Win the February ’16 bookshelf of signed thrillers!

February 1, 2016

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Happy February! Whatever the groundhog says, winter is always a good time for reading. I’m giving away some great books this month, all autographed by the authors. Don’t forget to check back…you never know when new titles will be added. To enter, go to the Win Books page. Best of luck!

FIND HER by Lisa Gardner is the latest entry into the terrific D.D. Warren series. Boston detective Warren has her hands full when she is called to the scene of a crime—a dead man and the bound, naked woman who killed him, and she has to determine if the woman is a victim or a vigilante.

Amanda Jaffe is back in VIOLENT CRIMES by Phillip Margolin. In this mesmerizing tale of suspense, attorney Amanda Jaffe becomes entangled in a murder case involving Big Oil, an estranged father and son, and the greatest ethical dilemma of her career .

Japanese antiques dealer and PI Jim Brodie goes up against the CIA, FBI, Department of Homeland Security—and a killer operating on both sides of the Pacific in PACIFIC BURN by Barry Lancet.

RIVER ROAD by Carol Goodman is the latest from the award-winning author of The Lake of Dead Languages. River Road is a chilling new psychological thriller about a professor accused of killing her favorite student in a hit-and-run accident.

From the author of Ruins of War comes an electrifying novel featuring U.S. Army criminal investigator Mason Collins, set in the chaos of post-World War II Germany in Spoils of Victory by John A. Connell.

ICE CHEST by J.D. Rhoades is a smart, sexy and hilarious heist novel about a crew of thieves who attempt to steal the world’s most valuable jewels from the world’s most valuable body.

Sinners, whores, and sluts beware–your time is at hand: a faceless menace is threatening lingerie models on a cross country tour, and Ethan Brodie is there to defend and protect in INTO THE FURY by Kat Martin.

SUMMIT LAKE by Charlie Donlea is a fabulous debut novel that Catherine Coulter called, “A gem of a mystery, fast-paced and suspenseful.” Steve Berry said, “An exciting debut, with all the right touches, captivating from the first page to the last.  There’s a bright future ahead for this newcomer to the thriller genre — definitely a talent to watch.”

 

You can win autographed copies of all these books! If you are new to the site, each month I run a contest in conjunction with the International Thriller Writers organization. We put together a list of books from debut authors to bestsellers, so you can win some of your favorites and find some new favorites.

What makes this contest really special is that all of the books (except eBooks) are signed by the author! Books with multiple authors will be signed by at least one of the authors.

Don’t forget, if you subscribe to the newsletter or follow this blog, you get an extra entry into every contest you enter. Check out the Win Books  page for more information on all these books and how you to enter this month’s contest.

Thanks for reading, and good luck!


THE FORGOTTEN ROOM by Karen White, Beatriz Williams & Lauren Willig

January 30, 2016
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Olive Van Alan, Lucy Young, and Kate Schuyler – three generations of women all connected to one grand mansion and a mystery that stretches through decades of war and change.

In 1892, Olive Van Alan takes a position working in the grand Pratt mansion. Olive, the daughter of the very architect who designed the building, is on a mission that involves finding evidence that her father was cheated out of his pay and career by the Pratts. But then Olive begins to fall for the youngest member of the Pratt dynasty. THE FORGOTTEN ROOM by Karen White, Beatriz Williams & Lauren Willig

In 1920, Lucy Young rents an attic room in Stornaway House. But Lucy knows the building as her mother did, as the Pratt mansion. Lucy doesn’t know her mother’s exact connection to the home, but taking a position at the law office of Cromwell, Polk, and Moore brings her one step closer to the answers she seeks.

In 1944, Kate Schuyler is a doctor working in Stornaway Hospital when young Captain Ravenel is brought in as a patient. Ravenel immediately recognizes Kate, or seems to, though Kate has never laid eyes on the man. What’s more, he calls her Victorine.

The connections between these three women and the stories that have led each of them to their current positions are all part of the tale, and it’s one that the three authors have woven together almost seamlessly. I’m impressed at how fluidly the narrative works – chapters alternate between the three women and I can only assume that each of the authors handled a particular character/story line a piece. And while each character had their own voice and personality, at no point did it feel as though the story had been penned by three different authors.

