Prepub Alert: February 1, 2011
Feb 1, 2011fiction
Abbott, Jeff. Adrenaline. Grand Central. Jul. 2011. 416p. ISBN 9780446575171. $24.99. CD: Hachette Audio.
Things could not be worse for CIA agent Sam Capra: his pregnant wife has been kidnapped, and he’s been branded a traitor. Now he’s on the run. The publisher is going all out for this thriller, the first in a new series from best seller Abbott. Consider multiples wherever Abbott has done well.
Ballard, J.G. Millennium People. Norton. Jul. 2011. 304p. ISBN 9780393081770. $25.95.
British author Ballard (Empire of the Sun) died in 2009. But his reputation is just starting to pick up here after the 2009 publication of The Complete Stories of J.G. Ballard. In this novel, published in Great Britain in 2003 to considerable acclaim, an explosion at Heathrow takes the life of psychologist David Markham’s ex-wife. In response, he infiltrates the antigovernment group responsible for the bombing—and begins to fall under its sway. Typical bleak and edgy Ballard and a book I especially want to see.
Black, Benjamin. A Death in Summer. Holt. Jul. 2011. 336p. ISBN 9780805090925. $25.
Dublin newspaper tycoon Richard Jewell has been felled by a shotgun blast—was it suicide or murder?—and Detective Inspector Hackett calls in Quirke, the city’s well-connected pathologist. The fifth entry in a successful crime series from Black (actually Booker Prize winner John Banville in a crime-fiction mood), this should appeal to readers who like their mysteries literate. With a national tour.
Browne, Robert. The Paradise Prophecy. Dutton. Jul. 2011. 400p. ISBN 9780525952237. $25.95.
Ever since Satan got Adam and Eve thrown out of the Garden of Eden, he’s been spoiling for the apocalypse. And it could be coming. Bernadette Callahan, an agent in a mysterious government organization, is trailing a serial killer with seemingly supernatural abilities (ahem) and must call on religious historian Sebastian “Batty” LaLaurie for help. Clues in their hunt come from the Bible and Milton’s Paradise Lost. The publisher is quick to point out that film and foreign rights were sold on the basis of the idea alone, plus a writing sample, suggesting in-house hopefulness for this debut by screenwriter Browne.
Burdett, John. Vulture Peak. Knopf. Jul. 2011. 320p. ISBN 9780307272676. $25.95; eISBN 9780307596581.
Police colonel Vikorn has given Royal Thai Police detective Sonchai Jitpleecheep a little task: stop the trafficking in human organs. It seems that Vikorn is running for governor of Bangkok and needs to crack this case to look good. Soon, the morally upright Sonchai is traveling from Shanghai to Dubai to Monte Carlo as he chases down the Vultures, Chinese twins who dominate the illicit body-parts business. Burdett’s work caught on at the beginning and remains strong; all thriller readers should enjoy.
Burke, Alafair. Long Gone. Harper: HarperCollins. Jul. 2011. 368p. ISBN 9780061999185. $24.99. lrg. prnt.
Alice Humphrey has finally landed a job—she’s been hired by corporate type Drew Campbell to manage an art gallery in Manhattan’s style-setting meatpacking district for an anonymous owner. One day she arrives at work to find the gallery stripped to the walls and Drew lying dead on the floor. Only his name isn’t Drew, and Alice suddenly has lots to explain to the police. After six novels in the Ellie Hatcher and Samantha Kincaid series, Burke offers an intriguing stand-alone; she’s popular if not hot-hot and especially well liked by LJ reviewers. With a 40,000-copy first printing; for most thriller readers.
Cabot, Meg. Overbite. Morrow. Jul. 2011. 320p. ISBN 9780061735103. $22.99.
In Insatiable (out in paperback, Jun. 2011. ISBN 9780061735080. $14.99), soap opera star Meena Harper met Lucien Antonescu, son of Dracula. That relationship is so over, as is Lucien himself. Now Meena works for the Palatine Guard, a demon-hunting division of the Vatican, which prizes her ability to predict how people will die. To counter the latest threat—a particularly nasty clan of vampires called the Lamir—Meena is working with top Lamir killer Father Henrique. And for some reason she doesn’t trust him. Cabot sure has come a long way from The Princess Diaries. Should be in demand; with a 100,000-copy first printing and a six-city tour.
Coulter, Catherine. Split Second: An FBI Thriller. Putnam. Jul. 2011. 400p. ISBN 9780399157431. $26.95. CD/MP3: Penguin Audio.
