strange and random happenstance

The Christmas Guest by Peter Swanson
Published by: William Morrow and Company
Publication Date: October 17th, 2023
Format: Hardcover, 112 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"New York Times bestselling author Peter Swanson pens a spectacularly spine-chilling novella in which an American art student in London is invited to join a classmate for the holidays at Starvewood Hall, her family's Cotswold manor house. But behind the holly and pine boughs, secrets are about to unravel, revealing this seemingly charming English village's grim history.

Ashley Smith, an American art student in London for her junior year, was planning on spending Christmas alone, but a last-minute invitation from fellow student Emma Chapman brings her to Starvewood Hall, country residence of the Chapman family. The Cotswold manor house, festooned in pine boughs and crammed with guests for Christmas week, is a dream come true for Ashley. She is mesmerized by the cozy, firelit house, the large family, and the charming village of Clevemoor, but also by Adam Chapman, Emma's aloof and handsome brother.

But Adam is being investigated by the local police over the recent brutal slaying of a girl from the village, and there is a mysterious stranger who haunts the woodland path between Starvewood Hall and the local pub. Ashley begins to wonder what kind of story she is actually inhabiting. Is she in a grand romance? A Gothic tale? Or has she wandered into something far more sinister and terrifying than she'd ever imagined?

Over thirty years later the events of that horrific week are revisited, along with a diary from that time. What began in a small English village in 1989 reaches its ghostly conclusion in modern-day New York, many Christmas seasons later."

THIS, THIS is THE BOOK I can't wait to read this holiday season.

The Winter Spirits by Bridget Collins, Imogen Hermes Gowar, Natasha Pulley, Jess Kidd, Andrew Michael Hurley, Elizabeth Macneal, Laura Purcell, Kiran Millwood Hargrave, Stuart Turton, Catriona Ward, Laura Shepherd-Robinson, Susan Stokes-Chapman
Published by: Sphere
Publication Date: October 17th, 2023
Format: Kindle, 464 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"From the creators of The Haunting Season comes a dazzling collection of never-before-seen ghostly tales.

Featuring new and original stories from:

Bridget Collins, author of The Binding
Imogen Hermes Gowar, author of The Mermaid and Mrs Hancock
Kiran Millwood Hargrave, author of The Mercies
Andrew Michael Hurley, author of The Loney
Jess Kidd, author of Things in Jars
Natasha Pulley, author of The Watchmaker of Filigree Street
Elizabeth Macneal, author of The Doll Factory
Laura Purcell, author of The Silent Companions
Susan Stokes Chapman, author of Pandora
Laura Shepherd-Robinson, author of The Square of Sevens
Stuart Turton, author of The Seven Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle
Catriona Ward, author of The Last House on Needless Street

The tradition of a haunted tale at Christmas has flourished across the centuries. These twelve stories - authored by some of today's most loved and lauded writers of historical and Gothic fiction - are all centred around Christmas or Advent, boldly and playfully re-imagining a beloved tradition for a modern audience.

Taking you from a haunted Tuscan villa to a remote Scottish island with a dark secret, these vibrant haunted stories are your ultimate companion for frosty nights.

So curl up, light a candle, and fall under the spell of winters past..."

The only real mystery here is why am I not getting a hardcover release in the US!?!

Terror in Topaz by A.M. Stuart
Published by: Oportet Publishing
Publication Date: October 17th, 2023
Format: Kindle
To Buy

The official patter:
"The final episode in the riveting Harriet Gordon Mysteries.

The chance to pursue a new opportunity takes Harriet and her brother Julian, to Kuala Lumpur, but death is waiting...

Singapore 1910: Harriet Gordon has been dismissed from the job she loved and finds herself cast adrift. When her brother receives an invitation to visit a prestigious school in Kuala Lumpur, she and Julian decide to leave Singapore behind for a few days, but their pleasant visit takes a dark turn when a visitor to the school is shot dead on the front steps of the headmaster's bungalow.

After being suspended from the Straits Settlements Police, Inspector Robert Curran has disappeared on a personal quest to find a missing girl but his suspension is not all it appears and he receives secretive orders to investigate the mysterious Topaz Club, which seems to be at the centre of high level corruption within the colonial government of Malaya.

The uninvestigated death of a woman with links to the Topaz Club, brings Harriet and Curran together in a determination to shut down the notorious establishment for good.

But a devious criminal stands in the way and it is going to take Harriet and Curran all their resources to bring justice for the victims of the Topaz Club and in doing so, find what it is they have been looking for in each other."

Not the end for Harriet Gordon!?!

The Best American Mystery and Suspense 2023 edited by Lisa Unger
Published by: Mariner Books
Publication Date: October 17th, 2023
Format: Paperback, 400 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
""This form has a special kind of magic, the ability to transport you quickly, intensely, to capture character, time, place, and story with immediacy," writes guest editor Lisa Unger in her introduction. The transporting stories in this year's The Best American Mystery and Suspense are populated by those who exist on the fringe of our society and want more than what life has dealt them: A haunted veteran turned career criminal is on the run. An injured fighter turned bouncer seeks vengeance for his lost love. An assassin on his last job finds himself questioning his life choices and breaks all the rules to understand his final victim. By turns thrilling and enlightening, each story, according to Unger, "will have you holding your breath, flipping the pages, will leave you thinking about people and why they do the dark, dangerous, frightening things that they do."

The Best American Mystery and Suspense 2023 includes Ashley-Ruth M. Bernier, William Boyle, S.A. Cosby, Jacqueline Freimor, James A. Hearn, Ladee Hubbard, A.J. Jacono, Adam Meyer, Silvia Moreno--Garcia, Walter Mosley, Leigh Newman, Joyce Carol Oates, Margaret Randall, Annie Reed, Anthony Neil Smith, Faye Snowden, Jervey Tervalon, Joseph S. Walker ,Thaai Walker, and Jess Walter"

I'm usually not a person for "best of" anything, but I saw the editor, so I took a look, and damn, this is a stack roster of authors!

