Fiction Review

At CriminalElement.com, reviewer John Valeri says, “If I Die Tonight is a triumph of sophisticated, stylized storytelling. Though the fractured family is an age-old rite of passage, Gaylin—whose finger always seems to be on the pulse of societal stressors—infuses the topic with absolute immediacy.” His entire review can be read here. https://bit.ly/2D3ft9V

Gaylin, author of If I Die Tonight, joins Phillip Margolin, author of The Third Victim, at The Poisoned Pen on Tuesday, March 13 at 7 PM. Signed copies of Gaylin’s novel are available through the Web Store. https://bit.ly/2I2wHIm

Here’s the summary of If I Die Tonight.

Reminiscent of the bestsellers of Laura Lippman and Harlan Coben—with a dose of Big Little Lies or Stranger Things—an absorbing, addictive tale of psychological suspense from the author of the highly acclaimed and Edgar Award-nominated What Remains of Me and the USA Today bestselling and Shamus Award-winning Brenna Spector series, in which a seemingly open-and-shut police case with a clear-cut hero and villain turns out to be anything but simple.

Late one night in the quiet Hudson Valley town of Havenkill, a distraught woman stumbles into the police station—and lives are changed forever.

Aimee En, once a darling of the ’80s pop music scene, claims that a teenage boy stole her car, then ran over another young man who’d rushed to help.

As Liam Miller’s life hangs in the balance, the events of that fateful night begin to come into focus. But is everything as it seems?

The case quickly consumes social media, transforming Liam, a local high school football star, into a folk hero, and the suspect, a high school outcast named Wade Reed, into a depraved would-be killer. But is Wade really guilty? And if he isn’t, why won’t he talk?

Told from a kaleidoscope of viewpoints—Wade’s mother Jackie, his younger brother Connor, Aimee En and Pearl Maze, a young police officer with a tragic past, If I Die Tonight is a story of family ties and dark secrets—and the lengths we’ll go to protect ourselves.

Mickey Spillane would have turned 100 on March 9. In honor of the author, Titan Books is releasing two books that were finished by Spillane’s friend and colleague, Max Allan Collins. The Last Stand was the manuscript Spillane had completed when he died in 2006. Killing Town was the novel that introduced Mike Hammer, but Spillane never finished it. Now, with permission of Spillane and his estate, Collins has completed that book.

Both books are available for special order through the Web Store. https://bit.ly/2oSsLRD

For a little background as to Mickey Spillane’s relationship with Max Allan Collins, check out the interview in Library Journal. https://bit.ly/2I3DbqB

According to Janet Maslin in The New York Times, this couple created “A Monster in the Mold of Hannibal Lector”. https://nyti.ms/2Fe95Pc

She’s talking about the Swedish husband-and-wife writing team of Alexandra Coelho Ahndoril and Alexander Ahndoril, who write under the name Lars Kepler. In a recent article in Publishers Weekly, “Knopf Bets on Another Scandinavian Author”, Jim Milliot talks about the publisher’s reboot of Lars Kepler’s books in the United States. https://bit.ly/2ti432u

The Sandman is the first of the books to be released with new translations in the U.S. And, the authors will be at The Poisoned Pen on Wednesday, March 14 at 7 PM to discuss their books.

Plan to be here to meet these international publishing stars. If you can’t be at the Pen that night, you can order a signed copy through the Web Store. https://bit.ly/2FpnIlX

Here’s the summary of The Sandman.

“Sensational … like meeting Hannibal Lecter all over again – twice.” —Lee Child

The #1 internationally best-selling thriller from the author of The Hypnotist tells the chilling story of a manipulative serial killer and the two brilliant police agents who must try to beat him at his own game.

