About a month ago, I wrote a post and included author Becky Masterman’s letter about her latest Brigid Quinn novel, We Were Killers Once. https://bit.ly/2FReQ7U
Masterman talked about the novel, and its connection to Truman Capote’s In Cold Blood. You can read that post at the link above, and you can still order signed copies of that book, or copies of Masterman’s other books, through the Web Store. https://bit.ly/2HB0hGz
Why am I bringing it up again? Ray Palen just gave We Were Killers Once a rave review at CriminalElement.com. You can read the entire review here. https://bit.ly/2XKSQpe
Washington, D.C. has always been a city of scandal. Chris DeRose discusses one of those scandals that led to a trial in his new book, Star Spangled Scandal: Sex, Murder, and the Trial that Changed America. He launched the book at The Poisoned Pen. You can order signed copies of the book through the Web Store. https://bit.ly/2Xl5Pde
Here’s the description of Star Spangled Scandal.
“… and sir I do assure you he has as much the use of your wife as you have.”
— From an anonymous note delivered to Congressman Daniel Sickles on February 24, 1859
It is two years before the Civil War, and Congressman Daniel Sickles and his lovely wife Teresa are popular fixtures in Washington, D.C. society. Their house sits on Lafayette Square across from White House grounds, and the president himself is godfather to the Sickles’ six-year-old daughter. Because Congressman Sickles is frequently out of town, he trusts his friend, U.S. Attorney Philip Barton Key—son of Francis Scott Key—to escort the beautiful Mrs. Sickles to parties in his absence. Revelers in D.C. are accustomed to the sight of the congressman’s wife with the tall, Apollo-like Philip Barton Key, who is considered “the handsomest man in all Washington society… foremost among the popular men of the capital.”
Then one day an anonymous note sets into motion a tragic course of events that culminates in a shocking murder in broad daylight in Lafayette Square.
This is the riveting true story of the murder and trial that sparked a national debate on madness, male honor, female virtue, fidelity, and the rule of law. Bestselling author Chris DeRose (The Presidents’ War) uses diary entries, letters, newspaper accounts, and eyewitness testimonies to bring the characters to thrilling life in this antebellum true crime history.
*****
If you’d like to hear Chris DeRose talk about Star Spangled Scandal, you can watch the program.
In case you’re not on the mailing list for The Poisoned Pen, here’s the list of July events. Can’t make it? You can still get signed copies of books through the Web Store. https://store.poisonedpen.com
The Poisoned Pen July Events Schedule Events are at 7 PM at The Poisoned Pen Bookstore unless otherwise noted.
07/01 (Mon) Paul Doiron signs Almost Midnight. (St Martins $27.99) Mike Bowditch #10 07/09 (Tues) Adrian McKinty in conversation with Diana Gabaldon. McKinty signs The Chain, (LittleBrown $28) Gabaldon will sign any of her books purchased at the event from The Poisoned Pen. 07/10 (Wed) Spencer Quinn signs Heart of Barkness. (Forge $25.99) Chet & Bernie #9 07/11 (Thurs) Ace Atkins signs Shameless. (Putnam $27) Quinn Colson #9 07/13 (Sat) 2:00 PM Mystery Tea. Alison Gaylin signs Never Look Back. (Morrow $26.99) 07/14 (Sun) 2:00 PM Linda Castillo signs Shamed. (St Martins $26.99) Amish Police Chief Kate Burkholder #11. Stuart Turton signs The 71/2 Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle. (Sourcebooks $16.99) Prize-winning British debut 07/15 (Mon) Christina Alger signs Girls Like Us. (Putnam $26) David Bell signs Layover. (Berkley $26 or $16.99) J Todd Scott signs This Side of Night. (Putnam $26) 07/16 (Tues) Mark Greaney and Rip Rawlings sign Red Metal. (Berkley $27) 07/17 (Wed) David Rosenfelt signs Bark of Night. (St Martins $27.99) Andy Carpenter #19 07/20 (Sat) Daniel Silva ticketed event. Please call to check on single tickets remaining. Companion tickets are sold out.You may order Gabriel Allon 19, The New Girl, in the usual way. (Harper $28.99) 07/27 (Sat) 2:00 PM Emily Devenport signs Medusa in the Graveyard. (Tor $18.99) The Medusa Cycle #20 7/29 (Mon) Mark Greaney hosts and signs Red Metal. (Berkley $27). Jack Carr signs True Believer. (Atria $28) Terminal List #2. Stephen Hunter signs Game of Snipers. (Putnam $27) Bob Lee Swagger
JULY DISCUSSION CLUBS
Coffee & Crime: Saturday July 13 10:30 AM Laura Childs, Death by Darjeeling ($7.99) SciFi Friday: July 19 7:00 PM Thomas Olde Heuvelt, Hex ($16.99) Croak & Dagger: Saturday July 20 10:30 AM Philip Margolin, The Third Victim ($9.99 )Hardboiled Crime: Thursday June 25 7:00 PM Frederic Brown, Madball ($9.99)
Brad Thor’s latest Scot Harvath thriller, Backlash, is the current Hot Book of the Week at The Poisoned Pen. You can order a signed copy of Backlash, and check for copies of Thor’s other books, in the Web Store. https://bit.ly/2FFYbE8
Here’s the summary of Backlash.
“Raw emotion, nonstop action, and relentless pacing makes Backlashanother one-night read from Brad Thor, who delivers the book to beat in 2019.” —The Real Book Spy
#1 New York Times, #1 Wall Street Journal, and #1 Publishers Weekly bestselling author Brad Thor is back with his most gripping thriller yet!
In ancient texts, there are stories about men who struck from the shadows, seemingly beyond the reach of death itself. These men were considered part angel, part demon. Their loyalty was to their families, their friends, and their kings. You crossed these men at your peril. And once crossed, there was no crossing back.
They were fearless; men of honor who have been known throughout history by different names: Spartan, Viking, Samurai.
Today, men like these still strike from the shadows. They are highly prized intelligence agents, military operatives, and assassins.
One man is all three.
Two days ago, that man was crossed—badly.
Now, far from home and surrounded by his enemy, Scot Harvath must battle his way out.
With no support, no cavalry coming, and no one even aware of where he is, it will take everything he has ever learned to survive.
But survival isn’t enough. Harvath wants revenge.
In the most explosive novel Brad Thor has ever written, page after captivating page of action, intrigue, loyalty, and betrayal will keep you hooked until the very last sentence.
Barbara Peters, owner of The Poisoned Pen, claims Arizona doesn’t get enough attention from the crime fiction world. She hosted two debut authors the other day who set their books, or part of their crime novels, in Arizona. Ellen LaCorte’s The Perfect Fraud is partially set in Sedona. Girl in the Rearview Mirror by Kelsey Rae Dimberg is set in Phoenix. Signed copies of both debut novels are available through the Web Store. https://store.poisonedpen.com/
Here’s the description of The Perfect Fraud.
In this propulsive debut thriller, two women with deep secrets are thrown together by an unexpected meeting that plunges both their lives into chaos. But it’s a sick little girl whose fate hangs in the balance.
Motherhood is tough. But then, so is daughterhood. When we first meet Claire, she’s living in Sedona, Arizona with her boyfriend Cal and ducking calls from her mother. Her mom is a world class psychic on the East Coast and Claire doesn’t want her to discover the truth. Claire works in the family business and calls herself a psychic, but she doesn’t really have “the gift” and hasn’t for a long time. She’s a fraud.
Meanwhile, on the other side of the country, Rena, a young mother, has family issues of her own. She’s divorced and her four-year-old daughter, Stephanie, suffers from mysterious, seemingly incurable stomach problems. No matter how many specialists Rena drags her to, no matter how many mommy-blog posts she makes about her child’s health issues, trying to get help and support from her online community, Stephanie only gets sicker.
When Claire and Rena meet by chance on an airplane, their carefully constructed lives begin to explode. Can these two women help each other and can they help Stephanie before it’s too late?
*****
Here’s the description of Kelsey Rae Dimberg’s Girl in the Rearview Mirror.
“With hairpin twists and immense psychological acuity, Kelsey Rae Dimberg’s Girl in the Rearview Mirror is as seductive as the glamorous, privileged family at its center—and as cunning. An exciting, intoxicating debut, it will hold you until its startling final pages.”
— Megan Abbott, bestselling author of Dare Me and Give Me Your Hand
I never meant to lie. That is, I never wanted to.
They are Phoenix’s First Family: handsome Philip Martin, son of the sitting Senator, an ex-football player who carries himself with an easy grace and appears destined to step into his father’s seat when the time is right; his wife Marina, the stylish and elegant director of Phoenix’s fine arts museum; and their four-year-old daughter Amabel, beautiful and precocious and beloved.
