Dark Intercept is the first in Brian Andrews and Jeffrey Wilson’s new The Shepherds series. When they appeared for a virtual event for The Poisoned Pen, Julia Spencer-Fleming was guest host. You can order a copy of Dark Intercept through the Web Store. https://bit.ly/3kkZKvK
Here is the description of Dark Intercept.
When dark forces rise, are faith and firepower enough? On the eve of his medical retirement, Navy SEAL Jedidiah Johnson receives a frantic call from his estranged childhood best friend David Yarnell. David’s daughter has been kidnapped off the streets of Nashville in broad daylight. The police have no suspects and no leads. The only clue: the body of a dead priest left behind at the scene. With the clock ticking, David is growing desperate, as is his wife, Rachel . . . Jed’s first love.
Despite his painful history with David and Rachel, Jed agrees to help. But he’s spent his career as a door-kicking Navy SEAL, not an investigator. His presence immediately draws unwanted attention, creates friction with the local police, and triggers a mysterious attempt on his life. Just when he thinks things can’t get worse, it starts to happen again—the voices in his head, the nightmares, the visions. Dark memories and strange abilities, things he believed he’d left behind when he fled Nashville for the Navy at eighteen, begin to resurface.
Jed realizes that to save the missing girl, he must take a leap of faith and embrace the gifts he’s denied for all these years. To foil this dark intercept, he’ll need more than just his years as a SEAL operator, because he has no choice now but to take up arms and join the battle in the unseen spiritual warfare raging all around him. And there is far more at stake than just a missing girl: the world is not the place he thought it was—and he is not alone.
Follow the military heroes of The Shepherds series as they bring the power of light into the dark mystery of Sara Beth’s abduction.
Meet the authors, enjoy the conversation with Julia Spencer-Fleming, and check out the offer they make if readers buy Dark Intercept from a “brick-and-mortar” bookstore such as The Poisoned Pen.
Today, Scott Graham, author of the National Park Mystery series, is guest author. Graham’s latest book, Canyonlands Carnage, was just released, and is available through the Web Store now. https://bit.ly/3keEuIa
Before I turn the blog over to Scott, let me introduce him, and Canyonlands Carnage.
SCOTT GRAHAM is the author of the acclaimed National Park Mystery series, featuring archaeologist Chuck Bender and Chuck’s spouse Janelle Ortega. In addition to the National Park Mystery series, Scott is the author of five nonfiction books, including Extreme Kids, winner of the National Outdoor Book Award. Scott is an avid outdoorsman who enjoys backpacking, river rafting, skiing, and mountaineering. He has made a living as a newspaper reporter, magazine editor, radio disk jockey, and coal”“shoveling fireman on the steam”“powered Durango”“Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad. He lives with his spouse, who is an emergency physician, in Durango, Colorado.
Here’s the summary of Canyonlands Carnage.
“A confluence of thrills, history, and mystery as twisty as the Colorado River.” —MICKI BROWNING, author ofShadow Ridge
When suspicious deaths befall a whitewater rafting expedition through Cataract Canyon in Canyonlands National Park, archaeologist Chuck Bender and his family recognize evil intent lies behind the tragedies. They must risk their lives and act before the murderer makes an already deadly journey on the Colorado River through Utah’s red rock wilderness even deadlier—or turns on them instead.
Thank you, Scott, for taking time for this piece.
What I’ve Learned from Lori Rader-Day, Elizabeth Little, and Margaret Mizushima
I’ve always loved reading murder mysteries. Now that I’m writing a mystery series myself, I love reading mysteries all the more—not only for the enjoyment they provide me, but for all I learn from them as well.
As I pore through mysteries these days, I find the one ingredient that continues to hook me into a mystery more than any other after all these years is the author’s personal passion for their subject. No matter what subject a mystery might involve—scuba diving, art heists, ballroom dancing, Scrabble, you name it—the fact that the author cares deeply about their topic invariably draws me into their story.
