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Critic Oline Cogdill recently reviewed Con Lehane’s The Red Scare Murders. Cogdill’s review originally appeared in the South Florida Sun Sentinel. You can order a copy of The Red Scare Murders through the Webstore. https://tinyurl.com/yc7325m2 Thank you, Oline, for sharing the review.

Book review: Private detective mystery meets relevant history lesson in ‘The Red Scare Murders’

‘The Red Scare Murders’ by Con Lehane; Soho Crime; 400 pages; $29.95

Award-winning author Con Lehane melds a solid private detective novel with a satisfying historical look at the communist witch hunt during the McCarthy era of the early 1950s in “The Red Scare Murders.”

In this launch of a new series, Lehane tackles conspiracy theories, racism, power-mad politicians and how families and careers were ruined through blacklisting, while also depicting the intricacies of New York City during this time.

“The Red Scare Murders” introduces Mick Mulligan, a World War II veteran who has reinvented himself as a private detective in New York City. Not long ago, Mick had a successful career as an animator working for a Hollywood studio, with a good salary and a loving family. But he lost his job, family and security when he was blacklisted by the House Un-American Activities Committee for refusing to name colleagues in the entertainment business who might be communists.

Now scraping by with small, simple jobs, Mick is offered a more lucrative but complicated case by labor leader Duke Rogowski, “a lunch-box sort of guy.” Mick worries he lacks the skills to tackle the high stakes involved. He has 15 days to prove the innocence of Harold Williams, a Black cab driver — and member of the Communist party — who is scheduled to be executed for the murder of his wealthy white boss, the owner of the taxi company. Mick is overwhelmed that a man’s life depends on him. Given the times’ racial attitudes and view of communists, Harold still could be executed even if Mick proves him innocent.

And there is a chance Harold is guilty. Mick finds Harold has many friends who believe him innocent but are afraid to speak up, and just as many people who are fixated on Harold’s race and membership in the Communist party.

The timeworn plot device of trying to prove a convicted person innocent gets an energetic approach by grounding the story in politics and history. Lehane adds racial prejudice, politics, the labor movement and the fear of a cab driver strike. Lehane taps into the paranoia of the 1950s with aplomb, with meticulous research into the McCarthy era. He infuses “The Red Scare Murders” with real people, but these occasional references don’t distract from the plot — they put the story in context.

New York City becomes a character in its own right, as Lehane takes the reader by the hand through neighborhood walks. Lehane shows buildings that are now part of the landscape being built, empty lots ready for plans.

Mick is a sturdy character, well-suited for this launch of a new series. Mick is coming to terms with what he has lost and how his moral code won’t allow him to turn in communists to save his career. He knows the authorities don’t care if the people are members of the Communist party, or not, just as long as they have names. It’s a pleasure watching Mick hone his investigative skills and grow confidence. He considers a private detective to be “the finder of lost souls.”

This marks the start of Lehane’s third series, following his previous collections featuring New York City bartender Brian McNulty and the 42nd Street Library.

“The Red Scare Murders” soars as a solid historical novel with relevance to today’s current events.

Guest host and author Karen Odden welcomed Jenna Blum for a virtual discussion at The Poisoned Pen. Blum’s new book in Murder Your Darlings, a departure from the historical fiction she’s written in the past. You can order a signed copy of Murder Your Darlings through the Webstore. https://tinyurl.com/yu3tt72k

Here’s the summary of Murder Your Darlings.

“Authors and book tours, stalkers and deadlines, horrid men and ice cold revenge . . . Murder Your Darlings will have you cracking up while you’re checking under your bed.”—Karin Slaughter, New York Times and #1 internationally bestselling author

For every woman who’s ever fallen for a bad man comes a hilarious and eviscerating tale of love, loss, and deadlines from New York Times bestselling author Jenna Blum.

Known for such brilliant historical novels as Those Who Save Us and The Lost Family, A Mighty Blaze co-founder and New York Times bestselling author Jenna Blum now offers a contemporary, suspenseful novel about love, loss, and revenge in the world of books.

