[Manabi]

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

Blood Defense (Samantha Brinkman Book 1) by Marcia Clark [Genre: Thriller]

First in a new series from bestselling author and famed prosecutor Marcia Clark, a “terrific writer and storyteller” (James Patterson).

Samantha Brinkman, an ambitious, hard-charging Los Angeles criminal defense attorney, is struggling to make a name for herself and to drag her fledgling practice into the big leagues. Sam lands a high-profile double-murder case in which one of the victims is a beloved TV star—and the defendant is a decorated veteran LAPD detective. It promises to be exactly the kind of media sensation that would establish her as a heavy hitter in the world of criminal law.

Though Sam has doubts about his innocence, she and her two associates (her closest childhood friend and a brilliant ex-con) take the case. Notorious for living by her own rules—and fearlessly breaking everyone else’s—Samantha pulls out all the stops in her quest to uncover evidence that will clear the detective. But when a shocking secret at the core of the case shatters her personal world, Sam realizes that not only has her client been playing her, he might be one of the most dangerous sociopaths she’s ever encountered.

From the Editor:

Spoiler:

Samantha Brinkman is scrappy, smart, and strategic—exactly the kind of defense lawyer I’d want if I did a bad, bad thing. And in Blood Defense, there are plenty of characters doing bad, bad things. This feisty attorney combines her professional ambition and unusual sense of justice to handle both her clients and her barely-making-it law practice. And it’s this ambition that lands her a high-profile case.

I love both legal thrillers and courtroom dramas, whether reading or watching them, because—despite my seven eye-opening weeks of law school—I believe in truth and justice. And when so much about life seems disorderly and unfair, I find it reassuring to get lost in a story that demands truth and justice. To discover a book that can do so in a fresh and unexpected way is a good, good thing.

Sam surprised me, doing much of her most impressive lawyering outside the courtroom in the pursuit of justice, and I loved her for it. When I first read Blood Defense, I immediately asked, “Is this novel by the Marcia Clark?” Indeed, this is the Marcia Clark. Talk about street cred—this prominent former LA County prosecutor knows a thing or two about high-profile cases. And luckily for readers, she also knows a thing or two about writing legal thrillers.

- JoVon Sotak, Editor

Deliver Her by Patricia Perry Donovan [Genre: Suspense]

On the night of Alex Carmody’s sixteenth birthday, she and her best friend, Cass, are victims of a terrible car accident. Alex survives; Cass doesn’t. Consumed by grief, Alex starts cutting school and partying, growing increasingly detached. The future she’d planned with her friend is now meaningless to her.

Meg Carmody is heartbroken for her daughter, even as she’s desperate to get Alex’s life back on track. The Birches, a boarding school in New Hampshire, promises to do just that, yet Alex refuses to go. But when Meg finds a bag of pills hidden in the house, she makes a fateful call to a transporter whose company specializes in shuttling troubled teens to places like The Birches, under strict supervision. Meg knows Alex will feel betrayed—as will her estranged husband, who knows nothing of Meg’s plans for their daughter.

When the transport goes wrong—and Alex goes missing—Meg must face the consequences of her decision and her deception. But the hunt for Alex reveals that Meg is not the only one keeping secrets.

From the Editor:

Spoiler:

This debut novel overtook me like a fever—I fell into the pages and did not look up until I had devoured the very last word. As a reader, I was thrilled by Deliver Her. And as a parent, I was terrified by this story of a mother who would do anything to save her child, no matter how extreme.

Nothing is worse than feeling helpless. Meg Carmody had a solid plan to rescue her self-destructive daughter, Alex, after the sixteen-year-old loses a friend in a terrible accident and spirals into addiction. But when the professional who Meg has hired to spirit Alex away from bad influences and into a therapeutic boarding school delivers the news that things have gone terribly wrong, Meg agonizes over her mistakes in the way we all do when looking into the abyss of fear and grief.

The universal themes I found in this novel are powerful—love, regret, deception, desperation—and author Patricia Perry Donovan weaves her tale flawlessly, testing the boundaries of family and friendship. What is uncovered is the origin story of a troubled teen, a character study of flawed adults, and a tale that made me look at my life and the world around me through a new lens. I can’t wait to share this book with all the readers I know would love it as feverishly as I do.

