Back to the beach with books in tote

Your early summer 2024 reading list

By Tom Mayer

You’ll need a bigger bag — that’s the first thing to know about our early summer 2024 reading list. Not only are there waves and waves of new titles coming at us during the next few months, but the sheer volume of some of these 500-1,000 page tsunamis are sure to strain all but the most reinforced beach tote (“Southern Man” by Greg Iles comes to us in late May at more than a pound and 976 pages, by example). That is, if you’re reading in print, which, as always, I highly recommend. Not that I don’t have my trusty e-reader (trust is beholden in the eye of the charger) with me at all times, but have you noticed … print publishers have really upped their game.
Many of today’s print books are not only beautifully designed and produced for a complete reading sensation, they’re bound for the long haul … as in decades from now your progeny will be able to still marvel at the breadth of your literary acumen. Unlike a second-generation reader I own that no longer supports updates, making it a useful bequeath to exactly no one save for those who find a wicked joy in commenting on my age.
But back to the beach. The hand-curated titles here range from the fantastic to the fantastical, and for a bonus I’ve added a brief list of additional titles similarly recommended — just in case you’re lucky enough to find a space on an uninhabited island with nothing but sunshine and time. Bon voyage.

“I am Rome” (Ballantine Books) by Santiago Posteguillo
While Santiago Posteguillo is a best-selling author of crime and historical fiction in Spain, “I am Rome: A Novel of Julius Caesar” comes to us as his English-language debut — and one filled with action and oratory in translation by Frances Riddle. Using flashbacks to document Caesar’s early life — his announced arranged marriage which comes at age 12; his expansive education from his uncle, Marius; his political aspirations and early successes — the year is now 77 BCE, and a 23-year-old Gaius Julius Caesar wins a plumb assignment over mentors and others with decades more experience: the prosecution of Gnaeus Cornelius Dolabella, the governor of Macedonia who faces corruption charges. When prosecutorial witnesses begin to die, and a spy within Caesar’s own camp leaks testimonial secret to the opposition, the stage is set for a compelling narrative outlining the Roman general cum statesman’s rise to power.

“After Annie” (Random House) by Anna Quindlen
Anna Quindlen has made a career trading on secrets, but also on friendship, marriage, family and deep, deep loss. “After Annie” is a culmination of all of this in an achingly beautifully written story about how the lives of Bill Brown and his four young children are to continue after the death of Annie, his best friend, wife and mother of their children. For daughter Ali, it’s a coming-of-age story, though her father and younger brothers grow and learn about themselves and each other as they all navigate channels of adversity to come out stronger on the other side.

“Lilith” (Blackstone) by Eric Rickstad
You may not know that according not Jewish mythology, Lilith is the name of Adam’s supposed first wife — the woman before Eve who fled Eden after refusing to submit to male dominance — but you’ll know why Elisabeth Roth assumes the name in Eric Rickstad’s new novel. A challenging and rewarding work, “Lilith,” the person and the novel, seeks to answer two poignant questions: do the ends justify the means; and, do two wrongs make a right? For most of us, those questions seem elementary, but elementary is what kindergarten and single mom Elisabeth is … until her son, Lydan, suffers traumatic injuries in the wake of school violence. Posting video under her assumed name of a crime that she commits in answer to men in authority who she sees as too cowardly to stand up for her son and other victims, Elisabeth finds herself both vilified and venerated by millions. Working to elude capture, though, forces desperate measures, and those could ultimately result in the loss of her son. Rickstad earned a New York Times “Thriller of the Year” honor for “I Am Not Who You Think I Am,” and the form serves him well here.

“City in Ruins” (William Morrow) by Don Winslow
What an ending … and not only for the conclusion to a masterful trilogy about two New England organized crime families, but for the author himself, who has reported that “City in Ruins” will be the last novel of his career. The Danny Ryan trio of books takes us from Providence, R.I., and on a journey of redemption as this would be/wouldn’t be mob leader tries to leave his criminal life in the past. That past continuously catches up with him, reaching a crescendo with old enemies, the FBI, the IRS and even friends gunning for him. Written in Winslow’s signature style, you’ll enjoy the prose as much as a story that could be read as a standalone, but one you’ll appreciate more if you start at the beginning. Watch for an interview with Winslow late spring/early summer at cullmantimes.com.

