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| Since 1980, where a good crime is had by all! | Today is Fri, Jul 03, 2009 |
Upcoming Book Signings Our Event Signing Policies: If you're attending one of our events for the first time, please read carefully so there will be no misunderstandings...
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Jeffery Deaver
ALSO
AVAILABLE, the first in the series: Please call or e-mail to order signed or inscribed copies. Monday,
June 22, 6:30 p.m.
View Dr. Baden's full credentials here. Fans of Kathy Reichs, Patricia Cornwell, or any forensic thrillers should NOT miss this event! Please call or e-mail to order signed or inscribed copies.
Please call or e-mail to order signed or inscribed copies. Thursday,
June 25, 6:30 p.m.
Please call or e-mail to order signed or inscribed copies. Friday,
June 26, 6:30 p.m. Ripped from the headlines, Running from the Devil features a female hero that can’t be found in any thrillers being written today. Like her male thriller-writer counterparts, Freveletti has created a hero readers will root for—featuring the athleticism of Lee Child’s Jack Reacher and the brains of Dr. Temperance Brennan from Kathy Reich’s popular forensic series. Freveletti explains, “Emma’s not all brain, not all brawn, but more than able to take care of herself when the need arises. She’s an average person in unusual circumstances and utilizes her knowledge of plants and chemical reactions to survive in the Colombian jungle.” An elite marathon runner, Emma silently trails the guerrillas and their captives, using her athletic prowess and scientific knowledge to stay alive. Those skills become essential when she discovers an injured passenger, government agent Cameron Sumner, separated from the group. As news of the hijacking and kidnapping breaks in Washington, the Department of Defense turns to Edward Banner and his military contractors for help finding the hostages, Sumner, and Emma. But the guerrillas are only the beginning of the danger for Emma. Banner doesn’t know that Emma holds the key to the hijacking and carries a volatile biological weapon in an ingenious disguise, set for auction, by her enemies, to the highest bidder.
Jamie Freveletti is a competitive runner who’s scraped Ultramarathoners off paths at mile eighty in the Colorado snow. A teacher and black belt in the martial art of Aikido, Freveletti’s earned degrees in law, political science, and international studies, and is fascinated by the intricate politics of Colombia, and the rather complicated financial and legal relationships with the U.S. She’s been a trial attorney representing foreign and domestic clients from fraud and white-collar crimes, to pharmaceutical, medical device, and securities violations. A world traveler, Freveletti currently resides in Chicago with her family. Please call or e-mail to order signed or inscribed copies. Saturday,
June 27, 4:30 p.m. Then people start turning up dead, and Jack realizes he’s been playing tour guide to a pack of former KGB agents turned coke dealers. Soon he’s got too many gunmen after him to count—including a South American drug cartel, a mountain-sized Samoan enforcer, and a mobbed-up strip club owner with an army of thugs. Not to mention the gorgeous bartender who may be planning on shooting him in the back…and the homicide cop who’s just given Jack 24 hours to bring down the Bay Area’s biggest drug dealer. But the thing that scares Jack the most? He’s starting to enjoy himself. "Jack Wakes Up rocks! It's a fast, smooth ride on a highway not found on any map." -- Michael Connelly Seth also co-runs Crimewav.com, podcasts of crime short stories by today's best & upcoming writers, including Megan Abbott, Allan Guthrie, Michael Connelly, and more. Please call or e-mail to order signed or inscribed copies. Monday,
June 29, 6:30 p.m.
The skeleton that belongs in the washed-out gravesite is that of a young casualty of World War I. The probable identity of the fresher corpse leads Ellie into a missing-person case centered around Jodi Lockworth, a vibrant young woman who once lived in the house the Averys are now renting. Although Jodi was a beloved member of the community, her part-time gig as a newspaper reporter may have put her on the wrong side of a few prominent citizens. When Ellie discovers a vital clue in her very own home, she becomes the next target of a sinister schemer who'll stop at nothing to protect a deadly secret. Now, with a double mystery brewing and dozens of guests about to arrive in her back yard, Ellie's agenda is once again packed. The only thing she hasn't penciled in is one killer of a party crasher who intends to make this celebration Ellie's last. After surviving ten moves as a military spouse, Sara Rosett decided to use those experiences as background for a mystery series. The first book, Moving is Murder, was a Reader’s Choice Award Nominee in 2007 at the Salt Lake County Library. Sara's essays have also appeared in Chicken Soup for the Military Wife's Soul. Please visit her website at www.SaraRosett.com. Please call or e-mail to order signed or inscribed copies. Thursday,
July 2, 6:30 p.m. Walt is enjoying a rare afternoon of freedom, fly-fishing with his nephew, Kevin, when a passing truck catches his eye— his suspicions throwing him headlong into the discovery of a complicated plan to steal the rare wine. When a bomb detonates just as the auction revs up, the investigation explodes as well, pulling Walt in a dozen different directions. It seems Walt is caught in the middle of a heist of epic proportions—and not the heist he had prepared for—all orchestrated by the ingenious mind of Christopher Cantell, a man who appears to have covered everything, including the way Walt's own sheriff's office will react.
Event will include a PowerPoint presentation and a drawing for those who attend... prizes include a pearl necklace, brought by Ridley all the way from China! Ridley will discuss rare wine (something he knows nothing about, first-hand -- he doesn't drink!) and its role in Killer Summer and will give us a brief glimpse into his past year in China.
"Killer Summer, is, at it's heart, written in the tradition of the great heist movies, like the Thomas Crown Affair, The Italian Job and the Ocean series. I love heist stories that twist and then twist again, and again, and keep you guessing, and I hope that's what I've accomplished in Killer Summer. It's certainly what I've tried to do. Having lived off and on in the Sun Valley area for thirty years now (can it be?) I have what I hope is a real insight to the lives and motivations of the residents and visitors, resources in the form of the real life sheriff (Walt Femling, the Blaine County Sheriff), and first person experience in the backcountry, the restaurants, bars, and backstreets. I hope I've brought the area alive for readers and that a book like Killer Summer delivers on several levels. It's intended to be "a thrill ride," but if you feel a little drunk and happy along the way, so much the better." Ridley Pearson, Shanghai, China, June 2009 Please call or e-mail to order signed or inscribed copies. Monday,
July 6, 6:30 p.m. "Whatever
Stone is smoking, I want some. This is bizarre but believable, tough
but tender, and fast but considered. Highly recommended."—Lee
Child "Stone puts real people square in the middle of a steamy, photographically real Asia, and turns up the velocity all the way to THRILL. I enjoyed every moment."—Timothy Hallinan, author of The Fourth Watcher
ABOUT THE EVENT: Please call or e-mail to order signed or inscribed copies. Tuesday,
July 7, 6:30 p.m.
Hap is an East Texas smart mouth with a weakness for southern women. Leonard is a gay, black Vietnam vet. They’re not the makings for your typical dynamic duo, but never underestimate the power of a shared affinity for stirring up trouble and general mayhem. So when an old friend asks Leonard to rescue his daughter from an abusive no-good drug dealer, he gladly agrees and, of course, invites Hap along for the fun. Well, the dealer may be lowly, but he is on the bottom rung of the Dixie Mafia, and when Hap and Leonard come calling, the Mafia feels a little payback is in order. Cars crash, shotguns blast, and people die, but Hap and Leonard come out on top. Unfortunately for them, now they’re facing not only jail time but also the legendary—and lethal—Vanilla Ride, who is still out to claim the price on their heads. Full of twists and turns, gunfire and gaffes, this hilarious, rip-roaring novel will have readers turning the pages faster than a Texas tornado. Highly recommended by David! Hap & Leonard are back!!
