family relationships

The Harvey Girls by Juliette Fay

/ drbethnolan / Leave a comment

I love Juliette Fay’s writing, so I was excited to get this novel from Net Galley. It publishes in August, 2025.

I found this story so interesting because I really didn’t know much about the real Harvey Girls (beyond seeing the Judy Garland movie when I was very young). It is such an interesting piece of history to learn about, a little bit like a 20th century take on the Lowell Mill girls – young woman who left their homes to work hard and make a living, earning independence and pride.

The storyline in this novel is quite engaging: two very different young women, both with much to hide, come together to help each other find success as Harvey Girls and to make new lives for themselves.

This would be a great book club discussion book as you could focus on the Harvey Girls era, women in the work force, marital rights, relationships, friendship, and more!

Thank you for my copy!

Here’s the scoop:

Juliette Fay—known for her “well-drawn characters and vibrant historical backdrops” (Library Journal)—transports us to 1920s America with this big-hearted tale of two very different women who must learn to trust each other as one tries save her family and the other to save herself. Perfect for fans of Kristin Hannah and Kristina McMorris.

1926: Charlotte Crowninshield was born into one of the finest Boston society families. Now she’s on the run from a brutal husband, desperate to disappear into the wilds of the Southwest. Billie MacTavish is the oldest of nine children born to Scottish immigrants in Nebraska. She quit school in the sixth grade to help with her mother’s washing and mending business, but even that isn’t enough to keep the family afloat.

Desperate, both women join the ranks of the Harvey Girls, waitresses who serve in America’s first hospitality chain on the Santa Fe railroad. Hired on the same day, they share three things: a room, a heartfelt dislike of each other…and each has a secret that will certainly get them fired.

Through twelve-hour days of training in Topeka, Kansas, they learn the fine art of service, perfecting their skills despite bouts of homesickness, fear of being discovered, and a run-in with the KKK. When they’re sent to work at the luxurious El Tovar hotel at the Grand Canyon, the challenges only grow, as Billie struggles to hide her young age from would-be suitors, and Charlotte discovers the little-known dark side of the national park’s history.

“Juliette Fay’s gift for creating complex, exquisitely human characters” (Marisa de los Santos, New York Times bestselling author) is on full display in this deeply moving and joyous celebration of female empowerment, loyalty, and friendship.

About Juliette Fay:

Juliette Fay is the bestselling author of eight novels, including City of Flickering Light and the USA TODAY bestseller The Tumbling Turner Sisters. A graduate of Boston College and Harvard University, she lives in Massachusetts. Visit her at JulietteFay.com.

Harper-Collins Blog Tour for Grave Birds by Dana Elmendorf

/ drbethnolan / Leave a comment

Today I’m part of the Summer Blog Tour for Grave Birds by Dana Elmendorf. This was an atmospheric, Southern Gothic novel, focusing on a young girl who can communicate with “grave birds” – birds who live in graveyards and can tell the tales of those who have died. It was a weirdly creepy and intriguing read! The writing was quite good and if you like this genre – think Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil – you should pick this one up.

Thank you for my copy and for making me part of the tour!

Here’s the scoop:

Title: Grave Birds

Author: Dana Elmendorf

Publication Date: July 1, 2025

ISBN: 9780778387473

Format: Hardcover

Publisher: Harlequin Trade Publishing / MIRA

Price $28.99

Buy Links: NOT affiliated with BBNB

HarperCollins: https://www.harpercollins.com/products/grave-birds-dana-elmendorf 

BookShop.org: https://bookshop.org/p/books/grave-birds-original-dana-elmendorf/21769936

Barnes & Noble: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/grave-birds-dana-elmendorf/1146225172 

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Grave-Birds-Novel-Dana-Elmendorf/dp/077838747X 

Social Links:

Author Website: https://www.danaelmendorf.com/p/home.html 

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/danaelmendorf/ 

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DanaElmendorfAuthor/ 

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/danaelmendorf 

Book Summary: 

Grave birds haunt the cemeteries of Hawthorne, South Carolina, where Spanish moss drips from the trees and Southern charm hides ugly lies. Hollis Sutherland never knew these unique birds existed, not until she died and was brought back to life. The ghostly birds are manifestations of the dead’s unfinished business, and they know Hollis and her uncanny gift can set them free.

When a mysterious bachelor wanders into the small town, bizarre events begin to plague its wealthiest citizens—blood drips from dogwood blossoms, flocks of birds crash into houses, fire tornadoes descend from the sky. Hollis knows these are the omens her grandfather warned about, announcing the devil’s return. But despite Cain Landry’s eerie presence and the plague that has followed him, his handsome face and wicked charm win over the townsfolk. Even Hollis falls under his spell as they grow closer.

