strange and random happenstance

The Christie Affair by Nina de Gramont
Published by: St. Martin's Press
Publication Date: February 1st, 2022
Format: Hardcover, 320 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"Nina de Gramont's The Christie Affair is a beguiling novel of star-crossed lovers, heartbreak, revenge, and murder - and a brilliant re-imagination of one of the most talked-about unsolved mysteries of the twentieth century.

Every story has its secrets.
Every mystery has its motives.

"A long time ago, in another country, I nearly killed a woman. It’s a particular feeling, the urge to murder. It takes over your body so completely, it’s like a divine force, grabbing hold of your will, your limbs, your psyche. There’s a joy to it. In retrospect, it’s frightening, but I daresay in the moment it feels sweet. The way justice feels sweet."

The greatest mystery wasn’t Agatha Christie’s disappearance in those eleven infamous days, it’s what she discovered.

London, 1925: In a world of townhomes and tennis matches, socialites and shooting parties, Miss Nan O’Dea became Archie Christie’s mistress, luring him away from his devoted and well-known wife, Agatha Christie.

The question is, why? Why destroy another woman’s marriage, why hatch a plot years in the making, and why murder? How was Nan O’Dea so intricately tied to those eleven mysterious days that Agatha Christie went missing?"

I adore all the what-ifs of Agatha Christie's disappearance!

Marion Lane and the Deadly Rose by T.A. Willberg
Published by: Park Row
Publication Date: February 1st, 2022
Format: Hardcover, 304 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"The envelope was tied with three delicate silk ribbons: "One of the new recruits is not to be trusted..."

It's 1959 and a new killer haunts the streets of London, having baffled Scotland Yard. The newspapers call him The Florist because of the rose he brands on his victims. The police have turned yet again to the Inquirers at Miss Brickett's for assistance, and second-year Marion Lane is assigned the case.

But she's already dealing with a mystery of her own, having received an unsigned letter warning her that one of the three new recruits should not be trusted. She dismisses the letter at first, focusing on The Florist case, but her informer seems to be one step ahead, predicting what will happen before it does. But when a fellow second-year Inquirer is murdered, Marion takes matters into her own hands and must come face-to-face with her informer - who predicted the murder - to find out everything they know. Until then, no one at Miss Brickett's is safe and everyone is a suspect.

With brilliant twists and endless suspense, all set within the dazzling walls and hidden passageways of Miss Brickett's, Marion Lane and the Deadly Rose is a deliciously fun new historical mystery you won't be able to put down."

I just recently stumbled on this series and can not wait to do a deep dive into the first two volumes!

Reader, I Buried Them and Other Stories by Peter Lovesey
Published by: Soho Crime
Publication Date: February 1st, 2022
Format: Hardcover, 384 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"Mystery Writers of America Grand Master Peter Lovesey presents a collection of short fiction spanning fifty years, including the first story he ever published and three brand-new stories.

More than fifty years ago, Peter Lovesey published a short story in an anthology. That short story caught the eye of the great Ruth Rendell, whose praise ignited Lovesey’s lifelong passion for short form crime fiction.

On the occasion of his hundredth short story, Peter Lovesey has assembled this devilishly clever collection, eighteen yarns of mystery, melancholy, and mischief, inhabiting such deadly settings as a theater, a monastery, and the book publishing industry.

The collection includes that first storythat launched his story-writing career as well as three exclusive new stories. In addition, Loveseyfans will delight in a personal essay by the author about the historical inspirations - and in an appearance by the irascible Bath detective Peter Diamond, who has, in the author’s words, "bulldozed his way" into this volume."

Never before have I loved a book title more.

Circus of Wonders by Elizabeth Macneal
Published by: Atria/Emily Bestler Books
Publication Date: February 1st, 2022
Format: Hardcover, 368 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"From the #1 internationally bestselling author of the "lush, evocative Gothic" (The New York Times Book Review) The Doll Factory comes an atmospheric and spectacular novel where one woman’s life is transformed by the arrival of a Victorian circus of wonders.

Step up, step up! In 1860s England, circus mania is sweeping the nation. Crowds jostle for a glimpse of the lion-tamers, the dazzling trapeze artists and, most thrilling of all, the so-called "human wonders."

When Jasper Jupiter’s Circus of Wonders pitches its tent in a poor coastal town, the life of one young girl changes forever. Sold to the ringmaster as a “leopard girl” because of the birthmarks that cover her body, Nell is utterly devastated. But as she grows close to the other performers, she finds herself enchanted by the glittering freedom of the circus, and by her own role as the Queen of the Moon and Stars.

Before long, Nell’s fame spreads across the world—and with it, a chance for Jasper Jupiter to grow his own name and fortune. But what happens when her fame begins to eclipse his own, when even Jasper’s loyal brother Toby becomes captivated by Nell? No longer the quiet flower-picker, Nell knows her own place in the world, and she will fight for it.

A gorgeously wrought exploration of celebrity, power, and belonging, this is a historical novel unlike any other, with an unforgettable heroine at its heart."

I just read a short story by Elizabeth Macneal, and let me tell you, it has me clamoring to read more of her work!

A Lullaby for Witches by Hester Fox
Published by: Graydon House
Publication Date: February 1st, 2022
Format: Paperback, 320 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"Two women. A history of witchcraft. And a deep-rooted female power that sings across the centuries.

Once there was a young woman from a well-to-do New England family who never quite fit with the drawing rooms and parlors of her kin.

Called instead to the tangled woods and wild cliffs surrounding her family's estate, Margaret Harlowe grew both stranger and more beautiful as she cultivated her uncanny power. Soon, whispers of "witch" dogged her footsteps, and Margaret's power began to wind itself with the tendrils of something darker.

One hundred and fifty years later, Augusta Podos takes a dream job at Harlowe House, the historic home of a wealthy New England family that has been turned into a small museum in Tynemouth, Massachusetts. When Augusta stumbles across an oblique reference to a daughter of the Harlowes who has nearly been expunged from the historical record, the mystery is too intriguing to ignore.

But as she digs deeper, something sinister unfurls from its sleep, a dark power that binds one woman to the other across lines of blood and time. If Augusta can't resist its allure, everything she knows and loves - including her very life - could be lost forever."

Oh, that looks like the House of the Seven Gables in Salem on the cover!!!

The New Girl by Jesse Q. Sutanto
Published by: Sourcebooks Fire
Publication Date: February 1st, 2022
Format: Paperback, 368 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"Lia Setiawan has never really fit in. And when she wins a full ride to the prestigious Draycott Academy on a track scholarship, she's determined to make it work even though she's never felt more out of place.

But on her first day there she witnesses a girl being forcefully carried away by campus security. Her new schoolmates and teachers seem unphased, but it leaves her unsure of what she's gotten herself into.

And as she uncovers the secrets of Draycott, complete with a corrupt teacher, a golden boy who isn't what he seems, and a blackmailer determined to get her thrown out, she's not sure if she can trust anyone...especially when the threats against her take a deadly turn."

I love dark school days!

Other People's Clothes by Calla Henkel
Published by: Doubleday
Publication Date: February 1st, 2022
Format: Hardcover, 320 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"Two American ex-pats obsessed with the Amanda Knox trial find themselves at the nexus of murder and celebrity in glittering late-aughts Berlin in this "hugely entertaining" (The New York Times) debut with a wicked sense of humor.

Hoping to escape the pain of the recent murder of her best friend, art student Zoe Beech finds herself studying abroad in the bohemian capital of Europe - Berlin. Rudderless, Zoe relies on the arrangements of fellow exchange student Hailey Mader, who idolizes Warhol and Britney Spears and wants nothing more than to be an art star.

When Hailey stumbles on a posting for a high-ceilinged, prewar sublet by well-known thriller writer Beatrice Becks, the girls snap it up. They soon spend their nights twisting through Berlin’s club scene and their days hungover. But are they being watched? Convinced that Beatrice intends to use their lives as inspiration for her next novel, Hailey vows to craft main-character-worthy personas. They begin hosting a decadent weekly nightclub in the apartment, finally gaining the notoriety they’ve been craving. Everyone wants an invitation to "Beatrice’s." As the year unravels and events spiral out of control, they begin to wonder whose story they are living - and how it will end.

Other People’s Clothes brilliantly illuminates the sometimes dangerous intensity of female friendships, as well as offering an unforgettable window into millennial life and the lengths people will go to in order to eradicate emotional pain."

Anyone else think the cover looks like Dakota Johnson and AOC had a child?

Horror Hotel by Victoria Fulton and Faith McClaren
Published by: Underlined
Publication Date: February 1st, 2022
Format: Paperback, 256 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"This addictive YA horror about a group of teen ghost hunters who spend the night in a haunted LA hotel is The Blair Witch Project for the TikTok generation.

Enjoy your stay...

When the YouTube-famous Ghost Gang - Chrissy, Chase, Emma, and Kiki - visit a haunted LA hotel notorious for tragedy to secretly film after dark, they expect it to be just like their previous paranormal huntings. Spooky enough to attract subscribers - and ultimately harmless.

But when they stumble upon something unexpected in the former room of a gruesome serial killer, they quickly realize that they’re in over their heads.

Sometimes, it’s the dead who need our help - and the living we should fear."

Anyone else obsessed by haunted hotels and crimes like the Elisa Lam murder?

The Family Chao by Lan Samantha Chang
Published by: W. W. Norton and Company
Publication Date: February 1st, 2022
Format: Hardcover, 320 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"The residents of Haven, Wisconsin, have dined on the Fine Chao restaurant’s delicious Americanized Chinese food for thirty-five years, content to ignore any unsavory whispers about the family owners. Whether or not Big Leo Chao is honest, or his wife, Winnie, is happy, their food tastes good and their three sons earned scholarships to respectable colleges. But when the brothers reunite in Haven, the Chao family’s secrets and simmering resentments erupt at last.

