strange and random happenstance

Stone and Sky by Ben Aaronovitch
Published by: DAW
Publication Date: July 8th, 2025
Format: Hardcover, 304 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
""This isn’t London. The rules are different up here..."

All Detective Sergeant Peter Grant wanted was a nice holiday up in Scotland.
He'll need one once this is over...

Sea: check.
Sand: some.
Sun: sort of - but that's not the only thing in the sky..."

Yes. It's finally here. The newest Rivers of London book. No London this time, but plenty of holiday fun in Scotland. Work can be fun right?

The Lavender Blade by E.L. Deards
Published by: She Writes Press
Publication Date: July 8th, 2025
Format: Paperback, 344 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"For readers who loved New York Times bestseller Gideon the Ninth, Deards delivers a queer speculative fiction novel about what happens when a con artist exorcist becomes possessed for real.

A pair of con artist demon exorcists scam the nation's wealthiest...until one of them is possessed for real.

Colton and Lucian make a living conning the desperate with fake exorcisms - Lucian is the charm, Colton the trick, and together, they've turned deception into survival. Their work is dangerous, their romance even riskier, but they've always found a way to stay ahead.

Until Lucian is truly possessed.

A powerful demon takes hold, twisting his body into something unnatural, horrific, wrong - and no priest, no con, no desperate lie can fix it. With time running out and Lucian slipping further away, Colton has no choice but to learn real magic, break every rule, and attempt the impossible.

Because if he fails, Lucian won't just be lost. He'll be something else entirely."

I mean, isn't that always the risk of faking being an exorcist? Getting possessed. For real.

The Frozen People by Elly Griffiths
Published by: Pamela Dorman Books
Publication Date: July 8th, 2025
Format: Hardcover, 304 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"Cold cases are a lot easier to solve when you can travel back in time to find new evidence. Unless, that is, you get stuck in the nineteenth century...

Ali Dawson and her cold case team investigate crimes so old, they're frozen - or so their inside joke goes. Nobody knows that her team has a secret: they can travel back in time to look for evidence.

The latest assignment sees Ali venture back farther than they have dared before: to 1850s London to clear the name of Cain Templeton, an eccentric patron of the arts. Rumor has it that Cain is part of a sinister group called The Collectors. Ali arrives in the Victorian era to another dead woman at her feet and far too many unanswered questions.

As the clock counts down, Ali becomes more entangled in the mystery, yet danger lurks around every corner. She soon finds herself trapped, unable to make her way back to her beloved son, Finn, who is battling his own accusations in the present day.

Could the two cases be connected? In a race through and against time, Ali must find out before it's too late."

I mean, I'd totally use time travel to solve crime. It's been a dream of mine. 

The Bone Hunters by Joanne Burn
Published by: Sphere
Publication Date: July 8th, 2025
Format: Paperback, 352 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"1824, and Lyme Regis is as tumultuous as the sea that surrounds it. When twenty-four-year-old Ada Winters - poor, peculiar and brilliant - uncovers a set of unusual fossils on the cliffs, she believes she has found the answer to her scientific frustrations and her family's financial struggles.

Meanwhile, Doctor Edwin Moyle has come to Dorset in search of the discovery that will place him amongst the greatest geologists of the age. What he finds instead is a strange young woman who seems to hold the key to everything he seeks.

But what is the creature that Ada and Edwin seek to unearth? And will it be their means to greatness, or destruction?"

I mean, this right here sounds like my dream holiday, so of course I'm going to read it!

Ascension by S.T. Gibson
Published by: Angry Robot
Publication Date: July 8th, 2025
Format: Hardcover, 400 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"From the international bestselling author of Evocation comes it's hotly anticipated and spellbinding sequel, where Rhys steps into his new role as High Priest. A magical read for lovers of traditional urban fantasy.

Ever since Rhys McGowan was a boy, he's only wanted two things: power and love.

Now, as High Priest of Boston's premiere Secret Society, husband to his adoring witch wife Moira, and partner to David - his psychic rival-turned-boyfriend, Rhys is finally at peace. But when a strange ritual rocks Boston's occult community, and opens the Society up to sabotage, Rhys delves even deeper into the dark world of demon-summoning. He's used to carrying the weight of the world on his shoulders, but the strain of managing so many spirits (not to mention the stress of his loved ones exploring other people) will push him to the brink.

As heaven and hell play tug of war for Rhys' soul, he'll have to face the greatest demon of all: his own insatiable ambition.

The second book in the bestselling Summoner's Circle series sees beloved characters return for an all new dark and enthralling adventure."

I mean, when disaster is one the doorstep talking about opening up your relationship isn't ideal.

The Bloodless Queen by Joshua Phillip Johnson
Published by: DAW
Publication Date: July 8th, 2025
Format: Hardcover, 464 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"Part ecological Orpheus and Eurydice myth and part Gothic thriller, discover this atmospheric near-future sci-fi novel about fae mysteries deep within strange nature preserves.

On the autumnal equinox of 1987, after fencing off half of the Earth's land for huge nature reserves called Harbors, the leaders of the world called on their peoples to celebrate. Then began the horror and the magic.

Everyone who died that day - all 132,329 of them - instead of going cold and still, turned odd and fae. They became mischievous and murderous, before disappearing into their nearest Harbor, never seen again. And each year after that on the autumnal equinox, the same terrible transformations would occur: the wretched dead not dying, but instead riddling and whispering of a faerie queen - bloodless and powerful - while fleeing into the wild confines of the Harbors.

In the present day, Evangeline and Calidore are working as fencers, government-employed protectors whose magical powers come from mysterious tattoos of prime numbers. When they aren't fixing the fences of the Midwest Harbor that separates the human world from Faerie or patrolling on the equinox, they are parents of an almost-seven-year-old daughter named Winnie.

But as the new year's autumnal equinox approaches, Evangeline and Calidore find themselves thrust into a vast conspiracy that stretches across governments, religions, and fencers worldwide. As they race to untangle this web of power and intrigue, they will need to confront the questions that have haunted the world since the fences were built:

What lies at the heart of the Harbors? Who waits there?"

I adore this cohesion of science and fantasy. 

The Telling by Alexandra Sirowy
Published by: Simon and Schuster Books for Young Readers
Publication Date: July 8th, 2025
Format: Hardcover, 416 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"A "haunting...addictive" (Publishers Weekly) novel about a teen who must delve into her past if she wants to live long enough to have a future when murders eerily similar to the dark stories her brother used to tell start happening in her hometown - now with updated text and a brand-new look!

You swore on summer.

Ben was Lana's world. He was her big brother, her best friend, her summer. And then he was murdered in a grisly carjacking, and her world ended.

Now, six months after Ben's death, Lana is trying to reinvent herself. She's found her way into the inner circle of popular kids, and the Lana she is now - bold, daring, brash, adventurous - barely resembles the shy, unpopular Lana she used to be.

And then a body turns up. At first, everyone thinks it's just a horrible accident. But when more corpses are discovered, Lana realizes the details of the murders eerily match the dark fairy tales Ben used to tell her - stories that only she and Ben knew.

Is Ben seeking vengeance from the grave? Or has a darker phantom from their past come to haunt Lana's present?"

