Death by Misadventure by Tasha AlexanderPublished by: Minotaur Books
Publication Date: September 24th, 2024
Format: Hardcover, 304 Pages
To Buy
The official patter:
"In the latest installment of Tasha Alexander's New York Times bestselling series, Lady Emily must solve a string of high stakes "accidents" while trapped in a lavish villa in the Bavarian Alps.
In the winter of 1906, Lady Emily and husband Colin are invited to the opulent home of Baroness Ursula von Duchtel in the Bavarian alps. Outside is a mountainous winter wonderland with a view of Mad King Ludwig's fairy tale castle. Inside, the villa hosts a magnificent but eclectic art collection - as well as an equally eclectic collection of fellow guests, among them a musician, an art dealer, a coquette from the demi-monde, and Kaspar, the Baroness' boorish son-in-law, whom, it begins to appear, someone wants dead. Almost forty years earlier, Niels, a young German lord, sings to himself in the forest surrounding those same alps, capturing the attention of a not-yet-mad King Ludwig. Niels and the king become fast friends, their relationship deepening into something more as their time together stretches on. But while King Ludwig is content to live out a fantasy where their responsibilities don't matter and the outside world doesn't affect them, Niels knows that their bliss cannot last forever...
Decades later, Emily continues to investigate Kaspar's increasingly lethal "mishaps" when tragedy strikes, ensnaring the guests in a web of fear and suspicion. It's up to Emily to sift through old secrets and motivations, some stretching far into the past, to unmask the killer."
You all know I worship and adore Tasha and Lady Emily, but this one has something very special, something very Agatha Christie about it. You will devour it just like I did.
Murder at King's Crossing by Andrea PenrosePublished by: Kensington Publishing Corporation
Publication Date: September 24th, 2024
Format: Hardcover, 368 Pages
To Buy
The official patter:
"When the murder of a scientific genius on the verge of a momentous discovery upsets the wedding of their dear friends, Wrexford and Charlotte must risk all they hold dear to deconstruct a sinister conspiracy in the latest installment of Andrea Penrose's USA Today bestselling Wrexford and Sloane Mysteries.
Celebration is in the air at Wrexford and Charlotte's country estate as they host the nuptials of their friends, Christopher Sheffield and Lady Cordelia Mansfield. But on the afternoon of the wedding, the festivities are interrupted when the local authorities arrive with news that a murdered man has been discovered at the bridge over King's Crossing, his only identification an invitation to the wedding. Lady Cordelia is horrified when the victim is identified as Jasper Milton, her childhood friend and a brilliant engineer who is rumored to have discovered a revolutionary technological innovation in bridge design. That he had the invitation meant for her cousin Oliver, who never showed up for the wedding, stirs a number of unsettling questions.
Both men were involved in the Revolutions-Per-Minute Society, a scientific group dedicated to making radical improvements in the speed and cost of transportation throughout Britain. Is someone plotting to steal Milton's designs? And why has her cousin disappeared?
Wrexford and Charlotte were looking forward to spending a peaceful interlude in the country, but when Lady Cordelia resolves to solve the mystery, they offer their help, along with that of the Weasels and their unconventional inner circle of friends. The investigation turns tangled and soon all of them are caught up in a treacherous web of greed, ambition, and dangerous secrets. And when the trail takes a shocking turn, Wrexford and Charlotte must decide what risks they are willing to take with their family to bring the villains to justice..."
Seriously, this week is made for those who love their Historical Murder Mysteries. In fact, just take the week off, you'll need it to read all these fabulous books.
The Case of the Purloined Pages by Patricia RicePublished by: Book View Cafe Publishing Cooperative
Publication Date: September 24th, 2024
Format: Paperback, 312 Pages
To Buy
The official patter:
"Death stalks the library...
Bestselling author Patricia Rice brings you another haunting country house mystery in Regency England...
Minerva Peniston, intrepid spinster and booklover, is determined to capture the villain who tried to shoot a duke at a book auction - imperiling her father's position and the only home she's ever known. And now the same wealthy bibliophiles are gathering at Wycliffe Manor...
Paul Upton, over-educated and impoverished curate, has volunteered to assist the residents of Wycliffe Manor in preparing for a book auction to save the village and the manor's future. When an intriguing wallflower drags him into aiding her quest to find a potential killer, he agrees for her safety, and to keep trouble from upending the long-awaited nuptials of the manor's owner.
Despite their efforts, Minerva's chatty book-collecting friend is strangled before the auction begins. A killer on the loose threatens to upend both sale and wedding. Paul and Minerva must determine what secrets the garrulous victim revealed...and to whom...before the murderer strikes again.
With valuable manuscripts at risk and a half dozen more potential victims on hand, only an unlikely white-knight and mousy spinster can save the auction and the wedding. As much as Minerva adores books, even she knows they aren't worth dying for."
Wait, books aren't worth dying for? Um, I disagree, save the books let the people perish!
Murder in Berkeley Square by Vanessa RileyPublished by: Kensington Publishing Corporation
Publication Date: September 24th, 2024
Format: Hardcover, 320 Pages
To Buy
The official patter:
"Embracing the true diversity of the Regency era, award-winning author Vanessa Riley brings readers a vibrant historical mystery starring an engaging heroine with an independent streak, a notorious past, and a decided talent for sleuthing in Murder in Berkley Square the latest novel in her Lady Worthing Mystery series.
A marriage of convenience saved Lady Abigail Worthing's family from disgrace, but she's finding her absent husband's endless conditions increasingly repressive. Unable to stay at their London home during the oncoming winter, she accepts a ride to the country from her neighbor, Stapleton Henderson. However, she's less than delighted that she's his excuse to avoid a dinner held by Lord Charles Duncan, one of London's most powerful - and relentless - magistrates. More irritating, women are decidedly unwelcome at the evening's prestigious discussion of criminality - even though Abigail and Stapleton have solved several cases together...
