strange and random happenstance

A Deadly Episode by Anthony Horowitz
Published by: Harper
Publication Date: April 28th, 2026
Format: Hardcover, 384 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"They're making a major feature film of the first Hawthorne/Horowitz mystery novel. Except - they're behind schedule, they've run out of money and...oh! The star has just been murdered.

Ex-Detective Inspector Daniel Hawthorne is dead.

Or, rather, the actor playing him in the film adaptation of The Word is Murder is. Rising star David Caine has been stabbed, and it seems that everyone on the set had a motive.

Caine had just fired his PA. He had fallen out with his director, slept with the screenwriter, humiliated his co-star and dropped his agent days before he was about to sign a multi-million-dollar deal to appear in the next Spider-Man movie.

But what if Caine's murderer had made a mistake? What if it was the real Hawthorne who was the intended victim? For it turns out that the brilliant detective may have got it wrong ten years earlier. An innocent man has died in jail. And perhaps someone has decided that Hawthorne must pay the price.

From the film set on the south coast of England, the story moves to Reeth, in Yorkshire, the village where Hawthorne grew up. A burned-down school, a car accident that isn't what it seems, blackmail and murder in an Elizabethan country house...somehow they combine to unlock the secret of what has happened in Hastings.

For once, the local police are helpful. DS Sarah Milnes gives Hawthorne carte blanche to investigate and there may even be a hint of romance in the air. Which leaves his hapless sidekick, Horowitz, on his own, stumbling his way to the truth.

A riddle wrapped in a mystery inside an enigma, A Deadly Episode is an intriguing page-turner that once again demonstrates why Anthony Horowitz is the reigning king of the modern whodunit."

I mean, the meta onion that is this series would so be upped if they adapted it, and, in particular, this volume, for the screen.

The Dead Room by Catriona McPherson
Published by: Thomas and Mercer
Publication Date: April 28th, 2026
Format: Paperback, 335 Pages
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The official patter:
"In this atmospheric thriller from Catriona McPherson, a young widow seeking refuge from her grief wades into the mists at the far end of memory lane - where something even darker awaits.

Reeling from the death of her husband, thirty-something audiobook narrator Lindsay Hale retreats to her Scottish hometown and the comforts of old times. The bungalow where she grew up is just as she left it, next to the scrapyard her family still owns. But something is wrong...something beyond grief.

Something she can only glimpse from the corner of her eye.

Lindsay's brother and best friend are there to welcome her back. An elderly widow helps Lindsay make sense of her new normal, and a kind man hints at unexpected possibilities. But when her widow friend vanishes, only Lindsay seems to notice. And while she starts "recognizing" strangers, she begins forgetting familiar faces.

Every night, as Lindsay's dream house fills with nightmares, she wonders whether she's truly unraveling - or if something more sinister's at play. Buried secrets surface and reality bends, forcing Lindsay to face the terrifying truth that her new haven isn't so safe after all."

But what if it's even more terrifying and she's unraveling while something sinister is at play?

The Girl Upstairs by Jessica R. Patch
Published by: Love Inspired Trade
Publication Date: April 28th, 2026
Format: Paperback, 384 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"She bought this house to save her marriage. Unearthing its secrets might just claim her life.

Gwen McDaniel's life is broken. But she knows the perfect place to fix it. Cold Harbor, Maine, an idyllic small town with views of Acadia National Park, is where she used to vacation with her parents as a child. Here, she and Steven can start over, renovating their cliff-side fixer-upper while patching up their marriage. Soon, everything will be better.

Except from the moment they arrive, Gwen sees and hears things, and it's more than just the drafts and shadows that are part of any old house. Steven downplays her fears, warning her not to fixate on problems as she has in the past. But Gwen spent years as a homicide detective, and her instincts don't lie. Something happened here. Proof comes when she rips up the attic's carpet to discover a chilling message carved into the wood underneath.

As Gwen delves into the history of the house and the Cold Harbor community, she begins to piece the fragments together. And gradually, a terrifying picture emerges: A missing girl. A house of horrors. And a dark, decades-old nightmare that is more haunting than Gwen ever imagined..."

Trying to save your marriage by going through the hell of home renovation never works.

Live Through This by Douglas Corleone
Published by: Thomas and Mercer
Publication Date: April 28th, 2026
Format: Paperback, 303 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"A crime novelist reunites with old college friends to solve a decades-old murder in a riveting novel of psychological suspense by the bestselling author of Falls to Pieces.

Crime writer Gregg Dryer returns to his Pennsylvania campus for Homecoming weekend to revisit the death of his girlfriend Jess. During their freshman year, everyone assumed she took her own life when she fell from the roof of D'Amelio Hall - everyone except Gregg. After thirty years of struggling with grief, guilt, and personal demons, Gregg still has his doubts about how and why Jess really died that night.

His search for answers is also a chance to reconnect with four friends from his college class. Most of them have moved on from that terrible tragedy. Not Gregg. Nor Jess's mother, who is convinced to this day that her daughter was murdered. As Gregg's investigation leads deeper into a past he doesn't recognize, the trail grows darker and more dangerous with each new revelation.

As a reunion among old friends becomes one of secrets and suspicions, Gregg must confront his own troubled history - and a truth with which he may not be able to live."

If you murdered someone in college, would you go back for a reunion? That just seems to be playing with fire.

How to Cheat Your Own Death by Kristen Perrin
Published by: Dutton
Publication Date: April 28th, 2026
Format: Hardcover, 336 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"From the gritty streets of 1960s Soho to the lofty galleries of present-day West London, two interlocking mysteries decades apart unfold in this latest instalment in the award-winning, New York Times bestselling Castle Knoll Murder Mystery series.

Some secrets are deadlier than others.

1968: Frances Adams is loving her new London life, and she's stepped into a world of glamour thanks to her new friend, Vera Huntington - a magnetic socialite as mysterious as she is provocative. Vera dances around London like she owns it, taking Frances with her.

Present day: When Annie Adams heads to London to visit her famous artist mother, Laura, the last thing she expects to find is a dead body. Least of all for it to be Laura's new protégée, left in an alley with her heart surgically removed from her chest.

Annie is no stranger to murder - after all, she's solved a few already. And something about this case feels familiar. She's read about one just like it in the journals of her late great aunt Frances, whose friend Vera was killed in the 1960s in the exact same way.

As Annie investigates, threats pile up on Laura's doorstep, and it soon becomes clear that she's next. With her mother's life on the line, can Annie find the killer before it's too late?"

A nice Last Night in Soho vibe.

A Murder Most Camp by Nicholas DiDomizio
Published by: Poisoned Pen Press
Publication Date: April 28th, 2026
Format: Paperback, 368 Pages
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The official patter:
"The Guncle meets Every Time I Go On Vacation Someone Dies in this fun, twisty mystery following a spoiled nepo baby forced to work at a struggling summer camp who stumbles into a real-life murder mystery he has no choice but to solve.

Rustic cabins. Lakefront bonfires. A painfully hot lifeguard. And a murder? Summer has never been this camp.

Mikey Hartford IV has coasted through his twenties in a distracted blur of yachts and sex and partying. But when his father discovers his latest million-dollar impulse buy and changes the terms of his trust, the party's finally over. Now, unless Mikey can make a positive contribution to the world before his thirtieth birthday - one that doesn't involve throwing cash at his problems - he'll never see another yacht again. (Or even so much as a canoe.)

Enter: Camp Lore, a struggling summer camp in upstate New York where Mikey has to work as the oldest, least-qualified staffer to prove that he can "do good" alongside his twelve-year-old aunt. (Yes, aunt.) But Mikey isn't sure he'll be able to survive the camp's ramshackle living conditions, let alone the gaggle of preteens who won't leave his side. And when his campers become obsessed with a local legend set at an abandoned cabin on the grounds, Mikey's chances of not making it through the summer become dangerously real - because it turns out there's a murder hidden beneath Camp Lore. And someone there will stop at nothing to keep it that way.

Solving a decade-old cold case will surely be enough "good" for Mikey to earn his inheritance. He just has to stay alive long enough to do it..."

My friend Johnnie has been talking about this book for quite awhile now. You don't want to disappoint Johnnie do you? So get this book!

The Witch Finder by Tracy Whitwell
Published by: Pan
Publication Date: April 28th, 2026
Format: Paperback, 448 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"History is revealing itself, and the lines between past and present are becoming hauntingly blurred...

The Witch Finder is the fifth and final installment in the hilarious Accidental Medium series featuring Tanz, who with the help of the dead, has become an unwilling crime-solver.

When Tanz returns to her hometown in Newcastle, she comes face-to-face with dark, ancestral secrets lurking in its shadows. Haunted by chilling visions of the witch-trials, a voice from the past warns her, You're the one. Burn it, chosen one. As a sinister figure threatens to ruin everything she's built for herself, Tanz must embrace her connection to the dead to uncover her destiny.

With everything on the line, Tanz finds herself entangled in a web of folklore, mystery and imminent danger. Elements collide as the echoes of history demand intervention and new relationships entwine in her mystical journey. Tanz must wield courage against paranormal forces and listen to old and new allies in order to prevent ominous threats from consuming her world.

Will Tanz unravel the mysteries surrounding the witch pricker and her own lineage in time, or will she fall prey to the darkness that stalks her?"

The last!?! Why the last!?! No final installment. Just another installment!

Confessions of an Amateur Sleuth by Lynn Cahoon
Published by: Kensington Cozies
Publication Date: April 28th, 2026
Format: Hardcover, 256 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"Bainbridge Island bookseller, aspiring author, and amateur sleuth Meg (no relation to Bill) Gates investigates the murder of a crabby food critic in New York Times bestselling author Lynn Cahoon's latest Pacific Northwest-set mystery for fans of Kate Carlisle, Lorna Barrett, Jenn McKinlay, and Ellery Adams.

Twenty-something bookseller and sleuth Meg Gates has a confession: solving crimes may be easier than writing. She's been working on a guide to becoming a detective - but she's her own worst critic. She needs a how-to in order to write her how-to!

At the Bainbridge Island writers' group, she meets freelance food critic Lee Anderson, who invites her to join him for dinner at the Local Crab so he won't be suspected of reviewing the place. Lee is a bit of a crab himself and intends to do a hatchet job on the eatery.