Before long, brash, charismatic, and tyrannical patriarch Leo is found dead - presumed murdered - and his sons find they’ve drawn the exacting gaze of the entire town. The ensuing trial brings to light potential motives for all three brothers: Dagou, the restaurant’s reckless head chef; Ming, financially successful but personally tortured; and the youngest, gentle but lost college student James. As the spotlight on the brothers tightens - and the family dog meets an unexpected fate - Dagou, Ming, and James must reckon with the legacy of their father’s outsized appetites and their own future survival.

Brimming with heartbreak, comedy, and suspense, The Family Chao offers a kaleidoscopic, highly entertaining portrait of a Chinese American family grappling with the dark undercurrents of a seemingly pleasant small town."

Gotta give it up for books set in my home state of Wisconsin, dark undercurrents and all!

Honey Roasted by Cleo Coyle
Published by: Berkley
Publication Date: February 1st, 2022
Format: Hardcover, 368 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"Clare Cosi is busy as a bee planning her honeymoon when murder buzzes into the Village Blend in this all-new mystery in the beloved New York Times bestselling Coffeehouse series by Cleo Coyle.

While struggling to find a romantic (and affordable) destination for her upcoming honeymoon, coffeehouse manager Clare Cosi whips up a honey of a drink made from honey-processed coffee. Clare plans to serve her outstanding new Honey-Cinnamon Latte at her spring wedding to her longtime honey, NYPD detective Mike Quinn. The culinary world is also abuzz about the amazing honey that Clare was lucky enough to source for her shop's new latte. Produced by Madame's old friend "Queen" Bea Hastings, the rare, prize-winning nectar from Bea's rooftop hives commands a premium price, and top chefs compete for a chance to use it in their signature seasonal dishes.

One night, a swarm of escaped bees blanket the Village Blend's chimney, and Clare discovers Bea's unconscious body after she seemingly fell from her high-rise rooftop-hive setup. The police want to rule it as a tragic accident or possible attempted suicide, but Clare does not believe either theory. Like Madame, she knows this Queen would never abandon her hive. To sort out this mystery, Clare investigates a world of cutthroat chefs, culinary start-ups, and competitive urban beekeepers. But can she uncover the truth without getting stung?"

Who doesn't need a cozy read right now? Or should I say Cosi?

Finlay Donovan Knocks 'Em Dead by Elle Cosimano
Published by: Minotaur Books
Publication Date: February 1st, 2022
Format: Hardcover, 368 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"From Edgar-Award nominee Elle Cosimano, comes Finlay Donovan Knocks 'Em Dead - the hilarious and heart-pounding follow-up to Finlay Donovan is Killing It.

Finlay Donovan is - once again - struggling to finish her next novel and keep her head above water as a single mother of two. On the bright side, she has her live-in nanny and confidant Vero to rely on, and the only dead body she's dealt with lately is that of her daughter's pet goldfish.

On the not-so-bright side, someone out there wants her ex-husband, Steven, out of the picture. Permanently. Whatever else Steven may be, he's a good father, but saving him will send her down a rabbit hole of hit-women disguised as soccer moms, and a little bit more involvement with the Russian mob than she'd like.

Meanwhile, Vero's keeping secrets, and Detective Nick Anthony seems determined to get back into her life. He may be a hot cop, but Finlay's first priority is preventing her family from sleeping with the fishes... and if that means bending a few laws then so be it.

With her next book's deadline looming and an ex-husband to keep alive, Finlay is quickly coming to the end of her rope. She can only hope there isn't a noose at the end of it..."

For everyone who read Finlay Donovan is Killing It and instantly wanted more.

The Woman Beyond the Attic: The V.C. Andrews Story by Andrew Neiderman
Published by: Gallery Books
Publication Date: February 1st, 2022
Format: Hardcover, 288 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"This celebration of the woman who took us to the heights of a secluded attic and the depths of our own dark psyches reveals an intimate portrait of the famously private V.C. Andrews - featuring family photos, personal letters, a partial manuscript for an unpublished novel, and more.

Best known for her internationally, multi-million-copy bestselling novel Flowers in the Attic, Cleo Virginia Andrews lived a fascinating life. Born to modest means, she came of age in the American South during the Great Depression and faced a series of increasingly challenging health issues. Yet, once she rose to international literary fame, she prided herself on her intense privacy.

Now, The Woman Beyond the Attic aims to connect her personal life with the public novels for which she was famous. Based on Virginia’s own letters, and interviews with her dearest family members, her long-term ghostwriter Andrew Neiderman tells Virginia’s full story for the first time.

The Woman Beyond the Attic is perfect for V.C. Andrews fans who pick up every new novel or for fans hoping to return to the favorite novelist of their adolescence. Eye-opening and intimate, The Woman Beyond the Attic is for anyone hoping to learn more about the enigmatic woman behind one of the most important novels of the 20th century."

Andrew Neiderman, the man continuing V.C. Andrews legacy, is the only choice to bring her own story to the masses. A story we've long hoped for.

Posted by Miss Eliza at 12:00 AM 0 comments  

Labels: Calla Henkel, Cleo Coyle, Elizabeth Macneal, Elle Cosimano, Faith McClaren, Hester Fox, Jesse Q. Sutanto, Lan Samantha Chang, Nina de Gramont, Peter Lovesey, T.A. Willberg, V.C Andrews, Victoria Fulton

The House of Whispers by Laura Purcell
Published by: Penguin Books
Publication Date: June 9th, 2020
Format: Paperback, 336 Pages
Rating: ★★★★★
To Buy

Hester Why isn't really Hester Why. But who she was had too much baggage. Too much pain. Too many secrets. In fact, she might just be cursed. So she is making a new start, or more accurately, a new start is being foisted upon her. So why not take a new name in the process as an extra level of protection? With only a handful of belongings and a hip flask she heads to Cornwall and Morvoren House. She is to be nurse to the elderly Louise Pinecroft. When Hester arrives at Morvoren the winter is harsh and bleak, there is a sense the snow is finally coming, and the sea is ominous. Hester always thought she'd like to see the sea, now she's wondering if she'll regret this desire. Miss Pinecroft's house perches precariously above the churning waves. She spends her days in an unheated room with all the curtains drawn keeping vigil over bone china. Big vases, small figurines, plates, teacups, all this, as well as Miss Pinecroft, are now Hester's bounden duty. The nurse in her rebels. This elderly woman needs warmth and sustenance and proper clothes, not a drafty room where she wallows in her own filth and myopically watches knickknacks! But just as Hester has her secrets, so does Morvoren House. Bought by Louise's father after their family was ravaged by consumption, he was going to regain his medical renown by finding the cure to the disease that carried away his family. But forty years later there is no cure. Louise is an old woman consumed by the horrors of the past and the uncanny. Morvoren House might have meant to foster in a new age of medical understanding, instead it's caught in the old ties of folklore and fairy tales. Something is happening in the house. Locked doors are being opened without a key, salt borders doorways, clothes are wore inside out, young fertile women are in danger, and the bone china must never be left alone.

Whenever someone tells me to read a book because it reminds them of Daphne Du Maurier I gird my loins. Because if there's one thing this has proven to me time and time again is that people haven't actually read Daphne Du Maurier. They think they know what her writing is like, probably because they watched Rebecca, and have therefore jumped to conclusions. So let it be known when I say a book reminds me of Daphne Du Maurier I actually mean it. I've done my research. Meaning I've read more than one of her books. In fact I've broken double digits not counting re-reads. So yes, The House of Whispers doesn't let you down on the Du Maurier vibe. Now I won't go as far as Natasha Pulley and say it might be better than Du Maurier, because it's different, and that makes it it's own wonderful thing. This is part Poldark part Du Maurier part Fairy Tale and it's bloody brilliant. Pushing aside her first two Georgian books, once Purcell embraced the Gothic aesthetic, her next two books, The Silent Companions and The Poison Thread, could, in a way, be interchangeable in their narrative structure, drawing out the supernatural reveal until right at the end. It felt rushed to have the reveal and then the curtain drop literally within the span of a handful of words. This was gimmicky, and I was fully prepared to have it repeat here, but it didn't. I wouldn't necessarily say I was pleasantly surprised, more in awe. Laura Purcell has grown so much as an author it's almost like this book is separate from the rest of her body of work. I can't put my finger on any one thing that made this book better except that everything is better. Her character development, her plotting, her structure, every little thing kept me invested as I devoured this book. She has always had a well developed sense of place, almost at the cost of the characters, but here the characters, even those I didn't like, were fully rounded and fascinating. This is a tale of tragedy and otherness and obsession, and I can't wait to see what Laura Purcell will do next!

Posted by Miss Eliza at 12:00 AM 0 comments  

Labels: Bone China, Consumption, Cornwall, Daphne Du Maurier, Fairy Tales, Gothic, Laura Purcell, Natasha Pulley, Poldark, Rebecca, Regency, The House of Whispers, The Poison Thread, The Silent Companions

Smoke and Mirrors by Elly Griffiths
Published by: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt
Publication Date: November 5th, 2015
Format: Kindle, 352 Pages
Rating: ★★★★★
To Buy (different edition than one reviewed)

The holiday season has descended on Brighton, which means it's Panto time! In seaside towns across England theaters are getting ready to open up for the Christmas season. In Brighton it's caused rather a stir that Max Mephisto is going to be staring in a production of Aladdin as the villainous Abanazar. But soon it's not the pantomime or the unending snow that is the number one conversation in Brighton, it's the disappearance of two children, Annie and Mark. Sadly there will be no happy ending in this case as their small bodies are found under the snow. They are staged like some sick version of Hansel and Gretel with candy strewn about their bodies. Who would abduct these children, destroying two families in the process? As Edgar starts to dig into the lives of Annie and Mark he realizes how amazingly talented and beloved these best friends were. They loved staging plays at an "uncle's" house. Annie would write all the dialogue while Mark was the production assistant. They had their own troupe of players, younger kids who admired them and in particular Annie's ability with a dark twist. The kids feed on dark material and are encouraged by their teacher, Miss Young, who loves to recount the darker of Grimms' Fairy Tales to her pupils. This raises eyebrows amongst the police force. Do children really crave and understand darkness like Miss Young insists? Annie's plays may indicate that this is the case, though to Edgar it makes Miss Young their prime suspect. That is until she is murdered as well. Desperate Edgar turns to his fellow Magic Man Max Mephisto to try to get a grip on the theatrical and fantastical aspects of these crimes and learns of a similar case years earlier that eerily echoes the one they are investigating. But that murder was so long ago and the culprit was caught and hanged. Could this be a copycat killer? Anything is possible, but there's one thing Edgar knows, he will do everything in his power to catch the killer before they strike again. The snow may fall, the wind may whip, but justice will be served.

