Fiction Review

Vanessa Kelly and Dianne Freeman at The Poisoned Pen

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John Charles recently welcomed Vanessa Kelly and Dianne Freeman for a virtual event at The Poisoned Pen. Kelly’s forthcoming book is Murder in Highbury. Freeman’s latest Countess of Harleigh mystery is An Art Lover’s Guide to Paris and Murder. You can order both books through the Webstore. https://store.poisonedpen.com/.

Here’s the summary of Kelly’s Murder in Highbury.

Less than one year into her marriage to respected magistrate George Knightley, Emma has grown unusually content in her newfound partnership and refreshed sense of independence. The height of summer sees the former Miss Woodhouse gracefully balancing the meticulous management of her elegant family estate and a flurry of social engagements, with few worries apart from her beloved father’s health . . .?? 

But cheery circumstances change in an instant when Emma and Harriet Martin, now the wife of one of Mr. Knightley’s tenant farmers, discover a hideous shock at the local church. The corpse of Mrs. Augusta Elton, the vicar’s wife, has been discarded on the altar steps—the ornate necklace she often wore stripped from her neck . . .?? 

As a chilling murder mystery blooms and chaos descends upon the tranquil village of Highbury, the question isn’t simply who committed the crime, but who wasn’t secretly wishing for the unpleasant woman’s demise. When suspicions suddenly fall on a harmless local, Emma—armed with wit, unwavering determination, and extensive social connections—realizes she must discreetly navigate an investigation of her own to protect the innocent and expose the ruthless culprit hiding in plain sight.

Vanessa Kelly is a bestselling author of historical mystery and historical romance. She has won multiple awards, including the prestigious Maggie Medallion for best historical romance. She is a USA Today, Barnes & Noble, BookScan, and Amazon bestseller several times over. To date, her books have been published in eleven languages. After receiving her MA in English literature from Rutgers University, Vanessa spent several in the Ph.D program at the University of Toronto, studying women authors of the 18th Century. She worked as a researcher for many years, and currently resides in Ottawa, Canada, with her husband. Visit her at VanessaKellyAuthor.com.

Here’s the description of An Art Lover’s Guide to Paris and Murder.

Filled with Victorian-era intrigue for readers of Rhys Bowen, Deanna Raybourn, Tasha Alexander, and Julia Seales, Dianne Freeman’s Agatha Award-winning series takes a delightful jaunt to the City of Light as Frances Wynn, the American-born Countess of Harleigh, encounters a murder scene at the Paris Exposition.

Frances and her husband, George, have two points of interest in Paris. One is an impromptu holiday to visit the Paris Exposition. The other is personal. George’s Aunt Julia has requested her nephew’s help in looking into the suspicious death of renowned artist Paul Ducasse. Though Julia is not entirely forthcoming about her reasons, she is clearly a woman mourning a lost love.

At the exposition, swarming with tourists, tragedy casts a pall on the festivities. A footbridge collapses. Julia is among the casualties. However, she was not just another fateful victim. Julia was stabbed to death amid the chaos. With an official investigation at a standstill, George and Frances realize that to solve the case they must dig into Julia’s life—as well as Paul’s—and question everything and everyone in Julia’s coterie of artists and secrets.

They have no shortage of suspects. There is Paul’s inscrutable widow, Gabrielle. Paul’s art dealer and manager, Lucien. Julia’s friend Martine, a sculptress with a jealous streak. And art jurist, Monsieur Beaufoy. The investigation takes a turn when it’s revealed that George has inherited control of Julia’s estate—and another of her secrets. While George investigates, Frances safeguards their new legacy, and is drawn further into danger by a killer determined to keep the past buried.

Dianne Freeman is the acclaimed author of the Agatha and Lefty Award winning Countess of Harleigh Mysteries, a two time finalist for the Macavity’s Sue Feder Memorial Award, and a finalist for the Mary Higgins Clark Award. She spent thirty years working in corporate accounting and finance and now writes full time. Born and raised in Michigan, she and her husband now split their time between Michigan and Arizona. Visit her at DiFreeman.com.

Enjoy John Charles’ conversation with Vanessa Kelly and Dianne Freeman.

Barbara Peters discusses The Poisoned Pen

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Barbara Peters, owner of The Poisoned Pen bookstore, agreed to talk about the history of the bookstore with Christina Estes, a local PBS reporter. They are celebrating the 35th birthday of the bookstore. They gave away prizes, asked questions, and talked. Estes talked about 1989, the year the bookstore was founded. It’s a fascinating conversation. Fans of the bookstore will enjoy it. Or, maybe you’re just discovering the bookstore now. Enjoy the story of The Poisoned Pen.

Elizabeth Boyle discusses O Little Town of Bethlehem

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John Charles recently welcomed Elizabeth Boyle back to The Poisoned Pen to discuss her latest book, O Little Town of Bethlehem. That’s Bethlehem, Wyoming. You can special order a copy through the Webstore. https://bit.ly/484HkXu.

Here’s the description of O Little Town of Bethlehem.

Madeline Drake is on the verge of stardom when an accident on a snowy Wyoming road dumps her a century into the past.

Welcome to Bethlehem, Wyoming. Home of the oddest collection of lost souls ever assembled. This quirky, small town, with its currency of wishes and second chances, has only one rule-once you arrive, you have thirty days to prove your worth before you can leave.

Having never been much for rules, Madeline begins an out-of-control campaign to get home immediately and regain her modern life. But to her dismay-and then utter amazement-her life becomes entwined with that of the town’s proper postmistress, Ninny Minch, and the more scalding, Savannah Clarke, a widow hiding behind a wall of guilt and grief.

Now Madeline has until Christmas Eve to assist these two in unravelling the lies that have left them in knots for decades. Helping anyone other than herself doesn’t come easily to Madeline, but as these fragile new bonds of friendship grow, she finds the trust and acceptance that may well be strong enough to unpack even the most closely guarded secrets.

Even a few of her own.

With her beloved charm and wit, New York Times bestselling author, Elizabeth Boyle, beings O Little Town of Bethlehem to life in a heartwarming story of empowerment, redemption, and the joy of finding friendship at any age. Or time.

Elizabeth Boyle is a New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of 25 novels. When she isn’t writing, she’s baking, knitting, or gardening in her beloved rainy corner of the Pacific Northwest. Though she’s a homebody at heart, she never stops scouring maps looking for her next adventure.

Enjoy the conversation with Elizabeth Boyle.

Aimie K. Runyan discusses Mademoiselle Eiffel

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John Charles recently welcomed Aimie K. Runyan back for a virtual event at The Poisoned Pen. Runyan’s latest historical novel, Mademoiselle Eiffel, is available through the Webstore. https://bit.ly/4f23dJ8.

Here’s the description of Mademoiselle Eiffel.

From the author of The School for German Brides and A Bakery in Paris, this captivating historical novel set in nineteenth-century Paris tells the story of Claire Eiffel, a woman who played a significant role in maintaining her family’s legacy and their iconic contributions to the city of Paris.

Claire Eiffel, the beautiful, brilliant eldest daughter of the illustrious architect Gustave Eiffel, is doted upon with an education envied by many sons of the upper classes, and entirely out of the reach of most daughters. Claire’s idyllic childhood ends abruptly when, at fourteen, her mother passes away. It’s soon made clear that Gustave expects Claire to fill her mother’s place as caregiver to the younger children and as manager of their home.

As she proves her competence, Claire’s importance to her father grows. She accompanies him on his travels and becomes his confidante and private secretary. She learns her father’s architectural trade and becomes indispensable to his work. But when his bright young protégé, Adolphe Salles, takes up more of Gustave’s time, Claire resents being pushed aside.

Slowly, the animosity between Claire and Adolphe turns to friendship…and then to something more. After their marriage in 1885 preserves the Eiffel legacy, they are privileged by the biggest commission of Eiffel’s career: a great iron tower dominating the 1889 World’s Fair to demonstrate the leading role of Paris in the world of art and architecture. Now hostess to the scientific elite, such as Thomas Edison, Claire is under the watchful eye not only of her family and father’s circle, but also the world.

When Gustave Eiffel’s involvement in a disastrous endeavor to build a canal in Panama ends in his imprisonment, it is up to Claire to secure her father’s freedom but also preserve the hard-won family legacy.

Claire Eiffel’s story of love, devotion, and the frantic pursuit to preserve her family’s legacy is not only an inspired reflection of real personages and historical events, but a hymn to the iconic tower that dominates the City of Lights.

Aimie K. Runyan is a multi-published and bestselling author of historical and contemporary fiction. She has been nominated for a Rocky Mountain Fiction Writers Writer of the Year Award, a Historical Novel Society’s Editor’s Choice selection, and a four-time finalist for the Colorado Book Awards. She is an adjunct instructor for the Drexel University MFA in Creative Writing program and endeavors to be active in the literary community in Colorado and beyond. She lives in the Rocky Mountains with her wonderful husband, two (usually) adorable children, two (always) adorable cats, and a dragon.

Enjoy the conversation with Aimie K. Runyan.

