Barbara Peters, owner of The Poisoned Pen, recently hosted James R. Benn, author of the Billy Boyle mysteries, and Francine Mathews, whose latest book is Death on Tuckernuck. Benn’s fifteenth mystery is The Red Horse. You can find autographed copies of both books in the Web Store. https://store.poisonedpen.com/
Here’s the summary of The Red Horse.
Just days after the Liberation of Paris, US Army Detective Billy Boyle and Lieutenant Kazimierz are brought to Saint Albans Convalescent Hospital in the English countryside. Kaz has been diagnosed with a heart condition, and Billy is dealing with emotional exhaustion and his recent methamphetamine abuse. Meanwhile, Billy’s love, Diana Seaton, has been taken to Ravensbrück, the Nazi concentration camp for women, and Kaz’s sister, Angelika, who he recently learned was alive and working with the Polish Underground, has also been captured and transported to the same camp.
This news is brought by British Major Cosgrove, who asks Billy for help, unofficially, in solving what he thinks was the murder of a British agent recuperating at Saint Albans. The convalescent hospital is really a secret installation for those in the world of clandestine warfare to recover from wounds, physical and emotional. Some are allowed to leave; others are deemed security risks and are detained there. When a second body is found, it is evident that a killer is at work in this high-security enclave. Now Billy must carry out his covert investigation while maintaining his tenuous recovery, shielding his actions from suspicious hospital authorities, and dodging the unknown murderer.
*****
Here’s the description of Death on Tuckernuck.
In the Category 3 winds of a late-season hurricane, Nantucket police detective Merry Folger and her team attempt a rescue off the secluded island of Tuckernuck—only to discover a deadly secret.
As a Category 3 hurricane bears down on Nantucket, Dionis Mather and her father have their work cut out for them. Their family business is to ferry goods and people back and forth from Tuckernuck, the private island off Nantucket’s western tip, a place so remote and exclusive that it is off the electric grid. As caretakers of the small plot of sand in the middle of the Atlantic, the Mathers are responsible for evacuating Tuckernuck’s residents, who range from a stubborn elderly native who refuses to leave her family home to the abandoned summer house pets of an absentee NFL quarterback. But as the storm surge rises and the surf warnings mount, Dionis has to make a choice: abandon whatever—or whoever—was left behind, or risk her own life by plunging back into the maelstrom. Even she has no idea what evil the hurricane is sheltering.
When the coast guard notifies the Nantucket police of a luxury yacht grounded in the shoals off Tuckernuck’s northern edge—with two shooting victims lying in the main cabin—detective Meredith Folger throws herself into an investigation before the hurricane sweeps all crime-scene evidence out to sea. Merry is supposed to be on leave this weekend, dancing at her own wedding, but the Cat 3 has thrown her blissful plans into chaos. As her battered house fills with stranded wedding guests and flood waters rise all over Nantucket Island, Merry has her own choice to make: How much should she risk in order to bring a criminal to justice?
*****
Enjoy the conversation with James R. Benn and Francine Mathews.
Jonathan and Jesse Kellerman just collaborated on the third book in the Clay Edison series, Half Moon Bay. Barbara Peters, owner of The Poisoned Pen, talked with the father and son team about writing together, and their latest book. I think you’ll enjoy the witty comments. Half Moon Bay is available through the Web Store, along with the other books in the series. https://bit.ly/3lRDHeZ
Here’s the summary of Half Moon Bay.
Deputy Coroner Clay Edison discovers that buried secrets can be deadly in this riveting thriller from a father-son team of bestselling authors who write “brilliant, page-turning fiction” (Stephen King).
An ID Book Club Selection
Clay Edison has his hands full. He’s got a new baby who won’t sleep. He’s working the graveyard shift. And he’s trying, for once, to mind his own business. Then comes the first call. Workers demolishing a local park have made a haunting discovery: the decades-old skeleton of a child. But whose? And how did it get there?
No sooner has Clay begun to investigate than he receives a second call—this one from a local businessman, wondering if the body could belong to his sister. She went missing fifty years ago, the man says. Or at least I think she did. It’s a little complicated.
And things only get stranger from there. Clay’s relentless search for answers will unearth a history of violence and secrets, revolution and betrayal. Because in this town, the past isn’t dead. It’s very much alive. And it can be murderous.
