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The Author Weekend

by Chris Kahn

Book of the Week April 9, 2026

Faye Wader, NYT bestselling author of the Kitty Howe mystery series, finally makes the plunge with the encouragement of her assistant, Jade, and hosts her first ever author event. On Misery Island, a place of nostalgic fun and hijinks for Faye, the 50 attendees will be able to attend Pre- Post- or Peri-Menopausal Mermaid Meditation; Publishing Confidential: Inside the Book Business, with Faye’s editor and agent; a Kitty Howe-themed Clambake, and more. The swag bags include plenty of kitsch, including signature Kitty Aviators, binoculars, and a lobster bib, along with copies of her last, and newest, title. And never mind that Faye’s number-one fan and critic, Peggy Mercer, will be there, surely with news of a misplaced comma or incorrect tense – all those other loyal adoring Kitty loyalists will lift Faye above that. The arrival of Faye’s franchise series rival, though not a complete surprise, ups the competition for attendees’ attention, as well as that of her editor, Merry, and her agent, Hal. Distracted by concerns with her forthcoming manuscript and lack of feedback from Hatchet, her publisher, Faye slips up on a plot point detail, which Peggy recognizes as a lie in Faye’s own backstory. Meanwhile Xoey, a social media maven who’s crippled without her phone, is desperate to tell the “author weekend story.” Feeling trapped by a prescribed wardrobe and envy, Faye begins to spiral. Before long, the bodies start to pile up. Readers will delight in discovering who ends up on the top of the heap, both literally and figuratively. A sharp, gossipy, and hilarious satire of the publishing business.—Dodie Ownes

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Review

Turning the Page on Murder

by Danise Hoover

Bookstore-themed mysteries are cozies, right? Well, not this one. Bookseller Kate is in a complicated relationship with security-specialist Gary, who has taken a new job guarding a high-tech company run by an extremely secretive woman. Kate lives with her great-aunt Roselyn, who is losing herself to Alzheimer’s and no longer has a firm grasp on reality. Kate follows her aunt through the orchard late at night to the neighbor’s house, and finds her standing over the neighbor’s body with a knife in her hand. Gary arrives, as do the local police, and Kate cobbles together a false story that ends with her fingerprints on the knife. She is convinced that the only thing that will save her aunt is for her, Kate, to solve the murder. Car chases, cyber-crimes, hidden codes, and of course more blood follow in this bookstore mystery that, though we barely visit the store, sees a book plays a leading role in solving the knotty puzzle. Unexpected, fast paced, and somewhat confusing, this is hard to put down.—Danise Hoover

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Review

Booking for Trouble

by Danise Hoover

Library budgets are always under threat, but coastal Connecticut’s Briar Creek Library is under major assault from a new cost-cutting member of the town council. In a move to better integrate the library in the community, Director Lindsey Norris comes up with the idea for a book-boat. It’s like a bookmobile, only on the water, and is able to serve the small islands that surround the town. The boat’s early outings are successful until Lindsey discovers the body of a woman who’s not a friend of the library. All sorts of old family feuds; issues with a snobby, exclusive club; and artistic rivalries are brought to the forefront. Excessive meanness and greed seem to be taking over the once charming and welcoming community, and though the police are capable, the wrong person is arrested. As in many situations, it takes a librarian to save the day and bring order back to the situation. A fun, easy, and friendly read.

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Review

Vows and Villainy

by Danise Hoover

There is not a moment wasted in this cozy mystery that combines stately homes, joyful weddings, and acting troupes. The dead body appears in the first sentence. Molly Kimball, our transplanted Vermont librarian turned bookseller, is as usual in the middle of it all. Sir Nigel, famed Shakespearean actor, is found floating in the moat, posed like Ophelia. The police are of course efficient and on top of all the details, but don’t seem to mind being handed the occasional tidbit that Molly is able to ferret out. As it turns out, Sir Nigel was being sued for the death of a student whom he supposedly tormented. There is much going on to prepare for the two scheduled weddings and the theatrical performances to be held throughout the summer. Family issues and casting rivalries all must be sorted without missing important pre-wedding pampering. As to be expected, all is solved in plenty of time so as not to disrupt the festivities. Friendly characters and lovely weather make for a relaxing read.

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Review

Death on Dickens Island

by Danise Hoover

Tiny Dickens Island, located in the sound between Connecticut and Long Island, has a small permanent population composed of families in the midst of some sort of feud or another. Delia has come back after years of living in Manhattan to take up her role as mother to teenage Connor and part manager of the family’s general store. She’s inherited her grandmother’s house and for now is loving being back, though is unsure of her maternal success. Connor finds a secret room in grandma’s house with old books and what may be a pirate map. Delia encounters grandma’s ghost, who visits the room occasionally and offers a unique perspective on island history. The map is stolen by local miscreants and doesn’t lead to treasure but rather to a long-buried body that brings old scandals to the present. With logic, the help of an old love, and grandma’s ghost, Delia puts much of the puzzle together, leading to a solution to the murders and to some of the family feuds. An enjoyable, sandy cozy with the author’s promise of more to come from Dickens Island.

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