- Danielle Marshall, Editor

Golden Age (The Shifting Tides Book 1) by James Maxwell [Genre: Fantasy]

The discovery of a strange and superior warship sends Dion, youngest son of the king of Xanthos, and Chloe, a Phalesian princess, on a journey across the sea, where they are confronted by a kingdom far more powerful than they could ever have imagined.

But they also find a place in turmoil, for the ruthless sun king, Solon, is dying. In order to gain entrance to heaven, Solon is building a tomb—a pyramid clad in gold—and has scoured his own empire for gold until there’s no more to be found.

Now Solon’s gaze turns to Chloe’s homeland, Phalesia, and its famous sacred ark, made of solid gold. The legends say it must never be opened, but Solon has no fear of foreigners’ legends or even their armies. And he isn’t afraid of the eldren, an ancient race of shape-shifters, long ago driven into the Wilds.

For when he gets the gold, Solon knows he will live forever.

From the Editor:

Spoiler:

I was swept away by this tale of dazzling adventure. James Maxwell, the author, draws from ancient Greek and Persian settings to create something completely original, vivid, and filmic. Golden Age tells of a seafaring region on the brink of war, and a young man and woman from different kingdoms who enlist the help of shape-shifting creatures—ferocious dragons and gigantic sea serpents—to save their people and homelands from a merciless king bent on conquest and destruction.

James Maxwell deploys his mastery of storytelling to incredible effect, skillfully weaving together numerous threads of mystery, magic, and action. I found the world he created spellbinding—I too experienced the expanse and force of the high seas as the characters set sail, and felt the fear in their hearts as they fought in titanic battles. I rooted for our two young heroes as they came of age amid crisis and danger, and when their lives were in peril, held my breath time and time again.

And as Golden Age comes to an end, reaching its climax, The Shifting Tides series continues on, bolder still as the world Maxwell has created becomes even richer and the stakes grow higher.

- Emilie Marneur, Editor

The Secret Healer by Ellin Carsta (Author), Terry Laster (Translator) [Genre: Historical Fiction]

In the fourteenth century, opportunities for women are limited to the home. But spirited young Madlen finds her calling as assistant to the city’s trusted midwife, Clara. Working alongside Clara, Madlen develops a surprisingly soothing technique and quickly becomes a talented healer.

After Clara’s tragic death, Madlen alone rushes to assist the birth of a local nobleman’s child. But rather than the joy of birth, Madlen walks into an accusation of murder and witchcraft because of her extraordinary gifts. Forced to flee her own town, she establishes a new identity in the home of her aunt. Yet even though it endangers her life, she cannot resist the urge to help the sick patients who seek out her miraculous treatment. When she meets handsome Johannes—an investigator hired by the Church to bring her to justice for sacrilegious acts—she becomes drawn to the very man who could destroy her.

Will Madlen’s gifts bring about her downfall? Or can love and reason prevail in a time of fearful superstition?

From the Editor:

Spoiler:

I held my breath as I tore through the pages of this triumphant historical novel, anxious to see what would become of Madlen, the spirited young protagonist at the story’s core. Coming of age in fourteenth-century Germany where superstition reigns and a woman’s word is worth very little, Madlen discovers that her options in life are limited. From the moment I met her, I was enthralled by Madlen’s confidence and hungry to see where her instincts might take her.

As Madlen finds a place in life as a midwife’s assistant, her talent for soothing women in labor raises eyebrows. When one of her patients turns up dead, Madlen makes an easy scapegoat. And so she must take to the road and forge a path for herself. The courage of her flight to freedom is invigorating. Safety can only be found in hiding—Madlen knows her life is in danger—but her heart cannot resist the desperate pleas from loved ones of terminal patients whom doctors have given up on. Once more her unusual talent leads to cries of witchcraft and heresy. But the people whose lives she has touched know there is nothing sinister or supernatural about Madlen. Her craft is unique and inexplicable, but its effect on the lives of her patients is real. How could the community turn against this compassionate woman, the only one who was willing to help, the one who had saved so many?

Like me, you may feel inspired by Madlen’s brave dedication, spellbound by the light of her healing flame, and moved by the bonds this “secret healer” forges with those around her.

