Barbara Peters, owner of The Poisoned Pen, recently welcomed Brett Battles to The Poisoned Pen for a live event. They talked about Battles’ debut novel, The Cleaner, as well as his new book, Stuart Woods’ Smolder. You can order signed copies of that book through the Webstore. https://bit.ly/4c25RgK.
Here’s the description of Stuart Woods’ Smolder.
In this latest adrenaline-fueled adventure in the #1 New York Times bestselling series, Stone Barrington faces his most vindictive threat yet.
Finally enjoying some downtime in Santa Fe, Stone Barrington agrees to attend an art exhibit with a dear friend. There, he encounters an intriguing woman who is on the trail of a ring of art thieves. Always one to please, Stone offers his help.
From Santa Fe to Los Angeles, it quickly becomes clear that her investigation has links to Stone—particularly to rare Matilda Stone art, his mother’s paintings. And when old grudges come to light, Stone is forced to reckon with a familiar enemy. Stone must act fast before whoever is out to get him finally closes in on him . . . for good.
Stuart Woods was the author of more than ninety novels, including the #1 New York Times bestselling Stone Barrington series. A native of Georgia and an avid sailor and pilot, he began his writing career in the advertising industry. Chiefs, his debut in 1981, won the Edgar Award. Woods passed away in 2022.
Brett Battles is the New York Times bestselling author of more than forty novels, including the Jonathan Quinn, Rewinder, Project Eden, and Night Man Chronicles series. Three-time Barry Award nominee, his novel The Deceived won the award for Best Thriller in 2009.
First, Jacqueline Winspear appeared at The Poisoned Pen with her final book in the Maisie Dobbs series. Now, Susan Elia MacNeal appeared with her final Maggie Hope mystery, The Last Hope. There are signed copies of The Last Hope available in the Webstore. https://bit.ly/4ece4kg.
Here’s the description of The Last Hope.
NATIONAL BESTSELLER • All will be revealed in this no-holds-barred finale of the Edgar Award–nominated Maggie Hope series as the intrepid spy teams up with fashion designer—and possible double agent—Coco Chanel to bring down the physicist behind Nazi Germany’s nuclear program.
“Intrepid Maggie Hope’s high-stakes mission is fraught with danger and moral questions. . . . A heartfelt story.”—Cara Black, New York Times bestselling author of Three Hours in Paris
Maggie Hope has come a long way since she was Mr. Churchill’s secretary. In the face of tremendous danger, she’s learned espionage, sabotage, and reconnaissance. But things are different now that she has so much to lose, including the possibility of a family with John Sterling, the man who’s long held her heart.
British Intelligence has ordered Maggie to assassinate Werner Heisenberg, the physicist who may deliver a world-ending fission bomb for Germany. She’s shaken. An assassination is unlike anything she has ever done. How can the Allies even be sure Nazi Germany has a bomb? Determined to gather more information, Maggie travels to Madrid, where Heisenberg is visiting for a lecture.
At the same time, couturier Coco Chanel, a spy in her own right with ambiguous loyalties, has requested a mysterious meeting with the British ambassador in Madrid—and has requested Maggie join them. As the two play a dangerous game of cat and mouse, Maggie tries to get a better understanding of Heisenberg, but is faced with betrayal and a threat more terrifying than losing her own life.
Maggie desperately wants to find her happily-ever-after, but as the war reaches a fever pitch, the stakes keep rising. Now, more than ever, the choices she makes will reverberate around the globe, touching everyone she loves—with fateful implications for the future of the free world.
Susan Elia MacNeal is the New York Times bestselling author of the Maggie Hope mysteries and Mother Daughter Traitor Spy. MacNeal won the Barry Award and has been nominated for the Edgar, Macavity, Agatha, Left Coast Crime, Dilys, and ITW Thriller awards. She lives in Brooklyn, New York, with her husband and son.
Enjoy the conversation with Susan Elia MacNeal as she talks about the Maggie Hope series.
