Summer Reading For A Lazy Afternoon …

When Justine Merrison relocates to the coast to start a new life with her daughter, she believes the pressures of her former job and life in the city will be a thing of the past. She looks forward to a blissful existence of doing pretty much nothing.

Justine explains to a friend that she “could have walked away years earlier, instead of letting work swallow up my whole life”. But she didn’t.

Now, though, having finally cut the cord, it is time to just kick back, relax and watch the flowers grow. Or so Justine thinks!

Soon after they are resettled, Justine’s daughter, Ellen, begins to withdraw and complains that her new friend named George has been thrown out of school. When she talks to her daughter’s school principal, Justine is troubled to learn that there is no such student as “George.” Disturbed by Ellen’s apparent need to create this fantasy, Justine begins to try to figure out what is happening.

Compounding the problem is a mysterious phone call from a person who claims that she and Justine share a traumatic past and a guilty secret. The caller also threatens Justine and the well being of her family.

Well, so much for an idyllic new life in the countryside! Whether she wants to or not, Justine must now try to deal with this threat while figuring out why her daughter is retreating into world of her own making. The ensuing deadly game of deception, secrets and lies will keep the reader on edge and makes this a psychological thriller that will be difficult to set aside.

The author of nine previous thrillers, Sophie Hannah was awarded the Crime Thriller of the Year Award in 2013 at the United Kingdom’s National Book Awards ceremony. She lives in Cambridge, England, where she is working on her next bestseller.

The Bone Tree

By Greg IlesWilliam Morrow. $9.99

Greg Iles has followed up the first volume in his southern gothic trilogy, “Natchez Burning,” with this continuation of the epic tale that features Penn Cage and his fiancée, reporter Caitlin Masters. Having barely survived a nearly fatal encounter with Brody Royal, the leader of a vicious sect of the KKK, in the trilogy’s debut, the couple learns that the Double Eagles, the KKK group, is now being guided by Forrest Knox, who poses an equally dangerous threat.

Set on saving his father, who is on the run and threatened by Knox, Cage is determined to uncover more information about a series of unsolved civil rights crimes. This quest will lead to a secret KKK burial ground deep in a swamp which has been used for over two centuries and been dubbed “the bone tree”.

This lengthy novel features the type of explosive action that made “Natchez Burning” a bestseller. You’ll love the unexpected twists and surprising revelations that spice up the narrative and make this such a popular and riveting series.

Shadow War

By Sean McFate and Bret WitterMorrow. $25.99

Employed by a private military company that handles sensitive projects round the globe, Tom Locke is handed the task of overseeing a top-secret black op in the Ukraine.

Given the unbelievable tight timeline of just seven days, Locke is going to have to rescue a businessman’s family, followed by launching an assault that will not only move the billionaire to the top of the political pecking order but perhaps also place him in the country’s highest office.

Complicating the assignment, which is already more of a challenge than Locke is prepared to deal with, is Brad Winters. Locke’s double-dealing boss seems to be playing his own high stakes power broking game involving the job and Locke will be in jeopardy if the clients involved get wind of his sneaking plotting.

Finally, when he arrives in Kiev to assemble his team, Locke runs into a former girlfriend. Reporter Alie MacFarlane smells a story; plus the two haven’t yet got over their past relationship. As she rekindles their affair and tries to get a handle on her lover’s assignment, Alie creates a situation that places both their lives at risk.

This international thriller charges ahead at a break-neck pace that will keep the reader not only totally engaged in the story but also marveling at the insight that the authors bring to the adventure. The first of the Tom Locke series, “Shadow War” promises a wealth of insights into the modern warfare and espionage sectors that Sean McFate is intimately familiar with.

The Lion’s Mouth: A Hanne Wilhelmsen Novel

By Anne HoltScribner. $25

Not long after assuming office, the assassination of Norway’s Prime Minister shocks the country. For police detective Hanne Wilhelmsen this results in her California vacation being cut short as she is called home to launch an investigation of the headline making crime.

The hunt for the killer will not only be a complicated and grueling task but it will also force Hanne and her partner, Billy T., to delve into the prime minister’s past and another tragedy that occurred decades ago.

The list of suspects, which range from right wing extremists to politicians and judges, will pose problems for the investigative team which will become even more of a challenge when some of these individuals start turning up dead.

Well written with tension packed plots, Anne Holt’s novels have drawn a lot of international acclaim. The Edgar nominated author has been called the “godmother of modern Norwegian crime fiction” by some of her peers and this, the fourth installment in the series, is one of the best to date.

For those not familiar with Holt’s work, this is as good a novel as any to begin with. She’s a “must read” for all mystery fans.

The Big Rewind

By Libby CudmoreMorrow. $14.99

When a mixed tape for a neighbor arrives accidentally in Jett Bennett’s mailbox, she does the right thing and delivers the parcel of music to her. Imagine how Jett feels when this good deed turns into a nightmare when Jett finds KitKat, the intended recipient of the tape, dead.

Deciding to play amateur sleuth, Jett, who is really up on her music, decides to use the tape of love songs to try to find some leads to determining who killed KitKat.

Featuring a witty and clever narrative and plenty of spot-on pop culture and music references, this hipster-suspense story marks Libby Cudmore’s stunning debut as a novelist. It’s an entertaining read from start to finish and one you’ll wish to share with friends.