Joanne Fluke launched her latest Hannah Swensen mystery, Pink Lemonade Cake Murder, at The Poisoned Pen. Barbara Peters, owner of the bookstore, welcome Fluke for the live event. There are signed copies of the book in the Webstore. https://bit.ly/43BoHqt
Here’s the description of Pink Lemonade Cake Murder.
Fans of deliciously charming, page-turning whodunits rejoice! Beloved New York Times bestselling author and Queen of the Culinary Mystery Joanne Fluke delivers the twenty-eighth mouthwatering Hannah Swensen Mystery!
The Tri-County Summer Solstice Celebration has come to town, and even among local artisans, athletes, and marching bands, Hannah attracts fans of her own while serving lip-smacking pink lemonade desserts. But the mood sours when a body turns up, leading revelers to wonder if the festivities mark both the longest day of the year and the deadliest . . .
A retired professional MLB player has met a terrifying end—and, considering the rumors swirling about his past, the list of suspects could fill a small stadium. Among them could soon be Delores, Hannah’s mother, who publicly held a grunge against the victim after he infamously dunked her in the tank at a previous county fair . . .
Now, with her mother’s innocence on the line, a life-changing announcement at The Cookie Jar, and a plethora of desserts to bake, Hannah can’t afford to strike out as she begins a dangerous investigation into the ruthless killer who’s truly in a league of their own . . .
Features Over a Dozen Cookie and Dessert Recipes from The Cookie Jar!
Joanne Fluke is the New York Times bestselling author of the Hannah Swensen mysteries, including Chocolate Cream Pie Murder, Raspberry Danish Murder, Cinnamon Roll Murder, and the book that started it all, Chocolate Chip Cookie Murder. Six novels in the series have been adapted for screen as Murder, She Baked, the Hallmark Movies & Mysteries® original television movie franchise starring Alison Sweeney as Hannah, with more to come. Like Hannah Swensen, Joanne Fluke was born and raised in a small town in rural Minnesota, but now lives in Southern California. Please visit her online at JoanneFluke.com.
Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child’s latest Nora Kelly novel, Dead Mountain, is due out at the end of August. Their latest newsletter discussed the book.
Doug on the summit of Lake Peak, New Mexico
Dear Friends and Readers, We’re reaching out today with a quick note to let you know there are still some copies of the double-signed, special edition of our upcoming Nora Kelly novel, DEAD MOUNTAIN, available for pre-purchase. They come with three awesome, limited-edition trading cards especially designed and printed for this signed edition. The novel will be published on August 22nd. The story—in which Nora and FBI agent Corrie Swanson once again team up to tackle an enigmatic and dangerous case—takes place in the mountains of New Mexico. We are excited by the way the thriller continues the fraught, yet friendly relationship between the two accomplished and headstrong young women. To order a signed hardcover of DEAD MOUNTAIN from the Poisoned Pen bookstore with the free trading cards, please use this link.The signed books are running out fast, so if you do wish to order one, it would be best to do so now.
Here’s the summary from the Webstore.
#1 New York Times bestselling authors Preston & Child return in the latest installment of the bestselling series featuring renowned archaeologist Nora Kelly and FBI Agent Corrie Swanson, who investigate a mystery so enigmatic it may have no solution.
In 2008, nine mountaineers failed to return from a winter backpacking trip in the New Mexico mountains. At their final campsite, searchers found a bizarre scene: something had appeared at the door of their tent so terrifying that it impelled them to slash their way out and flee barefoot to certain death in a blizzard. Despite a diligent search, only six bodies were found, two violently crushed and inexplicably missing their eyes. The case, given the code name “Dead Mountain” by the FBI, was never solved.
Now, two more bodies from the lost expedition are unexpectedly discovered in a cave, one a grisly suicide. Young FBI Agent Corrie Swanson teams up with archaeologist Nora Kelly to investigate what really happened on that fateful trip fifteen years ago—and to find the ninth victim. But their search awakens a long-slumbering evil, which pursues Corrie and Nora with a vengeance, determined to prevent the final missing corpse from ever coming to light.
