The Secret History of the Pink Carnation by Lauren Willig
Recommended by Nancy in Readers Services…
Nancy’s synopsis:
Modern scholar Eloise Kelly is searching through records on the French Revolution to complete her history dissertation on the Pink Carnation, a British spy who infiltrated Napoleonic France. This is also the story of Amy Balcourt, who sets off to join her brother, Edouard, in France, with the hope of joining the league of the Purple Gentian. Her efforts are complicated when she meets Colin Selwick, a man who is determined to keep her from uncovering his family’s secrets.
She says…
This novel gives you 2 stories to love, the story of our modern day researcher and the story of Amy Balcourt set in France right after the French Revolution. You’ll be so pleased with the novel’s combination of adventure, romance and humor that you will want to go on to the next volume in the Pink Carnation series, The Masque of the Black Tulip.
Seven Deadly Wonders by Matthew Reilly
Recommended by Nancy in Readers Services…
Nancy’s synopsis:
The Golden Capstone once sat on top of the Great Pyramid until Alexander the Great removed it, split it into seven pieces and hid the pieces in the Seven Wonders of the World . Jack West, Jr. and a group of adventurers race to reunite the pieces and return them to the top of the pyramid to save the world from a solar event that will destroy the planet.
She says:
This one reads like a movie with nonstop action and lots of plot twists. You won’t be able to put it down.
The Gun Seller by Hugh Laurie
Recommended by Asra in Adult Services…
Asra’s synopsis:
Thomas Lang is an out-of-work British intelligence officer tied up in a convoluted case of international espionage. The novel opens with Lang thwarting the murder of an American businessman. How does he know about the attempt? Because he was offered the contract and declined it. Instead, he goes to warn the would-be victim, but somehow manages to land himself in a situation where he ends up looking more like the perpetrator than the hero. It’s an amusing roller-coaster ride from there on out.
She said:
Hugh Laurie is hilarious as an actor. And lucky for us, he writes as funnily. The hero of the novel, Thomas Lang, makes so much fun of the situations he’s in, that I sometimes forgot to take seriously the graveness of the plot (which is a thrilling one for sure). Make no mistake, while the book is a sort of spoof on the spy genre, Lang is the opposite of Maxwell Smart. He is a very capable and formidable agent – it just so happens that his sarcasm and mocking commentary leave you laughing aloud.
Genius by Jesse Kellerman
Recommended by Nancy in Reader Services…
Nancy’s synopsis:
Ethan Muller is a successful Manhattan art gallery owner. When he discovers and exhibits the work of a new but reclusive artist, he finds himself drawn into the investigation of several murders committed over 40 years ago.
She says:
Jesse Kellerman is the son of Faye and Jonathan Kellerman and he has definitely inherited the family talent for story telling. This psychological thriller is hard to put down and you will enjoy both the cold case mystery and the stories of the New York art scene.
Beat the Reaper by Josh Bazell
Recommended by Jeff in Technical Services…
Jeff’s synopsis:
Pietro Brnwa becomes a hit man after seeking revenge for the murder of his grandparents. Mob Boss David Locano brings him into his family. Peter Brown is an emergency room intern with a hidden past that he would like to keep hidden. That is until his past comes back to haunt him in the form of a patient who agrees to keep silent as long as he survives an operation.
He says:
A fast-paced, funny, gory novel complete with many medical footnotes some of which may even be true. It’s a cross between Mario Puzo and Robin Cook, or the Sopranos and ER. Fans of Carl Hiaasen and Elmore Leonard should like this as well.
