SMSA (Sydney Mechanics’ School of Arts)
New Book Highlights
ANIMAL STORIES
| Cameron, Bruce | A dog’s promise |
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BIOGRAPHY
| Bair, Deirdre | Parisian lives |
| Barnes, Julian | The man in the red coat |
| Garner, Helen | Yellow notebook |
| Kieza, Grantlee | Macquarie |
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COOKING
| Roman, Alison | Nothing fancy |
| Shaw, Natasha | Bush school tucker |
| Walsh, Alicia | Ferncourt Fare |
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GENERAL FICTION
| Abdullah, Kia | Take it back |
| Aciman, Andre | Find me |
| Bradby, Tom | Secret service |
| Cameron, Marc | Tom Clancy code of honor |
| Cha, Steph | Your house will pay |
| Child, Lee | Blue moon |
| Coetzee, J. M. | The death of Jesus |
| De Mille, Nelson | The Deserter |
| Enchi, Fumiko | Masks |
| Foster, Sara | You don’t know me |
| Goldsmith, Andrea | Invented lives |
| Guillory, Jasmine | Royal holiday |
| Haber, Mark | Reinhardt’s garden |
| Hobson, Ben | Snake Island |
| Jewell, Lisa | The family upstairs |
| Jones, Tony | In darkness visible |
| Lunde, Maja | The end of the ocean |
| Lynch, Paul | Beyond the sea |
| Mayhew, Julie | Impossible causes |
| McIntosh, Fiona | The diamond hunter |
| McPhee, Hilary | Other people’s houses |
| Myers, Benjamin | The offing |
| Oates, Joyce Carol | Pursuit |
| Read, Miss | Christmas at Thrush Green |
| Riley, Lucinda | The sun sister |
| Rodriguez, Deborah | Island on the edge of the world |
| Sexton, Margaret Wilkerson | The revisioners |
| Smith, Martin Cruz | The Siberian dilemma |
| Vickers, Salley | Grandmothers |
| Wilson, Carter | The dead girl in 2A |
The dead girl in 2A / Carter Wilson
On a flight to Denver, Boston freelance writer Jake Buchannan recognizes his seatmate, Clara Stowe, but he can’t remember from where, in this gripping standalone from Wilson (Mister Tender’s Girl). As Jake tries to figure out the connection, he bonds with Clara over the fact that the two otherwise healthy 30-something-year-olds are suffering from memory loss. Then Clara confides that she plans to head up to the Aspen area and kill herself. Jake is unable to persuade her to change her mind, and she disappears after landing. It later becomes clear that their reunion was no coincidence. Alternating between Jake’s viewpoint and Clara’s diary, the multifaceted plot reveals that a year earlier, in Boston, both of them began participating in a memory research clinical trial led by a seedy man named Landis. Jake resolves to learn the truth about Landis’s scheme and save Clara from her fate. Wilson provides plenty of creepy and downright disturbing moments on the way to the unexpectedly heartfelt conclusion. Psychological thriller fans will be well satisfied. (Publishers Weekly, 14 April 2019)
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HISTORICAL FICTION
| Ashley, Melissa | The bee and the orange tree |
| Forsyth, Kate | The blue rose |
| Kirby, Carolyn | The conviction of Cora Burns |
| O’Shaughnessy, Kathy | In love with George Eliot |
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MYSTERY
| Beaton, M. C. | Beating about the bush |
| Black, Saul | Anything for you |
| Brown, Rita Mae | Scarlet fever |
| Clark, Mary Higgins | Kiss the girls and make them cry |
| Cox, Helen | Murder by the minister |
| Disher, Garry | Peace |
| Edwards, Martin | Gallows Court |
| Ellis, Bella, | The vanished bride |
| Evanovich, Janet | Twisted twenty-six |
| Gustawsson, Johana | Blood song |
| Hatch, A. S. | This little dark place |
| Jardine, Quintin | The bad fire |
| Longworth, M. L. | A Noel killing |
| Martin, Faith | A fatal flaw |
| Masterton, Graham | Begging to die |
| Masterton, Graham | Dead men whistling |
| Mukherjee, Abir | Death in the East |
| Owen, L. J. M. | The great divide |
| Poirier, Dea | Beneath the ashes |
| Poirier, Dea | Next girl to die |
| Patterson, James | Criss cross |
| Roberts, Mark, | A date with death |
| Rose, Karen | Into the dark |
| Sandford, John | Bloody genius |
| Saunders, Kate | Laetitia Rodd and the case of the wandering scholar |
