strange and random happenstance

This Vicious Hunger by Francesca May
Published by: Redhook
Publication Date: August 26th, 2025
Format: Hardcover, 432 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"This Vicious Hunger is a dark, gothic fantasy of intoxication, obsession, and two women's desperate hunger for knowledge, whatever the cost.

Thora Grieve finds herself destitute and an outcast after the sudden death of her husband, but a glimmer of hope arrives when a family friend offers her the chance to study botany under the tutelage of a famed professor. Once at the university, Thora becomes entranced by a mysterious young woman, Olea, who emerges each night to tend to the plants in the private garden below Thora's window.

Hungry for connection, Thora befriends Olea through the garden gate and their relationship quickly and intensely blossoms. Thora throws herself into finding a cure for the ailment confining Olea to the garden and sinks deeper into a world of beauty, poison, and obsession. Thora has finally found the freedom to pursue her darkest desires, but will it be worth the price?"

In Gothic literature it's never worth the price. That's why I love it!

If You're Seeing This, It's Meant for You by Leigh Stein
Published by: Ballantine Books
Publication Date: August 26th, 2025
Format: Paperback, 320 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"Fates collide after a tarot influencer disappears from a decaying Hollywood mansion in this unnerving gothic mystery and "incisive social satire" (Town and Country) from the acclaimed author of Self Care.

After her boyfriend dumps her in a Reddit post, unemployed thirty-nine-year-old Dayna accepts an unusual opportunity from a man she stopped speaking to twenty years ago: If Dayna can help Craig transform his crumbling mansion into a successful hype house of influencers, he can restore his birthright to its former glory, and she can bring her career back from the dead.

But missing from the mansion is Becca, an enigmatic tarot card reader who built a rabid fandom with her cryptic, soul-touching videos...and then vanished. With nineteen-year-old Olivia, the newest member of the hype house (and one of Becca's biggest fans), Dayna begins to build a social media campaign around Becca's disappearance that will catapult the creators to new heights of success. Too bad Craig forbids Dayna from pursuing the mystery at its heart.

As Olivia searches for traces of Becca in a labyrinthine house that seems intent on hiding its secrets, and Dayna becomes entangled with both Craig and Jake, the resident heartthrob and the last person to see Becca, the two women make a shocking discovery that will upend everything.

The internet: You may think you're inhabiting it, but is it really inhabiting you?"

Three things I love, tarot, crumbling mansions, and old Hollywood!

The Executioners Three by Susan Dennard
Published by: Tor Teen
Publication Date: August 26th, 2025
Format: Hardcover, 304 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"From New York Times bestselling author Susan Dennard comes The Executioners Three, a mystery filled with rivalry, romance, best friends, and a gruesome curse that dates back centuries.

Freddie Gellar didn't mean to get half the rival high school arrested. She'd simply heard shrieks coming from the woods, so she'd called the cops like any good human would do. How was she supposed to know it was just kids partying?

Except the next day, a body is found. And while the local sheriff might call it suicide, Freddie's instincts tell her otherwise. So, like the aspiring sleuth (and true X-Files aficionado) she is, Freddie sets out to prove there's a murderer at large.

But her investigation is quickly disrupted by the rivalry between her school and the school of the partying teens she got arrested. For over twenty years, the two student bodies have had an ongoing prank war, and Freddie's failed attempt at Good Samaritanism has upped the ante. Worse, the clever - and gorgeous - leader of the rival prank squad has set his sights on Freddie.

As more pranks unfurl, more bodies also start piling up in the forest. But it's the supernatural warning signs around town, each plucked straight from an old forgotten poem called "The Executioners Three," that worry Freddie the most. She knows the poem and its blood curse can't be real, but she's quickly running out of time to prove it.

Because the murderer - or executioners? - knows she's onto them now, and their next target just might be Freddie."

Sounds like everyone is out to get Freddie. 

Damned by Genevieve Cogman
Published by: Tor UK
Publication Date: August 26th, 2025
Format: Hardcover, 336 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"For a former English maid, the stakes have never been higher...

Damned is the final book in the Scarlet Revolution series, a spellbinding adventure of magic, vampires and mayhem from the bestselling author of the Invisible Library series.

1794. Eleanor, former English maid, is a member of the League of the Scarlet Pimpernel - and now a promising mage. With a vampire plot thwarted in Paris, the League's next daring rescue is that of the Pimpernel's beloved wife, Lady Marguerite, imprisoned in her London townhouse on unjust charges of treason and espionage.

But Lady Marguerite's captivity is only the first threat from the League's vampiric enemy. With the King known to be ill, possibly mad, England is not as it should be. Vampires conspire to take control over the whole country whilst challenging Eleanor and the League at every turn.

But then, using her growing magical powers, Eleanor uncovers a devastating, centuries-old secret. It is one so steeped in blood, that it will change not only England, but the entire vampire world, forever...

Discover where Eleanor's journey first began in the Sunday Times bestseller, Scarlet."

Oh my, Regency Magic is so my jam.

Katabasis by R.F. Kuang
Published by: Harper Voyager
Publication Date: August 26th, 2025
Format: Hardcover, 560 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"Dante's Inferno meets Susanna Clarke's Piranesi in this all-new dark academia fantasy from R.F. Kuang, the #1 New York Times bestselling author of Babel and Yellowface, in which two graduate students must put aside their rivalry and journey to Hell to save their professor's soul - perhaps at the cost of their own.

Katabasis, noun, Ancient Greek:

The story of a hero's descent to the underworld.

Alice Law has only ever had one goal: to become one of the brightest minds in the field of Magick. She has sacrificed everything to make that a reality: her pride, her health, her love life, and most definitely her sanity. All to work with Professor Jacob Grimes at Cambridge, the greatest magician in the world.

That is, until he dies in a magical accident that could possibly be her fault.

Grimes is now in Hell, and she's going in after him. Because his recommendation could hold her very future in his now incorporeal hands and even death is not going to stop the pursuit of her dreams....

Nor will the fact that her rival, Peter Murdoch, has come to the very same conclusion.

With nothing but the tales of Orpheus and Dante to guide them, enough chalk to draw the Pentagrams necessary for their spells, and the burning desire to make all the academic trauma mean anything, they set off across Hell to save a man they don't even like.

But Hell is not like the storybooks say, Magick isn't always the answer, and there's something in Alice and Peter's past that could forge them into the perfect allies...or lead to their doom."

Um, maybe they shouldn't be going to hell if they don't like the professor. Just forge the recommendation. After all, he's dead, he won't know!

Roar of the Lambs by Jamison Shea
Published by: Henry Holt and Co. (BYR)
Publication Date: August 26th, 2025
Format: Hardcover, 416 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"If you knew the world was ending, who would you save? And would they let you?

Sixteen-year-old Winnie Bray is a liar. As the resident psychic at an oddities shop, Winnie truly can see the future. But her customers only want reassurance, and Winnie only wants their money. Favorable fortunes are a fast track to funding her way out of Buffalo, New York for good, after all.

But all of that changes when a vision sends her stalking in the remains of her family home that burned down in a fire 10 years ago. Among the ash and rubble, Winnie finds a box made of bone, untouched by flames and…whispering. At the touch of her finger, the box shows her a vision of death, chaos, and apocalypse, with her and rich kids Apollo and Cyrus Rathbun at the center.

Apollo knows their cousin is up to no good, and with the Rathbun family scattered to the wind, they know Cyrus is aiming to present himself as the new patriarch. Despite an initial attraction, Apollo is reluctant to believe Winnie. But soon it becomes clear that their family histories are intertwined, with the whispering, hungry box at the very center, and more than their lives are on the line. Together, they must discover the origins of the box and stop unforeseen forces from fulfilling the apocalyptic prophecy, or die trying.

From the author of I Feed Her to the Beast and the Beast is Me comes a speculative thriller about the ties that bind us to places and people, perfect for fans of Andrew Joseph White and Tochi Onyebuchi."

Stay away from anything that whispers to you my precious. 

The Sea Witch by Eva Leigh
Published by: Canary Street Press
Publication Date: August 26th, 2025
Format: Paperback, 448 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"From a world where women are forbidden to use magic and the only freedom is found on the Caribbean high seas comes a swashbuckling romantasy from USA TODAY bestselling author Eva Leigh.

Condemned as a witch, sentenced to die, Alys Tanner uses her innate magical power to flee Puritanical New England. Stealing a ship, Alys becomes captain of The Sea Witch, leading its all-female, sorcery-wielding pirate crew. But the colonial British navy is in hot pursuit. The navy fights for a choke hold on the Caribbean and will destroy anything they cannot control, especially witches.

When Ben Priestley, a headstrong naval navigator, is inadvertently captured by the lady pirates, dangerous truths are revealed. A quest that could turn the tides against the navy's might ignites a reluctant partnership between the by-the-books prisoner and the fierce witch pirate captain. While they brave backstabbing pirates, perilous tropical islands and monster-filled seas, Alys and Ben's mistrust grows into unexpected desire as they battle an enemy that will stop at nothing to rule the waves."

This book is all that child me could have wished for her life to be.

The Book of Heartbreak by Ova Ceren
Published by: Alcove Press
Publication Date: August 26th, 2025
Format: Hardcover, 352 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"From BookTok and Bookstagram sensation Ova Ceren: A Middle Eastern legend gets a magically romantic modern makeover perfect for fans of The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue.

