Oline Cogdill’s Best Mysteries of 2024

Oline Cogdill, Sun Sentinel Correspondent, puts a great deal of thought and effort into her selections for Best Mysteries of the Year. She’s allowing us to share this year’s post. You can find links to the Webstore for each book.

2024 wraps up another stellar year for crime fiction. Rich plots, diverse and fully realized characters, and vivid settings punctuated these stories. The landscapes ranged from metropolitan cities to rural areas. The emphasis on family relationships were a major part of myriad mysteries.

Once again, narrowing down the favorites in crime fiction of 2024 was difficult, and devising this list truly is an act of love. Happy reading.

Cogdill’s #1 pick is one I’ve seen on a number of lists this year, including Goodreads pick as Mystery of the Year.

In The God of the Woods, a wealthy family’s sense of entitlement, troubled history, two missing children and a dark woods lead to an unpredictable path of intense suspense in this tightly coiled novel that seamlessly moves from the 1950s to 1975. Moore’s nonlinear plot follows a banking family from the time they bought land for a camp in the Adirondacks, showing how each generation used and discarded the people who worked for them. Readers will want to wander into these woods. https://bit.ly/4g1zBga.

The Waiting finely illustrates the Bosch legacy that Michael Connelly has constructed. Retired L.A.P.D. Detective Harry Bosch, his smart, tenacious daughter Maddie Bosch, now a police officer with ambitions of becoming a detective, and Renée Ballard’s cold case unit each take center stage. This valentine to Los Angeles takes readers to various neighborhoods while delving into the City of Angels’ past, including its crime history. https://bit.ly/4gnCmZ2.

An expert at solving puzzles is hired by the Imperial family of Japan to open the legendary Dragon Box, which has been sealed since it was built in 1868. No one has survived attempts to open the box loaded with lethal traps. The plot of The Puzzle Box combines Asian culture, female samurai and lots of puzzles. https://bit.ly/481u31U.

Miss Marple meets the Bad Seed in Havoc when a meddling old woman and a malicious 8-year-old boy wreak chaos in a shabby-chic Egyptian hotel. The vivid setting is matched by the fully fleshed out characters and mischievous pranks that accelerate. https://bit.ly/41llUnA.

Attica Locke wraps up her trilogy about Black Texas Ranger Darren Matthews by mining his emotional landscape in Guide Me Home. He wrestles with his inner demons as he tries to prove to himself that he’s the kind of man he believes he is. In this final outing, Darren considers the twin uncles who raised him, the Rangers who gave him a career and his manipulative mother — and why he is estranged from each. https://bit.ly/4gprYA2.

Alex Segura returns to the comic book world with Alter Ego, an evocative look at how art is created, finance, sexism and the joy of loving your profession and the pain when it doesn’t love you back. A comic book artist turned filmmaker is offered the chance to be the lead artist on the reboot of “The Legendary Lynx,” the female superhero who had a limited but vital publication during the 1970s. Questions of who actually came up with the Lynx become lethal. https://bit.ly/4g1do1K.

A Black retired cop turned private investigator has been out of the game so long people think he’s dead. Then he’s hired by a woman to find her missing executive husband in Don’t Let the Devil Ride, the launch of a new series set in Memphis. This global story sharply moves from Memphis, Turkey and Paris, involving the cult of Elvis, an antiques dealer, a scam artist, Russian and French criminals and a Southern evangelist. https://bit.ly/4cI5PuJ.

In The Hitchcock Hotel, an uber Alfred Hitchcock fan — whose name also is Alfred — has built his life and business around his obsession with the filmmaker. His eponymous hotel that bears a striking resemblance to the Bates’ house in “Psycho” is filled with trinkets and clues from Hitchcock’s films. What could go wrong when he invites his closest college friends for a four-day weekend? A unique riff on the locked-room mystery. You can check in, but checking out is another matter. https://bit.ly/4eg1wba.

In The Rivals, a private investigator obsessed with mystery fiction works for a company that verifies the identities of online dates. She’s caught up in corporate espionage and an AI conspiracy while dealing with her traditional Chinese mother. https://bit.ly/3ZC5pCu.

Land schemes and heirs’ property rights, especially those that target lower-income communities, are the foundation of What You Leave Behind. With a thought-provoking, timely plot, the novel is about racism, grief, rebuilding your life when your world has fallen apart and putting aside preconceived notions, set in the Gullah-Geechee culture. https://bit.ly/3VuC62m.

