Fiction Review

Anne Hillerman’s The Sacred Bridge is the current Hot Book of the Week at The Poisoned Pen. Hillerman appeared at the bookstore for the release of her seventh Leaphorn, Chee & Manuelito novel. There are signed copies of The Sacred Bridge available in the Web Store. https://tinyurl.com/5n82w8np

Here’s the summary of The Sacred Bridge.

“A fine legacy series . . .  in the spirit of her late father, Tony.”—Booklist 

An ancient mystery resurfaces with ramifications for the present day in this gripping chapter in the Leaphorn, Chee & Manuelito series from New York Times bestselling author Anne Hillerman.

Sergeant Jim Chee’s vacation to beautiful Antelope Canyon and Lake Powell has a deeper purpose. He’s on a quest to unravel a sacred mystery his mentor, the Legendary Lieutenant Joe Leaphorn, stumbled across decades earlier. 

Chee’s journey takes a deadly turn when, after a prayerful visit to the sacred Rainbow Bridge, he spots a body floating in the lake. The dead man, a Navajo with a passion for the canyon’s ancient rock art, lived a life filled with many secrets. Discovering why he died and who was responsible involves Chee in an investigation that puts his own life at risk. 

Back in Shiprock, Officer Bernadette Manuelito is driving home when she witnesses an expensive sedan purposely kill a hitchhiker. The search to find the killer leads her to uncover a dangerous chain of interconnected revelations involving a Navajo Nation cannabis enterprise. 

But the evil that is unleashed jeopardizes her mother and sister Darleen, and puts Bernie in the deadliest situation of her law enforcement career. 

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ANNE HILLERMAN is the bestselling author of the Leaphorn, Chee & Manuelito series. The Sacred Bridge is her seventh novel in the series, which was created by her father, Tony Hillerman. She lives in Santa Fe, New Mexico, where she is at work on her next novel.

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Enjoy Anne HIllerman’s conversation with Barbara Peters, owner of The Poisoned Pen.

The Echoes is the fourth book in Jess Montgomery’s Kinship series, set in the 1920s in Ohio. She recently appeared for a virtual event to discuss the book with Barbara Peters, owner of The Poisoned Pen. You can order a signed copy through the Web Store. https://bit.ly/3JbAilH

Here’s the summary of The Echoes.

The fourth in Jess Montgomery’s evocative Kinship series, The Echoes combines exquisite storytelling with extraordinary crime plotting.

“A beautifully written tour de force.” —Linda Castillo on The Stills

As July 4, 1928 approaches, Sheriff Lily Ross and her family look forward to the opening of an amusement park in a nearby town, created by Chalmer Fitzpatrick—a veteran and lumber mill owner. When Lily is alerted to the possible drowning of a girl, she goes to investigate, and discovers schisms going back several generations, in an ongoing dispute over the land on which Fitzpatrick has built the park.

Lily’s family life is soon rattled, too, with the revelation that before he died, her brother had a daughter, Esme, with a woman in France, and arrangements have been made for Esme to immigrate to the U.S. to live with them. But Esme never makes it to Kinship, and soon Lily discovers that she has been kidnapped. Not only that, but a young woman is indeed found murdered in the fishing pond on Fitzpatrick’s property, at the same time that a baby is left on his doorstep.

As the two crimes interweave, Lily must confront the question of what makes family: can we trust those we love? And what do we share, and what do we keep secret?

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JESS MONTGOMERY writes a Writer’s Digest magazine column, “Level Up Your Writing (Life)” and was formerly the “Literary Life” columnist for the Dayton Daily News. Based on early chapters of the first book in the Kinship Series, The Widows, Jess was awarded an Ohio Arts Council individual artist’s grant for literary arts and named the John E. Nance Writer-in-Residence at Thurber House in Columbus. She also hosts the podcast, “Tea with Jess: Chatting with Authors & Artists.” Jess lives in her native state of Ohio.

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Here’s the virtual event in which Jess Montgomery talks about her books, including The Echoes.

