In “The Night Visitors” by Carol Goodman, a mother and son fleeing an abusive relationship seek shelter in a social worker’s home.  But neither the mother nor the social worker being being straight with each other and , meanwhile, a storm is closing in. And you know it will be good because “Carol Goodman is, simply put, a stellar writer.”  In “The River” by Peter Heller, college friends embark on a wilderness canoe trip.  What follows is “a fiery tour de force…”