Although Elizabeth Goddard’s Hidden in the Night is not yet in the bookstore, according to John Charles, you can pre-order it. Check the Webstore for the link. https://bit.ly/3R9RMph.
Here’s the description of Hidden in the Night.
At the behest of her ailing mother, former FBI special agent turned rare-book collector Ivy Elliott arrives in Alaska to secure an unpublished Jack London manuscript kept secreted away for decades. But when she arrives, she learns the manuscript is gone–taken by the granddaughter of the woman who possessed it. Ivy sets off in pursuit, not just to save the manuscript but to save the vulnerable girl, who was previously trafficked and has no idea what she’s getting herself into.
Joining forces with Alaska State Trooper Nolan Long, Ivy must battle a blizzard, sabotage, and the worst of an Alaskan winter as the search goes on. But every answer they find only raises more questions–and the danger to their lives and to the missing girl may only be the tip of the iceberg.
Don’t miss this breathtaking race for truth set amid the glorious–and deadly–Glacier Bay from USA Today bestselling author Elizabeth Goddard.
Elizabeth Goddard is the USA Today bestselling and award-winning author of more than 60 novels, including Cold Light of Day, Shadows at Dusk, and Hidden in the Night,as well asthe Rocky Mountain Courage and Uncommon Justice series. Her books have sold nearly 1.5 million copies. She is a Christy, Carol, and Reader’s Choice Award winner and a Daphne du Maurier Award and HOLT Medallion finalist. When she’s not writing, she loves spending time with her family, traveling to find inspiration for her next book, and serving with her husband in ministry. Learn more at ElizabethGoddard.com.
John Charles recently welcomed two mystery authors with connections to Hollywood. Ellen Byron kicks off a new series with A Very Woodsy Murder. Marjorie McCown’s second Hollywood mystery is Star Struck. You can order copies of both books through the Webstore. https://store.poisonedpen.com/.
Here’s the description of Byron’s A Very Woodsy Murder.
From Agatha Award-winning author Ellen Byron, a hilarious new series featuring a sitcom writer who has checked out of the familiar comforts in Studio City and checked in to the quaint village of Foundgold to run a motel. Running a rustic getaway in the woods sure beats LA traffic—until murder ruins the peace and quiet . . .
Down-on-her-luck sitcom writer Dee Stern is flipping the script. Twice divorced and wasting her talents on an obnoxious kids’ show, the lifelong Angeleno embraces the urge to jump in her car and keep driving. It’s a road trip with no destination—until she pulls into a mid-century motel filled with cobwebs and retro charm. Nestled in the shadow of a national park, it’s a time capsule of a place that, like her, could use some work. So, in the most impulsive move of her life, Dee teams up with best friend, Jeff Cornetta—who happens to be her first ex-husband—to transform the aging ranch into the Golden Motel-of-the-Mountains, a hiker’s oasis on the edge of the wilderness . . .
But Dee and Jeff soon realize there couldn’t be two people more unprepared for the hospitality business. There’s also the panic-inducing reality of prowling bears and a general store as the only shopping spot for miles. Living and working in the middle of nowhere takes some getting used to—especially when a disrespectful guest ends up murdered! Now, with the motel duo topping the suspect list, Dee must steer clear of a meddling park ranger, face her past in show biz, and determine if the killer is a local or tourist. Because as she quickly finds out, there are many things worse than a one-star review.
Ellen Byron is the Agatha and Lefty Award-winning, USA Today bestselling author of the Golden Motel Mysteries, the Vintage Cookbook series, and the Cajun Country Mysteries, as well as the Catering Hall Mysteries written under the name Maria DiRico. She is also an award-winning playwright and non-award-winning writer of TV hits like Wings, Just Shoot Me, and The Fairly OddParents, but considers her most impressive achievement working as a cater-waiter for Martha Stewart. A native New Yorker, Ellen is a graduate of Tulane University and lives in the Los Angeles area with her husband, daughter, and a rotating crew of rescue pups. Visit her at ellenbyron.com.
