Congratulations to the Lefty Award winners. The awards were presented at Left Coast Crime 2025 on Saturday night. Check the Webstore for these books. https://store.poisonedpen.com/
Lefty Award for Best Humorous Mystery Novel
Rob Osler, Cirque du Slay
Lefty Award for Best Historical Novel for books covering before 1970 (Bill Gottfried Memorial)
John Copenhaver, Hall of Mirrors
Lefty Award for Best Debut Mystery Novel
Jennifer K. Morita, Ghosts of Waikiki
Lefty Award for Best Mystery Novel (not in other categories)
Deanna Raybourn started her discussion by thanking everyone for coming out to to support The Poisoned Pen. She wanted to thank everyone for supporting independent bookstores. Barbara Peters, owner of the store, asked her to talk about the first book in the series, Killers of a Certain Age. Kills Well with Others, the second one, is now available in the Webstore, and you can special order a signed copy. https://bit.ly/4gZ0BfK.
Here’s the description of Kills Well with Others.
“Much like fine wine, battle-hardened assassins grow better with age.”—#1 New York Times bestselling author Lisa Gardner
Four women assassins, senior in status—and in age—sharpen their knives for another bloody good adventure in this riotous follow-up to the New York Times bestselling sensation Killers of a Certain Age.
After more than a year of laying low, Billie, Helen, Mary Alice, and Natalie are called back into action. They have enjoyed their time off, but the lack of excitement is starting to chafe: a professional killer can only take so many watercolor classes and yoga sessions without itching to strangle someone…literally. When they receive a summons from the head of the elite assassin organization known as the Museum, they are ready tackle the greatest challenge of their careers.
Someone on the inside has compiled a list of important kills committed by Museum agents, connected to a single, shadowy figure, an Eastern European gangster with an iron fist, some serious criminal ambition, and a tendency to kill first and ask questions later. This new nemesis is murdering agents who got in the way of their power hungry plans and the aging quartet of killers is next.
Together the foursome embark on a wild ride across the globe on the double mission of rooting out the Museum’s mole and hunting down the gangster who seems to know their next move before they make it. Their enemy is unlike any they’ve faced before, and it will take all their killer experience to get out of this mission alive.
Deanna Raybourn is the New York Times bestselling author of the Edgar Award–nominated Veronica Speedwell Mysteries, as well as the Lady Julia Grey series and several stand-alone works.
It’s a delightful conversation with Deanna Raybourn. Enjoy!
It was a special pre-publication appearance at The Poisoned Pen when Barbara Peters, owner of the bookstore, welcomed J.A. Jance back to talk about her latest Ali Reynolds book, Overkill. Release date for the book is April 1, but you can pre-order your copies now through the Webstore. https://bit.ly/41smZZl
Here’s the summary of Overkill.
From J.A. Jance, a writer whose thrillers are “hot and getting hotter” (Booklist), the latest in her New York Times bestselling and heart-pounding Ali Reynolds series.
Chuck Brewster, the former business partner of Ali Reynolds’s husband B. Simpson, once carried on an affair with Clarice, B.’s first wife. So when he’s found murdered with Clarice standing nearby covered in blood, it seems an open and shut case.
But Clarice swears she’s innocent and begs for Ali’s help. At the same time, someone is targeting Camille Lee while she’s on the road for High Noon. Ali is swiftly running out of time to find the real killer and keep her employee safe in this high-octane thrill ride.
J.A. Jance is the New York Times bestselling author of the Ali Reynolds series, the J.P. Beaumont series, the Joanna Brady series, and the Walker Family series. Born in South Dakota and raised in Bisbee, Arizona, Jance lives with her husband in Seattle, Washington. Visit her online at JAJance.com.
Barbara Peters, owner of The Poisoned Pen, welcomed mother and daughter writing team Rhys Bowen and Clare Broyles back to the bookstore. Silent as the Grave is the twenty-first Molly Murphy mystery. There are still a few signed copies of Silent as the Grave available through the Webstore. https://bit.ly/3XOOBGZ If you haven’t yet discovered this well-researched historical mystery series, you can still order copies of the other books in the series, beginning with Murphy’s Law. https://bit.ly/3DP7jYd.
Here’s the summary of Silent as the Grave.
