strange and random happenstance

The White Priory Murders by Carter Dickson
Published by: Poisoned Pen Press
Publication Date: November 7th, 2023
Format: Paperback, 320 Pages
Rating: ★★★
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Mr. James Boynton Bennett has heard tales of his uncle, the great Sir Henry Merrivale. And on first meeting him he is surprised he meets his expectations exactly. The description was to a T. Bennett has arrived in London to escort a newspaper mogul, Lord Canifest and his daughter Louise Carewe, and stopped in to meet his uncle as he's a renowned sleuth and Bennett has a conundrum on his hands. The actress Marcia Tait is a huge Hollywood star who started her career in a flop in the West End. Tim Emery, her publicist, and Carl Rainger, her director, made her who she is and are aghast that she has broken her contract to once again tread the boards. She's set to star opposite Jervis Willard as a Restoration doxie in The Private Life of Charles the Second by Maurice Bohun, presented by Maurice's brother, John, who is in love with The Tait. Lord Canifest is backing the play and he and Bennett have been invited down to the Bohuns' place near Epsom, the White Priory, for Christmas. But for the last three weeks the situtation has been tense as Emery and Rainger try to get her to return to the studio while the Bohuns and Canifest are rooting for the play. Things took a turn though the day before when someone sent The Tait a poisoned box of chocolates, of which John Bohun suggested they ALL take a piece, because whomever refuses is obviously the culprit. Bohun, Emery, Willard, Rainer, and Bennett all took a piece, Emery collapsed two hours later with strychnine poisoning. And it's this toxic group of fellows who plan to decamp to Epson for the holidays, and Bennett is tagging along, but is curious what his uncle's take on the situation is. Could it escalate? Indeed it will, though they were powerless to stop it. The Bohuns have had the White Priory in their family since the time of Charles the Second when they built a "merry house." The "merry house" is called the Queen's Mirror and is off limits to tourists. The structure looks like an imitation temple on an ornamental sheet of water as it stands in the middle of an artificial lake. It was built in 1664 for Lady Castlemaine, perhaps Charles the Second's most notorious mistress. There's a scene in the play set in the pavilion and The Tait insisted on spending her nights at the White Priory in the Queen's Mirror. It was so like Marcia. And this decision would be her last. Because as Bennett arrives on the scene John Bohun has found Marcia dead. It had snowed overnight and there's only one set of prints that go towards the merry house, those of John's. It is a true mystery. A mystery that Bennett thinks only his uncle can solve.

One of the things I plan most assiduously for the holidays is my reading. I want just the right level of classic to modern murder mysteries. Because that is what the holidays are about, murder. Because you're trapped with your family and there's snow and by all that is holy, someone is going to die. So when Poisoned Pen Press reprinted Carter Dickson's 1934 Christmas mystery, The White Priory Murders, back in 2023 I knew it had to be on my holiday reading list. And then I learned it was the second Sir Henry Merrivale book. Which meant I couldn't just skip to the second volume, oh no, I had to first read The Plague Court Murders. But seeing as I learned this when it was still the Halloween season and the first book involves a séance, I felt like fate was throwing me a win. What was more interesting though is reading these two books back to back I couldn't help but wonder why he basically used the same locked-room contrivance. Now there are a million ways to do locked-room mysteries, I should know, I've read enough of them, but what's odd here is the similarities. In both books we have a freestanding structure, one is a stone hut, the other is a marble pavilion. Then we have the structure surrounded by a substance that would leave an impression if anyone had approached it, one is mud, the other is snow. Then we have the body found inside the structure, oh no! And it's not death, it's murder! How was this impossible crime committed!?! Now Carter Dickson was the king of the locked-room mystery, so while others might think this is sloppy to repeat yourself in such a way, I think it was a major flex. He created two entirely different books with basically the same setup. Like he wanted to give the reader another answer to his first book. Almost as if he was writing a Choose Your Own Adventure. Not satisfied with how Roger Darworth died? Try option two with Marcia Tait! It took balls, and I admire it. As for the Sir Henry Merrivale's detection skills? I have issues. Because Sir Henry has no fucks to give about the victims. He honestly doesn't care about them. They are nothing more than a riddle to be solved. And, if possible, solved without stepping outside his cloistered little bubble. I take umbrage that a person is nothing more than an object to him. The criminal and the howdunit are all that matters to him. The background of the victim? Why should that matter? It's like he doesn't believe the past informs how they died, which is ludicrous. It's not about timelines and who could have done what and when but why this person? Why did they have to die? And the answer isn't to provide Sir Henry with a diversion. But maybe that's me? Maybe I want depth, I want more, I don't want tab A going into slot B. That's too clinical a crime.

Posted by Miss Eliza at 12:00 AM 0 comments  

Labels: Carter Dickson, Charles II, Choose Your Own Adventure, Christmas, Locked Room, Marcia Tait, Murder Most Foul, Restoration, Sir Henry Merrivale, The Plague Court Murders, The White Priory Murders, West End

The Mitford Trial by Jessica Fellowes
Published by: Minotaur Books
Publication Date: January 19th, 2021
Format: Hardcover, 368 Pages
Rating: ★★★
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Louisa Sullivan is finally Louisa Cannon. Her and Guy's wedding was the best day of her life. Until a couple of the Mitfords snuck off to Sir Oswald Mosley's BUF rally and her husband was called in to police said rally. But a wedding isn't a marriage. And Louisa is finding it a harder adjustment than she would have thought no matter how almost perfect the big day was. Living with her in-laws, if only temporarily, is a strain, especially when her mother-in-law is constantly complaining about her to Guy. Not that Guy would ever hurt Louisa by telling her this, she just happens to be in the wrong place at the wrong time and overhears them. But despite how hard her newly married life is at least she's not playing dogsbody to the Mitfords. Nancy practically begged Louisa to go on a cruise with Lady Redesdale, Diana, and Unity. The plan being to keep Diana away from Sir Oswald until her divorce to Bryan Guinness is finalized. Just thinking about escaping that fate has put a spring in her step. Until she realizes someone is shadowing her steps. Very closely. She has seen the same man at her wedding, outside the Mitfords after she talked with Nancy, and now outside her stenography course. He eventually approaches her. His name is Iain and the government would like it very much if Louisa were to take Nancy up on the job offer and report back anything unusual that might happen on Diana and Unity's travels. Who they meet, what they talk about, general surveillance from someone who already has the access to get close to them. While Louisa hates the prospect of working for the Mitfords again, as well as keeping secrets from Guy, this might be the first time in her life she's been approached to do something that uses her unique skill set. She hesitates, but knows in her heart that she will accept. Who wouldn't want do their bit for king and country? The Princess Alice departs from Venice for an excursion around the Italian coast. The three Mitford women are in first class, while many flights below Louisa is very happy to have a bed and not a hammock like some of the lower class passengers. At first her job is nothing more than what she's done before, fetching and carrying while pretending she's invisible. Pretending to not notice Unity's attraction to a German SS officer while squirreling away the information for Iain. Ignoring Diana's mild obsession with the twice divorced woman down the hall and thinking that this couldn't possibly interest Iain. That is until the woman's husband is murdered. That's when Louisa tries to contact Iain and realizes she's in over her head. But thanks to her husband's well-timed arrival they can work the case together. Until she's told to look the other way. Until she's told that the truth could get her husband killed. Playing at spies is far more dangerous than she realized. And this isn't her first murder!

