Get to the Festival Early to hear 3 local rising stars: E.A Aymar, Steve Piacente, and Gwen Pegram

by Paul A. Stankus

Pssssssst!  I’m going to let you in on a little secret.  There are three exceptional mystery and suspense authors leading off the festival at 10 a.m. — E.A. Aymar, Gwen Pegram, and Steve Piacente.

I had the opportunity to read all three authors as one of the many volunteers selecting authors for this year’s festival and each of the books tied me to a chair, not quite unlike how some of the characters in all three found themselves at the end of the rope but not for the same reasons. I could say more, but that would be telling, and each of the books, “I’ll Sleep When You’re Dead,” “The Missing Five” and “Bootlicker” deserves to be read cover to cover with no one giving away advance hints and spoilers.

Is vengeance and retribution your game? What about when you reach the point of vengeance that you have been fantasizing about since your wife’s gruesome murder, and you can’t pull the trigger? E.A. Aymar’s masterful tale will have you dodging and weaving about inside the main character’s mind.

What do you do when that thing you only thought about in your mind and would never act upon happens to come true? First-time novelist Gwen Pegram leads you down a darkened, mystical path as five less-than-stellar spouses all go missing.

Or are political thrillers your game.  What do you do if you’ve witnessed an act so gruesome and you are given 2 choices– join the taut vine in the tree, or join the perpetuator of the act as his toady, his bootlicker? Find out how Steve Piacente weaves this tale of political intrigue that could easily be a storyline on House of Cards.

All three of these authors start off our Gaithersburg Book Festival in the 10 a.m. hour — so get there early and perhaps these authors will tie you to the chair as well.  Who knows what else you will find.

Paul A. Stankus is a Gaithersburg Book Festival committee member and the author of numerous books, including “The Ripple of a Lie,” “Dad Desperately in Need of Training Wheels,” and “Hapless Papa.”