A former getaway driver is pulled out of retirement to help find a female mob boss based in L.A. in Double Barrel Bluff. Ever notice that retirement doesn’t exist in these novels? The kidnappers are clueless, thinking they have kidnapped a wealthy female tourist. They have no idea what they’ve gotten themselves into. https://bit.ly/4inrewO.

A woman who wants too much from life but has achieved so little may finally have found the love of her life — a successful financial adviser who takes her on their first getaway. Their Airbnb has great views of Manhattan but they are two of the only three Black people on the block where numerous posters and flyers about the “missing white woman” are plastered throughout the charming neighborhood. The plot of Missing White Woman touches on racism, social media and true-crime fanatics. https://bit.ly/41mS1TX.

The search for a dormant serial killer drives the plot of California Bear, but the heart of this story is the loving relationship between a father and his daughter and how he will sacrifice anything to show his support of her. The plot centers on an unconventional police procedural, solid character studies including that of one bright teenager, and an emotional look at families. https://bit.ly/3HtU8ub.

A solid police procedural, Agony Hill excavates how the changing times of 1962 affect the landscape of a small Vermont town and its residents. The murder of a despised farmer jumpstarts this new series that shows how the residents are interconnected. The challenge of rural life adds to the superb tension. https://bit.ly/3ONlNJW.

Set in a chicken processing plant in northwest Arkansas, Eli Cranor’s third novel concentrates on the use and abuse of power, delving into the issues of workers’ safety and the perpetuation of poverty. Yet Broiler reveals deeper themes than pitting the haves vs. the have-nots. At the heart, two women must each find their inner strength. https://bit.ly/49sEPij.

The death of a young mother plunges her dysfunctional family into a morass of grief, guilt and an uncertain future in I Dreamed of Falling, a suspenseful family thriller. The economic decline of a small town emerges as an allegory for the characters’ ennui about their lives. https://bit.ly/3B3nOym.

Two sisters fear a dismal future if they don’t escape from their small Missouri town in Safe and Sound. Leaving will be the scariest action the sisters will ever take as they are still haunted by the disappearance six years before of their cousin Grace, who had firm plans, even a secured college scholarship. The story touches on small-town malaise, sisterly love, ambition and how some people can be threatened by another’s modest goals. https://bit.ly/4g1fXko.

Jonathan Santlofer, who is a highly respected artist, paints a broad canvas as he steeps his plot in contemporary and historical art concerns, including Nazi-looting and the efforts of Resistance fighters to smuggle valuable art out of occupied Paris. Briskly plotted, The Lost van Gogh also delves into character studies of Luke and Alexis. Each of their families were involved in high-profile art crimes. https://bit.ly/3Vs5lm6.

S.J. Rozan and debut author John Shen Yen Nee team up for The Murder of Mr. Ma, a clever homage to Holmes set in 1924 London. Well-known Judge Dee Ren Jie has come to London to investigate the murder of Mr. Ma, whom he knew during WWI while serving in the Chinese Labour Corps. Vivid details about the period include the rampant prejudice against the Chinese that affected business, housing and other aspects of life in London, including the growing interest in Chinese antiques and goods. Dee wryly observes, “The current fashion for our art does not, it seems, translate to a fashion for our persons.” https://bit.ly/3xBlSv8.

There’s a tie for Number Twenty.

Trouble Island is a historical novel inspired by a real island in the middle of Lake Erie that became a stop-off for criminals running between the U.S. and Canada in 1932. The murder of a Prohibition gangster’s wife prompts her maid to investigate. https://bit.ly/3ZmmIpH.

New York City in 1911 makes an evocative background for this portrait of early 20th Century author Edith Wharton, a close look at New York high society and publishing, precarious even then. Female authors were treated differently, their talents often underrated. The idea that a woman such as Edith Wharton dare negotiate her royalties was shocking. Above all, The Wharton Plot is a very personal look at this famous novelist, her struggles as a writer, her crumbling marriage and her rather solitude life. https://bit.ly/3ZgYZr2.

Check back tomorrow for Oline Cogdill’s picks for debuts and short story collections.

Oline Cogdill is a Raven Award winner and mystery critic. This article is used with her permission.

