| A Big Finish for September |
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September....
Officially we are now into fall but temperatures are still triple digits here in Scottsdale. Sigh.
Tuesday the 22 was National Voters Registration Day.
Nothing is more crucial than you exercising your right to vote by registering and then either mailing in your ballot as fast as you can or show up at the polls. You can also drop off a properly sealed and signed mailed ballot at a polling place on November 3.
program going that you can check out.
For Arizona residents, see the special Register to Vote in Arizona box below. I have voted by mail for well over a decade and find it an excellent way as well as allowing time for thoughtful consideration of candidates and propositions.
But also Banned Books Week begins September 27, reminding us the world is always a mix of the light and the dark. And loss.
We wish those of the Jewish faith good wishes for the High Holy Days.
And you can find Staff Picks and more in our Webstore
We do rely on your purchases to fund this range of activities. But we think of them as a service to authors too, something to share and expand.
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 and more....
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Voting in Arizona
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 Only people who register before the deadline can vote in the Nov. 3 election for president, U.S. Senate and a host of other offices.
Two initiatives involving the legalization of recreational marijuana use and raising taxes for education funding also are on the Arizona ballot
Deadline to register to vote: Oct. 5
Early voting starts: Oct. 7
Last day to request mail-in ballot: Oct. 23
Election Day: Nov. 3
Not sure if you are registered? You can check your status using the Voter Information Portal managed by the Arizona Secretary of State's Office at my.arizona.vote
You can also find there info on polling places and hours, request a ballot by mail ASAP and track your ballot once you mail it in.
Given the USPS issues we recommend you request a ballot to mail ASAP and do not delay sending it in.
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Please Help!
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PLEASE HELP: Do Sign Up family and friends to our Enews.
It's free, and adds no daily clutter to your In Box.
And a Gift Certificate is a nice way to say Thinking of You to someone
It will also help expand coverage if you sign up for our
You Tube channel to watch videos. We will have some exciting news about videos coming along as well as for podcasts.
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Visit by appointment
And Don't Be Shy
Just Call ahead if you are nearby
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Appointments will be for 20 minutes on the hour and half hour, allowing us a short break in between to sanitize.
Appointment Hours 11:00-4:00 M-F, also 6:00-8:00 W & Thu; and 11:00-6:00 on Saturday.
The same hours apply for curbside pickup which is also available from 1:00-4:00 PM on Sundays.
For curbside pickup use 480-970-1534. And please call us to see if there is a space to come inside and browse. We must observe spacing guidelines but we want to see you!
For the best customer service other than curbside pickup please continue to email [email protected]
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The September
BookNotes plus Booknews & Staff Picks
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For you fans of historicals there is an excellent section reviewing across genres. And some comments looking ahead to October.
You can find our September Paperback Picks and Book of the Month Clubs Picks in the webstore also.
I have a LOT as this is a remarkably good month for readers
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More New Podcasts
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New podcasts post frequently. We can see you are  enjoying them by the over 37,000 downloads. Lots of conversations here! And with lots of authors!
For those who prefer not to stare at a screen but would like to enjoy our conversations with authors, these are for you.
Visit our new Podcasts Easy download links are provided. They are also available on ITunes and Google Music
Don't forget to search for a favorite author. There are many of them, often frequent visitors to The Pen, but some new to us.
New: Robert Dugoni with Angie Kim; Craig Johnson with actor Robert Taylor of Longmire; Mark Pryor; Lee Child hosting Robert Arellano and Bernice L. McFadden. See the below events for podcasts coming up.
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Video Book Talks
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You can find some book talks, short recommendations, by me and on our Instagram courtesy of IGTV. Check out short videos by Patrick, Pat King,and John Charles of our staff as well. 
You can also find book talk s on our Home Page
Running now: Alan Bradley visiting with me from the Isle of Man where the Canadian bestselling author of the Flavia de Luce mysteries has lived the past eight years.
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Brian Freeman
Today at 2:00 PM
with Karen
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THURSDAY SEPTEMBER 24 2:00 PM
Brian Freeman in conversation with Karen
Signed books available
Another strong police procedural, this one set in Duluth, Minnesota and a 10th investigation for Lt. Jonathan Stride.
