Fiction Review

It’s time to mention some upcoming virtual events at The Poisoned Pen. Check out the schedule, and then, check the Web Store for books by your favorite authors. https://store.poisonedpen.com/

The Poisoned Pen launched Anne Hillerman’s latest novel, Stargazer, with a fascinating discussion of A Very Large Array, a place that listens to space. You’ll want to watch the video. And, signed copies of Stargazer are on the way to the bookstore, if you’d like to order one. https://bit.ly/2q3fNkK

Here’s the description of Stargazer.

Murder, deception, Navajo tradition, and the stars collide in this enthralling entry in New York Times bestselling author Anne Hillerman’s Leaphorn, Chee & Manuelito series, set amid the beautiful landscape of the American Southwest.

What begins as a typical day for Officer Bernadette Manuelito—serving a bench warrant, dealing with a herd of cattle obstructing traffic, and stumbling across a crime scene—takes an unexpected twist when she’s called to help find an old friend. Years ago, Bernie and Maya were roommates, but time and Maya’s struggles with addiction drove them apart. Now Maya’s brother asks Bernie to find out what happened to his sister.

Tracing Maya’s whereabouts, Bernie learns that her old friend had confessed to the murder of her estranged husband, a prominent astronomer. But the details don’t align. Suspicious, Bernie takes a closer look at the case only to find that nothing is as it seems. Uncovering new information about the astronomer’s work leads Bernie to a remote spot on the Navajo Nation and a calculating killer.

The investigation causes an unexpected rift with her husband and new acting boss, Jim Chee, who’s sure Bernie’s headed for trouble. While she’s caught between present and past, Chee is at a crossroads of his own. Burdened with new responsibilities he didn’t ask for and doesn’t want, he must decide what the future holds for him and act accordingly. 

Can their mentor Joe Leaphorn—a man also looking at the past for answers to the future—provide the guidance both Bernie and Chee need? And will the Navajo heroes that stud the starry sky help them find justice—and the truth they seek?

Anne Hillerman grew up with the stories her father, New York Times bestselling author Tony Hillerman, brought home from his work as a journalist and later as a fiction writer. His storytelling and a deep love of reading inspired by both her parents led Anne to own career as a journalist and nonfiction writer. After Tony’s death in 2008, Anne felt the loss of his beloved characters as deeply as his fans did. His fans’ passion for those stories inspired her to give Tony’s characters a second chance at life and to develop one of his minor characters, Bernie Manuelito, into a central protagonist. Stargazer is her sixth novel and the twenty-fourth in the Leaphorn, Chee & Manuelito series.”

Here’s the video of the virtual book launch.

There’s an unusual sketch associated with Rhys Bowen’s The Venice Sketchbook. If you watch the YouTube conversation between Bowen and Barbara Peters, owner of The Poisoned Pen, you’ll be able to see Rhys Bowen’s own sketch on the cover of the book. Or you can order a signed copy of The Venice Sketchbook through the Web Store, and see the sketch in person. https://bit.ly/2LV4U1i

Here’s The Venice Sketchbook.

“Rhys Bowen crafts a propulsive, unexpected plot with characters who come vibrantly alive on the page.” —Mark Sullivan, author of Beneath a Scarlet Sky

Love and secrets collide in Venice during WWII in an enthralling novel of brief encounters and lasting romance by the New York Times bestselling author of The Tuscan Child and Above the Bay of Angels.

Caroline Grant is struggling to accept the end of her marriage when she receives an unexpected bequest. Her beloved great-aunt Lettie leaves her a sketchbook, three keys, and a final whisper…Venice. Caroline’s quest: to scatter Juliet “Lettie” Browning’s ashes in the city she loved and to unlock the mysteries stored away for more than sixty years.

