Monday, March 2, 2020

Tuesday Tomorrow

Trace Elements by Donna Leon
Published by: Atlantic Monthly Press
Publication Date: March 3rd, 2020
Format: Hardcover, 320 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"When Dottoressa Donato calls the Questura to report that a dying patient at the hospice Fatebenefratelli wants to speak to the police, Commissario Guido Brunetti and his colleague, Claudia Griffoni, waste no time in responding.

"They killed him. It was bad money. I told him no," Benedetta Toso gasps the words about her recently-deceased husband, Vittorio Fadalto. Even though he is not sure she can hear him Brunetti softly promises he and Griffoni will look into what initially appears to be a private family tragedy. They discover that Fadalto worked in the field collecting samples of contamination for a company that measures the cleanliness of Venice's water supply and that he had died in a mysterious motorcycle accident. Distracted briefly by Vice Questore Patta's obsession with youth crime in Venice, Brunetti is bolstered once more by the remarkable research skills of Patta's secretary, Signora Elettra Zorzi. Piecing together the tangled threads, in time Brunetti comes to realize the perilous meaning in the woman's accusation and the threat it reveals to the health of the entire region. But justice in this case proves to be ambiguous, as Brunetti is reminded it can be when, seeking solace, he reads Aeschylus's classic play The Eumenides.

As she has done so often through her memorable characters and storytelling skill, Donna Leon once again engages our sensibilities as to the differences between guilt and responsibility."

Here's to Donna Leon! One my mom's favorite authors and the headliner of the Wisconsin Book Festival THIS WEEK! 

The Lady of the Lake by Peter Guttridge
Published by: Severn House Publishers
Publication Date: March 3rd, 2020
Format: Hardcover, 208 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"DI Sarah Gilchrist and DS Bellamy Heap are called in when the body of a man is found floating in a lake belonging to a reclusive ex-Hollywood actress.

When Major Richard Rabbitt, owner of a large estate in Sussex, is found floating in a lake belonging to Nimue Grace, a charismatic former Hollywood actress, DI Sarah Gilchrist and DS Bellamy Heap are called in to investigate - and quickly discover Rabbitt was a notoriously difficult man to deal with.

Rabbitt was hated by his estranged wife, had several rivalries with residents of the area, and was involved in a number of deals with other shady businessmen...such as Said Farzi, a 'criminal' according to many, and the corrupt politician William Simpson - the father of Heap's girlfriend.

With numerous suspects and many refusing to cooperate, Gilchrist and Heap must stay on their toes to unravel all the connections. Who stood to gain the most from Rabbitt's demise, and who can be trusted?"

You had me at "large Sussex estate" everything else is just the cherry on top of this sundae. 

She Lover of Death by Boris Akunin
Published by: Mysterious Press
Publication Date: March 3rd, 2020
Format: Hardcover, 272 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"From Boris Akunin, the writer who invented the popular Russian crime novel, a gripping tale of a secret suicide society in turn-of-the-century Moscow featuring a naive young protagonist and the inimitable hero Erast Fandorin.

Naive young Masha Mironova arrives in Moscow at the turn of the century with a modest inheritance and a determination to shed her provincial Siberian upbringing. As soon as she alights in Moscow, she becomes Columbine, a reckless and daring young woman with eccentric outfits and a pet snake worn as a necklace. In her quest for danger and passion, Columbine soon discovers the Lovers of Death - a small group of poets enraptured by death who gather nightly at the home of their leader, the Doge, and conduct's ances to determine death's next chosen lover. Once named at a's ance, the chosen member must await three signs from death before taking his own life. The string of suicides resulting from the group have drawn attention, becoming fodder for extensive media coverage and widespread hysteria in Moscow. As the group's numbers dwindle, a mysterious newcomer appears. Revealed to the reader as Erast Fandorin thanks to the presence of his trusty Japanese sidekick, Fandorin begins to investigate the suicides while also trying to convince the members that death is neither beautiful nor poetic and should not be sought out.