Simone “Sam” Vetiver is a mid-career novelist finishing a lukewarm publicity tour while facing a deadline for a new book on which she’s totally blocked. Recently divorced, Sam is worrying where her life is going when she receives glowing fan mail from stratospherically successful author William Corwyn, renowned for his female-centric novels. When William and Sam meet and his literary sympathy is as intense as their chemistry, both writers think they’ve found The One.

But as in their own novels, things between Sam and William are not what they seem. William has multiple stalkers, including a scarily persistent one named The Rabbit. He lives on a remote Maine island, where his writer life resembles The Shining. And when writers turn up dead, including from The Darlings support group William runs, Sam has to ask: Is it The Rabbit—William’s #1 Stalker? Another woman scorned? Can William be everything he seems?

Narrated by Sam, William, and The Rabbit, Murder Your Darlings is a wickedly witty look at today’s literary landscape and down-the-rabbit-hole tale of how far people will go for love.

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Jenna Blum is the New York Times and # 1 internationally bestselling author of novels Those Who Save Us, The Stormchasers, and The Lost Family; memoir Woodrow on the Bench; audiocourse “The Author at Work: The Art of Writing Fiction” and original podcast The Key of Love. Jenna is CEO and Co-Founder of online author interview platform A Mighty Blaze and one of Oprah.com readers’ Top 30 Women Writers. Jenna earned her MA in Creative Writing at Boston University and has taught workshops for Boston University, Grub Street Writers, A Mighty Blaze, and numerous other institutions for over 25 years. She interviewed Holocaust survivors for Steven Spielberg’s Survivors of the Shoah Visual History Foundation and is a professional public speaker, traveling nationally and internationally to speak about her work. Jenna is based in Boston. For more about Jenna, please visit www.jennablum.com and follow her on Facebook, Twitter/X, Instagram, TikTok, and Substack.  

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Enjoy Karen Odden’s discussion with Jenna Blum.

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On Tuesday, Mystery Writers of America announced the 2025 Edgar Award Nominees. If you’d like to pick up some before the award ceremony in April, check the Webstore. https://store.poisonedpen.com/. Congratulations to the nominees!

Mystery Writers of America Announces 2026 Edgar Allan Poe Award Nominations

For Immediate Release

Website                             

January 20, 2026, New York, NY – Mystery Writers of America is proud to announce, as we celebrate the 217^th anniversary of the birth of Edgar Allan Poe, the nominees for the 2026 Edgar Allan Poe Awards, honoring the best in mystery fiction, nonfiction and television published or produced in 2025. The 80^th Annual Edgar® Awards will be celebrated on April 29, 2026, at the Marriott Marquis Times Square.

BEST NOVEL

The Big Empty by Robert Crais (Penguin Random House – G.P. Putnam’s Sons)

Fagin the Thief by Allison Epstein (Penguin Random House – Doubleday)
The Dream Hotel by Laila Lalami (Penguin Random House – Pantheon Books)
Wild Dark Shore by Charlotte McConaghy (Macmillan Publishers – Flatiron Books)

Hard Town by Adam Plantinga (Hachette Book Group – Grand Central Publishing)

The Inheritance by Trisha Sakhlecha (Penguin Random House – Pamela Dorman Books)

Presumed Guilty by Scott Turow (Hachette Book Group – Grand Central Publishing)

BEST FIRST NOVEL BY AN AMERICAN AUTHOR
 
Killer Potential by Hannah Deitch (HarperCollins – William Morrow)
All the Other Mothers Hate Me by Sarah Harman (Penguin Random House – G.P. Putnam’s Sons)
Dead Money by Jakob Kerr (Penguin Random House – Bantam Books)
Johnny Careless by Kevin Wade (Macmillan Publishers – Celadon Books)
History Lessons by Zoe B. Wallbrook (Soho Press – Soho Crime)