Life hasn't been easy for Stride or his family. His best friend is  now dying. On his deathbed he reveals to Stride that years back he buried a body in order to protect Stride. Stride immediately informs his superiors, knowing if it turns out to be the body of reporter Ned Bauer he'll be implicated in Bauer's death, since the police know he was the last person to see Bauer before everyone thought the man had drowned. The police then dig up Bauer's remains in Stride's yard.
Bauer, who came to Duluth seven years earlier to investigate 30-year-old anonymous rape accusations against a prominent politician, has a bullet hole in his skull. Meanwhile, Cat Mateo, a teenage runaway Stride and his wife have taken under their wing, has been receiving a lot of unwanted attention resulting from the publicity surrounding her surviving an assault attempt by a Hollywood celebrity, who came to town to shoot a movie in the previous book.
Grateful #MeToo survivors have sent Cat messages, but she's unnerved when someone local sends her a threatening picture of herself. Surprising connections between her case and Stride's soon emerge
I find this a dark, fast-paced, beautifully written story.
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Rachel Howzell Hall
Today at 6:00 PM
with Patrick
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THURSDAY SEPTEMBER 24 6:00 PM
Signed books available
In Hall's complex, emotionally charged mystery-thriller And Now She's Gone, an African American PI with a troubled past investigates the discrepancy-laden disappearance of a woman who may have fled an abusive relationship.
Although she's excited Rader Consulting has asked her to work in the field, instead of just writing the reports, 39-year-old Grayson  Sykes still feels "nervous" and "nauseous" about her first missing person case. Nick Rader, a family friend and her boss at the firm in Los Angeles, wants Gray to find Isabel Lincoln, fiancée of gorgeous cardiologist Ian O'Donnell. Gray takes the case with caution, knowing some women vanish on purpose. And as Gray digs further, she begins receiving text messages from Isabel, claiming that Ian will kill her if he finds her. But the more Gray learns, the less sense Isabel's story makes. Soon Gray finds herself caught between her own dangerous past and Isabel's manipulations--if the person texting her is really Isabel.
This #ownvoices mystery keeps to a fast pace and has plenty to say during the ride, offering a strong, likable sleuth. Wry, smart-mouthed Gray may forget to bring a pen for notetaking, but she makes up for her lack of organizational skills with intelligence and a keen understanding of human behavior. Her will-they-won't-they dynamic with sexy, honorable Nick adds a sweeter layer of tension in an already suspenseful atmosphere, but Hall (They All Fall Down) also showcases a dynamic cast of supportive women coworkers.
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Ann Cleeves and Martin Edwards
to post Friday afternoon
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FRIDAY SEPTEMBER 25 10:00 AM
This is not a live event but will post later in the day
Martin Edwards and Ann Cleeves in conversation
Yay, another country house murder, this one set in a very snowy, freezing Northumberland village where the big house, Brockburn, and its family still dominate. DI Vera Stanhope, familiar to those of you who watch the TV series starring Brenda Blethyn, has foolishly set off for home in deteriorating blizzard conditions when she comes upon an abandoned car. The door is open, the driver absent-and a baby is secured in its carrier in the backseat.
Vera loses no time in hustling the baby to the nearest shelter  which is Brockburn-as it happens, the ancestral seat of the Stanhopes. Vera is the child of the family black sheep, disdained by her relatives and herself preferring to ignore them. But here they are as a Christmas party is in full swing. And soon it's not just the abandoned baby but the body of a dead woman on the grounds in the snow that interrupt the festivities.
So here we are in a classic scene, a large home in the countryside where family and guests are snowed in, even if not for long. And frictions grow. I love a strong British police procedural and here is a gem.
I may have been Martin's American editor, but I can't say better about this gem than this PW Starred Review:
"Set in 1930s England, Edgar winner Edwards's sequel to 2019's Gallows Court ($15.95) is a triumph, from its tantalizing opening, in which an unnamed dying man begins to explain an unspecified perfect crime, through its scrupulously fair final reveal.
