strange and random happenstance

The Paris Mysteries by Edgar Allan Poe
Published by: Pushkin Vertigo
Publication Date: April 28th, 2020
Format: Hardcover, 192 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"Three macabre and confounding mysteries for the first and greatest of detectives, Auguste Dupin.

An apartment on the rue Morgue turned into a charnel house; the corpse of a shopgirl dragged from the Seine; a high-stakes game of political blackmail - three mysteries that have enthralled the whole of Paris, and baffled the city's police. The brilliant Chevalier Auguste Dupin investigates - can he find the solution where so many others before him have failed?

These three stories from the pen of Edgar Allan Poe are some of the most influential ever written, widely praised and credited with inventing the detective genre. This edition contains: 'The Murders in the Rue Morgue', 'The Mystery of Marie Rogêt' and 'The Purloined Letter'."

I've been craving mysteries lately, so why don't we go back to the beginning, the master, Edgar Allan Poe! 

The Lost Boys of London by Mary Lawrence
Published by: Red Puddle Print
Publication Date: April 28th, 2020
Format: Paperback, 326 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"In Mary Lawrence's fifth Bianca Goddard mystery set during the final years of Henry VIII's reign, the alchemist's daughter uses her skills to aid the living and helps seek justice for the dead...

While her husband fights the Scots for King Henry VIII, Bianca Goddard earns her coin by concocting medicines that offer relief to London's sick. Some unfortunates, however, are beyond any remedies she can provide - like the boy discovered hanging from a church dripstone. Examining the body, Bianca finds a rosary twined around the child's neck. A week later, another boy is found dead at a different church. When Fisk, Bianca's impish acquaintance goes missing, she fears he may become the third victim...

There are many villains who would prey on wayward, penniless boys. But Bianca suspects the killings are not brutal acts of impulse, but something far more calculated. In her room of Medicinals and Physickes, she examines the sole piece of evidence: a sweet-smelling, dark-stained cloth. If Bianca can unravel its secret, reputations and lives will be saved. But the expected hour of the next murder is approaching, and a single misstep may mean another boy is lost forever..."

Alchemist? I'm there!

Jack by Connie Willis
Published by: Subterranean Press
Publication Date: April 28th, 2020
Format: Hardcover, 112 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"The classic World War II novella by the author of Black Out and All Clear." 

What it lacks in description you can be sure it makes up for in quality. Connie Willis's Subterranean Press releases are must buys for me.

The Talented Mr. Varg by Alexander McCall Smith
Published by: Pantheon
Publication Date: April 28th, 2020
Format: Hardcover, 240 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"In the second installment in the best-selling Detective Varg series, Ulf and his team investigate a notorious philanderer - a wolf of a man whose bad reputation may be all bark and no bite.

The Department of Sensitive Crimes, renowned for taking on the most obscure and irrelevant cases is always prepared to dive into an investigation, no matter how complex. So when the girlfriend of an infamous author who insists her bad-boy beau is being blackmailed approaches Ulf Varg, the department’s lead detective, Ulf is determined to help. It’s rather difficult to determine what skeletons hide in the hard-living lothario’s closet, though. And while Swedes are notoriously tolerant...well, there are limits. Even for the Swedish.

The case requires Ulf’s total concentration, but he finds himself distracted by his ongoing attraction to his co-worker, Anna, whose own fears about her husband’s fidelity are causing a strain on her marriage. When Ulf is also tasked with looking into a group of dealers exporting wolves that seem more canis familiaris than canis lupus, it will require all of his team’s investigative instincts and dogged persistence to put these matters to bed."

I'd like someone to figure out who writes more books in a year, Alexander McCall Smith, Seanan McGuire, or Stephen King. Can you get back to me on that?

The Wedding Dress by Danielle Steel
Published by: Delacorte Press
Publication Date: April 28th, 2020
Format: Hardcover, 304 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"In Danielle Steel’s epic new novel, the lives of four generations of women in one family span fortune and loss, motherhood, tragedy and victories.

From the glamorous San Francisco social scene of the 1920s, through war and the social changes of the ’60s, to the rise of Silicon Valley today, this extraordinary novel takes us on a family odyssey that is both heartbreaking and inspiring, as each generation faces the challenges of their day.

The Parisian design houses in 1928, the crash of 1929, the losses of war, the drug culture of the 1960s - history holds many surprises, and lives are changed forever. For richer or for poorer, in cramped apartments and grand mansions, the treasured wedding dress made in Paris in 1928 follows each generation into their new lives, and represents different hopes for each of them, as they marry very different men.

From inherited fortunes at the outset to self-made men and women, the wedding dress remains a cherished constant for the women who wear it in each generation and forge a destiny of their own. It is a symbol of their remaining traditions and the bond of family they share in an ever-changing world."

This book has everything I love, a generational story that is in San Francisco! And yes, I make it a point to read books set there!

The Ruin of Evangeline Jones by Julia Bennet
Published by: Entangled: Amara
Publication Date: April 28th, 2020
Format: Kindle, 217 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"Alex Stanton just inherited a dukedom but his true passion is uncovering charlatans and frauds wherever he finds them. Spiritualist and medium Evangeline “Evie” Jones is the biggest fake of all and he’s determined to expose her lies for all of London to see. Her prim manner and ladylike airs don’t fool him. He sees the hunger beneath and recognizes a worthy opponent. He can’t deny the dark undercurrents of lust between them.

Evie worked her way up from the gutter and she’s not about to abandon the life she’s built for fear of this aristocratic dilettante. She knows his type. She sees the attraction simmering beneath his animosity, and she knows how to use it to keep him off balance. They strike a bargain. He has one week to prove she’s a fake. If he fails, he has to abandon all further attempts. If he succeeds, she’ll not only retire but make a public statement explaining all her tricks.

Neither expects to find anything in common, not to mention anything to love, in the other. Both are blindsided by the affinity and blossoming tenderness between them. But even if it were possible for a lowly charlatan to live happily ever after with a duke, more is going on than either suspects. Someone else has brought them together for a sinister purpose of his own."

What could be a better escape right now? Also Kindle, am I right? If you have a Kindle right now and are a voracious reader you are SET!

