strange and random happenstance

Hell Bent by Leigh Bardugo
Published by: Flatiron Books
Publication Date: January 10th, 2023
Format: Hardcover, 496 Pages
Rating: ★★★
To Buy (different edition than one reviewed)

Michelle Alameddine has a warning for Alex Stern. Whatever is out there, beyond the Veil, it isn't just Grays. And while this advice is prescient it won't sway Alex. The late, unlamented, Dean Sandow planned for the Hellbeast to devour her Virgil, Darlington, because he was too smart for his own good. But those smarts meant that he survived. As a demon. A gentleman demon. Trapped in hell. And Alex is going to rescue her gentleman demon. Because that night, almost a year ago, she did nothing to save Darlington and has been struggling with her responsibilities and her guilt ever since. The members of Lethe are going to stage a sulfurous jailbreak. The problem is, hell doesn't like thieves. But it does like its murderers. Which might actually come in handy. It's not exactly like Alex's hands are clean. The problem confronting them is that first, they actually have to find a way into hell, and second, they have to do it without the Lethe board finding out. And they only have one clue, that the portal to hell, the Gauntlet, is on hallowed grown. They have literally searched all of New Haven's copious churches to no avail. Approaching Scroll and Key would seem the next logical step as they deal in portals but Alex isn't exactly their favorite person. Especially after her and Dawes trick them and things go catastrophically wrong. As in Darlington, the demon, is now trapped in a protective circle in the ballroom at Black Elm. And while the board doesn't know about Darlington's "return" they do know about the damage to Scroll and Key and strongly suspect what they were up to. What they were specifically told never to attempt. And while Darlington is "back" his soul is still in hell, meaning, this heist is just beginning. With time running out and all eyes on them they need to get Darlington's soul as soon as they can. Dawes has pieced together a ritual and once they realize that the Gauntlet is in Sterling Library, a very different kind of hallowed ground, they just need to assemble four murderers willing to take the journey. Thankfully anyone who's worked with Lethe long enough has gotten their hands dirty, which means that Alex, Dawes, and Detective Turner fit the bill. They just need a fourth, and they find that fourth in the surprising form of Bonesman Tripp Helmuth. He's a ray of sunshine with a surprisingly dark past. They are ready to die and go to hell. Who knows if they will make it back. Who knows if they will succeed. Who knows if they will come back alone.

Originally viewed as an epic series Leigh Bardugo has honed Alex Stern's story down to a trilogy. Which means that Hell Bent is now that problematic middle child. And it's an odd problem here. Because while fixing that which I found originally annoying in Ninth House, specifically the insular and esoteric details that only one who attended Yale would care about, and focusing more on the characters, she has lost some of the originality in this series. Hell Bent feels like it could be any other urban fantasy series, and at times there were strong Buffy the Vampire Slayer overtones. Hell Bent lacked the polish and precision of the first volume which is painfully obvious in the copious timeline errors. If there's one murder on a Saturday night and another on that Sunday morning, they aren't days apart. They aren't even day apart. But what we lose in the tight plotting and editing we gain in character development. By narrowing down the focus to only six characters and their journey to hell and back we can understand them better. In Ninth House Alex seemed to not only be fighting the Grays but fighting her very existence. She didn't understand her place in the world or what she wanted so she was all reaction not action. Which, yes, you can build a story that way, it's just not as compelling. Here we see how special Yale has become to her. It's the first real home she's ever had. There's always a roof over her head and breakfast foods in her pockets. She has friends she can rely on to help, not hurt her. She's falling in love with literature and spends copious hours just reading old paperbacks for enjoyment. The academic life suits her. This also makes her more protective of others, she's not just looking out for herself but her friends and, in particular, her mother. She is learning what it is to be an adult and survive in this world and it makes you care about her and Dawes and all the rest of them, even golden retriever Tripp, all the more. Which is why Leigh Bardugo's interpretation of vampires is so interesting and terrifying. While I don't consider myself an expert on vampires I know enough and the fact that in this universe vampires are actually demons that drain a human into nothing more than a husk and then become them is genius and terrifying. I don't know if it's been done before, but it felt fresh and original and, as previously mentioned, terrifying. Add in the soul revelation, and, well, yes, hints of Angelus, but also, something so unique that I almost forgave the more pedestrian plot points. Almost.

Posted by Miss Eliza at 12:00 AM 0 comments  

Labels: Alex Stern, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Character, Darlington, Dawes, Ghosts, Grays, Hell, Hell Bent, Leigh Bardugo, Lethe, New Haven, Ninth House, Portals, Secret Societies, Summer School, Trilogy, Tripp Helmuth, Vampires, Yale

Where the Body Was by Ed Brubaker, Sean Phillips, and Jacob Phillips
Published by: Image Comics
Publication Date: January 16th, 2024
Format: Hardcover, 144 Pages
Rating: ★★★★★
To Buy

It's summer 1984 on Pelican Road. Right where the street ends there's a boarding house. It's mostly filled with junkies and the neighbors eye it with suspicion. Everything kicks off one day when Tommy Brandt stands up for Karina Lane. Tommy's been in love with Karina for awhile and seeing her with an abusive prick like Sid, something inside him snaps. And if their neighbor Palmer Sneed hadn't stepped in waving his badge something inside of Tommy really would have snapped. A rib most likely. Palmer's intervention catches the eye of lonely housewife Toni Melville. Her husband is a well regarded clinical psychiatrist but he's apparently more concerned with his patients than his own wife. Well, two can play that game and she's happy to welcome Palmer into her bed. But the real hero of the neighborhood is eleven year old Lila Nguyen, AKA The Roller Derby Kid. Earlier in the summer Tommy was clearing out the garage of the boarding house and gave Lila a box of comics. Ever since that day she has been obsessed with being a superhero. Cape, domino mask, roller skates, the works. She's the eyes and ears of Pelican Road. And she's the first to see the private eye. She's doing her rounds before going to her lookout when she sees him. And she knows he brings trouble. She immediately goes to the homeless vet Ranko who she's befriended. She brings him food while he's been living rough behind the 7-11 while seeing Dr. Melville. Lila is worried he could get in trouble. She's worried a lot of people could get in trouble, especially Tommy and Karina. They've been robbing the houses in the neighborhood for drug money while also taking a dip in the houses' pools. Lila even confronts Tommy that he needs to cut it out. But Tommy knows that he's not the reason the PI is in the neighborhood. Jack Foster is there for Karina. He's been sent by her family to find her. She skipped out on court ordered rehab and needs to go home. But Tommy doesn't want her to go home. He wants this imperfect but somehow perfect summer to never end. Though that's impossible. While Palmer waving his badge at Sid might have been the start of things, the match that lit the fire, it's the PI's arrival that is the fuel. Because everyone has secrets, the affairs and the petty larceny are nothing when you learn that Palmer isn't even a cop, he's just waving his father's badge around. And the PI knows it. The PI knows all. And then Lila finds the body. A body that isn't there once the police arrive and shatter the taut atmosphere of Pelican Road, a place where murder lurks just below the surface.

When I was younger I read the expected comics, Archie, Richie Rich, The Family Circus, and once I developed taste, Garfield and Calvin and Hobbes. Then there was the darkages, and yes, that is a Philomena Cunk reference. I didn't pick up any comics. For years and years I went to Westfield Comics to buy my Red Dwarf magazines and trading cards. Because you can never have enough Red Dwarf or trading cards in your life she says as she tries to offload a whole bunch of trading cards to anyone who wants to buy them. What got me back into comics was Buffy the Vampire Slayer. Firstly, because they had tie-in editions, and eventually because that's how the series continued. But being exposed to comics again meant I started to pay attention and started picking up series that other people recommended. And if I ever remember who told me to read The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen I'm coming for you! Thanks to my library, which has a stunning collection, I started to find creators I really connected to, Bill Willingham, Marjorie M. Liu, Sana Takeda, Cullen Bunn, Tyler Crook, James Tynion IV, and Ed Brubaker and Sean Phillips. A decade ago I picked up Fatale, Book 1: Death Chases Me and I was hooked. It's noir, it's eldritch, it's got amazing art! I devoured the whole series in a matter of days, actually having to go to Westfield Comics to buy the final arc because the wait at the library was too long. After that I was an acolyte. The writing and the art just can't be beat. Though I do like the stories that tend to veer towards the supernatural, like Fatale and Kill or be Killed, but you can't fault their Noir Old Hollywood vibe either. In 2018 though an interesting thing happened. They released My Heroes Have Always Been Junkies, an original graphic novel instead of issues on an approximately monthly basis. This was so successful, along with the expanded arc from Criminal, Bad Weekend, that starting in 2020 with the first Ethan Reckless book all their joint projects are now graphic novels. Continuous stories that aren't serialized. Though Covid did also play into this decision with supply chain issues. There have been five Ethan Reckless books to date, and other deservedly lauded books like Pulp and Night Fever. But for me it's all about Where the Body Was. This 2024 release was the hit of nostalgia that I'd been craving. Focusing on a dead end road in the summer of 1984 it tracks an intersecting cast of characters over what ends up being a rather momentous summer. I mean there's a dead body, and then there isn't! One of my favorite films of all time is The 'Burbs and this tapped into the same suburban vibe that tilts to the ominous. But there's also a fluid narration that gives us past and present. And most importantly of all, it namechecks one of the greatest episode of The Twilight Zone ever, so says my Dad, "Walking Distance." For those sentimentalists among us who love intrigue and art and human connections, even if you've never picked up a graphic novel, let me say, try this one. It really is for you.