Finn Hunt is working a dull office job to pay off her college debt when she meets Philip and charms Amabel. She eagerly agrees to nanny, thinking she’s lucked into the job of a lifetime. Though the glamour of the Martins’ lifestyle undeniably dazzles Finn, her real pleasure comes from being part of the family: sharing quick jokes with Philip in the kitchen before he leaves for work; staying late when Marina needs a last-minute sitter; and spending long days with Amabel, who is often treated more like a photo op than a child.
But behind every façade lurks a less attractive truth. When a young woman approaches Finn, claiming a connection with Philip and asking Finn to pass on a message, Finn becomes caught up in a web of deceit with the senate seat at its center. And Finn isn’t exactly innocent herself: she too has a background she has kept hidden, and under the hot Phoenix sun, everything is about to be laid bare. . . .
*****
Now, you can meet both debut authors via the video.
Have you seen the current interview with Greg Iles in “By the Book” in The New York Times? The author of Cemetery Road is the focus of the current column, available here. https://nyti.ms/2X7Q210
Cemetery Road and Iles’ other books are available through the Web Store. https://bit.ly/2XvH3Im
As interesting as the interview is, Greg Iles’ website is even better. My favorite part is the “Photos and Videos”, the gallery. https://www.gregiles.com/gallery
You can find a video of Greg Iles addressing the reader. There’s a six-part video of Barbara Peters, owner of The Poisoned Pen, interviewing Lies a number of years ago. And, if you only know Greg Iles as a bestselling author, you might be surprised to learn he was a professional musician before he was an author. If you want to end with a fun song, check out the video of Greg Iles and The Rock Bottom Remainders with a revision of James Taylor’s “Steamroller Blues”, a revision with a literary twist.
The Western Writers of America conference was recently held in Tucson. On their way home, Spur Award-winning authors Loren D. Estleman and Reavis Z. Wortham stopped in at The Poisoned Pen to talk about their books and the Old West. Estleman’s latest book is his historical western Wild Justice. Wortham just won the Spur Award for Best Paperback of 2018 for his second Sonny Hawke thriller, Hawke’s War. The third in the series, Hawke’s Target, is now out. You can order books by both authors through the Web Store. https://store.poisonedpen.com/
Estleman’s latest Page Murdoch novel, Wild Justice, is a salute to the vanishing West. Here’s the summary.
A riveting western novel starring beloved character Page Murdock from Spur Award-winning author Loren D. Estleman!
In the spring of 1896, after thirty years spent dispensing justice in the territory of Montana, Judge Harlan Blackthorne expires, leaving Deputy U.S. Marshal Page Murdock, his most steadfast officer, to escort his remains across the continent by rail.
The long journey—interrupted from time to time by station stops for the public to pay its respects and for various marching bands to serenade the departed with his favorite ballad, “After the Ball”—gives Murdock plenty of opportunity to reflect upon the years of triumphs and tragedies he’s seen first hand, always in the interest of bringing justice to a wilderness he, his fellow deputies, and the Judge played so important a role in its settlement.
As the funeral train chugs through prairie, over mountains, and across rivers once ruled by buffalo herds, Indian nations, trappers, cowboys, U.S. Cavalry, entrepreneurs, and outlaws representing every level of heroism, sacrifice, ambition, and vice, Wild Justice provides a capsule history of the American frontier from its untamed beginnings to a civilization balanced on the edge of a new and unpredictable century.
*****
Reavis Z. Wortham’s third Sonny Hawke thriller is Hawke’s Target.
“There’s a term we use in the west, the genuine article, and those words fit Reavis Wortham to a Texas T.” —Craig Johnson
“If you look for authenticity in your books, you’ll swoon over Reavis Wortham. He’s Texas true.” —C. J. Box
“Think: Elmore Leonard meets James Lee Burke.” —Jeffery Deaver
Judge. Jury. Executioner. One man is taking the law into his own hands. His targets are criminals who slipped through the justice system. From California to Texas, this relentless avenger hunts down the unpunished and sentences them to death.
But now he’s on Sonny Hawke’s turf. A Texas Ranger committed to his job, Hawke will not abide vigilante justice—especially when innocents are also in the line of fire. The trail of bodies stretches across the Lone Star State to the most savage clan East Texas has ever seen.And Hawke is the only one who can stop them . . .
