Fiction Review

Judith Starkston is a historian and classics instructor. She is also the author of Sorcery in Alpara, her second Tesha novel, combining sorcery, fantasy and history. She’ll be joined by five other authors on Saturday, November 9 at 2 PM when she appears at The Poisoned Pen. You can order a signed copy of Sorcery in Alpara, and Starkston’s other books, through the Web Store. https://bit.ly/2Ea1O4M

If you’d like to learn more about Starkston, check out Srianthi Perera’s article, “Ahwatukee author reaches far into history for novels.” https://bit.ly/2JOKkNW

If you’d like to learn more about Sorcery in Alpara, check out the summary.

A curse that consumes armies, a court full of traitors, a clutch of angry concubines and fantastical creatures who offer help but hate mankind.

Tesha’s about to become queen of a kingdom under assault from all sides, but she has powerful allies: her strategist husband, his crafty second-in-command, and her brilliant blind sister.

Then betrayal strips her of them all. To save her marriage and her world, she will have to grapple with the serpentine plot against her and unleash the goddess Ishana’s uncontrollable magic—without destroying herself.

Advance praise:

“What George R.R. Martin’s Game of Thrones did for the War of the Roses, Starkston has done for the forgotten Bronze Age Hittite civilization. Mystery, romance, political intrigue, and magic…” ~Amalia Carosella, author of Helen of Sparta

“Tension runs high in this Bronze Age-inspired fantasy novel packed with sorcery and betrayals. Don’t start reading this too close to bedtime!”

~Beth Cato, author of Breath of Earth

“Judith Starkston writes brilliantly of the Bronze Age, bringing a rich setting and unforgettable characters to life. Fans of historical fiction with ancient settings shouldn’t miss this exciting new novel.” -Olivia Hawker, author of The Ragged Edge of Night

Congratulations to all the winners of this year’s Anthony Awards. The awards were presented this past weekend at Bouchercon, the World Mystery Convention.

Check the Web Store for copies of the books. https://store.poisonedpen.com

ANTHONY AWARDS
Best Novel 
November Road by Lou Berney (William Morrow)

Best First Novel
My Sister, the Serial Killer by Oyinkan Braithwaite (Doubleday)

Best Paperback Original Novel 
Under a Dark Sky by Lori Rader-Day (William Morrow Paperbacks)

Best Short Story 
“The Grass Beneath My Feet” by S.A. Cosby, in Tough (blogazine, August 20, 2018)

Best Critical or Non-Fiction Work 
I’ll Be Gone in the Dark: One Woman’s Obsessive Search for the Golden State Killer by Michelle McNamara (HarperCollins)

The Anthony® Award is named for the late Anthony Boucher (rhymes with “voucher”), a well-known California writer and critic who wrote for the San Francisco Chronicle and the New York Times Book Review, and also helped found Mystery Writers of America. First presented in 1986, the Anthony Awards are among the most prestigious and coveted literary awards. Bouchercon®, the World Mystery Convention founded in 1970, is a nonprofit, all-volunteer organization celebrating the mystery genre. It is the largest annual meeting in the world for readers, writers, fans, publishers, editors, agents, booksellers, and other lovers of crime ficti

At Bouchercon, the World Mystery Convention in Dallas, the Macavity and Barry Awards were announced this weekend. Check the Web Store for copies of the books. https://store.poisonedpen.com

Congratulations first to Lou Berney, author of November Road. He’s on a roll. His book, November Road, already won the Hammett and Lefty Awards for Best Novel. This weekend, it won the Barry and Macavity Awards as well.

Here are all of the awards, beginning with the Macavity Awards. The Macavity Awards are nominated by members of Mystery Readers International, subscribers to Mystery Readers Journal and friends of MRI.

Best Novel 
November Road by Lou Berney (William Morrow)

Best First Novel 
Dodging and Burning by John Copenhaver (Pegasus Books)

Best Nonfiction 
The Real Lolita: The Kidnapping of Sally Horner and the Novel That Scandalized the World by Sarah Weinman (HarperCollins)

Best Short Story 
“English 398: Fiction Workshop” by Art Taylor (Ellery Queen’s Mystery Magazine, Jul/Aug 2018)

Sue Feder Memorial Award for Best Historical Mystery 
The Widows of Malabar Hill by Sujata Massey (Soho Crime)

Here are the winners of the Barry Awards, announced by Deadly Pleasures Mystery Magazine.

