THE LONG-AWAITED SEQUEL TO THE AMAZON BESTSELLER, CONTEMPT
He orchestrated a murder. Now he must defend the man charged with the crime.
Thane Banning is ready for a fresh start. He survived 5 years in Forsman Prison for a crime he didn’t commit, and now he’s started a law firm to defend the innocent. But the past won’t stay buried for long.
Kilo Miller, a violent felon who tried to kill Thane in prison, is charged with Joseph Crowell’s murder, and Thane agrees to take the case. Thane knows for certain that Kilo didn’t kill Crowell—because Thane knows who did. It’s a secret he must protect in order to keep his family safe, but LAPD’s top detective is getting closer to the truth.
When strong evidence surfaces implicating Kilo in the murder, Thane discovers that conspiracy runs deep in L.A.’s court system. But proving Kilo’s innocence could reveal Thane’s own dark history and send him back to death row.
With help from his colleagues Gideon and Kristen, Thane must uncover who is framing Kilo and targeting his associates before he loses the case—and even his freedom. His conviction to represent the innocent forces him to face the ultimate test:
Is he willing to let an innocent man go to prison to avoid his own life sentence?
First Line:
When the shiv plunged into his side, Thane didn’t even realize he’d been stabbed.
Conviction by Michael Cordell
When I read the blurb for Conviction, I was intrigued. While I read many books (and stress a lot), I rarely read legal thrillers. So, I accepted the invitation, and I am glad I did. This book is an important book to read.
Conviction is the second book in the Thane Banning series. Unlike most other books in other series, readers can read this one as a standalone. The author briefly explained what happened in book one and brought up other characters/events. But the book primarily focused the what Thane, Kristin, and Gideon were doing for their current clients.
The plot of Conviction was intriguing. Thane Banning is a lawyer who had spent five years on death row, convicted of a murder he didn’t do. After being released, he started a law firm to defend people falsely accused of crimes. Almost simultaneously, two cases come across his desk. One case involves Gideon’s nephew. Arrested after delivering a package to a house for a friend, Gus is held in prison. But a dirty cop threatens to send him to jail for a long time if he doesn’t tell him what he wants to hear. The other case involves the inmate who tried to kill Thane. He had been arrested for the murder of Thane’s mentor. Thane knows that he is innocent. Why? Because Thane knows who killed his mentor. As the lawyers work with their clients, they realize that the corruption of the police and DA’s office runs much deeper than they initially thought. Can they prove the innocence of their clients? Or will their clients go to jail on false charges?
Conviction takes place entirely in Los Angeles. The author didn’t bring Hollywood or the actors up. Instead, he focused on the everyday people that live there-the good, the bad, and the morally gray people. I enjoyed it.
The author amazingly wrote the main characters in Conviction. There was depth to them that I wasn’t expecting. And the secondary characters added an extra oomph to the storyline.
Thane: I enjoyed his character. He was as morally gray as a character could get. He understood what it was like inside prison. He also emphasized with the family members whose loved ones were falsely accused. I also liked his investigation style. It was a little unorthodox but never crossed the line where the evidence would be inadmissible in court.
Gideon: I enjoyed his scenes. I don’t know why he was in prison or how he got out (it was probablyexplained in book 1), but I do know, from what I read, that it was justified. Gideon had no issue using his size to intimidate people into giving him information (thinking of his nephew’s friends).
Kristin: I wouldn’t say I liked her character as much as the other two. She was almost too abrasive in some scenes and weak in others. She did hit her stride, though, during Kilo’s trial. Her takedown of that detective was muah (chef’s kiss).
Gus: I was enraged for him. He was done dirty by his friends (mostly Jamie but also Andre, to anextent). I couldn’t believe what I was reading when he was arrested and held in jail. He wasn’t even allowed a phone call, which ticked me off. And then to listen to the detective say what he did. My blood boiled. I know this is a reality of POC daily, and it sickens me.
