Poisoned Pen Press author Maggie Robinson was recently interviewed in Bookreporter.com about her new mystery series. Robinson’s first Lady Adelaide Mystery is called Nobody’s Sweetheart Now. You can order a signed copy through the Web Store. https://bit.ly/2r5nvfa

And, you can read the interview here. https://bit.ly/2r3x9ir

Here’s the summary of Maggie Robinson’s Nobody’s Sweetheart Now.

A delightful English cozy series begins in August 1924. Lady Adelaide Compton has recently (and satisfactorily) interred her husband, Major Rupert Charles Cressleigh Compton, hero of the Somme, in the family vault in the village churchyard. 

Rupert died by smashing his Hispano-Suiza on a Cotswold country road while carrying a French mademoiselle in the passenger seat. With the house now Addie’s, needed improvements in hand, and a weekend house party underway, how inconvenient of Rupert to turn up! Not in the flesh, but in – actually, as a – spirit. Rupert has to perform a few good deeds before becoming welcomed to heaven – or, more likely, thinks Addie, to hell. 

Before Addie can convince herself she’s not completely lost her mind, a murder disrupts her careful seating arrangement. Which of her twelve houseguests is a killer? Her mother, the formidable Dowager Marchioness of Broughton? Her sister Cecilia, the born-again vegetarian? Her childhood friend and potential lover, Lord Lucas Waring? Rupert has a solid alibi as a ghost and an urge to detect. 

Enter Inspector Devenand Hunter from the Yard, an Anglo-Indian who is not going to let some barmy society beauty witnessed talking to herself derail his investigation. Something very peculiar is afoot at Compton Court and he’s going to get to the bottom of it – or go as mad as its mistress trying.

“With ‘Wrecked’, Ide confirms that he’s among the most original new voices in today’s crime fiction.” That’s a quote from Patrick Anderson’s recent Washington Post review of Joe Ide’s third IQ mystery, Wrecked. https://wapo.st/2DFPoBS

If you’re thinking about a gift for yourself or someone else, there are still signed copies of Wrecked available through the Web Store. https://bit.ly/2DFQpK

Here’s the summary of Wrecked, if you didn’t read the article.

In this outrageous novel from Joe Ide, “the best thing to happen to mystery writing in a very long time” (New York Times), the case of a young artist’s missing mother sets IQ on a collision course with his own Moriarty.

Isaiah Quintabe–IQ for short–has never been more successful, or felt more alone. A series of high-profile wins in his hometown of East Long Beach have made him so notorious that he can hardly go to the corner store without being recognized. Dodson, once his sidekick, is now his full-fledged partner, hell-bent on giving IQ’s PI business some real legitimacy: a Facebook page, and IQ’s promise to stop accepting Christmas sweaters and carpet cleanings in exchange for PI services.

So when a young painter approaches IQ for help tracking down her missing mother, it’s not just the case Isaiah’s looking for, but the human connection. And when his new confidant turns out to be connected to a dangerous paramilitary operation, IQ falls victim to a threat even a genius can’t see coming.

Waiting for Isaiah around every corner is Seb, the Oxford-educated African gangster who was responsible for the death of his brother, Marcus. Only, this time, Isaiah’s not alone. Joined by a new love interest and his familiar band of accomplices, IQ is back–and the adventures are better than ever.

Here in the United States, we’re celebrating the Thanksgiving holiday. The Poisoned Pen is closed, however feel free to browse and place orders online through the Web Store. https://store.poisonedpen.com/

Happy Thanksgiving!

“A grassroots movement to re-wild childhood.” That’s a beautiful description of the reason behind the Poisoned Pen’s current Hot Book of the Week, The Lost Words by Robert Macfarlane and Jackie Morris. Copies are available through the Web Store. https://bit.ly/2S2L2c8

Here’s the summary of The Lost Words.

