Editorial Content for Friends of the Museum
Contributors
Reviewer (text)
The first full-length novel from Heather McGowan since 2006 is here. I typically do not look at online reviews or blurbs of titles that I am covering, but I needed to make an exception with this one. Read More
Teaser
When Diane Schwebe, the director of a major New York museum, is awakened in the early morning by a text message from the museum’s lawyer, it is the start of a 24-hour roller-coaster ride. Diane has sacrificed many things in her life to help the fading institution stave off irrelevance and financial ruin. In this battle, she’s surrounded by her stalwart supporters. Orbiting her is a motley assortment of museum employees, each on the precipice of collapse or revelation --- among them a line cook staring down a huge opportunity he’s not sure he wants; a costume curator stuck in an inescapable rut; and the ambivalent curator of the museum’s film program, whose first day on the job might very well be his last. On this day of the museum’s annual gala, every plate that Diane has kept spinning will fall --- and by daybreak, someone will be dead.
Promo
When Diane Schwebe, the director of a major New York museum, is awakened in the early morning by a text message from the museum’s lawyer, it is the start of a 24-hour roller-coaster ride. Diane has sacrificed many things in her life to help the fading institution stave off irrelevance and financial ruin. In this battle, she’s surrounded by her stalwart supporters. Orbiting her is a motley assortment of museum employees, each on the precipice of collapse or revelation --- among them a line cook staring down a huge opportunity he’s not sure he wants; a costume curator stuck in an inescapable rut; and the ambivalent curator of the museum’s film program, whose first day on the job might very well be his last. On this day of the museum’s annual gala, every plate that Diane has kept spinning will fall --- and by daybreak, someone will be dead.
About the Book
Coworkers at a legendary but troubled New York City museum struggle with issues large and small over the course of one extraordinary day in this whip-smartnovel that is “satirical and incisive...like nothing you’ve ready before” (Town & Country).
When Diane Schwebe, the director of a major New York museum, is awakened in the early morning by a text message from the museum’s lawyer, it is the start of a 24-hour roller-coaster ride.
Diane has sacrificed many things in her life to help the fading institution stave off irrelevance and financial ruin. In this battle, she’s surrounded by her stalwart supporters: her enigmatic and tireless personal assistant, Chris; the museum’s trusty head of security, Shay; and its general counsel, Henry --- a man whose ability to weasel his way out of a jam is matched only by his capacity to avoid learning anything from the experience.
Orbiting her is a motley assortment of museum employees, each on the precipice of collapse or revelation --- among them a line cook staring down a huge opportunity he’s not sure he wants; a costume curator stuck in an inescapable rut; and the ambivalent curator of the museum’s film program, whose first day on the job might very well be his last.
On this day of the museum’s annual gala, every plate that Diane has kept spinning will fall --- and by daybreak, someone will be dead.
Wise, surprising and darkly funny, FRIENDS OF THE MUSEUM is a kaleidoscopic “marvel” (Mona Awad, author of BUNNY) that surges along to the unstoppable tick of the clock, leaving you on the edge of your seat until the final second.
Audiobook available, read by Cassandra Campbell
Editorial Content for The Murder Show
Book
Contributors
Reviewer (text)
Matt Goldman begins his new novel, THE MURDER SHOW, with a million-dollar first sentence that guarantees readers will be hooked. It is blood-drippingly gory; that, combined with the humor on the rest of the first page, means we are in for a treat. Read More
Teaser
Showrunner Ethan Harris had a hit with "The Murder Show," a television crime drama that features a private detective who solves cases the police can’t. But after his pitch for the fourth season is rejected by the network, he returns home to Minnesota looking for inspiration. His timing is fortunate --- his former classmate Ro Greeman is now a local police officer, and she's uncovered new information about the devastating hit and run that killed their mutual friend Ricky the summer after high school. She asks Ethan to help her investigate and thinks that if he portrays the killing on "The Murder Show," the publicity may bring Ricky's killer to justice. It doesn't take long for them to realize they've dug up more than they bargained for. Someone is dead set on stopping Ethan and Ro from looking too closely into Ricky’s death --- even if keeping them quiet means killing again.
Promo
Showrunner Ethan Harris had a hit with “The Murder Show,” a television crime drama that features a private detective who solves cases the police can’t. But after his pitch for the fourth season is rejected by the network, he returns home to Minnesota looking for inspiration. His former classmate, Ro Greeman, is now a local police officer, and she's uncovered new information about the devastating hit-and-run that killed their mutual friend, Ricky, the summer after high school. She asks Ethan to help her investigate and thinks that if he portrays the killing on “The Murder Show,” the publicity may bring Ricky's killer to justice. It doesn't take long for them to realize that they've dug up more than they bargained for. Someone is dead set on stopping Ethan and Ro from looking too closely into Ricky’s death --- even if keeping them quiet means killing again.