Then an unexpected blizzard strands them at Lord Duncan's with his now-houseguests. Suddenly, an evening of fine dining, fine brandy, and insightful debate becomes an inescapable - and deadly - ordeal. The ultimate test for Abigial's skill. One of the dinner guests is found dead in front of the Berkley Square mansion. And when another party is murdered, Abigail discovers each had received a taunting, prophetic nursery rhyme...coincidence, or clues left by a killer on the loose?
Through deft interrogation, she learns everyone present is connected to Lord Duncan's greatest failure in the courts: the conviction of a Martinique plantation informant for a murder he didn't commit. But as Abigail races to find who was really responsible for the miscarriage of justice, she'll be forced to put her own and Stapleton's lives at risk in a gambit that will alter their fates forever - or end them permanently."
I love love love it when blizzards trap people with killers. Especially in lush English homes.
A Cure for Sorrow by Jen WheelerPublished by: Lake Union Publishing
Publication Date: September 24th, 2024
Format: Paperback, 431 Pages
To Buy
The official patter:
"From the author of The Light on Farallon Island comes a haunting novel about the power of science, the nature of love, and the enigma of the supernatural.
Convention-flouting Nora Harris is a determined young medical student in Gilded Age Manhattan. A surgeon's daughter, she always leads with her head - until her father's latest protégé, Euan Colquhoun, steals her heart. Love and logic bind the newly betrothed couple together, but a tragic accident cuts their bright future short.
Grief-stricken, Nora finds surprising comfort in corresponding with Euan's older brother, Malcolm. She decides to forsake her ambitions to retreat to the Colquhoun family farm deep in the tangled woods of upstate New York.
There, her longed-for peace is threatened by a suspicion that the whole family harbors haunting secrets. When she starts to see things that science can't explain, Nora fears for her sanity - and when she gives in to dangerous temptations, she fears for her immortal soul."
A country estate with things that "science can't explain" I need to know more!
The Cold Light of Day by Anna Lee HuberPublished by: Kensington Publishing Corporation
Publication Date: September 24th, 2024
Format: Paperback, 384 Pages
To Buy
The official patter:
"Remarkable heroine Verity Kent must follow the leads of a dangerous investigation that will pull her into a conspiracy spilling dangerously out onto the streets of Interwar Dublin, Ireland in the next installment of this highly acclaimed series.
June 1920, Ireland: The streets of Dublin seethe with revolution as the Irish Republican Army clashes with British authorities. Roving assassination squads mean nowhere is truly safe, particularly for Verity Kent and her war hero husband, Sidney. Given their celebrity as society darlings and intrepid sleuths, they must tread carefully to go unnoticed - nearly impossible when they are called upon to search for Verity's fellow spy and friend...
Captain Alec Xavier has seemingly vanished after traveling to Dublin to infiltrate the IRA at its highest levels. Doing her best to maintain a modicum of normalcy and stay under the radar of both the rebels and British Intelligence, Verity works undercover by day and waltzes through the city's elite social scene by night. Still, she fears the worst for Alec - until shocking evidence mounts that not only is he alive, but that he has switched sides...
Already disillusioned with the British government, the news leaves Verity and Sidney reeling. Worse, they learn of a conspiracy within Dublin Castle, where personal vendettas are being carried out and sanctioned by British Intelligence under the cover of revolution. With the distinction between friend and foe never more blurred - or the margin for error narrower - Verity and Sidney cannot turn a blind eye. Especially when a familiar adversary appears, bringing a threat almost too terrifying to confront - even in the cold light of day..."
It's always important to hold those nearest you accountable.
A Front-Page Murder by Fiona Veitch SmithPublished by: Embla Books
Publication Date: September 24th, 2024
Format: Kindle, 304 Pages
To Buy
The official patter:
"London, 1920. Starry-eyed aspiring reporter Poppy Denby emerges from the steam of the Edinburgh-London train onto the platform at King's Cross with nothing but a trunk of old notebooks and a heart full of dreams. She swaps her quiet northern hometown for the Big Smoke to act as companion for her ailing (but ever-sharp) Aunt Dot, a pioneering Suffragette and former West End leading lady.
She may only be twenty-two, but Miss Denby knows what she wants and quickly lands a job at the Daily Globe. She expects she's going to have to pull up her stockings and work twice as hard as her male colleagues, but what she is not ready to deal with is murder.
It's only Poppy's first day on Fleet Street when one of the Globe's senior reporters falls to his death from the highest staircase - just moments after receiving a mysterious note. Poppy is tasked with finishing his article involving the mysterious death of a suffragette seven years earlier, about which some powerful people would prefer nothing to be said. Did old Bert Isaacs get too close to a scoop?
As Poppy investigates, she is thrown into a world of hard-drinking newspapermen, flappers and jazz clubs, and learns she must tread very carefully indeed. Luckily, she has her new-found friendship with the terribly dashing Globe photographer Daniel Rokeby who seems terribly eager to lend a helping hand..."
The real mystery here is isn't her job supposed to be companion not working at the Daily Globe?
Murder on the Nile by Verity BrightPublished by: Bookouture
Publication Date: September 24th, 2024
Format: Paperback, 298 Pages
To Buy
The official patter:
"A cruise down the Nile, a camel ride around the pyramids, lunch in the shadow of the Sphinx...And a very dead body!
1924. Lady Eleanor Swift and her butler Clifford are touring the great, ancient sights of Egypt on a much-anticipated extended vacation. But when the pair arrive at the docks in Cairo expecting to board the luxurious paddle steamer advertised in their brochure, they are baffled by the crumbling old cruiser waiting for them. And things only go from bad to worse as death stalks the decks of the SS Cleopatra...