The thrillers of Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child “stand head and shoulders above their rivals” (Publishers Weekly). Preston and Child’s Relic and The Cabinet of Curiosities were chosen by readers in a National Public Radio poll as being among the one hundred greatest thrillers ever written, and Relic was made into a number?one box office hit movie. They are coauthors of the famed Pendergast series, and their recent novels include The Cabinet of Dr. Leng, Diablo Mesa, Bloodless, The Scorpion’s Tail, and Crooked River. In addition to his novels, Preston is the author of the award-winning nonfiction book The Lost City of the Monkey God. Child is a Florida resident and former book editor who has published eight novels of his own, including such bestsellers as Chrysalis and Deep Storm.
True crime writer Camille Kimball hosted Jillian Lauren at The Poisoned Pen. Lauren is the author of Behold the Monster: Confronting America’s Most Prolific Serial Killer. There are signed copies of the books in the Webstore. https://bit.ly/3XZSQyg
Here is the description of Behold the Monster.
Jillian Lauren had no idea what she was getting into when she wrote her first letter to prolific serial killer Samuel Little. All she knew was her research had led her to believe he was good for far more murders than the three for which he had been convicted. While the two exchanged dozens of letters and embarked on hundreds of hours of interviews, Lauren gained the trust of a monster. After maintaining his innocence for decades, Little confessed to the murders of ninety-three women, often drawing his victims in haunting detail as he spoke. How could one man evade justice, manipulating the system for over four decades?
As the FBI, the DOJ, the LAPD, and countless law enforcement officials across the country worked to connect their cold cases with the confessions, Lauren’s coverage of the investigations and obsession with Little’s victims only escalated.
New York Times bestselling author and lead of the Starz docuseries Confronting a Serial Killer Jillian Lauren delivers the harrowing report of her unusual relationship with a psychopath. But this is more than a deep dive into the actions of Samuel Little. Lauren’s riveting and emotional accounts reveal the women who were lost to cold files, giving Little’s victims a chance to have their stories heard for the first time.
Jillian Lauren is the NYT bestselling author of the memoirs Everything You Ever Wanted and Some Girls, and the novel Pretty. She is married to Weezer bass player Scott Shriner. They live in LA.
Barbara Peters, owner of The Poisoned Pen, recently talked about personal relationships with authors Samantha Downing (A Twisted Love Story), and Robyn Harding (The Drowning Woman). Both relationship thrillers are available through the Webstore. https://store.poisonedpen.com/
Here’s the description of A Twisted Love Story.
From the bestselling author of My Lovely Wife comes a reckless, delicious thriller that gives a whole new meaning to the dangers of modern dating.
Wes and Ivy are madly in love. They’ve never felt anything like it. It’s the type of romance people write stories about.
But what kind of story?
When it’s good, it’s great. Flowers. Grand gestures. Deep meaningful conversations where the whole world disappears.
But their vicious cycle of catastrophic breakups and head-over-heels reconciliations needs to end fast. Because suddenly, Wes and Ivy have a common enemy–and she’s a detective.
There’s something Wes and Ivy never talk about–in good times or bad. The night of their worst breakup, when one of them took things too far, and someone ended up dead.
If they can stick together, they can survive anything–even the tightening net of a police investigation.
Because one more breakup might just be their last…
Samantha Downing is currently working on her next standalone thriller. A Twisted Love Story is her fourth novel.
Here’s the summary of Robyn Harding’s The Drowning Woman.
From the bestselling author of The Party comes a “dark and wild ride of redemption, betrayal, and friendship” following a homeless woman fleeing a dangerous past—and the wealthy society wife she saves from drowning: “As twisty and pacey as it gets” (Ashley Audrain, New York Times bestselling author of The Push).Most anticipated by Goodreads · Indigo? · SheReads
Lee Gulliver never thought she’d find herself living on the streets—no one ever does—but when her restaurant fails, and she falls deeper into debt, she leaves her old life behind with nothing but her clothes and her Toyota Corolla. In Seattle, she parks in a secluded spot by the beach to lay low and plan her next move—until early one morning, she sees a sobbing woman throw herself into the ocean. Lee hauls the woman back to the surface, but instead of appreciation, she is met with fury. The drowning woman, Hazel, tells her that she wanted to die, that she’s trapped in a toxic, abusive marriage, that she’s a prisoner in her own home. Lee has thwarted her one chance to escape her life.
