[Manabi]

This month's Kindle First selections are out, they are:

The Big Fear by Andrew Case [Genre: Thriller]

It’s August in New York, and the steaming garbage littering the streets isn’t the only thing that stinks.

Civilian investigator Leonard Mitchell can keep his job as the new head of the Department to Investigate Misconduct and Corruption only by successfully prosecuting veteran cop Ralph Mulino.

Mulino shot an armed man on a dark night; he didn’t know the man was a fellow cop. Now, to keep his badge and his freedom, he has to make his case to the investigator. But the gun Mulino saw in his victim’s hand has disappeared.

As Mitchell digs deeper into Mulino’s claim, it becomes clear that the “misconduct and corruption” infecting New York City go far beyond the actions of one allegedly dirty cop. Murder and sabotage force Mulino and Mitchell into an uneasy partnership to uncover the truth and protect the city they are both sworn to serve.

Assuming, of course, they can stay alive…

From the Editor:

Spoiler:

I knew I wanted to champion this debut novel by Andrew Case when I got to page 33. There, he deftly categorizes the wide catalog of human fears using the landscape of New York City: there are the Little Fears—the muggings and burglaries—and the Big Fears—Wall Street collapsing, banks failing, the possibility of another attack.

When I read the first draft of this novel, I was a still-new mother, fresh with vibrant and overwhelming love for my one-year-old daughter, occasionally paralyzed with fears both Little and Big: What if I cut her tender skin while trimming her tiny fingernails? What if tomorrow the big earthquake hits and the ground crumbles around us or, worse, swallows us whole?

And yet, one cannot live a life free of risk—nor would I want to, not really. The constant buzz of anxiety, the maelstrom of fears we accept and even embrace each and every day is universal, and Andrew explores those feelings within the framework of a thrilling, surprising tale of police corruption and conspiracy.

This remarkable novel introduces a brave new voice in crime fiction. In it you’ll find fears Big, Little, and in between, startling acts of misconduct and corruption, and an uneasy alliance. And I hope you’ll recognize a part of yourself. If our fears are universal, then I believe our hopes are, too.

- Alison Dasho, Editor

While You Were Mine by Ann Howard Creel [Genre: Historical Fiction]

Everything she loved could so easily be lost.

The end of World War II should have brought joy to Gwen Mullen. But on V-J Day, her worst fear is realized. As celebrating crowds gather in Times Square, a soldier appears on her doorstep to claim Mary, the baby abandoned to Gwen one year earlier. Suddenly Gwen is on the verge of losing the child she has nurtured and loves dearly.

With no legal claim to Mary, Gwen begins to teach Lieutenant John McKee how to care for his child, knowing that he will ultimately take Mary away. What starts as a contentious relationship, however, turns into something more, and Gwen must open her heart to learn that love means taking chances.

While You Were Mine paints a vivid portrait of 1940s New York and tells an enchanting tale of the nature of love and trust.

From the Editor:

Spoiler:

They say a picture is worth a thousand words. But in the case of While You Were Mine, a picture turned out to be worth an entire novel. You’ve probably seen the photo that inspired this book—it’s that iconic shot of a World War II–era sailor kissing a nurse in a back-bending swoon. Taken in Times Square, the shot captures unmistakable joy and relief at the end of war.

But who was that nurse? What was her story? Where did she end up after that kiss? No one knows. The photographer never got either of their names. And it was exactly this not-knowing that inspired Ann Howard Creel to create Gwen, a young nurse making her way in New York City during World War II—a time when people made extraordinary sacrifices, and whirlwind romances often led to hasty marriages and profound repercussions. Creel wondered, what if Gwen had to grapple with the outcome of one of these hasty marriages? What if she was left to care for a child of an MIA soldier when his unstable wife disappeared? Could she love this child as her own? What if the child’s father or mother returned?

I love that Creel let a snapshot open the door to an entire world and then created unforgettable characters in heartbreaking circumstances to inhabit it. I wonder what picture might inspire her next.

