“You finish this novel wanting more.”
-the Washington Post
Today’s Free Fridays book is John Lawton’s debut novel Black Out—first published by Viking in 1995, and now being reissued by Grove Press. It’s a stunning, war-time thriller that cements Lawton’s place among the greatest crime writers of our era.
Inspector Troy—the protagonist of Lawton’s critically-acclaimed series—is an honest cop who isn’t afraid to ruffle feathers among his fellow law enforcers, if that’s what it takes to find the truth. Set in London towards the end of World War II, tensions are high as citizens go underground to withstand the last of the German’s aerial bombings. But when a charred body surfaces—one body part at a time—Troy sees something unusually sinister that stands out in a time of everyday tragedy.
Not one to shrink from a challenge, Inspector Troy suspects that this murder is part of a bigger conspiracy—one that leads to the top reaches of the Allied High Command. In other words, far above his pay grade, and dangerous territory on which to tread.
For those wishing to continue the adventures, the newest Inspector Troy novel, Bluffing Mr. Churchill, is available now.
Free Fridays Recommends
Each week, we ask our featured author to recommend a book or author that you may want to check out. Since authors are such passionate readers themselves, we thought you might like to find out what they love to read, too! Here’s what John recommends:
Wiley Cash makes his debut with this fine, engaging novel, proving yet again that the South is an inexhaustible motherlode of literature. I'm sure he'll garner comparisons to Harper Lee, perhaps even to Faulkner or Flannery O'Connor, but Wiley Cash is Wiley Cash – a new, strong Southern voice in American fiction.
NOOK owners: go to shop and search for “John Lawton” to download his thrilling novels.
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Today's Free Friday's book, Temptation by bestselling writer Brenda Jackson, follows the unlikely romance between a private investigator and a big-hearted nurse.
Nurse Sheila Hopkins springs into action when an abandoned baby shows up in her hospital's maternity ward. First she works her magic to help calm the beautiful crying baby, and then she becomes a temporary foster parent until a more permanent solution can be found.
Little does Sheila know that this baby is part of a major controversy—a blackmailing scheme meant to embarrass a local big shot. Soon security expert/PI Zeke Travers comes to town, hoping to determine the baby's true identity.
But as Zeke digs deeper and spends more time with Shelia and the baby, his attention strays from the case at hand, to more personal concerns...
Temptation is an excellent introduction to Brenda Jackson - a celebrated author with over 70 books to her name!
Free Fridays Recommends
Each week, we ask our featured author to recommend a book or author that you may want to check out. Since authors are such passionate readers themselves, we thought you might like to find out what they love to read, too! Here’s what Brenda recommends:
The book I've read most often is Shanna by Kathleen E. Woodiwiss. It's shameful, as well as enlightening, just how many copies of this book I have in my house. I have it in every format and with every cover it has ever been issued. Shanna was my introduction to the world of romance novels, as the book has two strong primary characters - Ruark the hero and Shanna the heroine. Shanna is spoiled, willful and stubborn but she is the woman Ruark loves regardless of her faults, and during the course of the novel we see how his love transforms her into a heroine we grow to love, respect and admire. Ruark is a wonderful hero who loves his woman, no matter what. I read Shanna at least once a year to reaffirm my belief in the power of love. Because I write contemporary romances, it's nice to relax and read a historical novel that's so full of adventure, mystery and love, and to take an imaginary trip to the island of Los Camellos. Umm, a trip there sounds pretty good right about now.
“Dryden follows up his superb debut, Red to Black (2009), with a riveting sequel... Red to Black reinvigorated the classic Cold War espionage genre. Moscow Sting, with its clever, devious, conflicted characters, its tension and verisimilitude, and its complex but fully plausible plot, is every bit as good.”
- Booklist
Nostalgia runs deep in today’s Free Fridays title, Moscow Sting by Alex Dryden—a complex and captivating espionage novel that brings the genre back to life with a modern twist.
This follow-up to Dryden’s critically-acclaimed Red to Black focuses on former KGB Colonel Anna Resnikov, who abandoned her position to marry a British MI6 agent. When her husband is assassinated, Anna quickly learns that while the Cold War may be over, the ‘new’ Russia still has a brutal way of sending a warning to those who step out of line.
With her brash act of defiance, Anna now faces a wide swath of international enemies—from Putin’s forces, to the CIA, to an American private security firm. All are convinced that her husband passed along secret valuable information before his death. Now Anna must call on her KGB training and a keen sense of self-preservation to protect herself and her son—leading to a thrilling globe-trotting adventure.
The thrills continue in Dryden's next book, The Blind Spy, available for pre-order now.
Free Fridays Recommends
Each week, we ask our featured author to recommend a book or author that you may want to check out. Since authors are such passionate readers themselves, we thought you might like to find out what they love to read, too! Here’s what Alex recommends:
The novel I've read most often is The Honourable Schoolboy by John le Carre. It is set mainly in Hong Kong and south-east Asia and concerns the attempted kidnap by MI6 of a Chinese naval scientist. The main character, Jerry Westerby, an upper-class, hippy-ish, old school Brit and gentleman to the core, is an unusual find in a le Carre novel – he’s a man of impeccable decency. There is something beautifully painful watching him 'do the right thing' and yet he can also be entirely ruthless in doing it. The rich cast of secondary characters fascinates and, behind all, sits George Smiley. Smiley does not have Jerry’s simple honesty or core virtues. He is an intellectual engaged in mind games with the enemy. As the British writer William Boyd wrote, “The world of the spy novel may be the best analogue of the human condition, writ large.” That is why I like writing spy novels and The Honourable Schoolboy is the one I return to. 
Fans of smart, sophisticated international thrillers will be immediately drawn into today’s Free Fridays selection: A World I Never Made by James LePore. LePore dives straight into the action with an intriguing premise: Pat Nolan, an American man, gets word that his estranged daughter Megan has committed suicide in Paris, and he immediately travels to identify her body. But when he arrives, the dead woman is not Megan, and it’s clear that she must have staged this disturbing scene as a way to send a vital message to her father.
What follows is a fascinating adventure—as Pat quickly realizes that his daughter is in grave danger thanks to her ill-advised relationship with a Saudi businessman, and he’ll need to dig deep and rely on his protective instincts to bring her to safety.
Free Fridays Recommends
Each week, we ask our featured author to recommend a book or author that you may want to check out. Since authors are such passionate readers themselves, we thought you might like to find out what they love to read, too! Here’s what James recommends:
I am a huge Alan Furst fan, and Spies of the Balkans is my favorite of his novels. Set primarily in Greece, with the incredible pre-WW2 tension looming over the country, we get the story of a cop who agrees to help Jews escape the Nazi's death machine, and there's a great love story as well.
NOOK owners: go to shop and search for “James LePore” to download his thrilling novels.
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Today's Free Friday's book, Bring on the Blessings by Beverly Jenkins, is a captivating and uplifting novel about a town on the brink of disaster that finds a very unlikely savior.
Bernadine Brown's husband may have thought he could pull one over on her - but when she finds out he's cheating on her, the $275 million divorce settlement she gets is a nice consolation prize. Now in her fifties, with plenty of money to burn, Bernadine looks for a worthy way to spend her sudden windfall.
Enter Henry Adams, Kansas, one of the last surviving townships founded by freed slaves after the Civil War. After falling on hard times, the town is now for sale on the internet, and Bernadine jumps at the chance to buy, and rebuild, this historic community. Bernadine, the town's mayor, and some enthusiastic residents join hands to bring a new vision to the town, and in the process, our heroine finds new strength and determination to rebuild her life as well.
Bring on the Blessings is a perfect read for Black History Month - a chance to explore an interesting era of post-Civil War history through the lens of a wonderful modern story.
