Happy Holiday Season
and
Thank You for Small Business Saturday |
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Hello, sorry this is late. I was waiting to confirm that Jeff Lindsay can fly here from the east coast Tuesday. He can.
What a wonderful end to November.
We hope everyone had a delicious Thanksgiving.
And we thank everyone who shared Small Business Saturday with us -- it was a warm, wonderful, record day, the 10th SBS.
Here's Dana Stabenow in bookselling mode recommending James R. Benn's latest thriller, When Hell Struck Twelve (Soho $27.95), a Signed copy of Billy Boyle's post D-Day march towards Paris.
On the right, our Poisoned Pen tree all decked out.
NEW podcasts are now on Google or on iTunes or
on Podbean. with Joseph Kanon and Mary Anna Evans.
Do check our BLOG regularly. Lesa updates awards, news, and interviews.
And there are new videos for you as well. Laurie R. King and Ace Atkins.
Much love to our social media team. And thank you for supporting the authors!
Barbara and all The Pens
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Thank you for supporting The Poisoned Pen, frequently named Best Specialty Bookstore by the
New Times
and by the
Arizona Republic
, one of 45 Great American Indie Bookstores 2013; Best Locally Owned and Operated Business: Scottsdale 2016; and Poisoned Pen Press, winner of the 2010 Ellery Queen Award from the Mystery Writers of America and named the 2011 Best Local Publisher by the
Arizona Republic and now the mystery imprint at Sourcebooks.
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The December Booknews Staff Picks, and December Releases Lists
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Do browse our
Web Store for current and forthcoming
releases
New additions are frequently made to upcoming books and events.
Please remember:
See It Here. Buy It Here.
Thank you for your business. I remind all of you reading this, that it only takes buying one book a month by each of you to keep us here!
Or merchandise, or a gift card. Or, a new audio book option.
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A Holiday Booknews
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To make your holiday shopping easy -- Thanksgiving is late this year and shortening up your time -- I have listed
Free gift wrap, Poisoned Pen logo merchandise, a membership in our Mystery of the Month Club which can be customized for the recipient, books for holiday reading, gift book ideas, puzzles, books & beverage combos, Best American Writing 2019 in several fields, gift ideas spread over a wide range of subjects, and my annual roundup of new cookbooks, always winners.
Don't forget you can sign anyone up for our Enews which is free.
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Travel with Me
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I leave Friday for 12 days in Egypt. You can follow along some of the sites we'll see if you follow along on Instagram
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Jeff Lindsay
Tuesday 7:00 PM
Publication Party
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TUESDAY DECEMBER 3 7:00 PM Book Launch Party
A heist novel targeting Iran's crown jewels
This terrific series launch, our December Surprise Book of the Month, from bestseller Lindsay opens with master thief Riley Wolfe, an antihero Dexter fans will relish, using a helicopter to steal a 12-ton statue in broad daylight during its installation ceremony in Chicago. Wolfe also abducts the honoree, a greedy pharmaceutical mogul who developed a cancer treatment he only sells for $500,000 a dose, before pushing him to his death from the aircraft.
But vigilante justice isn't enough of a rush, so Wolfe seeks "a heist that was beyond impossible, something ridiculous, unthinkable,  stupid, totally out of the question," and finds one after learning that the Iranian crown jewels are scheduled to be exhibited at Manhattan's Eberhardt Museum. He sets his sights on the exhibit's prize, the Ocean of Light, a diamond valued at more than $15 billion-if he can get past the formidable array of security, both electronic and human.
His crafty multistep plan is a pleasure to watch unfold. Having warmed readers up with Dexter, it's no surprise that Lindsay reveals that that Wolfe is capable of killing without any pretense of a moral justification.
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Mark De Castrique
Paige Shelton
Wednesday 7:00 PM
Publication Party x 2
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WEDNESDAY DECEMBER 4 7:00 PM Double Book Launch Party
A Blackman Agency Investigation set in Asheville, NC
Dana Stabenow writes, "Murder in Rat Alley starts off on a personal level, with the discovery of the remains of a long-lost uncle and brother, which then morphs into a history of international espionage and murder. De Castrique's novel reminds me of James R. Benn's Billy Boyle series in the able way both authors meld fact with fiction, allowing for pointed commentary without interrupting the narrative..."
Which gets going when the skeletal remains of a body are found near Pisgah Astronomical Research Institute, once a NASA  tracking station but now a weather research center, outside Asheville, N.C. When the bones are identified as those of Frank DeMille, a software engineer who disappeared in 1971 while working on the Apollo space mission, the FBI is called in to handle the case. Cory DeMille, Frank's niece, approaches her PI friends, Sam Blackman and Nakayla Roberson, and asks them to investigate, as she's certain that the FBI will stonewall her. Sam and Nakayla agree to assist.
The subsequent murder of Loretta Case, who was Frank's girlfriend and the secretary for the head of PARI back in 1971, raises the stakes."