Two days into the trip one of their fellow passengers, Lieutenant Baxter, is found shot dead in his locked cabin. Immediately suspicious and desperate to see justice done, Eleanor discovers a half-finished note addressed to her hidden in Baxter's travelling trunk. In it he asks her to deliver a vitally important letter to the authorities at their next stop down river: a priceless treasure worthy of a king has been stolen and an innocent man's life hangs in the balance.
But before the sands of time wipe away all evidence on board, Eleanor must uncover who among the other travellers wanted Baxter dead. Was it the anxious archaeologist who doesn't have an alibi, the reptile expert with a passion for the murderous Nile crocodile or the art dealer with a devious secret?
With the killer readying to strike again much closer to home, can Eleanor dig up the truth before she's trapped in a tomb under the pyramids forever?
A gripping and twisty 1920s murder mystery set in Egypt, perfect for fans of Agatha Christie, T.E. Kinsey and Lee Strauss!"
And fans of Elizabeth Peters. Obviously.
A Deadly Discovery by Ciar ByrnePublished by: Headline Accent
Publication Date: September 24th, 2024
Format: Kindle, 350 Pages
To Buy
The official patter:
"Book 1 in a gripping new bookish cosy crime series - perfect for fans of The Three Dahlias, The Mitford Murders and golden age crime.
In the shadow of Lewes castle lies buried an ancient tablet. Hours after discovering it, dashing local archaeologist Gideon Rivers is dead.
Writer Virginia Woolf and her artist sister, Vanessa, both know firsthand that it doesn't take much to cause a stir in town. And when Gideon returned home from a dig in Syria with a glamourous Parisian heiress on his arm, all eyes were on him.
But who would have conspired to murder such a charming young man? There are more suspects in his circle than it first seems: an ambitious fiancée, a jealous best friend, and a string of scorned former lovers.
With the police chasing false leads and the murderer hunting down a second victim - one far closer to home - Ginny and Nessa are forced to take investigations into their own hands.
Solving this mystery calls for a little creativity..."
The Stephen sisters are on the case! Damn how I love writers becoming sleuths!
Seven Lively Suspects by Katy WatsonPublished by: Mobius
Publication Date: September 24th, 2024
Format: Hardcover, 368 Pages
To Buy
The official patter:
"It's been five years since Dahlia fan Scott Baker was arrested for a murder that had eerie echoes of one of Lettice Davenport's books. But now a true crime podcast is convinced that the police got it wrong - and they want the three Dahlias to help them prove it.
The murder of aspiring crime writer Victoria Denby created a sensation at the time. The public's imagination was hooked by the detail of a paper dahlia placed beside the body, just like in one of Dahlia Lively's fictional cases. Was there a copycat killer at large in the peaceful town of Market Foxleigh?
Despite the tabloids' fearmongering, the police quickly arrested Victoria's friend and fellow writer, Scott Baker, and when it emerged that he had also been accused of stalking Dahlia actress Caro Hooper, it seemed like an open and shut case.
Five years on most people have forgotten the case. But this baking hot summer, a crime writing festival is being staged in Market Foxleigh - and the guests of honor are the Three Dahlias themselves - Rosalind, Caro and Posy. At the same time, a true crime podcast wants to reopen the cold case, convinced that the police got the wrong man... and they're determined to enlist the help of the Three Dahlias to help prove them right - and find the real killer."
And speaking of The Three Dahlias...
Tiny Threads by Lilliam RiveraPublished by: Del Rey Books
Publication Date: September 24th, 2024
Format: Hardcover, 256 Pages
To Buy
The official patter:
"Fashion-obsessed Samara finally has the life she's always dreamed of: A high-powered job with legendary designer Antonio Mota. A new home in sunny California, far away from those drab Jersey winters. And an intriguing love interest, Brandon, a wealthy investor in Mota's fashion line.
But it's not long before Samara's dream life begins to turn into a living nightmare as Mota's big fashion show approaches and the pressure on her turns crushing. Perhaps that's why she begins hearing voices in her room at night - and seeing strange things that can't be explained away by stress or anxiety or the number of drinks she's been consuming.
And it may not be just Samara imagining things as her psyche unravels, because she soon discovers hints that her new city - and the House of Mota - may be built on a foundation of secrets and lies. Now Samara must uncover what hideous truths lurk in the shadows of this illusory world of glamour and beauty before those shadows claim her."
I love the dark underbelly of fashion. So many people rarely get it right though.
The Serial Killer Guide to San Francisco by Michelle ChouinardPublished by: Minotaur Books
Publication Date: September 24th, 2024
Format: Hardcover, 336 Pages
To Buy
The official patter:
"In Michelle Chouinard's clever mystery The Serial Killer Guide to San Francisco, the granddaughter of a serial killer shows readers another side of the beloved city.
Welcome to San Francisco, a city with killer charm.
The chill of a San Francisco summer can be deadly. No one knows this better than Capri Sanzio, who makes her living giving serial killer tours of the city. Capri has been interested in the topic since she was a kid, when she discovered she's the granddaughter of serial killer William 'Overkill Bill' Sanzio. She's always believed in his innocence, though she's never taken the leap to fully dive into the case.
But now an Overkill Bill copycat has struck in San Francisco. And Capri's former mother-in-law, Sylvia, just cut off Capri's daughter's tuition payments. Needing cash, Capri wonders if this is the time to exonerate her grandfather. The case is back in the news and the police will be looking to understand the past to catch a present-day killer. Capri could finally uncover the truth about Overkill Bill - documenting the process with a podcast and a book - and hopefully earn some money.
Before Capri can get very far, the cops discover the copycat's latest victim: Sylvia. Capri soon finds herself at the heart of the police's investigation for an entirely different reason. She and her daughter are prime suspects."
I'm just saying, wouldn't debunking your grandfather when you do serial killer tours kind of put a dent in your business?
