strange and random happenstance

The Silver Tracks by Cornelia Funke
Published by: Pushkin Children's Books
Publication Date: November 9th, 2021
Format: Paperback, 368 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"The thrilling fourth instalment in Cornelia Funke's internationally bestselling Reckless series.

The fourth adventure through the Mirror leads to the Far East, where Jacob and Fox finally track down Will, who is travelling with rival hunter Nerron. In spite of his misgivings, Jacob agrees to go with them to the Island of the Foxes, in quest of another magical Mirror.

But their search quickly leads them into more peril, and as Jacob seeks security for himself and Fox, he is reminded of a disturbing promise he once made that now threatens everything.

Full of fairy tales and legends, old friends and new enemies, The Silver Tracks is the long-awaited fourth volume in the thrilling Reckless series."

Ever since the announcement of a forth book in the Inkworld series I have been doing a deep dive on reading Cornelia Funke and this book comes at just the right time. 

Amethyst: Princess of Gemworld by Shannon and Dean Hale 
Published by: DC Comics
Publication Date: November 9th, 2021
Format: Paperback, 160 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"Amaya, princess of House Amethyst in Gemworld, is something of a troublemaker. She and her brother have great fun together until a magical prank goes much too far and her parents ground her...to Earth! They hope a whole week in the mundane world will teach her that magic is a privilege...and maybe washing dishes by hand will help her realize the palace servants should be respected.

Three years later, Amy has settled into middle school and ordinary life. She doesn't remember any other home. So when a prince of the realm brings her home and restores her magical destiny, how will she cope?

Amethyst: Princess of Gemworld introduces a new generation to a fantastical place and a truly fantastic princess."

I SO didn't realize that this was a reboot of an old comic series, I just went, oh the Hales! And for me that's enough, for others, who knows, perhaps the revoot angle is what you're here for.

The Undertakers by Nicole Glover
Published by: Mariner Books
Publication Date: November 9th, 2021
Format: Paperback, 448 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"Nicole Glover delivers the second book in her exciting Murder and Magic series of historical fantasy novels featuring Hetty Rhodes and her husband, Benjy, magic practitioners and detectives living in post - Civil War Philadelphia.

Nothing bothers Hetty and Benjy Rhodes more than a case where the answers, motives, and the murder itself feel a bit too neat. Raimond Duval, a victim of one of the many fires that have erupted recently in Philadelphia, is officially declared dead after the accident, but Hetty and Benjy’s investigation points to a powerful Fire Company known to let homes in the Black community burn to the ground. Before long, another death breathes new life into the Duval investigation: Raimond’s son, Valentine, is also found dead.

Finding themselves with the dubious honor of taking on Valentine Duval as their first major funeral, it becomes clear that his passing was intentional. Valentine and his father’s deaths are connected, and the recent fires plaguing the city might be more linked to recent community events than Hetty and Benji originally thought.

The Undertakers continues the adventures of murder and magic, where even the most powerful enchantments can’t always protect you from the ghosts of the past..."

I love history reinterpreted with magic!

The Return of the Pharaoh by Nicholas Meyer
Published by: Minotaur Books
Publication Date: November 9th, 2021
Format: Hardcover, 272 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"In Nicholas Meyer's The Return of the Pharaoh, Sherlock Holmes returns in an adventure that takes him to Egypt in search of a missing nobleman, a previously undiscovered pharaoh's tomb, and a conspiracy that threatens his very life.

With his international bestseller, The Seven Per Cent Solution, Nicholas Meyer brought to light a previously unpublished case of Sherlock Holmes that reinvigorated the world's interest in the first consulting detective. Now, many years later, Meyer is given exclusive access to Dr. Watson's unpublished journal, wherein he details a previously unknown case.

In 1910, Dr. John Watson travels to Egypt with his wife Juliet. Her tuberculosis has returned and her doctor recommends a stay at a sanitarium in a dry climate. But while his wife undergoes treatment, Dr. Watson bumps into an old friend--Sherlock Holmes, in disguise and on a case. An English Duke with a penchant for egyptology has disappeared, leading to enquiries from his wife and the Home Office.

Holmes has discovered that the missing duke has indeed vanished from his lavish rooms in Cairo and that he was on the trail of a previous undiscovered and unopened tomb. And that he's only the latest Egyptologist to die or disappear under odd circumstances. With the help of Howard Carter, Holmes and Watson are on the trail of something much bigger, more important, and more sinister than an errant lord."

It's Sherlock Holmes and Egypt, I'm sold.

The Corpse in the Waxworks by John Dickson Carr
Published by: Poisoned Pen Press
Publication Date: November 9th, 2021
Format: Paperback, 288 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
""The purpose, the illusion, the spirit of a waxworks. It is an atmosphere of death. It is soundless and motionless... Do you see?"

