In a luminous and sensitive debut, Stacia M. Brown brings to life a love affair, a mystery and a murder trial, all set against the turbulent backdrop of Oliver Cromwell's England. It's 1649, and the realm is under Puritan law. When glove-maker Rachel Lockyer's employer spies Rachel burying a dead newborn, she assumes the worst and reports Rachel to the authorities.

Accused of infanticide in a legal system where the burden of proof rests on the defendant, Rachel's silence before investigator Thomas Bartwain only worsens her situation. While Bartwain cannot tell if Rachel is unwilling or unable to tell her story, the lack of evidence in her favor prevents him from releasing her. Rachel's public trial will draw in the people around her with cyclonic force, causing them to question the law and their own morals. Meanwhile, Rachel's history slowly unfolds through flashbacks to her love affair with married political activist William Walwyn, juxtaposing the stolen happiness of her affair with the inhumane conditions in the women's ward at Newgate Prison.

Brown deftly evokes the double standards inherent in the infant-murder laws and the enormous difficulty faced by any woman accused of that crime, allowing her characters to struggle with these issues, never resorting to preaching to make the point. While the dialogue occasionally feels too modern, Brown's spare, lyrical style delights, and the story's elements are nothing if not authentic.

With cross-genre appeal to fiction and mystery lovers alike, Accidents of Providence will leave readers moved and deeply aware of our society's progress in women's rights. --Jaclyn Fulwood, graduate assistant, University of Oklahoma Libraries

Rich with ham-faced Russian bureaucrats, vodka, Siberian pines and, most notably, Soviet optimism at mid-20th century, Francis Spufford's innovatively styled novel Red Plenty combines complex economic theory with snapshots of ordinary people dealing in different ways with the hopes and realities of central planning. What could have been a dry economics lesson is entertaining and intriguing, buoyed by Spufford's unusual, fully realized characters and settings, treated with a sense of tragedy and farce and a refreshingly fair approximation of the scale of the failed Soviet Union's ambitions.

Unlike politically focused post-mortems, Red Plenty examines not militarism and oppression, but the massive effort of planning and meeting all the consumer needs of the gigantic U.S.S.R. To imagine the inside of the Soviet bureaucracy, Spufford mixes real characters like Leonid Vitalevich Kantorovich (whose theories on resource allocation would eventually win the Nobel Prize in economics) with imagined characters like Galina, a student who, on Party orders, heckles an American emissary during an exhibition of consumer goods. 

By beginning and ending Red Plenty with Nikita Khrushchev, the leader who saw a future in which socialism would bring his citizens all they needed and more, Spufford invites the reader to see the Soviet premier as analogous of the Soviet experiment itself: a bumpkin with a bad temper who, for a moment, seemed to be on the precipice of showing the tired, hungry world a better way to live, but was brought down by small minds and the memory of his own bloodied hands. --Cherie Ann Parker, freelance journalist and book critic

After losing her husband and son in a car crash, concert pianist Julia Forrester returns to Wharton Park, the English estate where her grandfather tended orchids for decades. Paralyzed by grief, Julia struggles to take an interest in anything, even Wharton Park's handsome new heir--until a diary found in her grandparents' house unlocks some unexpected secrets from the past.

Faced with Julia's questions, her grandmother spins a tale reaching back decades to the eve of the Second World War, when the heir to Wharton Park married a young socialite and then left to fight in the Pacific. His time as a prisoner of war in Singapore, and his convalescence in Bangkok, would affect his family's history for generations.

Riley skillfully moves her characters from England to Thailand and back again, drawing sharp contrasts between the two settings and giving richly detailed glimpses into time periods from the 1930s to the present day. The Orchid House has a few twists--one or two predictable, the others truly unexpected--and several love stories, each as fragile and yet tenacious as the orchids in Wharton Park's hothouses. As Julia learns more about her family's tangled history, she also finds the strength to move forward, returning to her music and opening her heart to the possibility of new love.

