Fiction Review

Dirk Cussler talked about his father, Clive Cussler, as well as the latest Dirk Pitt novel when he recently appeared at The Poisoned Pen. Barbara Peters, owner of the bookstore, welcomed Dirk back to the Pen. The latest book is Clive Cussler The Corsican Shadow. There are signed copies of the book available in the Webstore. https://bit.ly/49JnWzU

Here’s the description of Clive Cussler The Corsican Shadow.

Intrepid adventurer Dirk Pitt must unravel an enduring historical mystery in the latest novel in the beloved New York Times bestselling series created by the “grand master of adventure” Clive Cussler.

In May 1940, as the German army blitzes Europe and Parisians flee their city, the chief curator of the Musée de l’Armée is ordered to get a mysterious piece of cargo out of the country. When he arrives at the port of Le Havre and learns that his intended ship has been sunk, he places the object on a decrepit steamer that sails out under German fire.

In the present day, National Underwater and Marine Agency Director Dirk Pitt is on a diving expedition in the English Channel when he discovers a cache of uncut diamonds on a shipwreck. When the diamonds are stolen, Pitt and the NUMA agency find themselves up against a murderous cabal that soon reveals far more destructive plans than mere theft. Vital water treatment facilities around the globe are being targeted—placing the world’s population in grave peril.

From the shadow of the Eiffel Tower to the depths of the Irish Sea to the islands of the Caribbean, only Dirk Pitt and his children, Summer and Dirk Jr., can locate the treasure that will preserve the soul of a nation…and save the world from catastrophe.

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Clive Cussler was the author of more than eighty books in five bestselling series, including Dirk Pitt®, NUMA Files®, Oregon Files®, Isaac Bell®, and Sam and Remi Fargo®. His life nearly paralleled that of his hero Dirk Pitt. Whether searching for lost aircraft or leading expeditions to find famous shipwrecks, he and his NUMA crew of volunteers discovered and surveyed more than seventy-five lost ships of historic significance, including the long-lost Civil War submarine Hunley, which was raised in 2000 with much publicity. Like Pitt, Cussler collected classic automobiles. His collection featured more than one hundred examples of custom coachwork. Cussler passed away in February 2020.

Dirk Cussler is the author of Clive Cussler’s The Devil’s Sea, and coauthor with Clive Cussler of eight previous Dirk Pitt adventures: Black Wind, Treasure of Khan, Arctic Drift, Crescent Dawn, Poseidon’s Arrow, Havana Storm, Odessa Sea, and Celtic Empire. He serves as president of NUMA, where he continues his father’s legacy of searching for important historical shipwrecks. He lives in Connecticut.

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If you enjoy background to books and authors, you’ll want to watch this author event with Dirk Cussler.

Kevin Hearne returned to The Poisoned Pen to talk about the final book in The Seven Kennings series, A Curse of Krakens. A Curse of Krakens is the current Hot Book of the Week at the bookstore. You can order signed copies of the book through the Webstore. https://bit.ly/3FTimNF

Here’s the description of A Curse of Krakens.

From the New York Times bestselling creator of The Iron Druid Chronicles comes the final book in the epic fantasy trilogy that began with A Plague of Giants, about a war that broke a continent—and opened the door to a new world.

Seeker and Sower
Pen Yas ben Min’s cousin was one of the legendary heroes of the wars against the giants until her untimely death. Pen has grown up in her famous cousin’s shadow, but when she’s given a quest to plant the seed of the magical Fourth Tree, she has a chance to step into the light—and usher in a new age for her country.

Fighter and Friend
Abhi’s life—and the world—changed when he discovered a lost magic: the power to speak to animals. After fighting so many battles, he’s weary and longs for home and his love, Tamhan. But before he can return, there is one last mission that only Abhi can complete: to speak to the colossal creatures who wait beneath the waves—the krakens.

Sailor and Explorer
Koesha and her shipmates have already made an impossible journey by navigating the Northern Yawn, at the end of which she secured an unusual cloak. But when that cloak turns out to be the key to unlocking the mystery of the Seventh Kenning, Koesha has to risk everything on another life-threatening journey and hope that she can steer her crew to safety.

