strange and random happenstance

The Quiet Gentleman by Georgette Heyer
Published by: HQN Books
Publication Date: 1951
Format: Paperback, 352 Pages
Rating: ★★★
To Buy

Gervase Frant had the temerity to survive the Napoleonic Wars. This was a blow to his stepmother and in particular her hopes for his younger half-brother Martin, whom she has reared as if he were going to be the Earl, in spite of primogeniture. To add insult to lack of injury, for a full year after he ascended to be the Earl of St. Erth he wandered around the continent instead of returning to Stanyon to take up his duties. He flippantly claims it was to avoid wearing mourning, but his dandified ways bely the solider he is underneath his perfectly tailored clothes from Weston's. Though one thing is clear, he's going to have an uphill battle with the denizens of Stanyon Castle. He has avoided his "home" as much as he could throughout his life, spending holidays with his maternal grandmother, but now he must face his family and their guests; Mr. Clowne, the chaplain is an unknown quantity, and Miss Morville, a kind neighbor who is acting as companion to Gervase's stepmother, seems to have her head on her shoulders. In fact it's only Theo, his cousin, who has acted as steward for the family, who Gervase is excited to see. Theo is reliable, dependable, and a true friend. There is a tenuous peace that proceeds Gervas's return. A peace that is shattered when he helps out a becoming neighbor, Miss Marianne Bolderwood. Martin only has eyes for her and now Marianne only has eyes for St. Erth. This is not a sustainable situation, and soon things come to a head. As in there are attempts on St. Erth's life. The first attempt could have been imagined, the second could have been written off as an accident waiting to happen, the third attempt was only unsuccessful due to Miss Morville and her swift actions. The attacks are gaining in severity and it is clear that someone wants Gervase dead. But could Martin really be this clever? To get ride of a romantic rival AND ascend to Earl all in one convenient death? Only time will tell, and hopefully Gervase will be around to see how things play out.

The Quiet Gentleman is perhaps the closest to Austen any of Heyer's books I've read this year has come. Though told from a male point of view. In fact I find it rather interesting that all her books that I've read have a masculine viewpoint. That will be something to mull over and look for as I read more of her books. Though my experience with Heyer is she's very hit or miss. I've not found one I love, but I've found some I've loathed, and this one I really like in spite of itself. The Quiet Gentleman has so much going for it but then there's Martin and Marianne. I have major problems with the two of them. Twice Martin forces his attentions on Marianne and both times she comes away shocked and believing Martin's unwanted attention was her fault. A belief that those around her don't contradict and in fact encourage her to just shake off and act normal around Martin. Well, acting normal around Martin led to her being accosted a second time! She was the vicitim. This wasn't her fault AT ALL! I mean, yes, this book was written in the fifties, so victim blaming was at it's height, but dear me it made me angry and uncomfortable. Marianne is a vivacious free spirit and this somehow was her leading Martin on? She was naive, unworldly, and cossetted, how could she expect a man she'd known almost her whole life to just make passionate love to her and force his advances on her? Now it should be made clear he just said things to her that she didn't want to hear and kissed her. But this is still an assault. Especially given the time period. And Marianne blames herself. She blames herself for being a flirt, for being pretty, the light goes out of her and her behavior to everyone changes. She was traumatized and no one really helped her. Yes, there's so much of the book that is just like Austen and is fun matchmaking, but there's this dark underbelly of victim blaming that forever changes a young girl that for the life of me I can not in good conscience fully embrace this book. Especially the denouement which is all about Martin's rehabilitation in the eyes of his cousin. Treat everyone, especially women, with the respect you yourself expect. No exceptions.

Posted by Miss Eliza at 12:00 AM 0 comments  

Labels: Attempted Murder, Georgette Heyer, Gervase Frant, Jane Austen, Martin Frant, Miss Marianne Bolderwood, Napoleonic War, POV, Regency Romp, Sexual Assault, Stanyon, The Quiet Gentleman, Victim Blaming

The House of Fortune by Jessie Burton
Published by: Bloomsbury Publishing
Publication Date: August 30th, 2022
Format: Hardcover, 304 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"Alive with the magic of 18th-century Amsterdam, an enchanting, fantastical stand-alone companion novel to the sensational New York Times bestseller The Miniaturist, which has sold over two million copies worldwide.

Amsterdam in the year 1705. It is Thea Brandt's eighteenth birthday. She is ready to welcome adulthood with open arms, but life at home is increasingly difficult. Her father Otto and her Aunt Nella argue endlessly over their financial fate, selling off furniture in a desperate attempt to hold on to the family home.

As catastrophe threatens to engulf the household, Thea seeks refuge in Amsterdam's playhouses. She loves the performances, and the stolen moments afterwards are even better. In the backrooms of her favorite theater, Thea can spend a few precious minutes with her secret lover, Walter, the chief set-painter, a man adept at creating the perfect environments for comedies and tragedies to flourish. The thrill of their hidden romance offers Thea an exciting distraction from home. But it also puts her in mind of another secret that threatens to overwhelm the present: Thea knows her birthday marks the day her mother, Marin, died in labor. Thea's family refuses to share the details of this story, just as they seem terrified to speak of :the miniaturist" - a shadowy figure from their past who is possessed of uncanny abilities to capture that which is hidden.

Aunt Nella believes the solution to all Thea's problems is to find her a husband who will guarantee her future. An unexpected invitation to Amsterdam's most exclusive ball seems like a golden opportunity. But when Thea finds, on her doorstep, a parcel containing a miniature figure of Walter, it becomes clear that someone out there has another fate in mind for the family...

A feat of sweeping, magical storytelling, The House of Fortune is an unputdownable novel about love and obsession, family and loyalty, and the fantastic power of secrets."

The Miniaturist is back to influence the next generation!

Murder at Beacon Rock by Alyssa Maxwell
Published by: Kensington
Publication Date: August 30th, 2022
Format: Hardcover, 272 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"The New York Yacht Club's exclusive gathering at Newport, Rhode Island's Beacon Rock mansion hits stormy seas in the summer of 1900 when reporter Emma Cross, a lesser Vanderbilt, discovers a drowned corpse in Alyssa Maxwell’s tenth Gilded Newport Mystery...

As a reporter, Emma is used to covering Newport's social events. But this time she is appearing on the arm of her fiancé, Derrick Andrews, at a small but exclusive gathering of the New York Yacht Club at Beacon Rock, the Grecian-inspired summer "cottage" of Edwin and Elizabeth Morgan. The members - which include cousin and Yacht Club Commodore John Pierpoint Morgan and widow Lucy Carnegie, the first woman to be admitted to the Club - are there to discuss their strategy for the next America's Cup Challenge, to be held in New York Harbor the following summer.

But it's Emma who must come up with a strategy when she discovers a woman's body bobbing against one of the hulls of the boats moored at the base of Beacon Rock. Is it possible she fell from the Newport ferry and was carried by the tide? Or could she have drowned herself or fallen victim to foul play?

After the woman is identified as the missing daughter of a yacht designer, the police - with the exception of Emma's friend Detective Jesse Whyte - hastily conclude she is a suicide, perhaps to quiet any scandal for the Morgans, since her body was found floating near their property. But Emma suspects the woman was murdered and begins to sort through a who’s who of sportsmen, boat crews, and the Newport elite in search of a stone-cold killer..."

The Gilded Age has brought about a renewed love of Newport, which means you ALL should be checking out this series!

Other Birds by Sarah Addison Allen
Published by: St. Martin's Press
Publication Date: August 30th, 2022
Format: Hardcover, 304 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"From the acclaimed author of Garden Spells comes an enchanting tale of lost souls, lonely strangers, secrets that shape us, and how the right flock can guide you home.

Down a narrow alley in the small coastal town of Mallow Island, South Carolina, lies a stunning cobblestone building comprised of five apartments. It’s called The Dellawisp and it is named after the tiny turquoise birds who, alongside its human tenants, inhabit an air of magical secrecy.

When Zoey Hennessey comes to claim her deceased mother's apartment at The Dellawisp, she meets her quirky, enigmatic neighbors including a girl on the run, a grieving chef whose comfort food does not comfort him, two estranged middle-aged sisters, and three ghosts. Each with their own story. Each with their own longings. Each whose ending isn't yet written.

When one of her new neighbors dies under odd circumstances the night Zoey arrives, she is thrust into the mystery of The Dellawisp, which involves missing pages from a legendary writer whose work might be hidden there. She soon discovers that many unfinished stories permeate the place, and the people around her are in as much need of healing from wrongs of the past as she is. To find their way they have to learn how to trust each other, confront their deepest fears, and let go of what haunts them.

