Hi everyone, here are our five suggested reads of the week!
Weekly Suggested Reading Five postings are usually published on Wednesdays, unless Monday is a holiday and then they are published later in the week.
And the next Suggested Reading posting will be published on Wednesday, September 11, 2024.
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Death at the Sign of the Rook: A Jackson Brodie Book by Kate Atkinson
Atkinson’s deliciously witty sixth adventure for Jackson Brodie (after Big Sky) finds the British PI entangled in a weekend-long murder mystery party. Brodie’s newest clients are Ian and Hazel Padgett, “pensionable-aged” siblings who have discovered, while divvying up their deceased mother’s possessions, that one of her oil paintings has gone missing. With the help of his friend, Det. Const. Reggie Chase, Brodie digs into the siblings’ suspicions that their mother’s caretaker, Melanie Hope, swiped the heirloom. Soon, Brodie and Chase’s investigation unearths art thefts linked to Burton Makepeace House, a crumbling mansion recently converted into a hotel and managed by the self-aggrandizing Piers Milton. Brodie and Chase head to Burton Makepeace and start poking around while an elaborate “Murder Mystery Weekend” event that Piers has organized is underway; before long, a snowstorm strands the duo with the participants and knocks out everyone’s cell reception. Atkinson keeps things fast, funny, and fair, delivering a twist-filled mystery that will stump armchair sleuths and a well-sketched supporting cast that’s easy to fall in love with. This is sure to delight series fans and newcomers alike. – Starred Publishers Weekly Review
Reader’s Note: As noted, Death At The Sign Of The Rook is the sixth book in the Jackson Brodie Series. If you’d like to start reading the series from the beginning, check out book one: Case Histories.
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Fatal Intrusion by Jeffery Deaver and Isabella Maldonado
his sure-footed collaboration between bestseller Deaver (The Bone Collector) and Maldonado (The Cipher) centers on special agent Carmen Sanchez, who’s recently been assigned to Homeland Security investigations in Southern California. Sanchez’s rash approach to a hostage situation in the desert town of Ario infuriates her by-the-book colleague, Kevin Albright, who wants her arrested for reckless endangerment. Their boss persuades Albright to keep the handcuffs off Sanchez, but as soon as she’s in the clear, she gets thrown into another intense situation: her younger sister, Sara, has been physically assaulted outside a café near her university. Sanchez takes the cell phone dropped by Sara’s attacker to her friend, private security expert Jacoby Heron, who unlocks the phone and deciphers its encrypted files. Sifting through the data, Sanchez and Jacoby unravel a complex plot connecting Sara’s assailant to a series of homicides and a cyberterrorism ring intent on fostering political discord across California. Slick, cinematic action and fastidiously detailed investigative work bring this series launch to life. Deaver and Maldonado make a good match. – Publisher’s Weekly Review
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Life Impossible by Matt Haig
Haig’s anxiously awaited follow-up to The Midnight Library (2020) proves that it’s never too late to change your life. Grace Winters is a retired math teacher and widow who lost a young son many years ago. In an extended letter to a former student, Grace spins the tale of her move to Ibiza, a Mediterranean island off the coast of Spain. An old friend has willed Grace a home there. While she is shocked, she is compelled to go, even at the age of 72. The island is lush and green; the house is not so much, but Grace is entranced all the same. When she realizes that her friend may have disappeared under mysterious circumstances, Grace becomes obsessed with finding out what happened. It turns out the answer is far more complicated than a simple murder or kidnapping, and it leads Grace to a bizarre and transformative experience deep under the sea. Haig’s incomparable style, complete with short chapters and lovely descriptions, will draw readers back; they will be captivated by Grace’s shrewdness and bravery. – Booklist Review
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What Time the Sexton’s Spade Doth Rust: A Flavia de Luce Novel by Alan Bradley
Flavia de Luce is in top form in the eleventh book of Bradley’s beloved series, following The Golden Tresses of the Dead (2019), and set shortly after WWII in the English countryside. Flavia is still the most precocious (and only) adolescent detective in the tiny town of Bishop’s Lacey, still a frighteningly accomplished chemist, and still making her biting observations. But her father’s recent death has made Flavia an orphan and left her in the haphazard care of her sister Daffy and the estate staff. When beloved housekeeper Mrs. Mullet is suspected of murder after serving a dish of poisonous mushrooms to their reclusive neighbor, Major Greyleigh, a retired public hangman, Flavia investigates. A labyrinthine series of clues leads her to a shocking personal discovery that completely changes her world–and opens up interesting possibilities for future investigations. The return of Undine, her “pestilent little cousin,” is a bonus, as is the continued presence of Dogger, the estate’s gardener and Flavia’s faithful partner in crime. Bradley gives his loyal readers a story that will more than satisfy their expectations while also inviting new readers to discover an endlessly entertaining amateur young sleuth who has much to teach her elders. – Starred Booklist Review
Reader’s Note: As mentioned, What Time the Sexton’s Spade Doth Rust is the eleventh book in the Flavia de Luce Mystery Series. If you’d like to start reading the series from the beginning, check out book one: The Sweetness At the Bottom of the Pie.
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You Belong with Me: A Novel by Mhairi McFarlane
Edie Thompson’s world turns upside down when renowned actor Elliot Owen, her once-in-a-lifetime love, reappears at her doorstep, seeking a second chance. Edie is shocked, to say the least. While Edie is overjoyed at the prospect of rekindling their romance, the challenges of dating a celebrity prove more daunting than she ever anticipated. Caught in a whirlwind of paparazzi-documented scandals and personal demons, Edie and Elliot must navigate the treacherous waters of fame and trust. As Elliot juggles international filming commitments, Edie grapples with her own insecurities and the presence of a newfound confidant in her life. Amid the chaos, they must also confront the unsettling reality that someone in their inner circle might be fueling the tabloid frenzy that threatens to tear them apart.
VERDICT McFarlane’s (Between Us) deft storytelling brings to life a cast of characters who resonate with wit, charm, and vulnerability. Through Edie and Elliott’s trials and triumphs, this novel offers a poignant exploration of love’s resilience and the tumultuous journey toward a happily-ever-after in the glare of the spotlight. – Library Journal Review
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Happy reading!
Linda Reimer, SSCL
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Note: Book summaries are from the respective publishers unless otherwise specified.
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Information on the three library catalogs
The Digital Catalog: https://stls.overdrive.com/
The Digital Catalog, is an online catalog containing eBooks, eAudiobooks, and digital magazines. You can use your library card and checkout content on a PC; you can also use the companion app, Libby, to access titles on your mobile devices; so you can enjoy eBooks and eAudiobooks on the go!
All card holders of all Southern Tier Library System member libraries can check out items from the Digital Catalog.
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Hoopla Catalog: https://www.hoopladigital.com/
The Hoopla Catalog features on demand checkouts of eBooks, eAudiobooks, comic books, albums, movies and TV shows. Patron check out limit is 10 items per month.
Hoopla is a Southeast Steuben County Library service available to all Southeast Steuben County Library card holders.
The Hoopla companion app, also called Hoopla is available for mobile devices, smart TVs & media streaming players.
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StarCat: The catalog of physical/traditional library materials: https://starcat.stls.org
Card holders of all Southern Tier Library System member libraries can access StarCat to search for and request materials available at libraries through out the Southern Tier Library System.
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Have questions about how to access Internet based content (i.e. eBooks, eAudios)? Feel free to drop by the Reference Desk or call the library and we will assist you! The library’s telephone number is: 607-936-3713.
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Tech & Book Talk is a Southeast Steuben County Library blog.
Tech & Book Talk at SSCL 