Lay Them to Rest by Laurah Norton
Published by: Hachette Books
Publication Date: October 17th, 2023
Format: Hardcover, 352 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"Take a fascinating deep dive into the dark world of forensic science as experts team up to solve the identity of an unknown woman by exploring the rapidly evolving techniques being used to break the most notorious cold cases.

Fans of true crime shows like CSI, NCIS, Criminal Minds, and Law and Order know that when it comes to "getting the bad guy" behind bars, your best chance of success boils down to the strength of your evidence - and the forensic science used to obtain it. Beyond the silver screen, forensic science has been used for decades to help solve even the most tough-to-crack cases. In 2018, the accused Golden State Killer, Joseph DeAngelo, was finally apprehended after a decades-long investigation thanks to a very recent technique called forensic genealogy, which has since led to the closure of hundreds of cold cases, bringing long-awaited justice to victims and families alike. But when it comes to solving these incredibly difficult cases, forensic genealogy is just the tip of the iceberg - and many readers have no idea just how far down that iceberg goes.

For Laurah Norton, forensic science was always more of a passion than anything else. But after learning about a mishandled 1990s cold case involving missing twins, she was spurred to action, eventually creating a massively popular podcast and building a platform that helped bring widespread attention and resources to the case. Lay Them to Rest builds on Laurah's fascination with these investigations, introducing readers to the history and evolution of forensic science, from the death masks used in Ancient Rome to the 3-D facial reconstruction technology used today. Incorporating the stories of real-life John and Jane Does from around the world, Laurah also examines how changing identification methods have helped solve the most iconic cold cases. Along the way readers will also get to see Laurah solve a case in real time with forensic anthropologist Dr. Amy Michael, as they try to determine the identity of "Ina" Jane Doe, a woman whose head was found in a brush in an Illinois park in 1993.

More than just a chronicle of the history of forensics, Lay Them to Rest is also a celebration of the growing field of experts, forensic artists, and anthropologists (many of whom Laurah talks to in the book), who work tirelessly to bring closure to these unsolved cases. And of course, this book asks why some cases go unsolved, highlighting the "missing missing," the sex workers, undocumented, the cases that so desperately need our attention, but so rarely get it.

Engrossing, informative, heartbreaking, and hopeful, Lay Them to Rest is a deep dive into the world of forensic science, showing readers how far we've come in cracking cases and catching killers, and illuminating just how far we have yet to go."

Because I am forensic and cold case obsessed.

Hazardous Spirits by Anbara Salam
Published by: Tin House Books
Publication Date: October 17th, 2023
Format: Paperback, 368 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"In 1920s Edinburgh, Scotland, Evelyn Hazard is a young, middle-class housewife living the life she's always expected - until her husband, Robert, upends everything with a startling announcement: he can communicate with the dead.

The couple is pulled into the spiritualist movement - a religious society of mediums and psychics that emerged following the mass deaths of the Spanish flu and First World War - and Evelyn's carefully composed world begins to unravel. And when long-held secrets from her past threaten to come to the surface, presenting her with the prospect of losing all she holds dear, Evelyn finds herself unable to avoid the question: is the man she loves a fraud, a madman, or - most frighteningly - is he telling the truth?

Cloaked in the moody, beguiling backdrop of twentieth-century Scotland, Anbara Salam's Hazardous Spirits brings a sparkling sense of period detail and dry humor to the life of a young woman whose world is unsettled by mediums and spirits, revealing the devastating secrets that ghosts from the past can tell when given the voice to do so."

Oh, ghosts ratting out your crimes? That's fabulous!

All That Consumes Us by Erica Waters
Published by: Harperteen
Publication Date: October 17th, 2023
Format: Hardcover, 416 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"Ninth House meets The Dead and the Dark in this Gothic dark academia novel that delves into the human capacity for great love, great art, and great evil.

Magni animi numquam moriuntur. Great minds never die.

The students in Corbin College's elite academic society, Magni Viri, have it all - free tuition, inspirational professors, and dream jobs once they graduate. When first-gen college student Tara is offered a chance to enroll, she doesn't hesitate.

Except once she's settled into the gorgeous Victorian dormitory, something strange starts to happen. She's finally writing, but her stories are dark and twisted. Her dreams feel as if they could bury her alive. An unseen presence seems to stalk her through the halls.

And a chilling secret awaits Tara at the heart of Magni Viri - one that just might turn her nightmares into reality; one that might destroy her before she has a chance to escape.

All That Consumes Us will pull readers into a hypnotizing, dark reverie that blurs the lines of reality and shows that the addictive nature of ambition - and its inevitable price - always claims its due."

Yes yes, just the right time of year to delve into some dark academia.

Losing Spring by V.C. Andrews
Published by: Gallery Books
Publication Date: October 17th, 2023
Format: Hardcover, 288 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"This atmospheric and moving novel from the #1 New York Times bestselling author of the Flowers in the Attic and Landry series - now popular Lifetime movies - combines a forbidden romance with a family fortune and a young girl in peril.

Caroline Brady is the daughter of a very conservative TSA agent and former military brat, Morgan Brady. Her mother, Linsey Brady, is a descendent of the Sutherland real estate family. Their organized, suburban life in Colonie, New York is rigorously regulated and leaves little room for deviation from the norm.

When Linsey, Morgan, and Caroline attend the wake of their neighbor Mr. Gleeson, they meet his charming daughter Natalie "Nattie" Gleeson, who works for the American ambassador to France. Linsey and Nattie strike up a fast friendship as women of a similar age in very different places in their lives - Linsey a devoted mother and housewife, and Nattie an international diplomat living an independent and freewheeling life. Their friendship soon evolves into a romance, leading to the collapse of Linsey's marriage and her disinheritance from the Sutherland family fortune. In true V.C. Andrews fashion, a whirlwind of unexpected death, family estrangement, and a forbidden inheritance become Caroline's new reality as she struggles to navigate the loss of her mother, the mind-boggling wealth of the Sutherland family (who quickly lock her away from the world), and the loss of contact with her father following the divorce."

Ah yes, all the V.C. Andrews tropes we can't get enough of!

The House of Doors by Tan Twan Eng
Published by: Bloomsbury Publishing
Publication Date: October 17th, 2023
Format: Hardcover, 320 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"From the bestselling author of The Garden of Evening Mists, a spellbinding novel about love and betrayal, colonialism and revolution, storytelling and redemption.

The year is 1921. Lesley Hamlyn and her husband, Robert, a lawyer and war veteran, are living at Cassowary House on the Straits Settlement of Penang. When "Willie" Somerset Maugham, a famed writer and old friend of Robert's, arrives for an extended visit with his secretary Gerald, the pair threatens a rift that could alter more lives than one.

Maugham, one of the great novelists of his day, is beleaguered: Having long hidden his homosexuality, his unhappy and expensive marriage of convenience becomes unbearable after he loses his savings - and the freedom to travel with Gerald. His career deflating, his health failing, Maugham arrives at Cassowary House in desperate need of a subject for his next book. Lesley, too, is enduring a marriage more duplicitous than it first appears. Maugham suspects an affair, and, learning of Lesley's past connection to the Chinese revolutionary, Dr. Sun Yat Sen, decides to probe deeper. But as their friendship grows and Lesley confides in him about life in the Straits, Maugham discovers a far more surprising tale than he imagined, one that involves not only war and scandal but the trial of an Englishwoman charged with murder. It is, to Maugham, a story worthy of fiction.

A mesmerizingly beautiful novel based on real events, The House of Doors traces the fault lines of race, gender, sexuality, and power under empire, and dives deep into the complicated nature of love and friendship in its shadow."

Oh yes, I love historical fiction with authors, hello Somerset Maugham!

Let the Dead Bury the Dead by Allison Epstein
Published by: Doubleday Books
Publication Date: October 17th, 2023
Format: Hardcover, 368 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"An urgent, immersive alternate history set in an imperial Russia on the brink of disaster, following a surprising cast of characters seeking a better future as Saint Petersburg struggles in the wake of Napoleon's failed invasion.

Saint Petersburg, 1812. Russian forces have defeated Napoleon at great cost, and the tsar's empire is once again at peace. Sasha, a captain in the imperial army, returns home to Grand Duke Felix, the disgraced second son of the tsar and his irrepressibly charming lover, but their reunion is quickly interrupted by the arrival of Sofia, a mysteriously persuasive figure whose disruptive presence Sasha suspects to be something more than human. Felix, insisting that Sasha's old-fashioned superstitions are misplaced, takes Sofia into his confidence - a connection that quickly becomes both personal and political. On her incendiary advice, Felix confronts his father about the brutal conditions of the common people in the aftermath of the war, to disastrous results, separating him from Sasha and setting him on a collision course with a vocal group of dissidents: the Koalitsiya.

Meanwhile, the Koalitsiya plan to gridlock Saint Petersburg with a citywide strike in hopes of awakening the upper classes to the grim circumstances of the laboring people. Marya, a resourceful sometimes-thief and trusted lieutenant of the Koalitsiya, also falls under Sofia's spell and, allied with Felix and her fellow revolutionaries, she finds herself in the middle of a battle she could never have predicted. As Sofia's influence grows and rising tensions threaten the tsar's peace, Sasha, Felix, and Marya are forced to choose between the ideals they hold close and the people they love.

Allison Epstein combines cleverly constructed plot with unforgettable characters in this exuberant historical page-turner, intercut with fractured retellings of traditional Eastern European folk stories that are equal parts deadly dark and slyly illuminating. Vividly written and emotionally intense, Let the Dead Bury the Dead reminds us that the concerns of the past aren't quite as far behind us as we like to believe."

There's a The Master and Margarita vibe here.

Kakistocracy by Alex Shvartsman
Published by: CAEZIK SF and Fantasy
Publication Date: October 17th, 2023
Format: Paperback, 240 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"If you do it well, lying is every bit as effective as magic.

Conrad Brent has no innate magic, so he bluffs a lot and uses a myriad of magical items to protect Brooklyn from monsters and arcane threats. As a member of the Watch, the group that protects the mundane humans from such dangers, he risks his life on a regular basis. Sometimes twice before lunch. Sometimes during lunch, when he dares order his food from a street cart.

After regaining his position in the Watch which he'd temporarily lost due to the machinations of a variety of evil-doers, Conrad doesn't want to take any risks he doesn't have to. But now his boss is missing, there's a totalitarian new regime in City Hall oppressing all magic users, and the mayor has aligned himself with a diabolical villain.

In order to save the day, Conrad must team up with a recovering necromancer to mediate a dispute between two ancient enemy factions, solve a mystery of a warded house adjacent to a cemetery, and stand with his friends against tyranny.

That is, if the interdimensional fae assassins don't get him first."

If Jane Espenson recommends something I listen. Also I totally want to know how you become a "recovering" necromancer.

The Little Red Wolf by Amélie Fléchais
Published by: Oni Press
Publication Date: October 17th, 2023
Format: Paperback, 80 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"An enchanting retelling of the Charles Perrault classic tale Little Red Riding Hood.

Once upon a time there was a little red wolf who lived in a treehouse in a thick and mysterious forest. The young wolf sets out on a journey to bring his grandmother a rabbit when he is charmed by a nice little girl who offers to help him. But nice is not the same as good.

Lose yourself in the dark forests of Amélie Fléchais' spectacular artwork in The Little Red Wolf, a gorgeously illustrated tale that turns the classic story of Little Red Riding Hood on its head."

I want to move into the illustrations in this book, they are that charming.

The Little Books of the Little Brontes by Sara O'Leary and Briony May Smith
Published by: Tundra Books (NY)
Publication Date: October 17th, 2023
Format: Hardcover, 40 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"The inspiring true tale of young siblings who loved to make stories - and grew up to be among English literature's finest writers. A picture book for fans of Mary Who Wrote Frankenstein.

Many years ago, the four motherless children of the Brontë family - Charlotte, Branwell, Emily and Anne - lived in a windswept house by the moors with their father. Although their lives were often filled with sadness and their world was only as large as the distance they could walk, their INNER worlds were bound only by their imaginations. Hungry for stories, these children devoured novels and poetry, history and fables. And with the gift of a group of toy soldiers, they were inspired to make their own stories, and their own tiny books...a passion that would last them a lifetime.

A moving and atmospheric story about the power of imagination, the joy of storytelling and the love of books, The Little Books of the Little Brontës will enchant both those who love these literary sisters and those who are learning about them for the first time. Includes an author's note, timeline of the Brontës' lives and a fun craft with instructions on creating your own little book."

Angria! Though I will point out that the timeline of their lives is a bit bleak to first time readers.

Peaky Blinders: The Official Visual Companion by Jamie Glazebrook
Published by: White Lion Publishing
Publication Date: October 17th, 2023
Format: Hardcover, 3176 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"A must have for fans and aficianados.

This beautiful slipcase book is the official visual companion to Peaky Blinders, showcasing the specially commissioned photographs of characters, locations, sets, props and events taken throughout its creation. From the backstreets of Small Heath, Charlie Strong's Yard and the Garrison, to Arrow House, the House of Commons and the beaches of Margate, each image highlights the programme's glorious cinematography, attention to detail and character evolution over the course of six scintillating seasons.

Since it first swaggered onto our screens in 2013, stylish period crime saga Peaky Blinders has become a cultural phenomenon. A must-have for fans and aficionados, this book celebrates the award-winning series which took the world by storm and set new standards in television production."

I really can't believe it's been ten years!

Posted by Miss Eliza at 12:00 AM 0 comments  

Labels: A.M. Stuart, Alex Shvartsman, Allison Epstein, Amélie Fléchais, Anbara Salam, Briony May Smith, Erica Waters, Laurah Norton, Lisa Unger, Peaky Blinders, Peter Swanson, Sara O'Leary, Tan Twan Eng, V.C. Andrews

Secrets of the Nile by Tasha Alexander
Published by: Minotaur Books
Publication Date: October 4th, 2022
Format: Hardcover, 320 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"In a brilliant homage to Agatha Christie, critically acclaimed author Tasha Alexander sends Lady Emily to Egypt during British colonial rule to investigate a crime that leads back to the era of the Pharaohs.

In Secrets of the Nile, Lady Emily and her husband, Colin Hargreaves, have joined his formidable mother on a holiday to visit the exotic treasures of Egypt. Their host, Lord Bertram Deeley, is a renowned amateur British collector of antiquities, who has invited his closest friends on a lavish cruise up the Nile to his home at Luxor. But on the first night of their journey, he suddenly collapses after offering a welcome toast, a victim of the lethal poison cyanide. Who amongst this group of his nearest and dearest would want to kill their generous host?

Emily and Colin's investigation soon reveals that even his closest friends had reasons to want him dead: was it the archeologist whose dig Deeley was poised to fund until he suddenly withdrew support? The powerful politician whose career Deeley had secretly destroyed? The dyspeptic aristocratic English spinster whose hired travelling companion seems determined to protect her employer? Or could it be Mrs. Hargreaves herself, who may have spurned the advances of Lord Deeley when they were both younger?

A key clue may lie with several ancient ushabtis, exquisite three-thousand-year-old sculptures that played a role in a hidden story from the time of Ancient Egypt, one of a sister's unshakeable loyalty to her brother, a tale of betrayal and revenge. In an unforgettable finale, Emily and Colin gather their fellow travelers together to unmask a killer whose motive is as shocking as it is brilliant."

If you're a Lady Emily fan, you will adore it. If you're an Agatha Christie fan, you will love it. If you're an Elizabeth Peters fan, you will squeal with glee. Emily's long awaited trip to Egypt has arrived and it is a trip of a lifetime.

All That is Wicked by Kate Winkler Dawson
Published by: G.P. Putnam's Sons
Publication Date: October 4th, 2022
Format: Hardcover, 320 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"Acclaimed crime historian, podcaster, and author of American Sherlock Kate Winkler Dawson tells the thrilling story of Edward Rulloff - a serial murderer who was called "too intelligent to be killed" - and the array of 19th century investigators who were convinced his brain held the key to finally understanding the criminal mind.

Edward Rulloff was a brilliant yet utterly amoral murderer - some have called him a "Victorian-era Hannibal Lecter" - whose crimes spanned decades and whose victims were chosen out of revenge, out of envy, and sometimes out of necessity. From his humble beginnings in upstate New York to the dazzling salons and social life he established in New York City, at every turn Rulloff used his intelligence and regal bearing to evade detection and avoid punishment. He could talk his way out of any crime...until one day, Rulloff's luck ran out.

By 1871 Rulloff sat chained in his cell - a psychopath holding court while curious 19th-century "mindhunters" tried to understand what made him tick. From alienists (early psychiatrists who tried to analyze the source of his madness) to neurologists (who wanted to dissect his brain) to phrenologists (who analyzed the bumps on his head to determine his character), each one thought he held the key to understanding the essential question: is evil born or made? Eventually, Rulloff's brain would be placed in a jar at Cornell University as the prize specimen of their anatomy collection...where it still sits today, slowly moldering in a dusty jar. But his story - and its implications for the emerging field of criminal psychology - were just beginning.

Expanded from season one of her hit podcast on the Exactly Right network (7 million downloads and growing), in All That Is Wicked Kate Winkler Dawson draws on hundreds of source materials and never-before-shared historical documents to present one of the first glimpses into the mind of a serial killer - a century before the term was coined - through the scientists whose work would come to influence criminal justice for decades to come."

How have I never heard of Edward Rulloff until now!?!

