ROB MERRILL

This book cover image released by Dutton shows "Into the Ice: The Northwest Passage, the Polar Sun, and a 175-year-old Mystery" by Mark Synnott. (Dutton via AP)
Book Review: Mark Synnott heads ‘Into the Ice’ to chase the maritime mystery of Sir John Franklin
Extreme adventurer Mark Synnott is out with his third book, chronicling his attempt to sail through the Northwest Passage in a 47-foot fiberglass boat.
 
This book cover image released by Viking shows "The Gatsby Gambit" by Claire Anderson-Wheeler. (Viking via AP)
Book Review: Claire Anderson-Wheeler pays homage to Fitzgerald with mystery ’The Gatsby Gambit’
Irish writer Claire Anderson-Wheeler does more than just adapt one of the American literary canon’s most famous works in “The Gatsby Gambit.” She inserts F.
 
This cover image released by William Morrow shows "Killer Potential" by Hannah Deitch. (William Morrow via AP)
Book Review: Hannah Deitch delivers twisty thrills with debut novel, ‘Killer Potential’
“A Thelma & Louise for our times,” is how bestselling thriller writer Paula Hawkins describes the debut novel, “Killer Potential,” from Hannah Deitch.
 
This cover image released by Mariner Books shows "The Californians" by Brian Castleberry. (Mariner Books via AP)
Book Review: Brian Castleberry aims for a Jonathan Franzen-style saga with ‘The Californians’
Brian Castleberry’s new novel, “The Californians,” spans eras of American history, telling the story of two intersected families.
 
This cover image released by Putnam shows "All the Other Mothers Hate Me" by Sarah Harman. (Putnam via AP)
Book Review: ‘All the Other Mothers Hate Me’ is a breezy read from Sarah Harman
Sarah Harman’s first novel, “All the Other Mothers Hate Me,” “is a breezy read with more than a few lol moments,” writes AP reviewer Rob Merrill.
 
This cover image released by Random House shows "Show Don't Tell" by Curtis Sittenfeld. (Random House via AP)
Book Review: Curtis Sittenfeld delivers tender, thought-provoking stories in ’Show Don’t Tell’
Curtis Sittenfeld is out with her first collection of short stories in seven years. “Show Don’t Tell,” writes AP reviewer Rob Merrill, consists of a dozen stories featuring mostly middle-aged characters from the middle of the country, an assortment of stories focused on people either looking back an
 
This cover image released by Lake Union Publishing shows "Hold Strong" by Robert Dugoni. (Lake Union Publishing via AP)
Book Review: ‘Hold Strong’ sets a love story amid the greatest maritime horror of World War II
World War II is “fertile storytelling ground” for the new book “Hold Strong,” writes AP reviewer Rob Merrill about the work of historical fiction authored by Robert Dugoni with extensive research by a pair of academics.
 
This book cover image released by Harper shows "Blob: A Love Story" by Maggie Su. (Harper via AP)
Book Review: Maggie Su’s debut novel ‘Blob: A Love Story’ offers unique look at humanity
Imagine molding your perfect mate. That’s what happens in “Blob: A Love Story,” the debut novel from Maggie Su, whose protagonist takes a blob of gelatin home, feeds it and helps it morph into a real man.
 
This book cover image released by Putnam shows "Old Soul" by Susan Barker. (Putnam via AP)
Book Review: Susan Barker returns with ‘Old Soul,’ a thrilling horror story that defies description
“An immersive story that despite its supernatural grounding feels real,” is how Associated Press reviewer Rob Merrill summarizes “Old Soul,” the new novel by Susan Barker.
 
This cover image released by Putnam shows "Bellevue" by Robin Cook. (Putnam via AP)
Book Review: Robin Cook sets his latest thriller in the iconic Bellevue Psychiatric Hospital
Robin Cook, the king of medical thrillers, returns with “Bellevue.” Set in New York’s iconic East Side hospital, it tells the story of a young medical student following his dream of becoming a surgeon in the place that employed all his forefathers.
 
This cover image released by William Morrow shows "That Deserves a Wow: Untold Stories of Legends and Champions, Their Wins and Heartbreaks" by Chris Myers. (William Morrow via AP)
Book Review: Chris Myers looks back on his career in ’That Deserves a Wow’
There are few sports journalists working today with a resume as broad as Chris Myers, writes AP reviewer Rob Merrill about Myers’ memoir, “That Deserves a Wow.”
 
This cover image released by FSG shows "Lazarus Man" by Richard Price. (FSG via AP)
Book Review: Richard Price returns with another portrait of urban America, ‘Lazarus Man’
Richard Price may be the street’s premiere storyteller. The writer behind some of the best episodes of HBO’s “The Wire” as well as multiple novels set in urban America, like “Clockers” and “Freedomland,” returns with “Lazarus Man.”
 
This cover image released by Atria shows "What the Chicken Knows: A New Appreciation of the World's Most Familiar Bird" by Sy Montgomery. (Atria via AP)
Book Review: Sy Montgomery shares ‘What the Chicken Knows’ in new mini hardcover
Why did the chicken cross the road? That’s just one of the poultry puzzles answered in Sy Montgomery’s slim new hardcover, “What the Chicken Knows.”
 
This cover image released by Gallery Books shows "Memorials" by Richard Chizmar. (Gallery Books via AP)
Book Review: Richard Chizmar tells a creepy occult tale in ‘Memorials’
Richard Chizmar, who co-wrote a couple of books with a certain Maine resident, has written his longest novel yet, and as Associated Press review Rob Merrill writes, it’s “like something from the mind of Stephen King.”
 
This cover image released by Mariner shows "The Blue Hour" by Paula Hawkins. (Mariner via AP)
Book Review: Paula Hawkins returns with psychological thriller ’The Blue Hour’
The thriller writer who introduced the world to “The Girl on a Train” in 2015 is back with another psychological drama.
 
