strange and random happenstance

Platform Decay by Martha Wells
Published by: Tor Books
Publication Date: May 5th, 2026
Format: Hardcover, 256 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"A most-anticipated title from USA Today, Goodreads, BookPage, BookRiot, Seattle Times, and The Nerd Daily!

Everyone's favorite lethal SecUnit is back in the next installment of Martha Wells' bestselling and award-winning Murderbot Diaries series.

Having someone else support your bad decision feels kind of good.

After volunteering to run a rescue mission, Murderbot realizes that it will have to spend significant time with a bunch of humans it doesn't know.

Including human children. Ugh.

This may well call for... eye contact!

(Emotion check: Oh, for f—)"

I love Murderbot. Murderbot is me.

A Long and Speaking Silence by Nghi Vo
Published by: Tordotcom
Publication Date: May 5th, 2026
Format: Hardcover, 144 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"From USA Today bestselling author Nghi Vo comes a beautiful new tale in the Hugo Award-winning Singing Hills Cycle, drawn from the earliest days of Chih's career as a wandering cleric.

Every story begins somewhere.

On the banks of the Ya-lé River, the town of Luntien gathers to celebrate the start of the rainy season, but the celebration is marred by the arrival of refugees from the sea. Everyone has a story about the foreigners newly in their midst - lazy, violent, unwanted - while the refugees themselves grieve the loss of the home they loved.

Cleric Chih, very recently still Novice Chih, is also a stranger in Luntien. A moment of carelessness and bad luck leaves them waiting tables as they struggle to establish themself as a real cleric. A cleric's job is to listen and record, but the stories emerging in Luntien are ugly and violent, as hard to predict as the river itself. With their hoopoe companion Almost Brilliant by their side, Chih must help the refugees while also unraveling a mystery that may have roots in their own faraway home in the abbey of Singing Hills.

In the seventh entry of the award-winning Singing Hills series, we meet Chih and Almost Brilliant just beginning their journey together as Chih assumes their place on the road and in the world.

The novellas of the Singing Hills series are standalone stories linked by the Cleric Chih, and may be read in any order."

As I'll say time and again, fantasy is gives us the truest stories of humanity. 

The Girl with a Thousand Faces by Sunyi Dean
Published by: Tor Books
Publication Date: May 5th, 2026
Format: Hardcover, 320 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"From the USA Today bestselling author of The Book Eaters comes The Girl with a Thousand Faces, a stunning Gothic tale set in a historical Hong Kong that meshes ancient myths and local legends into a haunting story of ghosts, grief, and women who will not forgive.

When Mercy Chan washes up on the shores of Hong Kong with no family, no money, and no memories, the only refuge she finds is the infamous, ghost-infested slum of Kowloon Walled City. Since then, she has rebuilt her life, working for the local triad as a ghost talker and dealing with the angry and bitter spirits who haunt the district. The filthy gutters and cramped alleyways of Kowloon have become her home.

But the past Mercy can't remember isn't done with her. An unusually powerful ghost has infested Kowloon's waterways, drowning innocents and threatening the district. It claims to know Mercy - and secrets from her past that are best left forgotten.

As Mercy is drawn into a deadly cat-and-mouse game with this malignant spirit, she begins to realize that the monster she fights within these walls may well be one of her own making."

Always here for the ghosts.

Clara and the Devil, Volume 1 by Olivie Blake and Little Chmura
Published by: 23rd St.
Publication Date: May 5th, 2026
Format: Paperback, 176 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"The devil has come to town. And he wants a library card. Star author Olivie Blake and artist Little Chmura kick off a deliciously dark graphic novel romance series with Clara and the Devil, Volume 1.

Clara has the rest of her life figured out. She'll graduate college with the support of her best friend, Jonah; marry her adoring boyfriend; take a full-time job at her local library; and settle down in her small seaside hometown. But when an unusual tourist - tall, dark, and infernal - comes to town, Clara's careful plans quickly start to unravel.

And even while the stranger, who openly calls himself the devil, strikes up a situationship with Jonah, he continues to tempt Clara with reckless talk of power, ambition, and lust. Over the course of one sultry summer, tensions between Clara, Jonah, and the devil mount to an intolerable degree, and Clara is forced to confront the desires she's kept secret her whole life, even from herself.

This deliciously dark tale of Faustian bargains and seduction from New York Times-bestselling author Olivie Blake and fan-favorite artist Little Chmura kicks off a series that explores artistry and power through the temptation of the seven deadly sins."

I twist on the old saying of God laughing when you make plans.

Agatha Harkness: Fall of the Coven by Sara Shepard
Published by: Random House/Marvel
Publication Date: May 5th, 2026
Format: Hardcover, 352 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"When Agatha Harkness finds herself yanked out of her mysterious past and plopped in a modern-day high school, the race is on to find the key to saving her coven while discovering first love and battling an ancient foe.

Agatha Harkness is a powerful witch stuck living amongst an untalented group of witches in 1690s Salem, Massachusetts. That's all right - the dreary coven meetings and fake herbal potions will all be worth it once she finally gets her hands on one of the most magical artifacts in existence: the Darkhold, a book of extraordinary power. But just as it's within her grasp, disaster strikes the coven!

Agatha is about to reluctantly save the day when she is rebuffed by the nosy, stuck-up Martha. Now, thanks to the interference, Martha, Agatha, and the Darkhold have been unceremoniously dropped in one of the most terrifying locations a witch has ever encountered - modern-day high school.

Armed with just her smarts and her spells, Agatha embarks on a quest to recover the Darkhold and an incognito Martha. Along the way, she encounters a meddlesome crow, a potential first crush, and a new coven. She almost starts to feel like she's found her home, until Martha returns from the shadows - this time with dire consequences."

Agatha with a big dollop of Sabrina.

Out Law by Jim Butcher
Published by: Podium Publishing
Publication Date: May 5th, 2026
Format: Paperback, 208 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"The past comes back in a big way for Chicago's only professional wizard in this action-packed novella from the #1 New York Times-bestselling Dresden Files.

In a city that's just beginning to recover from the devastation caused by the Battle of Chicago, Harry Dresden is finally pulling himself together as well. He's ensconced in his own personal castle, healing his various wounds, and training an eager new apprentice. The last thing he wants is any trouble. But, as history has consistently - and quite annoyingly - shown, what Harry wants is rarely what Harry gets.

It starts with a visit from Harry's most powerful frenemy, Gentleman John Marcone, Baron of Chicago. He needs Harry to assist in the redemption of an underling who's looking to go straight. And since Harry does kinda sorta owe Marcone for saving his life once (stupid honorable debt!), it's not a request he can refuse. He'll just wish he had.

Because this little favor is going to drag Harry into a fight he doesn't want on behalf of a lowlife he doesn't trust against an enemy more powerful and pestilent than he ever could've expected: an insatiable, demonic foe whom Harry himself may have created when he wiped out the vampires of the Red Court so long ago.

Before, all it wanted was blood. Now it wants the entire world..."

Damn honorable Dresden!

