The March Indie Next List & Notables Preview

Here's a preview of the March Indie Next List now on its way to ABA member stores in the IndieBound movement.

Fool: A Novel by Christopher Moore
(Morrow, $26.99, 9780060590314 / 0060590319)
"Christopher Moore's take on Shakespeare's King Lear is full of sharp, snappy wit (as well as a bloody ghost, bodily fluids, bawdy humor, a bit of graphic violence, and a great deal of sex). In the end, it is rib-achingly hilarious." --Jackie Blem, Tattered Cover Bookstore, Denver, CO

Among the Mad: A Maisie Dobbs Novel by Jacqueline Winspear
(Holt, $25, 9780805082166 / 0805082166)
"Conscripted as a special advisor to Scotland Yard, psychologist and investigator Maisie Dobbs once again takes us to an unsettled postwar London. After her proximity to a veteran's suicide, Maisie searches for a madman, whose deadlines threaten havoc for the government and people of London. Jacqueline Winspear consistently delivers strong characters and an intelligent, thought-provoking story." --Becky Milner, Vintage Books, Vancouver, WA

Sonata for Miriam: A Novel by Linda Olsson
(Penguin Books, $15 paper, 9780143114703 / 0143114700)
"This is a haunting, beautifully written novel about living with impossible choices; the importance of discerning the mysteries of the past in order to divine one's place in the present; and the quest for understanding that leads to acceptance and forgiveness. A fine read." --Emily Crowe, Odyssey Bookshop, South Hadley, MA

The Lost City of Z: A Tale of Deadly Obsession in the Amazon by David Grann
(Doubleday, $27.50, 9780385513531 / 0385513534)
"Reading more like a script for Indiana Jones than a work of nonfiction, this book vividly brings to life the British explorer Percy Fawcett and the Amazon he loved and explored. Grann seamlessly brings together elements of history, anthropology, and biography into a superb narrative." --Ann Carlson, Harborwalk Books, Georgetown, SC

Starvation Lake: A Mystery by Bryan Gruley
(Touchstone, $14, 9781416563624 / 1416563628)
"Small towns love their sports teams as much as they love taking swipes at their local newspaper, but they also love their secrets. A secret lies frozen at the bottom of Starvation Lake, and the ice is starting to melt. Dripping with atmosphere and pitch-perfect dialog, Gruley captures the heart and hardships of small-town life." --Matt Norcross, McLean & Eakin Booksellers, Petoskey, MI

The Writing on My Forehead: A Novel by Nafisa Haji
(Morrow, $24.99, 9780061493850 / 0061493856)
"You must take some time and fall in love with the characters of Nafisa Haji's debut novel about Saira Qader, a rebellious journalist and a Muslim-American of Indo-Pakistani descent, and her family members, each with their own hopes and dreams. This is a rich novel, full of joys and sorrows, laughter and tears, rebellion and tenderness." --Sina Herkelrath, Kepler's Books & Magazine, Menlo Park, CA

Sleepwalking in Daylight by Elizabeth Flock
(Mira, $21.95, 9780778325130 / 077832513X)
"Elizabeth Flock has written a novel with engrossing and compelling characters: a mother who seems to have it all, but who finds only emptiness; a daughter who cries for help from the depths of her depression and isolation -- both part of a family spinning out of control. Sleepwalking in Daylight explores both disturbing human truths that lead to tragedy and the will to survive." --Peter Marsh, Briggs Carriage Bookstore, Brandon, VT

All That I Have: A Novel by Castle Freeman, Jr.
(Steerforth, $13.95 paper, 9781586421519 / 1586421514)
"Castle Freeman, Jr.'s latest thriller takes us back to the deep woods of Vermont, where law is a complicated and subtle thing. Sheriff Wing is a sensitive, thinking man, preoccupied with the differences between the work of the policeman and that of the sheriff. When real criminals come to his county his slow-motion, low-key methods of protecting his community are put to a serious test. A real treat for readers." --Paul Ingram, Prairie Lights Books, Iowa City, IA

