strange and random happenstance

Legends and Lattes by Travis Baldree
Published by: Tor Books
Publication Date: November 8th, 2022
Format: Paperback, 304 Pages
Rating: ★★★★
To Buy (different edition than one reviewed)

An orc mercenary doesn't usually have a retirement plan. But Viv does. When on a mission with her crew in the gnomish city of Azimuth she tasted coffee for the first time. Since that day she has filled pages and pages with plans for a coffee shop. Detailing everything from the mundane to the supposedly mystical. She has the funds, and, after their last job, she has a Scalvert's Stone, which legend has it will bring fortune to the bearer. So she sets off for her chosen city, Thune. There she wanders the streets until she finds a perfect site, a rundown stable. After purchasing it off the current owner she hires a hob carpenter, Cal, and they set to work building the coffee shop of Viv's dreams. With the help of her first employee, a succubus named Tandri, the shop opens to no customers. At all. Viv didn't really think this far in advance. She figured if she built it they would come due to the stone. But almost no one in Thune has ever tasted coffee before, which gives Tandri an idea; free samples! Between some well-placed signs, yes, Viv didn't take into account advertising, and their free samples they start to get a steady flow of customers. One of the customers who is in thrall to the coffee is a ratkin named Thimble. It turns out he is a master baker and soon his delicacies are drawing in even bigger crowds. They start to even have regulars. But this popularity draws the attention of others. Particularly the Madrigal. The Madrigal runs a protection racket and Viv just isn't having any of it due to her previous occupation. A mercenary will never bow down to a thug. She'll have to up her game and intimidate the Madrigal by hanging her sword, Blackblood, behind the counter. Tandri puts a little decor around the sword to make it more decorative than functional, but at least the threat of violence remains. Yet the biggest danger might not come from the Madrigal but from one of her old crew, an elf named Fennus. He suspects her of having a Scalvert's Stone and he wants it. No matter the cost. But what happens if the legends surrounding the stone are wrong? And what if, no matter what happens, stone or no stone, Viv has found just what she needed?

Here's the thing. I hate coffee. In any form. I hate everything about it from the smell to the taste. Though I might just hate it most when people sneak it into desserts. Why would you ruin a perfectly good dessert with coffee or espresso? You know what the best part of waking up is? Not smelling coffee. This hate isn't reserved just for the beverage, oh no, I also hate coffee shop culture. But this just might be because I live in a college town because there's nothing I hate more than people who take over a whole section of a cafe and just work there all day without supporting the establishment and making it impossible for two friends or say a book club to find seating when they want. I mean, come on, other people might want to use that table! Don't you have a home to study in? The only exception I'll make for this hard and fast rules is if you are a writer whose work I love and you can only work in a cafe. You're exempt. All these emotions and baggage makes it kind of a miracle that I love this book so much. But here we are. I, a coffee hater, was deeply invested in an orc opening a coffee shop and making it thrive. Each little bump in the road had me worried. I knew they'd get customers, I knew they'd succeed, but while a lot of people call this a low stakes story, it's not, it's high stakes. Making your dreams come true are the highest stakes in the world. And finding a family? Even higher. This is a safe space, and you know what? I'd go to there. Especially because Viv insists you buy something to use her booths. This book is literally the definition of cozy and I think it's because of that that so many people have fallen in love with it. We all need a safe space in the world, somewhere that offers food and shelter and love, and that's what Viv offers. Plus, don't you want some of those delicious desserts? It's ridiculous how invested I was in Thimble's creations. These are desserts and treats we all know and love and yet him "creating" them was a big deal. But I think why I really connected to this book is because it's cozy Terry Pratchett. It has the love and care and the worldbuilding of Discworld, but without any of the bad things happening. There's no deeper meaning, no political satire. Calling it Pratchett lite though would be an insult, because it's so much more. It's a new thing, cozy fantasy, and I want more.

Posted by Miss Eliza at 12:00 AM 0 comments  

Labels: Baking, Coffee, Coffee Shop, Cozy, Discworld, For the Love of Book Clubs, Found Family, Gnomes, Legends and Lattes, Orcs, Ratkin, Safe Space, Scalvert's Stone, Succubus, Terry Pratchett, Thune, Travis Baldree, Viv

Aunt Dimity's Death by Nancy Atherton
Published by: Penguin
Publication Date: 1992
Format: Paperback, 464 Pages
Rating: ★★
To Buy

Aunt Dimity has died. Lori Shepherd never knew that Aunt Dimity was real. She always assumed that she was a fictional character her mother made up for Lori's bedtime stories. Lori has been struggling since her mother's death, and now this news has rather rattled her. She shows up at the home of the lawyers Dimity has hired, Willis and Willis. The younger Willis, Bill, is overzealous and beyond excited to see Lori, his father is far more circumspect. They instantly insist that she stay with them as she begins the journey that Dimity Westwood has laid out for her. And an undertaking it will be. Dimity has requested that Lori travel to England and take up residence in her cottage and go through all her papers and edit them with the intention being the publication of The Aunt Dimity Stories. She has a month, and Bill is tagging along. When Lori enters the cottage, it's as if the house has been waiting for her. In fact, strange things are going on in this house. Aunt Dimity's neighbors, Derek and Emma, don't bring it up themselves, seeing as that would be rude, but when asked directly if Aunt Dimity might be haunting her previous house, they both concur that that is the conclusion they have also reached. It's little things, like doors slamming and Lori being able to succeed at cooking anything when before she could barely manage toast. As time goes on, she is daunted by the enormity of what she must do but also by the fact that there is a definite secret that Aunt Dimity was holding onto. Lori's mother also sensed it. Perhaps Dimity can not rest until that secret is revealed?

Anyone who is a mystery reader has heard of Nancy Atherton. She's a staple of the cozy mystery genre. Having never read the series the thing that really struck me was that for a "Paranormal Detective" she's a pretty lame entity writing just one or two lines in a book and then fixing Lori's stuffed bunny and helping her become a magically good cook. Hell, if that's what it takes I could be a "Paranormal Detective!" I make a mean cookie and have an ever expanding baking repertoire, so can I get hooked up with some crime solving ghost or does this mean I have to become a ghost? Because I was really kind of expecting something more in the vein of Randall and Hopkirk (Deceased) wherein half the crime solving duo is a ghost. That might be what it evolves into but so far I'd say Aunt Dimity's just a very intuitive woman who is matchmaking beyond the grave. Speaking of the matchmaking. Lori really is a dumb, oblivious girl. Firstly, she really has done nothing with her life and the only thing really special about her is that her mother's best friend was Aunt Dimity. Because of this tenuous connection she gets everything she could hope for just because she remembers some stories she was told as a child? Hell, I want someone to show up and give me a cottage and a husband just for being able to sing the nonsense song "Lou the Gnu" that my dad made up! She never grasps the answers right in front of her. Likewise her ignorance of the fact that Dimity wasn't just helping her, but helping others, made me want to smack her over the head and say, hey, dumbo, Bill was handpicked and groomed by Dimity to be your husband, wake up and smell the coffee! So, I have to say, I can't stand Lori and therefore if she doesn't mature, me and this series will have a very short time together.

Posted by Miss Eliza at 12:00 AM 0 comments  

Labels: Aunt Dimity, Aunt Dimity Paranormal Detective, Cottage, Cozy, Dimity Westwood, England, Ghost, Inheritance, Lori Shepherd, Matchmaking, Murder Most Foul, Mystery, Nancy Atherton, Randall and Hopkirk (Deceased)

Sweet Revenge by Andrea Penrose
Published by: Obsidian
Publication Date: April 6th, 2011
Format: Paperback, 304 Pages
Rating: ★★★
To Buy

Lady Arianna Hadley has returned to England from a life of poverty and strife in the West Indies where she has been fending for herself ever since her father was murdered years earlier. Yet she returns to England, not to reclaim her place in the ton, but to seek revenge on those who are responsible for her father's death. Sadly one of the men has already succumbed to an accident, but that still leaves her one target, Lord Concord. Posing as a male French Chef in a dubious yet well healed household she is able to spy on those she plans to take down. Lady Spencer is very chatty with her cook and Arianna learns much from the Prince Regent's current mistress. But Arianna's plans go horribly awry when, upon eating one of her chocolaty confections, some of the first edible chocolate, the Prince Regent ends up ill. He has been poisoned. Suspected of attempted regicide, she is soon under scrutiny by the Earl of Saybrook, Alessandro De Quincy, who has been assigned the case of the poisoning due to his knowledge of chocolate. Sandro quickly notices that "he" is a she, but an attempt on their lives resulting in the death of their assailant soon throws them together. Trying to work with each other, while not quite understanding or trusting the other, and therefore not believing in full disclosure, at least on Arianna's part, they slowly start to ferret out the truth. The lovely smells of cacao seem to be hiding a labyrinthine financial swindle, the likes of which have not been seen in generations, the likes of which Arianna's father was known to be involved in. Constructing an elaborate undercover operation, Arianna enters society as a wealthy merry widow and soon starts to put the puzzle together by courting Lord Concord whose new Hellfire Club is all the rage with his set. But rakes and rogues are everywhere, and soon there are even more dead bodies. Will Arianna be able to sink to the depths she needs to in order to get her revenge? Or will she succumb to the lures offered to her in the pantomime she is living out?

This Regency romp by Andrea Penrose is sweet and frothy with a little bit o'spice, just like delicious hot cocoa done right. The outward appearance of this book might lead you to think it's on the cozy spectrum, but it is decidedly not. What with the Hellfire Club and the coarse language, these cajones aren't for everyone but they add that little bit of spice that sets Sweet Revenge apart from the stacked Regency crowd. Yes, we have somewhat typical protagonists, with Sandro and Arianna, him being a grizzled war veteran addicted to opiates and her being the orphan girl trying to reclaim a semblance of her old life while also helping him heal. Yet together they make each other better people, aw, Regency Romance indeed. The tropes aren't stale though because of the added lure of chocolaty confections and the two leads fierce intelligence. You don't get many mathematical geniuses who are female in Jane Austen now do you? Though, I think this book also demonstrates why you don't get mathematical geniuses in books too often, the jargon and the financial swindle where so confusing and detailed that it leaves you a little confused and feeling more than a little stupid, or perhaps that's just me and my inability to understand the South Sea Bubble of 1720. I want to understand, I just apparently can't. I do know that it's very bad and people lost money, so I got the gist. While the book is a fun quick read, it did have one major flaw; the gimmick of the recipes. An all too common gimmick in mysteries at the time Sweet Revenge was released. At the beginning of each chapter there is a little journal entry from Sandro's grandmother and a recipe. Now, the journal entry is fun and reflects the tone of the story, the recipe, not so much. This isn't because I don't want chocolate recipes, good God, I want as many as I can get, and many of these looked really tasty. The fact is, that they take you out of the story because of modern terminology. Having to read about setting an oven to 350 degrees makes the Regency feel a long time ago. While I think it would be cool if the recipes could be written more Mrs. Beeton like, I think the olde tyme would drive people around the bend trying to update to modern cooking terms. So how about just a nice selection of recipes at the back? They wouldn't pull you out of the story or distract you, and you'd still get all that chocolaty goodness. Mmm... chocolate.