For Better or Murder by Simon R. Green
Published by: Severn House
Publication Date: May 5th, 2026
Format: Hardcover, 192 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"It's wedding season with a spooky twist! The Holy Terrors are trying to tie the knot while solving a ghostly murder in the latest witty, creeptastic paranormal mystery from New York Times bestselling British fantasy author Simon R. Green.

There are those who say seagulls cry over the sins of mankind. And that if we could only get our act together, they could stop crying...

Holy Terrors dream team - actress Diana Hunt and her partner in crime (solving) young bishop Alistair Kincaid - are getting married! The plan is to hold a small ceremony with just some family and friends at a charming and secluded hotel in Cornwall. But in true Holy Terrors fashion, the Pale Rider hotel carries the legend of a killer ghost rider and his skeleton horse, which sets the perfect tone for a cheerful occasion!

Trying to make the best out of the stormy weekend and seemingly haunted place, spirits fall even lower when one of the guests is found murdered in the hallway. Did the legendary pale rider strike again or is there something more sinister going on - and will Diana and Alistair finally have the chance to say yes?

The 'hugely entertaining' (Booklist) Holy Terrors Mysteries are perfect for fans of Simon R. Green's urban fantasy novels, authors Jim Butcher, Terry Pratchett and Ben Aaronovitch, as well as those who enjoy American Horror Story, The X-Files and murder mysteries with a supernatural twist."

I mean, there are some people who should just elope. 

Body Count by Codie Crowley
Published by: Disney Hyperion
Publication Date: May 5th, 2026
Format: Hardcover, 304 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"Three wishes. One prom queen celebrating at the Jersey Shore. And one monster who will keep killing until her wishes are paid for.

From the virally popular author of Here Lies a Vengeful Bitch, a queer feminist YA horror/slasher novel perfect for fans of You're Not Supposed to Die Tonight.

Seven years ago, Sundae Valentine made a deal with a monster she met at the bottom of a motel pool. She didn't know the wishes he offered had a price - or that the third wish, the one she still hasn't made, will cost her life.

Back then, she barely escaped Wildwood alive. Now, the cheerleaders and football players are headed to the Jersey Shore for prom weekend - leaving Sundae no choice but to return to the scene of her sun-bleached nightmares.

Sundae tries to forget, throwing herself into the rides on the pier, the tequila-fueled dance parties, and the guitar-strumming girl she can't quite look away from. She hopes the beast has forgotten, too.

But there are eyes like silver coins watching from the shadows, and teeth like a rusty saw glinting in the light of the boardwalk. Because Sundae still owes a debt. And whatever it takes, whoever he has to kill, this time the monster's determined to collect."

It's always dangerous to make a deal with a monster. It's more dangerous when he decides your time is up.

I Know a Place: Rest Stop and Other Dark Detours by Nat Cassidy
Published by: Shortwave
Publication Date: May 5th, 2026
Format: Paperback, 504 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"The first collection from USA Today bestselling author Nat Cassidy, featuring his unique blend of gleefully terrifying short fiction.

There are locations in this world where the light doesn't seem to reach. Where, no matter how illuminated the place might be, shadows creep in too strongly to fight back.

A suspiciously empty gas station rest stop in the middle of the night, littered with googley eyes... A doctor's office, where a bottle of booze and a tear-stained folder wait on the desk... A tech millionaire's haunted kitchen... A Bible-quoting ventriloquist's dingy apartment... A yoga retreat in the middle of the desert, silent except for the screaming...

These locations and more are your destination and bestselling author Nat Cassidy will be your guide. Featuring the Bram Stoker Award-nominated, critically acclaimed novella Rest Stop (one of Esquire's Best Horror Books of 2024), along with a number of other original short stories, some which have never been published before, I Know A Place: Rest Stop and Other Dark Detours is a travelogue down twisting side streets and through alleyways where the darkness has eyes... and teeth.

Let's hope you make it home in one piece."

My book club recently read Cassidy's When the Wolf Comes Home and I couldn't help but love its vibe, akin to The Twilight Zone. In fact I thought if it was shorter it would have been fantastic. Which is why I'm so looking forward to reading Nat Cassidy's shorter work. Which is something I rarely say.

She Waits Where Shadows Gather by Michelle Tang
Published by: Poisoned Pen Press
Publication Date: May 5th, 2026
Format: Paperback, 304 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"Parents should pass down stories, not spirits...

Avery and Carlos Tam have built their lives on logic, not legends. Carlos, the host of a hit reality show that exposes paranormal hoaxes, has made a name disproving the supernatural.

But when they travel to his ancestral home in the Philippines, darkness clings to every corner. The mirrors are shrouded. The housekeeper won't stay in the house alone. And no one will speak of the tragedies the family has seen.

Then a brutal car crash leaves Carlos trapped in his own body - silent, helpless, and utterly vulnerable. As Avery tends to him, the house begins to stir. It watches. It listens. And it speaks - in a voice only Carlos can hear - offering a twisted kind of comfort.

And as the lies buried by Carlos and his family begin to surface, Avery must confront the truth: if the past won't rest, their future may never begin.

Some inherit memories. Others inherit monsters."

Monsters are the worst inheritance.

That Which Feeds Us by Keala Kendall
Published by: Random House Books for Young Readers
Publication Date: May 5th, 2026
Format: Hardcover, 352 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"A native Hawaiian teen travels to a luxury island resort in search of her missing twin and uncovers the dark side of paradise, in this YA supernatural thriller that's Mexican Gothic meets She is a Haunting.

For the world's wealthiest, Kōpa'a Island Resort is more than a destination. It's the ultimate escape. With no cell service or Wi-Fi, the Hawaiian island is a coveted wellness retreat renowned for its persimmon orchard and promises of rejuvenation.

But their dream vacation is Lehua's nightmare. When her twin sister, Ohia, goes missing, Lehua follows her trail to Kōpa'a to find her. Instead, Lehua is cut off from civilization - and help - after the island's boat leaves without her, stranding her with the resort's lavish guests and enigmatic staff.

As Lehua investigates Ohia's disappearance, she discovers her missing sister isn't the island's only mystery. Kōpa'a's rich exterior and sweet persimmons hide its dark plantation past. And Lehua can't ignore the dreams haunting her each night - nor the warning telling her to leave the island at once. To uncover what happened to Ohia, Lehua will have to unearth the island's bloody history and face the horrors that lurk within its sugarcane fields - or risk being consumed by them.

Sharply observed and gorgeously written, That Which Feeds Us explores the true cost of paradise as Lehua must fight to reclaim the land, the stories, and the very souls of her people."

Hokuloa Road meets The White Lotus.

Accumulation by Aimee Pokwatka
Published by: G.P. Putnam's Sons
Publication Date: May 5th, 2026
Format: Hardcover, 336Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"A twisty, searing, conversation-starting novel about a filmmaker-turned-housewife who moves into her dream house and is forced to consider whether it's the house or herself that is haunted.

