strange and random happenstance

The Wintringham Mystery by Anthony Berkeley
Published by: Revelation Press
Publication Date: 1926
Format: Kindle, 268 Pages
Rating: ★★★
To Buy (different edition than one reviewed)

When Stephen Munro inherited a comfortable fortune he had two choices. One was to squirrel it away and live sensibly. The other was to live his life to the fullest until his funds ran out. He chose the later. Which is why at the age of twenty-seven he has taken a job as the footman to Lady Susan Carey at Winteringham Hall in Sussex. He has given up hopes of a carefree future with Pauline Mainwaring and is ready to take whatever the world will throw at him. His omniscient valet, Bridger, knowing that Stephen will be unable to take what the world has in store has already secured a job for himself with Lady Susan as her under-gradener. It wouldn't do to leave Stephen adrift in the world. Who knows what might happen? As it transpires, murder is what happens. But not at first. At first Stephen is in for a rude awakening. Because despite Lady Susan and her niece Millicent being somewhat charmed by Stephen's attempts at making a go of things, the butler, Martin, is not. Martin is going to put Stephen through his paces, with the added complication that there is to be a house party and Stephen knows most of the guests and he now must answer to William. Because all the footmen at Winteringham Hall are called William. The guests, Stephen's friends, soon start arriving. Or at least some of them were his friends before his newly reduced circumstances. There's an old friend of Lady Susan's, Colonel Uffclume, the explorer John Starcross, dandy Henry Kentisbeare, a bright young thing, Baby Cullompton, Lady Susan's niece and Stephen's friend Freddie Venables, and worst of all, Pauline Mainwaring with her new fiance, the "Stock Exchange Knight," Sir Julius Hammerstein. They are soon joined by Cecily Vernon, who had been staying with Lady Susan but was to have left earlier in the day and has now returned to Winteringham Hall. Of all of them Freddie is having the hardest time treating Stephen as staff. And when he gets up the idea to hold a seance, well, despite being a footman, Stephen is roped into the scheme. At the seance Cecily disappears. Everyone but Lady Susan is up in arms. Stephen is sacked but asked to stay on as a guest. She wishes him to look into Cecily's disappearance. Because she has an idea on how she did it, just not how she had the knowledge. Plus, it gives the old lady a chance to play matchmaker and get Stephen and Pauline back together and get ride of the odious Sir Julius. But putting the pieces of the puzzle together is easier said than done, especially once there is a ransom demand and Martin ends up dead. But if Stephen can just connect the dots he might get the girl of his dreams and a happily ever after.

The Winteringham Mystery's claim to fame is that not even Agatha Christie could solve it. The story was originally serialized in The Daily Mirror when it was the vogue to run competitions to see if the newspaper's readers could solve a case. And the prizes were quite significant, about $20,000 by today's standards. Agatha Christie was known to enter them, tying with eleven others for the runner's up prize for the Daily Sketch's The Mystery of Norman's Court. Notably she entered The Daily Mirror's competition under her husband's name, Colonel A.E. Christie. Alas, even though she was a runner up, she was unable to solve to disappearance of Stella, Cecily's original name, and this inability has led to the book's claim to fame. Though The Winteringham Mystery was out of print for nearly ninety-five years, so perhaps she got the last laugh? But it's still interesting that she was unable to answer "How did Stella Disappear?" and "Who caused her disappearance, and why?" I figured out the who and was mostly right on the why, I mean, money being the why is the oldest answer in the book... But I don't think I would have been awarded a prize. The genius of Anthony Berkeley is his answers are in plain sight so when he actually explains it you nod sagely and go, yeah, I could have solved it, all the while knowing you totally didn't. And this book had a light touch. Fun characters, witty dialogue, and while I was sad that the Jeeves and Wooster vibe established in the first chapter didn't continue throughout the book with Bridger barely being seen afterwards, that P.G. Wodehouse banter still continued. Because this would be Bertie Wooster solving crime. The stakes? The stakes are amusing an old woman. And I want to be that old woman. I want my whims catered to, I want to call someone named Stephen William just because. I want to not call the police if it's my prerogative. And, I want to be a blatant matchmaker. That last one I think is a little jab at Agatha Christie's expense because she's always matchmaking but never being explicit about it, here, Lady Susan is like, yeah, I'm matchmaking while you solve crimes, and? I mean, sure Lady Susan might strain credulity by her methods, but, I say the method to her madness is what makes this book work, makes Stephen as layabout cum footman cum crime solver believable. What I didn't find believable is that everyone was intimately familiar with chloroform and that this is viewed as a Christmas book. It takes place in September. Well, no one gets it one hundred percent right. Not even Agatha Christie.

Posted by Miss Eliza at 12:00 AM 0 comments  

Labels: Agatha Christie, Anthony Berkeley, Cicely Disappears, Competition, Jeeves and Wooster, Lady Susan Carey, Matchmaking, Murder Most Foul, Newspapers, P.G. Wodehouse, Serialized, Sussex, The Wintringham Mystery

Bright Young Dead by Jessica Fellowes
Published by: Minotaur Books
Publication Date: October 30th, 2018
Format: Hardcover, 400 Pages
Rating: ★★
To Buy

Pamela may be turning eighteen, but she isn't one of the fast bright young things like her sister Nancy. Pamela would far prefer a quiet and sedate birthday party, perhaps with a nice ride through the country on her horse, but does Nancy listen? Oh no. Nancy and her friends have descended on Asthall Manor and have concocted quite a delicious scavenger hunt, because it is the done thing! Though most scavenger hunts don't end in a dead body at the base of the local church tower. Because if they did, this scavenger hunt would make all the partygoers winners. Adrian Curtis has been murdered and his sister's maid Dulcie is arrested. Dulcie's shadowy past working for Alice Diamond, the Queen of the Forty Thieves, makes her guilty because of her past. But Louisa Cannon is someone who was given a second chance from her own criminal past thanks to the Mitfords and she can't see someone else who has worked so hard trying to go straight to go down for a crime she didn't commit. Therefore it's time for Louisa to dust off her rusty detective skills and get to work. As luck would have it her old crime solving partner Guy Sullivan is now a Sergeant in the actual police force, no more of this railway police thank you very much! Even more of a coincidence is that he is working with his colleague, Constable Mary Moon, investigating Alice Diamond and her latest shoplifting spree. Who knows, the two cases could be connected! One thing is certain, they both need information the other has. As they flit through the underground of London's nightlife, from dance halls to pubs, responding to the thumping urgency of the music thrumming through the clubs, emotions will run high and relationships will be strained as a murderer is lured out into the open. Can they catch a killer before everything implodes?

The ability of humans to adapt shouldn't surprise me given everything we've all been through during the pandemic, but still it sneaks up on me occasionally. Case in point is this series. I can unreservedly say that I hate these books and yet I gave this one two stars. Meaning I didn't hate it as much as I thought I did, at least when I was rating it. I've often thought that a book should have two ratings, the one you give right after reading it and the one you give a few months later as to how your memories have either favored or soured to it. In this case they have soured, more and more. The reason this book got two stars is I have already adapted after reading only one book in this series to the fact they aren't good and any improvement, no matter how slight, means it's not complete shit. Perhaps there's a song here, "I've Grown Accustomed to Your Crap?" The main reason is I wasn't shocked this time around by the fact that there are basically no Mitfords in this series despite being "A Mitford Murders Mystery." In fact half way through Bright Young Dead Jessica Fellowes completely gives up on the Mitford pretense altogether and it's just Louisa, off doing stupid things, in particular abandoning herself to Jazz music, a trope that always annoys the hell out of me and makes me want to scratch out the author's eyes, until Jessica finally remembers she's writing a series with a veneer of Mitfords and drags them hastily back on scene for the denouement. A denouement I might add that is just ripping of the movie Clue. So watch Clue instead is my recommendation. Because besides being just boring and unoriginal, this book also talks down to the reader in a way that made me want to shake some sense into the author. You really had to tell us what a fence is in such a condescending manner? Because I think at this point you need all the good will you can get to have any reader pick up the next volume.