It's gotta be a darker phantom!

The Rabbit Club by Christopher J. Yates
Published by: Hanover Square Press
Publication Date: July 8th, 2025
Format: Hardcover, 352 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"The author of Black Chalk, "the smart summer thriller you've been waiting for" (NPR), returns with a mesmerizing new novel about a dangerous secret society at Oxford University, and the first-year Literature student whose life begins to unravel in its shadow.

When Ali McCain, an eighteen-year-old from Los Angeles, is accepted at Oxford, it's a chance to fulfill his dreams. To study English literature in England; to meet true intellectuals; and to glimpse the life he might have lived had his father - British rock star Gel McCain, legendary frontman of the Pale Fires - not abandoned him and his mother when he was a toddler.

But not long after he arrives at the storied campus, Ali is drawn into a dark, disorienting world where events grow more and more curious by the day. Trading on his father's name, he gains entry into one of Oxford's oldest and most selective secret societies, the Saracens. As he immerses himself in this rarefied world, he inadvertently sets in motion a series of events that might culminate in disaster.

A mind-bending literary house of mirrors, replete with bookish allusions and Easter eggs ranging from Brideshead Revisited to King Lear, The Rabbit Club is an arresting work of dark academia by the category's finest writer."

I mean, seeing as we're in the middle of a dark academia celebration here hells yes to this book!

How to Survive a Horror Story by Mallory Arnold
Published by: Poisoned Pen Press
Publication Date: July 8th, 2025
Format: Hardcover, 368 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"Seven authors enter the manor.

Can they survive the story within?

When legendary horror author Mortimer Queen passes, a group of writers find themselves invited to his last will and testament reading expecting a piece of his massive fortune. Each have their own unique connection to the literary icon, some known, some soon to be discovered, and they've been waiting for their chance to step into the author's shoes for some time.

Instead, they arrive at his grand manor and are invited to play a game. The rules are simple, solve the riddle and progress to the next room. If they don't, the manor will take one of them for itself.

You see, the Queen estate was built on the bones of Mortimer's family, and like any true horror story, the house is still very, very hungry.

With the clever, locked-room thrills of Everyone in My Family Has Killed Someone with the ghostly horror of The Fall of the House of Usher, How to Survive a Horror Story is a bright, biting, thrill-ride that begs us to contemplate how the best horror stories come to be."

I mean, this, right here, is my idea of a good time. From the safety of my armchair of course.

Night Watcher by Daphne Woolsoncroft
Published by: Grand Central Publishing
Publication Date: July 8th, 2025
Format: Hardcover, 336 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"In what Jeneva Rose declares a "chilling and atmospheric" tale, Nola Strate, a late night radio host in Portland, Oregon, listens to stories of hauntings and cryptic sightings for a living. But one foggy evening, a caller describes an eerie scene that triggers memories of Nola's childhood escape from a serial killer, and she fears he's back to finish what he started. Nola Strate is being watched, again.

After an encounter with a notorious serial killer in the Pacific Northwest as a child, Nola has grown up and tried her best to forget her traumatizing night with the Hiding Man. She installed security cameras outside her Oregon home, never spoke of her experience, and now hosts Night Watch, a popular radio call-in show her semi-famous father used to run. When coincidences lead Nola to believe that she is being stalked, and a caller on Night Watch has a live incident with an intruder in the caller's home - the description of whom is chillingly familiar - Nola is convinced that the Hiding Man has resurfaced and is coming for her.

With a mysterious next-door neighbor lurking in the shadows, more people getting hurt, the police not taking her concerns seriously, and evidence pointing towards her own father, Nola decides to become, like her listeners, a Night Watcher herself, and uncover the monster behind the Hiding Man's mask."

I mean, if you really want to avoid stalkers perhaps being a late night radio host of the uncanny isn't the best thing to do...

The Woman in Suite 11 by Ruth Ware
Published by: Gallery/Scout Press
Publication Date: July 8th, 2025
Format: Hardcover, 400 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"In this follow-up to #1 New York Times bestselling author Ruth Ware's multi-million copy mega-hit The Woman in Cabin 10, Lo Blacklock returns to attend the opening of a luxury hotel, only to find herself in a white-knuckled race across Europe.

When the invitation to attend the press opening of a luxury Swiss hotel - owned by reclusive billionaire Marcus Leidmann - arrives, it's like the answer to a prayer. Three years after the birth of her youngest child, Lo Blacklock is ready to reestablish her journalism career, but post-pandemic travel journalism is a very different landscape from the one she left ten years ago.

The chateau on the shores of Lake Geneva is everything Lo's ever dreamed of, and she hopes she can snag an interview with Marcus. Unfortunately, he proves to be even more difficult to pin down than his reputation suggests. When Lo gets a late-night call asking her to come to Marcus's hotel room, she agrees despite her own misgivings. She's greeted, however, by a woman claiming to be Marcus's mistress, and in life-or-death jeopardy.

What follows is a thrilling cat-and-mouse pursuit across Europe, forcing Lo to ask herself just how much she's willing to sacrifice to save this woman...and if she can even trust her?"

I mean, Ruth Ware has become a household name since The Woman in Cabin 10 but until now she's never revisited those characters... Until now!

Like a Bullet by Andrew Cartmel
Published by: Titan Books
Publication Date: July 8th, 2025
Format: Paperback, 304 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"Humorous cosy-crime caper from the author of the beloved, bestselling Vinyl Detective series in which a feisty, amoral book dealer uses her unique skills to solve fiendish crimes. A love letter to Agatha Christie murder mysteries and classic whodunnits.

When Erik Make Loud, retired rock star and a major World War Two nut, hires Cordelia, the Paperback Sleuth, to track down a series of lurid paperbacks about his favourite global conflict - the "Commando" novels by the blatantly pseudonymous Butch Raider - it seems like a routine job. But Cordelia soon discovers the final novel in the series, the incredibly rare Commando Gold, is all but impossible to track down.

The books' creator - real name Monty Harrington, once a promising young poet and now a depraved drunk - proves easier to find. Writing pulp war stories didn't come naturally to Monty. Until he met someone who knew all about such stuff during a pub crawl; a genuine ex-commando who, for the price of a pint or two, was willing to provide Monty with authentic anecdotes.

Too authentic, it turns out...

Because Commando Gold reveals the details of a real-life commando mission.

At the time the mission was top secret.

And all these years later, someone is quite prepared to kill to keep it so."

Perfect synchronicity to have a new Andrew Cartmell book and a new Ben Aaronovitch book on the same day!

Stay Away from Him by Andrew DeYoung
Published by: Poisoned Pen Press
Publication Date: July 8th, 2025
Format: Paperback, 336 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"On the evening she met exonerated murderer Thomas Danver, Melissa Burke let him help put her five-year-old son to bed before coming back upstairs to enjoy the dinner party. Thomas was so nice, and a pediatrician. She didn't know anything then about his wife's suspicious death...

Relocating with her 5-year-old son to a new city after an ugly divorce, Melissa Burke isn't looking for a new relationship right away - only distance from her ex, and space to rest and heal from the emotional scars of a broken marriage. But an unexpected relationship is exactly what she finds at a friend's dinner party when she meets Thomas Danver, a charming widower who asks for her number at the end of the night. Intrigued, Melissa learns from her neighbors that Thomas is a dedicated father of two girls, one of the most respected pediatricians in the city - and an exonerated murderer.