That is, until lies about the town’s past start to surface. The grave birds begin to show Hollis the dead’s ugly deeds from some twenty-five years ago and the horrible things people did to gain their wealth. Hollis can’t decide if Cain is some immortal hand of God, there to expose their sins, or if he’s a devil there to ruin them all. Either way, she’s determined to save her town and the people in it, whatever it takes.

Author Bio:

Dana Elmendorf was born and raised in small town in Tennessee. She now lives in Southern California with her husband, two boys and two dogs. When she isn’t exercising, she can be found geeking out with Mother Nature. After four years of college and an assortment of jobs, she wrote a contemporary YA novel and an adult fantasy.

Bookouture Blog Tour for DEATH AT A PARIS HOTEL by Verity Bright

/ drbethnolan / Leave a comment

Verity Bright has penned a new Lady Eleanor historical cozy mystery, and this one takes place on her honeymoon in Paris! Eleanor has barely arrived when a man comes crashing through the glass-domed ceiling and onto her table, then dies. Everyone is prepared to write him off as just a thief, but Eleanor is not ready to jump to judgment, instead finding a mystery to solve.

This is such a fun series. I always enjoy each installment and appreciate how they aren’t written to a formula. You can read them as a stand alone as well.

Thank you for my copy and for making me part of the blog tour!

  

Book Description:

For Lady Eleanor Swift, Paris means champagne at breakfast, romantic walks by the Eiffel Tower… and her deadliest case yet!

Newlyweds Lady Swift and Detective Hugh Seldon are honeymooning in the most romantic city on earth. Clifford, her butler,has come along for the trip to make sure everything goes to plan for the happy couple. And Gladstone, the mischievous bulldog, to make sure it doesn’t!

But the pair are shocked when, just as they are toasting their new marriage at the best table in their hotel’s opulent restaurant, a man tumbles through the glass roof and lands amid the silverware and coq au vin. Before he dies, he presses a striking pearl brooch into Eleanor’s hands. She has the strangest feeling of déjà vu. Has she met this man before? All too quickly, the local police arrive and immediately accuse the new Mr and Mrs of working with the victim – a thief who’d just robbed the museum down the block.

With her new husband by her side, Eleanor races to clear their name and discover who would kill to get their hands on the unusual brooch. Following a clue about a doomed love affair takes the gang from the famous cabarets and cobbled streets of Paris to rubbing shoulders with the aristocracy at the very top of the Eiffel Tower.

But soon Eleanor notices a mysterious man in black following their every footstep. Is he friend or foe? And can Eleanor and Hugh unravel the case before the City of Light becomes the city of death?

An utterly charming and unputdownable golden age cozy mystery set in Paris. Fans of T.E. Kinsey, Catherine Coles and Lee Strauss will adore it.

Author Bio:

Confident woman at office with laptop computer, mobile phone, and schedule notebook.Gradients, Blending tool, Clipping mask is used.

Verity Bright is the pseudonym for a husband-and-wife writing partnership that has spanned a quarter of a century. Starting out writing high-end travel articles and books, they published everything from self-improvement to humour, before embarking on their first historical mystery. They are the authors of the fabulous Lady Eleanor Swift Mystery series, set in the 1920s.

https://twitter.com/BrightVerity

Sign up to be the first to hear about new releases from Verity Bright here: https://www.bookouture.com/verity-bright

Buy Link: NOT affiliated with BBNB

Amazon: https://geni.us/B0F2C1HJ3Wsocial

You can sign up for all the best Bookouture deals you’ll love at: http://ow.ly/Fkiz30lnzdo

Harper-Collins Blog Tour for Reports of His Death Have Been Greatly Exaggerated by James Goodhand

/ drbethnolan / Leave a comment

I’m here today as part of the Harper-Collins blog tour for this new novel: Reports of His Death Have Been Greatly Exaggerated by James Goodhand. I went into this one not really knowing what to expect, and I ended up really just loving this story. The main character, Ray, is thought to be dead (due to mistaken identity) and this gives him a chance to see how his life looks like to others and what others think of him. Coupled with flashbacks of his younger life we see how he came to be the gentle, reclusive individual he is. At times, this story reminded me of the writing of Fredik Backman, whom I really enjoy. I had read Goodhand’s The Day Tripper and enjoyed that as well.

