Fiction Review

The Hugo Awards are awards for excellence in the fields of science fiction and fantasy. The winners were announced this past weekend. Congratulations to all of the winners, but especially to N.K. Jemisin whose win for Best Novel for The Stone Sky was one of the biggest wins in Hugo Award history. She is the fifth author to have ever received three or more Hugos for Best Novel, and the only author to win that award for three consecutive years. You can find Jemisin’s books in the Web Store. https://bit.ly/2MszeBB

You can also watch Jemisin’s acceptance speech on YouTube.

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Here is the list of the Hugo Award winners for works from 2017.

Best Novel

The Stone Sky, by N.K. Jemisin (Orbit Books)

Best Novella

All Systems Red, by Martha Wells (Tor.com publishing)

Best Novelette

“The Secret Life of Bots,” by Suzanne Palmer (Clarkesworld, September 2017)

Best Short Story

“Welcome to your Authentic Indian Experienceâ„¢,” by Rebecca Roanhorse (Apex Magazine, August 2017)

Best Series

World of the Five Gods, by Lois McMaster Bujold (Harper Voyager/Spectrum Literary Agency)

Best Related Work

No Time to Spare: Thinking About What Matters, by Ursula K. Le Guin (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt)

Best Graphic Story

Monstress, Volume 2: The Blood, written by Marjorie M. Liu, illustrated by Sana Takeda (Image Comics)

Best Dramatic Presentation, Long Form

Wonder Woman, screenplay by Allan Heinberg, story by Zack Snyder & Allan Heinberg and Jason Fuchs, directed by Patty Jenkins (Warner Brothers)

Best Dramatic Presentation, Short Form

The Good Place: “The Trolley Problem,” written by Josh Siegal and Dylan Morgan, directed by Dean Holland (NBC)

Best Editor, Short Form

Lynne M. Thomas & Michael Damian Thomas

Best Editor, Long Form

Sheila E. Gilbert

Best Professional Artist

Sana Takeda

Best Semiprozine

Uncanny Magazine, edited by Lynne M. Thomas & Michael Damian Thomas, Michi Trota, and Julia Rios; podcast produced by Erika Ensign and Steven Schapansky

Best Fanzine

File 770, edited by Mike Glyer

Best Fancast

Ditch Diggers, presented by Mur Lafferty and Matt Wallace

Best Fan Writer

Sarah Gailey

Best Fan Artist

Geneva Benton

Award for Best Young Adult Book

Akata Warrior, by Nnedi Okorafor (Viking Books)

John W. Campbell Award for Best New Writer

Rebecca Roanhorse

Did you miss the recent event at the Poisoned Pen when Lisa Scottoline appeared on book tour for Feared? She and Barbara Peters, owner of the bookstore, discussed Scottoline’s characters, Rosato and DiNunzio. It’s always a fun event when Lisa Scottoline is in the house. Now you can watch it on YouTube.

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yahXGwRCr_w&w=560&h=315]

You can order a signed copy of Feared, or copies of Lisa Scottoline’s other books through the Web Store. https://bit.ly/2BttT7W

Here’s the summary of Feared.

In the new thriller from New York Times bestselling author Lisa Scottoline, Mary DiNunzio’s ruthless nemesis Nick Machiavelli is back…with a vengeance.

When three men announce that they are suing the Rosato & DiNunzio law firm for reverse sex discrimination—claiming that they were not hired because they were men—Mary DiNunzio and Bennie Rosato are outraged. To make matters worse, their one male employee, John Foxman, intends to resign, claiming that there is some truth to this case.

The plaintiffs’ lawyer is Nick Machiavelli, who has already lost to Mary once and is now back with a vengeance —determined not to not only win, but destroy the firm. It soon becomes clear that Machiavelli will do anything in his power to achieve his end…even after the case turns deadly. The stakes have never been higher for Mary and her associates as they try to keep Machiavelli at bay, solve a murder, and save the law firm they love…or they could lose everything they’ve worked for. Told with Scottoline’s trademark gift for twists, turns, heart, and humanity, this latest thriller asks the question: Is it better to be loved, or feared…

Feared, the sixth entry in the acclaimed Rosato & DiNunzio series, expertly explores what happens when we are tempted to give in to our own inner darkness.