Scott Graham and Margaret Mizushima at The Poisoned Pen

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Scott Graham and Margaret Mizushima tour together when they can. Pat King welcomed them to The Poisoned Pen to discuss their ninth books. Graham’s latest National Park Mystery is Death Valley Duel. Mizushima’s new book is Gathering Mist.There are signed copies of both books in the Webstore. https://store.poisonedpen.com/.

Here’s the description of Death Valley Duel.

In the ninth book in Graham’s National Park Mystery Series, an archeologist must stop a century-old crime to save his daughter. 

“Death Valley Duel is a taut, smart, and propulsive thriller that will keep you spellbound. Scott Graham has written a love letter to the California desert, and to parenthood, and to the athletes who push themselves past limits most of us cannot even imagine. This novel is a steady, dangerous, and addictive race toward justice.”
—NINA DE GRAMONT, New York Times bestselling author

When archaeologist Chuck Bender makes a stunning discovery of a century-old crime, he believes it may be related to a series of deadly accidents plaguing the Whitney to Death 150, the world’s toughest ultra trail-running race. While Chuck’s teenage stepdaughter Carmelita races to win the competition, Chuck races to uncover the wicked intent lying behind the tragedies—before Carmelita becomes the next victim.

Scott Graham is the author of the acclaimed National Park Mystery series and the author of five nonfiction books, including Extreme Kids, winner of the National Outdoor Book Award. Scott is an avid outdoorsman who enjoys backpacking, river rafting, skiing, and mountaineering. He lives with his spouse in Durango, Colorado.

Here’s the summary of Gathering Mist.

Secrets hide within the fog deep in the mossy forests of the Pacific Northwest in this ninth thrilling installment in award-winning author Margaret Mizushima’s Timber Creek K-9 mystery series.

Deputy Mattie Wray, formerly Mattie Cobb, is summoned to Washington’s Olympic peninsula for an urgent search and rescue mission to find a celebrity’s missing child. With only a week left before her wedding, Mattie is hesitant to leave Timber Creek, but her K-9 partner Robo’s tracking skills are needed.

Dense forest, chilling rain, and unfriendly locals hamper their efforts, and soon Mattie suspects something more sinister than a lost child is at play.  When one of the SAR dogs becomes ill, her fiancé, Cole Walker, suspects poison. Fearing for Mattie’s and Robo’s safety, Cole joins the search and rescue team as veterinary support.

Secrets that have lain hidden within the rugged terrain come to light, and when it is uncovered that the missing child was kidnapped, the search becomes a full-blown crime scene investigation, forcing Mattie, Robo, and Cole into a desperate search to find the missing child before it’s too late.

Margaret Mizushima served as past president of the Rocky Mountain Chapter of Mystery Writers of America and was elected 2019 Writer of the Year by Rocky Mountain Fiction Writers. She and her husband recently moved from Colorado, where they raised two daughters and a multitude of animals, to a home in the Pacific Northwest.

Enjoy the conversation with Scott Graham and Margaret Mizushima.

Danielle Trussoni discusses The Puzzle Box

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Barbara Peters, owner of The Poisoned Pen, welcomed Danielle Trussoni for her first appearance at the bookstore. Trussoni’s first book was The Puzzle Master. There are signed copies of the sequel, The Puzzle Box, in the Webstore. https://bit.ly/481u31U.

Here’s the summary of The Puzzle Box.

It is the Year of the Wood Dragon, and the ingenious Mike Brink has been invited to Tokyo, Japan, to open the legendary Dragon Box.

The box was constructed during one of Japan’s most tumultuous periods, when the samurai class was disbanded and the shogun lost power. In this moment of crisis, Emperor Meiji locked a priceless Imperial secret in the Dragon Box. Only two people knew how to open the box—Meiji and the box’s sadistic constructor—and both died without telling a soul what was inside or how to open it.

Every twelve years since then, in the Year of the Dragon, the Imperial family holds a clandestine contest to open the box. It is devilishly difficult, filled with tricks, booby traps, poisons, and mind-bending twists. Every puzzle master who has attempted to open it has died in the process.

But Brink is not just any puzzle master. He may be the only person alive who can crack it. His determination is matched only by that of two sisters, descendants of an illustrious samurai clan, who will stop at nothing to claim the treasure.

Brink’s quest launches him on a breakneck adventure across Japan, from the Imperial Palace in Tokyo to the pristine forests of Hakone to an ancient cave in Kyushu. In the process, he discovers the power of Meiji’s hidden treasure, and—more crucially—the true nature of his extraordinary talent.

