10 new books not to miss from Emily St. John Mandel, Harlan Coben, Jack Fredrickson, more

Author Emily St. John Mandel, who combines literary fiction with mystery. | Provided

Looking for a book to get a break from all-coronavirus all the time? Here’s the lowdown on some of the best new and recent releases:

‘The Glass Hotel’ by Emily St. John Mandel

Alfred A. Knopf, fiction, $26.95

What it’s about: The author of “Station Eleven” returns with a novel that connects two seemingly disparate events: a woman’s mysterious disappearance from a ship at sea and the collapse of a massive Ponzi scheme.

The buzz: Publishers Weekly calls it an “ingenious, enthralling novel.”

Click for an excerpt from Emily St. John Mandel’s “The Glass House.”

‘The Boy from the Woods’ by Harlan Coben

Grand Central, fiction, $29

What it’s about: Wilde was found living feral in the woods as a child, having no memories of his past. Thirty years later, a child goes missing, and a criminal defense lawyer reaches out to Wilde to use his unique skills to help find the missing girl.

The buzz: “Coben finds room for three climactic surprises, one of them a honey,” Kirkus Reviews says.

Click for an excerpt from Harlan Coben’s “The Boy from the Woods.”

‘Wine Girl’ by Victoria James

Ecco, nonfiction, $26.99

What it’s about: At 21, Victoria James became the country’s youngest sommelier at a Michelin-starred restaurant. She escaped an upbringing of abuse and plunged headlong into the glamorous and toxic restaurant world, detailed in this fascinating memoir.

The buzz: “An inspiring, captivating story of resilience,” Kirkus Reviews says.

Victoria James’ “Wine Girl.”

Victoria James’ “Wine Girl.”

‘The Black Cage’ by Jack Fredrickson

Severn House, fiction, $28.99

What it’s about: The Chicago mystery writer known for his Dek Elstrom books debuts a new series centered on Chicago crime reporter Milo Rigg, who’s on the outs in his profession after a scandal. He happens on a crime scene — two adolescent sisters murdered and thrown into a ravine — that has him thinking of a past case — and unraveling a botched murder investigation.

The buzz: “Readers will look forward to spending more time with the complex, intriguing Milo,” Publishers Weekly says. “This skillfully crafted and richly nuanced crime novel bodes well for future entries.”

‘The Last Odyssey’ by James Rollins

William Morrow, fiction, $28.99

What it’s about: In James Rollins’ 15th Sigma Force novel, climatologists and archaeologists in Greenland stumble across a medieval ship buried below the ice containing a gold atlas that leads to a hidden realm beneath the Mediterranean Sea.

The buzz: “This is a thoughtful, nonstop thrill ride that’s an exemplar of an escapist page-turner,” Publishers Weekly writes.

Click for an excerpt from James Rollins’ “The Last Odyssey.”

Click for an excerpt from James Rollins’ “The Last Odyssey.”

‘The Mirror & the Light’ by Hilary Mantel

Henry Holt & Co., fiction, $30

What it’s about: The final book in Hilary Mantel’s historical trilogy charting the rise and fall of Thomas Cromwell in the court of King Henry VIII.

The buzz: “With this trilogy, Mantel has redefined what the historical novel is capable of,” says a review in The Guardian.

Hilary Mantel’s “The Mirror & the Light.”

‘The Mountains Sing’ by Que Mai Phan Nguyen

Algonquin, fiction, $26.95

What it’s about: This multigenerational tale chronicles the Tran family, as a Vietnamese woman reflects on life lessons her late grandmother had shared.

The buzz: Publishers Weekly calls this book “lyrical, sweeping” and says, “This brilliant, unsparing love letter to Vietnam will move readers.”

Que Mai Phan Nguyen’s “The Mountains Sing.”

‘Kilo’ by Toby Muse

William Morrow, nonfiction, $28.99

What it’s about: Toby Muse, a foreign correspondent who was embedded with drug cartels in Colombia, offers a deeply reported account of drug trafficking that traces a kilo of cocaine from field to smuggler.

The buzz: “An unrelentingly tragic yet indispensable exposé of the never-ending war on drugs,” Kirkus Reviews says.

Toby Muse’s “Kilo.”

‘Beheld’ by TaraShea Nesbit

Bloomsbury, fiction, $26

What it’s about: The divided, Puritan-controlled colony at Plymouth is rocked by a stranger’s arrival in this gripping retelling of the colony’s first murder.

The buzz: “ ‘Beheld’ disrupts expectation to render the pulsing messy lives of those too often calcified in myth,” a USA Today review says.

TaraShea Nesbit’s “Beheld.”

‘The Shape of Family’ by Shilpi Somaya Gowda

William Morrow, fiction, $27.99

What it’s about: The tightknit Olander family is rocked by a sudden, devastating tragedy, and each member must grapple with the aftermath in this intimate study of grief.

The buzz: “A deft, patient portrait of grief,” Kirkus Reviews says.

Click for an excerpt from Shilp Somaya Gowda’s “The Shape of Family.”