strange and random happenstance

House of Splinters by Laura Purcell
Published by: Blackstone Publishing
Publication Date: February 10th, 2026
Format: Paperback, 368 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"House of Splinters is the long-awaited prequel to bestselling and multi-award-winning author Laura Purcell's gothic horror classic, The Silent Companions.

Not every house is a home...

Belinda Bainbridge has spent her life in the shadow of her anxious mother, so when her father-in-law dies at The Bridge, his remote ancestral seat, she is secretly thrilled. His death means she, her husband, Wilfred, and their children can relocate and finally begin to create their own happy home together: born a merchant's daughter, she will now be lady of the manor.

But their new home quickly proves far from ideal. The garden is a wilderness, the estate is struggling financially, there are whispers about the mysterious death of a servant many years before, while their young son, Freddy, seems unusually fixated on the strange wooden figures - so-called "silent companions" - that were once owned by his ancestors.

When Wilfred's charismatic brother, Nathan, arrives unexpectedly from abroad, bringing a very different account of the family's past, Belinda begins to question what her husband has told her. What really lies behind the sad history of the house?

And are Belinda's children truly safe here?"

As a huge Laura Purcell fan, the fact that she's finally written her first "sequel" which just happens to be to her breakout The Silent Companions, I am all aflutter. I also ordered a signed copy from overseas last year because I couldn't wait until February! 

The Fourth Princess by Janie Chang
Published by: William Morrow
Publication Date: February 10th, 2026
Format: Hardcover, 336 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"From the internationally bestselling author of The Porcelain Moon comes a haunting Gothic novel set in 1911 China. Two young women living in a crumbling, once-grand Shanghai mansion face danger as secrets of their pasts come to light, even as the mansion's own secret threatens the present.

Shanghai, 1911. Lisan Liu is elated when she is hired as secretary to wealthy American Caroline Stanton, the new mistress of Lennox Manor on the outskirts of Shanghai's International Settlement. However, the Manor has a dark past due to a previous owner's suicide, and soon Lisan's childhood nightmares resurface with more intensity and meld with haunted visions of a woman in red. Adding to her unease is the young gardener, Yao, who both entices and disturbs her.

Newly married Caroline looks forward to life in China with her husband, Thomas, away from the shadows of another earlier tragedy. But an unwelcome guest, Andrew Grey, attends her party and claims to know secrets she can't afford to have exposed. At the same party, the notorious princess Masako Kyo approaches Lisan with questions about the young woman's family that the orphaned Lisan can't answer.

As Caroline struggles with Grey's extortion and Thomas's mysterious illness, Lisan's future is upended when she learns the truth about her past, and why her identity has been hidden all these years. All the while, strange incidents accelerate, driving Lisan to doubt her sanity as Lennox Manor seems unwilling to release her until she fulfills demands from beyond the grave."

Gothic is even better when it's set in far off lands don't you think?

A Slow and Secret Poison by Carmella Lowkis
Published by: Atria Books
Publication Date: February 10th, 2026
Format: Hardcover, 288 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"In the early 1900s, a young gardener at a lush English manor falls in love with her employer whose past is shrouded in deadly secrets - from the author of the "twisty, Gothic thriller" (Entertainment Weekly) Spitting Gold.

1922, Wiltshire: When Vee Morgan accepts the job of gardener at a crumbling stately home in southwest England, she's hoping it's a fresh start.

But Harfold Manor is shadowed by its own grief and the memories of long-faded glory, its rooms haunted by the only surviving member of the family, Lady Arabella Lascy. Vee is fascinated by her enigmatic new employer, a woman obsessed with the curse she believes has killed her family one by one and is coming for her next. Her only hope for escape is a local folktale: the elusive dancing hare that gave her ancestor its blessing and the house its name.

But even as Vee falls deeper under the thrall of Harfold and Lady Arabella, her own dark past finally catches up to her in this lush and atmospheric novel."

Tell me more about this elusive dancing hare...

She Made Herself a Monster by Anna Kovatcheva
Published by: Mariner Books
Publication Date: February 10th, 2026
Format: Hardcover, 288 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"A heady, dark-hued Gothic gem of a debut novel: in nineteenth-century Bulgaria, a self-proclaimed vampire slayer - in truth, a traveling con artist - joins forces with a teenage girl to create a monster deadly enough to vanquish their own demons.

We make monsters in order to destroy them. For thousands of years, we've named witches and burned them, suspected demons and exorcised them. When crops die and children fall ill, who better to blame than a monster?

Yana rides from one desolate town to the next, staging grisly displays while the villagers sleep: animal corpses in the public square, eggs filled with blood in the chicken coop. She tells the stricken villagers stories of vampires that stalk the night. Then she eliminates the threat, and sows seeds of hope in her wake.

The village Koprivci is plagued by exceptional illness and misfortune, its children rarely surviving infancy. There, Yana meets Anka: a headstrong orphan who the villagers blame for their curse. As Anka approaches womanhood, the village Captain is grooming her for marriage against her will. Anka is powerless against him - that is, until Yana arrives. Together, the orphan and the vampire slayer hatch a plan: to conjure a monster so vile, it might provide cover for Anka to escape. But their plan quickly takes on a horrifying life of its own...

Inspired by Slavic folklore, She Made Herself a Monster concocts a clever mix of witchery, ghost stories, heresy, and deception to spin a feminist fable about agency and the power of collective action. It is a haunting and astoundingly cathartic tale of two women who will stop at nothing to take control of their fate."

Collective action! That is the watchword! 

A Forest, Darkly by A.G. Slatter
Published by: Titan Books
Publication Date: February 10th, 2026
Format: Paperback, 368 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"Perfect for fans of Ava Reid and Lucy Holland, this is a page-turning dark fantasy of persecuted witches, snatched children, twisted magic, changelings and the sins that bind.

Set in the multi-award-winning author's acclaimed Sourdough universe, this standalone story sits alongside previous novels, including All the Murmuring Bones and The Briar Book of the Dead.

Deep in the forest lives Mehrab the witch, quietly battling her demons. One evening, a young woman arrives at her door pursued by god-hounds, who wish to destroy all those practising magic, and Mehrab's solitary existence is disrupted. Together they forge a cure for their isolation with heartbreaking consequences... Meanwhile, in the local village, children begin to disappear. Sinister offerings appear on Mehrab's doorstep, and a dark power pursues her through the trees. As the villagers turn hostile and the god-hounds close in, Mehrab finds herself at the centre of a struggle to save the soul of the forest, the life of an old love - and her own new-formed family.

Set in Slatter's bewitching gothic Sourdough universe, this is a haunting, gripping tale written with wit and heart. A book to both savour and devour."

Savour and devour, much like sourdough? 

Bianca's Cure by Gigi Berardi
Published by: She Writes Press
Publication Date: February 10th, 2026
Format: Paperback, 304 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"For fans of Lessons in Chemistry, a based-in-fact novel imagining young Renaissance noblewoman Bianca Capello's experiences as she pursues a cure for malaria in the Medicis' Florence.

Florence, 1563. Forbidden from practicing her herbal cures in Venice, the young noblewoman Bianca Capello flees to Florence, where the ruling Medici family practices alchemy. There, she wins herself an invitation to their palace, and, as it turns out, a path to the duke regent Francesco's bed.

The impassioned bond between Francesco de Medici and Bianca is at the core of this fact-driven dive into medicine, politics, love, and ultimately death in Renaissance Florence. Malaria killed many of the Medicis, but traces of the poison arsenic were recently found in Francesco's remains. Even more sinister: Bianca's remains have never been found. To this day, what happened to Bianca and Francesco remains one of the greatest mysteries surrounding Renaissance Italy's legendary Medicis.

