strange and random happenstance

Evelyn Waugh's 1938 book Scoop was a parody of sensationalist journalism obviously inspired by the Spanish Civil War but more specifically Waugh's experience in Abyssinia covering the Second Italo-Abyssinian War. The hyperbole of this kind of journalism has only intensified as time goes on. Just look to our twenty-four hours a day news cycle where the smallest thing is blown up and overanalyzed by talking heads. Which is what makes this adaptation just as relevant today as it was in the late eighties and early nineties. As I was watching this skewering of a phoney war in order for Herbert Lom to parachute in and secure Ishmaelia's mineral rights for himself the United States invaded Venuzula and kidnapped Maduro. Why? For the country's mineral rights of course. Because the more things change the more things stay the same. Though it's hard to get a "scoop" on what the United States government is doing until they announce it after the fact on Twitter. Scoop is more like a quirky independent British film of the day than an episode of Masterpiece Theatre. This is Dr. Strangelove meets The Wrong Box with a heavy helping of Moon Over Parador and Coming to America if Terry Gilliam shot it. The Brazil vibes are strong. In other words, if I had seen it when it first came out it would have been a seminal film in my life. In fact there's one person in this world that I think was strongly influenced by this film at a young age and that's Wes Anderson. He would have been in his early twenties when this was released and every single frame and setup made me think of him. So, if nothing else, because of this film we have a signature style that became the TikTok Wes Anderson trend. As it is I am more than a little obsessed with this movie now. London socialites? Decaying relatives at a decrepit country estate? Mistaken identities? Yes please! And more! Poor Boot, a corespondent for The Daily Beast, writes about country life. He is mistaken for a novelist named Boot who asked his lover to pull some strings for him to get sent to Ishmaelia. Needless to say, our Boot is in over his head but because he's not a typical reporter and because he is part of the old boys' network he is privy to actual information about Ishmaelia and not wild conjecture and therefore knows that the leadership of the country is sending the reporters on a wild goose chase. He just stays put and comes back a hero with the biggest scoop of any paper. What makes this so memorable is the actors. We have Nicola Pagett, Donald Pleasence, Denholm Elliott, Michael Maloney, the aforementioned Herbert Lom, and just oodles of British characters actors that understand the importance of timing and keeping a straight face. Denholm Elliott trying to deal with Boot's family at the ancestral estate could be added to the list of great dinner scenes that is obviously topped by John Gielgud in Brideshead Revisited. Seriously, just check out this undiscovered gem. If anything you will get an insight into what the inside of my mind looks like.

Posted by Miss Eliza at 12:00 AM 0 comments  

Labels: Africa, Brazil, Brideshead Revisited, Coming to America, Denholm Elliott, Evelyn Waugh, Fifty-Five Years a Masterpiece, Herbert Lom, Ishmaelia, John Gielgud, Journalism, Mineral Rights, Moon Over Parador, Scoop, The Wrong Box, War

Stay for a Spell by Amy Coombe
Published by: Ace
Publication Date: April 14th, 2026
Format: Hardcover, 384 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"A cursed princess must discover what her heart truly longs for in this charmingly cozy romantic fantasy for everyone who's ever lost - or found - themselves in a bookshop.

Princess Tanadelle of the Widdenmar is disillusioned with life as a princess. She longs for real conversation, the chance to build a life of her own making, and uninterrupted reading time.

During a routine royal visit to the town of Little Pepperidge, Tandy's dream comes true when she finds herself cursed to remain in a run-down bookshop until she unlocks her heart's desire. Certain that someone will figure out how to break the curse eventually, and delighted by the prospect of an entire bookstore of her own, Tandy settles into life among the stacks. She finds it easy to exchange balls and endless state dinners for teetering piles of books and an irritatingly handsome pirate who seems bent on stealing her stock.

She even starts to believe she's stumbled into her very own happily ever after.

There's just one, minor problem: as Tandy's royal duties go unfulfilled, her frantic parents start sending princes to woo her, each one of them certain their kiss will break the curse. After all, what more could a princess want but a prince?"

A book pirate!?! Tell me more, he sounds ideal.

Forgive-Me-Not by Mari Costa
Published by: First Second
Publication Date: April 14th, 2026
Format: Hardcover, 320 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"A queer "enemies to lovers" journey of a lost princess and a changeling who was made to take the heir's place as part of a fey scheme.

Aisling is many things to many people: princess, heir to the throne, teenage daughter of two loving parents.... She's also about to learn a lot more about herself: changeling. Fey creature. Hunted. Feared. Loved?

Forgive-Me-Not is the name given to the true princess - the lost teenage biological daughter to the king and queen, who's grown up in the chaotic and untrustworthy realm of Faerie. When Forgive-Me-Not breaks into Aisling's room the night before their 18th birthday looking for revenge, the two embark on a long and arduous journey. And what starts as a confrontational and adversarial pairing grows into a bond of mutual understanding, friendship, and maybe something more..."

I mean, who can understand what you've gone through more than the person you were swapped with?

The Thorn Queen by Sasha Peyton Smith
Published by: HarperCollins
Publication Date: April 14th, 2026
Format: Hardcover, 368 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"Wed to one brother.
In love with the other.

Bridgerton, The Selection, and The Cruel Prince collide in this Victorian-inspired romantasy; the sequel to the instant New York Times bestseller The Rose Bargain.

Having won the hand of the faerie King Bram, Ivy is now Queen of England.

But with his ascension to the throne, Bram unleashed the fae into the human world. After hundreds of years of being kept from their favorite playthings, the Others are looking to make up for lost time - and they do, with wicked revelry that sweeps through the country.

To survive, Ivy acts the sweet, devoted wife. Behind the smile, she plots to banish her husband, save her sister Lydia, and reunite with the love of her life, Emmett.

Yet Emmet and Lydia are trapped in the Otherworld, where fae games are deadlier than ever - and a queen must play most viciously of all. Or see herself dethroned.

Forbidden romance, deceptive bargains, and lethal court intrigue intertwine in this mesmerizing, fae romantasy sequel that will captivate fans of Once Upon a Broken Heart and Belladonna."

The fae do love their wicked games, cue Chris Isaak music.

The Demonic Inventions of Aurelie Blake by Mara Rutherford
Published by: HarperCollins
Publication Date: April 14th, 2026
Format: Hardcover, 384 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"In Wisteria, the very act of innovation is forbidden. Any creation - art, music, engineering - conjures a demon from the other side. The greater the innovation, the more dangerous the demon.

This has never stopped Aurelie from inventing - but it has made it more difficult. Her inventions are small by necessity, producing demons that she is capable of dispatching alone. But she knows she's meant for something greater, and each day has her chafing more at the boundaries of her society.

Destrier lost his parents to demons as a child, and has devoted his life to preventing more senseless murder at the hands of demons. He was young when he joined the hunters, and each year he's grown stronger. But it's never enough.

When a mysterious figure offers Aurelie a job she can't refuse - an impossible, magnificent invention - her decision to accept sets off a chain of events that will alter every aspect of their world...and sparks the connection that will change both Aurelie and Des irrevocably.

With the fierce enemies-to-lovers romance of Heartless Hunter and the high-concept worldbuilding of Arcane, The Demonic Inventions of Aurelie Blake will thrill readers looking for their new cross-genre favorite."

It appears that an inventor and a demon hunter are perhaps the best pairing?

The Killing Spell by Shay Kauwe
Published by: S and S/Saga Press
Publication Date: April 14th, 2026
Format: Paperback, 304 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"In this spellbinding fantasy debut set in a future where language magic reigns, a young Hawaiian woman must solve a murder to clear her name.

Kea Petrova is dealing with more than her fair share of trouble.

At just twenty-five years old, she's the youngest of five Hawaiian clan leaders living on the Homestead in outer Los Angeles. Nearly 200 years ago, when a catastrophic flood submerged the Hawaiian islands and unleashed magic into the world, these clans forged a treaty with the city, establishing a new Hawaiian homeland. But that treaty is about to expire.

Kea struggles to keep her small clan afloat, scraping together rent each month through odd jobs and selling her own crafted Hawaiian language spells. While her talent for language magic is her saving grace, she feels like a shadow of those who came before her. Just when she thinks things can't get any more complicated, the murder of Angelo Reyes - LA's most prominent Filipino activist - turns her world upside-down.