About the Book
THE MURDER SHOW is a pulse-racing novel about secrets, old friends, and how the past never leaves us by New York Times bestselling and Emmy Award-winning author Matt Goldman.
Showrunner Ethan Harris had a hit with “The Murder Show,” a television crime drama that features a private detective who solves cases the police can’t. But after his pitch for the fourth season is rejected by the network, he returns home to Minnesota looking for inspiration.
His timing is fortunate. His former classmate, Ro Greeman, is now a local police officer, and she's uncovered new information about the devastating hit-and-run that killed their mutual friend, Ricky, the summer after high school. She asks Ethan to help her investigate and thinks that if he portrays the killing on "The Murder Show," the publicity may bring Ricky's killer to justice.
Ethan is skeptical that Ricky's death was anything but a horrible accident, but with the clock running out on his career, he's willing to try anything. It doesn't take long for them to realize they've dug up more than they bargained for. Someone is dead set on stopping Ethan and Ro from looking too closely into Ricky’s death --- even if keeping them quiet means killing again.
Audiobook available, read by Dan Bittner
Editorial Content for Hard Town
Book
Contributors
Reviewer (text)
Adam Plantinga's debut novel, THE ASCENT, was a nonstop adrenaline rush. It followed a former cop and others through increasingly violent and chaotic scenes as they attempt to escape a maximum-security prison in the midst of a bloody riot.
The end definitely left questions in terms of what would be next for the protagonist, Kurt Argento. Having lost his career, from which he derived much of his identity, and mourning the recent loss of his wife, it wasn't clear what his future would be like, despite the heroism he demonstrated at that notorious prison. Read More
Teaser
Still working through his grief over the passing of his wife, ex-Detroit cop Kurt Argento finds himself house-sitting for a friend with his loyal companion, Hudson, a Chow Chow-Shepard mix. Then Kristin Reed shows up with her young son, Ethan, and begs Argento to help find her missing husband. Argento starts to notice that Fenton, Arizona, is more than meets the eye. First there's the large, overly equipped public safety team complete with specialized tactics and sophisticated weaponry. Then there's the unusual financial boosting of failing small businesses by the U.S. government. Finally, there's a man with no name who seems to have an unprecedented control over the town. Argento finds himself unraveling not just the truth behind the disappearance of a family, but a conspiracy that's taken a whole town to cover up.
Promo
Still working through his grief over the passing of his wife, ex-Detroit cop Kurt Argento finds himself house-sitting for a friend with his loyal companion, Hudson, a Chow Chow-Shepard mix. Then Kristin Reed shows up with her young son, Ethan, and begs Argento to help find her missing husband. Argento starts to notice that Fenton, Arizona, is more than meets the eye. First there's the large, overly equipped public safety team complete with specialized tactics and sophisticated weaponry. Then there's the unusual financial boosting of failing small businesses by the U.S. government. Finally, there's a man with no name who seems to have an unprecedented control over the town. Argento finds himself unraveling not just the truth behind the disappearance of a family, but a conspiracy that's taken a whole town to cover up.
About the Book
When a plea for help sends a retired Detroit cop to the small desert town of Fenton, Arizona, he finds himself uncovering secrets that want to stay hidden and questioning his own moral compass in this "gripping, fiercely propulsive, and vividly written" thriller (Meg Gardiner).
After surviving a deadly prison break, ex-Detroit cop Kurt Argento is ready for some quiet. Still working through his grief over the passing of his wife, Argento finds himself house-sitting for a friend with his loyal companion, Hudson, a Chow Chow-Shepard mix. It's a simple life, picking up odd jobs here and there, but it's one that Argento is content to live. Then Kristin Reed shows up with her young son, Ethan, and begs Argento to help find her missing husband.
Argento tells her he'd just be in the way. He's no investigator, not anymore. He's a handyman who fixes fences. But he's not one to ignore his gut feeling when something is wrong. After Kristin and her son disappear as well, Argento starts to notice that Fenton, Arizona, is more than meets the eye. First there's the large, overly equipped public safety team complete with specialized tactics and sophisticated weaponry. Then there's the unusual financial boosting of failing small businesses by the U.S. government. And finally, there's a man with no name who seems to have an unprecedented control over the town. Argento finds himself unraveling not just the truth behind the disappearance of a family, but a conspiracy that's taken a whole town to cover up.
But Fenton is going to push him further than he’s ever had to go. And along the way, he may just lose a part of himself. Because justice isn't as black and white as Argento would like to believe.
