Allison Brennan was guest host for Elle Cosimano at The Poisoned Pen. Cosimano was there to discuss her latest novel, Finlay Donovan Crosses the Line. There are signed copies available in the Webstore, https://shorturl.at/OZeXE.
Here’s the description of Finlay Donovan Crosses the Line.
From New York Times bestseller Elle Cosimano comes Finlay Donovan Crosses the Line—the highly anticipated next installment in the beloved Finlay Donovan series.
Life hasn’t been easy for Finlay Donovan lately, but it just got a whole lot harder. Her nanny and partner-in-crime, Vero, has been extradited from Virginia to Maryland, where she’s facing criminal charges for a theft she swears she didn’t commit. A prisoner to an ankle bracelet as she awaits her trial, Vero is forced to live with her overbearing mother and nosy aunt. Threatening messages keep arriving on her mother’s door, demanding Vero “turn over the money . . . or else.” And if she doesn’t figure out who really stole her former sorority’s treasury funds, her next home might be a prison cell.
But proving her innocence might be an impossible feat. Vero was the treasurer of her sorority when the money went missing—one of the only people who had access to the cash. And her alibi is a date who ghosted her. With her court date quickly approaching, and her mysterious stalker on her tail, Vero needs to clear her name fast.
Finlay decides a trip to Maryland is in order. After all, Vero stood by her through her darkest moments, and Finlay will be damned if she lets her best friend and children’s nanny be convicted for something she didn’t do. She sets off on a mission to suss out the real thief and bring Vero home.
ELLE COSIMANO is a New York Times and USA Today bestselling author, an International Thriller Writers Award winner, and an Edgar Award nominee. Elle’s debut novel for adults, Finlay Donovan Is Killing It, kicked off a witty, fast-paced contemporary mystery series, which was a People magazine pick and was named one of New York Public Library’s Best Books of 2021. The third book in the series, Finlay Donovan Jumps the Gun, was an instant New York Times bestseller. In addition to writing novels for teens and adults, her essays have appeared in HuffPost and Time. Cosimano lives with her husband and two sons in Virginia.
Barbara Peters, owner of The Poisoned Pen, said you might wonder what Erica Ruth Neubauer and Nick Petrie have in common. Wisconsin, but you need to watch the video to discover the link. Neubauer’s new book is Vengeance in Venice. Petrie’s latest Peter Ash novel is The Dark Time. You can order signed copies of both through the Webstore. https://store.poisonedpen.com/
Here’s the summary of Vengeance in Venice.
At long last, Jane and Redvers have arrived in Venice, the famed city of love, for their honeymoon. But behind a mask at a costume ball on the Grand Canal hides the gaze of a heartless killer…
Venice, 1927: As romantic as it is mysterious, the Floating City is a dream destination for the newlyweds, but they’ll soon discover the twisting canals hide more mystery than they expected. It begins when they are invited to an elaborate party at Clara Morton’s stunning palazzo on the Grand Canal. The affair is as eccentric as the hostess, who is dressed as Medusa, and features everything from snakes to her pet cheetah to tarot card readings.
The fete also features a fresh corpse—Clara’s ex-husband, found dead in the garden with marks around his neck. The hostess accuses the tarot card reader, who happens to be an acquaintance of Jane, claiming the woman foretold the death of someone close to her. Jane and Redvers come to the young woman’s aid as they learn she was far from the only partygoer with a motive. As the couple follows a labyrinthine trail of scandalous affairs, brazen blackmail, and people who are not who they say they are, they hope that Venice will disclose her secrets before they both end up in over their heads . . .
Erica Ruth Neubauer is the Agatha Award-winning author of the Jane Wunderly Mysteries, as well as an Anthony Award and Lefty Award finalist. She spent eleven years in the military, nearly two as a Maryland police officer, and one as a high school English teacher, before finding her way as a writer. She has been a reviewer of mysteries and crime fiction for publications such as Publishers Weekly and Mystery Scene Magazine for several years, and she’s a member of Sisters in Crime and Mystery Writers of America. Erica Ruth lives in Milwaukee, WI. Visit her at EricaRuthNeubauer.com.
Check out the description of The Dark Time.
At the suggestion of his girlfriend, June, Peter Ash rides to the aid of an investigative reporter who may have stumbled on a story more explosive than even he can handle in this propulsive new thriller from the bestselling and award-winning series.
Katelyn Thorsen, known as KT to her friends and enemies, is an independent journalist who receives a very specific death threat. Fortunately, Peter Ash has arrived in town to protect KT at the request of his girlfriend, June Cassidy. From the moment of his arrival, he’s thrown into a maelstrom of violence trying to protect KT and her daughter and discover the source of the death threat.
Even after June and Peter’s best friend Lewis arrive in Seattle to help, this challenge may be too much for them – with enormous consequences should they fail.
Nick Petrie is the author of nine novels in the Peter Ash series, most recently The Price You Pay. His debut, The Drifter, won both the ITW Thriller award and the Barry Award for Best First Novel, and was a finalist for the Edgar and the Hammett Awards. A husband and father, he lives in the Milwaukee area.
