Meet Colleen Cambridge:

Colleen Cambridge is the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of the American in Paris Mysteries (“Mastering the Art of French Murder”) and the Phyllida Bright Mysteries, the first of which, “Murder at Mallowan Hall”, was an Indie Next Pick and Agatha Award finalist. We’re excited to have her join us at Bay Books on August 24^th at 5:00 for a FB live interview, Q & A and book signing!

RSVP:

RSVP for this evening of adult libations and ‘murder most foul’ with Colleen Cambridge by calling 231-944-6809 or emailing us. Preorder now the third book in the Phyllida Bright Series, “Murder by Invitation Only”. (Release date is 9.25.2023)

Murder at Mallowan Hall

The first in an exciting new historical mystery series set in the home of Agatha Christie!

Colleen Cambridge’s charming and inventive new historical series introduces an unforgettable heroine in Phyllida Bright, fictional housekeeper for none other than famed mystery novelist Agatha Christie. When a dead body is found during a house party at the home of Agatha Christie and her husband Max Mallowan, it’s up to famous author’s head of household, Phyllida Bright, to investigate…

Tucked away among Devon’s rolling green hills, Mallowan Hall combines the best of English tradition with the modern conveniences of 1930. Housekeeper Phyllida Bright, as efficient as she is personable, manages the large household with an iron fist in her very elegant glove. In one respect, however, Mallowan Hall stands far apart from other picturesque country houses…

The manor is home to archaeologist Max Mallowan and his famous wife, Agatha Christie. Phyllida is both loyal to and protective of the crime writer, who is as much friend as employer. An aficionado of detective fiction, Phyllida has yet to find a gentleman in real life half as fascinating as Mrs. Agatha’s Belgian hero, Hercule Poirot. But though accustomed to murder and its methods as frequent topics of conversation, Phyllida is unprepared for the sight of a very real, very dead body on the library floor…

A former Army nurse, Phyllida reacts with practical common sense–and a great deal of curiosity. It soon becomes clear that the victim arrived at Mallowan Hall under false pretenses during a weekend party. Now, Phyllida not only has a houseful of demanding guests on her hands–along with a distracted, anxious staff–but hordes of reporters camping outside. When another dead body is discovered–this time, one of her housemaids–Phyllida decides to follow in M. Poirot’s footsteps to determine which of the Mallowans’ guests is the killer. With help from the village’s handsome physician, Dr. Bhatt, Mr. Dobble, the butler, along with other household staff, Phyllida assembles the clues. Yet, she is all too aware that the killer must still be close at hand and poised to strike again. And only Phyllida’s wits will prevent her own story from coming to an abrupt end…

The Art of French Murder

Be one of the first to read this sneak preview sample edition!

Fans of Jacqueline Winspear, Marie Benedict, Nita Prose, and of course, Julia Child, will adore this magnifique new mystery set in Paris and starring Julia Child’s (fictional) best friend, confidante, and fellow American. From the acclaimed author of Murder at Mallowan Hall, this delightful new book provides a fresh perspective on the iconic chef’s years in post-WWII Paris.

“Enchanting…Cambridge captures Child’s distinct voice and energy so perfectly. Expect to leave this vacation hoping for a return trip.” —Publishers Weekly

As Paris rediscovers its joie de vivre, Tabitha Knight, recently arrived from Detroit for an extended stay with her French grandfather, is on her own journey of discovery. Paris isn’t just the City of Light; it’s the city of history, romance, stunning architecture . . . and food. Thanks to her neighbor and friend Julia Child, another ex-pat who’s fallen head over heels for Paris, Tabitha is learning how to cook for her Grandpère and Oncle Rafe.
 
Between tutoring Americans in French, visiting the market, and eagerly sampling the results of Julia’s studies at Le Cordon Bleu cooking school, Tabitha’s sojourn is proving thoroughly delightful. That is, until the cold December day they return to Julia’s building and learn that a body has been found in the cellar. Tabitha recognizes the victim as a woman she’d met only the night before, at a party given by Julia’s sister, Dort. The murder weapon found nearby is recognizable too—a knife from Julia’s kitchen.
 
Tabitha is eager to help the investigation, but is shocked when Inspector Merveille reveals that a note, in Tabitha’s handwriting, was found in the dead woman’s pocket. Is this murder a case of international intrigue, or something far more personal? From the shadows of the Tour Eiffel at midnight, to the tiny third-floor Child kitchen, to the grungy streets of Montmartre, Tabitha navigates through the city hoping to find the real killer before she or one of her friends ends up in prison . . . or worse.
 