When documentary filmmaker turned stay-at-home mom Tennessee Cherish moves into the the dream house her husband bought for her, a brighter future seems to be on the horizon. Even if her husband is frustratingly absent due to his new high-paying job. Even if their two young children begin acting out in strange ways. Even if she feels lonelier than ever.

Distracted by the endless details that come with moving into a new town, a new house, and new schools, Tenn doesn't notice when odd things begin happening at home. The faucet that runs at all hours. The creepy doll that seems to show up in every room. The human tooth they found in the floorboards.

As the kids' outbursts and the strange events start to escalate, the family finds themselves increasingly caught in loops, repeating everyday actions with dangerous - and then devastating - effects. Tenn realizes she must find the source of what is haunting her family, before it kills them all.

Taut and twisty, scary and searing, Aimee Pokwatka's Accumulation lays bare the high price women pay for the promises of domesticity and motherhood, and the many ways in which families can be haunted."

Hauntings take many forms. Sometimes you become your own ghost.

Spider, Spider by L.C. Winter
Published by: September Publishing
Publication Date: May 5th, 2026
Format: Hardcover, 288 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"Vengeance is theirs and theirs alone. But who will deal the fatal blow?

Young Nancy Ratcliffe is on the run. Her father had sought refuge for his family with the Brethren, led by the charismatic but dangerous Prophet. But now her father is gravely ill, and even the sooty streets of Victorian London hold less terror for Nancy than the brutality of Brethren Hall.

Meanwhile, Spider is biding her time. Wrapped in dreams and visions, she paces the dark corridors and hidden staircases of the crumbling house she grew up in. The man who murdered a part of her disappeared many years ago, but still she hopes for revenge.

Jet-black and thrilling, Spider, Spider is an unforgettable tale of a woman who has lost herself in the poison of vengeance, and the knife-sharp girl who might just bring her back."

Victorian and creepy, AKA just my vibe.

Ghoul by Kasey Iris
Published by: Top Shelf Productions
Publication Date: May 5th, 2026
Format: Paperback, 292 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"Be careful what you wish for! This graphic novel about a lonely Filipino American teen and her ghoulish companion puts a spooky twist on the imaginary friend.

When they were little, Lyn and Meg promised to be friends forever. but now Meg is dead, and Lyn is 15 and miserable. Moving into a new condo with her family doesn't help, especially given the gossipy neighbors. But just when Lyn needs a friend the most, a monstrous cartoon ghoul climbs out of the pages of a comic book and into her life! The bizarre duo will soon discover just how many secrets lie within the walls of Forest Court Apartments."

I pretty certain my childhood invisible friend was actually a ghost.

As I Dream of You by Jennifer Lee and LeUyen Pham
Published by: First Second
Publication Date: May 5th, 2026
Format: Hardcover, 352 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"Franny and Sam are each other's entire world. So what do you do when your world ends? Frozen's Jennifer Lee and Lunar New Year Love Story's LeUyen Pham deliver a tour de force young adult romance with a supernatural twist.

Falling in love is supposed to hurt. That's what Franny and Sam, two cynical teenagers raised on tales of heartbreak and loss, have come to understand. Yet when they fall for each other, they find the reality of love is something else entirely: it's electrifying, all-encompassing, and easy. Theirs is a love that can conquer anything... perhaps even death.

But Franny and Sam's quest to stay together - no matter the cost - soon blurs the line between reality and fantasy, and their shared dream threatens to turn into a nightmare."

Dreams can turn nasty so quickly.

Change of Plans by Sarah Dessen
Published by: Simon and Schuster Books for Young Readers
Publication Date: May 5th, 2026
Format: Hardcover, 368 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"From acclaimed and #1 New York Times bestselling author Sarah Dessen comes a "sweet, nuanced, and reflective coming-of-age love story" (Kirkus Reviews, starred review) about an unassuming girl who learns to stand on her own while falling in love during a life-changing summer.

Finley has always felt most comfortable in someone else's shadow. Fortunately, she's got Colin, her magnetic boyfriend, who sweeps her along for activities, friendships, and future plans. Then she goes on a last-minute trip with her distant mom to a family vacation house that Finley didn't know existed and is now about to be sold.

Her mom was estranged from her own parents and siblings since leaving home for college, and it's a novelty for Finley to see her aunts and cousins. There's also the handful of teens who work at the Egg, her aunt's diner, and make up a found family of their own - including undeniably handsome guitarist Ben.

Then her relationship with Colin goes into freefall, and Finley's roadmap for life after high school is gone. She has no choice but to live, for the first time, without plans. The longer Finley stays, the closer she gets to the truth about why her mother stayed away - and why she's brought Finley here now.

And the closer she grows to new friends at the Egg, the more she starts to fall for charmingly awkward, soulful Ben and to realize how much of herself she's been missing. By the end of the summer, nothing will be the same - for this community or for Finley herself."

When you are that young sometimes it's best to live without a roadmap. 

The Miseducation of Caroline Bingley by Lindz McLeod
Published by: Carina Adores
Publication Date: May 5th, 2026
Format: Paperback, 384 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"Pride, prejudice, and... lessons in love?

Jane Austen meets My Fair Lady in this joyful, clever opposites-attract Sapphic romance featuring Caroline Bingley and Darcy's younger sister, Georgiana.

Being snubbed by Mr Darcy - passed over for Elizabeth Bennet, no less - is humiliating.

Being told she's arrogant and unkind, and that if she doesn't mend her ways, she might never find love... that's simply preposterous. Isn't it?

Feeling the sting of Darcy's rejection, Caroline Bingley does what any self-respecting woman of means would do: she hatches a plan. Get Georgiana Darcy, the epitome of grace and sweetness, to teach Caroline how to be perfect like her.

But Caroline's transformation from status-hungry socialite to proper marriage material won't be easy. She must be charming, and even worse... she must be kind. And Georgiana herself isn't so sure about playing fairy godmother. Beneath Miss Darcy's polished facade lies an entirely different set of struggles.

As the two grow closer, Caroline discovers she's less interested in securing a man, and more intrigued by the woman helping her to reform her character. Before long, their lessons in finding love and acceptance blossom into something completely unexpected..."

I mean, it's always nice to assume that Caroline Bingley wasn't totally destroyed by rejection because she's a lover of women...

Austenland by Shannon Hale
Published by: Bloomsbury Publishing
Publication Date: May 5th, 2026
Format: Paperback, 336 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"New York Times bestselling author Shannon Hale invites readers to Austenland, an utterly delightful, romantic escape.

Newly updated edition with brand new content, including a "behind the scenes" look at the making of Austenland the movie!

Preorder the third book in the series, Christmas in Austenland, coming in September 2026!

Jane Hayes is what some might call a hopeless romantic. Normal life (and men) continuously disappoint her. Why can't she find anyone remotely like literary heartthrob, Mr. Darcy? Why can't real life feel like a novel?