Posted by Miss Eliza at 12:00 AM 0 comments  

Labels: Andrea Penrose, Arianna Hadley, Chocolate, Cozy, Earl of Saybrook, French Cuisine, Hellfire Club, Lady Hadley, Recipes, Regency Mystery, Regency Romp, Sandro, South Sea Bubble, Sweet Revenge, The Prince Regent

If you pay any attention to the cozy genre you'll have seen an adjacent subgenre that's been making itself more and more prominent in recent years, the famous author as sleuth. Yes, there are more "literary" ambitions thrown in like Arthur and George by Julian Barnes, but for me, when they hew closer to the cozy they are more fun. A complete fantasy versus something mired in reality. Josephine Tey, Dorothy Parker, Daphne Du Maurier, and even Agatha Christie herself have solved crimes at the hands of modern day authors. What speaks to me about these books is their meta nature. It's a fun what if! What if these writers, especially those who wrote crime fiction, had some real life inspiration? What if they stumbled on a crime and had a compulsion to solve it? What if said crime inspired them to write? A completely and wonderfully absorbing fantasy. But I also love it when popular literary figures who are in no way connected with crime solve mysteries. One of my favorites in this very niche genre is the Algonquin Round Table Mysteries that has that ever so chic of twenties authors Dorothy Parker solving crimes, often with the likes of Houdini and Conan Doyle! Then there's the Mitford Murder series by Jessica Fellowes. While none of the Mitfords who took pen to paper actually wrote mysteries, the six sisters were a staple of twenties gossip columns so it makes sense that they would fictionally turn to solving crimes. Or at least it does in my mind. So join me in experiencing the roaring twenties through the prose of modern authors envisioning the past through the eyes of some of the twenties most interesting literary and historical figures.      

Posted by Miss Eliza at 12:00 AM 0 comments  

Labels: 1920s, Agatha Christie, Arthur Conan Doyle, Bright Young Detectives, Cozy, Daphne Du Maurier, Dorothy Parker, Jessica Fellowes, Josephine Tey, Mitfords, Roaring Back to Reading, The Algonquin Round Table

The Swallows by Lisa Lutz
Published by: Ballantine Books
Publication Date: August 13th, 2019
Format: Hardcover, 416 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"A teacher at a New England prep school ignites a gender war - with deadly consequences - in this dark and provocative novel by the bestselling author of The Passenger.

When Alexandra Witt joins the faculty at Stonebridge Academy, she’s hoping to put a painful past behind her. Then one of her creative writing assignments generates some disturbing responses from students. Before long, Alex is immersed in an investigation of the students atop the school’s social hierarchy - and their connection to something called the Darkroom. She soon inspires the girls who’ve started to question the school’s “boys will be boys” attitude and incites a resistance. But just as the movement is gaining momentum, Alex attracts the attention of an unknown enemy who knows a little too much about her - and what brought her to Stonebridge in the first place.

Meanwhile, Gemma, a defiant senior, has been plotting her attack for years, waiting for the right moment. Shy loner Norman hates his role in the Darkroom, but can’t find the courage to fight back until he makes an unlikely alliance. And then there’s Finn Ford, an English teacher with a shady reputation, who keeps one eye on his literary ambitions and one on Ms. Witt. As the school’s secrets begin to trickle out, a boys-versus-girls skirmish turns into an all-out war, with deeply personal - and potentially fatal - consequences for everyone involved.

Lisa Lutz’s blistering, timely tale of revenge and disruption shows us what can happen when silence wins out over decency for too long - and why the scariest threat of all might be the idea that sooner or later, girls will be girls."

Lisa Lutz is literally a favorite author of mine and to have my birthday share a birthday with her new book is beyond exciting. 

Pride, Prejudice, and Poison by Elizabeth Blake
Published by: Crooked Lane Books
Publication Date: August 13th, 2019
Format: Hardcover, 336 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"Perfect for fans of Laura Levine and Stephanie Barron, Elizabeth Blake’s Jane Austen Society mystery debut is a mirthfully morbid merger of manners and murder.

In this Austen-tatious debut, antiquarian bookstore proprietor Erin Coleridge uses her sense and sensibility to deduce who killed the president of the local Jane Austen Society.

Erin Coleridge’s used bookstore in Kirkbymoorside, North Yorkshire, England is a meeting place for the villagers and, in particular, for the local Jane Austen Society. At the Society’s monthly meeting, matters come to a head between the old guard and its young turks. After the meeting breaks for tea, persuasion gives way to murder - with extreme prejudice - when president Sylvia Pemberthy falls dead to the floor. Poisoned? Presumably…but by whom? And was Sylvia the only target?

Handsome - but shy - Detective Inspector Peter Hadley and charismatic Sergeant Rashid Jarral arrive at the scene. The long suspect list includes Sylvia’s lover Kurt Becker and his tightly wound wife Suzanne. Or, perhaps, the killer was Sylvia’s own cuckolded husband, Jerome. Among the many Society members who may have had her in their sights is dashing Jonathan Alder, who was heard having a royal battle of words with the late president the night before.

Then, when Jonathan Alder narrowly avoids becoming the next victim, Farnsworth (the town’s “cat lady”) persuades a seriously time-crunched Erin to help DI Hadley. But the killer is more devious than anyone imagines."

Any book that starts with killing a pompous member of the Jane Austen Society gets two thumbs up from me.

And Then They Were Doomed by Elizabeth Kane Buzzelli
Published by: Crooked Lane Books
Publication Date: August 13th, 2019
Format: Hardcover, 276 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"Zoe Zola is one of ten invitees to an Agatha Christie symposium. Tempers flare...and then there are nine. Can Jenny Weston save Zoe from murder on the Upper Peninsula?

