'Gripping and atmospheric' - Sunday Times A breath-taking missing persons thriller set under the menacing peaks of the Pyrenees Five years after their disappearance, the village of Monteperdido still mourns the loss of Ana and Lucia, two eleven-year-old friends who left school one afternoon and were never seen again. Now, Ana reappears unexpectedly inside a crashed car, wounded but alive. The case reopens and a race against time begins to discover who was behind the girls' kidnapping. Most importantly, where is Lucia and is she still alive? Inspector Sara Campos and her boss Santiago Bain, from Madrid's head office, are forced to work with the local police. Five years ago fatal mistakes were made in the investigation conducted after the girls first vanished, and this mustn't happen again. But Monteperdido has rules of its own. 'Addictive, atmospheric and haunting, one of the best books you'll read this year' - Jo Spain, internationally bestselling author of The Confession
*BEST MYSTERY/THRILLER FOR THE YEAR* for NPR "Come for the mounting horror and scares, but stay for a devastating examination of the nature of family secrets." - New York Times book review "[A] scary, highly entertaining debut...that pays homage to Shirley Jackson." - South Florida Sun Sentinel A Most Anticipated Book Goodreads * Publishers Weekly * Crime Reads * Popsugar * Bookish * #1 Loanstar Pick in Canada An Indie Next pick! A Library Reads Pick! The Blair Witch Project meets Midsommar in this brilliantly disturbing thriller from Camilla Sten, an electrifying new voice in suspense. Documentary filmmaker Alice Lindstedt has been obsessed with the vanishing residents of the old mining town, dubbed “The Lost Village,” since she was a little girl. In 1959, her grandmother’s entire family disappeared in this mysterious tragedy, and ever since, the unanswered questions surrounding the only two people who were left—a woman stoned to death in the town center and an abandoned newborn—have plagued her. She’s gathered a small crew of friends in the remote village to make a film about what really happened. But there will be no turning back. Not long after they’ve set up camp, mysterious things begin to happen. Equipment is destroyed. People go missing. As doubt breeds fear and their very minds begin to crack, one thing becomes startlingly clear to Alice: They are not alone. They’re looking for the truth... But what if it finds them first? Come find out. "RELENTLESSLY CREEPY." —Alma Katsu, author of The Hunger (An NPR Best Horror Novel) "IMPOSSIBLE TO STOP READING." —Ragnar Jonasson, author of The Island "Readers will revel in the chills." - Booklist
A heart-warming story about family secrets and one woman’s escape to dreamy Sandy Cove on the stunning west coast of Ireland. The picturesque beach of Wild Rose Bay is the last place Lydia Butler thought she’d be. But having just lost everything, the run-down cottage she inherited from her Great Aunt Nellie is the only place she can take her daughter, Sunny. Hidden away in a tiny Irish village, she can protect Sunny from the gossip in Dublin, and the real reason they have nowhere else to live… The cottage is part of the old coastguard station and other eccentric residents are quick to introduce themselves when Lydia arrives. Lydia instantly feels less alone, fascinated by the stories they have about Nellie, and she’s charmed by American artist, Jason O’Callaghan, the mysterious man who lives next door. But the longer Lydia relaxes under the moonlit sky, the more the secret she’s keeping from Sunny threatens to come out. And as she finds herself running into Jason’s arms, she knows she must be honest and face up to the past she has tried to forget. Has she finally found people who will truly accept her, or will the truth force her to leave the cottage for good? Will transport you to Ireland to relax on the shore and stare at the perfect emerald waters. The Lost Girls of Ireland is perfect for readers of Debbie Macomber, Sheila O’Flanagan and Mary Alice Monroe. This novel can be enjoyed as a standalone. What readers are saying about The Lost Girls of Ireland: ‘OMG! OMG!! I cannot remember the last time I was so gutted to come to the end of a book!! I absolutely fell in love and it genuinely felt like I was packing my bags and being whisked away from my Irish holiday… Absolutely gorgeous!!!... an absolutely stunning, heart-warming romance that will have you heading off to Ireland in the blink of an eye.’ Bookworm 86, 5 stars ‘Truly touched my heart. Impossible to put down, this moving story kept me tapping the screen of my Kindle deep into the night until I reached the heart-warming conclusion… a stellar read, one that will be with me for a long while.’ Robin Loves Reading, 5 stars ‘This fabulous story is a rapid page-turner. It will whisk you away to the great Irish Sea. I absolutely loved this unputdownable read… it was phenomenal, loved it.’ Reviews by Caroline, 5 stars ‘A lovely read. This heart-warming story set in the West Coast of Ireland is just delightful… I devoured it in days and was sad to say goodbye to characters who felt like friends. The descriptions of Sandy Cove made me wish I could jump on a plane and experience Wild Rose Bay for myself.’ NetGalley reviewer, 5 stars ‘Perfect… like slipping my feet into handmade shoes – the fit was spot on, and I don’t know how I haven’t read any of Susanne O’Leary’s books before… made me feel the wind in my hair, and I could even smell the salt from the Wild Atlantic sea without leaving my living room… a wonderfully, brilliant story.’ Book-mad-mum, 5 stars ‘A heart-warming tale… A beautiful clean romance and wonderfully uplifting tale of second chances and starting over… we need more places like Sandy Cove where people are not judged by what they have, but rather by who they are and how they treat others.’ Goodreads reviewer ‘Wonderful… I just loved it.’ NetGalley reviewer, 5 stars ‘Lovely book. A hope-filled read about the power of reinvention and second chances… Susanne O’Leary transported me to this lovely place where the villagers are accepting for who you are not for what you have. This is a story of heart and soul and is highly recommended.’ NetGalley reviewer
In Seneca Village, a thriving neighborhood of African Americans and recent immigrants in the middle of New York City in the 1850s, friends Kayla and Sooncy face separation when the city announces that by eminent domain it plans to take their land to build Central Park.
One of thousands of children who fled strife in southern Sudan, John Bul Dau survived hunger, exhaustion, and violence. His wife, Martha, endured similar hardships. In this memorable book, the two convey the best of African values while relating searing accounts of famine and war. There’s warmth as well, in their humorous tales of adapting to American life. For its importance as a primary source, for its inclusion of the rarely told female perspective of Sudan’s lost children, for its celebration of human resilience, this is the perfect story to inform and inspire young readers.
Priya continues her adventures with her flying tiger, Sahas. She returns home and discovers all the young women have disappeared in her rural village including her sister, Laxmi. She discovers they were taken to an underground brothel city called Rahu, which is ruled by a demon who gets his power through fear and entrapment of women.
Many stories have been told about the famous Lost Boys, but now for the first time, a Lost Girl shares her hauntingly beautiful and inspiring story. One of the first unaccompanied refugee children to enter the United States in 2000, after South Sudan's second civil war took the lives of most of her family, Rebecca's story begins in the late 1980s when, at the age of four, her village was attacked and she had to escape. WHAT THEY MEANT FOR EVIL is the account of that unimaginable journey. With the candor and purity of a child, Rebecca recalls how she endured fleeing from gunfire, suffering through hunger and strength-sapping illnesses, dodging life-threatening predators-lions, snakes, crocodiles, and soldiers alike-that dogged her footsteps, and grappling with a war that stole her childhood. Her story is a lyrical, captivating portrait of a child hurled into wartime, and how through divine intervention, she came to America and found a new life full of joy, hope, and redemption.