FINALIST, WAINWRIGHT PRIZE

In 2007, when a new edition of the Oxford Junior Dictionary — widely used in schools around the world — was published, a sharp-eyed reader soon noticed that around forty common words concerning nature had been dropped. Apparently they were no longer being used enough by children to merit their place in the dictionary. The list of these “lost words” included acorn, adder, bluebell, dandelion, fern, heron, kingfisher, newt, otter, and willow. Among the words taking their place were attachment, blog, broadband, bullet-point, cut-and-paste, and voice-mail. The news of these substitutions — the outdoor and natural being displaced by the indoor and virtual — became seen by many as a powerful sign of the growing gulf between childhood and the natural world.

Ten years later, Robert Macfarlane and Jackie Morris set out to make a “spell book” that will conjure back twenty of these lost words, and the beings they name, from acorn to wren. By the magic of word and paint, they sought to summon these words again into the voices, stories, and dreams of children and adults alike, and to celebrate the wonder and importance of everyday nature. The Lost Words is that book — a work that has already cast its extraordinary spell on hundreds of thousands of people and begun a grass-roots movement to re-wild childhood across Britain, Europe, and North America.

As always, we hope you check the Web Store before ordering any copies of the books. https://store.poisonedpen.com/

12th Annual NM-AZ Book Awards Winners Announced The winners in 2018 New Mexico-Arizona Book Awards were announced this evening at a gala awards banquet held at the Tanoan Country Club in Albuquerque, New Mexico. Awards were presented in 58 categories, from poetry to history and nonfiction to children’s books. 1,089 books were entered in this year’s awards program and 236 of those entries were selected as finalists, which were announced in September 2018. Entries came from large and small publishers from all across the country. Any books by Arizona or New Mexico authors or publishers were eligible as well as books that focused on either Arizona or New Mexico. Because of that entries came from small, one book publishers as well as large national publishers like St Martin’s Press, Random House, Globe Pequot, and even Penguin Books. Many entries came from academic publishers all across the region. Entries this year were up 7%. The entire list of winners can be DOWNLOADED HERE. The top honors this year went to: Best Arizona Book Arizona’s Deadliest Gunfight Osselaer, Heidi Univ of OK Press Best New Mexico Book ABQ’s North Valley Alexander, Francelle Rio Grande Books Best New Mexico Book Apacheria Farmer, W Michael Globe Pequot Hillerman Award for Fiction Blood on the Cimarron Coley, Mary Hillerman Award for Fiction Stealin’ from the Neighbors Ashurst, Ed Ed Ashurst Publishing Steele Award for History Into the White Sands Varjabedian, Craig UNM Press Steele Award for History Whither the Waters Kessell, John UNM Press Best of Show New Mexico Historical Chronology Bullis, Don Rio Grande Press Best of Show Paul Pletka: Imagined Wests Scott, Amy Univ of OK Press

Tuesday is release date for Steven Havill’s twenty-third Posadas County Mystery, Lies Come Easy. That means it’s the perfect time to share an interview from Bookreporter.com. But, first a little about the book itself. Let’s begin with the fact that you can order a signed copy, or copies of Havill’s other books, through the Web Store. https://bit.ly/2A5L4Za

Here’s the description of Lies Come Easy.

One blizzardy New Mexico night, Posadas County Deputy Pasquale picks up a toddler scooting his Scamper along the shoulder of State 56.

Yes, it’s horrifying – a child apparently dumped out of a truck by his father. Nearly as horrifying is what unrolls while Christmas approaches after dad Darrell Fisher’s arrest: a request arrives from the US Forest Service to locate a missing range tech and his unit last reported headed for nearby Stinkin’ Springs, and the brutal murder of Constance Suarez in the border town of Regál, population 37.

The Sheriff’s Department is stretched to its limits as its dedicated personnel juggle working cases and caring for citizens with their own relationships and family celebrations. The irony of so much wickedness at the holidays is not lost on anyone. Undersheriff Estelle Reyes-Guzman, heading out her door to a crime scene, reflects: “It would be a glorious holiday evening for somebody.”

