Author Dana Stabenow recently reviewed The Ballad of Innes of Skara Skaill by Faulkner Hunt, and allowed us to share the review here. You can order the book through the Webstore. https://bit.ly/4aqxanu
The Ballad of Innes of Skara Skaill by Faulkner Hunt
Never have I felt colder or wetter reading a novel, as this one is set on an island somewhere north of Scotland and the latitude is almost a character itself in the amount of wind and rain it besieges its setting with. Occasionally there is a break in the clouds through which can be seen a comet, trailing its luminescent tail across the sky and bringing wonder and foreboding both to the watchers below.
Who are, first, an expatriate islander who hears bad news from home; two orphaned underage islander brothers on the lam from the do-gooder authorities who would separate them; an off islander itinerant jack-of-all-trades; the first live-in doctor the island has ever seen; the local lord slash mob boss; his mob; a corrupt constable; a duo of not-so-bumbling off island archeologists; and—wait for it—a pirate treasure celebrated in song and long thought to be only legend.
A prow slid silent ‘pon the nameless shore A hoard unloaded down In the island’s breast went the oaken chests Hid deep beneath the ground.
But maybe not. As Mr. Begbie says, “What, has the whole world forgotten its yesterdays?”
No, they haven’t, Mr. Begbie, and some of them take the treasure seriously enough to kill for it. Hunt makes you care for his heroes and hiss at his villains and laugh and shiver as one or all of them are nearly always in harm’s way, to a greater or lesser degree. The archeologists wake up from a night in their car to find themselves surrounded by sheep.
More sheep came and pressed against Alastair’s window, gaping in at him. “And how exactly are we supposed to get through all that?”
“Ah, you can just push right through them, sir.” Jameson forced the door open. “I grew up around the likes of these fells here. He waded out among the flock.
Alastair set a manilla work folder on the dash and cracked open his door. “Excuse me.” He slid his angular frame through the door. “Shoo, shoo there. If you don’t mind.”
They’re sheep. They don’t. The animal characters have their own important roles in the drama, though, from the sheep to the moor ponies to Eustace the escape artist mule to the big bull elk with the banshee call who knows all the secret ways of the island. A rollicking novel with more near misses with disaster for the good guys than Odysseus ever survived, where everyone gets what they deserve and I’m happy to report especially the bad guys.
Dana
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Thank you to critic Oline Cogdill for sharing her review of At Midnight Comes the Cry by Julia Spencer-Fleming. Although The Poisoned Pen is out of signed copies of the book, you can still order a copy through the Webstore for delivery after the holidays. https://bit.ly/3Y1cgnw. Cogdill’s review originally appeared in the South Florida Sun Sentinel.
Welcome back, Clare and Russ
‘At Midnight Comes the Cry: A Clare Fergusson/Russ Van Alstyne Mystery’ by Julia Spencer-Fleming; Minotaur; 320 pages; $29
Community — and all the various ways in which people interact — has always been the heart of the multi-award winning series about Clare Fergusson and Russ Van Alstyne, as Julia Spencer-Fleming shows in her sumptuous and insightful novel, “At Midnight Comes the Cry.”
It’s been five years since Spencer-Fleming’s last novel about this married couple — “Hid from Our Eyes”(2020) — and the author doesn’t miss a beat in exploring those who call the small town of Millers Kill, New York, home.In “At Midnight Comes the Cry,” Clare and Russ are about to spend their first Christmas as parents with their 8-month-old son, Ethan. They and other residents of this upstate N.Y. town have gathered to watch the annual Greenwich Tractor Parade and attend an open house in a 200-year-old Victorian house. But the festive occasion is marred when a driver, unknown to the residents, unfurls a banner that reads: “Keep America’s Christmas white.” The residents have long known white supremacists live in surrounding areas, but this hits hard.
Danger lurks when a search begins for Kevin Flynn, a former police officer in Millers Kill who has been missing from his new position in the Syracuse Police Department. Kevin had been undercover, working to ferret out a militia group operating in the Adirondacks, but hasn’t checked in with his supervisor in two months.
The search for Kevin and the investigation into the outlying communities involve Russ, who recently left his position as chief of police. Russ now must adjust to civilian life and to the limitations of being without the badge. As a civilian, Clare has a different approach with her skills. A former Blackhawk pilot, Clare is now an Episcopalian priest and in the National Guard.
