Library Journal | May 1, 2021

It’s not just the sweltering weather that’s red-hot in Texas. Sophie and her husband Graham and cherubic son Jack have relocated from Chicago to the sleepy town of Mapleton, TX, to enjoy a simpler, slower lifestyle. Sophie, a successful blogger, thought that gardening and cooking perfect meals would be enough for her, but boredom and loneliness strain this idyllic life. When she catches the eye of sultry socialite Margot Banks and her coterie of rich and naughty friends, Sophie is captivated. Soon, she is invited to their secret club; soon, she is obsessed. At a remote lake house getaway, whiskey is poured generously, and the women shoot skeet. Eager to be included, and fascinated by their sexually suggestive play, Sophie can’t resist the allure of these women, nor the seductive young men who appear in the wee hours. When teenager Abby Wilson is found in the lake, having been murdered, Sophie is under the penetrating gaze of the law. She has everything to lose.

VERDICT
Cobb (Big Woods) writes a clever twisty plot in this alcohol-infused, sexually charged thriller. Gossipy, scandalous housewives behaving badly might make this the juiciest read of the season. For fans of Liane Moriarty.

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PureWow | April 20, 2021

From a gripping legal thriller by voting rights activist Stacey Abrams to beach-ready reads about wedding planners and gay uncles, here are ten books we can’t wait to get our hands on this May.

The Hunting Wives by May Cobb

What happens when a group of housewives gets bored with the monotony of their comfortable, if quiet, lives? Weird stuff, apparently. The newest from Cobb (Big Woods) centers on Sophie, a young woman who’s left behind a stressful yet fulfilling career in Chicago to settle down with her husband and young son in a small Texas town. It should feel idyllic, but she soon realizes life is now too quiet. That is, until she takes up with a socialite who’s part of an elite clique secretly known as the Hunting Wives. Suddenly, Sophie is swept into the mysterious world of late-night target practice and dangerous partying. Then, the body of a teenage girl is discovered in the woods where the Hunting Wives meet, and everything changes.

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BookPeople | April 16, 2021

April's adult Amplify pick thrusts back in time to 1970s Uruguay, following five women navigating life under an oppressive regime. Cantoras by Carolina De Robertis is a gorgeous portrait of sisterhood, solidarity, resistance, and we're thrilled to bring it to you this month!

Of Cantoras, Molly M. says, "This is a very special book, with moments, places, and people who have stayed with me in bright, glorious detail since finishing it. I loved these characters, the love they had for each other, and the bravery that love gave them in living fully in the face of an increasingly hostile world.”

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Publishers Weekly | April 16, 2021

Barely ever stopping for a breath, this sci-fi adventure comedy (adapted from the popular podcast) bounds from one escapade to another while keeping up a running satirical patter. The setting is an alien planet where human settlers are divided between cosseted urbanites living in corporate-controlled domed cities and those roughing it out in the “Brush” where mutant Imps roam free. In the Fairhaven dome, Morgan is a onetime “Brush Baby” who uses her knife skills to kill the occasional Imp when it sneaks into the dome. She, her roommate Annie (a casually polyamorous bespoke drug manufacturer), ex-boyfriend and parkour enthusiast Van (widely beloved “Even with the unfortunate toe rings”), and lovable loser Mitch get sucked into a conspiracy involving an app for gig-economy Imp killers called Huntr. The blow-out fight scenes—drawn by Cliff with a fizz-bomb energy that recalls his similarly caffeinated Delilah Dirk series—come fast and furious and are littered with sarcastic one-liners and snarky takes on everything from John Mayer to TGI Fridays, book club wine moms, Frasier, CrossFit, and bearded podcast dudes with “hot takes” (“It’s time for a male Wonder Woman!”). The critique of the gig economy is just discernible beneath the smashmouth confrontations, and the relationship comedy (tangled on-again, off-again connections and flirtations throughout) is surprisingly earnest. It’s a recklessly fun, hoot and holler of a ride.

