strange and random happenstance

Vampires of El Norte by Isabel Cañas
Published by: Berkley Books
Publication Date: August 15th, 2023
Format: Hardcover, 384 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"Vampires and vaqueros face off on the Texas-Mexico border in this supernatural western from the author of The Hacienda.

As the daughter of a rancher in 1840s Mexico, Nena knows a thing or two about monsters - her home has long been threatened by tensions with Anglo settlers from the north. But something more sinister lurks near the ranch at night, something that drains men of their blood and leaves them for dead.

Something that once attacked Nena nine years ago.

Believing Nena dead, Néstor has been on the run from his grief ever since, moving from ranch to ranch working as a vaquero. But no amount of drink can dispel the night terrors of sharp teeth; no woman can erase his childhood sweetheart from his mind.

When the United States invades Mexico in 1846, the two are brought abruptly together on the road to war: Nena as a curandera, a healer striving to prove her worth to her father so that he does not marry her off to a stranger, and Néstor as a member of the auxiliary cavalry of ranchers and vaqueros. But the shock of their reunion - and Nena's rage at Néstor for seemingly abandoning her long ago - is quickly overshadowed by the appearance of a nightmare made flesh.

And unless Nena and Néstor work through their past and face the future together, neither will survive to see the dawn."

A From Dawn to Dusk vibe written in the way only Isabel Cañas can!

Spin a Black Yarn by Josh Malerman
Published by: Del Rey Books
Publication Date: August 15th, 2023
Format: Paperback, 400Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"Five harrowing novellas of horror and speculative fiction from the singular mind of the New York Times bestselling author of Bird Box.

Josh Malerman is a master weaver of stories - and in this spine-chilling collection he spins five twisted tales from the shadows of the human soul:

A sister insists to her little brother that "Half the House Is Haunted" by a strange presence. But is it the house that's haunted - or their childhoods?

In "Argyle," a dying man confesses to homicides he never committed, and he reveals long-kept secrets far more sinister than murder.

A tourist takes the ultimate trip to outer space in "The Jupiter Drop," but the real journey is into his own dark past.

In "Doug and Judy Buy the House Washer(TM)," a trendy married couple buys the latest home gadget only to find themselves trapped by their possessions, their history...and each other.

And in "Egorov," a wealthy old cretin murders a young man, not knowing the victim was a triplet. The two surviving brothers stage a savage faux-haunting - playing the ghost of their slain brother - with the aim of driving the old murderer mad."

Does one wonder if Josh Malerman's growing up was akin to the Addams Family?

The Invisible Hour by Alice Hoffman
Published by: Atria Books
Publication Date: August 15th, 2023
Format: Hardcover, 272 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"From the beloved New York Times bestselling author of The Marriage of Opposites and the Practical Magic series comes an enchanting novel about love, heartbreak, self-discovery, and the enduring magic of books.

One brilliant June day when Mia Jacob can no longer see a way to survive, the power of words saves her. The Scarlet Letter was written almost two hundred years earlier, but it seems to tell the story of Mia's mother, Ivy, and their life inside the Community - an oppressive cult in western Massachusetts where contact with the outside world is forbidden, and books are considered evil. But how could this be? How could Nathaniel Hawthorne have so perfectly captured the pain and loss that Mia carries inside her?

Through a journey of heartbreak, love, and time, Mia must abandon the rules she was raised with at the Community. As she does, she realizes that reading can transport you to other worlds or bring them to you, and that readers and writers affect one another in mysterious ways. She learns that time is more fluid than she can imagine, and that love is stronger than any chains that bind you.

As a girl Mia fell in love with a book. Now as a young woman she falls in love with a brilliant writer as she makes her way back in time. But what if Nathaniel Hawthorne never wrote The Scarlet Letter? And what if Mia Jacob never found it on the day she planned to die?

Nathaniel Hawthorne wrote: "A single dream is more powerful than a thousand realities."

This is the story of one woman's dream. For a little while it came true."

Because words have to power to transform us, even if I'm not the biggest fan of Nathaniel Hawthorne, his works are memorable. 

