By now, we all know when a book series is adapted for television, they won’t be the same. That may mean, though, that when ABC’s Big Sky comes out, that C.J. Box’s books will become better known outside of the world of crime fiction readers. The first show in the series is based on Box’s book, The Highway. You can find The Highway, and Box’s other books in the Web Store. https://bit.ly/3jaOiiM
Here’s the summary of The Highway.
The inspiration for the new ABC series Big Sky. Winner of the Edgar Award for Best Novel, the New York Times bestselling author of Back of Beyond and Breaking Point and the creator of the Joe Pickett series is back.
“If CJ Box isn’t already on your list, put him there.”–USA Today
When two sisters set out across a remote stretch of Montana road to visit their friend, little do they know it will be the last time anyone might ever hear from them again. The girls—and their car—simply vanish. Former police investigator Cody Hoyt has just lost his job and has fallen off the wagon after a long stretch of sobriety. Convinced by his son and his former rookie partner, Cassie Dewell, he begins the drive south to the girls’ last known location.
As Cody makes his way to the lonely stretch of Montana highway where they went missing, Cassie discovers that Gracie and Danielle Sullivan aren’t the first girls who have disappeared in this area. This majestic landscape is the hunting ground for a killer whose viciousness is outmatched only by his intelligence. And he might not be working alone. Time is running out for Gracie and Danielle…Can Cassie overcome her doubts and lack of experience and use her innate skill? Can Cody Hoyt battle his own demons and find this killer before another victim vanishes on the highway?
*****
Are you ready for the trailer for the TV show, Big Sky?
Laura Jensen Walker has an unusual backstory for a mystery series. However, I’m going to let her tell you about it. So I don’t spoil her post, I’m not going to include her author’s biography until after the piece. However, she is the author of The Bookish Baker Mysteries. The first one, Murder Most Sweet, was released in September. Her first Faith Chapel Mystery, Hope, Faith, & a Corpse will be out in January. You can order Walker’s books through the Web Store. https://bit.ly/37rvXMd
Here’s Laura Jensen Walker’s surprising backstory.
*****
Breasts and Backstory in the Bookish Baker Series
Guest Blog by Laura Jensen Walker
Happy Anniversary! You have cancer. I was diagnosed with breast cancer the day after my first wedding anniversary at age thirty-five. My mom was holding one hand, my new husband the other, when the doctor gave me the bad news after my biopsy. I burst into tears at the word “cancer” thinking it was a death sentence. After starting and stopping school several times over the years I had finally just graduated from college with a degree in journalism and was eager to start my professional writing career. I was also in the honeymoon stage of my marriage to Mr. Right after too many years of Mr. Wrongs.
How could this all be taken away?
Thankfully, the only things taken away were a breast, some lymph nodes, the contents of my stomach, some pounds I’d been trying to lose for years, and later, temporarily, my hair. Today, I am grateful to be 28-years cancer free.
Five years ago I chose to go flat and have my second breast removed due to some pre-cancerous lumps and my genetic predisposition to get cancer again. No thanks, I’d rather live. Twenty years ago I wrote about my cancer journey in Thanks for the Mammogram!the non-fiction book of my heart.
This fall, in time for October’s Breast Cancer Awareness Month, my publisher rereleased Thanks for the Mammogram in a revised, updated version for a new audience of women. My prayer is that it will provide encouragement, hope, and a healthy dose of laughter to those going through breast cancer.
This fall is also when my first cozy mystery, Murder Most Sweet, debuted. As a former journalist, my authorial career began with non-fiction books years ago. Fiction has always been my greatest love, however, so I’m grateful and thrilled to be back writing it once again after more than a decade away. I’m even more thrilled to be writing mysteries—my favorite genre.
When I decided to write cozies, I wanted to see a character like me; a breast cancer survivor who chose to go flat. My protagonist, Teddie St. John, is a strong, funny single woman in her forties who doesn’t let her flat state stop her from anything, including leading a fun, well-rounded life as an author and baker. Her lack of breasts doesn’t define Teddie, it’s just a part of who she is.
I also wanted to show that Teddie’s breastlessness doesn’t stop her from being attractive and desirable. Luckily, I was married to a supportive husband when I went through breast cancer all those years ago. Not everyone is so lucky. As I traveled the country on the cancer speaking circuit back in the day, I met single women in their thirties and forties who were concerned that their lack of breasts might hinder their romantic prospects. I also met women whose husbands had left them because they had a mastectomy. Jerks. (There’s a stronger word I usually use to describe those men, but in deference to my cozy readers, I’m keeping it G-rated.)
In honor of those survivor women I met, and because of my own backstory with breast cancer, I wanted to create a strong, engaging character in her early forties whose breast cancer and subsequent breastlessness doesn’t prevent her from living her best life. Or from catching the eye of a dashing Brit.