The Most Wonderful Crime of the Year by Ally CarterPublished by: Avon Books
Publication Date: September 24th, 2024
Format: Hardcover, 304 Pages
To Buy
The official patter:
"Knives Out gets a holiday rom-com twist in this rivals-to-lovers romance-mystery from New York Times bestselling author Ally Carter.
The bridge is out. The phones are down. And the most famous mystery writer in the world just disappeared out of a locked room two days before Christmas.
Meet Maggie Chase and Ethan Wyatt:
She's the new Queen of the Cozy Mystery.
He's Mr. Big-time Thriller Guy.
She hates his guts.
He thinks her name is Marcie (no matter how many times she's told him otherwise.)
But when they both accept a cryptic invitation to attend a Christmas house party at the English estate of a reclusive fan, neither is expecting their host to be the most powerful author in the world: Eleanor Ashley, the Duchess of Death herself.
That night, the weather turns, and the next morning Eleanor is gone.
She vanished from a locked room, and Maggie has to wonder: Is Eleanor in danger? Or is it all some kind of test? Is Ethan the competition? Or is he the only person in that snowbound mansion she can trust?
As the snow gets deeper and the stakes get higher, every clue will bring Maggie and Ethan closer to the truth - and each other. Because, this Christmas, these two rivals are going to have to become allies (and maybe more) if they have any hope of saving Eleanor.
Assuming they don't kill each other first."
Me, oh I can't wait to add the new Ally Carter to my bookshelf! Me, oh dear lord, that cover is horrible, I think I can just get a digital copy...
A Jingle Bell Mingle by Julie Murphy and Sierra SimonePublished by: Avon Books
Publication Date: September 24th, 2024
Format: Hardcover, 400 Pages
To Buy
The official patter:
"From #1 New York Times bestselling author Julie Murphy and USA Today bestselling author Sierra Simone who gave us A Merry Little Meet Cute comes a new holiday rom-com - 'tis the season for second chances!
What happens when there's no room at the inn and you and your potentially demonic cat become roommates with your grumpy one-night stand?
Part-time adult film actress/one-time adult film director/makeup artist Sunny Palmer has accidentally sold her very first screenplay to the Hope Channel. That was six months ago. Fast forward to a looming deadline, an uninspired Sunny has returned to the source of her inspiration in Christmas Notch, Vermont, to immerse herself in the local Christmas miracle on which her fever dream of a movie pitch was based.
Isaac Kelly, former boy band heartthrob and the saddest boy in the music biz, is the latest owner of the town's historic mansion. After his years of heartbreak following his young wife's death, Isaac's record label is done waiting for new music. What better place to attempt his first holiday album than a snow-covered mansion where he can become a hermit in peace?
But after their best friends' wedding leads to them waking up together in a freezing motel room with questionable wiring and a broken shower, Isaac takes a chance and asks Sunny to stay with him at his home. Surely the place is big enough that he'll hardly see her or her unhinged cat. But when the two discover they're both creatively blocked, they make a handshake deal: Isaac will help Sunny hunt down the truth behind the local lore, and Sunny will find Isaac a new muse.
And with these two opposites under one roof, there's no way this jingle bell mingle could go off script...right?"
I really wonder how the PR people at the "Hope" Channel will spin Sunny's past...
Hex and Hexability by Kate JohnsonPublished by: One More Chapter
Publication Date: September 24th, 2024
Format: Paperback, 384 Pages
To Buy
The official patter:
"Bridgerton meets The Ex Hex this witchy season with this oh so spicy romantasy Regency romcom!
'Do you want to see what witches can do?'
Lady Tiffany Worthington has always had a special talent for making the world around her come to life - whether she wants it to or not - but it's only with the arrival of her mysterious great aunt Esme on the eve of the Battle of Waterloo that she learns she's a witch...and that the magic she's long feared is actually a gift to be embraced.
Now, as she's exposed to a side of London she never knew existed, one with sea creatures, magical portals, time travel, and a handsome duke from a faraway land with a dashing scar that makes him look like a pirate, Lady Tiffany discovers that despite what the ton might decree, there is no limit to what she can do...or who she can be."
REGENCY MAGIC! MUPPET ARM FLAIL!
Queen Macbeath by Val McDermidPublished by: Atlantic Monthly Press
Publication Date: September 24th, 2024
Format: Hardcover, 144 Pages
To Buy
The official patter:
"Shakespeare created the myth of the Macbeths as indefensible murderous conspirators. But now internationally bestselling author Val McDermid drags the truth out of the shadows, exposing the patriarchal prejudices of history.
Britain's reigning "Queen of Crime" (The Scotsman), Val McDermid has ensnared audiences worldwide for over thirty years with her thrilling and masterfully plotted crime oeuvre. A radical, rip-roaring counternarrative drawing on the historical record, Queen Macbeth delivers an illuminating portrait of Shakespeare's most famous villain, and the treacherous pursuit of ambition that made her legendary.
A thousand years ago in an ancient Scottish landscape, a woman is on the run with her three companions - a healer, a weaver, and a seer. The men hunting her will kill her - because she is the only one who stands between them and their violent ambition. She is no lady: she is the first queen of Scotland, married to a king called Macbeth. As the net closes in, what unfurls is a tale of passion, forced marriage, bloody massacre, and the harsh realities of medieval Scotland. At the heart of it is one strong, charismatic woman, who survived loss and jeopardy to outwit the endless plotting of a string of ruthless and power-hungry men. Her struggle won her a country. But now it could cost her life.
Immersive and utterly riveting, Queen Macbeth is an electric reimagining of one of Shakespeare's most celebrated tragedies and reaffirms McDermid as one of the preeminent writers of our day."
Because I know, like me, you've always wondered about the truth of Lady Macbeth...
