Fiction Review

Kevin Hearne, author of The Iron Druid Chronicles, will be at The Poisoned Pen on Tuesday, April 3 at 7 PM, for the release of Scourged. Scourged is the ninth novel in the series, and the finale. You can order a signed copy through the Web Store. https://bit.ly/2Glm6Lt

Joining Hearne will be Luke Daniels, the voice of The Iron Druid Chronicles. Daniels narrates the audio books in the series. Luke Daniels is an actor, writer, director, and audiobook narrator. He has narrated over 250 audiobooks, has been the grateful recipient of more than a dozen AudioFile Earphones Awards, and multiple Audie Award nominations. His background is in classical theater and film. Luke has performed at repertory theaters around the country, but now he resides in the Midwest with his pack.

Daniels will sign a special poster that evening as well.

The finale of The Iron Druid Chronicles? Here’s the description of the ninth book, Scourged.

Kevin Hearne creates the ultimate Atticus O’Sullivan adventure in the grand finale of the New York Times bestselling Iron Druid Chronicles: an epic battle royale against the Norse gods of Asgard.
 
Unchained from fate, the Norse gods Loki and Hel are ready to unleash Ragnarok, a.k.a. the Apocalypse, upon the earth. They’ve made allies on the darker side of many pantheons, and there’s a globe-spanning battle brewing that ancient Druid Atticus O’Sullivan will be hard-pressed to survive, much less win.

Granuaile MacTiernan must join immortals Sun Wukong and Erlang Shen in a fight against the Yama Kings in Taiwan, but she discovers that the stakes are much higher than she thought.

Meanwhile, Archdruid Owen Kennedy must put out both literal and metaphorical fires from Bavaria to Peru to keep the world safe for his apprentices and the future of Druidry.

And Atticus recruits the aid of a tyromancer, an Indian witch, and a trickster god in hopes that they’ll give him just enough leverage to both save Gaia and see another sunrise. There is a hound named Oberon who deserves a snack, after all.

Praise for Kevin Hearne and The Iron Druid Chronicles

“[The Iron Druid books] are clever, fast-paced and a good escape.”—Jason Weisberger, Boing Boing

“Celtic mythology and an ancient Druid with modern attitude mix it up in the Arizona desert in this witty new fantasy series.”—Kelly Meding, author of Chimera

“Outrageously fun.”—The Plain Dealer, on Hounded

“Superb . . . plenty of quips and zap-pow-bang fighting.”—Publishers Weekly (starred review), on Hounded

“An exciting mix of comedy, action, and mythology . . . [Atticus] is one of the best main characters currently present in the urban fantasy genre.”—Fantasy Book Critic, on Tricked

“Funny, razor-sharp . . . plenty of action, humor, and mythology.”—Booklist(starred review), on Shattered

We’re off to England this week. Jacqueline Winspear and Charles Finch recently appeared at The Poisoned Pen. Winspear was here on release date for her latest Maisie Dobbs novel, In This Grave Hour. Finch appeared on the last day of his book tour for the prequel to his Charles Lenox mysteries, The Woman in the Water. Signed copies of both mysteries are available in the Web Store. https://store.poisonedpen.com/

The Poisoned Pen filmed the appearance for Livestream. You can watch and listen to the entire program. https://livestream.com/poisonedpen/events/8131744

You also might be interested in Patrick Anderson’s review in The Washington Post of The Woman in the Water. Anderson called the book “An elegant mystery novel.”  https://wapo.st/2E5oSOM

C.J. Box’s 18th Joe Pickett novel, The Disappeared, is the Hot Book of the Week at The Poisoned Pen. Box’s books, including signed copies of The Disappeared, can be found in the Web Store. https://bit.ly/2IYwWEQ

And, while supplies last, a signed copy of The Disappeared comes with a special collectible.

Here’s the description of The Disappeared.

Wyoming game warden Joe Pickett has two lethal cases to contend with in the electrifying new novel from #1 New York Times-bestselling author C. J. Box.