John Charles from The Poisoned Pen asked Tori Eldridge a question that led to an interesting account. He asked her to tell her backstory. You’ll want to hear this discussion. Eldridge’s second Lily Wong novel, The Ninja’s Blade, is now available. You can order that book, along with the first book, The Ninja Daughter, through the Web Store. https://bit.ly/32Yl2Wn
Here’s the summary of The Ninja’s Blade.
Lily Wong—a Chinese-Norwegian modern-day ninja—has more trouble than she was bargaining for when controlling grandparents arrive in Los Angeles from Hong Kong at the same time she goes undercover in the dangerous world of youth sex trafficking. As she hunts for a kidnapped prostitution victim, a missing high school girl, and a sociopathic trafficker, the surviving members of a murderous street gang hunt for her. Life would be easier if Lily knew who to trust. But when victims are villains, villains are victims, and even family is plotting against her, easy is not an option. All Lily can do is follow the trail wherever it leads: through a high school campus polarized by racial tension or the secret back rooms of a barber/tattoo/brothel or the soul-crushing stretch of Long Beach Boulevard known as The Blade. She relies on her ninja skills to deceive and infiltrate, rescue and kill—whatever is necessary to free the girls from their literal and figurative slavery. If only those same skills could keep Lily’s conniving grandparents from hijacking her future.
*****
Here’s the recent conversation with Tori Eldridge.
Did you know Carl Hiaasen and John Sandford worked at The Miami Herald at the same time? That’s why it was perfect that Barbara Peters, owner of The Poisoned Pen, introduced them to the audience for a recent virtual event, and then turned the event over to Sandford. John Sandford was to lead the discussion of Carl Hiaasen’s new bestseller, Squeeze Me. However, the event feels as if it’s two long-time friends in conversation. You can find signed copies of Squeeze Me, along with Hiaasen’s other books, in the Web Store. https://bit.ly/2IprI5a
Here’s the summary of Squeeze Me.
From the best-selling author of Skinny Dip and Razor Girl, a hilarious new novel of social and political intrigue, set against the glittering backdrop of Florida’s gold coast.
It’s the height of the Palm Beach charity ball season: for every disease or cause, there’s a reason for the local luminaries to eat (minimally), drink (maximally), and be seen. But when a prominent high-society dowager suddenly vanishes during a swank gala, and is later found dead in a concrete grave, panic and chaos erupt. Kiki Pew was notable not just for her wealth and her jewels–she was an ardent fan of the Winter White House resident just down the road, and a founding member of the POTUSSIES, a group of women dedicated to supporting their President. Never one to miss an opportunity to play to his base, the President immediately declares that Kiki was the victim of rampaging immigrant hordes. This, it turns out, is far from the truth.
The truth might just lie in the middle of the highway, where a bizarre discovery brings the First Lady’s motorcade to a grinding halt (followed by some grinding between the First Lady and a love-struck Secret Service agent). Enter Angie Armstrong, wildlife wrangler extraordinaire, who arrives at her own conclusions after she is summoned to the posh island to deal with a mysterious and impolite influx of huge, hungry pythons . . .
Carl Hiaasen can brighten even the darkest of days and Squeeze Me is pure, unadulterated Hiaasen. Irreverent, ingenious, and highly entertaining, Squeeze Me perfectly captures the absurdity of our times.
*****
Enjoy the conversation as Carl Hiaasen and John Sandford pick at each other while talking about Florida and books.
What do you get when four historical mystery novelists write an interconnected anthology? You get The Deadly Hours, four novellas connected by a cursed gold watch that passes through time. The anthology is available through the Web Store.https://bit.ly/32RTG43
Here’s the summary of The Deadly Hours.
“Charming… Four interconnected visits to a world of danger, wit, beauty and genuine romance. Treat yourself!”—ANNE PERRY, internationally bestselling author
A stellar line-up of historical mystery novelists weaves the tale of a priceless and cursed gold watch as it passes through time wreaking havoc from one owner to another. As the hours and years pass, the characters are irrevocably linked by fate, each playing a key role in breaking the curse and destroying the watch once and for all.