Rachel Savernake, an enigmatic figure fascinated with mysteries,  is tipped off by Reggie Vickers, who works in Whitehall, that someone is about to be murdered. Gilbert Payne, a publisher believed dead, is set to travel, incognito, from London to his mother's funeral in the country. Rachel warns Gilbert that his life is in peril, but he ignores her, and ends up dead under the wheels of a train. Meanwhile, Rachel's reporter friend, Jacob Flint, is approached by Leonora Dobell, one of the country's top criminologists, who seeks an introduction to Rachel, who later attends a house party at Leonora's home, Mortmain Hall, on the Yorkshire coast, for "acquitted murder suspects," whose ranks include other individuals Reggie mentioned to Rachel. The labyrinthine plot builds to a logical explanation.
Edwards, the current president of the Detection Club, a group of British mystery writers founded in 1930, impressively channels Agatha Christie, one of his predecessors in that position."
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Debut author Richard Osman in conversation with Mark Billingham
Saturday 12:00 PM
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SATURDAY SEPTEMBER 26 12:00 PM
UK author Richard Osman in conversation with Mark Billingham
Our October First Mystery Book of the Month in the Signed UK edition. And currently the #1 bestseller in the UK so don't delay reserving one of our few extra signed firsts
British TV celebrity Osman mixes mirth and murder in his exceptional debut, a series launch featuring the four members of the Thursday Murder Club, residents of the Coopers Chase Retirement Village in Kent.
Despite their different backgrounds, Elizabeth, Ibrahim, Joyce,  and Ron share an interest in solving mysteries. When 26-year-old Donna De Freitas, a police constable who dreams of pursuing serial killers, visits the home to talk to the pensioners about "Practical Tips for Home Security," the club members arrange for Donna to be assigned to a homicide case they have a connection to by manipulating her boss, so that they can get access to the investigation through a grateful Donna. That way they can take a crack at solving the bludgeoning murder of drug dealer Tony Curran, who operated a building business as a front, and whose killer left a photo of three men, one of whom is Ron's son, near Curran's corpse.
As the bodies begin to pile up, can our unorthodox but brilliant gang catch the killer, before it's too late?
"If A Man Called Ove were a crime novel, it would be The Thursday Murder Club, with the golden-age murder mystery feel of The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie, and an eccentric, older ensemble cast reminiscent of Alexander McCall Smith's No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency series, and Anthony Horowitz's The Magpie Murders and his Detective Daniel Hawthorne mysteries.
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Scott Graham
Margaret Mizushima
Saturday 2:00 PM
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SATURDAY SEPTEMBER 26 2:00 PM
Scott Graham discusses his new National Parks mystery
We have a limited supply of this and others in Graham's series. Please order and we'll try contacting the publisher.
The latest of Graham's National Park Mystery Series find  archaeologist Chuck Bender sucked into murder uncovered Mesa Verde-literally, from a hidden cave for starters-that threatens his family, particularly his daughter, too. Graham bring the Mesa Verde National Park with is ancient stone villages, secret burial sites, and artifacts taken away a century ago to Sweden by an early Scandinavian archaeologist, vividly to life and raises some tough questions about the stewardship of ancient remains and plunder vs. science.
Signed books available for Mizushima
An imperfect heroine and her beloved canine sidekick: What's not to like? Certainly the PP staffers are fans. Mattie Cobb is finally stepping aside from her role as deputy and the human part of Timber Creek's only K-9 team to connect with relatives she  thought she'd lost many years before. Her sister, Julia, and her abuela have plans to welcome Mattie with open arms, if only she can get away for a few days.
But those plans are put on ice when Mattie and her friend Glenna come upon a body while jogging at Hanging Falls. Robo, Mattie's German shepherd partner, is needed to search the Colorado forests, so Mattie puts off her visit to find out who could have killed what appears to be an out-of-towner, then dumped him in the water. While Mattie keeps their shift from friendship to full-on romance private, she's happy to have the help of Cole Walker on the case.
As ever Mizushima portrays a small community warmly and she is aces on the K-9, a dog to love, and on the difficulties facing a blending family if in fact she and Cole create one.
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James Rollins
Monday 12:00 PM
Last chance to order to get your personalized copy with a doodle of the dog Kane is Saturday
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MONDAY SEPTEMBER 28 2:00 PM Virtual Book Launch
A full length novella with Tucker Wayne and his war dog Kane set in Sedona! plus short stories
Signed copies, can be personalized up to 5 words and each has a doodle drawn by Rollins
Our 1000+ copies of this exciting volume by Rollins just rolled in the door so I have not been able to read it. I'm excited that the Kane novella is set in Sedona.
