Release Date - March 2014

Kristin Hannah
St. Martin's Griffin

Book Review by Tracy Farnsworth

If you've read Firefly Lane, do not miss Fly Away. If you missed Firefly Lane, I recommend reading that book first. I didn't and really wish I had read the books in order.

One thing is true of any Kristin Hannah novel. It will draw you in. It will have you sniffling and shedding a number of tears. You will end up enjoying every second of the book. Fly Away is no different. It's honest, sometimes downright depressing, but you become embroiled in the characters and want to see if everything will work out for them.

Tully Hart is desperately grieving the loss of her best friend Kate. Kate lost her battle with cancer, and her death tore her family apart and left Tully feeling alone and uncertain. She made a promise to Kate that she would remain a solid part of Kate's family and offer Kate's children the support they need, but Tully is so caught up in her grief that she simpl…

Listening Just Got Brighter.
The Redesigned Playaway All-in-One Audiobook Just Released!

SOLON, OH (March 11, 2014) – For the first time since its launch, the Playaway® all-in-one audiobook has been redesigned, giving listeners the simple, pre-loaded experience they already love with new features that will allow them to go more places – even into the dark.

The updated product is the result of extensive customer feedback and user testing, and includes many notable enhancements, such as a backlit LCD screen that is three times larger than the current version. This change serves as the inspiration for the “LIGHT” launch campaign and will help listeners more easily access content day and night, regardless of surrounding light levels. The updated screen also provides key listener information including a book progress bar, chapter status and a battery life indicator – improving the overall user experience.

Keeping with the theme of enhanced product mobility, the buttons are now eas…

Release Date - January 2014

Barbara Claypole White
Mira

Book Review by Tracy Farnsworth

Will Shepard's son died in a tragic car accident. Since that day, his father, a resident of Hawk's Ridge Retirement Community, has suffered from short-term memory loss and doesn't remember that his grandson is dead. Will, a writer, pretends that his son is alive and traveling Europe for his father's sake, but it's becoming increasingly difficult  and, at times, he considers telling his father the truth in hopes it might sink in.

Hannah, a holistic veterinarian, son, a graduate student, is back in her home after threatening to kill himself. Hannah knows too much about suicide, her own father killed himself, and she's desperate to show her son that life is worth living. Hannah's friend Poppy volunteers at Hawk's Ridge, and it's that link that brings Will and Hannah together.

When Will's father creates a disturbance in his retirement community, Will must return t…

Release Date - July 2013 (Reprint)

Karl Taro Greenfeld
Harper Perennial

Book Review by Bob Walch

In an upscale New York City neighborhood a group of dads meets for breakfast after dropping their children off at school. The men range from a television producer, photographer and playwright to a sculptor, sound engineer, and even a gangster.
Each of the men obviously has a story and these tales and the family situations that exist within each character’s household emerge as you get to know the men more intimately. This is just a variation of the “housewife” dramas that television audiences are subjected to. Is the idea really original? Of course not!
But still, the interplay between these individuals and the situations that each one finds himself in are entertaining and the pieces of the puzzle here do fit together in some curious ways.
Is Mark a secret child molester? Why is Brick cheating on the woman who has made his career as a sculptor possible? What’s going to happen when Rick is e…

Release Date - February 2014

Kelly Parsons
St. Martins Press

Book Review by Tracy Farnsworth

Doing Harm, Kelly Parsons' debut novel, is just about as packed with medical expertise as one could imagine. While many things do not phase me, blood is one that does make me squeamish, and the medical detail in this medical suspense had me cringing more than once. At times, and this could be because of that squeamishness, I found the medical detail was almost too much.

The story itself is gripping. Steve Mitchell, father of two, loving husband, and surgical resident is under suspicion after a patient dies. He wants to become a surgeon at University Hospital and tries his hardest to show them just how devoted he is to his patients. Things begin to change when Steve takes performs a surgical procedure despite being told to wait. That's just the beginning of his problems. When more patients Steve expected to recover suddenly die, all eyes turn to Steve, and he becomes suspicious that someo…

Release Date - February 25, 2014

Peter Robinson
William Morrow

Book Review by Bob Walch

The murder of a fellow detective coupled with the discovery of some rather compromising photos in the dead man’s possession get Detective Chief Inspector Alan Banks assigned to a case that has more twists than a narrow, Alpine mountain road.
When it appears that the dead detective’s case is linked to the disappearance of an English girl in Estonia six years previously, Banks heads off to the Continent to do some digging. It doesn’t take him long to realize the local authorities aren’t too anxious to open the cold case and assist him in discovering what happened to the girl.
Meanwhile, in what appears to be a totally different investigation, Detective Inspector Annie Cabbot is looking into a local situation that involves a migrant labor scam. Just the tip of the iceberg, this case is far more detailed and involves much more serious crimes.
Eventually Banks and Cabbot’s investigations connect for an end…

Release Date - January 2014

Dick Wolf
William Morrow

Book Review by Bob Walch

Hard on the heels of The Intercept, the first thriller in this series, comes this sequel that continues the saga of Jeremy Fisk, a detective with the NYPD’s Intelligence Division of the Joint Terrorism Task Force.
Still recovering from the loss of his partner and lover who died at the hands of a Swedish terrorist, Fisk has another crazed killer to deal with. A brutal Mexican assassin known simply as Chuparosa is heading north with mayhem on his mind.
Leaving behind him a trail of bodies, including 23 beheaded victims on the border, Chuparosa may intend to make a statement during United Nations week in Manhattan. A slew of bodies found dead outside the city suggests that is just a prelude to what awaits the city itself.
Teaming up with a fiery investigator, Ceilia Garza, from the Mexican Intelligence Department, Fisk soon discovers his colleague’s “take-no-prisoners” attitude is not too far removed from their ne…

Release Date - November 2013 Melissa BraydenBold Strokes Books Book Review by Tracy Farnsworth In How Sweet It Is, Molly O'Brien lost her partner in a tragic plane crash. Since that, she's avoided the dating scene, but she thinks she's finally ready to move on. It's easier said than done because she balances her personal life with her hard work keeping her struggling bakery open. When her late partner's sister returns to town, Molly is shocked to find feelings developing. This is new territory for Molly, but she can't avoid her growing attraction. The title of this book really does capture the story's main essence. This is a sweet romance. The characters feel like best friends, the banter is real and often witty, and every page keeps you intrigued in what will happen next. Add in the tempting treats Molly's character whips up for her bakery - my stomach growled more than once reading descriptions - and How Sweet It Is ends up being an addicting r…

Release Date - January 2014 Bryce AndrewsAtria Books Book Review by Tracy Farnsworth For one year, Bryce Andrews headed to Montana where he worked at Sun Ranch. Working on a cattle ranch was not new to Andrews, but this ranch was very near Yellowstone National Park. During that year, Andrews not only spent time experiencing the daily life of a rancher, but he also faced struggles when a pack of wolves began encroaching on the herds of cattle. Suddenly, Andrews was faced with protecting the herd against an animal he admired. Badluck Way is beautifully written. While Bryce Andrews recounts most of this story, some sections are told from a wolf's point of view. I loved this division. I don't have wolves in my area, that I know of anyway, but we do have a pack of coyote that have been coming closer and closer to houses over the years. If you ever see one in the open, I have, they are very majestic creates, albeit scary when it is your dog they want to turn into dinner. As I&…