BEST PAPERBACK ORIGINAL
 
Listen by Sacha Bronwasser (Penguin Random House – Penguin Books)

The Sideways Life of Denny Voss by Holly Kennedy (Amazon Publishing – Lake Union)

Broke Road by Matthew Spencer (Amazon Publishing – Thomas & Mercer)

The Backwater by Vikki Wakefield (Sourcebooks – Poisoned Pen Press)

One Death at a Time by Abbi Waxman (Penguin Random House – Berkley)

BEST FACT CRIME

They Poisoned the World: Life and Death in the Age of Forever Chemicals by Mariah Blake (Penguin Random House – Crown)
Blood and the Badge: The Mafia, Two Killer Cops, and a Scandal That Shocked the Nation by Michael Cannell (Macmillan Publishers – Minotaur Books)
Murderland: Crime and Bloodlust in the Time of Serial Killers by Caroline Fraser (Penguin Random House – Penguin Press)
Out of the Woods: A Girl, a Killer, and a Lifelong Struggle to Find the Way Home by Gregg Olsen (Amazon Publishing – Thomas & Mercer)
Story of a Murder: The Wives, the Mistress, and Dr. Crippen by Hallie Rubenhold (Penguin Random House – Dutton)

BEST CRITICAL/BIOGRAPHICAL
 
V is for Venom: Agatha Christie’s Chemicals of Death by Kathryn Harkup (Bloomsbury – Sigma)
The Kingdom of Cain: Finding God in the Literature of Darkness by Andrew Klavan (HarperCollins Christian Publishing – Zondervan)
Edgar Allan Poe: A Life by Richard Kopley (University of Virginia Press)
Cooler Than Cool: The Life and Work of Elmore Leonard by C.M. Kushins (HarperCollins Publishers – Mariner Books)
Criss-Cross: The Making of Hitchcock’s Dazzling, Subversive Masterpiece Strangers on a Train by Stephen Rebello (Hachette Book Group – Running Press)
 
 BEST SHORT STORY

“Reading at Night,” The Strand Magazine by Graham Greene (The Strand Magazine)

“The One That Got Away,” Ellery Queen Mystery Magazine – January-February 2025 by Charlaine Harris (Must Read Books Publishing)
“Orphan X: A Mysterious Profile,” by Gregg Hurwitz (Penzler Publishers – Mysterious Press)

“Lucky Heart,” Blood on the Bayou – Case Closed by Tim Maleeny (Down & Out Books)
“The Kill Clause,” Amazon Original Stories by Lisa Unger (Amazon Publishing)

“Julius Katz Draws a Straight Flush,” Alfred Hitchcock Mystery Magazine – September-October 2025 by Dave Zeltserman (Must Read Books Publishing)

BEST JUVENILE

Montgomery Bonbon: Murder at the Museum by Alasdair Beckett-King (Candlewick Press)

What Happened Then by Erin Soderberg Downing (Scholastic Press)
A Study in Secrets by Debbi Michiko Florence (Simon & Schuster – Aladdin)

Blood in the Water by Tiffany D. Jackson (Scholastic Press)
The Midwatch Institute for Wayward Girls by Judith Rossell (Penguin Young Readers – Dial)

Mystery James Digs Her Own Grave by Ally Russell (Random House Children’s Books – Delacorte Press)
 
BEST YOUNG ADULT
 
Under the Same Stars by Libba Bray (Macmillan Publishers – Farrar, Straus and Giroux BFYR)
Catch Your Death by Ravena Guron (Sourcebooks – Sourcebooks Fire)
This is Where We Die by Cindy R.X. He (Sourcebooks – Sourcebooks Fire)
The Scammer by Tiffany D. Jackson (HarperCollins Children’s Books – Quill Tree Books)
Codebreaker by Jay Martel (St. Martin’s Publishing Group – Wednesday Books)

BEST TELEVISION EPISODE TELEPLAY

“End of the Line” – Ballard, Written by Michael Alaimo & Kendall Sherwood (Amazon/Fabel)
“Pilot” – Paradise, Written by Dan Fogelman (Hulu)
“Episode 101” – The Lowdown, Written by Sterlin Harjo (FX on Hulu)
“These Girls” – Long Bright River, Written by Nikki Toscano & Liz Moore (Peacock)
“Ye’iitsoh (Big Monster)” – Dark Winds, Written by John Wirth & Steven Paul Judd (AMC)

 
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OUR OTHER AWARDS

ROBERT L. FISH MEMORIAL AWARD – Endowed by the family of Robert L. Fish.

