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It’s always fun to share the ITW Thriller Award Nominees. Barbara Peters, owner of The Poisoned Pen, sometimes shares the story of thriller writers who complained their books didn’t get enough attention at conferences, and she suggested they start their own organization and conference. The first Thrillerfest was held at the Arizona Biltmore before the conference moved to New York City. I was lucky to be able to attend that first conference. Now, their twentieth conference will be held in June. (Granted, not the best time for a conference in Arizona.)

Congratulations to all of the nominees. Check the Pen’s Webstore for copies of the books. https://store.poisonedpen.com/

2025 ITW Thriller Awards Nominees

We’re thrilled to announce the finalists for the
2025 ITW Thriller Awards:

 
BEST STANDALONE THRILLER NOVEL
 
Kimberly Belle — THE PARIS WIDOW (Harlequin – Park Row)
Will Dean — THE CHAMBER (Emily Bestler Books)
T.J. Newman — WORST CASE SCENARIO (Little, Brown & Co.)
Jason Rekulak — THE LAST ONE AT THE WEDDING (Flatiron Books)
Lisa Scottoline — THE TRUTH ABOUT THE DEVLINS (Penguin/Putnam)

BEST STANDALONE MYSTERY NOVEL
 
Libby Cudmore — NEGATIVE GIRL (Datura Books)
Laura Dave — THE NIGHT WE LOST HIM (Simon & Schuster)
Kellye Garrett — MISSING WHITE WOMAN (Mulholland Books)
Harry Hunsicker — THE LIFE AND DEATH OF ROSE DOUCETTE (Oceanview Publishing)
Dervla McTiernan — WHAT HAPPENED TO NINA? (William Morrow)
Lori Roy — LAKE COUNTY (Thomas & Mercer)

BEST SERIES NOVEL
 
David Baldacci — TO DIE FOR (Grand Central Publishing)
Eric Beetner — THE LAST FEW MILES OF ROAD (Level Best Books)
Ann Cleeves — THE DARK WIVES (Minotaur)
Meg Gardiner — SHADOWHEART (Blackstone Publishing)
Iris Johansen, Roy Johansen — FLASHBACK (Grand Central Publishing)
Isabella Maldonado — A FORGOTTEN KILL (Thomas & Mercer)

BEST FIRST NOVEL
 
Kate Brody — RABBIT HOLE (Soho Crime)
Jaime deBlanc — AFTER IMAGE (Thomas & Mercer)
Carinn Jade — THE ASTROLOGY HOUSE (Atria)
Alejandro Nodarse — BLOOD IN THE CUT (Flatiron Books)
Marie Tierney — DEADLY ANIMALS (Henry Holt & Co.)

BEST AUDIOBOOK
 
Sally Hepworth — DARLING GIRLS (Macmillan)
     Narrated by Jessica Clarke
 
Jon Lindstrom — HOLLYWOOD HUSTLE (Dreamscape Media)
     Narrated by Jon Lindstrom
 
Kate Alice Marshall — NO ONE CAN KNOW (Macmillan Audio)
     Narrated by Karissa Vacker
 
Hilton Reed — BEYOND ALL DOUBT (Dreamscape Media)
     Narrated by George Newbern
 
Amy Tintera — LISTEN FOR THE LIE (Macmillan)
     Narrated by January LaVoy and Will Damron

BEST YOUNG ADULT NOVEL
 
Adam Cesare — INFLUENCER (Union Square & Co., LLC)
Ripley Jones — THE OTHER LOLA (Wednesday Books)
Marisha Pessl — DARKLY (Delacorte)
Natalie Richards — 49 MILES ALONE (Sourcebooks Fire)
Melanie Sumrow — GIRLS LIKE HER (Balzer + Bray)

BEST SHORT STORY

Stefanie Leder — NOT A DINNER PARTY PERSON (Soho Crime)
Twist Phelan — DOUBLE PARKED (Ellery Queen Mystery Magazine)
Ivy Pochoda — JACKRABBIT SKIN (Amazon Original Stories)
Lisa Unger — THE DOLL’S HOUSE (Amazon Original Stories)
Joseph S. Walker — AND NOW, AN INSPIRING STORY OF TRAGEDY OVERCOME (Wildside Press)

Guest host Olivia Fierro recently welcomed Lisa Unger to the Poisoned Pen Bookstore. Unger’s latest book is Close Your Eyes and Count to 10. There are signed copies available in the Webstore. https://bit.ly/3QMpQYc.

Here’s the description of Close Your Eyes and Count to 10.

