Top Shelf at the Merrick Library

They All Fall the Same by Wes Browne has already made waves, earning a spot as one of Goodreads’ biggest mysteries and thrillers of 2025 and a most anticipated book of the year by Book Riot’s Read or Dead. Author Kelly J. Ford raves, “The hills of Kentucky burn in this thrilling tale of warring … Continue reading Epsiode 163: Interview with Wes Browne, author of They All Fall the Same →

Belinda Bauer on The Impossible Thing… A Crime Story Like No Other A taut, brilliantly imagined novel packed with intrigue at every turn, The Impossible Thing cements Belinda Bauer’s place as one of our great crime writers. From the two-time winner of the CWA Crime Novel of the Year and Sunday Times bestselling author of … Continue reading Episode 162: Interview with Belinda Bauer, author of The Impossible Thing →

One of my favorite mystery series just got a brand-new installment! Glory Daze by Danielle Arceneaux has officially launched, and I couldn’t be more excited. In this highly anticipated follow-up to the award-winning Glory Be, Glory Broussard is drawn into the mystery of her ex-husband’s death—this time with an unexpected ally by her side. Compelling, … Continue reading Episode 161: Interview with Danielle Arceneaux, author of Glory Daze →

I had the absolute honor of hosting international best-selling author, producer, screenwriter, and filmmaker, Tess Gerritsen on the podcast! Tess joined me to talk about her brand-new series, The Martini Club, set in the Midcoast region of Maine. The first book, The Spy Coast, introduces Maggie Bird, a retired spy who stumbles upon a secret … Continue reading E160: Interview with Tess Gerritsen, author of The Summer Guests →

An exuberant debut, The Husbands delights in how do we navigate life, love, and choice in a world of never-ending options. Holly Gramazio’s first novel, The Husbands, was an instant NYT bestseller, a Read With Jenna Pick for April of 2024, made so many best-of lists for 2024, and rightly so! As Holly heads out … Continue reading E159: Interview with Holly Gramazio, author of The Husbands →

A series about older women doing kick-ass things, in this case? Assassins! Four women assassins, senior in status, and in age, sharpen their knives for another bloody good adventure in Kills Well With Others by Deanna Raybourn, a riotous follow-up to the NYT bestselling sensation Killers of a Certain Age. We had such a great … Continue reading E158: Interview with Deanna Raybourn, author of Kills Well With Others →

Award-winning author William Boyle joins me to discuss his eighth novel, The Saint of Narrows Street—a gripping tale set in Gravesend, Brooklyn, spanning 18 years in the lives of two sisters and the life-changing decision they made one fateful night. William shares insights into his drafting process, the joy of discovering small yet impactful details … Continue reading E157: Interview with William Boyle, author of Saint of the Narrows Street →

Love Lies in the Throes of Rhetoric by Anthony Gedell is an incredible debut featuring a rookie PI thrust into the deadly game of hunting a killer on the loose as fast-paced, intertwining narratives collide with volatile characters in an unforgettable story. Praised as “literary lightning” by Eli Cranor and a “white-knuckle thrill ride” by … Continue reading E156: Interview with Anthony Gedell, author of Love Lies in the Throes of Rhetoric →

Hold on to you hats, folks! I had the pleasure of sitting down with Michael Cannell to talk about the jaw-dropping, true story of law enforcement and the Mafia in the 1970s. Absolutely compelling interview – thank you so much, Michael! For the first time in forty years, former New York Times editor Michael Cannell … Continue reading Episode 155: Interview with Michael Cannell, author of Blood and the Badge →

Inspired by a real place and events from her own family history, Trouble Island marks Sharon Short’s gripping debut in standalone suspense. Many of you may also know Sharon as Jess Montgomery, the acclaimed author of the Kinship Mystery Series and a beloved guest on our show from episodes 45, 57, and 99. But for … Continue reading Episode 154: Interview with Sharon Short, author of Trouble Island →

What a very special episode featuring award-winning and award nominated author: Susan Fletcher! The Night in Question by Susan Fletcher is hands-down one of my favorite books of 2024. This contemporary mystery is also a heartfelt exploration of a woman’s life—grief, joy, regret, and resilience all wrapped into one. In this special episode, Susan and … Continue reading Episode 153: Interview with Susan Fletcher, author of The Night in Question →

For this episode, we head to Damariscotta, Maine, to chat with Adam White about his stunning debut, The Midcoast. This gripping novel dives into privilege, the shadows of the American dream, and the lengths we’ll go to protect the ones we love. I’ve been thinking about this book since it hit shelves two years ago … Continue reading E152: Interview with Adam White, author of The Midcoast →

For this episode I sat down with author Sean Jacques to talk about his fiction debut, Doe Run. Author Eli Cranor says, “Sean Jacques knows the heart of the Ozarks, and puts that knowledge on full display in this sweltering debut. Doe Run burns slow like good bourbon. Drink up.” Doe Run by Sean Jacques features a … Continue reading E151: Interview with Sean Jacques, author of Doe Run →

Happy Episode 150!! For this episode I had the absolute pleasure of hosting Gary Goldstein for his third book, Please Come to Boston. It’s a funny, nostalgic, and bittersweet look at first love at a time when exploring one’s sexual orientation and authentic self was riskier, more uncharted territory, yet with so many of the … Continue reading E150: Interview with Gary Goldstein, author of Please Come to Boston →

Laced with atmospheric poetry and literature and set in the heart of Denver’s black community, They Can’t Take Your Name by Robert Justice is a gripping crime novel that pits three characters in a race against time to thwart a gross miscarriage of justice—and a crooked detective who wreaks havoc…with deadly consequences. This is the … Continue reading Episode 149: Interview with Robert Justice, author of They Can’t Take Your Name →

“This gripping, gritty noir is Upton Sinclair on hormones, the Coen brothers deep-fried.” ~ –Minneapolis Star Tribune about Broiler by Eli Cranor Eli Cranor’s third book, Broiler, is another edge-of-your-seat noir thriller that exposes the dark, bloody heart of life on the margins in the American South and the bleak underside of a bygone American … Continue reading Episode 148: Interview with Eli Cranor, author of Broiler →

With Trouble in Queenstown, Delia Pitts introduces private investigator Vandy Myrick in a powerful mystery that blends grief, class, race, and family with thrilling results. I could not put this book down and it started with the very first sentence! We talk about the book, Delia’s short stories, her familial influences, and her terrific Ross … Continue reading Episode 147: Interview with Delia Pitts, author of Trouble In Queenstown →

Oh my goodness, how thrilled are we all that Ethan Joella is back with his third book,The Same Bright Stars. This uplifting and emotionally resonant novel set in a Delaware beach town, follows a local restaurant owner at a turning point in their life.The Same Bright Stars comes right at you in technicolor, and I … Continue reading Episode 146: Interview with Ethan Joella, author of The Same Bright Stars →

Claire Lombardo, NYT bestselling author of The Most Fun We Ever Had, returns with another brilliantly observed family drama in which the enduring, hard-won affection of a long marriage faces imminent derailment from events both past and present: Same As It Ever Was. Author Bonnie Garmus calls it, “Witty and insightful…a powerful exploration of marriage, … Continue reading Episode 145: Interview with Claire Lombardo, author of Same As It Ever Was →

What You Leave Behind is the powerful new book by Wanda M. Morris, and I am thrilled to host her for this episode! What You Leave Behind is a haunting thriller following a lawyer who after the mysterious disappearance of a local landowner, uncovers a conspiracy that dates back to Reconstruction and still persists in … Continue reading Episode 144: Interview with Wanda M. Morris, author of What You Leave Behind →