In long running series it's common for authors to have a series bible. This will help them remember basic details like descriptions of characters, ages, potted histories. This will not help them if they've forgotten the sun has already risen in the previous chapter or if a witness has already been called to the stand or if they somehow transported a boat from the east coast to the west coast of Italy defying space and time. Jessica Fellowes is in desperate need of this because she actually forgot the ENTIRE PLOT of the previous book in this series. Part of me was like, FFS, she did it again. Because as I've pointed out in previous volumes, she desperately needs an editor to remove all her anomalies, the above examples all being taken from this book, but forgetting the entire plot of The Mitford Scandal is a cut above. I kind of am in awe of this complete amnesia. So what exactly did Jessica Fellowes forget? She forgot that her last book was set entirely on the continent when Louisa was lady's maid to the newly married Diana Guinness. Because when Nancy approaches Louisa about the job offer in this book all Louisa can think about is how she's never traveled. She's lived a small life and never got to see the world before her marriage. In her own words she says she has "barely left England, bar a short trip to Dieppe with the Mitfords years and years ago." And that is by far not the only time she mentions this desire. The chance to see the world is just an added bonus for doing her bit for king and country. A world which she's already seen. As has her husband, because they ran into each other in Paris when Louisa was working there. There's a slight backtrack when Jessica Fellowes has Louisa musing on taking the night train to Paris a few times when she worked for Diana, but it was too little too late. So, why all the musings and wanderlust for a place she's forgotten she's been to? Your guess is as good as mine. I mean, if fictional characters could take a bump on the head I'd say that this happened to our heroine but instead it had to have happened to our author AND any of her beta readers. Because this is a serious plot hole. It's a gaping maw that it was hard to get past. But oddly for me, get past it I did. Why? Again, I couldn't explain it if I tried. It was a combination of Jessica Fellowes knowing that Nazis are bad and my love of a good gruesome death on a cruise ship. Last year at this time I was watching the entertaining, if flawed show, Death and Other Details, about murder on a Mediterranean ocean liner. The Mitford Trial hit the same note and made me feel a little nostalgic. This book isn't perfect and occasionally veers to the absurd with Louisa taking a catnap at a crime scene, but compared to the rest of this series, it was stellar.

Posted by Miss Eliza at 12:00 AM 0 comments  

Labels: Amnesia, Cruise Ship, Death and Other Details, Editor, Guy Sullivan, Jessica Fellowes, Louisa Cannon, Mitfords, Murder Most Foul, Nazis, Plot Hole, Series Bible, Spies, The Mitford Scandal, The Mitford Trial, Travel

The Girl from Greenwich Street by Lauren Willig
Published by: William Morrow and Company
Publication Date: March 4th, 2025
Format: Hardcover, 352 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"Based on the true story of a famous trial, this novel is Law and Order: 1800, as Alexander Hamilton and Aaron Burr investigate the shocking murder of a young woman who everyone - and no one - seemed to know.

At the start of a new century, a shocking murder transfixes Manhattan, forcing bitter rivals Alexander Hamilton and Aaron Burr to work together to save a man from the gallows.

Just before Christmas 1799, Elma Sands slips out of her Quaker cousin's boarding house - and doesn't come home. Has she eloped? Run away? No one knows - until her body appears in the Manhattan Well.

Her family insists they know who killed her. Handbills circulate around the city accusing a carpenter named Levi Weeks of seducing and murdering Elma.

But privately, quietly, Levi's wealthy brother calls in a special favor....

Aaron Burr's legal practice can't finance both his expensive tastes and his ambition to win the 1800 New York elections. To defend Levi Weeks is a double win: a hefty fee plus a chance to grab headlines.

Alexander Hamilton has his own political aspirations; he isn't going to let Burr monopolize the public's attention. If Burr is defending Levi Weeks, then Hamilton will too. As the trial and the election draw near, Burr and Hamilton race against time to save a man's life - and destroy each other.

Part murder mystery, part thriller, part true crime, The Girl From Greenwich Street revisits a dark corner of history - with a surprising twist ending that reveals the true story of the woman at the center of the tale."

This book really has the buzz, and not just from me, though you can read my full review here.

The Undoing of Violet Claybourne by Emily Critchley
Published by: Sourcebooks Landmark
Publication Date: March 4th, 2025
Format: Paperback, 400 Pages
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The official patter:
"For fans of Sarah Penner and The Foundling comes a slow-burn Gothic mystery following Gillian, a young girl enthralled by the enigmatic Claybourne sisters, their house at Thornleigh Hall, and the tragedy that binds them together for good.

To become a Claybourne girl, she'll have to betray one first.

1938. Gillian Larking, lonely and away at boarding school, is used to going unnoticed. But then she meets Violet Claybourne, her vibrant roommate who takes Gilly under her wing. Violet is unlike anyone Gilly has ever met, and she regales Gilly with tales of her grand family estate and her two elegant sisters. Gilly is soon entranced by stories of the Claybournes, so when Violet invites Gilly to meet her family at Thornleigh Hall, she can't believe her luck.

But Gilly soon finds that behind the grand façade of Thornleigh Hall, darkness lurks.

Dazzled by the crumbling manor and Violet's enigmatic sisters, Gilly settles into the estate. But when a horrible accident strikes on the grounds, she is ensnared in a web of the sisters' making, forced to make a choice that will change the course of her life forever. Because the Claybournes girls know how to keep secrets, even at the cost of one of their own.

With ensnaring prose and layers of friendship, privilege, mental health, and more, The Undoing of Violet Claybourne is a poignant book club read with characters you won't soon forget."

Hmm... I wonder if I could get my book club to read this...

We Were Warned by Chelsea Ichaso
Published by: Sourcebooks Fire
Publication Date: March 4th, 2025
Format: Paperback, 368 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"Everyone knows the legend of Fairport Village: twenty-five years ago, a shocking murder closed the place down. This year, the ruins will be bulldozed at last. But tonight, it's not too late to die.

All her life, Eden Stafford has heard the lore about the abandoned beach resort at the edge of town: ever since the notorious murder there, anyone who sets foot on the property is cursed to die, It's more than just a story: over the years, two high school students who dared to explore the ruins of Fairport Village were killed there.

Eden is no stranger to notoriety, having endured a family scandal that's made her a target at school. So when she reluctantly attends an overnight party at the ruins, she's on edge - not because of some legend, but because the clique that has made her life hell for years is there, too, including Caleb Durham, the worst of them all.

Yet out of all the things Eden expected to happen that night, finding another student dead at Fairport Village wasn't one of them.

Though the death is ruled an accident, Eden knows she saw something suspicious at the ruins - and Caleb and her other longtime tormentors did too. Now they're all being followed by a deadly stranger, and to save themselves, they must work together to uncover the truth about Fairport Village. But after all that's happened, can Eden really trust Caleb and his friends? Or will they leave her to face a killer alone?"

I'm getting peak Wes Craven vibes from this book!

Kills Well With Others by Deanna Raybourn
Published by: Berkley
Publication Date: March 4th, 2025
Format: Hardcover, 368 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"Four women assassins, senior in status - and in age - sharpen their knives for another bloody good adventure in this riotous follow-up to the New York Times bestselling sensation Killers of a Certain Age.

After more than a year of laying low, Billie, Helen, Mary Alice, and Natalie are called back into action. They have enjoyed their time off, but the lack of excitement is starting to chafe: a professional killer can only take so many watercolor classes and yoga sessions without itching to strangle someone...literally. When they receive a summons from the head of the elite assassin organization known as the Museum, they are ready to tackle the greatest challenge of their careers.

Someone on the inside has compiled a list of important kills committed by Museum agents, connected to a single, shadowy figure, an Eastern European gangster with an iron fist, some serious criminal ambition, and a tendency to kill first and ask questions later. This new nemesis is murdering agents who got in the way of their power hungry plans and the aging quartet of killers is next.

Together the foursome embark on a wild ride across the globe on the double mission of rooting out the Museum's mole and hunting down the gangster who seems to know their next move before they make it. Their enemy is unlike any they've faced before, and it will take all their killer experience to get out of this mission alive."

Personally, I'd totally read about these women killing their watercolor instructor.

