strange and random happenstance

Stone and Sky by Ben Aaronovitch
Published by: DAW
Publication Date: July 8th, 2025
Format: Hardcover, 304 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
""This isn’t London. The rules are different up here..."

All Detective Sergeant Peter Grant wanted was a nice holiday up in Scotland.
He'll need one once this is over...

Sea: check.
Sand: some.
Sun: sort of - but that's not the only thing in the sky..."

Yes. It's finally here. The newest Rivers of London book. No London this time, but plenty of holiday fun in Scotland. Work can be fun right?

The Lavender Blade by E.L. Deards
Published by: She Writes Press
Publication Date: July 8th, 2025
Format: Paperback, 344 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"For readers who loved New York Times bestseller Gideon the Ninth, Deards delivers a queer speculative fiction novel about what happens when a con artist exorcist becomes possessed for real.

A pair of con artist demon exorcists scam the nation's wealthiest...until one of them is possessed for real.

Colton and Lucian make a living conning the desperate with fake exorcisms - Lucian is the charm, Colton the trick, and together, they've turned deception into survival. Their work is dangerous, their romance even riskier, but they've always found a way to stay ahead.

Until Lucian is truly possessed.

A powerful demon takes hold, twisting his body into something unnatural, horrific, wrong - and no priest, no con, no desperate lie can fix it. With time running out and Lucian slipping further away, Colton has no choice but to learn real magic, break every rule, and attempt the impossible.

Because if he fails, Lucian won't just be lost. He'll be something else entirely."

I mean, isn't that always the risk of faking being an exorcist? Getting possessed. For real.

The Frozen People by Elly Griffiths
Published by: Pamela Dorman Books
Publication Date: July 8th, 2025
Format: Hardcover, 304 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"Cold cases are a lot easier to solve when you can travel back in time to find new evidence. Unless, that is, you get stuck in the nineteenth century...

Ali Dawson and her cold case team investigate crimes so old, they're frozen - or so their inside joke goes. Nobody knows that her team has a secret: they can travel back in time to look for evidence.

The latest assignment sees Ali venture back farther than they have dared before: to 1850s London to clear the name of Cain Templeton, an eccentric patron of the arts. Rumor has it that Cain is part of a sinister group called The Collectors. Ali arrives in the Victorian era to another dead woman at her feet and far too many unanswered questions.

As the clock counts down, Ali becomes more entangled in the mystery, yet danger lurks around every corner. She soon finds herself trapped, unable to make her way back to her beloved son, Finn, who is battling his own accusations in the present day.

Could the two cases be connected? In a race through and against time, Ali must find out before it's too late."

I mean, I'd totally use time travel to solve crime. It's been a dream of mine. 

The Bone Hunters by Joanne Burn
Published by: Sphere
Publication Date: July 8th, 2025
Format: Paperback, 352 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"1824, and Lyme Regis is as tumultuous as the sea that surrounds it. When twenty-four-year-old Ada Winters - poor, peculiar and brilliant - uncovers a set of unusual fossils on the cliffs, she believes she has found the answer to her scientific frustrations and her family's financial struggles.

Meanwhile, Doctor Edwin Moyle has come to Dorset in search of the discovery that will place him amongst the greatest geologists of the age. What he finds instead is a strange young woman who seems to hold the key to everything he seeks.

But what is the creature that Ada and Edwin seek to unearth? And will it be their means to greatness, or destruction?"

I mean, this right here sounds like my dream holiday, so of course I'm going to read it!

Ascension by S.T. Gibson
Published by: Angry Robot
Publication Date: July 8th, 2025
Format: Hardcover, 400 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"From the international bestselling author of Evocation comes it's hotly anticipated and spellbinding sequel, where Rhys steps into his new role as High Priest. A magical read for lovers of traditional urban fantasy.

Ever since Rhys McGowan was a boy, he's only wanted two things: power and love.

Now, as High Priest of Boston's premiere Secret Society, husband to his adoring witch wife Moira, and partner to David - his psychic rival-turned-boyfriend, Rhys is finally at peace. But when a strange ritual rocks Boston's occult community, and opens the Society up to sabotage, Rhys delves even deeper into the dark world of demon-summoning. He's used to carrying the weight of the world on his shoulders, but the strain of managing so many spirits (not to mention the stress of his loved ones exploring other people) will push him to the brink.

As heaven and hell play tug of war for Rhys' soul, he'll have to face the greatest demon of all: his own insatiable ambition.

The second book in the bestselling Summoner's Circle series sees beloved characters return for an all new dark and enthralling adventure."

I mean, when disaster is one the doorstep talking about opening up your relationship isn't ideal.

The Bloodless Queen by Joshua Phillip Johnson
Published by: DAW
Publication Date: July 8th, 2025
Format: Hardcover, 464 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"Part ecological Orpheus and Eurydice myth and part Gothic thriller, discover this atmospheric near-future sci-fi novel about fae mysteries deep within strange nature preserves.

On the autumnal equinox of 1987, after fencing off half of the Earth's land for huge nature reserves called Harbors, the leaders of the world called on their peoples to celebrate. Then began the horror and the magic.

Everyone who died that day - all 132,329 of them - instead of going cold and still, turned odd and fae. They became mischievous and murderous, before disappearing into their nearest Harbor, never seen again. And each year after that on the autumnal equinox, the same terrible transformations would occur: the wretched dead not dying, but instead riddling and whispering of a faerie queen - bloodless and powerful - while fleeing into the wild confines of the Harbors.

In the present day, Evangeline and Calidore are working as fencers, government-employed protectors whose magical powers come from mysterious tattoos of prime numbers. When they aren't fixing the fences of the Midwest Harbor that separates the human world from Faerie or patrolling on the equinox, they are parents of an almost-seven-year-old daughter named Winnie.

But as the new year's autumnal equinox approaches, Evangeline and Calidore find themselves thrust into a vast conspiracy that stretches across governments, religions, and fencers worldwide. As they race to untangle this web of power and intrigue, they will need to confront the questions that have haunted the world since the fences were built:

What lies at the heart of the Harbors? Who waits there?"

I adore this cohesion of science and fantasy. 

The Telling by Alexandra Sirowy
Published by: Simon and Schuster Books for Young Readers
Publication Date: July 8th, 2025
Format: Hardcover, 416 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"A "haunting...addictive" (Publishers Weekly) novel about a teen who must delve into her past if she wants to live long enough to have a future when murders eerily similar to the dark stories her brother used to tell start happening in her hometown - now with updated text and a brand-new look!

You swore on summer.

Ben was Lana's world. He was her big brother, her best friend, her summer. And then he was murdered in a grisly carjacking, and her world ended.

Now, six months after Ben's death, Lana is trying to reinvent herself. She's found her way into the inner circle of popular kids, and the Lana she is now - bold, daring, brash, adventurous - barely resembles the shy, unpopular Lana she used to be.

And then a body turns up. At first, everyone thinks it's just a horrible accident. But when more corpses are discovered, Lana realizes the details of the murders eerily match the dark fairy tales Ben used to tell her - stories that only she and Ben knew.

Is Ben seeking vengeance from the grave? Or has a darker phantom from their past come to haunt Lana's present?"

It's gotta be a darker phantom!

The Rabbit Club by Christopher J. Yates
Published by: Hanover Square Press
Publication Date: July 8th, 2025
Format: Hardcover, 352 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"The author of Black Chalk, "the smart summer thriller you've been waiting for" (NPR), returns with a mesmerizing new novel about a dangerous secret society at Oxford University, and the first-year Literature student whose life begins to unravel in its shadow.