As an ardent Anglophile there is one thing I will just never get and that's Panto. Whatever theatrical traditions it's origins, it has evolved, or in my opinion, devolved, into this weird spectacle of garish costumes, cross-dressing, lewd humor, and tons of double entendres. Like variety shows your grandmother would force you to watch where all the humor seems out of date and you are praying for it to be over but based on fairy tales or folklore, like Dick Whittington's cat, making it somehow more inherently English in the process. So the Brits actually go to these shows over the holiday season, most of the productions staring former B-List or lower celebrities, with the rare A-lister, all of whom are willing to tart themselves up to make the kiddies laugh. Yet that seedy celebrity angle combined with the fact that it's done for children gives it a duel edge that can go from cute to creepy in a second. Therefore it's the perfect backdrop for the investigation of the murder of some children. It somehow feeds into it so well. Yes, the murder of children will always have a seamy side, because what perverted person would cut a life so short. But having this added creepiness made this mystery something so much more. In fact, what it reminded me of, not the least of which because of the 1950s setting, is the second Flavia De Luce book, The Weed That Strings the Hangman's Bag. This is easily my favorite book in Alan Bradley's series, but more importantly, it's one of my most favorite mysteries ever and it deals with the murder of a beloved children's puppeteer. I can't get enough of murder mysteries that bridge the gap between horror and innocence, when it's done right, and Smoke and Mirrors does it oh so right. And as if this book couldn't be more perfect the fairy tale "Hans My Hedgehog" plays an important role. This is one of the fairy tales that was adapted for Jim Henson's The Storyteller and is therefore a favorite of mine. I feel like not enough people embrace how wonderful it is and am glad to find an author who agrees. Don't be surprised if this makes in on my top ten list of books I read in 2021.

Posted by Miss Eliza at 12:00 AM 0 comments  

Labels: Aladdin, Brighton, Elly Griffiths, Grimms' Fairy Tales, Hans My Headgehog, Jim Henson, Magic Men, Murder, Panto, Smoke and Mirrors, The Storyteller, The Weed that Strings the Hangman's Bag

The Accomplice by Lisa Lutz
Published by: Ballantine Books
Publication Date: January 25th, 2022
Format: Hardcover, 368 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"Everyone has the same questions about best friends Owen and Luna: What binds them together so tightly? Why weren’t they ever a couple? And why do people around them keep turning up dead? In this riveting novel from the New York Times bestselling author of The Passenger, every answer raises a new, more chilling question.

Owen Mann is charming, privileged, and chronically dissatisfied. Luna Grey is secretive, cautious, and pragmatic. Despite their differences, they form a bond the moment they meet in college. Their names soon become indivisible - Owen and Luna, Luna and Owen - and stay that way even after an unexplained death rocks their social circle.

They’re still best friends years later, when Luna finds Owen’s wife brutally murdered. The police investigation sheds light on some long-hidden secrets, but it can’t penetrate the wall of mystery that surrounds Owen. To get to the heart of what happened and why, Luna has to dig up the one secret she’s spent her whole life burying.

The Accomplice brilliantly examines the bonds of shared history, what it costs to break them, and what happens when you start wondering how well you know the one person who truly knows you."

There are only a handful of must buy authors for me. Lisa Lutz is high on that list!

The Overnight Guest by Heather Gudenkauf
Published by: Park Row
Publication Date: January 25th, 2022
Format: Hardcover, 336 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"A woman receives an unexpected visitor during a deadly snowstorm in this chilling thriller from New York Times bestselling author Heather Gudenkauf.

True crime writer Wylie Lark doesn't mind being snowed in at the isolated farmhouse where she's retreated to write her new book. A cozy fire, complete silence. It would be perfect, if not for the fact that decades earlier, at this very house, two people were murdered in cold blood and a girl disappeared without a trace.

As the storm worsens, Wylie finds herself trapped inside the house, haunted by the secrets contained within its walls - haunted by secrets of her own. Then she discovers a small child in the snow just outside. After bringing the child inside for warmth and safety, she begins to search for answers. But soon it becomes clear that the farmhouse isn't as isolated as she thought, and someone is willing to do anything to find them."

Snow storms and murder go together like peanut butter and jelly!

The Appeal by Janice Hallett
Published by: Atria Books
Publication Date: January 25th, 2022
Format: Hardcover, 432 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"Perfect for fans of Ruth Ware and Lisa Jewell, this "dazzlingly clever" (The Sunday Times, London) murder mystery follows a community rallying around a sick child - but when escalating lies lead to a dead body, everyone is a suspect.

The Fairway Players, a local theatre group, is in the midst of rehearsals when tragedy strikes the family of director Martin Hayward and his wife Helen, the play’s star. Their young granddaughter has been diagnosed with a rare form of cancer, and with an experimental treatment costing a tremendous sum, their fellow castmates rally to raise the money to give her a chance at survival.

But not everybody is convinced of the experimental treatment’s efficacy - nor of the good intentions of those involved. As tension grows within the community, things come to a shocking head at the explosive dress rehearsal. The next day, a dead body is found, and soon, an arrest is made. In the run-up to the trial, two young lawyers sift through the material - emails, messages, letters - with a growing suspicion that a killer may be hiding in plain sight. The evidence is all there, between the lines, waiting to be uncovered.

A wholly modern take on the epistolary novel, The Appeal is a "daring…clever, and funny" (The Times, London) debut for fans of Richard Osman and Lucy Foley."

When I first heard about this book in my Waterstones newsletter I knew it was for me. I love how authors are uniquely using modern technologies to reinvent the epistolary novel.

Road of Bones by Christopher Golden
Published by: St. Martin's Press
Publication Date: January 25th, 2022
Format: Hardcover, 240 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"An American documentarian travels a haunted highway across the frozen tundra of Siberia in New York Times bestselling author Christopher Golden’s Road of Bones, a "tightly wound, atmospheric, and creepy as hell" (Stephen King) supernatural thriller.

Surrounded by barren trees in a snow-covered wilderness with a dim, dusky sky forever overhead, Siberia’s Kolyma Highway is 1200 miles of gravel packed permafrost within driving distance of the Arctic Circle. A narrow path where drivers face such challenging conditions as icy surfaces, limited visibility, and an average temperature of sixty degrees below zero, fatal car accidents are common.

But motorists are not the only victims of the highway. Known as the Road of Bones, it is a massive graveyard for the former Soviet Union’s gulag prisoners. Hundreds of thousands of people worked to death and left where their bodies fell, consumed by the frozen elements and plowed beneath the permafrost road.

Fascinated by the history, documentary producer Felix "Teig" Teigland is in Russia to drive the highway, envisioning a new series capturing Life and Death on the Road of Bones with a ride to the town of Akhust, “the coldest place on Earth”, collecting ghost stories and local legends along the way. Only, when Teig and his team reach their destination, they find an abandoned town, save one catatonic nine-year-old girl - and a pack of predatory wolves, faster and smarter than any wild animals should be.

Pursued by the otherworldly beasts, Teig’s companions confront even more uncanny and inexplicable phenomena along the Road of Bones, as if the ghosts of Stalin’s victims were haunting them. It is a harrowing journey that will push Teig beyond endurance and force him to confront the sins of his past."

Yes, it's January and I'm leaning heavily into murder and snow. But this is Christopher Golden. He's in a separate category. A must buy category.

Devil House by John Darnielle
Published by: MCD
Publication Date: January 25th, 2022
Format: Hardcover, 416 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"From John Darnielle, the New York Times bestselling author and the singer-songwriter of the Mountain Goats, comes an epic, gripping novel about murder, truth, and the dangers of storytelling.

Gage Chandler is descended from kings. That’s what his mother always told him. Years later, he is a true crime writer, with one grisly success - and a movie adaptation - to his name, along with a series of subsequent less notable efforts. But now he is being offered the chance for the big break: to move into the house where a pair of briefly notorious murders occurred, apparently the work of disaffected teens during the Satanic Panic of the 1980s. Chandler finds himself in Milpitas, California, a small town whose name rings a bell– - his closest childhood friend lived there, once upon a time. He begins his research with diligence and enthusiasm, but soon the story leads him into a puzzle he never expected - back into his own work and what it means, back to the very core of what he does and who he is.

Devil House is John Darnielle’s most ambitious work yet, a book that blurs the line between fact and fiction, that combines daring formal experimentation with a spellbinding tale of crime, writing, memory, and artistic obsession."

Look at the cover. That beautiful retro cover. Now don't let it draw you in. This might be one of the worst books I've ever read.

Hold My Place by Cassondra Windwalker
Published by: Black Spot Books
Publication Date: January 25th, 2022
Format: Paperback, 170 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"From the Helen Kay Chapbook Award-Winning poet Cassondra Windwalker, an unsuspecting librarian falls head-over-heels for a married man, but when she finds herself caught up in a whirlwind romance, she discovers her new husband’s past wives have all met early deaths - and some aren’t ready to let go yet.

Obsession never dies.