Angelo was killed by a death spell - something that, due to the properties of each school of language magic, can only exist in Hawaiian. With independent spellsmithing being technically illegal, Kea quickly becomes the prime suspect, known for her spellwork on the Homestead. To clear her name, she must unravel the mystery behind Angelo's murder and confront LA's most powerful (and dangerous) players, each wielding their own type of magic. The clock is ticking - can Kea save herself, her clan, and the Homestead before it's too late?"

Refugees, magic, and murder? Oh yes.

Morsel by Carter Keane
Published by: Tor Nightfire
Publication Date: April 14th, 2026
Format: Hardcover, 208 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"Carter Keane's Morsel is a delicious folk horror debut about learning to bite back when the world is determined to eat you alive.

Lou did what the children of parents with backbreaking, poorly paying jobs are supposed to do: pulled up her bootstraps, went to college, and got an office gig with coworkers who won't stop talking about their multilevel marketing scheme disguised as self-betterment.

When Lou accepts a property appraisal assignment in the rural hills of Ohio, she knows it's her last chance to save her job and keep making rent. But she quickly finds herself stranded in the middle of nowhere with a sabotaged truck, her dog, and someone - or something - stalking her through the ancient Appalachian woods.

If she can't escape the woods in time, she'll see firsthand that her job isn't the only thing that wants to eat her alive.

Morsel is The Blair Witch Project meets The Ritual, with a generous helping of The Menu, perfect for fans of T. Kingfisher, Cassandra Khaw, and Paul Tremblay."

Bite the world before it bites you!

The Lost Book of Elizabeth Barton by Jennifer N. Brown
Published by: St. Martin's Press
Publication Date: April 14th, 2026
Format: Hardcover, 320 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"A dual-timeline murder mystery set in an English country manor, when an ambitious professor discovers the long-lost manuscript of a Reformation-era prophetess.

Historian Alison Sage has made a groundbreaking archival discovery - she found a manuscript containing the prophecies of a 16th century nun, Elizabeth Barton. Barton's prophecy condemning Henry VIII and Anne Boleyn led to her execution and the destruction of all copies of her prophecies - or so the world believed.

With Alison's discovery, she is catapulted to academic superstardom and scores an invitation to the exclusive Codex Consortium, a week of research among a select handful of fellow historians at a crumbling manor in England, located next to the ruins of the priory where Elizabeth herself once lived.

What begins as a promising conference turns into a nightmare as the eerie house becomes the site of a murder. Suddenly, everyone is a suspect, and it seems that answers lie at the root of a local legend about centuries-old hidden treasure. Alison's research makes her best-suited to solve the mystery - but when old feelings resurface for a former colleague, and the stakes of the search skyrocket, everyone's motives become murky.

Alison's cutthroat world of academia is almost as dangerous as Elizabeth Barton's sixteenth-century England, where heretics are beheaded, visions can kill, and knowing who to trust is a deadly art. The Lost Book of Elizabeth Barton is a thrilling novel, crackling with the voices of the past and propelled by a mystery that will leave readers in suspense until the very last page."

Reasons why I never wanted to be part of a royal court or a college.

Who Knew the Ridpath Girl by Stacy Johns
Published by: Poisoned Pen Press
Publication Date: April 14th, 2026
Format: Paperback, 448 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"A gripping mystery perfect for fans of Amy Tintera following one man's investigation into the death of his sister years earlier, forcing him to confront old faces, a strong-willed detective, and a string of new murders in his remote small town.

Welcome to Meander, where truths are best left buried.

Gracen Ridpath has a secret. As the host of a successful YouTube channel for stay-at-home-dads, Gracen is known for his handy tips and trademark self-deprecating humor. But off camera, he struggles with the aftereffects of a tragedy that shaped him and everyone else in his hometown of Meander: the death of his eleven-year-old sister, Douggy.

When Gracen mentions his sister's long-ago death for the first time on his channel, he taps a vein of interest he hadn't known existed. Soon enough, he finds himself discussing a theory he's kept quiet for years: that Douggy chose to die. And he's finally figured out why...and who is to blame.

At first, Gracen is grateful for the jump in views, until his shift in content brings Quinn, Douggy's childhood best friend, back to Meander looking for answers. And when people start dying around them and detectives start asking questions, Gracen and Quinn find themselves at the center of an investigation that will prove to have consequences deadlier than they ever could've imagined."

If you're going to lean into true crime, be prepared for the consequences. 

Japanese Gothic by Kylie Lee Baker
Published by: Hanover Square Press
Publication Date: April 14th, 2026
Format: Hardcover, 352 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"In this lyrical, wildly inventive horror novel interwoven with Japanese mythology, two people living centuries apart discover a door between their worlds.

October, 2026: Lee Turner doesn't remember how or why he killed his college roommate. The details are blurred and bloody. All he knows is he has to flee New York and go to the one place that might offer refuge - his father's new home in Japan, a house hidden by sword ferns and wild ginger. But something is terribly wrong with the house: no animals will come near it, the bedroom window isn't always a window, and a woman with a sword appears in the yard when night falls.

October, 1877: Sen is a young samurai in exile, hiding from the imperial soldiers in a house behind the sword ferns. A monster came home from war wearing her father's face, but Sen would do anything to please him, even turn her sword on her own mother. She knows the soldiers will soon slaughter her whole family when she sees a terrible omen: a young foreign man who appears outside her window.

One of these people is a ghost, and one of these stories is a lie.

Something is hiding beneath the house of sword ferns, and Lee and Sen will soon wish they never unburied it."

Oh, talk about unreliable narrators! 

Death to Pachuco by Henry Barajas, Rachel Merrill, and Lee Loughridge
Published by: Image Comics
Publication Date: April 14th, 2026
Format: Paperback, 168 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"A Chicano noir retelling of the Sleepy Lagoon Murder Trial and the Zoot Suit Riots during 1943 wartime Los Angeles, Death to Pachuco is an untold story lost from the American history books.

During the summer of 1943, Los Angeles became a hotbed of tension and conflict as a series of fierce clashes erupted between U.S. Navy members and Mexican American youth stemming from the murder of Carlos Urbano. Private eye Ricardo "Ricky" Tellez needs to find the Sleepy Lagoon Killer before the racist mob kills him in the Zoot Suit Riots.

The clock is ticking - and it's a bad time to be a Mexican.

From the author of the critically acclaimed Latinx Top Cow series La Voz De M.A.Y.O, and Helm Greycastle returns with a thrilling graphic novel, perfect for fans of true crime noir.

Collects Death to Pachuco #1-5, a facsimile of The Sleepy Lagoon Case rare pamphlet published in 1943 with a foreword by the legendary Orson Welles, and an afterword by award-winning journalist Jazmine Ulloa (El Paso)."

I've been wanting someone to do justice to this time in American history after Penny Dreadful: City of Angels butchered it.

Death Times Seven by Anne Perry
Published by: Ballantine Books
Publication Date: April 14th, 2026
Format: Hardcover, 288 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"Two violent crimes challenge the investigative skills of young Daniel Pitt and his wife, Miriam, in the final novel of iconic mystery writer Anne Perry's beloved Daniel Pitt series.

1913: Junior attorney Daniel Pitt must step in for his friend, fellow attorney Toby Kitteridge, whose parents have been brutally attacked. Toby's mother is dead and his father, a village vicar, is barely alive. With Toby returning to the family home in rural Ipswich, struggling with grief and disbelief, Daniel remains in London to substitute for Toby and defend Peter Ward, on trial for the sexual assault and murder of a young woman.

Daniel is convinced that Ward is innocent, yet the evidence seems to prove otherwise. Eager to assist, his pathologist wife, Miriam fford Croft, offers her forensics expertise and exposes a community of fellow pathologists who may have purposefully omitted information from their autopsy reports. Despite Miriam's involvement in the case, Daniel finds himself distracted by his desire to help Toby, who is too distraught to investigate the attack on his parents. And when the evidence points to Toby's father as the killer of Toby's mother, Daniel faces two of the greatest challenges of his young career: proving the innocence of both Peter Ward and Reverend Kitteridge. One mistake in London and a blameless man will hang. One mistake in Ipswich and Toby's father will go to prison for life.

Death Times Seven, the seventh and final novel in Anne Perry's Daniel Pitt series, was completed by Victoria Zackheim, an author and editor as well as Perry's close friend. Rich in intrigue and courtroom drama, this engrossing novel marks a fitting finale to the career of an author widely praised as the queen of historical crime fiction."

