Books We Can’t Wait to Share!
"The end of summer can be overwhelming sometimes as the temps get colder and the days get shorter. With back to school, Halloween, and the holidays around the corner, there are more demands on our time than ever. Which is what makes our December book club pick the perfect read to escape from it all with a wide smile and a bright story! Tatum Comes Home stars the pawsome TikTok and Instagram celebrity dog behind @hithisistaum—and the heartwarming and hilarious videos that have captured the attention of millions. Once you fall in love with Tatum, there is no going back…and in this book, every life Tatum touches is forever changed. After getting lost in a storm and ending up far from home, Tatum is picked up by several different people, each searching for some missing piece of their hearts and lives. And Tatum helps not only bring them all together, but also find the elusive things they’ve been looking for. Tatum Comes Home is a clever, sweet, and witty read that will keep you turning pages with a smile on your face…and in your heart. You will not soon forget Tatum, or the lives of the characters he touches."
—Alexandra Nicolajsen, Director of Digital Sales & Marketing
Alexandra Nicolajsen: Director of Digital Sales & Marketing
Mystery isn’t generally my first genre of choice, but I LOVE a thriller. So when I found out Carlene O’Connor was launching a suspense series, I was all in. Throw in an atmospheric Irish setting, and I couldn’t wait to get my hands on an early copy. The first book was No Strangers Here and as a fan of Tana French, I absolutely loved it. Yet with Some of Us Are Looking, Carlene managed to raise her game even further. This book is dark and menacing with a twisty, engaging plot that keeps the pages flying by. After the gruesome murder of a young woman living an untethered life traveling with her companions, Detective Cormac O’Brien is embroiled in the investigation—and he has more ties to it than he’d like. Local veterinarian Dimpna Wilde once again finds herself in the crosshairs of a killer as she gets pulled further into the web of suspects until a final, nail-biting conclusion that will leave you on the edge of your seat. Some of Us Are Looking is a phenomenal new thriller perfect for the colder months when we all want nothing more than to curl up under a blanket with a good book. Just make sure you keep all the lights on when you pick up this one…
Review by Barbara Bennett: General Counsel
Branok Tremayne is “gifted” with an enhanced ability to anticipate trouble. When he was a child, this ability led him to discover his father in flagrante delicto with a housemaid, and for this revelation and the associated embarrassment, his father sent him away to an orphanage. Bran and an older boy later escape from the orphanage and make their way to London where, while living on the streets, they are rescued by Lord Rhys and Lady Gwen Tremayne, who are also gifted. The Tremaynes have several biological children, and they have also taken in many gifted children whose families do not understand them or appreciate their gifts.
Now an adult, Bran works for the Home Office, using his gifts to ferret out profiteers and spies and prevent the acts of sabotage and other crimes the various bad guys would perpetrate. Then he is unexpectedly summoned by his biological family back to Penhaligon because his biological father is very ill. Since Bran’s two older brothers have died, Bran is the legal heir to the lordship and the Penhaligon estate. Although he considers the Tremaynes his family, Bran feels the need to make the trip to Penhaligon anyway, as his intuition is telling him that there is big trouble nearby.
When Bran meets Merryn in the woods near the Penhaligon home, she is distraught and confused, and she is obviously fleeing captivity. It seems that Merryn is gifted too, and her captors planned to use her special talents to help them commit a spectacular robbery.
Together, Bran and Merryn work to foil the nefarious plan, with Bran helping Merryn to recognize and embrace her gifts and use them for good. Along the way, they fall in love, and Merryn becomes an essential part of Bran’s families, both natural and adoptive.
If you like interesting, unusual love stories with fascinating characters facing and overcoming challenging situations, you will love SILVER LADY!
Review by Michaela Hamilton: Executive Editor
Some killers commit crimes so horrible, we can’t forget them, no matter how hard we may try. Some books expose such killers with chilling narratives that become classics as the passage of time confirms their lasting impact. Such a book is Steve Jackson’s masterful New York Times bestseller Monster, first released in 1998 and now reissued in trade paperback format to commemorate its 25th anniversary. Often compared to Ted Bundy, Tom Luther was a charismatic psychopath who cut a deadly swath from the Rockies to West Virginia, luring a chain of women into the black hole of his murderous desires. Fortunately, one cop was obsessed with catching this brutal killer--and pinning at least one murder on him. Award-winning author and journalist Steve Jackson reveals the compelling story in shocking, mesmerizing detail.
