Books: New and noteworthy

Jocelyn McClurg | USA TODAY

USA TODAY’s Jocelyn McClurg scopes out the hottest books on sale each week.

1. Rogue Lawyer by John Grisham (Doubleday, fiction, on sale Oct. 20)

What it’s about: A lone-wolf “street lawyer” takes on a motley crew of clients, including a crime lord on death row.

The buzz: Grisham’s legal thriller Gray Mountain landed at No. 1 on USA TODAY’s Best-Selling Books list last fall.

2. The Explorers Guild: Volume One by Kevin Costner and Jon Baird, illustrated by Rick Ross (Atria, fiction, on sale Oct. 20)

What it’s about: Set against the backdrop of World War I, this illustrated adventure story evokes Kipling, Conrad and Jules Verne.

The buzz: Yes, the co-author is that Kevin Costner.

3. Find a Way by Diana Nyad (Knopf, non-fiction, on sale Oct. 20)

What it’s about: A memoir by the athlete who at age 64 completed an open-water swim from Cuba to Florida.

The buzz: “Nyad has a vibrant, informal voice,” says Publishers Weekly.

4. Career of Evil by Robert Galbraith (Little, Brown, fiction, on sale Oct. 20)

What it’s about: A gruesome package containing a woman’s severed leg sends private detective Cormoran Strike on the hunt for a suspect from his past.

The buzz: Third in adult mystery series by Galbraith, unmasked as J.K. Rowling of Harry Potter fame.

5. Lafayette in the Somewhat United States by Sarah Vowell (Riverhead, non-fiction, on sale Oct. 20)

What it’s about: Vowell takes on American history as only she can, this time with the story of Frenchman the Marquis de Lafayette, a Revolutionary War hero.

The buzz: “Another Vowell-ian romp through history, politics, and pop culture,” says Kirkus Reviews.