strange and random happenstance

The Witch Below by H.G. Parry
Published by: Redhook
Publication Date: July 21st, 2026
Format: Paperback, 448 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"From the author of The Magician's Daughter comes a historical fantasy where dreams come to life and Arthurian legends are reborn, perfect for fans of The Everlasting and The Once and Future King.

Wales, 1941. As the second world war ravages the globe and bombs fall from the sky, people all over the world begin to dream of King Arthur. The dreams spread like a fantastical plague, flooding people's sleep night after night. Whispers arise of wonders and unexplained sights - dragons in the London Underground, and strange lights over Stonehenge. Self-proclaimed prophets claim they are miracles, heralding Arthur's return at the time of Britain's greatest need.

Elaine Ambrose has never dreamed of Arthur, and she doesn't believe in miracles. A librarian at the British Museum, she wants only to protect the museum's collection from the London Blitz, and is frustrated to be sent instead to catalogue a reclusive professor's private library on the coast of North Wales. But all is not as it seems. Soon Ellie must confront what she's tried to ignore: she dreams not of Arthur, but of Nimue - the Lady of the Lake. And her dreams promise not salvation, but a return to the darkness of the last days of Camelot."

The Arthurian geek in me is screaming for H.G. Parry's newest book!

The Haunting of Old Splinter by Jack Mackay
Published by: Viking Books for Young Readers
Publication Date: July 21st, 2026
Format: Hardcover, 272 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"Innocent wishes turn decidedly sinister in this chilling horror for fans of Katherine Arden and R.L. Stine.

Peter and his half brother, Adrian, live in the shadow of Old Splinter - a formerly lavish estate now in ruins. Rumored to have once housed an eccentric magician, it's now home to little more than spiderwebs and mold. Tasked with renovating the crumbling mansion on behalf of their wealthy uncle, Peter's stepdad is at his wits' end. And the cracks are beginning to show in their once-happy cottage.

A mysterious local legend may be their only hope. The wishing claw, a magical hand that grants your deepest desires, has spell-bound townsfolk for centuries. If it's real - if he can find it - then Peter might just save his family! But wishes are tricky things and they always come with a price. What starts innocently enough soon unearths much more than Peter bargained for, including a dark secret lurking in the walls of the mansion...and a monstrous hunger that comes knocking at his door."

Because maybe the house was meant to stay abandoned... 

Carry Me to My Grave by Christopher Golden
Published by: St. Martin's Press
Publication Date: July 21st, 2026
Format: Hardcover, 336 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"From New York Times bestselling author Christopher Golden comes a high concept horror novel about a man trying to protect his dead mother's body from the evil that is hunting them.

Maggie Wise will take your eyes.

When Malcolm was growing up, the local kids made up that chant about his mother, claiming she was a witch. He and his siblings did their best to ignore it. Now, Maggie is dying, and those same siblings have left Malcolm and his sister-in-law Violet to hold a vigil at her bedside.

But they're not as alone as they think they are. A dark figure waits and watches from beneath the willow tree across the street. Hundreds of miles away, an ancient evil stirs in its burrow under a farmer's cornfield. Across the country, other buried things begin to dream in anticipation of Maggie's demise. On her deathbed, the old woman elicits a promise from Malcolm, her youngest child - when she dies, he and Violet must return her body to her birthplace in Shediak, Maine.

From the moment she takes her last breath, before her remains are even loaded aboard the baggage car of the Imperial Limited, there are forces trying to stop Malcolm from fulfilling that promise. Violence erupts on the train, evil preys on its passengers, and once the sun goes down, those long-buried things are coming to make Maggie Wise pay for her past. God help anyone who stands in their way."

I mean, I'm always here for anything Christopher Golden writes, but damn, that specter beneath the willow has me coming out in a cold sweat. 

The Lord of the Wood by E.M. Anderson
Published by: Hanover Square Press
Publication Date: July 21st, 2026
Format: Paperback, 448 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"The cozy fantasy of TJ Klune meets the creeping horror of T. Kingfisher in this magical novel about a man who enters a deadly enchanted forest expecting it to endanger his life, but not his heart...

Clockmaker Arthur Throckmorton lives a quiet life with his sister and her children, only dreaming of adventure. So when a wealthy client offers him a job that involves traversing Shiftleaf - an enchanted forest that claimed his father decades ago - he reluctantly accepts. The forest is treacherous, but the money will change his family's lives.

The journey quickly turns perilous. Fleeing from monstrous birds, Arthur stumbles upon a hidden vale where he meets the Lord of the Wood - a figure from his father's many stories. Instead of the fairy prince Arthur always imagined, Ira is a morose man, slowly transforming into a beast, his power over a dying forest waning.

Arthur enjoys the safety of the vale, and Ira's company. But he yearns for his family. To safely return home and rescue Ira from a cursed and lonely existence, Arthur and Ira must reach the heart of the wood to heal the forest. Except the further they venture from the vale, the more beastly Ira becomes. If they can't complete their mission before he turns completely, Arthur could lose the man he's falling for - and never see his family again."

Can I just say, this cover design captures the eye and the spirit of the book. Sheer perfection.

The Winter Folk by Jen Julian
Published by: Run for It
Publication Date: July 21st, 2026
Format: Paperback, 384 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"A woman returns to the mysterious lodge in the woods where she once worked, and to the inscrutable creature that bound her there, in this haunting Appalachian gothic horror from singular voice Jen Julian. Perfect for fans of Alix E. Harrow and T. Kingfisher.

This is the story of Moth, who earned her name working for the Winter Folk.

Every year, the mythical Winter Folk gather at a secret lodge, a place known only as Deerhaven.

Moth was a housekeeper there once. A trusted confidant of Mr. Oslin, the enigmatic master of the house.

But Deerhaven is dangerous. The rules are exacting. The consequences for break them are dire.

Moth has not been allowed back in decades. Still, she feels its call. She will finder her way back. She needs to see him again. No matter the cost."

I can never get enough of Gothic horror. Especially one you throw in a mysterious lodge and its tenants. 

Beneath the Trees Where Nobody Sees: Rite of Spring by Patrick Horvath
Published by: IDW Dark
Publication Date: July 21st, 2026
Format: Paperback, 144 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"The Eisner-nominated cozy-horror comic series returns in this sequel to the critically acclaimed first volume!

It's been eight long years since a bloodlusting brown bear drove into the city, kidnapped a kind young duck, dissected his body, and buried the pieces in the woods. The duck's family painstakingly sought justice…but this brown bear was smart...she covered her tracks…and in the '80s, there simply wasn't a way for the duck's family to find answers.

But it's not the '80s anymore. Almost a decade after cuddly brown bear Samantha Strong solidified herself as the sole serial killer in Woodbrook, the world is entering a new era. As Samantha will soon find out, there are no secrets in the age of the internet. And those who lost loved ones to her massacre haven't given up the flame of justice.

A reckoning is coming to Woodbrook. Join visionary writer and artist Patrick Horvath as he returns to the hit series that has taken the comic world by storm!"

I simply adored the first volume in this series, but to apparently wrap it up here seemed precipitous and wrong. Mainly because the focus shifts from Samantha onto the families of the victims and it just feels off.

