Hi, Tess! Welcome back! How have you been over the last year and a bit since we last spoke?

Busier than ever! I’m writing the third in the Martini Club series, featuring my merry band of retired spies as they solve crimes (while occasionally annoying the local chief of police) in small-town Maine. I’m also working on the pilot for a television series, VACATIONLAND, featuring a semi-autobiographical Asian-American character who leaves California and moves to Maine.

Your latest novel, The Summer Guests, is out March 18^th and the second installment in your Martini Club series! If you could only describe it in five words, what would they be?

In only five words? That’s brutal! But I’ll try: “Old spies seek missing girl.”

What can readers expect?

Maine has long been a destination for well-to-do summer visitors, leading to friction between the local population and these demanding outsiders. When the teenage daughter of a wealthy summer family goes missing, and Maggie Bird’s neighbor is implicated, Maggie and her four friends — all retired from the CIA — join the search for the girl. This leads to inevitable clashes with police chief Jo Thibodeau, who’s annoyed that the Martini Club is once again always a step ahead of her. Believing that the girl may have drowned, the police search the pond near the family’s house — only to drag up the skeleton of a long-dead woman. As the case becomes more and more complex, it will take the efforts of both Jo and the Martini Club to finally reveal the truth.

Where did the inspiration for The Summer Guests come from?

During my research for THE SPY COAST, I came across an obscure bit of history concerning the CIA and what it was doing in Maine. There was an outpost of MKULTRA operations here on the midcoast, a program that later became embroiled in scandal, and that was part of what inspired THE SUMMER GUESTS. But the biggest inspiration was from having lived in Maine for 35 years, observing the tensions between the summer people and the locals, and imagining how those conflicts could escalate.

Were there any moments or characters you really enjoyed writing or exploring further?

I love writing about the sometimes fraught relationship between Jo Thibodeau and the members of the Martini Club! There are so many layers of conflict between them: young vs old, local vs. outsider, innocence vs. cynicism. With each book, Jo learns more and more about these ex-spies, and she’s also drawn slowly into their circle of trust. They can never completely trust her of course, because the members of the Martini Club are by nature suspicious, but they have come to appreciate that Jo is truly a good egg who’ll always try to do the right thing. (Which sometimes gets in their way!)

Did you face any challenges whilst writing? How did you overcome them?

I get plot block with every single book I write. It’s because I don’t outline my stories ahead of time, I just plunge into the story without a plan for where it’s going. When I get around two-thirds through the first draft, I have to stop and figure out what the heck is happening, who the villain is, and how to reveal their guilt. I’m at that stage now with my third Martini Club story. I know I’m near the end, but I just don’t know how to wrap it up.

My strategy for dealing with plot block is to stew and lie sleepless at night and vow that this is the last book I’ll ever write. I’ll stare at the ceiling, watch a lot of TV, and do a lot of ironing. What does help, I find, is to take long and boring drives. Very often, the solution to my problem pops into my head as I’m behind the wheel. I wish there were an easier way to do this, but after 32 books, I’ve come to accept that this is my process, and I’m too old to change.

Why thrillers?

It doesn’t matter what kind of book I set out to write, the story always veers into a thriller! Over my nearly 40-year writing career, I’ve written romance, historicals, science fiction, medical suspense, crime novels, and even a ghost story. While the sub-genre may change, at heart, they always seem to involve crime in one form or another. Perhaps it has to do with my childhood love of Nancy Drew stories. Or it’s because a beloved friend of my family later went to prison for murder, and I’m still trying to process how someone I loved and trusted could have done such a terrible thing.

What are some of the key lessons you’ve learned as an author and about the publishing world since your debut?

I’ve learned to be comfortable with my own writing process, that as painful as it can sometimes be, my way of writing books is right for me. I’ve also learned to trust my emotions when it comes to plots and characters. If a premise or situation gives me a strong gut reaction, then that’s what I should write. Stories grab you because you feel something about the situation or the character. Those are the stories that keep readers turning the pages.

What’s next for you?

I’m working on book #3 of the Martini Club series. The title is THE SHADOW FRIENDS, and this story focuses on former spy Ingrid Slocum, whose former lover from her espionage days comes back into her life, complicating her marriage, and leading to more murder and mayhem.

Lastly, what books are you looking forward to picking up this year?

I always look forward to Lisa Unger’s books, and she has a new one coming: CLOSE YOUR EYES AND COUNT TO TEN. Also SA Cosby’s KING OF ASHES and Shari Lapena’s SHE DIDN’T SEE IT COMING.

