Wednesday, November 30, 2022

Book Review - Elly Griffiths's Now You See Them

Now You See Them by Elly Griffiths
Published by: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt
Publication Date: October, 3rd 2019
Format: Kindle, 352 Pages
Rating: ★
To Buy (different edition than one reviewed)

Ten years and three kids ago Edgar Stephens proposed to Emma Holmes. They were are the start of their lives together. Emma had loved Edgar so fiercely while Edgar was blinded by the dazzle that was his fiance Ruby, the daughter of his best friend, the famous magician Max Mephisto. Since their last case together in 1953 they all went in different directions; Edgar and Emma to wedded bliss, Ruby to television stardom, and Max to Hollywood where even he settled down and had a few more kids with a starlet. They are reunited in Brighton for the funeral of Diablo. Who would have thought the irascible old performer would last this long? But the funeral brings them all together to catch up. Only none of their lives are as perfect as they seem. Emma in particular is dissatisfied with her lot. Her husband is now chief of police whereas she's chief of nappies. They should never have had a third kid. Sure Edgar was happy to finally have a son, but Emma was finally thinking that she would be out from under the yoke of domesticity and could get back to work. She was once the amazing Emma Holmes, always cracking the case. Now Edgar is always talking about the young girl who has replaced her on the force, Meg. Damn Meg, damn nappies, damn them all. When a young girl goes missing from Emma's old school Roedean, she wants in on the case. She HAS to be in on the case. It's the only thing that will make her feel human again. With the help of her friend, local journalist Sam, the two of them start to uncover clues that this girl's disappearance is just one of many. Clues they decide to withhold from the police who are more concerned with a film star the missing girl was obsessed with. But Emma makes serious errors in judgement. Again and again. She has been out of the game too long and her desire to prove her worth clashes with her judgement and it places everyone in danger. But worst is that she has endangered her own daughter. Will they be able to save her daughter as the police have to deal with the violence of the Mods and the Rockers on the beaches or will it be too late?

I don't want to be all cliched and say this series has lost it's magic, because at this point I haven't read The Midnight Hour so it might redeem itself, but I have never read a series that went from sublime to shit so quickly. The time jump could be blamed, but I don't really think that's the source of the problems. It's just that everything about the book is wrong. Instead of letting the mystery be the driving force it's on the back burner until the last minute with a solution that I saw from the start and the cringeworthy cliche of child in danger and oodles of violence towards women. And as for the characters? Can we talk about a more morose and miserable lot? What happened to these people I knew and loved? Yes, ten years can change a lot, but it's more like Elly Griffiths lost her connection to the characters... Rivalry among the women? Emma who is now a stay at home mom is jealous of the new female cop Meg just because that used to be her? Emma could have welcomed Meg with open arms as the next generation, the woman to carry on her legacy, but no, that wouldn't be in fitting with this series new grim aesthetic. And as for Meg not liking Emma without even meeting her? Please. And that's not even my biggest issue! Was the point of this whole book to explode the myth of happily ever after with Emma and Edgar's marriage being so steeped in dissatisfaction? I mean, couldn't that at least have been a source of joy? A source of at least some version of contentment for at least one of them? I just wanted to yell at everyone and say that this wasn't them, following which I would channel Cher and tell them to snap out of it. What's most annoying though is if you look hard enough the elements were here, we could have had Max doing some Maxim de Winter shit at his big county house now that he's lord of the manor, we could have had Ruby doing a British Bewitched, instead, everyone is bemoaning and bitching about EVERYTHING. Which makes me bemoan and bitch about what happened to my favorite new series. Seriously, what happened? Where is the magic!?!

Monday, November 28, 2022

Tuesday Tomorrow

A World of Curiosities by Louise Penny
Published by: Minotaur Books
Publication Date: November 29th, 2022
Format: Hardcover, 400 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"Chief Inspector Armand Gamache returns in the eighteenth book in #1 New York Times bestseller Louise Penny's beloved series.

It's spring and Three Pines is reemerging after the harsh winter. But not everything buried should come alive again. Not everything lying dormant should reemerge.

But something has.

As the villagers prepare for a special celebration, Armand Gamache and Jean-Guy Beauvoir find themselves increasingly worried. A young man and woman have reappeared in the Sûreté du Québec investigators' lives after many years. The two were young children when their troubled mother was murdered, leaving them damaged, shattered. Now they've arrived in the village of Three Pines.

But to what end?

Gamache and Beauvoir's memories of that tragic case, the one that first brought them together, come rushing back. Did their mother's murder hurt them beyond repair? Have those terrible wounds, buried for decades, festered and are now about to erupt?

As Chief Inspector Gamache works to uncover answers, his alarm grows when a letter written by a long dead stone mason is discovered. In it the man describes his terror when bricking up an attic room somewhere in the village. Every word of the 160-year-old letter is filled with dread. When the room is found, the villagers decide to open it up.

As the bricks are removed, Gamache, Beauvoir and the villagers discover a world of curiosities. But the head of homicide soon realizes there's more in that room than meets the eye. There are puzzles within puzzles, and hidden messages warning of mayhem and revenge.

In unsealing that room, an old enemy is released into their world. Into their lives. And into the very heart of Armand Gamache's home."

Because we can never get enough Armand Gamache and Tree Pines! Especially with the television show premiering this week!

Five Survive by Holly Jackson
Published by: Delacorte Press
Publication Date: November 29th, 2022
Format: Hardcover, 400 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"From the author of the New York Times and multimillion-copy bestselling A Good Girl's Guide to Murder series comes a new addictive thriller about a road trip that turns deadly. Eight hours. Six friends. Five survive.

Red Kenny is on a road trip for spring break with five friends: Her best friend - the older brother - his perfect girlfriend - a secret crush - a classmate - and a killer.

When their RV breaks down in the middle of nowhere with no cell service, they soon realize this is no accident. They have been trapped by someone out there in the dark, someone who clearly wants one of them dead.

With eight hours until dawn, the six friends must escape, or figure out which of them is the target. But is there a liar among them? Buried secrets will be forced to light and tensions inside the RV will reach deadly levels. Not all of them will survive the night...."

THE book I have been hearing the most buzz about this fall!

The Sorcerer of Pyongyang by Marcel Theroux
Published by: Atria Books
Publication Date: November 29th, 2022
Format: Hardcover, 256 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"The acclaimed author of the "sublime" (The New York Times) Far North, a finalist for the National Book Award, returns with a mesmerizing novel about a North Korean boy whose life is irrevocably changed when he stumbles across a mysterious Western book - a guide to Dungeons and Dragons.

Ten-year-old Jun-su is a bright and obedient boy whose only desire is to be a credit to his family, his nation, and most importantly, his Dear Leader. However, when he discovers a copy of The Dungeon Master's Guide, left behind in a hotel room by a rare foreign visitor, a new and colorful world opens up to him.

With the help of an English-speaking teacher, Jun-su deciphers the rules of the famous role-playing game and his imaginary adventures sweep him away from the harsh reality of a famine-stricken North Korea. Over time, the game leads Jun-su on a spellbinding and unexpected journey through the hidden layers of his country, toward precocious success, glory, love, betrayal, prison, a spell at the pinnacle of the North Korean elite, and an extraordinary kind of redemption.

A vivid, uplifting, and deeply researched novel, The Sorcerer of Pyongyang is a love story and a tale of survival against the odds. Inspired by the testimony of North Korean refugees and drawing on the author's personal experience of North Korea, it explores the power of empathy and imagination in a society where they are dangerous liabilities."

If your life hasn't been changed by Dungeons and Dragons now's your chance.

Murder in an Irish Castle by Verity Bright
Published by: Bookouture
Publication Date: November 29th, 2022
Format: Kindle, 340 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"Irish whiskey, rolling green hills, a traditional Christmas feast and...a murder? Lady Swift will need the luck of the Irish to survive this holiday season!

Christmas, 1923. Lady Eleanor Swift has received a rather unexpected invitation to the village Christmas party in the tiny, rural hamlet of Derrydee in the west of Ireland. Eleanor is thrilled about exploring her ancestral roots at her late uncle’s estate and spending the festive season in a castle. Packing Gladstone the bulldog's coziest Christmas jumper, they set off to the Emerald Isle with her butler Clifford in tow.

Arriving late at night, Eleanor and Clifford are shocked when they find a body sprawled in the snow on the winding country lane outside the estate. The local constable is immediately suspicious and all but accuses the pair of murder. This isn’t the warm Irish welcome Eleanor imagined!