I am sad we'll get no more novels in the Daniel Pitt series, but more than that I respect that they are ending the series and not continuing it past the author's death.

The Lumber Baron's Wife by Lynn Austin
Published by: Tyndale Fiction
Publication Date: April 14th, 2026
Format: Hardcover, 368 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"When the young wife of a powerful lumber baron vanishes into the wilds of frontier Michigan, her friend is left to unravel the truth in this captivating dual-timeline novel from bestselling author Lynn Austin.

1873. After a devastating loss, Hannah Wagner never imagined she'd leave her comfortable home for the harsh, unfamiliar wilderness near Lake Michigan. But when Henry Abernathy - a friend of her husband, John - offers them a fresh start in a booming lumber town, where John's skills as a doctor are sorely needed, Hannah reluctantly agrees. There, she meets Kate, Henry's spirited, much younger wife. Kate's sharp tongue and outsider status have made her unwelcome among the town's elite, and when she begins confiding in Hannah, it's clear her marriage is not what it seems...and that a secret from her past could destroy everything.

Present day. Ashley Gilbert never planned to settle in Michigan, but when her husband lands his dream job as a conservationist, she agrees to follow. While restoring their historic home - built in the 19th century for a doctor and his wife - Ashley becomes captivated by its past and its connection to the nearby Abernathy mansion, now being transformed into a museum. While volunteering with the restoration, she stumbles upon the unsolved mystery of Kate Abernathy's disappearance. What begins as curiosity soon becomes a quest for the truth - one that will connect her to two women whose stories and struggles echo and inspire her own."

I mean, you couldn't move into a house and not be transfixed by it's history, am I right?

Fast and Fastidious by R.M. Caldwell
Published by: Harper Perennial
Publication Date: April 14th, 2026
Format: Paperback, 320 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"Pride and Prejudice meets The Fast and the Furious in this rollicking, romantic Regency adventure in which a meticulous young woman must abandon the rules of propriety to save Britain - and perhaps even find love along the way....

England, 1810. Lucy Elliot has often been described as fastidious, given her belief that there is an objectively correct and logical way to do things. And while she strives to be proper in every way, she does have one rather scandalous secret: Lucy, the prim and gentle lady, is a frequent attendee of the entirely disreputable and illicit Night Races, where unchaperoned men and women from all social classes gather on dark country lanes to gamble on the outcomes of furiously fast carriage races.

But her secret might become more than just a danger to her reputation when her mysterious new neighbor, Captain Dashwood, begins partaking in the races. Lucy can't help but feel there's something more to the handsome Captain Dashwood than meets the eye, and she suspects that his arrival in the neighborhood in the midst of a spate of curious and alarming carriage robberies is no mere coincidence - something is most certainly afoot in the county, and it's a mystery Lucy intends to solve.

Though Lucy prides herself on her preparedness, she never could have anticipated the web of lies, deceit, and espionage that she finds herself and Captain Dashwood entangled in; nor could she have known that the very fate of Britain would hang in the balance. But will her meticulous nature be the very thing that saves her, or will it be her - and England's - undoing?"

I don't think anyone today realizes how dangerous a carriage was in the early 1800s. So this Regency version of The Fast and the Furious is hella more dangerous than the modern day equivalent. Learn more about carriages from Dr. Esme Louise James.  

Murder at the Highland Games by Dee MacDonald
Published by: Bookouture
Publication Date: April 14th, 2026
Format: Kindle, 269 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"When a fun day out in the Scottish Highlands turns fatal, there's only one solution: call for Ally McKinley!

It's the annual Locharran Highland Games and Ally McKinley has never seen her little village so busy or excited. Everyone's enjoying the Scottish dancing, the bagpipes, and cheering the competitors on. But there's a hitch in the proceedings when champion challenger Archie Armstrong drops dead in the middle of tossing the caber. Rushing to the scene, Ally is the first to spot that Archie's death was no accident - this was murder!

Ally flings herself into a new investigation and soon discovers that more than one person may have had a murderous motive, including some of the current residents of her cosy little guesthouse. Patti, Archie's glamourous wife, seems intent on acting like the perfect widow, but rumours of infidelity have been flying. Is her performance too good? Could her uncle, cranky gamekeeper Angus, have finally snapped, furious at Archie's treatment of his niece? Or was it one of the frustrated local competitors, desperate to end Archie's winning streak?

Determined to crack the case and fuelled by more than one piece of her famous shortbread, Ally begins to narrow down her list of possible culprits, but is thrown for a loop when her chief suspect is found dead by the loch, a mysterious and threatening note clutched in their fingers. With a killer at large, can Ally finally uncover the truth? Or, as the sun sets over the highlands, will this game be her last?

For fans of Agatha Christie, Faith Martin and Clare Chase, this totally unputdownable cozy mystery set in the beautiful Scottish Highlands will have you turning the pages late into the night!"

I mean, more than one death would indicate someone was trying to off the competition...

Pomona Afton Can Totally Catch a Killer by Bellamy Rose
Published by: Atria/Emily Bestler Books
Publication Date: April 14th, 2026
Format: Paperback, 272 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"In this witty and delightful follow-up to the "glam and glorious" (Kat Ailes, author of the Expectant Detectives Mysteries) Pomona Afton Can So Solve a Murder, Pom finds herself in the middle of a murder mystery that threatens her up-and-coming charity foundation and - worst of all - her romantic life.

Pomona Afton knows how to throw a memorable party. After all, for her twenty-fifth birthday, she hosted a global extravaganza that included a masquerade ball in a Scottish castle, clubbing in Ibiza, and skinny dipping on a private island. So, throwing a gala for her fledgling nonprofit should be a breeze.

Unfortunately, she has to navigate the high-stakes (and snobby) world of philanthropy, a beloved boyfriend who just can't seem to fit in, and of course, her dysfunctional family, all while planning a party that won't only affect the future of her charity, but her own future in society.

But Pom is no quitter. She pushes forward and perseveres…until, right in the middle of her party, she discovers the body of one of her biggest donors. Suddenly all her hard work is going up in flames. If she's going to salvage her new life path, she must put on her (incredibly stylish) detective hat again and figure out who wants to bring her down. One more measly little murder mystery shouldn't be that hard, right?"

I'm just saying, a big donor being murdered would more likely mean that they were the target, not Pom's reputation... 

Cat on a Hot Tin Woof by Spencer Quinn
Published by: Minotaur Books
Publication Date: April 14th, 2026
Format: Hardcover, 320 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"Join Chet the dog, "the most lovable narrator in all of fiction" (Boston Globe), and his human partner Bernie as they scramble to solve a case exposing the dark side of internet fame.

Chet the dog is less than enthusiastic about the Little Detective Agency's next case. Chet and his human partner, PI Bernie Little, have been hired to find a missing person - only the missing person is a cat. Miss Kitty, an internet sensation, has disappeared, and Chet and Bernie have been hired to find her before her many followers realize something is wrong.

Miss Kitty belongs to Bitty, a sweet teenage girl who lives with her mom. Bitty and her mother are struggling financially, but the arrival of Miss Kitty and the chance discovery of her social media appeal has changed everything. Bitty now has sponsors, a high-powered agent, and all the tools needed to thrive online, and real money is flowing in. At least, it was. With Miss Kitty gone, the family's income is on the line.

The case presents a slew of challenges for Chet and Bernie. For one thing, a potential witness is a pig named Senor Piggy who may be in possession of an important piece of evidence. For another, it seems like a possible perp has been killed twice - and there's evidence implicating Bernie in the crime."

Killed twice you say? If it's a cat don't they have nine lives? 

American Spirits by Anna Dorn
Published by: Simon and Schuster
Publication Date: April 14th, 2026
Format: Hardcover, 352 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"A love letter to pop music, American Spirits charts an icon's fall - and an obsessive fangirl's rise.

Thirty-eight-year-old Blue Velour has finally achieved the critical acclaim she's long been chasing. Over the last decade, she's released six studio albums to mixed reviews, landing her somewhere between performance artist and niche legend. But her latest album, Blue's Beard - a cheeky reference to the subreddit fanatically dedicated to her suspected secret relationship with longtime producer Sasha Harlow - has rocket-launched her reputation. Blue hires nerdy superfan Rose Lutz as her assistant to handle the pressures of the upcoming tour.