Sanctified and Chicken-Fried is the first "true best of Lansdale" anthology. It brings together a unique mix of well-known short stories and excerpts from his acclaimed novels, along with new and previously unpublished material. In this collection of gothic tales that explore the dark and sometimes darkly humorous side of life and death, you'll meet traveling preachers with sinister agendas, towns lost to time, teenagers out for a good time who get more than they bargain for, and gangsters and strange goings-on at the end of the world. Out of the blender of Lansdale's imagination spew tall tales about men and mules, hogs and races, that are, in his words, "the equivalent of Aesop meets Flannery O'Connor on a date with William Faulkner, the events recorded by James M. Cain." Whether you're a long-time fan of Joe R. Lansdale or just discovering his work, this anthology brings you the best of a writer whom the New York Times Book Review has praised for having "a folklorist's eye for telling detail and a front-porch raconteur's sense of pace." Read the Dallas Morning News review of Sanctified & Chicken Fried. Bill Crider, who wrote the foreword, will also be on hand at the signing! Please call or e-mail to order signed or inscribed copies. Thursday,
July 9, 6:30 p.m.
But when Harvath arrives, he quickly learns that there is more to the kidnapping than anyone dares to admit. And as the subterfuge is laid bare, Harvath must examine his own career of hunting down and killing terrorists, and ask himself if he has what it takes to help one of the world’s worst go free. Brimming with the kind of ripped-from-the-headlines authenticity Brad Thor’s internationally best-selling novels are known for, The Apostle doubles down on the blockbuster success of The Last Patriot and reaffirms Thor’s status as the master of the political thriller. David highly recommends Brad Thor! For fans of Lee Child, Vince Flynn, and the TV show 24! Please call or e-mail to order signed or inscribed copies.
Highly recommended by nearly every MBTB employee! Please call or e-mail to order signed or inscribed copies. Saturday,
July 11, 4:30 p.m. Please call or e-mail to order signed or inscribed copies. Monday,
July 13, 6:30 p.m. When Benjamin Weaver (A Conspiracy of Paper; A Spectacle of Corruption) is blackmailed into stealing documents from the ruthless British East India Company, he soon discovers the theft of trade secrets is only the first move in a daring conspiracy within the eighteenth century's most powerful corporation. To save his friends and family, Weaver must infiltrate the Company, navigate its warring factions, and uncover a secret plot of corporate rivals, foreign spies, and government operatives. With the security of the nation in the balance, Weaver will find himself in a labyrinth of hidden agendas, daring enemies, and unexpected allies. With explosive action and scrupulous period research, The Devil's Company depicts the birth of the modern corporation, and is Liss's most impressive achievement yet. Please call or e-mail to order signed or inscribed copies. Tuesday,
July 14, 6:30 p.m. Best-seller David Morrell (First Blood) will sign his new thriller, The Shimmer (Vanguard; $25.95). Creator of Rambo and co-founder of the International Thriller Writers organization, David Morrell has been called “the father of the modern action novel.” Now this award-winning, New York Times bestselling author delivers The Shimmer, a novel of chilling impact.
But more than the faithful are drawn there. A gunman begins shooting at the lights, screaming “Go back to hell where you came from!” then turns his rifle on the innocent bystanders. As more and more people are drawn to the scene of the massacre, the stage is set for even greater bloodshed. To save his wife, Page must solve the mystery of the Rostov Lights. In the process, he uncovers a deadly government secret dating back to the First World War. The lights are more dangerous than anyone ever imagined, but even more deadly are those who try to exploit forces beyond their control. With The Shimmer, David Morrell takes readers on a brilliant, terrifying journey. Suspenseful, yet thought-provoking, it is the master at his best. “David Morrell’s The Shimmer showcases a master storyteller at his finest. Mysterious lights, an isolated research facility, and a cast of characters as real as your next-door neighbors elevate this techno-thriller into a masterpiece of suspense, intrigue, and terror. Once cracked open, the book demands to be read in one sitting.” —James Rollins, New York Times bestselling author of The Last Oracle
Best-seller James Rollins will sign both his new Sigma Force thriller, The Doomsday Key (Morrow; $27.99), and his first young adult thriller, Jake Ransom & the Skull King's Shadow (Harper; $16.99).
Three murders on three continents bear horrifying resemblances: At Princeton University, a famed geneticist dies inside a biohazard lab. In Rome, a Vatican archaeologist is found dead in the heart of St. Peter’s Basilica. In Africa, a US Senator’s son is slain within a Red Cross camp in Ghana. All three deaths are marked by a fiery symbol burned into their flesh: a Druidic pagan cross. The bizarre murders thrust Commander Gray Pierce and Sigma Force into a global hunt for a powerful group of industrialists who have a stranglehold on the world’s food supply. Aided by two women from his past, Gray flees a trio of high-tech assassins as he pieces together the clues. The commander must make a brutal choice: to save the world, he must sacrifice one of the two women at his side. Yet even that price might not be enough, for he knows the only true path to salvation lies within The Doomsday Key. With The Doomsday Key Rollins explores how overpopulation and the diminishing food supply have spurred scientists to create genetically modified crops to deal with the problem of feeding the hungry. But as with every Sigma Force thriller, Rollins contemplates how this advancement of technology—if used by the wrong people—could lead to catastrophic destruction of society as we know it. And in the hands of this gifted writer, not only are readers captivated with relentless action, rich historical detail and gripping scientific drama, but also left with a telling message about the consequences of man’s actions on the world. Rollins' background in evolutionary biology and doctorate in veterinary medicine allow him to include many scientific details in his pulse-pounding plots for his Sigma Force novels. Please take a minute to watch real-life swashbuckler James Rollins talk about how his adventure seeking (getting stuck in a cave crevice for hours!) and scientific background influence his writing.
But even as they enter the gate to this extraordinary place, savage grackyls soar across the sky, diving to attack. Jake's new friends, the pretty Mayan girl Marika and the Roman Pindor, say the grackyls were created by an evil alchemist—the Skull King. And as Jake stuggles to find a way home, it becomes obvious that what the Skull King wants most is Jake and Kady—dead or alive. James Rollins brings all the twists and chills he's famous for to this breathlessly paced adventure—his first book about Jake Ransom. Fans of Indiana Jones, Alex Rider, and Maximum Ride will flock to this explosively entertaining adventure. Highly recommended by Michelle & David! James Rollins will stick around in Houston to speak at the Houston Public Library (500 McKinney), Wednesday, July 15, noon. Please go here for more information. Please call or e-mail to order signed or inscribed copies. Wednesday,
July 15, 6:30 p.m.
A media sensation, the case captivated the country, with tabloids dubbing Mrs. Judd the "Velvet Tigress," the "Blonde Butcher" and, most famously, "The Trunk Murderess." To many, the case appeared open and shut. But the truth, as always, is far more complicated. "Word for word, pound for pound, Megan Abbott delivers more than any writer I know. Her influences appear to range from Hollywood Babylon to Theodore Dreiser, but her work transcends pastiche and homage. Bury Me Deep extends an already jaw-dropping winning streak, showcasing Abbott's gorgeous prose and clear-eyed empathy. She is simply one of the most exciting and original voices of her generation."—Laura Lippman
Theresa Schwegel was born and raised in the Chicago area where she received her bachelor's degree in Communications from Loyola University. In 1998, she moved to southern California and gained her Masters in Film/Screenwriting at Chapman University. While working on her second degree, Theresa rewrote her thesis screenplay Officer Down as a novel. Three years later, Officer Down went on to win the Edgar Allan Poe Award for Best First Novel, beating Megan Abbott's Die a Little. Probable Cause, Theresa's second book, was a New York Times' Editor's Choice. Her third, Person of Interest, was a 2007 Publishers Weekly top ten mystery. In 2008, she received the Chicago Public Library's 21st Century Award. Please call or e-mail to order signed or inscribed copies. Thursday,
July 23, 6:30 p.m. When Luke is kidnapped at gunpoint, without warning, and left for dead in an isolated cabin deep in the woods, he realizes it must be related to his work, and that the Black Road is far more organized than he thought—and much closer to home than he could have ever imagined. After a daring escape, with both the terrorist group and their enemies on his heels, he must quickly assemble a complex puzzle of convoluted histories and motives, where the final pieces extend deep into his own past—and where Luke himself may hold the key to stopping the Black Road before their spectacular plans come to horrible fruition.