Meet Deb Lewis

Meet Deb Lewis, shown above with Craig Johnson, author of the Longmire books. Deb is the newest member of The Poisoned Pen staff. She’s a former publishing sales rep. British mysteries, western mysteries. historical fiction and sci-fi fantasy are her favorites and she would love to hear your recommendations. Deb can be reached at Deb@poisonedpen.com

Deb contributed to the Staff Picks for December. Here are her selections, with links to the Webstore.

We Three Queens

(Berkley, Nov 2024)

On the heels of her event with Poisoned Pen, this installment of the Royal Spyness mysteries by Rhys Bowen is a delight and should definitely be on my shelf. https://bit.ly/3CxiHHs.

Booked For Murder

(Minotaur Books, Dec 2024) 

First in a new series: and written by PJ Nelson (a pseudonym for who?) this book has all the elements for a cozy winter read: a young heroine returning to a small town to run a quaint bookstore inherited from her departed  dear Aunt, threatening phone calls, a mysterious fire, ghostly visits, a handsome fireman and a handsome police detective, and plenty of plots twists and turns to keep the pages moving. I have a feeling I will want to read all of The Old Juniper Bookstore Mystery series.  https://bit.ly/4ijl9S5.

Witchcraft For Wayward Girls

(Penguin, Jan 2025)

Horror master Grady Hendrix does it again in this emotionally rich tale about wayward, pregnant teens and the controlling adults in the 1970’s House  “protecting” them. A found book about witchcraft and an emerging coven of hormonal teens: what could possibly go wrong? The contrast between powerful and powerless, in the hands of a master. https://bit.ly/3Vs6dYd.

The Rivals and The Verifiers

(Vintage paperback, Dec 2024)

The Rivals is a sequel to Jane’s surprise hit from 2022: The Verifiers. Once again, we get a thoroughly modern take on the spy game, with lots of nods to spy and thriller tropes that true mystery fans will appreciate. Such a fun series! https://bit.ly/3ZC5pCu.

The Stolen Queen 

(Penguin, Jan 2025)

NYT bestselling author Fiona Davis delivers a top notch historical mystery with a missing Met artifact, an Egyptian curse and two strong women determined to discover the truth. https://bit.ly/41Exniz.

Watch for more reviews from Deb, as well as other people in the near future.

Legacy Night at The Poisoned Pen

Barbara Peters, owner of The Poisoned Pen Bookstore, recently welcomed five authors for Legacy Night at the bookstore. All the authors have picked up a series that was originated by another author. You can find their books in the Webstore. https://store.poisonedpen.com/

Don Bentley, the evening’s moderator, is the author of Vince Flynn: Capture or Kill, a Mitch Rapp story.

Mitch Rapp faces an Iranian foe bent on destabilizing the Middle East in the newest thriller from Vince Flynn’s #1 New York Times bestselling series that answers the question Vince Flynn fans have been asking for thirteen years: what role did Mitch Rapp play in the operation to Capture or Kill Osama bin Laden?

April 2011: On a remote mountaintop overlooking the remains of the Iranian nuclear weapons program, Azad Ashani witnesses a Quds Force demonstration of a capability meant to upend America’s war in the Middle East. Ashani, director of the Iranian Ministry of Intelligence and Security and Irene Kennedy’s former back channel to the Iranian government, recognizes the demonstration’s true significance, and the nation-ending conflict it will provoke. Alone, Ashani stands no chance of preventing this rush to madness.

But with the help of one man, he just might.

In Washington, DC, CIA director Irene Kennedy briefs the president that the operational window to kill or capture Osama bin Laden at his recently discovered compound in Abbottabad, Pakistan is rapidly closing. But before he’ll authorize a commando raid on Pakistani soil, the president demands irrefutable proof of bin Laden’s presence.

Proof he trusts just one man to provide.

Preventing a looming war in the Middle East while delivering justice for the nearly 3,000 Americans killed on 9/11 would be a big ask for anyone.

Mitch Rapp isn’t just anyone.


#1 New York Times bestselling author Vince Flynn (1966–2013) created one of contemporary fiction’s most popular heroes: CIA counterterrorist agent Mitch Rapp, featured in thirteen of Flynn’s acclaimed political thrillers. All of his novels are New York Times bestsellers, including his stand-alone debut novel, Term Limits.

Don Bentley is the New York Times bestselling author of multiple books in several series including the Matt Drake novels, the Tom Clancy Jack Ryan Jr. series, and now the Mitch Rapp series. Don is a former FBI Special Agent, SWAT team member, and Army Apache helicopter pilot. Learn more at DonBentleyBooks.com.