Last night Mademoiselle Duchêne was seen heading into the Gallery of Horrors at the Musée Augustin waxworks, alive. Today she was found in the Seine, murdered. The museum's proprietor, long perturbed by the unnatural vitality of his figures, claims that he saw one of them following the victim into the dark - a lead that Henri Bencolin, head of the Paris police and expert of 'impossible' crimes, cannot possibly resist.

Surrounded by the eerie noises of the night, Bencolin prepares to enter the ill-fated waxworks, his associate Jeff Marle and the victim's fiancé in tow. Waiting within, beneath the glass-eyed gaze of a leering waxen satyr, is a gruesome discovery and the first clues of a twisted and ingenious mystery.

First published in 1932 at the height of crime fiction's Golden Age, this macabre and atmospheric dive into the murky underground of Parisian society presents an intelligent puzzle delivered at a stunning pace. This new edition also includes the rare Inspector Bencolin short story "The Murder in Number Four" by John Dickson Carr, and an Introduction by CWA Diamond Dagger-Award winning author Martin Edwards."

I'm feeling Poe and Collins overtones, yes please!

A Haunting at Holkham by Anne Glenconner
Published by: Mobius
Publication Date: November 9th, 2021
Format: Hardcover, 352 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"The thrilling new mystery from the bestselling author of Lady in Waiting and Murder on Mustique. Set during WWII in Holkham, think Downton Abbey meets Knives Out...

It's Christmas 1943 and Lady Anne Coke has returned to Holkham Hall from Scotland. But her home is now an army base, with large sections out of bounds. And 11-year-old Anne is in the care of a new governess, whom she hates and believes to be hiding something. At least her beloved grandfather is there with her, to share stories and keep her entertained.

But even though she's been told to stay away from certain parts of the house, Anne knows secrets about the hall that others do not; the passageways and the cellars that allow her to move around unnoticed, watching. And when mysterious events lead to a murder and disappearance, Anne is determined to uncover the truth."

It's that Knives Out comparison that had me sit up and take notice!

Psycho by the Sea by Lynne Truss
Published by: Raven Books
Publication Date: November 9th, 2021
Format: Hardcover, 320 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"In the latest installment of this charming and quirky series, a trio of detectives are faced with the arrival of an escaped criminal with an unlikely penchant for boiling the heads of policemen.

It's September in the British beach town of Brighton, and the city is playing host to weeks of endless rain and some brand new villains.

A trusted member of a local gang has disappeared part way through planning a huge heist; a violent criminal obsessed with boiling the heads of policemen has escaped a local prison, and at Gosling's department store an American researcher has been found dead in the music section.

Inspector Steine has other things on his mind - since the triumphant conclusion to his last case, Steine has so many awards and invitations coming his way that he has had to take on a secretary - but Sergeant Brunswick and Constable 'Clever Clogs' Twitten are both on the case. If only they could work out just who is behind these dastardly acts..."

I am ALL about crime in Brighton right now!

The Cottage by Lisa Stone
Published by: HarperCollins
Publication Date: November 9th, 2021
Format: Paperback, 352 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"The gripping new thriller with a difference from internationally bestselling author Lisa Stone.

An isolated cottage...
After losing her job and boyfriend, Jan Hamlin is in desperate need of a fresh start. So she jumps at the chance to rent a secluded cottage on the edge of Coleshaw Woods.

A tap at the window...
Very quickly though, things take a dark turn. At night, Jan hears strange noises, and faint taps at the window. Something, or someone, is out there.

A forest that hides many secrets...
Jan refuses to be scared off. But whoever is outside isn't going away, and it soon becomes clear that the nightmare is only just beginning."

What is in the woods!?!

Posted by Miss Eliza at 12:00 AM 0 comments  

Labels: Anne Glenconner, Brighton, Cornelia Funke, Dean Hale, Egypt, Golden Age, Inkworld, John Dickson Carr, Knives Out, Lisa Stone, Lynne Truss, Nicholas Meyer, Nicole Glover, Paris, Reckless, Shannon Hale, Sherlock Holmes

The Glass Hotel by Emily St. John Mandel
Published by: Knopf
Publication Date: March 24th, 2020
Format: Hardcover, 320 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"From the award-winning author of Station Eleven, an exhilarating novel set at the glittering intersection of two seemingly disparate events-a massive Ponzi scheme collapse and the mysterious disappearance of a woman from a ship at sea.

Vincent is a bartender at the Hotel Caiette, a five-star lodging on the northernmost tip of Vancouver Island. On the night she meets Jonathan Alkaitis, a hooded figure scrawls a message on the lobby's glass wall: "Why don't you swallow broken glass." High above Manhattan, a greater crime is committed: Alkaitis is running an international Ponzi scheme, moving imaginary sums of money through clients' accounts. When the financial empire collapses, it obliterates countless fortunes and devastates lives. Vincent, who had been posing as Jonathan's wife, walks away into the night. Years later, a victim of the fraud is hired to investigate a strange occurrence: a woman has seemingly vanished from the deck of a container ship between ports of call.

