Tuesday Tomorrow
The Children by Melissa Albert
Published by: William Morrow
Publication Date: June 2nd, 2026
Format: Hardcover, 416 Pages
To Buy
The official patter:
"The haunting new novel from New York Times bestselling author Melissa Albert, in which the estranged adult children of a legendary author, written into their dead mother's beloved fantasy series, must contend with the vine-like creep of legacy, memory, and magic.
Guinevere Sharpe has two childhoods.
In one, she and her brother, Ennis, live in the wooded shadow of their family's isolated Vermont farmhouse; in the other, the pages of their mother's world-famous Ninth City books, where their magical adventures have made them household names. In reality, Guinevere's childhood isn't the enchanted idyll her mother's readers imagine: she and Ennis are growing up near-feral, unwashed and underfed, escaping each day to the wild woods they've made their playland. As Edith Sharpe's books explode into epic popularity, the threats of a rural childhood give way to the escalating perils of fame - until the night it all goes up in flames, leaving Edith's series unfinished and her children the sole survivors.
Now an adult coasting on her mother's name, Guinevere is mid-promotion for a ghostwritten memoir when her estranged brother, an artist who has until now spurned his family's legacy, announces an upcoming installation titled, simply, Mother. As rumors swirl around a death connected to his last show, unsettling recollections from Guinevere's childhood begin to surface. Her public facade starts to crack, forcing her to confront the questions she's spent the last twenty years running from: What really happened the night of the fire? And what dark history lies behind their mother's fantasy world?
The Children is wise to the mythic weight childhood memories gather over time, and the way our most beloved stories grow up with us. It's for anyone who's ever revisited an old favorite and found its pages cast in a darker light, the line separating magic from reality blurring as we discover the books that once comforted us carry shadows of their own."
Yes, what dark history is in this fantasy world!
Hunger and Thirst by Claire Fuller
Published by: Tin House
Publication Date: June 2nd, 2026
Format: Hardcover, 320 Pages
To Buy
The official patter:
"From the celebrated author of Bitter Orange and Swimming Lessons comes an "atmospheric, psychologically vivid, and unputdownable" new novel of complicated friendship and the desperate need to belong (Alice Winn.)
1987: After a childhood trauma and years in and out of the care system, sixteen-year-old Ursula finds herself with a new job delivering mail at a local art school, a bed in a halfway house, and some new friends, including wild-child Sue. When Ursula is invited to join a squat at the Underwood, a mysterious house whose owners met a terrible end, she can't resist this hodgepodge family. But as Sue's behavior and demands become more extreme, Ursula, who has always been hungry - for food, but more importantly for love and acceptance - carries out her friend's terrible dare. And, for this, Ursula finds herself literally haunted.
Thirty-six years later, Ursula is a renowned but reclusive sculptor living under a pseudonym in London when her identity is exposed by a true-crime documentarian researching an unsolved disappearance. But the filmmaker is not the only one who has discovered Ursula's whereabouts, and as her past catches up with her present, Ursula must work out whether the monsters are within her or without - and if they will finally make her pay for her past mistakes.
Part gothic horror, part coming-of-age, and a with contemporary twist on the haunted-house story, Hunger and Thirst is a chilling tale of loneliness, of the dangerous line between wanting and needing, and of how far a person will go to truly belong."
I am here for any haunted house story! Set it in the art world and it's everything to me.
Muñeca by Cynthia Gómez
Published by: G.P. Putnam's Sons
Publication Date: June 2nd, 2026
Format: Hardcover, 176 Pages
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The official patter:
"A vivid, surreal Gothic about a queer, Latine, working class witch who sets out to rescue a bespelled heiress and loses control of her powers and her heart in the process.
It is 1968 Oakland, and Natalia Fuentes has been hearing rumors about the beautiful Violeta Miramontes. The young heiress to Spanish colonial wealth has been left paralyzed by a mysterious illness. But Nati knows a thing or two about witchcraft, and she is certain that this is the work of dark magic.
Armed with a plan to break the spell and earn a handsome reward, Nati works her way into the house as Violeta's caretaker, and immediately discovers her suspicions are true. But who cursed Violeta? And why?
As feelings between the two women bloom into romance, Nati grows more and more reckless, and is forced to face her own ghosts - ones she hoped would stay gone forever.
Riveting and richly layered, Muñeca explores how far one will go to save the person they love - even if that means damning themselves. Cynthia Gómez fills her debut novel with moments that chill your bones and warm your heart, a razor-sharp examination of deep-rooted issues that will haunt readers long after the last page is turned."
It's sometimes hard to help working from a place of damnation.
The Spiritualists by Kristin O'Donnell Tubb
Published by: Simon and Schuster Books for Young Readers
Publication Date: June 2nd, 2026
Format: Hardcover, 416 Pages
To Buy
The official patter:
"The Witch Haven meets Divine Rivals in this magical, "high-stakes page-turner of a thriller" (Kirkus Reviews, starred review) of a young clairvoyant who gets dragged into a dangerous game of revenge alongside a mysterious thief in early 1900s New York City.
Stella Bohdan is never alone - never - and yet she is the loneliest person she knows, dead or alive. A gifted psychic who can hear the voices of spirits, all Stella wants is to con enough people to survive on the brutal New York City streets and find a way to deal with the tragic death of her sister.
Performing seances in parlor rooms and tarot readings by candlelight, Stella is barely holding on. Until she meets Pax, a mysterious young man who offers Stella an invitation and a promise: Join a secret group of talented mystics who explore the darker realms of spiritualism, and together they will get revenge on her sister's killer.
But how can Stella admit she is the reason her sister is dead?
In the hope of righting past wrongs, Stella joins Pax and his team of mystics. It's soon clear there is more behind their partnership than just vengeance.
They must tread carefully though, because in the world of spiritualism, not everything is what it seems - especially when communing with the unknown."
I literally want to read every single book in existence that is about mediums and spiritualism.
The Witch's Stone by Kirsty Ferry
Published by: Boldwood Books Ltd
Publication Date: June 2nd, 2026
Format: Hardcover, 266 Pages
To Buy
The official patter:
"A BRAND-NEW haunting and chilling gothic historical mystery, perfect for fans of C.J. Cooke and Laura Purcell.
