Fiction Review

Michael Connelly will be in Scottsdale, appearing for The Poisoned Pen, on Thursday, Oct. 23 for a live offsite event. His new Lincoln Lawyer novel is The Proving Ground. He’s appearing at The Scottsdale United Methodist Church, 4140 North Miller Road, Scottsdale. No tickets are required. The event is free and open to the public. You can buy books at the event, or you can order a signed copy through the Webstore. https://bit.ly/4qkuEES

Critic Oline Cogdill has shared her review of The Proving Ground. It originally appeared in the South Florida Sun Sentinel.

Book review: The Lincoln Lawyer is back in Michael Connelly’s engrossing ‘The Proving Ground’

The Proving Ground: A Lincoln Lawyer Novel’ by Michael Connelly; Little, Brown; 400 pages; $32

Attorney Mickey Haller — known as Michael Connelly’s Lincoln Lawyer character — believes “the proving ground” is the courtroom, where he makes his “final stand” on a case, and was at one time “sacred ground” to him.

“But now it seemed that nothing was sacred anymore. Not the rules of law, and not those who practiced it,” Mickey says.

That statement, both cynical and yet also oddly respectful of the legal profession, is indicative of the vagaries of the law and of Mickey Haller, who makes his eighth appearance in Connelly’s engrossing “The Proving Ground.”

As usual, Connelly’s book titles take on several meanings. The proving ground can refer to the courtroom, the incubation of a computer program, and how Mickey must prove he can manage his new career path to his clients and to himself. (The character is well-known from the 2011 movie starring Matthew McConaughey and an ongoing Netflix series.)

Mickey is no longer the Lincoln Lawyer, though it seems that everyone in Los Angeles knows him by that appellation. Mickey has given up lucrative criminal law in favor of civil law, which can be profitable but the payoff is slower. He still has a Lincoln, but only one and it’s “under a tarp” in his warehouse. These days he drives a Bolt.

In “The Proving Ground,” Mickey’s client is a mother whose 16-year-old daughter was murdered by her boyfriend when she tried to end the relationship. Mickey has filed a negligence suit against Tidalwaiv Technologies, which devised a chatbot companion for teenagers, especially teenage boys. Mickey asserts that the chatbot creators ignored ethics and guardrails to conceive a misogynistic Artificial Intelligence model that targeted impressionable teen boys. Hundreds of millions of dollars are at stake, but the mother has instructed Mickey not to settle just for money, no matter the figure. She wants a public apology and an assurance that safeguards will be put in place.

Among Connelly’s strengths: weaving current issues into his superb plots and making even the most complicated subjects understandable. One can’t get more timely than AI, nor more complex. Mickey admits the intricacies of AI are beyond him, so Connelly brings back Jack McEvoy, who was first introduced as a reporter in “The Poet” (1996) and is now author of three nonfiction books, each dealing with technological advances. “Advances that were taken advantage of by criminals and other unscrupulous people,” Jack says, introducing himself to Mickey.

Jack wants to work on the case with Mickey and his team. He requests no pay, but envisions a book, perhaps a movie, once the case is resolved. Jack does prove invaluable as the team wades through the swamp of AI minutia while making the reader understand the details of AI.

“The Proving Ground” moves briskly as devious attorneys, shadowy surveillance teams, witness intimidation and suspense fuel the plot. Connelly has always been able to make courtroom scenes vibrant, as he does in “The Proving Ground.”

Connelly has published two novels this year: “The Proving Ground” and “Nightshade” (which came out earlier this year and launched his new Catalina Series with Detective Stilwell, the second of which is planned for spring 2026).

Connelly’s precise look at the law and his return to Mickey Haller are most welcome.

Behind the plot

Michael Connelly often references his other characters in his novels, giving the reader the feeling that his characters inhabit the same universe, as their careers put them in close proximity in Los Angeles. Connelly’s perennial character, Harry Bosch, is Mickey Haller’s half-brother. Harry, his police officer daughter Maddie and Detective Renée Ballard make a cameo appearance in “The Proving Ground,” letting readers know what they’ve been up to.