“[Unger’s] great at keeping you interested and not seeing all the twists that are coming with a fabulous cat-mouse game.” –Sarah Michelle Gellar, Emmy-award winning actress

An extreme game of hide-and-seek turns deadly in this riveting new thriller from New York Times bestselling author Lisa Unger 

When the real game begins, who will make it to the count of 10?

Charismatic daredevil and extreme adventurer Maverick Dillan invites you to the ultimate game of hide-and-seek. But as the players gather on Falcao Island, the event quickly spirals into a chilling test of survival. A storm rages as a deadly threat stalks the contestants, turning the challenge into something far more sinister than the social media stunt it was intended to be.

Enter Adele, a single mother with a fierce determination to protect her children at all costs. When she begins the game, she unwittingly enters a twisted web of deception and intrigue. Can she maneuver through the treacherous storm and the relentless competition and get home to her family? In a ruthless battle for survival where the stakes are higher than ever, the blurry line between the virtual and the real proves that the only person we can trust is ourselves.

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Lisa Unger is a NYT and internationally bestselling author. Her books are published in 32 languages, with millions of copies sold worldwide. In 2019, she received two Edgar Award nominations, an honor held by only a few writers including Agatha Christie. Her work has been named on “Best Book” lists from Today, People, GMA, EW, Amazon, IndieBound and many others. She has written for the NYT, WSJ, NPR, and Travel+Leisure. She lives in Florida with her family.

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Enjoy Olivia’s conversation with Lisa Unger.

Patrick Millikin from The Poisoned Pen recently hosted James L’Etoile for a virtual event at the bookstore. River of Lies is the second book in L’Etoile’s Detective Emily Hunter series. You can order a copy through the Webstore. https://bit.ly/4h7hHbw.

Here’s the description of River of Lies.

Detective Emily Hunter must be the voice for the voiceless

The homeless camps spread throughout the city of Sacramento are a topic of heated debate among residents. They’re considered undesirable—a nuisance—an eyesore. But when the camps fall victim to a string of devastating arson attacks, Detective Emily Hunter and her partner, Javier Medina, dive into the investigation and become acquainted with the real people whose lives have been destroyed.

The attacks only begin to draw attention when two of the victims are identified as the city’s former anti-homeless mayor and a camp social worker—but rather than strengthening the push for justice, the movement to completely abolish the camps intensifies.

The investigation becomes politically charged when Emily discovers who stands to gain from burning the homeless out of their shelters. She struggles to balance the high-stakes investigation with caring for her Alzheimer’s-stricken mother, whose condition is rapidly deteriorating. The investigation uncovers an unlikely suspect and a reluctant witness standing between Emily and the shocking truth. Can Emily overcome resistance and her personal obstacles to halt the attacks?

Perfect for fans of Michael Connelly and Karin Slaughter

While the novels in the Emily Hunter Mystery Series stand on their own and can be read in any order, the publication sequence is:

Face of Greed
River of Lies

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James L’Etoile is a former associate warden in a maximum-security prison, hostage negotiator, facility captain, and director of California’s state parole system, and he uses his twenty-nine years “behind bars” as an influence in his award-winning novels, short stories, and screenplays. His novels include Dead Drop, Black Label, At What Cost, Bury the Past, and Little River. River of Lies is the second book in his Emily Hunter Mystery Series, following the Lefty Award-nominated Face of Greed. L’Etoile lives with his wife outside of Sacramento, California. When he’s not writing, you can find him working with his Corgi therapy dogs.

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Enjoy Patrick’s conversation with James L’Etoile.

Although Dr. Ian K. Smith appeared at The Poisoned Pen to talk about his nonfiction book, Eat Your Age: A Simple Guide for Each Decade of Your Life, he is also the author of the Ashe Coyne novels set in Chicago. You can order both his nonfiction and fiction through the Webstore. https://bit.ly/43f2nq2.

While Dr. Ian talks about his career, and his writing, he was welcomed by guest host, Dr. Julia Files from Mayo Clinic who is the founder of Ignite MED, which brought some of the audience, medical students, to the bookstore.

Dr. Ian’s story is fascinating. You’ll want to watch the event.

Here’s the summary of Eat Your Age.

From #1 New York Times bestselling author Dr. Ian K. Smith, learn how to defy the effects of aging by implementing simple changes at every decade.

Whether we like it or not, lots of things change as we age: our joints start to creak, our muscles weaken, and we lose coordination. Our bodies simply don’t look or perform the same each decade of life, and our risks for various diseases and medical conditions also increase as the years do. Getting old may be inevitable, but feeling old is not: we can age well and maximize each decade of life if we do the right things at the right time.