The Widow's Guide to Murder by Amanda Ashby
Published by: Storm Publishing
Publication Date: March 4th, 2025
Format: Kindle, 295 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"Sixty-year-old widow Ginny Cole thought she'd used up her life quota of bad luck. So she's dismayed when her move to the quaint village of Little Shaw begins with finding the murdered body of rude and dislikeable library manager, Louisa Farnsworth. Has misfortune followed her cross-country?

When suspicion falls on the daughter of her friend Hen, because of a perfectly innocent threatening letter, Ginny's sure the police are letting the real killer walk free, and together with fellow widows JM, Tuppence and Hen, the Widows' Detective Club is born.

Between following the trail of local gossip, digging up graveyards at midnight, and discovering dark secrets about the village's past, sleuthing seems simple enough. But when another body is found, Ginny starts to wonder, are they in over their heads?

And when the widows' snooping puts Ginny too close for the killer's comfort, will her new life in Little Shaw end as dramatically as it began...?

If you love Sarah Yarwood-Lovett, Robert Thorogood and The Thursday Murder Club mysteries, you'll adore this charming cozy mystery full of page turning twists and endearing characters."

I mean, fellow widow Tuppence I think had to at some point start solving crime right? It's all in the name!

Finlay Donovan Digs Her Own Grave by Elle Cosimano
Published by: Minotaur Books
Publication Date: March 4th, 2025
Format: Hardcover, 320 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"From New York Times bestseller and Edgar-Award nominee Elle Cosimano, comes Finlay Donovan Digs Her Own Grave - the hugely anticipated next installment in the fan-favorite Finlay Donovan series.

Finlay Donovan may have skeletons in her closet...but at least there's not a body in her backyard.

Finlay Donovan and her nanny/partner-in-crime, Vero, have not always gotten along with Finlay's elderly neighbor, Mrs. Haggerty, the community busybody and president of the neighborhood watch. But when a dead body is discovered in her backyard, Mrs. Haggerty needs their help. At first a suspect, Mrs. Haggerty is cleared by the police, but her house remains an active crime scene. She has nowhere to go...except Finlay's house, right across the street.

Finlay and Vero have no interest in getting involved in another murder case - or sacrificing either of their bedrooms. After all, they've dealt with enough murders over the last four months to last a lifetime and they both would much rather share their beds with someone else.

When the focus of the investigation widens to include Finlay's ex-husband, Steven, though, Finlay and Vero are left with little choice but to get closer to Mrs. Haggerty and uncover her secrets...before the police start digging up theirs. But who will solve the mystery first?"

There so much to love here, but the fact that Finlay has protective eyewear on the cover to dig a grave is just the cherry on top of the sundae. 

The Last Days of Kira Mullan by Nicci French
Published by: William Morrow
Publication Date: March 4th, 2025
Format: Hardcover, 464 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"From international bestselling master of suspense Nicci French comes a chilling new psychological thriller about a woman determined to get justice for a murder no one else believes happened.

Nancy North is ready to put her life back together. After suffering a psychotic break that ruined friendships, stalled her fledgling restaurant, and forced her to move out of her comfortable flat, she'll do anything to get back to normal. She and her partner Felix - who has been a saint through her recent troubles - move into a new flat for a fresh start.

Nancy is taking her pills, seeing her therapist, and avoiding unnecessary stress. She's doing absolutely everything right, but something is still very, very wrong. On the first day in the new flat, she hears them again; the mysterious voices that triggered her first episode. It could just be the unfamiliar sounds of water in the pipes, or the screaming baby across the hall, but deep down she knows something more sinister is going on. Her fears are confirmed when the young woman in the downstairs flat, Kira, is found dead. Felix, her neighbors, and even the police insist it's a tragic suicide, but the pieces aren't adding up for Nancy. Can she trust her own instincts, or is it all in her head?

Meanwhile, Detective Inspector Maud O'Connor has misgivings about her colleagues' investigation of Kira's death. The boys club at the top seems intent on closing the case as quickly as possible, especially since the only person who thinks it could be anything other than suicide is known to be unreliable. But Maud knows what it's like to be dismissed as an overemotional woman and isn't so quick to discount Nancy's claims. As tensions reach an explosive breaking point, the line between fact and delusion becomes dangerously blurred, but Maud will stop at nothing to ensure that the truth comes to light."

I mean, sometimes unreliable narrators can be reliable right?

They Bloom at Night by Trang Thanh Tran
Published by: Bloomsbury YA
Publication Date: March 4th, 2025
Format: Hardcover, 272 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"The author of the New York Times bestselling horror phenomenon She Is a Haunting is back with a novel about the monsters that swim beneath us...and live within us.

Since the hurricane, the town of Mercy, Louisiana has been overtaken by a strange red algae bloom. Noon and her mother have carved out a life in the wreckage, trawling for the mutated wildlife that lurks in the water and trading it to the corrupt harbormaster. When she's focused on survival, Noon doesn't have to cope with what happened to her at the Cove or the monster itching at her skin.

Mercy has never been a safe place, but it's getting worse. People are disappearing, and the only clues as to why are whispers of underwater shadows and warnings to never answer the knocks at night. When the harbormaster demands she capture the creature that's been drowning residents, Noon finds a reluctant ally in his daughter Covey. And as the next storm approaches, the two set off to find what's haunting Mercy. After all, Noon is no stranger to monsters..."

My skin is just crawling at the mention of the red algae bloom!

The Unworthy by Agustina Bazterrica
Published by: Scribner
Publication Date: March 4th, 2025
Format: Paperback, 192 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"The long-awaited new novel from the author of global sensation Tender Is the Flesh: a thrilling work of literary horror about a woman cloistered in a secretive, violent religious order, while outside the world has fallen into chaos.

From her cell in a mysterious convent, a woman writes the story of her life in whatever she can find - discarded ink, dirt, and even her own blood. A lower member of the Sacred Sisterhood, deemed an unworthy, she dreams of ascending to the ranks of the Enlightened at the center of the convent and of pleasing the foreboding Superior Sister. Outside, the world is plagued by catastrophe - cities are submerged underwater, electricity and the internet are nonexistent, and bands of survivors fight and forage in a cruel, barren landscape. Inside, the narrator is controlled, punished, but safe.

But when a stranger makes her way past the convent walls, joining the ranks of the unworthy, she forces the narrator to consider her long-buried past - and what she may be overlooking about the Enlightened. As the two women grow closer, the narrator is increasingly haunted by questions about her own past, the environmental future, and her present life inside the convent. How did she get to the Sacred Sisterhood? Why can't she remember her life before? And what really happens when a woman is chosen as one of the Enlightened?

A searing, dystopian tale about climate crisis, ideological extremism, and the tidal pull of our most violent, exploitative instincts, this is another unforgettable novel from a master of feminist horror."

I don't know, a mysterious convent with no access to the outside world seems nice right about now no matter the horrors inside they can't be as bad as out here.

The Encanto's Curse by Melissa de la Cruz
Published by: G.P. Putnam's Sons Books for Young Readers
Publication Date: March 4th, 2025
Format: Hardcover, 352 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"The vampire queen must break her curse in this YA romantasy inspired by Filipino folklore, a sequel to The Encanto's Daughter by #1 New York Times bestselling author Melissa de la Cruz!

A curse has befallen Biringan. Stalking the night sky and sinking sharp teeth in its prey, a vampire-like creature - a manananggal - is terrorizing the kingdom. Now MJ Robertson-Rodriguez must fulfill her duties as the newly crowned queen and restore peace. Except...when MJ wakes up in tattered clothes stained with blood, she quickly realizes the monster lives within her.

To prevent more destruction, MJ flees to Mount Makiling with select members of her court, all while keeping her curse secret. By her side is Lucas, the talented knight who broke her heart by giving his own to another. And there's Prince Qian, the devilishly handsome monster hunter from the Jade Empire who's visiting on a diplomatic mission.

