Author Events
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Author Events
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"M" is for Mystery Homepage STORE INFO| Welcome to the "M" is for Mystery calendar of events. Scroll down to see who will be appearing at our store in the coming weeks. To receive email notices of new editions and interim bulletins, simply send your request to info@MforMystery.com and we will add you to our electronic mailing list. If you are unable to attend an event and would like to reserve a signed book, or if you see an author you missed whose book you want, e-mail your request to info@MforMystery.com or call us at 650-401-8077. Outside the Bay Area, call us toll free at 888-405-8077. For a list of signed books from author appearances in previous months, click on: Current Signed Books. To read about the authors and books presented at "M" during previous months, click on: Events Archive. |
| KELLI STANLEY City of Dragons (Minotaur, $24.99) |
Tuesday, February 2nd at 7:00 PM |
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"Set in San Francisco in 1940, Stanley's stunning first in a new series introduces a gutsy, independent heroine who isn't always likable. As the city celebrates the Chinese New Year with the Rice Bowl Party, a three-day carnival to raise money for China's war relief, PI Miranda Corbie sees Eddie Takahashi, a young Japanese numbers runner, shot dead in front of her on a crowded, fireworks-filled Chinatown street.... A former escort who's reinvented herself as a detective, the 33-year-old Miranda isn't taken seriously by the cops, who enjoy rehashing her past. Stanley (Nox Dormienda) aptly describes San Francisco as a city 'redolent and glistening with sin and lamplight, forever a girl you didn't take home to Mother,'" said Publishers Weekly. |
| JEFFREY SIGER Assassins of Athens (Poisoned Pen, $14.95, trade paperback original) |
Thursday, February 4th at 7:00 PM |
| When the body of a boy from one of Greece’s most prominent families turns up in a dumpster in one of Athens’ worst neighborhoods, Chief Inspector Andreas Kaldis of the Greek Police’s Special Crimes Division is certain there’s a message in the murder. But who sent it and why? Andreas’ politically incorrect search for answers takes him deep into the sordid, criminal side of Athens nightlife and on to the glittering world of Athens society where age-old frictions between old money and new breed jealousy, murder, revenge, revolutionaries, and some very dangerous truths. |  |
| J. SYDNEY JONES Requiem in Vienna (Minotaur, $24.99) |
Saturday, February 6th at 2:00 PM |
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Special added attraction: Vienna comes alive -- right next door at 'KAFFEEHAUS'! Everyone attending this signing event will be invited next door for a pre-opening sneak preview and complimentary espresso or coffee drink. This private invitation is for our guests only, in advance of the public opening. Don't miss! Kirkus praised: "Confident prose and mastery of historical detail, woven into a convincing narrative, make this sophisticated entertainment of a very high caliber." And Publishers Weekly said: "Set in 1899, Jones's fine second Viennese mystery (after 2009's The Empty Mirror) opens with a falling fire curtain narrowly missing Gustav Mahler, the director of the Vienna Court Opera, but killing a soprano during a stage rehearsal. Lawyer and private inquirer Karl Werthen teams with criminologist Hanns Gross to look into this and subsequent 'accidents' apparently aimed at Mahler.... Jones, the author of Hitler in Vienna, 1907–1913 and other nonfiction books about the city, smoothly blends a compelling period whodunit with bountiful cultural and social details." |
| ZACHARY MASON The Lost Books of the Odyssey (Farrar, Straus & Giroux, $24.00) |
Sunday, February 7th at 2:00 PM signing only |
| Publishers Weekly starred: "Mason's fantastic first novel, a deft reimagining of Homer's Odyssey, begins with the story as we know it before altering the perspective or fate of the characters in subsequent short story–like chapters. Legendary moments of myth are played differently throughout, as when Odysseus forgoes the Trojan horse... This original work consistently surprises and delights." And School Library Journal said: "...Mason's near-deadpan writing style and wild imagination make this a very funny work as readers see events like the blinding of the Cyclops through the eyes of poor Polyphemus, mythical cities transformed into tourist traps, and heroes who are at best clueless and at worst blatantly cruel. This could easily be the territory of campy satire, but Mason moves well beyond that.... While the book is certainly a more entertaining ride for readers who really know Homer's Iliad and Odyssey, it includes some helpful footnotes that are informative and poke fun at the original myths and our constant reinterpretations of them...." |  |
