As always, we hope you check the Web Store before ordering any copies of the books. https://store.poisonedpen.com/

12th Annual NM-AZ Book Awards Winners Announced The winners in 2018 New Mexico-Arizona Book Awards were announced this evening at a gala awards banquet held at the Tanoan Country Club in Albuquerque, New Mexico. Awards were presented in 58 categories, from poetry to history and nonfiction to children’s books. 1,089 books were entered in this year’s awards program and 236 of those entries were selected as finalists, which were announced in September 2018. Entries came from large and small publishers from all across the country. Any books by Arizona or New Mexico authors or publishers were eligible as well as books that focused on either Arizona or New Mexico. Because of that entries came from small, one book publishers as well as large national publishers like St Martin’s Press, Random House, Globe Pequot, and even Penguin Books. Many entries came from academic publishers all across the region. Entries this year were up 7%. The entire list of winners can be DOWNLOADED HERE. The top honors this year went to: Best Arizona Book Arizona’s Deadliest Gunfight Osselaer, Heidi Univ of OK Press Best New Mexico Book ABQ’s North Valley Alexander, Francelle Rio Grande Books Best New Mexico Book Apacheria Farmer, W Michael Globe Pequot Hillerman Award for Fiction Blood on the Cimarron Coley, Mary Hillerman Award for Fiction Stealin’ from the Neighbors Ashurst, Ed Ed Ashurst Publishing Steele Award for History Into the White Sands Varjabedian, Craig UNM Press Steele Award for History Whither the Waters Kessell, John UNM Press Best of Show New Mexico Historical Chronology Bullis, Don Rio Grande Press Best of Show Paul Pletka: Imagined Wests Scott, Amy Univ of OK Press

Tuesday is release date for Steven Havill’s twenty-third Posadas County Mystery, Lies Come Easy. That means it’s the perfect time to share an interview from Bookreporter.com. But, first a little about the book itself. Let’s begin with the fact that you can order a signed copy, or copies of Havill’s other books, through the Web Store. https://bit.ly/2A5L4Za

Here’s the description of Lies Come Easy.

One blizzardy New Mexico night, Posadas County Deputy Pasquale picks up a toddler scooting his Scamper along the shoulder of State 56.

Yes, it’s horrifying – a child apparently dumped out of a truck by his father. Nearly as horrifying is what unrolls while Christmas approaches after dad Darrell Fisher’s arrest: a request arrives from the US Forest Service to locate a missing range tech and his unit last reported headed for nearby Stinkin’ Springs, and the brutal murder of Constance Suarez in the border town of Regál, population 37.

The Sheriff’s Department is stretched to its limits as its dedicated personnel juggle working cases and caring for citizens with their own relationships and family celebrations. The irony of so much wickedness at the holidays is not lost on anyone. Undersheriff Estelle Reyes-Guzman, heading out her door to a crime scene, reflects: “It would be a glorious holiday evening for somebody.”

As their mother joins her colleagues in dealing with the Fisher family, the Forest Service’s absent Myron Fitzwater, the murder, and who knows what else in Regál, Francisco and Carolos, the sons of Estelle and physician Francis, arrange to jet in to spend Christmas with their parents. Francisco the musical prodigy is now a celebrated pianist and composer with an international career. Carlos is thriving at Stanford. Both sons bring special surprises with them. And retired Sheriff Bill Gastner is cooking up a Christmas gift of his own.

In Steven Havill’s twenty-third Posadas County Mystery, family dynamics play a huge role as Undersheriff Estelle Reyes-Guzman and the whole department work to pull the right threads out of a tangle of seemingly small lies. It makes for a mix of the mundane with the harrowing. And justice for all will prove elusive.

*****

If you’d like to hear from the author himself, check out Michael Barson’s interview with Steven Havill. https://bit.ly/2PC1u6f

Dana Stabenow has been kind enough to keep readers in the loop when she looks back at her research for her forthcoming book, Death of an Eye. You can order Stabenow’s books, including a signed copy of the new book, through the Web Store. https://bit.ly/2F9m0Bq

Death of an Eye, the first Eye of Isis novel, will be out first as an ebook. Stabenow will be signing hardcover copies, though, at the Poisoned Pen at 2 PM on Saturday, December 8.