This Fatal Kiss by Alicia JasinskaPublished by: Peachtree Teen
Publication Date: September 24th, 2024
Format: Hardcover, 416 Pages
To Buy
The official patter:
"Spirit away with a whimsical fantasy filled with dark magic and flirty, polyamorous romance.
Cursed to haunt the river running through the magical spa town where she drowned, Gisela is a water nymph who dreams of returning to the living world and the family she left behind. All it takes to regain her humanity is a kiss from a mortal...but everyone sees her as a monster.
And then there's Kazik, the brooding, interfering, spirit-hunting grandson of a local witch. He's determined to rid the world of unholy creatures like Gisela. After Kazik botches Gisela's exorcism, she strikes up a deal. She won't tell the other spirits that he's losing his magic, if he agrees to play matchmaker and helps her get a kiss. But Gisela's plan goes awry when Kazik also falls for the devilishly handsome young man that she sets her heart on - someone who could be linked to Gisela's troubled past.
Finely crafted with a magical setting, this delectable quest through the spirit world is an enchanting read for fairy tale enthusiasts and YA fans of queer romantasy."
And come on, look at that lush cover! I want to live in it.
Necrology by Meg RipleyPublished by: Creature Publishing, LLC
Publication Date: September 24th, 2024
Format: Paerback, 380 Pages
To Buy
The official patter:
""It's amazing what the spirit can cope with to preserve the body. My spirit is a mighty oak that just won't fall."
In a fantastical aftermath of the Salem witch trials, magical women known as the Dirty have signed a contract swearing off their innate magic in exchange for freedom from violence by non-magical Freemen. Two hundred years later, in a Catskills orphanage, headmistress Whitetail has sprouted antlers - proof of a violated contract. When her wealthy benefactor visits, proposing marriage, her appearance sparks abuse. Rushing to her teacher's defense, eight-year-old Rabbit curses the Beard dead, and Whitetail's arrested on trumped-up charges.
As Whitetail awaits her trial and execution, Rabbit is groomed as the Freemen's star witness and learns of the terrifying reality to which they aspire. With her magic at stake and a loose tooth in her mouth, Rabbit has little left to lose. And a revolution to gain."
The real question, how much magic can she wield with that tooth?
What We Sacrifice for Magic by Andrea Jo DeWerdPublished by: Alcove Press
Publication Date: September 24th, 2024
Format: Paperback, 304 Pages
To Buy
The official patter:
"Perfect for fans of Practical Magic and The Lager Queen of Minnesota a coming-of-age novel following three generations of witches in the 1960s, this enchanting and heartwarming debut explores the importance of family and the delight and heartbreak of discovering who you truly are.
It's 1968, and the Watry-Ridder family is feared and respected in equal measure. The local farmers seek out their water charms, and the teenagers, their love spells. The family's charms and spells, passed down through generations of witches descending from the Black Forest, have long served the small town of Friedrich, Minnesota.
Eldest daughter Elisabeth has just graduated high school - she is expected to hone her supernatural abilities to take over for her grandmother, the indomitable Magda. She's also expected to marry her high school sweetheart and live the rest of her life in Friedrich. But all she can ask is, why her? Why is her path set in stone, and what else might be out there for her?
She soon discovers that magic isn't the only thing inherited in her family. That magic also comes with a great price - and a big family secret. The more she digs, the more questions she has, and the less she trusts the grandmother she thought she knew. Who is Elisabeth without her family? She must ultimately decide what she's willing to sacrifice for her family, for their secrets and their magic, or risk it all to pave her own way.
Navigating the bittersweet tension between self-discovery and living up to familial expectations, What We Sacrifice for Magic is a touching look at coming into one's own."
And also, who constitutes our chosen family...
The Naming Song by Jedediah BerryPublished by: Tor Books
Publication Date: September 24th, 2024
Format: Hardcover, 384 Pages
To Buy
The official patter:
"A gorgeously imaginative fantasy in the spirit of Hayao Miyazaki and Guillermo del Toro.
There's nothing more dangerous than an unnamed thing.
When the words went away, the world changed.
All meaning was lost, and every border fell. Monsters slipped from dreams to haunt the waking while ghosts wandered the land in futile reveries. Only with the rise of the committees of the named - Maps, Ghosts, Dreams, and Names - could the people stand against the terrors of the nameless wilds. They built borders around their world and within their minds, shackled ghosts and hunted monsters, and went to war against the unknown.
For one unnamed courier of the Names Committee, the task of delivering new words preserves her place in a world that fears her. But after a series of monstrous attacks on the named, she is forced to flee her committee and seek her long-lost sister. Accompanied by a patchwork ghost, a fretful monster, and a nameless animal who prowls the shadows, her search for the truth of her past opens the door to a revolutionary future - for the words she carries will reshape the world.
The Naming Song is a book of deep secrets and marvelous discoveries, strange adventures and dangerous truths. It's the story of a world locked in a battle over meaning. Most of all, it's the perfect fantasy for anyone who's ever dreamed of a stranger, freer, more magical world."
The power of names, of language, is the greatest power of all.
Space Oddity by Catherynne M. ValentePublished by: S and s/Saga Press
Publication Date: September 24th, 2024
Format: Hardcover, 384 Pages
To Buy
The official patter:
"Return to the greatest contest in the galaxy in the sequel to the hilarious USA Today bestseller Space Opera from New York Times bestselling author and finalist for the Hugo, Nebula, World Fantasy, and Ursula K. Le Guin awards.
The Metagalactic Grand Prix - part gladiatorial contest, part beauty pageant, part concert extravaganza, and part continuation of the wars of the past returns and the fate of the Earth is once again threatened. The civilizations opposed to humanity have been plotting and want to take down the upstarts. Can humanity rise again in this sequel to the beloved Hugo- Award-nominated national bestselling Space Opera by New York Times bestselling author Catherynne M. Valente?"
