strange and random happenstance

Wolf Worm by T. Kingfisher
Published by: Tor Nightfire
Publication Date: March 24th, 2026
Format: Hardcover, 288 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"Something darker than the devil stalks the North Carolina woods in Wolf Worm, a new gothic masterpiece from New York Times bestselling author T. Kingfisher.

"I saw the devil in these woods."

Sonia Wilson is a talented scientific illustrator - but she is only able to follow her dream because of her father's reputation as a renowned scientist. Such is the lot in life for a woman in science in 1899. And after his death, she is left without work, prospects, or hope.

So when the reclusive Dr. Halder offers her a position illustrating his vast collection of insects, Sonia jumps at the chance to move to his North Carolina manor house and put her talents to use.

Once there though, she encounters dark happenings in the Carolina woods, and even darker questions come to light, like what happened to her predecessor? Why are animals acting so strangely, and what is behind the peculiar local whispers about "blood thiefs?"

With the aid of the housekeeper and a local healer, Sonia discovers that Halder's entomological studies have taken him down a twisted road. His ground-breaking discoveries come with a cost - one that Halder is paying with human flesh.

If Sonia can't find a way to stop the monstrosity, she may be next under the knife."

I am here for whatever Gothic horror T. Kingfisher dreams up.

Dig by J.H. Markert
Published by: Crooked Lane Books
Publication Date: March 24th, 2026
Format: Hardcover, 352 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"The soil on Crow Island holds secrets, and they're ready to be unearthed.

J.H. Markert returns with a surreal horror novel, perfect for fans of Graveyard Shift and What Moves the Dead.

Eight years ago, a boy took up an axe and slaughtered a dozen people. That odd, troubled boy, Jericho Dodd, has been dead and buried in his father's yard for years, but ever since that massacre, Crow Island has been a dark and unsettling place.

When Jericho's father begins digging up the past he buried, a compulsion to dig sweeps over the island and soon everyone else is obsessively churning up dirt, desperate to uncover buried secrets. The compulsion leads to violence and as neighbors turn against each other, the island's famous tupelo honey, harvested from trees deep in a swamp, changes too.

As dread and paranoia seep up from the ground, it becomes clear that the island itself needs something from its residents - before it digs itself apart for good.

Be careful what you unearth from the dirt before this surreal horror novel can worm its way into you too."

What are the bees using for the honey? WHAT!?!

Honeysuckle by Bar Fridman-Tell
Published by: Bloomsbury Publishing
Publication Date: March 24th, 2026
Format: Hardcover, 336 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"The Bear and the Nightingale meets Weyward in this enchanting, deeply compelling debut about love and power, autonomy and consent.

Once upon a time, on the edge between meadow and forest, there was a lonely child with only his older sister for company. In exchange for being left in peace, his sister made him a playmate - Daye, a girl woven from flowers and words. And for the first time, this boy, Rory, had a friend.

Rory couldn't be happier, until he learns that Daye is a short-lived creature. At the end of each season, she must be woven back together or fall gruesomely apart. And every time Daye falls apart might be her last.

As Rory and Daye grow older and the line between friendship and romance begins to blur, Rory becomes desperate to break this cycle of bloom and decay. But the farther Rory pushes his research and experiments to lengthen Daye's existence, the more Daye begins to wonder just how much control she really has over her own life.

As a loose reimagining of the story of Blodeuwedd from Welsh mythology, Honeysuckle is an entrancing, inventive, and unsettling debut."

A bit of a bride of Frankenstein conundrum here. 

Seasons of Glass and Iron by Amal El-Mohtar
Published by: Tordotcom
Publication Date: March 24th, 2026
Format: Hardcover, 208 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"Full of glimpses into gleaming worlds and fairy tales with teeth, Seasons of Glass and Iron: Stories is a collection of acclaimed and awarded work from Amal El-Mohtar.

With confidence and style, El-Mohtar guides us through exquisitely told and sharply observed tales about life as it is, was, and could be. Like miscellany from other worlds, these stories are told in letters, diary entries, reference materials, folktales, and lyrical prose.

Full of Nebula, Locus, World Fantasy, and Hugo Award-winning and nominated stories, Seasons of Glass and Iron: Stories includes "Seasons of Glass and Iron," "The Green Book," "Madeleine," "The Lonely Sea in the Sky," "And Their Lips Rang with the Sun," "The Truth About Owls," "A Hollow Play," "Anabasis," "To Follow the Waves," "John Hollowback and the Witch," "Florilegia, or, Some Lies About Flowers," "Pockets," and more."

I'm not a fan of short stories, generally, but I am here for Amal El-Mohtar's!

The Creek, the Crone, and the Crow by Leah Weiss
Published by: Sourcebooks Landmark
Publication Date: March 24th, 2026
Format: Paperback, 304 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"An outsider to the Carolina hills inherits a gift that could change everything for her village on the verge of dying, from the author NPR said "writes with a deep knowledge of the enduring myths of Appalachia...vividly portraying real people and sorrows."

Welcome to Baines Creek, a humble hamlet hidden deep in Appalachia, where the last one-room schoolhouse in North Carolina is on the brink of closing. It's summer 1980, and teacher Kate Shaw has lived in Baines Creek for ten years. A skeptic at heart, she rejects mountain superstition and Appalachian folklore, much to the disappointment of Birdie Rocas, a powerful and reclusive witch with a trove of secrets. Yet, as Kate prepares to leave, a sudden death, a shocking request, and a legacy that spans centuries throw her into a world that overwhelms her.

Enter Lydia Brown, a psychic with a curious birthmark whose visions stopped when she needed them most. Grief-stricken without her gift, and desperate for spiritual guidance, she travels to Baines Creek in search of Birdie and the answers she might provide. The third novel by acclaimed author Leah Weiss, The Creek, The Crone, and the Crow is the tale of a powerful crone, two women cut from the cloth of loss, and a secret sisterhood of empowerment that may be the key to healing them all."

Rural folklore and superstition are what I am all about.