Some legends never die - they wait for you to come home.
When Jess Morgan arrives in Northumberland to research the history of a crumbling chapel, she's drawn to the legend of the Brinkburn Witch - a woman said to appear when blood is spilled near an ancient standing stone. But the longer Jess stays, the stranger things become. Whispers echo through empty corridors, shadows move where none should, and the boundary between dreams and memory begins to blur.
Over a century earlier, Eliza Stratford turned to the witch for help after a violent betrayal - and sealed her fate with a terrible bargain. Now her story, and the secrets she died to protect, are surfacing again.
As Jess unearths the truth behind the legend, she begins to suspect her own connection to the past runs deeper than she ever imagined - and that some ghosts will do anything to be remembered...
Atmospheric, haunting and rich with dark folklore, The Witch's Stone is a spellbinding gothic timeslip mystery where the past refuses to stay buried."
I really hope she doesn't, you know, go an spill some blood near that standing stone...
Harried Witch by J.B. Pinheiro
Published by: J.B.Pinheiro
Publication Date: June 2nd, 2026
Format: Paperback, 540 Pages
To Buy
The official patter:
"In Harried Witch, the Beauty and the Beast-inspired romantasy duology reaches its searing conclusion, following the debut novel Wretched Mage. Told from dual POVs, it brings higher stakes, a richer view of the mageborn world, and longing that will haunt readers long after the final page. It's for fans of Servant of Earth by Sarah Hawley and Silvercloak by L.K. Steven.
Jane is forced to face a daunting truth. Torn between her family, looming consequences, and the weight of a role she has been chosen for as Lady of Mountheim, she must outwit every obstacle to secure the future she desires.
Reagan has barely completed his sentence when fresh threats and expectations surge around him. Determined to expose the conspirators who targeted him and his estate, he refuses to wait for danger to strike again.
But the conspiracy runs deeper than either imagined, revealing the sinister reach of enemies far more dangerous than they anticipated. As alliances form and their love is tested, Jane and Reagan must summon every ounce of strength to protect those they care for, even if it means letting go of each other."
Damn, I love a good duology.
Field Guide for the Formerly Villainous by Autumn K. England
Published by: Poisoned Pen Press
Publication Date: June 2nd, 2026
Format: Hardcover, 368 Pages
To Buy
The official patter:
"Stardew Valley meets Studio Ghibli in a charming cozy fantasy about healing, redemption, and the subtle magic of simple living. Perfect for fans of Can't Spell Treason Without Tea and The Spellshop. Welcome home, weary traveler.
When Oaklin Nettlewood accidentally joined an evil world-ending cult, mind control magic forced them to do unspeakable things. Years later, the realm's heroes have finally saved the day, defeated the villain, and shattered the last remnants of the spell...leaving destruction in their wake. And so, with a spell-damaged memory and whole bushel of trauma, Oaklin escapes to a small farm on the edge of Mossley's Rest and swears an oath: After all the things they were forced to do with their magic, they will never use it again. Ever.
The no-nonsense ghost granny who lives in Oaklin's house has other ideas. As she coaxes Oaklin out of their shell and back into the world, they find companionship (a grumpy horse and a very good dog), friendship (a local bard and magical baker who should just kiss already), and tentative romance (a paladin-librarian who makes Oaklin's heart come alive for the first time in ages.) Magic even seems possible again - though strictly for foraging magical mushrooms and protecting the farm from bugs.
Healing comes in gentle waves, and Oaklin doesn't have to do it alone. So what does it mean when an inquisitor comes to town to hunt former cultists just as Oaklin begins to think that maybe, just maybe, they deserve a happy ending after all?"
Can I go live in this world? There's a baker and a library, I really think that's all I need.
The Unicorn Hunters by Katherine Arden
Published by: Del Rey
Publication Date: June 2nd, 2026
Format: Hardcover, 368 Pages
To Buy
The official patter:
"In a desperate gamble to save her throne, a young monarch conceals a secret marriage in the shadows of an enchanted forest - and unknowingly alters the fate of her world - in this dazzling novel from the New York Times bestselling author of The Bear and the Nightingale.
Anne of Brittany was a child when France invaded and drove her royal father to his death. Now she is a young woman, sovereign duchess of an occupied realm, and France means to crown their conquest by marrying her to their king. Such an alliance would put her title, her lands, and her body forever in the hands of her enemies.
But Anne refuses to be the last duchess of Brittany.
Her only hope of resisting conquest is another alliance sealed with marriage, so Anne arranges a daring last gambit: a secret betrothal to Charles of France's greatest rival. But secrets are hard to keep in a world where rival courts spy on each other with diviners.
The forest of Brocéliande was once the haunt of Merlin the Enchanter and the long-lost faerie queen. But magic is long gone from Brocéliande, except for the occasional sight of a unicorn and one critical quirk: This ancient forest is completely hostile to divination.
While pretending compliance with France, Anne plans a unicorn hunt in Brocéliande. A bit of pointless pageantry. A diversion so she can wed in secret.
Or so she thinks.
In this rich and epic novel, the author of the acclaimed Winternight trilogy turns the real history of a remarkable woman into an unforgettable tale of mystery, enchantment, and the price of power."
I be more than a little obsessed with Anne of Brittany since Robin LaFevers's His Fair Assassin series.
The Hyacinth Labyrinth by Jamie Pacton
Published by: Peachtree Teen
Publication Date: June 2nd, 2026
Format: Hardcover, 368 Pages
To Buy
The official patter:
"A whimsical adventure full of magic, fantastical road trips, and a sapphic slow-burn, friends-to-lovers romance - for fans of Sorcery of Thorns and Emily Wilde's Encyclopaedia of Faeries.
All magic begins in stories. That's what Fae princess Hyacinth has always been told. As the unmagical daughter of Queen Mab, Hyacinth has never fit in at her mother's court. She hopes that if she learns about her father, who disappeared fifteen years ago, she can finally learn more about herself.
When Hyacinth and her friend Chloe - a human stablehand trapped in Fae - sneak off to a riverside night market, Hyacinth learns that her father was last seen heading to a library at the heart of a treacherous labyrinth. The problem: The labyrinth was built long ago by three goddesses, and no one has ever returned from it.
