[Manabi]

This month's Amazon First Reads selections are out, they are:

One Small Sacrifice (Shadows of New York Book 1) by Hillary Davidson [Genre: Thriller]

An apparent suicide. A mysterious disappearance. Did one man get away with murder—twice?

NYPD detective Sheryn Sterling has had her eye on Alex Traynor ever since his friend Cori fell to her death under suspicious circumstances a year ago. Cori’s death was ruled a suicide, but Sheryn thinks Alex—a wartime photojournalist suffering from PTSD—got away with murder.

When Alex’s fiancée, Emily, a talented and beloved local doctor, suddenly goes missing, Sheryn suspects that Alex is again at the center of a sticky case. Sheryn dislikes loose ends, and Cori’s death had way too many of them.

But as Sheryn starts pulling at the threads in this web, her whole theory unravels. Everyone involved remembers the night Cori died differently—and the truth about her death could be the key to solving Emily’s disappearance.

Editor Notes:

Spoiler:

I’m thrilled about Hilary Davidson’s new series. Her writing is so fresh and engaging. Harlan Coben says One Small Sacrifice is Hilary’s “best work yet,” and I couldn’t agree more.

NYPD detective Sheryn Sterling knows there’s more to an old case that was ruled a suicide. She can’t shake the feeling that there’s more to Alex Traynor, the dead girl’s friend, than meets the eye. There is something about him that sparks a deep intuition—intuition she’s come to trust on the job. Now Traynor’s fiancée has gone missing, and Sterling won’t rest until she uncovers the truth about him and finds the missing woman. But the more Sterling digs into the investigation, the more she realizes nothing is what it seems. She’ll have to look past everything she thinks she knows to see the reality.

One Small Sacrifice grabs you from page one and won’t let go. Detective Sheryn Sterling is the kind of character you root for and admire—ruthless in her fight against New York City crime. I was propelled through the pages, following the twists and turns as Sterling unearthed secret after secret. - Megha Parekh, Editor

Valencia and Valentine by Suzy Krause [Genre: Contemporary Fiction]

For readers of Eleanor Oliphant Is Completely Fine, debut author Suzy Krause delivers a quirky, colorful story about love, loss, second chances, and what it means to truly live.

Valencia, a timid debt collector with crippling OCD, is afraid of many things, but the two that scare her most are flying and turning thirty-five. To confront those fears, Valencia’s therapist suggests that she fly somewhere—anywhere—before her upcoming birthday. And as Valencia begins a telephone romance with a man from New York, she suddenly has a destination in mind. There’s only one problem—he might not actually exist.

Mrs. Valentine is an eccentric old woman desperate for company, be it from neighbors, telemarketers, or even the funeral director (when you’re her age, you go to a lot of funerals). So she’s thrilled when the new cleaning girl provides a listening ear for her life’s story—a tale of storybook love and incredible adventures around the world with her husband before his mysterious and sudden disappearance.

The stories of Valencia and Mrs. Valentine may at first appear to have nothing in common…but then again, nothing in life is as straightforward as it seems.

Editor Notes:

Spoiler:

There’s a difference between being alive and living. This is a story about living.

When it comes to fiction, the first thing to win me over is the author’s voice—the feeling that it almost doesn’t matter what’s happening in the story itself because the way in which it’s being told is so utterly captivating. Debut novelist Suzy Krause has one of those rare voices that completely sucked me in from page one—both humorous and serious, lighthearted and thoughtful, smart and accessible.

Even better, Krause’s characters are equally as charming as her voice is. I found myself enraptured by Valencia’s resilience and wholeheartedly rooting for her to realize that she is worthy and deserving of happiness. And I was completely enchanted by Mrs. Valentine’s eccentricity and vibrant sense of life (despite her being near the end of it).

For fans of Eleanor Oliphant Is Completely Fine and A Man Called Ove, this quirky novel is almost certain to deeply resonate with readers around the world. With the perfect blend of humor and heart, Krause expertly explores themes of mental health, aging, guilt, forgiveness, adventure, love, and second chances. And with a twist I didn’t see coming, the ending left me reaching for the tissue box, smiling through my tears.

Valencia and Valentine is a beautiful reminder that despite the bad things that can happen in life, there is still love and hope and laughter to be found in the world. This special novel made me realize that it’s not enough to merely be alive—I want to truly live. - Alicia Clancy, Editor

The Price of Paradise by Susana López Rubio (Author), Achy Obejas (Translator) [Genre: Historical Fiction]

In a city as corrupt as it was luxurious, those who dared to dream were bound to pay the price.

