Fiction Review
Adrian McKinty & The Chain
Posted on July 9, 2019 Updated on July 8, 2019
Tonight's the night! Adrian McKinty will be at The Poisoned Pen, in conversation with Diana Gabaldon, at 7 PM, Tuesday, July 9. Release date is today. McKinty will be discussing his hot new standalone novel, The Chain. If you're coming to the bookstore, come early because space is limited. However, you can still order a copy of the book through the Web Store. The Chain is the Hot Book of the Week at the bookstore, and one of People magazine's top picks for the week. You'll want to order a copy now. http://bit.ly/2L8YDza
Here's the description of The Chain.
SURVIVOR.
ABDUCTOR.
CRIMINAL.
YOU WILL BECOME EACH ONE.
"This nightmarish story is incredibly propulsive and original. You won't shake it for a long time."
STEPHEN KING"McKinty is one of the most striking and most memorable crime voices to emerge on the scene in years. His plots tempt you to read at top speed, but don't give in: this writing – sharply observant, intelligent and shot through with black humor – should be savored."
TANA FRENCH"A masterpiece. You have never read anything quite like THE CHAIN and you will never be able to forget it."
YOUR PHONE RINGS.
A STRANGER HAS KIDNAPPED YOUR CHILD.
TO FREE THEM YOU MUST ABDUCT SOMEONE ELSE'S CHILD.
YOUR CHILD WILL BE RELEASED WHEN YOUR VICTIM'S PARENTS KIDNAP ANOTHER CHILD.
IF ANY OF THESE THINGS DON'T HAPPEN:
YOUR CHILD WILL BE KILLED.
YOU ARE NOW PART OF THE CHAIN
While you're waiting to read your copy, you can read Alison Flood's interview with Adrian McKinty in The Guardian. http://bit.ly/2JkLfFQ
Maggie Robinson's Who's Sorry Now?
Maggie Robinson's second historical Lady Adelaide Mystery, Who's Sorry Now?, came out in June from Sourcebooks/Poisoned Pen Press. Miranda Owen's review in Fresh Fiction was so good we'd like to share it. You can order Who's Sorry Now?, and Robinson's other books, through the Web Store. http://bit.ly/2r5nvfa
Here's the review as it appears at Fresh Fiction, reprinted with permission.
Who's Sorry Now?
Maggie Robinson
Reviewed by Miranda Owen
Mystery Historical
WHO'S SORRY NOW? is the second book in Maggie Robinson's "Lady Adelaide" mystery series. Although this is the second book in this series, I was able to follow along and enjoy the story without having read the previous book. This is a historical mystery, set in 1920s England, but with a paranormal twist. Lady Adelaide Compton keeps getting embroiled in murder investigations and her late unlamented husband Rupert is her guardian angel. This story is told from alternating perspectives – Adelaide's and the charming and determined Scotland Yard Detective Inspector Dev Hunter's. The way Dev and Adelaide are so smitten with each other, but resolved to hide their true feelings, is adorable and I look forward to seeing their relationship evolve in future books. Maggie Robinson helpfully includes a breakdown of who's who in the front of the book for readers to refer to.
Various young people are being picked off around town. Addie only gets involved because her sister has the misfortune of being the victim of an unsuccessful poisoning. I like the chemistry between Addie and Dev. While Dev is protective of Addie, and is naturally against civilians getting involved in a police investigation, he is pragmatic and accepts the help that Addie brings. Likewise, while she is occasionally annoyed with Dev in his professional capacity, she understands his perspective and respects his judgment and deductive reasoning. As Addie and Dev work together to figure out who's behind the killings, there are a multitude of likely suspects – from shady characters like Freddy Rinaldi the manager of a local den of iniquity and favorite bad girl at large Mary Harmon to more aristocratic types like the debonair Prince Alexei. Rupert's running commentary on the suspects and his amusing bickering with Addie adds humor and breaks up the tension when things look particularly dark.
WHO'S SORRY NOW is a book to relish with characters and a story that will capture your imagination. Maggie Robinson is now one of my favorite authors of historical mysteries, along with Ashley Weaver and Sara Rosett. I can't wait to read the next "Lady Adelaide" mystery!
Here's the summary of Who's Sorry Now?
If you like a clever mystery, a handsome ghost, and the far-from-bereaved widow who can't find the elusive killer without Rupert's help, Who's Sorry Now? is just your cup of English murder."—Charles Todd, author of the Inspector Ian Rutledge mysteries and the Bess Crawford mysteries
London, England 1925
A Russian prince. A wealthy heir. An impoverished earl's daughter. Which one will make an untimely exit from the London social scene?
Scotland Yard Detective Inspector Devenand Hunter finds himself in the middle of a series of upper-class deaths in London. Bright Young People are being extinguished in their favorite night spots, from a sleazy private jazz club to the Savoy ballroom. Dev knows just the person to help him navigate the treacherous society waters: Lady Adelaide Compton, a marquess' daughter and widow of a Great War hero. Unfortunately, he has put her in jeopardy once before, nearly leading him to turn in his warrant card.
But when her sister Cee is nearly one of the victims, Addie turns to Mr. Hunter, offering her help… and it soon becomes clear that the two of them working together again could lead to much more than merely solving crime.