Now, she’s sharing her thoughts about Cleopatra on her website. https://bit.ly/2FrYXqv

If you missed it earlier, here’s the description of Death of an Eye.

Alexandria, 47BCE: Cleopatra shares the throne with her brother Ptolemy under the auspices of Julius Caesar, by whom Cleopatra is heavily pregnant with child. A shipment of new coin meant to reset the shaky Egyptian economy has been stolen, the Queen’s Eye has been murdered and Queen Cleopatra turns to childhood friend Tetisheri to find the missing shipment and bring the murderer to justice.

We might be halfway through November, but it’s still a good time to mention recent releases from Poisoned Pen Press. You can order any of the titles through the Web Store. https://store.poisonedpen.com/

Here’s the most recent newsletter about the releases.

“Poor Lady Addie—how is she to enjoy life with her husband’s ghost appearing at will, and a body at her houseparty. This 1920s romp is absolutely my favorite cup of tea!”  — Rhys  Bowen, award-winning New York Times bestselling author “Set in England in 1924, this promising series launch…is…frothy fun.”— Publishers Weekly “A lively debut filled with local color, red herrings, both sprightly and spritely characters, a smidgen of social commentary, and a climactic surprise.”       — Kirkus Reviews HC:  9781464211119 Pbk: 9781464210723

“Master of mystery Steven F. Havill accomplishes that rare and remarkable feat of making each book in his compelling series even better than the one that came before it… If you haven’t yet discovered these wonderful mysteries, you are in for a treat!” —Anne Hillerman, New York Timesbestselling author “Havill’s irresistible 23rd mystery set in tiny Posadas County, N.Mex. combines a police procedural with a complex family saga….Havill’s inviting world welcomes newcomers and keeps fans happily coming back for more.” —Publishers Weekly HC: 9781464210310 Pbk: 9781464210334

Polish off your magnifying glass and step into the shoes of your favourite detectives as you unlock tantalising clues and solve intricate puzzles. There are over 100 criminally teasing challenges to be scrutinised, including word searches, anagrams, snapshot covers, and crosswords ““ a favourite puzzle of crime fiction’s golden age. Suitable for all ages and levels, this is the ultimate test for fans of the British Library Crime Classics series. Pbk: 9781464210174

The nice men at P&O are worried. A succession of jewelry thefts from the first-class passengers is hardly the best advertisement for their cruises. Especially when it is likely that a passenger is the thief.Phryne Fisher, with her Lulu bob, green eyes, cupid’s bow lips, and sense of the ends justifying the means, is just the person to mingle seamlessly with the upper classes and take on a case of theft on the high seas—or at least on the S.S. Hinemoa—on a luxury cruise to New Zealand, carrying the Great Queen of Sapphires, the Maharani, as bait. Pbk: 9781464207808

2018 ““ ALA Book Club October Pick, Things that Go Bump: Paranormal Mysteries David Randall’s perfect family life came derailed when his little daughter Lindsey died in a car crash. Thrown out by his second wife and wanting to leave a dead-end detective agency to start his own, he reluctantly accepts his psychic friend Camden’s invitation to stay in Camden’s boarding house in Parkland, North Carolina. Pbk: 9781590589397

Check out these interviews with our October authors, conducted by our publicist Michael Barson (he’s the one with the silly expression)–! Click here for Steven Axelrod (Nantucket Counterfeit) Click here for Mary Reed and Eric Mayer (An Empire for Ravens) Click here for Eileen Brady (Penned)

Congratulations to Martin Edwards for winning the Crime Writers’ Association’s 2018 Dagger in the Library Award!  The Dagger in the Library is a prize for a body of work by an established crime writer that has long been popular with borrowers from libraries. It also rewards authors who have supported libraries and their users. Read the details here

And the 2018 Will Rogers Bronze Medallion for Western Fiction goes to Mary Anna Evans for Burials(2017, Poisoned Pen Press). Congratulations!Will Rogers was a respected writer and cowboy entertainer whose work embodied and demonstrated the traditions and values of the American cowboy.  The Will Rogers Medallion Award was originally created to recognize quality works of cowboy poetry that honored the Will Rogers heritage, but has expanded to include other works of Western literature and film. The awards competition takes place annually, and the awards ceremony is held every fall in Fort Worth, Texas.