Kilo: OK, so when Kilo was introduced, and Thane agreed to take his case, I had the same reaction as everyone else in the office. Why? But only some things are what it seems with Kilo, and I was surprised at what was revealed., and I was surprised at what was revealed. I loved how dedicated his wife was to him. I was rooting for him to be found not guilty.
The secondary characters, as I mentioned, were just as well-written as the main ones. I did have my favorites. I loved the saucy (and snarky) Letitia. She had me nodding my head during her scenes. So much of what she said is true. Cricket was my other favorite. She was a ten-year-old hacker Thane was representing for free and was terrific. She stole the scenes every time she appeared. I loved that she was repentant for what she did and told Thane that she would keep doing it. I hope she is made more of a main character in upcoming books.
Conviction fits very well into the thriller genre. I was kept on edge the entire time and didn’t know what would happen from one chapter to the next. That is the way someone should write a legal thriller. There was a point where I thought Kilo wouldn’t get off. I couldn’t put the book down because I wanted to know what would happen.
The author amazingly wrote the main storyline. It was a twisty, turny storyline that (along with thethriller angle) kept me glued to the book. I had doubts that Thane could keep himself from being implicated in his mentor’s death, and the author did nothing to dissuade me from thinking about that.
The secondary storylines were just as good as the main one. They added additional information and background on several secondary characters and the main ones.
The end of Conviction was a nail-biter. As stated above, I worried for Kilo and Gus. But, after a major twist (I saw it coming and relished it), the author had an ending that I enjoyed and loved. I cannot wait to read book three when it comes out.
Three things I like about Conviction:
The characters (primary and secondary). They were believable and well-fleshed out.
The social justice issues that the author addressed.
The storylines. They were all well-written.
Three things I disliked about Conviction:
Detective Malone. He was as slimy as they come, and I hope he gets what is coming.
Stick (Andre’s brother). He was an evil man, and I hope he gets what is coming.
The ex-DA. He kept showing up on Thane’s runs. It gave me stalky vibes.
I would recommend Conviction to anyone over 21. There is moderate violence, language, and sexual situations. There is also a scene where Kristin is physically assaulted in her apartment.
What are you currently reading? What did you recently finish reading? What do you think you’ll read next?
Personal:
Thursday: I took Vinnie in to get his microchip. The head vet of the shelter came out and apologized to me. She said she would make sure that it didn’t happen again. Vinnie was a little miffed at me for taking him, but he got over it.
Friday: I had a doctor’s appointment. I walked in thinking the worse thing that would happen to me would be a flu shot. I walked out with a referral for a mammogram, a pamphlet for a colonoscopy (bleh), and a referral for an MRI (I am having unexplained dizzy spells). Oh, and I got the flu shot, too…lol. Miss R had horseback riding, and she did very well. She was the only person in her lesson and got personalized attention from her instructor. It was dark when we were done, and we had to use flashlights to see the pasture we were turning the horse into.
Saturday and Sunday: Miss B had a sleepover with 6 people. I had 7 teenage girls stuffed into my tiny living room. It was cramped, but they all had a blast.
Monday: It was Halloween!! Also, Tony went to the vet to get his last kitten shots. Thank God that I don’t have to go back until next year. I think they were sick of my face. Miss B had 3 friends come over to trick or treating with us. Speaking of that, Mr. Z’s plague doctor costume was a huge hit. He was asked a few times for pictures. Miss R went as Samara from The Ring, but she refused to wear her wig (we got her a long hair, black one). Miss B was a greaser. Everyone got a ton of candy.
Tuesday: Miss R stayed home from school. She was complaining of a stomach ache and wasn’t feeling the best. Since she did so well on her report card (A honor roll), I let her.
I am killing it with my reading. I am almost done with my author/indie publisher requests for this month (I have 3 left). I am also a week ahead with my reviews. I am beginning to feel the way I did before Covid hit!!
My longest book this week was the Hell Hath No Fury Anthology. It took me from last Wednesday to Sunday night to read it.
My shortest book this week was Death in a Dark Alley. I read it in a couple of hours yesterday.
So that’s the essential things for this past week. How was your week?
As always, let me know if you have read or are planning to read any of these books!!
What I Recently Finished Reading:
I have two this week (since I finished both last night)
What are you currently reading? What did you recently finish reading? What do you think you’ll read next?
Personal:
Thursday—nothing too spectacular happened. I did get a review written (Steel Fear) and continued my knocking out of my TBR list. Miss R also had an appointment in the morning.
Friday—No school for the kids because it was a teacher work day. Miss R had camp at the barn she rides at. I dropped her off at 9 am and picked her up at 330 pm. She had a blast. I also got to meet (and exchange numbers with) one of her friend’s mom’s. Miss R wants to play with her, and I was cool with that (even though the mom rubbed me the wrong way). I also think I convinced her to start riding at the barn….lol. I also got the review for Locklands written.
Saturday—Miss R attended a birthday party at our local science center. That is one of the cool things about our city. We have a little plaza with a library, a small aquarium, a planetarium, an art gallery, and a museum. The museum rents out classrooms for birthday parties. I did feel bad for the birthday boy, though. Out of 17 kids, only 3 showed up. I don’t think it mattered in the end because they all had a blast.
Saturday (cont)—-We almost took Tony (our youngest cat) to the emergency vet. BK left the silverware drawer open in the kitchen. Tony decided to squeeze behind it and explore the cabinets underneath. Unfortunately, behind the dishwasher, we have glue traps for mice (we have an issue in the fall/winter), and Tony stepped on them. He had one stuck to his chest and one on his front paw. Thankfully, olive oil dissolves the glue but try telling that to a very upset kitten. Tony also got a bath in with Blue Dawn. BK and I had a rather heated discussion about using glue traps again. Tony hasn’t suffered any ill effects from his adventure and was running around like a maniac the next day.
Sunday—Miss B had that stomach bug everyone in school was getting. So, she stayed in bed for most of the day. BK, Mr. Z, Miss R, and I decided to go on a day trip to a place called Murray’s Mill. It was not what I expected at all. We went because we had never been, but also, Miss R has a field trip there next week. They had some nice walking paths along a stream and an awesome general store. We got some homemade jam and these things called Cheese Tiddies. And yes, my 15-year-old had a blast with that. Everything was Tiddies for the rest of the day…lol.
Monday—Miss B had an eye Dr appointment. For some reason, I made this one super early in the morning (8:20). Anyway, she came out of that appointment thrilled. Why? Because she needs glasses. I swear she is the only person in the world who is happy to get them…lol. I dropped her off, came home, did my chores, and wrote a review for The Last Huntress.
Tuesday—-It was a busy day. First off, report cards went home. Miss R had straight A’s. She didn’t understand why she got S’s in PE, Art, and Music. She thought they needed A’s, too…lol. Mr. Z and Miss B had dentist appointments. Later on, that night was Mr. Z’s orchestra concert. They did fantastically. I also wrote a review for Alias Emma.
I am super ahead reading-wise. Looking at my calendar (as an aside, am I the only one who uses a wall calendar to keep track of reviews and ARCs?), I am 3 weeks ahead with my reading. I am also a week ahead with my reviews. I love being ahead of things. Of course, now that I said that, I will fall behind….lol.
The book that took me the longest to get through this week: A Broken Clock Never Boils. I could not get into it at first. It was a short read, but man, I dragged on it.
So that’s the essential things for this past week. How was your week?
As always, let me know if you have read or are planning to read any of these books!!
What I Recently Finished Reading:
Detective Wade’s search for her sister leads to an abandoned building and a man with two teens, a fierce battle where light poles bend like pipe cleaners, and twenty-six unmarked shallow graves.
A sibling addicted to extreme sports used to be her biggest challenge. Now fate has chosen to widen her horizons and test her unique psychic skill set. With her Bernese mountain dog by her side, they must fathom friend from foe while staying one step ahead of the organization responsible for kidnapping those with psychic abilities.