Thronhedge by T. Kingfisher
Published by: Tor Books
Publication Date: August 15th, 2023
Format: Hardcover, 128 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"From USA Today bestselling author T. Kingfisher, Thornhedge is the tale of a kind-hearted, toad-shaped heroine, a gentle knight, and a mission gone completely sideways.

There's a princess trapped in a tower. This isn't her story.

Meet Toadling. On the day of her birth, she was stolen from her family by the fairies, but she grew up safe and loved in the warm waters of faerieland. Once an adult though, the fae ask a favor of Toadling: return to the human world and offer a blessing of protection to a newborn child. Simple, right?

But nothing with fairies is ever simple.

Centuries later, a knight approaches a towering wall of brambles, where the thorns are as thick as your arm and as sharp as swords. He's heard there's a curse here that needs breaking, but it's a curse Toadling will do anything to uphold..."

Never trust fairies. Never.

The Last Girls Standing by Jennifer Dugan
Published by: G.P. Putnam's Sons Books for Young Readers
Publication Date: August 15th, 2023
Format: Hardcover, 320 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"In this queer YA psychological thriller from the author of Some Girls Do and Hot Dog Girl, the sole surviving counselors of a summer camp massacre search to uncover the truth of what happened that fateful night, but what they find out might just get them killed.

Sloan and Cherry. Cherry and Sloan. They met only a few days before masked men with machetes attacked the summer camp where they worked, a massacre that left the rest of their fellow counselors dead. Now, months later, the two are inseparable, their traumatic experience bonding them in ways no one else can understand.

But as new evidence comes to light and Sloan learns more about the motives behind the ritual killing that brought them together, she begins to suspect that her girlfriend may be more than just a survivor - she may actually have been a part of it. Cherry tries to reassure her, but Sloan only becomes more distraught. Is this gaslighting or reality? Is Cherry a victim or a perpetrator? Is Sloan confused, or is she seeing things clearly for the very first time? Against all odds, Sloan survived that hot summer night. But will she survive what comes next?"

Always here for the final girls!

More Perfect by Temi Oh
Published by: Gallery / Saga Press
Publication Date: August 15th, 2023
Format: Paperback, 592 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"A reimagining of the Greek myth of Eurydice and Orpheus, for fans of Becky Chambers and William Gibson by Alex Award-winning author Temi Oh. Using the myth of Eurydice as a structure, this riveting science fiction novel is set in a near-future London where it has become popular for folks to have a small implant that allows one access to a more robust social media experience directly as an augmented reality. However, the British government has taken oversight of this access to an extreme, slowly tilting towards a dystopian overreach, all in the name of safety."

The myth of Orpheus and Eurydice seems rife for a William Gibson-esque retelling.

Contrarian by L.E. Modesitt Jr.
Published by: Tor Books
Publication Date: August 15th, 2023
Format: Hardcover, 624 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"L. E. Modesitt, Jr., bestselling author of Saga of Recluce and the Imager Portfolio, continues his gaslamp political fantasy series which began with Isolate and Councilor. Welcome to the Grand Illusion.

In Contrarian, protests against unemployment and poor harvests have become armed riots as the people sink deeper into poverty. They look to a government struggling to emerge from corruption and conspiracy.

Recently elected to the Council of Sixty-Six, Steffan Dekkard is the first Councilor who is an Isolate, a man invulnerable to the emotional manipulations and emotional surveillance of empaths - but not the recent bombing of the Council Office Building by insurrectionists.

His patron, the Premier of the Council, has been assassinated, leaving Dekkard with little first-hand political experience and few political allies.

Not only must Dekkard handle political infighting, and continued assassination attempts, but it appears that someone high up in the government and corporations has supplied arms and explosives to insurrectionists. Insurrectionists who have succeeded in taking over a naval cruiser that no one can seem to find."

Because sometimes we can only truly understand our own politics seeing them through a fantastical lens.