Thomas's first wife went missing three years ago, presumed dead, and Thomas was eventually cleared of her murder in an investigation that became a local media sensation. But while some still believe he killed his wife, Melissa's friends insist that he was unfairly targeted by the police and couldn't hurt a fly. Attracted to Thomas and also fascinated by the case, Melissa agrees to one date - and finds herself quickly swept into an obsessive, whirlwind romance.

But when Melissa receives a chilling, anonymous threat - or perhaps it's a warning - she begins to question how much she truly knows about the man she's falling in love with. Is he really innocent?"

I think Melissa Burke has terrible taste in men.

The Myth Maker by Alie Dumas-Heidt
Published by: Crooked Lane Books
Publication Date: July 8th, 2025
Format: Hardcover, 320 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"Someone is killing women and staging their bodies in strange, evocative scenes in this Greek-mythology-inspired serial killer thriller perfect, for fans of Alex Michaelides and Tana French.

Cassidy Cantwell has devoted her life to becoming a detective, never forgetting the cold case that has influenced her entire career: the unsolved murder of her best friend. Cassidy tries to balance her demanding job with her suffocatingly close-knit family and her increasingly clingy boyfriend, but when a strange new murder case comes across her desk, she's determined to solve it, especially when it turns out the victim was the wife of her college ex-boyfriend.

While Cassidy's partner, Bryan, works to prove that her ex is their suspect, Cassidy can't shake the feeling that there's something more to the case that they're not seeing. After the medical examiner finds a strange ring among the victim's personal effects that the husband insists didn't belong to his wife, Cassidy is struck by similarly odd details from a previous crime scene - details that seem to have an uncanny connection to a Greek myth.

When another body attracts public attention and the FBI joins the hunt, the case gets increasingly complicated - and solving it seems further and further out of reach. With anonymous taunts about her best friend's death dragging her attention away, Cassidy finds herself pulled in different directions - sacrifice her personal life for the sake of her career, or put everything she has into finding years-old answers to a case that haunts her still.

And the killer behind the murders isn't done yet."

Maybe Cassidy can't move on until she finds the answers? I know I wouldn't.

The Finer Things by J.D. Barker and Kyle Dunn
Published by: Hampton Creek Press
Publication Date: July 8th, 2025
Format: Paperback, 384 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"His art will take your breath away.

In the shadows of 1950s New York, a brilliant mind teeters on the edge of madness. Edgar Maguire's sculptures are taking the art world by storm, but behind each masterpiece lies a horrifying secret.

When Fiona, the object of Edgar's lifelong obsession, reenters his life, it ignites a passion that blurs the lines between creation and destruction. As his art evolves into something terrifyingly beautiful, a trail of bodies begins to surface across the city.

Detective George Snyder is closing in, but can he unravel the connection between the murders and Edgar's rising star before it's too late?"

That intersection of art and murder is very Hannibal. I approve. 

Arsenic and Old Lies by Benedict Brown
Published by: Storm Publishing
Publication Date: July 8th, 2025
Format: Kindle, 319 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"A dead body in the study, a terrible wrong to put right, and a trail that leads to murder...

London, 1928. Mystery writer and amateur detective Marius Quin is reeling from his friend's murder in his own home. Forced to stay away from the case, he's in urgent need of distraction when fate points him towards Felicity Mortimer, a woman imprisoned for poisoning her husband fifteen years earlier.

Marius soon becomes convinced of Felicity's innocence, and when he discovers a key witness with his throat cut, it's clear that the real killer is still on the loose. Determined to uncover the truth, Marius drags his partner-in-crime-solving, Lady Bella Montague, (not to forget his basset hound, Percy) to a manor house deep within the New Forest. But what dark secrets are concealed at the picturesque estate where Felicity once lived?

As their search for answers stirs up more violence, can Marius and Bella expose a deadly plot before death stalks the halls of Rhinefield House...again?"

I'm obviously here for the house.

Miss Caroline Bingley, Private Investigator by Kelly Gardiner and Sharmini Kumar
Published by: HarperVia
Publication Date: July 8th, 2025
Format: Paperback, 368 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"In this imaginative cozy mystery, the search for a missing maid leads Miss Caroline Bingley from Jane Austen's beloved Pride and Prejudice into murder and mayhem in the gritty underbelly of Regency London.

Two years after her brother Charles Bingley weds Miss Jane Bennett, Miss Caroline Bingley is visiting her brother's country estate near Pemberley, the home of their best friends, Mr. and Mrs. Darcy. Restless and out of sorts, Caroline wonders if there's more to life than playing cribbage and paying calls on country neighbors.

When Georgiana Darcy's maid, Jayani disappears and Georgiana sets off to find her, Caroline races to to find them in London, where she stumbles on a shocking, cold-blooded murder. Reunited with Georgiana, the pair careen through the gritty, grimy underbelly of London, a world unfamiliar to two genteel aristocratic ladies. Assisted by Caroline's trusty manservant, Gordon, the tenacious Caroline demands answers of shady characters, police magistrates, and mysterious East India Company men to discover the killer. Their search will reveal the cost of Empire on India and its people...and Miss Bingley's incomparable powers of investigation.

As Caroline puts her superior new talents to work, she finds out exactly what an accomplished, independent woman with a sharp mind and a large fortune can achieve - even when pitted against secrets, scandal, and a murderer with no mercy."

No one ever doubted that Miss Caroline Bingley was smart, she always saw what others didn't, which makes her the perfect detective.

The Great Misfortune of Stella Sedgewick by S. Isabelle
Published by: Storytide
Publication Date: July 8th, 2025
Format: Hardcover, 352 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"Bridgerton meets The Davenports in this wildly entertaining standalone romance, following a young Black woman trying to balance her independence with her future in 1860s London's high society.

Stella Sedgwick is a lost cause.

Banished from etiquette lessons and unsure of her future, Stella dreams of a writing career and independence, but 1860s England offers little opportunity beyond marriage or servitude for a sharp-tongued, dark-skinned girl.

When her late mother's former employer summons Stella to London, he tells her of his intention to bequeath one of the family's great estates to her. It's a life-changing inheritance, but one that will precipitate a legal battle that would be easier if Stella were married. With her cousin Olivia by her side, Stella is thrust into London society and must navigate fashion and balls, insults and stares, and a rekindled connection to Nathaniel, her childhood best friend with a rakish reputation.

Beyond the marriage market, living in London presents intriguing opportunities to Stella, like picking up her mother's anonymous advice column to guide readers through upper-class perils. As new acquaintances are made and old secrets are uncovered, Stella must decide when to play by the rules, when to break them, and when to let herself follow her heart."

That cover and this story are just the summery breath of romantic air you've been waiting for.

The Homemade Gods by Rachel Joyce
Published by: The Dial Press
Publication Date: July 8th, 2025
Format: Hardcover, 336 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"With sparkling wit and insight, this powerful novel from the bestselling author of The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry reminds us that family is everything, even when it falls apart.