Charles Todd’s latest Inspector Ian Rutledge novel is A Christmas Witness. You can order it as a gift for yourself or someone else through The Poisoned Pen’s Webstore. https://bit.ly/3IYxD4W Release date is Oct. 21.

Cogdill’s review first appeared in the South Florida Sun Sentinel.

Book review: Return of detective Ian Rutledge in ‘A Christmas Witness’ is an early holiday gift

‘A Christmas Witness’ by Charles Todd; Mysterious Press; 216 pages; $23.99

Charles Todd presents an early holiday gift with “A Christmas Witness,” his latest Ian Rutledge novella.

Todd penned the first 25 Ian novels with his mother, Caroline. Written under the name Charles Todd and normally published annually, the duo’s books gave readers a glimpse of the trauma of World War I as seen by Ian, who after the war became a Scotland Yard detective. The series was paused when Caroline Todd passed away in 2021. (The co-authors’ second series about WWI nurse Bess Crawford also was paused.)

“A Christmas Witness” reestablishes the Rutledge series. Todd sets his story in 1921 and fills it with evocative scenery, a look at the change in British culture that WWI brought, and realistic characters.

“A Christmas Witness” finds Ian recently promoted to chief inspector. Still getting used to the new position, the detective will soon be moving into his new office. He’s planning to spend the Christmas holidays with his sister and her husband. But despite these plans, Ian is acutely aware of how alone, and lonely, he is. Ian also continues to struggle with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), or being shell-shocked, as it was called in the early part of the 20th century. He must continue to keep this secret because it is considered cowardice to admit this.

Because he is one of the few single men in the department, Ian is asked to travel to Kent to investigate Lord Braxton’s claim that a horse and rider tried to run him down, leaving him with a brain injury. WWI always will prey on Ian’s mind and Lord Braxton’s service as a high-ranking colonel in the war enters the investigation as the lord is convinced that someone will kill him before Christmas Day.

“A Christmas Witness” works as a solid police procedural and an emotional homage to Charles Dickens’ “A Christmas Carol.” Todd’s skill at returning to his perennial character without missing a beat adds to the strong plot of “A Christmas Witness.” It’s good to have this established character back.

Karla K. Morton and Alan Birkelbach are both former Texas State Poet Laureates. They appeared together at The Poisoned Pen to discuss and read from The National Parks: A Century of Grace. There are additional copies on their way to the bookstore. You can order a copy through the Webstore. https://bit.ly/4qcjSAo

Here’s the summary of The National Parks: A Century of Grace.

Poets Karla K. Morton and Alan Birkelbach began this journey to celebrate our national parks’ one hundredth anniversary, but for these two poets the sojourns quickly became something greater than that. In their words, “As humans we have this tendency to look at a piece of land and see real estate. [But] when concrete covers all our natural spaces, not only do we lose earth’s creatures, we also lose the great teacher of our souls. You cannot sit beneath trees taller than the Statue of Liberty, or gaze upon vistas untouched since their creation, without feeling the awe and wonder of what the natural world has to offer. You cannot experience such beauty without being wholly changed. Our great-great-great-grandchildren deserve these untouched gifts.”

This journey, illustrated with gorgeous color photos of all of America’s grand national parks, is a feast for the eyes and heart. In the end, it is a plea for us to save these wonders for all future generations.

---

Award-winning 2010 Texas Poet Laureate KARLA K. MORTON has twelve poetry collections. A national Wrangler Award winner, twice an Indie National Book Award winner, a Betsy Colquitt Award winner, and an E2C Grant recipient, Morton is widely published. She is a member of the Texas Institute of Letters and Academy of American Poets. ALAN BIRKELBACH, a Texas native and author of eleven poetry books, is the 2005 Texas Poet Laureate. He is a member of the Texas Institute of Letters and Academy of American Poets. Twice an Indie Book Award finalist, he is also a winner of a Spur Award for Best Western Poem from the prestigious Western Writers of America.