Danielle Trussoni is the New York Times bestselling author of the novels The Ancestor, Angelology, and Angelopolis, all New York Times Notable Books, and The Puzzle Master, chosen by The Washington Post as one of their Best Thrillers of 2023. Her memoir, Falling Through the Earth was selected by The New York Times as one of the Top Ten Books of the Year. Trussoni is a graduate of the Iowa Writers’ Workshop and winner of the Michener-Copernicus Society of America Fellowship, and her work has been translated into more than thirty languages.

Trussoni discusses her character, Mike Brink, and the background of the story. Enjoy the conversation.

Lee Child discusses Safe Enough

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Of course, Lee Child is known for the Jack Reacher novels. But, in his latest appearance for The Poisoned Pen, he discusses Safe Enough and Other Stories. He also talked about a new book that talks about 100 openings for great thrillers, Crimebits: 100 Opening Gambits for Great Thrillers & Linked Mystery Puzzles. There are copies of both books available in the Webstore, https://store.poisonedpen.com/, including signed copies of Safe Enough.

Here’s the description of Safe Enough.

You know Jack Reacher. Now meet twenty more heroes and heavies from the brilliant mind of legendary crime author Lee Child.

A drug-dealing hit man feels that he must unburden his fears and guilt to a stranger in “Ten Keys.” A rookie cop in “Normal in Every Way” is assigned to the department’s file room, where he makes connections to historic dates that could lead to solving crimes. A methodical bodyguard quits his job when he’s outsmarted. A military mission is planned to perfection. A potential worker for the Manhattan Project is carefully surveilled by an FBI agent. A killer preys on other killers. Taken together, these stories are a riotous calamity of criminals and crime fighters; individually, they are expertly crafted, piercing tales that hit hard enough to leave a mark.

These twenty intriguing, thrilling, and rapid-fire fictions are intimate portraits of humanity at its best and worst, sure to please new and longtime fans of Child and to illuminate a side of the author’s work unknown to Reacher devotees. Featuring a colorful new introduction from the author, the collection stands as the first book written entirely by Child in four years.

Lee Child was born on October 29, 1954, in Coventry, England, but spent his formative years in the nearby city of Birmingham. By coincidence he won a scholarship to the same high school that JRR Tolkien had attended. He went to law school in Sheffield, England, and after part-time work in the theater he joined Granada Television in Manchester for what turned out to be an eighteen-year career as a presentation director during British TV’s “golden age.” During his tenure his company made Brideshead Revisited, The Jewel in the Crown, Prime Suspect, and Cracker. But he was fired in 1995 at the age of forty as a result of corporate restructuring. Always a voracious reader, he decided to see an opportunity where others might have seen a crisis and bought six dollars’ worth of paper and pencils and sat down to write a book, Killing Floor, the first in the Jack Reacher series.

Lee Child has a great deal to say about books and writing. Enjoy the conversation.

Jason Rekulak discusses The Last One at the Wedding

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Barbara Peters, owner of The Poisoned Pen, welcomed Jason Rekulak for a virtual event. Rekulak is the author of Hidden Pictures. His latest thriller, The Last One at the Wedding, is available in the Webstore with signed copies. https://bit.ly/47ZnOf4.

Here’s the description of The Last One at the Wedding.

From the author of the runaway hit, Hidden Pictures, comes a stunning new work of domestic suspense

“Part conspiracy thriller, part family drama, The Last One at the Wedding kept my heart racing and my mind reeling.” ?Riley Sager

“The ultimate middle-class Dad battles the 1% for his daughter’s soul in the best thriller I’ve read all year.” ?Grady Hendrix

Frank Szatowski is shocked when his daughter, Maggie, calls him for the first time in three years. He was convinced that their estrangement would become permanent. He’s even more surprised when she invites him to her upcoming wedding in New Hampshire. Frank is ecstatic, and determined to finally make things right.

He arrives to find that the wedding is at a private estate—very secluded, very luxurious, very much out of his league. It seems that Maggie failed to mention that she’s marrying Aidan Gardner, the son of a famous tech billionaire. Feeling desperately out of place, Frank focuses on reconnecting with Maggie and getting to know her new family. But it’s difficult: Aidan is withdrawn and evasive; Maggie doesn’t seem to have time for him; and he finds that the locals are disturbingly hostile to the Gardners. Frank needs to know more about this family his daughter is marrying into, but if he pushes too hard, he could lose Maggie forever.

An edge-of-your-seat thriller that delves deep into the heart of one family, The Last One at the Wedding is a work of brilliant suspense from a true modern master.

Jason Rekulak is the author of Hidden Pictures, a national bestseller and Goodreads Choice Award Winner for Horror, and The Impossible Fortress, nominated for an Edgar Award. He lives in Philadelphia with his family.

