“Captivating. Eleanor Shearer returns with a memorable tale of two young women yearning for home and love. I was drawn to the historical setting not typically seen in fiction – the lives of eighteenth-century Jamaican Maroons, removed to Canada, free on paper, yet still at risk.”—Charmaine Wilkerson, NYT best-selling author of Good Dirt

In this episode Eleanor and I chat about her brand new book, Fireflies in Winter. We also talk about the Jamaican Maroon colony, queer love, her trips to Novia Scotia, her debut River Sing Me Home, and so much more. I loved this book, these characters, and the luminous prose. Fireflies in Winter is an excellent piece of historical fiction, that is not to be missed.

Follow Eleanor on Instagram:@eleanorbshearer

Place your holds here for Fireflies in Winter and River Sing Me Home, both by Eleanor Shearer.

Eleanor Shearer recommends: Ever Since We Small by Celeste Mohammed.

Matthew Norman on Love, Loss, and Holiday Movie Magic

“Why is it that the holidays always seem to arrive out of nowhere…?”

Matthew Norman recommends: The Faculty Lounge by Jennifer Mathieu; the work of Richard Russo; the work of Nick Hornby; the work of Allison Larkin.

Follow Matthew Norman on all social media platforms @thenormannation

Just in time for thrill-season, I sat down with author Jennifer Fawcett to talk about her second thriller, Keep This For Me. For this episode we discuss generational trauma, serial killers, ghost ships, and so much more. Give a listen. Thank you so much Jennifer!

Jennifer recommends, The Ascent by Allison Buccola; A Gorgeous Excitement by Cynthia Weiner; and The Grand Paloma Resort by Cleyvis Natera.

Look for Jennifer on Threads & Instagram: @jenniferfawcett_author;  X: @AuthorFawcett.

“A loving ode to an extraordinary mother; a soulful coming-of-age; an unlikely portrait of Dylan in his prime as fresh as they come. Sam Sussman‘s, Boy from the North Country heralds the arrival of a blazing new literary talent.” ~ Pulitzer Prize-winning author, Ayad Akhtar

I had the pleasure of sitting down with author Sam Sussman for his remarkable debut, Boy From the North Country. We talk about so many things in this very special and personal episode, give a listen. Thank you so very much, Sam!

Sam Sussman recommends: Lisa Moore Fine Art; The Northern Sky by Nick Drake’s; The Narrow Road to the Deep North and Other Travel Sketches by Matsuo Basho; Blood on the Tracks by Bob Dylan. 

For Episode 167, award-nominated author Delia Pitts joined me to discuss her latest release, Death of an Ex, the gripping follow-up to Trouble in Queenstown. Delia shares the inspiration behind her brilliantly drawn private investigator, Vandy Myrick, offers a glimpse into her writing process, and gives listeners an exclusive sneak peek at book three in the series. With themes of family, race, class, and grief woven throughout, Delia brings depth and authenticity to the mystery genre. Don’t miss this powerful book—and don’t miss this conversation. Thank you so much for joining me, Delia!

Delia Pitts recommends: Glory Daze by Danielle Arceneaux, and Blood in the Water by Tiffany D. Jackson.

For Episode 166, I had the incredible honor of hosting authors Nancy Grace and Benee Knauer to discuss their powerful new book, What Happened to Ellen: A Miscarriage of American Justice.

Place your hold here for all Nancy Grace titles. Follow Nancy Grace right here!  You can also follow Nancy at Crime Online.  And don’t forget to follow Nancy Grace on most social media platforms!

Grab your copy of Benee Knauer’s terrific adaptation right here! Follow Benee Knauer on Instagram @beneeknauer2620.

Nancy also mentioned the fabulous author, Josh Sabarra! Check out his books here.

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 the dangers of the Wild West and mysterious otherworldly forces. This terrific book is being touted as Louis L’Amour meets H.P. Lovecraft and I loved every page. For this conversation, we discuss how The Country Under Heaven evolved from a short story, his research process and inspirations, plus Fred shares great book recommendations and gives us an exciting sneak peek at his next project. Thank you for joining me Fred!

The Country Under Heaven by Frederic S. Durbin is such a special book – it’s one of my favorites of the year.

Place your holds here for all Frederic S. Durbin titles.

Frederic S. Durbin recommends: the work of Ray Bradbury; Something Wicked This Way Comes by Ray Bradbury; Ture Grit by Charles Portis; Enchanted Night by Steven Milhauser; The Knife Thrower and Other Stories by Steven Milhauser; the work of Steven Milhauser.

“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 author of Black Wolf

I was thrilled to welcome back four-time guest James Wade of the podcast to talk about his gripping new release, Hollow Out the Dark – a Depression-era gothic crime thriller wrapped in a whiskey war. It’s edge-of-your-seat storytelling at its finest.

James Wade recommends: Turtle House by Amanda Churchill; Orbital by Samantha Harvey; the work of Lauren Groff; the work of Robert Gwaltney.

Place your hold here for all James Wade titles. 

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 crime families that harks back to the furies of the Hatfields and McCoys.”

In this episode, Wes joins me to discuss his gripping character development, the art of crafting suspenseful action scenes, and how his experience as a criminal defense attorney helped shape characters that feel intensely real.

This novel is a fast-paced, runaway train of a story—packed with twists, surprises, and high-stakes action that kept me on the edge of my seat. And the audiobook narrated by Matt Godfrey? Pure dynamite. You won’t want to miss either version of They All Fall the Same.

Wes Browne recommends: Trampoline by Robert Gipe; When We Were Hardcore by Linda Michel-Cassidy; Asides by George Singleton; King of Ashes by S.A. Cosby, the work of David Joy; the work of Leah Hampton.

Place your hold for both Wes Browne titles here.

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 Snap and Exit, this gripping new mystery follows a young girl, an impossible discovery, and a crime that remained unsolved for a century—until now.

Blending crime caper with historical mystery, Bauer crafts a story so compelling it’s impossible to put down. In this episode, she shares the fascinating true story behind the novel—the real-life case of the missing Maitland eggs—along with insights into the book’s intricate structure, the challenges of writing it, and how her screenwriting background shaped the narrative flow. Plus, she reveals why she always knows the last line of her books before she begins.

Belinda, thank you for such an insightful and engaging conversation! It was a true joy to have you on the show. Belinda Bauer recommends: Tommy the Bruce by James Yorkston; High Rollers by Jack Bowman, and Cryptonomicon by Neal Stephenson.

Place your holds here for all Belinda Bauer titles. Follow Belinda Bauer on Facebook.