USA TODAY US Edition

5 must-read new books

Barbara VanDenburg­h picks the hottest titles.

- Barbara VanDenburg­h

1. “Lady in the Lake” by Laura Lippman (William Morrow, fiction, on sale July 23)

What it’s about: In this historical thriller set in 1960s Baltimore, 30-something housewife Maddie Schwartz leaves her husband to pursue her passion for journalism. She quickly becomes obsessed with the case of Cleo Sherwood, a black cocktail waitress who turns up drowned in a city park’s lake.

The buzz: “The racism, classism, and sexism of 50 years ago wrapped up in a stylish, sexy, suspensefu­l period drama about a newsroom and the city it covers,” says a starred review in Kirkus Reviews.

2. “Crisis in the Red Zone” by Richard Preston (Random House, nonfiction, on sale July 23)

What it’s about: Many of us are still scarred from 1994’s “The Hot Zone,” an unflinchin­g account of the deadly Ebola virus. Preston is back with a sequel of sorts, a gripping account of the doctors and scientists trying to protect us that serves as a wake-up call for the terrifying future of the virus.

The buzz: In a four-star review for USA TODAY, doctor and critic Matt McCarthy says, “By the end of this exhilarati­ng book, you’ll agree with his ominous conclusion: There is no such thing as one case of Ebola.”

3. “The Lager Queen of Minnesota” by J. Ryan Stradal (Pamela Dorman Books, fiction, on sale July 23)

What it’s about: The bestsellin­g author follows up his debut “Kitchens of the Great Midwest” with a story of two hardscrabb­le Minnesota sisters, one of whom hoards the family’s inheritanc­e to build a successful brewery.

The buzz: Critic Don Oldenburg writes in a four-star review for USA TODAY, “In beergeek slang, Stradal’s novel is ‘crushable’ — easygoing, wellbalanc­ed, super-drinkable with tons of flavor … and will make you go back for more.”

4. “Beijing Payback” by Daniel Nieh (Ecco, nonfiction, on sale July 23)

What it’s about: College basketball player Victor Li, devastated by his father’s recent murder, discovers some dark truths about his family in the aftermath — that his father was part of a vast internatio­nal crime syndicate.

The buzz: A starred review in Publishers Weekly says, “This impressive blend of crime and coming-of-age marks Nieh as a talent to watch.”

5. “The Helpline” by Katherine Collette (Atria Books, fiction, on sale July 23)

What it’s about: Germaine Johnson is great with numbers, but not so great with people. But then the eccentric and prickly mathematic­ian loses her position at an insurance company and is forced to take a job answering calls for a senior citizens helpline.

The buzz: Kirkus Reviews calls it “clever writing about an awkward character.”

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