The Forgotten Room is highly enjoyable and definitely one I’d recommend to fans of historical fiction, WWII historical fiction in particular considering it’s Kate who kicks off the tale.

1/16 Becky LeJeune

THE FORGOTTEN ROOM by Karen White, Beatriz Williams & Lauren Willig. NAL (January 19, 2016).  ISBN 978-0451474629. 384p.


SHADE ME by Jennifer Brown

January 29, 2016
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Merriam-Webster defines synesthesia as: a concomitant sensation; especially :  a subjective sensation or image of a sense (as of color) other than the one (as of sound) being stimulated

For Nikki Kill, her synesthesia manifests not only in the form of colors associated with numbers and letters, but with feelings as well. In other words, it makes her something of an emotional barometer for those around her. Not that she always understood that, though. And it certainly has made it hard to concentrate all her life, making her a not so great student. It’s while she’s supposed to be studying that she receives two strange phone calls. The first, from an unknown number, ends shortly after the caller says her name. The second is from the hospital where an unidentified teen with just Nikki’s number in her cell has been brought in after being found beaten unconscious.

The girl is Peyton Hollis, daughter of a famous Hollywood figure and his gorgeous wife. Not a friend of Nikki’s at all. In fact, the only thing they have in common is that they attend the same school. Nikki can’t possibly imagine why Peyton would have called her or why hers would be the only number Peyton has in her phone. But she soon realizes that Peyton seemed to have expected something of this sort to happen. And she’d been leaving clues for some time. Clues only someone like Nikki would be able to recognize. Nikki has no idea where the clues will lead her, but she’s driven to find out why Peyton singled her out and determined to solve the mystery of her assault no matter what.

Synesthesia may be rare but it is quite real. And it’s fascinating how it manifests in different people. They can see sound, feel or hear color, or, as is Nikki’s case, see colors associated with numbers and letters. Hers is a double whammy in that she gets to also see colors associated with the emotions of those around her. So she’s quick to realize that Peyton’s tattoo, photography, and even paraphernalia left behind in the wake of her injury are meant to spark a reaction from a synesthete. And since Nikki was the last person Peyton mysteriously reached out to, it’s obvious the synesthete in question is Nikki herself.

The clues introduce Nikki to the dark underbelly of her town. It’s a town full of elites and Hollywood types, but one not immune to crime and the list of suspects who could have attacked Peyton grows with every discovery. Turns out the teen had quite a few enemies ranging from her band mates, friends, family, and beyond.

Shade Me unfolded in a way that kind of surprised me. I couldn’t have guessed at the beginning how the story would end. Nor did I realize it’s the first in a projected series. It’ll be interesting to see just how Nikki’s story continues to play out, but this first outing is a great start for sure.

1/16 Becky LeJeune

SHADE ME by Jennifer Brown.  Katherine Tegen Books (January 19, 2016).  ISBN 978-0062324436. 448p.


THE OUTLANDISH COMPANION by Diana Gabaldon

January 28, 2016

Several Outlandish Reviews

The Outlandish Companion: Companion to Outlander, Dragonfly in Amber, Voyager, and Drums of Autumn.  In Which Much is Revealed Regarding Outlander, Dragonfly in Amber, Voyager, and Drums of Autumn (and Their Author), Including Detailed Synopses, Commentary, Controversy, Glossaries, Bibliographies, and Genealogies, TV Shows, and Other Useful Information.

AND

The Outlandish Companion Volume Two: The Companion to The Fiery Cross, A Breath of Snow and Ashes, An Echo in the Bone, and Written in My Own Heart’s Blood. In Which Much More is Revealed Regarding The Fiery Cross, A Breath of Snow and Ashes, An Echo in the Bone, and Written in My Own Heart’s Blood, Including Detailed Synopses, Maps, Medical Procedures, Chronologies and Highly Opinionated Essays by the Author.

Outlander Season One

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I had the first one, so I was thrilled to learn that the original Outlandish Companion has been revised and updated. If you are a fan of the books, or the Starz TV series, and like me, both (!) then you need to buy these books. There is a ton of information and I have to say, I enjoy every page. But then again, I’m slightly obsessed.

