Sanders (In His Stead, 2012, etc.) offers the first book of a YA adventure series that blurs the line between paranormal and natural gifts.

Thirteen-year-old Lilly Kimura Randall lives a regimented life. Home-schooled by her father, she spends each day learning and training—applying her high IQ to academic studies or developing her physical skills at running and jujitsu. Lilly loves her dad but rails against his overprotectiveness. She wants to meet people her own age, go to school, and make friends. But none of these things are possible with her father constantly at her side, shielding her from the world. What Lilly doesn’t realize is that her dad’s fears for her are very real and that his training methods are key to her survival. For Lilly isn’t just smart; she’s also something called a “finder,” genetically engineered by the ruthless Nautilus Organization and, unknowingly, on the run from them. When she mind-links with the mysterious, faraway Skye, a friend of her father’s, Lilly can find anything she’s asked to locate. But will she find a way to stay alive when she goes against her father’s orders? Sanders writes in a clear, purposeful manner with apposite descriptive passages. One of the book’s great achievements lies in juxtaposing Lilly’s feelings of helplessness and isolation with the sordid conditions in which homeless people and other unfortunates live. Her experiences of the world are far from black-and-white: as she yearns for independence, she also feels the stigma of being different. But she’s also shown not to only be concerned with herself, and the authenticity of her everyday world, as filtered through her exceptional mind, adds heft and urgency to the hunted-fugitive plot. Although Lilly’s powers are little seen in this first installment, her social awkwardness and her position as an intelligent outsider are enough to set her—and the story—apart from others. Young-adult readers will root for Lilly and, in doing so, come to truly appreciate her.

A serious, sharp-edged YA escapade.

A serial killer cozies up to another murderer who’s been making headlines in this psychological thriller.

Former combat medic Max Mason now works as a nurse at the Carlson Brain Injury & Rehabilitation Center in New Hampshire. He’s also a serial killer, or so he confides to comatose patient Lincoln Douglas Raider. Lincoln’s injury was a simple fall while cleaning the gutters at his house. But his identity is a lot more complicated, as many people now believe he’s the media-dubbed “Huntsman” who has killed several women. Aside from the first victim, each woman has vanished, with her heart and an apple later turning up at her front door. Max becomes obsessed with talking to Lincoln about the psychopathic inclinations they presumably share. He likewise befriends Lincoln’s wife, Jolene, who asks Max for help with her recovering husband when he finally awakens. This gives Max the chance to learn all he can about Lincoln and his twisted mentality at the couple’s farm. But notwithstanding his recurrent nightmares of hurting someone, Lincoln doesn’t apparently remember certain events before his coma. Moreover, his love for Jolene and their newborn daughter looks genuine—hardly the behavior of a killer lacking empathy. As the evidence against Lincoln is circumstantial (he has a vague tie to each victim), Max can’t help but entertain the idea that this man isn’t a murderer. Getting closer to Lincoln could get him answers, but it’s sure to be precarious, as this supposed serial killer’s mind may be unraveling.

Sanders shrouds this mystery in ambiguity, a haziness that clears up as the story progresses. Max, for example, who says little about what he’s done as a serial killer, has a specific agenda in getting next to Lincoln. In addition, “The Captive,” an unnamed woman who’s the Huntsman’s seventh and latest victim, provides an intermittent narrative perspective. It’s not easy to sympathize with the cast members, including Max, until their personalities take shape much later in the novel. But the few supporting characters shine—the Martins, Lincoln’s neighbors who believe in the man’s innocence, and Det. Darby Albright, Max’s sister, whose first murder case as a rookie cop was one of the Huntsman’s unfortunate victims. Despite allusions to serial murders and even Max’s efforts to jog Lincoln’s memory of the brutal deaths, Sanders’ novel is only moderately graphic and instead is heavy on suspense. Uncertainty over what Lincoln may or may not have done makes him all the more frightening; readers are either getting a close-up of a psychopath or no clues to who or where the real killer is. The author churns out unforgettable, sometimes scary moments, such as Max literally getting stuck in a muddy cornfield: “I attempt to stand, and my feet sink deeper. Cold spring water pools and trickles down my legs, filling my shoes and adding to my weight. I’m up to my waist in mud and freezing.” The inevitable twists in the latter half, even if largely predictable, deliver a memorable and convincing final act, with an especially strong last scene.

This shrewd exploration of a killer’s mindset will unnerve and enthrall readers.

In this novel, an honorable military man tries to protect his son from the horrors of war.

Tom Lane, a former Army Ranger, is more familiar with the Army than most Americans. His eldest son, Tommy, died in Afghanistan while serving his country. But Tom is shocked when his middle son, Donnie, who joined the National Guard to avoid jail time and earn some money for college, announces that he’s being deployed for Afghanistan. Tom knows his family can’t survive losing another son, particularly in a pointless war. He confides in his best friend and Army buddy, Frank, about Donnie’s news, and Frank begins searching for an alternative, which he finds in an unlikely place: a two-hour History Channel special called In My Son’s Stead, “a reenactment [regarding] a common law widely used during the Civil War.” The next day, Frank tells Tom his idea—someone else can go in Donnie’s place. Frank and Tom do a little research and discover that under Pennsylvania law, Frank’s plan just might work—if Tom can convince Donnie and the Army to let him try. Sanders (Crescent Veil, 2006) has a knack for capturing and maintaining a reader’s interest with compelling plot developments.  But the writing can be clichéd. Both Tom’s wife and daughter have hair of “spun gold”; when Tom becomes emotionally drained, his “well of sorrow is bone dry”; and dead soldiers are always either “fallen heroes” or “fallen warriors.” When Tom talks about his wife, his sons or the military, he often delivers long-winded speeches, which don’t fit with his somewhat taciturn character.  Other moments strain credulity, as when a military doctor exchanges his own blood and urine with Tom’s so that the Army won’t learn about Tom’s diabetes.

A compelling look at service, family and tradition, weakened by awkward writing and an occasionally preachy tone.