Late one night, outside Stockholm, Mikael Kohler-Frost is found wandering. Thirteen years earlier, he went missing along with his younger sister. They were long thought to have been victims of Sweden’s most notorious serial killer, Jurek Walter, now serving a life sentence in a maximum security psychiatric hospital. Now Mikael tells the police that his sister is still alive and being held by someone he knows only as the Sandman. Years ago, Detective Inspector Joona Linna made an excruciating personal sacrifice to ensure Jurek’s capture. He is keenly aware of what this killer is capable of, and now he is certain that Jurek has an accomplice. He knows that any chance of rescuing Mikael’s sister depends on getting Jurek to talk, and that the only agent capable of this is Inspector Saga Bauer, a twenty-seven-year-old prodigy. She will have to go under deep cover in the psychiatric ward where Jurek is imprisoned, and she will have to find a way to get to the psychopath before it’s too late–and before he gets inside her head.

Later this month, Nancy Herriman will launch a new historical mystery series, beginning with Searcher of the Dead. She was kind enough to take time from her schedule to answer some questions, to sit in the hot seat. For more information, you can check out her website at https://www.nancyherriman.com/ You can special order Searcher of the Dead through the Web Store. https://bit.ly/2FkkHju

Thank you, Nancy, for taking time for the interview.

Nancy, would you introduce yourself to the Poisoned Pen blog readers?

— Here’s a bit about me: I retired from an engineering career to take up the pen, and my work has won the RWA Daphne du Maurier award. I have published several novels, including two historical (sweet) romances and a mystery series set in 1867 San Francisco. After 20+ years living in the Phoenix area, I currently live in Central Ohio where, when not writing, I enjoy singing, gabbing about writing, and eating dark chocolate. In March of 2018, the first in my Bess Ellyott Elizabethan mysteries (Crooked Lane Books) was released.

Why did you choose to write historical mysteries rather than historical fiction?

— I have attempted to write historical fiction, with no luck in getting published. When my agent, knowing my love of mysteries, encouraged me to try my hand at one, I took her up on the suggestion. The book I wrote at her prodding was the first one in my San Francisco series.

Would you introduce us to Bess Ellyott?

— Opinionated, strong-willed, Bess Ellyott is an herbalist living in the waning years of Queen Elizabeth’s reign. She is a widow who has lost her children to illness and her husband to a murderer. She tends to the folk of a small town in Wiltshire, where she has come to reside in her brother’s home. In search of peace and quiet, trouble seems to follow her.

Tell us about Searcher of the Dead, without spoilers.

— I’ll share a shortened version of the back-cover copy: Herbalist Bess Ellyott flees London after her husband is murdered, but the peace she has found in the quiet Wiltshire countryside is short-lived. Her brother-in-law, a prosperous merchant, is himself found dead—dangling from a tree, an apparent suicide.

Clues suggest otherwise to Bess. Word around town holds that the dead man might be a victim of rival merchants scheming to corner the wool market. Bess, though, is convinced the killer is out to destroy her family for reasons unknown.

Can she trust the town constable to help her find the truth? Christopher Harwoode will cross members of his own family to find the killer…whose next target may very well be Queen Elizabeth I herself.

Your previous series was set in 1867 in San Francisco. It’s quite a departure to switch to Elizabethan England. What was the appeal of a new time period?

— I have always been fascinated by the medieval/Tudor time period. The first manuscripts I ever wrote (15+ years ago) were set in medieval England, so it’s a long-standing interest of mine. I intend, however, to continue to write more in the San Francisco series, which I’d hate to abandon.

What kind of research did you do to switch continents and historical periods?

— I had to dig out all my old research books and read intensely. It has required more work than expected to switch my brain from thinking about post-Civil War San Francisco to 1590s Wiltshire. I’ve researched all aspects of daily life (food, habits, clothing), the history of Catholic efforts to restore the church (which is a key story element in Searcher of the Dead), the role of constables and coroners and Tudor-era crimes and punishment. I’ve read up on 16th and 17th-century herbal preparations, the scenery of Wiltshire and typical towns in that area, even how houses were constructed and common floor plans. Even trivia such as common sheep diseases or how to make cheese. It’s impossible to get inside the heads of people from that period, but I hope to at least give a flavor of what their lives were like.

Now, for a few personal questions. When friends come to visit, what’s your favorite place to take them? What do you miss about Arizona?