Posted by Miss Eliza at 12:00 AM 0 comments  

Labels: Alice Diamond, Bright Young Dead, Bright Young Things, Clue, Jessica Fellowes, Jessica Mitford, Louisa Cannon, Mitfords, Murder Most Foul, My Fair Lady, Nancy Mitford, Scavenger Hunt, The Mitford Murders

Wooing the Witch Queen by Stephanie Burgis
Published by: Bramble
Publication Date: February 18th, 2025
Format: Paperback, 304 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"In a Gaslamp-lit world where hags and ogres lurk in thick pine forests, three magical queens form an uneasy alliance to protect their lands from invasion…and love turns their world upside down.

Queen Saskia is the wicked sorceress everyone fears. After successfully wrestling the throne from her evil uncle, she only wants one thing: to keep her people safe from the empire next door. For that, she needs to spend more time in her laboratory experimenting with her spells. She definitely doesn't have time to bring order to her chaotic library of magic.

When a mysterious dark wizard arrives at her castle, Saskia hires him as her new librarian on the spot. "Fabian" is sweet and a little nerdy, and his requests seem a little strange - what in the name of Divine Elva is a fountain pen? - but he's getting the job done. And if he writes her flirtatious poetry and his innocent touch makes her skin singe, well...

Little does Saskia know that the "wizard" she's falling for is actually an Imperial archduke in disguise, with no magical training whatsoever. On the run, with perilous secrets on his trail and a fast growing yearning for the wicked sorceress, he's in danger from her enemies and her newfound allies, too. When his identity is finally revealed, will their love save or doom each other?"

I adore the worlds that Stephanie Burgis creates, and come on, a sexy librarian love interest? Oh yes. I can't wait to add this to my bookshelf.

Rebel Witch by Kristen Ciccarelli
Published by: Wednesday Books
Publication Date: February 18th, 2025
Format: Hardcover, 464 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"The stakes are even higher in this epic, romantic conclusion to the New York Times bestselling Crimson Moth duology.

A WITCH...
Rune Winters is on the run. Ever since the boy she loved, Gideon Sharpe, revealed who she was and delivered her into enemy hands, everyone wants her dead. If Rune hopes to survive, she must ally herself with the cruel and dangerous Cressida Roseblood, who's planning to take back the Republic and reinstate a Reign of Witches - something Cressida needs Rune to accomplish.

A WITCH HUNTER...
Apparently it wasn't enough for Rune to deceive Gideon; she's now betrayed him by joining forces with the witch who made his life a living hell. Gideon won't allow the Republic to fall to the witches and be plunged back into the nightmares of the past. In order to protect this new world he fought for, every last witch must die - especially Rune Winters.

AN IMPOSSIBLE CHOICE...
When Rune makes Gideon an offer he can't refuse, the two must pair up to accomplish dangerous goals. The more they're forced into each other's company, the more Gideon realizes the feelings he had for Rune aren't as dead and buried as he thought. Now he's faced with a terrible choice: sacrifice the girl he loves to stop a monster taking back power, or let Rune live and watch the world he fought so hard for burn.

In Kristen Ciccarelli's Rebel Witch, the exciting conclusion to The Crimson Moth duology, love has never been so deadly."

I love a good duology don't you?

I Got Abducted by Aliens and I'm Trapped in a Rom-Com by Kimberly Lemming
Published by: Berkley
Publication Date: February 18th, 2025
Format: Paperback, 304 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"A hilarious and sexy romance about a woman who gets dropped on a strange planet only to fall for not one, but two, aliens, from the author of I Got Drunk and Yeeted a Love Potion at a Werewolf.

Dorothy Valentine is close to getting her PhD in wildlife biology when she's attacked by a lion. On the bright side, she's saved! On the not-so-bright side, it's because they're abducted by aliens. In her scramble to escape, Dory and the lion commandeer an escape pod and crash-land on an alien planet that has...dinosaurs?

Dory and her new lion bestie, Toto, are saved in the nick of time by a mysterious and sexy alien, Sol. On their new adventure, they team up with the equally hot, equally dangerous Lok, who may or may not be a war criminal. Whether it be trauma, fate, or intrigue, Dory can't resist the attraction that's developing in their trio....

As this ragtag group of misfits explore their new planet, Dory learns more about how and why they've all ended up together, battles more prehistoric creatures than she imagined (she imagined...zero), and questions if she even wants to go back home to Earth in this hilarious and steamy alien romance adventure comedy romp."

I little Ozian, a little Arthur Dentian, and a whole lot of sexy.

Mythic Plants by Ellen Zachos
Published by: Workman Publishing
Publication Date: February 18th, 2025
Format: Hardcover, 192 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"In this beautifully illustrated book that's Song of Achilles meets Secret Life of Trees, readers will discover the plants cultivated by the Greek Gods - many of which can still be experimented with today - for a myriad of uses.

In Greek mythology, plants were used for tools, intoxication, warfare, food, medicine, magic, and rituals. When Prometheus stole fire from the Olympian gods and gave it to mankind, he hid it in a stalk of giant fennel. Ancient Greeks waiting to question the oracles were given cannabis as part of their cleansing rituals. A quince fruit started the Trojan war. The goddess Demeter was so distraught when Hades kidnapped her daughter that she caused winter to blanket the earth, killing all plants.

Mythic Plants focuses on how the ancient Greeks used plants in their lives and loves and conquests - some of which we can still use.

Includes tips throughout for bringing these ancient plants into your garden."

The best type of gardening, mythical!

Upon a Starlit Tide by Kell Woods
Published by: Tor Books
Publication Date: February 18th, 2025
Format: Hardcover, 432 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"Upon a Starlit Tide is a dark and enchanting historical fantasy combining elements of "The Little Mermaid" and "Cinderella" into a wholly original tale of love, power, and betrayal.

Saint-Malo, Brittany, 1758. To Lucinde Leon, the youngest daughter of a wealthy French shipowner, the high walls of Saint-Malo are more hindrance than haven.

While her sisters are busy trying to secure advantageous marriages, Luce spends her days secretly being taught to sail by Samuel, her best friend - and an English smuggler. Only he understands how the waves call to her. Then one stormy morning, Luce rescues a drowning man from the sea.

Immediately drawn in by the stranger's charm, Luce is plunged into a world of glittering balls and faerie magic, seduction and brutality. Secrets that have long been lost in the shadowy depths of the ocean begin to rise to the surface, but as Luce wrestles with warring desires, she finds that her own power is growing brighter and brighter, shining like a sea-glass slipper.

Or the scales of a sea-maid's tail."

Because some people are like me and drawn to the sea. I should note that sadly I am not any kind of mermaid. 

Hungerstone by Kat Dunn
Published by: Zando
Publication Date: February 18th, 2025
Format: Hardcover, 336 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"A compulsive feminist reworking of Carmilla, the queer novella that inspired Dracula.

It's the height of the industrial revolution and ten years into Lenore's marriage to steel magnate Henry, their relationship has soured. When Henry's ambitions take them from London to the remote British moorlands to host a hunting party, a shocking carriage accident brings the mysterious Carmilla into their lives. Carmilla, who is weak and pale during the day but vibrant at night. Carmilla, who stirs up something deep within Lenore. And before long, girls from the local villages fall sick, consumed by a terrible hunger...

