I can’t remember if I mentioned that I recently subscribed to World Literature magazine. While I’m loving it so far, of course it is adding a crazy amount of books to my wishlist. As if I didn’t have enough already with all the books you guys talk about and publisher newsletters that I read. Ha. So this post is about some of the books that have recently gone on my wishlist. Most of these should be new or upcoming book releases.

The Ornatrix by Kate Howard. Cursed from birth by the bird-shaped blemish across her face, Flavia spends much of her life hidden from the outside world. Lonely and alienated even from her family, she sabotages her sister’s wedding in a fit of jealous rage and is exiled to serve in the convent of Santa Giuliana.Talk about lots of family drama. Sounds like a juicy read.

The Private Life of Mrs. Sharma by Ratika Kapur. Renuka Sharma is a dutiful wife, mother, and daughter-in-law holding the fort in a modest rental in Delhi while her husband tries to rack up savings in Dubai. Life is going as planned until the day she strikes up a conversation with an uncommonly self-possessed stranger at a Metro station. Who does she meet and how will Mrs. Sharma change?

Chronicle of the Murdered House by Lucio Cardoso. Set in the southeastern state of Minas Gerais, the novel relates the dissolution of a once proud patri­archal family that blames its ruin on the youngest son Valdo’s marriage to Nina—a vibrant, unpredictable, and incendiary young woman whose very existence seems to depend on the destruction of the household. Long considered one of the most important works of twentieth-century Brazilian literature it is finally available in English.

History of Wolves by Emily Fridlund. Fourteen-year-old Linda lives with her parents in the beautiful, austere woods of northern Minnesota, where their nearly abandoned commune stands as a last vestige of a lost counter-culture world. Isolated at home and an outlander at school, Linda is drawn to the enigmatic, attractive Lily and new history teacher Mr. Grierson.

The Borrowed by Chan Ho-Kei. Kwan Chun-dok, is a Hong Kong detective whose career spans fifty years of the territory’s history. Divided into six sections told in reverse chronological order—each of which covers an important case in Kwan’s career and takes place at a pivotal moment in Hong Kong history from the 1960s to the present day. Doesn’t this sound great?

Have you heard of some of these or already read them? I hope you guys have a wonderful weekend. I have a dear friend coming to town for a visit so I can’t wait to catch up with her!

“Dear Miss Rose, I am not a killer. I know the lawyer in you will be saying: evidence, give me evidence. And believe me, I can, lots of it. But for now, I make one simple appeal to the seeker of truth that I know you to be. I am an innocent man. Please help me. Sincerely yours, Hamish Wolfe.”

Daisy In Chains
By Sharon Bolton

The handsome and charismatic Doctor Hamish Wolfe is currently serving a life sentence at Parkhurst Prison for the deaths of three women but there are those who believe he is innocent. He receives plenty of letters from admirers and even has a group, the Wolfe Pack, who along with his mother are advocating for his release and to that end they reach out the Maggie Rose.

The reclusive lawyer is known for her skill in casting doubt on other similar cases to Wolfe’s and she has helped several men get their sentences overturned. Maggie Rose doesn’t have to believe that the men are innocent but if there is some shred of doubt in the cases and she thinks she can win, she’ll take on the challenge.

As Maggie begins a correspondence with Hamish, she is also crossing paths more frequently with Detective Pete Weston. He urges her to be careful and she wonders if maybe his case against Wolfe isn’t as iron-clad as he made it out to be.

Detective Weston is intrigued by Maggie and despite his better judgement he will work with Maggie not to free Hamish but to prove his case and stay close to Maggie. He doesn’t understand how a smart woman like Maggie can be lured by Wolfe but then again so many other women have fallen under his spell and that’s how they met their fateful end.

The story is shaped by letters, newspaper articles and several narrative voices to give the reader a glimpse from all angles of the Wolfe case. The character interactions are fascinating especially between Wolfe and Maggie, and if there was ever a thriller with lots of twists and turns this is it. Get your hands on this book, clear off your calendar and be drawn into this intense thriller.

Source: Advance Reading Copy