Clifford is certain he recognises the poor fellow from the funeral of Eleanor's uncle - but what was their connection? Undeterred by the villagers' lack of gossip on the matter, Eleanor is determined to get justice for the victim. The man's pockets are suspiciously empty of personal effects, but closer inspection reveals an old key hidden in the heel of his boot. Could this unlock more than one mystery for Eleanor?

But when a fire breaks out at the castle on Christmas Eve, an even bigger question looms: is someone out to ensure the family line dies with Lady Swift? And will Eleanor's first Irish Christmas be her last?

An utterly addictive festive whodunnit set in Ireland, brimming with mystery, intrigue and wit. Sure to delight fans of T.E. Kinsey, Agatha Christie and Rhys Bowen."

Another book for my holiday reading this year. Murder and Christmas just go together better than anything else.

Hotel Splendide by Ludwig Bemelmans
Published by: Pushkin Press
Publication Date: November 29th, 2022
Format: Paperback, 144 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"Acerbic, colorful, and spirited stories from a bygone era: behind the scenes in a grand NY hotel, from the author of the Madeline books.

Picture David Sedaris writing Kitchen Confidential about the Ritz in New York in the 1920s, which had the style and charm of The Grand Budapest Hotel...

In this charming and uproariously funny hotel memoir, Ludwig Bemelmans uncovers the fabulous world of the Hotel Splendide - the thinly disguised stand-in for the Ritz - a luxury New York hotel where he worked as a waiter in the 1920s. With equal parts affection and barbed wit, he uncovers the everyday chaos that reigns behind the smooth facades of the gilded dining room and banquet halls.

In hilarious detail, Bemelmans sketches the hierarchy of hotel life and its strange and fascinating inhabitants: from the ruthlessly authoritarian maître d'hôtel Monsieur Victor to the kindly waiter Mespoulets to Frizl the homesick busboy. Illustrated with his own charming line drawings, Bemelmans' tales of a bygone era of extravagance are as charming as they are riotously entertaining."

If you only know Bemelmans from Madeline let me enlighten you...

The Gentleman's Book of Vices by Jess Everlee
Published by: Carina Adores
Publication Date: November 29th, 2022
Format: Paperback, 304 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"Is their real-life love story doomed to be a tragedy, or can they rewrite the ending?

London, 1883

Finely dressed and finely drunk, Charlie Price is a man dedicated to his vices. Chief among them is his explicit novel collection, though his impending marriage to a woman he can't love will force his carefully curated collection into hiding.

Before it does, Charlie is determined to have one last hurrah: meeting his favorite author in person.

Miles Montague is more gifted as a smut writer than a shopkeep and uses his royalties to keep his flagging bookstore afloat. So when a cheerful dandy appears out of the mist with Miles's highly secret pen name on his pretty lips, Miles assumes the worst. But Charlie Price is no blackmailer; he's Miles's biggest fan.

A scribbled signature on a worn book page sets off an affair as scorching as anything Miles has ever written. But Miles is clinging to a troubled past, while Charlie's future has spun entirely out of his control..."

Rewrite the ending for a HEA!

The Reluctant Countess by Eloisa James
Published by: Avon
Publication Date: November 29th, 2022
Format: Paperback, 384 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"New York Times bestselling author Eloisa James returns to the Would-Be Wallflowers series with an enemies-to-lovers romance between a proper earl and an entirely improper lady - whom he can't stop thinking about.

Giles Renwick, Earl of Lilford, has never made a fool of himself over a woman - until he meets Lady Yasmin Régnier. Yasmin is ineligible for his attentions in every way: not as a wife, certainly not as a mistress (she is a lady!), nor even as a friend, since they vehemently dislike each other. Her gowns are too low, and her skirts are dampened to cling to admittedly lovely thighs. She loves to gossip - and giggle.

She isn't dignified, or polite, or even truly British, given that her father's French ancestry clearly predominated. Not to mention the fact that her mother had been one of Napoleon's mistresses, a fact she makes no effort to hide.

So what - in heaven's name - possesses him to propose?

And what will he do if she says yes?"

Oh, I do love Eloisa James's improper heroines!

Friday, November 25, 2022

Book Review - Alan Bradley's The Golden Tresses of the Dead

The Golden Tresses of the Dead by Alan Bradley
Published by: Delacorte Press
Publication Date: January 22nd, 2019
Format: Hardcover, 352 Pages
Rating: ★★★
To Buy

One would think one's sister's marriage to a dashing German would be the most exciting thing in one's life. They'd be wrong. Because Flavia is far more excited about Arthur Dogger and Associates, the detective agency her and her father's valet have founded after all the cases Flavia has solved over the years. For appearances sake Dogger's name is on the letterhead, but Flavia can't deny that whenever she's come up against a problem in her cases Dogger has always been there to be a sounding board and to offer her keen insight. Yet little does Flavia realize that the wedding will turn out to be far more interesting than she could have expected, because it yields her several mysteries. First, the best man is missing, Reggie Mould is MIA, second there's a problem with the wedding cake. As in there's a finger in the wedding cake. A severed finger. This makes Flavia's day. Not only does it elicit a piercing scream from Feely, but how often are you going to find a severed finger in a wedding cake? What's more, it's not a finger from someone recently deceased, it's been embalmed. Who would want to take the finger of someone already dead? Also such a distinct finger. Because Flavia and Dogger soon discover it is the finger of recently deceased guitarist Mme. Adriana Castelnuovo. But even that's not the most interesting thing. They have gotten themselves a client, an Anastasia Prill. Anastasia is worried about some missing correspondence and needs the help of Arthur Dogger and Associates. But she soon ends up dead. What's more, there's a connection between the finger and Anastasia, the guitarist's son, Colin Collier, is also the nephew of Anastasia! This can't be a coincidence. But with two missionaries foisted on Flavia by the vicar's wife her time is becoming more and more precious. Yet soon she starts to suspect the missionaries. Is everything connected or is she totally on the wrong track?

The Golden Tresses of the Dead is the unexpected ending to the successful Flavia de Luce. Unexpected in that the previous volume, The Grave's a Fine and Private Place, seemed to finally be setting up the next big arc of the series, Flavia and Dogger opening up a detective agency. Instead we got this book, wherein they did start their detective agency, but everything else is a bit of a muddle. In fact, after the initial six book arc, ending with the revelations about Harriet and pheasants, the series hasn't really been on solid footing. Perhaps if Flavia's adventures had continued on at Miss Bodycote’s Female Academy in Canada, transforming the series into something new, it's longevity might have been assured. Instead the series has been slowing declining until it ended with this. And really, what was this? What was the ending? It was all muddled with no real resolution. Sure Flavia finally realized she could use Undine as a tool to help in their investigations, but there needed to be something more. And by something more I don't mean Dogger transforming into Sherlock Holmes. Dogger has always been the most relatable of characters. His backstory is tragic, and how Flavia was the only one able to help him with his PTSD gave them a special bond which has resulted in him becoming more of a father figure than her own father ever was. But here he seems too different. I know he needed to step up when Flavia's dad unexpectedly and unnecessarily died, but he's too competent, too all knowing. Looking at Dogger here compared to where he was just in the previous volume makes me feel like I've missed a step. Something has irreparably changed and not in a way that makes sense. But really, nothing in this book makes sense. Other than the fact Alan Bradley was obviously watching Lark Rise to Candleford while writing this book. I agree, that show is my one weakness too.

Wednesday, November 23, 2022

Book Review - Alan Bradley's The Grave's a Fine and Private Place

The Grave's a Fine and Private Place by Alan Bradley
Published by: Delacorte Press
Publication Date: January 30th, 2018
Format: Hardcover, 384 Pages
Rating: ★★★★
To Buy

Only Flavia De Luce could catch a corpse in the palm of her hand while punting down a river. Of course she's on the river under duress. Dogger thought that Flavia and her sisters needed a distraction and decided a family trip was what was called for. But one can't help but feel the void, the person who isn't present, the girls' father who succumbed to pneumonia. He might not always have been the best or most present of fathers, but he was still their father and his memory is in every stone of Buckshaw, hence Dogger's enforced family vacation. Though there is one thing Flavia is looking forward to before her hand catches on the biggest distraction of all, a new case! The church they are passing in Volesthorpe, St. Mildred's-in-the-Marsh, is notorious for a recent multiple poisoning case when two years previously the vicar took matters into his own hands and did away with three of his busybody parishioners during communion. Murder! And with poison? It's almost as if the vicar killed these women just to make Flavia's day. But back to the corpse at hand. He's recently deceased and rather flamboyantly dressed in blue silk with ribbons at the knee and a single red ballet slipper. Flavia doesn't mind in the least when the local constabulary ask them to stay on as she discovered the corpse. It will give her plenty of time to investigate while Daphne sits in a room reading whatever book she's got to hand, and Ophelia bemoans her broken engagement. An engagement she broke it might be noted. Plus, Flavia has one up on the police, having taken a scarp of paper from the pocket of the corpse. The corpse is identified as Orlando Whitbread, an up-and-coming actor who happens to be the son of the "poisoning parson!" Constable Otter quickly rules Orlando's death as nothing more than a drowning, which Flavia doesn't buy. She thinks it was poison. And while she's in town, she thinks that perhaps Canon Whitebread didn't poison those three women... But digging into the past could put Flavia in danger.