Instead, someone does a job on the critic - he's found dead by the marina. Now Bainbridge's culinary elite are on the suspect list.

With help from her beau, Dalton, and the Mystery Crew at Island Books, Meg dons her sleuthing cap to solve the mystery du jour - before another murder is served cold..."

I feel like mentioning that you're no relation to Bill Gates, despite the same last name and Pacific Northwest locale, is weird. Turns me off even picking up the book.

In the Spirit of French Murder by Colleen Cambridge
Published by: Kensington
Publication Date: April 28th, 2026
Format: Hardcover, 272 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"After moving to France, Tabitha Knight has a new friend in fellow expat and Cordon Bleu student Julia Child, whose culinary tips can come in quite handy. But something's cooking in postwar Paris, and it isn't just cheese soufflé...

Tabitha has enjoyed an entertaining afternoon in Julia's kitchen, but her return home is a bit jarring. As she arrives at her grandfather's rue de l'Universitémansion, a woman bursts out the door babbling about messages from spirits and a warning Grand-père must heed. Oncle Rafe angrily sends the woman on her way, and neither man will answer Tabitha's questions.

It's not the last she sees of the mysterious visitor. While she's on a date that evening, she's accosted by her again - and learns that Madame Vierca is a medium who claims to have visions of a dark fate that awaits Grand-père and Oncle Rafe. The very next night, Tabitha's messieurs host a soiree at their new restaurant, inviting fellow Resistance fighters from the war known as the Nine Bluets. To commemorate the work of the Resistance network, the vase on the dinner table sports nine of the pretty blue flowers.

But shortly after the revelers leave the restaurant, one of Grand-père's old friends is found dead on the street...and one of the nine flowers is missing from the vase. When a second member of the Nine Bluets is found poisoned the next day, and a bluet flower is left with the body, Tabitha cannot ignore Madame Vierca's frightening predictions about her dear messieurs. She has no choice but to share her suspicions and fears with the enigmatic and unruffled Inspecteur Merveille.

Tabitha soon finds herself caught up in an investigation that takes her and Merveille to the seediest, most dangerous parts of the Left Bank - home of strange, fantastical legends, disquieting events, and unusual people. As she and Merveille desperately try to find a killer, they know they don't have much time before the rest of the Nine Bluets are targeted...including Grand-père and Oncle Rafe."

I'll read anything by Colleen Cambridge, but a medium!?! Heck yeah!

The Roaring Ridleys by K.M. Colley
Published by: Thomas and Mercer
Publication Date: April 28th, 2026
Format: Paperback, 283 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"In Jazz Age New York, a shocking murder shatters the privileged life of the city's most elite family in a propulsive mystery-thriller debut from author K.M. Colley that spans from Harlem to Long Island's Gold Coast and high society's glittering world of deadly secrets.

In the glittering world of 1920s New York, the seven Ridley heirs seem to have it all: wealth, status, and protection as the city's most powerful family. But when notorious gossip columnist Dale Caimen is found dead during their family's renowned summer soiree, their carefully constructed world begins to crack.

Behind the champagne and jazz, each adopted Ridley sibling harbors secrets that could destroy them. There's Amelia, the responsible eldest trying to hold it all together; Adesua, whose artistic ambitions in the Harlem Renaissance threaten her family's expectations; and wild child Kavita, whose dangerous nights in speakeasies may have finally caught up with her.

As the murder investigation intensifies, long-buried tensions surface and family loyalties unravel. Someone knows the truth about the Ridleys - and they're willing to kill to expose it. In a world where appearance is everything and power comes at a deadly price, the siblings must decide what matters more: protecting the family name or each other."

My grandmother would have so gotten along with Kavita.

A Murder in Marylebone by Emily Sullivan
Published by: Kensington
Publication Date: April 28th, 2026
Format: Hardcover, 336 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"After over a decade away, widowed mother of two Minnie Harper has left sunny Greece and returned to her native England at the turn of the 20th century - just as a cloud of suspicion falls over her younger sister in this cozy historical mystery for fans of Jessica Fellowes, Tasha Alexander, Deanna Raybourn, Rhys Bowen, and the PBS series The Durrells in Corfu.

The world is changing at the dawn of the 20th century, but respectable English families still dread a public scandal. So Minnie agrees to accompany her reckless sister, Delia, for a night on the town with her Bohemian friends. The evening involves a raucous house party, a visit to a fortune-teller, and an encounter with a flirtatious baron, but none of that unsettles Minnie more than running into Stephen Dorian, her former employer in Corfu, who stirs in her a mix of resentment and attraction.

Soon after, Delia discovers the body of her rumored beau in his own home, and Minnie insists on playing by the rules and informing the police. After all, fleeing the scene could suggest Delia is guilty of more than an improper late-night rendezvous...

When the sisters return to the townhouse, their parents, dreading the threat of gossip, insist that Minnie help clear Delia's name. Her discreet investigation will take her back into Delia's decadent circle and have her crossing paths again with the baron - a collector of antiques - and the infuriating Stephen Dorian. But her new social life is soon overshadowed by dangerous intrigue that leads her to question even her own past..."

I'm sorry, but Lady Emily would not get on with the Durrells as depicted in the PBS series.

How to Fake It in Society by KJ Charles
Published by: Bramble
Publication Date: April 28th, 2026
Format: Paperback, 320 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"Bridgerton meets The Goldfinch in How to Fake It in Society, a stunning queer romance by rising genre star KJ Charles.

It is 1821 and Nicolas-Marc, Comte de Valois de La Motte is making a splash in London Society. The son of Jeanne de Valois de La Motte, infamous for stealing a priceless diamond necklace meant for Marie Antoinette, Nico hopes to restore his wronged mother's reputation, if only he can raise the funds. But he must operate with great secrecy, because the Bourbon dynasty murdered his mother, and he fears for his life.

At least, that's what he tells Titus Pilcrow. Titus was a simple shopkeeper, making and selling artists' paints, when he found himself suddenly married to an immensely wealthy woman who wanted to disinherit her nephew on her deathbed. As word spreads of his fortune, Titus finds himself a target of every scammer and beggar in London...including one Nicolas-Marc, Comte de Valois de La Motte.

Nico is on his last legs, out of money, and on the run from some terrifying gangsters. When Titus offers Nico a space in his household, it's the perfect chance for him to exploit London's newest golden purse - until he falls in love with the man he needs to cheat. Still, Nico is sure they can have a happy ending together. If he can just find his way out of his own web of lies..."

Oh, a tie in to the Affair of the Diamond Necklace!?!

The Duke's Got Mail by Samara Parish
Published by: Forever
Publication Date: April 28th, 2026
Format: Paperback, 400 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"Anonymous love letters are all well and good...until you discover you've been flirting with the enemy.

Eleanor Wright is the best compositor in London and in high demand with every printing press in town. But when whispers spread of a new machine that could put her out of a job, writing to a mysterious pen pal quickly becomes her only relief from a life that's coming apart like a badly bound book.

Peter Montgomery, Duke of Strafford, has spent years trying to get his estate out of debt. Now he finally has the solution in a machine set to revolutionize the publishing industry. If only finding a wife was as straightforward. Peter wants a lady who cares about him, not his title. Someone like his charming, witty pen pal - the only person in London who knows his most intimate secrets but not his real name. But when Peter's invention makes them bitter rivals in person, can the bond they've created on paper survive the test?"

Please say Eleanor's letters are all typeset. Please. The letterpress geek in me demands it!

Ms. Mebel Goes Back to the Chopping Block by Jesse Q. Sutanto
Published by: Berkley
Publication Date: April 28th, 2026
Format: Paperback, 304 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"A nearly divorced trophy wife enrolls in culinary school to win back her husband, only to find a fresh start in the unlikeliest of places in this new novel from the USA Today bestselling author of Vera Wong's Unsolicited Advice for Murderers.

Retirement should mean long-awaited trips to the sapphire waters of Santorini or careening down a sand dune in Dubai. For sixty-three-year-old Mebel, retirement means her husband of more than forty years announcing that he's leaving her for their private chef. Mebel isn't sure who's the bigger loss.

Not to worry, Mebel has the perfect plan: she's going to win back her husband. No one knows what he needs better than her - after all, she's been anticipating his needs their whole marriage. And if he wants a wife who can cook (why else would he leave her for a chef?), she will simply go to cooking school. And where better to learn to cook for your husband than France, the most romantic country in the world?

However, Mebel quickly learns that she has mistakenly enrolled in a culinary school not in glamorous Paris but rather in England - and in some small village outside of Oxford no less. Despite the less-than-warm welcome from her much younger classmates, Mebel manages to befriend Gemma, the breakout star of the program. And this unlikely friendship starts to show Mebel that maybe there's more to her than being the perfect trophy wife..."

Yeah, maybe there's more than cooking dinner for a man who no longer wants you...

Bertie's Theory of Ice Cream by Alexander McCall Smith
Published by: Vintage
Publication Date: April 28th, 2026
Format: Paperback, 272 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"The latest installment in the lively and deliciously charming 44 Scotland Street series finds all our favorite residents of Scotland's most celebrated address navigating their enchanting and eventful lives.

Settle in and take a trip back to Scotland's favorite fictitious street with Bertie, Irene, Big Lou, newcomer Galactica Macfee and all the rest.

Once more, we catch up with the delightful goings-on in 44 Scotland Street. With his singular warmth and charm, Alexander McCall Smith gives us another installment in this popular series, where anything could happen to Bertie and the gang..."

My mom loved this series so much. Pick it up in honor of her.

Liar's Dice by Juliet Faithfull
Published by: Random House
Publication Date: April 28th, 2026
Format: Hardcover, 384 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"An astonishing debut about a teenage girl in 1970s Brazil who is torn away from her twin sister - and who must learn what it means to fight for those she loves when all the odds are stacked against her.

Dolores and Mita grow up in rural Brazil, identical and inseparable. But Mita develops a mysterious illness that challenges the family. One day, Dolores wakes up to find her sister gone - sent to a hospital in their father's native London. There is no Dolores without Mita. And now Mita is gone.

When the family moves to Rio, Dolores' parents act as if Mita never existed. Lonely and grief-stricken, Dolores struggles to learn to read and write at the stodgy British School - until she meets Andrea, a headstrong, streetwise girl from the dangerous part of town. Andrea shows Dolores a new side of Rio - and how to survive it. As the dictatorship cracks down on dissenters, and people disappear, Dolores begins to wonder if her sister is dead, and her parents are lying. Determined to uncover the truth, Dolores is willing to do whatever it takes - lie, gamble and steal - to get her sister back.