From 1733 Italy to Edinburgh in 1831 to a series of chilling murders in 1870 London, and a lethal game of revenge decades later, the watch touches lives with misfortune, until it comes into the reach of one young woman who might be able to stop it for good.
As much a book of curses as a book of destinies, The Deadly Hours is a breathtaking anthology rich with atmosphere and intrigue that encapsulates the exquisite destruction, heartbreak, and redemption wrought by fate.This outstanding collaboration of authors includes:Susanna Kearsley – New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of compelling time slip fiction.C.S. Harris – USA Today bestselling author of the Sebastian St. Cyr Regency mystery series.Anna Lee Huber – award-winning author of the national bestselling Lady Darby Mysteries.Christine Trent – author of the Lady of Ashes Victorian mystery series.
More praise for The Deadly Hours: “A fantastic read.”—Tasha Alexander, New York Times bestselling author “What a treat!”—Victoria Thompson, USA Today bestselling author.
*****
Before we share Barbara Peters’ discussion with the authors, let me introduce you to the works by each author. You can order their books through the Web Store as well. https://store.poisonedpen.com/
Susanna Kearsley’s most recent standalone is The Winter Sea.
A NEW YORK TIMES AND USA TODAY BESTSELLER!
“I’ve loved every one of Susanna’s books! She has bedrock research and a butterfly’s delicate touch with characters—sure recipe for historical fiction that sucks you in and won’t let go!”—DIANA GABALDON, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Outlander
A hauntingly beautiful tale of love that transcends time: an American writer travels to Scotland to craft a novel about the Jacobite Rebellion, only to discover her own ancestral memories of that torrid moment in Scottish history…
In the spring of 1708, an invading Jacobite fleet of French and Scottish soldiers nearly succeeded in landing the exiled James Stewart in Scotland to reclaim his crown. When young Sophia Paterson travels to Slains Castle by the sea, she finds herself in the midst of the dangerous intrigue.
Now, Carrie McClelland hopes to turn that story into her next bestselling novel. Settling herself in the shadow of that historic Scottish castle, she starts to write. But when she discovers her novel is more fact than fiction, Carrie wonders if she might be the only living person who knows the truth—the ultimate betrayal—that happened all those years ago.
A sweeping historical fantasy of love, danger, and time travel, Susanna Kearsley masterfully weaves Scotland’s past into Carrie’s present in this stunning book.
*****
Rather than tell you about C.S. Harris’ most recent Sebastian St. Cyr mystery, Who Speaks for the Damned, let me introduce you to the first in the series. What Angels Fear is the first in the series that now has fifteen books.
THE FIRST SEBASTIAN ST. CYR MYSTERY!
“The combined elements of historical fiction, romance, and mystery in this fog-enshrouded London puzzler will appeal to fans of Anne Perry.”—Booklist
It’s 1811, and the threat of revolution haunts the upper classes of King George III’s England. Then the body of a beautiful young woman is found savagely murdered on the altar steps of an ancient church near Westminster Abbey. A dueling pistol discovered at the scene and the damning testimony of a witness both point to one man: Sebastian St. Cyr, Viscount Devlin, a brilliant young nobleman shattered by his experiences in the Napoleonic Wars.
Now a fugitive running for his life, Sebastian calls upon his skill as an officer during the war to catch the killer and prove his own innocence. In the process, he accumulates a band of unlikely allies, including the enigmatic beauty Kat Boleyn, who broke Sebastian’s heart years ago. In Sebastian’s world of intrigue and espionage, nothing is as it seems, yet the truth may hold the key to the future of the British monarchy, as well as to Sebastian’s own salvation….
*****
Anna Lee Huber is the author of the Lady Darby mysteries. But, you can pre-order her new Verity Kent mystery, to be released Sept. 29. Check out A Pretty Deceit.
n the aftermath of the Great War, the line between friend and foe may be hard to discern, even for indomitable former Secret Service agent Verity Kent, in award-winning author Anna Lee Huber’s thrilling mystery series.
Peacetime has brought little respite for Verity Kent. Intrigue still abounds, even within her own family. As a favor to her father, Verity agrees to visit his sister in Wiltshire. Her once prosperous aunt has fallen on difficult times and is considering selling their estate. But there are strange goings-on at the manor, including missing servants, possible heirloom forgeries, and suspicious rumors—all leading to the discovery of a dead body on the grounds.
