strange and random happenstance: Bill Pronzini

Patience and Esther by S.W. Searle
Published by: Iron Circus Comics
Publication Date: January 26th, 2021
Format: Paperback, 280 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"Patience is a kindhearted country girl, eking out a living in Edwardian England as tremors of social change rock the world around her. When she starts her employment in formal service on the grounds of an opulent country manor, she has no idea that her own personal revolution is about to begin.

Selfless, dutiful, and just a touch naive, she takes to both her place as a parlor maid and to her new roommate, the bookish and progressive lady's maid, Esther. In another time, the two women would have kept one another's company forever in their little attic bedroom, living out their days in the employ of a Lord. But it's now the dawn of a new age. The expanding empire has brought with it not only plundered wealth, but worldliness and new ideas. Suffragists agitate in the street, idle-rich bohemians challenge sexual mores, and Patience and Esther slowly come to realize the world is wider and full of more adventure and opportunity than they ever imagined...so long as they find the will to seize it.

Sensual, sweet, and beautifully illustrated, Patience and Esther is a steamy period romance and an inspirational erotic journey across the epic sweep of history, from the end of a gilded age to the start of an uncharted future."

I'm always here for Edwardian England and this I'm guessing is an expanded form of the story told in Fresh Romance, Vol. 1.

The Heiress Gets a Duke by Harper St. George
Published by: Berkley
Publication Date: January 26th, 2021
Format: Paperback, 320 Pages
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The official patter:
"Even a fortune forged in railroads and steel can't buy entrance into the upper echelons of Victorian high society - for that you need a marriage of convenience.

American heiress August Crenshaw has aspirations. But unlike her peers, it isn't some stuffy British Lord she wants wrapped around her finger - it's Crenshaw Iron Works, the family business. When it's clear that August's outrageously progressive ways render her unsuitable for a respectable match, her parents offer up her younger sister to the highest entitled bidder instead. This simply will not do. August refuses to leave her sister to the mercy of a loveless marriage.

Evan Sterling, the Duke of Rothschild, has no intention of walking away from the marriage. He's recently inherited the title only to find his coffers empty, and with countless lives depending on him, he can't walk away from the fortune a Crenshaw heiress would bring him. But after meeting her fiery sister, he realizes Violet isn't the heiress he wants. He wants August, and he always gets what he wants.

But August won't go peacefully to her fate. She decides to show Rothschild that she's no typical London wallflower. Little does she realize that every stunt she pulls to make him call off the wedding only makes him like her even more."

First in the new "Gilded Age Heiresses" this a series I'm sure to devour!

If I Disappear by Eliza Jane Brazier
Published by: Berkley
Publication Date: January 26th, 2021
Format: Hardcover, 304 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"When her favorite true crime podcast host goes missing, an adrift young woman sets out to investigate and plunges headfirst into the wild backcountry of Northern California and her own dangerous obsession.

Sera loves true crime podcasts. They give her a sense of control in a world where women just like her disappear daily. She's sure they are preparing her for something. So when Rachel, her favorite podcast host, goes missing, Sera knows it's time to act. Rachel has always taught her to trust her instincts.

Sera follows the clues hidden in the episodes to an isolated ranch outside Rachel's small hometown to begin her search. She's convinced her investigation will make Rachel so proud. But the more Sera digs into this unfamiliar world, the more off things start to feel. Because Rachel is not the first woman to vanish from the ranch, and she won't be the last...

Rachel did try to warn her."

Oh, oh, oh, true crime podcaster disappearance!!!

Don't Tell a Soul by Kirsten Miller
Published by: Delacorte Press
Publication Date: January 26th, 2021
Format: Hardcover, 384 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"Stay up all night with this modern day Rebecca! Perfect for fans of Truly Devious - a haunting story about a new girl in an old town filled with dark secrets...that might just kill her.

People say the house is cursed.
It preys on the weakest, and young women are its favorite victims.
In Louth, they're called the Dead Girls.

All Bram wanted was to disappear - from her old life, her family's past, and from the scandal that continues to haunt her. The only place left to go is Louth, the tiny town on the Hudson River where her uncle, James, has been renovating an old mansion.

But James is haunted by his own ghosts. Months earlier, his beloved wife died in a fire that people say was set by her daughter. The tragedy left James a shell of the man Bram knew - and destroyed half the house he'd so lovingly restored.

The manor is creepy, and so are the locals. The people of Louth don't want outsiders like Bram in their town, and with each passing day she's discovering that the rumors they spread are just as disturbing as the secrets they hide. Most frightening of all are the legends they tell about the Dead Girls. Girls whose lives were cut short in the very house Bram now calls home.

The terrifying reality is that the Dead Girls may have never left the manor. And if Bram looks too hard into the town's haunted past, she might not either."

That cover! That description! That reference to Rebecca!

One Poison Pie by Lynn Cahoon
Published by: Kensington
Publication Date: January 26th, 2021
Format: Paperback, 272 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Lynn Cahoon launches a sparkling new series featuring Mia Malone, a kitchen witch who's starting over in her grandmother's Idaho hometown of Magic Springs, where the use of magic is an open secret and murder is on the menu...

What's a kitchen witch to do when her almost-fiancé leaves her suddenly single and unemployed? For Mia Malone, the answer's simple: move to her grandmother's quirky Idaho hometown, where magic is an open secret and witches and warlocks are (mostly) welcome. With a new gourmet dinner delivery business--and a touch of magic in her recipes - Mia's hopes are high. Even when her ex's little sister, Christina, arrives looking for a place to stay, Mia takes it in stride.

But her first catering job takes a distasteful turn when her client's body is found, stabbed and stuffed under the head table. Mia's shocked to learn that she's a suspect - and even more so when she realizes she's next on a killer's list. With Christina, along with Mia's meddling grandma, in the mix, she'll have to find out which of the town's eccentric residents has an appetite for murder...before this fresh start comes to a sticky end..."

