“Dangerous times” is a common thread in this week’s Newsmax Rising Bestsellers, from one offering revisiting one of the most horrific unsolved murder mysteries in U.S. history, to another outlining a nefarious global game plan by China, particularly in the United States. There is also a compelling true story of a female arts and culture writer in Paris, who eventually turned into a war correspondent, and an American company’s quest to build the most effective warhead. The fiction suggestion is the latest courtroom thriller from a New York Times bestselling storyteller.
“Black Dahlia: Murder, Monsters, and Madness in Midcentury Hollywood,” by William J. Mann (Simon & Schuster)
After nearly 80 years, the Los Angeles murder of Elizabeth Short, dubbed by the press as the “Black Dahlia,” remains as one of the most fascinating crimes in American history for several reasons. Most notable was the gruesome nature of the murder, in which her naked body was severely mutilated, completely severed at the waist, and was drained of blood. Secondly, the crime remains unsolved to this day. As the result of five years of meticulous research, including poring over evidence, the author reveals his strong opinions as to who may have been involved in the murder — and his even stronger opinions as to who could not have. "A meticulous study of an infamous murder, and a debunking of its conspiracy theories,” wrote Kirkus Reviews. “A sober, well-researched study of a case whose notoriety obscured its subject." [Nonfiction]
“The Red Tsunami: The Silent Storm Killing Your Freedom,” by T. Casey Fleming (Pierucci Publishing)
This book details China’s current activities in the United States and how they impact the United States and its allies. While China uses front companies to raise capital for its activities in the United States and abroad, fentanyl originating in China also is creating a death toll among American military-age men and women. T. Casey Fleming argues this isn’t about conservative-liberal politics or even capitalist-socialist economics. It’s about the Communist Chinese Party’s efforts during the past 24 years to manipulate and ultimately control. It all comes to a head within the next decade, according to the author. Forewarned is forearmed. “This book is a must-read for everyone who wants to know the truth about what has been happening in the world behind the scenes,” wrote Teresa Collins for Amazon. “It is a survival guide for what will happen in the next 10 years if we don't stop it. No hype, just facts.” [Nonfiction]
“The Typewriter and the Guillotine: An American Journalist, a German Serial Killer, and Paris on the Eve of WWII,” by Mark Braude (Grand Central Publishing)
Fifteen years before the start of World War II, Janet Flanner, a bright-eyed Midwestern girl, accepted a dream assignment: Move to “The City of Lights” and write a periodic frothy, lighthearted “Letter from Paris” for The New Yorker. Her employer, being apolitical, wanted only breezy columns on French food and wine, arts and culture, and that’s what they got — until everything changed. Flanner became a witness to European economic turmoil and the rise of fascism in the Third Reich. In response she ignored her initial assignment and reinvented both herself and The New Yorker in the process. “Endlessly compelling,” wrote New York Times Book Review. “A long overdue and highly enjoyable biography… (Mark) Braude has delivered the prescient Flanner to us, nearly five decades after her death, at exactly the right moment.” [Nonfiction]
“The Warhead: The Quest to Build the Perfect Weapon in the Age of Modern Warfare,” by Jeffrey E. Stern (Dutton)
“The Warhead” describes the development of the Paveway series of precision, laser-guided bombs by Texas Instruments, a project that began in 1964. As a so-called "smart" bomb, it represented a more humane method of engaging in warfare with its ability to reduce civilian casualties. As what often happens with any technological breakthrough, Paveway led to other innovations — in this case the development of GPS and the introduction of the personal computer. “Captivating...Particular attention is given to the human side of dealing with such advanced weaponry,” wrote Library Journal. “These stories demonstrate how unpredictable seemingly valuable wartime technology can be in the broader context of world history.” [Nonfiction]
“Her Cold Justice,” by Robert Dugoni (Thomas & Mercer)
A young man named Michael Westbrook is accused of the brutal double homicide of a suspected drug smuggler and his girlfriend in a quiet South Seattle neighborhood. As the odds escalate against Michael, his uncle, an investigator for hotshot criminal defense attorney Keera Duggan, asks her to take the case. Although all the evidence against Michael is circumstantial, it continues to accumulate, suggesting that something sinister is at play, a complex web of corruption that Keera will need to uncover and fight in order to save her client. “(Robert) Dugoni is a master of stories that tackle injustice, and this latest Keera Duggan thriller verifies he’s one of the best storytellers as well. He should be considered in the same breath as Michael Connelly when it comes to writing about life in law enforcement and the courtroom. Don’t miss this one,” wrote Jeff Ayers, reviewer for firstCLUE. [Fiction]
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