Fiction Review

Steve Berry. Stuart Woods. Jacqueline Winspear. Laurie R. King. They’ve all been at The Poisoned Pen in the last month. They’re also here – https://nyti.ms/23R1kVN

We hope you continue to enjoy the chance to meet and hear the authors. In the next month, you’ll have the opportunity to meet James Rollins, John Sandford, Robyn Carr, Diana Gabaldon, Nevada Barr, Craig Johnson, and so many other authors. And, if you can’t get to The Pen, we’re always happy to send autographed books to you. You can find suggestions, and search for your favorite authors at the store. https://store.poisonedpen.com

As Barbara Peters says, one purchase a month keeps the authors coming, and the bookstore here. Since I’m no longer in Arizona, I know what a wonderful opportunity it is to meet bestselling and upcoming authors. Sometimes,  The Poisoned Pen offers the opportunity to discover a new author, one who may become a favorite. Whether you come to the store to hear the authors, or buy the books and watch the Livestream events, we’re happy you’re making your favorite authors into Best Sellers.

Thanks to Nora Rawlinson of EarlyWord (www.earlyword.com), for the following note about Jacqueline Winspear’s Journey to Munich.

“Jacqueline Winspear can celebrate as well. Her newest, Journey to Munich (Harper/ HarperLuxe; HarperAudio), hits its highest spot on the USA TODAY list, landing at #6…

This is the 12th book in the Maisie Dobbs mystery series and USA TODAY has tracked its rise, reporting the “series has steadily been building a fan base. An Incomplete Revenge, the first to make USA TODAY‘s list, peaked at No. 134 in 2008; last year’s A Dangerous Place landed at No. 13.”

We have signed copies of the hardcover, as well as the large print and audio versions of Journey to Munich, if you’re interested.  https://bit.ly/1SzvrZO

We thought you might find this YouTube video as fascinating as we do. The Getty Museum shows us how manuscripts were made in the Middle Ages.

When Laurie R. King appeared at The Poisoned Pen to discuss her new book, The Murder of Mary Russell, we had a fashion show that featured dresses from the Victorian era and the ’20s, the time periods covered in King’s books. We thought it would be fun to share a few of those fashions.

Even some of the audience members came in costume for the program and book signing.

If we’ve enticed you by the fashions related to the period, you can still pick up a signed copy of Laurie R. King’s The Murder of Mary Russell.

https://bit.ly/1qHoz6S

Occasionally, authors send us news that we’re happy to pass on to readers. Congratulations to Carolyn Hart, author of Don’t Go Home, for this news.

“I love booksellers, especially independent booksellers…. I am thrilled to announce that DON’T GO HOME, now available in paperback, has received a great honor from the Southern Independent Booksellers Association. Don’t Go Home is included in the short list for the Beach Music Prize (named in honor of Pat Conroy) for best mystery of 2015. The other titles are by wonderful authors I admire.

https://sibaweb.site-ym.com/blogpost/1157249/243904/The-Pat-Conroy-Southern-Book-Prize-Short-List

“In DON’T GO HOME, a bestselling author comes home to the island and announces he will reveal the inspiration for his characters, which are based on the lives of people he knows. Annie Darling’s good friend Marian Kenyon has a secret she is determined to keep. When he is murdered, Annie helps Marian investigate even though Annie promised Max she wouldn’t delve into danger.

“There will be a new Death on Demand in spring 2017: WALKING ON MY GRAVE. Annie and Max Darling know a murder is planned. Can they save the victim?”

Congratulations, Carolyn!

These are all the books shortlisted for the mystery or thriller prize.

