Why am I passionate about this?

As a former journalist, I was trained to look at all sides of a story. When I read, I am drawn to books that have multiple characters with their own narratives. Sometimes the stories intersect with an “aha!” moment, and sometimes they’re told side-by-side inside each character’s head. Either way, it’s intriguing to have different perspectives—especially in a mystery or thriller. That’s why I use the points of view of three wives in An Inconvenient Wife to give my readers insight into each of these fascinating women.


I wrote

An Inconvenient Wife: A Modern Tudor Mystery

By Karen E. Olson,

Book cover of An Inconvenient Wife: A Modern Tudor Mystery

What is my book about?

This astonishing crime novel—inspired by the Tudor era—takes the reader into the world of Kate Parker, who has just married…

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The books I picked & why

Book cover of The Intern

Karen E. Olson Why did I love this book?

I love a good legal thriller, especially one that focuses on character. The intern of the title is young and hungry, eager and ambitious. But she’s got a secret, one that would cause her to lose her job if the judge she’s working for found out about it. Not that the judge doesn’t have her own secrets.

Told from both the intern and judge’s points of view, I was on the edge of my seat, waiting to see who would discover the other’s secrets first.

By Michele Campbell,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked The Intern as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

A young Harvard law student falls under the spell of a charismatic judge in this timely and thrilling novel about class, ambition, family and murder.

Madison Rivera lands the internship of a lifetime working for Judge Kathryn Conroy. But Madison has a secret that could destroy her career. Her troubled younger brother Danny has been arrested, and Conroy is the judge on his case.

When Danny goes missing after accusing the judge of corruption, Madison’s quest for answers brings her deep into the judge’s glamorous world. Is Kathryn Conroy a mentor, a victim, or a criminal? Is she trying to…


Book cover of Queens of London

Karen E. Olson Why did I love this book?

This book isn’t a traditional mystery or thriller, but crime is its central theme, which is why I’m including it.

Alice Diamond is the Queen of London’s most notorious women’s gang in the 1920s. She’s trying to stay one step ahead of police Inspector Lilian Wyles, as is 10-year-old Hira, a runaway with a delightful little dog named Biscuit. Each of them brings the mean streets of London to life, and I found myself rooting for all three.

By Heather Webb,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Queens of London as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

"A rollicking ride through the criminal underbelly of post-WWI London. Gritty at times and tender at others, Queens of London unmasks the most lawless—and likeable—gang of women you've never heard of." —Sarah Penner, New York Times bestselling author of The Lost Apothecary

Maybe women can have it all, as long as they're willing to steal it.

1925. London. When Alice Diamond, AKA "Diamond Annie," is elected the Queen of the Forty Elephants, she's determined to take the all-girl gang to new heights. She's ambitious, tough as nails, and a brilliant mastermind, with a plan to create a dynasty the likes…


Book cover of It's One of Us

Karen E. Olson Why did I love this book?

Domestic suspense doesn’t usually pull at my heartstrings, but this one did.

Infertility and the desperation that comes with that is at the center of this story, alternately told by The Wife, The Husband, The Daughter, The Mother, and The Detectives. Seeing it from all sides gave me a fuller sense of character—yet did not take away from the twisty, delicious plot.

By J T Ellison,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked It's One of Us as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

"A heart-stoppingly tense thriller about the price of secrets and the layers behind every marriage." —Ruth Ware, New York Times bestselling author of The It Girl and The Woman In Cabin 10

Everybody lies. Even the ones you think you know best of all . . .

Olivia Bender designs exquisite home interiors that satisfy the most demanding clients. But her own deepest desire can’t be fulfilled by marble counters or the perfect rug. She desperately wants to be a mother. Fertility treatments and IVF keep failing. And just when she feels she’s at her lowest point, the police deliver…


Book cover of The Island of Lost Girls

Karen E. Olson Why did I love this book?

I have always been drawn to stories that are ripped from the headlines but are still so entirely their own.

When I first got the book, I was a little daunted by the length but as I read, I discovered I couldn’t put it down and was so sorry when it was over. A missing girl, a desperate mother—all set against the backdrop of an island that’s the playground of the ultra-wealthy. What’s not to love?