There is a heatwave across Europe, and four siblings have gathered at their family's lake house to seek answers about their father, a famous artist, who recently remarried a much younger woman and decamped to Italy to finish his long-awaited masterpiece.

Now he is dead. And there is no sign of his final painting.

As the siblings try to piece together what happened, they spend the summer in a state of lawlessness: living under the same roof for the first time in decades, forced to confront the buried wounds they incurred as his children, and waiting for answers. Though they have always been close, the things they learn that summer - about themselves - and their father - will drive them apart before they can truly understand his legacy. Meanwhile, their stepmother's enigmatic presence looms over the house. Is she the force that will finally destroy the family for good?

Wonderfully atmospheric, at heart this is a novel about the bonds of siblinghood - what happens when they splinter, and what it might take to reconnect them."

If you can't spend the summer in Italy feuding with family, this can transport you there!

Predatory Natures by Amy Goldsmith
Published by: Delacorte Press
Publication Date: July 8th, 2025
Format: Hardcover, 432 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"A teen girl's dream job aboard a luxury train derails when she discovers the strange cargo being transported - a mysterious and beautiful greenhouse - but its flowering façade may hide deadly thorns beneath, in this atmospheric and lush novel from the author of Those We Drown.

When Lara Williams gets a summer job aboard the luxury train the Banebury, she thinks she's landed a five-star escape from her past. Even after she learns that her ex-friend Rhys, who she definitely did not have feelings for before their relationship imploded, is one of her coworkers, she's determined to make things work.

But on the first day of their journey, the trip takes a strange turn. Two mysterious carriages filled with an array of beautiful and rare plants are attached to the Banebury in the middle of the night.

And with them comes a pair of siblings. Wealthy, mysterious, and charismatic, Gwen and Gwydion claim the plants they're transporting are for research, but Lara can't shake the feeling that there's something...otherworldly about the strange blooms. Something that will stop at nothing to ensure the Banebury never reaches its destination.

Soon Lara will learn: You can't outrun your troubles. You have to grab them by their roots. And if she can't unearth the secrets of the Banebury, they might drag her down for good..."

I would never want to work on a train, just three days on a train once and I couldn't even walk on solid ground without feeling it was trying to rise up and attack me.

Posted by Miss Eliza at 12:00 AM 0 comments  

Labels: Alie Dumas-Heidt, Amy Goldsmith, Andrew Cartmel, Andrew DeYoung, Ben Aaronovitch, Benedict Brown, Elly Griffiths, J.D. Barker, Kelly Gardiner, Kyle Dunn, Rachel Joyce, Ruth Ware, S. Isabelle, S.T. Gibson, Sharmini Kumar

Thus with a Kiss I Die by Christina Dodd
Published by: A John Scognamiglio Book
Publication Date: June 24th, 2025
Format: Hardcover, 352 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"The delightfully irreverent eldest daughter of the not-so-ill-fated Romeo and Juliet returns to sleuth another day in fair Verona, in this hugely entertaining historical mystery series with a refreshingly bold premise.

"Woe, for I am the bug that meets the windshield's might,
No longer the speeding glass, smooth, clean and bright..."

You're right. I, Rosie Montague of Verona, am lousy at iambic pentameter and Shakespeare speak, but you get the point: Sometimes you're the windshield and sometimes you're the bug. I, who for my whole life, have cruised along, unruffled by life's trials, am suddenly smashed flat and speeding recklessly up the WhattheHellHappened Highway.

Why? you ask...

I'm 20-years-old and by my own design, never been wed, free as no married woman ever is. I'm beautiful, but without conceit, for Juliet, my legendary Mamma is the most gorgeous creature to ever walk the earth. Just ask Romeo, my legendary Papà. (Rumors of their deaths were premature.) I was heartwhole until I fell (literally) in love with Lysander of the House of Beautiful. But our love was not to be, for I was thwarted by Escalus, the Prince of Verona...who had designs on me.

I'm trapped.

Then! I'm presented with a solution. Escalus's father, Prince Escalus the Elder, appears to me. He tasks that I find his killer. Did I mention Elder is a ghost?

Given that I only recently dispatched Verona's first serial killer, I'm less than pleased. Yet Elder promises to unite me with my One True Love, so I gather clues. Meanwhile, revolution threatens, for beneath Verona society's glittering surface lurk dark shadows - and an enemy eager to make me a tragic heroine in my own right..."

Aside for the whole windshield anachronism I'm game. Then again, there are ghosts, so should I even call out an anachronism? 

A Terribly Nasty Business by Julia Seales
Published by: Random House
Publication Date: June 24th, 2025
Format: Hardcover, 320 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"London provides fabulously deadly opportunities for a fledgling inspector in the twisty follow-up to Julia Seales's bestselling debut, A Most Agreeable Murder, hailed by People as a "delightful cocktail...of wit, hilarity, and suspense!"

After achieving her lifelong dream of solving a murder, bringing a killer to justice, and proving she is not, in fact, a morbid creep, Beatrice Steele feels like everything is finally falling into place. She's traded her etiquette-obsessed community of Swampshire for the big city of London, accompanied by her ever-trusty chaperone, Miss Bolton. They've settled in a lovely neighborhood, Sweetbriar, known for its proximity to the Sweet Majestic theater, picturesque pleasure gardens, and an unfortunate infestation of flying squirrels. But Beatrice's favorite part is that Sweetbriar is also home to DS Investigations, the new office she opened with the prickly, annoyingly logical Inspector Drake to solve the city's brutally thrilling crimes.

However, nothing is turning out how Beatrice imagined it would. Sir Huxley, famed gentleman inspector and Beatrice's former crush, is still considered the real investigator in London, so the only cases left for Beatrice and Drake are lost pets and spectacles. Not that Beatrice has much time for crime-solving anyway, as her mother still expects her to find an eligible (rich) husband to protect their family from destitution. Beatrice is struggling to balance all the demands on her and begins to wonder if she can become a true detective in a city that feels full of false promises.

That is until a string of murders thrusts Beatrice and Drake into the center of a scandal that pits the neighborhood's wealthiest against the arts community, spreading fear and chaos throughout the city. As they follow the trail through bewildering ballrooms, secretive shops, and odd operas, Beatrice must survive threats to her partnership, her business, and her place in society to break the case - before it's too late."

Can they also investigate the flying squirrel infestation? I really want that investigated. 

A Daughter's Guide to mothers and Murder by Dianne Freeman
Published by: Kensington
Publication Date: June 24th, 2025
Format: Hardcover, 304 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"In the latest USA Today bestselling, Victorian Era-set Countess of Harleigh Mystery from multi-award winning author Dianne Freeman, Frances Hazelton and her husband, George, uncover the secrets of backstage Paris to find out who's acting the role of a killer to chilling perfection...

Frances and George are enjoying some well-deserved leisure time in Paris when an old acquaintance from London, Alicia Stoke-Whitney, seeks Frances's help to investigate a personal matter. Alicia's daughter is being courted by Carlson Deaver, a wealthy American shadowed by a very suspicious tragedy.

Less than a year ago, Carlson's wife, a former actress, was murdered, her body discovered in one of the more dubious quartiers in Paris. Though authorities guess it was a robbery gone wrong, no one was ever brought to justice. Until Daniel Cadieux, Inspector for the Sûreté, follows a startling new lead. None other than Sarah Bernhardt, legendary icon of the Paris stage, receives a piece of jewelry stolen from the victim, along with an incriminating note: I know what you did.