Suspenseful and richly atmospheric, June Hur's The Forest of Stolen Girls is a haunting historical mystery sure to keep readers guessing until the last page. 1426, Joseon (Korea). Hwani's family has never been the same since she and her younger sister went missing and were later found unconscious in the forest near a gruesome crime scene. Years later, Detective Min—Hwani's father—learns that thirteen girls have recently disappeared from the same forest that nearly stole his daughters. He travels to their hometown on the island of Jeju to investigate... only to vanish as well. Determined to find her father and solve the case that tore their family apart, Hwani returns home to pick up the trail. As she digs into the secrets of the small village—and collides with her now estranged sister, Maewol—Hwani comes to realize that the answer could lie within her own buried memories of what happened in the forest all those years ago. Praise for The Forest of Stolen Girls: A Junior Library Guild Selection A 2022 Edgar Allan Poe Award Nominee A YALSA Best Fiction for Young Adults Selection A 2022 White Pine Award Nominee A 2022 ALA Rise Selection A 2022 CCBC Choices Selection "The Forest of Stolen Girls is a haunting, breathtaking tale that will have readers on the edge of their seats. ... Hur is an absolute master of mystery, and I will be reading her gorgeous books for years to come." —Adalyn Grace, New York Times-bestselling author of All the Stars and Teeth "Rich, exquisite, and deeply atmospheric, The Forest of Stolen Girls draws the reader in from the very first page and doesn't let go. A dark and utterly engrossing mystery, beautifully drawn from start to finish." —Kathleen Glasgow, New York Times-bestselling author of Girl in Pieces "Haunting and lyrical. Beware, this tale will draw you deeper into the forest than you want to go." —Stacey Lee, award-winning author of The Downstairs Girl "A brilliant historical fiction mystery that is suspenseful, gorgeous and absolutely riveting! Hur brings Jeju Island during the early Joseon period completely to life in a rich, evocative manner that reminds me of watching my favorite historical Kdrama.” —Ellen Oh, author of the Prophecy series
New York Times bestselling crime writer John Glatt tells the true story behind the kidnappings and long-overdue rescue of three women found in a Cleveland basement. The Lost Girls tells the truly amazing story of Amanda Berry, Gina DeJesus and Michelle Knight, who were kidnapped, imprisoned, and repeatedly raped and beaten in a Cleveland house for over a decade by Ariel Castro, and their amazing escape in May 2013, which made headlines all over the world. The book has an exclusive interview and photographs of Ariel Castro's secret fiancé, who spent many romantic nights in his house of horror, without realizing he had bound and chained captives just a few feet away. There are also revealing interviews with several Castro family members, musician friends and several neighbors who witnessed the dramatic rescue.
In war-torn Sudan, a girl must make heart-rending choices as she fights for survival and a chance at a future. “This short, quickly paced narrative will stay with readers for the rest of their lives.” School Library Journali, STARRED REVIEW “Moving and necessary.” Kirkus, STARRED REVIEW For Poni, life in her small village in southern Sudan is simple and complicated at the same time. Stay in school. Beat up any boy who tries to show attention. Watch out for the dangers in the river. But then the war comes. And when soldiers arrive in her village and bombs begin to rain from the sky, there is only one thing for Poni to do. Run. Poni runs for her life, and alongside thousands of refugees, she must then make a long, dusty trek across the east African countryside. Driven by the sheer will to survive, Poni finds her way to the Kakuma refugee camp in Kenya, where she hopes to be reunited with her family. And if she is lucky, she will one day be able to convince the authorities that she is worthy to go to the land of opportunity. But the misery in Kakuma is almost overwhelming, and sooner than Poni could have imagined, she is on the run again. With single-minded determination, Poni survives hell and back, but she cannot escape the war’s devastating psychological effects or her survivor’s guilt. In a heartbreaking final twist, Poni finds her mother just as she is about to leave for America—forcing her to make the hardest decision of all. Key Text Features map historical note timeline glossary references Correlates to the Common Core State Standards in English Language Arts: CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.6.3 Describe how a particular story's or drama's plot unfolds in a series of episodes as well as how the characters respond or change as the plot moves toward a resolution. CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.6.6 Explain how an author develops the point of view of the narrator or speaker in a text.
