Fiction Review

Many of you may have already seen the conversation at The Poisoned Pen with Barbara Peters, owner of the bookstore, and authors Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child. You might not have yet seen the humorous interview when Tina Jordan of The New York Times interviewed them. Their latest book, Old Bones, debuts at #2 on this week’s Bestseller List. You can check out the interview here. https://nyti.ms/2PnOZeQ

You can still order a signed copy of Old Bones through the Web Store. https://bit.ly/2PsbO0S

Here’s the summary of Old Bones.

The #1 NYT bestselling authors Preston & Child bring the true story of the ill-fated Donner Party to new life in this thrilling novel of archaeology, history, murder, and suspense.
Nora Kelly, a young curator at the Santa Fe Institute of Archaeology, is approached by historian Clive Benton with a once-in-a-lifetime proposal: to lead a team in search of the so-called “Lost Camp” of the tragic Donner Party. This was a group of pioneers who earned a terrible place in American history when they became snow-bound in the California mountains in 1847, their fate unknown until the first skeletonized survivors stumbled out of the wilderness, raving about starvation, murder-and cannibalism.

Benton tells Kelly he has stumbled upon an amazing find: the long-sought diary of one of the victims, which has an enigmatic description of the Lost Camp. Nora agrees to lead an expedition to locate and excavate it-to reveal its long-buried secrets.

Once in the mountains, however, they learn that discovering the camp is only the first step in a mounting journey of fear. For as they uncover old bones, they expose the real truth of what happened, one that is far more shocking and bizarre than mere cannibalism. And when those ancient horrors lead to present-day violence on a grand scale, rookie FBI agent Corrie Swanson is assigned the case…only to find that her first investigation might very well be her last.

*****

And, if you missed The Poisoned Pen interview, it’s still available to watch.

It’s time to share this announcement from the Australian Crime Writers Association. You’ll also want to check out the note following the shortlists.

Monday August 19: The Australian Crime Writers Association has announced the shortlist for the NED KELLY AWARDS 2019. Now in its 24th year the Awards are Australia’s oldest and most prestigious crime writing awards.

Past winners have included Jon Cleary, Peter Corris, Adrian McKinty, Jane Harper, Helen Garner, Peter Temple and Michael Robotham. This year has seen the largest number of entries received in the Awards’ history.

ACWA’s Deputy Chair, Robert Goodman said, “The Ned Kelly Awards celebrate some of Australia’s most exciting crime storytellers. They play a vital role in championing local crime writers and the Australian publishing industry both here and overseas.

“The three 2019 shortlists contain a diverse collection of works from both emerging writers and some of our best-known and best-loved crime authors.”

“I congratulate all authors on making this year’s shortlists. They contribute not only to our cultural life but demonstrate Australia’s well-deserved reputation as the home of some of the world’s best crime writing.”

The awards will be held in Sydney on Friday September 6 at the Harold Park Tramsheds and will be MCed by Jane Clifton as part of the BAD Sydney Crime Writers Festival. For tickets and further information, go to https://www.austcrimewriters.com.VIEW THE SHORTLISTS NOW

BEST TRUE CRIME

Eggshell Skull ““ Bri Lee
(Allen & Unwin)

The Arsonist ““ Chloe Hooper
(Penguin Random House)

The Lindt Café Siege ““ Deborah Snow
(Allen & Unwin)

Waiting for Elijah ““ Kate Wild
(Scribe Publishing)

BEST FIRST FICTION

The Portrait of Molly Dean ““ Katherine Kovacic
(Echo Publishing)

The Rúin ““ Dervla McTiernan
(HarperCollins Australia)

The Yellow House ““ Emily O’Grady
(Allen & Unwin)

Greenlight ““ Ben Stevenson
(Penguin Books Australia)

BEST FICTION

Kill Shot ““ Garry Disher
(Text Publishing)

Gone By Midnight ““ Candice Fox
(Penguin Random House)

The Spotted Dog ““ Kerry Greenwood
(Allen & Unwin)

The Lost Man ““ Jane Harper
(Macmillan Australia)

The Other Wife ““ Michael Robotham
(Hachette Australia)

Live and Let Fry ““ Sue Williams
(Text Publishing) 

*****

You’ll undoubtedly recognize some of the authors’ names, especially under Best Fiction. Sourcebooks/Poisoned Pen Press is the U.S. publisher of Kerry Greenwood’s The Spotted Dog. The cover is not the same as the Australian edition. However, if you want to check out any of the books, check the Web Store. And, look for The Spotted Dog. You can pre-order that seventh Corinna Chapman mystery. It’s due out in September. https://bit.ly/2Hy7rv7