| ROBERT STONE Fun With Problems (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, $24.00) |
Wednesday, February 10th at 7:00 PM |
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"M" sponsors this event and will be on hand with books for purchase. "Alienated, angry outsiders stalk the dangerous edges of their unraveling lives in the great American novelist's collection of grim short fiction ... Vintage Stone. Enough said," concluded Kirkus in its detailed appraisal. Publishers Weekly starred: "Lonely and frustrated lives are explored in this new collection from the National Book Award–winning author of Dog Soldiers. Stone's evocative prose treads through the murky waters of dead dreams and waning hopes, bringing out the pathetic and nasty side of people warped by addiction, sex, violence and time..." And Booklist enthused: "The stories are witty and diverse and are all unified by some element of brokenness.... Each character comes closer and closer to truth, but heartbreakingly, never quite turns the corner. You know they are on the right track though." |
| MICHELLE GAGNON The Gatekeeper (Mira, $7.99, paperback original) |
Wednesday, February 10th at 7:00 PM |
| "M" sponsors this event and will be on hand with books for purchase. From the moment sixteen-year-old Madison Grant is abducted, an unthinkable terrorist plot is set in motion -- pitting Special Agent Kelly Jones against her most powerful adversary yet. The kidnapper's ransom demands aren't monetary...they come at a cost that no American can afford to pay. As Kelly's fiance, Jake Riley, races to find Madison, Kelly is assigned to another disturbing case: the murder and dismemberment of a senator. At first the two cases don't appear to be related. But as Kelly navigates her way through the darkest communities of America -- from skinheads to biker gangs to border militias -- she discovers a horrible truth. A shadowy figure who calls himself The Gatekeeper is uniting hate groups, opening the door to the worst homegrown attack in American history. |  |
| JEDEDIAH BERRY The Manual of Detection (Penguin, $15.00, trade paperback reprint) |
Saturday, February 13th at 1:30 PM |
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"M" sponsors this event and will be on hand with books for purchase. Kirkus praised: "Berry's debut is a boldly inventive deconstruction of Cartesian metaphysics, the criminal-justice system and the well-oiled detective story." New York Times crime columnist Marilyn Stasio wrote: "When opened, this first novel ... [reads] like something lifted from Ray Bradbury's Dark Carnival and dropped into a Kafka setting." Library Journal summarized: "In an effort to locate a missing detective, an agency clerk investigates that detective's most renowned cases. Is he following the right clues? Is he trusting the right people?.... Merging a comedic yet dark fantasy world with the hard-boiled school of detection, this clever debut novel both amuses and confuses." And finally from The New Yorker: "...weaves the kind of mannered fantasy that might result if Wes Anderson were to adapt Kafka." |
| JAMES ROLLINS Altar of Eden (HarperCollins, $27.99) |
Saturday, February 13th drop-by signing only |
| "In this stand-alone thriller from author of the Sigma Force novels, Dr. Lorna Park, a researcher at a high-tech facility dedicated to preserving endangered species, teams up with a border patrol officer, Jack Menard, to track down the people responsible for a boatload of genetically modified animals found beached on a small island near the cost. The book is written with Rollins' usual emphasis on history, cutting-edge science, and fast paced adventure.... Rollins is a practicing veterinarian, and his affection for animals comes through pretty clearly. A very good thriller and further proof (after his earlier stand-alones, not to mention his recent adaptation of the latest Indiana Jones movie) that Rollins is a sure-footed on new ground as he is in the familiar Sigma Force World," said Booklist. |  |
| T.C. BOYLE Wild Child, and Other Stories (Viking, $25.95) |
Friday or Saturday, February 19th or 20th drop-by signing only |
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Kirkus wrote: "The usual darkly comic cautionary tales, but also some bracingly and impressively new works from the prolific author (The Women, 2009, etc.)". Publishers Weekly concluded: "The title novella in Boyles's ninth collection is as good as anything the prolific author of The Women has written. Basing his story on the historical Victor of Aveyron, the feral child discovered in the wilds of France in 1797 ... Boyle interrogates history with an experienced reader's wariness of sentimental revisionism and a great writer's attention to precisely what defines the child's wildness...." Boyle is the winner of the PEN/Faulkner Award, best novel of the year for World's End, 1988, several O. Henry awards for short stories, and the Ross Macdonald Award for body of work by a California writer, 2007. |