Liar's Dice captures the precarious intensity of coming of age in a volatile time - when repression and silence are the fabric of everyday life - and the cost of family secrets. Heartrending and tender, Juliet Faithfull's debut novel is a testament to the unbreakable bonds of sisterhood."

Just growing up in a volatile time in anyone's life. Dolores's journey is just compounded by loss and danger.

We Burned So Bright by TJ Klune
Published by: Tor Books
Publication Date: April 28th, 2026
Format: Hardcover, 176 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"A heart-wrenching standalone novel by #1 New York Times bestselling author TJ Klune, We Burned So Bright follows an elder gay couple on an end-of-the-world road-trip.

The road stretched out before them. No other cars, just the headlights on the blacktop. Above, the cracked moon in a kaleidoscope sky....

Husbands Don and Rodney have lived a good long life. Together they've experienced the highest highs of love and family, and lows so low that they felt like the end of the world.

Now, the world is ending for real. A rogue black hole is coming for Earth and in a month everything and everyone they've ever known will be gone.

Suddenly, after 40 years together, Don and Rodney are out of time. They're in a race against the clock to make it from Maine to Washington State to take care of some unfinished business before it's all over.

On the road they meet those who refuse to believe death is coming and those who rush to meet it. But there are also people living their final days as best they know how - impromptu weddings, bright burning bonfires, shared meals, and new friends.

And as the black hole draws near, among ball lightning and under a cracked moon in a kaleidoscope sky, Don and Rodney will look back on their lives and ask if their best was good enough.

Is it enough to burn bright if nothing comes from the ashes?"

For those broken by Nick Offerman and Murray Bartlett on The Last of Us.

Hex House by Amy Jane Stewart
Published by: Titan Books
Publication Date: April 28th, 2026
Format: Paperback, 368 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"A feverishly told, dark and unsettling Scotland-set fairy-tale about a safe haven for women which transforms them into vessels of revenge, perfect for fans of T. Kingfisher, A. G Slatter and Julia Armfield.

ELLY

Elly is running. Pregnant and still in her wedding dress, she flees the cottage that her new husband has rented for their wedding night. Because he's not what people think he is - and she knows that, one day, he'll hurt her in a way she can't fix. Freezing and lost in the dead of night, Elly begins to lose hope.

A woman in the woods alone is never the beginning of the story. It's usually the end.

So, when a beautiful house appears out of nowhere and a woman beckons her inside, it almost feels too good to be true.

Welcome to Hex House: a refuge, a home, a sanctuary. A place that can only be found by those who truly need it; a place that promises to teach Elly how to access a power more incredible - and more terrifying - than anything she could have imagined.

SIOBHAN

Four years after Siobhan meets Elly at Hex House, her life is in ruins. Once a promising filmmaker invited to the house to make a documentary with her brother, Theo, she's given up on her dream after witnessing unspeakable horrors there. Now, she spends her time drinking too much, toying with an older man in increasingly dangerous ways, and trying to get Theo to speak to her again. She ignores the scar on her stomach that never fully heals.

That is, until someone reaches out with news about Hex House that could change everything.

And Siobhan knows, deep down, that she was always destined to return."

The woods is where the story begins.

An Arcane Study of Stars by Sydney J. Shields
Published by: Redhook
Publication Date: April 28th, 2026
Format: Paperback, 512 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"From Sydney J. Shields, the breakout author of The Honey Witch, comes An Arcane Study of Stars, a historical dark academia fantasy filled with ancient secret societies, a swoon-worthy rivals-to-lovers romance, and dangerous deals made after dark. Perfect for fans of The Atlas Six and The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue.

When Claudia Jolicoeur is rejected from Cygnus University, a devilish stranger named Dorian appears in her nightmares and offers her a bargain: he will get her into Cygnus if she learns how to free him from a prison of stars. He takes a bite of her soul to seal the deal, and Claudia wakes to a letter from the High Sage of Cygnus stating she will take the place of Odette Dufort, a Rhetoric student who passed away.

Her arrival raises suspicions, rumors that she had a hand in Odette's death spread like wildfire, and Cassius MacLeod, the High Sage's apprentice and Claudia's fellow Rhetoric student, seems hellbent on humiliating her. Determined to clear her name, she searches for any evidence that could prove her innocence. When someone - or something - starts slipping her pieces of Odette's diary, Claudia uncovers a horrifying truth: over the last century, celestial witches at Cygnus have been murdered. Odette was one of them, and Claudia could be next. For her own protection, Claudia needs to free Dorian - and fast.

By night, she studies the stars, slowly unraveling the mystery of Dorian's prison. By day, she and Cassius wage rhetorical war as debate partners in class. What begins as a fierce rivalry devolves into something deeper, darker, and dangerously sensual. As Claudia inches closer to the truth, she must decide: would trusting Cassius be the last mistake she ever makes?"

I can see why this is compared to The Atlas Six. 

The Boyfriend Academy by JS Strange
Published by: One More Chapter
Publication Date: April 28th, 2026
Format: Paperback, 332 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"Love is forbidden. Truth is dangerous. Survival is everything.

Ganymede's is no ordinary boarding school. Behind its spiral towers and manicured lawns, boys are forged into the men society demands - strong, obedient, perfect. Graduate, and the world is yours: a home, a career, a wife. But fail...and you're no longer useful to society.

For Dylan Cecil it should be simple: keep his head down, survive graduation, and earn his place. But when his friend, Blake, disappears, Dylan can't silence the questions gnawing at him, even as whispers of danger shadow the school's gilded halls.

As June's trials close in - eight tests that will decide who is worthy of manhood - Dylan is haunted by Blake's absence and drawn to Roman Edwards, a boy as magnetic as he is unknowable.

In a world rebuilt on order and obedience, Dylan must decide: will he become the man the academy wants - or the man he really is?"

Always be yourself. 

This Dream Will Devour Us by Emma Clancey
Published by: Amulet Books
Publication Date: April 28th, 2026
Format: Hardcover, 384 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"The Inheritance Games meets Caraval in this YA contemporary fantasy debut about a girl thrust into the intoxicating and dangerous world of magical high society.

Sometimes you have to kill a dream to escape a nightmare.

Nora is the opposite of lucky. She's still wrangling her late father's debts when a mysterious illness lands her brother in the hospital. But her fortunes take an unexpected turn when she wins the lottery to attend the Lamour family's exclusive, magical Dream Gala.

If Nora can win over the Lamour heirs, she'll get a coveted spot on their magical training program - and the money she needs to save her brother.

There's just one problem: Nora never bought a lottery ticket.

Determined to discover who wants her at the gala - and why - Nora plunges headfirst into magical high society. Caught up in a decadent world of brutal billionaires and cutthroat celebrities, Nora is soon in over her head and entangled in a messy love triangle.

When her search for answers uncovers a sinister conspiracy, will Nora stay silent or risk the wrath of a family powerful enough to get away with murder?"

Yeah, that ticket is sus.

The Night King's Court by Elisa A. Bonnin
Published by: HarperCollins
Publication Date: April 28th, 2026
Format: Hardcover, 400 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"Caraval meets Flowerheart in this rich and immersive cozy fantasy, where dazzling magic, lush descriptions, and a sweet sapphic romance cast an irresistible spell.

Ida's father went missing without a trace seven years ago, last seen at the court of the enigmatic Night King, which comes to life only after dark with magic and revelry.

So when a position opens up for a new court Luminaire, Ida doesn't hesitate. She inherited her gift for enchantments from her father - and with this position, she'll use it to find him again.

Ida is swept into the king's collection of magical beings, those who bring light and entertainment to the Court's midnight gatherings - and swept away by the Court, where faerie gardens edge into underwater masquerades, dreaming revels offer blissful escapes, and life is a mesmerizing euphoria.

Yet a sinister thread interrupts Ida's nights of decadence. Memories go missing, the castle's magic takes on a malevolence, and Ida can't seem to leave the boundaries of the court itself.

Enlisting the help of the king's breathtakingly beautiful daughter Lenore, Ida must unravel the castle's secrets...before this enchanted world destroys her."

First, let's just stop comparing books to Caraval. Second, of course you mind goes in a faerie court...

By Blood, Shadow, and Fire by Orin Steele
Published by: Emrae Publishing
Publication Date: April 28th, 2026
Format: Hardcover, 502 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"Marked by gods. Hunted by fate. Bound to a warrior she shouldn't want.

In a realm teetering on the edge of war, Islyn never asked to be chosen by the gods, by destiny, or by the dangerously compelling warrior sworn to protect her. But power like hers doesn't stay hidden for long. As ancient forces stir and enemies close in, she must navigate a world of secrets, shifting alliances, and a connection that burns hotter than it should.

Caught between duty and desire, Islyn has to decide who she can trust and what she's willing to become to survive.

By Blood, Shadow, and Fire is a sweeping fantasy romance about fate, forbidden longing, and the kind of magic that demands everything."

Doesn't magic always demand everything?

Cast in Blood by Michelle Sagara
Published by: Hanover Square Press
Publication Date: April 28th, 2026
Format: Paperback, 512 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"DO NOT MEDDLE IN THE AFFAIRS OF BARRANI.

Kaylin has been warned to steer clear of the lords of the Barrani High Court. She'd be more than happy to oblige, but it's a bit difficult considering she lives with ten of them, all sent to the green to gain power or die. With Kaylin's help, they finally escaped their imprisonment. But their attempts at freedom had devastating consequences - and a price that has yet to be paid.

The first warning sign is the Consort's invitation to visit the High Halls - a Barrani invitation, which means an immediate visit.

The second sign is less subtle: Kaylin finds Nightshade's unresponsive body. He hovers on the edge of death, beyond saving through Kaylin's healing power. No one can explain his state, nor why she's powerless to save him. And if she and her Barrani friends can't figure out a way to bring him back, he'll be lost forever.

Yet even as Kaylin struggles to keep Nightshade from death, there is deeper magic at play, a growing threat with the potential to affect the entire Barrani race. Factions are shifting, new lines are being drawn - and Nightshade's near assassination is only the beginning. Can Kaylin uncover the nebulous forces that threaten the balance of Barrani - and their entire world - before it's too late?"