Wretch by Eric LaRocca
Published by: S and S/Saga Press
Publication Date: March 24th, 2026
Format: Hardcover, 288 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"From rising horror star and award-winning author of Things Have Gotten Worse Since We Last Spoke comes a nightmarish, haunting, tech-Gothic thrill ride about sorrow, memory, and the unabashed complexity of love as a transgressive act.

After his husband dies, Simeon Link finds himself overcome by grief and seeking comfort in an unusual support group called The Wretches, who offer an addictive and dangerous source of relief. They introduce Simeon to a curious figure known as Porcelain Khaw - a man with the ability to let those who are grieving have one last intimate moment with their beloved...for a price.

Hallucinatory, fiendish, and destructively beautiful, Wretch transports us to a world where not everything is as it seems, and those we love may be the ones who haunt us most."

We'd all do anything for one last moment. 

House of Spells and Secrets by Ivy Cassidy
Published by: Alcove Press
Publication Date: March 24th, 2026
Format: Hardcover, 352 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"When three sisters return to the house that holds their forgotten legacy, the walls whisper of magic, betrayal, and the secrets their mother never told them.

A sweeping story of resilience, magic, and sisterhood, perfect for fans of Alice Hoffman, Heather Webber, and Sarah Addison Allen.

Rowan Connors has lived a fragmented, nomadic life with her triplet sisters, Saoirse and Caraline. Reeling from the sudden drowning of their erratic and secretive mother, Bridget, they uncover an old photograph of her standing in front of a manor they don't recognize - and a final request scrawled on the back of the picture. The sisters set off to find answers to the questions they've always had about their mother's past, the place she once called home, and their own magical gifts.

They arrive to find Swallow Hall sinking into the bay, and their grandmother, Everly, living alone within its dilapidated walls. But the house is more than crumbling brick and weathered stone. It breathes with magic, bound to the land and to the bloodline the sisters never knew they carried. As they settle into the house and the mystery of their family history deepens, they uncover a hidden enemy tied to the magic of their ancestral line. With every discovery, Rowan begins to suspect that her mother's drowning was no accident but part of a much older, more dangerous plan set in motion long before they were born.

As the shadows of the past creep back into Swallow Hall and Everly disappears, Rowan must confront whatever forced Bridget to flee Swallow Hall before the house, its secrets, and the magic of their bloodline are erased forever.

Readers looking for emotional sibling bonds and the ancestral mysteries of Nora Roberts’s The Inheritance will resonate with this stunning read."

Totally here for Swallow Hall. ALL about the crumbling brick and magic.

A Deadly Inheritance by Kelley Armstrong
Published by: Tundra Books
Publication Date: March 24th, 2026
Format: Paperback, 424 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"After discovering she's an heiress to a billion-dollar corporation, seventeen-year-old Liliana finds herself at a new boarding school where she must navigate secret societies and a deadly competition. Not to mention two handsome boys.

The Reappearance of Rachel Price meets The Inheritance Games series in this new YA thriller from bestselling author Kelley Armstrong.

In the wake of her mother's death, Liliana Chamberlain's estranged (and very wealthy) grandparents swoop in. Or their lawyer does. Her grandparents aren't ready to meet her, but they want her to have the life her mother walked away from, starting with Westdale Academy, the elite boarding school her mother attended. It should be a Cinderella dream come true, but Lili has serious misgivings. Yet she doesn't have a choice, being under eighteen and dead broke.

Westdale Academy is a school of secrets as well as intriguing classmates, including Hollywood golden boy Theo Dubois and the mysterious Maddox Moreno. As she gets to know them all, Lili realizes there's more to the school than elite-level networking. Something deadly.

For the new girl at school, investigating the deaths of past students - including Maddox's own sister - is a very dangerous game. Do those deaths have something to do with why her mother fled Westdale at the cost of her inheritance?

When a fun night out turns bloody, Theo is the prime suspect, and Liliana must race against time to connect the past with the present and discover the truth behind her inheritance."

I think her grandparents who refuse to see her should be the first people questioned!

Most Likely to Murder by Lish McBride
Published by: G.P. Putnam's Sons Books for Young Readers
Publication Date: March 24th, 2026
Format: Paperback, 320 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"Yearbook superlatives turn deadly in this darkly funny young adult thriller.

The rumor mill has never been kind to Meadowvale High seniors and best friends Rick and Martina, labeling them outcasts (sure), stoners (no comment), and pranksters (okay, this one's fair). But for the most part, they have successfully flown under the radar.

That is, until they're targeted in a prank that replaces yearbook superlatives with grisly forecasts of student and faculty deaths. Sure, Rick and Martina were never going to be voted Most Likely to Succeed...but Homecoming's Cutest Corpses? Thanks for the cute, no thanks on the corpse.

At first, the senior class is annoyed by the prank. But when the body of Mr. Stephens, Most Likely to Sleep with the Fishes, is dredged from the bottom of a lake, suspicions arise that something truly sinister is going on. And as more people turn up dead in the exact ways the yearbook promised, it becomes clear someone's killing off the student body one page at a time.

Now Rick and Martina must find the yearbook killer before their vicious superlative comes true. So much for surviving high school without drawing attention. Now Rick and Martina just want to survive.

For fans of Holly Jackson, Karen M. McManus, and Danielle Valentine!"

I am so excited for this book, mainly because List McBride's excitement for this book getting out on shelves is uncontainable. 

Almost Life by Kiran Millwood Hargrave
Published by: S and S/Summit Books
Publication Date: March 24th, 2026
Format: Hardcover, 384 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"Two young women meet in Paris one sultry summer in a decades-spanning tour de force about the enduring power of young love and the poignant heartbreak of missed chances - perfect for fans of One Day and Normal People.

Erica and Laure meet on the steps of the Sacré-Coeur in Paris, 1978. Erica is a student, relishing her first summer abroad before beginning university at home in England. Laure is studying for her PhD at the Sorbonne, drinking and smoking far too much, and sleeping with a married woman. The moment the two women meet, the spark is undeniable, but their encounter turns into far more than a summer of love. It is the beginning of a relationship that will define their lives and every decision they have yet to make...

