Author Luncheon Tickets on Sale Today!

Tickets have gone on sale today, February 11, for the 35th Friends of the Ridgewood Public Library Annual Author Luncheon with New York Times-bestselling author Marie Benedict on Wednesday, April 9, 2025, at The Terrace in Paramus. 

Her latest book, The Queens of Crime, released today, is a genre-bending novel starring Dorothy Sayers and Agatha Christie that blends classic mystery, historical fiction, and elements of true crime into a page-turning and unforgettable story. Set in London in the 1930s and starring five of the greatest women crime writers of the interwar period, The Queens of Crime is an homage to the Golden Age of Detective Fiction that celebrates women who buck convention and seek justice for themselves—and others. 

Marie Benedict is the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of The Mitford Affair, Her Hidden Genius, The Mystery of Mrs. Christie, The Only Woman in the Room, Lady Clementine, Carnegie's Maid, The Other Einstein, and with Victoria Christopher Murray, the Good Morning America Book Club pick The Personal Librarian and the Target Book of the Year The First Ladies. All have been translated into multiple languages, and many have been selected for the Barnes & Noble Book Club, Target Book Club, Costco Book Club, Indie Next List, and LibraryReads List. She lives in Pittsburgh with her family.

For more information on this author visit https://www.authormariebenedict.com/

Proceeds from the event support the Ridgewood Public Library.

Event Details:

What: 35th Annual Friends of the Ridgewood Public Library Author Luncheon

The event includes a meet and greet/book signing opportunity with the author, an extensive silent auction, a 50/50 raffle, cocktail hour (cash bar), seated three course lunch, and the main event, Marie Benedict’s talk and Q&A.

2025 Author: Marie Benedict, The Queens of Crime

When: Wednesday, April 9, 2025

Where: The Terrace, 299 Paramus Road, Paramus NJ 07452

Time: 11:00am - 2:30pm EST

Tickets and Book Sales:  On sale from February 11 at https://2025authorluncheon.eventbee.com

The Queens of Crime will be available for sale, at a 20% discounted price, through the Friends and Bookends Bookstore. The purchase helps offset the cost of the Author Luncheon, ensuring that more funds go to programs and events at the library.

Three ways to get the discounted book:

1) Purchase when order ticket(s) online

2) Call or Visit Bookends, 211 E. Ridgewood Avenue, Ridgewood (201) 445-0726

3) Order online through Bookends

Additional Notes:

For more than 40 years Friends of the Ridgewood Public Library, a registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit volunteer organization, has been dedicated to raising funds outside the library’s operating budget in order to provide cultural and educational programming to benefit the community. 

In 2024 the Friends committed over $80,000 to support every educational and cultural event at the library. Over 30,000 people attended more than 3,200 programs, over 500 families enjoyed free admission with our Museum Pass Program, 715 summer readers logged 8,264 books while Kanopy users watched 3,500 movies.

Some of the other programs and services supported include: Lectures on health & Medicare, AI, history, travel, mindfulness and more, Repair Cafe and other sustainability programs, Museum Pass Program, Free Mango, Kanopy, Libby and Hoopla Subscription Services, Reading Marathon Activities & Events, Children’s Story Times, Teen Tech Club and Creative Writing, 22nd Annual Reel Voices Documentary Film Festival, Sunday Performance Series, English as a Second Language (ESL) Program, Book and Film Discussion Groups, Senior Specific Programs, Bend in the Road podcast, Quarterly Town-wide Newsletter.......and every other public event at the library.  

Author Luncheon: Held annually since 1989, the Author Luncheon is one of the Friends’ keystone fundraising events. Previous guest authors have included Colum McCann, Geraldine Brooks, Yaa Gyasi, Madeline Miller, Min Jin Lee, Anita Shreve, Jeannette Walls, Jennifer Egan, Caroline Kennedy, Nicole Krauss, Jamie Ford, Lisa See, Khaled Hosseini, Harlan Coben, Mary Higgins Clark and many, many more.

For more information on Friends of the Ridgewood Public Library visit friendsrpl.org