Fiction Review

You’ll want to check out the list of the upcoming virtual events for September at The Poisoned Pen. And, don’t forget to watch the website for updates. Sometimes new events are added. Order early if you want copies of books by your favorite authors. Copies go quickly because they’re more limited this year. Check the Web Store for copies. https://store.poisonedpen.com/

While most people know her under her real name, Patricia Sargeant, mystery readers will think of her as Olivia Matthews. She uses a pseudonym for her mysteries. She’s launching a new series in March with Murder by Page One. You can order her books through the Web Store. https://bit.ly/33fXKgd

Patricia Sargeant is a national best-selling, award-winning author. She writes romance as Patricia Sargeant and Regina Hart, and mysteries as Olivia Matthews. Her work has been featured in national publications such as Publishers Weekly, USA Today, Kirkus Reviews, Suspense Magazine, Mystery Scene Magazine, Library Journal and RT Book Reviews. Patricia was drawn to write romance because she believes love is the greatest motivation.  Her mysteries put ordinary people in extraordinary situations to have them find the Hero Inside. For more information about Patricia and her work, visit PatriciaSargeant.com.

It was so good of Patricia to take time to write a book “Distractions” piece for us. Check to see what she’s been reading lately, then check the Web Store for the books. https://store.poisonedpen.com/

*****

For the past couple of years, I’ve been reading a lot of nonfiction books and articles on business topics, and for research for my stories. Most of these books have been enjoyable. Please don’t misunderstand. But this year, I’ve made more of a concerted effort to carve time for leisure reading; reading purely for pleasure. I’m thrilled and honored for this opportunity to share a few of my most-recent pleasure reads with you.

Destiny’s Embrace: Destiny Trilogy, Book 2 by Beverly Jenkins

Oh, my word. Beverly Jenkins knows how to break my heart and heal it again with her beautiful historical romances. It’s 1885. Mariah Cooper needs a new beginning. Logan Yates needs someone to clean up his mess. Literally. I mean, his home is a sty. I could smell it through the pages of Destiny’s Embrace. Luckily, his stepmother, the lovely Alanza, places an ad for a housekeeper and the next thing we know, Mariah’s boarding a train to carry her from Philadelphia to Yolo County, California. Mariah is a resilient, hardworking, strong heroine with a mischievous sense of humor. Logan is an honorable, protective, playful hero who’s strong enough to respect our heroine’s identity. Their physical attraction and emotional connection are complicated by Mariah’s innocence and Logan’s vow to remain single.

Temporary Wife Temptation: The Heirs of Hansol, Book 1 by Jayci Lee

Set in Los Angeles, Temporary Wife Temptation by Jayci Lee is a sexy contemporary romance with two smart, family-centric, wickedly funny leads. Garrett Song has a challenge. His beloved grandmother plans to arrange his marriage. To wiggle out of the trap, he’s claimed to already be engaged. But he’s not. Natalie Sobol has a challenge. She’d promised her now deceased sister she would adopt her daughter. To keep that promise, she needs to be married. But she’s not. Temporary Wife Temptation features one of my favorite tropes: marriage of convenience. But it makes the familiar theme fresher, sexier, and smarter by not having the leads do what we expect them to do or say what we expect them to say. As a bonus, the romance allows readers a peek into Korean culture, especially within the wedding scene and the scene in which Natalie meets Garrett’s grandmother.

Hope, Faith & a Corpse: A Faith Chapel Mystery by Laura Jensen Walker

The amateur sleuth featured in this cozy mystery is an Episcopalian pastor who is a woman. As the author of the Sister Lou Mysteries, I was intrigued to read this story when I was offered an advance review copy. Hope Taylor is selected to be the first female pastor of Faith Chapel Episcopal Church in the small northern California town of Apple Springs. Not everyone is happy about having a female pastor, though, including the victim who’d stated she would be pastor over his dead body. Yikes. Pastor Hope is immediately a suspect, but the author includes other intriguing suspects, in addition to tremendously quirky characters, both supporters and detractors of Pastor Hope.

*****

Murder By Page One is the first in Sargeant’s new mystery series, written under the name Olivia Matthews. Watch for it in March, and pre-order it if you’re interested.