I’ve read all the books more than once. I’ve also listened to the audio books, which I highly recommend. The reader, Davina Porter, is fantastic. Listening to a good audio book narrator truly enhances the book, and I got that with Jim Dale and the Harry Potter books. I am happy to say that Porter also does that, and I enjoyed listening almost more than reading them myself. To hear all the names pronounced correctly, and hear the Gaelic the way it actually sounds instead of how it sounds in my head, is a gift.

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Finally, I wanted to mention that there is now a beautiful Outlander Coloring Book! For all you adult coloring fiends, break out your colored pencils and get busy.

Book 1:

#1 New York Times bestselling author Diana Gabaldon has captivated millions of readers with her critically acclaimed Outlander novels, the inspiration for the Starz original series. From the moment Claire Randall stepped through a standing stone circle and was thrown back in time to the year 1743—and into a world that threatens life, limb, loyalty, heart, soul, and everything else Claire has—readers have been hungry to know everything about this world and its inhabitants, particularly a Scottish soldier named Jamie Fraser.
 
In this beautifully illustrated compendium of all things Outlandish, Gabaldon covers the first four novels of the main series, including:

• full synopses of Outlander, Dragonfly in Amber, Voyager, and Drums of Autumn
• a complete listing of the characters (fictional and historical) in the first four novels in the series, as well as family trees and genealogical notes
• a comprehensive glossary and pronunciation guide to Gaelic terms and usage
• The Gabaldon Theory of Time Travel, explained
• frequently asked questions to the author and her (sometimes surprising) answers
• an annotated bibliography
• essays about medicine and magic in the eighteenth century, researching historical fiction, creating characters, and more
• professionally cast horoscopes for Jamie and Claire
• the making of the TV series: how we got there from here, and what happened next (including “My Brief Career as a TV Actor”)
• behind-the-scenes photos from the Outlander TV series set

For anyone who wants to spend more time with the Outlander characters and the world they inhabit, Diana Gabaldon here opens a door through the standing stones and offers a guided tour of what lies within.

Book 2:

More than a decade ago, #1 New York Times bestselling author Diana Gabaldon delighted her legions of fans with The Outlandish Companion, an indispensable guide to all the Outlander books at the time. But that edition was just a taste of things to come. Since that publication, there have been four more Outlander novels, a side series, assorted novellas, and one smash-hit Starz original television series. Now Gabaldon serves up The Outlandish Companion, Volume Two, an all-new guide to the latest books in the series.

Written with Gabaldon’s signature wit and intelligence, this compendium is bursting with generous commentary and juicy insider details, including

• a complete chronology of the series thus far
• full synopses of A Fiery Cross, A Breath of Snow and Ashes, An Echo in the Bone, andWritten in My Own Heart’s Blood
• recaps of the Lord John Grey novels: Lord John and the Private Matter, Lord John and the Brotherhood of the Blade, Lord John and the Hand of Devils, and The Scottish Prisoner
• a who’s who of the cast of Outlander characters, cross-referenced by book
• detailed maps and floor plans
• a bibliographic guide to research sources
• essays on subjects as wide ranging as Outlandish controversies regarding sex and violence, the unique responsibilities of a writer of historical fiction, and Gabaldon’s writing process
• a guided tour of the clothes, food, and music of the eighteenth century
• a Scottish glossary and pronunciation guide
• personal photos from the author taken on the set of the Starz Outlander series

As entertaining, sweeping, and addictive as the series itself, this second volume of The Outlandish Companion is a one (or two)-of-a-kind gift from an incomparable author.

 


Can you judge a book by its cover?

January 27, 2016

From today’s guest blogger, Notting Hill Press!

image001It’s interesting to see how the same book is marketed differently depending on where its fans are based. Michele Gorman’s Match Me If You Can is published by Avon (Harper Collins) in the UK and by Notting Hill Press in the US. Avon took the lead in designing the marketing package for Michele’s UK chick lit fans, with a pretty teal cover, fun font and firm focus on the online dating/romance storylines in the book.