A young woman must find a way to end the curse on her heart before it claims her forever in this delightfully witty fantasy romance.

Sare Silverbirch has already had her heart broken three times. A fifth heartbreak will stop her heart forever. Such is the nature of the curse she was born under, which forces her to live a life without letting anyone get too close.

When her mother dies unexpectedly and her heart breaks for the fourth time, Sare begins to urgently question the curse. Where did it come from? Why her? And rather than accept it, could there be a way to break it?

Her questions lead her to Istanbul, where she meets Leon, a seer who helps her track down the mysteries of her mother's past. But Sare's heart is a fragile thing, and their blossoming romance poses a great risk to her survival. Especially when she discovers that her fate is in the hands of celestials beyond this earthly realm.

Now the heavens are stirring, for they have a stake in Sare's destiny - and they don't like their plans being overturned.

The Book of Heartbreak is a dazzling, haunting romantasy sure to break - and mend again - the hearts of readers everywhere."

But if the book breaks our hearts five times are we also doomed?

The Little Ghost Quilt's Winter Surprise by Riel Nason and Byron Eggenschwiler
Published by: Tundra Books
Publication Date: August 26th, 2025
Format: Hardcover, 48 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"When you're a quilt instead of a sheet, being a ghost is hard! But it does mean you can float around in cold weather...an adorable picture book about a ghost who wants to share the magic of the season with his chilly sheet friends.

The little ghost quilt loves being out in the cold. For once, he doesn't overheat, and he likes how the snowflakes make his patches look polka-dotted. His friends, who are sheets, get too cold in the winter weather and have to stay inside, but the little ghost quilt doesn't mind. He enjoys slowly drifting along on his own.

On one of his frosty flights, he sees something happening in the town. People are putting up warm, twinkling lights, and there's a fun festive feeling everywhere - like Halloween, his favorite season, but with snowmen and wreaths and candles in windows instead of pumpkins. He is filled with excitement and happiness looking at all the beautiful decorations and joyous people, yet he can't help but feel sad that his friends can't be there.

But then, after almost getting caught in a blizzard, the little ghost quilt is struck by inspiration..."

I just love the little ghost quilt. His way of sharing the holiday spirit with his friends who are more suited to summer was a sheer delight to read.

Mrs. Christie at the Mystery Guild Library by Amanda Chapman
Published by: Berkley
Publication Date: August 26th, 2025
Format: Hardcover, 3568 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"Book conservator Tory Van Dyne and a woman claiming to be Agatha Christie on holiday from the Great Beyond join forces to catch a killer in this spirited mystery from Amanda Chapman.

Tory Van Dyne is the most down-to-earth member of a decidedly eccentric old-money New York family. For one thing, as book conservator at Manhattan's Mystery Guild Library, she actually has a job. Plus, she's left up-town society behind for a quiet life downtown. So she's not thrilled when she discovers a woman in the library's Christie Room who calmly introduces herself as Agatha Christie, politely requests a cocktail, and announces she's there to help solve a murder - that has not yet happened.

But as soon as Tory determines that this is just a fairly nutty Christie fangirl, her socialite/actress cousin Nicola gets caught up in the suspicious death of her less-than-lovable talent agent. Nic, as always, looks to Tory for help. Tory, in turn, looks to Mrs. Christie. The woman, whoever or whatever she is, clearly knows her stuff when it comes to crime.

Aided by an unlikely band of fellow sleuths - including a snarky librarian, an eleven-year-old computer whiz, and an NYPD detective with terrible taste in suits - Tory and the woman claiming to be her very much deceased literary idol begin to unravel the twists and turns of a murderer's devious mind. Because, in the immortal words of Miss Jane Marple, "murder is never simple.""

I think Mrs. Christie would warn Tory off a detective with terrible taste in suits.

A Spell to Wake the Dead by Nichole Lesperance
Published by: G.P. Putnam's Sons Books for Young Readers
Publication Date: August 26th, 2025
Format: Hardcover, 352 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"Two teen girls must uncover the dark, occult secrets lurking in their Cape Cod town to solve a series of murders - and save themselves from the same fate - in this twisty, witchy thriller.

When Mazzy and her best friend Nora sneak down to the beach one moonlit night to cast a spell, they don't expect to find a dead body. But as the tide rolls in, it carries the remains of a woman who is missing her hands and teeth.

The girls know they should leave the investigation to the police, but they can't shake the weird, supernatural connection they feel with the dead woman. Using spellwork and divination, they set out to find answers of their own. But after they uncover a rash of local disappearances stretching back years - and both girls start having occult visions and hearing ghostly, whispering voices - Mazzy worries that she and Nora are in danger.

Then, Nora finds a second body. And the whispering voice is telling her where to find more. With everything spiraling, Mazzy needs to figure out who to trust and how to sever this supernatural connection - or she and Nora might be the next bodies to wash up on the beach."

See, step one, if you find a dead body missing it's hands and teeth perhaps don't try to reach out to it beyond the veil... It's a very bad idea.

The Red Knot by Monique Asher
Published by: Rising Action
Publication Date: August 26th, 2025
Format: Paperback, 416 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"Gripping, atmospheric, and off-putting, The Red Knot is the perfect blend of occult mystery and small-town horror.

On a tiny, isolated island off the southern Alaskan coast, three girls have vanished without a trace, and Audra's close friend - the island's therapist - has been found murdered. A recent storm has severed all communication with the outside world, leaving Audra, the town's lead detective, trapped and at the head of a very personal case.

Her lead suspect, Valorie, the daughter of a notorious cult leader and the town's outcast, was discovered blood-covered and dazed at the crime scene. Valorie's memory is a gaping void, a dark well hiding traumatic secrets, including the truth about the teenage kidnappings that haunt the island.

As Audra digs deeper into the town's twisted history, it becomes clear other murders on the island, dating back decades, might be connected. The clock is ticking for the missing girls, and every clue leads Audra to question even those she's known her whole life.

Valorie must confront the horrors of her past while Audra's investigation becomes a descent into madness. On this cursed island, the line between neighbor and nightmare blurs, revealing that true horror often wears a familiar face."

I mean, it can't be that big an island can it? 

Son by Johana Gustawsson and Thomas Enger
Published by: Orenda Books
Publication Date: August 26th, 2025
Format: Hardcover, 3537 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"Everyone here is lying...

Expert on body language and memory, and consultant to the Oslo Police, psychologist Kari Voss sleepwalks through her days, and, by night, continues the devastating search for her young son, who disappeared on his birthday, seven years earlier.

Still grieving for her dead husband, and trying to pull together the pieces of her life, she is thrust into a shocking local investigation, when two teenage girls are violently murdered in a family summer home in the nearby village of Son.

When a friend of the victims is charged with the barbaric killings, it seems the case is closed, but Kari is not convinced. Using her skills and working on instinct, she conducts her own enquiries, leading her to multiple suspects, including people who knew the dead girls well...

With the help of Chief Constable Ramona Norum, she discovers that no one - including the victims - are what they seem. And that there is a dark secret at the heart of Son village that could have implications not just for her own son's disappearance, but Kari's own life, too...

For fans of Harlan Coben, Lars Kepler, Jo Nesbo and Jorn Lier Horst...and The Mentalist."

All the different sons!

The Poison Grove by Jill Johnson
Published by: Poisoned Pen Press
Publication Date: August 26th, 2025
Format: Paperback, 384 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"From the author of The Woman in the Garden, Jill Johnson is back with another gripping Professor Eustacia Rose Mystery...

Betrayal is a bitter poison...

After getting caught in the middle of a murder investigation involving her very own poisonous plants, Professor Eustacia Rose was sure she'd never see the inside of a classroom again. With the case now closed, she finds herself back teaching toxicology to a group of grad students, spending time with her plant collection, and even forming a blossoming relationship.

But when your work is with poisons, peace is sometimes hard to find. When a man is found dead with a needle in his neck, and a disturbing painting of Eustacia links her and the body, she suddenly finds herself thrust back into a world of crime.

And at work, there's yet another threat for Eustacia to deal with. A PhD student is desperate to get access to her poisonous plant collection, and when she refuses to help him, he starts buying illegal plant toxins from an unknown source - and soon turns up dead as well. Are the two deaths connected? And could she be the link? With no leads and the body count rising, Eustacia is left with no choice but to investigate herself, however dangerous it may become.

With a quirky protagonist, dark academia aesthetic and an array of exotic poisonous plants, this unique spin on the classic murder mystery novel will hook fans Gail Honeyman's Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine and Richard Osman's The Thursday Murder Club."

If someone wants to buy illegal plant toxins, it's on them when they turn up dead.

A Moment's Shadow by Anna Lee Huber
Published by: Kensington
Publication Date: August 26th, 2025
Format: Paperback, 368 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"Violence, reprisal, and intrigue abound in post-World War I Ireland as the bloody conflict between the Irish Republican Army and the British authorities continues to escalate. But former Secret Service agent Verity Kent must deal with a more immediate concern - the possession of poisonous gas by a ruthless adversary...

August 1920, Dublin, Ireland: A fraught task keeps Verity and her husband Sidney in the country after their initial clandestine mission has been completed: the traitor Lord Ardmore is scheming to employ the deadly phosgene gas he's stolen for some terrifying purpose, and the couple will need both the Crown forces and the rebels' help to thwart him.