In last year’s The Lucky One (William Morrow), for example, Lori Rader-Day drew me into the murky world of unidentified Jane Does, introducing me to a fascinating slice of America I barely knew existed. While Rader-Day’s mystery is a terrific read that is fully deserving of all the accolades and award nominations it has received, the many details I learned about the work of citizen sleuths to identify unknown dead bodies made reading it all the richer for me.
Likewise, Elizabeth Little’s 2020 comic mystery Pretty as a Picture (Penguin) took me deep inside the twisted world of modern filmmaking. I laughed out loud at the travails of Little’s troubled film-editor protagonist while vicariously experiencing—and thereby learning lots about—a world far removed from my own.
My friend and fellow writer-in-crime Margaret Mizushima lets her passion for animals shine through in her Timber Creek K-9 series (Crooked Lane Books) featuring sheriff’s deputy Mattie Cobb and Mattie’s K-9 partner Robo. Margaret is married to a veterinarian and helps run his practice in Colorado. The true-life animal stories she shares in each of her mysteries, drawn directly from her veterinary world, are as absorbing to me as the murderously fine mysteries she tells.
I’ve embraced the idea of sharing that which I’m passionate about in my own National Park Mysteries (Torrey House Press), and I believe that has led to the steadily increasing success of each new release in the series.
The central mystery of last year’s Mesa Verde Victim, No. 6 in the series, involves the repatriation of skeletal human remains dug up from ancient Indigenous graves across the West and held by museums around the world for more than a century, while the subject of the seventh installment in my series, Canyonlands Carnage, released Sept. 14, is the vexing issue of water scarcity in the increasingly arid Southwest. Both subjects have long intrigued me, and I have studied them with passionate intensity over many years. I hope sharing my passion for those subjects with my readers enhances their reading experience, just as Lori Rader-Day, Elizabeth Little, and Margaret Mizushima have enhanced mine.
Scott Graham is the National Outdoor Book Award-winning author of the National Park Mystery Series for Torrey House Press. The seventh book in the series, Canyonlands Carnage, was released Sept. 14. More information at scottfranklingraham.com. Here’s the link to his Facebook Live interview on Sept. 4 with Barbara Peters at Poisoned Pen with Margaret Mizushima: https://www.facebook.com/watch/live/?v=146531517646775&ref=watch_permalink.
Or, if you would prefer to go directly to the YouTube link to the event with Margaret Mizushima, here it is.
Kyle Mills’ virtual event at The Poisoned Pen for Enemy at the Gates, the twentieth Mitch Rapp novel, features not only the discussion of the book, but also the history of the series, and even a little history of Thrillerfest. And, if you buy a copy of Enemy at the Gates through the Web Store, you’ll get a signed book plate, and a signed outline page from the book. https://bit.ly/2DvX1MD
Here’s the description of Enemy at the Gates.
Picking up where the “tour de force” (The Providence Journal) Total Power left off, the next thriller in the #1 New York Times bestselling Mitch Rapp series follows the CIA’s top operative as he searches for a high-level mole with the power to rewrite the world order.
Mitch Rapp has worked for a number of presidents over his career, but Anthony Cook is unlike any he’s encountered before. Cunning and autocratic, he feels no loyalty to America’s institutions and is distrustful of the influence Rapp and CIA director Irene Kennedy have in Washington.
Meanwhile, when Kennedy discovers evidence of a mole scouring the Agency’s database for sensitive information on Nicholas Ward, the world’s first trillionaire, she convinces Rapp to take a job protecting him. In doing so, he finds himself walking an impossible tightrope: Keep the man alive, but also use him as bait to uncover a traitor who has seemingly unlimited access to government secrets.
As the attacks on Ward become increasingly dire, Rapp and Kennedy are dragged into a world where the lines between governments, multinational corporations, and the hyper-wealthy fade. An environment in which liberty, nationality, and loyalty are meaningless. Only the pursuit of power remains.
As “one of the best thriller writers on the planet” (The Real Book Spy), Kyle Mills has created another nail-biter that not only echoes the America of today, but also offers a glimpse into its possible future.
#1 New York Times bestselling author Vince Flynn (1966″“2013) created one of contemporary fiction’s most popular heroes: CIA counterterrorist agent Mitch Rapp, featured in thirteen of Flynn’s acclaimed political thrillers. All of his novels are New York Times bestsellers, including his stand-alone debut novel, Term Limits.