As the day of the hunt draws closer, Lenore begins to unravel, questioning the role she has been playing all these years. Torn between regaining her husband's affection and the cravings Carmilla has awakened, soon Lenore will uncover a darkness in her household that will place her at terrible risk."

Perhaps they'll have a different kind of hunt? Am I right?

Unhallowed Halls by Lili Wilkinson
Published by: Delacorte Press
Publication Date: February 18th, 2025
Format: Hardcover, 464 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"Dark Academia...with Demons.

A teen girl travels to an exclusive boarding school after a deadly incident at her old school, but the wood-paneled halls of Agathion are built over centuries of secrets - including an ancient society which may have ties to demonic magic - in this dark academia fantasy perfect for fans of Curious Tides.

Page Whittaker has always been an outcast. And after the deadly incident that destroyed her single friendship at her old school, she needs a fresh start. Which is why when she receives a scholarship offer from Agathion College, an elite boarding school folded deep within the moors of Scotland, she doesn't even consider turning it down.

Agathion is everything Page has ever wanted: a safe haven full of dusty books, steaming cups of tea and rigorous intellectual debate. And for the first time in her life, Page has even managed to become part of a close group of friends. Cyrus, Ren, Gideon, Lacey and Oak help her feel at home in Agathion's halls - the only problem is, they're all keeping secrets from her.

Page doesn't know it yet, but her perfect new school has dark roots - roots that stretch back to its crooked foundation, and an ancient clandestine society with rumored ties to demonic magic. Soon, Page will be forced to learn that not everyone at Agathion is who they say they are. Least of all, her friends.

Agathion claims to teach its students history…but some histories should stay buried."

It would be heart-wrenching to find the perfect place but then have to deal with demons. But some things are worth a few demons...

The Vengeful Dead by Darcy Coates
Published by: Poisoned Pen Press
Publication Date: February 18th, 2025
Format: Paperback, 416 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"How far will she go to save the damned?

Keira is caught in a deadly battle. Her ability to help ghosts move on from the mortal world has made her a threat to Artec, a powerful corporation intent on trapping the tortured dead for profit. They've been tracking her for years and now, finally, there's nowhere left for her to run.

Artec fears Keira and everything she's capable of. They will stop at nothing to eliminate her - including sending armed men after everyone she holds dear.

Desperate and quickly running out of time, Keira races to hone her abilities as she searches for a way to destroy the twisted organization for good. But at least now she's no longer alone. Her friends have offered to follow wherever she leads, even if that means a direct strike deep into the heart of Artec's central base...and to the certain death waiting for them there."

I mean, if you're not addicted to this series yet you have four previous volumes to catch up on!

The Echoes by Evie Wyld
Published by: Knopf
Publication Date: February 18th, 2025
Format: Hardcover, 240 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"From the award-winning novelist, a ravishing new novel set between London and rural Australia, both a love story and a ghost story.

Max didn't believe in an afterlife. Until he died. Now, as a reluctant ghost trying to work out why he is still here, he watches his girlfriend, Hannah, lost in grief in the apartment they shared and begins to realize how much of her life was invisible to him.

In the weeks and months before Max's death, Hannah was haunted by the secrets she left Australia to escape. A relationship with Max seemed to offer the potential of a fresh new chapter, but the past refused to stay hidden. It found expression in the untold stories of the people she grew up with, and the events that broke her family apart and led her to Max.

Both a celebration and an autopsy of a relationship, and spanning multiple generations, The Echoes is a novel about love and grief, motherhood and sisterhood, secrets and who has the right to reveal them - what of our past can be cast away and what is fixed forever, echoing down through the years."

I have become more than a little Australia obsessed lately. And I'm always down for any kind of haunting.

Cold as Hell by Kelley Armstrong
Published by: Minotaur Books
Publication Date: February 18th, 2025
Format: Hardcover, 352 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"New York Times bestselling author Kelley Armstrong returns to Haven's Rock in Cold as Hell as Casey Duncan hunts down a dangerous killer during a deadly blizzard.

Haven's Rock is a sanctuary town hidden deep in the Yukon for those who need to disappear from the regular world. Detective Casey Duncan and her husband, Sheriff Eric Dalton, are starting a family now that they've settled into their life here. As Casey nears the end of her pregnancy, she lets nothing, including her worried husband, stop her from investigating what happens in the forbidden forest outside the town of Haven's Rock.

When one of the town's residents is drugged and wanders too close to the edge of town, she's dragged into the woods kicking and screaming. She's saved in the nick of time, but the women of the town are alarmed. Casey and Eric investigate the assault just as a snowstorm hits Haven's Rock, covering the forest. It's there they find a frozen body, naked in the snow. With mixed accounts of the woman's last movements, the two begin to question who they can trust - and who they can't - in their seemingly safe haven."

Basically a locked-room but encompassing a snowbound town. I love it, it's like deadly Northern Exposure! 

The Antique Hunter's Death on the Red Sea by C.L. Miller
Published by: Atria Books
Publication Date: February 18th, 2025
Format: Hardcover, 304 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"In this follow-up to the USA TODAY bestselling "utterly charming mystery" (Robyn Harding, author The Party) The Antique Hunter's Guide to Murder, Freya Lockwood and Aunt Carole are on the hunt once again to return priceless stolen antiques and catch a dangerous criminal abord a cruise ship.

When a painting vanishes from a maritime museum and a dead body is found nearby, the newly established Lockwood Antique Hunter's Agency, Freya Lockwood and her Aunt Carole, are called to investigate.

Following a lead that takes them aboard a glamorous antiques cruise sailing toward the Red Sea in Jordan, they quickly discover that the ships art gallery is filled with stolen antiquities. Each antique is also listed in Freya's late mentor's journals that detail unsolved cases. In chasing a murderer with a stolen painting, they may have found something more sinister than they could've imagined...

Their hunt soon turns deadly when they learn the enigmatic and dangerous art trafficker named The Collector could be on board. But on a ship full of antiques enthusiasts - plus some unexpected familiar faces - will Freya and Carole be able to discover the Collector's identity and stop his murderous plans before the ship docks? Or will the killer strike again?"

If you have't read the first book in this series which made so many best of lists last year you're in for a double treat with a dash of Lovejoy.

Death of a Smuggler by M.C. Beaton
Published by: Grand Central Publishing
Publication Date: February 18th, 2025
Format: Hardcover, 240 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"From a New York Times bestselling author, a murder, a missing man, and his newest constable's secret past are all that's standing in the way of Sergeant Hamish Macbeth's relaxing winter.

All Hamish Macbeth wants is a quiet life in his peaceful home in the Highland village of Lochdubh. But when his newly-assigned constable arrives, he presents Hamish with a surprise and a secret. Getting to the bottom of the secret becomes the least of Hamish's problems when he meets a family who have a score to settle with a sinister man who has mysteriously gone missing. Discovering a murdered woman's body puts further pressure on Hamish, especially when it becomes clear that the murdered woman and the missing man are linked.

To Hamish's horror, he then finds himself working on the murder case with the despicable Detective Chief Inspector Blair - his sworn enemy - who has been drafted in under curious circumstances. With a growing list of suspects, ever more bewildering circumstances and Blair hindering him at every turn, Hamish must find the murderer before anyone else falls victim.

Never has a quiet life seemed further from his grasp!"

All things Hamish Macbeth in honor of my mother.

