A library patron recently asked me to share the three best books I have read this year. The following three selections are available from the library in print or downloadable for free with your library card from OverDrive. If you haven’t tried OverDrive for your electronic devices yet, give us a call at the library (668-5275). We will be happy to help you get started. The Wife Between Us and The Life We Bury are also available on CD.
The Wife Between Us
by Greer Hendricks & Sarah Pekkanen
Vanessa was married to Richard. Emma is about to marry Richard. Vanessa is a jealous, angry ex-wife struggling with alcohol abuse. Or is she? Emma is a kind, gentle young woman frightened by Vanessa’s meddling. Or is she? Richard is a generous, protective gentleman trying to shield his fiancée. Or is he? And who is Nellie? You might assume that the story is a typical love triangle. It is instead a twisty, complex novel.
Sarah Pekkanen already had a handful of other titles to her credit and Greer Hendricks had been her editor when the two decided to work together on a book. They live in different cities and collaborate mainly electronically. Anonymous Girl, their next project, is due to be released in January, 2019.
The Life We Bury
by Allen Eskens
Joe Talbert is a struggling college student assigned to write a biograph of a complete stranger who is also elderly. He goes to a nursing home to find his subject and is introduced to Carl Iverson. Carl was convicted of raping and killing a 14-year-old girl. He
has been moved from prison to the nursing home due to his terminal cancer diagnosis. As Joe learns Carl’s history, which includes service in Vietnam, he comes to believe that Carl was wrongly convicted. We soon see Joe delving into the 30-year-old case and enlisting Max Rupert, a sympathetic police detective, the girl across the hall, and his autistic younger brother. There are car chases, unexpected suspects, and lots of references to towns and landmarks readers who are familiar with the Twin Cities and southwest Minnesota will recognize.
Allen Eskens is the author of three other novels. The Shadows We Hide will continue Joe’s story as he begins his first post college job as a cub reporter and stumbles in to another unsolved mystery – the murder of a man named Joseph Talbert. It is due to be released in November, 2018.
Queen of Hearts
by Kimmery Martin
This is a debut novel. It has been described as a cross between Grey’s Anatomy and Big Little Lies – a drama with a medical backdrop and characters with lots of hidden secrets and connections.
Zadie and Emma are two successful doctors. They have been best friends since they met in medical school and believe they know everything about each other. They have supported each other through all kinds of circumstances. There is an unexpected professional crisis and the reappearance of an old love. Secrets are revealed and we are left to wonder if that friendship will unravel or if forgiveness is possible.
Kimmery Martin says she is a writer, a book reviewer, and a professional literary nerd. She is also an emergency medical doctor. Hopefully we can look forward to more from her soon.