Even as Coulter stalwarts Dillon Savich and Lacey Sherlock hunt for a female serial killer, Special Agent Lucy Carlisle discovers that years ago her grandmother may have murdered her grandfather. Moving into grandma’s mansion to figure out what happened, Lucy unearths a skeleton and a ring associated with a shadowy group called the Protectors. More thrills from a No. 1 best-selling author; buy multiples.
Delinsky, Barbara. Escape. Doubleday. Jul. 2011. 368p. ISBN 9780385532723. $25.95. lrg. prnt. trade pap. eISBN 9780385532730. CD/downloadable: Random Audio.
Sapped of her idealism and unable to connect to her husband, her friends, or her work, 30-year-old lawyer Emily Aulenbach gets up from her desk early one day and leaves high-pressure New York behind for the New Hampshire hills. She had a vibrant summer there when in college; maybe she can find that happiness again. With a reading group guide and likely to be popular.
Dietrich, William. Blood of the Reich. Harper: HarperCollins. Jul. 2011. 432p. ISBN 9780061989186. $25.99. lrg. prnt.
Explorer Kurt Raeder has orders from Heinrich Himmler to find an elixir hidden deep in the Tibetan mountains that grants eternal life, and American zoologist Benjamin Hood has orders to stop him. Meanwhile, in contemporary Seattle, a young woman is saved from death by a journalist who claims that her family holds a secret that will save the world. If you want to know how these stories connect, read the latest from Dietrich, author of the well-received adventures starring Ethan Gage (e.g., Napoleon’s Pyramids). The publisher is looking for a breakout; with a 75,000-copy first printing.
Duffy, Bruce. Disaster Was My God. Doubleday. Jul. 2011. 384p. ISBN 9780385534369. $27.95.
Not the biggest fiction on this list and not for the strictly commercial crowd, but I was genuinely enthralled by Duffy’s The World as I Found It, a fictionalized life of Ludwig Wittgenstein, and am equally enthralled to learn that he’s done something similar for Arthur Rimbaud. For your literary set.
Gabaldon, Diana. Outlander. 20th anniversary ed. Delacorte. Jul. 2011. 672p. ISBN 9780440423201. $35; eISBN 9780345527622.
After 20 years, the “Outlander” series is going strong, with more than 17 million copies sold worldwide and 14,000 copies in all formats moving each month. So why not go back to the first title in the series and reissue it in a glossy new anniversary edition, with a reading group guide and a new letter and essay from the author herself? Well worth considering even if you have copies of Outlander; they probably need replacing.
Gaiman, Neil. American Gods: The Tenth Anniversary Edition. Morrow. Jul. 2011. 480p. ISBN 9780062059888. $26.99.
More than a million copies of this novel have been sold in three formats in this country alone, and upon publication it won the Hugo, Locus, Bram Stoker, and SFX awards. So why a new edition? There’s a new introduction, the author’s “preferred” text—that is, the text before it got edited, with Gaiman’s original language sprinkled throughout—and a bonus scene. This would seem like a natural for many collections, especially where the original is worn out, so I find the 50,000-copy first printing a little low.
Gardiner, Meg. The Nightmare Thief. Dutton. Jul. 2011. 368p. ISBN 9780525952213. $25.95. CD: Brilliance Audio.
For her 21st birthday, rich, spoiled Autumn Reiniger gets a real treat from her father: she and a group of friends will participate in an urban reality game featuring a staged drug deal, manhunt, and jailbreak, all played with fake guns. The police are instructed not to intervene—which makes it easy for actual kidnappers lured by Daddy Reiniger’s hedge fund profits to enter into the proceedings. Fortunately, forensic psychiatrist Jo Beckett is on the scene. An intriguing premise that Edgar Award winner Gardiner should be able to pull off; with a four-city tour.
Gerritsen, Tess. The Silent Girl. Ballantine. Jul. 2011. 368p. ISBN 9780345515506. $26; eISBN 9780345526601.
Up on a Chinatown rooftop, Boston homicide detective Jane Rizzoli and medical examiner Maura Isles encounter a grisly scene—no doubt described in the blood-curdling graphic style that has successfully carried these two characters through numerous New York Times best sellers to their ninth outing here. Rizzoli also notices a strange hair—which turns out to come from a monkey. And that leads us into the story of the Monkey King, a powerful and sometimes belligerent character in Chinese literature. Tie-in promotion to the recently launched TNT series Rizzoli & Isles and an eight-city tour; get multiples.
Gross, Andrew. Eyes Wide Open. Morrow. Jul. 2011. 352p. ISBN 9780061655968. $25.99. lrg. prnt.