The Lady Adelaide Mysteries:
Nobody's Sweetheart Now (Book 1)
Who's Sorry Now? (Book 2)
"Song for Chet"
If you're a mystery reader, and see "Chet", do you think of Spencer Quinn's Chet and Bernie mysteries? The Boston Globe called Chet the dog, "the most memorable narrator in all of crime fiction". Quinn will be at The Poisoned Pen on Wednesday, July 10 at 7 PM to talk about the latest book in the series, Heart of Barkness. You can order copies of Spencer Quinn's books, including signed copies of Heart of Barkness, through the Web Store. http://bit.ly/2XKLNgf
Here's the description of Heart of Barkness.
Spencer Quinn's Heart of Barkness is the latest in the New York Timesbestselling series that the Los Angeles Times called "nothing short of masterful"…
Chet the dog, "the most lovable narrator in all of crime fiction" (Boston Globe) and P.I. Bernie encounter heartache and much worse in the world of country music. They're both music lovers, so when Lotty Pilgrim, a country singer from long ago, turns up at a local bar, they drive out to catch her act. Bernie's surprised to see someone who was once so big performing in such a dive, and drops a C-note the Little Detective Agency can't afford to part with into the tip jar. The C-note is stolen right from under their noses – even from under Chet's, the nose that misses nothing – and before the night is over, it's stolen again.
Soon they're working the most puzzling case of their career, a case that takes them back in time in search of old border-town secrets, and into present-day danger where powerful people want those secrets to stay hidden. Chet and Bernie find themselves sucked into a real-life murder ballad where there is no one to trust but each other.
The following video is for everyone who loves Chet, or anyone who loves a dog. It's called "Song for Chet".
Adrian McKinty's The Chain
Adrian McKinty, author of the standalone thriller, The Chain, will be at The Poisoned Pen Tuesday, July 9 at 7 PM, in conversation with Diana Gabaldon. Copies of The Chain can be ordered through the Web Store. http://bit.ly/2XrbcMJ
Barbara Peters, owner of The Poisoned Pen, recently discussed The Chain in an article for Forbes. Rachel Kramer Bussell asked independent bookstores for their recommendations for Summer Reading. Peters suggested The Chain. You can read the Forbes article here. http://bit.ly/2FVt1Zr
Here's the summary of The Chain.
STEPHEN KING "McKinty is one of the most striking and most memorable crime voices to emerge on the scene in years. His plots tempt you to read at top speed, but don't give in: this writing – sharply observant, intelligent and shot through with black humor – should be savored."
Poisoned Pen Podcasts
David P. Wagner. Lauren Willig. Ragnar Jonasson. Anne Hillerman. Jacqueline Winspear. Don Winslow. These are just some of the authors you can listen to on Poisoned Pen Podcasts. No, these are not the actual events at the bookstore. These are separate conversations that run from ten to twenty-five minutes. You can listen to the Podcasts, and then order books, sometimes signed, through the Web Store. https://store.poisonedpen.com
You can listen to the Podcasts at this link. https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/poisoned-pen-podcast/id1470872504
Or, you can find them on Google Play.
https://play.google.com/music/listen?u=0#/ps/Ipbxmcq7cmuxwh4tmrtkz2n7r4y
Australian Crime Fiction
Why not share a post about Australian crime fiction on Independence Day? After all, Australia is another country that was filled with rebels. Several years ago, Barbara Peters, owner of The Poisoned Pen, was asked what the next hot topic would be in crime fiction. Even before Jane Harper, Peters answered with Australia. She mentioned a couple Poisoned Pen Press authors, Sulari Gentill and Kerry Greenwood. In fact, Gentill won The Ned Kelly Award last year for her novel, Crossing the Lines. And, Greenwood's Phyrne Fisher mysteries led to two different television series.
Sulari Gentill is mentioned in Aoife Clifford's article for CrimeReads.com, "A Brief History of the Ned Kelly Awards". If you're unfamiliar with Australian authors, it's a tutorial on some of the best-known ones. http://bit.ly/2LvTFvL
Many of the books in Clifford's article will be available through The Poisoned Pen Web Store. https://store.poisonedpen.com/
I'm going to do something I seldom do on this blog. Nine years ago, thanks to The Poisoned Pen, I hosted Garry Disher at a library in Arizona. Disher has a new book available in the U.S., Under the Cold Bright Lights. At the time of release, I took the opportunity to share the recap of that event. http://bit.ly/2YaSXXS
Becky Masterman's We Were Killers Once
About a month ago, I wrote a post and included author Becky Masterman's letter about her latest Brigid Quinn novel, We Were Killers Once. http://bit.ly/2FReQ7U
Masterman talked about the novel, and its connection to Truman Capote's In Cold Blood. You can read that post at the link above, and you can still order signed copies of that book, or copies of Masterman's other books, through the Web Store. http://bit.ly/2HB0hGz
Why am I bringing it up again? Ray Palen just gave We Were Killers Once a rave review at CriminalElement.com. You can read the entire review here. http://bit.ly/2XKSQpe
Don't forget to check out the book trailer.