“A Textbook Example,” Sacramento Noir by Luis Avalos (Akashic Books)

“How It Happened,” Ellery Queen Mystery Magazine, July-August 2025 by Billie Kay Fern (Must Read Books Publishing)

“Baggage,” Ellery Queen Mystery Magazine, January-February 2025 by Rick Marcou (Must Read Books Publishing)

“Bloodsurf,” Hollywood Kills by Tiffany D. Plunkett (Level Best Books – Level Short)

“Grand Theft Auto in the Heart of Screenland,” Hollywood Kills by Robert Rotstein (Level Best Books – Level Short)

THE SIMON & SCHUSTER MARY HIGGINS CLARK AWARD – Presented on behalf of Simon & Schuster.
 
Five Found Dead by Sulari Gentill (Sourcebooks – Poisoned Pen Press)

Savvy Summers and the Sweet Potato Crimes by Sandra Jackson-Opoku (Macmillan Publishers – Minotaur Books)
No Comfort for the Dead by R.P. O’Donnell (Crooked Lane Books)
All This Could Be Yours by Hank Phillippi Ryan (Macmillan Publishers – Minotaur Books)
Last Dance Before Dawn by Katharine Schellman (Macmillan Publishers – Minotaur Books)
 
THE G.P. PUTNAM’S SONS SUE GRAFTON MEMORIAL AWARD – Presented on behalf of G.P. Putnam’s Sons.
 
Cold as Hell by Kelley Armstrong (Macmillan Publishers – Minotaur Books)

Rage: A Novel by Linda Castillo (Macmillan Publishers – Minotaur Books)

Fallen Star by Lee Goldberg (Amazon Publishing – Thomas & Mercer)

The Red Letter by Daniel G. Miller (Sourcebooks – Poisoned Pen Press)

Gone in the Night by Joanna Schaffhausen (Macmillan Publishers – Minotaur Books)

THE LILIAN JACKSON BRAUN MEMORIAL AWARD – Endowed by the estate of Lilian Jackson Braun.

Mrs. Christie at the Mystery Guild Library by Amandah Chapman (Penguin Random House – Berkley)

A Senior Citizen’s Guide to Life on the Run by Gwen Florio (Severn House)

The Marigold Cottages Murder Collective by Jo Nichols (Macmillan Publishers – Minotaur Books)

Murder Two Doors Down by Chuck Storla (Crooked Lane Books)

Vera Wong’s Guide to Snooping (On a Dead Man) by Jesse Q. Sutanto (Penguin Random House – Berkley)

SPECIAL AWARDS

PREVIOUSLY ANNOUNCED ON JANUARY 13, 2026

GRAND MASTER

Donna Andrews

Lee Child

RAVEN AWARD

Book Passage, Corte Madera CA

ELLERY QUEEN AWARD

John Scognamiglio, Kensington Books

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The Edgar Awards, or “Edgars,” as they are commonly known, are named after MWA’s patron saint Edgar Allan Poe and are presented to authors of distinguished work in various categories. MWA is the premier organization for mystery writers, professionals allied to the crime-writing field, aspiring crime writers, and those who are devoted to the genre. The organization encompasses some 3,000 members including authors of fiction and non-fiction books, screen and television writers, as well as publishers, editors, and literary agents.
 
Mystery Writers of America would like to emphasize our commitment to diversity and fairness in judging of the Edgar Awards. Judges are selected from every region of the country, from every sub-category of our genre, and from every demographic to ensure fairness and impartiality.