Betrayal is a bitter pill to swallow…

Rising at four o’clock every morning isn’t Corinna Chapman’s favorite part of running her Australian bakery, Earthly Delights, and the glowing light of dawn starts to feel even harsher when a seemingly disturbed man collapses in her shop. When the man, a military veteran, comes around and reveals that his beloved ex-service dog is missing, Corinna and her longtime companion, Daniel, feel compelled to help. It soon becomes clear, though, that they have gotten involved in something much bigger and more complicated than they had bargained for… especially when threatening notes begin to appear in Corinna’s apartment.

Along with searching for the kidnapped dog and trying to stay out of range of the gang of drug runners who are probably responsible for his disappearance, Corinna has to make sure the delicious breads, muffins, and treats that she has become known for are still fresh and ready for her eager customers. Can she take the heat?

I’ve been waiting to see and share this video, so I’m happy The Poisoned Pen posted it. Billy Jensen, author of Chase Darkness with Me: How One True-Crime Writer Started Solving Murders, and Hank Phillippi Ryan, author of The Murder List, recently appeared at The Pen together. Both authors are journalists. You’ll be able to see them talk about their books and their careers in just a minute. In the meantime, you can order signed copies of their books through the Web Store. https://store.poisonedpen.com

Heres the description of Jensen’s Chase Darkness with Me.

***With an exclusive behind-the-scenes conversation between Billy Jensen and retired detective Paul Holes on the Golden State Killer, their favorite cold cases, and more***

Have you ever wanted to solve a murder? Gather the clues the police overlooked? Put together the pieces? Identify the suspect?

Journalist Billy Jensen spent fifteen years investigating unsolved murders, fighting for the families of victims. Every story he wrote had one thing in common—they didn’t have an ending. The killer was still out there.

But after the sudden death of a friend, crime writer and author of I’ll Be Gone in the Dark, Michelle McNamara, Billy became fed up. Following a dark night, he came up with a plan. A plan to investigate past the point when the cops had given up. A plan to solve the murders himself.

You’ll ride shotgun as Billy identifies the Halloween Mask Murderer, finds a missing girl in the California Redwoods, and investigates the only other murder in New York City on 9/11. You’ll hear intimate details of the hunts for two of the most terrifying serial killers in history: his friend Michelle McNamara’s pursuit of the Golden State Killer and his own quest to find the murderer of the Allenstown Four. And Billy gives you the tools—and the rules—to help solve murders yourself.

Gripping, complex, unforgettable, Chase Darkness with Me is an examination of the evil forces that walk among us, illustrating a novel way to catch those killers, and a true-crime narrative unlike any you’ve read before.

*****

Here’s the summary of Hank Phillippi Ryan’s The Murder List.

“An exhilarating thrill ride that keeps you turning pages.. Ryan deftly delivers a denouement as shocking as it is satisfying.”–Liv Constantine, bestselling author of The Last Mrs. Parrish and The Last Time I Saw You

Law student Rachel North will tell you, without hesitation, what she knows to be true. She’s smart, she’s a hard worker, she does the right thing, she’s successfully married to a faithful and devoted husband, a lion of Boston’s defense bar, and her internship with the Boston DA’s office is her ticket to a successful future. 

Problem is–she’s wrong. 

And in this cat and mouse game–the battle for justice becomes a battle for survival.  

The Murder List is a new standalone suspense novel in the tradition of Lisa Scottoline and B. A. Paris from award-winning author and reporter Hank Phillippi Ryan.

*****

Now, here’s what you really want to see today on the blog. Barbara Peters, owner of The Poisoned Pen, introduces Billy Jensen and Hank Phillippi Ryan.

You might not think the author of Thirteen: The Serial Killer isn’t on Trial. He’s on the Jury, would be funny. However, Steve Cavanagh is a storyteller from Northern Ireland. Once you hear his story about accidentally studying law, you’ll understand. But, before that, you can order a signed copy of his book through the Web Store. https://bit.ly/30QyXew

Here’s the description of Thirteen.

Thirteen is the legal thriller Lee Child, Michael Connelly, and Ruth Ware are raving about and readers can’t put down.

