Top Shelf at the Merrick Library

Celebrating my 165th episode with award-winning author Frederic S. Durbin! Fred joined me to talk about his brand new historical fiction novel, The Country Under Heaven. Set in the 1880s, this western follows former Civil War soldier Ovid Vesper as he travels across the country haunted by visions from the Battle of Antietam, encountering both … Continue reading E165: Interview with Fred Durbin, author of The Country Under Heaven →

“James Wade's newest novel, Hollow Out the Dark, is a masterpiece of atmospheric crime fiction; a worthy successor to the likes of William Gay and Cormac McCarthy. Set in East Texas, it is an epic, and age-old, story of greed and generational betrayal—where vengeance is swift and forgiveness a long time coming.” Kathleen Kent, NYT bestselling … Continue reading Episode 164: Interview with James Wade, author of Hollow Out the Dark →

They All Fall the Same by Wes Browne has already made waves, earning a spot as one of Goodreads' biggest mysteries and thrillers of 2025 and a most anticipated book of the year by Book Riot's Read or Dead. Author Kelly J. Ford raves, “The hills of Kentucky burn in this thrilling tale of warring … Continue reading Epsiode 163: Interview with Wes Browne, author of They All Fall the Same →

Belinda Bauer on The Impossible Thing… A Crime Story Like No Other A taut, brilliantly imagined novel packed with intrigue at every turn, The Impossible Thing cements Belinda Bauer's place as one of our great crime writers. From the two-time winner of the CWA Crime Novel of the Year and Sunday Times bestselling author of … Continue reading Episode 162: Interview with Belinda Bauer, author of The Impossible Thing →

One of my favorite mystery series just got a brand-new installment! Glory Daze by Danielle Arceneaux has officially launched, and I couldn't be more excited. In this highly anticipated follow-up to the award-winning Glory Be, Glory Broussard is drawn into the mystery of her ex-husband's death—this time with an unexpected ally by her side. Compelling, … Continue reading Episode 161: Interview with Danielle Arceneaux, author of Glory Daze →

I had the absolute honor of hosting international best-selling author, producer, screenwriter, and filmmaker, Tess Gerritsen on the podcast! Tess joined me to talk about her brand-new series, The Martini Club, set in the Midcoast region of Maine. The first book, The Spy Coast, introduces Maggie Bird, a retired spy who stumbles upon a secret … Continue reading E160: Interview with Tess Gerritsen, author of The Summer Guests →

An exuberant debut, The Husbands delights in how do we navigate life, love, and choice in a world of never-ending options. Holly Gramazio's first novel, The Husbands, was an instant NYT bestseller, a Read With Jenna Pick for April of 2024, made so many best-of lists for 2024, and rightly so! As Holly heads out … Continue reading E159: Interview with Holly Gramazio, author of The Husbands →

A series about older women doing kick-ass things, in this case? Assassins! Four women assassins, senior in status, and in age, sharpen their knives for another bloody good adventure in Kills Well With Others by Deanna Raybourn, a riotous follow-up to the NYT bestselling sensation Killers of a Certain Age. We had such a great … Continue reading E158: Interview with Deanna Raybourn, author of Kills Well With Others →

Award-winning author William Boyle joins me to discuss his eighth novel, The Saint of Narrows Street—a gripping tale set in Gravesend, Brooklyn, spanning 18 years in the lives of two sisters and the life-changing decision they made one fateful night. William shares insights into his drafting process, the joy of discovering small yet impactful details … Continue reading E157: Interview with William Boyle, author of Saint of the Narrows Street →

Love Lies in the Throes of Rhetoric by Anthony Gedell is an incredible debut featuring a rookie PI thrust into the deadly game of hunting a killer on the loose as fast-paced, intertwining narratives collide with volatile characters in an unforgettable story. Praised as “literary lightning” by Eli Cranor and a “white-knuckle thrill ride” by … Continue reading E156: Interview with Anthony Gedell, author of Love Lies in the Throes of Rhetoric →

Hold on to you hats, folks! I had the pleasure of sitting down with Michael Cannell to talk about the jaw-dropping, true story of law enforcement and the Mafia in the 1970s. Absolutely compelling interview – thank you so much, Michael! For the first time in forty years, former New York Times editor Michael Cannell … Continue reading Episode 155: Interview with Michael Cannell, author of Blood and the Badge →

Inspired by a real place and events from her own family history, Trouble Island marks Sharon Short's gripping debut in standalone suspense. Many of you may also know Sharon as Jess Montgomery, the acclaimed author of the Kinship Mystery Series and a beloved guest on our show from episodes 45, 57, and 99. But for … Continue reading Episode 154: Interview with Sharon Short, author of Trouble Island →