Still, Hyacinth has to try.
With the help of Chloe and a tiny dragon named Coffee, she defies Queen Mab and sets off into the wilds of the Moonshadow Kingdom. Along the way they face bandits, magical creatures, a centuries-old human who hosts an Endless Ball, and Hyacinth and Chloe's growing feelings for each other. Meanwhile, an ancient power lies in wait at the center of the labyrinth, and it is eager to write the girls' ending.
A lush, fairycore, sapphic YA fantasy that returns readers to the Fae world introduced in Jamie Pacton's bestselling novel The Absinthe Underground!
Perfect for readers who love Sapphic Slow-Burn, Friends-to-Lovers, Grumpy/Sunshine, Princess/Lady Knight, Bodyguard Romance, Fae/Human Relationships, Only One Bed, and Stories Are Magic!"
I would totally risk a labyrinth for a good library.
The Secret World of Briar Rose by Cindy Pham
Published by: Kokila
Publication Date: June 2nd, 2026
Format: Hardcover, 400 Pages
To Buy
The official patter:
"A lush and immersive queer "Sleeping Beauty" retelling about escapism, grief, and dreaming of a better world, as imagined by YouTube star Cindy Pham.
One hundred years have passed since the last heir of Gyldan fell into eternal slumber and doomed the once-mighty kingdom to poverty and invasion. At least, that's what the fairy tales claim.
Corin is a jaded thief who doesn't believe in fables, even when she searches Gyldan's underground tunnels to find her younger sister, Elly, who ran away to find the sleeping princess in hopes of a better life. Corin's conviction is challenged when she discovers the ruins of the ancient castle, maintained by beings from the kingdom's golden age, who protect a hidden portal into Princess Amelia's subconscious. Following Elly's voice, Corin jumps in the portal and seals the entry behind her.
Inside the lush world of Amelia's dreams, the sisters reunite for a new adventure as they meet Briar Rose, Amelia's whimsical alter ego, and Malicine, a sharp-tongued demon with a gift for magic. But as they explore ice castles, sunflower mazes, and star-filled oceans, Corin suspects Briar Rose is hiding darker secrets behind her "perfect" paradise - and that there are some things her subconscious can't bury forever."
For someone who has been obsessed with Sleeping Beauty most of her life, this is fabulous.
The League of Dangerous Young Ladies by J.A. Morgenstein
Published by: Stonefruit Studio
Publication Date: June 2nd, 2026
Format: Hardcover, 368 Pages
To Buy
The official patter:
"Enola Holmes meets Buffy the Vampire Slayer in this thrilling YA fantasy adventure from debut author J.A. Morgenstein, perfect for fans of Jennifer Lynn Barnes and Philip Pullman.
It's 1909 and Rose Moriarty - teenage daughter of Sherlock Holmes' greatest enemy - has made a name for herself fighting monsters and solving crimes. But that was before Rose met the one mystery she couldn't solve: the disappearance of her headmistress. Now, her school has shut down, her classmates have scattered, and Rose is on her own.
On the very day Rose receives word that an old friend is dying, the shadowy Count Christoph and his ward Clara show up at her door. Rose has already figured out why they're here (to hire her) and what's in their bag (an ancient orb with incredible powers), but questions remain: Can Rose convince these strangers to help save her friend's life? What are the grotesque, bug-shaped stalkers that plague their every step? And how can Rose pursue this adventure while avoiding a particular boy from her childhood? The only thing certain is that Rose is no longer alone, because danger forges strange alliances...
...and Professor Moriarty wasn't the only famous villain to have a daughter.
Unexpected friendships, supernatural mystery, high-stakes heists, and budding romance billow together in this thrilling fantasy adventure, which introduces a motley crew of daredevil heroines who hunt monsters...in all their forms."
Descendants doing cosmic horror.
An Artful Dodge by Karen Odden
Published by: Soho Crime
Publication Date: June 2nd, 2026
Format: Hardcover, 368 Pages
To Buy
The official patter:
"Victorian London comes to vivid life in this riveting heist novel about an all-female thieving gang and one young woman's heroic plan to escape a life of crime, from the USA Today bestselling author of Down a Dark River.
She's stolen gems, purses, and hearts - but can she steal her life back from the ring of thieves that's claimed it?
London, 1879: Twenty-year-old Kit Jimeson has fingers so nimble she can nick a necklace off a lady in a crowded theater without raising alarm. Kit and her dodge partner, Mary, are the highest earners in the notorious all-women thieving ring in South London's Elephant and Castle district.
Kit, whose mother had been a thief before her, dreams of a different life, one where she's not constantly on the lookout for constables and plainclothes detectives, and where a mistake or pure bad luck won't land her in the hangman's noose. She has been saving her earnings so her younger sister, a maid for a wealthy Mayfair family, might have a shot at respectability.
Kit is very close to leaving the life entirely when the legendary former thief Maggie O'Connell brings her plans to a halt. Beautiful, charismatic Maggie has returned to reclaim leadership of the ring after twenty years in a brutal Australian penal colony. But Maggie desires more than mere wealth or power: She longs for revenge against those who sent her away. Kit, with her quick mind and dangerously clever hands, is Maggie's best weapon. If Kit wants to walk away with her life, she must carry out a heist that will demand every skill she possesses."
A Thousand Blows meets Charles Dickens.
The Laboratory Assistant by Natalia Loya
Published by: Apprentice House
Publication Date: June 2nd, 2026
Format: Hardcover, 392 Pages
To Buy
The official patter:
"In a city on the brink of revolution, science and passion offer their own strains of violence.
Petrograd, 1916 After her aristocratic family's fall from fortune, Mariya is desperate to survive - and to support her widowed mother and sisters. Matters alleviate when she finds work as an assistant to Dr. Nikolas Rodin, a reclusive scientist. Though the job makes ends meet, she is soon pulled into his strange and secretive world: a world of flickering gaslights, whispered experiments, and a man whose brilliance is as alluring as it is unstable.
Tuberculosis and revolution both ravage Russia. And as political unrest swells and illness creeps closer, Mariya finds herself torn between a future of safety and a love that threatens to unravel everything. But in the dark corridors of the laboratory, nothing is as it seems - and the line between devotion and danger disappears entirely.
