[Manabi]

This month's Kindle First selections are out, they are:

The Butterfly Garden by Dot Hutchison [Genre: Thriller]

Near an isolated mansion lies a beautiful garden.

In this garden grow luscious flowers, shady trees…and a collection of precious “butterflies”—young women who have been kidnapped and intricately tattooed to resemble their namesakes. Overseeing it all is the Gardener, a brutal, twisted man obsessed with capturing and preserving his lovely specimens.

When the garden is discovered, a survivor is brought in for questioning. FBI agents Victor Hanoverian and Brandon Eddison are tasked with piecing together one of the most stomach-churning cases of their careers. But the girl, known only as Maya, proves to be a puzzle herself.

As her story twists and turns, slowly shedding light on life in the Butterfly Garden, Maya reveals old grudges, new saviors, and horrific tales of a man who’d go to any length to hold beauty captive. But the more she shares, the more the agents have to wonder what she’s still hiding…

From the Editor:

Spoiler:

Sometimes a story is powerful enough—and horrifying enough—to instantly transfix us and forever change the way we look at a simple object. In The Silence of the Lambs, it’s the lotion in the basket. In this gruesome crime novel, it’s butterflies.

Maya, a fierce survivor, leads us through the aftermath of a brutal event as she recounts her tale to the FBI, but her story keeps us at the edges, letting the questions simmer, bubbling up small answers that beg new, bigger questions in their wake: How did Maya escape captivity? Did the other girls survive? What happened to the garden—and the Gardener?

Maya reveals a vivid dimension to the twisted puzzle and raises larger questions about her own motives. As the truth slowly emerges from a carefully constructed cocoon, author Dot Hutchison has us questioning whether this is a tale of terrible beauty or a beautiful tale of terror.

The frantic rustling of a butterfly’s wings against a collector’s net seems futile—but when many butterflies flock together, they become much harder to pin down. For us, this innocuous symbol of transformative beauty will forever be a perverse reminder of the Gardener, a depraved man with his magnificent, grotesque collection of butterflies.

- Alison Dasho and JoVon Sotak, Editors

A House for Happy Mothers by Amulya Malladi [Genre: Contemporary Fiction]

A stunning new novel—full of wit and warmth—from the bestselling author of The Mango Season.

In trendy Silicon Valley, Priya has everything she needs—a loving husband, a career, and a home—but the one thing she wants most is the child she’s unable to have. In a Southern Indian village, Asha doesn’t have much—raising two children in a tiny hut, she and her husband can barely keep a tin roof over their heads—but she wants a better education for her gifted son. Pressured by her family, Asha reluctantly checks into the Happy Mothers House: a baby farm where she can rent her only asset—her womb—to a childless couple overseas. To the dismay of friends and family, Priya places her faith in a woman she’s never met to make her dreams of motherhood come true.

Together, the two women discover the best and the worst that India’s rising surrogacy industry has to offer, bridging continents and cultures to bring a new life into the world—and renewed hope to each other.

From the Editor:

Spoiler:

As a mother and a fan of stories that transport me to another part of the world, I found this haunting and universal tale of the imperatives of motherhood tailor-made for me. Amulya Malladi is the author of five other gorgeously written novels, so naturally I was excited to dive in to her newest, A House for Happy Mothers.

In the dual narratives of Priya and Asha, two mothers living in very different socioeconomic conditions and parts of the world, several memorable themes resonated. First, the fierce lengths that women from any culture will go to make their dreams of motherhood come true. And the way that, against all odds and misgivings, women put their faith in each other to make those dreams a reality.

I found this novel to be a stunning and heartfelt story of two women with shared experiences across continents, illuminating both the relatable heartbreak of a couple who is struggling to conceive as well as exposing the rising but little known and troubling “surrogacy-for-hire” industry in India. This is a touching novel that will be relished by readers and discussed by many happy book clubs.

- Danielle Marshall, Editor

Enemy (On the Bones of Gods Book 1) by K. Eason [Genre: Fantasy]

The Illhari Republic rests on the bones of gods, telling tales of conquest and forgetting its once-bloody devotion to its most powerful goddess. Snowdenaelikk, half-blood conjuror and smuggler, cares less about history than the silver she can win with sharp metal and sharper wits. But when the local legion blames her for burning a village, an outlander with a sense of honor intervenes, and Snow finds herself tangled in politics and an unwelcome partnership.