Out of options, Hazel retreats to her gilded cage, and Lee thinks she’s seen the last of her, until her unexpected return the next morning. Bonded by disparate but difficult circumstances, the women soon strike up a close and unlikely friendship. And then one day, Hazel makes a shocking request: she wants Lee to help her disappear. It’ll be easy, Hazel assures her, but Lee soon learns that nothing is as it seems, and that Hazel may not be the friend Lee thought she was.
Robyn Harding is the bestselling author of The Perfect Family, The Swap, The Arrangement, Her Pretty Face, and The Party. She has also written and executive produced an independent film. She lives in Vancouver, British Columbia, with her family and two cute but deadly rescue chihuahuas.
Enjoy the conversation with Samantha Downing and Robyn Harding.
Patrick Millikin from The Poisoned Pen recently welcomed Dwyer Murphy, author of The Stolen Coast. There are signed copies of the book available in the Webstore. https://bit.ly/43vRQTL
Millikin says The Stolen Coast is a fun crime novel. Check out the summary.
Adrift in a sleepy coastal Massachusetts town, a man who ferries fugitives by day gets twisted up in a plot to pilfer diamonds in this Casablanca-infused heist novel.
“A twisty, enthralling heist yarn . . . [Murphy] deftly conjures a universe of hucksters and operators that’s sodden with atmosphere, crisscrossed with shadows (literal and moral) and loaded with the threat of a double cross any time . . . Through it all, Murphy’s language is precise and evocative, with nary a word set wrong. . . . smart and satisfying.” —The New York Times
Jack might be a polished, Harvard-educated lawyer on paper, but everyone in the down-at-the-heels, if picturesque, village of Onset, Massachusetts, knows his real job: moving people on the run from powerful enemies. The family business—co-managed with his father, a retired spy—is smooth sailing, as they fill up Onset’s holiday homes during the town’s long, drowsy off-season and help clients shed their identities in preparation for fresh starts.
But when Elena, Jack’s former flame—a dedicated hustler who’s no stranger to the fugitive life—makes an unexpected return to town, her arrival upends Jack’s routine existence. Elena, after all, doesn’t go anywhere without a scheme in mind, and it isn’t long before Jack finds himself enmeshed in her latest project: intercepting millions of dollars’ worth of raw diamonds before they’re shipped overseas.
Infusing a fast-paced plot with sharp wit and stylish prose, CrimeReads editor-in-chief Dwyer Murphy serves up an irresistible page-turner as full of heart as it is of drama.
Dwyer Murphy is the author of An Honest Living, a New York Times Editors’ Choice selection, and the editor-in-chief of CrimeReads, Literary Hub’s crime fiction vertical and the world’s most popular destination for thriller readers. He practiced law at Debevoise & Plimpton in New York City, where he was a litigator, and served as editor of the Columbia Law Review. He was previously an Emerging Writer Fellow at the Center for Fiction.
In this virtual author chat, retired military general and writer Mary K Eder shared details about her latest book, The Girls Who Fought Crime, in conversation with John Charles from The Poisoned Pen.
The novel shines a long-overdue spotlight on the remarkable women who made significant contributions to law enforcement during World War II.
Eder’s writing journey took a remarkable turn as she transitioned from her military career to crafting compelling crime fiction. “I’ve always been a writer, whether writing press releases or feature stories,” she reveals. The book emerged from her fascination with the unsung heroines of history, like the valiant members of the Masher Squad, who patrolled the streets and subways to protect women from harassment, inspired and led by Mary “Mae” Foley, the country’s first female investigator, who hunted rapists and serial killers before women had the right to vote.
Facing challenges in her research due to limited records, Eder turned to libraries, archives, historical sources, and newspapers to shed light on the often overlooked role of women in law enforcement during that era. Despite scant records, Eder’s meticulous research revealed their remarkable journey and unwavering dedication.
In the session, she invites the audience to explore the lives of these incredible women who defied norms and pushed boundaries. “Women make good actresses, so they can go undercover and no one will suspect them”. She also draws parallels between the past and the present, showcasing the potential of a more diverse police force in addressing modern challenges. “Research has shown that when women are involved in incidents, there is less chance of violence and more opportunities for better outcomes.”