Havana, Cuba, 1947. Young Patricio flees impoverished Spain and steps into the sultry island paradise of Havana with only the clothes on his back and half-baked dreams of a better life. Blessed with good looks and natural charm, he lands a job as a runner at El Encanto—one of the most luxurious department stores in the world.

Famous for its exquisite offerings from French haute couture to Arabian silks, El Encanto indulges the senses in opulent extravagance. It caters to visiting Hollywood stars, rising politicos, and prerevolutionary Cuba’s wealthiest power players, including the notorious mobster César Valdés.

Falling in love with the mobster’s young wife, Gloria, is suicide. But Patricio is irresistibly drawn to the beautiful girl with sad eyes, a razor-sharp intellect, and a penchant for both Christian Dior’s clothes and Einstein’s theories. Within the walls of El Encanto, anything seems possible, even a love that promises to heal them and a desire that thrums with the mambo beat of the city itself.

In a reckless love affair that spans half a century, Patricio’s and Gloria’s lives entwine time and again, challenged by every twist of fate—for in a world of murder, betrayal, and revolution, those who dare to reach for paradise seldom survive unscathed.

Editor Notes:

Spoiler:

As a devoted fan of period dramas set in exotic locales, I’m always on the lookout for books that are able to make a particular time and place come alive as vividly as the characters. Written with a distinctly cinematic flair, The Price of Paradise transports us to a world that is now forever lost in the sands of time. Gloria and Patricio are a pair of star-crossed lovers in 1950s Cuba, on the cusp of the revolution. With El Encanto—the iconic Havana department store that set the bar for luxury shopping around the world—as the center of their love affair and a symbol of all that was and could have been, the glamour and decadence of prerevolutionary Cuba comes galloping into view. In the tradition of the great epic storytellers—with an added touch of the telenovela—Gloria and Patricio’s romance, spanning half a century and set against the tragic backdrop of a country in the midst of great political violence and change, is a love story for the ages. - Liza Darnton, Editor

Thin Air (Jessica Shaw Book 1) by Lisa Gray [Genre: Mystery]

“Lisa Gray explodes onto the literary stage with this taut, edge-of-the-seat thriller, and her headstrong protagonist, Jessica Shaw, reminiscent of Lee Child’s Jack Reacher, delivers a serious punch.” —Robert Dugoni, New York Times bestselling author

She investigates missing persons—now she is one.

Private investigator Jessica Shaw is used to getting anonymous tips. But after receiving a photo of a three-year-old kidnapped from Los Angeles twenty-five years ago, Jessica is stunned to recognize the little girl as herself.

Eager for answers, Jessica heads to LA’s dark underbelly. When she learns that her biological mother was killed the night she was abducted, Jessica’s determined to solve a case the police have forgotten. Meanwhile, veteran LAPD detective Jason Pryce is in the midst of a gruesome investigation into a murdered college student moonlighting as a prostitute. A chance encounter leads to them crossing paths, but Jessica soon realizes that Pryce is hiding something about her father’s checkered history and her mother’s death.

To solve her mother’s murder and her own disappearance, Jessica must dig into the past and find the secrets buried there. But the air gets thinner as she crawls closer to the truth, and it’s getting harder and harder to breathe.

Editor Notes:

Spoiler:

Jessica Shaw is the kind of character that gets under your skin from the word go. A weather-beaten private detective specializing in missing person cases, she is fearless, but not without her troubles. And her biggest challenge of all comes when she receives an anonymous email with a photograph of an all-too-familiar little girl: because the last person she expected to have to track down was herself.

This protagonist burst into life as soon as I met her, and I felt an immediate connection to her story, which is brimming with suspense and tinged by tragedy. Her life has been a struggle; she never knew her mother, who disappeared when Jessica was young, and she lost her father two years ago. Now her world has come crashing down once again. And to add insult to injury, Jessica learns that her mother didn’t disappear at all. She was murdered.

What lies at the heart of Thin Air, however, is a mystery. Who killed her mother and why? How is it connected to the gruesome events that draw her deeper into the neon noir of the Los Angeles underworld?

