The beginning of this slow burn crime fiction is a doozy. During the beginning days of the pandemic, beaches in Florida were closed to the public, but two boys sneak out to surf near Reef Road, when they spot a hand that has washed up to shore.

Hello, my name is Shenequa Williams with this week's edition of Likely Stories. I am a Reading Interventionist teacher in Waco I.S.D. at G.W. Carver Middle School.I recently read a book called Stars Beneath Our Feet by David Barclay Moore, and could not stop turning the pages. This beautiful debut novel is a story of heartbreak, guilt, hope, and courage.

I am a big reader. Recently, I've been reading Alexander McCall Smith's Sunday Philosophy Club Series. The latest installment, The Sweet Remnants of Summer, offers an intelligent and emotionally sensitive exploration of the light-hearted and profound.

I knew the ultimate ending of Altamont when I first picked up the book by the same name. In fact, the first sentence on the inside of the dust jacket gives it away: "The definitive story of the Rolling Stones' infamous Altamont concert and the murder that brought the sixties rock revolution to a shocking conclusion.”

Nugent, an Irish writer, always starts her books with a catchy opening line. Any time she has a new book out, I immediately turn to the first sentence to see what sort of tale awaits me.

A Psalm for the Wild-Built is the first book in the Monk and Robot series by Becky Chambers. This charming novella won the Hugo award in 2022 - the Hugo recognizes the best science fiction or fantasy titles of the previous year.

The Art Thief, by Michael Finkel, is a true story about a young couple who stole $2 billion worth of art - that's with a B- for more than seven years across Europe, totaling a treasure of more than 300 pieces.

"Under the Whispering Door" is a book I had been eyeing for months because of its intriguing cover. It is written by TJ Klune, the same author who wrote "The House in the Cerulean Sea.”

War is hell. And what comes after war, when soldiers return home, is often its own version of torment, one that takes exceptional patience and grace from everyone--those who love the soldiers as well as the soldiers themselves.

I’m Joe Riley with KWBU. I’ve loved Likely Stories from the beginning, and always looked forward to hearing Jim McKeown’s recommendations. Now I’m grateful for the privilege of sharing one of my recent reads.