strange and random happenstance

The Color of Revenge by Cornelia Funke
Published by: Chicken House
Publication Date: November 12th, 2024
Format: Hardcover, 320 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"Vengeance awaits in the follow up to the epic, award-winning, New York Times bestselling Inkheart trilogy by internationally acclaimed author Cornelia Funke.

Five years after the events of Inkdeath, Meggie, Mo, and the people of Ombra lead peaceful lives, their fires warmed by the flames of Dustfinger - the Fire-Dancer. But when Dustfinger spots Orpheus's glass man within the gates of Ombra, a familiar restlessness begins to haunt him once more. And for good reason...

The past five years have been a different story for Orpheus, who has spent his days living a meager and deprived existence, fueled only by his thirst for revenge against Dustfinger and all those who betrayed him. Now, Orpheus has found an unexpected way to seek vengeance against his greatest adversary. He has corrupted an artist to create bewitched portraits that will see the heroes fade to gray.

When Dustfinger's deepest fears come true, he'll have to figure out whether the words still obey Orpheus. Or if he should be afraid of the pictures this time..."

Oh, oh my. A new Inkworld book. I think I need a fainting couch.

The West Wind by Alexandria Warwick
Published by: S and s/Saga Press
Publication Date: November 12th, 2024
Format: Paperback, 464 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"From the author of The North Wind comes a darkly reimagined tale of forbidden love, inspired by the Greek myth of Hero and Leander and the Scottish ballad Tam Lin.

Brielle of Thornbrook has dedicated her life to the abbey. She spends her days forging iron and her evenings studying the Text, all in preparation of becoming an acolyte. Twenty-one years on this earth and she has never touched a man. And she never will.

But when she finds an injured stranger in the forest, Brielle can't resist the urge to help him. The encounter leads her to the realm of Under, where the air breathes rot, and the fair folk dance and whisper. Where she discovers that the man she helped is actually a god: Zephyrus, the West Wind, Bringer of Spring.

There are few Brielle can trust in Under, least of all Zephyrus. He is charming, dangerously so, and never has a man so thoroughly ensnared her. As she embarks on a journey through the eerie banks and caves of Under, Brielle finds herself in a perilous situation. For here is where faith and heart collide - and where she risks not only her future...but her life."

Is it wrong that I'm more excited about the Tam Lin aspect than the Greek aspect?

We Shall Be Monsters by Alyssa Wees
Published by: Del Rey Books
Publication Date: November 12th, 2024
Format: Paperback, 320 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"A girl marked for death ventures into the wooded realm of the fairies to rescue her mother in this dark, lyrical fantasy about vengeful witches, beastly fathers, and the stories mothers tell to keep their daughters safe - from the author of Nocturne.

Gemma Cassata lives with her mother in an isolated antiques shop in Michigan, near a seductive patch of woods concealing an enchanted gateway to fairyland. Gemma knows she's not supposed to go into the woods - her mother, Virginia, has warned her multiple times about the monsters that lurk there - and yet she can't resist.

Virginia understands her daughter's defiance. She knows the allure of the woods all too well. Her own mother warned her about the monsters, and Virginia also did not listen - until a witch cursed her true love just days before their child's birth. So Virginia will do whatever she can to protect her daughter - even if it means stealing Gemma's memories.

But everything changes when Gemma gets too close to the truth, and the witch takes Virginia. Now it is up to Gemma to venture deep into the mysterious woods to rescue her mother and break the curse.

Told in the alternating viewpoints of Gemma and Virginia, this novel is not only a tale of a girl's fantastical quest through a darkly magical fairyland but also an exploration of the complex bonds between children and their parents."

Ah yes, the point wherein you have to venture into the forbidden to save everything.

The Twice-Sold Soul by Katie Hallahan
Published by: Orbit
Publication Date: November 12th, 2024
Format: Paperback, 432 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"I locked away my magic and ran from home for a good reason. So why am I ready to undo everything when my demon ex finally tracks me down?