The most important thing about this sequel is that Cat named it after a David Bowie song.
Carl's Doomsday Scenario by Matt DinnimanPublished by: Ace Books
Publication Date: September 24th, 2024
Format: Hardcover, 384 Pages
To Buy
The official patter:
"Join Carl and his ex-girlfriend's cat, Princess Donut, as they fight fantastical creatures and deadly mobs to make it to the next level and build the kind of fan following the dungeon masters can't ignore in the second book in the smash-hit Dungeon Crawler Carl series by Matt Dinniman - now with bonus material exclusive to this print edition.
"Greetings, Crawlers! The training levels have concluded. Now the games may truly begin."
The aliens have come, and they've transformed Earth into a multilevel, video game-like dungeon. It's the newest season of the galaxy's most watched game show, Dungeon Crawler World. Now on the third floor, Carl and Donut have to fight harder than ever. They've already proven that a Coast Guard vet and once-and-forever feline royalty are an almost unstoppable team. Their ratings are off the charts. Viewers can't get enough. But the dungeon gets more dangerous each day, and now there's a whole new problem to deal with: Quests.
They call it the Over City. A sprawling, once-thriving metropolis devastated by a mysterious calamity. But these streets are far from abandoned. An undead circus trawls the ruins. Murdered women rain from the sky. An ancient spell is finally ready to reveal its dark purpose. Can Carl and Donut solve the mystery in time?
And can Carl finally find some pants?
Includes part two of the exclusive bonus story "Backstage at the Pineapple Cabaret.""
OMG, I can't handle that the twist is Quests! I just can't. So epic.
Shikaree by M.J. OelkersPublished by: Arnstead Press
Publication Date: September 24th, 2024
Format: Paperback, 3404 Pages
To Buy
The official patter:
"The eldest child of four, Chandra Pattal has no shortage of work on her plate.
Her time under the sun is stretched between working the family orchards, selling produce in the markets of Arnstead, and caring for her siblings in place of her dearly departed mother. Looming over Chandra's hectic life is her father's debt to the Orland Bank. The family stands one poor harvest from a life in the streets, and interest rates only ever seem to climb.
To balance her family's precarious situation, Chandra moonlights as a Shikaree. A treasure hunter who delves into the dark places of the World Below. Ancient bits and baubles call to Chandra with promises of comfort and stability. Small offerings to throw atop the debt that crushes her family.
When Chandra finds a map to greater riches, she bets her life on one great expedition to secure her family's future. A journey through darkness and horror that guarantees danger. The World Below teems with ravenous varmints eager to prey on lone adventurers. Otherworldly terrors conceal themselves in crevices and around corners. Perhaps the most terrifying threats of all are the fellow Shikaree who would kill to stake their claim.
Shikaree is a dark fantasy tale of trust and determination, where Chandra Pattal risks all that she has to find what she truly desires. Just how far will Chandra go to protect her family from an uncaring world?"
When an orchard isn't enough you risk it all.
Sweetest Darkness by Leslie LutzPublished by: Holiday House
Publication Date: September 24th, 2024
Format: Hardcover, 304 Pages
To Buy
The official patter:
"A teenage psychic is drawn deep into the honeycomb of an abandoned hotel - and into a cat-and-mouse game with a predatory entity - in this riveting new supernatural horror novel.
Everyone in Gypsum, Texas knows the Hotel Alvarado changes at night - especially Quinn. A teenage clairvoyant, he's been having dreams about it... dreams that call him to its dark, abandoned halls. The hotel is a monument to the town's more prosperous past, when celebrities flocked to the mineral spas and films were shot in the desert. The Great Depression killed all of that, it killed the Alvarado, and frankly it killed Gypsum, too. Now, when the sun goes down, things no longer living stir deep within its creaking depths.
But the dreams are relentless. When Quinn braves the hotel's darkness with his best friend June and unrequited love Selena, looking for answers, he gets only one: ghosts aren't the scariest thing lurking inside the Alvarado (although they're there, cold and restless and angry).
No. He's been called by something worse: a predatory, inhuman entity that threatens to wipe Gypsum off the map, along with everyone in it. And wrongly - accidentally - he's let it out. It takes the shape of a handsome young man. It walks. It talks. It laughs. It can even make you laugh. But its appetite for death can never be sated. Quinn has always had the power to see the future... can he find the power to change it?"
People who are psychic should never go into old hotels. Period.
Devils Kill Devils by Johnny ComptonPublished by: Tor Nightfire
Publication Date: September 24th, 2024
Format: Hardcover, 288 Pages
To Buy
The official patter:
"Devils Kill Devils is perfect for fans of Silvia Moreno-Garcia's Certain Dark Things and Southern Gothic horror. Johnny Compton brings his trademark terror and dread that readers fell in love with in The Spite House to a new roster of monsters - angels, devils, vampires - and a heart-pounding race to save the world.
When all hell breaks loose, you need a devil on your side.
Sarita has been watched over by a guardian angel her entire life. She calls him Angelo, and keeps him a secret. But secrets can't stay buried forever...
When Angelo murders someone she loves, Sarita begins to see what's really been lurking in the shadows surrounding her. And she will have to embrace the evil within if she hopes to make it out alive.
Johnny Compton, critically acclaimed author of The Spite House and master of dread, takes you on a terrifying race of one woman against the hordes of hell."
I LOVE Southern Gothic Horror!
Graveyard Shift by M.L. RioPublished by: Flatiron Books
Publication Date: September 24th, 2024
Format: Paperback, 144 Pages
To Buy
The official patter:
"The author of sales sensation If We Were Villains returns with a story about a ragtag group of night shift workers who meet in the local cemetery to unearth the secrets lurking in an open grave.
