strange and random happenstance

The Bookshop Below by Georgia Summers
Published by: Redhook
Publication Date: November 18th, 2025
Format: Hardcover, 384 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"Below the streets of London, a secret network of magical bookshops has existed for millennia. But they're slowly disappearing, and no one knows why. Only one dishonored bookseller can uncover the truth and rewrite her story - in this spellbinding standalone fantasy novel from the author of The City of Stardust.

If you want a story that will change your life, Chiron's bookshop is where you go. For those lucky enough to grace its doors, it's a glimpse into a world of powerful bargains and deadly ink magic.

For Cassandra Fairfax, it's a reminder of everything she lost, when Chiron kicked her out and all but shuttered the shop. Since then, she's used her skills in less ethical ways, trading stolen books and magical readings to wealthy playboys and unscrupulous collectors.

Then Chiron dies under mysterious circumstances. And if Cassandra knows anything, it's this: the bookshop must always have an owner.

But she's not the only one interested. There's Lowell Sharpe, a dark-eyed, regrettably handsome bookseller she can't seem to stop bumping into; rival owners who threaten Cassandra from the shadows; and, of course, Chiron's murderer, who is still on the loose.

As Cassandra tries to uncover the secrets her mentor left behind, a sinister force threatens to unravel the world of the magical bookshops entirely..."

Is it wrong that no matter the dangers I just want to go and run a bookshop in the streets below London?

Violet Thistlewaite Is Not a Villain Anymore by Emily Krempholtz
Published by: Ace
Publication Date: November 18th, 2025
Format: Paperback, 368 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"A powerful plant witch and a grumpy alchemist must work together to save their quiet town from a magical plague in this debut cozy fantasy romance about starting over, redemption, and what it really means to be a good person.

Guy Shadowfade is dead, and after a lifetime as the dark sorcerer's right-hand, Violet Thistlewaite is determined to start over - not as the fearsome Thornwitch, but as someone kind. Someone better. Someone good.

The quaint town of Dragon's Rest, Violet decides, will be her second chance - she'll set down roots, open a flower shop, keep her sentient (mildly homicidal) houseplant in check, and prune dark magic from the twisted boughs of her life.

Violet's vibrant bouquets and cheerful enchantments soon charm the welcoming townsfolk, though nothing seems to impress the prickly yet dashingly handsome Nathaniel Marsh, an alchemist sharing her greenhouse. With a struggling business and his own second chance seemingly out of reach, Nathaniel has no time for flowers or frippery - and certainly none for the intriguing witch next door.

When a mysterious blight endangers every living plant in Dragon's Rest, Violet and Nathaniel must work together, through their fears, pasts, and growing feelings for one another, to save their community. But with a figure from her previous life knocking at her door and her secrets threatening to uproot everything she's worked so hard to grow, Violet can't help but wonder…does a former villain truly deserve a happily-ever-after?"

I am here for every sentient houseplant out there. Homicidal tendencies totally allowed. 

Only At Ainsworth by Heather M Lewis
Published by: Heather Lewis
Publication Date: November 18th, 2025
Format: Kindle, 172 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"Greetings and salutations from Hansel Park, owner of Ainsworth Press!

As an independent literary agency situated within the legendary Acheron Estate, we strive to bring our clients' works to the masses. Seeking to fulfill readers' needs and wants, we sign authors of every genre. If you're interested in working with us, please send a letter of inquiry to the address listed below.

Alternatively, if you're in the area and would like to drop by for a brief conversation, please feel free to do so. Never mind the mess or those wandering throughout the estate. One can't pick their neighbors, can they? Should you hear any troubling rumors or odd speculation, just know that jealousy can inspire malicious intent. Also, keep in mind that no harm has ever befallen an author.

Come see for yourself."

This blurb is so perfectly written with hints of darkness that explains nothing that it's a book I just must read.

After Hours at Dooryard Books by Cat Sebastian
Published by: Cat Sebastian
Publication Date: November 18th, 2025
Format: Kindle
To Buy

The official patter:
"1968 New York City

News about the war might be keeping Patrick up at night - news in general might be keeping Patrick up at night - but he's doing fine. He's sure of it. He gets to spend his days selling books in the gayest neighborhood on the East Coast and his nights merrily sleeping his way through the rare book community. But when he takes in a drifter who seems to be hiding something, and his best friend and her newborn move into the apartment upstairs, his life gets turned on its head.

A sleepy little bookstore should be the perfect place for Nathaniel to lie low, waiting for his past to catch up with him, but it turns out Dooryard Books is full of political radicals and anti-war agitators. If the FBI isn't actively surveilling this place, it will be. Nathaniel should go anywhere else. The last thing he expects is to like these subversives. There's a grieving folk musician and her baby - a demon of a child who will only sleep if Nathaniel, of all people, holds her. There's a pair of rabble-rousing teenagers who, upsettingly, seem to be right about everything. And then there's Patrick, who can't walk past anyone who needs his help - and who is perplexingly determined to help Nathaniel.

As the world balances on the precipice of something new and scary and maybe even hopeful, Patrick needs to decide what he's willing to risk for this chaotic new community he's accidentally created. And Nathaniel needs to figure out whether he has a place in this messy, flawed world - and whether he can believe he deserves it."

Yes to the mess! To the found family wherever they may be!

Arrow of Fortune by Jacquelyn Benson
Published by: Vaughan Woods Publishing
Publication Date: November 18th, 2025
Format: Paperback, 436 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"A well-behaved lady historian ought to avoid haunted forests...not plunge into them seeking an invincible weapon of the gods.

Ellie Mallory didn't exactly volunteer to prevent the most dangerous artifact of the Ramayana from falling into the wrong hands - but if one has been coerced into an adventure, the least one can do is bring along a few friends.

Constance Tyrrell has new daggers stuffed in her garters, a thirst to discover everything India has to offer...and absolutely no interest in Dr. Neil Fairfax, Ellie's scholarly stepbrother. Meanwhile, Neil finds himself wrangling a magical sword along with his increasingly tangled feelings about a certain doe-eyed danger gnome.

Then there's Adam Bates - handy with a machete, perpetually shirtless, and about to face some unsettling ghosts of his past.

Together, they must follow the footsteps of an ancient hero from the festivals of Puri to the shadowy depths of a legendary forest, racing a brutal colonial administrator with allies of his own - including the complicated and mysterious Mr. Jacobs.

It will take all Ellie's resources - from a working knowledge of practical chemistry to a highly excitable dog - to beat a new sort of demon to the place where a holy power has lain hidden for two thousand years... alongside the secret history of the woman at the heart of India's greatest story."

I just love that it takes all this AND a working knowledge of practical chemistry.

The Botanist's Assistant by Peggy Townsend
Published by: Berkley
Publication Date: November 18th, 2025
Format: Paperback, 304 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"A murder in the science lab shatters a woman's quiet and ordered life when she decides she must solve the crime herself in this entertaining and uplifting mystery.

Plenty of people consider Margaret Finch odd. Six-feet-tall and big-boned, she lives alone in a small cabin in the woods, drives a 20-year-old truck, and schedules her life so precisely you can tell the time and day of the week by the chore she is doing and what she is wearing. But the same attributes that cause her to be labeled eccentric - an obsessive attention to detail and the ability to organize almost anything - make her invaluable in her job as Research Assistant II to a talented and charismatic botanist.

It's those very same qualities, however, that also turn Margaret into a target after a surprising death shakes the small university where she works. Even as authorities claim the death appears to be from natural causes, Margaret fears it might be something more: a murder born of jealousy and dark secrets. With the aid of a newly hired and enigmatic night custodian, Margaret finds herself thrust into the role of detective, forcing her to consider that she may not be able to find the killer before the killer finds her.

With a cast of quirky and likeable characters that one won't soon forget, The Botanist's Assistant is a delightful story of perseverance and the power in all of us to survive."

Anyone else feel that Margaret was written for Gwendoline Christie? 

The Burning Library by Gilly Macmillan
Published by: William Morrow
Publication Date: November 18th, 2025
Format: Hardcover, 304 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"From the internationally bestselling author of The Nanny and What She Knew comes a thrilling dark academic tale of murder, obsession and ruthless ambition, set in remote St. Andrews, Scotland.

A deadly rivalry.
A chilling secret.
One woman who can decipher the truth.

On a frigid, windswept day in Scotland's Western Isles, Eleanor Bruton's body is discovered on the shore. To her family Eleanor was an ordinary middle-aged woman. She did flower arrangements and plumped kneeler cushions at church. Little did they know she was harboring a dark and all-consuming secret. A scrap of fraying embroidery that seems worthless at first glance.

For over a century, two rival organizations of women have gone to deadly lengths to secure the valuable artifact in the hopes of finding the original medieval manuscript from which it was torn. The Order of St. Katherine: devoted to the belief that women must pull strings in the shadows to exercise control. And the Fellowship of the Larks, determined to amass as many overt positions of power for women as possible…so long as their methods of doing so never come to light.

When Dr. Anya Brown garners international attention for her translation of the cryptic Folio 9, she is handpicked by Diana Cornish, a professor and high-ranking member of the Fellowship, to join the exclusive Institute of Manuscript Studies in St. Andrews. Unbeknownst to Anya she's been recruited at great personal danger to translate ancient texts that the Fellowship believes critical to their mission.

Meanwhile at Scotland Yard, Detective Constable Clio Spicer begins a private investigation into the death of Eleanor Bruton.

As all the women grow further entangled in this ancient web, circumstances spin wildly out of control and their lives may be in grave danger.

Perfect for fans of Alex Michaelides and Ruth Ware, The Burning Library is the story of a centuries-old secret set to divide and consume those who seek to unearth it."

I might be currently needing all the St. Andrews because I have no more Karen Pirie to watch.

Haven't Killed in Years by Amy K. Green
Published by: Berkley
Publication Date: November 18th, 2025
Format: Hardcover, 368 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"No one is supposed to know harmless office worker Gwen Tanner is the vanished daughter of serial killer Abel Haggerty. But a low profile and a new name aren't going to cut it when an obsessive new killer starts targeting her, in this lively and propulsive thriller with a standout voice.

Marin Haggerty, the daughter of a notorious serial killer, was only a child when they arrested her father. Ripped from her home and given a new identity, Marin disappeared.

Twenty years later, Gwen Tanner keeps everyone at a distance, preferring to satirize the world around her than participate in it. It's for her safety - and theirs. But when someone starts sending body parts to her front door, the message is clear: I Know Who You Are.

To preserve her secrets, Gwen must hunt down the killer, a journey which immerses her in the twisted world of true crime fandom and makes her confront her past once and for all. Maybe she is capable of deep, human connections, but she's not the only one keeping secrets. Will opening herself up to others help her find the killer, or remind her why it was necessary she hide her true self in the first place?

The apple never falls too far, after all."

I mean, in this day and age, the child of a serial killer is obviously going to be a target for someone, fan or vigilante. 

Evil Bones by Kathy Reichs
Published by: Scribner
Publication Date: November 18th, 2025
Format: Hardcover, 288 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"#1 New York Times bestselling author Kathy Reichs returns with a twisty, magnetic thriller featuring forensic anthropologist Temperance Brennan, who finds herself enmeshed in a series of grisly animal killings that escalate into something far more sinister.

Small creatures - a rat, a rabbit, a squirrel - have been turning up throughout Charlotte, North Carolina, mutilated and displayed in a bizarre manner. But one day, as Tempe is relaxing at home alongside her aimless, moody great-niece Ruthie, she's diverted by a disturbing call. The perp is upping the ante. This find could be human.