To Order (Bookstore/Wholesale Customers) Ingram Publisher Services (IPS) accepts orders in a variety of ways. Terms on IPS orders are the same regardless of ordering method. ipage: ipage.ingrambook.com Phone: 866.400.5351 Fax: 800.838.1149 E-mail: [email protected] ACCESS (automated stock check and ordering line): 800.961.8031 Visit ingrampublisherservices.com/ordering

Lee Child’s latest Jack Reacher novel, Past Tense, is the current Hot Book of the Week at the Poisoned Pen. You can order a signed copy of that book, as well as copies of the other Jack Reacher novels, through the Web Store. https://bit.ly/2z4duCD

Here’s the description of Past Tense.

Family secrets come back to haunt Jack Reacher in this electrifying thriller from #1 New York Times bestselling author Lee Child, “a superb craftsman of suspense” (Entertainment Weekly).

Jack Reacher hits the pavement and sticks out his thumb. He plans to follow the sun on an epic trip across America, from Maine to California. He doesn’t get far. On a country road deep in the New England woods, he sees a sign to a place he has never been: the town where his father was born. He thinks, What’s one extra day? He takes the detour.

At the same moment, in the same isolated area, a car breaks down. Two young Canadians had been on their way to New York City to sell a treasure. Now they’re stranded at a lonely motel in the middle of nowhere. The owners seem almost too friendly. It’s a strange place, but it’s all there is.

The next morning, in the city clerk’s office, Reacher asks about the old family home. He’s told no one named Reacher ever lived in town. He’s always known his father left and never returned, but now Reacher wonders, Was he ever there in the first place?

As Reacher explores his father’s life, and as the Canadians face lethal dangers, strands of different stories begin to merge. Then Reacher makes a shocking discovery: The present can be tough, but the past can be tense . . . and deadly.

Praise for Past Tense

“Child is one writer who should never be taken for granted.”—The New York Times Book Review

“[Lee Child] shows no signs of slowing down. . . . Reacher is a man for whom the phrase moral compass was invented: His code determines his direction. . . . You need Jack Reacher.”—The Atlantic

“Superb . . . Child neatly interweaves multiple narratives, ratchets up the suspense (the reveal of the motel plot is delicious), and delivers a powerful, satisfying denouement. Fans will enjoy learning more of this enduring character’s roots, and Child’s spare prose continues to set a very high bar.”—Publishers Weekly (boxed and starred review)

“Another first-class entry in a series that continues to set the gold standard for aspiring thriller authors.”—Booklist (starred review)

“With his usual flair for succinctness and eye for detail, Child creates another rollicking Reacher road trip that will please fans and newcomers alike.”—Library Journal (starred review)

What a treat! Not only was there a birthday celebration for Anne Perry at The Poisoned Pen, but she talked about two recent books, Dark Tide Rising, and A Christmas Revelation. You can order signed copies of these two, and copies of Perry’s other books through the Web Store. https://bit.ly/2DEi5ju

You’re welcome to join in the celebration, too. Watch the video of the event.

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=drLb4jQxJl4&w=560&h=315]

If you don’t have time to watch the video, here are the summaries of the two books. First, Dark Tide Rising.

“Riveting . . . one of the series’ more powerful recent entries.”—Publishers Weekly

When a ransom exchange turns deadly in this thrilling mystery from New York Times bestselling author Anne Perry, Commander William Monk faces an unthinkable possibility: betrayal by his own men.

Jacob’s Island is a broken-down waterside slum, a place of perpetual gloom where Monk is just as likely to lose a man to the mud and tides as to the criminals who hide in the shadows. Kidnappers have chosen this warren of tunnels and alleys as the site of a ransom exchange for Kate Exeter, the wife of wealthy real estate developer Harry Exeter. Harry asks the Thames River Police to secretly accompany him to the spot and ensure that no harm comes to him or his captive wife. But on arrival, Monk and five of his best men are attacked from all sides, and Monk is left wondering who could have given away their plans.