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Cosmopolitan | April 15, 2021

The Hunting Wives, by May Cobb
After moving from Chicago to a sleepy Texas town with her husband and son, Sophie thinks she's living the perfect life. But when she meets an elite clique known for partying and "late night target practice," she slowly moves away from her family and becomes obsessed. But then, she finds herself in the center of a murder investigation.

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Kirkus | April 14, 2021

An amnesia victim has built a near-perfect new life when she runs into someone from her past.

A disheveled, bleeding woman who doesn't know even her own name is picked up hitchhiking on a highway in New Jersey by a kindly trucker. He and his wife become her surrogate parents, helping her manufacture a new identity as Addison Hope. Addison soon meets Gabriel, a wonderful young man from the Philadelphia Main Line who is so smitten he ends a yearslong relationship with another woman and proposes. Gabriel's mother, Blythe, isn't ready to pop the champagne, though—she wants to know who this girl really is. In truth, Addison feels the same reservations. Meanwhile, up in Boston, a handsome psychiatrist named Julian is caring for his 7-year-old daughter on his own after his wife disappeared two years earlier. Could it be...? In their fifth outing, the sisters who write as Constantine have cooked up another plot involving people with hidden identities—and it works well to embed that issue in the head of the protagonist, who doesn't know herself or anyone else from her past. The plot is twisty but not excessively so—it's the kind where an experienced reader can enjoy staying a few steps ahead of the reveals rather than the kind where the answers are obvious too early or are based on too many late-breaking details. Like most of Constantine's work, including fan favorite The Last Mrs. Parrish (2017), this one is set in the lap of luxury, this time a bit stripped down: fewer ritzy locations and rich-people caricatures, a bit less wealth porn. Still, Gabriel's country-club-snob mother is one of the best characters, and one of several wine recommendations is slipped in as the villain is about to enter his secret den of psychosis: "I have the house to myself overnight for the first time that I remember, and have decided to open the Odette Estate Reserve...."

A fast, fun read for domestic thriller fans.

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Crime By The Book | April 11, 2021

Is it a little bit early to be talking about summer crime fiction releases? Maybe… though I don’t know about you, but I for one am already eagerly anticipating summer and all that it will bring with it! It’s been a long year since the pandemic began, and I will take any and every excuse to look forward to the future - including looking forward to future crime fiction releases. In that spirit, rather than doing separate Spring 2021 and Summer 2021 Most-Anticipated lists, I decided to combine them both into one massive rundown of the upcoming crime fiction releases that I’m most looking forward to in the coming months!

THE HUNTING WIVES by May Cobb
I’ve been saving my advance copy of THE HUNTING WIVES for a rainy day when I need a purely fun suspense novel to dig into - I can’t wait to give this one a try! I’ve heard it compared to Desperate Housewives (yes please!), and can’t wait to get into this juicy, dramatic thriller. This book has “popcorn thriller” written all over it, and looks perfect for a poolside read as the weather warms up.

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The Nerd Daily | April 10, 2021

Thriller lovers, we are about to be spoiled! There are an incredible number of new books coming out in the next few months that are sure to be nothing short of outstanding. We have highlighted a few that are scheduled to be published in each of the next few months with (hopefully) just enough information to get you as excited as we are. With an amazing mix of debut authors and perennial favourites, there is definitely something for everyone. We promise, no spoilers here!

The Hunting Wives by May Cobb
An elite club that focuses equally on target practice and martinis leads to a life of dangerous behavior, obsession, seduction, and murder when Sophie, her husband, and young son settle down in a small Texas town.

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The New York Times | April 9, 2021

MY MOTHER’S HOUSE, by Francesca Momplaisir. (Vintage, 304 pp., $16.) This debut novel is narrated from three perspectives: a Queens house on fire (its walls “talk, scheme and ultimately give in to an impulse to self-destruct”), its Haitian owner and a mysterious woman living in the basement. Our reviewer, Stephanie Powell Watts, called it “an ambitious attempt to tell a story of despotism and terror, toxic masculinity and survival.”