When Ali McCain, an eighteen-year-old from Los Angeles, is accepted at Oxford, it's a chance to fulfill his dreams. To study English literature in England; to meet true intellectuals; and to glimpse the life he might have lived had his father - British rock star Gel McCain, legendary frontman of the Pale Fires - not abandoned him and his mother when he was a toddler.

But not long after he arrives at the storied campus, Ali is drawn into a dark, disorienting world where events grow more and more curious by the day. Trading on his father's name, he gains entry into one of Oxford's oldest and most selective secret societies, the Saracens. As he immerses himself in this rarefied world, he inadvertently sets in motion a series of events that might culminate in disaster.

A mind-bending literary house of mirrors, replete with bookish allusions and Easter eggs ranging from Brideshead Revisited to King Lear, The Rabbit Club is an arresting work of dark academia by the category's finest writer."

I mean, seeing as we're in the middle of a dark academia celebration here hells yes to this book!

How to Survive a Horror Story by Mallory Arnold
Published by: Poisoned Pen Press
Publication Date: July 8th, 2025
Format: Hardcover, 368 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"Seven authors enter the manor.

Can they survive the story within?

When legendary horror author Mortimer Queen passes, a group of writers find themselves invited to his last will and testament reading expecting a piece of his massive fortune. Each have their own unique connection to the literary icon, some known, some soon to be discovered, and they've been waiting for their chance to step into the author's shoes for some time.

Instead, they arrive at his grand manor and are invited to play a game. The rules are simple, solve the riddle and progress to the next room. If they don't, the manor will take one of them for itself.

You see, the Queen estate was built on the bones of Mortimer's family, and like any true horror story, the house is still very, very hungry.

With the clever, locked-room thrills of Everyone in My Family Has Killed Someone with the ghostly horror of The Fall of the House of Usher, How to Survive a Horror Story is a bright, biting, thrill-ride that begs us to contemplate how the best horror stories come to be."

I mean, this, right here, is my idea of a good time. From the safety of my armchair of course.

Night Watcher by Daphne Woolsoncroft
Published by: Grand Central Publishing
Publication Date: July 8th, 2025
Format: Hardcover, 336 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"In what Jeneva Rose declares a "chilling and atmospheric" tale, Nola Strate, a late night radio host in Portland, Oregon, listens to stories of hauntings and cryptic sightings for a living. But one foggy evening, a caller describes an eerie scene that triggers memories of Nola's childhood escape from a serial killer, and she fears he's back to finish what he started. Nola Strate is being watched, again.

After an encounter with a notorious serial killer in the Pacific Northwest as a child, Nola has grown up and tried her best to forget her traumatizing night with the Hiding Man. She installed security cameras outside her Oregon home, never spoke of her experience, and now hosts Night Watch, a popular radio call-in show her semi-famous father used to run. When coincidences lead Nola to believe that she is being stalked, and a caller on Night Watch has a live incident with an intruder in the caller's home - the description of whom is chillingly familiar - Nola is convinced that the Hiding Man has resurfaced and is coming for her.

With a mysterious next-door neighbor lurking in the shadows, more people getting hurt, the police not taking her concerns seriously, and evidence pointing towards her own father, Nola decides to become, like her listeners, a Night Watcher herself, and uncover the monster behind the Hiding Man's mask."

I mean, if you really want to avoid stalkers perhaps being a late night radio host of the uncanny isn't the best thing to do...

The Woman in Suite 11 by Ruth Ware
Published by: Gallery/Scout Press
Publication Date: July 8th, 2025
Format: Hardcover, 400 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"In this follow-up to #1 New York Times bestselling author Ruth Ware's multi-million copy mega-hit The Woman in Cabin 10, Lo Blacklock returns to attend the opening of a luxury hotel, only to find herself in a white-knuckled race across Europe.

When the invitation to attend the press opening of a luxury Swiss hotel - owned by reclusive billionaire Marcus Leidmann - arrives, it's like the answer to a prayer. Three years after the birth of her youngest child, Lo Blacklock is ready to reestablish her journalism career, but post-pandemic travel journalism is a very different landscape from the one she left ten years ago.

The chateau on the shores of Lake Geneva is everything Lo's ever dreamed of, and she hopes she can snag an interview with Marcus. Unfortunately, he proves to be even more difficult to pin down than his reputation suggests. When Lo gets a late-night call asking her to come to Marcus's hotel room, she agrees despite her own misgivings. She's greeted, however, by a woman claiming to be Marcus's mistress, and in life-or-death jeopardy.

What follows is a thrilling cat-and-mouse pursuit across Europe, forcing Lo to ask herself just how much she's willing to sacrifice to save this woman...and if she can even trust her?"

I mean, Ruth Ware has become a household name since The Woman in Cabin 10 but until now she's never revisited those characters... Until now!

Like a Bullet by Andrew Cartmel
Published by: Titan Books
Publication Date: July 8th, 2025
Format: Paperback, 304 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"Humorous cosy-crime caper from the author of the beloved, bestselling Vinyl Detective series in which a feisty, amoral book dealer uses her unique skills to solve fiendish crimes. A love letter to Agatha Christie murder mysteries and classic whodunnits.

When Erik Make Loud, retired rock star and a major World War Two nut, hires Cordelia, the Paperback Sleuth, to track down a series of lurid paperbacks about his favourite global conflict - the "Commando" novels by the blatantly pseudonymous Butch Raider - it seems like a routine job. But Cordelia soon discovers the final novel in the series, the incredibly rare Commando Gold, is all but impossible to track down.

The books' creator - real name Monty Harrington, once a promising young poet and now a depraved drunk - proves easier to find. Writing pulp war stories didn't come naturally to Monty. Until he met someone who knew all about such stuff during a pub crawl; a genuine ex-commando who, for the price of a pint or two, was willing to provide Monty with authentic anecdotes.

Too authentic, it turns out...

Because Commando Gold reveals the details of a real-life commando mission.

At the time the mission was top secret.

And all these years later, someone is quite prepared to kill to keep it so."

Perfect synchronicity to have a new Andrew Cartmell book and a new Ben Aaronovitch book on the same day!

Stay Away from Him by Andrew DeYoung
Published by: Poisoned Pen Press
Publication Date: July 8th, 2025
Format: Paperback, 336 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"On the evening she met exonerated murderer Thomas Danver, Melissa Burke let him help put her five-year-old son to bed before coming back upstairs to enjoy the dinner party. Thomas was so nice, and a pediatrician. She didn't know anything then about his wife's suspicious death...

Relocating with her 5-year-old son to a new city after an ugly divorce, Melissa Burke isn't looking for a new relationship right away - only distance from her ex, and space to rest and heal from the emotional scars of a broken marriage. But an unexpected relationship is exactly what she finds at a friend's dinner party when she meets Thomas Danver, a charming widower who asks for her number at the end of the night. Intrigued, Melissa learns from her neighbors that Thomas is a dedicated father of two girls, one of the most respected pediatricians in the city - and an exonerated murderer.

Thomas's first wife went missing three years ago, presumed dead, and Thomas was eventually cleared of her murder in an investigation that became a local media sensation. But while some still believe he killed his wife, Melissa's friends insist that he was unfairly targeted by the police and couldn't hurt a fly. Attracted to Thomas and also fascinated by the case, Melissa agrees to one date - and finds herself quickly swept into an obsessive, whirlwind romance.

But when Melissa receives a chilling, anonymous threat - or perhaps it's a warning - she begins to question how much she truly knows about the man she's falling in love with. Is he really innocent?"

I think Melissa Burke has terrible taste in men.