In the Shadow of a Queen by Heather B. Moore
Published by: Shadow Mountain
Publication Date: October 4th, 2022
Format: Hardcover, 384 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"Based on the True Story of the Free-Spirited Daughter of Queen Victoria.

Princess Louise's life is upended after her father's untimely death. Captive to the queen's overwhelming mourning, Louise is forbidden to leave her mother's tight circle of control and is eventually relegated to the position of personal secretary to her mother - the same position each of her sisters held until they were married.

Already an accomplished painter, Louise risks the queen's wrath by exploring the art of sculpting, an activity viewed as unbefitting a woman. When Louise involves herself in the day's political matters, including championing the career of a female doctor and communicating with suffragettes, the queen lays down the law to stop her and devotes her full energy to finding an acceptable match for her defiant daughter.

Louise is considered the most beautiful and talented daughter of Queen Victoria, but finding a match for the princess is no easy feat. Protocols are broken, and Louise exerts her own will as she tries to find an open-minded husband who will support her free spirit.

In the Shadow of a Queen is the story of a battle of wills between two women: a daughter determined to forge her own life beyond the shadow of her mother, and a queen resolved to keep the Crown's reputation unsullied no matter the cost."

I seriously love Princess Louise and am always intrigued by the hypocrisy of Queen Victoria who on the one hand ruled the realm and on the other raised her daughters to be dutiful wives and mothers.

A Dowry of Blood by S.T. Gibson
Published by: Redhook
Publication Date: October 4th, 2022
Format: Hardcover, 304 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"S.T. Gibson's sensational novel is the darkly seductive tale of Dracula's first bride, Constanta.

This is my last love letter to you, though some would call it a confession...

Saved from the brink of death by a mysterious stranger, Constanta is transformed from a medieval peasant into a bride fit for an undying king. But when Dracula draws a cunning aristocrat and a starving artist into his web of passion and deceit, Constanta realizes that her beloved is capable of terrible things.

Finding comfort in the arms of her rival consorts, she begins to unravel their husband's dark secrets. With the lives of everyone she loves on the line, Constanta will have to choose between her own freedom and her love for her husband. But bonds forged by blood can only be broken by death."

I don't think enough is written about the fact that Dracula had multiple wives and wasn't only obsessed with Mina.

Hester by Laurie Lico Albanese
Published by: St. Martin's Press
Publication Date: October 4th, 2022
Format: Hardcover, 336 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"A vivid reimagining of the woman who inspired Hester Prynne, the tragic heroine of Nathaniel Hawthorne's The Scarlet Letter, and a journey into the enduring legacy of New England's witchcraft trials.

Isobel Gamble is a young seamstress carrying generations of secrets when she sets sail from Scotland in the early 1800s with her husband, Edward. An apothecary who has fallen under the spell of opium, his pile of debts have forced them to flee Glasgow for a fresh start in the New World. But only days after they've arrived in Salem, Edward abruptly joins a departing ship as a medic - leaving Isobel penniless and alone in a strange country, forced to make her way by any means possible.

When she meets a young Nathaniel Hawthorne, the two are instantly drawn to each other: he is a man haunted by his ancestors, who sent innocent women to the gallows -  while she is an unusually gifted needleworker, troubled by her own strange talents. As the weeks pass and Edward's safe return grows increasingly unlikely, Nathaniel and Isobel grow closer and closer. Together, they are a muse and a dark storyteller; the enchanter and the enchanted. But which is which?

In this sensuous and hypnotizing tale, a young immigrant woman grapples with our country's complicated past, and learns that America's ideas of freedom and liberty often fall short of their promise. Interwoven with Isobel and Nathaniel's story is a vivid interrogation of who gets to be a "real" American in the first half of the 19th century, a depiction of the early days of the Underground Railroad in New England, and atmospheric interstitials that capture the long history of "unusual" women being accused of witchcraft. Meticulously researched yet evocatively imagined, Laurie Lico Albanese's Hester is a timeless tale of art, ambition, and desire that examines the roots of female creative power and the men who try to shut it down."

I love women reclaiming the narrative of stories that are ingrained in us due to high school literature classes.

The Second Death of Edie and Violet Bond by Amanda Glaze
Published by: Union Square and Co.
Publication Date: October 4th, 2022
Format: Hardcover, 368 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"Travel beyond the veil in this thrilling and chilling supernatural debut with timely feminist themes, perfect for fans of Kerri Maniscalco - inspired by lives of real teenage twin mediums in the 19th century.

Sacramento, 1885

Edie and Violet Bond know the truth about death. The seventeen-year-old twins are powerful mediums, just like their mother - Violet can open the veil between life and death, and Edie can cross into the spirit world. But their abilities couldn't save them when their mother died and their father threatened to commit them to a notorious asylum.

Now runaways, Edie and Violet are part of a traveling Spiritualist show, a tight-knit group of young women who demonstrate their real talents under the guise of communing with spirits. Each night, actresses, poets, musicians, and orators all make contact with spirits who happen to have something to say...notions that young ladies could never openly express.

But when Violet's act goes terribly wrong one night, Edie learns that the dark spirit responsible for their mother's death has crossed into the land of the living. As they investigate the identity of her mysterious final client, they realize that someone is hunting mediums...and they may be next. Only by trusting in one another can the twins uncover a killer who will stop at nothing to cheat death."

Aw yeah, bring on the mediums!

The Witch in the Well by Camilla Bruce
Published by: Tor Books
Publication Date: October 4th, 2022
Format: Hardcover, 304 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"The Witch in the Well is a dark Norwegian thriller from Camilla Bruce, author of You Let Me In.

When two former friends reunite after decades apart, their grudges, flawed ambitions, and shared obsession swirl into an all-too-real echo of a terrible town legend.

Centuries ago, beautiful young Ilsbeth Clark was accused of witchcraft after several children disappeared. Her acquittal did nothing to stop her fellow townsfolk from drowning her in the well where the missing children were last seen.