Eder shared insights into her writing process, emphasizing the importance of consistency. Drawing inspiration from Maya Angelou, she emphasized the value of showing up to write every day, even if it means working on seemingly mundane aspects of the book. She also acknowledged the influence other authors had on her writing style, particularly for their ability to entertain readers while providing valuable insights, which made her aspire to deliver a similar blend in her own works.
Reflecting on her own journey, Eder urged young writers to persevere through challenges and setbacks, and stressed that although success might not come overnight, consistent effort and dedication can yield meaningful results. Finally, she reflected on the publishing process, whose pace she humorously compared to a glacier’s movement, and shared some of the unique challenges and quirks of the industry.
The event offered a captivating insight into women’s impact on law enforcement, as depicted in her book The Girls Who Fought Crime, and into the mind of the woman behind it. Through meticulous research and passionate storytelling, Eder’s work offers a fresh perspective on history while celebrating the tenacity and contributions of remarkable women from the past.
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Mystery Readers International recently announced the nominees for the 2023 Macavity Awards for titles published in 2022. The Macavity Awards are nominated and voted on by members of Mystery Readers International, subscribers to Mystery Readers Journal, and friends of MRI.The winners will be announced at opening ceremonies at the San Diego Bouchercon in late August.
Congratulations to all of the nominees. Check out the list, and check the Webstore for the books. https://store.poisonedpen.com/
Best Mystery Novel
Back to the Garden by Laurie R. King (Bantam) Two Nights in Lisbon by Chris Pavone (MCD) A World of Curiosities by Louise Penny (Minotaur) A Heart Full of Headstones by Ian Rankin (Little, Brown) Killers of a Certain Age by Deanna Raybourn (Berkley) Secret Identity by Alex Segura (Flatiron Books)
Best First Mystery Before You Knew My Name by Jacqueline Bublitz (Atria/EmilyBestler) Five Moves of Doom by A.J. Devlin (NeWest Press) Shutter by Ramona Emerson (Soho Crime) Devil’s Chew Toy by Rob Osler (Crooked Lane Books) The Verifiers by Jane Pek (Vintage Books) The Maid by Nita Prose (Ballantine)
Best Mystery Short Story
“The Landscaper’s Wife” by Brendan DuBois (Mystery Tribune, Aug/Sep 2022) “Beauty and the Beyotch” by Barb Goffman (Sherlock Holmes Mystery Magazine, Jan 2022) “First You Dream, Then You Die” by Donna Moore (in Black is the Night, Titan Books) “Schrödinger, Cat” by Anna Scotti (Ellery Queen’s Mystery Magazine, Mar/Apr 2022) “Stockholm” by Catherine Steadman (Amazon Original Stories) “The Angel of Rome” by Jess Walter (in The Angel of Rome and Other Stories, Harper) “My Two-Legs” by Melissa Yi (Alfred Hitchcock’s Mystery Magazine, Sep/Oct 2022)
Reed Farrel Coleman recently appeared at The Poisoned Pen to discuss his latest novel, Sleepless City. There are still signed copies of Sleepless City available in the Webstore. https://bit.ly/3JYMF7T
Earlier this month, Michael Barson interviewed Coleman for Bookreporter.com. Barson gave permission to share the interview here.
Reed Farrel Coleman is the New York Times bestselling and award-winning author of 32 novels, including six in Robert B. Parker’s Jesse Stone series. SLEEPLESS CITY marks the debut of Nick Ryan, who is the most powerful cop in New York (even though he doesn’t wear a uniform). He’s the mayor’s fixer, who is called upon when the men and women who protect and serve are in trouble and need protection themselves. In this interview conducted by Michael Barson, Senior Publicity Executive at Melville House, Coleman talks about his various inspirations for his latest protagonist; the hands-on research that he did for this book, which kicks off his fifth series; and his thoughts on how the publishing industry has changed over the last 25 years.
Question: SLEEPLESS CITY is your 32nd novel, covering multiple books divided among four previous series. Is it safe to say that you have planned for this Nick Ryan adventure to be the first entry in a fifth series? And if so, might you still return to one of your previous four series one day?
Reed Farrel Coleman: Yes, the second Nick Ryan novel, BLIND TO MIDNIGHT, is already completed. It’s always difficult to leave favorite series completely behind. While I have said everything I had to say in my Moe Prager novels, my readers love Moe so much that I have occasionally returned to him as a short story protagonist. And I have completed a third Gus Murphy novel, ALL BURIED THINGS. But we haven’t discussed how we’re going to proceed with getting that one out there. One positive side effect of the pandemic was that I finished three novels during those otherwise difficult years.