Little Person author Zoe Zola believes that one of the unluckiest things in life is to receive an invitation - in the form of a letter edged in black - to an Agatha Christie symposium at an old Upper Peninsula hunting lodge. Her reluctance dissipates when she learns that the organizer is named Emily Brent - the name of a character poisoned by cyanide in Christie’s And Then There Were None.

As a dreary rain soaks the U.P., Zoe and nine other Christie scholars - each of whom bears a vague resemblance to one of the classic mystery novel’s characters - arrive at the lodge. At the opening night dinner, arguments flare over the experts’ discordant theories about Christie. Next morning, the guests find one particularly odious man has gone - whereabouts and reasons unknown. Such a coincidental resemblance to a work of fiction is surely impossible; therefore, it appears to be possible.

As the guests disappear, one by one, Zoe resolves to beat a hasty retreat - but her car won't start. She calls her friend, amateur sleuth/little librarian Jenny Weston, but Jenny will have to wait out a storm off Lake Superior before she can come to the rescue. If Zoe’s to stay alive to greet Jenny when she eventually arrives, she’ll have to draw on everything she knows about Agatha Christie’s devilish plots in Elizabeth Kane Buzzelli’s fourth tantalizing Little Library mystery."

How did I not know about this cozy series? Seriously, HOW!?! 

The Case of Miss Elliott by Baroness Orczy
Published by: Pushkin Vertigo
Publication Date: August 13th, 2019
Format: Paperback, 224 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"A classic collection of mysteries from the Golden Age of British crime writing, by the author of The Scarlet Pimpernel.

Mysteries! There is no such thing as a mystery in connection with any crime, provided intelligence is brought to bear upon its investigation.

So says a rather down-at-heel elderly gentleman to young Polly Burton of the Evening Observer, in the corner of the ABC teashop on Norfolk Street one afternoon. Once she has forgiven him for distracting her from her newspaper and luncheon, Miss Burton discovers that her interlocutor is as brilliantly gifted as he is eccentric - able to solve mysteries that have made headlines and baffled the finest minds of the police without once leaving his seat in the teahouse.

The Old Man in the Corner is a classic collection of mysteries featuring the Teahouse Detective - a contemporary of Sherlock Holmes, with a brilliant mind and waspish temperament to match that of Conan Doyle's creation."

I am IN LOVE with these Baroness Orczy re-issues from the Golden Age of detective fiction!

Death Comes to Dartmoor by Vivian Conroy
Published by: Crooked Lane Books
Publication Date: August 13th, 2019
Format: Hardcover, 320 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"The mist-shrouded moors of Devon proffer a trove of delights for two vacationing zoologists - but also conceal a hoard of dark secrets reaching down to the fathomless depths of the ocean.

Miss Merula Merriweather barely saved her uncle from the gallows after he was wrongly accused of murder - and now, she’s left the bustle of Victorian London to recuperate in the fresh air of Dartmoor with her fellow zoologist, Lord Raven Royston. The trip offers a unique treat, as they’ll be staying with a friend of Raven’s, who owns a collection of rare zoological specimens - including a kraken, a sea monster of myth and legend.

But all is not right in the land of tors, heaths, and mist. Their host’s maid has vanished without a trace, and the townspeople hold him responsible, claiming that his specimens are alive and roam the moors at night, bringing death to anyone who crosses their path. Merula and Raven are skeptical - but the accusations become more ominous when they find several specimen jars empty.

As the two hunt for clues across a desolate and beautiful landscape, a stranger appears bearing a shadowy secret from Merula’s past. Could there be a connection between her family history, the missing girl, and a fearsome monster that could be on the loose? The race is on to find the truth."

A fearsome monster on the loose in Dartmoor? My Sherlockian heart beats for joy! 

The Doll Factory by Elizabeth Macneal
Published by: Atria/Emily Bestler Books
Publication Date: August 13th, 2019
Format: Hardcover, 368 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"The #1 International Bestseller.

Obsession is an art.

In this “sharp, scary, gorgeously evocative tale of love, art, and obsession” (Paula Hawkins, bestselling author of The Girl on the Train), a beautiful young woman aspires to be an artist, while a man’s dark obsession may destroy her world forever.

In 1850s London, the Great Exhibition is being erected in Hyde Park and, among the crowd watching the dazzling spectacle, two people meet by happenstance. For Iris, an arrestingly attractive aspiring artist, it is a brief and forgettable moment but for Silas, a curiosity collector enchanted by all things strange and beautiful, the meeting marks a new beginning.

When Iris is asked to model for Pre-Raphaelite artist Louis Frost, she agrees on the condition that he will also teach her to paint. Suddenly, her world begins to expand beyond her wildest dreams - but she has no idea that evil is waiting in the shadows. Silas has only thought of one thing since that chance meeting, and his obsession is darkening by the day."

The Great Exhibition, the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood, what other of my obsessions does this book hold? You must read to find out!

Petra's Ghost by C.S. O'Cinneide
Published by: Dundurns
Publication Date: August 13th, 2019
Format: Paperback, 288 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"A man's pilgrimage becomes something from his darkest nightmares when secrets arise and ghosts haunt his path.

A woman has vanished on the Camino de Santiago, the ancient five-hundred-mile pilgrimage that crosses northern Spain. Daniel, an Irish expat, walks the lonely trail carrying his wife, Petra’s, ashes, along with the damning secret of how she really died.

When he teams up to walk with sporty California girl Ginny, she seems like the perfect antidote for his grieving heart. But a nightmare figure begins to stalk them, and his mind starts to unravel from the horror of things he cannot explain.

