Tuesday Tomorrow
End of Story by A.J. Finn
Published by: William Morrow and Company
Publication Date: February 20th, 2024
Format: Hardcover, 416 Pages
To Buy
The official patter:
"For fans of Knives Out comes a spellbinding thriller from the author of the #1 New York Times bestseller The Woman in the Window.
"I'll be dead in three months. Come tell my story."
So writes Sebastian Trapp, reclusive mystery novelist, to his longtime correspondent Nicky Hunter, an expert in detective fiction. With mere months to live, Trapp invites Nicky to his spectacular San Francisco mansion to help draft his life story...while living alongside his beautiful second wife, Diana; his wayward nephew, Freddy; and his protective daughter, Madeleine. Soon Nicky finds herself caught in an irresistible case of real-life "detective fever."
"You and I might even solve an old mystery or two."
Twenty years earlier - on New Year's Eve 1999 - Sebastian's first wife and teenaged son vanished from different locations, never to be seen again. Did the perfect crime writer commit the perfect crime? And why has he emerged from seclusion, two decades later, to allow a stranger to dig into his past?
"Life is hard. After all, it kills you."
As Nicky attempts to weave together the strands of Sebastian's life, she becomes obsessed with discovering the truth...while Madeleine begins to question what her beloved father might actually know about that long-ago night. And when a corpse appears in the family's koi pond, both women are shocked to find that the past isn't gone - it's just waiting."
I am so here for reclusive writers being probably killers.
Death in Hilo by Eric Redman
Published by: Crooked Lane Books
Publication Date: February 20th, 2024
Format: Hardcover, 272 Pages
To Buy
The official patter:
"ITW Finalist Eric Redman is back in this thrilling second installment of his Hawaiian murder mystery series, perfect for fans of Anne Hillerman.
When bodies start piling up and the list of suspects growing long, Detective Kawika Wong must dig into his own past to solve a Big Island murder.
It's been twelve long years since Detective Kawika Wong was tasked with solving the brutal murder of the infamous real-estate developer Ralph Fortunato - a case that led to more bodies than answers and a slew of complicated and ancient secrets, a case that made his career. Now, the once rookie detective is next in line to be Honolulu's next Chief of Police. But all is not well on O'ahu or the Big Island.
For weeks, Kawika and his team have failed to catch an elusive serial killer known as the "Slasher." He strikes quickly and efficiently, and he doesn't make mistakes. But when a freshly decapitated body is found at a previous dump site, Kawika's gut tells him something isn't quite right. Who is this victim, and why does Kawika feel that this one doesn't belong to the Slasher?
To make matters worse, a hungry young journalist, Zoë Akona, is investigating the questionable outcome Kawika and his then-superior Terry Tanaka produced in the Fortunato case, and her snooping leads to an official review that jeopardizes everything Kawika's worked so hard for.
But Detective Wong knows that, no matter what, he must find a second murderer even while the "Slasher" continues to strike. The investigation takes him back to the Big Island - and to the long-dormant case the reporter Zoë Akona won't leave alone. Kawika is about to discover what happens when the secrets of the past catch up with the promises of his future."
To get that Magnum P.I. fix in your life. But you know, the darker episodes with the Phil Collins music.
A Step Past Darkness by Vera Kurian
Published by: Park Row
Publication Date: February 20th, 2024
Format: Hardcover, 448 Pages
To Buy
The official patter:
"SIX CLASSMATES. ONE TERRIFYING NIGHT. A MURDER TWENTY YEARS IN THE MAKING...
There's something sinister under the surface of the idyllic, suburban town of Wesley Falls, and it's not just the abandoned coal mine that lies beneath it. The summer of 1995 kicks off with a party in the mine where six high school students witness a horrifying crime that changes the course of their lives.
The six couldn't be more different.
-Maddy, a devout member of the local megachurch
-Kelly, the bookworm next door
-James, a cynical burnout
-Casey, a loveable football player
-Padma, the shy straight-A student
-Jia, who's starting to see visions she can't explain
When they realize that they can't trust anyone but each other, they begin to investigate what happened on their own. As tensions escalate in town to a breaking point, the six make a vow of silence, bury all their evidence, and promise to never contact each other again. Their plan works - almost.
Twenty years later, Jia calls them all back to Wesley Falls - Maddy has been murdered, and they are the only ones who can uncover why. But to end things, they have to return to the mine one last time."
I know it's a little weird that I'm obsessed with crimes that happened to high schoolers set when I was in high school, but there is a nostalgia factor... I'm not admitting to being a killer OK?