Delightful and atmospheric, Other Birds is filled with magical realism and moments of pure love that won’t let you go. Sarah Addison Allen shows us that between the real and the imaginary, there are stories that take flight in the most extraordinary ways."

An inheritance, a mysterious apartment building, and unfinished tales? How do I get a place in The Dellawisp again?

The Gone and the Forgotten by Clare Whitfield
Published by: Head of Zeus
Publication Date: August 30th, 2022
Format: Hardcover, 384 Pages
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The official patter:
"Part psychological thriller, part coming-of-age novel from the author of People of Abandoned Character.

Summer, 1993. In the aftermath of her mother's suicide attempt, 16-year-old Prue must spend the summer holidays on a remote island in the Shetlands with her favorite Aunt Ruth and Uncle Archie, a man she's barely met since her aunt married him. Prue hopes to re-establish the relationship, and that her aunt might help her understand some of the parts of the past she has been forbidden to discuss by her mother - including the identity of her father.

Prue soon finds out that her uncle was the only suspect in the disappearance of a local girl some twenty years ago. As she grows closer to him, she learns there are differing views on how the beguiling Evelyn O'Hara disappeared, but is her uncle innocent?

Truth is something Prue has always had a fractured relationship with. A single version of the truth seems impossible for her to lock down..."

Banished beyond the Outer Hebrides Prue has some questions she needs answering.

Daisy Darker by Alice Feeney
Published by: Flatiron Books
Publication Date: August 30th, 2022
Format: Hardcover, 352 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"Alice Feeney, the New York Times bestselling Queen of Twists returns...with a family reunion that leads to murder.

After years of avoiding each other, Daisy Darker’s entire family is assembling for Nana's 80th birthday party in Nana's crumbling gothic house on a tiny tidal island. Finally back together one last time, when the tide comes in, they will be cut off from the rest of the world for eight hours.

The family arrives, each of them harboring secrets. Then at the stroke of midnight, as a storm rages, Nana is found dead. And an hour later, the next family member follows...

Trapped on an island where someone is killing them one by one, the Darkers must reckon with their present mystery as well as their past secrets, before the tide comes in and all is revealed."

Because family reunions should always resemble the plot of an Agatha Christie book.

The Ink Black Heart by Robert Galbraith
Published by: Mulholland Books
Publication Date: August 30th, 2022
Format: Hardcover, 1024 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"The latest installment in the highly acclaimed, internationally bestselling Strike series finds Cormoran and Robin ensnared in another winding, wicked case.

When frantic, disheveled Edie Ledwell appears in the office begging to speak to her, private detective Robin Ellacott doesn't know quite what to make of the situation. The cocreator of a popular cartoon, The Ink Black Heart, Edie is being persecuted by a mysterious online figure who goes by the pseudonym of Anomie. Edie is desperate to uncover Anomie's true identity.

Robin decides that the agency can't help with this - and thinks nothing more of it until a few days later, when she reads the shocking news that Edie has been tasered and then murdered in Highgate Cemetery, the location of The Ink Black Heart.

Robin and her business partner, Cormoran Strike, become drawn into the quest to uncover Anomie's true identity. But with a complex web of online aliases, business interests and family conflicts to navigate, Strike and Robin find themselves embroiled in a case that stretches their powers of deduction to the limits - and which threatens them in new and horrifying ways...

A gripping, fiendishly clever mystery, The Ink Black Heart is a true tour-de-force."

Why oh why did J.K. Rowling have to end up such a horrible person? 

Rules of Engagement by Stacey Abrams
Published by: Berkley
Publication Date: August 30th, 2022
Format: Hardcover, 336 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"Love is a game of chance in this romantic suspense novel by New York Times bestselling author and American politician and activist Stacey Abrams, writing under her pen name, Selena Montgomery.

Dr. Raleigh Foster, an operative for a top-secret intelligence organization, knows that her undercover work has its risks. So she doesn't hesitate when asked to infiltrate Scimitar, the terrorist group that has stolen lethal environmental technology. But when she's assigned a partner - brooding, sexy Adam Grayson - to pose as her lover, Raleigh discovers that the most dangerous risk of all...is falling in love.

Adam blames himself for the botched mission that got his best friend killed by Scimitar, and he believes that Raleigh may have contributed to the man's death. But the closer he works with his alluring partner, the more his suspicions turn to trust - and intense desire. Now, as he and Raleigh untangle a twisted web of secrets and lies, the tension mounts between them...until their masquerade as a couple proves too tempting to resist."

What can't Stacey Abrams do?

Nothing More to Tell by Karen M. McManus
Published by: Delacorte Press
Publication Date: August 30th, 2022
Format: Hardcover, 368 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"From #1 New York Times bestselling author of One of Us Is Lying comes a new page-turning mystery. Be sure to keep your friends close...and your secrets closer.

Four years ago, Brynn left Saint Ambrose School following the shocking murder of her favorite teacher - a story that made headlines after the teacher's body was found by three Saint Ambrose students in the woods behind their school. The case was never solved. Now that Brynn is moving home and starting her dream internship at a true-crime show, she's determined to find out what really happened.

The kids who found Mr. Larkin are her way in, and her ex–best friend, Tripp Talbot, was one of them. Without his account of events, the other two kids might have gone down for Mr. Larkin's murder - but instead, thanks to Tripp, they're now at the top of the Saint Ambrose social pyramid. Tripp's friends have never forgotten what Tripp did for them that day, and neither has he. Just like he hasn't forgotten that everything he told the police was a lie.

Digging into the past is bound to shake up the present, and when Brynn begins to investigate what happened in the woods that day, she uncovers secrets that might change everything - about Saint Ambrose, about Mr. Larkin, and about her ex-best friend, Tripp Talbot.

Four years ago someone got away with murder. More terrifying is that they might be closer than anyone thinks."

I am always here for school cliques who are really harboring dark secrets!

How to Survive Your Murder by Danielle Valentine
Published by: Razorbill
Publication Date: August 30th, 2022
Format: Hardcover, 304 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"Scream meets Happy Death Day in this terrifying stand-alone horror novel from YA scream queen Danielle Valentine.

Alice Lawrence is the sole witness in her sister's murder trial.

And in the year since Claire's death, Alice's life has completely fallen apart. Her parents have gotten divorced, she's moved into an apartment that smells like bologna, and she is being forced to face her sister's killer and a courtroom full of people who doubt what she saw in the corn maze a year prior.

Claire was an all-American girl, beautiful and bubbly, and a theater star. Alice was a nerd who dreamed of becoming a forensic pathologist and would rather stay at home to watch her favorite horror movies than party. Despite their differences, they were bonded by sisterhood and were each other's best friends.

Until Claire was taken away from her.

On the first day of the murder trial, as Alice prepares to give her testimony, she is knocked out by a Sidney Prescott look-alike in the courthouse bathroom. When she wakes up, it is Halloween night a year earlier, the same day Claire was murdered. Alice has until midnight to save her sister and find the real killer before he claims another victim."

Come on, a do over thanks to Never Campbell!?! Yes, please.

The Ghost Slayers edited by Mike Ashley
Published by: British Library Publishing
Publication Date: August 30th, 2022
Format: Paperback, 288 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"'A soundless baying seemed to come from the open jaws, and in the eyes gleamed a light that was not of this world. It was not the green luminosity of an animal, but a purplish grey reflected from some cold planet beyond the range of our senses.'

Occult or psychic detective tales have been chilling readers for almost as long as there have been ghost stories. This beguiling subgenre follows specialists in occult lore  - often with years of arcane training - investigating strange supernatural occurrences and pitting their wits against the bizarre and inexplicable.

With tales featuring the most prominent psychic detectives such as William Hope Hodgson's Carnacki, the Ghost Finder and Algernon Blackwood's Dr. Silence, this new collection also includes rare and never-before-reprinted cases investigated by the likes of Flaxman Low, Cosmo Thor, Aylmer Vance and Mesmer Milann."

Rare occult detective stories? This book was edited just for me right? 

He Who Fights With Monsters by Francesco Artibani and Werther Dell'edera
Published by: Ablaze
Publication Date: August 30th, 2022
Format: Hardcover, 144 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"On All Hallows' Eve, a community struggles under the boot of the Nazi war machine when supernatural forces come to play a part in the conflict from the artist of the bestselling Something is Killing the Children comes a tale that will send shivers up your spine...

