Fiction Review

A Solitude of Wolverines is the first in Alice Henderson’s new wildlife series. It’s released on Tuesday, October 27, but you can pre-order it now through the Web Store. https://bit.ly/2SwEKDF You might want to read the story behind the book, and the new series. Then, you might be even more interested in A Solitude of Wolverines.

First, let me introduce Alice Henderson. In addition to being a writer, Alice Henderson is a wildlife sanctuary monitor, geographic information systems specialist, and bioacoustician. She documents wildlife on specialized recording equipment, checks remote cameras, creates maps, and undertakes wildlife surveys to determine what species are present on preserves, while ensuring there are no signs of poaching. She’s surveyed for the presence of grizzlies, wolves, wolverines, jaguars, endangered bats, and more. 

This time, it’s about wolverines.

POISONED PEN GUEST BLOG

by Alice Henderson

            I’ve always loved to read thrillers that incorporate science. From the settings of Nevada Barr’s work to the novels of Douglas Preston, Lincoln Child, and James Rollins, plots steeped in nature and science have long thrilled me.

            Since my youth, I’ve been split down the middle between science and the arts, and I’ve always cared deeply about conservation and wildlife. From the time I was six, I had devised creative ways for a kid to earn money for conservation-minded non-profits. I sold crafts I’d made and did chores for my neighbors. At the same time, on the creative side, I was writing private detective stories on an old manual Underwood typewriter my dad had given me.

            But throughout the years, as I became a wildlife researcher and a published author, I hadn’t joined the two worlds together. Then one night, while on a research trip in Montana, hoping to record wolves on bioacoustic equipment, I had the inspiration to merge my love of writing with my love of wildlife.

            I wanted to write something both engaging and informative about the plight of wildlife. But I knew if I wrote a non-fiction book about a struggling species, I might only reach a few readers who were already interested in preservation. But if I wrote an engaging thriller about a species, I had the possibility of attracting readers for the story and characters, too.

            And so I devised a new suspense series. For my protagonist, I created a wildlife biologist who would study a different endangered species in each book. I wanted her to be female and tough, a resilient character who was able to think and fight her way out of dangerous situations. And I wanted her to have real heart, a compassionate attitude toward the wildlife she was trying to save.

            So that just left choosing a species for the first book. I knew I wanted a species that was facing extinction and that few people knew about. I’d spent a lot of time in the Rockies, and had long been fascinated with wolverines. I’d set out camera traps on species presence surveys in the hopes of capturing an image of one.

            These hardy creatures are the largest members of the weasel family, and they are formidable. Though weighing only thirty-five pounds, they’ve been known to drive off grizzlies from kills and take down moose. They’re largely scavengers, though, relying on the kills of bears and wolves. They used to range as far south as New Mexico and as far east as New York State, but between trapping, anthropogenic climate change, habitat fragmentation, and government-run “predator control” programs, they’ve been extirpated in much of their habitat, and now number less than 300 in the lower 48. These individuals struggle to survive in a few fragmented populations in the Cascades and Rockies. While researching the book, I was lucky enough to see a wolverine in Glacier National Park, Montana, which is incredible considering how few there are.

            A Solitude of Wolverines, the first novel in my new series, features Alex Carter, a wildlife biologist who takes a job on a remote wildlife sanctuary in Montana. Tasked with determining if wolverines are present on the preserve, she encounters danger when she stumbles on a secret that locals will kill to protect.

            It comes out October 27, 2020, in hardcover, ebook, and audiobook, and I hope readers will be captivated not only by the atmosphere and suspense, but by the amazing, resilient creatures who call the setting home.

*****

Here’s the summary of A Solitude of Wolverines.

“Both a mystery and a survival story, here is a novel written with a naturalist’s eye for detail and an unrelenting pace. It reminded me of the best of Nevada Barr…It’s so fraught with excitement and wondrous details that it demands to be read in one sitting and savored afterward. Don’t miss it.” —James Rollins, #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Last Odyssey  

The first book in a thrilling series featuring a wildlife biologist who courts trouble as she saves endangered species . . . and a mysterious killer who buries his dead in the land she helps preserve—a fast-paced, action-driven tale of suspense with the atmosphere and propulsive tension of works by Jane Harper, Craig Johnson, William Kent Krueger, and Nevada Barr.

