Jen Johans from The Poisoned Pen recently welcomed two authors from Toronto for a virtual event at the bookstore. Nita Prose, author of The Maid and other mysteries was guest host for Sue Hincenbergs, whose debut novel is The RetirementPlan.You can still order copies of The Retirement Plan through the Webstore. https://bit.ly/3EYV783
Here’s the description of The Retirement Plan.
“The perfect cocktail of well-plotted, good-hearted, murderous fun.” —Nina Simon, bestselling author of Mother-Daughter Murder Night
THEY’D KILL TO BE WIDOWS.
Three best friends turn to murder to collect on their husbands’ life insurance policies… But the husbands have a plan of their own in this darklyfunny debut that will delight readers from the first laugh to the final twist.
After thirty years of friendship, Pam dreams of her perfect retirement with Nancy, Shalisa, Marlene, and their husbands—until their husbands pool their funds for an investment that goes terribly wrong. Suddenly, their golden years are looking as dreary as their marriages.
But when the women discover their husbands have seven-figure life insurance policies, a new dream forms. And this time, they need a hitman.
Meanwhile, their husbands are working on their own secret retirement scheme and when things begin to go sideways, they fear it’s backfired. The husbands scramble to stay alive…but soon realize they may not be quick enough to outmaneuver their wives.
Sue Hincenbergsis a former television producer who has worked on multiple award-winning programs. She lives in Toronto with her (very much alive) husband, her scruffy, middle-aged rescue dog, Kramer, and the rooms full of the stuff her three sons left behind when they moved out. The porch light is always on in case one comes by for a visit. The Retirement Plan is her first novel.
Enjoy the conversation with Sue Hincenbergs and Nita Prose.
Pat King welcomed Chuck Wendig back to The Poisoned Pen to discuss his latest creepy novel, The Staircase in the Woods. There are still a few copies in the Webstore, if you’d like to order one. https://bit.ly/43aY2mc
Here’s the description of The Staircase in the Woods.
NATIONAL BESTSELLER • A group of friends investigates the mystery of a strange staircase in the woods in this mesmerizing horror novel from the New York Times bestselling author of The Book of Accidents.
“Chuck Wendig weaves his magic once more, turning a lonely staircase in the woods into a searing, propulsive, dread-filled exploration of the horrors of knowing and being known.”—Kiersten White, author of Hide and Lucy Undying
Five high school friends are bonded by an oath to protect one another no matter what.
Then, on a camping trip in the middle of the forest, they find something extraordinary: a mysterious staircase to nowhere.
One friend walks up—and never comes back down. Then the staircase disappears.
Twenty years later, the staircase has reappeared. Now the group returns to find the lost boy—and what lies beyond the staircase in the woods. . . .
Chuck Wendig is the New York Times bestselling author of Wanderers, The Book of Accidents, Wayward, and more than two dozen other books for adults and young adults. A finalist for the Astounding Award and an alumnus of the Sundance Screenwriters Lab, he has also written for comics, games, film, and television. He’s known for his popular blog, terribleminds, and books about writing such as Damn Fine Story. He lives in Bucks County, Pennsylvania, with his family.
John Charles from The Poisoned Pen recently welcomed author Natalie Jenner to the bookstore. Jenner’s new novel, Austen at Sea, is available to order through the Webstore. https://bit.ly/3GN3tjw
Here’s the description of Austen at Sea.
Two pairs of siblings, devotees of Jane Austen, find their lives transformed by a visit to England and Sir Francis Austen, her last surviving brother and keeper of a long-suppressed, secret legacy.
In Boston, 1865, Charlotte and Henrietta Stevenson, daughters of a Massachusetts Supreme Court Justice, have accomplished as much as women are allowed in those days. Chafing against those restrictions and inspired by the works of Jane Austen, they start a secret correspondence with Sir Francis Austen, her last surviving brother, now in his nineties. He sends them an original letter from his sister and invites them to come visit him in England.
In Philadelphia, Nicholas & Haslett Nelson—bachelor brothers, veterans of the recent Civil War, and rare book dealers—are also in correspondence with Sir Francis Austen, who lures them, too, to England, with the promise of a never-before-seen, rare Austen artifact to be evaluated.