Unexpected twists and turns echo the path of the ancient trail they walk upon. The lines start to blur between reality and madness, between truth and the lies we tell ourselves."

YAS! Just so much yas! It's a book that you read the description and instantly want to drop all other books to read. 

A Keeper by Graham Norton
Published by: Atria Books
Publication Date: August 13th, 2019
Format: Hardcover, 320 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"When Elizabeth Keane returns to Ireland after her mother’s death, she’s focused only on saying goodbye to that dark and dismal part of her life. Her childhood home is packed solid with useless junk, her mother’s presence already fading. But within this mess, she discovers a small stash of letters - and ultimately, the truth.

Forty years earlier, a young woman stumbles from a remote stone house, the night quiet except for the constant wind that encircles her as she hurries deeper into the darkness away from the cliffs and the sea. She has no sense of where she is going, only that she must keep on.

A Keeper confirms Graham Norton’s status as a fresh and evocative literary voice, and illustrates his clear-eyed understanding of human nature and its darkest flaws."

A love Graham SO MUCH! What I wouldn't give for a US signing tour, just saying...

The Night is Short, Walk on Girl by Tomihiko Morimi
Published by: Yen On
Publication Date: August 13th, 2019
Format: Hardcover, 272 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"A college student spends an evening out, unwittingly attracting the attention of various men whose paths she crosses. One in particular, an upperclassman who has been nursing a crush on her for some time, has chosen this night to make his true feelings known.

Will the two come together, or will this girl just keep on walking...?"

That cover is just too cute for words! 

Voyages in the Underworld of Orpheus Black by Marcus Sedgwick
Published by: Walker Books US
Publication Date: August 13th, 2019
Format: Hardcover, 320 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"Harry Black is lost between the world of war and the land of myth in this illustrated novel that transports the tale of Orpheus to World War II–era London.

Brothers Marcus and Julian Sedgwick team up to pen this haunting tale of another pair of brothers, caught between life and death in World War II. Harry Black, a conscientious objector, artist, and firefighter battling the blazes of German bombing in London in 1944, wakes in the hospital to news that his soldier brother, Ellis, has been killed. In the delirium of his wounded state, Harry’s mind begins to blur the distinctions between the reality of war-torn London, the fiction of his unpublished sci-fi novel, and the myth of Orpheus and Eurydice. Driven by visions of Ellis still alive and a sense of poetic inevitability, Harry sets off on a search for his brother that will lead him deep into the city’s Underworld. With otherworldly paintings by Alexis Deacon depicting Harry’s surreal descent further into the depths of hell, this eerily beautiful blend of prose, verse, and illustration delves into love, loyalty, and the unbreakable bonds of brotherhood as it builds to a fierce indictment of mechanized warfare."

I couldn't think of a better pairing than WWII and Orpheus, it just seems so right. 

Posted by Miss Eliza at 12:00 AM 0 comments  

Labels: Baroness Orczy, C.S. O'Cinneide, Cozy, Dartmoor, Elizabeth Blake, Elizabeth Kane Buzzelli, Elizabeth Macneal, Graham Norton, Lisa Lutz, Marcus Sedgwick, The Swallows, Tomihiko Morimi, Vivian Conroy

Terry Pratchett's Discworld Imaginarium by Paul Kidby
Published by: Gollancz
Publication Date: April 24th, 2018
Format: Hardcover, 272 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"Paul Kidby, Sir Terry Pratchett's artist of choice, provided the illustrations for The Last Hero, designed the covers for the Discworld novels since 2002 and is the author of the bestseller The Art Of Discworld.

Now, Paul Kidby has collected the very best of his Discworld illustrations in this definitive volume, including 40 pieces never before seen, 30 pieces that have only appeared in foreign editions, limited editions and BCA editions, and 17 book cover illustrations since 2004 that have never been seen without cover text.

If Terry Pratchett's pen gave his characters life, Paul Kidby's brush allowed them to live it, and nowhere is that better illustrated than in this magnificent book."

Two things I love in this world: Terry Pratchett and Paul Kidby. I love it even more when they're together!

My Oxford Year by Julia Whelan
Published by: William Morrow Paperbacks
Publication Date: April 24th, 2018
Format: Paperback, 352 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"Set amidst the breathtaking beauty of Oxford, this sparkling debut novel tells the unforgettable story about a determined young woman eager to make her mark in the world and the handsome man who introduces her to an incredible love that will irrevocably alter her future—perfect for fans of JoJo Moyes and Nicholas Sparks.

American Ella Durran has had the same plan for her life since she was thirteen: Study at Oxford. At 24, she’s finally made it to England on a Rhodes Scholarship when she’s offered an unbelievable position in a rising political star’s presidential campaign. With the promise that she’ll work remotely and return to DC at the end of her Oxford year, she’s free to enjoy her Once in a Lifetime Experience. That is, until a smart-mouthed local who is too quick with his tongue and his car ruins her shirt and her first day.

When Ella discovers that her English literature course will be taught by none other than that same local, Jamie Davenport, she thinks for the first time that Oxford might not be all she’s envisioned. But a late-night drink reveals a connection she wasn’t anticipating finding and what begins as a casual fling soon develops into something much more when Ella learns Jamie has a life-changing secret.

Immediately, Ella is faced with a seemingly impossible decision: turn her back on the man she’s falling in love with to follow her political dreams or be there for him during a trial neither are truly prepared for. As the end of her year in Oxford rapidly approaches, Ella must decide if the dreams she’s always wanted are the same ones she’s now yearning for."

Why would I read a book that is compared to Nicholas Sparks? I needs my Oxford fix bad! It's a whole year until I get more Endeavour! 