But will the gentleman detective be able to stop Columbine from taking action when she receives her three unmistakable signs? She Lover of Death is a fantastically entertaining murder mystery, where the murderer's weapons are trickery and psychological manipulation."

I have been devouring crime fiction lately and this is another great entry!

No Quiet Among the Shadows by Nancy Herriman
Published by: Beyond the Page Publishing
Publication Date: March 3rd, 2020
Format: Paperback, 286 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"In a new Mystery of Old San Francisco, Celia and Nick must look for answers among the dead to stop a killer among the living...

With the city’s Fourth of July celebrations in full swing, Celia Davies has stolen a moment away from her nursing duties to take in the festive spectacle, but is stunned when she spots the one person she thought she’d never see again - her supposedly dead husband, Patrick. Moments later, the investigator who had confirmed Patrick’s death is killed when he suspiciously falls from a high window, and Celia begins to fear that the roguish man she married has returned to haunt her life once again.

Joining forces with Detective Nick Greaves to get to the bottom of the mystery, Celia is soon drawn into a murky séance group, where the voices of the dead suggest that everyone involved in the case is engaged in some sort of fraud or deception. Determined to discover which of them might be a murderer, Celia and Nick will find themselves following a trail of clues that leads them down dark alleys into a shadowy tangle of spiritualism, altered identities, traumatic pasts, and secrets worth killing for..."

I am ALL about ALL things San Francisco. Especially murder! 

Blackwood by Michael Farris Smith
Published by: Little, Brown and Company
Publication Date: March 3rd, 2020
Format: Hardcover, 304 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"In this timeless, mythical tale of unforgiving justice and elusive grace, rural Mississippi townsfolk shoulder the pain of generations as something dangerous lurks in the enigmatic kudzu of the woods.
The town of Red Bluff, Mississippi, has seen better days, though those who've held on have little memory of when that was. Myer, the county's aged, sardonic lawman, still thinks it can prove itself - when confronted by a strange family of drifters, the sheriff believes that the people of Red Bluff can be accepting, rational, even good.

The opposite is true: this is a landscape of fear and ghosts - of regret and violence - transformed by the kudzu vines that have enveloped the hills around it, swallowing homes, cars, rivers, and hiding a terrible secret deeper still.

Colburn, a junkyard sculptor who's returned to Red Bluff, knows this pain all too well, though he too is willing to hope for more when he meets and falls in love with Celia, the local bar owner. The Deep South gives these noble, broken, and driven folks the gift of human connection while bestowing upon them the crippling weight of generations. With broken histories and vagabond hearts, the townsfolk wrestle with the evil in the woods - and the wickedness that lurks in each and every one of us."

You had me at kudzu.

Cursed: An Anthology edited by Marie O'Regan and Paul Kane
Published by: Titan Books
Publication Date: March 3rd, 2020
Format: Paperback, 384 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"Twenty curses, old and new, from bestselling fantasy authors such as Neil Gaiman, Karen Joy Fowler, Christina Henry, M.R. Carey and Charlie Jane Anders.

ALL THE BETTER TO READ YOU WITH.

It's a prick of blood, the bite of an apple, the evil eye, a wedding ring or a pair of red shoes. Curses come in all shapes and sizes, and they can happen to anyone, not just those of us with unpopular stepparents...

Here you'll find unique twists on curses, from fairy tale classics to brand-new hexes of the modern world - expect new monsters and mythologies as well as twists on well-loved fables. Stories to shock and stories of warning, stories of monsters and stories of magic."

Here for Neil Gaiman, Christopher Golden, and Margo Lanagan! Though I'm sure everyone is fabulous!

Witches of Ash and Ruin by E. Latimer
Published by: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers
Publication Date: March 3rd, 2020
Format: Hardcover, 384 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"Modern witchcraft blends with ancient Celtic mythology in an epic clash of witches and gods, perfect for fans of V.E. Schwab's Shades of Magic trilogy and Chilling Adventures of Sabrina.