Pat King welcomed Jim Butcher, author of The Dresden Files series, for a virtual appearance at The Poisoned Pen. The two discussed Butcher’s books, including his new one, Twelve Months. You can order a copy of the book through the Webstore. https://tinyurl.com/mvbe82su.

Here’s the description of Twelve Months.

Harry Dresden, Chicago’s only professional wizard, has always managed to save the day—but, in this powerful entry in the #1 New York Times bestselling Dresden Files, can he save himself?

One year. 365 days. Twelve months.

Harry Dresden has been through a lot, and so has his city. After Harry and his allies narrowly managed to save Chicago from being razed to the ground, everything is different—and it’s not just the current lack of electricity.

In the battle, Harry lost people he cared about. And that’s the kind of loss that takes a toll. Harry being Harry, he’s doing his level best to help the city and his friends recover and rebuild. But it’s a heavy load, and he needs time. 

But time is one thing Harry doesn’t have. Ghouls are prowling Chicago and taking out innocent civilians. Harry’s brother is dying, and Harry doesn’t know how to help him. And last but certainly not least, the Winter Queen of the Fae has allied with the White Court of vampires—and Harry’s been betrothed to the seductive, deadly vampire Lara Raith to seal the deal. 

It’s been a tough year. More than ever, the city needs Harry Dresden the wizard—but after loss and grief, is there enough left of Harry Dresden the man to rise to the challenge?

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Jim Butcher is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of the Dresden Files, the Codex Alera, and the Cinder Spires novels. He lives in the Rocky Mountains of Colorado.

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Enjoy the conversation with Jim Butcher.

Pat King recently welcomed Jeff Rake and Rob Hart to The Poisoned Pen to talk about their science fiction novel, Detour. It’s also a political thriller. There are signed copies of Detour available through the Webstore. https://tinyurl.com/mry8b7zb

Here’s the summary of Detour.

A space shuttle flight crew discovers that the Earth they’ve returned to is not the home they left behind in the first book of this emotional, mind-bending thriller series from the creator of the hit Netflix show Manifest and the bestselling author of The Warehouse.

“If The Martian and The Twilight Zone had a baby, it would be Detour—a thriller that messes with your head as you scramble to piece together what’s really going on.”—Steve Netter, Best Thriller Books

Ryan Crane wasn’t looking for trouble—just a cup of coffee. But when this cop spots a gunman emerging from an unmarked van, he leaps into action and unknowingly saves John Ward, a billionaire with presidential aspirations, from an assassination attempt.

As thanks for Ryan’s quick thinking, Ward offers him the chance of a lifetime: to join a group of lucky civilians chosen to accompany three veteran astronauts on the first manned mission to Saturn’s moon Titan.

A devoted family man, Ryan is reluctant to leave on this two-year expedition, yet with the encouragement of his loving wife—and an exorbitant paycheck guaranteeing lifetime care for their disabled son—he crews up and ventures into a new frontier.

But as the ship is circling Titan, it is rocked by an unexplained series of explosions. The crew works together to get back on course, and they return to Earth as heroes.

When the fanfare dies down, Ryan and his fellow astronauts notice that things are different. Some changes are good, such as lavish upgrades to their homes, but others are more disconcerting. Before the group can connect, mysterious figures start tailing them, and their communications are scrambled.

Separated and suspicious, the crew must uncover the truth and decide how far they’re willing to go to return to their normal lives. Just when their space adventure seemingly ends, it shockingly begins.

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Jeff Rake recently served as creator, executive producer, writer, and showrunner for NBC/Netflix’s Manifest. He previously developed and executive produced The Mysteries of Laura, which aired for multiple seasons on NBC and in more than one hundred countries. His past credits include consulting producer on The CW’s Beauty and the Beast, TNT’s Franklin & Bash and Hawthorne, and Fox’s Bones. Rake also executive produced ABC’s Cashmere Mafia and Boston Legal, NBC’s Miss Match, and Fox’s The $treet. On the feature side, he has written screenplays for MGM and Disney. He lives in Los Angeles with his wife and their many children.

