Cool ARCs

I work for a large enough library system that we do receive some ARCs. The fine folks over at MacMillan Publishing have been very, very good to me - and I'm sure I've been getting some of their "cooler" advanced copies thanks to my kick-ass library rep. Seriously, she rocks my socks. She's the one who sent me the wicked cool ARC for Heartsick by Chelsea Cain and if you go to MacMillan's library site (scroll down a bit) you can see a teaser trailer for Cain's next novel, Sweetheart - due out September 2, 2008. Which makes me, probably my sisters and Alison Kent very happy. The rest of you should be happy too, although I suspect some of you aren't reading nearly enough suspense novels for your own good.

This latest batch of cool ARCs includes The Killer's Wife by Bill Floyd featuring a sleep mask that has "Do You Know Who You're Sleeping With?" printed on it. Which makes perfect sense, and good marketing, when you read the plot description:

Six years after her courageous testimony helped put her husband on death row for a string of gruesome murders, Leigh Wren has almost succeeded in putting her past to rest. She has moved from the West Coast to North Carolina with her young son, adopting a new name and a new life. But the world that she has created for herself is shattered when the father of one of her ex-husband’s victims begins stalking her, then confronts her late one night. In the days that follow, he exposes Leigh, in newspapers and on television, to a startled North Carolina community. And just as her marriage to Randall Mosley, a man who became known to the world as a deviant serial killer, is brought back to light, a more deadly game of cat and mouse ensues.

A new killer has emerged, one whose methods are frighteningly similar to those used by Mosley, who is awaiting execution thousands of miles away. Leigh and her son appear to be in the assailant’s scope, and it becomes clear that he is more than a copycat killer—his targets are all tied to Leigh’s former life. With the clock ticking down and the victims of a new killer mounting, Leigh is forced to probe the darkest corridors of her past to protect her life and her son’s. She must also confront her own feelings of responsibility: Leigh has always professed her ignorance, but how complicit was she in her husband’s horrific murder spree, as it was taking place?

Then there's my personal favorite, Severance Package by Duane Swierczynski. When I opened up the envelope it was shipped in, all I saw the was the back of a plain inter-department envelope. I thought, "WTF?" Then I turned it over, saw the blood spatter and the cryptic script: "Ever want to kill your boss? Well guess what, the feeling is mutual. See enclosed package for more details." Fan-frickin-tastic!

Jamie DeBroux’s boss has called a special meeting for all “key personnel” at 9:00 a.m. on a hot Saturday in August.

When Jamie arrives, the conference room is stocked with cookies and champagne. His boss smiles and tells his employees, “We’re a cover for a branch of the intelligence community. And we’re being shut down.” Jamie’s boss then tells everyone to drink some champagne, and in a few seconds they’ll fall asleep---for good. If they refuse, they’ll be shot in the head.

Escape is not an option. Jamie’s boss has shut down the elevators and rigged the fire towers with chemical bombs. Panic sets in, chaos erupts, and no one is sure whom to trust. Jamie quickly realizes that there’s only one way he’s ever going to see his family again: the hard way.

No, I haven't read either of these. Do you know how grossly behind on my reading I am? But they sure do sound great don't they? Certainly these cool ARCs cost money, but talk about eye-catching! It's a quick, clever way for publishers to help books stand out from the pack - and when you're buying books for as many libraries as I do? Hey, it doesn't hurt. Just saying.

And yeah, a new Chelsea Cain novel in September! Yippee Skippy!