When author and social media influencer Elena returns to the summer paradise of her youth to get her family's manor house ready to sell, the last thing she expected was connecting with - and feeling inspired to write about - Ilsbeth's infamous spirit. The very historical figure that her ex-childhood friend, Cathy, has been diligently researching and writing about for years.

What begins as a fiercely competitive sense of ownership over Ilsbeth and her story soon turns both women's worlds into something more haunted and dangerous than they could ever imagine."

Writing about the past can be dangerous!

The Restless Dark by Erica Waters
Published by: HarperTeen
Publication Date: October 4th, 2022
Format: Hardcover, 400 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"Enter Cloudkiss Canyon at your own risk.

Sadie meets Wilder Girls in this unnerving tale about the struggle for survival, the twisted satisfaction of revenge, and the darkness hiding in all of us. From Erica Waters, the acclaimed author of Ghost Wood Song and The River Has Teeth, this mystery will haunt you to the end.

The Cloudkiss Killer is dead. Now a true-crime podcast is hosting a contest to find his bones.

Lucy was almost the serial killer's final victim. Carolina is a true-crime fan who fears her own rage. Maggie is a psychology student with a little too much to hide.

All of them are looking for answers, for a new identity, for a place to bury their secrets.

But there are more than bones hiding in the shadows…sometimes the darkness inside is more frightening than anything the dead leave behind."

True-crime podcast and a serial killer, I'm in.

Malice House by Megan Shepherd
Published by: Hyperion Avenue
Publication Date: October 4th, 2022
Format: Hardcover, 384 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"From New York Times bestselling author Megan Shepherd comes a complex tale of dark magic, family secrets, and monsters that don’t stay on the page.

"One step away from our world lies another: a land of violent fantasies, of sharp-toothed delights...."

Of all the things aspiring artist Haven Marbury expected to find while clearing out her late father's remote seaside house, Bedtime Stories for Monsters was not on the list. This secret handwritten manuscript is disturbingly different from his Pulitzer-winning works: its interweaving short stories crawl with horrific monsters and enigmatic humans that exist somewhere between this world and the next. The stories unsettle but also entice Haven, practically compelling her to illustrate them while she stays in the house that her father warned her was haunted. Clearly just dementia whispering in his ear...right?

Reeling from a failed marriage, Haven hopes an illustrated Bedtime Stories can be the lucrative posthumous father-daughter collaboration she desperately needs to jump-start her art career. However, everyone in the nearby vacation town wants a piece of the manuscript: her father's obsessive literary salon members, the Ink Drinkers; her mysterious yet charming neighbor, who has a tendency toward three a.m. bonfires; a young barista with a literary forgery business; and of course, whoever keeps trying to break into her house. But when a monstrous creature appears under Haven's bed right as grisly deaths are reported in the nearby woods, she must race to uncover dark, otherworldly family secrets - completely rewriting everything she ever knew about herself in the process."

It's like Kate Morton but with menacing magic, who doesn't want that in their lives!?!

The White Hare by Jane Johnson
Published by: Simon and Schuster
Publication Date: October 4th, 2022
Format: Paperback, 400 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"For fans of Alice Hoffman and Kate Morton, The White Hare is a spellbinding novel about mothers and daughters finding a new home for themselves, the secrets they try to bury, and the local legends that may change their lives.

In the far west of Cornwall lies the White Valley, which cuts deeply through bluebell woods down to the sea at White Cove. The valley has a long and bloody history, laced with folklore, and in it sits a house above the beach that has lain neglected since the war. It comes with a reputation and a strange atmosphere, which is why mother and daughter Magdalena and Mila manage to acquire it so cheaply in the fateful summer of 1954.

Magda has grand plans to restore the house to its former glory as a venue for glittering parties, where the rich and celebrated gathered for cocktails and for bracing walks along the coast. Her grown daughter, Mila, just wants to escape the scandal in her past and make a safe and happy home for her little girl, Janey, a solitary, precocious child blessed with a vivid imagination, much of which she pours into stories about her magical plush toy, Rabbit.

But Janey's rabbit isn’t the only magical being around. Legend has it that an enchanted white hare may be seen running through the woods. Is it an ill omen or a blessing? As Mila, her mother, and her young daughter adjust to life in this mysterious place, they will have to reckon with their own pasts and with the secrets that have been haunting the White Valley for decades."

And speaking of Kate Morton-esque books...

In Myrtle Peril by Elizabeth C. Bunce
Published by: Algonquin Young Readers
Publication Date: October 4th, 2022
Format: Hardcover, 368 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"Myrtle Hardcastle - twelve-year-old Victorian Amateur Detective - returns to investigate the case of a missing heiress lost at sea, an inquiry that runs aground when a murder in plain sight has no apparent victim.

When a mysterious girl attempts to stake her claim to the Snowcroft family fortune, Myrtle Hardcastle's father, a lawyer, is asked to help prove - or disprove - the girl's identity. Is this truly Ethel Snowcroft, believed to be lost at sea with her parents, or a con artist chasing a windfall? Mr. Hardcastle's pursuit of the case takes a detour when he's hospitalized for a tonsillectomy - only to witness a murder. Or does he? With no body at the scene, Myrtle and her governess, Miss Judson, fear the so-called murder was a feverish delusion - until a critical piece of evidence appears.

But where's the victim? And who at the hospital could be harboring murderous intent? Myrtle is determined to find out before the killer comes after her father.

With stakes this high, her sleuthing has put Myrtle, her family, and the patients and staff at the Royal Swinburne Hospital In Myrtle Peril."

I can't get enough of precocious Victorian children sleuths!

Mystery in Provence by Vivian Conroy
Published by: One More Chapter
Publication Date: October 4th, 2022
Format: Kindle, 314 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"Agatha Christie meets Julie Caplin in this exciting new series that whisks you away to the most gorgeous escapist destinations!

A beautiful French estate.
A wedding.
A murder.
And a novice detective intent on solving her first case!

