Elkford Public Library

"In the latest series outing, The Knowledge, the Scotland Yard detective nearly meets his match in a Baker Street Irregulars-like gang of kids and a homicide case that reaches into east Africa. Robbie Parsons is one of London's finest, a black cab driver who knows every street, every theater, every landmark in the city by heart. In his backseat is a man with a gun in his hand -- a man who brazenly committed a crime in front of the Artemis Club, a rarefied art gallery-cum-casino, then jumped in and ordered Parsons to drive. As the criminal eventually escapes to Nairobi, Detective Superintendent Richard Jury comes across the case in the Saturday paper. Two days previously, Jury had met and instantly connected with one of the victims of the crime, a professor of astrophysics at Columbia and an expert gambler. Feeling personally affronted, Jury soon enlists Melrose Plant, Marshall Trueblood, and his whole gang of merry characters to contend with a case that takes unexpected turns into Tanzanian gem mines, a closed casino in Reno, Nevada, and a pub that only London's black cabbies, those who have 'the knowledge,' can find." -- Provided by publisher.

"Putting it all on the line to rescue his kidnapped son pits counterspy Alex Hawke against Russian President Vladimir Putin in this action-packed thriller from New York Times bestselling author Ted Bell. On a ski vacation in the Swiss Alps high above St. Moritz, Alex Hawke and his young son, Alexei, are thrust into danger when the tram carrying them to the top of the mountain bursts into flame, separating the two. Before he can reach Alexei, the boy is snatched from the burning cable car by unknown assailants in a helicopter. Meanwhile, high above the skies of France, Vladimir Putin is aboard his presidential jet after escaping a bloodless coup in the Kremlin. When two flight attendants collapse and slip into unconsciousness, the Russian leader realizes the danger isn’t over. Killing the pilots, he grabs a parachute, steps out of the plane...and disappears. Hawke has led his share of dangerous assignments, but none with stakes this high. To save his son, he summons his trusted colleagues, Chief Inspector of Scotland Yard Ambrose Congreve, former U.S. Navy SEAL Stokley Jones, Jr., and recruits a crack Hostage Rescue Team -- a group of elite soldiers of fortune known as 'Thunder & Lighting.' Before they can devise a rescue plan, Hawke must figure out who took his boy -- and why. An operative who has fought antagonists around the globe, Hawke has made many enemies; one in particular may hold the key to finding Alexei before it’s too late. But an unexpected threat complicates their mission. Making his way to 'Falcon’s Lair,' the former Nazi complex created for Hitler, Putin is amassing an impressive armory that he intends to use for his triumphant return to Moscow. Only one man can smash the Russian president’s plan for domination -- a master counterspy who will cross every line to save his son...and maybe save the world itself in the bargain." -- Provided by publisher.

"The second novel in the bestselling trilogy from Richard Paul Evans about a man on an inspirational pilgrimage across Route 66 to find his way back to himself. Chicago celebrity and successful pitchman Charles James is supposed to be dead. Everyone believes he was killed in a fiery plane crash. But thanks to a remarkable twist of fate, he’s very much alive and ready for a second chance at life -- and love. Narrowly escaping death has brought Charles some clarity: the money, the fame, the fast cars -- none of it was making him happy. The last time he was happy -- truly happy -- was when he was married to his ex-wife Monica, before their connection was destroyed by his ambition and greed. Charles decides to embark on an epic quest: he will walk the entire length of Route 66, from Chicago to California, where he hopes to convince Monica to give him another shot. Along the way, Charles is immersed in the deep and rich history of one of America’s most iconic highways. But the greater journey he finds is the one he takes in his heart as he meets people along the road who will change his perspective on the world. But will his transformation be enough to earn redemption?" -- Provided by publisher.

"A series of shootings exposes San Francisco to a methodical yet unpredictable killer, and a reluctant woman decides to put her trust in Sergeant Lindsay Boxer. The confidential informant’s tip leads Lindsay to disturbing conclusions, including that something has gone horribly wrong inside the police department itself. The hunt for the killer lures Lindsay out of her jurisdiction, and gets inside Lindsay in dangerous ways. She suffers unsettling medical symptoms, and her friends and confidantes in the Women’s Murder Club warn Lindsay against taking the crimes too much to heart. With lives at stake, the detective can’t help but follow the case into ever more terrifying terrain. A decorated officer, loving wife, devoted mother, and loyal friend, Lindsay’s unwavering integrity has never failed her. But now she is confronting a killer who is determined to undermine it all." -- Provided by publisher.

Emma Healey follows the success of her #1 internationally bestselling debut novel ELIZABETH IS MISSING, winner of the Costa First Novel Award, with this beautiful, thought-provoking, and psychologically complex tale. Jen and Hugh Maddox have just survived every parent's worst nightmare. Relieved, but still terrified, they sit by the hospital bedside of their 15-year-old daughter, Lana, who was found bloodied, bruised, and disoriented after going missing for four days during a mother-daughter vacation in the country. As Lana lies mute in the bed, unwilling or unable to articulate what happened to her during that period, the national media speculates wildly and Jen and Hugh try to answer many questions.

"Years after growing up in the care of a group of mysterious protectors who served in unspecified ways during World War II, a young man endeavors to piece together the truth about his parents and the unconventional education he received."--

Rogue FBI agent Jane Hawk tracks a powerful Department of Justice operative at the center of a high-tech conspiracy that killed her husband and now threatens those closest to her as part of an agenda to seize power.

"Escaping from a private sanitarium and taking a job at an herbal tea shop in a 1930s California seaside resort town, Adelaide bonds with a man hiding under the cover of a therapy-seeking widower before a local con artist is murdered, drawing them both into a shadowy underground of duplicity and misdirection."--

"Prizewinning crime novelist Sam Wiebe's second riveting Wakeland mystery. Still the rogue at his own detective agency, Dave Wakeland has moved out but not on. When a troubled professor hires him to find a missing former student, beneath what seems like a straightforward runaway case lies a tangled mess of stolen money, betrayal, and murder. Before he knows it, Wakeland and his apprenticing sister are entangled in two cases, with three women, all of whom need his help--and all of whom offer great ways to get him killed. Who's the thief and who's the victim, and most worrisome of all, who's the killer? In an uneasy alliance with a woman from his past, and with Vancouver's organized criminals ever lurking, Wiebe's morally challenged young detective takes up a cross-border chase that twists and surprises like only Canada's next master of crime can tell."-- Provided by publisher.

"Cherokee ex-cop Thumps DreadfulWater is feeling lethargic. He's tired of work, he's tired of Chinook and the people in it, and most of all, he's tired of their questions: Why is he always so tired? Is he depressed? Does he have diabetes? A thyroid condition? Cancer? It would be great, Thumps thinks, if they would all mind their own business. Especially Sheriff Duke Hockney, who asks Thumps to fill in as sheriff while Hockney is away. When a body is found in an airport rental car, Thumps soon has questions of his own and more business he doesn't want. Before long, tow bodies have gone cold in Chinook, and the case is just starting to heat up. Thumps finds out there's a lot of buzz around the water conference being held in town. As it turns out, both of the deceased worked for Orion Technologies, a company developing a revolutionary method for extracting fresh water from hidden reservoirs. The technology is new, but could it be so valuable that someone would kill for it? It's up to Thumps DreadfulWater to find out."--Provided by the publisher.

"The Lowcountry of South Carolina is where By Invitation Only begins at a barbecue engagement party thrown by Diane English Stiftel, her brother Floyd, and her parents to celebrate her son’s engagement. On this gorgeous, magical night, the bride’s father, Alejandro Cambria, a wealthy power broker whose unbelievably successful career in private equity made him one of Chicago’s celebrated elite, discovers the limits and possibilities of cell phone range. While the mother of the bride, Susan Kennedy Cambria, who dabbles in the world of public relations and believes herself deserving of every square inch of her multimillion-dollar penthouse and imaginary carrara marble pedestal, learns about moonshine and dangerous liaisons.Soon By Invitation Only zooms to Chicago, where the unraveling accelerates. Nearly a thousand miles away from her comfortable, familiar world, Diane is the antithesis of the bright lights and super-sophisticated guests attending her son Fred’s second engagement party. Why a second party? Maybe it had been assumed that the first one wouldn’t be up to snuff? Fred is marrying Shelby Cambria, also an only child. The Cambrias’ dearest wish is for their daughter to be happy. If Shelby wants to marry Frederick, aka Fred, they will not stand in her way—although Susan does hope her friends won’t think her daughter is marrying more than a few degrees beneath her socially. At the same time, Diane worries that her son will be lost to her forever.By Invitation Only is a tale of two families, one struggling to do well, one well to do, and one young couple—the privileged daughter of Chicago’s crème de la crème and the son of hard -working Southern peach farmers."--Provided by the publisher.

"Mike Hayes fought his way out of a brutal childhood and into a quiet, if lonely, life before he met Verity. V was the first person to understand him. To love him. In return, Mike has dedicated his life to making her happy. He's secured the right job; he's found the perfect home; he's sculpted himself into the physical ideal V has always wanted. He's ready to start their blissful life together. It doesn't matter that V hasn't been returning his e-mails or phone calls. It doesn't matter that she says she's marrying Angus. It's all just part of the secret game they used to play. As long as Mike watches V closely, he'll see the signs. If he keeps track of her every move, he'll know just when to come to her rescue..."--Provided by the publisher.

Kait Whittier has built her magazine column into a hugely respected read followed by fans across the country. She loves her work and adores her grown children, treasuring the time they spend together. But after two marriages, she prefers to avoid the complications and uncertainties of a new love. Then, after a chance meeting with Zack Winter, a television producer visiting Manhattan from Los Angeles, everything changes. Inspired by the true story of her own indomitable grandmother, Kait creates the storyline for a TV series. And when she shares her work with Zack, he is impressed and decides to make this his next big-budget project. Within weeks, Kait is plunged into a colorful world of actors and industry pros who will bring her vision to life. A cool, competent director. An eccentric young screenwriter. A world-famous actress coping with private tragedy. A reclusive grande dame from Hollywood's Golden Age. A sizzling starlet whose ego outstrips her abilities. L.A.'s latest "bad boy" actor, whose affairs are setting the city on fire. An unknown ingenue with outsized talent. And a rugged, legendary leading man. As secrets are shared, the cast becomes a second family for Kait. But in the midst of this charmed year, she is suddenly forced to confront the greatest challenge a mother could ever know.

"An eleven-year-old boy's violated corpse is found in a town park. Eyewitnesses and fingerprints point unmistakably to one of Flint City's most popular citizens. He is Terry Maitland, Little League coach, English teacher, husband, and father of two girls. Detective Ralph Anderson, whose son Maitland once coached, orders a quick and very public arrest. Maitland has an alibi, but Anderson and the district attorney soon add DNA evidence to go with the fingerprints and witnesses. Their case seems ironclad...Terry Maitland seems like a nice guy, but is he wearing another face?"-- Provided by publisher.