- Jodi Warshaw, Editor

The Queen's Poisoner (The Kingfountain Series Book 1) by Jeff Wheeler [Genre: Fantasy]

King Severn Argentine’s fearsome reputation precedes him: usurper of the throne, killer of rightful heirs, ruthless punisher of traitors. Attempting to depose him, the Duke of Kiskaddon gambles…and loses. Now the duke must atone by handing over his young son, Owen, as the king’s hostage. And should his loyalty falter again, the boy will pay with his life.

Seeking allies and eluding Severn’s spies, Owen learns to survive in the court of Kingfountain. But when new evidence of his father’s betrayal threatens to seal his fate, Owen must win the vengeful king’s favor by proving his worth—through extraordinary means. And only one person can aid his desperate cause: a mysterious woman, dwelling in secrecy, who truly wields power over life, death, and destiny.

From the Editor:

Spoiler:

From Harry Potter to Game of Thrones, fantasy tales continue to capture our collective imagination across all ages and in ever-greater numbers. Enter Jeff Wheeler’s Kingfountain series. Beginning with The Queen’s Poisoner, the series introduces Owen—an eight-year-old recent hostage to the usurper king—and the mysterious “queen’s poisoner” of the title, whom Owen must learn to trust against all his better instincts. As Owen adjusts to life at court, and as he begins to learn the secrets of the elusive and elegant Fountain magic bubbling within him, he struggles to navigate the culture of lies and shifting alliances into which he’s thrown, all while learning that his destiny may be more important than he ever thought possible.

Through twelve novels and counting, Jeff Wheeler’s storytelling has maintained a singular knack for making everything else in my life rush to the background within a few sentences and then disappear completely. He weaves immersive worlds that forgo the explicit brutality of some popular fantasy sagas in favor of a deft touch that’s as welcoming as it is rife with conniving, trickery, heartbreak, and beautiful, memorable magic. At least until I stop reading, these worlds take center stage in mine.

I should admit that I’ve already read the two sequels to The Queen’s Poisoner (both due out later this year), in which Owen ages from eight to seventeen to twenty-four years old. And I’m pleased to report that just when it seems as if Jeff Wheeler has achieved an imaginative apex, the story expands to envelop wider lands, richer magic, deeper intrigue, and all-around higher stakes for Owen and the entire realm of Kingfountain. I’m sorely tempted to say more, but I wouldn’t dare rob other readers of the exhilarating experience of getting lost in Jeff Wheeler’s worlds on their own.

- Jason Kirk, Editor

Orchids and Stone by Lisa Preston [Genre: Suspense]

They’re trying to take me. Help! Help me, please.

Daphne Mayfield sought a moment of quiet in a park—a break from city life, a tense relationship, and chronic overwork—but then an elderly woman makes a desperate plea. Daphne is reluctant to get involved when she’s not sure what’s happening, but she wants to help the stranger. Is the rambling old lady the victim of a crime or a victim of dementia?

As her unease grows, Daphne can’t let go of the encounter. No matter what her boyfriend or her friends say. No matter what the retired homicide detective warns. Though she knows she’s meddling in other people’s lives, her instincts scream that the danger is real.

With each increasingly bold intervention, Daphne involves herself in someone else’s crisis until she’s in too deep to turn back. She’s not just fighting for a stranger’s life…she’s fighting for her own.

From the Editor:

Spoiler:

How far would you go to help a stranger who might be the victim of a crime? This is the question at the very heart of the emotionally powerful and suspenseful novel Orchids and Stone. Statistically, two out of three people would do nothing. Say nothing. They wouldn’t get involved—they think it’s none of their business. They are just bystanders.

But one out of three would intervene, would attempt to right a perceived wrong. The uniquely tough yet vulnerable heroine of Orchids and Stone, Daphne Mayfield, is the one out of three.

An elderly woman’s plea—she’s been kidnapped and victimized—is dismissed by everyone but thirty-one-year-old Daphne. Is the rambling old lady the victim of a crime or a victim of dementia? Though Daphne knows she’s meddling in other people’s lives, her instincts scream that the danger is real.

Author Lisa Preston is as fascinating as the concept of her book would suggest. As a former Alaska fire department paramedic and police sergeant who has seen the full spectrum of humanity, often at its worst, Preston has brought an immeasurable depth of human understanding to what is—shockingly—her debut novel.