While Verity and her husband, Sidney, investigate this new mystery, they are also on the trail of an old adversary—the shadowy and lethal Lord Ardmore. At every turn, the suspected traitor seems to be one step ahead of them. And even when their dear friend Max, the Earl of Ryde, stumbles upon a code hidden among his late father’s effects that may reveal the truth about Ardmore, Verity wonders if they are really the hunters—or the hunted . . .
Praise for Anna Lee Huber’s Penny for Your Secrets
“Stellar mystery . . . a great read for fans of the series and all who enjoy Downton Abbey-era fiction.” —Booklist
*****
Christine Trent rounds out the authors who wrote pieces for The Deadly Hours. She sets her story in the world of her series, beginning with Lady of Ashes.
Only a woman with an iron backbone could succeed as an undertaker in Victorian London, but Violet Morgan takes great pride in her trade. While her husband, Graham, is preoccupied with elevating their station in society, Violet is cultivating a sterling reputation for Morgan Undertaking. She is empathetic, well-versed in funeral fashions, and comfortable with death’s role in life–until its chilling rattle comes knocking on her own front door.
Violet’s peculiar but happy life soon begins to unravel as Graham becomes obsessed with his own demons and all but abandons her as he plans a vengeful scheme. And the solace she’s always found in her work evaporates like a departing soul when she suspects that some of the deceased she’s dressed have been murdered. When Graham’s plotting leads to his disappearance, Violet takes full control of the business and is commissioned for an undertaking of royal proportions. But she’s certain there’s a killer lurking in the London fog, and the next funeral may be her own.
Equal parts courage, compassion, and intrigue, Christine Trent tells an unrestrained tale of love and loss in the rigidly decorous world of Victorian society.
Praise for the novels of Christine Trent
“Genuinely engrossing. . .with a rare Regency heroine who loves her work and does it well.” Publishers Weekly on By the King’s Design
“Exuberant, sparkling, beguiling. . .brims with Dickensian gusto!” –Barbara Kyle, author of The Queen’s Lady on The Queen’s Dollmaker
“Winningly original. . .glittering with atmospheric detail!” –Leslie Carroll, author of Royal Affairs on The Queen’s Dollmaker
*****
Now, enjoy the conversation as the authors talk about their anthology.
Are you ready for the first Christmas book of the season? Carlene O’Connor is the author of the Irish Village Mysteries. Her new one, Murder at an Irish Christmas, will be released October 27. It’s not too early to pre-order a copy. That book, and the others in her series, can be ordered through the Web Store. https://bit.ly/2EViDDy
Carlene O’Connor is the USA Today bestselling author of the acclaimed Irish Village Mysteries and the Galway Ireland Mysteries. She comes from a long line of Irish storytellers. Her great-grandmother emigrated from Ireland filled with tales in 1897 and the stories have been flowing ever since. Of all the places across the pond she’s wandered, she fell most in love with a walled town in County Limerick and was inspired to create the town of Kilbane, County Cork. Carlene currently divides her time between Chicago and the Emerald Isle. Please visit her online at CarleneOConnor.net.
