Staff Picks | Cross Her Heart

By: Kim Akers

The number one book this week at the Quincy Public Library is Cross Her Heart by Melinda Leigh.  When she was only eight years old, Bree Taggert saved her four-year-old sister and infant brother when her father brutally murdered their mother then turned the gun on himself.  Since then, she has been fiercely protective of her siblings even though they were separated growing up.  That’s why when her sister, Erin, leaves her a message that she’s in trouble and needs Bree’s help, Bree drops everything and returns to her hometown in upstate New York.  But she’s too late.  Instead of helping her sister with whatever problem she had, Bree has to identify her sister’s body.  As a Philadelphia homicide detective, Bree is no stranger to murder and violence, but it’s different when it’s family.  Retired sheriff’s deputy Matt Flynn is best friends with Erin’s estranged husband and doesn’t believe that he would hurt her, but the fact that Erin was found dead in his house and he’s missing doesn’t bode well for Justin.  Doubting that the sheriff’s department can find the real killer especially since they seem to only be focusing on Justin, Bree agrees to team up with Matt to figure out what really happened.  However, old memories and past retributions get in the way of the truth.  Cross Her Heart is the first book in Leigh’s newest mystery thriller series.

In today’s uncertain world you never know when you will need specialized knowledge or an unusual skill to handle whatever life throws at you.  To help you gain those skills, we recommend you check out How to Drag a Body and Other Safety Tips You Hope to Never Need by Judith Matloff.  Having been a reporter covering stories about civil unrest and mob actions on five continents, Matloff is well versed in how to stay alive in a war zone.  Her book is not only filled with ordinary information such as how to chose a hotel in a strange country, what’s the best seat on an airplane, and how to pack everything you need in one small bag, but also timely advice on what to do if your peaceful protest turns violent, you become involved in an active shooter event, or your tropical vacation leaves you in the path of a hurricane.  Even if you are simply taking a well-deserved urban vacation rather than traveling into mass destruction, Matloff’s tips are insightful and very useful.

If your four-year-old sings “Let It Go” at the top of her lungs every chance she gets, but doesn’t quite have all the words in the right order, perhaps you should check out The Illustrated Treasury of Disney Songs.  From nostalgic classics such as “Bibbidi-Bobbidi-Boo” and “When You Wish Upon a Star” to the latest in Disney magic such as “Remember Me” and “How Far I’ll Go,” this fun family book has arrangements for piano and guitar that will have you “Zip-A-Dee-Doo-Dahing” with your kids in no time.

These materials are available for checkout at the Quincy Public Library if you have a current Quincy Public Library card.   Reciprocal borrowing cards from other area libraries will be honored as well.  Materials may be available in a variety of formats including audio books, digital books, large print, regular print, and/or may be available from other libraries through the Resource Sharing Alliance.  We also encourage you download any of our digital materials, access streaming services, or utilize our databases from the comfort of your home.  You can place holds on materials any time of the day and pick them up at the Library or at one of our hold lockers.