Retired Detective Molly Murphy Sullivan goes undercover in the next book in the New York Times bestselling series from Rhys Bowen and Clare Broyles.
With a newborn and two children, Molly Murphy Sullivan is tackling motherhood. Her husband, Daniel, is off to work in Washington as Easter break begins in New York. Her dear friend and writer, Ryan O’Hara, is shooting a movie, one of the first to involve a real plot and actors. He invites Molly and the children to visit the set and watch the excitement. When one of the actresses is fired, Molly’s adopted daughter, Bridie, is called to replace her in the scene. Turns out she’s a natural and is asked to star in the rest of the film. Molly is skeptical about leaving Bridie alone on set, but her great friends, Sid and Gus, offer to chaperone her.
The movie industry is still experimenting with ways to get the best shot, like pretending to tie Bridie to real train tracks. But soon, their special effects start to malfunction. After a few mishaps where no one is hurt, the special effects turn deadly. With rumors of a feud between studios, Molly believes these malfunctions are sabotage. She is invited to go undercover on set to investigate the burgeoning film war. Once again, Rhys Bowen and Clare Broyles deliver an engaging mystery full of vibrant historical details and thrilling escapades featuring one of mystery’s most beloved sleuths.
RHYS BOWEN is the New York Times bestselling author of the Anthony Award- and Agatha Award-winning Molly Murphy mysteries, the Edgar Award-nominated Evan Evans series, the Royal Spyness series, and several stand-alone novels including In Farleigh Field. Born in England, she lives in San Rafael, CA.
CLARE BROYLES, who is Rhys Bowen’s daughter, is a teacher and a musician. She began collaborating with her mother on the Molly Murphy mystery series with Wild Irish Rose. She has worked as a composer and arranger in the theater for both Arizona Theater Company and Childsplay and was nominated for an Arizone ‘Zoni’ theater award. Clare is married to a teacher and they have three children.
You’ll enjoy the conversation, including the discussion of the Easter Parade.
Congratulations to Craig Johnson, a fan favorite at The Poisoned Pen. Looking for any of his books? Check out the Webstore. https://store.poisonedpen.com/
Renee Jean of Cowboy State Daily sent out this report.
Longmire Author Craig Johnson Wins Wister Award,Highest Western Writing Honor
Wyoming’s Craig Johnson, author of the “Longmire” series, is the 2025 winner of the Owen Wister Award. It’s the highest honor given by Western Writers of America in recognition of lifetime contributions to the genre.
Craig Johnson isn’t sure just how much the big bronze buffalo that comes with the Western Writing Association’s Owen Wister Award weighs. Or whether it will make it past airport security when the New York Times best-selling author returns with it from Amarillo, Texas, this June, where he is to receive one of the West’s highest honors.
The Owen Wister award recognizes lifetime contributions to Western literature. It comes with an all-bronze statue of a bison, named the Lord of the Plains, created by the late Texas sculptor Robert Duffie.
“I think it is a beautiful buffalo statue, but from what I understand, it weighs a lot,” Johnson said. “They give it to you at the award ceremony, but then it’s your job to get it home. So, we’ll see what happens. If I have to ship it, or if TSA Security will let me put it through to Buffalo.”
Johnson may not know how he’s getting this big award home just yet, but he is so excited, he’s already cleared a spot for it at his home in Ucross, Wyoming.
“It’s already got a place to roost — once I get it,” Johnson said. “I’ve already cleared a place for it in the dining room, on a table.”
Mysteries are what Johnson is well known for, and the mystery of how the Lord of the Plains statue will get home to Wyoming is something Johnson plans to figure out as he goes along. That’s the same sort of approach he’s taken to creating the whole Longmire universe over the last 20-some years, which has brought him this award.
Johnson doesn’t know exactly why he has already won this lifetime achievement award. In his mind, he’s only at half a lifetime’s worth of stuff. But maybe it’s just his philosophy of having as much fun as possible when he writes about the fictional Sheriff Walt Longmire of Absaroka.
Throughout the Longmire series, good old Walt gets in all sorts of trouble, but somehow manages to survive, while solving lots of mysteries, and saving lives, along the way.
Johnson could never have guessed his style of just figuring it out as he went along would one day lead to his own name being put alongside “The Virginian” author, Owen Wister, the man who is considered the father of the entire Western genre.