*****
Carlene O’Connor may set her books in Ireland, but, like all of us, she reads a variety of books. Today, for “Distractions”, she shares the books she’s been reading during the pandemic. You can find her book suggestions in the Web Store. https://store.poisonedpen.com/
*****
DISTRACTIONS
by Carlene O’Connor
I’m hoping this find everyone safe and somewhat sound. This has been a challenging year on so many fronts, that I can say with all honesty I have needed books to escape into more than ever this year. Relying on phone calls to stay in touch with family, my mom and I were reminiscing about the bookmobile that used to stop directly across from our house every week. The eagerness with which my sister and I would greet it, entering with empty arms and leaving with stacks. Often a Lois Duncan suspense was the prize find of my childhood summers. And this summer I’ve found myself more interested in psychological suspense and mysteries than any other genre. I want to first mention the book I’m in the middle of reading and love so I must pre-emptively recommend it although many of you may be way ahead of me– My Sister the Serial Killer by Oyinkan Braithewaite — it’s compelling and keeping me extremely occupied. And next on my list is Blacktop Wasteland by S.A. Cosby. Now onto the books I have completed and recommend if you too are looking for a much-needed distraction:
All the Broken Peopleby Leah Konen
I must admit, part of what drew me to this book (besides my obsession with psychological thrillers) is that I have been harboring a fantasy of moving to Woodstock New York– yes, in these times of living in a city during a pandemic my mind starts to wander to having a front porch, a small town– hey, this rustic, artsy town is only a few hours from NYC, in the Catskills, and what better setting for a thriller? In this tale, Lucy King is also escaping the city– Brooklyn New York– to find peace and hopefully leave her darker past behind. We’re left with only hints of what this past entails– or who– it seems she’s running from an ex. She soon befriends her neighbors, a solid couple who invites her for wine-fueled dinners and long hikes. She’s growing very close to this pair. Maybe too close to the husband. But when a plan the couple hatches with Lucy ends up with one of the husbands dead after a hike, this peaceful retreat is about to turn into Lucy’s worst nightmare. This one definitely kept me turning pages and although I wish I was in a book club to discuss certain aspects of it, I recommend the read. And you won’t have to pay Woodstock taxes, which as I’ve discovered are crazy high.
What You Don’t See by Tracy Clark
Full disclosure I’m a big fan of Tracy Clark and her Chicago Mysteries featuring Cass Raines. I know I’m always going to get whip smart dialogue, rich setting, and characters that leap off the page. In this installment, celebrity Vonda Allen, whose glitzy magazine is the talk of the town, hires Cass as a bodyguard for a book tour after she receives a death threat. Given her mercurial personality, anyone could be sending them. And when two of her staff turn up dead, and Cass’s friend and ex-partner is slashed with a knife, my favorite PI will be on that case until it’s solved. And What You Don’t See is the perfect title, because this had an ending I did not see coming.
You Again by Debra Jo Immergut
After reading a review in the paper, this one intrigued me. A woman in New York City, thinks she spots her younger self getting into a taxi. Really, do you need to hear more than that? What are you waiting for? Go! It’s worth it.
Home Before Dark by Riley Sager
Another confession– I’ve read and will continue to read everything Riley Sager writes. And given I love older houses– especially haunted ones– I was first in line to read this when it released. Another short intro– a woman returns to the house made famous by her father’s bestselling horror memoir. Hello! Enough said– give me the book. I raced through it. Another one I wished I had a book group to discuss certain aspects. Well worth the distraction! I hope he’s writing fast, I’m ready for the next.
*****
As I mentioned, you can pre-order copies of the most recent mystery by Carlene O’Connor, and you can order her other books through the Web Store. https://bit.ly/2EViDDy
The O’Sullivan clan of County Cork, Ireland, are back to investigate another case of murder–this time at Christmas!
Garda Siobhán O’Sullivan’s holiday plans hit a sour note when murder rearranges the Yuletide carols into unexpected eulogies…
When the O’Sullivans learn everyone will choose a name from a hat to buy a music-related Christmas gift for someone else at the gathering, it seems like their greatest concern–until the cantankerous conductor is discovered crushed under a ninety-pound harp in a local concert hall.
With the extended family–including Enda’s much-younger new wife Leah, a virtuoso violinist–suspected in his murder, it’s up to Siobhán to ensure the guilty party faces the music. But as a snowstorm strands both families in a lavish farmhouse on a cliff, Siobhán had better pick up the tempo–before the killer orchestrates another untimely demise…
*****
Murder in an Irish Pub is the first in the Irish Village series, if you want to start at the beginning.
Carlene O’Connor ups the ante in her bestselling Irish Village Mystery series, a perfect cozy for fans of Sheila Connolly, Padraig O’Hannon, and Sara Rosett.
In the small village of Kilbane in County Cork, for a cuppa tea or a slice of brown bread, you go to Naomi’s Bistro, managed by the many siblings of the lively O’Sullivan brood. For a pint or a game of darts—or for the poker tournament that’s just come to town—it’s the pub you want.
One player’s reputation precedes him: Eamon Foley, a tinker out of Dublin, called the Octopus for playing like he has eight hands under the table. But when Foley is found at the end of a rope, swinging from the rafters of Rory Mack’s pub, it’s time for the garda to take matters into their own hands. Macdara Flannery would lay odds it’s a simple suicide—after all, there’s a note and the room was locked. But Siobhán suspects foul play, as does Foley’s very pregnant widow. Perhaps one of Foley’s fellow finalists just raised the stakes to life and death.