Jay’s older brother, Charlie, wandered west during the Sixties and fell under the influence of a dangerous, cultlike figure whose teachings led to violence. For Charlie, the past finally seems safely past—but then it returns to taunt him, and Jay must intervene. Gross, who routinely racks up New York Times best sellers, is here getting a one-day laydown on July 12 and a 200,000-copy first printing. I bet this will be good.
Harper, Paul. Pacific Heights. Holt. Jul. 2011. 400p. ISBN 9780805093933. $25.
Lore Cha and Elise Currin are the bored wives of successful businessmen, and they’re spooked. Each is having a secret, steamy affair with a man named Phillip Krey who seems increasingly able to read their thoughts and desires. Are they part of some scary psychological experiment? And will it lead to murder? Ask low-key detective Marten Fane. Harper, the pseudonym for a New York Times best-selling thriller author, decides to try something new. Intriguing premise; this will likely do well.
Kava, Alex. Hotwire. Doubleday. Jul. 2011. 400p. ISBN 9780385532013. $24.95; eISBN 9780385532020.
Several teenagers filming a party in Nebraska are apparently electrocuted, and even as the survivors start meeting mysterious ends, children at a school in Virginia are infected by a deadly pathogen. Of course these two cases meet for Special Agent Maggie O’Dell. More from best seller Kava, promoted with a six-city tour. Most thriller fans will want.
Kepler, Lars. The Hypnotist. Farrar. Jul. 2011. 528p. ISBN 9780374173951. $27. CD: Blackstone Audio.
A family has been murdered, and Detective Inspector Joona Linna must get clues from the one survivor—the family’s young son, now in shock after suffering more than 100 knife wounds. Linna’s proposed solution? Hypnosis. Written pseudonymously by a literary couple and yet another example of the Swedish crime-fiction juggernaut, this first in a series is set to appear in 33 countries. That’s promising. With a reading group guide.
LaPlante, Alice. Turn of Mind. Atlantic Monthly. Jul. 2011. 320p . ISBN 9780802119773. $24.
Retired orthopedic surgeon Jennifer White is suffering from dementia. So she doesn’t know whether she’s responsible for the murder and mutilation of best friend Amanda (the corpse had several fingers removed). But this book is not gory, instead tracking the doctor’s escalating frustration with the caretakers she no longer recognizes and with her condition itself. A fascinating read told in fragments mirroring the protagonist’s confused state of mind and the publisher’s biggest book for July, with rights already sold to 11 countries. I’d go for it.
Lustbader, Eric Van. Robert Ludlum’s The Bourne Dominion. Grand Central. Jul. 2011. 450p. ISBN 9780446564441. $27.99. lrg. prnt. CD: Hachette Audio.
Bourne returns—but does he want to? A defector from a shadowy organization called Severus Domna asks to join forces with him, at the same time confiding that Domna is planning to have Bourne assassinated and for that job has chosen Boris Karpov—someone Bourne actually trusts. Buy where Bourne still reigns.
Mason, Bobbie Ann. The Girl in the Blue Beret. Random. Jul. 2011. 368p. ISBN 9781400067183. $26; eISBN 9780679604945.
Shot down over France during World War II, U.S. airman Marshall Stone is helped to safety by members of the French Resistance, particularly a girl in a blue beret. Years later, returning to France to face down haunting memories of the war, he finds—and falls in love with—his bereted savior. Given what she did with In Country, Mason should handle this splendidly. And the story should have rich personal overtones, as it’s inspired by events in the life of Mason’s father-in-law. With book club pitches and an NPR interview; I’m looking out for this one.
Napolitano, Ann. A Good Hard Look. Penguin Pr: Penguin Group (USA). Jul. 2011. 352p. ISBN 9781594202926. $25.95. CD: Penguin Audio.
Napolitano, who did nicely when she debuted with Within Arm’s Reach, now tries for something rich and ambitious with a second novel starring Flannery O’Connor. When New Yorker Melvin Whiteson comes to Milledgeville, GA, with his fiancée, the town’s reigning Southern belle, he’s much taken by O’Connor—she represents the choices he didn’t make and the life he could have had. A first look suggests that this is sharp and thoughtfully written; great for book clubs, so be glad that there’s a guide.
Pollock, Donald Ray. The Devil All the Time. Doubleday. Jul. 2011. 304p. ISBN 9780385535045. $26.95; eISBN 9780385535052.
Pollock first triumphed with his story collection, Knockemstiff, about the Midwestern town of that name where he grew up and its sad but tough residents. Here he moves on to full-length fiction with a terse examination of America’s violent underbelly. Lots of in-house excitement; watch.