Rob Hart is the USA Today bestselling author of the Assassins Anonymous series, as well as The Paradox Hotel, which was nominated for a Lambda Literary Award, and The Warehouse, which was translated into more than twenty languages. He also wrote the novella Scott Free with James Patterson, the comic book Blood Oath with Alex Segura, and the novel Dark Space, also with Segura. He lives in Jersey City.

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Enjoy the conversation with Jeff Rake and Rob Hart.

Author Jenn McKinlay welcomed Sophie Hannah to The Poisoned Pen Bookstore. They discussed Hannah’s latest novel, No One Would Do What the Lamberts Have Done. There are signed copies available in the Webstore. https://tinyurl.com/8njp6cmd

Here’s the summary of No One Would Do What the Lamberts Have Done.

The twistiest murder mystery you are ever likely to read? A story about a family that does the unthinkable?

Both? Or something else altogether?

You think it will never happen to you.

The doorbell. The policeman. The words that turn your world inside out: I’m afraid there’s been an incident…

For Sally Lambert, those words mean only one thing—danger. Not just for her family, but for Champ, their loyal and beloved dog. A single accusation, a neighbor’s grudge, and suddenly the Lamberts are trapped in a nightmare with no escape.

Unless they make one.

Most people would never run. Most people would never leave behind everything they know to protect an animal who can’t defend himself. But for Sally, Champ is more than a dog—he’s one of her children. And most people aren’t the Lamberts. 

No one has ever done this before. No one has ever gone this far. But the Lamberts have never been quite like any other family…

New York Times bestselling author Sophie Hannah spins an unexpected tale of suspense in No One Would Do What the Lamberts Have Done, an unsettling reflection on how far we’ll go for those we love.

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SOPHIE HANNAH is an internationally bestselling crime fiction writer whose books have sold millions of copies worldwide. Her crime novels have been translated into 49 languages and published in 51 countries. Sophie published The Monogram Murders and Closed Casket, the first new Hercule Poirot mysteries since Agatha Christie’s death, both of which were international bestsellers. Sophie helped to create a Master’s Degree in Crime and Thriller Writing at the University of Cambridge, for which she is the main teacher and Course Director. She lives with her family in Cambridge.

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Enjoy the conversation with Sophie Hannah and Jenn McKinaly.

Critic Oline Cogdill recently review Lori Rader-Day’s novel, Wreck Your Heart in the South Florida Sun-Sentinel. We’re grateful she shares those reviews with us. You can order copies of Wreck Your Heart through The Poisoned Pen’s Webstore, https://tinyurl.com/2nk72u7f.

Book review: ‘Wreck Your Heart’ hits all the right notes (and tropes of country music)

‘Wreck Your Heart’ by Lori Rader-Day; Minotaur; $29; 352 pages

Chicago could hardly be confused with Nashville as the country music capital, but the Windy City does have a thriving music scene, and award-winning author Lori Rader-Day hits all the right notes in her rhythmic “Wreck Your Heart.”

Rader-Day keeps the breezy plot of “Wreck Your Heart” in key with all the tropes of country music — lost love, family, a good bar, cowboy boots and more. There’s probably a dog and a truck somewhere in “Wreck Your Heart.” Yet, Rader-Day never makes the book feel gimmicky, using those references to enhance and set the mood in her solid story.

Readers will believe they hear a familiar twang in this brisk, highly entertaining tale of Dahlia “Doll” Devine, who has pinned her dreams on being a country music star. She just needs a break. But like in any good country song, Dahlia first must hit her lowest time.

In the middle of a Chicago winter, Dahlia is evicted because Joey, her boyfriend of three years, ran off with the little bit of savings the couple had. For some reason, their landlord frowned on the rent being behind months. (Another country motif.) Dahlia is used to a hard-knock life that began in her childhood with a mother addicted to drugs.

