4 new books getting a lot of buzz, including Téa Obreht’s follow-up to best-selling ‘The Tiger’s Wife’

Téa Obreht. | Provided photo

Here’s the lowdown on four of the hottest new books:

‘Inland’ by Téa Obreht

(Random House, fiction, $40)

What it’s about: Téa Obreht follows up 2011 best-seller “The Tiger’s Wife” with a haunted, mythical tale set in the drought-stricken Arizona Territory, where bold homesteader Nora awaits the return of her husband, who’s disappeared in search of water, while outlaw Lurie evades the law on the back of a camel.

The buzz: “Obreht inventively and scathingly dramatizes the delirium of the West — its myths, hardships, greed, racism, sexism, and violence — in a tornadic novel of stoicism, anguish and wonder,” Booklist writes.

Click here for an excerpt from “Inland” by Téa Obreht.

‘Thirteen’ by Steve Cavanagh

(Flatiron Books, fiction, $26.99)

What it’s about: The tag line to Steve Cavanagh’s fourth novel about con man-turned defense lawyer Eddie Flynn is: “The serial killer isn’t on trial. He’s on the jury.”

The buzz: “It’s a superb, action-packed story that melds the legal thriller with the serial-killer subgenre . . . a perceptive look at the legal system,” The Associated Press says.

Click here for an excerpt from “Thirteen” by Steve Cavanagh.

‘River of Fire’ by Helen Prejean

(Random House, nonfiction, $27)

What it’s about: The famous anti-death penalty nun behind “Dead Man Walking” has produced a riveting memoir of faith in action, charting her spiritual transformation from entering a convent at 18 to her work as a political activist.

The buzz: “Informing and entertaining, Prejean’s exceptional memoir will be of special interest to Catholics and social justice advocates,” Publishers Weekly writes.

Click here for an excerpt from “River of Fire” by Helen Prejean.

‘How to Be an Antiracist’ by Ibram X. Kendi

(One World, nonfiction, $27)

What it’s about: Ibram X. Kendi, founding director of American University’s Antiracist Research and Policy Center, methodically examines racism and challenges us to think about what an antiracist would look like — and how to help create one.

The buzz: “Not an easy read but an essential one,” Kirkus Reviews writes.

Click here for an excerpt from “How to Be an Antiracist” by Ibram X. Kendi.