Posted by Miss Eliza at 12:00 AM 0 comments  

Labels: Alexander McCall Smith, Connie Willis, Danielle Steel, Edgar Allan Poe, Jack, Julia Bennet, Mary Lawrence, San Francisco, Seanan McGuire, Stephen King, The Ruin of Evangeline Jones, The Wedding Dress

I'm Your Huckleberry by Val Kilmer
Published by: Simon and Schuster
Publication Date: April 21st, 2020
Format: Hardcover, 320 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"Legendary actor Val Kilmer shares the stories behind his most beloved roles, reminisces about his star-studded career and love life, and reveals the truth behind his recent health struggles in a remarkably candid autobiography.

Val Kilmer has played many iconic roles over his nearly four-decade film career. A table-dancing Cold War agent in Top Secret! A troublemaking science prodigy in Real Genius. A brash fighter pilot in Top Gun. A swashbuckling knight in Willow. A lovelorn bank robber in Heat. A charming master of disguise in The Saint. A wise-cracking detective in Kiss Kiss Bang Bang. Of course, Batman, Jim Morrison and the sharp-shooting Doc Holliday.

But who is the real Val Kilmer? With I’m Your Huckleberry - published ahead of next summer’s highly anticipated sequel Top Gun: Maverick, in which Kilmer returns to the big screen as Tom “Iceman” Kazansky - the enigmatic actor at last steps out of character and reveals his true self.

In this uniquely assembled memoir - featuring vivid prose, snippets of poetry and rarely-seen photos - Kilmer reflects on his acclaimed career, including becoming the youngest actor ever admitted to the Juilliard School’s famed drama department, determinedly campaigning to win the lead part in The Doors, and realizing a years-long dream of performing a one-man show as his hero Mark Twain. He shares candid stories of working with screen legends Marlon Brando, Tom Cruise, Robert Downey Jr. and Robert De Niro, and recounts high-profile romances with Cher, Cindy Crawford, Daryl Hannah, and former wife Joanne Whalley. He chronicles his spiritual journey and lifelong belief in Christian Science, and describes travels to far-flung locales such as a scarcely inhabited island in the Indian Ocean where he suffered from delirium and was cared for by the resident tribe. And he reveals details of his recent throat cancer diagnosis and recovery - about which he has disclosed little until now.

While containing plenty of tantalizing celebrity anecdotes, I’m Your Huckleberry - taken from the famous line Kilmer delivers as Holliday in Tombstone - is ultimately a singularly written and deeply moving reflection on mortality and the mysteries of life."

I will be his Huckleberry any day! And yes, I preordered my signed copy in January.

Pets and Their Famous Humans by Ana Gallo and Katherine Quinn
Published by: Prestel Junior
Publication Date: April 21st, 2020
Format: Hardcover, 48 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"In this charmingly illustrated collection of pet-related stories children will find out about some of history's most important scientists, artists, writers, and musicians and their beloved animals.

Did you know that Mozart's pet starling was the inspiration for his Piano Concerto No. 17? Or that writer Dorothy Parker loved animals so much she let a pair of alligators swim in her bathtub? These are just a couple of the stories in this delightful and surprising collection that profiles the strong bond between humans and their pets. Some of these stories are touching: Frida Kahlo memorialized her pet deer Granizo in her painting The Wounded Deer. Some are a little quirky: Albert Einstein, convinced that his parrot, Bibo, was sad, told bad jokes to cheer the bird up. Each of these wonderfully entertaining stories is made even more appealing by Katherine Quinn's captivating illustrations. Rich in detail and reminiscent of folk art, they capture the humor and poignancy of these fascinating pairings. Together these stories and illustrations will create lasting impressions that will help young readers identify historic figures and spark joy in friendships with the animals in their own lives."

Because sometimes there are celebrities, and sometimes there are real celebrities, AKA the pest of celebrities. 

The Rise of David Bowie 1972-1973 by Mick Rock
Published by: Taschen
Publication Date: April 21st, 2020
Format: Hardcover, 300 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"A unique tribute from David Bowie's official photographer and creative partner, Mick Rock, compiled in 2015, with Bowie's blessing.

In 1972, David Bowie released his groundbreaking album The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars. With it landed Bowie's Stardust alter ego: a glitter-clad, mascara-eyed, sexually ambiguous persona who kicked down the boundaries between male and female, straight and gay, fact and fiction into one shifting and sparkling phenomenon of '70s self-expression. Together, Ziggy the album and Ziggy the stage spectacular propelled the softly spoken Londoner into one of the world's biggest stars.

A key passenger on this glam trip into the stratosphere was fellow Londoner and photographer Mick Rock. Rock bonded with Bowie artistically and personally, immersed himself in the singer's inner circle, and, between 1972 and 1973, worked as the singer's photographer and videographer.

This collection brings together spectacular stage shots, iconic photo shoots, as well as intimate backstage portraits. It celebrates Bowie's fearless experimentation and reinvention, while offering privileged access to the many facets of his personality and fame. Through the aloof and approachable, the playful and serious, the candid and the contrived, the result is a passionate tribute to a brilliant and inspirational artist whose creative vision will never be forgotten."

Mick Rock is the DEFINITIVE photographer of David Bowie. It's nice to see his books getting a more widespread release now. 

The Art of Junji Ito by Junji Ito
Published by: VIZ Media LLC,
Publication Date: April 21st, 2020
Format: Hardcover, 150 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"Enter the world of Junji Ito’s art - an abyss of horror and sublime beauty.

A first-ever collection of Junji Ito’s artworks, featuring over 130 images from his bestselling manga titles along with rare works. This sublime collection includes all of Ito’s unforgettable illustrations in both black-and-white and color, from Tomie’s dreadful beauty to the inhuman spirals of Uzumaki. Includes an interview focused on Ito’s art technique as well as commentary from the artist on each work."

While my opinions on Junji Ito's books are all over the place, you can't deny he is an amazing illustrator. 

The Girl and the Stars by Mark Lawrence
Published by: Ace
Publication Date: April 21st, 2020
Format: Hardcover, 384 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"A stunning new epic fantasy series following a young outcast who must fight with everything she has to survive, set in the same world as Red Sister.