Will you be picking up The Summer Guests? Tell us in the comments below!

The post Q&A: Tess Gerritsen, Author of ‘The Summer Guests’ appeared first on The Nerd Daily.

Hi Tess, welcome to The Nerd Daily! Can you tell us a little bit about yourself?

I’ve been a writer for about 36 years, and have produced 31 novels and a few screenplays. I don’t limit myself to any genre, I just write what thrills me, and I’ve moved in several genres: crime novels, historicals, science fiction, romance, even a ghost story. I live in Maine, where just looking out the window is an inspiration.

When did you discover you wanted to be a writer? We understand you are also a retired doctor?

I was seven years old when I announced to my father that I wanted to be a writer. He was a very practical man and he told me writing was no way to make a living, so I took a detour…  to medical school. I was board-certified in internal medicine and worked as a doctor for a few years. That came to an end after I became a mom and discovered how hard it is for two doctors to juggle careers plus parenthood when there’s no childcare available. So I decided to stay home with my kids for a while — which turned out to be a great excuse to focus on my writing. And that’s when I wrote my first novel.

Quick lightning round! Tell us the first book you ever remember reading, the one that made you want to become an author, and one that you can’t stop thinking about!

It was probably a Nancy Drew book, THE HIDDEN STAIRCASE. Nancy Drew was a huge inspiration for me, not just because she was a detective, but because she was independent, clever, and respected by adults. She made girls believe we could do anything.

The Spy Coast is coming out November 1 by Thomas & Mercer – what’s the quick one-sentence pitch for the book?

A retired spy living in Maine finds a dead body in her driveway and turns to her friends — also retired spies — to help her find out who wants her dead.

And then can you give us five action words to describe The Spy Coast? 

Fun. Fast. Thrilling. Globe-trotting. Surprising.

What’s the inspiration behind The Spy Coast?

I live in a small Maine town where quite a few retired spies live. I wondered what ex-spies do with themselves. Do they have cocktail parties? Book clubs? Do they long to get back into action? I thought about these ordinary-appearing neighbors I see every day in the grocery store and post office, and imagined what stories they could tell. That’s how the character of Maggie Bird came to me. She seems like just a gray-haired chicken farmer, living in the quiet town of Purity. In truth, she’s a woman haunted by her past career, and by the tragic consequences of her last operation as a spy.

You are a prolific writer! How many books have you had published, and do you have a favorite book or a favorite character? How come that one is your favorite?

THE SPY COAST will be my 31st novel. It’s hard to choose a favorite book or character, because whoever I’m writing about is my favorite at the time. But I’d have to say Maggie Bird is definitely one of my favorites because she has the wry and weary voice of experience.

What’s coming up after The Spy Coast?

I’m writing the second book featuring Maggie Bird and her friends, called THE SUMMER GUESTS.

Will you be picking up The Spy Coast? Tell us in the comments below!

The post Q&A: Tess Gerritsen, Author of ‘The Spy Coast’ appeared first on The Nerd Daily.

Told in a non-linear format, the story opens with an investigation into what appears to be a suicide of a young woman, but Detective Frankie Loomis is not the type of detective that ignores a gut feeling—and her senses are telling her there is more to this story. She is not going to take short-cuts and wrap this case up as a suicide until she is satisfied.

From this point, the story jumps back and forth, before and after this opening moment, but each section of the book is very clear about this time jump, and it is never confusing or difficult to follow. We learn much more about the woman who is suspected to have committed suicide, and we see what was going on in her life and those she interacted with in the last days of her life. These jumps between before and after her death occurred are very cleverly placed to keep the tension high, and each time the shift occurs the reader is let in on yet another twist in this fast-paced mystery.

Readers who need likeable main characters may have a difficult time, as most of the characters in the story (apart from the detectives) would generally not be considered likeable people. They are, however, interesting multi-layered characters which, in my personal opinion, has much more bearing on how much I enjoy a story.

The detectives, while they take a back seat for the majority of the book, are characters I would love to see more of in the future. Their partnership has a very realistic dynamic, and Detective Loomis in particular has a unique perspective on some crimes, as she is raising two teenage daughters herself and this invariably affects her when she has a victim not much older than those daughters.

The mystery itself is exciting and well-paced and full of enough twists to keep the reader guessing throughout. Even with the relatively small cast of characters, Choose Me is so cleverly written that it is never obvious how things are going to turn out.