Full of family secrets, exotic flowers, tragedy and redemption, The Orchid House is a sweeping, poignant saga that will enthrall fans of The House at Riverton, Rebecca and Downton Abbey. --Katie Noah Gibson, blogger at Cakes, Tea and Dreams

As The Shadow Patrol, the sixth John Wells novel, begins, Alex Berenson's star agent is longer officially part of the C.I.A.. He still freelances for them, though, and at the director's personal request, he's off to investigate the Kabul office. Two years after a suicide bomber gutted the station, the C.I.A. is still struggling to get back on its feet and reestablish its contacts in Afghanistan.

John Wells--agent, killer, faithful Muslim--is always willing to do what he can for his government. Going undercover to find the source of the problems in the Kabul office, he hears rumors of drug smuggling, and as he follows the trail, his suspicions soon fall on a team of Delta Special Forces stationed at Kandahar Air Base. Convinced that the drug smuggling is linked to the problems in Kabul, John heads to Kandahar; unfortunately, both soldiers and Taliban are determined to stop his investigation permanently.

The Shadow Patrol is a fast-paced thriller with an insider's view of up-to-the-minute espionage techniques in Afghanistan and Pakistan. Refreshingly, Berenson's agents are all intelligent and quick-acting, determined to assist Wells in finding the source of the problems in Kabul. Through Wells's mission, Berenson explores what it means to be a soldier in a war that few support, and what the future of Afghanistan may be. --Jessica Howard, blogger at Quirky Bookworm

In Dana Stabenow's 19th Kate Shugak novel, Restless in the Grave, the Aleut private investigator joins forces with Stabenow's other series protagonist, Alaska state trooper Liam Campbell, as an airplane crash leaves a prominent businessman dead, and a fight between Campbell's wife and the victim has the town wondering if the crash was truly an accident. At Campbell's request, Shugak goes undercover to expose the truth--and clear his wife--only to find an unfathomable evil no one expected.

Stabenow weaves a complex mystery, with each chapter bringing a new discovery, a new layer, a new suspect. The constant plot development sustains the momentum throughout the novel, with the strongest push coming in the final quarter. Stabenow's characters--including a "ninja demon," his bar-owner girlfriend, and Mutt, Kate's half-wolf, half-husky sidekick--are colorful and humorous, even if they aren't always entirely believable. In exchange for giving the author a little latitude with reality, though, readers get plenty of entertainment.  

A cameo appearance from someone in Shugak's past leaves a few loose ends untied, hinting at what's to come in future installments of the series. Additionally, the natural fit that Shugak and Campbell have in this novel suggests it won't be the last time their paths cross.  

As one would expect with the 19th book in a series, the characters and plot lines have deep roots, but a lack of familiarity with either the Shugak or Campbell series should not deter readers from enjoying Restless in the Grave. --Jen Forbus of Jen's Book Thoughts

"I should have known that a woman doesn't pay you to go fishing without there being some kind of catch." This wisdom comes too late to save Sean Stranahan from the snares of a southern belle searching for her missing brother, but Keith McCafferty hits a bull's eye with Sean's story in his debut novel, The Royal Wulff Murders. A newly divorced transplant from New England in the throes of a precocious mid-life crisis, Stranahan moved to Montana to fish, paint and be a (preferably) retired private investigator. But when honey-tongued Velvet LaFayette offers him cash to locate her father's old fishing hole, he swallows her story hook, line and sinker--only to uncover a twisted plot of tainted trout and multiple murders most foul.