The Stevenson sisters sneak away without a chaperone to sail to England. On their ship are the Nelson brothers, writer Louisa May Alcott, Sara-Beth Gleason—wealthy daughter of a Pennsylvania state senator with her eye on the Nelsons—and, a would-be last-minute chaperone to the Stevenson sisters, Justice Thomas Nash.
It’s a voyage and trip that will dramatically change each of their lives in ways that are unforeseen, with the transformative spirit of the love of literature and that of Jane Austen herself.
NATALIE JENNER is the author of the instant international bestseller The Jane Austen Society and Bloomsbury Girls. A Goodreads Choice Award runner-up for historical fiction and finalist for best debut novel, The Jane Austen Society was a USA Today and #1 national bestseller, and has been sold for translation in twenty countries. Born in England and raised in Canada, Natalie has been a corporate lawyer, career coach and, most recently, an independent bookstore owner in Oakville, Ontario, where she lives with her family and two rescue dogs. Visit her website to learn more.
Patrick Millikin recently welcomed Jeffery Deaver and Alex Finlay to The Poisoned Pen. They celebrated their new books, as well as Deaver’s birthday. Deaver’s latest book, a Colter Shaw novel, is South of Nowhere. Alex Finlay’s new book is Parents Weekend. There are signed copies of both books available in the Webstore. https://store.poisonedpen.com/
Here’s the description of South of Nowhere.
The New York Times bestselling master of suspense returns to his beloved series, adapted for TV (CBS’s Tracker, starring Justin Hartley) as reward seeker Colter Shaw races against the clock to save a flooding town from a full-fledged disaster, where the culprit lurks in the plain sight.
When a levee collapses in Hinowah, a small town in Northern California, Colter Shaw is brought on by his sister, Dorion, a disaster response specialist, to help locate a family swept away by the raging water, with mere hours to survive.
But after a surprise attack along the river obstructs Colter’s urgent search, the siblings are forced to consider a new reality: Is the levee at risk of failing from natural causes, or is someone sabotaging it? Colter and Dorion must race against a ticking clock to uncover the truth and save the citizens before the village washes out completely, destroying everything and everyone in its path.
Jeffery Deaver is the #1 international bestselling author of more than forty novels, three collections of short stories, and a nonfiction law book. His books are sold in 150 countries and translated into 25 languages. His first novel featuring Lincoln Rhyme, The Bone Collector, was made into a major motion picture starring Denzel Washington and Angelina Jolie. He’s received or been shortlisted for a number of awards around the world, including Novel of the Year by the International Thriller Writers and the Steel Dagger from the Crime Writers’ Association in the United Kingdom. In 2014, he was the recipient of three lifetime achievement awards. A former journalist, folk singer, and attorney, he was born outside of Chicago and has a bachelor of journalism degree from the University of Missouri and a law degree from Fordham University.
Here’s the summary of Alex Finlay’s Parents Weekend.
From the bestselling author of If Something Happens to Me, comes one of the year’s most anticipated thrillers.
In the glow of their children’s exciting first year of college at a small private school in Northern California, five families gather over dinner and cocktails for the opening festivities of Parents Weekend. As the parents stay out way past their bedtimes, their kids—five residents of Campisi Hall—never show up to dinner.
At first, everyone thinks they’re just being college students, irresponsibly forgetting about the gathering or skipping out to go to a party. But as the hours tick by and another night falls with not so much as a text from the students, panic ensues. Soon the campus police call in reinforcements. Search parties are formed. Reporters swarm the small enclave. Rumors swirl and questions arise.
Libby, Blane, Mark, Felix, and Stella—The Five, as the podcasters, bloggers, and TikTok sleuths soon call them—come from very different families. What drew them out on that fateful night? Could it be the sins of their mothers and fathers come to cause them peril—or a threat to the friend group from within?
Told from each family’s point of view—and marking the return of FBI Special Agent Sarah Keller from Every Last Fear and The Night Shift—Parents Weekend explores the weight of expectation, family dysfunction, and those exhilarating first days in the dorms when friends become family.
ALEX FINLAY is the bestselling author of several acclaimed novels, including the 2024 national bestseller, If Something Happens to Me. His work regularly appears on best-of-the-year lists and has been translated into twenty-five languages and sold around the world. Nearly all of Alex’s books have been optioned or are in development for film and television. Alex lives in Washington, D.C. and Virginia.
Enjoy the conversation with Jeffery Deaver and Alex Finlay.