What a very special episode featuring award-winning and award nominated author: Susan Fletcher! The Night in Question by Susan Fletcher is hands-down one of my favorite books of 2024. This contemporary mystery is also a heartfelt exploration of a woman's life—grief, joy, regret, and resilience all wrapped into one. In this special episode, Susan and … Continue reading Episode 153: Interview with Susan Fletcher, author of The Night in Question →

For this episode, we head to Damariscotta, Maine, to chat with Adam White about his stunning debut, The Midcoast. This gripping novel dives into privilege, the shadows of the American dream, and the lengths we'll go to protect the ones we love. I've been thinking about this book since it hit shelves two years ago … Continue reading E152: Interview with Adam White, author of The Midcoast →

For this episode I sat down with author Sean Jacques to talk about his fiction debut, Doe Run. Author Eli Cranor says, “Sean Jacques knows the heart of the Ozarks, and puts that knowledge on full display in this sweltering debut. Doe Run burns slow like good bourbon. Drink up.” Doe Run by Sean Jacques features a … Continue reading E151: Interview with Sean Jacques, author of Doe Run →

Happy Episode 150!! For this episode I had the absolute pleasure of hosting Gary Goldstein for his third book, Please Come to Boston. It's a  funny, nostalgic, and bittersweet look at first love at a time when exploring one's sexual orientation and authentic self was riskier, more uncharted territory, yet with so many of the … Continue reading E150: Interview with Gary Goldstein, author of Please Come to Boston →

Laced with atmospheric poetry and literature and set in the heart of Denver's black community, They Can't Take Your Name by Robert Justice is a gripping crime novel that pits three characters in a race against time to thwart a gross miscarriage of justice—and a crooked detective who wreaks havoc…with deadly consequences. This is the … Continue reading Episode 149: Interview with Robert Justice, author of They Can't Take Your Name →

“This gripping, gritty noir is Upton Sinclair on hormones, the Coen brothers deep-fried.” ~ –Minneapolis Star Tribune about Broiler by Eli Cranor Eli Cranor's third book, Broiler, is another edge-of-your-seat noir thriller that exposes the dark, bloody heart of life on the margins in the American South and the bleak underside of a bygone American … Continue reading Episode 148: Interview with Eli Cranor, author of Broiler →

With Trouble in Queenstown, Delia Pitts introduces private investigator Vandy Myrick in a powerful mystery that blends grief, class, race, and family with thrilling results. I could not put this book down and it started with the very first sentence! We talk about the book, Delia's short stories, her familial influences, and her terrific Ross … Continue reading Episode 147: Interview with Delia Pitts, author of Trouble In Queenstown →

Oh my goodness, how thrilled are we all that Ethan Joella is back with his third book,The Same Bright Stars. This uplifting and emotionally resonant novel set in a Delaware beach town, follows a local restaurant owner at a turning point in their life.The Same Bright Stars comes right at you in technicolor, and I … Continue reading Episode 146: Interview with Ethan Joella, author of The Same Bright Stars →

Claire Lombardo, NYT bestselling author of The Most Fun We Ever Had, returns with another brilliantly observed family drama in which the enduring, hard-won affection of a long marriage faces imminent derailment from events both past and present: Same As It Ever Was. Author Bonnie Garmus calls it, “Witty and insightful…a powerful exploration of marriage, … Continue reading Episode 145: Interview with Claire Lombardo, author of Same As It Ever Was →

What You Leave Behind is the powerful new book by Wanda M. Morris, and I am thrilled to host her for this episode! What You Leave Behind is a haunting thriller following a lawyer who after the mysterious disappearance of a local landowner, uncovers a conspiracy that dates back to Reconstruction and still persists in … Continue reading Episode 144: Interview with Wanda M. Morris, author of What You Leave Behind →

For this episode, I had the pleasure of interviewing author Henry Wise. He sat down with me to talk about his terrific southern crime debut, Holy City. We talked about his poetry, the craft of writing, his book recommendations, and more. Henry, thank you so much for joining me. Holy City is a captivating debut … Continue reading Episode 143: Interview with Henry Wise, author of Holy City →

I was thrilled to welcome back Edward Ashton for his third visit to talk about his latest release, Mal Goes to War. Mal is a dark comedy wrapped in a techno-thriller that is a a satirical take on war, artificial intelligence, and what it really means to be human. For this episode we talk about the … Continue reading Episode 142: Interview with Edward Ashton, author of Mal Goes to War →

What a thrill to host Garrard Conley for this episode! Conley is the author of the bestselling memoir, Boy Erased, about his time in a church supported conversion therapy facility, which became a major motion picture. For E141, we spoke about his fiction debut, All the World Beside, an electrifying, deeply moving novel about the … Continue reading Episode 141: Interview with Garrard Conley, author of All The World Beside →