It’s 1938 when art teacher Juliet Browning arrives in romantic Venice. For her students, it’s a wealth of history, art, and beauty. For Juliet, it’s poignant memories and a chance to reconnect with Leonardo Da Rossi, the man she loves whose future is already determined by his noble family. However star-crossed, nothing can come between them. Until the threat of war closes in on Venice and they’re forced to fight, survive, and protect a secret that will bind them forever.

Key by key, Lettie’s life of impossible love, loss, and courage unfolds. It’s one that Caroline can now make right again as her own journey of self-discovery begins.

Rhys Bowen is the New York Times bestselling author of more than forty novels, including Above the Bay of Angels, The Victory Garden, The Tuscan Child, and the World War II”“based In Farleigh Field, the winner of the Macavity and Left Coast Crime Awards for Best Historical Mystery Novel and the Agatha Award for Best Historical Mystery. Bowen’s work has won twenty honors to date, including multiple Agatha, Anthony, and Macavity Awards. Her books have been translated into many languages, and she has fans around the world. A transplanted Brit, Bowen divides her time between California and Arizona. To learn more about the author, visit www.rhysbowen.com.

Enjoy the conversation between two friends, Rhys Bowen and Barbara Peters. Rhys has all kinds of book news to share.

Michael Barson, Senior Publicity Executive, Melville House, recently interviewed Jeffrey Siger for https://Bookreporter.com. Siger’s eleventh book in his Chief Inspector Andreas Kaldis series is A Deadly Twist. Of his series set in Greece, Siger is quoted saying he has been, “Creating a collage of what Greece was all about – while never forgetting that my prime directive is to write fast-paced, tell-it-like-it-is mystery/thrillers that also entertain.” You can find the entire interview here, https://www.bookreporter.com/authors/jeffrey-siger/news/interview-041521.

Siger’s books, including A Deadly Twist, are available through the Web Store. https://bit.ly/2jC3gpp

Here’s A Deadly Twist.

Some crimes can never be forgiven—or atoned for

When Athens journalist Nikoletta Elia disappears while on assignment on the island of Naxos, her editor calls on Chief Inspector Andreas Kaldis to investigate. Sent to report on the conflict between preservationists and advocates for expanded tourism, Nikoletta is approached by a fan who takes credit for several suspicious deaths she’d reported on in the past. The assassin claims to have abandoned that life, and convinces the reporter to write about him and his murderous exploits for hire.

Kaldis sends his deputy, Yianni, to look into her disappearance when an unidentified body is found at the base of a cliff. Who is the mysterious corpse, and where is Nikoletta? Leads turn into more dead bodies in this twisting tale of greed, corruption, and murder that puts Kaldis, his family, and members of his team in the path of a ruthless killer who will stop at nothing to keep dark secrets buried—forever.

Jeffrey Siger was born and raised in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, practiced law at a major Wall Street law firm, and later established his own New York City law firm where he continued as one of its name partners until giving it all up to write full-time among the people, life, and politics of his beloved Mykonos. A Deadly Twist is the eleventh novel in his internationally best-selling and award nominated Chief Inspector Andreas Kaldis series, following up on the Mykonos Mob, An Aegean April, Santorini Caesars, Devil in Delphi, Sons of Sparta, Mykonos After Midnight, Target: Tinos, Prey on Patmos, Assassins of Athens, and Murder in Mykonos.

The New York Times described Jeffrey Siger’s novels as “thoughtful police procedurals set in picturesque but not untroubled Greek locales,” and named him as Greece’s thriller writer of record. The Greek Press called his work “prophetic,” Eurocrime described him as a “very gifted American author…on a par with other American authors such as Joseph Wambaugh or Ed McBain,” and the City of San Francisco awarded him its Certificate of Honor citing that his “acclaimed books have not only explored modern Greek society and its ancient roots but have inspired political change in Greece.” He now lives in Greece.

The Poisoned Pen recently launched John Sandford’s Ocean Prey, bringing Lucas Davenport and Virgil Flowers together. Ocean Prey is the current Hot Book of the Week at the bookstore. Hopefully, some of the signed copies of the book are still available through the Web Store. https://bit.ly/2Dncbl0

Here’s the description of Ocean Prey.