As they pursue their quarry, they are drawn into a case involving a series of cunning and brazen jewel thefts. Many believe it is the work of the Irish rebels, seeking to fund their revolution, but when Verity and Sidney are also approached by Michael Collins and the IRA to unmask the thief, they suspect he may instead be an opportunist using the political unrest as a cover for his crimes.

As the thief continues to pull ever more risky jobs - including targeting Verity and their friends - the couple receive new intelligence that the gas they seek may be intended for a crowded event, one that the entire world will be attuned to. They must stop Lord Ardmore at all costs - or the consequences will be devastating..."

I mean, civil unrest is ripe for a thief... and a JEWEL thief at that! 

A Lethal Cocktail by Ciar Byrne
Published by: Headline Accent
Publication Date: August 26th, 2025
Format: Paperback, 336 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"Three ex-husbands. Two ex-wives.
One shocking murder.
A wedding that's the talk of the town...

Tudor Close Hotel, Rottingdean, is the most glamorous venue of the season. And not somewhere Virginia or her sister Vanessa would usually choose to frequent. They're far happier at home with their writing or painting, than brushing shoulders with debutantes or starlets.

But Lady Ottoline has had a difficult year, so - despite her rather outlandish tastes - they let her choose the meeting spot. And when the group bumps into fashion designer Mimi Mason in the hotel bar, they begrudgingly accept an invite to her wedding breakfast the next morning.

No one imagined that, a few cocktails later, Mimi would be dead.

As the sisters are drawn into a new case, it becomes clear that someone meticulously planned this murder. Beneath the glittering exterior, there was a dark side to this beautiful bride - and every wedding guest had a reason to sabotage this happy union.

But which one of them decided it was time to give Mimi a taste of her own poison?"

Poisoned cocktails are so last season Mimi.

Murder at Arleigh by Alyssa Maxwell
Published by: Kensington
Publication Date: August 26th, 2025
Format: Hardcover, 304 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"A dazzling wedding at the Bellevue Mansion, Arleigh, loses its shine when reporter, sleuth, and new mother Emma Cross Andrews is called to investigate the groom, an infamous Gilded Age prankster.

April 1903: Emma and Derrick Andrews have been invited to the wedding of her cousin Reggie Vanderbilt and heiress Cathleen Neilson at the Bellevue Mansion, Arleigh. Their hosts are a popular young couple who are leasing the home for the summer - Harry and Elizabeth "Bessie" Lehr. Known for his practical jokes, Harry is the toast of parties, earning a reputation as the court jester of the Gilded Age. However, as Emma soon learns, behind closed doors he is dead serious.

Following the wedding, Bessie comes to Emma for help, insisting that her husband is cruel to her in private, telling her outright he married her only for her money and finds her repulsive. Divorce is unthinkable. Now she believes he is plotting to murder her and make it look like an accident: a broken balcony railing she might have leaned on, a loose stair runner that could have sent her tumbling down a staircase, faulty brakes in the car she uses...

Some would say being trapped in a loveless marriage is a fate worse than death. Not Bessie - she wants to live! Unsure if these situations are mere coincidences or add up to premeditated sabotage, Emma agrees to investigate and determine if Newport's merry prankster is engaged in a cold-blooded game of life or death..."

Because we're all suffering from withdrawal with The Gilded Age's season being over. Thankfully this is the cure.

The Secret Book Society by Madeline Martin
Published by: Hanover Square Press
Publication Date: August 26th, 2025
Format: Hardcover, 336 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"A captivating new historical novel from Madeline Martin, set in Victorian London about a forbidden book club, dangerous secrets and the women who dare to break free.

You are cordially invited to the Secret Book Society...

London, 1885: Trapped by oppressive marriages and societal expectations, three women receive a mysterious invitation to an afternoon tea at the home of the reclusive Lady Duxbury. Beneath the genteel facade of the gathering lies a secret book club - a sanctuary where they can discover freedom, sisterhood and the courage to rewrite their stories.

Eleanor Clarke, a devoted mother suffocating under the tyranny of her husband. Rose Wharton, a transplanted American dollar princess struggling to fit the mold of an aristocratic wife. Lavinia Cavendish, an artistic young woman haunted by a dangerous family secret. All are drawn to the enigmatic Lady Duxbury, a thrice-widowed countess whose husbands' untimely deaths have sparked whispers of murder.

As the women form deep, heartwarming friendships, they uncover secrets about their marriages, their pasts and the risks they face. Their courage is their only weapon in the oppressive world that has kept them silent, but when secrets are deadly, one misstep could cost them everything."

Here's to Lady Duxbury, the kind of woman I'd love to know.

Backstage by Donna Leon
Published by: Atlantic Monthly Press
Publication Date: August 26th, 2025
Format: Hardcover, 288 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"A memorable collection of stories and essays on writing, reading, teaching, and Venice by the celebrated author of the bestselling Guido Brunetti series.

Donna Leon's memoir, Wandering Through Life, gave her legions of fans a colorful tour through her life, from childhood in New Jersey to adventures in China and Iran, to her love of Venice and opera. Nowhere, however, did she discuss her writing life.

In Backstage, Donna reveals her admiration for, and inspiration from, the great crime novelists Ruth Rendell and Ross Macdonald, examining their approach to storytelling as she dissects her favorite books of theirs. She expresses her love for Charles Dickens's Great Expectations and her appreciation for Sir Walter Scott's generosity of spirit. And she chronicles the amount of research she undertakes to be able to present authentically, through Guido Brunetti and his colleagues, places and characters far from her own experience - from interviewing a diamond dealer in Venice to open up the world of blood diamonds, to meeting, through back channels, a courageous sex worker and women's rights activist to depict accurately the trafficking of women in Italy. By contrast, the idea and opening scene of one of her novels came to her as she was walking through Venice.

Venice is central in her memory, whether recounting the semi-comic irritation of a noisy elderly neighbor or the origins of the city's Carnevale. Her teaching career yields memorable tales: helping a young Black boy in a Newark, New Jersey, elementary school; instructing young Iranian pilots in English just before the 1979 Iranian Revolution; and taking her students at a Swiss private high school to the famous Frank Zappa concert in Montreux interrupted by fire.

Throughout, she is as good a storyteller about herself as she is a chronicler of Guido Brunetti's crime adventures. Readers will be as caught up in her world as she is in his."

Because every great book has a story behind it, and Donna Leon has written a lot of books...

Cesar Romero: The Joker Is Wild by Samuel Garza Bernstein
Published by: University Press of Kentucky
Publication Date: August 26th, 2025
Format: Hardcover, 288 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"Dynamic and debonair, Cesar Romero was best known for creating the role of the Joker in the 1960s Batman television series. As the first actor to play Batman and Robin's villainous nemesis, Romero established the character's giddy, manic tone and the distinctive laugh that subsequent actors like Jack Nicholson, Heath Ledger, and Joaquin Phoenix would use as the starting points in their own Oscar-nominated (Nicholson) and Oscar-winning (Ledger and Phoenix) performances. As a closeted gay man of Latin American descent, Romero gracefully faced many personal challenges while maintaining his suave public image and starring opposite legends ranging from Shirley Temple to Marlene Dietrich, Carmen Miranda to Frank Sinatra, and Kurt Russell to Jane Wyman.

The first biography of the consummate entertainer, Cesar Romero: The Joker Is Wild, captures the critical moments of Romero's childhood, adolescence, and accomplishments in Hollywood. Author Samuel Garza Bernstein shares anecdotes regarding Romero's public and personal life, as well as Romero's private disdain for his reputation as the "Latin lover," a discriminatory stereotype he found constrictive both in terms of his range as an actor and as a man who kept his sexuality private.

Cesar Romero is an in-depth study of a significant Hollywood star and his impact on the entertainment industry. Batman made him immortal, but with more than four hundred film and television credits, his six-decade career as an actor, dancer, and singer made him a true Hollywood icon."

I love the story that he wouldn't shave his mustache to play the Joker because it would rule him out for the "Latin lover" roles. Something this cover catches perfectly.   

Summer's Hum by Angela Harding
Published by: Sphere
Publication Date: August 26th, 2025
Format: Hardcover, 80 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"'The wildflower bank outside my window hums and buzzes. At midday, the summer sun spreads the perfume of roses and honeysuckle to every corner.'

Summer's Hum is the second book in a stunning seasonal quartet from beloved printmaker and illustrator Angela Harding.

This series will take readers on a journey through the seasons, reflecting Angela's view as the nature around her transforms and evolves over the months. Taking in landscapes across the UK, from views from her home studio in Rutland to the Scottish wilderness, via the low-lying marshlands of Suffolk and the windswept hills of Yorkshire, the beautiful illustrations and evocative imagery of the prose make this the perfect book for nature lovers and art lovers everywhere.

Featuring many of Angela's most beloved prints, alongside Angela's observations and inspirations, Spring Unfurled, Summer's Hum, Falling into Autumn and Winter's Song are a joyful celebration of nature and wildlife across the UK at all times of year."

I just adore Angela Harding's work.

Two Gentlemen and a Lady by Alexander Woollcott
Published by: Pushkin Press
Publication Date: August 26th, 2025
Format: Paperback, 112 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"Dorohty Parker meets Lady and the Tramp: 3 charming dog stories set in 1920s Jazz Age New York - back in print for the first time in decades.