Wyoming’s new governor isn’t sure what to make of Joe Pickett, but he has a job for him that is extremely delicate. A prominent female British executive never came home from the high-end guest ranch she was visiting, and the British Embassy is pressing hard. Pickett knows that happens sometimes–these ranches are stocked with handsome young cowboys, and “ranch romances” aren’t uncommon. But no sign of her months after she vanished? That suggests something else.

At the same time, his friend Nate Romanowski has asked Joe to intervene with the feds on behalf of falconers who can no longer hunt with eagles even though their permits are in order. Who is blocking the falconers and why? The more he investigates both cases, the more someone wants him to go away. Is it because of the missing woman or because he’s become Nate’s advocate? Or are they somehow connected? The answers, when they come, will be even worse than he’d imagined.

We’re losing too many crime fiction authors, at a rapid pace. Thriller writer Philip Kerr is the most recent author, dying March 23 of cancer.

Kerr’s publisher shared the following information.

Nearly thirty years ago, Philip Kerr’s debut novel March Violets introduced the character of Bernie Gunther, a sardonic, hard-drinking detective tackling the dark depths of Nazi and post-war era Germany.  March Violets would become the first installment in the original Berlin Noir trilogy, which was published in the United States in 1993 and included The Pale Criminal and A German Requiem. Thirteen years later, due to reader love and demand, Kerr returned to the world of Bernie Gunther in The One from the Other. Kerr would go on to write nine additional Bernie Gunther novels: A Quiet Flame, If the Dead Rise Not, Field Gray, Prague Fatale, A Man Without Breath, The Lady from Zagreb, The Other Side of Silence, Prussian Blue, and Greeks Bearing Gifts, which will be published in April 2018.

Kerr was a winner of both a Barry Award and the British Crime Writers’ Association’s Ellis Peters Historic Crime Award for If the Dead Rise.

Born in Edinburgh, Scotland, on February 22, 1956, Kerr studied law and philosophy at the University of Birmingham.  Following university, Kerr worked as a copywriter for several advertising agencies. In addition to his Bernie Gunther novels, Kerr wrote two nonfiction books, fifteen adult novels (including the Scott Manson series), and ten children’s fiction books (including the Children of the Lamp series). He lived in London and is survived by his novelist and journalist wife Jane Thynne and their three children.

PHILIP KERR, 1956 – 2018. May he rest in peace.

 

This past weekend, the attendees of Left Coast Crime in Reno, Nevada for “Crime on the Comstock” voted for the Lefty Award winners. The awards are presented for mysteries published in 2017. Congratulations to all of the winners. Readers can find the books in the Web Store. https://store.poisonedpen.com/

Ellen Byron’s A Cajun Christmas Killing won the Lefty for Best Humorous Mystery.

The Lefty for Best Historical Mystery (Bruce Alexander Memorial) went to Rhys Bowen for In Farleigh Field.

Best Debut went to Kellye Garrett’s Hollywood Homicide.

And, William Kent Krueger won the Lefty for Best Mystery Novel (not in other categories) for Sulfur Springs.

Congratulations to all of the winners!

Robert Anglen just reviewed C.J. Box’s The Disappeared for AZCentral. You can read the review online, https://bit.ly/2G3r3EA.

Box will be appear at the ASU Kerr Cultural Center, 6110 N. Scottsdale Road, on Monday, March 26 at 7 PM. Doors open at 6 PM. Admission is free, but it’s $27 for a copy of The Disappeared. Can’t make it? You can order a signed copy through the Web Store. https://bit.ly/2DPwrZZ

If you haven’t yet checked out Robert Anglen’s article, here’s the summary of The Disappeared.

Wyoming game warden Joe Pickett has two lethal cases to contend with in the electrifying new novel from #1 New York Times-bestselling author C. J. Box.

Wyoming’s new governor isn’t sure what to make of Joe Pickett, but he has a job for him that is extremely delicate. A prominent female British executive never came home from the high-end guest ranch she was visiting, and the British Embassy is pressing hard. Pickett knows that happens sometimes–these ranches are stocked with handsome young cowboys, and “ranch romances” aren’t uncommon. But no sign of her months after she vanished? That suggests something else.