It's World War 2 and the struggle between good and evil is in full force. In Prague, the great Bohemian city is being oppressed by the Nazi occupation and the population lives in terror, while the resistance forces try to organize themselves in the shadows. It is an almost impossible task. With the ruthless SS tightening their grip on every street and neighborhood with overwhelming might, only one hope feeds the struggle. A crazy hope, which rests on the fragile foundations of an ancient, monstrous legend..."

If you haven't seen Werther Dell'edera's art you are in for a wonderful discovery.

Be the Serpent by Seanan McGuire
Published by: DAW
Publication Date: August 30th, 2022
Format: Hardcover, 368 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"Now in hardcover, the sixteenth novel of the Hugo-nominated, New York Times-bestselling October Daye urban fantasy series.

October Daye is finally something she never expected to be: married. All the trials and turmoils and terrors of a hero's life have done very little to prepare her for the expectation that she will actually share her life with someone else, the good parts and the bad ones alike, not just allow them to dabble around the edges in the things she wants to share. But with an official break from hero duties from the Queen in the Mists, and her family wholly on board with this new version of "normal," she's doing her best to adjust.

It isn't always easy, but she's a hero, right? She's done harder.

Until an old friend and ally turns out to have been an enemy in disguise for this entire time, and October’s brief respite turns into a battle for her life, her community, and everything she has ever believed to be true.

The debts of the Broken Ride are coming due, and whether she incurred them or not, she's going to be the one who has to pay."

Yes, it's always an exciting day when there's a new Seanan McGuire book, which is actually quite often, but let's just admit that we're all secretly waiting for new October Daye over all her other books. Right?

Belladonna by Adalyn Grace
Published by: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers
Publication Date: August 30th, 2022
Format: Hardcover, 416 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"New York Times bestselling author Adalyn Grace brings to life a highly romantic, Gothic-infused world of wealth, desire, and betrayal.

Orphaned as a baby, nineteen-year-old Signa has been raised by a string of guardians, each more interested in her wealth than her well-being - and each has met an untimely end. Her remaining relatives are the elusive Hawthornes, an eccentric family living at Thorn Grove, an estate both glittering and gloomy. Its patriarch mourns his late wife through wild parties, while his son grapples for control of the family's waning reputation and his daughter suffers from a mysterious illness. But when their mother's restless spirit appears claiming she was poisoned, Signa realizes that the family she depends on could be in grave danger and enlists the help of a surly stable boy to hunt down the killer.

However, Signa's best chance of uncovering the murderer is an alliance with Death himself, a fascinating, dangerous shadow who has never been far from her side. Though he's made her life a living hell, Death shows Signa that their growing connection may be more powerful - and more irresistible - than she ever dared imagine.

Because Gothic estates are my catnip.

Holiday Heroine by Sarah Kuhn
Published by: DAW
Publication Date: August 30th, 2022
Format: Paperback, 448 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"The sixth book in the smart, snarky, and action-packed Heroine series continues the adventures of Asian-American superheroine Bea Tanaka as she takes on demons in Hawaii.

Nobody loves Christmas like Bea Tanaka - so when her family visits her for a special holiday celebration, she's beside herself with joy.

After years of chaos, questionable decisions, and flirtations with the supervillain path, Bea is finally thriving. She's got a sweet, new gig hunting demons in Maui, she's working hard to hone her powers, and her big sister Evie is proud of her at last. In fact, everyone is so proud of her that she can't tell them the truth: she's feeling lost and adrift. She and her boyfriend Sam Fujikawa are struggling to make their long-distance love work, and her powers are displaying some intriguing new elements - elements that could lead her down an evil, mind-controlling path once more.

When her family's holiday visit is disrupted by otherworldly monsters rising out of the Maui ocean, Bea throws herself into the battle - until she's suddenly and mysteriously transported to the perfect Christmas back in San Francisco, surrounded by her family and an excess of merrymaking.

As she finds herself trapped in the bizarre holiday rom-com of her nightmares, Bea must unravel a treacherous demon plot, save the world from unspeakable evil, and resist the siren song of a supervillain destiny. And hey, maybe she’ll find time for a little holiday cheer after all...."

Hawaii AND holiday rom-com? Sign me up.

A Taste of Gold and Iron by Alexandra Rowland
Published by: Tordotcom
Publication Date: August 30th, 2022
Format: Hardcover, 512 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"The Goblin Emperor meets "Magnificent Century" in Alexandra Rowland's A Taste of Gold and Iron, where a queer central romance unfolds in a fantasy world reminiscent of the Ottoman Empire.

Kadou, the shy prince of Arasht, finds himself at odds with one of the most powerful ambassadors at court - the body-father of the queen's new child - in an altercation which results in his humiliation.

To prove his loyalty to the queen, his sister, Kadou takes responsibility for the investigation of a break-in at one of their guilds, with the help of his newly appointed bodyguard, the coldly handsome Evemer, who seems to tolerate him at best. In Arasht, where princes can touch-taste precious metals with their fingers and myth runs side by side with history, counterfeiting is heresy, and the conspiracy they discover could cripple the kingdom’s financial standing and bring about its ruin."

All about the Ottoman Empire but should we really be comparing any book to The Goblin Emperor?

Animal Castle by Xavier Dorison and Felix Delep
Published by: Ablaze
Publication Date: August 30th, 2022
Format: Hardcover, 152 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"A 2022 Junior Library Guild Selection.

On the Farm all animals were equal. In the Castle some are more equal than others.

For fans of the bestselling Stray Dogs and the Eisner Award winning Beasts of Burden comes an animal fable at once familiar and surprising You may think you know the story but set aside your assumptions, this animal uprising is unlike any you have read.

Nestled in the heart of a farm forgotten by men, the Animal Castle is ruled with an iron hoof by President Silvio. The bull and its dog militia savor their power, while the other animals are exhausted by work, until the arrival of the mysterious Azelard, a traveling rat who will teach them the secrets of civil disobedience.

Collecting issues 1-5 of the bestselling comic series into a handsome hardcover volume, with complete cover gallery and bonus material, including behind the scenes info and illustrations."

I have been curious about this comic for quite some time, thank the powers that be, AKA Ablaze, for arcs!

Posted by Miss Eliza at 12:00 AM 0 comments  

Labels: Alice Feeney, Alyssa Maxwell, Animal Castle, Clare Whitfield, Danielle Valentine, Jessie Burton, Karen M. McManus, Mike Ashley, Sarah Addison Allen, Sarah Kuhn, Seanan McGuire, Stacey Abrams, Werther Dell'edera

Lure of the Moonflower by Lauren Willig
ARC Provided by the Publisher
Published by: NAL
Publication Date: August 4th, 2015
Format: Paperback, 528 Pages
Rating: ★★★★★
To Buy

Jane doesn't know if it's wise to be working with Jack Reid, alias the Moonflower. But her mission is in Portugal, she doesn't speak the language, and he's the agent on the ground. Seeing as her old compatriot and chaperone Miss Gwen is married to Jack's father, Jane has heard all there is to know about Jack and his ever shifting allegiances. What she hasn't heard about Jack is that perhaps the legend doesn't match the man. And that man has sure heard of the legend of the Pink Carnation, who is now supposedly leading this new mission that he isn't allowed any input on. Jane is not suited to the search for the Portuguese Queen across the rough and tumble countryside, yet that is just what she plans to do. She is being dictatorial and living down to his expectations. But that is the problem. They have both prejudged each other and found the other lacking. It doesn't help that Jack unknowingly is the reason Jane had to go rogue because she was unmasked when he sent the Jewels of Berar to his sister Lizzy. If they could just start over then perhaps they could find more than just a serviceable working arrangement. That new start happens when the deadliest of French spies, the Gardener, appears on their trek. They both have a history with him, and neither one is pleased to see him. They scrap all their plans and go off the grid, trying to beat the Gardener to the Queen and trying to trust each other. But trekking across rough terrain while ensconced with the French army, albeit in disguise, was far easier than what they now face. The cold, the blisters, the unnamed donkey. As Christmas draws near can they achieve their goal? What's more, can Jane achieve her second, secret mission? Reuniting Jack with the family that loves and misses him. While in the future Eloise and Colin are facing something just as daunting; their wedding day. Which should go off without a hitch, that is until Colin's beloved Aunt Arabella is kidnapped the night before the ceremony and Colin reveals she was spy in her day! So they just have to deal with the kidnapper's demands and THEN they can get married.