Sarah Penner is on book tour for her third novel, The Amalfi Curse. Olivia Fierro was guest host at The Poisoned Pen. There are signed copies of The Amalfi Curse available in the Webstore. https://bit.ly/44md7n5
Here’s the description of The Amalfi Curse.
“This intoxicating story blends old-world magic and modern-day mystery with a delicious dash of amore.” —People
Powerful witchcraft. A hunt for sunken treasure. Forbidden love on the high seas. Beware the Amalfi Curse…
Haven Ambrose, a trailblazing nautical archaeologist, has come to the sun-soaked village of Positano to investigate the mysterious shipwrecks along the Amalfi Coast. But Haven is hoping to find more than old artifacts beneath the azure waters; she is secretly on a quest to locate a trove of priceless gemstones her late father spotted on his final dive. Upon Haven’s arrival, strange maelstroms and misfortunes start plaguing the town. Is it nature or something more sinister at work?
As Haven searches for her father’s sunken treasure, she begins to unearth a centuries-old tale of ancient sorcery and one woman’s quest to save her lover and her village by using the legendary art of stregheria, a magical ability to harness the ocean. Could this magic be behind Positano’s latest calamities? Haven must unravel the Amalfi Curse before the region is destroyed forever…
Against the dazzling backdrop of the Amalfi Coast, this bewitching novel shimmers with mystery, romance and the untamed magic of the sea.
Sarah Penner is the New York Times and internationally bestselling author of The Lost Apothecary and The London Séance Society. Her books have been translated into more than forty languages and her debut, The Lost Apothecary, has sold over one million copies worldwide. A graduate of the University of Kansas, Sarah spent thirteen years in corporate finance and now writes full-time. In her free time, Sarah enjoys hiking, yoga, and cooking. She also sits on the Board of Directors at her local animal shelter, Friends of Strays. Sarah and her husband, Marc, live in Florida. To learn more, visit SarahPenner.com.
Mystery Writers of America announced the winners of the 2025 Edgar Allan Poe Awards, honoring the best in mystery fiction, nonfiction and television published or produced in 2024. Congratulations to all! It’s never too late to check the Webstore for copies of the winning books. https://store.poisonedpen.com/
BEST NOVEL The In Crowd by Charlotte Vassell (Penguin Random House – Doubleday)
BEST FIRST NOVEL BY AN AMERICAN AUTHOR Holy City by Henry Wise (Grove Atlantic – Atlantic Monthly Press)
BEST PAPERBACK ORIGINAL The Paris Widow by Kimberly Belle (Harlequin Trade Publishing – Park Row Books) BEST FACT CRIME The Infernal Machine: A True Story of Dynamite, Terror, and the Rise of the Modern Detective by Steven Johnson (Penguin Random House – Crown)
BEST CRITICAL/BIOGRAPHICAL James Sallis: A Companion to the Mystery Fiction by Nathan Ashman (McFarland Publishing)
BEST SHORT STORY “Eat My Moose,” Conjunctions: 82, Works & Days by Erika Krouse (Bard College)
BEST JUVENILE Mysteries of Trash and Treasure: The Stolen Key by Margaret Peterson Haddix HarperCollins – Quill Tree Books)
BEST YOUNG ADULT
49 Miles Alone by Natalie D. Richards (Sourcebooks – Sourcebooks Fire)
BEST TELEVISION EPISODE TELEPLAY “Episode One” – Monsieur Spade, Written by Tom Fontana & Scott Frank (AMC)
OTHER AWARDS ROBERT L. FISH MEMORIAL AWARD – Endowed by the family of Robert L. Fish. “The Jews on Elm Street,” Ellery Queen Mystery Magazine, September-October 2024 by Anna Stolley Persky (Dell Magazines)
THE SIMON & SCHUSTER MARY HIGGINS CLARK AWARD – Presented on behalf of Simon & Schuster The Mystery Writer by Sulari Gentill (Sourcebooks – Poisoned Pen Press)
THE G.P. PUTNAM’S SONS SUE GRAFTON MEMORIAL AWARD – Presented on behalf of G.P. Putnam’s Sons. The Comfort of Ghosts by Jacqueline Winspear (Soho Press – Soho Crime)
THE LILIAN JACKSON BRAUN MEMORIAL AWARD– Endowed by the estate of Lilian Jackson Braun. The Murders in Great Diddling by Katarina Bivald (Sourcebooks – Poisoned Pen Press)
SPECIAL AWARDS
PREVIOUSLY ANNOUNCED ON JANUARY 15, 2025
GRAND MASTER Laura Lippman John Sandford
RAVEN AWARD Face in a Book Bookstore & Gifts, El Dorado Hills, CA
ELLERY QUEEN AWARD Peter Wolverton, St. Martin’s Press
Barbara Peters, owner of The Poisoned Pen, said Brad Taylor and Don Bentley have both appeared at the bookstore for all their books, even if it was only virtually. Bentley acted as guest host to discuss Brad Taylor’s latest Pike Logan book, Into the Gray Zone. There are signed copies of the book available in the Webstoe. https://bit.ly/4iC8B7f
Here’s the description of Into the Gray Zone.
