strange and random happenstance

Sea of Charms by Sarah Beth Durst
Published by: Bramble
Publication Date: July 28th, 2026
Format: Hardcover, 384 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"#1 New York Times bestselling author Sarah Beth Durst brings cozy fantasy romance to the high seas in Sea of Charms, the third magical adventure in the Spellshop series!

Marin has always belonged on the great blue sea.

Betrayed by love, Marin lives and works as a supply runner, sailing from island to island, delivering an array of goods with Perri the sea serpent and Ree the sailor shrub as her crew.

On one of her routine trips to the capital, Alyssium, Marin finds a revolution underway - and her friend Dax in the line of fire.

What starts as a rescue evolves into a deal: Marin will keep Dax on as a member of her crew if he pretends to be her boyfriend at the End-of-Harvest Festival back home.

But against her better judgment, Marin finds herself intrigued by his stubbornness, his passion for stories, his charming smile - and realizes that perhaps she isn't saving him. Maybe it's the other way around.

Sea of Charms is a cozy fantasy romance about finding your crew, your family, and moreover, finding yourself.

Read in whatever order your heart desires, but don't miss The Spellshop and The Enchanted Greenhouse."

Who else has had their signed, and personalized, copy preordered for months? I know it's not just me.

Eclipse of the Crown by A.K. Caggiano
Published by: Sourcebooks Casablanca
Publication Date: July 28th, 2026
Format: Paperback, 528 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"In the third installment of A.K. Caggiano's Villains and Virtues series perfect for fans of Sydney J. Shields and Kimberly Lemming, a demon lord and the baroness who's wormed her way into his heart try to find time to admit their feelings for each other. If only the world would stop ending long enough for them to do so...

Their destinies are irrevocably entangled, but will their bond finally be the realm's ultimate undoing?

Nothing about Damien Maleficus Bloodthorne's evil destiny has gone according to plan. The reason? A certain noblewoman who has somehow enmeshed herself in his softening heart.

Now back amongst his peers at Yvlcon, the preeminent congregation of the vilest and most unscrupulous villains, Damien's moral growth is threatened - and just when he was learning to be a little less evil too. Consequently, Lady Ammalie Avington, Daughter to the Baron of Faebarrow, finds her own virtue in peril when faced with so much temptation, namely in the form of a domineering blood mage she can't - or doesn't want - to say no to.

But a burgeoning romance is doused in the coldest of baths when the Grand Order of Dread commands Damien to once again face the swirling vortex of entropy that's been hunting them across the realm. The coming eclipse points to devastation and destruction, and with prophecy being, well, prophecy, annihilation seems impossible to avoid.

But there's an entire fortnight before the world is supposed to end, and surely that's enough time to find some way around it...or at the very least to confess one's devotion before it all burns down around them."

Or confess your devotion just as the flames are licking at your heels so you don't have to deal with rejection?

Tales of a Deadly Devotion by Jennifer Delaney
Published by: Diversion Books
Publication Date: July 28th, 2026
Format: Paperback, 496 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"From the author of the instant Sunday Times bestseller Tales of a Monstrous Heart comes the highly-anticipated sequel, with slow-burn romance and forbidden magic, perfect for fans of Sarah J. Maas and Rachel Gillig.

As Fey wage hopeless war against the oncoming storm of mortal conquest, Fairfax Manor lies in ruins. The first witches of Blackthorn forged the ancient fortress from their very souls to keep those of their bloodline safe. No one is safe now.

Katherine Woodrow might have survived persecution at the Institute of Magic and journeyed across the divided lands of Elysior to study magic with the legendary Lord Emrys Blackthorn himself, but losing her heart and almost her life wasn't on the curriculum.

All magic has a price, and in this irresistible tale of gothic allure, shadowed by sorcery and slow-burn desire, it's a price so steep that Alma would rather have died than see Kat pay. But the dark isn't finished with Kat yet. And Alma, a shapeshifter, will stop at nothing to save her, drawing on the power of the beasts that simmer beneath her skin and even facing the secrets of her own past to help her friend.

And there's no time to lose. Because more demons are escaping from the cursed texts the mortals failed to guard. The world is slipping back into darkness. And something is returning...

A tale of deadly devotion."

It's always sad whenever the Gothic ruin you call home is no longer a haven.

Spellcast by Sophie Jordan
Published by: Avon
Publication Date: July 28th, 2026
Format: Hardcover, 352 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"New York Times bestselling author Sophie Jordan is back with an epic romantasy set in the world of A Fire in the Sky, about a girl on the hunt for the witch who cursed her, unaware of her own dormant power…waiting to emerge.

For ten long years, Arden has been invisible, trapped in her village by a spell she cannot break. She listens to friends chatter, watches her family grieve, but can never touch, speak, or be seen. Living like a ghost among those who've forgotten her, she dreams of vengeance against the witch who cursed her.

Until one fateful day, her village is devoured in flame, and everything changes.

From the wreckage rises a pride of dragons that can transform into humans. Their piercing eyes slice through her curse, and for the first time in a decade, Arden can be seen.

Swept off to the Crags by the enigmatic alpha dragon, Tage, Arden is forced into a world of fire and power, where danger lurks in every shadow. Though she plots her escape at every turn, Tage's fiery intensity and undeniable magnetism spark an unwilling response in her.

But Arden's fate is bound to a secret she has yet to uncover, a magic older and more perilous than she could ever imagine. With war on the horizon, Arden must decide whether to trust the dragon she swore to defy, harness the wild magic around her, or risk losing everything.

Sometimes all it takes to break a curse...is to cast another spell."

Stick with the dragons. ALWAYS choose the dragons.

A Tangled Magic by Andrea Eames
Published by: Erewhon Books
Publication Date: July 28th, 2026
Format: Hardcover, 464 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"Rapunzel meets Six of Crows in this darkly imagined high fantasy for fans of T. Kingfisher's Nettle and Bone, The Bone Shard Daughter by Andrea Stewart, Naomi Novik's Uprooted, and Disney's Tangled, as a woman with amnesia - and magical hair - searches for her lost memories while navigating a web of royal intrigue, bone magic, and secret monasteries.

All her life, Netta has only known the Tower - its musty shelves of books she cannot read, ink-splattered quills, and endless scrolls of paper. Her mother, ambitious and analytical, has spent decades perfecting her greatest masterpiece: a spellbook of unspeakable power. Netta's only companions are her long red Hair, which moves of its own accord, and a telepathic raven named Baldbeak. Her only amusement lies in crafting intricate embroidery from scraps of silk and thread.

When attackers storm the Tower, her mother and the spellbook vanish. Determined to find her, Netta ventures into a kingdom on the brink of civil war. The monarch lies dying, while pious Temple fanatics and the noble elite scheme for the throne, forging secret alliances and building hidden armies. For reasons she cannot yet fathom, all these factions seek Netta - and the dangerous, uncontrollable magic in her Hair.

But whom can she trust? The sharp-eyed pickpocket bent on revolutionizing the use of magic? The elusive black-market trader known only as the Book Man? The charming magician who slips between shadow and light? From masked carnivals to opulent ballrooms, from hidden monasteries to catacombs, Netta must untangle a web of lies and intrigue - not only to find her mother, but also to uncover the true nature of the power that has shaped her life."

I wonder if she ever uses her hair in her embroidery?

Fishbone Cinderella by Elizabeth Lim
Published by: Del Rey
Publication Date: July 28th, 2026
Format: Hardcover, 448 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"A mother and daughter must break their family's curse through trials of war and immigration, love, loss, and redemption in this riveting multi-generational saga with a shimmer of magic, from the #1 New York Times bestselling author of A Forgery of Fate.

1940s Hong Kong
When Japanese soldiers invade her hometown, Ha Yut Ying makes an unlikely escape - by turning invisible. But her miraculous survival is only the beginning. After the war is over, she's sent to Hong Kong to live with her distant father and glamorous stepmother, who end her dreams of becoming a singer and turn her into the family's servant. As the years pass, Yut Ying learns the hard truths of betrayal and ambition, of forbidden love and devastating loss, and discovers that sometimes the only way to endure is to disappear.

1960s San Francisco
Marigold has always had a knack for uncovering secrets, but nothing prepares her for the day she accidentally witnesses her mother vanish before her eyes. The moment fractures their bond, leaving questions that shadow her entire childhood. But when her mother's condition suddenly deteriorates, Marigold is convinced she's the only person who can save her. To do so, she must journey into the secrets her mother never shared and uncover the tragic, fairytale-tinged history their family has fought to forget.

A story of mothers and daughters, the scars they inherit and the magic that binds them, Fishbone Cinderella is a tender and enchanting exploration of what it means, at last, to be seen."

I mean, wouldn't your first reaction to your mother disappearing before you eyes be wonder?

Eight Enchanting Elixirs by Lynn Cahoon
Published by: Kensington Cozies
Publication Date: July 28th, 2026
Format: Paperback, 256 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"New York Times bestselling author Lynn Cahoon's irresistible kitchen witch, Mia the caterer, once again works magic with a meal - and with a murder - in an Idaho town with a lot of community spirits...

Mia's grandmother is feeling stress about an ex who's returned...from the dead. Mia's boyfriend is confined to his home for six weeks in a desperate attempt to get his fluffy Maltese pup, Cerby, trained as a hellhound. And Mia herself is being hassled by the coven, which is suddenly questioning the validity of her witch credentials!

Suspected of cheating on her exam, Mia is pressured to retake it. When she not only passes but moves up a level, national coven rep Suzanne Parker is furious. Parker, a relative of a witch hanged in Salem, threatens Mia with a witch's worst nightmare. When she's found dead the very next day, the coven suspects kitchen witch's potions contained an extra, very lethal ingredient.

With all this toil and trouble, Mia has no choice but to prove that she's a good witch - in every sense of the word..."

What is a witch's worst nightmare? Because I can think of a few...

Such a Witch by Sarah Henning
Published by: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers
Publication Date: July 28th, 2026
Format: Hardcover, 400 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"Cliques clash and sparks fly in this delightfully fast-paced read that's part fluffy rom-com, part murder mystery with a (literal) witch hunt. The perfect pick for Wednesday fans.

Pretty, popular, and a total witch, Embry Woodcross is queen bee at Raven's Head School for the Magically Gifted. Entering senior year as head prefect, Embry is a celebrated fashionista and unrivaled solver of problems big, small, and unattractive. (She's quite generous with her handcrafted magical beauty products.)

When she meets Oakley Riddle, clueless transfer student and ultrarare vampire, Embry's mission is clear: take the new girl under her wing and make sure she's not thrown to the (were)wolves. Coven mate Rye Knighton may scoff at Embry's aggressive benevolence, but Raven's Head students reward her with love and appreciation...

Until one good deed too many makes Embry the lead suspect in a murder investigation.

Suddenly, the same people who begged Embry for enchanted acne potions are convinced she's a cold-blooded killer. Apparently, everyone loves a witch until something bad happens, and then it's all pitchforks and anecdotal evidence. As everything she's ever done is used against her, Embry teams up with Rye to find the real murderer, clear her name, and maybe fall in love along the way."

I mean, being a witch will always be a double-edged sword. 

Hell to Pay by Lora Beth Johnson
Published by: G.P. Putnam's Sons Books for Young Readers
Publication Date: July 28th, 2026
Format: Hardcover, 368 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"Ocean's Eight meets Six of Crows in this YA fantasy heist novel about a teenage con artist and her ragtag crew teaming up for their toughest job yet: stealing a soul from the Afterlife.

Elle Fields comes from a long line of thieves who specialize in breaking into the Afterlife to steal secrets - and magic - from the dead. But after her parents' disappearance and her brother's death, Elle is left adrift, without even her crew to rely on.

Until a mysterious stranger offers her a job she can't refuse: stealing a soul from the Afterlife. If Elle can get it done, it could be the key to restoring the life she lost.

The only problem is getting her crew back together. Oh, and the fact that the job's impossible - but Elle is confident that she'll be able to work it all out.

After all, how hard could it be to raise the dead?"

So it feels a bit sexist that they're comparing it to Ocean's Eight and not Ocean's Eleven. Or better yet, Ocean's Twelve, the best in the series. 

Marian Heretic Volume 1 by Tini Howard and Joe Jaro
Published by: BOOM! Studios
Publication Date: July 28th, 2026
Format: Paperback, 128 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"A bold new vision of religious horror and rebellion!

Sister Marian is many things: a Mother Superior, a witch hunter, and a devout follower of a Goddess the Holy Father Church refuses to acknowledge.

When the Church declares her order heretical, Marian agrees to serve as its personal enforcer - delivering nightly judgment across the city of Vespers in exchange for her Sisters' survival.

But with every soul she condemns, Marian feels her own slipping further into darkness. Can she ultimately protect the faith that guides her even as the Church weaponizes her to destroy it?

From writer Tini Howard (Catwoman, Excalibur, Assassinistas) and artist Joe Jaro (Buffy the Last Vampire Slayer) comes a bold new take on nunsploitation where theology meets heavy metal.

Collects Marian Heretic #1-5."

I think you can gather from Sister Marian's habit that this is all about the nunsploitation. And not just by habit...

These Godly Lies by Rachelle Raeta
Published by: Tor Books
Publication Date: July 28th, 2026
Format: Hardcover, 272 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"A god stilled the hands of time for Anna in These Immortal Truths. Now, those stolen hours come due in These Godly Lies, the stunning and sweeping conclusion to the Peaches and Honey duology.

"She assumed they had forever. She knows better now."

After spending eight centuries witnessing the world's cruelty, Anna has finally found peace in the simple life she's made for herself with Khiran, the shapeshifting god who gifted her with immortality.

It is, she knows, too good to last.

When her existence - and her stolen immortality - is discovered, Anna and Khiran must abandon the home they have built together if they hope to escape the wrath of the all-powerful god they call The First. But they can't hide forever, and fighting means certain death - until they learn that they may not be the only immortals who wish to see The First fall.

With everything at stake, only one thing is certain: Fear isn't only for mortals. Fear is for them all."

The question is, does gaining immortality make you even more afraid of death?

The Whisper by Chelsea Iversen
Published by: Sourcebooks Landmark
Publication Date: July 28th, 2026
Format: Paperback, 400 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"Perfect for fans of Alice Hoffman and Riley Sager's Middle of the Night, comes a sweeping, atmospheric thriller following a group of friends and the power given to them by the trees...

Rule 1: When the trees whisper, listen.

Rule 2: Don't go into the woods alone.

In the small mountain town of Whisper Ridge, the girls were inseparable. Joey, Quinn, Sophie, and Elena. Together, they channeled magic in the woods, living by six simple rules. The first being: when the trees whisper, listen.

But all rules are forgotten, all bonds broken, when Quinn is found dead in the trees.

In the aftermath, the friends scattered. All except Joey, who still can't move on. Until now, over a decade later, she again hears the trees whisper.

Those woods remember some of Quinn's last words, and for the first time, Joey realizes she may learn the truth of what happened to her best friend. And so, the friends return to Whisper Ridge, to the woods that once held their magic and their secrets. But unearthing the truth about Quinn puts them all in danger, and in order to survive they'll need to channel their power for the first time in fifteen years to finally put the past to rest."

Not to be a drag, but the blurb is kind of spoiling Middle of the Night's more supernatural elements...