If you love Hallmark mystery movies,

you’ll love this cozy mystery

with humor, romance, and a librarian amateur sleuth.

Marvey’s a librarian from Brooklyn who makes book-themed jewelry as a hobby, looks after her cranky cat, and supports events for readers and authors. She’s still adjusting to quirky small-town life in Georgia—and that’s before she discovers a dead body in a bookstore.

When her new best friend becomes a suspect, Marvey develops a new hobby: solving a murder mystery. With her talents for research, her knowledge gleaned from crime novels, and a whole lot of determination, she pursues the truth. But even as she gets closer to it, could she be facing a deadly plot twist?

This first in series cozy mystery includes a free Hallmark original recipe.

*****

Matthews is also the author of the Sister Lou mysteries. The most recent one, Alibis & Angels, is available for order in either regular or large print.

Giving up murder for Lent won’t be easy . . .

With the Lenten season fast approaching, Sister Louise “Lou” LaSalle looks forward to a final day of indulgence before giving up her favorite sweets. But one Briar Coast resident won’t get the chance to repent. Opal Lorrie, the mayor’s director of finance, was just found in the parking lot of the Board of Ed–with a broken neck.
 
The sheriff’s deputies are calling the apparent slip-and-fall a freak accident. But Opal was driving her boss’s car and wearing her boss’s red wool coat. Mayor Heather Stanley has been receiving threatening letters and is clearly the real target. Offering her sanctuary could put the Congregation of the Sisters of St. Hermione of Ephesus at risk, but how can Sister Lou turn her back on a neighbor in need? Aided by her loyal sleuthing partners—her well-connected nephew Chris and reporter Shari Henson—Sister Lou must confront the mayor’s myriad detractors during this critical election year. And as the first day of April nears, it’s up to her to unmask an unrepentant killer who has everyone fooled.

Hannah Dennison launches a new mystery series with Death at High Tide. Readers who decide to view the virtual event at The Poisoned Pen will also be treated to Barbara Peters’ photos from her trip to the Isles of Scilly, the setting for Dennison’s book. You can order copies of Death at High Tide through the Web Store. https://bit.ly/2DBBjb0

Here’s the description of Death at High Tide.

Death at High Tide is the delightful first installment in the Island Sisters series by Hannah Dennison, featuring two sisters who inherit an old hotel in the remote Isles of Scilly off the coast of Cornwall and find it full of intrigue, danger, and romance.

When Evie Mead’s husband, Robert, suddenly drops dead of a heart attack, a mysterious note is found among his possessions. It indicates that Evie may own the rights to an old hotel on Tregarrick Rock, one of the Isles of Scilly.

Still grieving, Evie is inclined to leave the matter to the accountant to sort out. Her sister Margot, however, flown in from her glamorous career in LA, has other plans. Envisioning a luxurious weekend getaway, she goes right ahead and buys two tickets—one way—to Tregarrick.

Once at the hotel—used in its heyday to house detective novelists, and more fixer-upper than spa resort, after all—Evie and Margot attempt to get to the bottom of things. But the foul-tempered hotel owner claims he’s never met the late Robert, even after Evie finds framed photos of them—alongside Robert’s first wife—in his office. The rest of the island inhabitants, ranging from an ex-con receptionist to a vicar who communicates with cats, aren’t any easier to read.

But when a murder occurs at the hotel, and then another soon follows, frustration turns to desperation. There’s no getting off the island at high tide. And Evie and Margot, the only current visitors to Tregarrick, are suspects one and two. It falls to them to unravel secrets spanning generations—and several of their own—if they want to make it back alive.

*****

Enjoy the conversation and virtual event with Hannah Dennison.

Barbara Peters, owner of The Poisoned Pen, recently hosted James R. Benn, author of the Billy Boyle mysteries, and Francine Mathews, whose latest book is Death on Tuckernuck. Benn’s fifteenth mystery is The Red Horse. You can find autographed copies of both books in the Web Store. https://store.poisonedpen.com/

Here’s the summary of The Red Horse.