In the ice, east of the Black Rock, there is a hole into which broken children are thrown. Yaz’s people call it the Pit of the Missing and now it is drawing her in as she has always known it would.

To resist the cold, to endure the months of night when even the air itself begins to freeze, requires a special breed. Variation is dangerous, difference is fatal. And Yaz is not the same.

Yaz’s difference tears her from the only life she’s ever known, away from her family, from the boy she thought she would spend her days with, and has to carve out a new path for herself in a world whose existence she never suspected. A world full of difference and mystery and danger.

Yaz learns that Abeth is older and stranger than she had ever imagined. She learns that her weaknesses are another kind of strength and that the cruel arithmetic of survival that has always governed her people can be challenged."

Yes, I had to read this book because I love that the heroine is named Yaz. 

You Let Me In by Camilla Bruce
Published by: Tor Books
Publication Date: April 21st, 2020
Format: Hardcover, 256 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"You Let Me In delivers a stunning tale from debut author Camilla Bruce, combining the sinister domestic atmosphere of Gillian Flynn's Sharp Objects with the otherwordly thrills of Neil Gaiman's The Ocean at the End of the Lane.

Cassandra Tipp is dead...or is she?

After all, the notorious recluse and eccentric bestselling novelist has always been prone to flights of fancy - everyone in town remembers the shocking events leading up to Cassie's infamous trial (she may have been acquitted, but the insanity defense only stretches so far).

Cassandra Tipp has left behind no body - just her massive fortune, and one final manuscript.

Then again, there are enough bodies in her past - her husband Tommy Tipp, whose mysterious disembowelment has never been solved, and a few years later, the shocking murder-suicide of her father and brother.

Cassandra Tipp will tell you a story - but it will come with a terrible price. What really happened, out there in the woods - and who has Cassie been protecting all along? Read on, if you dare..."

To up the game of an eccentric author embroiled in death with a supernatural edge is genius!

The Sisters of Summit Avenue by Lynn Cullen
Published by: Gallery Books
Publication Date: April 21st, 2020
Format: Paperback, 336 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"From the bestselling author of Mrs. Poe and Twain’s End comes a “poignant, beautifully rendered story of two sisters who find the courage to reclaim their bond after years of misunderstandings and heartbreak” (Melanie Benjamin, New York Times bestselling author) during the Great Depression.

1934. Ruth has been single-handedly raising four young daughters and running her family’s Indiana farm for eight long years, ever since her husband, John, was infected by the infamous “sleeping sickness” devastating families across the country. If only she could trade places with her older sister, June: blonde and beautiful, married to a wealthy doctor, living in a mansion in St. Paul. And June has a coveted job, too, as one of “the Bettys,” the perky recipe developers who populate the famous Betty Crocker test kitchen. But these gilded trappings hide sorrows: she has borne no children. And the man she loves more than anything belongs to Ruth.

When the two sisters reluctantly reunite after a long estrangement, June’s bitterness about her sister’s betrayal sets into motion a confrontation that’s been years in the making. And their mother, Dorothy, who’s brought the two of them together, has her own dark secrets, which might blow up the fragile peace she hopes to restore between her daughters.

An emotional journey of redemption, inner strength, and the ties that bind families together, for better or worse, The Sisters of Summit Avenue is a moving and heartfelt tribute to mothers, daughters, and sisters everywhere."

Love this cover. Interesting that until this cover I would have totally never picked up this book. See, covers do sell a book, the contents make us stay though.

Posted by Miss Eliza at 12:00 AM 0 comments  

Labels: Camilla Bruce, Cats, David Bowie, I'm Your Huckleberry, Junji Ito, Lynn Cullen, Mark Lawrence, Mick Rock, Pets, The Girl and the Stars, The Sisters of Summit Avenue, Val Kilmer, Willow, You Let Me In

The Last Emperox by John Scalzi
Published by: Tor Books
Publication Date: April 14th, 2020
Format: Hardcover, 320 Pages
Rating: ★★
To Buy

Emperox Grayland II has gotten most of the rebellions under control. Sure Nadashe Nohamapetan is still out there somewhere, but Nadashe's mother and all their conspirators are under lock and key and most of their assets frozen. That is until Nadashe gets herself some new conspirators. It really shows her single-minded ambition that despite all that she has been through, from future Emperox consort to prisoner, that she still has her eyes on the prize; she will be Emperox no matter what. Though why she would want to rule a collapsing empire that is on the verge of complete disintegration is beyond the current Emperox, Grayland II. The current Emperox can think of one thing and one thing only, how to save all her people with only a handful of real allies. Marce has got the science side locked down. He even has some interesting ideas that could in the long run prove to be hugely helpful in saving civilization, but he needs time, something they don't have. While Kiva has got the conspiracy side of things handled, closely watching Nadashe's plots and wondering how she could possibly infiltrate the inner circle in order to help the Emperox more. But one thing is certain, when you have an enemy as tenacious as Nadashe, you can't plan for every single eventuality and someone will pay the ultimate price. Of course does the endgame really lead to the end or to a new beginning?

The Last Emperox suffers from being released when it was, and I'm not talking about the uncanny coincidence of having the same denouement as the Westworld episode "Genre" that aired two days before it was published. I'm talking about being released in the midst of this Covid-19 pandemic. What was a fun series that merged the tropes of space operas with a scattering of prescient politics just cut a little too close to the bone for me at the moment. Instead of light reading it felt like a chore to pick it up every night and some nights I just couldn't bring myself to do it. I know there are those out there who probably loved this installment for the exact reasons I object to it, and I'm sure in time I will appreciate this book for what it is, just not at the moment. There was one passage that brought me to tears because it encapsulated my current frustrations when Grayland was discussing how people will survive the end of life as they know it: "That's going to be up to the people in the individual systems to do. I can give them all the information I have and they need, but once the Interdependency is gone it will be up to them to decide what to do with that information. I don't think everyone is going to make it to End. But a lot of them will." We have SO MUCH information on Covid-19 and yet our individual system of the United States is run by idiots who aren't going to let us get to the end! In reading that passage you see how Scalzi works, completely. He's vehemently anti-Trump and his despondence at the current political climate informs this trilogy, but that's the genius of Scalzi, that in a far flung future you see the now. Only it was a little too painful seeing the now now.

