South Africa, 1901: At the height of the Second Boer War, Sarah van der Watt and her son are taken from their farm by force to Bloemfontein Concentration Camp where, the English promise, they will be safe.Johannesburg, 2010: Sixteen-year-old outsider Willem just wants to be left alone with his books and his dog. Worried he's not turning out right, his mother and her boyfriend send him to New Dawn Safari Training Camp. Here they “make men out of boys.” Guaranteed.You Will Be Safe Here is a deeply moving novel of two connected parts. Inspired by real events, it uncovers a hidden colonial history and present-day darkness while exploring our capacity for cruelty and kindness.
Political fiction
- Author:Barr, DamianSummary:
- Author:Saeed, Aisha, Albertalli, BeckySummary:
When it comes to speaking to strangers, Jamie's a choke artist. There's no way he'd ever knock on doors to ask people for their votes, until he meets Maya. Maya Rehman's having the worst Ramadan ever. Why her mother thinks the solution to her problems is political canvassing, with some awkward dude she hardly knows, is beyond her. Going door to door isn't exactly glamorous, but the polls are getting closer, and so are Maya and Jamie. Mastering local activism is one thing. Navigating the cross-cultural crush of the century is another thing entirely.
- Author:Schnell, MelanieSummary:
While The Sun Is Above Us takes readers deep into the extraordinary world of Sudan through the intertwined narratives of two women. In the midst of a bloody civil war, Adut is brutally captured and held as a slave for eight years. Sandra, fleeing her life in Canada, travels to South Sudan as an aid worker but soon finds herself unwittingly embroiled in a violent local conflict. When chance brings Adut and Sandra together in a brief but profound moment, their lives change forever. In captivating prose, Melanie Schnell offers imaginative insight into the lives of innocents in a land at war, rendering horrific experiences with exquisite clarity. While The Sun Is Above Us explores the immense power of the imagination, the human desire for connection, and the endurance of hope.
- Author:Schnell, MelanieSummary:
While The Sun Is Above Us takes readers deep into the extraordinary world of Sudan through the intertwined narratives of two women. In the midst of a bloody civil war, Adut is brutally captured and held as a slave for eight years. Sandra, fleeing her life in Canada, travels to South Sudan as an aid worker but soon finds herself unwittingly embroiled in a violent local conflict. When chance brings Adut and Sandra together in a brief but profound moment, their lives change forever.In captivating prose, Melanie Schnell offers imaginative insight into the lives of innocents in a land at war, rendering horrific experiences with exquisite clarity. While The Sun Is Above Us explores the immense power of the imagination, the human desire for connection, and the endurance of hope.
- Author:Abrams, StaceySummary:
From celebrated national leader and bestselling author Stacey Abrams, While Justice Sleeps is a gripping, complexly plotted thriller set within the halls of the U.S. Supreme Court. "Brilliant and mesmerizing. Abrams follows in Dan Brown's footprint with this masterfully plotted thriller that unfolds like the ultimate chess match--bold move to bolder move with lives hanging in the balance"--Lisa Gardner. "Stacey Abrams is a true novelist, and While Justice Sleeps is a first-class legal thriller, favorably compared to many of the best, starting with The Pelican Brief, which it brings to mind. It's fast-paced and full of surprises--a terrific read"--Scott Turow. Avery Keene, a brilliant young law clerk for the legendary Justice Howard Wynn, is doing her best to hold her life together--excelling in an arduous job with the court while also dealing with a troubled family. When the shocking news breaks that Justice Wynn--the cantankerous swing vote on many current high-profile cases--has slipped into a coma, Avery's life turns upside down. She is immediately notified that Justice Wynn has left instructions for her to serve as his legal guardian and power of attorney. Plunged into an explosive role she never anticipated, Avery finds that Justice Wynn had been secretly researching one of the most controversial cases before the court--a proposed merger between an American biotech company and an Indian genetics firm, which promises to unleash breathtaking results in the medical field. She also discovers that Wynn suspected a dangerously related conspiracy that infiltrates the highest power corridors of Washington. As political wrangling ensues in Washington to potentially replace the ailing judge whose life and survival Avery controls, she begins to unravel a carefully constructed, chesslike sequence of clues left behind by Wynn. She comes to see that Wynn had a much more personal stake in the controversial case and realizes his complex puzzle will lead her directly into harm's way in order to find the truth. While Justice Sleeps is a cunningly crafted, sophisticated novel, layered with myriad twists and a vibrant cast of characters. Drawing on her astute inside knowledge of the court and political landscape, Stacey Abrams shows herself to be not only a force for good in politics and voter fairness but also a major new talent in suspense fiction.