When a wealthy relative bequeaths Jane a trip to an English resort for Austen superfans, Jane's fantasies become realer than she ever could have dreamed. Dressed in empire waist gowns and torn between a charming gardener and an actor playing the brooding Mr. Darcy role, Jane attempts to master the Regency-era etiquette and the flirtatious games. But when it's time to bid Austenland farewell, will she be able to leave her sincerest fantasies - and the men who helped bring them to life - behind for good?

The first book in this utterly delightful series gives readers the chance to relish all the fun of Regency romance, from the comfort of their modern lives."

I'm all here for this series by the talented Shannon Hale to continue and grow. But I'm always here for the movie. It's one of my favorite movies. Ever.

Rolls and Rivalry by Kristy Boyce
Published by: Delacorte Romance
Publication Date: May 5th, 2026
Format: Paperback, 384 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"Roll the dice, strike up the band, and get ready for a swoon-worthy summer! A charming gaming romance that blends the magic of D and D with the camaraderie of band camp - from the bestselling author of Dating and Dragons!

Questing for love...

Hazel Buchanan has her senior year mapped out: Win respect as color guard captain, kick off her first D and D campaign, and steer clear of distractions. But her plan takes a critical hit when Max - her former best friend and longtime crush - returns to town with drumsticks in hand and an unexplained chip on his shoulder.

Hazel and Max can't help bickering every time they're together, and thanks to meddling parents, he's invading her D and D game too. As Dungeon Master, she's ready to shut him down, but D and D has a way of bringing people together like nothing else. Is this rivalry masking something more? With dice rolling and emotions spinning, Hazel might be in for more than she planned..."

I feel like this series going to band camp is a natural progression. 

Lindsey Cheng Dates a White Boy!!! by Asia Miller
Published by: Andrews McMeel Publishing
Publication Date: May 5th, 2026
Format: Paperback, 208 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"The rock-steady bond of college bandmates is tested by a new boyfriend in this hotly anticipated graphic rom-com by cartoonist and viral animator Asia Miller, perfect for fans of Bryan Lee O'Malley and Mariko Tamaki!

Lindsey Cheng is a college freshman figuring herself out. She's got a band with her best friends, an overprotective Chinese mom, and a date with a super cool indie rocker boy named Jason. Good luck, Lindsey!

It's the anticipated graphic debut by CalArts Alum and viral YouTube animator Asia Miller, expanded and in full color! An indie rock rom-com of liberating self-discovery, Lindsey practices juggling love, friendship, and family - ultimately learning to choose herself."

I have so been waiting for this!

Saturn Returning by Kim Narby
Published by: Bindery Books
Publication Date: May 5th, 2026
Format: Paperback, 320 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"A smoldering, soul-splitting debut that tracks three friends through the celestial chaos of adulthood, love, and queer identity.

Jordan Caleb is a freshman at McCallen College when she meets Trace. From the moment the confident, tattooed Trace compliments Jordan's Alanis Morissette T-shirt, their friendship feels fated and electrically charged. When the two friends meet mercurial transfer student Silvia, she catches Trace's eye. Their instant attraction eclipses the nascent pull between Jordan and Trace, forming a messy constellation among the three women.

Over the course of a decade, their orbits send them to opposite coasts: Jordan builds a life in New York City, while Trace and Silvia get engaged in Seattle, yet the three remain linked by the gravitational pull of the past. As they approach thirty and the apogee of their Saturn return, their bond splinters when Trace calls Jordan with a shocking revelation, exposing a web of heartache, secrets, and unspoken desires.

Saturn Returning charts the complex paths of human connection and queer friendship, questioning how we define ourselves against the relationships that have shaped our lives."

Oh yes, here for the mess.

Hollow Inside by Asako Otani
Published by: Pushkin Press
Publication Date: May 5th, 2026
Format: Paperback, 112 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"A witty, deadpan novel about modern relationships, pets, and living as a single woman; for fans of Sayaka Murata, offbeat humor, and sharp social observation.

In this skewed, mordantly funny Japanese novel, two women navigate aging and relationships in divergent ways.

Hirai, 38, has recently started living with her colleague Suganuma, 42. Both women are single and feel ambivalent at best about the prospect of marriage. Stuck in bland jobs that don't pay enough for them to afford one-bedroom apartments in the city, they defy social expectation and create their own domestic routines, allowing space for Suganuma's side-hustle - 3D-printing figurines of beloved dead pets for their grieving owners.

Though initially united by their resistance to romantic love, the pair begin tentative forays toward partnership. Suganuma strikes up a secret affair, which shocks Hirai into action and back into the world of dating apps. As she drifts through painfully adequate dates and endures intrusive questions at office socials, Hirai frets over whether she really needs to freeze her eggs again. In a dating world sapped of genuine connection, where can she turn to feel less hollow?

The debut novel by a bright new voice in Japanese fiction, Hollow Inside won the prestigious Subaru Prize. With a dark, deadpan tone and sharply witty observation, Asako Otani satirizes the myths and pressures of contemporary romantic love, as Hirai and Suganuma try to chart their own paths in a precarious world."

Here for the snark, but I also kind of want a 3-D printed figurine of my beloved Spotty.

A Zoom with a View by Jess Cannon
Published by: Dutton
Publication Date: May 5th, 2026
Format: Hardcover, 384 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"A cozy murder mystery filled with hometown drama, social media influencers, an over-the-top mother, and two very attractive local men, A Zoom with a View will make you want to move to Blue Oak - if only the Fourth of July festivities didn't end with a dead body.

Leo can't believe she's back in Blue Oak. Her small, quirky Texas hometown feels suffocating after trying to make it big as an English professor in New York - especially due to her strained relationship with her overly hair-sprayed mother, Karina. But with Leo's career in academia in shambles, at least she's able to work as a photographer for her godmother's real estate business. And her best friend, Emily, is around to help her navigate through the mess - and maybe force her to reconnect with her old high school boyfriend, Mack.

But while at work, Leo makes a grisly discovery at one of her godmother's properties: the dead body of rival real estate agent and social media influencer Chaz. Even worse, Leo and Emily have been secretly running a snarky Reddit page making fun of Chaz's cringe-inducing advice and duck-faced selfies. When someone she loves is accused of the murder, Leo finds herself flung headfirst into a dangerous investigation, teaming up with a local detective who is a lot more attractive than she remembered when they were both teenagers. Meanwhile, Karina has been acting stranger and stranger, as if all her hair hides a big secret....

A bold and hilarious introduction to a new sleuth who is looking to get her life back on track, but finds a man with his skull bashed in instead."

I really wonder if people associate "zoom" with photography anymore...

False Relation by Veronica Heley
Published by: Severn House
Publication Date: May 5th, 2026
Format: Hardcover, 224 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"Secrets are never safe in a small village.

Julian Marston-Lang calls Bea Abbot in a panic - his glamorous step-cousin Mona has been murdered!

Mona's body was discovered in the garden of the house where she was living with her husband, Marcus. Once a billionaire businessman, Marcus's reversal of fortunes and inability to maintain his wife's lavish lifestyle was the source of heated rows. Did they reach breaking point?