Breasts don’t make a woman.
I hope readers will be captivated by my fun, resilient writer and baker Teddie St. John in my first Bookish Baker Mystery, Murder Most Sweet. And since it’s Breast Cancer Awareness Month, I also hope readers will remember to get their mammograms!
Before you can say “Wisconsin kringle,” Teddie becomes a murder suspect. Everyone in town knows all too well that the distinctive scarf was hers. When a second murder shocks the community, Teddie stands accused of not one, but two, murders. With the help of her Three Musketeers friends Sharon and Char, can Teddie clear her name and deliver a killer’s just desserts?
Bio
Laura Jensen Walker has loved mysteries ever since she read Trixie Belden in the fourth grade. A former journalist, Laura is the author of several chick-lit novels and humorous non-fiction books.She lives in Northern California with her Renaissance-man husband and their canine daughter Mellie and is a member of Sisters in Crime and Mystery Writers of America. Murder Most Sweet is Laura’s first mystery. Her second, Hope, Faith, & a Corpse, releases in January 2020. Find out more about Laura at www.laurajensenwalker.com and follow her on Twitter @LauraJensenWal1.
*****
You can order Murder Most Sweet now, and pre-order Hope, Faith, & a Corpse. Thanks for the Mammogram! is also available through the Web Store.
In the tradition of M. C. Beaton, Hope Taylor, pastor of a small-town California church, tries to find out who sent a church elder to Heaven.
Hope Taylor arrives in Apple Springs to start her new life as the first female pastor of Faith Chapel Episcopal Church. The northern California town’s quaint cottages, bungalows, and shops promise a fresh start for the 42-year-old widow and Bogie, her scruffy black Labrador. But where is Father Christopher? The kindly old rector who hired Pastor Hope was supposed to meet her upon her arrival, but he’s nowhere to be seen. Hope’s faith springs eternal, so she explores the little white church hoping to find Father Christopher. But when she enters the columbarium, she instead finds church elder Stanley King–his skull crushed by a fallen burial urn.
Hope had made Stanley’s acquaintance before, and had struggled to take a charitable view of his character. Stanley was as wicked as he was wealthy, as petty as he was pious. His soul may have been holy, but his behavior was wholly rotten. The last time Hope had seen him, he had shouted drunkenly that she would preach at Faith Chapel over his dead body.
Many of the townsfolk witnessed the altercation, so Hope finds herself as the prime suspect in Stanley’s murder. With Bogie’s four-footed assistance, Hope is determined to find the real killer and clear her name…even if it will require a bit of divine intervention.
This year’s Bouchercon, the world mystery convention, was virtual, as so many conventions have been. The Anthony Awards were announced virtually this past weekend. Check the Web Store for the winning titles. https://store.poisonedpen.com/
Congratulations to all the winners.
BEST NOVEL The Murder List, by Hank Phillippi Ryan
BEST FIRST NOVEL One Night Gone, by Tara Laskowski
BEST PAPERBACK ORIGINAL The Alchemist’s Illusion, by Gigi Pandian
BEST CRITICAL NON-FICTION WORK The Mutual Admiration Society: How Dorothy L. Sayers and her Oxford Circle Remade the World for Women, by Mo Moulton
BEST SHORT STORY “The Red Zone,” by Alex Segura (appearing in ¡Pa’que Tu Lo Sepas!: Stories to Benefit the People of Puerto Rico)
BEST ANTHOLOGY OR COLLECTION Malice Domestic 14: Mystery Most Edible, edited by Verena Rose, Rita Owen, and Shawn Reilly Simmons
BEST YOUNG ADULT** Seven Ways to Get Rid of Harry, by Jen Conley
It’s award season although mystery conventions aren’t being held this year due to the pandemic. Deadly Pleasures Mystery Magazine announced the Barry Award Winners during the virtual Bouchercon World Mystery Convention. Check the Web Store for the books. https://store.poisonedpen.com/
It might be close to the end of the month, but The Poisoned Pen still has a great schedule of authors who will be appearing virtually for Facebook Live events. Here’s the slate of authors, but check the website regularly for time changes, updates, or new events. Then, check the Web Store to order the new books by your favorite authors, or maybe favorite books by them. https://store.poisonedpen.com/
Mary Anna Evans/Sara JohnsonLee Child / Andrew GrantJohn ConnollyStephen SpotswoodRichard Paul EvansChris DeRose
It’s a special virtual event when John Grisham has a new book out. Barbara Peters, owner of The Poisoned Pen, and then Ace Atkins, author of The Revelators, talked with Grisham about his career and his books, including his latest one, A Time for Mercy. I won’t promise anything because all signed copies may be gone, but you can still purchase a copy through the Web Store. https://bit.ly/2H5pITf
Here’s the summary of A Time for Mercy.
