It’s not often that readers get to listen to authors talk with their editors. Barbara Peters, owner of The Poisoned Pen, recently hosted Stan Parish, author of Love and Theft, and his legendary editor, Jason Kaufman. Kaufman, executive editor at Doubleday, edited Dan Brown, Lincoln Child, Jeffrey Archer and Clive Cussler, among others.
Signed copies of Love and Theft are available through the Web Store. Snatch it up because it’s one of September’s picks of the month at the Pen. https://bit.ly/2QUiIKx
Here’s the summary of Love and Theft.
“A breathless adventure both starry-eyed and cool-blooded, both charming and diabolical.” –A.J. FINN, #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Woman in the Window “Crackling with full-throttle tension . . . An electrifying novel.” –ROBERT CRAIS, author of the bestselling Elvis Cole novels
An epic Vegas heist. A high-octane international romance. A charismatic thief forced to orchestrate one final, treacherous job to save his family.
When Alex Cassidy and Diane Alison meet at a party in Princeton, New Jersey, the chemistry between them is instant and undeniable. She’s a single mother, local fixture, and owner of a successful catering company. He’s a single father and weekend homeowner — and leader of an armed-robbery crew that just pulled off a record-breaking, precision jewel heist in Las Vegas. Neither one realizes that their lives have overlapped before, and that the shared history they uncover will threaten everyone they love.
Swept up in their burgeoning relationship, Diane joins Alex at his beach house in Tulum, where Alex decides to leave his life of crime behind. It begins as a postcard-perfect weekend until an entanglement with a powerful cartel forces Alex to mastermind one final and unthinkably dangerous job. What ensues is an explosive, adrenaline-soaked journey through the moneyed landscapes of Mexico and Europe, where ghosts from the past collide with unexpected perils in the present. As Alex and Diane fight for their lives, they discover that they’re not the only ones with secrets–and that those closest to us pose the greatest danger of all.
Propulsive, deeply suspenseful, and layered with mesmerizing twists, Love and Theft is a sophisticated thriller about the illusion of control and the high price of past transgressions.
Did you read Susan Cox’ debut mystery, The Man on the Washing Machine? Even if you didn’t, you might want to pre-order the second book in the series, The Man in the Microwave Oven. (I read it, and adored Thea’s grandfather.) The second one works for those of us who love mysteries, or anyone who enjoys a fun spy novel. You can find Cox’ books in the Web Store. https://bit.ly/3baOo7p In these days of the pandemic, it’s always smart to pre-order books, even if the release date is November.
SUSAN COX is a former journalist. She has also been marketing and public relations director for a safari park, a fundraiser for non-profit organizations, and the president of the Palm Beach County (Fla.) Attractions Association. She considers herself transcontinental and transatlantic, equally at home in San Francisco and Florida and with a large and boisterous extended family in England. She frequently wears a Starfleet communicator pin, just in case. Her first novel, The Man on the Washing Machine, won the 2014 Minotaur Books/Mystery Writers of America First Crime Novel Competition.
*****
Susan Cox took time to write about her book “Distractions”. You can find these books in the Web Store. https://store.poisonedpen.com/
*****
It’s become almost a cliche among my writer friends to say that life hasn’t changed much for us during the pandemic—we’re still spending a lot of time hunched over our laptops, drinking too many cups of coffee (or tea in my case), and talking to the cat. What has changed is that reading has become even more of an escape than usual and, in that spirit of escaping from reality, it’s been a pleasure to revisit some old friends recently. In addition to my love of the Golden Age mysteries, written between the world wars by authors like Agatha Christie, Dorothy L. Sayers and Ngaio Marsh, I’m a fan of slightly quirky mysteries with the added spice of a wizard or time travel. Jim Butcher’s Harry Dresden novels are favorites, along with the Oxford Time Travel series by Connie Willis. Every now and again I also enjoy a slightly more realistic look at murder and mayhem, (although mostly on the gun-free side of the Pond,) and here are some of my recent distractions:
Doomsday Book by Connie Willis is the first in a series of adventures of time traveling Oxford historians who travel to the past as observers.