“Outstanding – an intriguing premise, a tense, gripping build-up, and a spectacular climax. This guy is the real deal. Trust me.” —Lee Child

“A dead bang BEAST of a book that expertly combines Cavanagh’s authority on the law with an absolutely great thrill ride. Books this ingenious don’t come along very often.” —Michael Connelly

It’s the murder trial of the century. And Joshua Kane has killed to get the best seat in the house ““ and to be sure the wrong man goes down for the crime. Because this time, the killer isn’t on trial. He’s on the jury.

But there’s someone on his tail. Former-conman-turned-criminal-defense-attorney Eddie Flynn doesn’t believe that his movie-star client killed two people. He suspects that the real killer is closer than they think ““ but who would guess just how close? 

“A brilliant, twisty, ingeniously constructed puzzle of a book. Steve Cavanagh pulls off an enviable premise with panache.” —Ruth Ware

*****

Now, you can watch Steve Cavanagh in conversation with Patrick Millikin from The Poisoned Pen.

After reading the Poisoned Pen’s Collector’s Corner newsletter yesterday, I ordered my copy of the current Hot Book of the Week, The Unlikely Escape of Uriah Heep by H.G. Parry. It’s also the August First Mystery Book. It may go quickly, so you might want to order your signed copy as well. You can order it through the Web Store. https://bit.ly/2U8WGnR

Here’s the information from Barbara Peters in the newsletter.

Parry, H.G. The Unlikely Escape of Uriah Heep (Orbit $27 in stock). Charley Sutherland is a literary scholar and prodigy with a secret gift: he can bring characters from books to life. As fun as a visit from the Cat in the Hat or teatime with Sherlock Holmes might sound, Charley’s older brother, Rob, knows better—it always means trouble. But Uriah Heep, that unlovable character from David Copperfield, appears as one of Rob’s law firm interns, and the brothers later discover an entire Dickensian street filled with characters Charley swears he didn’t create. Suddenly what used to be a nuisance turns into a dangerous adventure as they realize other summoners exist while surviving attacks from the Jabberwocky and the fearsome and giant Hound of the Baskervilles, among others. Meanwhile, Rob digs further into reality and discovers even deeper mysteries surrounding their own family. It comes down to saving the real world from complete fictional takeover.

Our August First Mystery Book of the Month reminds me strongly of Jasper Fforde’s s huge hit The Eyre Affair ($17). So much that I conjured up signed copies from the New Zealand author, an exclusive for The Pen. Another fan adds,

“The Unlikely Escape of Uriah Heep, H.G. Parry’s debut novel,
is a Dickensian booklover’s delight, filled with the most popular characters from Western literature, from Heathcliff , Dorian Gray, and five brooding Mr. Darcys to more modern characters like Matilda and the Implied Reader, all navigating their own stories as well as the real world they’ve come to inhabit. Anyone who has ever wondered what it would be like to have a conversation with the Artful Dodger or to hold the legendary Excalibur in their hands will be in excellent company in the pages of this delightful literary fantasy.” As one fictional creation puts it: “I think we’ve found ourselves in the middle of an adventure.” I recommend this gem to lovers of historical and literary fiction as well as fans of intelligent cozies.

*****

Interested? I thought you might be.

I hope that heading caught your attention. Radha Vatsal recently wrote a piece for Kirkus Reviews called “Yes, Crime Fiction is Literature (and Other Observations on the Genre.” Vatsal uses some of Borges’ works to prove her point. You can read the article here. https://bit.ly/2U4VUsg

And, once you’ve read it, you might want to check out Vatsal’s own mysteries, available through the Web Store. https://bit.ly/2ZnoY37

A Front Page Affair is the first in Radha Vatsal’s Kitty Weeks series. If you’re like me, you like to start at the beginning of a series. Here’s the description of that first book.

“This lively and well-researched debut introduces a charming historical series and an appealing fish-out-of-water sleuth who seeks independence and a career in an age when most women are bent on getting married, particularly to titled Englishmen. Devotees of Rhys Bowen’s mysteries will enjoy making the acquaintance of Miss Weeks”—Library Journal, STARRED Review

New York City, 1915

The Lusitania has just been sunk, and headlines about a shooting at J.P. Morgan’s mansion and the Great War are splashed across the front page of every newspaper. Capability “Kitty” Weeks would love nothing more than to report on the news of the day, but she’s stuck writing about fashion and society gossip over on the Ladies’ Page—until a man is murdered at a high society picnic on her beat.