“Owen Wister is kind of singularly responsible for elevating the Western to a more complex medium, to where he could challenge other pieces of great American literature like Moby Dick or Mark Twain,” Johnson said. “He allowed for an awful lot of complexities to enter into the genre. And I think, in many ways, made the iconoclastic imagery of the cowboy that we see so much of today.”
Move Over John Wayne
Johnson lives just 17 miles away from the Occidental Hotel, where the Virginian ultimately got his man. That makes winning the Owen Wister award especially symbolic and meaningful.
In becoming a Wister award winner, Johnson has joined a star-studded cast of characters ranging from actors like John Wayne and Clint Eastwood to historians like Will Bagley and James A. Crutchfield, to name just a few.
All Owen Wister award winners have in common lifetime achievements that uplift the voice and culture of the West in an unparalleled way across the nation and the world.
“I’m a little surprised, because it’s like a lifetime achievement award, and I’ve only got, I guess, 21 novels, three novellas, and a collection of short stories,” Johnson said. “It’s a small amount of work, certainly not a lifetime. I think I’ve got another 20, 30 years of writing.”
Part of the credit, Johnson believes, are his loyal fans and wise readers, who help him keep his story line straight. And there are 23 experts in Wyoming — the sheriffs of each county in the state — who don’t hesitate to call Johnson up if he gets something wrong in one of his books.
“It’s been kind of handy to have that kind of hand on my shoulder, to keep me honest as I go along,” Johnson said.
Like the time the real-life sheriff of Johnson County called him up to tell him about a mistake in the very first chapter of Johnson’s first Longmire novel, “Cold Dish,” published in 2004.
Johnson was surprised when he got the call from the Johnson County sheriff, telling him he’d messed up the story in the very first chapter.
“I said, ‘Well, what’s that?’ And he says, ‘You’ve got people drinking beer out of bottles on the Powder River and it’s can-only bars on the Powder River, Craig.’”
The reason for that, Johnson learned, is that people will throw glass bottles at each other in fights, leading to injuries.
Johnson thought about that for a minute, then came back with, “Well, Larry, you can throw a full can of beer and still hurt somebody.”
“Craig, nobody on the Powder River ever threw a full can of beer,” the sheriff told him.
Johnson could just hear the sheriff shaking his head over the phone.
These days, Johnson doesn’t hesitate to call up Wyoming sheriffs to talk to them about the novels he is working on, and make sure he’s getting the details exactly so.
“A lot of times I’m writing stuff from newspapers,” Johnson said. “It’s an actual case that they’ve worked on, things they’ve dealt with.”
Their input not only helps Johnson avoid making mistakes, but ensures his novels have a touch of realism that just can’t be obtained any other way.
The Everyman Hero
Another reason he believes the Longmire series has resonated with so many and attracted so many awards is Walt Longmire himself.“He’s one of those guys you’d want to sit down and have a beer with,” Johnson said. “Like, I don’t want him after me if I did something wrong. But I’d definitely like to sit down and drink a Rainier (beer) with him, no two ways about it.”
While most of the characters in the Longmire series are drawn from people Johnson knows, Longmire isn’t a particular person.
“My wife has the best response to that,” Johnson said. “She says Walt Longmire is who Craig would like to be in 10 years. He’s just off to an incredibly slow start.”
In creating Longmire, Johnson decided he didn’t want some superman or James Bond type. Bond can kill a man with a pencil in the blink of an eye then race away in a fancy sports tech car, with still-perfect hair, in the flying wind.
What Johnson wanted was someone real, someone down to earth. Someone anyone could relate to. Someone with flaws, like the rest of us.
Longmire has that in plenty. He’s overweight, he’s depressed, and he’s getting older every day. But he’s still crawling out of bed every day to fight the good fight, just like millions of Americans every day, and when he gets knocked down in the arena of life, he stands back up to go at it again.
“I’m really kind of proud of Walt,” Johnson said. “He exemplifies an awful lot of the traits and character that I think we as Western Americans feel really strongly about. This award, I assume is somewhat for that, so that makes me feel pretty good.
