Showing posts with label Arkham Horror. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Arkham Horror. Show all posts

Monday, July 21, 2025

Tuesday Tomorrow

Ink Ribbon Red by Alex Pavesi
Published by: Henry Holt and Co.
Publication Date: July 22nd, 2025
Format: Hardcover, 320 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"A wickedly plotted new thriller, in which a group of friends play a deadly game that unwraps a motive for murder, from Alex Pavesi, the author of The Eighth Detective.

Anatol invites five of his oldest friends to his family home in the Wiltshire countryside to celebrate his thirtieth birthday. At his request, they play a game of his invention called Motive Method Death. The rules are simple: Everyone chooses two players at random, then writes a short story in which one kills the other.

Points are awarded for making the murders feel real. Of course, it's only natural for each friend to use what they know. Secrets. Grudges. Affairs. But once they've put it in a story, each secret is out. It's not long before the game reawakens old resentments and brings private matters into the light of day. With each fictional crime, someone new gets a very real motive.

Can all six friends survive the weekend, or will truth turn out to be deadlier than fiction?"

Oh yes, bring on Motive Method Death! A decidedly literary thriller.

Dead of Summer by Jessa Maxwell
Published by: Atria Books
Publication Date: July 22nd, 2025
Format: Hardcover, 288 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"Years after her best friend mysteriously disappeared from a remote New England island, a young woman returns in search of answers in this atmospheric and scintillating thriller from Jessa Maxwell, nationally bestselling author of the "deliciously entertaining" (Sarah Penner, New York Times bestselling author) The Golden Spoon.

Orla O'Connor hasn't been to the isolated New England enclave of Hadley Island since she graduated from high school a decade ago. As a teenager, her best friend Alice disappeared from its shores without a trace - but with plenty of rumors.

Now, Orla returns to her family's beachfront home to clean it out before her parents sell it. The island and her best friend's house next door, abandoned after her family left in grief, are stirring up memories she would like to avoid. Then there are the locals, always gossiping and watching Orla's every move. Worst of all, David, Orla's childhood crush and son of a wealthy Manhattan family, is back for the summer with his new, impossibly pretty girlfriend, Faith.

Faith suspects that David is going to propose but as soon as she settles into his family's sprawling Hadley Island estate, she feels out of place. She anticipated a luxurious summer of fun and romance, but David is never around - lured into business conversations with his entrepreneur father from dawn to dusk. With nothing else to do, Faith begins to investigate the island's dark past, curious about what really happened to Alice all those years ago.

Meanwhile, local Henry hasn't left his house since the young girl went missing, in an attempt to let the accusations against him die down. Except they never have. For years, Henry has had an endless supply of time to pursue his only hobby, watching the island from his telescope and recording the activities of its inhabitants. But Orla's return has shaken him and lately he's been seeing strange things: shadowy figures walking on the beach in the middle of the night and a light on in the upstairs window of the long-abandoned house of the missing girl.

When there's another disappearance on the island, all three find themselves pulled into an eerie and twisty mystery that will haunt them for the rest of their lives."

I mean, wasn't the mystery already haunting two of the trio?

The Red Letter by Daniel G. Miller
Published by: Poisoned Pen Press
Publication Date: July 22nd, 2025
Format: Paperback, 352 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"A spine-tingling new suspense-thriller from bestselling author Daniel G. Miller that will keep your heart racing to the last page.

A DEAD BODY. A MYSTERIOUS RED LETTER.

Hazel has everything she wants.

Business is booming at her boutique private investigation firm. She's dating the man of her dreams. Even her perpetually skeptical mother seems impressed. Then the NYPD finds a beloved neighborhood priest dead along with a mysterious red letter.

Hazel investigates the murder as a favor to an old friend and discovers that the priest wasn't the only recent murder victim to receive a red letter...and one victim has ties to a psychopath from a past life that Hazel thought she had buried. One by one, the red letters continue to appear, and with every letter, another killing, each more mysterious than the last.

As Hazel closes in on the killer, the killer closes in on her, and Hazel begins to question everything she thought she knew about herself and the people around her. Even worse, Hazel discovers that the only way to find the truth is to open one more...

RED LETTER."

I think tracking the killer through a stationary shop would be their best bet...

A Beautiful Way to Die by Eleni Kyriacou
Published by: Head of Zeus - An Aries Book
Publication Date: July 22nd, 2025
Format: Hardcover, 416 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"Don't miss the new novel from Eleni Kyriacou, author of BBC Between the Covers pick The Unspeakable Acts of Zina Pavlou.

PLAY THEIR GAME
Hollywood, 1953. Young actress Ginny Watkins is turning heads. Even the legendary - and married - actor Max Whitman can't resist the allure of the hottest new starlet. He promises Ginny the world, in return for the right favour.

DO WHAT THEY SAY
London, 1954. Stella Hope, once the most famous actress in Hollywood, has been ousted to Ealing Studios after her divorce from the powerful Max. Just as she accepts her fate, she receives a letter, blackmailing her for a mistake she made many years ago.

OR THEY'LL BURY YOU
Two women on either side of stardom find themselves in the orbit of the same beguiling man. And one night, in the shadows of a glamorous Oscars afterparty, their lives are changed forever...