Set against the unyielding backdrop of the Great Depression with an unforgettable cast of ornery characters, The County Line by Steve Weddle is a lyrical, loving celebration of community and opportunity in 1933 America. For this episode, Steve talked about outlaw camps, his deep dive into the history of the 1930s, his character development, and … Continue reading Episode 140: Interview with Steve Weddle, author of The County Line →

For this episode I was thrilled to host Anders de la Motte, one of Sweden's most cherished crime writers, to talk about his latest American release, The Mountain King. This page-turning thriller is the first bestselling installment in his new Leo Asker series and The Mountain King is not to be missed. The son of … Continue reading Episode 139: Interview with Anders de la Motte, author of The Mountain King →

For this episode I was thrilled to host Guggenheim Fellow author Ellen Feldman to discuss her latest release, The Trouble With You. Ellen shares the inspiration behind this captivating 1940s NYC tale of women's roles in the aftermath of WWII, the legacy these women left behind, and how it paved the way for the women's … Continue reading Episode 138: Interview with Ellen Feldman, author of The Trouble With You →

“Titles pop into my head as I'm falling asleep.” ~ Heather Levy What a thrill to host Heather Levy for this episode! I missed Heather for her debut Walking Through Needles and to say I was excited to host her for Hurt For Me, is an understatement! Edgar Award-nominated author Jess Lourey says, “Levy's latest … Continue reading Episode 137: Interview with Heather Levy, author of Hurt For Me →

“Roofers are the best storytellers…” ~ Amy Jo Burns We kick off 2024 the right way with author Amy Jo Burns! She sat down with me to talk about her 2024 release, Mercury, a compelling family drama about the Joseph family that takes place in the town of Mercury. The Josephs are a roofing family … Continue reading Episode 136: Interview with Amy Jo Burns, author of Mercury →

Top Shelf is ending 2023 with the glorious Glory Be, a fantastic mystery by debut author Danielle Arceneaux. Glory Be is “Murder She Wrote” with an African American lead. Instead of Cabot Cove, readers will find themselves in Lafayette, Louisiana and you will want to take that journey!  Glory Be is the first in a … Continue reading E135: Interview with Danielle Arceneaux, author of Glory Be →

May Day! May Day! One of the most likeable authors I know, May Cobb sat down with me for this episode to talk about her latest thriller, A Likeable Woman. Author Eliza Jane Brazier calls it, “An evocative tale filled with sultry glamour and secrets as thick as an East Texas pine forest.” May also … Continue reading E134: Interview with May Cobb, author of A Likeable Woman →

I am so late to the Suzanne Crain Miller party, and boy am I thrilled to be here! I read Suzanne's most recent novel, Temperatures, over the summer and to say I was riveted is an understatement. Temperatures is a Southern noir page-turning thriller set in the oppressive summer heat of rural North Carolina. Police … Continue reading Episode 133: Interview with Suzanne Crain Miller, author of Temperatures →

You all remember Episode 27 when I hosted Angie Kim for her Edgar Award winning debut, Miracle Creek. Well what a thrill to host Angie once again for her best-selling, GMA book of the month club choice, Happiness Falls! For this episode we go in depth to talk about Angelman Syndrome, non-verbal communication, flipping the … Continue reading E132: Interview with Angie Kim, author of Happiness Falls →

“I try to make my characters as smart as they can be…” so says Edgar Award winning author Erin Flanagan in this episode. I had the pleasure of sitting down with Erin to talk about her latest thriller, Come With Me. Author Liz Alterman says, “Come With Me is a roller-coaster ride that will have … Continue reading E131: Interview with Erin Flanagan, author of Come With Me →

“All Things Left Wild by James Wade was one of my favorite novels of the last two years, as was River, Sing Out. But neither of those novels could have prepared me for the dark and compelling vision of Beasts of the Earth.”   ~David Heska Wanbli Weiden, Spur and Anthony Award-winning author of Winter Counts James … Continue reading E130: Interview with James Wade, author of Beasts of the Earth →

What an episode! I had the pleasure of hosting James McBride, the award-winning author, musician, and screenwriter to talk about his latest book, The Heaven & Earth Grocery Store.  His landmark memoir, The Color of Water, has sold millions of copies and is considered an American classic. His debut novel, Miracle at St. Anna, was … Continue reading E129: Interview with James McBride, author of The Heaven & Earth Grocery Store →

“If Daisy Jones and Emily Henry had a baby, it would be Charm City Rocks.” ~ bestselling author Colleen Oakley. For this episode, three-time guest Matthew Norman sat down to talk about his completely charming new novel, Charm City Rocks. Matthew talks about writing a sweet novel instead of a bitter-sweet novel, writing songs into … Continue reading Episode 128: Interview with Matthew Norman author of Charm City Rocks →

