Fiction Review

Romance Writers of America (RWA) recently announced the winners of this year’s RITA Awards. The awards, named after RWA’s first president, Rita May Estrada, is the highest award of distinction in romance fiction. The RITA recognizes excellence in published romance novels and novellas. Each year, judges sift through up to 2,000 titles in search of the best books. Check the Web Store if you’re looking for titles. https://store.poisonedpen.com/

Here’s the list of this year’s RITA Award winners.

• Romance Novella: Forbidden River by Brynn Kelly
• Contemporary Romance Long: Falling Hard by Lexi Ryan
• Young Adult Romance: Seize Today by Pintip Dunn
• Historical Romance Long: Between the Devil and the Dukeby Kelly Bowen
• Romantic Suspense: The Fixer by HelenKay Dimon
• Paranormal Romance: Hunt the Darkness by Stephanie Rowe
• Erotic Romance: Wicked Dirty by J. Kenner
• Historical Romance Short: Waltzing with the Earl by Kelly Bowen
• Romance with Religious or Spiritual Elements: Then There Was You by Kara Isaac
• Contemporary Romance Short: Second Chance Summer by Kait Nolan
• Contemporary Romance Mid-length: Tell Me by Abigail Strom
• Mainstream Fiction with a Central Romance: Now That You Mention It by Kristan Higgins
• Best First Book: Take the Lead by Alexis Daria

 

Because a couple of the authors who recently appeared, or are appearing, at the Poisoned Pen show up in Marilyn Stasio’s column this week in The New York Times, it was appropriate to share “Many Sinners, Very Few Saints.” https://nyti.ms/2O59eJM

Ace Atkins was just at the Pen with his latest novel, The Sinners. Linwood Barclay will appear Sunday, July 29 at 2 PM, to discuss and sign A Noise Downstairs. Signed copies of both titles can be ordered through the Web Store. https://store.poisonedpen.com/

 

It never hurts to check The Real Book Spy when looking for news about thrillers. Just this week, there was news about C.J. Box’s forthcoming Joe Picket novel. Box is always a popular author at the Poisoned Pen. His next book, Wolf Pack, will be released in March 2019. You can find the news about Wolf Pack here. https://bit.ly/2O4gp4X

Don’t forget you can pre-order Wolf Pack through the Web Store. https://bit.ly/2zWvYIM

While you wait, here’s the summary of the book.

Wyoming game warden Joe Pickett encounters bad behavior on his own turf–only to have the FBI and the DOJ ask him to stand down–in the thrilling new novel from #1 New York Times-bestselling author C.J. Box.

The good news is that Joe Pickett has his job back, after his last adventure in The Disappeared. The bad news is that he’s come to learn that a drone is killing wildlife–and the drone belongs to a mysterious and wealthy man whose grandson is dating Joe’s own daughter, Lucy.

When Joe tries to lay down the rules for the drone operator, he is asked by the FBI and the DOJ to stand down, which only makes him more suspicious. Joe discovers that the man is in the witness relocation program, as he is in possession of knowledge about dangerous people. Soon, Joe comes across a pack of four killers working on behalf of the Sinaloa cartel to find the man in the WITSEC program–and Joe realizes his actions might expose the man.

Teaming up with a female game warden (based on a real person, one of the few female game wardens at work in Wyoming today) to confront these assassins, Joe finds himself their prey–along with Lucy and her boyfriend.

Although it was announced earlier, Arizona favorite J.A. Jance recently received the Strand Critics Lifetime Achievement Award, presented by Strand Magazine. Here is the statement, as released by Strand Magazine.

In a career spanning four decades, J.A. Jance has a firm reputation among millions of fans as one of the finest practitioners of the suspenseful thriller. Not only are her works a constant presence on the New York Times best-sellers list, but they have also earned rave reviews as character-driven thrillers that tackle timely and relevant issues.

“As a girl who came from a small mining town in the West, I couldn’t be more thrilled.” Jance said of the award. “And it’s wonderful to have more than thirty years of writing recognized by people who know everything about mysteries.”

*****

Jance’s latest mystery featuring Sheriff Joanna Brady, Field of Bones, will be released in September. You can order Jance’s books, including a signed copy of Field of Bones, through the Web Store. https://bit.ly/2LtDMmw

Here’s the summary of the forthcoming book.

Sheriff Joanna Brady’s best intentions to stay on maternity leave take a hit when a serial homicide case rocks Cochise County, dragging her into a far-reaching investigation to bring down a relentless killer in this chilling tale of suspense from New York Times bestselling author J. A. Jance.

This time Sheriff Joanna Brady may expect to see her maternity leave through to completion, but the world has other plans when a serial homicide case surfaces in her beloved Cochise County. Rather than staying home with her newborn and losing herself in the cold cases to be found in her father’s long unread diaries, Joanna instead finds herself overseeing a complex investigation involving multiple jurisdictions.

Filled with the beloved characters, small town charm, vivid history, intriguing mystery, and the scenic Arizona desert backdrop that have made the Joanna Brady series perennial bestsellers, this latest entry featuring the popular sheriff is sure to please J. A. Jance’s legion of fans.

Daniel Silva will be appearing for the Poisoned Pen on Saturday, July 21 at 7 PM. The off-site event will be held at the Doubletree Hilton Resort, 5401 N. Scottsdale Rd., Scottsdale. Those who can’t be there might be interested in purchasing signed copies of The Other Woman, Silva’s latest novel. It’s also the Hot Book of the Week at the Poisoned Pen. https://bit.ly/2LtEZtW

Here’s the summary of The Other Woman.

From Daniel Silva, the #1 New York Times““bestselling author, comes a modern masterpiece of espionage, love, and betrayal

She was his best-kept secret … 

In an isolated village in the mountains of Andalusia, a mysterious Frenchwoman begins work on a dangerous memoir. It is the story of a man she once loved in the Beirut of old, and a child taken from her in treason’s name. The woman is the keeper of the Kremlin’s most closely guarded secret. Long ago, the KGB inserted a mole into the heart of the West—a mole who stands on the doorstep of ultimate power.

Only one man can unravel the conspiracy: Gabriel Allon, the legendary art restorer and assassin who serves as the chief of Israel’s vaunted secret intelligence service. Gabriel has battled the dark forces of the new Russia before, at great personal cost. Now he and the Russians will engage in a final epic showdown, with the fate of the postwar global order hanging in the balance.

Gabriel is lured into the hunt for the traitor after his most important asset inside Russian intelligence is brutally assassinated while trying to defect in Vienna. His quest for the truth will lead him backward in time, to the twentieth century’s greatest act of treason, and, finally, to a spellbinding climax along the banks of the Potomac River outside Washington that will leave readers breathless.

Fast as a bullet, hauntingly beautiful, and filled with stunning double-crosses and twists of plot, The Other Woman is a tour de force that proves once again that “of all those writing spy novels today, Daniel Silva is quite simply the best” (Kansas City Star).

*****

If you can’t make it, or you want a preview of the event and the book, you can listen to National Review‘s podcast, The Bookmonger, for the recent interview with Daniel Silva. https://bit.ly/2zMTE28

Poisoned Pen Press author Graham Reed’s debut novel is The Chairman’s Toys. You can find copies through the Web Store. https://bit.ly/2JuNhQz

Here’s the summary from Bookreporter.com.

Graham Reed‘s debut novel, THE CHAIRMAN’S TOYS, introduces readers to Jake Constable, an ex-drug dealer who is determined to turn his life around — but the discovery of a dead body may put those plans on hold. In this interview, Reed talks about the authors to whom he turned for inspiration as he prepared to write his first mystery and the “research” he conducted for it; his fascination with crime fiction, which started at an early age (before he learned to drive); and the important lesson he learned about the writing process that he is applying to the second book in the series, which is currently in the works.