Here’s the summary of McCown’s Star Struck.
Perfect for fans of Elle Cosimano and Kellye Garrett, in this second Hollywood mystery, film costumer Joey Jessop discovers that Hollywood buries its secrets deep when a superstar’s assistant turns up dead.
Costumer Joey Jessop is working on a movie set in 1930s Hollywood and starring two of the world’s biggest stars. The male lead is also a dedicated social activist, and the female lead, Gillian Best, is known for her lifestyle brand. After a hit-and-run near the set, Joey realizes that the car involved belongs to Gillian, and she begins to wonder if the actress has more to hide than her Botox appointments.
Her suspicions deepen when Gillian’s personal assistant, Rita, vows to get revenge for Gillian replacing her and is found dead shortly after. Gillian quickly labels Rita’s death a suicide, and the police seem to agree–but Joey isn’t so sure.
With the police standing aside, it’s up to Joey to dig up the truth—but Hollywood stars know how to keep their secrets close, and a woman like Gillian Best won’t take kindly to someone sniffing around her affairs. Joey is certain that Gillian has something to hide–and she’s determined to find out what.
Marjorie McCown has spent her entire professional life in the story-telling business, though she started out on the visual side of the craft. She spent more than twenty-five years in Hollywood working as a key member of the costume design teams for a string of successful movies that includes Forrest Gump, Apollo 13, The Firm, A Bronx Tale, Wag the Dog, The Aviator, Hairspray, Angels and Demons, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, and X-Men: Days of Future Past. McCown has a BA in theater from the University of Virginia and an AAS in fashion design from the Fashion Institute of Technology in NYC. She is a member of Sisters in Crime and Mystery Writers of America. She lives in Southern California.
Enjoy the conversation with Ellen Byron and Marjorie McCown.
Barbara Peters, owner of The Poisoned Pen, welcomed Jacqueline Winspear to talk about her final Maisie Dobbs mystery, The Comfort of Ghosts. Winspear has appeared at The Poisoned Pen for all her books, including the first one, since 2003 with just a break for COVID. You can order a signed copy of The Comfort of Ghosts through the Webstore. https://bit.ly/3X9Hfye.
Here’s the description of The Comfort of Ghosts.
The Comfort of Ghosts completes Jacqueline Winspear’s ground-breaking and internationally bestselling series.
“An outstanding historical series.”—The New York Times
“Winspear is a brilliant writer, mixing the history and the mystery with the psychology of criminals and victims.”—The Historical Novel Society
Psychologist and investigator Maisie Dobbs unravels a profound mystery from her past in a war-torn nation grappling with its future.
London, 1945: Four adolescent orphans with a dark wartime history are squatting in a vacant Belgravia mansion—the owners having fled London under heavy Luftwaffe bombing. Psychologist and Investigator Maisie Dobbs visits the mansion on behalf of the owners and discovers that a demobilized soldier, gravely ill and reeling from his experiences overseas, has taken shelter with the group.
Maisie’s quest to bring comfort to the youngsters and the ailing soldier brings to light a decades-old mystery concerning Maisie’s first husband, James Compton, who was killed while piloting an experimental fighter aircraft. As Maisie unravels the threads of her dead husband’s life, she is forced to examine her own painful past and question beliefs she has always accepted as true.
The award-winning Maisie Dobbs series has garnered hundreds of thousands of followers, readers drawn to a woman who is of her time, yet familiar in ours—and who inspires with her resilience and capacity for endurance. This final assignment of her own choosing not only opens a new future for Maisie and her family, but serves as a fascinating portrayal of the challenges facing the people of Britain at the close of the Second World War.