Bianca's Cure probes what might have been as Bianca's quest for a malaria cure - in palaces, gardens, sick rooms, and whorehouses - collides with Francesco's intensifying illness. Her main tool is the herb artemisia - medicine still used today. A woman who dared to practice science well ahead of her time, Bianca fights off self-doubt until she believes herself invincible. But is she? When only she stands between Francesco and death, her skill may save him or doom them both."

Yes, just like Lessons in Chemistry, except real, not about food, and, you know, almost four hundred years early. So exactly. Sheesh. 

Murder Most Foul by Guy Jenkins
Published by: Legends Press
Publication Date: February 10th, 2026
Format: Paperback, 288 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"Murder Most Foul is a dark, witty and fast-paced novel, from one of Britain's best-loved screenwriters.

It's 1593, Elizabeth I is Queen, and everyone is terrified of the worst outbreak of plague in a generation. Shakespeare has only written six plays and is lagging behind his friend Christopher Marlowe, London's leading playwright.

When Marlowe is stabbed to death in mysterious circumstances, rumors abound - but the one that won't go away is that Shakespeare did it to remove his greatest rival. Will is determined to clear his name, and teams up with his old flame, Marlowe's sister Ann, who has plenty of secrets of her own.

In their search to solve the crime, Will and Ann uncover a dark world of treachery, murder, and corruption - which in turn provides Shakespeare with scenes and characters which will appear in his greatest plays."

Writing criminals into plays probably isn't wise unless they asked you to immortalize them...

The Widow Hamilton by Mollie Ann Cox
Published by: Crooked Lane Books
Publication Date: February 10th, 2026
Format: Hardcover, 336 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"The widow of Alexander Hamilton faces another mystery in the second Eliza Hamilton mystery, perfect for fans of Deanna Raybourn.

It's December 1805, and Eliza Hamilton is determined to seek justice. One young woman is dead, another has vanished - both residents of a house where Eliza's friend, Alice, lives among other craftswomen struggling to survive in a city unforgiving toward widows and orphans.

With no help from the constabulary because the young woman's body was found in a bad part of town - and was dressed as a man - Eliza vows to protect the women and uncover the truth. She suspects a connection between the death and the disappearance, especially given that the young lady who disappeared went missing while searching for the woman who was later found dead.

As Eliza traces their last known steps, she unearths a hidden world of dangerous secrets lurking beneath the city - secrets that could tear apart everything she holds dear.

This pulse-racing historical mystery will intrigue and delight anyone fascinated by the Founding Fathers and feminist history."

Oh yes, so much I want here I love I just want to dive in.

Enola Holmes and the Clanging Coffin by Nancy Springer
Published by: Wednesday Books
Publication Date: February 10th, 2026
Format: Hardcover, 336 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"Enola Holmes - international bestselling and Netflix streaming sensation - returns when the rescue of a young woman sends her into battle with her brother Sherlock against his most deadly, implacable enemy - Professor Moriarty.

In February 1891, London, Enola Holmes - the much younger sister of Sherlock and Mycroft Holmes - is attending a burial when she hears the faint sound of a handbell in the graveyard. It is not in Enola's nature to ignore such oddities, no matter the occasion and when she investigates further, as is the Holmes' family instinct, she discovers something absolutely chilling. The ringing bell is attached to the tombstone erected over a recent gravesite and someone, buried within, is pulling the string to ring the alarm.

Galvanized into action, Enola and her companions swiftly and successfully unearth the coffin within, freeing a still-living young woman, one Trevina Trairom. Enola, by predilection and by trade a Scientific Perditorian, a finder of lost things, finds herself comforting and protecting this young girl. The girl herself is a mystery - she remembers very little, including her identity, and has no idea who has buried her alive, much less why. While protecting this mysterious girl from an enigmatic enemy, she discovers that Sherlock is engaged in a related mystery. Enola joins Sherlock in his battle against the scourge of London, the Napoleon of Crime himself, Professor Moriarty. Facing her most brutal foe ever, determined to protect and unravel the secrets surrounding the mysterious Trevina, Enola takes her place more fully than ever as a proud member of the Holmes family."

And that is the problem with this book. It's about Enola taking her place as a member of her family. She has always done her own thing, been alone. That is what made her special. Now she's just one of the family and is subsumed into Sherlock's life and HIS mysteries. 

The Final Problem by Arturo Pérez-Reverte
Published by: Mulholland Books
Publication Date: February 10th, 2026
Format: Hardcover, 320 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"In this locked-room mystery set in 1960, a washed-up actor puts his on-camera detective skills to the test when a suspicious death shatters the quiet peace for a group of strangers staying at an isolated Greek island resort. Perfect for fans of Knives Out, Benjamin Stevenson, and Anthony Horowitz.

June, 1960. Rough weather at sea leaves a group of strangers stranded on the idyllic Greek island of Utakos, all guests of the only local hotel. Nothing could prepare them for what happens next: Edith Mander, a quiet British tourist, is found dead inside a beach cabana. What appears at first glance to be a clear suicide reveals possible signs of foul play to Ormond Basil, an out-of-work but still well-known actor who in his glory days portrayed the most celebrated detective of all time. Accustomed to seeing him display Sherlock Holmes' amazing powers of deduction on the big screen, the other guests believe that the actor is the best equipped to uncover the truth.

But when a second body is discovered, there is not a doubt in Basil's mind: a murderer walks among them. What's more, the killer is staging each crime as a performance, leaving complex clues that bear an eerie resemblance to those found in the pages of Conan Doyle stories. This is a criminal who knows every trick in the book and is playing a deadly literary game. As the storm rages, Basil must become the genius detective he has only pretended to be.

This clever, whip-smart, locked-room mystery from internationally bestselling author Arturo Pérez-Reverte is a love letter to golden-age detective novels. The Final Problem delights in exploring the tension between an investigator and his suspects, as well as a writer and his reader, delivering a revelatory twist that will shock even the sharpest of mystery fans."

I love the trope where an actor who is famous for playing a detective must actually become a detective. LOVE IT!

The Midnight Taxi by Yosha Gunasekera
Published by: Berkley
Publication Date: February 10th, 2026
Format: Paperback, 336 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"When the last fare of the night turns up dead in her backseat, a Sri Lankan American taxi driver works off the clock to clear her name in this mystery novel by debut author Yosha Gunasekera.

Siriwathi Perera doesn't quite know where she's going in life. She never expected to be a taxicab driver in New York City, struggling to make ends meet and still living with her parents at twenty-eight. The true-crime podcasts that keep Siri company as she drives don't do much to make up for the legal career she imagined for herself, or the brother she's grieving.

When public defender Amaya Fernando gets into her cab, they make a quick connection through their shared Sri Lankan roots. Siri, whose social circle is limited to her grade-school best friend, Alex, thinks things might finally be looking up with this new potential friendship. But she's suddenly dropped into her own true crime when she discovers her next passenger murdered in the backseat, and she has to call Amaya sooner than she'd expected.

Pinned as the obvious and only suspect, and desperate to clear her name, Siri chases down leads across the boroughs of New York City with Amaya's help. But with her court date looming, they have just five days to find out who really killed the midnight passenger - or Siri's life will be over before she can even truly live it."

I'm just saying, the real mystery is why anyone in this day and age would name their protagonist Siri...

Out of the Loop by Katie Siegel
Published by: Crooked Lane Books
Publication Date: February 10th, 2026
Format: Hardcover, 336 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"She spent two years in a time loop. Now she's ready to solve a murder. And maybe grab a bagel.

The Seven Year Slip meets Vera Wong's Unsolicited Advice for Murderers in this wholly original time loop mystery.

For the past two years, Amie Teller has been stuck in a time loop. Each day, she wakes up, and it's September 17. Same day, same weather, same people, same conversations. Until one day, it's September 18, and Amie is free.