When the pandemic shuts down the tour, however, Blue decides to hole up in the redwoods with Sasha to make another album. An aspiring singer herself, Rose is frothing at the mouth to be isolated in a cabin with these two legends, but what begins as a creative retreat spirals into a flurry of chaos and betrayal - culminating in a tragic act that changes their lives forever.

Smart, entertaining, and edgy, American Spirits is a compelling exploration of the dark side of fame."

And those willing to kill to achieve it...

Cherry Baby by Rainbow Rowell
Published by: William Morrow
Publication Date: April 14th, 2026
Format: Hardcover, 416 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"#1 New York Times bestselling author Rainbow Rowell returns with a breathtakingly honest novel about a woman who lost everything - and isn't sure she wants it back.

Everybody knows that Cherry's husband, Tom, is in Hollywood making a movie...

Almost nobody knows that he isn't coming home.

Tom is the creator of Thursday - a semi-autobiographical webcomic that's become an international phenomenon.

Semi-autobiographical. That means there's a character in this movie based on Cherry..."Baby."

Wide-hipped, heavy-chested, double-chinned Baby.

Cherry never wanted this. No fat girl wants to see herself caricatured on the page - let alone on the big screen. But there's no getting away from it. Baby looks so much like Cherry that strangers recognize her at the grocery store.

While her soon-to-be ex-husband is in Los Angeles getting rich and famous and being the internet's latest boyfriend, Cherry is stuck in Omaha taking care of the dog he always wanted and the house they were going to raise a family in...and wondering who she's supposed to be without him.

Cherry had promised to love Tom through thick and thin.

She'd meant it.

One night, Cherry decides to leave all her problems, including Tom's overgrown puppy, at home. She ventures out to see her favorite band play her favorite album...and someone recognizes her from across the room.

Russ Sutton knew Cherry when she was a young art student with a fondness for pin-up dresses and patent leather heels. Before Tom.

Russ knows Cherry. He likes Cherry.

And best of all...he's never heard of Thursday.

Tender, funny, and utterly human, Cherry Baby is Rainbow Rowell's richest, most surprising - sexiest - novel yet."

All I'm thinking is that Cherry will be able to get a huge divorce settlement, and perhaps even damages. She might not want her life back but a nice wad of cash can buy you a new life.

The Midnight Croissant by Bonnie Solomon
Published by: Bonsol Press
Publication Date: April 14th, 2026
Format: Kindle, 340 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"The afterlife's sassiest spirit guide is about to slay Paris. All she has to do is wrangle a few wayward souls - including her own.

Fresh off a solo incarnation where she mastered independence a little too well, spirit guide Pearly Gates is trying to follow the rules - or at least appear like she is. But when her first official charges - a prickly retiree, a guilt-ridden widower with a closeted grandson, and a young woman for whom romance has never quite clicked - hit a spiritual dead end, Pearly makes a bold move. She nudges them into a group tour of the City of Love…then tags along in disguise.

Her boss is not amused. The deal? If Pearly can raise their spiritual vibes by the end of the trip, she wins the freedom to guide her way. If not, she'll get transferred to a cosmic wasteland. No pressure.

From midnight snacks to museum flirtations, moonlit magic to Pride celebrations, Pearly's meddling sparks transformations she never expected. And when her ex-soulmate, Thunder, signs on as their tour guide - hoping to reconnect - she's forced to reconsider the walls she's built around her own heart. Can they finally break their old patterns, or are they doomed to repeat history all over again?

Set in present-day Paris, The Midnight Croissant is a warm, inclusive fantasy celebrating love in all its forms - full of found family, fresh starts, and the magic of showing up as your fabulous, flawed self.

The Good Place meets Amélie - with glitter.

This book sparkles as a standalone, while also continuing the Pearly Gates series."

I mean who doesn't want to read a glittery French take on The Good Place?

Paranormal Payback edited by Jim Butcher and Kerrie L. Hughes
Published by: Ace
Publication Date: April 14th, 2026
Format: Paperback, 352 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"A superstar lineup is included in this urban fantasy collection featuring short stories from New York Times bestselling authors Jim Butcher, Holly Black, Kim Harrison, Faith Hunter, and more...

In this short story collection, our heroes get what's due to them - with a supernatural flair.

But the injustices that have been holding them back might cost them more than they realized....

In "Mister Petty," a brand-new Dresden Files story from #1 New York Times bestselling author Jim Butcher, a woman hires Goodman Grey to get back at her cheating husband. She's about to find out that Grey isn't your ordinary detective - he's a professional monster. And he's going to balance the scales.

From #1 New York Times bestselling author Holly Black, "Dying Isn't Just for the Young" follows an elderly widow reckoning with family scheming to take away her independence in a world infected by a disease of vampirism.

New York Times bestselling author Faith Hunter's "Razors and Revenge" finds the vampire bounty hunter Shiloh awaiting her judgement at the hands of the Dark Queen, fresh off a brutal werewolf attack and the loss of a dear friend. But Shiloh's not just a vampire anymore - and the wolfish instincts growing inside her are howling for blood.

And Kim Harrison takes us to the #1 New York Times bestselling series of the Hollows in her story "Dog-eared." The demon Algaliarept makes a bargain with the dangerously insane Newt, the last female demon, to punish an arrogant wizard for abusing his precious magical texts - but how ruthless is Al willing to be to get his petty vengeance?

ALSO INCLUDES STORIES BY Jennifer Blackstream * Maurice Broaddus * Delilah S. Dawson * Kevin Hearne * Tanya Huff * Kerrie L. Hughes * R. L. King * R.R. Virdi"

I was going to say how happy I am that another one of these anthologies is out done and I was sad there was no Patty Briggs story, but then there's a Dresden Files story so, what more do I actually need to say?

The Faith of Beasts by James S.A. Corey
Published by: Orbit
Publication Date: April 14th, 2026
Format: Hardcover, 448 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"James S. A. Corey's Expanse series has sold more than 12 million copies worldwide and has been translated into more than 23 languages, establishing itself as a modern masterwork of science fiction.

Now, the Hugo-award winning author returns with the second volume in their New York Times bestselling and critically acclaimed space opera trilogy, The Captive's War.

The monstrous Carryx empire was built by subjugation and war. Thousands of species are bound to their Sovran's command in an endless, blood-soaked test: be useful in the eternal conflict or be slaughtered.

Dafyd Alkhor, highest among their human captives, is feared and despised by the very people he champions. Ruthless in carving out his niche in the eternal war machine of the empire, he will reshape human nature itself as a tool for their alien masters' use. But Dafyd's loyalty is not what it seems.

The Swarm, an agent of the Carryx's deathless enemy, has been smuggled into the Carryx world-palace along with the human slaves. Its mission: discover a way to bring down the empire's eternal reign. But the longer it lives among and within humanity, the more it forgets that it is a weapon.

As the human captives spread through the battlefronts of empire, the awesome power of the Carryx becomes clear. And with it, a desperate plan for their destruction.

But empires hide secrets, and even the deathless enemy may not be what it appears..."

I've said it before and I'll say it again, their former boss could take a page from these two authors' output...

Posted by Miss Eliza at 12:00 AM 0 comments  

Labels: Amy Coombe, Anna Dorn, Anne Perry, Bellamy Rose, Bonnie Solomon, Dee MacDonald, Jennifer N. Brown, Jim Butcher, Kylie Lee Baker, Lynn Austin, Pachuco, R.M. Caldwell, Rainbow Rowell.James S.A. Corey, Spencer Quinn, Stacy Johns