While it seems an open-and-shut case, Marcus has mysteriously vanished. And Bea is sure there's something Julian isn't telling her.... As she travels down to Marston Hall, Bea is determined to solve the mystery. But she's about to discover that there's more to Mona's death than meets the eye...

Fans of Richard Osman, M.C. Beaton and Agatha Christie will love this page-turning mystery."

Marston Hall you say? I'm always done for a Hall with a capital "H!"

The Inklings by John R. Kelly
Published by: WaterBrook
Publication Date: May 5th, 2026
Format: Paperback, 352 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"J.R.R. Tolkien, C.S. Lewis, Agatha Christie, and other literary legends join forces to unravel a deadly conspiracy in this gripping mystery that sweeps from the halls of Oxford to the streets of London and the shores of Loch Ness.

In the shadowy streets of 1936 Oxford, England, members of a secret society keep turning up dead. When J.R.R. Tolkien, C.S. Lewis, and their fellow literary masterminds, known as the Inklings, are called upon to catch a killer, they trade their pens for magnifying glasses. With time running out, they get a helping hand from mystery writers Agatha Christie and Dorothy Sayers to unravel a sinister web of secrets.

Packed with historical details, intrigue, and a thrilling whodunit, this novel is a masterful blend of high-stakes drama. Dive into a world where the creators of fantasy and mystery confront a real-life menace in a race against the clock. Will dark forces prevail, or will these literary giants crack the case before the murderer strikes again?"

Did they really need Dorothy Sayers if they have Agatha Christie?

The Great Houses of Pill Hill by Diane Josefowicz
Published by: Soho Crime
Publication Date: May 5th, 2026
Format: Hardcover, 368 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"A scintillating, wickedly intricate locked-room mystery following an unconventional woman who makes miniatures of murder scenes and finds herself entangled in a real one when the client of her dream job turns up dead.

Hannah "Cookie" Cooke, an interior decorator with a sideline making miniature reproductions of crime scenes for the local police department, lands her dream job when New Preston's wealthiest couple hires her to renovate their historic New England home. But things go spectacularly wrong when her client Chuck - with whom she is having an affair - is murdered at the housewarming party.

The detective on the case commissions one of Cookie's miniatures to help solve the baffling murder. While grappling with her own complicated role in Chuck's life - and the thorny layers of her own envies, resentments, and ambitions - Cookie delves into the strange details of his death, including his overly involved therapist, his wife's nebulous textile empire, and a room decorated in nineteenth-century Egyptian kitsch hidden on the premises. In untangling the mystery, Cookie reveals an ugly truth about New Preston's elite that might prove deadly.

At once an irreverent interpretation of the hard-boiled genre and a skewering of traditional domesticity, this show-stopping work of crime fiction is crackling with narrative voice, resulting in a read that is equally engrossing and electrifying."

Oh, this has to be inspired by Frances Glessner Lee!

The Library After Dark by Ande Pliego
Published by: Bantam
Publication Date: May 5th, 2026
Format: Hardcover, 368 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"A bookseller must escape the infamously haunted library that holds her darkest secrets, but with a murderer in her tour group, escaping alive is not as simple as it seems, in this twisty locked-room thriller from bestselling author of You Are Fatally Invited.

Not all fairytales were meant for children.

Aria Stokes is finally feeling settled - she lives in a tiny New York apartment, works as a bookseller at a local shop, and has even taken a leap of faith in love by indulging her attraction to bookstore regular Jasper. And he seems to already know her so well.

As a Valentine's Day surprise, Jasper gets the two of them tickets to an exclusive, after-dark tour of the Daedalus Library - the grandiose establishment famed for its immersive genre-based reading rooms and, more notoriously, its rumored hauntings. While Aria normally loves all things ghastly, this place holds more dark secrets than she'd prefer Jasper to know. Like that the last time she was here, she left a body behind.

But when the automatic-door entry malfunctions and Aria, Jasper, and the five other people in their tour group become trapped in the library, they are forced to venture through the storied rooms and hidden passageways of the Daedalus in search of escape... and Aria quite literally has nowhere to hide from the shadows of her past. Then the group learns there's a murderer in their midst.

Now, as she tries to break out of the library's intricate reading rooms, Aria has to decide who she can trust - and what secrets are best kept buried - if she wants to make it out alive."

They all aren't getting out of this maze alive.

26 Beauties by James Patterson
Published by: Little Brown and Company
Publication Date: May 5th, 2026
Format: Hardcover, 352 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"From the world's #1 bestselling author, the Women's Murder Club goes searching for 26 Beauties - young women missing in San Francisco.

SFPD's Sergeant Lindsay Boxer's best friend, Claire Washburn, is named medical examiner of the year. But an uninvited guest crashes the Women's Murder Club's party: a concerned father seeking investigative reporter Cindy Thomas's help in locating his missing daughter. And she's not the only one. Lindsay's been investigating the deaths of a Jane Doe washed up on a nearby beach, and a young woman found in Golden Gate Park.

What if all these cases are connected?

The answers lie with the 26 Beauties on the run and in the wind."

Always here for the Women's Murder Club!

The Masked Truth by Kelley Armstrong
Published by: Tundra Books
Publication Date: May 5th, 2026
Format: Paperback, 352 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"Now in paperback with a brand-new cover comes the heart-stopping suspense thriller for teens from #1 New York Times bestselling author Kelley Armstrong.

Filled with suspense and unexpected twists, The Masked Truth will have you on the edge of your seat.

Riley Vasquez is haunted by the brutal murder of the couple she was babysitting for. Max Cross is suffering under the shadow of a life-altering diagnosis he doesn't dare reveal. When they're forced by their families to spend a weekend away at a therapy camp for teens with "issues," neither of them think things can get any worse... until three masked men take them hostage.

Now, with no way to escape and their captors on a killing spree, Riley and Max must rely on their wits and courage to survive. As they navigate this dangerous situation, they uncover dark secrets that shake them to their core. Will they find a way out before it's too late? Kelley Armstrong delivers a gripping thriller that delves deep into themes of survival and trust... and that escape doesn't equal freedom."

What if the three masked men are like the platinum package at the camp? That would be wicked. And a wicked good read.

This Dark Night by Deborah Lutz
Published by: W. W. Norton and Company
Publication Date: May 5th, 2026
Format: Hardcover, 352 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"Emily Brontë (1818-1848) was only twenty-seven-years old when she began work on one of the most important novels in the English language. Two years later in 1847, she completed Wuthering Heights. It took the world almost a century to catch up to Brontë's masterpiece, and it has taken even longer to know Brontë - an elusive figure, with a ghostly legacy provoked by her early death and the loss (and likely destruction) of almost all her personal papers.

Drawing on formerly inaccessible notebooks and manuscripts, This Dark Night constructs a portrait of Brontë, her famous writing sisters Charlotte and Anne, and the effect of their sisters' and mother's tragic deaths. In the first full-length biography in over twenty years, renowned scholar Deborah Lutz sketches the days of a woman crafting otherworldly fiction while running her father's parsonage: writing interweaving with household work, daydreaming, and exploring the rough-hewn outdoors.