Before she can celebrate, Amie learns her neighbor was murdered the day before - the day Amie has lived hundreds of times. Amie knows she has to help; nobody knows yesterday like she does. But acclimating to her new nonrepeating life proves to be more difficult than expected. How does one resume their life after a time loop, anyway?

Assisted by an ex-girlfriend who wants to make their friendship work and a grumpy neighbor who spends his days building Rube Goldberg machines, Amie sets out to track down who killed (and killed and killed and killed) Savannah Harlow.

Readers who love time loop novels, amateur sleuth mysteries, and original takes on classic tropes will love Out of the Loop."

I'd avoid the bagel personally.

Operation Bounce House by Matt Dinniman
Published by: Ace
Publication Date: February 10th, 2026
Format: Hardcover, 448 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"A man must fight for his planet against impossible odds when gamers from Earth attempt to remotely annihilate it in this epic, fast-paced novel from the New York Times bestselling author of the smash-hit Dungeon Crawler Carl.

All colonist Oliver Lewis ever wanted to do was run the family ranch with his sister, maybe play a gig or two with his band, and keep his family's aging fleet of intelligent agriculture bots ticking as long as possible. He figures it will be a good thing when the transfer gate finally opens all the way and restores instant travel and full communication between Earth and his planet, New Sonora. But there's a complication.

Even though the settlers were promised they'd be left in peace, Earth's government now has other plans. The colossal Apex Industries is hired to commence an "eviction action." But maximizing profits will always be Apex's number one priority. Why spend money printing and deploying AI soldiers when they can turn it into a game? Why not charge bored Earthers for the opportunity to design their own war machines and remotely pilot them from the comfort of their homes?

The game is called Operation Bounce House.

Oliver and his friends soon find themselves fighting for their lives against machines piloted by gamers who've paid a premium for the privilege. With the help of an old book from his grandfather and a bucket of rusty parts, Oliver is determined to defend the only home he’s ever known."

Personally I hope every single character that paid to be a killer gets what's coming to them.

Secondhand Luck by Kim Harrison
Published by: Ace
Publication Date: February 10th, 2026
Format: Hardcover, 480 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"Against an ancient shadow with a deadly agenda, Petra Grady's luck may be about to run out, in the next book in the enthralling contemporary fantasy series from the author of the #1 New York Times bestselling Hollows novels.

It's been months since Petra Grady bonded with the shadow Pluck. With the help of researcher Benedict Strom, she has made a place for herself at St. Unoc University as the first weaver to use shadow magic in a thousand years. But some are not happy to acknowledge the new shadow/weaver pair, and Petra and Pluck aren't surprised when they're blamed for every recent trouble.

When a new weaver is drawn to St. Unoc, Pluck quickly realizes the novice magic user has not come alone. Trailing her is Thoth, a devious shadow responsible for betraying his own kind and setting mage against weaver thousands of years ago. His goal hasn't changed, and when Thoth turns both the mage courts and the university against Petra, she and Pluck must risk everything to uncover a truth that even Pluck has forgotten.

Shadows, though, have earned their terrifying reputation, and if Petra can't prove her and Pluck's innocence and capture Thoth, any hope of balance will be gone - taking Pluck and her with it."

That's the problem with shadows, how can you trust that which is basically darkness?

Death of a Groom by M.C. Beaton
Published by: Grand Central Publishing
Publication Date: February 10th, 2026
Format: Hardcover, 240 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"Sergeant Hamish Macbeth returns to protect his sleepy Scottish village of Lochdubh in the latest mystery in M.C. Beaton's beloved, New York Times bestselling series.

It is February and the Scottish Highlands village of Lochdubh is dealing with heavy snow and freezing temperatures. Sergeant Hamish Macbeth can handle the weather, but with a surprise influx of high-society visitors for a Valentine's Day wedding at Tommel Castle Hotel, he has bigger problems.

The guest list includes not one, but two women from his own romantic past! And Hamish isn't the only one disrupted by the arrival of the wedding party. The groom - the supposedly suave and sophisticated Darius Palmerston - is involved in a series of incidents in the local pub. Tensions between guests and villagers escalate until, shortly after the lavish wedding ceremony, a body is found in the hotel dining room.

The gruesome killing means Hamish suddenly has a murder investigation on his hands, one with a very long list of suspects."

My Mom would be so happy this series continues on.

Two Can Play by Ali Hazelwood
Published by: Berkley
Publication Date: February 10th, 2026
Format: Hardcover, 208 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"An enemies-to-lovers spicy novella set in the world of video gaming from the New York Times bestselling author of Problematic Summer Romance - now in print and ebook!

Viola Bowen has the chance of a lifetime: to design a video game based on her all-time favorite book series. The only problem? Her co-lead is Jesse F-ing Andrews, aka her archnemesis. Jesse has made it abundantly clear over the years that he wants nothing to do with her - and Viola has no idea why.

When their bosses insist a wintery retreat is the perfect team-building exercise, Viola can't think of anything worse. Being freezing cold in a remote mountain lodge knowing Jesse is right next door? No, thank you.

But as the snow piles on, Viola discovers there's more to Jesse than she knew, and heat builds in more ways than one."

Aw, snowbound love.

The Baby Dragon Bookshop by A.T. Qureshi
Published by: Avon Books
Publication Date: February 10th, 2026
Format: Paperback, 352 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"Will romance be the plot twist?

Emmy has an enemy, and his name is Luke. The good news? She rarely sees him. The bad news? When she does, she (and her pet dragons) are reminded just how handsome he is.

Besides, Emmy is too busy focusing on her dragon-fuelled business to have time for love. But when both she and Luke approach the same local investor for funding, she's suddenly unable to avoid him. The kookie investor insists they must compete for the cash by working at the local failing baby dragon bookshop to prove their magical business knowledge.

Determined to win the funding, Emmy dives into the task. But making a very flammable bookshop fit for baby dragons is no small feat, and it seems these rivals may need to join forces. Could Luke and Emmy's fiery animosity spark something more between them?"

But don't dragons love books? They can be hoarded after all...

Red Star Rebels by Amie Kaufman
Published by: Knopf Books for Young Readers
Publication Date: February 10th, 2026
Format: Hardcover, 288 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"8 HOURS TO STOP AN EXPLOSION...8 HOURS TO FALL IN LOVE.

From the New York Times bestselling co-author of Illuminae and Aurora Rising comes a high-stakes, high-chemistry, sci-fi romp about a stowaway girl and the richest boy in the galaxy, racing the clock to outwit a gang of mercenaries.

It's 2067, and the Graves family has transformed Mars from a lifeless rock into a chaotic patch of settlements - equal parts national pride, and corporate power grab.

Enter Hunter Graves: handsome, ambitious, and with spectacularly bad timing. He shows up at the United Nations base just as an emergency evacuation sends everyone scurrying for safety. Except he's left behind. Uh oh.

Also stranded: Cleo, a sharp-tonged stowaway with no intention of dying today, and even less patience for overconfident trust fund boys. But the enemy of your enemy might just help you survive, so here we are.

Turns out the evacuation was just a cover for the mercenaries who came next, and the plan to blow up the base - and every trace of their crime - in eight hours.

Now, Hunter and Cleo have one shot to stop the explosion, escape alive, and deal with the inconvenient fact that they're falling for each other.

The clock is ticking."

I mean, with eight hours to go, just fall, right?