- Author:Casares, OscarSummary:
From the acclaimed author of Brownsville and Amigoland-a stunning and timely new novel about a Mexican American family in Brownsville, Texas, who reluctantly becomes involved in smuggling immigrants into the United States. From a distance, the towns along the U.S.-Mexican border have dangerous reputations: on one side, drug cartels; on the other, zealous border patrol agents-and Brownsville is no different. But to twelve-year-old Orly, it's simply where his godmother, Nina, lives-and where he is being forced to stay the summer after his mother's sudden death. For Nina, Brownsville is where she grew up, where she lost her first and only love, and where she stayed as her relatives moved away and her neighborhood deteriorated. It's the place where she's buried all her secrets-and now she has another: she's providing refuge for a young immigrant boy named Daniel, for whom traveling to America has meant trading one set of dangers for another. Separated from the violent human traffickers who brought him across the border, pursued by the authorities, Daniel must stay completely hidden under Nina's roof. But when Orly discovers Daniel's presence, the two boys' immediate kinship-and shared desire for independence-puts them all at risk of exposure. Tackling the crisis of U.S. immigration policy from a deeply human angle, Where We Come From explores through an intimate lens the ways that family history shapes us, how secrets can burden us, and how finding compassion and understanding for others can ultimately set us free.
- Author:Lisac, MarkSummary:
"Sins don't destroy people here. Dreams do." In a small city somewhere in an oil-rich Canadian province just east of the Rockies, a political scandal has erupted: an aging cabinet minister has struck and killed a member of his local constituency executive with his half-ton truck, in broad daylight. But the premier suspects that there is more to this "accident" than meets the eye-and he wants to know the real reasons behind it before the media or his political rivals do. Enter the premier's old friend Harry Asher-lawyer, former hockey star, self-styled intellectual, and recent divorcé-who is hired to dig into the incident. And it isn't long before Asher's investigation threatens to expose a chain of corruption that implicates many of the province's most powerful citizens-including the province's legendary now-senile premier-as well as its most cherished founding myths. In Where the Bodies Lie, Mark Lisac draws upon his decades of experience as a reporter at Alberta's provincial legislature to craft an absorbing debut novel-part political thriller, part fable-that opens up timeless themes of friendship, love, the inescapability of grief, the weight of history, and the nature of truth.
- Author:Burstyn, VardaSummary:
Megawealthy William Greele has put together a consortium of CEOs to build a gargantuan pipeline to pump Quebec water to the U.S. Contemptuous of the concerns of environmentalists and confident that his minions have muzzled the press, Greele coerces a deputy minister into securing government approval. But Greele and his co-conspirators have underestimated their foes, including a high-profile environmentalist; an expert on water pollutants; a bird-loving former air force officer turned whistleblower; an inspired hacker; and a brave and beautiful journalist. Some descriptions of sex and violence, some strong language. 2005.
- Author:Kirk, HeatherSummary:
Eva is a seventeen-year-old from Edmonton in 1979 who is experiencing a world of trouble at home. To escape the trouble, she decides to visit her family’s homeland of Poland for the summer, staying with an older half-sister, Hanna, whose existence Eva has only recently discovered. In Communist Poland, she experiences a different way of living, one where the conveniences she has taken for granted do not exist. She finds, however, the rich cultural traditions both fascinating and compelling. She meets a mysterious, charming young man named Mark, who shows her around the city, but his anger and disenchantment disturb her. The first seeds of the Solidarity Uprising are starting to grow and the workers, peasants and intellectuals are beginning to unite under the leadership of the church. Eva’s visit also takes place during the Papal visit to Poland which galvanized the people to strike their blow for freedom. Against this tumultuous backdrop, Eva learns about the resilience in herself and her politically maturing people.
- Author:Gingrich, Newt, Earley, PeteSummary:
A terrorist crashes an explosive-packed rental truck into Major Brooke Grant's Washington, DC, wedding, detonating the deadliest bomb ever exploded in the capital on what should have been the happiest day of her life and killing a US president. Saved by a last-minute fluke, Brooke seeks revenge against the master terrorist responsible.
- Author:Thor, BradSummary:
Includes A BONUS INTERVIEW WITH THE AUTHOR From #1 New York Times bestselling author Brad Thor. As a storm rages across the Mediterranean Sea, a terrifying distress call is made to the Italian Coast Guard. Days later, a body washes ashore. Identified as a high value terrorism suspect (who had disappeared three years prior), his name sends panic through the Central Intelligence Agency. Where was he headed? What was he planning? And could he be connected to the "spectacular attack" they have been fearing all summer? In a race against time, the CIA taps an unorthodox source to get answers: Navy SEAL turned covert counterterrorism operative, Scot Harvath. Hired on a black contract, Harvath will provide the deniability the United States needs, while he breaks every rule along the way. Packed with pulse-pounding action, fascinating characters, and electrifying intrigue, Brad Thor does it again and proves why he is known around-the-world as the "Master of Thrillers."