Tempe visits the scene and discovers that the victim is a dog. Someone's pet. As one who has always found animal cruelty abhorrent, Tempe agrees to help apprehend the person responsible, and she acquires an equally outraged ally in semi-retired homicide detective Erskine "Skinny" Slidell. Needing a better understanding of possible motives, Tempe seeks input from a forensic psychologist. The doctor has no definitive answer but offers several possibilities, warning that the escalating pattern of aggression suggests even more macabre discoveries - and a shift in the perp's focus to humans.

And then it happens. A woman is found disfigured and posed in a manner that mimics the animal killings. Subsequently, people Tempe cares about begin to go missing until it becomes clear she is being taunted, the target in a sick game that has her and Slidell racing against a ticking clock and facing a terrifying question: "What is pure evil?""

If I know one thing about serial killers, it's that animals are just the beginning. 

Made You Look by Tanya Grant
Published by: Berkley
Publication Date: November 18th, 2025
Format: Paperback, 368 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"A Catskills retreat turns deadly for a group of influencers when a snowstorm cuts them off from their greatest resource - their followers - just as a killer strikes in this irresistible debut thriller.

Sydney Kent is the ultimate It Girl. You want her effortless style, her charisma, her hair. You want to be her; you want to be with her.

But the trouble with a star is that everyone else looks dull in comparison.

Despite Caitlyn's social media cunning, it's impossible for her to step out from Sydney's shadow. Even Lucy, Sydney's best friend since before her fame, can't escape her role as full-time photographer to the influencer.

When the women are invited to post content for a secluded new retreat in the Catskills, alongside Sydney's boyfriend Jeff, stylist Nash, and manager Brent, the weekend feels like it will be a fresh start. But an unexpected snowstorm traps the group together with no cell service, no Wi-Fi, and no way out.

Then a killer strikes, and the dream trip becomes a nightmare. Secrets, lies, and scandals are forced to the surface, and the friends can't help but suspect the murderer might be among them. Worse, the killing has only just begun.

But where there's danger, there's juicy, jaw-dropping, name-making content to be created. You know you want to look."

You just need to pivot what kind of influencer you are, you know, after you survive the killing spree.

From Cradle to Grave by Rhys Bowen
Published by: Berkley
Publication Date: November 18th, 2025
Format: Hardcover, 336 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"Lady Georgiana "Georgie" Rannoch is just like any other new mother, balancing responsibilities of being 34th in line for the British throne and solving the shocking deaths of several young men, in this new Royal Spyness novel from the queen of historical mystery, Rhys Bowen.

Georgie may be figuring out what it means to be a new mother but she does know one thing for sure: she absolutely despises the strict nanny who was foisted upon her by her meddlesome sister-in-law. In search of a new nanny, Georgie travels to London to see her old friend ZouZou only to find her about to depart for a funeral, after the unexpected death of a young man in her social circle. It quickly becomes clear there's more than one mysterious death around town, when another friend reveals he's also just returned from the funeral of a school friend, who seemingly died in a boating accident. But when word arrives that the son of family friend has also died tragically and unexpectedly, Georgie is certain it can't be a coincidence. Yet the victims don't seem to have any connection to one another.

ZouZou shares Georgie's suspicions that the deaths were not an accident and begs Georgie to solve the case. As Georgie delves deeper, she can't help worrying that her own husband, Darcy, may be next. It seems likely there is a serial killer at work and Darcy fits the bill to be their next victim. Will Georgie solve the murders before it's too late for Darcy, and manage to find the perfect nanny all at the same time?"

Personally I think you stick with the bad nanny for a few days, solve the crime, and then get a good nanny. It's all about priorities. 

A Case of Life and Limb by Sally Smith
Published by: Raven Books
Publication Date: November 18th, 2025
Format: Hardcover, 320 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"All is calm, all is bright...until reluctant sleuth barrister Gabriel Ward is tasked with finding the culprit of yet another grisly crime in the Inner Temple.

Christmas Eve, 1901. Gabriel Ward KC is hard at work on a thorny libel case involving London's most famous music hall star, Topsy Tillotson, and its most notorious tabloid newspaper, the Nation's Voice, but the Inner Temple remains as quiet and calm as ever. Quiet, that is, until a severed hand arrives in the post.

While the hand's recipient, Temple Treasurer Sir William Waring, is rightfully shaken, Gabriel is filled with curiosity. Who would want to send such a thing? And why? But as more parcels arrive - one with fatal consequences - Gabriel realizes that it is not Sir William who is the target, but the Temple itself.

Someone is holding a grudge that has already led to at least one death. Now it's up to Gabriel, and Constable Wright of the City of London Police, to find out who, before an old death leads to a new murder."

A fatal parcel? Was it a bomb or did the contents trigger a heart attack? Read to find out!

Luna Lapin Stitched with Kindness by Sarah Peel
Published by: David and Charles
Publication Date: November 18th, 2025
Format: Paperback, 144 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"A delightful collection of sewing patterns from the creator of Luna Lapin, Sarah Peel. Immerse yourself once again in the whimsical world of Luna Lapin with this collection of patterns and instructions for five delightful animals.

Luna Lapin is a quiet and kind rabbit with impeccable taste and, in this collection, she introduces us to some of her nearest and dearest friends. This brand new collection will resonate with fans of Luna and sewers of all abilities. The designs are perfect for making wonderful heirloom toys which will be treasured forever.

-The new animals include Gracie Grenouille the frog, Sidney and Sol the beach donkeys, and Erik Eriksen the polar bear.
-The step instructions and diagrams explain the patterns for the animals and their wonderful wardrobes.
-There are full-size templates for all the patterns whether it's Erik's duffle coat or or the donkeys' striped bathing suits.

If you are a fan of this particular rabbity hare you will want to collect the latest collection of designs and stories so you can immerse yourself in the whimsical world of Luna Lapin once again."

