[Manabi]

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

The Naturalist (The Naturalist Series Book 1) by Andrew Mayne [Genre: Thriller]

Professor Theo Cray is trained to see patterns where others see chaos. So when mutilated bodies found deep in the Montana woods leave the cops searching blindly for clues, Theo sees something they missed. Something unnatural. Something only he can stop.

As a computational biologist, Theo is more familiar with digital code and microbes than the dark arts of forensic sleuthing. But a field trip to Montana suddenly lands him in the middle of an investigation into the bloody killing of one of his former students. As more details, and bodies, come to light, the local cops determine that the killer is either a grizzly gone rogue…or Theo himself. Racing to stay one step ahead of the police, Theo must use his scientific acumen to uncover the killer. Will he be able to become as cunning as the predator he hunts—before he becomes its prey?

From the Editor:

Spoiler:

This thriller laced with cutting-edge science sucked me in from page one, making my adrenaline surge in the same way the works of Michael Crichton and Dan Brown do. Theo Cray, a computational biologist and professor, is a brilliant yet flawed hero. Much more comfortable in his lab than with people, he is thrown into the role of amateur detective/forensic investigator when one of his former students is found dead—and he is the prime suspect.

Forced to step outside of his academic mind-set and deal with humans, Theo relies upon his scientific expertise and some genetic profiling to uncover the truth and preserve his own life. His ability to see unusual patterns where others see only random brutality is when Theo is at his most dazzling. Almost magical. This is not entirely surprising when you take into consideration author Andrew Mayne’s side job as a professional illusionist and magician.

As a nonscientist and magic enthusiast, I was spellbound by every page. And now I wait with bated breath for Theo Cray’s next adventure in Looking Glass, the second book of the series.

- Liz Pearsons, Editor

Mad City: The True Story of the Campus Murders That America Forgot by Michael Arntfield [Genre: True Crime]

Mad City: The True Story of the Campus Murders That America Forgot is a chilling, unflinching exploration of American crimes of the twentieth century and how one serial killer managed to slip through the cracks—until now.

In fall 1967, friends Linda Tomaszewski and Christine Rothschild are freshmen at the University of Wisconsin. The students in the hippie college town of Madison are letting down their hair—and their guards. But amid the peace rallies lurks a killer.

When Christine’s body is found, her murder sends shockwaves across college campuses, and the Age of Aquarius gives way to a decade of terror.

Linda knows the killer, but when police ignore her pleas, he slips away. For the next forty years, Linda embarks on a cross-country quest to find him. When she discovers a book written by the murderer’s mother, she learns Christine was not his first victim—or his last. The slayings continue, and a single perpetrator emerges: the Capital City Killer. As police focus on this new lead, Linda receives a disturbing note from the madman himself. Can she stop him before he kills again?

From the Editor:

Spoiler:

When author Michael Arntfield first described this book to me as a love story, I was floored. How could a story about a serial killer who manages to slip through the cracks be described as such? But Mad City isn’t just about the gruesome string of deaths that the Capital City Killer leaves behind—it’s also about the deep friendship and love between Christine Rothschild, the victim, and Linda Tomaszewski, who would spend most of her life tracking down the murderer in a slow-burn game of cat and mouse.

The story begins in 1968, a time of peace rallies, hippies, and free love, and Linda and Christine are freshman roommates and best friends at the University of Wisconsin. When Christine’s bloody body is found in a gruesome tableau on campus one morning, her murder sends the entire school and sleepy neighborhood into shock. In the ensuing years, seven more women will be murdered and mutilated on or near the university—all unsolved cases.

While law enforcement is left bewildered, Linda knows better. For the next forty years, she follows a dark odyssey, dedicating her life to finding—and catching—Christine’s murderer. Mad City is an expertly crafted and harrowing true story of Linda’s diligent chase and the strides detectives and forensics have made in the years since the murder. It is a compelling narrative that I couldn’t put down.

- Vivian Lee, Editor

The Designer by Marius Gabriel [Genre: Historical Fiction]

In 1944, newly married Copper Reilly arrives in Paris soon after the liberation. While the city celebrates its freedom, she’s stuck in the prison of an unhappy marriage. When her husband commits one betrayal too many, Copper demands a separation.

