'The Guide'
By Peter Heller
Peter Heller’s riveting thriller is set in the American wilderness, but the threats gathering around Jack, the young fishing guide of the title, come from man, not nature. Jack has been hired by a fishing club in Colorado that caters to wealthy clients. His job: Carry gear, find trout, chat up guests and do whatever he can to make them happy. But after he arrives at the luxurious Kingfisher Lodge, Jack can’t help but notice unsettling signs. Employees need a key to enter the gate surrounding the lodge, but they also need a key to leave. There’s an abandoned wading boot half-hidden in the brush near the river. And why, exactly, is there a camera placed under the bridge where guests might fish? “The Guide” is a sequel of sorts to Heller’s 2019 novel “The River,” but only in the sense that Jack is a central character in both books. The books are probably best read in order, but familiarity with “The River” isn’t necessary to enjoy this fast-paced adventure. Jack, a Dartmouth graduate, has taken a course with writer Marilynne Robinson, and he takes a certain poetic view of the world. As more unnerving signs reveal themselves, Jack finds an ally in his client Alison, a singer. As they draw closer to discovering the lodge’s secrets, Heller increases the growing sense of danger by reminding us that outside the gates there’s another menace looming. A new virus has landed in the country, and the maskless crowds swilling beer at Crested Butte just down the road could prove to be an even more deadly problem. It’s a chilling reminder of the dangers that might lie in wait for us all. (Alfred A. Knopf, $27, Aug. 24.)
'Open Water'
By Caleb Azumah Nelson
The fierce beauty of “Open Water” lands with the force of a wave, rushing over the reader with truth and insight. Astonishingly, this powerful work about love, art and masculine vulnerability is the first novel by British-Ghanian author Nelson. Its premise is simple, its target the destructive force of racism. Two young Black artists — he’s a photographer, she’s a dancer — meet in a bar in London. They are immediately drawn to each other. But sustaining intimacy is harder weighed against a barrage of trauma. How do you nurture what nourishes your soul when all anyone sees is the color of your skin? Nelson’s prose is poetic and perceptive, and he captures the profound effect that art — literary, visual, musical — can have on young hearts and minds. (Black Cat, $16.)
'Malibu Rising'
By Taylor Jenkins Reid
The annual end-of-summer party at model Nina Riva’s house in Malibu, Calif., is always epic. There are no invitations: If you know, you know. The famous and infamous mingle; booze and drugs flow. Maybe Rob Lowe and Emilio Estevez once sang a duet of “Jack and Diane” (nobody is entirely sure). But the party of 1983 will forever change the lives of the four Riva siblings even as it signals the end of an era. Reid re-creates a gritty Malibu, where stars rubbed elbows with surf rats, and she brings depth to characters — in particular models and surfers — we’re used to seeing as two-dimensional. “Malibu Rising” isn’t merely a window into fame and wealth. Reid is exploring how strong family bonds can overcome tragedy, financial hardship and sibling rivalry. Sometimes, they can even set you free. (Ballantine, $28, June 1.)
'Lizzie & Dante'
By Mary Bly
The sun-drenched Italian island of Elba is the gorgeous setting for Bly’s entertaining, romantic novel about a Summer That Changed Everything, in this case the life of Shakespeare scholar Lizzie Delford. Lizzie has come to Elba with her friend Grey and his movie-star boyfriend. The vacation could be her last: Lizzie has cancer, and she plans to skip surgery that could give her a few more years. Then she meets Dante, a chef, and his 12-year-old daughter. Is it fair to fall in love if you can’t promise forever? The premise might sound maudlin, but this novel is not: It’s smart, sexy and funny, full of joy in simple pleasures. Bly, who is the daughter of writers Robert Bly and Carol Bly, reminds us in the best possible way to make the most of our time, however short it may be. (Dial Press, $27, June 1.)
'Skye Falling'
By Mia McKenzie
Skye Ellison knows she’s not the maternal type. At 26, she sold her eggs to a friend, and she doesn’t plan to have kids. Now, pushing 40 and single, she’s running a business for Black tourists, constantly traveling. On a trip to Philadelphia, a precocious tween named Vicky appears, introduces herself and informs Skye: “I used to be your egg.” How Skye learns to stop running and put her faith in relationships — with Vicky, her family and friends and Vicky’s attractive Aunt Faye, whom Skye has unsuccessfully tried to hit on — forms the heart of this hilarious, engaging and delightfully ribald novel. As Skye learns the importance of community, McKenzie brings a changing Philadelphia to life and highlights the perils of gentrification in a close-knit Black neighborhood. (Random House, $27, June 22.)