Jeff is a three-time nominee for the Mystery Writers of America's Edgar Allan Poe Award and a two-time nominee for the Anthony Award, given at Bouchercon (aka the World Mystery Conference.) His novel Panic was also been nominated for Best Novel for the Thriller Award. All of Jeff's Whit Mosley suspense novels have been honored with nominations for major writing awards: A Kiss Gone Bad was short-listed for the Anthony Award; Black Jack Point was nominated for the Edgar, Anthony, and Barry Awards; and Cut and Run was nominated for the Edgar Award. Jeff's first novel, Do Unto Others, won both the Agatha Award and the Macavity Award for Best First Novel. His other books include The Only Good Yankee, Promises of Home, and Distant Blood. Please call or e-mail to order signed or inscribed copies. Sunday,
July 26, 2:00 p.m.
Do you know what we do with traitors, Gabriel? Many things have changed in Russia since the fall of Communism. But the punishment for betrayal remains the same. Promise me one thing, Gabriel. Promise me I won’t end up in an unmarked grave. In the days to come, Gabriel and his team of operatives will find themselves in a deadly duel of nerve and wits with one of the world’s most ruthless men: the murderous Russian oligarch and arms dealer Ivan Kharkov. It will take him from a quiet mews in London, to the shores of Lake Como, to the glittering streets of Geneva and Zurich, and, finally, to a heart-stopping climax in the snowbound birch forests of Russia. Faced with the prospect of losing the one thing he holds most dear, Gabriel will be tested in ways he never imagined possible. And his life will never be the same. Filled with breathtaking turns of plot and sophisticated prose, and populated by a remarkable cast of characters, The Defector is more than the most explosive thriller of the year. It is a searing tale of love, vengeance and courage created by the writer whom the critics call “the perfect guide to the dangerous forces shaping our world” (Orlando Sentinel). And it is Daniel Silva’s finest novel yet. Highly recommended by McKenna, Michelle & Terry! Read an interview with Daniel Silva here. Please call or e-mail to order signed or inscribed copies.
Event #1: Tuesday, July 28, 7:00 p.m., at the Houston Public Library, Central Branch (500 McKinney). Free & open to the public. Book sales provided by Murder By The Book. At the library event, Edgar-nominated author Steve Hockensmith discusses his newest novel, the Texas-set mystery The Crack in the Lens, with a focus on the ups and downs of a writing career and tips for those crazy enough to try one themselves. In a talk he calls "Anything I Can Do, You Can Do Better: A Step-by-Step Guide to Being a More Successful Writer Than Me," Hockensmith will share his hard-won wisdom on crafting a marketable manuscript, landing an agent, making contacts in the publishing world, and staying motivated when the going gets tough. Event #2: Wednesday, July 29, 6:30 p.m., at Murder By The Book.
Highly recommended by
David! Steve Hockensmith is the creator of mystery-solving cowboys Big Red and Old Red Amlingmeyer. The Sherlock Holmes-worshipping brothers first appeared in the pages of Ellery Queen Mystery Magazine before graduating to their own book series in 2006. Their (and Hockensmith's) debut novel, Holmes on the Range, was nominated for the Edgar, Shamus, Anthony and Dilys Awards. The fourth book in the series, The Crack in the Lens, brings the Amlingmeyers to Texas to find the man who brutally murdered Old Red's sweetheart years before. Hockensmith is also a prolific short story writer, appearing regularly in Ellery Queen and Alfred Hitchcock Mystery Magazine as well as anthologies such as the recently released Sherlock Holmes in America. His story "Erie's Last Day" won the Short Mystery Fiction Society's Derringer Award and was later reprinted in Best American Mystery Stories 2001. Hockensmith lives in Alameda, Calif., and blogs (sporadically, he admits) at www.stevehockensmith.com Please call or e-mail to order signed or inscribed copies. Saturday,
August 1, 4:30 p.m. Carson Ryder is a detective with a unique perspective on serial killers -- his brother's one. TV evangelist Reverend Scaler made his fortune from firebrand rhetoric on the sins of modern America. But Scaler has preached his last sermon after being bound and beaten to death in an apparent S&M session. Detective Carson Ryder has his own problems. He's edgy and unpredictable, the crime scene barely seeming to affect him any more than finding an infant abandoned in a boat -- nearby, a burnt-out shack, a body and signs of a struggle. Scaler's tangled personal life reveals bizarre connections between the cases. And it seems the baby fighting for its life in hospital has powerful enemies. Ryder can't seem to save himself -- but can he save the life of an innocent child?
Jack Kerley worked in advertising for over twenty years. Challenged by his wife to “quit your job and write that book you’re always threatening to write,” he left the nine-to-five to teach himself how to write a novel. In 2003 his debut novel, The Hundredth Man, was published. This was followed by The Death Collectors, A Garden of Vipers (U.K. title: The Broken Souls) and Blood Brother, all part of a series generally set in Mobile, Alabama, and featuring Carson Ryder and Harry Nautilus, detectives with the Mobile Police Department. Though his work didn’t reach a wide audience in the US, Kerley’s books have been published in eleven languages and over twenty countries. Please call or e-mail to order signed or inscribed copies. Saturday,
August 8, 1:00 to 4:00 p.m., David Rosenfelt and his wife founded the Tara Foundation, rescuing over 4,000 dogs in California. They themselves have nearly 40 dogs at home, mainly those too ill to be adopted. Want to see how amazing David is (and learn a little about the new book)? Go here, especially if you're a dog lover! 10% of MBTB's sales of New Tricks will be donated to Golden Beginnings Golden Retriever Rescue. In a starred review, Publishers Weekly says: " In Rosenfelt’s excellent seventh legal thriller to feature Paterson, N.J., defense attorney Andy Carpenter (after Play Dead), Andy takes on another canine client—Waggy, a Bernese mountain puppy, who’s somehow connected to the murder of Walter Timmerman.... Rosenfelt injects this clever installment with courtroom twists, a peek into some scary DNA research and a romantic surprise." Please call or e-mail to order signed or inscribed copies.
Please call or e-mail to order signed or inscribed copies. Friday,
August 14, 6:30 p.m. But for Harper, her own case may prove the most difficult to solve. Why did she—as opposed to others with near-death experiences—become a Greywalker? When Harper digs into her own past, she unearths some unpleasant truths about her father's early death as well as a mysterious puzzle. Forced by some very demanding vampires to take on an investigation in London, she soon discovers her present troubles in England are entangled with her dark past back in Seattle—and her ultimate destiny as a Greywalker. Highly recommended by Anne, Terry, Dean, and David! Please call or e-mail to order signed or inscribed copies. Wednesday,
August 26, 6:30 p.m. Please call or e-mail to order signed or inscribed copies.
Please call or e-mail to order signed or inscribed copies.
Event includes a performance of the Devil's Trill sonata by Elias!