A Beautiful Way to Die delves into the decadence and depravity of the early film industry from Hollywood to London. Perfect for fans of The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo, and films like Once Upon a Time in Hollywood and Babylon."

Wait, there were fans of Babylon!?! 

The One and Only Vivian Stone by Melissa O'Connor
Published by: Gallery Books
Publication Date: July 22nd, 2025
Format: Paperback, 368 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo meets The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel in this enchanting novel about estranged lovers reconnecting over mysterious tapes found in an attic and the old Hollywood secret hidden within them.

After her grandmother's death, thirty-something Margot DuBois prepares to sell the house quickly so she can go back to her predictable life in Santa Barbara. There, no one knows she used to write and how not succeeding wrecked her confidence. While cleaning out the attic, she comes across eight unlabeled cassette tapes. Unable to use the damaged tape player, she calls in a favor from Leo - her first love and first epic heartbreak - and they strike a deal: he'll fix the player if he can hear what's on the tapes. When they manage to listen, the two are shocked to hear the voice of comedic legend Vivian Stone. Why did she record these tapes and how did Margot's grandmother get them?

Between listening to Vivian recount everything from her forbidden love for Hollywood's leading actor, to working under a misogynistic exec, to her chemistry with her costar-turned-husband on TV, Margot and Leo fall down a memory lane of their own. Margot is inspired by Vivian's tenacity and courage to keep fighting for the life she wants, but everything changes when Vivian reveals a secret tied to her past in this moving exploration of how it's never too late to start over."

Or write a tell-all that makes your name as a writer?

Blood Caste by Shylashri Shankar
Published by: Canelo Crime
Publication Date: July 22nd, 2025
Format: Kindle, 379 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"Is Jack the Ripper at large on the streets of Victorian India?

Hyderabad, India, 1895. When three bodies are discovered with mutilations bearing an eerie resemblance to the Ripper's Whitechapel victims, Chief Inspector Soobramania - known as Soob - is summoned to investigate.

Suspicion alights upon three powerful men: a Russian grand duke and an English earl visiting the city, and their friend, a Deccani noble, who is also the stepson of one of the victims.

Faced with the thorny imperial politics of accusing relatives of Queen Victoria, Soob must ally with his rival in the British Residency Police, Inspector Wilberforce, to hunt down the killer.

So begins a deadly game of cat and mouse played in the shadow of empire, where high birth protects foul deeds and where spilt blood counts for less than wealth.

A richly textured and utterly compelling historical crime thriller from a dazzling debut voice."

Ripperologist here who can't wait to read this!

Heart Marks the Spot by Libby Hubscher
Published by: Berkley
Publication Date: July 22nd, 2025
Format: Paperback, 384 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"A treasure hunter and the bestselling adventure novelist who broke her heart after one successful expedition reunite for a summer to search for lost riches.

Treasure hunter Stella Moore dreams of having it all - wealth, love, and a flourishing career - but knows she'll never be that lucky. Every summer she and her childhood friends travel to search for hidden treasure, but she can barely manage her bills, let alone a relationship. Then, a chance encounter with alluring novelist Huck Sullivan during an expedition in Iceland has Stella thinking maybe her fortune has changed.

After his last book bombed, Huck hasn't written a word. Joining Stella and her crew on an adventure seems like the perfect distraction from his problems, and when the crew finally uncovers hidden treasure, he is certain that he's found more than just inspiration for his next novel. Huck and Stella's undeniable connection gives way to an unforgettable night on a black sand beach.

After Huck disappears without a goodbye, Stella vows to put the heartbreak behind her - but that's easier said than done when, a year later, every bookstore has a life-size cutout of her ex-lover next to stacks of his latest record-breaking bestseller. Good thing it's time for another summer treasure hunt. Stella throws herself into mapping the path to a shipwreck off Key West, but the last thing she expects is an extra crew member showing up in search of material for a sequel and a second chance.

Stella and Huck are prepared for storms, sharks, sea sickness, even a tentative truce. But facing the feelings they buried and confronting the devastating truth about why Huck left is the only way to find what their hearts have been searching for all along."

You know, hunting for treasure sounds so fun until you get into all the legalities. Stick with romance.

How to Train Your Dragon School: Doom of the Darkwing by Cressida Cowell
Published by: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers
Publication Date: July 22nd, 2025
Format: Hardcover, 256 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"In this exciting How to Train Your Dragon spin-off series perfect for developing readers and packed with beautiful illustrations and easy-to-read stories, follow Hiccup and his fellow Warriors-in-Training in their hilarious, hair-raising adventures.

Disastrous Lesson Number One: The Art of Battle.

It was supposed to be a quiet, sensible lesson. Hiccup Horrendous Haddock the Third never meant to get into trouble.

But things take an unexpected turn along the way and Hiccup and his friends soon find themselves adrift on stormy seas in a sinking ship facing imminent doom.

Join Hiccup and his dragons, Toothless and Windwalker, in their hilarious adventures at the Isle of Berk's Training School for Vikings and Dragons, where they are at the bottom in pretty much everything.

Welcome to How to Train Your Dragon School, where Viking and Dragon Heroes are made!"

Because you can never have too many dragons.