Parting is such sweet sorrow. And the parting of ways here is occasionally as rocky as the terrain. I've never been the biggest fan of Jane. She's always been an enigma, and rightfully so, she is illusive after all. Always in the background setting the world to rights. Lauren previously needed her to be infallible and maddeningly omniscient and capable. These traits don't lend themselves to a character of flesh and blood, but an analytical ice maiden. A perfectly coolly composed heroine does not make the most interesting read. The Lure of the Moonflower gets off to a rocky start because, like Jack, we only see what Jane wants us to see. This capable perfect agent. When the truth starts to seep out, her self doubt, her sacrifices, how much she and Jack feel the weight of the mantle of spy, do you finally start to relate and to understand Jane. The loneliness, the long nights, the seclusion, the isolation from everything and everyone else as you have to be self sufficient and self reliant. That is where Lauren succeeds and the book comes together, she believably gives us insight into Jane. Slowly the layers are peeled away and the person who was once inconceivable is now all too human and relatable. And two can handle what one can't alone. It's Jane's opening up to Jack that not only makes Jane relatable, but that made me connect to her. Finding the right people, the right person, who is there to lift you up when you're down, to help you over the rough patches, that is the most precious gift we can get in life. And Jane realizes that Jack is just such a person. Someone who takes the weight of the mantle "The Pink Carnation" off her shoulders. Neither of them have any reason to trust the other, but their experiences together and their similar backgrounds makes them compliment each other. To have Jane find someone to compliment her is a wonderfully happy place to end this series, but more than that, to find someone to share her burdens, to rely on, someone with whom you can let down your defenses and admit you need help, that is the true happily ever after.

Posted by Miss Eliza at 12:00 AM 0 comments  

Labels: Berar, Christmas, Donkey, Jack Reid, Jane Wooliston, Lauren Willig, Miss Gwen, Napoleonic War, Portugal, Regency Romp, Spies, Spy, The Gardener, The Lure of the Moonflower, The Moonflower, The Pink Carnation

A Swirl of Shadows by Andrea Penrose
Publication Date: March 22nd, 2022
Format: Kindle, 358 Pages
Rating: ★★★★
To Buy

Arianna has lost her baby. She didn't even know if she'd be able to conceive therefore it felt like a miracle. A very short lived miracle. A fortnight after their adventures in Paris she miscarried. The words of her friends and medical professionals fell on deaf ears when they told her it wasn't her fault. She gave Sandro hope of an heir and she failed him. She has lost her edge, her spark, her fire. She sits in darkened rooms claiming to be working on her book of recipes but really she is dwelling on her past, on her future, and on her letting Sandro down. Lord Grentham hopes to lure her out of her depression. Tsar Alexander has requested Arianna's help. A medallion has gone missing. But this is more than just a medallion, the Rurik Medallion is a talisman symbolizing a Tsar's right to rule Russia. If the Tsar doesn't have it with him for an upcoming event his reign will be cursed and he will be ousted. Yes, Arianna feels bad for the Tsar, but that doesn't mean she's going to drag herself far from home into the depths of a Russian winter. That is when Grentham plays his trump card. He thought she'd refuse so he sent her brother instead. She is furious. How could he send her innocent brother into the Byzantine bowels of Russian court intrigue!?! Especially once she learns that the Orlov family is still making a power play despite her killing whom she viewed was the worst of the lot. Still, Arianna needs peace and quiet, it's only when a Russian Baroness, Anna-Maria Gruzinsky, is brutally murdered with Arianna's name and address on a slip of paper in her reticule that Arianna decides she must go to Russia. Sandro and Sophie are obviously coming as well, and Grentham has saddled them with Arianna's old comrade Wolffy, as well as a new acquaintance, Major Prescott, who is half Russian and they might not be able to trust him. But Arianna feels a fire in her belly despite the cold surrounding her. She will keep the Tsar appeased, she will befriend his new religious guru Mrs. Schuyler, she will find the medallion, and she will keep the power structure stable in Russia in order to preserve Britain's most important alliance. But will the fire in her belly bring back her spark or do her actions bely the fact that her life is irreparably changed?

There's a trope in historical fiction that I don't much care for. That's when an active heroine blames herself for a miscarriage due to her lifestyle. In most fictional cases, sure, there is sometimes a direct cause and effect, and women do need to mourn, even fictional ones, but the blame game gets to be too much. My problem is that it's overused and, particularity in this case, Arianna's past medical history would indicate that she might not be able to carry a baby to term so it was more expected. Only time will tell if she can have a baby. Therefore I was kind of dreading an entire book about Arianna trying to find her spark, which of course she does, but thankfully because of the time lapse we join our heroine at the end of her deep mourning just in time for her to go to Russia more to prove to herself that she can than any other reason. Now THIS is why I loved this book. Russia! And all things you expect from a classic Russian tale, dubious rulers, dodgy mystics, deranged religious leaders, with more than a dusting of snow. Ah Russia. You are in my bones, literally, if it wasn't for Doctor Zhivago I wouldn't exist. Over the eighteen months or so I've been watching old Masterpiece Theatre series while I exercise. One of my favorite, hands down, was Anna Karenina. It brought the world of Russia to life the same way A Swirl of Shadows did. This felt like a great Russian classic and I never wanted it to end. Andrea Penrose captured St. Petersburg and it's court perfectly. I didn't realize until I got to the note at the end of the book that she had spent considerable time there. Well, it showed. After you read a lot of historical fiction you get a feeling as to who knows what they're talking about and who is passable with minimal research. Andrea Penrose knows what she's talking about. There's a verisimilitude that I haven't found in many writers, especially when if comes to capturing historical figures. And as for the medallion MacGuffin? Sure, it's note real, but it feels like it should be. The whole idea of it is very Russian, much like poisoning your enemies and killing ideologues. Mrs. Schuyler should be glad she got out when she could!

Posted by Miss Eliza at 12:00 AM 0 comments  

Labels: A Swirl of Shadows, Andrea Penrose, Anna Karenina, Arianna Hadley, Doctor Zhivago, MacGuffin, Masterpiece Theatre, Miscarriage, Regency Romp, Rurik Medallion, Russia, Sandro, St. Petersburg, Tsar Alexander

Soul Taken by Patricia Briggs
Published by: Ace
Publication Date: August 23rd, 2022
Format: Hardcover, 400 Pages
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The official patter:
"Mercy Thompson, car mechanic and shapeshifter, must face her greatest fears in this chilling entry in the #1 New York Times bestselling series.

The vampire Wulfe is missing. Since he's deadly, possibly insane, and his current idea of "fun" is stalking me, some may see it as no great loss. But, warned that his disappearance might bring down the carefully constructed alliances that keep our pack safe, my mate and I must find Wulfe - and hope he’s still alive. As alive as a vampire can be, anyway.

But Wulfe isn't the only one who has disappeared. And now there are bodies, too. Has the Harvester returned to the Tri-Cities, reaping souls with his cursed sickle? Or is he just a character from a B horror movie and our enemy is someone else?

The farther I follow Wulfe's trail, the more twisted - and darker - the path becomes. I need to figure out what’s going on before the next body on the ground is mine."

I do not joke when I say that Patricia Briggs is my most anticipate author every year.

Babel by R.F. Kuang
Published by: Harper Voyager
Publication Date: August 23rd, 2022
Format: Hardcover, 560 Pages
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The official patter:
"From award-winning author R.F. Kuang comes Babel, a thematic response to The Secret History and a tonal retort to Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell that grapples with student revolutions, colonial resistance, and the use of language and translation as the dominating tool of the British empire.

Traduttore, traditore: An act of translation is always an act of betrayal.

1828. Robin Swift, orphaned by cholera in Canton, is brought to London by the mysterious Professor Lovell. There, he trains for years in Latin, Ancient Greek, and Chinese, all in preparation for the day he’ll enroll in Oxford University’s prestigious Royal Institute of Translation - also known as Babel.

Babel is the world's center for translation and, more importantly, magic. Silver working - the art of manifesting the meaning lost in translation using enchanted silver bars - has made the British unparalleled in power, as its knowledge serves the Empire's quest for colonization.

For Robin, Oxford is a utopia dedicated to the pursuit of knowledge. But knowledge obeys power, and as a Chinese boy raised in Britain, Robin realizes serving Babel means betraying his motherland. As his studies progress, Robin finds himself caught between Babel and the shadowy Hermes Society, an organization dedicated to stopping imperial expansion. When Britain pursues an unjust war with China over silver and opium, Robin must decide...

Can powerful institutions be changed from within, or does revolution always require violence?"

Oxford and a certain Susanna Clarke retort? Yes please!

A Venom Dark and Sweet by Judy I. Lin
Published by: Feiwel and Friends
Publication Date: August 23rd, 2022
Format: Hardcover, 352 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"The enthralling conclusion to Judy I. Lin's Book of Tea duology - #1 New York Times bestseller A Magic Steeped in Poison and A Venom Dark and Sweet - is sure to enchant fans of Adrienne Young and Leigh Bardugo.