Posted by Miss Eliza at 12:00 AM 0 comments  

Labels: A.G. Slatter, A.T. Qureshi, Ali Hazelwood, Amie Kaufman, Arturo Pérez-Reverte, Guy Jenkins, Janie Chang, Katie Siegel, Kim Harrison, Laura Purcell, M.C. Beaton, Matt Dinniman, Mollie Ann Cox, Nancy Springer, Yosha Gunasekera

The Villa by Rachel Hawkins
Published by: St. Martin's Press
Publication Date: January 3rd, 2023
Format: Hardcover, 288 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"From New York Times bestselling author Rachel Hawkins comes a deliciously wicked Gothic suspense, set at an Italian villa with a dark history, for fans of Lucy Foley and Ruth Ware.

As kids, Emily and Chess were inseparable. But by their 30s, their bond has been strained by the demands of their adult lives. So when Chess suggests a girls trip to Italy, Emily jumps at the chance to reconnect with her best friend.

Villa Aestas in Orvieto is a high-end holiday home now, but in 1974, it was known as Villa Rosato, and rented for the summer by a notorious rock star, Noel Gordon. In an attempt to reignite his creative spark, Noel invites up-and-coming musician, Pierce Sheldon to join him, as well as Pierce's girlfriend, Mari, and her stepsister, Lara. But he also sets in motion a chain of events that leads to Mari writing one of the greatest horror novels of all time, Lara composing a platinum album - and ends in Pierce’s brutal murder.

As Emily digs into the villa's complicated history, she begins to think there might be more to the story of that fateful summer in 1974. That perhaps Pierce’s murder wasn't just a tale of sex, drugs, and rock and roll gone wrong, but that something more sinister might have occurred - and that there might be clues hidden in the now-iconic works that Mari and Lara left behind.

Yet the closer that Emily gets to the truth, the more tension she feels developing between her and Chess. As secrets from the past come to light, equally dangerous betrayals from the present also emerge– - and it begins to look like the villa will claim another victim before the summer ends.

Inspired by Fleetwood Mac, the Manson murders, and the infamous summer Percy and Mary Shelley spent with Lord Byron at a Lake Geneva castle - the birthplace of Frankenstein - The Villa welcomes you into its deadly legacy."

Oh my, isn't it nice when one of THE most anticipated books of the new year is released the first week?

Age of Vice by Deepti Kapoor
Published by: Riverhead Books
Publication Date: January 3rd, 2023
Format: Hardcover, 560 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"This is the age of vice, where money, pleasure, and power are everything, and the family ties that bind can also kill.

New Delhi, 3 a.m. A speeding Mercedes jumps the curb and in the blink of an eye, five people are dead. It’s a rich man's car, but when the dust settles there is no rich man at all, just a shell-shocked servant who cannot explain the strange series of events that led to this crime. Nor can he foresee the dark drama that is about to unfold.

Deftly shifting through time and perspective in contemporary India, Age of Vice is an epic, action-packed story propelled by the seductive wealth, startling corruption, and bloodthirsty violence of the Wadia family - loved by some, loathed by others, feared by all.

In the shadow of lavish estates, extravagant parties, predatory business deals and calculated political influence, three lives become dangerously intertwined: Ajay is the watchful servant, born into poverty, who rises through the family's ranks. Sunny is the playboy heir who dreams of outshining his father, whatever the cost. And Neda is the curious journalist caught between morality and desire. Against a sweeping plot fueled by loss, pleasure, greed, yearning, violence and revenge, will these characters' connections become a path to escape, or a trigger of further destruction?

Equal parts crime thriller and family saga, transporting readers from the dusty villages of Uttar Pradesh to the urban energy of New Delhi, Age of Vice is an intoxicating novel of gangsters and lovers, false friendships, forbidden romance, and the consequences of corruption. It is binge-worthy entertainment at its literary best."

I'm all about stories that are in the shadow of lavish estates and extravagant parties!

The House in the Pines by Ana Reyes
Published by: Dutton
Publication Date: January 3rd, 2023
Format: Hardcover, 336 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"Armed with only hazy memories, a woman who long ago witnessed her friend's sudden, mysterious death, and has since spent her life trying to forget, sets out to track down answers. What she uncovers, deep in the woods, is hardly to be believed....

Maya was a high school senior when her best friend, Aubrey, mysteriously dropped dead in front of the enigmatic man named Frank whom they'd been spending time with all summer.

Seven years later, Maya lives in Boston with a loving boyfriend and is kicking the secret addiction that has allowed her to cope with what happened years ago, the gaps in her memories, and the lost time that she can't account for. But her past comes rushing back when she comes across a recent YouTube video in which a young woman suddenly keels over and dies in a diner while sitting across from none other than Frank. Plunged into the trauma that has defined her life, Maya heads to her Berkshires hometown to relive that fateful summer - the influence Frank once had on her and the obsessive jealousy that nearly destroyed her friendship with Aubrey.

At her mother's house, she excavates fragments of her past and notices hidden messages in her deceased Guatemalan father's book that didn't stand out to her earlier. To save herself, she must understand a story written before she was born, but time keeps running out, and soon, all roads are leading back to Frank's cabin....

Utterly unique and captivating, The House in the Pines keeps you guessing about whether we can ever fully confront the past and return home."

Time running out and hidden messages? YES YES!

The Blackhouse by Carole Johnstone
Published by: Scribner
Publication Date: January 3rd, 2023
Format: Hardcover, 336 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"A remote village. A deadly secret. An outsider who knows the truth.

Robert Reid moved his family to Scotland's Outer Hebrides in the 1990s, driven by hope, craving safety and community, and hiding a terrible secret. But despite his best efforts to fit in, Robert is always seen as an outsider. And as the legendary and violent Hebridean storms rage around him, he begins to unravel, believing his fate on the remote island of Kilmeray cannot be escaped.

For her entire life, Maggie MacKay has sensed something was wrong with her. When Maggie was five years old, she announced that a man on Kilmeray - a place she'd never visited - had been murdered. Her unfounded claim drew media attention and turned the locals against each other, creating rifts that never mended.

Nearly twenty years later, Maggie is determined to find out what really happened, and what the islanders are hiding. But when she begins to receive ominous threats, Maggie is forced to consider how much she is willing to risk to discover the horrifying truth.

Unnerving, enthralling, and filled with Gothic suspense, The Blackhouse is a spectacularly sinister tale readers won't soon forget."

Because I know you're like me and need to know if she did know about a man on Kilmeray being murdered!

A Cold Day for Murder by Dana Stabenow
Published by: Head of Zeus
Publication Date: January 3rd, 2023
Format: Paperback, 240 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"The Edgar Award-winning introduction to private investigator Kate Shugak, A Cold Day for Murder is the first in Dana Stabenow's critically acclaimed Kate Shugak Mysteries.

Kate Shugak is a native Aleut working as a private investigator in Alaska. She's five foot tall, carries a scar that runs from ear to ear across her throat, and owns a half-wolf, half-husky dog named Mutt. Resourceful, strong-willed, defiant, Kate is tougher than your average heroine - and she needs to be to survive the worst the Alaskan wilds can throw at her. Somewhere in twenty million acres of forest and glaciers, a ranger has disappeared: Mark Miller. Missing six weeks. It's assumed by the Alaskan Parks Department that Miller has been caught in a snowstorm and frozen to death: the typical fate of those who get lost in this vast and desolate terrain. But as a favour to his congressman father, the FBI send in an investigator: Ken Dahl. Last heard from two weeks and two days ago. Now it's time to send in a professional. Kate Shugak: light brown eyes, black hair, five foot tall with an angry scar from ear to ear. Last seen yesterday..."

Murderous Northern Exposure.

The Master of Mysteries by Gelett Burgess
Published by: Poisoned Pen Press
Publication Date: January 3rd, 2023
Format: Paperback, 496 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"Packed with two dozen stories, The Master of Mysteries offers a twentieth-century, mystical twist on the classic consulting detective genre made popular by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. With Astro, the self-proclaimed "seer of secrets," author Gelett Burgess gives us a detective just as observant and brilliant as Sherlock Holmes - but with feelings.

