Must-read romances: 'The Nightingale,' 'Where Secrets Sleep,' 'Full Tilt'
Join me every week as I share a few shout-outs on romance author goings-on, related events and recommended reads.
The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah
I discovered Kristin Hannah's magic when I read On Mystic Lake many moons ago. From that book onward, I have enjoyed this author's ability to capture the trials and tribulations, the flaws and strengths, and the faith and hope stirred among her characters, especially the women. In her upcoming The Nightingale, there is brilliance in this historical epic journey of determination and bravery during a time of sacrifice, betrayal and heroism. Hannah deserves the accolades sure to come for lifting us from our reading perches and depositing us into the chaotic world of World War II, France and the intersecting lives of these sisters and their friends, enemies and those who crossed their paths. Haunting and uplifting from the talented pen of Kristin Hannah.
About The Nightingale (courtesy of St. Martin's Press):
In love we find out who we want to be. In war we find out who we are.
FRANCE, 1939—In the quiet village of Carriveau, Vianne Mauriac says goodbye to her husband, Antoine, as he heads for the Front. She doesn't believe that the Nazis will invade France...but invade they do, in droves of marching soldiers, in caravans of trucks and tanks, in planes that fill the skies and drop bombs upon the innocent. When a German captain requisitions Vianne's home, she and her daughter must live with the enemy or lose everything. Without food or money or hope, as danger escalates all around them, she is forced to make one impossible choice after another to keep her family alive.
Vianne's sister, Isabelle, is a rebellious eighteen-year-old girl, searching for purpose with all the reckless passion of youth. While thousands of Parisians march into the unknown terrors of war, she meets Gäetan, a partisan who believes the French can fight the Nazis from within France, and she falls in love as only the young can...completely. But when he betrays her, Isabelle joins the Resistance and never looks back, risking her life time and again to save others.
Where Secrets Sleep by Marta Perry
Marta Perry's Where Secrets Sleep is a romantic suspense thriller at its core. Deceptive is the small-town charm and simplicity that feel cozy and warm at first glance. But as the title suggests, there are secrets — a lot of them — that make the twists and turns delightful and challenging to figure out the whodunit. The romantic pursuit deserves a special mention with a couple who may be lucky in love when everything around them is going awry.
About Where Secrets Sleep (courtesy of Harlequin HQN Books):
In Amish country, not everything is as simple as it appears.
After a terrible betrayal, Allison Standish flees Philadelphia for the small Amish village of Laurel Ridge to claim an unexpected inheritance. Allison intends to sell the mansion housing various shops on Main Street—until she meets Nick Whiting, a single father and tenant of Blackburn House, who challenges everything she believes about her estranged grandmother and the Amish community.
Strange stipulations in her grandmother's will soon bring distant relatives and seething townsfolk to Allison's door. As anonymous threats escalate, Nick grows protective of Allison, and she finds herself falling for the handsome carpenter… But then she discovers her grandmother's death may not have been accidental, and someone wants Allison gone. Permanently.
Full Tilt by Rick Mofina
Full Tilt by Rick Mofina is a dark, twisted and nail-biting, edgy thriller. From the opening scene, the ride takes off, pinning you to the seat with head buried in the book. Every now and again, you have to remember to take a deep breath before diving in to see what's going to happen next. Absolutely fantastic momentum to the end with no moments of boredom.
About Full Tilt (courtesy of Mira):
Deep in the woods of upstate New York a woman flees a blazing barn. She is burned beyond recognition, and her dying words point police to a labyrinth of "confinement rooms"—rooms designed to hold human beings captive—where they make other chilling discoveries.
In Manhattan, Kate Page, a single mom and reporter with a newswire service, receives a heart-stopping call from a detective on the case. A guardian angel charm found at the scene fits the description of the one belonging to Kate's sister, Vanessa, who washed away after a car crash in a mountain river twenty years ago.
Kate has spent much of her life searching for the truth behind her little sister's disappearance. Now, a manhunt for a killer who's kept a collection of victims prisoner for years without detection becomes her final chance to either mourn Vanessa's death—or save her life.
Gwynne Forster, RIP
Sadly, I share the news of the recent passing of author Gwynne Forster, an award-winning and bestselling author. This talented writer, who was always generous with her time and knowledge to the writing community and with her readers, will be missed.
Gwendolyn Acsadi, writing as Gwynne Forster, was born in North Carolina, grew up in Washington, D.C., and lived, studied and worked in New York City. Her own description captured the essence of her many published works: "She considers herself a humanitarian, a perspective that she inherited from her mother, a high school principal, and which she also attributes to her work and education in the social sciences, more specifically, demography." Her breadth of work will be one of her legacies that we continue to share and celebrate and that earned her literary acclaim and career achievement recognition.
A memorial service will be held at 11 a.m. ET Saturday, Jan. 24, at the Good Shepherd Church in Roosevelt Island, New York. Per the Acsadi family, "We invite everyone to this service for a celebration of her life and remembrance of her sweet, kind soul. We appreciate all of your prayers and good wishes. It means a lot to us."
Michelle Monkou writes for Harlequin Kimani, Evernight Publishing and Boroughs Publishing. Her website is michellemonkou.com. You can also connect with her on Facebook.