Mrs. Hudson and the Capricorn Incident by Martin Davies
Published by: Allison and Busby
Publication Date: February 18th, 2025
Format: Hardcover, 320 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"It is spring in Baker Street, and London is preparing itself for the wedding of the year. It will be an international spectacle in which the young and popular Count Rudolph Absberg, a political exile from his native land, will take the hand of the beautiful and accomplished Princess Sophia Kubinova. A lot depends on the marriage, for it is hoped that the union will ensure the security and independence of their homeland.

When the princess subsequently disappears in dramatic circumstances, members of the British establishment are quick to call on Mr. Sherlock Holmes. He, in turn, needs the gifts of long-standing housekeeper Mrs. Hudson and her able assistant, housemaid Flotsam, to solve this puzzling case on which rests the fate of nations.

The continuation of the intricately crafted Holmes and Hudson series is a treat for fans of the great detective's original cases while they offer an inspired take on the rest of the famous Baker Street household."

I mean, I can never get enough Sherlock Holmes adjacent stories!

Bunny Made Tea by Amanda Baehr Fuller
Published by: Owlkids
Publication Date: February 18th, 2025
Format: Hardcover, 32 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"A cozy story about sharing, showing gratitude, and a fondness for tea.

One soggy spring morning, Bunny decides to make a cup of tea. Before they can take a sip, Opossum arrives for an impromptu visit. Like a good host, Bunny kindly offers the unexpected guest their tea and gathers ingredients to brew another cup. But just as they're settling in to enjoy it, Opossum returns with their babies in tow. They all want tea too! Ingredients are gathered, and more tea is made - enough for Opossum's babies, but not enough for Bunny. Disappointed, Bunny goes to bed without tea, until a knock at the door the next morning reveals their hospitality has been repaid: one of Opossum's babies has made tea for Bunny in return!

With charming illustrations, simple text, and hilariously expressive characters, this cozy tale invites readers to practice generosity and meet acts of kindness with gratitude."

If Bunny will make me some tea I would totally return the favor!

The History of Everything by Victoria Evans
Published by: HarperAlley
Publication Date: February 18th, 2025
Format: Paperback, 240 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"Best friends Agnes and Daisy must learn to say goodbye in this coming-of-age YA graphic novel perfect for fans of Booksmart and Pumpkinheads from debut creator Victoria Evans.

Daisy and Agnes have always had each other.

And that's all they've ever needed - or wanted, at least. So when Agnes's mom drops the bombshell that she and Agnes are moving at the end of the summer, the girls are crushed.

All seems lost until the pair unearth "The History of Everything," an old friendship scrapbook with the ultimate bucket list to make their last summer together unforgettable. But when Daisy starts dating a charming drummer, her social calendar suddenly has less room for her best friend. Insecurities bubble to the surface, and Daisy and Agnes begin to question if their friendship is meant to last the summer, much less forever.

In this tender graphic novel debut, Victoria Evans delves into the heart of a best friendship and explores what it means to grow up without growing apart."

It's hard to hold onto friendships as circumstances change, but if it's meant to be forever it will work out.

Buzz!: Color Edition by Ananth Hirsh, Tess Stone, and Fen Garza
Published by: Oni Press
Publication Date: February 18th, 2025
Format: Hardcover, 176 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"Webster's first day of high school goes off the rails when he ends up at a back-alley rumble...FOR UNDERGROUND SPELLING! (What??)

He's dubbed the Golden Kid, and from that moment on he's drawn into the world of underground spelling bees, where letters fly like shurikens and defeat is never an option. His talent is recognized by the mysterious and dashing Outlaw King, Khan, and the suave and plucky Black Queen, Bonnie, and they introduce to him the new challenge of no-holds-barred competitive spelling.

First released in 2013 by writer Ananth Hirsh (Lucky Penny) and artist Tess Stone (Not Drunk Enough), this new color edition comes with new cover art, freshly colored interiors (new colors by Fen Garza), and bonus material from the creators. Read and reread the frenetic tale of spelling bee battles, friendship, and the discovery of self-worth! As the Outlaw King says, "Word is bond.""

"I came here to drink milk and kick ass. And I've just finished my milk."

Posted by Miss Eliza at 12:00 AM 0 comments  

Labels: Buzz!, C.L. Miller, Darcy Coates, Ellen Zachos, Evie Wyld, Kat Dunn, Kell Woods, Kelley Armstrong, Kimberly Lemming, Kristen Ciccarelli, Lili Wilkinson, M.C. Beaton, Martin Davies, Stephanie Burgis, Victoria Evans

The Mitford Murders by Jessica Fellowes
Published by: Minotaur Books
Publication Date: January 23rd, 2018
Format: Hardcover, 432 Pages
Rating: ★
To Buy

Florence Nightingale Shore, the goddaughter of the famous nurse, was brutally beaten and left for dead on a train. Days later she would die. But why would anyone want to kill a woman who gave her life to good deeds, just has her namesake had? Three people who are tenuously connected to Florence will band together to solve her murder. First there is Louisa Cannon. She happened to be on the same railway line under duress when the crime happened. Second there is Guy Sullivan. He works for the railway as a policeman but longs to work for Scotland Yard and rescues Louisa from the clutches of her uncle. Finally there is Nancy Mitford. Louisa was on her way to interview for a position with the Mitford family at Asthall Manor in the Oxfordshire countryside when everything went pear-shaped. Nancy herself has a connection to the murder victim, in that her dear Nanny Blor's twin sister was a good friend to Florence Shore and that was where Florence was headed when she met her untimely demise. But it's only due to some grand plan that Louisa could never comprehend that despite being late for her interview she is taken on by the Mitfords and forges a friendship with Nancy that happens to revolve around solving this lurid crime that has everyone talking! So many what-ifs and twists of fate in Louisa's favor! But thanks to everything lining up just so it looks like Florence Nightingale Shore's murder will be avenged by a debutante, a nursery maid, and a four-eyed wanna be copper.

The Mitfords are what brought me to this book, but the truth is that this book only has the thinnest veneer of Mitfords while all the heavy lifting is done by two characters out of central casting, Guy and Louisa. I don't take issue with Guy and his tenacity that gets the job done where his intellect and poor eyesight can't, I take all my issues with Louisa. A Victorian street urchin whose family has fallen on bad times and who has learned some unsavory skills in order to make a few bob transplanted out of a hundred different stories and placed in the 1920s. I've read about a "Louisa" in so many books that having her the star here just baffled me. There was no hook, no interest, just her. Again. And this when you have the Mitfords right here! Mitfords that are so two-dimensional I seriously wonder if Jessica Fellowes did any research on them at all. She uses their nicknames and that's about it. Well, other people besides Mitfords have nicknames so really, they could have been anyone. Therefore I had to pin my hopes on the "true crime" angle. Alas, this let me down as well with the murder in the end not being properly explained. Also "no one saw her alive again" as a tagline is WRONG she didn't die for like four days! The bigger picture couldn't hold my attention so the little errors started piling up and annoying me, like an itch I couldn't scratch deep under my skin. Louisa drinking from a cup of tea and then the cup being untouched. Little things over and over that had me flipping back and forth through the book going, hang on a minute, that's wrong from what we learned earlier. Why did Nancy's birthday have to be moved up a year? Why does time have no meaning anymore? How long have I been reading this book again? Questions that will never have answers, especially that last one.

