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Interview with Tracy March, Author of Should've Said No


Tell us a little bit about your new release, Should've Said No.

Should’ve Said No is a lighthearted, modern-day mash up of Romeo and Juliet and the Hatfields and McCoys, with a little mystery, unexpected secrets, and serious sizzle between one of Colorado’s most eligible bachelors and the new “museum lady” in town.

Who is your favorite couple from literature?

The forbidden lovers Hester Prynne and Arthur Dimmesdale from The Scarlet Letter. I still root for them every time I read the novel as Hester wears the scarlet letter with quiet humility, and Arthur psychologically tortures himself. If only they could’ve sailed away to England with their daughter, Pearl, and lived happily ever after!

What will your next adventure be?

My husband and I love hiking to beautiful mountain vistas in the Rocky Mountains. Our next adventure will be climbing 14,440-foot Mount Elbert, the highest summit in the Rockies, and the second-highest summit in the contiguous United States after Mount Whitney. We’re super-excited since it will be the first “fourteener” we’ve climbed. Oxygen, please!

What books do you find yourself returning to again and again?

The Scarlet Letter is my favorite classic, and I reread it every few years. As for more modern books, I love Tana French’s literary mystery, The Likeness, and Alma Katsu’s The Taker, that combines historical, fantasy, romantic and suspense elements for an unforgettably epic tale.

What’s your favorite type of Dairy Queen Blizzard?

I’m not sure if this is awesome, or if it requires an intervention, but the staff at my local Dairy Queen knows me and my husband since our weekly date night includes a small Blizzard! I usually get a wacky, not-on-the-menu combo of ingredients and stick with it for a while. I enjoyed chocolate chip cookie dough, pie pieces, chocolate slivers, and caramel for a long time, but I’ve recently switched it up to Heath bar, pie pieces, and cocoa fudge. Delish!

If you had an extra hour each day, how would you spend it?

I wish! If the extra hour was during the day, I’d spend it hiking or biking. I love being outdoors and active, experiencing the beautiful seasons in coastal Virginia. If the extra hour was at night, I’d spend it reading. My love of reading inspired me to become a writer. Yet now that I’m a writer, I have very little time to read.

What's your favorite quote or scene from Should’ve Said No?

I wish! If the extra hour was during the day, I’d spend it hiking or biking. I love being outdoors and active, experiencing the beautiful seasons in coastal Virginia. If the extra hour was at night, I’d spend it reading. My love of reading inspired me to become a writer. Yet now that I’m a writer, I have very little time to read.

Do you have a motto, quote or philosophy you live by?

Be thankful. Thanksgiving is one of my favorite holidays, yet I’m a grateful, stop-and-smell-the-roses kind of person year-round. We live at such a fast and stressful pace. Taking a few moments to appreciate the beauty in the world and the goodness in people makes my days much brighter.

 

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Tracy March is the author of the new book Should've Said No.

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Gifts for Teens: Books by Authors Like John Green

Gifts for teens who love John Green books sounds like an easy task - John Green's books are incredibly popular (for good reason). John Green is an ingredibly original author. We pulled together some recommendations for books that have a similar appeal to John Green's books. All of them are new in 2015 and make fantastic gifts for teens!

Gifts for Teens: Books by Authors Like John Green


Another Day

David Levithan

John Green and David Levithan collaborated on an incredible book called Will Grayson, Will Grayson in 2010, and has a new release that will appeal to teens who love John Green books. Another Day features a teenager named Rhiannon who is discovering what it means to love and how that changes everything.

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Everything, Everything

Nicola Yoon

Maddy has a problem: she's allergic to absolutely everything. She hasn't left her house in seventeen years and sees only two people: her nurse and her mother. That is, until she watches Olly move in across the street. He's tall and wears all black and is the person worth risking Maddy's health to know.

