Congratulations to Mary Anna Evans whose book, Floodgates, earned her the Mississippi Library Association's Author Award for 2011.  

Floodgates again follows archeologist Faye Longchamp as she uncovers murder in the wake of Hurricane Katrina.  According to a starred review inBooklist, "Voodoo, Native American spirituality, greed, and corruption all play roles in what is easily the best installment yet in a too-little-known series." This is a series worth watching, and she's an author worth reading. Congrats, Mary Anna!

For every book we publish, I write an extensive editor letter that tells book buyers and reviewers why I think our books are worth reading--publishing is largely about knowing your market. I know this because I've run The Poisoned Pen Bookstore for more than 20 years. As a bookseller, I'm always looking for more insight.  I know not everyone can read as fast or as much as I do, so why not tell people what they are getting?  What makes our books special?  How are we helping them (and you) Discover Mystery™?    

This monthly column will give you what we've been giving booksellers for years: a look into what I think makes our books special.  

Somewhat unusually, we have four new books this month. Two of which are debut authors. It's great fun to read a debut novel: the authors are excited about publishing and about their characters--sometimes so much so that editing becomes a hostage negotiation of sorts.  Not every character or line can stay.  But the end product is always rewarding.  

In the first of a new series, A Crack In Everything, debut author Angela Gerst bring us intriguing character Susan Callisto. Political adviser by day, Susan-of course-finds herself in the midst of a murder investigation. It's a soft thriller.  Intrigue. Politics. A good, old-fashioned love interest. Gerst guides readers through variegated streets and suburbs of Boston, campaign insights, personal revelations, and Susan's transformation from a smart professional to a savvy veteran.     

Our second debut this season is a bit of a departure for us: it takes us into the world of astrology. Murder in the 11th House brings us debut author Mitchell Lewis and his astrological detective, David Lowell. Set in the wonderful city of New York we discover just how astrology can factor into determining motive in a murder, especially when it comes to greed and politics. With an eclectic cast of characters Lewis introduces us to a memorable mystery full of misdirection.

Some writers just get you excited to read, no matter what they are discussing.  It is even more of a delight when these writers speak from their field of expertise. It is for that reason that I am always excited to read Nicholas Kilmer. In A Paradise for Fools, the eighth in a series, we are treated to a prequel of sorts as much desired history begins to be revealed. It all starts because of a haircut. While getting his hair cut Fred is treated to some fascinating tattooed skin at the shop. Skin bearing the likeness of a painting that supposedly doesn't exist...Ah, the joy of reading a Kilmer is to follow him into an oddball world where artistic and criminal genius mix into an excellent mystery and a lesson in art history. A must-read for all Michael Connelly fans-read it to see why.

 

Finally we come to one of our most well reviewed authors, an author who draws her stories less from the "oddball" and more from the realities around us. In her fourth novel, Under the Dog Star, Sandra Parshall takes us into the world of illegal dog fighting. When a prominent physician has his throat ripped out on his property, seemingly by wild dogs, veterinarian Rachel Goddard and Mason County, Virginia, Sheriff's Deputy Tom Bridger get involved in what may be parallel investigations. How does the community respond to a pack of feral canines? Could someone be using the dogs as a screen for crimes? As a tool for murder? Filled with vivid and complex characters, and with provocative ethical dilemmas that enhance the page-turning reading experience, Under the Dog Star is wisely crafted from credible scenarios.

You can read more about each of these titles below. I hope that you enjoy reading them as much as I enjoyed editing them.  

A Crack In Everything, Angela Gerst

Before she traded financial security at a Boston law firm for sandals and jeans in Waltham, Susan Callisto specialized in real estate law. Now she has reinvented herself as a political consultant for ordinary people seeking low-level office. Susan loves her new life-until her sometime boyfriend, Detective Lieutenant Michael Benedict, dumps her without a goodbye. Susan uses humor and perpetual motion to keep away the pain.

When local high roller Charles Renfrow offers her a huge retainer to advise his political campaign, Susan is wary. Why would a scientist stalking the human genome want to be mayor of a small Massachusetts town? Finding the answer takes Susan through a maze of toxic secrets.

On her way to confront him, Susan instead finds the body of his beautiful assistant. Assigned to the case, Michael reenters Susan's life. When Michael's suspicions settle on another of Susan's clients, Susan elbows her way into the investigation. Now with her own life on the line, Susan uncovers a crack in everything.

According to Publishers Weekly, A Crack In Everything "unfolds like a set of Russian nesting dolls with each solution hiding yet another surprising development and each testing Callisto's resolve and resilience." ($24.95 HC, $14.95 Pbk, $22.95 Lg Prnt Pbk). 

Fred knows such a painting needs to be found. His inquiries lead him from the salon to the illegal tattoo parlor of an unlicensed genius. Everyone who must have seen the painting denies that it exists, despite the vivid proof increasingly laid bare on the canvas of the hairdresser's skin.

Fred's employer, the collector Clayton Reed, is out of the country. So Fred, left to his own devices, is free to follow the trail, despite the distractions presented by the intriguing librarian Molly Riley.

Fred must proceed with caution. Then he encounters the first serious bump in the road: a suspiciously convenient hit-and-run that brings one potential informant to an abrupt dead end.  

Publishers Weekly says A Paradise For Fools "showcas[es] Kilmer's knack for intriguing premises." ($24.95 HC, $14.95 Pbk, $22.95 Lg Prnt Pbk).

Birth charts and street smarts help Lowell sort out the misdirections of a cast of characters, ranging from the judge's clerk to the judge's life itself, to trace the crime back to a surprising source.

Murder in the 11th House begins a new series that introduces a unique character to the annals of detective fiction.