In 2016, Sulari Gentill was “In the Hot Seat” on this blog. To this day, she gave one of my favorite answers to an interview question, where would you take visitors who came to Australia. You can find that interview here. https://bit.ly/2TvZrBI

Gentill has gone on to receive the recognition she deserves for her writing. Last year, she won the Ned Kelly Award for Best Crime Novel for Crossing the Lines. Now, her sixth Rowland Sinclair novel, A Murder Unmentioned, is available. You can order it, and her other novels, through the Web Store. https://bit.ly/2DdMLE1

Here’s the summary of A Murder Unmentioned.

The gun used in Rowland Sinclair’s father’s death some thirteen years earlier has turned up in a drained dam at the family’s country homestead in Yass. And when Rowland offends right-wing New Guard leader Eric Campbell, Campbell uses his influence to set the police to renew their inquiries into Henry Sinclair’s death.

Henry’s friends had all been led to believe that the wealthy landowner had died in a much more respectable way. Rowland and his elder brother, Wil, had avoided any discussion of the event ever since—in fact the whole family had ducked the issue for over a decade, keeping secret that Sinclair senior was murdered. The possible involvement of the teenage Rowly and his older brother’s intervention has been under the radar as well.

But now the finger of blame is pointing squarely at the Sinclair black sheep, a man careless of what society and the authorities think of him. So he and the trio of artist friends who live in his Sydney suburban mansion, and generally have his back, avail themselves of a racing green Gypsy Moth (Rowland is a pioneer in air travel) and a yellow Mercedes sports car (another frightening mode of transport) to arrive in New South Wales’ Southern Tablelands, bent on clearing Rowly’s name.

With cameo appearances from historical figures—Bob Menzies in the Sinclair kitchen, Edna Walling in the garden, and Kate Leigh grinning lasciviously at Rowly in a jailhouse crowd—and a real sense of fun contrasting with the quite genuine tension, this is historical crime for those in the know and those who can barely remember what happened last weekend, a story of family secrets and fraternal loyalty. Despite the humor, the Rowland Sinclair Mysteries take a deadly serious look at the 1930s, reflecting our own tumultuous times.

*****

Why bring up Sulari Gentill’s A Murder Unmentioned now? Jessica Howard just reviewed the book for Shelf Awareness for Readers, if you’d like to read the review. https://bit.ly/2TaI3TR

“Greg Iles is back and at the top of his game.” That’s a quote from Bill Sheehan in The Washington Post. Greg Iles will also be at The Poisoned Pen on Tuesday, March 19 at 7 PM. You can pre-order a signed copy of his new book, Cemetery Road, through the Web Store. https://bit.ly/2XvH3Im

Sheehan also said, “In the precision and power of its language and its sheer amplitude of detail, Iles’s latest calls to mind the late, great Southern novelist Pat Conroy. Like Conroy, Iles writes with passion, intensity and an absolute commitment to the material at hand. The success of his recent Natchez Burning trilogy was clearly no fluke.” You can read Sheehan’s entire review here. https://wapo.st/2XvHa6K

Sheehan summarizes Cemetery Road in his review, but, in case you don’t read the article, here’s the description from the Web Store.

Sometimes the price of justice is a good man’s soul.

The #1 New York Times bestselling author of the Natchez Burning trilogy returns with an electrifying tale of friendship, betrayal, and shattering secrets that threaten to destroy a small Mississippi town.

“[A] compulsively readable thriller… Iles once again delivers a sweeping tale of family dysfunction, sexually charged secrets, and the power of wealth, with an overlay of violence and Southern sensibility.”
   — Publishers Weekly(starred review)

When Marshall McEwan left his Mississippi hometown at eighteen, he vowed never to return. The trauma that drove him away spurred him to become one of the most successful journalists in Washington, DC. But as the ascendancy of a chaotic administration lifts him from print fame to television stardom, Marshall discovers that his father is terminally ill, and he must return home to face the unfinished business of his past.