I picked it up unaware that a historical pandemic is a major theme, and by the time I realized it, I was already enthralled by the story and the characters. A young historian is sent back to the 14th century where she falls ill and loses track of how to return safely to the mid-21st century. She has unwittingly arrived in the middle of an outbreak of the Black Death, and her illness, a form of influenza, is meanwhile causing havoc in the Oxford she left behind. The book follows the frantic efforts of her colleagues to rescue her, alternating with her own highly-detailed and well-researched adventures in the past.
Sweet Little Lies by Caz Frear is the first outing for Cat Kinsella, a believable and multi-dimensional detective constable in London’s Metropolitan Police Force struggling with family secrets in the midst of a murder inquiry.
Cat’s investigation has links to an 18-year-old cold case and her suspicions fall upon her own father. Frear’s dialogue is sharp, her characterizations are authentic, and her humor is definitely dark.
Who Speaks for the Damned is the 15th in this series of historical mysteries by CS Harris and I found it every bit as engaging as its fourteen predecessors.
It’s 1814 and Sebastian St. Cyr, the Viscount Devlin, investigates the death of Nicholas Hayes, a disgraced nobleman who, far from being dead in the penal colony of Botany Bay as everyone believed, has returned to London to be murdered. Sebastian discovers the tragic circumstance of Hayes’ wasted life, and exposes the highly-placed members of society who have a vested interest in silencing him. One of the great pleasures of Harris’ St. Cyr mysteries is the wealth of detail we’re given about the lives of characters from all levels of Regency society.
The Finisherby Peter Lovesey is the latest by a master of the genre.
This is the 19th novel starring police Superintendent Peter Diamond of Bath, England and I’ve read every one with pleasure. Lovesey plays fair with his readers, his novels are well plotted, the characters are interesting, and this one, following the fate of a runner who doesn’t cross the finish line of Bath’s springtime half marathon, is as compelling as his Victorian Sergeant Cribb mysteries, which you might have seen on TV.
*****
I appreciate every author who takes the time to write a “Distractions” piece and share their reading with us. I hope you take a look at their book suggestions, and at their books.
The Man in the Microwave Oven is a November release, but you can pre-order it.
Following Susan Cox’s Minotaur Books/Mystery Writers of America First Crime Novel award-winning debut, The Man in the Microwave Oven is her next delightfully quirky mystery featuring San Francisco transplant Theo Bogart.
Fleeing from a murder and family tragedy in her native England, where she was the scandal du jour for the tabloid press, Theo Bogart changed her name and built an undercover life in a close-knit San Francisco neighborhood. She didn’t expect to find love and friendship there, and now she doesn’t know how—or if—to reveal the truth.
After a confrontation with a difficult neighbor, Theo fears her secrets are about to be uncovered after all. When the woman who threatened to expose her is murdered, Theo is embroiled in the kind of jeopardy she crossed an ocean to escape. Worse yet, dangerous family secrets have followed her. Theo’s grandfather unveils a glimpse of the shadowy world he once inhabited as an agent for the British Secret Service, bringing an even bigger breed of trouble—and another death—to Theo’s doorstep. She finds herself fighting to protect herself, her family, and her new friends, aware that one of them might be a murderer.
Susan Cox has once again painted a delightfully quirky portrait of a colorful San Francisco neighborhood and a woman finding her way through exactly the kind of scandalous mystery she was trying to leave behind.
*****
The Poisoned Pen only lists the large type edition of Cox’ The Man on the Washing Machine. Why not try that?
Winner of the 2014 Minotaur Books/Mystery Writers of America First Crime Novel Competition A Theo Bogart Mystery When former party girl and society photographer Theophania Bogart flees to San Francisco to escape a high-profile family tragedy, a series of murders drags her unwillingly out of hiding. A charming debut with wacky, colorful characters and a delightfully twisted mystery.
David Joy addresses his latest novel, When These Mountains Burn, and the opioid crisis in the mountains of North Carolina. Patrick Millikin from The Poisoned Pen is a skilled interviewer, so you’ll want to listen to this conversation. You can order signed copies of When These Mountains Burn, and copies of Joy’s other books, through the Web Store. https://bit.ly/2BhRPLk
Here’s the summary of When These Mountains Burn.