As she traces the influence of Brontë's life and work, Lutz follows how Brontë's fantastical early poems of the night sky, women rulers, and outsiders and rebels grew into the stormy, transcendent Wuthering Heights. Lutz also illuminates the overlooked ways that the legendary writer addressed debates of her time that still resonate today, including questions of gender and sexuality, race and class, and rapid industrialization set against the natural world.

From her menagerie of dogs and birds to the beloved moors that Brontë wandered and later emblazoned in her novel, Lutz depicts the passions of an author at odds with convention. Uniting the domestic and the cosmic, This Dark Night plumbs the life and writing of this idiosyncratic woman, dark soul, and monumental genius."

Might I suggest reading this book instead of watching a certain new film?

Posted by Miss Eliza at 12:00 AM 0 comments  

Labels: Ande Pliego, Diane Josefowicz, Emily Brontë, James Patterson, Jess Cannon, Jim Butcher, John R. Kelly, Kelley Armstrong, LeUyen Pham, Martha Wells, Nat Cassidy, Nghi Vo, Olivie Blake, Shannon Hale.Kristy Boyce, Veronica Heley

Emily Wilde's Compendium of Lost Takes by Heather Fawcett
Published by: Del Rey Books
Publication Date: February 11th, 2025
Format: Hardcover, 368 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"The third installment in the heartwarming and enchanting Emily Wilde series, about a curmudgeonly scholar of folklore and the fae prince she loves.

Emily Wilde has spent her life studying faeries. A renowned dryadologist, she has documented hundreds of species of Folk in her Encyclopaedia of Faeries. Now she is about to embark on her most dangerous academic project yet: studying the inner workings of a faerie realm - as its queen.

Along with her former academic rival - now fiancé - the dashing and mercurial Wendell Bambleby, Emily is immediately thrust into the deadly intrigues of Faerie as the two of them seize the throne of Wendell's long-lost kingdom, which Emily finds a beautiful nightmare filled with scholarly treasures.

Emily has been obsessed with faerie stories her entire life, but at first she feels as ill-suited to Faerie as she did to the mortal world: How can an unassuming scholar such as herself pass for a queen? Yet there is little time to settle in, for Wendell's murderous stepmother has placed a deadly curse upon the land before vanishing without a trace. It will take all of Wendell's magic - and Emily's knowledge of stories - to unravel the mystery before they lose everything they hold dear."

I am so excited for this book, not the least of which is what I have planned for my blog later this year.

The Confessions of a Lady by Darcy McGuire
Published by: Boldwood Books
Publication Date: February 11th, 2025
Format:Paperback, 320 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"A brand new spicy upstairs/downstairs historical romance featuring the Queen's Deadly Damsels!

Dare she risk revealing her secrets?

In the world of upstairs and downstairs, Lady's maid Penny Smith is able to work anonymously, quietly hiding in the shadows of of Lord William Renquist's household. She's seeking out perpetrators of the Devils Sons and she suspects the man she works for to be a member. But when she meets the infamous Liam, she's taken aback by his disarming eyes and feels her resolve begin to waiver.

Liam's intrigued by his newest maid. But as much as she invites a deep desire within, he knows he must keep his distance. Not only because society says so, but because he is the son of a wicked man and the sins of his family need to be repaid. He has made a vow to the Queen to avoid distraction and assist in her mission."

Could they share a mission and perhaps more?

The Viscount of St. Albans by Natania Barron
Published by: Rebellion Publishing Ltd.
Publication Date: February 11th, 2025
Format: Kindle, 350 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"Sense and Sensibility and Vampires.

Silas Drake, the Viscount St. Albans, is one of the most desirable bachelors in England: approaching thirty, wealthy, and poised to inherit his father's seat in Parliament. His aunt, the dowager viscountess, insists he marries well, and soon - or she'll take matters into her own hands.

But his love belongs to Viola Brightwell, who is a commoner of modest means...and a vampire. Newly transformed after the recent battle to save Netherford, Viola rages in a locked room in Silas's mansion, wrestling with the violent passions of her new affliction.

As Silas struggles to balance the demands of his rank with the desires of his heart, he finds himself at the centre of a conspiracy by ancient and terrible powers..."

Regency Magic!!!

The Moonlight Healers by Elizabeth Becker
Published by: Graydon House
Publication Date: February 11th, 2025
Format: Hardcover, 336 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"A powerful debut with a magical twist about one woman's discovery of her family's secret healing abilities and the mysterious consequences she must contend with when she uses them on someone she loves.

For generations, the Winston women have possessed an unspoken magical gift: they can heal with the touch of a hand. It's a tradition they've always had to practice in secret, in the moonlight hours, when the fireflies dance and the whippoorwill birds sing.

But not every healer has rightfully passed on this knowledge to her descendants, and for young Louise Winston, the discovery of her abilities comes in less-than-ideal circumstances - she brings her best friend back from death following an accident, the day after he professed his long-held feelings for her, five days before she's supposed to move away.

Desperate for answers, and to avoid this new reality between them, Louise escapes to her grandmother's lush Appalachian orchard. There, she uncovers her family's hidden history in a tattered journal, stemming back to her brave great-grandmother who illicitly healed Allied soldiers in war-torn France. But just as Louise begins to embrace her unique legacy, she learns that it can also come with a mysterious cost. And with a life hanging in the balance, she'll be forced to make the most impossible of choices...

Spanning eighty years, The Moonlight Healers is a deeply empathetic, heartfelt novel about mothers and daughters, life and death, and the beautiful resilience of love."

Definitely a Pushing Daisies vibe.

The Watermark by Sam Mills
Published by: Melville House Publishing
Publication Date: February 11th, 2025
Format: Paperback, 544 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"A quirky, literary love story like no other, one that veers wildly from contemporary Britain to Soviet Russia to a bizarre but recognizable future, from one of the UK's hottest young novelists...

Rachel and Jaime: their story isn't simple. It might not even be their story.

Augustus Fate, a once-lauded novelist and now renowned recluse, is struggling with his latest creation. But when Jaime and Rachel stumble into his remote cottage, he spies opportunity, imprisoning them inside his novel-in-progress. Now, the fledgling couple must try to find their way back home through a labyrinthine network of novels.

And as they move from Victorian Oxford to a utopian Manchester, a harsh Russian winter to an AI-dominated near-future, so too does the narrative of their relationship change time and again.

Together, they must figure out if this relationship of so many presents can have any future at all.

The Watermark is a heart-stopping exploration of the narratives we cling to in the course of a life, and the tendency of the world to unravel them. Kaleidoscopic and wildly imaginative, it asks: how can we truly be ourselves, when Fate is pulling the strings?"

A dark Thursday Next!

The Spirit Collection of Thone Hall by J. Ann Thomas
Published by: Alcove Press
Publication Date: February 11th, 2025
Format: Hardcover, 320 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"A young woman forced to live with ghosts in a mansion frozen in time must decide between forbidden love and the price of freedom in this Gothic fantasy where Jane Eyre meets The Haunting of Bly Manor, perfect for fans of Starling House.