I have never heard of Luna Lapin until now, but the characters so look like the stepped out of the pages of a Juneau Black book that I'm already hooked.

Beasts of the Sea by Iida Turpeinen
Published by: Little Brown and Company
Publication Date: November 18th, 2025
Format: Hardcover, 288 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"Spanning three centuries and linked by a long-extinct denizen of the northern oceans, a sweeping and intimate tale about a fateful encounter between man and nature.

In 1741, thirty-two-year-old naturalist Georg Wilhelm Steller joins Captain Bering's Great Northern Expedition to scout out a sea route from Asia to America. Plagued with hardships, captain and crew never reach their goal, but they do make a unique discovery, a gentle giant that will be named for the young explorer who described it: Steller's sea cow.

In 1859, the governor of the Russian territory of Alaska sends his men to recover the skeleton of the massive marine mammal rumored to have vanished a hundred years before. Two years later, a revered Helsinki professor hires a talented illustrator - a woman! - to make precise drawings of a set of bones sent from afar. The ill-fated beast will help introduce to a skeptical public the concept of human-caused extinction.

Finally, in 1952, the Museum of Zoology assigns its most talented restorer the task of refurbishing the antique skeleton, a testimony to the sea cow's fate that will fire the imaginations of future generations.

A breathtaking literary achievement and an adventure that crosses continents and centuries, Beasts of the Sea is a tale of grand ambition, the quest for knowledge, and the urge to resurrect what humankind has, in its ignorance, destroyed."

Timely and, well, I've always love sea cows.

I'll Make a Spectacle of You by Beatrice Winifred Iker
Published by: Run for It
Publication Date: November 18th, 2025
Format: Paperback, 400 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"This heart-pounding Southern gothic horror debut from Beatrice Winifred Iker, takes readers to Bricksbury University, the oldest and most storied HBCU in the nation. But as one student is about to find out, a long history comes with a legacy of secrets.

Zora Robinson is an ambitious grad student in her dream program, Appalachian Studies, at Bricksbury University. When her thesis advisor hands her a strange diary and suggests she research the local folklore about a beast roaming the woods surrounding campus, Zora finds a community uneager to talk to an outsider.

As she delves into the history of the beast, she uncovers a rumored secret society called the Keepers that has tenuous ties to the beast...and Bricksbury itself. Zora soon finds herself plagued by visions of the past, and her grip on reality starts to slip as she struggles to uncover what is real and what is folklore. But when a student goes missing, Zora starts to wonder if the Keepers ever really disbanded.

There's something in the woods and it has its eyes on Zora."

Never accept strange diaries. They lead nowhere good.

Threads of Fate by Aminah Fox
Published by: 22nd Light LLC
Publication Date: November 18th, 2025
Format: Hardcover, 448 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"Don't walk alone. Don't invite them in, but most all - don't bleed.

Nearly two years after surviving the MillU Murders - a brutal killing spree that claimed her best friend's life - Manny is trying to move on. After taking an academic leave to heal, she's back at Millfield University, hoping to rebuild her life. But when another student is found dead in the same horrific fashion of the murders that once terrorized the campus, rumors of the killer's return begin to spread, and Manny is forced to confront the chilling reality: the nightmare isn't over. It's just begun.

With the administration determined to turn a blind eye, Manny launches her own investigation, only to discover something far darker than she could have ever imagined. It's not a serial killer on the loose - it's something centuries old and powerful that dates back to the university's founding - a malevolent entity preying on students, growing stronger every time it feeds.

But why now? Who awakened it? And can it be stopped before more lives are lost?

As the body count rises, Manny realizes that no one is safe - and everyone is a suspect. In this game of life and death, the only thing more dangerous than the curse's unpredictability is the otherworldly forces - witches, vampires, and possibly werewolves - gathering because of it. With the line between myth and reality blurring, Manny knows if she doesn't act fast, she and her friends could be next - because the curse is hungry, and everyone is on the menu."

If she just left school would that nullify the curse? Because if so, leave!

The Official Rocky Horror Late Night Double Feature by Linus O'Brien and Richard O'Brien
Published by: Weldon Owen
Publication Date: November 18th, 2025
Format: Hardcover, 352 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"Celebrate the cult classic like never before, with this two-volume set featuring the original theatrical script with rare images of the original cast, and an oral history of the Rocky Horror Picture Show phenomenon featuring never-before-seen archival material from its creator (and original Riff-Raff), Richard O'Brien.

In 1973 in a tiny upstairs theater in London, a sweet transvestite in fishnets, platform heels, and a corset strutted on stage and tossed off his cape, and our world was never the same. Now, for the first time, show creator Richard O'Brien opens his archives to give an unprecedented look at the origins Frank n Furter and Rocky Horror in this unique and stunning two-volume set.

It Was Great When It All Began: The Original Annotated Theatrical Script
Before the cult movie classic, there was the cult stage show. See where it all began with this original 1973 theatrical script, presented in all its Rocky Horror glory. Production notes, stage directions, and the script with lyrics are accompanied by rare performance images of the 1973 London and 1974 Roxy (Los Angeles) casts. Remembrances from cast members and an archival piece written by Richard O'Brien with insights on what makes a winning Rocky Horror stage performance put you in the front row of that little London theater. And because today's theatrical performances take a page from the movie, the book also features a Virgin's Guide - a complete theatrical script notated with the classic audience callbacks and partici...pation.

Strange Journey: The Illustrated Oral History of Rocky Horror
Rocky Horror's strange journey may have begun with the stage show, but the entire story is so much more. Based on the groundbreaking documentary Strange Journey by Richard's son, Linus O'Brien, this official oral history tells Rocky Horror's story from its origins onstage to its cultural influence today. Never-before-seen images and ephemera from Richard O'Brian’s personal archives are accompanied by new interviews and insights with cast and crew including Tim Curry and Susan Sarandon, shadow cast performers, and of course, Richard O'Brien himself. Stars such as Trixie Mattel discuss the profound impact Rocky Horror has had on them and on the LGBTQ+ community. Packed with fascinating stories, rare images, and never-before-seen ephemera, Strange Journey: The Illustrated Oral History of Rocky Horror paints a picture of how this cult movie became a cultural phenomenon.