Hailed as a “complex and intriguing game of cat-and-mouse, as multi layered and evocative as a well-played Tartini sonata” by Shamus Award-winning author Louise Ure, Devil's Trill is an elegant, compulsively readable mystery that offers something for everyone. A graduate of Yale, Gerald Elias has been a Boston Symphony violinist, Associate Concertmaster of the Utah Symphony since 1988, Adjunct Professor of Music at the University of Utah, first violinist of the Abramyan String Quartet, and Music Director of the Vivaldi Candlelight concert series. Highly recommended by McKenna! “If one in a hundred writers could play music as well as Gerald Elias writes, what a harmonious world we would have!”—S.J. Rozan, Edgar-winning author of The Shanghai Moon “Evocative and engrossing… will appeal equally to mystery lovers and music lovers.”—Charles Finch, author of A Beautiful Blue Death “A true insider’s view of a fascinating world.”—John Williams, conductor and composer Read an interview with Gerald Elias here. Please call or e-mail to order signed or inscribed copies.
Tammy Jo’s misfiring magic has attracted the unwanted attention of WAM, the World Association of Magic. Now, a wand-wielding wizard and a menacing fire warlock have come to Duvall to train her for a dangerous mandatory challenge. But is there more to their arrival than they claim? When a curse leads to a toxic spill of pixie dust, the town comes unglued and the doors between the human and faery worlds begin to open. To rescue the town and to face the impossible magical test, Tammy needs the help of incredibly handsome Bryn Lyons, but WAM has declared him totally off-limits. To avoid deadly consequences, Tammy probably ought to follow the rules this time… On the other hand, rebellion is an old Texas tradition. The series debut, Would-Be Witch, is highly recommended by Anne! Please call or e-mail to order signed or inscribed copies.
Please call or e-mail to order signed or inscribed copies.
Aaron Elkins's mysteries and thrillers have garnered an Edgar, an Agatha, and a Nero Wolfe Award. His books have been made into a major ABC television series and have been published in thirteen languages. Aaron is a frequent contributor to the New York Times' travel magazine and has also written for Smithsonian magazine. His major continuing series features forensic anthropologist Gideon Oliver, "the Skeleton Detective." A former professor of physical anthropology himself, Aaron keeps his hand in by currently serving as forensic anthropologist for the Clallam County Sheriff's Department Cold Case Task Force. He and his wife Charlotte live on Washington's Olympic Peninsula, their marriage having survived (more or less intact) their collaboration on five novels and several short stories. Visit Aaron Elkins's website here.
Event #2 Event #3 More information on all events to be updated soon! Please call or e-mail to order signed or inscribed copies.
It begins with every mother’s worst nightmare: The disappearance of a child. Young Audrey Cutler is snatched from her bedroom while her family sleeps, a horrible crime that will go unsolved for decades. Nearly 30 years later, this awful night will be relived over and over by two men. One of them is Sammy Cutler, Audrey’s vengeful brother, arrested for the murder of the prime suspect in the disappearance, a child molester who left a trail of devastated victims behind. The other is Sammy’s former best friend, now a lawyer desperate to uncover the truth…even though he has no idea how close to this case he really is. When Jason Kolarich is hired to defend his former best friend against the murder charge, he cannot expect what will come next. Kolarich is still reeling from the recent deaths of both his wife and daughter, an unimaginable loss from which he knows he will never recover. He’s also watching helplessly as his younger brother, whom he’s always sworn to protect, slides dangerously into drugs and crime. With his life falling apart, Kolarich meets the mysterious Mr. Smith, a man ready to pay any sum of money for Cutler’s defense. A man with secrets, as well as a plan of his own for winning the case. A man who will force Kolarich to take on a trial that may end his life…or redeem it. Kolarich is set on a race against time to figure out what really happened to his old friend’s sister, because only by solving that crime will he ever learn the truth of what’s happening now. Because once this case is over, he knows he will be a liability to the deadly and powerful Mr. Smith. In The Hidden Man, David Ellis introduces readers to a new kind of protagonist, a flawed but relatable hero determined to uphold the law…because it’s all he has left. David Ellis won the Edgar Award in 2002 for his first novel, Line of Vision. A graduate of Northwestern School of Law who later became a partner in a Chicago law firm, he has successfully managed two careers over the past seven years: First, as Counsel to the Speaker of the Illinois House of Representatives and second as the author of five more acclaimed suspense novels. His book include Life Sentence, Jury of One, In the Company of Liars, and Eye of the Beholder. Ellis currently lives in Springfield, Illinois, with his wife, Susan, his daughter, Abigail, and their two pugs, Otis and Molly. Please call or e-mail to order signed or inscribed copies.
Please call or e-mail to order signed or inscribed copies.
Please call or e-mail to order signed or inscribed copies.
Please call or e-mail to order signed or inscribed copies. Thursday,
October 8, 6:30 p.m. Please call or e-mail to order signed or inscribed copies.
A graduate of Wright State University and The Ohio State University, Rachel enjoys a career in biomedical engineering in addition to the time she spends writing mystery and suspense fiction. Her interests include health and fitness, acoustic guitar, and books of all kinds. She lives outside of Houston, with her husband and their three children. Visit Rachel on-line at www.rachelbrady.net. Please call or e-mail to order signed or inscribed copies.
Please call or e-mail to order signed or inscribed copies. Monday,
October 19, 6:30 p.m. “A superior exercise in storytelling that... reflects on the chillingly plausible thin line between parenting and psychosis.” — Financial Times
Please call or e-mail to order signed or inscribed copies. Tuesday,
October 20, 6:30 p.m.
Peter Lovesey is the author of ten mysteries in his best-loved Peter Diamond series as well as two in the Hen Mallin series and eight in the Sergeant Cribb series. He has been awarded Silver, Gold, and Diamond Daggers by the CWA and the Award for Lifetime Achievement by Malice Domestic. He lives in Chichester, England. Peter Lovesey is highly recommended by every single MBTB employee!
"Benn continues to create fascinating behind-the-scenes mysteries from little-known facets of World War II history.... A fast-paced mix of action, adventure, and crime solving.... A solid series that keeps getting better."—Booklist James R. Benn is the author of three previous books in the Billy Boyle series, Billy Boyle, The First Wave, and Blood Alone. He is a librarian and lives in Hadlyme, Connecticut. As with Lovesey, Benn is very highly recommended by MBTB employees!
“Not only one of the finest thriller debuts of the last ten years, but also one of the best Irish novels, in any genre, of recent times.”—John Connolly “The Ghosts of Belfast is the book when the world finally sits up and goes WOW, the Irish really have taken over the world of crime writing. Stuart Neville is Ireland’s answer to Henning Mankell.”—Ken Bruen "Sure to garner attention and stir lively pub discussions."—Library Journal blog Stuart Neville is a partner in a multimedia design business based in Armagh, northern Ireland. This novel is the first in a series. Highly recommended by McKenna! Please call or e-mail to order signed or inscribed copies.
Harry Bosch is assigned a homicide call in South L.A. that takes him to Fortune Liquors, where the Chinese owner has been shot to death behind the counter in an apparent robbery. Joined by members of the department's Asian Crime Unit, Bosch relentlessly investigates the killing and soon identifies a suspect, a Los Angeles member of a Hong Kong triad. But before Harry can close in, he gets the word that his young daughter Maddie, who lives in Hong Kong with her mother, is missing. Bosch drops everything to journey across the Pacific to find his daughter. Could her disappearance and the case be connected? With the stakes of the investigation so high and so personal, Bosch is up against the clock in a new city, where nothing is at it seems.