| PAUL McHUGH Deadlines (Lost Coast Press, $16.95, trade paperback original) |
Saturday, February 20th at 2:00 PM |
| In this mystery novel of San Francisco, a young reporter's search for clues takes him from waterfront bars to a smugglers’ den, from downtown San Francisco to corridors of power in Sacramento, and from the glitter of Las Vegas to an isolated monastery on the Big Sur coast. Elderly land-use activist Beverly Bancroft is found dead on a beautiful stretch of California shoreline. Her murder is disguised as a tragic accident. Veteran columnist Colm MacCay becomes mentor to the cub reporter assigned to the story. Author McHugh was for many years co-editor and main feature writer for the Outdoors section of the San Francisco Chronicle, and currently writes for the New York Times, Washington Post and L.A. Times, as well as other publications. He has published a novel, The Search for Goodbye to Rains (1980) and a nonfiction book, Wild Places. |  |
| KEN MERCER Slow Fire (Minotaur, $25.99) |
Tuesday, February 23rd at 7:00 PM |
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"An unpopular new sheriff learns that the drug kingpin he's been hunting may be one of the town's most eminent citizens. Leaving behind the gritty streets of Los Angeles and a heroin addiction, former LAPD narcotics detective Will Magowan takes a job as chief of police in the small Northern California town of Haydenville. His advanced skills are required almost immediately, when the body of young Caitlyn Johnson is discovered near an abandoned kayak. But a controversial shooting at the town's only bar puts Will in the cross hairs of local enemies like Frank Carver, transformed from a Hell's Angel and convicted killer into philanthropist and literary lion ... his prose and his hero are refreshingly honest and direct," said Kirkus. And Booklist praised: "Vulnerable and deeply damaged Magowan makes for a compelling protagonist in this crisp, well-written debut..." |
| "M" is for Mystery Book Club Tuesday, February 23rd at 7:00 PM "M" has its own Book Club that meets once a month in the store. This month the group will discuss Self's Murder by Bernhard Schlink If you have never attended, and are interested, just drop us an email. Please note: This is not a signing and the author will not be present. For further information click on Book Club notice. |
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| JERRY HOLKINS & MIKE KRAHULIK The Splendid Magic of Penny Arcade - The 11 1/2 Anniversary Edition (Del Rey, $24.00) |
Wednesday, February 24th at 7:00 PM |
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"M" sponsors this event and will be on hand with books for purchase. Geek alert! A hardcover anniversary book celebrating more than eleven years of success of this wildly popular webcomic, chronicling the adventures of two video game-obsessed friends. Chockablock with geek references and gaming world in-jokes, this comic is the ultimate epic of the gaming life. Humorous, illuminating, and lively, this book is the definitive guide to the unique world of Penny Arcade. A sampling of the huge abundance of original, new, and exclusive contents of this lavish, oversized edition: Mike and Jerry answer fans' questions! The history of Penny Arcade and its fan convention, PAX; A detailed guide to Penny Arcade's many memorable characters... etc.! There are also bonus illustrations by well-known comic artists, including Bill Amend (Foxtrot), Kazu Kibuishi (Flight), Scott Kurtz (PvP), and Becky Cloonan (American Virgin). |
| The Maltese Omelette radio show and mass book signing by PETER BEAGLE, MICHAEL KURLAND, and RICHARD LUPOFF. Complete details to be announced. |
| MARCH Mon., 1st at 7pm: CARA BLACK - Murder in Palais Royal and DAVID CORBETT - Do They Know I'm Running? Launch Event for Cara, Congrats to Corbett. Wed., 3rd at 7pm: RHYS BOWEN - Last Illusion, PENNY WARNER - How To Host A Killer Party and DIANNA ORGAIN - Motherhood is Murder Thurs., 4th at 12pm Sign'n'Chat: JOE HILL - Horns Mon., 8th at 7pm: ERICA SPINDLER - Blood Vines and J.T. ELLISON - Cold Room Weds. 10th at 7pm: SHEILA YORK - A Good Knife's Work Thurs., 11th at 7pm at the San Carlos Library: CANDACY TAYLOR - Counter Culture (non-fiction) Sat., 13th at 2pm: DOMENIC STANSBERRY - Naked Moon Sun., 14th at 1pm: ELIZABETH PSCHORR - A Privileged Marriage Mon., 15th DROP BY: LISA LUTZ - The Spellmans Strike Again Fri./Sat., 19th/20th DROP BY: CHANG-RAE LEE - The Surrendered Sat., 20th at 2pm: JO NESBO - The Devil's Star Tues., 23rd at 12pm: SAM LIPSYTE - The Ask Weds., 24th DROP BY: CHRISTOPHER MOORE - Bite Me Thurs., 25th DROP BY: PETER NATHANIEL MALAE - What We Are |
| SPRING PREVIEW: (in alpha order) LAURA BELL / C.J. BOX / MARTHA GRIMES / ERIN HART / ADAM HASLETT / M.E. HERRIGAN / JESSE KELLERMAN / PETER MAY / WALTER MOSLEY / MARK SPRAGG / SHIRLEY TALLMAN / JACQUELINE WINSPEAR |
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