What’s New This Month – June 2023

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New Releases
New Formats & Re-Releases
New Ventures
Book Deals
Awards, Nominations and Praise
Author Appearances
Conferences and Festivals

New Releases

PASSPORT TO SPY by Nancy Cole Silverman, the second in the Kat Lawson Mystery series, debuts June 5th from Level Best Books.

Jeri Westerson is launching her second new series this year, An Irregular Detective Mystery series, a Sherlockian pastiche. The first novel is THE ISOLATED SEANCE out soon from Severn House.

HOT POT MURDER, the second book in Jennifer J. Chow’s L.A. Night Market Mystery series, will be release on June 6th by Berkley.

Kathryn Dodson‘s debut novel, TEQUILA MIDNIGHT, comes out in July. It’s part of what will be her Southwest Suspense Series. Hardened detective Jessica Watts hunts for the missing daughter of a shady Mexican tycoon.

Dianne DeMille consulted on LIFE IS A JOURNEY BETWEEN HEAVEN AND HELL a new memoir by retired DEA Agent Larry Ray Hardin.

Mysti Berry’s short story, The Money Party, appears in GET UP OFFA THAT THING, a collection of fiction inspired by the titles of James Brown songs. As previously mentioned in this space, the anthology is edited by Gary Phillips and member Lisa Morton has a story in it: Money to Burn

Mysti Berry is also the editor of the three-volume series of short crime fiction entitled LOW DOWN DIRTY VOTE.

New Formats & Re-Releases

James T. Bartlett’s true crime book THE ALASKAN BLONDE: SEX, SECRETS, AND THE HOLLYWOOD STORY THAT SHOCKED AMERICA is now available on Audible.com.

Winnie M Li‘s latest novel COMPLICIT will be coming out in paperback from Atria Books on June 20th.

New Ventures

Lida Sideris has teamed up with mystery authors Jen Collins Moore, Tina deBellegarde, and Carol Pouliot to form Sleuths & Sidekicks where they share their favorite books, explore writing prompts, and host fun mystery events, including their inaugural LIVE book club on June 20th.

https://www.sleuthsandsidekicks.com/upcoming-events/the-raven-thief

Book Deals

Rachel Howzell Hall has signed a four book deal with Red Tower publishing. Her new novel is THE LAST ONE, in which a young woman with no memory learns the world is dying and that she is the only one who can save it from a destructive force — herself. Her agent is Jill Marsal of Marsal Lyon Literary.

Awards, Nominations & Praise

Mary Keenan‘s SNOWED has been named the Best Unpublished Mystery of 2023 by the Crime Writers of Canada.

Winnie Li‘s COMPLICIT was a New York Times Editors’ Choice and listed among the Best Crime Novels of 2022 by CrimeReads and The Irish Times. “Like the best filmmakers, Li draws you to the edge of your seat and keeps you there.” —The New York Times Book Review

BAYOU BOOK THIEF, the first book in Ellen Byron’s Vintage Cookbook Mystery series, has been nominated for a 2023 Anthony Award in the Best Humorous Mystery category.

Jennifer Chow‘s DEATH BY BUBBLE TEA has been nominated for a 2023 Anthony Award in the Best Humorous Mystery category.

The anthology LOW DOWN DIRTY VOTE: THE COLOR OF MY MONEY has been nominated for a 2023 Anthony Award. Mysti Berry edits and publishes the series. A story in the collection by Faye Snowden has been included in the 2023 BEST MYSTERY AND SUSPENSE (editors: Steph Cha and Lisa Unger). A story in the collection by Gabriel Valjan has been nominated for a 2023 Anthony Award.

Jeri Westerson‘s latest, COURTING DRAGONS, got a recommendation from The New York Times for good summer reading.

Author Appearances

There will be a launch party on June 6 at 7 pm at Book Soup for Marjorie McCown‘s debut novel, FINAL CUT. After that, her book tour continues with a stop at Mystery Ink on June 24th and then it’s on to Minneapolis, New York, Chapel Hill and more.

Jeri Westerson‘s launch for THE ISOLATED SEANCE includes these events: her online launch will be live on YouTube Sunday, June 4 at 2 pm Pacific; on Saturday, June 17 at 2 pm., she’ll appear at Book Carnival bookstore in Orange; on Saturday, June 24 at 1 pm she’ll be at Baker Street West in the Hein & Co bookstore in Jackson CA; on Friday, July 7 at 7 pm Vroman’s Bookstore in Pasadena will host her; and Saturday, July 8 at 1 pm you’ll find her at Gatsby’s Books in Long Beach.

Jennifer Chow will be appearing virtually on A Bookish Moment (https://www.youtube.com/@itsbookishtime) to talk about her latest release, HOT POT MURDER, on Tuesday, June 13th at 1:30pm. She’ll also appear in person at an event sponsored by Mystery Ink with debut author Marjorie McCown on Saturday, June 24th at 1:00pm at Fernhill Clubhouse in Huntington Beach

Conferences and Festivals

ThrillerFestXVIII: New York City May 30 – June 3. The fee ranges from $350 to more than $1500 depending on which of a half-dozen offerings you choose, including MasterClass, PitchFest, QueryFest, CraftFest and ThrillerFest Awards Banquet. https://thrillerfest.com

Sleuth Fest: Boca Raton, July 6-9. Sponsored by the Florida Chapter of MWA. Fee in the range of $250. https://sleuthfest.com

Bouchercon: San Diego August 30 – September 3. Our own Naomi Hirahara is a toastmaster. Fee: $ 230. https://bouchercon2023.com