The Manual of Detection: A Novel by Jedediah Berry
(Penguin Press, $25.95, 9781594202117 / 1594202117)
"This story of a clerk becoming an unlikely detective is the perfect novel noir, like some wonderful, early black-and-white film from France or Germany. The mystery twists and turns, and the universe grows into a beautiful web of fantasy. The Manual of Detection is the most fun circus ride I've been on in years." --Justin Fetterman, The Alabama Booksmith, Birmingham, AL

The Missing: A Novel by Tim Gautreaux
(Knopf, $25.95, 9780307270153 / 0307270157)
"Returning to New Orleans after WWI, Sam Simoneaux wants nothing more than a normal life. But when a child disappears during his shift at work, his life takes an unexpected turn as he sets off on a quest to find her. I have been waiting for a new Tim Gautreaux novel, and he does not disappoint with The Missing." --Teresa Huggins, Blue Elephant Book Shop, Decatur, GA

A Grave in Gaza: An Omar Yussef Mystery by Matt Beynon Rees
(Mariner, $13.95 paper, 9780547086255 / 0547086253)
"This international mystery beautifully depicts the sights, smells, and sounds of both the historical and modern-day Gaza Strip. The conflicts of the UN, Israelis, and Palestinians are descriptive, bold, and humane -- a truly wonderful read by a literary storyteller from the Mideast!" --Kathleen Dixon, Islandtime Books & More, Washington Island, WI

Patient Zero: A Joe Ledger Novel by Jonathan Maberry
(St. Martin's Griffin, $14.95 paper, 9780312382858 / 0312382855)
"The ultimate terrorist biological weapon is about to be unleashed on U.S. soil, and our only hope is Joe Ledger. Filled with zombies, terrorists, and some of the best action in years, Patient Zero, an electric thriller, will warm up those cold March nights with pure terror." --Katie Glasgow, Mitchell Books, Fort Wayne, IN

My Abandonment: A Novel by Peter Rock
(Houghton, $22, 9780151014149 / 0151014140)
"No one knows that 13-year-old Caroline has been living with her father on the fringes of Portland, Oregon, in dense forest, until one seemingly insignificant slipup propels them back into the urban world, a world in which they are far less suited to survive. This is a book you won't put down until you finish it; a book whose characters you'll never forget." --Betsy Burton, The King's English, Salt Lake City, UT

American Rust: A Novel by Philipp Meyer
(Spiegel & Grau, $24.95, 9780385527514 / 0385527519)
"Some authors create characters who do what you think they'll do, some who do what you hope they'll do, some who do what they 'ought' to do. But other authors allow their characters to live and breathe as they would if they were real. This powerful debut novel -- set in a present-day Pennsylvania steel town -- is filled with those kinds of characters. Meyer captures the danger, decay, and destruction that run through the heart of America's landscape in a story about life and death and loyalty and love." --Kester Smith, Book People Bookstore, Austin, TX

The Miracles of Prato: A Novel by Laurie Albanese, Laura Morowitz
(Morrow, $24.99, 9780061558344 / 0061558346)
"Based on the true story of Fra Filippo Lippi's love for a young nun (whom he immortalized as the Madonna in many of his greatest works), this novel is beautifully evocative of Renaissance Italy, and I found the descriptions of the process of Lippi's artistry to be insightful and enlightening. A wonderful book to take on a journey to Tuscany." --Jennie Turner-Collins, Joseph-Beth Booksellers, Cincinnati, OH

The Tourist: A Novel by Olen Steinhauer
(St. Martin's Minotaur, $24.95, 9780312369729 / 0312369727)
"Milo Weaver was once a 'tourist' (aka an undercover agent) for the CIA. After retiring and marrying -- and trying to settle into his new life -- the past resurfaces with the arrest of a wanted assassin, and Milo is drawn back into his old life as a tourist. Full of intrigue and betrayal, this is a first-rate, fast-paced thriller." --Sue Richardson, Maine Coast Book Shop, Damariscotta, ME