Spencer-Fleming pulls together a strong, believable plot that moves briskly, despite its several subplots. The author also delivers individual looks at her large cast of characters, keeping each distinctive. Her mix of religion and adventure, professional and domestic life enhance “At Midnight Comes the Cry.”
A return to Clare and Russ and the denizens of Millers Kill is most welcome. Longtime readers will savor “At Midnight Comes the Cry,” and be eager for future outings.
You might also enjoy the YouTube video of Julia Spencer-Fleming at The Poisoned Pen with author Rhys Bowen.
Critic Oline Cogdill recently reviewed Ace Atkins’ novel Everybody Wants to Rule the World. Atkins recently appeared at The Poisoned Pne Bookstore, interviewed by Patrick Millikin. You can order a copy of the book through the Webstore at https://bit.ly/4s0kGJg.
Thank you to Oline for sharing her review. It originally appeared in the South Florida Sun Sentinel.
‘Everybody Wants to Rule the World’ by Ace Atkins; Morrow; 368 pages; $30
Ace Atkins melds the spy thriller with a suburban story and a family drama in his highly entertaining “Everybody Wants to Rule the World.”
The novel marks a departure for Atkins, best known for his various series, including his Edgar-nominated books about Mississippi Sheriff Quinn Colson, his continuing of the late Robert B. Parker’s Spenser franchise, and his fictionalized accounts of real criminals. “Everybody Wants to Rule the World” is strictly a stand-alone, expanding his talent range.
As the title states, “everybody wants to rule the world” — and everyone wants to be a hero, as Atkins shows. In this case, the would-be hero is 14-year-old Peter Bennett, a voracious reader with an overactive imagination and a desire to fit in. Peter becomes convinced that his mother’s new boyfriend is a Russian spy. It’s a bit of a far-fetched idea, but in 1985 when rumors of espionage were common, it seems plausible. Peter and his mother, Connie, have moved around the country a lot for her work as a scientist, landing this time in Atlanta. Peter likes his new school and has made friends. He knows his mother dates a lot in each city, but he has misgivings about her latest. Gary Powers has an odd accent, is not in the phone book and drives a flashy car where he keeps a gun. Peter worries that Gary really is after the work his mother does for a government contractor.
Atkins digs deep into the mind of a teenager. Peter so wants to be the hero who will save his mother’s life and uncover a Russian operation. But who will believe a high school freshman? Peter tracks down his favorite writer, Dennis “Hotch” Hotchner, who once wrote about spies in suburbia but whose career is on the downslide. Finding a real spy is the jolt Hotch needs.
Atkins introduces so many characters that the first chapters of “Everybody Wants to Rule the World” seem a bit disjointed. But he soon pulls the various characters together into a cohesive story that grows in suspense and intensity. His mom’s co-worker is murdered. The FBI becomes involved. And suddenly Atlanta seems overrun with Russians. These various plot points work into a fine narrative. Atkins buoys his story with numerous references to 1980s pop culture and an insider’s look at Atlanta during that era.
“Everybody Wants to Rule the World” shows Atkins at the top of his game.
You can also watch Patrick Millikin’s conversation with Ace Atkins at The Poisoned Pen.
Barbara Peters, owner of The Poisoned Pen, welcomed Steve Urszenyi back to the bookstore, and introduced Ryan Pote to the store. Urszenyi’s new book is Blood Oath. Pote’s debut is Blood and Treasure. Unfortunately, those of us in the virtual audience missed out on the bourbon from Four Branches. Watch the event to hear about the bourbon. At least we can order the books through the Webstore. https://store.poisonedpen.com/
Here’s the summary of Blood Oath.
In this action-packed thriller, Special Agent Alex Martel’s fight becomes personal when her father is abducted by rebel forces.
In the heart of Africa, CIA Special Agent Alexandra Martel’s safari with her father spirals into a deadly game of betrayal when he is kidnapped by rebels. Suddenly, her peaceful Serengeti vacation transforms into a desperate race against time. As the general is held by local rebels, Russian mercenaries and Chinese MSS operatives descend on East Africa, all hunting the military secrets locked in her father’s mind.
Alex assembles an elite team to navigate the treacherous terrain, but complications arise when her CIA boss, Caleb, shows up unexpectedly, stirring feelings she’s tried to bury since her husband’s death. As competing forces close in, Alex uncovers betrayals stretching from the Serengeti to the highest levels of global intelligence. Trust becomes as scarce as water in the African savanna.