Posted by Miss Eliza at 12:00 AM 0 comments  

Labels: Covid-19, Emperox, John Scalzi, Kiva Lagos, Marce Claremont, Nadashe Nohamapetan, Pandemic, Politics, Space Opera, The Collapsing Empire, The Interdependency, The Last Emperox, Westworld

The Last Emperox by John Scalzi
Published by: Tor Books
Publication Date: April 14th, 2020
Format: Hardcover, 320 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"The Last Emperox is the thrilling conclusion to the award-winning, New York Times and USA Today bestselling Interdependency series, an epic space opera adventure from Hugo Award-winning author John Scalzi.

The collapse of The Flow, the interstellar pathway between the planets of the Interdependency, has accelerated. Entire star systems - and billions of people - are becoming cut off from the rest of human civilization. This collapse was foretold through scientific prediction...and yet, even as the evidence is obvious and insurmountable, many still try to rationalize, delay and profit from, these final days of one of the greatest empires humanity has ever known.

Emperox Grayland II has finally wrested control of her empire from those who oppose her and who deny the reality of this collapse. But “control” is a slippery thing, and even as Grayland strives to save as many of her people form impoverished isolation, the forces opposing her rule will make a final, desperate push to topple her from her throne and power, by any means necessary. Grayland and her thinning list of allies must use every tool at their disposal to save themselves, and all of humanity. And yet it may not be enough.

Will Grayland become the savior of her civilization...or the last emperox to wear the crown?"

I have been IN LOVE with this series since my book club read the first volume two years ago. That's two years of desperately waiting for this book I might add!

Queen by Timothy Zahn
Published by: Tor Books
Publication Date: April 14th, 2020
Format: Hardcover, 384 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"Queen is the climactic conclusion to New York Times bestselling author Timothy Zahn's thrilling space adventure series, The Sybil's War.

“Tim Zahn is a master of tactics and puts his own edge on complex hard-SF thrillers.”  - Kevin J. Anderson, New York Times bestselling author.

Nicole Hammond is a Sibyl, a special human that has the ability to communicate with a strange alien ship called the Fyrantha.

However, Nicole and all other sentient creatures are caught up in a war for control between two competing factions. Now, the street-kid turned rebel leader has a plan that would restore freedom to all who have been shanghaied by the strange ship.

She just has to unite the many alien races being forced to combat for their freedom, dodge slaving war profiteers determined to capture her, and convince an AI at war with itself to trust her above all else."

It's a week for final volumes in sci-fi trilogies from Tor this week! Also, everyone should be reading Timothy Zahn, he made me the reader I am today! 

The Mistress of Illusions by Mike Resnick
Published by: DAW
Publication Date: April 14th, 2020
Format: Hardcover, 288 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"The second installment of a fantasy trilogy from a Hugo award-winning author, this novel offers an adventure through space and time as Eddie Raven tries to outrun the dark forces pursuing him.

Her name is Lisa, and ever since Eddie Raven hooked up with her, strange things keep happening.

How strange? Lisa can take on any role at a moment's notice. She's Maid Marian. She's Elizabeth Bennett from Pride and Prejudice. In an instant, she can become the sexy, gum-chewing secretary to his hard-boiled detective. She can even become Doc Holliday's frontier lady, Big Nose Kate.

But who is she really? That's something Eddie's got to find out before this series of strange adventures, which began in The Master of Dreams, overtakes him. And if Lisa's not enough of a problem, there's also the powerful creature who claims to be the chief demon in hell, who seems convinced that he, Eddie, and Lisa are on the same side.

Is Eddie being told the truth? He'd better decide quickly, because the one thing that's clear is that he's running out of time."

I hope that Mike Resnick finished this series before he died.

Girls Save the World in This One by Ash Parsons
Published by: Philomel Books
Publication Date: April 14th, 2020
Format: Hardcover, 432 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"Shaun of the Dead meets Clueless in this hilarious YA horror comedy set at a local zombie convention - featuring a teenage girl gang that has to save the world from a horde of actual zombies. Perfect for fans of Geekerella, Undead Girl Gang, and Anna and the Apocalypse.

Mega-fan June Blue's whole life has been leading up to this moment: ZombieCon!The Ultimate in Undead Entertainment has finally come to her hometown. She and her two best friends - gorgeous, brilliant Imani and super-sweet, outrageously silly Siggy - plan on hitting all the panels and photo ops, and meeting the heartthrob lead of their favorite zombie apocalypse show, Human Wasteland. It's going to be the best time of their lives - and one of their last adventures before they all split up for college.

And when they arrive, everything seems perfect. June's definitely not going to let anything get in the way of the flawless con experience - even though she's endlessly anxious about the SATs and college admissions, and she can't seem to avoid her ex-best friend Blair, whose VIP badge lets her walk straight to the front of every single line. No matter what, June is determined to make the best of her dream day at ZombieCon!

But something's not quite right at the con - there are strange people in hazmat suits running around, enthusiastic cosplayers taking their shambling a little too far, and someone actually biting a cast member. Then, at a panel gone wrong, June and her friends discover the truth: the zombie apocalypse is here.

Now June, Imani, and Siggy must do whatever it takes to survive a horde of actual flesh-eating zombies - and save the world. A hilarious and heartfelt horror comedy, that is an ode to zombies, friendship, and girl power."

I don't know why but I ALWAYS love me a zombie comedy! 

Ghosted in L.A. Vol. 1 by Sina Grace, Siobhan Keenan, and Cathy Le
Published by: BOOM! Box
Publication Date: April 14th, 2020
Format: Paperback, 112 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"Daphne Walters moves to Los Angeles and finds that the only ones who can help her find love and live life to the fullest are the ghosts of her new home!