Jacqueline Winspear is the author of eighteen novels in the award-winning, New York Times, national and international bestselling series featuring psychologist-investigator Maisie Dobbs. In addition, Jacqueline’s 2023 nonseries novel, The White Lady, was a New York Times and national bestseller, and her 2014 WWI novel, The Care and Management of Lies, was again a New York Times and national bestseller, as well as a Dayton Literary Peace Prize finalist. Jacqueline has also published two nonfiction books, What Would Maisie Do? and an Edgar-nominated memoir, This Time Next Year We’ll Be Laughing.
Peters shared this letter from Jacqueline Winspear the day of The Poisoned Pen’s event.
Dear Maisie,
I think I’ve earned the privilege of first name terms after twenty-four years together. You certainly changed my life, the day you walked into my imagination while I was stuck in traffic. It never rains in California, it pours, and it was coming down in buckets on that February day in 2000. You must have known I am something of a daydreamer, though as I saw you in my mind’s eye, I felt like one of those buses with a long wire attached to the power lines above—I even felt the shot of electric energy when you presented yourself to me, and as you well know I’ve referred to it as my “moment of artistic grace.” But you already knew that the history of women of your generation—and let’s face it, you blazed a trail in Britain—had fascinated me since childhood. I remember those ladies of a certain age who lived in our small rural community—there was “Miss this” and “Miss that” and for each one there was a sepia photograph in pride of place on the mantelpiece, of a young man lost to war—my grandfather’s war. Were you keeping an eye on me even then, wondering if I might grow up to become the writer of your story?
On that fateful day (and did you hear that guy yell at me in traffic? “Hey lady, are you waiting for any particular shade of green?”) by the time I reached the office, I had your whole story in my head, and even though I had not written a word of fiction since childhood—sorry, but the personal essay was the love of my literary life—I sat down at my computer as soon as I arrived home that evening and began to write the novel that became Maisie Dobbs. I didn’t even take off my coat, and Sally—my lovely black Labrador—was staring at me, clearly wondering if we would ever get out for her walk. Sal and her successor, Maya, became my writing buddies, sitting under my desk as I wrote one novel after another about your life, about war and about what it means to the soul to see death of a terrible kind.
But a woman has to earn a living, and I know you were disappointed when I landed the new job demanding long days and tons of travel. Some years earlier I had given up more lucrative employment to have time to write—and “sales executive” was the best way to go, because I could wrangle my time and finish early. That role wasn’t well paid, and it came home to roost—I wasn’t getting any younger, had no retirement savings and my car was breaking down. With the new job I had the company car, an expense account, healthcare coverage and a decent salary for the first time in years—but did you really have to take such brutal steps to get me back on track?
It was such a lovely May morning wasn’t it? Sunny and fresh, so fresh that when you kicked my horse he bucked like crazy with all that joyous springtime energy. Even as I was flying through the air I knew why it was happening—and it’s true what they say, when you’re in a bad accident, time slows down. You were in my thoughts before I hit the ground, sustaining that spiral break on my humerus (not very funny at all), crushing my shoulder, fracturing my scapula and yes, breaking my nose. I remember thinking, “It’s because I gave up Maisie Dobbs for a 401K.” Mind you, even though I’d only been in the job two weeks, I’d earned enough to pay off Sally’s vet bills—those tick-borne diseases can be a killer!
Languishing at home with my arm in scaffolding, I knew I had to leave that job, that I had made a huge error, so I resigned. I remember in my mandatory exit interview, when the head of Human Resources said to me, “You know, people don’t usually give up disability income—I don’t know why you had that accident, but I believe it will lead to something quite amazing for you.” Did you give her those words to cheer me on because I was broke in every sense of the word? I bet you had a hand in it.
Maisie, over the years you have woken me at night, insisting “Write this part, now.” And Maurice Blanche, my goodness, what a nag, nudging me on to tell his side of the story, and there’s Billy Beale and Priscilla—you sent them all to encourage me, to tease me and to add to the stories I told in your name, and you knew my research would often break my heart. You became part of my years in such a massive way, with every book heralding a milestone in my life. I’m so glad Elegy for Eddie was published in the year Dad died. You see, the cover reminded him of his childhood, when horses were still hard at work and once you’d crossed into South London or the East End, you hardly saw a car for the horses and carts. I was writing Leaving Everything Most Loved at the time—that was hard on both of us, wasn’t it? I remember weeping after my father died, wishing I’d called the novel “Staying Here and Not Going Anywhere.”
