Fall in Rhode Island is glorious. The days are often sunny, the beaches are mostly clear, and the roads and walking paths are quieter than they have been for months. It is one of my favorite times in New England – reminiscent of my Michigan girlhood – and it is a perfect time to sit in a favorite spot with a good book. And we have a load of them for your consideration! Several of the featured authors will join me, Martin House Books, and WCRI at the Ocean House Author Series. (See sidebar for details)
The king of crime thrillers is back! On September 16, Don Winslow, once dubbed “America’s greatest living crime writer” comes out with The Final Score. Robbers and wise guys, crooked and honest cops, and college students with lucrative (and illegal) sidelines abound in this exciting foray into the world of Rhode Island crime. Join us on Wednesday, October 1, at the Ocean House Author Series to hear Winslow talk about these six novellas packed into one glorious book.
October 21 sees the posthumous release of The Land of Sweet Forever, a book of never-before-seen short stories by Harper Lee, one of America’s most beloved authors. From the wilds of Alabama to the high-rises of New York City, this is the To Kill a Mockingbird writer like you’ve never seen her before. This collection brings us a group of newly discovered short stories and previously published essays and magazine pieces, offering a fresh perspective on this remarkable literary mind.
Rhode Island native, Bram Stoker Award winner, and Shirley Jackson Award finalist Christa Carmen releases How to Fake a Haunting on October 7. In a table-turning thrill ride, desperate and unhappy Lainey Taylor’s plot to frighten her alcoholic husband out of her life takes a chilling turn. Spookily atmospheric and often unexpectedly funny, Carmen’s latest turns the haunted house premise on its head. Join her at the Ocean House Author Series Thriller Panel on Sunday, October 26, just in time for Halloween.
October 28 brings us Wreck, New Englander Catherine Newman’s literary follow-up to her beautiful novel, Sandwich. If you loved reading about Rocky and her family’s vacation on Cape Cod, get ready to meet them again two years later in Western Massachusetts. With her signature wit and wisdom, Newman explores the hidden rules of family, the heavy weight of uncertainty, and the gnarly fact that people – no matter how much you love them – are not always exactly who you want them to be.
Providence’s own Vanessa Lillie publishes The Bone Thief – a continuation of her Syd Walker series – on October 28. When a Native American teenager vanishes from her small town – a place with dark ties to an elite historical society – Bureau of Indian Affairs archaeologist Syd Walker is called to investigate. New York Times bestselling author Liz Moore calls this “a riveting mystery with a plot that seamlessly blends history with fiction.” Meet Lillie at the Ocean House Author Series Thriller Panel on Sunday, October 26.
“Every writer is at least two beings: the one who lives, and the one who writes. Though everything written must have passed through their minds, or mind, they are not the same,” says Margaret Atwood. Raised mainly in the wilds of northern Quebec, November 4 brings her long-awaited memoir Book of Lives, A Memoir of Sorts, where she takes us from an unconventional childhood to the seminal moments that shaped her books: from the cruel year that spawned Cat’s Eye to the Orwellian 1980s Berlin where she wrote The Handmaid’s Tale.
Royce began as an actress on All My Children and in multiple films before transitioning to the role of story editor at Miramax Films, developing Emma and early versions of Chicago and A Wrinkle in Time. She holds a bachelor’s degree and two honorary doctorates, from both Lake Erie College and the University of Rhode Island. With her husband, Chuck, she has restored the Ocean House Hotel, United Theatre, Martin House Books, and numerous Main Street revitalization projects in Rhode Island and the Catskills. She serves on multiple governing and advisory boards.
Royce’s Reef Road, a national bestseller, was named one of the best books of 2023 by Kirkus Reviews and an Indie Next pick by the ABA. With fellow authors Luanne Rice and Amy Scheibe, she created the Deer Mountain Writers’ Retreat in the Catskills. Her Ocean House Author Series, in partnership with Martin House Books and WCRI, brings world-class authors like Sarah Ferguson, Chris Bohjalian, and Katie Couric to Watch Hill. For tickets and more, visit OceanHouseEvents.com.
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