E160: Interview with Tess Gerritsen, author of The Summer Guests

March 25, 2025UncategorizedAuthor Interview, Maine, rizzoli and isles, tess gerritsen, the spy coast, the summer guests, thomas and mercertopshelfatmerricklibrary

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 group of former FBI and CIA agents living in the quiet town of Purity, Maine. But when a dead body turns up in her driveway, Maggie quickly realizes retirement isn’t as peaceful as she’d hoped! In the second book, The Summer Guests, the stakes get even higher when a young girl is kidnapped, drawing Maggie and her crew back into the action. During our chat, Tess shared the fascinating origin story behind The Spy Coast, how the book is unexpectedly autobiographical, and how the second book evolved. Plus, she gives us a sneak peek at what’s in store for book three! This was an absolutely fantastic conversation—I had a blast. Huge thanks to Tess Gerritsen for joining me! I know we’ll all be eagerly waiting for the next installment.

Tess Gerritsen recommends: You Are Fatally Invited by Ande Pliego.

Place you hold for all the Tess Gerritsen books out there, including her famous Rizzoli & Isles series!

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E159: Interview with Holly Gramazio, author of The Husbands

March 14, 2025Author Interviewdebut author, holly gramazio, penguin random house, Read With Jenna, the husbandstopshelfatmerricklibrary

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 onto her paperback book tour, she sat down with me to talk about this knock-out of a book, her year of touring, what’s next for her and so much more. Thank you for joining me, Holly!

Holly Gramazio recommends: Greta and Valdin by Rebecca K. Riley; Glorious Exploits by Ferdia Lennon; Poor Artists by Gabrielle De La Puente and Zarina Muhammad. Follow Holly on Instagram: @holly_gramazio

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E158: Interview with Deanna Raybourn, author of Kills Well With Others

March 5, 2025Uncategorizedberkley publishing, deanna raybourn, killers of a certain age, kills well with others, Thriller, women spiestopshelfatmerricklibrary

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 conversation about women of a certain age, the inspiration for this series, book res, and more. We had a “bloody” good time, thank you so much for joining me Deanna!

Deanna recommends: The work of Jesse Q. Sutanto; the work of Elle Cosimano; the work of Lauren Willig.

Place your holds here for the incredible body of work from Deanna Raybourn, including the Veronica Speedwell Mystery Series!

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E157: Interview with William Boyle, author of Saint of the Narrows Street

February 1, 2025Uncategorizedbrooklyn, crime fiction, domestic fiction, gravesend, saint of the narrows street, Soho Crime, Soho Press, william boyletopshelfatmerricklibrary

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 as he writes, and offers fantastic book recommendations. We also reminisce about our shared Brooklyn roots, from bakeries to high schools to local newspapers, give a listen!

Best-selling author Megan Abbott says, “The stunning Saint of the Narrows Street is William Boyle’s best novel yet… not since Richard Price has a writer brought New York to such vivid, spectacular life, and Boyle’s southern Brooklyn is all his own: a neighborhood pulsing with hard-earned humor, dive-bar pleasures and thunderous heartbreak.” Don’t miss this one! Thank you so much for joining me, Bill.

William Boyle recommends: We Are Watching by Alison Gaylin; the work of Ace Atkins; the work of Eli Cranor; and Holy City by Henry Wise.

Place your hold here for all William Boyle titles!

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E156: Interview with Anthony Gedell, author of Love Lies in the Throes of Rhetoric

January 16, 2025Author Interviewanthony gedell, Author Interview, crime fiction, debut, debut crime, love lies in the throes of rhetoric, winding road presstopshelfatmerricklibrary

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 Jamal Mayfield, this is a gripping read that crackles with intensity.

In this episode, we explore literary crime novels as the new American novel—a lens through which to examine society. We discuss how writers are detectives in their own right and how Anthony approaches novel writing as a form of journalism. He also shares fantastic book recommendations and gives us a sneak peek at what he’s working on next. A huge thank you to Anthony Gedell for joining us—I can’t wait to have you back for whatever comes next!

Read Anthony Gedell’s short story, American Made. Find Anthony on X: @AnthonyGedell and on Instagram: @anthonygedell.

Anthony Gedell recommends: Smoke Kings by Jamal Mayfield; the work of the following authors: Richard Price; John Woods, Danielle Cheloskey; Chris HardingThornton; Alfred Hayes; David Means; Joan Didion; Mary Gaitskill; Eli Cranor; Marlon James; Flannery O’Connor; Suzanne Crain Miller.