A Penance for Crows by Shannon Morgan
Published by: Kensington
Publication Date: July 28th, 2026
Format: Paperback, 336 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"An unnerving, hypnotic, modern gothic thriller set on a remote Irish island, where an artist is caught between deadly secrets, ancient superstition, and echoing madness. For fans of Simone St. James, Eve Chase, and Jennifer McMahon.

Off the southern tip of the Beara Peninsula lies Beanna Dubh, an island of savage beauty, its jagged cliffs lashed by Atlantic winds and infested by thousands of crows. Untouched by 21st-century advances, the islanders live under the strict rule of the church, while clinging to old superstitions of the crows as harbingers of disaster. To this desolate, unforgiving place Grizela Urquhart fled, seeking sanctuary from brutal bullying in her native Glasgow.

40 years on, Grizela still remains an outsider - the eccentric painter viewed with distrust and barely tolerated. The feelings are mutual, for she has discovered there are as many secrets on Beanna Dubh as there are crows.

When she stumbles upon the body of a young priest with a diabolical symbol drawn on his chest, the crows darken the skies, and Grizela is plagued by demonic whispers only she can hear. The islanders' suspicions fall on her, but she fears the answers lie in her tortured past.

As mass hysteria grows, Grizela scrambles to protect the innocent - a quartet of young girls she has taken under her wing. When she uncovers dark truths behind the girls' mysterious midnight gatherings, her grip on reality unravels and she is faced with an impossible choice: do the unthinkable to protect the girls as the whispers urge, or come out of hiding to face the sins of her past."

Is leaving the island an option?

Black Point by Jacqueline West
Published by: Atheneum Books for Young Readers
Publication Date: July 28th, 2026
Format: Hardcover, 304 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"In an insular small town steeped in Norse traditions, a local teen grapples with dark secrets from the past rising to the surface in this "spine-tingling thrill ride" (School Library Journal, starred review) by New York Times bestselling author Jacqueline West.

Lucia Sorenson holds on hard to the things she loves. Her tiny hometown clings to the bluffs above the Mississippi River, threatened by weather and time. Unlike most people her age, Lucia plans to stay after graduation and help her grandfather run the Viking Museum of Black Point. Maybe then she can keep everything her ancestors built from washing away.

When the Black Point Hotel, a supposedly haunted local landmark, is bought by an outsider, the town is shaken - and for Lucia, fresh changes arrive in the form of the owner's nephew, Max. As Lucia gets to know Max, she begins to question her role in the town's rituals and to see the place, and herself, with new eyes.

But the town is flooding, and old secrets are rising to the surface. Soon Lucia will have to choose between the home she thought she knew and the hideous truths hidden underneath."

Stephen King via Midsummer. 

The Séance Garden by Juliet Blackwell
Published by: Berkley
Publication Date: July 28th, 2026
Format: Paperback, 400 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"After a cheesy ghost tour in one of California's oldest towns stumbles upon an actual haunting, a skeptical historian of the occult becomes entangled in solving a murder case.

When Professor Harper Grae loses a bet with a friend, she finds herself on a local nighttime tour of "haunted" locations in Monterey. Harper's a lifelong non-believer in the occult, though her academic career is devoted to the historical and societal significance of witchcraft, ghosts, and medicinal poisons of all sorts. But her skepticism immediately gets tested when the tour stumbles on the body of local artist Delilah Mason - who's found murdered on the grounds of a nearly two-hundred-year-old mansion, once home to the infamous Perles family.

On the night Mason's body is found, Harper catches sight of something in the house that she can't shake, something that's impossible to explain, at least not rationally. Soon the murder investigation reveals that this is the second time a woman has been found murdered beneath a sprawling cypress tree in the gardens of the Perles Mansion. And when Harper's closest friend is questioned by the police, Harper fears the authorities will fail to uncover the real killer.

As Harper asks questions around town and digs deeper into the supernatural speculation and rumors surrounding the murders - two women killed in similar circumstances, separated by nearly two centuries  - she sees evidence she can't ignore that the notorious mansion truly is haunted by the ghost of Isabel Perles.

What will it cost Harper to rethink everything she's always believed to admit that the veil between the living and the dead might actually be crossed?"

Remember to always take head that advice of Sherlock Holmes...

We Were Never Here by Sophia Hannan
Published by: Simon and Schuster Books for Young Readers
Publication Date: July 28th, 2026
Format: Hardcover, 352 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"The remaining members of a ghost hunting show return to the haunted manor that may have killed their friend in this "moody, character-driven" (School Library Journal, starred review) contemporary gothic debut perfect for fans of She Is a Haunting and Delicious Monsters.

Four teens went into the manor, three came out.

In July, Georgia Perry and Jules Park - secret girlfriends, covert art thieves, and cohosts of a popular YouTube ghost hunting show - step into a haunted house to steal a priceless painting. A few short hours later, there's a knife in Jules's chest and Georgia is waking up in a pool of blood with no painting and no memory of how she got there.

Now it's October, and Georgia is underwater. She hasn't been to class in weeks, and she's avoiding her old crew - and only friends - like the plague. But when the three remaining thieves get a call from the man who paid a hefty sum to keep them out of jail, demanding that they return to finish the job, Georgia has no choice but to return to her old life.

As the estranged friends scramble to steal the painting with no cover story and no leader, they quickly realize that something is very, very wrong, and it's not just the suffocating memory of Jules or the prying eyes of their viewers. Between the strange shadows that begin to trail them and the nightmares plaguing Georgia's sleep, only one thing is certain: something followed them home from De Lys manor, and it will do anything to keep them from going back."

Anyone else think the girl on the cover looks like Billie Eilish?

Indie Darling by Lauren Nossett
Published by: Flatiron Books
Publication Date: July 28th, 2026
Format: Hardcover, 304 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"A brilliant, breakout novel from ITW THRILLER AWARD-WINNING author Lauren Nossett - a mystery set in Nashville, where a Dolly Parton-loving private detective is drawn into the disappearance of an enigmatic pop star.

Nashville is a city of two faces, where the glitter often masks the grit.

Kelly Williams, a Dolly Parton-loving, sports-car-driving private investigator in Nashville, helps women. Sisters in search of lost siblings. Wives determined to uncover affairs. Daughters haunted by men lingering outside their windows. Clients trust her because she listens, she believes them, and over the years she's honed a specialized skill set.

Her latest client is Sarah Owens, better known as Seraph, the magnetic and polarizing lead singer of the indie sensation The Garden Snakes. After a series of threats turns violent, she hires Kelly to identify her assailant. With feminist anthems, cryptic lyrical easter eggs, and an electrifying stage presence, Seraph has built a fiercely loyal following - and attracted a number of critics. At that level of fame, her attacker could be anyone.

Then, in the middle of a Nashville performance, Seraph is shot on stage. The ambulance carrying her disappears. As the city reels and conspiracy theories swirl, Kelly is pulled into a dangerous web of secrets involving Seraph's bandmates, her troubled past, and the high cost of stardom.

Propulsive and atmospheric, Indie Darling is both a page-turning mystery and a powerful meditation on art, obsession, and the perils of being a female artist in a celebrity-obsessed world."

Fame and the deadly cost of it have always intrigued me.

You've Reached Margo by Nancy Savage
Published by: Mont House Press
Publication Date: July 28th, 2026
Format: Kindle, 275 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"Ivy Miller talks people out of dying for a living.

This time it may cost her own life.

When Ivy answers a crisis line call from a frantic young woman named Margo, she has no idea it will change her life.

Hours after Margo tearfully announces her intention to end it all, she's found dead. The police call it suicide, but Ivy knows better. Margo didn't sound like she'd given up. She sounded scared.