In Los Angeles, finding an apartment is killer - unless you live with the dead. Daphne Walters moves to Los Angeles for her boyfriend Ronnie, ready to live her happily ever after. But when happily ever after turns into happily for a month, she’s stuck in a strange city with no friends, family, or prospects for fun. Desperate to escape the lingering ghost of Ronnie’s presence everywhere, Daphne sets out to explore the city - and ends up encountering ghosts of a more literal kind! Rycroft Manor is abandoned, beautiful, and haunted. Will the dead be able to help Daphne find the life she’s been missing in the big city? From GLAAD Award-nominated Sina Grace (Iceman) and illustrator Siobhan Keenan (Jem and the Holograms) comes a story about learning how to make friends, find love, and live life to the fullest with a little help from some friends whose lives didn't end at death. Collects Ghosted In L.A #1-4."

One of my favorite things about Angel was Cordelia's friendship with her ghost roommate Dennis. This reminds me of that a little and therefore makes me happy.

Miss Julia Knows a Thing or Two by Ann B. Ross
Published by: Viking
Publication Date: April 14th, 2020
Format: Hardcover, 336 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"The delightful new installment of the beloved and New York Times bestselling Miss Julia series.

Miss Julia has decided to turn over a new leaf. It's time to stop meddling in other peoples' lives, she thinks - but her hands are full before long! Her neighbor Mildred is sent into a tizzy when a grandchild she's never met shows up on her doorstep. And Mildred's husband keeps forgetting who she is, so she's all on her own. Meanwhile, Etta Mae is worried about losing her job now that the Handy Home Helpers is up for sale. Luckily, Miss Julia has experience dealing with children dropped on doorsteps, and sweeps in to lend a hand. But there's something missing in that child's life, and Miss Julia knows exactly what it is."

My mom loved this series. Hard to have knew installments I know she won't be reading. 

Silenced For Good by Alex Coombs
Published by: Boldwood Books
Publication Date: April 14th, 2020
Format: Kindle
To Buy

The official patter:
"Detective Hanlon is addicted to violence. She likes the rush, the danger, the losing control...

When Hanlon is suspended from the force for assaulting a suspect, she escapes to the remote Scottish island of Jura, home to the mysterious Corryvreckan whirlpool.

But wherever Hanlon goes, violence is sure to follow.

As soon as she checks into The Mackinnon Arms, Hanlon senses something isn't quite right about the staff at her home for the week.

Sure enough, within days of arriving, the body of a member of staff is found floating in the sea. While police believe she was claimed by the local whirlpool, Hanlon isn't so sure.

As she pieces together the evidence, dark secrets begin to unravel. Can Hanlon work out what is going on before another floating body is found...?

The start of a gripping new crime series, perfect for fans of Angela Marsons, Robert Bryndza and Lisa Regan."

A remote Scottish island where death follows? YAS!

Death of an American Beauty by Mariah Fredericks
Published by: Minotaur Books,
Publication Date: April 14th, 2020
Format: Hardcover, 272 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"Death of an American Beauty is the third in Mariah Fredericks's compelling series, set in Gilded Age New York, featuring Jane Prescott.

Jane Prescott is taking a break from her duties as lady’s maid for a week, and plans to begin it with attending the hottest and most scandalous show in town: the opening of an art exhibition, showcasing the cubists, that is shocking New York City.

1913 is also the fiftieth anniversary of Lincoln’s Emancipation Proclamation speech, and the city's great and good are determined to celebrate in style. Dolly Rutherford, heiress to the glamorous Rutherford’s department store empire, has gathered her coterie of society ladies to put on a play - with Jane’s employer Louise Tyler in the starring role as Lincoln himself. Jane is torn between helping the ladies with their costumes and enjoying her holiday. But fate decides she will do neither, when a woman is found murdered outside Jane’s childhood home - a refuge for women run by her uncle.

Deeply troubled as her uncle falls under suspicion and haunted by memories of a woman she once knew, Jane - with the help of old friends and new acquaintances, reporter Michael Behan and music hall pianist Leo Hirschfeld - is determined to discover who is making death into their own twisted art form."

I LIVE for the Gilded Age of New York! 

The Unsuitable by Molly Pohlig
Published by: Henry Holt and Co.
Publication Date: April 14th, 2020
Format: Hardcover, 288 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"Molly Pohlig's The Unsuitable is a fierce blend of Gothic ghost story and Victorian novel of manners that’s also pitch perfect for our current cultural moment.

Iseult Wince is a Victorian woman perilously close to spinsterhood whose distinctly unpleasant father is trying to marry her off. She is awkward, plain, and most pertinently, believes that her mother, who died in childbirth, lives in the scar on her neck.

Iseult’s father parades a host of unsuitable candidates before her, the majority of whom Iseult wastes no time frightening away. When at last her father finds a suitor desperate enough to take Iseult off his hands - a man whose medical treatments have turned his skin silver - a true comedy of errors ensues.

As history’s least conventional courtship progresses into talk of marriage, Iseult’s mother becomes increasingly volatile and uncontrollable, and Iseult is forced to resort to extreme, often violent, measures to keep her in check.

As the day of the wedding nears, Iseult must decide whether (and how) to set the course of her life, with increasing interference from both her mother and father, tipping her ever closer to madness, and to an inevitable, devastating final act."

I'm here for ALL things Gothic! ALL OF THEM! ESPECIALLY THIS!

Posted by Miss Eliza at 12:00 AM 0 comments  

Labels: Alex Coombs, Ann B. Ross, Ash Parsons, Ghosted in L.A., John Scalzi, Mariah Fredericks, Mike Resnick, Miss Julia, Molly Pohlig, The Collapsing Empire, The Consuming Fire, The Last Emperox, Timothy Zahn, Zombies

Miss Austen by Gill Hornby
Published by: Flatiron Books
Publication Date: April 7th, 2020
Format: Hardcover, 288 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"For fans of Jo Baker’s Longbourn, a witty, wonderfully original novel about Cassandra Austen and her famous sister, Jane.

Whoever looked at an elderly lady and saw the young heroine she once was?

England, 1840. Two decades after the death of her beloved sister, Jane, Cassandra Austen returns to the village of Kintbury and the home of her family friends, the Fowles. In a dusty corner of the vicarage, there is a cache of Jane’s letters that Cassandra is desperate to find. Dodging her hostess and a meddlesome housemaid, Cassandra eventually hunts down the letters and confronts the secrets they hold, secrets not only about Jane but about Cassandra herself. Will Cassandra bare the most private details of her life to the world, or commit her sister’s legacy to the flames?