Andrews and Wilson discussed Tom Clancy: Defense Protocol, the new Jack Ryan novel.

The stakes are sky-high when a power-mad Chinese president threatens Taiwan in the #1 New York Times bestselling Jack Ryan series.
 
For decades, Taiwan has been a thorn in the side of the Chinese government. An independent nation to the rest of the world, it is considered a rogue province by the PRC. Previous governments have tried to conquer the island using economic force and diplomatic pressure, but new Chinese President Li Jian Jun is done fooling around. He’s devised a secret military operation to take the island. Only one man knows how to stop Li’s mad and bloody plan for reunification and that’s Minister of Defense Qin Haiyu. Fearing for his life and the safety of his family, Qin covertly makes contact with the CIA in Beijing and signals his desire to defect to the West.
 
To get Qin out, John Clark creates an international task force reminiscent of Rainbow Six and goes undercover in mainland China. Meanwhile, Lt. Commander Katie Ryan is deployed to the tip of the spear on the destroyer USS Jason Dunham to defend Taiwan. Threatened by an encircling Chinese armada, she’s under pressure to find a flaw in the invaders’ plan for her father to exploit.
 
For his part, President Jack Ryan may have the power of the entire US military at his disposal, but what he really needs are Li’s secret plans from Defense Minister Qin so he can stave off a war. Because America’s Defense Protocol could lead to a game of mutual destruction that could cost the lives of thousands of young soldiers, sailors, special operators as well as his daughter.


Thirty-five years ago, Tom Clancy was a Maryland insurance broker with a passion for naval history. Years before, he had been an English major at Baltimore’s Loyola College and had always dreamed of writing a novel. His first effort, The Hunt for Red October, sold briskly as a result of rave reviews, then catapulted onto the New York Times bestseller list after President Reagan pronounced it “the perfect yarn.” From that day forward, Clancy established himself as an undisputed master at blending exceptional realism and authenticity, intricate plotting, and razor-sharp suspense. He passed away in October 2013.

Navy veterans Brian Andrews and Jeffrey Wilson (Andrews & Wilson) are the writing team behind the bestselling Tier OneSons of Valor, and Shepherds book series. Brian is a nuclear engineer and Park Leadership Fellow who served as an officer on a fast-attack submarine. Jeff is a vascular surgeon and jet pilot who conducted combat operations with an East Coast–based SEAL team. In addition to writing books, they have multiple film & television projects under development with partners at Skydance, Walden Media, Picturestart, Sony, Endeavor Content, and Imagine Entertainment.


Brett Battles talked about Stuart Woods: Golden Hour.

Former CIA operative Teddy Fay returns for another heart-pounding Hollywood-fueled adventure in this latest installment in the New York Times bestselling series.

Teddy Fay is ready to embark on the European press tour of Peter Barrington’s latest film Storm’s Eye, when he receives an unexpected visit from Lance Cabot, director of the CIA. Several CIA agents have been turning up dead. The commonality? They were all part of a mission Teddy was involved in: Golden Hour. Lance wants Teddy to use his trip as a cover to investigate who is behind these killings.

From Venice and Budapest to their last stop at a film festival in Berlin, Teddy must dodge excited fans, enamored women, and a few too many assassins who seem dead set on tracking down Golden Hour agents. And if Teddy doesn’t work fast enough, his identity—and life—might just be the next target in the killer’s ruthless plot for revenge.


Stuart Woods was the author of more than ninety novels, including the #1 New York Times bestselling Stone Barrington series. A native of Georgia and an avid sailor and pilot, he began his writing career in the advertising industry, Chiefs, his debut in 1981, won the Edgar Award. Woods passed away in 2022.
StuartWoods.com

Brett Battles is the New York Times bestselling author of more than forty novels, including the Jonathan Quinn, Rewinder, Project Eden, and Night Man Chronicles series. He is a three-time Barry Award nominee, winning for Best Thriller in 2009 for his novel The Deceived.


While Bentley wrote about Jack Ryan, M P Woodward discussed Tom Clancy: Shadow State about Jack Ryan, Jr.

Surviving a helicopter crash in the Vietnamese Highlands is only the start of the challenges facing Jack Ryan, Jr., in the latest propulsive thriller of this #1 New York Times bestselling series.