Defying her employer, Ivy heads to Margo's hometown, Hickory's End, looking for answers. All she finds is silence.

No one wants to talk about Margo. In fact, no one wants to talk at all.

It soon becomes clear Margo uncovered something before her death. Something worth keeping her quiet for.

Now Ivy is in town asking the same questions.

And in Hickory's End, people who ask questions don't always make it out alive.

You've Reached Margo is a dark and unsettling psychological thriller, perfect for fans of Nicola Sanders and Natalie Barelli."

Get out before you get killed!

Buyer Beware by Catherine Ryan Howard
Published by: Simon and Schuster
Publication Date: July 28th, 2026
Format: Hardcover, 288 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"From the internationally bestselling author of 56 Days, a page-turning thriller about two women whose shattered lives come crashing together around a house whose secrets could bury them both.

If these walls could talk, they'd scream...

When Ellie moves to 1 Delaney Row, she hopes to find a fresh start - a place where no one knows her name, her history, or her secrets. But what she doesn't know is that her new home is already hiding someone else's secrets - and the people determined to keep them are watching her.

As Ellie starts to unravel the house's disturbing backstory, coming closer to the shocking mystery at its center, she unwittingly puts herself on a deadly collision course not just with her new home's history, but with her own as well.

A puzzle box of a thriller full of mind-boggling twists and turns, Buyer Beware is a chilling exploration of the dark secrets that any house can hold - and of the lengths we'll go to start over."

If the secrets in this house are so dangerous to certain people, why did they let someone else move in?

The Night Hunter by Natalie Moss
Published by: Berkley
Publication Date: July 28th, 2026
Format: Hardcover, 352 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"In a remote corner of the South African bush, two sisters reunite to bury a family secret once and for all, but when they're stranded among the wild animals, they find a predator far more dangerous waiting for them in the shadows....

When their conservationist mother passes, Danielle and her estranged sister Grace must return to their isolated family house nestled within a wild-game reserve. While Grace, their mother's favorite, clings to nostalgia, only Danielle carries the knowledge of her final request: "Find the storehouse...Burn everything inside."

To ease the pain of their homecoming - and the tension between them - each sister invites two friends on the two-day journey into the bush. What starts as a safari adventure, turns into a nightmare when one of them is murdered the first morning at the campsite. In the chaos that follows, they crash their vehicle, stranding them, with no way to call for help.

Now, with dwindling supplies and only one rifle, Danielle must lead them on foot across miles of merciless savannah. They have days of walking ahead…if they survive that long. As the group navigates land where every rustle could mean death, a truth emerges: someone is sabotaging their escape.

Breathtaking and tense, The Night Hunter maps the treacherous terrain of family duty and loyalty as the two sisters confront what they’ve spent years trying to forget."

I never thought to invite friends just so that they could be picked off first.... It's a valid plan.

Death at the Village Garden Party by Debbie Young
Published by: Boldwood Books
Publication Date: July 28th, 2026
Format: eBook, 256 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"Bunting. Fairground rides. Music...Murder. What more could you want from a garden party?

Alice Carroll is happily settled in the Cotswold village of Little Pride, running her beloved Curiosity Shop and cautiously planning the next chapter with her partner, Robert. So when Robert buys the neighbouring Cold Bottom estate, Alice offers to help him win over its eccentric residents by reviving the village's once-loved summer garden party.

But between grumbling fairground workers, gloomy villagers and a downpour that would dampen anyone's bunting, the day doesn't quite go to plan.

Then a guest stumbles into the marquee - and he's dead before his body hits the ground.

Can Alice untangle old rivalries and strange secrets to find the killer? Or will Cold Bottom's fresh start end in another funeral."

A very Father Brown death. I love it!

A Fatal Crossing by Tom Hindle
Published by: Dutton
Publication Date: July 28th, 2026
Format: Paperback, 464 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"November 1924. The glitzy and glamorous Endeavour sails from England to New York with 2,000 passengers - and a killer - on board.

When an elderly gentleman is found dead at the foot of a staircase, ship's officer Timothy Birch is ready to declare it a tragic accident. But James Temple, a strong-minded inspector, is certain there is more to this misfortune than meets the eye.

Birch agrees to investigate, and they form an uneasy partnership. Uncovering a web of surprising connections between the passengers aboard the Endeavor, running from the crew cabins below deck to the palatial suites of first class, their inquiries lead to the theft of a priceless painting. Its very existence is known only to its owner...and the dead man.

With just days remaining until they reach New York, the search for the culprit is fraught with danger.

And all the while, the passengers continue to roam the ship with a killer in their midst. One who is poised to strike again."

Obviously use the painting as bait!

Murder on Devil's Ridge by Irina Shapiro
Published by: Storm Publishing
Publication Date: July 28th, 2026
Format: Paperback, 304 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"The girl lies on the ancient stone, her brown hair falling loosely onto the crude altar. Her narrow little arms are crossed just beneath the strange, angular dagger protruding from her chest.

Nurse Gemma Bell and her new husband, Inspector Sebastian Bell, are visiting his family in Suffolk when a neighbor discovers the brutal murder of a young girl, high on Devil's Ridge. Left alone to examine the body while Sebastian breaks the devastating news to the girl's father, Viscount Ravenel, Gemma finds disturbing wounds that suggest calculated ritual, not random violence. And before long, whispers from the village reach her of Pagan sacrifice and ancient blood offerings.

With no local police, the desperate viscount begs Sebastian and Gemma to investigate. And as the couple question the manor's servants and family, they uncover forbidden desires, bitter resentments, and desperate ambitions lurking behind respectable façades.

When another child vanishes from her bed, the investigation takes on terrible urgency. Racing against time to prevent another death, Gemma risks everything to uncover the truth. But in this close-knit, isolated community, could the killer's next target be the outsider nurse who knows too much?

A richly atmospheric Victorian mystery. The next thrilling read for fans of Andrea Penrose, Anna Lee Huber, and the Lady Sherlock mysteries."

Reminiscent of Tana French's In the Woods.

The Clockmaker's Murder by Emily Organ
Published by: Storm Publishing
Publication Date: July 28th, 2026
Format: Paperback, 278 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"A murdered clockmaker. A stolen masterpiece. An observatory full of secrets.

London, 1889. When elderly clockmaker Horace Whitby is found bludgeoned to death in his workshop at the Royal Observatory, Greenwich, suspicion falls on the woman who discovered his body - Charlotte Mellor, who makes her living selling the time, carrying her pocket watch from banks to shipping offices each day to keep London's clocks in step with Greenwich.

Convinced of Charlotte's innocence, Emma Langley and her friend Penny Green begin their own investigation. But Charlotte has not been entirely truthful with them - and the world of the Royal Observatory is far more secretive than it appears. Behind its gates lie bitter professional rivalries, a decades-old family feud, and whispers of a clock so valuable that powerful men have been scheming over it for years.

As Emma and Penny dig deeper, they attract dangerous attention. Someone has been watching them. And not everyone investigating Whitby's murder wants the truth to come out...

Emma Langley returns in this enthralling Victorian mystery - a tale of ambition, betrayal and murder in the shadow of the Royal Observatory."

Wait, could people really make a living selling the time? 

The Laudanum Ladies' Society by Elisabeth Hobbes
Published by: One More Chapter
Publication Date: July 28th, 2026
Format: Kindle, 353 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"In a London that insists women remain quiet, dutiful, and dull, two unlikely conspirators discover a secret that awakens everything society tells them to suppress...

Jenny Rosewood - single, clever and nearly thirty, heaven forbid - has long disguised herself as a man to attend nighttime lectures and chase knowledge forbidden to her. But when an accidental alteration of her uncle's sleeping draught unleashes a dizzying rush of freedom, Jenny sees an opportunity.