In Eat Your Age, acclaimed doctor and bestselling author Ian K. Smith shows readers the steps they need to take in their 30s, 40s, 50s, and beyond to increase longevity and stave off future illnesses and ailments. By eating the right foods, keeping tabs on the right numbers, moving the right way, and sleeping better, we can slow the hands on the proverbial clock. Since food is medicine, this book will teach you what to eat at every age to prevent life-threatening diseases. For example:

• 30s—vitamin B6 (milk, ricotta cheese, tuna, eggs, sweet potato, bananas), magnesium (dark leafy greens, black beans, lentils, pumpkin seeds), Brussel sprouts, cauliflower
• 40s—probiotic, plant-based milk, avocado, spinach, chickpeas
• 50s—bromelain (pineapple, papaya, kiwifruit, asparagus, yogurt, sauerkraut), turmeric, berries, tomatoes, squash, carrots
• 60s+—Omega-3 (fatty fish like salmon and mackerel as well as chia, flaxseed, edamame), vitamin B12 (clams, beef, fortified cereal, tuna, milk and dairy products, fortified nondairy products), probiotic, high fiber foods (pinto beans, acorn squash, collard greens, guava, strawberries, broccoli)

With specific lifestyle and diet advice including fitness tests for each decade of life, this book proves that it’s never too late to start battling the aging process. With Dr. Smith’s sage plan, readers have the opportunity to function their best and find greater joy in life at any age.

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Ian K. Smith is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of Shred: The Revolutionary Diet, as well as Super Shred: The Big Results Diet, Blast the Sugar Out!, The Clean 20, and many other books. His novels include the award-winning The Blackbird Papers and The Ancient Nine, as well as the first  as well as the first four Ashe Cayne Novels: The Unspoken, Wolf Point, The Overnights, and Eagle Rock.

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I’m sure you’re going to enjoy Dr. Ian’s presentation.

Barbara Peters, owner of The Poisoned Pen, recently welcomed Callan Wink to the bookstore for his first appearance there. Wink is the author of Beartooth. There are signed copies of the book available in the Webstore. https://bit.ly/3F4lhpx

Here’s the description of Beartooth.

“Skip Yellowstone for this rawer version of the West.”—New York Times Book Review

Two brothers in dire straits, living on the edge of Yellowstone, agree to a desperate act of survival in this taut, propulsive novel reminiscent of the works of Peter Heller and Donald Ray Pollock.In an aging, timber house hand-built into the Absaroka-Beartooth mountains, two brothers are struggling to keep up with their debts. They live off the grid, on the fringe of Yellowstone, surviving off the wild after the death of their father. Thad, the elder, is more capable of engaging with things like the truck registration, or the medical bills they can’t afford from their father’s fatal illness, or the tax lien on the cabin their grandfather built, while Hazen is . . . different, more instinctual, deeply in tune with the natural world. Desperate for money, they are approached by a shadowy out-of-towner with a dangerous proposition that will change both of their lives forever. Beartooth is a fast-paced tale with moments of surprising poignancy set in the grandeur of the American West. Evoking the timeless voices of American pastoral storytelling, this is a bracing, masterful novel about survival, revenge, and the bond between brothers.

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Callan Wink has been awarded fellowships by the National Endowment for the Arts and Stanford University, where he was a Wallace Stegner Fellow. His stories and essays have been published in the New Yorker, Granta, Playboy, Men’s Journal, and The Best American Short Stories. He is the author of a novel, August, and a collection of short stories, Dog Run Moon. He lives in Livingston, Montana, where he is a fly-fishing guide on the Yellowstone River.

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Enjoy the conversation with Callan Wink.

Barbara Peters, owner of The Poisoned Pen, recently welcomed Allison Epstein, author of Fagin the Thief, and Laura Samotin, who served as guest host. There are signed copies of Fagin the Thief available in the Webstore. https://bit.ly/43n1Tyh. Fagin the Thief was the February Historical Fiction selection for The Poisoned Pen.

Here’s the summary of Fagin the Thief.

A thrilling reimagining of the world of Charles Dickens, as seen through the eyes of the infamous Jacob Fagin, London’s most gifted pickpocket, liar, and rogue.

“Fagin the Thief takes one of literature’s greatest rogues and gives him a soul, a backstory, and a spotlight. Layered and clever, Epstein’s story is as ambitious as it is deeply satisfying.” –Rebecca Makkai, New York Times bestselling author of I Have Some Questions for You

Long before Oliver Twist stumbled onto the scene, Jacob Fagin was scratching out a life for himself in the dark alleys of nineteenth-century London. Born in the Jewish enclave of Stepney shortly after his father was executed as a thief, Jacob’s whole world is his open-minded mother, Leah. But Jacob’s prospects are forever altered when a light-fingered pickpocket takes Jacob under his wing and teaches him a trade that pays far better than the neighborhood boys could possibly dream.

