Today's TTT topic is an Indie Freebie, which includes a wide range of possible topics: indie bookstores, indie publishers, indie authors, indie books on your TBR list, etc. It was suggested by the brilliant bloggers behind Dark Shelf of Wonders and Books Are the New Black. I wasn't sure quite what to do with this one, but I finally decided to highlight an indie publisher with roots right here in Arizona. I'm going to tell you a little bit about the history of Poisoned Pen Press (gleaned from online sources), then show you ten books I want to read that they have published recently. 

As always, Top Ten Tuesday is hosted by the lovely Jana over at That Artsy Reader Girl.

Poisoned Pen Bookstore is an indie shop located in Scottsdale, Arizona, that specializes in mystery, thrillers, as well as American Southwest literature. The store was founded in 1989 by author Barbara J. Peters. In 1997, Peters and her husband founded Poisoned Pen Press, a separate entity which is dedicated to publishing mystery books. Sourcebooks acquired Poisoned Pen Press in 2018. This popular imprint publishes novels by well-known authors like Freida McFadden, Sulari Gentill, Martin Edwards, Vicki Delany/Eva Gates, and many more. 

Although I live in a suburb of Phoenix, I've actually only been to the Pen once and it was quite a long time ago. I'm on a self-imposed book-buying ban at the moment; when I finish with it, I need to revisit the shop. They're known for hosting lots of author events, so I'll be keeping an eye out on future offerings. In the meantime, here are ten of their recently published or soon-to-be published titles that I would like to read.

1. Someone Else's Daughter by Andrea Stewart (available 23 February 2027)—Although she is estranged from the YouTuber parents who monetized her childhood, Ellie Campbell still watches their viral videos. When she notices some alarming details in one of their videos, then finds out that a close friend of the family is missing, Ellie rushes home to make sure her younger sister is safe—only to find that she has run away. If Olivia needed protecting, surely she would have come to Ellie, but she didn't, so where is she? Ellie won't stop until she finds out.

2. The Marlow Murder Club by Robert Thorogood—At 77, Judith Potts is living her best life as an independent woman who spends her time doing whatever she pleases with no one looking over her shoulder. While swimming in the Thames one evening, she witnesses a vicious killing. The police don't believe her protests of innocence, so she launches her own investigation into the murder. Soon, she is joined by two friends, who form the titular club. This is the first installment in the popular cozy series.

3. Saddled With Murder by Eileen Brady—Another series opener, this one stars veternarian Kate Turner, who is busy juggling a busy practice, a complicated personal life, and now, a series of suspicious deaths and doings that all seem to point to her. All these complications mean Kate is having a very difficult time having a holly jolly Christmas. Instead, she must find the answers that will prove her innocence.

4. The Murders in Great Diddling by Katarina Bivald—This series begins by introducing author Berit Gardner, who is desperately in need of a good story to tell. The quiet, rundown village of Great Diddling is just the kind of place that must be hiding some bangers. Berit just needs to dig a little. A suspicious death at a village tea party provides not only the story spark the author's been looking for but also a chance for the eccentric residents of Great Diddling to do some creative reinventing of themselves and their town.

5. It Ends Here by Heidi Perks (available 6 October 2026)—A small, seaside town is rocked by the sound of a gunshot coming from inside a local cafe on a quiet morning. Inside, are five strangers. Outside, is a growing crowd of onlookers desperate for answers. Who fired the shot, and why?

6. A Doomful of Sugar by Catherine Bruns—When her father is murdered, Leila Khoury returns to her Vermont hometown to take over his maple syrup business. Although she believed her dad was well-liked by his community, she learns that that's not exactly the truth. With her family consumed by grief and the police eyeing them all with suspicion, it's up to Leila to find out who killed her father and why.

7. The Clock Struck Murder by Betty Webb—In 1920s Paris, Zoe Barlow is dismayed when a guest at her home accidentally breaks her favorite clock. Intent on acquiring a replacement, she heads to the flea market where she is shocked to discover that the clockmaker has wrapped her purchases in a lost Chagall painting. When Zoe comes seeking more priceless paintings, she finds the vendor's murdered body. The police are preoccupied with the 1924 Summer Olympics, so Zoe takes it upon herself to figure out who killed the woman and what role the paintings might have played in her untimely death. 

8. When They Find Me by Carter Wilson (available 10 November 2026)—Expanse, Colorado, is so tiny and remote that it almost doesn't exist, making it the perfect place to hide. That's exactly what Annie Wolfe and her daughter are doing in their off-the-grid cabin. When another woman with a reason to hide comes to Annie's door, their lives collide, sending them on a dangerous hunt for the truth. 

9. Finders Keepers by Natalie Barelli—When Rose discovers that all the secrets she's been keeping about her troubled past are now exposed in a newly-published novel, she's furious—and baffled. The author claims the story is fiction, but Rose knows it's not. How does the author know so much about Rose's secret past? Posing as a fan and assistant, Rose sets about infiltrating the writer's life and carrying out her dark intentions.