Free Fridays Recommends
Each week, we ask our featured author to recommend a book or author that you may want to check out. Since authors are such passionate readers themselves, we thought you might like to find out what they love to read, too! Here’s what Beverly recommends:
Buy Black Gun, Silver Star by Art T. Burton! US Deputy Marshal Bass Reeves is one of America's unsung heroes. Art T. Burton's research is stellar!
NOOK owners: go to shop and search for “Beverly Jenkins” to download her bestselling books.
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“Harvey's debut, launching the Drake Chronicles, is a refreshing take on the familiar teenage vampire drama.”
-Publishers Weekly
Nothing says Valentine’s Day like vampires in love. Right? In today’s Free Fridays selection, Alyxandra Harvey’s Hearts at Stake, 16 year-old Solange is facing even more stress than your average teenage girl. On top of the usual high school pressures, she’s turning into a vampire. While she joins her family’s centuries’-long feud with a band of vampire hunters, she’s also trying to blend in with her peers, with help from her supportive best friend Lucy. Whether you’re planning to spend Valentine’s Day at home with your NOOK, or planning to read Hearts at Stake right away, this is the perfect romantic adventure.
Once you fall in love (okay, I promise that’s my last Valentine’s reference) with the Drake Chronicles, watch for a series of three digital-only novellas available soon for NOOK. The first, A Killer First Day, will be available on February 14.
Free Fridays Recommends
Each week, we ask our featured author to recommend a book or author that you may want to check out. Since authors are such passionate readers themselves, we thought you might like to find out what they love to read, too! Here’s what Alyxandra recommends:
Hex Hall by Rachel Hawkins because it made me laugh and I really, really love a good snarky heroine!
NOOK owners: go to shop and search for “Alyxandra Harvey” to download her bestselling books.
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"An author who can bring historical happenings so vitally back to life and made all the more impressive by being historically accurate in every respect."
- Times of London
Few historical periods were as drama-packed as the lead-up to World War II. In today’s Free Fridays selection, Winston's War: A Novel of Conspiracy, author Michael Dobbs recreates the rise of Winston Churchill as his country faced its biggest challenge ever.
While Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain clung to appeasement as the country’s only hope for peace, Churchill was among the brave dissenters who saw the true danger lurking in Hitler’s Germany. Dodd’s impeccably-researched novel follows Churchill’s brave campaign to change the minds and hearts of his countrymen, and face one of history’s greatest foes head on. The result is, “an intriguing tale of espionage and treason…this is a work to enthrall," (Daily Mail).
Once you’ve been entertained and informed by Winston’s War, sate your appetite for more historical fiction with Dodd’s other fascinating books: Churchill’s Hour, Churchill’s Triumph and Never Surrender.
Free Fridays Recommends
Each week, we ask our featured author to recommend a book or author that you may want to check out. Today, however, Michael's editor at Sourcebooks, Shana Drehs, Editorial Manager,is stepping in to offer one of her favorite historical novels.
I’m a big fan of Howard Fast’s The Immigrants. Growing up in the Midwest, my knowledge of American history on the west coast was somewhat lacking, to say the least. The Immigrants brings to life the vibrant and diverse mix of cultures that converged on San Francisco at the start of the 20th century. Fast juxtaposes the freedom offered to self-made men in the quickly developing new frontier with the jarring discrimination and prejudice against Asian-American immigrants. I just love The Immigrants and if you’re looking for great historical fiction, Fast is second to none.
NOOK owners: go to shop and search for “Michael Dobbs” to download his evocative historical novels.
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“Fischer provides readers with some laugh-out-loud moments and an interesting twist on zombie mythology.” – Kirkus Reviews
High School is hard enough for your average kid, but for newly-zombified Maddy Swift, the challenges are a little...stiffer. In today’s Free Fridays selection, Zombies Don't Cry, author Rusty Fischer offers a fun, fresh take on the popular zombie fiction trope.