No Accident is Steven Havill’s 25th Posadas County mysteries. Havill recently appeared in person at The Poisoned Pen to talk about his latest book. There are signed copies of No Accident available through the Web Store. https://bit.ly/3uYL3Tn

Here’s the description of No Accident.

Good cops have no use for coincidence

When a driver slams his pickup truck—twice—into a tandem bike being ridden by Carlos Guzman and his fiancée, Tasha, in Briones, California, it’s more than a simple hit-and-run; the driver clearly intended to harm them. Undersheriff Estelle Reyes-Guzman gets the call with the news of her son’s accident and wastes no time racing to his side. She is greeted by Police Captain Eddie Mitchell, formerly of Posadas County, who allows Estelle to “consult” on the investigation—but only to a point.

While Carlos struggles with critical injuries, an employee at the bike shop where Carlos bought the tandem is found shot dead in a dumpster—the same man who had borrowed the truck that mowed down Carlos and Tasha. The local cops aren’t convinced there’s any connection between the two crimes. Not a believer in coincidence, Estelle pursues every possible angle with a cop’s determination to solve the case, and a mother’s resolve to keep her son safe at any cost.

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Steven F. Havill lives with his wife of fifty-three years, Kathleen, in New Mexico. He is the author of thirty-two novels, taught secondary schools for 25 years, and recently earned an AAS degree in gunsmithing.

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There is no sound for the first 4 minutes and 5 seconds of the virtual event. They do realize that after a few minutes, and they start over. So, hang in there with Steven F. Havill and Barbara Peters, owner of The Poisoned Pen.

https://youtu.be/KZLKtdKAabk

Congratulations to the recipients of the 2022 Lefty Awards, presented this weekend at Left Coast Crime in Albuquerque. “The awards were voted on at the convention and presented at the banquet. LCC is delighted to announce the 2022 Lefty winners for books published in 2021.”

Check the Web Store for copies of the winners. https://store.poisonedpen.com/

Lefty for Best Humorous Mystery Novel.

 “¢ Raquel V. Reyes, Mango, Mambo, and Murder (Crooked Lane Books)

Bill Gottfried Memorial Lefty for Best Historical Mystery Novel for books set before 1970.

 “¢ Naomi Hirahara, Clark and Division (Soho Crime)

Lefty for Best Debut Mystery Novel.

 “¢ Wanda M. Morris, All Her Little Secrets (William Morrow)

Lefty for Best Mystery Novel (not in other categories).
 
 “¢ William Kent Krueger, Lightning Strike (Atria Books)

There’s always a terrific slate of authors scheduled to appear for The Poisoned Pen. It’s time to share upcoming appearances in the next week. Check out the schedule, and check the Web Store for books by your favorite authors. https://store.poisonedpen.com/

Here’s the list of this week’s authors.

There’s a theme of historical fiction running through the blog this week, so let’s continue with the current Hot Book of the Week, Captain Grey’s Gambit by J.H. Gelernter. You can order a signed copy through the Web Store. https://bit.ly/3ud1oVd

Here’s the description of Captain Grey’s Gambit.

A taut historical thriller for fans of The Queen’s Gambit and James Bond.

December 1803: A French invasion fleet is poised to cross the Channel and storm the beaches of southern England. A member of Napoleon’s inner circle—disaffected by Napoleon’s creeping tyranny—contacts the British naval intelligence service in hopes of defecting to London. His escape plan calls for a rendezvous at an international chess tournament in Frankfurt—a rare opportunity for him to travel outside France. Naval intelligence sends its top man—and best chess player—Captain Thomas Grey, to orchestrate the Frenchman’s escape to England. But Grey’s mission changes dramatically when the defector demands that his pro-Napoleon daughter come with him—expecting Grey to act not just as escort but kidnapper.

The second novel in J. H. Gelernter’s already lauded Captain Grey series, Captain Grey’s Gambit continues a story that is “smart, fast, twisty, and dangerous” (Lee Child) in a “richly imagined early nineteenth-century world” (Richard Snow).

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J. H. Gelernter lives in Connecticut. He is the author of the Captain Grey novels, Hold Fast and Captain Grey’s Gambit.