The Grave is a Fine and Private Place is possibly the strongest of the later entries in this series. Ever since the initial arc was completed in The Dead in Their Vaulted Arches this series has been struggling to find it's identity. It's like Alan Bradley simultaneously wants to let Flavia grow up while also keeping her the Flavia we know and love and this has lead to mixed results. She was sent off to Canada to promptly return, her father was killed unnecessarily in some misguided attempt to make Flavia face her own problems versus nosing into other people's. It's like we're constantly moving one step forward and two steps back. And I get the reasoning, I do. Why change something when it isn't broken? But seeing as the whole series is supposed to only take place over about a year it's stretching credulity, like how many years was That '70s Show treading water pretending it was 1979 because they were not going to become That '80s Show? There's only one Christmas in a year afterall... And the less said about the actual That '80s Show the better. But Flavia can not stay in this enforced stasis forever. And there are two things that point to her actually growing. The first is she actually asks one of her siblings for help. Usually Daphne and Feely are just thorns in her side and to be avoided at all costs. But having them forced together for Dogger's vacation and then locked away in the hotel together has lead to some growth in their relationship. Daffy is the biggest bookworm on the planet and it's her literary knowledge that helps fill in the gaps for Flavia. Because there is a secret bestselling poet amongst the residents of Volesthrope and Daffy knows the significance of the work. Also Dogger and Flavia make a plan for their future. Their future being Arthur Dogger and Associates, a detective agency they will run together. This development makes sense. I mean, the two of them are dropped down in this town of poisoners, failed actors, circus performers, and over-the-top theatricals and they still get to the bottom of the case once again. So why not make a business out of it? Here's hoping that Flavia continues to keep moving forward.

Monday, November 21, 2022

Tuesday Tomorrow

All the Blood We Share by Camilla Bruce
Published by: Berkley
Publication Date: November 22nd, 2022
Format: Hardcover, 384 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"A sinister novel based on the real Bloody Benders, a family of serial killers in the old West bound by butchery and obscured by the shadows of American history.

The winds shift nervously on the Kansas plain whispering of travelers lost and buried, whispering of witches. Something dark and twisted has taken root at the Bender Inn.

At first the townspeople of Cherryvale welcome the rising medium Kate Bender and her family. Kate's messages from the Beyond give their tedious dreams hope and her mother's potions cure their little ills - for a price. No one knows about their other business, the shortcut to a better life. And why shouldn’t their family prosper? They’re careful. It’s only from those who are marked, those who travel alone and can easily disappear, that the Benders demand their pound of flesh.

But even a gifted seer like Kate can make a misstep. Now as the secrets festering beneath the soil of the family orchard threaten to bring them all to ruin, the Benders must sharpen their craft - or vanish themselves."

The Bloody Benders are IN this year. Which makes sense, any true crime aficionados will point out they are the least exposed of true crime mysteries.

At Midnight: 15 Beloved Fairy Tales Reimagined edited by Dahlia Adler
Published by: Flatiron Books
Publication Date: November 22nd, 2022
Format: Hardcover, 464 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"A dazzling collection of original and retold fairy tales from fifteen acclaimed and bestselling YA writers.

Fairy tales have been spun for thousands of years and remain among our most treasured stories. Weaving fresh tales with unexpected reimaginings, At Midnight brings together a diverse group of celebrated YA writers to breathe new life into a storied tradition. You'll discover...

Dahlia Adler reimagining "Rumpelstiltskin,"
Tracy Deonn, "The Nightingale,"
H. E. Edgmon, "Snow White,"
Hafsah Faizal, "Little Red Riding Hood,"
Stacey Lee, "The Little Matchstick Girl,"
Roselle Lim, "Hansel and Gretel,"
Darcie Little Badger, "Puss in Boots,"
Malinda Lo, "Frau Trude,"
Alex London, "Cinderella,"
Anna-Marie McLemore, "The Nutcracker,"
Rebecca Podos, "The Robber Bridegroom,"
Rory Power, "Sleeping Beauty,"
Meredith Russo, "The Little Mermaid,"
Gita Trelease, "Fitcher’s Bird,"
and an all-new fairy tale by Melissa Albert."

There's nothing I love more than a good fairy tale retelling, and look, "The Nutcracker!"

The World Record Book of Racist Stories by Amber Ruffin and Lacey Lamar
Published by: Grand Central Publishing
Publication Date: November 22nd, 2022
Format: Hardcover, 240 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"A new collection of hilarious, intergenerational anecdotes full of absurd detail about everyday experiences of racism from the New York Times bestselling authors of You'll Never Believe What Happened to Lacey, comedian Amber Ruffin and her sister Lacey.

Families may not always see eye to eye; we get on each other's nerves, have different perspectives and lives - especially when we consider how we've grown up in different generations. But for the Ruffin family and many others, there has been one constant that connects them: racism hasn't gone anywhere.

From her raucous musical numbers to turning upsetting news into laughs as the host of The Amber Ruffin Show or in her Late Night with Seth Meyers segments, Amber is no stranger to finding the funny wherever she looks. With equal parts heart and humor, she and her sister Lacey Lamar shared some of the eye-opening and outrageous experiences Lacey had faced in Nebraska in their first book. Now, the dynamic duo makes it clear - Lacey isn't the only one in the family with ridiculous encounters to share! Amber and Lacey have many more uproarious stories, both from their own lives and the entire Ruffin family.

Recounting the wildest tales of racism from their parents, their siblings, and Amber's nieces and nephews, this intergenerational look at ludicrous (but all too believable) everyday racism as experienced across age, gender, and appearance will have you gasping with shock and laughter in turn. Validating for anyone who has first-hand experience, and revealing for anyone who doesn't, Amber and Lacey's next book helps us all find the absurdity in the pervasive frustrations of racism. Illuminating and packed with love and laughter, this is a must-read for just about everyone."

I love Amber Ruffin.

Made With Love by Tom Daley
Published by: Dey Street Books
Publication Date: November 22nd, 2022
Format: Hardcover, 352 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"Olympic gold medal–winning diver and beloved LGBTQ icon Tom Daley offers thirty exclusive knitting and crocheting patterns to enjoy and share.

During the Tokyo Olympics, British diver Tom Daley was often spotted calming his nerves with knitting needles in hand. His new favorite hobby, which he picked up during the Covid lockdown, combined with his gold medal performance, won him a new legion of fans. In fact, his Olympic inspired cardigan, made just before he left for Japan, grabbed nearly as many headlines as his win.

In his native England, Daley is beloved as a four-time Olympic medalist, well-known television personality, and activist in the LGBTQ space. In addition, Daley and his husband, the Oscar-winning screenwriter Dustin Lance Black, are the parents of a toddler son, and many of Tom’s projects are adorable toys or clothes for Robbie.

Now Tom has created thirty original projects for this book, sharing his joy of knitting and crocheting as a calming and creative outlet alongside his charming, witty personality. Full color and totally bespoke for this book, these projects run the gamut from toys to clothing for adults and kids to home décor. Full of color, full of joy, and Made with Love™ (the name of Tom's online store, selling projects, patterns and branded merchandise) this is yarn crafts made very cool."

If you are like me and have been obsessed with Tom Daley since the Tokyo Olympics you've been asking yourself, when is he writing a knitting book!?! Well the answer is now. Here it is!

Astrid Parker Doesn't Fail by Ashley Herring Blake
Published by: Berkley
Publication Date: November 22nd, 2022
Format: Paperback, 400 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"An interior designer who is never without the perfect plan learns to renovate her love life without one in this new romantic comedy by Ashley Herring Blake, author of Delilah Green Doesn't Care.

For Astrid Parker, failure is unacceptable. Ever since she broke up with her fiancé a year ago, she's been focused on her career - her friends might say she's obsessed, but she knows she's just driven. When Pru Everwood asks her to be the designer for the Everwood Inn's renovation, which will be featured on a popular HGTV show, Innside America, Astrid is thrilled. Not only will the project distract her from her failed engagement and help her struggling business, but her perpetually displeased mother might finally give her a nod of approval.

