Book News: Craig Johnson, Pat Conroy, Margaret Maron & More!

Catherine Coulter is teaming up with writer J.T. Ellison for a new thriller series about a British agent with the FBI.  The first title is Final Cut and is due out in September.  Coulter is best known for her FBI series with Savich and Sherlock, while Ellison has had a successful thriller paperback series featuring an FBI profiler.

Paranoia, a nifty thriller by Joseph Finder, is now a movie starring Liam Helmsworth, Harrison Ford, Gary Oldman and Richard Dreyfuss.  Finder spent part of his childhood abroad (including some time in Afghanistan) and majored in Russian studies at Harvard and Yale, so it should come as no surprise that his books move in international circles.  If you haven’t read Finder, give him a try—preferably before you see the movie!

Craig Johnson, author of Longmire series, will have a novella out in October which will involve Walt’s predecessor, Lucian Connally. We’ll also get a look at a young Walt.  The title is Spirit of Steamboat and it’s described as a holiday-themed book.

Pat Conroy has a new memoir coming out in late October!  It’s called The Death of Santini: The Story of a Father and His Son. According to Conroy’s blog, his father loathed the novel The Great Santini—so much so that he became a changed man and a beloved one to his son.  It sounds like an incredible book.  You may want to re-read The Great Santini before you read this one, or at least watch the DVD version.  Robert Duvall was excellent as usual as Santini.

Lee Smith’s new book, Guests on Earth, features none other than Zelda Fitzgerald in a supporting role.  It’s the story of a young girl from New Orleans who is sent to live in a mental hospital in North Carolina where Zelda is a patient. It’s due out in October.

Margaret Maron’s 19th Deborah Knott mystery is tentatively titled Designated Daughter, and will be out in 2014.

Spider Woman’s Daughter is new book with Navajo policemen Leaphorn and Chee, but this one is written by Anne Hillerman, Tony's daughter.  She uses Bernadette Manuelito, Chee’s girlfriend and a policewoman in her own right, as the central character.  The book is due out on October 1, and Hillerman is under contract for a second book.

Finally, we bid a sad farewell to Elmore Leonard who passed away this week.  He was a former advertising copy editor who started writing Western short stories and then novels before turning his pen to mystery and crime.  Some of the stories became well-known movies, including Hombre, 3:10 to Yuma, Get Shorty, The Big Bounce, and Killshot. The TV show Justified is based some of his stories. Leonard was known for his gritty stories, realistic dialog, and memorable characters.