Thank you to Michael Barson who sent an article and a blog piece celebrating the 50th anniversary of Clive Cussler’s Raise theTitanic! While I’m republishing the article that first appeared in Bookreporter.com, I’m linking to the article that includes the cover art over the years. At the end of the article is the YouTube video from The Poisoned Pen that celebrated “Fifty Years of Clive Cussler’s Dirk Pitt”. For years, The Poisoned Pen and Clive Cussler had a special relationship. You can order his books through the Webstore. https://tinyurl.com/mr4eynmk
Thank you, again, Michael.
The Voyage of RAISE THE TITANIC! 50 Years On – by Michael Barson
Clive Cussler was the author of more than 70 books in five bestselling series, beginning with THE MEDITERRANEAN CAPER, the opening installment in the Dirk Pitt adventure series, which debuted in 1973.
A second Dirk Pitt novel followed, but it was the third one — RAISE THE TITANIC! — that paved the way for a new level of success. The book reached number two on the New York Times bestseller list following its publication on October 26, 1976, and Clive’s career would never be the same again.
Over the five decades that followed, Clive’s novels appeared on the national bestseller charts dozens of times featuring an array of his colorful and resourceful protagonists. In 2004, the Dirk Pitt adventure BLACK WIND welcomed Clive’s son, Dirk, as coauthor of the series for the first time. Today, Dirk Cussler remains the architect of the Pitt franchise, with Clive having passed away in 2020.
In this interview, longtime Cussler fan Walter Winterburn, who now oversees the Facebook operations of the Clive Cussler Collector’s Society, talks to Michael Barson — Clive’s primary publicist at Putnam from 1999 to 2015 — about the publishing history of the groundbreaking RAISE THE TITANIC! as it celebrates its 50th anniversary year.
And many thanks to Cussler fan Mike Branigan for providing counsel, along with illustrations from his splendid collection, some of which you can see on this page.
Question: What was the standing of Clive Cussler in the world of adventure novels prior to the publication of RAISE THE TITANIC! in 1976? Were his first few Dirk Pitt novels considered commercial successes?
Walter Winterburn: The publication of ICEBERG was only around 5,000 copies, with an estimated 3,200 sold, many of which went to libraries. THE MEDITERRANEAN CAPER, published as a mass market paperback, was around 45,000 printed, with a reported 30,000 sold. So I don’t believe they were all that successful, especially after the publisher Dodd, Mead & Co. turned down RAISE THE TITANIC!, in part due to Publishers Weekly at that time saying that sales in Fiction were lagging.
Q: As far as you are aware, did Viking, the publisher of RAISE THE TITANIC!, position it as anything special for its release on October 26, 1976?
WW: Once Viking decided to go with the book, it is apparent from correspondence between Clive and the publisher that they made a big deal out of promoting it. There was a promotion package consisting of a book cover poster, a biography of Clive, and a synopsis/write-up about the book. In addition, hard copies were sent, requesting the book to be reviewed — a large media push, though not all reviews were favorable! — along with a promotional card for sellers to request orders. According to the ARC (advance reader copy) notes, there was a $40,000 advertising campaign and a first printing of 65,000.
Q: Once the book was published, was there an immediate reaction to it on the part of the review media and/or the book-buying public? Or was it more of a slow build over a period of time?
WW: Wayne Valero’s essential history of Cussler publications says that the book sold 150,000 copies in its first two printings. This was evidenced by it being number two by the end of January 1977 on the New York Times bestseller list, where it stayed for 24 weeks. At this point, Clive could claim to be the author of a true national bestseller.
Q: Did Clive himself regard RAISE THE TITANIC! as something special at the time? Or was it more or less equal to his other Dirk Pitt adventures in his eyes?
WW: After the rejection from Dodd, Mead, he and his agent were a little set back. They tried a few other publishers, with Clive eventually signing with Viking. So it became very apparent that Viking saw the potential, even to go as far as to change the title from TITANIC to RAISE THE TITANIC! and with very little editing.
Q: With the benefit of having 50 years hindsight now, how do you regard the book when compared to the dozens of subsequent Pitt novels that followed over the years?
WW: Personally, I still enjoy reading it. Over time, you see how Clive matured in his writing, even setting his own standard of no cursing/foul language and not bogging down the reader with too much technical jargon. However, it has been noted that some modern-day readers have a hard time separating fact from fiction, with the most common statement being: The ship was found in two pieces.
Q: Do you find that RAISE THE TITANIC! is held in special regard today by Clive’s enormous fan base? If so, what are the qualities it possesses that might account for that?
WW: RAISE THE TITANIC! set the tone and established the formula for all future Dirk Pitt novels — a historical prologue, the “What if” scenario, an epically evil bad guy who has a need for some object or artifact, and for our hero Pitt to save the world from that villainy against all odds. This is what I believe established Clive as one of our premier action/thriller adventure writers for so many decades.
Here’s the video from The Poisoned Pen, with Barbara Peters, owner of the bookstore, Dirk Cussler, and authors of some of the Dirk Pitt books in the Cussler universe.
Rhys Bowen and Clare Broyles appeared at The Poisoned Pen Bookstore to discuss their latest Molly Murphy mystery, Vanishedin 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.
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.
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.
James Rollins is the#1 New York Timesbestselling 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.
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.
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), TheGuardian’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.
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?
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 KillerWomenPodcast, 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.
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.
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.
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. . . .
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.
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.
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.