Determined to prove her worth as a journalist, Kitty finds herself plunged into the midst of a wartime conspiracy that threatens to derail the United States’ attempt to remain neutral—and to disrupt the privileged life she has always known.

Radha Vatsal’s A Front Page Affair is the first book in highly anticipated series featuring rising journalism star Kitty Weeks.

Bestselling author Karin Slaughter is on book tour for The Last Widow, a thriller featuring her characters Will Trent and Sara Linton. She’ll be at The Poisoned Pen on Friday, August 30 at 7 PM to discuss all kinds of topics, including her characters. You can order Slaughter’s books, including signed copies of The Last Widow, through the Web Store. https://bit.ly/2A5kDpY

Here’s the description of The Last Widow.

New York Times bestselling author Karin Slaughter brings back Will Trent and Sara Lintonin this superb and timely thriller full of devious twists, disturbing secrets, and shocking surprises you won’t see coming

A mysterious kidnapping

On a hot summer night, a scientist from the Centers for Disease Control is grabbed by unknown assailants in a shopping center parking lot. The authorities are desperate to save the doctor who’s been vanished into thin air. 

A devastating explosion

One month later, the serenity of a sunny Sunday afternoon is shattered by the boom of a ground-shaking blast—followed by another seconds later. One of Atlanta’s busiest and most important neighborhoods has been bombed—the location of Emory University, two major hospitals, the FBI headquarters, and the CDC.

A diabolical enemy 

Medical examiner Sara Linton and her partner Will Trent, an investigator with the Georgia Bureau of Investigation, rush to the scene—and into the heart of a deadly conspiracy that threatens to destroy thousands of innocent lives. When the assailants abduct Sara, Will goes undercover to save her and prevent a massacre—putting his own life on the line for the woman and the country he loves.

*****

Do you want to know a little more about Karin Slaughter? Check out April Snellings’ recent interview with her at “Between the Lines” for The Big Thrill. https://bit.ly/2A5kDpY

You’re in for a treat. No matter what your chosen method of “attending an event” online, you can participate in The Poisoned Pen’s launch of Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child’s new series. Their Nora Kelly series kicks off with Old Bones. You can order signed copies of the book, and their other ones, through the Web Store. https://bit.ly/2R4bSEH

Here’s the description of Old Bones.

#1 bestselling authors Preston & Child bring the true story of the ill-fated Donner Party to new life in a thrilling blend of archaeology, history, murder, and suspense.

Nora Kelly, a young curator at the Santa Fe Institute of Archaeology, is approached by historian Clive Benton with a once-in-a-lifetime proposal: to lead a team in search of the so-called “Lost Camp” of the tragic Donner Party. This was a group of pioneers who earned a terrible place in American history when they became snow-bound in the California mountains in 1847, their fate unknown until the first skeletonized survivors stumbled out of the wilderness, raving about starvation, murder-and cannibalism.

Benton tells Kelly he has stumbled upon an amazing find: the long-sought diary of one of the victims, which has an enigmatic description of the Lost Camp. Nora agrees to lead an expedition to locate and excavate it-to reveal its long-buried secrets.

Once in the mountains, however, they learn that discovering the camp is only the first step in a mounting journey of fear. For as they uncover old bones, they expose the real truth of what happened, one that is far more shocking and bizarre than mere cannibalism. And when those ancient horrors lead to present-day violence on a grand scale, rookie FBI agent Corrie Swanson is assigned the case…only to find that her first investigation might very well be her last.

*****

Are you a fan of podcasts? You can listen to Barbara Peters, owner of The Poisoned Pen, discuss Old Bones with Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child. https://www.podbean.com/eu/pb-6td4s-bc7d5c

If you’d rather watch the event, here’s the YouTube video.

Hank Phillippi Ryan’s latest thriller, The Murder List, was released earlier this week. She’ll be at The Poisoned Pen on Saturday, Aug. 24 at 2 PM for s special ticketed event, joining Billy Jensen, author of Chase Darkness with Me. You can read all about the ticketed event and how to order copies of the books here. https://bit.ly/2Z9rbzG

Ryan’s latest book is about the legal system. She recently addressed the jury in an article for CrimeReads, “The 7 Most Suspenseful Jury Verdicts in Literature and Film.” https://bit.ly/2L0NSwb

And, here’s Hank’s book, The Murder List.