You can't outrun your demons - McKenna Ellerbeck knows this all too well. She's been running from literal demons for a decade, one that will stop at nothing to take McKenna's magic for their own and one that shattered her heart by grasping for dark power. After a horrible run-in with hellhounds on the streets of Paris, McKenna is ready to hide again when she's confronted by her ex, the Archdemon of Desire Remiel Blake. Remi, the sexiest of gender-shifting demons, calls in an old debt that McKenna owes her, though unlike other deals the terms of fulfillment are simple: all she needs to do is return to her hometown of Arcadia Commons, Massachusetts, for seven days.

Disgruntled and disguised at her own insistence, McKenna returns home to the magical community, intent on simply staying in her hotel room watching pay-per-view. But with her high school reunion conveniently happening in the same hotel she's staying at - the one owned by her ex-boyfriend Bastien Lemaire - and her brother mysteriously picking fights with the town's most prominent witch family, she finds she can't stay away for long and decides it's finally time to face her past and the witches, werewolves, demons, and friends she left behind.

If you miss Supernatural, True Blood, or Buffy, you'll love this sexy and magical contemporary fantasy from a marvelous new voice in fiction, Katie Hallahan!"

I don't know... I find it's quite easy to stay away from high school reunions.

We Call Them Giants by Kieron Gillen
Published by: Image Comics
Publication Date: November 12th, 2024
Format: Hardcover, 104 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"A poignant, romantic, and devastating story of a young girl who wakes up to find her world has turned upside down.

Lori wakes to find the streets empty. Everyone has gone. Or at least, nearly everyone. She's thrown into a world where she has to scrape by in the ruins of civilization, nearly starving, hiding from gangs when...

They arrive.

The award-winning team behind dark fantasy smash DIE release their first stand alone original graphic novel."

SUCH a fan of Kieron Gillen!

In Wonderland by Paul Magrs
Published by: Penguin Group UK
Publication Date: November 12th, 2024
Format: Paperback, 304 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"Doctor Who is the longest running sci-fi show in the world, and a flagship BBC property. First appearing on air in 1963, it follows the adventures of the Doctor, a Time Lord who travels through time and space, fighting alien monsters and saving the universe."

Two things I love, Alice's Adventures in Wonderland and my friend Paul's books. Oh look, they have combined to be a new thing I love!

The Keeper of the Key by Nicole Willson
Published by: Parliament House Press, LLC
Publication Date: November 12th, 2024
Format: Paperback, 264 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"There are a thousand things sixteen-year-old Rachel would rather do than upend her life to move into Morgan House, an old, run-down mansion owned by her mom's boyfriend, Geoff.

But when her mother announces they're relocating to St. Mary, Virginia to live with him, Rachel's cut off from her friends and life as she knows it. St. Mary is a remote, lonely place, and the best thing about it is Nick, a guy she knows is worth keeping when he takes her to a cemetery on their first date.

Rachel struggles to get along with Geoff and his mile-long list of annoying house rules - in particular, his bizarre insistence that she stay out of the basement. But something in Morgan House plays by its own rules. At night, an unknown force pulls Rachel down to that forbidden cellar, showing her harrowing visions of a strangely familiar man lurking in the shadows. When a sudden tragedy strikes her family, those visions become more frequent-and more violent.

The dead issue urgent warnings, and if Rachel doesn't heed them, she'll become part of Morgan House forever.

From the author of the Bram Stoker Award-nominated Tidepool comes a chilling new Gothic horror novel that will sink into your bones."

Never trust the boyfriends of mothers who own haunted houses.

Games Untold by Jennifer Lynn Barnes
Published by: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers
Publication Date: November 12th, 2024
Format: Hardcover, 448 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"Over 4 million copies sold of the #1 bestselling series!

Romance, luxury, and secrets abound in this thrilling new collection that takes readers deeper into the world of the #1 bestselling Inheritance Games series.

There is nothing frivolous about the way a Hawthorne man loves.

An amnesiac playboy and the woman with every reason to hate him. A daredevil, his favorite heiress, and three nights in Prague. An unlikely pairing between a cowboy and a goth. Four brothers with an inescapable bond, strengthened by the family they chose, in a house of wonders that promises to always deliver one more secret.

Discover their stories of love and loss, power, puzzles, and life-and-death secrets in this mind-blowingly romantic collection that proves that when you love the way Hawthornes love, there is no going back.

