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Fall book preview: Franzen, Allende, Eco

An exciting crop of fiction is headed out in the fall, offering an antidote to a summer of beach reads. From a "Millennium" page turner to Jonathan Franzen's "Freedom" follow-up, we look at the books that will jolt you out of your summer haze.

David Lagerkrantz: "The Girl in the Spider's Web"
August 27

In the continuation of Stieg Larsson's Millennium series, Mikael Blomqvist is contacted by a scientist whose life is in danger. Blomkvist learns that Lisbeth Salander has been working with the scientist and has become the target of cyber gangsters known as The Spiders.

Jonathan Franzen: "Purity"
September 1

Fifth in the American novelist's oeuvre is this multigenerational epic about a woman on the trail of her mysterious father. Secrecy is a theme, on a personal, familial and national level, as Purity Tyler encounters a charismatic whistleblower as part of her journey.

Geraldine Brooks: "The Secret Chord"
October 6

The author of the Pulitzer Prize-winning novel "March" follows up her 2011 novel "Caleb's Crossing" with "The Secret Chord," in which she delves into the life of King David.

Garth Risk Hallberg: "City of Fire"
October 13

This 900-page debut novel was the subject of a six-figure publishing deal. Beginning in New York City in 1976, it focuses on various characters who may have been involved in a Central Park shooting, and how each is changed by the blackout of July 13, 1977.

Orhan Pamuk: "A Strangeness in My Mind"
October 20

The Turkish author's follow-up to "The Museum of Innocence" tells the story of a street vendor in Istanbul and his love story with a woman he writes letters two for three years, ultimately following him through four decades in the ever-transforming city.

David Mitchell: "Slade House"
October 27

What started life as a collection of 280 tweets evolved into this latest novel from the "Cloud Atlas" author. Set over five decades, from end of the 1970s to the present, the novel is called a "reality-warping new vision of the haunted house story."

Isabel Allende: "The Japanese Lover"
November 3

"The House of the Spirits" author tells of Alma Belasco, now nearing the end of her life, who as a child in 1939 was sent from Poland to San Francisco and began a love affair with a Japanese boy. The two are pulled apart after the attack on Pearl Harbor but reunite throughout their lives.

Umberto Eco: "Numero Zero"
November 3 (US)/5(UK)

"The Name of the Rose" novelist's latest book has been a best-seller in Italy and is now due out in translation. The story follows a ghostwriter in Milan who becomes involved in an underworld of politics and conspiracies.

John Irving: "Avenue of Mysteries"
November 3

The American author's 14th novel tells the story of Juan Diego, a 14-year-old boy born and raised in Mexico, and his 13-year-old mind-reading sister Lupe. Later in life Juan will take a trip to the Philippines, followed by the dreams and memories of his childhood.