Erica and Laure's love story spans decades, marriage, children, secret trysts, and the agonizing changes - both personal and political - that might mean they can be together, after all. But when life brings them within touching distance again, will they be brave enough to seize a future together?

Beautifully capturing young love and all its complexities, Almost Life is a story of longing for the paths not taken, and the almost lives we live."

I will read anything Kiran Millwood Hargrave writes.

Where the Truth Lies by Katherine Greene
Published by: Crooked Lane Books
Publication Date: March 24th, 2026
Format: Hardcover, 320 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"A picture-perfect couple's sordid past threatens to rock a sleepy Southern town down to its core.

Told in alternating timelines, this multi-POV thriller explores toxic masculinity, gender-based violence, and female rage in the tradition of Darby Kane.

Childhood sweethearts Rhett and Lucinda seem to have the perfect marriage, the child they always wanted, and even the white picket fence. But fifteen years ago, the couple came very close to losing everything. When outsider Jennifer Moore arrived in their tight-knit Kentucky town, a brief but explosive affair between the newcomer and the soon-to-be-married Rhett stirred up a violent storm of betrayal that ended with a dead body and a mystery riddled with corruption and deception.

Now, new evidence has surfaced - including an eyewitness who places Rhett at the scene of the brutal crime. Soon the carefully constructed life Rhett and Lucinda built starts to crumble - and the truth waiting beneath the surface could destroy them both.

In a town steeped in deadly Southern charm, secrets don't fade - they fester.

From the authors of The Lake of Lost Girls comes a chilling domestic suspense that will leave you desperate to uncover the truth."

Oh, I SO have a theory as to who killed Jennifer... Do you?

The Importance of Being Murdered by Debbie Young
Published by: Boldwood Books Ltd
Publication Date: March 24th, 2026
Format: Paperback, 266 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"The BRAND NEW page-turning cozy mystery from Debbie Young, perfect for fans of Fiona Leitch, Faith Martin and Agatha Christie.

ONE VILLAGE. TEN SUSPECTS. ONE DEADLY PERFORMANCE.

The curtain is about to rise on the Bunbury Players' latest production, Oscar Wilde's classic comedy, The Importance of Being Earnest.

But moments before the show starts, the leading man, retired star of stage and screen Bertram Manchester, is found dead in his dressing room.

As rumours spread throughout the Cotswold village community, Detective Constable Windermere seizes her chance to catch a killer and secure the promotion she craves.

The trouble is, every member of the cast has something to hide.

Will her front-row seat to murder enable DC Windermere to uncover the truth...or will she be the next person taking their last bow?"

So many Oscar Wilde puns and references. Sublime! 

The Pirates's Clever Ruse by Patricia Rice
Published by: Book View Cafe
Publication Date: March 24th, 2026
Format: eBook, 334 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"From bestselling author, Patricia Rice: In Regency England, secrets are deadly - and curiosity is the most dangerous trait of all.

Lord Cecil Greybourne is a brilliant scholar, notorious wanderer, and an unintentional magnet for disaster. His latest manuscript - an exposé on the corrupt world of Regency art - has made powerful enemies. When thieves target his work, Grey does what he always does: disappear.

This time, however, he refuses to leave without his clever assistant - only to discover that "E.A. Leonard" is actually Eleanor Leonard, a woman forced to disguise herself as a man to earn her living in a world closed to her sex.

Eleanor is done hiding. When Grey invites her - and her twin brother - to the quiet town of Gravesyde, she sees a rare chance for independence and security. Instead, they arrive to find a corpse in their new lodgings, and Gravesyde's peaceful façade fractures.

As rumors spread and Grey's enemies close in, minor accidents escalate to dangerous. Grey has long accepted that trouble follows him - but Eleanor refuses to stand aside while lives are at risk.

Now, with death stalking ever closer and a mystery growing more perilous by the hour, Grey and Eleanor must uncover who is behind the violence - before curiosity costs them everything.

A Regency romantic mystery featuring hidden identities, a sharp-witted heroine, slow-burn attraction, and a deadly puzzle where love and survival are equally at stake."

Always love a deadly puzzle me. 

A Death at Raven's Roost by Emily Organ
Published by: Storm Publishing
Publication Date: March 24th, 2026
Format: Kindle, 363 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"A fatal shooting. A mysterious locket. A dangerous truth.

London,1889: When a young labourer working on the construction of Tower Bridge is found fatally injured by Traitor's Gate, Scotland Yard turns to amateur detectives Emma Langley and Penny Green for help. Archie Mitchell survives long enough to reach hospital, but takes his secrets to the grave.

As Emma and Penny investigate, they uncover a web of suspicious characters: the barmaid who discovered Archie's body, a fellow worker bearing a grudge from a bridge accident, and a local ruffian whose girlfriend recently drowned in the Thames. But when they discover Archie possessed a valuable locket - the case takes an unexpected turn.

Was Archie murdered to silence what he witnessed by the riverside? Or did his knowledge of aristocratic secrets seal his fate? With the great Tower Bridge rising in the background, Emma and Penny must navigate the dangerous currents between London's working poor and its privileged elite to catch a killer."

Ever since Guy Ritchie's first Sherlock Holmes book I have been obsessed with Tower Bridge's construction. 

The Fortune Tellers of Rue Daru by Olesya Salnikova Gilmore
Published by: Berkley
Publication Date: March 24th, 2026
Format: Hardcover, 416 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"A fearless fortune teller in 1920s Paris must use her powers to divine who she can trust when an exiled Romanov princess and her brother come to her seeking answers about a decades-old mystery...

Spirited Zina and her secretive grandmother, Baba Valya, own a tearoom on rue Daru in Paris, where they have lived quietly since Zina's mother's untimely death. By day, the women serve tea, mostly to members of the bustling Russian émigré community, but when dusk falls, they divine fortunes and perform séances for their loyal clientele.

