Episode 664-With Mark Stevens

The Functional Nerds Podcast

This week on the podcast, Patrick and Tracy welcome Mark Stevens, author of No Lie Lasts Forever.

About No Lie Lasts Forever: When a reporter dies in a shockingly familiar way, the media rushes to announce the return of the PDQ Killer. The city of Denver reels, but no one more than Harry Kugel. After all, he is the PDQ Killer – or was fifteen years ago. And he didn’t do this.

Still working to reform his ways, Harry won’t let some amateur murderer ride his twisted coattails and risk drawing the police back his way. To protect his legacy and quiet new life, he’ll have to expose the copycat. Without exposing himself.

Disgraced TV journalist Flynn Martin holds the key. After a botched hostage situation, she’ll do anything to revive her dying career – even hunt down a monster who executed one of her own.

Harry must convince Flynn to follow him into the heady world of a killer. But with the law closing in and a rival at large, he starts to feel the familiar pull of old urges…

About Mark Stevens: Mark Stevens is the author of No Lie Lasts Forever (June 2025 from Thomas & Mercer), The Fireballer (Lake Union, 2023), and The Allison Coil Mystery Series including Antler Dust, Buried by the Roan, Trapline, Lake of Fire, and The Melancholy Howl.

Buried by the Roan, Trapline, and Lake of Fire were all finalists for the Colorado Book Award. Trapline won.

Stevens has had short stories published by Ellery Queen Mystery Magazine, Mystery Tribune, and in Denver Noir (Akashic Books, 2022). Denver Noir went on to win the Colorado Book Award for Best Anthology in 2023.

In 2016 and again in 2023, Stevens was named Rocky Mountain Fiction Writers’ Writer of the Year.

Stevens hosted a regular podcast for Rocky Mountain Fiction Writers for ten years.

Stevens has served as president of the Rocky Mountain chapter for Mystery Writers of America. Stevens also regularly publishes reviews on his review website.

Today, Stevens lives in Mancos, Colorado.

This week’s picks:

• Mark: Dope Thief (AppleTV+)
• Tracy: Your Friendly Local Game Store
• Patrick: Long Way Home (AppleTV+)

Links:

• Mark Stevens on the network formerly known as Twitter
• Tracy Townsend on BluSky
• Patrick Hester on Instagram
• The Functional Nerds Patreon Page

© 2025 Patrick Hester

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