The Au Pair
Emma Rous (fiction, Berkley)
Shortly after Seraphine and her twin brother, Danny, were born, their mother threw herself off the cliffs near their English estate; their au pair left immediately. Now an adult, Seraphine is going through her late father’s belongings when she finds a picture that casts the events of that day into doubt. If thrillers are your thing, this is one hell of a ride.
The Field Guide to the North American Teenager
Ben Philippe (fiction, Balzer + Bray)
A clever YA debut novel about a black French Canadian teen, Norris Kaplan, who moves to Austin, Texas. Plunked into a strange new environment, he begins cataloguing everyone he meets, from Cheerleaders to Jocks, Loners and more. He starts to make friends, fall in love and wonder if there isn’t more to these people than the labels he’s put on them.
Freefall
Jessica Barry (fiction, Harper)
Allison Carpenter has just survived a plane crash in the Rockies; stunned and injured, she starts to make her way out of the wilderness. As she does, she begins to realize there are many people actively rooting against her survival. She needs to make it to Maine, back to her estranged mother — who has started looking for answers.
The Only Woman in the Room
Marie Benedict (fiction, SourceBooks Landmark)
She was bright, beautiful and married to an Austrian arms dealer. She heard about the Third Reich’s plans from her husband’s conversations and plotted to flee to America — and become a film star. A novel based on the true story of the unforgettable Hedy Lemarr.
Sugar Run
Mesha Maren (fiction, Algonquin Books)
Jodi McCarthy was sentenced to life in prison in 1989 at 17. When she’s released 18 years later, she’s dropped off at a Greyhound bus station with no plans and no idea how to rebuild her new life.
An Orchestra of Minorities
Chigozie Obioma (fiction, Little, Brown)
A Nigerian poultry farmer named Chinonso sees a woman, Ndali, about to jump from a bridge and stops her. Chinonso and Ndali fall in love, but Ndali is from a rich family and her family objects to the relationship due to Chinonso’s lack of education. He sells his possessions to go to a college in Cyprus, putting in motion a heart-rending string of events.