“Emotionally riveting and beautifully told,The Last Lifeboat is an unforgettable story of survival, resolve, and the shimmering stubbornness of hope. You can count on Hazel Gaynor's gorgeous writing to carry you away and safely bring you back. —Susan Meissner, USA Today bestselling author of The Nature of Fragile Things For this episode Hazel Gaynor talks … Continue reading E127: Interview with Hazel Gaynor author of The Last Lifeboat →

Anytime I host Steven Rowley there's plenty to celebrate and this episode is no different! We celebrate Steven's magical year: winning the 2022 Thurber Prize for American Humor for The Guncle, being a Read With Jenna Pick, once again making it onto the NYT bestseller list (this time for The Celebrants), and sharing a publication … Continue reading E126: Interview with Steven Rowley author of The Celebrants →

This marvelous debut, Jackal, by author Erin E. Adams is one of those books best read with the lights on! Recommended by Gillian Flynn on the Today Show, Jackal is the story of a young Black girl who goes missing in the woods outside her rust belt town. But she isn't the first—and she may … Continue reading E125: Interview with Erin E. Adams author of Jackal →

I can't think of a better place to be than Saturday Night at the Lakeside Supper Club! This latest from NYT bestselling author J. Ryan Stradal, is a story of a couple from two very different restaurant families in rustic Minnesota, and the legacy of love and tragedy, of hardship and hope, that unites and … Continue reading E124: Interview with J. Ryan Stradal, author of Saturday Night at the Lakeside Supper Club →

Lessons in Chemistry, the bestselling juggernaut by Bonnie Garmus, has taken the world by storm and to say I was thrilled to host her for this episode is an understatement! For E123, we talk about the inspiration for the book, the movie treatment, why Lessons in Chemistry resonates with so many (including male readers), what's … Continue reading E123: Interview with Bonnie Garmus, author of Lessons in Chemistry →

I have no words for how amazing it was to host Lisa Scottoline for this episode! We talked about her brand new best-seller, Loyalty, a historical fiction look at the formation of the Mafia in Italy, and what it means to be loyal. We also talk food, lemon cookies, our Italian roots, Lisa's love for … Continue reading E122: Interview with Lisa Scottoline, author of Loyalty →

Life and Other Love Songs, the gorgeous second novel from Episode 24 guest, Anissa Gray is “riveting, rhythmic, transcendent…a stellar family saga.” so says Jacqueline Woodson, NYT bestselling author of Red at the Bone.  Synopsis: A father's sudden disappearance exposes the private fears, dreams, longings, and joys of a Black American family in the late decades … Continue reading E121: Interview with Anissa Gray, author of Life and Other Love Songs →

“A feud between Arkansas families escalates with the fury of Greek tragedy. Family loyalty, young love, honoring the dead—they're all here, and they all go terribly wrong in Ozark Dogs.” –Kirkus Eli Cranor joined me for Episode 87 to talk about his gripping debut, Don't Know Tough, and for this episode he joins me to … Continue reading E120: Interview with Eli Cranor, author of Ozark Dogs →

“Full of witty and caustic observations about a privileged class of New Yorkers, Pineapple Street is a sharp and juicy satire.” So says bestselling author Nita Prose about the transporting and lush debut by Jenny Jackson, Pineapple Street.  For E119, best-selling debut author Jenny Jackson shares what it's like to be on the other side … Continue reading E119: Interview with Jenny Jackson, author of Pineapple Street →

“The whole reason I started to write this series was to showcase women in the intelligence field today; what they're like and how they do their job.” ~Alma Katsu on writing the Red Widow series. Red London is a sharp and nuanced race-against-the-clock story ripped from today's headlines, a testament to author Alma Katsu's thirty-five-year … Continue reading E118: Interview with Alma Katsu, author of Red London →

“With hauntingly beautiful prose, Kristen Loesch has delivered an epic, dual timeline tale that deftly transports you to the Russian revolution and the life-altering crucible that came after it. The Last Russian Doll is utterly compelling. You won't be able to put it down.” —Susan Meissner, bestselling author of The Nature of Fragile Things For … Continue reading E117: Interview with Kristen Loesch, author of The Last Russian Doll →

“I felt like there was more to be said…that's the essence of all writing.” ~ Edward Ashton on continuing the Mickey7 series. For Episode 82, I had the pleasure of hosting Edward Ashton to talk about Mickey7 and for this episode, we talk about the sequel, Antimatter Blues. Antimatter Blues is a thrilling follow-up to … Continue reading E116: Interview with Ed Ashton, author of Antimatter Blues →

“Times Undoing is a harrowing yet beautiful journey into the heart of darkness that beats in the center of the American Experience. A tour de force.” —S.A. Cosby, NYT bestselling author of Razorblade Tears and Blacktop Wasteland Totally star-struck to have interviewed Cheryl A. Head for this episode and she was kind enough to let … Continue reading E115: Interview with Cheryl A. Head, author of Time's Undoing →