By Abby Hardison
Rowan Public Library

Need to escape the dog days of summer? Kick back and relax with some great new fiction titles arriving soon. Big releases from Catherine Coulter, James Lee Burke and acclaimed director and bestselling author Guillermo del Toro are hitting the shelves and digital library in the next few weeks. These thrillers will give you goosebumps no matter how hot it is outside.

First up is prolific author James Lee Burke and his long-running Robicheaux series, which has been adapted into two movies: “Heaven’s Prisoners” in 1996 and “In the Electric Mist” in 2009. The Louisiana detective Robicheaux has been portrayed by actors Alec Baldwin and Tommy Lee Jones, respectively. In the latest book installment, “A Private Cathedral,” due out Aug. 11, Robicheaux finds himself caught between two crime families in a bitter feud. When he gets too close to the case, one of the crime bosses hires a mysterious hitman with strange abilities to take out Robicheaux and his partner. Burke mixes crime, horror, bayou mysticism and romance into a spicy and complex gumbo of a Southern tale. All you need to go with it is a porch rocker and a cold glass of sweet tea.

Next up is Catherine Coulter who is releasing the 24th installment of her bestselling FBI Thriller series. In “Deadlock,” agents Savich and Sherlock are confronted with family secrets, a psychopath out for personal revenge, and three mysterious packages containing puzzle pieces sent to them at the FBI’s Hoover Building. Can they put the pieces together before it’s too late? Coulter is known for her white-knuckle, pulse-pounding action thrillers, guaranteed to take your mind off of…well anything else. There’s a whole backlist of Coulter titles that can keep you occupied for months, if needed. So give one a shot, you might just discover your next favorite diversion.

Guillermo del Toro is a Mexican director and writer, best known for his films, which blend sci-fi/fantasy, action, and horror with wonder, innocence and often rollicking fun. He has directed blockbusters like the “Hellboy” movie and its sequel, as well as the giant monster mashup Pacific Rim. He also won two Oscars for 2017’s “The Shape of Water” about a humanoid amphibian creature falling in love with a mute janitor inside a secret government lab. Among his other talents, Del Toro is also a successful author, and his creepy vampire-based series “The Strain,” with coauthor Chuck Hogan, was adapted into a TV series. Now Del Toro and Hogan are bringing us “The Hollow Ones,” due out Aug. 4, which features a rookie FBI agent scarred by recent events. In the book, she finds herself confronted with a mysterious figure, who maybe immortal, or possibly a lunatic, but who could also be humanity’s best defense against evil.

Whatever kind of tale you need for your next mental vacation, Rowan Public Library is here for you. The library is offering curbside pickup for materials at all three branches. Just call 980-432-8670 Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m., or you can reserve titles any time, day or night, on the website at rowanpubliclibrary.org. And if you’re not sure what you want, just tell a staff member what you like. They will set you up with a stack of recommendations to take home and enjoy.

Abigail Hardison is adult services supervisor at the Rowan Public Library.