Enjoy the conversation with Jason Rekulak.

Kevin Hearne returns Home

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Kevin Hearne is originally from the Valley. The Poisoned Pen is home for him, although he’s moved out of the area. But, he was back at the bookstore to talk about Candle & Crow, the third in the Ink & Sigil series. The series is about living with consequences. There are signed copies of Candle & Crow available in the Webstore. https://bit.ly/3YdzgAA.

Here’s the description of Candle & Crow, that wraps up the series.

From the New York Times bestselling author of The Iron Druid Chronicles comes the final book in the “action-packed, enchantingly fun” (Booklist) Ink & Sigil series, as an ink-slinging wizard pursues the answer to a very personal mystery: Who cast a pair of curses on his head?

Al MacBharrais has a most unusual job: He’s a practitioner of ink-and-sigil magic, tasked with keeping order among the gods and monsters that dwell hidden in the human world. But there’s one supernatural mystery he’s never been able to solve: Years ago, someone cast twin curses on him that killed off his apprentices and drove away loved ones who heard him speak, leaving him bereft and isolated. 

But he’s not quite alone: As Al works to solve this mystery, his friends draw him into their own eccentric dramas. Buck Foi the hobgoblin has been pondering his own legacy—and has a plan for a daring shenanigan that will make him the most celebrated hobgoblin of all. Nadia, goth queen and battle seer, is creating her own cult around a god who loves whisky and cheese. 

And the Morrigan, a former Irish death goddess, has decided she wants not only to live as an ordinary woman but also to face the most perilous challenge of the mortal world: online dating. 

Meanwhile, Al crosses paths with old friends and new—including some beloved Druids and their very good dogs—in his globe-trotting quest to solve the mystery of his curses. But he’s pulled in so many different directions by his colleagues, a suspicious detective, and the whims of destructive gods that Al begins to wonder: Will he ever find time to write his own happy ending?

BOOK THREE OF THE INK & SIGIL SERIES

Don’t miss any of Kevin Hearne’s enchanting Ink & Sigil series:
INK & SIGIL • PAPER & BLOOD • CANDLE & CROW

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.

Kevin Hearne is always fun to listen to. He sums up the book, and his career so far in this conversation.

Ramona Emerson discusses Exposure

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Patrick Millikin recently welcomed Ramona Emerson to The Poisoned Pen, along with author and guest host Deborah J. Ledford. Emerson’s latest book, Exposure, is the sequel to her National Book Award longlisted novel, Shutter. There are signed copies of Exposure in the Webstore. https://bit.ly/3ZPg3X7

Here’s the description of Exposure.

In the follow-up to the National Book Award–longlisted Shutter, Navajo forensic photographer Rita Todacheene grapples with a fanatical serial killer—and the ghosts he leaves behind.

A dual-voice cat-and-mouse thriller, told from the points of view of a killer who has created his own deadly religion and the only person who can stop him, an embattled young detective who sees the ghosts of his Native victims.

In Gallup, New Mexico, where violent crime is five times the national average, a serial killer is operating unchecked, his targets indigent Native people whose murders are easily disguised as death by exposure on the frigid winter streets. He slips unnoticed through town, hidden in plain sight by his unassuming nature, while the voices in his head guide him toward a terrifying vision of glory. As the Gallup detectives struggle to put the pieces together, they consider calling in a controversial specialist to help.

Rita Todacheene, Albuquerque PD forensic photographer, is at a crisis point in her career. Her colleagues are watching her with suspicion after the recent revelation that she can see the ghosts of murder victims. Her unmanageable caseload is further complicated by the fact that half the department has blacklisted her for ratting out a corrupt fellow cop. And back home in Tohatchi on the Navajo reservation, Rita’s grandma is getting older. Maybe it’s time for her to leave policework behind entirely—if only the ghosts will let her . . .

Ramona Emerson is a Diné writer and filmmaker originally from Tohatchi, New Mexico. Her debut novel, Shutter, was longlisted for the National Book Award and the Bram Stoker Award, nominated for the Edgar for Best First Novel, a finalist for the PEN America Open Book Award, the PEN/Hemingway Award, and the Macavity, Barry, and Anthony Awards for Best First Novel, and winner of the Lefty Award for Best First Novel. She has a bachelor’s in Media Arts from the University of New Mexico and an MFA in Creative Writing from the Institute of American Indian Arts. She resides in Albuquerque, New Mexico, where she and her husband, the producer Kelly Byars, run their production company Reel Indian Pictures.

Enjoy Deborah J. Ledford’s conversation with Ramona Emerson.