Darkly romantic and steeped in suspense, The Laboratory Assistant explores the perilous chemistry of desire, madness, and the choices that haunt us."
Russian and Gothic? What's not to love?
Brown Girl, Brownstones by Paule Marshall
Published by: Penguin Classics
Publication Date: June 2nd, 2026
Format: Hardcover, 304 Pages
To Buy
The official patter:
"A collectible hardcover edition of the beloved novel about a New York City girlhood that heralded a renaissance in Black women's literature, with a new foreword by Nicole Dennis-Benn, the bestselling author of Patsy and Here Comes the Sun.
One of The New York Times Magazine's 25 Most Significant New York City Novels from the Last 100 Years.
A Penguin Vitae Edition.
Selina Boyce comes of age in 1940s New York as the daughter of two immigrants from Barbados: a free-spirited father she adores and who dreams of returning to his Caribbean island home, and a disciplined, hardworking mother she admires and who is determined to purchase their Brooklyn brownstone. When her father comes into an unexpected inheritance, Selina is torn between his nostalgia for the past and her mother's ambition for the future, all while negotiating racism, sexuality, Depression-era poverty, and the competing values of African Americans and her West Indian immigrant community.
First published in 1959, Brown Girl, Brownstones opened a window into the rich inner life of Black women and today ranks with A Tree Grows in Brooklyn as one of the great New York City novels. With her autobiographical debut, Paule Marshall paved the way for Toni Morrison, Alice Walker, Audre Lorde, June Jordan, and Maya Angelou - and took her place in the American literary canon.
Penguin Vitae - loosely translated as "Penguin of one's life" - is a deluxe hardcover series from Penguin Classics celebrating a dynamic and diverse landscape of classic fiction and nonfiction from seventy-five years of classics publishing. Penguin Vitae provides readers with beautifully designed classics that have shaped the course of their lives, and welcomes new readers to discover these literary gifts of personal inspiration, intellectual engagement, and creative originality."
A book that is a true classic.
The Chateau on Sunset by Natasha Lester
Published by: Ballantine Books
Publication Date: June 2nd, 2026
Format: Paperback, 384 Pages
To Buy
The official patter:
"A sheltered young woman living at the Chateau Marmont falls under the spell of a scandalous, secretive man as all of Hollywood's glamour swirls around her - a stunning feminist reimagining of Jane Eyre from the New York Times bestselling author of The Paris Seamstress.
In 1957, newly orphaned Aria Jones is sent to live with her aunt, a fading star who hides away in Hollywood's infamous Chateau Marmont. There, two aspiring actresses, Calliope and Flitter, take the grieving Aria under their wing.
But the Marmont isn't meant for small girls with big hearts, and Aria's first few nights reveal an insidious secret that continues to haunt her as she grows up in the hotel's halls, where the bright lights of Hollywood cast even darker shadows. If Aria can just stay invisible and invite no trouble as she saves money, then she can leave the Marmont and live life on her own terms - alone but free.
Her carefully laid plans fall apart when the hotel is bought by Theo Winchester, a reclusive rock star turned unexpected caretaker of his daughter, Adele, and unlike any man Aria has met before. To earn the last bit of money she needs to escape, Aria becomes Adele's tutor, which brings Aria closer to Theo and ignites a passion she never expected.
Suddenly, Aria finds herself wondering if she still wants to remain invisible - and if inviting trouble is a risk she's willing to take to pursue what she truly desires."
Two things I love coming together in one package, like peanut butter and chocolate, it's Jane Eyre and old Hollywood!
Crescendo by Jane Healey
Published by: Bloomsbury Publishing
Publication Date: June 2nd, 2026
Format: Hardcover, 320 Pages
To Buy
The official patter:
"A piano virtuoso and his twin sister become rivals for a new spotlight - the adoration of a mysterious French patron - during the hot Parisian summer of 1957.
Twins Natasha and Max Kitson have lived their lives on the road, together building Max's career as a world-renowned pianist, famous for bringing even the most stalwart audience members to tears. But when, at age 20, the former prodigy begins making uncharacteristic mistakes, he abruptly cancels his remaining concerts and moves himself and his sister into the home of an enigmatic French patron, never realizing that Henri has been his sister's lover.
In Paris, over the course of one summer, Natasha's long-simmering resentments and Max's deep insecurities drive the siblings apart as each vie for Henri's attentions. But neither twin can have their host entirely to themselves, because while, during the day, Henri woos Natasha with lavish gifts and trips to the ballet, it's Max's music that draws Henri from bed each night.
One part delicious family drama, and one part twisted love triangle, Crescendo is an altogether un-put-downable escape to the concert halls, ballet theaters, and bedrooms of 1950s France."
A true escape for your summer vacation, or staycation as the case may be.
A Ghost Hunter's Guide to Catching a Killer by F.H. Petford
Published by: Hodder and Stoughton
Publication Date: June 2nd, 2026
Format: eBook, 336 Pages
To Buy
The official patter:
"Don't miss the next instalment in the Alma Timperley Mystery Series, available to pre-order now!
A hotel full of ghosts. A haunting murder. A most unusual investigation...
August 1915: Alma Timperley is fully settled in the bustling coastal town of Falmouth with her fiancé Alan. In her new role as owner of the extraordinary Timperley Spiritualist Hotel, Alma offers residents the chance to contact the dead - and since the start of the war, the hotel has never been busier.
But when a guest is found dead in their bed, talking to ghosts is suddenly the least of Alma's worries. The police are quick to suspect foul play, which can only mean one thing: there is a killer lurking in the hotel's shadows.
Time is of the essence, so Alma is recruited by the police to help with their investigation. Can she crack the case, before she finds herself in grave danger?"
Just saying, as the war going on, she will have even more and more guests... Both alive and dead.
The Girl in the Lake by Lauren Oliver
Published by: Thomas and Mercer
Publication Date: June 2nd, 2026
Format: Paperback, 319 Pages
To Buy
The official patter:
"A young girl who claims to remember a past life draws a psychologist into a decades-old mystery in a haunting novel of suspense by New York Times bestselling author Lauren Oliver.
