On the shelves - Jan. 21

The books listed below are now available for checkout at the Clovis-Carver Public Library. The library is open to the public, but patrons can still visit the online catalog at cloviscarverpl.booksys.net/opac/ccpl or call 575-769-7840 to request a specific item for curbside pickup.

“The Lonesome Gun” by William W. Johnstone and J.A. Johnstone. Perley’s elder brother, Rubin decides to try breeding some Hereford cattle with the ranch’s longhorns. He asks Perley to deliver the contract for the Herefords. The trouble starts when Perley and his sidekick, Possum, meet some damsels in distress. Being a good Samaritan, Perley feels honor-bound to help them. But when the travelers cross paths with an ornery gang of vicious outlaws, things turn deadly. It only gets worse from there, for Perley agrees to escort them to Nacogdoches—next to Angelina County, a section of which is infested with a special breed of vermin known as the Tarpley family. And this corrupt clan has a gunslinger—who’d love nothing more than to take down a living legend like Perley Gates.

“Mrs. Nash’s Ashes” by Sarah Adler. When Millicent Watts-Cohen promised her elderly best friend that she’d reunite her with the woman she fell in love with nearly eighty years ago, she never imagined that would mean traveling from D.C. to Key West with three tablespoons of Mrs. Nash’s remains in her backpack. She just didn’t expect to have a living travel companion. After a computer glitch grounds flights, Millie is forced to catch a ride with Hollis Hollenbeck, an also-stranded acquaintance from her ex’s MFA program. As they contend with peculiar bed-and-breakfasts, and unusual small-town festivals, Millie begins to suspect that her reluctant travel partner might enjoy her company more than he lets on. And the closer they get to their destination; the more Millie has to admit that maybe this trip isn’t just about Mrs. Nash’s love story after all.

“The Frozen River” by Ariel Lawhon. When the Kennebec River freezes, entombing a man in the ice, Martha Ballard is summoned to examine the body and determine cause of death. As a midwife and healer, she is privy to much of what goes on behind closed doors in Hallowell. Months earlier, Martha documented the details of an alleged rape committed by two of the town’s most respected gentlemen—one of whom has now been found dead in the ice. But when a local physician undermines her conclusion, declaring the death to be an accident, Martha is forced to investigate the shocking murder on her own. Her diary soon lands at the center of the scandal, implicating those she loves, and compelling Martha to decide where her own loyalties lie.

“The World’s Even Dumber Criminals” by Duncan McKenzie. Whether they leave behind clues that quickly lead to their capture, or drop counterfeit money for the authorities to find, there’s no shortage of law-breakers who seem intent on getting caught. The World’s Even Dumber Criminals is full of new, unbelievable-but-true stories about foolish people who put the wrong in wrongdoing.

“Delectable: Sweet & Savory Baking” by Claudia Fleming. Baking at home, Claudia brings her characteristic style and skilled approach to every sweet and treat, along with an ease with culinary history, and a growing connection to her own family traditions. A mix of classic favorites and new explorations, including her first foray into savory recipes for savory baking, each delicious dish is the work of a master in her prime. Claudia’s knowledge and facility, refined over a storied career in pastry, mark these more casual, desserts and savory bites.

“Chanel: Couture and Industry” by Amy De La Haye. This lavishly illustrated book, expanded and updated, examines the creative output of Gabrielle “Coco” Chanel (1883–1971) over the course of her long career and documents the creation and meteoric rise of the Chanel fashion empire and the products that bear its exclusive label.

— Summaries provided by library staff