This cover image released by One World shows "The Message" by Ta-Nehisi Coates. (One World via AP)
Book Review: Ta-Nehisi Coates visits Senegal, South Carolina and the Middle East for ‘The Message’
Ta-Nehisi Coates returns with a slim volume of three essays called “The Message.” Based on trips he took to Senegal, South Carolina and the Middle East, the book is framed as a writing primer, with Coates extolling the power of stories to shape reality.
 
This cover image released by Harper shows "The Mighty Red" by Louise Erdrich. (Harper via AP)
Book Review: Louise Erdrich writes about love and loss in North Dakota in ’The Mighty Red’
Pulitzer Prize-winning novelist Louise Erdrich returns with “The Mighty Red,” a story set in her native North Dakota.
 
This cover image released by Penguin shows "The Barn: The Secret History of a Murder in Mississippi" by Wright Thompson. (Penguin via AP)
Book Review: Wright Thompson exposes deep racist roots of the Mississippi Delta in ‘The Barn’
Wright Thompson travels back to his native Mississippi to examine the place where Emmett Till was murdered for his new book “The Barn.”
 
This cover image released by Little, Brown and Company shows "Category Five: Superstorms and the Warming Oceans That Feed From Them" by Porter Fox. (Little, Brown and Company via AP)
Book Review: ‘Category Five’ examines superstorms amid compelling personal memoir
Books about climate change are a dime a dozen these days, but a new one by Porter Fox, who grew up on the water and whose father built boats for a living, treads new ground, writes Associated Press reviewer Rob Merrill.
 
This cover image released by Random House shows "Tell Me Everything" by Elizabeth Strout. (Random House via AP)
Book Review: Elizabeth Strout brings all her favorite Mainers together in ‘Tell Me Everything’
Elizabeth Strout is back with another novel set in her beloved Maine. “Tell Me Everything” features characters from all of Strout’s previous books.
 
This cover image released by Viking shows "The Life Impossible" by Matt Haig. (Viking via AP)
Book Review: Matt Haig extols the magic of Ibiza in ‘The Life Impossible’
Matt Haig’s follow-up to his worldwide bestseller, “The Midnight Library,” finds ordinary characters once again doing extraordinary things. “The Life Impossible” is a story told by a retired math teacher named Grace to one of her former students.
 
This book cover image released by Viking shows "How to Leave the House" by Nathan Newman. (Viking via AP)
Book Review: ‘How to Leave the House’ by Nathan Newman marks the debut of a bold new fiction voice
“How to Leave the House” by Nathan Newman marks the debut of a new voice in fiction, writes Associated Press reviewer Rob Merrill.
 
This cover image released by William Morrow shows "The Briar Club" by Kate Quinn. (William Morrow via AP)
Book Review: Kate Quinn returns with ‘The Briar Club,’ a murder mystery during the 1950’s Red Scare
The reigning queen of historical fiction is back with a novel set in 1950s Washington, D.C., as women from various backgrounds rent rooms at a boarding house during the height of Sen. McCarthy’s Red Scare.
 
This cover image released by William Morrow shows "Margo's Got Money Troubles" by Rufi Thorpe. (William Morrow via AP)
Book Review: ‘Margo’s Got Money Troubles’ tells a tale of modern love and success
Looking for a good summer read? “Margo’s Got Money Troubles” is a “wholly original novel,” writes Associated Press reviewer Rob Merrill.
 
This cover image released by Little, Brown and Co. shows "Eruption" by Michael Crichton and James Patterson. (Little, Brown and Co. via AP)
Book Review: From Crichton and Patterson, ‘Eruption’ is poised to be seismic publishing event
Michael Crichton pulls off a “Jurassic Park”-like resurrection, posthumously releasing a new thriller, “Eruption,” with James Patterson, the king of co-authoring.
 
This cover image released by Scribner shows "You Like it Darker" by Stephen King. (Scribner via AP)
Book Review: ‘Cujo’ character returns as one of 12 stories in Stephen King’s ‘You Like It Darker’
Stephen King returns with a collection of 12 stories, “You Like It Darker,” publishing on Tuesday. Is it ‘darker, than any of the more than 60 books King has written in his illustrious career? asks AP reviewer Rob Merrill.
 
This cover image released by Putnam shows "This Disaster Loves You" by Richard Roper. (Putnam via AP)
Book Review: Richard Roper charms and surprises with ’This Disaster Loves You’
Richard Roper, whose debut novel “Something to Live For,” featured a British sad-sack rediscovering his true self, returns with “This Disaster Loves You,” which Associated Press review Rob Merrill writes, is “about another man whose story is not quite what it seems.”
 
This cover image released by HarperCollins shows "Fourteen Days," edited by Margaret Atwood and Douglas Preston. (HarperCollins via AP)
Book Review: New collaborative novel ‘Fourteen Days’ proves the pandemic couldn’t curb creativity
Almost four years since COVID-19 became a household term, a new work of fiction proves that even a global pandemic can’t curb creativity, writes Rob Merrill in his Associated Press review of “Fourteen Days.”
 
This cover image released by Putnam shows "Come and Get It" by Kiley Reid. (Putnam via AP)
Book Review: ‘Come and Get It’ takes readers back to school, blending gossip with weightier themes
Kiley Reid burst on the scene in 2019 with “Such a Fun Age,” which was longlisted for the Booker Prize.
 
This cover image released by Harper shows "The Little Liar" by Mitch Albom. (Harper via AP)
Book Review: Mitch Albom spins moving Holocaust tale in ’The Little Liar’
Mitch Albom’s latest pocket-sized novel packs quite a punch, writes Associated Press reviewer Rob Merrill.
 
Load More