The Myth Maker by Alie Dumas-Heidt
Published by: Crooked Lane Books
Publication Date: July 8th, 2025
Format: Hardcover, 320 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"Someone is killing women and staging their bodies in strange, evocative scenes in this Greek-mythology-inspired serial killer thriller perfect, for fans of Alex Michaelides and Tana French.

Cassidy Cantwell has devoted her life to becoming a detective, never forgetting the cold case that has influenced her entire career: the unsolved murder of her best friend. Cassidy tries to balance her demanding job with her suffocatingly close-knit family and her increasingly clingy boyfriend, but when a strange new murder case comes across her desk, she's determined to solve it, especially when it turns out the victim was the wife of her college ex-boyfriend.

While Cassidy's partner, Bryan, works to prove that her ex is their suspect, Cassidy can't shake the feeling that there's something more to the case that they're not seeing. After the medical examiner finds a strange ring among the victim's personal effects that the husband insists didn't belong to his wife, Cassidy is struck by similarly odd details from a previous crime scene - details that seem to have an uncanny connection to a Greek myth.

When another body attracts public attention and the FBI joins the hunt, the case gets increasingly complicated - and solving it seems further and further out of reach. With anonymous taunts about her best friend's death dragging her attention away, Cassidy finds herself pulled in different directions - sacrifice her personal life for the sake of her career, or put everything she has into finding years-old answers to a case that haunts her still.

And the killer behind the murders isn't done yet."

Maybe Cassidy can't move on until she finds the answers? I know I wouldn't.

The Finer Things by J.D. Barker and Kyle Dunn
Published by: Hampton Creek Press
Publication Date: July 8th, 2025
Format: Paperback, 384 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"His art will take your breath away.

In the shadows of 1950s New York, a brilliant mind teeters on the edge of madness. Edgar Maguire's sculptures are taking the art world by storm, but behind each masterpiece lies a horrifying secret.

When Fiona, the object of Edgar's lifelong obsession, reenters his life, it ignites a passion that blurs the lines between creation and destruction. As his art evolves into something terrifyingly beautiful, a trail of bodies begins to surface across the city.

Detective George Snyder is closing in, but can he unravel the connection between the murders and Edgar's rising star before it's too late?"

That intersection of art and murder is very Hannibal. I approve. 

Arsenic and Old Lies by Benedict Brown
Published by: Storm Publishing
Publication Date: July 8th, 2025
Format: Kindle, 319 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"A dead body in the study, a terrible wrong to put right, and a trail that leads to murder...

London, 1928. Mystery writer and amateur detective Marius Quin is reeling from his friend's murder in his own home. Forced to stay away from the case, he's in urgent need of distraction when fate points him towards Felicity Mortimer, a woman imprisoned for poisoning her husband fifteen years earlier.

Marius soon becomes convinced of Felicity's innocence, and when he discovers a key witness with his throat cut, it's clear that the real killer is still on the loose. Determined to uncover the truth, Marius drags his partner-in-crime-solving, Lady Bella Montague, (not to forget his basset hound, Percy) to a manor house deep within the New Forest. But what dark secrets are concealed at the picturesque estate where Felicity once lived?

As their search for answers stirs up more violence, can Marius and Bella expose a deadly plot before death stalks the halls of Rhinefield House...again?"

I'm obviously here for the house.

Miss Caroline Bingley, Private Investigator by Kelly Gardiner and Sharmini Kumar
Published by: HarperVia
Publication Date: July 8th, 2025
Format: Paperback, 368 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"In this imaginative cozy mystery, the search for a missing maid leads Miss Caroline Bingley from Jane Austen's beloved Pride and Prejudice into murder and mayhem in the gritty underbelly of Regency London.

Two years after her brother Charles Bingley weds Miss Jane Bennett, Miss Caroline Bingley is visiting her brother's country estate near Pemberley, the home of their best friends, Mr. and Mrs. Darcy. Restless and out of sorts, Caroline wonders if there's more to life than playing cribbage and paying calls on country neighbors.

When Georgiana Darcy's maid, Jayani disappears and Georgiana sets off to find her, Caroline races to to find them in London, where she stumbles on a shocking, cold-blooded murder. Reunited with Georgiana, the pair careen through the gritty, grimy underbelly of London, a world unfamiliar to two genteel aristocratic ladies. Assisted by Caroline's trusty manservant, Gordon, the tenacious Caroline demands answers of shady characters, police magistrates, and mysterious East India Company men to discover the killer. Their search will reveal the cost of Empire on India and its people...and Miss Bingley's incomparable powers of investigation.

As Caroline puts her superior new talents to work, she finds out exactly what an accomplished, independent woman with a sharp mind and a large fortune can achieve - even when pitted against secrets, scandal, and a murderer with no mercy."

No one ever doubted that Miss Caroline Bingley was smart, she always saw what others didn't, which makes her the perfect detective.

The Great Misfortune of Stella Sedgewick by S. Isabelle
Published by: Storytide
Publication Date: July 8th, 2025
Format: Hardcover, 352 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"Bridgerton meets The Davenports in this wildly entertaining standalone romance, following a young Black woman trying to balance her independence with her future in 1860s London's high society.

Stella Sedgwick is a lost cause.

Banished from etiquette lessons and unsure of her future, Stella dreams of a writing career and independence, but 1860s England offers little opportunity beyond marriage or servitude for a sharp-tongued, dark-skinned girl.

When her late mother's former employer summons Stella to London, he tells her of his intention to bequeath one of the family's great estates to her. It's a life-changing inheritance, but one that will precipitate a legal battle that would be easier if Stella were married. With her cousin Olivia by her side, Stella is thrust into London society and must navigate fashion and balls, insults and stares, and a rekindled connection to Nathaniel, her childhood best friend with a rakish reputation.

Beyond the marriage market, living in London presents intriguing opportunities to Stella, like picking up her mother's anonymous advice column to guide readers through upper-class perils. As new acquaintances are made and old secrets are uncovered, Stella must decide when to play by the rules, when to break them, and when to let herself follow her heart."

That cover and this story are just the summery breath of romantic air you've been waiting for.

The Homemade Gods by Rachel Joyce
Published by: The Dial Press
Publication Date: July 8th, 2025
Format: Hardcover, 336 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"With sparkling wit and insight, this powerful novel from the bestselling author of The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry reminds us that family is everything, even when it falls apart.

There is a heatwave across Europe, and four siblings have gathered at their family's lake house to seek answers about their father, a famous artist, who recently remarried a much younger woman and decamped to Italy to finish his long-awaited masterpiece.

Now he is dead. And there is no sign of his final painting.

As the siblings try to piece together what happened, they spend the summer in a state of lawlessness: living under the same roof for the first time in decades, forced to confront the buried wounds they incurred as his children, and waiting for answers. Though they have always been close, the things they learn that summer - about themselves - and their father - will drive them apart before they can truly understand his legacy. Meanwhile, their stepmother's enigmatic presence looms over the house. Is she the force that will finally destroy the family for good?

Wonderfully atmospheric, at heart this is a novel about the bonds of siblinghood - what happens when they splinter, and what it might take to reconnect them."

If you can't spend the summer in Italy feuding with family, this can transport you there!

Predatory Natures by Amy Goldsmith
Published by: Delacorte Press
Publication Date: July 8th, 2025
Format: Hardcover, 432 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"A teen girl's dream job aboard a luxury train derails when she discovers the strange cargo being transported - a mysterious and beautiful greenhouse - but its flowering façade may hide deadly thorns beneath, in this atmospheric and lush novel from the author of Those We Drown.

