What Happens at Nightfall by Lauren Willig
Published by: William Morrow
Publication Date: October 6th, 2026
Format: Hardcover, 384 Pages
To Buy
The official patter:
"New York Times bestselling author Lauren Willig returns with What Happens at Nightfall, a delightfully Gothic romantic adventure, complete with a little bit of demon-hunting.
In the sprawling Gothic expanse of Brooklyn's Green-Wood Cemetery, some secrets refuse to stay buried.
Recently laid off and searching for purpose, Jess reluctantly joins her best friend on a supposedly fun nighttime cemetery tour. Separated from her group by accident, she discovers a bunch of terrified boys and a strange, ancient key. Both lead to Green-Wood's surprisingly handsome resident arborist, Adam Chervinsky.
Recently widowed, Adam has more to protect than the leafy residents of Green-Wood. His children, still dealing with the loss of their mother, are acting strangely. A haunting is afoot, and Jess seems to know more than she's letting on. Sparks fly between Jess and Adam - and the unquiet spirits of Green-Wood rise from their century-long slumber.
As Jess and Adam delve deeper into the cemetery's haunted history, they uncover a Gilded Age curse, a ghostly socialite, and a demonic pact that stretches across generations. What lies hidden in the Green-Wood's splendid Vanderwilt mausoleum? As the line between the living and the dead blurs, and the shadows of Green-Wood begin to stir with malevolent intent, Jess must confront not only the supernatural forces but a shocking connection to the past if she and Adam truly want to live happily ever after."
It's finally here. Lauren Willig has gone all Gothic! And yes, she knew to have it with a capital "G" in her blurb!
The Haunted Librarian by Auralee Wallace
Published by: Ace
Publication Date: October 6th, 2026
Format: Paperback, 368 Pages
To Buy
The official patter:
"A lonely librarian finds love, friends, and a few ghosts between the shelves in this cozy, paranormal tale from beloved bestselling author Auralee Wallace.
It's a dark and stormy night...and Amelia Bates is caught in the rain. Life hasn't always been kind to her, and being a ghostseer certainly doesn't make things any easier.
Glowing warmly through the autumnal downpour is her safest haven: the library. Amelia, the newly hired librarian, has always relished the comfort of curling up with a novel, vastly preferring it to the company of humans (alive or ghostly).
But Amelia is shocked to discover the building is full of more than quiet stories and warm cups of tea. There are curious, talkative patrons, a shy, bespectacled head librarian who makes her heart skip a beat, and three quirky spirits causing paranormal havoc that endangers the future of the library.
To help the ghosts and save the building, Amelia will have to gather all her bravery and wits, because learning to trust others might just be the first step to a happily ever after she only thought was possible in books."
It all comes down to working with the ghosts.
A Pinch of Magic by Emily Heil
Published by: Forever
Publication Date: October 6th, 2026
Format: Paperback, 384 Pages
To Buy
The official patter:
"A cookbook ghostwriter accidentally summons a spirit and must help with her unfinished business in this charming and cozy paranormal novel - full of small-town charm and a delightful cast of characters!
Cam Parker likes being invisible. As a cookbook ghostwriter, she lives a quiet, orderly life well behind the scenes. But when a storm smashes into her beloved grandmother's house, she'll do anything to pay for the repairs, even taking on a nightmare celebrity client and returning from Brooklyn to her coastal-Virginia hometown of Silver Cove and all its small-town drama.
Before she can say boo, Cam's predictable world collapses like an underbaked souffle. For starters, she's developing inconvenient feelings for carpenter Ian McCabe, who's equal parts charm and complication. And then there's the actual ghost Cam accidentally summons from an old cookbook, who apparently needs her help to right a century-old wrong. Cam can barely keep all these plates in the air. But the chaos just might push her to question her cautious approach to life - and finally write her own recipe for happiness."
Everyone who's watched Simply Irresistible knows cooking and magic go together!
The Herbalist by Heather Morrison
Published by: Storm Publishing
Publication Date: October 6th, 2026
Format: Paperback, 240 Pages
To Buy
The official patter:
"Some paths choose us long before we know to walk them...
Eden Martin has spent her days buried in books, more at home there than in the glittering New York life she's supposed to want. Then, in a single shattering night, her beloved grandmother dies and her engagement falls apart - and Eden does the most impulsive thing she's ever done. She leaves it all behind for a four-hundred-year-old thatched cottage in the sleepy English village of Barton Heath.
There she meets Hazel Welsh, the village herbalist, whose remedies have healed the village for generations - and who has been expecting Eden for longer than seems possible. As Eden learns the old ways, an unfamiliar magic tingling at her fingertips, she begins to wonder if Barton Heath was where she was always destined to live, and maybe even find love again...
But the life Eden left behind isn't finished with her. As her old world reaches across the ocean to reclaim her - and the one person who understands her gift slips beyond reach - Eden must decide what she's willing to fight for, before it's too late.
Warm, magical and utterly enchanting, The Herbalist is an uplifting story of second chances, hidden gifts and finding where you truly belong. Perfect for readers of Practical Magic by Alice Hoffman, Evie Woods and The Very Secret Society of Irregular Witches by Sangu Mandanna."
To be clear, we all belong in a sleepy English village.
Bane Bloom by Sharon Lynn Fisher
Published by: 47north
Publication Date: October 6th, 2026
Format: Paperback, 319 Pages
To Buy
The official patter:
"A botanical illustrator in Victorian England uncovers a country garden's secrets in a fantastical novel of dark enchantments by the author of Tea and Alchemy.
In 1850, Catherine Gray, a botanical illustrator from London, travels to a remote estate in the Lake District to catalog and paint the specimens thriving in a mysterious glasshouse garden. The most bewildering find is a water lily that somehow alters its appearance. Nearly as puzzling is Thomas Bane, the brooding groundskeeper, who closely guards the estate's secrets - including the disappearance of Catherine's predecessor.
The mystery deepens when Catherine discovers the diary of Prudence Bane, Thomas's late mother, which contains revelations about the odd flora and its hold on a family touched by madness. The more she uncovers, the more the line between fantasy and reality - and superstition and fact - begins to blur.
Unable to trust her own thoughts, Catherine draws closer to Thomas, her only anchor in this strange place. But even he can't fully protect her from the house and his otherworldly family. Only Catherine can break the Bane family's cycle of heartbreak...but first she'll have to confront her own."
Oh, please say the cure is in the plants!
The Witch by Freida McFadden
Published by: Poisoned Pen Press
Publication Date: October 6th, 2026
Format: Hardcover, 352 Pages
To Buy
The official patter:
"A brand-new, haunting thriller from Freida McFadden, #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Housemaid!
Some secrets don't die - they wait.
When Julia Barlow loses her job and her apartment, she has nowhere left to go but Pemberton, her family's sprawling seventeenth-century estate in rural Massachusetts. Officially, she's there to check in on her aging grandmother. Unofficially, she's hoping the old house will give her a place to disappear.
Instead, Pemberton begins to unravel her.
Every night, the grandfather clock stops at exactly 3:41 a.m. The lights flicker without warning. And a disembodied voice cries for help outside Julia's bedroom door.
As Julia digs into the house's dark history, she uncovers the story of a woman executed for witchcraft in 1692 - and realizes the past may not be finished with Pemberton yet. When decades of family lies begin to surface, Julia must confront a terrifying truth: Pemberton may be haunted by women whose voices refuse to stay silent.
From #1 New York Times bestselling author Freida McFadden comes The Witch, a chilling, twist-filled thriller about secrets - those we inherit, those we bury, and those people will burn to keep silent."
For a rent free stay at a rural estate I'd put up with some haunting. I'd also obviously help the ghosts tell their stories, but did you see, rent free?
The House Built on Alligator Bones by Sophia Huneycutt
Published by: Dutton
Publication Date: October 6th, 2026
Format: Hardcover, 384 Pages
To Buy
The official patter:
"The Greers built their fortune on alligator bones.
Dartrine Beaumont believes her mother's sudden death has left her alone in the world - until she learns of long-lost wealthy relatives living in Florida. Confused but delighted by the possibility of extended family, Dart travels to her grandmother's stately Gilded Age mansion on Amelia Island for answers, just in time to stake a claim on an unusual inheritance: an alligator farming empire.
Her arrival at Greer House isn't everything she hoped. Without warning, Dart finds herself in fierce competition with her grandmother's arrogant heir apparent, and tensions rise as threats escalate on one of the farms. More unsettling is her hostile grandmother's fanatical belief that the danger stems from a curse; according to legend, a larger-than-life alligator hunted down by a bloodthirsty ancestor haunts the family. Yet Dart can't deny that the farm's alligators hiss only at Greers, or that a shadowy figure creeps through the mansion's halls.
As Dart uncovers the truth about her violent birthright, she faces a terrible choice: accept her place in her family's grim legacy or forge a new path by slaying a different beast entirely."
Advice from personal experience, never trust distant relatives looking to be your salvation or at least a connection.
The Charlatan's Boy by Jonathan Rogers
Published by: Rabbit Room Press
Publication Date: October 6th, 2026
Format: Hardcover, 264 Pages
To Buy
The official patter:
""I only know one man who might be able to tell me where I come from, and that man is a liar and a fraud."
