Some books seem to defy categorization and expectation entirely—Louise Beech’s MARIA IN THE MOON is that kind of read. Releasing from Orenda Books on September 30th, this enchanting and brooding story managed to captivate me, unsettle me, and keep me fully immersed from the first page to the last. I’m delighted to participate in the blog tour for this stunning novel today! Whatever your expectation for this story might be, MARIA IN THE MOON is likely to surprise you; this book is neither crime fiction nor literary fiction, it’s neither terribly dark nor is it wholly uplifting. What it is is honest: Beech’s writing feels raw, as though the reader is privy to the author’s innermost self, laid bare on the page. MARIA IN THE MOON is a beautifully-constructed and wholly transporting novel, one that draws readers into a young woman’s search for her own memories—a search which reveals truths she has long since hidden from herself.
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Book Review: HIDE AND SEEK by M.J. Arlidge (Helen Grace #6)
The wait is nearly over: one of crime fiction's most compelling, complicated detectives DI Helen Grace returns this October in HIDE AND SEEK by MJ Arlidge (Berkley; on sale 10/10/17) – and she's back in a big way. Arlidge's gripping crime series has been a favorite of mine ever since I first dove into Book 1 (EENY MEENY) nearly two years ago. Somehow, Arlidge manages to just get better and better; with each new series installment, Arlidge ups the ante, delivering more insight into Helen's complicated character and higher stakes for the crimes she must solve. True to form, Arlidge has outdone himself yet again with HIDE AND SEEK: this superb thriller reads like a cross between a locked room mystery and an episode of Criminal Minds, serving up one of my favorite reads of the series so far.
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Bloody Scotland Interview: Christopher Brookmyre
Earlier this month, I had the wonderful opportunity to travel to Scotland for Bloody Scotland, an annual crime fiction festival held in the town of Stirling! Of all the fantastic opportunities this festival provided, my personal favorite was the chance to sit down and chat with some of crime fiction’s most exciting authors. Thanks to publicist extraordinaire Fiona Brownlee, I had the opportunity to interview Scottish crime fiction author Christopher Brookmyre and get an overview of his bibliography, discuss his most recent US release THE LAST HACK, and a whole lot more! I’m thrilled to share a recap of my conversation with Chris as part of the blog tour for the Bloody Scotland book today - you can read more about this short story collection at the bottom of this post.
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Author Q&A: Jane Robins, WHITE BODIES
I’m absolutely thrilled to share a fantastic Q&A with Jane Robins today, whose psychological thriller WHITE BODIES (Touchstone; on sale 9/19/17) was exactly my cup of tea. You know that wonderful feeling when you pick up a book and realize it’s somehow just exactly what your reading list has been missing? That’s how WHITE BODIES was for me. Quirky, offbeat, and genuinely twisted, this psychological thriller delivers an original and exciting read—it’s a breath of fresh air in the crime fiction genre. I was delighted to ask author Jane Robins a few of my most pressing questions about her thriller WHITE BODIES!
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Crime Festival Journal: Bloody Scotland 2017 @BloodyScotland
This past weekend, I was lucky enough to make my first-ever trip to Scotland for Bloody Scotland 2017, a fantastic annual crime festival held in Stirling! Bloody Scotland brings together authors from Scotland, across the UK, and around the world for a weekend of crime fiction panels, events, torchlight processions (seriously!), and much, much more. In this post, you’ll find a day-by-day recap of my time in Scotland, including my top book recommendations from the weekend, recaps of author interviews and panels, and lots of photos!
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