However, Astrid never planned on Jordan Everwood, Pru's granddaughter and the lead carpenter for the renovation, who despises every modern design decision Astrid makes. Jordan is determined to preserve the history of her family's inn, particularly as the rest of her life is in shambles. When that determination turns into some light sabotage to ruffle Astrid's perfect little feathers, the showrunners ask them to play up the tension. But somewhere along the way, their dislike for each other evolves into something quite different, and Astrid must decide what success truly means. Is she going to pursue the life that she's expected to lead or the one that she wants?"

Sold at the fake TV show being called Innside America.

Friday, November 18, 2022

Book Review - Alan Bradley's Thrice the Brinded Cat Hath Mew'd

Thrice the Brinded Cat Hath Mew'd by Alan Bradley
Published by: Delacorte Press
Publication Date: September 20th, 2016
Format: Hardcover, 352 Pages
Rating: ★★★
To Buy

Canada and Miss Bodycote’s Female Academy are behind Flavia! Some might say expelled, Flavia might say freed. She expected a ticker tape parade, all hail the returning heir of Buckshaw! Instead she arrives to the bleak news that her father is ill in hospital. But he's her dad, he's always been there for her, he'll be fine while she avoids home as much as possible because dealing with her sisters and her cousin Undine is too much to contemplate. Therefore a murder landing right in her lap is a wonderful distraction from what's actually happening at home. So how did she get involved in yet another case? Well, Flavia gladly agreed to run an errand for Cynthia Richardson, the vicar’s wife. Flavia hopped on her trusty stead Gladys, probably the only one happy to see her, and set out to deliver a message to a reclusive woodworker. When she arrived at Roger Sambridge's house she found the seventy year old man crucified like St. Peter on his bedroom door. This seemed quite out of the ordinary, and it's obviously Flavia's first crucifixion, so she immediately set to searching the premise before reporting the murder to the police. All she found was a disinterested cat and a set of children's books by Oliver Inchbold, an author who was interestingly pecked to death by seagulls. Or at least Flavia finds that very interesting. One of the books is inscribed to Carla Sherrinford-Cameron, someone Flavia knows. What's more, Carla's aunt was Inchbald's paramour and also died in a freak accident. One freak accident could maybe be accounted for, but two, Flavia knows something is up and she knows that Roger Sambridge's reclusive neighbors are hiding something. Something Flavia is determined to uncover, rumors of witches be damned! Anything and everything to not face going home and dealing with the fact that her father might be sicker than she is hoping. Anything to delay the intrustion of reality for one more minute.

When you look at the beautiful jewel colored books written by Alan Bradley on your bookshelf there's always one that stands out like a sore thumb. Thrice the Brinded Cat Hath Mew'd doesn't just stand out for it's appearance but for it's content. While the events are important for the proceeding books, so much of what happens between it's covers feel bleak and unnecessary. Thrice the Brinded Cat Hath Mew'd throws Flavia back onto the shores of blighty with a desperate need to forget she ever went to Canada. From the author's point of view, not the readers. Because Bradley quickly dispatches with references to Miss Bodycote’s Female Academy, going so far as to quickly dispense with the teacher who accompanied Flavia to continue her education in a less formal manner. It feels like it's an attempt to return Flavia to the status quo, and yet everything that happens to her seems to be Bradley going out of his way to make sure that the status can never be quo again. The most human and therefore endearing aspect of Flavia is how she interacts with her family. By having her more adult and independent, more willing to lie in order to push her family aside means that she's cold. She's not lovably quirky like Sherlock Holmes in season one of Sherlock, she's an asshole, like Sherlock Holmes in season three of Sherlock. If this was done to somehow humble her when Bradley unceremoniously killed off her father, well, it failed. Because it just pissed me off. There was no earthly reason to kill off her father. None. At. All. It was a punch that missed it's mark. But so much of this book misses the mark. There are so many unfinished ideas that it felt scattered. You knew where it was going and what would happened but there seemed a lot of loose ends left loose, the explanation being that "life isn't ever that neat" isn't satisfying, it's annoying. This is FICTION, we can have all the closure we want and need! We don't need reality when we're following a precocious preteen sleuth with more chemistry knowledge than all the scientists in the world combined. As it is, it's a pretty thin veneer of reality we're working with here!

Wednesday, November 16, 2022

Book Review - Elly Griffiths's The Vanishing Box

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.

Monday, November 14, 2022

Tuesday Tomorrow

Bleeding Heart Yard by Elly Griffiths
Published by: Mariner Books
Publication Date: November 15th, 2022
Format: Hardcover, 352 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"A murderer strikes at a school reunion - but the students are no strangers to death - in this propulsive, twisty thriller from the internationally bestselling author of the Ruth Galloway Mysteries .

Is it possible to forget that you've committed a murder?

When Cassie Fitzgerald was at school in the late 90s, she and her friends killed a fellow student. Almost twenty years later, Cassie is a happily married mother who loves her job - as a police officer. She closely guards the secret she has all but erased from her memory.

One day her husband finally persuades her to go to a school reunion. Cassie catches up with her high-achieving old friends from the Manor Park School - among them two politicians, a rock star, and a famous actress. But then, shockingly, one of them, Garfield Rice, is found dead in the school bathroom, supposedly from a drug overdose. As Garfield was an eminent - and controversial - MP and the investigation is high profile, it's headed by Cassie's new boss, DI Harbinder Kaur, freshly promoted and newly arrived in London. The trouble is, Cassie can't shake the feeling that one of them has killed again.

Is Cassie right, or was Garfield murdered by one of his political cronies? It's in Cassie's interest to skew the investigation so that it looks like it has nothing to do with Manor Park and she seems to be succeeding.

Until someone else from the reunion is found dead in Bleeding Heart Yard..."

Last year I discovered the wonders of Elly Griffiths for myself and now she's a must read author.

A Twist of a Knife by Anthony Horowitz
Published by: Harper
Publication Date: November 15th, 2022
Format: Hardcover, 384 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"In New York Times bestselling author Anthony Horowitz's ingenious fourth literary whodunit following The Word is Murder, The Sentence is Death, and A Line to Kill, Horowitz becomes the prime suspect in a murder investigation - and only one man can prove his innocence: his newly estranged partner in solving crime, Detective Hawthorne.

"I'm sorry but the answer's no." Reluctant author, Anthony Horowitz, has had enough. He tells ex-detective Daniel Hawthorne that after three books he's splitting and their deal is over.

The truth is that Anthony has other things on his mind.

His new play, a thriller called Mindgame, is about to open at the Vaudeville Theater in London's West End. Not surprisingly, Hawthorne declines a ticket to the opening night.

The play is panned by the critics. In particular, Sunday Times critic Margaret Throsby gives it a savage review, focusing particularly on the writing. The next day, Throsby is stabbed in the heart with an ornamental dagger which turns out to belong to Anthony, and has his fingerprints all over it.

Anthony is arrested by an old enemy...Detective Inspector Cara Grunshaw. She still carries a grudge from her failure to solve the case described in the second Hawthorne adventure, The Sentence is Death, and blames Anthony. Now she's out for revenge.

Thrown into prison and fearing for both his personal future and his writing career, Anthony is the prime suspect in Throsby's murder and when a second theatre critic is found to have died in mysterious circumstances, the net closes in. Ever more desperate, he realizes that only one man can help him.

But will Hawthorne take the call?"

If you can't get enough of the intriguing worlds that Horowitz creates captivating everyone with Magpie Murders on PBS, why not give this series a whirl?

Death at the Auction by E.C. Bateman
Published by: One More Chapter
Publication Date: November 15th, 2022
Format: Kindle, 383 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"A brilliant whodunnit mystery perfect for fans of M.C. Beaton and Richard Osman!

Murder stalks the cobbles in England’s finest Georgian town...

When an accident forces Felicia Grant back to her family's auction house in Stamford, she vows it'll only be a flying visit. But as the gavel falls on the final lot, a hidden secret is revealed - the body of her father's business rival, murdered during the packed sale!

Soon, Felicia is swept into a mystery that has everyone in the community as a potential suspect - including her.

As the body count rises and with the people she loves under threat, Felicia takes matters into her own hands. But even the most picturesque place has its secrets..."

Small towns, auctions, and murder scream Midsomer Murders to me, and that's a very good thing.

Flight Risk by Cherie Priest
Published by: Atria Books
Publication Date: November 15th, 2022
Format: Hardcover, 320 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"Inconsistent psychic Leda Foley and Seattle detective Grady Merritt return to solve the case of a missing couple in this sequel to the "delightful" (The New York Times Book Review) mystery Grave Reservations.