Posted by Miss Eliza at 12:00 AM 0 comments  

Labels: Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Comics, Ed Brubaker, Ethan Reckless, Graphic Novels, Jacob Phillips, Night Fever, Pelican Road, Pulp, Sean Phillips, The 'Burbs, The Twilight Zone, Walking Distance, Where the Body Was

The Goosebumps series by R.L. Stine started in summer 1992. Seeing as I viewed myself as a sophisticated adult because I was just about to start high school I wasn't the target demographic. That would have been my brother who is four years younger than me. He loved authors like John Bellairs, so of course this fell into his wheelhouse. He wasn't a fanatic because his main loves were video games and WWF and WCW wrestling, but I remember him having a few books on his shelves, particularly Night of the Living Dummy. One thing R.L. Stine gets is what Rod Serling did before him, and that's that dummies are terrifying. Which is lucky, because this season is all about Stine's evil dummy. For the most part. It's about how the dummy has influenced, one might even say destroyed, two generations in Port Lawrence, Washington. The problem is it's hard to categorize this show, there's a nostalgia element but there's a lot of cheese too. You have horrific moments and then you have Justin Long doing some of the most insane physical humor you will ever see as the dummy possesses him. There's no inbetween. And the show isn't able to find a common ground. It doesn't know what it wants to be and I think this is because it's made by Disney. It wants to reach the widest audience possible so it hedges its bets. When it could go dark it goes funny, when it could go terrifying it goes gross. In that regard it does kind of want to be Buffy the Vampire Slayer, even with an alum of that show, the late and unlamented Forrest. But here's the thing, even Buffy wasn't able to find the sweet spot in telling a story about an evil dummy. The season one episode "The Puppet Show" is one of those ones if I was a person who skipped episodes when rewatching favorite shows I just might skip. It's a shame Sid had to show up in the second Buffy video game, because he's a horrible fighter, but it is what it is. What I'm trying to say is that it's like a once in a lifetime situation to get this balance right and in the end Goosebumps failed. I was willing to give it the benefit of the doubt, because there are solid episodes here, but the finale left me cold. Instead of bringing our Port Lawrence Scooby Gang together to vanquish the big bad instead we get a rambling episode about the origins of the dummy. We're in Egypt and traveling circuses, we're far away from our core cast. The town then gets possessed by the dummy and everyone has makeup like the henchmen from the Buffy musical as my brother pointed out. And I guess they win, it's very convoluted and Justin Long appears to still be possessed at the end and that's where we're left. Because while the show was renewed it was renewed as an anthology. So guess what? Next season we'll get new stories and characters that they might just as well leave on another cliffhanger. I mean, really!?! I invested my time in this uneven show and I'm not going to get closure!?! Not to mention that I feel like I need therapy because I realized I'm now the age of the parents of the teens on the show. At least the flashbacks to their high school years had the requisite amount of flannel. The flannel is all I have to comfort me now.

Posted by Miss Eliza at 12:00 AM 0 comments  

Labels: And the Emmy Goes To, Anthology, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Cliffhanger, Disney, Dummy, Forrest, Goosebumps, Justin Long, Night of the Living Dummy, Nineties, R.L. Stine, Rod Serling, Scooby Gang, The Puppet Show

The Familiar by Leigh Bardugo
Published by: Flatiron Books
Publication Date: April 9th, 2024
Format: Hardcover, 400 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"From the #1 New York Times bestselling author Leigh Bardugo comes a spellbinding novel set in the Spanish Golden Age.

In a shabby house, on a shabby street, in the new capital of Madrid, Luzia Cotado uses scraps of magic to get through her days of endless toil as a scullion. But when her scheming mistress discovers the lump of a servant cowering in the kitchen is actually hiding a talent for little miracles, she demands Luzia use those gifts to improve the family's social position.

What begins as simple amusement for the nobility takes a perilous turn when Luzia garners the notice of Antonio Pérez, the disgraced secretary to Spain's king. Still reeling from the defeat of his armada, the king is desperate for any advantage in the war against England's heretic queen - and Pérez will stop at nothing to regain the king's favor.

Determined to seize this one chance to better her fortunes, Luzia plunges into a world of seers and alchemists, holy men and hucksters, where the lines between magic, science, and fraud are never certain. But as her notoriety grows, so does the danger that her Jewish blood will doom her to the Inquisition's wrath. She will have to use every bit of her wit and will to survive - even if that means enlisting the help of Guillén Santángel, an embittered immortal familiar whose own secrets could prove deadly for them both."

THE BOOK of the year. Seriously, I can not wait.

Against the Darkness by Kendare Blake
Published by: Disney Hyperion
Publication Date: April 9th, 2024
Format: Hardcover, 384 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"This epic finale to the Buffy: The Next Generation trilogy by New York Times bestselling author Kendare Blake (Three Dark Crowns) features the next generation of Scoobies and Slayers who must defeat a powerful new evil.

For generations, the Slayer was supposed to be the chosen, the one girl in all the world with the power to stand against the vampires, demons, and forces of darkness. When Willow used the scythe to call up all the potential slayers at once, it changed everything. For years, the slayers have been working and fighting together as a team.

Then the Darkness came, killing many slayers and trapping the rest in an alternate dimension. And Frankie Rosenberg, the world's first Slayer-Witch, found herself fighting evil alone. Sort of.

After their latest confrontation with the Darkness, the Scooby gang is more fragmented than ever. Jake is having a werewolf identity crisis, and the return of his troublemaker brother Jordy is only making things worse. Hailey is off pretending to be one of the rogue slayers. Sigmund is burying his broken heart in books. And Frankie's mom, Willow, and Watcher, Spike, only seem to care about bringing Buffy back.

Now, Frankie must forge her own path, save the slayers, reunite her friends, and lead the charge to defeat the Darkness once and for all."

Willow will always be obsessed with bringing Buffy back... The more things change the more they stay the same.

Catchpenny by Charlie Huston
Published by: Vintage
Publication Date: April 9th, 2024
Format: Paperback, 416 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"A thief who can travel through mirrors, a video game that threatens to spill out of the virtual world, a doomsday cult on a collision course with destiny, and a missing teenager at the center of it all. With the world on the brink of every kind of apocalypse, humanity needs a hero. What it gets is Sid Catchpenny.

Sidney Catchpenny has had a bad run. Laid low by a years-long bout of debilitating depression, he's all but squandered his reputation as one of the most uniquely talented thieves in LA. There aren't many who can do what Sid does. He's a sly, a special kind of crook with the uncanny ability to move through mirrors. And the spoils he's after are equally unusual. Forget jewels and cold cash - Sid steals curiosities - items imbued with powerful mojo, a magical essence gleaned from the accumulated emotion that seeps into interesting, though often banal objects. That spot on the carpet where your old dog used to lay at your feet? The passed-down family heirloom nobody wants but everybody refuses to throw away? These curiosities are full of mojo, which is both the currency of the criminal underground and the secret source of magic in the world.

When a friend from Sid's past comes looking for his help with an important client, and the chance to pay off old debts presents itself, Sid seizes the opportunity...as best he can. But the case he stumbles into is more complicated than it seems, and it portends a seismic shift in the world, one that will leave no one untouched. As the fog of his depression begins to lift, Sid sees connections everywhere he looks, and the once disparate threads of the case - a missing teenage girl, an entire bedroom saturated with mojo, and Sid's own long-dead wife - begin to coalesce."

Mojo dojo catchpenny housebreaker? Sorry, I couldn't resist.

The Vacancy in Room 10 by Seraphina Nova Glass
Published by: Graydon House
Publication Date: April 9th, 2024
Format: Hardcover, 304 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"When Anna Hartley's husband, Henry, calls her with a terrible, guilty confession, she can't believe what she hears. It has to be a bad joke - the mild, predictable artist she married would never hurt a fly, let alone commit murder. But her confusion turns to horror when police find his body washed up on the banks of the Rio Grande.

Desperate for answers to the millions of questions his untimely death has raised, Anna checks in to The Sycamores, the run-down motel turned apartment Henry rented as an art studio. As she absorbs every bit of gossip the eclectic mix of residents are willing to share about her husband and each other, she begins to piece together a picture of a very different man than the one she married, and the life he led behind her back. The more she learns, and the less sense things seem to make, she finds herself wondering: Did she ever really know Henry at all?

But Henry's secrets aren't the only ones; as Anna's search for clues expands, Cass, the mysterious, jaded motel manager, seems more and more determined to keep Anna in the dark. And when threatening letters start appearing at her door, Anna has to decide what's more important - the truth, or her own safety."

Oh, you know Anna will choose the truth. They all do.

The Vinyl Detective: Noise Floor by Andrew Cartmel
Published by: Titan Books (UK)
Publication Date: April 9th, 2024
Format: Paperback, 384 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"The Vinyl Detective plunges into the world of electronic dance music in his seventh adventure. Expect laughs, LPs, cats and the return of fan favourites, Nevada, Tinkler, Stinky Stanmer and more.

The Vinyl Detective enters the fraught and frenzied realm of electronic dance music.

Lambert Ramkin aka Imperium Dart, techno trickster and ambient music wizard of the 1990s, has gone walkabout, disappearing from his rather palatial home in Kent.

This isn't the first time he's pulled a vanishing act, but he's never been gone so long before and his wife - wives, actually; it's complicated - are worried and hire the Vinyl Detective to find the old rascal.

They theorise that wherever the missing man is, he won't be able to resist turning up at a record fair somewhere in search of 12-inch white label acid house singles, which he collects compulsively.

And no one knows the world of record fairs better than the Vinyl Detective.

They're not wrong...

But once our hero finds the wandering Lamb the trouble really begins - including terrifying mind-fucks with a side order of, if things break the wrong way, mass murder."

I just learned about this series last year because of Andrew Cartmel's work with Ben Aaronovitch on the Rivers of London graphic novels. So I'm very excited to see what this world is all about.

The Poison Pen by Paige Shelton
Published by: Minotaur Books
Publication Date: April 9th, 2024
Format: Hardcover, 304 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"The Poison Pen, the ninth installment in the Scottish Bookshop series by Paige Shelton, set in a specialty bookstore in Edinburgh called The Cracked Spine.

Edinburgh is mourning recent the death of Queen Elizabeth II when Bookseller Delaney Nichols's boss comes to her with a most unusual assignment. An old friend of his, living in an estate in the village of Roslin, has found what could be a priceless relic on her property, and Delaney is tasked with investigating. Could Jolie possibly have an item of breathtaking Scottish historical significance in her possession? But when Delaney arrives at Jolie's estate, she is greeted by a legal team with a vested interest in the property. Jolie manages to remove the interlopers, but as they're examining the priceless item, they hear a scream, and meet a much less welcome discovery: a body.

As Delaney digs deeper, she discovers Jolie's own fascinating history. Jolie's mother had long claimed that her daughter was the rightful heir to the throne, not Elizabeth II, because of an affair she claimed to have with King Edward VIII. The only evidence, however, is in the form of a purported journal that one of Edward's secretaries kept. The puzzles become more confusing when a connection is uncovered between this far-fetched story and the murdered man. Delaney will have to read between the lines to put together the pieces...or become history herself."

Oh, pretenders to the throne!?!

Death in the Details by Katie Tietjen
Published by: Crooked Lane Books
Publication Date: April 9th, 2024
Format: Hardcover, 288 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"Inspired by the real-life mother of forensic science, Frances Glessner Lee, and featuring a whip-smart, intrepid sleuth in post-WWII Vermont, this debut historical mystery will appeal to fans of Victoria Thompson and Rhys Bowen.

Maple Bishop is ready to put WWII and the grief of losing her husband, Bill, behind her. But when she discovers that Bill left her penniless, Maple realizes she could lose her Vermont home next and sets out to make money the only way she knows how: by selling her intricately crafted dollhouses. Business is off to a good start - until Maple discovers her first customer dead, his body hanging precariously in his own barn.

Something about the supposed suicide rubs Maple the wrong way, but local authorities brush off her concerns. Determined to help them see "what's big in what's small," Maple turns to what she knows best, painstakingly recreating the gruesome scene in miniature: death in a nutshell.

With the help of a rookie officer named Kenny, Maple uses her macabre miniature to dig into the dark undercurrents of her sleepy town, where everyone seems to have a secret--and a grudge. But when her nosy neighbor goes missing and she herself becomes a suspect, it'll be up to Maple to find the devil in the details - and put him behind bars.

Drawing inspiration from true crime and offering readers a smartly plotted puzzle of a mystery, Death in the Details is a stunning series debut."

I've been obsessed with anything to do with Frances Glessner Lee since I read Maureen Johnson's Truly Devious books!

Cast a Cold Eye by Robbie Morrison
Published by: Bantam
Publication Date: April 9th, 2024
Format: Paperback, 448 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"In 1930s Glasgow, partners Jimmy Dreghorn and Archie McDaid face a danger that threatens to set their city aflame - the second novel in the acclaimed mystery series that began with Edge of the Grave.

Glasgow, 1933. Murder is nothing new in the Depression-era city, especially to war veterans Inspector Jimmy Dreghorn and his partner, "Bonnie" Archie McDaid. But the dead man found in a narrowboat on the Forth and Clyde Canal, executed with a single shot to the back of the head, is no ordinary killing.

Violence usually erupts in the heat of the moment - the razor-gangs that stalk the streets settle scores with knives and fists. But firearms suggest something more sinister, especially when the killer strikes again.

Meanwhile, other forces are stirring within the city. A suspected IRA cell is at large, embedded within the criminal gangs and attracting the ruthless attention of Special Branch agents from London.

With political and sectarian tensions rising and the body count mounting, Dreghorn and McDaid pursue an investigation into the dark heart of humanity - where one man's freedom fighter is another man's terrorist, and noble ideals are swept away by bloody vengeance."

One of my friends has been spending a lot of time in Glasgow so I'm now a little Glasgow obsessed. OK, a lot Glasgow obsessed.

The Clock Struck Murder by Betty Webb
Published by: Poisoned Pen Press
Publication Date: April 9th, 2024
Format: Paperback, 320 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"One woman's trash is another woman's - lost Chagall masterpiece?!?

Expat Zoe Barlow has settled well into her artist's life among the Lost Generation in 1920s Paris. When a too-tipsy guest at her weekly poker game breaks Zoe's favorite clock, she's off to a Montparnasse flea market to bargain with the vendor Laurette for a replacement. What Zoe didn't bargain for was the lost Chagall painting that's been used like a rag to wrap her purchases! Eager to learn whether Laurette has more Chagalls lying about like trash, Zoe sets off to track her down at her storage shed. With no Laurette in sight, Zoe snoops around and indeed finds several additional Chagalls - and then she finds Laurette herself, dead beneath a scrap heap, her beautiful face bashed in.

With Paris hosting the 1924 Summer Olympics, the police are far too busy with tourist-related crimes to devote much time to the clock seller's murder. After returning the paintings to a grateful Marc Chagall, Zoe begins her own investigation. Did the stolen paintings play any part in the brutal killing? Or was it a crime of passion? Zoe soon discovers that there were many people who had reason to resent the lovely Laurette. But who hated the girl enough to stop her clock permanently? When Zoe discovers a second murder victim, the pressure is on to find the killer before time - and luck - run out."

Wait, I just realized are they doing the Summer Olympics in Paris this year because it's been a hundred years since these Olympics? Also, as much as I dislike the Summer Olympics, I'd totally go if I could find a lost Chagall masterpiece.

Ghost Station by S.A. Barnes
Published by: Tor Nightfire
Publication Date: April 9th, 2024
Format: Hardcover, 384 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"A crew must try to survive on an ancient, abandoned planet in the latest space horror novel from S.A. Barnes, acclaimed author of Dead Silence.

Space exploration can be lonely and isolating.

Psychologist Dr. Ophelia Bray has dedicated her life to the study and prevention of ERS - a space-based condition most famous for a case that resulted in the brutal murders of twenty-nine people. When she's assigned to a small exploration crew, she's eager to make a difference. But as they begin to establish residency on an abandoned planet, it becomes clear that crew is hiding something.

While Ophelia focuses on her new role, her crewmates are far more interested in investigating the eerie, ancient planet and unraveling the mystery behind the previous colonizer's hasty departure than opening up to her. That is, until their pilot is discovered gruesomely murdered. Is this Ophelia's worst nightmare starting - a wave of violence and mental deterioration from ERS? Or is it something more sinister?

Terrified that history will repeat itself, Ophelia and the crew must work together to figure out what's happening. But trust is hard to come by...and the crew isn't the only one keeping secrets."

I love what amounts to haunted house stories in outer space.

A Slice of Fried Gold: Taste My Memories by Nick Frost
Published by: Mango
Publication Date: April 9th, 2024
Format: Hardcover, 320 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"How the Joy of Cooking Saved Me.

Follow comedic actor Nick Frost's journey with family recipes that reconnect him to memories and loved ones from long ago.

A cookbook of laughs, tears, and stroganoff. Known for comedy movies such as Shaun of the Dead and Hot Fuzz, Nick Frost has touched the hearts of millions throughout his career. Now, he shares his culinary side in an all-new celebrity memoir that mixes humorous advice with honest truths. A Slice of Fried Gold is a love letter to cooking, the people who inspired him, and how his emotional connection to food has impacted his life and relationships. Full of delicious recipes, familiar faces, and touching moments from Nick's life, discover how cooking can create bonds that last a lifetime.

Make every meal a memory. When twelve-year-old Nick first recreated his mom's beef stroganoff, he found that it brought out a version of her that he only saw when she was sober: pride. Now, years after her death, he continues to make it so he and his family can still know her and her best moments with every bite. With many other memories about how the joy of cooking helped him cope with the loss and chaos in his life, Nick's story will inspire you to find your own uplifting way of reconnecting with loved ones and your happiest moments with them.

Inside A Slice of Fried Gold, you'll also discover:

-15+ meaningful recipes and how Nick Frost adds his own techniques to each meal
-How cooking has helped with his ADHD
-His experience of sharing his famous Pie in a Bowl with friend and co-star Simon Pegg
-Ways to cherish memories and traditions with the next generation

If you liked celebrity cookbooks such as Snoop Dog Presents Goon with the Spoon, Pie is Messy, or How to Cook That, you'll love A Slice of Fried Gold."

I love this book if there is not a single mention of a kibbutz, unlike his previous book.

Posted by Miss Eliza at 12:00 AM 0 comments  

Labels: Andrew Cartmel, Betty Webb, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Charlie Huston, Katie Tietjen, Kendare Blake, Leigh Bardugo, Nick Frost, Paige Shelton, Robbie Morrison, S.A. Barnes, Seraphina Nova Glass, The Familiar

My awakening to vampires didn't happen until 2001. Of course I knew about vampires, I just didn't seek them out. It took Buffy and William the Bloody for that to happen. But prior to that I wasn't in the dark. I knew who Anne Rice was because of an art class acquaintance who was obsessed with her books. I think she was actually the only Goth at my high school which makes me sad. There should have been more. And then you could not be alive in the nineties without knowing about the Tom Cruise Lestat casting controversy. But again, it was background noise. I didn't even see the Interview with the Vampire movie until it was on basic cable. Then I saw it. A lot. Randomly. It's one of those movies you just kind of watch some of and get drawn inexorably in. Eventually, as in only about ten years ago, I thought it was time for me to finally read Interview with the Vampire and I really didn't like it. Gave the book away didn't like it. What's odd is the only thing I actually remember about the book, other than hating it, is Claudia's death scene. That's very vivid in my mind. Also I kind of what to re-read it to see if it's really as bad as I thought it was, so it just goes to show I should hold on to all my books for ever and ever. Which makes it oddly strange that I was so excited for AMC's new Interview with the Vampire. But I was. And it was magical. It transformed the book into something more. The book became a starting off point and from their it grew to be about sexual identity, racism, family, justice, relationships, trauma, abuse, truth, as Louis says at one point to Daniel, now older, wiser, grumpier, and played perfectly by Eric Bogosian, we are on an odyssey of memory. And memory changes, becomes warped, distorted by love and hate. This adaptation is very insular, an almost claustrophobic little world, where thought and language and words are king. Daylight is never seen, everything happens in these opulent little rooms in New Orleans that look and feel like jewel boxes. You actually feel the suffocation that Louis feels while around Lestat. The words swirl around and around in your head so that after an episode you feel lightheaded, as if somehow they snuck into your house and drained you of blood while you watched. Every change is so much for the better that I can not praise the writers of this series enough. But the biggest improvement is when Louis refuses to talk about Claudia's rape at the hands of another vampire. He says that he will not exploit her pain. And that's when I realized the showrunners really knew what they were doing. Claudia's exploitation almost to the point of child pornography in the book is what alienated me from it and they knew they had to point blank say that this adaptation was going beyond the book, making it more modern, more thoughtful, and yes, even a bit more Grey Gardens. And if this entire adaptation just existed to give me Lestat and Louis as Big and Little Edie, then I say it was a job well done.

Posted by Miss Eliza at 12:00 AM 0 comments  

Labels: AMC, And the Emmy Goes To, Anne Rice, Big Edie, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Eric Bogosian, Goth, Grey Gardens, Interview with the Vampire, Little Edie, New Orleans, Odyssey, Tom Cruise, Vampires, William the Bloody

The Brothers Hawthrone by Jennifer Lynn Barnes
Published by: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers
Publication Date: August 29th, 2023
Format: Hardcover, 480 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"Four brothers. Two missions. One explosive read. Jennifer Lynn Barnes returns to the world of her #1 bestselling, TikTok sensation Inheritance Games trilogy, and the stakes have never been higher.

Grayson Hawthorne was raised as the heir apparent to his billionaire grandfather, taught from the cradle to put family first. Now the great Tobias Hawthorne is dead and his family disinherited, but some lessons linger. When Grayson's half-sisters find themselves in trouble, he swoops in to do what he does best: take care of the problem - efficiently, effectively, mercilessly. And without getting bogged down in emotional entanglements.

Jameson Hawthorne is a risk-taker, a sensation-seeker, a player of games. When his mysterious father appears and asks for a favor, Jameson can't resist the challenge. Now he must infiltrate London's most exclusive underground gambling club, which caters to the rich, the powerful, and the aristocratic, and win an impossible game of greatest stakes. Luckily, Jameson Hawthorne lives for impossible.

Drawn into twisted games on opposite sides of the globe, Grayson and Jameson - with the help of their brothers and the girl who inherited their grandfather's fortune - must dig deep to decide who they want to be and what each of them will sacrifice to win."

I think perhaps I should spend my birthday staycation just reading this series...

Sign of the Slayer by Sharina Harris
Published by: Entangled: Teen
Publication Date: August 29th, 2023
Format: Hardcover, 464 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"Full Metal Alchemist meets Vampire Diaries in this fun and clever dark academia series...

High school is supposed to be about studying, socializing, and marching-band practice. Not fighting vampires. Then one night flipped my world inside out - now, my life sucks. But it isn't all bad. I'm at a slayer academy, learning things like the real origin of vamps and how to make serious weapons out of thin air.

Every last one of them will pay for what they did. I'm doing great.

Until I come face-to-face with the actual vampire prince...and I'm not sure of anything anymore. Vampires are supposed to be soul-sucking demons. But Khamari is…something else. He's intelligent and reasonable - and he seems to know things about me that could change everything.

He's also hiding something big, even from his own kind. And when a threat from an ancient evil is so extreme that a vampire will team up with a slayer to take it down, it isn’t just my need for revenge that's at stake anymore.

It's the whole damn world."

Yeah, it's not Buffy, do I care, no. Yeah slayers and dark academia!

My Roommate is a Vampire by Jenna Levine
Published by: Berkley Books
Publication Date: August 29th, 2023
Format: Paperback, 352 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"True love is at stake in this charming, debut romantic comedy.

Cassie Greenberg loves being an artist, but it's a tough way to make a living. On the brink of eviction, she's desperate when she finds a too-good-to-be-true apartment in a beautiful Chicago neighborhood. Cassie knows there has to be a catch - only someone with a secret to hide would rent out a room for that price.

Of course, her new roommate Frederick J. Fitzwilliam is far from normal. He sleeps all day, is out at night on business, and talks like he walked out of a regency romance novel. He also leaves Cassie heart-melting notes around the apartment, cares about her art, and asks about her day. And he doesn't look half bad shirtless, on the rare occasions they're both home and awake. But when Cassie finds bags of blood in the fridge that definitely weren't there earlier, Frederick has to come clean...

Cassie's sexy new roommate is a vampire. And he has a proposition for her."

I am in love with this cover, I mean, this is like the romcom of my dreams when I was younger.

Bite Risk by S.J. Wills
Published by: Simon and Schuster Books for Young Readers
Publication Date: August 29th, 2023
Format: Hardcover, 320 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"The Last Kids on Earth gets a lupine twist by way of Margaret Peterson Haddix in this eerie middle grade adventure set in a small town where all the adults are werewolves but the kids begin to suspect something else sinister is putting them at even greater risk.

When everyone's a werewolf, it's hard to spot the monster...

Thirteen-year-old Sel lives in the remote, isolated town of Tremorglade, where nothing interesting ever seems to happen. Well, unless you count the one night a month when the full moon rises and kids like him must lock up their parents while they transform into werewolves (though Tremorgladers prefer to call them Rippers). But that's the whole world's new normal since the Disruption changed everything well before Sel was born.

But when strange things begin happening in Tremorglade, like drones emitting sickening sounds and people behaving oddly, Sel and his friends begin asking questions about what's really going on in their small town. And suspiciously soon after they do, Rippers begin escaping on confinement nights, people start disappearing, and the kids suspect they're being followed.

Maybe there's a reason no one ever seems to leave Tremorglade...and it's up to Sel and his friends to figure out the truth someone doesn't want them to know before another full moon puts them all at a bite risk."

I mean, who doesn't want to read about teens in danger of their werewolf parents on a remote island? Because if you don't I don't think we can be friends. 

The Mystery at Dunvegan Castle by T.L. Huchu
Published by: Tor Books
Publication Date: August 29th, 2023
Format: Hardcover, 400 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"Duels, magic, and plenty of ghosts await in The Mystery at Dunvegan Castle, the third book of T. L. Huchu's USA Today bestselling Edinburgh Nights series.

Everyone's favorite fifteen-year-old ghostalker, Ropa, arrives at the worldwide Society of Skeptical Enquirers' biennial conference just in time to be tied into a mystery - a locked room mystery, if an entire creepy haunted castle on lockdown counts. One of the magical attendees has stolen a valuable magical scroll.

Caught between Qozmos, the high wizard of Ethiopian magic; the larger-than-life Lord Sashvindu Samarasinghe; England's Sorcerer Royal; and Scotland's own Edmund MacLeod, it's up to Ropa (and Jomo and Priya) to sort through the dangerous secret politics and alliances to figure out what really happened. But she has a special tool - the many ghosts tied to the ancient, powerful castle."

What is it about books with an English Sorcerer Royal that always make me excited?

The German Baking Book by Jürgen Krauss
Published by: Weldon Owen
Publication Date: August 29th, 2023
Format: Hardcover, 208 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"From Jürgen Krauss, called "possibly the best-loved contestant in Great British Baking Show history," comes a celebration of German home baking. Make classic German pastries, from apple strudel and stolen to show stopping celebration desserts such as Black Forest cake and "Blushing Maid." It's sehr gut!

The German Baking Book is a celebration of German home baking from Jurgen Krauss, who won the hearts of viewers and three Star Baker honors from the judges of The Great British Baking Show. A self-taught baker, Jürgen has drawn on the flavors, techniques, and memories from his childhood, his European travels, and his wife's Jewish heritage, to create a collection of authentic German baking recipes from his home to yours.

Jürgen's gentle charm can be felt with each delightful recipe. From German classics such as Black Forest gateau, and coffee cake, to festive bakes including lebkuchen and gingerbread, each of Jürgen's delicious recipes are crafted with care and simplicity.

The German Baking Book is a must-have for fans of The Great British Baking Show and home bakers with a love for classic and festive German baking.

British Baking Show Fan Favorite: Author Jürgen Krauss won the hearts of fans and three Star Baker honors from the judges on The Great British Baking Show.

Authentic German Recipes: Expand your culinary skills and fill the air of your home with the scent of fresh baked strudels, cookies, and authentic German breads.

Bake Like a Pro: The skills and recipes that helped Jürgen Krauss conquer the challenges of The Great British Baking Show deliver delicious results every time.

Treats for Every Occasion: From simple coffee cakes to elaborate holiday showstoppers to hearty breads, create authentic German sweets, breads and snacks that make every gathering delicious.

Full-Color Photography: The German Baking Book features gorgeous full-color photography to help inspire and ensure success.

Perfect Gift for The Great British Baking Show Fans: Fans of The Great British Baking Show will love Jürgen's charming recipes"

I love Jürgen. I wish everyone could win the show!

The Picture House Murders by Fiona Veitch Smith
Published by: Embla Books
Publication Date: August 29th, 2023
Format: Kindle
To Buy

The official patter:
"Murder is no occupation for a lady...or is it?

1929: Miss Clara Vale is a woman ahead of her time. Rather than attending Oxford to bag an eligible Duke (as her mother, Lady Vale, so desperately hoped), she threw herself into a degree in chemistry, with aspirations to become a scientist in her own right.

But the world isn't ready for Clara. Unable to land a job in science because she's a woman, she is stuck behind the desk at a dingy London library.

Until her estranged Uncle dies suddenly, leaving her his private detective agency, and laboratory, in his will.

Clara couldn't become a detective, could she?

The decision is made for her when one of her uncle's old clients comes to her for help with a case surrounding the local picture house and invites Clara to see the latest show, before they discuss the details.

But during the film, a fire suddenly engulfs the picture house, with tragic consequences.

It seems at first an accident, but Clara soon begins to question if it was in fact a carefully orchestrated murder.

She's suddenly in the middle of a deadly mystery and will discover her scientific skills make her a sleuth to be reckoned with...Can she catch the killer before they strike again?

The first in a brand-new, glittering Golden Age cozy mystery series. Fans of Verity Bright, Helena Dixon and T.E. Kinsey will be hooked from the very first page to the final breathtaking finale."

If Flavia De Luce was a flapper.

Harlem After Midnight by Louise Hare
Published by: Berkley Books
Publication Date: August 29th, 2023
Format: Hardcover, 352 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"A body falls from a town house window in Harlem, and it looks just like the newest singer at the Apollo...in this evocative, twisting new novel from the author of Miss Aldridge Regrets.

Harlem, 1936: Lena Aldridge grew up in a cramped corner of London, hearing stories of the bright lights of Broadway. She always imagined that when she finally went to New York City, she'd be there with her father. But now he's dead, and she's newly arrived and alone, chasing a dream that has quickly dried up. When Will Goodman - the handsome musician she met on the crossing from England - offers for her to stay with his friends in Harlem, she agrees. She has nowhere else to go, and this will give her a chance to get to know Will better and see if she can find any trace of the family she might have remaining.

Will's friends welcome her with open arms, but just as Lena discovers the stories her father once told her were missing giant pieces of information, she also starts to realize the man she's falling too fast and too hard for has secrets of his own. And they might just place a target on her back. Especially when she is drawn to the brightest stage in town."

A wonderfully atmospheric mystery.

Posted by Miss Eliza at 12:00 AM 0 comments  

Labels: Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Fiona Veitch Smith, GBBO, Jenna Levine, Jennifer Lynn Barnes, Jürgen Krauss, Louise Hare, S.J. Wills, Sharina Harris, Slayer, T.L. Huchu, The Inheritance Games, Vampires, Werewolves

Looking Glass Sound by Catriona Ward
Published by: Tor Nightfire
Publication Date: August 8th, 2023
Format: Hardcover, 352 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"From Catriona Ward, author of The Last House on Needless Street, comes a masterful story about friendship and betrayal, dark obsessions, and the impossibility of escaping your own story.

In a cottage overlooking the windswept Maine coast, Wilder Harlow has begun the last book he will ever write.

It is the story about the sun-drenched summer days of his youth in Whistler Bay, and the blood-stained path of the killer that stalked his small vacation town. About the terrible secret he and his companions, Nat and Harper, discovered entombed in the coves off the bay. And how the pact they swore that day echoed down the decades, forever shaping their lives.