Featuring illustrations by America's 1st female editorial cartoonist, whose comics career began before she even had the right to vote!

Dogs may be man's best friend, but every friendship is different. Prepare to revisit the glamorous 1920s Jazz Age of The Great Gatsby and meet Nicholas, a gregarious Airedale Terrier whose arrival in a moneyed Long Island home unleashes complete and total chaos throughout the neighbourhood.

Verdun Belle, the lady of the title, is a silky-eared spaniel whose loyalty - and litter of puppies - rallies an entire American regiment fighting on the Western Front during World War I. Then there's Egon, a very large German Shepherd, accustomed to summering on the Côte d’Azur, and to managing the diaries and daily activities of his human charges, whether they want him to or not. Ranging in tone from urbane irony to poignant sweetness, these are stories to make you smile at the antics of dogs, and guffaw at the even sillier antics of the people who love them.

This delightful collection of 3 stories (The Passing of Nicholas, The Story of Verdun Belle, My Friend Egon) by an Algonquin Round Table wit, rediscovered after decades out of print, shows our canine companions in all their guises: comic, heroic, companionable.

Don't miss this delightful Jazz Age celebration of the eternal affection that exists between man and dog - even the naughtiest dog!"

Oh, I can see more than a little of Alexander Woollcott in Egon.

Gabriela and His Grace by Liana De la Rosa
Published by: Berkley
Publication Date: August 26th, 2025
Format: Paperback, 3584 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"A scandalous arrangement between a hellion heiress and destitute duke reveals truths that neither can outrun....

As the youngest and most rebellious daughter of the overly protective Luna family, Gabriela Luna Valdés claws after her freedom in any way she can. This time, her hunger for adventure has led her aboard a windswept ship bearing for her homeland, away from a mob of fumbling British suitors. But Gabby can't escape her father's expectation that she settle down to find a proper husband - a compromise she's unwilling to make.

For Sebastian Brooks, Duke of Whitfield, the trip to Mexico is his last chance. His last chance to rectify his family's estate and refill their dwindling coffers. And his last chance to match wits with the sharp-tongued but deliciously tempting Gabriela.

When Gabby finds herself in need of a hasty escape, Sebastian agrees to assist her...but their close proximity sparks a red-hot passion that could ruin all their plans. With scandal looming, can Sebastian convince Gabby his regard is sincere or will she sail away with his heart?"

It's nice when expectations and love collide. HEA for all!

The Gilded Heiress by Joanna Shupe
Published by: Avon
Publication Date: August 26th, 2025
Format: Paperback, 352 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"From USA Today bestselling author Joanna Shupe comes a spicy Anastasia story full of secrets and betrayal, set among the glittering streets of New York City's Gilded Age.

In 1880 a baby was stolen from the wealthiest family in America. Though no ransom was ever demanded, the Pendelton family never gave up hope...and their reward became the stuff of legend.

After being raised in a children's asylum, Josie Smith ends up on the streets and quickly learns how to take care of herself. Her singing voice draws crowds on every corner, and she'll stop at nothing to become famous and travel the world, loved and adored by all. Maybe then she won't think about the family who gave her away as an infant.

Leo Hardy isn't afraid to use his charm and wits to make a fast buck, especially with a mother and five siblings to support. When he stumbles upon a beautiful young woman singing on the street, Leo notices her striking resemblance to the infamous missing baby's mother, Mrs. Thomas Pendelton. The Hardys lost everything thanks to the Pendeltons, and once Leo sees Josie, he seizes the opportunity to settle the score. All he needs to do is pull off the biggest swindle of his career.

As the two are catapulted into Knickerbocker High Society, they grow closer to their goal, as well as to each other. But secrets can only stay hidden for so long. Soon the truth unfolds, and both Josie and Leo must separate what's real from what's just gilding."

I love a Cinderella swindle, even if this is before Anastasia who wasn't born until 1901... 

Posted by Miss Eliza at 12:00 AM 0 comments  

Labels: Alexander Woollcott, Alyssa Maxwell, Amanda Chapman, Angela Harding, Anna Lee Huber, Donna Leon, Eva Leigh, Francesca May, Genevieve Cogman, Jamison Shea, Jill Johnson, Leigh Stein, Ova Ceren, R.F. Kuang, Susan Dennard

Shadowstitch by Cari Thomas
Published by: Voyager
Publication Date: July 9th, 2024
Format: Paperback, 672 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"Anna survived the attempt to bind her magic, but Anna and her coven aren't free from danger yet.

Haunted by her aunt's death, living in fear of her curse, and fated to love the one man she can never have, the last thing Anna needs is a witch hunt. Now she must conceal her magic once more or risk losing everything.

But when deadly hysteria strikes across the capital, and in her own school, the coven are left dangerously exposed. Delving deeper into the magical underworld of London, Anna and her twin sister Effie must find a way to work together to protect the coven.

But as the witch hunt intensifies and the hysteria spirals out of control, can Effie and Anna truly trust each other?"

I am so obsessed with this series that I ordered my copy from England because it was published a month earlier. And it was SO worth it.

Cursed Under London by Gabby Hutchinson Crouch
Published by: Farrago
Publication Date: July 9th, 2024
Format: Kindle, 416 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"The hilarious first novel in a cosy and inclusive historical romantasy series by the writer of Horrible Histories.

Two strangers.

Two Londons.

Two hearts that won't stop beating...

In an alternative Elizabethan London, Fang awakes from his death to discover he is not quite human anymore. In fact, despite having somehow acquired the power of immortality, he's also not quite vampire, zombie, werewolf or any of the other supernatural beings who roam the twin cities of Upper London and its underground counterpart, Deep London.

A jaded traveller from the Ming Empire, Fang is desperate to find a way to reverse the spell and get on with being dead when he stumbles upon Lazare de Quitte-Beuf, a theatrical Frenchman who is afflicted with the same mysterious condition. Thrown together by the curse they share, the two men set out to undo the strange magic that binds them. As they are drawn further into the shadowy world of Deep London, they unearth a dangerous plot which they appear to be right in the middle of...

And, surely, when in grave danger, the worst thing they could do would be to fall in love, wouldn't it?"

Just to clarify, Horrible Histories writer yes, Ghosts writer no.

Summers End by Juneau Black
Published by: Vintage
Publication Date: July 9th, 2024
Format: Paperback, 288 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"A unique take on dark academia, featuring everyone's favorite vulpine sleuth, Vera Vixen.

It's late August in Shady Hollow, and intrepid reporter Vera Vixen agrees to chaperone the school's annual field trip to Summers End, an ancient tomb built by an early woodland culture. Naturally, her good friend Lenore Lee comes along to help her.

But when the group enters the tomb one morning, they find a corpse that is distinctly more...modern than expected. Digging deeper, Vera and Lenore discover that the deceased was involved in the recent excavation at the site, and very unpopular with their colleagues - including Lenore's sister, Ligeia. Now the fox and raven must delve into the dark world of academia and archaeology to clear Ligeia's name. Some creature at Summers End thought they were clever enough to get away with the perfect murder. Can Vera and Lenore unearth the truth in time?"

I mean, you KNOW this is the dark academia take you've been waiting for!

The Spellshop by Sarah Beth Durst
Published by: Bramble
Publication Date: July 9th, 2024
Format: Hardcover, 384 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"A gorgeous hardcover edition featuring lavender sprayed edges! The Spellshop is Sarah Beth Durst's romantasy debut-a lush cottagecore tale full of stolen spellbooks, unexpected friendships, sweet jams, and even sweeter love.

Kiela has always had trouble dealing with people, and as librarian at the Great Library of Alyssium, she hasn't had to.

She and her assistant, Caz, a sentient spider plant, have spent most of the last eleven years sequestered among the empire's precious spellbooks, protecting the magic for the city's elite. But a revolution is brewing and when the library goes up in flames, she and Caz steal whatever books they can and flee to the faraway island where she grew up. She's hoping to lay low and figure out a way to survive before the revolution comes looking for her. To her dismay, in addition to a nosy - and very handsome - neighbor, she finds the town in disarray.

The empire with its magic spellbooks has slowly been draining power from the island, something that Kiela is indirectly responsible for, and now she's determined to find a way to make things right. Opening up a spell shop comes with its own risks--the consequence of sharing magic with commoners is death. And as Kiela comes to make a place for herself among the quirky townspeople, she realizes that in order to make a life for herself, she must break down the walls she has kept so high."

With the rise of the cozy fantasy there are so many books I just want to move into, I mean, how could you not with this book? Look at that cover!

Goodnight Tokyo by Atsuhiro Yoshida
Published by: Europa Editions
Publication Date: July 9th, 2024
Format: Paperback, 176 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"A symphony of interconnected lives that offers a compelling reflection on life in modern-day metropolises at the intersection of isolation and intimacy in Yoshida's English-language debut.

Set over several nights, between the hours of 1:00 a.m. and 4:30 a.m., in and around Tokyo, this mind-blowingly constructed book is an elaborate, energetic fresco of human nocturnal existence in all its mystery, an enigmatic literary mix of Agatha Christie, Teju Cole, and Heironymous Bosch.