"De Castrique skillfully entwines the reasons for the two deaths and provides a fascinating motive that spans the decades. Intelligent, kind protagonists and an eye-opening historical background help make this one winner," affirms
PW
Paige Shelton
signs Thin Ace (St Martins $26.99)
Our PP blogger Lesa Holstine reviews this series start:
"Renowned thriller writer Elizabeth Fairchild was kidnapped by a crazed fan but managed to escape after three days. Now, under her  real name, Beth Rivers, she's run as far as she can, to the isolated village of Benedict, Alaska. Her kidnapper hasn't been caught yet. With only a few memories of her ordeal and the man's name stuck in her head, she's going to hide until either the police or her determined mother find the man. She attracts attention as a newcomer, but everyone in Benedict seems to be hiding or escaping from the past. The police chief knows who she is and recruits her to use her skills to help with a murder investigation. The case keeps Beth occupied, while she tries to remember her ordeal and looks over her shoulder with every unusual sound.
Known for her cozies, most recently the Scottish Bookshop Mysteries, Shelton turns thriller author for this riveting story with an unusual setting and cast of characters. Fans of strong amateur sleuths will admire Beth's struggle to build a new future in a remote location."
I am reminded of Kelley Armstrong's Casey Duncan thrillers set in the Yukon, another community of people seeking to live under the radar.
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Greg Iles
Thursday 7:00 PM
At last!
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THURSDAY DECEMBER 5 7:00 PM
We've held on to first prints since March!
 The NY Times writes: "There's something about Bienville that rings true, something about the plight of small towns all over the South struggling to remain relevant in a modern economy. In fiction, if not in life, all they need is a hometown hero like Marshall McEwan to revive them. 'I'm a good Southern boy at heart,' Marshall says, explaining why he has returned to care for his aged father and rescue both the family newspaper and the town itself.
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Former Baseball Commssioner Bud Selig
Saturday 11:00
Pick up that gift!
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SATURDAY DECEMBER 7 11:00 AM
Former Commissioner Bud Selig
signs
(Harper $28.99) 
Selig, who served as the ninth commissioner of Major League Baseball from 1998 to 2015, delivers a straightforward, insightful account of his life and how he dealt with challenges in a quickly changing sport
Foreword by Doris Kearns Goodwin
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Jennifer Roberson
Saturday 3:00 PM
SciFi Saturday
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SATURDAY DECEMBER 7 2:00 PM
December SciFi/Fantasy Book of the Month starts the Blood & Bone modern western fantasy series
 Two sort-of angels, one a cowboy, the other a biker, reluctantly join the fight against the forces of hell. Gabriel and Remi were raised separately with the same purpose in mind. Their Grandaddy, who wasn't really their grandfather by blood, promised them both they'd grow to become soldiers with "the fate of the world" on their shoulders. Still, when grown-up biker Gabe meets Remi for the first time and hears he's going to partner up with a cowboy, he's skeptical.
And when Grandaddy tells the two of them they've got to start killing demons disguised as werewolves, black dogs, and other mythical creatures, he's downright incredulous. And horrified that their mission involves sacrifice.
A lot of worldbuilding sets up a planned series
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Stocking Stuffers
Conundrums for Book Lovers
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Conundrums for book lovers, a literary challenge and escape just right for a stocking stuffer.
And for more fun, Kate Jackson's
Golden Age of Detection Puzzle Book
($12.95), 100 puzzles based on the British Library Classics series: word searches, anagrams, snapshot covers, and crosswords, fun for all levels. Add a classic to go with it for a delightful package.
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Denise Mina Is the December Rees Witherspoon Pick
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Reese Witherspoon has picked Conviction (Little Brown $27)
by Denise Mina as the next title in Reese's Book Club.
 In her
Instagram post revealing the pick, Witherspoon said, "Get cozy because you won't be able to put this one down...This story combines suspense, international intrigue and the murder of an entire family aboard a ship... following the one woman who may just have all the answers."
No, these are not first printings nor autographed.
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Our December Books of the Month
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For DECEMBER
Please see the December Booknews for changes to our Books of the Month Clubs including a six month subscription option as well as pay as you go. There will be fewer clubs to join.
British Crime Club
One unsigned hardcover or paperback per month
To Be Announced
Cozy Crimes Club
One unsigned hardcover or paperback per month
Discovery Club
One paperback or hardcover per month
First Mystery Club
One Signed First per month
Hardboiled Crime Club
One signed First per month
History/Mystery Club
One Signed First per month
History Paperback
One per month
Modern First Editions
One Signed First per month
SciFi/Fantasy/Horror Club
One Signed First per month
Surprise Me! Club
One Signed First Per Month
Thriller Club
One Signed First per month
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Our December Calendar
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TUESDAY DECEMBER 3 7:00 PM Book Launch Party
A heist novel targeting Iran's crown jewels
WEDNESDAY DECEMBER 4 7:00 PM Double Book Launch Party
Sam Blackman, PI
Paige Shelton
signs Thin Ace (St Martins $26.99)
Starts a series set in Alaska
THURSDAY DECEMBER 5 7:00 PM
We've held on to first prints since March!