Unlike the brainless (and brain-hungry) zombies of popular imagination, Maddy is a compassionate (but still brain-hungry) member of the living dead. In an interesting twist, Fischer’s zombies fall into two camps—good zombies like Maddy and her friends, and bad “Zerker” zombies. When Maddy finds that two of her classmates fall into the latter group, the usual challenges of teenage life fall by the wayside. Now she and her friends must try to get through school passing as ‘normal,’ while saving her unsuspecting classmates from the lurking Zerkers.
Rusty Fischer's next paranormal adventure, Vamplayers, is available for pre-order now.
Free Fridays Recommends
Each week, we ask our featured author to recommend a book or author that you may want to check out. Since authors are such passionate readers themselves, we thought you might like to find out what they love to read, too! Here’s what Rusty recommends:
Johnny Gruesome by Gregory Lamberson has a little bit of everything: humor, gore, a strong anti-hero you hate to love, an ode to the classic car horror flick Christine and straight up, 200% revenge served cold. In short, for a horror-loving child of the 80s like me, it was the perfect combination!
NOOK owners: go to shop and search for “Rusty Fischer” to download today's Free Fridays selection.
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Fans of Indiana Jones, Brad Meltzer and the writing duo of Preston & Child will love this week's Free Fridays selection: From the Ashesby Jeremy Burns.
In addition to today's Free Fridays selection, the publisher of From the Ashes, Fiction Studio, is offering another great deal. To celebrate their 1st anniversary, they're offering 13 books for $1.99 or less each for a limited time. Their popular and eclectic books are a great place to find some of the best new fiction on the market. Go here to start saving now!
Free Fridays Recommends
Each week, we ask our featured author to recommend a book or author that you may want to check out. Since authors are such passionate readers themselves, we thought you might like to find out what they love to read, too! Here’s what Jeremy recommends:
Historical intrigue meets cutting-edge science in Spiral by Paul McEuen, a fascinating bioterrorism conspiracy thriller. McEuen, a Cornell professor and leading authority in the burgeoning field of nanotechnology, infuses his high-stakes tale with layers of insider details of setting and subject matter that not only engross readers deeper in the story, but also illuminate our understanding of hidden history and real-life scientific wonders. This book kept me guessing right up to the end and kept me thinking long afterwards. Highly recommended.
NOOK owners: go to shop and search for “Jeremy Burns” to download this pulse-pounding thriller.
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“A massive overview of every myth under the sun. Davis shatters commonly held myths about myths.”
- New York Daily News
Without ancient mythology, modern storytelling would be a completely different beast. From plot structure to character development, authors are still looking back thousands of years for cultural touchstones.
That’s why every serious reader will love today’s Free Fridays selection: Don't Know Much About Mythology by Kenneth C. Davis. This bestselling author has written seven books in his popular Don’t Know Much About…series, covering everything from the Bible to the American Civil War. In this edition, Davis offers an engaging, layman-friendly lesson on ancient mythology—exploring cultures from around the world. While you probably have a vague idea of where everyday terms and concepts like “Pandora’s Box,” “Achilles’ Heel,” and “Wheel of Fortune,” come from, after reading DKMAM you’ll feel quite confident going into your next game of Trivial Pursuit on family game night.
Once you’ve binged on your mythology lessons, you can move on to Davis’s other equally enlightening Don’t Know Much About…books available for NOOK.
Free Fridays Recommends
Each week, we ask our featured author to recommend a book or author that you may want to check out. Since authors are such passionate readers themselves, we thought you might like to find out what they love to read, too! Here’s what Kenneth recommends:
As a lover of history, I always look for historians who are also great storytellers --who show us the real people behind extraordinary events. There are few better examples than Doris Kearns Goodwin's No Ordinary Time. Goodwin puts us in the Roosevelt White House corridors as FDR, Eleanor Roosevelt and Winston Churchill, among others, struggle for victory over Hitler's Germany. It is brilliant storytelling and great history.
Stay well-informed on a wide range of subjects by visiting Kenneth’s website here.
NOOK owners: go to shop and search for “Kenneth Davis” to download his many informative and fascinating books.
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