The Mortons by Justine Larbalestier and Scott Westerfeld
Published by: Pamela Dorman Books
Publication Date: July 21st, 2026
Format: Hardcover, 464 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"Meet the Mortons: In this family, murder is currency - and business is booming.

The Mortons are a modern-day, old-money dynasty with impeccable taste, from their exquisitely crafted cocktails to their expertly tailored vintage garments. They are also stone-cold killers. For the Mortons, homicide is heritage.

They, along with the other crime families, send their progeny to Helshire College, where legacy students learn to exercise control over their wealthy peers. Jessica Morton has always excelled at Helshire, secure in the knowledge that she is the prodigy of her generation. Now, having committed her first kill, it should be Jessica's moment, her honor. But that kill will cut more ways than one, unknotting a series of revelations spanning the Mortons' country estate, the New York City art world, and Helshire itself.

Sharp and hypnotic, The Mortons is an epic novel of alliances and power, loyalty and kinship, and the consequences of ruthless ambition."

Ready or Not meets Dark Academia. 

Paint Me Like Your Dead Girls by Cynthia Murphy
Published by: Delacorte Press
Publication Date: July 21st, 2026
Format: Paperback, 352 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"An addictive killer-thriller following an aspiring crime journalist's investigation into a case that blurs the line between art and life - perfect for fans of Holly Jackson's A Good Girl's Guide to Murder.

When aspiring crime journalist Fliss Keller attends an estate sale and uncovers a disturbing painting by a mysterious artist, she wants nothing to do with it. Unfortunately for her, her Art History professor dad buys it immediately. The portrait has been lost for decades and completes a set of four existing paintings of women by the same artist already hanging in the town's gallery.

But when a series of gruesome crimes rock the community and her father's gallery becomes the epicenter of a deadly game, Fliss discovers that the paintings may hold the key to a killer's identity.

Haunted by the specter of a serial killer, Fliss races against time to solve the mystery before it claims another victim. In a world where every brushstroke hides a sinister secret, can she unravel the clues before she becomes a killer's muse?"

A combination of my favorite things, art and murder!

Deadly Does It by Abbi Waxman
Published by: Berkley
Publication Date: July 21st, 2026
Format: Paperback, 384 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"When Natasha Mason's AA sponsor is in deadly danger, she turns to the cranky yet brilliant Julia Mann for help, in this exciting new mystery novel from the USA Today bestselling author of One Death at a Time.

Mason, a Gen Z adrenaline junkie, and Mann, an ex-con, ex-actress, and lawyer turned sleuth, have already solved one murder together. United by their commitment to sarcasm and general disappointment with the human race, they now face a second crime that's way too close to home. Alexa Rousso keeps having accidents, and no one but her thinks it's a coincidence. Could her checkered past be coming back to get her? Mason and Mann's investigation takes them to the Bay Area, to the Central Coast, and - of course - to the hippest spots in Los Angeles. Will the Berkeley boho vibe convert Mann from vintage couture? Will the wine snobs of Ojai drive Mason to drink (or to vinicide, which isn't even a thing)? More importantly, will they solve the mystery before the murderer's sights settle on the detectives themselves, or will this new challenge also be their last?"

Vinicide should be a thing.

The Masala Chai Mystery Club by MJ Soni
Published by: Crooked Lane Books
Publication Date: July 21st, 2026
Format: Hardcover, 336 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"Suspects abound when a much-despised neighbor is killed, perfect for fans of Only Murders in the Building and Richard Osman's The Thursday Murder Club.

Retired librarian Neeti Shah was hoping for a restful life with her chai-loving friends, but when the body of a neighbor, a childhood friend of Neeti's, turns up dead and the killer's MO is similar to that of Neeti's most recent book club read, things start to get out of control.

When Neeti hears a commotion at a neighbor's house, she finds Rohit's body sprawled across the bottom of the staircase with Agatha Christie's Dumb Witness nearby. Blackmailing his neighbors, threatening them with lawsuits, and calling them by nasty nicknames were only some of the hateful things that made him so disliked. But were they angry enough to kill?

Neeti is indebted to her old friend, and she's determined to find his killer. But she can't do it alone, so she enlists her mystery-loving friends, the Masala Chai Mystery Club, to get to the bottom of the murder.

But Neeti and her club members need to be careful. As more bodies turn up and more suspects start to appear, they'll need to find the killer before they end up in hot water!"

I mean, what could go wrong if the book club has read enough murder mysteries? 

Death at King's Cross by Rosanne Limoncelli
Published by: Crooked Lane Books
Publication Date: July 21st, 2026
Format: Hardcover, 336 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"DCI Lilian Wyles is confronted by a troubling case, one that only the four queens of crime can help solve - even amidst the ongoing war efforts.

Agatha Christie, Dorothy L. Sayers, Margery Allingham, and Ngaio Marsh are back in the follow-up novel to The Four Queens of Crime.

1941, London. When DCI Lilian Wyles finds a young woman murdered at King's Cross Station, she needs the help of someone she can trust, but Richard Davidson, her former Scotland Yard partner, has joined MI5 and is busy tracking black market routes outside of London, so for now, she is on her own.

After having met the four queens of crime during a murder investigation two years earlier, DCI Wyles has kept in touch. But Agatha, Dorothy, Margery, and Ngaio are all involved in the war effort and have problems of their own.

Agatha is volunteering at the University Hospital Pharmacy, where a dangerous anesthetic has been stolen. Dorothy has heard unsettling information from her connections at the BBC regarding members of the Royal Navy. Margery, who has been in the countryside helping families escape the city from the bombing, is worried about one of her charges whose older sister has gone missing. And Ngaio, who has relocated to New Zealand and is volunteering as an ambulance driver, has begun gathering secret intelligence from wounded soldiers and sailors that may put her in danger.

When the four queens contact DCI Wyles for help, the information they share makes the final pieces of the puzzle fall into place. DCI Wyles once again finds herself collaborating with her old partners in crime to solve the mystery and close the case in this thrilling sequel, perfect for fans of Nicola Upson and Anna Lee Huber."

I mean, obviously they've all learned part of the solution in the disparate locals. 

If Books Could Kill by Kate Eberle
Published by: Penguin Books
Publication Date: July 21st, 2026
Format: Paperback, 368 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"A Novel Love Story meets Love in the Time of Serial Killers in this rom-com following Roxie Mitchell, an adventure-loving romance reader who finds herself trapped in a meet-cute turned murderous.

When Roxie makes a tongue-in-cheek wish to live out the plot of her favorite author's next novel, she has romance in mind - namely, the sweet, safe, swoon-worthy storylines Anna Matthews is known for. It should be a dream come true when her wish is granted and she finds herself swept into a first date with a handsome stranger who seems designed to take her breath away.

Except for one little hiccup: That handsome stranger tries to take her breath away. Literally. With a knife. The thing is, Roxie may be the new Anna Matthews protagonist - but this time, Anna is writing a crime thriller.

Thrown into a perilous genre she's never read, Roxie is desperate for help. So when her escape takes her straight into the path of Grant Hoffman, an anxious English professor with a convenient love of crime novels, she decides that kidnapping a grown man is a small price to pay for her own survival. Together, Roxie and Grant navigate a madcap story in which the lines between fiction and reality blur. They'll find out if they have what it takes to make it to The End - or maybe even Happily Ever After."

Who has never read a mystery novel!?! I mean, that's the real mystery that needs to be answered here!