As their mother joins her colleagues in dealing with the Fisher family, the Forest Service’s absent Myron Fitzwater, the murder, and who knows what else in Regál, Francisco and Carolos, the sons of Estelle and physician Francis, arrange to jet in to spend Christmas with their parents. Francisco the musical prodigy is now a celebrated pianist and composer with an international career. Carlos is thriving at Stanford. Both sons bring special surprises with them. And retired Sheriff Bill Gastner is cooking up a Christmas gift of his own.

In Steven Havill’s twenty-third Posadas County Mystery, family dynamics play a huge role as Undersheriff Estelle Reyes-Guzman and the whole department work to pull the right threads out of a tangle of seemingly small lies. It makes for a mix of the mundane with the harrowing. And justice for all will prove elusive.

*****

If you’d like to hear from the author himself, check out Michael Barson’s interview with Steven Havill. https://bit.ly/2PC1u6f

Dana Stabenow has been kind enough to keep readers in the loop when she looks back at her research for her forthcoming book, Death of an Eye. You can order Stabenow’s books, including a signed copy of the new book, through the Web Store. https://bit.ly/2F9m0Bq

Death of an Eye, the first Eye of Isis novel, will be out first as an ebook. Stabenow will be signing hardcover copies, though, at the Poisoned Pen at 2 PM on Saturday, December 8.

Now, she’s sharing her thoughts about Cleopatra on her website. https://bit.ly/2FrYXqv

If you missed it earlier, here’s the description of Death of an Eye.

Alexandria, 47BCE: Cleopatra shares the throne with her brother Ptolemy under the auspices of Julius Caesar, by whom Cleopatra is heavily pregnant with child. A shipment of new coin meant to reset the shaky Egyptian economy has been stolen, the Queen’s Eye has been murdered and Queen Cleopatra turns to childhood friend Tetisheri to find the missing shipment and bring the murderer to justice.

We might be halfway through November, but it’s still a good time to mention recent releases from Poisoned Pen Press. You can order any of the titles through the Web Store. https://store.poisonedpen.com/

Here’s the most recent newsletter about the releases.

“Poor Lady Addie—how is she to enjoy life with her husband’s ghost appearing at will, and a body at her houseparty. This 1920s romp is absolutely my favorite cup of tea!”  — Rhys  Bowen, award-winning New York Times bestselling author “Set in England in 1924, this promising series launch…is…frothy fun.”— Publishers Weekly “A lively debut filled with local color, red herrings, both sprightly and spritely characters, a smidgen of social commentary, and a climactic surprise.”       — Kirkus Reviews HC:  9781464211119 Pbk: 9781464210723

“Master of mystery Steven F. Havill accomplishes that rare and remarkable feat of making each book in his compelling series even better than the one that came before it… If you haven’t yet discovered these wonderful mysteries, you are in for a treat!” —Anne Hillerman, New York Timesbestselling author “Havill’s irresistible 23rd mystery set in tiny Posadas County, N.Mex. combines a police procedural with a complex family saga….Havill’s inviting world welcomes newcomers and keeps fans happily coming back for more.” —Publishers Weekly HC: 9781464210310 Pbk: 9781464210334

Polish off your magnifying glass and step into the shoes of your favourite detectives as you unlock tantalising clues and solve intricate puzzles. There are over 100 criminally teasing challenges to be scrutinised, including word searches, anagrams, snapshot covers, and crosswords ““ a favourite puzzle of crime fiction’s golden age. Suitable for all ages and levels, this is the ultimate test for fans of the British Library Crime Classics series. Pbk: 9781464210174

The nice men at P&O are worried. A succession of jewelry thefts from the first-class passengers is hardly the best advertisement for their cruises. Especially when it is likely that a passenger is the thief.Phryne Fisher, with her Lulu bob, green eyes, cupid’s bow lips, and sense of the ends justifying the means, is just the person to mingle seamlessly with the upper classes and take on a case of theft on the high seas—or at least on the S.S. Hinemoa—on a luxury cruise to New Zealand, carrying the Great Queen of Sapphires, the Maharani, as bait. Pbk: 9781464207808

