Fiction Review

Rhys Bowen and Clare Broyles appeared at The Poisoned Pen Bookstore to discuss their latest Molly Murphy mystery, Vanished in the Crowd. There’s a fascinating discussion of the history behind the novel. You can order signed copies of the book through the Webstore. https://tinyurl.com/mr3j9ce9

Here’s the summary of Vanished in the Crowd.

In the latest in the New York Times bestselling series from Rhys Bowen and Clare Broyles, retired detective Molly Murphy Sullivan investigates the disappearance of a female scientist

New York is busier than ever as two million visitors come to the city to witness the Hudson-Fulton celebration in 1909, marking the 300th anniversary of Henry Hudson’s discovery of the Hudson River. Parades, exhibitions, carnivals, and a marvelous display of the wonders of the latest invention–electricity–across the city make for two straight weeks of celebrations, which Molly and her family, along with their friends Sid and Gus, are excited to enjoy. But Molly is secretly dealing with financial troubles. She is too proud to ask her friends for a loan, but when they want to hire her as a detective she jumps at the chance.

Sid and Gus are hosting fellow Vassar graduates to take part in one of the parades but one of the women, a brilliant scientist, never shows up. It seems nobody knows where she is, including her husband. Is she trying to run away from her life or is it something more sinister? Why have the Vassar women really come to New York City? When Daniel asks Molly to spy on her friends and find out just what they are planning she finds her loyalties horribly divided. Then the parade turns deadly and only Molly has the tools to find out the truth.

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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.

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Enjoy the conversation with Rhys Bowen and her daughter, Clare Broyles.

James Rollins’ standalone thriller is Trust No One. Barbara Peters, owner of The Poisoned Pen, welcomed him back to the bookstore to discuss that book. You can order copies through the Webstore. https://tinyurl.com/a6m8vem5

Here’s the description of Trust No One.

From the #1 New York Times bestselling master of international intrigue comes a shocking new stand-alone thriller that thrusts a group of university students, falsely accused of murder, into a treacherous hunt across Europe, all to unlock the secrets buried within a centuries-old book that could change humankind forever.

Knowledge can be magic—until it falls into the wrong hands.

The ritualistic murder of a British professor at the University of Exeter points to a startling cast of suspects: his own students. All are enrolled in a postgraduate program covering the history of witchcraft, folklore, and spiritualism.

All evidence points to Sharyn Karr—an American student. Prior to the professor’s death, he had thrust a centuries-old book upon her. It appears to be the handwritten and encrypted diary of an eighteenth-century mystic and occultist, the Comte de Saint-Germain. The professor begged her to keep the text safe, ending with a warning: Trust no one.

Such a responsibility forces her into cooperation with Duncan Maxwell, a fellow postgrad and the sixteenth in line to the British Crown. Already, Duncan has proven himself a savant with encryptions. Unfortunately, the pair clash at every level, but they both need one another. Especially when they discover the book’s opening words: Herein lies the secret to my immortality. Come find me, if you dare.

As dark forces close upon the pair, she and her friends are forced to flee, pursued by law enforcement and hunted by a powerful cabal. In an explosive chase across Europe—from the Tower of London to Parisian chateaus to a fortress in the Italian Alps—Sharyn must learn the true secret hidden in Saint-Germain’s text. It will send her and the others across history and deep into the heart of one of the world’s greatest mysteries, a secret buried at the roots of Western Civilization, a discovery that could topple empires and change humanity forever.

For what lies at the end of Saint-Germain’s diary is as shocking as its opening words.

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James Rollins is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of international thrillers that have been translated into more than forty languages. His Sigma series has been lauded as one of the “top crowd pleasers” (New York Times) and one of the “hottest summer reads” (People magazine). In each novel, acclaimed for its originality, Rollins unveils unseen worlds, scientific breakthroughs, and historical secrets—and he does it all at breakneck speed and with stunning insight. He lives in the Sierra Nevada.

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Enjoy Rollins’ discussion of his latest thriller.