DEFINITIVE COMPANION: Experience the cult classic stage play like never before, featuring a complete script and lyrics, original cast photography, and insights from the original cast and show's writer and creator, Richard O'Brien.

EXCLUSIVE MATERIAL: Witness never-before-seen set photography and design sketches from writer and creator, Richard O'Brien's, personal collection.

NEW INTERVIEWS: The oral history boasts new interviews with cast, crew, and historians, giving new and deeper insight into this cultural phenomenon."

Teenage me is beyond excited for this. Adult me is too.

Posted by Miss Eliza at 12:00 AM 0 comments  

Labels: Aminah Fox, Amy K. Green, Beatrice Winifred Iker, Cat Sebastian, Georgia Summers, Gilly Macmillan, Iida Turpeinen, Jacquelyn Benson, Kathy Reichs, Peggy Townsend, Rhys Bowen, Rocky Horror, Sally Smith, Sarah Peel, Tanya Grant

The Bloody Ruin Asylum and Taproom by Seana Kelly
Published by: NYLA
Publication Date: October 1st, 2024
Format: Kindle, 285 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"I'm Sam, the werewolf book nerd owner of The Slaughtered Lamb Bookstore & Bar. My husband, Master vampire Clive, has been asked to go to Budapest to interview for a position in the Guild, a council of thirteen vampires who advise the world's Masters. The competition for the recently vacated spot is fierce. I worry about Clive, as it quickly becomes apparent that the last person to hold the position didn't leave voluntarily.

Ever the supportive wife, I’m tagging along. I researched Budapest and had a long itinerary of things to do. That is, I did. When we arrive, we find out that the Guild headquarters is in the ruins of an abandoned insane asylum. Awesome. If there's one thing I love, it's being hounded by mentally unstable Hungarian ghosts.

Let's just say this isn't the romantic getaway I'd been hoping for. With Clive in top secret meetings and a bunch of creepy Renfields skulking around corners, nowhere is safe. I want to help Clive because I know he really wants the job, but the other Guild members are ancient and scary powerful. Between you and me, I thought Vlad would be taller."

Who's had this book preordered since April? That would be me.

How to Help a Hungry Werewolf by Charlotte Stein
Published by: St. Martin's Griffin
Publication Date: October 1st, 2024
Format: Paperback, 368 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"What We Do in the Shadows with the small town feels of Gilmore Girls in this swoon-worthy romance that will leave readers delightfully cozy and hungry for more.

When Cassandra Camberwell returns to her hometown of Hollow Brook to clear out her late grandmother's ramshackle old house, the last thing she expects is Seth Brubaker on her doorstep. Her former best friend was responsible for the worst moment of her high school life, and she can't imagine he wants to do anything but torment her all over again.

Until she unearths the real reason this annoyingly gorgeous beast of a man keeps hanging around: he's an actual werewolf, who's certain she's the witch that will ease his suffering. But Cassie just isn't sure if she can trust him again. So Seth offers a pact: he'll teach her all about her undiscovered magic, and she will brew the potions he needs. No feelings, no funny business, just a witch and a werewolf striking a deal.

Totally doable. Until they get hit with a do-or-die mating bond. And now the heat is rising, in between fights with formers bullies and encounters with talking raccoons. They just have to not give in. Unless giving in just might be the very thing they never knew they always wanted."

I was sold when I found out this is basically Gilmore Girls with werewolves.

The Crescent Moon Tearoom by Stacy Sivinski
Published by: Atria Books
Publication Date: October 1st, 2024
Format: Paperback, 336 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"An "impossibly endearing" (Sarah Penner, New York Times bestselling author) debut novel about three clairvoyant sisters who face an unexpected twist of Fate at the bottom of their own delicate porcelain cups.

Ever since the untimely death of their parents, Anne, Beatrix, and Violet Quigley have made a business of threading together the stories that rest in the swirls of ginger, cloves, and cardamon that lie at the bottom of their customers' cups. Their days at the teashop are filled with talk of butterflies and good fortune intertwined with the sound of cinnamon shortbread being snapped by laced fingers.

That is, until the Council of Witches comes calling with news that the city Diviner has lost her powers, and the sisters suddenly find themselves being pulled in different directions. As Anne's magic begins to develop beyond that of her sisters', Beatrix's writing attracts the attention of a publisher, and Violet is enchanted by the song of the circus - and perhaps a mischievous trapeze artist threatening to sweep her off her feet - it seems a family curse that threatens to separate the sisters is taking effect.

With dwindling time to rewrite their future and help three other witches challenge their own destinies, the Quigleys set out to bargain with Fate. But in focusing so closely on saving each other, will they lose sight of themselves?"

Can I just go live in this world?

Best Hex Ever by Nadia El-Fassi
Published by: Dell
Publication Date: October 1st, 2024
Format: Paperback, 320 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"A kitchen witch with a penchant for baking and a (literally) cursed love life meets someone who's worth breaking a hex for in this enchanting romance debut written with a heap of spice and an equal measure of heart.

As a skilled kitchen witch, Dina Whitlock knows her way around a pastry recipe. In fact, she runs her very own London café, serving magic-infused treats to her loyal customers. She is not as much of an expert on romance, thanks to the hex hanging over her head. It's hard to fall in love when your partner is cursed with a string of bad luck. But who needs love when your best friend is getting married, right?

Scott Mason has returned from global travels thrilled to embark on his new role as a curator at the British Museum. Having left London two years ago to recover from a devastating breakup, Scott has missed out on a lot. With his best friend's wedding approaching, and Scott as best man, this is his chance to make up for lost time. Little does he expect to be enchanted by the magical maid of honor.