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All the Bright Places

Jennifer Niven

All the Bright Places explores grief and mourning in a poignant and beautiful novel. This charming love story features Theodore, a boy fascinated by death, and Violet, a girl trapped by grief from the death of her sister. Elle Fanning is set to star in the movie adaptation for this novel, so gift it before it's a movie!

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Extraordinary Means

Robyn Schneider

Extraordinary Means is a beautiful story that will appeal to John Green and Rainbow Rowell fans alike. This darkly humorous novel features Lane, a teenage boy who was perfectly normal thank-you-very-much until his disgnosis. But now his life is full of medical equipment and insane rules and a lovely confidante, Sadie.

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Every Last Word

Tamara Ireland Stone

Looks can be deceiving. Samantha looks like all of the other popular girls in high school, but she has a secret. Sam has OCD and can't turn it off. She second-guesses every moment and her life is a constant struggle. When Sam meets Caroline, a girl who is decidedly not in the popular crowd but makes her feel more normal than she's ever felt, Sam has yet another seret to keep.

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Cozy Mysteries to Gift to Book Lovers in 2015

Cozy mysteries make wonderful gifts for book lovers who love a good logic puzzle (but aren't into gore or violence). Cozy mysteries are generally suspenseful, but not in an edge-of-your-seat way. They're also usually hilarious. If you know a book lover who reads laugh-out-loud mystery novels, these books are great gift ideas!

Cozy Mysteries to Gift to Book Lovers in 2015


S'mored (Lacey Luzzi Mafia Mysteries Book 5)

Gina LaManna

Stephanie Plum meets Tony Soprano in the Lacey Luzzi Mafia Mystery series. This is a hilarious cozy mystery with a spitfire female heroine that fans of Janet Evanovich will love. It isn't graphic, but language and tone push this book in the PG-13 category.

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Death, Taxes, and a Chocolate Cannoli (A Tara Holloway Novel)

Diane Kelly

Follow Tara Holloway, a powerhouse Special Agent for the IRS, as she goes undercover to root out the mob's tax fraud. Tara goes from drawing up tax forms to whipping up desserts for Tino, a legendary crime boss.

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Killer Transaction (Cindy York Mysteries Book 1)

Catherine Bruns

Catherine Bruns, bestselling author of cozy mysteries, has a brand new real estate themed series. Real estate agent Cindy York has a thing or two to deal with. She's trying to get contracts closed while dealing with a territorial coworker... and a murder. This book is a quick read and is pure fun.

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Burning Justice (Callie Justice Mystery Series Book 1)

Leighann Dobbs

This cozy mystery from bestselling author Leighann Dobbs is set in 2075, where one thing is the same as in 2015: murder. Callie is trying to find justice, with the help of her robotic housekeeper and elderly neighbor.

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Murder at the Cooking School: Book 7 of the Cedar Bay Cozy Mystery Series

Dianne Harman

The Cedar Bar Cozy Mystery Series is an award-winning cozy series by Dianne Harman. This edition takes us to Tuscany at the Castello di Nardo cooking school... where the Signora has just been killed. This book includes lots of mouth-watering recipes!

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The Best Urban Fantasy Books to Gift in 2015

Urban fantasy books differ from sword and sworcery fantasy in a crucial way: urban fantasy books are set in contemporary settings (generally urban areas, as the name implies). Think more Supernatural than Game of Thrones.

If you know a book lover who is into all things paranormal (and contemporary), read on. We've rounded up the best urban fantasy books to gift this year. All of these books to read are brand new for Fall 2015 and make fantastic gifts for book lovers! To make things easy, these recommendations for gifts for book lovers are all based on popular paranormal TV shows.

The Best Urban Fantasy Books to Gift in 2015


The Concealed (The Lakewood Series Book 1)

Sarah Kleck

Sarah Kleck is a German author whose Lakewood Series is skyrocketing to the top of the charts in the USA this fall. This series spans urban fantasy and new adult romance, intertwining the two genres in an Oxford University setting.