Even if you weren't prescribed a rest cure for your postpartum depression so you can get back to your wifely duties that have nothing to do with the house when you have a spinster sister-in-law and everything to do with opening your legs, six weeks in the Bertha Mason suite with bars on the windows and a bed clamped to the floor would drive you round the bend. And that is exactly what happens here. The Yellow Wallpaper was written by Charlotte Perkins Gilman in 1892 and strongly portrays what it is to be a woman, especially a woman under the "care" of her husband. Who happens to be a doctor. And if you're a woman you know exactly how inept doctors are when it comes to women's health, more so during the Victorian era. This adaptation is Henry James meets Alice's Adventures in Wonderland with some Shirley Jackson and Angela Carter on the side. And yes, I know that only one of those predates this story, but the other authors, in particular Jackson and Carter, can be seen to be profoundly influenced by Gilman so it makes sense that in adapting the earlier work the later would influence it. There's a definite ouroboros effect going on here. What I find most fascinating about this adaptation is that someone at the BBC obviously watched The Company of Wolves and followed it up with Dreamchild and went, OK, now this is what we want to do, but without any budget, anybody have any ideas? And someone went, well, have you read Charlotte Perkins Gilman's The Yellow Wallpaper? Woman menaced by wallpaper? I think we can manage that! They transplanted the story to England and created something that really needs to be seen to be believed. I mean, more than anything it felt like an episode of A Ghost Story for Christmas. Consummate British actors in a creepy house with an ambiguous ending? Yes, very much A Ghost Story for Christmas. But sadly not one of the stellar ones, more like the ones that got the series cancelled in the late seventies. There were parts where I felt "The Ice House" was being channeled. Especially when the husband was going on about pollination. At least there weren't any plants making oddly detailed holes in widows. Overall I felt like it skipped a step in the telling of this tale. The wife has an active imagination and left to her own devices and the company of only the wallpaper she cracks. But it didn't feel gradual, it felt like instantaneous insanity. Like, the visions she was experiencing, the pent-up energy, just exploded from overstimulation. I think this needed to be longer, expanded, so that her break with reality is earned. Though where this adaptation was really let down was in the special effects. I really don't think there was any way to save this show once she's making out with her doppelganger that has emerged from the wallpaper. OK, it's more of an embrace, but it's still weird. It's not the imagery, it's the eighties music video bad special effects that ruins it. Earlier there had been a terrifying reveal of eyes in the wallpaper. Because they are a practical effect they still shock. Over time practical effects will weather technology changes more than any "special effects" of the day. So yes, this does have merit, but it is also sadly very dated. Though not in regard to women's rights.

Posted by Miss Eliza at 12:00 AM 0 comments  

Labels: A Ghost Story for Christmas, Alice's Adventures in Wonderland, Angela Carter, BBC, Charlotte Perkins Gilman, Fifty-Five Years a Masterpiece, Henry James, Rest Cure, Shirley Jackson, Special Effects, The Yellow Wallpaper

In the waning days of Netflix DVD I attempted to view as many Masterpiece Theatre shows on DVD that I could that had gone out of print. I even was able to game the system and got to keep the entirety of The First Churchills. Would that I could go back in time and pick anything else to keep other than The First Churchills. I didn't know a miniseries about Winston Chruchill's ancestors could be so boring. I actually have a theory that England was still so shaken by his death only five years earlier that they were desperate to cling to anything about this great man and therefore everyone claims this series is a masterpiece when it so obviously is not. The dog was good. I liked the dog. One of the DVD sets I rented was Maggie Smith at the BBC. Because I had found out that her Talking Heads monologue, Bed Among the Lentils, was an extra on the DVD that also had The Millionairess. The Millionairess ironically costars James Villiers who played Charles II in The First Churchills, and is mostly noted for how racist Tom Baker's role as an Egyptian doctor is. Back to Bed Among the Lentils. So the Talking Heads series by Alan Bennett are monologues given directly to the camera, like how a newsreader is a "talking head." They aren't very long and require a really great actor to pull them off convincingly. Obviously Maggie Smith, who often collaborated with Alan Bennett, fits the bill perfectly. She goes through a kind of existential crisis in only fifty minutes. She's a vicar's wife who is a drunk but because of her standing in the community has to go to Leeds to buy her booze and soon takes up with the local grocer. She is not likable, she is not sympathetic, and in the end she appears to be born again. There are three sections stitched together and really, the middle section is where she shines, because she describes, in detail, showing up drunk to do the flowers at the church and the destruction of the teazles. And as anyone who has watched any British show centered around a church knows, the teazles are sacred. It's a bright spot in a rather depressing and at time unrelenting narrative. If I had been watching anyone other than Maggie Smith I wouldn't have made it through. It's comes across as just sad and stupid. But I don't know if it's because of this specific tale or because of the conceit in general. People have very short attention spans. I remember at a reading Patrick Rothfuss gave once he said he always made sure any reading he did never went beyond fifteen minutes, because that's the average human attention span to listening to someone read. Now, obviously this is different, this is theater. Well, theater on your television, but still theater. Except that there's something about someone doing a monologue or a soliloquy in an actual theater that captivates you. Maybe it's the immediacy. The intimacy. There's a connection that is forged between the actor and the audience that is just impossible to replicate through television. Maggie was a talented actor, but did that make this little monologue palatable? No. But I fear I'm just not the audience for it because I have friends who watch it yearly and all I can think is, better you than me.

Posted by Miss Eliza at 12:00 AM 0 comments  

Labels: Alan Bennett, Attention Span, Bed Among the Lentils, Drunk, Fifty-Five Years a Masterpiece, Maggie Smith, Maggie Smith at the BBC, Patrick Rothfuss, Talking Heads, Teazles, The First Churchills, The Millionairess, Theater

A Deal with the Elf King by Elise Kova
Published by: Del Rey
Publication Date: April 7th, 2026
Format: Paperback, 416 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"Swept away to a magical kingdom, one woman's fate is to be the Elf King's bride...or watch everything she's ever known fall to ruin.

Fall in love with the Elf King in this enchanting installment of the Married to Magic novels - swoonworthy, escapist standalone reads that combine wondrous fantasy worlds with slow-burn romance from the New York Times bestselling author of Arcana Academy.

Luella lives in a quiet village near the border of the land of the humans and the realm of magic, where the townsfolk keep its heavy secret:

The elves come for war or wives.

Once every generation, the Elf King enters Luella's village to take a bride to be his Human Queen, fulfilling a centuries-old treaty that prevents the destruction of humanity itself.

Luella never thought she'd be that woman. Independent, caring, and fiercely devoted to her people, she's content in her quiet life as a humble herbalist. But when the Elf King arrives - icy, proud, and dangerously handsome - he claims her, and everything changes.

Now, Luella finds herself in the Elf King's domain, Midscape: a land filled with wild magic and unexpected beauty. But Midscape is dying, and only Luella can save it.

There's more to Luella than she ever imagined, and more to her fate than she dared dream. As the power of Midscape's Human Queen stirs within her, so does an unexpected passion. The kingdom has found a way into her heart… as has its mysterious Elf King himself.

Luella didn't choose to be the Human Queen. But will she choose to love her new kingdom - and her new husband?

Includes a bonus scene, "Springtime Rites," from Eldas' point of view."

I definitely need something escapist right about now and well, moving to a dying magical realm seems like a viable option at this point.

Burn the Kingdom Down by Addie Thorley
Published by: Sourcebooks Fire
Publication Date: April 7th, 2026
Format: Hardcover, 448 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"An action-packed enemies-to-lovers romantasy filled with a romance that will leave you breathless, betrayals that will rip your heart out, and a princess who will stop at nothing for revenge.

One year ago, Rowenna Harrack, the crown princess of Tashir, left her homeland in a wedding dress of chains - sent away to the enemy nation of Vanzador as a captive bride.

Now, Rowenna is dead. Brought home in a coffin after an alleged fall from a cliff.

Second-born princess, Indira, knows her sister's death was no accident. Desperate for truth and vengeance, Indira agrees to wed the prince so she can infiltrate Vanzador, find Rowenna's murderer, and burn their kingdom to the ground.

Indira's plan is simple, she will make nice until she can find out how to avenge her sister and free her country from the rival nation's stranglehold. But when Indira arrives, nothing is as terrible as Rowenna described. As Indira grows closer to her new husband, Prince Alaric, and uncovers more about Vanzador, the source of its powers, and what happened during Rowenna's final days, she's no longer sure what - and who - to believe. Because everyone, even her sister, has secrets. Deadly ones."

Maybe sometimes a fall from a cliff is just a fall from a cliff...

Year of the Mer by L.D. Lewis
Published by: S and S/Saga Press
Publication Date: April 7th, 2026
Format: Hardcover, 400 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"A dark, bloody epic fantasy reimagining of The Little Mermaid that goes far beyond the fairy tale to explore family legacy, war, and what we will sacrifice for vengeance - the perfect read for fans of The Priory of the Orange Tree and Circe.

The fairy tale mermaid Arielle might have gotten her happily-ever-after, but her granddaughter Yemi is having a much harder time. Her father, the king of Ixia, was assassinated years ago, her mother is slowly dying of a poisoned wound, and she faces whispers and slights from her own people. Yemi has been raised as the shield of the kingdom and is soon to inherit the throne, but she cannot shake her fury at how Ixia has treated her family after all they've sacrificed. Only her patient mother and steadfast personal bodyguard (and fiancée), Nova, help Yemi rein in that fury...most of the time.

