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Dead of Winter
Dead of Winter by Michelle Miles
2 of 7
This Splintered Silence
This Splintered Silence by Kayla Olson
3 of 7
The Neon Palm of Madame Melancon
The Neon Palm of Madame Melancon by Will Clarke
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Texas Sicario
Texas Sicario by Harry Hunsicker
5 of 7
Tailspin
Tailspin by Sandra Brown
6 of 7
Stick a Fork in Me
Stick a Fork in Me by Dan Jenkins
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Puddin'
Puddin' by Julie Murphy
Taking dips in pools, firing up some good ol’ fashioned barbecue and chowing down on ice cream may be the typical menu for summer afternoons, but we still recommend finding ways to exercise that all-important muscle in your cranium. Here are seven sizzling summer reads from North Texas authors sure to keep the mind sharp.
Author: Michelle Miles
Most Recent Title: Dead of Winter
Genre: Time Travel Adventure
About the Author: If “Game of Thrones” is in your literary wheelhouse, the works of Texan Michelle Miles (not to be confused with local blogger and Best Of winner) belong on your nightstand. An award-winning author of fantasy romance stories, Miles uses her knack for storytelling to weave a world of fairy tales, dragons, castles, elves, magic and true love.
Synopsis: In her most recent literary creation — the second volume in her Ransom and Fortune Adventure series — Skye Ransom and Dane Fortune remain bound to the faulty time machine introduced in the first book — when they wound up in 13th century Scotland. As they randomly leap from century to century, the pair eventually ends up in a futuristic world with two warring tribes, one of which believes Skye to be its leader, thanks to a long-dead prophecy.
Our Take: Adding the element of time travel to a book already rife with fantastical events — the story’s endless possibilities are spellbinding.
Author: Kayla Olson
Most Recent Title: This Splintered Silence
Genre: Sci-Fi Thriller
About the Author: Starting her professional life pouring lattes at Starbucks and balancing cash drawers as a bank teller, Kayla Olson often ended her monotonous workdays frustrated with her lack of a creative outlet. Fast-forward many years, and Olson has found her voice as a writer who succeeds at creating unique and imaginative worlds and characters.
Synopsis: In This Splintered Silence, Olson’s protagonist, Lindley Hamilton, became the leader of a space station after a deadly virus killed every first-generation crew member on board — including her mother, the commander. When members of the crew’s second generation — one that was supposed to be immune to the virus — begin to die, a mystery surfaces as to whether the virus has mutated or a killer is aboard the space station.
Our Take: If you love brain-candy books about deadly viruses — whether set in space or not —This Splintered Silence fits the bill.
Author: Will Clarke
Most Recent Title: The Neon Palm of Madame Melancon
Genre: Mystery Fiction
About the Author: While he spent his formative years in Shreveport, Louisiana — and he went north to Canada to receive a master’s in creative writing from the University of British Columbia — Will Clarke calls Dallas his current home. Often compared to Kurt Vonnegut, Clarke’s dark humor perfectly marries comedy, tragedy and absurdity.
Synopsis: New Orleans, a city with a good pulse on anything “creepy,” is the setting for this novel that takes readers through the anxiety-riddled life of protagonist Duke Melançon, who is dealing with both the potential destruction of the Gulf of Mexico and the disappearance of his crime boss mother, who is also the titular character. The two seemingly unrelated events become entangled, and it’s a fun, chaotic ride to the two stories’ eventual collision.
Our Take: If you find comfort in the absurd and have a tendency to belly laugh at the strange and awkward, you’ll want to take the time to flip through Clarke’s latest.
Author: Harry Hunsicker
Most Recent Title: Texas Sicario
Genre: Crime Thriller
About the Author: One would suppose the former executive vice president of the Mystery Writers of America (yeah, it’s totally a thing) would be pretty decent at constructing a suspenseful tale. And, after diving into some of his prose, it’s easy to see how Harry Hunsicker assumed such a position. This Dallas native’s previous titles have been short-listed for both the Shamus and Thriller Awards.
Synopsis: The second in Hunsicker’s Arlo Baines series (potential spoilers ahead if you haven’t read The Devil’s Country), Texas Sicario finds the first book’s protagonist, ex-Texas Ranger Baines, working security at a bazaar in Dallas, where he befriends a street kid and, after being approached by a former colleague who now works at the DEA, begins investigating the murders of prominent Latino businessmen. This fast-paced story evolves into action-packed chaos that turns the streets of Dallas into a war zone.
Our Take: A strange amalgamation of “No Country for Old Men” and the ’80s Schwarzenegger flick “Commando,” Texas Sicario is bursting with action and the culture and personality of the Lone Star State.
Author: Sandra Brown
Most Recent Title: Tailspin
Genre: Romantic Suspense
About the Author: Whether you know her as Rachel Ryan or Erin St. Claire — or her real name — Waco-based romance author Sandra Brown has 70 New York Times bestsellers under her belt. And with 80 million copies of her books in print worldwide, we can say with 100 percent certainty that she’s kind of a big deal.
Synopsis: A morality tale at its core, Tailspin wastes little time advancing its plot. Dr. Brynn O’Neal has 48 hours to get an untested drug to a 7-year-old girl and must put trust in Rye Mallet, a fearless pilot, to beat the clock. She must also battle a group of thugs vying to retrieve the drug for a 70-year-old senator hell-bent on having the drug for himself. An attraction obviously develops between the two leads, but the race against time adds a perfect dose of fervor to their relationship and the story as a whole.
Our Take: Tallying in at over 600 pages, Tailspin is a lengthy read, but the consistent excitement and anticipation keep the pages turning.
Author: Dan Jenkins
Most Recent Title: Stick a Fork in Me
Genre: Sports Fiction
About the Author: With a knack for combining humor with brilliant storytelling, Dan Jenkins was among America’s most acclaimed and award-winning sportswriters. After 15 years of writing all things sports in the Metroplex, he became nationally known for his stories in Sports Illustrated and Golf Digest — even catching the ire of Tiger Woods. Jenkins passed away earlier this year at the age of 90.
Synopsis: Peter Wallace is at the center of Jenkins’ 21st book, Stick a Fork in Me. A football coach who received his degree from the pleasantly farcical “Texas College of Fine Arts & Ranching,” Wallace moves up the ranks to become the school’s athletic director. The setting provides Jenkins a canvas with which to go to work on the politics and sheer lunacy of college sports — boosters, celebrity college athletes, media, school administrators, etc. — with his usual biting satire.
Our Take: Wry, cunning and artfully crafted, this novel is classic Jenkins.
Author: Julie Murphy
Most Recent Title: Puddin’
Genre: Young Adult Romance
About the Author: At only 33, Julie Murphy, a self-described potty-mouthed Southern belle, has already made a big splash in the world of young adult fiction. A Fort Worthian, her comedic and inspiring stories are full of positive messages about young women facing the impossible expectations society places on them. Her book Dumplin’ was recently made into a Netflix movie starring Jennifer Aniston.
Synopsis: Murphy’s most recent offering, Puddin’ (she apparently loves titles that emphasize a twang), follows the same supporting characters from Dumplin’ in the months following Willowdean Dickson’s — a self-proclaimed “fat girl” — appearance in the Clover City pageant. Millie Michalchuk, fresh off her runner-up finish, forms an unlikely friendship with the co-captain of the high school dance team. This is ultimately a story that takes you on a journey beyond superficial first impressions.
Our Take: Filled with memorable characters, heartwarming friendships and a positive message, Puddin’ makes a fantastic companion piece to the must-read Dumplin’.