In this captivating story of crisis and survival, Emily St. John Mandel takes readers through often hidden landscapes: campgrounds for the near-homeless, underground electronica clubs, the business of international shipping, service in luxury hotels, and life in a federal prison. Rife with unexpected beauty, The Glass Hotel is a captivating portrait of greed and guilt, love and delusion, ghosts and unintended consequences, and the infinite ways we search for meaning in our lives."

I've been really looking forward to this book, but now all I can think about is her other book Station Eleven and how I DO NOT want the to be the reality we're heading towards. 

The City We Became by N.K. Jemisin
Published by: Orbit
Publication Date: March 24th, 2020
Format: Hardcover, 448 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"Three-time Hugo Award-winning and New York Times bestselling author N.K. Jemisin crafts her most incredible novel yet, a story of culture, identity, magic, and myths in contemporary New York City.

In Manhattan, a young grad student gets off the train and realizes he doesn't remember who he is, where he's from, or even his own name. But he can sense the beating heart of the city, see its history, and feel its power.

In the Bronx, a Lenape gallery director discovers strange graffiti scattered throughout the city, so beautiful and powerful it's as if the paint is literally calling to her.

In Brooklyn, a politician and mother finds she can hear the songs of her city, pulsing to the beat of her Louboutin heels.

And they're not the only ones.

Every great city has a soul. Some are ancient as myths, and others are as new and destructive as children. New York? She's got six."

It's time to think of positive New York stories versus what we're seeing in the news...

Murder in the Bookshop by Carolyn Wells
Published by: Collins Crime Club
Publication Date: March 24th, 2020
Format: Hardcover, 256 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"Book 50 in the Detective Club Crime Classics series is Carolyn Wells' Murder in the Bookshop, a classic locked room murder mystery which will have a special resonance for lovers and collectors of Golden Age detective fiction. Includes a bonus murder story: 'The Shakespeare Title-Page Mystery'.

When Philip Balfour is found murdered in a New York bookstore, the number one suspect is his librarian, a man who has coveted Balfour's widow. But when the police discover that a book worth $100,000 is missing, detective Fleming Stone realises that some people covet rare volumes even more highly than other men's wives, and embarks on one of his most dangerous investigations.

A successful poet and children's author, Carolyn Wells discovered mystery fiction in her forties and went on to become one of America's most popular Golden Age writers. Penning 82 detective novels between 1909 and her death in 1942, she was mourned in 1968 by the great John Dickson Carr as one of mystery fiction's 'lost ladies now well lost', and remains undeservedly neglected 50 years later. Murder in the Bookshop is a story laced with criminality, locked rooms and bookish intricacies that any bibliophile will find irresistible.

This Detective Club hardback is introduced by award-winning writer and authority on Golden Age detective fiction, Curtis Evans, and includes 'The Shakespeare Title-Page Mystery', a murderous tale of literary shenanigans that was one of the last pieces of detective fiction which Carolyn Wells ever published."

A classic whodunit AND a locked room mystery in one? My ideal reading at the moment! 

Dark Hedges, Wizard Island, and Other Magical Places that Really Exist by L. Rader Crandall
Published by: Running Press Kids
Publication Date: March 24th, 2020
Format: Hardcover, 128 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"From a lost city in the desert to a cave alight with thousands of glowworms, learn about some of the most unusual places on earth and the myths, legends, and history behind each of them!

Looking at places like The Skeleton Coast in Namibia, Wizard Island in the United States, and The Fairy Tale Route in Germany, The Dark Hedges and Other Magical Places that Really Exist takes young readers on a journey around the world to real places that sound straight out of fantasy. Featuring both natural and man-made wonders, this travel book combines history and storytelling to explore the far reaches of the earth."

Because magical places DO exist outside of books! Even if this is a book published to prove that...

The Empress of Salt and Fortune by Nghi Vo
Published by: Tor.com
Publication Date: March 24th, 2020
Format: Paperback, 120 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"With the heart of an Atwood tale and the visuals of a classic Asian period drama, Nghi Vo's The Empress of Salt and Fortune is a tightly and lushly written narrative about empire, storytelling, and the anger of women.

A young royal from the far north, is sent south for a political marriage in an empire reminiscent of imperial China. Her brothers are dead, her armies and their war mammoths long defeated and caged behind their borders. Alone and sometimes reviled, she must choose her allies carefully.