Loved this one — and I hope you do, too!

Thank you for my copy and for the opportunity to join the tour!

Here’s the scoop:

REPORTS OF HIS DEATH HAVE BEEN GREATLY EXAGGERATED

James Goodhand

On Sale Date: July 1, 2025

Trade Paperback

9780778387466

$18.99 USD

336 pages

ABOUT THE BOOK:

Due to a case of mistaken identity, everyone believes Ray Thorns to be dead — while he is still very much alive. In the aftermath, he’s forced to reflect on the impact he’s had on the world and those closest to him in this heartbreakingly beautiful look at life and what we would all do if given a second chance, for fans of Dead Poets’ Society and It’s a Wonderful Life and readers of Fredrick Backman.

A lifetime ago, Ray “Spike” Thorns was a well-regarded caretaker on a boarding school’s grounds. These days, he lives the life of a recluse in a house rammed with hoarded junk, alone and disconnected from family or anyone he might have at one time considered a friend.

When his next-door neighbor drops dead on Spike’s doorstep, a case of mistaken identity ensues: according to the police, the hospital, the doctors—everyone—Spike is dead. Spike wants to correct the mistake, really he does, but when confronted with those who knew him best, he hesitates, forced to face whatever impression he’s left on the world. It’s a discovery that brings him up close to ghosts from his past, and to the only woman he ever loved.

Could it be that in coming face to face with his own demise, Spike is able to really live again? And will he be able to put things straight before the inevitable happens—his own funeral?

This is the best kind of feel-good fiction: it’s deeply affecting but full of clever mishaps and enough laughs along the way. It takes the message from Dead Poets Society and mixes it with the tragedy of It’s A Wonderful Life and tops it off with an ultimately loveable guy like in A Man Called Ove. The result is a heartbreakingly beautiful look at life and what we would all do if given a second chance.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

James Goodhand has written one adult novel, published by HarperCollins in the US, and two YA novels, published by PRH Children’s Books in the UK. His adult debut, The Day Tripper, was called “an essential, profound read” by The Washington Post. He lives in England.

SOCIAL LINKS: Twitter: @goodhand_james Instagram: @james.goodhand

BUY LINKS: NOT affiliated with BBNB

Bookshop.org: https://bookshop.org/p/books/reports-of-his-death-have-been-greatly-exaggerated-original-james-goodhand/21769932

B&N: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/reports-of-his-death-have-been-greatly-exaggerated-james-goodhand/1146225169

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Reports-Death-Have-Greatly-Exaggerated/dp/0778387461

Bookouture Blog Tour for Nobody Saw Him by Liz Lawler

/ drbethnolan / Leave a comment

I’m here today as part of the blog tour for Nobody Saw Him (also known as “one of my worst motherhood nightmares”). The woman in this book has a little boy who disappears and no one saw him go anywhere or be taken. In fact, no one saw her with him and soon everyone is questioning her story, her integrity, and even her sanity. Talk about a suspenseful read!

Here’s the scoop:

Book Description:

You say your child was taken. The police say you’re lying…

As I sit my beautiful blue-eyed boy Sam down on the bench outside the changing room, I’m certain today is going to be a better day. He can splash about with his pool toys without worrying about making too much noise, and I can take a break from tiptoeing around my husband Pete, who is becoming more distant every day.

But when I return to the bench to collect Sam, my little boy is gone…

I can feel my heart hammering as I search for him, rushing to the staff at the front desk who tell me they haven’t seen him. Nobody spotted Sam waiting patiently for me or saw him wander off through the frosted front doors. Nobody saw me reassuring him on our way in, his tiny hand clutched tightly in mine. Nobody saw him at all.

My blood turns to ice as the police show me the CCTV. I strain to see Sam’s light-brown hair through the grainy footage, sure I’ll see his curls bouncing as we walked in. But in the video, I’m completely alone.

How is this possible? He’s been erased. Gone without a trace.

And then it hits me. Will the police now discover my past?

I will stop at nothing to find Sam. My child won’t pay for what I’ve done…

An unputdownable, heart-stopping psychological thriller filled with jaw-dropping twists. Perfect for fans of K.L. Slater, Lisa Jewell and Nicole Trope.