Savvy Summers and the Po'boy Perils by Sandra Jackson-Opoku
Published by: Minotaur Books
Publication Date: July 21st, 2026
Format: Hardcover, 304 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"The next delectable mystery featuring quick-witted, unforgettable Savvy Summers, owner of a soul food café in Chicago.

Savvy has her work cut out when an old friend hires her to cater a company luncheon at a nearby office building on Chicago's South Side. Stepping out of her traditional soul food comfort zone, Savvy whips together a menu of Creole classics, with her own spin, of course - mini po'boys with assorted fillings, sunburst salad, and bread pudding using Great Aunt Essie's famous buttermilk biscuits.

But when someone is found dead in the company's conference room, Savvy's culinary creations are suddenly in the spotlight for all the wrong reasons. While the focus should be on their delicious flavors and inventive techniques, Savvy's beloved café instead becomes the center of a murder investigation once again.

Caught within a messy web of gossip, miscommunication, and fraught coworker relationships, Savvy will have to settle the confusion to clear her name. Somebody's hiding something, and with the help of her trusty assistant manager, Penny Lopés, Savvy sets out uncover exactly who is to blame. With familiar faces turning up the heat on her investigation and her café still in hot water, will Savvy be able to save her reputation before it's too late?"

Question, how many murder investigations centering on one restaurant have to happen before it's closed as a nuisance? 

Our Marriage is Murder by Carol Goodman
Published by: William Morrow
Publication Date: July 21st, 2026
Format: Hardcover, 336 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"In the latest thrilling mystery from Mary Higgins Clark Award-winning author Carol Goodman, a writers' conference at an Italian castle turns deadly when a killer begins using a husband-and-wife writing team's novel as a blueprint for murder.

Fred and Thea Morgan-Lane are the envy of the mystery community, the perfect partners in life and in writing. Together they coauthor the wildly successful Death Takes a Holiday series, and they've been invited to the Italian castle where it all began for a mystery conference celebrating their first novel, Death Takes the Castle.

But their story isn't quite the fairytale it seems to outsiders. Twenty years and twenty books after they met, Thea wants out. Their marriage and partnership haven't been working for some time, and what better place to announce the end of the series than where it started?

Except shortly after their arrival at the beautiful Castellarosa, a shocking death takes place when the wrong person drinks a cocktail meant for Thea. The stunned conference-goers put it down to an unknown allergy, but Thea isn't so sure. Could someone be trying to kill her? Perhaps her loving husband isn't as ok with their series ending as he pretends, or maybe Nadine, the upstart young author who is vying to take Thea's place, wants her out of the way. Suddenly, it seems like everyone has a motive, and when a second death occurs, a disturbing pattern emerges - these deaths aren't random, they're following the murders in Death Takes a Castle exactly. Murders that Thea and Fred wrote.

In order to save the day - and maybe even their marriage - the unhappy couple will have to work together to figure out who is using their book as a blueprint for a killing spree. That is, if they can trust the person they've spent twenty years plotting murders with..."

I mean, for a superfan, ending a series by ending the authors would make a kind of sick sense...

How to Kill a Crime Writer by Sarah Lotz
Published by: Berkley
Publication Date: July 21st, 2026
Format: Paperback, 368 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"After the untimely death of her bestselling crime novelist mother, a young woman teams up with the fictional "ghost" of the heroine from her mother's series in order to solve her mother's murder.

After the tragic death of bestselling crime writer Annie Morrisey, her daughter, Niamh, moves into her mother's country cottage to take care of her mother's estate. Shut away from the world, Niamh doesn't actually have to deal with the grief of her mother's untimely passing. Until the day that two things happen: the advance copy of her mother's final book lands on the doorstep and Leah Rebecca Overton appears in the kitchen.

Having a stranger show up in your house would be concerning at the best of times, but Leah isn't a stranger - she's the ultra-competent sleuth heroine from Annie's novels. The antithesis of Niamh in every way, she's lived in the fictitious character's shadow for years. But why (and how) has Leah turned up now? And why can only Niamh see her? Leah is the last thing Niamh wants in her house or in her head, but she can't ignore the sleuth...especially when Leah suspects there may have been more to Annie's death than first suspected."

Shades of Aunt Dimity. 

I Know the Ants by Lang Leav
Published by: Harper Perennial
Publication Date: July 21st, 2026
Format: Paperback, 288 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"A young woman's life spirals out of her control after her childhood best friend publishes a memoir that discusses the tragic events of their childhood, in this beautiful, powerful novel from the internationally bestselling author of Others Were Emeralds.

Mei's life isn't what she thought it would be. She's still entangled in a love triangle with Jacques and Kath that began when they were teens; her parents are drowning in debt; and she's stuck pulling off identity fraud jobs for her cruel auntie and her auntie's nauseating son, who won't leave Mei alone.

But Mei's world begins to truly unravel when she hears her childhood best friend Soey's voice for the first time in years, being interviewed on the radio about her new memoir, chronicling the childhood attack that left Soey with brain damage and killed her younger sister. When Mei reconnects with Soey, the leader of their childhood friend group known as the Daisy Chain, their encounter kicks off a series of events that culminate in another shocking death, putting Mei squarely in the public eye. As past and present collide, Mei starts spiraling after Soey implores her to find out who killed Daiyu - a search that leads Mei to uncover what happened that dark day in the woods behind their school, all those years ago.

Revered for her lyrical imagery, emotional acumen, and thoughtful voice, Lang Leav uses her gifts to brilliant effect, exploring unsolved mysteries, cycles of trauma and abuse, and the answers to a timeless question: how do you honor someone's memory without losing sight of yourself?"

I mean, life often doesn't turn out as expected for those who suffer trauma at a young age.

Give Me Everything You're Got by Imogen Crimp
Published by: Henry Holt and Co.
Publication Date: July 21st, 2026
Format: Hardcover, 304 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"Hot to the touch, an "utterly addictive" (Colin Walsh) modern gothic about a promising young filmmaker pushed to the brink.

In the middle of an unrelenting heat-wave, up-and-coming filmmaker Ruby arrives at the country house of her idol, Ellen. An iconoclastic feminist director, Ellen has offered Ruby mentorship and a room of her own in which to write her next film. Ellen's home is like something out of a dream - grand and imposing, with sprawling gardens and a shimmering swimming pool. But tension thrums beneath the picture-perfect surface. Ellen's reputation is under fire, and she chastises Ruby for refusing to turn her trauma into art. Meanwhile, Ellen's mercurial twenty-year-old daughter, Lara, lounges by the pool under the blistering sun, drawing her mother's latest houseguest towards her like a moth to a flame.

As her hopes for an artistic summer retreat unravel, Ruby finds herself entangled in a dangerous dynamic between mother and daughter, waiting for the heat to break. Ellen and Lara seem to be playing games with her, and only they know the rules. Soon the house itself begins to feel haunted, and Ruby has the unnerving sensation that she's not the first promising young woman to fall under its spell.

An incendiary fever dream of a novel set during one sun-bleached July, Imogen Crimp's Give Me Everything You've Got explores the dark corners of ambition, exploitation, and what it takes to be a woman artist."

I love the cat and mouse dynamic with a side of manipulation. 