Barbara Peters, owner of The Poisoned Pen recently hosted authors Will Dean and Danielle Girard. She dove right into a question for Will Dean. Why is the British edition of Adrift set in the Midlands of England, and the American edition is set in Illinois? Now, you have to watch the video or read both editions of the book to find out the answer. Danielle Girard’s Pinky Swear is also a suspense novel. You can order signed copies of the book through the Webstore. https://store.poisonedpen.com/

Here’s the summary of Adrift by Will Dean.

The author of the “master class in suspense” (Shari Lapena,New York Timesbestselling author)The Chamber returns with a high-tension thriller about a family’s descent into darkness that is perfect for fans of Dennis Lehane and Lisa Jewell.

Peggy and Drew, both aspiring writers, move to an isolated canal boat with their fourteen-year-old son. Peggy is the glue that holds their family together, even as their son is bullied relentlessly for his physique and his family’s lack of money. But when Drew becomes frustrated by his wife’s sudden writing success, he moves their boat further and further from civilization.

With their increasing isolation, personal challenges become harder to ignore, even as they desperately try to break toxic generational patterns. But when Drew’s gaslighting becomes too much for Peggy to take, it sets off a catastrophic series of events.

With Will Dean’s signature “well-drawn characters and excellent prose” (Sarah Pearse, New York Times bestselling author), Adrift is gripping exploration of the ties that bind when everything spirals out of control.

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Will Dean grew up in the East Midlands of the United Kingdom. After studying law at the London School of Economics and working in London, he settled in rural Sweden where he built a wooden house in a vast forest, and it’s from this base that he compulsively reads and writes. His debut novel, Dark Pines, was selected for Zoe Ball’s book club on ITV, shortlisted for the National Book Award (UK), The Guardian’s Not the Booker prize, and was named a Telegraph book of the year. He is also the author of Adrift, The Last One, First Born, The Last Thing to Burn, which was shortlisted for the Theakston Old Peculier Crime Novel of the Year, and The Chamber.

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Here’s the description of Danielle Girard’s Pinky Swear.

From Danielle Girard, the USA TODAY bestselling author who “effortlessly ratchets up the tension” (J.T. Ellison, New York Times bestselling author), comes a pulse-pounding thriller about a young woman whose surrogate disappears just days before the baby’s due date, leading to a frantic search that uncovers dark truths and the power of a mother’s love.

Lexi thought she knew everything about Mara Vannatta. Best friends since middle school, they drifted apart after a tragedy derailed their senior year. But when Mara shows up on Lexi’s doorstep sixteen years later fleeing an abusive husband, Lexi takes her in without question. Lexi’s own marriage has been strained by her desire to have a baby, and when Mara offers to become her surrogate, their friendship feels stronger than ever.

But four days before the due date, Mara disappears.

Lexi is shocked but certain there must be something wrong—Mara would never willingly leave with her unborn child. Or would she? As she embarks on a perilous cross-country hunt for the truth, Lexi is forced to reconsider a friendship she thought she knew—and what really happened that terrible night their senior year. How many secrets lie in their shared past, waiting to be uncovered? And just how far will Lexi go to bring her child safely home?

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Danielle Girard is the USA TODAY bestselling and award-winning author of several novels, including the Annabelle Schwartzman series and Pinky Swear. She is also the creator and host of the Killer Women Podcast, where she interviews the women who write today’s best crime fiction. A graduate of Cornell University, Danielle received her MFA in creative writing at Queens University of Charlotte, North Carolina. When she’s not traveling, Danielle lives in the mountains of Montana.

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Enjoy the conversation with Will Dean and Danielle Girard.

Barbara Peters, owner of The Poisoned Pen, welcomed Alexandra Potter for her first visit to the bookstore. So, I Met This Guy, Potter’s latest book has an exciting chase scene, and it’s about a con man who gets conned. There are signed copies available in the Webstore. https://tinyurl.com/3bjeczux

Here’s the description of So, I Met This Guy.

Two women, one con man, and a European adventure fueled by friendship, heartbreak, and having nothing left to lose, from mega-bestselling UK author Alexandra Potter.

Maggie thinks she’s finally found the love of her life. Theo is charming, passionate, and crazy about her. So when Theo mysteriously disappears, Maggie certainly doesn’t expect that he’s gone for good—let alone stolen her life savings, heart, and self-esteem.