Alone in Paris, she finds an unlikely new friend: an obscure, middle-aged designer from the back rooms of a decaying fashion house whose timid nature and reluctance for fame clash with the bold brilliance of his designs. His name is Christian Dior.

Realising his genius, Copper urges Dior to strike out on his own, helping to pull him away from his insecurities and towards stardom. With just a camera and a typewriter, she takes her own advice and ventures into the wild and colourful world of fashion journalism.

Soon Copper finds herself torn between two very different suitors, questioning who she is and what she truly wants. As the city rebuilds and opulence returns, can Copper make a new, love-filled life for herself?

From the Editor:

Spoiler:

In Paris during the closing days of World War II, American journalist Copper Reilly befriends a timid, unknown designer from the back rooms of a decaying fashion house. His name? Christian Dior.

I was swept away by Marius Gabriel’s vivid descriptions of the Parisian fashion world—I could practically hear the rustle of silks. The Designer’s evocation of Paris in the dying days of the war and the admirable spirit of the French people as they find their way again after years of occupation was simply enthralling.

In one memorable scene, the Paris fashion community is determined to make a stand, despite the country being in ruin. With limited resources, they’re unable to gather the material needed to create full-sized designs for real women. Undeterred, they use miniature mannequins to showcase their talents—decked out with all the intricate design details of jewelry, buttons, and cuff links. This scene was beautifully depicted, and I was delighted to learn that it was not an imaginative invention but a true event!

And that’s the beauty of the novel. Gabriel has seamlessly interwoven the fictional tale of Copper with the real events of the period and the rise of the genius that was Christian Dior. Meticulously researched, full of glamour and nostalgia, this is a book that, like Dior’s signature scent, will linger in the memory for a long time.

- Sammia Hamer, Editor

I Am Watching You by Teresa Driscoll [Genre: Suspense]

What would it take to make you intervene?

When Ella Longfield overhears two attractive young men flirting with teenage girls on a train, she thinks nothing of it—until she realises they are fresh out of prison and her maternal instinct is put on high alert. But just as she’s decided to call for help, something stops her. The next day, she wakes up to the news that one of the girls—beautiful, green-eyed Anna Ballard—has disappeared.

A year later, Anna is still missing. Ella is wracked with guilt over what she failed to do, and she’s not the only one who can’t forget. Someone is sending her threatening letters—letters that make her fear for her life.

Then an anniversary appeal reveals that Anna’s friends and family might have something to hide. Anna’s best friend, Sarah, hasn’t been telling the whole truth about what really happened that night—and her parents have been keeping secrets of their own.

Someone knows where Anna is—and they’re not telling. But they are watching Ella.

From the Editor:

Spoiler:

A teenage girl has disappeared. What would I have done if I had seen her on a train, harassed by a group of strange men only the day before? Would I have intervened? And if not, how could I have forgiven myself when I learned what happened?

These are questions I had never asked myself—until I picked up I Am Watching You. Reading about the impact on an ordinary family when their beloved daughter Anna goes missing, I was chilled to the bone, but also conflicted. Especially when Ella, the witness, begins to receive ominous postcards every night bearing the message “WHY DIDN’T YOU HELP HER?”

Where should my sympathies lie? With the witness, who could have acted but didn’t and is tormented by guilt? With the remorseful friend who didn’t save Anna? With the victim’s parents, who just want to see their daughter alive and well? Or even with the mysterious watcher, who will do anything to “protect” those he loves? I have to be honest: there were times during this fast-paced roller coaster of a novel when I wasn’t certain. Now even the most benign interactions I see in the world seem to have a shadow lurking behind them.

I Am Watching You had me absolutely hooked from the first page and kept me guessing until the last. This multilayered, suspenseful novel will pull you in so many directions, and you just might find yourself asking the same question I did: Would I have intervened?

- Jack Butler, Editor

A Beautiful Work in Progress by Mirna Valerio [Genre: Memoir]

Runners’ vocabulary is full of acronyms like DNS for “Did Not Start” and DNF for “Did Not Finish,” but when Mirna Valerio stepped up to the starting line, she needed a new one: DNQ for “Did Not Quit.”