Best Novel
Lou Berney, NOVEMBER ROAD (Morrow)  

Best First Novel
C. J. Tudor, THE CHALK MAN (Crown)

Best Paperback Original
Dervla McTiernan, THE RUIN (Penguin) 

Best Thriller
Dan Fesperman, SAFE HOUSES (Knopf)

If you’re a Sherlock Holmes fan, you might remember Nicholas Meyer’s bestseller, The Seven-Percent-Solution. Years later, his new book is The Adventure of the Peculiar Protocols. He was recently at The Poisoned Pen to discuss books with Barbara Peters, owner of the store, and author Martin Edwards. You can order a signed copy of the new book through the Web Store. https://bit.ly/2NyVcQO

Here’s the summary of The Adventure of the Peculiar Protocols.

With the international bestseller The Seven-Per-Cent Solution, Nicholas Meyer brought to light a previously unpublished case of Sherlock Holmes, as recorded by Dr. John H. Watson. Now Meyer returns with a shocking discovery—an unknown case drawn from a recently unearthed Watson journal.

January 1905: Holmes and Watson are summoned by Holmes’ brother Mycroft to undertake a clandestine investigation. An agent of the British Secret Service has been found floating in the Thames, carrying a manuscript smuggled into England at the cost of her life. The pages purport to be the minutes of a meeting of a secret group intent on nothing less than taking over the world.

Based on real events, the adventure takes the famed duo—in the company of a bewitching woman—aboard the Orient Express from Paris into the heart of Tsarist Russia, where Holmes and Watson attempt to trace the origins of this explosive document. On their heels are desperate men of unknown allegiance, determined to prevent them from achieving their task. And what they uncover is a conspiracy so vast as to challenge Sherlock Holmes as never before.

*****

I’m sure you’ll want to listen to this conversation. You can watch it here.

Annie Hogsett is a writer. In fact, she’s the author of three books in the Somebody’s Bound to Wind Up Dead series published by Sourcebooks/Poisoned Pen Press. Her latest book is The Devil’s Own Game, and signed copies are available through the Web Store. https://bit.ly/2nV6Lt4

Why did this post start with “Annie Hogsett is a writer”? Because Hogsett recently wrote a blog post for Jungle Red Writers, a post called “Annie Hogsett – On Being a Writer”. You can find it here. https://bit.ly/34gR137

Then, after you’ve read, you can read the description for The Devil’s Own Game.

The murder is the message

What you don’t see is what you get. When a sniper targets a blind man walking along the lagoon of the Cleveland Museum of Art, the bullet is a wake-up call aimed straight for Allie Harper and Tom Bennington, shattering their illusion that the Mondo Mega Jackpot Nightmare is over.

On the day Allie—sassy, lonely, broke—met Tom—smart, hot, blind—he won $500 million trying to show a kid that gambling doesn’t pay. Romance—and multiple murders—ensued, along with a new, opulent lifestyle that the couple had never dreamed possible. Then a ruthless man of formidable skills and resources hacked into the security system in their rented 9,000 square-foot lakeside mansion, and they learned just how far someone who begrudges their good fortune would go to destroy them. Now they know the past six months of peace and quiet were the calm before a rising storm of mayhem and revenge.

The new game begins tonight. An old devil. A new devil. And a new case for The T&A Detective Agency. (Yes. They should have put Allie’s initial first.) Tom and Allie aren’t on the case long before they discover a strong lead that takes them into the heights of Cleveland’s upper-crust, where husbands and wives weave webs of betrayal with unfathomable sums of money at the center. As the threats”“and murders—multiply, Allie, Tom, and the T&A must fight to beat the devil’s own game. Will they get out alive?