While studying wolverines on a wildlife sanctuary in Montana, biologist Alex Carter is run off the road and threatened by locals determined to force her off the land.

Undeterred in her mission to help save this threatened species, Alex tracks wolverines on foot and by cameras positioned in remote regions of the preserve. But when she reviews the photos, she discovers disturbing images of an animal of a different kind: a severely injured man seemingly lost and wandering in the wilds.

After searches for the unknown man come up empty, local law enforcement is strangely set on dismissing the case altogether, raising Alex’s suspicions. Then another invasive predator trespasses onto the preserve. The hunter turns out to be another human—and the prey is the wildlife biologist herself. Alex realizes too late that she has seen too much—she’s stumbled onto a far-reaching illegal operation and now has become the biggest threat.

In this wild and dangerous landscape, Alex’s life depends on staying one step ahead—using all she knows about the animal world and what it takes to win the brutal battle for survival.

Anna Lee Huber is the author of the Lady Darby Mysteries. She also wrote one of the stories in the interconnected book, The Deadly Hours. But, because I totally missed the link to ruins in the latest Verity Kent mystery, A Pretty Deceit, I’m bringing up that book today, on release date. You can order copies of Huber’s books, including A Pretty Deceit, through the Web Store. https://bit.ly/34kIxta

Huber points out the inspiration for her books in a recent article for CrimeReads.com. If you’re interested in her books and the inspiration for them, check out the article, “On Drawing Inspiration From a Rich History of Ruins”, found here, https://bit.ly/2GJpfWf

Here’s the summary of A Pretty Deceit.

“A historical mystery to delight fans of Agatha Christie or Daphne du Maurier.”
—Bookpage

In the aftermath of the Great War, the line between friend and foe may be hard to discern, even for indomitable former Secret Service agent Verity Kent, in award-winning author Anna Lee Huber’s thrilling mystery series.
 
Peacetime has brought little respite for Verity Kent. Intrigue still abounds, even within her own family. As a favor to her father, Verity agrees to visit his sister in Wiltshire. Her once prosperous aunt has fallen on difficult times and is considering selling their estate. But there are strange goings-on at the manor, including missing servants, possible heirloom forgeries, and suspicious rumors—all leading to the discovery of a dead body on the grounds.
 
While Verity and her husband, Sidney, investigate this new mystery, they are also on the trail of an old adversary—the shadowy and lethal Lord Ardmore. At every turn, the suspected traitor seems to be one step ahead of them. And even when their dear friend Max, the Earl of Ryde, stumbles upon a code hidden among his late father’s effects that may reveal the truth about Ardmore, Verity wonders if they are really the hunters—or the hunted . . .
 
Praise for Anna Lee Huber’s Penny for Your Secrets

“Stellar mystery . . . a great read for fans of the series and all who enjoy
Downton Abbey-era fiction.”
—Booklist

Here’s Lisa Unger signing copies of Confessions on the 7:45. You’ll want to pre-order your signed copy now before the Poisoned Pen’s virtual event on Friday, October 9. Guest host Karin Slaughter will interview her at 4 PM MT, 7 PM ET. You can pre-order through the Web Store. https://bit.ly/2WQJrKs

Of course, you want information about the event and the book.

Virtual Event: Lisa Unger discusses Confessions on the 7:45 with special guest host Karin Slaughter. Watch the program on Facebook Live!

Lisa Unger. Confessions on the 7:45 (Park Row, $27.99 Signed). From master of suspense Lisa Unger comes a riveting thriller about a chance encounter that unravels a stunning web of lies and deceit.

Be careful to whom you tell your darkest secrets…

Selena Murphy is commuting home from her job in the city when the train stalls out on the tracks. She strikes up a conversation with a beautiful stranger in the next seat, and their connection is fast and easy. The woman introduces herself as Martha and confesses that she’s been stuck in an affair with her boss. Selena, in turn, confesses that she suspects her husband is sleeping with the nanny. When the train arrives at Selena’s station, the two women part ways, presumably never to meet again.