The Subtle Pleasures of Indiscretion by Alexander McCall Smith
Published by: Pantheon
Publication Date: July 21st, 2026
Format: Hardcover, 240 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"In this latest installment of the beloved Isabel Dalhousie series, everyone's favorite moral philosopher and amateur sleuth takes on a new set of delicate disputes.

Isabel has an unwavering commitment to her principles, which means she is often asked to advise on the sensitive, personal affairs of others - even those whose business she would prefer to stay out of.

When Isabel receives a surprise visit from a friend who has recently discovered the existence of a long-lost brother, she will have to face this quandary in her usual deft and thoughtful way. The friend has always held her father in high regard, and is worried that knowledge of his affair will tarnish her siblings' perception of him. Meanwhile, Isabel's husband Jamie has been offered the gig of his dreams - the opportunity to play in a series of concerts at a prestigious venue in London. After meeting the series coordinator, it becomes clear to Isabel that the woman has a massive crush on Jamie. Isabel isn't sure whether to reveal the woman's intentions. Should she tell Jamie of her suspicions, or would that mean calling his talent into question?

And finally, the ever-frustrating Professor Lettuce returns, this time embroiled in a ridiculous dispute with his friend Professor Dove. Somehow, Isabel gets dragged into resolving the affair. As always, Isabel will have to use her pragmatic sensibility and kindness to navigate these tricky situations."

Hopefully she knows enough by now to trust her husband...

Destination Funeral by Paige Harbison
Published by: St. Martin's Press
Publication Date: July 21st, 2026
Format: Hardcover, 352 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"A fresh take on Groundhog Day with a dash of Practical Magic meets the magical escapism of One Italian Summer in this heartfelt and hilarious novel following a friend group so damaged that only a funeral could bring them back together.

When Babe - the complicated, magnetic matriarch of their teenage summers - dies, four estranged friends return to sleepy Mercy Island, a storm-swept stretch of coastal Georgia, summoned by the reading of her will.

Didion arrives at the timeworn pink house to find the friends she never thought she'd see again - along with the tensions, attractions, and unfinished business that once bound them together and broke them apart.

What should be a brief weekend of small talk quickly unravels when they wake up and discover...it's Saturday. Again. And again. And again.

Trapped in a time loop with no end and no instructions, they're forced to confront the betrayals, breakups, and buried truths that shattered them all those years ago. Because maybe, just maybe, an endless weekend is exactly what they all need to save their own lives."

Time loop to heal the trauma!

The Story Keeper by Kelly Rimmer
Published by: Mira Books
Publication Date: July 21st, 2026
Format: Hardcover, 352 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"In the aftermath of a tumultuous year, Fiona Winslow finds solace in the decaying grandeur of Wurimbirra, the rambling family estate she once called home. Intent on restoring it, she discovers the keys to more than just the dilapidated mansion - beneath the crumbling plaster and dust are secrets that have been buried for a generation.

When a curious book, The Midnight Estate, catches her attention in her late uncle's library, Fiona is plunged into a tale that mirrors her own - a story of love, loss and betrayal. But as the lines between fiction and reality blur, Fiona must ask herself: Is the true mystery the one hidden within the walls of her ancestral home, or is it within the pages of a book that chose her as much as she chose it?

Told in a dual narrative and set against the Gothic backdrop of Wurimbirra, Kelly Rimmer, bestselling author of The Things We Cannot Say, weaves an intricate and compelling tale, inviting readers into the heart of a family's deepest secrets with an absorbing book-within-a-book mystery."

An estate and a book that calls to you? Where can I sign up for this experience? 

Prince of Swords by Elise Kova
Published by: Del Rey
Publication Date: July 21st, 2026
Format: Hardcover, 560 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"Welcome back to Arcana Academy. Tarot magic, forbidden desire, battle, and betrayal collide for the power to change the world in the thrilling second book of this New York Times bestselling fantasy romance series.

I am terrified. Yet my heart skips a beat. This man might be a monster, but he is my monster.

Clara Graysword is Oricalis's most wanted. Hunted and cornered, not even her mastery of tarot can save her this time...until the mysterious Worldkeepers appear. This secretive order may hold the key to changing Clara's fate. If she dares to trust them.

But the most dangerous alliance of all is one she's already deeply ensnared within: Prince Kaelis.

Kaelis, second-born prince of Oricalis and headmaster of Arcana Academy, is the one man she can't escape - maybe she doesn't want to escape. Ruthless, dangerous, and bound to Clara by destiny and desire, Kaelis tests her heart as much as her loyalty. Together, they grow closer to the most powerful secrets of the tarot...and to the truths they both hide that could destroy the passion that they no longer deny.

Hidden in plain sight within Arcana Academy, Clara walks the dagger's edge. Revelations about Oricalis threaten everything she thought she knew, and every choice she makes is the difference between salvation and ruin.

To change the world, Clara must risk everything - her power, her beliefs, and her heart."

Your new Romantasy obsession. 

Henry Tudor Must Die by Jillian Laine
Published by: Berkley
Publication Date: July 21st, 2026
Format: Hardcover, 368 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"One queen exiled. Another headed for the gallows. Both hungry for revenge. England's most infamous queens unite in vengeance against Henry VIII.

Anne Boleyn is going to die, and neither her cleverness nor her witchery can save her. So when her late rival, Catalina de Aragón, miraculously appears in her cell at the Tower of London on the eve of her execution, very much alive and offering a daring escape plan, no one is more surprised than Anne.

Lina doesn't have Anne's magic - but she has just as much hate for England's wretched king. Severed from her daughter and stripped of all her influence, Lina breathes only for the Hellebore Sisterhood, a clandestine and powerful society with a vested interest in keeping both queens alive...and using their particular skills to advance womankind.

Anne and Lina's old rivalries pale in comparison to a common enemy. And they're not alone. Anna von Kleve, Kat Howard, and even Catherine Parr all have their own bones to pick with the king. One by one, they capture their pawns, infiltrating the court and eliminating the men who plotted against them. Always inching closer to their true target...

And they want his head."

I mean, we need more feminist reinterpretations of vengeance on Henry VIII.

Livia by Caitlin C. Gillespie
Published by: Yale University Press
Publication Date: July 21st, 2026
Format: Hardcover, 240 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"A bold new portrait of Livia, ancient Rome's first First Lady, who shaped the empire from behind the throne.

Livia was no ordinary Roman woman. As wife of Augustus and mother of Tiberius - the first and second Roman emperors - she stood at the heart of the first imperial dynasty, wielding extraordinary influence in a world that denied women formal power. In this vivid biography, Caitlin C. Gillespie reclaims Livia (59 or 58 BCE-29 CE) from centuries of scandal and rumored villainy, tracing her journey from elite birth and early traumatic exile through her rise to wealth and influence as the matriarch of the imperial household.

Drawing on literary and archaeological sources, Gillespie explores Livia's inner life through her personal losses, including the death of her son Drusus; her political savvy; and her later life as Julia Augusta, high priestess of Augustus's divine cult. Though she never held an official political position, Livia emerges as a complex figure whose story of ambition, resilience, and maternal power resonates over millennia, captivating audiences from antiquity through today."

But I like thinking of her as having ulterior motives and perhaps a dash of villainy... 