- Gabriella Page-Fort, Editor

The Eagle Tree by Ned Hayes [Genre: Literary Fiction]

Fourteen-year-old March Wong knows everything there is to know about trees. They are his passion and his obsession, even after his recent falls—and despite the state’s threat to take him away from his mother if she can’t keep him from getting hurt. But the young autistic boy cannot resist the captivating pull of the Pacific Northwest’s lush forests just outside his back door.

One day, March is devastated to learn that the Eagle Tree—a monolithic Ponderosa Pine near his home in Olympia—is slated to be cut down by developers. Now, he will do anything in his power to save this beloved tree, including enlisting unlikely support from relatives, classmates, and even his bitter neighbor. In taking a stand, March will come face-to-face with some frightening possibilities: Even if he manages to save the Eagle Tree, is he risking himself and his mother to do it?

Intertwining themes of humanity and ecology, The Eagle Tree eloquently explores what it means to be part of a family, a society, and the natural world that surrounds and connects us.

From the Editor:

Spoiler:

To see the world through the eyes of someone else is one of reading’s greatest powers. The Eagle Tree carried me, with sensitivity and grace, into the mind of an autistic teenage boy—one who would rather climb tall trees than meet his mother’s gaze.

In this unconventional and uplifting story, the young narrator learns that a beloved ponderosa pine near his Olympia, Washington, home will be cut down. Panicked, he gathers an unlikely group of allies to save it from destruction. He must overcome numerous barriers to convince his mother, his uncle, a grumpy neighbor, and reluctant politicians to help him with his fight. I found myself moved by the boy’s determination and awed by his resourcefulness.

I can’t recall a story that pulled me so deeply into the inner workings of its protagonist’s extraordinary mind. But the novel does more than capture perfectly the unexpected and powerful voice of autism. The Eagle Tree also explores what it means to be part of a family and connected through our hearts and minds to the natural world that surrounds us.

- Carmen Johnson, Editor

Star Sand by Roger Pulvers [Genre: War Fiction]

In 1958, a diary is found in a cave on the small Japanese island of Hatoma. Alongside it are the remains of three people.

The journal reveals the story of Hiromi, a sixteen-year-old girl who’d grown up in the United States before living in Japan in the midst of World War II. One day, while collecting star sand—tiny star-shaped fossils—Hiromi finds two army deserters hiding in the seaside cavern—one American, one Japanese. The soldiers don’t speak the same language, but they’ve reached an agreement based on a shared hope: to cause no more harm and survive. Hiromi resolves to care for the men—feeding them and nursing their ailments—despite the risk that, if caught, she’ll die alongside them as a traitor. But when a fourth person joins in on their secret, they must face a threat from within. The diary abruptly ends, leaving everyone’s fate a mystery.

Decades later, in 2011, a young female university student decides to finally determine who died in that cave and who lived. Her search will lead her to the lone survivor—and bring closure to a gripping tale of heroism at a time when committing to peace was the most dangerous act of all.

From the Editor:

Spoiler:

Is there a place where peace can thrive during a time of war? Roger Pulvers’s Star Sand offers a courageous, quiet alternative to the frenzied, chaotic battlefront tales of World War II. It is the story of two men—enemy combatants who have both deserted—and one teenage girl, and the time they shared, removed from the turmoil and confronted with the opportunity to forge their own peace.

Hiromi lives alone on the tropical island of Hatoma, Japan, her solitude a form of refuge while she waits for the bombs to stop showering Osaka. She discovers two men—one an injured American soldier, one a distraught Japanese soldier—living together in a dark seaside cave. The men have little in common, aside from the fact that they’ve both fled the battlefield—they don’t even speak the same language. But both are drawn to bilingual Hiromi. She visits often with food and medical supplies, and as she talks with the soldiers she pieces together their stories. Through Hiromi’s diary, we come to understand what could drive a man to desert his comrades. The story of these three individuals finding one another is so simple, but its implications are profound. As Hiromi listens to two soldiers in need of respite from the horrors of war, she learns to hear peace within the silence that surrounds her.

Star Sand emphasizes the space between extremes, offering a bridge between men in opposing uniforms, between nations separated by oceans. In reading this elegant, evocative novel, perhaps you, too, will feel the power of a moment of silence, a short peace.

- Gabriella Page-Fort, Editor