Just days after the Liberation of Paris, US Army Detective Billy Boyle and Lieutenant Kazimierz are brought to Saint Albans Convalescent Hospital in the English countryside. Kaz has been diagnosed with a heart condition, and Billy is dealing with emotional exhaustion and his recent methamphetamine abuse. Meanwhile, Billy’s love, Diana Seaton, has been taken to Ravensbrück, the Nazi concentration camp for women, and Kaz’s sister, Angelika, who he recently learned was alive and working with the Polish Underground, has also been captured and transported to the same camp.

This news is brought by British Major Cosgrove, who asks Billy for help, unofficially, in solving what he thinks was the murder of a British agent recuperating at Saint Albans. The convalescent hospital is really a secret installation for those in the world of clandestine warfare to recover from wounds, physical and emotional. Some are allowed to leave; others are deemed security risks and are detained there. When a second body is found, it is evident that a killer is at work in this high-security enclave. Now Billy must carry out his covert investigation while maintaining his tenuous recovery, shielding his actions from suspicious hospital authorities, and dodging the unknown murderer.

*****

Here’s the description of Death on Tuckernuck.

In the Category 3 winds of a late-season hurricane, Nantucket police detective Merry Folger and her team attempt a rescue off the secluded island of Tuckernuck—only to discover a deadly secret.
 
As a Category 3 hurricane bears down on Nantucket, Dionis Mather and her father have their work cut out for them. Their family business is to ferry goods and people back and forth from Tuckernuck, the private island off Nantucket’s western tip, a place so remote and exclusive that it is off the electric grid. As caretakers of the small plot of sand in the middle of the Atlantic, the Mathers are responsible for evacuating Tuckernuck’s residents, who range from a stubborn elderly native who refuses to leave her family home to the abandoned summer house pets of an absentee NFL quarterback. But as the storm surge rises and the surf warnings mount, Dionis has to make a choice: abandon whatever—or whoever—was left behind, or risk her own life by plunging back into the maelstrom. Even she has no idea what evil the hurricane is sheltering.
 
When the coast guard notifies the Nantucket police of a luxury yacht grounded in the shoals off Tuckernuck’s northern edge—with two shooting victims lying in the main cabin—detective Meredith Folger throws herself into an investigation before the hurricane sweeps all crime-scene evidence out to sea. Merry is supposed to be on leave this weekend, dancing at her own wedding, but the Cat 3 has thrown her blissful plans into chaos. As her battered house fills with stranded wedding guests and flood waters rise all over Nantucket Island, Merry has her own choice to make: How much should she risk in order to bring a criminal to justice?

*****

Enjoy the conversation with James R. Benn and Francine Mathews.

Jonathan and Jesse Kellerman just collaborated on the third book in the Clay Edison series, Half Moon Bay. Barbara Peters, owner of The Poisoned Pen, talked with the father and son team about writing together, and their latest book. I think you’ll enjoy the witty comments. Half Moon Bay is available through the Web Store, along with the other books in the series. https://bit.ly/3lRDHeZ

Here’s the summary of Half Moon Bay.

Deputy Coroner Clay Edison discovers that buried secrets can be deadly in this riveting thriller from a father-son team of bestselling authors who write “brilliant, page-turning fiction” (Stephen King).

An ID Book Club Selection

Clay Edison has his hands full. He’s got a new baby who won’t sleep. He’s working the graveyard shift. And he’s trying, for once, to mind his own business. Then comes the first call. Workers demolishing a local park have made a haunting discovery: the decades-old skeleton of a child. But whose? And how did it get there? 

No sooner has Clay begun to investigate than he receives a second call—this one from a local businessman, wondering if the body could belong to his sister. She went missing fifty years ago, the man says. Or at least I think she did. It’s a little complicated. 

And things only get stranger from there. Clay’s relentless search for answers will unearth a history of violence and secrets, revolution and betrayal. Because in this town, the past isn’t dead. It’s very much alive. And it can be murderous.

*****

Enjoy the story of the Kellerman’ collaboration.

John Charles from The Poisoned Pen asked Tori Eldridge a question that led to an interesting account. He asked her to tell her backstory. You’ll want to hear this discussion. Eldridge’s second Lily Wong novel, The Ninja’s Blade, is now available. You can order that book, along with the first book, The Ninja Daughter, through the Web Store. https://bit.ly/32Yl2Wn

Here’s the summary of The Ninja’s Blade.