With enemies converging from all sides, Alex must embrace her darkest instincts to save her father. But in a world where allies become enemies, and nothing is as it seems, how much of herself is she willing to sacrifice to honor the bonds of blood?
Steve Urszenyi is the critically acclaimed author of Perfect Shot and Out in the Cold. A former paramedic and police tactical medic specializing in SWAT and special operations, Urszenyi brings extensive real-world experience to his writing. His debut novel, Perfect Shot, earned nominations for three prestigious literary awards, including the International Thriller Writers Best First Novel, and Publishers Weekly hailed him as “a writer to watch.” When he’s not crafting intricate international thrillers, Urszenyi enjoys touring on his Harley-Davidson motorcycle, hiking wilderness trails, and capturing the world through his camera lens. He resides in Toronto with his wife, Lynne.
Here’s a debut, Blood and Treasure.
The destruction of the International Space Station and the discovery of an ancient scroll are inextricably intertwined in this debut crossover thriller from a former Navy helicopter pilot.
The International Space Station suddenly loses contact with Earth. When a NASA tech devises a way to restore the feed, the images that come through are unfathomable: a scene of terrible violence, the crew unresponsive, droplets of blood hovering in zero gravity. But which of the astronauts on board would have done such a thing? And why?
Off the coast of Mozambique, former special ops pilot and current treasure hunter Ethan Cain sees something he can’t believe: an object shot out of the heavens plunging deep into the Indian Ocean. When he goes to investigate, it becomes even less intelligible. A space capsule has crashed into the sea, and inside is a woman—alone, unconscious, and injured. Ethan knows he must save her. What he doesn’t know is who she is, how she got there . . . or why she’s the only survivor of a killing spree conducted 254 miles up in the sky.
Ryan Pote is a twelve-year veteran Navy helicopter pilot who was part of a joint interagency special operations task force deployed throughout Central and South America. He was medically separated after sustaining injuries during an emergency landing. Ryan currently works for the Department of Defense. Before his time in the Navy, he worked as a scuba diving instructor in Hawaii and as a microbiology lab tech conducting algae-biofuels research. He holds a master’s degree in history from Ashland University. He lives with his wife and children in New England.
Critic Oline Cogdill recently reviewed Watch Us Fall by Christina Kovac. You can order a copy through The Poisoned Pen Bookstore’s Webstore. https://bit.ly/4oONVvU
Cogdill’s review first appeared in the South Florida Sun Sentinel.
‘Watch Us Fall’ by Christina Kovac; Simon & Schuster; 272 pages; $28
Female friendship, obsession and parental issues fuel “Watch Us Fall,” Christina Kovac’s intriguing psychological thriller.
Four women — Lucy, Addie, Penelope and Estella — best friends since college, where they first became roommates, still live together as post-grads in a lovely yet decaying townhouse in the middle of Georgetown. They call themselves “The Sweeties” as they build careers, date and deepen their friendship. The four are so tightly united, especially Lucy and Addie, that an acquaintance called them “a cult.”
Then Addie, the unofficial leader, begins an intense relationship with the charming, wealthy Josh Egan, whose career as a television journalist is on the rise, with him poised to go national. Josh’s charismatic personality seems inherited from his father, a presidential candidate who was killed in a plane accident while on the campaign trail when Josh was 13.
Addie and Josh’s relationship begins intensely, with him obsessed with her, but ends abruptly. Addie believes Josh attacked her on a remote walking trail during her morning run, leaving her bruised and bloodied. Addie refuses to report the attack to the police as she becomes less sure that the assailant was Josh, who had recently been acting erratically. Days later, Josh disappears, missing his chance to anchor the evening news. Josh is too ambitious to ever miss work, especially the chance to anchor. So Lucy begins her own investigation into what happened to Josh.
The Sweeties are the heart of “Watch Us Fall,” with each woman’s personality a strong component. But Kovac’s increased focus on Josh, his complicated background and family issues add insight to the women’s choices.
Christina Kovac is the author of The Cutaway. She worked for seventeen years managing Washington, DC, newsrooms and producing crime and political stories in the District. Her career as a television journalist began with Fox Five’s Ten O’Clock News, and after that, the ABC affiliate in Washington and then at NBC news. She lives with her family outside of Washington, DC.