The vibrant economy of the new Vietnam is a shiny lure for Western capital. Companies are racing to uncover ideal opportunities. Not wanting to be left behind, Hendley Associates has sent their best analyst, Jack Ryan, Jr., to mine for investment gold. And he may have found some in a rare earth mining company—GeoTech.

But a trip with a Hendley colleague to the Highlands to observe the company’s operations takes a treacherous turn when their helicopter is shot down. Some things haven’t changed, and Vietnam is still the plaything of powerful neighbors. The Chinese are determined to keep Jack from finding the truth about what exactly is being processed at the isolated factory.

Now Jack is in a race for his life. He’s got to stay one step ahead of a pack of killers while supporting his wounded friend. He’ll get no help from the government, because in the jungle, it’s the shadow state that rules.


Tom Clancy was the #1 New York Times bestselling author of more than eighteen books. He died in October 2013.

M. P. Woodward is a veteran of both US intelligence ops and the entertainment industry. As a naval intelligence officer with the US Pacific Command, he scripted scenario moves and countermoves for US war game exercises in the Middle East. In multiple deployments to the Persian Gulf and Far East, he worked alongside US Special Forces, CIA, and NSA. After leaving the Navy, Woodward ran international distribution marketing for Amazon Prime Video. Today, he is a full-time writer based in Washington State.


If you’re a fan of these series and the authors, you’ll enjoy the event.

Mike Lupica discusses Robert B. Parker’s Hot Property

Barbara Peters, owner of The Poisoned Pen, welcomed Mike Lupica back to the bookstore for a virtual event. Lupica is now writing Robert B. Parker’s Spenser series. The latest book in that series is Hot Property. There are a few signed copies still available in the Webstore. https://bit.ly/3CGS2YO.

Here’s the description of Robert B. Parker’s Hot Property.

Spenser investigates a case that hits dangerously close to home in this latest installment of Robert B. Parker’s beloved series.

Spenser is waiting out the latest Boston snowstorm when he gets word that Rita Fiore has been shot. Rita’s always been a tricky one: flirting with Spenser for years, she’s an ever-present figure that transcends friendship in Spenser’s circle. But at the end of the day, Rita is family. And family will always be protected.

Both a pit bull in the courtroom and provocateur outside it, Rita is no stranger to controversy. But as one of the city’s toughest lawyers, Spenser knows that there’s no short list of suspects who might want to enact revenge. With Rita’s life hanging in the balance, it’s up to him to get to the bottom of things, even if it means unearthing some unsavory secrets that might just lead him into an age-old game of lies and deceit.


Robert B. Parker was the author of seventy books, including the legendary Spenser detective series, the novels featuring Police Chief Jesse Stone, the acclaimed Virgil Cole-Everett Hitch Westerns, and the Sunny Randall novels. Winner of the Mystery Writers of America Grand Master Award and long considered the undisputed dean of American crime fiction, he died in January 2010.

Mike Lupica is a Hall of Fame sports columnist and New York Times bestselling author of more than forty works of fiction and nonfiction, in addition to being a frequent co-writer with James Patterson. A longtime friend to Robert B. Parker, he was selected by the Parker estate to continue the Spenser series, after having previously done the same with the Sunny Randall series, and with Jesse Stone.


If you’re a fan of the Robert B. Parker universe, or Mike Lupica, you’ll enjoy this conversation.

Jack Stewart and Steve Urszenyi in Conversation

Barbara Peters, owner of The Poisoned Pen, recently welcomed authors Jack Stewart and Steve Urszenyi to the bookstore. It was Stewart’s second appearance at the bookstore. This time, he was there to talk about Bogey Spades. Urszenyi appeared at the bookstore for the first time with his second thriller, Out in the Cold. There are signed copies of both books in the Webstore. https://store.poisonedpen.com/.

Here’s the description of Bogey Spades.

Enemies. Allies. It’s hard to tell the difference when peace and world order hang in the balance.

“…makes you feel like you’re in the cockpit…” — Steve Netter, Best Thriller Books

Returning home a hero, TOPGUN pilot Colt Bancroft is called on to resurrect a Vietnam-era light attack squadron. Once soaring high, he finds himself on the dark side of special operations in a conflict he never saw coming. At its front lines, NCIS Special Agent Emmy “Punky” King is confronted with the timeless question—is the enemy of her enemy her friend?