Don’t miss any of Kevin Hearne’s action-packed Seven Kennings series
A PLAGUE OF GIANTS • A BLIGHT OF BLACKWINGS • A CURSE OF KRAKENS

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Kevin Hearne is into nature photography, heavy metal, and beard maintenance. He likes to plan road trips and sometimes even takes them. He is the New York Times bestselling author of The Iron Druid Chronicles, the Ink & Sigil series, and the Seven Kennings series, and is co-author of The Tales of Pell with Delilah S. Dawson.

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Enjoy Kevin Hearne’s presentation.

How do you follow a week that included appearances by Michael Connelly and Janet Evanovich? This coming week, The Poisoned Pen will host the 50th anniversary celebration of Clive Cussler’s Dirk Pitt, and host authors such as Dirk Cussler, Martin Walker and Tess Gerritsen. Check out the next schedule of events, and then check the Webstore for books by your favorite authors. https://store.poisonedpen.com/

Here’s the upcoming schedule.

Dirk Pitt 50th Anniversary

Dirk Cussler

David Swinson

Martin Walker

Tess Gerritsen

Just in time for the recent event with Janet Evanovich, Patrick Millikin was able to announce that Dirty Thirty debuts at #1 on The New York Times Bestseller list. Barbara Peters, owner of The Poisoned Pen, welcomed Evanovich for the discussion of the thirtieth Stephanie Plum adventure. There was a fun discussion of previous appearances for the books. There are signed copies of Dirty Thirty available through the Webstore. https://bit.ly/3QFjae6

Here’s the summary of Dirty Thirty.

#1 New York Times bestselling author and “most popular mystery writer alive” (The New York Times) Janet Evanovich is in top form as she sends Stephanie Plum on the trail of a stolen cache of dirty diamonds.

Stephanie Plum, Trenton’s hardest working, most underappreciated bounty hunter, is offered a freelance assignment that seems simple enough. Local jeweler Martin Rabner wants her to locate his former security guard, Andy Manley (a.k.a. Nutsy), who he is convinced stole a fortune in diamonds out of his safe. Stephanie is also looking for another troubled man, Duncan Dugan, a fugitive from justice arrested for robbing the same jewelry store on the same day.

With her boyfriend Morelli away in Miami on police business, Stephanie is taking care of Bob, Morelli’s giant orange dog who will devour anything, from Stephanie’s stray donuts to the upholstery in her car. Morelli’s absence also means the inscrutable, irresistible security expert Ranger is front and center in Stephanie’s life when things inevitably go sideways. And he seems determined to stay there.

To complicate matters, her best friend Lula is convinced she is being stalked by a mythological demon hell-bent on relieving her of her wardrobe. An overnight stakeout with Stephanie’s mother and Grandma Mazur reveals three generations of women with nerves of steel and driving skills worthy of NASCAR champions.

As the body count rises and witnesses start to disappear, it won’t be easy for Stephanie to keep herself clean when everyone else is playing dirty. It’s a good thing Stephanie isn’t afraid of getting a little dirty, too.

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Over the last twenty-six years, Janet Evanovich has written a staggering forty-two New York Times bestsellers. In addition to her #1 bestselling Stephanie Plum novels and many other popular books, Janet is the author of The Recovery Agent, the start of a blockbuster new series.

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No spoilers, but you’ll enjoy the conversation with Janet Evanovich.

Barbara Peters, owner of The Poisoned Pen, recently welcomed Vanessa Lillie back to the bookstore to talk about her latest book, Blood Sisters. Lillie sets up the background of the story in the attached video. You can order a signed copy through the Webstore. https://bit.ly/3QUcMB2

Here’s the description of Blood Sisters.

A visceral and compelling mystery about a Cherokee archeologist for the Bureau of Indian Affairs who is summoned to rural Oklahoma to investigate the disappearance of two women…one of them her sister.

There are secrets in the land.

As an archeologist for the Bureau of Indian Affairs, Syd Walker spends her days in Rhode Island trying to protect the land’s indigenous past, even as she’s escaping her own.

While Syd is dedicated to her job, she’s haunted by a night of violence she barely escaped in her Oklahoma hometown fifteen years ago. Though she swore she’d never go back, the past comes calling.