At the same time, his friend Nate Romanowski has asked Joe to intervene with the feds on behalf of falconers who can no longer hunt with eagles even though their permits are in order. Who is blocking the falconers and why? The more he investigates both cases, the more someone wants him to go away. Is it because of the missing woman or because he’s become Nate’s advocate? Or are they somehow connected? The answers, when they come, will be even worse than he’d imagined.

Let’s talk about the New York Times Best Seller list for April 1. You might want to take a look at the Fiction list, and Poisoned Pen’s Web Store if you’re interested in signed copies. https://store.poisonedpen.com/

The Rising Sea by Clive Cussler and Graham Brown is new at the number 1 position. Here’s Clive Cussler signing copies of The Rising Sea at the bookstore.

Kristin Hannah dropped in to sign copies of The Great Alone. Her novel is at #2 on April 1.

Brad Meltzer made an appearance at the bookstore to talk about The Escape Artist. It’s at #3, but debuted at #1 on the list.

Here’s Barbara Peters, owner of the Poisoned Pen, with A.J. Finn. Finn is the author of The Woman in the Window. It’s currently #5. He also stopped in at the bookstore.

Fifty Fifty by James Patterson and Candice Fox will be at the tenth position on April 1. Both authors were here this month. Now’s the time to pick up a copy signed by both authors.

The Poisoned Pen – the place to be for authors and readers alike (although we all know authors are readers, too).

Patrick Millikin’s recent interview with authors Willy Vlautin and J. Todd Scott is really one you should listen to on Livestream. https://livestream.com/poisonedpen/events/8122126

Their melancholy books could be soundtracks. In fact, Vlautin sings the title song for his book, Don’t Skip Out On Me. And, the three men spend time talking about what would be the background music for Scott’s High White Sun. You can buy signed copies of both books through the Web Store. https://store.poisonedpen.com/

Don’t miss the opportunity to hear the authors read from their books, and, in Vlautin’s case, sing. Check out the Livestream link. https://livestream.com/poisonedpen/events/8122126

Sue Grafton’s Y is for Yesterday. Matt Haig’s How to Stop Time. Jack Carr’s The Terminal List. Those are all titles we’ve talked about here on the blog. Haig and Carr both appeared at The Poisoned Pen. You can check the Web Store to order copies. https://store.poisonedpen.com/

What else do these books have in common? Authors Brad Thor and Harlan Coben were just with Megyn Kelly on Today, talking about their recommendations for spring reading. They were enthusiastic about these titles, and others. You can watch the segment here. Then, check back with The Poisoned Pen to order your own picks for spring reading.

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0COjc0cBDRc?rel=0&w=560&h=315]

Paige Shelton is now a regular visitor to the Poisoned Pen, as an author who moved to Arizona, and as an audience member. How could we resist sharing CriminalElement‘s .GIFNotes about her new book, Lost Bones and Old Bones? The new Scottish bookshop mystery is due out April 3, but you can order a signed copy now. https://bit.ly/2DGtk6G

Here’s the actual description of the book.

A delightful new mystery featuring bookseller and amateur sleuth Delaney Nichols, set in Edinburgh, Scotland.

Delaney Nichols, originally of Kansas but settling happily into her new life as a bookseller in Edinburgh, works at the Cracked Spine in the heart of town. The shop is a place filled with curiosities and surprises tucked into every shelf, and it’s Delaney’s job to research the rare tomes and obscure artifacts that people come to buy and sell. When her new friends, also students at the medical school, come to the shop to sell a collection of antique medical books, Delaney knows she’s stumbled across a rare and important find indeed. Her boss, Edwin MacAlister, agrees to buy the multivolume set, perhaps even to keep for his own collection.

But not long after the sale, one of Delaney’s new friends is found murdered in the alley behind the Cracked Spine, and she wonders if there is some nefarious connection between the origin of these books and the people whose hands they fell into. Delaney takes it upon herself to help bring the murderer to justice. During her investigation, Delaney she finds some old scalpels in the bookshop’s warehouse—she and discovers that they belonged to a long-dead doctor whose story and ties to thepast crimes of Burke and Hare might be connected to the present-day murder. It’s all Delaney can do to race to solve this crime before time runs out and she ends up in a victim on the slab herself.

*****

And, here’s the link to Adam Wagner’s fun .GIFNotes. https://bit.ly/2GIQMDb