Always here for Michelle Sagara.

The Redwood Bargain by Markelle Grabo
Published by: Page Street YA
Publication Date: April 28th, 2026
Format: Hardcover, 400 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"I'm the fourth Redwood girl, and I mean to be the last.

Indentured servant Katrien longs to make amends after a difficult choice extended her cousin Helsa's servitude with their lord of the manor. So when a dark creature in the forest known as The Redwood Man demands the lord's youngest daughter as payment for saving his life, Katrien is eager to make her own bargain that will guarantee her cousin's freedom - so long as she can successfully lie.

Katrien must fool The Redwood Man into believing she is the daughter he was promised, Lady Zaviera. Yet three girls have already lost their lives trying to pose as the young noblewoman, with the increasingly impatient forest lord seeing through each deception and exerting his wrath in return.

To ensure Katrien's success where the girls before her have failed, Zaviera and her sisters teach her how to be the perfect imposter, even as The Redwood Man's sentient vines threaten to consume the manor and its staff. Turning a kitchen maid into a proper lady is no simple task, and matters are complicated further as Katrien begins to fall for the tenderhearted lady she might die for. Caught between duty, desire, and Zaviera's own blooming feelings, Katrien must decide if she's truly willing to risk her life to right past wrongs and sacrifice herself for the girl she's come to love."

Can't the sentient vines, I don't know, spy on their plans and thus make success impossible?

Death Meets Cute by J. Penner
Published by: Poisoned Pen Press
Publication Date: April 28th, 2026
Format: Paperback, 304 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"I am more than capable of being evil today. I think...

Iris Weyward wants to be bad. Truly bad. Terrifyingly, gloriously villainous. But after helping her sisters unleash a spell to throw the realm into chaos, Iris is left feeling strangely empty - and not at all like the villain of her dreams. So, she sets off for the quiet town of Fraywell to build her wicked legacy alone.

Things start promisingly: a crooked little cottage, a reputation for curses and potions, and a healthy dose of fear from the locals. But when her ogre bodyguard disappears, Iris needs new muscle. Good thing a fearsome orc just toppled over in her yard. Naturally, she decides to reanimate him. It's a perfect solution.

Only, Talon isn't the brooding warrior she was hoping for. He's gentle. He bakes. Worst of all, he's nice. But Iris can't possibly have a thing for her new employee. She's supposed to be the most wicked witch in town!

While Iris struggles to turn Talon into the enforcer she deserves, her sisters arrive seeking help - their magic is fading, and the cause may be closer than any of them realize. The timing couldn't be worse, and falling for an orc wasn't supposed to be part of her villain era, but love might turn out to be the best spell she's ever cast..."

I mean, who wouldn't fall for a baking orc?

The Sixth Gun: Battle for the Six by Cullen Bunn, Brian Hurtt, and Bill Crabtree
Published by: Oni Press
Publication Date: April 28th, 2026
Format: Paperback, 146 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"In celebration of 15 years of one of the most beloved smash hits in the history of creator-owned comics, return to the Eisner Award–nominated world of The Sixth Gun as co-creators Cullen Bunn (Harrow County) and Brian Hurtt (The Midnite Show) reunite for an all-new, self-contained entry point into the acclaimed saga that fantasy icon Michael Moorcock calls "an epic in its own right."

Becky Montcrief's great sacrifice destroyed the Sixth Gun - and the Grey Witch Griselda with it - but the power of the timeless weapons was also released into the world, ready to be reborn.... Familiar heroes - Ghost Eyes, Izzy, Henry Grey, Unega, and more - race to prevent the deadly cabal of villains old and new from gaining control of the reborn mythical weapons known as the Six. With the power of travel on the mystical Crossroads, the whole world is the stage for the newest battle to control its fate - the Battle for the Six!

Collecting The Sixth Gun: Battle for the Six #1–3, plus the three prelude short stories collected in The Sixth Gun: Road to the Six #0!"

Always here for Cullen Bunn and awhile back I read the first art which was enough to intrigue me. Plus, this is self-contained! 

Posted by Miss Eliza at 12:00 AM 0 comments  

Labels: Alexander McCall Smith, Anthony Horowitz, Catriona McPherson, Colleen Cambridge, Cullen Bunn, J. Penner, Jesse Q. Sutanto, Kristen Perrin, Lynn Cahoon, Markelle Grabo, Michelle Sagara, mily Sullivan, Orin Steele, TJ Klune

I Haven't Been Entirely Honest with You by Miranda Hart
Published by: Michael Joseph
Publication Date: November 26th, 2024
Format: Hardcover, 384 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"Hello to you, I am with news. I have a new book: I Haven't Been Entirely Honest With You. I know - what an intriguing title!

Basically, I have had an unexpectedly difficult decade - there have been surprising joys, but also deep revelations and challenging lows. I shall be honest about those, because what I discovered in the difficult times were my, what I call, treasures.

Treasures - practical tools, values, ways, answers researched from some great scientists, neuroscientists, therapists, sociologists (all the 'ists') out there, that have genuinely led to a sense of freedom, joy, peace and physical recovery I never would have thought possible.

Life now, amazingly, with what I will share, is - SUCH FUN! (always important to quote your own catch phrases...) If you fancy having a read, then I hope my story might help your story. After all, we are in this beautiful, mysterious, challenging life together. Rest assured there are funny stories along the way - we will have a laugh too, my dear reader chum.

Oh, and I couldn't possibly say if there is a love story in it... (There is - hush). Exciting."

If you are a fan of Miranda Hart, like I am, perhaps you've already ordered this book from England because you couldn't wait until today. But if you didn't order it from overseas, it's here now!

Not For the Faint of Heart by Lex Croucher
Published by: Wednesday Books
Publication Date: November 26th, 2024
Format: Hardcover, 400 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"From New York Times bestselling author Lex Croucher comes a queer historical YA romance, with all the swoons, laughs, and heart-pounding moments you'd expect from a story about the granddaughter of Robin Hood and the girl she's accidentally kidnapped.

'You aren't merry,' Clem said to her captor. 'And you aren't all men. So there's been some marketing confusion somewhere along the line.'

Mariel, a newly blooded and perpetually grumpy captain of the Merry Men, is desperate to live up to the legacy of her grandfather, the legendary Robin Hood. Clem, a too-perky backwoods healer known for her new-fangled cures, just wants to help people.

When Mariel's ramshackle band of bandits kidnap Clem as retribution for her guardian helping the Sheriff of Nottingham, all seems to be going (sort of) to plan...until Jack Hartley, Mariel's father and Commander of the Merry Men, is captured in a deadly ambush. Determined to prove herself, Mariel sets out to get him back - with her annoyingly cheerful kidnappee in tow.

But the wood is at war. Many believe the Merry Men are no longer on the right side of history. Watching Clem tend the party's wounds and crack relentlessly terrible jokes, Mariel begins to doubt the noble cause to which she has devoted her life. As the two of them grow closer, forced by circumstances to share a single horse and bed, one thing is clear. They must prepare to fight for their lives and for those of everyone they've sworn to protect.

Lex Croucher's Not for the Faint of Heart is a thrilling adventure full of hijinks, found family, and romance destined to change the lives of the inhabitants of the Greenwood Forest forever."

I'm a fan of all things Robin Hood, but I'm REALLY a fan of characters named Clem.

Madrigals and Mayhem by Elizabeth Penney
Published by: Minotaur Books
Publication Date: November 26th, 2024
Format: Paperback, 288 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"In Madrigals and Mayhem, the fourth in Elizabeth Penney's charming Cambridge Bookshop series, Molly Kimball finds that even the holidays can come with a healthy dose of mystery.

Molly is eager to experience her first English Christmas with family and friends now that she's adjusted to her move to Cambridge and her restoration of her family's ancestral bookshop, Thomas Marlowe - Manuscripts and Folios. When local toyshop Pemberly's Emporium reopens, Molly is excited to meet the new owner, Charlotte Pemberly, who is determined to make the toy store a success after unexpectedly becoming her grandfather Arthur's sole heir.

Arthur's new wife Althea Winters and her unpleasant family loathe Charlotte for inheriting what they believe was theirs and have set their sights on a valuable Madame Alexander doll that's gone missing. When Althea's grandson is poisoned by cakes from Tea and Crumpets, Charlotte becomes the top suspect. Molly believes Charlotte was the intended victim and investigates the Pemberly's home, only to discover that Arthur had been murdered.

To get closer to this treacherous family, Molly and her boyfriend Kieran go undercover by volunteering to act and sing for a madrigal dinner directed by Althea and her daughter at St. Hildegard's College. Molly must help her new friend clear her name while searching for the missing doll and wrangling her own family during the chaotic holiday festivities at the bookshop."

I mean, here for the British Christmas mystery, but also oddly here for the Madame Alexander doll... I might have a collection...

Murder at Glenloch Hill by Clara McKenna
Published by: Kensington Publishing Corporation
Publication Date: November 26th, 2024
Format: Hardcover, 288 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"Set in Edwardian Britain, American transplant Stella, and British aristocrat, Viscount "Lyndy" Lyndhurst take a weekend trip to the Scottish countryside and learn how sinister bad sportsmanship can be when a prestigious golf tournament becomes a deadly game of murder...

Along with cheering on her soon-to-be brother-in-law, Freddie Kentfield, at The British Open in Scotland, Stella embraces the chance to connect with her distant cousins, the McEwens, at their grand estate, Glenloch Hill. But she and Lyndy don't receive the warm welcome they expect when their arrival is marred by missing luggage, evasive hosts, and the perceived mistreatment of a young laundry maid. Adding to the tense atmosphere, Freddie's roguish father, Sir Edwin, appears at the manor uninvited, his presence casting a shadow over the events - and stirring up more unanswered questions...

As golf clubs swing on the green, so do Lyndy's fists in an uncharacteristic outburst. Chaotic circumstances take a dark turn when Sir Edwin is found bludgeoned outside the laundry house - the maid waiting beside the body, no murder weapon in sight - and all eyes on Lyndy...

Suddenly caught in a whirlwind of kilts, elite golfers, and deadly rumors, Stella rushes to protect Lyndy's innocence and save herself from real danger. But can she both navigate the unspoken rules at Glenloch Hill and survive a cutthroat competition against a killer who will stop at nothing to win?"

