Member News

February 2024

Michael J. Cooper – As my current historical mystery, Wages of Empire, which won the 2022 CIBA Grand Prize for YA fiction, now hits #1 in the Amazon Kindle edition for “Historical WWI Fiction,” my next book (Crossroads of Empire—coming out soon) is a semi-finalist for the 2023 CIBA YA fiction award. Hoping for the best, but just enjoying the ride.

June Gillam – My novel, Nest of White Crows, is now available on Audible.

Dwight Holing – Two paths, two fates. The Broken Blood, the eighth in my Nick Drake mysteries, is now on preorder at the usual places for its spring release. Learn more about the Murder & Mystery on the High Lonesome series here.

Laurie R. King  I have  a new Russell & Holmes novel out on February 13, The Lantern’s DanceIt’s set partly in France, and features the Surrealist son of Sherlock Holmes, a cryptic journal Russell needs to unlock—fast—and some unexpected glimpses into the Great Detective’s past.

My upcoming events include:
February 4, 4:00 PT (online) The Back Room, with Hank Phillippi Ryan
February 10, 3:00 PT, (streaming) live pre-launch event for The Lantern’s Dance, Poisoned Pen Books
February 15, 6:00 PT, live at Book Passage Corte Madera for The Lantern’s Dance
February 16, 7:00 PT, live at Bookshop Santa Cruz, for The Lantern’s Dance
February 20, 7:00 PT, live at Vroman’s Books, Pasadena, with The Lantern’s Dance
 
I am also celebrating thirty years of the first Russell & Holmes story, The Beekeeper’s Apprentice, with many library appearances, live and virtual, and four day-long events. The first is February 17 in Santa Cruz, at the Museum of Art and History. The others are April 10 in Seattle (the day before Left Coast Crime), April 25 in Bethesda (the day before Malice Domestic), and August 27, the day before Bouchercon starts up in Nashville. Beekeeping demonstrations, lessons in lock picking, exclusive giveaways, and more. Details and registration for all four Beekeeper celebrations here.  For other events, look here

James L’Etoile – On February 19, The Alta Mira Women’s Club will hold their annual authors day with me (James L’Etoile), Ann Parker, Camille Minichino, and Simon Wood.
12-2 PM
Alta Mira Historical House
561 Lafayette Ave., San Leandro, CA 94577
On February 24, Claire Booth and I will present at the Pleasant Pheasant Bookstore in Woodland, CA at 4 PM.
I will appear in a segment of NBC Radio’s Noir at the Radio Bar during February as a lead-in to Left Coast Crime Seattle Shakedown.
 
Catriona McPherson – The cover of Deep Beneath Us, my contemporary standalone, is finalized. The book is coming to the US and UK on June 4 (Severn House).

Ritu Mukerji – My debut novel, Murder by Degrees, has been nominated for an MWA Edgar award, Best First Novel by an American Author.

Rob Osler – My short story, “Miss Direction,” published in Ellery Queen Mystery Magazine (Sept/Oct 2023), is a finalist for the 2024 Edgar Awards!
 
Lewis Perdue – Brash Books has acquired the rights to six of my backlist books:  

In addition, my agent for the past 26 years — Natasha Kern — is retiring, and I will need representation for my newest novel, currently in progress.
 
John Rosskopf  I published my second Jake Powers Mystery novel, Keeping Chastity Alive, in January. In it, a young sex worker comes to PI Jake Powers when one of her roommates goes missing. When she turns up dead, the nature of Jake’s job changes. The situs of the novel is the Northern California area, more specifically Sacramento County.  More information here.

Jenni Stand (Jennifer Standridge) – My debut mystery novel, Mad Money & Murder: A Pond Investigations Mystery will release February 23, 2024.

Michal Strutin – I am an MWANorCal mystery-writing member AND also a research librarian and, on Saturday, February 24 at 2 PM, I’m doing a Zoom presentation on tips to make your searches for poisons, weapons, the stuff of mystery more efficient. Information here.

Frederick Weisel – My novel, The Day He Left, won the 2023 Nero award for best American mystery. The novel is the second in the Violent Crime Investigations mystery series featuring five police homicide detectives in Santa Rosa, California. Buy it here.