“Certain to appeal to a broad readership, especially fans of Jacqueline Winspear, Rhys Bowen, and Cambridge’s own Phyllida Bright series.” —First Clue, STARRED REVIEW

A Trace of Poison

In England’s stately manor houses, murder is not generally a topic for polite conversation. Mallowan Hall, home to Agatha Christie and her husband, Max, is the exception. And housekeeper Phyllida Bright delights in discussing gory plot details with her friend and employer . . .

The neighboring village of Listleigh has also become a hub of grisly goings-on, thanks to a Murder Fête organized to benefit a local orphanage. Members of The Detection Club—a group of celebrated authors such as G. K. Chesterton, Dorothy L. Sayers, and Agatha herself—will congregate for charitable events, including a writing contest for aspiring authors. The winner gets an international publishing contract, and entrants have gathered for a cocktail party—managed by the inimitable Phyllida—when murder strikes too close even for her comfort.

It seems the victim imbibed a poisoned cocktail intended for Alastair Whittlesby, president of the local writers’ club. The insufferable Whittlesby is thought to be a shoo-in for the prize, and ambition is certainly a worthy motive. But narrowing down these suspects could leave even Phyllida’s favorite fictional detective, M. Poirot, twirling his mustache in frustration.

Angela Cominos Koehler is a Well-being Coach, RYT 200 Yoga Teacher, and an Ayurvedic Yoga Specialist with more than thirty years of corporate experience in training and development. She teaches corporate breath work and meditation sessions as well as workshops on mindfulness and gratitude. We are excited to have Angie join us at Bay Books for a live interview, Q & A and book signing on August 11th at 5:00. Directly following this, Angela will be hosting a “Yoga on the Beach” session for 10.00. Namaste everyone! RSVP for a seat.

Featured Book

A Year in Balance by Angela Cominos Koehler

A YEAR IN A Spiritual Guide to Finding Your Next Right Step is a daily spiritual devotional with a reflective theme for each month. Each day highlights a word, quote, story, and challenging question that supports the theme of the month. This book inspires you to either launch a spiritual practice or to enhance your current spiritual journey. A Year in Balance provides a holistic guide to well-being, focusing on the balance of mind, body, and spirit. The daily reflections guide you to reach your potential by looking within, slowing down, and listening to your quiet whispers of intuition. Day by day, you will discover that all the answers are found within you – your light, center, home, and internal navigation system are there to guide you to your next right step in the journey to your authentic self.

Angela Cominos Koehler is a Well-being Coach, RYT 200 Yoga Teacher, and an Ayurvedic Yoga Specialist with more than thirty years of corporate experience in training and development. She teaches corporate breathwork and meditation sessions as well as workshops on mindfulness and gratitude. She has published an article titled “Finding Mindfulness in the Workplace” in West Michigan Woman as well as at the “Awakenings” chapter in Flying by the Seats of Their Skirts. Angela lives in Saugatuck, Michigan, with her husband and has two sons, a daughter-in-law, and two “bonus” daughters. Visit her at www.pathfindercoaching4u@yahoo.com to stay in touch.

Meet and Greet with Dempsey

It’s always exciting when Dave Dempsey comes to visit and shares his love and knowledge of the Great Lakes. His newest book “Great Lakes: Fact or Fake?” is a summer bestseller at Bay Books and after a FB live interview with Dave, we’ll be quizzing our audience on, well, facts or fake in regards to our Great Lakes! Join us at 4:00, July 15th for fun with the Great Lakes! Reserve your spot by RSVP at baybooksmi@gmail.com or calling us at 231-944-6809.

More Bay Books

Join Us and Meet Chris Thelen

Chris Thelen will be here July 14th at 5:00 for a FB live interview, Q & A and time for a book signing. His first book, “Islands of Deception” has been nominated for a Michigan Notable Book and he is fast working on the sequel. Reserve your spot by RSVP at baybooksmi@gmail.com or calling us at 231-944-6809. 

More Chis Thelen

Chris did an awesome author interview with us for our Author’s Corner. You can check out more about his biography and learn about him by reading, “Reading With… Chris G. Thelen”.

Reading With… Chris G. Thelen

Author Meet and Greet

June 30th at 5pm, Marshall Thornton, the author of the Pinx Video Mystery Series and Henry Milch Series, will join us. Marshall has won three Lambda Awards for Gay Mysteries and we are thrilled to be able to introduce his newest addition to the Pinx Video Series, “Help Wanted”. RSVP to reserve your copy and your seat.

Pre-order “Help Wanted” and support a local author. You can receive your copy and reserve your seat by calling at 231-944-6809.