When the kingdom's discontented rumblings reach a fever pitch, a coup erupts and Yemi's throne is usurped, stripping her of her family and forcing her into exile. Now, only one being has the power to help her: Ursla.

Like her grandmother before her, Yemi is tempted by a deal with the sea-witch. With powerful and ancient magic behind her, Yemi could avenge her family, take back her throne, and protect the love of her life. But she should know more than anyone that there is always a price. As much as Yemi wants vengeance, Ursla has been waiting a very, very long time for her own - and it may take more fortune than Yemi possesses to keep her from losing everything all over again."

Because the original tale is so much darker than Disney I am ALWAYS here for a dark reimagining of The Little Mermaid. 

The Tricky Business of Faerie Bargains by Reena McCarty
Published by: Orbit
Publication Date: April 7th, 2026
Format: Paperback, 416 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"A former changeling must return to the land of the Fae to right a bargain that's gone terribly wrong in this delightful cozy fantasy debut packed full of charm, adventure, romance and heart.

When Poppy Hill was a child she was stolen from her family's Montana homestead and taken to the land of the fae, where she spent more than a century as a cook in the Wild King's castle. Now back in the human world, she works for a company that brokers fairy bargains, looking for loopholes in their contracts.

Then a bargain that Poppy is negotiating goes disastrously wrong and she has to return to the world she grew up in to try to rectify her mistake, facing danger, intrigue and a pesky ex-boyfriend along the way."

I think fairy bargains would be close to iron clad, but, you know, without the iron.

The Impossible Garden of Clara Thorne by Summer N. England
Published by: Forever
Publication Date: April 7th, 2026
Format: Paperback, 416 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"Love grows in the most unimaginable of places in Summer N. England's sweet and spicy cozy romantasy debut, for fans of The Spellshop and For Whom the Belle Tolls!

Most stories end with a happily ever after. But mine? Well, it begins with one...

After a lonely childhood, Clara Thorne is living out her happy ending as the magically gifted gardener for the town of Moss. Sure, her closest companion is a surly hedgehog, and she's forever stuck on the first line of her novel, but she has a home. That is, until The Goddess chooses Clara for an important quest - travel to the cursed town of Dwindle and grow them a garden. In less than a month.

Only Clara's hiding a terrible secret: her magic doesn't work outside Moss. Worse, The Goddess has assigned the absurdly sexy, annoyingly cheerful Hesper Altanfall to keep her safe. Clara would rather eat thorns than accept help - especially since Hesper insists that Clara's magic is bound to her heart, not her home.

Nevertheless, the two can't help growing closer as they traverse enchanted woods and share tavern beds. But with an ancient evil threatening from the shadows, saving Dwindle will require more than enchanted crops. Clara will need to unearth a magic she's always believed impossible."

Well, home is where the heart is...

The Book Witch by Meg Shaffer
Published by: Ballantine Books
Publication Date: April 7th, 2026
Format: Hardcover, 320 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"She can hop into any novel, but she just can't stay there.

Come along with the Book Witch in this magical and inspiring love letter to reading from the USA Today bestselling author of The Wishing Game.

Rainy March is a proud, third-generation Book Witch, sworn to defend works of fiction from all foes real and imaginary. With her magical umbrella and feline familiar, she jumps in and out of novels to fix malicious alterations and rogue heroes like a modern-day magical Nancy Drew.

Book Witches live by a strict code: Real people belong in the real world; fictional characters belong in works of fiction. Do not eat, drink, or sleep inside a fictional world, lest you become part of the story. Falling in love with a fictional character? Don't even think about it.

Which is why Rainy has been forbidden from seeing the Duke of Chicago, the dashing British detective who stars in her favorite mystery series. If she's ever caught with him again, she'll be expelled from her book coven - and forced to give up the magical gifts that are as much a part of her as her own name.

But when her beloved grandfather disappears and a priceless book is stolen, there's only one person she trusts to help her solve the case: the Duke. Their quest takes them through the worlds of Alice in Wonderland, King Arthur, and other classics that will reveal hidden enemies and long-buried family secrets."

So, books have similar rules to fairy realms, interesting...

Strixhaven: Omens of Chaos by Seanan McGuire
Published by: Random House Worlds
Publication Date: April 7th, 2026
Format: Hardcover, 432 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"Strixhaven University welcomes you. Begin your magical studies on a faraway plane, encountering new friends, mysteries, and dangers, in this fantastical dark academia.

Eula Blue was supposed to be a mage. That was before the war came - before the fight for the Multiverse devastated Eula's home, and with it her hopes for a magical education.

But the destruction of the war also brought something new: the ability to travel to other planes. And when Eula receives an invitation to study magic at a distant school called Strixhaven, she leaps to take it.

Eula's journey brings her closer than she ever thought possible to her fellow students, including the mysterious Segante, a boy whose secrets Eula longs to share. But not everyone is thrilled by the arrival of the new class, and Eula and her new friends quickly become targets.

To make it through their first semester, they'll have to fight for their place in this new world - or else they'll be dead before their final exams."

I love it that Seanan McGuire has made it into the bookish realm of Magic: The Gathering. 

We Call Them Witches by India-Rose Bower
Published by: Poisoned Pen Press
Publication Date: April 7th, 2026
Format: Paperback, 320 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"For fans of The Watchers and T. Kingfisher comes a queer, post-apocalyptic horror following one woman's journey across a merciless wasteland to save her brother and confront the dark truth behind the monsters that ravaged the world - with the help of a woman she's not sure she can trust but can't help falling for.

Nearly everyone died the first night they came...

Two years ago, monstrous beings tore through Britain, leaving few survivors. Now Sara and her family live on the run, relying on scraps of folklore and fading pagan rituals to stay safe from the eldritch creatures they call "witches".

While her mother grows increasingly paranoid, Sara longs for something more than fear.

Then a strange girl appears in the garden of their current camp. Her name is Parsley, and she cannot remember where she came from or why she's there. Despite her family's suspicions, Sara feels drawn to her.

But when Sara's younger brother is taken by the Witches, she and Parsley must cross desolate moors full of merciless terrors to get him back. As their bond deepens, so do the dangers they face - and Sara begins to question whether anything is truly as it seems.

In a world ruled by terror and myth, trust is the only thing more dangerous than the Witches themselves."

Having to rely on folklore to survive is my kind of survival. 

Infinite Shores by Pascale Lacelle
Published by: Margaret K. McElderry Books
Publication Date: April 7th, 2026
Format: Hardcover, 592 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"Ninth House meets The Hazel Wood in this spellbinding conclusion to the New York Times bestselling Drowned Gods Trilogy, a gorgeous dark academia fantasy following a teen mage and her friends on their desperate quest through worlds and time!

Fate cannot be broken - not even by the gods who serve it.

Emory refuses to lose Romie again. Her friend's fate hangs in the balance as the monstrous Clover plans to use her as a sacrifice to steal power from the deity Atheia - and make himself into a proper god. To stop Clover, Emory needs the help of Atheia's dark counterpart, Sidraeus. Yet this enigmatic deity cannot be trusted, and if Emory is to ally with him, she must invoke an ancient magic to keep him tethered to her side.

Meanwhile, in the divine workshop of the god of balance, Baz learns he has a role to play in the coming fight to save the crumbling worlds and their weakening magics. Yet all he can think of is Kai and the gruesome fate that awaits him at Clover's side - a fate, the god tells him, that is beyond even his reach. But Baz is determined to save Kai, even if he has to rewrite time itself.

As chaos reigns and the tides of a corrupted magic threaten to consume all, Emory and Baz must contend with mercurial gods, vengeful deities, and those hell-bent on eradicating Eclipse magic to save the people they love - and write an ending to their stories that defies fate itself."

Dark academia is my catnip. 

The Museum of Unusual Occurrence by Erica Wright
Published by: Severn House
Publication Date: April 7th, 2026
Format: Hardcover, 240 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"Welcome to the Museum of Unusual Occurrence - a place full of strange exhibits and even stranger murders. The first in the new Psychic City mystery series by talented author Erica Wright.

"Every small town thinks it's special - That might be true, but this one actually is."

Rational and cynical Aly Orlean's life in her psychic hometown of Wyndale, Florida couldn't be more hectic. It's all about running her business, raising a teenage sister, sending out holiday greetings - and her new task: finding a killer.

