If you want to start the year on a high note, you might start with one of these six books, which promise gripping stories about secrets, identity, ambition and the courage it takes to claim your own life.
‘The Viper’ by Brad Meltzer
When a terminally ill man who has spent decades hiding a lethal secret brings his burial suit to a funeral home, he believes he has found the perfect place to conceal evidence that others would kill to possess. His brutal murder shatters that plan and draws military mortician Jim “Zig” Zigarowski and enigmatic sketch artist Nola Brown into a dangerous hunt for the truth. As the investigation unfolds, past crimes come into focus, some concerning Nola’s troubled family history. Meltzer’s intense, mazelike thriller is full of twists that reward focused attention. (William Morrow, Jan. 6)
‘Homeschooled: A Memoir’ by Stefan Merrill Block
When Block was 9, his mother pulled him out of school — convinced formal education was inhibiting his innate talent — and began teaching him at home. In reality, her increasingly eccentric and controlling behavior left him adrift and isolated from the outside world. When he eventually reentered the Texas public school system, he experienced a shocking awakening, prompting a battle for autonomy. This heartfelt and humorous memoir offers a unique glimpse into the unregulated home-school system, exploring the complexities of a mother’s love and a son’s hard-won struggle to claim a life of his own. (Hanover Square, Jan. 6)
‘Hyper’ by Agri Ismaïl
On the eve of Iran’s 1979 Revolution, a communist leader flees to London with his family, setting in motion a legacy of displacement. Decades later, his children are scattered across the world: Mohammad is trapped in London’s ruthless finance industry; Siver is a single mother, working at a luxury mall while raising her daughter in Dubai; and Laika, a proficient hacker, is working on an algorithm to game the stock market. Blending pointed satire with an emotional family saga, Ismaïl’s novel explores money, rootlessness and fractured identity while examining contemporary life under the forces of global capitalism. (Coffee House, Jan. 13)
‘The Sea Child’ by Linda Wilgus
Isabel, widowed and penniless following the Napoleonic Wars, returns to her hometown on the Cornish coast, seeking answers about her mysterious past. After becoming involved with a group of smugglers — and the captivating Captain Jack — Isabel finds herself inexplicably drawn to the sea. With its richly detailed setting (think stone cottages and Poldark-esque windy cliffs) and blend of folklore, history and adventure, this enchanting debut novel offers both suspense and romance. (Ballantine, Jan. 20)
‘When We Were Brilliant’ by Lynn Cullen
In 1950s New York, young and ambitious photographer Eve Arnold is trying to make it in a male-dominated industry when she crosses paths with Norma Jeane Baker — on the brink of becoming Marilyn Monroe — who believes Eve’s camera can reveal more than glamour. What begins as a wary collaboration grows into a creative and emotional partnership as Eve discovers the intelligence, vulnerability and resolve behind Norma Jeane’s crafted public image. But under pressure from Hollywood power brokers, scrutinizing media and cultural politics, both women struggle to claim authorship over their lives and work. Cullen’s illuminating historical novel reveals how two determined women, both underestimated in different ways, helped one another be seen more clearly — by the world and by themselves. (Berkley, Jan. 20)
‘Missing Sam’ by Thrity Umrigar
Aliya and her wife, Sam, end up in a bitter argument after a party reignites long-simmering tensions. Hoping to shake off the negativity, Sam leaves on her usual morning run — but this time she doesn’t return, launching a frantic search that quickly turns Aliya’s world upside down. When she reports Sam missing, Aliya is met not with sympathy but suspicion, intensified by her identity as a gay Muslim daughter of immigrants. Umrigar’s domestic thriller is both propulsive and provocative, as the initial focus on Sam’s disappearance broadens to consider the far-reaching effects of prejudice and pressures to conform. (Algonquin, Jan. 27)
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