A great evil has come to the kingdom of Dàxi. The Banished Prince has returned to seize power, his rise to the dragon throne aided by the mass poisonings that have kept the people bound in fear and distrust.

Ning, a young but powerful shénnóng-shi - a wielder of magic using the ancient and delicate art of tea-making - has escorted Princess Zhen into exile. Joining them is the princess' loyal bodyguard, Ruyi, and Ning's newly healed sister, Shu. Together the four young women travel throughout the kingdom in search of allies to help oust the invaders and take back Zhen's rightful throne.

But the golden serpent still haunts Ning's nightmares with visions of war and bloodshed. An evil far more ancient than the petty conflicts of men has awoken, and all the magic in the land may not be enough to stop it from consuming the world..."

Whomever at Feiwel and Friends thought to release both volumes of this duology this year I salute you!

A Dreadful Splendor by B.R. Myers
Published by: William Morrow Paperbacks
Publication Date: August 23rd, 2022
Format: Paperback, 416 Pages
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The official patter:
"In this wickedly whimsical Gothic murder mystery brimming with romance, betrayals, and chills, a fake spiritualist is summoned to hold a séance for a bride who died on the eve before her wedding, but as nefarious secrets are revealed, the line between hoax and haunting blurs.

Be careful what you conjure...

In Victorian London, Genevieve Timmons poses as a spiritualist to swindle wealthy mourners - until one misstep lands her in a jail cell awaiting the noose. Then a stranger arrives to make her a peculiar offer. The lord he serves, Mr. Pemberton, has been inconsolable since the tragic death of his beautiful bride-to-be. If Genevieve can perform a séance persuasive enough to bring the young lord peace, she will win her freedom.

Soothing a grieving nobleman should be easy for someone of Genevieve's skill, but when she arrives at the grand Somerset Park estate, Mr. Pemberton is not the heartbroken lover she expected. The surly - yet exceedingly handsome - gentleman is certain that his fiancée was murdered, even though there is no evidence. Only a confession can bring justice now, and Mr. Pemberton decides Genevieve will help him get it. With his knowledge of the household and her talent for illusion, they can stage a haunting so convincing it will coax the killer into the light. However, when frightful incidents befall the manor, Genevieve realizes her tricks aren’t required after all. She may be a fake, but Somerset's ghost could be all too real...

A Dreadful Splendor is delicious brew of mystery, spooky thrills, and intoxicating romance that makes for a ghoulishly fun and page-turning read."

In a true moment of syncronicity I was just reading the blurb of this book and thinking how much I wanted to read it when my friend Johnnie posted how awesome it is. Must read. For sure.

The Very Secret Society of Irregular Witches by Sangu Mandanna
Published by: Berkley
Publication Date: August 23rd, 2022
Format: Paperback, 336 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"A warm and uplifting novel about an isolated witch whose opportunity to embrace a quirky new family - and a new love - changes the course of her life.

As one of the few witches in Britain, Mika Moon knows she has to hide her magic, keep her head down, and stay away from other witches so their powers don’t mingle and draw attention. And as an orphan who lost her parents at a young age and was raised by strangers, she's used to being alone and she follows the rules...with one exception: an online account, where she posts videos "pretending" to be a witch. She thinks no one will take it seriously.

But someone does. An unexpected message arrives, begging her to travel to the remote and mysterious Nowhere House to teach three young witches how to control their magic. It breaks all of the rules, but Mika goes anyway, and is immediately tangled up in the lives and secrets of not only her three charges, but also an absent archaeologist, a retired actor, two long-suffering caretakers, and...Jamie. The handsome and prickly librarian of Nowhere House would do anything to protect the children, and as far as he’s concerned, a stranger like Mika is a threat. An irritatingly appealing threat.

As Mika begins to find her place at Nowhere House, the thought of belonging somewhere begins to feel like a real possibility. But magic isn't the only danger in the world, and when peril comes knocking at their door, Mika will need to decide whether to risk everything to protect a found family she didn’t know she was looking for...."

British witches! Sqwee!

Small Town, Big Magic by Hazel Beck
Published by: Graydon House
Publication Date: August 23rd, 2022
Format: Paperback, 416 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"There's no such thing as witches...right?

Emerson Wilde has built the life of her dreams. Youngest Chamber of Commerce president in St. Cyprian history, successful indie bookstore owner, and lucky enough to have her best friends as found family? Done.

But when Emerson is attacked by creatures that shouldn't be real, and kills them with what can only be called magic, Emerson finds that the past decade of her life has been...a lie. St. Cyprian isn't your average Midwestern river town--it's a haven for witches. When Emerson failed a power test years ago, she was stripped of her magical memories. Turns out, Emerson's friends are all witches.

And so is she.

That's not all, though: evil is lurking in the charming streets of St. Cyprian. Emerson will need to learn to control what's inside of her, remember her magic, and deal with old, complicated feelings for her childhood friend - cranky-yet-gorgeous local farmer Jacob North - to defeat an enemy that hides in the rivers and shadows of everything she loves.

Even before she had magic, Emerson would have done anything for St. Cyprian, but now she'll have to risk not just her livelihood...but her life."

All about the witches!

A Catalogue of Catastrophe by Jodi Taylor
Published by: Headline
Publication Date: August 23rd, 2022
Format: Paperback, 512 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"Finally - finally! - Max has that nice office job she's always wanted. The one with no heavy lifting and no one tries to kill her. Well, one out of two's not bad...

Punching well above their weight, Max and Markham set out to bring down a sinister organisation founded in the future - with a suspicious focus on the past.

Max's focus is staying alive long enough to reunite with Leon and Matthew, alternately helped and hindered by St Mary's. Who aren't always the blessing they like to think they are.

But non-stop leaping around the timeline - from witnessing Magna Carta to disturbing a certain young man with a penchant for gunpowder - is beginning to take its toll. Is Max going mad? Or are the ghosts of the past finally catching up with her?"

Because I know SO MANY people who are addicts of The Chronicles of St. Mary's!

The Forty Elephants by Erin Bledsoe
Published by: Blackstone Publishing
Publication Date: August 23rd, 2022
Format: Hardcover, 350 Pages
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The official patter:
"Inspired by the true story of Alice Diamond and the Forty Elephants, the first all-female gang of London.

London in the 1920s is no place for a woman with a mind of her own. Gang wars, violence, and an unforgiving world have left pickpocket Alice Diamond scrambling to survive in the Mint, the gritty neighborhood her family has run for generations. When her father goes to jail yet again and her scam artist brother finds himself in debt to the dangerous McDonald crime syndicate, Alice takes over. Fighting for power at every turn, she struggles to protect her father's territory and keep the people she loves safe from some of London's most dangerous criminals.

Recruited by the enigmatic Mary Carr, Alice boldly chooses to break her father's edict against gangs and become part of a group of notorious lady shoplifters, the Forty Elephants. Leaving the Mint behind, she and the other girls steal from the area's poshest department stores, and for the first time in her life, Alice Diamond tastes success. But it's not long before she wants more - no matter the cost. And when her past and present collide, there's no escaping the girl from the Mint."

When I first heard about Alice Diamond in a book I read I was like, tell me more! Here's Erin Bledsoe to do so!

A Treacherous Tale by Elizabeth Penney
Published by: St. Martin's Paperbacks
Publication Date: August 23rd, 2022
Format: Paperback, 288 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"A Treacherous Tale is the second in a charming new cozy series from Elizabeth Penney, set in an English bookshop and following Molly Kimball, who has a habit of bookmarking trouble...

Lately, Molly has been feeling that she might have fallen into a fairy tale: she's reinvigorated the family bookshop Thomas Marlowe—Manuscripts and Folios, made friends in her new home of Cambridge, England, and is even developing a bit of a romance with the handsome Kieran - a bike shop owner with a somewhat intimidating family pedigree.

Having recently discovered The Strawberry Girls, a classic children's tale, Molly is thrilled to learn the author, Iona York, lives nearby. But while visiting the famous author at her lovely cottage in nearby Hazelhurst, an old acquaintance of Iona's tumbles off her roof to his death.

Then, when one of Iona's daughters - an inspiration for the original Strawberry Girls - goes missing, Molly begins to worry this story might be more Brothers Grimm than happily-ever-after. Especially after Molly learns about the mysterious long-ago death of Iona's husband and co-author of The Strawberry Girls…could past and present crimes be linked? Molly must put the clues together before someone turns this sweet tale sour."