By Alex Marwood,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked The Island of Lost Girls as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

'Gripping, stomach-churning . . . Marwood is in a class of her own' LISA JEWELL

'Heart stopping' SUNDAY TIMES, CRIME BOOK OF THE MONTH

'A ripped-from-the-headlines thriller . . . I couldn't put it down' MARK EDWARDS
________________

Sun-drenched glamour and obscene wealth hide the darkest of secrets and lost girls in this ripped-from-the-headlines thriller.

1985
For twelve-year-old Mercedes, La Kastellana is the place she calls home. It is an island untouched by the modern world, with deep-rooted traditions - though that is all about to change with the arrival of multimillionaire Matthew Meade and his spoiled young daughter, Tatiana.…


Book cover of Confessions on the 7:45

Karen E. Olson Why did I love this book?

I am a huge fan of Hitchcock’s Strangers on a Train, and this book is an homage to that film—but in the form of a domestic thriller.

A mysterious stranger on the train, a wife troubled by her husband’s infidelity, a missing nanny: each has her own story to tell that eventually intersects with the others and kept me guessing until the end.

By Lisa Unger,

Why should I read it?

4 authors picked Confessions on the 7 as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

'WHAT A READ!... Completely engrossing, undeniably enthralling... The biggest five stars.' NetGalley reviewer, 5 stars

'A masterclass in storytelling... Unforgettable.' Samantha Downing, author of My Lovely Wife

Everyone has a secret. Who would you trust with yours?

On Selena Murphy's train home from work, a mysterious woman named Martha strikes up a conversation and shares a confession: she's having an affair with her boss. In turn, Selena shares her own secret: she suspects her husband is sleeping with the nanny.

At Selena's station the two women part, and Selena never expects to see her again. Until she receives a message.…


Explore my book 😀

An Inconvenient Wife: A Modern Tudor Mystery

By Karen E. Olson,

Book cover of An Inconvenient Wife: A Modern Tudor Mystery

What is my book about?

This astonishing crime novel—inspired by the Tudor era—takes the reader into the world of Kate Parker, who has just married billionaire Hank Tudor when a headless body is discovered near their summer home . . .

Kate Parker knows what she’s getting into when she marries billionaire businessman Hank Tudor—she’s his sixth wife, after all, and was by his side (as his assistant) when his fifth marriage to actress Caitlyn Howard fell apart.

But honeymoon plans go awry when a headless body is discovered near Hank’s summer home, forcing Kate to contend with two more of his exes: Catherine Alvarez—the first—who lives as a shut-in with her computers, carefully following Tudor Enterprises; and Anna Klein—the fourth—who runs a bed-and-breakfast where she and her wife keep a steady eye on things—particularly Hank’s children, Lizzie and Teddy.

In this clever and suspenseful reimagining of Tudor era betrayals, these three women become entwined in a deadly game of cat and mouse—with each other, Hank, and Hank’s brilliant fixer, Tom Cromwell—as Kate seeks to solve the puzzle of who the murdered woman is, who killed her, and whether her death has any connection to the other headless body from eight years ago.

Book cover of The Intern
Book cover of Queens of London
Book cover of It's One of Us

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The Curiosity Cycle: Preparing Your Child for the Ongoing Technological Explosion

By Jonathan Mugan,

Book cover of The Curiosity Cycle: Preparing Your Child for the Ongoing Technological Explosion

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Why am I passionate about this?

Author

Jonathan's 3 favorite reads in 2024

What is my book about?

The Curiosity Cycle is a book for parents and educators who want to teach their children to be active explorers of the world. Learning through curiosity leads to adaptive thinking because your child is continually trying to improve his or her understanding of the world, and new facts and ideas become embedded in the knowledge that your child already has. Curiosity will also enrich your child's life because curiosity-based learning is internally directed and intrinsically motivated.

Our world is rapidly changing, and our children must be able to filter the cacophony of voices in cyberspace to stay true to their…

The Curiosity Cycle: Preparing Your Child for the Ongoing Technological Explosion

By Jonathan Mugan,

What is this book about?

Through curiosity, children carve out concepts from the environment that they assemble into models to describe the world. Children then test those models to see how well they predict what they observe, and they use the results from those experiments to form new concepts and models---leading to the next round of the curiosity cycle. However, our children are more than passive observers. They are an embodied part of the world and have brains that are predisposed to see the environment in particular ways. To get the most from their curiosity, children must build models about the intentions of those around…


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