On arrival, he finds Bienville, Mississippi very much changed.  His family’s 150-year-old newspaper is failing; and Jet Turner, the love of his youth, has married into the family of Max Matheson, one of a dozen powerful patriarchs who rule the town through the exclusive Bienville Poker Club.  To Marshall’s surprise, the Poker Club has taken a town on the brink of extinction and offered it salvation, in the form of a billion-dollar Chinese paper mill.  But on the verge of the deal being consummated, two murders rock Bienville to its core, threatening far more than the city’s economic future.

An experienced journalist, Marshall has seen firsthand how the corrosive power of money and politics can sabotage investigations. Joining forces with his former lover—who through her husband has access to the secrets of the Poker Club—Marshall begins digging for the truth behind those murders.  But he and Jet soon discover that the soil of Mississippi is a minefield where explosive secrets can destroy far more than injustice.  The South is a land where everyone hides truths: of blood and children, of love and shame, of hate and murder—of damnation and redemption.  The Poker Club’s secret reaches all the way to Washington, D.C., and could shake the foundations of the U.S. Senate.  But by the time Marshall grasps the long-buried truth about his own history, he would give almost anything not to have to face it.

You’re probably wondering why everyone is talking about Don Winslow’s final book in his Cartel trilogy, The Border. He was just at The Poisoned Pen, in conversation with two men who understand why there’s so much buzz. You can watch the conversation with Winslow, Robert Anglen from The Arizona Republic, and Patrick Millikin from The Poisoned Pen. You can also order a signed copy of The Border through the Web Store. https://bit.ly/2NA36JF

Here’s the conversation.

And, I’m going to quote Don Winslow from his Twitter account. He showed a picture from the event at The Poisoned Pen. But, it was his comment that is so important.

“Dear Writers, A packed house @poisonedpen Monday night. I’m posting this photo to tell you that when I came here for my first book, A Cool Breeze on the Underground, 1 person showed up. The owner, the great Barbara Peters, bought the ONLY copy I sold that night Never give up!”

Great minds think alike. Just as I was planning to post the March author events at The Poisoned Pen, I received the schedule of events in my email. However, it’s possible you don’t all subscribe to the email. If you live in Arizona, you might want to plan your trips to the bookstore to meet some of your favorite authors. If you purchase signed books, you might want to check out this listing. You can pre-order signed copies through the Web Store. https://store.poisonedpen.com

So, here’s the schedule of author appearances for March. Unless noted, all appearances will be at The Poisoned Pen at 7 PM.

MARCH SCHEDULE:

03/02 (Sat) 2pm Brenda Novak signs Unforgettable You. (Mira $7.99) Silver Springs #5.

03/04 (Mon) Phillip Margolin signs The Perfect Alibi.(St Martins $27.99) Our March Surprise Me! Book of the Month. Harriet Tyce signs Blood Orange. (Grand Central $26) March First Mystery Book of the Month.

03/06 (Wed) Steve Berry signs The Malta Exchange.(St Martins $28.99)
Cotton Malone #14. Our copies come with a collectible created and signed by Berry.

03/08 (Fri) Isabella Maldonado signs Death Blow. (Midnight Ink $15.99) Veranda Cruz police procedural #3.

03/11 (Mon) 7pm CJ Box signs Wolf Pack. (Putnam $27) Joe Pickett #19.Our copies come with art that CJ Box describes as “having a nice creepy feel to it and has always been one of my favorites.” Where: Kerr Cultural Center, 6110 N Scottsdale Rd 85253 (enter via Rose Lane, take first left to the Kerr).

03/13 (Wed) Deanna Raybourn signs A Dangerous Collaboration. (Berkley $26) Victorian Veronica Speedwell #4.

03/14 (Thurs) Betty Webb signs Desert Redemption. (Poisoned Pen $26.99) 10^th and final Lena Jones mystery.

03/16 (Sat) 2pm Glen Erik Hamilton signs Mercy River. (Harper $26.99) Van Shaw. Brad Parks signs The Last Act. (Dutton $26.95).

03/18 (Mon) William Kent Krueger hosts John McMahon. Krueger signs Desolation Mountain. (Atria $26). McMahon signs The Good Detective. (Putnam $27) Debut set in Georgia.

03/19 (Tues) Greg Iles signs Cemetery Road. (Harper $28.99).

03/20 (Wed) 7pm The Janet Cussler Car Collection. Clive and Dirk Cussler sign Celtic Empire.(Putnam $29) Dirk Pitt #25. Where: 16055 North Dial Boulevard, Suite 16, Scottsdale 85260.

03/21 (Thurs) Joe R. Lansdale signs The Elephant of Surprise.(LittleBrown $26) Hap & Leonard.

03/22 (Fri) Lisa See signs The Island of Sea Women. (Scribner $27).

03/26 (Tues) Jacqueline Winspear signs The American Agent. (Harper $27.99) and What Would Maisie Do? ($17.99) An illustrated companion to the Maisie Dobbs mysteries.

03/27 (Wed) Linda Fairstein signs Blood Oath. (Dutton $28) Alexandra Cooper #25. Jane Stanton Hitchcock signs Bluff. (Poisoned Pen $26.99) Our April Thriller Club Pick.

04/03 (Wed) JA Jance signs The A List. (Gallery $27.99) Ali Reynolds #14.

Patrick King from The Poisoned Pen’s staff mentions this in the video. Sometimes, people tend to think of The Poisoned Pen as only a mystery bookstore. It’s actually an independent bookstore that brings in authors representing a variety of genres, and nonfiction as well. Darynda Jones, author of the Grim Reaper paranormal books featuring Charley Davidson, appeared at the store recently. She just wrapped up her series with Summoned to Thirteenth Grave. You can get copies of Jones’ books, including signed copies of Summoned to Thirteenth Grave, through the Web Store. https://bit.ly/2H55kj0

Here’s the summary of Summoned to Thirteenth Grave.

New York Times BESTSELLER (January 2019)

Grim Reaper Charley Davidson is back in the final installment of Darynda Jones’ New York Times bestselling paranormal series–Summoned to Thirteenth Grave. 

Charley Davidson, Grim Reaper extraordinaire, is pissed. She’s been kicked off the earthly plane for eternity—which is exactly the amount of time it takes to make a person stark raving mad. But someone’s looking out for her, and she’s allowed to return after a mere hundred years in exile. Is it too much to hope for that not much has changed? Apparently it is. Bummer. 

She’s missed her daughter. She’s missed Reyes. She’s missed Cookie and Garrett and Uncle Bob. Now that she’s back on earth, it’s time to put to rest burning questions that need answers. What happened to her mother? How did she really die? Who killed her? And are cupcakes or coffee the best medicine for a broken heart? It all comes to a head in an epic showdown between good and evil in this final smart and hilarious novel.

*****

Here’s Patrick King in conversation with Darynda Jones.

Don Winslow’s culmination of his Cartel trilogy, The Border, is not only the Hot Book of the Week at The Poisoned Pen, but it’s hot all over the country. You’ll want to order a signed copy through the Web Store while copies are still available. https://bit.ly/2SZebcR

Once again, here’s the description of The Border.

ONE OF THE MOST ANTICIPATED BOOKS OF THE YEAR

“A big, sprawling, ultimately stunning crime tableau.” ““ Janet Maslin, New York Times

“You can’t ask for more emotionally moving entertainment.” ““ Stephen King

“One of the best thriller writers on the planet.” ““ Esquire

The explosive, highly anticipated conclusion to the epic Cartel trilogy from the New York Times bestselling author of The Force

What do you do when there are no borders? When the lines you thought existed simply vanish?  How do you plant your feet to make a stand when you no longer know what side you’re on?

The war has come home.

For over forty years, Art Keller has been on the front lines of America’s longest conflict: The War on Drugs. His obsession to defeat the world’s most powerful, wealthy, and lethal kingpin”•the godfather of the Sinaloa Cartel, Adán Barrera”•has left him bloody and scarred, cost him the people he loves, even taken a piece of his soul.

Now Keller is elevated to the highest ranks of the DEA, only to find that in destroying one monster he has created thirty more that are wreaking even more chaos and suffering in his beloved Mexico. But not just there.

Barrera’s final legacy is the heroin epidemic scourging America. Throwing himself into the gap to stem the deadly flow, Keller finds himself surrounded by enemies”•men who want to kill him, politicians who want to destroy him, and worse, the unimaginable”•an incoming administration that’s in bed with the very drug traffickers that Keller is trying to bring down.

Art Keller is at war with not only the cartels, but with his own government. And the long fight has taught him more than he ever imagined. Now, he learns the final lesson”•there are no borders.

In a story that moves from deserts south of the border to Wall Street, from the slums of Guatemala to the marbled corridors of Washington, D.C., Winslow follows a new generation of narcos, the cops who fight them, the street traffickers, the addicts, the politicians, money-launderers, real-estate moguls, and mere children fleeing the violence for the chance of a life in a new country.

A shattering tale of vengeance, violence, corruption and justice, this last novel in Don Winslow’s magnificent, award-winning, internationally bestselling trilogy is packed with unforgettable, drawn-from-the-headlines scenes. Shocking in its brutality, raw in its humanity, The Border is an unflinching portrait of modern America, a story of—and for—our time.

*****

Here’s Bill Sheehan’s review of The Border in The Washington Post. https://wapo.st/2ExqGnl

Here’s Janet Maslin’s review in The New York Times. https://nyti.ms/2V4NXSP

Join John F. Ross at The Poisoned Pen on Wednesday, February 27 at 7 PM when he’ll discuss his book, The Promise of The Grand Canyon: John Wesley Powell’s Perilous Journey and His Vision for the American West. You can order a copy through the Web Store. https://bit.ly/2E7BJSO

Ross recently wrote an opinion piece about Powell, “The little know story of how one man turned the Grand Canyon into an icon.” You can read that article here. https://bit.ly/2GGCuG5

Here’s the summary of The Promise of the Grand Canyon.

“A bold study of an eco-visionary at a watershed moment in US history.”-Nature

A timely, thrilling account of a man who, as an explorer, dared to lead the first successful expedition down the Colorado through the Grand Canyon–and, as an American visionary, waged a bitterly-contested campaign for environmental sustainability in the American West.

When John Wesley Powell became the first person to navigate the entire Colorado River, through the Grand Canyon, he completed what Lewis and Clark had begun nearly 70 years earlier–the final exploration of continental America. The son of an abolitionist preacher, a Civil War hero (who lost an arm at Shiloh), and a passionate naturalist and geologist, in 1869 Powell tackled the vast and dangerous gorge carved by the Colorado River and known today (thanks to Powell) as the Grand Canyon.  

With The Promise of the Grand Canyon, John Ross recreates Powell’s expedition in all its glory and terror, but his second (unheralded) career as a scientist, bureaucrat, and land-management pioneer concerns us today. Powell was the first to ask: how should the development of the west be shaped? How much could the land support? What was the role of the government and private industry in all of this? He began a national conversation about sustainable development when most everyone else still looked upon land as an inexhaustible resource. Though he supported irrigation and dams, his prescient warnings forecast the 1930s dustbowl and the growing water scarcities of today. Practical, yet visionary, Powell didn’t have all the answers, but was first to ask the right questions.

Lisa Gardner was back at The Poisoned Pen to discuss and sign her latest D.D. Warren book, Never Tell. Karen Rose, author of Say You’re Sorry, appeared at the store for the first time. Their conversation was filmed, and you can watch it below. You can also order signed copies of their latest books through the Web Store. https://store.poisonedpen.com

Here’s the description of Never Tell.

#1 New York Times bestseller Lisa Gardner returns with an unpredictable thriller that puts fan favorites D. D. Warren and Flora Dane on a shocking new case that begins with a vicious murder and gets darker from there.