Ritter, Josh. Bright’s Passage. Dial. Jul. 2011. 208p. ISBN 9781400069507. $22; eISBN 9780679604259.
Ritter has been declared one of Entertainment Weekly’s Ten Most Exciting Artists Now and one of Paste’s 100 Greatest Living Songwriters, so the nerve of him to write a debut novel, too. Protagonist Henry Bright, newly returned from World War I, is left with the care of his infant son after his wife’s death. With his son, their goat, and the angel Henry believes has followed him home from France, he undertakes a journey toward a better life. The publisher is promoting Ritter’s media connections and grasp of story as a songwriter. We’ll have to see, but this does sound promising. With an eight-city tour.
Rollins, James. The Devil Colony: A Sigma Force Novel. Morrow. Jul. 2011. 448p. ISBN 9780061784781. $27.99.
In the Rocky Mountains, anthropologists have discovered hundreds of mummified bodies. Whatever their origins, they are claimed by Native Americans, a riot ensues, an anthropologist inexplicably burns to a crisp, and an outspoken teenage leader of a radical group implicated in the violence turns for protection to her uncle—Sigma Force director Painter Crowe. Rollins’s Sigma Force novels are big, as evidenced by the one-day laydown on June 21, the 350,000-copy first printing, and the ten-city tour. Buy multiples.
Siddons, Anne Rivers. Burnt Mountain. Grand Central. Jul. 2011. 350p. ISBN 9780446527897. $25.95. lrg. prnt. CD: Hachette Audio.
As a child, Thayer Wentworth adored Camp Greyledge on Georgia’s Burnt Mountain, even if she did find first love and then first heartbreak there. So at first she’s happy when she moves nearby with her new husband, Irish-born professor Aengus, and he’s invited to the camp as storyteller. But then, as it often does, the past rears its ugly head. With a reading group guide and fun for many readers.
Silva, Daniel. Portrait of a Spy. Harper: HarperCollins. Jul. 2011. 432p. ISBN 9780062072184. $26.99. lrg. prnt. CD: HarperAudio.
While enjoying a day in London with his wife, antiterrorist expert Gabriel Allon spots a man he believes to be a suicide bomber and follows him into Covent Garden. Alas, undercover police knock him down before he can intervene, and carnage ensues. Afterward, the CIA asks Gabriel to track down an American-born cleric now setting himself up as a rival to Osama bin Laden. Just what you’d expect of this New York Times top seller; with a one-day laydown on July 19, plus a 500,000-copy first printing. Buy multiples.
Steel, Danielle. Happy Birthday. Delacorte. Jul. 2011. 352p. ISBN 9780385340304. $28; eISBN 9780440423317.
Valerie Wyatt is the reigning queen of elegant entertaining (think Martha Stewart). Her daughter, April, is the work-addicted chef/owner of a downtown New York restaurant (think any number of hot young chefs, today’s new superstars, and check out Laura Shockey’s Four Kitchens for the real inside story). High achievers, but men in their lives? Nuh-uh. Still, both have significant birthdays coming, and things might change. Classic Steel. Grab it, I guess.
Ward, Amanda Eyre. Close Your Eyes. Random. Jul. 2011. 272p. ISBN 9780345494481. $25; eISBN 9780679605089. CD/downloadable: Random Audio.
When Lauren was a child, her father murdered her mother. Finally, as an adult, she’s trying to come to terms with the past. Ward has been published in 15 countries, and as evidenced by titles like How To Be Lost, she excels at depicting fraught family relationships; readers who enjoy such novels should be sure to investigate. With a seven-city tour.
Wingfield, Jennie. The Homecoming of Samuel. Random. Jul. 2011. 336p. ISBN 9780385344081. $25; eISBN 9780679603603. CD: Random Audio.
In 1950s Arkansas, 12-year-old Swan Lake does what she thinks is right—she hides an eight-year-old friend whose father has been beating him mercilessly. Alas, Swan’s preacher father has different ideas. This debut from screenwriter Wingfield (e.g., The Man in the Moon, starring a young Reese Witherspoon) is getting a big push, including a nine-city tour. A good bet, especially for regional libraries.
Nonfiction
Davis, Kenneth C. Don’t Know Much About History: Everything You Need To Know About American History but Never Learned. anniversary ed. Harper: HarperCollins. Jul. 2011. 752p. ISBN 9780061960536. $26.99. lrg. prnt.