Posted by Miss Eliza at 12:00 AM 0 comments  

Labels: 1920s, Asthall Manor, Florence Nightingale Shore, Guy Sullivan, Jessica Fellowes, Louisa Cannon, Mitfords, Murder, Murder Most Foul, Nancy Mitford, Oxfordshire, Stock Character, The Mitford Murders, Trains

Death by Misadventure by Tasha Alexander
Published by: Minotaur Books
Publication Date: September 24th, 2024
Format: Hardcover, 304 Pages
Rating: ★★★★★
To Buy

Once Cécile du Lac invites you into her charmed circle you will forever be in her orbit. And you will adore every minute of it. Cécile and the Baroness Ursula von Düchtel have been fast friends since they commiserated over losing an auction for an early Manet that went to someone nowhere near worthy. Ursula's art collection is eclectic, to say the least, with her collection encompassing objects from across the centuries, with Renaissance art sharing space with Gustav Klimt. For years she has been dreaming of building a house worthy of her collection and the Villa von Düchtel situated in the Bavarian Alps with the barest glimpse of Schloss Neuschwanstein in the distance is finally ready for guests. A striking modern villa of mosaic glass and concrete with a long wide gallery for her collection. For the occasion Ursula has invited friends, neighbors, artists, art dealers, journalists, critics, and poets. Sadly the family also showed up. Cécile, knowing that Lady Emily would never forgive her if she didn't extend her an invitation to see Ursula's ancient art has arrived with Emily and of course Colin in tow. It always pays to make sure one is surrounded by attractive men. At the gathering Emily wonders if it's beyond the pale to contemplate murdering a house guest who is boorish and a lout just so she can go talk to the intelligentsia. Yes, she does know it's morally wrong, but whomever made up the rules had clearly never met Kaspar Allerspach, Ursula's odious son-in-law. Ursula regrets every day that her daughter Sigrid married Kasper and not the delightful Max Haller who is a virtuoso on the tuba. Max has also been invited, because one never knows. In fact once the reception is over they will be a reduced house party indeed, made up of just family and a few hangers-on. Kaspar has brought his best friend Felix Brinkmann and socialite Birgit Göltling who may or may not be involved with Felix. But Liesel Fronberg is the most out of place, being an art dealer from Berlin, and being more servant than guest. So while Cécile was hopeful of an intellectual gathering, the likes of which Ursula is known for, it's a gathering brought low by the uncouth Kasper and company. Though the reception has one more surprise in store before the masses depart, Kaspar is approached by one of the journalists in attendance and is informed that they were told to come to the Villa von Düchtel for the wake of Kaspar Allerspach. At first Kaspar is taken aback, but then he decides it must be nothing more than a joke. The first attempt on his life happens when they are all out skiing, Lady Emily failing spectacularly at it. The second attempt is when they are visiting Schloss Neuschwanstein. Someone takes a pot-shot at him. As the winter weather worsens, Emily and Colin realize that the escalation of events is quite concerning. They are virtually trapped in the Bavarian Alps so the culprit who wants to put the wind up Kaspar must be one of their party. Things take a deadly turn when out on a sleigh ride with his wife Sigrid is murdered, not Kaspar, the killer apparently missing their mark. But was Kaspar the intended victim? The campaign of terror would indicate as such, but what if it was all a ruse? What if there's something more at play? To solve this mystery Emily will have to look to the past, to a King who was either insane or eccentric, who was either murdered or died by his own hands, and who had a love of German legends and Wagner and built Schloss Neuschwanstein while bankrupting Bavaria.

Each and every installment in Tasha Alexander's beloved series makes me fall more in love with the characters and with Tasha's writing. There's just such a wonderful balance of mystery, art, culture, and history. Here we lean a little more into the art and culture, but I think that is perfectly wonderful for a story set in the land of fairy tale castles. Also, for the mystery lovers among us, I think this is Tasha's most Agatha Christie book yet. All mysteries owe a lot to Agatha Christie. Even if a story is just using the same basic building blocks that many people have, if Agatha did it, Agatha is the one who gets credit. I can't help but think of a book I loved, Sofia Slater's Auld Acquaintance, which was lambasted by critics because it was a fun retelling of And Then There Were None. They might have omitted the "fun" part. So walking the "Agatha Christie" edge is a delicate balance. Too much and you're ripping her off, too little, and obviously she would have done it better. So there's no avoiding Agatha Christie when talking mystery, and while some might point to Lady Emily's trip down the Nile in 2022 as her most Christie mystery, personally I think Secrets of the Nile was way more Amelia Peabody. But to each there own. The point of all this is that Death by Misadventure is just deliciously Agatha Christie enough to draw the reader in; oh, a beautiful house in the Bavarian Alps you say? And trapped by snow with these reprobates? Oh, intriguing. And then it's all a wonderful locked room mystery after that. In fact I also have to thank Tasha for this book because it was part of three books I read back-to-back that finally pulled me out of a serious reading slump. It was so horrifically bad I was choosing to play FarmVille or sleep over reading. And if you want to avoid a similar fate, never ever ever read Scattered All Over the Earth by Yōko Tawada. OK back to happy thoughts! Bavaria! OK, here's the thing about me and history. If it's US history, I know it, if it's British history, I know it, if it's French history, I'm OK, but anything else to do with Europe prior to WWI, well, it wasn't taught to me in school and I didn't take any extra classes once in college so I'm very vague with it. I know Germany wasn't a united country until sometime around WWI because of the saying how every time Germany united we got a World War. So I'm going in basically blind, though I did just watch a seventies miniseries, Fall of Eagles, which was decent on the German history and the Habsburgs and Hohenzollerns, but I literally just watched that so when I read this I was totally in the dark. I just knew they had pretty fairy tale castles, not that the fairy tale castles had this amazing backstory of King Ludwig II bankrupting the country to build them and his fascination with Wagner and how he "killed" himself and how this was all happening just as Bavaria was about to become a part of Germany. Damn. Bavaria, you are one fascinating country. I need to learn more about you and your "mad" king who really is responsible for how much tourism you now have. Thanks to Tasha, I have a starting off point. Because that's what great books make you do, want to learn more, read more, see more. They expand your worldview and Tasha excels at this.

Posted by Miss Eliza at 12:00 AM 0 comments  

Labels: Agatha Christie, Alps, Art, Baroness Ursula von Düchtel, Bavaria, Cécile du Lac, Death by Misadventure, History, King Ludwig II, Lady Emily, Murder Most Foul, Schloss Neuschwanstein, Tasha Alexander

Emily Wilde's Compendium of Lost Takes by Heather Fawcett
Published by: Del Rey Books
Publication Date: February 11th, 2025
Format: Hardcover, 368 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"The third installment in the heartwarming and enchanting Emily Wilde series, about a curmudgeonly scholar of folklore and the fae prince she loves.

Emily Wilde has spent her life studying faeries. A renowned dryadologist, she has documented hundreds of species of Folk in her Encyclopaedia of Faeries. Now she is about to embark on her most dangerous academic project yet: studying the inner workings of a faerie realm - as its queen.

Along with her former academic rival - now fiancé - the dashing and mercurial Wendell Bambleby, Emily is immediately thrust into the deadly intrigues of Faerie as the two of them seize the throne of Wendell's long-lost kingdom, which Emily finds a beautiful nightmare filled with scholarly treasures.

Emily has been obsessed with faerie stories her entire life, but at first she feels as ill-suited to Faerie as she did to the mortal world: How can an unassuming scholar such as herself pass for a queen? Yet there is little time to settle in, for Wendell's murderous stepmother has placed a deadly curse upon the land before vanishing without a trace. It will take all of Wendell's magic - and Emily's knowledge of stories - to unravel the mystery before they lose everything they hold dear."

I am so excited for this book, not the least of which is what I have planned for my blog later this year.

The Confessions of a Lady by Darcy McGuire
Published by: Boldwood Books
Publication Date: February 11th, 2025
Format:Paperback, 320 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"A brand new spicy upstairs/downstairs historical romance featuring the Queen's Deadly Damsels!

Dare she risk revealing her secrets?