When psychic travel agent Leda Foley is approached by a man searching for his sister, she quickly agrees to help. The missing woman disappeared with a vintage orange car, a fat sack of her employer's cash, and a grudge against her philandering husband - a man who never even reported her missing.

Meanwhile, Seattle PD detective Grady Merritt has temporarily misplaced his dog. While he's passing out bright pink "Lost" flyers at the Mount Rainier visitor's center, the wayward pooch appears - with a human leg in his mouth.

Thanks to DNA matching, Grady learns that the leg has something to do with Leda's new client, and soon the two cases are tangled.

Theories abound, but law enforcement is low on leads. Lucky for Grady, Leda has a few ideas that might just be crazy enough to work. They'll need one yellow dog, a fair share of teamwork, and perhaps a bit of Klairvoyant Karaoke to piece the clues together in this "undeniable treat" (Gwenda Bond, New York Times bestselling author) of a mystery."

I am ALWAYS here for dogs digging up body parts. Likewise I am ALWAYS here for a new Cherie Priest book!

Ghosts from the Library edited by Tony Medawar
Published by: Collins Crime Club
Publication Date: November 15th, 2022
Format: Hardcover, 288 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"A brand new anthology of previously unpublished and uncollected supernatural mysteries by some of the masters of the Golden Age - thrills, spills and chills perfect for Halloween.

It is said that books are written to bring sunshine into our dull, grey lives - to show us places we want to escape to, lives we want to live, people we want to love. But there are also stories that can only be found in the deepest, darkest corners of the library. Stories about the unexplained, of lost souls, of things that go bump before the silence. Before the screaming.

And some stories just disappear. Stories printed in old newspapers, broadcast live on the wireless, sometimes not even published at all - these are the stories you cannot find on even the dustiest of library shelves.

Ghosts from the Library resurrects forgotten tales of the supernatural by some of the most acclaimed mystery authors of all time. From Arthur Conan Doyle and John Dickson Carr to Agatha Christie and Daphne Du Maurier, this spine-chilling anthology brings together thirteen uncollected tales of terror, plus some additional surprises.

Close the windows. Draw the curtains. Just don't let the lights go out..."

Whenever a "new" Daphne Du Maurier stories appears I swoon.

A Taste for Killing by Sarah Hawkswood
Published by: Allison and Busby
Publication Date: November 15th, 2022
Format: Paperback, 288 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"Worcester, January 1145. Poison strikes down bow maker Godfrey Bowyer and his wife Blanche after their evening meal. While she survives, he dies an agonising death. Few could have administered the poison, which should mean a very short investigation for the Sheriff's men, Hugh Bradecote, Serjeant Catchpoll and Underserjeant Walkelin. But perhaps someone was pulling the strings, and that widens the net considerably.

With an unpopular victim, the suspects are many and varied."

This cover is perfection.

Reader, I Murdered Him by Betsy Cornwell
Published by: Clarion Books
Publication Date: November 15th, 2022
Format: Hardcover, 304 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"In this daring tale of female agency and revenge from a New York Times bestselling author, a girl becomes a teenage vigilante who roams Victorian England using her privilege and power to punish her friends' abusive suitors and keep other young women safe.

Adele grew up in the shadows - first watching from backstage at her mother's Parisian dance halls, then wandering around the gloomy, haunted rooms of her father's manor. When she's finally sent away to boarding school in London, she's happy to enter the brightly lit world of society girls and their wealthy suitors.

Yet there are shadows there, too. Many of the men that try to charm Adele's new friends do so with dark intentions. After a violent assault, she turns to a roguish young con woman for help. Together, they become vigilantes meting out justice. But can Adele save herself from the same fate as those she protects?

With a queer romance at its heart, this lush historical thriller offers readers an irresistible mix of vengeance and empowerment."

Best book title ever? Quite possibly.

The Serpent in Heaven by Charlaine Harris
Published by: Gallery / Saga Press
Publication Date: November 15th, 2022
Format: Hardcover, 304 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"#1 New York Times and USA TODAY bestselling author Charlaine Harris returns to her alternate history of the United States where magic is an acknowledged but despised power in this fourth installment of the Gunnie Rose series.

Felicia, Lizbeth Rose's half-sister and a student at the Grigori Rasputin school in San Diego - capital of the Holy Russian Empire - is caught between her own secrets and powerful family struggles. As a granddaughter of Rasputin, she provides an essential service to the hemophiliac Tsar Alexei, providing him the blood transfusions that keep him alive. Felicia is treated like a nonentity at the bedside of the tsar, and at the school she's seen as a charity case with no magical ability. But when Felicia is snatched outside the school, the facts of her heritage begin to surface. Felicia turns out to be far more than the Russian-Mexican Lizbeth rescued. As Felicia's history unravels and her true abilities become known, she becomes under attack from all directions. Only her courage will keep her alive."

Charlaine Harris is a must buy author for me. In fact I've already preordered my signed copy.

Tread of Angels by Rebecca Roanhorse
Published by: Gallery / Saga Press
Publication Date: November 15th, 2022
Format: Hardcover, 208 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"Celeste, a card sharp with a need for justice, takes on the role of advocatus diaboli, to defend her sister Mariel, accused of murdering a Virtue, a member of the ruling class of this mining town, in a new world of dark fantasy from the New York Times bestselling author of Black Sun, Rebecca Roanhorse.

The year is 1883 and the mining town of Goetia is booming as prospectors from near and far come to mine the powerful new element Divinity from the high mountains of Colorado with the help of the pariahs of society known as the Fallen. The Fallen are the descendants of demonkind living amongst the Virtues, the winners in an ancient war, with the descendants of both sides choosing to live alongside Abaddon's mountain in this tale of the mythological West from the bestselling mastermind Rebecca Roanhorse."

Since I read Black Sun I've been interested what else Rebecca Roanhorse had up her sleeves.

The Fall Of Númenor by J.R.R. Tolkien
Published by: William Morrow
Publication Date: November 15th, 2022
Format: Hardcover, 320 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"J.R.R. Tolkien's writings on the Second Age of Middle-earth, collected for the first time in one volume complete with new illustrations in watercolor and pencil by renowned artist Alan Lee.

J.R.R. Tolkien famously described the Second Age of Middle-earth as a "dark age, and not very much of its history is (or need be) told." And for many years readers would need to be content with the tantalizing glimpses of it found within the pages of The Lord of the Rings and its appendices, including the forging of the Rings of Power, the building of the Barad-dûr and the rise of Sauron.

It was not until Christopher Tolkien published The Silmarillion after his father's death that a fuller story could be told. Although much of the book's content concerned the First Age of Middle-earth, there were at its close two key works that revealed the tumultuous events concerning the rise and fall of the island of Númenor. Raised out of the Great Sea and gifted to the Men of Middle-earth as a reward for aiding the angelic Valar and the Elves in the defeat and capture of the Dark Lord Morgoth, the kingdom became a seat of influence and wealth; but as the Númenóreans' power increased, the seed of their downfall would inevitably be sown, culminating in the Last Alliance of Elves and Men.

Even greater insight into the Second Age would be revealed in subsequent publications, first in Unfinished Tales of Númenor and Middle-earth, then expanded upon in Christopher Tolkien's magisterial twelve-volume The History of Middle-earth, in which he presented and discussed a wealth of further tales written by his father, many in draft form.

Now, adhering to the timeline of "The Tale of Years" in the appendices to The Lord of the Rings, editor Brian Sibley has assembled into one comprehensive volume a new chronicle of the Second Age of Middle-earth, told substantially in the words of Tolkien from the various published texts, with new illustrations in watercolor and pencil by the doyen of Tolkien art, Alan Lee."

After finally seeing Númenor onscreen I can't be the only one desperate to read more!

Rise of the Demon by Diana Rowland
Published by: DAW
Publication Date: November 15th, 2022
Format: Paperback, 464 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"The long-awaited ninth book in the Demon series returns to the adventures of Kara Gillian and the supernatural threats that surround her.

Kara's drastic ceasefire deal with the formidable demon Imperator Dekkak slowed the attacks on Earth to a trickle, but her troubles are far from over. The god-like demahnk are desperate to return to their own kind, but unless they can stabilize the demon realm, they'll be forever exiled - and they've subjugated Kara's beloved Mzatal to further their hellacious cause. One faction of demonic lords and demahnk has a plan to fix their world, yet their salvation would come at the expense of Earth.

Meanwhile, Kara is wrestling with government bureaucracy, backstabbing allies, enemy lords, as well as the powerful young demonic lord Ashava, who's packing the drama, angst, and rebellion of the terrible teen years into just a few months.

Kara's in a race to stop an apocalypse, but in order to prevail she'll have to make a terrible sacrifice or risk losing everything she holds dear."

