New Signed Books at the Poisoned Pen Bookstore

Kellerman, Jesse. Executor ($26)

From Pat King, "I recently read a great article about Jesse Kellerman’s new novel The Executor in Publisher’s Weekly. It is always interesting to see the children of established authors come into their own where writing is concerned. Alafair Burke (daughter of James Lee Burke), Nick Harkaway (son of John LeCarre) and Joe Hill (son of Stephen King) have truly unique voices. With that said after reading The Executor, I feel that Jesse Kellerman has truly established a unique voice separate from that of his parent’s, John and Faye Kellerman. Many will feel that Jesse Kellerman’s voice is much more mainstream than other authors of his generation but the characters he has created exude much more warmth and likeability than many mainstream characters. Furthermore great reviews are pouring in from our customers on Jesse Kellerman’s new book, The Executor. One of our more voracious readers, Merle Weiner said about the book. “Finished it. It is amazing. I had no clue that's where it was going”. With that said, I encourage you to pick up Jesse Kellerman’s newest books and give this budding new author the readership he deserves."

A masterful, inventive thriller from a remarkably assured and always surprising young writer.

Perpetual graduate student Joseph Geist is at his wit's end. Recently kicked out of their shared apartment by his girlfriend, he's left with little more than a half bust of Nietzsche's head and the realization that he's homeless and unemployed. He's hit a dead end on his dissertation; his funding has been cut off. He doesn't even have a phone. Desperate for some source of income, he searches the local newspaper and finds a curious ad:

CONVERSATIONALIST SOUGHT.
SERIOUS APPLICANTS ONLY.
PLEASE CALL 617-XXX-XXXX
BETWEEN SEVEN A.M. AND TWO P.M.
NO SOLICITORS.

And so Joseph meets Alma Spielman: a woman who, with her old-world ways and razor-sharp mind, is his intellectual soul mate. How is he to know that what seems to be the best decision of his life is the one that seals his fate?

Quindlen, Anna, Every Last One ($)

From PW, "In her latest, Quindlen (Rise and Shine) once again plumbs the searing emotions of ordinary people caught in tragic circumstances. Mary Beth Latham is a happily married woman entirely devoted to her three teenaged children. When her talented daughter Ruby casually announces she's breaking up with her boyfriend Kirenan, a former neighbor who's become like family, Mary Beth is slightly alarmed, but soon distracted by her son Max, who's feeling overshadowed by his extroverted, athletic twin brother Alex. Quindlen's novel moves briskly, propelled by the small dramas of summer camp, proms, soccer games and neighbors, until the rejected Kirenan blindsides the Lathams, and the reader, with an incredible act of violence. Left with almost nothing, Mary Beth struggles to cope with loss and guilt, protect what she has left, and regain a sense of meaning. Quindlen is in classic form, with strong characters and precisely cadenced prose that builds in intensity.

Sharratt, Mary. Daughters of the Witching Hill ($24)

Daughters of the Witching Hill brings history to life in a vivid and wrenching account of a family sustained by love as they try to survive the hysteria of a witch-hunt.

Bess Southerns, an impoverished widow living in Pendle Forest, is haunted by visions and gains a reputation as a cunning woman. Drawing on the Catholic folk magic of her youth, Bess heals the sick and foretells the future. As she ages, she instructs her granddaughter, Alizon, in her craft, as well as her best friend, who ultimately turns to dark magic. When a peddler suffers a stroke after exchanging harsh words with Alizon, a local magistrate, eager to make his name as a witch finder, plays neighbors and family members against one another until suspicion and paranoia reach frenzied heights.

Sharratt interweaves well-researched historical details of the 1612 Pendle witch-hunt with a beautifully imagined story of strong women, family, and betrayal. Daughters of the Witching Hill is a powerful novel of intrigue and revelation.