Alexandra Nicolajsen: Director of Digital Sales & Marketing
I have been reading Kevin O’Brien books for years, and as much as I have loved his contemporary suspense (which has always reminded me of the great Lisa Jackson!), I was very excited to hear he was turning his talents towards writing a historical thriller. He thoroughly researched the history of his hometown of Seattle, and brought the WWII era to life—in the most chilling way—as he crafted The Enemy at Home. The story takes readers back to a time of enforced blackouts, rigid social rules and bigotry, and women entering the workforce in droves for the first time. The book blends twisty, thrilling suspense and historical fiction to create a unique and compelling read perfect for book clubs…or Spooky Season. As a serial killer stalks the women already facing discrimination as they work shoulder-to-shoulder with men at the Boeing factory, more and more suspects emerge, and the heroine can’t separate herself from damning evidence pointing towards those she holds most dear. The Enemy at Home is a riveting read that gives readers a glimpse into the home front during the war…and also ratchets up the creep-factor, creating a read that is both captivating and terrifying.
Review by Michaela Hamilton: Executive Editor
Having launched Gregg Olsen’s stunning fiction career with his first novel, A WICKED SNOW, and having published many of his subsequent thrillers, all of us at Kensington are delighted to bring his bestseller The Last Thing She Ever Did to a wider audience through our Pinnacle mass-market edition. If you’re a fan of Gregg Olsen, you know you can expect sharply drawn characters, nail-biting suspense, and a breathtaking pace. But I doubt if many readers will anticipate the many twists and turns of this ingenious plot – or its dramatic resolution. Treat yourself to a visit to a seemingly idyllic community where secrets, lies, and betrayals collide behind closed doors. I think you will enjoy the ride.
Alexandra Nicolajsen: Director of Digital Sales & Marketing
After watching readers continue to rave about The Spanish Daughter by Lorena Hughes, I knew her latest book The Queen of the Valley was a must-read. The author draws on true history and the stunning vistas of South America to artfully create an incomparable backdrop for this story that is part family saga, part mystery, and all expertly researched historical fiction. This book sweeps readers back to the 1920s and opens with a deadly earthquake in Cali, Colombia—the real event that inspired the story. The book is packed with emotional, mysterious storylines exploring love, family connections, and long-held secrets. Past meets present as the three central characters—a nun, a photographer, and a woman in disguise—search for the missing owner of a hacienda who shares a deep connection to each of them, and the mystery deepens as more of each of their pasts is revealed. The Queen of the Valley is a moving story that is anchored by the expertly crafted imagery creating time and place at the story’s heart. It is the perfect book to curl up with as the weather cools and you are ready to enjoy a cup of steaming coffee and a delicious bar of dark chocolate.
Review by Barbara Bennett: General Counsel
Minerva Spencer’s Regency-set romances often feature unusual characters living in non-traditional circumstances. The heroine of THE DUELING DUCHESS, the second book in the Wicked Women of Whitechapel series, Frenchwoman Cecile Tremblay, came to England as a child, virtually alone in the world. Her father, a renowned gunsmith, had taught her all about guns, including how to build and assemble them and how to shoot, and she became a markswoman of unparalleled accuracy. She now owns Farnham’s Fantastical Female Fayre, a circus in which the performers are women, and where Cecile entertains audiences with her marksmanship, including her signature feat: donning a blindfold and shooting the tall hat sitting on the head of her male assistant, releasing a shower of colorful confetti. Guy Darlington, who became a duke, then promptly lost the title to a cousin who arrived from abroad to claim it, is now working in Cecile’s circus, mostly just to be near her. When he had his title, he needed to marry a very wealthy heiress to rescue his floundering duchy, so instead of marrying Cecile, whom he loved, he became betrothed to another and made Cecile an indecent proposal for which she has never forgiven him. His standing in society gone, his moneyed fiancée jilted him unceremoniously, and he has vowed to redeem himself in the eyes of the woman he really loves and has always wanted.
But nothing is as it seems, and everyone has secrets, some of which are terribly painful. Cecile has never shared all the details of her past, but Guy is intent on uncovering what she is hiding and helping her overcome it so they can be together.