Arcana Academy by Elise Kova
Published by: Del Rey
Publication Date: July 22nd, 2025
Format: Hardcover, 576 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"A woman who wields magical tarot cards lands herself in a false engagement with the headmaster of a mysterious academy in this first installment of an enthralling fantasy romance series from the bestselling author of A Deal with the Elf King.

Clara Graysword has survived the underworld of Eclipse City through thievery, luck, and a whole lot of illegal magic. After a job gone awry, Clara is sentenced to a lifetime in prison for inking tarot cards - a rare power reserved for practitioners at the elite Arcana Academy.

Just when it seems her luck has run dry, the academy's enigmatic headmaster, Prince Kaelis, offers her an escape - for a price. Kaelis believes that Clara is the perfect tool to help him steal a tarot card from the king and use it to re-create an all-powerful card long lost to time.

In order to conceal her identity and keep her close, Kaelis brings Clara to Arcana Academy, introducing her as the newest first-year student and his bride-to-be.

Thrust into a world of arcane magic and royal intrigue, where one misstep will send her back to prison or worse, Clara finds that the prince she swore to hate may not be what he seems. But can she risk giving him power over the world - and her heart? Or will she take it for herself?"

So apparently they don't have a rule about staff and students dating.

The Last Wizards' Ball by Charlaine Harris
Published by: S and S/Saga Press
Publication Date: July 22nd, 2025
Format: Hardcover, 272 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"#1 New York Times and USA TODAY bestselling author Charlaine Harris returns with the sixth and final installment in the critically acclaimed Gunnie Rose series as sisters Lizbeth Rose and Felicia must face their fates at the last Wizards' Ball.

Lizbeth Rose's sister Felicia attends the Grand Wizards' Ball, and as one of the most powerful - and beautiful - death wizards in a generation, she is highly sought after as one of the belles of the ball.

However, war and violence are on the rise in Europe as German and Japanese wizards are also courting Felicia…and some are refusing to take no for an answer.

As the façade of genteel wizard society turns deadly, Lizbeth must learn to not only protect her sister, but also navigate the arcane world that is pulling her sister and husband into a dangerous dance with death that could change the world as they know it.

#1 New York Times and USA TODAY bestselling author Charlaine Harris has crafted a murderous and magical family drama in this sixth and final installment to the beloved and bestselling Gunnie Rose series."

If you've been waiting to binge this series now's the time!

The Twilight Magus by Tim Pratt
Published by: Aconyte Books
Publication Date: July 22nd, 2025
Format: Paperback, 322 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"The enigmatic Carl Sanford is the master of all things occult in Arkham, until a charismatic newcomer threatens to take everything away from him in this dark mystery set in the world of Arkham Horror.

Carl Sanford's mastery of the Silver Twilight Lodge gives him unbridled power and influence, but unforeseen turmoil is coming to Arkham... A new occult curiosity shop in the city, opened by newcomer Randall Tillinghast, draws Sanford's ire, challenging his formerly unrivalled authority. Sanford expects to crush the newcomer like an ant and take what he wants from the wreckage, but Randall Tillinghast isn't quite as humble and harmless as he seems. In possession of an array of magical artifacts, Tillinghast begins to subvert Sanford's reputation in more ways than one, forcing Carl Sanford to call all the monsters and magic at his disposal to stop him. Will it be enough?"

I just can't get enough of Arkham Horror. Be sure to also check out the comics written by Cullen Bunn!

Ruthless Devotion by Rebecca Kenney
Published by: Sourcebooks Casablanca
Publication Date: July 22nd, 2025
Format: Paperback, 384 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"He was the other half of my soul - the mirror to my every dark desire. My destruction, my redemption, my salvation: my Heathcliff.

Cathy Earnshaw's got the devil inside her - or at least that's what the small, cultish community she's spent her whole life trapped inside would say. She can sense death coming, and every loss sends her spiraling into a violent, uncontrollable episode of grief, wailing like a banshee across the swampy forests of the Lowcountry. With a secret as dark as hers, there's no hope of relief, or escape, or finding someone with a chance of understanding.

Until she meets him.

Heathcliff's got his own trauma, and a secret just as dangerous as Cathy's. Stolen as a child, raised by necromancers, he's the most forbidden sin she could ever imagine...and the most desperately tempting. Violent in his passions, tender in his affection, he feels like the other half of her soul, but even as they claw desperately to be together, the world seems just as determined to keep them apart.

Because it turns out their little Southern community was built long ago on a graveyard of lies...and every cult needs its sacrificial lamb.

An addictive and truly original spicy New Adult retelling of Wuthering Heights with a magical twist."

I mean, Cathy and Heathcliff in a cultish community rings true.

Mayra by Nicky Gonzalez
Published by: Random House
Publication Date: July 22nd, 2025
Format: Hardcover, 3240 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"An eerie, hypnotic debut about friendship, desire, and memory set against the sultry backdrop of Florida's swamplands.

It's been years since Ingrid has heard from her childhood best friend, Mayra, a fearless rebel who fled their hometown of Hialeah, a Cuban neighborhood just west of Miami, for college in the Northeast. But when Mayra calls out of the blue to invite Ingrid to a weekend getaway at a house in the Everglades, she impulsively accepts.