Fan-favorite heroes Lucas Davenport and Virgil Flowers join forces on a deadly maritime case in the remarkable new novel from #1 New York Times-bestselling author John Sandford.

An off-duty Coast Guardsman is fishing with his family when he calls in some suspicious behavior from a nearby boat. It’s a snazzy craft, slick and outfitted with extra horsepower, and is zipping along until it slows to pick up a surfaced diver . . . a diver who was apparently alone, without his own boat, in the middle of the ocean. None of it makes sense unless there’s something hinky going on, and his hunch is proved right when all three Guardsmen who come out to investigate are shot and killed.

They’re federal officers killed on the job, which means the case is the FBI’s turf. When the FBI’s investigation stalls out, they call in Lucas Davenport. And when his case turns lethal, Davenport will need to bring in every asset he can claim, including a detective with a fundamentally criminal mind: Virgil Flowers.

John Sandford is the pseudonym for the Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist John Camp. He is the author of twenty-nine Prey novels; four Kidd novels; twelve Virgil Flowers novels; three YA novels coauthored with his wife, Michele Cook; and three other books.

Enjoy the virtual launch with Barbara Peters, owner of The Poisoned Pen, and John Sandford.

Patrick Millikin recently interviewed Wallace Stroby about his new book, Heaven’s a Lie. But, the conversation was about books, music, journalism, not just Stroby’s latest. You can order a signed copy of Heaven’s a Lie through the Web Store.

Patrick calls Heaven’s a Lie “an absolute killer”. Here’s the description.

When a young widow witnesses a fatal car accident outside a Jersey Shore motel, she’s suddenly thrust into a nightmare of gang violence, guns, and money that she can’t outrun in this action-packed novel by “one of the best writers in crime fiction” (Alison Gaylin).”‹

Joette Harper’s life brings new meaning to the phrase “paycheck to paycheck.” Struggling to afford her mother’s sky-high medical bills
and also keep the lights on in her trailer home, Joette needs a break.

So, when she spies a bag full of money amongst the wreckage of a fiery car accident, she knows she can’t just let it be. Inside is a bounty better than she could have dreamed—just shy of $300,000 in neatly stacked hundreds and fifties. Enough to pay off her debts, give her mother the care she deserves, and maybe even help out a few of her friends.

But, of course, the missing briefcase didn’t go unnoticed by its original owner, Travis Clay—a ruthless dealer who’ll stop at nothing to get back what’s his.

Joette is way out of her depth, but can’t seem to stop herself from participating in this cat-and-mouse chase. But can she beat Travis at his own game?

Wallace Stroby is an award-winning journalist and the author of eight previous novels, four of which feature Crissa Stone, the professional thief labeled “crime fiction’s best bad girl ever.” His first novel, The Barbed-Wire Kiss, was a Barry Award finalist for best debut novel. A native of Long Branch, N.J., he’s a lifelong resident of the Jersey Shore.

Enjoy the conversation.

Caroline Kepnes is a friend, colleague and fellow author with Chad Kultgen. Following the introductions by Patrick Millikin and then Barbara Peters, owner of The Poisoned Pen, Kultgen hosted Caroline Kepnes to discuss her third book in her “You” series, You Love Me. You can order signed copies of You Love Me through the Web Store. https://bit.ly/3uI4tdy

Here’s the description of You Love Me.

The highly anticipated new thriller in Caroline Kepnes’s hit You series, now a blockbuster Netflix show—a compulsively readable trip into the deviant mind of the uniquely antisocial, savvy bookseller . . . Joe Goldberg.

“Fiendish, fast-paced, and very funny.”—Paula Hawkins, #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Girl on the Train

ONE OF THE MOST ANTICIPATED BOOKS OF THE YEAR—Cosmopolitan, PopSugar, Literary Hub

Joe is done with the cities. He’s done with the muck and the posers, done with Love. Now, he’s saying hello to nature, to simple pleasures on a cozy island in the Pacific Northwest. For the first time in a long time, he can just breathe.