10. Miss Winter in the Library With a Knife by Martin Edwards—Six people who are involved with the world of crime writing are invited to a remote village in North Yorkshire by a mysterious entity called the Midwinter Trust. They are contestants in a murder mystery game. The person who solves the mystery will win a life-changing prize. With a winter storm incoming and a group of competitive players vying for victory no matter the cost, it's a dangerous place to be...

There you go, ten Poisoned Pen Press titles that I'm looking forward to reading. What do you think? Have you read any of them? What did you choose to chat about for your Indie Freebie today? I'd truly love to know. Leave me a comment on this post and I will gladly return the favor on your blog.

We made it to the -ber months. Yay! We've even had some cloudy, cooler days here in the blistering hot Arizona desert. It won't last, but I'm enjoying it while I can. How's the weather in your corner of the globe?

Contributed by the always delightful Cathy over at What Cathy Read Next, our topic du jour is: Top Ten Books With Nationalities in the Title. This prompt was a bit difficult since I wanted to use books on my TBR list and find ten different nationalities. European and U.K. ones were way easier to find than anything else, but I managed to include a few unique ones. I had to use some subtitles to get to ten, but I made it. 

As always, Top Ten Tuesday is hosted by the lovely Jana over at That Artsy Reader Girl.

1. The Last Russian Doll by Kristen Loesch—Although she grew up in Moscow, Rosie is living in England, attending Oxford, and living a very British life. All she wants, though, is to understand her Russian heritage. Returning to her native country to explore her family's history there, she uncovers a sweeping story that spans from the 1917 revolution to the end of the Soviet Union.

2. Murder in an Irish Village by Carlene O'Connor—Naomi's Bistro has always been at the heart of small town life in Kilbane, County Cork. When a man is found murdered in the restaurant, the siblings who run the bistro become suspects. Fearing the scandal may mean the end of their family business, they throw their energy into solving the murder.

3. The French Bookshop Murder by Greg Mosse—Englishwoman Zoe Pascal says au revoir to her home country and heads to the South of France, where she opens a bookshop. Just as she is settling into her French life, a tourist is murdered in her new town. As Zoe was the last to see the victim alive, she becomes the prime suspect in the killing. Desperate to clear her name, she launches her own investigation to prove her innocence.

4. I Am Not Your Perfect Mexican Daughter by Erika L. Sánchez—In this YA novel, a Mexican American family is grieveing the death of their perfect older daughter. Julia, the younger daughter, feels pressure to live up to Olga's example, even though she is beginning to suspect that her sister was never as perfect as she seemed. Who was Olga, really?

5. The Swiss Nurse by Mario Escobar—This historical novel tells the story of Elisabeth Eidenbenz, a real woman who saved the lives of hundreds of mothers and children during both the Spanish Civil War and World War II. 

6. The School for German Brides by Aimie K. Runyan—Taught to be an independent thinker, Hanna Rombauer is thrown for a loop when her mother dies and she is sent to live with an aunt and uncle. Now living an unexpected life of luxury, she is reluctantly paired with an up-and-coming SS officer. Sent to a school that will turn her into the perfect Nazi wife, Hanna is horrified by what she is being taught. When she discovers a desperate Jewish woman hiding near the school, Hanna risks everything to help her and her unborn baby.

7. The Cuban Heiress by Chanel Cleeton—Inspired by the true story of the SS Morro Castle, this historical novel features two women traveling on the ship on its journey between New York and Havana. One is an heiress, or so everyone thinks. The other is a jewel thief. The women team up to help each other achieve their goal of making sure justice is served where it is due.

8. The Strange Case of Dr. Couney: How a Mysterious European Showman Saved Thousands of American Babies by Dawn Raffel—Two of my four children were born prematurely, at just 29 weeks gestation. One of them weighed 3.3 lbs., the other was 3.6. Thankfully, they are now strong, healthy men with few side effects from their traumatic births, but ever since the first was born in 1998, I've been fascinated by the history of how premature babies have been treated over time. Dr. Couney is an interesting figure whose controversial tactics really did make a difference in the care of these fragile infants.

9. Influenza: The Hundred-Year Hunt to Cure the 1918 Spanish Flu Epidemic by Dr. Jeremy Brown—I'm also fascinated by infectious diseases, viruses, and epidemics. This book is supposed to be interesting and enlightening.

10. The Lost English Girl by Julia Kelly—It's 1935 and Viv Byrne—who has been raised in a strict Catholic household—discovers she is pregnant following a fling with Joshua Levinson, a Jewish man. Marriage is the only acceptable solution to her crisis, but when Joshua makes a stunning decision on their wedding day, Viv is forced to stay with her disapproving family. Five years later, with war breaking out, the young mother must evacuate her daughter to the English countryside to live with a wealthy family. As Viv scrambles to decide what to do, she struggles to figure out how to keep her broken family together.

There you are, ten books with nationalities in the title that I want to read. Have you read any of them? Which books did you come up with for the prompt today? I'd truly love to know. Leave me a comment on this post and I will gladly return the favor on your blog.