When a skull is found near the crime scene of her youth, just as her sister, Emma Lou, vanishes, Syd knows she must return home. She refuses to let her sister’s disappearance, or the remains, go ignored—as so often happens in cases of missing Native women.

But not everyone is glad to have Syd home, and she can feel the crosshairs on her. Still, the deeper Syd digs, the more she uncovers about a string of missing indigenous women cases going back decades. To save her sister, she must expose a darkness in the town that no one wants to face—not even Syd.

The truth will be unearthed.

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Vanessa Lillie is an enrolled citizen of the Cherokee Nation of Oklahoma and the author of the bestselling suspense novels Little Voices and For the Best. With fifteen years of marketing and communications experience, Vanessa hosts a weekly Instagram Live event with crime fiction authors and was a columnist for the Providence Journal. She lives on Narragansett land in Rhode Island.

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Enjoy the conversation with Vanessa Lillie.

Barbara Peters, owner of The Poisoned Pen, recently welcomed Rhys Bowen for a virtual program. Bowen’s latest Royal Spyness book is The Proof of the Pudding. There are signed bookplates for the books, although The Poisoned Pen can also hold a copy until Rhys Bowen will be in Arizona and can actually sign them. You can order a copy through the Webstore. https://bit.ly/40rF494

Here’s the description of The Proof of the Pudding.

Lady Georgiana Rannoch is looking forward to her first ever turn as hostess for her very own house party when the festivities lead to murder…

Georgie, back home at her estate in Eynsleigh, impatiently awaits the birth of her baby. But she has plenty to occupy her: her new chef, Pierre, has arrived from Paris, and Sir Hubert, who owns Eynsleigh, is back from his latest expedition. It’s time for Georgie to throw her first house party to celebrate his return and show off her new chef. The dinner party is a smashing success. Sir Mortimer Mordred—famous author of creepy Gothic horror novels—is one of the guests. He recently purchased a nearby Elizabethan manor nearby because it has a famous poison garden. After the dinner, Sir Mortimer approaches Georgie and asks to borrow her new chef for his upcoming party, and Georgie and Darcy, her dashing husband, are invited! 

The tour of the poison garden is fascinating, as is Sir Mortimer’s laboratory. Shockingly, just after the banquet several of the guests become sick.  And one dies, apparently poisoned by berries from the garden. But how could this be when they all ate the same meal and the same delectable dessert? Georgie has to find the culprit to save her new chef and her own reputation—all before her bundle of joy arrives!

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Rhys Bowen, a New York Times bestselling author, has been nominated for every major award in mystery writing, including the Edgar®, and has won many, including both the Agatha and Anthony awards. She is also the author of the Molly Murphy Mysteries, set in turn-of-the-century New York, and the Constable Evans Mysteries, set in Wales, as well as two international bestselling stand-alone novels. She was born in England and now divides her time between Northern California and Arizona.

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Rhys Bowen’s conversations are always entertaining. Enjoy!

John Charles from The Poisoned Pen recently hosted authors Kate Carlisle and Michele Hoffman at the bookstore. Carlisle’s latest book is The Twelve Books of Christmas. Hoffman’s new book is The Second Ending. You can order copies of both books, including signed copies of The Twelve Books of Christmas, in the Webstore. https://store.poisonedpen.com/

Here’s the summary of The Twelve Books of Christmas.

The first ever Christmas mystery in the beloved New York Times bestselling Bibliophile Mystery series!

San Francisco book-restoration expert Brooklyn Wainwright and her hunky security-expert husband, Derek Stone, face a locked-room murder mystery during the holidays in Scotland.

In the middle of a wonderful Christmas holiday in Dharma, Brooklyn and Derek receive a frantic phone call from their dear friend Claire in Loch Ness, Scotland. The laird of the castle, Cameron MacKinnon, has just proposed to her! They plan to be married on New Year’s Day, and they want Derek and Brooklyn to be their witnesses. And while they’re visiting, Claire hopes that Brooklyn will be able to solve a little mystery that’s occurred in the castle library—twelve very rare, very important books have gone missing.