Lily Wong—a Chinese-Norwegian modern-day ninja—has more trouble than she was bargaining for when controlling grandparents arrive in Los Angeles from Hong Kong at the same time she goes undercover in the dangerous world of youth sex trafficking. As she hunts for a kidnapped prostitution victim, a missing high school girl, and a sociopathic trafficker, the surviving members of a murderous street gang hunt for her. Life would be easier if Lily knew who to trust. But when victims are villains, villains are victims, and even family is plotting against her, easy is not an option. All Lily can do is follow the trail wherever it leads: through a high school campus polarized by racial tension or the secret back rooms of a barber/tattoo/brothel or the soul-crushing stretch of Long Beach Boulevard known as The Blade. She relies on her ninja skills to deceive and infiltrate, rescue and kill—whatever is necessary to free the girls from their literal and figurative slavery. If only those same skills could keep Lily’s conniving grandparents from hijacking her future.

*****

Here’s the recent conversation with Tori Eldridge.

Did you know Carl Hiaasen and John Sandford worked at The Miami Herald at the same time? That’s why it was perfect that Barbara Peters, owner of The Poisoned Pen, introduced them to the audience for a recent virtual event, and then turned the event over to Sandford. John Sandford was to lead the discussion of Carl Hiaasen’s new bestseller, Squeeze Me. However, the event feels as if it’s two long-time friends in conversation. You can find signed copies of Squeeze Me, along with Hiaasen’s other books, in the Web Store. https://bit.ly/2IprI5a

Here’s the summary of Squeeze Me.

From the best-selling author of Skinny Dip and Razor Girl, a hilarious new novel of social and political intrigue, set against the glittering backdrop of Florida’s gold coast.

It’s the height of the Palm Beach charity ball season: for every disease or cause, there’s a reason for the local luminaries to eat (minimally), drink (maximally), and be seen. But when a prominent high-society dowager suddenly vanishes during a swank gala, and is later found dead in a concrete grave, panic and chaos erupt. Kiki Pew was notable not just for her wealth and her jewels–she was an ardent fan of the Winter White House resident just down the road, and a founding member of the POTUSSIES, a group of women dedicated to supporting their President. Never one to miss an opportunity to play to his base, the President immediately declares that Kiki was the victim of rampaging immigrant hordes. This, it turns out, is far from the truth.

The truth might just lie in the middle of the highway, where a bizarre discovery brings the First Lady’s motorcade to a grinding halt (followed by some grinding between the First Lady and a love-struck Secret Service agent). Enter Angie Armstrong, wildlife wrangler extraordinaire, who arrives at her own conclusions after she is summoned to the posh island to deal with a mysterious and impolite influx of huge, hungry pythons . . .

Carl Hiaasen can brighten even the darkest of days and Squeeze Me is pure, unadulterated Hiaasen. Irreverent, ingenious, and highly entertaining, Squeeze Me perfectly captures the absurdity of our times.

*****

Enjoy the conversation as Carl Hiaasen and John Sandford pick at each other while talking about Florida and books.

What do you get when four historical mystery novelists write an interconnected anthology? You get The Deadly Hours, four novellas connected by a cursed gold watch that passes through time. The anthology is available through the Web Store.https://bit.ly/32RTG43

Here’s the summary of The Deadly Hours.

“Charming… Four interconnected visits to a world of danger, wit, beauty and genuine romance. Treat yourself!”—ANNE PERRY, internationally bestselling author

A stellar line-up of historical mystery novelists weaves the tale of a priceless and cursed gold watch as it passes through time wreaking havoc from one owner to another. As the hours and years pass, the characters are irrevocably linked by fate, each playing a key role in breaking the curse and destroying the watch once and for all.

From 1733 Italy to Edinburgh in 1831 to a series of chilling murders in 1870 London, and a lethal game of revenge decades later, the watch touches lives with misfortune, until it comes into the reach of one young woman who might be able to stop it for good.

As much a book of curses as a book of destinies, The Deadly Hours is a breathtaking anthology rich with atmosphere and intrigue that encapsulates the exquisite destruction, heartbreak, and redemption wrought by fate.This outstanding collaboration of authors includes:Susanna Kearsley – New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of compelling time slip fiction.C.S. Harris – USA Today bestselling author of the Sebastian St. Cyr Regency mystery series.Anna Lee Huber – award-winning author of the national bestselling Lady Darby Mysteries.Christine Trent – author of the Lady of Ashes Victorian mystery series.

