With a background in newspaper and magazine journalism, Karen Dukess spent the last eight years as a speechwriter on gender equality at the United Nations Development Programme. She is a graduate of Brown University and the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism and lives in Pelham, New York.
The Kindness of Strangers (2026) Emma Garman "What pure pleasure to discover Emma Garman's irresistible debut. Reading this ingeniously plotted, diabolically clever story of human deception and connection was like discovering a 1950s classic that was written with a surprisingly modern sensibility. Smart, original, darkly funny, and moving, it's everything I want in a mystery. I adored it."
Far and Away (2025) Amy Poeppel "In a decidedly madcap set-up, a besieged Texas family swaps houses with an ill-matched German couple. But in Amy Poeppel's deft hands, Far and Away is both funny and wise, illuminating the complications of family, adolescence, friendship, and mid-life marriage with a deceptively light touch. Reading Far and Away is like going on vacation with your smartest, funniest friend; you not only have a rollicking good time, but you come home with a renewed appreciation for what really matters. I've loved all of Amy Poeppel's novels and this may be her best yet!"
What She's Hiding (2025) Art Bell "A darkly funny and twisty thriller that's at once vividly contemporary and reminiscent of hard-boiled Manhattan crime tales of a bygone era. If you're looking for suspense and smarts, you won't regret riding this roller-coaster of a novel."
The Way Life Should Be (2023) William Dameron "With humor, heart, and honesty, William Dameron captures the chaos and beauty of bringing a blended family together as one. In their idyllic yet tiny cottage on the coast of Maine, two dads find themselves unexpectedly hosting all their (nearly) adult children, who bring with them a lot of psychic baggage - secrets, resentment, and the still-festering fallout of having a father who had to leave home to be true to himself. The Way Life Should Be is an unflinching yet unabashedly romantic ode to family, and I thoroughly loved it."
My Last Innocent Year (2023) Daisy Alpert Florin "An incisive, honest, and compulsively readable coming-of-age story, My Last Innocent Year offers a refreshingly nuanced perspective on contemporary conversations about consent, the power dynamics of sexual relationships and friendships, and the challenges women encounter in claiming their place as artists."
Reservations for Six (2022) Lindsey J Palmer "It's often said that it's impossible to know what's really going on in someone else's marriage, but you can get deliciously close in Reservations for Six, Lindsey Palmer's smart, compelling, and completely believable novel. Palmer portrays these marriages with great wisdom and empathy--and well-placed shots of anger and humor. I thoroughly enjoyed spending time with this ensemble of intelligent, well-meaning, and often confused friends as they struggled to know when to compromise and when to dare change."
Zero O'Clock (2021) C J Farley "Thoughtful, provocative, and pounding with the fast-paced beat of a sharp-witted adolescent mind, Zero O'Clock is the story of a Jamaican-American teen girl at the early epicenter of the COVID-19 pandemic in New Rochelle, New York. C.J. Farley has created an irresistible heroine in Geth Montego. Simmering with justifiable anger at everything from the cancellation of her senior prom to racial injustices and police brutality, Geth manages to overcome grief, anxiety, and confusion to discover a new sense of herself and her ability to create change."
Shoulder Season (2021) Christina Clancy "With literary flair and great empathy, Clancy chronicles the exhilaration and disillusionment of a small-town girl who takes a job as a Bunny during the waning days of Wisconsin’s Playboy Resort. Seamlessly researched and beautifully written, Shoulder Season vividly evokes a uniquely 1980s kind of glamour that’s almost inconceivable today. Clancy’s story of a young woman’s difficult road to independence hums with contemporary resonance. Clancy is a gifted storyteller, and Shoulder Season is a riveting tale of ambition, romance, friendship, heartbreak and hope."
Better Luck Next Time (2020) Julia Claiborne Johnson "Rollicking, nostalgic, wistful and wise, Better Luck Next Time is another gem from Julia Claiborne Johnson. Like a modern-day Anita Loos (but with more heart), Johnson spins an irresistible yarn that captures Depression-era disappointments, hopes, and determination, and paints a touching story of how even a life gone wrong can be a life well lived."
Someone Else's Secret (2020) Julia Spiro "In Someone Else’s Secret, debut author Julia Spiro has crafted a timely exploration of the weight of secrets and what it takes to tell the truth. When an ambitious recent college graduate lands a ‘cushy’ job among the elite of Martha’s Vineyard, she gets an unwelcome lesson on the dark side of power and privilege. A compelling and cautionary tale that pulses with authenticity."
Summer Darlings (2020) Brooke Lea Foster "Set in the summer of 1962, Brooke Lea Foster’s Summer Darlings has all the ingredients of a delightfully fizzy beach cocktail: A spunky, working-class Wellesley student determined to make her mark, the deceptively ‘perfect’ wealthy couple that employs her as a nanny on Martha’s Vineyard, two alluring and very different suitors, and a bombshell movie star with a heart of gold. If you like your summer escapism with a nostalgic splash of Mad Men-era glamour, you'll love this surprisingly twisty debut."
My Kind of People (2020) Lisa Duffy "Lisa Duffy writes with wisdom and empathy about an endearingly authentic cast of characters. In disarmingly spare prose, she tells a moving story about family, marriage, and community, and the challenge of knowing when to break ties and when to come together. Don't let the summery island setting fool you - this is a beach read with substance and heart."