Snow and her new partner, Veiko, together with the legion scout Dekklis, uncover a conspiracy that will destroy the Republic from within. It seems that the goddess is back from wherever dead gods go. She has not forgotten the Republic, and she wants revenge.

Loyal Dekklis will do anything to save the Republic, and Snow reluctantly agrees to help—until she realizes that “anything” means sacrificing Veiko. Now Snow must decide whether her partner’s life is worth betraying her allies and damning the Republic to war.

From the Editor:

Spoiler:

This is not your stereotypical fantasy tale—in fact, debut author K. Eason has written a novel that turns tried and true into new and exciting. There are no beautiful, noble elves, wise wizards, or ugly orcs, and it’s not set in a land of sprawling castles. Rather, Enemy is full of soldiers and senators; wild, bearded northmen; gangsters; and dark sorcerers. The heroine is an assassin, her partner happens to be an outlaw, and, unfortunately, they’re the only ones who can save the land.

Enemy starts out with a thrilling chase scene, and the cinematic action never lets up from there. We meet Snow and Veiko, two people on the run, whom fate has seen fit to throw together. She’s smart, light on her feet, and quick with a knife. He’s the strong, silent type and can talk to the dead. Together, they form a wonderful sort of Mulder/Scully partnership (that is, if Mulder and Scully wore leather and furs instead of black suits and ties and wielded knives and axes instead of Glocks). That partnership is tested to its limits when a conspiracy that will overturn the peace is revealed, and Snow must make a choice. A violent goddess, whom the Republic has turned its back on, is out for revenge, and she has no shortage of supporters.

Through the battles, the betrayals, the losses, and the wins, we feel Snow and Veiko’s bond growing stronger. As the pair traverses snow-filled mountains, trying to stay one step ahead of the war on their tails, Snow’s reluctant leadership draws new allies, and her magical abilities become more important. By the time they reach the end of their road, she is forced to fight for what she never knew she always wanted. And we’re rooting for her all the way.

- Adrienne Procaccini, Editor

Time Heals No Wounds (A Baltic Sea Crime Novel by Hendrik Falkenberg (Author), Patrick F. Brown (Translator) [Genre: Mystery]

Freshly trained detective Johannes “Hannes” Niehaus is brand-new to the Criminal Investigation Department. And his partner, unconventional veteran detective Fritz Janssen, isn’t the least bit thrilled to train a rookie.

When a woman’s body washes up on the nearby shores of the Baltic Sea, Hannes gets his first taste of real crime—and a chance to prove himself. Quickly the investigation pulls him and Fritz into a whirlpool of dangerous, decades-old cover-ups. As the death count rises, the clues begin to lead them back to the Third Reich—and to harrowing crimes some people will do anything to keep hidden.

With the dead woman’s beautiful assistant to protect and a missing girl to find, Hannes navigates an ever-twisting maze of concealed horrors and enduring vendettas. Will he be able to catch the murderer before another innocent life gets caught in the killer’s dark plan?

From the Editor:

Spoiler:

Good chemistry between an unlikely pair of detectives can really get me hooked on a new crime series, and as the duo introduced in Time Heals No Wounds get to know one another, their rapport feels at once fresh and instantly familiar. The dynamics created by partnering an energetic novice with a quirky and independent-minded expert had me from page one.

Hannes Niehaus is brand new to his job, and his attention is not exclusively focused on police work—he has not yet let go of his athletic ambition, and he spends his mornings training for the Summer Olympics. But he’s excited to learn from his partner, Detective Chief Fritz Janssen, homicide, who is so experienced he can smell the next clue before it surfaces. There is no motive Fritz hasn’t heard of, and he excels at putting himself in the killer’s shoes. At first the two investigators have little in common, as Fritz is none too impressed by Hannes’s interests outside the force, and regardless, he prefers to work alone. But this gives Fritz something to razz Hannes about, and soon they are laughing together. As evidence comes to light, the bond between Hannes and Fritz builds—and so does their case.

And in the end—after some jaw-dropping twists and turns I won’t spoil for you—I found myself wishing for more bodies to turn up along the craggy Baltic Sea coast so I could see these detectives in action again. Luckily I don’t have to wait too long for the sequel, The Northern Cross.