Imagine a Brooklyn rabbi/poet—Reed Farrel Coleman—collaborating with a mad Celt from the West of Ireland—Ken Bruen—to produce a novel unlike anything you’ve ever encountered. A ferocious blast of gut-wrenching passion that blends the fierce granite of Galway and the streetwise rap of Brooklyn. Fasten your seat belts, this is an experience that is as incendiary as it is heart shriven. Reed Farrel Coleman was recently featured on NPR's Fresh Air! Read or hear the story here. Please call or e-mail to order signed or inscribed copies.
Longing to get on with his life, Miles Cheshire nevertheless can’t stop searching for his troubled twin brother, Hayden, who has been missing for ten years. Hayden has covered his tracks skillfully, moving stealthily from place to place, managing along the way to hold down various jobs and seem, to the people he meets, entirely normal. But some version of the truth is always concealed. A few days after graduating from high school, Lucy Lattimore sneaks away from the small town of Pompey, Ohio, with her charismatic former history teacher. They arrive in Nebraska, in the middle of nowhere, at a long-deserted motel next to a dried-up reservoir, to figure out the next move on their path to a new life. But soon Lucy begins to feel quietly uneasy. My whole life is a lie, thinks Ryan Schuyler, who has recently learned some shocking news. In response, he walks off the Northwestern University campus, hops on a bus, and breaks loose from his existence, which suddenly seems abstract and tenuous. Presumed dead, Ryan decides to remake himself -- through unconventional and precarious means. Await Your Reply is a literary masterwork with the momentum of a thriller, an unforgettable novel in which pasts are invented and reinvented and the future is both seductively uncharted and perilously unmoored. Highly recommended by McKenna!
Please call or e-mail to order signed or inscribed copies.
David's highest recommendation! If you're a fan of Colin Cotterill, John Burdett, or Michael Connelly, please don't miss this wonderful series! “Setting the standard for military crime fiction, Limón’s compelling stories of murder, greed, and abuse of power are set off by the Korean culture and 1970s atmosphere.”—Library Journal, starred review “Altogether engaging.”—The Washington Post Book World “Combining the grim routine of a modern police procedural with the cliff-hanging action of a thriller movie.”—The Wall Street Journal “It’s great to have these two mavericks back.”—The New York Times Book Review “Easily the best military mysteries in print today.”—Lee Child “Martin Limón does what the best storytellers do: take you away to a brand new world.”—Michael Connelly Martin Limón is the author of numerous stories about his army police duo as well as five previous novels, Jade Lady Burning (a New York Times Notable Book of the Year), Slicky Boys, Buddha’s Money, The Door to Bitterness, and The Wandering Ghost, all available from Soho Crime. He lives near Seattle.
Please call or e-mail to order signed or inscribed copies. Saturday,
November 7, 4:30 p.m. Greg Herren is the author of eight novels, including the award winning Murder in the Rue Chartres, which was called by the New Orleans Times-Picayune "one of the most true reflections I've read of the reality of life as we fled from a hurricane and returned to post-K life in New Orleans." He has published over fifty short stories in numerous anthologies and magazines, including New Orleans Noir and Ellery Queen's Mystery Magazine. He lives in New Orleans. Please call or e-mail to order signed or inscribed copies.
Please call or e-mail to order signed or inscribed copies. We're also working on Clive Cussler, Carolyn Haines, Gary Phillips, Brian Azzarello, Mark Gimenez, Louise Penny, and more. Please stay tuned for more details. |
When
attending one of MURDER BY THE BOOK's signing events, please keep
the following in mind: 
Houston
young adult novelist Tera Lynn Childs will sign
& discuss her new YA fantasy/adventure novel, Goddess
Boot Camp (Dutton; $16.99). Phoebe
recently discovered she’s a descendent of Nike (the goddess,
not the shoe), and now she's finding out that supernatural powers
come with a crazy learning curve. Her new stepfather, headmaster
of the Academy for descendants of Greek gods, has enrolled her in
Dynamotheos Development Camp—aka Goddess Boot Camp—with
a bunch of ten-year-olds for the summer. Embarrassing as that is,
hopefully it’ll help her get control of her powers in time
to pass the test of the gods, continue training hard enough to qualify
for the Pythian Games (the only sporting event bigger than the Olympics),
and enjoy her godly boyfriend, Griffin, all while avoiding getting
smoted for accidental misuse of powers. It’s another fast-paced
myth-inspired heroine’s quest that’s sure to bring out
the goddess in anyone.
Oh.
My. Gods. (Dutton, $16.99; Speak, $7.99)
If Phoebe Castro can keep her grades up and have another stellar
cross-country season, her dream of attending USC with her best friends
is only a track scholarship away. She’s made all her plans,
so it’s a complete shock when her mom announces she’s
marrying a mysterious stranger and moving them half-way around the
world—to Greece. Phoebe’s
stuck on a secret island in the Aegean attending the super-exclusive
Academy, where her new stepfather is the headmaster and the kids
are anything but your average students—they are descendants
of the Greek gods, super powers included. That’s right, Greek
gods are no myth! If Phoebe thought high school was hard, she knows
this is going to be mortal misery. Securing
that scholarship seems like Phoebe’s only ticket out of Greece,
but training and maintaining her grades will be grueling, even without
a sabotaging stepsister from Hades and a gorgeous guy—what
a god!—who just might be her Achilles heel. One thing is for
sure—summoning the will to win and find her place among the
gods could be Phoebe’s toughest course yet. The
Greek gods get a makeover in this romantic odyssey of mythic proportion.
Medical
examiner Michael Baden will sign & discuss
his new crime novel (co-written with wife Linda Kenney Baden),
Skeleton Justice (Knopf; $25.95).
Forensic expert Dr. Michael Baden of the HBO series Autopsy
and trial attorney and legal commentator Linda Kenney Baden bring
us a chilling new thriller featuring their crack crime-fighting
duo: Dr. Jake Rosen, world-famous pathologist, deputy chief medical
examiner, and devoted scientist; and top litigator Manny Manfreda,
who is as lovely (and accessorized) as she is gutsy.
The
case begins with New York City on high alert for a most bizarre
serial killer—a strange kind of thief who stalks his victims
for the purpose of extracting a vial of blood, earning him the tabloid
nickname the Vampire. As the attacks become more and more vicious
and escalate to torture and then to murder, Jake and Manny begin
to suspect there is a connection between the killer’s seemingly
random victims. But what is the link between the Vampire and a case
that Manny’s been working for a kid whose high school prank-gone-wrong
has earned him the moniker the Preppy Terrorist.
Tuesday,
June 23, 6:30 p.m.
St.
Barnabas Day is reason for celebration! The new, rebuilt church
has risen like an angel food souffle and is playing host to parishioners
and dignitaries alike. But when a time-capsule from 1900 is opened
during the festivities, it throws the whole town into a tither.
Toss in a murder, a Prayer Vigil that goes horribly wrong, the return
of Brother Hog, Bible School terrorists, and a performance of an
unknown Henry Purcell masterpiece, and St. Barnabas Episcopal Church
will never be the same.
Event
will include an interactive mystery from Schweizer! Outguess the
detective, discover the clues hidden in the bookstore, step over
the bodies, unravel the mystery, and laugh to some of the funniest
hard-boiled prose ever concocted. Whether you're a fan or not, (and
you will be!) you won't want to miss this event. Bring a pencil,
your giant brain-pans, and a handkerchief to dry your eyes.
Attorney-turned-bestselling
crime writer Jilliane Hoffman will sign & discuss
her third novel, Plea of Insanity
(Vanguard; $25.95). The prosecutor—Julia Valenciano.
Young and ambitious, and facing a case that could launch her career.