It opens a new door for the Hazeltons' investigation, as well. But not a soul believes that the Divine Sarah would become entangled in something so disreputable as murder - even if she and the late Mrs. Deaver did have a history of theatrical clashes. Amid questions of revenge, blackmail, scandals, and secrets, more poisoned pen letters follow, and suspects abound. Now it's up to Francis and George to infiltrate the most elite social circles of Paris, and find a culprit before another victim faces their final act."

I love any fracas involving a theatre! Must be the real reason I got a theatre degree...

The Colony of Lost Souls by Kelsey James
Published by: A John Scognamiglio Book
Publication Date: June 24th, 2025
Format: Paperback, 3504 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"A young woman searching for her missing sister in 1930s California is drawn into a dark and dangerous cult in this intoxicating binge of sacrifice and obsession, strange rituals, alluring promises, and a beautiful prison for readers of Silvia Moreno Garcia, Nicola Harrison, Laura Purcell, California Golden by Melanie Benjamin, and Emma Cline's The Girls.

Born a year apart, May and June Anderson were once as close as twins. Time and a loveless marriage changed the once vibrant May into June's timid counterpart. Now, two years after June abruptly disappeared, May receives a letter from her sister, inviting her to visit a mysterious colony in southern California. Eager to match June's boldness for once, May doesn't hesitate.

The Colony is located in a magnificent Spanish Revival-style mansion perched on a bluff overlooking the Pacific, and is presided over by the group's charismatic leader, Rex. Colony members believe in an afterlife where departed souls mingle, and that the truly enlightened can even summon back the spirits of lost loved ones. May is told that June has recently left on a mission, and she's intrigued enough to accept Rex's invitation to stay until her sister's return.

Drawn deeper into the group, and under Rex's seductive spell, May undergoes their initiation ceremony. Yet her questions grow more urgent with June's continued absence - and the warnings of a presumptuous but charming undercover investigator. May has longed for the daring, adventurous life her sister pursued, but her arrival has sparked a dangerous unraveling within the Colony, where nothing and no one is quite as it seems.

Gripping and atmospheric, The Colony of Lost Souls immerses readers in a world of secrets, deception, and unexpected redemption."

Oh, her sister is SO dead. That's the "mission" she one FOR SURE.

The Loveless Child by Elsie Mason
Published by: Orion
Publication Date: June 24th, 2025
Format: Paperback, 368 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"England, 1940s.

Minnie has spent most of her life feeling like a plain Jane, watching things happen around her, waiting for something - just something - to once happen to her. When her old best friend, the beautiful and callous Junie, unexpectedly returns to Sixteen Streets, Minnie's not quite sure how to feel. Once inseparable, the two now find themselves at odds. And when Junie strikes up a romance with Minnie's brother Derek, Minnie can't help but feel lonelier than ever...

Junie's looking to start anew - she's running from her mucky, strained life in South Manchester, and the cruel man she shared it with. But when she returns to Sixteen Streets, all her old wounds - from her mother to her friends - resurface. And she has no choice but to face them, and this place she once called home.

In the midst of it all, can the two women find their way back to each other - and themselves  - once again?

Or will Sixteen Streets really break them apart?"

Oh my, my friend Paul's books, written under his nom de plume Elsie Mason, are FINALLY available stateside.

The Dark Library by Mary Anna Evans
Published by: Poisoned Pen Press
Publication Date: June 24th, 2025
Format: Hardcover, 384 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"Can a family's dark history repeat itself?

Estella Ecker has returned to Rockfall House, the last place on earth she wants to be. Years after she ran away from her overbearing father, she has been forced back home to walk in his footsteps, teaching at the college he dominated and living in the fabulous home where he entertained artists and scholars for decades - and perhaps she owns it now, because her mercurial mother has disappeared. At the center of everything - the whispers, the rumors, the secrets - is her father's library of rare books, which she had been forbidden to touch while he was alive to stop her.

Everyone in town is watching Estella, with her dead father's name on their lips, and no one seems to care about her missing mother. Who were her parents, really, and is the answer hidden somewhere in the depths of Rockfall House? And who will Estella be, if she gathers enough courage to find that answer? What she discovers is that no one can escape the secrets hidden in this dark library.

Suspenseful and unsettling but ultimately triumphant, The Dark Library by acclaimed author Mary Anna Evans is a compelling tale of mystery, family secrets, and the quest for truth."

I want into that library as well!

An Amateur Sleuth's Guide to Murder by Lynn Cahoon
Published by: Kensington Cozies
Publication Date: June 24th, 2025
Format: Hardcover, 256 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"New York Times bestselling author Lynn Cahoon makes her hardcover debut with an irresistible new meta-mystery series about an amateur sleuth who doesn't just solve crimes, she writes about how to do it...

TIP #1: WHAT DOESN'T KILL YOU COUNTS AS WORK EXPERIENCE
Meg Gates could use a guidebook for life. Indeed, she's faced some challenges. She dropped out of college to work for a tech startup that failed - and her fiancé just took her bridesmaid to Italy on what was supposed to be Meg's honeymoon.

Now, at twenty-six, Meg has taken the ferry ride of shame from Seattle back to Bainbridge Island to live with her family. At least she has her rescue cocker spaniel, Watson, by her side. But it's Meg who could use a rescue - and she's hoping it will come in the form of a part-time gig doing research for a bestselling mystery writer.

TIP #2: WRITE WHAT YOU KNOW - OR WHAT YOU WANT TO KNOW
That's when the light bulb goes on: Meg will write her own guidebook - a manual on criminal investigation. But before she can impress her new boss with her pet project, the author's manager is found dead on the rocks beneath the author's Gothic mansion.

Now it's time to put her guide to the test, as Meg sets out to clear her employer of suspicion and solve the crime. But there's one important caveat she'll have to add to her guide -

TIP #3: BEWARE OF UNKNOWN DANGERS"

I mean, Meg doesn't seem to be the best judge in character, so here's hoping she survives.

Like a Bullet by Andrew Cartmel
Published by: Titan Books
Publication Date: June 24th, 2025
Format: Paperback, 304 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"Humorous cosy-crime caper from the author of the beloved, bestselling Vinyl Detective series in which a feisty, amoral book dealer uses her unique skills to solve fiendish crimes, a love letter to Agatha Christie murder mysteries and classic whodunnits.

When Erik Make Loud, retired rock star and a major World War Two nut, hires Cordelia, the Paperback Sleuth, to track down a series of lurid paperbacks about his favourite global conflict - the "Commando" novels by the blatantly pseudonymous Butch Raider - it seems like a routine job. But Cordelia soon discovers the final novel in the series, the incredibly rare Commando Gold, is all but impossible to track down.

The books' creator - real name Monty Harrington, once a promising young poet and now a depraved drunk - proves easier to find. Writing pulp war stories didn't come naturally to Monty. Until he met someone who knew all about such stuff during a pub crawl; a genuine ex-commando who, for the price of a pint or two, was willing to provide Monty with authentic anecdotes.