With conflicting theories on the crime—not to mention the possibility of a proposal—tensions are running high between Siobhán and Macdara. Soon it’s up to Siobhán to call a killer’s bluff, but if she doesn’t play her cards right, she may be the next one taken out of the game . . .
*****
Did I put you in the mood for Christmas mysteries? Carlene O’Connor is one of the authors included in the collection Christmas Cocoa Murder.
‘Tis the season for hot chocolate and mouthwatering treats. But sometimes too much of a good thing can be downright deadly . . .
CHRISTMAS COCOA MURDER by CARLENE O’CONNOR Siobhán O’Sullivan’s hopes for a quiet Irish Christmas are dashed when the local Santa turns up dead in a carnival dunk tank of hot cocoa. Now instead of hunting down holiday gifts, she’s pursuing a heartless killer. Seems the dead Santa was no angel either, stealing neighborhood dogs to guide his sleigh. But was it his holiday antics—or worse—that led to his death by chocolate?
CHRISTMAS COCOA AND A CORPSE by MADDIE DAY When local businessman Jed Greenberg is found dead with a Chocolate lab whimpering over his body, the police start sniffing around Robbie Jordan’s country restaurant for answers. Was it something in Robbie’s hot cocoa that killed Jed, or was it Cocoa the dog? As the suspects pile as high as her holiday tree, Robbie attempts to get to the bottom of the sickly-sweet murder . . .
It’s not often that readers get to listen to authors talk with their editors. Barbara Peters, owner of The Poisoned Pen, recently hosted Stan Parish, author of Love and Theft, and his legendary editor, Jason Kaufman. Kaufman, executive editor at Doubleday, edited Dan Brown, Lincoln Child, Jeffrey Archer and Clive Cussler, among others.
Signed copies of Love and Theft are available through the Web Store. Snatch it up because it’s one of September’s picks of the month at the Pen. https://bit.ly/2QUiIKx
Here’s the summary of Love and Theft.
“A breathless adventure both starry-eyed and cool-blooded, both charming and diabolical.” –A.J. FINN, #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Woman in the Window “Crackling with full-throttle tension . . . An electrifying novel.” –ROBERT CRAIS, author of the bestselling Elvis Cole novels
An epic Vegas heist. A high-octane international romance. A charismatic thief forced to orchestrate one final, treacherous job to save his family.
When Alex Cassidy and Diane Alison meet at a party in Princeton, New Jersey, the chemistry between them is instant and undeniable. She’s a single mother, local fixture, and owner of a successful catering company. He’s a single father and weekend homeowner — and leader of an armed-robbery crew that just pulled off a record-breaking, precision jewel heist in Las Vegas. Neither one realizes that their lives have overlapped before, and that the shared history they uncover will threaten everyone they love.
Swept up in their burgeoning relationship, Diane joins Alex at his beach house in Tulum, where Alex decides to leave his life of crime behind. It begins as a postcard-perfect weekend until an entanglement with a powerful cartel forces Alex to mastermind one final and unthinkably dangerous job. What ensues is an explosive, adrenaline-soaked journey through the moneyed landscapes of Mexico and Europe, where ghosts from the past collide with unexpected perils in the present. As Alex and Diane fight for their lives, they discover that they’re not the only ones with secrets–and that those closest to us pose the greatest danger of all.
Propulsive, deeply suspenseful, and layered with mesmerizing twists, Love and Theft is a sophisticated thriller about the illusion of control and the high price of past transgressions.
Did you read Susan Cox’ debut mystery, The Man on the Washing Machine? Even if you didn’t, you might want to pre-order the second book in the series, The Man in the Microwave Oven. (I read it, and adored Thea’s grandfather.) The second one works for those of us who love mysteries, or anyone who enjoys a fun spy novel. You can find Cox’ books in the Web Store. https://bit.ly/3baOo7p In these days of the pandemic, it’s always smart to pre-order books, even if the release date is November.