Telling your story has taken us on many travels. We’ve walked the WW1 battlefields of the Somme and Ypres—sorry I had to take you back there. We’ve spent hours in London’s Imperial War Museum, often after pounding the capital’s streets together, and we’ve motored the byways of my childhood. My parents tramped across the windswept beach at Dungeness in Kent with me, when I was crafting the life of the wartime artist you pressed me to write about for Messenger of Truth—poor man was so wounded by war, I could hardly pen his story. You took me to Spain and Gibraltar so I could imagine you there during the Civil War, and then to Munich just before WW2. How we made it through reflecting upon the Blitz together, I don’t know, because delving into the ashes of any conflict is not for the faint of heart. Now we have reached the end of our journey. We both knew it was coming. You understood it was important for me to heed that call, to stop when the arc of your all-encompassing story was complete.
I wish you well, Maisie Dobbs. You touched my heart and you changed my life. I’m off to Berlin later this year. Someone else has walked into my imagination, and I thought I’d better get on with the story, because I now have two horses to care for, one a war horse rescued from Ukraine. He’s still alert to an incoming attack, so I’m careful, not least because along with metal in my right arm and shoulder, there’s that five inch scar, a daily reminder of the last time I stalled in the writing of a woman’s story.
Farewell, Maisie my friend—and with all my love.
Jacqueline
Enjoy Winspear’s event for the conclusion of the Maisie Dobbs series. (The video made me cry as Winspear discussed the villages who lost so many all on one day during World War I.)
John Charles often welcomes multiple authors for an authors’ chat at The Poisoned Pen. The latest group of authors write historical mysteries, and they’re published by Crooked Lane Books. You can order the mysteries through the Webstore. https://store.poisonedpen.com/.
A Deadly Endeavor is Jenny Adams’ adult mystery debut. Here’s the synopsis.
A serial killer is on the loose in Jazz Age Philadelphia in Jenny Adams’ debut historical mystery, perfect for fans of Deanna Raybourn and Rhys Bowen.
Philadelphia, 1921. When Edie Shippen returns home after spending years in California recovering from Influenza, she’s shocked to discover that her childhood sweetheart is engaged to her twin sister. Heartbroken and adrift, Edie vows to begin living her life as a modern woman—and to hell with anyone who gets in her way. But as young women start to disappear from the city, her newfound independence begins to feel dangerous.
Gilbert Lawless returned home from the Great War a shell of his former self. He hides away in the office of Philadelphia’s Coroner, content to keep to himself until a gruesome series of corpses come into the morgue. And when his sister, Lizzie, goes missing, he risks his career to beg help from the one person Lizzie seemed to trust: her employer, Edie Shippen.
Fearing the worst, Edie and Gilbert desperately search for clues. It soon becomes clear that Lizzie’s disappearance is connected to the deaths rocking the City of Brotherly Love…and it’s only a matter of time until the killer strikes again.
With a lush Roaring Twenties setting and a wickedly smart sleuth to cheer for, A Deadly Endeavor is the perfect puzzling romp for fans of Miss Fisher’s Murder Mysteries.
Jenny Adams has always had an overactive imagination. She turned her love of books and stories into a career as a librarian and author of novels for adults. She holds degrees in Medieval Studies and Library Science from The Ohio State University and Drexel University, and currently lives in Alexandria, Virginia with her family.
Katie Tietjen’s mystery is a debut, and it’s based on a real person. Here’s the description of Death in the Details.