Ah, the girl who saves the world, lose everything or make a terrible sacrifice.

Cowboy Bebop by Dan Watters
Published by: Titan Comics
Publication Date: November 15th, 2022
Format: Paperback, 112 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"An incredible brand new graphic novel of the hit Netflix series Cowboy Bebop, based on the critically-acclaimed anime.

This it the first ever US comic adapting the franchise.

In 2071, a crew of bounty hunters, known as Cowboys, travel the solar system in search of outlaws on their reliable ship, Bebop.

Spike has a past full of violence he can never escape. Jet was a cop who lost faith in the system. Faye is a renegade who trusts nobody. Together they hunt for bounty and adventure, all the while searching for the one thing that connects them all - somewhere they belong.

In this jam-packed tale of hijinks and mayhem, the crew are on the hunt for a bounty called Melville, an ex-syndicate member who possesses a vest which grants the user unlimited luck! A prize as deadly as it is dazzling - how can they resist?"

If we buy this do we get another season? They claim it was a hit despite cancelling it... Maybe they're waffling?

Ship Wrecked by Olivia Dade
Published by: Avon
Publication Date: November 15th, 2022
Format: Paperback, 416 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"After All the Feels and Spoiler Alert, Olivia Dade once again delivers a warm and wonderful romantic comedy about two co-stars who once had an incredible one-night stand - and after years of filming on the same remote island, are finally ready to yield to temptation again...

Maria's one-night-stand - the thick-thighed, sexy Viking of a man she left without a word or a note - just reappeared. Apparently, Peter's her surly Gods of the Gates co-star, and they're about to spend the next six years filming on a desolate Irish island together. She still wants him...but he now wants nothing to do with her.

Peter knows this role could finally transform him from a forgettable character actor into a leading man. He also knows a failed relationship with Maria could poison the set, and he won't sabotage his career for a woman who's already walked away from him once. Given time, maybe they can be cooperative colleagues or friends - possibly even best friends - but not lovers again. No matter how much he aches for her.

For years, they don't touch off-camera. But on their last night of filming, their mutual restraint finally shatters, and all their pent-up desire explodes into renewed passion. Too bad they still don't have a future together, since Peter's going back to Hollywood, while Maria's returning to her native Sweden. She thinks she needs more than he can give her, but he's determined to change her mind, and he's spent the last six years waiting. Watching. Wanting.

This shipwrecked Swede doesn’t stand a chance."

Wait, the show got a six season pickup out of the gate? That's how you know this is a romance...

Christmas at Throne Manor by Kelley Armstrong
Published by: Kla Fricke Inc
Publication Date: November 15th, 2022
Format: Hardcover, 272 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"Butterflies and Ballgowns
The North Yorkshire moors are always a magical place, but they're particularly enchanting at the holidays...especially if one gets to travel back in time to a Victorian Christmas. For Bronwyn Dale, it is the stuff of dreams. Fancy-dress balls, quirky small-town traditions, even that classic one-horse open sleigh, complete with jingle bells. There's just the tiny problem of the Butterfly Effect. How does a time-traveler make a difference without disrupting the future forever?

Snowstorms and Sleigh Bells
It's a Victorian Christmas at Thorne Manor, and Rosalind Courtenay is staying far, far away from the door that leads to the twenty-first century. It took her four years to get back home, and she's never going near the time stitch again. But her five-year-old son has other plans, and Rosalind finds herself plunged back into the modern world, where she decides to face her fears and give her family the holiday gift of a lifetime. Once again, Fate has other ideas, sending a blizzard to derail Rosalind's cautious planning and toss them all into a whirlwind of savage snowstorms, spectral sleigh bells and, perhaps, a Christmas ghost or two.

Ghosts and Garlands
Victorian novelist Miranda Hastings is in London for a modern-day Christmas with the man she loves, and they want to see everything. Luckily, they have friends who are going to make sure they get their wish. They're sent on a whirlwind holiday adventure, following their friends' mysterious messages...until an encounter with a ghost who was part of an infamous gang of highwaymen. Murder, mystery, and a ghost in need? Now that's Miranda's idea of a holiday treat."

Because I can't read ONLY murder mysteries for Christmas now can I?

The Phantomwise Tarot by Erin Morgenstern
Published by: Clarkson Potter
Publication Date: November 15th, 2022
Format: Tarot Deck, 78 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"A fantastical 78-card tarot deck and guidebook hand-painted by the award-winning author of the spellbinding bestseller The Night Circus.

Welcome to The Phantomwise Tarot. This black-and-white world is a little bit circusy, a little bit Wonderland, and a little bit nocturnal phantasia of its own invention. It is a mix of myth and fairy tale, where each individual you meet may be an illusion, reflection, or distortion.

When Erin Morgenstern was working on her international bestseller The Night Circus, she began a creative exercise to better understand the complexities of the tarot. This painted series captures the themes of each of the 78 cards in a traditional Rider-Waite-Smith tarot deck with equal parts whimsy and mystery. Archetypal figures like The Fool, The Hierophant, and The Lovers emerge from dark skies and swirling clouds. The ravens may not be what they seem. The cats know more than they’ll ever tell. The accompanying guidebook offers interpretations of the cards and suggested spreads for tarot readings for beginners and expert readers alike.

These cards have waited patiently for over a decade to find their way into the world. Please welcome them into yours."

Ever since I first heard of this deck back when The Night Circus was first released I've been dying to get my hands on a copy. Now we all can!

Friday, November 11, 2022

Book Review - Vicki Delany's Deadly Summer Nights

Deadly Summer Nights by Vicki Delany 
Published by: Berkley Books
Publication Date: September 7th, 2021
Format: Paperback, 304 Pages
Rating: ★★
To Buy

Elizabeth Grady never pictured the life she's living now as the life she'd have. She is running Haggerman's Catskills Resort for her mother. Yes, her mother. Olivia Peters. You probably know her. The woman who didn't really raise Elizabeth, that was left to her Aunt Tatiana, as Olivia pursued fame but who in her waning years has been left a resort from one of her admirers. Due to financial irregularities, AKA spendthrift exes, Haggerman's is Olivia's only option and Elizabeth is determined to make it succeed, with her mother as the figurehead whose glamorous allure will hopefully draw in the guests with lengthy bookings. Plus her mother can also book acts the other resorts can't with her connections. Just look at the rather controversial yet undoubtedly funny comic they've just booked who could be the next Lenny Bruce. Or so Elizabeth keeps saying to the guests who are taking umbrage with his show. Little did she know when she left the city behind that almost all of her work would be dealing with guests, not dealing with the bills, like she should be. And one guest is about to cause a very large headache. Because he's turned up dead. What seems to be a tragic accident soon has the local sheriff calling the Feds in. Harold Westenham had maps of London and Washington, D.C. on the walls of his remote cabin as well as a copy of The Communist Manifesto. To Elizabeth it looks like the poor man was doing research for a book, an opinion backed up by his nephew when he arrives at Haggerman's. But the arrival of the Feds as well as a dead body puts everyone on edge. Elizabeth has to keep her head. People die at resorts all the time. Sure, they may not be murdered, but it happens. She just has to keep a lid on the crime and keep the guests happy and quell the rumors of Communism. Of course what makes guests happier than free drinks and time with Olivia? Elizabeth will need to solve this case fast if she's to save Haggerman's and not have a whopping bill for alcohol.

I have never gotten to live the summer resort dream of the Catskills or the Poconos made famous in such fare as Dirty Dancing and the second season of The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel. Now I have been to resorts there for Moonlight Rising, a Buffy the Vampire Slayer fan convention. But the Split Rock Resort in Lake Harmony, Pennsylvania only delivered on the buffet, and as for the Friar Tuck Resort in Catskill, New York, it most likely hadn't been remodeled since Frank Sinatra signed the photo above registration to the owners. So the places I went to were far beyond their prime and the culture that Deadly Summers Nights propagates to say the least. Yet it is a nostalgic culture I wish I could have been a part of for even a few days. Or maybe I'm just nostalgic for vacations? Therefore I thought this book would be my best bet to slip into this world from the comfort of my couch. Instead it proved an infuriating read. This book is tailored to fans of The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel with a heavy helping of Gilmore Girls and a dollop of Dirty Dancing but without any of the sparkle and vivacity of the originals. Here's the thing, if you're going to do an homage to the oeuvre of Amy Sherman-Palladino the quirky characters and the quaint locales aren't enough. She is known for her rapid fire dialogue and her witty banter. No matter your feelings on her as a person, you have to occasionally, begrudgingly admit that she can write. She has six Emmy Awards afterall. So what do you have when you have all the elements and none of the talent? You have a book you slog through because just having the framework built doesn't matter if you don't deliver on the content. As for the whole Communist angle? It was so obviously a false trail that I was actually yelling at the book one of Miss Scarlett's famous lines from Clue: "Communism is just a red herring."