It’s a thriller that had me gasping for air as I raced to the final page, and I’m sure you’ll be too after you’re hooked by Jessica’s story. Here’s a piece of advice before you dive in: don’t forget to breathe. - Jack Butler, Editor

Before the Broken Star (The Evermore Chronicles Book 1) by Emily R. King [Genre: Fantasy]

A fierce young female adventurer battles time itself to claim her destiny in a sweeping new fantasy saga from the author of the Hundredth Queen series.

Everley Donovan is living on borrowed time. The lone survivor of her family’s unexplained assassination, she was saved by an ingeniously crafted clockwork heart. But the time she was given won’t last forever. Now, every tick-tock reminds her how fragile her existence is and hastens her quest to expose Killian Markham, the navy admiral who shattered her world and left her for dead. But Everley’s hunt for justice will be a long and hard-won voyage.

Her journey takes her to a penal colony on a cursed isle, where she will be married off and charged to build the new world. It is here, and beyond, that hidden realms hide, treasures are unearthed, her family secrets are buried, and young love will test the strength of her makeshift heart. When Everley discovers Markham may not be who he seems, her pursuit for truth is bound to his redemption, her tragic history, and her astonishing destiny.

Editor Notes:

Spoiler:

Emily R. King’s Hundredth Queen Series introduced an ambitious new voice in feminist fantasy, and her new series—The Evermore Chronicles—carries this torch with dazzling results. Before the Broken Star begins the epic coming-of-age story of Everley Donovan, the lone survivor of her family’s murder when she was just seven years old. Saved by an innovative and magical clockwork heart, Everley now lives with a heart that’s not built to last, and she knows she doesn’t have long to avenge her family.

But for Emily King, time is not merely a matter of suspense. It’s not even merely the basis of the story’s unique magic system. More than either of these, ideas about time provide the story’s vocabulary, imagery, and metaphor—serving as a prism through which Everley’s life and story shine, crystallizing the voice through which the story truly sings. And while time itself is a pretty well-traveled theme in fantasy and science fiction, in Emily King’s hands, ways of thinking about, measuring, enduring, and living in time feel totally new as they thread through the story like—well, like magic.

Add a memorable cast of streetwise, straight-talkin’ women. Add lush settings that range from a forsaken island to a forest trapped in time. Add pitch-perfect dialogue, witty or heartbreaking, depending on the scene. Add a murder mystery, a countdown, and a voyage at sea, then give it the overall feel of a hundred wonderful fairy tales woven together, and you begin to get a sense of why fantasy readers of all ages will find so much to love in this book, and in its two sequels—Into the Hourglass and Everafter Song—coming out later this year. - Jason Kirk, Editor

Man Fast by Natasha Scripture [Genre: Memoir]

An exhilarating memoir about one woman’s globe-trotting journey of inspiring awakening and self-discovery.

Shaken by the loss of her father, drained by her job at the United Nations, and conflicted over failed relationships, Natasha Scripture asked herself the question at the heart of her anxiety: What is my purpose? The answer was not about finding love; it was about recognizing its source. The result is Man Fast, a true and intimate spiritual detective story.

With courage, honesty, and wit, Natasha shares the story of her awakening. Starting with the decision to fast from dating, she embarks on a journey that takes her from New York to an ashram in southern India to toiling in a vineyard on Mount Etna to a solo safari in southern Tanzania. In stepping away from the modern demand to couple up, Natasha finally finds a reflective space where she can be fully aware: of her grief, of her identity, and of love as a mystical, ever-present force.

An antidote to a culture that prizes finding the right man, Man Fast is an emotionally charged journey that leaves us with a greater understanding of ourselves and the world around us.

Revised edition: This edition of Man Fast includes editorial revisions.

Editor Notes:

Spoiler:

Sometimes a good cleanse is what’s needed to rid the body of toxins. But how does one purify the soul? Man Fast is the story of one woman’s dating detox and the transformation it sets off in her quest to find balance between independence and expectation.

Natasha Scripture begins this luscious memoir a bit adrift. The death of her father, a string of bad dates, and an intense—but perplexing—love affair with a woman have left her with more questions than answers about who she is and what she wants out of love and life. Determined to rid herself of the poisonous thoughts and feelings that can come with being a thirtysomething single woman, Scripture takes to all corners of the globe in search of deeper meaning. Through the practice of ancient healing and meditative traditions and deep examination of relationships, Scripture moves into a space where she allows herself to transcend cultural norms and become fully present and awake—to her grief, to her true identity as a woman, and to love as a power that we all inherently possess.

