5 New Books to Look for in March

What are you planning on reading this March? Here are a few new releases that caught my eye that you might want to include on your reading list.

Dead Wake: The Last Crossing of the Lusitania by Erik Larson (March 10): American author Larson is known for his gripping historical books, here he takes on the story of the sinking of the ocean liner Lusitania by a German U-boat in World War I. Essential reading for history buffs.

Lacy Eye by Jessica Treadway (March 10): There is something reminiscent of Gone Girl in the introductory pitch for this book; not in the plot, but in sense of a horrible crime that makes you wonder if things are as they seem. This could be one that sneaks up on us and becomes a summer hit. "Hanna and Joe send their awkward daughter Dawn off to college hoping that she will finally "come into her own." When she brings her new boyfriend, Rud, to her sister's wedding, her parents try to suppress their troubling impressions of him for Dawn's sake. Not long after, Hanna and Joe suffer a savage attack at home, resulting in Joe's death and Hanna's severe injury and memory loss. Rud is convicted of the crime, and the community speculates that Dawn may also have been involved. When Rud wins an appeal and Dawn returns to live in the family home, Hanna resolves to recall that traumatic night so she can testify in the retrial, exonerate her daughter, and keep her husband's murderer in jail."

Pocket Wife by Susan Crawford (March 17): A debut thriller about a bi-polar woman who is last person to see her neighbour alive before a shocking murder. From the back cover "She was there. She was involved in Celia's day, although she isn't sure exactly how. She had far too much to drink. And then the incredible death—the shocking, horrible, inconceivable death, sticking like a dagger in her heart. She closes her eyes and tries to remember the last thing she said to Celia. She thinks it was "I don't ever want to see you again.""

The Harder They Come by T.C. Boyle (March 31). I've long been a fan of the quirky and versatile writing of T.C. Boyle: humour, history, social commentary—you never know quite what you'll get with him. Often it's a little bit of all those things, and always you can count that it will be a good time. In his latest he turns his pen to his home culture in a tale inspired by a true story that "explores the roots of violence and anti-authoritarianism inherent in the American character". From an author who isn't afraid to shy away from a tough topic, this will be an insightful—and enjoyable—read.

At The Water's Edge by Sara Gruen: Finish your month with a highly anticipated new novel from the author of the mega-popular Water for Elephants. "After embarrassing themselves at the social event of the year in high society Philadelphia on New Year's Eve of 1942, Maddie and Ellis Hyde are cut off financially by Ellis's father, a former army colonel who is already embarrassed by his son's inability to serve in WWII due to color-blindness. Ellis decides that the only way to regain his father's favor is to succeed in a venture his father attempted and very publicly failed at: he will hunt the famous Loch Ness monster and, when he finds it, he will restore his father's name and return to his father's good graces (and pocketbook). Joined by their friend Hank, a wealthy socialite, the three make their way to Scotland in the midst of war. Each day, the two men go off to hunt the monster, while another monster, Hitler, is devastating Europe. Meanwhile, Maddie undergoes a social awakening: to the harsh realities of life, to the beauties of nature, to a connection with forces larger than herself, to female friendship, and, finally, to love."