Somebody’s Bound to Wind Up Dead series:
Too Lucky to Live (Book 1)
Murder to the Metal (Book 2)
The Devil’s Own Game (Book 3)

Praise for Annie Hogsett:
“The original voice, humor, and unusual premise will appeal to Janet Evanovich readers.” —Library Journal STARRED review for Too Lucky to Live
“Fast pacing, multiple plot twists, and humor, including a Stephanie Plum-like main character, enliven the story and keep the pages turning.” —Booklist for Too Lucky to Live
“The bittersweet mystery, with the open-ended threat of a villainous mastermind, is reminiscent of P.J. Tracy’s early ‘Monkeewrench’ novels.” —Library Journal for Murder to the Metal

On Tuesday, November 5 at 7 PM, Sourcebooks/Poisoned Pen Press author Tim Maleeny will join Michael Stanley and a group of authors from Australia for an appearance at The Poisoned Pen. Maleeny’s latest book, Boxing the Octopus, is his first in a number of years. Signed copies can be ordered through the Web Store. https://bit.ly/2Wq5M0U

Maleeny was recently the subject of an interview at Bookreporter.com. Find out why there’s been a gap in his writing, and learn more about his books and writing. https://bit.ly/2JxcFbo You can also read John Hartlaub’s review of Boxing the Octopus. https://bit.ly/2qWrOwv

Here’s the summary of Boxing the Octopus.

If you’re gonna box an octopus, best bring some extra arms

At the height of tourist season, an armored car drives off a crowded pier and sinks to the bottom of San Francisco Bay. By the time divers find the wreck, the cash is gone and the driver has vanished. The police are convinced it’s an inside job, but local merchant Vera Young, whose boyfriend drove the armored car, claims it was much more than a simple heist.

Vera swears the missing driver is innocent and wants him found before the police can throw him in jail. Private investigator Cape Weathers reluctantly takes the case but warns Vera that her boyfriend is likely guilty-or dead. What starts as a manhunt uncovers a criminal conspiracy of money laundering, illegal drug testing, and a network of corporations willing to do anything to protect their stock price. It’s a case that Cape can’t get his arms around, and his relationship with Vera is getting complicated while the list of people who want him dead is getting longer.

Boxing The Octopus is a runaway tour of San Francisco’s underworld which reminds us that when things get out of hand, having eight arms is always better than two.

Bestselling author Nelson DeMille and his son, award-winning screenwriter Alex DeMille, team up for the current Hot Book of the Week, The Deserter. You can pre-order a signed copy of The Deserter through the Web Store. https://bit.ly/321jWXv

Here’s the description of The Deserter, the first in a new series.

An “outstanding” (Publishers Weekly, starred review) blistering thriller featuring a brilliant and unorthodox Army investigator, his enigmatic female partner, and their hunt for the Army’s most notorious—and dangerous—deserter from #1 New York Times bestselling author Nelson DeMille and Alex DeMille.

When Captain Kyle Mercer of the Army’s elite Delta Force disappeared from his post in Afghanistan, a video released by his Taliban captors made international headlines. But circumstances were murky: Did Mercer desert before he was captured? Then a second video sent to Mercer’s Army commanders leaves no doubt: the trained assassin and keeper of classified Army intelligence has willfully disappeared.

When Mercer is spotted a year later in Caracas, Venezuela, by an old Army buddy, top military brass task Scott Brodie and Maggie Taylor of the Criminal Investigation Division to fly to Venezuela and bring Mercer back to America—preferably alive. Brodie knows this is a difficult mission, made more difficult by his new partner’s inexperience, by their undeniable chemistry, and by Brodie’s suspicion that Maggie Taylor is reporting to the CIA.

With ripped-from-the-headlines appeal, an exotic and dangerous locale, and the hairpin twists and inimitable humor that are signature DeMille, The Deserter is the first in a timely and thrilling new series from an unbeatable team of True Masters: the #1 New York Times bestseller Nelson DeMille and his son, award-winning screenwriter Alex DeMille.

Page Turner is a new feature on KJZZ, the Public Radio Station in the Phoenix, Arizona area. While they can’t cover all of the 50,000 books published each month, they are now asking local booksellers and critics to talk about one book. Patrick Millikin from The Poisoned Pen picked a book called Keeping Lucy by T. Greenwood.

Here’s the link to Page Turner featuring Patrick Millikin.

https://theshow.kjzz.org/content/1261726/page-turner-keeping-lucy

Greenwood recently appeared at The Poisoned Pen, so you can order a signed copy of Keeping Lucy through the Web Store. https://bit.ly/2JmB2bK

Although Millikin talks about the book, here’s the summary of it.