When Lara Williams gets a summer job aboard the luxury train the Banebury, she thinks she's landed a five-star escape from her past. Even after she learns that her ex-friend Rhys, who she definitely did not have feelings for before their relationship imploded, is one of her coworkers, she's determined to make things work.

But on the first day of their journey, the trip takes a strange turn. Two mysterious carriages filled with an array of beautiful and rare plants are attached to the Banebury in the middle of the night.

And with them comes a pair of siblings. Wealthy, mysterious, and charismatic, Gwen and Gwydion claim the plants they're transporting are for research, but Lara can't shake the feeling that there's something...otherworldly about the strange blooms. Something that will stop at nothing to ensure the Banebury never reaches its destination.

Soon Lara will learn: You can't outrun your troubles. You have to grab them by their roots. And if she can't unearth the secrets of the Banebury, they might drag her down for good..."

I would never want to work on a train, just three days on a train once and I couldn't even walk on solid ground without feeling it was trying to rise up and attack me.

Posted by Miss Eliza at 12:00 AM 0 comments  

Labels: Alie Dumas-Heidt, Amy Goldsmith, Andrew Cartmel, Andrew DeYoung, Ben Aaronovitch, Benedict Brown, Elly Griffiths, J.D. Barker, Kelly Gardiner, Kyle Dunn, Rachel Joyce, Ruth Ware, S. Isabelle, S.T. Gibson, Sharmini Kumar

The Hand on the Wall by Maureen Johnson
Published by: Katherine Tegen Books
Publication Date: January 21st, 2020
Format: Paperback, 384 Pages
Rating: ★★★★
To Buy

Dr. Irene Fenton might have been onto something before her recent immolation. As the Ellingham expert and the author of Truly Devious: The Ellingham Murders her hunches shouldn't be taken with a grain of salt. She believed there was a codicil to Albert Ellingham's will that stipulated that whoever found his daughter Alice, alive or dead, would inherent a large fortune so long as they were not members of Ellingham Academy's school board or somehow involved in her disappearance. And while Call Me Charles, the head of Ellingham Academy, informs Stevie that the codicil does not exist let alone mention the sum of ten million dollars Stevie has to wonder; a codicil would account for the crime spree on campus and it's environs. Why else were Hayes Major, Ellie Walker, and Dr. Irene Fenton killed in freak accidents? No one who was alive when the crime was perpetrated back in the thirties is alive today. Even the likelihood of Alice being alive and well is slim to none. So it comes down to the oldest motive in the world, greed. Someone believes in the codicil and they are willing to kill for it. But Stevie's life is in free fall. Her possibly, maybe boyfriend David has gotten himself beaten up in an attempt to derail his father's presidential ambitions. Her friends are dead. And yet she can't waste any brainpower on anything that isn't the case. It is consuming her. Much as Ellingham Academy is about to be consumed by snow. This blizzard is a once in a century storm and while Ellingham Academy was built to withstand the rigors of a Vermont winter this one might be too much to handle. The school is being evacuated and, due to all the recent tragedies, it will not be welcoming the students back after the storm clears. Ellingham Academy is closing it's doors. But Stevie isn't going anywhere. The case is here so she has to be here. Which means she's staying behind. Which means all her friends along with Dr. Fenton's nephew Hunter are staying behind. They have a killer to catch, a mystery to solve, and a presidential campaign to derail. It might be a lot for anyone else, but for Stevie and her friends it's just another day at Ellingham Academy. It's time to gather the suspects and bring her best Agatha Christie game face. She's about to solve the crime of the century. And who knows, maybe get a codicil conquest...

While this does nicely tie together all the loose threads and captures all the red herrings that Maureen Johnson has tossed about over three books I can't help but feel this volume was a little too contrived. I mean, I know that this series is about a bunch of overachieving teens who solve true crimes and build Rube Goldberg machines for fun, so it's not exactly grounded in reality, but the whole convenience of the blizzard and their absurd hiding out to avoid detection leading up to the denouement felt more Scooby-Doo than Hercule Poirot. But now that I start to think about Scooby-Doo way more than I ever have before, isn't it basically the same setup of an Agatha Christie novel with the pulling off of the mask being the revealing of the culprit in just a cheesier manner? OK, I'm totally now spiraling and rethinking everything about my life with these thoughts, meaning, I've never felt closer to Stevie. I'm with you there girl. Let's spiral together. I mean, I'd accepted the Shakespearean nature of Scooby-Doo thanks to Eddie Izzard, but this is a whole new way of thinking. And maybe I just shouldn't dwell. Maybe I should embrace the Scooby-Doo quality and say that The Hand on the Wall felt a tad trite and that's what's getting me. Because a lot of this book really works and as someone who was watching Scooby-Doo since before she could walk despite never bothering to actually think about it's story structure Maureen Johnson did something unexpected. She surprised me. When I read murder mysteries I almost always figure it out. My mind is built for puzzles and I just put two and two together. Even when I don't figure it out when the killer is revealed I'm kind of like not surprised but accepting, like, oh, this makes sense so of course they are the killer. I knew from about two pages in that Albert Ellingham's right hand man George Marsh orchestrated the whole thing. It was obvious. And the reasoning behind this was I was sure that he was Alice's father and that he and Iris were having an affair. But here's where it got deliciously complicated. George was Alice's father. He just didn't know. What's more Iris wasn't Alice's mother. Flora Robinson was. Bait and switch and I love it! It also adds the wonderful twist that while Stevie figured out everything, down to Alice's parentage, she isn't eligible to get the reward from the codicil, which was real! Why? Because Alice's DNA doesn't match either Ellingham. Because, well, it wouldn't. Genius.

Posted by Miss Eliza at 12:00 AM 0 comments  

Labels: Agatha Christie, Albert Ellingham, Blizzard, Codicil, Deaths, Eddie Izzard, Ellingham Academy, Hercule Poirot, Last Will, Maureen Johnson, Scooby-Doo, Shakespearean, Stevie Bell, Summer School, The Hand on the Wall, Truly Devious

The Hedge Witch by Cari Thomas
Published by: Voyager
Publication Date: June 6th, 2023
Format: Hardcover, 144 Pages
Rating: ★★★
To Buy (different edition than one reviewed)

Rowan's family is large and quirky. The Greenfinchs are part of the Wort Cummings grove, another mark of eccentricity against Rowan. Yet Rowan would turn her back on all that for a chance at being popular. She doesn't want to think about how she fits into her family or her grove, she wants to dream about her first kiss and boys. But dreams will have to wait as reality crashes in. She's going to be spending the summer tending to hedges. In Wales. Rowan should be pleased she's leaving the crowded homestead and spending the summer in the Welsh countryside helping her Aunt Winnie who is a hedge witch. After all, those hedges do need watching. But Rowan is convinced her socials need watching more. How else can she know what all her classmates are up to? And it's not like remote Welsh villages are known for their cell service. Though her mother insists they are known for their rugged and handsome boys, which Rowan does not want to hear about from her mother. Especially when she learns that her Aunt Winnie has a boyfriend, meaning Aunt Winifred officially has more of a life than herself. Remote Welsh villages also aren't known for their magic. Because magic is supposed to be locked down. There's a lid on it so that the non-magical folk, the cowans, don't learn of it's existence. And someone isn't playing by the rules in Coedyllaeth. And unbeknownst to Rowan she's about to fall in with them. There aren't many kids her age about and the few magical ones there are form a little band. A band that has their own rules. Laila seems to be the leader, a daughter of a Moon Sower who takes Rowan under her wing. As Rowan informs her, she is desperate for gossip. Any gossip. And that's how she learns about the the oddly quaint town that is chockablock with eccentrics, after all a remote Welsh village surrounded by mystical woodlands with plenty of space and privacy does attract them. What these secretive folk don't like is odd happenings. And they've been occurring. Words disappearing from signs, hands disappearing from clocks. Things that could be written off as vandalism but that others would say is magic. They need to stop. And Rowan might be the only one who can stop them. Maybe summer won't be so boring after all?