Kate Willis, consultant for the Division of Perceptual Studies at the University of Virginia, is tasked with interviewing six-year-old Henley Haskell about the girl's alleged past-life recollections. The evaluation also marks a return for Kate to Stockbridge, Massachusetts, and to troubling recollections of her own.
Here, twenty-four years ago, Kate's friend Becca McGuire vanished from her bunk at a now-shuttered summer camp and was never seen again - presumably drowned in Lake Sauquamet. But the mystery of her disappearance is only deepening. Because Henley's memories of her "other life" are ones that could only belong to Becca.
For Kate, Henley's recurring, suffocating nightmares, and her disturbing illustrations of places she has never been, seem to spell out the unbelievable. Somewhere, somehow, the truth about what really happened to Becca is locked inside this little girl. As Henley's uncanny memories surface, so do old secrets - each one drawing Kate inexorably back to that terrible long-ago summer by the lake."
I do find it fascinating how many instances their are of young children remembering other lives.
She Walks at Night by Seishi Yokomizo
Published by: Pushkin Vertigo
Publication Date: June 2nd, 2026
Format: Paperback, 256 Pages
To Buy
The official patter:
"FROM JAPAN'S GREATEST CRIME WRITER: Yokomizo's iconic detective Kosuke Kindaichi returns in this stand-alone murder mystery featuring a luxurious family estate beset by madness, scandal, and a terrifying curse.
In this mind-bending new addition to Seishi Yokomizo's bestselling Kosuke Kindaichi Mysteries - translated into English for the first time - scruffy sleuth Kindaichi is called to the home of the aristocratic Furugami family, where in the midst of the Musashino countryside and enclosed on all sides by a long earthen wall, a gruesome scandal is brewing.
At the centre of the estate is the family patriarch: the drunken, sword-wielding father Tetsunoshin. His mistress, the icy, alluring Lady Oryu, is also housed in the estate along with their illegitimate daughter Yachiyo - beautiful and unstable - and the drink-ravaged Furugami heir, Naoki Sengoku. With each family member holding onto their own dark secrets, tensions between them ride high.
But this family feud turns bloody when the mutilated, headless body of Yachiyo's fiancé is discovered in the Furugami estate. To solve the case, Kindaichi will need to pick apart the threads of the family's carefully-woven story. But can he find the killer before the family is torn apart by its own secrets?
Perfect for fans of Knives Out and Lucy Foley, this thrilling mystery from Japan's greatest and best-loved crime writer is rife with family drama and shocking twists that will captivate readers old and new."
Oh, I love a murder in a big country house. Doesn't matter the country, just the family in it and the mystery.
The Clock House Murders by Yukito Ayatsuji
Published by: Pushkin Vertigo
Publication Date: June 2nd, 2026
Format: Paperback, 416 Pages
To Buy
The official patter:
"A deviously clever, locked room puzzle mystery from the celebrated Japanese author of The Decagon House Murders that's perfect for fans of Uketsu's Strange Houses.
Brilliant detective Shimada Kiyoshi must save a team of paranormal investigators, trapped in an abandoned house, as they are picked off one-by-one!
Rumor has it that the mysterious Clock House - a remote mansion built by notorious architect Nakamura Seiji for a long-dead clock enthusiast - is haunted by the ghost of a young girl, who died there 10 years earlier. No one is more intrigued by this than the investigating team from the paranormal magazine CHAOS. They decide to visit the mansion, along with a psychic medium, in an attempt to make contact with the spirit.
The plan is for the group of investigators to spend three days locked in the house, but their stay has barely begun when a gruesome murder is committed. And then the survivors find that they are trapped in the house, with no possibility of escape...
Meanwhile, the brilliant detective Shimada Kiyoshi is investigating the enigma of The Clock House from the outside, eager to unravel the mystery of another of Nakamura Seiji's twisted architectural creations.
But as his investigation proceeds, the team inside the house are being slaughtered one-by-one. Will Shimada crack the puzzle of The Clock House before all of them are dead?
The latest installment in Yukito Ayatsuji's thrilling Bizarre House Mysteries series, this stand-alone puzzle mystery is par-excellence by a master of the form, packed with twists and culminating in a jaw-dropping, unforgettable solution."
I have always been intrigued by a house that is on a timer. Throw in a medium, and well, I HAVE to have this book!
Marion by Leah Rowan
Published by: St. Martin's Press
Publication Date: June 2nd, 2026
Format: Hardcover, 336 Pages
To Buy
The official patter:
"NORMAN WAS HER FIRST.
Marion is in deep. She's stolen money from the Manhattan ad agency where she works in a desperate bid to help her sister escape an abusive marriage, but the bus breaks down before she can make it to Saratoga Springs. It's late at night, and the only place with vacancies is an old set of cabins on the outskirts of town. She pays for a room in cash, and ends up chatting with Norm, the young innkeeper who's handsome, charming and a touch hung-up on his elderly mother. Back in her room, she steps into the shower, scrubbing off the late-summer heat, when the curtain is pulled back...
Norm Billings is there with a knife. He raises his arm to strike, but before he does, Marion knees him in the balls, grabs the knife, and stabs the life out of him. Now, she's covered in blood, and she's a woman on the run - not just a thief, but a killer, too. Where will she go? How will she save both herself and her sister? And what mysteries will she uncover as she does?
In Psycho, Hitchcock shocked audiences when he killed off his protagonist. But what if the leading lady had fought back? Marion offers an alternate history of the most famous dead blonde to ever grace the silver screen. Only this time, the knife is in her hands - and she's no victim."
In fairness to the OG Marion, she didn't really have time to fight back...
The Heirs by Faridah Àbíké-Íyímídé
Published by: Feiwel and Friends
Publication Date: June 2nd, 2026
Format: Hardcover, 336 Pages
To Buy
The official patter:
"From the award-winning New York Times and Indie bestselling author of Ace of Spades comes a mystery about five teen geniuses, their billionaire father, and the aftermath of his murder - perfect for fans of The Inheritance Games, The Umbrella Academy, and Knives Out!
Five prodigies, one dead father, a mansion full of suspects...
Octavius the Maestro.
Fola the Brain.