The defendant—David Marquette. A successful Miami surgeon
and devoted family man. The victims—Marquette’s own
wife and three small children. The plea—Not Guilty by Reason
of Insanity. The perfect father and model husband, 
David
Marquette seemingly just snapped. His experienced defense team claims
paranoid delusions caused by schizophrenia drove him to slaughter
his entire family. But the state suspects Marquette’s insanity
defense is being fabricated to disguise murders that were cold blooded
and calculated. Worse, Julia believes Marquette could be responsible
for a string of unsolved, brutal homicides. Could he be one of the
most prolific and elusive serial killers in the country’s
history? To bring him to justice, Julia must embark on a terrifying
personal journey back into her own past—something she has
struggled to forget for fifteen years. And this will lead her to
confront a future so chilling, she’s not sure she will ever
be able to face it… Plea of Insanity confirms Jilliane Hoffman
as a major thriller writer at the peak of her powers. 
Jilliane
Hoffman was an Assistant State Attorney between 1992 and 1996. Until
2001, she was the Regional Legal Advisor for the Florida Department
of Law Enforcement, advising special agents on complex investigations
including narcotics, homicide, and organized crime. Plea of
Insanity is her third novel, following the international bestsellers,
Retribution and Last Witness
(both of which MBTB stocks in U.K.-imported
paperbacks, $15.95 each). She lives in Florida.
Debut
mystery writer Jamie Freveletti will sign &
discuss her first book, Running from the Devil
(Morrow; $24.99). A plane is hijacked and crash-lands outside
Bogotá, Colombia. Emma Caldridge, a biochemist for a cosmetics
company who is on a covert personal mission, is thrown from the
wreckage. Shaken but unhurt, she watches as guerrillas take the
rest of the surviving passengers hostage. 
Running
from the Devil is a high-octane debut thriller that combines
the intrigue of Daniel Silva with the speculative science adventure
of James Rollins. Moving between Washington’s power corridors
and the jungles of Colombia, filled with compelling characters—including
vicious guerillas, an elite military contractor, an undercover spy,
and a classic femme fatale—saturated with intrigue and authentic
detail, Running from the Devil introduces readers to a
bright new talent who is sure to become a star.
Debut crime writer (and podcaster) Seth Harwood
will sign & discuss his novel, Jack Wakes Up
(Three Rivers; paperback original; $13.95). In the three
years since Jack Palms left Hollywood and kicked his drug habit,
he’s added fourteen pounds of muscle, read 83 books, and played
it as straight as anyone could reasonably ask. But the residual
checks are drying up and the ascetic lifestyle’s starting
to wear thin, so Jack’s happy to cash in on his former celebrity
by showing some out-of-town high rollers around San Francisco’s
club scene. 
Mystery
writer Sara Rosett will sign & discuss her
new Ellie Avery novel, Magnolias, Moonlight and Murder
(Kensington; $22). When military wife, mom, and professional
organizer Ellie Avery stumbles across two dead bodies in her new
neighborhood, murder becomes a clear and present danger.
Settling
her family—Air Force pilot Mitch, baby Nathan, and daughter
Livvy,—into their new home in Georgia, Ellie Avery is busier
than ever. With two children under four, a party to plan for Mitch's
promotion, and new contacts to develop for her organizing business,
Ellie's eager to relax by taking Rex, the family Rottweiler, for
a peaceful stroll. But what they find is anything but tranquil.
As evening's shadows fall, Ellie stumbles into an abandoned graveyard
disturbed by flooding from a recent storm. It's a chilling enough
setting without the shocking specter of two dead bodies.... unearthed
from the same grave.
#1 New York Times best-seller Ridley Pearson
will sign & discuss his new Walt Fleming thriller, Killer
Summer (Putnam; $24.95). Sun Valley,
Idaho—playground of the wealthy and politically connected—is
home to an annual wine auction that attracts high rollers from across
the country, and Blaine County Sheriff Walt Fleming is the one who
must ensure it goes off without a hitch. The world's most elite
wine connoisseurs have descended on Sun Valley to taste and bid
on the world's best wines, including three bottles claimed to have
been a gift from Thomas Jefferson to John Adams. With sky-high prices
all but guaranteed for these historic items, it's no wonder a group
of thieves is out to steal them. Walt is responsible for all aspects
of the glitzy event, from security of the dignitaries to the physical
safety of the auction site to the transportation and safeguard of
the wines themselves.
Ridley
Pearson on Killer Summer...
Crime
writer / photojournalist Eric Stone will sign &
discuss his new novel, Shanghaied
(Bleak House; hardback, $24.95; paperback, $14.95; Evidence Collection
limited edition, $45). Carnivorous Tibetan monks are worried
about what a Chinese bank is doing with their money. A murderous,
sociopathic veteran of the U.S. invasion of Grenada, along with
his well-dressed, twin kung-fu bodyguards, Floss and Betty, are
more than just a little threatening. A painful dumpling accident,
drugs, sex and rock and roll, crowd-surfing, ash scattering, heroin
injecting, business moguls, hookers, friends and foes. And the return
of Ray’s Chinese-Mexican colleague and pal, the diminutive
Ms. Wen Lei Yue.
In
Vanilla Ride (Knopf; $23.95), Hap Collins
and Leonard Pine (Mucho Mojo)—best friends, freelance
troublemakers, and tough guys with good intentions—find themselves
in the crosshairs of the Dixie Mafia.
Sanctified
and Chicken-Fried: The Portable Lansdale (foreword
by Bill Crider; Univ. of Texas; $29.95) Reprinted and original
stories. 212 pages. First printing,
1,550 copies! Master of mojo storytelling,
spinner of over-the-top yarns of horror, suspense, humor, mystery,
science fiction, and even the Old West, Joe R. Lansdale has attracted
a wide and enthusiastic following. His genre-defying work has brought
him numerous awards, including the Grand Master of Horror from the
World Horror Convention, the Edgar Award, the American Horror Award,
seven Bram Stoker awards, the British Fantasy Award, Italy's Grinzane
Prize for Literature, as well as Notable Book of the Year recognition
twice from the New York Times.
Best-selling thriller writer Brad Thor will sign
& discuss his new Scot Harvath novel, The Apostle
(Atria; $26.95). A new administration and a new approach
to dealing with America’s enemies have left covert counterterrorism
operative Scot Harvath without a job. But when American doctor Julia
Gallo is kidnapped in Afghanistan, the terms of her ransom leave
the president with only one course of action.
In
a dangerous assignment that the United States government will deny
any knowledge of, Scot Harvath must secretly infiltrate Kabul’s
notorious Policharki Prison and free the man the kidnappers demand
as ransom -- al-Qaeda mastermind, Mustafa Khan.
Friday,
July 10, 6:00 p.m.
Edgar Award-winning historical crime writer David Liss
(A Conspiracy of Paper) will sign & discuss his new
Benjamin Weaver novel, The Devil's Company
(Random House; $25). With
The Whiskey Rebels, David Liss added to the rapidly growing
audience for his extraordinary brand of historical suspense fiction.
His unforgettable tale of spies and conspiracies in post-Revolutionary
War America was a "gripping, visceral adventure," according
to New York Times bestselling author Matthew Pearl. Now
Liss delivers another riveting historical suspense tale —
this one set in 1700s London. 
Best-selling
thriller writers David Morrell & James
Rollins will sign & discuss their new books at a special
event. 
When
police officer Dan Page’s wife disappears, her trail leads
to Rostov, a remote Texas town where unexplained phenomena attract
hundreds of spectators each night. Not merely curious, these onlookers
are compelled to reach this tiny community and gaze at the mysterious
Rostov Lights.
And
speaking of James Rollins...
The
Doomsday Key finds Sigma Force—an elite
and covert arm of the Department of Defense’s DARPA unit—
embroiled in a centuries-old secret, one coded in prophecies of
doom.