---

Enjoy the event from The Poisoned Pen.

Jamie Lee Curtis was guest host for The Poisoned Pen’s virtual event with Patricia Cornwell. Cornwell’s latest Scarpetta novel is Sharp Focus. By now, there may not be any signed copies left, but you can still order a copy through the Webstore. https://bit.ly/4mXaYnh

Here’s the description of Sharp Focus.

From the #1 New York Times bestselling author Patricia Cornwell “at the very top of her game,” a serial killer wreaks havoc on Northern Virginia, appearing as a ghostly apparition before striking—and Scarpetta must avoid becoming their next victim, with SCARPETTA soon to be a streaming series starring Nicole Kidman and Jamie Lee Curtis. (David Baldacci)

NO ONE IS SAFE FROM THE SERIAL KILLER

NOT EVEN SCARPETTA…

During?the early hours of Christmas?morning, chief medical examiner?Dr.?Kay?Scarpetta receives?a chilling call. The Phantom Slasher?has struck again. 

The?serial killer has?terrorized?Northern Virginia for months. His pattern is?to stalk with a sophisticated technology that enables him to invade his victims’ homes and watch their every move.?They wake up to?a ghost-like hologram before being murdered?in their beds. 

Scarpetta?is summoned to?Mercy Island, the site of?a notorious?psychiatric hospital where two people have been brutalized, one of them from?Scarpetta’s?past. It soon becomes apparent that she?could be next… 

---

Patricia Cornwell is a #1 New York Times bestselling author and widely considered one of the world’s top crime writers. In 1990,Patricia Cornwell sold her first novel, Postmortem, while working at the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner in Richmond, Virginia. An auspicious debut, it went on to win the Edgar, Creasey, Anthony, and Macavity Awards, as well as the French Prix du Roman d’Aventures—the first book ever to claim all these distinctions in a single year. Growing into an international phenomenon, the Scarpetta series won Cornwell the Sherlock Award for best detective created by an American author, the Gold Dagger Award, the RBA Thriller Award, and the Medal of Chevalier of the Order of Arts and Letters for her contributions to literary and artistic development.

Today, Cornwell’s novels and iconic characters are known around the world. Beyond the Scarpetta series, Cornwell has written the definitive nonfiction account of Jack the Ripper’s identity, cookbooks, a children’s book, a biography of Ruth Graham, and three other fictional series based on the characters Win Garano, Andy Brazil, and Captain Calli Chase. Cornwell continues exploring the latest space-age technologies and threats relevant to contemporary life. Her interests range from the morgue to artificial intelligence and include visits to Interpol, the Pentagon, the U.S. Secret Service, and NASA.

Cornwell was born in Miami. She grew up in Montreat, North Carolina, and now lives and works in Boston.

---

Enjoy the conversation with two friends, Patricia Cornwell and Jamie Lee Curtis.

Pat King from The Poisoned Pen welcomed two horror writers for a recent event, Brian Asman and Philip Fracassi. Asman’s latest book is Man, F*ck This House (And Other Disasters). Fracassi’s new book is The Autumn Springs Retirement Home Massacre. You can order both titles through the Webstore. https://store.poisonedpen.com/

Here’s the description of Man, F*ck This House (And Other Disasters).

This all-new expanded edition of the viral sensation Man, F*ck This House includes six brand-new stories by Brian Asman, “a singular voice in horror fiction” (Eric LaRocca).