Kyle Mills is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of nineteen political thrillers, including Total Power, Lethal Agent, and Red War for Vince Flynn and The Patriot Attack for Robert Ludlum. He initially found inspiration from his father, the former director of Interpol, and still draws on his contacts in the intelligence community to give his books such realism. Avid outdoor athletes, he and his wife have lived in Jackson Hole, Wyoming, for over twenty years. Visit his website at KyleMills.com.
Barbara Peters, owner of The Poisoned Pen, hosted Zoje Stage, author of Baby Teeth, Wonderland, and, now Getaway. There are signed copies of Getaway still available in the Web Store. https://bit.ly/2YR8aCV
Here’s the description of Getaway.
In this terrifying novel from the bestselling “master of the psychological thriller” and author of Baby Teeth (Entertainment Weekly), three friends set off on a hike into the Grand Canyon—only to discover it’s not so easy to leave the world behind.It was supposed to be the perfect week away . . .
Imogen and Beck, two sisters who couldn’t be more different, have been friends with Tilda since high school. Once inseparable, over two decades the women have grown apart. But after Imogen survives a traumatic attack, Beck suggests they all reunite to hike deep into the Grand Canyon’s backcountry. A week away, secluded in nature . . . surely it’s just what they need.
But as the terrain grows tougher, tensions from their shared past bubble up. And when supplies begin to disappear, it becomes clear secrets aren’t the only thing they’re being stalked by. As friendship and survival collide with an unspeakable evil, Getaway becomes another riveting thriller from a growing master of suspense and a “literary horror writer on the rise” (BookPage).
“You won’t blink until you read the last line.” —Publishers Weekly
“A chilling thriller that will definitely make you lose sleep at night.” —PopSugar
“I’ve been waiting for a thriller to capture the emotional depth of women for years. . . . I can’t recommend Getaway enough.” —Tarryn Fisher, New York Times bestselling author of The Wives and The Wrong Family
“Tense, unpredictable, and utterly compelling, Stage’s complex story of friendship and survival is a must-read.” —Karen Dionne, New York Times bestselling author of The Marsh King’s Daughter
“A harrowing, heart-pounding thrill ride.”—Rachel Harrison, author of The Return
Zoje Stage is the USA Today and internationally bestselling author of Baby Teeth and Wonderland. A former filmmaker with a penchant for the dark and suspenseful, she lives in Pittsburgh.
I think you’ll appreciate the conversation, first about Baby Teeth and how a family copes, and then Stage’s Getaway.
Although Dervla McTiernan lives in Perth, Australia, she’s originally from Ireland, so it was an Irish virtual event when Catherine Ryan Howard hosted her for The Poisoned Pen. McTiernan was talking about her latest book, The Good Turn. Copies of her book, and signed copies of Howard’s thriller, 56 Days, are available through the Web Store. https://store.poisonedpen.com/
Here’s the summary of The Good Turn.
Some lines should never be crossed.
Police corruption, an investigation that ends in tragedy, and the mystery of a little girl’s silence—three unconnected events that will prove to be linked by one small town.
While Detective Cormac Reilly faces enemies at work and trouble in his personal life, Garda Peter Fisher is relocated out of Galway with the threat of prosecution hanging over his head. But even that is not as terrible as having to work for his overbearing father, the local copper for the pretty seaside town of Roundstone.
For some, like Anna and her young daughter, Tilly, Roundstone is a refuge from trauma. But even this village on the edge of the sea isn’t far enough to escape from the shadows of evil men.
International no.1 bestseller Dervla McTiernan’s first two novels, The Rúin and The Scholar, were critically acclaimed around the world. Dervla has won multiple prizes, including a Ned Kelly Award, Davitt Awards, a Barry Award, and an International Thriller Writers Award, and has been shortlisted for numerous others. Dervla’s third book, The Good Turn, went straight to no.1 in the bestseller charts, confirming her place as one of Australia’s best and most popular crime writers.
The authors spoke about books, the lockdown for COVID, and other subjects. You’ll want to check out the virtual event.