Then the charming Princess Olga and her brother arrive, searching for knowledge about the disappearance of their father, the exiled Grand Duke, cousin of the last Tsar of Russia. Zina, eager to learn more about the spirit world and her powers, performs the séance. She is able to summon the Grand Duke, but to her horror, he starts to haunt the shop, and he seems to know something sinister about her mother's death.

As Zina delves into her family's hidden past, dark secrets are unearthed, threatening the home and tearoom Zina and her grandmother have worked so hard to build, not to mention their very lives."

So her for exiled Russians and séances! 

Daughter of Egypt by Marie Benedict
Published by: St. Martin's Press
Publication Date: March 24th, 2026
Format: Hardcover, 352 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"Known for her "delightful blend of historical fiction and suspense" (People), New York Times bestselling author Marie Benedict, returns with a sweeping tale of a young woman who unearths the truth about a forgotten Pharaoh - rewriting both of their legacies forever.

In the 1920s, archeologist Howard Carter and Lord Carnarvon of Highclere Castle made headlines around the world with the discovery of the treasure-filled tomb of the boy Pharaoh Tutankhamun. But behind it all stood Lady Evelyn Herbert - daughter of Lord Carnarvon - whose daring spirit and relentless curiosity made the momentous find possible.

Nearly 3,000 years earlier, another woman defied the expectations of her time: Hatshepsut, Egypt's lost pharaoh. Her reign was bold, visionary - and nearly erased from history.

When Evelyn becomes obsessed with finding Hatshepsut's secret tomb, she risks everything to uncover the truth about her reign and keep valued artifacts in Egypt, their rightful home. But as danger closes in and political tensions rise, she must make an impossible choice: protect her father's legacy - or forge her own.

Propelled by high adventure and deadly intrigue, Daughter of Egypt is the story of two ambitious women who lived centuries apart. Both were forced to hide who they were during their lifetimes, yet ultimately changed history forever."

Of all Egyptian rulers I have always been drawn to Hatshepsut. And not just because her name is fun to say.

Aicha by Soraya Bouazzaoui
Published by: Orbit
Publication Date: March 24th, 2026
Format: Paperback, 352 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"TEMPTRESS. MONSTER. WARRIOR.

Aicha is the story of Morocco's warrior goddess, her strange magic, fierce rebellion, and devastating romance. Soraya Bouazzaoui weaves an epic tale of female rage and hidden myths, perfect for fans of The City of Brass and The Stardust Thief.

The Portuguese empire has planted its flag across Morocco, ruling with an iron fist. But eventually, all empires must fall.

Aicha, the daughter of a Moroccan freedom-fighter, was born for battle. She has witnessed the death of her people, their starvation and torture at the hands of the occupiers, and it has awakened an anger within her. An anger that burns hot and bright and that speaks to Aicha's soul.

Only Aicha's secret lover, Rachid, a rebellion leader, knows how to soothe her. But as the fight for Morocco's freedom reaches its violent climax, the creature that simmers beneath Aicha's skin begs to be unleashed. It hungers for the screams of those who have caused her pain, and it will not be ignored."

Embrace the rightful vengeance! 

Daughter of Crows by Mark Lawrence
Published by: Ace
Publication Date: March 24th, 2026
Format: Hardcover, 416 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"The survivor of a brutal academy must exhume her own past in the first book in a new series from the international bestselling author of the Library Trilogy and the Broken Empire series.

Set a thief to catch a thief. Set a monster to punish monsters.

The Academy of Kindness exists to create agents of retribution, cast in the image of the Furies - known as the kindly ones - against whom even the gods hesitate to stand. Each year a hundred girls are sold to the Academy. Ten years later only three will emerge.

The Academy's halls run with blood. The few that survive its decade-long nightmare have been forged on the sands of the Wound Garden. They have learned ancient secrets amid the necrotic fumes of the Bone Garden. They leave its gates as avatars of vengeance, bound to uphold the oldest of laws.

Only the most desperate would sell their child to the Kindnesses. But Rue...she sold herself. And now, a lifetime later, a long and bloody lifetime later, just as she has discovered peace, war has been brought to an old woman's doorstep.

That was a mistake."

Never piss of old women. They have all the power.

No Man's Land by Richard K. Morgan
Published by: Del Rey
Publication Date: March 24th, 2026
Format: Hardcover, 496 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"A compelling standalone dark fantasy set in a gritty post-WWI Britain that has been overrun by the fae, from the award-winning author of Altered Carbon.

The Great War was supposed to be the war to end all wars - and maybe it would have been, had an even greater, otherworldly foe not risen to extinguish the conflict. Overnight, as guns blazed in France and Flanders, village after village in the quiet British countryside was swallowed by the Forest. And within the Forest lurk the Huldu - an ancient fae race, monstrous in their inhumanity, who have decided that mankind's ascendency over the world can endure no longer.

Enter Duncan Silver. Scarred by the war, fueled by a rage deeper than the trenches in which he once fought, Duncan is determined to show the Huldu that the world is not theirs for the taking. Armed with a deadly iron knife and a cut-down trench gun filled with iron shot, Duncan will stop at nothing to return the children the Huldu have stolen to the arms of their families. No matter how many Huldu he may have to slaughter along the way.

But when he is hired by a mother to return her four-year-old daughter, Miriam - taken by the Huldu six months past and replaced with a changeling - all hell breaks loose. Miriam is a pawn in a much bigger game for dominance than Duncan ever expected, and several long-buried secrets from his past are about to be violently resurrected."

I love stories the reinterpret real life wars as otherworldly tales. 

Shadower by Peter and Maria Hoey
Published by: Ace
Publication Date: March 24th, 2026
Format: Paperback, 192 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"Readers will lose themselves in this surreal spy thriller…and may find it impossible to find themselves again.

Nadia is a quiet drama student in a country divided by a brutal civil war. Amid the steady tension of armed men, checkpoints, and random violence, the theater is her one escape. One evening, after an Ibsen performance, she is given an opportunity to serve her people. Nadia bears a strong resemblance to a waitress in the next district whose café is frequented by enemy agents. Would she be willing to take her place for a week and plant recording devices? It's a dangerous mission that will take all her acting skills to disappear into this role…but she knows that she has no choice. As Nadia settles into the other woman's apartment and life, she becomes more immersed in this character than she ever imagined. And as one week drags into two, she realizes this isn't going to end the way she hoped...