At Thorne Hall, a grand estate nestled in the Berkshires, fifteen restless spirits roam, bound within the mansion's walls since the Gilded Age. Elegy Thorne bears the weight of her family's curse to preserve the mansion as it was in the 1890s, using ancient folk songs to keep the spirits secret and silent in order to avoid deadly consequences.

When a mischievous child spirit wreaks havoc on the manor, the Thorne family calls upon their trusted preservationist to restore the mansion. He brings along his son, Atticus - a vibrant man full of life and ideas of modernization - and Elegy is captivated by him, igniting a longing for freedom she's never dared to embrace.

Torn between her desire to follow her heart and her duty to her family and its legacy, Elegy begins searching for a way to release the spirit collection back to the afterlife and set both herself and the ghosts free. With century-old secrets, peculiar magic, and spirits both whimsical and deadly, Thorne Hall will haunt and enrapture readers - and you might just not want to leave."

This sounds like a very dark reboot of Ghosts.

Unburied: The True Story of Hannah Beswick, the Manchester Mummy by Hannah Priest
Published by: Manchester University Press
Publication Date: February 11th, 2025
Format: Hardcover, 264 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"The macabre tale of an eighteenth-century woman immortalised in folklore as the 'Manchester Mummy'.

In 1835, the Manchester Natural History Society opened the doors of its museum. Taking pride of place in its collection were three mummies: one was Egyptian, one was Peruvian and one was a woman from Cheetham Hill.

This is the first time the true story of Hannah Beswick, the so-called 'Manchester Mummy', has been told. Over the years, explanations for the Manchester Mummy have ranged from the chilling - Hannah's fear of being buried alive - to the downright bizarre - the legend of her buried gold - but the truth is more complex.

Exploring this fascinating episode from museum history, Unburied sheds light on the Victorian turn to the macabre and changing attitudes to the display of human remains. It debunks the legends and asks what Hannah Beswick can tell us about death and dying, mummies and museums."

Victorian England, you always have to be the weirdest now don't you?

The Crimson Road by A.G. Slatter
Published by: Titan Books (UK)
Publication Date: February 11th, 2025
Format: Paperback, 368 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"A captivating dark Gothic fantasy set in the same universe as the award-winning author's All The Murmuring Bones, The Path of Thorns and The Briar Book of the Dead. A tale of vampires, assassins, ancient witches and broken promises, perfect for readers of Alix E. Harrow, Hannah Whitten and Alexis Henderson.

Violet Zennor has had a peculiar upbringing. Training as a fighter in underground arenas, honing her skills against the worst scum, murderers and thieves her father could pit her against, she has learned to be ruthless. To kill.

Until the day Hedrek Zennor dies. Violet thinks she's free - then she learns that her father planned to send her into the Darklands, where the Leech Lords reign. Where Violet's still-born brother was taken years ago. Violet steadfastly refuses. Until one night two assassins attempt to slaughter her - and it becomes clear: she's going to have to clean up the mess her father made.

By turns gripping and bewitching, sharp and audacious, this mesmerising story takes you on a journey into the dark heart of Slatter's sinister and compelling fantasy world in a tale of vampires, assassins, ancient witches and broken promises."

Yeah, I wouldn't want to go to the Darklands with a Leech Lords either.

The Ballad of Smallhope and Pennyroyal by Jodi Taylor
Published by: Headline
Publication Date: February 11th, 2025
Format: Hardcover, 352 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"From the globally bestselling author of the Chronicles of St Mary's and Time Police series - the origin story of bounty hunters extraordinaire: Smallhope and Pennyroyal.

Meet Lady Amelia Smallhope, for whom there is no problem that can't be solved by a drink and a think.

And Pennyroyal, for whom there is no problem. Ever.

Everyone's favourite bounty hunters. Sorry - recovery agents. No bad guy they can't handle. No expense account too flexible. No adventure too outrageous.

Join them as they settle scores, break every rule in the book and take the world by storm.

Fasten your seatbelts. The timeline doesn't know what's hit it."

I'd like to be the type of person where there is no problem ever.

Helle and Death by Oskar Jensen
Published by: Serpent's Tail
Publication Date: February 11th, 2025
Format: Paperback, 336 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"A snowstorm. A country house. Old friends reunited. It's going to be murder...Torben Helle - art historian, Danish expat and owner of several excellent Scandinavian jumpers - has been dragged to a remote snowbound Northumbrian mansion for a ten-year reunion with old university friends. Things start to go sideways when their host, a reclusive and irritating tech entrepreneur, makes some shocking revelations at the dinner table. And when these are followed by an apparent suicide, the group faces a test of their wits...and their trust. Snowed in and cut off, surrounded by enigmatic housekeepers and off-duty police inspectors, not to mention a peculiar last will and testament, suspicion and sarcasm quickly turn to panic. As the temperature drops and the tension mounts, Torben decides to draw upon all the tricks of Golden Age detectives past in order to solve the mystery: how much money would it take to turn one of his old friends into a murderer? But he'd better be quick, or someone else might end up dead...This witty murder mystery puts a modern spin on the classic country house whodunnit. A must-read for fans of Agatha Christie, Richard Osman and Janice Hallett."

Locked-room joy, with the bestest of tropes, a snowstorm! 

A Girl Like Us by Anna Sophia McLoughlin
Published by: Sourcebooks Landmark
Publication Date: February 11th, 2025
Format: Hardcover, 432 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"Succession meets Saltburn in a crackling locked-room thriller of inconceivable wealth, unchecked power, and the secrets poised to bring a powerful family down.

It's 2004 and former reality TV star and party girl Maya Miller has just married the most eligible bachelor on the planet: Colin Sterling, of the globally famous Sterling family whose history of aristocratic titles and land holdings rival a British royal and whose media empire is comparable to the Murdochs. To some, Maya represents the American dream. To others, a gold digger. But when Colin's cousin Arianna, the heiress to the family's immense fortune, is found murdered, Maya is thrust into the spotlight: first as she is revealed to be the next heiress to the fortune, and then as the prime suspect.

Swiftly, the entire Sterling family goes into lockdown at Silver House, the family's ancestral estate in the English countryside. They're told it's for their own safety - but Maya becomes convinced that it's not to keep threats out, but to keep secrets in. Now, she has no choice but to find and expose the truth hidden within the Sterling family, and why Arianna, a girl she had never met, chose her to take her place. But Maya has secrets of her own. And she knows that in order to survive the Sterlings, she'll have to beat them at their own game."

Always be wary of marrying wealth!

The Dollhouse Academy by Margarita Montimore
Published by: Flatiron Books
Publication Date: February 11th, 2025
Format: Hardcover, 320 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"From the national bestselling author of GMA Book Club Pick Oona Out of Order, a novel about two best friends and aspiring actresses who join the Dollhouse Academy, where stars are made and dangerous secrets are hidden

Ivy Gordon is living on borrowed time. For the past eighteen years, she has been the most famous star at the Dollhouse Academy, the elite boarding school and talent incubator that every aspiring performer dreams of attending. But now, at age thirty-four, she is tired of pretending everything is fine. In secret diary entries, Ivy begins to reveal the truth of her life at the Dollhouse: strange medical exams, mysterious supplements, and something unspeakable that's left Ivy terrified and feeling like a prisoner.