Jake Brigance is back! The hero of A Time to Kill, one of the most popular novels of our time, returns in a courtroom drama that The New York Times says is “riveting” and “suspenseful.”
Clanton, Mississippi. 1990. Jake Brigance finds himself embroiled in a deeply divisive trial when the court appoints him attorney for Drew Gamble, a timid sixteen-year-old boy accused of murdering a local deputy. Many in Clanton want a swift trial and the death penalty, but Brigance digs in and discovers that there is more to the story than meets the eye. Jake’s fierce commitment to saving Drew from the gas chamber puts his career, his financial security, and the safety of his family on the line.
In what may be the most personal and accomplished legal thriller of John Grisham’s storied career, we deepen our acquaintance with the iconic Southern town of Clanton and the vivid cast of characters that so many readers know and cherish. The result is a richly rewarding novel that is both timely and timeless, full of wit, drama, and—most of all—heart.
Bursting with all the courthouse scheming, small-town intrigue, and stunning plot twists that have become the hallmarks of the master of the legal thriller, A Time for Mercy is John Grisham’s most powerful courtroom drama yet.
There is a time to kill and a time for justice. Now comes A Time for Mercy.
*****
John Grisham and Ace Atkins share a connection to Oxford, Mississippi. If you’re a fan of Grisham’s books, you’ll appreciate this conversation.
Barbara Peters, owner of The Poisoned Pen, interviewed author Stuart Turton in a recent virtual event. He’s the author of The 7 1/2 Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle. His latest novel, The Devil and the Dark Water is inspired by a true event. Turton and Peters discuss that historical event. You can order copies of Turton’s new book through the Web Store. It comes with a signed book plate and a special tote bag. https://bit.ly/3502hmi
Here’s the description of Turton’s The Devil and the Dark Water.
“[An] outstanding whodunit…Fans of impossible crime fiction won’t want to miss this one.”—Publishers Weekly, STARRED review
The extraordinary new thriller from Stuart Turton, author of the bestselling murder mystery The 7 1/2 Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle, winner of the Costa Best First Novel Award.
A murder on the high seas. A remarkable detective duo. A demon who may or may not exist.
It’s 1634 and Samuel Pipps, the world’s greatest detective, is being transported to Amsterdam to be executed for a crime he may, or may not, have committed. Travelling with him is his loyal bodyguard, Arent Hayes, who is determined to prove his friend innocent.
But no sooner are they out to sea than devilry begins to blight the voyage. A twice-dead leper stalks the decks. Strange symbols appear on the sails. Livestock is slaughtered. Anyone could be to blame. Even a demon.
And then three passengers are marked for death, including Samuel.
With Pipps imprisoned, only Arent can solve a mystery that connects every passenger. A mystery that stretches back into their past and now threatens to sink the ship, killing everybody on board.
For fans of Steven King, The Devil and the Dark Water brings a chilling new spin to the Sherlock Holmes detective duo in a thriller of supernatural horror, occult suspicion, and paranormal mystery on the high seas.
As Patrick Millikin from The Poisoned Pen says, the title of Ian Rankin’s new Rebus novel, A Song for the Dark Times, seems very appropriate. Rankin looked at some photos of Edinburgh, and described Edinburgh during COVID-19. If you’ve wondered about the city, you’ll want to watch this video as Patrick and Rankin discuss Edinburgh, while he discusses the book with Barbara Peters.
When his daughter Samantha calls in the dead of night, John Rebus knows it’s not good news. Her husband has been missing for two days.
Rebus fears the worst ““ and knows from his lifetime in the police that his daughter will be the prime suspect.
He wasn’t the best father ““ the job always came first ““ but now his daughter needs him more than ever. But is he going as a father or a detective?
As he leaves at dawn to drive to the windswept coast ““ and a small town with big secrets ““ he wonders whether this might be the first time in his life where the truth is the one thing he doesn’t want to find…
A thrilling new Rebus novel about crime, punishment, and redemption, from the Edgar Award-winning “genius” of the genre (Lee Child, bestselling author of the Jack Reacher series)
Because author Archer Mayor questioned The Poisoned Pen’s owner, Barbara Peters, about the Crime column for The New York Times just before Marilyn Stasio’s column appeared on Sunday, it’s the perfect time to discuss it. As Peters answered, the column now runs just twice a month. The current column covers some well-known characters in crime novels, Louise Penny’s Armand Gamache, Ann Cleeves’ Vera Stanhope, Stuart Nevill’s Gerry Fegan. Ariana Franklin’s “Mistress of the Art of Death” was well-known before the author’s death. Now, her daughter, Samantha Norman, finishes the series. You can read about the characters’ latest adventures here. https://nyti.ms/36NFSuZ
Isabella Maldonado, author of the Veranda Cruz mysteries, now launches a new series with The Cipher. Release date for The Cipher is Nov. 1, but if you’re interested, it always helps the author if you pre-order the book. You can order Maldonado’s books, including The Cipher, through the Web Store. https://bit.ly/2GSYMWr
But, before we talk about The Cipher, Isabella Maldonado agreed to talk about her book “Distractions” this year. First, here’s an introduction to Maldonado.