As Monk follows leads from Kate’s worried cousin and a crafty clerk at the bank where Exeter gathered the ransom money, it seems undeniable that one of his own men has betrayed him. Delving into their pasts, he realizes how little he knows about the people he works with every day, including his right-hand man John Hooper, the one colleague Monk has always been certain he can count on—but who is also hiding a dreadful secret. As the case runs into a series of deadly obstructions, Monk must choose between his own safety and the chance to solve the mystery—and to figure out where his men’s loyalty really lies.

Praise for Dark Tide Rising

“Perry makes cunning work of the plot, which raises issues of trust and loyalty while driving home a grim message about the vulnerability of women who entrust their fortunes to unscrupulous men.”—The New York Times Book Review

“One of the most successful of prolific Perry’s recent Victorian melodramas. The opening chapters are appropriately portentous, the mystification is authentic, and if the final surprise isn’t exactly a shock, it’s so well-prepared that even readers who don’t gasp will nod in satisfaction.”—Kirkus Reviews

*****

Now, A Christmas Revelation.

“Perry’s Victorian-era holiday mysteries [are] an annual treat.”—The Wall Street Journal

In this intriguing, uplifting holiday mystery from bestselling author Anne Perry, an orphan boy investigates a woman’s kidnapping—and discovers there’s more at stake than a disappearance.

It wouldn’t quite be Christmas without a holiday mystery decorated with all the Victorian trimmings, as only New York Times bestselling author Anne Perry can render it. Now the tradition continues as mayhem is once again found under the mistletoe, and intrigue stalks the cobblestone streets and gaslit parlors of old London Town.

Formerly a river urchin living on the banks of the Thames, nine-year-old Worm has never experienced a family Christmas. But thanks to a job at Hester Monk’s clinic in Portpool Lane, he’s found a makeshift family in kindly volunteer Miss Claudine Burroughs and curmudgeonly old bookkeeper Squeaky Robinson.

When Worm witnesses the abduction of a beautiful woman by a pair of ruffians just days before Christmas, he frantically turns to Squeaky for help. A one-time brothel owner, Squeaky knows the perils of interfering in nasty business, but he can’t bear to disappoint Worm—or leave the boy to attempt a rescue on his own. What neither of the would-be saviors expects, however, is that the damsel in distress already has her dilemma well in hand . . . and is taking steps to bring her captors to justice for crimes far worse than kidnapping. But the rogues, as cunning as they are deadly, are not to be underestimated. The aid of cynical old Squeaky and hopeful young Worm just might make the difference between a merry triumph over evil and a terrible yuletide tragedy.

Steven Axelrod, author of the Henry Kennis mysteries, was recently interviewed in Bookreporter. Axelrod’s books are published by Poisoned Pen Press, which means you can order them through the Web Store, including signed copies of the current one, Nantucket Counterfeit. https://bit.ly/2QIkVqI

Here’s the link to the interview in Bookreporter. https://bit.ly/2RR4g4e

The summary of Nantucket Counterfeit is below.

The fifth Henry Kennis mystery takes us into the closed, gossip-riddled, back-stabbing world of Nantucket’s community theater.

Horst Refn, the widely disliked and resented Artistic Director of the Nantucket Theater Lab, has been found stuffed into the meat freezer in his basement. Most of the actors, all the technical crew, and quite a few of the Theater Lab Board members, whom Refn was scamming and blackmailing, are suspects in his murder. The island’s Police Chief Henry Kennis has to pick his way through a social minefield as he searches for the killer.

At the same time, daughter’s new boyfriend, football star Hector Cruz, has been accused of sexting her. Carrie knows the offending pictures didn’t come from him, and Henry has to prove it before the boy gets suspended, which means probing into the family secrets of Hector’s father, a firebrand agitprop playwright, who happens to be a prime suspect in Refn’s murder.

Every story is a fiction, every identity proves false, and every statement a lie. The counterfeit bills found at the scene of the crime are the most obvious symbol of the deceptions and distractions that obscure the investigation. The truth lies buried in the past, in Refn’s earlier crimes and the victims who came to Nantucket seeking revenge.

When the culprit has been revealed, the last masks torn off, and final murder foiled – live, on stage, during the opening night of Who Dun It, the eerily prescient opening drama of the Theater Lab Season – Jane says to Henry, “Is everything counterfeit?” He smiles. “Almost.”