During a romantic weekend filled with a peculiar hedge maze, palm readings by candlelight, and a midnight Halloween ritual, there's no denying the chemistry between them. But the hex still holds, and Dina knows that Scott is in danger of more than just bad luck - because she's falling, hard. Will Dina be able to undo the hex before it's too late?"

I mean, who hasn't imagined falling for a member of the wedding party? This just has an extra dose of magic.

The Undead Complex by Courtney Smyth
Published by: Titan Books (UK)
Publication Date: October 1st, 2024
Format: Paperback, 528 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"A witty, witchy fantasy murder mystery packed with ancient magic and fiendish puzzles. Mallory, Diana, Cornelia and Theodore are hired to solve a murder on a TV shoot by the victim herself. Perfect for fans of supernatural mysteries and cosy crime by authors such as Ben Aaronovitch, Josiah Bancroft and Tammie Painter.

Five months after they stopped The Whistler, business is booming for the Undetectables. Just not work that requires magical forensic investigators. So when Diana's ex asks them to solve a murder - her own - Diana, Mallory and Cornelia can't say no.

Going undercover to investigate the set of the TV show, Undead Complex, Diana returns to her life as a propmaker. But even the appearance of a genuine-article Francine Leon dollhouse leaves her feeling pulled down a path of crime-solving she doesn't want to walk forever.

Meanwhile, Theodore's coming apart at the seams - literally - and Mallory is running out of ways to help him. Especially as he seems to be keeping secrets from her.

As the clues - and the bodies - keep piling up, each one making less and less sense, the Undetectables find themselves in a race against time to find out what, exactly, the killer is up to - before the final cut."

I mean... I don't think I'd call Ben Aaronovitch cosy... And this reminds me more of Lockwood and Co....

Candle and Crow by Kevin Hearne
Published by: Del Rey Books
Publication Date: October 1st, 2024
Format: Hardcover, 352 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"From the New York Times bestselling author of The Iron Druid Chronicles comes the final book in the "action-packed, enchantingly fun" (Booklist) Ink and Sigil series, as an ink-slinging wizard pursues the answer to a very personal mystery: Who cast a pair of curses on his head?

Al MacBharrais has a most unusual job: He's a practitioner of ink-and-sigil magic, tasked with keeping order among the gods and monsters that dwell hidden in the human world. But there's one supernatural mystery he's never been able to solve: Years ago, someone cast twin curses on him that killed off his apprentices and drove away loved ones who heard him speak, leaving him bereft and isolated.

But he's not quite alone: As Al works to solve this mystery, his friends draw him into their own eccentric dramas. Buck Foi the hobgoblin has been pondering his own legacy - and has a plan for a daring shenanigan that will make him the most celebrated hobgoblin of all. Nadia, goth queen and battle seer, is creating her own cult around a god who loves whisky and cheese.

And the Morrigan, a former Irish death goddess, has decided she wants not only to live as an ordinary woman but also to face the most perilous challenge of the mortal world: online dating.

Meanwhile, Al crosses paths with old friends and new - including some beloved Druids and their very good dogs - in his globe-trotting quest to solve the mystery of his curses. But he's pulled in so many different directions by his colleagues, a suspicious detective, and the whims of destructive gods that Al begins to wonder: Will he ever find time to write his own happy ending?"

Dammit, I wish this was coming out in the before times because Kevin Hearne's book tour looks amazing. Seriously, I'd totally go if it wasn't for Covid.

Casters and Crowns by Elizabeth Lowham
Published by: Shadow Mountain
Publication Date: October 1st, 2024
Format: Hardcover, 384 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"Cursed by magic, bound by mistakes, Princess Aria finds her destiny hinges on the mysterious Baron Reeves. Will love be enough to break the curse, or will war bring her kingdom to ruin? A new romantasy by Elizabeth Lowham.

When Crown Princess Aria sees her kingdom on the brink of war with the magic-wielding Casters, she takes it upon herself to speak with Widow Morton, the most dangerous Caster in the realm. If successful, Aria will not only ensure peace but also prove to her father that she is a worthy heir. But when her negotiations fail, Aria is dealt a terrible curse: Over the course of one hundred days, she will be unable to sleep, her body and mind doomed to waste away. And then the curse will pass to her sister, until every member of the king's line is dead.

Aria's best hope for breaking her curse is to seek help from another Caster - the handsome and charming Baron Reeves. He may be entitled to a place at the court, but as a magic user, can he truly be trusted? She vows to not be fooled by his dimpled smiles or his devotion to his brothers, but as she spends more time with him, she discovers that her heart has other ideas.

Baron has no desire to see the princess suffer - especially since she might be the key to changing the king's opinion on Casters - but he has secrets to protect and ghosts of his own. The last person he tried to save using his magic died, and he's not willing to risk harming someone he loves again.

As the curse continues its deadly countdown, both Aria and Baron must risk their lives and their hearts to save each other and unite a kingdom."

Damn. That is a damn wicked curse.

The Fate of Magic by Sara Raasch and Beth Revis
Published by: Sourcebooks Fire
Publication Date: October 1st, 2024
Format: Hardcover, 320 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"The breathtaking sequel to the instant New York Times bestseller Night of the Witch culminates with a sweeping romance and an epic battle to determine the fate of magic...and the world.

Fritzi is a champion. After escaping the clutches of Dieter Kirch, the sadistic leader of the witch hunters, Fritzi and Otto have taken refuge among the witches of the Black Forest. Fritzi is finally ready to assume her place on the council as the coven's goddess-chosen champion. Plagued by distrust and self-doubt, Fritzi throws herself into her duty to serve the goddesses...until she uncovers a powerful secret that could mean the very undoing of magic itself.