From the moment Ingrid sets out, danger looms: The directions are difficult, she's out of reach of cell service, and as she drives deeper into the Everglades, the wet maw of the swamp threatens to swallow her whole. But once Ingrid arrives, Mayra is, in many ways, just as she remembers - with her sharp tongue and effortless, seductive beauty, still thumbing her nose at the world.

Before they can fully settle into the familiar intimacy of each other's company, their reunion is spoiled by the reemergence of past disagreements and the unexpected presence of Mayra's new boyfriend, Benji. The trio spend their hours eating lavish meals and exploring the labyrinthine house, which holds as much mystery as the swamp itself. Indoors and on the grounds, time itself seems to expand, and Ingrid begins to lose a sense of the outside world, and herself.

Against this disquieting setting, where lizards dart in and out of porches and alligators peek from dark waters, Gonzalez weaves a surreal, unforgettable story about the dizzying power of early friendship and the lengths we'll go to earn love and acceptance - even at the risk of losing ourselves entirely."

Oh so Southern Gothic!

Red Rabbit Ghost by Jen Julian
Published by: Run for It
Publication Date: July 22nd, 2025
Format: Paperback, 384 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"An impulsive young outcast confronts his small town's dark secrets in this atmospheric and haunting debut horror novel from brilliant new voice Jen Julian.

The town of Blacknot is not what it appears, and a place on its desolate edge known only as The Night House is calling...

What remains of Jesse's mother can fit inside an old jerky tin. Photos, postcards, a single, worn-out bracelet. But nothing that can explain why she was found dead eighteen years earlier on the bank of a river, her infant son left wailing by her side. When Jesse starts to receive anonymous messages promising him answers, he returns home to the regressive town of Blacknot, North Carolina so that his lifelong obsession can finally be laid to rest.

But Jesse's investigation is stirring up trouble with the locals, including his well-armed ex-boyfriend and the mysterious daughter of a local businessman, each with their own inscrutable agendas. They will soon find that this backwater town holds a power more volatile than any of them could have imagined, and that the answers they seek might be better left buried."

Of course it's better to leave things buried. Just ignore me and my shovel. 

It Was Her House First by Cherie Priest
Published by: Poisoned Pen Press
Publication Date: July 22nd, 2025
Format: Paperback, 352 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"Ronnie doesn't know it yet, but her fate rests in the hands of the dead.

Silent film star Venita Rost's malevolent spirit lurks spider-like in her cliffside mansion, a once-beautiful home that's claimed countless unlucky souls. And she's not alone. Snared in her terrible web, Inspector Bartholomew Sloan - her eternal nemesis - watches her wreak havoc in helpless horror, shackled by his own guilt and Venita's unrelenting wrath.

Now the house has yet another new owner. This time it's Ronnie Mitchell, a grieving woman who buys the run-down place sight unseen. She arrives armed with an unexpected inheritance, a strong background in renovation, and a blissful ignorance regarding the house's blood-soaked history. But her arrival has stirred up more than just dust and decay. In the shadows, unseen eyes watch. Then, a man comes knocking. He brings wild stories and a thinly veiled jealousy, as well as a secret connection to the house that can only lead to violence.

Venita's fury awakens, and a deadly game unfolds.

Caught between a vengeful ghost and a ruthless living threat, Ronnie's skepticism crumbles. The line between living and dead isn't as sharp as it seems, and she realizes too late that in Venita's house, survival might be just an illusion."

I totally would be a vengeful ghost holding onto my house. But I don't think I could write that anywhere near as well as Cherie does.

Choose Your Own Adventure Cryptid Chronicles: Mothman by Cristin Bishara and Sofia Cavallari
Published by: Choose Your Own Adventure
Publication Date: July 22nd, 2025
Format: Paperback, 208 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"Unknowable forces are lurking in the mountains of Appalachia in this interactive book where YOU decide what happens next! Packed with 17 possible endings!

Choose Your Own Adventure books - the 4th bestselling children's series of all time - are back and as much fun as you remember. Kids and adults agree, these are the books that get 9 to 12-year-olds reading.

YOU are a kid with mysteries to solve in the heart of the Appalachian mountains, where a timeless tension between ancient creatures and alien invaders is coming to a head! You've heard stories of when the Silver Bridge collapsed into the Ohio River, and sightings of a terrifying figure in the aftermath that led many to blame the Mothman for the tragedy. Now, as another disaster looms, it's up to you to stop it!

Will the mesmerizing glow of the Mothman's eyes lure you into joining him? Will a secret government agency recruit you to help them save the Earth? Or will you be kidnapped to an alien planet, never to see your home again?

Kids who love cryptids and UFOs will be swept away by this thrilling science fiction adventure, where their choices are literally the most important thing in the world!"

Seeing as everyone I know who loved Choose Your Own Adventure books are also cryptid freaks this is the smartest line extension EVER.

Monday, December 19, 2022

Tuesday Tomorrow

Stranger Things Holiday Specials by Michael Moreci, Chris Roberson, Keith Champagne, and Todor Hristov
Published by: Dark Horse Books
Publication Date: December 20th, 2022
Format: Paperback, 112 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"Get all three Stranger Things holiday specials in one package!