On this journey through the labyrinthine streets and hidden corners of one of the world's most fascinating cities, everybody is searching for something, and maybe searching in the wrong places. Elements of the fantastical and the surreal abound, as they tend to do in the early pre-dawn hours of the morning, yet the settings, the human stories, and each character's search are all as real as can be.

Goodnight Tokyo offers readers a unique and intimate take on Tokyo as seen through the eyes of a large cast of colorful characters. Their lives, as disparate and as far apart as they may seem, are in fact intricately interconnected, and their fates converge against the backdrop of the city's neon-lit streets and quiet alleyways. In his English-language debut, Yoshida masterfully portrays in captivating and lyrical prose the complexities of human relationships, the mystery of human connection, and the universal quest for meaning."

Like the modern literary equivalent of Night on Earth, the Jim Jarmusch film.

Totality by Kim Harrison
Published by: Ace
Publication Date: July 9th, 2024
Format: Kindle, 143 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"After a solar eclipse opens a way between our world and a paranormal realm, and the dark side of first contact emerges, one woman’s loyalties will be tested in this gripping serialized adventure from the #1 New York Times bestselling author of the Hollows series.

Dr. Renee Caisson never expected that her scientific expertise would lead to a role playing interpreter between humans and the demonic-looking Neighbors. When the door between their worlds opened, she was drafted by the government to study the otherworldly beings and was able to prove her theory: the Neighbors had been to Earth before - and now they simply wanted to save their dying planet.

At least, that's the story, and everyone - both human and Neighbor - is sticking to it. The Neighbor in charge of the new portal's operation, Noel, isn't that sure anymore. Having succeeded in finding a new planet to inhabit, the leaders of her world have made the dark truth of their existence clear to her: the Neighbors forcibly tried to make a foothold on Earth in the past - and they can't afford to fail again.

But the Neighbors' ability to magically teleport from place to place has convinced Major Jackson that the only way to keep control of the situation is to embrace it and tell the world of the Neighbors' existence.

Unfortunately, not everyone agrees."

Phase two! And only a week after phase one! I love this weekly serialization! 

Navola by Paolo Bacigalupi
Published by: Knopf Publishing Group
Publication Date: July 9th, 2024
Format: Hardcover, 576 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"From the New York Times best-selling author of The Windup Girl and The Water Knife comes a sweeping literary fantasy about the young scion from a ruling-class family who faces rebellion as he ascends to power.

"You must be as sharp as a stilettotore's dagger and as subtle as a fish beneath the waters. This is what it is to be Navolese, this is what it is to be di Regulai."

In Navola, a bustling city-state dominated by a handful of influential families, business is power, and power is everything. For generations, the di Regulai family - merchant bankers with a vast empire - has nurtured tendrils that stretch to the farthest reaches of the known world. And though they claim not to be political, their staggering wealth has bought cities and toppled kingdoms. Soon, Davico di Regulai will be expected to take the reins of power from his father and demonstrate his mastery of the games of Navolese diplomacy: knowing who to trust and who to doubt, and how to read what lies hidden behind a smile. But in Navola, strange and ancient undercurrents lurk behind the gilt and grandeur - like the fossilized dragon eye in the family's possession, a potent symbol of their raw power and a talisman that seems to be summoning Davico to act.

As tensions rise and the events unfold, Davico will be tested to his limits. His fate depends on the eldritch dragon relic and on what lies buried in the heart of his adopted sister, Celia di Balcosi, whose own family was destroyed by Nalova's twisted politics. With echoes of Renaissance Italy, The Godfather, and Game of Thrones, Navola is a stunning feat of world-building and a mesmerizing depiction of drive and will."

Who wouldn't want to read about a world like Italy during the Renaissance but with dragons?

All This and More by Peng Shepherd
Published by: William Morrow and Company
Publication Date: July 9th, 2024
Format: Hardcover, 512 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"From the critically acclaimed, bestselling author of The Cartographers and The Book of M comes an inventive new novel about a woman who wins the chance to rewrite every mistake she's ever made... and how far she'll go to find her elusive "happily ever after." But there's a twist: the reader gets to decide what she does next to change her fate.

One woman. Endless options. Every choice has consequences.

Meek, play-it-safe Marsh has just turned forty-five, and her life is in shambles. Her career is stagnant, her marriage has imploded, and her teenage daughter grows more distant by the day. Marsh is convinced she's missed her chance at everything - romance, professional fulfillment, and adventure - and is desperate for a do-over.

She can't believe her luck when she's selected to be the star of the global sensation All This and More, a show that uses quantum technology to allow contestants the chance to revise their pasts and change their present lives. It's Marsh's only shot to seize her dreams, and she's determined to get it right this time.

But even as she rises to become a famous lawyer, gets back together with her high school sweetheart, and travels the world, she begins to worry that All This and More's promises might be too good to be true. Because while the technology is amazing, something seems a bit off....

Can Marsh really make her life everything she wants it to be? And is it worth it?

Perfect for fans of Matt Haig's The Midnight Library and Kate Atkinson's Life After Life, bestselling author Peng Shepherd's All This and More is an utterly original, startlingly poignant novel that puts the reader in the driver's seat."

Yes, it is original, so don't compare it to The Midnight Library. Damn I hated that book.

London in Black by Jack Lutz
Published by: Pushkin Vertigo
Publication Date: July 9th, 2024
Format: Paperback, 352 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"A ticking-bomb and an edgy female detective offers an explosive debut set in near-future London and a "gripping, gritty, and timely police procedural destined to be a bestseller." (Independent Ireland)

Detective Inspector Lucy Stone's life was changed forever when terrorists deployed a lethal nerve gas at Waterloo Station, killing 10% of London's population. Lucy should have died - but she didn't, all because of something she'll spend the rest of her life atoning for.

Two years later, copy-cat strikes plague the city. When London's most important scientist is brutally murdered, Lucy discovers he may have been working on an antidote to the chemical weapon. But time is running out. Will Lucy find the antidote - and catch the killer - before it's too late?"

I like the lethal nerve gas attack on London which reminds me of Bodies. 

The Unforgettable Loretta Darling by Katherine Blake
Published by: Harper Paperbacks
Publication Date: July 9th, 2024
Format: Paperback, 416 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"An aspiring makeup artist takes on predatory Hollywood in this addictive debut novel with bite - a sultry, thrilling blend of The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo, Killing Eve, and A Promising Young Woman.

It's 1950 and Loretta Reynolds is newly arrived in Hollywood, fresh off a con that brought her from England to the sunny shores of California. She's running away from a complicated past to fulfill her ambition of becoming a makeup artist to the stars.

When her new husband, a would-be actor, takes her to a sex-fueled Hollywood party on their wedding night - hoping to trade her to a powerful director for a favor - she discovers the dark side of Tinseltown and sets out on a path of revenge against the cruel men who use their money and power to play with lives and dreams.

In her quest for vengeance, Loretta gathers a band of La-La-Land misfits: a fading starlet past her prime, a friendly neighborhood sex worker, and a brooding screenwriter who proves yes, not all men are evil - just most...

Now, Loretta is about to get her big break - and Hollywood better beware. Loretta has learned a lot about makeup, and more... and some of her clients might not make it out alive."

But hopefully she does, because mentioning Killing Eve and A Promising Young woman has put me on edge...

Blood and Mascara by Colin Krainin
Published by: Pulp Lit
Publication Date: July 9th, 2024
Format: Paperback, 292 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"Iris is watching Bronze.

Bronze is following Carolyn.

Carolyn is sleeping with Billy.

Now Billy is dead and a killer is coming for them all.

Washington, DC, 1997:

A city stumbling toward recovery after a decade of violence, drugs, AIDS, and exodus. Bronze Goldberg - a soft-boiled private detective in a hard-boiled world - scrapes out a living stalking the steps of cheating spouses while bearing the trauma of the past like an open wound. But his latest assignment, surveilling the indiscretions of a stunning femme fatale, has entangled him in the murder of an up-and-coming congressman and made him the target of an unstoppable assassin. Meanwhile, the spiraling chaos of Bronze's dangerous adventures has attracted the obsessive attention of his landlord, Iris Margaryan, a brilliant romance novelist who may hold the missing piece in the puzzle of Bronze's fatal past. Can Bronze survive long enough to reach the ultimate truth?

A gripping noir mystery-both intensely provocative and darkly thrilling - Blood and Mascara descends into the depths of the human soul before exploding in an ending too shocking to ever forget."

I'd think a PI would make a really good living in Washington, DC!

A Refiner's Fire by Donna Leon
Published by: Atlantic Monthly Press
Publication Date: July 9th, 2024
Format: Hardcover, 288 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"In the thirty-third installment of Donna Leon's magnificent series, Commissario Guido Brunetti confronts a present-day Venetian menace and the ghosts of a heroism that never was.

Around one AM on an early spring morning, two teenage gangs are arrested after clashing violently in one of Venice's squares. Commissario Claudia Griffoni, on duty that night, perhaps ill-advisedly walks the last of the boys home because his father, Dario Monforte, failed to pick him up at the Questura. Coincidentally, Guido Brunetti is asked by a wealthy friend of Vice-Questore Patta to vet Monforte for a job, triggering Brunetti's memory that twenty years earlier Monforte had been publicly celebrated as the hero of a devastating bombing of the Italian military compound in Iraq. Yet Monforte had never been awarded a medal either by the Carabinieri, his service branch, or by the Italian government.