For her Museum of Unusual Occurrence not only houses odd curiosities but now has a brand-new display: The body of Rose Dempsey, a local twenty-year-old, set up in one of the exhibits as if she has been ritually sacrificed.

With the police clueless, Aly is worried that this is a vicious warning for her and her solitary way of life. Fearing for her sister Merope's well-being, she's determined to find out why the killer murdered Rose and how her body was placed in Aly's museum...But might the killer be someone hiding in plain sight?

Karen Russell's Swamplandia! meets Ruth Ware's The Death of Mrs. Westaway in this "suspenseful mystery populated with winning characters" (Booklist on Famous in Cedarville)."

Very much intrigued by how this is like Ruth Ware... 

Bodies of Work by Clay McLeod Chapman
Published by: Titan Books
Publication Date: April 7th, 2026
Format: Hardcover, 176 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"A murderous artist is haunted by the spirits of those he has killed in this surreal and chilling supernatural revenge novella.

From the acclaimed author of Ghost Eaters, and perfect for fans of Joe Hill and Delilah S. Dawson.

At sixty-six years old, Winston Kemper has always been a nonentity. No one notices him. His simple existence barely registers for those who come into contact with him. Some call him feeble-minded. He is a janitor at the local church, a groundskeeper by default, and that's it. No friends, no family. When he's done with work, he returns home - a remote, single room apartment located above a garage - and that is where his true work begins.

Winston Kemper is a collector of voices, and his magnum opus - The Butterfly Girls - is a sprawling epic of untapped imagination. It has no single canvas, no particular frame. It is everywhere - scribbled on the walls, the floor, and countless notebooks.

Winston is creating a fantasia which exists in words, images and blood. As part of his 'art' he has been murdering forgotten women. Poor souls who slip through the cracks of society, who no one's looking for. Mothers, sisters, daughters to someone, but no more.

Winston takes their lives, their voices.

But now he can hear them. They whisper to him. They talk of revenge.

Winston Kemper might not believe in ghosts, but he is about to learn they are very real. And they are very, very angry.

A surreal and dreamlike novella about the ghosts of our past and the dangerous, obsessive pursuit of art, from the "true master of horror." (CJ Leede, Maeve Fly)"

So, this novella tells us that yes, neighbors who keep themselves to themselves could be killers.

The Boatman by Alex Grecian
Published by: Bad Hand Books
Publication Date: April 7th, 2026
Format: Paperback, 150 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"HE WILL FOLLOW YOU TO THE ENDS OF THE EARTH.

Shortly after cruise ship the Maria Calypso embarks on its latest voyage, the passengers and crew notice someone in pursuit: An elegant figure wearing a white suit who somehow keeps pace in his rowboat.

No matter how hard the crew pushes the engines, they can't escape The Boatman...and it isn't long before sinister and mysterious events begin to unfold on the Maria Calypso.

What will it cost to learn the true nature of the man who hunts them - and will the price to keep on living prove to be too dear?"

Well, they aren't going to escape The Boatman, that's for sure. So turn and face your possible enemy.

Ellen Poe: The Forgotten Lore by Diana Peterfreund
Published by: Running Press Kids
Publication Date: April 7th, 2026
Format: Paperback, 304 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"The first book in an exciting YA series about a teen girl, descended from Edgar Allan Poe, who must navigate the haunting legacy of her ancestor while learning to harness her own strength and intelligence, especially as she begins to commune with the dead.

What happens when your tell-tale nightmares turn into reality and the ghost of Edgar Allan Poe won't seem to let you alone? For as long as she can remember, sixteen-year-old Ellen Poe's family has claimed to be long-lost descendants of Edgar Allan Poe. But when she moves in with her aunt in a Poe-themed B and B, the nightmares that have always haunted her begin bleeding into Ellen's waking hours. When she stumbles upon a journal in the house, none other than Edgar Allan Poe himself begins visiting her. Has the journal somehow released his ghost? And what does he want with Ellen? Through secret messages in his writings, she learns that the two share the same psychic ability to interact with spirits - which is what ultimately drove him mad.

This thrilling series for young adult readers follows Ellen on her quest to learn more about her abilities, the afterlife, and the clues Poe has left for her (ciphers and cryptograms galore), in an effort to not suffer his same fate."

Or, could Edgar be looking for a new wife from beyond the grave? He did marry his thirteen year old first cousin...

The Unruly Heart of Miss Darcy by Erin Edwards
Published by: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers
Publication Date: April 7th, 2026
Format: Hardcover, 336 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"Mr. Darcy got his happily ever after in Pride and Prejudice, and now it's his sister's turn in this swoony queer romance, perfect for fans of Bridgerton.

Georgiana Darcy has only ever kissed one girl before, and the resulting blackmail almost ruined her reputation. Since then, she's carefully calibrated her life to be as quiet as possible, focusing on books and music. She certainly isn't planning on falling in love with another girl. But then she meets Kitty Bennet, and everything is thrown off kilter.

After a moonlit kiss shifts their newfound friendship into something more, Georgiana follows Kitty to the Bennets' home. The visit proves ill-timed when she encounters the one man who knows her secret and threatened her with it before. Terrified of testing the limits of her family's love and of putting Kitty in danger, Georgiana doesn't know if there's any chance of a happy ending.

Every etiquette guide she's ever read makes it clear that if she wants to protect her family name, Georgiana must pretend her heart follows society's accepted rhythm. Unless, with a little help from those who understand how it feels, she can compose the future she and Kitty both deserve."

Depends on the Bridgerton fan, because a LOT of people are mad about the genderbend in the show. Personally, I don't get what they're mad about.

The Paris Match by Kate Clayborn
Published by: Berkley
Publication Date: April 7th, 2026
Format: Paperback, 464 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"A woman tests the limits of her so-called amicable divorce when she flies to Paris for the destination wedding of her former sister-in-law, only to butt heads with the deliciously gruff best man, in a poignant and romantic novel from Kate Clayborn.

Physician Layla Bailey has spent over a year telling herself she's moved on from a painful but amicable divorce from her college sweetheart. Staying friends with her ex seemed like the mature thing to do, but when Layla is invited to her former sister-in-law's destination wedding in Paris - where Layla once spent her own romantic honeymoon - she knows her commitment to maturity might be her worst enemy…especially since her ex isn't attending alone.

The only thing that could make the week more difficult is getting through it without the distraction of the wedding.... But when what Layla thought was a harmless conversation about the choices of her younger self leads to the bride getting cold feet, Layla finds herself facing down the groom's mysterious, taciturn best man, Griffin, who will do anything to make sure this wedding happens.

Since she broke it, Griff demands she help him fix it. Going along with his plan to alleviate the engaged couple's doubts seems like Layla's best chance at maintaining a good relationship with a family she once called her own. But as she learns more about the past heartbreak that's driving Griff to help his friend, she gets closer and closer to confronting the true depth of her own pain…while finding herself more and more willing to risk it all again for Griff."

Destination weddings are such a scam.

The Subtle Art of Folding Space by John Chu
Published by: Tor Books
Publication Date: April 7th, 2026
Format: Hardcover, 240 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"The Subtle Art of Folding Space, is the exhilarating debut science fiction novel from Nebula and Hugo Award-winning author John Chu channels unhinged physics, generational trauma, and the comfort of really good dim sum. This isn't your usual jaunt through quantum physics.

Ellie's universe - and this one - is falling apart. Her ailing mother is in a coma; her sister, Chris, accuses her of being insufficiently Chinese between assassination attempts; and a shadowy cabal of engineers is trying to hijack the skunkworks, the machinery that keeps the physics of each universe working the way it's supposed to.

Daniel, Ellie's cousin, has found an illicit device in the skunkworks - one that keeps Ellie's comatose mother alive while also creating destabilizing bugs in the physics of this universe. It's not a good day.

If she can confront her mother's legacy and overcome her family's generational trauma, she just might find a way to preserve the skunkworks and reconcile with her sister...but digging into her family's past is thornier than it seems, and the secrets she uncovers will force Ellie to choose between her family and the universe itself."

If you haven't heard about the buzz around this book I think you must be living under a rock or dealing with your generational trauma. Read this to help deal with the trauma, not the whole hermit lifestyle.