In the Halloween Special, Will, Mike, Lucas, and Dustin gather in Castle Byers to eat candy and scare each other with a spooky story, revealing the quaint town’s darkest secret: the Child-Eater of Hawkins.

In the Winter Special, Eleven and the kids of Hawkins are getting into the full spirit of the season. As they recall their favorite stories from their childhoods to teach Eleven about Christmas, tensions run high as Dustin swears he saw something spooky lurking in the forest outside.

In the Summer Special, Officers Powell and Callahan patrol the "mean" streets of Hawkins, Indiana with the enthusiasm of two hefty dachshunds pretending to be bloodhounds. Typically they don’t have to chase down more than the occasional petty theft and teenagers smoking refer but lately, the town has been getting weirder, and while they might not get to the bottom of it they just might be lucky enough to survive.

Featuring writing by Michael Moreci, Chris Roberson, and Keith Champagne, and art by Todor Hristov, ABEL, and Caio Filipe. Colors by Chris O'Halloran, DJ Chavis and Dan Jackson, with lettering by Nate Piekos."

Because obviously I had to feature something Christmassy this week.

Lair of the Crystal Fang by S.A. Sidor
Published by: Aconyte
Publication Date: December 20th, 2022
Format: Paperback, 368 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"When a mysterious killer haunts Arkham, three struggling investigators must confront the eldritch horrors of their past in this action-packed pulp adventure from the world of Arkham Horror.

In the swirling sewers beneath Arkham, excavators uncover a crystalline formation that hints at dark events from the city's past. As the discovery makes headlines, so too does a series of bizarre murders. With no leads, the Arkham police are always one step behind. Acting on a hunch, down-on-his luck former journalist Andy Van Nortwick reunites with adventurer Jake Williams and struggling filmmaker Maude Brion to unearth the truth. The trio know of the supernatural horrors that lurk beyond this world, and the reality haunts them. But time is running out and between them they must face their nightmares before the city of Arkham is lost to blood and chaos."

Seriously, Lovecraft and pulp go together so well, but don't take my word for it.

Sleeper Omnibus by Ed Brubaker and Sean Phillips
Published by: DC Comics
Publication Date: December 20th, 2022
Format: Hardcover, 736 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"Sleeper is the critically acclaimed graphic novel series written by Eisner Award-winner Ed Brubaker (Criminal, Deadenders, Captain America) and stylishly rendered by legendary artist Sean Phillips (Marvel Zombies, Criminal, Incognito).

Agent Holden Carver is forced to live one day at a time in a deadly game of cat-and-mouse he plays with the leader of the secret criminal organization he has infiltrated while trying to elude detection."

I'm just saying, if there's a chance you forgot to buy me a Christmas present, well, look what came out this week...

Death of a Minor Character by E.X. Ferrars
Published by: Felony and Mayhem
Publication Date: December 20th, 2022
Format: Paperback, 206 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"Virginia Freer has had it with her sort-of-ex-husband's taste for drama. Yes, Marcus Avery was a dear old duffer who lived in Virginia's town. Yes, Lillian Pace, Felix Freer's neighbor in London, was a sweet old bird. Yes, it's terrible they were murdered, but we live in a naughty world. But look at the coincidences! - Felix insists. That unpleasant silversmith. That awful couple seeking revenge. These were not two separate murders, I tell you: There is Something going on.

Virginia raises an eyebrow and sighs deeply: The world lost a second Olivier, she thinks, when Felix opted for gambling, mooching, and petty theft rather than the stage. But eventually even her relentless pragmatism gets worn down, and thank goodness, because there is, indeed, Something going on. And Felix and Virginia are just the duo to sort it out, chalk and cheese though they may be."

Why have I never heard of this series until now? It's like a snarkier Nick and Nora!

Monday, October 17, 2022

Tuesday Tomorrow

Blitz by Daniel O'Malley
Published by: Little, Brown and Company
Publication Date: October 18th, 2022
Format: Hardcover, 688 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"A new recruit to the most powerful supernatural intelligence agency on Earth is accused of going rogue and must go on the run to clear her name.

September, 1940. Three women of the Checquy, the secret organization tasked with protecting Britain from supernatural threats, stand in the sky above London and see German aircraft approach. Forbidden by law to interfere, all they can do is watch as their city is bombed. Until Pamela, the most sensible of them, breaks all the rules and brings down a Nazi bomber with her bare hands. The three resolve to tell no one about it, but they soon learn that a crew member is missing from the downed bomber. Charred corpses are discovered in nearby houses and it becomes apparent that the women have unwittingly unleashed a monster.

Through a city torn by the Blitz, the friends must hunt the enemy before he kills again. Their task will take them from the tunnels of the Underground to the halls of power, where they will discover the secrets that a secret organization must keep even from itself.

Today. Lynette Binns, a librarian with a husband and child, is a late recruit to the Checquy, having discovered only as an adult her ability to electrify everyday objects with her touch. After completing her training, she is assigned to examine a string of brutal murders and quickly realizes that all bear the unmistakable hallmark of her own unique power. Unable to provide an alibi and determined to prove her innocence, she flees, venturing into the London underworld to find answers. But now she is prey, being tracked by her own frighteningly capable comrades.