As far back as he can remember, young Grady has tramped from village to village in the company of a huckster named Floyd. The pair make a scant living by perpetrating hoaxes on the good citizens of the Corenwald frontier - all at Grady's expense. After all, Floyd never gave a moment's consideration to Grady's feelings about being exhibited as "The Ugliest Boy in the World."
But when Floyd stages an elaborate plot to revive Corenwalders' belief in mythical swamp-dwellers known as the feechiefolk, he overshoots the mark: what starts as "The Great Feechie Scare" quickly becomes a widespread panic that threatens the whole countryside. Yet amid all the chaos, Grady discovers a truth that has evaded him all his life - and it will change his path forever."
God help me, I love a good story about a charlatan.
The Southern Sorority of Superstitious Witches by Katie Ortiz
Published by:Alcove Press
Publication Date: October 6th, 2026
Format: Hardcover, 352 Pages
To Buy
The official patter:
"In this spellbinding Southern Gothic novel, three women weave together old Southern folklore and magic to fight sexism and educational discrimination in post-Civil War Alabama, perfect for fans of Hester Fox and Louisa Morgan.
When Lucille, Catherine, and Victoria are invited to participate in a trial semester for women at Alabama's most prestigious university, they each have their own reasons for accepting. Lucille wants freedom from both her father's control and reminders of her traitorous first love. Catherine wants to escape an arranged marriage meant to halt her attraction to women. And Victoria wants to run from the guilt that haunts her after the death of one of her fellow mill girls.
The trial semester will determine whether or not women across the state will be allowed to attend other universities. But the enrolled women quickly learn that success is not guaranteed, and some of their male cohorts are determined to see them fail. When the men's pranks go too far Lucille, Catherine, and Victoria form a coven under the guise of a sorority and call upon witchcraft steeped in the traditions of Southern folklore to fight back.
As they gather their fellow witches, they discover there is something darker at work at the university, a force that is determined to expel all the women at the university, and they'll need all the allies they can get if they want to succeed.
For fans of Witchcraft for Wayward Girls and Weyward, this historical speculative novel explores the darker side of human nature and the ways in which women navigate - and survive - oppressive, male-dominated societies."
The way we women survive is witchcraft.
Your Beloved Remains by Quinn Connor
Published by: Flatiron Books: Pine and Cedar
Publication Date: October 6th, 2026
Format: Hardcover, 272 Pages
To Buy
The official patter:
"As fascination turns to obsession, two women drag each other into an academic horror of forgery, murder, and rage, destined to be devoured by readers of Plain Bad Heroines and If We Were Villains.
Archivist Celia Kiel has spent her life on the remote campus of Basin College in the Southern Ozarks. Once a jewel of women's higher education in the South, the school now molders on its mountaintop, its endowment thinly supported by the bequeathed estate of 19th century writer, Beatrice Donahue. Celia guards the legacy of this venerated, yet scandalous author, who has been the object of her illicit desire since childhood.
When the administration announces the college's imminent closure, Celia discovers a manuscript pickled in formaldehyde, and with it, a chance to save the only home she's ever known. She will forge Beatrice's infamous lost work, a spellbinding horror written toward her life's tumultuous end. To do it, she is forced to recruit her professional rival, literature postdoc Joan Harriot, who has both an astounding talent for mimicry and a dark secret of her own. As their world closes in and the ghosts of the Victorian past encroach, their creative collaboration spirals into an obsession more twisted than even their beloved Beatrice could have penned."
If I found a book in formaldehyde I'd assume that it should be left there. No matter the situation.
Quaint Folk by Bitter Karella
Published by: Run for It
Publication Date: October 6th, 2026
Format: Paperback, 352 Pages
To Buy
The official patter:
"Quaint Folk is a sharply satirical queer folk horror novel that peels back the idyllic veneer of a seemingly perfect island town to reveal the rot beneath, from Bram Stoker and Shirley Jackson Award-nominated author Bitter Karella.
From the outside, it looks like Jessica has the perfect life. She's a stay-at-home mom, married to a man with a respectable job, raising a son they adore. Her family is as wholesome as all-American pie. But deep down, Jessica knows there's something wrong with her; she knows she can't escape her past.
When her husband's job has them move abroad, Jessica thinks this is her chance for a fresh start. On the remote island of Hasenhurst, the modern world can't get in. The people there grow their own herbs, make their own jam, and mind their own business. They believe in folk tales and the power of dreams. They tell visitors, we're a quaint, quiet people. The right sort of family would do well here.
Jessica is determined to be the right kind of person for a family - and a life - like this. But as she tries to befriend the townsfolk and learn their ways, she soon realizes that beneath the town's cozy idyll, something sickly-sweet and rotten lays buried..."
Yeah, don't try to fit into Summerisle, flee.
The Witch Elm by Sally-Anne Martyn
Published by: Boldwood Books Ltd
Publication Date: October 6th, 2026
Format: Hardcover, 312 Pages
To Buy
The official patter:
"Some curses don't die. They wait.
Melissa Hendrix arrives in the remote village of Heredge desperate for a fresh start. Crumbling Elm Tree Cottage seems perfect: isolated, affordable and far away from the scandals she left behind.
But as the new village midwife, Melissa is quickly drawn into something she doesn't understand: traditions that no one dares question, silence that feels like a threat, and an ancient elm tree that no one dares disturb.
As Melissa digs deeper, the village's old traditions give way to something far more unsettling. The ancient rituals woven through village life were never meant to honour the past - they're to ensure Heredge survives.
Old loyalties remain. Old superstitions endure. Something buried long ago is stirring once more.
And Melissa may be the one they have been waiting for.
A haunted midwife fleeing her past arrives in a remote village where every woman is due to give birth at once - and where a centuries-old curse is about to be reborn. Perfect for fans of C.J. Cooke and Adam Nevill."
Folk horror meets The Midwich Cuckoos. That's right up my alley.
The Lost Guardian by Natalia Hernandez
Published by: Entangled: Red Tower Books
Publication Date: October 6th, 2026
Format: Hardcover, 400 Pages
To Buy
The official patter:
"The stories we're told aren't myths. They're warnings.
Santiago Rios didn't plan to leave his quiet life in Los Angeles. But when his grandfather sends him a map to the lost tomb of the final Incan emperor, the young archaeologist is thrust into a brutal race across the Andes, pursued by ruthless tomb raiders who will stop at nothing to steal the emperor's treasure.
His only hope is Ali, a fierce Peruvian woman whose secrets could unlock Santiago's map - or spell his doom. The closer they grow, the more certain Santiago becomes. Ali is trouble...just the kind of trouble he likes.
To save their world, Santiago and Ali must solve ancient riddles, outwit deadly enemies, and lay a spirit to rest before it's too late. Because if they fail, the past won't stay buried - and neither will the curse.
Based on the true history of Atahualpa, the last emperor of the Inca people, indie sensation Natalia Hernandez delivers a powerhouse romantasy adventure set in the modern day."
Indiana Jones Romantasy!?! Yes please.
The Angel at the Gates by Karen Lord
Published by: Akashic Books, Ltd.
Publication Date: October 6th, 2026
Format: Hardcover, 180 Pages
To Buy
The official patter:
"Hoping to make sense of his grandfather's unspoken trauma, Malachi journeys to return a family heirloom to the land of its origin. He finds himself in a seaside town surrounded by rumors of war. He visits the priory, a place of welcome that quickly draws him in - and also a place of duty that refuses to let him go.
The priory, its people, and its resident Angel have their own purpose in a far larger history of trauma and conflict. Malachi learns of ancient and modern atrocities and his grandfather's helplessness in the face of both. Past echoes become present concerns as a new battle approaches. Malachi repeatedly tries and fails to leave the escalating danger.
This is not his land, nor is it his war. He did not inherit his grandfather's vocation, nor take his grandfather's vows. None of this is his fault, nor even his responsibility. And yet the Angel will not let him go until Their last judgment is complete."
Never go anywhere that has Angels.
The Finalist by Faith Gladwin
Published by: Grand Central Publishing
Publication Date: October 6th, 2026
Format: Paperback, 400 Pages
To Buy
The official patter:
"Seven ballerinas. One fallen primadonna. The audition of a lifetime. And a mysterious house that swallows the weakest one by one...
There is no performance art as punishing as ballet - and no top-tier ballerina is as punished as Eden. While others practice their steps over and over, Eden waits, knowing her body can perform only so many times before it breaks. But Eden will need to be perfect - or even better - at Deveraux Manor, secluded amid snowy mountains, where she and six other hopefuls are sequestered in a month-long audition for the mysterious, alluring, tragic former ballerina Leanora Karagianni.
Only one finalist will join Leanora's company and dance the lead. Eden wants it more than anything, but not more than anyone. Her competitors will take every advantage they can. And the cursed house twisting around them will push each ballerina to the bloody edge - and over it. As Eden fights her attraction to the seductive Leonora and the stakes turn lethal, she'll discover that only the dancer who pays the house's terrible price can become the finalist."
Gothic locked-room black swan drama!?! Oh hell yes.
Witches of Calabasas by Frank Elaridi
Published by: Storyteller Media
Publication Date: October 6th, 2026
Format: Hardcover, 220 Pages
To Buy
The official patter:
"Witches of Calabasas is as hypnotically beautiful on the outside as the dark, seductive world waiting within its pages.