Moving back and forth between the vicarage and Cassandra’s vibrant memories of her years with Jane, interwoven with Jane’s brilliantly reimagined lost letters, Miss Austen is the untold story of the most important person in Jane’s life. With extraordinary empathy, emotional complexity, and wit, Gill Hornby finally gives Cassandra her due, bringing to life a woman as captivating as any Austen heroine."

I know, like me, you're here for the lost letters!

The Body in the Garden by Katharine Schellman
Published by: Crooked Lane Books
Publication Date: April 7th, 2020
Format: Hardcover, 336 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"Perfect for fans of Tasha Alexander and Rhys Bowen, Katharine Schellman's debut novel is sure to delight.

London 1815. Though newly-widowed Lily Adler is returning to a society that frowns on independent women, she is determined to create a meaningful life for herself even without a husband. She's no stranger to the glittering world of London's upper crust. At a ball thrown by her oldest friend, Lady Walter, she expects the scandal, gossip, and secrets. What she doesn't expect is the dead body in Lady Walter's garden.

Lily overheard the man just minutes before he was shot: young, desperate, and attempting blackmail. But she's willing to leave the matter to the local constables - until Lord Walter bribes the investigating magistrate to drop the case. Stunned and confused, Lily realizes she's the only one with the key to catching the killer.

Aided by a roguish navy captain and a mysterious heiress from the West Indies, Lily sets out to discover whether her friend's husband is mixed up in blackmail and murder. The unlikely team tries to conceal their investigation behind the whirl of London's social season, but the dead man knew secrets about people with power. Secrets that they would kill to keep hidden. Now, Lily will have to uncover the truth, before she becomes the murderer's next target."

Oh, oh, I'm a fan of Tasha Alexander!

To Have and To Hoax by Martha Waters
Published by: Atria Books
Publication Date: April 7th, 2020
Format: Paperback, 368 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"In this fresh and hilarious historical rom-com, an estranged husband and wife in Regency England feign accidents and illness in an attempt to gain attention - and maybe just win each other back in the process.

Five years ago, Lady Violet Grey and Lord James Audley met, fell in love, and got married. Four years ago, they had a fight to end all fights, and have barely spoken since.

Their once-passionate love match has been reduced to one of cold, detached politeness. But when Violet receives a letter that James has been thrown from his horse and rendered unconscious at their country estate, she races to be by his side - only to discover him alive and well at a tavern, and completely unaware of her concern. She’s outraged. He’s confused. And the distance between them has never been more apparent.

Wanting to teach her estranged husband a lesson, Violet decides to feign an illness of her own. James quickly sees through it, but he decides to play along in an ever-escalating game of manipulation, featuring actors masquerading as doctors, threats of Swiss sanitariums, faux mistresses - and a lot of flirtation between a husband and wife who might not hate each other as much as they thought. Will the two be able to overcome four years of hurt or will they continue to deny the spark between them?

With charm, wit, and heart in spades, To Have and to Hoax is a fresh and eminently entertaining romantic comedy - perfect for fans of Jasmine Guillory and Julia Quinn."

Not enough people take advantage of the rom-com possibilities of the Regency Era!  

The Glass Magician by Caroline Stevermer
Published by: Tor Books
Publication Date: April 7th, 2020
Format: Hardcover, 288 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"Reminiscent of The Golem and the Jinni, The Glass Magician by Caroline Stevermer is a magical and romantic tale set in New York’s Gilded Age.

New York 1905 - The Vanderbilts. The Astors. The Morgans. They are the cream of society - and they own the nation on the cusp of a new century.

Thalia Cutler doesn’t have any of those family connections. What she does know is stage magic and she dazzles audiences with an act that takes your breath away.

That is, until one night when a trick goes horribly awry. In surviving she discovers that she can shapeshift, and has the potential to take her place among the rich and powerful.

But first, she’ll have to learn to control that power...before the real monsters descend to feast."

I'm here for whatever Caroline Stevermer writes, but this has me swooning.

The Age of Witches by Louisa Morgan
Published by: Redhook
Publication Date: April 7th, 2020
Format: Hardcover, 448 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"In Gilded Age New York, a centuries-long clash between two magical families ignites when a young witch must choose between love and loyalty, power and ambition, in this magical novel by Louisa Morgan.

In 1692, Bridget Bishop was hanged as a witch. Two hundred years later, her legacy lives on in the scions of two very different lines: one dedicated to using their powers to heal and help women in need; the other, determined to grasp power for themselves by whatever means necessary.

This clash will play out in the fate of Annis, a young woman in Gilded Age New York who finds herself a pawn in the family struggle for supremacy. She'll need to claim her own power to save herself-and resist succumbing to the darkness that threatens to overcome them all."

More Gilded Age gloriousness! 

Sine Eater by Megan Campisi
Published by: Atria Books
Publication Date: April 7th, 2020
Format: Hardcover, 304 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"The Handmaid’s Tale meets Alice in Wonderland in this gripping and imaginative historical novel about a shunned orphan girl in 16th-century England who is ensnared in a deadly royal plot and must turn her subjugation into her power.

The Sin Eater walks among us, unseen, unheard
Sins of our flesh become sins of Hers
Following Her to the grave, unseen, unheard
The Sin Eater Walks Among Us.

For the crime of stealing bread, fourteen-year-old May receives a life sentence: she must become a Sin Eater - a shunned woman, brutally marked, whose fate is to hear the final confessions of the dying, eat ritual foods symbolizing their sins as a funeral rite, and thereby shoulder their transgressions to grant their souls access to heaven.

Orphaned and friendless, apprenticed to an older Sin Eater who cannot speak to her, May must make her way in a dangerous and cruel world she barely understands. When a deer heart appears on the coffin of a royal governess who did not confess to the dreadful sin it represents, the older Sin Eater refuses to eat it. She is taken to prison, tortured, and killed. To avenge her death, May must find out who placed the deer heart on the coffin and why."

Sin Eaters have always fascinated me.

