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Stephen Spotswood’s Secrets Typed in Blood, the latest Pentecost and Parker mystery, is the current Hot Book of the Week at The Poisoned Pen. You can order a signed copy through the Web Store. https://store.poisonedpen.com/item/Tjsi1wmychM128ZnpaesfA

This wasn’t the Hot Book of the Week when Spotswood recently appeared here. Here’s the description of the book.

A NEW YORK TIMES BEST CRIME NOVEL OF THE YEAR • In the newest entry into the Nero Award-winning Pentecost & Parker Mystery series, Lillian and Will are hot on the trail of a serial killer whose murders are stranger than fiction.

The Pentecost & Parker series “takes gritty 40s noir, shakes it up, gives it a charming twist, and serves it up with unforgettable style” (Deanna Raybourn, author of the Veronica Speedwell Mysteries). From the author of Fortune Favors the Dead and Murder Under Her Skin.

New York City, 1947: For years, Holly Quick has made a good living off of murder, filling up the pages of pulp detective magazines with gruesome tales of revenge. Now someone is bringing her stories to life and leaving a trail of blood-soaked bodies behind. With the threat of another murder looming, and reluctant to go to the police, Holly turns to the best crime-solving duo in or out of the pulps, Willowjean “Will” Parker and her boss, famed detective Lillian Pentecost. 

The pair are handed the seemingly-impossible task of investigating three murders at once without tipping off the cops or the press that the crimes are connected. A tall order made even more difficult by the fact that Will is already signed up to spend her daylight hours undercover as a guileless secretary in the hopes of digging up a lead on an old adversary, Dr. Olivia Waterhouse. 

But even if Will is stuck in pencil skirts and sensible shoes, she’s not about to let her boss have all the fun. Soon she’s diving into an underground world of people obsessed with murder and the men and women who commit them. Can the killer be found in the Black Museum Club, run by a philanthropist whose collection of grim murder memorabilia may not be enough to satisfy his lust for the homicidal? Or is it Holly Quick’s pair of editors, who read about murder all day, but clearly aren’t telling the full story?

With victims seemingly chosen at random and a murderer who thrives on spectacle, the case has the great Lillian Pentecost questioning her methods. But whatever she does, she’d better do it fast. Holly Quick has a secret, too and it’s about to bring death right to Pentecost and Parker’s doorstep.

You can watch the recent event from The Poisoned Pen.

As the year and The Poisoned Pen’s events wind down, I’ll add an occasional link to another article. Because Barbara Peters, owner of the bookstore, was a librarian, I’m a librarian, and several others on the bookstore staff were, today I’m turning to CrimeReads, and Victoria Gilbert’s recent article, “8 Great Mystery Series Featuring Librarians as Amateur Detectives”. You can find it here. https://tinyurl.com/274zezm3

Gilbert writes a series featuring a librarian, and, in July, she’ll launch a second one, the Hunter & Clewe series. Death in the Margins, her latest Blue Ridge Library Mystery, was just released. You can find Victoria Gilbert’s mysteries in the Web Store. https://tinyurl.com/w548sw5e

Here’s Death in the Margins.

The theater is no place for murder—but a case of backstage betrayal drags library director Amy Webber into a case that could mean curtains in critically acclaimed author Victoria Gilbert’s Blue Ridge Library mystery.

It’s early summer, and while Richard Muir and his dance partner, Karla, are preparing their new choreographic piece, Richard’s wife, Amy, is gathering the dance’s source materials. Based on folktales and the music of the Blue Ridge Mountains, the production is set to premiere at an old cinema that has been converted to a theater. But when dancer Meredith Fox—Richard’s former fiancé—is found dead backstage, Amy is once again propelled into a murder case that threatens the careers and lives of those she loves.

After Amy teams up with Chief Deputy Brad Tucker and the sheriff’s department to discover the killer, they find that there’s no shortage of suspects: Meredith’s wealthy ex-husband, several fellow dancers, a romantically spurned accompanist, and others whom the talented but haughty dancer dismissed or betrayed over the years.