I mean, Sir Edwin HAS to have been murdered by a golf club right?

A Trinket for the Taking by Victoria Laurie
Published by: Kensington Cozies
Publication Date: November 26th, 2024
Format: Hardcover, 288 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"Introducing the captivating Dovey Van Dalen, once the belle of 1840s Copenhagen, now charged with recovering magic property from mortals - whatever it takes. The first in a new magical mystery series from New York Times bestselling author Victoria Laurie.

Dovey Van Dalen has a gorgeous day planned for her 200th birthday: driving her new Porsche, admiring the cherry blossoms abloom in her adopted city of Washington, D.C., and a little pampering. But her boss has other ideas. A powerful artifact has been stolen, and he fears it's causing chaos in the unmagical world...

The rich and connected Ariti family has suffered a string of suspicious deaths, with no signs of foul play. Yet each member has died in the way they feared most. As the enchanting agent most skilled at blending in with mere mortals, Dovey must find answers and retrieve the dangerous trinket.

There's just one unexpected wrinkle: By the time Dovey arrives at the art gallery where the Ariti patriarch died, FBI agent Grant "Gib" Barlow has taken control of the scene. Dovey needs his cooperation to investigate - but she'll have to hide her abilities, and her true objective, from a man who uncovers deceptions every day. And as they inch nearer a deadly truth, both will face danger even the spellbound would be lucky to survive..."

I mean, Victoria Laurie is a must read, but I want to know how one goes from 1840s Copenhagen to present day Washington, D.C.!

Darkly by Marisha Pessl
Published by: Delacorte Press
Publication Date: November 26th, 2024
Format: Hardcover, 416 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"A must-read thriller that will keep you guessing until the very last page from the New York Times bestselling author of Night Film.

There's nothing special about Dia Gannon. So why was she chosen for an opportunity everyone would kill for?

Arcadia "Dia" Gannon has been obsessed with Louisiana Veda, the game designer whose obsessive creations and company, Darkly, have gained a cultlike following. Dia is shocked when she's chosen for a highly-coveted internship, along with six other teenagers from around the world. Why her? Dia has never won anything in her life.

Darkly, once a game-making empire renowned for its ingenious and utterly terrifying toys and games, now lies dormant after Veda's mysterious death. The remaining games are priced like rare works of art, with some fetching millions of dollars at auction.

As Dia and her fellow interns delve into the heart of Darkly, they discover hidden symbols, buried clues, and a web of intrigue. Who are these other teens, and what secrets do they keep? Why were any of them really chosen? The answers lie within the twisted labyrinth of Darkly - a chilling and addictive read by Marisha Pessl.

This summer will be the most twisted Darkly game of all."

I mean modern technology with a Gothic edge? Oh yes please!

Designing Worlds by Tim Burton
Published by: Design Museum
Publication Date: November 26th, 2024
Format: Paperback, 360 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"An expansive exploration of the role of design and creative practice in director Tim Burton's unique approach to building worlds.

This book is the official catalog for the exhibition at the Design Museum, as well as the first publication to explore the relationship between Tim Burton's artistic creations and the world of design. The reader is invited into an examination of what is now broadly referred to as the "Burtonesque," exploring his iconic style and the impact his unique design aesthetic has on broader visual culture. The book unpacks Burton's distinctive visual language, exploring the intersection of gothic, carnivalesque and fantastical elements that define his cinematic masterpieces. Insightful essays by design experts and film critics, interspersed with images featured in the exhibition, will offer a deeper understanding of the director's creative process, making this catalog an homage to the role that design practice plays in the hauntingly beautiful worlds he creates.

Tim Burton (born 1958) grew up in Burbank, California, and studied animation at the California Institute of the Arts. He is best known for his dark, gothic films about quirky outsiders, including Beetlejuice (1988), Batman (1989), Edward Scissorhands (1990) and many more. Most recently, he directed and produced the TV series Wednesday (2022), which became the second-most-watched show on Netflix. He lives and works in London."

My friend is going to this show. I am not at all jealous. But if they don't get me this book for telling them about the show before they went to London... Well, there might be blood...

The Best Horror of the Year, Volume Sixteen edited by Ellen Datlow
Published by: Night Shade Books
Publication Date: November 26th, 2024
Format: Paperback, 384 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"From Ellen Datlow - "the venerable queen of horror anthologies" per the New York Times - comes a new entry in the series that has brought you thrilling stories from Stephen King and Neil Gaiman, the best horror stories available.

For more than four decades, Ellen Datlow has been at the center of horror. Bringing you the most frightening and terrifying stories, Datlow always has her finger on the pulse of what horror readers crave. Now, with the sixteenth volume of the series, Datlow is back again to bring you the stories that will keep you up at night. Encompassed in the pages of The Best Horror of the Year have been such illustrious writers as: Neil Gaiman, Stephen King, Stephen Graham Jones, Joyce Carol Oates, Laird Barron, Mira Grant, and many others.

With each passing year, science, technology, and the march of time shine light into the craggy corners of the universe, making the fears of an earlier generation seem quaint. But this light creates its own shadows. The Best Horror of the Year chronicles these shifting shadows. It is a catalog of terror, fear, and unpleasantness as articulated by today's most challenging and exciting writers."

I know books are basically "done" six months in advance... But at least take Neil Gaiman out of the blurb... You DO NOT want your book to be associated with him.

The Complete Harrow County by Cullen Bunn and Tyler Crook
Published by: Dark Horse Books
Publication Date: November 26th, 2024
Format: Hardcover, 1080 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"Dark Horse Comics proudly presents this complete collection of the entire comics run of essential horror series Harrow County in a single, oversized hardcover book with a slipcase, ribbon, and a brand-new painted cover.

Emmy always knew that the woods surrounding her home crawled with ghosts and monsters. But on the eve of her eighteenth birthday, she learns that she is connected to these creatures--and to the land itself - in a way she never imagined. Could Emmy be the reincarnation of an infamous witch? As supernatural forces that baffle the imagination align against her, Emmy must decide whether she will embrace or deny her destiny...with the fate of every soul - living or otherwise - hanging in the balance!

This volume collects the entirety of Harrow County, the dark southern Gothic fairy tale by Cullen Bunn and Tyler Crook, along with all extras from every library edition!

Collects Harrow County #1-#32."

And just when I finally finished collecting the trade paperbacks! Though I do love this design it might be a bit hefty to read casually. So a good collectors item!

Posted by Miss Eliza at 12:00 AM 0 comments  

Labels: Clara McKenna, Cullen Bunn, Elizabeth Penney, Ellen Datlow, Harrow County, I Haven't Been Entirely Honest with You, Lex Croucher, Marisha Pessl, Miranda Hart, Robin Hood, Tim Burton, Tyler Crook, Victoria Laurie

The Wood at Midwinter by Susanna Clarke
Published by: Bloomsbury Publishing
Publication Date: October 22nd, 2024
Format: Hardcover, 64 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"From the internationally bestselling and prize-winning author of Piranesi and Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell, an enchanting, beautifully illustrated short story set in the world of Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell.

'A church is a sort of wood. A wood is a sort of church. They're the same thing really.'

Nineteen-year-old Merowdis Scot is an unusual girl. She can talk to animals and trees - and she is only ever happy when she is walking in the woods.

One snowy afternoon, out with her dogs and Apple the pig, Merowdis encounters a blackbird and a fox. As darkness falls, a strange figure enters in their midst - and the path of her life is changed forever.

Featuring gorgeous illustrations truly worthy of the magic of this story and an afterword by Susanna Clarke explaining how she came to write it, this is a mesmerizing, must-have addition to any fantasy reader's bookshelf."

If there's one author who is daily in my thoughts it's Susanna Clarke. She is everything to me. And you can bet I've been eagerly awaiting this new story.

Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell by Susanna Clarke
Published by: Bloomsbury Publishing
Publication Date: October 22nd, 2024
Format: Hardcover, 864 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"The 20th Anniversary Edition of the Hugo-award winning, epic New York Times Bestseller and basis for the BBC miniseries, where two men change England's history when they bring magic back into the world, now with a new introduction from V.E. Schwab.

In the midst of the Napoleonic Wars in 1806, most people believe magic to have long since disappeared from England - until the reclusive Mr. Norrell reveals his powers and becomes an overnight celebrity.

Another practicing magician then emerges: the young and daring Jonathan Strange. He becomes Norrell's pupil, and the two join forces in the war against France.

But Strange is increasingly drawn to the wild, most perilous forms of magic, and he soon risks sacrificing his partnership with Norrell and everything else he holds dear.

Susanna Clarke's brilliant first novel is an utterly compelling epic tale of nineteenth-century England and the two magicians who, first as teacher and pupil and then as rivals, emerge to change its history."

Quite possibly my favorite book ever. Not sure if I'm sold yet on the 20th Anniversary artwork... But you can be sure it will still be on my shelf that's for sure.

A Vile Season by David Ferraro
Published by: Page Street YA
Publication Date: October 22nd, 2024
Format: Hardcover, 400 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"Bridgerton meets The Bachelor in this queer regency romance of a vampire competing for the heart of a duke.

After being run out of his castle by vampire hunters, Count Lucian encounters the god of vampires, Vrykolakas, while in hiding. Unhappy with how many vampires have been bested by hunters, Vrykolakas gives Lucian a test: Infiltrate the future duke's marriage games as a suitor and uncover the clandestine vampire hunters Vrykolakas suspects lurk in their midst. The god strips Lucian of his immortality so he can walk amongst mortals - making him human for the first time in centuries. If Lucian succeeds, Vrykolakas will make him the most powerful vampire in existence, but if he fails, the god of vampires will torture him for the rest of his life.

Unfortunately, Lucian isn't prepared for the emotions that come with humanity, nor the treacheries of courting season with fellow nobles posing as friends, enemies, and wholly unsuitable romantic distractions. To win the life he wants, Lucian will have to decide if being a vampire is worth giving up the friendship and love he's found."

And in the spirit of this Susanna Clarke laden week, MORE Regency Magic!

The Elgin Conspiracy by Julia Golding
Published by: One More Chapter
Publication Date: October 22nd, 2024
Format: Kindle, 376 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"1812

Lord Elgin's Greek marbles are the talk of London society, so when a death threat arrives, the earl hires actress Dora Fitz-Pennington and the honourable Dr. Jacob Sandys to investigate. They plunge into the scandals of society's most eminent members, from the Byron circle to the secret world of collectors.