Author Bio:

Liz Lawler grew up sharing pants, socks, occasionally a toothbrush, sleeping four to a bed. Born in Chatham and partly raised in Dublin, she is one of fourteen children. She spent over twenty years as a nurse and has since fitted in working as a flight attendant, a general manager of a five star hotel, and is now working with trains. She became an author in 2017 when her debut novel Don’t Wake Up was published by Twenty7.
https://www.instagram.com/lizlawlerauthor
https://twitter.com/ authorlizlawler?lang=en

Sign up to be the first to hear about new releases from Liz Lawler here: https://www.bookouture.com/ liz-lawler

Buy Link: NOT affiliated with BBNB

Amazon: https://geni.us/B0F53NVC4Zsocial

You can sign up for all the best Bookouture deals you’ll love at: http://ow.ly/Fkiz30lnzdo

Thank you for my copy and for having me as part of the tour!

Bookouture Blog Tour for WHAT EVERY MOTHER NEEDS by Emily Shiner

/ drbethnolan / Leave a comment

I’m happy to be part of this thriller of a novel today! This was disturbing and suspenseful, and I honestly was not sure how it was going to turn out. Great for fans of psychological thriller and suspense, What Every Mother Needs is one you’ll find hard to put down!

Here’s the scoop:

Book Description:

She’s what every mother needs. But can you trust her?

Charlotte: Since my husband Lawrence died it’s just me and our sweet baby girl Jordan. It’s so hard raising her alone. Then Sophie shows up at my door. She says she is Lawrence’s sister… and she seems like a blessing in disguise. But with her in my house, looking through my things, it’s going to be difficult to keep the secrets about my marriage hidden…

Sophie: Charlotte didn’t recognize me. That isn’t surprising. She seems frantic, and I know she’s not sleeping. I hear her tossing and turning while I rock her baby to sleep. When Jordan stares up at me with those big blue eyes, my heart melts. Charlotte doesn’t deserve such a gorgeous child. Not after what she did.

It’s clear to anyone that Charlotte isn’t coping. All she needs is a little push to send her over the edge… And then I’ll finally get what I really came for.

Both of these women are liars. One of them is a killer. Who is really in danger in this house?

Perfect for fans of The Housemaid, The Perfect Marriage and The Girl in Seat 2A, this totally addictive psychological thriller will have you up all night!

Author Bio:

Emily Shiner always dreamed of becoming an author. After spending years devouring stacks of thrillers, she decided to try her hand at writing them herself. Now she gets to live out her dream of writing novels and sharing her stories with people around the world. She lives in the Appalachian Mountains and loves hiking with her husband, daughter, and their two dogs.

It’s nice to meet you!
https://www.facebook.com/authoremilyshiner/
https://www.instagram.com/authoremilyshiner/

Sign up to be the first to hear about new releases from Emily Shiner here: https://bookouture.com/subscribe/emily-shiner/

Buy Link: NOT affiliated with BBNB

Amazon: https://geni.us/B0F3FTJX3Zsocial

You can sign up for all the best Bookouture deals you’ll love at: http://ow.ly/Fkiz30lnzdo

Thank you for my copy and for making me part of the tour!

Kristina McMorris’ THE GIRLS OF GOOD FORTUNE

/ drbethnolan / Leave a comment

I really enjoy the books of Kristina McMorris, and she has a new one coming out this month (5/2025): The Girls of Good Fortune. This one is centered on a young woman in the Portland area in the late 1800’s and the discrimination that Asian immigrants faced at that time. Having grown up in the Bay Area, I was much more familiar with the experience of Asian, particularly Chinese, immigrants in Northern California. This is definitely a dark period of our history and this story is all the more haunting as it’s based in fact.

Here’s the scoop:

The New York Times bestselling author of Sold on a Monday and The Ways We Hide shines a light on shocking events surrounding Portland’s dark history in this gripping novel of love, lore, and betrayal. 

She came from a lineage known for good fortune…by those who don’t know the whole story. 

Oregon, 1888. Amid the subterranean labyrinth of Portland’s notorious Shanghai Tunnels, a woman awakens in an underground cell, drugged and disguised. Celia soon realizes she’s a “shanghaied” victim on the verge of being shipped off as forced labor, leaving behind those she loves most. Although well accustomed to adapting for survival―being half-Chinese, passing as white during an era fraught with anti-Chinese sentiment―she fears that far more than her own fate hangs in the balance.

As she pieces together the twisting path that led to her abduction, from serving as a maid for the family of a dubious mayor to becoming entwined in the case of a goldminers’ massacre, revelations emerge of a child left in peril. Desperate, Celia must find a way to escape and return to a place where unearthed secrets can prove deadlier than the dark recesses of Chinatown.

 A captivating tale of resilience and hope, The Girls of Good Fortune explores the complexity of family and identity, the importance of stories that echo through generations, and the power of strength found beneath the surface.