— Two places I really love in this area are the local indoor farmer’s market (North Market) and the Short North with all of its fabulous restaurants and art galleries. No end of good food in this town. What I miss most about Arizona is the wide open desert, which is sadly getting harder and harder to find. And the smell of creosote after a summer rainstorm.

What did you read as a child? What was your favorite book? 

— I read “˜horse’ books like “˜Black Beauty’ (is that even a sub-genre any longer?) and children’s fantasy novels. If I had to choose, I’d say my favorite book was “˜The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe.’ When I was around ten, a family friend gave me her copy of an Agatha Christie book she’d finished. After that, the die was cast! I consumed them like sweets.

You now write historical mysteries. What authors have influenced you?

— I delight in reading Lindsey Davis and Rhys Bowen’s “˜Her Royal Spyness’ books, and would love to write witty historical mysteries like those ladies, but obviously don’t! I’m not certain anyone has directly influenced me, aside from all the Dickens I read in high school. His books seem to have encouraged me to have a large cast of characters in my novels.

Name an author or a book you wish had gotten more attention.

— Jason Goodwin. I adore his Yashim mysteries, which are set in 1830s Istanbul. Rich in detail and with a fascinating sleuth, I think they’re brilliant. Unfortunately, the series has come to an end after a short run.

*****

Thank you, Nancy. As I said, you can special order Searcher of the Dead through the Web Store. https://bit.ly/2FkkHju

Announcing CrimeReads, a new site from the makers of Literary Hub, at crimereads.com. Poisoned Pen Press is one of the publisher partners with CrimeReads.

On March 7th, Literary Hub is launching CrimeReads, a new website showcasing the best writing from the worlds of crime, mystery, and thrillers.

Crime writing is more popular than ever before. From psychological thrillers to true crime to international noir, these titles fill the world’s bookshelves. Every year, new masters of suspense come to the fore, and with the rising popularity of podcasts, TV, and film adaptations, we consume more crime and mystery stories all the time. The culture that has sprung up around these stories is vibrant, diverse, and growing.

CrimeReads will be the singular online destination where readers can find the highest quality crime content from across the web, the publishing world, and the crime community. With help from its partners, CrimeReads will publish a daily slate of features, profiles, and excerpts from established and emerging writers, as well as a weekly newsletter, curating the best of today’s crime, mystery, and thriller scene.

“It’s been exciting to watch the success and growth of Literary Hub,” said Morgan Entrekin, the site’s co-founder and Publisher of Grove Atlantic. “Now, using the same model of partnering with content producers and having our editors commission original work, we’re expanding to cover crime writing.”

CrimeReads will partner with major publishers and independent presses, booksellers, librarians, thriller festivals, author organizations, journals, blogs, crime-solving communities, and more. CrimeReads will be advised by a board of authors, among the most widely read and influential voices in the field, including Megan Abbott, Lee Child, Lyndsay Faye, Meg Gardiner, Alison Gaylin, Rachel Howzell Hall, Carl Hiaasen, Joe Ide, Craig Johnson, Ausma Zehanat Khan, Laura Lippman, Attica Locke, Val McDermid, Kyle Mills, Walter Mosley, Lori Rader-Day, Ruth Ware, and Daniel Woodrell.

“The crime fiction community has always been friendly, engaged and deeply passionate,” said author Megan Abbott. “CrimeReads promises to offer a “˜gathering place’ (a corner bar, if you will) to discuss and debate, to share ideas and talk craft, and to discover new books and new writers. I can’t wait.”

Literary Hub was launched in 2015 and has become the world’s most popular independent literary site, with over 2 million monthly readers and 250+ partners. It was conceived by Morgan Entrekin and ASME Hall of Fame editor, Terry McDonnell, and created in collaboration with Andy Hunter, Electric Literature, and founding editor Jonny Diamond.

The Hot Book of the Week at The Poisoned Pen is Charles Todd’s The Gate Keeper. The mother-and-son writing team of Caroline and Charles Todd will be at the bookstore on Monday, March 12 at 7 PM, when they’ll be interviewed by author Francine Mathews. Joining the group will be Sophie Hannah, author of Keep Her Safe. You can order a signed copy of The Gate Keeper now through the Web Store. https://bit.ly/2CYwbY1

**Exclusive for Poisoned Pen Customers with the purchase of a signed copy of The Gate Keeper, you will receive a specially designed “wedding invite”…..while supplies last**

Why a “wedding invite”? Here’s the summary of The Gate Keeper.

On a deserted road, late at night, Scotland Yard’s Ian Rutledge encounters a frightened woman standing over a body, launching an inquiry that leads him into the lair of a stealthy killer and the dangerous recesses of his own memories in this twentieth installment of the acclaimed New York Timesbestselling series.

Hours after his sister’s wedding, a restless Ian Rutledge drives aimlessly, haunted by the past, and narrowly misses a motorcar stopped in the middle of a desolate road. Standing beside the vehicle is a woman with blood on her hands and a dead man at her feet.

She swears she didn’t kill Stephen Wentworth. A stranger stepped out in front of their motorcar, and without warning, fired a single shot before vanishing into the night. But there is no trace of him. And the shaken woman insists it all happened so quickly, she never saw the man’s face.

Although he is a witness after the fact, Rutledge persuades the Yard to give him the inquiry, since he’s on the scene. But is he seeking justice—or fleeing painful memories in London?

Wentworth was well-liked, yet his bitter family paint a malevolent portrait, calling him a murderer. But who did Wentworth kill? Is his death retribution? Or has his companion lied? Wolf Pit, his village, has a notorious history: in Medieval times, the last wolf in England was killed there. When a second suspicious death occurs, the evidence suggests that a dangerous predator is on the loose, and that death is closer than Rutledge knows.

James Patterson loves bookstores. So he will appear at The Poisoned Pen on Saturday March 10 at 6:00 PM. There will be a chat,  and then there will be a book signing. To make this fun and comfortable, attendance is limited to 125.

To do that please register by buying one of the 125 vouchers for $25. Call us at 480 947 2974 or 888 560 9919 or  [email protected]

 You will be able to spend the $25 voucher, given to you when you arrive at the store, on any Patterson book in stock. The signing is limited to books bought at the event; please do not bring any personal books with you.

This will include the Harriet Blue thriller Fifty Fifty (Little Brown $28). By happy chance his coauthor Candice Fox joins us on March 9, so all our copies will be signed by both authors. And we’ll give you a special price at the event only of $25.

 You can also spend the $25 by ordering a Signed copy of Red Alert: NYPD #5 now for delivery on publication date, March 26. If you can’t attend you can order either book in the usual way, through the Web Store. https://store.poisonedpen.com

Former Navy Seal turned writer, Jack Carr, will sign copies of his debut novel, The Terminal List, at the Poisoned Pen on Tuesday, March 6 at 7 PM. He’ll be in conversation with J. Todd Scott. Signed copies of The Terminal List are available for order through the Web Store. https://bit.ly/2orxLNQ

Here’s the summary of The Terminal List.

“Double the trouble, twice the action, and quadruple the enjoyment. Careful while reading this one, it could leave a mark.”—Steve Berry, #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Lost Order

A Navy SEAL has nothing left to live for and everything to kill for after he discovers that the American government is behind the deaths of his team in this ripped-from-the-headlines political thriller.

On his last combat deployment, Lieutenant Commander James Reece’s entire team was killed in a catastrophic ambush that also claimed the lives of the aircrew sent in to rescue them. But when those dearest to him are murdered on the day of his homecoming, Reece discovers that this was not an act of war by a foreign enemy but a conspiracy that runs to the highest levels of government.

Now, with no family and free from the military’s command structure, Reece applies the lessons that he’s learned in over a decade of constant warfare toward avenging the deaths of his family and teammates. With breathless pacing and relentless suspense, Reece ruthlessly targets his enemies in the upper echelons of power without regard for the laws of combat or the rule of law.

An intoxicating thriller that cautions against the seduction of absolute power and those who would do anything to achieve it, The Terminal List is perfect for fans of Vince Flynn, Brad Thor, Stephen Hunter, and Nelson DeMille.

*****

What led Jack Carr to be a Navy Seal and then a writer? He talks about it here.