Beneath the glittering wealth of Calabasas lies something ancient, seductive, and deeply dangerous.
When aspiring writer Maxim moves into the guest house of the mysterious Winters estate, he expects inspiration, luxury, and maybe a fresh start in Los Angeles. Instead, he's pulled into a world of intoxicating parties, fractured relationships, Hollywood excess, whispered rumors, and a woman everyone seems terrified to name aloud.
Candace Winters - the infamous "Calabasas Countess" - is beautiful, magnetic, impossibly wealthy, and surrounded by stories that sound more like curses than gossip. Some call her manipulative. Others call her toxic. But the deeper Maxim falls into her orbit, the more reality itself begins to shift. Lights flicker. Animals grow uneasy. Strange writings appear in his laptop that he doesn't remember typing. And every glamorous night in the Hills feels haunted by something dark hiding just beneath the surface.
As obsession, desire, privilege, and paranoia intertwine, Maxim discovers that in Hollywood, people don't just reinvent themselves - they conjure entirely new identities. And some myths are powerful enough to consume anyone who gets too close.
Sultry, hypnotic, and dripping with occult glamour, Witches of Calabasas blends psychological suspense, supernatural mystery, literary romance, and Hollywood noir into a mesmerizing story about fame, power, wealth, and the terrifying people who seem born to wield it.
Perfect for readers who love the decadent darkness of American Horror Story, the seductive mystery of The Secret History, and the dreamlike glamour of Euphoria with a supernatural twist."
So, Gothic Sunset Boulevard meets Rebecca?
The Scarlet Ball by Nghi Vo
Published by: Tor Books
Publication Date: October 6th, 2026
Format: Hardcover, 336 Pages
To Buy
The official patter:
"From USA Today bestselling author Nghi Vo, this all-consuming tale of ballrooms and bloodshed weds The Gilded Age with the Gothic vision of Guillermo del Toro.
Pick a face, pick a fate.
Judith Ban, former convent girl, courtesan, and failed thief, is on the lookout for her next identity. The daughter of a Vietnamese adventuress and a French naval officer, she's no stranger to risk, but she's unprepared for the secrets of New York's legendary Four Hundred, or for the women who build their power at the city's heart through blood-soaked, gold-etched rituals of demonic marriage.
In exchange for enough wealth to outrun her past, Judith strikes a deal with the matriarch of the powerful Howard family: she will stand in for the missing Howard granddaughter, who was poised to make her debut when she disappeared. With Miss Iphigenia Marshall's face stitched over her own, Judith is white, rich, and about to risk body and soul in the deadly games that determine which girls will find a match - and which will be devoured. If she can keep her wits and her life, her reward will be a husband with undreamt-of power who will be hers to command...so long as she can keep his infinite hungers fed. But to survive the season, Judith will have to seduce a storm in the shape of a man, before the night to which everything has been leading - the Scarlet Ball where the demons choose their brides.
A razor-sharp subversion of romance tropes and nightmare of manners, Vo's fusion of history and fantasy does for Edith Wharton what her acclaimed debut The Chosen and the Beautiful did for F. Scott Fitzgerald."
THE author of the moment who somehow always gets the best cover art.
Winterset Hollow by Jonathan Edward Durham
Published by: Union Square and Co.
Publication Date: October 6th, 2026
Format: Paperback, 400 Pages
To Buy
The official patter:
"The perfectly twisted word-of-mouth horror phenomenon that set the internet on fire.
When Eamon and his two closest friends, Caroline and Mark, journey to Addington Isle, they hope to explore the island that inspired their favorite book, Winterset Hollow - a timeless tale about a tribe of animals preparing for their yearly end-of-summer festival. But when the trio break into the author's apparently abandoned estate, they discover that much of what the world believes to be fantasy is real, and that the truth behind their beloved story is darker and more dangerous than they ever imagined. In fact, making it through the final chapter might just cost them everything.
How do you celebrate Barley Day? You run, friend. You run.
This edition features the complete version of the book within the book, Winterset Hollow, as written by Edward Addington!"
FYI Jonathan Edward Durham is thisone0verhere so you've probably been obsessed with his social media for years. In other words, you NEED this book.
Find Me Where It Ends by Cassandra Khaw
Published by: Tor Nightfire
Publication Date: October 6th, 2026
Format: Hardcover, 144 Pages
To Buy
The official patter:
"A woman wakes up to find the black hound of Death at her front door in this hauntingly beautiful tale from USA Today bestselling author Cassandra Khaw.
Antigone is no stranger to death.
For the women of her family, death always comes in the form of a black dog.
When Antigone's own black dog arrives, she isn't afraid. She invites it inside, where it soon becomes a daily source of companionship and comfort. It also forces her to reflect on the life she's led - the parts of herself she's hollowed out for the sake of others, and the bone-deep exhaustion that's hounded her every step.
Her Death's arrival must be a sign, permission to finally let go. To rest. Because while mortality is inevitable, living is a choice.
But a good death comes at a price."
I might relate a little too heavily to the "parts of herself she's hollowed out for the sake of others, and the bone-deep exhaustion that's hounded her every step."
The Book of the Dead edited by Jonathan Strahan
Published by: Harper Voyager
Publication Date: October 6th, 2026
Format: Hardcover, 480 Pages
To Buy
The official patter:
"We are all going to die. But how? Will it hurt? Where will we go? What will we find there? What will happen to the people we leave behind? Jonathan Strahan, award-winning editor of The Book of Dragons and The Book of Witches, has compiled a stunning collection of brand-new stories of murder, myth, and misadventure including contributions from international bestsellers Garth Nix, Paul Tremblay, Stephen Graham Jones, Tamsyn Muir, and two dozen other fantasy, science fiction, and horror icons, featuring stunning illustrations from Galen Dara.
From our earliest myths to our most advanced scientific theories, humanity has grappled with the nature of dying, and what, if anything, comes after. The Book of the Dead confronts our terrible mortality with unflinching honesty and breathtaking imagination, taking us on a journey from the dusty plains of the Australian Outback where wives mysteriously vanish, to the fog-shrouded interstates of a man's regret, to the deep, dark tombs of Martian queens, and to the somber shores of a world where the dead refuse to stay buried.
Bringing together some of the most iconic and compelling voices in speculative fiction today, The Book of the Dead features stories from Indrapramit Das, Paolo Bacigalupi, Daryl Gregory, Andy Duncan, Jeffrey Ford, Kelly Robson, Cadwell Turnbull, Elizabeth Bear, K.J. Parker, Cassandra Khaw, Samantha Mills, Premee Mohamed, Darcie Little Badger, Garth Nix, Paul Tremblay, Wole Talabi, Tobi Ogundiran, Silvia Park, Isabel J. Kim, Vajra Chandrasekera, Priya Sharma, Angela Slatter, Stephen Graham Jones, Catherynne Valente, Tamsyn Muir, Nghi Vo, E. Lily Yu, and Kaaron Warren, all of whom look unflinchingly at death in stories that will terrify, fascinate, and resonate with readers long after the final page."
I bet Tamsyn Muir's look at death is the most anticipated.
Ellen Poe for Evermore by Diana Peterfreund
Published by: Running Press Kids
Publication Date: October 6th, 2026
Format: Hardcover, 336 Pages
To Buy
The official patter:
"The thrilling sequel to Ellen Poe: The Forgotten Lore in which every mystery Ellen solves uncovers another buried secret about her family and the infamous poet, Edgar Allan Poe.
Ellen Poe is no longer plagued by nightmares of scary restless spirits, and she's even come to a truce with the oft-annoying ghost of her ancestor: Edgar Allan Poe. But when the coded journal that is tied to his spirit disappears from her family's home, she's convinced that the founder of a secret Poe society is responsible for the theft. Ellen finds a cryptic note from the woman, Sara High, and sets out on a dangerous quest to track down the family heirloom that takes Ellen from Baltimore to New York City to Richmond and back.
At the same time, Ellen's visions return, more terrifying than ever, and she realizes it's not just the journal that's in danger. Can she head off a potential murder in time? Or will Ellen find herself at the mercy of a killer who won't stop until they've claimed Poe's spirit for their very own?"
A wonderful what if world with a Poe.
Dark Reading Matter by Jasper Fforde
Published by: Soho Press
Publication Date: October 6th, 2026
Format: Hardcover, 448 Pages
To Buy
The official patter:
"Will literary Special Ops agent Thursday Next find her happy ending? The outrageous, heartfelt conclusion to the New York Times bestselling series, which began with The Eyre Affair, will have you, Dear Reader, laughing out loud.
Ex-Literary Special Ops agent Thursday Next is embarking on her eighth and final fictional adventure, and she is well aware of the fact. The problem is, others are aware of it, too. Old foes and new are plotting a terrible revenge: to disrupt the narrative and make the last Thursday Next novel, Dark Reading Matter, not just unreadable but unpublishable. Thursday can't let that happen, and needs to use all her guile and narrative trickery to unmask the antagonists.