A strong heroine, a devoted hero and a group of quirky supporting characters (including a charming street urchin, a female knife thrower and a thieving raven) round out a delightful supporting cast in this deeply touching and thoroughly satisfying historical romance.
Alexandra Nicolajsen: Director of Digital Sales & Marketing
Everyone processes grief in their own way, and it is not something with a timeline or a blueprint—and it is not limited to one person alone, but to everyone that was touched by the life of the person they cared for. Someone Else’s Bucket List sets out to tell the story of one sister’s grief, but the story spreads its wings and in many ways it shadows the frenetic grief process itself, making the reader cry, laugh, and filled with hope and joy chapter by chapter. I could not wait to get my ARC of this book, having heard wonderful things from the moment we received the manuscript—and then seeing the vibrant, beautiful cover that just made me think of escaping with an immersive story. This is a book that explores not only one sister’s anguish after losing her beloved sibling, but also how its tendrils reached out and touched everyone in their family, their friends—and the millions of followers of the influencer sister who passed. The book touches on so many timely topics from losing a loved one in the age of social media to the crippling medical debt so many people in the U.S. face—and the lengths to which someone will go to save their family from the weight of that debt. Someone Else’s Bucket List is at once a deep exploration of finding yourself and your happiness through sorrow and an uplifting love story you can take to the beach while you bury your toes in the sand. Wherever you find yourself reading this summer, make sure this book is nearby—along with a box of tissues as you shed sad…and ultimately happy tears.
Review by Lauren Jernigan: Assistant Director of Social Media
After watching readers continue to rave about The Spanish Daughter by Lorena Hughes, I knew her latest book The Queen of the Valley was a must-read. The author draws on true history and the stunning vistas of South America to artfully create an incomparable backdrop for this story that is part family saga, part mystery, and all expertly researched historical fiction. This book sweeps readers back to the 1920s and opens with a deadly earthquake in Cali, Colombia—the real event that inspired the story. The book is packed with emotional, mysterious storylines exploring love, family connections, and long-held secrets. Past meets present as the three central characters—a nun, a photographer, and a woman in disguise—search for the missing owner of a hacienda who shares a deep connection to each of them, and the mystery deepens as more of each of their pasts is revealed. The Queen of the Valley is a moving story that is anchored by the expertly crafted imagery creating time and place at the story’s heart. It is the perfect book to curl up with as the weather cools and you are ready to enjoy a cup of steaming coffee and a delicious bar of dark chocolate.
Alexandra Nicolajsen: Director of Digital Sales & Marketing
For Her Consideration is the book readers need right now if they’re looking for something fun, transportive, and totally entertaining. That it is an LGBTQ+ story with a plus size heroine is just the icing on top. Author Amy Spalding takes readers inside the chosen family of Nina Rice, an aspiring Los Angeles writer freelancing as the email face of her agent-boss’s celebrity client roster…and still reeling from a traumatizing relationship that ended years prior. When she meets up-and-coming actress Ari Fox, the sparks fly—and Nina’s trauma starts to heal, allowing her not only to begin a new relationship, but also return to the chosen family of friends she had lost touch with after her heartbreak. But when things start getting serious, that past pain and self-doubt starts to re-surface, and Nina might not be as ready to move on as she thought she was. But will Ari give up on their love without a fight? For Her Consideration is a story of all the most important relationships people can have—with significant others, close friends, and family who loves you no matter what. This story is as uplifting as it is binge-worthy—and like taking a trip to LA without ever leaving your most comfy reading spot.
Review by Ann Pryor: Senior Communications Manager
In 1952, world-famous Red Sox outfielder Ted Williams was called up to active duty in the Korean War. Baseball’s biggest name was already an ace pilot, as skilled in the cockpit as he was on the field. John Glenn was an experienced fighter pilot during World War II, who commissioned with The Marine Corps and had gone through months of training when he petitioned for active duty in Korea. He was a superstar among the officers and pilots who knew him as a superior instructor and remarkable man.