In The Shadower, award-winning sibling duo Peter and Maria Hoey present a haunting, ice-cold story of identity, espionage, and betrayal."

Oh yes, this has the vibe of Counterpart. I still miss Counterpart. 

Enemy of My Enemy by Alex Segura
Published by: Hyperion Avenue
Publication Date: March 24th, 2026
Format: Hardcover, 320 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"Matt Murdock defends the Punisher in the trial of the century - the murder of the Kingpin - while by night Daredevil staves off a war of succession for the throne of the criminal underworld.

Los Angeles Times Book Prize winner Alex Segura (Secret Identity) pens an all-new Marvel Crime thriller novel for adult readers.

When reports come in that the Kingpin and a police officer have been killed and that Frank Castle (aka the Punisher) has turned himself in for it, Matt Murdock senses holes in the narratives the media and the streets are quick to run with.

Both criminals have been Matt's nemeses when he dons the cowl of the Daredevil, and there's no denying that New York is better off without its Kingpin and with the Punisher behind bars. And yet...while the Punisher is a murderous vigilante, he doesn't kill cops. And he doesn't turn himself in.

Castle certainly deserves prison for all of the other crimes he has committed in the past. However, Matt's indominable sense of justice insists that nobody should be locked away for crimes they didn't actually commit. Representing the vigilante in court, Matt enters a contest of wills and guile with Castle to try and uncover the game beneath the game. And when Matt's girlfriend takes the stand and complicates matters, there's truly no rest for the wicked or the just. As the Kingpin's absence causes passion and ambitions to run hot in Hell's Kitchen, Matt must decide if justice means the letter of the law, what's best for the citizen on the streets, or where his heart is leading him.

Enemy of My Enemy continues the Marvel Crime series that began with Lisa Jewell’s Breaking the Dark, and brings fans into a grittier, street-level side of the Marvel Universe. Marvel Crime novels build on one another but do not require in-depth familiarity with Marvel or the other books in the series."

I still have to applaud this concept. It's so inclusive for older readers and shows that we are the true fan base. Or at least the one with the purchasing power.

Celestial Lights by Cecile Pin
Published by: Henry Holt and Co.
Publication Date: March 24th, 2026
Format: Hardcover, 256 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"A beautiful, heartbreaking novel about ambition, love, and space from the award-winning author of Wandering Souls.

January 28, 1986: Soon after launch, the Challenger shuttle falls out of the sky and into the sea. At the same time, Oliver Ines is born. Celestial Lights is his story.

Ollie spends his childhood in an English village where his bedroom is covered in glow-in-the-dark wallpaper bearing the planets and stars. Decades later, he has become one of the most renowned astronauts of his time. When an enterprising billionaire taps him to lead a landmark mission to the distant moon Europa, Ollie makes a choice that will send his whole world spinning.

As the mission advances deeper into unchartered territory, Ollie finds himself retreating into the past: his university days in London and years in the navy, relationships found and lost, becoming a husband and father. But will the world he remembers still be waiting for him ten years later when he returns?

A portrait of a complicated man and a breathtaking tale of memory, personal choices, and the relationships that define us, Celestial Lights is an unforgettable story that questions what we owe ourselves and our loved ones when our ambitions and loyalties collide."

Space changes a person. If you are willing to go on a mission, expect a different world on your return.

This Will Be Interesting by E.B. Asher
Published by: Avon
Publication Date: March 24th, 2026
Format: Paperback, 464 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"Set in the same magical, madcap world as E. B. Asher's USA Today bestseller This Will Be Fun, this heartwarming, hilarious fantasy follows an unlikely band of heroes who must get to the bottom of an assassination plot gone wrong without breaking the one rule of questing: do not fall in love with your questmates.

Galwell True was the perfect hero, the legend who sacrificed himself to save the realm...only for his friends to unexpectedly resurrect him ten years later. These days, he's feeling less "Galwell the Great" and more "Galwell the Lost."

River Pricemark is an excellent assassin. When the Deathrose Guild, an organization known for banishing evil, tasks her with eliminating Galwell, she sees her chance to climb the ranks. So, it's bad luck when her ambush is interrupted by Celine Hazelton, a scribesheet reporter who questions why the Guild is targeting Galwell at all. It's worse luck that Celine is also her childhood crush.

Queen Thessia of Mythria is tired of being the damsel. She's just married the kind and handsome King Hugh and is meant to live happily ever after - but her story feels incomplete. Upon learning Galwell, her ex, is in danger, she turns her royal honeymoon into a rescue, bringing everyone overseas to the opulent land of Vestriya.

Between underground lairs, magical grottos, horseball matches, and masquerades, Galwell must rely on his newfound questmates - including beautiful Vestriyan criminal Mona Grandhart, who seems determined to corrupt him in more ways than one. Good thing he's set a single rule for everyone on this quest: no romance.

But we all know how this ends, don't we?

Filled with dangerous impersonators, the inimitable power of friendship, and the realm's most infamous horseball championship, This Will Be Interesting is a slow burn, cozy, and hilarious quest romantasy featuring:
-Sapphic friends to lovers
-Hero x villain romance
-Reluctant allies to lovers
-Fake marriage
-Found family"

Sounds like Galwell is suffering the Buffy season six blahs.

Gorgon with the Wind by Devon Monk
Published by: Odd House Press
Publication Date: March 24th, 2026
Format: Kindle, 225 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"A hilarious, cozy, magic-packed whodunit by National Bestseller Devon Monk.

Come for the wacky festivals...stay for the murders...

Medusa, (yes, that Medusa) is done with heroes and heartache. From now on, her life is going to be filled with plenty of books, tea, and solitude. But when an unexpected favor takes her to Ordinary, Oregon - the quirky little beach town with vacationing gods, a bossy Valkyrie, and a book club run by Death - she quickly discovers the town might have a slight murder problem.