Help Wanted

In the sixth Pinx Video Mystery, it’s January 1996 and Noah is thrilled that it’s been months and months since he’s been involved in a murder… but then, the boys learn that Javier O’Shea (tall, dark and LAPD) has been arrested for theft of evidence. As the bodies pile up, they learn that Javier may, or may not, have run afoul of rogue cops at the notoriously corrupt Rampart Station. But what does all this have to do with a major earthquake, a poorly maintained Nissan Sentra, and a once famous drag queen named Ethel Herman?

More Bay Books

Join Us 

We would love to officially welcome you to join our book club. We host a ‘Books and Wine’ book club once a month. You guessed it- it features books and wine suggestions. Each month we pick a new book and pair it with a local wine or drink. If you don’t drink, don’t worry- any beverage that works for you works for us. So please join us with the picked featured wine or the drink of your choice.

Schedule

Next ‘Wine and Books’ will feature “The Seven Moons of Maali Almeida” by Shehan Karunatilaka on September 12th at 6pm.

How to Join

You can join our ‘Books and Wine’ book club by RSVPing each month. All you have to do is shoot us an email to let us know that you’d like to come. You connect with us in-person or request a zoom link to meet with us virtually. Along with each person’s RSVP, we will respond with the location of our meeting.

This Month’s Featured Book

The Seven Moons of Malli Almeida by Shehan Karunatilaka

Colombo, 1990. Maali Almeida—war photographer, gambler, and closet queen—has woken up dead in what seems like a celestial visa office. His dismembered body is sinking in the serene Beira Lake and he has no idea who killed him. In a country where scores are settled by death squads, suicide bombers, and hired goons, the list of suspects is depressingly long, as the ghouls and ghosts with grudges who cluster round can attest. But even in the afterlife, time is running out for Maali. He has seven moons to contact the man and woman he loves most and lead them to the photos that will rock Sri Lanka.

Ten years after his prize-winning novel Chinaman established him as one of Sri Lanka’s foremost authors, Shehan Karunatilaka is back with a “thrilling satire” (Economist) and rip-roaring state-of-the-nation epic that offers equal parts mordant wit and disturbing, profound truths.

Order Today

You can order today online by following these links or feel free to stop by the store.

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New Arrivals

Book Club Details:

Join us for a fabulous night of book discussions and wine. Our book club date is July 12th at 6:00, featuring “Klara and the Sun” by Kazuo Ishiguro. We’ve selected wine from Ciccone for this month, Cabernet Franc (2019). 

RSVP at baybooksmi@gmail.com

Order your Copy:

Description:

Klara and the Sun by Kazuo Ishiguro

NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER – Once in a great while, a book comes along that changes our view of the world. This magnificent novel from the Nobel laureate and author of Never Let Me Go is “an intriguing take on how artificial intelligence might play a role in our futures … a poignant meditation on love and loneliness” (The Associated Press). – A GOOD MORNING AMERICA Book Club Pick!

Here is the story of Klara, an Artificial Friend with outstanding observational qualities, who, from her place in the store, watches carefully the behavior of those who come in to browse, and of those who pass on the street outside. She remains hopeful that a customer will soon choose her. Klara and the Sun is a thrilling book that offers a look at our changing world through the eyes of an unforgettable narrator, and one that explores the fundamental question: what does it mean to love?

Details:

Join us for an exhilarating bookclub meeting. We pair great books with wonderful wine. Our June pick is, “A Hundred Suns by Karin Tanabe” on June 14th at 6pm. We’ll be pairing Pinot Gris with Verterra Winery in Leland.

RSVP at baybooksmi@gmail.com.

Order your Copy:

Description

“A Hundred Suns” by Karin Tanabe

An evocative historical novel set in 1930’s Indochine, about the American wife of a Michelin heir who journeys to the French colony in the name of family fortune, and the glamorous, tumultuous world she finds herself in—and the truth she may be running from.

On a humid afternoon in 1933, American Jessie Lesage steps off a boat from Paris and onto the shores of Vietnam. Accompanying her French husband Victor, an heir to the Michelin rubber fortune, she’s certain that their new life is full of promise, for while the rest of the world is sinking into economic depression, Indochine is gold for the Michelins. Jessie knows that their vast plantations near Saigon are the key to the family’s prosperity, and while they have been marred in scandal, she needs them to succeed for her husband’s sake—and to ensure that her trail of secrets stays hidden in the past.