A Stroke of Malice by Anna Lee Huber
Published by: Berkley
Publication Date: April 7th, 2020
Format: Paperback, 384 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"Lady Kiera Darby and her husband Sebastian Gage are looking forward to celebrating with new friends at an exciting yearly soiree, but they soon learn that murder never takes a holiday in the latest riveting installment in this national bestselling series.

January 1832. After enjoying a delightful few weeks with her family, expectant mother Kiera and Sebastian Gage have been invited to the Duchess of Bowmontʼs Twelfth Night party in Traquair, Scotland. Though she normally avoids such fashionable, rambunctious events, Kiera is ready to join in the festive merrymaking. But upon their arrival at the opulent estate, it becomes obvious that all is not merry in their hostess’s home. The family appears to be under a great strain, and someone seems determined to cause mayhem among the guests with a series of forged notes.

Matters swiftly turn from irksome to downright deadly when the partygoers stumble upon a decomposing body in the castleʼs crypt. The corpse is thought to be the duchessʼs son-in-law who had purportedly traveled to Paris more than a month earlier. It is evident the man met with foul play, and Kiera and Gage soon realize that a ruthless murderer walks among them - and may well be a member of the duchessʼs own family. And when the investigation takes a treacherous turn, Kiera discovers just how deep the killer is willing to dig to keep their secrets from ever seeing the light of day."

Twelfth Night celebrations? Can I RSVP?

One Fatal Flaw by Anne Perry
Published by: Ballantine Books
Publication Date: April 7th, 2020
Format: Hardcover, 320 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"Two fiery deaths have young lawyer Daniel Pitt and his scientist friend Miriam fford Croft racing to solve a forensic crisis in this explosive new novel from New York Times bestselling author Anne Perry.

When a desperate woman comes to Daniel Pitt seeking a lawyer for her boyfriend, Rob Adwell, Daniel is convinced of the young man’s innocence. Adwell has been accused of murder and of setting a fire to conceal the body, but Daniel is sure that science can absolve him - and Miriam fford Croft is the best scientist he knows. Miriam connects Daniel with her former teacher Sir Barnabas Saltram, an expert in arson, and together, they reveal Adwell’s innocence by proving that an accidental fire caused the victim’s death. But it’s not long before Adwell is killed in the same fiery fashion. If these deaths are, in fact, murders, what essential clue could Daniel and Miriam have missed?

As their investigation deepens, one of Saltram’s former cases comes into question, and Miriam finds herself on the defensive. If the reasoning Saltram used in that case is proved false, several other cases will have to be re-tried, and Saltram’s expert status - not to mention Miriam’s reputation - will be ruined. Haunted by Saltram’s shady tactics in and outside of the classroom, Miriam is desperate to figure out truths both past and present and protect herself in the face of Saltram’s lies. What started as an accidental fire in Adwell’s case seems to be linked to a larger plot for revenge, with victims accumulating in its wake, and Miriam and Daniel must uncover who or what is stoking these recurring flames - before they, too, find themselves burned."

If anything can get you through what's going on in the state of the world it's some good murder brought to you by Anne Perry!

That Affair Next Door by Anna Katharine Green
Published by: Poisoned Pen Press,
Publication Date: April 7th, 2020
Format: Paperback, 384 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"The first book in an exciting new classic mystery series created in partnership with the Library of Congress, That Affair Next Door follows Miss Amelia Butterworth, an inquisitive single woman who becomes involved in a murder investigation after the woman next door turns up dead.

Miss Amelia Butterworth prides herself on being an observer of human nature, especially of the people she sees every day from her usual spot at her front window - that is, until she witnesses the prelude to a ghastly murder. Late at night, two people enter her neighbor's home, but only one leaves. The next morning a young woman is found dead, crushed beyond recognition beneath a cabinet. But her death was no accident - it soon comes to light that she was stabbed by a seemingly innocuous item: a hat pin.

Rife with social tension and mistaken identity, the messy case is assigned to veteran Detective Ebenezer Gryce. He expects Miss Butterworth to demurely return home, but she was there at the beginning of this case and she intends to see it through to the end. Miss Butterworth is determined to solve the mystery before the detective, but what begins as a battle of the sexes soon turns into a fight for the ever-elusive truth.

Anna Katharine Green is credited as the "mother of the detective novel," and the classic That Affair Next Door proves that the intrigue of a well-crafted mystery is timeless."

The Library of Congress bringing back forgotten crime classics? Did they read my mind!?!

The Benefit of Hindsight by Susan Hill
Published by: The Overlook Press
Publication Date: April 7th, 2020
Format: Hardcover, 304 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"Serrailler must confront his demons as Lafferton experiences a series of shocking crimes in this 10th book in Susan Hill’s shattering crime series.

Susan Hill stuns readers once again in The Benefit of Hindsight, the 10th book in her celebrated mystery series. Now recuperated after the violent incident that cost him his arm - and nearly his life - DCS Serrailler has returned to work, though he prefers to spend his spare time sketching the medieval angels being restored on the cathedral roof. With crime rates down, Lafferton has been quiet, until one night when two men open their front door to a distressing scene. Serrailler makes a serious error of judgment when handling the incident, and the stress of this, combined with the ongoing trauma of losing his arm, takes its toll. In the tradition of the fabulous mysteries of Ruth Rendell and P. D. James, The Benefit of Hindsight is Susan Hill’s best work yet - a chilling new addition to a highly acclaimed series."

I just recently acquired the rest of  Hill's Serrailler series and can't wait to dive in!

Die for Me by Luke Jennings
Published by: Mulholland Books
Publication Date: April 7th, 2020
Format: Paperback, 224 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"Following the wildly popular BBC America adaption of Codename Villanelle, a high-stakes, addictive installment of Jennings's acclaimed Killing Eve series.

Though the cat and mouse chase between these two lethal adversaries has seemingly ended, the sophisticated, deadly thrill of Eve and Villanelle's relationship is far from over. Told in Jennings's stylish prose, Killing Eve: Die for Me is another page-turning chapter in the espionage exploits of Eve and Villanelle."

If your a fan of the show you should read the books, they're different but still captivating.