When Blood Lies is the seventeenth Sebastian St. Cyr novel by C.S. Harris. Barbara Peters, owner of The Poisoned Pen, has read all the books, and she spoke with Harris about the individual mysteries and larger issues in Sebastian St. Cyr’s life and family. You can catch up with the books by ordering a signed copy of When Blood Lies through the Web Store. https://bit.ly/3JsG42J

Here’s the description of When Blood Lies.

Sebastian St. Cyr, Viscount Devlin, has spent years unraveling his family’s tragic history. But the secrets of his past will come to light in this gripping new historical mystery from the USA Today bestselling author of What the Devil Knows.

March, 1815. The Bourbon King Louis XVIII has been restored to the throne of France, Napoleon is in exile on the isle of Elba, and Sebastian St. Cyr, Viscount Devlin, and his wife, Hero, have traveled to Paris in hopes of tracing his long-lost mother, Sophie, the errant Countess of Hendon. But his search ends in tragedy when he comes upon the dying Countess in the wasteland at the tip of the ÃŽle de la Cité. Stabbed—apparently with a stiletto—and thrown from the bastions of the island’s ancient stone bridge, Sophie dies without naming her murderer.

Sophie had been living in Paris under an assumed name as the mistress of Maréchal Alexandre McClellan, the scion of a noble Scottish Jacobite family that took refuge in France after the Forty-Five Rebellion. Once one of Napoleon’s most trusted and successful generals, McClellan has now sworn allegiance to the Bourbons and is serving in the delegation negotiating on behalf of France at the Congress of Vienna. It doesn’t take Sebastian long to realize that the French authorities have no interest in involving themselves in the murder of a notorious Englishwoman at such a delicate time. And so, grieving and shattered by his mother’s death, Sebastian takes it upon himself to hunt down her killer. But what he learns will not only shock him but could upend a hard-won world peace.

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C. S. Harris is the USA Today bestselling author of more than twenty-five novels, including the Sebastian St. Cyr Mysteries; as C. S. Graham, a thriller series coauthored by former intelligence officer Steven Harris; and seven award-winning historical romances written under the name Candice Proctor.

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Enjoy the conversation with C.S. Harris and Barbara Peters.

One Last Chance is Jeffrey Siger’s twelfth book in the Chief Inspector Andreas Kaldis series. The book is available from The Poisoned Pen as a paperback with signed bookplates, or as a hardcover, with limited signed editions. You can find copies through the Web Store. https://bit.ly/3uaPUSh

Jeffrey Siger talks about the location of his latest mystery, Ikaria, with Barbara Peters, owner of The Poisoned Pen. Here’s the description of One Last Chance.

When Chief Inspector Andreas Kaldis’s longtime assistant, Maggie, returns to her ancestral home on Ikaria for her 104-year-old grandmother’s funeral, she quickly realizes not only was Yiayia likely murdered, but that a series of other long-lived Ikariots had recently died under the same suspicious circumstances. Back in Athens, Andreas and his chief detective Yianni pursue a smuggling and protection ring embedded in the Greek DEA, and its possible involvement in the assassination of an undercover cop.

But then Maggie and Yianni uncover a connection between their respective leads in the elder-killings on Ikaria and the DEA corruption case, and they realize that there are international intrigues far more dangerous at play than anyone had imagined.

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Jeffrey Siger was born and raised in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, practiced law at a major Wall Street law firm, and later established his own New York City law firm where he continued as one of its name partners until giving it all up to write full-time among the people, life, and politics of his beloved Mykonos. The Mykonos Mob is the tenth novel in his internationally best-selling and award nominated Chief Inspector Andreas Kaldis series, following up on An Aegean April, Santorini Caesars, Devil in Delphi, Sons of Sparta, Mykonos After Midnight, Target: Tinos, Prey on Patmos, Assassins of Athens, and Murder in Mykonos.