“The House on Biscayne Bay” (Berkley) by Chanel Cleeton
Styled as a gothic mystery — a descriptor the novel wears well — Chanel Cleeton’s “The House on Biscayne Bay” is a haunting and atmospheric novel that brings past and present together as the lives of two women intersect under the roof of a dark and secret-infested mansion in Miami. The estate is gilded and golden, but there’s something rotten beneath its facade. Unless that sickness can be ferreted out, the result is likely to be a deadly history repeating itself.

“A Killing On the Hill” (Thomas & Mercer) by Robert Dugoni
In the past two and a half decades, the prolific Robert Dugoni has gifted us dozens of stories, including his popular Tracy Crosswhite, Charles Jenkins and David Sloane series, in addition a handful of standalone novels.
So, what’s a popular and gifted storyteller to do in 2024? In Dugoni’s case, tell a different kind of story. Forging a new path, Dugoni’s “A Killing On the Hill” is the author’s first historical novel — and one that sits solidly in his canon.
Inspired by a real-life shooting that took place in a nightclub in Seattle during Prohibition, the novel centers on deception and misdirection as the mobster George Miller claims he shot former prizefighter Frankie Ray only in self-defense.
Told through the young and inexperienced eyes of a almost-cub reporter working the crime beat for the Seattle Daily Star, the story takes us deep into a criminal trial that transfixes a reading public as two competing newspapers each strive to out-scoop the other. Dugoni takes us back to the very roots of storytelling with this master work.

“The Clock Struck Murder” (Poisoned Pen Press) by Betty Webb
Betty Webb’s “The Clock Struck Murder” isn’t the first novel to feature American expat Zoe Barlow — that was “Lost in Paris.” In that earlier tale, missing Hemingway writings lead Zoe into the investigations of two murders. Here, the plot device works just as well as Zoe, living in 1924 Paris, searches for a replacement for a broken but favorite porcelain clock. Finding a new one that suits her sensibilities, Zoe is surprised to find, upon returning home, that her purchase has been wrapped in a painting by Marc Chagall. Certain that her purchase had been sealed in error, she returns to the market to find that the vendor has been bludgeoned to death in a storage shed — and near a stack of other Chagalls. With the Olympics set to stage soon in Paris, local authorities have little interest or resources for an investigation, so Zoe decides to go it herself, ultimately uncovering more than one murder.

“The Book That Broke the World” (Ace) by Mark Lawrence
The second book in Mark Lawrence’s planned Library Trilogy, “The Book That Broke the World” follows 2023’s “The Book That Wouldn’t Burn.” A love letter to the place where books live and are loved, Lawrence’s trio is a love story of its own, telling the tale of a both a vast library and the small spaces that are filled with our own stories, including those that must be reclaimed — as is the case with Livira. Though her place is beside Evar, the two are far separated as Evar is forced to flee the library and journey into a vast world with which he’s utterly unfamiliar. The library, working to reassemble the threads of Livira’s history, brings their past to a new landscape as discovery, adventure and romance flavor this enthralling, enchanting series.

And because even our teens, tweens and their younger siblings find time to read in the summer:

“The Luminous Life of Lucy Landry” (Holiday House) by Anna Rose Johnson
Selena Lucy Landry is a spirited French-Ojibwe orphan — her sailor father died at sea — who is sent to foster with the Martin family at that awkward age when she can’t seem to get anything right. Flavoring this is that the Martins are a mysterious group of lighthouse-keepers who just might hold the key to the whereabouts of a legendary necklace her father spent his life looking for. A sweet story that crosses multiple boundaries — age, race, creed — Anna Rose Johnson’s “The Luminous Life of Lucy Landry” is promoted for those in grades 3-7, but really, the whole family will enjoy the tale.

“Hello, Alabama,” (Arcadia) by Martha Day Zschock
A fun board book that tags nearly every important Alabama bag, Martha Day Zschock’s “Hello, Alabama” is a colorful, fun and beautifully illustrated journey through the state. From the gulf shore to the USS Alabama, Magic City to the U.S. Space & Rocket Center, you and your little ones are “off and away” on a fun educational trek across Alabama — and a trek that might just have mom and dad learning a thing or two, also.

(Sidebar or boxed content below)

(Hede) More for the beach bag
And so, you’ve exhausted our summer list and there’s still a bit sunshine left. Consider:

“Matterhorn” (Thomas & Mercer) by Christopher Reich
Mac Dekker’s been living under a false name and trying to stay off the grid … until he learns about the death of his son who, unknown to him, had followed his dad into the world of espionage.