But the more Wilder writes, the less he trusts himself and his memory. He starts to see things that can't be real - notes hidden in his cupboards, from an old friend now dead; a woman with dark hair drowning in the icy waters below, calling for help; entire chapters he doesn't recall typing, appearing overnight. Who, or what, is haunting Wilder?

No longer able to trust his own eyes, Wilder begins to fear that this will not only be his last book, but the last thing he ever does."

This right here has summer blockbuster thriller beach read written all over it!

A Killer in the Family by Gytha Lodge
Published by: Random House Trade
Publication Date: August 8th, 2023
Format: Paperback, 416 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"A woman uploads her DNA online, searching for her father - but the man who contacts her is Detective Chief Inspector Jonah Sheens. From the acclaimed author of Little Sister, this endlessly twisty crime novel asks: What might a family do to protect or expose a serial killer in its midst?

When the police found the first body, left on a bonfire in the forest, they worried it had the hallmarks of a serial killer.

Now, as they find the second, they know for sure.

Panic about the "Bonfire Killer" quickly spreads through the sedate suburban area of Southampton. Women are urged not to travel alone at night, and constant vigilance is encouraged among the local residents. But single mom Aisling Cooley has a lot to distract her: two beloved teenage sons and a quest to find her long-lost father, whom she hasn't seen since she was a teenager.

After much debate, she decides to upload her DNA to an ancestry website. When she gets a match she is filled with an anxious excitement that her questions about her father's disappearance from her life might finally be answered.

But to her horror, it's not her father who's found her. It's a detective.

And they say her DNA is a close match for the Bonfire Killer...."

I love how ancestry sites have changed crime solving and storytelling.

The Handyman Method by Nick Cutter and Andrew F. Sullivan
Published by: Gallery / Saga Press
Publication Date: August 8th, 2023
Format: Hardcover, 304 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"A chilling domestic story of terror for fans of Black Mirror and The Amityville Horror.

When a young family moves into an unfinished development community, cracks begin to emerge in both their new residence and their lives, as a mysterious online DIY instructor delivers dark subliminal suggestions about how to handle any problem around the house. The trials of home improvement, destructive insecurities, and haunted house horror all collide in this thrilling story perfect for fans of Nick Cutter's bestsellers The Troop and The Deep."

Like evil This Old House, I'm SO here for it!

Dark Corners by Megan Goldin
Published by: St. Martin's Press
Publication Date: August 8th, 2023
Format: Hardcover, 352 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"Rachel Krall, the true crime podcaster star of Megan Goldin's acclaimed The Night Swim, returns to search for a popular influencer who disappears after visiting a suspected serial killer.

Terence Bailey is about to be released from prison for breaking and entering, though investigators have long suspected him in the murders of six women. As his release date approaches, Bailey gets a surprise visit from Maddison Logan, a hot, young influencer with a huge social media following. Hours later, Maddison disappears, and police suspect she's been kidnapped - or worse. Is Maddison's disappearance connected to her visit to Bailey? And why was she visiting him in the first place?

When they hit a wall in the investigation, the FBI reluctantly asks for Rachel Krall's help in finding the missing influencer. Maddison seems to only exist on social media; she has no family, no friends, and other than in her posts, most people have never seen her. Who is she, really? Using a fake Instagram account, Rachel goes undercover to BuzzCon, a popular influencer conference, where she discovers a world of fierce rivalry that may have turned lethal.

When police find the body of a woman with a tattoo of a snake eating its tail - identical to a tattoo Rachel had seen on Bailey's hand - the FBI must consider a chilling possibility: Bailey has an accomplice on the outside and a dangerous obsession with influencers, including Rachel Krall herself. Suddenly the target of a monster hiding in plain sight, Rachel is forced to confront the very real dangers that lurk in the dark corners of the internet."

Maybe Maddison Logan is nothing more than bait for Rachel Krall?

The Dark Place by Britney S. Lewis
Published by: Disney Hyperion
Publication Date: August 8th, 2023
Format: Hardcover, 368 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"You can only hide from your nightmares for so long.

Seventeen-year-old Hylee Williams didn't ask to disappear. But she did disappear, and not only that, but when she vanished from our world, she materialized in a dark, twisted version of the night that changed her life forever: the night her older brother went missing.

Just as Hylee realizes this moment could be the key to unraveling the truth about her brother, she's yanked away from the dark place back to our world. Craving a sense of normalcy, she goes to a party with her best friend - where she meets Eilam Roads. Tall, handsome, and undeniably, inexplicably familiar, Hylee can't help the pull she feels towards him. It's a classic teen girl-meets-boy situation, until it happens again. She disappears, right in front of him.

Together, Hylee and Eilam investigate the truth about time, space, and reality, with Hylee increasingly convinced her time travel holds the key to saving her brother. But the more they learn, the more Hylee begins to see darkness lurking in her world - and in herself.

Britney S. Lewis's sophomore novel combines the quotable relatability, swoony romance, and emotional resonance of John Green with the surrealist horror imagery and razor-sharp wit of Jordan Peele. At once haunting and enchanting and entirely unforgettable."

Here for the "surrealist horror imagery!"

Mister Magic by Kiersten White
Published by: Del Rey Books
Publication Date: August 8th, 2023
Format: Hardcover, 304 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"Who is Mister Magic? Former child stars reunite to uncover the tragedy that ended their show - and discover the secret of its enigmatic host - in this "skin-crawling story of pop culture fandom and '90s nostalgia" (Melissa Albert, author of The Hazel Woods) from the #1 New York Times bestselling author of Hide.

Thirty years after a tragic accident shut down production of the classic children's program Mister Magic, the five surviving cast members have done their best to move on. But just as generations of cultishly devoted fans still cling to the lessons they learned from the show, the cast, known as the Circle of Friends, have spent their lives searching for the happiness they felt while they were on it. The friendship. The feeling of belonging. And the protection of Mister Magic.

But with no surviving video of the show, no evidence of who directed or produced it, and no records of who - or what - the beloved host actually was, memories are all the former Circle of Friends has. Then a twist of fate brings the castmates back together at the remote desert filming compound that feels like it's been waiting for them all this time. Even though they haven't seen each other for years, they understand one another better than anyone has since.

After all, they're the only ones who hold the secret of that circle, the mystery of the magic man in his infinitely black cape, and, maybe, the answers to what really happened on that deadly last day. But as the Circle of Friends reclaim parts of their past, they begin to wonder: Are they here by choice, or have they been lured into a trap?

Because magic never forgets the taste of your friendship...."

"Try, try, try to understand, he's a magic man!"

The Blonde Identity by Ally Carter
Published by: Avon Books
Publication Date: August 8th, 2023
Format: Hardcover, 304 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"The New York Times bestselling YA author of the beloved Gallagher Girls series bursts onto the adult scene with a fast-paced, hilarious road trip rom-com about a woman with amnesia who discovers she's the identical twin sister of a rogue spy...and must team up with a rugged, grumpy operative to stay alive.

It's the middle of the night in the middle of Paris and a woman just woke up with no memory.

She only knows three things for certain:
1. She has a splitting headache.
2. The hottest guy she has (probably) ever seen is standing over her, telling her to run.
And oh yeah...
3. People keep trying to kill her.

She doesn't know who. Or why. But when she sees footage of herself fighting off a dozen men there's only one explanation: obviously...she's a spy!

Except, according to Mr. Hot Guy, she's not. She's a spy's identical twin sister.

Too bad the only person who knows she's not the woman they're looking for is this very grouchy, very sexy, very secret agent who (reluctantly) agrees to help her disappear.

That's easier said than done when a criminal organization wants you dead and every intelligence service in the world wants you caught. Luckily, no one is looking for a pair of lovesick newlyweds on their honeymoon. And soon they're lying their way across Europe - dodging bullets and faking kisses as they race to unravel a deadly conspiracy and clear her sister's name.

But with every secret they uncover, the truth shifts, until she no longer knows who to trust: the twin she can't remember or the mysterious man she can't let herself forget..."

Because everyone has wanted a rom-com version of The Bourne Identity right? I know I have. Jason and Marie deserved their HEA!

The Raven Throne by Stephanie Burgis
Published by: Bloomsbury Publishing PLC
Publication Date: August 8th, 2023
Format: Hardcover, 272 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"The action-packed sequel to the critically-acclaimed fantasy adventure The Raven Heir, perfect for fans of Robert Beatty and Shannon Hale.

Now that Cordelia sits on the Raven Throne, life in Corvenne must change.