Meet best friends Catherine, Rachel and Sarah. Yet to find Mr Right, they’ve been settling for Mr Right Now. But when Catherine, London’s finest matchmaker, gets the girls to join her dating site where they can rate and recommend their ex-boyfriends, they soon realise that anything could happen… There’s someone for everyone, right? These best friends are about to find out!image003

To complement the UK cover, we at Notting Hill Press designed the US cover using the same fonts and heart motif. But something started to bother us. Match Me If You Can is also about strong women. It’s funny, cheeky, poignant and realistic. The women join the dating website and recycle their exes but their lives – their friendship, families and careers – are at the heart of the book. And while both British and American fans are definitely romantics, American readers are also really partial to a feisty story about friends.

We had to admit it: our hot pink cover didn’t seem quite right for Michele’s US fans. So we had a rethink about it, and here’s the result!

Meet best friends, Catherine, Rachel and Sarah. They’re fun, smart and successful, and haven’t had a date worth booking a wax appointment for in ages.

image005Catherine runs London’s most successful matchmaking business with her silent partner and ex-husband, Richard, who’s just announced that he’s marrying his twenty-three year-old girlfriend. Catherine has bras that are older than Magda, and now she’s barging in on their business with her meddlesome demands and wedding plans.

Architect Rachel’s got problems of her own. At work she’s competing against her ex-boyfriend, James, to win their biggest project and the promotion that comes with it. So when she joins Catherine’s website, RecycLove.com, where everyone brings an ex to recycle for the chance of an upgrade, she knows just who she’s going to trade in.

Homebody baker, Sarah, is in a rut thanks to family demands over the last few years. Reluctantly she joins RecycLove.com, where she’s convinced that some minor adjustments will improve her chances. But as minor adjustments turn into a complete overhaul and dates start falling at her newly-pedicured feet, will her popularity be worth the sacrifices she’s making?

A warm, funny story of friendship, strong women and self-discovery. Match us if you can, guys, but if not then please step aside and we’ll get on with being fabulous.

We hope you love the new cover and blurb as much as we do!

Sincerely,

Notting Hill Press

 


THE PIONEER WOMAN COOKS: DINNERTIME by Ree Drummond

January 26, 2016
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Comfort Classics, Freezer Food, 16-Minute Meals, and Other Delicious Ways to Solve Supper!

I love Ree Drummond. I love her story (read The Pioneer Woman: Black Heels to Tractor Wheels–a Love Story) and her Food Network series. Her cookbooks are hugely popular; in 2015, she pulled ahead of mega bestselling cookbook author Ina Garten, the Barefoot Contessa, with three of the top ten best selling cookbooks. According to Publisher’s Weekly, Drummond sold about 750,000 cookbooks in 2015! Life must be good on the ranch.

Dinnertime is her latest. Filled with more than 125 of her signature easy, step by step recipes and lots of pictures, this is sure to be another winner. The table of contents:

Breakfast for Dinner
Salad for Dinner
Soup for Dinner
Freezer Food
16-Minute Meals (take that. Rachael Ray!)
Pasta Pronto
Comfort Classics
New Favorites
Veggie Sides
Starchy Sides
Quick Desserts

Drummond also includes prep tips, conversion guides, shopping tips, and other helpful ideas. I noticed there were actual pictures of brand name pantry items, so I’m guessing product placement is now a lucrative sideline.

What’s wonderful about her recipes are the step-by-step pictures that she includes. So when you make Greek Yogurt Pancakes, you don’t have to guess at the consistency of the batter, you can see it. Not sure how big to make Ready-to-Go Freezer Meatballs? Just check out the size in the palm of her hand. Afraid of Chipotle and want to make your own Burrito Bowls? There are 19 pictures to help you out – plus one more of her dog swimming. Lots of ranch photos are interspersed, just in case you forget whose cookbook you are reading.

Most of the recipes include variations you can try, and it seems like most make a lot of food, about 8 servings or more. I tend to cut her recipes in half for my family of 3, and that is still plenty. My friend Judy swears by her Cajun Chicken Pasta, but I wasn’t thrilled. I am not a fan of opening jars and bottles, so that leaves out a lot of her recipes. She also favors adding sugar to a lot of recipes, and with a diabetic husband, I avoid that, too.