Ten Degrees of Reckoning: The True Story of a Family's Love and the Will to Survive by Hester Rumberg
(Amy Einhorn Books/Putnam, $24.95, 9780399155352 / 039915535X)
"This gripping account of tragedy at sea is a superb tale of personal tragedy and triumph beautifully told. Once started, you won't put this one down." --Gary Colliver, Windows on the World-Books & Art, Mariposa, CA

Doghead: A Novel by Morten Ramsland
(Thomas Dunne Books, $24.95, 9780312376543 / 0312376545)
"This international bestseller is a rollicking, surreal family saga of three generations of a Norwegian family, complete with humor and heartbreak. Ramsland is a Danish Richard Russo!" --Carol Schneck, Schuler Books & Music, Okemos, MI

The Kindly Ones: A Novel by Jonathan Littell
(HarperCollins, $29.99, 9780061353451 / 0061353450)
"The Kindly Ones is as fierce and unrelenting as any novel in my recent experience. This account of a former SS officer can be brutal and disturbing, but there is no doubt the effect will be visceral and provocative. If you are looking for a 'good read,' skip it, but if you appreciate an author willing to risk going to the edge pick it up." --Bill Cusumano, Nicola's Books, Ann Arbor, MI

After You've Gone: A Novel by Jeffrey Lent
(Atlantic, $24, 9780871138941 / 0871138948)
"Henry Dorn loses his wife and grown son in an accident in 1921 and, a year later, embarks for Amsterdam, where he meets the young and entrancing Lydia Pearce. In After You've Gone, the language is clean and precise with not a word wasted, the characters well drawn and interesting, and the plot just complex enough to keep the reader enthralled. In short, a very fine novel." --Penny McConnel, Norwich Bookstore, Norwich, VT

Fiction

The Believers by Zoe Heller (HarperCollins, $25.99, 9780061430206 / 006143020X)
The Disappearance by Efrem Sigel (Permanent, $28, 9781579621803 / 1579621805)
The Music Teacher by Barbara Hall (Algonquin, $22.95, 9781565124639 / 1565124634)
The Only True Genius in the Family by Jennie Nash (Berkley, $14 paper, 9780425225752 / 0425225755)
Roanoke: A Novel of Elizabethan Intrigue by Margaret Lawrence (Delacorte, $24, 9780385342377 / 0385342373)
The Rules of the Game by Leonard Downie, Jr. (Knopf, $26.95, 9780307269614 / 0307269612)
Silent on the Moor: A Lady Julia Grey Novel by Deanna Raybourn (Mira, $13.95, paper, 9780778326144 / 0778326144)
The Spare Room by Helen Garner (Holt, $22, 9780805088885 / 0805088881)
The Way Through Doors by Jesse Ball (Vintage, $13.95 paper, 9780307387462 / 0307387461)

Nonfiction

An Altar in the World: A Geography of Faith: A Novel of Suspense by Barbara Brown Taylor (HarperOne, $24.99, 9780061370465 / 0061370460)
Cooking and Screaming: Finding My Own Recipe for Recovery by Adrienne Kane (Simon Spotlight, $24, 9781416587972 / 1416587977)
A New Day in the Delta: Inventing School Desegregation As You Go by David W. Beckwith (University of Alabama Press, $29.95, 9780817316334 / 0817316337)
Waiting for the Apocalypse: A Memoir of Faith and Family by Veronica Chater (Norton, $23.95, 9780393066036 / 0393066037)

Mystery/Suspense

All the Colors of Darkness by Peter Robinson (Morrow, $25.99, 9780061362934 / 006136293X)
A Darker Domain by Val McDermid (HarperCollins, $24.99, 9780061688980 / 0061688983)
Fatal February by Barbara Levenson (Oceanview, $22.95, 9781933515526 / 193351552X)
Lethal Legacy by Linda Fairstein (Doubleday, $26, 9780385523998 / 0385523998)
The Renegades: A Charle Hood Novel by T. Jefferson Parker (Dutton, $26.95, 9780525950950 / 0525950958)
Revelation: A Matthew Shardlake Mystery by C.J. Sansom (Viking, $26.95, 9780670020515 / 0670020516)