I might be ever so slightly excited today as it’s Without a Trace publication day and the fabulous Mari Hannah is staying in with me to chat all about this latest Kate Daniels book. I’m delighted to be part of these launch celebrations and would like to thank Alainna at Orion for inviting me to participate. Let’s see what Mari told me about her latest book:

Staying in with Mari Hannah

Welcome to Linda’s Book Bag Mari and thank you for agreeing to stay in with me.

Hello Linda. Thanks for inviting me to your wonderful site and for all you do for writers and readers. In the current climate we need you more than ever.

It’s a pleasure to help share bookish news Mari. I rather think I know, but tell me, which of your books have you brought along to share this evening and why have you chosen it?

I’d like to share a DCI Kate Daniels title with you today, her seventh. Without A Trace is out in hardback, e-book and audiobook. Due to the current pandemic, the paperback launch was delayed and will now take place today, January 7th. It’s been a long time coming and I’m very excited.

Congratulations and happy publication day Mari. It must be such a frustration to have publication dates changing in the current climate, although from what I hear, Without a Trace is well worth waiting for and I’m delighted to have a copy waiting to be read! What can we expect from an evening in with Without A Trace?

On these dark winter nights, nothing beats curling up in front of the fire with a glass wine and a page-turning crime thriller. I hope your readers find it intriguing and compelling.

Oh, absolutely, and if these reviews are anything to go by I think we’re in for a treat:

Tell me a bit more about what’s happening with Kate in Without A Trace.

Kate Daniels’ world is imploding. She’s out of her comfort zone, out of control, far from her Northumberland base. Without A Trace is as much about love and loss as it is about an investigation over which she has no jurisdiction. That doesn’t stop her.

This is a very personal story for Kate that will resonate with readers. It’s about never giving up. It asks how far you’d go in order to find a missing loved one – or at least find closure. It also has an international element involving US Homeland Security, the FBI and the Metropolitan Police’s Casualty Bureau – Aviation Security Command.

Ooo. Interesting! I think never giving up might need to be the anthem for the decade!

Kate breaks every rule in this one, going off-book, ignoring orders and a whole lot more to achieve her aim. I threw everything at her and she responded, as I knew she would, to a crisis that spans both sides of the Atlantic Ocean.

So as well as a cracking thriller in Without A Trace, we get some vicarious travel too. Brilliant!

What else have you brought along and why have you brought it?

I’ve brought along a guest . . .

Gabriele Torres is an army veteran, experienced law enforcement officer and the special agent in charge of the US side of the investigation. Like Kate, she’s no slouch.

I had a lot of fun watching these formidable women collaborate on a major disaster that has taken many lives. Inevitably, they don’t always see eye-to-eye – I may have understated this! – but in a search for the truth they join forces. Who knows? Maybe Kate and Gabriele will get together in a future book.

Now that would be interesting. Thanks so much for being here, Mari, and telling us all about Without A Trace and a slightly belated Happy New Year.

Thanks Linda.

Without a Trace

A FATAL CRASH

A plane on route from London to New York City has disappeared out of the sky. This breaking news dominates every TV channel, every social media platform, and every waking hour of the Metropolitan Police and US Homeland Security.

A PRIVATE TRAGEDY

The love of DCI Kate Daniels’ life was on that aircraft, but she has no authority to investigate. This major disaster is outside of her jurisdiction and she’s ordered to walk away.

A SEARCH FOR THE TRUTH

But Kate can’t let it lie. She has to find out what happened to that plane – even if it means going off book. No one is safe.

And there are some very dangerous people watching her…

Published by Orion, you’ll find Without a Trace for purchase here, through these publisher links, and there are signed copies of Without A Trace available for purchase here.

About Mari Hannah

Mari Hannah is a multi-award-winning author whose authentic voice is no happy accident. A former probation officer, she lives in rural Northumberland with her partner, an ex-murder detective. Mari’s debut, The Murder Wall, won her the Polari First Book Prize. Her second picked up a Northern Writers’ Award and her body of work won her the CWA Dagger in the Library 2017, an incredible honour to receive so early in her career. In 2019, she was Programming Chair of Theakston Old Peculier Crime Writing Festival and was awarded the Diva Wordsmith of the Year. In 2020, Mari won Capital Crime ‘Crime Book of the Year’ for Without a Trace. Her Kate Daniels series is in development with Sprout Pictures.

For further information, visit Mari’s website, follow her on Twitter @mariwriter, or Instagram.

There’s more with these other bloggers too: