Did you miss John Sandford’s appearance at The Poisoned Pen when he was here with his twenty-ninth Lucas Davenport book, Neon Prey? You can still pick up a signed copy through the Web Store. https://bit.ly/2XKpm7l
Here’s the description of Neon Prey.
Lucas Davenport tracks a prolific serial killer in the newest nail-biter by #1New York Times-bestselling author John Sandford.
Clayton Deese looks like a small-time criminal, muscle for hire when his loan shark boss needs to teach someone a lesson. Now, seven months after a job that went south and landed him in jail, Deese has skipped out on bail, and the U.S. Marshals come looking for him. They don’t much care about a low-level guy–it’s his boss they want–but Deese might be their best chance to bring down the whole operation.
Then, they step onto a dirt trail behind Deese’s rural Louisiana cabin and find a jungle full of graves.
Now Lucas Davenport is on the trail of a serial killer who has been operating for years without notice. His quarry is ruthless, and–as Davenport will come to find–full of surprises . . .
*****
Even better, here’s the link to John Sandford’s conversation with Barbara Peters, owner of The Poisoned Pen.
If you are a fan of Kerry Greenwood’s mysteries featuring Phryne Fisher, or the TV shows, Miss Fisher’s Murder Mysteries, you might want to watch for the spin-off series, Ms. Fisher’s Modern Murder Mysteries. The new series debuts on Acorn TV on Monday, April 29. In the meantime, you can always order copies of the books through the Web Store. https://bit.ly/2JfL7W5
Here’s Acorn TV’s description of the new series.
When the famous aunt she never knew, Phryne Fisher, goes missing over the highlands of New Guinea, the gorgeously reckless Peregrine Fisher (Geraldine Hakewill, Wanted) inherits a windfall. Peregrine sets out to become a world-class private detective in her own right, aided by the handsome, straitlaced Detective James Steed (Joel Jackson) and with the unerring guidance of The Adventuresses’ Club, a group of exceptional women of which her celebrated aunt was a member. A natural rule breaker, Peregrine is fearless, fun, and charmingly down-to-earth, as well as having a keen instinct for solving crimes. With newfound wealth and The Adventuresses to hone her rough edges and become the family she’s never had, Peregrine is unstoppable.
Don’t you love it when The Poisoned Pen Bookstore highlights a debut? S.A. Lelchuk’s Save Me From Dangerous Men is a debut, the Hot Book of the Week, and the first in the Nikki Griffin series. Now’s the time to jump on it, and order a signed copy through the Web Store. https://bit.ly/2Wd2H3m
Here’s the description of Save Me From Dangerous Men.
“An outstanding debut…If you’re a fan of Jack Reacher or Lisbeth Salander, you are gonna love Nikki Griffin.” —New York Times bestselling author Douglas Preston
“Action packed and razor sharp – Jack Reacher would love Nikki Griffin.” —Lee Child, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Past Tense
Nikki Griffin isn’t your typical private investigator. In her office above her bookstore’s shelves and stacks, where she luxuriates in books and the comfort they provide, she also tracks certain men. Dangerous men. Men who have hurt the women they claim to love. And Nikki likes to teach those men a lesson, to teach them what it feels like to be hurt and helpless, so she can be sure that their victims are safe from them forever.
When a regular PI job tailing Karen, a tech company’s disgruntled employee who might be selling secrets, turns ugly and Karen’s life is threatened, Nikki has to break cover and intervene. Karen tells Nikki that there are people after her. Dangerous men. She says she’ll tell Nikki what’s really going on. But then something goes wrong, and suddenly Nikki is no longer just solving a case—she’s trying hard to stay alive.
Part Lisbeth Salander, part Jack Reacher, part Jessica Jones, Nikki Griffin is a kickass character who readers will root for as she seeks to right the world’s wrongs. S.A. Lelchuk’s Save Me From Dangerous Men marks the beginning of a gripping new series and the launch of a fabulous new character.
Mystery Writers of America livestreamed the Edgar Awards Ceremony on Thursday night. Here are all the 2019 winners, in the order as they were presented. Congratulations to all of the winners.