Rabbit, a handmaiden, sold by her parents to the palace for the lack of five baskets of dye, befriends the emperor's lonely new wife and gets more than she bargained for.

At once feminist high fantasy and an indictment of monarchy, this evocative debut follows the rise of the empress In-yo, who has few resources and fewer friends. She's a northern daughter in a mage-made summer exile, but she will bend history to her will and bring down her enemies, piece by piece."

And damn, this might be my favorite cover in a LONG time.

Lola: A Ghost Story by J. Torres and Elbert Or
Published by: Oni Press
Publication Date: March 24th, 2020
Format: Paperback, 120 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"J. Torres and Elbert Or celebrate 10 years of Lola: A Ghost Story, the critically-acclaimed graphic novel that explores family, grief and Filipino folklore in an all-new edition that includes a revised ending and updated illustrations.

Jesse didn’t really know his Lola (the Tagalog word for grandmother), but he remembers that she tried to drown him as a baby. Strange stories surround Lola: she had visions, she fought off monsters straight out of Filipino folklore, and, according to some, she may have even seen ghosts. Now Jesse is struggling with the same visions Lola had, but Lola's not around anymore, and the rest of his family are too tied up in their own personal demons to help. Personal demons that Lola might have helped with, if she were still alive. As Jesse explores his new abilities, he realizes that he might be the one who needs to step into that role - and that helping others might just help him, too."

So many things here I love, but most importantly, ancestral ghosts!

Nonsense! The Curious Story of Edward Gorey by Lori Mortensen and Chloe Bristol
Published by: Versify
Publication Date: March 24th, 2020
Format: Hardcover, 40 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"A beautifully illustrated and lyrical picture-book biography of eccentric and beloved writer and artist Edward Gorey.

In this lyrical biography of one of literature’s most creepily creative authors and illustrators, kids will learn about the inspiration behind a generation of creators, from Lemony Snicket to Tim Burton.

Known for, among other things, wearing a large fur coat wherever he went, storyteller Edward Gorey was respected for both his brilliance and his eccentricity. As a child, he taught himself to read and skipped several grades before landing at Harvard (after a brief stint in the army). Then he built a name for himself as a popular book illustrator. After that, he went on to publish well over one hundred of his own books, stories that mingled sweetness and innocence, danger and darkness, all mixed with his own brand of silliness. Illustrated with Gorey-like humor and inspiration by Chloe Bristol, this stunning picture book biography about this beloved creator is the first for children."

What intrigues me most about this book is that I don't know if they can successfully tell his story in an illustrated fashion that isn't HIS style... will be awhile until I find out now that the library has closed and this was where I was getting my copy... 

Lady in Waiting by Anne Glenconner
Published by: Hachette Books
Publication Date: March 24th, 2020
Format: Hardcover, 336 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"An extraordinary memoir of drama, tragedy, and royal secrets by Anne Glenconner - a close member of the royal circle and lady-in-waiting to Princess Margaret. As seen on Netflix's The Crown.

Anne Glenconner has been at the center of the royal circle from childhood, when she met and befriended the future Queen Elizabeth II and her sister, the Princess Margaret. Though the firstborn child of the 5th Earl of Leicester, who controlled one of the largest estates in England, as a daughter she was deemed "the greatest disappointment" and unable to inherit. Since then she has needed all her resilience to survive court life with her sense of humor intact.

A unique witness to landmark moments in royal history, Maid of Honor at Queen Elizabeth's coronation, and a lady in waiting to Princess Margaret until her death in 2002, Anne's life has encompassed extraordinary drama and tragedy. In Lady in Waiting, she will share many intimate royal stories from her time as Princess Margaret's closest confidante as well as her own battle for survival: her broken-off first engagement on the basis of her "mad blood"; her 54-year marriage to the volatile, unfaithful Colin Tennant, Lord Glenconner, who left his fortune to a former servant; the death in adulthood of two of her sons; a third son she nursed back from a six-month coma following a horrific motorcycle accident. Through it all, Anne has carried on, traveling the world with the royal family, including visiting the White House, and developing the Caribbean island of Mustique as a safe harbor for the rich and famous-hosting Mick Jagger, David Bowie, Raquel Welch, and many other politicians, aristocrats, and celebrities.

With unprecedented insight into the royal family, Lady in Waiting is a witty, candid, dramatic, at times heart-breaking personal story capturing life in a golden cage for a woman with no inheritance."

Ever since Anne Glenconner was on Graham Norton this season I've been dying for this book to be released stateside!

Posted by Miss Eliza at 12:00 AM 0 comments  

Labels: Anne Glenconner, Carolyn Wells, Edward Gorey, Elbert Or, Emily St. John Mandel, J. Torres, L. Rader Crandall, N.K.Jemisin, Nghi Vo, Station Eleven, The City We Became, The Crown, The Glass Hotel