Posted by Miss Eliza at 12:00 AM 0 comments  

Labels: Abbi Waxman, Alexander McCall Smith, Caitlin C. Gillespie, Carol Goodman, Christopher Golden, Elise Kova, H.G. Parry, Imogen Crimp, Jillian Laine, Kelly Rimmer, Lang Leav, Paige Harbison, Sandra Jackson-Opoku, Sarah Lotz

A Deal with the Elf King by Elise Kova
Published by: Del Rey
Publication Date: April 7th, 2026
Format: Paperback, 416 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"Swept away to a magical kingdom, one woman's fate is to be the Elf King's bride...or watch everything she's ever known fall to ruin.

Fall in love with the Elf King in this enchanting installment of the Married to Magic novels - swoonworthy, escapist standalone reads that combine wondrous fantasy worlds with slow-burn romance from the New York Times bestselling author of Arcana Academy.

Luella lives in a quiet village near the border of the land of the humans and the realm of magic, where the townsfolk keep its heavy secret:

The elves come for war or wives.

Once every generation, the Elf King enters Luella's village to take a bride to be his Human Queen, fulfilling a centuries-old treaty that prevents the destruction of humanity itself.

Luella never thought she'd be that woman. Independent, caring, and fiercely devoted to her people, she's content in her quiet life as a humble herbalist. But when the Elf King arrives - icy, proud, and dangerously handsome - he claims her, and everything changes.

Now, Luella finds herself in the Elf King's domain, Midscape: a land filled with wild magic and unexpected beauty. But Midscape is dying, and only Luella can save it.

There's more to Luella than she ever imagined, and more to her fate than she dared dream. As the power of Midscape's Human Queen stirs within her, so does an unexpected passion. The kingdom has found a way into her heart… as has its mysterious Elf King himself.

Luella didn't choose to be the Human Queen. But will she choose to love her new kingdom - and her new husband?

Includes a bonus scene, "Springtime Rites," from Eldas' point of view."

I definitely need something escapist right about now and well, moving to a dying magical realm seems like a viable option at this point.

Burn the Kingdom Down by Addie Thorley
Published by: Sourcebooks Fire
Publication Date: April 7th, 2026
Format: Hardcover, 448 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"An action-packed enemies-to-lovers romantasy filled with a romance that will leave you breathless, betrayals that will rip your heart out, and a princess who will stop at nothing for revenge.

One year ago, Rowenna Harrack, the crown princess of Tashir, left her homeland in a wedding dress of chains - sent away to the enemy nation of Vanzador as a captive bride.

Now, Rowenna is dead. Brought home in a coffin after an alleged fall from a cliff.

Second-born princess, Indira, knows her sister's death was no accident. Desperate for truth and vengeance, Indira agrees to wed the prince so she can infiltrate Vanzador, find Rowenna's murderer, and burn their kingdom to the ground.

Indira's plan is simple, she will make nice until she can find out how to avenge her sister and free her country from the rival nation's stranglehold. But when Indira arrives, nothing is as terrible as Rowenna described. As Indira grows closer to her new husband, Prince Alaric, and uncovers more about Vanzador, the source of its powers, and what happened during Rowenna's final days, she's no longer sure what - and who - to believe. Because everyone, even her sister, has secrets. Deadly ones."

Maybe sometimes a fall from a cliff is just a fall from a cliff...

Year of the Mer by L.D. Lewis
Published by: S and S/Saga Press
Publication Date: April 7th, 2026
Format: Hardcover, 400 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"A dark, bloody epic fantasy reimagining of The Little Mermaid that goes far beyond the fairy tale to explore family legacy, war, and what we will sacrifice for vengeance - the perfect read for fans of The Priory of the Orange Tree and Circe.

The fairy tale mermaid Arielle might have gotten her happily-ever-after, but her granddaughter Yemi is having a much harder time. Her father, the king of Ixia, was assassinated years ago, her mother is slowly dying of a poisoned wound, and she faces whispers and slights from her own people. Yemi has been raised as the shield of the kingdom and is soon to inherit the throne, but she cannot shake her fury at how Ixia has treated her family after all they've sacrificed. Only her patient mother and steadfast personal bodyguard (and fiancée), Nova, help Yemi rein in that fury...most of the time.

When the kingdom's discontented rumblings reach a fever pitch, a coup erupts and Yemi's throne is usurped, stripping her of her family and forcing her into exile. Now, only one being has the power to help her: Ursla.

Like her grandmother before her, Yemi is tempted by a deal with the sea-witch. With powerful and ancient magic behind her, Yemi could avenge her family, take back her throne, and protect the love of her life. But she should know more than anyone that there is always a price. As much as Yemi wants vengeance, Ursla has been waiting a very, very long time for her own - and it may take more fortune than Yemi possesses to keep her from losing everything all over again."

Because the original tale is so much darker than Disney I am ALWAYS here for a dark reimagining of The Little Mermaid. 

The Tricky Business of Faerie Bargains by Reena McCarty
Published by: Orbit
Publication Date: April 7th, 2026
Format: Paperback, 416 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"A former changeling must return to the land of the Fae to right a bargain that's gone terribly wrong in this delightful cozy fantasy debut packed full of charm, adventure, romance and heart.

When Poppy Hill was a child she was stolen from her family's Montana homestead and taken to the land of the fae, where she spent more than a century as a cook in the Wild King's castle. Now back in the human world, she works for a company that brokers fairy bargains, looking for loopholes in their contracts.

Then a bargain that Poppy is negotiating goes disastrously wrong and she has to return to the world she grew up in to try to rectify her mistake, facing danger, intrigue and a pesky ex-boyfriend along the way."

I think fairy bargains would be close to iron clad, but, you know, without the iron.

The Impossible Garden of Clara Thorne by Summer N. England
Published by: Forever
Publication Date: April 7th, 2026
Format: Paperback, 416 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"Love grows in the most unimaginable of places in Summer N. England's sweet and spicy cozy romantasy debut, for fans of The Spellshop and For Whom the Belle Tolls!

Most stories end with a happily ever after. But mine? Well, it begins with one...

After a lonely childhood, Clara Thorne is living out her happy ending as the magically gifted gardener for the town of Moss. Sure, her closest companion is a surly hedgehog, and she's forever stuck on the first line of her novel, but she has a home. That is, until The Goddess chooses Clara for an important quest - travel to the cursed town of Dwindle and grow them a garden. In less than a month.

Only Clara's hiding a terrible secret: her magic doesn't work outside Moss. Worse, The Goddess has assigned the absurdly sexy, annoyingly cheerful Hesper Altanfall to keep her safe. Clara would rather eat thorns than accept help - especially since Hesper insists that Clara's magic is bound to her heart, not her home.

Nevertheless, the two can't help growing closer as they traverse enchanted woods and share tavern beds. But with an ancient evil threatening from the shadows, saving Dwindle will require more than enchanted crops. Clara will need to unearth a magic she's always believed impossible."

Well, home is where the heart is...

The Book Witch by Meg Shaffer
Published by: Ballantine Books
Publication Date: April 7th, 2026
Format: Hardcover, 320 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"She can hop into any novel, but she just can't stay there.

Come along with the Book Witch in this magical and inspiring love letter to reading from the USA Today bestselling author of The Wishing Game.

Rainy March is a proud, third-generation Book Witch, sworn to defend works of fiction from all foes real and imaginary. With her magical umbrella and feline familiar, she jumps in and out of novels to fix malicious alterations and rogue heroes like a modern-day magical Nancy Drew.