Rollins writes it "includes EVERY short story that I've written across the breadth of my career. The anthology also includes new  introductions, where I got to look back across those two decades and share anecdotes from a writer's life, to tell why I told certain stories. Some of the questions answered in this collection are: How did Kowalski end up getting recruited by Sigma? What happens when Commander Gray Pierce runs into Steve Berry's Cotton Malone in a jungle? What story did George R.R. Martin challenge me to write? Or the master of kid's horror, R.L. Stine? You'll get all those answers PLUS a brand-new BIG novella featuring Tucker and his war dog, Kane.
Rollins says, "Here's a bit more about "Sun Dogs," the new Tucker/Kane novella: While trekking through the Sonora desert, a gunshot thrusts Tucker and Kane into an adventure that challenges their considerable skills. The discovery of secrets known only to the native tribes of Arizona threatens to unleash an ancient force that could irreparably alter the future."
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Joanne Fluke
A live event!
Tuesday September 29
6:00 PM in our parking lot
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NEW!! TUESDAY SEPTEMBER 29
Fluke joins us for a socially distanced, masked, outdoor signing for her fans who can assemble in our parking lot. Admission to the signing line will require the purchase of the book.
There will be a table of individually wrapped cupcakes. Plus  Joanne is providing light-up champagne glasses for you to keep after you drink a bit of bubbly.We will record a closed conversation with Fluke at 5:00 PM in our usual set up in the store so that her far flung fans can watch her discuss this new investigation then or later.
Our signed copies come with a recipe card!
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Bookshelves Giveaway
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In order to make social distancing more possible at The Pen, we will be installing a new row of bookcases along our north wall that will be on casters, thus moveable. They will also allow us some window displays not possible during our first 21!!! years at this location. (The Pen turns 31 on October 3.... hard to believe)
So we are removing the current bookshelves as pictured and offer them to anyone who might like one. One of our staff has already requested a shelf.
You will need to arrange to haul it away.
Please do NOT call the store about this. It's John's project and his hours are evening. So please just use the EMAIL.
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Our Revised October Calendar
October 3 is our 31st
Birthday!
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THURSDAY OCTOBER 1 5:00 PM 
Archer Mayor discusses his new Joe Gunther Vermont thriller Orphan's Guilt (St Martins $27.99)
Signed books available
THURSDAY OCTOBER 1 6:00 PM
Smith Henderson & Jon Marc Smith discuss Make Them Cry (Ecco $27.99) with Patrick
Books signed by Henderson with a letter signed by Smith available
SATURDAY OCTOBER 3 Time TBA
Our 31st birthday
Val McDermid, there from the beginning, joins us to discuss
Still Life (Grove $26), our October British Crime Book of the Month. Policing in Scotland, England, and Ireland in this gem.
Signed UK copies link in the left hand column.