First published two decades ago, this challenge to our failing knowledge about American history’s basics launched the resoundingly popular “Don’t Know Much About” series and has sold 1.6 million copies to date. This anniversary edition updates the text with information on 9/11, Obama’s election, and more. With a 60,000-copy first printing; sure to be in demand.
Johnson, Christopher. Microstyle: The Art of Writing Little. Norton. Jul. 2011. 192p. ISBN 9780393077407. $19.95.
Johnson helps us think small, explaining how to write effectively when we write all those little bits that are now a part of our lives—think brand names, sound bites, tag lines, domain names, and tweets. As a verbal branding consultant— now there’s an interesting job—he should know. This actually could be pretty useful.
Morrison, Grant. Supergods. Spiegel & Grau. Jul. 2011. 256p. ISBN 9781400069125. $26; eISBN 9780679603467.
Who better than Morrison to tell us how the superheroes of yesterday were slicked up to become the superheroes of today? His Batman: Arkham Asylum is reportedly the best-selling original graphic novel (GN), having sold a half million copies. For GN fans who want to dig a little deeper.
Motley Fool & LouAnn Lofton. Warren Buffett Invests Like a Girl: And Why You Should Too. HarperBusiness: HarperCollins. Jul. 2011. 288p. ISBN 9780061567551. $25.99.
Studies show that while men are overly confident and even impulsive when investing, women are thoughtful with their money—just like Warren Buffett, the most successful investor in history. Now, the Motley Fool team explains the principles of such sound investment practices. With five New York Times best sellers and 14 paid newsletters, Motley Fool has certainly proven itself and has a sure audience.
Norwich, John Julius. Absolute Monarchs: The History of the Papacy. Random. Jul. 2011. 528p. ISBN 9781400067152. $30; eISBN 9780679604990.
When Norwich writes, I read; this member of the House of Lords is a notable and engrossing historian, perhaps best known for his monumental study of Byzantium. Here he offers a history of the nearly two-millennia-old papacy that should be popular with many readers.
Shockey, Lauren. Four Kitchens: My Life Behind the Burner in New York, Hanoi, Tel Aviv, and Paris. Grand Central. Jul. 2011. 336p. ISBN 9780446559874. $24.99.
Shockey trained at the French Culinary Institute. Then she got out into the real world of restaurants and found she had more to learn, so she decided to apprentice at four upscale restaurants worldwide. With more and more chef memoirs appearing and everyone into food, this could, um, catch fire. And it’s being pitched to the Eat Pray Love crowd.
Warrick, Joby. The Triple Agent: The al-Qaeda Mole Who Infiltrated the CIA. Doubleday. Jul. 2011. 304p. ISBN 9780385534185. $27.95; eISBN 9780385534192. CD/downloadable: Random Audio.
Double agent Humam Khalil al-Balawi infiltrated al-Qaeda and gave the CIA invaluable information. Then, at a meeting in Khost, Afghanistan, he proved himself to be a triple agent by detonating a bomb that killed seven CIA operatives. Warrick, a Pulitzer Prize–winning reporter who covers intelligence for the Washington Post, details a case that showed up evident weaknesses in how the CIA conducts its business. Should be gripping and not just for folks who read everything on the War on Terror.
MY PICKS
Campbell, Bonnie Jo. Once Upon a River. Norton. Jul. 2011. 320p. ISBN 9780393079890. $25.95.
Last year, when Campbell’s American Salvage was both a National Book Award and a National Book Critics Circle finalist, readers woke up to a tremendous young talent. Campbell’s new novel features 16-year-old Margo Crane, a crack shot who flees by river after being implicated in her father’s death. She’s always loved the river, but, as one can imagine, actually living on the water is an entirely different thing. Set in rural Michigan, this book will surely vivify a side of American culture we don’t often see. It also shows us how a turn in one direction can sometimes mean never going back. Excellent for book clubs, so it’s good that there will be a guide and a concerted effort to pitch both clubs and libraries; an eight-city tour.
Mezrich, Ben. Sex on the Moon: The Amazing Story Behind The Most Audacious Heist in History. Doubleday. Jul. 2011. 304p. ISBN 9780385533928. $26.95; eISBN 9780385533935. CD/downloadable: Random Audio.
NASA fellow Thad Roberts wanted to charm his girlfriend, so he convinced her and another friend, both NASA interns, to help him get past all those security checkpoints and steal some moon rocks. Considering how wacky this sounds and that best-selling author Mezrich wrote both The Accidental Billionaires (the basis for the film The Social Network) and Bringing Down the House (the basis for the film 21), this would seem to be a winner.
NOTE In the future, references to Prepub Alert in the Book Review will cite the online edition.
