“Micah, a 'native Mainer' who works in the woods, and Maryam, a Bedouin Muslim who owns the local convenience store, are conducting a mild flirtation. . .But when Micah comes across a mysterious woman camped out in the deep woods, he and Maryam are thrust into a morass of smuggling, espionage, and murder. Immigrants engages deeply with these disparate characters in a twisty complicated thriller—the fictional ride is as wild as a runaway snowmobile. But inside the fast-moving story, the novel (addresses) the challenges of new Mainers coming into the state, the tensions in inter-ethnic relationships, and the ambiguities of living so close to a porous national border. This is a rich and rewarding read” – Richard Cass, author of Closing Time.
Unbridled ambition, murder, and a fateful choice. When a friend and colleague is accused of plagiarism, Brad Parker reacts with shocked disbelief. But in his role as director of the Maine Translational Research Institute, he’s compelled to investigate. When he uncovers a malicious scheme in which false allegations threaten to destroy his colleague’s career, he’s left with two critical questions. Who would do such a thing? And what will they do next? As Brad and his fiancée, state police lieutenant Karen Richmond, struggle to unravel the plot, an academic conspiracy turns lethal. A key witness is murdered, followed by a second, and then a third. Until Brad figures out who’s behind it and sets a trap to ensnare them, leading to a climax that forces Brad and Karen to choose between loyalty and the law.
Raven Ouellette, owner of Pine Acres Cabins in Secretly, Maine, takes a break from Thanksgiving preparations to walk her dogs in the woods. But, when Lily the Labrador runs off the path, Raven stumbles upon the remains of a neighbor who wasn't wearing a blaze orange hat or vest, a standard precaution during hunting season. With assistance from quirky coastal townies, including her estranged father, Raven can't resist digging into her neighbor's past. Her husband, Marcel, the county sheriff, warns her to stay out of it as he investigates with help from the new assistant district attorney, who just happens to be his former girlfriend. Raven's fight to save her marriage and her resistance to her father's love swirl together with secret hiding places, love triangles, leftover turkey, and a prize-winning owl photograph. Will it all lead to her neighbor's killer, or cost her everything she loves?
Publisher's Weekly starred review:"In this stunning literary mystery, a gruff carpenter becomes the primary suspect in the murder of his father. Nine months ago, alcoholic loner Jon Davis's estranged father, Bobby, moved in with him on Maine's Archer Island. When Bobby is found dead at the bottom of a popular scenic overlook, Jon's fingerprints are found on the rock that police assume to be the murder weapon. A plot thread following Jon's mentorship of a troubled teenage carpenter illuminates the novel's central theme: 'the good that comes from the bad.' Mason burrows deep into Jon's battered psyche and paints nuanced portraits of his main characters without ever letting the intrigue slacken. Readers who like their whodunnits on the meditative side will love this." Jane Smiley, Pulitzer Prize-winning author, says Thickafog is "insightful and beautifully written. There were so many things I liked about the novel."
A Loop of the United States of America
Sheri Aube
Outskirts Press
A journey of self-discovery, new friendship, and the USA. A lifetime dream is suddenly possible for a mature-of-years duo (names changed to protect the innocent). Sue with new friend Rick, driver of Beast, is invited on a loop of the USA. These two dynamic souls strive through challenging life-ways on extensive roadways during the summer of 2005. This captivating non-fiction is sprinkled with humorous spices and motivating philosophy. Significant attention to environmental concerns is blended with a dash of historic impressions. Now, with unlimited time, Sue writes, seeking to understand, accept, and gain confidence to ease past and present disappointments. What about Rick's issues with a defunct career and a disordered divorce? Sue craves serenity to incorporate daily peacefulness while traversing along a ribbon of highway toward a mysterious future.
Born of a withdrawn mother and an absentee father. Raised in a household of manipulation and hurt. Hearing occasional rumors—of a shovel fight in the front lawn, of a telephone-cord garrote, of violence exacted like the bite of many knives of different sizes—yet knowing nothing, remembering nearly nothing. This is one possible way of describing the early childhood of author Douglas W. Milliken, whose life in writing—from his personal essays to his interwoven short stories to his concise, often brutal novels—has been defined as much by what is missing as what is written. Collaging memories, research, photographs, and interviews both transcribed and reconstructed and set against the backdrop of Northern Maine’s austere borderlands, Any Less You is the cumulative struggle of an artist to piece together a fractured whole, a family portrait and a broken mirror, even when what’s revealed might best be left in the dark.
When Maureen Stanton's boyfriend, Steve, was diagnosed with cancer, they embarked on an all-out effort to save his life. Meanwhile, Steve's childhood friend, Joey, a drug addict, sold Steve's pain medication to pay for Steve's experimental treatments. This beautiful and aching memoir is an odyssey through the difficult but exquisite terrain of love—romantic, brotherly, spiritual—in the face of illness. Winner of the Donald L. Jordan Prize for Literature, with excerpts winning the Sewanee Review contest for nonfiction and featured in The New York Times: Modern Love Series. EJ Levy, authorof The Cape Doctor and Love, In Theory calls this memoir "a rare love story. Tender, incredibly wise, surprisingly funny, fizzing with youthful desire and impressive courage."
Sprinter Runs The Marathon: Poems For Those Who Think Differently
Dave Morrison
Rain Crow Press
Poet Dave Morrison is releasing his 18th book of poems, Sprinter Runs the Marathon: Poems For Those Who Think Differently (Rain Crow Press 2025). In this collection of poems written between 2006 and 2024, Morrison explores, accepts, and celebrates a lifetime of 'thinking differently.' Morrison says, "In the 60's & 70's there was no such thing as ADHD—you were branded disruptive, or an underachiever, and you got some version of the speech 'You're not a stupid child, why can't you do better?' It took many years for me to get this clarity—I was not stupid or lazy or weak. . .I just thought differently." Morrison has published eighteen books of poetry including two other themed collections, Clubland (poems about rock & roll bars in verse and meter, Fighting Cock Press 2011) and Cancer Poems (JukeBooks 2015).
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