Lyndsay Faye moved to Manhattan in 2005 to audition for work as a professional actress; she found her days more open when the powers that be elected to knock her day-job restaurant down with bulldozers. Lyndsay and her husband Gabriel Lehner live just north of Harlem with their cats, Grendel and Prufrock. During the few hours a day Lyndsay isn’t writing or editing, she is most often cooking, or sampling new kinds of microbrew, or thinking of ways to creatively mismatch her clothing. She is a very proud member of AEA, ASH, and BSI (Actor’s Equity Association, the Adventuresses of Sherlock Holmes, and the Baker Street Irregulars, respectively).
The Murder of Mr. Ma (2024) (Judge Dee and Lao She Mysteries, book 1) John Shen Yen Nee and S J Rozan "Fans of Sherlock Holmes, devotees of intricate crime, and lovers of historical London will thrill over The Murder of Mr. Ma, the new gift to mystery readers bestowed by John Shen Yen Nee and SJ Rozan. With a plot as clever as Chinese veteran of WWI turned independent investigator Dee, and pacing as light-footed as the martial artists engaged in the frequent fisticuffs, this case has it all - even romance and authentic food, if you can stomach such things. I'm only miffed because I don't know when the next in the series will land on my doorstep."
The Secrets of Hartwood Hall (2023) Katie Lumsden "The Secret of Hartwood Hall is exactly the book you want on a cold, stormy night when the wind is sneaking in the cracks. A thoroughly impressive debut with fantastically timed surprises throughout."
Vicious Creatures (2022) Ashton Noone "VICIOUS CREATURES is a fantastic debut, full of tense domestic anger and the highest of stakes. It is un-putdownable in the best way, and I only hope the author writes another such wonderful venture quickly."
The Two Mrs. Carlyles (2020) Suzanne Rindell "Sizzles with tension from its first pages to its last . . . In a lushly imagined tribute to Daphne du Maurier and Charlotte Brontë, Rindell fills her historical Gold Coast with brooding bachelors, arsenic victims, and unquiet spirits."
The Right Sort of Man (2019) (Sparks & Bainbridge Mystery, book 1) Allison Montclair "Rarely have I seen a novel that manages to be so charming and so substantial at the same time. The Right Sort of Man does more than nail post-WWII London in pitch-perfect setting and language--it introduces a female dynamic duo with whom I very quickly fell in love. The end of this book left me with a single thought: when can I read the next Iris and Gwen adventure?"
Red, White & Royal Blue (2019) Casey McQuiston "I tore through Red, White & Royal Blue as if it were a pint of Ben & Jerry's. By turns hilarious and angst-ridden, buoyant and strikingly real, this novel is a surefire bull’s-eye for any devotee of classic romance, slow burn fanfiction, or heartfelt storytelling. A political love story too timely and too genuine to miss."
The Parting Glass (2019) Gina Marie Guadagnino "Knotted thickly with secrets both fervid and calculating, to read The Parting Glass is to enter a jungle of passions and lies. Immaculately researched and gorgeously written, this book is noteworthy for its grasp of the agony caused by hiding cracks in the human heart. A thoughtful, lyrical, sensuous, moving tour-de-force."
The Best Bad Things (2018) Katrina Carrasco "A brazen, brawny, sexy standout of a historical thrill ride, The Best Bad Things is full of unforgettable characters and insatiable appetites. I was riveted. Painstakingly researched and pulsing with adrenaline, Carrasco’s debut will leave you thirsty for more."
Murder on Millionaires' Row (2018) (Rose Gallagher Mystery, book 1) Erin Lindsey "Murder on Millionaires’ Row is utterly charming, scrupulously researched, and beautifully felt. I enjoyed every page and cannot wait for Rose to stick her fingers into ever more perilous pies."
The Boy At the Keyhole (2018) Stephen Giles "A fiendishly efficient, gorgeously written, nasty little thrill ride of a psychological thriller. I couldn’t put it down, and it’s entirely possible that I’ll never sleep again. A true tour-de-force of a debut novel."
The Widows of Malabar Hill (2018) (Perveen Mistry, book 1) Sujata Massey "Introducing an incisive, sympathetic heroine with a painful past while shedding light on a fascinating cloistered historical world, The Widows of Malabar Hill is not only immediately engaging—it has staying power."
The Silent Companions (2017) Laura Purcell "If The Silent Companions lands on your night table, don't plan on leaving your bed anytime soon. Immersive, meticulous, and reminiscent of the masters of gothic fiction - not only a compulsively readable ghost story, but a skillful, loving ode to the entire genre."
New Yorked (2015) (Ash McKenna, book 1) Rob Hart "The literary version of THE WARRIORS."
Jack of Spies (2013) (Jack McColl, book 1) David Downing "It would already be enough that Jack of Spies is a taut, highly intelligent spy thriller without it being a brilliant historical portrait and a captivating love story to boot. A remarkably engaging world tour of pre-World War One espionage featuring an honorable protagonist begging for a long series."
The House of Velvet and Glass (2012) Katherine Howe "The House of Velvet and Glass is an intricate and intimate family portrait, painted against a backdrop of beautifully rendered tales of colonialist Shanghai, the wreck of the Titanic, and upper-crust Boston dabblers in the spirit world in the uneasy days preceding the Great War. I'd ask Katherine Howe for more than this, but it seems churlish to request that she turn the pages for me."