When you find a series you love it's hard to wait for each volume to be completed. It might feel like eons when it's just a year or two. We're not bringing George R.R. Martin of Patrick Rothfuss into this conversation. Obviously. And I feel a bit of a hypocrite mentioning this in regard to Cari Thomas's The Language of Magic series because I binged all three available books one after the other last summer. It took me about a month and as I'm writing this review I am feeling the need to do a reread to stave off the withdrawal but will probably save that for when the next book in the main series is minimally announced. Because Cari Thomas is a thoughtful author and besides the man tetraology she is writing a companion prequel novella tetraology with each volume focusing on one of our heroines, Anna Everdell, Effie Fawkes, Rowan Greenfinch, and Miranda Richardson. As I type this I am awaiting the shipping notification for the second novella focusing on Miranda, The Burial Witch, but the first novella wisely focused on Rowan. I say wisely because Rowan is my favorite. Or maybe I should say, because I am Rowan. The thing about this world and these character that Cari Thomas has built is is they are relatable, they are wonderful, and they are occasionally problematic, which makes them painfully real. Effie and Manda in particular aren't written to be sympathetic, but that doesn't mean reading about them isn't enjoyable. You are completely drawn into the drama. The four of them bouncing off each other and causing chaos. Of course, taking them out of that dynamic and seeing them on their own is what this spin-off series is about. And that brings us back to Rowan. I loved Rowan for the moment she first appeared on the page with Darcey being mean about her weight. And then I met her family. They out Weasley the Weasleys. The Christmas celebrations in Shadowstitch are ones I want to crawl into the book and live. Here though she's thrown out into the country, away from her copious family, and she has to learn to solve problems on her own. Which she does with great aplomb. I also love that she has a batty Aunt that is basically a combination of the Witches from Discworld, prickly like Granny Weatherwax but with a libido of Nanny Ogg. I'm so glad she made an appearance in Shadowstitch. Dare I say I just want more of all of it? Yes I do dare. More!

Posted by Miss Eliza at 12:00 AM 0 comments  

Labels: Aunt Winnie, Cari Thomas, Cowans, Discworld, Granny Weatherwax, Moon Sower, Nany Ogg, Novella, Prequel, Rowan Greenfinch, Summer School, Tetraology, The Burial Witch, The Hedge Witch, The Language of Magic, Wales, Weasleys

A Mother Always Knows by Sarah Strohmeyer
Published by: Harper Perennial
Publication Date: July 1st, 2025
Format: Paperback, 336 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"The beloved, award-winning author of Do I Know You? and We Love To Entertain returns with an electrifying novel of psychological suspense that explores the way our pasts shape our futures in so many unexpected ways.

Stella O'Neill is just your average millennial, working at a public library and worrying about making rent. No one would suspect she's been living under an assumed name or that she was raised in a Vermont commune of "diviners" where, and as a ten-year-old, she witnessed her mother's brutal murder - a crime that has gone unsolved for years.

But her quiet, anonymous existence is upended when a true-crime obsessive posts her current name and location on the internet. Now, Stella has to get out of Boston before her mother's killer can find her and finish the job he started all those years ago. Fed up with living in fear, she heads to the off-the-grid retreat of her childhood to confront her mother's unhinged guru who controlled their lives for so long - the infamous Radcliffe MacBeath.

Stella has two powerful assets: determination and a supernatural gift. Relying on her mother's beloved rose quartz pendulum, Stella will have to outwit the charismatic leader who's ruined so many lives and discover once and for all the true identity of her mother's killer - before becoming his next victim."

See, there is a downside to true crime, and that's if you're in hiding for your safety. Doxing is not cool.

Human Rights by Juno Dawson
Published by: Penguin Books
Publication Date: July 1st, 2025
Format: Paperback, 464 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"With Her Majesty's Royal Coven in shambles and the fate of the world hanging in the balance, the sisterhood of friends and witches must find a new way of putting together the pieces if (wo)mankind is to stand a chance, in this final chapter to Juno's "irresistible" series (Lana Harper.)

Niamh, Ciara, Leonie, Elle and Theo. Five very different witches with one thing in common: they were unwittingly chosen by the dangerously charming Lucifer, the demon king of desire, to fulfil a dark prophecy: Satanis will rise and the daughters of Gaia will fall.

The coven is reunited - but broken. Niamh is back from the dead...but she hasn't come back alone. Elle mourns a son she never had. Ciara languishes in a prison for witches, and Leonie reels from a very unexpected surprise.

Meanwhile, Lucifer offers fledgling witch Theo a deal: if she helps him, her coven - her family - will be spared. But the magic he asks for will take her out of London - out of time, entirely.

The final confrontation between good and evil in the spectacular conclusion to the saga of Her Majesty's Royal Coven."

If, like me, you loved the Doctor Who episode this season "The Interstellar Song Contest" well did you know the writer of that episode writes awesome books too? Yeah, this is her!

My Ex, The Antichrist by Craig DiLouie
Published by: Run for It
Publication Date: July 1st, 2025
Format: Paperback, 416 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"From Bram Stoker award-nominated author Craig DiLouie comes a horror novel with a twisted tale of love, heartbreak, and the apocalypse. We all have bad exes. Lily Lawlor's just happens to be the antichrist. Sometimes, love can be hell...

1998: Lily Lawlor and Drake Morgan form a punk band. Drake inspires faith in some. Fear in others. Lily is a believer.

1999: A Battle of the Bands ends in a shocking death, and a riot that claims the lives of three teenagers.

2009: At the height of her stardom, Lily walks into a police station and confesses to murder.

Now: The band has refused to talk to the press about the night of the riot, Lily's confession, or anything else. It's been over a decade, but Lily has finally agreed to an interview. And the band is following her lead.

What follows is a story of prophecy, death, and apocalypse. A story about love and love lost. A story about the antichrist. Maybe it's all true. Maybe none if it is.

Either way, this is their story. And they're sticking to it."

A demonic Daisy Jones and the Six!

Tricks of Fortune by Lina Chern
Published by: Bantam
Publication Date: July 1st, 2025
Format: Paperback, 352 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"Tarot card reader extraordinaire Katie True gets embroiled in another local murder when her best friend becomes the prime suspect in this exciting mystery from the Edgar Award-winning author of Play the Fool.

Katie True has gotten her crap together...sort of. Now that the sinister events of the past year have wound down, Katie has finally made her dream come true and opened her own tarot reading room - even if it's in her sister's old real estate office in an outdoor strip mall. It's a good start, but her momentum grinds to a halt when the murder of beloved veteran police officer, Matthew Peterson, shakes her and her small community to the core.

Katie is torn. Lieutenant Peterson had saved her life as a child and holds a special place in her past. Even worse, her closest friend Gina - who knows Katie better than she knows herself - is the primary suspect.

As the investigation unfolds, the details surrounding Peterson's death become increasingly murky, as does Gina's innocence. All Katie knows is that following her intuition has gotten her this far. But will her trusty tarot deck help her when the truth about the people she loves is too terrible to face?"

I mean, aren't all tarot readers in outdoor strip malls? Or maybe I just have a skewed view because of Mallrats...

