The August 2004 Book Sense Picks

1. DARKLY DREAMING DEXTER: A Novel, by Jeff Lindsay (Doubleday, $22.95, 038551123X) "Dexter is a highly respected lab technician for the Miami Police Department. Though he appears to be an ordinary guy, Dexter has a secret. He is a serial killer, but not just any serial killer -- Dexter only kills bad people. With an amazing twist, this is a highly recommended book for all mystery lovers." --Linda Zehender, Full Circle Bookstore, Oklahoma City, OK

THE BIG LOVE: A Novel, by Sarah Dunn (Little, Brown, $21.95, 0316738158) "When her boyfriend of four years dumps her over the phone during a dinner party, Alison Hopkins must discover what she truly wants in life, and the result is a humorous (and sometimes sarcastic) journey of self-discovery and a great summer read." --Jennifer Malinowski, Schuler Books & Music, Okemos, MI

BY A SPIDER'S THREAD, by Laura Lippman (Morrow, $24.95, 0060506695) "Baltimore-based private investigator Tess Monaghan is back, this time on the case of a businessman's missing family. The more she delves into the case, the more Tess begins to see what her client doesn't want her to discover, and the tension grows with every page." --Lelia Taylor, Creatures 'n Crooks Bookshoppe, Richmond, VA

AMAGANSETT: A Novel, by Mark Mills (Putnam, $24.95, 0399151842) "This first novel masterfully blends murder among the wealthy on eastern Long Island with the lives of the local men who make their living hauling fish from the sea. The reader is fully involved in slowly unraveling a killing, all the while becoming fascinated by the quirks of the minor characters who come so vividly alive." --June Applen, The Book Mark, Atlantic Beach, FL

STRANGE BUT TRUE: A Novel, by John Searles (Morrow, $24.95, 0688175716) "Everything you believe by the end of the first chapter of this gripping novel will be wrong. Searles masterfully reveals a story about family that lures the reader deeper and deeper into mystery. The past has been cruel to these characters, but the miracle pregnancy of Melissa Moody is going to be the cruelest twist of fate they've ever encountered." --Geoffrey Jennings, Rainy Day Books, Fairway, KS

CALLGIRL, by Jeannette Angell (Permanent Press, $26, 1579621104) "Both academically and professionally, this author knows her subject -- and that is what makes this account of her three years as a $200-an-hour Boston call girl worth the read. Angell provides an intelligent, well-articulated perspective that challenges established assumptions." --Phyllis M. Potter, Islehaven Books & Borzoi, Lopez Island, WA

CRUISERS: A Novel, by Craig Nova (Shaye Areheart Books, $24, 1400045363) "Craig Nova is a master at creating characters who are capable of great amounts of violence. They live, breathe, love, fight, and die, totally human and essentially flawed, and yet completely fascinating. This novel of two men -- seeming opposites but actually much the same -- is a testimony to the power of a writer at the top of his game." --Robert Segedy, Branch's Chapel Hill Bookshop, Chapel Hill, NC

RIFT ZONE, by Raelynn Hillhouse (Forge, $24.95, 0765310139) "It's the 1980s, the Berlin Wall stands as a grim reminder of the Cold War, and both the Stasi and the KGB have got Faith Whitney in their crosshairs. Now, she must smuggle a mysterious package across several unfriendly boarders, avert an international incident, and try to stay alive. This roller coaster of a novel is simply impossible to put down!" --Elena Kruglyak, The Town Book Store, Westfield, NJ

HAD A GOOD TIME: Stories From American Postcards, by Robert Olen Butler (Grove, $23, 0802117775) "Butler uses real postcard messages and expands them into short stories, a format he mastered in his 1993 Pulitzer Prize-winning A Good Scent From a Strange Mountain. These vignettes move from the heartbreaking search of a mother for her son in the trenches of World War I to a man's comic fixation on his date's wooden leg. With such a command of the language and an insight into the human condition, you may want to send Butler a postcard of thanks; I did." --Terry Whittaker, Viewpoint of Columbus, Columbus, IN

LIARS AND SAINTS: A Novel, by Maile Meloy (Scribner, $13 paper, 0743261984) "This is a multigenerational story of a Catholic family growing up between World War II and the present day. Meloy has created finely realized characters, who all sin creatively. Her prose is clean and spare and just right for the telling of this tale." --Matt Desmond, Thackeray's Books, Toledo, OH

