Fiction Review

Barbara Peters, owner of The Poisoned Pen, welcomed Mark Greaney and Kyle Mills to the bookstore. Mark Greaney is the author of the Gray Man books, including the latest, Burner. Kyle Mills was guest host for the event. You can find signed copies of Burner in the Webstore. http://bit.ly/3xOMKEB

The Gray Man came out as a movie in 2022. Here’s the description of the twelfth Gray Man novel, Burner.

Court Gentry is caught between the Russian mafia and the CIA in this latest electrifying thriller in the #1 New York Times bestselling Gray Man series.

When you kick over a rock, you never know what’s going to crawl out. 

Alex Velesky is about to discover that the hard way. He’s stolen records from the Swiss bank that employs him, thinking that he’ll uncover a criminal conspiracy. But he soon finds that he’s tapped into the mother lode of corruption. Before he knows it, he’s being hunted by everyone from the Russian mafia to the CIA. 

Court Gentry and his erstwhile lover, Zoya Zakharova, find themselves on opposites poles when it comes to Velesky. They both want him but for different reasons. 

That’s a problem for tomorrow. Today they need to keep him and themselves alive. Right now, it’s not looking good.

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Mark Greaney‘s research for the Gray Man novels, including Sierra Six, Relentless, One Minute Out, Mission Critical, Agent in Place, Gunmetal Gray, Back Blast, Dead Eye, Ballistic, On Target, and The Gray Man, has taken him to more than thirty-five countries, and he has trained alongside military and law enforcement in the use of firearms, battlefield medicine, and close-range combative tactics. With Marine LtCol Rip Rawlings, he wrote the New York Times bestseller Red Metal. He is also the author of the New York Times bestsellers Tom Clancy Support and Defend, Tom Clancy Full Force and Effect, Tom Clancy Commander in Chief, and Tom Clancy True Faith and Allegiance. With Tom Clancy, he coauthored Locked On, Threat Vector, and Command Authority.

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Check out the event with Mark Greaney and Kyle Mills.

Barbara Peters, owner of The Poisoned Pen, recently welcomed Yasmin Angoe and Gregg Hurwitz for a live event at the bookstore. Angoe’s They Come at Knight is the second book in her Nena Knight trilogy. Hurwitz’ latest book, The Last Orphan, was the Hot Book of the Week at the Pen. There are signed copies of both books available through the Webstore. https://store.poisonedpen.com/

Here’s the summary of They Come at Knight.

Yasmin Angoe’s They Come at Knight is the heart-pounding second installment in the Nena Knight series about an intrepid female assassin who will stop at nothing to protect her family.

For elite assassin Nena Knight, eliminating dangerous players on the world stage is part of the job. The Tribe, a powerful business syndicate in Africa, ensures that she has those opportunities. But for Nena, the Tribe is more than just her employer; it’s an organization that supports the African people—until it turns on itself.

As Nena embarks on a new mission, a violent siege by a paramilitary group throws the Tribe into chaos, and mysterious acts of violence plague the Tribe’s territories. As the attacks escalate, Nena suspects a different kind of enemy at play: someone on the inside, determined to undermine the Tribe’s leaders.

As this new threat closes in on her own family, Nena enlists a team to root out the danger. But as she gets closer to the truth, she will have to risk everything to protect the future she holds dear—even if it means facing off with an enemy she never expected.

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Yasmin Angoe is the author of Her Name Is Knight and a first-generation Ghanaian American currently residing in South Carolina with her family. She’s served in education for nearly twenty years and works as a developmental editor. Yasmin received the 2020 Eleanor Taylor Bland Crime Fiction Writers of Color Award from Sisters in Crime, of which she is a member. She is also a proud member of numerous crime, mystery, and thriller organizations like Crime Writers of Color and International Thriller Writers. You can find her at https://yasminangoe.com, on Twitter at @yasawriter, and on Instagram at @author_yas.

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Here’s Gregg Hurwitz’ The Last Orphan.

Evan Smoak returns in The Last Orphan, the latest New York Times bestselling Orphan X thriller–when everything changes and everything is at risk.

As a child, Evan Smoak was plucked out of a group home, raised and trained as an off-the-books assassin for the government as part of the Orphan program. When he broke with the program and went deep underground, he left with a lot of secrets in his head that the government would do anything to make sure never got out.

When he remade himself as The Nowhere Man, dedicated to helping the most desperate in their times of trouble, Evan found himself slowly back on the government’s radar. Having eliminated most of the Orphans in the program, the government will stop at nothing to eliminate the threat they see in Evan. But Orphan X has always been several steps ahead of his pursuers.