Come Knocking by Mike Bockoven
Published by: Skyhorse
Publication Date: July 1st, 2025
Format: Hardcover, 264 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"WHEN A GROUNDBREAKING THEATRICAL EXPERIENCE GOES HORRIBLY WRONG, A DEADLY NIGHT REVEALS THE DARK CONSEQUENCES OF BLURRING THE LINES BETWEEN PERFORMANCE AND REALITY

When Come Knocking came to Los Angeles, the interactive theater production that took over six floors of an abandoned building was met with raves, lines for tickets, and reviews calling it the "must-see experience of a generation." But after dozens of people were killed and hundreds injured on a bloody night of chaos during the show's run, the nation was captured by one inescapable question: How could this happen?

As the dust settles, investigative reporter Adam Jakes is tasked with uncovering the truth behind the massacre. Through a series of gripping interviews with survivors, cast members, and witnesses, Jakes pieces together the chilling reality behind what was supposed to be the ultimate theatrical experience.

In Come Knocking, the enthralling and terrifying exploration of human nature under extreme conditions poses unsettling questions about the grotesque underbelly of immersive experiences and the true nature of reality."

I mean, I always thought that Sleep No More would lend itself to a murder mystery. 

Party of Liars by Kelsey Cox
Published by: Minotaur Books
Publication Date: July 1st, 2025
Format: Hardcover, 336 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"A lavish, Texas-sized Sweet Sixteen turns deadly in this twisty, pulse-pounding new novel - serving up a fresh take on a classic locked-room whodunnit. Let the festivities begin...

Today is Sophie Matthews's sixteenth birthday party, an exclusive black-tie bash in the heart of the Texas Hill Country, where secrets are as deep-rooted as the sprawling live oaks. Sophie's dad has spared no expense, and his renovated cliffside mansion - once thought haunted and shuttered for years from outsiders - is now hosting the event of the season. Then, just before the candles on the three-tiered red velvet cake are blown out, a body falls from the balcony onto the starlit dance floor below.

It's a killer guest list...

DANI: Sophie's new stepmother who's been plagued by self-doubt ever since the birth of her own baby girl

ÓRLAITH: the superstitious Irish nanny who senses a looming danger in this cavernous house

MIKAYLA: the birthday girl's best friend who is not nearly as meek as the popular kids assume

KIM: the cunning ex-wife who has a grudge she can’t let go of...

Everyone is invited in. Not everyone will get out alive."

But, let me be clear, the delicious red velvet cake wasn't damaged boy the falling body was it? Because if there's a good cake then I'm there.

Blood in the Water by Tiffany D. Jackson
Published by: Scholastic Press
Publication Date: July 1st, 2025
Format: Hardcover, 272 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"Mega bestselling and award-winning author Tiffany D. Jackson (The Weight of Blood; White Smoke) makes her thrilling middle-grade debut with a can't-put-it-down murder mystery set on Martha's Vineyard. R.L. Stine, bestselling author of Goosebumps, says, "Don't miss this one!"

This summer, beware of sharks...

Brooklyn girl Kaylani McKinnon feels like a fish out of water. She's spending the summer with family friends in their huge house on Martha's Vineyard, and the vibe is definitely snooty. Still, there are beautiful beaches, lots of ice cream, and a town full of fascinating Black history. Plus a few kids her age who seem friendly.

Until the shocking death of a popular teenage boy rocks the community to its core. Was it a drowning? A shark attack? Or the unthinkable - murder?

Kaylani is determined to solve the mystery. But her investigation leads her to uncover shocking secrets that could change her own life as she knows it... if she survives.

New York Times bestselling author Tiffany D. Jackson makes her thrilling middle-grade debut with this heart-pounding mystery packed with twists and turns that will keep readers guessing until the end."

Because it's never sharks now is it?

Murder on the Books by T.C. LoTempio
Published by: Severn House
Publication Date: July 1st, 2025
Format: Hardcover, 240 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"Newly retired mystery writer Charley James returns to her small hometown only to find herself amidst a real-life murder mystery in this first book in the brand new Cozy Bookshop mystery series by award-winning and national bestselling author T.C. LoTempio.

Thirty-year-old Charlotte James, better known to her mystery fans as C.J. Barrett, decides to take a break from writing her popular Steve Sheppard mystery series. Leaving New York City, she moves back to her hometown of Austin to wind down, recuperate, and maybe come up with some new ideas for her books.

Settling into her new life, Charley reunites with her long-term friend and baker Zane who is about to open a charming double store front. But while Zane is ready to open her café, her business partner Sheila unexpectedly departs town, bailing on her bookshop and leaving nothing but a note behind.

Charley is more than happy to take over, but when she finds Sheila's body in a chest in the store's basement, things take a dramatic turn. Now Charley has to juggle the opening of her bookshop, a stoic but attractive Philadelphia detective, and a stray cat, all while solving Sheila's murder Sheppard-style before the killer can strike again!"

I mean, murder mystery authors do make great detectives, but also must make good investments to be able to contemplate retiring at thirty!

The Widows' Guide to Skulduggery by Amanda Ashby
Published by: Storm Publishing
Publication Date: July 1st, 2025
Format: Kindle, 280 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"When a human skull gatecrashes her friends' big day, it officially becomes the worst wedding Ginny Cole has ever been to. But as the assembled guests await the police, the two families staring daggers at each other across the aisle, Ginny starts to suspect that these nuptials were deliberately sabotaged. Together with her fellow widows in crime-solving, JM, Tuppence and Hen, she decides to uncover who wanted this marriage dead on arrival.

The police have no interest in a twenty-year-old skull, so Ginny and her friends have free rein to investigate. But untangling a web of family feuds and ancient village rivalries soon escalates into much more when a new body turns up...

The widows have stumbled into a devious plot decades in the making, but can they find their way to the truth before one of them joins the village body count...?

An utterly delightful and gripping cozy mystery full of unconventional characters, fantastic twists and shadowy village secrets. The Widows' Detective Club is perfect for fans of Richard Osman, Sarah Yarwood-Lovett and Robert Thorogood."

Wait, the police really don't care about a twenty-year-old skull!?! That's a crime right there!

Etiquette for Lovers and Killers by Anna Fitzgerald Healy
Published by: G.P. Putnam's Sons
Publication Date: July 1st, 2025
Format: Hardcover, 352 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"Set in 1960s Maine, a witty, twisty murder mystery following a young woman who just wishes something interesting would happen...until she stumbles across a crime of passion.

"What are the chances of receiving a love letter, engagement ring, and phone call for a stranger, only to see her murdered the next day?"

It's 1964 in the tiny town of Eastport, Maine, and Billie McCadie is bored to death. She's surrounded by dull people with more manners than sense, and no sign of the intrigue or romance that fills her beloved novels. That is, until an engagement ring and cryptic love letter turn up, addressed to 'Gertrude'. Until she meets yacht-club handsome Avery Webster. Until the unsettling phone calls and visits from a man in a fedora begin. Until she's one of the last people to see Gertrude alive...and the first to see her dead.

What follows is an intoxicating cocktail of stalking, blackmail, Jell-O salads, and champagne secrets, all served along the rocky Maine coastline. Everyone is a suspect. Everyone has a secret. And (strangely) everyone has a boat. But who is willing to kiss and tell? As the body count rises and the danger nears, why does Billie feel like she's more than just a side character? After yearning to be in the action for so long, would it be terribly unladylike to have some fun of her own?

A love letter to uncivilized behavior, Etiquette for Lovers and Killers blends mystery and romance into a witty, twisty, murderous delight that aches for better manners."

I mean, it's Maine, of course everyone has a boat. Why they all have Jell-O is the real mystery. And don't say the times demanded it, no one demanded Jell-O!