As danger lurks around London's every corner, in the most exclusive ballrooms and the roughest taverns, Dora and Jacob will face not only what has been left unsaid simmering between them but the threat of silent assassins, traitorous acquaintances and the darkest of secrets..."

You know what would solve ALL death threats related to the Elgin marbles? RETURN THEM!

Murder in Highbury by Vanessa Kelly
Published by: Kensington Publishing Corporation
Publication Date: October 22nd, 2024
Format: Hardcover, 400 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"First in a captivating new series, Jane Austen's Emma Knightley entertains a different role in Highbury - going from clever matchmaker to Regency England's shrewdest sleuth.

Less than one year into her marriage to respected magistrate George Knightley, Emma has grown unusually content in her newfound partnership and refreshed sense of independence. The height of summer sees the former Miss Woodhouse gracefully balancing the meticulous management of her elegant family estate and a flurry of social engagements, with few worries apart from her beloved father's health...

But cheery circumstances change in an instant when Emma and Harriet Martin, now the wife of one of Mr. Knightley's tenant farmers, discover a hideous shock at the local church. The corpse of Mrs. Augusta Elton, the vicar's wife, has been discarded on the altar steps - the ornate necklace she often wore stripped from her neck...

As a chilling murder mystery blooms and chaos descends upon the tranquil village of Highbury, the question isn't simply who committed the crime, but who wasn't secretly wishing for the unpleasant woman's demise. When suspicions suddenly fall on a harmless local, Emma - armed with wit, unwavering determination, and extensive social connections - realizes she must discreetly navigate an investigation of her own to protect the innocent and expose the ruthless culprit hiding in plain sight."

First, good on the killer for going for Mrs. E. Secondly, the killer is Frank Churchill right? I mean, we all know he has problems. Possibly ones that can only be slacked by the blood of his victims? 

Much Ado About Margaret by Madeleine Roux
Published by: Dell
Publication Date: October 22nd, 2024
Format: Paperback, 272 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"Madeleine Roux's next season in Regency England follows a rebellious writer and the man who risks everything to publish her.

Margaret Arden yearns to live like the passionate and daring women in her novel. The idyllic life at Mosely Cottage with her two younger sisters and mother is fine, but Margaret wants more than the demure and dainty existence she's known. After a particularly brutal rejection from an annoyingly attractive publisher, Margaret fears being forced into marriage to protect her family if their financial situation doesn't improve - until her cousin's glamorous wedding masquerade brings her onto a collision course with scandal, notoriety, and even love.

Captain Bridger Darrow is starting over after fighting for his country. Now home, he is struggling to save his family from destitution and succeed in a new venture of passion: book publishing. It's all going rather poorly, until he stumbles upon loose pages of an astonishing novel while in attendance at his dearest friend's wedding. Bridger knows he must publish it. But upon meeting the author, Bridger is stunned to discover that he - she - is a woman, and he has already told her off in grand fashion.

While Bridger is keen to gain her trust and rescind the initial rejection, Margaret can't help but be skeptical of his intentions. Sparks fly between the two, just as the wedding of the season starts to descend into chaos when a masked dance leads to a case of mistaken identities."

One can't help wonder why he rejected the manuscript in the first place...

The Improbable Tales of Baskerville Hall: The Sign of Five by Ali Standish
Published by: HarperCollins
Publication Date: October 22nd, 2024
Format: Hardcover, 320 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"In the second thrilling installment to The Improbable Tales of Baskerville Hall series, Arthur returns to the elusive Baskerville Hall and must solve the mystery behind a poisoned Sherlock Holmes, facing new threats, harrowing challenges, and ghastly ghouls along the way. It's time for a new adventure, are you ready?

When Arthur Conan Doyle returns to Baskerville Hall, a secretive school for extraordinary students, he's excited to begin winter term with the friends he loves. However, soon after his arrival, a dangerous foe threatens his favorite professor, Sherlock Holmes, and all signs seem to point to a force that Arthur had hoped he'd seen the last of...the Green Knight. But Sherlock isn't the only target; others begin to fall prey as well. The question is: how are they all connected?

In the ultimate race against time, Arthur will have to dodge old enemies, befriend new faces, and brave encounters with spirits to solve the mystery before it's too late. But there are more puzzles to solve than one; it seems a new term at Baskerville Hall may not only test Arthur's wits...but his friendships too."

This is a good antidote to their being no more Enola Holmes books.

Murder at the Foundling Hospital by Irina Shapiro
Published by: Storm Publishing Ltd
Publication Date: October 22nd, 2024
Format: Paperback, 318 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"Gemma's boots slip on uneven ground and her black cape catches in the wind as she runs. "Please, not Lucy," she prays.

Nurse Gemma Tate is heartbroken when she hears that one of her young charges at the Foundling Hospital has been killed. She knows that police inspector Sebastian Bell will work tirelessly to uncover the truth, but obstructed by the curt matron, he'll need her help navigating the cloistered world of the orphanage.

The mystery thickens when Sebastian finds a small wooden doll clutched in the murdered girl's hand and Gemma hears whispers of a shadowy romance. But that isn't the darkest secret hidden behind the high hospital walls. As time runs down on the investigation, Gemma won't give up. But could the shocking discovery she makes be her last?

A gripping gaslit Victorian mystery, perfect for fans of Andrea Penrose, the Lady Sherlock mysteries, and Miss Scarlet and the Duke."

You know, blurbs need to keep up with the times, never mention Neil Gaiman again, and it's now just Miss Scarlet, thank you very much.

Murder Takes the Stage by Colleen Cambridge
Published by: Kensington Publishing Corporation
Publication Date: October 22nd, 2024
Format: Hardcover, 288 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"In this delightful historical mystery, Phyllida Bright - amateur sleuth and Agatha Christie's esteemed housekeeper - discovers a killer stalking the stages of London's illustrious theaters.

Housekeeper Phyllida Bright is quite in her element at Mallowan Hall, the charming English manor that she keeps in tip-top shape. By contrast, the bustling metropolis of London, where her famed employer Agatha Christie has temporarily relocated, leaves Phyllida a bit out of her depth. Not only must she grapple with a limited staff, but Phyllida also has to rein in a temperamental French cook who has the looks of Hercule Poirot, but none of the charm.

When a man named Archibald Allston is found dead in an armchair onstage at the Adelphi Theater, first impressions are that he died of natural causes. But the very next day, the unlucky actor playing Benvolio at the Belmont Theater is found with his head bashed in. And when a third victim turns up, this time with double-C initials, the fatal pattern is impossible to ignore.

With panic erupting among theater folk - a superstitious bunch at the best of times - Phyllida steps up to help with the investigation. The murderer's MO may be easy to read, but can Phyllida uncover the killer's identity before the final curtain falls on another victim?"

I will read whatever Colleen writes under whatever name.

Murder on the Page by Daryl Wood Gerber
Published by: Kensington Cozies
Publication Date: October 22nd, 2024
Format: Hardcover, 336 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"This delectably intriguing new series debut from one of the queens of cozy mysteries features a caterer who crafts literary-themed dinner parties - and must ensure that a killer gets their just desserts...

It's a truth universally acknowledged that a genuinely top-notch party must be in want of a theme. Allie Catt, caterer and personal chef in the beautiful mountain community of Asheville, North Carolina, has devised a winning formula by using her clients' favorite books as inspiration. Her first themed event is based on Pride and Prejudice (Allie's cat, Darcy, approves), and it's so popular that soon she has grand ideas for future parties based on Rebecca, The Great Gatsby, Babette's Feast and more.

Business is booming, and a rival catering company is fuming. But there's a sting in the tale when the aunt of one of Allie's clients and best friends, Tegan, is murdered. Tegan is the victim's sole heir, and quickly becomes the main suspect. Allie has no doubts about her friend's innocence, but how to prove it?

Once again, her love of literature comes to the rescue, and with some guidance from her favorite fictional detectives, including Hercule Poirot and Sherlock Holmes, Allie sifts through the clues.

With a little luck - and the kind of pluck that would make Elizabeth Bennett proud - she may be able to stop a killer from serving up a second course of murder..."

I am really wondering how you'd stage a Rebecca themed dinner... A glowering housekeeper and showing up in the wrong outfit and crying in another room?

Sleep in Heavenly Pizza by Mindy Quigley
Published by: Minotaur Books
Publication Date: October 22nd, 2024
Format: Paperback, 320 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"Sleep in Heavenly Pizza is the fourth book in Mindy Quigley's delectable Deep Dish Mystery series, set in a Wisconsin pizzeria.

Pizza chef Delilah O'Leary and her kitty companion, Butterball, get into the holiday spirit as Geneva Bay, Wisconsin hosts the nation's premier snow sculpting championship. The annual event transforms the charming resort town into a wonderland of snow castles, ice rinks, and cozy cups of cocoa.

On the eve of the festival though, a too-good-to-be-true Chrismukkah catering gig brings some frosty tidings and heralds an unexpected visit from Delilah's high-intensity older sister. Suddenly it seems that the holidays may not be the hap-happiest season of all. And when one of the town's snowy sculptures reveals a chilling surprise, murder threatens to put the celebrations - and Delilah's crew - on ice for good."

OBVIOUSLY based on the Lake Geneva ice sculpting competition, which means I'm OBVIOUSLY going to read it.

Death Comes at Christmas edited by Marie O'Regan and Paul Kane
Published by: Titan Books (UK)
Publication Date: October 22nd, 2024
Format: Hardcover, 368 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"18 festive stories of murder and mystery in the grand tradition of Christmas crime fiction, from the masters of the genre.

Including the New York Times bestselling J.T. Ellison, USA Today bestseller Sam Carrington, Sunday Times bestseller C.L. Taylor, and many more...

The award-winning Marie O'Regan and Paul Kane invite you to a festive gathering of bestselling, critically acclaimed and award-winning writers in tribute to classic crime stories.

From locked room mysteries on Christmas Eve to devilish whodunits and tales of simmering rivalries unfolding at the dinner table, these eighteen seasonal tales will delight and shock at every twist and turn.

So, unwrap the presents, pour a mug of mulled wine and follow the bloodstained footprints through the freshly fallen snow as winter descends and darkness lurks in the shadows.