Once in Scotland, Brooklyn starts working on the mystery of the missing books but is soon distracted by all of the thumping and bumping noises she’s been hearing in the middle of the night. You’d think the Ghost of Christmas Past had taken up residence. But when one of the guests is poisoned and another is killed by an arrow through the heart, Brooklyn and Derek know this is not the work of any ghost. Now they must race to find a killer and a book thief before another murder occurs and their friends’ bright and happy future turns dark and deadly.

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Kate Carlisle is the New York Times bestselling author of the Bibliophile Mysteries, including Little Black Book and The Grim Reader, as well as the Fixer-Upper Mysteries, including Absence of Mallets.

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Here’s the description of Michele Hoffman’s The Second Ending.

A former prodigy who refuses to believe her best years are behind her and a young virtuoso searching for his passion both get an unlikely shot at their dreams in this sparkling debut about second chances, unexpected joys, and the miraculous power of music.

Prudence Childs was once the most famous kindergartner on the planet. After teaching herself to play piano at age three, she performed at the White House, appeared on talk shows, and inspired a generation to take up lessons. But as adolescence closed in, Prudence realized that she was being exploited and pushed into fame by her cruel grandmother, so she ran away. Broke and alone, she took a job writing commercial jingles, which earned her a fortune but left her creatively adrift.

Now forty-eight, with her daughters away at school, Prudence agrees to compete on a wildly popular dueling pianos TV show to reconnect with her inner artist. Unfortunately, her new spotlight captures the attention of her terrible ex-husband, Bobby, who uses the opportunity to blackmail her over a long-buried secret. If she doesn’t win, she won’t just be a musical failure; she’ll also be bankrupt and exposed in front of millions.

Her on-air rival, virtuoso Alexei Petrov, a young internet sensation with a massive audience and a dreamy Russian accent, has problems of his own. His demanding parents made him a technically flawless pianist but left him without friends, hobbies, or any kind of life outside his music.

As they prepare to face off onstage, the retired prodigy and the exhausted wunderkind realize that the competition is their chance to prove to their bad exes, tyrannical family members, and, most important, themselves that it’s never too late to write a new ending.

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Michelle Hoffman is a former arts and entertainment writer for The Arizona Republic. She began formal piano lessons at the age of five and now lives in Arizona with her husband, two spoiled Shih Tzus, and a very large piano.

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Enjoy the conversation with Kate Carlisle and Michelle Hoffman.

Patrick Millikin mentioned that Eliot Pattison is a favorite of those at The Poisoned Pen. Then, Barbara Peters, owner of the bookstore talked about Pattison’s first book, The Skull Mantra. It went on to win the Edgar Award for Best First Novel. However, the discussion was about The Pen’s Historical Fiction Novel for November, Pattison’s Freedom’s Ghost. There will be signed copies available for purchase. https://bit.ly/47l9oEo

Here’s the summary of Freedom’s Ghost.

As the drumbeat of the American Revolution grows ever closer, Scotsman-turned-American-patriot Duncan McCallum must navigate treacherous cultural and political waters if he’s to secure a fighting chance for the fledgling nation in this gripping installment of the acclaimed Bone Rattler series

After narrowly avoiding death in London at the hands of the king’s secret agents, Duncan McCallum returns to colonial America only to discover that his troubles have followed him across the Atlantic.

The harbor town of Marblehead, Massachusetts, is a smoldering powder keg as British loyalists and advocates for liberty feverishly maneuver to determine the future of the colonies. When a Native American sailor is scapegoated for the gruesome murders of officers of the British occupation troops, McCallum will have to face off against ruthless adversaries close to the crown. Soliciting the assistance of such notable historical figures as John Hancock, Crispus Attucks, and John and Samuel Adams, McCallum must rely on his skills in science, subterfuge, and diplomacy to stave off a war for which America is not yet prepared.

Just as Patrick O’Brian’s Master and Commander series took readers on a thrilling journey through the Napoleonic Wars, Freedom’s Ghost and the Bone Rattler series offer riveting historical adventures embedding readers in the clashes and intrigue of the American Revolution.