Fresh from teaching at her prestigious Swiss boarding school, Miss Atalanta Ashford suddenly finds herself the most eligible young lady in society when she inherits her grandfather’s substantial fortune. But with this fortune, and an elegant new Parisian home, comes a legacy passed down from grandfather to granddaughter…sleuthing discreetly for Europe’s elite.

This young lady isn't one to back down from a challenge and Miss Ashford must depend on her sharp wit and charm to solve her first case, which takes her to the lush lavender fields of Provence and a wedding at the mansion of the Comte de Surmonne.

Now, as murder strikes twice, Atalanta will have to race to solve the case but will she be able to stop the blushing bride from facing a fatal 'I do?'"

Who doesn't want to be transported to a wonderful location for a thrilling murder mystery?

Murder After Christmas by Rupert Latimer
Published by: Poisoned Pen Press
Publication Date: October 4th, 2022
Format: Paperback, 352 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
""A war's on and a murder has been committed - and we sit here talking nonsense about almond whirls and mince pies!"

Good old Uncle Willie - known for an insatiable sweet tooth and being an epic pain in the rear - has come to stay with the Redpaths for the holidays. As luck would have it, he's found dead in the snow, in a Santa suit on Boxing Day. It seems as though someone may have poisoned his chocolate...or was it the mince pie? As the police flock to the house, Willie's descendants, past lovers and distant relatives are drawn into a perplexing investigation to find out how the old man met his fate, and who stands to gain by such an unseasonable crime.

First published in 1944, Murder After Christmas is a lively riot of murder, holiday desserts, and misdirection, cleverly twisting the tropes of Golden Age detective fiction to create a pacey, light-hearted package admirably suited for the holiday season. Featuring an introduction by CWA Diamond Dagger Award-winning author and series editor Martin Edwards."

The TOP of my Christmas reading list this year!

The Christmas Murder Game by Alexandra Benedict
Published by: Poisoned Pen Press
Publication Date: October 4th, 2022
Format: Paperback, 288 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"Twelve clues. Twelve keys. Twelve days of Christmas. But how many will die before Twelfth Night?

Agatha Christie meets Clue in this delightful, tense manor house murder mystery.

The annual Christmas Game is afoot at Endgame House, the Armitages' grand family home. This year's prize is to die for - deeds to the house itself - but Lily Armitage has no intention of returning. She hasn't been back to Endgame since her mother died, twenty-one years ago, and she has no intention of claiming the house that haunts her dreams.

Until, that is, she receives a letter from her aunt promising that the game's riddles will give her the keys not only to Endgame, but to its darkest secrets, including the identity of her mother's murderer.

Now, Lily must compete with her estranged cousins for the twelve days of Christmas. The snow is thick, the phone lines are down, and no one is getting in or out. Lily will have to keep her wits about her, because not everyone is playing fair, and there's no telling how many will die before the winner is declared.

Including additional scavenger hunts for the reader, this clever murder mystery is the perfect gift for fans of classic mysteries, festive Christmas books, and armchair detective work."

Christmas plus Clue, color me sold!

A Scatter of Light by Malinda Lo
Published by: Dutton Books for Young Readers
Publication Date: October 4th, 2022
Format: Hardcover, 336 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"Last Night at the Telegraph Club author Malinda Lo returns to the Bay Area with another masterful queer coming-of-age story, this time set against the backdrop of the first major Supreme Court decisions legalizing gay marriage.

Aria Tang West was looking forward to a summer on Martha's Vineyard with her best friends - one last round of sand and sun before college. But after a graduation party goes wrong, Aria's parents exile her to California to stay with her grandmother, artist Joan West. Aria expects boredom, but what she finds is Steph Nichols, her grandmother's gardener. Soon, Aria is second-guessing who she is and what she wants to be, and a summer that once seemed lost becomes unforgettable - for Aria, her family, and the working-class queer community Steph introduces her to. It's the kind of summer that changes a life forever.

And almost sixty years after the end of Last Night at the Telegraph Club, A Scatter of Light also offers a glimpse into Lily and Kath's lives since 1955."

If you wanted more of Lily and Kath or if you just wanted more in this uplifting series, this book is for you.

Blackmail and Bibingka by Mia P. Manansala
Published by: Berkley
Publication Date: October 4th, 2022
Format: Paperback, 288 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"When her long-lost cousin comes back to town just in time for the holidays, Lila Macapagal knows that big trouble can't be far behind in this new mystery by Mia P. Manansala, author of Arsenic and Adobo.

It's Christmastime in Shady Palms, but things are far from jolly for Lila Macapagal. Sure, her new business, the Brew-ha Cafe, is looking to turn a profit in its first year. And yes, she's taken the first step in a new romance with her good friend Jae Park. But her cousin Ronnie is back in town after ghosting the family fifteen years ago, claiming that his recent purchase of a local winery shows that he's back on his feet and ready to contribute to the Shady Palms community. Tita Rosie is thrilled with the return of her prodigal son, but Lila knows that wherever Ronnie goes, trouble follows.

She's soon proven right when Ronnie is suspected of murder, and secrets surrounding her shady cousin and those involved with the winery start piling up. Now Lila has to put away years of resentment and distrust to prove her cousin's innocence. He may be a jerk, but he's still family. And there's no way her flesh and blood could actually be a murderer...right?"

Yet ANOTHER book on my holiday reading list this year.

Pretty Dead Queens by Alexa Donne
Published by: Crown Books for Young Readers
Publication Date: October 4th, 2022
Format: Hardcover, 336 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"The new homecoming queen is dead...and she's not the first unsolved murder at Seaview High. From the critically acclaimed author of The Ivies comes a nonstop YA thriller about a decades-old mystery, a copycat killer, and the teen who will stop at nothing to uncover the truth.

After the death of her mom (screw cancer), seventeen-year-old Cecelia Ellis goes to live with her estranged grandmother, a celebrated author whose Victorian mansion is as creepy as the murder mysteries she writes. On the surface, life is utterly ordinary in the California coastal town...until the homecoming queen is murdered. And she's not Seaview’s first pretty dead queen.