| Sten, Viveca | In the shadow of power |
| Temple, Peter | The red hand |
| Thomson, Lesley | The playground murders |
| Truss, Lynne | The man that got away |
| Upson, Nicola | Sorry for the dead |
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NON FICTION
| Annear, Robyn | Nothing new | 381 ANNE |
| Farrow, Ronan | War on peace | 327.73 FARR |
| Ferrante, Elena | Incidental inventions | 854.92 FERR |
| Ford, Justine | Unsolved Australia | 363.23 FORD |
| Hill, David | Convict colony | 994.02 HILL |
| Johnson, Alex | Menus that made history | 394.12 JOHN |
| Lee, Bri | Beauty | 306.46 LEE |
| Stocklassa, Jan | The man who played with fire | 364.152 STOC |
| Thomson, Mike | Syria’s secret library | 956.91 THOM |
Syria’s secret library / Mike Thomson
In this compassionate account, journalist Thomson knits together and expands his reporting for the BBC on the underground library in the Syrian town of Darayya. He explains that the town, just outside of Damascus, was the location of some of the heaviest fighting of the Syrian civil war; its remaining inhabitants were forcibly relocated to refugee camps in the north of the country in 2016. But rather than give in to despair during the siege, the holdouts who remained undertook a remarkable initiative: to construct an underground library, with thousands of books salvaged from the rubble. In Thomson’s telling, “this literary haven offered more than an escape from bombs and boredom. It was to become a portal to another world: one of learning, one of peace, and one of hope.” While the book doesn’t offer broader context on the Syrian conflict, Thomson succeeds in humanizing his subjects; the stories of such individuals as Amjad, a young boy who “managed to educate himself by reading all these books and taking on the responsibility of running the library,” demonstrate the ability of the human spirit to persevere and find meaning in even the most inhumane conditions. The stories Thomson relates, of great courage and fortitude in the service of literature and education, will move readers. (Publishers Weekly, 25 June 2019)
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SCIENCE FICTION & FANTASY
| Cogman, Genevieve | The secret chapter |
| Jemisin, N. K. | The obelisk gate |
| Jemisin, N. K. | The stone sky |
| Lyons, Jenn | The name of all things |
| Morgenstern, Erin | The starless sea |
| North, Claire | Pursuit of William Abbey |
| Sanderson, Brandon | Skyward |
| Taylor, Jodi | Doing time |
The starless sea / Erin Morgenstern
Built from fables, myths, and fairy tales, Morgenstern’s long-awaited second fantastical novel delves into a vast subterranean library, the Harbor on the Starless Sea, a giant, maze-like, subterranean library where all languages are comprehensible to everyone, and time moves differently. Its wonders include moving statues, edible stories, and a sea made of honey. Narrative-obsessed grad student Zachary Rawlins happens upon an old, authorless collection in the campus library. Among the tales of an improbable land of books and their devotees is an anecdote from Zachary’s own childhood, a time when he found a magical door but chose to walk away, disbelieving. Desperate to understand and longing for a second chance at adventure, Zachary investigates and finds a literary party thrown by a secret society. He goes through a painted door in Central Park and into the Harbor itself, now long past its heyday and mostly deserted. Aboveground, the secret society is trying to close as many doors as possible, hoping to keep the Starless Sea hidden. Aided by otherworldly Mirabel, whose motives and history are obscure, and alluring Dorian, a former society member who opposes the closing of the doors, Zachary works to understand how the Harbor fell into disrepair and what he can do to protect it. He also learns what it means to be not just a reader but a part of the story, and what happens after that story ends. This love letter to bibliophiles is dreamlike and uncanny, grounded in deeply felt emotion, and absolutely thrilling. (Publishers Weekly, 28 June 2019)