The Original by Nell Stevens
Published by: W. W. Norton and Company
Publication Date: July 1st, 2025
Format: Hardcover, 336 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"Brought to her uncle's decaying Oxfordshire estate when she was a child, Grace has grown up on the periphery of a once-great household, an outsider in her own home. Now a self-possessed and secretive young woman, she has developed unusual predilections: for painting, particularly forgery; for deception; for other girls.

As Grace cultivates her talent as a copyist, she realizes that her uncanny ability to recreate paintings might offer her a means of escape. Secretly, she puts this skill to use as an art forger, creating fake masterpieces in candlelit corners of the estate. Saving the money she makes from her sales, she plans a new life far from the family that has never seemed to want her.

Then, a letter arrives from the South Atlantic. The writer claims to be her cousin Charles, long presumed dead at sea, who wishes to reconnect with his family. When Charles returns, Grace's aunt welcomes him with open arms; yet fractures appear in the household. Some believe he is who he says he is. Others are convinced he's an impostor. As a court date looms to determine his legitimacy - and his claim to the family fortune - Grace must decide what she believes, and what she's willing to risk.

Is Charles really her cousin? An interloper? A mirror of her own ambitions? And in a house built on illusions, what does authenticity truly mean - in art, in love, and in family?

Deftly plotted and shimmering with Nell Stevens's distinctive intelligence, style, and wit, The Original takes readers on an unforgettable adventure through a world of forgeries, family ties, and the fluctuations in fortune that can change our fate."

I mean, living on a decaying Oxfordshire estate while forging artwork is the dream! Why would Grave want to leave?

Wendy's Ever After by Julie Wright
Published by: Shadow Mountain
Publication Date: July 1st, 2025
Format: Hardcover, 272 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"Wendy Darling is drawn back to Neverland, torn between childhood memories of Peter Pan and the mysterious young man who now stirs her heart.

Wendy Darling has grown into a stunning young woman. Her days are filled with social gatherings and elegant balls, but her nights are alive with memories of fighting pirates, soaring through the skies, and other wild escapades through Neverland with Peter Pan - the boy who never grew up.

When Wendy meets a handsome and mysterious stranger, there's something about him that feels familiar yet elusive. His eyes sparkle with a mischief that tugs at Wendy's heartstrings, reminding her of Peter. Intrigued and a bit unnerved, Wendy finds herself inexplicably drawn to this handsome young man and soon finds herself back in Neverland.

Caught between the allure of her past and the promise of the future, Wendy must navigate a perilous new journey, rediscovering the courage and wonder that once defined her youth. As she battles old foes and forges allies with new friends, Wendy is torn between her memories of a boy she once loved and the man who has stolen her heart."

Ever since I saw Hook I've been more than a little obsessed with Wendy growing up...

Tusk Love by Thea Guanzon
Published by: Random House Worlds
Publication Date: July 1st, 2025
Format: Hardcover, 288 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"A merchant's daughter who yearns for adventure gets more than she bargained for when she falls for a broodingly handsome stranger in this saucy romantasy from the New York Times bestselling author of The Hurricane Wars.

As the daughter of an ambitious merchant, Guinevere's path has been predetermined: marry into a noble house of the Dwendalian Empire, raise her family's station, and live quietly as a lordling's obedient wife. But Guinevere longs for a life unbounded by expectations, for freedom and passion and adventure.

Those distant dreams become a sudden reality when her caravan is beset by bandits, leaving her guards slain and Guinevere stranded alone on the dangerous Amber Road. Her only chance of survival is to travel alongside Oskar, the aloof half-orc who saved her during the attack.

Unlike Guinevere, Oskar's path is not so set in stone. With his mother dead and his apprenticeship abandoned, all that's left is a long, lonely walk to a land he's never seen to find family he's never met. The last thing he needs is a spoiled waif like Guinevere slowing him down - even if the spark between them sizzles with promise.

Despite his cold exterior, Oskar is brave and thoughtful and unlike anyone Guinevere has ever met. And while Guinevere may be sheltered, she brings out a softness in him that he has never dared to feel before. As the flames of their passion grow, they realize that soon they'll need to choose between their expected destinations or their blossoming romance.

Written by New York Times bestselling author Thea Guanzon at the behest of Critical Role's Jester Lavorre, Tusk Love brings the most romantic story on Exandrian bookshelves to life."

I mean, beside being a Critical Role fan, I'm a huge romantasy fan and that cover is just a breath of fresh air. I want to live in it.

Den of Liars by Jessica S. Olson
Published by: Feiwel and Friends
Publication Date: July 1st, 2025
Format: Hardcover, 400 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"A young thief attempting a daring casino heist during a high-stakes tournament is torn between two warring brothers in Den of Liars, a thrilling YA fantasy romance by acclaimed author Jessica S. Olson.

Lola St. James is the world's best kept secret. When her father's loss in the Liar's Dice Tournament - a high-stakes competition where players are forced to gamble with their deepest secrets - made her a target, she was rescued by the Thief, the notorious leader of the Tentacles. But the Thief's kindness came with a price: Lola's heart. In the years that followed, she and the Thief formed a bond like no other, able to feel each other's emotions because of their shared heart.

Now, living under the pseudonym Astra, she is determined to prove herself and become a full-fledged Tentacle. But when a critical heist goes sideways, the only way forward is for Lola to compete in the Liar's Dice Tournament herself. Lola is confident in her ability to pull off any heist, but the Thief's mysterious brother, the Liar, runs the game and he turns out to be more than she bargained for. As her attraction for him grows and illusions run wild, she will be forced to confront the secrets of her past, the truth of the brothers' shared history, and the lies she tells herself."

I mean, dice isn't a game I'd ever play. It's too risky. Reading about other people playing it though? Yes please.

The Secret Love of a Gentleman by Jane Lark
Published by: Boldwood Books
Publication Date: July 1st, 2025
Format: eBook, 416 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"An unputdownable Regency romance filled with passion, redemption and the healing power of love.

Can he convince her to risk her heart again?

A past scandal and a broken heart have left Lady Caroline Kilbride hiding away from the world, in the safety of her brother's home. But when a devilishly handsome newcomer arrives for the summer, she finds herself surprisingly drawn to him.

Rob Marlow, a man determined to carve his own path in life, never expected to be intrigued by his brother-in-law's dependent sister. Yet in Caro he sees courage, intelligence and a spark of the woman she once was.

Friendship blossoms into something more passionate, but when the truth of Caro's painful history resurfaces, will she retreat into the shadows or fight for her happy ever after? The third instalment in the addictively passionate Regency romance series The Marlow Family Secrets, for fans of Beverley Watts, Eloisa James and Bridgerton. Perfect for readers who love STEAMY, SPICY historical and regency romance."

Whomever hurt her Rob Marlow will destroy them!

Behind Frenemy Lines by Zen Cho
Published by: Bramble
Publication Date: July 1st, 2025
Format: Paperback, 304 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"Award-winning author Zen Cho delivers a sparkling and witty rivals-to-lovers romance reminiscent of Sally Thorne's The Hating Game and Sajni Patel's The Trouble with Hating You.

Sparks fly when an ambitious rules-bound lawyer clashes with a maverick new hire who threatens his chances of partnership - and the walls he's built around his heart.

Charles Goh has always played by the rules. It's how he survived his difficult childhood as the swotty foreigner at a posh English boarding school - and now, his high-pressure job at one of the biggest corporate law firms in London. His job is his life and he's happy that way...until she shows up.