Jake
Ransom & the Skull King's Shadow:
When a mysterious envelope arrives for Jake Ransom,
he and his older sister, Kady are plunged into a gripping chain
of events. An artifact found by their parents—on the expedition
from which they never returned—leads Jake and Kady to a strange
world inhabited by a peculiar mix of long-lost civilizations, a
world that may hold the key to their parents' disappearance.
Edgar Award-winning crime writers Megan Abbott
& Theresa Schwegel will sign & discuss
their new novels.
2008
Edgar Award winner Megan Abbott will sign her 4th
novel, Bury Me Deep
(Simon & Schuster; paperback original; $15). Bury Me
Deep is loosely inspired by a famous crime that scandalized the
country. In October 1931, a railroad employee at the Southern Pacific
Train Station in downtown Los Angeles noticed something leaking
from a passenger trunk. Inside, he found the bodies of two young
women. The trunk's owner was a young doctor's wife, Winnie Ruth
Judd, en route from Phoenix. The two women were her best friends.
2007
Edgar Award winner Theresa Schwegel will sign Last
Known Address (St. Martin's Minotaur; $24.95).
Chicago Detective Sloane Pearson is still new to the Sex Crimes
Division, but she’s tired of being treated like the new girl
by the guys who’ve been around. She’s tracking a rapist
who strangles women nearly to death, usually on deserted building
sites and in vacant apartments, which are peppered all over downtown
Chicago. The baffling case intensifies when one of the victims turns
out to be Sloane’s realtor, making the investigation more
personal than ever. 
To
make matters worse, Sloane’s father’s failing health
is a major distraction, and when he takes a turn for the worse,
she throws herself into the chase. But it’s getting harder;
one by one the rape victims become reluctant to relive their horrors
in court, and her bosses threaten to shut down the investigation
altogether. Then when an impromptu sting puts Sloane herself in
danger, even her partner backs away from the case. But she refuses
to give up. Racing from the worst slums of Chicago’s west
side to the glittering Loop skyscrapers, Sloane tries to catch a
predator before it’s too late. 
Internationally
best-selling Austin crime writer Jeff Abbott
will sign & discuss his new thriller, Trust Me
(Dutton; $25.95). Luke Dantry tells people he has a job
on the cutting edge of the war on terror—only he knows it’s
nowhere near as adrenaline-filled as he makes it sound. Luke’s
nightly task working for his stepfather’s Washington think
tank: Go undercover from the anonymous safety of his computer and
infiltrate Web-based, home-grown terrorist networks, cataloging
the screen names and details of a motley collection of rage-filled,
mentally suspect, and mostly impotent loners he comes to call the
Black Road. Now and then he encounters someone who may have the
capability to make good on his threats, but Luke figures that the
vast majority of his targets are simply frustrated malcontents using
the Internet as an empty soapbox.
Jeff
Abbott is the internationally best-selling, award-winning author
of ten mystery and suspense novels. Jeff's novels have been called
"exciting, shrewd, and beautifully crafted" (Chicago
Tribune), "fresh, original... intricately woven"
(Publishers Weekly), "nail-bitingly suspenseful and
totally original" (Irish Independent) and "excellent"
(South Florida Sun-Sentinel). He is published in twenty
languages and has been a bestseller in the US, the UK, Ireland,
France, Germany, Australia, Portugal, and other countries.
Six
months after the dramatic conclusion of Moscow Rules, Gabriel
has returned to the tan hills of Umbria to resume his honeymoon
with his new wife, Chiara, and restore a seventeenth-century altarpiece
for the Vatican. But his idyllic world is once again thrown into
turmoil with shocking news from London. The defector and former
Russian intelligence officer Grigori Bulganov, who saved Gabriel’s
life in Moscow, has vanished without a trace. British intelligence
is sure he was a double agent all along, but Gabriel knows better.
He also knows he made a promise.
Steve
Hockensmith
The
Crack in the Lens (St. Martin's Minotaur;
$24.95)... It's late 1893, and things finally seem to be
going right for Otto "Big Red" Amlingmeyer and his brother
Gustav (a.k.a. "Old Red"). After years of hard knocks,
Big Red's started selling stories about their adventures as would-be
detectives following in the footsteps of their hero: Sherlock Holmes.
Which means for once Big Red and Old Red have a bit of money in
their pockets and time on their hands. So why is Old Red so edgy?
Because he's got unfinished business, that's why. And he reckons
now's the time to finish it. Five years before, when Old Red was
a cowhand in San Marcos, Texas, he had a sweetheart
-- a "soiled dove" at the local house of ill repute. But
before they could run off together and get married, the girl was
brutally murdered, and the local law swept the case under the rug.
Now, Old Red hopes he's got the "deducifyin'" know-how
to find out what really happened and bring the killer to justice.
But even the great Sherlock Holmes never had to face anything like
this. Big Red and Old Red soon find themselves in the middle of
a riot at the local cathouse, on the wrong end of a lynching party
and forced to commit the greatest crime a man can in the state of
Texas : steal horses. Eventually, however, they uncover a bizarre
link to one of the world's most infamous madmen -- just as Old Red
seems to be coming apart under the strain of his quest for vengeance.
It's enough to make his brother wonder: Will Old Red crack the case...or
crack up himself? 
The
best-selling author of The Hundredth Man and Blood
Brother will sign & discuss his new Carson Ryder thriller,
In the Blood (U.K. import; paperback
original; $15.95). We'll
be the only store in Houston stocking this title!
David
highly recommends this serial-killer series! For fans of Thomas
Harris and John Sandford!
Best-selling
mystery writer David Rosenfelt will sign &
discuss his new Andy Carpenter novel, New Tricks
(Grand Central; $24.99), at Alliance Francaise
(427 Lovett). Book sales provided by Murder By The
Book.
Thursday,
August 13, 6:30 p.m.
Best-selling
paranormal mystery writer Kat Richardson (Greywalker)
will sign & discuss her new Harper Blaine novel, Vanished
(Ace; $23.95). Harper Blaine was your average small-time
P.I. until she died—for two minutes. Now Harper is a Greywalker—walking
the line between the living world and the paranormal realm. And
she's discovering that her new abilities are landing her in all
sorts of "strange cases."
Utah
Symphony Concertmaster Gerald Elias will sign &
discuss his debut mystery, Devil's Trill
(St. Martin's Minotaur; $25.99). Greed, lust, power, and
murder are words not commonly associated with the world of classical
music, yet they are elements in Devil's Trill, an evocative
debut mystery about the theft a priceless violin and the renowned
blind violin master who has to clear his own name. 
Daniel
Jacobus is a blind, reclusive, vulgar violin teacher living in self-imposed
exile in rural New England. He spends his time chain smoking, listening
to old LPs, and berating students in the hope that they will flee.
Jacobus, however, is inexorably drawn back into the world he left
behind when decides to attend the Grimsley Competition at Carnegie
Hall, run by the ruthless Musical Arts Project, or MAP. The winner
of this competition is granted the honor of playing the ‘Piccolino’
Stradivarius, a uniquely dazzling three-quarter size violin that
has brought misfortune to all who possessed it over the centuries.
Nine-year-old Kamryn Vander wins the competition, but before she
can get an opportunity to play the priceless violin, it is stolen
with Jacobus at the scene of the crime. Then haughty Victoria Jablonski,
Vander’s teacher and Jacobus’s nemesis, is brutally
murdered and once again Jacobus becomes the primary suspect. With
the help of his friend and former musical partner Nathaniel Williams,
and his new student, Yumi Shinagawa, Jacobus sets out to rid the
world of MAP, retrieve the ‘Piccolino,’ and prove his
innocence against all odds.
Wednesday,
September 2, 6:30 p.m.
