Friends & Fiction

On tis episode, Mary Kay Andrews and Patti Callahan Henry welcome #1 New York Times bestselling author Laura Dave to discuss her new thriller, The Night We Lost Him, in which estranged siblings discover their father has been keeping a secret for over fifty years — one that may have been fatal. Laura Dave’s novels have been published in thirty-eight languages and have been chosen by Reese Witherspoon’s Book Club, Indie Next, Book of the Month Club, Best of Amazon, and Best of Apple Books. The Last Thing He Told Me was named 2021’s Goodreads Thriller of the Year. Six of Laura’s novels have been optioned for film and television, including The Last Thing He Told Me, which is a limited series on AppleTV+ starring Jennifer Garner. We are excited to talk to Laura about her eagerly anticipated follow-up, The Night We Lost Him (Marysue Rucci Books, Sept 17), which People says “serves up Dave's signature blend of pulse-pounding suspense and moving family drama,” and TIME calls “a twisty thriller that will keep you guessing.”

On this episode, Ron Block and Patti Callahan Henry welcome mega-bestselling author TJ Klune to discuss his new novel, Somewhere Beyond The Sea, the hugely anticipated sequel to his smash hit, The House in the Cerulean Sea, which is one of the best-loved and best-selling fantasy novels of the past decade. TJ Klune is the New York Times and USA Today bestselling, Lambda Literary Award-winning author of The House in the Cerulean Sea, Under the Whispering Door, In the Lives of Puppets, The Extraordinaries and more. Being queer himself, Klune believes it’s important — now more than ever — to have accurate, positive queer representation in stories. We are so excited to talk to TJ about Somewhere Beyond The Sea, which (in a starred review) Library Journal has called, “a heart-wrenching tale of being perceived as different, finding acceptance, and having a place in the world.”

On this episode, Kristin Harmel & Ron Block welcome bestselling author Madeline Martin to discuss The Booklover’s Library, her heartwarming new story about a mother and daughter in wartime England and the power of books to bring them together. We’re also treated to a pop-in by Emmy-award winning journalist turned novelist Linda Hurtado Bond to chat about her gripping new thriller All the Missing Girls. Madeline Martin is the NYT, USA Today, Publishers Weekly, and internationally bestselling author of historical fiction and historical romance with books translated into more than 25 languages. She joins us from sunny Florida to discuss her latest, The Booklover’s Library, which has been dubbed “a must-read for booklovers” by Chanel Cleeton and “a quiet little jewel of a wartime novel” by Kate Quinn. By day, Linda Hurtado Bond is an Emmy and Edward R. Murrow award-winning journalist. By night, she’s an author of James Bond-like adventures and heart-stopping thrillers. The host of “Tampa Bay Reads,” Linda has hosted all of F&F’s hosts on her television segment. She joins us to discuss her new spine-tingling mystery, All the Missing Girls, featuring her recurring character, Tampa crime reporter Mari Alvarez.

On this episode, the Fab Four gather to welcome this month’s F&F Featured Author, Jessa Maxwell, to discuss her new book, our August 2024 Pick of the Month, I NEED YOU TO READ THIS, a sly and addictive new mystery about an advice columnist searching for answers about her predecessor’s murder. Jessa Maxwell is the author and illustrator of five picture books for children whose comics and cartoons have been published in The New Yorker and The New York Times, and whose writing has been published in Slate, Marie Claire, and many other publications. She previously joined us on our podcast in March 2023 to discuss her debut adult novel, the darkly beguiling locked-room mystery The Golden Spoon. We are excited to welcome Jessa back to discuss her clever new cat-and-mouse murder mystery, I NEED YOU TO READ THIS (Atria Books, Aug 13), which Booklist called a “palm-sweat-inducing psychological thriller,” and which Publishers Weekly praised for its “scintillating tension.”

On this episode, Kristy Woodson Harvey and Mary Kay Andrews welcome bestselling author Greer Macallister to discuss THE THIRTEENTH HUSBAND, the story of scandalous heiress Aimee Crocker, who lit up the Gilded Age tabloids with her devil-may-care attitude and worldwide adventures. Greer Macallister’s historical novels, including THE MAGICIAN'S LIE, GIRL IN DISGUISE, WOMAN 99, and THE ARCTIC FURY, have been named Book of the Month, Indie Next, LibraryReads, Target Book Club, and Amazon Best Book of the Month picks and optioned for film and television. As G. R. Macallister, she is the author of the Five Queendoms series, which Paste Magazine called “the best feminist fantasy series you probably haven't read yet.” She joins us to discuss her latest work of historical fiction, THE THIRTEENTH HUSBAND (Sourcebooks, Aug 6), which Fiona Davis has dubbed, “a whirlwind...a truly wonderful read,” and Marie Benedict has called, “utterly gripping.” This fictional tell-all has been described as THE SEVEN HUSBANDS OF EVELYN HUGO meets THE HAUNTING OF HILL HOUSE and we are excited to talk to Greer all about it.

