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Like most people, I discovered Meg Gardiner through Stephen King's laudatory essay in Entertainment Weekly wherein he expressed his shock over the fact that she wasn't yet a household name in the US. With complete conviction he stated that he was 'convinced (he) had found the next suspense superstar', and when Stephen King says that, the publishing world sits up and pays attention.

But long before I heard that Dutton was going to be publishing Meg's books here in the US, I decided to check out her blog and became hooked. Her voice was compelling, her anecdotes amusing, and her gathering of weird and wacky news stories from around the globe provided me with endless fodder for small talk at bars around New York: "Did you hear about the gnome that is terrorizing this small village in Argentina..?" became a common opening gambit of mine, as did "Are you aware of the prolific number of underwear bandits in the world?"

So when I heard that Meg was going to be signing books at Barnes & Noble, I grabbed my copy of The Dirty Secrets Club and headed over to meet the person behind the novels and endlessly entertaining blog.

And it was really fun. Meg Gardiner is vivacious, amusing, and very charming, and has clearly been enjoying her new found success while keeping her feet on the ground. She recounted her attempts to persuade neighbors in England that she was in fact a normal, pleasant person and not a ghoulish weirdo from the mythical land of California who spent her time putting imaginary people to death. She spoke about her incredible good fortune in being noticed by Stephen King, and then laughed over how his criteria for selecting her book had not been the scintillating language nor the gripping plot, but rather the large and easily read print.

After she had finished answering questions and the applause had died down, I got in line to get my book signed. I'd mentioned on her blog that I'd be attending, but was still impressed by her sleuthing skills when she looked up and pegged me on the spot (though I might have given myself away by taking a handful of surreptitious photographs for the blog as she spoke). As any fan can attest, stepping up to the author's table can be slightly nerve wracking (What do I say? How much of their time should I take?) but Meg set me at ease with a smile, signed my book with a flourish, and thanked me for my support.

So yes: Meg Gardiner=great, go read her books, check out her blog, and try to attend her other events here in the US before she heads back home to England!

--Philip Tucker, Online Producer

Meg Gardiner, The Dirty Secrets Club, San Francisco, murder, Jo Beckett, forensic psychiatrist, Stephen King, thriller, Penguin Books, books