Things Get Ugly: The Best Crime Stories of Joe. R. Lansdale by Joe R. Lansdale
Published by: Tachyon Publications
Publication Date: August 15th, 2023
Format: Paperback, 352 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"Edgar Award winner and bestselling author Joe R. Lansdale (the Hap and Leonard series), one of America's most essential crime writers, heads back to the dangerous woods of East Texas. In his first crime career-retrospective, including previously uncollected work, Lansdale shows exactly why critics continue to compare him to Elmore Leonard, Donald Westlake, Flannery O'Connor, and William Faulkner. "Pulpy, blackly humorous, compulsively readable, and somehow both wildly surreal and down-to-earth. Lansdale is a national fucking treasure."  - Christa Faust, author of Money Shot

In the 1950s, a young small-town projectionist mixes it up with a violent gang. When Mr. Bear is not alerting us to the dangers of forest fires, he lives a life of debauchery and murder. A brother and sister travel to Oklahoma to recover the dead body of their uncle. A lonely man engages in dubious acts while pining for his rubber duckie.

In this collection of nineteen unforgettable crime tales, Joe R. Lansdale brings his legendary mojo and gritty, dark humor to harrowing heists, revenge, homicide, and mayhem. No matter how they begin, things are bound to get ugly - and fast."

If you've ever wondered, where should I start with Joe R. Lansdale, where here's your answer!

A Generation of Vipers by Sarah Yarwood-Lovett
Published by: Embla Books
Publication Date: August 15th, 2023
Format: Kindle
To Buy

The official patter:
"A killer is hiding in plain sight, like a snake in the long grass...

When Dr Nell Ward stumbles across a woman's body amongst the purple heather on Furze Heath, she was on the lookout for nests of poisonous adders.

But something is lurking out here far more dangerous than vipers.

A cold-blooded killer is on the loose and this is not his first victim. As DI James Clark begins to investigate, a pattern emerges pointing towards this being the work of a serial killer. Every victim shares the same physical characteristics - all of which are a match to Nell herself.

As Nell is pulled into a tightly coiled mystery, she can't help feeling someone is tracking her every move...

Can she unmask the murderer before they strike again?

A completely gripping and page-turning cosy mystery, perfect for fans of Richard Osman, Janice Hallett and Robert Thorogood."

I KNOW the title is based on a famous quote, but it's also an episode title from Lewis, and that makes me happy. 

Posted by Miss Eliza at 12:00 AM 0 comments  

Labels: Alice Hoffman, Eurydice, Final Girls, Isabel Cañas, Jennifer Dugan, Joe R. Lansdale, Josh Malerman, L.E. Modesitt Jr., Lewis, Orpheus, Sarah Yarwood-Lovett, T. Kingfisher, Temi Oh, Vampires, William Gibson

Final Girls by Riley Sager
Published by: Dutton
Publication Date: July 11th, 2017
Format: Kindle, 352 Pages
Rating: ★★
To Buy (different edition than one reviewed)

Quincy Carpenter is a final girl. Not just because she survived a massacre in the Poconos which left all of her friends dead, but because the press has elevated her to that status officially. She, along with two other women, are THE final girls. The first was Lisa, she survived a knife wielding maniac who attacked her sorority and killed all nine of her fellow sisters. Then there was Sam, she survived the Sack Man who showed up at the Nightlight Inn and killed everyone on site until Sam killed him. Then there was Quincy, she survived Pine Cottage and ran into the arms of her savior, the cop Coop, who gunned down her assailant. Coop's been keeping a protective eye on Quincy for ten years now. He's glad she's leading a normal life. She has a baking blog and is deep in the stages of baking season, that stretch from October to December when baked goods are a must. She has a solid almost-finance in prosecutor Jeff. In fact, from the outside her life looks perfect, and that's what she wants everyone to think. She's not a final girl, she is normal. But below the surface is rage. She pops Xanax with grape soda any time she feels. She is a mess, and events are about to rock her carefully controlled world. Because Coop brings her news that Lisa has killed herself. It's not just that this will bring the reporters out of the woodwork yet again, it's the fact that Lisa had survived so much and to take her own life goes against everything it means to be a final girl. What's more, Lisa tried to reach out to Quincy moments before her death. What did Lisa need to tell her? And if that isn't strange enough Sam shows up on Quincy's doorstep. After the public scrutiny Sam went off grid. She successfully disappeared. She was the mysterious one of the three final girls and here she is wanting to bond with Quincy, claiming that it's what Lisa would have wanted. Only Sam has many secrets and many demons following her. But Quincy wants to do what is best, and she invites her in. Then Sam gets arrested and Quincy realizes that the reason Sam so successfully disappeared is because she changed her name to Tina Stone. Well, whomever Sam/Tina is, she's pushing all Quincy's buttons, trying to get her to open up, to lash out, to embrace what it means to be a final girl. But is this because Sam has another motive? Soon they're on the cover of every newspaper, Quincy is under suspicion for battery of a junkie, and Lisa, well, Lisa didn't kill herself. Which means, is one of them next?

As the forth of July holiday approached I was longing to read Riley Sager's newest book, Survive the Night. He was my author of last summer and I was determined he'd be my author of this summer as well. But I was still waiting on my signed copy from Murder By The Book so I decided to delve into the only other book written under the Riley Sager nom de plume I hadn't gotten around to, Final Girls. Sadly it didn't scratch my itch. This is my least favorite of Riley Sager's books so far. And the truth is, I don't think it was a flaw in the book that made me dissatisfied, because it had so many things going for it, a relevant baking blog, true crime websites, though I disagree that the preponderance of them are run by men, and glorious Twin Peaks references that if you have obsessively watched the show for years like I have will clue you into the twist at the end. No, the problem was with me and my hatred of the "single white female" trope. I was all in for the slasher/cabin vibe, but sadly despite being the event that made Quincy a "final girl" it's more a subplot. Nothing more than background for where she is now, a decade later. And that is dealing with Sam/Tina and her moving in on Quincy's life. So you might be wondering, why do I hate the "single white female" trope so much, because I really can't stand it, so I will try to explain. So the trope is all about a woman coming into your life and incrementally taking it over. For me, the reason I hate this is that if someone tried to do this to me they'd be gone before they knew what hit them. If someone is problematic, if someone gives off a stalker vibe, WHY ARE YOU LETTING THEM IN!?! Admittedly, here Riley Sager is giving us a set of circumstances where it would be wrong to turn that woman away, so points for that, but for me, I can't see opening up my home to anyone who would basically end up being a hurricane. I like my nice, neat, controlled life. I would not tolerate it to ever go "single white female" and so I am annoyed when others let it happen to them. The ONLY time I've enjoyed this trope was in season four of Buffy the Vampires Slayer when Buffy's roommate Kathy is trying to single white female Buffy but Kathy turns out to be a demon and is vanquished. Rightly so if just for her music taste!

Posted by Miss Eliza at 12:00 AM 0 comments  

Labels: Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Coop, Final Girl, Final Girls, Going Gothic, Horror, Murder by the Book, Pine Cottage, Poconos, Quincy Carpenter, Riley Sager, Single White Female, Slasher, Survive the Night, Twin Peaks

The Final Girl Support Group by Grady Hendrix
Published by: Berkley
Publication Date: July 13th, 2021
Format: Hardcover, 352 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"In horror movies, the final girls are the ones left standing when the credits roll. They made it through the worst night of their lives...but what happens after?

Like his bestselling novel The Southern Book Club’s Guide to Slaying Vampires, Grady Hendrix’s latest is a fast-paced, frightening, and wickedly humorous thriller. From chain saws to summer camp slayers, The Final Girl Support Group pays tribute to and slyly subverts our most popular horror films - movies like The Texas Chainsaw Massacre, A Nightmare on Elm Street, and Scream.

Lynette Tarkington is a real-life final girl who survived a massacre. For more than a decade, she’s been meeting with five other final girls and their therapist in a support group for those who survived the unthinkable, working to put their lives back together. Then one woman misses a meeting, and their worst fears are realized - someone knows about the group and is determined to rip their lives apart again, piece by piece.

But the thing about final girls is that no matter how bad the odds, how dark the night, how sharp the knife, they will never, ever give up."

I really wanted to read Grady Hendrix's first book but was waived off by many people I trust for it's white savior issues. I hope this one is issue free.

Steel Fear by Brandon Webb and John David Mann
Published by: Bantam
Publication Date: July 13th, 2021
Format: Hardcover, 464 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"The moment Navy SEAL sniper Finn sets foot on the USS Abraham Lincoln to hitch a ride home from the Persian Gulf, it's clear something is deeply wrong. Leadership is weak. Morale is low. And when crew members start disappearing one by one, what at first seems like a random string of suicides soon reveals something far more sinister: There's a serial killer on board. Suspicion falls on Finn, the newcomer to the ship. After all, he's being sent home in disgrace, recalled from the field under the dark cloud of a mission gone horribly wrong. He's also a lone wolf, haunted by gaps in his memory and the elusive sense that something he missed may have contributed to civilian deaths on his last assignment. Finding the killer offers a chance at redemption...if he can stay alive long enough to prove it isn't him."

It's like Jack the Ripper written by Michael Crichton!

The Shadow by James Patterson and Brian Sitts
Published by: Grand Central Publishing
Publication Date: July 13th, 2021
Format: Hardcover, 400 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"Before Alex Cross, before Michael Bennett, before Jack Reacher, there was The Shadow! The world’s bestselling author, James Patterson, reimagines one of America’s iconic thriller heroes.

Only two people know that 1930s society man Lamont Cranston has a secret identity as the Shadow, a crusader for justice. One is his greatest love, Margo Lane, and the other is fiercest enemy, Shiwan Khan. When Khan ambushes the couple, they must risk everything for the slimmest chance of survival...in the future.

A century and a half later, Lamont awakens in a world both unknown and disturbingly familiar. The first person he meets is Maddy Gomes, a teenager with her own mysterious secrets, including a knowledge of the legend of the Shadow.

Most disturbing, Khan's power continues to be felt over the city and its people. No one in this new world understands the dangers of stopping him better than Lamont Cranston. And only the Shadow knows that he’s the one person who might succeed before more innocent lives are lost."

I might have become a tad Shadow obsessed when I was younger because of the Alec Baldwin movie... so am I ready for this book? Hell yas!

Hollywood Heroine by Sarah Kuhn
Published by: DAW
Publication Date: July 13th, 2021
Format: Paperback, 400 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"The fifth book in the smart, snarky, and action-packed Heroine series continues the adventures of Asian-American superheroines Evie Tanaka, Aveda Jupiter, and Bea Tanaka in a demon-infested San Francisco.

Over the years, the adventures of superheroines Aveda Jupiter and Evie Tanaka have become the stuff of legend--and now they'll be immortalized in their very own TV show!

The pair head to LA for filming, but Aveda struggles to get truly excited. Instead, she's preoccupied wondering about the fate of the world and her role in it. You know, the usual. Now that Otherworld activity has been detected outside the Bay Area, Aveda can't help but wonder if the demon threat will ever be eradicated.

When the drama on set takes a turn for the supernatural, Evie and Aveda must balance their celebrity commitments with donning their superhero capes again to investigate. And when the evil they battle reveals a larger, more nefarious plot, it's time for the indomitable Aveda Jupiter to rise to the occasion and become the leader she was meant to be on a more global scale - and hopefully keep some semblance of a personal life while doing so."

Note to cover artist: Look at a real pregnant lady. 

Silence in the Library by Katharine Schellman
Published by: Crooked Lane Books
Publication Date: July 13th, 2021
Format: Hardcover, 352 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"Regency widow Lily Adler didn't expect to find a corpse when visiting a family friend. Now it's up to her to discover the killer in the charming second installment in the Lily Adler mysteries.

Regency widow Lily Adler has finally settled into her new London life when her semi-estranged father arrives unexpectedly, intending to stay with her while he recovers from an illness. Hounded by his disapproval, Lily is drawn into spending time with Lady Wyatt, the new wife of an old family friend. Lily barely knows Lady Wyatt. But she and her husband, Sir Charles, seem as happy as any newly married couple until the morning Lily arrives to find the house in an uproar and Sir Charles dead.

All signs indicate that he tripped and struck his head late at night. But when Bow Street constable Simon Page is called to the scene, he suspects foul play. And it isn't long before Lily stumbles on evidence that Sir Charles was, indeed, murdered.

Mr. Page was there when Lily caught her first murderer, and he trusts her insight into the world of London's upper class. With the help of Captain Jack Hartley, they piece together the reasons that Sir Charles's family might have wanted him dead. But anyone who might have profited from the old man's death seems to have an alibi...until Lily receives a mysterious summons to speak with one of the Wyatts' maids, only to find the young woman dead when she arrives.