Choose Me is available from Amazon, Book Depository, and other good book retailers, like your local bookstore, as of July 1st 2021.

Will you be picking up Choose Me? Tell us in the comments below!

Synopsis | Goodreads

From New York Times bestseller Tess Gerritsen and acclaimed thriller writer Gary Braver comes a sexy murder mystery about a reckless affair and dangerous secrets.

Taryn Moore is young, beautiful and brilliant…so why would she kill herself? When Detective Frankie Loomis arrives on the scene to investigate the girl’s fatal plunge from her apartment balcony, she knows in her gut there’s more to the story, especially after the autopsy reveals that the college senior was pregnant. It could be reason enough for suicide-or a motive for murder.

To English professor Jack Dorian, Taryn was the ultimate fantasy: intelligent, adoring, and completely off limits. But there was also a dark side to Taryn, a dangerous streak that threatened those she turned her affections to–including Jack. And now that she’s dead, his problems are just beginning.

After Frankie uncovers a trove of sordid secrets, it becomes clear that Jack may know the truth. He is guilty of deception, but is he capable of cold-blooded murder?

The post Review: Choose Me by Tess Gerritsen and Gary Braver appeared first on The Nerd Daily.

APRIL

Lies We Bury by Elle Marr

Marissa was born in captivity.  It’s been twenty years since she gained her freedom, but a new string of murders threatens to bring all of her secrets to the surface.

The Perfect Daughter by DJ Palmer

Grace has to visit her teenage daughter in the state psychiatric hospital where she is being held on a charge of murder.  Doctors have disagreed about a diagnosis of multiple personality disorder, but what dark and shocking secrets will be uncovered if she goes to trial?

The Truth About Unspeakable Things by Emily A Myers

After horrific trauma, Emma has finally opened her heart to love again.  She has kept so many secrets about the abuse she experienced, her past may destroy her before she gets her second chance at love and happiness.

Her Three Lives by Cate Holahan

After a violent home break-in, a family no longer knows whether they can trust anyone, even each other, as doubts, questions, and suspicions abound.  Gaslighting galore!

In The Company of Killers by Bryan Christy

A tightly wound debut thriller! Tom is an investigative reporter, but only as a cover – he’s also a CIA spy.  While he is on assignment in Kenya, his carefully crafted double life begins to fall apart, revealing truths that even Tom doesn’t know about.

MAY

The Next Wife by Kaira Rouda

Does anyone really ever ‘have it all’?  There is no limit to what some women will do to try to have it all, or to keep it.  In the name of love, or revenge, there is no limit to what a woman might do.

Find You First by Linwood Barclay

The master of psychological suspense is back with a deadly race against time when the unconventional heirs of a dying tech millionaire begin to meet mysterious ends.

The Hunting Wives by May Cobb

An elite club that focuses equally on target practice and martinis leads to a life of dangerous behavior, obsession, seduction, and murder when Sophie, her husband, and young son settle down in a small Texas town.

The Photographer by Mary Dixie Carter

After observing the wealthy and elite of New York City through her camera lens, Delta feels an uncontrollable desire to no longer be separated by the camera, and instead be part of their world.  Manipulation at its strongest is on full display here!

A Good Mother by Lara Bazelon

An exciting debut thriller with two young mothers in different positions in the same murder trial, where the decision about what defines a good mother has to be answered by the jury!

JUNE

The North Face of the Heart by Dolores Redondo (Translated by Michael Meigs)

A young but experienced female detective literally follows a murderer into the eye of a storm when she helps the FBI find a killer using natural disasters to hide his crimes and aid his escape.

Hairpin Bridge by Taylor Adams

The author of No Exit is back with a new thriller where a young woman refuses to accept the official police version of her sister’s death.  Lena is willing to fight for the truth, but instead may be fighting for her life.

The Fiancee by Kate White

What should have been a relaxing family vacation is turned on its head when a mysterious woman is involved.  An unexpected death further rocks the family, but was that only the beginning?

Hostage by Clare Mackintosh

The ultimate locked-room mystery, a claustrophobic thriller that takes place entirely on a twenty- hour flight from London to Sydney. A lot can happen in twenty hours.

Survive the Night by Riley Sager

Set in 1991, when help was not just as close as a cellphone call away, two people share a car ride when neither person knows enough about the person they are riding beside.

