DISCUSSION GUIDES

Summary: Casey Cep masterfully brings together the tales of a serial killer in 1970s Alabama and of Harper Lee, the beloved author of To Kill a Mockingbird, who tried to write his story. Cep brings this remarkable story to life, from the horrifying murders to the courtroom drama to the racial politics of the Deep South, while offering a deeply moving portrait of one of our most revered writers.

Summary: A thrilling new novel of lies, deception, and revenge from the bestselling author, perfect for fans of B.A. Paris and Joshilyn Jackson! The glamour of Miami has a dark side in this twisting story where nothing is what it seems, as one wronged woman seeks to destroy the seemingly perfect life of one of the city's most revered socialites.

"A shocking, sensual thriller with sharp twists." --Tarryn Fisher, New York Times bestselling author of The Wives

"Twisty and impossible to put down! 10/10 recommend." --Claire Contreras, New York Times bestselling author

"I was hooked from the very first twist." --Alessandra Torre, New York Times bestselling author of Every Last Secret

Book Riot Best Summer 2021 Thrillers
BiblioLifestyle Most Anticipated Summer 2021 Thrillers, Mysteries, And Suspense Novels
Publishers Marketplace BUZZ BOOKS Selection
BookBub Best Thrillers and Mysteries Coming Out This Summer

A brutal tragedy ended Ivy Hill's happy family and childhood. Now in her twenties and severely troubled, she barely has a life--or much to live for. Until the day she discovers the name of the woman who destroyed her world: Lola Maxwell--the mega-wealthy socialite with a heart, Miami's beloved "first lady" of charity. Accomplished, gorgeous, and oh-so-caring, Lola has the best of everything--and doesn't deserve any of it. So it's only right that Ivy take it all away . . .

Little by little, Ivy infiltrates Lola's elite circle, becomes her new best friend--and plays Lola's envious acquaintances and hangers-on against her. But seducing Lola's handsome, devoted surgeon husband turns into a passionate dream Ivy suddenly can't control. And soon, an insidious someone will twist Ivy's revenge into a nightmare of deception, secrets, and betrayal that Ivy may not wake up from . . .

"An ideal summer read." - Booklist, STARRED REVIEW

"This fast-paced and incredibly entertaining book is perfect for devouring by the poolside." - Off the Shelf

Summary: In this intoxicating story of resilience, repulsion, and the Roaring 20’s, the glamorous world of a silent film star’s wife abruptly crumbles when she’s forcibly quarantined at America’s only leper colony in Carville, Louisiana…

Summary: A must-read book of the summer, SONGS IN URSA MAJOR is a transporting love story of music, stardom, heartbreak, and a gifted young singer-songwriter who must find her own voice. Shot through with the lyrics, the icons, the lore, the adrenaline of the early 70s music scene, this sparkling debut novel pulses with romantic longing and asks the question so many female artists must face: What are we willing to sacrifice for our dreams?

Summary: A granddaughter’s decade-long journey to retrace her grandmother’s wartime escape and weave together the thin threads of family history.

Summary: On November 15, 1959, in the small town of Holcomb, Kansas, four members of the Clutter family were savagely murdered by blasts from a shotgun held a few inches from their faces. As Truman Capote reconstructs the murder and the investigation that led to the capture, trial, and execution of the killers, he generates both mesmerizing suspense and astonishing empathy.

Summary: Sliding Doors meets Life After Life in Sarah Adlakha's story about a wife and mother who is given the chance to start over at the risk of losing everything she loves. Exploring the responsibilities love lays on us, the complicated burdens of motherhood, and the rippling impact of our choices, She Wouldn't Change a Thing is a dazzling debut from a bright new voice.

Summary: In her thirteenth year, Kirabo confronts a piercing question: who is my mother? Kirabo has been raised by women in the small Ugandan village of Nattetta―her grandmother, her best friend, and her many aunts―but the absence of her mother follows her like a shadow. Seeking answers from Nsuuta, the local witch, Kirabo learns about the woman who birthed her, who she discovers is alive but not ready to meet. Nsuuta also helps Kirabo understand the emergence of a mysterious second self, a headstrong and confusing force inside her―this, says Nsuuta, is a streak of the “first woman”: an independent, original state that has been all but lost to women.

Summary: A family saga tracing three generations of women from the California Gold Rush to World War II as they attempt to claim what they believe is rightfully theirs.

Summary: In twelve viciously funny, deeply felt essays on friendship among grown-ass women, bestselling author Helen Ellis dishes on married middle-age sex, sobs with a theater full of women as a psychic exorcises their sorrows, gets twenty shots of stomach bile to the neck to get rid of her double chin, and gathers up the courage to ask, “Are you there, Menopause? It’s Me, Helen.”