The Hampton House Mystery by Ellen Alexander
Published by: BHC Press
Publication Date: February 20th, 2024
Format: Hardcover, 210 Pages
To Buy
The official patter:
"Just because the gangs away on summer vacation, doesn't mean the mystery solving stops...
It's the end of Emma's sophomore year at Dinswood Academy, and that means only one thing: summer vacation! "Glamping" sounds exciting and Emma can't wait to join Martha and Sebastian's families at a local campground, especially when she learns that Doug will be joining them.
When Emma and the gang hear about a local legend, they are intrigued. According to the story, a family mysteriously disappeared twelve years ago and rumor has it that the abandoned house is haunted. When the teens learn that Hampton House is near their campsite, they decide to investigate-unaware that danger lies ahead.
Join Emma and the gang as they search for answers, racing against time itself. If you enjoy The Crime-Solving Cousins Mysteries, Nancy Drew, or The Goonies, then you're sure to love (or the readers aged ten to fourteen in your life) the exciting action-adventure mystery series The Dinswood Chronicles by Ellen Alexander."
To fill that large Nancy Drew void.
Murder in Masquerade by Mary Winters
Published by: Berkley Books
Publication Date: February 20th, 2024
Format: Paperback, 336 Pages
To Buy
The official patter:
"Extra, extra, read all about it! Countess turned advice columnist Amelia Amesbury finds herself playing the role of sleuth when a night at the theatre turns deadly.
Victorian Countess Amelia Amesbury's secret hobby, writing an advice column for a London penny paper, has gotten her into hot water before. After all, Amelia will do whatever it takes to help a reader in need. But now, handsome marquis Simon Bainbridge desperately requires her assistance. His beloved younger sister, Marielle, has written Amelia's Lady Agony column seeking advice on her plans to elope with a man her family does not approve of. Determined to save his sister from a scoundrel and the family from scandal, Simon asks Amelia to dissuade Marielle from the ill-advised gambit.
But when the scoundrel makes an untimely exit after a performance of Verdi's Rigoletto, Amelia realizes there's much more at stake than saving a young woman's reputation from ruin. It's going to take more than her letter-writing skills to help the dashing marquis, mend the familial bond, and find the murderer. Luckily, solving problems is her specialty!"
I'm actually surprised more murders don't happen at the theatre...
Ill-Fated Fortune by Jennifer J. Chow
Published by: Minotaur Books
Publication Date: February 20th, 2024
Format: Paperback, 320 Pages
To Buy
The official patter:
"The first in the heart-warming and deliciously mysterious Magical Fortune Cookie series from Lefty Award-nominee Jennifer J. Chow.
Felicity Jin grew up literally hanging onto Mom's apron strings in their magical bakery in the quaint town of Pixie, California. Her mother's enchanted baked goods, including puffy pineapple buns and creamy egg tarts, bring instant joy to all who consume them. Felicity has always been hesitant in the kitchen herself after many failed attempts, but a takeout meal gone wrong inspires her to craft some
handmade fortune cookies.
They become so popular that Felicity runs out of generic fortunes and starts making her own personalized predictions. When one customer's ill-fated fortune results in his murder, Felicity's suspiciously specific fortune has the police focusing on her as the main culprit. Now Felicity must find a way to turn her luck around and get cleared from suspicion."
I want to go to there! I guess reading about it is just as good... Possibly. Anyone have some delicious and enchanted baked treats for me to nom on while I read?
A Tempest of Tea by Hafsah Faizal
Published by: Farrar, Straus and Giroux (Byr)
Publication Date: February 20th, 2024
Format: Hardcover, 352 Pages
To Buy
The official patter:
"From the New York Times-bestselling author of We Hunt the Flame comes the first book in a hotly-anticipated fantasy duology teeming with romance and revenge, led by an orphan girl willing to do whatever it takes to save her self-made kingdom.
On the streets of White Roaring, Arthie Casimir is a criminal mastermind and collector of secrets. Her prestigious tearoom transforms into an illegal bloodhouse by night, catering to the vampires feared by society. But when her establishment is threatened, Arthie is forced to strike an unlikely deal with an alluring adversary to save it--she can't do the job alone.
Calling on some of the city's most skilled outcasts, Arthie hatches a plan to infiltrate the sinister, glittering vampire society known as the Athereum. But not everyone in her ragtag crew is on her side, and as the truth behind the heist unfolds, Arthie finds herself in the midst of a conspiracy that will threaten the world as she knows it. Dark, action-packed, and swoonworthy, this is Hafsah Faizal better than ever."
