Redwood Writers book club shares favorites by local authors

When the Redwood Writers Fiction Book Club meets, members like to focus on novels written by local authors also affiliated with the nonprofit organization for which the group is named.

The group meets January through June at Copperfield’s Books in Montgomery Village, at 6 p.m. the last Tuesday of the month, and is open to the public. The authors attend, discuss their books and answer questions.

In 2015, their book list included the following titles, submitted by Sandy Baker, chair of the 2015 Book Club Project.

“The Tehran Triangle,” by Tom Reed of Healdsburg and Sandy Baker of Santa Rosa. In this international thriller, CIA agent Elizabeth Mallory tries to foil a plot by Iranians to build and detonate low-tech atomic bomb in the U.S. The book is action-packed, well-paced, plausible, and timely.

“In the Shadow of Lies,” by M.A. Adler of Sebastopol. This historical mystery takes place in San Francisco Bay Area during World War II. It illuminates the racial and ethnic tensions, including the Ku Klux Klan, that existed in and around Richmond and Angel Island. A mystery surrounds a series of murders. It is suspenseful with well-drawn, vivid characters.

“Going to Solace,” by Amanda McTigue of Petaluma. This book of literary fiction, set in the Blue Ridge Mountains, includes the stories of a handful of local characters that intertwine as their loved ones work at, reside in, or are heading to the local hospice called Solace. Touching and humorous.

“Kiss of Salvation,” by Waights Taylor, Jr. of Healdsburg. This detective story takes place in 1947 Birmingham, Ala., where a number of African-American prostitute murders take place. A white and a black pair of detectives team up to solve the murders. The club found it fascinating for its historical setting.

“Huachuca Woman,” by Arletta Dawdy of Santa Rosa. The first in a historical trilogy about women in the early American West, the book is about young cousins who visit the Arizona ranch of 75-year old Josephine Nichols to record her stories of border life and the family’s background. The teens learn more than they bargained for or ever dreamed of.

“Seal of My Heart,” by Sharon Hamilton of Santa Rosa. Sparks fly in this volume of her romance series about the U.S. Navy’s Sea, Air and Land (SEAL) Brotherhood. An engagement to the wrong guy and love letters from the past set the action in motion for this fast-paced novel.

Does your book club have an interesting reading list? If so, send it to staff writer Diane Peterson at diane.peterson@pressdemocrat.com. Follow her on Twitter @dianepete56.