A man is dead, shot three times in his home office. But his computer has been shot twelve times, and when the cops arrive, his pregnant wife is holding the gun. 

D. D. Warren arrives on the scene and recognizes the woman–Evie Carter–from a case many years back. Evie’s father was killed in a shooting that was ruled an accident. But for D.D., two coincidental murders is too many. 

Flora Dane sees the murder of Conrad Carter on the TV news and immediately knows his face. She remembers a night when she was still a victim–a hostage–and her captor knew this man. Overcome with guilt that she never tracked him down, Flora is now determined to learn the truth of Conrad’s murder. 

But D.D. and Flora are about to discover that in this case the truth is a devilishly elusive thing. As layer by layer they peel away the half-truths and outright lies, they wonder: How many secrets can one family have?

*****

Here’s the summary of Say You’re Sorry.

Introducing the first book in the new pulse-pounding Sacramento series from New York Times bestselling author Karen Rose.

There is a serial killer on the loose, preying on vulnerable women. The only identifiable mark the killer leaves are letters—sometimes one, sometimes two—all carved into the torsos of his victims.  Together they spell “Sydney.” 

When he grabs Daisy Dawson, he believes he has found his next victim. But despite her small stature, she fights back with an expertise that quickly frees her. Before fleeing the scene, Daisy also manages to grab what proves to be crucial evidence: a necklace from around the killer’s neck. 

The necklace is more than a trivial item—it is a link to a cold case that Special Agent Gideon Reynolds has been tracking for seventeen years. With Daisy’s help, Gideon finally has the opportunity to get closer to the truth than ever before. 

But they might not get the chance, as the serial killer has a new target: Gideon and Daisy.

*****

Now, you can catch both Lisa Gardner and Karen Rose, in conversation.

The description of Don Winslow’s The Border says,
“The explosive, highly anticipated conclusion to the epic Cartel trilogy from the New York Times bestselling author of The Force “.

Robert Anglen from The Arizona Republic calls it, “modern literature’s most important crime saga”. Fortunately, if you come to The Poisoned Pen on Monday, February 25 at 7 PM, you can catch Anglen in discussion with Don Winslow.

You can order a signed copy of The Border through the Web Store. https://bit.ly/2GEDpXx

You can read Robert Anglen’s recent article about The Border and Don Winslow in USA Today. https://bit.ly/2SnTi6k

And, here’s the description of Winslow’s latest book.

ONE OF THE MOST ANTICIPATED BOOKS OF THE YEAR

Washington Post‘s “10 Books to Read in February”

“A harsh, important book.” ““ Stephen King

“Powerful and troubling.” ““ Associated Press

“The publication of [The Border] represents a landmark moment in crime fiction.” ““ Booklist (starred review)

“An action-filled, sometimes even instructive look at the world of the narcos and their discontents.”— Kirkus Reviews

The explosive, highly anticipated conclusion to the epic Cartel trilogy from the New York Times bestselling author of The Force

What do you do when there are no borders? When the lines you thought existed simply vanish?  How do you plant your feet to make a stand when you no longer know what side you’re on?

The war has come home.

For over forty years, Art Keller has been on the front lines of America’s longest conflict: The War on Drugs. His obsession to defeat the world’s most powerful, wealthy, and lethal kingpin”•the godfather of the Sinaloa Cartel, Adán Barrera”•has left him bloody and scarred, cost him the people he loves, even taken a piece of his soul.

Now Keller is elevated to the highest ranks of the DEA, only to find that in destroying one monster he has created thirty more that are wreaking even more chaos and suffering in his beloved Mexico. But not just there.

Barrera’s final legacy is the heroin epidemic scourging America. Throwing himself into the gap to stem the deadly flow, Keller finds himself surrounded by enemies”•men who want to kill him, politicians who want to destroy him, and worse, the unimaginable”•an incoming administration that’s in bed with the very drug traffickers that Keller is trying to bring down.