Laurie R. King’s latest newsletter includes information about a giveaway. It ends November 17, so there’s not much time. The good news is, if you don’t win, you can always order King’s books through the Web Store. https://bit.ly/2yDn27l

Here’s Laurie R. King’s latest newsletter, as shared by Barbara Peters, owner of the Poisoned Pen.

Hello all! Writing historical novels as I do, I see even today how thoroughly the Great War changed the 20thcentury, and our own as well. The war ended 100 years ago today, the guns going through a final orgy of violence as if not to waste a bullet…and men died. To commemorate the centenary of the end of the First World War, my US publishers are giving away ten copies of my book that is most about the War, Justice Hall. It’s set in the closing days of 1923, when Russell and Holmes have a case literally fall into their arms—a mystery that reaches back to the Great War, when young Lieutenant Gabriel Hughenfort was one of the 700,000 British soldiers who died in service of King and country. But it’s not until they arrive at Justice Hall, a Duke’s home of unearthly perfection, that they fully understand the irony of the family motto: Justicia fortitudo mea est: “Righteousness is my strength.” TO ENTER PENGUIN RANDOM HOUSE’S  JUSTICE HALL SWEEPSTAKES,  CLICK HERE. Deadline November 17 (For US readers only, sorry.) *** Travels with Laurie Where will I be next year?  In March, at Left Coast Crime in Vancouver, BC. This is always a hugely entertaining conference—join me there! And at the end of October, it’ll be BoucherCon in Dallas. Closer in—on December 8, in fact—I’ll be at Scottsdale’s Poisoned Pen Books with two of my best friends, Les Klinger and Dana Stabenow, to celebrate both Dana’s gorgeous new novel about Cleopatra, Death of an Eye, and the new collection Les and I edited: For the Sake of the Game With amazing stories by Peter S. Beagle, Rhys Bowen, Reed Farrel Coleman, Jamie Freveletti, Alan Gordon, Gregg Hurwitz, Toni L. P. Kelner, William Kotzwinkle & Joe Servello, Harley Jane Kozak, D. P. Lyle, Weston Ochse, Zoe Sharp, Duane Swierczynski, and F. Paul Wilson. If you can’t make it, you can order a signed copy from The Poisoned Pen—or get an unsigned one from your local Indie, or Barnes & Noble, or Amazon. I hope to see some of you in Scottsdale—or maybe next year at one of the Cons.  In the meantime, I wish you all a happy Thanksgiving, with all the trimmings!

Today, I’m going to do a throwback blog post. Tim Hallinan will be at the Poisoned Pen on Tuesday, November 13 at 7 PM. He’ll be talking about the seventh Junior Bender mystery, Nighttown. You can order signed copies of that book, or copies of Timothy Hallinan’s other books through the Web Store. https://bit.ly/2PXW4z7

But, I really want to mention another one of Hallinan’s books. Two years ago, on Dec. 1, 2016, Bill Crider wrote a post for the blog. We lost Bill Crider this year, so it’s a tribute to Crider and Tim Hallinan to rerun this post. Bill wrote about his favorite Christmas mystery.

“My new favorite Christmas crime novel is Tim Hallinan’s Fields Where They Lay.  The narrator is a semi-reformed thief named Junior Bender, who’s hired by a thug to figure  out what’s going on with with an elaborate caper being carried out in a dying shopping mall three days before Christmas.  Bender has to find the solution . . . or else.

Junior has issues with Christmas, so that’s another problem.  Something’s going on with his girlfriend, too,  and the constant Christmas music in the mall doesn’t make him feel merry and bright, either.

There’s another Christmas story in the book, and it’s told to Bender by none other than Santa Claus.  Sure, it’s a mall Santa, but that counts.  It’s a powerful story, and its ending ties in with the title of the book, which is, as I’m sure you know, a line from a famous carol, “The First Noel.”

A whole lot is going on in this fast-paced novel.  It’s tough, it’s funny, and like all of Hallinan’s books, it has heart.  The ending is as satisfactory as any fan of Christmas could ask for, so this isn’t just my new favorite Christmas book.  It’s one of my favorite books of the year.”

*****

I thought it was perfect timing to remind readers how much Bill Crider loved Fields Where They Lay. If you’re going to be at The Poisoned Pen on Tuesday evening, maybe you’ll want to buy a copy of that book as well, and have Tim Hallinan sign it.