When their triplet sister became the Raven Queen, Giles and Rosalind knew they would have to learn to behave at court. For Rosalind, no more fighting. For Giles, no more loud singing. But what they didn't foresee was having to foil a wicked plot against their sister.

When Cordelia falls into an enchanted sleep and cannot be woken, Rosalind and Giles must quest across the kingdom to seek help from the ancient spirits of the land. But their family's greatest enemies lurk at every turn, and it will take all of the triplets' deepest strengths to fight against them.

From the author of The Dragon with a Chocolate Heart comes a thrilling new fantasy full of magic, adventure, and the power of family."

Not only are we readers lucky enough to get TWO new Stephanie Burgis books this summer, this one has Bufftastic names!

Skeleton in the Closet by Kevin J. Anderson
Published by: Wordfire Press
Publication Date: August 8th, 2023
Format: Hardcover, 242 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"The Princess Bride meets Dirty Rotten Scoundrels.

Join former scamp Cullin and his merry band of confidence men (and one liberated princess) as they put The Sting in the Middle Ages. With dreams of being a hero, or at least a storyteller, Cullin travels with Sir Dalbry, a washed-up knight in shining armor; Reeger, ready and eager for any part of the dirty work; and Affonyl, former princess, who wanted to study science and alchemy, rather than embroidery.

Together, they cross the land with one scam after another, concocting their own heroic deeds, preparing mock dragon heads, or selling kraken tusks and mermaid scales.

But when attempting to con King Longjohn, whose castle is supposedly bursting at the seams with treasure, the caper turns sour. The powerful Wizard-Mage Ugnarok and his army of ugly and muscular (if not too bright) orcs takes over Longjohn's castle, imprisoning the king, pillaging the halls, and carrying on with typical orc-like mayhem.

Cullin and his friends are trapped in the castle's labyrinth of secret passages, just trying to survive...or is this the opportunity for a grander scam than they have ever attempted before?

Orcs are terribly superstitious - you can't bash a ghost, after all - and it's like Die Hard in a castle, as Cullin, Affonyl, Reeger, and Dalbry set up a grand haunting that will scare off even the scariest orc army."

Name check two of my favorite movies and classic Christmas caper and I will totally read your book.

Posted by Miss Eliza at 12:00 AM 0 comments  

Labels: Ally Carter, Andrew F. Sullivan, Britney S. Lewis, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Catriona Ward, Gothic, Gytha Lodge, Kevin J. Anderson, Kiersten White, Megan Goldin, Nick Cutter, Rupert Giles, Stephanie Burgis, Summer

The Flames by Sophie Haydock
Published by: The Overlook Press
Publication Date: March 14th, 2023
Format: Hardcover, 464 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"Set in the extravagant, Bohemian art world of early 20th century Vienna, the electrifying untold story of the four women who posed for and inspired the groundbreaking erotic art of controversial painter Egon Schiele.

Amid an opulent society living under the shadow of war are four muses, women whose bodies were shown in intimate detail, depicted by the charming yet controversial artist Egon Schiele. Adele, his passionate and fierce admirer; Gertrude, his sister who survived their blighted childhood but is possessive, single-minded, and jealous; his mistress Vally, a poor young woman from a bad background but with steel at her core; and the two, very different, Harms sisters, Edith and Adele, both of whom vie to become Schiele's wife.

Over the course of little more than a decade, the four women risk everything - their reputations, their most precious relationships, and their sanity and souls - as they try to hold on to the man they adore. As World War I throws their lives off course forever, and the Spanish influenza pandemic ravages Europe, threatening everyone in its path, one question remains: Will any of them emerge unscathed from their relationship with this man? Sophie Haydock’s The Flames reimagines the intertwining lives of these women: four wild, blazing hearts longing to be known. In an elegant Bohemian city like 1900s Vienna, everything seems possible. But just as a flame has the power to mesmerize, it can also destroy."

Oh, the college undergraduate who majored in art and loved her art history classes is loving this!

The Last Russian Doll by Kristen Loesch
Published by: Berkley
Publication Date: March 14th, 2023
Format: Hardcover, 416 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"A haunting, epic novel about betrayal, revenge, and redemption that follows three generations of Russian women, from the 1917 revolution to the last days of the Soviet Union, and the enduring love story at the center.

In a faraway kingdom, in a long-ago land...

...a young girl lived happily in Moscow with her family: a sister, a father, and an eccentric mother who liked to tell fairy tales and collect porcelain dolls.

One summer night, everything changed, and all that remained of that family were the girl and her mother.

Now, a decade later and studying at Oxford University, Rosie has an English name, a loving fiancé, and a promising future, but all she wants is to understand - and bury - the past. After her mother dies, Rosie returns to Russia, armed with little more than her mother's strange folklore - and a single key.

What she uncovers is a devastating family history that spans the 1917 Revolution, the siege of Leningrad, Stalin's purges, and beyond.

At the heart of this saga stands a young noblewoman, Tonya, as pretty as a porcelain doll, whose actions - and love for an idealistic man - will set off a sweeping story that reverberates across the century...."

Oh I love sweeping generational tales and nowhere are they better set than in Russia.

Daughter Dalloway by Emily France
Published by: Blackstone Publishing
Publication Date: March 14th, 2023
Format: Hardcover, 350 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"Perfect for fans of Marie Benedict and Renee Rosen, Daughter Dalloway is both an homage to the Virginia Woolf classic and a brilliant spin-off - the empowering, rebellious coming-of-age story of Mrs. Dalloway's only child, Elizabeth.

London, 1952: Forty-six-year-old Elizabeth Dalloway feels she has failed at most everything in life, especially living up to her mother, the elegant Mrs. Dalloway, an ideal socialite and model of perfection until she disappeared in the summer of 1923 - and hasn't been heard from since.

When Elizabeth is handed a medal with a mysterious inscription from her mother to a soldier named Septimus Warren Smith, she's certain it contains a clue from the past. As she sets out, determined to deliver the medal to its rightful owner, Elizabeth begins to piece together memories of that fateful summer.

London, 1923: At seventeen, Elizabeth carouses with the Prince of Wales and sons of American iron barons and decides to join the Bright Young People - a group of bohemians whose antics often land in the tabloids. She is a girl who rebels against the staid social rules of the time, a girl determined to do it all differently than her mother. A girl who doesn't yet feel like a failure.

That summer, Octavia Smith braves the journey from the countryside to London, determined to track down her older brother Septimus who returned from the war but never came home. She falls in with a group of clever city boys who have learned to survive on the streets. When one starts to steal her heart, she must discover whether he is a friend or foe - and whether she can make it in the city on her own.

Elizabeth and Octavia are destined to cross paths, and when they do, the truths they unearth will shatter their understanding of the people they love most."

The hook here is Mrs. Dalloway disappeared!

Once Upon a Tome by Oliver Darkshire
Published by: W. W. Norton and Company
Publication Date: March 14th, 2023
Format: Hardcover, 256 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"Welcome to Sotheran's, one of the oldest bookshops in the world, with its weird and wonderful clientele, suspicious cupboards, unlabeled keys, poisoned books, and some things that aren’t even books, presided over by one deeply eccentric apprentice.

Some years ago, Oliver Darkshire stepped into the hushed interior of Henry Sotheran Ltd (est. 1761) to apply for a job. Allured by the smell of old books and the temptation of a management-approved afternoon nap, Darkshire was soon unteetering stacks of first editions and placating the store’s resident ghost (the late Mr. Sotheran, hit by a tram).

A novice in this ancient, potentially haunted establishment, Darkshire describes Sotheran's brushes with history (Dickens, the Titanic), its joyous disorganization, and the unspoken rules of its gleefully old-fashioned staff, whose mere glance may cause the computer to burst into flames. As Darkshire gains confidence and experience, he shares trivia about ancient editions and explores the strange space that books occupy in our lives - where old books often have strong sentimental value, but rarely a commercial one.

By turns unhinged and earnest, Once Upon a Tome is the colorful story of life in one of the world's oldest bookshops and a love letter to the benign, unruly world of antiquarian bookselling, where to be uncommon or strange is the best possible compliment."

Hard to believe it isn't fiction.

All the Queen's Spies by Oliver Clements
Published by: Atria/Leopoldo and Co
Publication Date: March 14th, 2023
Format: Hardcover, 400 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"The "lively" (The New York Times) Agents of the Crown series continues with this thriller about Queen Elizabeth I's advisor John Dee in a race to save the Empire with the help of a mysterious manuscript that offers global power.