In the world of upstairs and downstairs, Lady's maid Penny Smith is able to work anonymously, quietly hiding in the shadows of of Lord William Renquist's household. She's seeking out perpetrators of the Devils Sons and she suspects the man she works for to be a member. But when she meets the infamous Liam, she's taken aback by his disarming eyes and feels her resolve begin to waiver.

Liam's intrigued by his newest maid. But as much as she invites a deep desire within, he knows he must keep his distance. Not only because society says so, but because he is the son of a wicked man and the sins of his family need to be repaid. He has made a vow to the Queen to avoid distraction and assist in her mission."

Could they share a mission and perhaps more?

The Viscount of St. Albans by Natania Barron
Published by: Rebellion Publishing Ltd.
Publication Date: February 11th, 2025
Format: Kindle, 350 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"Sense and Sensibility and Vampires.

Silas Drake, the Viscount St. Albans, is one of the most desirable bachelors in England: approaching thirty, wealthy, and poised to inherit his father's seat in Parliament. His aunt, the dowager viscountess, insists he marries well, and soon - or she'll take matters into her own hands.

But his love belongs to Viola Brightwell, who is a commoner of modest means...and a vampire. Newly transformed after the recent battle to save Netherford, Viola rages in a locked room in Silas's mansion, wrestling with the violent passions of her new affliction.

As Silas struggles to balance the demands of his rank with the desires of his heart, he finds himself at the centre of a conspiracy by ancient and terrible powers..."

Regency Magic!!!

The Moonlight Healers by Elizabeth Becker
Published by: Graydon House
Publication Date: February 11th, 2025
Format: Hardcover, 336 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"A powerful debut with a magical twist about one woman's discovery of her family's secret healing abilities and the mysterious consequences she must contend with when she uses them on someone she loves.

For generations, the Winston women have possessed an unspoken magical gift: they can heal with the touch of a hand. It's a tradition they've always had to practice in secret, in the moonlight hours, when the fireflies dance and the whippoorwill birds sing.

But not every healer has rightfully passed on this knowledge to her descendants, and for young Louise Winston, the discovery of her abilities comes in less-than-ideal circumstances - she brings her best friend back from death following an accident, the day after he professed his long-held feelings for her, five days before she's supposed to move away.

Desperate for answers, and to avoid this new reality between them, Louise escapes to her grandmother's lush Appalachian orchard. There, she uncovers her family's hidden history in a tattered journal, stemming back to her brave great-grandmother who illicitly healed Allied soldiers in war-torn France. But just as Louise begins to embrace her unique legacy, she learns that it can also come with a mysterious cost. And with a life hanging in the balance, she'll be forced to make the most impossible of choices...

Spanning eighty years, The Moonlight Healers is a deeply empathetic, heartfelt novel about mothers and daughters, life and death, and the beautiful resilience of love."

Definitely a Pushing Daisies vibe.

The Watermark by Sam Mills
Published by: Melville House Publishing
Publication Date: February 11th, 2025
Format: Paperback, 544 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"A quirky, literary love story like no other, one that veers wildly from contemporary Britain to Soviet Russia to a bizarre but recognizable future, from one of the UK's hottest young novelists...

Rachel and Jaime: their story isn't simple. It might not even be their story.

Augustus Fate, a once-lauded novelist and now renowned recluse, is struggling with his latest creation. But when Jaime and Rachel stumble into his remote cottage, he spies opportunity, imprisoning them inside his novel-in-progress. Now, the fledgling couple must try to find their way back home through a labyrinthine network of novels.

And as they move from Victorian Oxford to a utopian Manchester, a harsh Russian winter to an AI-dominated near-future, so too does the narrative of their relationship change time and again.

Together, they must figure out if this relationship of so many presents can have any future at all.

The Watermark is a heart-stopping exploration of the narratives we cling to in the course of a life, and the tendency of the world to unravel them. Kaleidoscopic and wildly imaginative, it asks: how can we truly be ourselves, when Fate is pulling the strings?"

A dark Thursday Next!

The Spirit Collection of Thone Hall by J. Ann Thomas
Published by: Alcove Press
Publication Date: February 11th, 2025
Format: Hardcover, 320 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"A young woman forced to live with ghosts in a mansion frozen in time must decide between forbidden love and the price of freedom in this Gothic fantasy where Jane Eyre meets The Haunting of Bly Manor, perfect for fans of Starling House.

At Thorne Hall, a grand estate nestled in the Berkshires, fifteen restless spirits roam, bound within the mansion's walls since the Gilded Age. Elegy Thorne bears the weight of her family's curse to preserve the mansion as it was in the 1890s, using ancient folk songs to keep the spirits secret and silent in order to avoid deadly consequences.

When a mischievous child spirit wreaks havoc on the manor, the Thorne family calls upon their trusted preservationist to restore the mansion. He brings along his son, Atticus - a vibrant man full of life and ideas of modernization - and Elegy is captivated by him, igniting a longing for freedom she's never dared to embrace.

Torn between her desire to follow her heart and her duty to her family and its legacy, Elegy begins searching for a way to release the spirit collection back to the afterlife and set both herself and the ghosts free. With century-old secrets, peculiar magic, and spirits both whimsical and deadly, Thorne Hall will haunt and enrapture readers - and you might just not want to leave."

This sounds like a very dark reboot of Ghosts.

Unburied: The True Story of Hannah Beswick, the Manchester Mummy by Hannah Priest
Published by: Manchester University Press
Publication Date: February 11th, 2025
Format: Hardcover, 264 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"The macabre tale of an eighteenth-century woman immortalised in folklore as the 'Manchester Mummy'.

In 1835, the Manchester Natural History Society opened the doors of its museum. Taking pride of place in its collection were three mummies: one was Egyptian, one was Peruvian and one was a woman from Cheetham Hill.

This is the first time the true story of Hannah Beswick, the so-called 'Manchester Mummy', has been told. Over the years, explanations for the Manchester Mummy have ranged from the chilling - Hannah's fear of being buried alive - to the downright bizarre - the legend of her buried gold - but the truth is more complex.

Exploring this fascinating episode from museum history, Unburied sheds light on the Victorian turn to the macabre and changing attitudes to the display of human remains. It debunks the legends and asks what Hannah Beswick can tell us about death and dying, mummies and museums."

Victorian England, you always have to be the weirdest now don't you?

The Crimson Road by A.G. Slatter
Published by: Titan Books (UK)
Publication Date: February 11th, 2025
Format: Paperback, 368 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"A captivating dark Gothic fantasy set in the same universe as the award-winning author's All The Murmuring Bones, The Path of Thorns and The Briar Book of the Dead. A tale of vampires, assassins, ancient witches and broken promises, perfect for readers of Alix E. Harrow, Hannah Whitten and Alexis Henderson.

Violet Zennor has had a peculiar upbringing. Training as a fighter in underground arenas, honing her skills against the worst scum, murderers and thieves her father could pit her against, she has learned to be ruthless. To kill.

Until the day Hedrek Zennor dies. Violet thinks she's free - then she learns that her father planned to send her into the Darklands, where the Leech Lords reign. Where Violet's still-born brother was taken years ago. Violet steadfastly refuses. Until one night two assassins attempt to slaughter her - and it becomes clear: she's going to have to clean up the mess her father made.

By turns gripping and bewitching, sharp and audacious, this mesmerising story takes you on a journey into the dark heart of Slatter's sinister and compelling fantasy world in a tale of vampires, assassins, ancient witches and broken promises."

Yeah, I wouldn't want to go to the Darklands with a Leech Lords either.