In the titular Man, F*ck This House, Sabrina Haskins and her family have just moved into their dream home. At first glance, the house is perfect. But things aren’t what they seem. Sabrina is hearing odd noises, seeing strange visions. Their neighbors are odd or absent. And Sabrina’s already-fraught relationship with her son is about to be tested in a way no parent could ever imagine. Because while the Haskins family might be the newest owners of this house, they’re far from its only residents …

In “Beware the Hurlyburly,” a troubled teen loses his grip on reality after checking out the wrong internet meme …

In “In the Rushes,” a coastal cycling trip turns terrifying for a feuding mother and daughter …

Malevolent doppelgängers, bizarre murders, ancient evils, Western ghosts, mirror monsters, poisonous playthings, and more populate the pages of this brilliant—and petrifying—collection of stories.

---

Brian Asman, author of the viral sensation Man, F*ck This House, is a writer, actor, and director from San Diego. Good Dogs is his debut novel. Find him on social media (@TheBrianAsman) or his website BrianAsmanBooks.com.

---

Here’s the summary of The Autumn Springs Retirement Home Massacre.

AN INSTANT USA TODAY BESTSELLER!
One of BookBub’s Best Horror Books of 2025!

Brimming with dark humor, violence, and mystery, The Autumn Springs Retirement Home Massacre is a blood-soaked slasher sure to keep readers guessing until the very last page.

Rose DuBois is not your average final girl.

Rose is in her late 70s, living out her golden years at the Autumn Springs Retirement Home.

When one of her friends dies alone in her apartment, Rose isn’t too concerned. Accidents happen, especially at this age!

Then another resident drops dead. And another. With bodies stacking up, Rose can’t help but wonder: are these accidents? Old age? Or something far more sinister?

Together with her best friend Miller, Rose begins to investigate. The further she digs, the more convinced she becomes: there’s a killer on the loose at Autumn Springs, and if she isn’t careful, Rose may be their next victim.

---

PHILIP FRACASSI is the Bram Stoker Award-nominated author of the story collections Behold the Void and Beneath a Pale Sky. His novels include A Child Alone with Strangers, Gothic, and Boys in the Valley. His stories have been published in numerous magazines and anthologies, including Best Horror of the Year, Nightmare Magazine, Southwest Review, Interzone, and Black Static. Philip lives in Los Angeles.

---

Horror and thriller fans may want to watch the event.

Barbara Peters and Patrick Milliken welcomed Stephen Hunter for an author virtual event at The Poisoned Pen. Hunter’s latest book, The Gun Man Jackson Swagger, is set in Arizona. You might want to check with the bookstore because when the event was filmed, there were only six signed copies left. https://bit.ly/4pSvcRU

Here’s the description of The Gun Man Jackson Swagger.

Pulitzer Prize winner Stephen Hunter, “a true master at the pinnacle of his craft” (Jack Carr), returns with a classic Western—gunfights, horses, saloons, and looming above, the ominous presence of the railroad—about a Civil War veteran investigating the dark reality of a prosperous ranch.

In the frying pan of a drought-scorched 1890s Southwest, an old man shows up at the region’s only prosperous spread, the Callahan ranch, seeking work. Jack is flinty, shrewd, tough, and a natural with a gun. As an incentive to be taken on at his age, he shows the foreman an uncanny skill with one of Mr. Winchester’s latest models. He knows a sharpshooter would be valuable to Colonel Callahan and head gun man Tom Voth.

But he has his own mission. Aware that a young cowboy on the ranch has died mysteriously, Jack begins to investigate. He soon realizes that the death and the source of the Callahan wealth are dangerously entwined and that many of the dark forces of the American West are at play on the ranch. Soon enough, it’s the season of the six-gun and its fastest shootist.

---

Stephen Hunter is creator of the Bob Lee Swagger novels as well as many others. The retired chief film critic for The Washington Post, where he won the 2003 Pulitzer Prize for Distinguished Criticism, he has also published two collections of film criticism and a nonfiction work, American Gunfight. He lives in Baltimore, Maryland.

---

Enjoy the conversation with Stephen Hunter.

Patrick Millikin was looking forward to discussing The Length of Days with author Lynn Kostoff. He talks about developing his characters. You can order a copy of the book through the Webstore. https://bit.ly/4mSgK9G

Here’s the description of The Length of Days.