Darkness in children's classics? YES!

Six Feet Deep Dish by Mindy Quigley
Published by: St. Martin's Paperbacks
Publication Date: August 23rd, 2022
Format: Paperback, 320 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"Fresh mozzarella, tangy tomato sauce, and murder: the perfect recipe for a delicious first entry in Mindy Quigley's Six Feet Deep Dish, a delectable new series...

Delilah O'Leary can’t wait to open her new gourmet deep-dish pizzeria in Geneva Bay, Wisconsin - a charming resort town with a long history as a mobsters' hideaway, millionaires' playground, and vacation mecca. Engaged to a hunk with a hefty trust fund, Delilah is poised to begin a life that's just about as delicious as one of her cheesy creations.

Just before opening night, though, Delilah's plans for pizza perfection hit the skids when her fiancé dumps her and leaves her with a very large memento from their relationship - Butterball, their spoiled, plus-sized tabby cat.

Delilah's trouble deepens when she discovers a dead body and finds her elderly aunt holding the murder weapon. Handsome local police detective Calvin Capone, great grandson of the legendary gangster, opens an investigation, threatening to sink Delilah's pie-in-the-sky ambitions before they can even get off the ground. To save her aunt and get her pizza place generating some dough, Delilah must deliver the real killer."

Set in Wisconsin and featuring deep-dish pizza and a plus-sized cat? Um, yes, please! This book was written for me!

Heartbreaker by Sarah MacLean
Published by: Avon
Publication Date: August 23rd, 2022
Format: Paperback, 400 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"New York Times bestselling author Sarah MacLean follows her highly acclaimed Bombshell with Heartbreaker, featuring a fierce, fearless heroine on a mission to steal a duke's secrets...and his heart.

A Princess of Thieves

Raised among London's most notorious criminals, a twist of fate landed Adelaide Frampton in the bright ballrooms of Mayfair, where she masquerades as a quiet wallflower - so plain and unassuming that no one realizes she’s the Matchbreaker...using her superior skills as a thief to help brides avoid the altar.

A King of Reputation

Henry, Duke of Clayborn, has spent a lifetime living in perfection. He has no time for the salacious gossip that arises every time the Matchbreaker ends another groom. His own reputation is impeccable - and the last thing he needs is a frustrating, fascinating woman discovering the truth of his past, or the secrets he holds close.

A Royal Match

When the two find themselves on a breakneck journey across Britain to stop a wedding, it's impossible for Clayborn to resist this woman who both frustrates and fascinates him. But late-night carriage rides make for delicious danger…and soon Adelaide is uncovering Clayborn’s truths, throwing his well-laid plans into chaos…and threatening to steal his heavily guarded heart."

I have done a deep dive into Sarah MacLean these year and all I can say is more!

Love on the Brain by Ali Hazelwood
Published by: Berkley
Publication Date: August 23rd, 2022
Format: Paperback, 368 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"From the New York Times bestselling author of The Love Hypothesis comes a new STEMinist rom-com in which a scientist is forced to work on a project with her nemesis - with explosive results.

Like an avenging, purple-haired Jedi bringing balance to the mansplained universe, Bee Königswasser lives by a simple code: What would Marie Curie do? If NASA offered her the lead on a neuroengineering project - a literal dream come true after years scraping by on the crumbs of academia - Marie would accept without hesitation. Duh. But the mother of modern physics never had to co-lead with Levi Ward.

Sure, Levi is attractive in a tall, dark, and piercing-eyes kind of way. And sure, he caught her in his powerfully corded arms like a romance novel hero when she accidentally damseled in distress on her first day in the lab. But Levi made his feelings toward Bee very clear in grad school - archenemies work best employed in their own galaxies far, far away.

Now, her equipment is missing, the staff is ignoring her, and Bee finds her floundering career in somewhat of a pickle. Perhaps it's her occipital cortex playing tricks on her, but Bee could swear she can see Levi softening into an ally, backing her plays, seconding her ideas…devouring her with those eyes. And the possibilities have all her neurons firing. But when it comes time to actually make a move and put her heart on the line, there’s only one question that matters: What will Bee Königswasser do?"

I want to someday be a "purple-haired Jedi bringing balance to the mansplained universe!"

Big Red by Jerome Charyn
Published by: Liveright
Publication Date: August 23rd, 2022
Format: Hardcover, 304 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"Narrated by a starry-eyed lesbian, Big Red reimagines the tragic career of Rita Hayworth and her indomitable husband, Orson Welles.

Since he first appeared on the American literary scene, Jerome Charyn has dazzled readers with his "blunt, brilliantly crafted prose" (Washington Post). Yet Charyn, a beloved comedic novelist, also possesses an extraordinary knowledge of Golden Age Hollywood, having taught film history both in the United States and France.

With Big Red, Charyn reimagines the life of one of America's most enduring icons, "Gilda" herself, Rita Hayworth, whose fiery red tresses and hypnotic dancing graced the silver screen over sixty times in her nearly forty-year career. The quintessential movie star of the 1940s, Hayworth has long been objectified as a sex symbol, pin-up girl, and so-called Love Goddess. Here Charyn, channeling the ghosts of a buried past, finally lifts the veils that have long enshrouded Hayworth, evoking her emotional complexity - her passions, her pain, and her inner turmoil.

Charyn’s reimagining of Hayworth's story begins in 1943, in a roomette at the Hollywood Hotel, where narrator Rusty Redburn - an impetuous, second-string gossip columnist from Kalamazoo, Michigan - bides her time between working as a gofer in the publicity offices of Columbia Pictures, volunteering at an indie movie house, and pursuing dalliances with young women on the Sunset Strip. Called upon by the manipulative Columbia movie mogul Harry "The Janitor" Cohn to spy on Hayworth - then, the Dream Factory's most alluring "dame," and Cohn's biggest movie star - Rusty becomes Rita's confidante, accompanying her on a series of madcap adventures with her indomitable husband, the "boy genius" Orson Welles.

But Rusty, an outlaw who can see beyond the prejudices of Hollywood's male-dominated hierarchy, quickly becomes disgusted with the way actresses, and particularly Rita, are exploited by men. As she struggles to balance the dangerous politics of Tinseltown with her desire to protect Rita from ruffians and journalists alike, Rusty has her own encounters - some sweet, some bruising - with characters real and imagined, from Julie Tanaka, an interned Japanese-American friend, to superstars like Clark Gable and Tallulah Bankhead, as well as notorious Hollywood gossip columnist Louella Parsons.

Reanimating such classic films as Gilda and The Lady from Shanghai, Big Red is a bittersweet paean to Hollywood's Golden Age, a tender yet honest portrait of a time before blockbusters and film franchises - one that promises to consume both Hollywood cinephiles and neophytes alike. Lauded for his "polymorphous imagination" (Jonathan Lethem), Charyn once again has created one of the most inventive novels in recent American literature."

Classic Hollywood, reimagined or not, is my jam.

Babysitter by Joyce Carol Oates
Published by: Knopf
Publication Date: August 23rd, 2022
Format: Hardcover, 448 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"From one of America’s most renowned storytellers - the best-selling author of Blonde - comes a novel about love and deceit, and lust and redemption, against a backdrop of shocking murders in the affluent suburbs of Detroit.

In the waning days of the turbulent 1970s, in the wake of unsolved child-killings that have shocked Detroit, the lives of several residents are drawn together with tragic consequences.

There is Hannah, wife of a prominent local businessman, who has begun an affair with a darkly charismatic stranger whose identity remains elusive; Mikey, a canny street hustler who finds himself on a chilling mission to rectify injustice; and the serial killer known as Babysitter, an enigmatic and terrifying figure at the periphery of elite Detroit. As Babysitter continues his rampage of abductions and killings, these individuals intersect with one another in startling and unexpected ways.

Suspenseful, brilliantly orchestrated, and engrossing, Babysitter is a starkly narrated exploration of the riskiness of pursuing alternate lives, calling into question how far we are willing to go to protect those whom we cherish most. In its scathing indictment of corrupt politics, unexamined racism, and the enabling of sexual predation in America, Babysitter is a thrilling work of contemporary fiction."

I love crime set in the seventies.

This Much is True by Miriam Margolyes
Published by: John Murray
Publication Date: August 23rd, 2022
Format: Hardcover, 448 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"BAFTA-winning actor, voice of everything from Monkey to the Cadbury's Caramel Rabbit, creator of a myriad of unforgettable characters from Lady Whiteadder to Professor Sprout, Miriam Margolyes, OBE, is the nation's favourite (and naughtiest) treasure. Now, at the age of 80, she has finally decided to tell her extraordinary life story - and it's well worth the wait.