John Charles from The Poisoned Pen recently hosted six authors who write cozy mysteries and are published by Crooked Lane Books. You can find their books in the Web Store. https://store.poisonedpen.com/
The best way to learn about the books is to either look them up in the Web Store or watch the video. Authors who participated are Lucy Burdette, A Scone of Contention; Katharine Schellman, Silence in the Library; Betty Hechtman, One for the Hooks; Ellen Byron/Marie DiRico, Cajun Kiss of Death (as Ellen Byron); Audrey Keown, Dust to Dust; and Carole Bugge, writing as Elizabeth Blake, Death and Sensibility.
As I said, the best way to learn about the authors and their books is to watch the recent Crooked Lane Cozy Con.
Alice Feeney has just moved into a thatched cottage somewhere in Devon, and she only has one room with Internet. She spoke with Barbara Peters, owner of The Poisoned Pen, from that cottage, and tells a little about it in the virtual event. She really was talking with Peters, though, to discuss her fourth novel, Rock Scissors Paper. You can order a copy through the Web Store. https://bit.ly/2Xtrjr1
Here’s the summary of Rock Paper Scissors.
“Feeney lives up to her reputation as the “queen of the twist”…This page-turner will keep you guessing.” —Real Simple Think you know the person you married? Think again…
Things have been wrong with Mr and Mrs Wright for a long time. When Adam and Amelia win a weekend away to Scotland, it might be just what their marriage needs. Self-confessed workaholic and screenwriter Adam Wright has lived with face blindness his whole life. He can’t recognize friends or family, or even his own wife.
Every anniversary the couple exchange traditional gifts–paper, cotton, pottery, tin–and each year Adam’s wife writes him a letter that she never lets him read. Until now. They both know this weekend will make or break their marriage, but they didn’t randomly win this trip. One of them is lying, and someone doesn’t want them to live happily ever after.
Ten years of marriage. Ten years of secrets. And an anniversary they will never forget.
Rock Paper Scissors is the latest exciting domestic thriller from the queen of the killer twist, New York Times bestselling author Alice Feeney.
ALICE FEENEY is a writer and journalist. She spent fifteen years with BBC News where she worked as a reporter, news editor, arts and entertainment producer, and One O’Clock news producer. Alice has lived in London and Sydney and has now settled in the Surrey countryside, where she lives with her husband and dog. His & Hers is her third novel, after Sometimes I Lie and I Know Who You Are.
Enjoy the conversation about thatched cottages, TV movies, and Rock Paper Scissors.
When Patrick Millikin from The Poisoned Pen says Stuart Neville’s The House of Ashes “Scared the hell out of me”, you know it must be a frightening novel. Neville and Millikin talk about the new book, of course, but they also talk about guitars. You can’t buy all the guitars on Neville’s walls, but you can order a copy of The House of Ashes through the Web Store. https://bit.ly/2X1hOSB
Here’s the description of The House of Ashes.
For fans of Gillian Flynn and Tana French, a chilling story of a Northern Irish murder sixty years buried
Sara Keane’s husband, Damien, has uprooted them from England and moved them to his native Northern Ireland for a “fresh start” in the wake of her nervous breakdown. Sara, who knows no one in Northern Ireland, is jobless, carless, friendless—all but a prisoner in her own house. When a blood-soaked old woman beats on the door, insisting the house is hers before being bundled back to her care facility, Sara begins to understand the house has a terrible history her husband never intended for her to discover. As the two women form a bond over their shared traumas, Sara finds the strength to stand up to her abuser, and Mary—silent for six decades—is finally ready to tell her story . . .
Through the counterpoint voices—one modern Englishwoman, one Northern Irish farmgirl speaking from half a century earlier—Stuart Neville offers a chilling and gorgeous portrait of violence and resilience in this truly haunting narrative.
Stuart Neville, the “king of Belfast noir” (The Guardian), is the author of the short story collection The Traveller, as well as nine novels, for which he has won the Los Angeles Times Book Prize and been shortlisted for the Edgar, Macavity, Dilys, Barry, and Anthony Awards as well as the CWA Steel Dagger. He lives near Belfast.
It’s an interesting conversation with Stuart Neville. Check it out.
Lisa Jewell’s latest thriller is The Night She Disappeared, and she talked about her writing during a recent virtual event for The Poisoned Pen. There are still some signed copies of the book available through the Web Store if you would like to order one. https://bit.ly/3DYMC7H
Here’s the description of The Night SheDisappeared.
“Utterly gripping with richly drawn, hugely compelling characters, this is a first-class thriller with heart.” —Lucy Foley, New York Times bestselling author
“Insane suspense.” —Lee Child, New York Times bestselling author
“Her best thriller yet.” —Harlan Coben, New York Times bestselling author
From the #1 New York Times bestselling author of Then She Was Gone comes another riveting work of psychological suspense about a beautiful young couple’s disappearance on a gorgeous summer night, and the mother who will never give up trying to find them…
On a beautiful summer night in a charming English suburb, a young woman and her boyfriend disappear after partying at the massive country estate of a new college friend.
One year later, a writer moves into a cottage on the edge of the woods that border the same estate. Known locally as the Dark Place, the dense forest is the writer’s favorite area for long walks and it’s on one such walk that she stumbles upon a mysterious note that simply reads, “DIG HERE.”
Could this be a clue towards what has happened to the missing young couple? And what exactly is buried in this haunted ground?
With her signature “rich, dark, and intricately twisted” (Ruth Ware, New York Times bestselling author) prose, Lisa Jewell has crafted a dazzling work of suspense that will keep you on the edge of your seat until the final page.
Lisa Jewell is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of nineteen novels, including The Family Upstairs and Then She Was Gone, as well as Invisible Girl and Watching You. Her novels have sold over 5 million copies internationally, and her work has also been translated into twenty-nine languages. Connect with her on Twitter @LisaJewellUK, on Instagram @LisaJewellUK, and on Facebook @LisaJewellOfficial.
Matthew Hart’s Hot Book of the Week at The Poisoned Pen is Ice Angel. The author of this Alex Turner thriller will be appearing virtually for the bookstore tonight, Thursday, Sept. 9 at 5 PM PDT, 8 PM EDT. Signed copies of the book are available in the Web Store now. https://bit.ly/2WYoz8h
Do you want some of the background of the book before the event? Check out Hart’s article, “Matthew Hart recounts the diamond-studded story that inspired his thriller, “Ice Angels” at The Zoomer Book Club, https://bit.ly/3BYvcWZ.
Here’s the summary of the book.
In this explosive sequel to The Russian Pink, Alex and Lily are thrust into a murderous cat-and-mouse across the Arctic diamond fields, dodging Chinese assassins while at the same time struggling with the personal betrayals that torment their passionate affair.
Alex Turner and his treacherous lover, the Russian diamond thief Slav Lily, are back on the hunt. An American prospector is murdered in the great diamond field of northern Canada—a magical landscape of pristine lakes and granite ridges and scarlet vegetation.
The U.S. government fears that the Chinese billionaire twins who suddenly control the dead prospector’s company are seeking a toehold for their government in this vital northern region.
As we race across the globe with Alex and Lily, Hart keeps a heart-bounding pace with lethal plane chases across the diamond-rich Barrens and a battle between the scheming twins and Mitzi Angel, the murdered prospector’s daughter. All the while, The Ice Angel delves into the dark realpolitik of America’s strategy while untangling the Byzantine motives that drive the diamond trade.
In this explosive sequel to the breakout The Russian Pink, Alex and Lily must struggle with the rivalry, and sometimes the deceit, that wraps their love in its coils.
Matthew Hart is the award-winning author of the book Diamond: The History of a Cold-Blooded Love Affair, was translated into six languages and made into a four-hour dramatic miniseries starring Sir Derek Jacobi and Judy Davis and the book Gold: The Race for the World’s Most Seductive Metal, which was adapted into a National Geographic TV special. He has travelled from the Arctic to Angola in pursuit of diamond stories, which inspired his first thriller, The Russian Pink, also available from Pegasus Books. He lives in New York City.