But days later, Selena’s nanny disappears.

Soon Selena finds her once-perfect life upended. As she is pulled into the mystery of the missing nanny, and as the fractures in her marriage grow deeper, Selena begins to wonder, who was Martha really? But she is hardly prepared for what she’ll discover.

Expertly plotted and reminiscent of the timeless classic Strangers on a Train, Confessions on the 7:45 is a gripping thriller about the delicate facades we create around our lives.

*****

There may still be signed copies of Karin Slaughter’s The Silent Wife available as well. You can order them here. https://bit.ly/2A5kDpY

Karin Slaughter. The Silent Wife (Morrow, $28.99 Signed). The New York Times bestselling author of Pieces of Her and The Last Widow returns with another electrifying thriller.

Investigating the killing of a prisoner during a riot inside a state penitentiary, GBI investigator Will Trent is confronted with disturbing information. One of the inmates claims that he is innocent of a brutal attack for which he has always been the prime suspect. The man insists that he was framed by a corrupt law enforcement team led by Jeffrey Tolliver and that the real culprit is still out there—a serial killer who has systematically been preying on women across the state for years. If Will reopens the investigation and implicates the dead police officer with a hero’s reputation of wrongdoing, the opportunistic convict is willing to provide the information GBI needs about the riot murder.

Only days ago, another young woman was viciously murdered in a state park in northern Georgia. Is it a fluke, or could there be a serial killer on the loose?

As Will Trent digs into both crimes it becomes clear that he must solve the cold case in order to find the answer. Yet nearly a decade has passed—time for memories to fade, witnesses to vanish, evidence to disappear, and lies to become truth. But Will can’t crack either mystery without the help of the one person he doesn’t want involved: his girlfriend and Jeffrey Tolliver’s widow, medical examiner Sara Linton.

When the past and present begin to collide, Will realizes that everything he values is at stake . . .

Karin Slaughter’s novels have been published in 37 languages, with more than 35 million copies sold across the globe, her nineteen novels include the Grant County and Will Trent books, as well as the Edgar-nominated Cop Town and the instant New York Times bestselling novels Pretty Girlsand The Good Daughter. Her most recent novel, The Last Widow, features Sara Linton and Will Trent. A native of Georgia, Karin currently lives in Atlanta. Her novels Cop Town, The Good Daughter, and Pieces of Her are all in development for film and television.

The Poisoned Pen recently hosted a virtual event with two authors whose mysteries are set outdoors, Margaret Mizushima and Scott Graham. Mizushima’s latest Timber Creek K-9 mystery is Hanging Falls. Graham’s books are set in the National Parks. His new book is Mesa Verde Victim. You can order copies of books by both authors through the Web Store. https://store.poisonedpen.com/

Here’s the summary of Mizushima’s Hanging Falls.

Murder stalks the rugged Colorado high country–and sends Mattie Cobb on a quest to uncover the darkest secrets from her past in the sixth gripping installment of Margaret Mizushima’s Timber Creek K-9 mysteries

A deluge has flooded the high ground near Hanging Falls–but heavy rains aren’t the only menace descending on Timber Creek. While on a scouting mission to pinpoint trail damage, officer Mattie Cobb and her K-9 partner Robo stumble upon a body floating at the edge of a lake. Robo catches human scent, which leads to an enigmatic forest-dweller who quickly becomes suspect number one.

With help from veterinarian Cole Walker, Mattie identifies the victim, and discovers an odd religious cult whose dress and manners harken back to the 19th century. As the list of suspects grows, an unexpected visit from members of Mattie’s long-lost family sheds new light on her childhood as they help Mattie piece together details of the fateful night when she was abducted at age two.

The tangled threads of the investigation and family dynamics begin to intertwine–but darkness threatens to claim a new victim before Mattie and Robo can track down the killers.

*****

Check out the description of Scott Graham’s Mesa Verde Victim.