Murder in the Locked Library by Ellery Adams
Published by: Kensington
Publication Date: April 24th, 2018
Format: Paperback, 320 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"Welcome to Storyton Hall, Virginia, where book lovers travel from near and far to enjoy the singular comforts of the Agatha Christie Tea Room, where they can discuss the merits of their favorite authors no matter how deadly the topic...

With her twins, Fitzgerald and Hemingway, back in school, Jane Steward can finally focus on her work again—managing Storyton Hall, and breaking ground on the resort’s latest attraction: a luxurious, relaxing spa named in honor of Walt Whitman. But when the earth is dug up to start laying the spa’s foundation, something else comes to the surface—a collection of unusual bones and the ragged remnants of a very old book. The attendees of the Rare Book Conference are eager to assist Jane with this unexpected historical mystery—until a visitor meets an untimely end in the Henry James Library. As the questions—and suspects—start stacking up, Jane will have to uncover a killer before more unhappy endings ensue..."

A book retreat themed cozy? YAS! 

Posted by Miss Eliza at 12:00 AM 0 comments  

Labels: Cozy, Discworld, Ellery Adams, Endeavour, Julia Whelan, Murder in the Locked Library, My Oxford Year, Oxford, Paul Kidby, Terry Pratchett, Tuesday Tomorrow

All the Little Liars by Charlaine Harris
Published by: Minotaur Books
Publication Date: October 4th, 2016
Format: Hardcover, 240 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"Aurora Teagarden is basking in the news of her pregnancy when disaster strikes her small Georgia town: four kids vanish from the school soccer field in an afternoon. Aurora’s 15-year-old brother Phillip is one of them. Also gone are two of his friends, and an 11-year-old girl who was just hoping to get a ride home from soccer practice. And then there’s an even worse discovery―at the kids’ last known destination, a dead body.

While the local police and sheriff’s department comb the county for the missing kids and interview everyone even remotely involved, Aurora and her new husband, true crime writer Robin Crusoe, begin their own investigation. Could the death and kidnappings have anything to do with a group of bullies at the middle school? Is Phillip’s disappearance related to Aurora’s father’s gambling debts? Or is Phillip himself, new to town and an unknown quantity, responsible for taking the other children? But regardless of the reason, as the days go by, the most important questions remain. Are the kids still alive? Who could be concealing them? Where could they be?

With Christmas approaching, Aurora is determined to find her brother…if he’s still alive.

After more than a decade, #1 New York Times bestseller Charlaine Harris finally returns to her fan-favorite Aurora Teagarden series with All the Little Liars, a fabulously fun new mystery."

Well, I'll obviously buy and read anything by Charlaine Harris, but I'm VERY excited that she's going to be at the Wisconsin Book Festival this year. So therefore by extension I'm VERY excited about this book!

Teetotaled by Maia Chance
Published by: Minotaur Books
Publication Date: October 4th, 2016
Format: Hardcover, 304 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"After her philandering husband died and left her penniless in Prohibition-era New York, Lola Woodby escaped with her Swedish cook to the only place she could―her deceased husband’s secret love nest in the middle of Manhattan. Her only comforts were chocolate cake, dime store detective novels, and the occasional highball (okay, maybe not so occasional). But rent came due and Lola and Berta were forced to accept the first job that came their way, leading them to set up shop as private detectives operating out of Alfie’s cramped love nest.

Now Lola and Berta are in danger of losing the business they’ve barely gotten off the ground―work is sparse and money is running out. So when a society matron offers them a job, they take it―even if it means sneaking into a slimming and exercise facility and consuming only water and health food until they can steal a diary from Grace Whiddle, a resident at the “health farm.” But barely a day in, Grace and her diary escape from the facility―and Grace’s future mother-in-law is found murdered on the premises. Lola and Berta are promptly fired. But before they can climb into Lola’s brown and white Duesenberg Model A and whiz off the health farm property, they find themselves with a new client and a new charge: to solve the murder of Grace’s future mother-in-law.

Teetotaled, Maia Chance's sparkling new mystery will delight readers with its clever plotting, larger-than-life characters, and rich 1920s atmosphere."

I stumbled on the first book in this series at Frugal Muse recently and it looks like such a delightful new period cozy series!

The Hammett Hex by Victoria Abbot
Published by: Berkley
Publication Date: October 4th, 2016
Format: Paperback, 304 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"The national bestselling author of The Marsh Madness takes rare book collector Jordan Bingham on a trip to San Francisco—home to Dashiell Hammett’s hard-boiled heroes—where nothing is as it seems.

On a getaway to the City by the Bay, book collector Jordan Bingham becomes entangled in a mystery with more twists than Lombard Street...

Jordan has been able to swing a romantic trip to San Francisco with Officer Tyler “Smiley” Dekker on one condition—she must return with a rare copy of Dashiell Hammett’s Red Harvest for her irascible employer, Vera Van Alst. For his own part, Smiley is full of surprises. He’s a Dashiell devotee himself—excited to be in the city of Hammett’s hard-boiled heroes like Sam Spade and the Continental Op—and also announces he plans to visit his previously unmentioned estranged grandmother, who lives in an old Victorian in Pacific Heights.

But the trip goes downhill fast when Jordan is pushed from a cable car and barely escapes death. And when a dark sedan tries to run the couple down, it’s clear someone’s after them—but who? Just like in Hammett’s world, nothing is quite what is seems..."

Yes, a book several books into a series is not usually likely to catch my eye, but it's San Francisco and Dashiell Hammett people! Though it would be angle of street not speed of cable car that could possibly kill you...

