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).

What did I just read?! This as such a thought provoking and intense book. The premise of vengeance due to rage was very relatable given what happened to the MCs son on a school shooting. This story was propulsive and shocking at time and I loved every minute. Pick this up today!

Rickstad's eloquent prose vividly depicts vulnerable yet resilient characters and a raw, absorbing plot that explores life, loss, and the blurred lines between right and wrong. This beautifully written tale lingers long after the final page, capturing the dread and rage of being a school shooting survivor and evoking profound fear, panic, and rage. Lilith is an intense, must-read commentary on the failures of society and politics that will make you question the world around you.

Holy Sh*t.⁣
⁣
I lost count of how many times I said those words while reading Lilith. ⁣
⁣
If you’ve ever thought about gun control; ⁣
If you have children in your life; ⁣
If you are a human being. ⁣
You need to read this story. ⁣
⁣
And it’s not going to be easy as you are gut punched over and over, and become buried in helplessness and consumed by rage. ⁣
⁣
As a mother wrestles with her anger after her son is shot in a school shooting, she decides to commit a most violent act of revenge and posts a video of the horrific event under the guise of a vigilante named Lilith. As the FBI closes in on her, some justify the heroic actions of this grieving mother, while others believe she’s just as evil as those she hoped to punish.⁣
⁣
It’s traumatic and intensely uncomfortable - triggers run high in this one - but Lilith is a thought-provoking masterpiece of the most profound revenge story you’ll ever read.

DNF.Style and content both did not work for me and I had to stop reading at 10% I did not like the choppy sentences and my son is still in school so anything with school violence is not for me.

Heartbreaking,maddening, suspenseful and thought- provoking— Lilith by Eric Rickstad is impossible to forget. No doubt people will be discussing- and debating- this book for years. With riveting storytelling, it tackles gun violence, gun rights, and gun control, but also so much more. The novel begins with school shootings at an elementary school and the devastating injuries and aftermath for a teacher and her son there. I’m still processing the horrible triggering words and attitudes of the school leaders, as well as those of a well-known gun rights advocate, and still questioning how I would act if put in Elisabeth’s mindset and circumstances. Is it a perfect book? To me there are some sections that detract from the flow and energy. But will I recommend it widely for an epic explosive story and its underlying topics? Absolutely.

Easily one of my top books of 2024. As I'm sure author Eric Rickstad knows, the premise of "Lilith" is particularly resonant at this moment. It's powerful, haunting and compulsively readable. This one is not to be missed.

Thank you to NetGalley and Blackstone Publishing for the advanced copy in exchange for my honest review.

After seeing so many positive reviews about this one, I was excited to get to it. It's a very relevant book for our times. It's about a single mom and school teacher, Elisabeth , who's son, Lydan is severely injured In a school shooting. She is enraged at men in power! Going by the name Lilith, she sets out to commit an act of violence as revenge against them…and posts a video which goes viral. She's now being sought after by the FBI and must keep her identity hidden if she wants to not lose her son.

This is not a long read, but very gripping to read. Very thought provoking read about how violence can be triggered by rage. This one hits you right in the heart. Definitely a must read!!

Out now.

Thank you to the publisher and netgalley for the gifted copy. All opinions are my own. My review will be posted on Instagram, Bookbub, Goodreads, and Amazon once it publishes

Divided into 3 books it felt distinctly like
Before, during and after. But then make it about the change in a person before any type of trauma.

The day starts out with Elisabeth’s son Lydan not wanting to go to school. And it ends with a school shooting that changes her son’s life and leads her into a point of no return.

A vigilante type novel with an empathic voice on the ripple affect of a mother, a teacher and more importantly a woman wanting to take back power before it destroys someone else.

I would say this is a book club type book. One that you may have many opposing voices on. But I’ve found, that some of the books that have made it onto my forever shelf, weren’t always 5 star reads but the ones that keep vibrating in my head.

Oopf. This is one of those.

Lilith is a contemporary thriller about a kindergarten teacher and mother that survives a school shooting only to craft her own revenge against the men she believes profit and gain from gun violence.

Elisabeth is teaching kindergarten at the school she shares with her young son when violence erupts. She barely makes it out alive with her class when she runs back in to save her son. As the world hails her as a hero she is consumed by thoughts of rage toward the latest presidential candidate, a gun store owning pundit that uses her tragedy to push the “arm all teachers” concept. Using her only connection to the gun world and her superior intellect Elisabeth takes revenge as her alter ego “Lilith” which in turn fuels the imaginations of women across the country. But no crime is perfect and she’ll have to tie up any loose ends if she’s going to escape notice of the FBI and dedicate herself to her son’s recovery.

This was a fast read and a thoughtful revenge fantasy that will resonate with readers frustrated and angry about the state of gun violence in the U.S. Despite the fact that logically Elisabeth’s “fight fire with fire” and using gun violence to solve gun violence make little sense on paper it still makes an interesting and challenging read. Because the book opens the morning of the shooting we don’t get much background on Elisabeth the person so I consider this more of a plot driven book with increasing tension as it heads toward the conclusion. I recommend it to readers that enjoy crime thrillers with morally gray main characters.