Bizarre occupational pairings for fictional sleuths are beyond passé as a way for new writers in the genre to make their niche, but--like bacon and brownies--Stranahan's odd mix of painter, P.I. and fly fisher works. It helps that McCafferty, an editor at Field & Stream, really knows his trout, and life in Bozeman has obviously acquainted him with the ways of Montana. He writes with both a love of nature and an obsession for detail common in the outdoorsman. Add the backwoodsy feminism of Sheriff Martha Ettinger, and the mystery is a good fit for enthusiasts of Nevada Barr who have read through all the Anna Pigeon novels. Packed with wilderness action and starring a band of stalwart individualists, The Royal Wulff Murders will have readers begging McCafferty for more. --Tom Lavoie, former publisher

Aric Davis's A Good and Useful Hurt starts off as a run-of-the-mill love story; not even its tattoo parlor setting makes it particularly distinctive. Boy (Mike) meets girl (Deb) and run said tattoo shop together; boy and girl establish their Grand Rapids location by drinking at the local microbrewery and visiting the public museum. About as interesting as unflavored yogurt so far. Oh, and there's a serial killer on the loose.

Then things become interesting. Quite by accident, Mike gets into the business of tattooing as a memorial service: incorporating the cremated ashes of customers' loved ones into their tattoos. He and Deb--and the reader--think it's just eccentric at first, until a twisted, tragic series of events leads them to discover an unsuspected power in the macabre art of cremated-ash tattoos. They might even be able to use their unlikely discovery to save a pair of unwitting and innocent lives--if time doesn't run out. As Mike's mentor puts it in the book's stark opening line, "F*ck art; this is war."

A Good and Useful Hurt is part thriller, part mystery and part love story, with an emotional vulnerability and enough action to keep the pages flying by. The denouement is as gruesome as it is unlikely, but it turns a deceptively unremarkable book into an unforgettable trip. --Dani Alexis Ryskamp, blogger at The Literary Cricket

In 2005, Lauren Willig's first novel, The Secret History of the Pink Carnation, introduced readers to an exclusive circle of dashing, Scarlet Pimpernel-esque British spies working under the subtle and inspired leadership of the wily Pink Carnation. Nine books in, the series continues to be as clever, witty and charming as ever.

The Garden Intrigue centers on the absurdly verbose Augustus Whittlesby, poet extraordinaire and secret agent for the British government. Despite being enamored of the Carnation herself, Augustus is thrown into a creative partnership with lively American expatriate Emma Delagardie. Emma's longstanding friendship with Hortense de Beauharnais, the step-daughter of Napoleon Bonaparte, provides Augustus with an opportunity to infiltrate the newly crowned emperor's inner circle, but as the two grow closer, they realize that affairs of state are not nearly as treacherous as affairs of the heart.

The historical romance is framed in the contemporary research of Eloise Kelly, an American graduate student in London, and this savvy, snarky modern heroine is every bit as appealing as her historical counterpart. Like its predecessors, The Garden Intrigue is a playful and vibrant read, and Willig's writing is some of the finest in the genre. It's not strictly necessary to be familiar with the other books in the series, but when they're this much fun to read, why wouldn't you start at the beginning? --Judie Evans, librarian

Since 1979, Peggielene Bartels had been living a quiet, productive life in Washington, D.C., as a secretary to the ambassador of Ghana. In 2008, however, she received an early morning phone call pronouncing her king of the sleepy fishing village of Otuam. Though born in Ghana, Bartels had not lived in the country since graduating from college and becoming a naturalized U.S. citizen; she hadn't even seen her uncle--the previous king--since the death of her mother in 1997. Her memories of Otuam were of a friendly village known for its kindness and harmony. After much deliberation, Peggy accepted the title, though she kept her job in D.C. since she knew the king of an impoverished fishing village would not receive a salary.

The town elders had intentionally chosen a woman living in the U.S. as their next ruler under the assumption that she would rule in absentia and kowtow to the elderly male council. Little did they know Peggy would embrace her role enthusiastically. Within two years, she'd orchestrated the development of two new sources of water (called "bores") and a future high school.