Until he makes one little mistake…

Now the President has him in her control and offers Evan a deal – eliminate a rich, powerful man she says is too dangerous to live and, in turn, she’ll let Evan survive. But when Evan left the Program he swore to only use his skills against those who really deserve it. Now he has to decide what’s more important – his principles or his life.

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GREGG HURWITZ is the author of the New York Times bestselling Orphan X novels. Critically acclaimed, his novels have been international bestsellers, graced top ten lists, and have been published in thirty-two languages. Additionally, he’s sold scripts to many of the major studios, and written, developed, and produced television for various networks. Hurwitz lives in Los Angeles.

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Enjoy this conversation.

https://www.youtube.com/live/-zAl9E0LK2c?feature=share

February’s such a short month that The Poisoned Pen Bookstore is already heading into March programming. The current event schedule on the homepage includes the rest of the February events, and just a teaser for March. Think Walter Mosley, C.J. Box, J.T. Ellison. Check out the schedule, and then check the Webstore for books by your favorite authors. https://store.poisonedpen.com/

Here’s the upcoming schedule.

Lexie Elliott’s Bright and Deadly Things was the January British Crime Club Book for The Poisoned Pen Bookstore. Barbara Peters, owner of the bookstore, recently welcome Elliott for a virtual event. Elliott’s novel, set in the French Alps, still deals with the Oxford academics. You can order a copy through the Webstore. https://tinyurl.com/5f4yz32b

Here’s the summary of Bright and Deadly Things.

A remote back-to-basics mountaintop retreat in the French Alps turns deadly as an Oxford fellow finds herself in the crosshairs of her late husband’s dangerous secrets.

The Chalet des Anglais should be the ideal locale for recently-widowed Oxford don Emily to begin cutting through the fog of her grief. With no electricity, running water, or access by car, the rustic chalet nestled at the foot of the verdant, snow-topped Alps should afford Emily both time and space to heal. Joining her will be a collection of friends from the university, as well as other fellows, graduates, and undergraduates.

Something feels off, though—heightening Emily’s existing grief-induced anxiety. Before even making it to the airport, she’s unnerved by a break-in at her home. Once at the chalet, tension amongst the guests is palpable. Her friends and colleagues are behaving oddly, and competition for a newly opened position has introduced a streak of meanness into the otherwise relaxing getaway. As hostilities grow, Emily begins to wonder if the chalet’s dark history has cast a shadow over the retreat. In the salon, a curious grandfather clock looms, the only piece of furniture to survive a deadly blaze a century ago. As its discordant bell begins to invade everyone’s dreams, someone very real has been searching through Emily’s things and attempting to hack into her computer.

When a student disappears, Emily realizes that she’d better separate friend from foe, and real from imagined—or the next disappearance may be her own.

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Lexie Elliott grew up in Scotland, at the foot of the Highlands. She graduated from Oxford University, where she obtained a doctorate in theoretical physics. A keen sportswoman, she works in fund management in London, where she lives with her husband and two sons. The rest of her time is spent writing, or thinking about writing, and juggling family life and sport.

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You can enjoy the conversation here.

https://www.youtube.com/live/UJacNq0wCxc?feature=share

Barbara Peters recently welcomed Charles Todd for a virtual event at The Poisoned Pen. Todd not only talked about the latest Bess Crawford novel, The Cliff’s Edge, but he also talked about his mother, Caroline Todd. There are signed copies of The Cliff’s Edge available through the Webstore. https://tinyurl.com/2m5c889c

Here’s the description of The Cliff’s Edge.

In the aftermath of World War I, nurse Bess Crawford is caught in a deadly feud between two families in this thirteenth book in the beloved mystery series from New York Times bestselling author Charles Todd.

Restless and uncertain of her future in the wake of World War I, former battlefield nurse Bess Crawford agrees to travel to Yorkshire to help a friend of her cousin Melinda through surgery. But circumstances change suddenly when news of a terrible accident reaches them. Bess agrees to go to isolated Scarfdale and the Neville family, where one man has been killed and another gravely injured. The police are asking questions, and Bess is quickly drawn into the fray as two once close families take sides, even as they are forced to remain in the same house until the inquest is completed.

When another tragedy strikes, the police are ready to make an arrest. Bess struggles to keep order as tensions rise and shots are fired. What dark truth is behind these deaths? And what about the tale of an older murder—one that doesn’t seem to have anything to do with the Nevilles? Bess is unaware that when she passes the story on to Cousin Melinda, she will set in motion a revelation with the potential to change the lives of those she loves most—her parents, and her dearest friend, Simon Brandon…

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Charles Todd is the New York Times bestselling author of the Inspector Ian Rutledge mysteries, the Bess Crawford mysteries, and two stand-alone novels. A mother-and-son writing team, Caroline passed away in August 2021 and Charles lives in Florida.

