What a whirlwind the past few weeks have been since the release of THE DEADLY HOURS! As of this writing, the book has been in Amazon’s #1 spot for Historical Fiction Anthologies since its release on September 1.
Part of what put it there has been pre-orders from faithful readers like you, for which I am truly grateful.
If you have been unable to catch any of our virtual author interviews live, here are a couple of links for you:
An interview with Barbara Peters from The Poisoned Pen Bookstore in Scottsdale, AZ.
https://www.facebook.com/238297496213972/videos/1033669803752871
A discussion with Julie Raynor at the High Point, NC, library.
I think you will enjoy both interviews. It is a lot of fun to get together with my fellow authors, even if it is only via technology.
Author fun fact #1: I’ve known Anna Lee Huber and Susanna Kearsley for years. C.S. Harris and I have shared the same agent for a long time so I was aware of her (and loved her Sebastian St. Cyr series), but it was only through this collaboration that I got to know her.
Author fun fact #2: Anna and I have both received Daphne du Maurier award nominations; Anna for A STUDY IN DEATH (A Lady Darby Mystery) and me for LADY OF ASHES. Anna was the 2016 winner in her category and I was very proud of her.
You may recall that I mentioned in last month’s newsletter that all four authors signed bookplates to be sent to various bookstores. Here’s a pic taken after I was done signing all 200+ of them.
Here’s what some readers are saying about THE DEADLY HOURS:
“Brilliantly executed!” P. Priest on Amazon and elsewhere:
“I absolutely loved this book! Each story, though set in a different place and time with different characters, feels connected and seamless.” Bibliolatry
“What a powerhouse group of historical suspense and mystery authors!” Sophia Rose
“This was such an amazing concept, to take an object and follow it through time with four different authors writing four different novellas…I loved it!” lowkey.bookish
If you’ve read the book and enjoyed it, I always appreciate reviews on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Goodreads, Facebook, and other social media.
Again, thank you for making THE DEADLY HOURS more successful than I could have possibly dreamed. I am so lucky to have the best readers in the world.
Warmly yours,
Christine
Click here to buy the book
An Early Review
A gold watch rumored to be cursed links the plots of the four novellas in this superior anthology. Kearsley starts things off with “Weapon of Choice,” set in 1733 Italy, where Scots travelers Hugh and Mary McPherson get drawn into an effort to foil the assassination of the Duke of Ormonde, who’s been targeted by a loyalist working “for the English Crown.” Meanwhile, the two meet a pirate who possesses a timepiece, La Sirene, made from gold said to have been cursed after it was plundered from a cathedral. A surprising death follows. The watch reappears in 1831 Edinburgh, where Huber’s series sleuth, Lady Darby, is consulted by the head of the city’s largest criminal gang, who believes that it was responsible for a fatal illness that decimated his family. Trent’s entry, “A Pocketful of Death,” set in Edinburgh four decades later, is the standout, as La Sirene stopped working just before three deaths, an impossibility that proves to have a logical explanation. Harris’s contribution, “Siren’s Call,” set in 1944–1945 England, adds the least to the saga. This is a solid introduction to authors who deserve a wider readership.