This collection includes:
-That Night in Prague (novella)
-The Same Backward as Forward (novella)
-The Cowboy and the Goth
-Five Times Xander Tackled Someone (and One Time He Didn't)
-$3CR3T $@NT@
-One Hawthorne Night*
-What Happens in the Treehouse*
-Pain at the Right Gun
*previously published in limited release."

We are FINALLY going to learn what happened that night in Prague!

The Legacy of Arniston House by T.L. Huchu
Published by: Tor Books
Publication Date: November 12th, 2024
Format: Hardcover, 400 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"A dangerous cult craves a dark power. The Legacy of Arniston House is the spellbinding fourth instalment of the USA Today bestselling Edinburgh Nights series by T. L. Huchu.

Ropa Moyo is a wannabe magician, can speak to the dead, and has officially given up being an intern. Leaving Scottish magic behind, she now works for the English Sorcerer Royal. But just as she adjusts to working for the English, an old enemy reveals a devastating secret about her Gran, and Ropa's world falls apart.

Outraged, she rushes home, but finds her grandmother dead - murdered - with no killer in sight. What's more, she's the prime suspect. In her quest to find the true murderer, Ropa becomes caught in the dark tendrils of a cult, hell-bent on resurrecting an ancient power. Ropa must use her wits, her magic, and call in all favors to stop the ritual - and clear her name."

I'm just saying, if Ropa was elsewhere and rushed home to her dead grandmother I really don't think that would make her the prime suspect...

Hobtown Mystery Stories Vol. 2: The Cursed Hermit by Kris Bertin
Published by: Oni Press
Publication Date: November 12th, 2024
Format: Paperback, 208 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"Welcome back to Hobtown, the charming but bleak rural village whose placid exterior belies the surreal underbelly teeming below.... The second must-read volume of the page-turning series that the New York Times calls "forceful and haunting" starts here in the first fully colored edition from creators Kris Bertin and Alexander Forbes!

Intrepid young investigators Brennan and Pauline are excited for Christmas break, until they're sent to an extra-credit boarding school called Knotty Pines. After attending their first classes, however, they grow suspicious of the unusually strict headmaster and headmistress, who seem to be controlling their students and transforming them into boneheads and bullies.

On their final night at Knotty Pines, the students are paired up to pledge eternal allegiance to the long-dead Lord Hobb, and to each other, in unholy matrimony! Isolated from their fellow sleuths, Brennan and Pauline forge new alliances to lift a curse that has plagued the good people of Hobtown for centuries."

It's like Nancy Drew written by Edward Gorey.

All's Fair in Love and Treachery by Celeste Connally
Published by: Minotaur Books
Publication Date: November 12th, 2024
Format: Hardcover, 320 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"Bridgerton meets Agatha Christie in this dazzling next installment in a captivating Regency-era mystery series with a feminist spin.

21 June, 1815. London may be cheering the news of Napoleon's surrender at Waterloo, but Lady Petra Forsyth has little to celebrate after discovering that the death of her viscount fiancé three years earlier was no accident. Instead, it was murder, and the man responsible is her handsome, half-Scottish secret paramour Duncan Shawcross - yet the scoundrel has disappeared, leaving only a confusing riddle about long-forgotten memories in his wake.

So what's a lady to do when she can't hunt down her traitorous lover? She concentrates on a royal assignment instead. Queen Charlotte has tasked Petra with attending an event at the Asylum for Female Orphans and making inquiries surrounding the death of the orphanage's matron. What's more, there may be a link between the matron's death and a group of radicals with ties to the aristocracy, as evidenced by an intercepted letter.

Then, Petra overhears a nefarious conversation with two other men about a plot to topple the monarchy, set to take place during three days of celebrations currently gripping London.

As the clock counts down and London's streets teem with revelers, Petra's nerves are fraying as her past and present collide. Yet while all's fair in love and war, she can never surrender, especially when more orphaned girls may be in trouble. And to save their lives, the monarchy itself, and even her own heart, Lady Petra must face her fears with the strength of an army of soldiers and fight with the heart of a queen."

I love that Queen Charlotte basically has her fingers in ALL the pies.

