The Ghostwriter A Novel by Julie Clark

 

 The Ghostwriter: A Novel by Julie Clark. Sourcebooks/Landmark, 2025. Adult fiction. Mystery.

Olivia Dumont has spent the better part of her life trying to understand her family. Her father, horror writer Vincent Taylor, is declining in health and hires Julie to ghost write his real story.  As a teen, Vincent lost both his siblings, Poppy and Danny, to murder. Although Vincent had an alibi, he has long been suspected as the one who killed them. Now, Olivia returns to her hometown, to the house where the murders took place, and to demons people only imagine.  Can she find the truth? Can she live with the truth?

Unique stories seem to be Clark's forte. If you have not read The Last Flight, try it, too! Two women, meeting at an airport, change places. Their flight goes down. Only one survives. Everything changes...

 

The Woman in Suite 11 by Ruth Ware

  The Woman in Suite 11 by Ruth Ware. Scout Press, an imprint of Simon & Schuster, 2025. Mystery. Adult fiction.

     If you liked Ruth Ware's twisty thriller The Woman in Cabin 10, you will probably like this one. Lo Blacklock is back after ten years, a marriage, and two children. She is trying to revamp her travel writing career and when she is invited to be a guest at a lush resort in Switzerland, she takes the chance to get an interview with the mysterious, wealthy owner. But, as you might expect, nothing is simple. Some of the guests are familiar, Lo is soon caught in dubious decision making, and, of course, there is a murder. 

 

The Last Dance of the Debutante by Julia Kelly

 

The Last Dance of the Debutante by Julia Kelly. Gallery Books, 2021. Adult historical fiction.

Until 1959, wealthy girls dressed in white and were "presented" to the Queen of England to herald the announcement of their presence in society. A series of teas, parties, and balls followed so that the girls could meet "the right" people and be seen by eligible bachelors. Lily Nichols is not terribly excited about the whole Season, but her mother and grandmother insist on the tradition. The friends she makes will influence her entire life. Family secrets loom large in this detail filled look at London and life in the late 1950's.

The Measure: A Novel by Nikki Erlick

 

The Measure: A Novel by Nikki Erlick. William Morrow, 2022. Adult fiction.

Suppose that when adults get up in March, small boxes wait for them. A string is enclosed and only accompanied by a paper that reads, "The measure of your life lies within." As people learn that the string shows the length of the rest of their lives, they fight battles of long stringers vs. short stringers. Ben, Hank, Maura, and a few others join a short string support group. They form the narrative as each chapter moves the story along and their lives intertwine in unusual ways. Time passes. Life happens. Readers will be caught up in their lives and learn that living long is not the same as living well. A fascinating notion for a book and well written, this would make a good book group read. 

Independence: A Novel by Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni

 

Independence: A Novel by Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni. William Morrow, 2023. Historical fiction. Adult fiction.

The subtitle of this book is "Three Sisters, Their Deep Bond, and the Struggle for India's Freedom." That really says it all. Priya in 1947 India loves Amit and dreams of becoming a doctor like her father. Deepa, the beautiful one, wants to marry and bring prestige to her family, but falls in love with a Muslim. Jamini walks with a limp, but is the one who can help her mother make beautiful quilts and who secretly craves the attention of handsome Amit. Caught up in the growing tensions of the Hindu and Muslims as the country of Pakistan fights for its birth, the daughters become adults and fight their own battles. Beautifully written, easy to understand even if readers know nothing about this part of the world. 

The Slow Road North by Rosie Schaap

 

The Slow Road North: How I Found Peace in an Improbable Country by Rosie Schaap, Mariner Books, 2024.

  Bar tender, wine expert, and journalist as well as a New Yorker, Rosie Schaap finds herself drawn to the Belfast area of Northern Ireland after both her mother and husband die. Grieving, mourning, and searching for both peace and a new life, she moves to the small village of Glenarm, a seaside oasis in which she makes new friends and finds love and acceptance. 

The Waiting Game by Nicola Clark

 

   The Waiting Game: The Untold Story o the Women who Served the Tudor Queens by Nicola Clark. Pegasus Books, 2025. Nonfiction.

   While a good deal is known about the wives of Henry VIII, much of the information about the women who surrounded them at court has been lost. Destroyed or just never recorded, the stories of the ladies-in-waiting, chambermaids, and others are definitely part of history. Nicola Clark has produced a masterful investigation of these women. With a lengthy bibliography of resources, including both print and online, Clark has pieced together details and woven a fascinating tapestry of the Tudor years in England.