2018 ““ ALA Book Club October Pick, Things that Go Bump: Paranormal Mysteries David Randall’s perfect family life came derailed when his little daughter Lindsey died in a car crash. Thrown out by his second wife and wanting to leave a dead-end detective agency to start his own, he reluctantly accepts his psychic friend Camden’s invitation to stay in Camden’s boarding house in Parkland, North Carolina. Pbk: 9781590589397

Check out these interviews with our October authors, conducted by our publicist Michael Barson (he’s the one with the silly expression)–! Click here for Steven Axelrod (Nantucket Counterfeit) Click here for Mary Reed and Eric Mayer (An Empire for Ravens) Click here for Eileen Brady (Penned)

Congratulations to Martin Edwards for winning the Crime Writers’ Association’s 2018 Dagger in the Library Award!  The Dagger in the Library is a prize for a body of work by an established crime writer that has long been popular with borrowers from libraries. It also rewards authors who have supported libraries and their users. Read the details here

And the 2018 Will Rogers Bronze Medallion for Western Fiction goes to Mary Anna Evans for Burials(2017, Poisoned Pen Press). Congratulations!Will Rogers was a respected writer and cowboy entertainer whose work embodied and demonstrated the traditions and values of the American cowboy.  The Will Rogers Medallion Award was originally created to recognize quality works of cowboy poetry that honored the Will Rogers heritage, but has expanded to include other works of Western literature and film. The awards competition takes place annually, and the awards ceremony is held every fall in Fort Worth, Texas.

To Order (Bookstore/Wholesale Customers) Ingram Publisher Services (IPS) accepts orders in a variety of ways. Terms on IPS orders are the same regardless of ordering method. ipage: ipage.ingrambook.com Phone: 866.400.5351 Fax: 800.838.1149 E-mail: [email protected] ACCESS (automated stock check and ordering line): 800.961.8031 Visit ingrampublisherservices.com/ordering

Lee Child’s latest Jack Reacher novel, Past Tense, is the current Hot Book of the Week at the Poisoned Pen. You can order a signed copy of that book, as well as copies of the other Jack Reacher novels, through the Web Store. https://bit.ly/2z4duCD

Here’s the description of Past Tense.

Family secrets come back to haunt Jack Reacher in this electrifying thriller from #1 New York Times bestselling author Lee Child, “a superb craftsman of suspense” (Entertainment Weekly).

Jack Reacher hits the pavement and sticks out his thumb. He plans to follow the sun on an epic trip across America, from Maine to California. He doesn’t get far. On a country road deep in the New England woods, he sees a sign to a place he has never been: the town where his father was born. He thinks, What’s one extra day? He takes the detour.

At the same moment, in the same isolated area, a car breaks down. Two young Canadians had been on their way to New York City to sell a treasure. Now they’re stranded at a lonely motel in the middle of nowhere. The owners seem almost too friendly. It’s a strange place, but it’s all there is.

The next morning, in the city clerk’s office, Reacher asks about the old family home. He’s told no one named Reacher ever lived in town. He’s always known his father left and never returned, but now Reacher wonders, Was he ever there in the first place?

As Reacher explores his father’s life, and as the Canadians face lethal dangers, strands of different stories begin to merge. Then Reacher makes a shocking discovery: The present can be tough, but the past can be tense . . . and deadly.

Praise for Past Tense

“Child is one writer who should never be taken for granted.”—The New York Times Book Review

“[Lee Child] shows no signs of slowing down. . . . Reacher is a man for whom the phrase moral compass was invented: His code determines his direction. . . . You need Jack Reacher.”—The Atlantic

“Superb . . . Child neatly interweaves multiple narratives, ratchets up the suspense (the reveal of the motel plot is delicious), and delivers a powerful, satisfying denouement. Fans will enjoy learning more of this enduring character’s roots, and Child’s spare prose continues to set a very high bar.”—Publishers Weekly (boxed and starred review)

“Another first-class entry in a series that continues to set the gold standard for aspiring thriller authors.”—Booklist (starred review)

“With his usual flair for succinctness and eye for detail, Child creates another rollicking Reacher road trip that will please fans and newcomers alike.”—Library Journal (starred review)