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You can watch the entire conversation here.

https://www.youtube.com/live/-LRFaArlZP4?feature=share

Did you see that Gregg Hurwitz’ Orphan X novel, The Last Orphan, is the current Hot Book of the Week at The Poisoned Pen? You can order a signed copy through the Webstore. https://tinyurl.com/bdrpuh2s

Here’s the description of The Last Orphan.

The Last Orphan

Evan Smoak returns in The Last Orphan, the latest New York Times bestselling Orphan X thriller–when everything changes and everything is at risk.

As a child, Evan Smoak was plucked out of a group home, raised and trained as an off-the-books assassin for the government as part of the Orphan program. When he broke with the program and went deep underground, he left with a lot of secrets in his head that the government would do anything to make sure never got out.

When he remade himself as The Nowhere Man, dedicated to helping the most desperate in their times of trouble, Evan found himself slowly back on the government’s radar. Having eliminated most of the Orphans in the program, the government will stop at nothing to eliminate the threat they see in Evan. But Orphan X has always been several steps ahead of his pursuers.

Until he makes one little mistake…

Now the President has him in her control and offers Evan a deal – eliminate a rich, powerful man she says is too dangerous to live and, in turn, she’ll let Evan survive. But when Evan left the Program he swore to only use his skills against those who really deserve it. Now he has to decide what’s more important – his principles or his life.

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GREGG HURWITZ is the author of the New York Times bestselling Orphan X novels. Critically acclaimed, his novels have been international bestsellers, graced top ten lists, and have been published in thirty-two languages. Additionally, he’s sold scripts to many of the major studios, and written, developed, and produced television for various networks. Hurwitz lives in Los Angeles

Olivia Fierro from Good Morning Arizona has a podcast, Olivia’s Book Club. She recently interviewed debut author Rachel Koller Croft, author of Stone Cold Fox. Fierro will be guest host on Thursday, March 2 at 7 PM to welcome Croft for an appearance at The Poisoned Pen. You can order a signed copy of Stone Cold Fox through the Webstore. https://store.poisonedpen.com/item/wCIDqQu6pg9FLGllyG7T9w

You can get a preview of the event at the bookstore at the Olivia’s Book Club Podcast. Here was the recent link. https://tinyurl.com/3wbka6ub

Here’s the summary of Stone Cold Fox.

A perfectly wicked debut thriller about an ambitious woman who, after a lifetime of conning alongside her mother, wants to leave her dark past behind and marry the heir to one of the country’s wealthiest families.

Like any enterprising woman, Bea knows what she’s worth and is determined to get all she deserves—it just so happens that what she deserves is to marry rich. Filthy rich. After years of forced instruction by her mother in the art of swindling men, a now-solo Bea wants nothing more than to close and lock the door on their sordid partnership so she can disappear safely into old-money domesticity, sealing the final phase of her escape.

When Bea chooses her ultimate target in the fully loaded, thoroughly dull and blue-blooded Collin Case, she’s ready to deploy all of her tricks one last time. The challenge isn’t getting the ring, but rather the approval of Collin’s family and everyone else in their 1 percent tax bracket, particularly his childhood best friend, Gale Wallace-Leicester.

Going toe-to-toe with Gale isn’t a threat to an expert like Bea, but what begins as an amusing cat-and-mouse game quickly develops into a dangerous pursuit of the grisly truth. Finding herself at a literal life-and-death crossroads with everything on the line, Bea must finally decide who she really wants to be.

Like mother, like daughter?

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Rachel Koller Croft is an author and screenwriter in Los Angeles, where she has scripted projects for Blumhouse, Sony Pictures Entertainment, and Comedy Central, among others. She lives by the beach with her husband, Charles, and their rescue pitbull, Juniper. Stone Cold Fox is her first novel.

Barbara Peters, owner of The Poisoned Pen, recently welcomed her friend, Jonathan Kellerman, for a virtual event and discussion of his latest Alex Delaware novel, Unnatural History. Signed copies of Unnatural History are available through the Webstore. https://tinyurl.com/4mbar2uz

Here’s the description of Unnatural History.

The most enduring detectives in American crime fiction are back in this electrifying thriller of art and brutality from the #1 New York Times bestselling master of suspense.

Los Angeles is a city of stark contrast, the palaces of the affluent coexisting uneasily with the hellholes of the mad and the needy. That shadow world and the violence it breeds draw brilliant psychologist Dr. Alex Delaware and Detective Milo Sturgis into an unsettling case of altruism gone wrong.