Parker Ratham’s goal of locating psychically talented teens and adults held prisoner takes him deep into the Connecticut forests. On a stormy night, he crosses paths not only with a serial killer, but also a young teen running from unknown assassins.
Each must learn to trust and work as a unit while staying ahead of those seeking to capture or kill.
What I am currently reading:
We will not be silent. We will not stand down. We are furious. We are the storm.
More than forty of your favorite authors have gotten together to create an anthology where 100% of the proceeds go toward charities fighting for our reproductive rights.
Bradley Pay is back with a jaw-dropping sequel to The Killings Begin! Travel across the world and dive into the complex hearts and minds of Tracey Lauch and a cast of unsuspecting new characters in Death in a Dark Alley. Boasting the Spectrum Series’ iconic fusion of contemporary romance and psychological suspense, Bradley Pay has created another tangled web of love, loss, and an insatiable desire to kill.
Tracey Lauch may be a murderer, but he is still a man. Although his childhood abandonment trauma began decades ago, now his compulsion to strangle women who resemble his mother has begun to evolve. Outrunning his past, embracing love in the present, and creating a future free of investigation proves increasingly complicated.
Isabelle’s life in Brazil is burdened with mistakes and abandonment, too – but not in the same way. She falls in love with all the wrong men at all the wrong times, and her best friend Frank shows his true colors when, over and over again, he is not there for her when she needs him most. Aside from the stark difference that Isabelle is not a murderer, she and Tracey both desire love, a life partner, and the warmth of a family.
But what does Isabelle’s story have to do with Tracey? How can an innocent trip to Strasbourg, France, become a heart-stopping event that changes their lives forever?
Peek behind the curtains of this cold-case investigation and catch an intimate glimpse inside the characters’ lives.
A 103-year-old murder mystery.
An amateur ghost sleuth.
Can a wrong be rectified in death?
Eight months ago, Simone experienced her first spectral encounter. It awakened a dormant second sight and opened a chasm to the afterlife. Now, another spirit from 1917 New Orleans has wandered through that passage, haunting her with an intoxicating jasmine fragrance and wicked antics.
To escape this mysterious ghost, Simone jumps at a seven-day complimentary Mardi Gras hotel package, unaware there might be an ancestral power behind her decision, an identity she grapples with.
Is the ghost’s name Bleu?
She’s a lady of the night who lived a dangerous life in the infamous Storyville. A place lined with mansion-like brothels on the edge of the French Quarter run by unscrupulous madams and frequented by dangerous criminals. WWI is on the horizon, jazz music is burgeoning, and Bleu’s life unravels.
Visions of her past and horrific death beset Simone as she explores present-day New Orleans with her three roommates.
But why are the images fragmented? Has Bleu forgotten what happened the stormy night she died? Can Simone uncover Bleu’s murderer and reunite her with her loved ones before it’s too late?
What books I think I’ll read next:
When Marchioness Lamberico fails to conceive a child, she solicits the help of Imelda, the village witch. Nine months later, she gives birth to a baby girl. Biancabella. Though perfect in every other way, the infant is born with a snake wrapped around her neck. To the relief of the marchioness, the creature vanishes at once and, in the joy of motherhood, is soon forgotten. When Biancabella is a young girl, the snake reappears and explains their uncommon sisterhood. Samaritana helps Biancabella unlock her magical gifts and asserts that so long as they are together, all will be well. Their close, though secret, relationship unites them above all others. Years pass, the sisters contented, until the day King Ferrandino of Naples arrives, seeking Biancabella’s hand in marriage. What follows shatters the sisters’ bond, leading to misfortune and betrayal, which forces them to grapple with not only the loss of their connection, but leaves each fighting for her life. Loosely based on the Italian fairy tale Biancabella and the Snake, the story explores how the love can transform from a domineering and covetous power to authenticity and, ultimately, redemption.
THE LONG-AWAITED SEQUEL TO THE AMAZON BESTSELLER, CONTEMPT
He orchestrated a murder. Now he must defend the man charged with the crime.