Together with Gwen Walters, a pharmacist's wife hidden in her husband's shadow, they form a covert sisterhood where London's ladies gather to indulge in their secret tincture under the guise of afternoon tea.

Soon, society's most proper ladies are sipping their way toward inspiration, rebellion and risk.

Because once women taste freedom, no amount of decorum can force it back in the bottle."

They do know laudanum is bad right!?!

Beginning Middle End by Valeria Luiselli
Published by: Knopf
Publication Date: July 28th, 2026
Format: Hardcover, 368 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"From the beloved, award-winning author of the modern classics Lost Children Archive and Tell Me How It Ends comes her most powerful and page-turning novel yet: the tale of a mother and a daughter starting over, searching for a new story.

This story begins when a mother and her daughter take off on a trip. It is a summer of rapidly changing winds, volcanic rumbles, and sudden tempests. They've landed in Sicily, near the ancient ruins where the mother's grandmother worked long ago on an archaeological dig. The narrator's marriage has collapsed, her mother is losing her memory, and her daughter is on the threshold of adolescence, starting to ask difficult questions and form complex memories. How do you begin again? the narrator wonders, pondering her family line. How do you begin again if you got the beginning wrong?

While the mother tries to figure out how to reconstruct their lives as a duo - cooking meals side by side, reading out loud to each other, playing chess, bickering and making up - her daughter takes the reins of the story, and their journey soon becomes a quest for origins, not just to the familial past across continents, languages, and generations, but also farther back, to a mythical and even geological past.

Beginning Middle End evolves into a road novel of exquisite tenderness, spanning four generations of women. In their travels through Sicily, mother and daughter cross paths with the island's migrants, storekeepers, and elders, and also its volcanoes, its winds, and its waters. Weaving myths, ancient philosophy, and natural history with fleeting moments of contemporary life, the unforgettable characters in this novel take us on a journey across time, and confront some of life's primary questions: How do stories shape our children's memories and imagination? How do we situate ourselves deeply in the world while accepting our transience in it? How are a family's memories made and what happens when they disappear?

Warm, funny, and poetic, this novel is an ode to imagination and possibility in dark times."

I think everyone feels that they got the beginning wrong. 

Fossil Feud by Maggie North
Published by: Dell
Publication Date: July 28th, 2026
Format: Paperback, 384 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"The hunt for fossils - and love - is on in this steamy, STEMinist romance about two opposing paleontologists who join forces to prevent a fraudulent dinosaur discovery, but accidentally dig up feelings for each other along the way.

Renegade paleontologist Ripley Adams is this close to digging up a fossil treasure and vindication. She's spent the last three years in academic exile after her ex-boyfriend stole her work, betrayed her trust, and broke her heart in one fell swoop. If she can unearth a complete specimen of her newest discovery - a never-before-seen missing link between dinosaurs and birds - it will put her back on the map and finally restore her ruined reputation.

But when unfairly hot Oxford professor James Smithson crashes Ripley's dig site, she realizes she's not the only one searching for redemption in the Montana dirt. James is convinced a splashy new fossil is a fraud, and he needs Ripley's help to prove it. She'd tell the buttoned-up Brit where to stick his suspicions, but the fake fossil is eerily similar to hers...and the fraudster is her ex.

The race is on to reveal a T-rex-sized discovery. Polar opposites Ripley and James will have to find common ground if they're going to take down a hoax that could ruin them both. And as they dig deeper into their unlikely attraction, Ripley's excavation boots won't be the only things getting a little dirty...."

I mean, if the lead is dressed EXACTLY like Dr. Ellie Sattler on the cover, you know this book is a must read for me!

Pride Comes Before a Fall by Virginia Heath
Published by: St. Martin's Griffin
Publication Date: July 28th, 2026
Format: Paperback, 336 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"In the third installment of this witty Regency romcom series, a headstrong chaperone is torn between following her rigid principles or her heart.

Despite his many responsibilities, there is nothing Leopold Sloane, the 11th Duke of Debden, takes more seriously than the safety of those he loves. When one of his sisters is injured at a protest rally, he drags his family to Bath for the summer to keep his reckless and rebellious siblings out of harm's way. The only flaw in his plan is his overwhelming but inexplicable attraction to the new chaperone he has hired to watch out for them. An outspoken conundrum of a woman who soon causes him more trouble than both his sisters combined...but who calls to his soul regardless.

From the moment Portia Kendall read her first revolutionary pamphlet beneath her bedcovers at Miss Prentice's School for Girls, she realized that her true calling was to make the world a fairer place for the masses downtrodden by the aristocracy. A calling that led her to Equitas, a radical newspaper that champions reform. But as Portia discovers, writing doesn't pay the bills. To make a living, she must push aside her principles and serve the very people she criticizes weekly in her column. A temporary position as a chaperone in the home of a pompous duke seems like the perfect way to earn enough to follow her heart. Unfortunately, the duke who hires her seems to be more dashing and noble than pompous and soon begins to call to her heart too - as much as she tries to deny it. But dare she risk her principles for love or will her pride always come before a fall?"

Or, take down the aristocracy from the inside?

Posted by Miss Eliza at 12:00 AM 0 comments  

Labels: A.K. Caggiano, Chelsea Iversen, Elisabeth Hobbes, Elizabeth Lim, Emily Organ, Irina Shapiro, Juliet Blackwell, Lauren Nossett, Lynn Cahoon, Maggie North, Sarah Beth Durst, Tom Hindle, Valeria Luiselli, Virginia Heath

The Christmas Cracker Killer by Alexadra Benedict
Published by: Simon and Schuster UK
Publication Date: November 4th, 2025
Format: eBook, 400 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"IT'S THE MOST MURDEROUS TIME OF THE YEAR...

Puzzle compiler and former Christmas sceptic Edie O'Sullivan returns in the newest seasonal mystery from bestselling author and 'Queen of the Christmas Mystery' Alexandra Benedict.

When Edie O'Sullivan wins a two-day Christmas break in a hotel on a remote Scottish island, she's looking forward to a picture-perfect Christmas full of winter walks, roaring fires, good books and even better whisky.

But when a guest dies under mysterious circumstances, Edie realises that there is a killer amongst them. As more guests begin to die, it's up to her to solve the strange riddles found in the victims' Christmas crackers and stop the killing spree. But as she gets closer to the truth, she puts herself in the way of a devious and clever murderer.

Can Edie solve these Christmas killings before she becomes the next victim?"

Cantankerous Edie O'Sullivan is Alexadra Benedict's breakout star. I'm so excited she decided to bring her back for another adventure instead of a different story in this shared universe. Here's hoping she survives another day. 

Withe Friends Like These by Alissa Lee
Published by: Atria/Emily Bestler Books
Publication Date: November 4th, 2025
Format: Hardcover, 240 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"A group of Harvard alums have played a secret game for decades but as the stakes rise, deadly consequences emerge from old lies. An unputdownable debut thriller for readers of the suspenseful novels of Julia Bartz and Katy Hays.

Harvard promised them everything.

Ambitious futures, peers who pushed each other toward their absolute best, and an education that would open doors for the rest of their lives. And though they started out as roommates, Sara, Bee, Dina, Allie, Wesley, and Claudine soon became family. They had their whole bright lives ahead of them - until their senior year, when a shocking tragedy changed everything.

Twenty years later, five of the roommates still indulge in a secret tradition they've kept alive since their campus days: the Circus, a harmless elimination-style "killing" game played across the private rooms and hidden alleys of New York City. The game is a nod to their younger selves and a tribute to the sixth roommate they lost too young. But this year, Sara wants out of the game - until she discovers there is a small fortune awaiting the winner of this final round.

