Fiona Davis has a terrific backstory about the Rockettes and her latest novel, The Spectacular. Barbara Peters, owner of The Poisoned Pen, welcomed Davis to talk about her book. There are signed copies of The Spectacular available in the Webstore. https://bit.ly/42AS3Vq

Here’s the description of The Spectacular.

From the New York Times Bestselling Author of The Magnolia Palace: A thrilling story about love, sacrifice, and the pursuit of dreams, set amidst the glamour and glitz of Radio City Music Hall in its mid-century heyday.

New York City, 1956: Nineteen-year-old Marion Brooks knows she should be happy. Her high school sweetheart is about to propose and sweep her off to the life everyone has always expected they’d have together: a quiet house in the suburbs, Marion staying home to raise their future children. But instead, Marion finds herself feeling trapped. So when she comes across an opportunity to audition for the famous Radio City Rockettes—the glamorous precision-dancing troupe—she jumps at the chance to exchange her predictable future for the dazzling life of a performer. 

Meanwhile, the city is reeling from a string of bombings orchestrated by a person the press has nicknamed the “Big Apple Bomber,” who has been terrorizing the citizens of New York for sixteen years by planting bombs in popular, crowded spaces. With the public in an uproar over the lack of any real leads after a yearslong manhunt, the police turn in desperation to Peter Griggs, a young doctor at a local mental hospital who espouses a radical new technique: psychological profiling. 

As both Marion and Peter find themselves unexpectedly pulled in to the police search for the bomber, Marion realizes that as much as she’s been training herself to blend in—performing in perfect unison with all the other identical Rockettes—if she hopes to catch the bomber, she’ll need to stand out and take a terrifying risk. In doing so, she may be forced to sacrifice everything she’s worked for, as well as the people she loves the most.

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Fiona Davis is the New York Times bestselling author of several novels, including The Dollhouse, The Address, The Masterpiece, The Chelsea Girls, The Lions of Fifth Avenue, and The Magnolia Palace. She lives in New York City and is a graduate of the Columbia Journalism School.

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Enjoy Fiona Davis’ conversation about Radio City Music Hall and New York City, as well as The Spectacular.

Barbara Peters, owner of The Poisoned Pen, said Jack Carr signed 1500 copies of Only the Dead the weekend before his live event at the bookstore. He talks about his mission and purpose in life in the conversation. You can find a copy of the book in the Webstore. https://bit.ly/3ClEDSu

Here’s the summary of Only the Dead.

Navy SEAL James Reece faces a devastating global conspiracy in this high-adrenaline thriller that is ripped from the headlines—from the #1 New York Times bestselling author and “one of the top writers of political thrillers” (Bookreporter), Jack Carr.

In 1980, a freshman congressman was gunned down in Rhode Island, sending shockwaves through Washington that are still reverberating over four decades later.

Now, with the world on the brink of war and a weakened United States facing rampant inflation, political division, and shocking assassinations, a secret cabal of global elites is ready to assume control. And with the world’s most dangerous man locked in solitary confinement, the conspirators believe the final obstacle to complete domination has been eliminated. They’re wrong.

From the firms of Wall Street to the corridors of power in Washington, DC, and Moscow, secrets from the past have the uncanny ability to rise to the surface in the present.

With the odds stacked against him, James Reece is on a mission generations in the making. Unfortunately for his enemies, the former SEAL is not concerned with odds. He is on the warpath. And when James Reece picks up his tomahawk and sniper rifle, no one is out of range.

From “a master novelist” (BallisticMagazine), “quintessential hero James Reece is exactly what’s needed in today’s chaotic political milieu” (K.J. Howe, author of Skyjack).

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Jack Carr is a #1 New York Times bestselling author and former Navy SEAL. He lives with his wife and three children in Park City, Utah. He is the author of The Terminal List, True Believer, Savage Son, The Devil’s Hand, and In the Blood. His debut novel, The Terminal List, was adapted into the #1 Amazon Prime Video series starring Chris Pratt. He is also the host of the top-rated podcast Danger Close. Visit him at OfficialJackCarr.com and follow along on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook at @JackCarrUSA.