Acclaimed author and “remarkably gifted storyteller” (The Charlotte Observer) David Joy returns with a fierce and tender tale of a father, an addict, a lawman, and the explosive events that come to unite them.
When his addict son gets in deep with his dealer, it takes everything Raymond Mathis has to bail him out of trouble one last time. Frustrated by the slow pace and limitations of the law, Raymond decides to take matters into his own hands.
After a workplace accident left him out of a job and in pain, Denny Rattler has spent years chasing his next high. He supports his habit through careful theft, following strict rules that keep him under the radar and out of jail. But when faced with opportunities too easy to resist, Denny makes two choices that change everything.
For months, the DEA has been chasing the drug supply in the mountains to no avail, when a lead–just one word–sets one agent on a path to crack the case wide open . . . but he’ll need help from the most unexpected quarter.
As chance brings together these men from different sides of a relentless epidemic, each may come to find that his opportunity for redemption lies with the others.
*****
Here’s David Joy in conversation with Patrick Millikin.
The Poisoned Pen launched Sandra Brown’s seventy-first book, Thick as Thieves, by hosting a conversation between Brown and Linda Castillo, author of the Kate Burkholder novels, including Outsider. Brown even gives writing tips for other writers. She did sign copies of the books, and there may still be signed copies in the Web Store. https://bit.ly/3bh8361
Here’s the story of Thick as Thieves.
In this tantalizing thriller from a #1 New York Times bestselling author, a woman uncovers lifelong secrets as she searches for the truth behind her father’s involvement in a heist gone wrong.
Twenty years ago in the dead of night, four seemingly random individuals pulled the ultimate heist and almost walked away with half a million dollars. But by daybreak, their plan had been shot to hell. One of them was in the hospital. One was in jail. One was dead. And one got away with it.
Arden Maxwell, the daughter of the man who disappeared all those years ago — presumably with the money, after murdering his accomplice — has never reconciled with her father’s abandonment of her and her sister. After countless personal setbacks she decides to return to her family home near mysterious Caddo Lake, and finally get answers to the many questions that torment her. Little does she know, two of her father’s co-conspirators — a war hero and a corrupt district attorney — are watching her every move.
Ledge Burnet, a rebellious teen at the time of the heist, evaded his jail sentence by enlisting in the army. Now he’s back in town to care for his ailing father – and to keep his eye on the county’s corrupt district attorney, whome he suspects was the real murderer. Although the two are bound to silence because of the crime they committed together, each has spent years waiting and hoping that the other will make a fatal misstep. But the arrival of their elusive accomplice’s daughter, Arden, who may know more about the missing money than she’s telling, sets them both on red alert. She ignites Ledge’s determination to expose the D.A.’s treachery . . . and sparks a desire he wishes to deny.
I’ve been waiting to run this piece. There’s been quite a bit of buzz about Alyssa Cole’s When No One is Watching. It will be released on Sept. 1, but you can order it, and Cole’s other books, through the Web Store now. https://bit.ly/31zfyC3
Alyssa Cole is an award-winning author of historical, contemporary, sci-fi romance, and now, a psychological thriller. Her contemporary rom-com A Princess in Theory was one of the New York Times‘ 100 Notable Books of 2018, and her books have received critical acclaim from Library Journal, BuzzFeed, Kirkus, Booklist, Jezebel, Vulture, Book Riot, Entertainment Weekly, and various other outlets. When she’s not working, she can usually be found watching anime or wrangling her many pets.
*****
I can attest to the fact that Alyssa Cole has been working a lot lately. She’s been participating in a number of virtual events, talking about her books, but also hosting and talking with many other authors to promote their books right now when authors aren’t on the road. We’re lucky she was able to make time to talk about her book “Distractions” during the pandemic.
Like many people, I’m a comfort reader in times of distress, but surprisingly, given the state of the world, I’ve also managed to fit in lots of new reads! Like my writing tastes, my reading tastes are varied as well, so I thought I’d share some of the books—sci-fi, women’s fic, thriller, and mystery—that served as fantastic distractions for me!