With Richard and Karla’s help, and information gleaned from locals who know a wealth of small-town secrets, Amy desperately tries to unveil the killer before the premiere. But she’s pursuing a ruthless murderer who’s willing to kill again—and who might just be waiting for Amy in the wings.

Victoria Gilbert, raised in the shadow of the Blue Ridge Mountains, turned her early obsession with reading into a dual career as an author and librarian. Victoria has worked as a reference librarian, research librarian, and library director. When not writing or reading, she likes to spend her time watching films, gardening, or traveling. She is a member of Sisters in Crime and International Thriller Writers and lives in North Carolina.

Barbara Peters, owner of The Poisoned Pen, recently welcomed Steven Hartov to talk about his historical novel of World War II, The Last of the Seven. You can order a signed copy of it through the Web Store. https://tinyurl.com/4cbwdsu6

Here’s the summary of The Last of the Seven.

A spellbinding novel of World War II based on the little-known history of the X Troop—a team of European Jews who escaped the Continent only to join the British Army and return home to exact their revenge on Hitler’s military.

A lone soldier wearing a German uniform stumbles into a British military camp in the North African desert with an incredible story to tell. He is the only survivor of an undercover operation meant to infiltrate a Nazi base, trading on the soldiers’ perfect fluency in German. However, this man is not British-born but instead a German Jew seeking revenge for the deaths of his family back home in Berlin.

As the Allies advance into Europe, the young lieutenant is brought to recover in Sicily. There he is recruited by a British major to join the newly formed X Troop, a commando unit composed of German and Austrian Jews training for a top secret mission at a nearby camp in the Sicilian hills. They are all “lost boys,” driven not by patriotism but by vengeance.

Drawing on meticulous research into this unique group of soldiers, The Last of the Seven is a lyrical, propulsive historical novel perfect for readers of Mark Sullivan, Robert Harris and Alan Furst.

STEVEN HARTOV is the coauthor of the New York Times bestseller In the Company of Heroes, as well as The Night Stalkers and Afghanistan on the Bounce. For six years he served as Editor-in-Chief of Special Operations Report. He has appeared on CNN, MSNBC, CNBC, FOX, and most recently the History Channel’s Secret Armies. A former Merchant Marine sailor, Israeli Defense Forces paratrooper and special operator, he is currently a Task Force Commander in the New York Guard. He lives in New Jersey.

Hartov’s family background is fascinating. Check out the event.

Anne Perry’s A Christmas Deliverance is the current hot book of the week at The Poisoned Pen. Signed copies are available through the Web Store. https://store.poisonedpen.com/item/rbwr187WrivT6_7aiFjT7Q

Here’s the summary of A Christmas Deliverance.

A courageous doctor and his apprentice fight to save London’s poor—and discover that the hearts of men can be colder than a winter chill—in this gripping holiday mystery from New York Times bestselling author Anne Perry.

“Perry’s Victorian-era holiday mysteries [are] an annual treat.”—The Wall Street Journal

Scuff has come a long way from his time as a penniless orphan scraping together a living on the banks of the Thames. Now he’s studying medicine at a free clinic run by Dr. Crowe, a thoughtful if stoic mentor. But lately Crowe has been distracted, having witnessed an altercation between a wealthy former patient of his named Ellie—a woman that he not only treated but developed unacknowledged feelings for—and her controlling fiancé. It seems someone is forcing Ellie to marry the man. When Crowe’s emotions come flooding back, he sets out to uncover the troubling connection between Ellie, her father, and her betrothed.

With Crowe engrossed in his investigation just weeks before the holidays, Scuff is left to run the clinic on his own, treating London’s poor and vulnerable. In the holiday spirit,  he offers Mattie, a young girl in need, a warm place to stay as the winter chill sweeps through the city. Together, Scuff and Mattie must also fend off the police, who are growing suspicious of Crowe’s amateur sleuthing. Will Crowe be able to help Ellie, and will Scuff be able to ensure that he and Mattie—and all of their patients—have a safe and peaceful Christmas?