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Enjoy the conversation with Jack Carr.

https://youtube.com/watch?v=eVDySL0hu4s

Before they talked about Isabella Maldonado’s new book, A Killer’s Game, Barbara Peters, owner of The Poisoned Pen, asked Maldonado to talk about her role at the recent Thrillerfest. There are signed copies of A Killer’s Game available in the Webstore. https://tinyurl.com/yw2nn9u6

Here’s the description of A Killer’s Game.

An FBI agent with a background in cryptography. A brilliant game maker bent on revenge. A deadly battle of wits and wills. An ingenious thriller from the Wall Street Journal bestselling author of The Cipher.

FBI agent and former military codebreaker Daniela “Dani” Vega witnesses a murder on a Manhattan sidewalk. The victim is chief of staff for a powerful New York senator. The assassin turned informant is Gustavo Toro. His code: hit the target and don’t ask questions. When Dani suspects a complex conspiracy, the only way to take down the mastermind is from the inside, forcing her to partner with Toro. Together they must infiltrate the inner circle at a remote facility.

Except it’s a trap. For all of them.

Locked in a subterranean labyrinth and held captive by an unseen host, Dani, Toro, and others must fight for their lives. Now Dani must stay undercover, unravel a bizarre conspiracy, and survive lethal puzzles. But will Toro be friend or foe? Because in this killer’s game, everything is real: the paranoia, the desperation, and the body count. And only one person can make it out alive.

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Wall Street Journal bestselling and award-winning author Isabella Maldonado wore a gun and badge in real life before turning to crime writing. A graduate of the FBI National Academy in Quantico and the first Latina to attain the rank of captain in the Fairfax County Police Department just outside DC, she retired as the commander of special investigations and forensics. During more than two decades on the force, her assignments included hostage negotiator, department spokesperson, and district station commander. She uses her law enforcement background to bring a realistic edge to her writing, which includes the bestselling FBI Special Agent Nina Guerrera series (optioned by Netflix for a feature film starring Jennifer Lopez) and the Detective Veranda Cruz series. Her books have been translated into twenty languages. For more information, visit www.isabellamaldonado.com.

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Enjoy the conversation at this live event.

“H.P. Lovecraft meets Agatha Christie”? That’s an interesting tagline. Barbara Peters mentioned that in conjunction with Jeremy P. Bushnell’s latest novel, Relentless Melt. You can order a copy through the Webstore. https://tinyurl.com/2p8k6tt

Here’s the summary of Relentless Melt.

“A supernatural mystery—part Stranger Things, part Enola Homes, but very much itself… This book is way, way over the top—and is sure to delight its intended audience.” — firstCLUE

Stranger Things meets the Golden Age of Detective fiction in a rollicking supernatural detective thriller that introduces Artie Quick, a sales assistant at Filene’s in Boston, who moonlights as an amateur detective.

The year is 1909, and Artie Quick—an ambitious, unorthodox and inquisitive young Bostonian—wants to learn about crime. By day she holds down a job as a salesgirl in women’s accessories at Filene’s; by night she disguises herself as a man to pursue studies in Criminal Investigation at the YMCA’s Evening Institute for Younger Men.  

Eager to put theory into practice, Artie sets out in search of something to investigate. She’s joined by her pal Theodore, an upper-crust young bachelor whose interest in Boston’s occult counterculture has drawn him into the study of magic. Together, their journey into mystery begins on Boston Common—where the tramps and the groundskeepers swap rumors about unearthly screams and other unsettling anomalies—but soon Artie and Theodore uncover a series of violent abductions that take them on an adventure from the highest corridors of power to the depths of an abandoned mass transit tunnel, its excavation suspiciously never completed.

Will Theodore ever manage to pull off a successful spell? Is Artie really wearing that men’s suit just for disguise or is there something more to it?  And what chance do two mixed-up young people stand up against the greatest horror Boston has ever known, an ancient, deranged evil that feeds on society’s most vulnerable?

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Jeremy P. Bushnell is the author of two earlier novels with Melville House: The Weirdness and The Insides. He teaches writing at Northeastern University in Boston, and lives in Dedham, Massachusetts. He is also the cofounder of Nonmachinable, a distributor of optically interesting zines and artists’ books.
 
His website: http://jeremypbushnell.com/

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Enjoy the conversation about the unusual cover, title, and Bushnell’s book.