When librarian Sigrun falls head-over-heels for the sophisticated and very married Edgar Leyward, she never expects to find herself in his bed - or his heart. Nevertheless, when his enigmatic wife Octavia dies from a sudden illness, Sigrun finds herself caught up in a whirlwind romance worthy of the most lurid novels on her bookshelves.

Sigrun soon discovers Octavia wasn’t Edgar’s first lost love, or even his second. Three women Edgar has loved met early deaths. As she delves into her beloved’s past through a trove of discovered letters, the edges of Sigrun identity begin to disappear, fading into the women of the past. Sigrun tells herself it’s impossible for any dark magic to be at play - that the dead can’t possibly inhabit the bodies of the living - but something shadowy stalks the halls of the Leyward house and the lines between the love of the present and the obsessions of the past become increasingly blurred - and bloody.

Mixing lyrical prose with simmering terror, Hold My Place is a modern gothic horror worthy of Shirley Jackson’s nightmares and Daphne Du Maurier’s dangerous lovers."

What was that about Shirley Jackson and Daphne Du Maurier?

Never Tell by Stacey Abrams
Published by: St. Martin's Griffin
Publication Date: January 25th, 2022
Format: Hardcover, 320 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"From popular national leader and #1 New York Times bestseller Stacey Abrams writing under the name Selena Montgomery comes Never Tell a novel of spinetingling romance and unforgettable suspense.

Criminal psychologist Dr. Erin Abbott wants nothing more than to live a quiet life. That means no danger, no intrigue - and absolutely no romance. But when Erin suspects a serial killer is roaming New Orleans, her investigation throws her straight into the arms of the one man who can help her.

Journalist Gabriel Moss is hot to find his next big story - and he knows Erin is onto something that will rock the city to its core. However, Erin is also a mystery he must solve. From the moment they meet, Gabriel senses that she is hiding more than her beauty behind her boxy suits and sensible shoes. When she reluctantly agrees to work with him to uncover the most shocking story they have ever come across, explosive secrets are revealed and danger and passion begin to rise."

I have been "patiently" waiting for Stacey Abrams's books that she wrote under a pseudonym to be reprinted. The day is finally here!

Violeta by Isabel Allende
Published by: Ballantine Books
Publication Date: January 25th, 2022
Format: Hardcover, 336 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"This sweeping novel from the New York Times bestselling author of A Long Petal of the Sea tells the epic story of Violeta Del Valle, a woman whose life spans one hundred years and bears witness to the greatest upheavals of the twentieth century.

Violeta comes into the world on a stormy day in 1920, the first girl in a family with five boisterous sons. From the start, her life is marked by extraordinary events, for the ripples of the Great War are still being felt, even as the Spanish flu arrives on the shores of her South American homeland almost at the moment of her birth.

Through her father’s prescience, the family will come through that crisis unscathed, only to face a new one as the Great Depression transforms the genteel city life she has known. Her family loses everything and is forced to retreat to a wild and beautiful but remote part of the country. There, she will come of age, and her first suitor will come calling.

She tells her story in the form of a letter to someone she loves above all others, recounting times of devastating heartbreak and passionate affairs, poverty and wealth, terrible loss and immense joy. Her life is shaped by some of the most important events of history: the fight for women’s rights, the rise and fall of tyrants, and ultimately not one, but two pandemics.

Through the eyes of a woman whose unforgettable passion, determination, and sense of humor carry her through a lifetime of upheaval, Isabel Allende once more brings us an epic that is both fiercely inspiring and deeply emotional."

I like epics and I hope you do too.

The Magnolia Palace by Fiona Davis
Published by: Dutton
Publication Date: January 25th, 2022
Format: Hardcover, 352 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"Fiona Davis, New York Times bestselling author of The Lions of Fifth Avenue, returns with a tantalizing novel about the secrets, betrayal, and murder within one of New York City's most impressive Gilded Age mansions.

Eight months since losing her mother in the Spanish flu outbreak of 1919, twenty-one-year-old Lillian Carter's life has completely fallen apart. For the past six years, under the moniker Angelica, Lillian was one of the most sought-after artists' models in New York City, with statues based on her figure gracing landmarks from the Plaza Hotel to the Brooklyn Bridge. But with her mother gone, a grieving Lillian is rudderless and desperate - the work has dried up and a looming scandal has left her entirely without a safe haven. So when she stumbles upon an employment opportunity at the Frick mansion - a building that, ironically, bears her own visage - Lillian jumps at the chance. But the longer she works as a private secretary to the imperious and demanding Helen Frick, the daughter and heiress of industrialist and art patron Henry Clay Frick, the more deeply her life gets intertwined with that of the family - pulling her into a tangled web of romantic trysts, stolen jewels, and family drama that runs so deep, the stakes just may be life or death.

Nearly fifty years later, mod English model Veronica Weber has her own chance to make her career - and with it, earn the money she needs to support her family back home - within the walls of the former Frick residence, now converted into one of New York City's most impressive museums. But when she - along with a charming intern/budding art curator named Joshua - is dismissed from the Vogue shoot taking place at the Frick Collection, she chances upon a series of hidden messages in the museum: messages that will lead her and Joshua on a hunt that could not only solve Veronica's financial woes, but could finally reveal the truth behind a decades-old murder in the infamous Frick family."

What's my favorite museum in New York? If you guessed The Frick, you are correct!

Her Hidden Genius by Marie Benedict
Published by: Sourcebooks Landmark
Publication Date: January 25th, 2022
Format: Hardcover, 304 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"The new novel from the New York Times bestselling author of The Mystery of Mrs. Christie!

She changed the world with her discovery. Three men took the credit.

Rosalind Franklin has always been an outsider - brilliant, but different. Whether working at the laboratory she adored in Paris or toiling at a university in London, she feels closest to the science, those unchanging laws of physics and chemistry that guide her experiments. When she is assigned to work on DNA, she believes she can unearth its secrets.

Rosalind knows if she just takes one more X-ray picture - one more after thousands - she can unlock the building blocks of life. Never again will she have to listen to her colleagues complain about her, especially Maurice Wilkins who'd rather conspire about genetics with James Watson and Francis Crick than work alongside her.

Then it finally happens - the double helix structure of DNA reveals itself to her with perfect clarity. But what unfolds next, Rosalind could have never predicted.

Marie Benedict's powerful new novel shines a light on a woman who sacrificed her life to discover the nature of our very DNA, a woman whose world-changing contributions were hidden by the men around her but whose relentless drive advanced our understanding of humankind."

I have been reading about Rosalind Franklin EVERYWHERE lately. She is the woman of the moment. So that makes this THE BOOK of the moment. Go read it!

Fossil Hunter: How Mary Anning Changed the Science of Prehistoric Life by Cheryl Blackford
Published by: Clarion Books
Publication Date: January 25th, 2022
Format: Hardcover, 128 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"A fascinating, highly visual biography of Mary Anning, the Victorian fossil hunter who changed scientific thinking about prehistoric life and would become one of the most celebrated paleontologists of all time. Perfect for children learning about woman scientists like Ada Lovelace, Jane Goodall, and Katherine Johnson.

Mary Anning grew up on the south coast of England in a region rich in fossils. As teenagers, she and her brother Joseph discovered England’s first complete ichthyosaur. Poor and uneducated, Anning would become one of the most celebrated paleontologists ever, though in her time she supported herself selling by fossils and received little formal recognition. Her findings helped shape scientific thinking about extinction and prehistoric life long before Darwin published his famous work on evolution.

With engaging text, photographs, and stunning paleoart, Fossil Hunter introduces this self-taught scientist, now recognized as one of the greatest fossilists the world has ever known."

Speaking of another scientist who is everywhere lately, meet Mary Anning and her ichthyosaur! 

Loveboat Reunion by Abigail Hing Wen
Published by: HarperTeen
Publication Date: January 25th, 2022
Format: Hardcover, 448 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"This companion novel to Abigail Hing Wen’s New York Times bestselling debut, Loveboat, Taipei, takes readers back to Taipei through the eyes of fan favorites Sophie and Xavier - on an unforgettable journey of glittering revelry and self-discovery that’s perfect for fans of Jenny Han and Mary H. K. Choi.

Sophie Ha and Xavier Yeh have what some would call a tumultuous past.

Hearts were broken, revenge was plotted - but at least they’re friends now. They left the drama behind them back in Taipei - at their summer program, Loveboat - forever.

Now that fall is here, they’re focusing on what really matters. Sophie has sworn off boys and is determined to be the best student Dartmouth’s ever had. Xavier just wants to stay under his overbearing father’s radar, collect his trust fund when he turns eighteen, and concentrate on what makes him happy.

But the world doesn’t seem to want Sophie and Xavier to succeed. Sophie’s college professor thinks her first major project is “too feminine.” Xavier’s father gives him an ultimatum: finish high school or be cut off from his inheritance.

Then Sophie and Xavier find themselves on a wild, nonstop Loveboat reunion, hatching a joint plan to take control of their futures. Can they succeed together...or are they destined to combust?"

After all the murder and science I've recommended this week, how about some YA fun? We could all us the diversion.

Posted by Miss Eliza at 12:00 AM 0 comments  

Labels: Abigail Hing Wen, Cassondra Windwalker, Cheryl Blackford, Christopher Golden, Fiona Davis, Heather Gudenkauf, Isabel Allende, Janice Hallett, John Darnielle, Lisa Lutz, Marie Benedict, Stacey Abrams

The Language of Thorns by Leigh Bardugo
Published by: Imprint
Publication Date: September 26th, 2017
Format: Hardcover, 288 Pages
Rating: ★★★★★
To Buy

There are tales that should only be told in the darkest months or at the darkest hours. Tales of magic most wondrous and dangerous. Tales that you think you know the outcome but take you to unexpected vistas, places beyond which normal sanitized fairy tales end. There's a beastly prince who holds a town in his grasp. Yet all he really longs for is a story. One that ends true. And there's the young Ayama, overlooked by her own family, who could save them all or realize her own overlooked power. There are animals who believe that no matter what that they are the most clever and that they will never be caught. But what if they fail to see the danger in disguise? Then there's Nadya. Girls have been disappearing in the woods near her home. Everyone says the woods is eating them. But Nadya doesn't believe in that superstitious rumor. She believes the danger is closer to home. She doesn't trust her new step-mother who just has to be a wicked one. A witch that drives Nadya from her home and her beloved father and into the very woods that "eat" young girls. Yet Nadya finds a kind witch. A witch that takes care of her and eventually she learns that nothing is as it seems. Father's in fact can be trouble, as young and beautiful Yeva learns. Her father decides to barter her hand for his own prosperity, never once thinking what his daughter might want. Though one should never expect an outcome they desire when they don't fully appreciate what led them to victory. The worm can turn. As it does for Droessen the toymaker. He wants to better himself and his standing in the world. He wishes not to be someone brought for entertainment at the holidays. He wants wealth. He wants what his patrons have. So he makes a vehicle for his purposes, a nutcracker. One who will do his bidding. Yet what happens when knowledge and autonomy set in? Life always has a way to strike you down when you try to reach beyond your abilities, when you try to set your hat at something that you don't deserve. But most importantly, when you use others to achieve those goals. Ulla learns this the hardest way possible, but one related to living darkness might just find a way to get her revenge.

The Language of Thorns is a compilation of dark fairy tales that everyone should own. And I mean EVERYONE. You don't need to have read Leigh Bardugo's Grishaverse books in order to appreciate them. You don't need to have any experience with her writing AT ALL. This is just an amazing series of tales that I know my grandmother would have loved to read with me, for her the darker the tale the more she enjoyed it. Of course if you ARE a fan of the Grishaverse this book should already be on your bookshelf for the deeper understanding you acquire of the complexity and history of the world Leigh has created. As with any good set of fairy tales several of these are well known tales told in a different way. We have Beauty and the Beast, The Nutcracker, and The Little Mermaid. She makes them all deliciously darker. And this is saying something because Leigh uses the original story of The Little Mermaid as her inspiration, NOT the Disney version... though you can still feel the Disney influence in a wonderfully twisted way. I loved all these tales so much but I have to say the retelling of The Nutcracker, "The Soldier Prince" won my heart. I have never been a fan of The Nutcracker, I have issues with the rat king, but here Leigh combines it with another story I am not too fond of, The Velveteen Rabbit, and creates a Christmas tale that is a meditation on what makes us who we are and what can happen if we take control of our own destinies and stories. None of these stories end up where you expect and I think that is what makes them so powerful. That and the illustrations. This book could be bought just for Sara Kipin's illustrations alone. She starts each tale with just one small drawing that every time you flip the page gets added to until the entire tale has this magnificent border that has morphed and changed over the course of the tale. As a final treat the last two pages of each tale are a beautiful illustration surrounded by the border we have seen develop. It's truly astonishing and reminds me of the awe I had for flip books when I was little. This whole book reminded me of my childhood and I love that this is a selection of fairy tales for those of all ages. Share it with those you love.

Posted by Miss Eliza at 12:00 AM 0 comments  

Labels: Beauty and the Beast, Fairy Tales, Grishaverse, Leigh Bardugo, Magic, Midnight Tales, The Language of Thorns, The Little Mermaid, The Nutcracker, The Soldier Prince, The Velveteen Rabbit, Witches

The Vanishing Box by Elly Griffiths
Published by: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt
Publication Date: November 2nd, 2017
Format: Kindle, 368 Pages
Rating: ★★★★★
To Buy (different edition than one reviewed)

Max Mephisto and his daughter Ruby may be top billing at the Brighton Hippodrome for the holiday season but if Max ever wanted a clear sign that variety is on it's way out he need look no further than the rest of the bill. To be on the bill with a tawdry tableau act of "living statues" perfectly posed so as to skirt the nudity laws is lowering to say the least. But the salacious act might have one benefit, in the very attractive Florence Jones. There's no doubt about it, she's turned Max's head with her Cleopatra tableau and her forthright attitude. She's the type of woman who is the total package, a woman who has Max thinking about the future and marriage. He has been comfortably ensconced with Mrs. M since he left the cold attic room of his landlady's house for her bed but Florence is the type of woman whom you have passionate sex with at a hotel under assumed names in the middle of the day while contemplating the future. They might both be entangled with others, Florence being a kept woman to her show's producer, Vic Cutler, and Max with Mrs. M, but their attraction goes beyond what they are both getting out of their current relationships. In other relationship news Edgar is starting to drift from Ruby. They have been engaged for so long now that it seems unlikely they will ever be married. Something Emma wouldn't mind in the least. But affairs of the heart will have to take a backseat to murder. A young florist named Lily has been slain. Two of the girls from the tableau show were sharing digs with her. What the police don't want people to know is that Lily was posed. Like a classical tableau. In fact, she was posed like a famous painting. But she wasn't in show business despite her digs. In fact it was Lily's mother who was in show business and recommended the digs to her daughter. Could Lily's murder have something to do with the show at the Hippodrome? When Vic Cutler turns up dead it seems a foregone conclusion. Which means, who could be next? Are Ruby and Max in danger? Or someone closer to Edgar's heart?

The Vanishing Box is the turning point for this series. What was predominately a male dominated series is shifting to a female dominated series and in order for that transition to be complete the Emma and Ruby problem has to be laid to rest. Which means it's time for a showdown. Ever since she first appeared on the page I've been rooting for Emma, we've all been rooting for Emma. She's the perfect match for Edgar. Ruby is glamorous, standoffish, and keeps Edgar at a remove, never confirming a date for their wedding or even admitting they are engaged because she knows her life goals are so different from his. So obviously they were never going to work and Emma and Edgar are endgame. What I took issue with was here Elly Griffiths backpedals on Edgar and Ruby's true feelings for each other. We're supposed to believe that deep down Edgar has always loved Emma and that Ruby actually deeply cares about Edgar and is sad their relationship has come to an end? I don't know what books the author thought she was writing, but this wasn't what was going on. Yes, humanizing Ruby is necessary. She can't live up on that pedestal forever, but she could have locked down Edgar at any time and she chose not to. That was her choice. Don't rewrite it mawkishly to be some sort of unrequited or doomed love affair because I am not buying it. Especially with the bigger themes at play here. The Emma and Ruby dynamic feeds into how women are viewed by society. With the tableau we are shown a world in which women are nothing more than objects. They are there to be looked at and lusted after. But they don't have any agency. Whereas Emma is a woman with nothing but agency. She has a job and goals and is breaking away for societal expectations. With the humanization of Ruby we see her moving from an ideal, in particular Edgar's ideal, to an actual living and breathing person who is more similar to Emma than Emma would probably like to admit. The Vanishing Box fits perfectly into it's era and women's liberation. Women are no longer just the focus of men's gazes. They are cops and magicians and florists and writers and on and on. Yet the killer views them as the feminine ideal. The male feminine ideal. Which is why I love when the women take over the tableau show. They were exploited by men, but now, in control, they say what is and isn't permissible. Women finally have the power. But does that mean we have to say goodbye to Edgar and Max? Only time will tell.

Posted by Miss Eliza at 12:00 AM 0 comments  

Labels: Brighton, Edgar Stephens, Elly Griffiths, Emma Holmes, Endgame, Feminism, Living Statues, Magic Men, Magician, Max Mephisto, Murder, Mystery, Tableau, The Vanishing Box, Variety, Women's Liberation

The Mitford Vanishing by Jessica Fellowes
Published by: Minotaur Books
Publication Date: January 18th, 2022
Format: Hardcover, 416 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"A mystery with the fascinating Mitford sisters at its heart, Jessica Fellowes's The Mitford Vanishing is the fifth installment in the Mitford Murders series, inspired by a real-life murder in a story full of intrigue...

1937. War with Germany is dawning, and a civil war already rages in Spain. Split across political lines, the six Mitford sisters are more divided than ever. Meanwhile their former maid Louisa Cannon is now a private detective, working with her policeman husband Guy Sullivan.

Louisa and Guy are surprised when a call comes in from novelist Nancy Mitford requesting that they look into the disappearance of her Communist sister Jessica in Spain. But one case leads to another as they are also asked to investigate the mysterious vanishing of a soldier.

As the two cases come together, Louisa and Guy discover that every marriage has its secrets - but some are more deadly than others. Suddenly home feels a long way away..."

Me continuing to read this series shows I'm insane because I keep expecting them to improve.

Hotel Portofino by J.P. O'Connell
Published by: Blackstone Publishing
Publication Date: January 18th, 2022
Format: Paperback, 376 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"For fans of Downton Abbey and The Crown...welcome to Hotel Portofino, where romance, revelry, and intrigue await.

A heady historical drama about a British family who opens an upper-class hotel on the magical Italian Riviera during the Roaring Twenties.

Hotel Portofino has been open for only a few weeks, but already the problems are mounting for its owner Bella Ainsworth. Her high-class guests are demanding and hard to please. And she's being targeted by a scheming and corrupt local politician, who threatens to drag her into the red-hot cauldron of Mussolini's Italy.

To make matters worse, her marriage is in trouble, and her children are still struggling to recover from the repercussions of the Great War. All eyes are on the arrival of a potential love match for her son Lucian, but events don't go to plan, which will have far-reaching consequences for the whole family.

Set in the breathtakingly beautiful Italian Riviera, Hotel Portofino is a story of personal awakening at a time of global upheaval and of the liberating influence of Italy's enchanting culture, climate, and cuisine on British innocents abroad."

Exotic Bright Young Things, yes please!

Murder at the National Gallery by Jim Eldridge
Published by: Allison and Busby
Publication Date: January 18th, 2022
Format: Hardcover, 311 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"1897, London. The capital is shocked to learn that the body of a woman has been found at the National Gallery, eviscerated in a manner that recalls all too strongly the exploits of the infamous Jack the Ripper.