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Episode 155: Interview with Michael Cannell, author of Blood and the Badge

January 2, 2025Author Interviewblood and the badge, mafia, michale cannell, New York City, Non-Fiction, organized crime, True Crimetopshelfatmerricklibrary

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 unearths the full story behind two ruthless New York cops who acted as double agents for the Mafia in, Blood and the Badge: The Mafia, Two Killer Cops, and a Scandal That Shocked the Nation. The book is based on entirely new research and never-before-released interviews with mobsters themselves, including Sammy “the Bull” Gravano. Eppolito and Caracappa’s story is more relevant than ever as police conduct comes under ever-increasing scrutiny.

Michael Cannell recommends: Brooklyn and Long Island both by Colm Toibin; the work of Erik Larson; Laura Hillenbrand; David Grann

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Episode 154: Interview with Sharon Short, author of Trouble Island

December 17, 2024Author InterviewAmerican Historical Fiction, gangsters, historical mystery, Jess Montgomery, Minotaur Books, Mystery, prohibition, Sharon Short, suspense, Thrillertopshelfatmerricklibrary

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 this episode, we dive into Sharon’s deep personal connection to the story in Trouble Island, we chat about monkeys, macaws, and murder (oh my!), her must-read book recommendations, what’s next on her writing journey, and so much more. Place your hold here for Trouble Island. Please your hold here for books by Jess Montgomery. Thank you, Sharon, for an insightful and engaging conversation!

Sharon Short recommends: the work of Erin Flanagan; Christina Consolino; Katrina Kittle; Meredith Doench; and The Rumor Game by Thomas Mullen.

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Episode 153: Interview with Susan Fletcher, author of The Night in Question

December 3, 2024Author Interviewageing, corrag, eve green, family relationships, Mystery, oystercatchers, susan fletcher, the highland witch, the night in question, women empowerment, Women's fictiontopshelfatmerricklibrary

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 I dive into the story of the remarkable Florence “Florrie” Butterfield, how the book emerged as a hopeful response to the pandemic, and why Susan shines a light on overlooked characters and and the challenges of their lives. We also explore the wisdom and richness of older generations and even get a peek into Susan’s next project.

This is an episode about the power of women and the friendships that sustain us; a moving interview and I’m so grateful to have had the chance to chat with Susan Fletcher —don’t miss it! Thank you Sue, from the bottom of my heart! Reserve books by Susan Fletcher here.

Follow Susan Fletcher on IG, Bluesky, Twitter: sfletcherauthor

Susan Fletcher recommends: Orbital by Samantha Harvey; Ahab’s Wife by Sena Jeter Naslund

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E152: Interview with Adam White, author of The Midcoast

November 20, 2024Author Interviewadam white, damariscotta, hogarth, Maine, penguin random house, the midcoasttopshelfatmerricklibrary

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 and couldn’t be more thrilled Adam agreed to this interview! He shares the 11-year journey behind the book, its Gatsby-esque themes, and exciting news about The Midcoast being optioned by Hulu. Plus, he drops some fantastic book recommendations and teases what he’s working on next. Thank you for joining me, Adam!

Adam White recommends: The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald; Netherland by Joseph O’Neill; The Lazarus Man by Richard Price; The End of Vandalism by Tom Drury.

Place your hold for The Midcoast here.

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E151: Interview with Sean Jacques, author of Doe Run

November 8, 2024Author Interviewdoe run, missouri, Ozarks, sean jacques, shotgun honey, southern fiction, southern noirtopshelfatmerricklibrary

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 desperate drifter on the run, Pen Cullen, who reluctantly returns home after a thirteen-year absence for the sole reason to pick up a family inheritance. He gets more than he bargains for and begs the question, “Can you go home again?”

In this episode, Sean Jacques takes us behind the scenes of his creative journey, sharing insights into writing screenplays, the inspiration behind Doe Run, and his approach to crafting compelling characters. From the spark that ignited his passion for storytelling to the intricacies of character development, Sean’s perspective is both enlightening and inspiring. I absolutely loved diving into Doe Run—thank you, Sean, for joining me!

Grab your copy of Doe Run right here.

Sean Jacques recommends: The Crucible by Arthur Miller; the works of Scott Phillips; the works of Daniel Woodrell; White Jazz by James Elroy; Heat: The Movie