Fiction Review

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.

Lee Child is the editor of The Nicotine Chronicles, a collection of sixteen stories contributed by authors such as Joyce Carol Oates and Cara Black. Robert Arellano and Bernice McFadden, who wrote pieces in the book, joined Child for a recent virtual event at The Poisoned Pen. Lee Child led the discussion. You can find copies of the book, both hardcover and paperback, through the Web Store. https://bit.ly/3i4d4R6

Here is the summary of The Nicotine Chronicles.

Lee Child recruits Joyce Carol Oates, Jonathan Ames, Cara Black, and others to reveal nicotine’s scintillating alter egos.

“Typically for Akashic–publisher of the terrific Noir series–the stories approach the subject matter from an impressive number of angles…Akashic has yet to produce a dull anthology, and this one is especially good.”
—Booklist

“Sixteen tributes to America’s guiltiest pleasure…Even confirmed anti-smokers will find something to savor.”
—Kirkus Reviews

“The most successful entries delve bone-deep into addiction, as characters smoke to smother physical pain, loneliness, and their days…These writers capture the mental gymnastics behind the characters’ bad decisions, and the joy such bad decisions can bring.”
—Publishers Weekly

In recent years, nicotine has become as verboten as many hard drugs. The literary styles in this volume are as varied as the moral quandaries herein, and the authors have successfully unleashed their incandescent imaginations on the subject matter, fashioning an immensely addictive collection.

Featuring brand-new stories by: Lee Child, Joyce Carol Oates, Jonathan Ames, Eric Bogosian, Achy Obejas, Michael Imperioli, Hannah Tinti, Ariel Gore, Bernice L. McFadden, Cara Black, Christopher Sorrentino, David L. Ulin, Jerry Stahl, Lauren Sanders, Peter Kimani, and Robert Arellano.

From the introduction by Lee Child:

Food scientists have discovered a complex compound naturally present in, among other things, potatoes, tomatoes, peppers, and eggplants. The compound offers us a number of benefits: it improves our fine motor skills; it increases our attention spans; it improves our cognitive abilities; it improves our long- and short-term memories; it lessens depression…In and of itself, it has no real downside. It’s called nicotine. We should all get some.

The problem is the delivery system…The most efficient way is to burn dried tobacco leaves and inhale the smoke. Ten seconds later, the compound is in your brain, doing good in all its various ways. Unfortunately, the rest of the smoke doesn’t do good. And therein lies a great mystery of human behavior. To get the good, we risk the bad. Or we prohibit ourselves the good, for fear of the bad. Which approach makes more sense?

*****

I think you’ll enjoy the conversation about the book, and about the authors’ actions during the pandemic.

The Poisoned Pen recently hosted Robert Dugoni for the virtual launch of his book, The Last Agent. Bookstore owner Barbara Peters introduces Dugoni and Edgar Award-winner Angie Kim who acted as host for the event. You can order signed copies of The Last Agent, and copies of Dugoni’s other books, through the Web Store. https://bit.ly/2JxAtto

Here’s the summary of The Last Agent.

An Amazon Charts, Washington Post, and Wall Street Journal bestselling series.

An American operative in Russia is on the run for his life in a thriller of heart-stopping betrayal and international intrigue by the New York Times bestselling author of The Eighth Sister.

Betrayed by his own country and tried for treason, former spy Charles Jenkins survived an undercover Russian operation gone wrong. Exonerated, bitter, and safe, the retired family man is through with duplicitous spy games. Then he learns of a woman isolated in Moscow’s notorious Lefortovo Prison.

If it’s Paulina Ponomayova, the agent who sacrificed her life to save his, Jenkins can’t leave her behind. But there’s no guarantee it’s her. Or proof Paulina is still alive. To find out, Jenkins must return to Russia. Next move: blackmail Viktor Federov, a former Russian officer with his own ax to grind, into helping him infiltrate Lefortovo. The enemy who once pursued Jenkins across three continents is now the only man Jenkins can trust.

Every step of the way—from Moscow to Scandinavia to the open ocean—they’re hunted by a brutal Russian agent on a killer quest of his own. Out of loyalty to Paulina—dead or alive—Jenkins is putting everyone’s life on the line for a new mission that could be his last.

*****

Enjoy Angie Kim’s excellent interview with Robert Dugoni.

Craig Johnson made a virtual appearance at The Poisoned Pen for the release of his sixteenth Walt Longmire novel, Next to Last Stand. If you watch the video of the event, you’ll also be able to see TV’s Walt Longmire, actor Robert Taylor, who was live from Australia. Before you get that far, though, you’ll watch to check out Johnson’s books in the Web Store. There might still be signed copies of Next to Last Stand available. https://bit.ly/2Qmogf5

Johnson said he needed to give readers something a little lighter after the last two Longmire books. Here’s Next to Last Stand.

The new novel in the beloved New York Times bestselling Longmire series.

One of the most viewed paintings in American history, Custer’s Last Fight, copied and distributed by Anheuser-Busch at a rate of over two million copies a year, was destroyed in a fire at the 7th Cavalry Headquarters in Fort Bliss, Texas, in 1946. Or was it? When Charley Lee Stillwater dies of an apparent heart attack at the Wyoming Home for Soldiers & Sailors, Walt Longmire is called in to try and make sense of a piece of a painting and a Florsheim shoebox containing a million dollars, sending the good sheriff on the trail of a dangerous art heist.

*****

Here’s your chance to listen to Craig Johnson, the storyteller.