He gets a job at the local library—he does know a thing or two about books—and that’s where he meets her: Mary Kay DiMarco. Librarian. Joe won’t meddle, he will not obsess. He’ll win her the old-fashioned way . . . by providing a shoulder to cry on, a helping hand. Over time, they’ll both heal their wounds and begin their happily ever after in this sleepy town.

The trouble is . . . Mary Kay already has a life. She’s a mother. She’s a friend. She’s . . . busy.

True love can only triumph if both people are willing to make room for the real thing. Joe cleared his decks. He’s ready. And hopefully, with his encouragement and undying support, Mary Kay will do the right thing and make room for him.

Caroline Kepnes is the author of You, Hidden Bodies, Providence, and numerous short stories. Her work has been translated into a multitude of languages and inspired a television series adaptation of You, currently on Netflix. Kepnes graduated from Brown University and previously worked as a pop culture journalist for Entertainment Weekly and a TV writer for 7th Heaven and The Secret Life of the American Teenager. She grew up on Cape Cod, Massachusetts, and now lives in Los Angeles.

Enjoy the conversation about books, social media and Caroline Kepnes’ characters.

Barbara Peters, owner of The Poisoned Pen, introduced two authors who feature working dogs in their mysteries. Paula Munier’s third Mercy Carr book is The Hiding Place. Margaret Mizushima’s most recent Timber Creek K-9 Mystery is Hanging Falls. Margaret Mizushima actually acted as host for the event, which focused on The Hiding Place. You can find books by both authors in the Web Store, however, with the focus on Mercy Carr and her dog, Elivs, here’s the link to her page. https://bit.ly/373HChB

Here’s The Hiding Place.

Mercy and Elvis are back in The Hiding Place, the most enthralling entry yet in USA Today bestselling Paula Munier’s award-winning Mercy Carr mystery series. When the man who killed her grandfather breaks out of prison and comes after her grandmother, Mercy must unearth the long-buried scandals that threaten to tear her family apart. And she may have to do it without her beloved canine partner Elvis, if his former handler has his way….

Some people take their secrets with them to the grave. Others leave them behind on their deathbeds, riddles for the survivors to solve.

When her late grandfather’s dying deputy calls Mercy to his side, she and Elvis inherit the cold case that haunted him—and may have killed him. But finding Beth Kilgore 20 years after she disappeared is more than a lost cause. It’s a Pandora’s box releasing a rain of evil on the very people Mercy and Elvis hold most dear.

The timing couldn’t be worse when the man who murdered her grandfather escapes from prison and a fellow Army vet turns up claiming that Elvis is his dog, not hers. With her grandmother Patience gone missing, and Elvis’s future uncertain, Mercy faces the prospect of losing her most treasured allies, the only ones she believes truly love and understand her.

She needs help, and that means forgiving Vermont Game Warden Troy Warner long enough to enlist his aid. With time running out for Patience, Mercy and Elvis must team up with Troy and his search-and-rescue dog Susie Bear to unravel the secrets of the past and save her grandmother—before it’s too late.

Once again, Paula Munier crafts a terrific mystery thriller filled with intrigue, action, resilient characters, the mountains of Vermont, and two amazing dogs.

PAULA MUNIER is the USA TODAY bestselling author of the Mercy and Elvis 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 was inspired by the real-life rescue of a little boy with autism who got lost in the woods. Paula credits the hero dogs of Mission K9 Rescue, her own rescue dogs Bear, Bliss, and Blondie—a Malinois mix as loyal and smart as Elvis—and a lifelong passion for crime fiction as her series’ major influences. 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 Fixing Freddie and Happier Every Day. She lives in New Hampshire with her family, the dogs, and a torbie tabby named Ursula.

Enjoy the virtual event with Paula Munier and Margaret Mizushima.