Inspired by the real-life mother of forensic science, Frances Glessner Lee, and featuring a whip-smart, intrepid sleuth in post-WWII Vermont, this debut historical mystery will appeal to fans of Victoria Thompson and Rhys Bowen.
Maple Bishop is ready to put WWII and the grief of losing her husband, Bill, behind her. But when she discovers that Bill left her penniless, Maple realizes she could lose her Vermont home next and sets out to make money the only way she knows how: by selling her intricately crafted dollhouses. Business is off to a good start—until Maple discovers her first customer dead, his body hanging precariously in his own barn.
Something about the supposed suicide rubs Maple the wrong way, but local authorities brush off her concerns. Determined to help them see “what’s big in what’s small,” Maple turns to what she knows best, painstakingly recreating the gruesome scene in miniature: death in a nutshell.
With the help of a rookie officer named Kenny, Maple uses her macabre miniature to dig into the dark undercurrents of her sleepy town, where everyone seems to have a secret—and a grudge. But when her nosy neighbor goes missing and she herself becomes a suspect, it’ll be up to Maple to find the devil in the details—and put him behind bars.
Drawing inspiration from true crime and offering readers a smartly plotted puzzle of a mystery, Death in the Details is a stunning series debut.
Katie Tietjen is an award-winning writer, teacher, and school librarian. A Frances Glessner Lee enthusiast, she’s traveled thousands of miles to visit her homes, see her nutshells, and even attend her birthday party. Katie lives in New England with her husband and two sons. This is her first novel.
Ava January’s historical mystery is The Mayfair Dagger.
A witty, feminist mystery set in the heart of nineteenth-century London, this daring adventure featuring an intrepid woman detective will thrill fans of Deanna Raybourn and Katharine Schellman.
London, 1894. Albertine Honeycombe never wanted a husband and certainly not the one with fifteen children that her cousin, Aubrey, is trying to marry her off to. She reinvents herself as Countess Von Dagga, a private detective aiding the upper echelons of women in society. As the Countess, she is a married woman, with a conveniently absent husband who doesn’t exist, which allows her far more freedom than being single.
When Lord Grendel, from whom she has recovered blackmail letters, is murdered, Albertine is suspect number one—having been the last person to see him. And when the Duke of Erleigh comes looking for her utterly fictitious husband, she realizes she has landed herself in hot water, without a tea bag. When Albertine also becomes the prime suspect in her fictional husband’s death, things are looking grim.
Unless Albertine can prove who murdered Lord Grendel and clear her name, her choices are stepmothering enough small children to start a school or hanging from the end of Her Majesty’s rope.
Ava January is a historical writer with a passion for mystery, and when she’s not found soaking up the Queensland sun with her two young sons, she can be found eavesdropping on conversations in cafes and making up entire backstories (and murderous intents) for unsuspecting bystanders. When she grows up, she’d like to be Miss Marple.
Once Upon a Murder is Samantha Larsen’s second Lady Librarian mystery. Here’s the description.
Miss Tiffany Woodall must sleuth the slaying of a footman to clear her beloved’s name in the second Lady Librarian mystery, in the vein of Deanna Raybourn and perfect for fans of Bridgerton.
1784 England. Officially hired as the librarian for the Duchess of Beaufort, Miss Tiffany Woodall is through with masquerades and murders for good. That is, until she stumbles upon the frozen dead body of former footman Mr. Bernard Coram. The speed with which her peaceful new life is upended is one for the record books: the justice of the peace immediately declares her the primary suspect in the murder.
As Tiffany hunts for the truth to clear her name, she learns that Bernard got into a fight over a woman at the local pub the night of his death–but he was also overheard blackmailing Samir. The justice of the peace arrests Samir, and Tiffany realizes that her life may have more in common with a tragic play than a light-hearted romance.
With her love locked up in jail and her own reputation on the line, Tiffany must attempt to solve the murder before the book closes on her or Samir’s life.