As Colt and his band of Navy SEALs bring the Black Ponies of VAL-4 to the fight, Punky navigates the murky waters of international espionage and an uneasy alliance with a former adversary to uncover a new threat. At its heart is a weapon that could tilt the scales of global power. And the American Vice President is in the crosshairs.

In a world where every decision has repercussions and trust is a double-edged sword, Colt and Punky must forgive past transgressions and forge new alliances to confront an enemy who always seems one step ahead. In this high-stakes game: every choice counts, and the next move could redefine the future.

From author Jack Stewart, a former US Navy Top Gun instructor pilot, comes the third book in the exhilarating Battle Born series. Bogey Spades is perfect for fans of Tom Clancy and Dale Brown.


Jack Stewart grew up in Seattle, Washington and graduated from the U.S. Naval Academy before serving twenty-three years as a fighter pilot. During that time, he flew combat missions from three different aircraft carriers and deployed to Afghanistan as a member of an Air Force Tactical Air Control Party. His last deployment was with a joint special operations counter-terrorism task force in Africa.

Jack is a graduate of the U.S. Navy Fighter Weapons School (TOPGUN) and holds a Master of Science in Global Leadership from the University of San Diego. He is an airline pilot and has appeared as a military and commercial aviation expert on international cable news. He lives in Dallas, Texas with his wife and three children.


Here’s the summary of Out in the Cold.

Special Agent Alex Martel is thrown back into a deadly world of deception when a series of attacks threaten to incite World War III in this action-packed thriller.

While sailing across the Mediterranean, the megayacht Aurora is rocked with explosions, taken under siege by unknown assailants. On board are some of Europe’s wealthiest and most powerful political players, including the secretary general of Interpol, a high-ranking Finnish diplomat, and Special Agent Alex Martel—whose lethal sniper skills kick in to bring them safely to shore.

Someone is waging a ruthless campaign of attacks against Finland, one of NATO’s newest members, in an attempt to throw the Alliance into turmoil. Teaming back up with CIA agent Caleb, Alex is thrust into the middle of the fray, pursuing the villains from the waters off of Monaco to the Baltic Sea and home to American soil.

As the US is pulled deeper into the conflict, a global catastrophe seems inevitable. But who is really responsible for these escalating attacks on Finland? The Russians, or someone much closer to home? As new allies surface and old enemies reappear, Alex has no way of knowing who to trust—and she might only have one last shot to keep the world from going to war.


Steve Urszenyi was a paramedic in Toronto and a tactical medic with the Ontario Provincial Police, where he was a specialist in SWAT, CBRNE, HUSAR, and public order operations. Steve is also the former commander of the Province of Ontario’s disaster medical response and all-hazards emergency management team, EMAT, and is a recipient of the Governor General of Canada EMS Exemplary Service Medal and Bar in recognition of his distinguished service. Steve loves touring on his Harley-Davidson motorcycle with his wife, Lynne. They live in Toronto and have two grown children.


Enjoy the conversation with Jack Stewart and Steve Urszenyi.

Celeste Connally and Deborah Benoit in Conversation

John Charles recently welcomed Deborah Benoit and Celeste Connally for a virtual event at The Poisoned Pen Bookstore. The Gardener’s Plot is Deborah Benoit’s debut mystery. Celeste Connally’s second Lady Petra Inquires mystery is All’s Fair in Love and Treachery. Copies of both are available in the Webstore. https://store.poisonedpen.com/

Here’s the description of The Gardener’s Plot.

A woman helps set up a community garden in the Berkshires, only to find a body in one of the plots on opening day.

After life threw Maggie Walker a few curveballs, she’s happy to be back in the small, Berkshires town where she spent so much time as a child. Marlowe holds many memories for her, and now it also offers a fresh start. Maggie has always loved gardening, so it’s only natural to sign on to help Violet Bloom set up a community garden.

When opening day arrives, Violet is nowhere to be found, and the gardeners are restless. Things go from bad to worse when Maggie finds a boot buried in one of the plots… and there’s a body attached to it. Suddenly, the police are looking for a killer and they keep asking questions about Violet. Maggie doesn’t believe her friend could do this, and she’s going to dig up the dirt needed to prove it.

The Gardener’s Plot takes readers to the heart of the Berkshires and introduces amateur sleuth Maggie Walker in Deborah J. Benoit’s Minotaur Books/Mystery Writers of America First Crime Novel Award-winning debut.