THE CHAIRMAN’S TOYS by Graham Reed (Mystery)
Audiobook available, read by Chris Andrew Ciulla
After Jake Constable quits the drug business, his realtor/ex-wife, Nina, gets him a job as a housesitter for her wealthy clients. Jake celebrates by throwing a party in the mansion he was hired to look after. Unfortunately, the guest list gets out of hand, leaving Jake to contend with a hallucinogenic vitamin-dispensing yogi, a dead guy in the bathroom, and The Norwegian — a criminal force of nature with a grudge against Jake. The situation threatens to become an international incident when Nina’s powerbroker uncle and two secret agents from China show up to turn the screws on Jake. Soon after that, his friends start disappearing. Reviewed by Roz Shea.

– Click here to read more about the book.
– Click here to read the review.

Click here to read Michael Barson’s interview with author Graham Reed.

This one’s hot. I just returned from North Carolina and saw a poster for Kill the Farm Boy in a bookstore in Asheville. Authors Delilah Dawson and Kevin Hearne will be appearing there, but, first, they’re appearing at the Poisoned Pen on Tuesday, July 17 at 7 PM. You can order a signed copy through the Web Store. https://bit.ly/2zJ5slW

Here’s the summary of Kill the Farm Boy.

In an irreverent new series in the tradition of Monty Python, the bestselling authors of the Iron Druid Chronicles and Star Wars: Phasma reinvent fantasy, fairy tales, and floridly written feast scenes.

“Ranks among the best of Christopher Moore and Terry Pratchett.”—Chuck Wendig

“When you put two authors of this high caliber together, expect fireworks. Or at least laughs. What a hoot!”—New York Times bestselling author Terry Brooks

Once upon a time, in a faraway kingdom, a hero, the Chosen One, was born . . . and so begins every fairy tale ever told.

This is not that fairy tale.

There is a Chosen One, but he is unlike any One who has ever been Chosened.

And there is a faraway kingdom, but you have never been to a magical world quite like the land of Pell.

There, a plucky farm boy will find more than he’s bargained for on his quest to awaken the sleeping princess in her cursed tower. First there’s the Dark Lord, who wishes for the boy’s untimely death . . . and also very fine cheese. Then there’s a bard without a song in her heart but with a very adorable and fuzzy tail, an assassin who fears not the night but is terrified of chickens, and a mighty fighter more frightened of her sword than of her chain-mail bikini. This journey will lead to sinister umlauts, a trash-talking goat, the Dread Necromancer Steve, and a strange and wondrous journey to the most peculiar “happily ever after” that ever once-upon-a-timed.

Advance praise for Kill the Farm Boy

“A rollicking fantasy adventure that upends numerous genre tropes in audacious style, the first installment of Dawson and Hearne’s Tales of Pell series is a laugh-out-loud-funny fusion of Monty Python”“esque humor and whimsy à la Terry Pratchett’s Discworld.”—Kirkus Reviews

*****

Don’t forget the Poisoned Pen carries Kevin Hearne’s other books. https://bit.ly/2LlDFtd

Congratulations to all of the winners of the International Thriller Awards. Check the Web Store if you’re looking for copies of the books. https://store.poisonedpen.com

The International Thriller Writers (ITW) announced the winners of the 2018 Thriller Awards last night during ThrillerFest in New York City. Congratulations to all.