It won't be easy. The Martians have broken out of their H.G. Wells novel and threaten both the real world and the BookWorld. Agents from a higher reality want unfettered access to the Dark Reading Matter, the realm where deleted books and unrealized literary ideas end up. A Gateway to Hell has opened up at Wantage's Shakesmania, the nation's second-worst Shakespeare theme park, and the cozy world of Enid Blyton has been hijacked by ultra-right-wing nationalists. With Reality Field Distortion experiments going haywire, a partially redacted donkey, a BookWorld on the brink of losing its imaginative energy to Big Tech and a murderous stamp collector with philaticide on their mind, Thursday has to navigate a tightrope of borderline unusable narrative devices to bring the series to a satisfying conclusion.
It's a tall order, but Thursday has several secret weapons: her own adaptability; her husband, Landen; a host of stalwart friends and ultimately the most loyal compatriots she can call upon - her readers."
Seeing as they want to make her book unreadable and that Dark Reading Matter can be read as DRM, I already am amused.
Life Out of Order by Audrey Niffenegger
Published by: Hanover Square Press
Publication Date: October 6th, 2026
Format: Hardcover, 560 Pages
To Buy
The official patter:
"The multi-million copy bestselling author of The Time Traveler's Wife returns with an exhilarating speculative story set in a dystopian future where virtual reality and real life converge.
Alba DeTamble has never lived a life in order. Born with the same rare Chrono-Displacement Disorder as her father Henry, she slips unpredictably through decades, haunted by the secrets of a future she can witness but cannot change. As Alba strives to maintain a normal life with Zach, her safe, supportive anchor, she forms a tight-knit community of artists and activists who fight to take care of each other in an increasingly unstable world.
At once intimate and expansive, Life Out of Order plunges readers into a world of Niffenegger's dazzling imagination: from the riot-torn streets of a dystopian Chicago, to a digital museum for forgotten memories and lost artifacts. Curating this ever-expanding museum is Isadora, Alba's mysterious stepsister and an unsettling presence in their family - whose fate may be intertwined with Alba's in more dangerous ways than she knows.
Told through a kaleidoscope of perspectives, the story moves through a boundless, unfolding universe of virtual reality, skimming the wildest reaches of technology and our natural world. The result is a testament to the power of art and community to sustain us in these fractured times - and an epic tale that's set to define an entirely new genre in a way only Niffenegger can."
FFS she's taking The Time Traveler's Wife dystopic!?!
My Violent Muse by Rosie Sycamore
Published by: Grand Central Publishing
Publication Date: October 6th, 2026
Format: Paperback, 336 Pages
To Buy
The official patter:
"Would you still love me if I were a murderer...?
Morello is a nobody: a homeless orphan and starving artist with nothing but impossible dreams of escaping obscurity. Then Florence appears - dazzling, dangerous, and offering Morello a way out, on one chilling condition: each year, they must hunt and kill one of the art world's predatory men. In return, Morello will inherit a life of privilege and promise.
Together, they transform revenge into twisted performance art, staging each murder with meticulous, theatrical flair. But when Morello falls for Jude, a wealthy art student who offers her a glimpse of a life sans murder, her carefully curated reality begins to unravel, and she's one lie away from losing everything she's killed for. With the body count rising and anonymous threats closing in, Morello must finally ask herself: Is the cost of vengeance ever truly paid? And after a life shaped by violence and manipulation, will she ever become the artist of her own fate, or will she remain forever someone else's muse?
Compulsive and deviant, My Violent Muse is a razor-sharp thriller about revenge, exploitation, obsession, and the dangerous bargains we strike for power, survival, and love."
I'd totally love a killer if their crimes were justified.
Death on the Pearl River by A.E. Goldin
Published by: Pushkin Vertigo
Publication Date: October 6th, 2026
Format: Paperback, 352 Pages
To Buy
The official patter:
"Ben Canaan returns in this darkly gripping stand-alone adventure mystery set in Hong Kong, sequel to the acclaimed Murder in Constantinople!
Ben Canaan is riding high on the recent string of cases he has solved successfully on the payroll of Her Majesty's Executive. Then a notorious crime boss is found murdered on the city streets, the latest in a series of brutal killings targeting the most powerful men in the opium trade.
The scale of the danger is global. To track down the culprits and prevent more blood from being shed, Ben is sent out to the newly-founded British colony of Hong Kong: a lawless frontier town on the southern shores of China's Great Qing Dynasty. All the victims have had ties to the prominent trading firms that use the Pearl River and the South China Sea as their base of operations - ranging from the firms' heads, to high-ranking partners, supercargoes, merchants, even sailors.
Ben is plunged headlong into a labyrinthine conspiracy, set against the backdrop of an empire in collapse and a sweeping civil war. As his hunt brings him closer to the truth and the ruthless corporate interests that want him dead, Ben is forced to choose between what is necessary and what is just.
Alfred Hitchcock meets Indiana Jones, this immersive, globe-trotting historical mystery is the second installment in the acclaimed Ben Canaan Mysteries series. Thrillingly paced and filled with enchanting historical settings, this series provides all the nostalgic reading pleasure of classic Sherlock Holmes."
All I see is Dynasty and South China Sea and I'm there. And yes, I know that's totally illogical. Unless you're me.
The Thief and the Labyrinth by Alys Clare
Published by: Severn House
Publication Date: October 6th, 2026
Format: Hardcover, 256 Pages
To Buy
The official patter:
"Private investigators Lily and Felix hunt a rogue thief in this gripping and atmospheric World's End Bureau historical mystery from critically acclaimed author Alys Clare.
A clear crime hides an untold secret.,.
London, 1882. American agents Henry and Johanna McClellan need the help of the World's End Bureau to find Bruno Schmidt, a cunning lecturer who cajoled a young American woman called Ava into eloping to Europe.
Now Ava's father wants her back. Though the McClellans have followed the missing pair's trail to London, they can't find their way around the busy city without help. PI duo Lily and Felix accept the case and soon discover a promising clue regarding Bruno and Ava's whereabouts.
But the more Lily and Felix investigate, the more complicated and implausible this seemingly straightforward case becomes. Their suspicion quickly falls on their clients, who might not be as honest as they first seemed to be...
'Perfect for fans of gothic thrillers and historical mysteries' (Booklist Starred Review), the World's End Bureau series is a fantastic read for fans of Anne Perry, Will Thomas and Deanna Raybourn."
That's the problem with being a PI, do you trust your clients or not?
Return to Breakneck Island by Tom Ryan
Published by: Atlantic Crime
Publication Date: October 6th, 2026
Format: Hardcover, 368 Pages
To Buy
The official patter:
"Breakneck Island: nestled precariously off the coast of Maple Bay, the lighthouse atop this rocky outcrop is all that stands between safe passage and nautical disaster.
For generations, the MacLeary family lived on Breakneck Island in an isolated and physically-demanding existence. One night in 1932, after a ruthless storm battered all of Maple Bay, the MacLearys disappeared without a trace, leaving behind only whispers of a missing fortune.
Nearly a century later, three people are drawn to Breakneck Island and its perplexing past: Peter Barnett, a recent Maple Bay transplant who's piecing his life back together and possibly catching feelings for a charming professor; Dandy Feltzen, a wistful teenage girl searching for new beginnings while juggling the arrival of an unexpected visitor; and Cass Jones, a successful author given a cryptic tip for a haunting new story.
As Peter, Dandy, and Cass are drawn into the orbit of one of Maple Bay's darkest mysteries, dangers past and present collide on the rocky shores of Breakneck Island, and the real story of the MacLearys finally comes into focus. But if the island is to reveal its oldest secrets, it may demand fresh bodies in return."
Because I'm needing something with Widow's Bay vibes.
The Christmas Stocking Murders by Denzil Meyrick
Published by: Poisoned Pen Press
Publication Date: October 6th, 2026
Format: Paperback, 416 Pages
To Buy
The official patter:
"Another holiday mystery from the author of Murder at Holly House.
A case shrouded in secrets.
Christmas, 1953. Inspector Frank Grasby and Superintendent Arthur Juggers are investigating a puzzling murder in the remote village of Uthley Bay - a fisherman has been found dead on the beach, a stocking twisted around his throat.
A festive mystery for one and all.
Any remaining holiday cheer vanishes when a blizzard isolates the village from the rest of the country. The villagers refuse to talk, leaving Grasby and Juggers chasing false leads in the snow.
A winter wonderland with no escape.
To make matters worse, Grasby can't stop thinking about stockings. Why does everyone seem to be enjoying strangely high standards of hosiery? Who is the sinister bespectacled man snooping around the hotel?
And how can you solve a murder when everyone is a suspect?"
I know there are people who object to promoting holidays early, but October isn't July, so you should make sure to add this to your holiday reading right away.
Murder on 34th Street by Mariah Fredericks
Published by: Minotaur Books
Publication Date: October 6th, 2026
Format: Hardcover, 288 Pages
To Buy
The official patter:
"From the author of The Girl in the Green Dress comes a delightful and captivating novel about a fictional murder mystery at the iconic Macy's parade leading up to the holidays in historic New York City.
New York, 1932. Grace Verlander is the secret beating heart of Macy's. She's the "assistant to the assistant to the someone who's in charge," the go-to person for keeping everything running smoothly behind-the-scenes at the famous, bustling store.
It's not every day you get a letter from Santa Claus, but three days before the Macy's annual Thanksgiving Day Parade, Grace arrives at work to find a note from the store Santa Claus in her locker: someone has sent him a death threat. Shocked, Grace promises to look into it and speaks to the store detective about the parade's security, confident that they've found a solution that will keep everyone safe. But on the day of the parade, despite all their precautions, a dead body is found on one of the floats.
