Please check out my article at Sleuthsayers, the mystery blog

Well, that sure went south fast, didn’t it?

My wife and I have been in lockdown for 30+ days, and I’m sure it’s as weird for us as it is for everyone who is doing the same. We’re professional writers/freelancers who have been working from home for nearly 20 years, so at first blush this type of life should not be THAT strange. But this is distinctly different.

We’re working as best we can, and to that end, I’m trying to keep everyone in the loop about my work.

I’m happy to announce that I’m now a regular blogger at Sleuthsayers, a blog run largely by mystery writers. My first official post went up Friday, talking about a recent book event I attended. My wife, Denise Kiernan, had the pleasure of interviewing Erik Larson, probably the nation’s greatest practitioner of narrative nonfiction. He’s probably best known for his book, The Devil in the White City. But the new book—entitled The Splendid and the Vile—is about the leadership of Winston Churchill during the Blitz of 1940-41. Since leadership during national crises seems to be The Issue of the moment, I thought I’d share my takeaways on their talk.

The link to the blog post is here.

Feel free to bookmark Sleuthsayers. I’ll be appearing there every three weeks. The next post will be end of the month.

Beyond that, I will try to post at my website more often, as I’m finding it’s quite important to share my opinions on what I see, hear, feel. Books, music, art—the hallmarks of civilization—are all the more critical.

If you’re looking for reading material during this time, I hope you’ll consider one of Erik’s books, Denise’s, or one of mine. (See below.) Escapism rules!

Author Erik Larson in conversation with Denise Kiernan.

Later, gang—and here’s hoping we’ll all be able to breathe safely in each other’s presence again real soon.

Book “collage” photo credit: Patrick Tomasso on Unsplash

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The e-book versions of both of my two most recent books, Murder on Book Row and the fantasy novel, Sorceress Kringle, are available at almost every online retailer. You can order print copies at the usual suspects online, or autographed copies from Malaprop’s, the bookstore in my nabe.

Preorder Now: The Ghosts of Eden Park

In the 2016 movie Genius, the writer Thomas Wolfe (played by Jude Law) is asked to describe his new book. He responds all-too-seriously, “It’s about America—all of it.” My wife and I quote that line to death. Not only because it’s hilarious but also because some of the best books we read these days shed light on some hidden truth about America. Which is a feeling I get whenever I read one of Karen Abbott’s sumptuously written nonfiction books. At first glance, her latest book, The Ghosts of Eden Park, is the true story of the bootlegger who was the real-life inspiration for Jay Gatsby. But it’s also a window into the soul of this great, oh-so-strange nation of ours. The Ghosts of Eden Park is out August 6, and you should preorder it here now.

The first book I ever read of Abbott’s was Sin in the Second City, which was ostensibly about a Chicago brothel in the early 20th century but actually about a particular species of moral hysteria that felt scarily familiar to this modern reader (and still does). All of Abbott’s books—like the one about burlesque queen Gypsy Rose Lee or the one about Confederate women spies during the American Civil War—are true stories yet read like novels you can’t put down. Back in j-school we dreamed of writing books like this. They were the highest form of our craft; writers like Abbott raise it to an art form.

The Ghosts of Eden Park pubs just ahead of the 100th anniversary of Prohibition. It’s the true story of George Remus: a teetotaling bootlegger, erudite madman, and the strangest, most intriguing character Abbott says she’s ever encountered in history. Remus never wore underwear (quite the scandal in 1920s America), gave away brand-new Pontiacs as party favors, and spoke of himself in the third person: “Remus was in the whiskey business, and Remus was the biggest man in the business.”

Remus rides high until his wife falls in love with the very federal agent who incarcerated him, sparking a love triangle that reaches the highest levels of government—and which can only end in murder. The book is nonfiction with all the twists and turns of a thriller. It’s a tale so much stranger than fiction it has to be true.

One of the cool things about the story is learning about Remus’s nemesis Mabel Walker Willebrandt, the Assistant US Attorney who was the highest ranking woman in the US government at the time. In her private life, Willebrandt wrote about the obstacles and challenges she faced in that position. As I read her words, I was struck again by that same, scarily familiar feeling that things in this nation have perhaps not changed as much as we’d like to believe it has.

I asked Abbott three quick questions about booze and her characters.

Do you have a favorite whiskey?

I am still a whiskey novice, but I’d say The Macallan. A British friend advised me that it’s the only drink that doesn’t cause a hangover, and so far he’s proved right.

Have you tried that new Remus bourbon?

No, I can’t buy it anywhere in NYC! But I look forward to trying it when I’m on tour. George Remus Bourbon is actually sponsoring my events in Cincinnati and Louisville.

How long do you think we will need to wait for a Mabel Willebrandt whiskey?

That’s a brilliant idea, and someone should get on that ASAP. Ironically, Remus was a teetotaler who never drank a drop of alcohol, while Willebrandt, the “czarina of Prohibition” (in Remus’s words) enjoyed her drink. But she preferred California clarets, not whiskey.

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Anyhoo—please check out The Ghosts of Eden Park if you’re looking for a summer read. See Abbott’s website for more cool info on the characters or to read an excerpt of the book. If nothing else, you gotta watch the trailer.

I’ll leave you with one of Remus’s strangest sayings, and the greatest excuse anyone has ever put forth to explain away his bad behavior: “Remus’s brain exploded.” To decide for yourself if a brain explosion actually occurred, you’ll have to read the book.

All I can say is, D’Agnese loved it.

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Pre-Order Now: The Last Castle (Coming Sept. 2017)

Just a quick note to let you guys know that my wife, Denise Kiernan’s, next book is now officially available for pre-order at all online and indie bookstores. The book pubs September 26, 2017.

The book tells the story of the crazily opulent Biltmore House, which is the largest house ever built in America. The book would probably delight fans of the TV show, Downton Abbey, who may be under the impression that massive houses such as this never made it to this side of the pond.

They did! And it’s still here, open to the public, long after similar houses of its ilk met the wrecking ball.

Biltmore is 175,000 square feet, and sits on a plot of land that is about 8,000 acres. 

Who would build such a place? Who would acquire such a huge amount of property? And why?

Believe it or not, the home’s original owner was a fabulously wealthy bookworm. Denise—whose last book hit the New York Times, LA Times, NPR and Indiebound bestseller lists and has been translated into seven languages—spent three years researching the story of George Vanderbilt and his remarkable estate.

She’s written the story in a way that has never been told. When I first read the manuscript, it kind of reminded me of one of my all-time favorite novel—Ragtime, by E.L. Doctorow. Only every word of her book is true.

At the center of the book is George and his amazing house. There’s his wife, Edith. His daughter, Cornelia. And woven throughout their story is a cast of famous, real-life people, a Who’s Who of American culture: Edith Wharton, F. Scott Fitzgerald, O. Henry, Thomas Wolfe, Teddy Roosevelt, John Singer Sargent, Frederick Law Olmsted, James Whistler, and whole lot more.

It’s a fascinating story of how the Gilded Age flourished once upon a time, then faded away. If you're interested or thinking of buying a copy as gift for someone later this year, check out these links to see about snagging a first edition.

PREORDER THE LAST CASTLE

• ebook: Kobo | Kindle | Nook | iBooks
• paperback/hardcover: IndieBound | Powell's | B&N | Books-a-Million | Amazon
• audiobook
• autographed first edition: Malaprop's
• all other signed, first edition choices