Barbara Peters, owner of The Poisoned Pen, recently welcomed Cara Black, Paula Munier and Matt Goldman for a holiday event. Cara’s latest book is Huguette.The Snow Lies Deep by Paula Munier is set in Vermont during the Solstice Soiree. Matt Goldman took the trip that his hero, Nils Shapiro, takes in his book, Dark Humor. Check the Webstore to see if there are still copies of the books available. https://store.poisonedpen.com/
Here’s the description of Huguette.
In the lawlessness of post–World War II France, a resilient young woman fights to survive and make a living, no matter the cost—from the New York Times bestselling author of Three Hours in Paris and the Aimée Leduc series
After Libération, spring 1945: Seventeen-year-old Huguette Faure is a survivor. The war has taken everything from her—both her parents and her sense of safety. Now, pregnant and on the lam, she cannot return to her childhood home in Paris. Forced to reinvent herself, she must outrun her father’s enemies, who want her dead. After narrowly avoiding jail time—thanks to the help of a kindhearted police officer named Claude Leduc—Huguette lands a job assisting a legendary film director. As her role develops from helping him with chores to cooking his books, she sees an opportunity to break free from the ghosts of her past once and for all.
In this big-hearted story of resilience, New York Times bestselling author Cara Black offers a wholly original depiction of postwar France as well as introduces Claude Leduc—the man who decades later inspired his granddaughter, Aimée, to become a private investigator.
Cara Black is the author of twenty-one books in the New York Times bestselling Aimée Leduc series as well as the WWII thrillers Three Hours in Paris and Night Flight to Paris. She has won the Médaille de la Ville de Paris and the Médaille d’Or du Rayonnement Culturel and received multiple nominations for the Anthony and Macavity Awards; her books have been translated into German, Norwegian, Japanese, French, Spanish, Italian, and Hebrew.
Here’s the summary of The Snow Lies Deep.
The latest thrilling installment in the bestselling Mercy Carr mystery series
Mercy and Troy are looking forward to baby Felicity’s first holiday season, and they’re determined to make it a Christmas to remember. At Northshire’s annual Solstice Soirée, hosted by Northshire’s finest and funded by Mercy’s billionaire pal Feinberg, Amy’s little girl Helena is sitting on Santa Claus’s lap. She’s telling him she’d like a Bitty Baby doll just like little Felicity when the bearded man leaps up, thrusts the toddler at her mother Amy, and staggers away from the festivities. He disappears into the woods. By the time Elvis and Mercy find him, Santa Claus aka the town mayor, is lying on his back, dead. A yule log made of oak sits on his chest, burning bright, a beacon of light on the darkest day of the year.
This strange murder is the first of a series of similar Solstice-themed killings targeting the town’s most prominent citizens. Beloved family friend Lillian Jenkins, the grande dame of Northshire, could be next. Mercy and Troy and the dogs must team up with Thrasher and Harrington to capture The Yuletide Killer before he strikes again, this time far closer to home.
PAULA MUNIER is the USA TODAY bestselling author of the Mercy Carr mysteries. A Borrowing of Bones, the first in the series, was nominated for the Mary Higgins Clark Award and named the Dogwise Book of the Year. Blind Search also won a Dogwise Award. The Hiding Place and The Wedding Plot both appeared on several “Best Of” lists. HOME AT NIGHT, the fifth book in the series, was inspired by her volunteer work as a Natural Resources Steward of New Hampshire. Along with her love of nature, Paula credits the hero dogs of Mission K9 Rescue, her own rescue dogs, and a deep affection for New England as her series’ major influences. A literary agent by day, she’s also written three popular books on writing: Plot Perfect, The Writer’s Guide to Beginnings, and Writing with Quiet Hands, as well as Happier Every Day and the memoir Fixing Freddie: The True Story of a Boy, a Mom, and a Very, Very Bad Beagle. She lives in New England with her family and Bear the Newfoundland-retriever rescue, Bliss the Great Pyrenees-Australian cattle dog rescue, pandemic puppy Blondie, a Malinois rescue (much like Elvis in her books), and Ursula The Cat, a rescue torbie tabby who does not think much of the dogs.
Matt Goldman’s latest Nils Shapiro novel is Dark Humor.
Nils Shapiro embarks on an international quest to avenge his wife’s murder in this gripping, emotionally charged thriller from New York Times bestselling and Emmy Award-winning author Matt Goldman.
“Irreverent and insightful, private detective Nils Shapiro is sure to become a fan favorite” –HARLAN COBEN, New York Times bestselling author
“I want more of Nils Shapiro” –LEE CHILD, New York Times bestselling author
Sammy Sykes is evading the law—and justice.
