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There has never been a full-length biography of Mickey Spillane, the most popular and influential mystery writer of his era --- until now. Max Allan Collins became Spillane’s friend and collaborator, continuing the Mike Hammer series for years after Spillane’s death, building upon unfinished manuscripts he left behind. Now, with co-author James L. Traylor, Collins has produced SPILLANE, the first comprehensive and authoritative profile of the Mystery Writers of America Grand Master. Michael Barson, Senior Publicity Executive at Melville House, talks to Collins and Traylor about the book and their interactions with Spillane.

We wrap up this year’s Holiday Author Blog series with Pam Jenoff, the bestselling author of numerous works of historical fiction. Her latest, CODE NAME SAPPHIRE, releases on February 7th and revolves around a woman who must rescue her cousin's family from a train bound for Auschwitz. For Pam, the holidays have always been about giving and receiving books. Her children are avid readers, so books are a very important part of their lives, especially during this time of year. Read on to find out which titles and genres appeal to them the most --- and what’s on Pam’s holiday reading wish list.

LUCK OF THE DRAW is the compelling memoir of Frank Murphy, an American hero who flew during World War II and cheated death for months in a German POW camp after being shot out of his B-17 Flying Fortress. Originally published in 2001, the book will be rereleased on February 28th with new forewords by his granddaughter, CNN entertainment reporter Chloe Melas, and his daughter, Elizabeth Murphy. Frank’s incredible, inspiring story also will be featured in the upcoming Steven Spielberg and Tom Hanks series, “Masters of the Air,” on Apple TV+. In this holiday blog post, Chloe reminisces about the magical Christmases she spent with her grandparents and the greatest gift they gave her.

Jonathan Kellerman is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of more than 40 crime novels, including the Alex Delaware series --- the latest installment of which, UNNATURAL HISTORY, releases on February 7th. Back in 1992, shortly before the holiday season, the sixth entry in the series, PRIVATE EYES, was published. The book was panned twice by the same Chicago newspaper, but an encounter with a legendary author and their subsequent correspondence made Jonathan forget all about those negative reviews --- because her review was the one that counted.

Laura Munson is the New York Times and internationally bestselling author of the memoir THIS IS NOT THE STORY YOU THINK IT IS: A Season of Unlikely Happiness and the USA Today bestselling novel WILLA'S GROVE. It all started last year when Laura’s two children, both in their 20s, told their mother that they wanted to experience a different kind of Christmas and go somewhere. A reluctant Laura kept an open mind but did not want to abdandon all of their usual holiday activities, the most sentimental of which was reading Truman Capote’s A CHRISTMAS MEMORY together. Read on to find out how she managed to keep this time-honored tradition alive and well in the midst of change.

J.T. Ellison is the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of more than 20 novels, including her latest, IT’S ONE OF US. Releasing on February 21st, this twisting, emotionally layered thriller explores the lies we tell to keep a marriage together --- or break each other apart. J.T.’s holiday blog post certainly doesn’t revolve around a lie, but rather a simple misunderstanding that all started when she found a book on her shelf that she thought had been misplaced. Her husband got an early Christmas present out of it!

  On Tuesday, December 6th, we hosted a very special “Bookaccino Live” event where 11 Bookreporter reviewers talked about their three favorite books of 2022. Our guests were Kate Ayers, Sarah Rachel Egelman, Megan Elliott, Harvey Freedenberg, Pamela Kramer, Bronwyn Miller, Rebecca Munro, Eileen Zimmerman Nicol, Ray Palen, Norah Piehl and Stuart Shiffman. Their selections cover a wide variety of genres, and there may be a few titles here that you didn’t have on your radar that you will want to check out.

Mary Dixie Carter is the author of THE PHOTOGRAPHER, which released in paperback this summer. This psychological thriller is a slyly observed, suspenseful story of envy and obsession, told in the mesmerizing, irresistible voice of a character who will make you doubt that seeing is ever believing. In her holiday blog post, Mary Dixie reflects on the last Christmas she spent with her mother and the book she wishes her mother had inscribed.

We are kicking off this year’s Holiday Author Blog series with New York Times bestselling author Allegra Goodman. Her new novel, SAM, releases on January 3rd and poses the question: What happens to a girl’s sense of joy and belonging --- to her belief in herself --- as she becomes a woman? For Allegra, the holidays are all about giving. This means going to bookstores and finding the perfect book for each member of her family. Allegra is a self-proclaimed “book fairy” --- but even book fairies have secrets, and she has two confessions to make in her revealing blog post.  

Now available in paperback, JUST THIEVES is a nail-biting, noirish exploration of the working lives of two unforgettable crooks and the hidden forces that rule and ruin their lives. Gregory Galloway has penned a twisty and twisted crime novel that evokes the worlds of George V. Higgins, Patricia Highsmith and David Mamet. In fact, these legendary writers --- along with Dashiell Hammett, Dorothy B. Hughes, Herman Melville and many others --- served as his inspiration for the book, which includes “more than 40 allusions, homages, references and direct lifts from novels, as well as a number of crime films.” In this fun and insightful piece, Galloway explains why and how he did this.