In the mountains, MJ is charmed by Qian's valiant spirit. Could he be the one to finally mend her broken heart, which still beats for Lucas? But as the manananggal fills MJ with bloodthirst, she must set love aside and break the curse before it consumes her forever.

When a neighboring kingdom threatens to wage war on Biringan, can the young queen regain control of herself before she loses control of the crown?"

Or can the young queen just kill all the enemies now that she's a manananggal?

Our Infinite Fates by Laura Steven
Published by: Wednesday Books
Publication Date: March 4th, 2025
Format: Hardcover, 352 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue meets This is How You Lose The Time War in this fantastical love story that defies death as two souls reincarnate through the centuries.

They've loved each other in a thousand lifetimes. They've killed each other in every one.

Evelyn can remember all her past lives. She can also remember that in every single one, she's been murdered before her eighteenth birthday by Arden, a supernatural being linked to her soul. The problem is that she's quite fond of the life she's in now, and her little sister needs her in order to stay alive. If Evelyn wants to save her sister, she'll have to find the centuries-old devil who hunts her through each life before they find her first, figure out why she's being hunted and finally break their curse, and try not to fall in love...again."

You can still kill the one you love, just look to Buffy.

Cold Iron Task by James J. Butcher
Published by: Ace
Publication Date: March 4th, 2025
Format: Hardcover, 480 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"Grimsby, a junior Auditor in the magical Department of Unorthodox Affairs, finds himself on the other side of the law in this spellbinding urban fantasy.

Grimshaw Griswald Grimsby may have one case under his belt, but he's still a novice Auditor in Boston's Department of Unorthodox Affairs. And he's already made mistakes.

Desperate to repair his fraying friendships, he doesn't ask too many questions when a mysterious patron offers him the chance to join a heist of an otherworldly vault - and in the process find answers that could make things right.

Complications arise when Grimsby learns that his partner, Mayflower, is keeping secrets about his past. Between facing new demons, old horrors, and monsters - both Usual and Unorthodox - Grimsby soon realizes nothing is how it appears and that not asking enough questions just might be his downfall."

Seriously, you only pull a heist with people you trust.

Spells, Strings, and Forgotten Things by Breanne Randall
Published by: Dell
Publication Date: March 4th, 2025
Format: Paperback, 400 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"A young witch cursed with sacrificing memories to cast spells must decide how much she's willing to lose to save her town in this thrilling tale of magic, love, and self-discovery - from the New York Times bestselling author of The Unfortunate Side Effects of Heartbreak and Magic.

In the small town of Gold Springs, Calliope Petridi and her two sisters carefully guard the secret of their magic and the price they must pay to practice it: memories. Luckily, all Calliope wants to do is forget: the mother who left without a trace, the sisters from whom she feels increasingly distant, and most of all, the way the love of her life shattered her heart two years ago.

But when an ancient evil awakens, the fragile thread that holds the sisters together breaks. As their magic slowly begins to fade, Calliope accidentally binds herself to the handsome leader of a rival coven infamous for their ruthless pursuit of power. Battling the sizzling chemistry with a man she can't trust, Calliope must confront painful memories of her past, dark family secrets, and ancient magic in order to protect the town and all she loves. But will she have anything left of herself?"

Just looking at the cover of this book makes me want to read it. For some reason it really reminds be of Bilbo's birthday bash.

The Sleeping Land by Ella Alexander
Published by: Unnamed Press
Publication Date: March 4th, 2025
Format: Hardcover, 250 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"Less than three years after the collapse of the Soviet Union, three archaeology grad students and their enigmatic adviser arrive at a remote cave in the heart of the Siberian wilderness to carry out the first extensive Western dig on Russian soil since the execution of the czar.

Surrounded by a looming forest with eerie silences and flickering shadows, Valerie, Kit, and Mark begin their dig under the eccentric and charismatic guidance of the venerable George Auberon. The excavation yields fascinating discoveries, and excitement grows among the team, but George's true motivations soon reveal themselves to be less noble than he originally let on.

As each member of the party grapples with the challenges of the dig, going deeper into the cave, a strange feeling sets in. Is there something else in the forest with them? Or has George's paranoid ambition gotten to them?

A powerful debut with vast imaginative range, The Sleeping Land follows a cast of memorable characters as the barriers between past and present collapse around them."

T. Kingfisher by way of Michael Crichton.

Helen of Wyndhorn by Tom King, Bilquis Evely, Mathieus Lopes, and Clayton Cowles
Published by: Dark Horse Books
Publication Date: March 4th, 2025
Format: Hardcover, 176 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"A Gothic sword and sorcery epic graphic novel that's Conan the Barbarian meets The Wizard of Oz.

From Tom King and Bilquis Evely, the Eisner award-winning, bestselling creative team of Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow.

Following the tragic death of her late father C.K. Cole, the esteemed pulp writer and creator of the popular warrior character Othan, Helen Cole is called back to her Grandfather's enormous and illustrious estate, Wyndhorn House.

Scarred by Cole's untimely passing and lost in a new, strange world, Helen wreaks drunken havoc upon her arrival. However, her chaotic ways begin to soften as she discovers a lifetime of secrets hiding within the myriad rooms and hallways of the expansive manor. For outside its walls, within the woods, dwell the legendary adventures that once were locked away within her father's stories.

Collects the hit series Helen of Wyndhorn #1–#6 and features a sketchbook section and bonus art by Walt Simonson, Greg Smallwood, Clay Mann, Elsa Charretier, Tula Lotay, Massimo Carnivale, Fabio Moon, and Jill Thompson."

One of the most interesting and easily the most beautiful graphic novels I've read in years.

The King's Messenger by Susanna Kearsley
Published by: Sourcebooks Landmark
Publication Date: March 4th, 2025
Format: Hardcover, 352 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"New York Times, USA Today and international bestselling author Susanna Kearsley explores romance, court alliances, and the limits of one's duty in this rich story of an honorable man in service to a treacherous king, and the mission that brings him to love and his true calling.

It is the year 1613, and King James is sending his messenger Andrew Logan into Scotland with secret orders to arrest Sir David Moray, close friend and advisor of the late Prince Henry. Secrets are second nature to Andrew, who must hide his Second Sight to stay alive. Joined by a court scrivener and the scrivener's spirited daughter Phoebe, Andrew slowly untangles the true purpose of his mission - to frame Sir David for Prince Henry's murder. But Andrew is unwilling to betray an innocent man.

Phoebe Westaway dislikes Andrew, and their history makes it hard for her to trust him. But as their journey draws them deeper into the dark web of court intrigue, Phoebe begins to suspect that she might have more need of the King's Messenger and his unusual gifts than she could ever have foreseen."

I love Susanna Kearsley and lately I've been obsessed with the 1600s.

Once Was Willem by M.R. Carey
Published by: Orbit
Publication Date: March 4th, 2025
Format: Paperback, 320 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"Presenting an enthrallingly dark medieval fantasy - a fable of twisted folklore, macabre magic and the strangest of found families - from M. R. Carey, author of the million-copy bestseller, The Girl With All the Gifts.

Eleven hundred and some years after the death of Christ, in the kingdom that had but recently begun to call itself England, I, Once Was Willem, rose from the dead to defeat a great evil facing the humble village of Cosham. The words enclosed herein are true.

I speak of monsters and magic, battle and bloodletting, and the crimes of desperate men. I speak also of secret things, of that which lies beneath us and that which impends above. By the time you come to the end of this account you will know the truth of your own life and death, the path laid out for your immortal soul, your origin and your inevitable end.

You will not thank me."

I get chills just reading Willem's words.