PopSugar’s 30 Must-Read Books of 2019
Good Housekeeping’s 25 Best New Books for Summer 2019
Better Homes & Gardens 13 New Books We Can’t Wait to Read This Summer

The heartbreaking and uplifting story, inspired by incredible true events, of how far one mother must go to protect her daughter.

Dover, Massachusetts, 1969. Ginny Richardson’s heart was torn open when her baby girl, Lucy, born with Down Syndrome, was taken from her. Under pressure from his powerful family, her husband, Ab, sent Lucy away to Willowridge, a special school for the “feeble-minded.” Ab tried to convince Ginny it was for the best. That they should grieve for their daughter as though she were dead. That they should try to move on.

But two years later, when Ginny’s best friend, Marsha, shows her a series of articles exposing Willowridge as a hell-on-earth–its squalid hallways filled with neglected children–she knows she can’t leave her daughter there. With Ginny’s six-year-old son in tow, Ginny and Marsha drive to the school to see Lucy for themselves. What they find sets their course on a heart-racing journey across state lines—turning Ginny into a fugitive.

For the first time, Ginny must test her own strength and face the world head-on as she fights Ab and his domineering father for the right to keep Lucy. Racing from Massachusetts to the beaches of Atlantic City, through the Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia to a roadside mermaid show in Florida, Keeping Lucy is a searing portrait of just how far a mother’s love can take her.

“A heartfelt tale of true friendship, a mother’s unstoppable love, and the immeasurable fortitude of women.” – Booklist

On Oregonlive.com, Amy Wang recently posted an article about “8 Books to Help You Get Into the Halloween Season”. https://bit.ly/2Pfc6Xo

One author she included is Warren C. Easley, author of No Way to Die, a Sourcebooks/Poisoned Pen Press title. Check the Web Store for all of the titles. https://store.poisonedpen.com/

But, beyond the short summary in Wang’s piece, here’s the description of No Way to Die.

When nothing is as it seems, can the truth survive?

Attorney Cal Claxton, now well-established in his Oregon law practice after breaking off his career as a high-powered LA prosecutor, just wants to go fishing with his daughter, Claire, and he knows the best place—the coastal area south of Coos Bay. But their vacation takes a dark turn with the discovery of a body in the river.

As an investigation is launched into the suspicious death, Cal and Claire find themselves drawn into the life of the local bookshop owner and vocal environmental activist, whose grandson was convicted for murder at age sixteen. She believes he was wrongly accused and convinces Cal to reexamine the case. Together, Cal and Claire dig deep into the secrets and crumbling alliances that form the foundation of this small coastal community, and what they find could spell doom for them both…

Quite a while ago, Dana Stabenow shared her dream of Storyknife, an Alaskan retreat for women writers. It’s time for an update.

In the last three years, close to three-hundred people joined author Dana Stabenow to build a writers retreat for women. Through their donations of money, time, skill, and enthusiasm, Storyknife has come into being ““ six cabins and a main house containing the kitchen, a communal dining area, library, and conversation area. Construction began in May this year, and by March 2020, everything will be ready for residents.

You helped us build it, and now they will come.

Will you donate $50 to Storyknife? This amount would keep the lights on for one writer for a month. You will bring them the clarity they’ll need to keep working through the long days.

From April through October every year, groups of six women will spend a month at Storyknife. They will be provided with the time and space to explore their craft without distraction. Every aspect of a residency at Storyknife is steeped in a profound generosity of spirit so that each woman writer knows she and her work are valuable. Storyknife residents carry away both this affirmation and a living community of women writers to assist their valuable work wherever they go.

Your support is an invaluable part of that experience. Women’s stories are vital and important. Currently, those stories whether expressed in poems, plays, novels, essays, or memoirs are not published, reviewed, or promoted as often as the work of men. Storyknife can change that. Like a pebble dropped into a clear pond, the ripples of one woman’s poem, one woman’s novel, one woman’s memoir can move outward into the world making space for the next woman.

Donations are gratefully accepted via our secure online donation form or by check to PO Box 75, Homer, AK 99603.

Please do not hesitate to contact me with any questions at ehollowell@storyknife.org or 907-491-1001. Thank you.

Sincerely,
Erin Coughlin Hollowell
Executive Director of Storyknife

Storyknife Writers Retreat is a registered 501(c)3. All donations are tax-deductible.