Astro, the Seer of Secrets, and his lovely assistant, Valeska, sound more like a magic act than a private detection team.

Astro hides his powers of observation and reasoning beneath a turban and a cape, pretending to read palms and consult crystals while in fact keenly observing details that most people - police included - miss. Valeska, his beautiful blonde protégé, assists Astro with his investigations, all the while honing her own skills.

Called upon by believers and skeptics both, they adeptly recover what is missing - a rare Shakespeare folio, a missing husband, a kidnapped child - while also solving actual murders. But it is their burgeoning romance, and their mutual zeal to work pro bono where matters of the heart are at stake, that set this crime-solving duo apart."

I'm all about the mystical in the mysteries.

Through a Darkening Glass by R.S. Maxwell
Published by: Lake Union Publishing
Publication Date: January 3rd, 2023
Format: Paperback, 335 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"A mesmerizing World War II mystery about a Londoner who flees the city to write a novel and finds a truth stranger than fiction.

England, 1940. Literature student Ruth Gladstone evacuates Cambridge University for Martynsborough, a tiny English village with a shadowy history. For Ruth, retreating to a forgotten corner of the country is more than a safety maneuver; it's an opportunity to end an undesirable engagement and begin writing her first novel.

But upon her arrival, Ruth learns of a ghostly wraith haunting the villagers after decades of silence. Although Ruth is enthralled by the legend, the locals are less charmed by the wraith's return. They blame the evacuees - and among them, Ruth - for stirring up restless spirits.

Undeterred, Ruth joins forces with Malcolm, an injured soldier, to unravel the mystery of the wraith. As Ruth and Malcolm draw closer to the truth, they'll unearth long-buried secrets that could threaten them both...even as they craft a forbidden love story of their own."

War and restless spirits go hand in hand.

Breaking the Circle by M.J. Trow
Published by: Severn House
Publication Date: January 3rd, 2023
Format: Hardcover, 224 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"Turn-of-the-century archaeologist-sleuth Margaret Murray returns for the second in her captivating historical mystery series.

'Famous Sensitive Found Dead. Police Baffled.'

May, 1905. When one medium turns up dead, the police assume it is a robbery gone wrong, but when another is found obviously murdered, it's clear there's a killer on the loose.

Dr. Margaret Murray, accomplished archaeologist and occasional sleuth, calls upon her police connections to investigate; who wants to see the mediums of London dead? Known for her sharp mind and quick wit, Margaret decides to infiltrate one of the spiritualist circles to narrow down the list of suspects.

Her tactics seem to be working as she accidentally puts herself in the sights of the murderer. Unperturbed, Margaret sets an elaborate trap to uncover the culprit - but can she untangle the trail of clues before she too, passes beyond the veil?"

I am all about murdered mediums. I'm all about mediums in general. You're probably wondering what I'm not all about, feel free to ask me sometime!

The Stolen Heir by Holly Black
Published by: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers
Publication Date: January 3rd, 2023
Format: Hardcover, 368 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"Return to the opulent world of Elfhame, filled with intrigue, betrayal, and dangerous desires, with this first book of a captivating new duology from the #1 New York Times bestselling author Holly Black.

A runaway queen. A reluctant prince. And a quest that may destroy them both.

Eight years have passed since the Battle of the Serpent. But in the icy north, Lady Nore of the Court of Teeth has reclaimed the Ice Needle Citadel. There, she is using an ancient relic to create monsters of stick and snow who will do her bidding and exact her revenge.

Suren, child queen of the Court of Teeth, and the one person with power over her mother, fled to the human world. There, she lives feral in the woods. Lonely, and still haunted by the merciless torments she endured in the Court of Teeth, she bides her time by releasing mortals from foolish bargains. She believes herself forgotten until the storm hag, Bogdana chases her through the night streets. Suren is saved by none other than Prince Oak, heir to Elfhame, to whom she was once promised in marriage and who she has resented for years.

Now seventeen, Oak is charming, beautiful, and manipulative. He's on a mission that will lead him into the north, and he wants Suren's help. But if she agrees, it will mean guarding her heart against the boy she once knew and a prince she cannot trust, as well as confronting all the horrors she thought she left behind."

I am always here for new Holly Black! ALWAYS!

VAMPS: Fresh Blood by Nicole Arend
Published by: Atria Books
Publication Date: January 3rd, 2023
Format: Hardcover, 336 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"Sink your teeth into this exciting new paranormal series that transports you to an elite vampire academy where a half vampire, half human must hone his bloodthirsty side in order to survive in a cutthroat world. Perfect for fans of The Atlas Six and True Blood.

Nestled in the Swiss Alps, VAMPS is the ultimate academy for the children of the most wealthy and powerful vampire families. Unfortunately for Dillon, he’s an outsider - to be more specific, he's a dhampir: a vampire that is half human.

If he wants to survive more than a single term, he's going to need to embrace his fangs. But blood never lies and soon, it becomes clear there is something special and deadly in Dillon’s veins. But as his power grows, so does the target on his back..."

Zombies I think have had their day, let's get the Vampires back on top!

Tapped by Legacy by Brittaney Barfield
Published by: Brittaney Barfield
Publication Date: January 3rd, 2023
Format: Paperback, 296 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"Eighteen-year-old science genius and college freshman Brielle attends the illustrious Arceneaux Way University, an illustrious HBCU. The high-tech school with holograms, state-of-the-art hangout spots, and the dopest events - not to mention, the finest guys-happens to be where her birth mother died under mysterious circumstances. There's been no time to investigate, not while her twerk-loving roomie insists she party. So when her crush invites her to a kickback, she agrees. But her romantic night is interrupted by a hospital patient on the loose spewing out sticky black goo, taken away and never seen again.

Soon she's on a quest to learn about the strange substance. But the more she learns, the more she's watched...and then tapped for the W.X Society - a secret organization for Black elite somehow connected to her mother. Brielle must join them to uncover the truth, but not before facing a series of deadly initiation games. Is finding out the truth worth risking her own life?"

Sometimes the truth is worth your life. Sometimes.

Secret of the Sonnets by Samantha Hastings
Published by: Covenant Communications
Publication Date: January 3rd, 2023
Format: Paperback, 293 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"Miranda Hatch is a scholar, and at the advanced age of twenty-six, she is undoubtedly a spinster. Her single-minded ambition leads her not to seek a husband but to discover the lost manuscripts of William Shakespeare. So when she discovers a connection between the Bard and the local dashing marquess, she pens a letter requesting access to papers that might secure her academic triumph.

Lord Robert Hamilton is drowning in debt and must turn things around or risk losing his ancestral home. With the weight of the world on his shoulders, he has little time to bother with a letter from an M. Hatch requesting access to ancestral papers - until he realizes there may be some financial merit in granting the request. To his great surprise, M. Hatch turns out to be none other than the lovely Miss Miranda. The pair soon embarks on the trail of a centuries-old mystery, drawn together not only by their shared goal but by their growing attraction. However, someone else is seeking the priceless papers, and they will not hesitate to remove anyone in the way of glory."

Love and manuscripts!

Back in a Spell by Lana Harper
Published by: Berkley
Publication Date: January 3rd, 2023
Format: Paperback, 336 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"An awkward first date leads to a sparkling romance between one of the most powerful witches in town and a magical newbie in this rom-com by Lana Harper, New York Times bestselling author of Payback's a Witch.

Even though she won't deny her love for pretty (and pricey) things, Nineve Blackmoore is almost painfully down-to-earth and sensible by Blackmoore standards. But after a year of nursing a broken heart inflicted by the fiancée who all but ditched her at the altar, the powerful witch is sick of feeling low and is ready to try something drastically different: a dating app.

