Summary: "Phaedra Brighton is on the case when an innocent murder-mystery weekend turns into the real deal, in the newest Jane Austen Tea Society mystery. Phaedra Brighton has her life all figured out--she has a profession she enjoys, a wonderful (if exasperating) cat, and a cozy carriage house on the grounds of her aunt's inn. She needs no Captain Wentworth to sweep her off her feet (though, she would not mind a Mr. Darcy). But when Aunt Wendy decides she is selling Laurel Springs Inn, Phaedra faces losing her beloved home. In a last-ditch attempt to drum up more business, Phaedra convinces Wendy to host an immersive Persuasion-themed murder-mystery weekend. It is a foolproof plan to draw attention to the establishment in the hopes of saving it. Until make-believe becomes reality and one of the participants winds up dead. With more suspects than she knows what to do with, Phaedra finds herself on the hunt for a killer once again. But with time running out, Phaedra quickly realizes that with this investigation, there will be no second chances"--Back cover.
Author: Hilliard, M. E., author. Published: 2023 Call Number: F HILLIARD Format: Books Summary: When the widely disliked chair of the library board of trustees and a local professor turn up dead, Greer Hogan, a librarian-turned-sleuth who has an uncanny knack for deduction, starts digging and stumbles upon a cache of decades-old secrets that could rock the town to its core.
Author: Ryan, Hank Phillippi, author. Published: 2023 Call Number: F RYAN Format: Books Summary: "The House Guest is another diabolical cat-and-mouse thriller from USA Today bestselling author Hank Phillippi Ryan-but which character is the cat, and which character is the mouse? After every divorce, one spouse gets all the friends. What does the other one get? If they're smart, they get the benefits. Alyssa Macallan is terrified when she's dumped by her wealthy and powerful husband. With a devastating divorce looming, she begins to suspect her toxic and manipulative soon-to-be-ex is scheming to ruin her-leaving her alone and penniless. And when the FBI shows up at her door, Alyssa knows she really needs a friend. And then she gets one. A seductive new friend, one who's running from a dangerous relationship of her own. Alyssa offers Bree Lorrance the safety of her guest house, and the two become confidantes. Then Bree makes a heart-stoppingly tempting offer. Maybe Alyssa and Bree can solve each others' problems. But no one is what they seem. And the fates and fortunes of these two women twist and turn until the shocking truth emerges: You can't always get what you want. But sometimes you get what you deserve"--
Author: Crombie, Deborah, author. Published: 2023 Call Number: F CROMBIE Format: Books Summary: "Trainee doctor Sasha Johnson hurries through the crowd in London's historic Russell Square. Someone jostles her as they brush past. A moment later, Sasha stumbles, then collapses. When detectives Duncan Kincaid and Doug Cullen are called to the scene, they discover that she's been stabbed. Kincaid immediately calls his detective wife, Gemma Jones, who is on the task force for knife crimes. Along with Gemma's partner, the team works to unravel the case. When the killer strikes again, even friendships are put on the line to find them before panic spreads across London" --
Author: McKinlay, Jenn, author. Published: 2023 Call Number: PB MCKINLAY Format: Books Summary: It's wedding season and Viv's longtime frenemy Piper May is getting married. She convinces Viv and Scarlett to take on the job of designing the headpieces for her wedding of the year. The well-to-do bride and her entourage are delighted to have Viv and Scarlett as their famous hat designer guests, but the hat-making pair are really just looking forward to a getaway at a castle in Sussex. It is to be a weekend full of events, culminating in the big ceremony. Unfortunately, on the first night of the festivities, the groom is found murdered, and the joyous holiday becomes the stuff of nightmares as no one is allowed to leave the castle until the investigation is complete. Although Scarlett assures Harrison Wentworth, her fiancé, that she and Viv will stay out of harms way, circumstances force them to step in when a secret affair between the deceased groom and a bridesmaid comes to light, and the murderer takes another life. Scarlett and Viv vow to unveil the killer's identity before the wedding adds another to its death toll.