Dahlia heads back to McPhee’s Tavern, a place where she practically grew up and whose owner, Alex, has been like a father to her. At least at McPhee’s, Dahlia has a steady gig singing with her band, can earn extra money bartending and can always stay in the upstairs apartment. Of course, along the way to McPhee’s, she falls in a snowdrift, almost loses one of her boots while carrying her few meager belongings in a torn garbage bag (country song alert!) that the landlord allowed her to gather in 10 minutes. Of course, she had to take her glittery and fringed dresses.

Dahlia finds comfort in country music, which is “three chords and the truth. The truth, like a gong inside your soul,” she says. But then her estranged mother shows up, a young woman claiming to be a younger sister she has never met arrives, and there’s a dead body in the alley behind McPhee’s. Naturally, Dahlia knows the deceased. At least she has the makings for a country song.

Rader-Day keeps “Wreck Your Heart” loaded with Chicago atmosphere and lore. McPhee’s is an old-fashioned Chicago bar, still standing despite being surrounded by development. The bar also is rumored to be one of the places where Al Capone and his mobsters hid their loot, which may — if it ever existed — still be there.

Rader-Day’s award-winning novels are standalones, each featuring unique and different appealing characters. Dahlia is a survivor, refusing to give up her dreams, no matter how her heart breaks. Readers will root for her and hope, somehow, she gets a recording contract.

“Wreck Your Heart” sings. One expects Reba McEntire to show up to cheer on Dahlia.

Barbara Peters, owner of The Poisoned Pen, is heading out on a lengthy trip, so she hosted May Cobb and Ashley Winstead for an early release for both books. May Cobb’s new book is All the Little Houses. Winstead’s new book is The Future Saints. There are signed copies of both books available in the Webstore. https://store.poisonedpen.com/

Here’s the summary of All the Little Houses.

“May Cobb’s most explosive book yet. And trust me, that’s saying a lot.” — Jeneva Rose

“Nobody does explosive and twisted like May Cobb does it.” —Lisa Jewell

Adults can behave badly too…

It’s the mid-1980s in the tiny town of Longview, Texas. Nellie Anderson, the beautiful daughter of the Anderson family dynasty, has burst onto the scene. She always gets what she wants. What she can’t get for herself… well, that’s what her mother is for. Because Charleigh Andersen, blond, beautiful, and ruthlessly cunning, remembers all too well having to claw her way to the top. When she was coming of age on the poor side of East Texas, she was a loser, an outcast, humiliated, and shunned by the in-crowd, whose approval she’d so desperately thirsted for. When a prairie-kissed family moves to town, all trad wife, woodworking dad, wholesome daughter vibes, Charleigh’s entire self-made social empire threatens to crumble.

Who will be left standing when the dust settles?

From the author of The Hunting Wives comes a deliciously wicked new thriller about mean girls, mean moms, and the delicious secrets inside all the little houses.

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MAY COBB is the award-winning author of The Hollywood Assistant, A Likeable Woman, My Summer Darlings, and The Hunting Wives, which is being adapted into an 8-episode series for STARZ. She earned her MA in literature from San Francisco State University and her essays and interviews have appeared in The Washington Post, Texas Highways, Good Housekeeping, and more. A Texas native, she lives in Austin with her family.

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Check out the description of Ashley Winstead’s The Future Saints.

A most anticipated book from Goodreads, Woman’s World, Brit + Co, and more!

For fans of Daisy Jones and the Six and In Five Years—a powerful, and transportive new novel about a music executive desperately trying to bring a rock band back from the brink, from bestselling author Ashley Winstead.

The best love stories are the ones you don’t expect.

When record executive Theo meets the Future Saints, they’re bombing at a dive bar in their hometown. Since the tragic death of their manager, the band has been in a downward spiral and Theo has been dispatched to coax a new—and successful—album out of them, or else let them go.