Every night, in the college's ancient cemetery, five people cross paths as they work the late shift: a bartender, a rideshare driver, a hotel receptionist, the steward of the derelict church that looms over them, and the editor-in-chief of the college paper, always in search of a story.
One dark October evening in the defunct churchyard, they find a hole that wasn't there before. A fresh, open grave where no grave should be. But who dug it, and for whom?
Before they go their separate ways, the gravedigger returns. As they trail him through the night, they realize he may be the key to a string of strange happenings around town that have made headlines for the last few weeks - and that they may be closer to the mystery than they thought.
Atmospheric and eerie, with the ensemble cast her fans love and a delightfully familiar academic backdrop, Graveyard Shift is a modern Gothic tale in If We Were Villains author M. L. Rio's inimitable style."
Is it wrong I kind of want to hang out with this gang?
The Darkest Night edited by Lindy RyanPublished by: Crooked Lane Books
Publication Date: September 24th, 2024
Format: Paperback, 320 Pages
To Buy
The official patter:
"From some of the biggest names in horror comes an Advent calendar of short holiday horror stories perfect for the darkest nights of the year.
Edited by award-winning author and anthologist Lindy Ryan and with contributions from masters of horror like Josh Malerman, Eric LaRocca, and Clay McLeod Chapman, this horrific anthology will chill you to the bone.
From New York Times bestselling author of Bird Box, Josh Malerman, comes a story of a dark Christmas past in "Children Aren't the Only Ones Who Know Where the Presents Are Hidden."
From national bestselling author Rachel Harrison, in "Thaw," a couple spends their first Christmas together in a cabin - but are they alone, or does something else watch them from the tree line?
New York Times bestselling authors Christopher Golden and Tim Lebbon's "Wintry Blue" sets an innocent child on the road with a strange and monstrous creature.
From the Bram Stoker Award-winning screenwriter of Netflix's Haunting of Bly Manor and The Fall of the House of Usher, in Jamie Flanagan's "Bruiser," something sinister stalks the chilling hallways of a nursing home at night.
Author of Such a Pretty Smile, Kristi DeMeester, tells a tale of "Eggnog" a Christmas party, an overfriendly female coworker, and an angry wife are the recipe for a deadly cocktail party.
Plus stories by Nat Cassidy, Darcy Coates, Clay McLeod Chapman, Tim Waggoner, and many more, with an introduction by George C. Romero and art by renowned British horror artist Mister Sam Shearon."
I mean, I was sold at Christopher Golden, but Jamie Flanagan!?! Hell yes!
The Hitchcock Hotel by Stephanie WrobelPublished by: Berkley Books
Publication Date: September 24th, 2024
Format: Hardcover, 352 Pages
To Buy
The official patter:
"A Hitchcock fanatic with an agenda invites old friends for a weekend stay at his secluded themed hotel in this fiendishly clever, suspenseful new novel from the international bestselling author of Darling Rose Gold.
Alfred Smettle is not your average Hitchcock fan. He is the founder, owner, and manager of The Hitchcock Hotel, a sprawling Victorian house in the White Mountains dedicated to the Master of Suspense. There, Alfred offers his guests round-the-clock film screenings, movie props and memorabilia in every room, plus an aviary with fifty crows.
To celebrate the hotel's first anniversary, he invites his former best friends from his college Film Club for a reunion. He hasn't spoken to any of them in sixteen years, not after what happened.
But who better than them to appreciate Alfred's creation? And to help him finish it.
After all, no Hitchcock set is complete without a body."
As a devotee of Hitchcock, we share the same birthday afterall, this is a must read. And oddly, maybe, I think I need to recreate the experience too...
The Midnight Club by Margot HarrisonPublished by: Graydon House
Publication Date: September 24th, 2024
Format: Hardcover, 368 Pages
To Buy
The official patter:
"A twisty, nostalgic, emotionally thrilling novel about a group of estranged college friends who experiment with a secret substance that allows them to re-live their memories - and the fallout when they uncover startling truths about a dark event from their past.
"How could you leave the past undisturbed when it was hiding parts of you from yourself?"
It's been twenty-five years since The Midnight Club last convened. A tight-knit group of college friends bonded by late nights at the campus literary magazine, they're also bonded by something darker: the death of their brilliant friend Jennet junior year. But now, decades later, a mysterious invitation has pulled them back to the pine-shrouded Vermont town where it all began.
As the estranged friends gather for a weeklong campus reunion, they soon learn that their host has an ulterior motive: she wants them to uncover the truth about the night Jennet died, and she's provided them with an extraordinary method - a secret substance that helps them not only remember but relive the past.
But each one of the friends has something to hide. And the more they question each other, the deeper they dive into their own memories, the more they understand that nothing they thought they knew about their college years, and that fateful night, is true.
The Midnight Club explores that innate desire to revisit our first loves, our biggest mistakes, and the gulf between who we are and who we hoped we'd be."
I mean... Couldn't the book have picked a less well known title? Unless they named themselves after the Christopher Pike book, then that's fine. Confusing but fine.
Dying Inside by Pete WentzPublished by: Headshell
Publication Date: September 24th, 2024
Format: Paperback, 224 Pages
To Buy
The official patter:
"Scott Pilgrim and Wednesday combine into a teenaged Fleabag in Dying Inside, a supernatural, emo-fantasy thriller from the minds of Fall Out Boy's Pete Wentz, Hannah Klein, and Lisa Sterle!
Immortality is entirely overrated.
From Fall Out Boy's Pete Wentz, Hannah Klein (Everything's Fine), and Lisa Sterle (The Modern Witch Tarot, Witchblood) comes the graphic novel about a chronically depressed girl who's tired of fighting for her...death.
Today is Ash's big finale. And by finale, of course, she means exiting the stage permanently.