“Bare Knuckle” (Blackstone Publishing) by Stayton Bonner
Former Rolling Stone editor Stayton Bonner traveled the world of bare-knuckle boxing with world champion Bobby Gunn (73-0) for years to produce this Rocky-esque tale of triumph, loss and a father’s love for his family. Highly inspirational, highly recommended.

“You Like It Darker” by Stephen King (Scribner)
It’s Stephen King. It’s a book of his short stories. It’s summer and now you have the time enjoy a collection of new fiction from the master of horror. Enough said.

“Camino Ghosts” (Doubleday) by John Grisham
We typically have to wait until October for a new John Grisham novel, but this third installment in the Florida Camino Island story is right on time for a breezy, summer read.

“Southern Man” (William Morrow) by Greg Iles
We’ll be visiting with Greg Iles in early summer for an interview about his newest lawyer Penn Cage book, but this one has been long in coming and it’s worth mentioning here. Well, that and that you’ll want to start the book in late May, as soon as it comes out, if you plan on finishing before Labor Day. Iles’s new novel is much anticipated, and it delivers an intricately crafted plot that’ll keep you engrossed through its nearly 1,000 pages. It’s 15 years after the events of the Natchez Burning trilogy, and Penn Cage, carrying a mortal secret that keeps him isolated, is alone. A true masterpiece with historical depth that could only come from Iles’ pen. Check back for the interview in an upcoming issue of Meridian Life magazine (meridianstar.com/magazines/) and several Southern newspapers, including The Cullman Times (cullmantimes.com).

A Killing on the Hill by Robert Dugoni is a wonderful, witty, and well-plotted mystery that kept me on the edge of my seat.

Will a young reporter outsmart the underworld of Seattle in the 1930s?
Mr. Dugoni sets up this story in Seattle during the Depression. There are many seedy characters, and most have no honor, choosing instead to make a buck whenever possible. Yet, he finds a few still bound to decency and integrity. I enjoy Mr. Dugoni’s descriptions and how he sets up the young Mr. Shumacher to choose his morals.

William Shumacher
Our Point of view is that of William Shumacher, a recent transplant from Kansas City who works as a reporter for the Daily Star. He doesn’t know much about Seattle but is willing to work hard and secure his position with the local newspaper. Somehow, William’s mother knows the editor of the Daily Star and got him a job. Yet, to keep it, he has to be better than the others and work hard to find the stories that his editor wants.

I like William. He does a few things that aren’t exactly smart, and he seriously can’t see when someone is tailing him. Yet, he is honest and is learning fast. I hope that he can live up to his expectations. He deserves a wife who loves him, a family, and a home.

The Mystery
The whole thing starts with a boxer getting shot at a club on the hill. However, since this is set during the Depression, you wouldn’t expect to see a dinner club, complete with lots of food and alcohol, or with gambling and an entertainment stage. This is where the murder took place, and it seems that everyone in Seattle knew about the place, and the cops also knew, but none of them closed it down. Mr. Dugoni shows a side of Seattle that most wouldn’t think of in the current city.

Shu, as the police refer to William, is tipped off at the beginning, and then the police let him get close to them as they are investigating the murder. He is smart enough not to print anything that the cops don’t want to be public knowledge. Still, he is also intelligent enough to know that something else is going on besides what the prosecution and the defense are saying at the trial. William has become famous for covering the “Trial of the Century” for the Daily Star. So, when he goes poking around at other aspects, certain characters take notice and begin to discourage him, but it only makes him dig deeper.

The plot twists are plentiful, and Mr. Dugoni notes in his author section that he based the original murder on a true crime in Seattle. I was taken by a red herring that turned out to be honorable; however, I did catch on to some of the subplots. The whole story is very well played.

Five Stars
My rating for A Killing on the Hill by Robert Dugoni is five stars. I highly recommend this book. All of Mr. Dugoni’s books that I have read are brilliant. So, you can’t go wrong.

I voluntarily reviewed an Advance Reader Copy. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

Thank you for dropping by! I hope you enjoyed this review of A Killing on the Hill by Robert Dugoni.

Until the next time,
~Jen

If you would like to see other reviews like this one, check out Baroness Book Trove.

Young Will Schumacher considers himself lucky. Though poor and often hungry, he has steady work as a reporter for Seattle’s Daily Star, and a guaranteed one meal a day at the lodging house where he boards. That’s a lot more than most can say in 1933, with the whole country in the throes of the Great Depression. Even though he’d been forced to move out west by dire circumstances back in his Missouri hometown, he has a job he enjoys, with prospects for advancement, and the interest of a beautiful girl.