Daniel Wilson and Abigail Fenton are contacted by a curator of the National Gallery for their assistance. The dead woman, an artist's model and lady of the night, had links to artist Walter Sickert who was a suspect during the Ripper's spree of killings. Scotland Yard have arrested Sickert on suspicion of this fresh murder but it is not the last...

Copycat murders of the Ripper's crimes implicate the artist who loves to shock but Sickert insists that he is innocent. Who would want to frame him? Wilson and Fenton have their work cut out catching an elusive and determined killer."

Jack the Ripper! Jack the Ripper! Jack the Ripper! Oh, and Sickert as the suspect! Patricia Cornwell would be pleased.

The Tally Stick by Carl Nixon
Published by: World Editions
Publication Date: January 18th, 2022
Format: Paperback, 288 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"Lost in the wilderness: subjugation, survival, and the meaning of family.

Up on the highway, the only evidence that the Chamberlains had ever been there was two smeared tire tracks in the mud leading into an almost undamaged screen of bushes and trees. No other cars passed that way until after dawn. By that time the tracks had been washed away by the heavy rain. After being in New Zealand for only five days, the English Chamberlain family had vanished into thin air. The date was 4 April 1978. In 2010 the remains of the eldest child are discovered in a remote part of the West Coast, showing he lived for four years after the family disappeared. Found alongside him are his father's watch and what turns out to be a tally stick, a piece of scored wood marking items of debt. How had he survived and then died in such a way? Where is the rest of the family? And what is the meaning of the tally stick?"

New Zealand disappearance? I am here for this!

Disappearance of a Scribe by Dana Stabenow
Published by: Head of Zeus
Publication Date: January 18th, 2022
Format: Hardcover, 272 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"The second in the trilogy of Ancient Egyptian crime novels that began with Death of an Eye.

Two Alexandrian fishermen come across a horrifying sight - the body of a skeleton floating upright at the bottom of the sea, anchored in place by a cement weight around his feet. In Alexandria's rough-and-tumble construction trade they call that 'being fitted with a pair of Rhakotis sandals' and what's worse, he's the second such victim in two years.

Queen Cleopatra is busy rebuilding her city after the Alexandrian War and these murders are not to be allowed to interfere with this primary task, so she charges Tetisheri, her new Eye of Isis, with the task of finding out who these men were, when they were murdered, and, above all, why."

Egypt!!!

Servant Mage by Kate Elliott
Published by: Tordotcom
Publication Date: January 18th, 2022
Format: Hardcover, 176 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"In Kate Elliott's Servant Mage, a lowly fire mage finds herself entangled in an empire-spanning conspiracy on her way to discovering her true power.

They choose their laws to secure their power.

Fellian is a Lamplighter, able to provide illumination through magic. A group of rebel Monarchists free her from indentured servitude and take her on a journey to rescue trapped compatriots from an underground complex of mines.

Along the way they get caught up in a conspiracy to kill the latest royal child and wipe out the Monarchist movement for good.

But Fellian has more than just her Lamplighting skills up her sleeve..."

Dragons!!!

Posted by Miss Eliza at 12:00 AM 0 comments  

Labels: Bright Young Things, Carl Nixon, Cleopatra, Dana Stabenow, Dragons, Egypt, J.P. O'Connell, Jack the Ripper, Jessica Fellowes, Jessica Mitford, Jim Eldridge, Kate Elliott, Mitfords, New Zealand, Walter Sickert

The Essex Serpent by Sarah Perry
Published by: Custom House
Publication Date: May 27th, 2016
Format: Kindle, 433 Pages
Rating: ★★★★
To Buy (different edition than one reviewed)

The death of Cora Seaborne's abusive husband means she can finally cast aside the shackles of the life she was forced into. She can indulge her desire to be the next Mary Anning. Taking her household, which consists of her companion Martha and her disturbed son Francis, to Colchester, she spends her days mucking about the countryside wearing men's boots and unflattering clothing looking for ammonites. Once she even tangled with a man trying to rescue a sheep from the muck. But soon Colchester is abuzz with rumors of the Essex Serpent. It's hunting the estuaries and killing children and pets. Cora doesn't believe in something so fanciful, but she does wonder, could a creature from long ago have survived in an out of the way place to be discovered in the present day? Science doesn't deny it is possible and her hero, Mary Anning, often hoped to make such a discovery. Cora longs to have her name next to such a find in a museum and therefore jumps at the opportunity that fate hands her. Through mutual friends she is introduced to the Ransomes who live in Aldwinter. As fate would have it the Reverend Will Ransome is the man she helped to rescue the sheep. Despite such an inauspicious beginning the two become fast friends. Cora is fascinated by a pew in his church which is carved to represent the serpent, while Will is incensed by his parishioners obsession with fairy tales and threatens to destroy the pew. They argue over everything, from religion to science, it is a meeting of true minds. Everyone comments on their closeness, Cora even moves to Aldwinter. Yet Will's wife Stella doesn't seem to mind, and Martha, well Martha has more important things to worry about. But then there's an incident at the school. Cora begs her friend, Doctor Luke Garrett, to come down and investigate the medical reason behind the hysteria. This causes a breach between Cora and Will. A breach that will be healed and ruptured on one fateful night. So while they might not survive, the question remains, does the serpent?

The Essex Serpent is one of those books that seems to polarize people, and it has since it's publication. You either love it or you hate it and I decided to take the wisest approach and just avoid it. But then I bought Sarah Perry's Melmoth and a lot of reviews started referring to it as a companion piece to The Essex Serpent, which I took to mean I should read The Essex Serpent... Which went from being a "never " to a "some day" to a "now" event rather quickly because of the Tom Hiddleston starring adaptation that is filming. Will Ransome is a role Hiddles is born to play in my mind. But that adaptation is the future, and this is now, and this is about the book. The Essex Serpent is beautifully and lushly written yet is rather light on plot. It fits more into the style of Gothic literature and romance from the 19th century than what we necessarily think of as Gothic now. The book is all about duality as epitomized by the word "cleave," to cling and to separate all at once. The serpent is both a supernatural entity and a rather large fish. Stella is both dying and luminous. The world runs on both religion and science. Cora and Will's romance is both everything and nothing. Two states of being happening simultaneously. This recurs over and over again, reality versus fallacy. And at one point, the hysteria of Aldwinter with regards to the serpent reaches such a fever pitch that the young schoolgirls act out in a way that would best be described as Salem in 1692. And the fact that the doctor swings in and brings up ergot poisoning made my dorky history heart soar! Because it could very well be hysteria OR ergot OR none of the above. The problem is that the book reaches this fever pitch just before the summer solstice and then it just peters out. Cora had been the driving force of the book and she sees what she has done and retreats. She's barely in the rest of the book and her larger-than-life personality which carried everyone means that the other characters had to try to carry themselves, and they failed. So while the book technically ended, I like to think that in some other way it didn't and that one day the characters will find their proper endings.

Posted by Miss Eliza at 12:00 AM 0 comments  

Labels: Adaptation, Ammonite, Cleave, Cora Seaborne, Dinosaurs, Duality, Gothic, Hiddles, Mary Anning, Melmoth, Myths, Naturalist, Reverend Will Ransome, Salem, Sarah Perry, The Essex Serpent, Tom Hiddleston

The Deception of the Emerald Ring by Lauren Willig
Published by: NAL
Publication Date: November 16th, 2006
Format: Paperback, 464 Pages
Rating: ★★★★★
To Buy

Letty and Mary Alsworthy are as different as two sisters can be. At a frizzy haired five foot, Letty will never be like her statuesque sister. And she would NEVER run off in the middle of the night for a midnight elopement with Geoffry Pinchingdale-Snipe. She might try to stop the elopement with all good intentions, but never elope herself. Until fate intervenes and she's the one being spirited away in the night to a rendezvous with a certain member of the peerage. Geoff, being Geoff, marries the sister whose reputation he inadvertently ruined. He might see her as a conniving and manipulative upstart who took her chance when the opportunity afforded itself, but at least his obligations to the Pink Carnation mean that he can hare off to Ireland and put some space between his broken heart and his unwanted bride. Practical Letty for once doesn't know what to do. She's been the one who has always taken care of her family and has never had a spot of bother. Now she's married to a man who has vanished and he hasn't let her explain what really happened. A little drunk, she gets the first packet out of London to follow Geoff to Ireland thanks to Miles and Henrietta spilling the beans as to where Goeff went. But an unwanted wife in England is a completely different situation to an unwanted wife in Ireland interfering with his mission to thwart a French and Irish alliance. Begrudgingly taking Letty into his confidences with one Pink Carnation, Jane Wolliston, and one parasol wielding pyromaniac in the making, Miss Gwen, they all try to muddle through for the good of England. But add a dangerous cousin on the prowl for Geoff's title, Lord Vaughn, who's every word has double and triple entendres, and evidence that the Black Tulip is at it again, things might be trickier than anyone thought. Can this all be untangled and England saved? Because maybe fate intervened for a reason and Letty is the sister Geoff should have been wooing all along. But back in the present Eloise has an even more pressing problem. Can she get a certain Colin Selwick to call her and set up a date?