Bilal the Olympian.
Perdita the Artist.
Romeo the Failure.
These are the five heirs of the illustrious billionaire Leontes Button. Adopted and viciously trained with their father's infamous "Button Method" to prove his hypothesis for creating prodigies - child geniuses - the Button siblings have had no choice but to be brilliant according to their father's impossibly high standards.
Until he is murdered at his annual Prodigy Ball.
Now, all who attended the ball are required to stay in the Button Manor while the police investigate. But the officers have their work cut out for them - each of the Button siblings has something to hide, but The Heirs aren't the only ones with secrets. After all, Leontes Button was especially good at making enemies..."
Please say there's a monkey butler. I MISS POGO!
While We Were Silent by Alex Myers
Published by: Severn House
Publication Date: June 2nd, 2026
Format: Hardcover, 224 Pages
To Buy
The official patter:
"Devastating secrets shroud the campus of Green Dell Academy, secrets that some think are worth killing for...From Lambda Literary Award finalist Alex Myers comes a provocative dark academia novel.
There are rules and then there's reality...
Autumn, 2015. Green Dell Academy is a prestigious co-ed prep school tucked away in a quiet corner of Connecticut. And although it has its first female head of school, it's still very much a boys' club - a club with longstanding "traditions" that involve gross misconduct - and now murder.
A woman has been killed, right on campus, a woman who has been deeply involved in fighting sexual violence, a woman who had no shortage of enemies.
The murder case, coupled with an investigation into allegations of sexual assault, threatens to bring dark, deep-rooted secrets to the surface, the kind of secrets that go back decades - and some people seem to value the old ways more than human life...
For fans of Rebecca Makkai's I Have Some Questions For You and Ashley Winstead's In My Dreams I Hold a Knife. Written by the current teacher at an American school academy, Alex Myers brings to life a thought-provoking and deeply relevant story."
Personally I'd be OK burning all the prep school that indoctrinate boys to the ground.
Blunt Instrument by Amy Bloom
Published by: The Mysterious Press
Publication Date: June 2nd, 2026
Format: Hardcover, 288 Pages
To Buy
The official patter:
"A failed professor solves a murder on campus in this new whodunit from bestselling author Amy Bloom.
The case of the bludgeoned lecturer has all of Cromwell University reeling, even though the elderly Professor Bullfinch wasn't particularly well-liked. His ornery nature and Old World approach to campus politics ruffled more than a few feathers over the years, and present tensions within his department mean there are more suspects than mourners in the wake of his death. And the murder weapon - a bronze bust of Nathaniel Hawthorne - does seem to indicate that the attack may have been academically motivated...
Enter Dell Chandler, the failed English professor turned self-taught private detective whom Dr. Cutty calls in to investigate the crime. She has the background to tease out the motives among the staff and just enough experience to conduct a thorough inquiry. If she solves the case before the cops do, the university could keep the whole thing quiet, avoiding sensational media about the dark side of campus life. But to do so, she'll have to dodge her own demons from her past life as a disgraced academic.
Written with the same depth of character and insight that readers have come to expect from author Amy Bloom's novels and memoirs, Blunt Instrument is an engaging and entertaining mystery with a clever, complex protagonist at its core."
Personally, I think a bust of Nathaniel Hawthorne, given the setting, might be a murder weapon of convenience...
The Final Chapter by C.B. Everett
Published by: Atria Books
Publication Date: June 2nd, 2026
Format: Hardcover, 384 Pages
To Buy
The official patter:
"A missing bestselling author. A final manuscript encoded with clues to his fate. And a best friend racing to get to the final chapter...
From the author of the "blackly funny" (John Connolly, New York Times bestselling author) The Other People, a gripping book-within-a-book thriller that is perfect for fans of Anthony Horowitz and Janice Hallett.
Ten years ago, a bestselling, critically acclaimed literary author disappeared without a trace…and without a final novel. In recent days, that missing manuscript has surfaced, but strangely enough, it's not another genius work of literary fiction, but an espionage novel full of all-too-stereotypical spycraft and James Bond-like twists.
His former publisher has asked the author's best friend - and fellow author named C.B. Everett - to annotate the novel with details from real life to give the strange novel context within his larger oeuvre. But as C.B. reads, he finds the espionage thriller is filled with references to events and people who feel a little too familiar, and soon he's wondering if the novel might in fact be a key to his missing friend's disappearance. There's text and subtext aplenty, and C.B. is determined to learn once and for all what happened to his friend through solving the mystery woven into the pages. But the final chapter may hold secrets darker and more threatening than anyone anticipated.
An unputdownable, twisty thriller, The Final Chapter asks us: how well do we really know our closest friends? And how well do we know ourselves?"
Well, if it's anything like Anthony Horowitz then the killer is whomever had access to the manuscript...
Man of My Dreams by Olivia Worley
Published by: Minotaur Books
Publication Date: June 2nd, 2026
Format: Hardcover, 320 Pages
To Buy
The official patter:
"A romance author is shocked when one of her characters-in-progress seemingly comes to life…but is he too good to be true, in this dramatic and twisty thriller perfect for fans of Ashley Winstead and Kate Alice Marshall, where the truth really is stranger than fiction.
Read this if you like:
*Meet cutes gone wrong (like, really, really wrong).
*Your boyfriends as unreliable as your narrators.
*Bringing him to meet your family, Murder Edition.
Bestselling romance author Ivy Harcourt has been as unlucky in love as she's been successful in writing - as her sad relationship track attests, there are no good dating options left in New York...Until she rescues an escaped dog in the park, and runs into Liam. Charming, British, hot architect Liam. The exact description of the love interest in her next book.
When an instant connection leads to a whirlwind relationship, Ivy is convinced she's found the dream man. Except he may be too perfect. He may be hiding something.
And Ivy may have secrets of her own."
Personally, if it was me, I'd think is was being setup. And not for a date...
Played to Death by Mike Ripley
Published by: Severn House
Publication Date: June 2nd, 2026
Format: Hardcover, 272 Pages
To Buy
The official patter:
"It's curtains down for one actor when preparations for a new murder mystery play at the local theatre take a chillingly real twist...