JULY

Choose Me by Tess Gerritsen and Gary Braver

When a young woman who is both beautiful and brilliant plunges from her apartment balcony, the detective in charge can feel in her gut that there is more to the story than meets the eye.  Discovering her sordid secrets provides more questions, rather than answers.

For Your Own Good by Samantha Downing

This best-selling author is back with a new thriller set in a prestigious private school.  Meddlesome parents, murder, Teacher of the Year, and overachieving students – what else could we ask for?

Her Last Breath by Hilary Davidson

When it is discovered that a woman predicted her own murder, her sister will absolutely not let the truth be brushed aside, despite being a pariah in her own family. Digging for the truth may come at too high of a cost, however.

Safe in my Arms by Sara Shepard

At an elite preschool, the principal is attacked and three moms who don’t think they fit in with the ultra-wealthy community work together to both find out who is trying to frame them as well as how to keep their real secrets hidden.

Silver Tears by Camilla Lackberg

Three generations of women have been hiding from one man, but secrets always eventually come out.  Betrayal and tears are sure to follow.

Are you as excited as we are about all of these upcoming thrillers? Are some of your favourite authors back with something new? Which books are you most excited to pick up? Tell us in the comments below!

The post Thrillers We Are Eagerly Anticipating In The Next Few Months appeared first on The Nerd Daily.

Read on to discover our picks and tell us in the comments below if you will be picking up any!

Find Me (Call Me By Your Name #2) by André Aciman
Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository

In this spellbinding exploration of the varieties of love, the author of the worldwide bestseller Call Me by Your Name revisits its complex and beguiling characters decades after their first meeting.

The Shape of Night by Tess Gerritsen
Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository

A woman trying to outrun her past is drawn to a quiet coastal town in Maine–and to a string of unsolved murders–in this haunting tale of romantic suspense from New York Times bestselling author Tess Gerritsen.

How Fires End by Marco Rafala
Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository

A dark secret born out of World War II lies at the heart of a Sicilian American family in this emotional and sweeping saga of guilt, revenge, and, ultimately, redemption.

The Remaking by Clay McLeod Chapman
Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository

Inspired by a true story, this supernatural thriller for fans of horror and true crime follows a tale as it evolves every twenty years—with terrifying results.

Christmas Shopaholic by Sophie Kinsella
Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository

#1 New York Times bestselling author Sophie Kinsella returns with a festive new Shopaholic adventure filled with holiday cheer and unexpected gifts.

Olive, Again (Olive Kitteridge) by Elizabeth Strout
Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository

#1 New York Times bestselling author and Pulitzer Prize winner Elizabeth Strout continues the life of her beloved Olive Kitteridge, a character who has captured the imaginations of millions of readers.

Quantum by Patricia Cornwell
Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository

International bestselling author Patricia Cornwell delivers pulse-pounding thrills in a series featuring a brilliant and unusual new heroine, cutting-edge cybertechnology, and stakes that are astronomically high.

One Night Gone by Tara Laskowski
Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository

One sultry summer, Maureen Haddaway arrives in the wealthy town of Opal Beach to start her life anew. But Maureen’s new life just might be too good to be true, and before the summer is up, she vanishes. Decades later, when Allison Simpson is offered the opportunity to house-sit in Opal Beach during the off-season. But when she becomes drawn into the mysterious disappearance of a girl thirty years before, Allison realizes the gorgeous homes of Opal Beach hide dark secrets. And the truth of that long-ago summer is not even the most shocking part of all…

The Widow of Rose House by Diana Biller
Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository

A young widow restores a dilapidated mansion with the assistance of a charming, eccentric genius, only to find the house is full of dangerous secrets in this effervescent Gilded Age debut novel.

Cilka’s Journey (The Tattooist of Auschwitz #2) by Heather Morris
Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository

From the author of the multi-million copy bestseller, The Tattooist of Auschwitz, comes the new novel based on an incredible true story of love and resilience.

The House of Brides by Jane Cockram
Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository

Jane Cockram makes her thrilling debut with this page-turning tale of psychological suspense in which a young woman whose life is in tatters flees to the safety of a family estate in England, but instead of comfort finds chilling secrets and lies.

The Christmas Spirits on Tradd Street by Karen White
Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository

The Christmas spirit is overtaking Tradd Street with a vengeance in this festive new novel in the New York Times bestselling series by Karen White.

Will you be picking up any of these releases? Tell us in the comments below!

The post October 2019 Book Releases: Fiction appeared first on The Nerd Daily.