AWARDS

  2023 Minotaur Competition Winner: First Crime Novel winner


DEBORAH J. BENOIT was a legal secretary for 30 years before deciding to pursue more creative endeavors. Her debut novel, The Gardener’s Plot, won the Minotaur Books/Mystery Writers of America First Crime Novel Competition. Born and raised in the Berkshires of western Massachusetts, there’s no place she’d rather call home, even in winter. Determined to never stop learning, Deborah loves sharing her knowledge of gardening, through articles she’s written, in person, and on social media. When not writing or digging up plots in her garden, she can be found working on her latest fiber arts project.


Here’s the summary of All’s Fair in Love and Treachery.

Bridgerton meets Agatha Christie in this dazzling next installment in a captivating Regency-era mystery series with a feminist spin.

21 June, 1815. London may be cheering the news of Napoleon’s surrender at Waterloo, but Lady Petra Forsyth has little to celebrate after discovering that the death of her viscount fiancé three years earlier was no accident. Instead, it was murder, and the man responsible is her handsome, half-Scottish secret paramour Duncan Shawcross—yet the scoundrel has disappeared, leaving only a confusing riddle about long-forgotten memories in his wake.

So what’s a lady to do when she can’t hunt down her traitorous lover? She concentrates on a royal assignment instead. Queen Charlotte has tasked Petra with attending an event at the Asylum for Female Orphans and making inquiries surrounding the death of the orphanage’s matron. What’s more, there may be a link between the matron’s death and a group of radicals with ties to the aristocracy, as evidenced by an intercepted letter.

Then, Petra overhears a nefarious conversation with two other men about a plot to topple the monarchy, set to take place during three days of celebrations currently gripping London.

As the clock counts down and London’s streets teem with revelers, Petra’s nerves are fraying as her past and present collide. Yet while all’s fair in love and war, she can never surrender, especially when more orphaned girls may be in trouble. And to save their lives, the monarchy itself, and even her own heart, Lady Petra must face her fears with the strength of an army of soldiers and fight with the heart of a queen.


CELESTE CONNALLY is an Agatha Award nominee, and a former freelance writer and editor. A lifelong devotee of historical novels and adaptations fueled by her passion for history—plus weekly doses of PBS Masterpiece—Celeste loves reading and writing about women from the past who didn’t always do as they were told.


Enjoy John Charles’ discussion with Deborah Benoit and Celeste Connally.

Rhys Bowen discusses We Three Queens

It’s the end of 1936, and Georgie and Darcy are back in Rhys Bowen’s We Three Queens. Barbara Peters, owner of The Poisoned Pen welcomed Rhys Bowen back to the bookstore to celebrate the publication of the new Royal Spyness book. There are signed copies of We Three Queens available in the Webstore. https://bit.ly/3CxiHHs.

Here’s the description of We Three Queens.

New mother Lady Georgiana “Georgie” Rannoch finds herself trying to separate fact from fiction when a murder occurs while a film is being made on the grounds of her estate in a new Royal Spyness Mystery from beloved bestselling author Rhys Bowen.

It’s late 1936, and King Edward is in turmoil, having fallen in love with the scandalously divorced and even more scandalously American Wallis Simpson. He wants to marry her but knows that doing so will jeopardize his crown. Edward confides in his dear friend Darcy, Georgie’s husband, and the couple agree to hide Wallis in their home while Edward figures out what to do.

But unbeknownst to Georgie and Darcy, Sir Hubert, the owner of the estate, has given a film crew permission to shoot a motion picture about Henry the Eighth and Anne Boleyn on the grounds. Trying to keep Mrs. Simpson hidden while raising a newborn baby seems like it couldn’t be any more stressful for the Rannochs, until one of the stars of the film is found murdered on set. Georgie must solve the murder for king and country before scandal threatens to envelop them all.


Rhys Bowen, a New York Times bestselling author, has been nominated for every major award in mystery writing, including the Edgar®, and has won many, including both the Agatha and Anthony awards. She is also the author of the Molly Murphy Mysteries, set in turn-of-the-century New York, and the Constable Evans Mysteries, set in Wales, as well as two international bestselling stand-alone novels. She was born in England and now divides her time between Northern California and Arizona.


Enjoy Rhys Bowen’s discussion of her new book and Wallis Simpson.