Praise for the Rosato & DiNunzio series:

“Hit every mark… down to the last satisfying twist” —Kirkus Review on Feared

“Fast paced, heart-tugging…readers will enjoy seeing how it all plays out.” —Publishers Weekly on Exposed

“The final curtain will find you cheering, and Scottoline will have earned every hurrah.” —Kirkus (starred review) on Exposed

“[The Rosato and DiNunzio stories] are always her best works and this newest is the best of the best in this series.” —Huffington Post on Exposed

The Poisoned Pen is hosting William Kent Krueger, author of Desolation Mountain, and T. Jefferson Parker, author of Swift Vengeance, on Monday, August 20 at 7 PM. And, Krueger is sneaking in that signing of his seventeenth Cork O’Connor novel at the Pen the day before his official launch party in Minneapolis. If you can’t make it to the signing, you can order a signed copy of Desolation Mountain, or copies of Krueger’s other books, through the Web Store. https://bit.ly/2vU0uyB

Here’s the summary of Desolation Mountain.

New York Times bestselling author William Kent Krueger delivers yet another “punch-to-the-gut blend of detective story and investigative fiction” (Booklist, starred review) as Cork O’Connor and his son Stephen work together to uncover the truth behind the tragic plane crash of a senator on Desolation Mountain and the mysterious disappearances of several first responders. This is a heart-pounding and devastating mystery the scope and consequences of which go far beyond what father or son could ever have imagined.

There are more things in heaven and earth, Horatio, than are dreamt of in your philosophy.

To Stephen O’Connor, Hamlet’s dour observation is more than just words. All his life, he has had visions of tragedies to come. When he experiences the vision of a great bird shot from the sky, he knows something terrible is about to happen. The crash of a private plane on Desolation Mountain in a remote part of the Iron Lake Reservation, which kills a United States senator and most of her family, confirms Stephen’s worst fears.

Stephen joins his father, Cork O’Connor and a few Ojibwe men from the nearby Iron Lake reservation to sift through the smoldering wreckage when the FBI arrives and quickly assumes control of the situation. What seems like the end of the O’Connors’ involvement is, however, only the beginning of a harrowing journey to understand the truth behind the Senator’s death. As he initiates his own probe, Cork O’Connor stumbles upon a familiar face in Bo Thorson, a private security consultant whose unnamed clients have hired him to look quietly into the cause of the crash. The men agree to join forces in their investigation, but soon Cork begins to wonder if Thorson’s loyalties lie elsewhere.

In that far north Minnesota County, which is overrun with agents of the FBI, NTSB, DoD, and even members of a rightwing militia, all of whom have their own agendas, Cork, Stephen, and Bo attempt to navigate a perilous course. Roadblocked by lies from the highest levels of government, uncertain who to trust, and facing growing threats the deeper they dig for answers, the three men finally understand that to get to the truth, they will have to face the great menace, a beast of true evil lurking in the woods—a beast with a murderous intent of unimaginable scale.

*****

In the Star Tribune, Ginny Greene wrote a review you might want to read, but only if you’re caught up with William Kent Krueger’s novels. There are a few spoilers for readers who might not be current with the Cork O’Connor series. strib.mn/2N0Yafw

David Joy, author of The Line That Held Us, will appear at the Poisoned Pen on Wednesday, August 22, in conversation with J. Todd Scott. Joy’s books, including signed copies of some of them, are available through the Web Store. https://bit.ly/2BhRPLk

If you would like to find out a little more about Joy and his writing, The Real Book Spy asked him five questions recently. https://bit.ly/2vUKtIw

Of course, you’ll want to come to the Poisoned Pen on Wednesday, if you can, to hear what Scott will ask him.

The Line That Held Us is summarized here.

From critically acclaimed author David Joy comes a remarkable novel about the cover-up of an accidental death, and the dark consequences that reverberate through the lives of four people who will never be the same again.