While I am not enamored of this cookbook, I can certainly understand why so many people are. The Los Angeles Times selected it as one of 27 best cookbooks of 2015, and it was the Goodreads 2015 Choice Award Winner in cookbooks.

1/16 Stacy Alesi, AKA the BookBitch™

THE PIONEER WOMAN COOKS: DINNERTIME by Ree Drummond. William Morrow Cookbooks; First Edition edition (October 20, 2015). ISBN 978-0062225245. 400p.


COLD-HEARTED RAKE by Lisa Kleypas

January 24, 2016
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Lisa Kleypas writes romance, both contemporary and historical. This one is historical, and terrific!

Devon Ravenel has inherited an earldom from his cousin, which he is none too happy about. The earldom includes a large estate that has fallen into serious disrepair after years of neglect, along with substantial debt. The former Earl’s wife and sisters are living in the manse and Devon decides to visit, kick them all out and sell off all the property. But when he gets there, he finds it’s not as easy as he thought it would be.

For one thing, his cousin’s widow Kathleen is stunning, and gets under his skin immediately. They butt heads constantly, but eventually Devon decides to keep the property. He send his drunken brother out to find out exactly what needs to be done, and with Kathleen’s sharp tongue keeping him in check, and sober, the work begins.

Eventually the romance heats up, but Devon has a love ’em and leave ’em reputation, and Kathleen isn’t interested – or so she thinks. This is a fast paced romance filled with snarky humor, my favorite kind. I can’t wait for the next book in this series – Marrying Winterborne (May 2016.)

1/16 Stacy Alesi, AKA the BookBitch™

COLD-HEARTED RAKE by Lisa Kleypas. Avon (October 27, 2015). ISBN 978-0062371812. 416p.

Kindle


THE READERS OF BROKEN WHEEL RECOMMEND by Katarina Bivald

January 23, 2016
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This is the first book of the year that is sure to make my best books of 2016 list! Loved, loved, loved. Seriously.

Sara works in a bookshop in Sweden. She has been pen pals – letters written on actual paper – with Amy, an older woman in Broken Wheel, Iowa, a tiny, depressed town. They met online and started swapping books and a friendship was formed.

Sadly, the bookshop closes, and Amy invites Sara to come for a nice, long visit, and she does. But when she arrives in Broken Wheel, she is just in time to attend Amy’s funeral. The small town begs her to stay, and makes her feel welcome.

Eventually Amy falls in love with the town, and with Tom, Amy’s nephew. But theirs is a relationship fraught with doubts, misunderstandings and a sort of apathetic malaise. The town is full of interesting characters which truly bring this novel to life; George, a recovering alcoholic whose wife and daughter have left him; Grace, who runs the town’s only diner; Andy, who owns the town’s bar; John, the grocer and only black man in town and several others.

Everyone is so kind to Sara that she wants to do something nice for the town, so in one of the boarded up old stores, she opens a bookstore, stocking it with all of Amy’s books. This is not a town of readers, but Sara is convinced that there is a book for every person and she sets out to prove it.

Filled with tiny excerpts of classics and contemporary books, and many literary references, this book will appeal to anyone who loves books. It is a charming read, reminiscent of The Storied Life of A.J. Fikry by Gabrielle Zevin and I loved it. Don’t miss it!

1/16 Stacy Alesi, AKA the BookBitch™

THE READERS OF BROKEN WHEEL RECOMMEND by Katarina Bivald. Sourcebooks Landmark (January 19, 2016). ISBN 978-1492623441. 400p.

Kindle

 


SUMMER ON BLOSSOM STREET by Debbie Macomber

January 22, 2016
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Blossom Street #6

This is the 6th entry into this very gentle series, which of course I started with book 10. When I need something I know will be light, sweet and ultimately satisfying, I turn to Debbie Macomber. It encompasses everything Macomber readers expect; women’s friendship, sweet romance and knitting. The series is set in Seattle and centers around A Good Yarn, a knitting shop. I don’t knit but I envy those who do.