Too authentic, it turns out...

Because Commando Gold reveals the details of a real-life commando mission.

At the time the mission was top secret.

And all these years later, someone is quite prepared to kill to keep it so."

Firstly, I wish I had the money to hire someone to hunt down rare books for me. And secondly, I would totally love to be hired to hunt down rare books.

V is for Venom by Kathryn Harkup
Published by: Bloomsbury Sigma
Publication Date: June 24th, 2025
Format: Hardcover, 320 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"Fourteen stories. Fourteen more poisons. Just because it's fiction doesn't mean it's all made-up...

Agatha Christie is renowned for her captivating plots and creative ways of killing off ill-fated victims. And what better way to add intrigue to a story than poison? The surreptitious ways they can be administered and the characteristic symptoms they produce make these killer chemicals the ideal method of murder in a 'whodunit'. Christie perfected the use of poisons in her plots; her deft and varied use of toxic substances is one of her great strengths as a writer. But how is it that some compounds prove so fatal, and in such tiny amounts?

The follow up to Kathryn Harkup's best-selling A is for Arsenic, V is for Venom is a compelling exploration of Christie's use of poisons and her extensive chemical knowledge. Featuring fourteen more poisons from the works of Agatha Christie, this book investigates the science behind the deadly substances, the history of their use in real-life murder cases, and how feasible was it to obtain, administer and detect these poisons in Christie's time and today. Combining Christie's murder mysteries, chemical science and true crime, V is for Venom is a celebration of the use of science by the undisputed Queen of Crime."

Ever since I saw Olivia Williams star in Agatha Christie: A Life in Pictures I have been fascinated by Christie's real life chemical knowledge. 

Bone Hash by Skye Griffith
Published by: Artemesia Publishing, LLC
Publication Date: June 24th, 2025
Format: Paperback, 284 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"Ancient Bones. A modern murder. A deadly secret buried deep in the desert.

In the vast untamed desert of northern Arizona, Aideen Connor signs on as lead archaeologist hoping to find peace after witnessing her husband's violent death. Instead, she stumbles into a mystery as ancient and dangerous as the land itself. Aideen's team uncovers a "bone hash," human bones showing evidence of prehistoric cannibalism. Then a brutal murder shocks the residents of the nearby Hopi Reservation. Unsettling connections emerge between the murder and her dig, and Aideen's world begins to unravel.

Aideen's boss blames her when the bone hash is stolen. Violent threats begin: A sheep is viciously killed under her residential trailer, a photo of her dead husband left in its blood. A hulky stranger chases her across remote backcountry and attacks her. All threats point to a grim reality: someone wants her gone. Aideen must navigate a maze of buried truths with only her dog, Dakota for companionship. Every clue leads her closer to the secrets buried at her dig that could cost her more than her career - they could cost her life."

For fans of Dark Winds, particularly this most recent season. 

Don't Let Him In by Lisa Jewell
Published by: Atria Books
Publication Date: June 24th, 2025
Format: Hardcover, 368 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"From #1 New York Times bestseller Lisa Jewell, an author "at the very top of her game" (Lucy Foley) - three women are connected by one man in this kaleidoscopic thriller.

"Who are you? Who are you really?"

Nick Radcliffe is a man of substance and good taste. He has a smile that could melt the coldest heart and a knack for putting others at ease. He's just what Nina Swann needed in her life after her husband's unexpected death. But to Nina's adult daughter, Ash, Nick seems too slick, too polished, too good to be true. Without telling her mother, Ash begins digging into Nick's past. What she finds is more than unsettling...

"Because there are things that don’t make sense, and I've been so patient, so very patient..."

Martha is a florist living in a neighboring town with her infant daughter and her devoted husband Alistair. But lately, Alistair has been traveling more and more frequently for work, disappearing for days at a time. When Martha questions him about his frequent absences, he always has a legitimate explanation, but Martha can't share the feeling that something isn't right.

"You know that’s mad, don’t you? I'm your husband. We know everything there is to know about each other."

Nina, Martha, and Ash are on a collision course with a shocking truth that is far darker than anyone could have imagined. And all three are about to wish they had heeded the same warning: Don't let him in. But the past won't stay buried forever."

Minimally there's gotta be two families going on, which always intrigues and exhausts me to think of.

The No-End House by Jeremy Bates
Published by: Kensington
Publication Date: June 24th, 2025
Format: Paperback, 320 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"In the tradition of Saw and Eli Roth’s Hostel, but with the evil supernatural twists of Stephen King, Alma Katsu, and Christopher Golden, two strangers unwittingly volunteer for the ultimate haunted house challenge in Barcelona's Gothic Quarter.

Nine rooms. Nine tests. One chance to get out alive. No one makes it to the end of The No-End House.

Bestselling author Jeremy Bates invites you to spend the night in The No-End House. Where the nightmares begin as soon as you enter - and the terror never ends...

It's the ultimate haunted house challenge. A crumbling stone mansion nestled in the Gothic Quarter of Barcelona, it may be the best-kept secret in Europe - a little-known attraction featuring nine escape rooms to explore, nine puzzles to solve, and a large cash prize for anyone who makes it to the end. There's just one catch: no one makes it to the end of The No-End House...

When Joe Hadfield hears about the house from a pair of backpackers, he's intrigued but not interested. He's trying to escape a nightmare of his own: the trauma of witnessing his wife's grisly death. Traveling the world to ease his pain and grief, he meets a beautiful stranger named Helen who convinces him to try The No-End House challenge together. Joe reluctantly agrees. But as soon as they enter its walls, meet its mysterious host - and sign an ominous contract - Joe begins to understand the seductive power of The No-End House...

It knows his darkest secrets. It feeds his greatest fears. It makes him do things he would never do. And there is no end to what he will do...to make it out alive."

Oh, oh yes. I love to read these kinds of stories because there's no way in hell anyone would get me into The No-End House. 

Smile for the Cameras by Miranda Smith
Published by: Bantam
Publication Date: June 24th, 2025
Format: Hardcover, 320 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"An actress desperate to reclaim her fame must survive the real-life plot of the horror movie that made her famous in this psychologically twisted locked-room thriller influenced by nineties slasher films.

Twenty years ago, Ella Winters was the it girl. She made a name for herself in Hollywood and throughout America as the sole survivor in the cult-classic slasher Grad Night. But the real horror is what happened when the cameras weren't rolling - something terrible that Ella and her co-stars agreed never to speak of again. Shortly after the movie's premiere, Ella disappeared from the acting scene under the pretense of caring for her ailing mother, hoping for a quiet life out of the spotlight to ease her guilty mind.

Since her mother's passing, Ella has decided to return to the silver screen. And with the cast and crew of Grad Night in the process of filming a reunion documentary, Ella has an express ticket back into Hollywood's good graces. Weighed down by the secret she's been keeping all these years, Ella apprehensively makes the trip to the original set - a cabin in rural Tennessee - to reunite with her castmates for the first time in more than a decade. But when the actors begin to meet the same gruesome fates as the characters they originally played, falling victim to someone dressed as the Grad Night villain, it's clear their secret is out.

Now, the question is: Can the final girl survive one last nightmare?"

So the documentary was totally staged for a revenge killing right?