When Darl Moody went hunting after a monster buck he’s chased for years, he never expected he’d accidentally shoot a man digging ginseng. Worse yet, he’s killed a Brewer, a family notorious for vengeance and violence. With nowhere to turn, Darl calls on the help of the only man he knows will answer, his best friend, Calvin Hooper. But when Dwayne Brewer comes looking for his missing brother and stumbles onto a blood trail leading straight back to Darl and Calvin, a nightmare of revenge rips apart their world. The Line That Held Us is a story of friendship and family, a tale balanced between destruction and redemption, where the only hope is to hold on tight, clenching to those you love. What will you do for the people who mean the most, and what will you grasp to when all that you have is gone? The only certainty in a place so shredded is that no one will get away unscathed.

 

The new novel in Craig Johnson’s beloved New York Times bestselling Longmire series.

Welcome to Walt Longmire’s worst nightmare. In Craig Johnson’s latest mystery, Depth of Winter, an international hit man and the head of one of the most vicious drug cartels in Mexico has kidnapped Walt’s beloved daughter, Cady, to auction her off to his worst enemies, of which there are many. The American government is of limited help and the Mexican one even less. Walt heads into the one-hundred-and-ten degree heat of the Northern Mexican desert alone, one man against an army.

*This is an offsite event. Doors open 1 hour before program.

$30.00 General Admission Registration includes copy of DEPTH OF WINTER. $35 registration admits two people and includes one copy of DEPTH OF WINTER.

Register – https://bit.ly/2MuDPCd

Multiple book signing is limited to *ONLY 3 PERSONAL BOOKS. Photos can be taken at the author’s discretion. Please be mindful.

*****

DATE AND TIME

LOCATION

 

Registration – https://bit.ly/2MuDPCd

Gina Wohlsdorf writes unusual thrillers. There was last year’s Security, and, now Blood Highway. Blood Highway is the current Hot Book of the Week at the Poisoned Pen. You can orders copies of both of her novels, including signed copies of Blood Highway, through the Web Store. https://bit.ly/2vMXYu1

Here’s the summary of Blood Highway.

“A sensational hard-boiled thriller as tough and uncompromising as its main character, Rainy Cain. Don’t miss this.”—Lee Child, bestselling author of The Midnight Line

Meet Rainy Cain, a tough, smart seventeen-year-old whose primary instinct is survival. That instinct is tested when her life is upended by the sudden appearance of her father, Sam, who she thought was long dead, but instead had been in prison for his part in an armored truck robbery gone murderously wrong. Now escaped and on the run, he kidnaps Rainy, who he is convinced knows where the money from the robbery, never recovered, is hidden.

Accompanied by a henchman with secret motives of his own, they set off on a cross-country dash to Big Sur, where Sam suspects his late wife stashed the cash. On their heels is a Minneapolis cop intent on bringing Rainy safely home.

It is an odyssey that will push Rainy to the limits of endurance, and that will keep readers guessing until the very end. What does Rainy really know—and what is she willing to sacrifice in order to live?

I’ve been waiting for a shareable copy of Tina Jordan’s article in The New York Times ever since Poisoned Pen Press author Jeffrey Siger shared a tiny map on Facebook. Siger’s Inspector Kaldis novel, Target: Tinos, is included as the thriller set in Greece in the article, “All the World’s a Crime: Thrillers from Around the Globe.” https://nyti.ms/2OTCALv

You may have met some of the authors on the list at Poisoned Pen events. You may have been introduced to their works through the bookstore. Now, you have a reading list to take you around the world. Check the Web Store for your selected authors and titles. https://store.poisonedpen.com/

Did you miss the event at the Poisoned Pen when Susanna Kearsley, author of Bellewether, was in conversation with Diana Gabaldon and Barbara Peters, owner of the bookstore? You can now watch it on YouTube.

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Don’t forget to order a copy of the book through the Web Store. https://bit.ly/2AQkAys

Here’s the summary, including a quote from Diana Gabaldon.

“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 Timesbestselling author of Outlander

“The house, when I first saw it, seemed intent on guarding what it knew; but we all learned, by the end of it, that secrets aren’t such easy things to keep.”