Tea You at the Altar by Rebecca Thorne
Published by: Bramble
Publication Date: March 4th, 2025
Format: Paperback, 336 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"The Princess Bride meets Bookshops and Bonedust in the third book of the Tomes and Tea series, where our favorite lesbian pirates must navigate the ultimate maelstrom - their own wedding!

Kianthe and Reyna are ready to finally walk down the aisle - in just seven days, their wedding of a wifetime will be a reality. There's loads to do - but like all best laid plans, everything seems to be going awry.

Between their baby dragons causing mayhem in Tawney, Kianthe's uptight parents inviting themselves to the wedding, and Reyna becoming embroiled in a secret plot to overthrow Queen Tilaine, the world seems against them - how are they going to live long enough to say "I do"?"

I was going to say, this will hold you over until the next Travis Baldree book, but then I got distracted by the baby dragons.

Wizard of Most Wicked Ways by Charlie N. Holmberg
Published by: 47north
Publication Date: March 4th, 2025
Format: Paperback, 271 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"When dead enemies rise, grave matters of the heart, mind, and body clash in the fantastical fourth Whimbrel House novel by Amazon Charts and Wall Street Journal bestselling author Charlie N. Holmberg.

Whimbrel House is changing. Merritt and Hulda are raising a family. Owein has signed a marriage contract with the magically compatible Lady Cora, a heavyweight of British nobility who's an ocean away. And the lovely shape-shifting druid Fallon makes a distractingly fetching friend for Owein. But another change is in the air, and this time it's something wicked.

The greatest wizard of the millennium, Silas Hogwood, is back - after five years dead. New body, same foul scent, and driven by madness and revenge. Owein, fearing he isn't strong enough to fend off Silas, seeks Cora's help and influence in England. Alarms ringing, Queen Victoria dispatches her League of Magicians, including her personal necromancer, to aid in Owein's defense.

As magic, both good and evil, converges on Blaugdone Island, Owein realizes how harrowing the forces against them are. Combating them will require some digging - literally - for half-formed secrets of magic Hulda doesn't want him to have. But no promise, lock, or government red tape will keep Owein from doing what's necessary to protect those he loves. One way or another, Silas will only take Whimbrel House over Owein's third dead body."

I mean, it's hard to fight evil when it keeps coming back from the dead...

A Song for You and I by K. O'Neill
Published by: Random House Graphic
Publication Date: March 4th, 2025
Format: Hardcover, 240 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"Being a ranger means adventure, action, and protecting the weak. But who protects the ranger when they lose their way? From the bestselling author of The Moth Keeper and the Tea Dragon Society comes a must read MG graphic novel for fans of soft sweeping fantasy romances.

Rowan knows exactly what they want: to be a ranger, protecting their village alongside their trusted flying horse Kes. But when Rowan's eagerness to show off their worth gets Kes injured, Rowan is suddenly unsure if they're capable of being the protector they've always dreamed of becoming.

With Kes needing to heal, Rowan is assigned a slow and winding expedition across the outlying lands. Paired with a lackadasical sheep hearder Leone, Rowan only finds frustration as they seem to fail even the simplest tasks. But Leone's own struggles, and endless support brings a new possibility to Rowan. Could their unlikely friendship be something more? And if it is, will Rowan be able to leave Leone behind to pursue being a ranger once Kes is healed?"

I will read anything K. O'Neill does and I am not at all being forced to write this by the tea dragon that is still on the shelf to my left.

Posted by Miss Eliza at 12:00 AM 0 comments  

Labels: Charlie N. Holmberg, Deanna Raybourn, Ella Alexander, Elle Cosimano, Helen of Wyndhorn, James J. Butcher, K. O'Neill, Lauren Willig, M.R. Carey, Melissa de la Cruz, Nicci French, Rebecca Thorne, Susanna Kearsley

The Plague Court Murders by John Dickson Carr
Published by: American Mystery Classics
Publication Date: 1934
Format: Kindle, 305 Pages
Rating: ★★
To Buy (different edition than one reviewed)

One night in his club Ken Blake sees fellow member Dean Halliday in extremis. He offers his help and Halliday gladly accepts, provided that Blake keeps an open mind. Halliday's life is falling apart because of a psychical researcher and his medium. Dean's brother died recently and his Aunt, Lady Anne Benning, turned to Roger Darworth to connect to James beyond the veil. Darworth claims that James will not rest until the ghosts of Plague Court are put to rest. Plague Court is a grim property long reputed to be haunted. The Halliday's acquired it in the 18th century but it's name comes from a disgraced hangman, Louis Playge, who was the brother of the steward under the previous owner and died of the black death after viciously attacking the family with a unique knife he used to cut the hanged men down and is rumored to be buried on the property. It is his ghost that supposedly haunts it's halls. Halliday wants to prove that Darworth is a fake. Which is extra hard seeing as Darworth claims to have no abilities of his own and that those lie in his assistant, Joseph. Blake suggests bringing in his friend Chief-Inspector Humphrey Masters who happens to dabble in a bit of ghost hunting in his spare time and loves nothing more than exposing fake mediums and Halliday acquiesces. Masters is particularly pleased given the fact that the Playge Dagger was just stolen from a London museum and he's had his eye on Darworth for years and he's sure the two must be connected when he hears Halliday's tale of woe. When the trio arrives at Plague Court they are surprised to find people in residence. Halliday's Aunt Anne, his fiance Marion Latimer, Marion's brother Ted, and Major Featheron are all sitting in the bleak house holding some sort of vigil. It appears that tonight is the night that Darworth has decided to lay the ghost of Louise Playge to rest. He has sequestered himself in a little stone hut in the back. He's locked in the room from both the inside and the outside. So naturally, when he turns up dead with Louis Playge's dagger in his back everyone is flummoxed. There was no way to enter the structure and what's more, given the expanse of mud surrounding the building without a single footprint the crime is impossible. Which means it's time to call in the experts. It's time to call in Sir Henry Merrivale.

Original published under John Dickson Carr's "impenetrable" pseudonym Carter Dickson one can't say that the author didn't believe in fair play, even in choosing his nom de plume. Which, really, is a relief. I don't like mysteries where the reader can't figure out the killer, and yes, I'm glaring at you Josephine Tey! You can't introduce characters who have never even been introduced or mentioned in the entire book in your solution! That's not fair! Hence, fair play. And I don't want to brag, but I almost had the whole solution, I didn't realize that one person was disguised and I was wrong about which police officer was corrupt, but other than that, I was right there with Sir Henry Merrivale. And Sir Henry Merrivale is the reason I read this book. I was compiling my Christmas reading and I had added the newly reissued Carter Dickson book, The White Priory Murders, to my list when I realized it was the second in the series. Which, because of how I'm built, meant I had to read the first book in the series, The Plague Court Murders. Thankfully my library had a copy and it sounded suitably spooky to pair with my Halloween reading before I moved on to my Christmas reading. So I dove in. And honestly, it's hard to pinpoint what exactly about this book doesn't work. Seances, psychics, locked rooms, all of it is things that I just love. Plus with the bleak history of Plague Court oozing House of Usher vibes, I really wanted to like it, but I just didn't. The narrator, Ken Blake, is problematic. He just wasn't good. He was too bland. Too much a cipher. I just couldn't get a read on him. He was unable to carry the narrative until Sir Henry Merrivale finally arrived over halfway through the book. By that point I wasn't really invested in the story. My interest could not be reinvigorated by Sir Henry's interest. And then there's my main gripe, it is really annoying and every blurb of this book gets it wrong. Plague Court is named after Louis Playge, the disgraced hangman who died of the plague and was supposedly buried on the property. Louis Playge was the brother of George Playge, who was steward to Lord Seagrave, who was the owner of the property that became known was Plague Court. And Thomas Frederick Halliday bought it from Lord Seagrave in 1711. There was never a Playge owner! So why is it called Plague Court? Because of the ghost stories surrounding Louis Playge? Some enduring urban legend? Now THIS is the mystery that I want answered.