The Ballad of Smallhope and Pennyroyal by Jodi Taylor
Published by: Headline
Publication Date: February 11th, 2025
Format: Hardcover, 352 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"From the globally bestselling author of the Chronicles of St Mary's and Time Police series - the origin story of bounty hunters extraordinaire: Smallhope and Pennyroyal.

Meet Lady Amelia Smallhope, for whom there is no problem that can't be solved by a drink and a think.

And Pennyroyal, for whom there is no problem. Ever.

Everyone's favourite bounty hunters. Sorry - recovery agents. No bad guy they can't handle. No expense account too flexible. No adventure too outrageous.

Join them as they settle scores, break every rule in the book and take the world by storm.

Fasten your seatbelts. The timeline doesn't know what's hit it."

I'd like to be the type of person where there is no problem ever.

Helle and Death by Oskar Jensen
Published by: Serpent's Tail
Publication Date: February 11th, 2025
Format: Paperback, 336 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"A snowstorm. A country house. Old friends reunited. It's going to be murder...Torben Helle - art historian, Danish expat and owner of several excellent Scandinavian jumpers - has been dragged to a remote snowbound Northumbrian mansion for a ten-year reunion with old university friends. Things start to go sideways when their host, a reclusive and irritating tech entrepreneur, makes some shocking revelations at the dinner table. And when these are followed by an apparent suicide, the group faces a test of their wits...and their trust. Snowed in and cut off, surrounded by enigmatic housekeepers and off-duty police inspectors, not to mention a peculiar last will and testament, suspicion and sarcasm quickly turn to panic. As the temperature drops and the tension mounts, Torben decides to draw upon all the tricks of Golden Age detectives past in order to solve the mystery: how much money would it take to turn one of his old friends into a murderer? But he'd better be quick, or someone else might end up dead...This witty murder mystery puts a modern spin on the classic country house whodunnit. A must-read for fans of Agatha Christie, Richard Osman and Janice Hallett."

Locked-room joy, with the bestest of tropes, a snowstorm! 

A Girl Like Us by Anna Sophia McLoughlin
Published by: Sourcebooks Landmark
Publication Date: February 11th, 2025
Format: Hardcover, 432 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"Succession meets Saltburn in a crackling locked-room thriller of inconceivable wealth, unchecked power, and the secrets poised to bring a powerful family down.

It's 2004 and former reality TV star and party girl Maya Miller has just married the most eligible bachelor on the planet: Colin Sterling, of the globally famous Sterling family whose history of aristocratic titles and land holdings rival a British royal and whose media empire is comparable to the Murdochs. To some, Maya represents the American dream. To others, a gold digger. But when Colin's cousin Arianna, the heiress to the family's immense fortune, is found murdered, Maya is thrust into the spotlight: first as she is revealed to be the next heiress to the fortune, and then as the prime suspect.

Swiftly, the entire Sterling family goes into lockdown at Silver House, the family's ancestral estate in the English countryside. They're told it's for their own safety - but Maya becomes convinced that it's not to keep threats out, but to keep secrets in. Now, she has no choice but to find and expose the truth hidden within the Sterling family, and why Arianna, a girl she had never met, chose her to take her place. But Maya has secrets of her own. And she knows that in order to survive the Sterlings, she'll have to beat them at their own game."

Always be wary of marrying wealth!

The Dollhouse Academy by Margarita Montimore
Published by: Flatiron Books
Publication Date: February 11th, 2025
Format: Hardcover, 320 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"From the national bestselling author of GMA Book Club Pick Oona Out of Order, a novel about two best friends and aspiring actresses who join the Dollhouse Academy, where stars are made and dangerous secrets are hidden

Ivy Gordon is living on borrowed time. For the past eighteen years, she has been the most famous star at the Dollhouse Academy, the elite boarding school and talent incubator that every aspiring performer dreams of attending. But now, at age thirty-four, she is tired of pretending everything is fine. In secret diary entries, Ivy begins to reveal the truth of her life at the Dollhouse: strange medical exams, mysterious supplements, and something unspeakable that's left Ivy terrified and feeling like a prisoner.

Ramona Halloway and her best friend, Grace Ludlow, grew up idolizing Ivy. Now both twenty-two, neither has made much headway in showbiz until a lucky break grants them entry to the Dollhouse. They're enchanted by the picturesque campus and the chance to perform alongside their idols. When Ramona begins to receive threatening anonymous messages, it's easy to dismiss them as a prank from a rival. Her bigger concern is Grace's skyrocketing success, while Ramona struggles to keep up with the fierce competition. As the messages grow more unsettling, so does life at the Dollhouse. Can Ramona overcome her jealousy and resentment to figure out what's really going on? Will Ivy finally find her voice, before another young performer follows her catastrophic path?

With dark academia twists and enormous heart, The Dollhouse Academy is a novel about the complexities of friendship, our desire to be seen and understood, and the true cost of making our dreams a reality."

It's like a dark academia twist on the TV show Dollhouse... 

There's No Turning Back by Alba de Céspedes
Published by: Washington Square Press
Publication Date: February 11th, 2025
Format: Hardcover, 304 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"Discover the astonishingly powerful debut novel by the beloved feminist author of the "brilliant" (The Wall Street Journal) Forbidden Notebook and the "courageous" (The Washington Post) Her Side of the Story that was so subversive, it was banned by the Italian Fascist regime when it was first published in 1938.

A coming-of-age novel that is as relevant today as it was nearly ninety years ago, There's No Turning Back centers on eight women with radically different backgrounds who attend the same college in Rome. Some are there to study, others to escape a scandal, or keep a secret, and during their time there, they experience the challenges of love, work, and emancipation.

Considered experimental and revolutionary at the time, this novel established Alba de Céspedes as a powerful new voice in the 20th century. Translated by Ann Goldstein, There's No Turning Back demonstrates why de Céspedes deserves "an important place in the canon of women's literature" (Chicago Review of Books)."

We must read about the past to see how universal the human condition is.

The Queens of Crime by Marie Benedict
Published by: St. Martin's Press
Publication Date: February 11th, 2025
Format: Hardcover, 320 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"From the New York Times bestselling author of The Mystery of Mrs. Christie - a thrilling story of the five greatest women writers of the Golden Age of Mystery and their bid to solve a real-life murder.

London, 1930. The five greatest women crime writers have banded together to form a secret society with a single goal: to show they are no longer willing to be treated as second class citizens by their male counterparts in the legendary Detection Club. Led by the formidable Dorothy L. Sayers, the group includes Agatha Christie, Ngaio Marsh, Margery Allingham and Baroness Emma Orczy. They call themselves the Queens of Crime. Their plan? Solve an actual murder, that of a young woman found strangled in a park in France who may have connections leading to the highest levels of the British establishment.

May Daniels, a young English nurse on an excursion to France with her friend, seemed to vanish into thin air as they prepared to board a ferry home. Months later, her body is found in the nearby woods. The murder has all the hallmarks of a locked room mystery for which these authors are famous: how did her killer manage to sneak her body out of a crowded train station without anyone noticing? If, as the police believe, the cause of death is manual strangulation, why is there an extraordinary amount of blood at the crime scene? What is the meaning of a heartbreaking secret letter seeming to implicate an unnamed paramour? Determined to solve the highly publicized murder, the Queens of Crime embark on their own investigation, discovering they're stronger together. But soon the killer targets Dorothy Sayers herself, threatening to expose a dark secret in her past that she would do anything to keep hidden.

Inspired by a true story in Sayers' own life, New York Times bestselling author Marie Benedict brings to life the lengths to which five talented women writers will go to be taken seriously in the male-dominated world of letters as they unpuzzle a mystery torn from the pages of their own novels."

Personally, Dorothy L. Sayers can go hang, but I am SO happy to see Baroness Emma Orczy included. Here Lady Molly of Scotland Yard is fabulous.