“Wortham knows how to ratchet tension with pitch-perfect West-Texas flavor.” —Lone Star Literary Life
*****
If you’d like to eavesdrop on the conversation about the Old West, check out the video.
I’ve said before that the conversations at The Poisoned Pen are seldom about the book. B.A. Shapiro recently appeared there, and quite a bit of her conversation with Barbara Peters, owner of the bookstore, was about art. Shapiro’s latest book is The Collector’s Apprentice. Copies of her books, including signed copies of The Collector’s Apprentice, are available through the Web Store. https://bit.ly/2ZLiMys
Here’s the summary of The Collector’s Apprentice.
“A clever and complex tale of art fraud, theft, scandal, murder, and revenge.” —Publishers Weekly
Last night, Kelsey Rae Dimberg was at The Poisoned Pen to discuss and sign her debut thriller, Girl in the Rearview Mirror. That’s the Hot Book of the Week at the bookstore. You can still order a signed copy of the debut through the Web Store. https://bit.ly/2xad3Wx
Here’s the description of Girl in the Rearview Mirror.
“With hairpin twists and immense psychological acuity, Kelsey Rae Dimberg’s Girl in the Rearview Mirror is as seductive as the glamorous, privileged family at its center—and as cunning. An exciting, intoxicating debut, it will hold you until its startling final pages.”
— Megan Abbott, bestselling author of Dare Me and Give Me Your Hand
I never meant to lie. That is, I never wanted to.
They are Phoenix’s First Family: handsome Philip Martin, son of the sitting Senator, an ex-football player who carries himself with an easy grace and appears destined to step into his father’s seat when the time is right; his wife Marina, the stylish and elegant director of Phoenix’s fine arts museum; and their four-year-old daughter Amabel, beautiful and precocious and beloved.
Finn Hunt is working a dull office job to pay off her college debt when she meets Philip and charms Amabel. She eagerly agrees to nanny, thinking she’s lucked into the job of a lifetime. Though the glamour of the Martins’ lifestyle undeniably dazzles Finn, her real pleasure comes from being part of the family: sharing quick jokes with Philip in the kitchen before he leaves for work; staying late when Marina needs a last-minute sitter; and spending long days with Amabel, who is often treated more like a photo op than a child.
But behind every façade lurks a less attractive truth. When a young woman approaches Finn, claiming a connection with Philip and asking Finn to pass on a message, Finn becomes caught up in a web of deceit with the senate seat at its center. And Finn isn’t exactly innocent herself: she too has a background she has kept hidden, and under the hot Phoenix sun, everything is about to be laid bare. . . .
Barbara Peters, owner of The Poisoned Pen, recently hosted a French evening. Cara Black, whose Aimee Leduc Investigations are set in Paris, was one guest author with her nineteenth book in the series, Murder in Bel-Air. Nina Laurin is a Canadian author from Montreal, but her latest novel, The Starter Wife, is set in Ohio. (If you watch the recorded event, she explains why it’s not set in Canada.) Signed copies of both books are available through the Web Store. https://store.poisonedpen.com
Here is the summary of Cara Black’s Murder in Bel-Air.
Nina Laurin’s The Starter Wife is described below.
From the bestselling author of Girl Last Seen comes “a spine-tingler” (Booklist) of a psychological suspense, perfect for fans of Lisa Jewell and Jessica Knoll. Local police have announced that they’re closing the investigation of the suspected drowning of 37-year-old painter Colleen Westcott. She disappeared on April 11, 2010, and her car was found parked near the waterfront in Cleveland two days later, but her body has never been found. The chief of police has stated that no concrete evidence of foul play has been discovered in the probe. I close the online search window, annoyed. These articles never have enough detail. They think my husband’s first wife disappeared or they think she is dead. There’s a big difference.
My phone rings, jarring me away from my thoughts, and when I pick it up, it’s an unknown number. The only answer to my slightly breathless hello is empty static.
When the voice does finally come, it’s female, low, muffled somehow. “Where is it, Claire? What did you do with it? Tell me where it is.”
A woman. A real flesh-and-blood woman on the other end of the phone. She’s not just in my head.
A wave of panic spreads under my skin like ice water. It’s Colleen.
“Laurin knows how to ratchet up the suspense.” —Publishers Weekly
*****
Now, if you would like to spend some time with the authors, check out the video of the event.