Fantastic Hope by Laurell K. Hamilton and William McCaskey
Published by: Berkley
Publication Date: April 7th, 2020
Format: Paperback, 432 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"A collection of sixteen sci-fi and fantasy stories edited by #1 New York Times bestselling author Laurell K. Hamilton and author William McCaskey.

A child’s wish for her father comes true. The end of the world has never been so much fun. Conquering personal demons becomes all too real. It’s not always about winning; sometimes it’s about showing up for the fight. It’s about loving your life’s work, and jobs that make you question everything.

In this anthology, seventeen authors have woven together brand-new stories that speak to the darkness and despair that life brings while reminding us that good deeds, humor, love, sacrifice, dedication, and following our joy can ignite a light that burns so bright the darkness cannot last.

Laurell K. Hamilton and William McCaskey are joined by Kevin J. Anderson, Griffin Barber, Patricia Briggs, Larry Correia, Kacey Ezell, Monalisa Foster, Robert E. Hampson, John G. Hartness, Jonathan Maberry, L. E. Modesitt, Jr., Jessica Schlenker, Sharon Shinn, M. C. Sumner, Patrick M. Tracy, and Michael Z. Williamson in this collection."

Here for Patirica Briggs, everything else is just icing on the cake.

This Magick Marmot by Sharon Paper
Published by: Kensington Publishing Corporation
Publication Date: April 7th, 2020
Format: Paperback, 200 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"A fatal case of school spirit...

Kailyn Wilde, owner of the Abracadabra potion shop, feels some dread anticipating her ten-year high school reunion at the new hotel in New Camel - but it turns out even worse than she feared. Running into her very first boyfriend is pleasant enough. Chatting with Ashley - who still can’t let go of a tragedy that happened on prom night - is a bit more uncomfortable. But the worst part comes when one of Kailyn’s oldest friends is found dead in the ladies’ room.

Soon this upstate New York town is in an uproar. And with some help from time-traveling wizard Merlin - who has adopted an unusual and alluring creature as his familiar - it’s up to Kailyn to identify the alumnus most likely to commit murder..."

I LOVE high school reunions with a side of murder!

Titan's Day by Dan Stout
Published by: DAW
Publication Date: April 7th, 2020
Format: Hardcover, 432 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"The second book in the acclaimed Carter Archives noir fantasy series returns to the gritty town of Titanshade, where danger lurks around every corner.

The city of Titanshade pulses with nervous energy. The discovery of new riches beneath its snowfields has given residents hope for prosperity, but it also means the arrival of federal troops, along with assurances that they are only there to "stabilize the situation".

Newcomers flood the streets, dreaming of finding their fortunes, while in the backrooms and beer halls of the city, a populist resistance gains support, its leaders' true motives hidden behind nativist slogans. And in an alley, a gruesome discovery: the mutilated body of a young woman, a recent immigrant so little-regarded that not even her lovers bothered to learn her name. But in death, she's found a champion.

Detective Carter single-mindedly pursues the killer as he navigates political pressures and resists becoming a pawn in the struggles tipping the city toward anarchy. But when more innocent lives are lost and time runs short, he's forced to decide if justice is worth sparking all-out war in the streets during the biggest celebration of the year: Titan's Day."

We you just can't decide between reading a fantasy book or a noir book look to Titan's Day!

Gotham High by Melissa de la Cruz
Published by: DC Comics
Publication Date: April 7th, 2020
Format: Paperback, 208 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"From the #1 New York Times bestselling author of Alex and Eliza and The Witches of East End comes a reimagining of Gotham for a new generation of readers. Before they became Batman, Catwoman, and The Joker, Bruce, Selina, and Jack were high schoolers who would do whatever it took - even destroy the ones they love - to satisfy their own motives.

After being kicked out of his boarding school, 16-year-old Bruce Wayne returns to Gotham City to find that nothing is as he left it. What once was his family home is now an empty husk, lonely but haunted by the memory of his parents' murder. Selina Kyle, once the innocent girl next door, now rules over Gotham High School with a dangerous flair, aided by the class clown, Jack Napier.

When a kidnapping rattles the school, Bruce seeks answers as the dark and troubled knight - but is he actually the pawn? Nothing is ever as it seems, especially at Gotham High, where the parties and romances are of the highest stakes...and where everyone is a suspect.

With enchanting art by Thomas Pitilli, this new graphic novel is just as intoxicating as it is chilling, in which dearest friends turn into greatest enemies - all within the hallways of Gotham High!"

Excited to see what energy Melissa de la Cruz brings to the DC Universe! 

Alan Turing by Maria Isabel Sanchez Vegara
Published by: Frances Lincoln Children's Books
Publication Date: April 7th, 2020
Format: Hardcover, 32 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"In this book from the critically acclaimed, multimillion-copy best-selling Little People, BIG DREAMS series, discover the life of Alan Turing, the genius code cracker and father of theoretical computer science and artificial intelligence.

Alan grew up in England, where his best friends were numbers and a little boy called Christopher. When his young friend died, Alan retreated to the world of numbers and codes, where he discovered how to crack the code of the Nazi Enigma machine. This moving book features stylish and quirky illustrations and extra facts at the back, including a biographical timeline with historical photos and a detailed profile of the brilliant mathematician's life.

Little People, BIG DREAMS is a best-selling series of books and educational games that explore the lives of outstanding people, from designers and artists to scientists and activists. All of them achieved incredible things, yet each began life as a child with a dream.

This empowering series offers inspiring messages to children of all ages, in a range of formats. The board books are told in simple sentences, perfect for reading aloud to babies and toddlers. The hardcover versions present expanded stories for beginning readers. Boxed gift sets allow you to collect a selection of the books by theme. Paper dolls, learning cards, matching games, and other fun learning tools provide even more ways to make the lives of these role models accessible to children.

Inspire the next generation of outstanding people who will change the world with Little People, BIG DREAMS!"

It's Turing Time!

Posted by Miss Eliza at 12:00 AM 0 comments  

Labels: Alan Turing, Anna Katharine Green, Anna Lee Huber, Anne Perry, Caroline Stevermer, Dan Stout, Katharine Schellman, Killing Eve, Louisa Morgan, Martha Waters, Megan Campisi, Patricia Briggs, Sharon Pape, Susan Hill