When Barbara Peters, owner of The Poisoned Pen, welcomed Kate Khavari, they talked about book titles and herbs, flowers and poisons. Khavari’s latest book is A Botanist’s Guide to Flowers and Fatality. There are signed copies available in the Webstore. https://tinyurl.com/5xvrdefx

Here’s the description of A Botanist’s Guide to Flowers and Fatality.

Brilliant botanist Saffron Everleigh is back and ready for adventure in Kate Khavari’s next mesmerizing historical mystery.

“A cleverly plotted puzzle” (Ashley Weaver) in the vein of Opium and Absinthe, this second installment is perfect for fans of Rhys Bowen and Sujata Massey.

1920s London isn’t the ideal place for a brilliant woman with lofty ambitions. But research assistant Saffron Everleigh is determined to beat the odds in a male-dominated field at the University College of London. Saffron embarks on her first research study alongside the insufferably charming Dr. Michael Lee, traveling the countryside with him in response to reports of poisonings. But when Detective Inspector Green is given a case with a set of unusual clues, he asks for Saffron’s assistance.

The victims, all women, received bouquets filled with poisonous flowers. Digging deeper, Saffron discovers that the bouquets may be more than just unpleasant flowers— there may be a hidden message within them, revealed through the use of the old Victorian practice of floriography. A dire message, indeed, as each woman who received the flowers has turned up dead.

Alongside Dr. Lee and her best friend, Elizabeth, Saffron trails a group of suspects through a dark jazz club, a lavish country estate, and a glittering theatre, delving deeper into a part of society she thought she’d left behind forever.

Will Saffron be able to catch the killer before they send their next bouquet, or will she find herself with fatal flowers of her own in Kate Khavari’s second intoxicating installment.

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Kate Khavari is the author of fiction ranging from historical mysteries to high fantasy epics. She has her parents to thank for her fascination for historical mysteries, as she spent the majority of her childhood memorizing Sherlock Holmes’s and Poirot’s greatest quips. A former teacher, Kate has a deep appreciation for research and creativity, not to mention the multitasking ability she now relies on as an author and stay at home mother to her toddler son. She lives in the Dallas-Fort Worth area of Texas with her husband, son, and a lovely garden that contains absolutely no poisonous plants.

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Enjoy the conversation.

Barbara Peters, owner of The Poisoned Pen, has known author Vicki Delany since the beginning of her career because Delany’s first published books were with Poisoned Pen Press. Now, Delany is celebrating her fiftieth published book. That book, Death Knells and Wedding Bells, is written under the name Eva Gates. There are copies of that latest book available through the Webstore. https://tinyurl.com/4a27b8at

Here’s the description of Death Knells and Wedding Bells.

Librarian Lucy’s wedding is nearly perfect—aside from a missing guest and the strangled body she finds. Now, she must vow to find the killer in this 10th Lighthouse Library mystery.

Lucy and Connor planned for the perfect Outer Banks wedding—and that’s exactly what they got. Aside from typical rumblings of familial tensions, the late spring weather allowed for a beautiful day, the food was delicious, and everyone had a good time, until one of the guests goes missing.

Before Lucy can look forward to the rest of her life in Nags Head and the work she does at the Bodie Island Lighthouse Library, she gets a phone call from her boss, Bertie James. Eddie, Bertie’s friend, never made it back home after the reception. Initially, Lucy doesn’t think anything of it—sometimes wedding guests simply have a little too much fun. But this quickly turns to something darker when she discovers the body of a wedding guest strangled in a locked closet, and the police immediately start asking questions about Eddie. Lucy must figure out if the two are connected before it’s too late—both for Bertie’s friend and the rest of her wedding guests.

With the Classic Novel Reading Club reading the Selected Works of Edgar Allan Poe—Lucy wonders if the master of the macabre can assist her investigation or if the hunt for the killer’s identity will remain as nothing more than an unsolved mystery.

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Eva Gates is a national bestselling author who began her writing career as a Sunday writer: a single mother of three high-spirited daughters, with a full-time job as a computer programmer. Now she has more than twenty novels under her belt in the mystery genre, published under the name Vicki Delany. She lives in Ontario, this is her tenth Lighthouse Library mystery. 