Thank you Blackstone Pub #partner for the #gifted copy!

This book is one of my toughest reviews to write about, I feel like my words can do no justice no matter how hard I try. Eric Rickstad is hugely popular for his novel 𝙄 𝘼𝙢 𝙉𝙤𝙩 𝙒𝙝𝙤 𝙔𝙤𝙪 𝙏𝙝𝙞𝙣𝙠 𝙄 𝘼𝙢 but Lilith is my first book of his, and even though I was fully aware of the subject matter - gun violence in a school setting - I was not prepared to experience this story due in part to his prolific writing. I am not a mother, nor am I a school teacher, yet Lilith traumatized me, because gun death is all too real and unresolved in our country, as of today. If you have kids or you work in a school, please be aware Lilith is an extremely heartbreaking read, with child deaths via guns.

The author took about ten years to write this book and it shows. There is a vivid scene of an active school shooting, and a teacher who is also a mother who breaks canned school protocols to save her boy and other kids. There are also detailed descriptions and history of guns that are jaw-dropping. In addition, the same mother seeks revenge which causes ripple effects to the victim’s family as well as nationwide, and you will ask yourself where does it all end.

Needless to say, this story will make you extremely uncomfortable if you feel the USA isn’t doing enough to control guns. Books like these need to be written, read and discussed, and gun control, in general, needs to be re-addressed because our politicians keep sweeping the matter under the rug.

Lastly I want to say I really appreciate how the author gave zero spotlight to the shooter. So often, our media glorifies the perpetrators even if notoriously, and the victims become footnotes. That’s not the case here.

In summary, extremely tough read but a necessity to remind ourselves what’s at stake for our future generations.

I really don't know where to start.
A fast paced, riveting, emotional and rage inducing read.
I loved Rickstad's previous release, I Am Not Who You Think I am - wowza that book; I thought I was prepared for Lilith - I was not.
Such strength, brutal honesty and again points out the uselessness of thoughts and prayers. They do not serve a purpose - vote; protest; hold them accountable; vote!
A well timed, provoking novel.

Lilith is a hauntingly tragic and stirring story that will punch you in the gut, leaving you teary eyed and breathless. Eric Rickstad has expertly crafted a profound tale that holds up a mirror to today’s society and asks us to explore our humanity.

Elisabeth Ross is a teacher who heroically saves her class from a school shooter, then returns to rescue her wounded son. Their lives will never be the same and she dedicates herself to caring for her physically and mentally traumatized son. But there are powerful men who use this tragedy as a means to further their second amendment cause, enraging Elisabeth and making her wonder how this epidemic of violence will ever end. She decides to act and posts a video of her crime under the biblical name Lilith. As people both praise and demonize Lilith online, and with the FBI closing in on her, Elisabeth questions the justification of her actions and wonders if she’s a hero or a part of the problem. Regardless of the answer, she knows she will do anything to protect her son and stay out of prison to continue caring for him.

This book might be a work of fiction, but damn if it doesn’t feel real. It probes the fear, helplessness and rage that follows every school shooting we hear about in the news. And it puts the reader in Elizabeth’s shoes, giving us a taste of the pain and anguish survivors feel in the aftermath. It then makes us all question what we would do if this was our own child. If the system and protocols fail us. If others use our suffering to further their own interests. Would it justify perpetrating violence on those who use it for their gain? Or does that make us no better than them? Tough questions that require a lot of introspection and Lilith forces the poignant discussion.

This novel is emotional to say the least. It wrecked me. Left me a mess with tears streaming down my face. But I’m grateful to Eric Rickstad for having the courage to write such a challenging, significant and powerful story. It’s an important book to read. One that goes well beyond literary excellence and entertainment, pushing readers to search the depth of our souls to determine who we want to be as a society.

Not for the timid or feeble minded, Lilith requires strength and bravery to read. But if you can summon the guts to pick it up, you will be rewarded with one of the finest books you’ll read this year.

Oh my! This book is so touching and relevant to today; I'm still weeping as I finish it. Elisabeth is a kindergarten teacher when a shooter enters and all of the teachers react as they've been trained to do--except Elizabeth who races to save her son and doesn't follow protocol--thereby saving many other children as well. And then self-proclaimed activist Max Akers announces he's running for president after advocating arming everyone to protect themselves and their families. And as son, Lydan painfully recovers from his injuries, Elisabeth makes some radical decisions that will impact their lives forever. After having taught high school for 40 years, I was so touched by this novel that even though it brought up painful memories of yearly school evacuations to practice "in case" of a shooter, I remember clearly the petrified looks on their faces as we ran to the football field, as well as the relief we all felt as we were able to return unharmed. It's a heart-wrenching book that NEEDS to be read!
Thanks to NetGalley for this ARC!

Holy cow what a Ride!!!!

Liliths son doesn't want to go tonschool says he feels icky but his mom insists he goes to school!!! Ends up and there is a school shooting!!! Lydans mom doesn't stand by she decodes this has to stop!!!! I couldn't put this book down just amazing!!!!