Seventeen-year-old Dayna Walsh is struggling to cope with her somatic OCD; the aftermath of being outed as bisexual in her conservative Irish town; and the return of her long-absent mother, who barely seems like a parent. But all that really matters to her is ascending and finally, finally becoming a full witch-plans that are complicated when another coven, rumored to have a sordid history with black magic, arrives in town with premonitions of death. Dayna immediately finds herself at odds with the bewitchingly frustrating Meiner King, the granddaughter of their coven leader.

And then a witch turns up murdered at a local sacred site, along with the blood symbol of the Butcher of Manchester-an infamous serial killer whose trail has long gone cold. The killer's motives are enmeshed in a complex web of witches and gods, and Dayna and Meiner soon find themselves at the center of it all. If they don't stop the Butcher, one of them will be next.

With razor-sharp prose and achingly real characters, E. Latimer crafts a sweeping, mesmerizing story of dark magic and brutal mythology set against a backdrop of contemporary Ireland that's impossible to put down."

Oh, that mashup combo sounds fascinating!

The Secret of White Stone Gate by Julia Nobel
Published by: Sourcebooks Young Readers
Publication Date: March 3rd, 2020
Format: Hardcover, 304 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"In this exciting sequel to The Mystery of Black Hollow Lane, Emmy's adventures continue as she deals with a sinister organization, a missing father, and secrets she's not sure who to trust with.

After spending the summer at home in Connecticut, Emmy cannot wait to return to Wellsworth for the new school year and reunite with her best friends, Lola and Jack. Before she leaves Emmy receives a note from her father telling her to hide the remaining relics The Order of Black Hollow Lane are after - and to trust no one.

When Lola is framed for a serious crime she didn't commit, Emmy knows that she and her friends are not safe. The Order wants Emmy to give up her father's location...if she doesn't, those she loves will pay the price.

Emmy and Jack need to figure out a way to clear Lola's name without bending to the Order's sinister demands. And Emmy needs to figure out who she can trust with her secrets before it's too late."

Chills! And can we talk about cover love?

Chain of Gold by Cassandra Clare
Published by: Margaret K. McElderry Books
Publication Date: March 3rd, 2020
Format: Hardcover, 624 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"From #1 New York Times and USA TODAY bestselling author Cassandra Clare comes the first novel in a brand-new trilogy where evil hides in plain sight and love cuts deeper than any blade. Chain of Gold is a Shadowhunters novel.

Cordelia Carstairs is a Shadowhunter, a warrior trained since childhood to battle demons. When her father is accused of a terrible crime, she and her brother travel to London in hopes of preventing the family’s ruin. Cordelia’s mother wants to marry her off, but Cordelia is determined to be a hero rather than a bride. Soon Cordelia encounters childhood friends James and Lucie Herondale and is drawn into their world of glittering ballrooms, secret assignations, and supernatural salons, where vampires and warlocks mingle with mermaids and magicians. All the while, she must hide her secret love for James, who is sworn to marry someone else.

But Cordelia’s new life is blown apart when a shocking series of demon attacks devastate London. These monsters are nothing like those Shadowhunters have fought before - these demons walk in daylight, strike down the unwary with incurable poison, and seem impossible to kill. London is immediately quarantined. Trapped in the city, Cordelia and her friends discover that their own connection to a dark legacy has gifted them with incredible powers - and forced a brutal choice that will reveal the true cruel price of being a hero."

I think I need an intervention. Can anyone stop me from reading Cassandra Clare? It really is in my best interest and I can't seem to do it!

Bone Crier's Moon by Kathryn Purdie
Published by: Katherine Tegen Books
Publication Date: March 3rd, 2020
Format: Hardcover, 480 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"From #1 New York Times bestselling author Kathryn Purdie comes a high-stakes fantasy duology flush with doomed romance and macabre magic, perfect for fans of Stephanie Garber and Roshani Chokshi.

Bone Criers are the last descendants of an ancient famille charged with using the magic they draw from animal bones to shepherd the dead into the afterlife - lest they drain the light from the living.

Ailesse has been prepared since birth to become their matriarch, but first she must complete her rite of passage: to kill the boy she’s destined to love.