Book Witches live by a strict code: Real people belong in the real world; fictional characters belong in works of fiction. Do not eat, drink, or sleep inside a fictional world, lest you become part of the story. Falling in love with a fictional character? Don't even think about it.

Which is why Rainy has been forbidden from seeing the Duke of Chicago, the dashing British detective who stars in her favorite mystery series. If she's ever caught with him again, she'll be expelled from her book coven - and forced to give up the magical gifts that are as much a part of her as her own name.

But when her beloved grandfather disappears and a priceless book is stolen, there's only one person she trusts to help her solve the case: the Duke. Their quest takes them through the worlds of Alice in Wonderland, King Arthur, and other classics that will reveal hidden enemies and long-buried family secrets."

So, books have similar rules to fairy realms, interesting...

Strixhaven: Omens of Chaos by Seanan McGuire
Published by: Random House Worlds
Publication Date: April 7th, 2026
Format: Hardcover, 432 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"Strixhaven University welcomes you. Begin your magical studies on a faraway plane, encountering new friends, mysteries, and dangers, in this fantastical dark academia.

Eula Blue was supposed to be a mage. That was before the war came - before the fight for the Multiverse devastated Eula's home, and with it her hopes for a magical education.

But the destruction of the war also brought something new: the ability to travel to other planes. And when Eula receives an invitation to study magic at a distant school called Strixhaven, she leaps to take it.

Eula's journey brings her closer than she ever thought possible to her fellow students, including the mysterious Segante, a boy whose secrets Eula longs to share. But not everyone is thrilled by the arrival of the new class, and Eula and her new friends quickly become targets.

To make it through their first semester, they'll have to fight for their place in this new world - or else they'll be dead before their final exams."

I love it that Seanan McGuire has made it into the bookish realm of Magic: The Gathering. 

We Call Them Witches by India-Rose Bower
Published by: Poisoned Pen Press
Publication Date: April 7th, 2026
Format: Paperback, 320 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"For fans of The Watchers and T. Kingfisher comes a queer, post-apocalyptic horror following one woman's journey across a merciless wasteland to save her brother and confront the dark truth behind the monsters that ravaged the world - with the help of a woman she's not sure she can trust but can't help falling for.

Nearly everyone died the first night they came...

Two years ago, monstrous beings tore through Britain, leaving few survivors. Now Sara and her family live on the run, relying on scraps of folklore and fading pagan rituals to stay safe from the eldritch creatures they call "witches".

While her mother grows increasingly paranoid, Sara longs for something more than fear.

Then a strange girl appears in the garden of their current camp. Her name is Parsley, and she cannot remember where she came from or why she's there. Despite her family's suspicions, Sara feels drawn to her.

But when Sara's younger brother is taken by the Witches, she and Parsley must cross desolate moors full of merciless terrors to get him back. As their bond deepens, so do the dangers they face - and Sara begins to question whether anything is truly as it seems.

In a world ruled by terror and myth, trust is the only thing more dangerous than the Witches themselves."

Having to rely on folklore to survive is my kind of survival. 

Infinite Shores by Pascale Lacelle
Published by: Margaret K. McElderry Books
Publication Date: April 7th, 2026
Format: Hardcover, 592 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"Ninth House meets The Hazel Wood in this spellbinding conclusion to the New York Times bestselling Drowned Gods Trilogy, a gorgeous dark academia fantasy following a teen mage and her friends on their desperate quest through worlds and time!

Fate cannot be broken - not even by the gods who serve it.

Emory refuses to lose Romie again. Her friend's fate hangs in the balance as the monstrous Clover plans to use her as a sacrifice to steal power from the deity Atheia - and make himself into a proper god. To stop Clover, Emory needs the help of Atheia's dark counterpart, Sidraeus. Yet this enigmatic deity cannot be trusted, and if Emory is to ally with him, she must invoke an ancient magic to keep him tethered to her side.

Meanwhile, in the divine workshop of the god of balance, Baz learns he has a role to play in the coming fight to save the crumbling worlds and their weakening magics. Yet all he can think of is Kai and the gruesome fate that awaits him at Clover's side - a fate, the god tells him, that is beyond even his reach. But Baz is determined to save Kai, even if he has to rewrite time itself.

As chaos reigns and the tides of a corrupted magic threaten to consume all, Emory and Baz must contend with mercurial gods, vengeful deities, and those hell-bent on eradicating Eclipse magic to save the people they love - and write an ending to their stories that defies fate itself."

Dark academia is my catnip. 

The Museum of Unusual Occurrence by Erica Wright
Published by: Severn House
Publication Date: April 7th, 2026
Format: Hardcover, 240 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"Welcome to the Museum of Unusual Occurrence - a place full of strange exhibits and even stranger murders. The first in the new Psychic City mystery series by talented author Erica Wright.

"Every small town thinks it's special - That might be true, but this one actually is."

Rational and cynical Aly Orlean's life in her psychic hometown of Wyndale, Florida couldn't be more hectic. It's all about running her business, raising a teenage sister, sending out holiday greetings - and her new task: finding a killer.

For her Museum of Unusual Occurrence not only houses odd curiosities but now has a brand-new display: The body of Rose Dempsey, a local twenty-year-old, set up in one of the exhibits as if she has been ritually sacrificed.

With the police clueless, Aly is worried that this is a vicious warning for her and her solitary way of life. Fearing for her sister Merope's well-being, she's determined to find out why the killer murdered Rose and how her body was placed in Aly's museum...But might the killer be someone hiding in plain sight?

Karen Russell's Swamplandia! meets Ruth Ware's The Death of Mrs. Westaway in this "suspenseful mystery populated with winning characters" (Booklist on Famous in Cedarville)."

Very much intrigued by how this is like Ruth Ware... 

Bodies of Work by Clay McLeod Chapman
Published by: Titan Books
Publication Date: April 7th, 2026
Format: Hardcover, 176 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"A murderous artist is haunted by the spirits of those he has killed in this surreal and chilling supernatural revenge novella.

From the acclaimed author of Ghost Eaters, and perfect for fans of Joe Hill and Delilah S. Dawson.

At sixty-six years old, Winston Kemper has always been a nonentity. No one notices him. His simple existence barely registers for those who come into contact with him. Some call him feeble-minded. He is a janitor at the local church, a groundskeeper by default, and that's it. No friends, no family. When he's done with work, he returns home - a remote, single room apartment located above a garage - and that is where his true work begins.

Winston Kemper is a collector of voices, and his magnum opus - The Butterfly Girls - is a sprawling epic of untapped imagination. It has no single canvas, no particular frame. It is everywhere - scribbled on the walls, the floor, and countless notebooks.

Winston is creating a fantasia which exists in words, images and blood. As part of his 'art' he has been murdering forgotten women. Poor souls who slip through the cracks of society, who no one's looking for. Mothers, sisters, daughters to someone, but no more.

Winston takes their lives, their voices.

But now he can hear them. They whisper to him. They talk of revenge.

Winston Kemper might not believe in ghosts, but he is about to learn they are very real. And they are very, very angry.

A surreal and dreamlike novella about the ghosts of our past and the dangerous, obsessive pursuit of art, from the "true master of horror." (CJ Leede, Maeve Fly)"

So, this novella tells us that yes, neighbors who keep themselves to themselves could be killers.

