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Target: Alex Cross

James Patterson

Penguin, 2019, pp 432, Rs 399

A leader has fallen, and Alex Cross joins the procession of mourners from Capitol Hill to the White House. Then a sniper’s bullet strikes a target in the heart of DC. But, is the sniper’s strike only the beginning of a larger attack on the nation?

Prodigal

Irshad Abdulkadir

Pan Macmillan, 2019, pp 310, Rs 399

What does it take to find God in all cultures and religions? In these fratricidal times, the devout yet reasoning soul of Akbar Ali Samandar explores the irrationality of extremist tendencies in Pakistan, the problems of Western impositions on Islam, and more.

The Rise of Goliath

A K Bhattacharya

Penguin, 2019, pp 360, Rs 699

What can best illustrate India’s journey in the last seven decades? Disruptions. Almost every decade of India’s history since Independence has been marked by major disruptions. How did they influence the rise of this Goliath? This is the story of 12 disruptions that changed India.

Looking for Miss Sargam

Shubha Mudgal

Speaking Tiger, 2019, pp 208, Rs 499

After thousands of hours of training and practice, the gods of music smile upon the deserving few. Genius shines; melody and goodness reign supreme; and all is right with the world. Or is it? In this debut work of fiction, Shubha has produced a sparkling collection — hugely entertaining and mercilessly funny.

Knife

Jo Nesbo

Penguin, 2019, pp 464, Rs 599

Harry Hole is not in a good place. Rakel, the only woman he’s ever loved, has ended it with him. He’s been given a chance for a new start with the Oslo Police but what he really wants is to be investigating cases he suspects have ties to Svein Finne, the serial rapist and murderer who Harry helped put behind bars.

Big Sky

Kate Atkinson

Penguin, 2019, pp 400, Rs 1,171

Jackson Brodie has relocated to a quiet seaside village, in the occasional company of his recalcitrant teenage son and an ageing labrador, both at the discretion of his ex-partner. It’s picturesque, but there’s something darker lurking behind the scenes. Old secrets and new lies intersect in this breathtaking novel.

Go! India’s Sporting Transformation

Edited by Nandan Kamath & Aparna Ravichandran

Penguin, 2019, pp 312, Rs 299

Today, there is no longer a doubt that an Indian can excel at sports. A country is changing the way it looks at sport.Go! features a never-before-seen collection of essays by leading athletes, sportswriters and professionals, who together tell a compelling story of India’s ongoing sporting transformation.

Shehla Masood

Hemender Sharma

Harper Collins, 2019, pp 236, Rs 499

On 16 August 2011, RTI activist and environmentalist Shehla Masood was shot dead by contract killers in Bhopal. In this riveting account of the case, Hemender Sharma peels away the layers to understand her life, the murder, its progress and its resolution.