Find out how being conceived in an air-raid gave her curly hair; what pranks led to her being known as the naughtiest girl Oxford High School ever had; how she ended up posing nude for Augustus John as a teenager; why Bob Monkhouse was the best (male) kiss she's ever had; and what happened next after Warren Beatty asked 'Do you fuck?'

From declaring her love to Vanessa Redgrave to being told to be quiet by the Queen, this book is packed with brilliant, hilarious stories. With a cast list stretching from Scorsese to Streisand, a cross-dressing Leonardo DiCaprio to Isaiah Berlin, This Much Is True is as warm and honest, as full of life and surprises, as its inimitable author."

The release date of this book has been moved so much I'm sure I've posted this before, but seeing as you can never have too much Miriam, here you go again!

Posted by Miss Eliza at 12:00 AM 0 comments  

Labels: Ali Hazelwood, B.R. Myers, Elizabeth Penney, Erin Bledsoe, Hazel Beck, Jerome Charyn, Jodi Taylor, Joyce Carol Oates, Judy I. Lin, Mindy Quigley, Patricia Briggs, R.F. Kuang, Sangu Mandanna, Sarah MacLean

A Tangle of Serpents by Andrea Penrose
Publication Date: April 6th, 2020
Format: Kindle, 358 Pages
Rating: ★★★
To Buy

With Napoleon's loss at Waterloo and his army in disarray the allied forces are descending on Paris to jockey for position and power. That means Lord Grentham's job behind the scenes is even more important, keeping everyone's ego in check so not one country can let the thought of more power or new territories go to their head. Which makes Grentham being accused of being a traitor rather convenient for someone. Especially when Grentham goes on the run, apparently lending credence to the rumors. But Arianna, despite their fractious past, is unwilling to view Grentham as a traitor. Her husband though, well, he's open to the possibility. If Grentham saw a way for England to succeed by going rogue, he might well do so. While the couple are at loggerheads, there's Sophia Kirtland's feelings to consider. Sophia, whose heart she exposed to Grentham. She CAN NOT believe this of him. She's in even more shock when Grentham threatens their lives. Not shocked that he did so, just shocked from the blast of the bomb. As she so eloquently points out, if Grentham had wanted them dead, they would be dead, if he had just wanted them to back off, this is exactly what he'd do. It's a cry for help. Help that he doesn't want. And Arianna, Sandro, Sophia, and Constantina are going to be there to help him whether he wants it or not. Therefore they are going to Paris. Whomever is framing Grentham has to be at the heart of the intrigue and the heart of all intrigues right now is Paris, and thankfully Sandro can attach himself to the scientific delegation going there. The problem is, they don't know where to start. The trail of evidence that Grentham left was planted by Gretham so it will get them nowhere fast. Therefore they walk the streets, go shopping, attend soirees, go to restaurants, visit attractions, all in the hope that they will overhear some telling bit of gossip that will lead them in the right direction. But there are also distractions, a young engineer, Mr. Richard Fitzroy, has introduced himself to Arianna as her half-brother. She doesn't doubt that they could be related, he's the spitting image of her father, but why introduce himself now? And things are getting to a head with Prince Orlov. He plans this to be his and Arianna's last encounter, and he might be right. With the tangles of intrigue swirling around them, can their friend's name be cleared or is his fate sealed?

Lady Arianna's adventures are very much comfort reads, it all starts with Arianna and Sandro hoping for some downtime, and then someone's friend or relative is threatened, lightning has now struck five times if Sandro's interested, the gaggle hare off somewhere, there are lots of weapons and women wielding weapons, much chocolate is drunk and ate, the elaborate conspiracy is uncovered, and everyone goes off into the sunset, until the next adventure, which might even be starting before this one has fully finished. Reading the adventures back to back they can be a little repetitive. Even turns of phrase start to insist on becoming a drinking game, this time around it was anyone who had a peal rung over their head. But please, I urge caution, if you are a fast reader and take up this drinking game you will get drunk very fast. What makes each individual volume stick out therefore comes down to the history. As anyone who has studied any bit of history will tell you once the war is over the peace negotiations begin. For some reason I had never really thought about this with regard to Napoleon. At least not after his second defeat. My mind had him caught at Waterloo and the monarchy that had been restored while he was on Elba just taking back over. This is not how it went down. Napoleon fled to the coast and was attempting to board a ship for the New World and instead ended up surrendering a full month after the battle of Waterloo! This tale takes place after Paris was liberated, again, and all the political forces were descending on the city to see and be seen while having a cultural exchange of ideas as well as jockey for power. France, Great Britain, Austria, Prussia, and Russia were all there with their own agendas. And Andrea Penrose posits, what if some of these powers were up to no good in order to get exactly what they wanted in what would end up being the Treaty of Paris, or more accurately, the Second Treaty of Paris. To me, this makes total sense. Of course if you have a seat at the table you want your plate to be piled the highest. But there's legitimate negotiation and then there's what happens here. And honestly, this seems more likely. If only the world had more righteously minded folk like Arianna, Sandro, Sophia, Grentham, and their numerous comrades in order to set things to right...

Posted by Miss Eliza at 12:00 AM 0 comments  

Labels: Andrea Penrose, Arianna Hadley, Battle of Waterloo, Chocolate, Lord Grentham, Mystery, Napoleon, Paris, Prince Orlov, Regency Romp, Russia, Sandro, Second Treaty of Paris, Sophia Kirtland, Traitor, Treaty of Paris

Emma by Jane Austen
Published by: Max Press
Publication Date: 1815
Format: Hardcover, 240 Pages
Rating: ★★★★★
To Buy (different edition than one reviewed)

Emma Woodhouse is the center of her world. Looked upon by all in her small community as the perfect woman, the doting daughter, the charitable neighbor, the ideal future wife. Yet little do they realize that she is the spider at the center of a web thinking everyone is there for her amusement. They are mere playthings to her and she has just lost her most favorite toy. Her governess Miss Taylor has married and become Mrs. Weston, thus constricting Emma's household to just her and her father and the occasional visits from Mr. Knightly. Therefore, despite Mr. Knightly's stern warnings, Emma finds herself a new favorite to play with. And what better game than matchmaking? Harriet Smith is a nobody, her parents having given her away. Emma has fanciful notions of whom Harriet's parents could be and therefore eschews Harriet marrying the kind farmer Robert Martin and sets Harriet on the path to conjugal bliss with the vicar Mr. Elton. But Mr. Elton is a social climber and fancies that he is worthy of Emma's hand. Once aware of her mistake you'd think that Emma would have taken the hint and stopped her matchmaking, but she soldiers on. Mr. Weston's son, Frank Churchill, soon arrives on the scene to pay his respects to his new mother, and while first marked out for Emma, Emma soon thinks that happy is the man who changes Emma for Harriet. In all her ploys Emma never really sees that she is being callous and her jokes are at the expense of others, such as the poor Miss Bates and her niece Jane Fairfax, and have real world consequences. She lives in a bubble that desperately needs to be burst, and no matter how hard Mr. Knightly tries he can't seem to get through to Emma. In fact it's her favorite new toy, Harriet, who wields the needle and pops the bubble, opening Emma's eyes while also taking the shine off herself. Will Emma be able to fix what her childish games have wrought? Or will she lose her happily ever after?

There are things I can't help but question on every reading of Emma... mainly the Mr. Knightly/Emma age gap. I totally agree with Andrew Davies that having a man sixteen years older than you saying he first loved you when you were thirteen is more than a little icky. If Mr. Knightly had just refrained from saying that and a few other choice lines he wouldn't have come across as the Humbert Humbert of his day. Because really, when you think of it, a sixteen year age difference isn't that creepy. In fact there's far more than sixteen years between Marianne Dashwood and Colonel Brandon, and there's eighteen between me and Colin Firth, not that I've counted that often... But what I found interesting this time is that this creep factor wasn't so much there for me anymore. Perhaps it's because I have found far bigger creeps in this book, I'm sorry Frank Churchill, you're an irredeemable psychopath. Or perhaps it's because I see why Emma falls for Mr. Knightly. It's not his superiority above all others, it's the fact that Emma has Daddy issues. Serious Daddy issues. Issues that lead her to basically marry her "other" father. Are we to blame Mr. Knightly for taking advantage of the situation and forming Emma into the perfect woman? Or should we just say Emma needs therapy? My vote is for therapy. In fact, while Jasper Fforde perfectly parodied a group therapy session in the Thursday Next books for the characters of Wuthering Heights, I think the residents of Highbury need some counseling too. Emma for her Daddy issues, Mr. Knightly for grooming. And then look to Emma's treatment of Harriet. She bullies her, ghosts her, and then badmouths her. Oh, and Frank Churchill, he will need his own breakout session. Who flirts with other women in front of their fiance? Sure, she's a secret fiance, but still, how could Jane take that? Of all Austen's books Emma is the one I sometimes just can't deal with.

