FRESH, CANDID MEMOIR about a writer’s self-reinvention in her early 30s. Humor and a gift for friendship shine. SOLID B

THE DO-OVER
Amanda Mackenzie
2017

A SIMULATED MARS MISSION brings together three international astronauts, their families, and a high-tech corporation. Brilliant! A MINUS

THE WANDERERS (HARDCOVER)
G.P. Putnam's Sons
2017

UNSETTLING MANHATTAN THRILLER flips between a writer’s unraveling personal life and the grim suspense novel she’s completing. SOLID B

LIES SHE TOLD
Crooked Lane Books
2017

A HARD-BOILED GREEK MYSTERY stars a laconic hitman caught up in a violent web of lies amid Athens’ elite. B PLUS

ATHENIAN BLUES (STRATOS GAZIS #1) (PAPERBACK)
Bitter Lemon Press
2017

THE STORY OF ONE FAMILY HOME tells a rich, sad tale of Harlem history. Beautiful and breathtakingly frank. B PLUS

DOWN THE UP STAIRCASE THREE GENERATIONS OF A HARLEM FAMILY
COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY PRESS
2017

A COMPLEX POST-SCARCITY SOCIETY with incredible technology is hampered by its own mythologies of history. B PLUS

SEVEN SURRENDERS (HARDCOVER)
Tor Books
2017

SWEET COZY MYSTERY with a paranormal twist, fun for adults and teens alike. SOLID B

LOCKED DOORS
Laughing Deer Press
2017

CHARMING BOLLYWOOD MYSTERY replete with family secrets, elephants, and an upright detective (and his fearless wife). B PLUS

THE STRANGE DISAPPEARANCE OF A BOLLYWOOD STAR
Redhook
2017

THE MEDIEVAL CRUSADES IN CONTEXT: everything you wanted to know about the holy wars and their role in society. B PLUS

HOW TO PLAN A CRUSADE: RELIGIOUS WAR IN THE HIGH MIDDLE AGES (HARDCOVER)
Pegasus Books
2017

A MILITARY HISTORY OF THE FUTURE: cleverly constructed SF posits a 22nd century of interstellar exploration. B PLUS

HISTORIAN’S CRUSADE
Alexander Reineke
2017