Buy it for the book lover who likes: The Vampire Diaries

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Recombinant (The Blood Borne Series Book 1)

Shannon Mayer

Shannon Mayer has been described as the queen of urban fantasy. Her new Blood Borne series is an urban fantasy at heart, but mixes in mystery / thriller and detective elements for a fast-paced read.

Buy it for the book lover who likes: Fringe

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Mercenary Magic (Dragon Born Serafina Book 1)

Ella Summers

Mercenary Magic follows Sera, who is the type of magical creature that other supernaturals hunt and kill. It's a fantastic new urban fantasy series with a powerhouse female herione, out to save her city (and stay alive).

Buy it for the book lover who likes: Charmed

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Dragon Marked

Jaymin Eve

Dragon Marked blends familiar fantasy creatures (like dragons and werewolves and vampires) with a contemporary adventure. Jessa, our heroine, holds a secret. A secret that lands her in jail (unfairly). Can Jessa free herself before her demise?

Buy it for the book lover who likes: Supernatural

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Pia Does Hollywood (Elder Races)

Thea Harrison

Pia Does Hollywood is a little bit steamy and very fast-paced. Pia and Dragos, her mate, travel to California to meet with the Fae Queen. Unfortunately, an ancient enemy tagged along - an enemy who wants Pia and Dragos dead.

Buy it for the book lover who likes: True Blood

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Interview with Ann Jacobus, author of Romancing the Dark in the City of Light


Tell us a little bit about your new release, Romancing the Dark in the City of Light.

Romancing the Dark in the City of Light is about an 18-year-old American girl named Summer who ends up in Paris at her mother’s place, after getting kicked out of several boarding schools. She’s depressed, she has a drinking problem, and she’s ultimately suicidal. Plus she thinks meeting the right guy might give her life purpose. She meets two: one who sees her as she can be and leads her toward the light, and one who pulls her toward darkness.

When you were a child, what did you want to be when you grew up?

I wanted to be a director! I love theater and used to boss my five younger siblings in lots of family plays and “shows.” They finally went on permanent strike in their thirties.

Which books would we be surprised to find on your shelves?

In addition to hundreds of new, used and overdue YA, middle-grade, and adult novels, you’d find books by Tolkien (The Hobbit and the Trilogy of course), Carlos Castaneda, and Dr. Seuss; a dog-eared copy of A Wrinkle in Time by Madeline L’Engle; a thick collection of the works of William Blake of which I’ve only read a small portion.

Where was your favorite place you lived growing up?

We moved around a lot (Texas, Arkansas, NM, AZ) when I was a kid, but we had a summer house on Greers Ferry Lake in the Arkansas Ozarks that was fairly constant. Spending time there and having more or less free run was a blast. When I was fourteen, I had a Suzuki motorcycle for transport to my job at a tennis pro shop.

If you had an extra hour each day, how would you spend it?

Easy! Reading.

What was the most valuable part of your experience getting your MFA in Writing for Children and Young Adults?

There was so much that was valuable to me about getting an MFA. I had to quickly learn greater discipline and accomplish a lot more writing work than I had been doing in the years prior. I was exposed to great writing by the faculty and students alike, broad reading lists, and patient instruction and excellent questions. The most important thing I learned in grad school was how much I still don’t know about writing (I feel ever more that way). I also met so many wonderful people who come from very diverse backgrounds but with whom I have more in common than anyone else I know.

What's rocking your world this month?

The release of Romancing the Dark in the City of Light! ☺

What's your favorite quote or scene from Romancing the Dark in the City of Light?

The last four (short) chapters are my favorite. Also when Summer says dismissively, “I’ve learned to expect nothing from life,” and Moony responds, “Hmm. But what does life expect from you?”

Do you have a motto, quote or philosophy you live by?

I love the Desiderata. The whole thing.

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Ann Jacobus is the author of the new book Romancing the Dark in the City of Light.