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If you’re interested in Delany’s writing career, as well as this latest book in the Lighthouse Library Mystery series, you’ll enjoy the event.

Barbara Peters, owner of The Poisoned Pen, welcomed Julia Bryan Thomas, author of The Radcliffe Ladies’ Reading Club. Lauren Willig acted as guest host for Thomas. You can order a copy of Thomas’ book through the Webstore. https://bit.ly/3qvgshE

Here’s the description of The Radcliffe Ladies’ Reading Club.

For readers of Martha Hall Kelly and Beatriz Williams, “a story of female freedom and constraints that doesn’t shy away from the trauma—and joy—that faced U.S. women in the 1950s.” (Kirkus)

Literature impacts us all uniquely — but also unites us.

Massachusetts, 1954. Alice Campbell escapes halfway across the country and finds herself in front of a derelict building tucked among the cobblestone streets of Cambridge, and she turns that sad little shop into the charming bookstore of her dreams.

Tess, Caroline, Evie, and Merritt become fast friends in the sanctuary of Alice’s monthly reading club at The Cambridge Bookshop, where they escape the pressures of being newly independent college women in a world that seems to want to keep them in the kitchen. But they each embody very different personalities, and when a member of the group finds herself shattered, everything they know about each other—and themselves—will be called into question. 

A heart-wrenching, inspiring, extraordinary love letter to books set against the backdrop of one of the most pivotal periods in American history, The Radcliffe Ladies’ Reading Club explores how women forge their own paths, regardless of what society expects of them, and illuminates the importance of literature and the vital conversations it sparks. 

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JULIA BRYAN THOMAS is a graduate of Northeastern State University and the Yale Writers’ Workshop and the author of For Those Who Are Lost. She is married to mystery novelist Will Thomas.

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Enjoy the discussion about women in college, and women’s colleges, as well as books and research.

While Barbara Peters, owner of The Poisoned Pen, welcomed Jo Nesbo to the bookstore, she turned the conversation over to Robert Anglen, investigative reporter for The Arizona Republic, and Patrick Millikin from the bookstore. Nesbo’s latest Harry Hole novel is Killing Moon. Signed copies are available through the Webstore. https://tinyurl.com/mujvny8t

Here’s the summary of Killing Moon.

This killer will get inside your head. • Brilliant rogue police investigator Harry Hole is back, this time as an outsider assembling his own team to help find a serial killer who is murdering young women in Oslo in the next novel in the New York Times best-selling series.

“One of today’s most interesting thriller writers.” —Lee Child, author of the #1 New York Times best-selling Jack Reacher series

THE HUNT IS ON AND THE POLICE ARE RUNNING OUT OF TIME. Two young women are missing, their only connection a party they both attended, hosted by a notorious real-estate magnate. When one of the women is found murdered, the police discover an unusual signature left by the killer, giving them reason to suspect he will strike again.

THEY’RE FACING A KILLER UNLIKE ANY OTHER. And exposing him calls for a detective like no other. But the legendary Harry Hole is gone—fired from the force, drinking himself to oblivion in Los Angeles. It seems that nothing can entice him back to Oslo. Until the woman who saved Harry’s life is put in grave danger, and he has no choice but to return to the city that haunts him and track down the murderer.

CATCHING HIM WILL PUSH HARRY TO THE LIMIT. He’ll need to bring together a misfit team of former operatives to accomplish what he can’t do alone: stop an unstoppable killer. But as the evidence mounts, it becomes clear that there is more to this case than meets the eye…

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JO NESBØ is a #1 New York Times best-selling author whose books have sold fifty-five million copies worldwide and have been translated into fifty languages. His Harry Hole novels include The Redeemer, The Snowman, The Leopard, Phantom, Knife, and Killing Moon. His other books include The Son, Headhunters, Macbeth, and The Kingdom. He is a recipient of the Raymond Chandler Award for Lifetime Achievement. He lives in Oslo.

Seán Kinsella holds an MPhil in literary translation from Trinity College Dublin. His translations have been longlisted for both the Best Translated Book Award and International Dublin Literary Award. He lives in Norway.

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Anglen and Millikin were eager to talk with Jo Nesbo. Enjoy the discussion.