Samantha Larsen has degrees from Brigham Young University, the University of Reading (Berkshire, England), and the University of North Texas. She met her husband in a turkey sandwich line. They live in Salt Lake City, Utah, where she spends most of her time reading, eating popcorn, drinking tea, and chasing her kids.
Congratulations to the winners of the 2024 International Thriller Writers Thriller Awards, announced June 1 at Thrillerfest XX. Check out the list, and then check the Webstore for the books. https://store.poisonedpen.com/.
Best Hardcover Novel – S.A. Cosby – All the Sinners Bleed
Best Audiobook – Gregg Hurwitz – The Last Orphan – narrated by Scott Brick
Best First Novel – I.S. Berry – The Peacock and the Sparrow
Best Paperback Original Novel – Luke Dumas – The Paleontologist
Best Short Story – Lisa Unger – Unknown Caller
Best Young Adult Novel – Elizabeth Wein – Stateless
Best e-Book Original Novel – Robert Swartwood – The Killing Room
Other Awards Presented
Thriller Master Award – Tess Gerritsen and Dennis Lehane
John Charles from The Poisoned Pen recently welcomed Kristan Higgins and Jenn McKinlay to the bookstore. Higgins’ new book is Look on the Bright Side. There are signed copies of Higgins’ novel available through the Webstore. https://bit.ly/4bITc2p. McKinlay’s latest, Love at First Book, is currently sold out. There are more copies on order, and you can order a copy. https://bit.ly/3VlTiqW.
Here’s the summary of Look on the Bright Side.
From the author of Pack Up the Moon comes a funny, romantic, and deeply moving novel about the unexpected rewards that come from life’s detours.
Lark Smith has always had a plan for her life: find a fantastic guy, create a marriage as blissful as her parents’, pop out a couple of kids and build a rewarding career as an oncologist.
Things aren’t going so well.
For one, the guy didn’t work out. Theoretically, she’d love to find someone else, but it hasn’t happened. Two, she’s just been transferred out of oncology for being too emotional. (Is it her fault she’s a weeper?) Three, her parents just split up.
Deviating from the plan was…well, not in the plan. A potential solution comes from the foul-tempered and renowned surgeon Lorenzo Santini (aka Dr. Satan). He needs a date this summer for his sister’s wedding. His ancient Noni wants to see him settled. In exchange, he could make a few introductions and maybe get Lark back into the field of her choice.
As a sucker for old people and fake relationships, Lark agrees. Teeny problem—she instantly falls for his big, warm family. Especially his estranged brother.
Meanwhile, Lark’s mom has moved in with Lark’s colorful landlady, Joy, and an unlikely friendship blossoms. The three women have a long summer and a big beautiful house on the ocean to figure out what’s next…and quite possibly learn that the best things in life aren’t planned at all.
Kristan Higgins is the New York Times, USA Today, and Publishers Weekly bestselling author of more than twenty novels, which have been translated into more than two dozen languages and have sold millions of copies worldwide. The happy mother of two snarky and well-adjusted adults lives in Connecticut with her heroic firefighter husband, cuddly dog, and indifferent cat.
Here’s the description of Jenn McKinlay’s Love at First Book.
When a librarian moves to a quaint Irish village where her favorite novelist lives, the last thing she expects is to fall for the author’s prickly son… until their story becomes one for the books, from the New York Times bestselling author of Summer Reading.
Emily Allen, a librarian on Martha’s Vineyard, has always dreamed of a life of travel and adventure. So when her favorite author, Siobhan Riordan, offers her a job in the Emerald Isle, Emily jumps at the opportunity. After all, Siobhan’s novels got Em through some of the darkest days of her existence.
Helping Siobhan write the final book in her acclaimed series—after a ten-year hiatus due to a scorching case of writer’s block—is a dream come true for Emily. If only she didn’t have to deal with Siobhan’s son, Kieran Murphy. He manages Siobhan’s bookstore, and the grouchy bookworm clearly doesn’t want Em around.