King Peggy is wildly entertaining and thoroughly engaging, and Peggy is a true modern hero as she battles her council of elders who try to maintain their old lifestyles of privilege and greed. King Peggy reminds readers that the truth is often stranger than fiction; King Peggy herself does not disappoint, neither as a ruler nor a storyteller. --Kristen Galles from Book Club Classics

Some people say true Londoners are born within the circle of the M25 motorway. Others say you're a Londoner if you've lived there for a "great deal of time." In search of 'true' Londoners, Craig Taylor spent five years interviewing scores of people, then turned those interviews into essays for Londoners: The Days and Nights of London Now--As Told by Those Who Love It, Hate It, Live It, Left It, and Long for It. It may have a long subtitle, but Londoners is a fast read, a collection of reflections on London from an astounding array of people. An interpreter, paramedic, artist, plumber, squatter, city official, illegal immigrant and a black cab driver are just a few of those represented. Some talk for pages, others for only paragraphs, but each gives us a glimpse of their London.

Some hate London for its grime, its overcrowding and its impersonality. Others love it for its vibrancy and endless possibilities. Many have lived there for decades, others a few months. Love it or hate it, these people are all passionate about London.

Unlike Paris or Washington, D.C., London is an unplanned city, always changing as new mingles with old. Taylor's interviewees reveal that evolving nature; their perspectives will cause your impression of the city to deepen and change as you read. A must-read for lovers of London (or for those who have always longed to go), Londoners is a beautiful portrait of a one-of-a-kind city. --Jessica Howard, blogger at Quirky Bookworm

Even reluctant middle-grade readers will devour Patricia Lakin's (the Max & Mo series) biography of Steve Jobs--a fascinating portrait of a kid who breaks nearly every rule and yet rises to astronomical heights.

Lakin describes him as "a little terror in elementary school, a first-class prankster, and a college dropout" who grew up to lead "one of the world's most innovative companies [and also was] revered for his brilliant creations." She follows his life chronologically, and consistently demonstrates how young Steve learned in unorthodox ways. He bristled at authority, even chafing at one of his buddy and future Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak's favorite teachers, a former Navy pilot, because the man was so strict. But he also learned by example--as when he worked side-by-side with his mechanically dextrous father. Paul Jobs taught Steve the importance of precision and care of a mechanism's parts, "whether the part showed or not"--the essence of all Apple products.

Similarly, Lakin conveys the early yin and yang of what would characterize Wozniak and Jobs's connection throughout their association with the "Blue Box" story. Wozniak showed Jobs how he could illegally make long-distance calls with an electronic device. Jobs suggested they profit from it--Wozniak the inventor, Jobs the marketing man. These stories may not be new to adults, but they will be to fourth-graders. What Lakin does for young readers is to, as Jobs put it, "connect the dots"-- to demonstrate to young people how his experiences and passions shaped Jobs all along the way. --Jennifer M. Brown, children's editor, Shelf Awareness

In a biography cleverly framed by the structure of Steve Jobs's commencement speech to the 2005 graduating class from Stanford University, Karen Blumenthal (Six Days in October: The Stock Market Crash of 1929) takes a balanced view of the charismatic founder of Apple.

Like Lakin's biography (above), Blumenthal hits on the key people and events that shaped Steve Jobs. But because Blumenthal's audience is young adults, she also lays bare many of his flaws, along with his achievements. The details of his life juxtaposed with his advice to Stanford's graduates create opportunities for readers' contemplation and self-examination. The author exposes painful episodes such as his periodic estrangement from his daughter, Lisa, and a disputed monetary bonus split with Steve Wozniak after a project they did with Atari in their youth. Abundant technical, business and personal details make this biography attractive to kids with a wide array of interests. Sidebars, a timeline that maps out Jobs's career and a generous number of photographs add visual interest. (A wry "Apple vs. Apple" sidebar incorporates allusions to Beatles lyrics to illustrate an ongoing feud between Apple the computer company and the Beatles' company, Apple Corps.)

Blumenthal's thought-provoking biography asks us to consider the total "man who thought different," the choices he made and his foibles along with his strengths. No one achieves the success he did without giving up some things, too. Jobs was not much older than Blumenthal's audience when he began his meteoric rise; the author invites readers to pause and consider how our choices shape who we become. --Jennifer M. Brown, children's editor, Shelf Awareness