As Lyn fights off powered thugs and her own vengeful colleagues, she will find that the solution to the murders and to the mystery of her own past lies in the events of World War II, and the covert actions of three young women during the Blitz."

This is one of my must buy books released this fall. We FINALLY have the third installment of the Checquy!

The Bequest by Joanna Margaret
Published by: Scarlet
Publication Date: October 18th, 2022
Format: Hardcover, 312 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"After her professor’s suspicious death, a PhD student uncovers dark machinations among her academic associates in this "richly atmospheric and irresistibly readable" (Joyce Carol Oates) Gothic mystery set between Scotland, Italy, and France.

Fleeing a disastrous affair with a colleague in Boston, Isabel Henley moves to Scotland to begin a PhD with a renowned feminist professor - only to learn, upon arrival, that her advisor has suffered a deadly fall. Soon after, Isabel is informed that another scholar at the university is about to publish a book on her dissertation topic, leaving her disconcerted and in search of a new subject, all while struggling to acclimate to her new home abroad.

Isabel needs a good friend during such a rocky start, and finds one when she reconnects with Rose Brewster, her charismatic classmate from undergrad. But when Rose confides to Isabel that she is in trouble, and then goes missing, Isabel's already-unsteady life is sent into a tailspin. A suicide note surfaces, followed by a coded message: Rose is alive but, unless Isabel can complete the research begun before her friend's disappearance, both women will be killed by her captors.

As Isabel follows the Rose's paper trail from Genoa to Florence and, finally, to Paris, she uncovers family secrets, the legend of an enormous cursed emerald, and a chain of betrayal and treason which parallels her own perilous present. If she can put the pieces together soon, she could solve a 400-year-old mystery - and save her and her friend's lives in the process.

Combining epistolary elements, Gothic suspense, and an atmospheric "dark academia" setting, The Bequest is a gripping literary thriller that will appeal to fans of Alex Michaelides' The Maidens and Donna Tartt's The Secret History."

Tasha Alexander blurbed the book as "Intricately plotted, exquisitely written, and brimming with atmosphere, The Bequest is a brilliant debut, as smart as it is compelling." So that's me sold. Well, and plus the whole "dark academia" vibe.

Book Madness by Denise Gigante
Published by: Yale University Press
Publication Date: October 18th, 2022
Format: Hardcover, 400 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"The fascinating history of American bookishness as told through the sale of Charles Lamb's library in 1848.

Charles Lamb's library - a heap of sixty scruffy old books singed with smoke, soaked with gin, sprinkled with crumbs, stripped of illustrations, and bescribbled by the essayist and his literary friends - caused a sensation when it was sold in New York in 1848. The transatlantic book world watched as the relics of a man revered as the patron saint of book collectors were dispersed. Following those books through the stories of the bibliophiles who shaped intellectual life in America - booksellers, publishers, journalists, editors, bibliographers, librarians, actors, antiquarians, philanthropists, politicians, poets, clergymen - Denise Gigante brings to life a lost world of letters at a time when Americans were busy assembling the country’s major public, university, and society libraries. A human tale of loss, obsession, and spiritual survival, this book reveals the magical power books can have to bring people together and will be an absorbing read for anyone interested in what makes a book special."

Well there goes the title of my autobiography...

Drawing Outside the Lines by Susan J. Austin
Published by: Sparkpress
Publication Date: October 18th, 2022
Format: Paperback, 256 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"Meet the brilliant, fearless, and ambitious Julia Morgan. In 1883, eleven-year-old Julia visits the amazing new Brooklyn Bridge - an experience that ignites within her a small but persistent flame. Someday, she decides, she too will build an astounding structure.

Growing up in horse-and-buggy Oakland, Julia enjoys daring fence walks, climbing the tallest trees, and constantly testing her mother's patience with her lack of interest in domestic duties and social events. At a time when "brainy" girls are the object of ridicule, Julia excels in school and consistently outsmarts her ornery brothers - but she has an even greater battle ahead. When she enrolls at university to study engineering, the male students taunt her, and the professors belittle her. Through it all, however, Julia holds on to her dream of becoming an architect. She faces each challenge head-on, firmly standing up to those who believe a woman's place is in the home. Fortunately, the world has yet to meet anyone like the indomitable Miss Morgan.

Drawing Outside the Lines is an imagined childhood of pioneering architect Julia Morgan, who left behind her an extraordinary legacy of creativity, beauty, and engineering marvels."

You think they'd mention Hearst Castle in the blurb... But yeah, she did that.

Lavender House by Lev AC Rosen
Published by: Forge Books
Publication Date: October 18th, 2022
Format: Hardcover, 288 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"A delicious story from a new voice in suspense, Lev AC Rosen's Lavender House is Knives Out with a queer historical twist.

Lavender House, 1952: the family seat of recently deceased matriarch Irene Lamontaine, head of the famous Lamontaine soap empire. Irene's recipes for her signature scents are a well guarded secret - but it's not the only one behind these gates. This estate offers a unique freedom, where none of the residents or staff hide who they are. But to keep their secret, they've needed to keep others out. And now they're worried they're keeping a murderer in.