Author: Patterson, James, 1947- author. Eversmann, Matt, author. Mooney, Chris, author. Published: 2023 Call Number: 363.2092 Format: Books Summary: "Straight from the mean streets, Walk the Blue Line is a first-person account of the days and nights of America's brave cops"-- Police officers share their experiences while protecting, serving, and defending people and communities, showcasing the courage, anger, and joy that can be found. Protect: These men and women are our eyes. Our ears. Our protectors. Those who wear a badge, doing their best to help people. Serve: These cops serve their communities. They serve their country. They're in the business of saving lives--even at the risk of their own. Defend: These patrol officers and K9 handlers, sheriffs and detectives, reveal what it's really like to wear the uniform, to carry the weight of the responsibility they've been given. This is a calling. This is the job.
Author: Bagby, Meredith E., author. Published: 2023 Call Number: 629.45 BAGBY Format: Books Summary: "The never-before-told story of the barrier-breaking NASA class of 1978, which for the first time consisted of a diverse crew of women, people of color, LGBTQ+ people, and more, and their triumphs and tragedies working on the newly launched space shuttle program, with the exclusive cooperation of five astronauts"-- "The never-before-told story of NASA's 1978 astronaut class, which included the first American women, the first African Americans, the first Asian American, and the first gay person to fly to space. With the exclusive participation of the astronauts who were there, this is the thrilling, behind-the-scenes saga of a new generation that transformed space exploration. The story of NASA's Astronaut Class 8, or "The F*cking New Guys," as their military predecessors nicknamed them, is an unprecedented look at these extraordinary explorers who broke barriers and blasted through glass ceilings. Egos clashed, ambitions flared, and romances bloomed as the New Guys competed with one another and navigated the cutthroat internal politics at NASA for a chance to rocket to the stars. Marking a departure from the iconic military test pilots who had dominated the space program since its inception, the New Guys arrived at the dawn of a new era of space flight. Teardrop-shaped space capsules from Mercury, Gemini, and Apollo gave way to the space shuttle, a revolutionary space plane capable of launching like a rocket, hauling cargo like a truck, and landing back on Earth like an airliner. They mastered this new machine from its dangerous first test flights to its greatest achievements: launching hundreds of satellites, building the International Space Station, and deploying the Hubble Space Telescope. The New Guys depicts these charismatic young astronauts and the exuberant social and scientific progress of the space shuttle program against the efforts of NASA officials who struggled to meet America's military demands and commercial aspirations. When NASA was pressured to fly more often and at greater risk, lives were lost in the program's two biggest disasters: Challenger (1986) and Columbia (2003). Caught in the crosshairs of this battle are the shuttle astronauts who gave their lives in those catastrophes, and who gave their lives' work pursuing a more equitable future in space for all humankind. Through it all they became friends, rivals, lovers, and ultimately, family.
Author: Cast, P. C., author. Cast, Kristin, author. Published: 2023 Call Number: Y CAST Format: Books Summary: As Hunter works to save her twin sister Mercy and demigod Khenti from the Ancient Egyptian Underworld, other evil threatens Goodeville, and the witch sisters must reunite and reconcile to stop Amphitrite and seal the gates to the underworld once and for all. Twin sisters, Mercy and Hunter are witches, direct descendants of the Goode family, the founders of their town. After the murder of their mother at the hands of a foul demon, they have become the protectors of the Gates to different underworlds--ancient portals between their world and realms where mythology rules and the darkest of creatures exist. Mercy and Khenti are trapped in the Ancient Egyptian Underworld and need Hunter's help to escape. But while Hunter searches for a way to save them, other evil threatens Goodeville. Amphitrite is still looming-and she wants vengeance against Hunter. With the gates rapidly weakening, Amphitrite lures out a deadly creature and sets it free on the residents of Goodeville. It will take everything in Mercy and Hunter's power to stop the goddess and seal the gates once and for all.
