Publishers Weekly Gives Blue Heaven Another Star

Publishers Weekly gives a star to the audio version of C.J.Box's bestselling thriller, BLUE HEAVEN:

John Bedford Lloyd's rich, distinctive voice brings a strong sense of power to his reading of Box's first stand- alone thriller. In the rural Idaho town of Kootenai Bay, 12-year-old Annie Taylor and her younger brother, William, witness a brutal murder. Immediately the two find themselves being hunted by killers who will stop at nothing to ensure the children's silence. The two find refuge with an old rancher, Jess Rawlins, and recently retired police detective Eduardo Villatoro. Together, the two men make a desperate stand against the murderers despite being outnumbered and outgunned. Lloyd's crisp, laconic delivery easily handles a multitude of characters, accents and shifting points of view, creating just the right tone for the material and drawing the listener deep into the action of the story. He portrays his villains (a band of dirty ex-cops) with just the right amount of ruthless menace without going overboard, and he perfectly captures the essence of the aging rancher, imbuing him with the quiet strength and dignity of an iconic western hero. Simultaneous release with the St. Martin's Minotaur hardcover (Reviews, Oct. 15). (Jan.)

Making It Look Easy

EASY INNOCENCE by Libby Fischer Hellmann doesn't come out until April but it's already received it's first starred review!

Library Journal praises it by saying, "Hellmann brings to life the reality of hazing and bullying among teenage girls in a story with enough twists and turns to keep you reading to the end. Highly recommended."

Kirkus Praises Easy Innocence

Kirkus Reviews called EASY INNOCENCE, Libby Fischer Hellmann's newest mystery, "just what is needed in a mystery," adding, "Depth of characterization sets this new entry apart from a crowded field."

Bleak House Books will publish the book in April.

More News and Reviews For Blue Heaven

The Omaha World-Herald calls C.J. Box's BLUE HEAVEN "a first-rate, edge-of-your seat read" and the Toronto Sun says it's "hard to put down."

Oh, and it's #7 on the Denver Post best seller list! 

Libby Fischer Hellmann On Tour

Bleak House Books will publish Libby Fischer Hellmann's novel EASY INNOCENCE this spring. To celebrate, Libby will embark on an extensive book tour. Check out the list of appearances below to see if she's coming to a town near you!

February 21 at 7pm

Oak Park Main Library

Oak Park, IL

March 7 at 1pm

Colorado Springs Library

Colorado Springs, CO

March 7 at 5:30pm

Murder by the Book

Denver, CO

March 8 at 8:30am

Left Coast Crime

Panel: "He Writes / She Writes"

Denver, CO 

March 10 at 3:30pm

Connections Cafe at the Tempe Public Library

"An Afternoon of Mystery" with Cara Black

Tempe, AZ

March 10 at 7pm

Poisoned Pen Bookstore

Scottsdale, AZ

March 11 at 6pm

Desert Foothills Library

Cave Creek, AZ

March 19 at 7pm

Fremont Public Library

Mundelein, IL

March 26 at 4:30pm

Totally Criminal Cocktail Hour at The Dock Cafe

Stillwater, MN

March 27, 11am - 1pm

Public Library Association National Conference

Sisters in Crime Booth

Minneapolis, MN

March 29 at 4pm

Virginia Festival of the Book

Panel: Crime Wave: Life on the Streets with Cops and PIs

Charlottesville, VA

March 31 at 5pm

Pikesville Public Library

Pikesville, MD

Check back here later for many more appearances in April, May, and June!

C.J. Box Is Red Hot, Says Booklist!

While BLUE HEAVEN continues to shine on the New York Times best seller list, BLOOD TRAIL, C.J. Box's latest Joe Pickett book, has already gotten its first starred review from Booklist:

In January, Box branched out from his popular Joe Pickett series with a stand-alone thriller, Blue Heaven (2008). His publisher for that book seems to be pushing him toward a broader audience—even ditching his familiar black Stetson in the author photo. Longtime fans might have wondered whether Pickett would soon be an also-ran. But there’s no need to worry just yet. Although Blood Trail is a mite slimmer than its predecessors (two books a year will do that to a writer), Box is clearly still comfortable in the saddle. And his game warden—now a special agent reporting directly to the governor—is still as dogged on the trail as he is hard on government-issued vehicles. There’s a little less family time for Joe, but there are some interesting developments in his friendship with the enigmatic Nate Romanowski. Joe needs Nate’s help and some luck besides, because it’s elk season, and someone is hunting elk hunters. And with a flamboyant anti-hunting activist coming to town with his supporters, it’s looking like another classic standoff: implacable ideologues on both sides and a pondering Pickett caught in the middle. Box always addresses a New West issue, but there’s something great about the way he’s waited until the eighth installment to tackle the one that would seem most obvious, given his hero’s occupation. We prefer Box with the cowboy hat, but whether hatted or bareheaded, he continues to be red hot—and now there’s twice as much of him to go around.