New Chapters

This winter, escape the cold with brand-new books by local authors

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January is frigid and overcast, and there’s only so much Netflix a Rhody can watch. Luckily, our state is overflowing with authors, and the past year has been rich in new publications. When the mid-winter nights start to feel endless, we recommend curling up in front of the radiator with a good story (and maybe some hot cocoa). Here are a few titles to consider, from Hitchcockian suspense to globe-trotting dramas.

 

Little Voices by Vanessa Lillie

You always ruin the ones who are stupid enough to love you. Such are the “little voices” that taunt Devon Burges, a new mother struggling with postpartum depression, who doggedly tries to find her friend’s murderer. Providence author Lillie won widespread acclaim with this debut thriller.

 

On a Quiet Street by J.L. Doucette

No one can believe that a go-getter like Stacey Hart would end up murdered. Who would do such a thing? Well, you’d be surprised: As forensic psychologist Dr. Pepper Hunt probes Stacey’s life, numerous suspects and motives turn up. Real-life Providence therapist Doucette continues the mystery series she began in 2017 with Last Seen.

 

100 Things to Do in Rhode Island Before You Die by Robert Curley

Sure, most of us have devoured a lobster roll, but have you attended the Charlestown Powwow? Have you taken a soothing dip at Bodhi Spa? South County travel writer (and frequent So Rhode Island contributor) Curley knows his state well, and even lifelong residents may be surprised by how many local experiences they have yet to try.

 

The Bridge Home by Padma Venkatraman

When Viji and Rukku escape their abusive home in India, they find sanctuary in a derelict bridge. But can their ragtag new family weather a major crisis? Veteran oceanographer Venkatraman sweeps her readers away to the slums of Chennai, where she sets her powerful coming-of-age story.

 

The Misadventures of Rabbi Kibbitz and Mrs. Chaipul by Mark Binder

Mrs. Chaipul owns the only restaurant in the Slavic village of Chelm, and she interacts regularly with the wise Rabbi Kibbitz. Prolific author and storyteller Binder presents a good-humored novella that reads like a string of Ashkenazi folktales.

 

Mission of the Kings by J. Mike Squatrito, Jr.

If Harrison Cross can just decipher the Talisman of Unification, he may be able to save the world from the terrible Scynthians. But can he succeed, when an army of dragons stands in his way? This fourth and final installment of the Overlords series is an epic ode to sword-and-sorcery novels by this Tiverton author.

 

Abundance by Dr. Michael Fine

Two American volunteers hope to do some good in Liberia, until one of them is kidnapped by local militants. A harrowing story of First World altruism and Third World realities, Abundance is the fiction debut of Dr. Fine, an outspoken Pawtucket physician.

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