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Cozy Mysteries With a Culinary Twist: New Books to Read

What is a cozy mystery? Cozy mysteries have minimal adult themes (like violence and sex). Cozy mysteries often have a heavy dose of humor woven into the plot and are more fun than thrilling. One interesting trend that we've noticed is that many cozy mysteries integrate cooking (and sometimes recipes) into the story, setting the suspense in a restaurant or cafe. We think that culinary cozy mysteries are a ton of fun, so we've rounded up some new books to read for cozy mystery readers who love food. Have an appetite for more cozy mysteries? Find them in our posts including Miss Marple, Denise Grover Swank, Wannabe Sleuths, Female Sleuths, Cozy Mysteries, More Cozy MysteriesCozy Beach Reads, and Pool-side Reads!

Cozy Mysteries With a Culinary Twist: New Books to Read


Death Before Decaf

Caroline Fardig

Release Date: November 17, 2015

Death Before Decaf takes place in a seemingly normal Nashville coffee shop. Normal except for the murder, that is. This new book stars a cast of characters who are pure fun and a page-turning storyline.

A Pain in the Tuchis

Tastes Like Murder

Catherine Bruns

Release Day: August 30, 2015

Tastes Like Murder is one of those awesome cozy mysteries with recipes! It mixes murder, a little romance, humor, and mouth-watering sweets into a fun treat of a read.


Naan Stop Murder

Ginny Gold

Release Date: November 4, 2015

The punny title of Naan Stop Murder sets the tone of this cozy mystery, featuring a woman sleuth who works at a food truck. It's a fun read and contains a bonus recipe from the author.

Margaritas, Marzipan, and Murder

Harper Lin

Release Date: November 10, 2015

Harper Lin's Cape Bay Cafe series is worth a read for every fan of cozy mysteries. This is book 3 in the bestselling series starring a plucky cafe owner, but it can be read as a standalone!


Killer Wedding Cake

Gayle Trent

Release Date: June 20, 2015

Killer Wedding Cake stars Daphne, a wedding cake decorator who is currently designing her own wedding cake. Until Daphne's ex-husband is found murdered.

Powdered Murder

A. Gardner

Release Date: September 3, 2015

Powdered Murder blends two of the most popular themes in cozy mysteries: cooking (yes, recipes are included) and weddings, set in a pituresque mountain town. Don't miss this fun and suspenseful novel.


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Best Psychological Thrillers to Gift in 2015

Psychological thrillers rely on chilling plots, creepy prose, and complex characters instead of gore and violence to drive suspense. If you know someone who loved Gone Girl and Silence of the Lambs, this is the post for you. We rounded up the best psychological thrillers (all newly released in Fall 2015) that make great gifts for book lovers.

Best Psychological Thrillers to Gift in 2015


Playing with Fire: A Novel

Tess Gerritsen

Tess Gerritsen is famous for her Rizzoli & Isles series, but this new release has little in common with her detective novels. Pleaying with fire is gripping psychological suspense that spans time and place. Once you start this creepy read, it will be tough to put it down. Buy it for people who love clever reads with plenty of chills.

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What She Knew: A Novel

Gilly Macmillan

What She Knew is a chilling tale of a mother named Rachel desperately searching for her son, who vanished suddenly in a park. Nothing is as it seems and Rachel soon becomes the target of the public's attention. Gilly Macmillan's debut novel is perfect for fans of The Girl on the Train and The Guilty One.

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In a Dark, Dark Wood

Ruth Ware

Ruth Ware's new book is dark and twisted. It starts innocently enough - a crime writer reluctantly agrees to a weekend with an old friend in a glass house, nestled in the English countryside. She then wakes up in the hospital with minimal memories, knowing only that someone is dead.

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The Gates of Evangeline

Hester Young

Dark secrets are uncovered in the vivid dreams of Charlotte Cates. Charlotte has recently lost a child, and yet a little boy keeps popping up in her dreams, begging for help. Charlotte's drive to help the boy leads her on a fast-paced and suspenseful adventure.