Q: Nick Ryan is the archetypal outsider figure, supremely capable but afflicted by numerous demons that are only gradually revealed to the reader. In creating Nick, were you invoking any characters who inspired you during your formative days of reading noir fiction?
RFC: The funny thing about my reading habits was that I didn’t read crime fiction during my formative years. I was a poetry reader, a literary reader, and more of a sci-fi guy. I was more likely to read Camus than Cain or Asimov than Agatha. To me, crime fiction was represented by those cheesy paperbacks on my dad’s nightstand with lurid covers of half-naked women holding guns. I came to crime fiction late after taking a class at Brooklyn College called American Detective Fiction. After that, I was smitten.
As to Nick, I think of him as the classic outsider but with insider knowledge. Some early readers have made reference to him as an urban James Bond or Jack Reacher. While I am certainly honored and humbled by those allusions, that’s not exactly who Nick is. As you state in your question, he has vulnerabilities that make him less of a “superhero” type than either Bond or Reacher. As I wrote him, I thought of a character as cool as Steve McQueen in Bullitt, as easily hurt as Philip Marlowe in THE LONG GOODBYE, and as fierce and loyal as Robert De Niro in The Deer Hunter.
Q: What kind of research did you have to do for SLEEPLESS CITY that was different from what you conducted for any of your previous 31 novels? Did writing this book present a particular challenge of any sort?
RFC: Research. What’s that? My job is to make stuff up, and I have always tried not to get bogged down in the technical aspects of the genre. No info dumps for me.
Of course, like any good crime/thriller writer, my Google searches on weaponry, murder, terrorism, explosives and poisons have probably gotten me onto several governmental watch lists. So, yes, I had to research handguns, sniper rifles and the like. Certain aspects of the novel led me to people — one a trauma room physician, the other a corrections officer. These two people gave me invaluable insight into two crucial plot points in the novel, points that simply reading on the subjects could never have lent the texture I needed. I guess what I’m saying is that I prefer human research and experience to book research. I hope it shows in my work.
Q: You have been either the winner of, or a nominee for, virtually every major award that exists in the world of crime fiction. That qualifies you to make this pick: Which decade would you name as being the greatest for mystery authors and novels?
RFC: That’s a great question with no winning answer…or, rather, many winning answers. I think you could make an argument for every decade from the 1930s until the 2020s, because crime/mystery/thriller fiction has the great dichotomy of classic story and reinvention. It’s always the same and always different.
Q: You have been a published novelist for over 25 years now. The industry you entered operated in a much different manner than it does in 2023. Name one of the changes to book publishing since your career began that you most rue, and the one that actually gives you the most hope.
RFC: I think my answer about the change I rue would mirror almost every other experienced author who answers this question: consolidation. When I tried to get my first novel, LIFE GOES SLEEPING, published in 1990 (rejected 40 times, by the way, before it was accepted), there were what seemed like an endless array of independent or semi-independent imprints, each with their own standards and quirks — some, happily, didn’t require agenting. That gave a new author hope that he could catch on with someone, that there was an editor out there in this vast sea of imprints who got what you were doing or saw the potential you had.
Now things are all under the aegis of four or five conglomerates run by people who answer not to readers or to writers, but to stockholders. I once described old world publishing as a cottage industry run on a big scale. Alas, those days are gone.
What gives me hope is the diversity in the industry. When I was the Executive Vice President of Mystery Writers of America, we tried very hard not only to broaden the appeal of the genre but to engage writers of color and women. What we ran up against was not a problem on our end. So, while I rue the march toward consolidation of the big houses, I love that they have now opened their doors and broadened their scopes in terms of who and what they publish.
Here’s the description of Reed Farrel Coleman’s Sleepless City.
“A tour-de-force! The pace is relentless, the plot smart, his new lead character, Nick Ryan, is a hero for the times…Reed is a brilliant storyteller.” — Louise Penny, #1 New York Times bestselling author
When you’re in trouble, you call 911.
When cops are in trouble, they call Nick Ryan.
Every cop in the city knows his name, but no one says it out loud. In fact, they don’t talk about him at all.