Featuring stories by:
Fiona Cummins
Angela Clarke
A.K. Benedict
Susi Holliday
J.T. Ellison
David Bell
Sarah Hilary
Claire McGowan
Tina Baker
Sam Carrington
Liz Mistry
C.L. Taylor
Helen Fields
Russ Thomas
Tom Mead
Vaseem Khan
Samantha Hayes
Belinda Bauer"

Here for all of this but especially A.K. Benedict!

Christmas Crimes at the Mysterious Bookshop edited by Otto Penzler
Published by: Mysterious Press
Publication Date: October 22nd, 2024
Format: Hardcover, 288 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"The oldest mystery specialty bookstore in the world, The Mysterious Bookshop, has for most of its forty-five-year history commissioned an original short story as a holiday gift for its customers. Written exclusively for the store and never published elsewhere, the stories were given as a holiday gift to its customers as a thank you for their business, handed out or mailed between Thanksgiving and New Year's Day.

The prompt for the story requires three elements: that it be set at Christmastime, that it involve a crime of some kind, or the suspicion of one, and that it be set at least partially in the bookstore. And from these loose structural guidelines, diverse tales took flight. The dozen tales included in this volume are among the finest to be produced in this annual tradition, sure to charm any reader looking for a holiday-themed escape.

Included herein are the ingenious "Snowflake Time" by Laura Lippman; Lyndsay Faye's tale of vengeance "A Midnight Clear"; the challenging brainteaser, "A Christmas Puzzle," by Ragnar Jónasson; "Hester's Gift," an impossible crime story by Tom Mead; the suspenseful "The Christmas Party" by Jeffery Deaver; Thomas Perry's hilarious comedy of errors, "Here We Come A-Wassailing;" and other tales appropriate for the season, collected and introduced by Otto Penzler. The result is, objectively speaking, the finest "stocking stuffer" that a mystery fan could hope to find."

A wonderful tradition finally being shared far and wide!

Everyone This Christmas Has a Secret by Benjamin Stevenson
Published by: Mariner Books
Publication Date: October 22nd, 2024
Format: Hardcover, 192 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"Benjamin Stevenson returns with a Christmas addition to his bestselling, "deviously good fun" (Nita Prose), Ernest Cunningham mysteries. Unwrap all the Christmas staples: presents, family, an impossible murder or two, and a deadly advent calendar of clues. If Knives Out and The Thursday Murder Club kissed under the mistletoe.

My name's Ernest Cunningham. I used to be a fan of reading Golden Age murder mysteries, until I found myself with a haphazard career getting stuck in the middle of real-life ones. I'd hoped, this Christmas, that any self-respecting murderer would kick their feet up and take it easy over the holidays. I was wrong.

So here I am, backstage at the show of world-famous magician Rylan Blaze, whose benefactor has just been murdered. My suspects are all professional tricksters: masters of the art of misdirection.

The Magician

The Assistant 

The Executive 

The Hypnotist 

The Identical Twin 

The Counsellor 

The Tech 

My clues are even more abstract: A suspect covered in blood, without a memory of how it got there. A murder committed without setting foot inside the room where it happens. And an advent calendar. Because, you know, it's Christmas.

If I can see through the illusions, I know I can solve it.

After all, a good murder is just like a magic trick, isn't it?"

Oh Ernest, but Christmas is THE BEST time for murder!

Christmas is All Around by Martha Waters
Published by: Atria Books
Publication Date: October 22nd, 2024
Format: Paperback, 304 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"A former child star learns that holiday magic can come from a change in perspective in this charming and hilarious holiday rom-com.

Charlotte hates the holidays. As a former child actress, she starred in a modern classic of a holiday movie, and its fans won't let her move on. When a piece revealing that her reluctance nixed plans for a reboot, she flees to London to spend the five-week countdown to the holidays with her sister.

But the ghosts of Christmas past follow her there when she ends up at Eden Priory, a filming location for the movie she has never visited. There, after being recognized by a fan while viewing the extraordinary holiday decorations, she's accidently left behind, forcing her to accept a ride back to London from Graham, the son of the owners. Their family business - and the funds to keep their historic house running - relies on holiday cheer, and Graham knows a visit from a holiday star would bring in more visitors.

Now an illustrator, Charlotte accepts a commission illustrating iconic holiday movie scenes in London and its environs. Graham offers to help escort her, as long as she'll commit to an art workshop at Eden Priory. But as Charlotte's chaotic family holiday goes awry, she begins spending more time scouting locations with Graham. She may not love a Christmas romance...but what if she has one of her own?"

Hey, personally I'd do anything to help out a historic house that needs a little financial boost. Especially one run my Graham.

The Coat Check Girl by Laura Buchwald
Published by: Radiance
Publication Date: October 22nd, 2024
Format: Hardcover, 298 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"Sometimes, it's in confronting the shadows that we find the brightest light.

Embark on a touching journey with Josie Gray as she navigates the turbulent waters of loss, love, and the supernatural. After bidding farewell to her cherished grandmother, Josie finds herself adrift in a sea of grief, compounded by the complexities of an ambiguous romantic entanglement and the return of her unsettling "gift" - the ability to sense and communicate with spirits. A presence haunts the restaurant where she works, dredging up long-buried memories from her childhood.

But amidst the shadows, a luminous figure emerges - the restaurant's new coat check girl. Mia is a beacon of understanding and solidarity, offering solace in shared experiences and a determination to unravel the mystery shrouding the restless spirit. Bolstered by a vibrant ensemble of characters, from restaurant comrades to familiar faces in the neighborhood, Mia keeps Josie afloat during one of the most difficult seasons of her life, helping her to embrace her unique talents and confront the ghostly enigma looming over them.

Set against the backdrop of the bustling restaurant scenes of New York City and New Orleans, The Coat Check Girl is a compelling tale weaving together threads of sorrow, redemption, and the enduring power of connection. Join Josie as she discovers that sometimes, it's in confronting the shadows that we find the brightest light."

Just saying, loss and the return of a power to connect to that loss... Makes sense...

Dreaming of Autumn Skies by V.C. Andrews
Published by: Gallery Books
Publication Date: October 22nd, 2024
Format: Hardcover, 288 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"A young girl does whatever's necessary to take back her agency when she is sent to live with her controlling grandfather in this atmospheric novel from the #1 New York Times bestselling author of Flowers in the Attic and the Landry series - now popular Lifetime movies.

With her mother deceased and her father remarried, Caroline is forced to live with her domineering grandfather. But having endured so much loss and cruelty in her young life, she is determined to not let her suffering to have been in vain. Soon, Caroline embarks on a campaign to reclaim her own power and win over the most influential person in her family. She will stop at nothing to build the life - and the independence - she so desperately dreams of."

Dammit, it's been awhile since my most recent V.C. Andrews fix. Well this book will "fix" that!

It Will Only Hurt for a Moment by Delilah S. Dawson
Published by: Del Rey Books
Publication Date: October 22nd, 2024
Format: Hardcover, 368 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"In this highly atmospheric thriller from the Bram Stoker Award-nominated author of The Violence, a young woman hopes to reinvent herself at an isolated artists' colony...only to be drawn into its dark, twisted past. Sarah Carpenter is starting over.

She's on the run - leaving behind her unsupportive, narcissistic ex-boyfriend and alcoholic, abusive mother - and headed for a new beginning at Tranquil Falls, a secluded artists' colony on the grounds of a closed hotel. There, with no cell signal or internet to distract her, she hopes to rediscover her love for pottery and put the broken pieces of her life back together.

But when Sarah uncovers the body of a young woman while digging a hole for a pit kiln, things start to fall apart. Her fellow artists begin to act in troubling ways. The eccentric fiber artist knits an endless scarf. The musician plays the same carousel song over and over until his fingers bleed. The calligrapher grins with ink-stained teeth. Not to mention the haunting dreams Sarah has night after night.

When she discovers glass shards in her clay, Sarah wonders if someone is out to get her - or if she's losing her grip on reality out here in the wilds, where the pounding of the waterfall never, ever fades. As she investigates the beautiful valley and the crumbling resort looming over them all, she unearths a chilling past that refuses to remain buried..."

Well, it won't remain buried if you keep digging holes for a pit kiln! In all seriousness, this is THE BOOK everyone is talking about this October.

Invasive by Cullen Bunn
Published by: Oni Press
Publication Date: October 22nd, 2024
Format: Paperback, 128 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"A 2023 National Cartoonists Society Reuben Awards Comics Finalist.

Beyond excess, beyond ethics, beyond science.... Enter a terrifying new experiment in pain from Eisner Award nominee Cullen Bunn (The Sixth Gun, Basilisk), 2023 Reuben Award Finalist illustrator Jesús Hervás (The Empty Man, ) and Federico Sabbatini (Moon Knight)!

Dr. Carrie Reynolds was a veteran trauma surgeon with a godlike mastery of muscle and bone. But outside the operating room, her rigidly ordered life spiraled into chaos when her daughter, Heather - a recovering plastic surgery addict - suddenly disappeared, only to mysteriously reemerge in a catatonic state, her vocal cords removed...the latest in a series of victims scarred by a battery of brazenly cruel medical procedures that have baffled police and left an alarming number of once-ordinary citizens maimed, mutilated, or dead on arrival.

Deep beneath the streets of Carrie's city, a new kind of underground hospital has just opened its doors...and, once inside, there are no rules, no oaths, and no taboos too deep to not to be broken. Together, a new class of surgeon has sworn to pierce the final threshold of accepted medical orthodoxy one incision at a time. The scalpel is their tool. The alleys are their operating theater. Murder is their medicine. And only Carrie can stop what they're planning next...

Collecting Invasive #1-4."

If you are desperate for top notch horror in graphic novel form I urge you to look no further than Cullen Bunn.

Absolution by Jeff VanderMeer
Published by: MCD
Publication Date: October 22nd, 2024
Format: Hardcover, 464 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"The surprise fourth volume in Jeff VanderMeer's Southern Reach series - and the final word on one of the most provocative and popular speculative fiction series of our time.

When the Southern Reach trilogy was first published a decade ago, it was an instant sensation, celebrated in a front-page New York Times story before publication, hailed by Stephen King and many others. Each volume climbed the bestseller list; awards were won; the books made the rare transition from paperback original to hardcover; the movie adaptation became a cult classic. All told, the trilogy has sold more than a million copies and has secured its place in the pantheon of twenty-first-century literature.