Author: Rae-Venter, Barbara, author. Published: 2023 Call Number: 364.152 Format: Books Summary: "The amateur DNA sleuth who solved one of the most infamous cold cases in American history-the Golden State Killer crime spree-tells the incredible true story of how she did it, and explains how her methods have forever changed criminal investigations. Inthe span of just a few years, Barbara Rae-Venter went from researching her family history as a retiree to finding a serial killer who had baffled law enforcement for decades. I Know Who You Are tracks her improbable journey to becoming the nation's leading authority in investigative genetic genealogy, and to identifying the Golden State Killer-who had evaded authorities for forty-four years-in just sixty-three days. Rae-Venter also details other extraordinary cases that she has worked on, from the firstcriminal cold case she ever cracked-uncovering the long-lost identity of a child abductee-to the heartbreaking case of the Billboard Boy, which began with unidentified remains dumped along a North Carolina highway. When she looks at DNA data, Rae-Venter sees numbers, percentages, probabilities-but she also sees the very stuff that makes us who we are. Drawing on both her own experiences and insights from all the key players in her investigations, Rae-Venter brings readers inside her unique "grasshopper mind" as she analyzes DNA data; pores through obituaries, marriage records, and old newspapers articles; and envisions different scenarios that bring her closer and closer to her target. She lets readers join in on urgent calls from sheriffs, FBI agents, district attorneys, and researchers, and she takes us inside the struggle to obtain a usable crime scene DNA sample and other unexpected roadblocks that often make the search more difficult. Time and again, Rae-Venter pushes through setbacks, finds new angles of investigation, and uses the most cutting-edge new technology-much of it developed during her search-until, finally, a critical piece of the puzzle suddenly tumbles into place. I Know Who You Are captures the exhilaration of the moment of discovery in cold case investigations, but also the sheer depth of emotion that lingers around these cases and informs Rae-Venter's careful approach to her work. It is a story of relentless curiosity, of constant invention and reinvention, and of recognizing that wemay not be who we thought we were"--
Author: Schneier, Bruce, 1963- author. Published: 2023 Call Number: 303.4834 Format: Books Summary: It's not just computers--hacking is everywhere. Legendary cybersecurity expert and New York Times best-selling author Bruce Schneier reveals how using a hacker's mindset can change how you think about your life and the world. A hack is any means of subverting a system's rules in unintended ways. The tax code isn't computer code, but a series of complex formulas. It has vulnerabilities; we call them "loopholes." We call exploits "tax avoidance strategies." And there is an entire industry of "black hat" hackers intent on finding exploitable loopholes in the tax code. We call them accountants and tax attorneys. In A Hacker's Mind, Bruce Schneier takes hacking out of the world of computing and uses it to analyze the systems that underpin our society: from tax laws to financial markets to politics. He reveals an array of powerful actors whose hacks bend our economic, political, and legal systems to their advantage, at the expense of everyone else. Once you learn how to notice hacks, you'll start seeing them everywhere--and you'll never look at the world the same way again. Almost all systems have loopholes, and this is by design. Because if you can take advantage of them, the rules no longer apply to you. Unchecked, these hacks threaten to upend our financial markets, weaken our democracy, and even affect the way we think. And when artificial intelligence starts thinking like a hacker--at inhuman speed and scale--the results could be catastrophic. But for those who would don the "white hat," we can understand the hacking mindset and rebuild our economic, political, and legal systems to counter those who would exploit our society. And we can harness artificial intelligence to improve existing systems, predict and defend against hacks, and realize a more equitable world.
Author: Achorn, Edward, author. Published: 2023 Call Number: 324.973 Format: Books Summary: "The vivid, behind-the-scenes story of perhaps the most consequential political moment in America's history--Abraham Lincoln's epochal nomination as the Republican Party's candidate for president in 1860. Illinois lawyer Abraham Lincoln had a record of political failure. In 1858, he had lost a celebrated Senate bid against incumbent Stephen Douglas, his second failed Senate run, and had not held public office since one term in Congress a decade earlier. As the Republican National Convention opened in mid-May 1860 in Chicago, New York Senator William Seward was the overwhelming favorite for the presidential nomination, with Salmon Chase and Edward Bates in the running. Few thought Lincoln stood a chance--though Illinois judge David Davis had come to fight for his friend