He doesn’t wear a uniform, but he is the most powerful cop in New York.
Nick Ryan can find a criminal who’s vanished. Or he can make a key witness disappear.
He has cars, safe houses, money, and weapons hidden all over the city.
He’s the mayor’s private cop, the fixer, the first call when the men and women who protect and serve are in trouble and need protection themselves.
With conflicted loyalties and a divided soul, he’s a veteran cop still fighting his own private war. He’s a soldier of the streets with his own personal code.
But what happens when the man who knows all the city’s secrets becomes a threat to both sides of the law?
AWARDS
• Barnes & Noble Favorite Indie Book
• Chicago Public LIbrary Pick
• Stop You’re Killing Me Pick
• Deadly Pleasures Mystery Magazine
Don’t forget. If you missed the event at The Poisoned Pen with Coleman, you can still catch it on YouTube.
Barbara Peters, owner of The Poisoned Pen, recently welcomed May Cobb for a virtual appearance. Cobb’s latest suspense novel is A Likeable Woman. There are signed copies available in the Webstore. https://bit.ly/3Dkq3Lu
Here’s the description of A Likeable Woman.
Named A Most Anticipated Thriller of Summer 2023 by Oprah Daily ? Buzzfeed ? SheReads ? BookBub ? PureWow ? CrimeReads ? and more!
Kira’s back in her affluent hometown for the first time in years and determined to unravel the secrets of her mother’s death–hidden in the unpublished memoir she left behind– even if it kills her. . . .
After her troublemaker mother’s mysterious death, Kira fled her wealthy Texas town and never looked back. Now, decades later, Kira is invited to an old frenemy’s vow renewal celebration Though she is reluctant to go, there are things pulling her home. . . like chilled wine and days spent by the pool . . . like sexy Jack, her childhood crush. But more important are the urgent texts from her grandmother, who says she has something for Kira. Something related to her mother’s death, something that makes it look an awful lot like murder.
When her grandmother gives Kira a memoir that her mother had been working on before she died, Kira is drawn into the past and all the sizzling secrets that come along with it. With few allies left in her gossipy country-club town, Kira turns to Jack for help. As she gets closer to discovering what—and who—might have brought about her mother’s end, it becomes clear that someone wants the past to stay buried.
And they might come after Kira next.
May Cobb is an award-winning author of The Hunting Wives, My Summer Darlings, A Likeable Woman, and Big Woods. Her books have gotten attention from Book of The Month, The Today Show, and Oprah Daily and have been optioned for film/TV. She has an M.A. from San Francisco State University and her essays and interviews have appeared in The Washington Post and Good Housekeeping. She currently lives in Austin with family.
Barbara Peters, owner of The Poisoned Pen, welcomed Kate Mosse, author of The Ghost Ship, for a virtual event. Dr. Amanda Foreman led the discussion. You can order a copy of The Ghost Ship through the Webstore. https://bit.ly/3NSqTE9
Here’s the description of The Ghost Ship.
Next in the #1 Sunday Times bestselling series, New York Times bestselling author Kate Mosse returns with The Ghost Ship, a sweeping historical epic of adventure on the high seas.
The Barbary Coast, 1621. A mysterious vessel floats silently on the water. It is known only as the Ghost Ship. For months it has hunted pirates to liberate those enslaved by corsairs, manned by a courageous crew of mariners from Italy and France, Holland and the Canary Islands.
But the bravest men on board are not who they seem. And the stakes could not be higher. If arrested, they will be hanged for their crimes. Can they survive the journey and escape their fate?
A sweeping and epic love story, ranging from France in 1610 to Amsterdam and the Canary Islands in the 1620s, The Ghost Ship is a thrilling novel of adventure and buccaneering, love and revenge, stolen fortunes and hidden secrets on the high seas.
KATE MOSSE is a multiple New York Times and #1 internationally bestselling author with sales of more than eight million copies in thirty-eight languages. Her previous novels include Labyrinth, Sepulchre, The Winter Ghosts, Citadel, The Taxidermist’s Daughter, and The Burning Chambers. Kate is the founder director of the Women’s Prize for Fiction, a visiting professor at the University of Chichester, and in June 2013, was awarded an Officer of the Order of the British Empire for services to literature. She divides her time between Chichester in the United Kingdom and Carcassonne in France.