Audiobook available, read by Charles Halford
Editorial Content for The Wildelings
Book
Contributors
Reviewer (text)
It’s never easy being the new kid in school. It’s harder, though, when you have no confidence and not much of a home life. So on her first day, when Linda sits down next to Jessica, it takes great courage for her to initiate a conversation, and even more to tell the other girl how pretty she is. Even though Jessica rudely replies that Linda is pathetic, the two become best friends. But that might be due to Jessica’s constant need for attention, so meek, fawning Linda won’t upstage her and will provide adoration too. Read More
Teaser
Jessica and Linda have been best friends since the first day of school. Now 18, they have come to Wilde --- an elite university in the heart of Dublin, far away from their troubled childhoods. Jessica thrives immediately; with the faithful Linda at her side, she finds herself at the heart of a new circle of friends. But then Mark enters the picture. A philosophy student a few years older than them, he has strange and compelling ideas about self-discovery. When Linda and Mark start dating, Jessica is disturbed by the change in her friend --- and how quickly she seems to have fallen under the charismatic man’s control. It turns out that Mark’s influence is not limited to Linda alone, and Jessica soon finds out that her whole group of friends are keeping secrets for him. It will culminate in ways that will change their lives forever.
Promo
Jessica and Linda have been best friends since the first day of school. Now 18, they have come to Wilde --- an elite university in the heart of Dublin, far away from their troubled childhoods. Jessica thrives immediately; with the faithful Linda at her side, she finds herself at the heart of a new circle of friends. But then Mark enters the picture. A philosophy student a few years older than them, he has strange and compelling ideas about self-discovery. When Linda and Mark start dating, Jessica is disturbed by the change in her friend --- and how quickly she seems to have fallen under the charismatic man’s control. It turns out that Mark’s influence is not limited to Linda alone, and Jessica soon finds out that her whole group of friends are keeping secrets for him. It will culminate in ways that will change their lives forever.
About the Book
A vivid and compulsive story of obsession, control and guilt, set in '90s Dublin --- perfect for fans of dark academia and Donna Tartt’s THE SECRET HISTORY
Jessica and Linda have been best friends since the first day of school. Both girls are from very different broken homes --- and beautiful, wilful Jessica has always ensured their survival. Now 18, the two have come to Wilde --- an elite university in the heart of Dublin, far away from their troubled childhoods. Jessica thrives immediately and with the faithful Linda at her side, finds herself at the heart of a new circle of friends.
But then Mark enters the picture. A philosophy student a few years older than them, he has strange and compelling ideas about self-discovery. When Linda and Mark start dating, Jessica is disturbed by the change in her friend --- and how quickly she seems to have fallen under the charismatic man’s control.
It turns out that Mark’s influence is not limited to Linda alone, and Jessica soon finds out that her whole group of friends are keeping secrets for him. It will culminate in ways that will change their lives forever. Years later, Jessica is still grappling with her guilt over what happened at Wilde. And when Mark resurfaces to write his version of events, she knows she owes it to herself --- and Linda --- to set the record straight once and for all.
Audiobook available, read by Jessica Regan
Editorial Content for Homestand: Small Town Baseball and the Fight for the Soul of America
Contributors
Reviewer (text)
In 2021, following the COVID season in which Major League games were played in empty stadiums, the powers-that-be decided that minor league baseball was basically not worth the money. MLB cut 40 squads, dropping the total number of affiliated teams to 120. Read More
Teaser
Batavia, New York --- between Rochester and Buffalo --- hosted its first professional baseball game in 1897. Despite decades of deindustrialization and evaporating middle-class jobs, the Batavia Muckdogs endured. When Major League Baseball cravenly shut them down in 2020 --- along with 41 other minor league teams --- the town fought back, reviving the Muckdogs as a summer league team comprised of college players. As MLB considers further cuts and private equity buys up what remains, the mom-and-pop operations once prevalent in baseball are endangered. But for now, the sights and sounds of local baseball live on in Batavia. Will Bardenwerper's HOMESTAND exposes the beating heart of small town America, friends and neighbors coming together as the crack of the bat echoes in the summer twilight.
Promo
Batavia, New York --- between Rochester and Buffalo --- hosted its first professional baseball game in 1897. Despite decades of deindustrialization and evaporating middle-class jobs, the Batavia Muckdogs endured. When Major League Baseball cravenly shut them down in 2020 --- along with 41 other minor league teams --- the town fought back, reviving the Muckdogs as a summer league team comprised of college players. As MLB considers further cuts and private equity buys up what remains, the mom-and-pop operations once prevalent in baseball are endangered. But for now, the sights and sounds of local baseball live on in Batavia. Will Bardenwerper's HOMESTAND exposes the beating heart of small town America, friends and neighbors coming together as the crack of the bat echoes in the summer twilight.
About the Book
A poignant memoir exploring small-town baseball as a lens into what’s right and wrong with modern America --- written by an acclaimed journalist and Army Ranger who, after returning from Iraq to a painfully divided country, rediscovered its core values in the bleachers of a minor league ballpark in Batavia, New York.