Bastien’s father was slain by a Bone Crier and he’s been seeking revenge ever since. Now his vengeance must wait, as Ailesse’s ritual has begun and their fates are entwined - in life and in death."

Hell yes I want to read this book! 

Glass Town by Isabel Greenberg
Published by: Abrams ComicArts
Publication Date: March 3rd, 2020
Format: Hardcover, 224 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"A graphic novel about the Brontë siblings, and the strange and marvelous imaginary worlds they invented during their childhood.

Glass Town is an original graphic novel by Isabel Greenberg that encompasses the eccentric childhoods of the four Brontë children - Charlotte, Branwell, Emily, and Anne. The story begins in 1825, with the deaths of Maria and Elizabeth, the eldest siblings. It is in response to this loss that the four remaining Brontë children set pen to paper and created the fictional world that became known as Glass Town. This world and its cast of characters would come to be the Brontës’ escape from the realities of their lives. Within Glass Town the siblings experienced love, friendship, war, triumph, and heartbreak. Through a combination of quotes from the stories originally penned by the Brontës, biographical information about them, and Greenberg's vivid comic book illustrations, readers will find themselves enraptured by this fascinating imaginary world."

I have a rule about not buying graphic novels before I read them. Needless to say I'm first on the list at my library for this Brontë tale!

A Portrait in Poems by Evie Robillard and Rachel Katstaller
Published by: Kids Can Press
Publication Date: March 3rd, 2020
Format: Hardcover, 48 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"Here's an insider's tour of the fascinating lives of Gertrude Stein and her partner, Alice B. Toklas, amusingly addressed directly to the reader ("The next time you go to Paris ..."). It explores the couple's art collection, their famous writer and artist friends and even their dog, Basket. It also describes how Gertrude's book The Autobiography of Alice B. Toklas was not about Alice, but was more about Gertrude herself! A celebration of creativity and the creative process, this original and very readable picture book biography champions two women who dared to live unconventional lives.

In playful free verse, author Evie Robillard offers a unique introduction to one of the most influential figures of twentieth-century art and literature. It includes twelve child-friendly quotations from Stein's work, such as: "It takes a lot of time to be a genius, you have to sit around so much doing nothing, really doing nothing." Illustrator Rachel Katstaller's fun yet detailed art delightfully evokes the time and place of the text. Touching on literature, history, writing and the visual arts, this biography offers loads of direct curriculum applications. Back matter includes a time line, "snapshots," sources and an author's note with further background."

I LOVE that there are so many wonderful children's books coming out about diverse authors!

Bettie Page: The Princess and the Pin-Up by David Avallone and Julius Ohta
Published by: Dynamite Entertainment,
Publication Date: March 3rd, 2020
Format: Paperback, 132 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"The brand-new Queen of England has mysteriously vanished, and British Intelligence needs a helping hand from the world's greatest model spy!

Can Bettie the First find Elizabeth the Second before the news gets out and panics all of Great Britain? Are UFOs involved?

David Avallone (Elvira: Mistress of the Dark) and Julius Ohta (Sherlock Holmes) show you all the stuff they cut out of the The Crown, as Bettie returns in The Princess and the Pin-Up!"

Because I'm one of the people who, no matter what, needs more royals in my life. 

The Fire Never Goes Out by Noelle Stevenson
Published by: HarperTeen
Publication Date: March 3rd, 2020
Format: Hardcover, 208 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"From Noelle Stevenson, the New York Times bestselling author-illustrator of Nimona, comes a captivating, honest illustrated memoir that finds her turning an important corner in her creative journey - and inviting readers along for the ride.

In a collection of essays and personal mini-comics that span eight years of her young adult life, author-illustrator Noelle Stevenson charts the highs and lows of being a creative human in the world.

Whether it’s hearing the wrong name called at her art school graduation ceremony or becoming a National Book Award finalist for her debut graphic novel, Nimona, Noelle captures the little and big moments that make up a real life, with a wit, wisdom, and vulnerability that are all her own."

Firstly, the author of NIMONA! Secondly, I TOTALLY feel the "wrong name called at her art school graduation ceremony." I REALLY do.

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