Here's a round-up of books by North Carolina writers published in recent months.

A Tangled Web of Lies

By Marjorie Hopkins

Self-Published, $11

A long-ago incident rears its head for Melanie Vargas, who is horrified to discover that J. Wyatt Young, who has been nominated as chairman of the Federal Reserve Board, will be at a conference she is attending. Her first - and last - meeting with him resulted in the birth of a son.

Little does Melanie know that she is about to be put in the middle of a feud, because some folks don't want Young confirmed, and are looking for any way to stop it.

It's a good read and is available in paperback and on Kindle.

Marjorie Hopkins is a Moore County resident.

Neighbors and Other Strangers

By Ruth Moose

Mint Hill Books, $13.95

Ruth Moose, whose reviews are seen occasionally on the book pages of The Pilot, is both a poetry and prose writer. This, her third collection of short stories is both touching and humorous. Southern to the core, each one is a treat. My only complaint is that there were some stories that I wished could have been longer!

The Gambler's Daughter

By Annette Dunlap

SUNY Press, $25

Once, long ago, Annette Dunlap was a columnist for The Pilot. She is the author of "Frank: The Story of Frances Folsom Cleveland,America's Youngest First lady."

In this book, Dunlap moves back and forth between the personal and the larger picture of the culture of gambling.Having grown up in a home with a gambler, her insights make the statistics seem real.

End of Summer

By Michael Potts

Wordcrafts, $15.99

Once I started this book, I just didn't want to put it down.

Jeffrey has had an obsession with death since he was a youngster. Through therapy insisted upon by his wife, he now knows he has Asperger's syndrome. In order to work through some of his childhood issues, Jeffrey returns to Tennessee to visit his old home.

Jeffrey, whose parents were killed in an automobile accident, was raised by his grandparents.That long summer when Jeffrey was nine, was one that shaped the young boy and his character.

Potts, who lives in Linden, is a professor of philosophy at Methodist University, in Fayetteville. He was a writer-in-residence at Weymouth Center.

Changing Shadows

By Philip M. Herman

Strategic Book Group, $15.95

Here's a mystery that grabs a reader's attention.

Heiress Charlotte Bradford works at her father's art gallery. When she receives a letter from her late aunt, Victoria, that says that someone has been trying to kill her, Charlotte knows she can't ignore it. But the family secret Charlotte uncovers is one that could change lives.

Herman lives in Flat Rock.

Killer Frost

By Judy Hogan

Mainly Murder Press, $15.95

Moncure writer Judy Hogan is the founder of Carolina Wren Press, which operated from 1976 to 1991. The author of five volumes of poetry and two prose works as well as a teacher of creative writing, Hogan has turned her hand to the mystery genre.

The story is set at St. Francis College, a historically black institution in Raleigh. (Local readers will equate it to Shaw or St. Augustine.) Penny Weaver takes a position teaching freshman composition at the college. Penny loves her husband, but also finds herself attracted to her new boss, who is suspected of murder.

Azalea Springs

By Jeff Tolley

Self, $14.99

Sanford writer Jeff Tolley writes about the small town of Azalea Springs, a place that in some ways hasn't made it into the 21st century. Rusty Wicker and his uncle, J.D. McIver are rednecks - the kind that are still members of the Klan, who made their money through drugs and other illegal activities. They don't mind taking down a few people along the way.

Michael Fleming is a local attorney. He and his wife, Grace, have moved to Azalea Springs only to find themselves in the middle of a mess.

This is a gritty novel of the old Southern ways versus the new.

It is available via Kindle and paperback

A Contract to Kill For

By Marv Mercer

Self-published, $12.50

Pinehurst writer and former U.S. Air Force colonel Marv Mercer uses his own experiences in Taiwan on which to base this story about Major Charlie Snider, who is investigating contract irregularities. The death of the commander of the contract center leads the major into an investigation that could get him killed.

Sam Houston Kincade

By Marv Mercer

Self-published, $9.50

In the western genre, Mercer tells the story of Sam Houston Kincade, orphaned at the age of 15. He is fast with a gun, which comes in handy on John Chisum's cattle drive. where the men come up against the hired guns of John Doland and Larry Murphy. These men have seen their power lessen as other wealthy men have moved into the area.

As the story progresses, Kincade makes the acquaintance of such players as Billy the Kid and Sheriff Pat Garrett.