SUSAN COX is a former journalist. She has also been marketing and public relations director for a safari park, a fundraiser for non-profit organizations, and the president of the Palm Beach County (Fla.) Attractions Association. She considers herself transcontinental and transatlantic, equally at home in San Francisco and Florida and with a large and boisterous extended family in England. She frequently wears a Starfleet communicator pin, just in case. Her first novel, The Man on the Washing Machine, won the 2014 Minotaur Books/Mystery Writers of America First Crime Novel Competition.
*****
Susan Cox took time to write about her book “Distractions”. You can find these books in the Web Store. https://store.poisonedpen.com/
*****
It’s become almost a cliche among my writer friends to say that life hasn’t changed much for us during the pandemic—we’re still spending a lot of time hunched over our laptops, drinking too many cups of coffee (or tea in my case), and talking to the cat. What has changed is that reading has become even more of an escape than usual and, in that spirit of escaping from reality, it’s been a pleasure to revisit some old friends recently. In addition to my love of the Golden Age mysteries, written between the world wars by authors like Agatha Christie, Dorothy L. Sayers and Ngaio Marsh, I’m a fan of slightly quirky mysteries with the added spice of a wizard or time travel. Jim Butcher’s Harry Dresden novels are favorites, along with the Oxford Time Travel series by Connie Willis. Every now and again I also enjoy a slightly more realistic look at murder and mayhem, (although mostly on the gun-free side of the Pond,) and here are some of my recent distractions:
Doomsday Book by Connie Willis is the first in a series of adventures of time traveling Oxford historians who travel to the past as observers.
I picked it up unaware that a historical pandemic is a major theme, and by the time I realized it, I was already enthralled by the story and the characters. A young historian is sent back to the 14th century where she falls ill and loses track of how to return safely to the mid-21st century. She has unwittingly arrived in the middle of an outbreak of the Black Death, and her illness, a form of influenza, is meanwhile causing havoc in the Oxford she left behind. The book follows the frantic efforts of her colleagues to rescue her, alternating with her own highly-detailed and well-researched adventures in the past.
Sweet Little Lies by Caz Frear is the first outing for Cat Kinsella, a believable and multi-dimensional detective constable in London’s Metropolitan Police Force struggling with family secrets in the midst of a murder inquiry.
Cat’s investigation has links to an 18-year-old cold case and her suspicions fall upon her own father. Frear’s dialogue is sharp, her characterizations are authentic, and her humor is definitely dark.
Who Speaks for the Damned is the 15th in this series of historical mysteries by CS Harris and I found it every bit as engaging as its fourteen predecessors.
It’s 1814 and Sebastian St. Cyr, the Viscount Devlin, investigates the death of Nicholas Hayes, a disgraced nobleman who, far from being dead in the penal colony of Botany Bay as everyone believed, has returned to London to be murdered. Sebastian discovers the tragic circumstance of Hayes’ wasted life, and exposes the highly-placed members of society who have a vested interest in silencing him. One of the great pleasures of Harris’ St. Cyr mysteries is the wealth of detail we’re given about the lives of characters from all levels of Regency society.
The Finisherby Peter Lovesey is the latest by a master of the genre.
This is the 19th novel starring police Superintendent Peter Diamond of Bath, England and I’ve read every one with pleasure. Lovesey plays fair with his readers, his novels are well plotted, the characters are interesting, and this one, following the fate of a runner who doesn’t cross the finish line of Bath’s springtime half marathon, is as compelling as his Victorian Sergeant Cribb mysteries, which you might have seen on TV.
*****
I appreciate every author who takes the time to write a “Distractions” piece and share their reading with us. I hope you take a look at their book suggestions, and at their books.
The Man in the Microwave Oven is a November release, but you can pre-order it.
Following Susan Cox’s Minotaur Books/Mystery Writers of America First Crime Novel award-winning debut, The Man in the Microwave Oven is her next delightfully quirky mystery featuring San Francisco transplant Theo Bogart.
Fleeing from a murder and family tragedy in her native England, where she was the scandal du jour for the tabloid press, Theo Bogart changed her name and built an undercover life in a close-knit San Francisco neighborhood. She didn’t expect to find love and friendship there, and now she doesn’t know how—or if—to reveal the truth.