Ash is a sixteen-year-old girl with more angst than Ian Curtis and Elliott Smith combined (her two idols). She's apathetic and therefore believes death is the easiest route to relief. But nothing is more embarrassing than a lame death. Unfortunately, her meticulous plans - which include the perfect outfit, soundtrack, and method - are all ruined when the beautiful knife she buys off a webstore turns out to be charmed with a protection spell. Now, Ash has to track down the witch who turned her clocking out attempt into the worst gift imaginable: immortality. Turns out, the witch responsible is another sixteen-year-old-girl named (get this) Liv. The two vow to undo the charm together and fight for Ash's death... even as things get increasingly entangled with a strange new antidepressant called Somnia and her mom's gross boyfriend, Greg.
Dying Inside is a musically immersive experience, featuring QR codes that lead the reader to:
-original lyrics and poetry from Pete Wentz
-an integrated playlist from Pete Wentz and Hannah Klein
-never-before-heard music from Daisy Grenade
-and more!
For fans of: It's Lonely at the Centre of the Earth (Zoe Thorogood), Squad (Maggie Tokuda-Hall and Lisa Sterle), Light as a Feather (Zoe Aarsen), Book of Shadows (M. Verano), The Secret Circle (L.J. Smith), Heart-Shaped Box (Joe Hill), the Shadow and Bone Trilogy (Leigh Bardugo), Vicious (V.E. Schwab), Bunny (Mona Awad), The Chilling Adventures of Sabrina (graphic novels, prose novels), the Practical Magic series (Alice Hoffman), Anya's Ghost (Vera Brosgol), the series Charmed, and the films The Craft, Booksmart, Scott Pilgrim vs. The World, Easy A, and Jennifer's Body."
Easy there, no need to draw so many correlations! I was sold from the preview from Free Comic Book Day.
The Mythmakers by John HendrixPublished by: Abrams Fanfare
Publication Date: September 24th, 2024
Format: Hardcover, 224 Pages
To Buy
The official patter:
"From New York Times bestselling, award-winning creator John Hendrix comes The Mythmakers, a graphic novel biography of two literary lions - C.S. Lewis and J.R.R. Tolkien - following the remarkable story of their friendship and creative fellowship, and how each came to write their masterworks.
Through narrative and comic panels, Hendrix chronicles Lewis and Tolkien's near-idyllic childhoods, then moves on to both men's horrific tour of the trenches of World War I to their first meeting at Oxford in 1929, and then the foreshadowing, action, and aftermath of World War II. He reveals the shared story of their friendship, in all its ups and downs, that gave them confidence to venture beyond academic concerns (fantasy wasn't considered suitable for adult reading, but the domain of children), shaped major story/theme ideas, and shifted their ideas about the potential of mythology and faith.
The Mythmakers also shows the camaraderie and the importance of the social/literary circle of friends called the Inklings, and how the friendship of these two great men fell apart and came together again. Hendrix concludes describing how the writings of C.S. Lewis and J.R.R. Tolkien had re-enchanted the 20th century, after two World Wars. In writing aimed at scholars, adults, and young people, these two tweedy academics altered the course of storytelling and embraced the concept that fantasy writing for an adult audience was an accepted form of literature.
The format is similar to The Faithful Spy: prose interspersed with images and narrative comics. The narration is often conversations between a knowledgeable wizard and a comical lion. Through brisk conversation between these two friends, they explain some of the bigger ideas in an approachable and entertaining way. Throughout the story, there are "gateways" that lead readers to the back matter where certain themes, such as how myth/fantasy evolved or the art of world-building, are discussed more fully. This device keeps the main story flowing quickly and smoothly for those readers not interested in the more academic ideas behind the narrative. Among the ideas covered in the narrative and back matter:
- Tolkien's world-building
- The "Theology of Creation" linking their faith to their writings
- The meaning of real friendship
- Notions of modernity and mythology
- The value of fantasy
- The power of a creative community
- An exploration of the different kinds of storytelling in Narnia and The Lord of the Rings, both relying on "the Myth" as a storytelling device, but differing in the use of allegory vs. symbolism
- The creative differences of Lewis and Tolkien: the high standards of Tolkien's fiction and the faster and more immediate approach of Lewis's
- Logos vs. Mythos: Lewis created from images, Tolkien created from language
- The mixing of mythologies
Also included are an author's note, endnotes, bibliography and index."
That's a LOT for 224 pages to deliver...
The Best Mystery Stories of the Year edited by Anthony HorowitzPublished by: Mysterious Press
Publication Date: September 24th, 2024
Format: Hardcover, 512 Pages
To Buy
The official patter:
"From a pool of over 3,000 considered stories published last year - anything that touched on crime, mystery, and suspense, from venues as disparate as The Strand Magazine, Dark Yonder, Ellery Queen Mystery Magazine, The Bellevue Literary Review, and more - these are the very best, selected by series editor Otto Penzler and guest editor Anthony Horowitz.
The tales included cover a range of styles, highlighting the diversity of subjects and forms comprising the genre we call mystery fiction. Featuring a mixture of household names, masters of the short form, and newcomers to the field, the collection offers a variety that promises something for every reader. And it's all capped off by a vintage story from the first half of the previous century, sourced directly from the rare book room at the Mysterious Bookshop, the oldest mystery fiction specialty store in the world.
Authors include:
-Ace Atkins
-Michael Bracken
-Fleur Bradley
-Shelley Costa
-Doug Crandell
-Jeffery Deaver
-John Floyd
-Nils Gilbertson
-Peter Hayes
-Shells Legoullon
-Victor Methos
-Leonardo Padura
-Dan Pope
-Annie Reed
-Cameron Sanders
-Anna Scotti
-Archer Sullivan
-Andrew Welsh-Huggins
-Stacy Woodson"
I wonder if Otto gave like Anthony a long list that he had to shorten or does Anthony read that much?
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