Valerio has tied on her running shoes all across the country, from the dusty back roads of central New Jersey to the busy Route 222 corridor in Pennsylvania to the sweltering deserts of Arizona. When you meet her on the trail, you might be surprised to see she doesn’t quite fit the typical image of a long-distance runner. She’s neither skinny nor white, and she’s here to show just how misguided these stereotypes can be.

In this prejudice-busting, body-positive memoir told with raw honesty, an adventurous spirit, and a sharp sense of humor, Valerio takes readers along on her journey from first-time racer to ultramarathoner and proves that anyone can become a successful athlete.

From the Editor:

Spoiler:

Go for a run with Mirna; I promise you won’t regret it. From the sights, sounds, and smells of her youth on Hart Street in Brooklyn to a grueling 50K trail race in the forested hills of humid South Carolina, you can’t help but be held tight by her biting wit, humble appreciation, and stubborn determination to conquer each mile, each step of life. Underrepresented in the fitness world, Mirna lets you into her world as an overweight, black, working wife and mother, proving over and over again she will not give up.

Running has changed Mirna Valerio, but not because of significant weight loss. She’s been transformed into a warrior, a champion for those who understand that real reward is in the attempt of something you thought was impossible. A self-described “fat girl,” she’s persevered through injury, doubt, judgment and body-shaming, as well as racism and rejection by her peers—and not just on the racecourse.

The self-discovery and self-love that Mirna finds each time she laces up her running shoes is undeniably inspiring. I’ve found myself running more regularly since reading this memoir. Some runs are long, some are short, most of them hurt, and sometimes I don’t finish; on one run I even got lost for a bit—but Mirna is with me each and every time, and like her, I am unstoppable.

- Erin Calligan Mooney, Editor

Happy Dreams by Jia Pingwa (Author), Nicky Harman (Translator) [Genre: Literary Fiction]

From one of China’s foremost authors, Jia Pingwa’s Happy Dreams is a powerful depiction of life in industrializing contemporary China, in all its humor and pathos, as seen through the eyes of Happy Liu, a charming and clever rural laborer who leaves his home for the gritty, harsh streets of Xi’an in search of better life.

After a disastrous end to a relationship, Hawa “Happy” Liu embarks on a quest to find the recipient of his donated kidney and a life that lives up to his self-given moniker. Traveling from his rural home in Freshwind to the city of Xi’an, Happy brings only an eternally positive attitude, his devoted best friend Wufu, and a pair of high-heeled women’s shoes he hopes to fill with the love of his life.

In Xi’an, Happy and Wufu find jobs as trash pickers sorting through the city’s filth, but Happy refuses to be deterred by inauspicious beginnings. In his eyes, dusty birds become phoenixes, the streets become rivers, and life is what you make of it. When he meets the beautiful Yichun, he imagines she is the one to fill the shoes and his Cinderella-esque dream. But when the harsh city conditions and the crush of societal inequalities take the life of his friend and shake Happy to his soul, he’ll need more than just his unrelenting optimism to hold on to the belief that something better is possible.

From the Editor:

Spoiler:

Though I’ve never been to China, reading Happy Dreams brought home the vibrancy of a culture unknown to me—and the grittiness of life on the margins of a rapidly modernizing country—in a powerful, almost visceral, way. Happy and his friend Wufu leave their village for the large city of Xi’an in search of riches, but end up sorting through the trash to earn their living. They are helped along by a local kingpin, who had once been their rural neighbor but now instructs them in the subtleties of trash collection.

Happy and Wufu have a literary friendship that stands alongside that of Don Quixote and Sancho Panza from Cervantes’s Don Quixote or George Milton and Lennie Small from John Steinbeck’s Of Mice and Men. They dream of the good life, of garbage transformed into gold, of providing for those they love—or of finding someone to love. It’s Happy’s great gift that he can see beauty in the world, even as he toils in the trash. Their immensely moving story is both comic and tragic, a sprawling tale of human life and aspiration.

Author Jia Pingwa is a towering figure in his native China. Incredibly popular and a critical sensation, he can count such literary giants as Mo Yan as his peers. For those not already familiar with his work, Happy Dreams is a great place to begin the journey into his world.

- Elizabeth DeNoma, Editor