An author’s debut novel is their first opportunity to make an impact on readers. Did these writers succeed? Borrow a first novel from the Lititz Public Library.
The Widow by Fiona Barton
Now a widow, a woman who stood by her husband and stayed silent about the crime he committed, realizes there are people who want to know the truth.
Spill, Simmer, Falter, Wither by Sara Baume
A man rescues a mutt about to be euthanized in the hope the dog will rid his house of vermin, but realizes his new relationship has made his life fuller and, at the same time, more difficult.
Lay Down Your Weary Tune by W.B. Belcher
A journalist, attempting to discover the truth about a famous musician, discovers the idol’s mind is failing.
Terror in Taffeta by Maria Cooper
When a bridesmaid at a destination wedding collapses into a floral arrangement and the bride’s sister is arrested for murder, the demanding mother of the bride insists the wedding planner deal with the police.
A Girl Like You by Michelle Cox
A young woman is persuaded to go undercover to help find a killer when the floor matron at the dance hall where she works is murdered.
The Lightkeepers by Abby Geni
Living on an exotic and dangerous archipelago off the coast of California with a group of scientists, a nature photographer is assaulted by one of the inhabitants and a few days later her assailant is found dead.
Homegoing by Yaa Gyasi
Two half-sisters, unknown to each other, are raised in different tribal villages in 18th century Ghana. One marries an English colonial to live in comfort and the other is sold into slavery and shipped to America.
At Rope’s End by Edward Kay
When the body of a young woman is found in a cranberry bog near Seattle, a professor of forensic psychology helps a detective convinced that this murder is tied to an earlier killing.
Sun, Sand, Murder by John Keyse-Walker
A constable on a remote island nestled in the British Virgin Islands is shocked to find a body lying dead on the sands of his peaceful island.
The Madwoman Upstairs by Catherine Lowell
The last remaining descendant of the Brontë clan discovers her recently deceased father left a treasure hunt that may lead to the long-rumored trove of diaries, letters and early novels passed down from the family.
Twisted River by Siobhan MacDonald
A body in the trunk is just the first sign of trouble when a family from Limerick, Ireland trades homes with a successful dentist, his wife and children in Manhattan.
Ways to Disappear by Idra Novey
When a Brazilian novelist suddenly disappears, her American translator travels to Brazil to solve the mystery while fending off loan sharks and a washed up editor.
The Curious Charms of Arthur Pepper by Phaedra Patrick
On the anniversary of his wife’s death, a man discovers a charm bracelet he has never seen before and begins a quest to find out the truth about his wife’s secret life before they met.
Noble Chase by Michael Rudolph
A naïve young lawyer investigates her way through a maze of money laundering and white-collar corruption when her clients abscond to the Caribbean with seventy million dollars.
Beloved Poison by E.S. Thomson
After uncovering six tiny coffins at an infirmary in 1850s London, an apprentice apothecary seeks answers, following a trail that leads from the dissecting room to Newgate Prison and the gallows.
February 24, 2017