Seven Books To Read In 2016

A new year and so much to read! Below are several soon-to-be released books from authors I read and follow or that I’ve had my eye on for quite a while. I’ve included an eclectic mix of literary fiction, historical fiction, romance and mystery, and crime fiction.

Hide Away by Iris Johansen (St. Martin’s Press, April 26, 2016)

St. Martin's Press / Via ecx.images-amazon.com

The second book in an Eve Duncan trilogy. Beloved forensic sculptor Eve Duncan is back and now the stakes are higher than ever. Dramatic changes are on the horizon for Eve and Joe Quinn and their relationship may never be the same. Faced with the task of protecting Cara Delaney, a young girl with ruthless enemies who want to see her dead, Eve takes her away to the remote Scottish Highlands where they join Jane MacGuire in search of a hidden treasure. But nowhere is far enough away to protect Cara from danger. With enemies closing in from all sides, Hide Away is a high-octane thriller that fans will not want to miss.

Praise for Hide Away:

“A good old fashioned suspense story…The book is fast paced and a real page turner” — Goodreads Review

Destiny Lingers by Rolonda Watts (iUniverse, March 15, 2016)

iUniverse / Via iUniverse.com

As an investigative news reporter in New York City, Destiny uncovers breaking stories every day, but she has yet to uncover the truth of her own life—until the morning she discovers a strand of red hair on her husband's pillow. Unfortunately, the only person Destiny knows with red hair is her best friend, Eve.

Amid two personal tragedies and a shocking story of deceit, Destiny is sent plunging into a nightmarish depression that prompts her to flee back to her roots on Topsail Island, North Carolina—first with her husband and then by herself with the hope of healing her heart and piecing her life back together after their marriage unravels. But when fate keeps leading her back to the island's handsome police chief, Chase McKenzie, Destiny soon realizes that her racially-charged past has risen up to meet a more progressive present and opened the door for a second chance at first love. Now only one question remains: is this the right time for both of them?

In this contemporary romance, a heartbroken journalist embarks on a journey of self-discovery where she must overcome her personal pain and find tranquility before she can realize true love.

Destiny Lingers will be available at retailers nationwide on March 15, 2016.

Praise for Destiny Lingers:

“I fell for this story and the characters novelist Rolonda Watts introduced. I was not happy to finish the book. In fact, I satisfied myself reaching the end by thinking that Ms. Watts will write a sequel soon and very soon. She is a good writer and a good storyteller. Come on Ms. Watts, let the story continue.” —Maya Angelou

Remember the Ladies by Gina L. Mulligan (Five Star Publishing, May 18, 2016)

Five Star Publishing / Via fivestarpublications.com

Growing up in an orphanage prepared Amelia Cooke for the high-stakes role of a female lobbyist surrounded by the egos of the 1887 Congress, a time before women had the right to vote. Her success in the isolating male arena comes from using the tactics she’s learned from those who oppressed her. So when she’s hired by the National Women’s Suffrage Association to help pass a proposed constitutional amendment granting women’s voting rights, Amelia feels empowered to at last win a place for herself and give all women a voice in the world. What she doesn’t foresee is the charismatic and calculating Senator Edward Stillman who threatens to ruin her hard-earned reputation and end her career.

Set in the extravagant Gilded Age, Remember the Ladies explores the conflict between the sexes with delightful writing and elegant descriptions, which brings the reader back to a time when the struggle for women’s equality had just begun.

Praise for Remember the Ladies:

"In Remember the Ladies Gina Mulligan weaves a tale as captivating and unpredictable as the back-room political deals forged by her colorful cast of characters. While their deceptions and ruthless plotting keep the pages turning, the true heart of the story lies in their connective need to be heard, and to matter – sometimes at any cost. A memorable debut novel about loss, identity, and the paths that very often lead us back to where we began.” --Kristina McMorris, New York Times bestselling author of The Pieces We Keep

Banished Threads by Kaylin McFarren (Creative Edge Publishing, March 20, 2016)

Creative Edge Publishing / Via kaylinmcfarren.com

The third book of the Threads trilogy, Banished Threads takes the treasure-hunting duo Rachel Lyons and Chase Cohen and turns them into crime-stopping sleuths when a valuable art collection disappears. The couple are committed to vindicating family members in in this action-packed suspense novel.