What happens when a minor league team --- the heart and soul of a Rust Belt town in western New York --- is shut down by the billionaires who run Major League Baseball?
Batavia, New York --- between Rochester and Buffalo --- hosted its first professional baseball game in 1897. Despite decades of deindustrialization and evaporating middle-class jobs, the Batavia Muckdogs endured. When Major League Baseball cravenly shut them down in 2020 --- along with 41 other minor league teams --- the town fought back, reviving the Muckdogs as a summer league team comprised of college players. As MLB considers further cuts and private equity buys up what remains, the mom-and-pop operations once prevalent in baseball are endangered. But for now, the sights and sounds of local baseball live on in Batavia --- cheap draft beer and hot dogs, starry-eyed kids seeking autographs, and breathtaking summer sunsets.
With a vibrant, unforgettable cast of characters --- from a librarian and her best friend whose relationship deepens with every “crepuscular hour” they spend together in the bleachers, to the former hockey brawler-turned team owner who greets regulars while working the concession stand, to the iconoclastic writer with a contagious love for his struggling hometown --- Will Bardenwerper’s HOMESTAND exposes the beating heart of small-town America, friends and neighbors coming together as the crack of the bat echoes in the summer twilight.
Audiobook available, read by Dan Bittner
Editorial Content for The Man in the Iron Mask: A Sequel to The Three Musketeers
Contributors
Reviewer (text)
It is nearly impossible to “review” a novel from the late, great Alexandre Dumas as his books already have been deemed classics by centuries of readers. Instead, I shall focus on the real story here, and that is the brilliant job that Lawrence Ellsworth has done in translating and putting together the definitive version of THE MAN IN THE IRON MASK. Read More
Teaser
D’Artagnan, Athos, Porthos and Aramis: you know their names, the four loyal comrades whose saga began in Alexandre Dumas’ celebrated novel, THE THREE MUSKETEERS, and concludes here in THE MAN IN THE IRON MASK. The musketeers are drawn back to the glittering court of Louis XIV, the Sun King, where intrigues, political rivalries and royal jealousy pose deadly threats to the heroes and their loved ones. And once more, the four swashbucklers are enmeshed in a conspiracy that threatens the Crown of France itself.
Promo
D’Artagnan, Athos, Porthos and Aramis: you know their names, the four loyal comrades whose saga began in Alexandre Dumas’ celebrated novel, THE THREE MUSKETEERS, and concludes here in THE MAN IN THE IRON MASK. The musketeers are drawn back to the glittering court of Louis XIV, the Sun King, where intrigues, political rivalries and royal jealousy pose deadly threats to the heroes and their loved ones. And once more, the four swashbucklers are enmeshed in a conspiracy that threatens the Crown of France itself.
About the Book
The final adventure of the greatest heroes in French literature takes the musketeers on an epic saga from the royal palace of Louis XIV to the dreaded dungeons of the Bastille.
D’Artagnan, Athos, Porthos and Aramis: you know their names, the four loyal comrades whose saga began in Alexandre Dumas’ celebrated novel, THE THREE MUSKETEERS, and concludes here in THE MAN IN THE IRON MASK. The musketeers are drawn back to the glittering court of Louis XIV, the Sun King, where intrigues, political rivalries and royal jealousy pose deadly threats to the heroes and their loved ones. And once more, the four swashbucklers are enmeshed in a conspiracy that threatens the Crown of France itself.
Faced with treachery at every turn, the four musketeers must regain the dash and daring of their youth to prevail in their greatest adventure yet. Fortunately, the comrades are still true to their natures: the noble Athos and his son, the romantic Raoul; the laughing giant Porthos, as mighty as ever; and the bold and steely d’Artagnan, now Captain of the King’s Musketeers at last. But then, the sly and wily Aramis stumbles on a royal secret that can shake the realm itself --- and exploiting that great secret proves too much of a temptation to resist for a man as ambitious as Aramis!
From midnight abductions through secret passages to swordplay and sacrifice on the wild shores of Brittany, this sparkling new translation of the final adventure of the greatest heroes in swashbuckling literature presents readers with an unforgettable tale from the pen of Alexandre Dumas, the master of historical adventure.
April 18, 2025
When we left off last week, I was reading THE MAID’S SECRET by Nita Prose and THE DOORMAN by Chris Pavone. I enjoyed these books for very different reasons, and both are Bookreporter.com Bets On selections.
You can read my thoughts on THE MAID'S SECRET here. We will share my “Bookreporter Talks To” interview with Nita and our review of the book over the next couple of weeks. I will have my Bets On commentary about THE DOORMAN (which releases on May 20th) next month, along with our review and an interview with Chris.