As the Circus unfolds, Sara begins to suspect that the others aren't playing by the rules, and as the danger turns real and the old friends start pointing fingers, she discovers that even those closest to her harbor secrets of their own…secrets that could kill."

Oh, and when money is involved, those who need it, will do anything to obtain it. 

The Devil in Oxford by Jess Armstrong
Published by: Minotaur Books
Publication Date: November 4th, 2025
Format: Hardcover, 336 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"Set after the Great War, Jess Armstrong's USA Today bestselling and award-winning series is historical gothic murder mystery at its best, and Ruby Vaughn returns in The Devil in Oxford.

If someone were to ask American heiress Ruby Vaughn how exactly the occult came to play such a large role in her life, she would immediately point to her octogenarian housemate and employer, Mr. Owen. Together, the pair run a rare book shop in Exeter. Mr. Owen's penchant for arcane, unusual - and occasionally illegal - books has been known to get Ruby into her fair share of trouble. And after the last year, she is looking forward to spending a quiet holiday in picturesque Oxford while Mr. Owen attends the annual meeting of his antiquarian society. Secretly, Ruby is also looking for a holiday from her confounding feelings for Ruan Kivell, the intriguing folk healer Pellar that she met in Cornwall.

When Mr. Owen secures two tickets to an upcoming exhibition of artifacts amassed by disgraced scholar Julius Harker, Ruby reluctantly agrees to attend. The evening turns out to be more eventful than either of them bargained for. Harker's dead body is discovered amongst the collection, his business partner is hastily arrested, and Ruan arrives...wanting to speak with Ruby. It seems both the arcane and her Pellar have followed Ruby to Oxford.

The murder case is suspicious at best, but the last thing Ruby wants is another investigation. That is, until an old friend comes begging for Ruby's help. It soon becomes painfully clear that there is more going on in Oxford than meets the eye. Ruby and Ruan will have to uncover the dark secrets of the competitive world of antiquities while trying to understand the peculiar force that keeps drawing them back together."

There's always more than meets the eye going on in Oxford and it's almost always murderous!

The Burning Court by John Dickson Carr
Published by: American Mystery Classics
Publication Date: November 4th, 2025
Format: Hardcover, 312 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"When Edward Stevens, an editor at Herald and Son's publishing house, learns of the mysterious events that befell his neighbor's rich uncle, he shrugs off their seemingly supernatural circumstances. He's a logical man and doesn't give much credence to claims of a ghostly figure visiting the man before his death, or the witch's ladder discovered under his pillow after he passed.

But as suspicions of strange murder begin to creep in, it becomes harder for Stevens to ignore their eerie potential. His neighbor breaks into the cement-sealed crypt where his uncle is buried, only to learn that the corpse has vanished. Witness testimony further implicates the intrusion of the spirit world into the affair of the murdered uncle, and unsettling echoes of the past into the present push things even further past Stevens' understanding of reality.

Will the events be logically explained, or is there something unexplainable at work? The answer lies in the pages of this atmospheric and haunting puzzler, which finds Carr, the master of the locked room mystery, operating at the peak of his powers."

I've read John Dickson Carr under his rather obvious pseudonym, Carter Dickson, and this man can do spooky supernatural and I can't wait to read The Burning Court! Just because Halloween is over doesn't mean spooky season is!

The Improbable Tales of Baskerville Hall: The Valley of Lies by Ali Standish
Published by: HarperCollins
Publication Date: November 4th, 2025
Format: Hardcover, 304 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"In the thrilling and exciting conclusion to the middle grade adventure that is the Improbable Tales of Baskerville Hall trilogy, Arthur travels to the Lakes, a place more mysterious than the enchanting Baskerville Hall itself, and must do the unthinkable: betray his friends and Sherlock Holmes or pay the ultimate price. Perfect for fans of the Winterborne Home for Vengeance and Valor series and the Mysterious Benedict Society series.

Arthur should be happier than ever. Professor Sherlock Holmes has accepted him into the esteemed Circle of Light, and his friendships are stronger than ever. However, Dinah Grey's ominous letter and her dangerous hold over his little sister, Mary, have left Arthur riddled with anxiety. After the annual first-year retreat to the storied Lake District is announced, another letter arrives and makes the key to Mary's salvation clear: Arthur needs to insert himself in Sherlock's upcoming investigation...as Dinah's spy.

While sticking close to Holmes on the trip, Arthur meets George Rankin, one in a long line of protectors of the Brazen Head, a powerful relic whose wearer can ask any question and have it answered. But there are more eyes on Sherlock and the relic than just Grey's. Arthur will have to walk the thin line between truth and deception in order to save his sister, but it might cost him more than he realizes."

I rather melancholy that this series is coming to an end. Perhaps some time spent in the Lake District taking the air would help?

The Best of The Strand Magazine edited by Andrew F. Gulli and Lamia J. Gulli
Published by: Blackstone Publishing
Publication Date: November 4th, 2025
Format: Hardcover, 468 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"Twenty-five stories from twenty-five years of The Strand Magazine, featuring a star-studded line-up of internationally bestselling mystery authors.

The Strand Magazine is a quarterly publication which offers the best of both worlds: publishing previously unpublished works by literary masters such as Shirley Jackson, P.G. Wodehouse, Tennessee Williams, and H.G. Wells, as well as new works of fiction by today's bestselling authors including Ruth Ware, Alexander McCall Smith, Michael Connelly, and Jo Nesbø.

This anthology serves as a celebration of The Strand's rich legacy, bringing together a selection of its most unforgettable tales, including stories by Walter Mosley, Charles Todd, Joyce Carol Oates, R.L. Stine, James Lee Burke, Jeffery Deaver, and Ray Bradbury among others, with an introduction by bestselling author Alexander McCall Smith."

Speaking of Sherlock Holmes...

The Hidden City by Charles Finch
Published by: Minotaur Books
Publication Date: November 4th, 2025
Format: Hardcover, 288 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"Against the vividly drawn backdrop of Victorian London, amateur sleuth Charles Lenox must unlock a mystery concealed in the architecture of the city itself, in this new novel from acclaimed author Charles Finch.

It's 1879, and Lenox is convalescing from the violent events of his last investigation. But a desperate letter from an old servant forces him to pick up the trail of a cold case: the murder of an apothecary seven years before, whose only clue is an odd emblem carved into the doorway of the building where the man was killed. When Lenox finds a similar mark at the site of another murder, he begins to piece together a hidden pattern which leads him into the corridors of Parliament, the slums of East London, and ultimately the very heart of the British upper class.

At the same time, Lenox must contend with the complexities of his personal life: a surprising tension with his steadfast wife, Lady Jane, over her public support of the early movement for women's suffrage; the arrival of Angela Lenox, a mysterious young cousin from India, with an unexpected companion; the dizzying ascent of his brother, Sir Edmund Lenox, to one of the highest political posts in the land; the growing family of his young partners in detection, Polly and Dallington; and the return of the problems that have long bedeviled one of his closest friends, the dashing Scottish physician Thomas McConnell.

Featuring a beloved cast of characters, a top-notch puzzle, and Finch's trademark humor and richness of historical detail, The Hidden City is a novel by a master at the top of his form."

I want to weep with joy for the proper use of suffrage versus suffragette! 

Where There's Room for Us by Hayley Kiyoko
Published by: Wednesday Books
Publication Date: November 4th, 2025
Format: Hardcover, 320 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"In Where There's Room for Us, #1 New York Times bestselling author Hayley Kiyoko brings us a young adult novel set in a reimagined 1880s Victorian England where everyone is free to love whoever they choose.

When her brother unexpectedly inherits an English estate, the outspoken and infamously daring poet, Ivy, swaps her lively New York life for the prim and proper world of high society, and quickly faces the challenges of its revered traditions - especially once she meets the most sought-after socialite of the courting season: Freya Tallon.