A SON CALLED GABRIEL, by Damian McNicholl (CDS Books, $22.95, 1593150180) "McNicholl's deftly written first novel is a vivid portrait of a young man struggling with Catholicism, politics, and homosexuality in 1970s Ireland. Beautifully told and entirely captivating, this book is a remarkable debut, full of wit and heart." --Erik Swallow, Lambda Rising, Baltimore, MD

GAG RULE: On the Suppression of Dissent and Stifling of Democracy, by Lewis H. Lapham (The Penguin Press, $19.95, 1594200173) "A Tom Paine for the 21st century, Lapham takes on not only the Bush administration, but all those who would corrupt our culture and undermine democracy. Gag Rule should be considered essential reading for anyone concerned about our common future." --Robby Bick, Bunch of Grapes Bookstore, Vineyard Haven, MA

THE FORGOTTEN ISLAND: A Novel, by Sasha Troyan (Bloomsbury, $23.95, 1582344647) "This story of a young girl who moves with her parents from their home in Paris to spend a summer on a Mediterranean island is my favorite new book. It's touching, moving, and eventful. I thoroughly loved it and will be recommending it to everyone." --Kate Breslin, Locust Books, Westminster, MD

AFTER THE RAIN, by Chuck Logan (HarperCollins, $24.95, 0060570180) "A group of Special Forces personnel discover that terrorists are bringing a nuclear weapon into the U.S. at the border of North Dakota and Canada. Without orders, they 'borrow' some equipment and try to find the bomb. Try this one for a good summer read!" --Susan Wasson, Bookworks, Albuquerque, NM

IN THE HOPE OF RISING AGAIN: A Novel, by Helen Scully (The Penguin Press, $23.95, 1594200254) "In the Hope of Rising Again has a fascinating story, with rich and well-drawn characters. Scully is on target with events of the 19th century, right on up until the early 20th century. A fine book with a real tale to tell." --Virginia Hobson Hicks, Books on the Bluff, Townsend, GA

LITTLE SCARLET: An Easy Rawlins Mystery, by Walter Mosley (Little, Brown, $24.95, 0316073032) "The most remarkable thing about Walter Mosley is that his first book eclipsed nearly everything that the mystery genre had ever offered, and, yet, he still makes huge leaps forward with every subsequent novel. Set during and immediately following the 1965 Watts riots, this book feels as if it's delivering a series of body blows, as it explores the inhumanity of racial discrimination." --Todd Morgan, DIESEL, A Bookstore, Oakland, CA

BUDDHA DA: A Novel, by Anne Donovan (Carroll & Graf, $14 paper, 0786713364) "A housepainter's search for a larger dimension to his life lands him at the local meditation center, leading to domestic disruptions that are anything but calming. This utterly disarming book will invite comparisons to Roddy Doyle for its use of the Scottish vernacular and its focus on the minutiae of daily life in blue-collar Glasgow." --Russ Lawrence, Chapter One Book Store, Hamilton, MA

RAMMER JAMMER YELLOW HAMMER: A Journey Into the Heart of Fan Mania, by Warren St. John (Crown, $24, 0609607081) "Spend a year following the University of Alabama football team, including the whole tailgating scene, the camaraderie of fans at home, the animosity on the road, and the highs and lows of a roller-coaster season. A fascinating and most enjoyable trip, and a wonderful book." --Cheryl Upchurch, Capitol Book & News Company, Montgomery, AL

BANGKOK 8: A Novel, by John Burdett (Vintage, $12.95 paper, 1400032903) "In order to avenge the death of his partner, Sonchai Jitpleecheep, the last honest cop in Bangkok, must look beyond the daily corruption that runs the city and enter a world of wealth and opulence. Vividly written and steeped in Buddhist mysticism and the sticky heat of tropical Thailand, this is a must for those who enjoy a good thriller." --Genevieve Heater, Scott's Bookstore, Mount Vernon, WA

ALMOST FRENCH: Love and a New Life in Paris, by Sarah Turnbull (Gotham, $13 paper, 1592400825) "This memoir is delightful! When Sarah Turnbull, an Australian, moves in with a Frenchman, we get to know her neighborhood. While several writers have shed light on life in the south of France, Turnbull takes us into the heart of Paris, and we gain a finer appreciation of both the French and the Anglo-Saxon spirits. Bravo!" --Donna Cressman, Maxwell Books, De Soto, TX