Kriya Rajasekar's lost her way. Her longtime boyfriend's broken up with her and she feels trapped in her legal career. She knows she needs a fresh start - but it turns out her new job is at the same firm as her work nemesis. Charles Goh is like the bad luck charm she keeps running into, and their encounters lead to disaster every single time. And now he's her office mate.

But just as they're figuring out how to navigate this frenemy relationship, Kriya needs Charles' help: pretend they're dating so her boss will stop hitting on her. Soon, it becomes less clear whether they're enemies, friends - or something else."

I will read anything Zen Cho writes.

Infinite Archive by Mur Lafferty
Published by: Ace
Publication Date: July 1st, 2025
Format: Paperback, 352 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"Amateur sleuth Mallory Viridian has just about got her bearings aboard the space station she calls home, but now the physical embodiment of the Internet is on its way, and it's bringing murder with it.

Mallory Viridian has had a quiet few months. Even with the increased influx of humans visiting Station Eternity, she hasn't seen so much as a bar brawl. Used to people dying left and right around her, the lack of murders to solve has left her unexpectedly...bored.

But humanity's favorite way to waste time is on its way to her sector of the galaxy. A giant, one-of-a-kind data ship called Metis is bringing the entire Internet from Earth - as well as a mystery fan convention. On top of that, Mallory's literary agent is aboard, and he tells Mallory that she's the keynote speaker.

It's almost a relief when a killer decides to strike at the convention. When Mallory finds her agent dead, she knows she has to work fast to find the murderer. With a strange new alien with unknown motives, a ship with impossible abilities, a lonely living, comprehensive Internet, and a deadly crime to solve, Mallory has her work cut out for her...."

The most dangerous thing here isn't the killer, it's the Internet! 

The Ghost Who Was a Quilt by Riel Nason and Byron Eggenschwiler
Published by: Tundra Books
Publication Date: July 1st, 2025
Format: Hardcover, 48 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"When you're a quilt instead of a sheet, being a ghost is hard! A contemporary picture book classic, now available in a stunning special gilded edition - a perfect gift for the little ghost lovers in your life.

Ghosts are supposed to be sheets, light as air and able to whirl and twirl and float and soar. But the little ghost who is a quilt can't whirl or twirl at all, and when he flies, he gets very hot.

He doesn't know why he's a quilt. His parents are both sheets, and so are all of his friends. (His great-grandmother was a lace curtain, but that doesn't really help cheer him up.) He feels sad and left out when his friends are zooming around and he can't keep up.

But one Halloween, everything changes. The little ghost who was a quilt has an experience that no other ghost could have, an experience that only happens because he's a quilt...and he realizes that it's OK to be different.

This special gift edition is unjacketed, with a newly designed cloth-like spine, a foil-stamped cover and beautiful gilded edges."

I mean, you NEED this beautiful gift edition on your shelves. You NEED IT!

Posted by Miss Eliza at 12:00 AM 0 comments  

Labels: Amanda Ashby, Anna Fitzgerald Healy, Craig DiLouie, Jane Lark, Julie Wright, Juno Dawson, Kelsey Cox, Lina Chern, Mike Bockoven, Mur Lafferty, Nell Stevens, Sarah Strohmeyer, T.C. LoTempio, Tiffany D. Jackson, Zen Cho

Ninth House by Leigh Bardugo
Published by: Flatiron Books
Publication Date: October 8th, 2019
Format: Hardcover, 480 Pages
Rating: ★★★★★
To Buy

Alex Stern has been given an opportunity she never thought she'd get. At the age of twenty she is going to be a freshman at Yale with a full ride despite never having graduated from high school. How did she even get to New Haven? She had thrown her life away, living among the dregs and the drug dealers in California. Then she miraculously survived a gruesome multiple homicide that claimed the lives of her best friend and her boyfriend. That horrible night at Ground Zero she lay down next to Hellie hoping to never wake. But she did. In the hospital. While cuffed to her bed she was approached by Dean Sandow from Yale. He wanted her to tell him about the Grays. It turns out Alex has been able to see ghosts her entire life. Her "job" will be to join the Ninth House, Lethe, it is a regulatory body for the Ancient Eight, the eight secret societies at Yale, Skull and Bones being the only one that the general populace believes to exist. She accepts Dean Sandow's offer and is eastward bound. To a girl christened Galaxy by her hippie mother just the prospect of Yale's cafeteria is a dream come true, but being thrust into the world of the elite could take some getting used to. Take Daniel Arlington, Darlington, for example. He is there to mentor her, the Virgil to her Dante, and shepherd her in her duties to the other houses because once he graduates she will take over his duties. Darlington is the epitome of a Yale student. Like the members of the other houses, he is a golden boy, but underneath that golden exterior he's different, he's a true believer with an encyclopedic knowledge of New Haven. While the two of them are exact opposites when Darlington disappears Alex realizes that she might be in way over her head, not to mention her course load piling up on top of the demands of Lethe. Now Alex has a problem, find out where Darlington went and bring him back. But as the new moon ritual draws near she is drawn into a murder on campus. At first it looks just like a tragic death of a townie, something Yale really doesn't care about. But Alex sees herself in Tara and while her investigation brings up no untoward evidence when a gluma attacks her she knows her instincts were right. Tara was murdered. A Gray saves her and she realizes that something far deeper is at play at Yale. She will get to the bottom of it and find Darlington, though it might just kill her.

There are some books that need to be read at a certain time to work. There are some books that need to be reread in a certain frame of mind to work. The first time I read Ninth House I detested it. And detest might even be too forgiving a word for how I felt. The way this book deals with rape and rape culture is highly problematic. Trauma can not be erased by something bad happening to those who hurt you. It might be cathartic, but in the end it's nothing more than a temporary balm. It's dismissive to think that it is. But so much of this book is just trauma heaped on trauma all these characters are going to need a lifetime's worth of therapy just to start handling all that they have been through. The first time I read this book I just couldn't get past this. And yet so many people I know loved this book while acknowledging it's flaws. It wasn't these friends who led me to pick up Ninth House again but Leigh Bardugo herself. She is a fabulous writer and, well, there was a sequel now. I adore the Grishaverse and there were some books in that series, in particular Crooked Kingdom, which needed to be reread to be appreciated. Once I had to come to terms with the death of Matthias I could appreciate that book. Therefore I had to embrace the flaws of Ninth House before I could learn to love it. I mean, it's still not perfect, but this time I was able to enjoy the journey without quibbling about all my issues. I was prepared to face the dark with my armor of salt. And, as I write this, some of my issues, especially with regard to trauma, are being dealt with in the sequel, Hell Bent. But rereading Ninth House I can say I think the one thing this book does really well is capture just how overwhelming the adjustment to college life is. It made me nostalgic but it also made me have some serious nightmares about missing final projects and exams. And I'm not just saying this as a way to justify how Leigh Bardugo writes about Yale and New Haven with such an insiders view. Because while it might come off as pompous and elite, there's a part of me that gets it. This is the world Alex has been thrown into and she herself is trying to become an insider while she is very much an outsider. An outsider who is rather one-dimensional. She's basically the Katniss Everdeen of Yale. Reacting not acting. But I forgive her. She's been through a lot. Here's hoping she gets the therapy she so rightfully needs. And here's to second chances. Alex needed one and well, so did I with this book.

Posted by Miss Eliza at 12:00 AM 0 comments  

Labels: Alex Stern, College, Crooked Kingdom, Darlington, Grays, Grishaverse, Hell Bent, Katniss Everdeen, Leigh Bardugo, Lethe, Matthias, New Haven, Ninth House, Rape, Second Chances, Secret Societies, Skull and Bones, Summer School, Yale