After a confrontation with a difficult neighbor, Theo fears her secrets are about to be uncovered after all. When the woman who threatened to expose her is murdered, Theo is embroiled in the kind of jeopardy she crossed an ocean to escape. Worse yet, dangerous family secrets have followed her. Theo’s grandfather unveils a glimpse of the shadowy world he once inhabited as an agent for the British Secret Service, bringing an even bigger breed of trouble—and another death—to Theo’s doorstep. She finds herself fighting to protect herself, her family, and her new friends, aware that one of them might be a murderer.
Susan Cox has once again painted a delightfully quirky portrait of a colorful San Francisco neighborhood and a woman finding her way through exactly the kind of scandalous mystery she was trying to leave behind.
*****
The Poisoned Pen only lists the large type edition of Cox’ The Man on the Washing Machine. Why not try that?
Winner of the 2014 Minotaur Books/Mystery Writers of America First Crime Novel Competition A Theo Bogart Mystery When former party girl and society photographer Theophania Bogart flees to San Francisco to escape a high-profile family tragedy, a series of murders drags her unwillingly out of hiding. A charming debut with wacky, colorful characters and a delightfully twisted mystery.
David Joy addresses his latest novel, When These Mountains Burn, and the opioid crisis in the mountains of North Carolina. Patrick Millikin from The Poisoned Pen is a skilled interviewer, so you’ll want to listen to this conversation. You can order signed copies of When These Mountains Burn, and copies of Joy’s other books, through the Web Store. https://bit.ly/2BhRPLk
Here’s the summary of When These Mountains Burn.
Acclaimed author and “remarkably gifted storyteller” (The Charlotte Observer) David Joy returns with a fierce and tender tale of a father, an addict, a lawman, and the explosive events that come to unite them.
When his addict son gets in deep with his dealer, it takes everything Raymond Mathis has to bail him out of trouble one last time. Frustrated by the slow pace and limitations of the law, Raymond decides to take matters into his own hands.
After a workplace accident left him out of a job and in pain, Denny Rattler has spent years chasing his next high. He supports his habit through careful theft, following strict rules that keep him under the radar and out of jail. But when faced with opportunities too easy to resist, Denny makes two choices that change everything.
For months, the DEA has been chasing the drug supply in the mountains to no avail, when a lead–just one word–sets one agent on a path to crack the case wide open . . . but he’ll need help from the most unexpected quarter.
As chance brings together these men from different sides of a relentless epidemic, each may come to find that his opportunity for redemption lies with the others.
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Here’s David Joy in conversation with Patrick Millikin.
The Poisoned Pen launched Sandra Brown’s seventy-first book, Thick as Thieves, by hosting a conversation between Brown and Linda Castillo, author of the Kate Burkholder novels, including Outsider. Brown even gives writing tips for other writers. She did sign copies of the books, and there may still be signed copies in the Web Store. https://bit.ly/3bh8361
Here’s the story of Thick as Thieves.
In this tantalizing thriller from a #1 New York Times bestselling author, a woman uncovers lifelong secrets as she searches for the truth behind her father’s involvement in a heist gone wrong.
Twenty years ago in the dead of night, four seemingly random individuals pulled the ultimate heist and almost walked away with half a million dollars. But by daybreak, their plan had been shot to hell. One of them was in the hospital. One was in jail. One was dead. And one got away with it.
Arden Maxwell, the daughter of the man who disappeared all those years ago — presumably with the money, after murdering his accomplice — has never reconciled with her father’s abandonment of her and her sister. After countless personal setbacks she decides to return to her family home near mysterious Caddo Lake, and finally get answers to the many questions that torment her. Little does she know, two of her father’s co-conspirators — a war hero and a corrupt district attorney — are watching her every move.
Ledge Burnet, a rebellious teen at the time of the heist, evaded his jail sentence by enlisting in the army. Now he’s back in town to care for his ailing father – and to keep his eye on the county’s corrupt district attorney, whome he suspects was the real murderer. Although the two are bound to silence because of the crime they committed together, each has spent years waiting and hoping that the other will make a fatal misstep. But the arrival of their elusive accomplice’s daughter, Arden, who may know more about the missing money than she’s telling, sets them both on red alert. She ignites Ledge’s determination to expose the D.A.’s treachery . . . and sparks a desire he wishes to deny.