Now she’s living in a caravan in a muddy field in the middle of nowhere, left to pick up the pieces. When junior reporter Flick catches wind of the story, she decides that exposing the romance fraudster may be just the career break she needs.

The pair embark on the road trip of their lives—from the glitz and glamour of Monte Carlo to the souks of Tangier—where unexpected twists, hidden secrets, and hard truths are revealed. And, as an unlikely friendship begins to blossom, they realize it’s not just about finding the guy, it’s about finding themselves.

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Alexandra Potter is the bestselling author of numerous novels in the UK, including Confessions of a Forty-Something F**k Up, which is now the basis of a major TV series, Not Dead Yet. Her titles have sold in twenty-five territories and achieved worldwide sales of more than one million copies, making the bestseller charts across the globe.

Yorkshire born and raised, Alexandra lived for several years in LA before settling back in the UK. She currently lives in London with her Californian husband and their Bosnian rescue dog. When she’s not writing or traveling, she’s getting out into nature, trying not to look at her phone and navigating this thing called mid-life.

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Enjoy the conversation with Alexandra Potter.

Barbara Peters, owner of The Poisoned Pen, is back from her extended trip, so she welcomed Deanna Raybourn back to the bookstore. A Ghastly Catastrophe is the tenth Veronica Speedwell and Stoker novel. You can order signed copies through the Webstore, https://tinyurl.com/2nkfh2bf.

Here’s the description of A Ghastly Catastrophe.

Veronica and Stoker are practically dying for a new adventure, but when their wish is granted, they find themselves up against a secret society and a darkly seductive duo in this landmark historical mystery from beloved New York Times bestselling and Edgar® Award–nominated author Deanna Raybourn.

When the corpse of an entitled young man is found entirely drained of blood in a carriage next to Highgate Cemetery, Veronica’s interest is piqued. And then a second victim is found, his death made to look like a suicide—and Veronica and her intrepid beau Stoker know the hunt is on. The two men share one link: they were both members of a society so secretive that only a singular mention of it can be found anywhere.

Thirsty for more clues, Veronica and Stoker hear that a young Romany boy may know more about their first victim, and the only way to the boy is through an old acquaintance of Stoker’s, Lady Julia Brisbane. Lady Julia and her dashing husband, Nicholas, occasionally track down murderers and are only too happy to help. But as it becomes clear that the secret society is a dangerous sect looking to entice immortality seekers, Veronica and Stoker find themselves ensnared by a decidedly more sinister couple.

The professed leader of the society claims to be a creature of the night; his partner practices witchcraft and they both fancy themselves emissaries of the otherworldly. Just as Veronica and Stoker get closer to learning the true purpose of the society and unraveling this macabre mystery, another body turns up, and they quickly discover they’ve gone from being the hunters to the hunted. . . .

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Deanna Raybourn is the New York Times bestselling and Edgar® Award–nominated author of the Veronica Speedwell Mysteries, the Lady Julia Grey series, and several stand-alone novels, including KILLERS OF A CERTAIN AGE and KILLS WELL WITH OTHERS. She lives in Virginia with her family.

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I’m sure you’ll enjoy the conversation with Deanna Raybourne.

Left Coast Crime ended this past weekend. The Lefty Awards are voted on by attendees at the convention. They were presented Saturday night. Congratulations to the four winners. You can order copies of the books through the Webstore. https://store.poisonedpen.com/

Best Humorous Mystery Novel: – Scot’s Eggs by Catriona McPherson

Best Historical Mystery Novel for books set before 1970 (The Bill Gottfried Memorial): The Case of the Missing Maid by Rob Osler

Best Debut Mystery Novel: Whiskey Business by Adrian Andover

Best Mystery Novel (not in other categories): River of Lies by James L’Etoile

Because Barbara Peters, owner of The Poisoned Pen, was still on vacation, author Dana Stabenow brought her own team to the bookstore for her book release. Stabenow’s new book is The Harvey Girl. Followers of Stabenow’s blog, https://blog.stabenow.com/, may recognize her group of followers, the Danamaniacs. Three of them showed up to support the event. You can order signed copies of The Harvey Girl through the Website. https://tinyurl.com/ysm432yn

Here’s the summary of The Harvey Girl.