Jessie dives into the glamorous colonial world, where money is king and morals are brushed aside, and meets Marcelle de Fabry, a spellbinding French woman with a moneyed Indochinese lover, the silk tycoon Khoi Nguyen. Descending on Jessie’s world like a hurricane, Marcelle proves to be an exuberant guide to ex-pat life. But hidden beneath her vivacious exterior is a fierce desire to put the colony back in the hands of its people, starting with the Michelin plantations, fueled by a terrible wrong committed against her and Khoi’s loved ones in Paris.

Yet it doesn’t take long for the sun-drenched days and champagne-soaked nights to catch up with Jessie. With an increasingly fractured mind, her affection for Indochine falters. And as a fiery political struggle builds around her, Jessie begins to wonder what’s real in a friendship that she suspects may be nothing but a house of cards.

Motivated by love, driven by ambition, and seeking self-preservation at all costs, Jessie and Marcelle each toe the line between friend and foe, ethics and excess. Cast against the stylish backdrop of 1930s Indochine, in a time and place defined by contrasts and convictions, A Hundred Suns is historical fiction at its lush, suspenseful best.

Future ‘Book and Wine’:

Books & Wine Book Club Picks for 2022

• January: Everyone brings their favorite read from 2021 and their favorite wine, as well as their elevator pitch for both
• February: Cultish by Amanda Montell, wine from Black Star Sparkling Riesling (2020)
• March: The Marrow Thieves by Cherie Dimaline, wine from Dune Bird “Pie Chaser” (2019)
• April: Cloud Cuckoo Land by Anthony Doerr, wine (Burritt’s will choose Greek Wine for us!)
• May: The Temps by Andrew DeYoung, wine from Good Harbor Wines Blanc de Blanc
• June: A Hundred Suns by Karin Tanabe, wine Vertebra Winery Pinot Gris (2020)
• July: Klara and the Sun by Kazou Ishiguro, wine Ciccone Winery Cab Franc

When:

Join us for our monthly ‘Books & Wine’ Book Club. Our March meeting is on the 8th at 6:00 pm. We can’t wait to see you. 

RSVP:

Join us as we discuss our featured selection “The Marrow Thieves” by Cherie Dimaline and sip the flavors of Dune Bird WInery’s “Pie Chaser’ (2019), our chosen wine for this month’s Books & Wine book club. RSVP @  baybooksmi@gmail.com

Order your Copy:

Description:

In a futuristic world ravaged by global warming, people have lost the ability to dream, and the dreamlessness has led to widespread madness. The only people still able to dream are North America’s Indigenous people, and it is their marrow that holds the cure for the rest of the world. But getting the marrow, and dreams, means death for the unwilling donors. Driven to flight, a fifteen-year-old and his companions struggle for survival, attempt to reunite with loved ones and take refuge from the “recruiters” who seek them out to bring them to the marrow-stealing “factories.”

Future ‘Book and Wine’:

Books & Wine Book Club Picks for 2022

• January: Everyone brings their favorite read from 2021 and their favorite wine, as well as their elevator pitch for both
• February: Cultish by Amanda Montell, wine from Black Star Sparkling Riesling (2020)
• March: The Marrow Thieves by Cherie Dimaline, wine from Dune Bird “Pie Chaser” (2019)
• April: Cloud Cuckoo Land by Anthony Doerr, wine (Burritt’s will choose Greek Wine for us!)
• May 10: The Temps by Andrew DeYoung, wine from Good Harbor Wines Blanc de Blanc
• June: A Hundred Suns by Karin Tanabe, wine Vertebra Winery Pinot Gris (2020)
• July: Klara and the Sun by Kazou Ishiguro, wine Ciccone Winery Cab Franc

When:

Join us for our monthly ‘Books & Wine’ Book Club. Our February meeting is on the 8th at 6:00 pm. We can’t wait to see you.

RSVP:

Join us as we discuss our featured selection “Cultish” by Amanda Montell and sip the flavors of Black Star Farms’ Riesling (2018), our chosen wine for this month’s Books & Wine Club. RSVP @  baybooksmi@gmail.com

Order your Copy:

Description:

The author of the widely praised Wordslut analyzes the social science of cult influence: how cultish groups from Jonestown and Scientology to SoulCycle and social media gurus use language as the ultimate form of power.

What makes “cults” so intriguing and frightening? What makes them powerful? The reason why so many of us binge Manson documentaries by the dozen and fall down rabbit holes researching suburban moms gone QAnon is because we’re looking for a satisfying explanation for what causes people to join—and more importantly, stay in—extreme groups. We secretly want to know: could it happen to me? Amanda Montell’s argument is that, on some level, it already has . . .

Books & Wine Book Club Picks for 2022