Freya's life has always been mapped out for her: marry a wealthy lord, produce heirs, and protect the family's noble status. But when she unexpectedly takes her sister's place on a date with Ivy, everything changes. For the first time, she feels the kind of spark she's always dreamed of.

As Ivy and Freya's connection deepens, both are caught between desire and duty. How much are they willing to risk to be true to themselves - and to each other?

Inspired by Hayley Kiyoko's own experiences and classic favorites like Little Women and Pride and Prejudice, Where There's Room for Us is a romance set in a world where society's expectations are everything - but love is so much more."

I love the tension between being allowed to love whoever you choose and yet inheritance law is still the same so you need heirs and thus a "traditional" marriage. 

These Violet Delights by Madeleine Roux
Published by: Dell
Publication Date: November 4th, 2025
Format: Paperback, 320 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"Can a star-crossed pair overcome a simmering family feud for a chance at love, in this stunning Regency romance from New York Times bestselling author Madeleine Roux?

Violet Arden is a burgeoning painter who insists on a life of passion, but scandal is heaped on humiliation at her artistic debut in London. It would be one thing to withstand withering critiques, but the night goes from bad to worse when an illicit affair with her art instructor is exposed. She flees the London limelight to her cousin Emilia Graddock's country estate, where she plans to leave all thoughts of love in the past where they belong...until she comes face-to-face with the man who scorned her paintings in front of her friends and family, Alasdair Kerr.

Alasdair has recently set aside his life of travel to return to his family's estate - the site of a tragic fire that claimed his cherished father's life. He’s finally ready to rebuild the home that was lost and step into his role as man of the house. But his rakish younger brother Freddie can't seem to leave the off-limits Graddock woman alone, and his mother has brought an overbearing clergyman into their home who appears keen to stick around.

Violet is determined to ignore Alasdair, which shouldn't be difficult considering that their families have been in a long-standing feud...if only their attempts to end Emilia and Freddie's secret relationship would stop bringing them together. And when new fires threaten their safety, Violet and Alasdair reluctantly join forces to uncover the identity of the arsonist. But can they ignore the feelings kindling between them, which are but an ember away from igniting into a full blaze?"

Don't be so cliched as to have an affair with your art instructor!

Introducing Mrs. Collins by Rachel Parris
Published by: Little Brown and Company
Publication Date: November 4th, 2025
Format: Paperback, 400 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"It is a truth universally acknowledged that a woman deserves to be the heroine of her own story.

Charlotte Lucas has never been a romantic. Practical to a fault, she accepted Mr. Collins's proposal with clear eyes and a steady heart, trading passion for security. Life at Hunsford Parsonage may be quiet and predictable, but it is hers to manage - and she's determined to make the best of it, whatever her friend Elizabeth Bennet may think.

That is, until an unexpected guest at nearby Rosings Park turns Charlotte's careful world on its head. He sees her, challenges her, and a spark is lit.

Torn between what she must do and what she truly desires, Charlotte finds herself at the center of a story she never expected to be hers. A tale of love, loss, and second chances, Introducing Mrs. Collins is for anyone who wondered if there was more to the sensible character we met in Pride and Prejudice. It is the story of a woman who had written herself out of her own life and is only now daring to want more."

I've always been cheering on Charlotte Lucas from the shadows!

Ladies in Waiting by Adriana Trigiani, Sarah MacLean, Eloisa James, Elinor Lipman, Audrey Bellezza, Karen Dukess, Emily Harding, Nikki Payne, and Diana Quincy
Published by: Gallery Books
Publication Date: November 4th, 2025
Format: Paperback, 384 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"Celebrate Jane Austen's classic novels with this short story anthology starring forgotten characters as they experience their own happy endings.

In honor of her 250th birthday, eight authors have come together with wildly imaginative reboots of the lives of several of Jane Austen's minor characters. Written with plenty of love and wit, these clever stories star everyone from Pride and Prejudice's snobbish Caroline Bingley to the modern descendant of Sense and Sensibility's Eliza Williams and much more. Blurring genres and taking us across the oceans, Ladies in Waiting is a heartfelt celebration of Jane Austen and her timeless masterpieces."

Just look at that list of authors and you can see why this is a must for any Janeite's bookshelf! 

The Lady on Esplanade by Karen White
Published by: Berkley
Publication Date: November 4th, 2025
Format: Hardcover, 416 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"People and secrets from the past threaten to disrupt Nola Trenholm's new life in New Orleans in the third novel of the Royal Street series by New York Times bestselling author Karen White.

Nola is ready to focus on starting over in the Big Easy. She wants to get back to work on the renovations of her Creole cottage, and she is eager to launch a new murder-house-flipping business with contractor, closet psychic, and part-time nemesis Beau Ryan. After a near-death ghostly encounter and the return of Beau's missing sister, they are confident that the ghost of his mother can finally rest.

Nola believes the shotgun house on famed Esplanade Avenue is a prime fixer-upper for her first project. It may have been the site of a woman's murder and the disappearance of an entire family, but the house will be perfect for new-to-town Cooper Ravenel - who happens to have caused Nola's first heartbreak.

That's the least of Nola's worries, though. In addition to the elusive spirit of an angry young woman who accompanied Cooper to New Orleans, the house on Esplanade has its own ghosts, including one that is becoming increasingly dangerous as he tries to hide his dark secrets. And the wet footprints from the spirit of Beau's mother have returned to let them know there is still unfinished business before she can rest. Spectral danger is headed toward them, and it's up to Nola to convince Beau to help before it's too late...."

After reading some Anne Rice recently I very much want to read more books set in New Orleans definitely not written by Anne Rice. Praise be for Karen White!

Days at the Torunka Café by Satoshi Yagisawa
Published by: Harper Perennial
Publication Date: November 4th, 2025
Format: Paperback, 240 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"From the internationally bestselling author of the Morisaki Bookshop novels comes a charming and poignant story set at a quiet Tokyo café where customers find unexpected connection and experience everyday miracles.

Tucked away on a narrow side street in Tokyo is the Torunka Café, a neighborhood nook where the passersby are as likely to be local cats as tourists. Its regulars include Chinatsu Yukimura, a mysterious young woman who always leaves behind a napkin folded into the shape of a ballerina; Hiroyuki Numata, a middle-aged man who's returned to the neighborhood searching for the happy life he once gave up; and Shizuku, the café owner's teenage daughter, who is still coming to terms with her sister's death as she falls in love for the first time.

While Café Torunka serves up a perfect cup of coffee, it provides these sundry souls with nourishment far more lasting. Satoshi Yagisawa brilliantly illuminates the periods in our lives where we feel lost - and how we find our way again."

I think I need to go here. I'm feeling lost and I would love the local cats passing by. 

A Time Traveler's History of Tomorrow by Kendall Kulper
Published by: Holiday House
Publication Date: November 4th, 2025
Format: Hardcover, 352 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"A time-bending love story between a prickly young woman and a carefree stranger, who are tasked with saving the universe - after accidentally destroying it in the first place.

Genevieve Newhouse and Ash Hargreaves weren't supposed to meet like this. Unless it was always meant to be...

Gen is a fastidious science prodigy with a chip on her shoulder, and she can turn herself invisible.

Happy-go-lucky Ash has just escaped a sheltered (read: cultish) childhood, and he can manipulate time.

The gifted eighteen-year-olds cross paths at the 1934 Chicago World's Fair, where Genevieve's experimental physics project causes an apocalyptic explosion. Ash tries to avert catastrophe by gallantly rewinding time a few minutes, but instead, he transports them back to 1893. The duo finds themselves trapped in an unfamiliar, unwelcoming era, with no idea how to return to their own time - or if their own time even exists. Their cataclysmic leap across decades might have destroyed the world as they know it...