Three Axes to Fall is the third book in Sam Sykes’ The Grave of Empires series. Sykes recently talked about the series, characters, and Three Axes to Fall with The Poisoned Pen’s Pat King.You can order copies of the book through the Web Store. https://tinyurl.com/y3aun4ee

Here’s the description of Three Axes to Fall.

A deal struck in a dark place set an outlaw mage on the path to revenge. And now that it’s led to places even darker, she and everyone she knows may pay the price for her bargain in the final novel of “an unforgettable epic fantasy” trilogy (Publisher’s Weekly).
 
Sal the Cacophony has made few friends, but many enemies. Many, many enemies. When her magic was taken from her, she cried out for revenge. And a power she never understood promised her vengeance. A deal for a bloody price was made.

And now the bill has come due.

In one of the last free cities of the burned-out ruin of the Scar, Sal’s many foes—old and new—have hunted down her and her few allies—willing and otherwise — and all her plans to save them might not be enough.

One last stand. One more story. One final blade to be drawn.

For more from Sam Sykes, check out:

The Grave of Empires:

Seven Blades in Black

Ten Arrows of Iron

Three Axes to Fall

Bring Down Heaven:

The City Stained Red

The Mortal Tally

God’s Last Breath

The Affinity for Steel Trilogy:

Tome of the Undergates

Black Halo

The Skybound Sea

Sam Sykes — author, citizen, mammal — has written extensively over the years, penning An Affinity for Steel, the Bring Down Heaven trilogy, Brave Chef Brianna, and now The Grave of Empires trilogy. At the time of this writing, no one has been able to definitively prove or disprove that he has fought a bear.

Enjoy the conversation about characters and the series.

As December events wrap up at The Poisoned Pen, it seemed to be the perfect time to remind you of the couple programs still coming, and then showcase the January 2023 events. Don’t forget to look for the books, some signed, at the Web Store. https://store.poisonedpen.com/

Check out this stellar lineup!

Secrets Typed in Blood is Stephen Spotswood’s third Pentecost and Parker mystery. Spotswood recently appeared for The Poisoned Pen, hosted by Barbara Peters, owner of the bookstore. There are signed copies of the book available through the Web Store. https://tinyurl.com/h248cy8z

Here’s the description of Secrets Typed in Blood.

A NEW YORK TIMES BEST CRIME NOVEL OF THE YEAR • In the newest entry into the Nero Award-winning Pentecost & Parker Mystery series, Lillian and Will are hot on the trail of a serial killer whose murders are stranger than fiction.

The Pentecost & Parker series “takes gritty 40s noir, shakes it up, gives it a charming twist, and serves it up with unforgettable style” (Deanna Raybourn, author of the Veronica Speedwell Mysteries). From the author of Fortune Favors the Dead and Murder Under Her Skin.

New York City, 1947: For years, Holly Quick has made a good living off of murder, filling up the pages of pulp detective magazines with gruesome tales of revenge. Now someone is bringing her stories to life and leaving a trail of blood-soaked bodies behind. With the threat of another murder looming, and reluctant to go to the police, Holly turns to the best crime-solving duo in or out of the pulps, Willowjean “Will” Parker and her boss, famed detective Lillian Pentecost. 

The pair are handed the seemingly-impossible task of investigating three murders at once without tipping off the cops or the press that the crimes are connected. A tall order made even more difficult by the fact that Will is already signed up to spend her daylight hours undercover as a guileless secretary in the hopes of digging up a lead on an old adversary, Dr. Olivia Waterhouse. 

But even if Will is stuck in pencil skirts and sensible shoes, she’s not about to let her boss have all the fun. Soon she’s diving into an underground world of people obsessed with murder and the men and women who commit them. Can the killer be found in the Black Museum Club, run by a philanthropist whose collection of grim murder memorabilia may not be enough to satisfy his lust for the homicidal? Or is it Holly Quick’s pair of editors, who read about murder all day, but clearly aren’t telling the full story?