And though this book is fiction, the questions it raises are not.

How far would you go to help a stranger?

- JoVon Sotak, Editor

Twenty Yawns by Jane Smiley (Author), Lauren Castillo (Illustrator) [Genre: Children's Picture Book]

From Pulitzer Prize winner Jane Smiley and Caldecott Honor artist Lauren Castillo.

As her mom reads a bedtime story, Lucy drifts off. But later, she awakens in a dark, still room, and everything looks mysterious. How will she ever get back to sleep?

Pulitzer Prize winner Jane Smiley’s first picture book, illustrated by Caldecott Honor artist Lauren Castillo, evokes the splashy fun of the beach and the quietude of a moonlit night, with twenty yawns sprinkled in for children to discover and count.

From the Editor:

Spoiler:

What happens when a Pulitzer Prize–winning author and a Caldecott Honor artist combine their talents? As it turns out, a bit of bedtime magic. Jane Smiley’s vivid language and Lauren Castillo’s extraordinary images evoke so much as they lull children to sleep—splashy fun at the beach, a family’s love, the quiet of a moon-drenched night, and a regular girl who grows up the tiniest little bit as she does something on her own.

With warmth and simplicity, Twenty Yawns captures those moments that may at first seem ordinary but stir such feelings that if you’re lucky, you’ll remember them forever: the pure exhilaration of being whirled around above waves that tickle the toes, the wonder of a sky painted pink, drifting off to the soothing tones of a parent’s voice, and the nervous bravery of facing the dark alone for the first time.

The way Jane Smiley spins a memorable tale out of the rhythms and observations of everyday life has always made her adult books shine. That’s what I love most about her first book for small children. The story is rooted in the everyday experience of family, and the art and text work hand in hand to make it shine on so many levels. I hope you’ll treasure the experience of reading it to your children—and perhaps even to yourself.

- Kelsey Skea, Editor

The Light of the Fireflies by Paul Pen (Author), Simon Bruni (Translator) [Genre: Literary Suspense]

A haunting and hopeful tale of discovering light in even the darkest of places.

For his whole life, the boy has lived underground, in a basement with his parents, grandmother, sister, and brother. Before he was born, his family was disfigured by a fire. His sister wears a white mask to cover her burns.

He spends his hours with his cactus, reading his book on insects, or touching the one ray of sunlight that filters in through a crack in the ceiling. Ever since his sister had a baby, everyone’s been acting very strangely. The boy begins to wonder why they never say who the father is, about what happened before his own birth, about why they’re shut away.

A few days ago, some fireflies arrived in the basement. His grandma said, There’s no creature more amazing than one that can make its own light. That light makes the boy want to escape, to know the outside world. Problem is, all the doors are locked. And he doesn’t know how to get out…

From the Editor:

Spoiler:

As a mother of a young boy, I’m probably predisposed to feel protective of children in peril, and the plight of the ten-year-old protagonist of Paul Pen’s The Light of the Fireflies captured my heart and filled me with apprehension. Readers who, like me, love the terror and claustrophobia of Stephen King’s best works and the enigmatic and thought-provoking mystery of the television show Lost will recognize these qualities in The Light of the Fireflies.

Confined to an underground set of rooms with his immediate family and grandmother, the boy still manages to establish routines, play games, and cultivate a fascination with the natural world that he’s never seen. However, when his sister gives birth, he begins to fear that his loving family—the only people he’s ever known—are misleading him about fundamental things: Who is the father of this baby, who is it that they hear walking above them in the night, and what is it that really keeps them in their subterranean prison away from sunlight and fresh air?

Pen doesn’t shy away from the harrowing things his characters are capable of, nor does he diminish their humanity by making them one-dimensional monsters. I was shocked at the disturbing revelations about what led the family underground, and charmed by the way they manage to bring magic and joy to their day-to-day existence. Despite the bleakness of their surroundings, love, light, and the power of compassion make their way through and help the boy find illumination. Pen has a genius for taking the familiar and making it hair-raising. It’s a simultaneously terrifying and hopeful world he’s created, and I welcome you to explore both the darkness and the light.

- Elizabeth DeNoma, Editor