Immediately, Theo is struck by Hannah, the group’s impetuous lead singer, who’s gone off script by debuting a whole new sound, replacing their California pop with gut-wrenching rock. When this new music goes viral, striking an unexpected chord with fans, Theo puts his career on the line to give the Saints one last shot at success with a new tour, new record, and new start.

But Hannah’s grief has larger consequences for the group, and her increasingly destructive antics become a distraction as she and her sister Ginny—her lifelong partner in crime—undermine Theo at every turn. Hannah isn’t ready to move on or prepared for the fame she’s been chasing, and the weight of her problems jeopardize the band, her growing closeness with Theo, and, worst of all, her relationship with her sister—all while the world watches closely. The Future Saints’s big break is here—if only they can survive it.

A novel about sisterhood, friendship, and the ghosts that haunt us, The Future Saints is “a mesmerizing look at grief, love, and the music industry that’s so raw and emotional, you’ll want to play it on repeat” (Laura Hankin, author of One-Star Romance).

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Ashley Winstead is an academic turned novelist with a PhD in contemporary American literature. She lives in Houston with her husband, three cats, and beloved wine fridge. Find out more at AshleyWinstead.com. 

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Enjoy Barbara Peters’ conversation with May Cobb and Ashley Winstead.

Barbara Peters, owner of The Poisoned Pen, welcomed John McMahon back to the bookstore. Inside Man follows Head Cases, a novel featuring PAR, an FBI team that specializes in Patterns and Recognition. There are signed copies of Inside Man available through the Webstore. https://tinyurl.com/uathfve8

Here’s the description of Inside Man.

In this sequel to McMahon’s electrifying series debut, Head Cases, Gardner Camden and the PAR team return to investigate potentially connected cases.

FBI Agent Gardner Camden is an analytical genius with an affinity for puzzles. He and his squad of brilliant yet quirky agents make up the Patterns and Recognition (PAR) unit, the FBI’s hidden edge, brought in for cases that no one else can solve.

PAR’s latest case involves a militia group stockpiling weapons. When their confidential informant in the case is killed, it quickly becomes clear that the militia did not kill him.

As the squad looks into the evidence surrounding his murder, an unidentified man is caught on camera with their informant. This mystery man’s picture is connected to another case at the FBI, an unsolved series of murdered women, buried in the ground in north Florida. Could they have uncovered a serial killer? And if so, what is his connection to their C.I.?

As PAR juggles an investigation into both the dead women and the militia, they enroll a new informant, only to find the case escalating in dangerous ways. How will PAR handle a case that increasingly looks like a terrorist plot? And in the serial case, with no puzzles or witnesses, and few leads, how will a group set up to decode riddles be successful?

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If you like this series, you’ll want to watch the video. If you’re unfamiliar with John McMahon’s Head Cases series, check it out.

Barbara Peters, owner of The Poisoned Pen, welcomed Amy Pease back to the bookstore to discuss her second book in the Northwoods series, Wildwood. There are signed copies on order, so you can order your copy through the Webstore. https://tinyurl.com/4a23hcbp

Here’s the description of Wildwood.

“Amy Pease proves herself a master of modern literary crime fiction.” —Danielle Trussoni,New York Times bestselling author

From the award-winning author of the “riveting debut” (People) Northwoods, a mother-son law enforcement team confront buried secrets in their small town as they work to expose a conspiracy that goes far beyond the tight-knit community.

Deputy Sheriff Eli North has spent the last year getting his life back together. He hasn’t touched a drop of alcohol, he’s working through his PTSD from his military deployment, and he’s repairing his most important relationships. When an undercover informant disappears and all signs point to murder, Eli must expose the dark underbelly of his idyllic Wisconsin small town while safeguarding his newfound stability.

Then, with the unexpected arrival of FBI Agent Alyssa Mason, Eli and his mother, the sheriff, are pulled deeper into a violent criminal network built on the backs of the lost and forgotten.

As the case deepens, loyalties fracture and the line between justice and survival begins to blur. In a town where everyone has something to hide, exposing the truth may cost them everything.

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Enjoy the discussion of Wildwood.