Posted by Miss Eliza at 12:00 AM 0 comments  

Labels: Carter Dickson, Fair Play, John Dickson Carr, Josephine Tey, Locked Room, Louis Playge, Murder Most Foul, Plague Court, Psychic, Seance, Sir Henry Merrivale, The Plague Court Murders, The White Priory Murders

The Mitford Scandal by Jessica Fellowes
Published by: Minotaur Books
Publication Date: January 21st, 2020
Format: Hardcover, 384 Pages
Rating: ★ 
To Buy

Louisa Cannon has turned her back on the Mitfords. She had such hopes, such dreams, and here she is a temp hired for a glamorous party at the Guinness household in London. Nothing but a domestic and not even one with a reliable salary. But this is also the night her life will change again thanks to the Mitfords, whether she wants it to or not. The debonair heir, Bryan Guinness, has been wooing Diana Mitford and what transpires at the party makes him realize life is too short and he and Diana should be wed. A maid tragically dies in what appears to be an accident and Bryan pops the question to Diana and she accepts! Now that she's the wife to a Guinness the world is Diana's oyster and she needs her own personal lady's maid, and who better than dear old Louisa? As for dear old Louisa, she isn't exactly in a position to turn the offer down. Such prestige, power, and pay, it's worth putting up with Diana's tempers. Yet murder seems to shadow Diana and Bryan when there's a death at their Paris residence three years later. No one thinks back to that poor maid on the eve of their new lives except Louisa. Louisa senses that they are somehow connected. Two accidents that shouldn't have happened is too much of a coincidence. And who better to ask for help than her old friend Guy Sullivan? He happens to be in Paris following a missing persons case with his best friend Harry and Harry's new wife, Guy's partner, Mary Moon! They sadly get nowhere on either case and Louisa is whisked off in the wake of Diana once again. Though the company Diana is starting to keep is far more political. She's turning away from the bright young things and turning towards Oswald Mosley. Louisa knows it isn't any of her business, she's paid to be Diana's friend and secret keeper, but these secrets are dangerous. And it doesn't help that this confidence doesn't go both ways. Diana won't hear about there being a murderer amongst her friends, even when a third body appears. What is Louisa to do?

If you haven't guessed by now we're working our way through the Mitford sisters in Jessica Fellowes's series, the ironically titled "Mitford Murders Mystery." So the third book means it's Diana's turn, with Unity, Decca, and Debo waiting in the wings, and yes, I feel sorry for them in advance with whatever Jessica Fellowes has planned for them. The problem with Diana is she's a deplorable. She is a genuinely horrible human. The fact that she was married to Oswald Mosley in Goebbels's drawing room with Hitler in attendance is the one sentence bio that adequately covers what a horrid human being she was. While this series has always been more concerned with the "look" of the Mitfords than the "spirit" of them I have to say that Jessica Fellowes did a good job portraying Diana, because not only did I hate the book for myriad writing and plotting reasons, but I hated it for Diana. And thankfully it feels like Jessica Fellowes hates Diana too, because I've come to terms with her being a bad writer, but if she was also a bad human, if she made Diana a heroine, well, I don't think I could stomach that. Though her hatred of Diana made the writing at times a tad heavy handed with the Nazi side of things. But I think that can be forgiven, because now, more then ever, people need to be reminded that Nazis are bad. As I write this Nazi Germany is trending on Twitter, that is how relevant Nazis are. But the Diana hatred oozing off the pages made me dislike this book on a level not seen since I read Diana's autobiography A Life of Contrasts. It's really hard to like a book with an unappealing villain as the star. Add to that my myriad issues with the series as a whole, and there was no way I was going to like this. Throw in the weird timeline with us jumping years ahead at random intervals and we're supposed to believe that the crimes committed are in the front of everyone's minds all that time later? That's preposterous. Much like calling this series "A Mitford Murders Mystery."

Posted by Miss Eliza at 12:00 AM 0 comments  

Labels: A Life of Contrasts, Bryan Guinness, Diana Mitford, Guy Sullivan, Jessica Fellowes, Lady's Maid, Louisa Cannon, Murder, Murder Most Foul, Nazis, Oswald Mosley, The Mitford Murders, The Mitford Scandal

The Spy Wore Silk by Andrea Pickens
Published by: Oliver-Heber Books
Publication Date: February 25th, 2025
Format: Paperback, 350 Pages
Rating: ★★★★★
To Buy

Selina plucked her name from a spinning globe, much as she was plucked out of the gutter by Lord Lynsley. He saw in her a tenacity that would be perfect for his unique scheme, a scheme that saw orphans from the stews placed in the care of Mrs. Merlin where these select young women of no breeding would be taught to save England in it's hour of need. They were taught culture and seduction. They were taught to wield a blade and a pistol as well as any man. In fact, better than many. They were taught to rely on their own wits and work alone for king and country using the more subtle forms of warfare. And as the war with Napoleon rages on, England has need of Merlin's Marauders. Or it has need of one of them, their best. Selina. It is time for her to fly. There is a traitor who has been leaking documents to the French through expensive and rare editions of books. The most recent missive that has been stolen is in regards to Russia's alliance with England. If this were to make it into the hands of the French that alliance would come to an end. Because of the unique method of delivery the traitor might have tipped their hand. The Golden Page Club is a group of six men with disparate personalities who come together to talk about incunabula. Dunster, Fitzwilliam, Winthrop, Leveritt, Jadwin, and Kirtland are all men of means, but it's James Winchester, the Earl of Kirtland, whom Lord Lynsley has singled out. Kirtland had a rather glorious military career that ended rather publicly. If any one of these bookworms holds a grunge against England, he is the most likely. Which is where Selina comes in. She has launched herself, rather dramatically, into society as The Black Dove, a courtesan in search of a protector. And that protector could only be a member of The Gilded Page Club. All six members have been invited to Marquand Castle for a fortnight for an exclusive auction of a set of rare fourteenth century Burgundian Psalters illuminated by the monks of St. Sebastian Abbey. Thanks to Lord Lynsley, Selina will be one of the guests. During the course of the house party she will host a competition amongst the six men to see which one of them will protect her. All the challenges though are designed to route out the spy. Little did she think when starting this mission that her heart was most at risk. Selina is in danger of falling for a man who might just be a traitor according to Lynsley. But only time will tell if her instincts are right about Kirtland or if she's unwittingly risked the fate of her country.

I have been a fan of Andrea Penrose since I picked up her book Sweet Revenge on a perfect bookstore outing with my Dad one cold winter night in 2011. And yes, I can close my eyes and picture myself there in Barnes and Noble just like it was yesterday and not fourteen years ago. Little did I realize that Andrea Penrose was just another pen name of Andrea DaRif, who taught a class at Yale in 2010 with perennial favorite, Lauren Willig, called "Reading the Historical Romance." If I had put two and two together I would have hunted down all her books before that felicitous bookstore outing. For my blog's Regency Romp back in 2022 I devoured all of her Lady Arianna books having not realized that they had continued as eBooks after the first three were released in paperback. I had a lot of catching up to do. It was glorious. But after you've read all the Lady Arianna and all the Wrexford and Sloane books and even read her books written as Cara Elliott, what is a reader to do? It turns out she thankfully had YET ANOTHER pen name out there, Andrea Pickens! And, well, it just so happens that Andrea's partnered with Oliver-Heber Books to re-publish a number of her old Signet Regency books as well as her Mrs. Merlin's Academy for Extraordinary Young Ladies series, The Spy Wore Silk being the first volume in this series. I went into this book with no expectations and was wonderfully surprised that this book felt written just for me. Books, art, a country house party!?! All while trying to foil dastardly spies? Seriously, written. For. Me. It captured the same joy I had when I first read Lauren Willig's The Secret History of the Pink Carnation, which is the standard by which I judge all modern authors writing in the Regency. Yet there was also the delicious romance of Lisa Kleypas's Wallflowers series. And yes, I realize that at this point all I'm doing is listing favorite series that The Spy Wore Silk reminded me of, but that's because I honestly think that after reading only the first book that this will become a new favorite series of mine and I can't wait to read the next three books. This book was just such fun, with memorable characters and so much appetizing alliteration. But what I felt stood out from the crowd with this book was that by posing as a courtesan Selina is treated very differently by men. This isn't the ton we are used to. Yes, women are always in danger of being compromised, for Selina it could be much much worse. They all think she's chattel and treat her as such. Thankfully she can defend herself. But this sure isn't Jane Austen's England. I need more!

