VIA MERCHANT
Genre: Thriller
Release date: Jan. 2, 2024
If you love a juicy cat-and-mouse story, First Lie Wins will hook you from the very first chapter. “I’ll read a few chapters before tackling the laundry, I thought, before devouring this entire book in a single day,” says Reader’s Digest Books Editor Tracey Neithercott. “The cleverly crafted plot and whip-smart protagonist mean you won’t know who to trust in this edge-of-your-seat thriller.”
Meet Evie Porter. She’s a successful yet unassuming Southerner with girl-next-door appeal. But she’s also a lie. “Evie” is on a mission for the mysterious Mr. Smith, a shadowy figure who keeps his con artists on their toes. Cinching the con for Mr. Smith should be easy, except for two problems: Our brazen heroine has caught feelings for her mark, Ryan. And someone from her past—someone who knows her real identity—has just arrived in town. If you loved the fast pace and twisty storytelling of Iris Yamashita’s City Under One Roof, you’ll find yourself sucked into Ashley Elston’s riveting thriller.
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VIA MERCHANT
Genre: Historical fiction
Release date: Jan. 2, 2024
New book releases from debut authors have extra-special appeal. There’s fun in discovering new voices, and Vanessa Chan is already getting major buzz. Her upcoming novel, The Storm We Made, contains the emotional story of an ordinary Malayan family surviving Japanese occupation during World War II. Cecily always yearned to be more than a housewife. Becoming a spy for the Japanese seemed exciting until it unleashed a chain of events she’d never considered. Now that the dominoes have fallen, can she save the people she loves while hiding the truth—that she played a hand in welcoming the oppressors?
“With action, intrigue, dazzling writing and a war front not often visited, The Storm We Made stands out from other WWII historical fiction,” says Reader’s Digest Senior Editor Megan Melle. “As English colonizers are swapped for Japanese occupation, we see the horrors of war, the stripping of innocence, the guilt of a mother and a family fighting to survive.” This is historical fiction at its most sweeping and heartbreaking, a worthy addition to the best books for women by female authors.