THE LENGTH OF DAYS
The South Carolina coast. The town of Magnolia Beach. The long shadow of the 2008 economic crisis. A house fire. Twelve dead sex workers. Two more on the run.
A comfortably corrupt cop… a young and idealistic investigative reporter… a retired iron and steel worker from the Midwest… a Mexican-American orderly at an assisted living center… a black sheep exile from an Old South family… a Vietnamese businessman.
Six people who find themselves pulled into the orbit of the dead girls and into the crosshairs of the pure evil that killed them.

---

Enjoy learning more about Lynn Kostoff and his books via his conversation with Patrick Milliken.

Barbara Peters, owner of The Poisoned Pen, just welcomed Hank Phillippi Ryan for an author virtual event. Ryan’s latest standalone suspense novel is All This Could Be Yours. There are signed copies of the book available in the Webstore. https://bit.ly/3J0k1WL You’ll want to listen to Hank’s story behind this book.

Here’s the description of All This Could Be Yours.

“Engrossing—with a twist that left me reeling!”
—Freida McFadden, #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Housemaid

Is a debut author’s blockbuster bestseller about to ruin her life? A glamorous book tour becomes a deadly cat-and-mouse chase in this new and captivating thriller by “master of suspense” (Publishers Weekly) and instant USA Today bestselling author Hank Phillippi Ryan.

Debut sensation Tessa Calloway is on a whirlwind book tour for her instant bestseller, All This Could Be Yours. In a different city every night, Tessa receives standing ovations from adoring fans while her husband Henry and their two children cheer her on from their brand-new dream house.

But there’s a chilling problem with Tessa’s triumphant book tour—she soon discovers she is being stalked by someone who’s obsessed not only with sabotaging her career, but also with destroying her perfect family back home.

Tessa fears the fallout from an impossible decision she once made—what felt like a genuine deal with the devil—appears to be coming due. And she’s realizing that every high-stakes bargain comes with a high-stakes price. If Tessa can’t untangle who’s threatening to expose her darkest secrets, she’ll lose her career, her family—and possibly her life.

---

Instant USA Today bestselling author HANK PHILLIPPI RYAN has won five Agatha Awards (including for Truth Be Told and The Wrong Girl) five Anthony Awards, the Daphne, the Macavity, and the Mary Higgins Clark Awards. As on-air investigative reporter for Boston’s WHDH-TV, she’s won thirty-seven Emmy Awards and many more journalism honors. A past president of national Sisters in Crime, a founder of Mystery Writers of America University, and a board member of International Thriller Writers, Ryan lives in Boston.

---

This is definitely a crime fiction discussion. Check it out.

Brian McCauley, author of Breathe In, Bleed Out, hosted authors Richard Chizmar and W.H. Chizmar at The Poisoned Pen. The Chizmars’ horror novel is Widow’s Point: The Complete Haunting. There are signed copies available in the Webstore, https://bit.ly/3IJH5ZQ

Here’s the summary of Widow’s Point: The Complete Haunting.

New York Times bestselling author Richard Chizmar, “one of horror’s indispensable writers” (Paste), and his son W.H. Chizmar, critically acclaimed author of Them (hailed by New York Times bestselling author Josh Malerman as “one of the best debuts I’ve ever read”) present a riveting found footage narrative about doomed thrill-seekers trapped in a haunted lighthouse.

“This is a bad place. I don’t think people are meant to live here.”

Longtime residents of Harper’s Cove believe that something is wrong with the Widow’s Point Lighthouse. Some say it’s cursed. Others claim it’s haunted.

Originally built in 1838, three workers were killed during the lighthouse’s construction, including one who mysteriously plunged to his death from the catwalk. That tragic accident was never explained, and it was just the beginning of the terror. In the decades that followed, nearly two dozen additional deaths occurred in or around the lighthouse including cold-blooded murder, suicide, unexplained accidents and disappearances, the slaughter of an entire family, and the inexplicable death of a Hollywood starlet who was filming a movie on the grounds.