Posted by Miss Eliza at 12:00 AM 0 comments  

Labels: Andrea DaRif, Andrea Penrose, Andrea Pickens, Books, Cara Elliott, Courtesan, Lauren Willig, Lisa Kleypas, Merlin's Marauders, Pink Carnation, Regency, Sweet Revenge, The Black Dove, The Spy Wore Silk, Wallflowers

I Died for Beauty by Amanda Flower
Published by: Berkley
Publication Date: February 25th, 2025
Format: Paperback, 352 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"When a blaze takes both a neighbor's home and his life, Emily Dickinson and her maid Willa have a burning desire to crack the case in this new historical mystery from Agatha Award-winning author Amanda Flower.

Amherst, 1857. The Dickinson family braves one of the worst winters in New England's history. Trains are snowbound and boats are frozen in the harbor. Emily Dickinson and her maid, Willa Noble, have never witnessed anything like it. As Amherst families attempt to keep their homes warm, fears of fire abound.

These worries prove not to be unfounded as a blaze breaks out just down the street from the Dickinson in Kelley Square, the Irish community in Amherst, and a young couple is killed, leaving behind their young child. Their deaths appear to be a tragic accident, but Emily finds herself harboring suspicions there may be more to the fire than meets the eye. Emily and Willa must withstand the frigid temperatures and discover a killer lurking among the deadly frost."

I love the trope of famous authors turned sleuth.

The Other March Sisters by Linda Epstein, Ally Malinenko, and Liz Parker
Published by: Kensington
Publication Date: February 25th, 2025
Format: Hardcover, 368 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"Giving all the "Little Women" the stories they deserve at last, this imaginative historical novel and companion to the much-loved classic draws Meg, Beth, and Amy March from behind the shadow of Jo - Louisa May Alcott's alter-ego and the "author" of Little Women - as vibrant and unforgettable characters grappling with societal strictures, queer love, motherhood, chronic illness, artistic ambition, and more.

I’m sure you believe you know their story from reading that other book, which told you an inspiring tale about four sisters. It told you a story, but did it tell you the story?

Four sisters, each as different as can be. Through the eyes and words of Jo, their characters and destinies became known to millions. Meg, pretty and conventional. Jo, stubborn, tomboyish, and ambitious. Beth, shy and good-natured, a mortal angel readily accepting her fate. And Amy, elegant, frivolous, and shallow. But Jo, for all her insight, could not always know what was in her sisters' thoughts, or in their hearts.

With Jo away in New York to pursue her literary ambitions, Meg, Beth, and Amy follow their own paths. Meg, newly married with young twins, struggles to find the contentment that Marmee assured her would come with domesticity. Unhappy and unfulfilled, she turns to her garden, finding there not just a hobby but a calling that will allow her to help other women in turn.

Beth knows her time is limited. Still, part of her longs to break out of her suffocating cocoon at home, however briefly. A new acquaintance turns into something more, offering unexpected, quiet joy.

Amy, traveling in Europe while she pursues her goal of becoming an artist, is keenly aware of the expectation that she will save the family by marrying well. Through the course of her journey, she discovers how she can remain true to herself, true to her art, and true to the love that was always meant to be.

Purposefully leaving Jo off the page, authors Liz Parker, Ally Malinenko, and Linda Epstein draw inspiration from Alcott's real-life sisters, giving the other March women room to reveal themselves through conversations, private correspondence, and intimate moments - coming alive in ways that might surprise even daring, unconventional Jo."

What annoyed me most about the most recent adaptation of Little Women was making Beth nothing more than the reason for Jo to write her book. More sidelined and marginalized than any adaptation I've seen. Which is why this book is so needed. The other sisters need to tell their tale!

Season of Fire by Cidney Mayes
Published by: Crow Quill Publishing
Publication Date: February 25th, 2025
Format: Kindle, 372 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"A dazzling romantic fantasy featuring a slow-burn friends to lovers romance, a secret society of witches, and the perils of London's high society.

In a world of rigid expectations and dazzling balls, twenty-three-year-old Rose Worthington would rather manage her family's country estate than participate in London's high society. When her latent magical abilities begin to flare - shattering glass and scorching walls - she struggles to conceal her powers. But she can't hide from Lady Nightingale, the mysterious leader of a secret society of witches, who offers Rose a way to control her powers and navigate the perils of society.

As whispers of witch hunters prowling the streets grow louder, Rose must navigate the treacherous world of the social elite, hiding her powers from those who seek to destroy her kind. She shouldn't be pining for Philip, childhood friend left behind in the country, or spending so much time with Lord Alexander Crawford, the season's most eligible bachelor.

Torn between love and loyalty, Rose's attempts to prove herself within the Nightingales lead to a dangerous mistake. With her newfound sisterhood at risk and witch hunters closing in, she must decide who she can trust - and how far she's willing to go to protect her magic before it's too late."

I love historical fantasy... Make it Regency and I'm even happier. But anything British I'm good with.

The Otherwhere Post by Emily J. Taylor
Published by: G.P. Putnam's Sons Books for Young Readers
Publication Date: February 25th, 2025
Format: Hardcover, 416 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"The New York Times bestselling author of Hotel Magnifique returns with this stunning dark academic fantasy full of deadly magic and dangerous secrets, perfect for fans of Divine Rivals and A Study in Drowning.

Seven years ago, Maeve Abenthy lost everything: her world, her father, even her name. Desperate to escape the stain of her father's crimes, she lives under a fake name, never staying in one place long enough to put down roots.

Then she receives a mysterious letter with four impossible words: Your father was innocent.

To uncover the truth, she poses as an apprentice for the Otherwhere Post, where she'll be trained in the art of scriptomancy - the dangerous magic that allows couriers to enchant letters and deliver them to other worlds. But looking into her father's past draws more attention than she'd planned.

Her secretive, infuriatingly handsome mentor knows she's lying about her identity, and time is running out to convince him to trust her. Worse, she begins to receive threatening letters, warning her to drop her investigation - or else. For Maeve to unravel the mystery of what happened seven years ago, she may have to forfeit her life."

Sometimes truth is worth every sacrifice. 

A Night in the Lonesome October by Roger Zelazny
Published by: Harper Voyager
Publication Date: February 25th, 2025
Format: Paperback, 272 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"Boldly original and wildly entertaining, A Night in the Lonesome October is a darkly sparkling gem, an amalgam of horror, humor, mystery, and fantasy featuring a Who's Who from Victorian horror and mystery. Zelazny's last book prior to his untimely death is considered by many to be the best of the fantasy master's novels.

Under cover of the murky London gloom, a knife-wielding gentleman named Jack prowls the midnight streets with his faithful watchdog Snuff - gathering together the grisly ingredients they will need for an upcoming ancient and unearthly rite. For soon, after the death of the moon, black magic will summon the Elder Gods back into the world.

