July '23 News

ONE MORE THANK YOU FOR ALL YOUR SUPPORT OF BETWEEN TWO STRANGERS

I was very honored that BETWEEN TWO STRANGERS, my 17th suspense novel, was selected as a “Goodreads Best Books of Summer.” It just went back for another printing, and that means readers like you are really supporting the novel. In a nutshell, it’s a chilling story about a young woman who receives a mysterious inheritance from a man she met only once, and she must do everything in her power to discover the reason for the gift before it upends her entire life. To order, simply click one of the links below.

One of the last stops on my book tour was at the Mysterious Book Store in NYC, where I interviewed awesome death scene investigator Barbara Butcher.

HOW’S YOUR SUMMER GOING?

Mine got off to a late start because I was on the book tour for BETWEEN TWO STRANGERS until late June. I relished every second of being out there, feeling so grateful to my publisher Harper for putting the tour together—and I also loved meeting so many of you wonderful readers. But it was also nice to finally bring the journey to a close and take off for a cruise of the Norwegian fjords with my husband. I brought a fresh spiral notebook onboard and sat each afternoon in the ship’s lovely café/library to flesh out the idea for my 2025 novel. Starting a new novel is almost as delicious as falling in love (and, at least in the beginning, not as stress-inducing!).

I had the opportunity to spend a few days in Copenhagen (here with the statue of Hans Christian Anderson) before heading to the Norwegian fjords, where the sun set close to midnight. Breathtaking!

Soon after I returned from Scandinavia, I received an email from my book editor saying she’d read my 2024 psychological thriller while I was gone and that she thought I’d delivered “another winner.” Phew. Because hey, writers are sensitive people, and we crave a little praise now and then.

I hope your summer is proving to be a good one, and that all this heat isn’t getting to you. Enjoy, happy reading, and please stay cool.

WHAT I’M READING/WATCHING

The Stranger Beside Me
Ann Rule

For years I’d heard about true crime writer Ann Rule and her bestselling 1980 book about meeting Ted Bundy while working on a crisis hotline and how she ended up becoming good friends with him long before he was suspected of being the monstrous serial killer terrorizing the Northwest. I even heard Rule give a talk in New York, during which she mentioned that her dog absolutely hated Bundy, which she later realized was a warning that something was seriously off about him. But I’d never actually read the book. This summer I finally made the time, and I couldn’t put it down. Though Rule’s continuing friendship with Bundy—after it was very clear he was guilty—seems opportunistic, the book is riveting. There are, for instance, lots of insights only a close friend could offer, and one actually made me jump. Bundy knew Rule was beginning to write crime pieces for mainstream magazines, and in one letter he wrote that he hoped her payment from Cosmopolitan came through. So strange to see him mention the magazine I would later edit.

Dalgliesh
Acorn

Though it looks like it’s been available for a couple of years, I JUST discovered this series, and it’s pretty darn delicious. Based on the P.D. James mystery novels, it follows Adam Dalgliesh, an extraordinarily astute Scotland Yard detective (and poet) in the 1970’s. If you’re looking for a very good British police procedural with some clever twists and a totally mesmerizing star (Bertie Carvel), this is it!

WHAT I’M COOKING

[photo: recipe] Tomatoes in the northeast are almost at their peak now, and mostly I love eating them with just a splash of oil and vinegar or in a sandwich slathered with mayo. But when I need another side dish to go with grilled chicken (besides corn on the cob!), I sometimes turn them into tomatoes Provençal. I’ll layer the top with chopped basil and parsley, grated Parmesan cheese (instead of breadcrumbs), and minced garlic, all mixed into a kind of paste with extra virgin olive oil. I then set them on a sheet pan and cook them for about 25 minutes at 350 F. (Do keep an eye on them because the cheese can burn.) I like to think you’re getting the most out of tomato season, too!