Accused of killing a local, Medusa teams up with her new friends - Jules, a witch who's lost her way, and Piper, a psychic unsure of her powers - to clear her name.

But with time running out, it's going to take all of their wits, will, and magic to find the killer before the festival crowds fade away, taking the clues and the killer with them..."

I mean, if Death is just chilling out in town running a book club should anyone be surprised that there's a slight murder problem?

Posted by Miss Eliza at 12:00 AM 0 comments  

Labels: Alex Segura, Cecile Pin, Devon Monk, E.B. Asher, Emily Organ, J.H. Markert, Katherine Greene, Kelley Armstrong, Kiran Millwood Hargrave, Lish McBride, Maria Hoey, Marie Benedict, Mark Lawrence, Patricia Rice, T. Kingfisher

The Wrong Lady Meets Lord Right by Suzanne Allain
Published by: Berkley Books
Publication Date: December 3rd, 2024
Format: Paperback, 272 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"When a young woman trades places with her noble cousin, their innocent ruse leads to true love in this sparkling new Regency-era romantic comedy of manners from the author of Mr. Malcolm's List.

When Arabella Grant's wicked aunt dies suddenly, both Arabella and her cousin Lady Isabelle cannot help but feel relieved. She'd made their lives miserable, and now Lady Issie is free to read to her heart's content, and Bella is free from taunts about her ignoble birth.

Their newfound freedom is threatened, however, when Issie's great-aunt commands her to travel to London for a come-out Issie has never wanted. Issie, who is in poor health, is convinced she'll drop dead like her mother did if she drops into a curtsy before the queen. So when her great-aunt turns out to be nearsighted and can't tell the noble Lady Isabelle from her commoner cousin Arabella, Issie convinces Bella to take her place. Bella can attend all the exclusive entertainments that her lower birth would typically exclude her from, and Issie can stay in bed, her nose in a book.

Bella agrees to the scheme for her cousin's sake, but matters turn complicated when she meets the irresistible Lord Brooke. He begins courting her while under the impression she's the rich and aristocratic Lady Isabelle, who, unlike Bella, is a suitable bride for an eligible young earl. And Bella, who is convinced that she has met "Lord Right," worries what will happen when she reveals that he's actually fallen for...the wrong lady."

All the Regency romance swoon you could hope for!

Murder in Season by Mary Winters
Published by: Severn House
Publication Date: December 3rd, 2024
Format: Hardcover, 240 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"Join Countess turned advice columnist Amelia Amesbury as she tries to juggle a new Season and a new murder in this charmingly deadly historical mystery.

"A beautiful debutante, a wealthy widow, and a dead would-be baron. What could be more exciting?"

Countess by day, secret advice columnist by night, Amelia Amesbury has life happily balanced on a quill's edge...until her sister Margaret shows up in London under a blanket of scandal and Amelia is catapulted out of mourning and into the ton's unforgiving Season.

However Madge's Season debut is marred by a rather inconvenient death at the dining table as the infamous Mr. Radcliffe takes ill and is later confirmed dead by poisoning. With Madge being the last person to have cross words with the soon-to-be baron, the ton's gossip mill - and the police - are looking to pin the murder on her.

Adding to the ton's troubles is a jewellery thief targeting the most lavish of Society's houses. Is the murderer and the thief one in the same? It falls to Amelia once again to uncover the secrets buried deep within the pages before her sister goes down for the crimes.

Perfect for fans of witty historical mystery and Regency romances with a similar feel to Verity Bright and T.E. Kinsey."

Ah, but a jewel thief is so much classier than a lowly murderer. Yes, in my mind there's even class systems in the underworld.

Schemes and Scandals by Kelley Armstrong
Published by: Subterranean Press
Publication Date: December 3rd, 2024
Format: Hardcover, 176 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"It's Mallory Atkinson's first Christmas in Scotland. Victorian Scotland, that is. Also, as the twenty-first-century detective learns, Christmas really isn't a thing in Victorian Scotland. It's all about Hogmanay. But her boss, Dr. Duncan Gray, treats her to an early gift of tickets to the event of the season: a Charles Dickens reading. There, they bump into Lady Inglis - the lovely widow who has sent Gray sexy letters trying to entice him back to her bed.

Lady Inglis introduces Mallory to Dickens - the meeting of a lifetime - but in return she wants their help. She's being blackmailed. Someone stole letters she wrote to another lover and is threatening to publish them.

Mallory isn't sure what to make of Lady Inglis, but no woman deserves that, so she insists on taking the case with or without Gray's help. Growing tension between them soon tells Mallory that Gray is hiding a secret of his own. She has until Hogmanay to uncover the blackmailer…and, hopefully, to put things right with Gray so they can enjoy the holiday together.

Note this is not a full-length novel. It's a novella set after Disturbing the Dead."

Hogmanay and Dickens!?! That's the kind of holiday season I approve of. Heartily.

The Secret of the Three Fates by Jess Armstrong
Published by: Minotaur Books
Publication Date: December 3rd, 2024
Format: Hardcover, 336 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"Following the atmospheric and award-winning Gothic historical mystery debut, The Curse of Penryth Hall, USA Today bestselling author Jess Armstrong's heroine, Ruby Vaughn, returns in The Secret of the Three Fates, where the Scottish Hills hold ghosts of the past that threaten Ruby's present.

American heiress Ruby Vaughn still hasn't entirely forgiven her octogenarian employer and housemate Mr. Owen for bringing the occult into their lives during her recent trip to Cornwall. He claims their journey to Manhurst Castle in the Scottish Borders is simply to appraise and acquire illuminated manuscripts for their rare books shop, however when Ruby discovers there are no manuscripts and receives news of a séance to be held that very night, she begins to grow suspicious about the true reason why they have come.