Wednesday, November 9, 2022

Book Review - Elly Griffiths's The Blood Card

The Blood Card by Elly Griffiths
Published by: Mariner Books
Publication Date: November 3rd, 2016
Format: Paperback, 384 Pages
Rating: ★★★★
To Buy

Could the death of Edgar and Max's old commander be linked to a plot to undermine the coronation of Queen Elizabeth II? Edgar is investigating the death of a local fortuneteller who worked on the Brighton Peer. His boss wants him to rule it a suicide and move on but her Romany family is convinced it was murder. Meanwhile Max is being a good father by agreeing to appear on television. He knows variety is dying, despite his current two week run in London. But is a throwback television variety special for the coronation really the best way to pay tribute to the world that has been his life since he was young? He knows he's the star attraction and by being on the bill his daughter Ruby will get her big break, and she was born for television, but it just seems so tawdry. Which is why another murder investigation with Edgar is a welcome relief. General Petre from the military comes to alert them to Colonel Cartwright's death and takes them to the crime scene to see if the two of them can pick up on anything the other investigators could have missed. There are several items of interest, an old show flyer that had Tony "The Mind" Mulholland on the bill, a newspaper clipping about a mesmerist in New York who caused a woman to faint, and a playing card, the ace of hearts, most commonly known as the blood card. Their former commander was investigating an anarchist plot against the coronation at the time of his death so really it's Edgar and Max's patriotic duty to investigate what happened. Because of Max's obligations to his audience and his daughter it's up to Edgar to fly off to New York. Strange things are happening in Albany. The mesmerist died just before Edgar arrived and his own life is also threatened. But nothing is as dangerous as the threat to the Queen. It looks like there is a real danger and only Edgar, Max, and their fellow friends and investigators will be able to tie it all together and save lives.

While the clash of the old and the new with regards to the world of variety has been a constant theme in the previous volumes this one really brings it to a head. Anyone who has watched The Crown or Doctor Who knows that the coronation of Queen Elizabeth II is what really brought television into everyone's homes in England. Prince Philip's gamble not only paid off but fundamentally changed British culture, shifting how the British public took in entertainment. The world of variety was already dying and television was the nail in the coffin. Tony "The Mind" Mulholland expounded on television being the future of variety back in the first book, but here we get to see how Max and Ruby will fit into the new world order. This was very reminiscent of "The Reluctant Juggler" episode of The Edwardians. That episode was looking backward and forward simultaneously, being both depressing and nostalgic. But here, during the television special, as on that episode, for one moment the old and the new live in harmony. The question remains though if Max will be put out to pasture so the new generation embodied by Ruby will flourish or will Max find a way to succeed. Besides this overarching theme about variety there were lots of other interesting conversations to be had about diverse subjects from subliminal advertising to the treatment of those interned during the war. Some of these got to play out fully, but I felt that not only was the idea of subliminal advertising mishandled and misunderstood by otherwise bright characters but it could have been so much more than a red herring. But no book is perfect and this one isn't an exception, especially in regard to Edgar's trip to Albany. I'm sure us Americans get this wrong when we write about Britain, and the opposite is very true here. I couldn't help but wonder if Elly Griffiths had actually ever been to the United States. Everything was just off. It was like The Twilight Zone. It was supposed to be America but it just wasn't. Also, Brits really have no idea about distances in the United States. We are FAR larger than you can imagine. Albany wouldn't have signs to Canada. It's almost two-hundred miles from Albany to Canada! It would be like Madison having signs to Minneapolis! Which we don't.

Monday, November 7, 2022

Tuesday Tomorrow

Cursed by Marissa Meyer
Published by: Feiwel and Friends
Publication Date: November 8th, 2022
Format: Hardcover, 496 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"In Cursed, #1 New York Times bestselling author Marissa Meyer brings the haunting fairytale-inspired Gilded duology to a thrilling conclusion that will have fans - old and new - spinning.

Be still now, and I will tell you a tale.

Adalheid Castle is in chaos.

Following a shocking turn of events, Serilda finds herself ensnared in a deadly game of make-believe with the Erlking, who is determined to propel her deeper into the castle’s lies. Meanwhile, Serilda is determined to work with Gild to help him solve the mystery of his forgotten name and past.

But soon it becomes clear that the Erlking doesn't only want to use Serilda to bring back his one true love. He also seeks vengeance against the seven gods who have long trapped the Dark Ones behind the veil. If the Erlking succeeds, it could change the mortal realm forever.

Can Serilda find a way to use her storytelling gifts for good - once and for all? And can Serilda and Gild break the spells that tether their spirits to the castle before the Endless Moon finds them truly cursed?

Romance and adventure collide in this stunning finale to the Rumpelstilskin-inspired fairy tale."

Oh my yes, Marissa Meyer and Fairy Tale retellings are just what I need right now.

Even Though I Knew the End by C.L. Polk
Published by: Tordotcom
Publication Date: November 8th, 2022
Format: Hardcover, 144 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"C. L. Polk turns their considerable powers to a fantastical noir with Even Though I Knew the End.

A magical detective dives into the affairs of Chicago's divine monsters to secure a future with the love of her life. This sapphic period piece will dazzle anyone looking for mystery, intrigue, romance, magic, or all of the above.

An exiled augur who sold her soul to save her brother's life is offered one last job before serving an eternity in hell. When she turns it down, her client sweetens the pot by offering up the one payment she can't resist - the chance to have a future where she grows old with the woman she loves.

To succeed, she is given three days to track down the White City Vampire, Chicago's most notorious serial killer. If she fails, only hell and heartbreak await."

Magical Noir, someone's been reading my dream genre mashups again!

External Forces by Shannon Fay
Published by: 47north
Publication Date: November 8th, 2022
Format: Paperback, 507 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"A mage for the British royals matches wits with a power-mad old foe in a beguiling novel of enchantments and daring by Shannon Fay, author of Innate Magic.

London, 1958. By crafting magical outfits for his friend, Princess Katherine, cloth mage Paul Gallagher is getting ahead. It's not a seamless path. Not since the Virtuis Party came to power. The far-right faction is using criminals to create a protective barrier around England. The enchanted uniforms the prisoners wear may beget a demand for mages, but using luckless convicts as tools for warmongering reactionaries isn't Paul's dream for cloth magic.

His road to success takes an even darker turn when the unexpected death of a member of the royal family plunges the country into chaos. The Virtuis Party is rising, its mysterious puppet master is gaining control, and Paul and his allies are prepared to do anything to protect the princess, the throne, and ultimately, the soul of the country. That means falling back on the innate magic Paul dreads using again. It's illegal, dangerous, and so potent it can raise the dead.

But as the fate of the entire nation hangs by a thread, dire times call for extreme magic."

British period magic, yes please.

A Sliver of Darkness by C.J. Tudor
Published by: Ballantine Books
Publication Date: November 8th, 2022
Format: Hardcover, 256 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"The debut short-story collection from the acclaimed author of The Chalk Man, hailed as "Britain's female Stephen King" (Daily Mail), featuring eleven bone-chilling and mind-bending tales

Time slips. Doomsday scenarios. Killer butterflies. C. J. Tudor's novels are widely acclaimed for their dark, twisty suspense plots, but with A Sliver of Darkness, she pulls us even further into her dizzying imagination.

In "The Lion at the Gate," a strange piece of graffiti leads to a terrifying encounter for four school friends. In "Final Course," the world has descended into darkness, but a group of old friends make time for one last dinner party. In "Runaway Blues," thwarted love, revenge, and something very nasty stowed in a hat box converge. In "Gloria," a strange girl at a service station endears herself to a coldhearted killer, but can a leopard really change its spots? And in "I'm Not Ted," a case of mistaken identity has unforeseen fatal consequences.

Riveting, macabre, and explosively original, A Sliver of Darkness is C. J. Tudor at her most wicked and uninhibited."

Not many authors can get me to pick up a short-story collection, but C.J. Tudor is one of them.

Raven Unveiled by Grace Draven
Published by: Ace
Publication Date: November 8th, 2022
Format: Paperback, 352 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"A woman with the gift to speak to the dead - and the assassin pursuing her - may be the only chance a crumbling empire has of holding back true evil, in this electrifying fantasy romance from the USA Today bestselling author of Radiance.