At her best friend's urging, Nina goes on a date with Morty Gutierrez, the nonbinary, offbeat soul of spontaneity and co-owner of the Shamrock Cauldron. Their date goes about as well as can be expected of most online dates - awkward and terrible. To make matters worse, once Morty discovers Nina's last name, he’s far from a fan; it turns out that the Blackmoores have been bullishly trying to buy the Shamrock out from under Morty and his family.

But when Morty begins developing magical powers - something that usually only happens to committed romantic partners once they officially join a founding family - at the same time that Nina's own magic surges beyond her control, Nina must manage Morty's rude awakening to the hidden magical world, uncover its cause, and face the intensity of their own burgeoning connection. But what happens when that connection is tied to Nina’s power surge, a power she’s finding nearly as addictive as Morty's presence in her life?"

Witchy love!

Loathe to Love You by Ali Hazelwood
Published by: Berkley
Publication Date: January 3rd, 2023
Format: Hardcover, 384 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"From the New York Times bestselling author of The Love Hypothesis comes a collection of steamy, STEMinist novellas featuring a trio of engineers and their loves in loathing - with a special bonus chapter!

Under One Roof
An environmental engineer discovers that scientists should never cohabitate when she finds herself stuck with the roommate from hell - a detestable big-oil lawyer who won’t leave the thermostat alone.

Stuck with You
A civil engineer and her nemesis take their rivalry - and love - to the next level when they get stuck in a New York elevator.

Below Zero
A NASA aerospace engineer's frozen heart melts as she lies injured and stranded at a remote Arctic research station and the only person willing to undertake the dangerous rescue mission is her longtime rival."

Science and love, so late eighties/early nineties feel good vibes about it.

Posted by Miss Eliza at 12:00 AM 0 comments  

Labels: Ali Hazelwood, Ana Reyes, Brittaney Barfield, Carole Johnstone, Dana Stabenow, Deepti Kapoor, Gelett Burgess, Holly Black, Lana Harper, M.J. Trow, Nicole Arend, R.S. Maxwell, Rachel Hawkins, Samantha Hastings

Soul Taken by Patricia Briggs
Published by: Ace
Publication Date: August 23rd, 2022
Format: Hardcover, 400 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"Mercy Thompson, car mechanic and shapeshifter, must face her greatest fears in this chilling entry in the #1 New York Times bestselling series.

The vampire Wulfe is missing. Since he's deadly, possibly insane, and his current idea of "fun" is stalking me, some may see it as no great loss. But, warned that his disappearance might bring down the carefully constructed alliances that keep our pack safe, my mate and I must find Wulfe - and hope he’s still alive. As alive as a vampire can be, anyway.

But Wulfe isn't the only one who has disappeared. And now there are bodies, too. Has the Harvester returned to the Tri-Cities, reaping souls with his cursed sickle? Or is he just a character from a B horror movie and our enemy is someone else?

The farther I follow Wulfe's trail, the more twisted - and darker - the path becomes. I need to figure out what’s going on before the next body on the ground is mine."

I do not joke when I say that Patricia Briggs is my most anticipate author every year.

Babel by R.F. Kuang
Published by: Harper Voyager
Publication Date: August 23rd, 2022
Format: Hardcover, 560 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"From award-winning author R.F. Kuang comes Babel, a thematic response to The Secret History and a tonal retort to Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell that grapples with student revolutions, colonial resistance, and the use of language and translation as the dominating tool of the British empire.

Traduttore, traditore: An act of translation is always an act of betrayal.

1828. Robin Swift, orphaned by cholera in Canton, is brought to London by the mysterious Professor Lovell. There, he trains for years in Latin, Ancient Greek, and Chinese, all in preparation for the day he’ll enroll in Oxford University’s prestigious Royal Institute of Translation - also known as Babel.

Babel is the world's center for translation and, more importantly, magic. Silver working - the art of manifesting the meaning lost in translation using enchanted silver bars - has made the British unparalleled in power, as its knowledge serves the Empire's quest for colonization.

For Robin, Oxford is a utopia dedicated to the pursuit of knowledge. But knowledge obeys power, and as a Chinese boy raised in Britain, Robin realizes serving Babel means betraying his motherland. As his studies progress, Robin finds himself caught between Babel and the shadowy Hermes Society, an organization dedicated to stopping imperial expansion. When Britain pursues an unjust war with China over silver and opium, Robin must decide...

Can powerful institutions be changed from within, or does revolution always require violence?"

Oxford and a certain Susanna Clarke retort? Yes please!

A Venom Dark and Sweet by Judy I. Lin
Published by: Feiwel and Friends
Publication Date: August 23rd, 2022
Format: Hardcover, 352 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"The enthralling conclusion to Judy I. Lin's Book of Tea duology - #1 New York Times bestseller A Magic Steeped in Poison and A Venom Dark and Sweet - is sure to enchant fans of Adrienne Young and Leigh Bardugo.

A great evil has come to the kingdom of Dàxi. The Banished Prince has returned to seize power, his rise to the dragon throne aided by the mass poisonings that have kept the people bound in fear and distrust.

Ning, a young but powerful shénnóng-shi - a wielder of magic using the ancient and delicate art of tea-making - has escorted Princess Zhen into exile. Joining them is the princess' loyal bodyguard, Ruyi, and Ning's newly healed sister, Shu. Together the four young women travel throughout the kingdom in search of allies to help oust the invaders and take back Zhen's rightful throne.

But the golden serpent still haunts Ning's nightmares with visions of war and bloodshed. An evil far more ancient than the petty conflicts of men has awoken, and all the magic in the land may not be enough to stop it from consuming the world..."

Whomever at Feiwel and Friends thought to release both volumes of this duology this year I salute you!

A Dreadful Splendor by B.R. Myers
Published by: William Morrow Paperbacks
Publication Date: August 23rd, 2022
Format: Paperback, 416 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"In this wickedly whimsical Gothic murder mystery brimming with romance, betrayals, and chills, a fake spiritualist is summoned to hold a séance for a bride who died on the eve before her wedding, but as nefarious secrets are revealed, the line between hoax and haunting blurs.

Be careful what you conjure...

In Victorian London, Genevieve Timmons poses as a spiritualist to swindle wealthy mourners - until one misstep lands her in a jail cell awaiting the noose. Then a stranger arrives to make her a peculiar offer. The lord he serves, Mr. Pemberton, has been inconsolable since the tragic death of his beautiful bride-to-be. If Genevieve can perform a séance persuasive enough to bring the young lord peace, she will win her freedom.

Soothing a grieving nobleman should be easy for someone of Genevieve's skill, but when she arrives at the grand Somerset Park estate, Mr. Pemberton is not the heartbroken lover she expected. The surly - yet exceedingly handsome - gentleman is certain that his fiancée was murdered, even though there is no evidence. Only a confession can bring justice now, and Mr. Pemberton decides Genevieve will help him get it. With his knowledge of the household and her talent for illusion, they can stage a haunting so convincing it will coax the killer into the light. However, when frightful incidents befall the manor, Genevieve realizes her tricks aren’t required after all. She may be a fake, but Somerset's ghost could be all too real...

A Dreadful Splendor is delicious brew of mystery, spooky thrills, and intoxicating romance that makes for a ghoulishly fun and page-turning read."

In a true moment of syncronicity I was just reading the blurb of this book and thinking how much I wanted to read it when my friend Johnnie posted how awesome it is. Must read. For sure.

The Very Secret Society of Irregular Witches by Sangu Mandanna
Published by: Berkley
Publication Date: August 23rd, 2022
Format: Paperback, 336 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"A warm and uplifting novel about an isolated witch whose opportunity to embrace a quirky new family - and a new love - changes the course of her life.

