Editor’s Choice
Devil Bones, by Kathy Reichs, $25.95. Dr. Temperance Brennan’s quest to identify two corpses pits her against citizen vigilantes intent on a witch hunt in Reichs’ 11th thriller to feature the forensic anthropologist. Reichs, whose work inspired the hit TV series “Bones,” once again expertly blends science and complex character development. Publishers Weekly
FICTION
The Bible Salesman, by Clyde Edgerton, $23,99. The Lord works in humorously mysterious ways in this Southern picaresque teaming of a jaded car thief and a young, impressionable Bible salesman. The wry, latest from Edgerton, set in his native North Carolina, concerns the unlikely bond between a pair of disparate characters. Kirkus
Off Season, by Anne Rivers Siddons, $24.99. A widow returns to her family cottage in Maine, her late husband’s ashes and ornery cat in tow, and ponders her first experience of love and loss. Kirkus
NONFICTION
The Strongest Tribe: War, Politics, and the Endgame in Iraq, by Bing West, $28. A balanced, panoramic assessment of the Iraq war by former Marine and Reagan administration veteran West, who heralds American soldiers as its unsung heroes amid the “fog of Washington.” A timely, eye-opening historical analysis that provides clarity around the difficult choices the next president faces.Kirkus
The Wrecking Crew: How Conservatives Rule, by Thomas Frank, $25. Frank (“What’s the Matter With Kansas?”) surveys what he regards as the hallmarks of conservative control of Washington: a government hobbled by budget deficits, disgraced by scandals, downsized, outsourced, hollowed out and sold off to corporate interests and thus made incapable of meeting its basic responsibilities. Publishers Weekly
The ap Makers: An Insider Exposes the Truth Behind the Polls, by David W. Moore, $23.95. In this succinct and damning critique of the pitfalls of public opinion reporting, Moore, former senior editor of the Gallup Poll, argues that today’s polls report the whims rather than the will of the people. Publishers Weekly
PAPERBACKS
The Tourists, by Jeff Hobbs, $13. An unnamed narrator details the post-Yale love triangle of three people much, much wealthier than he in Hobbs’ Gatsby-meets-McInerney debut. Publishers Weekly
Dave Barry’s History of the Millennium (So Far), by Dave Barry, $14. Although Barry retired his column in 2004, he continues to examine current events with his annual “Year in Review” surveys, and the ones he wrote between 2000 and 2006 are collected here. Publishers Weekly
The Day It Snowed Tortillas, by Joe Hayes, $12.95. A master storyteller sets down 10 tales told in New Mexico. In the title story, a clever wife diverts some thieves who are after her dim-witted husband, thus assuring the couple’s prosperity. Library Journal
COMING UP
1960: LBJ vs. JFK. vs. Nixon: The Epic Campaign That Forged Three Presidencies,” by David Pietrusza, $24.95. Here’s what Theodore White didn’t tell you in “The Making of the President, 1960.” (September)
The Keepsake, by Tess Gerritsen, $26. Dr. Maura Isles is shocked when, after being asked to witness a mummified corpse’s X-ray scanning, she finds the corpse isn’t centuries old but rather a recent victim. (September)