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New additions to eBooks at SMSA
EBOOKS
| Animal stories | Wells, Rachel | A friend called Alfie |
| General novels | Braithwaite, Oyinkan | My sister the serial killer |
| General novels | Curtis, Rosie | We met in December |
| General novels | Hall, Lisa | The party |
| General novels | Hess, Annette | The German house |
| General novels | Kantra, Virginia | Meg and Jo |
| Mystery | Blanchard, Alice | Trace of evil |
| Mystery | de Giovanni, Maurizio | I will have vengeance |
| Mystery | MacBride, Stuart | Birthdays for the dead |
| Mystery | Watkins, Roz | The devil’s dice |
Trace of evil / Alice Blanchard
Set in Upstate New York, this gripping series launch from Blanchard (The Breathtaker) examines how violent secrets from the past resurface in a rural community. Det. Natalie Lockhart, a rookie cop, still struggles with the beating death of her older sister, Willow, 20 years earlier. Another sister, Grace, who’s raising a 15-year-old daughter, Ellie, urges Natalie to bury her memories and focus on the recent murder of schoolteacher Daisy Buckner. Meanwhile, Ellie is drawn to dark rituals that renew Natalie’s suspicions about Willow’s murder. The setting provides visual interest, and the resourceful, sympathetic Natalie drives the action. Blanchard occasionally undermines tension by relying heavily on subplots, a large number of extraneous characters, and misdirection. However, she delivers the goods in a sharp, if derivative, showdown between Natalie and the serial killer who crossed her path many years ago. Flush with red herrings, Wiccan symbols, and disaffected teens, this book will appeal to fans of criminal investigations led by empowered women. (Publishers Weekly, 9 September 2019)
My sister, the serial killer / Oyinkan Braithwaite
Braithwaite’s blazing debut is as sharp as the knife that twists in the chest of Femi, the now-dead boyfriend of Ayoola, whose boyfriends, curiously, seem to keep winding up dead in her presence. Femi makes dead boyfriend number three—each were killed in self-defense, according to Ayoola—and, per usual, Ayoola’s older sister, Korede, is called upon to help dispose of the body. The only confidante Korede has is a coma patient at the Lagos hospital where she works, which is the only place she can go to escape Ayoola. It is also where she can see the man she loves, a handsome and thoughtful doctor named Tade. Of course, this means that when the capricious Ayoola decides to start visiting her sister at work, she takes notice of him, and him of her. This is the last straw for Korede, who realizes she is both the only person who understands how dangerous her sister is and the only person who can intervene before her beloved Tade gets hurt, or worse. Interwoven with Korede, Ayoola, and Tade’s love triangle is the story of Korede and Ayoola’s upbringing, which is shadowed by the memory of their father, a cruel man who met a tragic and accidental death—or did he? As Korede notes when she considers her own culpability in her sister’s temperament: “His blood is my blood and my blood is hers.” The reveal at the end isn’t so much a “gotcha” moment as the dawning of an inevitable, creeping feeling that Braithwaite expertly crafts over the course of the novel. This is both bitingly funny and brilliantly executed, with not a single word out of place. (Publishers Weekly, 10 September 2018)
We met in December / Rosie Curtis
New beginnings are at the heart of this sweet, G-rated debut romance. Jess accepts her dream job in London and can’t believe her luck when a friend offers her a room in a Notting Hill town house for dirt cheap. The only rule is there can be no relationships between residents. When Jess’s new housemate, Alex, gave up his lucrative law career to pursue nursing, his fiancée promptly dumped him. He’s determined to avoid relationships and concentrate on his studies, but enjoys a friends-with-benefits arrangement with Emma, a fellow housemate, on the sly. Alex and Jess bond over afternoon walks and living in close quarters, and Jess, a hopeless romantic, falls for Alex, but because of his “relationship” with Emma, she tries to think of him as a friend. When Emma starts to want more, Alex calls things off, still not ready for a relationship. But when Jess starts to date someone else, Alex realizes he’s been fighting feelings for her all along. Curtis has a gift for capturing complex emotion and both romantic and platonic intimacy. The witty dialogue, loyal friendships, and endearing romance are sure to capture readers’ hearts. (Publishers Weekly, 14 October 2019)
