RECENT FICTION BY LOCAL AUTHORS

Apremont, by Stephen Louis Patrick (2008)

The fictional story of Stephen Patrick, a young gay man in the mid-1980s. The novel follows him from graduation to his first job in an amusement park, finds love and adventure, and witnesses tragedy at the hands of a marauding assassin. This is an exciting novel which is one part coming of age story, and one part murder mystery.

The Broken Teaglass, by Emily Arsenault (2009)

While flirting with each other to ease the boredom of working as dictionary updaters, Billy Webb and Mona Minot discover that someone has been lacing their dictionary files with clues to an unsolved murder.

Defenseman, by Michael J. Maloni (2009)

Steve Tomassini's success as a talented defenseman for Boston University's hockey team is in stark contrast to the trajectory his brother's life is taking. While Tony, a Boston University graduate, shares Steve's courage and determination, his efforts are focused on salvaging his battered and bruised life. After cycling in and out of mental institutions, Tony heroically confronts his personal challenges and resolves to win.

The Demon's Ring, by Wayne H. Dusza (2009)

In a quiet little town in Vermont , a stalker obsessed with a young woman is routinely eliminating any man who tries to 'steal the heart that belongs to him.' Stricken with fear, the young woman tries to help a handsome undercover detective solve the grisly murders. It isn't until she experiences an eerie phenomenon that she discovers that the undercover detective is not only her stalker, but none other than the devil himself.

House Arrest, by Ellen Meeropol (2011)

Home-care nurse Emily Klein finds herself facing a difficult decision after she is assigned to make weekly prenatal visits to Pippa Glenning, an Isis cult member under house arrest for the death of her daughter during a Solstice ceremony.

Moon's Embrace, by Sparkie Allison (2009)

When Dr. Alexis Wolfe leaves the hectic pace of the Emergency Room in Chicopee, Massachusetts to visit her grandfather in the town of Teabag in the Catskills, she and her two small dogs, Sonnet and Spirit, learn much about small town life, a strong maternal community, diversity and inclusion.

The Pie Man, by Gerry FitzGerald (2009)

Set in the coal fields of McDowell County, West Virginia, The Pie Man is the story of a woman's fight to save her marriage, support her family, raise a son with Down Syndrome, and oppose the destruction of her grandparents' farm from mountaintop removal coal mining.

The Size of a Mustard Seed, by Umm Juwayriyah (2009)

Jameelah, a 27 year-old Muslim woman, is a member of one of the inner city's stronger blended American Muslim families. She has a successful career as a hairstylist and seems to have a good life: a good family, a nice car, her own apartment, a good education. However, Jameelah's life is slowly slipping out of her control. When a prominent Imam proposes marriage, she believes that the proposal and a new life will be the key to regaining control of her life.

Testing the Heart, by Isabel Barry (2010)

Follows the struggle of an urban high school teacher determined to rescue students from life on the drug-ridden streets, salvage her school from being deemed a failure, and save herself from the enigmatic man who distracts her from her purpose. Barry is the pen name of Melva Michaelian and Lorene Morin.

Three Times a Charm, by Jean Stone (2006)

Forty-three-year-old single mother Sarah, a wedding planner who has never been married herself, finds solace in her recent heartbreak with her three friends and colleagues--Lily, Elaine, and Jo--until a visitor from the past brings her a new chance to solve a mystery that has shadowed her life.

Tumultuous Affairs, by Durham Caldwell (2009)

TV newsman Buzz Buckley has to cope not only with the competition, but also with the moral myopia of a station owner aligned with the city's big shots, the distractions of a romance with an old high school sweetheart, and a growing fondness for his politically ambitious city councilor daughter-in-law.

Washington's Child, by Michael Dialessi (2010)

Detective Dayton McCormick had accomplished his father's dream: authoring a book and getting it published. Little did he know that his writing would attract the attention of a mysterious stranger, whose words and gifts would lead him on both the adventure of a lifetime and a discovery of great significance .

The Writing Circle, by Corinne Demas (2010)

In a tale of love, betrayal, and literature, six members of an elite writing circle share much more than their works-in-progress. Corinne Demas is a professor of English at Mount Holyoke College.

Do you have recommendations for additions? Email us at askalibrarian@springfieldlibrary.org