The New York Times described Jeffrey Siger’s novels as “thoughtful police procedurals set in picturesque but not untroubled Greek locales,” and named him as Greece’s thriller writer of record. The Greek Press called his work “prophetic,” Eurocrime described him as a “very gifted American author…on a par with other American authors such as Joseph Wambaugh or Ed McBain,” and the City of San Francisco awarded him its Certificate of Honor citing that his “acclaimed books have not only explored modern Greek society and its ancient roots but have inspired political change in Greece.” He now lives in Greece.

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If you’re a fan of the series, or, if you’re interested in Greece, you’ll enjoy this conversation.

Joshua Hood is the author of Robert Ludlum’s The Treadstone Transgression. Mark Greaney recently acted as guest host for Hood’s virtual appearance for The Poisoned Pen Bookstore. You can order a copy of Hood’s third Treadstone book through the Web Store. https://bit.ly/3j4KMsz

Here’s the description of Robert Ludlum’s The Treadstone Transgression.

A blown mission and a dead team leave Adam Hayes the last loose thread in a tapestry of betrayal in this latest high stakes international thriller from the world of Robert Ludlum.

The most pressing issue on Adam Hayes’ mind is planning his son’s upcoming 5th birthday party. After years of operating in the world’s most dangerous spots for Treadstone, he’s ready to call it quits, but the feeling isn’t mutual. 

Levi Shaw, Treadstone’s director, calls Hayes back for one more mission. “It’s a walk in the park. You don’t even have to go in with the strike team. I just need you to set up the safe house. You’ll be home in time to pick up the birthday cake.”

But nothing is ever easy where Treadstone is concerned. When the mission is blown only Hayes is left alive, and everyone, it seems, is determined to correct that oversight.

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Joshua Hood is the author of Warning Order and Clear by Fire. He graduated from the University of Memphis before joining the military and spending five years in the 82nd Airborne Division. On his return to civilian life he became a sniper team leader on a full-time SWAT team in Memphis, where he was awarded the lifesaving medal. Currently he works as the Director of Veteran Outreach for the American Warrior Initiative.

Robert Ludlum was the author of twenty-seven novels, each one a New York Times bestseller. There are more than 225 million of his books in print, and they have been translated into thirty-two languages. He is the author of the Jason Bourne series—The Bourne Identity, The Bourne Supremacy, and The Bourne Ultimatum—among other novels. Mr. Ludlum passed away in March 2001.

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Enjoy the virtual event with Joshua Hood and Mark Greaney.

Barbara Peters, owner of The Poisoned Pen, introduced Peng Shepherd so she could talk about maps, the New York Public Library, and her latest book, The Cartographers. You can order a signed copy of The Cartographers through the Web Store. https://tinyurl.com/47krvxea

Here’s the description of The Cartographers.

From the critically acclaimed author of The Book of M, a highly imaginative thriller about a young woman who discovers that a strange map in her deceased father’s belongings holds an incredible, deadly secret—one that will lead her on an extraordinary adventure and to the truth about her family’s dark history

What is the purpose of a map? 

Nell Young’s whole life and greatest passion is cartography. Her father, Dr. Daniel Young, is a legend in the field and Nell’s personal hero. But she hasn’t seen or spoken to him ever since he cruelly fired her and destroyed her reputation after an argument over an old, cheap gas station highway map.

But when Dr. Young is found dead in his office at the New York Public Library, with the very same seemingly worthless map hidden in his desk, Nell can’t resist investigating. To her surprise, she soon discovers that the map is incredibly valuable and exceedingly rare. In fact, she may now have the only copy left in existence . . . because a mysterious collector has been hunting down and destroying every last one—along with anyone who gets in the way.

But why?

To answer that question, Nell embarks on a dangerous journey to reveal a dark family secret and discovers the true power that lies in maps . . .

Perfect for fans of Joe Hill and V. E. Schwab, The Cartographers is an ode to art and science, history and magic—a spectacularly imaginative, modern story about an ancient craft and places still undiscovered.

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Peng Shepherd was born and raised in Phoenix, Arizona, where she rode horses and trained in classical ballet. She earned her MFA in creative writing from New York University, and has lived in Beijing; London; Los Angeles; Washington, D.C.; Philadelphia; and New York City. The Book of M is her first novel.

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Enjoy this informative conversation.