To the hard-working pilot Glenn, Williams was mysterious, famous but taciturn, a fearless risk-taker. Glenn requested Williams to fly on his wing. The reluctant, fatalistic, pugnacious Reservist and the eager, optimistic, unflappable active-duty regular Marine would go on to serve together, forging a friendship in battle that would last a lifetime and take them up into the stratosphere, literally and figuratively - from Earth orbit and a long political career for Glenn, to world records and global fame as one of baseball’s greatest hitters for Williams.
THE WINGMEN: The Unlikely, Unusual, Unbreakable Friendship between John Glenn and Ted Williams looks at the lifetime connection forged between the hitter and future astronaut under deadly conditions that would radiate out from their mutual respect. They shared a keen understanding of their respective gifts, a fierce dedication to the success of the team (whether The Red Sox, the Mercury program, or a military unit), and their rabid pursuit of excellence. They wanted to contribute without any special treatment or fanfare. They understood that their gifts and drive came with a price – fame – and each would handle it differently. Each of them would earn a permanent place in the pantheon of American heroes and become titans in their own right. Author Adam Lazarus leads the reader through their complex friendship set against the backdrop of history.
THE WINGMEN is of friendship that endures through time, the perfect blend of American history, military history, NASA, baseball, and brotherhood.
Alexandra Nicolajsen: Director of Digital Sales & Marketing
In the Time of Our History is one of the most beautifully written books I’ve had the privilege of working on. Rich with emotion and fraught family dynamics, this book offers an insight into Iranian culture that is not often explored in contemporary fiction. This haunting story transports readers to a bleak East Coast winter, where it is the one year anniversary of the sudden deaths of Mitra Jahani’s younger sister, niece, and nephew. Mitra and her family continue to struggle to come to terms with this incomparable loss against the backdrop of Mitra’s past—which has left her as an outcast in the family, disowned by her traditional father. Mitra sets out to find not only her way after trauma, but also to uncover the secrets of her sister’s past. What she finds may tear her family even further apart. Exploring gender roles, self-worth, family dynamics, and the many ways that love binds us, this brilliant story weaves together scores of disparate threads to create a book that is at once vital and unforgettable.
Review by Michaela Hamilton: Executive Editor
Nearly twenty years ago, Kensington launched the career of horror master Jonathan Maberry with the publication of his bestselling Pine Deep trilogy, which won many awards including the Bram Stoker, as well as rave reviews and reader ratings. GHOST ROAD BLUES, DEAD MAN’S SONG, and BAD MOON RISING continue to win fans with their page-turning tales of vampires, werewolves, and other dark entities that invade a picturesque town on the Delaware River. Now horror fans can return to Pine Deep in LONG PAST MIDNIGHT, a collection of stories (and one poem) that are sure to bring spine-tingling thrills just in time for the Halloween season. Among the haunted houses, tangled cemeteries, lonely roads, and threatening shadows, chilling tales of revenge and madness play out in gripping detail. Fans of Stephen King, Dean Koontz, and Neil Gaiman will feel right at home.
Review by Michaela Hamilton: Executive Editor
If you’re a fan of forensic thrillers, like the ones written by Patricia Cornwell and Tess Gerritsen, you’ll want to check out Lisa Black’s novels. Lisa is a certified crime scene analyst, currently living and working on the Gulf Coast of Florida after honing her skills in Cleveland, Ohio. Her expertise in forensic science makes her books crackle with authenticity. In her new Locard Institute thriller series, her two dynamic heroines solve crimes that have baffled other experts. In WHAT HARMS YOU, a series of murders at a forensic training program raises the chilling question: What happens when a serial killer goes to CSI school? Join Ellie Carr and Rachael Davies as they examine the clues – and confront a suspect whose skills rival their own.
Review by Megan Zimlich: Associate Manager, Digital Content and Sales
I came for the ghost story but stayed for the flower language woven throughout this novel. If you love creepy, atmospheric books that toe the line of horror but don’t actually crossover and get too scary this is a great choice. The story is led by Francine Thwaite, a woman who can see ghosts and who has lived in her family’s crumbling Elizabethan manor in England’s Lake District her whole life, a place that, unsurprisingly, has its fair share of spirits. Francine has never hid this ability and has thus been mocked her whole life by the people in her small town and has developed a tough outer shell and does not suffer fools gladly, Francine is a refreshing change of pace for a female lead, she does what she wants and says what she wants! And mainly what she wants to do is hang out with her ghost friends and tend to her garden. The meanings of the different plants and their uses is something that runs through the entire book and I definitely need more stories from this author with content like that because it turned out to be my favorite part. I don’t want to give away any spoilers but I will say that Francine’s younger, flighty sister arrives and tells Francine some information that completely upends both of their lives, and that’s when everything Francine thought she knew starts to fall apart… This is definitely the read for you if you like a story that is creepy but not too scary, a tough as nails heroine, and if you’re interested in plant lore.