That seeming contradiction, and the brutal attack on one of Brunetti's colleagues, Enzo Bocchese, by a possible gang member, concentrate Brunetti's attentions. Surprisingly empowered by Patta, supported by Signorina Elettra's extraordinary research abilities and by his wife, Paola's, empathy, Brunetti, with Griffoni, gradually discovers the sordid hypocrisy surrounding Monforte's past, culminating in a fiery meeting of two gangs and a final opportunity for redemption.

A Refiner's Fire is Donna Leon at her very best: an elegant, sophisticated storyteller whose indelible characters become richer with each book, and who constantly explores the ambiguity between moral and legal justice."

My Mom sure knew how to pick good mysteries series. This was a favorite of hers.

Ladykiller by Katherine Wood
Published by: Bantam
Publication Date: July 9th, 2024
Format: Hardcover, 368 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"Everyone has a story. But not everyone's story is true.

When a young woman vanishes from her remote Greek island estate, her best friend races to find her, using clues found in the explosive manuscript she left behind.

Gia and Abby have been friends since childhood, forever bonded by the tragedy that unfolded in Greece when they were eighteen. Now thirty, heiress Gia is back in Greece with her shiny new husband, entertaining glamorous guests with champagne under the hot Mediterranean sun, while bookish Abby is working fourteen-hour days as an attorney. When Gia invites Abby on an all-expenses-paid trip to Sweden to celebrate her birthday, Abby's thrilled to reconnect.

But on the day of her flight, Abby receives an ominous email that threatens to unearth the skeletons of her past, and when she and Gia's brother, Benny, arrive in Sweden, Gia isn't there. Worried, Abby and Benny fly to Greece, where they find Gia's beachfront estate eerily deserted, the sole clue to her whereabouts the manuscript she penned, detailing the events leading up to her disappearance. Gia's narrative reveals the dark truth about her provocative new marriage and the dirty secrets of their seductive guests, a story almost too scandalous to be believed. But the pages end abruptly, leaving more questions than answers.

How much of Gia's story is true? Where is she now? And will Abby find her before it's too late?"

The dark gritty reboot of The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants I've longed for!

Lenny Marks Gets Away with Murder by Kerryn Mayne
Published by: St. Martin's Press
Publication Date: July 9th, 2024
Format: Hardcover, 352 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"Lenny Marks is excellent at not having a life.

She bikes home from work at exactly 4pm each day, buys the same groceries for the same meals every week, and owns thirty-six copies of The Hobbit (currently arranged by height). The closest thing she has to a friendship is playing Scrabble against an imaginary Monica Gellar while watching Friends reruns.

And Lenny Marks is very, very good at not remembering what happened the day her mother and stepfather disappeared when she was still a child. The day a voice in the back of her mind started whispering, You did this.

Until a letter from the parole board arrives in the mail - and when her desperate attempts to ignore it fail, Lenny starts to unravel. As long-buried memories come to the surface, Lenny's careful routines fall apart. For the first time, she finds herself forced to connect with the community around her, and unexpected new relationships begin to bloom. Lenny Marks may finally get a life - but what if her past catches up to her first?

Equal parts heartbreaking and heartwarming, Kerryn Mayne's stunning debut is an irresistible novel about truth, secrets, vengeance, and family lost and found, with a heroine who's simply unforgettable."

It's bad I want Lenny's life right? I mean, before the letter from the parole board arrives...

Long Island Compromise by Taffy Brodesser-Akner
Published by: Random House
Publication Date: July 9th, 2024
Format: Hardcover, 464 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"An exhilarating novel about one American family, the dark moment that shatters their suburban paradise, and the wild legacy of trauma and inheritance, from the New York Times bestselling author of Fleishman Is in Trouble.

"Were we gangsters? No. But did we know how to start a fire?"

In 1980, a wealthy businessman named Carl Fletcher is kidnapped from his driveway, brutalized, and held for ransom. He is returned to his wife and kids less than a week later, only slightly the worse, and the family moves on with their lives, resuming their prized places in the saga of the American dream, comforted in the realization that though their money may have been what endangered them, it is also what assured them their safety.

But now, nearly forty years later, it's clear that perhaps nobody ever got over anything, after all. Carl has spent the ensuing years secretly seeking closure to the matter of his kidnapping, while his wife, Ruth, has spent her potential protecting her husband's emotional health. Their three grown children aren't doing much better: Nathan's chronic fear won't allow him to advance at his law firm; Beamer, a Hollywood screenwriter, will consume anything - substance, foodstuff, women - in order to numb his own perpetual terror; and Jenny has spent her life so bent on proving that she's not a product of her family's pathology that she has come to define it. As they hover at the delicate precipice of a different kind of survival, they learn that the family fortune has dwindled to just about nothing, and they must face desperate questions about how much their wealth has played a part in both their lives' successes and failures.

Long Island Compromise spans the entirety of one family's history, winding through decades and generations, all the way to the outrageous present, and confronting the mainstays of American Jewish life: tradition, the pursuit of success, the terror of history, fear of the future, old wives' tales, evil eyes, ambition, achievement, boredom, dybbuks, inheritance, pyramid schemes, right-wing capitalists, beta-blockers, psychics, and the mostly unspoken love and shared experience that unite a family forever."

Because it's true when they say, money can't buy you everything... Even if it saved your life at one time.

Posted by Miss Eliza at 12:00 AM 0 comments  

Labels: Atsuhiro Yoshida, Cari Thomas, Colin Krainin, Donna Leon, Jack Lutz, Juneau Black, Katherine Blake, Katherine Wood, Kerryn Mayne, Kim Harrison, Paolo Bacigalupi, Peng Shepherd, Sarah Beth Durst

Starter Villain by John Scalzi
Published by: Tor Books
Publication Date: September 19th, 2023
Format: Hardcover, 272 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"Inheriting your uncle's supervillain business is more complicated than you might think. Particularly when you discover who's running the place.

Charlie's life is going nowhere fast. A divorced substitute teacher living with his cat in a house his siblings want to sell, all he wants is to open a pub downtown, if only the bank will approve his loan.

Then his long-lost uncle Jake dies and leaves his supervillain business (complete with island volcano lair) to Charlie.

But becoming a supervillain isn't all giant laser death rays and lava pits. Jake had enemies, and now they're coming after Charlie. His uncle might have been a stand-up, old-fashioned kind of villain, but these are the real thing: rich, soulless predators backed by multinational corporations and venture capital.

It's up to Charlie to win the war his uncle started against a league of supervillains. But with unionized dolphins, hyper-intelligent talking spy cats, and a terrifying henchperson at his side, going bad is starting to look pretty good.

In a dog-eat-dog world...be a cat."

The best cover art EVER has arrived, all others are just pretenders.

42: The Wildly Improbable Ideas of Douglas Adams by Douglas Adams
Published by: Unbound
Publication Date: September 19th, 2023
Format: Hardcover, 336 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"Over 60 boxes full of notebooks, research, letters, scripts, jokes, speeches, to-do lists, hard drives and even poems...Welcome to the incredible archive of Douglas Adams.

After his death in 2001, Douglas Adams's papers were loaned to his old Cambridge college, St John's. Reproduced here, in facsimile form and in close association with Adams's family and literary estate, 42 is a full-colour, large-format hardback that follows Adams career from early collaborations with Graham Chapman to his work on Doctor Who, through the Hitchhiker years, Dirk Gently, his groundbreaking non-fiction book Last Chance to See and his later digital work. Alongside this are details of projects that never came to fruition like a proposed theme park ride and a TV series provisionally entitled The Secret Empire.

Edited by Kevin Jon Davies, who has worked on a number of Hitchhiker-related projects and had a personal friendship with Adams spanning more than twenty years."

I'm very intrigued by the idea of Adams doing a theme park ride... I mean, it would be terrifying but oh so unique.

Wandering Through Life by Donna Leon
Published by: Atlantic Monthly Press
Publication Date: September 19th, 2023
Format: Hardcover, 208 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"The internationally bestselling author of the Guido Brunetti mysteries tells her own adventurous life story as she enters her eighties.

In a series of vignettes full of affection, irony, and good humor, Donna Leon narrates a remarkable life she feels has rather more happened to her than been planned.

Following a childhood in the company of her New Jersey family, with frequent visits to her grandfather's farm and its beloved animals, and summers spent selling homegrown tomatoes by the roadside, Leon got her first taste of the classical music and opera that would enrich her life. She also developed a yen for adventure. In 1976, she made the spontaneous decision to teach English in Iran, before finding herself swept up in the early days of the 1979 Revolution. After teaching stints in China and Saudi Arabia, she finally landed in Venice. Leon vividly animates her decades-long love affair with Italy, from her first magical dinner when serving as a chaperone to a friend, to the hunt for the perfect cappuccino, to the warfare tactics of grandmothers doing their grocery shopping at the Rialto Market.

Some things remain constant throughout the decades: her adoration of opera, especially Handel's vocal music, and her advocacy for the environment, embodied in her passion for bees - which informs the surprising crux of the Brunetti mystery Earthly Remains. Even as mass tourism takes its toll on the patience of residents, Leon's passion for Venice remains unchanged: its outrageous beauty and magic still captivate her.

Having recently celebrated her eightieth birthday, Leon poignantly confronts the dual challenges and pleasures of aging. Complete with a brief letter dissuading those hoping to meet Guido Brunetti at the Questura, and always suffused with music, food, and her sharp sense of humor, Wandering through Life offers Donna Leon at her most personal."