With victims seemingly chosen at random and a murderer who thrives on spectacle, the case has the great Lillian Pentecost questioning her methods. But whatever she does, she’d better do it fast. Holly Quick has a secret, too and it’s about to bring death right to Pentecost and Parker’s doorstep.

STEPHEN SPOTSWOOD is an award-winning playwright, journalist, and educator. As a journalist, he has spent much of the last two decades writing about the aftermath of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan and the struggles of wounded veterans. His dramatic work has been widely produced across the United States and he is the winner of the 2021 Nero Award for best American mystery. He makes his home in Washington, D.C. with his wife, young adult author Jessica Spotswood.

Spotswood and Peters have a fascinating conversation about history. Enjoy the event!

You might not recognize Terrie Farley Moran’s face, but if I tell you she’s “Jessica Fletcher’s” co-author, you’ll recognize that name. Terrie Farley Moran is thrilled to be co-author, along with Jessica Fletcher, of the long running Murder, She Wrote series. Her contributions include: Murder, She Wrote Killing in a Koi Pond, Murder, She Wrote Debonair in Death and Murder, She Wrote Killer on the Court and Murder, She Wrote Death on the Emerald Isle. She has also written the beachside Read ‘Em and Eat cozy mystery series and has co-authored four of Laura Childs’ New Orleans scrapbooking mysteries. Her short stories have been published innumerous magazines and anthologies. Terrie is a recipient of both the Agatha and the Derringer awards. Find her online at www.terriefarleymoran.com or on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/terriefarleymoran/  

Don’t forget to check the Web Store for Terrie’s books, and for the books she recommends from her pandemic reading. https://store.poisonedpen.com/

Bizarre as the pandemic shut down was for all Americans, the first few days were even more wild and crazy for me. Not that I wasn’t expecting it. I certainly was. In mid-February I had begun searching around to buy face masks in bulk to send to all my family members. I finally was able to order them from Brazil. I avoided people, but some things are sacred (libraries and bookstores are high on that list) and on Friday March 14, 2020 I went to the library as I do most Fridays. I was mega excited to see that they had several shelves dedicated to St. Patrick’s Day and I grabbed two fabulous books.

The first book that caught my eye was a cozy mystery, The Irish Cairn Murder by Dicey Deere and the second, a non-fiction book that taught me much about the entwined history of Ireland, the United States and Canada, was When the Irish Invaded Canada by Christopher Klein.

Aware as I was of the spread of Covid, I was mentally unprepared for the complete Covid Quarantine that was announced that weekend. St. Patrick’s Day was on the coming Tuesday but there would be no parades, no family party, so I would have plenty of time to read.

Curious as I was to discover the story of the Irish invasion of Canada, the world around me was in such turmoil that I opted to make a pot of tea and curl up with Dicey Deere and her heroine, an American living in Ireland named Torrey Turnet, who I had met some time ago in another of Dicey’s books, The Irish Cottage Murder. Dicey Deere always manages to get the reader enmeshed in solving the murder while enjoying the quirky characters who occupy the town of Ballynaugh. And I do wonder to this day why Inspector O’Hare continues to be vexed by Torrey’s very existence.

When I first opened When the Irish Invaded Canada, I didn’t know what to expect but I found the story itself to be fascinating and I will quote the cover copy here because it gives the flavor of the book more than I could manage.

“By the time that these invasions–known collectively as the Fenian raids–began in 1866, Ireland had been Britain’s unwilling colony for seven hundred years. Thousands of Civil War veterans who had fled to the United States rather than perish in the wake of the Great Hunger still considered themselves Irishmen first, Americans second. With the tacit support of the U.S. government and inspired by a previous generation of successful American revolutionaries, the group that carried out a series of five attacks on Canada–the Fenian Brotherhood–established a state in exile, planned prison breaks, weathered infighting, stockpiled weapons, and assassinated enemies. Defiantly, this motley group, including a one-armed war hero, an English spy infiltrating rebel forces, and a radical who staged his own funeral, managed to seize a piece of Canada–if only for three days.