And yet for all this, for Jeff VanderMeer there was never full closure to the story of Area X. There were a few mysteries that had gone unsolved, some key points of view never aired. There were stories left to tell. There remained questions about who had been complicit in creating the conditions for Area X to take hold; the story of the first mission into the Forgotten Coast - before Area X was called Area X - had never been fully told; and what if someone had foreseen the world after Acceptance? How crazy would they seem?

Structured in three parts, each recounting a new expedition, Absolution is a brilliant, beautiful, and ever-terrifying plunge into unique and fertile literary territory. There are some long-awaited answers here, to be sure, but also more questions, and profound new surprises. It is the final word on one of the most provocative and popular speculative fiction series of our time."

Is it the final word? I mean "surprise" books are wonderful.... But how can we be sure now there aren't more surprises to come?

Where the Dead Brides Gather by Nuzo Onoh
Published by: Titan Books (UK)
Publication Date: October 22nd, 2024
Format: Paperback, 288 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"A powerful Nigeria-set horror tale of possession, malevolent ghosts, family tensions, secrets and murder from the recipient of the Bram Stoker Award for Lifetime Achievement and 'Queen of African Horror'. For readers of Octavia Butler, Ben Okri and Koji Suzuki.

Bata, a young girl tormented by nightmares, wakes up one night to find herself standing sentinel before her cousin's door. Her cousin is to get married the next morning, but only if she can escape the murderous attack of a ghost-bride, who used to be engaged to her groom.

A supernatural possession helps Bata battle and vanquish the vengeful ghost bride, and following a botched exorcism, she is transported to Ibaja-La, the realm of dead brides. There, she receives secret powers to fight malevolent ghost-brides before being sent back to the human realm, where she must learn to harness her new abilities as she strives to protect those whom she loves.

By turns touching and terrifying, this is vivid supernatural horror story of family drama, long-held secrets, possession, death - and what lies beyond."

I mean, is there that many ghost-brides that they have their own realm? I mean obviously they have their own book and film genre...

Memorials by Richard Chizmar
Published by: Gallery Books
Publication Date: October 22nd, 2024
Format: Hardcover, 480 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"A group of students encounter a supernatural terror while on a road trip through Appalachia in this chilling new novel from the New York Times bestselling author of the "unforgettable and scary" (Harlan Coben) Chasing the Boogeyman.

1983: Three students from a small college embark on a week-long road trip to film a documentary on roadside memorials for their American Studies class. The project starts out as a fun adventure with long stretches of empty road and nightly campfires where they begin to open up with one another.

But as they venture deeper into the Appalachian backwoods, the atmosphere begins to darken. They notice more and more of the memorials feature a strange, unsettling symbol hinting at a sinister secret. Paranoia sets in when it appears they are being followed. Their vehicle is tampered with overnight and some of the locals appear to be anything but welcoming. Before long, the students can't help but wonder if these roadside deaths were really random accidents...or is something terrifying at work here?"

I mean, hell yeah, this has some Evil Dead vibes going on.

The Dungeon Anarchist's Cookbook by Matt Dinniman
Published by: Ace Books
Publication Date: October 22nd, 2024
Format: Hardcover, 544 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"Welcome to the Iron Tangle! Carl and his ex-girlfriend's cat, Princess Donut, have to team up with other contestants not just to survive, but to solve a deadly puzzle in this third, mind-twisting novel in the addictive Dungeon Crawler Carl series by Matt Dinniman - now with bonus material exclusive to this print edition.

Earth has been transformed into the set of the galaxy's most watched game show: Dungeon Crawler World, a nightmarish, multilevel, video game-like dungeon filled with traps, monsters, and mind-bending puzzles. Carl and Donut have survived so far, but this fourth level is unlike anything they could imagine. The Iron Tangle: an impossibly complicated subway system tied together into a knot of trains of all kinds, from classic steam engines to sleek modern cars. Up is down. Down is up. Close is far. The cars are filled with monsters, the railway stations aren't always what they seem, and the exit is perpetually just a few stops away.

The top ten list is populated, and Carl and Donut have made it. But that popularity comes with a price. They each now have a bounty on their head. They must work with other crawlers to solve the puzzle of the floor, but how can they do that when they don't know who to trust? The secret to unraveling it all may be hidden in the pages of a seemingly useless book.

Welcome, Crawlers. Welcome to the fourth floor of the dungeon.

Includes part three of the exclusive bonus story "Backstage at the Pineapple Cabaret.""

Oh hell yes, especially to the bonus story, "Backstage at the Pineapple Cabaret!"

Night and Day by John Connolly
Published by: Atria Books
Publication Date: October 22nd, 2024
Format: Paperback, 368 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"New York Times bestselling author John Connolly, "one of the best thriller writers we have" (Harlan Coben, #1 New York Times bestselling author), returns with a shivery collection of supernatural tales.

Filled with eerie surprises and dark delights, Night and Day takes us from the dusty shelves of an uncanny library filled with fictional characters to a bunker deep beneath the earth where scientists seek revenge on old Nazis; from an English marsh haunted by a mother and her son to a country house where a grieving widower finds comfort from a most unlikely source. Concluding with the author's account of how an obscure horror film brought him closer to his lost father, and how nostalgia can help to keep us sane, this is a collection that will move, entertain, and keep you reading late into the night."

I love the vintage vibe I'm getting from the cover, very Edward Gorey.

The Scholar and the Last Faerie Door by H.G. Parry
Published by: Redhook
Publication Date: October 22nd, 2024
Format: Paperback, 464 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"From the author of The Magician's Daughter comes The Scholar and the Last Faerie Door, a mythic, magical tale full of secret scholarship, faerie curses, and the deadliest spells of all - the ones that friends cast on each other.

All they needed to break the world was a door, and someone to open it.

Camford, 1920. Gilded and glittering, England's secret magical academy is no place for Clover, a commoner with neither connections nor magical blood. She tells herself she has fought her way there only to find a cure for her brother Matthew, one of the few survivors of a faerie attack on the battlefields of WWI which left the doors to faerie country sealed, the study of its magic banned, and its victims cursed.

But when Clover catches the eye of golden boy Alden Lennox-Fontaine and his friends, doors that were previously closed to her are flung wide open, and she soon finds herself enmeshed in the seductive world of the country's magical aristocrats. The summer she spends in Alden's orbit leaves a fateful mark: months of joyous friendship and mutual study come crashing down when experiments go awry, and old secrets are unearthed.

Years later, when the faerie seals break, Clover knows it's because of what they did. And she knows that she must seek the help of people she once called friends - and now doesn't quite know what to call - if there's any hope of saving the world as they know it."

The thing that is amazing about H.G. Parry is she is able to create these amazing magical worlds that are perfectly grounded in actual history. It's her secret faerie power.

The Dark Heart Unicorns by Melanie Reynard
Published by: Michael O'Mara Books
Publication Date: October 22nd, 2024
Format: Hardcover, 128 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"A brand-new compendium from the Magical Unicorn Society, exploring the shadowy and mysterious world of the Dark Hearts.

The Magical Unicorn Society is opening its doors once again to reveal an exciting and previously undiscovered family of unicorns called the Dark Hearts.

Long ago, there was a conflict among the unicorn families and a ninth blessing was banished from our world to a dark and dreadful place called the Shadow Realm. Here, they were forced to live in exile with terrifying beasts, but worst of all, the creator of these malevolent creatures, the Demon King himself. Previously undiscovered and misunderstood, it is now time to explore the truth about the Dark Hearts.

This beautifully illustrated compendium brings together the untold stories of their creation and banishment, as well as special encounters with the Dark Hearts from all over the world. The book culminates in an epic battle between the nine unicorn families and the dark forces of the Shadow Realm in an effort to protect all life on Earth.

Featuring fact files which examine the unique features and special powers of the Dark Hearts, as well as tips for how to spot them in the wild, this compendium presents everything readers need to know about these beautiful and elusive creatures."

Because of course there are dark unicorns!

The Book of Purrs by Luis Coelho
Published by: Andrews McMeel Publishing
Publication Date: October 22nd, 2024
Format: Hardcover, 96 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"The internet's favorite googly-eyed feline - @purr.in.ink - wrote a book to send you a little bit of love and a whole lot of joy.

As every cat-lover knows, purring is the way a cat shows affection and happiness, and The Book of Purrs is just that! From cover to cover, Portuguese illustrator Luis Coelho's delightful collection of comics - an extension of his popular Instagram @purr.in.ink - is filled with affirmations and encouraging reminders to find joy in making mistakes, chasing lost dreams, and refilling empty food bowls...they are still cats, after all.

The Book of Purrs: Everyday Thoughts from Your Feline Friends is the purr-fect gift for the cat lover in your life, and anyone in need of a daily dose of paws-itivity!"

Seriously, you need this purr-fectly awesome book in your life.

The Worlds of Wes Anderson by Adam Woodward
Published by: Frances Lincoln
Publication Date: October 22nd, 2024
Format: Hardcover, 208 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"In all his films, Wes Anderson turns the mundane into magic by building distinctive and eccentric worlds. But how well do you know the man behind the camera? Discover the inspirations of one of our most revered auteurs with The Worlds of Wes Anderson.

Anderson's playful and vibrant aesthetic is universally admired - but how has he managed to create such a recognisable identity?

From Hitchcock and Spielberg to Truffaut and Varda, there are countless homages and references scattered throughout Anderson's filmography, while his cultural anchor points go far beyond film and into the worlds of art and literature.

Evocations of place and time underpin his work, from mid-century Paris in The French Dispatch to grand pre-war Europe in The Grand Budapest Hotel, while cultural institutions - such as Jacques Cousteau and The New Yorker magazine - are other touchstones.

For Wes Anderson fans and cinephiles alike, this is an essential insight into the creative process of one of the world's most unique filmmakers."

Wes Anderson is a genius. His films are culturally spot on while also being so uniquely his own.

Posted by Miss Eliza at 12:00 AM 0 comments  

Labels: Ali Standish, Benjamin Stevenson, Colleen Cambridge, Cullen Bunn, David Ferraro, Delilah S. Dawson, H.G. Parry, Julia Golding, Matt Dinniman, Mindy Quigley, Richard Chizmar, Susanna Clarke, V.C. Andrews