I will have vengeance / Maurizio de Giovanni
The first English translation of veteran Italian crime writer de Giovanni, this murder mystery set in Fascist 1930s Italy introduces new readers to haughty homicide detective Luigi Alfredo Ricciardi. A loner cursed with a “scar on his soul,” Commissario Ricciardi can see in his mind’s eye the final moments in the lives of victims “who had died violently,” an ability that has propelled him to the top of his profession. Arnaldo Vezziârevered by opera audiences as the world’s greatest tenor but reviled by everyone who knew himâis fatally stabbed with a large shard of a mirror in his dressing room before a performance of Pagliacci. Ricciardi re-creates the prelude to murder in his mind and hears Vezzi softly rehearsing his lines, which include the Italian words of this book’s title. Under pressure from his superior, who is eager to deliver swift justice in such a high-profile case and win Il Duce’s praises, the detective pieces together two disparate storylines for a drawn-out but didn’t-see-it-coming denouement. Appel deserves credit for retaining de Giovanni’s distinct brand of noir in her translation, which will appeal to Agatha Christie and Manuel Vazquez Montalban fans. (Publishers Weekly, 25 February 2013)
The German house / Anita Hess
Hess’s strong debut follows Eva Bruhns, who works as an interpreter at the Frankfurt Auschwitz trials in 1963 Germany, in which German defendants have been charged with crimes they perpetrated at Auschwitz during WWII. Eva becomes emotionally invested as she interprets the testimonies of Polish witnesses from Polish to German, but she doesn’t understand why her parents, Edith and Ludwig, owners of the German House restaurant, don’t seem to care about the trial. As Eva continues her work and makes a trip to Auschwitz along with other members of the trial team, she uncovers secrets her parents have hidden from her about her father’s work during the war. The period detail is impressive, but the highlight is Eva, a complex and thoughtful woman who finds herself in the midst of a significant moment in history. This novel will appeal to both WWII fiction fans and those seeking historical novels anchored by a strong, memorable heroine. (Publishers Weekly, 30 September 2019)
Meg and Jo / Virginia Kantra
Kantra (Carolina Blues) charms in this outstanding update of Little Women, Louisa May Alcott’s 19th century classic. In this retelling, always-independent Jo, after losing her journalism job, is working as a prep cook and writing a food blog in New York City; Meg is a married and overwhelmed stay-at-home mother with two-year-old twins in small-town Bunyan, N.C.; Beth is a shy aspiring musician, and stylish Amy’s in Paris doing an internship with Louis Vuitton. After the girls’ mother, Abby, is hospitalized, Meg and Jo (who tell the story in alternating first-person chapters) rally to take care of her—and find happiness in unexpected places. Supporting characters from the original abound—rich boy-next-door Theodore Laurence III is Trey and owns a car dealership, where Meg’s husband, John, works; Mr. Bhaer (called Eric rather than Friedrich in this version), Jo’s love, is a successful chef. Kantra blends just enough of Alcott’s story of four close-knit sisters and their myriad tribulations with clever and timely new elements (unexpected pregnancies, the girls’ father as a military chaplain, parents separating), a mix that will satisfy Alcott fans as well as entice Kantra’s existing fans. The imaginative storytelling and sparkling prose make this a winner. (Publishers Weekly, 30 September 2019)