In the vein of Eat, Pray, Love, this part spiritual journey, part travel memoir is a call to reset for anyone for whom the conventional ethos to couple up has at one time or another felt too much to endure—and a reminder to all of us who are partnered to take the time to know and love your true self. - Erin Calligan Mooney, Editor

The Mask Collectors by Ruvanee Pietersz Vilhauer [Genre: Literary Suspense]

A murder investigation becomes a dance with the devil in a breakthrough novel of illusion, conspiracy, and belief.

The alumni of an international boarding school have gathered at a campground in rural New Jersey when a scream breaks the silence of the woods. Classmates are shocked to find journalist Angie Osborne suddenly dead. The medical examiner’s report isn’t what anyone expects. Oddly, the death scene reminds anthropologist Duncan McCloud of a thovile, a Sri Lankan ritual he’s spent years studying.

When Duncan’s new employer, a pharmaceutical giant, sends him overseas under shadowy pretenses, and his wife, Dr. Grace McCloud, starts to receive anonymous warnings to doubt everyone and everything, the threads of a sweeping conspiracy begin to unravel. Risking more than their own lives, Duncan and Grace embark on a treacherous journey through occult ceremonies and their own hidden pasts to discover a secret worth killing for.

In taut, precise language, Ruvanee Pietersz Vilhauer’s debut novel The Mask Collectors tells a story about deception, the power of belief, and what is left unspoken between husbands and wives.

Editor Notes:

Spoiler:

What if you were told that in the very near future, you could take a pill from a doctor, and any ailments you may have will disappear with no side effects? When anthropologist Duncan McCloud is hired by a pharmaceutical giant, that’s exactly what he’s told he’ll be working toward. But how can an anthropologist—especially one specializing in a Sri Lankan healing ritual—help with this ambitious project? As Duncan dives further into his research, his wife, Dr. Grace McCloud, starts receiving anonymous messages warning her about ambiguous dangers around this company, including some about the traditional masks involved in her husband’s research. And then, people she knows start mysteriously dying.

Reading Ruvanee’s debut novel had me turning the pages faster than any book in recent memory. Just like Grace, I too wanted to get to the bottom of this mystery. But what kept me in awe was not only the vast conspiracy that Ruvanee masterfully spins in this delightful literary suspense, but also that in her writing she allows us to spend time in the quieter moments—of the bonds a husband and wife have and the secrets they may keep from each other. In the end, this book weaves a compelling story from New Jersey to Sri Lanka, all the while tackling with ease huge issues like our trust in Big Pharma and how our cultural backgrounds can play their own part in our belief systems. - Vivian Lee, Editor

Rosie the Dragon and Charlie Make Waves by Lauren H. Kerstein (Author), Nate Wragg (Illustrator) [Genre: Children's]

It’s summertime, and you’re invited for a rollicking day at the pool with Charlie and his pet dragon (and best friend!), Rosie. But be careful—swimming with a dragon can be, um, challenging. As Rosie and Charlie blow bubbles (don’t forget your umbrella!), practice flutter kicks (watch out for tidal waves!), and offer shoulder rides (hang on tight!), Rosie proves that dragons make the most fun pets ever. Now if only Charlie can keep Rosie’s attention focused on the rules at the pool and NOT on her gummy snacks (you know, the ones that cause stinky dragon breath!)…Grab your towels and sunscreen and join Rosie and Charlie for a fun-filled summer adventure!

Editor Notes:

Spoiler:

The first time that I met Rosie the dragon and Charlie on the manuscript’s pages, I found myself immediately smitten with their loyal and fun-loving personalities. And when the art came in, I was even more in love. Rosie, a rotund, bright-pink dragon, has all the characteristics of your favorite pet—she’s a little shy at first but eager to please and completely silly, with just a touch of rebellion. Charlie, on the other hand, takes his job as Rosie’s owner and best friend very seriously, and he’s always there for Rosie with a reassuring word or a big hug. It’s not easy teaching a dragon how to swim! But Charlie never gives up on his best pal, Rosie...even if she does cause a few calamities along the way. From ice pops by the pool to cannonballs under the blazing-hot summer sun, this lively romp exudes all the best things that summertime fun has to offer. I hope you’ll enjoy taking a splash with this adorable duo! - Marilyn Brigham, Editor