Nils is on a mission to hunt down Sammy Sykes, the drug kingpin responsible for the ambush that led to his wife’s death two years ago. Despite the efforts of local law enforcement and the FBI, Sammy is still on the loose.
It’s time for Nils to take the law into his own hands.
A trip to see Sammy’s daughter in prison gifts him a lead that’s impossible to ignore. Resuming his life as a private investigator, Nils goes deep undercover. Fueled by revenge and a deep sense of justice, Nils’ pursuit of Sammy takes him all the way from Minnesota to Europe, where his survival skills—and resolve—are put to the ultimate test . . .
A page-turning detective novel written in Matt Goldman’s unique, sharp style. The long-awaited return of beloved private eye Nils Shapiro is perfect for fans of Michael Connelly, Robert Crais, and Harlan Coben.
Silent Bones is the eighth book in Val McDermid’s Karen Pirie series. There are a few copies of the book still available in the Webstore. https://bit.ly/4rIPT3w The book is one of Deb Lewis’ December picks for The Poisoned Pen.
Critic Oline Cogdill recently reviewed Silent Bones for the South Florida Sun Sentinel, and shares the review here.
‘Silent Bones’ by Val McDermid; Atlantic Crime; 448 pages; $28
“Silent Bones,” the eighth novel in Val McDermid’s Detective Chief Inspector Karen Pirie series, is a master class in Scottish cold case investigation and politics in a tightly wound plot.
Karen and her Historic Case Unit are called to an unusual crime scene. Human remains are found when a section of Scotland’s M73 highway collapses after a mudslide caused by torrential winter rainstorms. The skeleton was identified as investigative journalist Sam Nimmo, the prime suspect in the murder of his pregnant girlfriend, who had vanished shortly after the crime 11 years ago.
The team, including Daisy Mortimer and Jason “The Mint” Murray, also becomes involved with another case that had been ruled accidental. Drew Jamieson insists he has evidence that his brother, Tom, didn’t fall from Edinburgh’s Scotsman Steps about five years before, but was pushed.
Various motives may be related to the murder of Sam, whose in-depth reporting uncovered corruption, fraud and assault involving politicians and businesspeople. His stories on Scotland’s independence uncover more graft. Tom, who managed the nearby Scott Monument Hotel, seemed to have no enemies, though he’d recently had a public disagreement with the hotel’s sommelier, who was angry Tom quit their football club to join an elite, secretive book group with a murky history.
The author realistically draws together the plots, avoiding coincidences and combining believable clues with solid police insight in “Silent Bones.” Her storytelling prowess shows characters who continue to sharpen their investigative skills while juggling personal lives.
McDermid’s various series and standalones have put her in the top tier of mystery writers. “Silent Bones” continues her solid reputation.
Ace Atkins said he’s appeared at The Poisoned Pen since 1998. Patrick Millikin was the first person to hand-sell Atkins’ first book, Crossroad Blues. Atkins now was there to discuss his new book, Everybody Wants to Rule the World with Patrick. There are just a few signed copies left in the Webstore. https://bit.ly/4rFzi0D
Here’s the description of Everybody Wants to Rule the World.
Elmore Leonard meets Robert Ludlum in a rollicking comedic thriller set in 1985 from acclaimed author Ace Atkins, in which a suburban teen suspects his mom’s new boyfriend is the ultimate bad guy—a KGB agent.
It’s 1985, what will soon become known as “The Year of the Spy,” and fourteen-year-old Peter Bennett is convinced his mom’s new boyfriend is a Russian agent. “Gary” isn’t in the phone book, has an unidentifiable European accent, and keeps a gun in the glove box of his convertible Porsche. Peter thinks Gary only wants to get close to his mom because she works at Scientific Atlanta, a lab with big government contracts. But who is going to believe him? He’s just a kid into BMX and MTV.
But after another woman who works at the lab is killed, Peter recruits an unlikely pair of allies—a has-been pulp writer and muckraker named Dennis Hotchner and his drag performer buddy and heavy, Jackie Demure. Both soon become the target of an unhinged Russian hitman (Is it Gary? Maybe!) with a serious Phil Collins obsession.
Meanwhile, Sylvia Weaver, a young, Black FBI agent, investigates Scientific Atlanta in the wake of the employee’s murder and discovers a nest of Russian spies in the Southern “city too busy to hate.” Little does she know her investigation is being thwarted by a seriously compromised colleague in Washington, D.C., who is in league with a lovesick, hypochondriac KGB defector who is playing both sides of the Cold War to his benefit.