Emily persists, and spending her days bantering with the annoyingly handsome mercurial Irishman only makes her fall more deeply in love with the new life she’s built – and for the man who seems to soften toward her with every quip she throws at him. But when she discovers the reason for Kieran’s initial resistance, Em finds herself torn between helping Siobhan find closure with her series and her now undeniable feelings for Kier. As Siobhan’s novel progresses, Emily will have to decide if she’s truly ready to turn a new page and figure out what lies in the next chapter.
Jenn McKinlay is the award-winning New York Times, USA Today, and Publishers Weekly bestselling author of several mystery and romance series. Her work has been translated into multiple languages in countries all over the world. She lives in sunny Arizona in a house that is overrun with kids, pets, and her husband’s guitars.
Both authors talk about their new books. Enjoy the conversations and the humor.
Patrick Millikin welcomed Brian Panowich to The Poisoned Pen for a virtual event to discuss his latest book, Nothing But the Bones. There are signed copies available in the Webstore. https://bit.ly/4aJwGoW.
Here’s the description of Nothing But the Bones.
With lyrical prose and hard-hitting depictions of the hardscrabble life in the rural south, Brian Panowich, author of Bull Mountain,Like Lions, and Hard Cash Valley, delivers a gripping new chapter in his tales of McFalls County in Nothing But the Bones.
In McFalls County, local crime boss Gareth Burroughs runs everything on the mountain. And Nelson “Nails” McKenna has been his enforcer since he was a teenager, though his heart’s not really in the dirty work. Then one night in a local roadhouse, Nails goes too far, defending a woman, and even Burroughs’s reach can’t get him out of this one. With a dead body and countless witnesses, Nails and the woman become fugitives on the run, and unlikely partners.
But on the road to Jacksonville, where a possible escape awaits, there’s more than one interested party on the pair’s trail, and the glimpse they had of getting away scot free suddenly seems elusive. In the end, Nails must make one final stand for his freedom—or pay with both of their lives.
Brian Panowich is an award winning author, a Georgia firefighter, and a father to four incredible children. His first novel, Bull Mountain, was a Los Angeles Times Book Prize finalist, ITW Thriller Award winner for Best First Novel, Southern Book Prize winner, and a finalist for both the Anthony and the Barry Awards. He lives in Georgia with his family.
Congratulations to the nominees for the Macavity Awards. The Macavity Awards are nominated and voted on by members of Mystery Readers International. Check the list, and then check the Webstore for copies of the books. https://store.poisonedpen.com/.
Macavity Nominees 2024
For works published in 2023
Best Mystery
Dark Ride by Lou Berney Hide by Tracy Clark All the Sinners Bleed by S.A. Cosby Happiness Falls by Angie Kim Murder Book by Thomas Perry Crook Manifesto by Colson Whitehead
Best First Mystery
The Peacock and the Sparrow by I.S. Berry The Golden Gate by Amy Chua Scorched Grace by Margot Douaihy Murder by Degrees by Ritu Mukerji Dutch Threat by Josh Pachter
Sue Feder Memorial Award for Best Historical Mystery
Time’s Undoing by Cheryl Head Evergreen by Naomi Hirahara The River We Remember by William Kent Krueger Our Lying Kin by Claudia Hagadus Long The Mistress of Bhatia House by Sujata Massey The Heaven and Earth Grocery Store by James McBride
Best Mystery-related Nonfiction/Critical
Finders: Justice, Faith, and Identity in Irish Crime Fiction by Anjili Babbar Spillane: King of Pulp Fiction by Max Allan Collins and James L. Traylor A Mystery of Mysteries: The Death and Life of Edgar Allan Poe by Mark Dawidziak Number Go Up: Inside Crypto’s Wild Rise and Staggering Fall by Zeke Faux Fallen Angel: The Life of Edgar Allan Poe by Robert Morgan
Because most of short stories are from magazines, they’re not listed here. Check Mystery Fanfare for the Best Mystery Short Story nominees.