This book is gut wrenching and will stay with you!!! Mom. Hero. Villan. KILLER!

This is such a powerful book!!!!

Thanks NetGalley for such a powerful read!!!! I couldn't put it down!

Elizabeth’s son, Lydon, doesn’t want to go to school today, he says he has an ‘icky’ feeling and asks his mum if he can please stay at home? She’s sympathetic and would like nothing more than to stay at home with her beloved boy, but he’s not ill and as a teacher at his school it’s not a request she can sanction. It proves to be a seminal moment. What transpires that day will change everything - on this day a man with a gun will enter the school.

Elizabeth will survive the events that transpire but it will change her. Later, she watches the strutting owner of a gun shop announce his intention to run for president, as he also declares that more guns, not less, is the answer to the ongoing succession of mass killings. She knows that someone needs to do something about this idea, about this man. Could that somebody be her? Adopting the name Lilith – the moniker attributed to the woman theorised to be the first wife of Adam and supposedly the primordial she-devil – she decides she will concoct and execute a plan of her own.

I recently read Bloodbath Nation, Paul Auster’s reflection on America’s relationship with guns. In this memoir/essay, the esteemed writer says that the country has done nothing to address the problems that arise from this irrational love affair, one that is unique to the United States amongst developed nations. It’s a powerful and totally scary piece, as he talks readers through his own experience with guns and lists details of many mass murders across the country. In his conclusion, he concedes that the current impasse between the anti-gun and pro-gun proclaimers will not be resolved any time soon. This novel picks up a different angle to this phenomenon: that just about every mass killing is born from the actions of a man. So perhaps it’s about time women did something about it.

This is a thrilling told story, it's short but totally absorbing. I raced through it in a few sessions, never quite knowing how events would play out or what fate awaited our anti-hero. The suspense is maintained throughout, right up to a gripping finish. I liked the way it was set-out too, in an unusual way with sometimes only a few words on a page. It definitely worked for me. I’d enjoyed the author’s previous novel, I Am Not Who You Think I Am, and this story definitely picks Rickstad out as a writer I’ll be looking out for in the future.

Once I started reading this, I couldn't stop. I read it in one 3 hour sitting.

Tragic, compelling, and vindicating. It will make you hug your children and contemplate keeping them home from school. But it also feels familiar. This book flays open the reality of modern American on many levels while also showing the fierce love and understandable moral compromise that comes with having children. Once the horror begins, it cascades across the country - violence begets violence begets violence.

For a book written by a man, he does capture the fury of being a woman in a world that kills our children. There's a line about the men obsessed with the 2nd Amendment they they are hiding their "right to guns" behind their real belief which is their "right to violence" and nothing has resonated with me that much in a long time. I stopped and stared off into the middle distance for a solid five minutes. For so long that my husband noticed and checked on me. So cheers to his fantastic writing for connecting so well with a feeling I didn't know how to articulate.

I also loved the strange magic woven through the story. Is it exhaustion? Trauma? Or Lilith herself leading the women along? We don't know, and I don't mind.

This is graphic in a very factual way, so be in a headspace where you can read this safely.

“I’m dead and I don’t know you”

I truely don’t know where to start with this book.
This is absolutely phenomenal writing.
“Lilith” took me on such an emotional journey, particularly as a mother, and just what the human psyche is capable of.

After a tragedy at her son’s school, Elizabeth is met with internal conflict, feminine rage, intrusive thoughts and a passionate hatred for the patriarchy, alongside her obvious PTSD.
Who are men to dictate what is wrong and right in the world, the difference between murder and killing, lesser sentences for young men with “strong potential” and the profound obsession over firearms.
Why does the status quo remain acceptable.

It wont, Elizabeth won’t allow it.

Filled with heartbreaking dialogue between mother and son and Elizabeth’s own internal monologue, this book will have your heart in pieces.

This will be a book I will forever recommend.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 5/5

This exploration of a mother’s response to her son being injured in a school shooting made me feel a lot of things. I don’t think there’s a parent out there who hasn’t thought about how they would respond if their child was injured or killed in a senseless act of violence like a mass shooting. The one reaction that no one talks about publicly is meeting violence with violence and exacting revenge on the people who make these mass killings possible. I’ve seen several reviews call this book a “punch to the gut” and it certainly is that.

It is also a brilliant story of an anti-hero who does the things others only dream about in their darkest dreams. In the hands of a less-capable author, this would be a melodramatic mess but Rickstad turns this into an Everywoman story that tensely explores the journey of a mother who is hurt, terrified, and very, very angry.

I am left conflicted and would welcome discussion with others. That’s saying A LOT because I am a solitary reader. I’ll be recommending this for book clubs for sure.

After Elisabeth’s son suffers traumatic injuries during a school shooting, she becomes enraged with the men in power and commits her own act of violence.

This was quite the powerful story. Major trigger warning for school shootings and child injuries. It is a difficult read but has a lot of say about gun control and the processes in place in America. You’ll be rooting for Elisabeth and have your emotions go up and down throughout.

“I will write a new myth. Her story. Herstory. My story. And I will write it in men’s blood.”

Lilith comes out 3/19.