“An absorbing archaeological mystery, rich in historical detail and local atmosphere. With its colorful characters and fast”“paced plot,Mesa Verde Victim is a fascinating find.”
—AUSMA ZEHANAT KHAN, author ofA Deadly Divide

Hounded by false accusations of murder, archaeologist Chuck Bender and his family risk their lives to track down an unknown killer on the loose in a rugged canyon on the remote western edge of Mesa Verde National Park, where ancient stone villages and secret burial sites, abandoned centuries ago by the Ancestral Puebloan people, harbor artifacts so rare and precious they’re worth killing over.

SCOTT GRAHAM is the National Outdoor Book Award”“winning author of the six”“volume National Park Mystery Series for Torrey House Press, including Canyon Sacrifice, Mountain Rampage, Yellowstone Standoff, Yosemite Fall, and Arches Enemy, and five other books. He is an avid outdoorsman who lives with his wife, an emergency physician, in southwestern Colorado.

*****

You can listen to both authors talk about their books via the video.

Karen Shaver from The Poisoned Pen had the chance to host a virtual event with Brian Freeman. He wrote the latest Jason Bourne novel, Robert Ludlum’s The Bourne Evolution. But he was actually talking about his new book, Funeral for a Friend. There are signed copies of both books available through the WebStore, as well as copies of other ones by Freeman. https://bit.ly/34laNw0

Here’s Brian Freeman’s Funeral for a Friend.

“You’re safe, Stride. I found the body at the Deeps. I buried him.”

Jonathan Stride’s best friend, Steve Garske, makes a shocking deathbed confession: he protected Stride by covering up a murder. Hours later, the police dig up Steve’s yard and find a body with a bullet hole in its skull.

Stride is pretty sure he knows who it is. Seven years ago, an out-of-town reporter disappeared while investigating anonymous allegations of rape against a prominent politician. Back then, the police believed that the reporter drowned at a dangerous swimming hole called the Deeps … but the discovery of the body changes everything. Now Stride’s partner, Maggie Bei, is forced to ask Stride an uncomfortable question: Did you kill him?

Stride is obviously hiding things. He was the last person to see the reporter alive. And he admits lying to Maggie about that meeting, but won’t tell her why. With suspicion in the murder pointing at him, Stride finds himself off the case and on leave from the Duluth Police.

His only ally in clearing his name is his wife, Serena, who retraces the reporter’s investigation into the explosive allegations. The clues all point to a hot Duluth summer years earlier that everyone in town would prefer to forget.

Someone was willing to kill rather than let those long-ago secrets come out, and the suspect with the strongest motive … is Stride.

*****

Check out the conversation with Brian Freeman.

Mark Pryor takes readers back to Paris with his ninth Hugo Marston novel, The French Widow. He and Barbara Peters, owner of The Poisoned Pen, bring readers up to date with Hugo and his life. But, in a time when we can’t travel, he also introduces us to various sites in Paris. You can order copies of Mark Pryor’s books through the WebStore. https://bit.ly/33iL08g

Here’s the summary of Pryor’s latest book, The French Widow.

A young American woman is attacked at a historic Paris chateau and four paintings are stolen the same night, drawing Hugo Marston into a case where everyone seems like a suspect. To solve this mystery Hugo must crack the secrets of the icy and arrogant Lambourd family, who seem more interested in protecting their good name than future victims. Just as Hugo thinks he’s close, some of the paintings mysteriously reappear, at the very same time that one of his suspects goes missing.

While under pressure to catch a killer, Hugo also has to face the consequences of an act some see as heroic, but others believe might have been staged for self-serving reasons. This puts Hugo under a media and police spotlight he doesn’t want, and helps the killer he’s hunting mark him as the next target….

*****

Enjoy the conversation about Paris, country house mysteries, and Pryor’s books.

Tuesday was release day for Joanne Fluke’s latest Hannah Swensen mystery, Christmas Cupcake Murder. She actually did a virtual appearance, in person, for The Poisoned Pen, and did a baked goods signing for fans. Check out these treats.

Of course, there are all kinds of recipes in Christmas Cupcake Murder. You can order signed copies of the book, and copies of Joanne Fluke’s other books through the WebStore. https://bit.ly/2o5JYqA

Here are a couple photos of Joanne Fluke, masked and ready to sign books.