Glass Girls by Danie Shokoohi
Published by: Zando - Gillian Flynn Books
Publication Date: June 24th, 2025
Format: Hardcover, 336 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"A former child medium is forced to face her deadly past and the ghosts she left behind in this electrifying debut.

Alice Haserot thought she'd escaped the curse. For sixteen years, she's lived far from her family and the ghosts she used to conjure. But her past isn't so easily left behind.

When Alice discovers she's pregnant and her estranged sister, Bronwyn, turns up on her doorstep, her carefully built new life begins to unravel. Bronwyn offers an ultimatum: one of her daughters is trying to possess the other, and only Alice has the power to save them. If Alice refuses, Bronwyn will go to their abusive mother and expose her location.

Forced to confront the terrors of her childhood, Alice returns home to face the inheritance of her family curse. Tautly paced and gorgeously written, Glass Girls explores the deep, complicated bonds of family and the shadows that follow us, no matter how far we run."

Former. Child. Medium. Everything else is gravy. 

Eliza and the Duke by Harper St. George
Published by: Berkley
Publication Date: June 24th, 2025
Format: Paperback, 336 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"American heiress Eliza Dove was resigned to a polite marriage of convenience...until she spent one wicked night with the Duke.

All hopeless romantic Eliza Dove asked for was one night of adventure. One glorious evening of freedom to explore the dark corners of London with a mysterious stranger before a lifetime trapped in a quiet, respectable marriage of convenience. Except now she wants more. Now she wants him.

Simon Cavell is no gentleman. Known only as 'the Duke,' Whitechapel's prize boxer is one fight away from achieving his goal: to safeguard his late sister's only treasure and leave the streets for good. He cannot allow some pretty young heiress to spill his secrets, no matter how tempting she might be. In return for her silence, Simon will give Eliza a taste of the darkness...and hope he doesn't lose his heart in the process.

But one night together could never be enough. And now Eliza has a new plan - an even more scandalous bargain that will either land the heiress her duke or ruin them both."

I like to think that Harper St. George is a fan of Miss Scarlet and the Duke and was sad when the Duke left and therefore this is her way to get Eliza Scarlet and the Duke together...

Look Before You Leap by Virginia Heath
Published by: St. Martin's Griffin
Publication Date: June 24th, 2025
Format: Paperback, 320 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"In this hilarious second installment of a Regency romance series, a single lord is forced to settle down...and when a houseparty brings a happy-go-lucky lady's companion his way, his grumpy heart is unexpectedly warmed.

Nine years ago, Lord Guy Harrowby, Viscount Wennington, was publicly humiliated by a failed and reckless romantic gesture. Despite this, his mother clings to the promise he made her then: that she would have a house full of grandchildren by his thirtieth birthday. Still single, embittered, and swiftly approaching thirty, Guy's work is his life. In desperation, his mother blindsides Guy with a weeklong house party at his estate filled with annoying debutantes, all competing to be his wife.

After failing as a governess, Lottie Travers is struggling as a lady's companion. Raised in an all-male household, she's developed habits that get her dismissed. Even after years of Miss Prentice's teachings of how to be a lady, she climbs trees better than she embroiders and can't resist riding horses astride, in breeches. But with the family farm in trouble, and her father now in dire need of her wages, she's determined to conquer her wildness once and for all.

Even with his home full of eligible women, there is only one who catches Guy's eye - though he tries to deny it. For Lottie, succeeding in her new role proves difficult when the Wennington estate is filled with horses, and a spark ignites between her and the grumpy lord. Will they remain stuck in their ways, or learn that they may just be the perfect match?"

I mean, Guy's mama knows it takes awhile even after marriage for the grandkids to start coming right? 

The Camomile by Catherine Carswell
Published by: British Library
Publication Date: June 24th, 2025
Format: Paperback, 224 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"'The chamomile, the more it is trodden on, the faster is grows.' Shakespeare, Henry IV Part 1

The opening quote of The Camomile provides an insight into the book's title. The narrative highlights the tensions for a woman in the early 20th century between the desire to explore her creativity and the duties expected of her as a prospective wife. Through a series of journal entries, which form an extended letter to her best friend, we follow the protagonist, Ellen, who rents out a room away from her family to provide a quiet space in which to focus on her music and her writing. Ellen is a lively soul who wants the freedom to express herself and she finds a champion of her endeavors at the Mitchell Library. But as she falls in love and becomes betrothed to a doctor who is soon to return to India, she finds herself increasingly conflicted and has to eventually make a choice."

I just gotta say how much I adore the cover of this book. It's perfect but also wonderfully reflects the contents inside it's covers.

Loving Spirits at the Vintage Teashop by Sharon Booth
Published by: Boldwood Books
Publication Date: June 24th, 2025
Format: eBook, 349 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"Fans of Heidi Swain, Lucy Jane Wood, and the BBC series Ghosts will love this heart-warming, cosy, romantic novel with a magical twist.

The beautiful Cotswold village of Rowan Vale is run as a living museum, allowing tourists to see history in action. But there's more to the place than any visitor would guess...

Fifty-something Shona grew up in the village and now runs its vintage, 1940s-themed teashop. Not everyone knows that the previous manager, her great-aunt Polly, still lives there too...as a ghost!

When newcomer Max arrives, hoping to find out more about the place where his German grandfather was a prisoner of war, both Shona and Polly are unsettled. Shona, because handsome, interesting Max is the first man to catch her eye since her divorce, and Polly, because she must finally confront the terrible truth about her past.

A 1940s-themed weekend planned for the village brings the families' connections to a head and tragic secrets to light.

Can Shona help her ghostly great-aunt to find love and forgiveness once more, while also creating her own happy ever after?

The second in the comforting, feel-good, romantic series with a dash of fantasy that started with Kindred Spirits at Harling Hall."

Aw, ghostly HEAs!

The Secret Romantic's Book of Magic edited by Marie O'Regan and Paul Kane
Published by: Titan Books
Publication Date: June 24th, 2025
Format: Hardcover, 384 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"Enemies become lovers, rivalry turns to romance, and convenient marriages create true love in these 12 addictive Romantasy tales.

Featuring Olivie Blake, Kelley Armstrong, Katherine Arden, Hannah Nicole Maehrer, Tasha Suri, Melissa Marr and more.

Fall in love with these twelve gorgeous Romantasy stories from bestselling and beloved authors.

Lost lovers return for a second chance - but what are their motives? Academic rivals compete for a prestigious position, but their sizzling chemistry might get in the way. A monster slayer​ posing as an unwitting sacrifice meets an intriguingly moral prince.

From relationships caught in disparate timelines to ghostly ballrooms and dragons that need rescuing from princesses, this anthology gives you an inventive new spin on all your favorite tropes, and much more that you've never seen before.

FEATURING BRAND-NEW STORIES FROM:
Olivie Blake
A. G. Slatter
Tasha Suri
Katherine Arden
Kelley Armstrong
Hannah N. Maehrer
Melissa Marr
Megan Bannen
Kelly Andrew
Kamilah Cole
A. C. Wise
Eliza Chan"

Damn, that lineup! Just damn.

A Magic Deep and Drowning by Hester Fox
Published by: Graydon House
Publication Date: June 24th, 2025
Format: Hardcover, 352 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"Set in the waning days of the Dutch Golden Age, this enchanting, lush reimagining of The Little Mermaid is perfect for fans of Jesse Burton's The Miniaturist and Leigh Bardugo's The Familiar.

The Dutch Republic, 1650. One fine spring day in Friesland, twenty-year-old Clara van Wieren is faced with an ill omen: a whale, beached and rotting in the noonday sun. But Clara doesn't believe in magic and superstition, and this portent is quickly dismissed when a proposal from a wealthy merchant arrives, promising Clara the freedom she seeks from her mother's overbearing rule.

When her attempts at overseeing the household at the family's estate lead to her chance encounter with a young man with russet hair and sparkling eyes the color of the sea, she finds herself strangely drawn to him. As Clara grows closer to Maurits, she must choose between the steady, gentle life she has been raised for and the man who makes her blood sing.

But Maurits isn't who he seems to be, and his secrets, once hidden beneath the waves, threaten to rise up and drown them both. And when an ancient bargain, forged in blood between the mythical people of the sea and the rulers of the land, begins to unravel, Clara finds herself at the heart of a deadly struggle for power."

I am a sucker for more dark and authentic takes on The Little Mermaid. 

A Treachery of Swans by A.B. Poranek
Published by: Margaret K. McElderry Books
Publication Date: June 24th, 2025
Format: Hardcover, 368 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"From the New York Times bestselling author of Where the Dark Stands Still comes an atmospheric fantasy based on Swan Lake, following Odile as her plan to restore magic to her kingdom gets disrupted by a murder - forcing her to beg for help from the young woman whose identity she stole.

Can two girls - one enchanted, one the enchantress - save their kingdom and each other?

Two hundred years ago, a slighted deity stole the magic from Auréal and vanished without a trace. But seventeen-year-old Odile has a plan. All her life, her father, a vengeful sorcerer, has raised her for one singular task: infiltrate the royal palace and steal the king's crown, an artefact with enough power to restore magic. But to enter the palace, she must assume the identity of a noblewoman. She chooses Marie d'Odette: famed for her beauty, a rumored candidate for future queen…and Odile's childhood-friend-turned-sworn-enemy.

With her father's help, Odile transforms Marie into a swan and takes her place at court. But when the king is brutally murdered and her own brother is accused, her plans are thrown into chaos. Desperate to free her brother, Odile is forced to team up with none other than elegant, infuriating Marie, the girl she has cursed…and the girl she can't seem to stop thinking about despite her best efforts.

To make matters worse, there are whispers that the king's murder was not at the hands of man, but beast. Torn between loyalty to her father and her growing feelings for Marie, Odile becomes tangled in a web of treachery and deceit. To save her kingdom, she must find the true path to magic...and find the real killer before they - or it - strikes again."

Very Black Swan vibes here. 

A Legionnaire's Guide to Love and Peace by Emily Skrutskie
Published by: Del Rey
Publication Date: June 24th, 2025
Format: Paperback, 368 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"In this charming fantasy with a swoony friends-to-lovers romance, two soldiers must choose the futures they want in the wake of a last-chance hookup on the night before the world was supposed to end.

On the eve of the battle that will decide the realm of Telrus's fate, Katrien takes a hard look at her prospects. A mere legionnaire, she and her spear will be at the fore in the morning, facing off against the Demon Lord and his wretched army, and it's all but certain she'll perish in the fight. But if the end of the world is mere hours away, there's no reason not to hook up with her handsome, dedicated battle partner, Emory - despite any antifraternization policies their centurion may have in place.

Only the world doesn't end the next day. Instead, an insufferable prince raised in hiding comes out of nowhere with a plucky band of heroes, defeats the Demon Lord, and seals the rift to the hellish plane. The realm is saved. The war is over. And Kat suddenly has a lot more future than she knows what to do with. It's a future that could include Emory...if only he weren't so set on staying enlisted in the very army Kat was unwillingly drafted into.

And while the Demon Lord has been destroyed, peace is still a long march away. When Kat inadvertently catches the eye of the prince, she, Emory, and the rest of their motley unit are pulled to the fore of the formation - and the heart of the danger - as the army embarks on one last campaign. The mission: laying a road as a foundation for the prince's future rule. The real mission: scouring the last of the Demon Lord's servants from the material plane.

As Kat and Emory work to secure a lasting peace, they'll have to decide what they want their futures to look like - and if there's room for love at the end of the road."

Apocalypse hookups are so awkward when someone saves the day...

A Sanctuary for Fire and Fate by Lolu Sinclair
Published by: LOST LUST
Publication Date: June 24th, 2025
Format: Kindle, 281 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"Mia takes her role at the sanctuary for mythical creatures very seriously. She's spent years tending to injured fauns, mischievous pixies, and orphaned baby dragons. But when brutally injured unicorns start turning up, she fears something ominous is headed their way.

Then Mia witnesses something very few humans have: a phoenix's fiery rebirth. And now, that phoenix wants her dead.

Asher has lived for centuries, surviving by a rule that cannot be broken: no one can witness his resurrection and live. But something about Mia stops him from killing her. A feeling he can't explain. The more time they spend together, the stronger the pull between them becomes. Something deeper than fate, more powerful than instinct.

Now, the ruthless Shadow Guild is closing in, and the sanctuary and its inhabitants are on the brink of annihilation. Mia and Asher must fight together if they want to protect the creatures and each other. Because some connections are impossible to break. And some loves are destined to burn forever.

For fans of slow-burn romantasy, high-stakes adventure, and breathtaking magical worlds, A Sanctuary for Fire and Fate is the first book in a spellbinding new series where love and destiny collide."

Orphaned baby dragons! I want to help save the orphaned baby dragons!

Arcana: The Lost Heirs by Sam Prentice-Jones
Published by: Feiwel and Friends
Publication Date: June 24th, 2025
Format: Hardcover, 384 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"Debut author/illustrator Sam Prentice-Jones explores fighting against your destiny and reconciling the actions of your ancestors in Arcana: The Lost Heirs, a tarot-inspired fantasy graphic novel for young adults.

James, Daphne, Koko, and Sonny have all grown up surrounded by magic in the Arcana, an organization of witches that protects the magical world, run by the mysterious and secretive Majors. Eli Jones, however, hadn't even known other witches existed...until he stumbled into James. As James introduces him to the world of the Arcana, Eli finds the family he never had and a blossoming romance with James.

The five new friends soon realize that sinister things are afoot, and everything may not be what it seems at the Arcana. When the group delves deeper into the mystery surrounding the deaths of their parents and the Majors' rise to power, they discover that they're at the center of a curse - one they've just unwittingly set into motion. As the friends search for answers, they'll have to confront the cursed legacy that links them in hopes of freeing their futures."

The tarot and how different people interpret it and weave it into stories fascinates me. 

Posted by Miss Eliza at 12:00 AM 0 comments  

Labels: Andrew Cartmel, Christina Dodd, Danie Shokoohi, Dianne Freeman, Elsie Mason, Harper St. George, Hester Fox, Julia Seales, Kathryn Harkup, Kelsey James, Lisa Jewell, Lynn Cahoon, Mary Anna Evans, Paul Magrs