Fate and free will intertwine in this page turning historical romance that sets two irresistible strangers down a chaotic, potentially apocalyptic path. "Will they or won't they" takes on a whole new meaning as Gen and Ash fight for survival while falling in love.

Hand to fans of Immortal Longings and Anatomy: A Love Story, and don’t miss companion novels Murder for the Modern Girl and A Starlet's Secret to a Sensational Afterlife."

Also for those craving more Loki.

The Ivory City by Emily Bain Murphy
Published by: Union Square and Co.
Publication Date: November 4th, 2025
Format: Paperback, 352 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"The Devil in the White City meets Pride and Prejudice in this romantic historical murder mystery set at the 1904 World's Fair.

The St. Louis World's Fair, 1904:

A miniature city of palaces and pavilions that becomes a backdrop for romance, betrayal - and murder.

Cousins Grace and Lillie have been best friends since birth, despite Grace's vastly inferior social status ever since her mother married for love instead of wealth. When Lillie invites Grace to the biggest event of the century - the legendary World's Fair, also known as "The Ivory City" - Grace hopes her fortunes might be about to change.

But when a member of their party is brutally killed at the fair, and suspicion falls on Lillie's brother Oliver, Grace must prove Oliver's innocence before her beloved cousins' family is ruined forever. Along the way, she'll discover that the city's wealthy elite - including Oliver's handsome but irritable friend Theodore - aren't quite who they appear to be. And amidst the glitz, glamor, and magic of the Ivory City lurks a danger that just may claim her life."

Why don't we have these kinds of fairs anymore? Were there really just too many serial killers? Because I'd say at least half of those are just fictional. Possibly. 

The Fault Mirror by Catherine Fearns
Published by: Quill and Crow Publishing House
Publication Date: November 4th, 2025
Format: Paperback, 264 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"Everyone sees the house they want to see...

Paris, 1900: Amidst the decadence of the Belle Époque, American heiress Lydia Temple falls in love with ethereal aristocrat Séraphine de Valleiry, and builds her a whimsical castle in the Swiss mountains. The Chateau des Miroirs becomes a bastion of spiritualism until it is taken over by sinister forces during the First World War. And then it disappears. Or did it ever really exist?

Oxford, 2035: Elderly professor Cyrus Field is rapidly losing his sight and his will to live, when student Haydn Young presents him with a collection of letters previously lost to history. These letters may contain the answer to the philosophical problem that has been his life's work. But does he really want to know the truth? With war closing in, Cyrus and Haydn must decide whether to risk everything in the quest for knowledge. The mystery of the Chateau des Miroirs reverberates through the generations, connecting two souls that are destined to find each other."

I mean, a disappearing castle where spiritualism reigned? Go find that place and tell me all about it because I am so not going because it's haunted as hell.

The Great Work by Sheldon Costa
Published by: Quirk Books
Publication Date: November 4th, 2025
Format: Paperback, 336 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"An alchemist and his teenage nephew hunt down a legend in this profound and unsettling speculative Western, for fans of Karen Russell and Victor LaValle.

Alone in a frontier town in the nineteenth-century Pacific Northwest, Gentle Montgomery is grieving his best friend. Liam was an alchemist, killed when he tried to capture a creature that shouldn't exist: a giant salamander that drives men mad. When Gentle's nephew, Kitt, arrives at his doorstep, the two set out together to track the monster down so they can use its blood in an alchemical formula that will bring Liam back to life.

It's a hard and haunted journey. The salamander produces surreal nightmares and waking dreams of a blighted, burning future. And Gentle and Kitt soon find themselves pursued by a bloodthirsty hunter, a sadistic judge, and a doomsday cult, all of whom have their own plans for the river monster. Armed with nothing but Liam's alchemical notebooks, they must not only find the salamander but learn to understand it - and the terrifying visions it causes - before it's too late. And as Gentle struggles to comprehend this harrowing experience, it becomes clear that the Great Work of the alchemists may pale in comparison to the small work of human connection.

Sheldon Costa's dark, vivid, and strangely hopeful debut novel is a supernatural adventure through the wilderness of friendship and the rotten heart of the early American empire."

Ever since I first read of this book in a weekly newsletter from Waterstones I have been desperate for it's release. Now it's finally here!

The House Saphir by Marissa Meyer
Published by: Feiwel and Friends
Publication Date: November 4th, 2025
Format: Hardcover, 432 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"The "Queen of Fairytale Retellings" is back! #1 New York Times bestselling author Marissa Meyer weaves the tale of Bluebeard as it's never been told before. This is a thrilling romantasy and murder mystery, perfect for fans Meyer's Cinder and Heartless.

Mallory Fontaine is a fraud. Though she comes from a long line of witches, the only magic she possesses is the ability to see ghosts, which is rarely as useful as one would think. She and her sister have maintained the family business, eking out a paltry living by selling bogus spells to gullible buyers and conducting tours of the infamous mansion where the first of the Saphir murders took place.

Mallory is a self-proclaimed expert on Count Bastien Saphir - otherwise known as Monsieur Le Bleu - who brutally killed three of his wives more than a century ago. But she never expected to meet Bastien's great-great grandson and heir to the Saphir estate. Armand is handsome, wealthy, and convinced that the Fontaine Sisters are as talented as they claim. The perfect mark. When he offers Mallory a large sum of money to rid his ancestral home of Le Bleu's ghost, she can't resist. A paid vacation at Armand's country manor? It's practically a dream come true, never mind the ghosts of murdered wives and the monsters that are as common as household pests.

But when murder again comes to the House Saphir, Mallory finds herself at the center of the investigation - and she is almost certain the killer is mortal. If she has any hope of cashing in on the payment she was promised, she'll have to solve the murder and banish the ghost, all while upholding the illusion of witchcraft.

But that all sounds relatively easy compared to her biggest challenge: learning to trust her heart. Especially when the person her heart wants the most might be a murderer himself."

I mean, I'm here for everything Marissa Meyer, but Bluebeard and ghosts!?! This is more than I could ever have hoped for!

Throne in the Dark by A.K. Caggiano
Published by: Sourcebooks Casablanca
Publication Date: November 4th, 2025
Format: Paperback, 512 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"For fans of Kimberly Lemming and The Princess Bride comes the first book in A.K. Caggiano's Villains & Virtues series, following the son of a demon on his way to fulfill his dark legacy, and the blonde pickpocket he accidentally magically links to him along the way.

Dark lord, demon spawn, prophesied realm destroyer.

With a demon for a father, Damien Maleficus Bloodthorne's destiny could be nothing short of nefarious. On the cusp of fulfilling the evil inevitability his dark life has led to, all it will take to solidify world domination is the completion of his most vicious spell yet.

But then, her. Bubbly, obnoxious, blonde.

Harboring secrets of her own, a tiny yet troublesome thief calling herself Amma completely upsets Damien's malevolent plans when she mistakenly gets chained to his side through magic. Forced to drag her across the realm on his unholy crusade, Damien knows that killing her would fix things, of course, but the nauseatingly sweet Amma somehow begins to prove herself useful. And worse yet, she then proves herself the source of something even more sinister: feelings.

Torn between his villainous birthright and the virtue Amma insists on inspiring, Damien will have to decide if he will help the tender thorn in his side or cut it out at the heart."

Catching feelings are the worst when you're a dark lord!

Posted by Miss Eliza at 12:00 AM 0 comments  

Labels: A.K. Caggiano, Alexadra Benedict, Ali Standish, Charles Finch, Jane Austen, Jess Armstrong, John Dickson Carr, Karen White, Kendall Kulper, Madeleine Roux, Marissa Meyer, Satoshi Yagisawa, Sheldon Costa, The Strand