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Publishers Weekly | February 26, 2021

Lifestyle journalist Sophie O’Neill, the narrator of this nail-biting thriller from Cobb (Big Woods), leaves a successful job in bustling Evanston, Ill., wishing to “slow down” with her architect husband and preschooler son in small town Mapleton, Tex. Soon, a bored Sophie seeks the company of oil-rich Margot Banks, the force behind an exclusive conspiratorial clique of four wives, a group of dysfunctional friends heavily lubricated with a steady diet of martinis and mojitos. Friday nights light up with their private skeet shooting club, followed by barhopping. The flirting women have only two rules: first names only, and don’t go all the way. But rules are meant to be broken. Fueled by alcohol, rage, jealousy, unhappy marriages, and blind lust, the women indulge in adultery and raunchy sex. It’s Texas, so keep an eye out for hunky football players, and when a teenage cheerleader ends up dead, Sophie becomes the prime suspect. Wild plot twists keep the pages turning up to the unexpected ending. This romp is a guilty pleasure.

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Essence | February 25, 2021

Patrisse Cullors has been a force in the social justice and activism space as one of the three founders of the Black Lives Matter movement alongside Opal Tometi and Alicia Garza.

As an artist, author, and freedom fighting organizer, Cullors has been no stranger to vocalizing her opinions through any medium necessary, and she unapologetically uses her social platforms to speak out about artistic and cultural work within the Black community. As we approach the one-year anniversaries of the unjust killings of Breonna Taylor and George Floyd, the self-proclaimed abolitionist has announced the release of a new book for the everyday activist looking to play their role in the fight for justice and equality.

Set for release on October 5, 2021, “An Abolitionist’s Handbook: 12 Steps to Change Yourself and the World” is available for pre-order now and will be published via St. Martins Press. The handbook will serve as a framework for the activists and abolitionists of today’s generation who want to learn about and implement the necessary skills to effect change among Black people and other poor, marginalized and disenfranchised communities during these unprecedented times. If you’re looking for a how-to guide on becoming a modern-day abolitionist through “love, fierce compassion and precision,” you should add this to your cart.

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People | February 25, 2021

Patrisse Cullors, one of the co-founders of the Black Lives Matter movement, has inspired millions of people around the world to take to the streets in protest of systemic racism and police brutality.

Now, the activist is sharing her best advice for cultivating positive change and lasting equality in our communities in her new book.

Cullors is unveiling the cover of her upcoming book, An Abolitionist's Handbook: 12 Steps to Change Yourself and the World, exclusively to PEOPLE.

For An Abolitionist's Handbook's cover art, Cullors chose to showcase the title in a straightforward, bold and black typeface set against a grainy white background.

The book offers a framework for readers to push for reform that helps Black, poor and disenfranchised people, initiate reparations and practice compassion.

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NPR | February 19, 2021

Contributed by Clover Hope, writer, professor, and author of The Motherlode: 100+ Women Who Made Hip-Hop.

Several bright, young women rappers have owned the Tiny Desk stage in the past few years, and I'm honored to highlight some of my favorites from the archives.

• I love that Chika kept her performance low-key, even with four backup singers behind her. Her set is pure charm, poetry and comedy. At one point, she pulls out a tiny tub of Vaseline and erroneously calls it ChapStick.

• Notice first (as if you couldn't) that Mulatto is sitting in an oversized, tufted, white throne in a studio and not in front of a wall of books per the usual Tiny Desk aesthetic. It's the perfect ambiance for her to suavely rap about riches and insecurity, while a violinist gives the performance an extra air of grandeur.

• Noname raps with a level of clarity and calm that hangs in the air like smoke. It's a treat to watch her perform selections from her album Telefone and talk about how we should "heal the world with vulnerability."

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Rise Feminist Books | February 18, 2021

2020 challenged all of us. A pandemic physically separated us. In the midst of loss, isolation, and injustice, we forged new paths of togetherness. We created new models of community. We developed new tools. We connected with our loved ones virtually. We took to the streets in protest.

We are not finished. There is still work to be done.

“We are a generation called to action.” (Khan-Cullors/bandele, When They Call You a Terrorist)

As we take stock of what we have lost, we must continue to fight. We must hold both in our hearts: the past and the future.