Mercenary Librarians: Deal with the Devil by Kit Rocha
In this fast-paced, action packed dystopian future-set read, we meet Knox and the Silver Devils, a band of battle weary TechCorp soldiers who can escape the hold the autocratic government has over them if they’re able to complete one last job: capture Nina and the “Mercenary Librarians,” who are info brokers, protectors, and beacons of hope in their apocalyptic community. The Librarians aren’t easily fooled, but can’t pass up the ultimate bait: a long lost server chock full of data from The Library of Congress. What follows is a sexy, action-packed, sci-fi road trip, with lots of thrilling turns.
The Boyfriend Project by Farrah Rochon
This is a wonderful novel with a great hook: three women become close friends after a video of them confronting the man three-timing them goes viral on social media. Each of the women are professionals at a cross-roads, and during one of their hangouts they decide to swear off dating and follow their dreams. This is all well and good for Samiah, who’s finally going to work on the app she’s been planning for years, until she meets Daniel, the hot new guy at the tech company she works for. Sparks fly between Daniel and Samiah but secrets may get in the way of both love and career for the duo. I loved the detailed setting, humor, and strong female friendship in this winner of an anytime-read.
And Now She’s Gone by Rachel Howzel hall ( Sept 22)
In this twisty LA-set thriller from renowned thriller writer Howzell Hall, we meet Grayson Sykes, a new PI on her first case. Grayson is struggling with pain from unmet medical needs, lack of sleep, and constant fear—she’s always watching her back as she waits for her terrifying past to catch up with her. When she’s assigned the case of Isabel Lincoln, who’s seemingly run off, she feels a kinship with the woman and a distrust for the boyfriend she is likely on the run from who has hired Gray to find her. Told in present day and flashback and with twists and turns that keep you on your toes, And Now She’s Gone is a riveting look at secrets, abuse, and what women do to survive.
The Conductors by Nicole Glover (March 21, 2021)
This one is a ways out, but I’m reading and loving it so far. Set in post-Civil War Philadelphia, this book is historical fiction + cozy mystery + fantasy with magic systems, and it’s a winning combination! Hetty and Benjy are married former conductors on the Underground Railroad who now use their magic to help solve mysteries in their community. So far it’s fresh and engaging and hits all the right spots for lovers of history, mystery, and magic!
*****
I think you’ll discover some of Alyssa Cole’s books will hit the right spots, depending on what you like to read. Take her new book, When No One is Watching.
“I was knocked over by the momentum of an intense psychological thriller that doesn’t let go until the final page. This is a terrific read.” ““ Alafair Burke, New York Times bestselling author
Rear Window meets Get Out in this gripping thriller from a critically acclaimed and New York Times Notable author, in which the gentrification of a Brooklyn neighborhood takes on a sinister new meaning…
Sydney Green is Brooklyn born and raised, but her beloved neighborhood seems to change every time she blinks. Condos are sprouting like weeds, FOR SALE signs are popping up overnight, and the neighbors she’s known all her life are disappearing. To hold onto her community’s past and present, Sydney channels her frustration into a walking tour and finds an unlikely and unwanted assistant in one of the new arrivals to the block—her neighbor Theo.
But Sydney and Theo’s deep dive into history quickly becomes a dizzying descent into paranoia and fear. Their neighbors may not have moved to the suburbs after all, and the push to revitalize the community may be more deadly than advertised.
When does coincidence become conspiracy? Where do people go when gentrification pushes them out? Can Sydney and Theo trust each other—or themselves—long enough to find out before they too disappear?
*****
Maybe you’re interested in Cole’s romances. A Prince on Paper is the third in her Reluctant Royals series.
Named one of Amazon’s Best Romances of May!
The Reluctant Royals series returns with a good girl searching for the life that’s not too big, and not too small, and the bad boy prince who might be just right for her…
Nya Jerami fled Thesolo for the glitz and glamour of NYC but discovered that her Prince Charming only exists in her virtual dating games. When Nya returns home for a royal wedding, she accidentally finds herself up close and personal—in bed—with the real-life celebrity prince who she loves to hate.