Striking out on his own, Jacob familiarizes himself with London’s highest value neighborhoods while forging his own path in the shadows. But everything changes when he adopts an aspiring teenage thief named Bill Sikes, whose mercurial temper poses a danger to himself and anyone foolish enough to cross him. Along the way, Jacob’s found family expands to include his closest friend, Nancy, and his greatest protégé, the Artful Dodger. But as Bill’s ambition soars and a major robbery goes awry, Jacob is forced to decide what he really stands for—and what a life is worth.

Colorfully written and wickedly funny, Allison Epstein breathes fresh life into the teeming streets of Dickensian London–reclaiming one of Victorian literature’s most notorious villains in an unforgettable new adventure.

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ALLISON EPSTEIN earned her M.F.A. in fiction from Northwestern University and a B.A. in creative writing from the University of Michigan. A Michigan native, she now lives in Chicago. When not writing, she enjoys good theater, bad puns, and fancy jackets. She is the author of the historical novels A Tip for the Hangman and Let the Dead Bury the Dead.

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Enjoy the conversation with Ellison Epstein.

The Poisoned Pen Bookstore just received a new supply of Joseph Finder’s The Oligarch’s Daughter. It’s signed, and comes with an exclusive map insert. You can order these special copies through the Webstore, https://bit.ly/3Q2XAzY

To further entice you to read The Oligarch’s Daughter, we’re sharing a review by author Dana Stabenow.

The Oligarch’s Daughter

by Joseph Finder

Until that day, Grant had never killed anyone.

Mickey Spillane says the first line sells the rest of the book. Finder hit it out of the park with that one. Grant Anderson, né Philip Brightman, has been on the run from the FBI and the CIA but mostly from his in-laws for five years. The latter finally catch up with him and then it’s off to the races as all three groups of people chase after him from New Hampshire to Pennsylvania to Washington D.C. When he’s not stumbling through the Appalachians on foot he’s driving cars rented and stolen at high speeds and trusting all the wrong people. I was sure he was going to die on every other page.

But that’s only half the story, as how he got into this mess in the first place is interlarded with the chase scenes. Of course it’s all about a woman, and talk about picking the wrong one, which will leave you puzzled about the ending and wondering what happened to the girl friend. Breakneck pacing in this narrative, and if you ever wanted to you’ll think twice about trying to disappear by the end. It ain’t easy being invisible today.

Gillian McAllister’s Famous Last Words was published this week. Barbara Peters, owner of The Poisoned Pen, welcomed hr for a virtual event for the bookstore. Peters admitted there are twists in the book that makes it hard to discuss. But, you can order a copy through the Webstore. https://bit.ly/3EVyHUN

Here’s what can be said about Famous Last Words.

“This novel blindsided me with twists and surprises that had me gasping…and with a poignancy about relationships and love that one rarely finds in the genre. A brilliant, brilliant book.” —Jodi Picoult, #1 New York Times bestselling author

From the author of Reese’s Book Club Pick and New York Times bestseller Wrong Place Wrong Time comes an addictive thriller about a new mother’s world upended when her husband commits a terrifying crime. How well does she truly know the man she loves? And what danger does she face if her entire life has been built on a lie?

It is June 21^st, the longest day of the year, and new mother Camilla’s life is about to change forever. After months of maternity leave, she will drop her infant daughter off at daycare for the first time and return to her job as a literary agent. Finally. But, when she wakes, her husband Luke isn’t there, and in his place is a cryptic note.

Then it starts. Breaking news: there’s a hostage situation developing in London. The police arrive, and tell her Luke is involved. But he isn’t a hostage. Her husband – doting father, eternal optimist – is the gunman.

What she does next is crucial. Because only she knows what the note he left behind that morning says… 

Famous Last Words is the story of a crime, a marriage, and more secrets than Camilla ever could have imagined. This novel cements Gillian McAllister’s reputation as “the best at putting her characters in impossible situations and making her readers not only contemplate but feel what it would be like to find themselves in those situations.” (Emily Henry)

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Gillian McAllister is the New York Times bestselling author of Reese’s Book Club Pick Wrong Place Wrong Time, Famous Last WordAnother Missing Person, Everything but the Truth, The Choice, The Good Sister, The Evidence Against You, How to Disappear, and the Richard & Judy Book Club pick That Night. She graduated with an English degree before working as a lawyer. She lives in Birmingham, England, where she now writes full-time. She is also the creator and co-host of the popular Honest Authors podcast. 