The Edge of Darkness by Vaseem Khan
Published by: Hodder and Stoughton
Publication Date: April 7th, 2026
Format: Hardcover, 336 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"India, 1951. After wilfully ignoring orders, Persis Wadia, India's first female police detective, is exiled from Bombay to the wild and mountainous Naga Hills District. As India's first post-Independence election looms, and tensions rise across the country, Persis finds herself banished to the Hotel Victoria, a crumbling colonial-era relic, her career in tatters.

But when a prominent politician is murdered in his locked room at the Victoria, his head missing, she is thrust back into the fray. Is the murderer one of the foreigners staying at the hotel or an insurgent from the surrounding jungle? As the political situation threatens to explode, Persis has only days to stop a killer operating at the very edge of darkness...

The sixth rip-roaring thriller in the award-winning Malabar House series and a perfect entry point for new readers."

I love a good locked room mystery with a missing head. And yes, I've read one before.

The Escape Game by Marissa Meyer and Tamara Moss
Published by: G.P. Putnam's Sons Books for Young Readers
Publication Date: April 7th, 2026
Format: Hardcover, 416 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"An unforgettable YA murder mystery set in an escape-room themed game show, by Marissa Meyer, #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Lunar Chronicles, and Tamara Moss, rising star and acclaimed author of Lintang series.

It's all fun and games until someone ends up dead.

Six months ago, season four of The Escape Game ended in horror when contestant Alicia Angelos was found murdered on set.

Now season five is underway, and new contestants are ready to put their skills to the test solving the show's trickiest escape rooms. There's Adi, the cryptographer; Carter, the math whiz; Beck, the wannabe game master; and...Sierra Angelos, the girl who got away with her sister's murder. Or so everyone believes.

But Sierra's not just here to win. She's here for justice.

When the contestants begin uncovering clues that hint at the identity of Alicia's true killer, it becomes clear that the stakes aren't high in this competition, they're deadly. If these teens want to win - and survive - the game, they must solve the biggest mystery of all: who killed Alicia Angelos?

From #1 New York Times bestselling author Marissa Meyer and rising star Tamara Moss comes a twisty thrill-ride, filled with sabotage, betrayal, and puzzles to die for."

Finally, a game themed book with actual stakes! All thanks to the glorious Marissa Meyer! 

The Ending Writes Itself by Evelyn Clarke
Published by: Harper
Publication Date: April 7th, 2026
Format: Hardcover, 352 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"A PROPULSIVE DEBUT MYSTERY FROM EVELYN CLARKE, THE BRILLIANT AND DIABOLICAL CREATION OF CAT CLARKE AND V.E. SCHWAB.

Six authors.
One private island.
Seventy-two hours to write the ending that will change their lives.

Arthur Fletch, one of the world's bestselling novelists, is a reclusive genius known for his iconic protagonists and fiendish twists. When six struggling authors are invited to spend a weekend on his private Scottish island, they arrive to discover a shocking secret: Arthur Fletch is dead...and his last book is unfinished.

Desperate to publish the novel, Fletch's agent and editor have summoned these writers in the hope that one of them will imagine a worthy ending for this final book. To sweeten the deal, they are offering an irresistible prize: in addition to ghost-writing the last chapter - for a mind-boggling sum - they will also help the lucky writer successfully re-launch their own career, guaranteeing future bestsellers. The catch: the writers have just seventy-two hours to finish Fletch's magnum opus.

It's the perfect plot. All it needs is a killer ending."

The collaboration everyone is talking about!

A Cruise to Die For by Heather Graham
Published by: Mira Books
Publication Date: April 7th, 2026
Format: Hardcover, 336 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"Special agents face deadly, uncharted waters in this tense romantic thriller from New York Times bestselling author Heather Graham.

Special Agent Chloe McMurray has been asked to do many things in the name of her job. Going undercover on a cruise ship leaving from her home port of Miami, however, is a new one. Not only that, but she's tasked with posing as the wife of her federal counterpart, Special Agent Wesley Law.

Their investigation? A string of murders and suicides across three states that seem unrelated, until they uncover a deadly technological connection. Every victim was an expert in technology and had some connection to Milestones, a megacorporation with ties to many industries...including the cruise industry.

Chloe and Wesley must successfully go undercover as tech employees on the ship hosting the ten-year anniversary of the Milestones cruise company. A tough ask when the two have never met before. They'll infiltrate the technology events, investigate their fellow passengers and try to uncover what's really going on.

However, danger is never far behind. Their killer can use tech to do the job without lifting a finger, and at sea, there's no escape if their covers are blown."

I love killers on cruise ships because it's just a bigger venue for a locked room mystery.

Now I See Spring by Mac Barnett and Jon Klassen
Published by: Tundra Books
Publication Date: April 7th, 2026
Format: Board Book, 24 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"From multi-award winning, New York Times bestselling duo Mac Barnett and Jon Klassen, Now I See Spring is one in a unique quartet of board books that playfully shows the changing seasons from a kid's point of view.

the house / the tree / the garden / me

Sparse and rhythmic text invites readers to explore a rural setting through different seasons, gently introducing everyday words. Envisioned as a set that also can be read as standalone books, each of the four volumes in this eye-catching series has identical text but different images that reflect the time of year. In spring, the tree's leaves are budding, rain falls from the sky, a sweet treat is a cookie and the perfect hat is a yellow one that keeps you dry. Now I See Spring celebrates all the wonderful things about the season through a child’s eyes - and shows why it’s their favorite time of year."

These books are beyond delightful.

Now I See Summer by Mac Barnett and Jon Klassen
Published by: Tundra Books
Publication Date: April 7th, 2026
Format: Board Book, 24 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"From multi-award winning, New York Times bestselling duo Mac Barnett and Jon Klassen, Now I See Summer is one in a unique quartet of board books that playfully shows the changing seasons from a kid's point of view.

the house / the tree / the garden / me

Sparse and rhythmic text invites readers to explore a rural setting through different seasons, gently introducing everyday words. Envisioned as a set that also can be read as standalone books, each of the four volumes in this eye-catching series has identical text but different images that reflect the time of year. In spring, the tree's leaves are budding, rain falls from the sky, a sweet treat is a cookie and the perfect hat is a yellow one that keeps you dry. Now I See Summer celebrates all the wonderful things about the season through a child’s eyes - and shows why it’s their favorite time of year."

They are a meditation on the seasons. 

Now I See Fall by Mac Barnett and Jon Klassen
Published by: Tundra Books
Publication Date: April 7th, 2026
Format: Board Book, 24 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"From multi-award winning, New York Times bestselling duo Mac Barnett and Jon Klassen, Now I See Fall is one in a unique quartet of board books that playfully shows the changing seasons from a kid's point of view.

the house / the tree / the garden / me

Sparse and rhythmic text invites readers to explore a rural setting through different seasons, gently introducing everyday words. Envisioned as a set that also can be read as standalone books, each of the four volumes in this eye-catching series has identical text but different images that reflect the time of year. In spring, the tree's leaves are budding, rain falls from the sky, a sweet treat is a cookie and the perfect hat is a yellow one that keeps you dry. Now I See Fall celebrates all the wonderful things about the season through a child’s eyes - and shows why it’s their favorite time of year."

As seen through the eyes of a child.

Now I See Winter by Mac Barnett and Jon Klassen
Published by: Tundra Books
Publication Date: April 7th, 2026
Format: Board Book, 24 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"From multi-award winning, New York Times bestselling duo Mac Barnett and Jon Klassen, Now I See Winter is one in a unique quartet of board books that playfully shows the changing seasons from a kid's point of view.

the house / the tree / the garden / me

Sparse and rhythmic text invites readers to explore a rural setting through different seasons, gently introducing everyday words. Envisioned as a set that also can be read as standalone books, each of the four volumes in this eye-catching series has identical text but different images that reflect the time of year. In spring, the tree's leaves are budding, rain falls from the sky, a sweet treat is a cookie and the perfect hat is a yellow one that keeps you dry. Now I See Winter celebrates all the wonderful things about the season through a child’s eyes - and shows why it’s their favorite time of year."

Showing you the wonder and love all year long.

Posted by Miss Eliza at 12:00 AM 0 comments  

Labels: Addie Thorley, Alex Grecian, Cat Clarke, Elise Kova, Evelyn Clarke, Heather Graham, Jon Klassen, Kate Clayborn, Mac Barnett, Marissa Meyer, Meg Shaffer, Pascale Lacelle, Seanan McGuire, Tamara Moss, V.E. Schwab, Vaseem Khan