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WHO’S SORRY NOW? is the second installment in Maggie Robinson’s 1920s mystery series featuring Lady Adelaide Compton, a marquess' daughter and widow of a Great War hero. Set in the fictional Thieves’ Den --- which, according to the author, is “the place to dance, drink, drug and possibly purchase poison so one could go on a punishing killing spree” --- the novel revolves around a series of upper-class deaths in London, as Bright Young People are being extinguished in their favorite night spots. After reading this blog post from Maggie about the Twenties, you will want to experience this rollicking era --- famous for its excesses and extravagance, cocktails and music ---for yourself in the pages of her books.

How do you kill someone underwater? And how do you make the best whoopee pie? If these questions even vaguely pique your interest, then William Morrow’s Book Club Girl “Night Out” event, which took place on Wednesday, June 19th at the HarperCollins offices in New York City, would have made your night, as it did for me, a longtime reader of Bookreporter.com. The evening featured authors Joshilyn Jackson and Meg Mitchell Moore being interviewed by Carol Fitzgerald, the president and co-founder of The Book Report Network.

Michael Sears and Stanley Trollip, collectively known as Michael Stanley, have been writing the Detective Kubu mysteries set in Botswana for the past 15 years. About five years ago, they decided to take a break from their long-running series to pen a stand-alone thriller that focuses on rhino poaching and rhino-horn smuggling in Africa. In this fascinating essay, Michael and Stanley talk about their research for the book, titled SHOOT THE BASTARDS, and the numerous challenges they faced as they were getting to know their protagonist, investigative journalist Crystal Nguyen.

Randall Silvis is the author of the Ryan DeMarco Mystery series, the third installment of which, A LONG WAY DOWN, is now available. Although these books are classified as mysteries and thrillers, Silvis would prefer not to be called a crime or mystery writer: “I write stories about the relationships between people, some of whom might be engaged in actions that include murder or another crime.” He emphasizes that one of the most important things people can do for themselves is to “court and cultivate the silence that speaks…. DeMarco is learning to listen to that silence.” In this very thoughtful piece, Silvis ponders the meaning of “the silence that speaks” and explains why it is so essential to our growth as human beings.

Nancy Sharko, one of our longtime readers, attended the Third Annual Maplewood-South Orange Book Festival in South Orange, NJ on Saturday, June 8th and was kind enough to share her experiences with us. According to their website, the festival “brings together readers and authors in celebration of the joy and diversity of the written word. Our informative author panels highlight the major artistic, social and political issues of the day, while our vibrant and fun-filled children’s area allow our youngest readers to discover the importance and delight of books --- and meet many of their favorite authors!”