St. Martin's First Fall 2015 Sampler is a diverse and strong sampler of debut fiction in the genres of crime, young adult, historical fiction and regular fiction. The novel samples are fairly long. You get a good impression of the novel genre, the author's writing style and the subject. In addition to the actual writing, the covers are also contained in this sampler. The beautiful covers appear at the beginning. The artwork is stunning!
Man on the Washing Machine by Susan Cox
The Debt of Tamar by Nicole Dweck
A Good Family by Erik Fassnacht
Dark Reservations by John Fortunato
Romancing the Dark in the City of Light by Ann Jacobus
How To Be Brave by E. Katherine Kottaras
Dream Things True by Marie Marquardt
The Weight of Feathers by Anna-Marie McLemore
Bliss by Shay Mitchell & Michaela Blaney
The Marriage Pact by M.J. Pullen
Time of Departure by Douglas Schofield
In Bitter Chill by Sarah Ward
Avelynn by Marissa Campbell
So many excellent books! Where do I start? I really enjoyed the Man on the Washing Machine by Susan Cox. In this book sample, the narrator's name is Theo. She ran away from England to San Francisco to hide from a family scandal. However soon after she arrives, she witnesses a man falling from a window. A short while after that, one of her business partners is murdered. The police investigate both deaths which they consider as murders; and they think Theo is involved. Since Theo is more concerned about what she is running from in England, she will go to great lengths to protect her anonymity. She tries to uncover the mystery behind the murders. This sample is very intriguing. The reader wonders what was so bad in England, that Theo must run away to another country. This is a book I want to read.
Sarah Ward's book excerpt Bitter Chill starts out with a very suspenseful scene. A man in a tweed jacket is digging with an ax or pick. He has a woman with him. There is some urgency in their actions but we, as readers don't know yet. There was a kidnapping. Are these two the kidnappers or are they the investigators? This piece is very exciting! I am thinking of the novel, Girl on the Train, as I read it. It has that flair of the Scandanavian crime novels. I want to read this book too.
The other books represented in this sampler are equally compelling.