MONDAY OCTOBER 5 6:00 PM Virtual Book Launch
Lee Child and Heather Martin in conversation
They discuss The Reacher Guy (Pegasus $29.95), Martin's authorized biography of Child that includes 16 pages of photos, most never before seen
Our copies come with a custom designed bookplate that features the Coventry skyline (the city where Lee was born) and hides clues to all 24 sole-authored Reacher books. This limited edition print is shared exclusively with us by Kenilworth Books in Warwickshire. It is signed by both Lee Child and Heather Martin
TUESDAY OCTOBER 6 5:00 PM Virtual Book Launch
Dean Koontz discusses his new novel Elsewhere (Thomas & Mercer $28.99)
Signed copies available
WEDNESDAY OCTOBER 7 6:00 PM Virtual Book Launch
Signed copies available
THURSDAY OCTOBER 8 12:00 PM
THURSDAY OCTOBER 8 1:30 PM
Signed bookplates. And for the first dozen orders, a nifty tote bag
THURSDAY OCTOBER 8 6:00 PM
Brad Thor hosts a discussion club for his latest Scot Harvath thriller Near Dark
This event is free but you must register to join the webinar
Please REGISTER here and a zoom link will be sent to you on October 7
FRIDAY OCTOBER 9 4:00 PM 
Lisa Unger in conversation with Karin Slaughter
Our October Crime Book of the Month
Signed copies available for both authors
SATURDAY OCTOBER 10 3:00 PM Cozy mini-Con
Verity Kent Mystery
Gilded Age Newport Mystery
SATURDAY OCTOBER 10 2:00 PM
A Lady Sherlock Mystery
SUNDAY OCTOBER 11 1:00 PM Virtual US Launch Party 
Inspector Rebus
Signed UK edition available A Song for the Dark Times (Orion $45)
MONDAY OCTOBER 12 12:00 PM
Lisa Jewell in conversation with Clare Mackintosh
Signed books available
MONDAY OCTOBER 12 6:00 PM
Signed Books available
TUESDAY OCTOBER 13 5:00 PM
Our International Crime Book of the Month
Signed books available for Molloy 
WEDNESDAY OCTOBER 14 12:00 PM
John Grisham in conversation with Ace Atkins
Signed books available
Ace's November Spenser is postponed to January 12
WEDNESDAY OCTOBER 14 2:00 PM
David Rosenfelt discusses Silent Bite (St Martins $25.99)
A Christmas Andy Carpenter and canine adventure
Signed books available
THURSDAY OCTOBER 15 5:00 PM
This is a biography and is not a political event 
FRIDAY OCTOBER 16 7:00 PM
Rebecca Roanhorse discusses Black Sun (Saga Press $27.99)
Our October SciFi/Fantasy Book of the Month
Signed books available
SATURDAY OCTOBER 17 10:30 AM
MONDAY OCTOBER 19 5 PM A Poisoned Pen Press Duo
Mary Anna Evans discusses Wrecked (Poisoned Pen $15.99)
Faye Longchamp Archaeological Mystery
Alexa Glock Forensic Mystery (set in New Zealand)
THURSDAY OCTOBER 22 7:00 PM
Hardboiled Crime discusses John Gregory Dunne,
MONDAY OCTOBER 26 5:00 PM
Andrew and Lee Child in conversation
They discuss The Sentinel (Bantam $30), the new Jack Reacher
Signed book available plus a special letter to our customers from Lee Child
WEDNESDAY OCTOBER 28 1:00 PM
Might be one or two Signed UK editions left: Dirty South (Hodder $44)
HAPPY HALLOWEEN
We close at 5:00 PM so our staff can enjoy it too 
MONDAY NOVEMBER 2 6:00 PM Virtual Book Launch
Stephenie Plum's new adventure
Real signed books plus a special Thanksgiving card for you in each copy
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Our September Books of the Month
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First, thank you for your response to The Pen's Books of the Month. The rise in membership means we can do a better job securing signed and unsigned books for you. It's not too late to join one or more clubs.
OUR SEPTEMBER BOOKS OF THE MONTH
Clarke, Susanna. Piranesi sold out Signed
International Crime Book of the Month One Unsigned hardcover or paperback per month
SciFi/Fantasy Book of the Month One hardcover or paperback per month signed when possible.
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We Will Miss...
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Fantasy author Terry Goodkind, known for the Sword of Truth series, died September 17 at age 72.
His publisher, Tor Books, said that Goodkind "first established a  career as a woodworker and artist, before eventually writing his debut novel, Wizard's First Rule, in 1994." That book launched the long-running Sword of Truth series, which eventually reached 21 titles, including the most recent entry, Heart of Black Ice, which was published in January.
In 2019, he launched the Children of D'Hara series, set in the same world, publishing five installments between April 2019 and June 2020. In 2008, film director Sam Raimi (Evil Dead, Spider-Man) and ABC Studios picked up the rights to adapt the Sword of Truth series as a television show.
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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
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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If you change your email address you will disappear from our Enews mailing list automatically. We can't tell unless you either
Go to the very bottom of any Enews and Click on
UPDATE PROFILE or go here and fill in the form. You can choose whether to get the Enews alone or the Enews and Event invitations.
or Email us your new Email address so we can input it for you into The Enews list. Please tell us that's what you want because we cannot just subscribe you.
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The Poisoned Pen
| 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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