In Want of a Suspect by Tirzah Price
Published by: HarperCollins
Publication Date: November 12th, 2024
Format: Hardcover, 352 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"The first book in a thrilling mystery duology that follows Lizzie Bennet and Mr. Darcy from the acclaimed Jane Austen Murder Mystery series!

It is a truth universally acknowledged, that London's first female solicitor in possession of the details of a deadly crime, must be in want of a suspect.

The tenacious Lizzie Bennet has earned her place at Longbourn, her father's law firm. Her work keeps her busy, but luckily it gives her plenty of reasons to consult (and steal occasional kisses) with Mr. Fitzwilliam Darcy, a stern but secretly softhearted solicitor at Pemberley.

Lizzie is hired to investigate a deadly warehouse fire and to find the mysterious woman who was spotted at the scene moments before the flames took hold. But when the case leads to the sitting room of a woman Darcy once proposed marriage to, the delicate balance between personal and professional in their relationship is threatened.

Questions of the future are cast aside when the prime suspect is murdered and Lizzie's own life is threatened. As the body count rises and their suspicions about what was really going on in the warehouse grow, the pressure is on for Lizzie and Darcy to uncover the truth.

Classic characters with an enthralling twist - Lizzie and Darcy, as introduced in the hit novel Pride and Premeditation, are back for more suspense, danger, and romance!"

I mean who can resist a Pride and Prejudice twist? I can't.

Time and Tide by J.M. Frey
Published by: W by Wattpad Books
Publication Date: November 12th, 2024
Format: Paperback, 408 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"Historical fiction with a touch of time travel, for fans of Diana Gabaldon, Alexis Hall, and Olivia Waite's Feminine Pursuits series, where a modern bisexual woman is thrown into Regency England and must figure out how to survive, while she falls in love with a woman who will become a famous author.

Just a twenty-first century gal with nineteenth-century problems...

When Sam's plane crashes catastrophically over the Atlantic, it defies all odds for Sam to be the sole survivor. But it seems impossible that she's rescued by a warship in 1805. With a dashing sea captain as her guide, she begins to find her footing in a world she'd only seen in movies.

Then Sam is betrayed. At the mercy of the men and morals of the time, and without the means to survive on her own, she's left with no choice but to throw herself on the charity of the captain's sisters. She resigns herself to a quiet life of forever hiding her true self. What she doesn't expect is that her new landlady is Margaret Goodenough - the world-famous author whose yet-to-be-completed novel will contain the first lesbian kiss in the history of British Literature, and a clever woman. Clever enough to know her new companion has a secret.

As the two women grow ever closer, Sam must tread the tenuous line between finding her own happiness in a place where she doesn't think she'll ever fit in, and possibly (accidentally) changing the course of history."

Perhaps Sam is the one who inspired the kiss? Hmm...

The Viscount and the Thief by Emma Orchard
Published by: Boldwood Books
Publication Date: November 12th, 2024
Format: Kindle, 312 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"Preorder a brand new regency romance from the bestselling author of A Duke of One's Own.

Spring, 1811... A stranger arrives at Wyverne Hall.

Sophie Delavallois is the new companion to the ageing Dowager Marchioness, but she also has another reason for coming to the infamous Wyverne mansion, one that will shake the family to their core.

Lord Drake left his childhood home many years ago, and only returns now to see his beloved grandmother. He takes little interest in the goings on of the house, until the arrival of Mademoiselle Delavallois. There's something about her that he can't put his finger on; it's as if he's seen her before, but surely, that is not possible...

Sophie is also drawn to Drake, but he is a Wyverne, and she cannot allow herself to fall for him, because her intentions towards the family are resolute - revenge. But inside the walls of Wyverne Hall, she discovers the rumours about the family barely scratch the surface, and she can't escape the dangerous allure of the Viscount.

Once her plans are set in motion, will he be her saviour or her ruin?"

Such a dilemma, revenge or romance...

The Davenports: More Than This by Krystal Marquis
Published by: Dial Books
Publication Date: November 12th, 2024
Format: Hardcover, 384 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"The anticipated sequel to the instant New York Times bestseller featuring escapist romance and a wealthy Black family in 1910s Chicago.