More praise for The Deadly Hours:
“A fantastic read.”—Tasha Alexander, New York Times bestselling author
“What a treat!”—Victoria Thompson, USA Today bestselling author.

*****

Before we share Barbara Peters’ discussion with the authors, let me introduce you to the works by each author. You can order their books through the Web Store as well. https://store.poisonedpen.com/

Susanna Kearsley’s most recent standalone is The Winter Sea.

A NEW YORK TIMES AND USA TODAY BESTSELLER!

“I’ve loved every one of Susanna’s books! She has bedrock research and a butterfly’s delicate touch with characters—sure recipe for historical fiction that sucks you in and won’t let go!”—DIANA GABALDON, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Outlander

A hauntingly beautiful tale of love that transcends time: an American writer travels to Scotland to craft a novel about the Jacobite Rebellion, only to discover her own ancestral memories of that torrid moment in Scottish history…

In the spring of 1708, an invading Jacobite fleet of French and Scottish soldiers nearly succeeded in landing the exiled James Stewart in Scotland to reclaim his crown. When young Sophia Paterson travels to Slains Castle by the sea, she finds herself in the midst of the dangerous intrigue.

Now, Carrie McClelland hopes to turn that story into her next bestselling novel. Settling herself in the shadow of that historic Scottish castle, she starts to write. But when she discovers her novel is more fact than fiction, Carrie wonders if she might be the only living person who knows the truth—the ultimate betrayal—that happened all those years ago.

A sweeping historical fantasy of love, danger, and time travel, Susanna Kearsley masterfully weaves Scotland’s past into Carrie’s present in this stunning book.

*****

Rather than tell you about C.S. Harris’ most recent Sebastian St. Cyr mystery, Who Speaks for the Damned, let me introduce you to the first in the series. What Angels Fear is the first in the series that now has fifteen books.

THE FIRST SEBASTIAN ST. CYR MYSTERY!

“The combined elements of historical fiction, romance, and mystery in this fog-enshrouded London puzzler will appeal to fans of Anne Perry.”—Booklist

It’s 1811, and the threat of revolution haunts the upper classes of King George III’s England. Then the body of a beautiful young woman is found savagely murdered on the altar steps of an ancient church near Westminster Abbey. A dueling pistol discovered at the scene and the damning testimony of a witness both point to one man: Sebastian St. Cyr, Viscount Devlin, a brilliant young nobleman shattered by his experiences in the Napoleonic Wars.

Now a fugitive running for his life, Sebastian calls upon his skill as an officer during the war to catch the killer and prove his own innocence. In the process, he accumulates a band of unlikely allies, including the enigmatic beauty Kat Boleyn, who broke Sebastian’s heart years ago. In Sebastian’s world of intrigue and espionage, nothing is as it seems, yet the truth may hold the key to the future of the British monarchy, as well as to Sebastian’s own salvation….

*****

Anna Lee Huber is the author of the Lady Darby mysteries. But, you can pre-order her new Verity Kent mystery, to be released Sept. 29. Check out A Pretty Deceit.

n the aftermath of the Great War, the line between friend and foe may be hard to discern, even for indomitable former Secret Service agent Verity Kent, in award-winning author Anna Lee Huber’s thrilling mystery series.
 
Peacetime has brought little respite for Verity Kent. Intrigue still abounds, even within her own family. As a favor to her father, Verity agrees to visit his sister in Wiltshire. Her once prosperous aunt has fallen on difficult times and is considering selling their estate. But there are strange goings-on at the manor, including missing servants, possible heirloom forgeries, and suspicious rumors—all leading to the discovery of a dead body on the grounds.
 
While Verity and her husband, Sidney, investigate this new mystery, they are also on the trail of an old adversary—the shadowy and lethal Lord Ardmore. At every turn, the suspected traitor seems to be one step ahead of them. And even when their dear friend Max, the Earl of Ryde, stumbles upon a code hidden among his late father’s effects that may reveal the truth about Ardmore, Verity wonders if they are really the hunters—or the hunted . . .
 
