It’s hard to pull off “a dark and stormy night,” but this debut nails it.

• Fiction,
• Mystery & Suspense,

A Dickens villain gets an identity beyond “the Jew.”

• Fiction,

Raw, sometimes incendiary reminiscences from the late sui generis chanteuse.

• Non-Fiction,
• Biography & Memoir,

An apparent story of manners digs much deeper, hitting philosophical bedrock.

• Fiction,
• Historical Fiction,

A dense, sprawling account of mixed-race relationships in America.

• Non-Fiction,
• History,
• United States,
• Law,

A mesmerizing ode to a hue and a history.

• Non-Fiction,
• Cultural Studies,

A magical, overly earnest tale set in a Michigan swamp.

• Fiction,

This vivid biography pulses with energy and erudition.

• Non-Fiction,
• Biography & Memoir,
• History,