But Snuff and his master are not alone. All manner of participants, both human and not, are about with their ancient tools and their animal familiars in preparation for the dread night. It is brave, devoted Snuff who must calculate the patterns of the Game and keep track of the Players - the witch, the mad monk, the vengeful vicar, the Count who sleeps by day, the Good Doctor and the hulking Experiment Man he fashioned from human body parts, and a wild-card American named Larry Talbot - all the while keeping Things at bay and staying a leap ahead of the Great Detective, who knows quite a bit more than he lets on.

Some have come to open the gates. Some have come to slam them shut.

As the hour approaches - let the Game begin..."

A true classic.

The Spy Wore Silk by Andrea Pickens
Published by: Oliver-Heber Books
Publication Date: February 25th, 2025
Format: Paperback, 350 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"The most skilled of Merlin's Mauraders, Siena must unmask a traitor lurking among an exclusive club of book collectors. Armed with only her wits, her blades, and her sultry body, she joins the gentlemen at a country house party. But her prime suspect, disgraced ex-army officer Lord Kirtland proves as enigmatic as he is suspicious-and sinfully sensuous.

Kirtland's instincts tell him the enticing "Black Dove" is hiding more than a luscious body beneath her fancy silks. Yet as he starts to plumb her secrets, a cunning adversary lays plans to destroy them both. To live, Siena must end her tantalizing dance of deception and desire-and decide whether to trust her head or her heart."

This is an edge of your seat romantic thrill ride in Regency England!

A Slash of Emerald by Patrice McDonough
Published by: Kensington
Publication Date: February 25th, 2025
Format: Hardcover, 336 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"A trailblazing female medical examiner in 1867 London and a skeptical Scotland Yard detective investigate a string of art world murders in this dark, atmospheric, historically rich mystery for readers of Andrea Penrose and Deanna Raynourn.

London, 1867: Among the genteel young ladies of London society, painting is a perfectly acceptable pastime - but a woman who dares to pursue art as a profession is another prospect, indeed. Dr. Julia Lewis, familiar with the disrespect afforded women in untraditional careers, is hardly surprised when Scotland Yard shows little interest in complaints made by her friend, Mary Allingham, about a break-in at her art studio. Mary is just one of many "lady painters" being targeted by vandals.

Painters' sitters are vanishing, too - women viewed by some as dispensable outcasts. Inspector Richard Tennant, however, takes the attacks seriously, suspecting they're linked to the poison-pen letters received by additional members of the Allingham family. For Julia, the issue is complicated by Tennant's previous relationship with Mary's sister-in-law, Louisa, and by her own surprising reaction to that entanglement.

But when someone close to them commits suicide and a young woman turns up dead, the case can no longer be so easily ignored by 'respectable' society. Layer after layer, Julia and Tennant scrape away the facts of the case like paint from a canvas. What emerges is a somber picture of vice, depravity, and deception stretching from London's East End to the Far East - with a killer at its center, determined to get away with one last, grisly murder..."

Two of my loves, art and murder, combine for the perfect read.

Something in the Walls by Daisy Pearce
Published by: Minotaur Books
Publication Date: February 25th, 2025
Format: Hardcover, 304 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"Unbearably tense, utterly propulsive, and studded with folklore and horror, Something in the Walls is perfect for anyone who loves Midsommar and The Haunting of Hill House.

Newly-minted child psychologist Mina has little experience. In a field where the first people called are experts, she's been unable to get her feet wet. Instead she aimlessly spends her days stuck in the stifling heat wave sweeping across Britain, and anxiously contemplating her upcoming marriage to careful, precise researcher Oscar. The only reprieve from her small, close world is attending the local bereavement group to mourn her brother's death from years ago. That is, until she meets journalist Sam Hunter at the grief group one day. And he has a proposition for her.

Alice Webber is a thirteen year old girl who claims she's being haunted by a witch. Living with her family in their crowded home in the remote village of Banathel, Alice's symptoms are increasingly disturbing, and money is tight. Taking this job will give Mina some experience; Sam will get the scoop of a lifetime; and Alice will get better, Mina is sure of it.

But instead of improving, Alice's behavior becomes increasingly inexplicable and intense. The town of Banathel has a deep history of superstition and witchcraft. They believe there is evil in the world. They believe there are ways of...dealing with it. And they don't expect outsiders to understand.

As Mina races to uncover the truth behind Alice's condition, the dark cracks of Banathel begin to show. Mina is desperate to understand how deep their sinister traditions go - and how her own past may be the biggest threat of all."

I love small little towns that time has forgotten but that haven't forgotten their dark rituals...

The Wildest Things by Andrea Hannah
Published by: Wednesday Books
Publication Date: February 25th, 2025
Format: Hardcover, 320 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"In this sapphic Snow White retelling, if Snow is to save her kingdom from being ravaged by the Blight, she'll have to kill the Evil Queen's daughter...if she doesn't fall in love with her first.

When her glass coffin unexpectedly shatters, Snow White awakens to anything but a dream. The land is rotting. The animals have mutated. In the twenty years that have passed since Snow bit into the poisoned apple, the kingdom of Roanfrost has transformed from a luscious wild land to a blight-ravaged nightmare. In search of answers and a way to restore her kingdom to its former glory, Snow sets out on a dangerous journey that will test the strength she never knew she had.

Friends will become foes.

New alliances will form.

The Queen with the blood red lips will stop at nothing to seize her power as well as her heart.

If Snow has any chance to survive and restore not only her kingdom, but all of Garedenne, her only option is to become the Seasonkeeper and access the life-giving magic that will heal the plague. But the path to becoming the Seasonkeeper is more treacherous than she could ever imagine - because the wild things have awakened and Snow's darker impulses yearn to set them free."

If Snow White stared in Annihilation. 

Big Name Fan by Ruthie Knox and Annie Mare
Published by: Kensington
Publication Date: February 25th, 2025
Format: Hardcover, 320 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"When two A-list celebrities famous for their on-screen chemistry as TV detectives (think: sapphic Mulder and Scully, or queer Rizzoli and Isles) are reunited to investigate a real-life Hollywood murder, fans who have been 'shipping the leading ladies for years might just get the ending they've always wanted...

Bexley Simon and Sam Farmer aren't detectives, but they play them on TV. Well, played, past tense. The iconic cult hit that was Craven's Daughter ended five years ago, and their friendship died along with it. Fans were disappointed that the pair's legendary chemistry went unfulfilled - and crushed that the actual spark between actresses Bex and Sam didn't pay off, either. The network never intended for two women to get romantic, in life or onscreen, despite the fans. But the bigger tragedy was the loss of their dear friend, makeup artist Jen Arnot, whose accidental death cast a pall over the series' last episodes.

Now the network has decided on a reunion special, and Bex and Sam are thrust together once more as hosts of a rewatch podcast that will feature favorite episodes. Their first guest - a megawatt star who played a murder victim early on - drops a bombshell. Among the millions of pixels of fanfic written about the show online, one truly prolific author, known in the fiction world as the show's Big Name Fan, was an insider, almost certainly someone from the cast or crew.

As the podcast moves along - and the spark between Bex and Sam threatens to burn down the studio - the pair realize they're faced with two actual mysteries: Who is their Big Name Fan? And was Jen's death an accident, or did someone want her dead? Sifting through clues as they question cast and crew, the duo will need to separate fact from fiction as they make their personal partnership into unmistakable canon..."

I love that this is a mysterious romantic twist on the ubiquitous trend of stars doing rewatch podcasts.

Posted by Miss Eliza at 12:00 AM 0 comments  

Labels: Ally Malinenko, Amanda Flower, Andrea Hannah, Andrea Penrose, Annie Mare, Cidney Mayes, Daisy Pearce, Emily Dickinson, Emily J. Taylor, Linda Epstein, Patrice McDonough, Roger Zelazny, Ruthie Knox, Snow White