You only can hope that one day you will be as cool as Donna Leon.

The Mysterious Double Death of Honey Black by Lisa Hall
Published by: Hera
Publication Date: September 19th, 2023
Format: Kindle, 337 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"You know she has been murdered. Can you stop it happening twice?

Two very different lives...

It is 2019 and Lily Jones is living her dream in LA. Sort of. It hasn't quite turned out as she planned and instead of working as a movie producer, she is cleaning at the prestigious Beverly Hills Hotel. At least she gets to work in the renowned Paul Williams suite, site of the brutal murder of Honey Black 70 years ago, shrouded in rumour and dark glamour.

It is 1949 and Honey Black is about to hit the big time. She may have started out a country girl from Hicksville but now she is a star. And Hollywood had better watch out - nothing can stop her now!

One Hollywood murder...

After an accidental bump to the head, Lily finds herself in Hollywood, 1949. Like a dream come true, she is rubbing shoulders with the great and good of Tinseltown. Including Honey Black...Horrified, Lily realises that the actress has only two weeks left to live before she will be murdered.

Could this be why she has found herself in 1949?

To find the killer and stop them in their tracks?

A glamorous, time-slip murder mystery set in the Golden Age of Hollywood - All About Eve meets Back to the Future. Don't miss this unforgettable read from bestselling author Lisa Hall; fans of Stuart Turton and cosy crime will love this!"

Oh yes, definitely for fans of Stuart Turton!

The Golden Gate by Amy Chua
Published by: Minotaur Books
Publication Date: September 19th, 2023
Format: Hardcover, 384 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"Amy Chua's debut novel, The Golden Gate, is a sweeping, evocative, and compelling historical thriller that paints a vibrant portrait of a California buffeted by the turbulent crosswinds of a world at war and a society about to undergo massive change.

In Berkeley, California, in 1944, Homicide Detective Al Sullivan has just left the swanky Claremont Hotel after a drink in the bar when a presidential candidate is assassinated in one of the rooms upstairs. A rich industrialist with enemies among the anarchist factions on the far left, Walter Wilkinson could have been targeted by any number of groups. But strangely, Sullivan's investigation brings up the specter of another tragedy at the Claremont, ten years earlier: the death of seven-year-old Iris Stafford, a member of the Bainbridge family, one of the wealthiest in all of San Francisco. Some say she haunts the Claremont still.

The many threads of the case keep leading Sullivan back to the three remaining Bainbridge heiresses, now adults: Iris's sister, Isabella, and her cousins Cassie and Nicole. Determined not to let anything distract him from the truth - not the powerful influence of Bainbridges' grandmother, or the political aspirations of Berkeley's district attorney, or the interest of China's First Lady Madame Chiang Kai-Shek in his findings - Sullivan follows his investigation to its devastating conclusion.

Chua's page-turning debut brings to life a historical era rife with turbulent social forces and groundbreaking forensic advances, when race and class defined the very essence of power, sex, and justice, and introduces a fascinating character in Detective Sullivan, a mixed race former Army officer who is still reckoning with his own history."

I can never get enough of San Francisco, especially when it's Historical Fiction with a slice of reality.

Murder in the Family by Cara Hunter
Published by: William Morrow and Company
Publication Date: September 19th, 2023
Format: Paperback, 480 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"Mega-bestselling British crime novelist Cara Hunter makes her big American debut with a shocking thriller about a cold case, a fictional true crime series, and the family caught in the middle.

Eight Episodes. One Killer.

It was a case that gripped the nation. In December 2003, Luke Ryder, the stepfather of acclaimed filmmaker Guy Howard (then aged 10), was found dead in the garden of their suburban family home.

Luke Ryder's murder has never been solved. Guy Howard's mother and two half-sisters were in the house at the time of the murder - but all swear they saw nothing. Despite a high-profile police investigation and endless media attention, no suspect was ever charged.

But some murder cases are simply too big to forget...

Now comes the sensational new streaming series Infamous, dedicated to investigating - and perhaps cracking - this famous cold case. The production team will re-examine testimony, re-interview witnesses, and once again scour the evidence. The family will speak. The key players will be reunited - on camera. The truth will come out.

Are you ready to see it?"

Oh yes I am! This book is so of the moment in true crime obsessions.

Murder and Mamon by Mia P. Manansala
Published by: Berkley Books
Publication Date: September 19th, 2023
Format: Paperback, 288 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"When murder mars the grand opening for Lila Macapagal's aunties' new laundromat, she will have to air out all the dirty laundry in Shady Palms to catch a killer...

Lila Macapagal's godmothers April, Mae, and June - AKA the Calendar Crew - are celebrating the opening of their latest joint business venture, a new laundromat, to much fanfare (and controversy). However, what should've been a joyous occasion quickly turns into a tragedy when they discover the building has been vandalized - and the body of Ninang April's niece, recently arrived from the Philippines, next to a chilling message painted on the floor. The question is, was the message aimed at the victim or Lila's gossipy godmothers, who have not-so-squeaky-clean reputations?

With Ninang April falling apart from grief and little progress from the Shady Palms Police Department in this slippery case, it's up to Lila and her network to find justice for the young woman.

The Calendar Crew have stuck their noses into everybody's business for years, but now the tables are turned as Lila must pry into the Calendar Crew's lives to figure out who has a vendetta against the (extremely opinionated yet loving) aunties and stop them before they strike again."

I just realized that I really need a name for my crew...

The Last Devil to Die by Richard Osman
Published by: Pamela Dorman Books
Publication Date: September 19th, 2023
Format: Hardcover, 368 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"A new mystery is afoot in the fourth book in the Thursday Murder Club series from million-copy bestselling author Richard Osman.

It's rarely a quiet day for the Thursday Murder Club.

Shocking news reaches them - an old friend has been killed, and a dangerous package he was protecting has gone missing.

The gang's search leads them into the antiques business, where the tricks of the trade are as old as the objects themselves. As they encounter drug dealers, art forgers, and online fraudsters - as well as heartache close to home - Elizabeth, Joyce, Ron, and Ibrahim have no idea whom to trust.

With the body count rising, the clock ticking down, and trouble firmly on their tail, has their luck finally run out?

And who will be the last devil to die?"

It's September, time for your latest Thursday Murder Club fix.

Dead on Target by M.C. Beaton
Published by: Minotaur Books
Publication Date: September 19th, 2023
Format: Hardcover, 256 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"Beloved New York Times bestseller M. C. Beaton's cranky, crafty Agatha Raisin - the star of her own hit TV series - is back on the case again in Dead on Target.

A visit to the local village fete for a spot of fun and relaxation turns into a nightmare for Agatha Raisin when she discovers the body of the local landowner in the woods - with an arrow in his chest and trousers round his ankles.

Agatha's old adversary, Detective Chief Inspector Wilkes, declares the death a tragic accident, believing the victim has been hit by a stray arrow from an archery demonstration. Agatha is convinced of foul play, however, and is shocked when Wilkes eventually agrees...with her as his prime murder suspect.

Determined to clear her name and find the real killer, Agatha launches her own investigation, quickly becoming involved with a family at war, an unscrupulous gangster - and a killer who is determined to make her the next victim..."

I'm so glad that Agatha Raisin lives on.

Murder at Midnight by Katharine Schellman
Published by: Crooked Lane Books
Publication Date: September 19th, 2023
Format: Hardcover, 320 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"Perfect for fans of Deanna Raybourn and Ashley Weaver, when a body is found shot to death after an unexpected snowstorm, Lily Adler quickly realizes that some people will stop at nothing to bury their secrets.

Regency widow Lily Adler is looking forward to a quiet Christmastide away from the schemes and secrets she witnessed daily in London. Not only will she be visiting the family of her late husband; she will be reunited with Captain Jack Hartley, her friend and confidante, finally returned after a long voyage at sea.

But secrets aren't only found in London. Jack's younger sister, Amelia, is the center of neighborhood scandal and gossip. She refuses to tell anyone what really happened, even when an unexpected snowstorm strands the neighborhood families together after a Christmas ball. Stuck until the snow stops, the Adlers, Hartleys, and their neighbors settle in for the night, only to be awakened in the morning by the scream of a maid who has just discovered a dead body.

The victim was the well-to-do son of a local gentleman - the same man whose name has become so scandalously linked to Amelia's.

With the snow still falling and no way to come or go, it's clear that someone in the house was responsible for the young man's death. When suspicion instantly falls on Jack's sister, he and Lily must unmask the true culprit before Amelia is convicted of a crime she didn't commit."

Does anyone else horde Christmas books like a festive dragon for their holiday reading? Because if not, you should. You should also put this book on your list.

A Nobleman's Guide to Seducing a Scoundrel by K.J. Charles
Published by: Sourcebooks Casablanca
Publication Date: September 19th, 2023
Format: Paperback, 336 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"Bridgerton goes Gothic in this sweeping Regency romance by celebrated author K.J. Charles.

Major Rufus d'Aumesty has unexpectedly become the Earl of Oxney, master of a remote Norman manor on the edge of the infamous Romney Marsh. There he's beset on all sides, his position contested both by his greedy uncle and by Luke Doomsday, son of a notorious smuggling clan.

