On the shelves - April 25

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 clovis.polarislibrary.com or call 575-769-7840 to request a specific item for curbside pickup.

“A Matter of Life and Death” by Phillip Margolin. Joe Lattimore desperately agrees to fight in a no-holds-barred illegal bout, only to have his opponent die. He now finds himself at the mercy of the fight's organizers who blackmail him into burglarizing a house. However, he finds a murdered woman on the floor and the police have received an anonymous tip naming him the murderer. Robin Lockwood, an increasingly prominent young attorney agrees to take on his defense. But the case is seemingly airtight_the murdered woman's husband, Judge Anthony Carasco, has an alibi and Lattimore's fingerprints are discovered at the scene. But everything about the case is too easy, too pat, and Lockwood is convinced that her client has been framed

“A Promise of Ankles” by Alexander McCall Smith. For the residents of 44 Scotland Street, life in Edinburgh's intriguing New Town is a thing to be relished. But there are mysteries that need solving too. Could Angus Lordie's dog Cyril have unearthed a Neanderthal skull? Does the long-suffering Stuart have any hope of kindling a new relationship when Bruce, ever the consummate seducer, effortlessly steps into his pas de deux? And how will the patrons of Big Lou's cafe react to the menu's imminent culinary transformation? The stories of this wonderfully vibrant cast may take unexpected turns, but the warmth and humor at Scotland's most recognizable address will ultimately affirm the joy life brings us all.

“Act Your Age, Eve Brown” by Talia Hibbert. When Eve Brown's personal brand of chaos ruins an expensive wedding, her parents draw the line, saying it's time for her to grow up. Jacob Wayne is always in control. The bed and breakfast owner expects nothing less than perfection. So when a purple-haired tornado of a woman turns up out of the blue to interview for his open chef position, he tells her, “Not a chance in hell.” Then she hits him with her car-supposedly by accident. Now his arm is broken, his B&B is understaffed, and the dangerously unpredictable Eve is fluttering around, trying to help. Jacob hates everything about it. Or rather, he should. Eve is his natural-born nemesis, but the longer these two enemies spend in close quarters, the more their animosity turns into something else.

“Atomic Women” by Roseanne Montillo. They were leaning over the edge of the unknown and afraid of what they would discover there — meet the World War II female scientists who worked in the secret sites of the Manhattan Project. These scientists helped in — and often initiated — the development of the atomic bomb, taking starring roles in the Manhattan Project. In fact, their involvement was critical to its success, though many of them were not fully aware of the consequences

“Women in White Coats” by Olivia Campbell. Women in White Coats tells the complete history of these three pioneering women who, despite countless obstacles, earned medical degrees and paved the way for other women to do the same. Though very different in personality and circumstance, together these women built women-run hospitals and teaching colleges-creating for the first time medical care for women by women.

“The Pandemic Century” by Mark Honigsbaum. Ever since the 1918 Spanish influenza pandemic, scientists have dreamed of preventing catastrophic outbreaks of infectious disease. Yet despite a century of medical progress, viral and bacterial disasters continue to take us by surprise, inciting panic and dominating news cycles. Mark Honigsbaum combines reportage with the history of science and medical sociology to artfully reconstruct epidemiological mysteries and the ecology of infectious diseases.

— Summaries provided by library staff