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Black-Eyed Susans

Julia Heaberlin

Tessa is in the public eye for a chilling reason: she was found barely alive, with only hints of memory, in a field of wildflowers littered with bones. Now, years later, those same wildflowers haunt Tessa. They're popping up outside her window in the middle of February, when no flowers grow. Her would-be killer is back...

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Interview with Mark Reutlinger, author of A Pain in the Tuchis


Tell us a little bit about your new release, A Pain in the Tuchis.

A Pain in the Tuchis is the second book in the “Mrs. Kaplan” cozy mystery series. Like the first book, Mrs. Kaplan and the Matzoh Ball of Death, it takes place in a Jewish retirement home. Mrs. Kaplan and her good friend Ida, who narrates the story, investigate the death of a woman resident who was, to virtually everyone in the Home, a “pain in the tuchis” (or tush or backside or whatever term you prefer). Also like the first book, Ida narrates in her Old World dialect, with liberal use of Yiddish words and phrases (all of which are explained, of course, for those who don’t happen to speak the language).

What are you currently craving?

I assume you don’t mean chocolate. Or world peace, for that matter, both of which technically qualify. Other than those, I’m craving a large block of time in which I can polish a current manuscript and begin a new one. At present I’m having to wedge writing time in between a thousand other tasks, a problem I know many writers share.

Which books would we be surprised to find on your shelves?

If you knew me, nothing on my shelves would surprise you. But I suppose the extensive collection of books about railroads might seem unusual—I’m a model railroader and love traveling on trains. I also have quite a few books about Morgan automobiles: I own a 1995 Plus Eight. As for fiction, however, perhaps the most unusual is Make Way for Lucia, by E.F. Benson. I got hooked on the “Mapp and Lucia” PBS series years ago and still enjoy reading the stories.

What’s your favorite course to teach as a law professor?

I think Torts has always been my favorite, both because it is a first-year course and therefore I am introducing new students to the joys of law study, and because the subject matter is so varied, from injuries to a person (e.g., auto accidents) to injuries to land (e.g., trespass) to defamation of character, and much more. One can conjure up some very interesting hypothetical questions for class discussion and exams under these topics.

You’re hosting a literary dinner party. Which three writers are invited?

If they don’t have to be currently living, I would invite P.G. Wodehouse, Terry Pratchett, and Agatha Christie (but it’s a difficult choice to make; there are so many more, from Plato forward . . .). If I’m limited to those still with us, I would choose Dave Barry, J.K. Rowling, and Alexander McCall Smith.

If you had to pick one place to vacation for the rest of your life, where would you choose?

New Zealand. We lived there while I was teaching at Victoria University in Wellington, and we loved the slower pace of life, the varied communities, and especially the spectacular landscape. And the sheep, of course.

What's your favorite quote or scene from A Pain in the Tuchis?

I think my favorite scene is Ida, dressed in full biker gear, trying not to be a passenger behind Motorcycle Moishe.

Do you have a motto, quote or philosophy you live by?

Not really, but the closest would be something I found in a fortune cookie many years ago: “Don’t trouble trouble ‘til trouble troubles you.”

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Mark Reutlinger is the author of the new book A Pain in the Tuchis.

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Cozy Mysteries: 2015 New Books to Read

Cozy mysteries are tons of fun. They're suspenseful, but at their core these books are just pure fun. Thrills and violence are replaced with humor and wit (and often a great pun or two). We've pulled together some of the best cozy mysteries released in 2015. Happy reading, sleuths! If you're ready for another batch of finger licking mysteries check out similar posts like Miss MarpleDenise Grover Swank, Wannabe Sleuths, Female Sleuths, Culinary Twists, More Cozy MysteriesCozy Beach Reads, and Pool-side Reads!