From the award-winning author of the Kate Shugak Mysteries, a thrilling new detective series set during America’s wild boom time of the nineteenth century.

WELCOME TO THE GILDED AGE. WHERE NOT EVERYTHING GLITTERS.

1890. The New Mexico Territory is a lawless frontier where criminals steal money and land alike with impunity. Everyone wears a six-gun and is ready and willing to draw it.

In the new city of Montaña Roja, Fred Harvey’s growing empire is threatened by the robberies plaguing his newest Harvey House restaurant. To get justice, he needs a skilled detective to go undercover and procure answers to questions the law will not ask.

The assignment falls to Clare Wright, a young Pinkerton agent. Disguised as one of Harvey’s famous hostesses, Clare travels west where she risks being exposed at every step of her investigation. To get answers – and to get out alive – there are only two things she can trust: her instincts, and her derringer.

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Dana Stabenow was born in Anchorage, Alaska and raised on a 75-foot fishing tender. She knew there was a warmer, drier job out there somewhere and found it in writing. Her first book in the bestselling Kate Shugak series, A Cold Day for Murder, received an Edgar Award from the Mystery Writers of America.

Follow Dana at stabenow.com

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Enjoy Dana Stabenow’s conversation about The Harvey Girl.

Thanks to Deb Lewis of The Poisoned Pen’s staff for sharing her book picks for March. If the link doesn’t take you directly to the book, you can find it through the Webstore, https://store.poisonedpen.com/.

The Politician by Tim Sullivan

A ransacked room. A dead politician. A burglary gone wrong – or a staged murder?

DS George Cross loves puzzles – he’s good at them – and he immediately spots one when he begins investigating the death of former mayor Peggy Frampton. To most, the crime scene looks like a burglary that went horribly wrong. But George can see what others can’t: This was murder.

She Fell Away by Lenore Nash 

A State Department diplomat must confront the ghosts of her past as she searches for a missing American woman in New Zealand in this pulse-pounding and unputdownable thriller.

Missing by E.A Jackson 

In this unputdownable crime thriller for fans of Tana French, a detective returns to a thirty-year-old case—an infamous disappearance in London—that has haunted her entire career and now may jeopardize her future.

Who Will Remember by CS Harris 

The macabre murder of a prominent nobleman throws an already unsettled London into chaos in this electrifying new historical mystery by the USA Today bestselling author of What Cannot Be Said.

My Grandfather, the Master Detective by Masateru Konishi

A Japanese The Thursday Murder Club, taking healing fiction for a mystery-filled spin with this bestseller that has sold more than 200,000 copies in Japan.

Weavingshaw by Heba Al-Wasity

This yearning, gothic slow-burn fantasy romance follows a young woman haunted by the ghosts of her past and the Saint of Silence who promises her greatest desire in return for her darkest secret. . . .

Author Dana Stabenow was guest host for Paula Lafferty for The Poisoned Pen when Paula Lafferty appeared at the bookstore. The Once and Future Queen is the first book in her series, The Lives of Guinevere. There are signed copies of the book available in the Webstore, https://tinyurl.com/4492kz9v

Here’s the description of The Once and Future Queen.

Outlander-meets-The Princess Bride plus Camelot in a fresh, big-hearted, feminist, timeslip adventure reimagining the epic saga of King Arthur, as told from the perspective of his spunky and surprising queen, Vera – complete with time travel and good running shoes!

***DELUXE LIMITED EDITION HARDCOVER with stenciled edges, a beautiful foil-stamped hardcover, exclusive interior design with full-color illustrated endpapers*** Only while supplies last.

Vera always knew she didn’t fit in. When she learns that she is meant to be in another time, she leaps at the chance to embrace a new life in a world of valor, intrigue, and unexpected magic in this bold and romantic retelling of Arthurian legend . . .

22-year-old Vera is at a crossroads: waiting tables, grieving her previous relationship, and jogging aimlessly each morning as if toward an uncertain future. Then an odd man shows up at her workplace, insisting that she was once the legendary Queen Guinevere of Camelot, and that her lost memories hold the key to changing both the past and the present. Somehow, it all feels like the direction she’s been looking for. But when she asks the mysterious man to tell her more about Lancelot, Arthur, and a faithless queen, he can only say that much of what she’s heard about Camelot is wrong. The truth, he claims, is something she must see for herself.