Cue The Owen Wister Episode
Now that Johnson has won the Owen Wister award, he knows he needs to start thinking about a suitable literary reference for a future book. He can readily do that because of another of Walt’s endearing qualities. He’s a reader.
“So, I love constantly having the literary references in the course of the books,” Johnson said. “And obviously I’m gonna have to do something with Owen Wister now.”
Literary references are just another part of Johnson’s secret formula, to have as much fun as possible with his books.
Take the book he’s writing now, which he’s given the working title, “The Brothers McCay.”
“It was time for me to do something of a Gothic, kind of a red-meat mystery novel,” Johnson said. “So, I got started on that and then, at the same time, I was reading Dostoyevsky’s Brothers of Karamazov, and I thought, you know, it would be interesting to have this kind of like follow a bit of ‘The Brothers Karamazov.’”
Johnson doesn’t know if “The Brothers McKay” working title will survive the publishing process. Working titles are, after all, just that. They’re something to help build cohesion while a writer is creating something of his ideas. The final title, though, is selected to best market and sell a finished work.
Regardless of what the ultimate title is, though, rest assured that Johnson is definitely having fun writing his latest book.
“’The Brothers Karamazov” is one of the great works of literature in the world, but it’s also one of the worst mysteries ever written,” Johnson said. “Because if you read the book and you don’t know who killed the old man in the first two chapters, you’re a moron. Like you really need to go back and look at your cred on reading mystery novels.”
But some historians have discovered information suggesting that Dostoyevsky’s book was to have been a trilogy, and so, perhaps, things were not as obvious as they seemed.
“He died before he got the chance to write the other two books,” Johnson said. “And so, the person that is put forward as the possible murderer might not be the murderer. I’m kind of playing with that one now.”
Johnson’s fans can hardly wait to learn more, and it’s the perfect example of what makes up a modern-day Western voice that fits right in with the Owen Wister award.
Barbara Peters, owner of The Poisoned Pen, welcomed one of her favorite historical fiction authors, Susanna Kearsley, back to the bookstore. Kearsley takes readers to Scotland in her latest book, The King’s Messenger. You can order a signed copy through the Webstore, https://bit.ly/43uOrbu.
Here’s the description of The King’s Messenger.
“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
New York Times, USA Today and international bestselling author Susanna Kearsley explores romance, court alliances, and the limits of one’s duty in this rich story of an honorable man in service to a treacherous king, and the mission that brings him to love and his true calling.
It is the year 1613, and King James is sending his messenger Andrew Logan into Scotland with secret orders to arrest Sir David Moray, close friend and advisor of the late Prince Henry. Secrets are second nature to Andrew, who must hide his Second Sight to stay alive. Joined by a court scrivener and the scrivener’s spirited daughter Phoebe, Andrew slowly untangles the true purpose of his mission—to frame Sir David for Prince Henry’s murder. But Andrew is unwilling to betray an innocent man.
Phoebe Westaway dislikes Andrew, and their history makes it hard for her to trust him. But as their journey draws them deeper into the dark web of court intrigue, Phoebe begins to suspect that she might have more need of the King’s Messenger and his unusual gifts than she could ever have foreseen.
More praise for Susanna Kearsley:
“I loved the story. Couldn’t put it down. It was thoroughly researched and told with brilliantly compelling authenticity.” —Barbara Erskine for The King’s Messenger
“Susanna Kearsley just keeps getting better and better!” —Lauren Willig
New York Times, USA Today, and Globe and Mail bestselling author Susanna Kearsley is a former museum curator who loves restoring the lost voices of real people to the page, often in twin-stranded stories that interweave present and past. Her award-winning novels have been published in translation in more than 25 countries. She lives near Toronto.
Susanna Kearsley shares fascinating history in the broadcast event.
Barbara Peters, owner of The Poisoned Pen, welcomed Lauren Willig back to the bookstore. Willig said it’s the twentieth anniversary of her Pink Carnation Series. She said it was a madcap series reminiscent of every masked hero in historical fiction. She said The Girl from Greenwich Street is the exact opposite, since it features a true crime and real people. There are signed copies of The Girl from Greenwich Street available in the Webstore. https://bit.ly/3QYyvGR And, of course, you can always order copies of Willig’s Pink Carnation series. https://store.poisonedpen.com/
Here’s the description of The Girl from Greenwich Street.