You Are Fatally Invited by Ande Pliego
Published by: Bantam
Publication Date: February 11th, 2025
Format: Hardcover, 3584 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"An exclusive thriller writer's retreat hosted on a private island turns lethal when one of the authors is found murdered.

When renowned anonymous author J. R. Alastor hires former aspiring writer Mila del Angél to host a writing retreat at his private manor off the coast of Maine, she jumps at the chance - particularly since she has an axe to grind with one of the invitees. The guest list? Six thriller authors, all masters of deceit, misdirection, and mayhem.

Confess the crimes, survive the tropes.

Alastor and Mila have masterminded a week of games, trope-fueled riddles, and maybe a jump scare or two - the perfect cover for Mila to plot a murder of her own. But when a guest turns up dead - and it's not the murder she planned - Mila finds herself trapped in a different narrative altogether.

One by one, you'll lose your turn.

With a storm isolating the island, and the body count rising, Mila must outwit a killer who knows literally every trick in the book.

Until only one of us remains..."

I loved locked-room mysteries, and here to have the murderers be writers? Perfection.

Will She Do? Act One of a Life on Stage by Eileen Atkins
Published by: Virago Press (UK)
Publication Date: February 11th, 2025
Format: Paperback, 320 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"Will She Do? is the story of a girl from a council estate in Tottenham, born in 1934 to an electric-meter reader and a seamstress, who was determined to be an actress.

Candid and witty, this memoir takes her from her awkward performances in working-men's clubs at six years of age as dancing 'Baby Eileen', through the war years in London, to her breakthrough at thirty-two on Broadway with The Killing of Sister George, for which she received the first of four Tony Award nominations. She co-created Upstairs, Downstairs and wrote the screenplay for Mrs. Dalloway (for which she won an Evening Standard Award) and at aged eighty-six, this is her first autobiographical work.

Characterised by an eye for the absurd, a terrific knack for storytelling and an insistence on honesty, Will She Do? is a wonderful raconteur's tale about family, about class, about youthful ambition and big dreams and what really goes on behind the scenes.

Made a Dame in 1991, Eileen Atkins has been on American and British stage and screen since 1957 and has won an Emmy, a BAFTA and is a three-time Olivier Award winner; her theatre performances include The Height of the Storm, Ellen Terry, All that Fall and she has appeared in television and films ranging from Doc Martin to Cranford to The Crown."

Hey, she wasn't just the co-creator of Upstairs, Downstairs, she also starred in the reboot! With a monkey!

Posted by Miss Eliza at 12:00 AM 0 comments  

Labels: A.G. Slatter, Alba de Céspedes, Ande Pliego, Anna Sophia McLoughlin, Darcy McGuire, Eileen Atkins, Elizabeth Becker, Heather Fawcett, J. Ann Thomas, Jodi Taylor, Marie Benedict, Natania Barron, Sam Mills

Enola Holmes and the Mark of the Mongoose by Nancy Springer
Published by: Wednesday Books
Publication Date: September 5th, 2023
Format: Hardcover, 304 Pages
Rating: ★★★★★
To Buy

Enola Holmes has never been one to take no for an answer or to back down from a mystery. Although these days she's spending more time with her own studies and enjoying a peaceful life not having to hide from her bothers than working as a perditorian. That doesn't mean she isn't occasionally to be found at the offices of one Dr. Lesley T. Ragostin PhD, her clever ruse to hide her own identity and sex. She's at the office one day when a rather rude man bursts in. He demands to see Dr. Ragostin. His best friend, Wolcott Balestier, hasn't returned home and both he and Wolcott's sister Caroline are mad with worry. Wanting to help contain the man's hysteria she offers to take down all the details and embark on the case herself. This angers the man. A young girl could not possibly do the work of a man and he departs in a huff. Most likely off to hire Sherlock thinks Enola darkly. And even though this mystery man didn't bother to introduce himself she was able to get enough information to search out Wolcott's sister, Caroline. Yes, at first it's outrage that drove her to seek out Caroline, but the poor woman is standing on the street corner asking if anyone has seen her brother and Enola's heart breaks. Enola feels for the woman and decides that she will bring Wolcott back to his sister no matter that the angry man thought that she wasn't up to the case. It really is just about helping Caroline. Being able to gloat a little at the end of the day won't hurt though. But the deeper she gets in the case the more dire things seem for Wolcott Balestier. The neighborhood he was last seen in is known for a gang that doesn't take kindly to strangers. What's more there are rumors that a man matching Balestier's description was attracted by a rabid dog. If this is true perhaps Balestier took himself off to die somewhere away from his family and friends. The disease has no cure and the death is a painful one. But as Enola dons various disguises, helped out by her fellow lodgers at the Professional Woman's Club, to get into Caroline's house, to find out more about rabies, and to attend a literary soiree, she worries if they will just not find Balestier, or, if they do and he's been bitten, not find some way to save him. With her brother's help and the hindrance of the angry man, who turns out to be author Ruyard Kipling, they might just crack the case. Ruyard Kipling might be rude and underestimates women, but he sure can write and seems to care about the Balestiers. Plus, it would really piss him off if Enola saved the day. And she does like to thwart people's expectations.

I had planned for my review to start out by talking about how much delight I take in this series and hoped to enjoy it for years to come. Especially the way that Enola messes with the masculine establishment and in this volume in particular takes great glee in messing with Rudyard Kipling, which Nancy Springer took great glee in as well. It has become a birthday week tradition for me the last three years to read the latest adventures of Enola and then I learned that tradition would be no more. Nancy Springer, rather causally stated on Twitter leading up to the release of Enola Holmes and the Mark of the Mongoose that "the next, and last, Enola Holmes novel will be published in a few days." I couldn't believe it's the last. It appears to be because she's not writing at all anymore due to age, but I mean age is really just a number? I'd be willing to take one book every two to three years if that would be a satisfactory arrangement. I just can't not have Enola in my life. She entered it when I really needed someone who, despite all the windmills tilting against them, just got on with it. She knows what is right and she always fights for it. Plus, Nancy Springer builds her books around obscure yet fascinating history. In this instance it's rabies. I find it interesting that a lot of people in this day and age don't know about the dangers of rabies. I remember in one of the Amelia Peabody books she has a close call with rabies and it's literally as if she's been diagnosed with an incurable disease. Because for so long that's what it was. You got rabies and you died. Horribly. And while the number of shots needed to survive rabies has declined since Wolcott Balestier underwent his treatment, when I was a child the treatment was identical to that undergone by Balestier. How do I know this you might ask? Well, thankfully it's not from direct personal experience, but still, personal experience nonetheless. And made me learn at a young age not to mess with rabies or racoons. In second grade one of my classmates was involved in an altercation with a rabid racoon. Given his history I'd lay the blame firmly on him and not the trash panda. Anyway, he had to undergo weeks and weeks of painful shots. I envisioned it as that wall of needles coming towards Han Solo in The Empire Strikes Back. And it gave me joy. He really was a little shit. But reading this book I was fascinated to learn the origins of the vaccine and also blown away that in almost a hundred years the vaccine remained relatively unchanged. I will miss these insights into history. I will miss Enola. I know, you might comfort me that there could be more movies. You know what? It's not the same. That's not my Enola. This is.

Posted by Miss Eliza at 12:00 AM 0 comments  

Labels: Caroline Balestier Kipling, Enola Holmes, Enola Holmes and the Mark of the Mongoose, Murder Most Foul, Perditorian, Rabies, Racoon, Rudyard Kipling, Sherlock Holmes, The Empire Strikes Back, Wolcott Balestier