Review by Shannon Plackis: Assistant Editor
In Where Ivy Dares to Grow, Saoirse Read joins her fiancé Jack on a visit to his family’s ancestral home, Langdon Hall, to be with his ailing mother in her final days. Saoirse finds herself isolated and unwanted by Jack and his cruel family, and during her walks along the estate to occupy her time, she stumbles in and out of the past—and into the arms of her fiancé’s handsome and kind 19th century ancestor—Theo Page.
When I first read Where Ivy Dares to Grow, I couldn’t stop thinking about it. Marielle Thompson paints a rich setting, so atmospheric and immersive, that you can’t help but feel like you’ve been trawling the halls of Langdon yourself. You feel its dark oppressive walls in the present, just like Saoirse, and are relieved by its light and splendor in the past.
And then you meet Theo. In Theo lies the perfect romantic hero, he’s mysterious but loving, and a total gentleman…until he can’t help himself. The bond Saoirse and Theo form is captivating and their complicated love story engulfed me from the moment it began.
One of the most magnetic aspects of this novel is following Saoirse’s struggle with her mind. Our heroine suffers from depersonalization-derealization disorder and her journey reckoning with her mental health is at the heart of this story. This theme is lovingly crafted throughout and I found myself rooting for Saoirse to take control of her own narrative—to find peace in her mind and acceptance in her heart.
In the end, Where Ivy Dares to Grow reminds us to trust in ourselves, even when our minds make it difficult, and that we are deserving of love because of who we are, not in spite of it.
Review by Michaela Hamilton: Executive Editor
True crime fans, you don’t want to miss this one. James Renner, the popular podcaster and acclaimed author of True Crime Addict, will take you on a deep dive into a baffling and mesmerizing unsolved murder case that took place in Shaker Heights, Ohio, in 1990. Sixteen-year-old Lisa Pruett was on her way to a midnight meet-up with her boyfriend but was stabbed to death just feet from his door. The boyfriend was questioned and released. Another classmate was identified as a suspect, arrested, and brought to trial – but found not guilty. To this day no one has been held accountable. James Renner devoted years of research and interviews to bring new light to the case. His findings will shock and fascinate you in this page-turning true story.
Review by Steven Zacharius : President & CEO
Second Shot, by Cindy Dees, is non-stop action, from the beginning to the end. The main character, Helen Warwick, is a 55 year old retired CIA assassin; at least she was supposed to be retired. Her family who never had any knowledge of what she did for a living, are under attack, and it requires her to get back into the game. Not having any idea who is trying to kill her and her family is only the first problem. Staying alive long enough to try and figure this all out is her greatest obstacle. The story deals with corruption in our government, as well as Russian spies, the Russian mob and a gruesome serial killer.
Having real life credentials for writing this type of thriller don’t come easy. The author is an Air Force veteran, Dees enlisted after earning a degree in Russian and East European Studies, becoming the youngest female pilot in the history of the Air Force. She’s flown all kinds of military aircraft and has also worked in intelligence, traveling to forty-two countries on five continents. She was detained by the KGB and East German secret police, got shot at, flew in the first Gulf War, and amassed a lifetime’s experiences to fuel her stories of life on the edge of danger.
Once you start this book, you will not put it down.
Review by Michaela Hamilton: Executive Editor
June is the perfect time for cozy mystery fans to return to historic Mackinac Island to join fudge-maker/sleuth Allie McMurphy in solving a puzzling murder. Allie was hoping to win top honors at the county fair’s fudge contest. But a trip through the fair’s haunted house brings her to a body that is all too real. After a second unexplained death occurs much too close to home, Allie knows she has to figure out whodunnit. Readers can look forward to mouth-watering recipes, cute pets, quirky neighbors, an alluring setting, and a page-turning plot in this delightful Candy-Coated mystery.