A Most Extraordinary Pursuit by Juliana Gray
Published by: Berkley
Publication Date: October 4th, 2016
Format: Paperback, 464 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"Known for her original plots, deft characterization, and lyrical voice, Juliana Gray presents an extraordinary novel of an uncommon pursuit…

February, 1906. As the personal secretary of the recently departed Duke of Olympia—and a woman of scrupulous character—Miss Emmeline Rose Truelove never expected her duties to involve steaming through the Mediterranean on a private yacht, under the prodigal eye of one Lord Silverton, the most charmingly corrupt bachelor in London. But here they are, improperly bound on a quest to find the duke’s enigmatic heir, current whereabouts unknown.

An expert on anachronisms, Maximilian Haywood was last seen at an archaeological dig on the island of Crete. And from the moment Truelove and Silverton disembark, they are met with incidents of a suspicious nature: a ransacked flat, a murdered government employee, an assassination attempt. As they travel from port to port on Max’s trail, piecing together the strange events of the days before his disappearance, Truelove will discover the folly of her misconceptions—about the whims of the heart, the motives of men, and the nature of time itself…"

A new Beatriz Williams book! Yep, Juliana Gray is she!

Crosstalk by Connie Willis
Published by: Del Rey
Publication Date: October 4th, 2016
Format: Hardcover, 512 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"Science fiction icon Connie Willis brilliantly mixes a speculative plot, the wit of Nora Ephron, and the comedic flair of P. G. Wodehouse in Crosstalk—a genre-bending novel that pushes social media, smartphone technology, and twenty-four-hour availability to hilarious and chilling extremes as one young woman abruptly finds herself with way more connectivity than she ever desired.

In the not-too-distant future, a simple outpatient procedure to increase empathy between romantic partners has become all the rage. And Briddey Flannigan is delighted when her boyfriend, Trent, suggests undergoing the operation prior to a marriage proposal—to enjoy better emotional connection and a perfect relationship with complete communication and understanding. But things don’t quite work out as planned, and Briddey finds herself connected to someone else entirely—in a way far beyond what she signed up for.

It is almost more than she can handle—especially when the stress of managing her all-too-eager-to-communicate-at-all-times family is already burdening her brain. But that’s only the beginning. As things go from bad to worse, she begins to see the dark side of too much information, and to realize that love—and communication—are far more complicated than she ever imagined."

Huh. This sounds rather interesting from an author who is very savvy when it comes to past and present... also, Wodehouse!

Skunked! Calpurnia Tate, Girl Vet by Jacqueline Kelly
Published by: Henry Holt and Co.
Publication Date: October 4th, 2016
Format: Hardcover, 112 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"From Newbery honor author Jacqueline Kelly comes a new illustrated chapter book series for younger readers featuring the beloved characters from The Evolution of Calpurnia Tate. In Calpurnia Tate, Animal Doctor in Training, Callie Vee, Travis, and Dr. Pritzker help animals big and small.

When soft-hearted Travis discovers an abandoned baby skunk, he can't help but bring him home and take care of him. Stinky, as Travis names him, settles in pretty well. But when Travis discovers Stinky's litter-mate, Winky, who is in need of some help, things get complicated around the Tate house. One skunk is a piece of cake; two is just asking for trouble. Will Travis and Callie be able to keep the critters away from Mother's careful eyes―and nose?"

Um... so seriously, what's with this new direction the Calpurnia Tate books are going in?

Posted by Miss Eliza at 12:00 AM 0 comments  

Labels: Aurora Teagarden, Beatriz Williams, Calpurnia Tate, Charlaine Harris, Connie Willis, Cozy, Crosstalk, Dashiell Hammett, Jacqueline Kelly, Juliana Gray, Maia Chance, San Francisco, The Hammett Hex, Victoria Abbot

To me a good mystery isn't just a genre, but the key building block to ALL stories. What better driving force for any narrative than a question that begs answering? It doesn't have to be a true "whodunit" with a murderer caught at the end of the day, but all books should have some "mystery" to them. So what makes a book labelled a "mystery" actually one? Especially considering my weird take on the need of all books to have this driving force? Well, personally, it's that there is a murder. The more complex, the more convoluted, the more devious, the better. If I was said to have any kind of weird superhuman abilities it would be that I'm really good at solving crimes, of the televisual and written variety. Therefore I really like my mysteries to try to trick me. But more than that, the crime shouldn't get in the way of good character development. There has to be a balance between finding the killer and wanting the detective to succeed. All while making the book stick to your hand so that you can't set it down until the very last page. I remember some of the first "adult" books I read were mysteries. Of course they happened to be Lilian Jackson Braun's "Cat Who" books, but they are still a staple of the mystery genre, if at the cozy end of the spectrum. But that's what is wonderful about mysteries! They have all these subgenres from cozy to true crime. From books for those who like the mystery but can't handle the darkness of humanity, to those who love it. Personally, I love it all!

Posted by Miss Eliza at 12:00 AM 0 comments  

Labels: Agatha Christie, Alan Bradley, Backlog Bonanza, Cat Who, Cozy, Detective, Flavia De Luce, Lilian Jackson Braun, Louise Penny, Murder, Mystery, Robert Galbraith, Stephen King, Subgenres, True Crime, Whodunit

Fire Touched by Patricia Briggs
Published by: Ace
Publication Date: March 8th, 2016
Format: Hardcover, 352 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"Mercy Thompson has been hailed as “a heroine who continues to grow and yet always remains true to herself.”* Now she’s back, and she’ll soon discover that when the fae stalk the human world, it’s the children who suffer...

Tensions between the fae and humans are coming to a head. And when coyote shapeshifter Mercy and her Alpha werewolf mate, Adam, are called upon to stop a rampaging troll, they find themselves with something that could be used to make the fae back down and forestall out-and-out war: a human child stolen long ago by the fae.

