It may not have qualified as the crime of the century, but the lurid murder of New York magazine editor Albert Snyder in March 1927 riveted the attention of that city--when the perpetrators went on trial, the courtroom was packed with more than 1,500 spectators. In this vivid, imaginative novel based on that crime, Ron Hansen (Atticus and Mariette in Ecstasy) weaves a story that will appeal to fans of classic mysteries, in the process skillfully evoking the morally compromised atmosphere of Prohibition-era New York. (The Snyder case was the inspiration for Double Indemnity by James M. Cain, which was the basis for Billy Wilder's famous movie.)

When she meets handsome, alcoholic lingerie salesman Henry Judd Gray in June 1925, Ruth Snyder is a bored Queens housewife married to a man 13 years her senior. It doesn't take long for the vain, shallow duo to tumble into a torrid affair. After a few months, Ruth tricks her husband into applying for an insurance policy that will pay double indemnity in the event of a death from other than natural causes.

After Albert Snyder demonstrates a Rasputin-like quality to survive several of Ruth's bungled murder attempts, she urges the weaker Judd to bludgeon her husband, concealing the deed as a burglary. The killing is as inept as the lovers' intensity is strong, and barely a month later, they're on trial, turning on each other with the same alacrity that marked the start of their affair.

Hansen takes pains to present the story as something other than a morality play. As he portrays the era, it was a time when "wealth began to seem available to anyone." Ruth Snyder and Judd Gray were two characters whose tragic flaw was the self-delusion that led them to believe the easy riches of the time were theirs for the taking. --Harvey Freedenberg, attorney and freelance reviewer

The middle volumes in a series can be a creative challenge for authors. You don't want to spend so much time reintroducing characters that you bore your returning audience, but if you don't lay out enough background information, new readers won't have a complete grasp on the story. So J.A. Pitts has his work cut out for him in Honeyed Words, the sequel to 2010's Black Blade Blues. That first book introduced Sarah Beauhall, a Seattle-area blacksmith who repaired a sword said to have been forged by Odin, thus calling upon herself the attention of the dragons who secretly rule our world (but because they can shapeshift, they appear to us as über-wealthy humans). By coincidence, the medieval reenactment society run by her girlfriend's brother is actually a secret organization dedicated to fighting those dragons, but that information is only coming out in dribs and drabs.

For much of Honeyed Words, Sarah and her friends try to put their lives back together after the climactic battle of the last novel, but with one of that book's most significant dramatic tensions--could Katie convince Sarah to come out of the closet?--resolved, the conflicts become increasingly external. Thus, several new characters are introduced as Pitts broadens the scope of his fantasy world, which borrows extensively from Norse mythology. (There's a running joke in the series about how real dwarves are nothing like the ones in Tolkien.) Ultimately, though, the new challenges Sarah faces are intimately connected to her previous troubles, while still other plot threads (both hers and the dragons') remain unresolved, presumably to be addressed in next year's Forged in Fire. --Ron Hogan, founder of Beatrice.com

Lady Isabel Milton, the eldest of sisters known as the Three Graces of Graydon, has been betrothed before. Several of her intended grooms, as well as those of her sisters', have died--giving whisper to a curse. Isabel has helped to fan whispers of that ominous "curse" that hangs over her and her sisters: the Graces must marry for love, for any man betrothed to them without love is doomed to die.

Earl Randall Braesford, a "nobody farmer" newly elevated to his title by King Henry VII, knows there is no curse. So he secures Isabel's hand in marriage. Upon Isabel's arrival at his keep and on the eve of their betrothal ceremony, Rand is arrested for a heinous crime against a child of his long-time friend and ally, the king himself. Rand and Isabel must go to the king's court to answer the charge.

Isabel also knows there is no such thing as the curse. So why are they both convinced that Rand is about to die? And why does Isabel care for the fate of a husband she never wanted?

Since this is the initial book in a series, its first section is heavy with exposition, character introductions and English history, the love story a little delayed. Once it gets rolling, however, the reader can very easily see how a recent nobleman could win over a decidedly wary gentlewoman. --Megan Tarbett, librarian, WV Library Commission

The 26 authors in this essay collection have 26 very different memories of first love. Some share poignant tales of loss and alienation, some offer insight won from youthful passions, some seem to be settling scores for love's first wounding. The writing is up and down here; for every tightly focused memoir that leads to a transcendent conclusion there is a mishmash of interesting but unconnected memories, suggesting that not all accomplished writers can write well about themselves. But the rich colors of human experience contained within these stories work together as a wonderfully vibrant portrait.

The collection kicks off strongly with "What I Kept," a haunting, gently evocative tale of the lasting echoes of a Vietnam-era summer love by Jacquelyn Mitchard. "Creative Writing" by David Levithan is a moving tale of how an erotic story of gay love by his college writing partner lets Levithan name what he was hiding from himself. "What Good Is Sitting Alone in Your Room" has theater geek Jon Skovron obsessed with a theater bad girl and contains this delicate observation: "If you've never tried to entertain four coked-up strippers in Pittsburgh, it might sound like fun."