Sue Grafton Memorial Award – Shell Game by Sara Paretsky
The Simon & Schuster Mary Higgins Clark Award –The Widows of Malabar Hill by Sujata Massey
Robert L. Fish Memorial Award (short story) – “How Does He Die This Time” by Nancy Novick
Ellery Queen Award – Linda Landrigan, Editor of Alfred Hitchcock Mystery Magazine
The Raven Award – Marilyn Stasio of The New York Times
Best Television Episode – Matthew Seiner & Donald Joh for “The One that Holds Everything”, The Romanoffs
Best Juvenile –Otherwood by Pete Hautman
Best Young Adult –Sadie by Courtney Summers
Best Critical Biographical –Classic American Crime Fiction of the 1920s by Leslie S. Klinger
Best Fact Crime –Tinderbox: The Untold Story of the Up Stairs Lounge Fire and the Rise of Gay Liberation by Robert W. Fieseler
Grand Master – Martin Cruz Smith
Best Short Story – “English 398: Fiction Workshop” by Art Taylor (Ellery Queen Mystery Magazine)
Best Paperback Original – If I Die Tonight by Alison Gaylin
Best First Novel – Bearskin by James A. McLaughlin
Best Mystery Novel – Down the River Unto the Sea by Walter Mosley
Christina Estes recently interviewed Barbara Peters, owner of The Poisoned Pen. The interview, which aired on KJZZ, the local NPR affiliate, discussed the store’s numerous author events, and the programs with new authors. There’s a lengthy section about Clive Cussler, and his relationship with the Pen. Barbara Peters acknowledges the importance of Diana Gabaldon’s books in the days after 9/11. It’s an important article about the cultural influence of a bookstore, its owner, the staff, and the customers who treasure the books and authors connected to the store. You can listen to the broadcast, or read it. https://bit.ly/2PpNadR
On Saturday, June 1 at 6:30 PM, Douglas Preston will be back at The Poisoned Pen to discuss his book, Talking to the Ground. Preston’s latest newsletter urges interested readers to order the book now from The Poisoned Pen because there will only be 600 copies available. You can pre-order your signed copy here. https://bit.ly/2XERvwG
No one can summarize Talking to the Ground better than Preston himself. Here’s his latest newsletter.
To my excellent readers,
One of the most personal and favorite of my books, Talking to the Ground, will be published in a new edition on June 4—with an Afterword I wrote,entitled “The Great Terror.”
The new Afterword brings the story up to date with extremely disturbing discoveries about what happened to the ancient Puebloan Indians who left their great ruins scattered across the Southwest, in places like Chaco Canyon and Canyon de Chelly.
I have personally autographed copies of this new, high-quality softcover edition for my readers, available from the Poisoned Pen Bookstore—for $17 only, with free shipping!
But please order right away, as the supply of signed books is limited to 600 and will go quickly.
As you know, we always try to entertain our newsletter subscribers instead of just trying to sell them something. So to that end, I’ve included some amazing photos of our journey at the bottom of this email, some of which do not appear in the book.
Rather than tell you more about the book myself, I’d like to quote from an eloquent Amazon review by a Native American reader named Marty DeLand:
There have come and gone many writers who promised us a journey through Navajoland: some in the form of mystery yarn-spinners, others as locally homegrown contributors to Arizona Highways. In and of itself, going forth into such a dangerous and beautiful place is a damned difficult thing to do. Then to return from out of that American Holyland with even the smallest comprehension of what abides there is a feat so extraordinary that only two have accomplished it: LaFarge with his “The Enemy Gods” and Abbey’s distant runner-up, “Desert Solitaire”. Finally, we can add a third name to that short list: Douglas Preston.
Preston relates a host of frightening moments as well, not all of which are horse, cliff or weather related. He leaves us with a profound sense of kinship to the Navajo people, and a clear and chilling vision of what awaits us if we fail to note the societal shipwrecks scattered throughout Navajoland: skeletons left behind by those ancients who would not read the writing on their own canyon walls.
Riding down into Paiute Canyon, a terrifying descent. I don’t know why I’m smiling–I was in fact scared to death.
Our camp in the Chinle Valley, where it rained incessantly and made it hard to start a fire.
Christine leading her pack horse through the Lukachukai Mountains, somewhere along the Arizona-New Mexico border. We weren’t sure what state we were in because this section of the border has never been officially surveyed.
Selene and I with Frank Fatt and his nephew, at the edge of Paiute Mesa. Frank led us along the Moonlight Water trail from Navajo Mountain to Monument Valley, a three-day journey of almost no water, tremendous hardship and danger. Our beloved dog Acomita was bitten by a rattlesnake–and survived.
Selene on her horse Blaze in Mystery Valley, Utah.
Neswood Begay, who led us through Monument Valley, with his amazing horse Warrior. I have never seen such a beautifully responsive horse. He rode like a dream. The Navajo people consider horses to be sacred and this is reflected in their deep relationship to them–and their warm welcome to us for journeying on horseback instead of by car. “You’re traveling in the right way,” they often said to us.
Selene on Hunts Mesa, overlooking Monument Valley.
The stark beauty of Monument Valley at sunrise.