The Librarian
Retirement was beckoning until local lawyer Adam Cunningham - aka the Hopewell Players' pantomime dame - requested my professional opinion on the script of their next play that he's been given.
The Lawyer
The script is terrible! And it rips off a number of Golden Age mysteries. With Roly's knowledge of crime fiction, I might be able to get the whole thing cancelled.
The Producer
I couldn't believe it when I learned that my late father had written a play of all things! And now the players will perform his work - until one of them is found dead...
The Inspector
A body on the stage of the local playhouse doesn't happen often round here. Was it a pre-rehearsal accident, suicide...or is the spotlight about to fall on a murderer?
Told from the point of view of four unreliable narrators, most of whom can't be trusted - The Librarian, The Lawyer, The Producer and The Inspector - this cunningly inventive novel is a refreshingly fun, subversive take on the crime fiction genre."
I love a good murder while treading the boards.
The French Market Murder by Greg Mosse
Published by: Hodder and Stoughton
Publication Date: June 2nd, 2026
Format: eBook, 368 Pages
To Buy
The official patter:
"Want to know what mystery Zoe Pascal has to solve next? Don't miss The French Market Murder, the next book in the French Village Mystery series, available to pre-order now!
Sacré bleu! As the local village market is in full swing, get ready to stock up on the best products the south of France has to offer, from mouth-watering pastries, to fragrant lavender soap, and second-hand books...and another mystery for amateur sleuth Zoe Pascal to solve!
The delightful town of Sainte-Catherine, nestled in the heart of Provence, is preparing for the May bank holiday. The cobbled village square will be packed with stalls of the French market, selling wines, cheese, and other local products. Zoe Pascal, who runs the bookshop, is ready for a busy weekend recommending books to tourists and locals alike.
But the festivities have barely begun before Zoe and her loyal companion, Russell the dog, discover a body in an abandoned house behind her bookshop.
The police are quick to decide that they're investigating a murder. And as they're unable to identify the body, they recruit Zoe to help solve the case.
Is there a killer lurking in the bustling streets of Sainte-Catherine? Who in the village is hiding something? It's up to Zoe to find out, before time runs out..."
If she really cared about the town she's wait to report the murder until after the holiday... But then, the killer might just get away with murder...
The Disaster Gay Detective Agency by Lev AC Rosen
Published by: Poisoned Pen Press
Publication Date: June 2nd, 2026
Format: Paperback, 400 Pages
To Buy
The official patter:
"From award-winning, critically acclaimed crime writer Lev Rosen comes a punchy, hilarious mystery-thriller. Meet the disaster gays: They're messy. They're queer. And they're about to solve a murder...Or die trying.
Brandon is a hopeless romantic. So when a handsome stranger named Jon checks in at the hotel he works at and invites Brandon to his room, Brandon ignores the advice of his crew - a group of loveable and messy queer twenty-somethings - and accepts. What follows is a tale as old as time: they hook up, Jon promises to text, Brandon falls in love, and Jon ghosts. Case closed - or is it?
When Jon checks out early, leaving behind a bag of belongings and his cellphone, Brandon takes the phone and sets out to find him, thinking that this must at last be his Cinderella story.
But he gets more than he bargained for when he witnesses a murder - and sees Jon fleeing the scene.
Determined (and not in over their heads whatsoever), Brandon, Ollie, Nicole, and Ian decide to solve the mystery of the murder and uncover Jon's true identity...they just have to figure it out before a target falls on their own backs."
I mean, messy crime solving is always the most entertaining right?
Death on the Lanai by Rachel Ekstrom Courage
Published by: Hyperion Avenue
Publication Date: June 2nd, 2026
Format: Paperback, 384 Pages
To Buy
The official patter:
"The New York Times bestselling series that began with Murder by Cheesecake continues with an all-new Golden Girls cozy mystery!
When the Girls accept a very strange invitation to a lavish party on a remote island estate, they find that murder has a way of ruining even the most glamorous of evenings.
The invite delivered to 6151 Richmond Street was short on details, only promising to celebrate "the greatest artist of the century" and accompanied by a jewel-encrusted brooch - the whole package a brand of mysterious opulence that another Saturday night of gin rummy just can't match.
Blanche Devereaux's passionate dalliances are as plentiful as hot Southern nights, and surely one can't be expected to remember all of one's suitors. But when the Girls disembark the party's ferry at a small Biscayne Bay island and meet their secretive host, the memories come flooding back: she a Radio City Rockette in her twenties, he the poor artist who could offer her nothing but his love. Fate drove them apart, but Declan, now a famous artist El Toro, professes that Blanche has always been his muse.
Featured prominently in his artworks and central to El Toro's return to the apex of the art world, Blanche is thrilled to have been such an inspiring figure to this man. But looking around at a party filled with those who have made their livings off the artist's fame - his assistant, his art dealer, his greatest critic, and more - Dorothy isn't so sure they're welcome on the island after all.
When a tropical storm knocks power out across the island, an optimistic Blanche proclaims that everyone looks better by candlelight anyway. But when Declan is found dead the next morning, all eyes are on her, his supposed muse of thirty-plus years. Trapped at the estate with the other guests - suspects all - the Girls must band together to find the true killer and get back to pleasant evenings of card games and cheesecake."
Eighties comedies really loved to emphasis how good women looked in candlelight...
The Jellyfish Problem by Tessa Yang
Published by: Berkley
Publication Date: June 2nd, 2026
Format: Hardcover, 384 Pages
To Buy
The official patter:
"A marine biologist makes the discovery of a lifetime when called to rescue the inhabitants of a small Maine island being menaced by a giant, glowing jellyfish in this richly imagined, wholly original debut.
Dr. Jo Ness prefers jellyfish to people. Her best friend, Aldo, was the exception, but he died seven months ago. So she spends her days hidden away at an underfunded aquarium with her specimens and a draft of the jellyfish guide she and Aldo had been working on together. His voice is alive in the notes in the margins, and it's enough. Almost.
Until she receives a call from Nadia, one of the few other humans she's loved but whom she hasn't heard from in years, asking for her help. Nadia tells her a grand tale of a giant jellyfish terrorizing her tiny island off the coast of Maine and sends a grainy video of the creature. Frankly, the footage looks fake, but Jo drops everything to fly across the country to see Nadia again, and to find this supposed sea beast. She couldn't save Aldo, but perhaps she can help Nadia.