Using her wits and deep knowledge of the ways of the place, Grace is determined to find the killer and seek justice - not just for the dead man, but to save the reputation of this iconic store from ruin.
Steeped in glittering glamor and nostalgic wonder, this is a remarkable, unpredictable mystery set in the evocative world of one of New York's most memorable institutions."
There is nowhere more magical during the holiday seasons than a great big department store. Through in a murder and it's my idea of a Christmas miracle.
The Undercover Bookshop by Katherine Reay
Published by: Harper Muse
Publication Date: October 6th, 2026
Format: Paperback, 320 Pages
To Buy
The official patter:
"During the winter of 1950 in the small Cotswold village of Great Rollright, amateur sleuth Gemma Brown starts to suspect that the town's best baker, Ursula Beurton, is a Soviet spy, tumbling her headlong into a dangerous game of cat-and-mouse that ends with a decision that will lead her to the Undercover Bookshop and change her life forever.
Recently moved to the English Cotswolds, Gemma Brown desperately wants to create the kind of idyllic life she's read about in her favorite mystery novels, with herself as the leading lady. But fitting in proves difficult as Gemma is more adept at solving mysteries and setting up the village's first bookstore than she is at baking cakes or grasping social niceties. Nevertheless, she finds a friend in Peggy, a young woman recently moved to town herself, and Ursula Beurton, who is not only the village's best baker but an enigmatic figure who sparks controversy in the small-town gossip network.
As Gemma spends more time with Ursula, she begins to suspect all those novels are affecting her thinking. The oddities she starts to notice must be her imagination because, if not, they point to something far more dangerous than winning the local baking contest or being placed on the church committee. Could her neighbor be a real spy?
Following her instincts and a few skills learned through fiction, Gemma soon becomes embroiled in an international intrigue involving the village's mysterious benefactor, Lady Marchmont, MI5, and the KGB. In an unexpected twist, however, Ursula asks Gemma for a favor which may endanger all their lives as their next chapter unfolds in Gemma's new venture, the Undercover Bookshop."
I mean, if she's your friend, you'd do anything for her right? Include keep her secrets.
Petrified Dreams by Joe R. Lansdale
Published by: Little Brown and Company
Publication Date: October 6th, 2026
Format: Hardcover, 3288 Pages
To Buy
The official patter:
"With women going missing across the Deep South, dynamic detective duo Hap and Leonard zero in on a horrific, chimerical villain protected and abetted by Texas' most powerful figures in this thrilling conclusion to the beloved series.
The sun never sets on justice, but it may finally be setting on the beloved crime fighting duo of Hap Collins and Leonard Pine. The two opposites - brothers from another mother - have called the detecting business quits, but when a prop plane holding the bodies of several kidnapped women crashes into their favorite watering hole, the boys know they're in for one last effort. With the help of a victim's sister, they learn that a network of men has stolen vulnerable young women on behalf of a horrifying, charismatic villain known as The Artist, a sculptor of living things, including his own body, and protected by the elite of the South. But the Artist refuses to be found, and every lead brings Hap and Leonard into the crosshairs of something even more dangerous. Finding The Artist is a long shot, and getting out alive is even less likely.
Perhaps the darkest, funniest, and most intense of the Hap and Leonard mysteries, Petrified Dreams concludes the revered series as audaciously as one would expect from the mojo master of Southern crime and wit."
Concludes!?! CONCLUDES!?!
Do You See What I See? by Peter Swanson
Published by: William Morrow
Publication Date: October 6th, 2026
Format: Hardcover, 128 Pages
To Buy
The official patter:
"From New York Times bestselling author Peter Swanson comes a fantastically creepy holiday story of a writer tasked with helping a famous novelist finish his next book. But when two dead bodies turn up at the seaside manor, he must uncover the killer before the clock ticks down to Christmas Day.
When author Nicholas Child is dropped by his publisher, his agent sends him to spend the holidays at the Cape Cod mansion of her other client, Marco Tavares. Marco needs to finish the long-overdue follow-up to his bestselling novel, and Nicholas is going to help him.
But when Nicholas arrives at Marco's sprawling seaside estate, which is decked out in twinkling lights and a towering Christmas tree, he finds himself in the middle of a gathering where holiday cheer is in short supply - and every visitor seems to have a motive to kill their host.
Along with Marco and his wife Maeve - who are currently sleeping in separate rooms - also present is Marco's oddball sister, near-silent grandmother, ex-girlfriend and her jealous husband, and long-suffering best friend, Billy Sousa. The most intriguing guest is named James Beers, another writer who believes that Marco's bestselling novel was based on one of his ideas.
As Christmas Day approaches, a single boozy night culminates in two corpses, and Nicholas becomes convinced that the whole thing was a setup from the start.
With his signature slow burn and deft exploration into the dark corners of the human psyche, Swanson's latest mystery is a master class in twists and thrills. Dive into the story here, and find out: Can Nicholas uncover the truth before the killer strikes again?"
Swanson's previous Christmas novella, The Christmas Guest, is a favorite of mine, so I can't wait to curl up under my Christmas tree and read this newest one.
Sisters Take All by Amelia Diane Coombs
Published by: Thomas and Mercer
Publication Date: October 6th, 2026
Format: Hardcover, 269 Pages
To Buy
The official patter:
"In a gleefully self-deprecating mystery, three estranged sisters meet in LA for the making of a documentary, learning the depth of their family dysfunction is nothing compared to social media obsession.
Another long weekend, another family reunion for the Finch sisters. This time, Venice Beach is calling, and with it, a film about Maeve's glamorous career as an influencer. Remi and Eliana show up for moral support, but it's not long before things start to feel wrong. Again.
For starters, documentarian Nadia Cullen bears an uncanny resemblance to Maeve - from her hairstyle down to her signature scent. Chalk it up to superfan behavior, maybe, but the weekend is far from over, and every day seems to bring something new to worry about.
Now, Remi may be prone to worry, but this is more than her anxiety disorder talking. The Finch sisters have secrets that need to stay buried between them. And with Nadia in the guesthouse and at their heels, things are starting to get too close for comfort.
If they're not careful, this behind-the-scenes documentary could take a sharp turn into true crime.
Perhaps it already has..."
Nadia is obviously going to kill someone or accidentally be murdered right?
A Serving of Hope by Hisashi Kashiwai
Published by: G.P. Putnam's Sons
Publication Date: October 6th, 2026
Format: Hardcover, 224 Pages
To Buy
The official patter:
"Discover new delicious mysteries in this fourth installment in The Kamogawa Food Detectives series, the beloved Japanese bestseller and celebration of the healing power of food.
If I hadn't searched for the 'flavors' of my memories, I think I would have spent my life endlessly chasing the past...
Down a Kyoto alleyway, near Higashi Honganji Temple, the Kamogawa Diner attracts lost souls. The father-daughter "food detective" duo of Chef Nagare and Detective Koishi help their clientele who seek meaning in their lives by helping them access lost memories through the food of their past.
From the onigiri gifted alongside cherished promises to the ginger pork that became a memory of unrequited love, the not-too-sour chilled noodles from grandma's house, and the macaroni gratin shared by a father and young son for the last time, there is no dish or memory too complex for father and daughter.
Welcome to another delicious mystery. The Kamogawa Diner is a tonic for the soul, and its customers will leave with a warm belly and a full heart."
I'm seeking a very specific blueberry muffin for my Dad...
Murder at the Movies by Alicia Malone
Published by: Running Press Adult
Publication Date: October 6th, 2026
Format: Paperback, 304 Pages
To Buy
The official patter:
"A Hitchcock movie screening turns fatal when a recent transplant to New England discovers a dead body on opening night of the movie palace she's just inherited. A thrilling first entry in a cozy mystery series by Turner Classic Movies host Alicia Malone.
When Audrey Sullivan moves to Pine Island to take over her family's theater, the Starlight Movie Palace, following the death of her grandmother, not everyone is thrilled with her arrival. A mysterious note is left at her doorstep telling her to return to L.A. While she's a little spooked, Audrey is all the more determined to make opening night a success. But when the movie ends and the lights go on, there's more than popcorn to clean up...
Liam Ross, a wealthy and ruthless real estate developer, is found dead in the theater. The local police insist on shutting down the Starlight until they complete their investigation. With the theater's future on the line, Audrey takes it upon herself to solve Liam's murder. But in a town where everyone is a suspect, where does she begin?"
Because of my obsessive following of Christopher Golden and his obsession with TCM, I heard about Alicia Malone transitioning to movie themed murder mysteries. I CAN NOT WAIT to get my hands on this book.
The Paris Files by Eva Jurczyk
Published by: Pamela Dorman Books
Publication Date: October 6th, 2026
Format: Hardcover, 336 Pages
To Buy
The official patter:
"Told entirely through police interviews, this stylish, sophisticated thriller captures the disastrous aftermath of Parisian rendezvous following the disappearance of a new lover.
Genie St. Onge's heart is broken more often than it's not - but that doesn't stop her from diving in head-first when she meets Jacob Ford. Their connection is instantaneous and consuming, and they agree to meet again in Paris. In a heady mix of sugared pastries and rumpled bedsheets, they begin plotting their future together. In the dreamy apartment they're renting in the 11th arrondissement, they become intoxicated by each other.