The Beach Music Mystery Prize

Miss Julia Lays Down the Law by Ann B. Ross (Viking, 9780525427094)
A Pattern of Lies by Charles Todd (William Morrow & Company, 9780062386243)
Bull Mountain by Brian Panowich (G.P. Putnam’s Sons, 9780399173967)
Don’t Go Home by Carolyn Hart (Berkley Books, 9780425276549)
Lowcountry Boneyard by Susan M. Boyer (Henery Press, 9781941962473)

The Lords of Discipline Thriller Prize

Where All the Light Tends to Go by David Joy (G.P. Putnam’s Sons, 9780399172779)
The Bone Tree by Greg Iles (William Morrow & Company, 9780062311115)
Descent by Tim Johnston (Algonquin Books of Chapel Hill, 9781616204778)
Rogue Lawyer by John Grisham (Doubleday Books, 9780385539432)
The Scribe by Matthew Guinn (W.W. Norton & Company, 9780393239294)

These may be prizes given by the Southern Independent Booksellers Association (SIBA), but you can purchase any of these books through The Poisoned Pen.

https://store.poisonedpen.com

How popular is Steve Berry? This is an entire wall of signed copies of his latest Cotton Malone novel, The 14th Colony, as shown by Berry and Barbara Peters, owner of The Poisoned Pen.

If you haven’t heard one of Peters’ interviews with an author, they’re insightful, as she queries authors about their books, without spoiling the book for readers.

And, it was quite an audience that showed up for the Pen’s program with Steve Berry.

If you missed the program, you can still see it via our Livestream program.

https://livestream.com/poisonedpen/events/5125828

We would love to have you order a signed copy of Berry’s The 14th Colony. He signed a few of them, as you saw.

https://bit.ly/1S7TbHq

You do know The Poisoned Pen is more than a mystery bookstore, don’t you? In fact, The Poisoned Pen is a general bookstore that hosts hundreds of authors a year.

Recently, epic fantasy authors Brian Staveley and Sam Sykes signed their newest books here.

The trilogy that began with The Emperor’s Blades and continued in The Providence of Fire reaches its epic conclusion with The Last Mortal Bond, the final volume in the Chronicle of the Unhewn Throne series.

And, Sam Sykes discussed and signed Mortal Tally, the second in his Bring Down Heaven series.

So, don’t just think of us as a mystery bookstore. Think of us as the place to order and buy fantasy titles as well. We’re mystery, and more.

Like most of you, I wasn’t able to be there when Laurie R. King came to The Poisoned Pen to talk about her latest book, The Murder of Mary Russell.

But, we all still have the chance to share the experience, and this one is fascinating. Barbara Peters interviews author Laurie R. King, and, at the appropriate times, stops the interview twice to feature the clothing of the period in a fashion show. Watch the entire interview and see fashions from the Victorian era and the twenties at Livestream.

https://livestream.com/poisonedpen/events/5127403

Here’s a sneak peek at some of the fashions. First, Victorian.

Now, the models preparing for the ’20s portion of the show.

Once you’ve watched the Livestream event, and heard Laurie R. King discuss The Murder of Mary Russell, you might want to buy the book. Here’s your chance to purchase The Poisoned Pen’s book of the week.

https://tinyurl.com/jc9q4vo

Tessa Arlen recently joined us at The Poisoned Pen to discuss her latest mystery, Death Sits Down to Dinner.

She sat down with John Charles to answer questions and talk about the Edwardian period.

If you didn’t catch it earlier, Arlen also took time to answer questions in a a two-part interview for the blog when I put her in the hot seat. You can find the interview posted earlier.

https://poisonedpen.com/2016/03/28/tessa-arlen-in-the-hot-seat/

https://poisonedpen.com/2016/03/29/tessa-arlen-back-in-the-hot-seat/

And, if you’re now enticed to read it, don’t forget you can always order Death Sits Down to Dinner through the bookstore!

Stuart Woods was just at The Poisoned Pen to discuss his latest Stone Barrington novel, Family Jewels.

The audience turned out to hear the discussion between Woods and Barbara Peters, owner of the bookstore.

It was the perfect occasion for Barbara Peters, owner of the bookstore, to break out her Baccarat necklace bought in France at its museum. She said it wasn’t the Klimt in the story, but it fit the evening.

If you’d like to feel as if you were there that evening, the event is available through Livestream.

https://livestream.com/poisonedpen/events/5146534

If you’d like a signed copy of Family Jewels, check out the bookstore’s site.

https://bit.ly/1VFcDxF