Praise for Anna Lee Huber’s Penny for Your Secrets

“Stellar mystery . . . a great read for fans of the series and all who enjoy
Downton Abbey-era fiction.”
—Booklist

*****

Christine Trent rounds out the authors who wrote pieces for The Deadly Hours. She sets her story in the world of her series, beginning with Lady of Ashes.

Only a woman with an iron backbone could succeed as an undertaker in Victorian London, but Violet Morgan takes great pride in her trade. While her husband, Graham, is preoccupied with elevating their station in society, Violet is cultivating a sterling reputation for Morgan Undertaking. She is empathetic, well-versed in funeral fashions, and comfortable with death’s role in life–until its chilling rattle comes knocking on her own front door.

Violet’s peculiar but happy life soon begins to unravel as Graham becomes obsessed with his own demons and all but abandons her as he plans a vengeful scheme. And the solace she’s always found in her work evaporates like a departing soul when she suspects that some of the deceased she’s dressed have been murdered. When Graham’s plotting leads to his disappearance, Violet takes full control of the business and is commissioned for an undertaking of royal proportions. But she’s certain there’s a killer lurking in the London fog, and the next funeral may be her own.

Equal parts courage, compassion, and intrigue, Christine Trent tells an unrestrained tale of love and loss in the rigidly decorous world of Victorian society.

Praise for the novels of Christine Trent

“Genuinely engrossing. . .with a rare Regency heroine who loves her work and does it well.” Publishers Weekly on By the King’s Design

“Exuberant, sparkling, beguiling. . .brims with Dickensian gusto!” –Barbara Kyle, author of The Queen’s Lady on The Queen’s Dollmaker

“Winningly original. . .glittering with atmospheric detail!” –Leslie Carroll, author of Royal Affairs on The Queen’s Dollmaker

*****

Now, enjoy the conversation as the authors talk about their anthology.

Are you ready for the first Christmas book of the season? Carlene O’Connor is the author of the Irish Village Mysteries. Her new one, Murder at an Irish Christmas, will be released October 27. It’s not too early to pre-order a copy. That book, and the others in her series, can be ordered through the Web Store. https://bit.ly/2EViDDy

Carlene O’Connor is the USA Today bestselling author of the acclaimed Irish Village Mysteries and the Galway Ireland Mysteries. She comes from a long line of Irish storytellers. Her great-grandmother emigrated from Ireland filled with tales in 1897 and the stories have been flowing ever since. Of all the places across the pond she’s wandered, she fell most in love with a walled town in County Limerick and was inspired to create the town of Kilbane, County Cork. Carlene currently divides her time between Chicago and the Emerald Isle. Please visit her online at CarleneOConnor.net.

*****

Carlene O’Connor may set her books in Ireland, but, like all of us, she reads a variety of books. Today, for “Distractions”, she shares the books she’s been reading during the pandemic. You can find her book suggestions in the Web Store. https://store.poisonedpen.com/

*****

DISTRACTIONS

by Carlene O’Connor

I’m hoping this find everyone safe and somewhat sound. This has been a challenging year on so many fronts, that I can say with all honesty I have needed books to escape into more than ever this year. Relying on phone calls to stay in touch with family, my mom and I were reminiscing about the bookmobile that used to stop directly across from our house every week. The eagerness with which my sister and I would greet it, entering with empty arms and leaving with stacks. Often a Lois Duncan suspense was the prize find of my childhood summers. And this summer I’ve found myself more interested in psychological suspense and mysteries than any other genre. I want to first mention the book I’m in the middle of reading and love so I must pre-emptively recommend it although many of you may be way ahead of me– My Sister the Serial Killer by Oyinkan Braithewaite — it’s compelling and keeping me extremely occupied. And next on my list is Blacktop Wasteland by S.A. Cosby. Now onto the books I have completed and recommend if you too are looking for a much-needed distraction:

All the Broken People by Leah Konen

I must admit, part of what drew me to this book (besides my obsession with psychological thrillers) is that I have been harboring a fantasy of moving to Woodstock New York– yes, in these times of living in a city during a pandemic my mind starts to wander to having a front porch, a small town– hey, this rustic, artsy town is only a few hours from NYC, in the Catskills, and what better setting for a thriller? In this tale, Lucy King is also escaping the city– Brooklyn New York– to find peace and hopefully leave her darker past behind. We’re left with only hints of what this past entails– or who– it seems she’s running from an ex. She soon befriends her neighbors, a solid couple who invites her for wine-fueled dinners and long hikes. She’s growing very close to this pair. Maybe too close to the husband. But when a plan the couple hatches with Lucy ends up with one of the husbands dead after a hike, this peaceful retreat is about to turn into Lucy’s worst nightmare. This one definitely kept me turning pages and although I wish I was in a book club to discuss certain aspects of it, I recommend the read. And you won’t have to pay Woodstock taxes, which as I’ve discovered are crazy high.

What You Don’t See by Tracy Clark

Full disclosure I’m a big fan of Tracy Clark and her Chicago Mysteries featuring Cass Raines. I know I’m always going to get whip smart dialogue, rich setting, and characters that leap off the page. In this installment, celebrity Vonda Allen, whose glitzy magazine is the talk of the town, hires Cass as a bodyguard for a book tour after she receives a death threat. Given her mercurial personality, anyone could be sending them. And when two of her staff turn up dead, and Cass’s friend and ex-partner is slashed with a knife, my favorite PI will be on that case until it’s solved. And What You Don’t See is the perfect title, because this had an ending I did not see coming.

You Again by Debra Jo Immergut

After reading a review in the paper, this one intrigued me. A woman in New York City, thinks she spots her younger self getting into a taxi. Really, do you need to hear more than that? What are you waiting for? Go! It’s worth it.

Home Before Dark by Riley Sager

Another confession– I’ve read and will continue to read everything Riley Sager writes. And given I love older houses– especially haunted ones– I was first in line to read this when it released. Another short intro– a woman returns to the house made famous by her father’s bestselling horror memoir. Hello! Enough said– give me the book. I raced through it. Another one I wished I had a book group to discuss certain aspects. Well worth the distraction! I hope he’s writing fast, I’m ready for the next.

*****

As I mentioned, you can pre-order copies of the most recent mystery by Carlene O’Connor, and you can order her other books through the Web Store. https://bit.ly/2EViDDy

The O’Sullivan clan of County Cork, Ireland, are back to investigate another case of murder–this time at Christmas!

Garda Siobhán O’Sullivan’s holiday plans hit a sour note when murder rearranges the Yuletide carols into unexpected eulogies…

This December in Kilbane, if you’re planning to warm up with a cuppa tea at Naomi’s Bistro, you may have a bit of a wait–the entire O’Sullivan brood has gone off to West Cork to spend the holidays with brother James’ fiancée Elise’s family, including her grandfather, the famous orchestral conductor Enda Elliot. Siobhán is so happy for James and Elise but also quietly disappointed that she must put her own wedding to fellow garda Macdara Flannery on hold. Mac will have to join them later, so he can spend part of the holidays with his mam.

When the O’Sullivans learn everyone will choose a name from a hat to buy a music-related Christmas gift for someone else at the gathering, it seems like their greatest concern–until the cantankerous conductor is discovered crushed under a ninety-pound harp in a local concert hall.

With the extended family–including Enda’s much-younger new wife Leah, a virtuoso violinist–suspected in his murder, it’s up to Siobhán to ensure the guilty party faces the music. But as a snowstorm strands both families in a lavish farmhouse on a cliff, Siobhán had better pick up the tempo–before the killer orchestrates another untimely demise…

*****

Murder in an Irish Pub is the first in the Irish Village series, if you want to start at the beginning.

Carlene O’Connor ups the ante in her bestselling Irish Village Mystery series, a perfect cozy for fans of Sheila Connolly, Padraig O’Hannon, and Sara Rosett.

In the small village of Kilbane in County Cork, for a cuppa tea or a slice of brown bread, you go to Naomi’s Bistro, managed by the many siblings of the lively O’Sullivan brood. For a pint or a game of darts—or for the poker tournament that’s just come to town—it’s the pub you want.
 