Posted by Miss Eliza at 12:00 AM 0 comments  

Labels: Colin Firth, Emma, Emma Woodhouse, Frank Churchill, Harriet Smith, Highbury, Humbert Humbert, Jane Austen, Jasper Fforde, Mr. Elton, Mr. Knightly, Psychopath, Regency Romp, Therapy, Thursday Next, Wuthering Heights

All Good People Here by Ashley Flowers
Published by: Bantam
Publication Date: August 16th, 2022
Format: Hardcover, 320 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"In the propulsive debut novel from the host of the #1 true crime podcast Crime Junkie, a journalist uncovers her hometown's dark secrets when she becomes obsessed with the unsolved murder of her childhood neighbor - and the disappearance of another girl twenty years later.

You can’t ever know for sure what happens behind closed doors.

Everyone from Wakarusa, Indiana, remembers the infamous case of January Jacobs, who was discovered in a ditch hours after her family awoke to find her gone. Margot Davies was six at the time, the same age as January - and they were next-door neighbors. In the twenty years since, Margot has grown up, moved away, and become a big-city journalist. But she’s always been haunted by the feeling that it could've been her. And the worst part is, January's killer has never been brought to justice.

When Margot returns home to help care for her uncle after he is diagnosed with early-onset dementia, she feels like she's walked into a time capsule. Wakarusa is exactly how she remembers - genial, stifled, secretive. Then news breaks about five-year-old Natalie Clark from the next town over, who's gone missing under circumstances eerily similar to January's. With all the old feelings rushing back, Margot vows to find Natalie and to solve January's murder once and for all.

But the police, Natalie's family, the townspeople - they all seem to be hiding something. And the deeper Margot digs into Natalie's disappearance, the more resistance she encounters, and the colder January's case feels. Could January's killer still be out there? Is it the same person who took Natalie? And what will it cost to finally discover what truly happened that night twenty years ago?

Twisty, chilling, and intense, All Good People Here is a searing tale that asks: What are your neighbors capable of when they think no one is watching?"

Who better to write a book about someone going home a solving a cold case than a true crime podcaster?

Love in the Time of Serial Killers by Alicia Thompson
Published by: Berkley
Publication Date: August 16th, 2022
Format: Paperback, 352 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"Turns out that reading nothing but true crime isn't exactly conducive to modern dating - and one woman is going to have to learn how to give love a chance when she's used to suspecting the worst.

PhD candidate Phoebe Walsh has always been obsessed with true crime. She's even analyzing the genre in her dissertation - if she can manage to finish writing it. It's hard to find the time while she spends the summer in Florida, cleaning out her childhood home, dealing with her obnoxiously good-natured younger brother, and grappling with the complicated feelings of mourning a father she hadn't had a relationship with for years.

It doesn't help that she's low-key convinced that her new neighbor, Sam Dennings, is a serial killer (he may dress business casual by day, but at night he's clearly up to something). It's not long before Phoebe realizes that Sam might be something much scarier - a genuinely nice guy who can pierce her armor to reach her vulnerable heart."

That old story of is he a killer or is he my perfect man...

A Cornish Recipe for Murder by Fiona Leitch
Published by: One More Chapter
Publication Date: August 16th, 2022
Format: Kindle, 263 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"Jodie 'Nosey' Parker is back!

When popular TV baking contest and national institution 'The Best of British Baking Roadshow' rolls into town and sets up camp in the grounds of Boskern House, a historic stately home near Penstowan, former police officer Jodie 'Nosey' Parker finds herself competing to represent Cornwall in the grand final.

But with a fellow contestant who will stop at nothing to win and a drag queen host with secrets of their own, Jodie discovers that the roadshow doesn't just have the ingredients for the perfect showstopper cake, but also for the perfect murder...

And when a body is found in the grounds of the house, Jodie is drawn into another high-stakes case along with local DCI Nathan Withers.

Can Jodie expose the culprit? Or will the murderer become the real showstopper?"

Anything vaguely Bake Off themed with murder is my jam. Or should I make that jam roll?

The Life of Crime by Martin Edwards
Published by: Collins Crime Club
Publication Date: August 16th, 2022
Format: Hardcover, 599 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"In the first major history of crime fiction in fifty years, The Life of Crime: Detecting the History of Mysteries and Their Creators traces the evolution of the genre from the eighteenth century to the present, offering brand-new perspective on the world's most popular form of fiction.

Author Martin Edwards is a multi-award-winning crime novelist, the President of the Detection Club, archivist of the Crime Writers' Association and series consultant to the British Library's highly successful series of crime classics, and therefore uniquely qualified to write this book. He has been a widely respected genre commentator for more than thirty years, winning the CWA Diamond Dagger for making a significant contribution to crime writing in 2020, when he also compiled and published Howdunit: A Masterclass in Crime Writing by Members of the Detection Club and the novel Mortmain Hall. His critically acclaimed The Golden Age of Murder (Collins Crime Club, 2015) was a landmark study of Detective Fiction between the wars.

The Life of Crime is the result of a lifetime of reading and enjoying all types of crime fiction, old and new, from around the world. In what will surely be regarded as his magnum opus, Martin Edwards has thrown himself undaunted into the breadth and complexity of the genre to write an authoritative - and readable - study of its development and evolution. With crime fiction being read more widely than ever around the world, and with individual authors increasingly the subject of extensive academic study, his expert distillation of more than two centuries of extraordinary books and authors - from the tales of E.T.A. Hoffmann to the novels of Patricia Cornwell - into one coherent history is an extraordinary feat and makes for compelling reading."

Who doesn't want to read a history of crime fiction?

The Manhattan Girls by Gill Paul
Published by: William Morrow Paperbacks
Publication Date: August 16th, 2022
Format: Paperback, 416 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"It's a 1920s version of Sex and the City, as Dorothy Parker - one of the wittiest women who ever wielded a pen - and her three friends navigate life, love, and careers in New York City. Perfect for fans of Fiona Davis, Beatriz Williams, and Renée Rosen.

NEW YORK CITY 1921: The war is over, fashions are daring, and bootleg liquor is abundant. Here four extraordinary women form a bridge group that grows into a firm friendship.

Dorothy Parker: renowned wit, member of the Algonquin Round Table, and more fragile than she seems. Jane Grant: first female reporter for the New York Times, and determined to launch a new magazine she calls The New Yorker. Winifred Lenihan: beautiful and talented Broadway actress, a casting-couch target. And Peggy Leach: magazine assistant by day, brilliant novelist by night.

Their romances flourish and falter while their goals sometimes seem impossible to reach and their friendship deepens against the backdrop of turbulent New York City, where new speakeasies open and close, jazz music flows through the air, and bathtub gin fills their glasses.

They gossip, they comfort each other, and they offer support through the setbacks. But their biggest challenge is keeping their dear friend Dottie safe from herself.

In this brilliant new novel from the bestselling and acclaimed author of Jackie and Maria and The Secret Wife, readers will fall right into Jazz Age New York and into the inner lives of these groundbreaking, influential women."

While I can't wait to read this, I will point out that if she knew what Sex and the City was Dorothy Parker would not be pleased by the comparison.

Second Spear by Kerstin Hall
Published by: Tordotcom
Publication Date: August 16th, 2022
Format: Paperback, 288 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"Kerstin Hall's Second Spear is the thrilling follow-up to the Nommo Award finalist, The Border Keeper.

After surviving the schemes of a vengeful goddess and learning some shattering truths about her former life, the warrior Tyn feels estranged from her role guarding her ruler. Grappling with knowledge of her identity, she unleashes her frustrations on all the wrong people.

When an old enemy returns wielding an unstoppable, realm-crushing weapon and Tyn is swept up in the path of destruction, she must make a choice about who she is and who she wants to be."

To break your fantasy funk!

Posted by Miss Eliza at 12:00 AM 0 comments  

Labels: Alicia Thompson, Ashley Flowers, Cornwall, Crime Fiction, Crime Junkie, Dorothy Parker, Fiona Leitch, GBBO, Gill Paul, Jane Grant, Kerstin Hall, Martin Edwards, Podcast, Serial Killer, The New Yorker, True Crime