The earl and the smuggler should be natural enemies, but cocksure, enragingly competent Luke is a trained secretary and expert schemer - exactly the sort of man Rufus needs by his side. Before long, Luke becomes an unexpected ally...and the lover Rufus had never hoped to find.

But Luke came to Stone Manor with an ulterior motive, one he's desperate to keep hidden even from the lord he can't resist. As the lies accumulate and family secrets threaten to destroy everything they hold dear, master and man find themselves forced to decide whose side they're really on...and what they're willing to do for love."

An LGBTQ Poldark!

Hex and the City by Kate Johnson
Published by: One More Chapter
Publication Date: September 19th, 2023
Format: Paperback, 384 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"Something wickedly sexy this way comes...

A laugh out loud witchy romcom for fans of Lana Harper and Erin Sterling !

Spice: ️️️

Things you should know about Poppy:
1. She's a witch
2. She has magical hair like Rapunzel from Tangled
3. She lives with Iris, the head of her coven, in a beautiful, ramshackle house next to Highgate cemetery
4. She works at Hubble Bubble, a magic shop in Covent Garden. Though none of it is real magic as that would be highly irresponsible. Until...
...Poppy accidentally sells gorgeous celebrity magician Axl Storm, all six-foot-four of him, a cursed pendant.

When all hell breaks loose can the guy with fake magic and the girl with real magic fix the chaos they've caused? Or will sparks fly both in and out of the cauldron?"

I was sold at ramshackle house next to Highgate cemetery.

Hex Education by Maureen Kilmer
Published by: G.P. Putnam's Sons
Publication Date: September 19th, 2023
Format: Hardcover, 336 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"Nice witches finish last...

A guilt-ridden former coven is forced to tap into the magic of their past...if they want to stop their lives from going up in flames again.

On the outside, luxury realtor Sarah Nelson looks like every other mom in the neighborhood. But she has an edge that others don't: She's a witch. And no one knows...except her estranged ex-coven and college friends, Katrina and Alicia.

One terrible night during their freshman year, the trio accidentally burned down their dorm, and soon after they scattered. Their secret had been safe, until Sarah learns they've been invited back to commemorate the anniversary of the fire.

Suddenly, the magic doesn't want to be controlled. Sarah's orange tabby cat, Katy Purry, now argues with her. Her broom has become self-brooming, and her fridge somehow restocks thirty pounds of sliced turkey for school lunches. As it grows increasingly difficult to hide the magic and the past, Sarah, Katrina, and Alicia must harness their power together to keep their secrets safe...before they find out if polite society still burns witches."

Um, who needs thirty pounds of sliced turkey? Like ever, not just for school lunches.

A Study in Drowning by Ava Reid
Published by: Harperteen
Publication Date: September 19th, 2023
Format: Hardcover, 384 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"Bestselling author Ava Reid makes her YA debut in this dark academic fantasy perfect for fans of Melissa Albert and Elana K. Arnold.

Effy Sayre has always believed in fairy tales. Haunted by visions of the Fairy King since childhood, she's had no choice. Her tattered copy of Angharad - Emrys Myrddin's epic about a mortal girl who falls in love with the Fairy King, then destroys him - is the only thing keeping her afloat. So when Myrddin's family announces a contest to redesign the late author's estate, Effy feels certain it's her destiny.

But musty, decrepit Hiraeth Manor is an impossible task, and its residents are far from welcoming. Including Preston Héloury, a stodgy young literature scholar determined to expose Myrddin as a fraud. As the two rivals piece together clues about Myrddin's legacy, dark forces, both mortal and magical, conspire against them - and the truth may bring them both to ruin.

Part historical fantasy, part rivals-to-lovers romance, part Gothic mystery, and all haunting, dreamlike atmosphere, Ava Reid's powerful YA debut will lure in readers who loved The Atlas Six, House of Salt and Sorrows, or Girl, Serpent, Thorn."

Doesn't everyone survive because of a tattered copy of some book?

The Collectors: Stories edited by A.S. King
Published by: Dutton Books for Young Readers
Publication Date: September 19th, 2023
Format: Hardcover, 272 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"From Michael L. Printz Award winner A.S. King and an all-star team of contributors including Anna-Marie McLemore and Jason Reynolds, an anthology of stories about remarkable people and their strange and surprising collections.

From David Levithan's story about a non-binary kid collecting pieces of other people's collections to Jenny Torres Sanchez's tale of a girl gathering types of fire while trying not to get burned to G. Neri's piece about 1970's skaters seeking opportunities to go vertical - anything can be collected and in the hands of these award-winning and bestselling authors, any collection can tell a story. Nine of the best YA novelists working today have written fiction based on a prompt from Printz-winner A.S. King (who also contributes a story) and the result is itself an extraordinary collection."

I wish we celebrated collecting more as a society, like back when there were cabinets of curiosities.

The Winds of Poppy Pendleton by Melanie Dobson
Published by: Tyndale House Publishers
Publication Date: September 19th, 2023
Format: Hardcover, 352 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"In this compelling new time-slip mystery, a little girl goes missing from her family's castle in the Thousand Islands of New York. Eighty-five years later, a journalist teams up with a woman living on Koster Isle to find out what happened to Poppy, once and for all.

1907. On the eve of her fifth birthday, Poppy Pendleton is tucked safely in her bed, listening to her parents entertain New York's gilded society in their Thousand Islands castle; the next morning, she is gone, and her father is found dead in his smoking room.

1992. Though Chloe Ridell lives in the shadows of Poppy's castle, now in ruins, she has little interest in the mystery that still captivates tourists and locals alike. She is focused on preserving the island she inherited from her grandparents and reviving their vintage candy shop. Until the day a girl named Emma shows up on Chloe's doorstep, with few possessions, save a tattered scrapbook that connects her to the Pendleton family. When a reporter arrives at Chloe's store, asking questions about her grandfather, Chloe decides to help him dig into a past she'd thought best left buried. The haunting truth about Poppy, they soon discover, could save Emma's life, so Chloe and Logan must work together to investigate exactly what happened long ago on Koster Isle."

A more time-slippy Truly, Devious.

Red Rabbit by Alex Grecian
Published by: Tor Nightfire
Publication Date: September 19th, 2023
Format: Hardcover, 464 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"From bestselling author Alex Grecian comes a folk horror epic about a ragtag posse that must track down a witch through a wild west beset by demons and ghosts - and where death is always just around the bend.

Sadie Grace is wanted for witchcraft, dead (or alive). And every hired gun in Kansas is out to collect the bounty on her head, including bona fide witch hunter Old Tom and his mysterious, mute ward, Rabbit.

On the road to Burden County, they're joined by two vagabond cowboys with a strong sense of adventure - but no sense of purpose - and a recently widowed schoolteacher with nothing left to lose. As their posse grows, so too does the danger.

Racing along the drought-stricken plains in a stolen red stagecoach, they encounter monsters more wicked than witches lurking along the dusty trail. But the crew is determined to get that bounty, or die trying.

Written with the devilish cadence of Stephen Graham Jones and the pulse-pounding brutality of Nick Cutter, Red Rabbit is a supernatural adventure of luck and misfortune."

I love the supernatural combined with the wild west.

The Forest Grimm by Kathryn Purdie
Published by: Wednesday Books
Publication Date: September 19th, 2023
Format: Hardcover, 352 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"A spellbinding YA fantasy from #1 New York Times bestselling author Kathryn Purdie, where fairy tales come to life with dark, deadly twists.

"Tell me again, Grandmère, the story of how I die."

The Midnight Forest. The Fanged Creature. Two fortune-telling cards that spell an untimely death for 17-year-old Clara. Despite the ever-present warning from her fortune-teller grandmother, Clara embarks on a dangerous journey into the deadly Forest Grimm to procure a magical book - Sortes Fortunae, the Book of Fortunes - with the power to reverse the curse on her village and save her mother.

Years ago, when the villagers whispered their deepest desires to the book, its pages revealed how to obtain them. All was well until someone used the book for an evil purpose - to kill another person. Afterward, the branches of the Forest Grimm snatched the book away, the well water in Grimm's Hollow turned rancid, and the crops died from disease. The villagers tried to make amends with the forest, but every time someone crossed its border, they never returned.

Now, left with no alternative, Clara and her close friend, Axel - who is fated never to be with her - have set their minds to defying fate and daring to accomplish what no one else has been able to before. But the forest - alive with dark, deadly twists on some of our most well-known fairy tales - has a mind of its own."

Like a fairy tale version of this season of Nancy Drew.

A Bride's Story, Volume 14 by Kaoru Mori
Published by: Yen Press
Publication Date: September 19th, 2023
Format: Hardcover, 210 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"The Halgals enter talks of marriage with another clan, but first, Azel and the other men must be tested to see if they are worthy. They face off against their prospective brides in a horse-riding competition, and whoever retrieves an arrow and makes it to the finish line first will hold the future of both clans in their hands!"

I've loved this series from day one and can never get enough!

Posted by Miss Eliza at 12:00 AM 0 comments  

Labels: Amy Chua, Ava Reid, Cara Hunter, Donna Leon, Douglas Adams, John Scalzi, K.J. Charles, Kaoru Mori, Katharine Schellman, Kathryn Purdie, Lisa Hall, M.C. Beaton, Melanie Dobson, Mia P. Manansala, Richard Osman