 

Lydia Goetz, owner of A Good Yarn, decides to offer an evening knitting class called “Knit to Quit.” She gets an interesting mix of people. Phoebe Rylander signs up in hopes of getting over her broken engagement. Her fiance was arrested for soliciting a hooker – for the second time. She took him back once before and despite her mother’s pushing, not to mention his need to always be in control and working hard to get her back, she won’t budge. She hopes the knitting will take her mind off of things.

Hutch took over his family’s chocolate business after his father died very suddenly, and very young, from a heart attack. His doctor warns him that he is heading down the same path and recommends he takes up knitting as a stress reducer, so Hutch joins the class. And Alix Turner joins to try and help her kick the smoking habit since she wants to have a baby.

The young widow, Anne Marie Roche, is finally happy to be settled with her adopted daughter Ellen. They are a small family, and when Tim comes by the bookshop asking about Ellen, Anne Marie gets her guard up.  Lydia and Brad decide they want to try and adopt a baby. Anne Marie loves being stepmother to Brad’s young son Cody, but two rounds of brain cancer left her unable to have her own so they hook up with a social worker to try and adopt. While they are waiting, a 12 year old girl needs immediate placement in a foster home so they take her in, which causes a bit of strain on the family.

All these women are friends, and their relationships and the budding romance between Phoebe and Hutch make for an interesting and enjoyable read.

I listened to the audiobook version of this book and it was completely captivating and entertaining, despite the reader. Narrated by the single-named Delilah, who I did not love, to say the least. Delilah is quite the actress, or at least thinks she is, but was completely over the top here. Not to mention reading the same line twice on more than one occasion, and even worse, mispronunciations – I was especially annoyed when a thriller reader in the story was reading Brad “Metzler” books, who I happen to know as Brad MELTZER! Twice she called him Metzler. Arggh! I am very glad a different narrator does some of the later books, I won’t be listening to any more Delilah if I can help it.

1/16 Stacy Alesi, AKA the BookBitch

BLOSSOM STREET BRIDES by Debbie Macomber. Ballantine Books (March 31, 2015). ISBN 978-0345528865. 432p.

Kindle

Paperback


LEVIATHAN WAKES by James S. A. Corey

January 21, 2016
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The invention of the Epstein Drive made it possible for humanity to spread beyond Earth. Now there are stations and colonies stretching from our planet to Mars. Joe Miller is a cop on Ceres, one of the stations that houses the Belters, workers born off world and recognized by their lanky forms and unique dialects. Miller has been hired to find a girl whose last known address was Ceres itself until she seemingly vanished, ignoring all attempts at contact from her lunar-based parents. The job is an easy one, an off-books one too. But when the investigation changes from a simple wayward young adult to one Miller suspects has deeper ramifications, he’s told to back off.

At the same time, an ice hauler about to return from its latest job answers a distress beacon that turns out to be something much more menacing. Jim Holden, XO of the Canterbury, leads the rescue attempt and barely manages to escape with his ship and team intact when the Cant is destroyed. Holden and his team’s discovery on the abandoned Scopuli and witness to the Canterbury’s destruction make them prime targets for those responsible but revealing what they know could lead to all out war between Earth and Mars.

This first in The Expanse series is a whopper of a read, one that crosses genre borders and boundaries with ease. A science fiction epic and first in what George R. R. Martin calls a “…kickass space opera…” Leviathan Wakes is also part noir mystery and part horror.

Miller, a cop with a definite chip on his shoulder, bucks authority and bends the rules at will. He becomes obsessed with finding this girl, imagining that through his investigation he’s gotten to know her and has built a connection with her that’s more intimate than any he shares with his colleagues or acquaintances. Of course when told to back off he’s going to ignore it, he’s stubborn and bullheaded just like all of his noir detective predecessors.

In Holden, the authors have built a character who is in many ways the polar opposite of Miller. The rules are there for a reason, justice and right will prevail, and Holden will do anything he can to ensure this remains the case. As narrators go, they provide the reader with two very different views of the world of The Expanse. Miller is a Belter through and through. Holden is military and was born on Earth. The only piece missing so far is Mars.

I have to say, I am absolutely loving the series and the current Syfy TV adaptation as well.

1/16 Becky LeJeune

LEVIATHAN WAKES by James S. A. Corey. Orbit; First Edition edition (June 15, 2011).  ISBN 978-0316129084 592p.