Thane Banning is ready for a fresh start. He survived 5 years in Forsman Prison for a crime he didn’t commit, and now he’s started a law firm to defend the innocent. But the past won’t stay buried for long.
Kilo Miller, a violent felon who tried to kill Thane in prison, is charged with Joseph Crowell’s murder, and Thane agrees to take the case. Thane knows for certain that Kilo didn’t kill Crowell—because Thane knows who did. It’s a secret he must protect in order to keep his family safe, but LAPD’s top detective is getting closer to the truth.
When strong evidence surfaces implicating Kilo in the murder, Thane discovers that conspiracy runs deep in L.A.’s court system. But proving Kilo’s innocence could reveal Thane’s own dark history and send him back to death row.
With help from his colleagues Gideon and Kristen, Thane must uncover who is framing Kilo and targeting his associates before he loses the case—and even his freedom. His conviction to represent the innocent forces him to face the ultimate test:
Is he willing to let an innocent man go to prison to avoid his own life sentence? (
I, Alex Harris, have run away from home.
I’m running from my problems, from my mistakes, and from myself.
I killed some people and I don’t think anyone is chasing me, but I can’t stop running, and as much as I miss the people I love. I feel like if I go home now, I’ll be going back empty-handed.
I have to find out more about this curse, where it comes from and what it really means to be a werewolf.
Because the truth is…
The truth is that when I stop and really look at myself. I’ve been running my whole life.
Maybe it’s time to stop.
If Janet Evanovich’s signature character were a single mom, she’d answer to the name Maggie Chessman. In Shampoo & Condition, Vivian, Maggie’s soon to be ex sister-in-law, drops dead in a beauty salon and Maggie’s brother becomes suspect number one – creating friction between our main character and her policeman boyfriend.
What can a girl do but pursue other suspects: Vivian’s shifty sisters, a smooth financial operator, and a secretive shampoo girl.
Meanwhile, Maggie’s best friend is matching corpses with missing persons on the Jane Doe website, eventually spotting a dead person in their midst.
Top Ten Tuesday was created by The Broke and the Bookish in June 2010 and was moved to That Artsy Reader Girl in January 2018. It was born of a love of lists, books, and a desire to bring bookish friends together.
How it works:
She assigns a topic each Tuesday and then posts her top ten list that fits that topic. You’re welcome to join her and create your list of top ten (or 2, 5, 20, etc.). Feel free to put a unique spin on the topic to make it work for you! Please linkto That Artsy Reader Girl in your post, so others know where to find more information.
I can’t believe that Halloween is almost here!! So, I will showcase 10 books with creepy/spooky covers in celebration of Halloween. All of these books will be off my Read shelf on Goodreads.
Enjoy!!
1. The Prisoner of Fear by Chad Miller
2. A Sliver of Darkness by C.J. Tudor
3. Fleshed Out: A Body Horror Collection by Rob Ultiski
October flew by!! It seems like I blinked and yesterday was Halloween.
I had a full month in October with a lot of indie authors contacting me to review their books. I also picked up a lot of books on NetGalley (I know, it’s a sickness, I am trying to cut back but it is hard).
I did fall behind with reading and reviews. As of today (11-1) I am behind 1 review and 5 books (not including the 4 books that I need to read and review by Friday…smh). I am planning to sit down and read this weekend but still…sigh. I am going to read the indie authors first and then work on the NetGalley ARCs. Hopefully, I at least get the reviews for the indie authors done by the weekend.
Drowning in a meaningless existence flipping burger, Matthew Davis suddenly collapses from a powerful psychic connection he shares with his twin brother, Jake. The pain is violent and immediate, and Matt knows exactly what it means… hundreds of miles away, Jake has been viciously killed. But instead of severing their connection, the murder intensifies it and Matt begins to suffer the agony of Jake’s afterlife.
Hell-bent on solving Jake’s murder in order to break the connection, Matt travels to his troubled hometown of Hatchett, Nebraska, where an old lover and savage new enemies expose the festering wounds that Jake left behind.