Witches and kitchens go together like witches and black cats!

The Paradise Affair by Bill Pronzini
Published by: Forge Books
Publication Date: January 26th, 2021
Format: Hardcover, 176 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"Mystery Writers of America Grand Master Bill Pronzini’s next historical mystery The Paradise Affair, perfect for fans of Peaky Blinders and The Alienist.

Quincannon’s pursuit of two con men who have absconded to Hawaii with a considerable sum of his employer’s assets dovetails nicely with Sabina’s vision of a second honeymoon.

But neither is wont to stay out of trouble, and Sabina inadvertently becomes involved in a locked room/dying message murder in Honolulu."

I don't really connect this book's bowler hats aesthetic with Hawaii... but I'm game!

Posted by Miss Eliza at 12:00 AM 0 comments

Labels: Bill Pronzini, Don't Tell a Soul, Eliza Jane Brazier, Harper St. George, If I Disappear, Kirsten Miller, Lynn Cahoon, One Poison Pie, Patience and Esther, S.W. Searle

The Gilded Wolves by Roshani Chokshi
Published by: Wednesday Books
Publication Date: January 15th, 2019
Format: Hardcover, 400 Pages
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The official patter:
"From New York Times bestselling author Roshani Chokshi comes a novel set in Paris during a time of extraordinary change - one that is full of mystery, decadence, and dangerous desires...

No one believes in them. But soon no one will forget them.

It's 1889. The city is on the cusp of industry and power, and the Exposition Universelle has breathed new life into the streets and dredged up ancient secrets. Here, no one keeps tabs on dark truths better than treasure-hunter and wealthy hotelier Séverin Montagnet-Alarie. When the elite, ever-powerful Order of Babel coerces him to help them on a mission, Séverin is offered a treasure that he never imagined: his true inheritance.

To hunt down the ancient artifact the Order seeks, Séverin calls upon a band of unlikely experts: An engineer with a debt to pay. A historian banished from his home. A dancer with a sinister past. And a brother in arms if not blood.

Together, they will join Séverin as he explores the dark, glittering heart of Paris. What they find might change the course of history - but only if they can stay alive."

The first highly anticipated YA book of the year!

The Flimflam Affair by Bill Pronzini
Published by: Forge Books
Publication Date: January 15th, 2019
Format: Hardcover, 240 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"The Flimflam Affair is the latest charming historical mystery in Mystery Writers of America Grand Master Bill Pronzini's detective series.

Carpenter and Quincannon, Professional Detective Services is a fixture in San Francisco at the dawn of a new century. While the future is unclear, Sabina and John know one thing for certain; they will protect their clients from flimflammers, thieves, and murderers, and do whatever it takes to run these dregs of society into the arms of the law.

Sometimes, that requires a subtle touch. Professor A. Vargas, self-styled medium extraordinaire, and his partner Annabelle, use guile and trickery to swindle bereaved men and women eager to contact the spirits of deceased loved ones. John and Sabina must not only unmask these charlatans, but also solve the riddle of an impossible murder in the midst of a séance.

Other cases involve brute force and personal danger. Such as the theft of a burglarproof safe mysteriously emptied of gold bullion. And John’s pursuit of a ruthless gang of counterfeiters, whose leader appears to be a man from John’s past in the Secret Service―a man thought long dead.

Adding spice to these exploits is Sabina and John’s personal relationship, which is rapidly progressing to an exciting new level."

Step right up for some Steampunky goodness! Also San Francisco and a séance!

End of Day by Mae Clair
Published by: Lyrical Underground
Publication Date: January 15th, 2019
Format: Paperback, 232 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"The past is never truly buried...

Generations of Jillian Cley’s family have been tasked with a strange duty - tending the burial plot of Gabriel Vane, whose body was the first to be interred in the Hode’s Hill cemetery. Jillian faithfully continues the long-standing tradition - until one October night, Vane’s body is stolen from its resting place. Is it a Halloween prank? Or something more sinister?

As the descendants of those buried in the church yard begin to experience bizarre “accidents,” Jillian tries to uncover the cause. Deeply empathic, she does not make friends easily, or lightly. But to fend off the terror taking over her town, she must join forces with artist Dante DeLuca, whose sensitivity to the spirit world has been both a blessing and a curse. The two soon realize Jillian’s murky family history is entwined with a tragic legacy tracing back to the founding of Hode’s Hill. To set matters right, an ancient wrong must be avenged… or Jillian, Dante, and everyone in town will forever be at the mercy of a vengeful spirit."

A vengeful spirit? A family vow to protect a town? Just the Gothic goodness you need on a bleak January day!

Miss Mink: Life Lessons for a Cat Countess by Janet Hill
Published by: Tundra Books
Publication Date: January 15th, 2019
Format: Hardcover, 48 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"This whimsical collection of twenty cat-approved life lessons for living your purrfect life is accompanied by gorgeous, lushly detailed paintings.

Miss Marcella Mink and sixty-seven of her favorite feline friends live happily in her big house by the sea. But there was a time when Miss Mink was not so happy. When Miss Mink created her own business -- a feline-friendly cruise company for cat lovers and their furry companions - she found she no longer had time or energy for herself or her friends. For advice she turned to her cats, who always seemed so happy, healthy, well-rounded, well-groomed and well-rested. It was not long before the Cat Countess was feeling shipshape again. Collected here are Miss Mink's twenty cat-approved lessons, from the benefits of a good grooming and an afternoon nap to valuable advice on friendship and diet."

Janet Hill's exquisite artwork is paired with valuable life lessons, even if you don't aspire to be a cat countess. Though who wouldn't aspire to such a wonderful title?