Irene's widow hires Evander Mills to uncover the truth behind her mysterious death. Andy, recently fired from the San Francisco police after being caught in a raid on a gay bar, is happy to accept - his calendar is wide open. And his secret is the kind of secret the Lamontaines understand.

Andy had never imagined a world like Lavender House. He's seduced by the safety and freedom found behind its gates, where a queer family lives honestly and openly. But that honesty doesn't extend to everything, and he quickly finds himself a pawn in a family game of old money, subterfuge, and jealousy - and Irene’s death is only the beginning.

When your existence is a crime, everything you do is criminal, and the gates of Lavender House can't lock out the real world forever. Running a soap empire can be a dirty business."

San Francisco, check, family legacy, check, queer historical twist, check, this is seriously checking all my boxes!

Shadow Sister by Lindsay Marcott
Published by: Thomas and Mercer
Publication Date: October 18th, 2022
Format: Hardcover, 381 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"From the bestselling author of Mrs. Rochester's Ghost comes the chilling story of a young woman who returns to her haunted childhood home to unravel the deadly mysteries of her family's past.

Ava grew up in a haunted mansion, envied by all her friends. But when her mother died mysteriously there, the thrills of Blackworth Mansion became nightmares. Ava never accepted that her mother perished from natural causes, but no one would believe her.

Seventeen years later, Ava returns home to unravel the truth of her mother's death - and her own demons quickly follow. Her estranged and vindictive father may be stalking her. Her secretive new sister-in-law lands on her doorstep with troubles of her own. And then there's the strange girl who may or may not be haunting the grounds. Even Ava's romance with her first crush is shadowed by her suspicions.

When Ava makes a terrifying discovery on the property, she must decide just how far into the past she's willing to go. Some secrets can be deadly - especially the ones Ava's kept hidden in the dark."

Haunted homes, haunted legacies, bring on the hauntings!

The Family Game by Catherine Steadman
Published by: Ballantine Books
Publication Date: October 18th, 2022
Format: Hardcover, 336 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"From the New York Times bestselling author of Something in the Water, Mr. Nobody, and The Disappearing Act....

THE RULES
1. Listen carefully
2. Do your research
3. Trust no one
4. Run for your life

Harriet Reed, a novelist on the brink of literary stardom, is newly engaged to Edward Holbeck, the heir of an extremely powerful family. And even though Edward has long tried to severe ties with them, news of the couple's marital bliss has the Holbecks inching back into their lives.

As Harriet is drawn into their lavish world, the family seems perfectly welcoming. So when Edward's father, Robert, hands Harriet a tape of a book he's been working on, she is desperate to listen.

But as she presses play, it's clear that this isn’t just a novel. It’s a confession.

A confession to a grisly crime. A murder. And, suddenly, the game is in motion.

Feeling isolated and confused, Harriet must work out if this is part of a plan to test her loyalty. Or something far darker. What is it that Robert sees in her? Why give her the power to destroy everything?

This might be a game to the Holbeck family - but losing might still prove deadly.

READY OR NOT, HERE THEY COME..."

A dangerous new family is a delicious trope I will never get enough of.

Secrets Scarlet edited by Charlotte Llewelyn-Wells
Published by: Aconyte
Publication Date: October 18th, 2022
Format: Paperback, 352 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"A secret organization ruthlessly seeks power over supernatural terrors in this globe-trotting anthology of arcane mystery and adventure, from the bestselling world of Arkham Horror.

Beyond our world lies another, one full of paranormal forces and eldritch horrors, and once that membrane has been pierced, life can never be the same again. In every corner of the globe, persons unknown are seizing objects of extreme supernatural power. They declare themselves defenders of humanity, fighting off the darkness which presses against the veil shrouding our reality from the unknowable. But do their claims of altruism ring true? And should they be permitted to wield such power? From the world of Arkham Horror comes an exciting new anthology that delves into new mysteries.

The Man in the Bubble by David Annandale
City of Waking Dreams by Davide Mana
Brother Bound by Jason Fischer
Honor Among Thieves by Carrie Harris
A Forty Grain Weight of Nephrite by Steven Philip Jones
Strange Things Done by Lisa Smedman
In Art, Truth by James Fadeley
Crossing Stars by MJ Newman
The Red and the Black by Josh Reynolds"

I am ALWAYS here for more Arkham!

Hate Machine by Stephen Blackmoore
Published by: DAW
Publication Date: October 18th, 2022
Format: Paperback, 288 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"The eighth book of this dark urban fantasy series follows necromancer Eric Carter through a world of vengeful gods and goddesses, mysterious murders, and restless ghosts.

If there's one thing Eric Carter can count on, it's his past coming back to bite him in the ass.

Gabriela Cortez, La Bruja, has had her soul trapped...somewhere, and the only one who knows how to get it back is the Oracle of Las Vegas, a powerful artifact that Carter helped create almost thirty years before. It doesn't just predict the future - it makes things happen, influencing events to reach the goal it wants.

Only somebody's gone and stolen it, attempting to turn it into an artifact that doesn't just change the future, but also the past.

Eric needs to find it and steal it back before this comes to pass. If he doesn't, Gabriela's soul is lost. And quite possibly the future as well."

More adventures in, will someone PLEASE admit that Richard Armitage is the cover model!?!