'The Startup Wife'
By Tahmima Anam
Can an app replace organized religion? In our tech-besotted world, maybe. Enter coder Asha Ray, who has created an algorithm her startup can use to introduce the disillusioned to rituals that will rekindle their spirituality. With help from her husband, Cyrus, their partner Jules and the offbeat tech incubator Utopia, which specializes in preparing for the end of the world, Asha seems poised for success. There’s just one problem: Users are starting to worship Cyrus, and he seems perfectly willing to take the credit. Anam has a wicked sense of humor, taking aim at startup culture and doomsday preppers while pointing out the lack of feminism and women of color in the tech industry. But is success worth becoming a secondary character in her own story? (Scribner, $26, July 13.)
'Embassy Wife'
By Katie Crouch
Crouch casts a satirical eye on the foreign diplomatic corps in this terrific comic novel about three women — two American, one Namibian. Amanda, a success in Silicon Valley, has come to Africa unwillingly because her husband, Mark, accepted a Fulbright, but his increasingly odd behavior is unsettling her. At their daughter’s school she meets Persephone, the perfect Embassy Wife who knows how to handle anything, including what to do when the meat for the barbecue shows up alive. Persephone’s husband might be a CIA agent, and her nemesis is cool, remote Mila, whose life has been more complicated than the Americans could imagine. Crouch, who lived in Namibia, paints a funny portrait of American privilege, and her depiction of Namibia is colorful and affectionate. (Farrar, Straus & Giroux, $27, July 13.)
'Godspeed'
By Nickolas Butler
The three builders working on the magnificent home outside Jackson, Wyo., have different reasons for taking on the project. Cole sees it as his legacy. Teddy hopes to provide security for his family. For Bart, it’s an escape from the poverty and addiction that has dogged his past. But the mysterious owner who hired them wants the showpiece completed in an impossibly short time, and the threat of winter could ruin their chances of collecting the bonuses she has promised. Wisconsin author Butler (“Shotgun Lovesongs”) uses this framework to examine questions about class and capitalism in America while delivering a thriller-style ride. The bad and bloody decisions could be made by any of us desperate enough to chase the real American dream. (Putnam, $27, July 27.)
'A Song Everlasting'
By Ha Jin
Fans of serious fiction can immerse themselves in Ha Jin’s latest novel, about a singer who finds himself at odds with the Chinese government after he stays in the United States a few days after his state-sanctioned tour. Yao Tian returns to his wife and daughter in China, but when he’s ordered to turn over his passport, he returns to New York, determined to make a living there. “A Song Everlasting” follows his complicated new life as a man with no real home, drifting from his family and haunted by a question he can’t answer: “If a country has betrayed a citizen, isn’t the citizen entitled to betray the country?” Adjusting to new customs proves difficult, but Tian’s perseverance and courage is moving and ultimately uplifting, a tribute to the price so many pay to be here. (Pantheon, $28, July 27.)
'So We Meet Again'
By Suzanne Park
In this lighthearted romantic comedy, investment banker Jess Kim loses her corporate job and is forced to move back to her parents’ house in Nashville. There, she reconnects with childhood nemesis Daniel Choi, whose charmed life continues to be a sore spot. Daniel is an attorney and video game streamer, and you don’t need to be a market analyst to know where these two frenemies will end up. Jess is dazed when her YouTube cooking channel takes off after her mother wanders onto the set and starts arguing about the best way to prepare Korean food (pour Coke in the meat marinade and don’t forget the ginger). Park’s breezy style fits perfectly with the material, and the jokes don’t detract from her message about staying true to your culture. (Avon, $15.99, Aug. 3.)
'We Are the Brennans'
By Tracey Lange
There was a time when the Irish-American Brennan family was the envy of the neighborhood. But everything is different now. A DWI accident in Los Angeles has sent daughter Sunday slinking home; her abrupt departure five years earlier broke the heart of her fiancé Kale, who has since married. Kale runs a pub with Sunday’s brother Denny, whose own marriage is falling apart. Denny is on the verge of losing the business, while brother Jackie quietly shoulders the weight of the heaviest family secret. The truth is that life as a Brennan wasn’t always the easy existence outsiders thought. Lange skillfully contrasts the solace of family ties with the paralyzing burden of carrying secrets for too long. Her flawed but big-hearted Brennans will sneak under your skin. (Celadon, $26.99, Aug. 3.)
Connie Ogle is a Florida-based writer.