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ELIOT PATTISON is the author of the Inspector Shan series, which includes The Skull Mantra, winner of an Edgar Award and finalist for the Gold Dagger. Pattison’s Bone Rattler series follows Scotsman Duncan McCallum on the road to revolution as he fights to protect the cause of freedom. Pattison resides in rural Pennsylvania.

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Enjoy the discussion with Eliot Pattison.

Stephanie Barron is the author of the “Being a Jane Austen Mystery” series. While she was writing the last in the series, Jane and the Final Mystery, she realized she wanted to write more than a deathbed story. She realized she was actually writing a boarding school mystery. Barron recently wrote an article for CrimeReads entitlled “7 Great Mystery Novels Set in Academe”. I’m sharing the link rather than the article itself because I don’t want to worry about copyright issues. But, if you have any interest in those mysteries, you’ll want to check out the article. https://crimereads.com/7-great-mystery-novels-set-in-academe/

You might also want to check out the final book in Barron’s series. There are signed copies of Jane and the Final Mystery available in The Poisoned Pen’s Webstore. https://bit.ly/3FKSfbG

Here’s the summary of the book.

The final volume of the critically acclaimed mystery series featuring Jane Austen as amateur sleuth

March 1817: As winter turns to spring, Jane Austen’s health is in slow decline, and threatens to cease progress on her latest manuscript. But when her nephew Edward brings chilling news of a death at his former school, Winchester College, not even her debilitating ailment can keep Jane from seeking out the truth. Arthur Prendergast, a senior pupil at the prestigious all-boys’ boarding school, has been found dead in a culvert near the schoolgrounds—and in the pocket of his drenched waistcoat is an incriminating note penned by the young William Heathcote, the son of Jane’s dear friend Elizabeth. Winchester College is a world unto itself, with its own language and rites of passage, cruel hazing and dangerous pranks. Can Jane clear William’s name before her illness gets the better of her?

Over the course of fourteen previous novels in the critically acclaimed Being a Jane Austen Mystery series, Stephanie Barron has won the hearts of thousands of fans—crime fiction aficionados and Janeites alike—with her tricky plotting and breathtaking evocation of Austen’s voice. Now, she brings Jane’s final season—and final murder investigation—to brilliant, poignant life in this unforgettable conclusion.

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Stephanie Barron is a graduate of Princeton and Stanford Universities, where she studied history. A former intelligence analyst at the CIA, she is the author of thirty novels, including the critically acclaimed Merry Folger series, which she writes under the name Francine Mathews. She lives and works in Denver, Colorado. Visit her online at www.stephaniebarron.com.

Janice Hallett’s latest book is The Christmas Appeal. Barbara Peters, owner of The Poisoned Pen, recently welcomed Hallett so they could talk about this novella, and her other books. You can order The Christmas Appeal through the Webstore. https://bit.ly/3FP3O1f

Here’s the description of The Christmas Appeal.

This immersive holiday caper from the “modern Agatha Christie” (The Sunday Times, London) follows the hilarious Fairway Players theater group as they put on a Christmas play—and solve a murder that threatens their production.

The Christmas season has arrived in Lower Lockwood, and the Fairway Players are busy rehearsing their festive holiday production of Jack and the Beanstalk to raise money for a new church roof. But despite the season, goodwill is distinctly lacking among the amateur theater enthusiasts with petty rivalries, a possibly asbestos-filled beanstalk, and some perennially absent players behind the scenes.

Of course, there’s also the matter of the dead body onstage. Who could possibly have had the victim on their naughty list? Join lawyers Femi and Charlotte as they investigate Christmas letters, examine emails, and pore over police transcripts to identify both the victim and killer before the curtain closes on their holiday production—for good.

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Janice Hallett is a former magazine editor, award-winning journalist, and government communications writer. She wrote articles and speeches for, among others, the Cabinet Office, Home Office, and Department for International Development. Her enthusiasm for travel has taken her around the world several times, from Madagascar to the Galapagos, Guatemala to Zimbabwe, Japan, Russia, and South Korea. A playwright and screenwriter, she penned the feminist Shakespearean stage comedy NetherBard and cowrote the feature film Retreat. She lives in London and is the author of The Mysterious Case of the Alperton Angels, The Appeal, The Christmas Appeal, and The Twyford Code.

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You can watch the discussion here.