Will’s luck shines even brighter when he gets a phone call early one morning from the city’s most celebrated police detective, Ernie Blunt. The chief detective has a tip for the rookie reporter, concerning a shooting in a glamorous nightclub up on Profanity Hill. Will rushes to the scene and discovers a story that could turn out to be the case of the century. If he plays his cards right, he might be able to make his name in the process.

George Miller, the owner of the Pom Pom Club, claims that former prizefighter Frankie Ray had been demanding money and threatening him with a gun while in a drunken rage. Miller swears that he wrestled the gun away and only shot Ray in self-defense. Rumor has it, though, that the fight was really over a beautiful woman. Blunt quickly puts paid to Miller’s original story, sending the case to trial. Given the titillating circumstances and colorful characters involved, all of Seattle – if not more of the country – is soon agog, breathlessly following coverage of the proceedings. Will is proud to be the reporter with most of the breaking news and, under the guidance of his editor Howard “Phish” Phishbaum, most of the narrative pizzazz.

But the longer the trial continues, the more convinced Will becomes that greater political machinations are at work behind the scenes. He might have once been a relatively naive kid from the Midwest, but his career as a reporter so far has honed both his curiosity and his smarts. Corruption, he realizes uneasily, is far more prevalent in Seattle than he’d expected, especially once he sees the list of the Pom Pom Club’s wealthy and powerful patrons. Despite the police releasing this list to the city’s three major newspapers, Will is surprised that not one of them has decided to print it. While he expects that chicanery from the other, more partisan papers, he’s puzzled that Phish hasn’t published:

QUOTE
[I]t seemed like the kind of information Phish thrived on. He steadfastly maintained the <i>Daily Star’s</i> independence from such politics. When I asked him about it, Phish had a ready answer.

“You and I both know what we received isn’t the full list,” Phish said. “We’re being partially fed with the hope our curiosity will be satisfied. If we publish some but not all the names, the impact–were we to later obtain the full list–would be diluted. By not publishing the list, we maintain leverage–the fear that we know all the names on the list, and we won’t be hand-fed by the police or the politicians. We remain independent.”
END QUOTE

As Will continues to cover the trial and investigate the circumstances surrounding it, he finds himself caught in moral quandaries that have no easy answers. Who can he trust? Who can he believe? And who will have no hesitation about lying to his face before shooting him as soon as his back is turned?

Not even his personal life can remain untainted by political affairs outside of his control. While the initial success of reporting affords him both a raise and the ability to properly court the girl he’s interested in, her father, an Italian baker, has other ideas:

QUOTE
Mr. Giovacchini’s eyes widened, then narrowed. He said, “Schumacher?”

“Yes,” I said. “William Schumacher.”

“German,” he said.

“Yes,” I said. “Both my parents are German. They–”

He cut me off with a raised hand and shook his head. “No. My daughter will not go out with a German sympathizer.”

“I’m… I’m not a German sympathizer,” I stuttered.

“No,” he said again. This time his voice louder and gruffer. “Get out of my pastry shop.”

“Papa,” Amara said.

“Do not question me,” Mr. Giovacchini said. “My daughter will not go out with a German sympathizer.”

“Arturo,” Amara’s mother said, stepping forward.

“No!” he said again, more adamant. Then to me, “Out! Get out!”
END QUOTE

Robert Dugoni perfectly captures both the personal and political matters that swirl around his fictional protagonist, even as he skilfully bases this historical novel on a very real crime. Actual nightclub owner George Moore had been brought to trial for the “underworld” shooting of Frankie Ray under very similar circumstances. The famed Seattle trial attorney who defended him posited the relatively new strategy of self-defense in hopes of an acquittal. The newspaper coverage of the time inspired Mr Dugoni to recreate that milieu in this wildly entertaining and convincingly authentic legal thriller. Will makes for a very sympathetic narrator, guiding modern readers through the nuances of the time with heart, moral depth and more than just a little bit of the panache that does his employer proud.

A Killing on the Hill is a captivating historical thriller by Robert Dugoni, known for his mastery across genres. From his Charles Jenkins mysteries to the Tracy Crosswhite series, Dugoni's latest work seamlessly blends historical fiction with a gripping legal thriller. With each venture, Dugoni proves his ability to mesmerize readers with his storytelling prowess.