The Future Is Female! edited by Lisa Yaszek
Published by: Library of America
Publication Date: October 18th, 2022
Format: Hardcover, 450 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"Go back to the Future Is Female in this all new collection of wildly entertaining stories by the trailblazing feminist writers who transformed American science fiction in the 1970s.

In the 1970s, feminist authors created a new mode of science fiction in defiance of the "baboon patriarchy" - Ursula Le Guin's words - that had long dominated the genre, imagining futures that are still visionary. In this sequel to her groundbreaking 2018 anthology The Future is Female!: 25 Classic Science Fiction Stories by Women from Pulp Pioneers to Ursula K. Le Guin, SF-expert Lisa Yaszek offers a time machine back to the decade when far-sighted rebels changed science fiction forever with stories that made female community, agency, and sexuality central to the American future.

Here are twenty-three wild, witty, and wonderful classics that dramatize the liberating energies of the 1970s:

Sonya Dorman, "Bitching It" (1971)
Kate Wilhelm, "The Funeral" (1972)
Joanna Russ, "When It Changed" (1972) NEBULA AWARD
Miriam Allen deFord, "A Way Out" (1973)
Vonda N. McIntyre, "Of Mist, and Grass, and Sand" (1973) NEBULA
James Tiptree, Jr., "The Girl Who Was Plugged In" (1973) HUGO AWARD
Kathleen Sky, "Lament of the Keeku Bird" (1973)
Ursula K. Le Guin, "The Day Before the Revolution" (1974) NEBULA and LOCUS AWARD
Eleanor Arnason, "The Warlord of Saturn’s Moons" (1974)
Kathleen M. Sidney, "The Anthropologist" (1975)
Marta Randall, "A Scarab in the City of Time" (1975)
Elinor Busby, "A Time to Kill" (1977)
Raccoona Sheldon, "The Screwfly Solution" (1977) NEBULA AWARD
Pamela Sargent, "If Ever I Should Leave You" (1974)
Joan D. Vinge, "View from a Height" (1978)
M. Lucie Chin, "The Best Is Yet to Be" (1978)
Lisa Tuttle, "Wives" (1979)
Connie Willis, "Daisy, In the Sun" (1979)"

No one, literally NO ONE puts out anthologies of the quality Library of America does.

The Magic of Minalima by MinaLima
Published by: Harper Design
Publication Date: October 18th, 2022
Format: Hardcover, 224 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"A full-color illustrated compendium chronicling the magical twenty-year journey of acclaimed art and design studio, MinaLima, the creative genius behind the graphics for the Harry Potter film series.

"It all started with a letter..."

Miraphora Mina and Eduardo Lima began their extraordinary partnership in 2001 when Warner Bros. invited them to realize the imaginative visual universe of the Harry Potter film series. The two artists would never have guessed that the graphic props they designed for the films - including the Hogwarts acceptance letter, Marauder's Map, Daily Prophet newspaper, The Quibbler and Weasleys' Wizard Wheezes - would become cultural icons loved by Wizarding World fans around the world.

Eight years later, the pair formed their own design studio, MinaLima, and expanded their work to include the graphics for the Wizarding World of Harry Potter - Diagon Alley and Hogsmeade at Universal Orlando Resort and the Fantastic Beasts film series. To showcase their treasury of designs, the studio has opened House of MinaLima, its immersive art galleries and shops in London and across the world.

The Magic of MinaLima is an illustrated history and celebration of Mina and Lima's twenty-year evolution and groundbreaking vision. Their wondrous creations illuminate the Wizarding World as never before, and their commentary offers insights into the imaginative thinking that shaped their designs.

This collection showcases the very best works from the award-winning studio's two decades and includes interactive elements such as the Marauder's Map, the Black Family Tapestry, and Weasleys' Wizard Wheezes.

Designed to delight and enchant, The Magic of MinaLima will be an invaluable resource for Wizarding World and graphic art fans alike."

Seriously, working with MinaLima would be a dream job.

Side Effects by Tara O'Connor
Published by: Aftershock Comics
Publication Date: October 18th, 2022
Format: Paperback, 112 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"HANNAH DOESN'T WANT TO BE A HERO. SHE JUST WANTS TO BE WELL.

It's Hannah's first year away at college - the first time she's been away from home, without a support network. Within the first month, the combination of classes and socializing and adjusting to college life sends her into a full-on breakdown. Fortunately, her roommate finds her, Hannah goes to campus mental health, and they prescribe her therapy and meds - though with every new medication, you've got to watch out for unexpected side effects.

Every new medication Hannah tries comes with a new power and side effect. One makes her super-tough, and also makes her gain thirty pounds. Another gives her telepathy, while also completely screwing up her sleep schedule. Yet another gives her super-strength, as well as terrible constipation.

Nothing balances, but the powers are handy; Hannah even manages to save a few of her friends from mortal peril, or at least minor annoyances. And with the growing confidence from her powers and her therapy, Hannah even manages to ask out the cute girl she's been eyeing.

Hannah doesn't want to be a hero - she just wants to be well. But what does "well" even look like? What does it mean to be "healthy," mentally speaking? How do you fix your brain when you're living inside it? And can you really help other people if you can't even help yourself?"

I so relate and feel for Hannah!

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