Matt tries atoning for Jake’s sins, but when a demon infests the connection between the two brothers, Matt must find a way to sever their bond before his world, and ours, become engulfed in the flames of hell.
Fans of Stephen King’s The Outsider, Stephen Graham Jones’ The Only Good Indians, and William Peter Blatty’s The Exorcist will find this new paranormal thriller impossible to put down.
First Line
Ruth stood at her ironing board, working her way through a pile of clothes in the bottomless laundry basket at her feet, mindlessly sweeping the iron back and forth across a blue denim work shirt, breaking her rythmn only to fire shots of steam at particularly stubborn wrinkles.
our trespasses: a paranormal thriller by michael cordell
When I read the blurb for Our Trespasses, I knew that I wanted no needed to read this book. Being in a read/blogging slump, I wanted a book that could pull me out of it. I couldn’t put it down!!!
Our Trespasses was that book.
Our Trespasses is the story of Matthew. Matthew had left his small town in Nebraska for college in New York City. In the ten years since he left, Matthew is barely surviving and working dead-end jobs. He doesn’t visit and barely talks to his mother and brother, Jake, with whom he shares a psychic link. One night, Matthew’s psychic connection with his brother flares up, and he knows without a doubt that Jake is dead. Going back home, Matthew realizes two things. Jake was not the person he knew ten years ago and their psychic bond is as strong as it was when Jake was alive. Matthew realizes that he needs to beg forgiveness from everyone that Jake hurt, but that is easier said than done. He also needs to solve Jake’s murder. Because, before his death, Jake had made some powerful enemies, and they will do anything to keep Matthew from finding out the truth.
Our Trespasses did start on the slow side, but I didn’t mind it. The author chose to lay the groundwork for the entire book in those chapters. Once the author took care of that, then the book took off. The chapters flew by, and I couldn’t put it down.
I wasn’t sure how to feel about Matthew when the book started. He was living a blah life and seemed so depressed. He didn’t have any strong emotions when Jake died, which struck me as weird as the time (explained further in the book). But once he went home to Nebraska, Matthew came into his own. He was willing to do whatever it took to find Jake’s murderer and right the wrongs that Jake did. He wanted to make things right with his mother and Casey (thegirl he left behind). By the end of the book, he ended up being one of my favorite characters.
The paranormal angle of the book was very well written, and I liked that the author took the twin bond and stepped it up a notch. What I enjoyed about that angle is that the author eased into it. First, it was the psychic twin bond, and then it ramped up from there. The scenes toward the end of the book (with the sheriff, Bone, Matthew, and Casey) were some of the creepiest that I have ever read. I still get chills thinking about it.
I liked that the author didn’t make excuses for Jake. He wasn’t a good man, and he did some pretty horrible things when he was alive. I wouldn’t say I liked that Jake’s descent into the criminal lifestyle was blamed on Matthew’s leaving. I got so angry when Ruth said that (of course, it was before I figured out what was going on). Jake was a big boy and made his choices.
There were several memorable characters in Our Trespasses. Andrew, the Catholic priest, stood out the most to me. Mainly because of what he confessed to Matthew after the funeral. I sat there and thought to myself, “WTF,” and then laughed about it. Talking about living the dream…lol.
There are a couple of twists in the plot. One I saw coming from the scene when Matthew met those two people. I had alarm bells going off in my head, which in turn ended up being true. The other twist did take me by surprise. I didn’t see it coming (but I should have, looking back on it).
The end of Our Trespasses was a bit of a surprise (see above), but I enjoyed it. The author was able to wrap all the plotlines up in a way that satisfied me.
What are you currently reading? What did you recently finish reading? What do you think you’ll read next?
What I Recently Finished Reading:
Deliver us from evil…
Drowning in a meaningless existence flipping burger, Matthew Davis suddenly collapses from a powerful psychic connection he shares with his twin brother, Jake. The pain is violent and immediate, and Matt knows exactly what it means… hundreds of miles away, Jake has been viciously killed. But instead of severing their connection, the murder intensifies it and Matt begins to suffer the agony of Jake’s afterlife.