Cozy Mysteries: 2015 New Books to Read


A Pain in the Tuchis

Mark Reutlinger

Release Date: November 17, 2015

A Pain in the Tuchis features a plucky heroine sleuth - who just happens to be a very old (and very hilarious). Mrs. Rose Kaplan and her dear friend Ida are investigating the death of Vera Gold - who kicked the bucket at the Julius and Rebecca Cohen Home for Jewish Seniors.

A Pain in the Tuchis

Chalk Lines & Lipstick

Ophelia London

Release Day: August 9, 2015

Ophelia London's new mystery series about a New York fashion writer who loses her job and moves back to small-town California is absolutely hilarious. The protagonist is delightful, and will appeal to Stephanie Plum fans.


Crowned and Moldering

Kate Carlisle

Release Date: November 3, 2015

Crowned and Moldering is Kate Carlise's new release in the Fixer-Upper series. If you're a cozy mystery reader who loves a good HGTV marathon, this is the book for you.

A Gala Event

Sheila Connolly

Release Date: October 6, 2015

A Gala Event is an orchard mystery set during the off-season. Orchard owner Meg is planning her wedding, but there's trouble afoot.


Florist Grump

Kate Collins

Release Date: October 27, 2015

Florist Grump is, you guessed it, a cozy mystery that is set in a flower shop. The protaginist Abby Knight has been grumpy as of late, and things just get worse when someone turns up dead. This book is full of witty dialogue and excellent suspense.

A Likely Story

Jenn McKinlay

Release Date: November 3, 2015

Jenn McKinlay's bestselling Library Lover's Mystery series is back with another installment, starring library director Lindsey Norris. Lindsey runs a library on an island, and one of her dear friends has just turned up dead.


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Best Thriller Books to Buy for Gifts in 2015

We all know that one bibliophile whose shelves are stacked with the likes of Vince Flynn, David Baldacci, and James Patterson. Gifts for book lovers who are into high-octane thrillers are easy - pick up a new thriller they haven't read yet! We pulled together the best thriller books, all released in Fall 2015, to gift this year. All of these books are written by authors who aren't quite household names yet (but are handpicked by NewInBooks - they're all awesome), so there's a good chance your favorite book lover hasn't heard of these titles.

The Best Thriller Books to Buy for Gifts in 2015


American Blood: A Novel

Ben Sanders

American Blood is a story of Marshall, an ex-NYPD officer living in witness protection. But he can't escape the action. Bradley Cooper is adapting this new book into a movie. Gift it to your favorite thriller reader before it's in theaters!

Buy it for book lovers who read: Lee Child's Jack Reacher series

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The Girl in the Ice (Konrad Simonsen Thriller)

Lotte Hammer, Søren Hammer

Danish siblings Lotte and Sørem Hammer teamed up for the Konrad Simonsen thrillers - complex crime thrillers with intelligent plots and incredible prose. This new release has elements of noirs and and is a wonderful police procedural.

Buy it for book lovers who read: Jussi Adler-Olsen Department Q series.

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Styx

Bavo Dhooge

Black Humor sets Styx apart from other thrillers. This book crosses genres, but is a serial killer novel at its core with a fantastic literary lens. It's hilarious, witty, suspenseful, atmospheric, and an all-around excellent gift.

Buy it for book lovers who read: Robert Galbraith, Jo Nesbø.

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Gumshoe

Rob Leninger

Gumshoe is a masterpiece PI novel from author Rob Leninger. If you know a book lover who loves a good entertaining mystery (with plenty of thrills), this book makes a fantastic gift. Your favorite thriller reader will find a lot to love in Mortimer Angel, the protagonist and their new favorite PI.

Buy it for book lovers who read: Robert Crais, Michael Connelly.

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The Short Drop

Matthew FitzSimmons

Matthew FitzSimmons' debut novel The Short Drop is a fantastic new piece of crime fiction that weaves in conspiracies, politics, and kidnapping. Your favorite thriller reader deserves to know about this new author.

Buy it for book lovers who read: Vince Flynn, David Baldacci.

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