Extinction

This book by Douglas Preston takes place in an exclusive private enclave deep in the Colorado mountains, where scientists are working to bring back to life extinct species such as mammoths and sloths. Only the uber-rich can afford to vacation there and watch the animals come down to the lake at feeding time. Then a young couple of newlyweds is savagely killed on an overnight outing, but their bodies have disappeared. 

Booklist summarizes, saying that the book has "echoes of Michael Crichton's Jurassic Park. In a resort park, extinct animals are brought back to life using cutting-edge science, but in no way is this a retread. In fact, for quite a while, it's a murder mystery. A billionaire's son and wife are murdered inside the resort by ecoterrorists, or so it seems. But, as Colorado Bureau of Investigation agent Frances Cash and sheriff James Colcord will discover, there may be other, frighteningly nonhuman forces at work."

Kirkus concludes their review: "The action seldom lets up, and readers will feel the mounting tension and excitement. The setting itself is a scientific wonder, and it must tie into the murders somehow. Meanwhile, Hollywood is filming an action movie in the park, and the pièce de résistance will be the spectacular explosion of a train. But wouldn’t you know, Preston has other plans. Imagine Jurassic Park with the timeline brought forward to the Pleistocene, and you have the Erebus Resort. Science, imagination, storytelling, and action are all here. Fast-moving fun and a highly creative plot."

Publishers Weekly also weighs in with a favorable review: "Preston tweaks the “resurrected species go haywire” trope with a series of ingenious plot twists, and his well-rounded characters make this more than a knowing genre exercise. The results are as smart and spine-chilling as the best of Michael Crichton."

Interference

Although I was unfamiliar with author Brad Parks, he has written a dozen books and won the prestigious Nero and Shamus awards. This was a book I had a hard time putting down. In spite of being baffled by the quantum mechanics that are the plotline thread here, I was willingly led down a couple of red herring paths, only to be surprised at the ending. From the book jacket: "When her husband, a quantum physicist, goes missing in the midst of a strange, violent seizure, Brigid Bronik discovers that his research had gained unwanted attention and wonders if the very same physics that endangered him could actually be used to save his life."

Reviews are positive including from Library Journal, which calls this a "tightly bound thriller" and provides this summary, "...Matthew Bronik, a renowned Dartmouth physicist with a specialty in quantum mechanics, has been suffering from mysterious seizures. His groundbreaking research has drawn the attention of many, including foreign governments and a young millionaire entrepreneur who sees the work as the next step in humanity itself. But when Matthew disappears on the way to the hospital after another seizure, Brigid, his librarian wife, battles sinister forces to track him down. She enlists the help of Matthew's Dartmouth assistant, Sheera, herself entangled with the research, and a gruff local police detective to help provide answers and to bring him home...Parks, better known for character-driven mysteries, ventures into Michael Crichton and Blake Crouch territory with a procedural thriller with an sf edge and a ton of heart that leads to an explosive (and emotional) finale." Publishers Weekly similarly lauds Parks' "intelligent, fast-paced thriller" and concludes "Readers will fully engage with the well-drawn characters as Parks convincingly reveals the science that buttresses the suspenseful plot." Kirkus promises "Parks’ suspenseful novel will beguile, entrance, and fool the sharpest readers." Finally, the New York Journal of Books offers this thought, "Most of that stuff about quantum physics and particles is really about the emotional connections between human beings. It all leads to a finale that’s both thrilling and heartfelt, and a good reason to trust the science of Parks’ fine storytelling." I encourage you to read their entire review for a really good summary.

Death at the Château Bremont

This is the first of the "Provençal Mystery Series" by author M.L. Longworth. Any of you who watched the all-too-short TV series, "Murder in Provence"--starring Roger Allam-- will recognize the main characters, chief magistrate of Aix-en-Provence Antoine Verlaque and law professor Marine Bonnet. There are 9 books in the series and I am ready to dig into these. When documentary film director Étienne de Bremont dies after falling from a window in the attic of the family Château, the police are quick to call it an accident or perhaps even suicide. But investigating magistrate Verlaque is not so sure. Étienne was universally admired and liked and he'd grown up in the Château, often playing for hours in the attic. When it turns out that Marine had been childhood friends with the de Bremont brothers, Verlaque brings her into the investigation while, at the same time, trying in his dogged way to rekindle the romantic relationship he had previously with Bonnet. The the other brother, ne'er-do-well François, is found dead at the Château, only this time it's clearly murder. The resolution of these two deaths causes everyone to re-evaluate their beliefs about the de Bremont brothers. 

Booklist's starred review says, "This first novel in a projected series has charm, wit, and Aix-en-Provence all going for it. Longworth's voice is like a rich concoction of sparkling Dorothy Sayers and grounded Donna Leon. Its blending of aristocratic mystery and guide to Provencal wines, foods, habits, and Aix itself is delightful, and the old-fashioned plotline, with enticing clues nicely planted for the reader, returns refreshingly to the values of the genre's golden age." Library Journal concludes their review, " A beloved home turns sinister in this evocative romantic suspense debut from veteran travel and food writer Longworth. Via great sights and a strong sense of place, readers can leisurely follow Verlaque and Bonnet as they uncover a complicated backstory." Publishers Weekly was less favorable, calling this a "disappointing debut...Despite the appeal of the intelligent Marine and her refreshingly opinionated friend, Sylvie..." Nevertheless, Kirkus calls this "A promising debut for Longworth, who shows there’s more to France than Paris and more to mystery than Maigret."

The First Lie Wins

This is the debut adult novel from YA author Ashley Elston. "Evie Porter is a sweet, southern girl from a small Alabama town. At least, that's the story she tells. In reality, she's a professional con artist whose specialty is insinuating herself into people's lives, gaining their trust so she can expose their secrets" (Booklist). But her current assignment takes a few unexpected twists. First, she is falling in love with her "mark," handsome financial advisor Ryan Sumner. This leads her to try and protect him from her boss by supplying inaccurate information about Ryan's not-so-legitimate side business. And then an old friend of Ryan's shows up with his new woman friend, Lucca Marino, who is a near look-alike to Evie. Except that Lucca Marino is Evie's real name and only her boss, Mr. Smith, knows that. Then "Lucca" and Ryan's friend mysteriously die in a car crash. Evie feels like she's being set up, expecially when the police show up and take her in for questioning about the death of her mark in an earlier assignment. Now it's clear that Mr. Smith is pulling strings to make Evie jump, but to what purpose. Along with her silent tech-wizard partner Devon, Evie must figure out what is going on and try to out-maneuver Mr. Smith before she ends up in jail for murder. There are a lot of flashbacks to Evie's earlier life and her former assignments, so some may find that distracting, but they are essential to understanding Evie's character and the surprising final twists of the plot.

Booklist says of the characters and the plot, "Everyone in Elston's fast-paced adult debut has a secret, and none of the characters are trustworthy or reliable. Evie is a delightfully morally ambiguous antiheroine whose ability to think on her feet results in a relentless array of shocking twists that lead to a satisfying ending." And Publishers Weekly concludes, "Elston whips up plenty of suspense and delivers a satisfyingly serpentine finale." Similarly, Kirkus praises, "Elston’s adult debut announces itself as a savvy thriller with intrigue and momentum from the first twist of Lucca’s arrival right up until the final showdowns. Evie is a smart and engaging protagonist, and her time on the run is anything but predictable."