The Boatman by Alex Grecian
Published by: Bad Hand Books
Publication Date: April 7th, 2026
Format: Paperback, 150 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"HE WILL FOLLOW YOU TO THE ENDS OF THE EARTH.

Shortly after cruise ship the Maria Calypso embarks on its latest voyage, the passengers and crew notice someone in pursuit: An elegant figure wearing a white suit who somehow keeps pace in his rowboat.

No matter how hard the crew pushes the engines, they can't escape The Boatman...and it isn't long before sinister and mysterious events begin to unfold on the Maria Calypso.

What will it cost to learn the true nature of the man who hunts them - and will the price to keep on living prove to be too dear?"

Well, they aren't going to escape The Boatman, that's for sure. So turn and face your possible enemy.

Ellen Poe: The Forgotten Lore by Diana Peterfreund
Published by: Running Press Kids
Publication Date: April 7th, 2026
Format: Paperback, 304 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"The first book in an exciting YA series about a teen girl, descended from Edgar Allan Poe, who must navigate the haunting legacy of her ancestor while learning to harness her own strength and intelligence, especially as she begins to commune with the dead.

What happens when your tell-tale nightmares turn into reality and the ghost of Edgar Allan Poe won't seem to let you alone? For as long as she can remember, sixteen-year-old Ellen Poe's family has claimed to be long-lost descendants of Edgar Allan Poe. But when she moves in with her aunt in a Poe-themed B and B, the nightmares that have always haunted her begin bleeding into Ellen's waking hours. When she stumbles upon a journal in the house, none other than Edgar Allan Poe himself begins visiting her. Has the journal somehow released his ghost? And what does he want with Ellen? Through secret messages in his writings, she learns that the two share the same psychic ability to interact with spirits - which is what ultimately drove him mad.

This thrilling series for young adult readers follows Ellen on her quest to learn more about her abilities, the afterlife, and the clues Poe has left for her (ciphers and cryptograms galore), in an effort to not suffer his same fate."

Or, could Edgar be looking for a new wife from beyond the grave? He did marry his thirteen year old first cousin...

The Unruly Heart of Miss Darcy by Erin Edwards
Published by: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers
Publication Date: April 7th, 2026
Format: Hardcover, 336 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"Mr. Darcy got his happily ever after in Pride and Prejudice, and now it's his sister's turn in this swoony queer romance, perfect for fans of Bridgerton.

Georgiana Darcy has only ever kissed one girl before, and the resulting blackmail almost ruined her reputation. Since then, she's carefully calibrated her life to be as quiet as possible, focusing on books and music. She certainly isn't planning on falling in love with another girl. But then she meets Kitty Bennet, and everything is thrown off kilter.

After a moonlit kiss shifts their newfound friendship into something more, Georgiana follows Kitty to the Bennets' home. The visit proves ill-timed when she encounters the one man who knows her secret and threatened her with it before. Terrified of testing the limits of her family's love and of putting Kitty in danger, Georgiana doesn't know if there's any chance of a happy ending.

Every etiquette guide she's ever read makes it clear that if she wants to protect her family name, Georgiana must pretend her heart follows society's accepted rhythm. Unless, with a little help from those who understand how it feels, she can compose the future she and Kitty both deserve."

Depends on the Bridgerton fan, because a LOT of people are mad about the genderbend in the show. Personally, I don't get what they're mad about.

The Paris Match by Kate Clayborn
Published by: Berkley
Publication Date: April 7th, 2026
Format: Paperback, 464 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"A woman tests the limits of her so-called amicable divorce when she flies to Paris for the destination wedding of her former sister-in-law, only to butt heads with the deliciously gruff best man, in a poignant and romantic novel from Kate Clayborn.

Physician Layla Bailey has spent over a year telling herself she's moved on from a painful but amicable divorce from her college sweetheart. Staying friends with her ex seemed like the mature thing to do, but when Layla is invited to her former sister-in-law's destination wedding in Paris - where Layla once spent her own romantic honeymoon - she knows her commitment to maturity might be her worst enemy…especially since her ex isn't attending alone.

The only thing that could make the week more difficult is getting through it without the distraction of the wedding.... But when what Layla thought was a harmless conversation about the choices of her younger self leads to the bride getting cold feet, Layla finds herself facing down the groom's mysterious, taciturn best man, Griffin, who will do anything to make sure this wedding happens.

Since she broke it, Griff demands she help him fix it. Going along with his plan to alleviate the engaged couple's doubts seems like Layla's best chance at maintaining a good relationship with a family she once called her own. But as she learns more about the past heartbreak that's driving Griff to help his friend, she gets closer and closer to confronting the true depth of her own pain…while finding herself more and more willing to risk it all again for Griff."

Destination weddings are such a scam.

The Subtle Art of Folding Space by John Chu
Published by: Tor Books
Publication Date: April 7th, 2026
Format: Hardcover, 240 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"The Subtle Art of Folding Space, is the exhilarating debut science fiction novel from Nebula and Hugo Award-winning author John Chu channels unhinged physics, generational trauma, and the comfort of really good dim sum. This isn't your usual jaunt through quantum physics.

Ellie's universe - and this one - is falling apart. Her ailing mother is in a coma; her sister, Chris, accuses her of being insufficiently Chinese between assassination attempts; and a shadowy cabal of engineers is trying to hijack the skunkworks, the machinery that keeps the physics of each universe working the way it's supposed to.

Daniel, Ellie's cousin, has found an illicit device in the skunkworks - one that keeps Ellie's comatose mother alive while also creating destabilizing bugs in the physics of this universe. It's not a good day.

If she can confront her mother's legacy and overcome her family's generational trauma, she just might find a way to preserve the skunkworks and reconcile with her sister...but digging into her family's past is thornier than it seems, and the secrets she uncovers will force Ellie to choose between her family and the universe itself."

If you haven't heard about the buzz around this book I think you must be living under a rock or dealing with your generational trauma. Read this to help deal with the trauma, not the whole hermit lifestyle.

The Edge of Darkness by Vaseem Khan
Published by: Hodder and Stoughton
Publication Date: April 7th, 2026
Format: Hardcover, 336 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"India, 1951. After wilfully ignoring orders, Persis Wadia, India's first female police detective, is exiled from Bombay to the wild and mountainous Naga Hills District. As India's first post-Independence election looms, and tensions rise across the country, Persis finds herself banished to the Hotel Victoria, a crumbling colonial-era relic, her career in tatters.

But when a prominent politician is murdered in his locked room at the Victoria, his head missing, she is thrust back into the fray. Is the murderer one of the foreigners staying at the hotel or an insurgent from the surrounding jungle? As the political situation threatens to explode, Persis has only days to stop a killer operating at the very edge of darkness...

The sixth rip-roaring thriller in the award-winning Malabar House series and a perfect entry point for new readers."

I love a good locked room mystery with a missing head. And yes, I've read one before.

The Escape Game by Marissa Meyer and Tamara Moss
Published by: G.P. Putnam's Sons Books for Young Readers
Publication Date: April 7th, 2026
Format: Hardcover, 416 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"An unforgettable YA murder mystery set in an escape-room themed game show, by Marissa Meyer, #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Lunar Chronicles, and Tamara Moss, rising star and acclaimed author of Lintang series.