As one of the few witches in Britain, Mika Moon knows she has to hide her magic, keep her head down, and stay away from other witches so their powers don’t mingle and draw attention. And as an orphan who lost her parents at a young age and was raised by strangers, she's used to being alone and she follows the rules...with one exception: an online account, where she posts videos "pretending" to be a witch. She thinks no one will take it seriously.

But someone does. An unexpected message arrives, begging her to travel to the remote and mysterious Nowhere House to teach three young witches how to control their magic. It breaks all of the rules, but Mika goes anyway, and is immediately tangled up in the lives and secrets of not only her three charges, but also an absent archaeologist, a retired actor, two long-suffering caretakers, and...Jamie. The handsome and prickly librarian of Nowhere House would do anything to protect the children, and as far as he’s concerned, a stranger like Mika is a threat. An irritatingly appealing threat.

As Mika begins to find her place at Nowhere House, the thought of belonging somewhere begins to feel like a real possibility. But magic isn't the only danger in the world, and when peril comes knocking at their door, Mika will need to decide whether to risk everything to protect a found family she didn’t know she was looking for...."

British witches! Sqwee!

Small Town, Big Magic by Hazel Beck
Published by: Graydon House
Publication Date: August 23rd, 2022
Format: Paperback, 416 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"There's no such thing as witches...right?

Emerson Wilde has built the life of her dreams. Youngest Chamber of Commerce president in St. Cyprian history, successful indie bookstore owner, and lucky enough to have her best friends as found family? Done.

But when Emerson is attacked by creatures that shouldn't be real, and kills them with what can only be called magic, Emerson finds that the past decade of her life has been...a lie. St. Cyprian isn't your average Midwestern river town--it's a haven for witches. When Emerson failed a power test years ago, she was stripped of her magical memories. Turns out, Emerson's friends are all witches.

And so is she.

That's not all, though: evil is lurking in the charming streets of St. Cyprian. Emerson will need to learn to control what's inside of her, remember her magic, and deal with old, complicated feelings for her childhood friend - cranky-yet-gorgeous local farmer Jacob North - to defeat an enemy that hides in the rivers and shadows of everything she loves.

Even before she had magic, Emerson would have done anything for St. Cyprian, but now she'll have to risk not just her livelihood...but her life."

All about the witches!

A Catalogue of Catastrophe by Jodi Taylor
Published by: Headline
Publication Date: August 23rd, 2022
Format: Paperback, 512 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"Finally - finally! - Max has that nice office job she's always wanted. The one with no heavy lifting and no one tries to kill her. Well, one out of two's not bad...

Punching well above their weight, Max and Markham set out to bring down a sinister organisation founded in the future - with a suspicious focus on the past.

Max's focus is staying alive long enough to reunite with Leon and Matthew, alternately helped and hindered by St Mary's. Who aren't always the blessing they like to think they are.

But non-stop leaping around the timeline - from witnessing Magna Carta to disturbing a certain young man with a penchant for gunpowder - is beginning to take its toll. Is Max going mad? Or are the ghosts of the past finally catching up with her?"

Because I know SO MANY people who are addicts of The Chronicles of St. Mary's!

The Forty Elephants by Erin Bledsoe
Published by: Blackstone Publishing
Publication Date: August 23rd, 2022
Format: Hardcover, 350 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"Inspired by the true story of Alice Diamond and the Forty Elephants, the first all-female gang of London.

London in the 1920s is no place for a woman with a mind of her own. Gang wars, violence, and an unforgiving world have left pickpocket Alice Diamond scrambling to survive in the Mint, the gritty neighborhood her family has run for generations. When her father goes to jail yet again and her scam artist brother finds himself in debt to the dangerous McDonald crime syndicate, Alice takes over. Fighting for power at every turn, she struggles to protect her father's territory and keep the people she loves safe from some of London's most dangerous criminals.

Recruited by the enigmatic Mary Carr, Alice boldly chooses to break her father's edict against gangs and become part of a group of notorious lady shoplifters, the Forty Elephants. Leaving the Mint behind, she and the other girls steal from the area's poshest department stores, and for the first time in her life, Alice Diamond tastes success. But it's not long before she wants more - no matter the cost. And when her past and present collide, there's no escaping the girl from the Mint."

When I first heard about Alice Diamond in a book I read I was like, tell me more! Here's Erin Bledsoe to do so!

A Treacherous Tale by Elizabeth Penney
Published by: St. Martin's Paperbacks
Publication Date: August 23rd, 2022
Format: Paperback, 288 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"A Treacherous Tale is the second in a charming new cozy series from Elizabeth Penney, set in an English bookshop and following Molly Kimball, who has a habit of bookmarking trouble...

Lately, Molly has been feeling that she might have fallen into a fairy tale: she's reinvigorated the family bookshop Thomas Marlowe—Manuscripts and Folios, made friends in her new home of Cambridge, England, and is even developing a bit of a romance with the handsome Kieran - a bike shop owner with a somewhat intimidating family pedigree.

Having recently discovered The Strawberry Girls, a classic children's tale, Molly is thrilled to learn the author, Iona York, lives nearby. But while visiting the famous author at her lovely cottage in nearby Hazelhurst, an old acquaintance of Iona's tumbles off her roof to his death.

Then, when one of Iona's daughters - an inspiration for the original Strawberry Girls - goes missing, Molly begins to worry this story might be more Brothers Grimm than happily-ever-after. Especially after Molly learns about the mysterious long-ago death of Iona's husband and co-author of The Strawberry Girls…could past and present crimes be linked? Molly must put the clues together before someone turns this sweet tale sour."

Darkness in children's classics? YES!

Six Feet Deep Dish by Mindy Quigley
Published by: St. Martin's Paperbacks
Publication Date: August 23rd, 2022
Format: Paperback, 320 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"Fresh mozzarella, tangy tomato sauce, and murder: the perfect recipe for a delicious first entry in Mindy Quigley's Six Feet Deep Dish, a delectable new series...

Delilah O'Leary can’t wait to open her new gourmet deep-dish pizzeria in Geneva Bay, Wisconsin - a charming resort town with a long history as a mobsters' hideaway, millionaires' playground, and vacation mecca. Engaged to a hunk with a hefty trust fund, Delilah is poised to begin a life that's just about as delicious as one of her cheesy creations.

Just before opening night, though, Delilah's plans for pizza perfection hit the skids when her fiancé dumps her and leaves her with a very large memento from their relationship - Butterball, their spoiled, plus-sized tabby cat.

Delilah's trouble deepens when she discovers a dead body and finds her elderly aunt holding the murder weapon. Handsome local police detective Calvin Capone, great grandson of the legendary gangster, opens an investigation, threatening to sink Delilah's pie-in-the-sky ambitions before they can even get off the ground. To save her aunt and get her pizza place generating some dough, Delilah must deliver the real killer."

Set in Wisconsin and featuring deep-dish pizza and a plus-sized cat? Um, yes, please! This book was written for me!

Heartbreaker by Sarah MacLean
Published by: Avon
Publication Date: August 23rd, 2022
Format: Paperback, 400 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"New York Times bestselling author Sarah MacLean follows her highly acclaimed Bombshell with Heartbreaker, featuring a fierce, fearless heroine on a mission to steal a duke's secrets...and his heart.

A Princess of Thieves

Raised among London's most notorious criminals, a twist of fate landed Adelaide Frampton in the bright ballrooms of Mayfair, where she masquerades as a quiet wallflower - so plain and unassuming that no one realizes she’s the Matchbreaker...using her superior skills as a thief to help brides avoid the altar.