This novel is a bit of everything: historical fiction, romance, suspense, mystery. I enjoyed it and thankfully that ending did not let me down!

Here’s a bit of info on Ms. McMorris:

About the Author

Kristina McMorris is a New York Times, Wall Street Journal, and USA Today bestselling author of two novellas and seven historical novels, including the million-copy bestseller Sold on a Monday. The recipient of more than twenty national literary awards, she previously hosted weekly TV shows for Warner Bros. and an ABC affiliate, beginning at age nine with an Emmy Award-winning program, and owned a wedding-and-event-planning company until she had far surpassed her limit of “Y.M.C.A.” and chicken dances. Kristina lives near Portland, Oregon, where she somehow manages to be fully deficient of a green thumb and not own a single umbrella.

I am thankful to Kristina McMorris’ publisher, Sourcebooks, for my review copy through Net Galley!

Happy Reading!!

Let’s Call Her Barbie by Renée Rosen

/ drbethnolan / Leave a comment

This book was offered to me by the publisher, Berkley Publishing, and I found it SO interesting!

Of course, I should start by saying that I was a huge Barbie fan when I was a little girl. Our cousin had given us all her Barbies when she outgrew them, and they were originals from the 1960’s. And boy there were a lot, and a lot of accessories, and it was all pristine: Barbie, Midge (with wigs), Chrissy, Skipper, Todd and Tutti (the little twins), Alan, Ken, and more. As a child of the 70’s, I received “helping hands Barbie” (not sure if that was her real name but her hands opened and closed so she could hold things so I called her that), as well as “Barbie Sweet 16”, “Malibu Barbie” (with the purple sunglasses), and the Barbie townhouse and Barbie’s Country Camper. I found reading the story of the real designers behind Barbie such an interesting look into history. Ruth Handler, creator of Mattel, really was incredibly savvy as a businesswoman. She was ahead of her time. And I found the self-destructive genius of Jack Ryan really unforgettable.

Here’s the scoop on the novel. Thank you for my copy! I highly recommend it.

Description

THE USA TODAY BESTSELLER ∙ She was only eleven-and-a-half inches tall, but she would change the world. Barbie is born in this bold novel by USA Today bestselling author Renée Rosen.

As featured in The New York Post ∙ RuPaul’s Book Club ∙ Book Riot ∙ The Nerd Daily ∙ Chicago Review of Books ∙ and more!

“A fresh and fun take on Barbie lore…clever and satisfying.”—Shelby Van Pelt, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Remarkably Bright Creatures

When Ruth Handler walks into the boardroom of the toy company she co-founded and pitches her idea for a doll unlike any other, she knows what she’s setting in motion. It might just take the world a moment to catch up.

In 1956, the only dolls on the market for little girls let them pretend to be mothers. Ruth’s vision for a doll shaped like a grown woman and outfitted in an enviable wardrobe will let them dream they can be anything.

As Ruth assembles her team of creative rebels—head engineer Jack Ryan who hides his deepest secrets behind his genius and designers Charlotte Johnson and Stevie Klein, whose hopes and dreams rest on the success of Barbie’s fashion—she knows they’re working against a ticking clock to get this wild idea off the ground.

In the decades to come—through soaring heights and devastating personal lows, public scandals and private tensions— each of them will have to decide how tightly to hold on to their creation. Because Barbie has never been just a doll—she’s a legacy.

Includes a Reader’s Guide and Exclusive Vintage Barbie Photos!

About the Author (I need to read her other books!)

Renée Rosen is the USA Today bestselling author of Fifth Avenue Glamour Girl, The Social Graces, Park Avenue Summer, Windy City Blues, White Collar Girl, What the Lady Wants, and Dollface. Renée lives in Chicago.

Finding Flora by Elinor Florence

/ drbethnolan / Leave a comment

Elinor Florence is one of my favorite Canadian authors. Her books are generally historical fiction and feature strong, female protagonists. I’ve gotten to “know” Elinor through social media and she seems like a truly nice person who loves her heritage and her family.

I was very excited for her to send me her new novel Finding Flora, which publishes at the end of April. This novel centered on a young woman who was a sole, female homesteader in the Canadian West in the early 1900s. It was an interesting story, and I learned several new things about homesteading in Canada.

Here’s the scoop:

Description

A rollicking historical novel set in turn-of-the-century Alberta about a young woman on the run from her abusive husband who uses a legal loophole to claim a homestead in the Wild West—perfect for fans of Outlawed and The Giver of Stars.