On a superficially lovely morning, a woman shows up for work with her usual enthusiasm. She’s the newly hired personal assistant to a handsome, wealthy photographer and is ready to greet her boss with coffee and good cheer. Instead, she finds him slumped in bed, shot to death.

The victim had recently received rave media attention for his latest project: images of homeless people in their personal “dream” situations, elaborately costumed and enacting unfulfilled fantasies. There are some, however, who view the whole thing as nothing more than crass exploitation, citing token payments and the victim’s avoidance of any long-term relationships with his subjects.

Has disgruntlement blossomed into homicidal rage? Or do the roots of violence reach down to the victim’s family—a clan, sired by an elusive billionaire, that is bizarre in its own right?

Then new murders arise, and Alex and Milo begin peeling back layer after layer of intrigue and complexity, culminating in one of the deadliest threats they’ve ever faced.

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Jonathan Kellerman is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of more than forty crime novels, including the Alex Delaware series, The Butcher’s Theater, Billy Straight, The Conspiracy Club, Twisted, True Detectives, and The Murderer’s Daughter. With his wife, bestselling novelist Faye Kellerman, he co-authored Double Homicide and Capital Crimes. With his son, bestselling novelist Jesse Kellerman, he co-authored The Burning, Half Moon Bay, A Measure of Darkness, Crime Scene, The Golem of Hollywood, and The Golem of Paris. He is the author of two children’s books and numerous nonfiction works, including Savage Spawn: Reflections on Violent Children and With Strings Attached: The Art and Beauty of Vintage Guitars. He has won the Goldwyn, Edgar, and Anthony awards and the Lifetime Achievement Award from the American Psychological Association, and has been nominated for a Shamus Award. Jonathan and Faye Kellerman live in California.

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Here’s the conversation with Jonathan Kellerman.

It’s hard to believe Jan. 31st was only two weeks ago. That’s the date The Real Book Spy released his 2023 Reading Guide for thrillers. Although he links to Amazon under Order Now, please be sure to check out The Poisoned Pen’s Webstore for titles of interest. https://store.poisonedpen.com/ And, watch for the authors! Many of them will be appearing at the bookstore for events, both live in-person, or virtually.

I hope The Real Book Spy doesn’t mind that I’m quoting him because I am going to send readers to his site to see the reading guide.

“The goal is to help readers figure out which books they want to prioritize diving into this year. And since we’ll update this list in the coming weeks and months, expect it to grow as new titles will be added frequently. We’ll still be rolling out monthly reading guides, which in the future will better highlight and offer analysis and feedback on specific titles, but for now, browse this list. https://therealbookspy.com/2023/01/31/the-real-book-spys-2023-reading-guide/

“Six or seven years ago, summer was, like, the season for must-read thrillers. Especially action thrillers. Now, there’s a really good balance throughout the year. In fact, I might even argue that spring is just as loaded. July looks especially strong this year, just as an FYI, but February is coming in hot too. And truthfully, there isn’t a down month in sight. That’s great news, so plan your book budget accordingly.”

Check out this list! https://therealbookspy.com/2023/01/31/the-real-book-spys-2023-reading-guide/

Barbara Peters, owner of The Poisoned Pen, recently welcomed Kwei Quartey for a virtual event. His latest book, Last Seen in LaPaz, is available through the Webstore. There will be more signed copies available there. https://tinyurl.com/y25rv26p

Here’s the description of Last Seen in LaPaz.

When a whirlwind romance leads to a brutal murder and the disappearance of a young Nigerian woman, PI Emma Djan resorts to dangerous undercover work to track her down in Accra.

Just as things at work are slowing down for PI Emma Djan, an old friend of her boss’s asks for help locating his missing daughter in Accra. According to her father, Ngozi had a bright future ahead of her when she became secretive and withdrawn. Suddenly, all she wanted to do was be with her handsome new beau, Femi, instead of attending law school in the fall. So when she disappears from her parents’ house in Nigeria in the middle of the night, they immediately suspect Femi was behind it and have reason to believe the pair has fled to Ghana.

The case escalates quickly when Femi is found murdered at an opulent hotel in Accra, but there are no signs of Ngozi at the scene. Emma knows if she’s to have any hope of finding Ngozi, she must learn more about Femi, so she digs into his past and discovers he was part of a network of sex traffickers operating across West Africa. Fearing the worst, Emma resorts to dangerous undercover work in a desperate attempt to track Ngozi down before it’s too late.

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Kwei Quartey was born in Ghana and raised by a Black American mother and a Ghanaian father. A retired physician, he lives in Pasadena. He is the author of five critically acclaimed novels in the Darko
Dawson series, as well as two other books in the Emma Djan series, including The Missing American, which was nominated for an Edgar Award for Best Novel.

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Enjoy the conversation with Kwei Quartey.