For Johan von Braustein, the red-headed step-prince of Liechtienbourg, acting as paparazzi bait is a ruse that protects his brother—the heir to the throne—and his own heart. When a royal referendum threatens his brother’s future, a fake engagement is the perfect way to keep the cameras on him.
Nya and Johan both have good reasons to avoid love, but as desires are laid bare behind palace doors, they must decide if their fake romance will lead to a happily-ever-after.
*****
Or, how about historical romance? You might be able to find one of Alyssa Cole’s books to meet any of your fiction interests. An Unconditional Freedom is the third in The Loyal League series.
Award-winning author Alyssa Cole returns with her highly-acclaimed Loyal League series exploring the untold role of people of color in the fight to end slavery. This time, an assassination plot could end the Civil War, and a hidden enemy could destroy a secret league of unsung heroes . . .
Daniel Cumberland, born free in Massachusetts, studied law with dreams of helping his people—dreams that died the night he was kidnapped and sold into slavery. Daniel is rescued, but he’s a changed man. When he’s offered entry into the Loyal League, the covert organization of Black spies who helped free him, he seizes the opportunity for vengeance against the Confederacy and those who support it.
When the Union Army occupies the Florida home of Cuban Janeta Sanchez, daughter of an enslaved woman and the plantation owner who married her, her family’s wealth does not protect her father from being imprisoned. Under duress and blaming herself for the arrest, Janeta agrees to infiltrate a group called the Loyal League as a double agent—and finds a cause truly worth the sacrifice.
Daniel is aggravated by the headstrong and much too observant new detective he’s paired with, and Janeta is intrigued by the broken but honorable man she is tasked with betraying. As they embark on a mission to intercept Jefferson Davis and thwart European meddling, their dual hidden agendas are threatened by the ghosts of their pasts and a growing affection that could strengthen both the Union and their souls—or lead to their downfall.
Praise for An Unconditional Freedom
“Forbidden attraction and the threat of betrayal are the initial hooks for what turns out to be a sumptuously written and meticulously researched tale of a country at war with itself and two damaged people who find themselves in each other’s arms.” —Kirkus Reviews STARRED REVIEW
“This third and hopefully not last installment in Cole’s Loyal League series is historical romance at its finest.” —Booklist STARRED REVIEW
“[A] triumphant conclusion to an outstanding series that has redefined the possibilities of historical romance.” —Publishers Weekly STARRED REVIEW
“A heroine torn by conflicting loyalties and a vengeance-driven hero haunted by the past struggle to come to terms with reality and their feelings in this emotionally compelling, information-rich story.” —Library Journal
“Her most powerful novel yet.” —Entertainment Weekly
It’s an hour of unforgettable storytelling. James Lee Burke did a virtual event for The Poisoned Pen, talking with Patrick Millikin. Of course, they talked about A Private Cathedral, the latest Dave Robicheaux, Burke’s fortieth book. But there was so much more ground to cover as James Lee Burke told stories of writing and other authors. You can find a copy (hopefully still a signed one) of A Private Cathedral in the Web Store, along with copies of Burke’s other books. https://bit.ly/2SJ8gVl
Here’s the summary of A Private Cathedral.
After finding himself caught up in one of Louisiana’s oldest and bloodiest family rivalries, Detective Dave Robicheaux must battle the most terrifying adversary he has ever encountered: a time-traveling superhuman assassin.
The Shondell and Balangie families are longtime enemies in the New Iberia criminal underworld and show each other no mercy. Yet their youngest heirs, Johnny Shondell and Isolde Balangie, rock and roll-musician teenagers with magical voices, have fallen in love and run away after Isolde was given as a sex slave to Johnny’s uncle.
As he seeks to uncover why, Detective Dave Robicheaux gets too close to both Isolde’s mother and the mistress of her father, a venomous New Orleans mafioso whose jealousy has no bounds. In retribution, he hires a mysterious assassin to go after Robicheaux and his longtime partner, Clete Purcel. This hitman is unlike any the “Bobbsey Twins from Homicide” have ever faced. He has the ability to induce horrifying hallucinations and travels on a menacing ghost ship that materializes without warning. In order to defeat him and rescue Johnny and Isolde, Robicheaux will have to overcome the demons that have tormented him throughout his adult life—alcoholism, specters from combat in Vietnam, and painful memories of women to whom he opened his heart only to see killed.