The Great War left grieving families willing to sacrifice anything for the chance to say goodbye to a lost loved one. Mr. Owen is no exception. He is desperate to speak to his son, but he doesn't want to face the spirits alone. When the séance - hosted by a trio of mediums billing themselves as The Three Fates - goes awry, Mr. Owen's secrets begin to unravel, threatening to reveal a history that he has been running from for half his life.

Something Ruby knows all too well how to do.

When Ruby finds one of the Three Fates murdered the night of the séance, she and Mr. Owen quickly become the prime suspects. To clear their names, Ruby enlists the help of Ruan Kivell, the folk healer Pellar who helped her weeks before in Cornwall. As their investigation progresses Ruby and Ruan realize someone is determined to prevent them from uncovering the truth about what happened to the dead medium."

I am seriously considering doing a theme month where every book features mediums. I am such a sucker for spiritualism. 

The Peculiar Garden of Harriet Hunt by Chelsea Iversen
Published by: Sourcebooks Landmark
Publication Date: December 3rd, 2024
Format: Paperback, 320 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"True magic is found among the bluebells and brambles.

Harriet Hunt is completely alone. Her father disappeared months ago, leaving her to wander the halls of Sunnyside house, dwelling on a past she'd rather keep buried. She doesn't often venture beyond her front gate, instead relishing the feel of dirt under her fingernails and of soft moss beneath her feet. Consequently, she's been deemed a little too peculiar for popular Victorian society. This solitary life suits her fine, though - because, outside, magic awaits.

Harriet's garden is special. It's a wild place full of twisting ivy, vibrant plums, and a quiet power that buzzes like bees. Caring for this place, and keeping it from running rampant through the streets of her London suburb, is Harriet's purpose.

But a woman alone in the world is vulnerable. Soon, a sinister plot involving her father's disappearance begins to take shape, with Harriet herself at its center. Everything she holds dear - from the thorny roses she tends to her very freedom itself - is at stake. To save herself, Harriet will have to unearth her past, discover the secrets of her garden, and finally embrace the wild magic inside of her."

Yes, have the garden kill all suitors! Though that might be a darker tale...

A Five Letter Word for Love by Amy James
Published by: Avon Books
Publication Date: December 3rd, 2024
Format: Paperback, 368 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"A heartwarming and humorous romance in which an unlikely couple fall in love over Wordle.

Twenty-seven-year-old Emily doesn't have a lot going well in her life right now. She dreams of a creative career but works as a receptionist in an auto shop. She longs for big city life but lives in a small town on Prince Edward Island. She craves a close group of friends but is stuck with irritating, car-obsessed coworkers.

What Emily does have is a 300+ day streak on the New York Times Wordle. But one day, with only one guess left and no clue what the answer is, she's forced to turn to one of her irritating, car-obsessed coworkers, John, for help - and in doing so, realizes that he might not be so irritating after all.

As they make their way, word by word, toward a 365-day streak, Emily is drawn into a surprising romance that will take her outside of her comfort zone - and challenge everything she thought she knew about happiness, success, and love."

I love the cover design, I just wish somehow that they could have found a five letter word to use instead of "Letter..." Also I feel Emily's pain, I lost a 438 day streak because I forgot to play one day.

The Rivals by Jane Pek
Published by: Vintage
Publication Date: December 3rd, 2024
Format: Paperback, 416 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"A most anticipated book - A witty and thought-provoking mystery that reimagines the spy story to explore the nature of relationships in a digital age: the follow-up to Jane Pek's "thoroughly modern twist on classic detective fiction," The Verifiers (New York Times Book Review)

Claudia Lin - mystery novel superfan and, until recently, clichéd underemployed English major - has scored her dream job: co-running Veracity, a dating detective agency for chronically online New Yorkers who want to know if their prospective partners are telling the truth. Unfortunately, along the way, she and her colleagues - tech savant Squirrel, and the elegant and intimidating Becks - have uncovered a far-reaching AI conspiracy. And the corporate matchmakers may be resorting to murder to protect their secrets.

In the wake of a client's sudden death, Claudia convinces his ex, an industry insider, to turn on his employer and feed the verifiers information about what the powerful dating platforms are really up to. But even as Claudia starts to get a feel for this new genre - just call her Lin, Claudia Lin - she's distracted by the possibility of romance with both Becks and a very charming target. She also fears that her beloved older brother is unwittingly being drawn into the matchmakers' deadly web. And as Becks reminds Claudia: spy tropes dictate that someone you trust will betray you."

Eh, but only sloppy writing and sloppy living means you fall for tropes...

I Might Be in Trouble by Daniel Aleman
Published by: Grand Central Publishing
Publication Date: December 3rd, 2024
Format: Hardcover, 336 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"A suspenseful dark comedy about a struggling writer who wakes up to find his date from the night before dead - and must then decide how far he's willing to go to spin the misadventure into his next big book.

A few years ago, David Alvarez had it all: a six-figure book deal, a loving boyfriend, and an exciting writing career. His debut novel was a resounding success, which made the publication of his second book - a total flop - all the more devastating. Now, David is single, lonely, and desperately trying to come up with the next great idea for his third manuscript, one that will redeem him in the eyes of readers, reviewers, the entire publishing world...and maybe even his ex-boyfriend.

But good ideas are hard to come by, and the mounting pressure of a near-empty bank account isn't helping. When David connects with a sexy stranger on a dating app, he figures a wild night out in New York City may be just what he needs to find inspiration. Lucky for him, his date turns out to be handsome, confident, and wealthy, not to mention the perfect distraction from yet another evening staring at a blank screen.

After one of the best nights of his life, David wakes up hungover but giddy - only to find prince charming dead next to him in bed. Horrified, completely confused, and suddenly faced with the implausible-but-somehow-plausible idea that he may have actually killed his date, David calls the only person he can trust in a moment of crisis: his literary agent, Stacey.

Together, David and Stacey must untangle the events of the previous night, cover their tracks, and spin the entire misadventure into David's career-defining novel - if only they can figure out what to do with the body first."

But hear me out... His sales would have gone up if he was a suspect in a murder... So, he could have just called the cops...