“A knockout punch of a novel.” —Mark Greaney
Pike Logan uncovers a geopolitical scheme that has spiraled out of control in India in this latest pulse-pounding thriller from New York Times bestselling author and former special forces officer Brad Taylor.
While on a routine security assessment in India, Taskforce operator Pike Logan foils an attempted attack on a meeting between the CIA and India’s intelligence service. Both government agencies believe it’s nothing more than a minor terrorist attack, but Pike suspects that something much more sinister is at play. After another terrorist operation at the Taj Mahal, he begins to believe that outside powers are attacking India in the gray zone between peace and war, leveraging terrorist groups for nothing more than economic gain. But the separatists conducting the operations have their own agenda.
After a massive slaughter and kidnapping of hostages during an elaborate Indian pre-wedding party, two global powers are destabilized, and only Pike Logan and his team can de-escalate the tension by rescuing the captives. What follows is a race against the clock that winds through the bustling markets of Old Delhi, the luxurious resorts of Goa, and the epic halls of the Taj Mahal. It will take everything that Logan and the taskforce have to foil an intricate plot that leaves countless lives in the balance.
Brad Taylor, Lieutenant Colonel (Ret.), is a twenty-one-year veteran of the U.S. Army Infantry and Special Forces, including eight years with the 1st Special Forces Operational Detachment—Delta, popularly known as Delta Force. Taylor retired after serving more than two decades and participating in Operation Enduring Freedom and Operation Iraqi Freedom, as well as classified operations around the globe. His final military post was as assistant professor of military science at The Citadel. Brad is a New York Times bestselling author of eighteen Pike Logan thrillers and is a security consultant on asymmetric threats for various agencies. He lives in Charleston, South Carolina, with his wife and two daughters.
Enjoy the conversation with Brad Taylor and Don Bentley.
Maha Khan Phillips spoke with Barbara Peters, owner of The Poisoned Pen, at 1 AM in London. Phillips’ The Museum Detective is an archaeological mystery dealing with Pakistan, not Egypt as in many historical mysteries involving archaeology. Copies of the series debut can be ordered through the Webstore. https://bit.ly/3EPGOCC
Here’s the description of The Museum Detective.
Inspired by a real-life antiquities scandal in Pakistan, this gripping series debut introduces archaeologist Dr. Gul Delani, whose investigation into the discovery of a mummy gets complicated—and personal—when it collides with her years-long search for a missing family member. Perfect for fans of Sue Grafton and Elsa Hart.
When Dr. Gul Delani receives a call in the middle of the night from the Sindh police, she thinks they may have finally found her niece, Mahnaz—a precocious, politically conscious teenage girl who went missing three years prior. Gul has been racked with grief since Mahnaz’s disappearance and distracts herself through work: a talented curator at the Museum of Heritage and History in Karachi, she is one of the country’s leading experts in archaeology and ancient civilizations, a hard-won position for a woman.
But there is no news of Mahnaz. Instead, Gul is summoned to a narcotics investigation in a remote desert region in western Pakistan. In her wildest dreams, Gul couldn’t have imagined what she’d find there: amid a drug bust gone wrong, there is a mummy—life-size, seemingly authentic, its sarcophagus decorated with symbols from Persepolis, the capital of the Achaemenid Empire. The discovery confounds everyone. It is both too good to be true, and for Gul, too precious to leave in careless or corrupt hands.