Bonked by hailstones in the Lukachukai Mountains. They really hurt! We had to quickly get our hoses under thick piñon trees and take shelter ourselves. It was like being bombarded
In the past, we’ve shared Jacqueline Winspear’s newsletters here. It’s often fun to share the newsletter before the author appears at The Poisoned Pen, Sujata Massey, author of the forthcoming mystery, The Satapur Moonstone, will be at the bookstore on Saturday, May 25 at 2 PM, appearing at a tea with Jayne Ann Krentz and Meg Tilley. Massey is the bestselling author of the first Perveen Mistry mystery, The Widows of Malabar Hill. Both books are available through the Web Store, and you can pre-order a signed copy of The Satapur Moonstore. https://bit.ly/2Vo7Ub4
Here’s the description of The Satapur Moonstone.
The highly anticipated follow-up to the critically acclaimed novel The Widows of Malabar Hill.
India, 1922: It is rainy season in the lush, remote Sahyadri mountains, where the princely state of Satapur is tucked away. A curse seems to have fallen upon Satapur’s royal family, whose maharaja died of a sudden illness shortly before his teenage son was struck down in a tragic hunting accident. The state is now ruled by an agent of the British Raj on behalf of Satapur’s two maharanis, the dowager queen and her daughter-in-law.
The royal ladies are in a dispute over the education of the young crown prince, and a lawyer’s counsel is required. However, the maharanis live in purdah and do not speak to men. Just one person can help them: Perveen Mistry, Bombay’s only female lawyer. Perveen is determined to bring peace to the royal house and make a sound recommendation for the young prince’s future, but she arrives to find that the Satapur palace is full of cold-blooded power plays and ancient vendettas. Too late, she realizes she has walked into a trap. But whose? And how can she protect the royal children from the palace’s deadly curse?
*****
By now, I hope you’re curious. Here’s Sujata Massey’s Newsletter.
How’s your spring going? I’m enjoying the sun, tulip and daffodil sightings, and a relatively quiet month to write before May and June, when I will be traveling the country to read from The Satapur Moonstone.The tour schedule so far includes Arizona, Delaware, Kansas, Maryland, Minnesota, New York, Texas and Wisconsin. Check in to my website next month to see dates that might include California and Washington State.
This book will be published May 14 in two editions, one from Soho Press, and the other from Penguin Random House India. There’s also an audiobook coming out from Recorded Books.
More international sales in the year ahead: The Widows of Malabar Hill will be published in Korean, Japanese, French and Finnish. And The Satapur Moonstone is coming out in Finland and Italy. Tell your pen pals.
But back to The Satapur Moonstone. Perveen Mistry’s assignment arrives after Sir David, Alice Hobson-Jones’s father, hires her to make contact with a young maharaja and his family living in an isolated palace in the Sahyadri mountains. From the start of journey, Perveen senses something corrupt is occurring at the palace. Check out the first two chapters.
Publishers Weekly said: “Edgar finalist Massey’s second whodunit featuring Bombay attorney Perveen Mistry is even better than the series’ impressive debut.”
And here’s the review from Library Journal: “Massey does a superb job of combining a fascinating snapshot into 1920s British-ruled India with a top-notch mystery. She has created a strong, appealing heroine who is forging her own path in a rapidly changing world… Highly recommended for fans of other intrepid women sleuths such as Elizabeth Peters’s Amelia Peabody and Tasha Alexander’s Lady Emily.”
It would be so much fun to meet in person when I’m on tour. And if I’m not scheduled for your area, would you please pre-order my book? That helps me and my publishers by leaps and bounds.
You can pre-order the US and World English Soho Press edition of The Satapur Moonstone at your local bookshop or with an online retailer.
And remember, library readers have star power. Please request the hardcover, large print edition, or audiobook now: this encourages librarians to order enough for everyone.
Even if I’m not coming to your town, here’s another way we can talk. The Satapur Moonstone Book Club on Facebook Live is gathering at my author page on Facebook thirteen lucky days after publication. We will discuss everything—research, characters, ending—of The Satapur Moonstone at 8 PM ET/5 PM PT on Monday, May 27 (Memorial Day evening) in a video conference. This means you can see me relaxing my living room with my dogs—and use the sidebar feature on your computer screen to send me questions which I’ll read aloud and answer. You will not be seen, but your questions will be heard loud and clear. If you are outside the US or Canada, please check if the time difference might allow you to join us, because you will be a VIP participant! The best way to remember this event is to sign up as “GOING” on the event page, and Facebook will remind you.
The whole show will be Q&A format and there will be prizes. Please join me!
P.S. If someone sent you this free email newsletter—and you’d like more recipes, free fiction, and information about India, Japan and writing several times each year—please subscribe by signing up here. Your name will never be sold, shared or distributed, and you can unsubscribe at any time. Thanks, and I can’t wait to hear from you!
Gmail users report this newsletter sometimes is mistakenly sent into spam. Please add sujata@sujatamassey.com to your address book so you don’t miss an issue!
Audience members paid attention when Barbara Peters, owner of The Poisoned Pen, suggested they would want to show up for a debut novelist David R. Dow. Dow’s Confessions of an Innocent Man is his first novel, but not his first book. You can find copies, including signed copies of Confessions of an Innocent Man, through the Web Store. https://bit.ly/2ILkH0L
Here’s the summary of Confessions of an Innocent Man.