On this episode, Mary Kay Andrews and Patti Callahan Henry welcome New York Times bestselling author Rhys Bowen to discuss THE ROSE ARBOR, her haunting new novel of suspense which follows an investigation into a girl’s disappearance that uncovers a mystery dating back to World War II. Rhys Bowen has authored two historical mystery series, the #1 Kindle bestseller In Farleigh Field, and numerous other international bestsellers. Her work has sold 10-million copies in more than 30 languages. She’s been nominated for every major mystery award and has won multiple Agatha, Anthony, and Macavity Awards. Her childhood experiences with relatives in Wales colored her first mystery series about Constable Evans in the mountains of Snowdonia. She went on to write ten books in that series including the Edgar nominee Evan’s Gate. We are eager to hear from her about THE ROSE ARBOR which The Extraordinary Life of Sam Hell author Robert Dugoni has called “a complex and intriguing mystery…with smart, exquisite prose.”

On this episode, Kristin Harmel and Patti Callahan Henry welcome award-winning, internationally bestselling author Marjan Kamali to discuss her new book, THE LION WOMEN OF TEHRAN, a heartfelt, epic novel of friendship, betrayal, and redemption set against three transformative decades in Tehran, Iran. Marjan Kamali is the author of several novels, including The Stationery Shop, a national and international bestseller, and Together Tea, a Massachusetts Book Award finalist. Born in Turkey to Iranian parents, Marjan was raised in Turkey, Iran, Germany, Kenya, and the U.S. The 2022 recipient of the National Endowment for the Arts Creative Writing Fellowship, her novels are published in translation in more than 25 languages, and her essays have appeared in The Wall Street Journal and The Los Angeles Review of Books. She joins us to discuss her brand-new national bestseller, THE LION WOMEN OF TEHRAN, which is an Amazon Editors’ Pick, a Book of the Month main selection, an IndieNext pick, and an Apple Best Book of the Month.

On this episode, Patti Callahan Henry and Kristy Woodson Harvey welcome #1 New York Times bestselling author Emily Giffin to discuss her new novel THE SUMMER PACT in which a group of friends, in the wake of tragedy, make a pact that will cause them to reunite a decade later and embark on a life-changing adventure together. Emily is the author of twelve internationally bestselling novels, including All We Ever Wanted, The Lies That Bind, and Meant to Be. A Chicago native, Emily is a graduate of Wake Forest University and the University of Virginia School of Law. She practiced litigation at a large Manhattan firm for several years while dreaming of becoming a writer. When her 2004 debut novel Something Borrowed (which was adapted as the 2011 feature film starring Kate Hudson & John Krasinski) became a sensation, Emily vowed never to practice law again. With books translated into 31 languages and more than 12-million copies sold worldwide, Emily has been dubbed a “modern-day Jane Austen” by Vanity Fair and a “dependly down-to-earth storyteller” by the New York Times. She joins us to discuss her latest instant NYT-bestseller, THE SUMMER PACT, which Booklist called “a triumph” in a starred review.

On this episode, the Fab Four gather to welcome this month’s F&F Featured Author, Jamie Brenner, to discuss her brand-new book, our July 2024 Pick of the Month, A NOVEL SUMMER, in which a bestselling author finds love and second chances in the stacks of a quaint beach town bookshop. Jamie Brenner is the bestselling author of eight novels including The Forever Summer and Blush. She grew up in suburban Philadelphia on a steady diet of fiction and soap operas, then moved to New York City where she worked in book publishing and fashion. After raising two daughters in Manhattan, Jamie has returned to her hometown and spends her summers visiting the beaches that inspire her novels. Her compulsively readable new book, A NOVEL SUMMER, has been praised as “a rich, satisfying and surprising summer read” by Adriana Trigiani and this “summer’s BIG book that everyone will be raving about” by Kristy Woodson Harvey.

On this episode, Mary Kay Andrews & Ron Block welcome NYT-bestselling author Christina Dodd to discuss her brand-new book A DAUGHTER OF FAIR VERONA, a humorous historical update on the Romeo and Juliet story which Susan Mallery has called “a tour de force,” and Kirsitin Hannah has praised as “fun, funny, charming, and absolutely delightful.” Christina Dodd is a perennially bestselling author whose suspense, paranormal, mystery, regency and contemporary romance novels have been translated into 30 languages, have sold more than 15-million copies, and have won numerous awards including the Romance Writers of America RITA and Golden Heart Awards. She joins us from her home in the Pacific Northwest to discuss her new novel, A DAUGHTER OF FAIR VERONA, which has been described as "Knives Out meets Bridgerton." This book kicks off a frothy, irreverent, witty new series with an irresistible premise—Romeo and Juliet’s daughter as a clever, rebellious, fiercely independent woman in fair Verona—told from the delightfully engaging point of view of the captivating Rosie Montague herself.