It's all fun and games until someone ends up dead.

Six months ago, season four of The Escape Game ended in horror when contestant Alicia Angelos was found murdered on set.

Now season five is underway, and new contestants are ready to put their skills to the test solving the show's trickiest escape rooms. There's Adi, the cryptographer; Carter, the math whiz; Beck, the wannabe game master; and...Sierra Angelos, the girl who got away with her sister's murder. Or so everyone believes.

But Sierra's not just here to win. She's here for justice.

When the contestants begin uncovering clues that hint at the identity of Alicia's true killer, it becomes clear that the stakes aren't high in this competition, they're deadly. If these teens want to win - and survive - the game, they must solve the biggest mystery of all: who killed Alicia Angelos?

From #1 New York Times bestselling author Marissa Meyer and rising star Tamara Moss comes a twisty thrill-ride, filled with sabotage, betrayal, and puzzles to die for."

Finally, a game themed book with actual stakes! All thanks to the glorious Marissa Meyer! 

The Ending Writes Itself by Evelyn Clarke
Published by: Harper
Publication Date: April 7th, 2026
Format: Hardcover, 352 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"A PROPULSIVE DEBUT MYSTERY FROM EVELYN CLARKE, THE BRILLIANT AND DIABOLICAL CREATION OF CAT CLARKE AND V.E. SCHWAB.

Six authors.
One private island.
Seventy-two hours to write the ending that will change their lives.

Arthur Fletch, one of the world's bestselling novelists, is a reclusive genius known for his iconic protagonists and fiendish twists. When six struggling authors are invited to spend a weekend on his private Scottish island, they arrive to discover a shocking secret: Arthur Fletch is dead...and his last book is unfinished.

Desperate to publish the novel, Fletch's agent and editor have summoned these writers in the hope that one of them will imagine a worthy ending for this final book. To sweeten the deal, they are offering an irresistible prize: in addition to ghost-writing the last chapter - for a mind-boggling sum - they will also help the lucky writer successfully re-launch their own career, guaranteeing future bestsellers. The catch: the writers have just seventy-two hours to finish Fletch's magnum opus.

It's the perfect plot. All it needs is a killer ending."

The collaboration everyone is talking about!

A Cruise to Die For by Heather Graham
Published by: Mira Books
Publication Date: April 7th, 2026
Format: Hardcover, 336 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"Special agents face deadly, uncharted waters in this tense romantic thriller from New York Times bestselling author Heather Graham.

Special Agent Chloe McMurray has been asked to do many things in the name of her job. Going undercover on a cruise ship leaving from her home port of Miami, however, is a new one. Not only that, but she's tasked with posing as the wife of her federal counterpart, Special Agent Wesley Law.

Their investigation? A string of murders and suicides across three states that seem unrelated, until they uncover a deadly technological connection. Every victim was an expert in technology and had some connection to Milestones, a megacorporation with ties to many industries...including the cruise industry.

Chloe and Wesley must successfully go undercover as tech employees on the ship hosting the ten-year anniversary of the Milestones cruise company. A tough ask when the two have never met before. They'll infiltrate the technology events, investigate their fellow passengers and try to uncover what's really going on.

However, danger is never far behind. Their killer can use tech to do the job without lifting a finger, and at sea, there's no escape if their covers are blown."

I love killers on cruise ships because it's just a bigger venue for a locked room mystery.

Now I See Spring by Mac Barnett and Jon Klassen
Published by: Tundra Books
Publication Date: April 7th, 2026
Format: Board Book, 24 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"From multi-award winning, New York Times bestselling duo Mac Barnett and Jon Klassen, Now I See Spring is one in a unique quartet of board books that playfully shows the changing seasons from a kid's point of view.

the house / the tree / the garden / me

Sparse and rhythmic text invites readers to explore a rural setting through different seasons, gently introducing everyday words. Envisioned as a set that also can be read as standalone books, each of the four volumes in this eye-catching series has identical text but different images that reflect the time of year. In spring, the tree's leaves are budding, rain falls from the sky, a sweet treat is a cookie and the perfect hat is a yellow one that keeps you dry. Now I See Spring celebrates all the wonderful things about the season through a child’s eyes - and shows why it’s their favorite time of year."

These books are beyond delightful.

Now I See Summer by Mac Barnett and Jon Klassen
Published by: Tundra Books
Publication Date: April 7th, 2026
Format: Board Book, 24 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"From multi-award winning, New York Times bestselling duo Mac Barnett and Jon Klassen, Now I See Summer is one in a unique quartet of board books that playfully shows the changing seasons from a kid's point of view.

the house / the tree / the garden / me

Sparse and rhythmic text invites readers to explore a rural setting through different seasons, gently introducing everyday words. Envisioned as a set that also can be read as standalone books, each of the four volumes in this eye-catching series has identical text but different images that reflect the time of year. In spring, the tree's leaves are budding, rain falls from the sky, a sweet treat is a cookie and the perfect hat is a yellow one that keeps you dry. Now I See Summer celebrates all the wonderful things about the season through a child’s eyes - and shows why it’s their favorite time of year."

They are a meditation on the seasons. 

Now I See Fall by Mac Barnett and Jon Klassen
Published by: Tundra Books
Publication Date: April 7th, 2026
Format: Board Book, 24 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"From multi-award winning, New York Times bestselling duo Mac Barnett and Jon Klassen, Now I See Fall is one in a unique quartet of board books that playfully shows the changing seasons from a kid's point of view.

the house / the tree / the garden / me

Sparse and rhythmic text invites readers to explore a rural setting through different seasons, gently introducing everyday words. Envisioned as a set that also can be read as standalone books, each of the four volumes in this eye-catching series has identical text but different images that reflect the time of year. In spring, the tree's leaves are budding, rain falls from the sky, a sweet treat is a cookie and the perfect hat is a yellow one that keeps you dry. Now I See Fall celebrates all the wonderful things about the season through a child’s eyes - and shows why it’s their favorite time of year."

As seen through the eyes of a child.

Now I See Winter by Mac Barnett and Jon Klassen
Published by: Tundra Books
Publication Date: April 7th, 2026
Format: Board Book, 24 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"From multi-award winning, New York Times bestselling duo Mac Barnett and Jon Klassen, Now I See Winter is one in a unique quartet of board books that playfully shows the changing seasons from a kid's point of view.

the house / the tree / the garden / me

Sparse and rhythmic text invites readers to explore a rural setting through different seasons, gently introducing everyday words. Envisioned as a set that also can be read as standalone books, each of the four volumes in this eye-catching series has identical text but different images that reflect the time of year. In spring, the tree's leaves are budding, rain falls from the sky, a sweet treat is a cookie and the perfect hat is a yellow one that keeps you dry. Now I See Winter celebrates all the wonderful things about the season through a child’s eyes - and shows why it’s their favorite time of year."

Showing you the wonder and love all year long.

Posted by Miss Eliza at 12:00 AM 0 comments  

Labels: Addie Thorley, Alex Grecian, Cat Clarke, Elise Kova, Evelyn Clarke, Heather Graham, Jon Klassen, Kate Clayborn, Mac Barnett, Marissa Meyer, Meg Shaffer, Pascale Lacelle, Seanan McGuire, Tamara Moss, V.E. Schwab, Vaseem Khan