Scottish newcomer Flora Craigie jumps from a moving train in 1905 to escape her abusive husband. Desperate to disappear, she claims a homestead on the beautiful but wild Alberta prairie, determined to create a new life for herself. She is astonished to find that her nearest neighbours are also female: a Welsh widow with three children; two American women raising chickens; and a Métis woman who supports herself by training wild horses.

While battling both the brutal environment and the local cynicism toward female farmers, the five women with their very different backgrounds struggle to find common ground. But when their homes are threatened with expropriation by a hostile government, they join forces to “fire the heather,” a Scottish term meaning to raise a ruckus. To complicate matters, there are signs that Flora’s violent husband is still hunting for her. And as the competition for free land along the new Canadian Pacific Railway line heats up, an unscrupulous land agent threatens not only Flora’s livelihood, but her very existence.

Not only Flora, but her female homesteader friends were all interesting characters and I was cheering them on during this story. I was so glad to have a chance to read this novel and I can say with certainty that I do NOT have what it takes to be a strong female on the prairies like the women featured in this book!

Thank you, Elinor, for sharing your work with me – and for teaching this American a bit about Canadian history!

Harper-Collins Blog Tour for Midnight in Soap Lake by Matthew Sullivan

/ drbethnolan / Leave a comment

I’m happy today to be bringing you this novel; it was an engaging read by a new author to me. It was part mystery that is current day, but with tie-ins to the past that were integral to the plot and the over all mystery of the lake. There were family secrets, murder, missing children, and a lake that held secrets of its own. I really liked the characters in this story and the overall “quirkiness” of the setting (though based on a real place – lava lamp plans and all!). Don’t miss the author’s note at the end.

Thank you for my copy and for making me part of the tour!

MIDNIGHT IN SOAP LAKE

Author: Matthew Sullivan

Publication Date: April 15, 2025

Publisher: Harlequin Trade Publishing / Hanover Square Press

Buy Links: NOT affiliated with BBNB

HarperCollins: https://www.harpercollins.com/products/midnight-in-soap-lake-matthew-sullivan?variant=43103022350370 

BookShop.org: https://bookshop.org/a/397/9781335041791

Barnes & Noble: http://aps.harpercollins.com/hc?isbn=9781335041791&retailer=barnesandnoble  

Amazon: https://www.amazon.ca/s?k=9781335041791&tag=hcg-02-20 

Social Links:

Author Website: http://matthewjsullivan.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mickmatthew1/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/matthew.j.sullivan.77/ 

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5690035.Matthew_J_Sullivan 

Book Summary: 

A lake with mysterious properties. A town haunted by urban legend. Two women whose lives intersect in terrifying ways. Welcome to Soap Lake, a town to rival Twin Peaks and Stephen King’s Castle Rock.

When Abigail agreed to move to Soap Lake, Washington for her husband’s research she expected old growth forests and craft beer, folksy neighbors and the World’s Largest Lava Lamp. Instead, after her husband jets off to Poland for a research trip, she finds herself alone, in a town surrounded by desert, and haunted by its own urban legends.

But when a young boy runs through the desert into Abigail’s arms, her life becomes entwined with his and the questions surrounding his mother Esme’s death. In Abigail’s search for answers she enlists the help of a recovering addict-turned-librarian, a grieving brother, a broken motel owner, and a mentally-shattered conspiracy theorist to unearth Esme’s tragic past, the town’s violent history, and the secret magic locked in the lake her husband was sent there to study.

As she gets closer to the answers, past and present crimes begin to collide, and Abigail finds herself gaining the unwelcome attention of the town’s unofficial mascot, the rubber-suited orchard stalker known as TreeTop, a specter who seems to be lurking in every dark shadow and around every shady corner.

A sweeping, decade-spanning mystery brimming with quirky characters, and puzzle hunt scenarios, Midnight in Soap Lake is a modern day Twin Peaks—a rich, expansive universe that readers will enter and never forget.

Author Bio:

Matthew Sullivan is the beloved author of Midnight at the Bright Ideas Bookstore, an Indie Next Pick, B&N Discover pick, a GoodReads Choice Award finalist and winner of the Colorado Book Award. He received his MFA from the University of Idaho and has been a resident writer at Yaddo, Centrum, and the Vermont Studio Center. His short stories have been awarded the Robert Olen Butler Fiction Prize and the Florida Review Editors’ Award for Fiction. His writing has been featured in the New York Times Modern Love column, The Daily Beast, and Shelf Awareness amongst others.