Until Jacob disappears.
Genie knows Jacob would never leave her. Not by choice. When phone calls to hospitals turn up nothing, she grows convinced that someone must have taken him. It's the only explanation.
Under the scrutiny of the French police, however, Genie's story doesn't quite hold up - and it sounds like Jacob might not be all he seems, either. Through police interviews with Genie and nearby residents of the 11th arrondissement, the truth remains elusive. She swears she has no idea what happened to Jacob - so why doesn't her story align with anyone else's?"
Fabrication or something far deeper and more dangerous?
The Worst Is Yet to Come by Trish Lundy
Published by: Henry Holt and Co. (BYR)
Publication Date: October 6th, 2026
Format: Hardcover, 384 Pages
To Buy
The official patter:
"From the author of The One That Got Away with Murder comes a fresh YA mystery about a girl who survives a murder attempt and the boy who finds her bleeding on the side of the road as they team up to find out who is targeting teen girls in their small, Rust Belt community. Perfect for fans of Holly Jackson and Karen M. McManus.
High school might be officially over, but the real nightmare is just beginning. When two best friends are attacked on graduation night, only one of them makes it out alive.
Left for dead at an abandoned house but determined to find out who killed her best friend, Rose is rescued by former high school quarterback and heartthrob, Jake, who becomes an unexpected ally...and maybe something more. But when she learns that seventeen years ago, another girl suffered the exact same fate in the exact same place, she wonders if a murderer might be back with a vengeance...or is a copycat killer on the loose?
Time is running out, because whoever the killer is, they're eager to correct their biggest mistake: letting Rose live. As Rose follows the trail of evidence, she's led down a path of horrors that threatens to expose the insidious secrets at the heart of her community - secrets the killer will do anything to keep quiet."
Obviously the killer is therefore someone with power...
The Girl in the Lake by James Patterson and Brian Sitts
Published by: Little Brown and Company
Publication Date: October 6th, 2026
Format: Hardcover, 352 Pages
To Buy
The official patter:
"An icy thriller from the world's #1 bestselling author, James Patterson.
At a frozen lakeside crime scene, a corpse carries an accusatory note: "If anything happens to me, arrest Brendan Holmes."
Mysteries trail Brendan Holmes, Margaret Marple, and Auguste Poe wherever they go. At a remote lodge in upstate New York, the embattled private investigators have taken refuge from the assailant who bombed their sleek city headquarters.
When the discovery of a body in the lake puts the detectives back in the headlines and under suspicion, the elusive killer issues his despicable orders: stop solving crimes - and start committing them."
Would it be that wrong to commit a few crimes in order to survive?
Where There's Smoke by Rachel Louise Adams
Published by: Minotaur Books
Publication Date: October 6th, 2026
Format: Hardcover, 320 Pages
To Buy
The official patter:
"Following the USA Today bestselling series debut, No Rest for the Wicked, Rachel Louise Adams returns with Where There's Smoke.
A lot has happened in Dolores Hawthorne's life since the events of last Halloween. She's divorced, traded being a forensic pathologist for a job as a medical examiner, and now lives in small-town Wisconsin, close - but not too close - to her family.
Dolores doesn't have much in the way of work, but that all changes when a body is found at the local slaughterhouse. Benedict Marcy owned Marcy's Meats, and is affectionately called Mr. Mercy across the region. This high-profile case quickly catches the attention of Dolores's friends at the FBI.
From the very beginning, this case is full of contradictions and surprises, and the team quickly learns someone is willing to go to extreme lengths to stop them from finding out the truth behind Benedict Marcy's murder."
First, I'm here for anything set in Wisconsin. I am the state's official arbiter of accuracy. Second, that cover is wicked creepy. I love it.
The Chain House by J.H. Markert
Published by: Crooked Lane Books
Publication Date: October 6th, 2026
Format: Hardcover, 336 Pages
To Buy
The official patter:
"A dangerous cult leader, days away from execution, reveals he is the famous author behind a bestselling series. With his death, the final, unpublished manuscript - and the crucial evidence it contains - will never see the light of day.
In the tradition of Stephen King, this multi-POV, page-turning horror thriller from author J.H. Markert is packed with mind-bending twists.
Days before his execution, notorious mass murderer Sal Batise, known as the Breaker of Chains by his cult followers, grants an unlikely interview to a young filmmaker, Sam Harper.
This interview could launch Sam's career. But his carefully planned questions - including the one about the recently kidnapped governor's wife - fall apart when Batise seizes control.
On live TV, Batise claims that he is Mallard Malone, the anonymous author of a blockbuster thriller series. Stay his execution, and he'll release the final unpublished manuscript that holds the key to finding his victims' bodies.
Meanwhile, a ransom note arrives with a single demand to save the governor's wife: Batise's execution must go on as planned.
Desperate for more information, Sam teams up with Jennifer Daley, a childhood survivor of Batise's cult, to locate the missing manuscript and uncover the truth behind their own ties to Batise.
As fiction and reality collide, a deadly chain of events leads to a race against time to stop an execution that could have catastrophic consequences on the world."
Can you imagine the auction for the rights to publish that book!?!
Portrait of a Haunting by Madison Tyler Nelson
Published by: Berkley
Publication Date: October 6th, 2026
Format: Hardcover, 352 Pages
To Buy
The official patter:
"After fearing it all her life, a young woman embraces her ability to see ghosts after a murder occurs that appears dangerously linked to her past.
To Tatum Alexander, the Sight - her ability to see spirits - has always been more of an affliction than a gift. Having inherited the power from her mother, Amarina, an infamous artist known for murdering her lover and using his blood for her final painting, Tatum has been reluctant to step into her talent or even get close to the man she loves.
She's been able to find a safe space to hide her Sight with the largest witch coven in Manhattan and her best friend, Mischa. But when Mischa is murdered, the act eerily connected to Amarina's own crime, a traumatized Tatum must reckon with both the loss and the sudden surge of spirits vying for her attention and her life.
The spirits have a message: the murderer is coming for her next and a price must be paid. To learn the truth of her past and catch the killer she'll have to rely on her loved ones' helping hands - some witchy friends, the man who won't let her go, and her eternally perplexing mother - in order to embrace her Sight while keeping them all safe.
The clues will lead Tatum to a dangerous secret that Amarina has spent decades trying to keep. And when the secret is out, Tatum will be forced to risk it all."
But hopefully no more paintings in blood. Only creeps like Thomas Kinkade to that. Seriously. Google it.
Thirst by Darren Simpson
Published by: Pushkin Children's Books
Publication Date: October 6th, 2026
Format: Paperback, 288 Pages
To Buy
The official patter:
"Perfect for fans of Stranger Things, this chilling new Young Teen Lit novel uncovers a cursed river and a village's dark secret.
The North American debut of 2-time UK Carnegie Medal nominee Darren Simpson.
Nobody talks about the strange happenings in Maimsbury. No one speaks of the hooded figures glimpsed in the woods, nor the children's game that went so horribly wrong. But most of all, nobody dares whisper their doubts about the river they have worshipped for centuries.
Like everyone in Maimsbury, Gorse is used to the sacrifices made every spring to the River Yeelde. The life of a farm animal - in return for a year of plenty - seems a fair trade. That is, until a tragedy leads him to a blood-curdling discovery.
Because this year is a Brim Year, and after giving so much, the river needs more than an animal's life to sate its thirst...
Thirst is a gloriously spooky, folklore-inspired novel perfect for YA horror fans. Blending page-turning storytelling with powerful social commentary, 2-time UK Carnegie Medal nominee Darren Simpson delivers a savage critique on how we justify sacrificing others for our own good, and the importance of pushing back against the status quo when it is harmful or outdated.
Brilliant and bloodthirsty, this breathless narrative creeps up on you just like the infernal river that encaptures Maimsbury's inhabitants in its deadly thrall."
How many times was he nominated for the UK Carnegie Medal again? Also, are there still fans of Stranger Things?
Dive Bad at the End of the Road by Kelley Armstrong
Published by: St. Martin's Press
Publication Date: October 6th, 2026
Format: Hardcover, 288 Pages
To Buy
The official patter:
"Final Destination meets The Cabin at the End of the World in this supernatural horror from New York Times bestselling author Kelley Armstrong, in which a series of car accidents traps a group of strangers at a dive bar.
A forested road at night, slick from the pounding rain and eerily illuminated by flashes of lightning. Just before midnight, a car swerves to avoid something - or someone - mysteriously standing in the road, only to slam into a fallen tree instead. In the pitch black, four more cars follow in a pileup no one can seem to avoid.
Stumbling out of the wreckage, soaked from the rain and nursing various injuries, five strangers find themselves in a backwoods dive bar, waiting for daybreak and hoping for cell service. But as tensions rise and the storm rages on outside, the occupants of the dive bar start to notice that not everything is as it seems. Time is moving differently, and they quickly learn that going outside - whether to assist another accident victim or to hike for help - is a very bad idea.
There's something in the woods, something that isn't natural. Could the figure in the road have been a warning? Or something more sinister? None of this is normal, and they'll need to work together to figure out what's happening if they have any hope of surviving the night."