ISABELLA MALDONADO wore a gun and badge in real life before turning to crime writing. The first Latina to attain the rank of captain in her department, she retired as the Commander of Special Investigations and Forensics. During her career, her varied assignments included hostage negotiator, department spokesperson, and precinct commander. Selected to attend the prestigious FBI National Academy in Quantico, she uses her extensive law enforcement background to bring a realistic edge to her writing. THE CIPHER, the first book in her new series featuring FBI Special Agent Nina Guerrera, will be published on November 1, 2020. www.isabellamaldonado.com
Here’s Isabella Maldonado talking about her “Distractions”. I think you’ll enjoy this piece.
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GOING ON A BOOK FLIGHT
by Isabella Maldonado
Back in the pre-Covid days of yore, I enjoyed going to restaurants to try a “wine flight,” preferably accompanied by a “cheese flight,” in which I could try out wonderful new flavors to stimulate my palate and discover a new favorite. After putting the final touches on a new manuscript, I decided to celebrate by taking a “book flight.” This four-book tasting menu, all authored by women of color, provided both an escape and much needed intellectual stimulation (sorry, TV reruns) that is otherwise sadly lacking and—bonus—no calories!
This delightful book is a masterful stemwinder of a tale. From the first few lines, Hillier gives you the sense that a freight train is headed straight at you, and there’s no way to jump off the tracks. I barreled along, turning the pages quickly, unable to stop. The mysteries behind the complex characters are gradually revealed in a series of twists, making me thrilled that Hillier did what she does best: Pull the wool over my eyes!
Recommended pairing: Chardonnay and Gouda
BLUEBIRD, BLUEBIRD by Attica Locke
My favorite thing about this extraordinary work is the gorgeous use of language by an incredibly talented author who knows how to weave time and place into a riveting story. When a black Texas Ranger takes on the local chapter of the Aryan Brotherhood of Texas, bullets are bound to fly, and Locke creates such richly drawn characters that her mystery-thriller transcends the genre.
Recommended pairing: Port and Stilton
LAND OF SHADOWS by Rachel Howzell Hall
Howzell Hall has a strong voice that is a pleasure to read. I found myself drawn to the sassy attitude and persistence of LAPD detective Elouise “Lou” Norton, who investigates a murder that might be related to the disappearance of her sister thirty years earlier.
The back story behind the case is slowly revealed in carefully placed flashbacks that enrich the depth of the tale. The emotional ending lends resonance to a story that brings many disparate threads and mysteries to a satisfying close.
Recommended pairing: Pinot Noir and Camembert
TINY IMPERFECTIONS by Alli Frank and Asha Youmans
This wonderful, fun-filled romp was a great way to round out my four-book sampler. If you enjoyed Crazy Rich Asians and The Devil Wears Prada, you’ll love this smart, funny rom com. I fell in love with Josie Bordelon’s loving, interfering family and friends. Her emotional journey is peppered with laughs and poignant moments. This one HAS to become a movie!
Recommended pairing: Champagne and Brie
Thank you for joining me on my “book flight.” Oh, and if you decide to delve into THE CIPHER, I recommend pairing it with Cabernet and Manchego. Cheers!
*****
So, break out the Cabernet and Manchego, and prepare for The Cipher.
To a cunning serial killer, she was the one that got away. Until now…
FBI Special Agent Nina Guerrera escaped a serial killer’s trap at sixteen. Years later, when she’s jumped in a Virginia park, a video of the attack goes viral. Legions of new fans are not the only ones impressed with her fighting skills. The man who abducted her eleven years ago is watching. Determined to reclaim his lost prize, he commits a grisly murder designed to pull her into the investigation…but his games are just beginning. And he’s using the internet to invite the public to play along.
His coded riddles may have made him a depraved social media superstar—an enigmatic cyber-ghost dubbed “the Cipher”—but to Nina he’s a monster who preys on the vulnerable. Partnered with the FBI’s preeminent mind hunter, Dr. Jeffrey Wade, who is haunted by his own past, Nina tracks the predator across the country. Clue by clue, victim by victim, Nina races to stop a deadly killer while the world watches.