The Deception of the Emerald Ring is itself very deceptive. Whenever I think of the Pink Carnation series as a whole it never makes the cut as a favorite, and then I re-read it and realize how much I love it. I start to question my entire ranking of the series and as of this moment while I write this review it might even make my top ten books of 2021 because I adored re-reading it so much. This book tricks me every time into thinking that it's not as good as it is. I should have learned by now having read this book as many times as I have. Also, I seriously have no idea how many times I've read it. Because of other reading commitments during the year long Pink Carnation Read Along and the fact that I was once again underestimating it and not really looking forward to picking it up The Deception of the Emerald Ring didn't make it off my bookshelf until the day before the Zoom meeting. And while I had intended to shotgun the whole book in day, I found myself so drawn into the book I wanted it to last for days. So the Zoom meeting came and went and I was still reading. And now I think I'm going to read all the books AFTER the meeting. Because I've read all these stories before it's not like a book club meeting where you're feverishly trying to finish before time so you can discuss it. No, the meeting gave me further insights into the story so that when I was reading it I picked up on these new nuggets of information. I got to thinking about the implications of donning trousers, the practicalities versus the amorous. I got to enjoy Lord Vaughn showing up and just taking over every scene he was in. And I finally got to see the Black Tulip plot line form into a more logical garden plan. To not have just one sadistic spy, but sadists working for a criminal mastermind makes more sense that the Marquise ever did. She mistook Turnip for the Pink Carnation! I'm sorry, but anyone who could think that doesn't deserve to be a criminal mastermind. A pawn though... Totally suited for a pawn.

Posted by Miss Eliza at 12:00 AM 0 comments  

Labels: Book Club, France, Geoffry Pinchingdale-Snipe, Ireland, Lauren Willig, Letty Alsworthy, Pink Carnation Read Along, Regency, The Black Tulip, The Deception of the Emerald Ring, The Pink Carnation, Zoom

The Dead Don't Drink at Lafitte's by Seana Kelly
Published by: NYLA
Publication Date: April 13th, 2021
Format: Kindle. 350 Pages
Rating: ★★★★
To Buy (different edition than one reviewed)

Whomever said dating a vampire would be easy obviously wasn't a werewolf. Because Clive's coterie of vampires look down on Sam. In their minds she's so far beneath their master that they welcome his ex with open arms when she shows up on their doorstep. A doorstep to a house Sam's stuck in while her apartment and business are being rebuilt. Thankfully the ex isn't actually there to rekindle their romance, she's there to stage a coup. The Master of New Orleans wants Clive eliminated, the only problem is they didn't count on Sam. She saves Clive's life and realizes she might have more power over vampires than they'd be comfortable with. But her newfound powers will have to wait, this was a declaration of war and Clive will not let this stand. As the Master of San Francisco he can't leave his city unprotected, so he calls in some favors and heads on down to The Big Easy. But he can't be certain that his vampires haven't been compromised. How many are still loyal to him and how many are using Sam's presence as an excuse to grasp the brass ring? So Clive calls in another favor. Someone capable of guarding Sam when he must rest. Someone who happens to be deadly with the merest glance. He calls in a gorgon. Stheno is the perfect body guard. Not only is she good at decorating Clive's New Orleans home with statues of their enemies, she's someone apart from the politics of vampires whom Sam can talk to and, more importantly, share a meal with, because vampires sure don't know how to feed the living let alone feed a werewolf with a high metabolic rate. But thankfully that's what the many restaurants in New Orleans are there for! That and to provide a distraction from all the vampires who might want Clive dead. There's not just the Master of the city, but the ancient St. Germain who prefers to wield power from the shadows and is taking an unhealthy interest in Sam. Sam has a lot of danger to face if she wants to make it back safely to San Francisco, but thankfully she has a passel of new friends and an entire pack of werewolves who've got her back.

As someone who reads and watches a lot of media involving vampires there's one thing I can't stand, and that's vampire politics. Sure, you could hate their brooding nature and how possessive they are, but thankfully for every story that does this there's another that pokes fun at it. And yet vampire politics for some reason rarely get lampooned. The reason The Dead Don't Drink at Lafitte's really spoke to me is because it switched direction about a third of the way through the book. Before Sam and Clive left for New Orleans I was completely dreading reading this volume because it looked like it was going to be nothing but vampire politics. And then all of a sudden it wasn't. All of a sudden it was more about the city and the life of New Orleans and Sam's world opening up while the vampires were off doing their own thing or sleeping the day away. And what it celebrated most of all about New Orleans was the food. Having a heroine who has a metabolism that just won't quit meant that she not only ate tons of food, with many courses, but that it was lovingly described. I would have gladly beaten up someone for a beignet at any time while reading this book. And now I just realized a problem while writing this review, I'm thinking about beignets again... So I will now try to wrench my brain away from the beignets and talk about my new favorite character, who also happens to love food as much as Sam, Stheno. Stheno is a gorgon. And she is my new BFF. I'm sorry, you can't have her, she's going to hang out with me on a couch and eat tons of food. She's funny, she's surly, and she and Sam just get each other. They have a dark and quirky sense of humor that meshes well. The introduction of Stheno really takes the whole series to a new level because Urban Fantasy shouldn't only be about werewolves, vampires, and the fae, though so much is. Stheno firmly establishes the other creatures within Sam's universe and I am here for it.

Posted by Miss Eliza at 12:00 AM 0 comments  

Labels: Beignets, Fae, Food, Gorgon, New Orleans, Sam Quinn, San Francisco, Seana Kelly, Stheno, The Dead Don't Drink at Lafitte's, The Slaughtered Lamb Bookstore and Bar, Vampire Politics, Vampires, Werewolves

Something to Hide by Elizabeth George
Published by: Viking
Publication Date: January 11th, 2022
Format: Hardcover, 704 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"Detective Sergeant Barbara Havers and Detective Inspector Thomas Lynley are back in the next Lynley novel from #1 New York Times bestselling author Elizabeth George.

When a police detective is taken off life support after falling into a coma, only an autopsy reveals the murderous act that precipitated her death. She'd been working on a special task force within North London's Nigerian community, and Acting Detective Superintendent Thomas Lynley is assigned to the case, which has far-reaching cultural associations that have nothing to do with life as he knows it. In his pursuit of a killer determined to remain hidden, he's assisted by Detective Sergeants Barbara Havers and Winston Nkata. They must sort through the lies and the secret lives of people whose superficial cooperation masks the damage they do to one another."

New year, new Lynley, aw yeah!

A Flicker in the Dark by Stacy Willingham
Published by: Minotaur Books
Publication Date: January 11th, 2022
Format: Hardcover, 368 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"When Chloe Davis was twelve, six teenage girls went missing in her small Louisiana town. By the end of the summer, her own father had confessed to the crimes and was put away for life, leaving Chloe and the rest of her family to grapple with the truth and try to move forward while dealing with the aftermath.

Now twenty years later, Chloe is a psychologist in Baton Rouge and getting ready for her wedding. While she finally has a fragile grasp on the happiness she’s worked so hard to achieve, she sometimes feels as out of control of her own life as the troubled teens who are her patients. So when a local teenage girl goes missing, and then another, that terrifying summer comes crashing back. Is she paranoid, seeing parallels from her past that aren't actually there, or for the second time in her life, is Chloe about to unmask a killer?

From debut author Stacy Willingham comes a masterfully done, lyrical thriller, certain to be the launch of an amazing career. A Flicker in the Dark is eerily compelling to the very last page."

I can't be the only one who likes thrillers of past crimes having eerie similarities to present crimes, amiright?

Wolf Hollow by Victoria Houston
Published by: Crooked Lane Books
Publication Date: January 11th, 2022
Format: Hardcover, 288 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"Murder stalks the Wisconsin northwoods in a gripping novel from the author of the acclaimed Loon Lake mysteries.

It's mid-May in the tiny northwoods Wisconsin town of Loon Lake, and the fish are biting. Walleye's not the only thing on the hook. There are rumors that a precious vein of nickel and copper is buried on the property of wealthy Grace McDonough, and the drilling is about to begin. But not if environmentalist Pete Ferris can help it.

When Grace's 24-year-old son, Noah, is caught in a sordid sex crime, police chief Lew Ferris makes the arrest. But a day later, Lew is stricken when her brother Pete turns up dead, a bloody pry bar found in the woods nearby. Then, Grace's body is discovered in a car at the bottom of a river - and Noah has vanished. Lew puts out a statewide APB, but before long, Noah is also found murdered on the McDonough property.

It's beginning to look like mother and son were killed by the same person. And when Lew learns that her brother had planned to file a lawsuit to prevent drilling for the sulfide mine, a key piece of the puzzle suddenly falls into place.

Lew is beginning to close in on the truth. But has the killer set his bait again, angling for his biggest catch yet?"

Murder in my home state? Tell me more!

All I Want by Darcey Bell
Published by: Atria/Emily Bestler Books
Publication Date: January 11th, 2022
Format: Paperback, 272 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"The New York Times bestselling author of A Simple Favor brings her "sly, satirical, subversive" (L.S. Hilton, author of Ultima) prose to a pitch-perfect psychological suspense novel about a young couple whose disintegrating marriage and remote new home in rural, upstate New York make for a terrifying descent into the darker side of human nature.

When Emma’s husband, Ben, falls in love with a large Victorian mansion for sale in upstate New York, he swears to her the fixer-upper will be worth the risk. With a baby on the way, Emma would like to live in a charming, safe community, after all—and in a space larger than a one-bedroom New York City apartment. On impulse, she agrees to Ben’s plan and they put in an offer on the house.

Sure, the mansion has a somewhat creepy backstory and is a bit dilapidated, but Emma and Ben are in this together, aren’t they? When strange things start happening, Emma begins to experience a little buyer’s remorse. What’s the real history of this house? Is its dark history repeating itself? Why does her husband suddenly seem so distant? Is she in danger? Is her baby?

Combining the domestic anxiety of Liane Moriarty and the haunting twists and turns of Shirley Jackson, All I Want is an intensely absorbing novel that will change the way you look at your neighbors."

I'm here for all things Darcey Bell since A Simple Favor. But comparisons to Shirley Jackson? Now you REALLY have my attention.

Murder at the Mansions by Sara Rosett
Published by: McGuffin Ink
Publication Date: January 11th, 2022
Format: Paperback, 282 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"South Regent Mansions has all the modern conveniences...including murder.