Defying the most powerful werewolf in the country, the humans, and the fae, Mercy, Adam, and their pack choose to protect the boy no matter what the cost. But who will protect them from a boy who is fire touched?"

The highlight of every year, a new Patricia Briggs book! 

Lady Midnight by Cassandra Clare
Published by: Margaret K. McElderry Books
Publication Date: March 8th, 2016
Format: Hardcover, 720 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"The Shadowhunters of Los Angeles star in the first novel in Cassandra Clare’s newest series, The Dark Artifices, a sequel to the internationally bestselling Mortal Instruments series. Lady Midnight is a Shadowhunters novel.

It’s been five years since the events of City of Heavenly Fire that brought the Shadowhunters to the brink of oblivion. Emma Carstairs is no longer a child in mourning, but a young woman bent on discovering what killed her parents and avenging her losses.

Together with her parabatai Julian Blackthorn, Emma must learn to trust her head and her heart as she investigates a demonic plot that stretches across Los Angeles, from the Sunset Strip to the enchanted sea that pounds the beaches of Santa Monica. If only her heart didn’t lead her in treacherous directions…

Making things even more complicated, Julian’s brother Mark—who was captured by the faeries five years ago—has been returned as a bargaining chip. The faeries are desperate to find out who is murdering their kind—and they need the Shadowhunters’ help to do it. But time works differently in faerie, so Mark has barely aged and doesn’t recognize his family. Can he ever truly return to them? Will the faeries really allow it?

Glitz, glamours, and Shadowhunters abound in this heartrending opening to Cassandra Clare’s Dark Artifices series."

I almost want to read this to see what season of Buffy she's ripping off now. Almost.

The Perfectly Proper Paranormal Museum by Kirsten Weiss
Published by: Midnight Ink
Publication Date: March 8th, 2016
Format: Paperback, 288 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"When Maddie Kosloski's career flatlines, she retreats to her wine-country hometown for solace and cheap rent. Railroaded into managing the local paranormal museum, she's certain the rumors of its haunting are greatly exaggerated. But a new ghost may be on the loose. A fresh corpse in the museum embroils Maddie in murders past and present.

With her high school bully as one of the officers in charge, Maddie doubts justice will be served. When one of her best friends is arrested, she's certain it won't be.

Maddie grapples with ghost hunters, obsessed taxidermists, and the sexy motorcyclist next door as outside forces threaten. And as she juggles spectral shenanigans with the hunt for a killer, she discovers there truly is no place like home."

Paranormal cozy heading your way!

Forest of Memory by Mary Robinette Kowal
Published by: Tor.com
Publication Date: March 8th, 2016
Format: Paperback, 96 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"Katya deals in Authenticities and Captures, trading on nostalgia for a past long gone. Her clients are rich and they demand items and experiences with only the finest verifiable provenance. Other people’s lives have value, after all.

But when her A.I. suddenly stops whispering in her ear she finds herself cut off from the grid and loses communication with the rest of the world.

The man who stepped out of the trees while hunting deer cut her off from the cloud, took her A.I. and made her his unwilling guest.

There are no Authenticities or Captures to prove Katya’s story of what happened in the forest. You’ll just have to believe her."

Some new Mary Robinette Kowal to tide me over till her new book comes out this summer? Yes please!

Sisi by Allison Pataki
Published by: The Dial Press
Publication Date: March 8th, 2016
Format: Hardcover, 464 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"For readers of Philippa Gregory, Paula McLain, and Daisy Goodwin comes a sweeping and powerful novel by New York Times bestselling author Allison Pataki. Sisi tells the little-known story of Empress Elisabeth of Austria-Hungary, the Princess Diana of her time, in an enthralling work of historical fiction that is also a gripping page-turner.

Married to Emperor Franz Joseph, Elisabeth—fondly known as Sisi—captures the hearts of her people as their “fairy queen,” but beneath that dazzling persona lives a far more complex figure. In mid-nineteenth-century Vienna, the halls of the Hofburg Palace buzz not only with imperial waltzes and champagne but with temptations, rivals, and cutthroat intrigue. Feeling stifled by strict protocols and a turbulent marriage, Sisi grows restless. A free-spirited wanderer, she finds solace at her estate outside Budapest. There she rides her beloved horses and enjoys visits from the Hungarian statesman Count Andrássy, the man with whom she’s unwittingly fallen in love. But tragic news brings Sisi out of her fragile seclusion, forcing her to return to her capital and a world of gossip, envy, and sorrow where a dangerous fate lurks in the shadows.

Through love affairs and loss, dedication and defiance, Sisi struggles against conflicting desires: to keep her family together, or to flee amid the collapse of her suffocating marriage and the gathering tumult of the First World War. In an age of crumbling monarchies, Sisi fights to assert her right to the throne beside her husband, to win the love of her people and the world, and to save an empire. But in the end, can she save herself?

Featuring larger-than-life historic figures such as Bavaria’s “Mad King Ludwig” and the tragic Crown Prince Rudolf, and set against many of Europe’s grandest sites—from Germany’s storied Neuschwanstein Castle to England’s lush shires—Sisi brings to life an extraordinary woman and the romantic, volatile era over which she presided."

If you don't know who Sisi is, why are we even talking? Get thee to a bookstore!

Posted by Miss Eliza at 12:00 AM 0 comments  

Labels: Allison Pataki, Buffy, Cassandra Clare, Cozy, Fire Touched, Forests of Memory, Kirsten Weiss, Lady Midnight, Mary Robinette Kowal, Mercy Thompson, Patricia Briggs, Sisi, The Perfectly Proper Paranormal Museum