As Ronald Reagan and Soviet general secretary Mikhail Gorbachev prepare for a historic nuclear summit in Geneva, what happens in Atlanta might change the course of the Cold War, the twentieth century, and Peter Bennett’s freshman year of high school.
Ace Atkins is an award-winning, New York Times bestselling author of more than thirty novels and numerous short stories. A former college football player and newspaper reporter, he’s a recipient of the Richard Wright Literary Excellence Award, the Harper Lee Award, and is a member of the Alabama Writers Hall of Fame. He lives with his wife Angela and two children in Oxford, Mississippi.
Sally Smith is the author of A Case of Mice and Murder. Now, her second book featuring Gabriel Ward is out, A Case of Lifeand Limb. Barbara Peters, owner of The Poisoned Pen, welcomed Smith for a virtual event. Copies of her books are available through the Webstore. https://bit.ly/3XBNxGa
Here’s the description of A Case of Mice and Murder.
AN ELLE BEST MYSTERY OF THE YEAR
“I was immediately besotted . . . Brilliant.” -Janice Hallett, internationally bestselling author of The Appeal
All is calm, all is bright . . . until reluctant sleuth barrister Gabriel Ward is tasked with finding the culprit of yet another grisly crime in the Inner Temple.
Christmas Eve, 1901. Gabriel Ward KC is hard at work on a thorny libel case involving London’s most famous music hall star, Topsy Tillotson, and its most notorious tabloid newspaper, the Nation’s Voice, but the Inner Temple remains as quiet and calm as ever. Quiet, that is, until a severed hand arrives in the post.
While the hand’s recipient, Temple Treasurer Sir William Waring, is rightfully shaken, Gabriel is filled with curiosity. Who would want to send such a thing? And why? But as more parcels arrive-one with fatal consequences-Gabriel realizes that it is not Sir William who is the target, but the Temple itself.
Someone is holding a grudge that has already led to at least one death. Now it’s up to Gabriel, and Constable Wright of the City of London Police, to find out who, before an old death leads to a new murder.
Sally Smith spent all her working life as a barrister and later King’s Counsel in the Inner Temple. After writing a biography of the famous Edwardian barrister, Sir Edward Marshall Hall KC, she retired from the bar to write full time. A Case of Mice and Murder, her first novel, was inspired by the historic surroundings of the Inner Temple in which she still lives and works and by the rich history contained in the Inner Temple archives. A Case of Mice and Murder is the first in a series starring the reluctant sleuth Sir Gabriel Ward KC.
Meg Waite Clayton hosted The Poisoned Pen’s virtual event with Peggy Townsend, author of The Botanist’s Assistant. The mystery was the bookstore’s cozy for November, although Barbara Peters calls it a traditional mystery. There are still copies of the book available through the Webstore. https://tinyurl.com/y4j7xt26
A murder in the science lab shatters a woman’s quiet and ordered life when she decides she must solve the crime herself in this entertaining and uplifting mystery.
Plenty of people consider Margaret Finch odd. Six-feet-tall and big-boned, she lives alone in a small cabin in the woods, drives a 20-year-old truck, and schedules her life so precisely you can tell the time and day of the week by the chore she is doing and what she is wearing. But the same attributes that cause her to be labeled eccentric—an obsessive attention to detail and the ability to organize almost anything—make her invaluable in her job as Research Assistant II to a talented and charismatic botanist.
It’s those very same qualities, however, that also turn Margaret into a target after a surprising death shakes the small university where she works. Even as authorities claim the death appears to be from natural causes, Margaret fears it might be something more: a murder born of jealousy and dark secrets. With the aid of a newly hired and enigmatic night custodian, Margaret finds herself thrust into the role of detective, forcing her to consider that she may not be able to find the killer before the killer finds her.
With a cast of quirky and likeable characters that one won’t soon forget, The Botanist’s Assistant is a delightful story of perseverance and the power in all of us to survive.
Peggy Townsend is an award-winning journalist and author. Her work has appeared in Catamaran literary magazine, Santa Cruz Noir, Globe Magazine, and the San Francisco Chronicle, among other publications. Twice she lived for seven weeks in her van, traveling to Alaska and along the back roads of the US.
Enjoy the conversation with Peggy Townsend and Meg Waite Clayton.