One player’s reputation precedes him: Eamon Foley, a tinker out of Dublin, called the Octopus for playing like he has eight hands under the table. But when Foley is found at the end of a rope, swinging from the rafters of Rory Mack’s pub, it’s time for the garda to take matters into their own hands. Macdara Flannery would lay odds it’s a simple suicide—after all, there’s a note and the room was locked. But Siobhán suspects foul play, as does Foley’s very pregnant widow. Perhaps one of Foley’s fellow finalists just raised the stakes to life and death.
 
With conflicting theories on the crime—not to mention the possibility of a proposal—tensions are running high between Siobhán and Macdara. Soon it’s up to Siobhán to call a killer’s bluff, but if she doesn’t play her cards right, she may be the next one taken out of the game . . .

*****

Did I put you in the mood for Christmas mysteries? Carlene O’Connor is one of the authors included in the collection Christmas Cocoa Murder.

‘Tis the season for hot chocolate and mouthwatering treats. But sometimes too much of a good thing can be downright deadly . . .

CHRISTMAS COCOA MURDER by CARLENE O’CONNOR
Siobhán O’Sullivan’s hopes for a quiet Irish Christmas are dashed when the local Santa turns up dead in a carnival dunk tank of hot cocoa. Now instead of hunting down holiday gifts, she’s pursuing a heartless killer. Seems the dead Santa was no angel either, stealing neighborhood dogs to guide his sleigh. But was it his holiday antics—or worse—that led to his death by chocolate?
 
CHRISTMAS COCOA AND A CORPSE by MADDIE DAY
When local businessman Jed Greenberg is found dead with a Chocolate lab whimpering over his body, the police start sniffing around Robbie Jordan’s country restaurant for answers. Was it something in Robbie’s hot cocoa that killed Jed, or was it Cocoa the dog? As the suspects pile as high as her holiday tree, Robbie attempts to get to the bottom of the sickly-sweet murder . . .
 
DEATH BY HOT COCOA by Alex Erickson
A Christmas-themed escape game seems like the perfect pre-holiday treat for bookstore café owner Krissy Hancock and her best friend. But when the host is found dead in a pool of hot cocoa, it’s up to Krissy and her team to catch the killer—or escape before getting killed.
 
There’s nothing like a hot cup of murder to warm up the holiday season!

It’s not often that readers get to listen to authors talk with their editors. Barbara Peters, owner of The Poisoned Pen, recently hosted Stan Parish, author of Love and Theft, and his legendary editor, Jason Kaufman. Kaufman, executive editor at Doubleday, edited Dan Brown, Lincoln Child, Jeffrey Archer and Clive Cussler, among others.

Signed copies of Love and Theft are available through the Web Store. Snatch it up because it’s one of September’s picks of the month at the Pen. https://bit.ly/2QUiIKx

Here’s the summary of Love and Theft.

“A breathless adventure both starry-eyed and cool-blooded, both charming and diabolical.” –A.J. FINN, #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Woman in the Window
“Crackling with full-throttle tension . . . An electrifying novel.” –ROBERT CRAIS, author of the bestselling Elvis Cole novels

An epic Vegas heist.
A high-octane international romance.
A charismatic thief forced to orchestrate one final, treacherous job to save his family.

When Alex Cassidy and Diane Alison meet at a party in Princeton, New Jersey, the chemistry between them is instant and undeniable. She’s a single mother, local fixture, and owner of a successful catering company. He’s a single father and weekend homeowner — and leader of an armed-robbery crew that just pulled off a record-breaking, precision jewel heist in Las Vegas. Neither one realizes that their lives have overlapped before, and that the shared history they uncover will threaten everyone they love.

Swept up in their burgeoning relationship, Diane joins Alex at his beach house in Tulum, where Alex decides to leave his life of crime behind. It begins as a postcard-perfect weekend until an entanglement with a powerful cartel forces Alex to mastermind one final and unthinkably dangerous job. What ensues is an explosive, adrenaline-soaked journey through the moneyed landscapes of Mexico and Europe, where ghosts from the past collide with unexpected perils in the present. As Alex and Diane fight for their lives, they discover that they’re not the only ones with secrets–and that those closest to us pose the greatest danger of all.

Propulsive, deeply suspenseful, and layered with mesmerizing twists, Love and Theft is a sophisticated thriller about the illusion of control and the high price of past transgressions.

*****

Enjoy the conversation.