The Author Weekend - an author's hopes of basking in the adoration of her readers turns into a disaster.

Author Faye Wader's career is starting to wane. Her mystery series about a crime-solving math teacher still has legions of fans, but new writers, like Abby Schuss, who has been organizing fan events, are surpassing her in popularity and sales. In response, Faye plans her own fan weekend in her home state of Massachusetts on the remote Great Misery Island. Her assistant, Jade Smythe, an aspiring writer, organizes a fun weekend for fifty of Faye's most dedicated fans, including superfan Peggy Mercer, who has discovered a secret about Faye. Also attending are her agent Hal and editor Merry from the publisher Hatchet House. Faye eagerly awaits getting their reaction to the manuscript of her 15th novel, but she will not be happy to learn that they don't feel it is sellable, as it dwells too much on the angst of her aging protagonist. Then, rival Abby Schuss unexpectedly shows up for the speaker's panel and Faye is outraged. How did this happen? The event started off very badly as one of the guests is found dead in her room and they must keep it under wraps during the event. Was it an accident, or something more sinister?

The Author Weekend by Laura Zigman is a dark, fun send-up of the publishing world, told from the perspectives of Jade, Faye, Hal, and Merry. The weekend's event schedule and the characters' interactions will keep you amused. Faye's publicist, Xoey Catz (formerly Katz), was a favorite. She arrives with her cat, Fluff, who has his own Instagram account, in his stroller, the Fluff Mobile. However, the star here is Faye, who is deliciously unhinged. Enjoy.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars.

Mystery Thriller | Satire.

Publication Date: May 5, 2026.

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