Boston Book Festival

As a wave of murders grips Southern California, an unlikely pair in the form of rule-abiding Carmen Sanchez and outside-the-lines Professor Jake Heron, must untangle the mysterious patterns of an elusive killer. Join bestselling authors Jeffery Deaver and Isabella Maldonado for an exciting behind-the-scenes peek at their collaborative creative process on Fatal Intrusion, Book 1 in the new Sanchez-Heron series. Jeffery Deaver is the #1 internationally bestselling author of the Lincoln Rhyme and Colter Shaw series which have both been turned into TV series, as well as a major feature film starring Denzel Washington and Angelina Jolie. Maldonado is the WSJ bestselling author of the Miranda Cruz and X series; her novel The Cipher is currently in development as a feature film with Netflix and Jennifer Lopez. Prior to her career as a writer, Maldonado worked in law enforcement, where she was the first Latina woman to attain the rank of captain in her police department and was hand-picked to go to the FBI Academy in Quantico. These two masters of mystery—a former homicide detective and lawyer—will share how they create suspense, compelling characters, and compulsively readable stories that keep readers up late. They will be joined by Sara DiVello, author of Broadway Butterfly, a true crime thriller exploring corruption, justice, and power in the Jazz Age. Sponsored by Meet Boston.

Two sisters. A lost imperial treasure. The world’s greatest puzzle master has 24 hours to unlock an ancient puzzle box with ties to Japan’s Imperial Family in NYT bestselling novelist Danielle Trussoni’s The Puzzle Box which has been praised by Booklist as “a first rate thriller.” Teddy Wayne’s The Winner is an explosive literary thriller, described by Vogue as a “page-turning story of sex, power, and money." A young tennis pro from Yonkers finds himself in uncharted perilous waters at an oceanfront paradise, navigating steamy flings with a client until he makes an irreversible mistake. In highly acclaimed author Vincent Tirado’s propulsive psychological thriller, We Came to Welcome You, a married couple moves to a seemingly idyllic gated community, where strange and inexplicable things start happening in their dream house, and the gated community closes in. These three novels harness the pulse-pounding engine of mystery to wrestle with complex dynamics of class, systemic racism, and the injustices that have kept women from the highest realms of power. This session will be moderated by Deborah Goodrich Royce, whose latest thriller, Reef Road, was a national bestseller and named one of the best books of 2023 by Kirkus. Sponsored by Mystery Writers of America - New England.

The Boston Book Festival is delighted and honored to present, for the first time at the festival, Louise Erdrich, acclaimed literary master and foremost writer of the Native American Renaissance. With works spanning poetry, fiction, nonfiction, and children's literature, Erdrich has built one of the most impressive bodies of work of any living American writer. Her career, marked by early honors like the Pushcart Prize and O. Henry Award, has continued to flourish with more recent accolades such as the National Book Award and Pulitzer Prize, solidifying her trailblazing legacy. The Washington Post’s praise for The Night Watchman described Erdrich as writing “so beautifully that it’s tempting to forget how remarkable it is.” In its review of The Sentence, The Boston Globe declared that Erdrich “captivates with [a] striking and irresistible voice.” Now, with her latest novel, The Mighty Red, Erdrich tells a story of people living in Argus, North Dakota, making choices about love and family while dealing with the impact of environmental upheaval and the economic meltdown of 2008-2009. Exquisitely rendered with poignancy and wit, Erdrich “delivers a deliciously seductive masterwork.” (Publishers Weekly, starred review.) Come hear Louise Erdrich in conversation with Kate Tuttle, The Boston Globe’s books editor as they explore the themes of The Mighty Red and the richness of Erdrich’s oeuvre. Sponsored by The Boston Globe.

Joseph Campbell said, “Follow your bliss and don't be afraid, and the universe will open doors where there were only walls.” This session features three individuals who apparently followed that dictum and turned a passionate interest into their life’s work. Mattapan native Rich Benoit’s love of cars, especially electric vehicles, led to his popular YouTube channel, Rich Rebuilds. He tells how his interest in cars and rebuilding stuff led to a burgeoning career in Going Fast and Fixing Things. Trish O’Kane, in Birding to Change the World, chronicles how her obsession with birdwatching led her to a new identity as a birder, environmentalist and social justice warrior. “Birds,” she writes, “forged a new neural pathway in my brain, a joyful pathway.” In My Roman History, Alizah Holstein describes how her love affair with Rome, which began in high school, morphed into a career. Her memoir is a meditation on the mysteries of affinity, desire, and self-realization. This session will be moderated by Robin Young, host of WBUR’s Here & Now. Come be inspired to follow your own bliss. Sponsored by WBUR.