Hell-bent on solving Jake’s murder in order to break the connection, Matt travels to his troubled hometown of Hatchett, Nebraska, where an old lover and savage new enemies expose the festering wounds that Jake left behind.
Matt tries atoning for Jake’s sins, but when a demon infests the connection between the two brothers, Matt must find a way to sever their bond before his world, and ours, become engulfed in the flames of hell.
Our Trespasses was a genuinely creepy book which made it a perfect read right before Halloween!! I am slightly late with the review (slightly being an understatement) but I should have it up by tomorrow afternoon.
What I am currently reading:
In Diana Biller’s The Brightest Star in Paris, love is waiting; you only have to let it in.
Amelie St. James, prima ballerina of the Paris Opera Ballet and the people’s saint, has spent seven years pretending. In the devastating aftermath of the Siege of Paris, she made a decision to protect her sister: she became the bland, sweet, pious “St. Amie” the ballet needed to restore its scandalous reputation. But when her first love reappears, and the ghosts of her past come back to haunt her, all her hard-fought safety is threatened.
Dr. Benedict Moore has never forgotten the girl who helped him embrace life again after he almost lost his. Now, he’s back in Paris after twelve years for a conference. His goals are to recruit promising new scientists, and, maybe, to see Amelie again. When he discovers she’s in trouble, he’s desperate to help her—after all, he owes her.
When she finally agrees to let him help, they disguise their time together with a fake courtship. But reigniting old feelings is dangerous, especially when their lives are an ocean apart. Will they be able to make it out with their hearts intact?
I am liking this book but it took me a little while for the characters to grow on me. There is also a paranormal angle that took me by surprise. I don’t know why but it did.
What books I think I’ll read next:
What’s REALLY hiding in the forests of the Pacific Northwest? Could it be The Tyrant King’s army of Darkbrands? Could it be more of Mr. Jones’s liaisons? Or could it be the solution to the problem vexing our favorite heroes? Whatever mystery it is, you can guarantee the boys from Georgia are sure to find themselves deep in the thick of it.
Told by a tart-tongued young woman with a love of Bruce Springsteen, Lies in Bone is at once a mystery and coming-of-age tale fueled by dark secrets involving love, murder, and the truths worth lying for.
On Halloween 1963, eleven-year-old Chuck Coolidge and his brother Danny are lost in a toxic smog covering the steel town of Slippery Elm, Pennsylvania. When the smog lifts, half the town is sick and twenty people are dead. And Danny is missing.
Now, over twenty years later, Chuck’s teenage daughter Frank plots escape from this “busted and disgusted” town. When a murdered child is found in the river, investigators link the crime to the disappearance of Danny in ’63, and Frank’s life is turned upside down. In the face of her worst fears, she must uncover her family’s dark past if she wants to keep her sister Boots from the hands of The State. Led to discover the unimaginable truth about Danny’s disappearance, Lies in Bone culminates in a shocking eleventh-hour reveal and an emotionally charged finale.
Lyrical and haunting, Hannah Capin’s I Am Margaret Moore is a paranormal thriller that tests the hold of sisterhood and truth.
I am a girl. I am a monster, too.
Each summer the girls of Deck Five come back to Marshall Naval School. They sail on jewel-blue waters; they march on green drill-fields; they earn sunburns and honors. They push until they break apart and heal again, stronger.
Each summer Margaret and Rose and Flor and Nisreen come back to the place where they are girls, safe away from the world: sisters bound by something more than blood.
But this summer everything has changed. Girls are missing and a boy is dead. It’s because of Margaret Moore, the boys say. It’s because of what happened that night in the storm.
Margaret’s friends vanish one by one, swallowed up into the lies she has told about what happened between her and a boy with the world at his feet. Can she unravel the secrets of this summer and last, or will she be pulled under by the place she once called home?