- Gabriella Page-Fort, Editor

We're All Damaged by Matthew Norman [Genre: Modern Fiction]

Andy Carter was happy. He had a solid job. He ran 5Ks for charity. He was living a nice, safe Midwestern existence. And then his wife left him for a handsome paramedic down the street.

We’re All Damaged begins after Andy has lost his job, ruined his best friend’s wedding, and moved to New York City, where he lives in a tiny apartment with an angry cat named Jeter that isn’t technically his. But before long he needs to go back to Omaha to say good-bye to his dying grandfather.

Back home, Andy is confronted with his past, which includes his ex, his ex’s new boyfriend, his right-wing talk-radio-host mother, his parents’ crumbling marriage, and his still-angry best friend.

As if these old problems weren’t enough, Andy encounters an entirely new complication: Daisy. She has fifteen tattoos, no job, and her own difficult past. But she claims she is the only person who can help Andy be happy again, if only she weren’t hiding a huge secret that will mess things up even more. Andy Carter needs a second chance at life, and Daisy—and the person Daisy pushes Andy to become—may be his last chance to set things right.

From the Editor:

Spoiler:

What’s more humiliating than watching a marriage dissolve in the middle of dinner at a cheesy chain restaurant? In We’re All Damaged, our lovable hero, Andy, is devouring his sizzling chicken dish when he’s blindsided by his wife’s announcement: “I don’t want this anymore.” And she’s not referring to the food. That’s just the first scene of this compulsively readable and heartrending novel.

In that moment I found myself instantly rooting for Andy, who narrates the story with brutal honesty and keen observation. I commiserated with him as he returns to his hometown to care for his dying grandfather and deal with his parents’ troubled marriage. In the process Andy meets a mysterious woman named Daisy who seems to know a lot about him, and he’s forced to witness his ex-wife’s brand-new life. In the wake of his painful divorce, Andy now faces the new challenge of holding his family together.

Matthew Norman’s novel reminded me that even when everything seems to be going wrong, we can find moments of joy and beauty with the most unexpected people. It’s a reassuring lesson that runs through We’re All Damaged and makes for a frank and joyful read.

- Carmen Johnson, Editor

About the Night by Anat Talshir (Author), Evan Fallenberg (Translator) [Genre: Literary Fiction]

On a hot summer day in 1947, on a grandstand overlooking Jerusalem, Elias and Lila fall deeply, irrevocably in love.

Tragically, they come from two different worlds. Elias is a Christian Arab living on the eastern side of the newly divided city, and Lila is a Jew living on the western side. A growing conflict between their cultures casts a heavy shadow over the region and their burgeoning relationship. Between them lie not only a wall of stone and barbed wire but also the bitter enmity of two nations at war.

Told in the voice of Elias as he looks back upon the long years of his life, About the Night is a timely story of how hope can nourish us, loss can devastate us, and love can carry us beyond the boundaries that hold human beings apart.

From the Editor:

Spoiler:

My heart has been shaped by stories like About the Night, which swept me back in time to a divided Jerusalem where two star-crossed lovers meet, changing their lives forever. Love stories are not always straightforward: the stakes are high; each revelation puts the delicate balance between you at risk; you live day to day, in awe of your own vulnerability. Love is longing.

Eighty-six-year-old Elias yearns to reconnect with his past. At last, he is ready to confess the truth of his one great love—a secret he protected throughout a long and seemingly fulfilling life. In spite of appearances, he never forgot Lila, his true love, the woman fate would not allow him to marry. Sparks ignited the moment they met, at a tea party in 1947, while protesters outside decried the presence of the British military on Jerusalem’s streets. During this initial conversation both are breathless, rapt, enthralled. Lila neatly sums up the problems facing her beloved city—and consequently her future with Elias: “These people are nicely dressed, and they stand here clinking glasses, but the city is torn apart and suffering.” And from this inauspicious beginning their relationship faces metaphorical obstacles of politics, faith, family, culture, and war, and the literal obstacle of a stone wall constructed between them. Elias tells the tale of this time, as well as the years that followed, with ferocious intensity, propelled by the relief it gives him to finally reveal the contents of his heart.

For me Don Quixote’s perpetual devotion to Dulcinea is far sweeter than any happily ever after. The passion expressed in About the Night is as intoxicating, the love between Elias and Lila as unforgettable. Steeping myself in such an epic love story reminded me that whatever the odds, true love is always remarkable.

- Gabriella Page-Fort, Editor