The lighthouse was finally shuttered tight in 1988 and a security fence was erected around the property. No one has been inside since. Until now.

Told across two harrowing incidents from 2017 and 2025, those who enter the Widow’s Point Lighthouse searching for supernatural proof and the next big thing find themselves cut off from the outside world. And although no one has recently stepped foot inside the structure, they are not alone.

In this remarkable collaboration, father and son writing team, Richard and W.H. Chizmar combine forces to tell a terrifying ghost story that will make you think twice about what’s waiting for you in the dark.

---

Richard Chizmar is the coauthor (with Stephen King) of the New York Times bestselling novella Gwendy’s Button Box and Gwendy’s Final Task, and the solo novella Gwendy’s Magic Feather. Recent books include the New York Times bestsellers Memorials, Becoming the Boogeyman, and Chasing the Boogeyman; The Girl on the Porch; The Long Way Home; his fourth short story collection, and Widow’s Point; a chilling tale about a haunted lighthouse cowritten with his son Billy Chizmar, which was recently made into a feature film. His short fiction has appeared in dozens of publications, including Ellery Queen Mystery Magazine and The Year’s 25 Finest Crime and Mystery Stories. He has won two World Fantasy awards, four International Horror Guild awards, and the HWA’s Board of Trustees award. Chizmar’s work has been translated into more than fifteen languages throughout the world, and he has appeared at numerous conferences as a writing instructor, speaker, panelist, and guest of honor. Follow him on X, Facebook, Instagram, Threads, and Bluesky: @RichardChizmar, or visit his website at RichardChizmar.com.

W. H. Chizmar is the author of numerous short stories and essays. His debut novel Them is coming soon from Gallery Books and as a limited edition from Lividian Publications. Chizmar lives in Maryland with his Bernese Mountain Dog, J.J. (short for James Joyce).

---

Enjoy the conversation with the Chizmars.

Barbara Peters, owner of The Poisoned Pen, welcome J.A. Jance for a virtual appearance at the bookstore. The popular guest author discussed her latest Joanna Brady novel, The Girl from Devil’s Lake. There are signed copies available in the Webstore. https://bit.ly/4gWoRku

Here’s the summary of The Girl from Devil’s Lake.

Arizona County Sheriff Joanna Brady solves her biggest case yet, from a body in the desert to crimes spanning decades and countries, in the thrilling latest installment in the New York Times bestselling suspense series.

Sheriff Joanna Brady is looking forward to the holidays with her busy family, and to celebrating her daughter Jenny’s graduation from the police academy. But the family is interrupted when a body is discovered beneath a flooded bridge in the Arizona desert, and Joanna is called onto the case. A young boy was murdered, and the details of the crime scene tell Joanna two things: This was not the killer’s first murder. And it’s only a matter of time before he kills again.

As Joanna digs deeper into the case, she begins to understand this murder is just one piece of a much, much bigger puzzle. She uncovers unlikely connections between cases of mysterious deaths and missing persons, having long since gone cold, that extend far beyond the confines of her small town and include the discovery of a body near Devil’s Lake, North Dakota. To get justice for the victims and to save the town of Bisbee from a predator, Joanna must chase down every dangerous lead.

Meanwhile, as a dogged journalist is circling the case and privileged information is leaked, Joanna can’t be sure who to trust. Could a prolific killer be hiding in plain sight? And how far will that person go to keep his many crimes hidden?

---

J. A. Jance is the New York Times bestselling author of the J. P. Beaumont series, the Joanna Brady series, the Ali Reynolds series, six thrillers about the Walker Family, and one volume of poetry. Born in South Dakota and brought up in Bisbee, Arizona, she lives with her husband in Seattle, Washington.

---

Enjoy the conversation with J.A. Jance.