Like the blazing Chicago sun, the drama is heating up for the Davenports and their social set. Before the summer of 1910 drops its last petal, the lives - and loves - of these four young women will change in ways they never could have imagined:

Newly engaged Ruby Tremaine is eagerly planning her wedding to the love of her life when a nasty rumor threatens her reputation and her marriage. Olivia Davenport has committed to the social justice cause and secretly hopes she'll be reunited with dashing lawyer Washington DeWight - until her parents decide she's to marry someone else. Amy-Rose Shepherd is making her lifelong wish of owning a salon come true, but when an incident forces her to return to Freeport Manor, she's back in the path of John Davenport, who still holds her heart. Helen Davenport is determined to get over her own heartbreak and bring the Davenport Carriage Company into the new century, even if it means teaming up with a thrill-seeking racecar driver who just loves to get under her skin.

Inspired by the real-life story of the Patterson family, More Than This is the second book in critically adored Davenports series, following four empowered and passionate young Black women as they navigate a rapidly changing society and discover the courage to steer their own paths in life - and love."

Oh yes, more OF this!

Guilt and Ginataan by Mia P. Manansala
Published by: Penguin Publishing Group
Publication Date: November 12th, 2024
Format: Paperback, 304 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"Autumn is in full swing for the town of Shady Palms - the perfect time for warm drinks, cozy cardigans, and...dead bodies?

The annual Shady Palms Corn Festival is one of the town's biggest moneymakers, drawing crowds from all over the Midwest looking to partake in delicious treats, local crafts, and of course, the second largest corn maze in Illinois. Lila Macapagal and her Brew-ha Cafe crew, Adeena Awan and Elena Torres, are all too happy to participate in the event and even make a little wager on who can make it through the corn maze the fastest - but their fun is suddenly cut short when a dead body is found in the middle of the maze...and an unconscious Adeena lies next to it, clutching a bloody knife.

The body is discovered to be a local politician's wife, and all signs - murder weapon included - point to Adeena as the culprit. But Lila knows her best friend couldn't have done this, so she and her crew put on their sleuthing caps yet again to find the killer who framed Adeena and show them what happens when they mess with a Brew-ha..."

Not enough murders happen in corn mazes! Or is it very Midwest of me to think this?

The Museum of Wes Anderson by Johan Chiaramonte and Camille Mathieu
Published by: Prestel Publishing
Publication Date: November 12th, 2024
Format: Hardcover, 216 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"Welcome to the Wes Anderson museum - a place packed with illustrations, ephemera, trivia, and insightful commentary, and as whimsical and visually arresting as the cult director's films themselves.

This museum in book form takes readers deep into the world of Wes Anderson. Bursting with an exhaustive and eclectic collection of film stills, accessories, clothes, souvenirs, books, and delightfully bizarre ephemera, this immersive treasury offers extraordinary insight into Wes Anderson's literary, musical, and cinematic influences, which range from Indian cinema, French pop music, Italian speed car racing, to The New Yorker magazine and the work of J. D. Salinger.

Among the museum's artifacts are a recipe for a ham sandwich from The French Dispatch's Le Sans Blague café; the history of Tang - the drink of choice for the campers in Moonrise Kingdom; and the secret of L'Air de Panache, the cologne worn by the concierge of the Grand Budapest Hotel. Readers will discover Anderson's connections to the balalaika, The Beatles, and Benjamin Britten, and they'll discover how the filmmaker was inspired by the works of Hal Ashby, Satyajit Ray, Orson Welles, Mike Nichols, and Francis Ford Coppola. Perfect for dipping into and filled with information that will surprise even the most diehard Wes Anderson fan, this technicolor treasury is as profoundly entertaining as it is authoritative."

Yet another unique book looking at the innovative filmmaker. 

The Watkins Book of Urban Legends by Gail De Vos
Published by: Watkins Publishing
Publication Date: November 12th, 2024
Format: Hardcover, 320 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"A comprehensive and entertaining collection of urban legends from around the world, with a history and analysis of the origin of each tale, compiled by a leading authority in the field.

A rich and unique collection of folktales and urban legends from around the world. Each story comes with an accompanying brief note to provide context. Including new tales reflecting new concerns; old tales repurposed for new audiences and new ways of telling.

The collection illustrates that these stories are now alive across many new media. This is the first such popular book to bring together stories with both traditional and digital media origins and to examine how the phenomenon of social media has affected both the spread of urban legends and their very nature.

-Features the uniquely modern manifestation of folk mythology and legend, now made ubiquitous by the internet; the conspiracy theory.
-Includes urban legends such as: The Pickled Hand, The Babysitter, The Sandman.
-Includes conspiracy theories such as: Wild Fires, Fifteen Minute Cities and Organ Theft.
-40% of the stories originate in North America, 30% in Europe, 20% in Asia, 10% in Africa and elsewhere.
-The book also shows how stories spread and change from the country of origin to become global."

And if you buy the book you'll get an email saying that if you don't forward it to ten friends you shall be forever cursed. Or was that just something someone told me once? Read this book to find out!

Posted by Miss Eliza at 12:00 AM 0 comments  

Labels: Alexandria Warwick, Alyssa Wees, Celeste Connally, Cornelia Funke, Emma Orchard, Jennifer Lynn Barnes, Katie Hallahan, Kieron Gillen, Krystal Marquis, Mia P. Manansala, Paul Magrs, T.L. Huchu, Wes Anderson

The Destroyer of Worlds by Matt Ruff
Published by: Harper
Publication Date: February 21st, 2023
Format: Hardcover, 320 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"In this thrilling adventure, a blend of enthralling historical fiction and fantastical horror, Matt Ruff returns to the world of Lovecraft Country and explores the meaning of death, the hold of the past on the present, and the power of hope in the face of uncertainty.

Summer, 1957.

Atticus Turner and his father, Montrose, travel to North Carolina, where they plan to mark the centennial of their ancestor's escape from slavery by retracing the route he took into the Great Dismal Swamp. But an encounter with an old nemesis turns their historical reenactment into a real life-and-death pursuit.

Back in Chicago, George Berry fights for his own life. Diagnosed with cancer, he strikes a devil's bargain with the ghost of Hiram Winthrop, who promises a miracle cure - but to receive it, George will first have to bring Winthrop back from the dead.

Meanwhile, fifteen-year-old Horace Berry, reeling from the killing of a close friend, joins his mother, Hippolyta, and her friend Letitia Dandridge on a research trip to Nevada for The Safe Negro Travel Guide. But Hippolyta has a secret - and far more dangerous - agenda that will take her and Horace to the far end of the universe and bring a new threat home to Letitia's doorstep.

Hippolyta isn't the only one keeping secrets. Letitia's sister, Ruby, has been leading a double life as her white alter ego, Hillary Hyde. Now, the supply of magic potion she needs to transform herself is nearly gone, and a surprise visitor throws her already tenuous situation into complete chaos.

Yet these troubles are soon eclipsed by the return of Caleb Braithwhite. Stripped of his magic and banished from Chicago at the end of Lovecraft Country, he's found a way back into power and is ready to pick up where he left off. But first he has a score to settle...."

If you're still upset about the cancellation of Lovecraft Country, well, this book is for you!

Where Darkness Bloom by Andrea Hannah
Published by: Wednesday Books
Publication Date: February 21st, 2023
Format: Hardcover, 320 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"Andrea Hannah's Where Darkness Blooms is a supernatural thriller about an eerie town where the sunflowers whisper secrets and the land hungers for blood.

The town of Bishop is known for exactly two things: recurring windstorms and an endless field of sunflowers that stretches farther than the eye can see. And women - missing women. So when three more women disappear one stormy night, no one in Bishop is surprised. The case is closed and their daughters are left in their dusty shared house with the shattered pieces of their lives. Until the wind kicks up a terrible secret at their mothers' much-delayed memorial.

With secrets come the lies each of the girls is forced to confront. After caring for the other girls, Delilah would like to move on with her boyfriend, Bennett, but she can't bear his touch. Whitney has already lost both her mother and her girlfriend, Eleanor, and now her only solace is an old weathervane that seems to whisper to her. Jude, Whitney's twin sister, would rather ignore it all, but the wind kicks up her secret too: the summer fling she had with Delilah's boyfriend. And more than anything, Bo wants answers and she wants them now. Something happened to their mothers and the townsfolk know what it was. She's sure of it.