Here’s the summary of Christmas Cupcake Murder.

Featuring over a dozen cookie and dessert recipes from The Cookie Jar—Hannah Swensen’s famous bakery, this festive new Christmas mystery from the Queen of Culinary Cozies is just the holiday treat you need this season!

“Don’t miss this charming mystery, which will also satisfy your sweet tooth.”
—Booklist STARRED REVIEW

As December turns Lake Eden into the North Pole, the heat is on in Hannah Swensen’s kitchen to honor two Christmas promises: baking irresistible holiday cupcakes and preventing murder!

While Hannah speeds through a lengthy holiday checklist, drama in town grows like Santa’s waistline on Christmas Eve. Her sister Andrea wants to stave off the blues by helping out at The Cookie Jar, Michele’s love life is becoming complicated, Lisa needs Hannah’s advice, and Delores has a Christmas secret she’s not willing to share. But nothing dampens the holiday mood more than the chilling mystery surrounding the man found near death in an abandoned storefront two doors down from Hannah’s bakery . . .
 
The befuddled John Doe can’t recall a thing about himself—except for his unusual knowledge of restoring antique furniture. With a smattering of clues and barely enough time to frost Christmas cookies, Hannah must solve a deadly puzzle that could leave her dashing through the snow for her life!

*****

The virtual event includes a few baking tips from Joanne Fluke.

Richard Osman’s debut novel, The Thursday Murder Club, is a #1 bestseller in the UK. It received starred reviews in professional journals here in the U.S. You may or may not be able to get a signed copy through the Web Store, but you will want to order a copy of this debut. The story features four amateur sleuths who are all over seventy. Osman says the book is very British, and the humor is British. Here’s the link to buy the book. https://bit.ly/32Vsd2x

Here’s The Thursday Murder Club.

“A little beacon of pleasure in the midst of the gloom…SUCH FUN!”
–Kate Atkinson, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Big Sky

Four septuagenarians with a few tricks up their sleeves
A female cop with her first big case
A brutal murder
Welcome to…
THE THURSDAY MURDER CLUB

In a peaceful retirement village, four unlikely friends meet weekly in the Jigsaw Room to discuss unsolved crimes; together they call themselves The Thursday Murder Club.

When a local developer is found dead with a mysterious photograph left next to the body, the Thursday Murder Club suddenly find themselves in the middle of their first live case.

As the bodies begin to pile up, can our unorthodox but brilliant gang catch the killer, before it’s too late?

*****

Mark Bilingham, author of Cry Baby, hosted Richard Osman for the recent virtual event at The Poisoned Pen. It’s a fun conversation about British humor, habits, and murder.

There’s a full slate of virtual events featuring favorite authors in the next two weeks at The Poisoned Pen. Even with the current schedule, it doesn’t hurt to check back frequently. Occasionally, times or days change or additional events are added. If one of your favorite authors is appearing, though, you will want to pre-order a copy of their book. The supply chain isn’t quite the same during the pandemic. You can find the books in the Web Store. https://store.poisonedpen.com/

Here’s the schedule through October 8.

Rachel Howzell Hall, author of the standalone novel, And Now She’s Gone, recently spent time talking about Los Angeles and her latest book with Patrick Millikin from The Poisoned Pen. You can order signed copies of that book, and copies of Hall’s other ones through the Web Store. https://bit.ly/3mYHlnO

Here’s the summary of And Now She’s Gone.

“Sharp, witty and perfectly paced, And Now She’s Gone is one hell of a read!” —Wendy Walker, bestselling author of The Night Before

Isabel Lincoln is gone.

But is she missing?

It’s up to Grayson Sykes to find her. Although she is reluctant to track down a woman who may not want to be found, Gray’s search for Isabel Lincoln becomes more complicated and dangerous with every new revelation about the woman’s secrets and the truth she’s hidden from her friends and family.

Featuring two complicated women in a dangerous cat and mouse game, Rachel Howzell Hall’s And Now She’s Gone explores the nature of secrets — and how violence and fear can lead you to abandon everything in order to survive.

*****

Enjoy the discussion at Rachel Howzell Hall’s virtual event.