Otto is a warrior. He swears himself to Fritzi as her bonded protector, certain the peaceful unity of a witch and hunter will heal the wounds he helped make. But as the horrifying plot that threatens the Black Forest's magic comes to light, Otto will have to face both his past and what it means to bind himself to a magic he does not fully understand.

Shadows loom. Truths are revealed. And as dangers new and old arise, Fritzi and Otto must stand together against everything that threatens magic - even if the biggest threat might be the very bond they share."

Germanic witches for the win.

Now Comes the Mist by Julie C. Dao
Published by: Podium Publishing
Publication Date: October 1st, 2024
Format: Paperback, 304 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"Dracula's Lucy Westenra like you've never seen her before: In this retelling from critically acclaimed author Julie C. Dao, the perfect woman bites back.

Lucy Westenra is beautiful, rich, loved by three men - every inch a lady. But beneath this sparkling, flirtatious facade, she is fascinated by death, which has stalked her throughout her short life. For her, the dead do not slip away easily, as they do for her best friend, Mina; they linger.

When Lucy departs for Whitby, her nightly sleepwalks introduce her to the mysterious Vlad, who seems to see parts of her she has never let show before. Vlad makes her an offer: Every century, he seeks out the "perfect woman of the age," who embodies all the values of her society, to live with him in immortality - and Lucy could very well be this woman. For the first time, she feels herself able to share her darker side with someone. Thinking herself dreaming, she agrees to cheat death with him.

When Vlad finally appears in the light, it is aboard a ship covered in corpses. He toys with Lucy and mocks her in Mina's presence. And one night, he drains a corpse dry right before her eyes. He is a vampire, a monster ready to take her. He expects a good Victorian lady, appalled by his darkness, a victim. But Lucy is only enraptured. When Vlad reacts with violence, Lucy has no choice but to fight for her agency, even if it means giving up her humanity. And her tormentor will soon find she is no easy opponent...

The first book of a duology that retells Dracula from the point of view of Lucy Westenra, this Gothic romance is perfect for fans of Penny Dreadful and Danielle L. Jensen."

This Halloween season, more Lucy Westenra then you ever thought you needed! And yes, you did need it.

Northern Nights edited by Michael Kelly
Published by: Undertow Publications
Publication Date: October 1st, 2024
Format: Paperback, 298 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"Something stirs in the boundless dark of the Canadian north. Listen. Can you hear it?

Northern Nights is an anthology of strange stories, featuring the dark dreams and feverish imaginations of Canada's finest speculative authors. Steel yourself for a journey through these northern nights.

Featuring all new original stories from Silvia Moreno-Garcia, Camilla Grudova, Premee Mohamed, David Demchuk, Senaa Ahmad, A.C. Wise, Naben Ruthnum, Simon Strantzas, Richard Gavin, Rich Larson, Hiron Ennes, Siobhan Carroll, Lynn Hutchinson Lee, Rory Say, David Nickle, Marc A. Godin, EC Dorgan, K.L. Schroeder, Nayani Jensen, and David Neil Lee."

Here for Hiron Ennes and Silvia Moreno-Garcia! And to discovering everyone else.

Coup de Grâce by Sofia Ajram
Published by: Titan Books (UK)
Publication Date: October 1st, 2024
Format: Hardcover, 144 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"A mindbending and visceral experimental horror about a young man trapped in an infinite Montreal subway station, perfect for readers of Mark Z. Danielewski and Susanna Clarke.

Vicken has a plan: throw himself into the Saint Lawrence River in Montreal and end it all for good, believing it to be the only way out for him after a lifetime of depression and pain. But, stepping off the subway, he finds himself in an endless, looping station.

Determined to find a way out again, he starts to explore the rooms and corridors ahead of him. But no matter how many claustrophobic hallways or vast cathedral-esque rooms he passes through, the exit is nowhere in sight.

The more he explores his strange new prison, the more he becomes convinced that he hasn't been trapped there accidentally, and amongst the shadows and concrete, he comes to realise that he almost certainly is not alone. A terrifying psychological nightmare from a powerful new voice in horror."

I mean, I can see the Mark Z. Danielewski connection with House of Leaves, but Susanna Clarke?

I'll Be Waiting by Kelley Armstrong
Published by: St. Martin's Press
Publication Date: October 1st, 2024
Format: Hardcover, 336 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"From New York Times Bestselling author Kelley Armstrong comes a spellbinding new tale of supernatural horror involving a haunted-house, seances, lost loved ones, and a sinister spirit out for blood...

Nicola Laughton never expected to see adulthood, being diagnosed with Cystic Fibrosis as a child. Then medical advances let her live into her thirties and she met Anton, who taught her to dream of a future...together. Months after they married, Anton died in a horrible car crash, but lived long enough to utter five words to her, "I'll be waiting for you."

That final private moment became public when someone from the crash scene took it to the press - the terminally ill woman holding her dying husband as he promised to wait for her on the other side. Worse, that person claimed it wasn't Anton who said the words but his ghost, hovering over his body.

Since their story went public, Nicola has been hounded by spiritualists promising closure. In the hopes of stopping her downward spiral, friends and family find a reputable medium - a professor of parapsychology. For the séance, they rent the Lake Erie beach house that Anton's family once owned.

The medium barely has time to begin his work before things start happening. Locked doors mysteriously open. Clouds of insects engulf the house. Nicola hears footsteps and voices and the creak of an old dumbwaiter...in an empty shaft. Throughout it all she's haunted by nightmares of her past. Because, unbeknownst to the others, this isn't her first time contacting the dead. And Nicola isn't her real name.

That's when she finds the first body....

In this atmospheric, thrilling new ghost story, Kelley Armstrong's full talents are on display to thrill, chill and leave the reader guessing how Nicola escapes with her life - if she can."

This is just a book I'm dying to read, I'm dying for the cover to be art on my wall.