While vacationing at the stately Cumberforge Manor in Bellwood, England, Rachel and Chase attend an elegant dinner party hosted by her uncle, Paul Lyons, and his aristocratic wife, Sara. Before the evening ends, a priceless collection of Morris Graves’s paintings are stolen from her uncle’s popular gallery, throwing all suspicion onto his wife’s missing granddaughter. Determined to clear Sloan Rafferty’s name and, in the process, win Paul’s favor, Chase scours the countryside looking for answers. In his absence, the police accuse Rachel’s uncle of an unsolved murder and secrets surrounding her grandmother’s death and the deaths of Sara’s former husbands turn his wife into the most likely suspect. With the true villains hell-bent on destroying Paul Lyons and his family, solving both crimes while ensuring her uncle’s freedom not only endangers Rachel’s life but that of her unborn child. Will Chase save them before the kidnappers enact their revenge or will the ultimate price be paid, as predicted by a vagabond fortuneteller?

Praise for Banished Threads:

“Mystery and thriller readers will find this level of description sets Banished Threads apart from more singular plots as it evolves into a gripping story of life and death told on many levels, using real living, breathing protagonists whose actions and thoughts move beyond the art and intrigue circles they traverse. Quite simply, Banished Threads is an emotion-charged ride through a series of close encounters that are as psychologically gripping as they are filled with action. Mystery and thriller audiences are in for a real treat.”

-- Midwest Book Review

The Cavendon Luck by Barbara Taylor Bradford (St. Martin’s Press, June 7, 2016)

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The Cavendon Luck picks up nine years after The Cavendon Women (paperback just released on December 29, 2015 ) in July of 1938. Cecily and Miles, with the help of the whole family, have brought the family and the estate back from the brink of disaster. But now, with the arrival of World War II, Cavendon Hall will face its biggest challenge yet. Intrigue, romance, sorrow, and joy fill the pages of this epic saga as the Ingham and Swanns protect each other and the villagers, and reveal their true capacity for survival and rebirth.

Praise for The Cavendon Luck:

“A classic saga of loyalty, secrets, passion and intrigue...if you've been suffering withdrawal symptoms from Downton, this is for you.” --Daily Mail

That Other Me by Maha Gargash (Harper Perennial, January 26, 2016)

Harper Perennial / Via mahagargash.com

An exhilarating look at Khaleeji (Gulf-Arab) culture that explores the way secrets and betrayal consume three members of a prominent Emirati family

The head of the Naseemy family, Majed, is proud to be one of the wealthiest businessmen in Dubai. But he’s suddenly plagued by nightmares about the dead brother whose business he stole, and he feels his control erode with the discovery that his niece and daughter are defying his orders.

Mariam concentrates on her college education in Cairo, carving a path that will lead her away from her hated uncle’s controlling grip. But she falls for a brash fellow student named Adel, who might just prove to be her downfall. Meanwhile the rebellious Dalal, largely abandoned by Majed as the daughter of a second, secret marriage, strives to become a singer. It’s a career looked down on in Khaleeji societies, and one she is rightfully certain will humiliate her father.

As Majed increasingly tries to exert his authority over Dalal and Mariam, both girls resist, with explosive consequences. Set against the backdrop of the glamorous world of Arab showbiz, That Other Me explores the ties that bind one corroded family... and the tantalizing possibility of freedom.

Praise for That Other Me:

“Gargash…paint[s] a complex portrait of a family, as its members struggle to maintain their ties with one another and to their traditions, while consequences of enormous wealth prove more threatening than modernity or Western influence.” – Publishers Weekly

The Widow by Fiona Barton (NAL, February 16, 2016)

Penguin Random House / Via penguinrandomhouse.com

For fans of "The ultimate psychological thriller. Barton carefully unspools this dark, intimate tale of a terrible crime, a stifling marriage, and the lies spouses tell not just to each other, but to themselves in order to make it through. The ending totally blew me away.”— Lisa Gardner