Bishop has always been a strange town. But what the girls don't know is that Bishop was founded on blood - and now it craves theirs."

Sunflowers fed on blood and women.

Murder Your Employer by Rupert Holmes
Published by: Avid Reader Press / Simon and Schuster
Publication Date: February 21st, 2023
Format: Hardcover, 400 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"From the diabolical imagination of Edgar Award–winning novelist, playwright, and story-songwriter Rupert Holmes comes a devilish thriller with a killer concept: The McMasters Conservatory for the Applied Arts, a luxurious, clandestine college dedicated to the fine art of murder where earnest students study how best to "delete" their most deserving victim.

Who hasn't wondered for a split second what the world would be like if a person who is the object of your affliction ceased to exist? But then you've probably never heard of The McMasters Conservatory, dedicated to the consummate execution of the homicidal arts. To gain admission, a student must have an ethical reason for erasing someone who deeply deserves a fate no worse (nor better) than death. The campus of this "Poison Ivy League" college - its location unknown to even those who study there - is where you might find yourself the practice target of a classmate…and where one's mandatory graduation thesis is getting away with the perfect murder of someone whose death will make the world a much better place to live.

Prepare for an education you'll never forget. A delightful mix of witty wordplay, breathtaking twists and genuine intrigue, Murder Your Employer will gain you admission into a wholly original world, cocooned within the most entertaining book about well-intentioned would-be murderers you'll ever read."

You've always wanted to go to murder school right? I know I have and the Guild of Assassins didn't accept my application.

Scorched Grace by Margot Douaihy
Published by: Gillian Flynn Books
Publication Date: February 21st, 2023
Format: Hardcover, 320 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"Sister Holiday, a chain-smoking, heavily tattooed, queer nun, puts her amateur sleuthing skills to the test in this "unique and confident" debut crime novel (Gillian Flynn).

When Saint Sebastian's School becomes the target of a shocking arson spree, the Sisters of the Sublime Blood and their surrounding New Orleans community are thrust into chaos.

Patience is a virtue, but punk rocker turned nun Sister Holiday isn't satisfied to just wait around for officials to return her home and sanctuary to its former peace, instead deciding to unveil the mysterious attacker herself. Her investigation leads her down a twisty path of suspicion and secrets, turning her against colleagues, students, and even fellow Sisters along the way. And to piece together the clues of this high-stakes mystery, she must at last reckon with the sins of her own past.

An exciting start to a bold series that breathes new life into the hard-boiled genre, Scorched Grace is a fast-paced and punchy whodunnit that will keep readers guessing until the very end."

A fascinating new series from Gillian Flynn's imprint. I mean she can't spend all day writing Miles Bron's death.

Arch-Conspirator by Veronica Roth
Published by: Tor Books
Publication Date: February 21st, 2023
Format: Hardcover, 128 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"In this gripping and atmospheric reimagining of Antigone, #1 New York Times bestselling author Veronica Roth reaches back to the root of legend and delivers a world of tomorrow both timeless and unexpected.

"I'm cursed, haven’t you heard?"

Outside the last city on Earth, the planet is a wasteland. Without the Archive, where the genes of the dead are stored, humanity will end.

Antigone's parents - Oedipus and Jocasta - are dead. Passing into the Archive should be cause for celebration, but with her militant uncle Kreon rising to claim her father's vacant throne, all Antigone feels is rage.

When he welcomes her and her siblings into his mansion, Antigone sees it for what it really is: a gilded cage, where she is a captive as well as a guest.

But her uncle will soon learn that no cage is unbreakable. And neither is he."

Short and sweet.

The Shadow of Perseus by Claire Heywood
Published by: Dutton
Publication Date: February 21st, 2023
Format: Hardcover, 304 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"Nationally bestselling author of Daughters of Sparta Claire Heywood returns with an imaginative and female-centered reinterpretation of the myth of the great hero Perseus, told through the voices of three women who are sidelined in the traditional version - his mother, Danae; his trophy, Medusa; and his wife, Andromeda - but whose viewpoints reveal a man who is not, in fact, a hero at all.

