Two Short e Reads From St. Martins

St. Martin's has a couple of bridge/prequels out for the upcoming Chevy Stevens and Linda Castillo releases, Always Watching and Her Last Breath - both due out June 18. They're short so I figured I'd just do the two of them together in one post today.

First up "The Other Side" by Chevy Stevens.

The Campsite Killer case has been dragged out for quite some time but the recent discovery that the killer fathered a child with his one surviving victim has given the police hope of finally catching him. The case hits a little too close to home for Staff Sergeant Sandy McBride, though, bringing up bad memories of her own mother's murder. And while Sandy herself was witness to the event - her own father brutally killed her mother while the young girl hid in the bedroom closet - her father disappeared and the case was never closed.

This one is more of a bridge and refresher for Stevens fans. The upcoming Always Watching features Dr. Nadine Lavoie, the therapist from both Still Missing and Never Knowing. "The Other Side" is told from the perspective of Sandy McBride, one of the officers on the Campsite Killer case in Never Knowing, touching on some of the events of that previous release but also going into much more detail about Sandy herself. Considering it's been a couple of years since Never Knowing hit shelves, it was a nice refresher course and a fun little short as well. And while Nadine is only a tiny part of the story, "The Other Side" is a nice way to jar the memories of both of Stevens' previous stories just in time for Nadine's starring role in Always Watching.

In Linda Castillo's "Long Lost,"Kate Burkholder and John Tomasetti are taking a much needed two day vacation when they learn that the B&B they're staying at is supposedly haunted. The ghost is said to be that of a girl who went missing over twenty years earlier and while they're supposed to be off the clock, Kate can't help but be intrigued by the old case. She and a reluctant Tomasetti decide to offer their help but can they solve the mystery that has eluded officials for so long?

This one was really fun. It doesn't tie into any of the other series installments at all, it's simply an extra little story featuring the two series leads. Fans of the series will enjoy this extra little outing while waiting to get their hands on Her Last Breath.

Both shorts are out now but only available in e format. They each include an excerpt of the respective author's upcoming release as well.

Pre Pub Book Buzz -- Pray For Silence by Linda Castillo

Last year, author Linda Castillo exploded onto the thriller scene with Sworn to Silence. No stranger to the suspense scene, Sworn to Silence proved to be her breakout title for new fans. Now, Castillo returns with Pray for Silence, the highly anticipated follow-up in the series. Set for release 6/22, Pray for Silence brings readers once again to the heart of Amish country with Kate Burkholder and her team. Here's some info from the publisher:

Kate Burkholder grew up in the Amish community of Painters Mill, Ohio, before leaving for the outside world and the study of law enforcement. Appointed Chief of Police in her former hometown, her knowledge of the Amish, their language and customs, makes her able to straddle two very different worlds. It’s been ten months since Kate Burkholder and BCI agent John Tomasseti solved the Slaughterhouse Murders Case and put the Amish and “English” residents of Painters Mill at ease. And as Kate and John keep each other at arm’s length, allowing their dark pasts to get the best of them, Kate is summoned to a brutal crime scene in the middle of the night—the murder of an entire Amish family.

The sight that will have the strongest affect on Kate is that of the two teenaged daughters, whose tortured bodies are found in the barn.

When Kate discovers a diary, she realizes a haunting personal connection to the case. One of the girls had been manipulated and abused—and may have led a secret double life. As Kate’s anger grows so does her resolve to find the killer and bring him to justice.

With this chilling new entry in the series, Linda Castillo once again immerses us in the mysterious world of the Amish with a story that manages to top her own bestselling debut thriller.

Castillo has already proven herself to be a true talent with fast-paced suspense and edge-of-your-seat plot lines. The return to Kate and Painters Mill is definitely a welcome one in my opinion. I've been dying to see what happens next with these characters and am completely fascinated by Castillo's setting.

Sworn to Silence is out now in paperback and Pray for Silence is due out 6/22. (If you've not read Sworn to Silence, I'll be posting something on Monday as part of my summer reading recs.)

Some more titles to look forward to

I could go on for weeks about the upcoming books that I'm excited about. Instead, I'll finish up today with some of the other highlights that are on my MUST HAVE list. 

First up is Cecelia Ahern's Thanks for the Memories due out on April 7. Believe it or not, I am a big chick-lit fan. When Helen Fielding's Bridget Jones's Diary hit shelves in 1998, I had to have it. It was one of the first hardcover books I purchased on my own. I loved it. I definitely have my favorites in the genre and Ahern has been one of them ever since I read PS I Love You. 

And then there's Louise Ure's Liars Anonymous, due out April 14. My first of Louise's books was last year's The Fault Tree (now out in paperback). Here characters and her setting are so well written that it left me literally thirsting for more. 

Next is Gillian Flynn's Dark Places, due out May 5. Flynn's dark and somewhat disturbing debut, Sharp Objects, was quite literally one of the best books I have ever read. I've been waiting patiently for this follow-up and now I am dying to read it. 

One of my favorite debuts last year was Tom Rob Smith's Child 44, a thriller and mystery set in Stalinist Russia. His follow-up, The Secret Speech, continues Leo Demidov's story and is due out on May 19. 

June 1 sees the release of the first title in Laura Caldwell's new trilogy, Red Hot Lies. Laura was on one of the ITW (international thriller writers) panels at LCC in '07 and talked about this project. I've been anxious to dig in ever since. 

I'm always on the hunt for new horror and the UK's Conrad Williams is one of my favorite new discoveries. His bleak, post apocalyptic title One hits shelves on June 9. International Horror Guild award winner, The Unblemished, was one of the most disturbingly strange horror novels I've read in ages. I have heard that One is even better!

A thriller that's been getting tons of buzz this year is Linda Castillo's Sworn to Silence, due out June 23. Castillo is the author of numerous previous award winning titles (and she really looks too young for all that accomplishment). Sworn promises to be one this summer's hottest thrillers.

And finally, The Girl Who Played with Fire by Stieg Larsson, out July 28, is the follow-up to what must be one of the most talked about debuts of 2008, The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo. Sadly, Larsson's trilogy is being published posthumously, so there is only one more book to round out the series.