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AUDIOBOOKS
| General novels | Carlson, Melody | Christmas in Winter Hill |
| General novels | Hunter, Denise | Lake season |
| General novels | Richardson, Kim | The book woman of Troublesome Creek |
| Mystery | Cantore, Janice | Cold aim |
| Mystery | Gardner, G. P. | Murder at Royale Court |
| Mystery | Lehane, Con | Murder at the 42nd Street Library |
| Mystery | Rosett, Sara | Murder in black tie |
| Mystery | Shelton, Paige | Lost books and old bones |
| Mystery | Thomas, Will | Some danger involved |
The book women of Troublesome Creek / Kim Michele Richardson
This gem of a historical from Richardson (The Sisters of Glass Ferry) features an indomitable heroine navigating a community steeped in racial intolerance. In 1936, 19-year-old Cussy Mary Carter works for the New Deal–funded Pack Horse Library Project, delivering reading material to the rural people of Kentucky. It’s a way of honoring her dead mother, who loved books, and it almost makes her forget the fact that her skin is blue, a family trait that sets her apart from the white community. The personable and dedicated Cussy forges friendships through her job, including with handsome farmer Jackson Lovett, who becomes Cussy’s love interest. Cussy’s ailing coal miner father, Elijah, insists she marry, but the elderly husband he finds for her, Charlie Frazier, dies on their wedding night. Pastor Vester Frazier, a vengeful relative, blames Cussy for Charlie’s death and starts stalking her. The local doctor steps in to help, and Cussy repays Doc by letting him perform medical tests on her to learn the cause of her blue skin. A potential cure for Cussy’s blue skin and a surprise marriage proposal set in motion a final quarrel among the townspeople over segregation laws that threatens Cussy’s chance at happiness. Though the ending is abrupt and some historical information feels clumsily inserted, readers will adore the memorable Cussy and appreciate Richardson’s fine rendering of rural Kentucky life. (Publishers Weekly, 21 February 2019)
Some danger involved / Will Thomas
Modeled after the adventures of Sherlock Holmes, but with a verve all its own, this debut mystery introduces a likable pair of sleuths and explores the Jewish quarter of Victorian London. Fresh, self-effacing Thomas Llewelyn is a plucky lad down on his luck (he was booted out of Oxford and served eight months in prison for petty theft) when he becomes the unlikely assistant to idiosyncratic Cyrus Barker, a patently Holmesian private detective with an enigmatic background in China. Hardly has Llewelyn settled into his new quarters in his employer’s residence when he is called upon to assist Barker in an investigation of the crucifixion death of a young Jewish scholar. The convoluted tale leads through the tightly circumscribed Jewish ghetto, as it appears that the murder may be the overture to a pogrom by vicious anti-Semitic factions. Barker’s methods (“You see, I try to throw a web over London and sit like a spider in the midst of it all, my fingers on the strands”) and Thomas’s tone (” ‘I must admit, sir,’ I confessed, ‘that I doubted you a little’ “) may owe much to Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, but the author’s lively, learned tour of the various foreign enclaves of 19th-century London is notably contemporary. Besides initiating Llewelyn into the rigors of detective work, Barker introduces his young associate to a number of exotic cuisines, Chinese and Italian among them. Such period curiosities and the growing friendship between Llewelyn and Barker are the chief delights of this engaging novel. (Publishers Weekly, 22 March 2004)
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New Books — December 2019
The new books for December 2019 are now available to borrow, with new ebooks and audiobooks.
We hope you enjoy them!
- New books may be borrowed for a period of two weeks only and may not be renewed.
- Books remain listed as “New Books” for two months.
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