In Brendan Slocumb’s sophomore novel, “Symphony of Secrets,” a professor is tasked with deciphering a rediscovered opera, only to uncover a historical betrayal. Brendan Slocumb’s first novel, “The Violin Conspiracy,” displayed his deftness at crafting character-driven stories featuring amateur...

We never learn the name of the protagonist in Anna Metcalfe’s debut novel, Chrysalis , a detail that feels fitting in a book that is in part about how much—or little—we can ever truly know about the people who...

Justin Tranter still remembers seeing Billy Porter perform “Beauty School Dropout” on The Tonight Show in 1994. Dressed in an elaborate orange wig and zebra-print suit, Porter belted out the classic Grease song, filled with extravagant vocal runs that...

Naï Zakharia The author’s latest book, “The Wager,” investigates the mysteries surrounding an 18th-century maritime disaster off Cape Horn. Credit...Naï Zakharia When you purchase an independently reviewed book through our site, we earn an affiliate commission. THE WAGER: A...

I remember being holed up in my room as the world around me went into a deep slumber; this was early 2020, and the pandemic was reaching our doorsteps. I spent my time in solitude, rediscovering that side of...