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The Anatomy of Desire

L.R Dorn (Morrow)

Told in the form of a true crime docuseries, this immensely clever updating of Theodore Dreiser’s An American Tragedy focuses on the trial of fitness coach Cleo Ray, who’s been charged with the drowning murder of her female companion while they were canoeing on a California lake. Cleo claims it was an accident, and there were no witnesses.

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Auntie Poldi and the Lost Madonna: An Auntie Poldi Mystery

Mario Giordano (Mariner)

When a nun jumps off a Vatican palace roof following an exorcism, Auntie Poldi, a Bavarian émigré who has retired to Italy, gets implicated in the nun’s death and must try to clear her name. Meanwhile, Auntie Poldi freely shares her views on a variety of subjects, from the Italian mentality to sex. Be prepared for a wild, amusing ride in her company.

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The Hunting Wives

May Cobb (Berkley)

In an East Texas town, four bored well-to-do wives meet every Friday evening to go barhopping with the understanding it’s first names only and they don’t go all the way. But rules are meant to be broken, and one of them winds up a murder suspect after their booze-fueled antics lead to the death of a teenage cheerleader. This is the epitome of a guilty pleasure.

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The Photographer

Mary Dixie Carter (Minotaur)

Delta Dawn has risen from humble roots to become a successful photographer of upscale children’s parties in New York City. After one job, Dawn can’t resist insinuating herself into the lives of a couple with an 11-year-old daughter and seizes the chance to move into their Brooklyn townhouse. Trouble follows in this suspenseful psychological thriller.

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The Plot

Jean Hanff Korelitz (Celadon)

Failed writer Jake Bonner, who teaches in a third-rate MFA program, steals a plot for a novel from one of his students, who conveniently dies soon after leaving the program. The book Jake subsequently publishes is a huge success, but then he receives a threatening email from someone who knows he’s a thief. Readers will agree: Korelitz has devised her own perfect plot.

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Silver Tears

Camilla Läckberg (Knopf)

Vengeful Stockholm housewife Faye Adelheim, who sacrificed her career for her feckless, unfaithful husband and framed him for their daughter’s apparent murder in The Golden Cage, has since been living in hiding with her daughter and her mother, who survived an abusive husband. Now, in this high-stakes sequel, Faye faces the consequences of her secrets being exposed.

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The Siren

Katherine St. John (Grand Central)

A Hollywood megastar hires his ex-wife, who’s looking to revive her flagging screen career, to play opposite him in a movie being directed by his recent film school graduate son on a Caribbean island. Everyone involved in the production has a secret agenda. This is intelligently told escapist fare wrapped around a kernel of #MeToo sisterhood.

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Steel Fear

Brandon Webb & John David Mann (Bantam)

Navy SEAL sniper Finn, who has hitched a ride home from the Persian Gulf aboard the aircraft carrier Abraham Lincoln, turns investigator when several apparent suicides on the massive warship turn out to be the work of a serial killer. Readers will be eager to check out this highly original update on a classic mystery trope.

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