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Enjoy the conversation with Gillian McAllister.

Deb Lewis from The Poisoned Pen selected some favorite March releases. If you’re ready to step into the next month, you can pre-order these books through the Webstore. https://store.poisonedpen.com/

ALL THE OTHER MOTHERS HATE ME by Sarah Harman/Putnam

Meet Flo, a former girl band singer who has lost her career, her marriage, her morals and her ambition. She drinks too much, hooks up too much, is fanatic about her exotic appearance and works part time delivering party balloons. The one thing Flo is sure of is her love for her 10 year old son Dylan. When one of Dylan’s classmates disappears on a school trip and Dylan is the prime suspect, things get lively as this clueless “chaos monster” is driven to action: she realizes she must find the missing boy to clear her son Dylan’s name. Be prepared to laugh and cry along the way, with Flo the new detective in this hilarious debut. Evanovich fans, don’t miss this one!  https://bit.ly/41iTsRI

KILLS WELL WITH OTHERS by Deanna Raybourn/Berkley

I enjoyed the previous book in this series, KILLERS OF A CERTAIN AGE, and fell in love with the 4 women operatives who work for The Museum, a secret organization that restores stolen art to their rightful owners. The women, recruited when young and honed to be the best assassins in the world are so likeable, relatable and so so deadly. KILLS WELL picks back up with a new assignment to lure our team out of retirement when an assassin comes hunting for them, giving us all a chance to enjoy their lives, loves and skills. Reading the first is not required to read the second, but I recommend it.  https://bit.ly/4gZ0BfK

COUNT MY LIES by Sophie Stava/Gallery

A little white lie leads to a fabulous dream job for our protagonist. A nanny to a fabulous wealthy family, with lots of lies of their own. Read it all in one sitting. Thriller, very twisty!  https://bit.ly/4bfhfGG

FINLAY DONOVAN DIGS HER OWN GRAVE  by Elle Cosimano/St Martins

The fifth novel in this series brings Elle Cosimano back to her old neighborhood, thinking she is ready for a break from the mystery solving business.But a crime close to home says is not done with her yet. Perfect for fans of Janet Evanovich, Ali Hazelwood and Charlaine Harris. Limited number of signed copies available. https://bit.ly/3D2UDNb

Patrick Millikin welcomed Deon Meyer for a virtual event for The Poisoned Pen. Meyer’s latest novel is Leo. You can order copies through the Webstore. https://bit.ly/414qoxi

Here’s the description of Leo.

“Deon Meyer is one of the unsung masters.”—Michael Connelly

“Deon Meyer’s name on the cover is a guarantee of crime writing at its best.”—Tess Gerritsen

In a corrupt South Africa, the criminals are as likely to be in government—or even in the police—as on the streets.

Two decorated detectives must put their careers on the line to find the link between three seemingly-unrelated homicides in the latest thriller in the #1 internationally bestselling series

Detectives Benny Griessel and Vaughn Cupido are languishing in Stellenbosch. Run-of-the-mill police work in the leafy university town is a far cry from their previous life in Cape Town fighting crime and government corruption at the highest level. Then a student is found dead on a mountain trail, and the key suspect, a local businessman, is found murdered in what looks like a professional hit delivering a message—suffocated by fast-action filler foam sprayed down his throat.

On the other side of the country, a beautiful wildlife guide is recruited by a group of special forces soldiers to act as a honeytrap, part of a dangerous multi-million-dollar heist that goes tragically wrong. A single link connects the murdered businessman to the special forces, making Benny and Vaughn’s case all the more mysterious. Another former soldier is soon killed, as is an agent of the country’s disgraced former president; and then the heist crew reorganizes with an even more audacious theft in mind.

Following leads as they fly at them, not sure exactly who to trust and struggling to connect the dots as the motives don’t seem to add up, Benny and Vaughn find their case increasingly points to the corruption polluting the country. They know the clock is ticking—and Benny also has to be at the altar on time for his anxiously-anticipated wedding day.

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DEON MEYER is the internationally acclaimed, prizewinning author of fourteen thrillers, including The Dark Flood, The Last Hunt, The Woman in the Blue Cloak, Fever, Icarus, Cobra, Seven Days, and the Barry Award-winning Thirteen Hours. His books have been published in twenty-eight languages. He lives in Stellenbosch, South Africa.

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Enjoy the conversation with Deon Meyer.