Some of the writers casually admit to alarming behavior, like having sex in sixth grade or stalking an unrequited love. Some admit to sweeter embarrassments, like crushing on a comic book hero or being obsessed with Sir Anthony Hopkins. This openness, this exposure, draws the reader in and makes this book, with all its attractions and inconsistencies, as vivid and compelling as a crush itself. --Cherie Ann Parker, freelance journalist and book critic

On the surface, As We Speak explains how to become an effective public speaker. However, the true spirit of this book is expressed on the very last page: "Show up in the world. Be generous with your voice. Share what you have to say. Give your gift; the world is waiting to receive it." Meyers, founder of Stand and Deliver consulting group and an actor, and Nix, a journalist, novelist and radio talk-show host, explain exactly how to do all of the above in an entertaining and persuasive manner.

As We Speak has wide appeal, from CEOs whose speeches affect millions to individuals who hope to communicate better with friends and family. As a former high school speech teacher, I would have loved to use this work with students--not only to teach the principles of effective public speaking but to reinforce the importance of finding a personal vision and voice.

Meyers and Nix believe "High Performance Communication is about creating clarity where there's confusion [and] creating relevance when people feel disconnected... most importantly, it's about inspiring people to achieve things they never thought possible." To help readers achieve this goal, the authors focus not only on content and delivery, but on how the emotional state of a speaker influences every aspect of communication.

The authors' ability to communicate effectively with their readers inspires confidence and credibility, and the result is a pleasure to read. --Kristen Galles, blogger at Book Club Classics

The beginning of The Beginning of Infinity felt a bit like the Big Bang beginning of the Universe--first I felt hot and dense, and then there was a Bang. Deutsch, professor of physics at the University of Oxford, introduces so many new terms and ideas to learn and think about that initially it was overwhelming (not unlike the real universe.) While Deutsch (The Fabric of Reality) doesn't slow down for the reader throughout the chapters, he does allow for catch-up at end of each one with lists of terminology, summaries and bullet points.

But that speed is emblematic of the theory he's trying to advance: progress. Progress both "rapid enough to notice and stable enough to continue over many generations," the kind of progress that began with the Scientific Revolution and continues today. The longer this progress continues, the greater the need for what Deutsch calls "good explanations" that are "easy to vary while still accounting for what [they purport] to account for." In other words: something you can make changes to that remains true.

Deutsch uses not only science (physics, biology, etc.) to illuminate his theory but also philosophy, linguistics and history, to name a few. All of these disciplines together--each beginning of progress in these separate but ultimately connected fields--are what truly is the Beginning of Infinity. By the time you hit the Further Reading list in the bibliography, you're ready to continue on in Deutsch's universe. Maybe infinitely. --Megan Tarbett, librarian, WV Library Commission

With a style and a friendship theme reminiscent of his Caldecott Medal–winning My Friend Rabbit, author and artist Eric Rohmann here leavens grief with just the right amount of humor. He gives you a hint of what he's up to with a transparent page overlaid on the title page. An alert, vibrant dog carries a bone; then, with the turn of the page, we see just the skeleton of the dog (still holding the bone). There's nothing creepy or macabre about the rendering. In fact, it looks playful. In this way, the author-artist sets a lighthearted tone that he carries through the book.

Ella the dog, and Gus the boy "had been friends for a long, long time," the book begins. They lead a parade of dogs in the opening illustration. One night under a full moon, Ella tells Gus, "I'm an old dog and won't be around much longer. But no matter what happens, I'll always be with you." The rest of the book shows how Gus copes with his loss: "He didn't want to do his chores. But he did." For Halloween, Gus dresses like a skeleton and is horrified when a group of real skeletons rise from the graveyard to join him. When they learn he's a boy, they surround him. But Ella comes to his rescue, rounding up neighborhood canine friends who pose their own threat to the boney bullies. A closing image of boy and dog-guardian under a full moon brings the story full circle and reassures children that the spirits of their loved ones are always near. --Jennifer M. Brown, children’s editor, Shelf Awareness

Poor Duck just wants to carve a jack-o'-lantern to impress his pals Pig and Mouse. But when the feathered hero struggles to get one last pumpkin seed from his hollowed-out creation, he falls in! As with her highly entertaining Rhyming Dust Bunnies books, Jan Thomas makes the most of a comical situation. First she pictures Duck stuck inside the pumpkin, legs waving in the air, with thought bubbles that read, "Uh-oh... This isn't good." From inside the pumpkin, Duck shouts, "Can anyone help me?" Fortunately, he's able to roll himself upright and moves his legs to advance the pumpkin in search of assistance. Or maybe it's not so fortunate. Pig and Mouse take him for a pumpkin monster and try to run from Duck. When they shout, "Pumpkin Monster," however, Duck doesn't realize they're referring to him and, frightened, tries to flee, too. The pumpkin monster in pursuit terrifies Pig and Mouse more.

This is spot-on toddler humor. Young children will love being in on the joke--especially because Duck is not, which only ups the humor quotient. When Duck breaks out of his bind, Pig and Mouse believe he has defeated the pumpkin monster. The more Duck seems doomed to repeat himself (which he does), the merrier the toddler audience will be. --Jennifer M. Brown, children's editor, Shelf Awareness