London, February, 1924. Discreet sleuth for the high society set, Olive Belgrave is delighted with her new flat at South Regent Mansions where she’s made several friends, including the modern career woman, Minerva, who draws a popular cartoon about a flapper for a London newspaper.

But then Minerva comes to Olive for help after catching a glimpse of a disturbing sight - a dead body. At least, that’s what Minerva thought she saw, but there’s not a dead body anywhere in the posh building, and the residents are continuing with their lives as they normally do. Is Minerva seeing things? Is she barmy? Or is there a more sinister explanation?

To help restore Minerva’s peace of mind, Olive investigates her neighbors. They include: society’s "it" girl of the moment, an accountant with a fondness for gadgets, a snooty society matron, and a school teacher turned bridge instructor. Olive uncovers rivalries, clandestine affairs, and hidden jealousies. With dashing Jasper at her side, Olive must discover whose secret is worth killing for.

If you like sophisticated whodunits, charming characters, and novels with a lighthearted tone, you’ll enjoy the seventh installment of the High Society Lady Detective series, Murder at the Mansions, from USA Today bestselling author, Sara Rosett."

Sara Rosett's mysteries are a delight. Couple that with the wonderful Poirot period building and some Rear Window action, and I am all there.

The Siren of Sussex by Mimi Matthews
Published by: Berkley
Publication Date: January 11th, 2022
Format: Paperback, 432 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"A Popsugar Most Anticipated Romance of 2022!

Victorian high society’s most daring equestrienne finds love and an unexpected ally in her fight for independence in the strong arms of London’s most sought after and devastatingly handsome half-Indian tailor.

Evelyn Maltravers understands exactly how little she's worth on the marriage mart. As an incurable bluestocking from a family tumbling swiftly toward ruin, she knows she'll never make a match in a ballroom. Her only hope is to distinguish herself by making the biggest splash in the one sphere she excels: on horseback. In haute couture. But to truly capture London's attention she'll need a habit-maker who's not afraid to take risks with his designs - and with his heart.

Half-Indian tailor Ahmad Malik has always had a talent for making women beautiful, inching his way toward recognition by designing riding habits for Rotten Row's infamous Pretty Horsebreakers - but no one compares to Evelyn. Her unbridled spirit enchants him, awakening a depth of feeling he never thought possible.

But pushing boundaries comes at a cost and not everyone is pleased to welcome Evelyn and Ahmad into fashionable society. With obstacles spanning between them, the indomitable pair must decide which hurdles they can jump and what matters most: making their mark or following their hearts?"

Here for all the bluestocking girls in the world!

Twilight at Moorington Cross by Abigail Wilson
Published by: Thomas Nelson
Publication Date: January 11th, 2022
Format: Paperback, 320 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"Amelia Pembroke is in a unique position in Regency England: She can obtain financial freedom. But in order to do so, she must marry one of two gentlemen. The trouble is, she might be falling in love with another man entirely.

1819, Kent, England - Everything changed the moment Amelia became heiress to Moorington Cross. A young widow and patient at Cluett's Mesmeric Hospital, Amelia is stunned to learn that her doctor - and the only father figure she's ever known - has altered his will naming her his primary beneficiary. Such an opportunity is beyond what any Regency-era woman could dare to dream - especially one with a sleeping disorder that finds her falling asleep at the most random of times.

There is, however, a perplexing condition attached to the will: she must wed one of two named men, wholly unknown to her. Doing so would provide her with a secure future. But how can she marry one of these men when her heart is intrigued by the charming solicitor, Mr. Hawkins?

Everything takes on a new sense of urgency - and danger - when Mr. Cluett is found dead in his bedchamber only hours after announcing his updated will. Now Amelia only has thirty days to decide which man she will marry. But she is just as determined to uncover the truth of her benefactor's demise with the help of Mr. Hawkins. After all, this sudden turn of events couldn't merely be a coincidence - could it?

From award-winning author Abigail Wilson, Twilight at Moorington Cross is a mysterious Regency romance full of intrigue, mesmeric treatments, and abandoned corridors that proves love is the greatest testament of all."

I mean, it's Regency so I'm here, but mesmerism!?! SO HERE!

Gothic Classics: The Castle of Otranto and The Old English Baron by Horace Walpole and Clara Reeve
Published by: Poisoned Pen Press
Publication Date: January 11th, 2022
Format: Paperback, 320 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"Manfred, the lord of the castle of Otranto, has long lived in dread of an ancient prophecy: it's foretold that when his family line ends, the true owner of the castle will appear and claim it. In a desperate bid to keep the castle, Manfred plans to coerce a young woman named Isabella into marrying him.

Isabella refuses to yield to Manfred's reprehensible plan. But once she escapes into the depths of the castle, it becomes clear that Manfred isn't the only threat. As Isabelle loses herself in the seemingly endless hallways below, voices reverberate from the walls and specters wander through the dungeons. Otranto appears to be alive, and it's seeking revenge for the sins of the past."

I LOVE when the Gothic Classics (capitals SO needed) get lovely new reissues.

The Wedding Setup by Sonali Dev
Published by: Amazon Original Stories
Publication Date: January 11th, 2022
Format: Kindle
To Buy

The official patter:
"From USA Today bestselling author Sonali Dev comes a heartfelt short story about one woman’s journey of self-discovery and what it means to be happy.

Ayesha Shetty lost her brother seven years ago, the same time she lost everything else important to her: her dreams, her fierce independence, and the man she loved. Not wanting to see her mother hurt anymore, she put her wild self away and became the dutiful daughter her mother needed and took on her brother’s role in the family business.

Now her best friend’s big, fat Indian wedding is a chance to get away from her endless duties at the restaurant and maybe even have some fun (if she remembers how). But a setup arranged by her mother, with a doctor no less, is the last thing she needs. The fact that he checks all her mother’s boxes just makes everything better...and worse.

Then Emmitt Hughes shows up. Her brother’s best friend. The love she once chose over family duties and her responsibilities. The one she asked to leave, and who did. The one who knows the real Ayesha. Torn between a love from the past that could cost her the only person she has left and her sense of obligation to her mother, will Ayesha find the strength to stop thinking about what everyone else wants and finally put herself first? Or is the old Ayesha truly gone for good?"

If you haven't dove headfirst into the writing of Sonali Dev, how about take this quick little swim. I'm sure you'll be picking up the rest of her catalog in no time!

A Thousand Steps by T. Jefferson Parker
Published by: Forge Books
Publication Date: January 11th, 2022
Format: Hardcover, 368 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"A Thousand Steps is a beguiling thriller, an incisive coming-of-age story, and a vivid portrait of a turbulent time and place by three-time Edgar Award winner and New York Times bestselling author T. Jefferson Parker.

Laguna Beach, California, 1968. The Age of Aquarius is in full swing. Timothy Leary is a rock star. LSD is God. Folks from all over are flocking to Laguna, seeking peace, love, and enlightenment.

Matt Anthony is just trying get by.

.Matt is sixteen, broke, and never sure where his next meal is coming from. Mom’s a stoner, his deadbeat dad is a no-show, his brother’s fighting in Nam...and his big sister Jazz has just gone missing. The cops figure she’s just another runaway hippie chick, enjoying a summer of love, but Matt doesn’t believe it. Not after another missing girl turns up dead on the beach.

All Matt really wants to do is get his driver’s license and ask out the girl he’s been crushing on since fourth grade, yet it’s up to him to find his sister. But in a town where the cops don’t trust the hippies and the hippies don’t trust the cops, uncovering what’s really happened to Jazz is going to force him to grow up fast.

If it’s not already too late."

This time period in California has always fascinated me.

The Monarchs by Kass Morgan and Danielle Paige
Published by: Clarion Books
Publication Date: January 11th, 2022
Format: Hardcover, 448 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"In this thrilling conclusion to New York Times best-selling authors Kass Morgan and Danielle Paige’s The Ravens duology, loyalty, love, and friendships are tested as sorority sisters Scarlett and Vivi must face the forces of hell itself when a rival sorority threatens to wreak havoc on campus.

The ultra-exclusive Kappa Rho Nu - the Ravens - are determined to restore balance to the world. After destroying an ancient talisman and barely saving their sorority in the process, they’ll go to any lengths to keep their secret as Westerly’s most powerful coven of witches.

Scarlett Winter, a legacy Raven, has finally gotten what she’s always wanted: Scarlett is Kappa Rho Nu’s newest president. Unlike her mother or older sister before her, Scarlett has a vision for a more unified Kappa, one where no sister falls to the forces of wicked magic. But the powers of the presidency have their own pitfalls. And with the pressures of alumni bureaucracy and past failures weighing on her, Scarlett finds herself at risk of losing the very thing that defined her: her magic.

As a new member of Kappa Rho Nu, Vivi Devereaux finally knows what it’s like to belong. She has her Kappa Rho Nu sisters behind her and, with Scarlett’s blessing, Vivi’s happily dating her first college crush (who also just happens to be Scarlett’s ex). When Scarlett assigns Vivi the coveted role of social chair, Vivi is determined to live up to her Big’s expectations. But Vivi’s studies in witchcraft take a deadly turn when she uncovers a new form of magic, one that has mysterious ties to Kappa Rho Nu’s past and the vengeful demon once tied to their talisman.

With the weight of their newfound roles and the terrible price of destroying the talisman haunting them, Scarlett and Vivi must save their sisterhood when the forces of hell itself and a rival sorority threaten to unleash havoc on the Ravens."

Anyone else just love duologies? Longer than one book but not too long like a trilogy or an unending series.

Posted by Miss Eliza at 12:00 AM 0 comments  

Labels: Abigail Wilson, Clara Reeve, Danielle Paige, Darcey Bell, Elizabeth George, Gothic, Horace Walpole, Kass Morgan, Mimi Matthews, Sara Rosett, Sonali Dev, Stacy Willingham, T. Jefferson Parker, Victoria Houston