Danae: Banished from her homeland thanks to a prophecy foretelling that her unborn child will one day cause the death of her father, the king of Argos, Danae finds herself stranded, pregnant, and alone in a remote fishing village. It’s a harsh new world for a young woman who grew up as a coddled princess, and forging a new life for herself and for her young son Perseus will be the hardest thing she’s ever done.

Medusa: As a member of a reclusive band of women who live deep in the woods, known as the Gorgons, Medusa has eschewed all contact with the outside world. That is, until the day she finds an injured boy named Perseus in the forest.

Andromeda: When a harsh sandstorm threatens to destroy her nomadic desert tribe's way of life, Andromeda knows that a sacrifice will be required to appease the gods and end the storm. But when a forceful young Perseus interferes, Andromeda’s life is set on an entirely new path.

As Perseus becomes increasingly obsessed with the promise of his own destiny, his heroic journey casts a shadow of violence and destruction across all three women's lives. But even as he tries to silence them, the women may find that reclaiming their voices is their only hope for lifting themselves into a better future."

I have lately become a little gorgon obsessed, so this book comes at just the right time.

Nocturne by Alyssa Wees
Published by: Del Rey
Publication Date: February 21st, 2023
Format: Hardcover, 240 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"In this haunting, evocative fantasy set in 1930s Chicago, a talented ballerina finds herself torn between her dreams and her desires when she's pursued by a secretive patron who may be more than he seems.

Growing up in Chicago's Little Sicily in the years following the Great War, Grace Dragotta has always wanted to be a ballerina, ever since she first peered through the windows of the Near North Ballet company. So when Grace is orphaned, she chooses the ballet as her home, imagining herself forever ensconced in a transcendent world of light and beauty so different from her poor, immigrant upbringing.

Years later, with the Great Depression in full swing, Grace has become the company's new prima ballerina - though achieving her long-held dream is not the triumph she once envisioned. Time and familiarity have tarnished that shining vision, and her new position means the loss of her best friend in the world. Then she attracts the attention of the enigmatic Master La Rosa as her personal patron and realizes the world is not as small or constricted as she had come to fear.

Who is her mysterious patron, and what does he want from her? As Grace begins to unlock the Master's secrets, she discovers that there is beauty in darkness as well as light, finds that true friendship cannot be broken by time or distance, and realizes there may be another way entirely to achieve the transcendence she has always sought."

I always love the dark side of ballet!

Artfully Yours by Joanna Lowell
Published by: Berkley
Publication Date: February 21st, 2023
Format: Paperback, 336 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"Sparks fly between a lordly art critic and a lady forger in this enthralling Victorian historical romance from the author of The Runaway Duchess.

Nina Finch isn't suited for a life of crime. Raised by her art-forger brother, she can paint like Botticelli. But she'd so much rather be baking gooseberry tarts. She finally has the money she needs to open her own bakery. Unfortunately, her brother's carelessness lands her - and their forgeries - directly under the nose of London's most discerning art critic, Alan De'Ath. De'Ath knows the paintings are fake. He doesn't know that Nina had a hand in their creation. In fact, he offers her a job in his household. Accepting it is the most dangerous thing she has ever done....

Alan takes pride in seeing things other people miss. He plans to catch the forger and cement his reputation. There's only one problem: the closer he gets to the beguiling woman he hired, the less he trusts his perspective. Nina isn't what she seems. But despite their false start, she just might hold the real key to his heart.

As Nina and Alan's attraction grows, divided loyalties threaten to pull them apart and shatter their worlds. They'll lose everything, or discover how powerful true love can be...."

A cute story if you can get past the fact that the cover is Regency NOT Victorian... Sigh.

Posted by Miss Eliza at 12:00 AM 0 comments  

Labels: Alyssa Wees, Andrea Hannah, Antigone, Ballet, Claire Heywood, Gillian Flynn, Greek Mythology, Joanna Lowell, Lovecraft Country, Margot Douaihy, Matt Ruff, Rupert Holmes, Veronica Roth, Victorian