We are inspired by women who have used their voices for change, lifting the voices of other women. Women like Shirley Chisholm, Ella Baker, Ruth Bader Ginsberg, Jennifer Keelan, Harriet Tubman, and Ethel L. Payne chose to lead with more than just words; they led with action.

Named to the 2021 list:
Khan-Cullors, Patrisse & bandele, asha. When They Call You a Terrorist: Young Adult Edition.
2020. 245p. St. Martin’s/Wednesday $18.99 (9781250194985). Gr. 8-up.
Black Lives Matter co-founder Patrisse Khan-Cullors shares life stories that have influenced and built the international movement.

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The Providence Journal | February 18, 2021

There’s a lot to like in Daniel Pyne’s “Water Memory” (Thomas & Mercer, 386 pages, $24.95), most notably a refreshing, pulse-pounding structure that narrows the landscape even as it expands the playing field.

Think “Die Hard” on a cargo ship as shell-shocked special operator Audrey Sentro finds safe passage that turns out not to be so safe at all when pirates seize the vessel. It’s almost like fighting by choice, instead of out of duty, is precisely the tonic she needs to get her mojo back. Problem is, Sentro is one more concussion away from her brain packing it in, meaning she'd better dispatch the bad guys just as she was trained to do.

“Water Memory” is original, wondrously paced and, well, memorable. At the book’s heart, it’s basically one long action scene in a manner best befitting the great David Morrell and the best book of its kind since Roderick Thorpe’s “Nothing Lasts Forever,” the basis for the aforementioned film “Die Hard.”

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Mountain Times | February 16, 2021

With a pace that will have you racing through Daniel Pyne’s thriller, ‘”Water Memory,”’ it’s no surprise that the second in the series is already in the works. Black ops specialist Aubrey Sentro won’t be held back.

Or will she? There’s a lot going on in “Water Memory,” and Pyne’s story covers a lot of ground: motherhood, memory and munitions, separately and often all at once.

When the ship, its crew and passengers are captured by pirates, Sentro comes into her own, showcasing the military skills she’s honed over decades. That those skills are tested by her dark recall and that no one is really who they seem to be — including Sentro herself, who for years fed her now-adult children the fiction that she was a well-traveled desk jockey — confound and propel the novel.

“Water Memory” is a speedboat on steroids and Pyne’s use of the present tense and blind narrative turns fuel the propulsion. Tackle this one while you’re wide awake, hang tight until the end and wait for “Vital Signs,” book two in the Sentro series, due out a year from now.

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AudioFile Magazine | February 11, 2021

Winner of AudioFile Earphones Award

An epic novel enveloping a wide swath of European colonialism in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries is deftly narrated by Robin Miles. The novel opens in Montana with the adventures and tribulations of Victor, a Crow Indian boy who, approaching manhood, is heading out on his vision quest. Victor's mother, Rosa, from Trinidad, is the daughter of a formerly enslaved father from Africa and a woman from Martinique. Miles beautifully captures numerous accents in the account of Rosa's early life in the Caribbean, voyage to the American West, and life with the Crow Indians. This little known part of America's story is riveting in itself. Coupled with Miles's stunning narration, this novel will no doubt find many attentive listeners.

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Midwest Book Review | February 9, 2021

Black ops specialist Aubrey Sentro may be one concussion away from death. But when pirates seize the cargo ship she's on, she must decide whether to risk her life to save her fellow passengers. Sentro's training takes over, and she's able to elude her captors, leaving bodies in her wake. But her problems are just getting started. Her memory lapses are getting more frequent, symptoms of serial-concussion syndrome.

As she plays a deadly game of cat and mouse with the pirates, she pushes herself to survive by focusing on thoughts of her children. She's never told them what she really does for a living, and now she might not get the chance. While her memories make her vulnerable, motherhood makes her dangerous.

Critique: A deftly crafted and simply riveting read, "Water Memory: A Thriller" effectively showcases author Daniel Pyne's impressively entertaining narrative storytelling style as a novelist.

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