Siora has been on the run for longer than she cares to remember, from her past and her gift. Born with the ability to see and speak to ghosts, she has heard their desperate pleas as an otherworldly predator stalks the dead amid the fertile killing fields of the collapsing Krael Empire. The creature’s power and reach are growing with every soul it consumes, but Siora is preoccupied with her own troubles: namely an assassin who has sworn an oath of vengeance against her.

Gharek of Cabast was once the right-hand man of the reviled empress but is now a wanted fugitive. Although his reasons for hunting Siora are viscerally personal, what Gharek can't anticipate is that when he finally does find her, she will hold the key to saving his world, or what's left of it. To make good on old debts and protect the vulnerable dead from a malevolent force, Gharek and Siora will both need to make an ally out of an enemy - and trust that will be enough to save each other."

Fantasy and the dead!

Legends and Lattes by Travis Baldree
Published by: Tor Books
Publication Date: November 8th, 2022
Format: Paperback, 304 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"The much-beloved BookTok sensation
A Barnes and Noble Best Book of 2022
A Library Reads Pick
An Indie Next Pick

*This paperback edition includes a very special, never-before-seen bonus story, 'Pages to Fill.'*

After a lifetime of bounties and bloodshed, Viv is hanging up her sword for the last time.

The battle-weary orc aims to start fresh, opening the first ever coffee shop in the city of Thune. But old and new rivals stand in the way of success - not to mention the fact that no one has the faintest idea what coffee actually is.

If Viv wants to put the blade behind her and make her plans a reality, she won't be able to go it alone.

But the true rewards of the uncharted path are the travelers you meet along the way. And whether drawn together by ancient magic, flaky pastry, or a freshly brewed cup, they may become partners, family, and something deeper than she ever could have dreamed."

I love that this book is getting so much love!

The Resemblance by Lauren Nossett
Published by: Flatiron Books
Publication Date: November 8th, 2022
Format: Hardcover, 320 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"Lauren Nossett's artfully written debut, The Resemblance is an exhilarating, atmospheric campus thriller reminiscent of The Secret History and The Likeness.

Never betray the brotherhood On a chilly November morning at the University of Georgia, a fraternity brother steps off a busy crosswalk and is struck dead by an oncoming car. More than a dozen witnesses all agree on two things: the driver looked identical to the victim, and he was smiling.

Detective Marlitt Kaplan is first on the scene. An Athens native and the daughter of a UGA professor, she knows all its shameful histories, from the skull discovered under the foundations of Baldwin Hall to the hushed-up murder-suicide in Waddel. But in the course of investigating this hit-and-run, she will uncover more chilling secrets as she explores the sprawling, interconnected Greek system that entertains and delights the university’s most elite and connected students.

The lines between Marlitt's police work and her own past increasingly blur as Marlitt seeks to bring to justice an institution that took something precious from her many years ago. When threats against her escalate, and some long-buried secrets threaten to come to the surface, she can't help questioning whether the corruption in Athens has run off campus and into the force and how far these brotherhoods will go to protect their own."

Sold at ANY similarity to The Likeness. Most would say sold at The Secret History, but for me, The Likeness is sheer perfection.

Murder at Black Oaks by Phillip Margolin
Published by: Minotaur Books
Publication Date: November 8th, 2022
Format: Hardcover, 288 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"In Phillip Margolin's Murder at Black Oaks, Attorney Robin Lockwood finds herself at an isolated retreat in the Oregon mountains, one with a tragic past and a legendary curse, and surrounded by many suspects and confronted with an impossible crime.

Defense Attorney Robin Lockwood is summoned by retired District Attorney Francis Melville to meet with him at Black Oaks, the manor he owns up in the Oregon mountains. The manor has an interesting history - originally built in 1628 in England, there's a murderous legend and curse attached to the mansion. Melville, however, wants Lockwood's help in a legal matter - righting a wrongful conviction from his days as a DA. A young man, Jose Alvarez, was convicted of murdering his girlfriend only for Melville, years later when in private practice, to have a client of his admit to the murder and to framing the man Melville convicted. Unable to reveal what he knew due to attorney client confidence, Melville now wants Lockwood's help in getting that conviction overturned.

Successful in their efforts, Melville invites Lockwood up to Black Oaks for a celebration. Lockwood finds herself among an odd group of invitees - including the bitter, newly released, Alvarez. When Melville is found murdered, with a knife connected to the original curse, Lockwood finds herself faced with a conundrum - who is the murder among them and how to stop them before there's another victim."

Isolation, murder, and a curse? Oh yes!

Peril in Paris by Rhys Bowen
Published by: Berkley
Publication Date: November 8th, 2022
Format: Hardcover, 304 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"Lady Georgiana Rannoch and her dashing husband, Darcy, are awaiting a bundle of joy, but an unexpected trip to Paris will thrust them straight into a tangled web of international intrigue in this all-new mystery in the New York Times bestselling Royal Spyness series from Rhys Bowen.

What a delight it is to finally be able to enjoy a simple meal again! I have been in the throes of morning sickness for the last few months as Darcy and I prepare to welcome a brand-new addition to our little family. Now that I am feeling better, I have realized I am dreadfully bored! It seems that all my nearest and dearest are off leading their own busy lives while I sit at home and attempt to train our two adorably naughty puppies. Fun as it may be, it is hard not to long for a little adventure, a change of pace, before my true confinement begins when the baby comes.

Happily, it seems that Darcy has read my mind. When I receive a letter from my glamorous best friend, Belinda, Darcy suggests we take a trip to Paris to visit her. It seems he also has a spot of business of which to take care, so I will be staying in Belinda’s flat as she works feverishly on Coco Chanel's fall collection. I happen to know Coco from a disastrous encounter in Nice years ago, and I am hoping this visit will go much more smoothly. But I soon learn that nothing about my time in Paris is going to be simple...or safe for that matter.

Darcy has asked me to take on a small chore as a part of his latest assignment. I am to covertly retrieve something from an attendee of Coco's show. It seems easy enough, but I discover that this little errand could have terrifying consequences for a world on the brink of war. When things go horribly wrong, I am left to find a killer all while trying to fend off a French policeman who is certain that I am a criminal mastermind. But I have no plans to deliver my darling little one in a prison cell, and so I will muster every ounce of my courage to save the day...and, quite possibly, the world!"

Our beloved Royal Spyness is back!

Better Than Fiction by Alexa Martin
Published by: Berkley
Publication Date: November 8th, 2022
Format: Hardcover, 336 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"One of Buzzfeed’s New Romances to Read This Fall!

Love isn't always by the book in this charming romantic comedy about a bookseller discovering how to be the main character in her story.

As a self-proclaimed book hater and a firm believer that the movie is always better, Drew Young didn't anticipate inheriting her grandma's bookstore, the Book Nook. She's in way over her head even before the shop's resident book club, comprising seven of the naughtiest old ladies ever, begin to do what they do best - meddle.

Bestselling author Jasper Williams is a hopeless romantic. When he meets Drew at his Book Nook signing event, he becomes determined to show her the beauty of reading. He curates a book bucket list in exchange for her help exploring the local Denver scene for his current manuscript. From going river rafting to trying local restaurants, Drew begins to connect with Jasper in a way she only thought happened in fiction.

When messy family ties jeopardize the future of the Book Nook, Drew is caught between a bookshelf and a hard place. She's reminded that real life isn't always big dreams and sweeping romance. But Jasper is the plot twist she never saw coming and he's writing a happily ever after just for them."

Yes, this book is a fantasy I would love to live.

Dawnlands by Philippa Gregory
Published by: Atria Books
Publication Date: November 8th, 2022
Format: Hardcover, 512 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"The "superb" (People) Fairmile series from #1 New York Times bestselling author Philippa Gregory continues as the fiercely independent Alinor and her family find themselves entangled in palace intrigue and political upheaval in 17th-century England.

It is 1685 and England is on the brink of a renewed civil war. King Charles II has died without an heir and his brother James is to take the throne. But the people are bitterly divided, and many do not welcome the new king or his young queen. Ned Ferryman cannot persuade his sister, Alinor, that he is right to return from America with his Pokanoket servant, Rowan, to join the rebel army. Instead, Alinor and her daughter Alys, have been coaxed by the manipulative Livia to save the queen from the coming siege. The rewards are life-changing: the family could return to their beloved Tidelands, and Alinor could rule where she was once lower than a servant.

Alinor's son is determined to stay clear of the war, but, in order to keep his own secrets in the past, Livia traps him in a plan to create an imposter Prince of Wales - a surrogate baby to the queen.

From the last battle in the desolate Somerset Levels to the hidden caves on the slave island of Barbados, this third volume of an epic story follows a family from one end of the empire to another, to find a new dawn in a world which is opening up before them with greater rewards and dangers than ever before."

New Philippa Gregory!?! YAS!

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