THE BOOK I've literally been hearing about everywhere.
River Mumma by Zalika Reid-Benta
Published by: Erewhon Books
Publication Date: February 20th, 2024
Format: Hardcover, 304 Pages
To Buy
The official patter:
"Issa Rae's Insecure with a magical realist spin: River Mumma is an exhilarating contemporary fantasy novel about a young Black woman who navigates her quarter-life-crisis while embarking on a mythical quest through the streets of Toronto.
Alicia has been out of grad school for months. She has no career prospects and lives with her mom, who won't stop texting her macabre news stories and reminders to pick up items from the grocery store.
Then, one evening, the Jamaican water deity, River Mumma, appears to Alicia, telling her that she has twenty-four hours to scour the city for her missing comb.
Alicia doesn't understand why River Mumma would choose her. She can't remember all the legends her relatives told her, unlike her retail co-worker Heaven, who can reel off Jamaican folklore by heart. She doesn't know if her childhood visions have returned, or why she feels a strange connection to her other co-worker Mars. But when the trio are chased down by malevolent spirits called duppies, they realize their tenuous bonds to each other may be their only lifelines. With the clock ticking, Alicia's quest through the city broadens into a journey through time - to find herself and what the river carries.
Energetic and invigorating, River Mumma is a vibrant exploration of diasporic community and ancestral ties, and a homage to Jamaican storytelling by one of the most invigorating voices in today's literature."
The setting and magical realism give me a big Scott Pilgrim vibe, but from there it's all its own magical adventure.
My Throat an Open Grave by Tori Bovalino
Published by: Page Street YA
Publication Date: February 20th, 2024
Format: Hardcover, 320 Pages
To Buy
The official patter:
"Labyrinth meets folk horror in this darkly romantic tale of a girl who wishes her baby brother away to the Lord of the Wood.
Growing up in the small town of Winston, Pennsylvania feels like drowning. Leah goes to church every Sunday, works when she isn't at school, and takes care of her baby brother, Owen. Like every girl in Winston, she tries to be right and good and holy. If she isn't the Lord of the Wood will take her, and she'll disappear like so many other girls before her.
But living up to the rigorous standards of the town takes its toll. One night, when Owen won't stop screaming, Leah wishes him away, and the Lord listens. The screaming stops, and all that's left in the crib is a small bundle of sticks tied with a ribbon.
Filled with shame and the weight of the town's judgment, Leah is forced to cross the river into the Lord of the Wood's domain to bring Owen back. But the devilish figure who has haunted Winston for generations isn't what she expects. He tells her she can have her brother back--for the price of a song. A song that Leah will have one month to write.
It's a bargain that will uncover secrets her hometown has tried to keep buried for decades. And what she unearths will have her questioning everything she's been taught to fear."
What was that about Labyrinth?
Island Witch by Amanda Jayatissa
Published by: Berkley Books
Publication Date: February 20th, 2024
Format: Hardcover, 384 Pages
To Buy
The official patter:
"Set in 19th century Sri Lanka and inspired by local folklore, the daughter of a traditional demon-priest--relentlessly bullied by peers and accused of witchcraft herself - tries to solve the mysterious attacks that have been terrorizing her coastal village.
Being the daughter of the village Capuwa, or demon-priest, Amara is used to keeping mostly to herself. Influenced by the new religious practices brought in by the British Colonizers, the villagers who once respected her father's craft have turned on the family. Yet, they all still seem to call on him whenever supernatural disturbances arise.
Now someone - or something - is viciously seizing upon men in the jungle. But instead of enlisting Amara's father's help, the villages have accused him of carrying out the attacks himself.
As she tries to clear her father's name, Amara finds herself haunted by dreams that eerily predict the dark forces on her island. And she can't shake the feeling that it's all connected to the night she was recovering from a strange illness, and woke up, scared and confused, to hear her mother's frantic cries: No one can find out what happened."
Astounding historical fantasy!
The Diamond and the Duke by Christi Caldwell
Published by: Berkley Books
Publication Date: February 20th, 2024
Format: Paperback, 304 Pages
To Buy
The official patter:
"When a wounded soldier and self-proclaimed "beast" finds unlikely friendship with a headstrong and unconventional beauty, they quickly find themselves weaving a tale as old as time...