It’s late summer, war is raging, and families are torn apart by divided loyalties and deadly secrets. In this complex and dangerous time, a young French Canadian lieutenant is captured and billeted with a Long Island family, an unwilling and unwelcome guest. As he begins to pitch in with the never-ending household tasks and farm chores, Jean-Philippe de Sabran finds himself drawn to the daughter of the house. Slowly, Lydia Wilde comes to lean on Jean-Philippe, true soldier and gentleman, until their lives become inextricably intertwined. Legend has it that the forbidden love between Jean-Philippe and Lydia ended tragically, but centuries later, the clues they left behind slowly unveil the true story.

Part history, part romance, and all kinds of magic, Susanna Kearsley’s latest masterpiece will draw you in and never let you go, even long after you’ve closed the last page.

Praise for A Desperate Fortune:
“Susanna Kearsley just keeps getting better and better!” —Lauren Willig, New York Times bestselling author
“Susanna Kearsley deftly conjures both historical intrigue and a contemporary heroine as unique as she is memorable.” —Deanna Raybourn, New York Times bestselling author
“Enchanting! Beguiling! Gorgeously romantic! A truly brilliant book.” —Kate Forsyth, award-winning author

Praise for The Firebird:
“A lovely and memorable novel.” —Booklist, STARRED Review
“A glittering, bewitching tale.” —Kirkus
“The present and past come together as Kearsley masterfully merges paranormal elements with a wonderful dual story and a fascinating historical setting.”—RT Book Reviews, TOP PICK 4½ Stars

Fiona Davis is the author of three novels set in some of New York City’s iconic buildings. The Dollhouse featured the Barbizon Hotel for Women. In The Address, she writes about the Dakota. Her latest novel, The Masterpiece, takes readers into a lost art school within Grand Central Terminal. All three books are available through the Web Store. https://bit.ly/2B0fcZL

Davis recently wrote a 7 Sentence Story for Penguin Random House, “Girl on the Bridge”. It might remind you a little of an urban legend. Enjoy!

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The publisher Penguin Random House produces occasional videos to introduce new authors. A recent video features Michael Poore, author of Reincarnation Blues. You can order a copy of Reincarnation Blues through the Web Store. https://bit.ly/2MbRI9r

Here’s the summary of Reincarnation Blues.

A wildly imaginative novel about a man who is reincarnated over ten thousand lifetimes to be with his one true love: Death herself.

“Tales of gods and men akin to Neil Gaiman’s Sandman as penned by a kindred spirit of Douglas Adams.”—Kirkus Reviews (starred review)

First we live. Then we die. And then . . . we get another try? 

Ten thousand tries, to be exact. Ten thousand lives to “get it right.” Answer all the Big Questions. Achieve Wisdom. And Become One with Everything.

Milo has had 9,995 chances so far and has just five more lives to earn a place in the cosmic soul. If he doesn’t make the cut, oblivion awaits. But all Milo really wants is to fall forever into the arms of Death. Or Suzie, as he calls her.

More than just Milo’s lover throughout his countless layovers in the Afterlife, Suzie is literally his reason for living—as he dives into one new existence after another, praying for the day he’ll never have to leave her side again.

But Reincarnation Blues is more than a great love story: Every journey from cradle to grave offers Milo more pieces of the great cosmic puzzle—if only he can piece them together in time to finally understand what it means to be part of something bigger than infinity. As darkly enchanting as the works of Neil Gaiman and as wisely hilarious as Kurt Vonnegut’s, Michael Poore’s Reincarnation Blues is the story of everything that makes life profound, beautiful, absurd, and heartbreaking.

Because it’s more than Milo and Suzie’s story. It’s your story, too.

Praise for Reincarnation Blues

“The most fun you’ll have reading about a man who has been killed by both catapult and car accident.”—NPR

“This book made me laugh out loud. And then a page later, it made me sob. Reminiscent of Tom Robbins and Christopher Moore, Poore finds humor in the dark absurdities of life.”—Chicago Review of Books

“Charming . . . surprisingly light and uplifting . . . It reads like a writer having fun.”—New York Journal of Books

*****

You can “meet” Michael Poore in the video from Penguin Random House.

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