A Private Cathedral, James Lee Burke’s fortieth book, is his most powerful tale, one that will captivate readers—mixing crime, romance, mythology, horror, and science fiction to produce a thrilling story about the all-consuming, all-conquering power of love.
*****
You’ll want to see this conversation with James Lee Burke.
It’s always a good time when the authors from Jungle Red Writers get together. It’s unusual for all seven of them to be available, but The Poisoned Pen was able to bring them together via Zoom and Facebook.
If you don’t know the authors from Jungle Red Writers, they’re crime writers who blog daily at https://www.jungleredwriters.com/ talking about writing and life. In the event below, you’ll meet Julia Spencer-Fleming, Lucy Burdette, Hallie Ephron, Rhys Bowen, Hank Phillippi Ryan, Deborah Crombie, and Jenn McKinlay. Although Hank Phillippi Ryan is supposed to be the moderator, she admits that no one can keep control of this group.
If you follow or occasionally read this blog, I’m sure you find time for books in your life. The publisher Penguin Random House sent a video showcasing some of their fall releases. I’ll admit, their “fall” is a little long because Carl Hiaasen’s Squeeze Me is out today. But, because I always want to share new books with other readers, here’s the video. Don’t forget to check the Web Store for titles that interest you. https://store.poisonedpen.com/
There’s a terrific slate of authors scheduled for virtual events with The Poisoned Pen for the rest of August. Just a reminder, though. The schedule may change. There may be authors added, or some who have to change appearances for one reason or another. Check the store’s web page regularly. And, check the Web Store for books by the authors. There’s a limited number of signed books right now, so make sure you reserve copies by your favorite authors. https://store.poisonedpen.com/
John SheaDavid Heska Wanbli WeidenWendy Corsi StaubSandra Brown/ Linda CastilloStan ParishPhilip BondsSophie Hannah/Alex PavesiKearsley et al
Elsa Hart’s Li Du trilogy took place in the early eighteenth century in China. Now, with The Cabinets of Barnaby Mayne, she moves to London in the same period. In a fascinating conversation with author Douglas Preston and Barbara Peters, owner of The Poisoned Pen, she talks about ghosts left over from her previous books, and why she moved to London for the latest book. She and Preston talk about the history of cabinets of curiosity. The conversation even takes them into Patrick O’Brian’s series. You can find copies of Hart’s books, including signed copies of The Cabinets of Barnaby Mayne, in the Web Store. https://bit.ly/31it9gG Douglas Preston talks about the book he wrote with Lincoln Child, The Cabinet of Curiosities, and the collections at the American Museum of Natural History. You can order a copy of that in the Web Store as well. https://bit.ly/34pdcHJ
Here’s the summary of The Cabinets of Barnaby Mayne.
From the author of the acclaimed Li Du novels comes Elsa Hart’s new atmospheric mystery series.
London, 1703. In a time when the old approaches to science coexist with the new, one elite community attempts to understand the world by collecting its wonders. Sir Barnaby Mayne, the most formidable of these collectors, has devoted his life to filling his cabinets. While the curious-minded vie for invitations to study the rare stones, bones, books, and artifacts he has amassed, some visitors come with a darker purpose.
For Cecily Kay, it is a passion for plants that brings her to the Mayne house. The only puzzle she expects to encounter is how to locate the specimens she needs within Sir Barnaby’s crowded cabinets. But when her host is stabbed to death, Cecily finds the confession of the supposed killer unconvincing. She pays attention to details—years of practice have taught her that the smallest particulars can distinguish a harmless herb from a deadly one—and in the case of Sir Barnaby’s murder, there are too many inconsistencies for her to ignore.
To discover the truth, Cecily must enter the world of the collectors, a realm where intellect is distorted by obsession and greed. As her pursuit of answers brings her closer to a killer, she risks being given a final resting place amid the bones that wait, silent and still, in the cabinets of Barnaby Mayne.
*****
If you’re interested in the history of these collections, a fan of Elsa Hart’s books or Preston/Child’s books, you’ll want to watch this fascinating conversation.
