REQUIRED READING

How to Fail at Flirting

Denise Williams (f iction, Berkley) Professor Naya Turner’s department could be on the university chopping block; she needs a time out from the stress. When she meets a handsome stranger in town for business, it seems like a perfect setup for a nostrings-attached flirtation. Except . . . it’s complicated. A sparkling “own voices” romance debut.

Mr. Wizard Jeff Wallach (f iction, Open Books)

Before her death, Jenny tells her middle-aged son Phillip to lay off the drink — he is, after all, half Irish. This is news to Phillip, who had been told he was fully Jewish American. After his mom’s death, Phillip takes a DNA test, which confirms his Irish ancestry. He and his brother decide to embark on a quest to find out who they really are.

Daylight (An Atlee Pine Thriller, No. 3)

David Baldacci (f iction, Grand Central Publishing) Atlee has been tormented for years over the unsolved kidnapping of her sister Mercy. But just as she’s being pushed to end the investigation, she gets her most promising tip.

The Night of the Fire Kjell Eriksson (f iction, Minotaur Books)

Police inspector Ann Lindell has left the Uppsala police force behind and is enjoying a calmer life, making local cheese in Uppland. But one night, someone sets fire to the former village school, now a residence for asylum-seekers, killing three people. Ann takes on the case. A few weeks later, a bomb explodes in Stockholm and it’s clear the fire is part of something much bigger.

Tom Clancy Shadow of the Dragon Marc Cameron (f iction, GP Putnam’s Sons)

A missing Chinese scientist, unexplained noises coming from the floor of the Arctic ocean, and a potential mole in American intelligence are all in a day’s work for President Jack Ryan in this page turner.

Swallow It Down Addison Cain (f iction, Blushing Books)

This latest title, the 15th from the Amazon Top 25 bestselling author, has been described by publisher Blushing Books as “not for the faint of heart.” An “enemies to lovers” dark romance.