“An exhilarating thrill ride that keeps you turning pages.. Ryan deftly delivers a denouement as shocking as it is satisfying.”–Liv Constantine, bestselling author of The Last Mrs. Parrish and The Last Time I Saw You

Law student Rachel North will tell you, without hesitation, what she knows to be true. She’s smart, she’s a hard worker, she does the right thing, she’s successfully married to a faithful and devoted husband, a lion of Boston’s defense bar, and her internship with the Boston DA’s office is her ticket to a successful future. 

Problem is–she’s wrong. 

And in this cat and mouse game–the battle for justice becomes a battle for survival.  

The Murder List is a new standalone suspense novel in the tradition of Lisa Scottoline and B. A. Paris from award-winning author and reporter Hank Phillippi Ryan.

*****

I don’t think Hank will mind if I share this from her Facebook page, especially since I wrote the Library Journal review.

It’s time for a cover reveal for Eoin Colfer’s new adult fantasy novel, Highfire. Here’s the link to order it on Poisoned Pen’s page. Eoin Colfer. Highfire (Harper Collins $19.99)

Harper Perennial Coordinating Cover Reveal with Indies

Eoin Colfer

At noon Eastern time, this Wednesday, August 21, independent bookstores across the country are unveiling the book jacket for Eoin Colfer’s Highfire, which will be published by Harper Perennial on January 28, part of a cover reveal coordinated by HarperCollins and the American Booksellers Association. As part of the initiative, booksellers are encouraged to invite customers to pre-order the book from them.

The ABA has been encouraging indies to emphasize pre-publication awareness of titles among their customers as a way to increase their share of pre-orders and early book sales, much of which has been going to Amazon.

HarperCollins did a similar unveiling campaign earlier this year with a children’s title, Adam Silvera’s Infinity Son. Highfire is the first standalone adult novel by Colfer, best known for his Artemis Fowl series. He has also published two adult crime novels, Plugged and Screwed.

Harper Perennial will provide digital assets, suggested copy, and hashtags to participating stores to help them spread the message. Stores should plan to share the final cover on social media between noon and 3:00 p.m. on August 21. Booksellers who haven’t signed up yet for the cover reveal for Highfire can get more information here.

ABOUT HIGHFIRE:

From the New York Times bestselling author of the Artemis Fowl series comes a hilarious and high-octane adult novel about a vodka-drinking, Flashdance-loving dragon who lives an isolated life in the bayous of Louisiana—and the raucous adventures that ensue when he crosses paths with a fifteen-year-old troublemaker on the run from a crooked sheriff.

In the days of yore, he flew the skies and scorched angry mobs—now he hides from swamp tour boats and rises only with the greatest reluctance from his Laz-Z-Boy recliner. Laying low in the bayou, this once-magnificent fire breather has been reduced to lighting Marlboros with nose sparks, swilling Absolut in a Flashdance T-shirt, and binging Netflix in a fishing shack. For centuries, he struck fear in hearts far and wide as Wyvern, Lord Highfire of the Highfire Eyrie—now he goes by Vern. However…he has survived, unlike the rest. He is the last of his kind, the last dragon. Still, no amount of vodka can drown the loneliness in his molten core. Vern’s glory days are long gone. Or are they?

A canny Cajun swamp rat, young Everett “Squib” Moreau does what he can to survive, trying not to break the heart of his saintly single mother. He’s finally decided to work for a shady smuggler—but on his first night, he witnesses his boss murdered by a crooked constable.

Regence Hooke is not just a dirty cop, he’s a despicable human being—who happens to want Squib’s momma in the worst way. When Hooke goes after his hidden witness with a grenade launcher, Squib finds himself airlifted from certain death by…a dragon?

The swamp can make strange bedfellows, and rather than be fried alive so the dragon can keep his secret, Squib strikes a deal with the scaly apex predator. He can act as his go-between (aka familiar)—fetch his vodka, keep him company, etc.—in exchange for protection from Hooke. Soon the three of them are careening headlong toward a combustible confrontation. There’s about to be a fiery reckoning, in which either dragons finally go extinct—or Vern’s glory days are back.

A triumphant return to the genre-bending fantasy that Eoin Colfer is so well known for, Highfire is an effortlessly clever and relentlessly funny tour-de-force of comedy and action.

Eoin Colfer is the New York Times best-selling author of the Artemis Fowl series as well as two adult crime novels, Plugged, which was shortlisted for the Los Angeles Times Book Prize, and Screwed. He lives in Ireland with his wife and two children.