When the Irish Invaded Canada is the untold tale of a band of fiercely patriotic Irish Americans and their chapter in Ireland’s centuries-long fight for independence. Inspiring, lively, and often undeniably comic, this is a story of fighting for what’s right in the face of impossible odds.”

I spent the weekend reading and with both an Irish cozy and a new-to-me bit of Irish history behind me, there I was in fine fettle on St. Patrick’s Day with Irish music blaring, and Irish soda bread in the oven. Each time the phone rang I assumed it was another St. Patrick’s Day call from family or a friend. BUT ONE TIME IT WAS EVEN BETTER THAN THAT! The caller was my agent, the delightful Kim Lionetti, with an offer from Berkley for me to write the next four books of the Murder, She Wrote series. My answer: “Yes! I want to do it!”

Still the pandemic droned on and on. So I was grateful for the distraction when John McDougall of Murder By the Book hosted a ZOOM conversation that included me along with two superb writers Jenn McKinlay and Mia P. Manansala. In preparation for the conversation, I read the thirteenth book in Jenn’s Cupcake Bakery Series For Batter or Worse and then I read Mia’s Arsenic and Adobo, the firstbook in her Tita Rosie’s Kitchen series.

In For Batter or Worse the time has finally come for the wedding that we readers have been hoping would happen but, oops, there is a murder. Given the chaos we were all seeing in our own personal lives due to months and months of the pandemic, well, I can honestly say I never rooted more ardently for things to be righted for the happy couple. In my mind the pandemic has rattled the bygone days when we just expected things to turn out as they should, so I found this book very heartening.

Arsenic and Adobo welcomes readers to meet Filipino-American Lila Macapagal and her pushy, interfering, loveable family, who are constantly getting in her way while she tries to keep the family restaurant open and avoid going to jail for the murder of an old boyfriend. And, when so much of life seemed stagnant during the worst of the pandemic, it was a joy to have some new and exciting cuisine and characters to assure us that the future was waiting for us, straight ahead. I have since enjoyed the second book of this series and the third book, Blackmail and Bibingka is inching its way up my TBR pile.

And of course while I was reading, I was also writing. Since that fateful St. Patrick’s Day weekend, I have, indeed, written four Murder, She Wrote Books chronicling the adventures of my awesome co-writer Jessica Fletcher. Based on my receiving the invitation to write the series on St. Patrick’s Day, 2020, you may not be surprised that my fourth book, and the fifty-sixth book in the series takes place in Northern Ireland.

In Murder, She Wrote Death on the Emerald Isle, (release date, January 3, 2023) “Jessica Fletcher is quick to accept an invitation to replace a speaker who couldn’t attend a Book Festival in Belfast, Northern Ireland. When her Cabot Cove neighbor Maeve O’Bannon hears about the trip, she asks Jessica to deliver some paintings to her family in the village of Bushmills. Happy to extend her travels and see more of the Irish countryside, Jessica agrees.
 
The festival goes off without a hitch, and it seems like Jessica is in for a relaxing vacation. But then Maeve’s cousin Michael is discovered dead under suspicious circumstances. Jessica finds herself once again in the midst of a murder investigation, and she’ll have to dig into the O’Bannon family’s secrets to unmask the killer.”

So now you know what kept me sane during the worst of the pandemic—reading and writing. Before I go, I want to extend a special thank you to the wonderful independent books stores in multiple states who helped me be the “best grandma ever” by going the extra mile and providing books and games that would keep my grandchildren engaged and stave off boredom. The children enjoyed books on every topic from LeBron James to high fashion to Baseball quizzes to YA mysteries and romance. And the bookstores cheerfully mailed across state lines. Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!