A King of Reputation

Henry, Duke of Clayborn, has spent a lifetime living in perfection. He has no time for the salacious gossip that arises every time the Matchbreaker ends another groom. His own reputation is impeccable - and the last thing he needs is a frustrating, fascinating woman discovering the truth of his past, or the secrets he holds close.

A Royal Match

When the two find themselves on a breakneck journey across Britain to stop a wedding, it's impossible for Clayborn to resist this woman who both frustrates and fascinates him. But late-night carriage rides make for delicious danger…and soon Adelaide is uncovering Clayborn’s truths, throwing his well-laid plans into chaos…and threatening to steal his heavily guarded heart."

I have done a deep dive into Sarah MacLean these year and all I can say is more!

Love on the Brain by Ali Hazelwood
Published by: Berkley
Publication Date: August 23rd, 2022
Format: Paperback, 368 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"From the New York Times bestselling author of The Love Hypothesis comes a new STEMinist rom-com in which a scientist is forced to work on a project with her nemesis - with explosive results.

Like an avenging, purple-haired Jedi bringing balance to the mansplained universe, Bee Königswasser lives by a simple code: What would Marie Curie do? If NASA offered her the lead on a neuroengineering project - a literal dream come true after years scraping by on the crumbs of academia - Marie would accept without hesitation. Duh. But the mother of modern physics never had to co-lead with Levi Ward.

Sure, Levi is attractive in a tall, dark, and piercing-eyes kind of way. And sure, he caught her in his powerfully corded arms like a romance novel hero when she accidentally damseled in distress on her first day in the lab. But Levi made his feelings toward Bee very clear in grad school - archenemies work best employed in their own galaxies far, far away.

Now, her equipment is missing, the staff is ignoring her, and Bee finds her floundering career in somewhat of a pickle. Perhaps it's her occipital cortex playing tricks on her, but Bee could swear she can see Levi softening into an ally, backing her plays, seconding her ideas…devouring her with those eyes. And the possibilities have all her neurons firing. But when it comes time to actually make a move and put her heart on the line, there’s only one question that matters: What will Bee Königswasser do?"

I want to someday be a "purple-haired Jedi bringing balance to the mansplained universe!"

Big Red by Jerome Charyn
Published by: Liveright
Publication Date: August 23rd, 2022
Format: Hardcover, 304 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"Narrated by a starry-eyed lesbian, Big Red reimagines the tragic career of Rita Hayworth and her indomitable husband, Orson Welles.

Since he first appeared on the American literary scene, Jerome Charyn has dazzled readers with his "blunt, brilliantly crafted prose" (Washington Post). Yet Charyn, a beloved comedic novelist, also possesses an extraordinary knowledge of Golden Age Hollywood, having taught film history both in the United States and France.

With Big Red, Charyn reimagines the life of one of America's most enduring icons, "Gilda" herself, Rita Hayworth, whose fiery red tresses and hypnotic dancing graced the silver screen over sixty times in her nearly forty-year career. The quintessential movie star of the 1940s, Hayworth has long been objectified as a sex symbol, pin-up girl, and so-called Love Goddess. Here Charyn, channeling the ghosts of a buried past, finally lifts the veils that have long enshrouded Hayworth, evoking her emotional complexity - her passions, her pain, and her inner turmoil.

Charyn’s reimagining of Hayworth's story begins in 1943, in a roomette at the Hollywood Hotel, where narrator Rusty Redburn - an impetuous, second-string gossip columnist from Kalamazoo, Michigan - bides her time between working as a gofer in the publicity offices of Columbia Pictures, volunteering at an indie movie house, and pursuing dalliances with young women on the Sunset Strip. Called upon by the manipulative Columbia movie mogul Harry "The Janitor" Cohn to spy on Hayworth - then, the Dream Factory's most alluring "dame," and Cohn's biggest movie star - Rusty becomes Rita's confidante, accompanying her on a series of madcap adventures with her indomitable husband, the "boy genius" Orson Welles.

But Rusty, an outlaw who can see beyond the prejudices of Hollywood's male-dominated hierarchy, quickly becomes disgusted with the way actresses, and particularly Rita, are exploited by men. As she struggles to balance the dangerous politics of Tinseltown with her desire to protect Rita from ruffians and journalists alike, Rusty has her own encounters - some sweet, some bruising - with characters real and imagined, from Julie Tanaka, an interned Japanese-American friend, to superstars like Clark Gable and Tallulah Bankhead, as well as notorious Hollywood gossip columnist Louella Parsons.

Reanimating such classic films as Gilda and The Lady from Shanghai, Big Red is a bittersweet paean to Hollywood's Golden Age, a tender yet honest portrait of a time before blockbusters and film franchises - one that promises to consume both Hollywood cinephiles and neophytes alike. Lauded for his "polymorphous imagination" (Jonathan Lethem), Charyn once again has created one of the most inventive novels in recent American literature."

Classic Hollywood, reimagined or not, is my jam.

Babysitter by Joyce Carol Oates
Published by: Knopf
Publication Date: August 23rd, 2022
Format: Hardcover, 448 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"From one of America’s most renowned storytellers - the best-selling author of Blonde - comes a novel about love and deceit, and lust and redemption, against a backdrop of shocking murders in the affluent suburbs of Detroit.

In the waning days of the turbulent 1970s, in the wake of unsolved child-killings that have shocked Detroit, the lives of several residents are drawn together with tragic consequences.

There is Hannah, wife of a prominent local businessman, who has begun an affair with a darkly charismatic stranger whose identity remains elusive; Mikey, a canny street hustler who finds himself on a chilling mission to rectify injustice; and the serial killer known as Babysitter, an enigmatic and terrifying figure at the periphery of elite Detroit. As Babysitter continues his rampage of abductions and killings, these individuals intersect with one another in startling and unexpected ways.

Suspenseful, brilliantly orchestrated, and engrossing, Babysitter is a starkly narrated exploration of the riskiness of pursuing alternate lives, calling into question how far we are willing to go to protect those whom we cherish most. In its scathing indictment of corrupt politics, unexamined racism, and the enabling of sexual predation in America, Babysitter is a thrilling work of contemporary fiction."

I love crime set in the seventies.

This Much is True by Miriam Margolyes
Published by: John Murray
Publication Date: August 23rd, 2022
Format: Hardcover, 448 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"BAFTA-winning actor, voice of everything from Monkey to the Cadbury's Caramel Rabbit, creator of a myriad of unforgettable characters from Lady Whiteadder to Professor Sprout, Miriam Margolyes, OBE, is the nation's favourite (and naughtiest) treasure. Now, at the age of 80, she has finally decided to tell her extraordinary life story - and it's well worth the wait.

Find out how being conceived in an air-raid gave her curly hair; what pranks led to her being known as the naughtiest girl Oxford High School ever had; how she ended up posing nude for Augustus John as a teenager; why Bob Monkhouse was the best (male) kiss she's ever had; and what happened next after Warren Beatty asked 'Do you fuck?'

From declaring her love to Vanessa Redgrave to being told to be quiet by the Queen, this book is packed with brilliant, hilarious stories. With a cast list stretching from Scorsese to Streisand, a cross-dressing Leonardo DiCaprio to Isaiah Berlin, This Much Is True is as warm and honest, as full of life and surprises, as its inimitable author."

The release date of this book has been moved so much I'm sure I've posted this before, but seeing as you can never have too much Miriam, here you go again!

Posted by Miss Eliza at 12:00 AM 0 comments  

Labels: Ali Hazelwood, B.R. Myers, Elizabeth Penney, Erin Bledsoe, Hazel Beck, Jerome Charyn, Jodi Taylor, Joyce Carol Oates, Judy I. Lin, Mindy Quigley, Patricia Briggs, R.F. Kuang, Sangu Mandanna, Sarah MacLean