Aided by her team of unlikely misfits, Gul will stop at nothing to get to the bottom of it, even as her quest for the truth puts her in the throes of a dangerous conspiracy and threatens to collide with her ongoing search for Mahnaz. A portrait of a city fueled by corruption and a woman relentlessly in pursuit of justice, The Museum Detective is an exciting, gritty new crime thriller that announces a whip-smart and brilliant sleuth and builds to a stunning, emotional conclusion that readers won’t soon forget.
Maha Khan Phillips was born in Karachi, Pakistan. She is the author of Beautiful from This Angle, The Mystery of the Aagnee Ruby, and The Curse of Mohenjodaro. She is a multiple award-winning financial journalist and editor who writes across a number of different journals and magazines. She lives in London with her husband and son and frequently visits Pakistan, where she has a keen interest in exploring archaeological sites.
Barbara Peters, owner of The Poisoned Pen, introduced Emily Sullivan as a debut mystery author. She’s written romances so Peters said she’s turned to “the dark side”. Sullivan’s A Death on Corfu is the Pen’s May Historical Mystery of the Month. There are signed copies of the book available in the Webstore. https://bit.ly/42IufSU
Here’s the description of A Death on Corfu.
Living in Greece at the turn of the twentieth century, widow Minnie Harper struggles to find her place in a swiftly changing world. But when a local woman is murdered, her resolve is put to the test in a race to shed light on the truth . . .
The first in a new series for readers of Tasha Alexander, Deanna Raybourn, Anna Lee Huber, and Rhys Bowen.
Minnie Harper isn’t used to putting herself first. Not after she moved away from England only to be left raising two children alone on the Greek Island of Corfu following her husband’s unexpected death. But with her daughter begging to be sent to school abroad and her son grasping at his own independence, Minnie realizes she must prepare for the next stage of her life.
When famous mystery author Stephen Dorian settles into a neighboring villa to escape writer’s block and hidden scandals, she is intrigued at first by the handsome Londoner—until he proves to be nothing more than a boorish grump. Determined to avoid the man as much as possible, Minnie is shocked when he offers her a well-paid job as his typist. She isn’t in a position to turn down work, even from a man she has sworn to hate.
But before Minnie can fully regret her decision to take the job, she makes a horrifying discovery that changes everything. A young maid has been murdered, and local authorities aren’t moving fast enough to bring justice to the terrible crime. Unwilling to allow the death to fade into obscurity like the stories of so many other women deemed unworthy by society, Minnie launches an investigation of her own—and reluctantly accepts Stephen’s help. As she embarks on a dangerous search for answers that reveals another side of Corfu, unsettling questions take shape about her employer-turned-confidant and the culprit who just might do whatever it takes to strike again . . .
Emily Sullivan is the author of multiple critically-acclaimed historical romances, including A Rogue to Remember and Duchess Material. She lives in New England with her family where she enjoys reading about history and writing about rebellious women. A Death on Corfu is her first mystery. She can be found online at EmilySullivanBooks.com.
Deb Lewis from The Poisoned Pen has some favorite May releases. Check them out, and check the Webstore for copies of the books. https://store.poisonedpen.com/
This is the second book by Slocumb featuring cello prodigy Curtis Wilson—one of the most endearing characters I’ve come across in years. In The Violin Conspiracy, Curtis had to solve the mystery of his missing violin. In TheDark Maestro, the stakes are even higher: his budding career is on the line, and he must go after the people who want his family dead.
The host of the Crime Junkie podcast has done it again—writing a twisty, adrenaline-fueled story of two sisters in search of the truth, no matter what it takes.
Known for his award-winning books Two Nights in Lisbon and The Expats, Pavone takes a close look in this new novel at the world of privilege and power. At the center is the doorman of an exclusive apartment complex—a character who sees more than he lets on.
A cozy paperback original filled with lovable characters and an unexpected murder. This one will have you smiling all the way through. If you’ve ever belonged to a book club, you’ll definitely recognize a few of these characters! I love the publisher’s tagline: “They can’t even agree on what to read—so how are they going to solve a murder?” A fun escape.
Sometimes, reading a book feels like work—trying to understand the hidden motivations and emotions behind each character’s choices. And sometimes, the writing is so beautiful it takes your breath away and leaves you wanting to talk to someone about what you’ve just read. Wrap yourself in this one: do the work, and be rewarded with tenderness, love, loss, and hope. Signed copies available!