Based on the true story of a famous trial, this novel is Law and Order: 1800, as Alexander Hamilton and Aaron Burr investigate the shocking murder of a young woman who everyone—and no one—seemed to know.
At the start of a new century, a shocking murder transfixes Manhattan, forcing bitter rivals Alexander Hamilton and Aaron Burr to work together to save a man from the gallows.
Just before Christmas 1799, Elma Sands slips out of her Quaker cousin’s boarding house—and doesn’t come home. Has she eloped? Run away? No one knows—until her body appears in the Manhattan Well.
Her family insists they know who killed her. Handbills circulate around the city accusing a carpenter named Levi Weeks of seducing and murdering Elma.
But privately, quietly, Levi’s wealthy brother calls in a special favor….
Aaron Burr’s legal practice can’t finance both his expensive tastes and his ambition to win the 1800 New York elections. To defend Levi Weeks is a double win: a hefty fee plus a chance to grab headlines.
Alexander Hamilton has his own political aspirations; he isn’t going to let Burr monopolize the public’s attention. If Burr is defending Levi Weeks, then Hamilton will too. As the trial and the election draw near, Burr and Hamilton race against time to save a man’s life—and destroy each other.
Part murder mystery, part thriller, part true crime, The Girl From Greenwich Street revisits a dark corner of history—with a surprising twist ending that reveals the true story of the woman at the center of the tale.
Lauren Willig is a New York Times and USA Today bestselling author. An alumna of Yale University, she has a graduate degree in history from Harvard and a J.D. from Harvard Law School. She lives in New York City.
Historian Lauren Willig’s descriptions of her books are fascinating. Enjoy the conversation.
Oline H. Cogdill recently reviewed Carter Wilson’s Tell Me What You Did for the South Florida Sun Sentinel, and she’s sharing the review with us Copies of the book can be bought through the Webstore. https://bit.ly/41viiOj
Book review: Absorbing ‘Tell Me What You Did’ centers on the chance to confess without consequences
Carter Wilson includes a unique device, an occasional QR code, in “Tell Me What You Did.” (Iliana Wilson/Courtesy)
‘Tell Me What You Did’ by Carter Wilson. Poisoned Pen, 448 pages, $17.99
The popularity of podcasts, especially those centered on true crime, supplies a solid background for mysteries, the latest of which is Carter Wilson’s absorbing “Tell Me What You Did.”
Wilson’s 10th novel centers on irresistible yet opposing situations — the chance to confess without consequences and the opportunity to have fame while being anonymous.
In the novel, Poe Webb has a top-ranked podcast, “Tell Me What You Did,” which she operates out of her Vermont farmhouse. Callers are encouraged to share details that range from embarrassing to criminal. The callers are anonymous but sometimes accidentally reveal their real names. Poe tells callers that she may send the recordings to the police or the FBI.
The podcast’s “tenacious” listeners also are good at uncovering the identity of callers and may contact the authorities. Her listeners have led the cops to arrest three murderers and one arsonist. “People … they’ll sacrifice so much just to be on my show,” Poe says. “I still don’t get it.”
The podcast isn’t just a job, but a way for Poe to cope with grief and guilt. She witnessed her mother being murdered 17 years before. She found the man and, in turn, murdered him — a crime she got away with. Or did she?
Her latest caller, who claims his name is Ian Hindley, says he murdered her mother. Now she worries she killed the wrong man as this caller seems to know a lot about Poe’s past, her mother’s life and her parents’ marriage.
While “Tell Me What You Did” shows the popularity of podcasts and how an audience is grown, Wilson also delves into the precarious relationship between Poe and her father, who has never recovered from his wife’s death.
Father and daughter love each other, but their numerous secrets are a barrier. Poe’s combination of grief and guilt has led to her isolated life, making it impossible for her to trust anyone, including her nice boyfriend who also is her producer.
As Ian’s calls become more frequent, the dynamics between he and Poe become dangerous. Ian’s name, an obvious pseudonym that refers to a famous criminal, adds to Poe’s anxiety and fears.
The plot moves between transcripts of Ian and Poe’s interviews and a regular narrative. Wilson also includes a unique device — an occasional QR code that moves along “Tell Me What You Did.”
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)