anyway. Such was the political landscape as Edward Achorn's The Lincoln Miracle opens on Saturday, May 12, 1860. Chronicling the tense political drama as it unfolded over the next six days, Achorn explores the genius of Lincoln's quiet strategy, the vicious partisanship tearing apart America over racism and slavery, and booming Chicago as a symbol of the modernization transforming the nation. Closely following the shrewd insiders on hand, from Seward power broker Thurlow Weed to editor Horace Greeley, Achorn brings alive arguably the most important political turning point in our history. From smoky hotel rooms to night marches by the Wide Awakes, the new Republican youth organization, to fiery speeches on the floor of the giant convention center called The Wigwam, Achorn portrays a political climate even more contentious than our own today, out of which the seemingly impossible long shot prevailed. As atmospheric and original as Achorn's previous Every Drop of Blood, The Lincoln Miracle is essential reading for any Lincoln aficionado as it is for anyone who cares about our nation's history"--
Author: Rushdie, Salman, author. Published: 2023 Call Number: F RUSHDIE Format: Books Summary: "In the wake of an insignificant battle between two long-forgotten kingdoms in fourteenth-century southern India, a nine-year-old girl has a divine encounter that will change the course of history. After witnessing the death of her mother, the grief-stricken Pampa Kampana becomes a vessel for the goddess Parvati, who begins to speak out of the girl's mouth. Granting her powers beyond Pampa Kampana's comprehension, the goddess tells her that she will be instrumental in the rise of a great city called Bisnaga--literally 'victory city'--the wonder of the world. Over the next two hundred and fifty years, Pampa Kampana's life becomes deeply interwoven with Bisnaga's, from its literal sowing out of a bag of magic seeds to its tragic ruination in the most human of ways: the hubris of those in power. Whispering Bisnaga and its citizens into existence, Pampa Kampana attempts to make good on the task that Parvati set for her: to give women equal agency in a patriarchal world. But all stories have a way of getting away from their creator, and Bisnaga is no exception. As years pass, rulers come and go, battles are won and lost, and allegiances shift, the very fabric of Bisnaga becomes an ever more complex tapestry--with Pampa Kampana at its center"--
Author: Park, Yeonmi, 1993- author. Published: 2023 Call Number: 305.8957 Format: Books Summary: "The North Korean defector, human rights advocate, and bestselling author of In Order to Live sounds the alarm on the culture wars, identity politics, and authoritarian tendencies tearing America apart. After defecting from North Korea, Yeonmi Park found liberty and freedom in America. But she also found a chilling crackdown on self-expression and thought that reminded her of the brutal regime she risked her life to escape. When she spoke out about the mass political indoctrination she saw around her in the United States, Park faced censorship and even death threats. In While Time Remains, Park sounds the alarm for Americans by highlighting the dangerous hypocrisies, mob tactics, and authoritarian tendencies that speak in the name of wokeness and social justice. No one is spared in her eye-opening account, including the elites who claim to care for the poor and working classes but turn their backs on anyone who dares to think independently. Park arrived in America eight years ago with no preconceptions, no political aims, and no partisan agenda. With urgency and unique insight, the bestselling author and human rights activist reminds us of the fragility of freedom, and what we must do to preserve it"--
Author: Carlson, Melody, author. Published: 2023 1998 Call Number: LP F CARLSON Format: Large print Summary: "Emma has always been "the practical one" in the family. But that is about to change as she embarks on the adventure of her life. Emma Davis wants a new life now that she no longer needs to care for her grandmother. A spur-of-the-moment visit to a travel agency sets her on a journey far from her Iowa home. Emma takes a cruise to the far islands of the Pacific, but it isn't until she arrives in Papua New Guinea, that she begins to realize her true calling. Emma regains her sense of purpose by caring for three motherless children and befriending their father, Josh Daniels. Josh's troubled past and the loss of his wife have left him vulnerable, but can the love Emma has discovered in her own heart awaken his heart to all Emma has to offer?"--