With rumors of the end times swirling, philosopher and astronomer John Dee travels to Prague in an effort to prevent one of Catherine de Medici's seductive ladies-in-waiting from luring the Holy Roman Emperor into a crusade against England.

To convince the famously occult-loving Emperor to join his side, Dee entices him with the esoteric Book of Secrets, a volume that, if decoded, could provide the chance to control the levers of heaven and earth. But Dee faces enemies at every turn, including a female codebreaker who could be the undoing of Dee and the British Empire."

Did someone say John Dee!?!

Death on Deck by Verity Bright
Published by: Bookouture
Publication Date: March 14th, 2023
Format: Kindle, 332 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"When Lady Swift embarks upon her first luxury cruise she imagines a gilded ballroom, afternoons on deck taking tea and all the delectable food she can eat. But she can't seem to escape from murder...

Lady Eleanor Swift is all set to spend her birthday with her beau, dashing Detective Hugh Seldon, until he calls to cancel on her again at the last minute. What's a girl to do? Pack up her staff and her faithful old bulldog, Gladstone, and head off on a cruise to New York, that's what!

On the stunningly opulent ocean liner Celestiana, Eleanor tries to forget her worries and make the most of her trip. That is, until she sees a man being shot and falling overboard. On closer inspection of the scene, Eleanor literally stumbles over the likely murder weapon. And the nick in the barrel is unmistakeable: this gun belongs to Detective Seldon...

With some discreet digging, Clifford discovers Detective Seldon is aboard the ship on an undercover mission. Eleanor doesn't want to make waves but she's sure that something fishy is going on and he's being framed. To get Seldon off the hook, Eleanor casts her net wide and searches for the real murderer among a sea of suspects including European nobility, Italian opera stars and American nouveau riche. But does the victim's expensive gold ring point to a lavish lifestyle or is it a red herring?

When another passenger is found dead in his first-class cabin, a poisoned whisky glass clutched in his hand, Eleanor realises they are really in hot water. Will the killer be Eleanor's catch of the day, or will she spend her birthday at the bottom of the sea?

A totally charming, unputdownable Golden Age mystery with characters readers will adore. Perfect for fans of Agatha Christie, T.E. Kinsey and Lee Strauss."

I adore the locked-room trope of sea voyages!

Death and Croissants by Ian Moore
Published by: Poisoned Pen Press
Publication Date: March 14th, 2023
Format: Paperback, 256 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"Richard is a middle-aged Englishman who runs a B and B in the fictional Val de Follet in the Loire Valley. Nothing ever happens to Richard, and really that's the way he likes it.

One day, however, one of his older guests disappears, leaving behind a bloody handprint on the wallpaper. Another guest, the exotic Valérie, persuades a reluctant Richard to join her in investigating the disappearance.

Richard remains a dazed passenger in the case until things become really serious and someone murders Ava Gardner, one of his beloved hens... and you don't mess with a fellow's hens!

Death and Croissants is an unputdownable, hilarious mystery perfect for fans of Richard Osman's The Thursday Murder Club."

Anyone who names a chicken Ava Gardner is someone I need to know more about.

Vera Wong's Unsolicited Advice for Murderers by Jesse Q. Sutanto
Published by: Berkley
Publication Date: March 14th, 2023
Format: Hardcover, 352 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"A lonely shopkeeper takes it upon herself to solve a murder in the most peculiar way in this captivating mystery by Jesse Q. Sutanto, bestselling author of Dial A for Aunties.

Vera Wong is a lonely little old lady - ah, lady of a certain age - who lives above her forgotten tea shop in the middle of San Francisco's Chinatown. Despite living alone, Vera is not needy, oh no. She likes nothing more than sipping on a good cup of Wulong and doing some healthy detective work on the Internet about what her Gen-Z son is up to.

Then one morning, Vera trudges downstairs to find a curious thing - a dead man in the middle of her tea shop. In his outstretched hand, a flash drive. Vera doesn't know what comes over her, but after calling the cops like any good citizen would, she sort of...swipes the flash drive from the body and tucks it safely into the pocket of her apron. Why? Because Vera is sure she would do a better job than the police possibly could, because nobody sniffs out a wrongdoing quite like a suspicious Chinese mother with time on her hands. Vera knows the killer will be back for the flash drive; all she has to do is watch the increasing number of customers at her shop and figure out which one among them is the killer.

What Vera does not expect is to form friendships with her customers and start to care for each and every one of them. As a protective mother hen, will she end up having to give one of her newfound chicks to the police?"

Because sometimes you need a lighthearted mystery that takes place in San Francisco and you've read The Spellman Files a million times already.

So Shall You Reap  by Donna Leon
Published by: Atlantic Monthly Press
Publication Date: March 14th, 2023
Format: Hardcover, 320 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"In the thirty-second installment of Donna Leon's bestselling series, a connection to Guido Brunetti's own youthful past helps solve a mysterious murder. On a cold November evening, Guido Brunetti and Paola are up late when a call from his colleague Ispettore Vianello arrives, alerting the Commissario that a hand has been seen in one of Venice's canals. The body is soon found, and Brunetti is assigned to investigate the murder of an undocumented Sri Lankan immigrant. Because no official record of the man's presence in Venice exists, Brunetti is forced to use the city's far richer sources of information: gossip and the memories of people who knew the victim.

Curiously, he had been living in a small house on the grounds of a palazzo owned by a university professor, in which Brunetti discovers books revealing the victim's interest in Buddhism, the revolutionary Tamil Tigers, and the last crop of Italian political terrorists, active in the 1980s.

As the investigation expands, Brunetti, Vianello, Commissario Griffoni, and Signora Elettra each assemble pieces of a puzzle - random information about real estate and land use, books, university friendships - that appear to have little in common, until Brunetti stumbles over something that transports him back to his own student days, causing him to reflect on lost ideals and the errors of youth, on Italian politics and history, and on the accidents that sometimes lead to revelation."

Because my mom loved this series...

The Lonesome Hunters by Tyler Crook
Published by: Dark Horse Books
Publication Date: March 14th, 2023
Format: Paperback, 120 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"From Russ Manning award-winning and Eisner-nominated Harrow County co-creator Tyler Crook comes this supernatural fantasy about loss, power, and destiny.

An old and out-of-practice monster hunter in hiding crosses paths with a young girl that forces him to confront these chaotic creatures. As the beasts invade their tenement they set off on a supernatural road trip to stop these ancient evils in a story that explores the ways that youth informs adulthood and how early traumas can haunt us of in old age.

Collects The Lonesome Hunters #1–#4."

Tyler Crook is a genius.

Buffy the Vampire Slayer Tarot Deck and Guidebook by Gilly and Karl James Mountford
Published by: Insight Editions
Publication Date: March 14th, 2023
Format: Cards, 76 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"Follow the wisdom of Buffy, Willow, Xander, Spike, and others with this beautifully illustrated tarot deck inspired by the beloved series Buffy the Vampire Slayer.

In every generation, there is a chosen one - explore your destiny like Buffy the Vampire Slayer with this magical and bold take on the traditional 78-card tarot deck. This set features the heroes you love, casting Buffy, Willow, Angel, Spike, Xander, Giles, and more in gorgeous original illustrations based on classic tarot iconography. Featuring both major and minor arcana, the set also includes a helpful guidebook explaining each card's meaning and simple instructions for easy readings. Packaged in a sturdy, decorative gift box, this alluring tarot deck is the perfect gift for the Buffy the Vampire Slayer fan or tarot enthusiast.

ORIGINAL ART: Each of the 78 cards in this deck and the booklet features never-before-seen original Buffy the Vampire Slayer-themed art.

GUIDEBOOK INCLUDED: This unique deck includes a guidebook to help tarot practitioners of all skill levels do fun and informed readings.

BEAUTIFUL GIFT: The tarot deck and guidebook are packaged in a deluxe gift box perfect for gift-giving.

OFFICIAL LICENSED BUFFY DECK: This is the only official licensed Buffy the Vampire Slayer deck and guide.

25TH ANNIVERSARY: This deck is the perfect way to celebrate 25 years of Buffy the Vampire Slayer."

As Deanna Raybourn recently asked, "Can one have too many tarot decks?" The answer is no when there's a Buffy one coming out!

Posted by Miss Eliza at 12:00 AM 0 comments  

Labels: Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Donna Leon, Egon Schiele, Emily France, Ian Moore, Jesse Q. Sutanto, Kristen Loesch, Mrs. Dalloway, Oliver Clements, Oliver Darkshire, Russia, Sophie Haydock, Tyler Crook, Verity Bright