Despite a hero's return to England from the Napoleonic Wars, Wesley Audley isolates from the ton. Deep wounds from the horrors of combat - and the despair of a broken heart--left him scarred. As he struggles to cope and resume his place in Polite Society, Wesley is quick to cut himself off from everyone...except for Ellie Balfour.
Independent and strong-willed, Ellie has dreams of captaining her own husband-free life and a penchant for meddling in other's business. She knows befriending Wesley is a risk but Ellie can't bear to see his heartache. Nor can she seem to silence all the temptingly intimate thoughts his nearness provokes.
But Ellie is yet to face a battle she can't win--and Wesley's heart is worth the fight. If only her campaigns ever went to plan..."
Yes, totally here because of the nod to Disney's Beauty and the Beast.
Heartless Hunter by Kristen Ciccarelli
Published by: Wednesday Books
Publication Date: February 20th, 2024
Format: Hardcover, 416 Pages
To Buy
The official patter:
"Enemies-to-lovers doesn't get more high stakes than a witch and a witch hunter falling in love in bestselling author Kristen Ciccarelli's latest romantic fantasy.
On the night Rune's life changed forever, blood ran in the streets. Now, in the aftermath of a devastating revolution, witches have been diminished from powerful rulers to outcasts ruthlessly hunted due to their waning magic, and Rune must hide what she is.
Spending her days pretending to be nothing more than a vapid young socialite, Rune spends her nights as the Crimson Moth, a witch vigilante who rescues her kind from being purged. When a rescue goes wrong, she decides to throw the witch hunters off her scent and gain the intel she desperately needs by courting the handsome Gideon Sharpe - a notorious and unforgiving witch hunter loyal to the revolution - who she can't help but find herself falling for.
Gideon loathes the decadence and superficiality Rune represents, but when he learns the Crimson Moth has been using Rune's merchant ships to smuggle renegade witches out of the republic, he inserts himself into her social circles by pretending to court her right back. He soon realizes that beneath her beauty and shallow façade, is someone fiercely intelligent and tender who feels like his perfect match. Except, what if she's the very villain he's been hunting?
Kristen Ciccarelli's Heartless Hunter is the thrilling start to The Crimson Moth duology, a romantic fantasy series where the only thing more treacherous than being a witch...is falling in love."
That cover is sheer perfection.
Reaping Demons by Eve Langlais
Published by: Eve Langlais
Publication Date: February 20th, 2024
Format: Paperback, 294 Pages
To Buy
The official patter:
"Turns out there are monsters in the world.
Why couldn't my midlife crisis involve a new hairstyle? I went from ordinary working gal to demon killer. Sounds exciting? Not really, seeing as how I got fired from my job, my apartment was trashed, and the cops think I'm involved in something shady.
Especially that cute detective who keeps questioning me...
Pity there's no time to flirt, what with all the demons that keep emerging from sewer grates and subway tunnels. Something has to be done before they overrun the city. If only that something didn't involve me!
I never asked to be a heroine, but apparently, I've been chosen and now I must reap what fate has bestowed before chaos is sown."
Never judge a book by it's cover, because the wonderful snarky voice is where it's at here.
Welcome to the Hyunam-Dong Bookshop by Hwang Bo-Reum
Published by: Bloomsbury Publishing
Publication Date: February 20th, 2024
Format: Hardcover, 3520 Pages
To Buy
The official patter:
"The Korean smash hit available for the first time in English, a slice-of-life novel for readers of Matt Haig's The Midnight Library and Gabrielle Zevin's The Storied Life of AJ Fikry.
Yeongju is burned out. With her high--flying career, demanding marriage, and busy life in Seoul, she knows she should feel successful, but all she feels is drained. Yet an abandoned dream nags at her, and in a leap of faith, she leaves her old life behind. Quitting her job and divorcing her husband, Yeongju moves to a small residential neighborhood outside the city, where she opens the Hyunam-dong Bookshop.
For the first few months, all Yeongju does is cry, deterring visitors. But the long hours in the shop give her time to mull over what makes a good bookseller and store, and as she starts to read hungrily, host author events, and develop her own bookselling philosophy, she begins to ease into her new setting. Surrounded by friends, writers, and the books that connect them all, she finds her new story as the Hyunam-dong Bookshop transforms into an inviting space for lost souls to rest, heal, and remember that it's never too late to scrap the plot and start again."
Seriously, not everything has to be compared to The Midnight Library or The Storied Life of AJ Fikry! This is it's own awesome thing and I want to curl up in the pages of this book.
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