Fiction

Description: "Inspector Mislan's final case after a long night's shift could be his last. Called to a wealthy neighborhood of Kuala Lumpur, he finds a crime scene unlike any he has encountered before: pristine, the victims a family seated at dinner, Mona Lisa smiles fixed to their faces, frozen mid-gesture around the traditional Chinese New Year dish of yee sang, signifying prosperity, longevity, many good things--though it's not that time of year. It makes an eerie, chilling tableau of death, but signifying what? The celebrity of the father, fashion magnate Robert Tham, has already drawn a media throng, and soon the upper echelons of the police have taken an interest, bringing pressure to solve the crime quickly. But every clue points to another unknown. This isn't the primary scene: where is it? What are the motives of Tham's younger business partner, the attractive Miss Irene? What of his connections to an old-school criminal gang and the triads? With rival units of the police seeking to co-opt and, he suspects, bury the case, Inspector Mislan's investigation takes him to every level of this modern, multi-ethnic, American-pop-culture-influenced society, to where moneyed power and influence demand their say. Maverick, hard-boiled yet tender, a single father raising a young child, Mislan must rely of his team--and the politically savvy woman leading Major Crimes who is his boss--to support, protect him from the corruption above, and help find a way to ensure the course of justice" -- Provided by publisher.

Description: "Iran in the 1950s is wealthy in oil but riven by divisions of class, ethnicity, and religion, and its corrupt government is under foreign influence. At this volatile moment, an illiterate driver rescues a redheaded, blue-eyed baby girl who has been abandoned in a Tehran alley and names her Aria. When he can no longer care for her, he finds her a new home, setting her on an unlikely path from extreme deprivation to a life of privilege. Along the way, Aria acquires three mother figures with secrets of their own: one who abuses her, one who adopts her, and one whose role in her life is initially mysterious. At university, Aria is drawn ever further from her poverty-stricken past, until the 1979 revolution brings her various worlds violently together again. She and her friends are swept up in the excitement and danger as the shah is overthrown, but the final stage of the revolution will bring the Ayatollah Khomeini to power at the head of a brutal theocracy--just as Aria has become a mother herself. Nazanine Hozar's stunning debut gives us an unusually intimate view of a momentous time, through the eyes of a young woman coming to terms with the mysteries of her own past and future" -- Provided by publisher.

Description: Edie is stumbling her way through her twenties--sharing a subpar apartment in Bushwick, clocking in and out of her admin job, making a series of inappropriate sexual choices. She is also haltingly, fitfully giving heat and air to the art that simmers inside her. And then she meets Eric, a digital archivist with a family in New Jersey, including an autopsist wife who has agreed to an open marriage--with rules. As if navigating the constantly shifting landscapes of contemporary sexual manners and racial politics weren't hard enough, Edie finds herself unemployed and invited into Eric's home--though not by Eric. She becomes a hesitant ally to his wife and a de facto role model to his adopted daughter. Edie may be the only Black woman young Akila knows. Luster is a portrait of a young woman trying to make sense of her life--her hunger, her anger--in a tumultuous era. It is also a description of how hard it is to believe in your own talent, and the unexpected influences that bring us into ourselves along the way.

Description: "When eighteen-year-old Raina Reed is given an ultimatum -- her family or her first love -- she chooses the latter, leaves the rigid cult community she's grown up in and finds herself shunned, ex-communicated ... ghosted. Not seeing her parents is tolerable. Raina is happy for more time with her sweet, talented boyfriend Bryce, and enjoys the freedom found in living with him, his free-spirited cousin, Jackie, and Jackie's mom Valerie, a struggling attorney. But her heart breaks at the thought of not seeing her baby sister. Abby is ten years younger and they've never spent one day apart -- until now. While Raina embraces her new life, she can't shake her concern about Abby, especially when a lingering illness worsens and her parents refuse to seek medical help. Raina is determined to break through the religious rules that stand in the way of her sister's well-being" --Back cover.

Description: "As a young gay man leading a closeted life in the 1960s American South, Toland Polk tries his best to keep a low profile. He’s aware of the racial injustice all around him―the segregationist politicians, the corrupt cops, the violent Klan members―but he feels powerless to make a difference. That all changes when he crosses paths with an impassioned coed named Ginger Raines. Ginger introduces him to a lively and diverse group of civil rights activists, folk singers, and night club performers―men and women who live authentically despite the conformist values of their hometown. Emboldened by this new community, Toland joins the local protests and even finds the courage to venture into a gay bar. No longer content to stay on the sidelines, Toland joins his friends as they fight against bigotry. But in Clayfield, Alabama, that can be dangerous―even deadly. This 25th anniversary edition brings this rich and moving tale of identity and resistance back in print―complete with an updated introduction from Alison Bechdel, rare photographs, and unpublished archival material" --Amazon.com.

Description: She's a brilliant Senate candidate, a tech mogul's loving wife, and mother to two precious daughters. As a member of one of the country's most prominent families, Kimberly Maitland grew up having it all--and fighting to help those who need help most. But when journalist Zoie Crawford reveals her family's best-hidden, most shattering secret, the media firestorm and personal fallout are beyond devastating . . . Now Kimberly's campaign and reputation is in ruins. Her unforgiving husband is moving to break up their family for good. And with nowhere to go, Kimberly must take refuge with the family she never knew she had--and answer the hardest questions of her life. Who is she outside of her accomplishments and privilege? Will forging new, unexpected bonds give her the strength and courage to remake herself without losing everything else she loves?

Description: When Bea meets Erica at the home of a mutual friend, this chance encounter sets the stage for the story of two women torn between desire and taboo in the years leading up to the Nazi occupation of Amsterdam. Erica, a reckless young journalist, pursues passionate but abusive affairs with different women. Bea, a reserved secretary, grows increasingly obsessed with Erica, yet denial and shame keep her from recognizing her attraction. Only Bea's discovery that Erica is half-Jewish and a member of the Dutch resistance--and thus in danger--brings her closer to accepting her own feelings.

Description: "As a pastor, nothing instills more pride than seeing your child follow in your footsteps, learning to teach, believe, and abide by the Word. Pastor Dexter Lewis wants to see his legacy continue through his son, Zayvon. But what happens when the only heir to the legacy that you built is born deaf? Do you question God? Do you blame your wife? When the truth is finally discovered, Pastor Dexter Lewis’s buried past surfaces. Will he accept the inevitable or remain in denial?" --Amazon.com.