February 2026
Claire Booth – I’ll be a featured speaker at the Alta Mira Club Mystery Luncheon on Monday, Feb. 16, from noon to 2 PM. The luncheon, which raises money for scholarships, will take place at the Historic Alta Mira House, 516 Lafayette Ave., San Leandro, CA, 94577.
And starting Thursday, Feb. 26, I’ll be at Left Coast Crime in San Francisco, where my book, Throwing Shadows, is nominated for a Lefty Award for Best Mystery Novel.
Mark Coggins – Kayo Books will be hosting a panel discussion on The Maltese Falcon with Robert Mailer Anderson, Randal S. Brandt and me during Left Coast Crime on Thursday, February 26th at 6:30 pm. The store is just steps away from Sam Spade’s and Dashiell Hammett’s apartment. We will be focusing on the new illustrated edition from Poltroon Press that includes a coda of two Sam Spade stories by me answering the question, “What happened to the falcon!?”
Michael Cooper – In advance of the Chanticleer Book Awards in April, my 13th century historical fiction novel, The Rabbi’s Knight, has advanced to the Finalist category, and the Seasons of Empire series (which includes The Rabbi’s Knight, Wages of Empire, and Crossroads of Empire) has advanced to Short List.
Watch this space for results soon.
James Arthur Donzella – Happy to announce that Three Ravens Publishers will be launching an audio version of The Dead Don’t Pay, the first installment in the James Wolf Mystery Series. They are currently auditioning voice actors.
Leslie Karst – I am thrilled and honored to serve as the Toastmaster of 2026 Left Coast Crime.
Elizabeth Kemp – I will have an author chat and signing for my debut domestic thriller, Tread Lightly, at Leigh’s Favorite Books in Sunnyvale on Thursday, March 5, 7-8 PM. The event is free, and the address is 121 S. Murphy Ave., Sunnyvale, CA 94086. Hope to see you there!
Laurie R. King will be at:
Kepler’s Books on February 13, 6-7:30, talking crime with four other ladies of mystery.
Left Coast Crime at the Hyatt Regency in San Francisco Feb 26-March 1, with panels that include:
Friday, Feb 27, 2:45-3:30—Lefty Historical Nominees, with Ann Parker (M), Cara Black, Dianne Freeman, Claire M. Johnson, and Rob Osler
Saturday, Feb 28, 10:15-11:00—San Francisco: The City That Waits To Die, with Mark Coggins (M), Robin Burcell, Michelle Chouinard. Claire M. Johnson, and Ann Parker
And, watch her newsletter, her Facebook page, or Instagram for her meetups with readers…
Ana Manwaring – Mortal Revenge, based on a true story, published on January 21. Some families protect their own. Others kill them.
“A lean, razor-sharp medical thriller about systemic betrayal, human resilience, and the deadly price of exposing corruption.” The Prairies Book Review
Rob Osler – I’m the organizer and host of a sure-to-be-fun flash fiction author reading event, FOG, which immediately precedes LCC and is a conference-endorsed event. The lineup includes several MWA NorCal members: Gigi Pandian, Faye Snowden, Audrey Lee, and me.
My second Harriet Morrow Investigates novel, The Case of the Murdered Muckraker, launched on Jan. 27. I will celebrate in SF with a live in-store event at SF’s newest bookstore, The Best Bookstore in Union Square on February 16 at 6 PM. I’ll be joined in conversation by Paul Bradley Carr, mystery novelist and bookstore co-owner.
Ann Parker – My novel, Silver Lies, the first in my Silver Rush mystery series, is the “Livermore Reads Together” book for 2026. (This is the first time that the Livermore Reads Together program has featured a local author.) On Thursday, March 19, 7 PM, I will be “in conversation” about Silver Lies, the writing life, and whatever else comes up in the chat and subsequent audience Q&A at the Livermore Public Library, Civic Center, Livermore, CA. The event is free and open to the public. Books will be available to buy and I will be signing as well. More information here.
Brad Parks – I’m celebrating the pub day for my thirteenth novel, The Flack, on February 3. It features a former newspaper reporter who is recruited to work as a corporate communications executive—a “flack,” as they’re sometimes known—at Balco, the Bay Area Logistics Company. Then the best friend is murdered, plunging the flack into a twisty and dangerous investigation. Booklist calls it “The Firm . . . on amphetamines.” I’m excited to share it with MWA NorCal friends because it’s my first book set in Northern California. The action is split between the gritty ports of Oakland and swanky Marin County, so a fairly good swath of the Bay Area is represented!
James Tipton – My collection “Seven Poems of Love” was put to music in the form of a cantata, performed by Brown University chorus, soloists, and chamber orchestra. My mystery story, “The Missing Manuscript of Edgar Allan Poe,” was accepted for publication by Nostos literary magazine.
Laura Jensen Walker – My new cozy, The Alphabet Sleuths, releases Feb. 3. I will be launching my latest mystery with a book signing at The Avid Reader, Sacramento.