But when Jo arrives on Shattering Point, Nadia is nowhere to be found, and the islanders she meets each have something different to say about the creature they've dubbed Clementine...a jellyfish who changes all who see it.
At turns an ode to classic sea monster stories and a vibrant tale of human connection, The Jellyfish Problem is an unforgettable debut that announces a new talent."
I'd say Lovecraftian...
Sublimation by Isabel J. Kim
Published by: Tor Books
Publication Date: June 2nd, 2026
Format: Hardcover, 368 Pages
To Buy
The official patter:
"Doppelgängers, corporate intrigue, heartbreak, betrayal, and the harsh permanence of the border: Sublimation is a thrilling and provocative debut for fans of Severance that asks what you'd sacrifice for a different life from award-winning author Isabel J. Kim.
The border cuts you in two.
When you immigrate, you leave a copy of yourself behind, an instance. One person enters their new country; the other stays trapped at home.
Some instances keep in touch, call each other daily, keep their lives and minds in sync in the hopes of reintegrating and resuming a life as one person. Others, like Soyoung Rose Kang, leave home at ten years old and never speak to their other selves again. Rose, in America, never imagined going back to Korea until her grandfather died and her Korean instance called her home for the funeral.
She doesn't know that Soyoung plans to steal her body and her life.
How far would you go to live the choice you didn't make?"
Very Severance. Very. And I know we all need something to hold us off until season three. Whenever that might be.
Valet by J.P. Lacrampe
Published by: S and S/Saga Press
Publication Date: June 2nd, 2026
Format: Hardcover, 272 Pages
To Buy
The official patter:
"For fans of Kevin Wilson and Andrew Sean Greer, a helper robot and his 35-year-old ward embark on a mad-cap adventure to save the fate of the family company in this whimsically speculative ode to Wodehouse's Jeeves and Wooster.
Cy wants nothing more than to be useful, raise his utility score, and receive the next update for his operating system. But that's easier said than done when he's tasked with helping his owner's 35-year-old son "get out of his funk." Grayson is nothing like his go-getter, CEO sister Charlotte. He didn't inherit the family robotics company when their dad passed last year, he doesn't have a master's degree, and he just can't seem to figure out the San Francisco dating scene. He'd rather eat synthesized mozzarella sticks and make pottery at his studio, Kilning Time.
When Grayson learns of Charlotte's plan to sell the company to a tech conglomerate, he panics. It's not just the family business at stake, it's all the technology - like Cy - their dad invented over the years. So he does what anyone would do: he steals the flash drive with his father's most important work stored on it and plans a corporate takeover. If only he knew what that meant.
To make matters worse, a fellow VALET deserts his owner and asks Cy to help him hightail it out of town, Grayson's first real date - and her dog - keeping showing up at inopportune times, and the behemoth tech company wants this deal closed yesterday. Grayson, Cy, and their trusty golden retriever, Sasha III, must go on the lam until they figure out exactly what to do, and whom to trust.
A hilarious, mad-cap adventure that is as tender as it is insightful, Valet asks not just what it means to be human, but what it means to be family."
I'd say more The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy than Jeeves and Wooster, but each to their own Stephen Fry.
Puck by Samantha Allen
Published by: Zando
Publication Date: June 2nd, 2026
Format: Paperback, 288 Pages
To Buy
The official patter:
"In this A Midsummer Night's Dream-inspired romcom, Puck is a reality show producer and agent of chaos with a talent for bringing people together...and tearing them apart.
Meet Puck: the nonbinary, thirty-year-old mastermind behind Homewreckers, a dating show that puts troubled couples through hell - with a little help from their exes. Used to being the one pulling the strings, it shocks Puck when their life undergoes a plot twist of its own and their college roommate Mia announces her engagement to her ex's best friend, Damon. Having only recently broken up with longtime-boyfriend Zander, and never having had much in common with Damon (who lovesick Lena has always pined after), Mia's news leaves her friend group reeling - and Puck's mind whirling.
When they arrive for a week of wedding festivities at an upscale resort in the Appalachian forest, Puck immediately sees that Mia's marriage will lead to misery, and takes it upon themself to save their friends by rearranging the couples - without anyone finding out. But as Puck comes up against a type-A maid of honor hell-bent on making this wedding happen, it becomes clear that they will have to deliver the greatest stunt of their career. If only they can take their eyes off the bridesmaid. After all, the course of true love never did run smooth...
Written with Samantha Allen's signature charm, wit, and an irresistible dose of Shakespearian mischief, Puck is the ultimate romcom for our chaotic era, and a celebration of the friendships that carry us through it all."
And that sometimes we just don't see who's right for us the first time around.
Goldenborn by Ama Ofosua Lieb
Published by: Scholastic Press
Publication Date: June 2nd, 2026
Format: Hardcover, 416 Pages
To Buy
The official patter:
"A girl with a mission. A god with a deal. A story that could change everything.
When 17-year-old Akoma Addo stumbles into a world of ancient gods and modern magic, she'll have to choose between saving her father…or staying true to everything she's ever believed.
Akoma Addo has one rule: don't get too close to the supernatural.
Ever since a blazing orb of light left her father in a coma, she's buried herself in her secret job investigating magical crimes in San Francisco's AfricaTown - just enough to keep her grief at bay. But when a body turns up in a pool of molten gold and ash, Akoma's pulled into something much bigger - and far more dangerous. At the center of it all is Anansi, the trickster god of stories, who makes her an impossible offer: help him catch a killer and awaken the ancestral magic buried deep in her blood...and in return, he'll give her a chance to bring her father back. To take the deal, Akoma will have to lie to everyone she loves and embrace the very power she's spent years trying to deny. And as her connection grows with Xander, the new guy in town with secrets of his own, Akoma must decide who she can trust - especially when she's no longer sure she can even trust herself. Rooted in Ghanaian mythology and packed with mystery, danger, and slow-burning romance, Goldenborn is a gripping fantasy about legacy, lies, and what it really means to rewrite your story."
Personally, don't trust anyone who is actually a trickster god.