The Party by Natasha Preston
Published by: Delacorte Press
Publication Date: December 3rd, 2024
Format: Paperback, 352 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"#1 New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Natasha Preston is back with another pulse-pounding, twisty read!

Are you invited?

In the heart of the English countryside, Bessie and her closest friends gather at a remote castle for a secret party destined to make this the best spring break ever. But when the first of them dies, the party takes a lethal turn.

As the body count continues to rise, Bessie and her friends must contend with a deadly storm and growing internal suspicion, all while trapped inside with a killer.

Set against the backdrop of a sprawling English estate, Natasha Preston's latest thriller will keep you on the edge of your seat until the party's over..."

The sprawling English Estate will hopefully distract me from obsessing over the fact that I've totally seen the stock imagery on the cover before...

Havoc by Christopher Bollen
Published by: Harper
Publication Date: December 3rd, 2024
Format: Hardcover, 256 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"In the vein of The Bad Seed comes a twisty, atmospheric psychological suspense about a meddlesome elderly guest at a decadent luxury hotel who believes she has left her problematic past behind, until she decides to interfere in the lives of a young mother and her eight-year-old son, and finally meets her wicked match.

The war between age and youth has never been so vicious.

Eighty-one-year-old widow Maggie Burkhardt came to the Royal Karnak to escape. But not in quite the same way as most other guests who are relaxing at this threadbare luxury hotel on the banks of the Nile. Maggie, a compulsive fixer of other people's lives, may have found herself in hot water at her last hotel in Switzerland and just might have needed to get out of there fast... But here at the Royal Karnak, under the hot Saharan sun, she has a comfortable suite, a loyal confidante in the hotel manager, Ahmed, and a handful of sympathetic friends, similar "long-termers" who understand her still-vivid grief for her late husband, Peter. Here, she is merely the sweet old lady in Room 309.

One morning, however, Maggie notices a new arrival at check-in: a mournful-looking young mother named Tess and her impish eight-year-old, Otto. Eager to help, Maggie invites them into her world. But it isn't long before Maggie realizes that in her longing to be a part of their family, she has let in an enemy much stronger than she bargained for. In scrawny, homely Otto, Maggie Burkhardt has finally met her match.

A propulsive, addictively-readable breakout from the critically acclaimed author of A Beautiful Crime and The Lost Americans, Havoc is brilliant, twisty psychological suspense that will get under your skin like the most unforgettable Hitchcock classics."

Evil kid in an Egyptian hotel with Hitchcock vibes? I NEED THIS RIGHT NOW!

Alter Ego by Alex Segura
Published by: Flatiron Books
Publication Date: December 3rd, 2024
Format: Hardcover, 320 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"Alex Segura, award-winning author of Secret Identity, returns with a clever and escapist standalone sequel set in the world of comic books. In the present day, a comics legend is given the chance to revive a beloved but forgotten character. But at what price?

Annie Bustamante is a cultural force like none other: an acclaimed filmmaker, an author, a comic book artist known for one of the all time best superhero comics in recent memory. But she's never been able to tackle her longtime favorite superhero, the Lethal Lynx. Only known to the most die-hard comics fans and long out of print, the rights were never available - until now.

But Annie is skeptical of who is making the offer: Bert Carlyle's father started Triumph Comics, and has long claimed ownership of the Lynx. When she starts getting anonymous messages urging her not to trust anyone, Annie's inner alarms go off. Even worse? Carlyle wants to pair her with a disgraced filmmaker for a desperate media play.

Annie, who has been called a genius, a sell-out, a visionary, a hack, and everything else under the sun, is sick of the money grab. For the first time since she started reading a tattered copy of The Legendary Lynx #1 as a kid, she feels a pure, creative spark. The chance to tell a story her way. She's not about to let that go. Even if it means uncovering the dark truth about the character she loves.

Sharply written, deftly plotted, and with a palpable affection for all kinds of storytelling, Alter Ego is a one-of-a-kind reading experience."

I mean, it's like a car crash, you can't turn away. Unexploited IP in comics? Let the trolls run wild!

Cult of the Lamb Volume 1: The First Verse by Alex Paknadel and Troy Little
Published by: Oni Press
Publication Date: December 3rd, 2024
Format: Paperback, 104 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"In partnership with Devolver Digital and Massive Monster, Oni Press proudly presents Cult of the Lamb: The First Verse - the hugely anticipated first official graphic novel exploration into the sprawling cosmology of the millions-selling, multiple BAFTA Award-nominated video game phenomenon that has Polygon begging players to "smash that worship button"!

In a land pervaded by cruelty and evil, the most innocent among us - young Lamb - was selected to become a noble sacrifice.... Their death would be the magical rite that would forever seal the darkest of the Old Gods out of our realm and usher in a new age of bounty.

So Lamb died...but then they made a deal of their own.

At the crossroads of eternity, Lamb was met by the imprisoned deity known as the One Who Waits, who revealed the falsehoods and distortions of the false prophets who rule the world and the Old Faith. And so, Lamb was given a choice: Enter oblivion as intended...or return to the land of living with unholy powers and deliver a new cult unto the Earth.

The Four Bishops of the Old Faith must fall. The disbelievers must be destroyed. And, as Lamb assembles their flock, a new master shall reign over all of creation. Praise be to the Cult of the Lamb! From acclaimed writer Alex Paknadel (All Against All, Red Goblin) and Eisner Award-nominated artist Troy Little (Rick and Morty vs. Dungeons and Dragons, Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas) comes a deviously delightful, heretic-smashing excursion into the borderlands of the worldwide video game hit that IGN calls "adorably demonic."

Collects Cult of the Lamb (2024) #1-4."

Every week when I saw this comic in my email I thought, I really want to read that... And now I can!

Posted by Miss Eliza at 12:00 AM 0 comments  

Labels: Alex Segura, Amy James, Chelsea Iversen, Christopher Bollen, Cult of the Lamb, Daniel Aleman, Jane Pek, Jess Armstrong, Kelley Armstrong, Mary Winters, Mediums, Natasha Preston, Spiritualism, Suzanne Allain, Wordle