- Author:Fallis, TerrySummary:
On his first day at Turner King, David Stewart quickly realizes that the world of PR is a far cry from his previous job on Parliament Hill, and before he even has time to find the washroom, David is assigned a major project: devise a campaign to revitalize North America's interest in the space program. David finds himself suggesting the most out-of-this-world idea imaginable: a Citizen Astronaut lottery that would send one Canadian and one American to the International Space Station. Suddenly, David's vaulted into an odyssey of his own, navigating the corporate politics of a big PR agency; wading through the murky but always hilarious waters of Canada-U.S. relations; and trying to hold on to his new job while still doing the right thing. Winner of the 2013 Evergreen Award. 2012.
- Author:Conrad, JosephSummary:
This is the story of a young man unwittingly caught in the political turmoil of pre-revolutionary czarist Russia. When a bomb kills a hated Russian minister of police, along with several innocent bystanders, a young student named Razumov hides the perpetrator, who questions his moral strength and integrity.
- Author:Anton, JenniferSummary:
When her lover Pietro Pante leaves for work in America, Nina Argenta is torn between joining him and her commitment to Italy and her mother as Mussolini's Fascists throw the country into chaos.
- Author:Rohmer, RichardSummary:
Ultimatum 2 is an action-packed, fast-moving saga. The American president is fed up with the hundreds of millions of dollars given to Russia to clean up high-level nuclear waste. His solution is to give the Russians an ultimatum: do this my way, or else! It is delivered in person by the secretary of state during a secret rendezvous in Norway.A second ultimatum follows from the United States, Russia, and the United Kingdom to the government of Canada, after they decide that an international nuclear waste disposal site should be created in Canada. The Canadian prime minister tells their emissary there’s no way Canada will become a nuclear waste dump. The Americans threaten to invade. How the matter is resolved is ingenious.
- Author:Rimmer, KellySummary:
After finding disturbing journal pages that suggest her late mother didn't die in a car accident as her father had always maintained, Beth Walsh begins a search for answers.
- Author:Lynch, JimSummary:
In 1962, Roger Morgan became the golden boy behind the Seattle World's Fair. Nearly 40 years later, he's a shoo-in for mayor. But when an ambitious journalist begins digging into his past, sordid details about his career come to light.
- Author:Carr, JackSummary:
"Both author Jack Carr and main character James Reece are the real deal, the action is razor sharp, the suspense is unrelenting, and the tradecraft is so authentic, the government will probably ban it--so read it while you can!"--Lee Child, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Past Tense "True Believer by Jack Carr is a powerful, thoughtful, realistic, at times terrifying thriller that I could not put down."--Mark Greaney, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Mission Critical When a string of horrific terrorist attacks plagues the Western world during the holiday season, the broader markets fall into a tailspin. The attacks are being coordinated by a shadowy former Iraqi commando who has disappeared into Europe's underground. The United States government has an asset who can turn the Iraqi against his masters: James Reece, the most-wanted domestic terrorist alive. "If you are a fan of Vince Flynn or Brad Thor, make room on your nightstand" (Eric Blehm, New York Times bestselling author) for the new leader in political thrillers. Exploding with action and authenticity, True Believer is a high-intensity roller-coaster ride.
- Author:Flynn, VinceSummary:
"Mills's suspenseful, strikingly original sixth Mitch Rapp novel...is as riveting as anything penned by Mitch's creator, Vince Flynn (1966–2013). Mills has really hit his stride with this franchise entry." — Publishers Weekly (starred review) "One of the best thriller writers on the planet." — The Real Book Spy In the next thriller in the #1 New York Times bestselling Mitch Rapp series, it's a race against the clock when ISIS takes out the entire US power grid and throws the country into chaos. When Mitch Rapp captures ISIS's top technology expert, he reveals that he was on his way to meet a man who claims to have the ability to bring down America's power grid. Rapp is determined to eliminate this shadowy figure, but the CIA's trap fails. The Agency is still trying to determine what went wrong when ISIS operatives help this cyber terrorist do what he said he could—plunge the country into darkness. With no concept of how this unprecedented act was accomplished, the task of getting the power back on could take months. Perhaps even years. Rapp and his team embark on a desperate search for the only people who know how to repair the damage—the ones responsible. But his operating environment is like nothing he's experienced before. Computers and communication networks are down, fuel can no longer be pumped from gas stations, water and sanitation systems are on the brink of collapse, and the supply of food is running out. Can Rapp get the lights back on before America descends irretrievably into chaos? This compulsive thriller proves once again that the Mitch Rapp series is "the best of the best when it comes to the world of special ops" ( Booklist , starred review).
- Author:DOBBS, MichaelSummary:
Francis Urquhart, ruthlessly expedient politician and newly appointed Prime Minister, engages in a battle of wills with the new King. Sequel to `House of cards'.