Best Hardcover Novel:

Final Girls, by Riley Sager (Dutton)

Best First Novel:

The Freedom Broker, by K.J. Howe (Quercus)

Best Paperback Original Novel:

Grievance, by Christine Bell (Lake Union)

Best Short Story:

“Charcoal and Cherry,” by Zoë Z. Dean (Ellery Queen Mystery Magazine, May/June 2017)

Best Young Adult Novel:

The Rains, by Gregg Hurwitz (Tor Teen)

Best E-Book Original Novel:

Second Chance, by Sean Black (Sean Black)

Silver Bullet Award for Service:

James Rollins

Thriller Master Award: 

G.R.R. Martin

There’s recent news from Deadline Hollywood about Karin Slaughter’s forthcoming book, Pieces of Her. The August release, along with other books by Slaughter, is available through the Web Store. https://bit.ly/2zCFccU

Here’s the summary of Pieces of Her, before you read the news release.

The #1 internationally bestselling author returns with a new novel in the vein of her New York Times bestsellers Pretty Girls and The Good Daughter—a story even more electrifying, provocative, and suspenseful than anything she’s written before.

What if the person you thought you knew best turns out to be someone you never knew at all . . . ?

Andrea knows everything about her mother, Laura. She knows she’s spent her whole life in the small beachside town of Belle Isle; she knows she’s never wanted anything more than to live a quiet life as a pillar of the community; she knows she’s never kept a secret in her life. Because we all know our mothers, don’t we?

But all that changes when a trip to the mall explodes into violence and Andrea suddenly sees a completely different side to Laura. Because it turns out that before Laura was Laura, she was someone completely different. For nearly thirty years she’s been hiding from her previous identity, lying low in the hope that no one would ever find her. But now she’s been exposed, and nothing will ever be the same again.

The police want answers and Laura’s innocence is on the line, but she won’t speak to anyone, including her own daughter. Andrea is on a desperate journey following the breadcrumb trail of her mother’s past. And if she can’t uncover the secrets hidden there, there may be no future for either one of them. . . .

******

Now, here’s the news about the television adaptation of Pieces of Her. https://bit.ly/2Nd2ZSN

The authors at Jungle Red Writers recently invited Poisoned Pen Press author Wendall Thomas to write a guest post. Thomas is the author of Lost Luggage, which is available through the Web Store. https://bit.ly/2NetCXr

Here’s the link to the conversation at Jungle Reds, where you can find a hint or two about Thomas’ next book.  https://bit.ly/2NJKZjU

Check out the summary of Lost Luggage.

Cyd Redondo, a young, third-generation Brooklyn travel agent who specializes in senior citizens, has never ventured farther than New Jersey. Yet even Jersey proves risky when her Travel Agents’ Convention fling, Roger Claymore, leaves her weak in the knees-and everywhere else-then sneaks out of her Atlantic City hotel room at three a.m.

Back in Brooklyn, when she reads about smugglers stopped at JFK with skinks in their socks or monkeys down their pants, she never imagines she will join their ranks. But days after the pet store owner next door to Redondo Travel is poisoned, Cyd wins a free safari. Her boss, Uncle Ray, wants to cash it in for computers, but Cyd is determined to go. When Roger turns up at the Redondo clan’s door, Cyd invites him along as her “plus one.” And just like that she is thrown heels-first into the bizarre and sinister world of international animal smuggling.

She and Roger arrive in Africa, luggage lost, to find two of Cyd’s elderly clients in a local jail. She manages to barter them out, only to discover smugglers have hidden five hundred thousand dollars’ worth of endangered parrots, snakes, frogs, and a lone Madagascan chameleon in the clients’ outbound luggage. When Roger steals the bags – is the U.S. Embassy in on the contraband ring? – Cyd and the chameleon helicopter into the jungle to go after Roger on their own.

Wondering if “plus one” Roger is actually a minus, Cyd dodges Interpol, faces off with a cobra, steals a diplomatic bag, hijacks a FedEx truck, crashes an eco-safari, winds up in a leopard trap, and is forced to smuggle snakes in her bra. It’s a scramble to find the smugglers, save her clients, and solve Mrs. Barsky’s murder before finding herself at the top of the endangered species list.

For fans of Elaine Viets, Lisa Lutz, Janet Evanovich, and Blaize Clement.