From the outset, I was completely drawn into the narrative of A Killing on the Hill. Witnessing William's rise to fame, alongside his family's struggles back in Kansas City, set the stage for a gripping tale. As William becomes entangled in a mystery with potentially dire consequences, I found myself unable to tear myself away from the book.

Blending elements of historical fiction and legal thriller, this engrossing novel kept me guessing until the very end. Once I began reading, I knew I wouldn't be able to put it down. So, I dove in headfirst, allowing the story to consume my attention, even at the expense of neglecting chores and work.

In addition to the captivating mystery, readers are treated to a tender romance that adds depth to the protagonist's journey. Dugoni ensures that every facet of William's life -professional, personal, and romantic - is thoroughly explored.

As I delved deeper into the story, it played like a movie in my head. Certain scenes, particularly those involving William and Amara, I could envision it accompanied by the perfect soundtrack - Frank Sinatra's Strangers in the Night.

In conclusion, A Killing on the Hill by Robert Dugoni is undoubtedly a must-read thriller of the year, offering a riveting blend of intrigue, romance, and suspense that will leave readers eagerly turning the pages until the very end.

A fantastic mystery set in the early 1930s in Seattle. It's full of absolutely wonderful characters and completely transported me to the era. I really hope to see these characters again!

Robert Dugoni is an impressive author who has such great range in his writing. I found this story fascinating, made even more so after reading the author's note at the end.

In A Killing on the Hill Dugoni sets the stage, moderately paced, before the compelling court action and story whisk the reader through a serpentine web enmeshed in the Trial of the Century. With characters keeping you vigilant, twists catching you off guard, this well-told legal thriller includes romance, wherein a disheartening rift has you rooting for the young couple and turning the pages to see how it is resolved.

Dugoni indicates he originally wrote the story from the attorney's point of view, and the reporter kept getting in his way. And I am glad he did! Shoe is a practical, likable character, although quite naive, and is unexpectedly faced with a moral dilemma toward the story's end. I won't say any more about that - no spoilers here. Shoe's boss is delightsome, throwing in some surprises as do some of the underworld individuals and professionals. Nicely done, Dugoni! I highly recommend this mystery thriller, the author's first historical fiction, set in Seattle in the 1930s during Prohibition and the Great Depression. Having recently read The World Played Chess, I am now a Dugoni fan.

A Killing on the Hill
By: Robert Dugoni
Publisher: Thomas & Mercer
Length: 380 pages

5💸💸💸💸💸

Seattle in 1933 is in the middle of the Geat Depression. With Prohibition and a murder, things are bleak as corruption is rampant.
💸
A young reporter William “Shoe” Shumacher gets a tip which can make his career when a murder happens. Frankie Ray, was a former prizefighter.
💸
The court scene makes up a majority of the novel. The testimonies are detailed! Who is telling the truth?
💸
This novel is a nail-bitter, full of vivid details. This was my first novel by this author.

Bestselling award winning author, Robert Dugoni’s first historical novel, A Killing on the Hill, is set in 1933, during the Great Depression when most people were struggling. However, there was a lot of corruption going on across the country. Seattle had its share of “underworld” characters, and on a morning in June, George Miller, who owned the Pom Pom Club which few could afford to patronize, shot Frankie Ray, a boxer, and told the police a story that didn’t add up. Ernie Blunt, the Chief Detective on the case, along with the prosecutor, were at the hospital when Frankie died, and it was thought that he had been shot over Ray’s $55.00 Cadillac payments and an $80.00 hospital bill for his girlfriend. Young William Shumacher had just come to Seattle from Kansas City to take a job with the Daily Star newspaper as a reporter, and Blunt called him to accompany him to the crime scene and hospital so the paper would get the correct story. Shumacher, who was called “Shoe,” saw that this was his chance to make it big in his new profession, and since jobs were very hard to get, he wanted to do well. He puts his all into the investigation, to find a real motive and to keep the stories going each day from the courthouse during the trial. His ambition and drive would easily lead to his success or death.

Dugoni is a brilliant storyteller, and in this one, he not only does a genius job of storytelling, but also making readers feel that they are a part of the time period and living this story in real time. The characters are developed so well that most of us who had grandparents or great-grandparents will be familiar with those who lived during that time, and these characters ring true.

Dugoni’s first historical novel is fabulous, and will keep readers on the edge, as well as take them back to a time of gangsters, prohibition, and poverty. Hopefully Shoe will be back in subsequent novels.

Special thanks to NetGalley for supplying a review copy of this book.