SATURDAY DECEMBER 7 11:00 AM
Former Commissioner Bud Selig
signs
(Harper $28.99). Foreword by Doris Kearns Goodwin
SATURDAY DECEMBER 7 2:00 PM
December SciFi/Fantasy Book of the Month starts the Blood & Bone modern western fantasy series
SUNDAY DECEMBER 8 2:00 PM
Patricia Smith
signs Remember (Polis Books $15.99)
Psychological suspense/social anxiety
TUESDAY DECEMBER 10 7:00 PM 
DECEMBER DISCUSSION CLUBS
Please buy your copy from The Pen. Anyone welcome but remember you risk spoilers if you don't read the selection in advance. The clubs each include a Holiday Party with the regular meeting
Coffee & Crime:
Saturday December 14 10:30 AM
Share your favorite book of any sort of 2019
SciFi Friday
: December 20 7:00 PM
Croak & Dagger
: Saturday December 21 10:30 AM
Hardboiled Crime
: Thursday December 19 7:00 PM
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Our New Year's Leadoff Calendar
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AND COMING JANUARY 6-12
MONDAY JANUARY 6 7:00 PM
Tarryn Fisher
signs
The Wives
(Graydon House $16.99/$27.99)
TUESDAY JANUARY 7 7:00 PM Publication Party 
Our copies come with an exclusive: Pike Logan's passport
WEDNESDAY JANUARY 8 2:00 PM A New Year's Tea
Sarah Blair cozy #2 in Wheaton, Alabama
THURSDAY JANUARY 9 7:00 PM Publication Party
SATURDAY JANUARY 11 2:00 PM Scream for Ice Cream 
Publication Party
Kate Shugak #22
SUNDAY JANUARY 12 2:00 PM Publication Party
Lady Emily in Pompeii
Victorian Mystery
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We Will Miss....
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Gahan Wilson, "whose outlandish, often ghoulish cartoons added a bizarrely humorous touch to Playboy, the New Yorker, National Lampoon and other publications in the era when magazines propelled the cultural conversation," died November 21, the New York Times reported. He was 89.
In a tribute, Michael Maslin wrote in the
New Yorker
that Wilson "was part of a
select group of cartoonists who own their style, who deliver on paper what seems to be a good piece of themselves. It is a distinction shared by, to name just a few, Edward Koren, George Booth and Roz Chast. The work is somehow inseparable from who they are, and that's part of what makes it so memorable.... Wilson's art is both the heart-thumping you feel when you dare look under the bed and the relieved inner laugh you let loose after he's scared the pants off of you."
Clive James, "who mined such a rich vein of wit in his writing--poems, memoirs, translations, novels, song lyrics, intellectual journalism and a deep body of criticism--that he was, to his admirers, almost endlessly quotable," died November 24, the New York Times reported. He was 80. "A sense of humor is just common sense, dancing," he wrote. "Those who lack humor are without judgment and should be trusted with nothing."
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Parking, Drinks & Dining
and a generous offer from Arcadia Farms Cafe
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We suggest when you can you come early to The Pen (chairs go down around 5:00 PM or 1:00 PM for afternoon events), reserve your seat(s), and explore our vibrant Old Town Scottsdale neighborhood.
Parking is more difficult sometimes because of the restaurants (editorial comment -- the City of Scottsdale's parking policies suck!).
We've given you locations beyond our parking lot.
Good News: Arcadia Farms Cafe has generously offered us its parking for evening events when needed. You can also park just south of our lot between the alley and Main Street.
One reason we don't have a cafe or bar in The Pen is there isn't enough dedicated parking to allow one.
Enjoy --there are all sorts of food and beverages on offer.
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Mystery-of-the-Month Club
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Looking for something new to read each month and aren't sure what to choose? Let us help... And it makes a great gift for Dad!
The Mystery-of-the-Month Club is individually tailored to each customer's specific tastes. Just let us know what kinds of mysteries you enjoy, whether your looking for signed hardcover books or paperbacks, and we'll take it from there!
For more information, drop Patrick King a line at
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Buy Poisoned Pen Gift Cards Online
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The Poisoned Pen
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Is a full service general bookstore with a specialty in fiction of all kinds, and in history. When books are not on our shelves we can order them for you quickly or, if British, it takes a little longer.
Email any requests to
[email protected]. It's all part of the experience. Thank you for supporting The Poisoned Pen.
Winner, 2001 Raven Award from the Mystery Writers of America! Winner,
2012 The Arizona Republic and the New Times Best of Phoenix and Best of Scottsdale, Best Bookstore! 2013 Arizona Republic's Critics' Choice and Reader's Choice Best Specialty Bookstore
12-time Nominee, Publishers Weekly's Bookseller of the Year
Winner, James Patterson Page-Turner Award
Poisoned Pen Press, Winner, The 2010 Ellery Queen Award from The Mystery Writers of America
Member of the Crime Writers of Canada, British Crime Writers Association, The American Booksellers Association,
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