Author: Correa, Armando Lucas, 1959- author. Caistor, Nick, translator. Williams, Faye (translator), translator. Molinari, Cecilia, translator. Published: 2023 2022 Call Number: LP F CORREA Format: Large print Summary: "Berlin, 1931: Ally Keller, a talented young poet, is alone and scared when she gives birth to a mixed-race daughter she names Lilith. As the Nazis rise to power, Ally knows she must keep her baby in the shadows to protect her against Hitler's deadly ideology of Aryan purity. But as she grows, it becomes more and more difficult to keep Lilith hidden, so Ally sets in motion a dangerous and desperate plan to send her daughter across the ocean to safety. Havana, 1958: Now an adult, Lilith has few memories of her mother or her childhood in Germany. Besides, she's too excited for her future with her beloved Martín, a Cuban pilot with strong ties to the Batista government. But as the flames of revolution ignite, Lilith and her newborn daughter, Nadine, find themselves at a terrifying crossroads. Berlin, 1988: As a scientist in Berlin, Nadine is dedicated to ensuring the dignity of the remains of all those who were murdered by the Nazis. Yet she has spent her entire lifetime avoiding the truth about her own family's history. It takes her daughter, Luna, to encourage Nadine to uncover the truth about the choices her mother and grandmother made to ensure the survival of their children. And it will fall to Luna to come to terms with a shocking betrayal that changes everything she thought she knew about her family's past."--
Author: Jackson, Lisa, author. Bush, Nancy, 1953- author. Published: 2023 2022 Call Number: LP F JACKSON Format: Large print Summary: "On the wild Oregon coast, tucked between the mountains and the sea, stands Siren Song, home to a group of women known as The Colony. Their aunt hoped the isolated lodge would be a sanctuary, a place where she could protect them and their special gifts. But nowhere is safe from the man who has marked them for death. The note pinned to the dead body found on the remote beach has no name, just Ravinia Rutledge's phone number and the words Next of Kin. Ravinia insists she doesn't recognize the man on the mortuary slab, but she suspects Detective Nev Rhodes doesn't believe her. He can tell that she's one of them the Siren Song women. Five years after moving away from The Colony, Ravinia has carved out a life as a private investigator whose specialty is helping others locate their missing loved ones. Yet sometimes, it's better if the missing are never found. Good Time Charlie is the name given to a monster from her past, a man whom she and her sisters hoped was gone forever. But the dead man on the beach is a sign that Charlie has merely been waiting, preparing to fulfill his mission to rid the world of the Siren Song women and anyone else who gets in his way. Rhodes has his own reasons for being fascinated with The Colony and its surroundings a place marked by unexplained deaths and tragedies. Rhodes plays by the rules, but there are forces at work here that defy notions of law and order. And despite Ravinia's reluctance to team up with Nev, it's the only way to stop an adversary determined to see that each and every member of The Colony will die at his hands. "--
Author: Andrews, V. C. (Virginia C.), author. Published: 2023 Call Number: F ANDREWS Format: Books Summary: Nothing can come between a mother and her child in this haunting sequel to Eden's Children from the #1 New York Times bestselling author of the Flowers in the Attic and Landry series--now popular Lifetime movie events. "Little Paula is the sequel to Eden's Children. Trevor and Faith's mother, Paula Eden, has died and their father, Big John, has had a serious trucking accident and is paralyzed. Faith's child, Little Paula, has been given to a wealthy couple unable to have children of their own. Trevor is obsessed with getting the child back"-- Faith Eden's brief foray into motherhood is marked by tragedy. Distraught that her baby was ripped away from her, she is determined to get little Paula back from the wealthy family who adopted her. Her brother, Trevor, is also anxious to get the baby back and will do anything necessary to do so. But when the dark truth comes to light, this twisted family will stop at nothing to keep outsiders out and secrets in--no matter the cost.
Author: Marshall, Heather (Heather J.), author. Published: 2023 2022 Call Number: F MARSHALL Format: Books Summary: "In this powerful debut novel inspired by true stories, three women's lives are bound together by a long-lost letter, a mother's love, and a secret network of people fighting for the right to choose. 2017: When Angela Creighton discovers a mysterious letter containing a life-shattering confession, she is determined to find the intended recipient. Her search takes her back to the 1970s when a group of daring women operated an illegal underground abortion network in Toronto known only by its whispered code name: Jane. 1971: As a teenager, Dr. Evelyn Taylor was sent to a home for "fallen" women where she was forced to give up her baby for adoption-a trauma she has never recovered from. Despite harrowing police raids and the constant threat of arrest, she joins the Jane Network as an abortion provider, determined to give other women the choice she never had. 1980: After discovering a shocking secret about her family, twenty-year-old Nancy Mitchell begins to question everything she has ever known. When she unexpectedly becomes pregnant, she feels like she has no one to turn to for help. Grappling with her decision, she locates "Jane" and finds a place of her own alongside Dr. Taylor within the network's ranks, but she can never escape the lies that haunt her.--