Oh yes, supernatural locked room with apocalypse vibes!
Other Worlds Than These by Stephen King and Peter Straub
Published by: Scribner
Publication Date: October 6th, 2026
Format: Hardcover, 704 Pages
To Buy
The official patter:
"Jack Sawyer, a beloved and enduring King protagonist, returns in the final book in the Talisman Trilogy, the #1 New York Times bestselling collaboration between "master craftsmen" (The Washington Post) Stephen King and Peter Straub.
This is Stephen King and Peter Straub's epic and unforgettable finale to the Talisman Trilogy (including the novels Talisman and Black House) and a wrapping up of the fate of the worlds in King's iconic, fiercely beloved Dark Tower epic. It is also a magnificent stand-alone novel, that will appeal to new readers, as well as to King's Constant Readers.
Other Worlds Than These is the story of Jack Sawyer, whom readers first met when he was twelve, crossing America and "the territories" to save his mother's life, and met again in Black House, where Jack faces a child killer and the Crimson King (among other evils). In Other Worlds Than These, Jack must stop a rampaging gang of infected teenagers from America-side, and the forces of the mysterious Gullet at the edge of Mid-World, before it destroys our world and all worlds. Jack is older now; his Ka-tet (echoing the world of Roland) is fraying; and his task, nearly impossible.
Magnificent, riveting, full of heart, and humor, Other Worlds Than These is a spectacular, propulsive adventure, and features thirty-six exclusive black-and-white illustrations by artist Gabriel Rodriguez. The title instantly announces to readers who already know these other worlds that King has returned to them. Other Worlds Than These will appeal to new King readers and his Constant Readers."
I love that King is collaborating with Gabriel Rodriguez again.
Dead Teenagers by Jude Ellison S. Doyle and Caitlin Yarsky
Published by: Oni Press
Publication Date: October 6th, 2026
Format: Paperback, 136 Pages
To Buy
The official patter:
"FOR FIVE FRIENDS, THE HORRORS OF HIGH SCHOOL LITERALLY NEVER END!
Since 1997, five friends have been trapped in the ultimate nightmare as a mysterious entity forces them to relive their first prom night over and over again...and re-kills them in new and increasingly insane ways each time. They dress up. They party. They make out. And no matter what they try to change, they always die...until now. Something is about to break the cycle that has kept Alicia, J.T., Ryder, Brandy, and their group of friends locked in a bizarre purgatory beyond all understanding...but what they find on the other side will be the most disturbing revelation of all.
Hell is the '90s in this brash and brutal, genre-distorting ode to the generation that gave us Scream and Buffy the Vampire Slayer - and what's become of them since - as GLAAD Award-nominated writer Jude Ellison S. Doyle (Maw, Be Not Afraid) and hyper-talented artist Caitlin Yarsky (Black Hammer Reborn, EC's Cruel Universe) unleash the year's most clever and compulsively page-turning horror thriller.
Collects Dead Teenagers #1–5."
As someone who had just graduated high school in 1997, this is indeed hell. The kind you love to read about and never experience.
Victorious by V.E. Schwab
Published by: Tor Books
Publication Date: October 6th, 2026
Format: Hardcover, 592 Pages
To Buy
The official patter:
"The triumphant conclusion to the Villains series from V. E. Schwab, the #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue and Bury Our Bones in the Midnight Soil.
Eli Ever. Victor Vale.
Two men, first best friends, then mortal enemies, each destined to be the other's shadow.
One left standing - but the game isn't over yet.
Against all the years - and the odds - a group of allies and arch rivals meet on a chess board set by an opponent they couldn't have predicted...to see who will be victorious."
Time for a reread! And yes, that includes the awesome comic.
The Blood Queen by Sara Raasch and Beth Revis
Published by: Sourcebooks Fire
Publication Date: October 6th, 2026
Format: Hardcover, 304 Pages
To Buy
The official patter:
"In this stunning sequel to The Crimson Throne, Alyth and Samson must infiltrate the fae court to prepare to face the bloodthirsty army of the High Blade who is intent on destroying both the mortal and fae worlds. From the New York Times bestselling authors of the Witch and Hunter duology, Sara Raasch and Beth Revis, comes the conclusion to this incredible romantasy duology.
Alyth and Samson finally know the identity of the High Blade, leader of the bloodthirsty Red Cap army, and it's someone they never suspected. They'll use every bit of courage, smarts, and luck they have to escape her grasp and flee to the fae court, where they hope to find aid in the fight against the Red Caps.
But the fae princes have been apathetic since the Faerie Queen disappeared years ago at the hands of the High Blade. They seem unwilling to help. And if they find out Samson's true identity, he'll be killed and Alyth banished.
Alyth and Samson can only depend on each other and their love as they navigate fae politics, try to win allies, search for the missing queen, and face down the greatest threat the two worlds have ever known."
Anyone who things human politics are out of control obviously has never read about fae politics.
Hallowed Bones by Lucy Smoke
Published by: St. Martin's Griffin
Publication Date: October 6th, 2026
Format: Paperback, 384 Pages
To Buy
The official patter:
"The first in the Sons of Salem series - a seductive, dark why-choose romance filled with cursed bloodlines, secret societies, and a powerful heroine destined to save the coven.
Four men. One woman. Five families accused of witchcraft. A dark desire they all share.
I was warned to stay away from the Sons of Salem. Not because they're monsters - but because they're broken enough to recognize one.
Ezra Bishop.
Cameron Goode.
Lyall Corey.
Reyes Scott.
And me - Haven Wardwell.
Legacies. Witches. Something far worse than myths.
Now that I'm here, there's no telling what the Gods will ask for in return.
Ghosts haunt the corridors of Ipswich College, and if I'm not careful, I might just become one of them."
Why-choose romances are really hot right now. In more ways than one.
What Feeds Below by Tatiana Schlote-Bonne
Published by: Bindery Books
Publication Date: October 6th, 2026
Format: Paperback, 266 Pages
To Buy
The official patter:
"The darkness isn't empty. It's hungry.
At the edge of the City of the Void, a massive chasm extends miles into the earth, its treacherous terrain overrun with vicious monsters and carnivorous plants. For orphaned best friends Petra and Jade, guiding treasure-seeking tourists down into the Void is the only way to earn enough to pull themselves up out of the slums for good.
Petra prefers to play it safe and take jobs only in the Void's upper levels, where the dangers are better understood, while Jade wants to risk a descent to the deepest and most mysterious Sixth Layer. Because the deeper they go, the better the payout, and the sooner their dreams can become reality. Their friendship is Petra's whole world, and Jade's approval means everything - so Petra agrees to do it Jade's way.
When their job goes wrong and Jade is lost in the Void, Petra must plunge deeper than she's ever dared to save her friend. But she doesn't know the truth of the Void...or what really waits for her in its depths."
Yeah, I would probably just write off my friend and avoid the Void.
Wondrous by Heather Fawcett
Published by: Random House/Disney
Publication Date: October 6th, 2026
Format: Hardcover, 368 Pages
To Buy
The official patter:
"Timed to the 75th anniversary of Disney's enduring classic Alice in Wonderland, this young adult sequel follows teenaged Alice on a curious new adventure down the rabbit hole, many years after her first visit to Wonderland.
Wonderland is a world of Alice's own. Or is it?
Years after her first tumble down the rabbit hole, Alice returns to Wonderland for good. As a young woman with limited options in 19th century London, only Wonderland can grant her the freedom she craves, like the chance to open a traveling magical tea shop.
Even though Alice expects madness from familiar faces like Hatter, Hare, and the Cheshire Cat, she doesn't expect to meet another real-world teenager - one who claims she is the "true" Alice and the first adventurer to explore Wonderland. Soon, the Queen of Hearts' soldiers capture both girls and bring them to the castle, and more startling truths come to light: dozens of other so-called "Alices" have appeared in Wonderland, too.
Based on a strange prophecy, the Queen believes one Alice is destined to save Wonderland from utter peril: three ghastly mock dragons who have invaded from another realm. Whoever can stop the mock dragons will be named "The Alice"...while the others will be exiled, never allowed to return.
Determined to secure Wonderland's future and her own, Alice sets out on a daring quest, equipped only with her enchanted tea set. Hesitant to trust any other Alices, she forms a tenuous alliance with a strange boy with a connection to the fearful jabberwocks of lore. But is Alice truly the Alice in Wonderland, or a mere footnote in another heroine's story?"
Now, normally I'd be like, no one is allowed to touch the sacred Alice. BUT it's Heather Fawcett.... So I can't wait.
Legends and Lattes: The Graphic Novel by Travis Baldree, Samuel Sattin, Shanti Rittgers, and Sarah Webb
Published by: Ten Speed Graphic
Publication Date: October 6th, 2026
Format: Hardcover, 208 Pages
To Buy
The official patter:
"A stunning graphic novel adaptation of the New York Times bestselling BookTok sensation and beloved cozy fantasy Legends and Lattes.
After a lifetime of bounties and bloodshed, Viv is hanging up her sword. The battle-weary orc aims to start afresh, opening the city of Thune's first-ever coffee shop. But old and new rivals stand in the way of success, not to mention the fact that no one has the faintest idea what coffee actually is.
