It’s time to check ou the books that Deb Lewis has picked for August for The Poisoned Pen. If the links don’t take you directly to a book, please check the title in the Webstore, https://store.poisonedpen.com/.
One Good Eye by Kevin Wade
After Johnny Careless, the “fast-moving classic crime novel” (John Sandford), comes the lively next installment in the Jeep Mullane series from veteran screenwriter and Blue Bloods showrunner Kevin Wade.
Heart of Glass by Jennifer Hillier
Twenty-five years ago in Seaside, Washington, a charming drifter named Sam met three inseparable teenage girls at the local amusement park. Days later, one of them was found dead, her body surfacing in a flooded cranberry bog not far from where she was murdered.
Barb and Nicolette were shocked to learn that the man they all met at Wonderland was the Carnival Killer. After he’s arrested for the murders of five young women – one of whom was their best friend, Lorelei – Nicolette moved to the city to pursue her dreams of being famous. Barb stayed behind in Seaside, eventually becoming a reporter for the local paper. Their past safely behind them, they’ve both moved on with their lives.
But when the Carnival Killer recants his confession and a new body washes ashore on the eve of Wonderland’s grand reopening, the secrets that Barb and Nicolette have worked so hard to bury begin to resurface, threatening to destroy everything in their carefully constructed lives.
Time Travel for Beginners by Jaclyn Moriarty
In her dazzling new novel, award-winning author Jaclyn Moriarty asks the question, if you could revisit one moment in your life, what would it be?
On a bustling road in Sydney, Australia, lies a nondescript storefront known simply as the Time Travel Agency. Inside, you’ll be welcomed by the smell of fresh-brewed coffee, a selection of baked goods…and the question, Where in time do you wish to go?
Saint Delilah by Isabelle Spotts
Delilah is dead. But her story is far from over. In this feminist supernatural suspense novel, she will find her peace—and give hell to the man who killed her.
My Sister Is Going to Kill Me by Nina Simon
From the New York Times bestselling author of the runaway hit Mother-Daughter Murder Night, a Reese’s Book Club pick, comes another fun, family-centered whodunnit about two sisters who work together to find a killer as they raft down the rapids of the Grand Canyon.
My Inner Child Wants to Kill by Karsten Dusse
A shady lawyer puts the “meditate” in “premeditated” as he searches for inner peace with blood on his hands the darkly funny and shocking follow-up to Murder Mindfully, now an original series streaming on Netflix.
All We Hide by Robyn Gigl
The Death Row Club by V A Vazquez *Indie Next Pick*
Deb also sent a few reviews to post.
Heart of Glass by Jennifer Hillier (Aug)
ITW Best Novel winner Jennifer Hiller (Jar of Hearts) wrote a twisty “who really did it” when a convicted killer recants his confession to murder to a documentary producer on his deathbed while incarcerated. Filled with savvy nods to the smoke-and-mirrors society we currently live in, the main characters are 2 estranged best friends trapped by the guilt they feel over the death of their third high school best friend and their role in it. No one is as they seem in this fast-paced rollercoaster of a story, which centers around a tragic death at an amusement park. A satisfying ending that you root for long before you know it will come makes this the best kind of thriller read.
One Good Eye by Kevin Wade (Aug)
A sequel to Johnny Careless brings back our protagonist, Police Chief Jeep Mullane, to Long Island to sort out the haves and have-nots, each involved in their brand of criminal activity. Jenny the Pirate, a childhood friend (and perpetual love) of Jeep’s, is being blackmailed over a tragic, secret incident in her past. Does Kevin’s previous history as a writer for Blue Bloods make me imagine Jeep as Tom Selleck? Or is it a flashback to Robert Parker’s Chief Stone? If you like a detective who has a strong moral compass, is conflicted, and is smart, with an ending you totally did not see coming, this series is for you!
All We Hide by Robyn Gigl (Aug)
When a police lieutenant transitions from male to female, her fellow officers give her a hard time in this mystery set in a small town. Pushed into a cold case role to mark time until retirement, our detective decides to investigate a cold case involving a trans victim, with far-reaching consequences. Lauren has always been plagued by two things: not being true to herself and guilt over her mother disappearing from their family after an innocent birthday wish. A forty year old mystery comes crashing down when layers of deception are exposed by Lauren’s dogged determination to discover the truth of her mother’s disappearance, despite the emotional costs. Written by an attorney who has transitioned, this mystery has a surprising emotional depth and is filled with characters so real you might be tempted to reach out and give them a call. Excellent.
The Witches of Cambridge By Alice Hoffman (Sept)
Bestselling author Alice Hoffman has written a dazzling addition to her Practical Magic series with this book about 2 young women, from totally different backgrounds, beginning college in the 1950s. One rich, one poor, one polished and sophisticated, one a farm girl: but both bound together by the secret knowledge that their blood runs black, they possess a mysterious 11th finger, have uncontrolled magical powers and are, unknown to them, the descendants of the original witches of Cambridge. Secret letters, flashbacks to the 1660’s, and the oppression of women in both time periods are woven in but the story of the friendship between the 2 girls shines brightly. Highly recommended.