After jumping through a portal in Glastonbury’s historic center, Vera is not prepared for what she finds. Magic is everywhere, but a curse on the kingdom means it dwindles every day. She has no idea how to perform a queen’s duties. Her fast friendship with Lancelot sets gossip flowing, and the stranger she must call “husband” often refuses to meet her eye. Arthur is a puzzle: cold, forbidding, and, while angry to her face, keeps leaving secret tokens of tenderness in her chambers. Worst of all, Vera’s memories—and the answers locked within them—show no signs of returning. If Vera is truly destined to save Camelot, she’ll have to trust her instincts. And her king will have to trust her . . .

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Paula Lafferty is the author of La Vie De Guinevere, a feminist timeslip reimagining of King Arthur’s legend that was independently published through a hugely successful Kickstarter campaign before being traditionally released by Kensington Publishing. It has since become an international sensation, published in 10 countries and translated into 8 languages, with an audiobook edition narrated by Julia Whelan. Born and raised in Kansas, she earned BFA in Film Production from Chapman University and a Master of Divinity from Saint Paul School of Theology. She now lives with her husband, daughter, and dog in the Kansas City, KS area and can be found online at PaulaLafferty.com, on Instagram @paulalafferty_writes and on Tiktok @paulalafferty.

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Enjoy the conversation with Paula Lafferty.

Critic Oline Cogdill recently reviewed John McMahon’s new Head Cases novel, Inside Man, in the South Florida Sun Sentinel and shared that review with us. You can order a signed copy through The Poisoned Pen’s Webstore, https://tinyurl.com/uathfve8. You can also check out Barbara Peters’ interview with McMahon in the video at the end.

Thank you, Oline, for sharing your review.

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Book review: Suspenseful ‘Inside Man’ looks at the world in a different way, through patterns and puzzles

‘Inside Man: A Head Cases Novel’ by John McMahon; Minotaur; 400 pages; $29

In John McMahon’s suspenseful “Inside Man” — the second book in his intriguing “Head Cases” series — FBI agent Gardner Camden sees patterns and puzzles to be solved where others just see the ordinary. The way a person’s teeth align, for example, or the angle of cars.

Making sense of shapes and motifs and pulling them into cohesive ideas are part of Gardner’s job as leader of the FBI’s Patterns and Recognition team (PAR), which draws on the analytical strengths of its five investigators. McMahon confidently combines the cerebral with solid action, skimping on neither aspect.

The team’s nickname is “Head Cases,” because they admit they “mostly live in their heads.” Each team member is brilliant yet each knows that they ended up on this team after “dead-end assignments” to which they’d been “exiled after making a mistake elsewhere in the FBI.”

The fictional PAR, based in Miami and Jacksonville, suits Gardner and his team well — though “Inside Man” has them in a bit of a slump. Gardner and Joanne “Shooter” Harris find the body of their confidential informant, Freddie Pecos, in his remote Florida trailer surrounded by weapons and a million in cash. Freddie was the link to a militia group that had been skimming money from the state to buy weapons. “Legal gun purchases, but from an illegal source of income,” says Gardner.

As the team looks for a new informant, “an inside man,” they uncover a link to a string of unsolved missing persons cases in northern Florida.

McMahon shapes a compelling look at law enforcement, assuredly showing that no matter how intelligent people are, mistakes can be made. The PAR team members are not superhuman. They are people with super intellects, but also given to foibles, frailties and fumbles.

“Inside Man” allows glimpses into Gardner’s private life as he balances the personal with the professional. Poignant scenes with Gardner and his 8-year-old daughter, Camila, show a bright child who has the potential to follow in her father’s footsteps. The scenes in which the two work on puzzles, often devising their own, show how they are bonding. Camila might even be smarter than her dad.

McMahon delves into the Florida landscape, mixing the rural with the urban, and real places such as Pembroke Pines and Gainesville with fictional, all of which capture the spirit of the Sunshine State.

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Enjoy Barbara Peters’ interview with John McMahon.