If Viv wants to put the blade behind her and make her dreams a reality, she won't be able to go it alone. After all, the true rewards of an uncharted path are the travelers you meet along the way. And whether they are drawn together by ancient magic, flaky pastry, or a freshly brewed cup - Viv may find something deeper here than she ever imagined...
This full-color graphic novel adaptation brings the high fantasy and low stakes of this beloved story to vibrant life as it's never been seen before."
I am here for anything Legends and Lattes. ANYTHING. Especially the pastries.
The Dues and Don'ts of Magic by Delemhach
Published by: S and S/Saga Press
Publication Date: October 6th, 2026
Format: Hardcover, 384 Pages
To Buy
The official patter:
"The Spellshop meets Legends and Lattes in this new cozy romantic fantasy trilogy about magic gone wrong by the bestselling author of The House Witch series!
Spidena Kettle runs a quiet magic shop at the edge of town, selling just enough spells and potions to keep herself afloat - and out of trouble - when Benthrop Hozel enters her shop one day. On the run from the nefarious sort, he simply wishes to be forgotten by his pursuers. In exchange, he promises a favor to Spidena.
Such a deal could have dire consequences if Ben is unable to fulfill his end of the bargain. Not that the witch is overly concerned - after all, there's no risk to her making such an arrangement with a normal human. Only Ben may be more than he seems. With their fates forcibly intertwined for a full journey, Spidena and Ben must not only evade their enemies and use precious magical resources to get by, but confront the secrets they've long kept…that is, if they can manage to stop getting on each other's last nerve for long enough to do so."
In worlds with magic just don't make deals. It's too risky.
The Hearth Witch's Guide to Spite and Spellwork by Kiri Callaghan
Published by: Poisoned Pen Press
Publication Date: October 6th, 2026
Format: Paperback, 448 Pages
To Buy
The official patter:
""I suggest you brush up on your hexes, babes. Sounds like you got a nasty one on your hands."
As the bastard child of the late Erlking, Detective Avery Hemlock is used to being alone. Two-hundred years ago, she preferred it. But after endangering Saga Trygg's life by involving her in a case, Avery must choose solitude for Saga's safety. For once, alone is starting to feel a lot more like lonely.
Following her grandmother's murder, and the discovery of the fey world, Saga is trying to find direction, heal, and figure out where she fits in in this new version of normal. Though she longs to enlist Avery's help, after jeopardizing their last case together and nearly getting herself killed, she knows it's best she stay out of the detective's way.
But when the death of a local witch might be the result of a vicious revenge hex, the enigmatic circumstances and puzzle are too curious to keep them apart. With a case bigger than it appears, the two must uncover secrets even the Winter Council wants to keep.
Nothing is initially as it seems, even the truths they themselves have held for years."
When fate brings you back together, embrace it.
Jem and The Holograms Book One by Kelly Thompson, Sophie Campbell, and Emma Vieceli
Published by: BOOM!Box
Publication Date: October 6th, 2026
Format: Paperback, 320 Pages
To Buy
The official patter:
"It's showtime, Synergy! Friendship and romance take center stage in the outrageous series for fans of Josie and the Pussycats, Cheetah Girls, and K-Pop Demon Hunters!
Jerrica Benton and her sisters Kimber, Aja, and Shana dream of musical stardom, but stage fright keeps Jerrica from stepping fully into the spotlight. When they discover their father's secret invention, their world changes forever as Jem and the Holograms are born! Suddenly, they're ready to play…if they can survive the competition from their ruthless rivals, the Misfits.
From acclaimed writer Kelly Thompson and celebrated artists Sophie Campbell and Emma Vieceli, this vibrant reimagining of the beloved '80s phenomenon is a must-read for devoted fans and newcomers to the pop sensation!
Collects Jem and the Holograms #1-10, along with bonus B-side content including the Annual, Holiday, and Valentine specials."
Devoted fan. FYI.
Radio Free Texas by Libba Bray
Published by: Scholastic Press
Publication Date: October 6th, 2026
Format: Hardcover, 400 Pages
To Buy
The official patter:
"From beloved bestselling author Libba Bray, a story of love, rock n' roll, and sex (in that order) in 1980s Texas.
Bowie is a little bit lost in his small Texas town. As he starts his senior year, the only thing he's pretty sure of is that he has a crush on Comet Jensen, a girl who's such a firecracker that she actually sets off a firecracker on the first day of school.
Since Comet is one wrong move away from getting expelled, Bowie steps in and takes the blame for the stunt. His punishment? Community service at a local radio station run by an anti-social, antiestablishment anti-hero named Marlon. Suddenly, Bowie finds he not only has something to do, but he also has something to say. And, possibly, a future with Comet.
In the tradition of The Perks of Being a Wallflower, Eleanor and Park, and any other book or movie that's nailed what it's like to be lost and then found when you're in high school, this is a funny, touching story about how growing up, like love, is never a solo project."
If your name is Bowie you HAVE to end up working at a local radio station. It's the law.
The Fire Born by Deborah Hufford
Published by: Koehler Books
Publication Date: October 6th, 2026
Format: Hardcover, 422 Pages
To Buy
The official patter:
"The untold story of the deadliest fire in American history.
In 1871, the Lake Michigan shoreline is a tinderbox of ambition and drought. Delia, a Swedish orphan, now lives in a rugged Wisconsin lumber-camp brothel. Her only solace is Big Mo, a verse-quoting lumberjack fleeing his own violent past who sees the soul beneath her hardship.
Their fates are inextricably bound to William Butler Ogden, the "Richest Man in the West" and Chicago's first mayor, whose empire of rail and timber unknowingly provides the tinder for the coming inferno. Zelda, an enigmatic circus lion tamer, becomes a haunting muse to William and a link between his high-society empire and the struggles of frontier folk like Delia and Mo.
As the deadliest firestorm in American history consumes Peshtigo and levels Chicago, Delia, Mo, and Zelda are thrust into a harrowing fight for survival, while William must reckon with his part in the apocalypse that threatens to swallow everyone he loves.
The Fire Born recounts the forgotten Peshtigo catastrophe and the Chicago fire the same night through the eyes of those who lived it, tracing the journey of resilient spirits who find their true strength in the flames and rise from the ashes of disaster."
If you're from Wisconsin you've never forgotten Peshtigo. Chicago and it's cow just overshadowed it.
A Mansion of Her Own by Nona Footz with Audrey Clare Farley
Published by: Grand Central Publishing
Publication Date: October 6th, 2026
Format: Hardcover, 272 Pages
To Buy
The official patter:
"For fans of Vanderbilt and The Last Castle, a riveting biography of the reclusive heiress who became a fairy godmother to twentieth-century artists while intently guarding her own secrets.
In 1918, at twenty-three, Alice Delamar inherited the vast fortune of her mining magnate father, reportedly becoming the richest maiden of her time. She was swiftly hounded by the press, who wanted to know: Would she assume her father's famed Pembroke Estate? What would she do with all that money? And most importantly, whom would she marry?
Determined to evade the public eye, Alice built sprawling, tree-covered estates, where she mixed with acclaimed figures like Vladimir Nabokov, Salvador Dali, Ludwig Bemelmans, George Balanchine, and Eva Le Gallienne. Behind a wall of her own making, she lived a life that hardly would have suited high society, also keeping the confidences of the cascade of characters who came to populate her compounds - in some cases, before being dramatically cast out of paradise.
After learning of Alice in a biography of La Gallienne, Nona Footz was spellbound. Who was this woman, and what was she hiding? She spent the next decade rummaging through musty attics and traveling to far-flung cities in search of a manuscript that Alice was rumored to have left behind. What she found, especially among Alice's surviving posse, took her breath away.
A Mansion of Her Own is an illuminating portrait of the mysterious millionairess, as well as an exploration of the ways that the dead push and pull the living. Tender and probing, it's an unforgettable story about what we hide and what we seek - both from others and ourselves."
I'd like to be a mysterious millionairess please.
The Housekeeper by Rose Tremain
Published by: Harper
Publication Date: October 6th, 2026
Format: Hardcover, 320 Pages
To Buy
The official patter:
"In this enthralling novel - already in production as a major movie starring Anthony Hopkins, Helena Bonham Carter, Catriona Balph and Emma Laird - the award-winning author of Absolutely and Forever and The Road Home brilliantly reimagines Daphne du Maurier, and the origins of her timeless bestseller Rebecca.
This daring and emotional tale of an illicit affair is narrated by a Mrs. Danowski, known as Danni, who is hired as housekeeper at Manderville Hall, Lord Grenville-Whithers' mansion on the wild coast of Cornwall. A loyal and lonely woman troubled by childhood memories of alienation, Danni dreams of finding love.
Those dreams are fulfilled when Daphne du Maurier arrives at Manderville Hall for lunch with Grenville-Whithers. Succumbing to her secret sexual desire for women, Daphne begins a love affair with Danni, meeting on the housekeeper's days off in the secluded boathouse at Manderville Cove. For both women, this forbidden passion is both beautiful and terrifying.
But of course such a love cannot last - and both Danni and Daphne must deal with the aftermath of their passion. While Danni struggles to find a new place in the world, Daphne reconfigures the experience into her most famous work, Rebecca, with surprising results."
Daphne really didn't need much encouragement to "succumb." She was sleeping with her father's mistress.