Aaron
Elkins
Event
#1
Edgar
Award-winning crime writer / attorney David Ellis -- the lead prosecutor
in the trial of ousted Illinois governor Rod Blagojevich -- will
sign & discuss his new thriller, The Hidden Man
(Putnam; $25.95), which is the debut
in an exciting new series. Ellis is both a well-respected lawyer
in Illinois, where he is Counsel to the Speaker of the House of
Representatives, as well as one of the most promising up-and-coming
thriller writers working today. With The Hidden Man, he
delivers a tour de force of mystery storytelling, a gripping tale
of murder, lies, deception, and redemption.
More
details to come.
Debut
Houston mystery writer Rachel Brady will sign &
discuss her first novel, Final Approach
(Poisoned Pen; $24.95). Sometimes clues just fall from
the sky. Four years ago Emily Locke's life was shattered when her
infant daughter and husband were lost in an inexplicable accident.
She has nearly rebuilt her 
fragile
mental health when Richard Cole, a disgraced former police detective
now working as a PI, resurfaces. He wants help he says only she
can provide—reconnaissance at a Texas skydiving establishment
over a thousand miles away. Emily knows better than to work with
him again, but can't refuse when she learns it's about a missing
boy. She identifies too greatly with the new missing child case.
At Gulf Coast Skydiving, similarities between this new case and
Emily's troubled past make it increasingly difficult for her to
stay objective. Soon she's convinced that she is somehow connected
to whoever took little Casey Lyons. Someone at the quiet, rural
airstrip knows what happened to the boy... and to Emily's own daughter.
To find Casey before it's too late, Emily will have to make sense
of the menacing parallels between his case and her daughter's. 
Sophie
Hannah is a bestselling crime fiction writer. Her psychological
thrillers Little Face, Hurting Distance, and The
Point of Rescue (the UK title for The Wrong Mother)
have sold over 300,000 copies in the UK and are international bestsellers.
Little Face was long-listed for the 2007 Theakston’s
Old Peculiar Crime Novel of the Year Award and the IMPAC Award.
Hurting Distance is currently long-listed for the 2008
Theakston’s Old Peculiar Crime Novel of the Year Award. Sophie's
fifth collection of poetry, Pessimism for Beginners, was
shortlisted for the 2007 TS Eliot Award, and in 2004 she won first
prize in the Daphne DuMaurier Festival Short Story Competition for
her suspense story "The Octopus Nest." She lives in Yorkshire,
England.
Award-winning
crime writer Peter Lovesey will sign his new Peter
Diamond novel, Skeleton Hill (Soho
Crime; $24). Inspector Diamond is faced with a headless
female skeleton and the body of a war reenactor. On Lansdown Hill,
near Bath, a battle between Roundheads and Cavaliers that took place
over 350 years ago is annually reenacted. Two of the reenactors
discover a skeleton that is female, headless, and only about twenty
years old. One of them, a professor who played a Cavalier, is later
found murdered. In the course of his investigation, Peter Diamond
butts heads with the group of vigilantes who call themselves the
Lansdown Society, discovering in the process that his boss Georgina
is a member. She resolves to sideline Diamond, but matters don’t
pan out in accordance with her plans.
"The
author has the gift of making the most ordinary characters interesting
and engaging, and knows how to ratchet up the suspense.... Nobody
can write the modern traditional detective novel as perfectly as
Lovesey."—Denver Post
Crime
writer James R. Benn will sign his fourth Billy
Boyle novel, Evil for Evil (Soho;
$24). Billy Boyle goes to Northern Ireland to keep the
Irish Republic out of World War II. Fifty
BARs have been stolen from a US army base in Northern Ireland. His
uncle Ike Eisenhower sends Billy to recover the weapons which might
be used in a German-sponsored IRA uprising. Bodies begin to accumulate
as
Billy finds unexpected challenges to his Boston-Irish upbringing
and IRA sympathies. There are rogues on both sides, he learns.
Debut
crime writer Stuart Neville will sign & discuss
his first novel, The Ghosts of Belfast
(Soho; $24). Fegan has been a “hard man,” an
IRA killer in northern Ireland. Now that peace has come, he is being
haunted day and night by twelve ghosts: a mother and infant, a schoolboy,
a butcher, an RUC constable, and seven other of his innocent victims.
In order to appease them, he’s going to have to kill the men
who gave him orders. As he’s
working his way down the list he encounters a woman who may offer
him redemption; she has borne a child to an RUC officer and is an
outsider too. Now he has given Fate—and his quarry—a
hostage. Is this Fegan’s ultimate mistake?
“The
best first novel I’ve read in years. . . . It’s a flat-out
terror trip.”—James Ellroy
#1
New York Times best-seller Michael Connelly
(The Black Echo; The Scarecrow) will sign &
discuss his new Harry Bosch novel, 9 Dragons
(Little, Brown; $27.99). Signing line numbers beginning
the on-sale date, Tuesday, October 13th!
Award-winning
crime novelist Reed Farrel Coleman will sign &
discuss his new book, Tower (co-written
w/ Ken Bruen; Busted Flush Press; paperback original; $15).
Born into a rough Brooklyn neighborhood, outsiders in their own
families, Nick and Todd forge a lifelong bond that persists in the
face of crushing loss, blood, and betrayal. Low-level wiseguys with
little ambition and even less of a future, the friends become major
players in the potential destruction of an international crime syndicate
that stretches from the cargo area at Kennedy Airport to the streets
of New York, Belfast, and Boston to the alleyways of Mexican border
towns. Their paths are littered with the bodies of undercover cops,
snitches, lovers, and stone-cold killers. 
National
Book Award finalist Dan Chaon will sign & discuss
his new crime novel, Await Your Reply
(Ballantine; $25). The lives
of three strangers interconnect in unforeseen ways -- and with unexpected
consequences -- in acclaimed author Dan Chaon’s gripping,
brilliantly written new novel.
Dan
Chaon is the acclaimed author of Among the Missing, which
was a finalist for the National Book Award, and You Remind Me
of Me, which was named one of the best books of the year by
The Washington Post, Chicago Tribune, San Francisco Chronicle,
The Christian Science Monitor, and Entertainment Weekly,
among other publications. Chaon’s fiction has appeared in
many journals and anthologies, including The Best American Short
Stories, Pushcart Prize, and The O. Henry Prize Stories.
He has been a finalist for the National Magazine Award in Fiction,
and he was the recipient of the 2006 Academy Award in Literature
from the American Academy of Arts and Letters. Chaon lives in Cleveland,
Ohio, and teaches at Oberlin College, where he is the Pauline M.
Delaney Professor of Creative Writing.
Crime
writer Martin Limón will sign & discuss
his new George Sueño / Ernie Bascom novel, G.
I. Bones (Soho; $24). A
Korean fortune-teller is being bothered by a dead American soldier
who wants his bones found and buried. An underage officer’s
daughter is missing together with a Latino soldier. Several of the
leading Korean gangsters who own the bars in the ville have been
killed. Sueño and Bascom of Military Intelligence must go
back to the founding of Itaewon, Seoul’s red-light district,
in order to learn who killed the soldier, who’s taking revenge
on the gang lords, and where to find the missing girl.
New
Orleans crime writer Greg Herren will sign &
discuss his new Chanse MacLeod novel, Murder in the
Garden District (Alyson; paperback original;
$14.95). How can you find the truth when everyone is lying?
The murder of a Louisiana politician 
running
for the U.S. Senate draws Chanse into the Byzantine world of Louisiana
politics, where little makes sense and nothing is what it seems.
Especially when this brand-new murder seems to be connected to a
series of murders going back thirty years, and Chanse has to untangle
a Gordian knot of lies, cover-ups, and Louisiana style corruption.
