5 new books you won't want to miss this week, including Dean Koontz, Paul Simon bio

Jocelyn McClurg | USA TODAY

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

1. The Crooked Staircase by Dean Koontz (Bantam, fiction, on sale May 8)

What it’s about: Rogue FBI agent Jane Hawk continues her one-woman fight against the secret cabal behind a sinister epidemic of murder-suicides that claimed her husband.

The buzz: The first two books in the Jane Hawk series, The Silent Corner and The Whispering Room, were both top 20 USA TODAY best sellers.

2. Paul Simon: The Life by Robert Hilburn (Simon & Schuster, non-fiction, on sale May 8)

What it’s about: A biography of the Grammy Award-winning singer/songwriter, now 76, who became a star in the 1960s with Simon & Garfunkel before launching a successful solo career.

The buzz: Arrives as Simon is about to launch his “Homeward Bound Farewell Tour,” kicking off May 16 in Vancouver.

3. Like Brothers by Mark Duplass and Jay Duplass (Ballantine, non-fiction, on sale May 8)

What it’s about: A humorous memoir about their personal and professional relationship by the writer/producer/actor brothers behind such projects as HBO’s Togetherness (2015-16).

The buzz: Features a foreword by Mindy Kaling.

4. The High Tide Club by Mary Kay Andrews (St. Martin’s Press, fiction, on sale May 8)

What it’s about: Andrews (author of the best-selling The Weekenders) tells the story of a 99-year-old heiress who enlists attorney Brooke Trappnell to help her protect her island home.

The buzz: With its summery jacket, The High Tide Club makes no secret that it's aiming for the beach-read crowd.

5. The Soul of America: The Battle for Our Better Angels by Jon Meacham (Random House, non-fiction, on sale May 8)

What it’s about: The Pulitzer Prize-winning historian holds a mirror up to the partisan present with this look back at how presidents such as Lincoln, Grant and Eisenhower worked to overcome deep divisions in the country.

The buzz: “Stirring…Meacham’s topic couldn’t be more urgent,” Booklist says in a starred review.