LECTURES

The Big Thrill: Mystery Writers Reveal their Secrets April 25

Evening of intrigue will raise money for the Boston Public Library Foundation

BOSTON – Five celebrated mystery writers will share the secrets of their genre on April 25 during The Big Thrill, an evening of spine-tingling fun to benefit the Boston Public Library Foundation.

The event will take place in the McKim building’s Popular Reading Room and in the Map Room Café and Courtyard Restaurant from 5:30-8:30 p.m. Admission is $95 per person in advance and $125 the day of the event. Tickets can be purchased online at www.bplf.com.

The Big Thrill will feature bestselling authors Lee Child, Tess Gerritsen, Charlaine Harris, David Hosp, and Karen Slaughter. Those who attend will have a chance to mingle with these award-winning writers during the reception and learn the stories behind the stories during a panel discussion.

During the silent auction, guests can bid on items including a two-hour spa treatment at the Mandarin Oriental, a flat-screen television, and – for aspiring authors – the chance to have their manuscript reviewed by Lisa Vance of the Aaron M. Priest Literary Agency.

The Boston Public Library Foundation is sponsoring The Big Thrill along with the International Thriller Writers and Save the Libraries. The events media sponsor is The Phoenix. All proceeds from the evening will support the foundation, which funds many of the library’s efforts to advance learning, provide programs for children and youth, improve technology, and exhibit its remarkable special collections.

“This will be a enjoyable evening and a great chance for readers to learn how the masters of mystery practice their craft,” said David M. McKay, executive director of the BPL Foundation. “It’s also a wonderful opportunity to support the library. I am looking forward to a great program.”
 

More about the authors:

Lee Child is the author of thirteen Jack Reacher thrillers, including The New York Times bestsellers The Enemy, One Shot, The Hard Way, and the #1 bestsellers Bad Luck and Trouble and Nothing to Lose. His debut, Killing Floor, won both the Anthony and the Barry awards for Best First Mystery, and The Enemy won both the Barry and the Nero awards for Best Novel.

Tess Gerritsen gained nationwide acclaim for her first novel of medical suspense, The New York Times bestseller Harvest. Her books have been top-five bestsellers in the United States and abroad. She has won both the Nero Wolfe Award (for Vanish) and the Rita Award (for The Surgeon). Her series of novels featuring homicide detective Jane Rizzoli and medical examiner Maura Isles inspired the TNT television series “Rizzoli & Isles” starring Angie Harmon and Sasha Alexander.

Charlaine Harris is a New York Times bestselling author who has been writing for 30 years. The author of several mystery series, she is best known for the Sookie Stackhouse books that inspired the cable TV program “True Blood.” The first book in the series, Dead Until Dark, won the Anthony Award for Best Paperback Mystery in 2001. Each book follows Sookie as she tries to solve mysteries involving vampires, werewolves, and other creatures of the night.

David Hosp is the author of the internationally bestselling Scott Finn series of novels. The first, Dark Harbor, was nominated for a Barry Award for Best First Novel, and his latest, Next of Kin, was named one of 2011’s top-five thrillers by The Daily Telegraph in London. David is also a partner in one of Boston’s largest law firms, and represents the Boston Public Library pro bono with respect to copyright and online media matters.

Karin Slaughter is the New York Times and #1 internationally bestselling author of several novels, including the Grant County series. Her first book, Blindsighted, became an international success, was published in almost 30 languages, and made the Crime Writers' Association's Dagger Award short list for Best Thriller Debut of 2001. Karin won the 2011 International Thriller Writers’ Association’s award for public service for her work in founding Save the Libraries.