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SHUH4vPhuik?rel=0&w=560&h=315]

It’s been twenty years since Kent Anderson’s last novel. Now, he’s at the Poisoned Pen on Sunday, March 4 at 2 PM with his third crime novel, Green Sun. Signed copies are available through the Web Store. https://bit.ly/2CSJk4V

Michael Schaub just reviewed Green Sun for NPR (National Public Radio). Schaub says, “Green Sun succeeds on so many levels, it’s hard to keep count.” You can read his entire review here. https://n.pr/2FJluf7. He says it’s worth waiting for two decades for this book.

What have you been waiting for? Here’s the summary.

“One of the unsung heroes of crime fiction” (Chicago Tribune), Kent Anderson returns after two decades with this dazzling novel about justice, character and fate, set against the backdrop of an American city at war with itself.

You never know what you’ll get when you ask Brad Parks to write a guest post. But, it will probably be funny. The author of Closer Than You Know will be at The Poisoned Pen on Wednesday, March 7 at 7 PM. He’ll be joined by Christopher Rice, author of Bone Music. Signed copies of their books are available through the Web Store. https://store.poisonedpen.com/

Brad has a few things to say about the event.

*****

I’m a big fan of group signings and an even bigger fan of the Poisoned Pen. So I was thrilled to learn that for my annual visit to Scottsdale’s world famous bookstore, I’d be teamed up with. . .

Wait, what?!?

They want me to appear with Christopher Rice?

Oh hell.

Hell no.

I hate that guy. And when I say hate, I mean it’s deeply, deeply personal. And when I say deeply personal, I mean we’ve barely met. We were introduced briefly at ThrillerFest one year. He probably doesn’t even remember it. So it’s more accurate to say while I go around telling people I’ve met Christopher Rice, he’s like, “Who?” Which is not at all embarrassing for me.

Point is, you can take your Christopher Rice and shove him down a hole; then fill the hole with a thousand hungry rats; then make sure the rats have rabies; then subject him to repeated viewings of White House press briefings, which he then has to retweet with a line of dancing kissy face emojis and the comment, “And that’s no lie!”

That’s how much I hate that guy.

I have this thing going, you see. Me, and some other guys who also write thrillers, we’re what I call Gregg Hurwitzes. A Gregg Hurwitz is young (which is to say: at least ten years from needing our first hip replacement). We’re decent-looking by crime fiction standards (which is to say: neither horribly disfigured nor hunched by a bone-wasting disease). We’re successful (which is to say: the publishing companies are still printing our novels, mostly because they haven’t yet figured out how to replace us with manuscript-writing robots whose egos they don’t need to constantly stroke).

But Christopher Rice? He’s not just young. He’s obnoxiously young. Go ahead. Ask him about what it’s like to turn forty. He’ll just stand there with a coquettish smile because he doesn’t have a clue.

He’s not just decent-looking by crime fiction standards, he’s actually attractive. I mean, yeah, I was once named one of Crime Fiction’s Sexiest Authors by noted book blogger Jen Forbus. Christopher Rice was named one of the Sexiest Men Alive by People Freakin’ Magazine.

And successful? Stop already. By the age of thirty, he had written four New York Times bestsellers. By the age of thirty, I hadn’t even written four complete New York Times crossword puzzles.

Beyond that, he’s charming, polite, a snazzy dresser, a terrific writer, and—by all accounts—a really nice guy. There is absolutely nothing redeeming about him.

I’ll still go to the signing, of course, but only because I live in mortal fear of offending Barbara Peters.

I won’t like it though. I plan to spend the entire event sitting in the corner with a menacing look on my face, muttering thinly veiled threats, seething at that infernal pestilence Christopher Rice.

And that’s no lie.
Brad Parks is an American author of crime fiction who is chiefly known for not being worthy of carrying Christopher Rice’s laptop. Brad’s soon-to-be released next novel, Closer Than You Know, won starred reviews from Kirkus and Library Journal. Nevertheless, he’ll be the tiny, flickering candle sitting next to the supernova that is Christopher Rice when they jointly appear at The Poisoned Pen on March 7.