Art Keller is at war with not only the cartels, but with his own government. And the long fight has taught him more than he ever imagined. Now, he learns the final lesson”•there are no borders.

In a story that moves from deserts south of the border to Wall Street, from the slums of Guatemala to the marbled corridors of Washington, D.C., Winslow follows a new generation of narcos, the cops who fight them, the street traffickers, the addicts, the politicians, money-launderers, real-estate moguls, and mere children fleeing the violence for the chance of a life in a new country.     

A shattering tale of vengeance, violence, corruption and justice, this last novel in Don Winslow’s magnificent, award-winning, internationally bestselling trilogy is packed with unforgettable, drawn-from-the-headlines scenes. Shocking in its brutality, raw in its humanity, The Border is an unflinching portrait of modern America, a story of—and for—our time.

We wanted to share this announcement from Mystery Writers of America, announced on Feb. 21.

MWA Partners with G.P. Putnam’s Sons to Create the Sue Grafton Memorial Award

Posted on February 21, 2019 by Margery Flax “¢ 0 Comments

Presented by G.P. Putnam’s Sons, the award will be given at Mystery Writers of America’s 73rd Annual Edgar Awards in New York City on April 25, 2019

Thirty-five years ago, Sue Grafton launched one of the most acclaimed and celebrated mystery series of all time with A is for Alibi, and with it created the model of the modern female detective with Kinsey Millhone, a feisty, whip-smart woman who is not above breaking the rules to solve a case or save a life. Like her fictional alter ego, Grafton was a true original, a model for every woman who has ever struck out on her own independent way.

Sue Grafton passed away on December 28, 2017, but she and Kinsey will be remembered as international icons and treasured by millions of readers across the world. Sue was adored throughout the reading world, the publishing industry, and was a longtime and beloved member of MWA, serving as MWA President in 1994 and was the recipient of three Edgar nominations as well as the Grand Master Award in 2009. G.P. Putnam’s Sons is partnering with MWA to create the Sue Grafton Memorial Award honoring the Best Novel in a Series featuring a female protagonist in a series that also has the hallmarks of Sue’s writing and Kinsey’s character: a woman with quirks but also with a sense of herself, with empathy but also with savvy, intelligence, and wit.

The inaugural Sue Grafton Memorial Award will be presented for the first time at the 73rd Annual Edgar Awards in New York City on April 25, 2019 ““ the day after what would have been Sue’s 79th birthday ““ and will be presented annually there to honor Sue’s life and work.

The nominees for the inaugural Sue Grafton Memorial Award were chosen by the 2019 Best Novel and Best Paperback Original Edgar Award judges from the books submitted to them throughout the year. The winner will be chosen by a reading committee made up of current National board members, and will be announced at this year’s Edgars Award banquet.

The nominees for the inaugural Sue Grafton Memorial Award are:

Lisa Black, Perish ““ Kensington
Sara Paretsky, Shell Game, HarperCollins ““ William Morrow
Victoria Thompson, City of Secrets, Penguin Random House ““ Berkley
Charles Todd, A Forgotten Place, HarperCollins ““ William Morrow
Jacqueline Winspear, To Die But Once, HarperCollins ““ Harper

ABOUT SUE GRAFTON:
#1 New York Times”“bestselling author Sue Grafton is published in twenty-eight countries and in twenty-six languages—including Estonian, Bulgarian, and Indonesian. Books in her alphabet series, beginning with A is for Alibi in 1982 are international bestsellers with readership in the millions. Named a Grand Master by the Mystery Writers of America, she also received many other honors and awards, including the Lifetime Achievement Award from the Private Eye Writers of America, the Ross Macdonald Literary Award, the Cartier Diamond Dagger Award from Britain’s Crime Writers’ Association, the Lifetime Achievement Award from Malice Domestic, the Anthony Award given by Bouchercon (most recently the 2018 Anthony /Bill Crider Award for Best Novel in a Series), and three Shamus Awards. Grafton passed away on December 28, 2017.