With a copycat killer on the loose, Cecelia throws herself into the investigation, determined to crack the case like the heroines in her grandmother's books. But the more Cecelia digs into the town’s secrets, the more she worries that her own mystery might not have a storybook ending."

It's like Nancy Drew and V.C. Andrews and Jessica Fletcher had a baby!

The Family Home by Miranda Smith
Published by: Bookouture
Publication Date: October 4th, 2022
Format: Paperback, 292 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"There's a dead man in my apartment. Only me and my ex have a key. But neither of us would have done this. We have too much to lose...

I wake on the sofa, my head throbbing. How did I get here? In the darkness, I make my way to my bedroom. I turn on the lights. And then I scream.

There's a body in my bed. And I know this man: we went on two dates together. Who could have killed him? And how did he get in? Only two people have a key to the house: me and my ex-husband Matthew.

I trust Matthew. With what we're hiding, I have to. And I can't risk the police digging into our past, or learning about the night when we drank champagne on the cliff and ruined everything.

Someone knows our secret. We have to find out what they want. But am I wrong to believe Matthew, when I know how well he can lie? And how can I save myself, when the truth might destroy me?

An absolutely gripping thriller that will keep you reading late into the night, unable to put the book down for a second. Perfect for fans of Gillian Flynn, Ruth Ware and Lisa Jewell."

A twist on the locked room!

Jackal by Erin E. Adams
Published by: Bantam
Publication Date: October 4th, 2022
Format: Hardcover, 336 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"A young Black girl goes missing in the woods outside her white rust belt town. But she's not the first - and she may not be the last....

It's watching.

Liz Rocher is coming home...reluctantly. As a Black woman, Liz doesn't exactly have fond memories of Johnstown, Pennsylvania, a predominantly white town. But her best friend is getting married, so she braces herself for a weekend of awkward, passive-aggressive reunions. Liz has grown, though; she can handle whatever awaits her. But on the day of the wedding, somewhere between dancing and dessert, the couple's daughter, Caroline, disappears - and the only thing left behind is a piece of white fabric covered in blood.

It's taking.

As a frantic search begins, with the police combing the trees for Caroline, Liz is the only one who notices a pattern: A summer night. A missing girl. A party in the woods. She's seen this before. Keisha Woodson, the only other Black girl in Liz's high school, walked into the woods with a mysterious man and was later found with her chest cavity ripped open and her heart removed. Liz shudders at the thought that it could have been her, and now, with Caroline missing, it can't be a coincidence. As Liz starts to dig through the town's history, she uncovers a horrifying secret about the place she once called home. Children have been going missing in these woods for years. All of them Black. All of them girls.

It's your turn.

With the evil in the forest creeping closer, Liz knows what she must do: find Caroline, or be entirely consumed by the darkness."

So spooky and yet so tragically believable that a town would right over the disappearances.

Station Eternity by Mur Lafferty
Published by: Ace
Publication Date: October 4th, 2022
Format: Paperback, 464 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"Amateur detective Mallory Viridian's talent for solving murders ruined her life on Earth and drove her to live on an alien space station, but her problems still follow her in this witty, self-aware novel that puts a speculative spin on murder mysteries, from the Hugo-nominated author of Six Wakes.

From idyllic small towns to claustrophobic urban landscapes, Mallory Viridian is constantly embroiled in murder cases that only she has the insight to solve. But outside of a classic mystery novel, being surrounded by death doesn't make you a charming amateur detective, it makes you a suspect and a social pariah. So when Mallory gets the opportunity to take refuge on a sentient space station, she thinks she has the solution. Surely the murders will stop if her only company is alien beings. At first her new existence is peacefully quiet…and markedly devoid of homicide.

But when the station agrees to allow additional human guests, Mallory knows the break from her peculiar reality is over. After the first Earth shuttle arrives, and aliens and humans alike begin to die, the station is thrown into peril. Stuck smack-dab in the middle of an extraterrestrial whodunit, and wondering how in the world this keeps happening to her anyway, Mallory has to solve the crime - and fast - or the list of victims could grow to include everyone on board...."

Everything about this book is so original, but the fact that the series is called "The Midsolar Murders" slays me!

What Song the Sirens Sang by Simon R. Green
Published by: Severn House
Publication Date: October 4th, 2022
Format: Hardcover, 192 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"The tables are turned on legendary master thief Gideon Sable when a priceless magical artifact is stolen from him, in this fast-paced supernatural heist thriller.

You can find everything you've ever dreamed of in the strange, old magical shop known as Old Harry's Place. The problem is, not all dreams are kind.

Gideon Sable - legendary master thief, conman and well-dressed rogue - and his partner in crime Annie Anybody don't want to be shopkeepers, but when the enigmatic Harry decides to retire, he blackmails the pair into taking the store on.

Before the grand reopening can happen, however, a menacing stranger arrives - with a rare and deadly item for them to appraise. A small piece of rock, with an unnerving aura, which 'Smith' claims contains the last echoes of the legendary sirens' song. Before they can find out more, however, Smith vanishes...leaving only the stone.

Some valuables are more trouble than they're worth. But before Gideon and Annie can work out if they've been set up, the stone is stolen from its impregnable hiding place. How? And why? Gideon only knows one thing for certain: no one steals from him and gets away with it...

What Song the Sirens Sang is the third supernatural heist thriller featuring master conman Gideon Sable from British SFF veteran and New York Times bestselling author Simon R. Green, following The Best Thing You Can Steal and A Matter of Death and Life."

I love supernatural heists!

Posted by Miss Eliza at 12:00 AM 0 comments  

Labels: Alexandra Benedict, Camilla Bruce, Elizabeth C. Bunce, Erica Waters, Jane Johnson, Lady Emily, Malinda Lo, Megan Shepherd, Mia P. Manansala, Rupert Latimer, Simon R. Green, Tasha Alexander, Vivian Conroy