Cry Purple/Christine McDonald/221 pgs.

This is Christine McDonald's journey from drug addict/prostitute to becoming a contributing member of society. Her purpose, I believe, is to bring the reader to an understanding of a segment of society that one would prefer to pretend doesn't exist. Christine doesn't let the reader get by with that. She explains the "nitty gritty" of street life, and the struggles involved in trying to pull oneself out of such a pit. It is unbelievable how far she has come in this journey, and how little society has helped her. I forgot to mention that during her rehabilitation, Christine lost sight in both of her eyes. Yet she still perseveres to make a better life for herself and her son, Ricky. Equally surprising is that she is a local author. It would be so awesome to have her speak at our library. This is truly an inspiring read--highly recommended!

The Truth About Love and Lightning/Susan McBride/305 pages

Gretchen Brink has been living a lie since she was seventeen. Her mother, Annika, was unfailingly truthful, blunt and oftentimes hurtful, and everyone around her suffered from her honesty. Since Gretchen's lie made two people happy, and her life better, who could blame her for lying about her unborn child's father? Sam, her best friend, left on a mission trip to Africa after graduation and had been reported as missing and presumed dead, so his parents were thrilled to know that they still had a part of him with them.

Nearly forty years later, her lie may have caught up with her. The "man who might be Sam" seemingly drops from the sky during a storm right into Gretchen's life. He's nearly unconscious when she finds him in the walnut grove and has no memory of who he is and what he's doing there when he awakens. As much as Gretchen would love to have Sam back in her life, if he remembers who he is, he'll know her daughter isn't his and the truth may devastate her daughter.

A sweet story from a local author. The back story about Sam's heritage was a highlight of the book.

Barely a Lady / Eileen Dreyer 418 p.

Jack Wyndham divorced Olivia Grace years before, but finding him wounded on the battlefield, dressed in a French uniform, she is goaded into action to save him being named a traitor and to haul him back to a makeshift hospital in the home of Lady Kate. Jack awakes with only the memory that Olivia is still his wife nothing of the past five years. These five years have been horrific for her-- very limited opportunites for work, cast out by her family, and hunted by his family. To aid his recovery she pretends to be his loving wife. With a cast of interesting characters, she seeks to clear his name and perhaps hers, too. His cousin Gervaise seems to be around when there is trouble…whisperings of her gambling problem, flirtations and love affairs. Will Jack remember all? Clear his name? Find love again?

The Risk Agent / Ridley Pearson / 420 pages

Ohhhh  yes, Ridley Pearson is the master of intricate plotting with plenty 'o twists & turns.  In Risk Agent, he introduces two new characters, John Knox (exporter, true blue, clever & violent) and Grace Chu (forensic accountant and former Red Army) and kicks off a new series of books.  Pearson spent a year with his family teaching writing in Shanghai and apparently he left no stone unturned when it came to understanding politics, police, culture, corruption, construction and day-to-day life in Shanghai.  20 million people in a city and face recognition technology so sophisticated that you can't go anywhere without being on camera.  The story is great, the plot is great, the characters are winners...so read it already.