Ramona Halloway and her best friend, Grace Ludlow, grew up idolizing Ivy. Now both twenty-two, neither has made much headway in showbiz until a lucky break grants them entry to the Dollhouse. They're enchanted by the picturesque campus and the chance to perform alongside their idols. When Ramona begins to receive threatening anonymous messages, it's easy to dismiss them as a prank from a rival. Her bigger concern is Grace's skyrocketing success, while Ramona struggles to keep up with the fierce competition. As the messages grow more unsettling, so does life at the Dollhouse. Can Ramona overcome her jealousy and resentment to figure out what's really going on? Will Ivy finally find her voice, before another young performer follows her catastrophic path?

With dark academia twists and enormous heart, The Dollhouse Academy is a novel about the complexities of friendship, our desire to be seen and understood, and the true cost of making our dreams a reality."

It's like a dark academia twist on the TV show Dollhouse... 

There's No Turning Back by Alba de Céspedes
Published by: Washington Square Press
Publication Date: February 11th, 2025
Format: Hardcover, 304 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"Discover the astonishingly powerful debut novel by the beloved feminist author of the "brilliant" (The Wall Street Journal) Forbidden Notebook and the "courageous" (The Washington Post) Her Side of the Story that was so subversive, it was banned by the Italian Fascist regime when it was first published in 1938.

A coming-of-age novel that is as relevant today as it was nearly ninety years ago, There's No Turning Back centers on eight women with radically different backgrounds who attend the same college in Rome. Some are there to study, others to escape a scandal, or keep a secret, and during their time there, they experience the challenges of love, work, and emancipation.

Considered experimental and revolutionary at the time, this novel established Alba de Céspedes as a powerful new voice in the 20th century. Translated by Ann Goldstein, There's No Turning Back demonstrates why de Céspedes deserves "an important place in the canon of women's literature" (Chicago Review of Books)."

We must read about the past to see how universal the human condition is.

The Queens of Crime by Marie Benedict
Published by: St. Martin's Press
Publication Date: February 11th, 2025
Format: Hardcover, 320 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"From the New York Times bestselling author of The Mystery of Mrs. Christie - a thrilling story of the five greatest women writers of the Golden Age of Mystery and their bid to solve a real-life murder.

London, 1930. The five greatest women crime writers have banded together to form a secret society with a single goal: to show they are no longer willing to be treated as second class citizens by their male counterparts in the legendary Detection Club. Led by the formidable Dorothy L. Sayers, the group includes Agatha Christie, Ngaio Marsh, Margery Allingham and Baroness Emma Orczy. They call themselves the Queens of Crime. Their plan? Solve an actual murder, that of a young woman found strangled in a park in France who may have connections leading to the highest levels of the British establishment.

May Daniels, a young English nurse on an excursion to France with her friend, seemed to vanish into thin air as they prepared to board a ferry home. Months later, her body is found in the nearby woods. The murder has all the hallmarks of a locked room mystery for which these authors are famous: how did her killer manage to sneak her body out of a crowded train station without anyone noticing? If, as the police believe, the cause of death is manual strangulation, why is there an extraordinary amount of blood at the crime scene? What is the meaning of a heartbreaking secret letter seeming to implicate an unnamed paramour? Determined to solve the highly publicized murder, the Queens of Crime embark on their own investigation, discovering they're stronger together. But soon the killer targets Dorothy Sayers herself, threatening to expose a dark secret in her past that she would do anything to keep hidden.

Inspired by a true story in Sayers' own life, New York Times bestselling author Marie Benedict brings to life the lengths to which five talented women writers will go to be taken seriously in the male-dominated world of letters as they unpuzzle a mystery torn from the pages of their own novels."

Personally, Dorothy L. Sayers can go hang, but I am SO happy to see Baroness Emma Orczy included. Here Lady Molly of Scotland Yard is fabulous.

You Are Fatally Invited by Ande Pliego
Published by: Bantam
Publication Date: February 11th, 2025
Format: Hardcover, 3584 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"An exclusive thriller writer's retreat hosted on a private island turns lethal when one of the authors is found murdered.

When renowned anonymous author J. R. Alastor hires former aspiring writer Mila del Angél to host a writing retreat at his private manor off the coast of Maine, she jumps at the chance - particularly since she has an axe to grind with one of the invitees. The guest list? Six thriller authors, all masters of deceit, misdirection, and mayhem.

Confess the crimes, survive the tropes.

Alastor and Mila have masterminded a week of games, trope-fueled riddles, and maybe a jump scare or two - the perfect cover for Mila to plot a murder of her own. But when a guest turns up dead - and it's not the murder she planned - Mila finds herself trapped in a different narrative altogether.

One by one, you'll lose your turn.

With a storm isolating the island, and the body count rising, Mila must outwit a killer who knows literally every trick in the book.

Until only one of us remains..."

I loved locked-room mysteries, and here to have the murderers be writers? Perfection.

Will She Do? Act One of a Life on Stage by Eileen Atkins
Published by: Virago Press (UK)
Publication Date: February 11th, 2025
Format: Paperback, 320 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"Will She Do? is the story of a girl from a council estate in Tottenham, born in 1934 to an electric-meter reader and a seamstress, who was determined to be an actress.

Candid and witty, this memoir takes her from her awkward performances in working-men's clubs at six years of age as dancing 'Baby Eileen', through the war years in London, to her breakthrough at thirty-two on Broadway with The Killing of Sister George, for which she received the first of four Tony Award nominations. She co-created Upstairs, Downstairs and wrote the screenplay for Mrs. Dalloway (for which she won an Evening Standard Award) and at aged eighty-six, this is her first autobiographical work.

Characterised by an eye for the absurd, a terrific knack for storytelling and an insistence on honesty, Will She Do? is a wonderful raconteur's tale about family, about class, about youthful ambition and big dreams and what really goes on behind the scenes.

Made a Dame in 1991, Eileen Atkins has been on American and British stage and screen since 1957 and has won an Emmy, a BAFTA and is a three-time Olivier Award winner; her theatre performances include The Height of the Storm, Ellen Terry, All that Fall and she has appeared in television and films ranging from Doc Martin to Cranford to The Crown."

Hey, she wasn't just the co-creator of Upstairs, Downstairs, she also starred in the reboot! With a monkey!

Posted by Miss Eliza at 12:00 AM 0 comments  

Labels: A.G. Slatter, Alba de Céspedes, Ande Pliego, Anna Sophia McLoughlin, Darcy McGuire, Eileen Atkins, Elizabeth Becker, Heather Fawcett, J. Ann Thomas, Jodi Taylor, Marie Benedict, Natania Barron, Sam Mills