“Every person wrongfully convicted of a crime at some point dreams of getting revenge against the system. In Confessions of an Innocent Man, the dream comes true and in a spectacular way.”—John Grisham, New York Times bestselling author of The Reckoning
A thrillingly suspenseful debut novel, and a fierce howl of rage that questions the true meaning of justice.
Rafael Zhettah relishes the simplicity and freedom of his life. He is the owner and head chef of a promising Houston restaurant. A pilot with open access to the boundless Texas horizon. A bachelor, content with having few personal or material attachments that ground him. Then, lightning strikes. When he finds Tieresse—billionaire, philanthropist, sophisticate, bombshell—sitting at one of his tables, he also finds his soul mate and his life starts again. And just as fast, when she is brutally murdered in their home, when he is convicted of the crime, when he is sentenced to die, it is all ripped away. But for Rafael Zhettah, death row is not the end. It is only the beginning. Now, with his recaptured freedom, he will stop at nothing to deliver justice to those who stole everything from him.
This is a heart-stoppingly suspenseful, devastating, page-turning debut novel. A thriller with a relentless grip that wants you to read it in one sitting. David R. Dow has dedicated his life to the fight against capital punishment—to righting the horrific injustices of the death penalty regime in Texas. He delivers the perfect modern parable for exploring our complex, uneasy relationships with punishment and reparation in a terribly unjust world.
*****
Barbara Peters and Patrick Millikin tag-teamed for the conversation with author David R. Dow. I think you’ll want to check it out.
John Sandford is back at The Poisoned Pen on Tuesday, April 23 at 7 PM, and he’s returning with a new Lucas Davenport book, Neon Prey. In fact, it’s the featured book in Marilyn Stasio’s latest crime column in The New York Times. https://nyti.ms/2ZmZMqE
Of course, Sandford’s books, along with signed copies of Neon Prey, are available through the Web Store. https://bit.ly/2Dncbl0
Here’s the description of Neon Prey.
Lucas Davenport tracks a prolific serial killer in the newest nail-biter by #1New York Times-bestselling author John Sandford.
Clayton Deese looks like a small-time criminal, muscle for hire when his loan shark boss needs to teach someone a lesson. Now, seven months after a job that went south and landed him in jail, Deese has skipped out on bail, and the U.S. Marshals come looking for him. They don’t much care about a low-level guy–it’s his boss they want–but Deese might be their best chance to bring down the whole operation.
Then, they step onto a dirt trail behind Deese’s rural Louisiana cabin and find a jungle full of graves.
Now Lucas Davenport is on the trail of a serial killer who has been operating for years without notice. His quarry is ruthless, and–as Davenport will come to find–full of surprises . . .
Congratulations to Vicki Delany, recipient of the Derrick Murdoch Award for 2019. Delany is the author of the Constable Molly Smith mysteries and standalones from Sourcebooks/Poisoned Pen Press. She is also the author of the Sherlock Holmes Bookshop mysteries, the Year-Round Christmas Mysteries and other titles. Check the Web Store for copies of her books. https://bit.ly/2KJCKa6
Here is the news release for Vicki Delany’s prestigious award.
DERRICK MURDOCH AWARD 2019
The Derrick Murdoch Award is a special achievement award for contributions to the crime genre. It is awarded at the discretion of the Board Chair of Crime Writers of Canada. Known as the President’s Award when first presented in 1984, it was later renamed in honour of its first recipient, Derrick Murdoch.
The Crime Writers of Canada is pleased to announce its 2019 Derrick Murdoch Award recipient: Vicki Delany.
Ms. Delany is a successful and prolific Canadian writer, author of (so far) 34 published books, both standalones and series. She has been a strong supporter and advocate for Canadian crime writers through her work with the Crime Writers of Canada, including serving two terms as Chair of the organization. In that role she built bridges with publishers and producers and forged a strong relationship between CBC and the Crime Writers of Canada.
Vicki has also been a strong advocate for literacy with her books for the Rapid Reads hi/low books for adults. Her work with libraries across Ontario, including with the Ontario Library Association, strengthened ties between writers and the libraries in their communities. She has spoken before the town council of her own community successfully asking them not to proceed with plans to close village libraries.
She has been an inspiration and mentor to a number of Canadian crime writers, especially female writers, and helped them to launch and craft their own writing careers. Finally, she is one of the founders of the Women Killing It literary festival which has become a much sought after and sold-out event in Prince Edward County every year.
For these reasons and many more, Vicki Delany has lived up to the ideals that inspired this award and continues to contribute greatly to the development and success of crime writing in Canada. We are pleased to offer her the 2019 Derrick Murdoch Award.