The House at Watch Hill by Karen Marie Moning
Published by: William Morrow and Company
Publication Date: October 1st, 2024
Format: Hardcover, 384 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"#1 New York Times bestselling author Karen Marie Moning is back with a gripping, imaginative, and seductive new series in which a young woman moves to Divinity, Louisiana, to inherit a large fortune and a Gothic mansion full of mysteries and ominous secrets...

Zo Grey is reeling from the sudden death of her mother when she receives a surprising call from an attorney in Divinity, Louisiana, with the news she has been left an inheritance by a distant relative, the terms of which he will only discuss in person. Destitute and alone, with nothing left to lose, Zo heads to Divinity and discovers she is the sole beneficiary of a huge fortune and a monstrosity of a house that sits ominously at the peak of Watch Hill - but she must live in it, alone, for three years before the house, or the money, is hers.

Met with this irresistible opportunity to finally build a future for herself, Zo puts aside her misgivings about the foreboding Gothic mansion and the strange circumstances, and moves in, where she is quickly met by a red-eyed Stygian owl and an impossibly sexy Scottish groundskeeper.

Her new home is full of countless secrets and mystifying riddles, with doors that go nowhere, others that are impossible to open, and a turret into which there is no visible means of ingress. And the townspeople are odd...

What Zo doesn't yet know is that her own roots lie in this very house and that in order to discover her true identity and awaken her dormant powers, she will have to face off against sinister forces she doesn't quite comprehend - or risk being consumed by them."

The real mystery though it a Scottish groundskeeper in Louisiana?

Secret Dead Men by Duane Swierczynski
Published by: Titan Books (UK)
Publication Date: October 1st, 2024
Format: Paperback, 320 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"A smart-talking supernatural noir, full of twists and turns, delivered at a whipalong pace about a dead investigative-journalist-turned-soul-collector on the trail of his nemesis - nd murderer. Perfect for fans of Ben Aaranovitch and Richard Kadrey.

Del Farmer isn't your ordinary hardboiled private eye. Instead of collecting fingerprints or clues, he collects souls of the recently dead. His latest dead guy, Brad Larsen, might just be the key to destroying Farmer's long-time nemesis, The Association.

Of course, Farmer is sadly mistaken. An FBI agent unstuck in time is toying with him. A mysterious couple keeps trying to kill him. Another job - a mundane babysitting gig that pays the bills - is threatening to steer him way off course into a violent hell of sexual deceit, fractured identities, and cheap apartment toilets.

With only a head packed full of nagging ghosts, Farmer realises this case might just drive him out of his mind, literally."

A violent hell of sexual deceit? Isn't that the definition of Noir?

Model Home by Rivers Solomon
Published by: MCD
Publication Date: October 1st, 2024
Format: Hardcover, 304 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"Welcome to Rivers Solomon's dark and wondrous Model Home, a new kind of haunted-house novel.

The three Maxwell siblings keep their distance from the lily-white gated enclave outside Dallas where they grew up. When their family moved there, they were the only Black family in the neighborhood. The neighbors acted nice enough, but right away bad things, scary things - the strange and the unexplainable - began to happen in their house. Maybe it was some cosmic trial, a demonic rite of passage into the upper-middle class. Whatever it was, the Maxwells, steered by their formidable mother, stayed put, unwilling to abandon their home, terrors and trauma be damned.

As adults, the siblings could finally get away from the horrors of home, leaving their parents all alone in the house. But when news of their parents' death arrives, Ezri is forced to return to Texas with their sisters, Eve and Emanuelle, to reckon with their family's past and present, and to find out what happened while they were away. It was not a "natural" death for their parents...but was it supernatural?

Rivers Solomon turns the haunted-house story on its head, unearthing the dark legacies of segregation and racism in the suburban American South. Unbridled, raw, and daring, Model Home is the story of secret histories uncovered, and of a queer family battling for their right to live, grieve, and heal amid the terrors of contemporary American life."

Definitely a different kind of haunted house. I'm in.

Killer House Party by Lily Anderson
Published by: Henry Holt and Company
Publication Date: October 1st, 2024
Format: Hardcover, 304 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"From Printz Honor winning author Lily Anderson comes a young adult horror that follows Arden and her friends as their graduation party at an abandoned mansion turns into a bloody fight for survival.

Red Solo cups? Check. Snacks? Check. Abandoned mansion full of countless horrors that won't let you leave? Check.

The Deinhart Manor has been a looming shadow over town for as long as anyone can remember, and it's been abandoned for even longer. When the final Deinhart descendent passes, the huge Gothic manor is up for sale for the first time ever. Which means Arden can steal the keys from her mom's real estate office...It's time for a graduation party that no one will ever forget.

Arden and her friends each have different reasons for wanting to throw the party to end all parties. But when the manor doors bar everyone inside and the walls begin to bleed, all anyone wants to do is make it out alive."

I love that the house SO doesn't want to have a party thrown in it.

Society of Lies by Lauren Ling Brown
Published by: Bantam
Publication Date: October 1st, 2024
Format: Hardcover, 384 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"How far would you go to belong?

Maya has returned to Princeton for her college reunion - it's been a decade since she graduated, and she is looking forward to seeing old faces and reminiscing about her time there. This visit is special because Maya will also be attending the graduation of her little sister, Naomi.

But what should have been a dream weekend becomes Maya's worst nightmare when she receives the news that Naomi is dead. The police are calling it an accident, but Maya suspects that there is more to the story than they are letting on.

As Maya pieces together what happened in the months leading up to her sister's death, she begins to realize how much Naomi hid from her. Despite Maya's warnings, Naomi had joined Sterling Club, the most exclusive social club on campus - the same one Maya belonged to. And if she had to guess, Naomi was likely tapped for the secret society within it.

The more Maya uncovers, the more terrified she becomes that Naomi's decision to follow in her footsteps might have been what got her killed. Because Maya's time at Princeton wasn't as wonderful as she'd always made it seem - after all, her sister wasn't the first young woman to turn up dead. Now every clue is leading Maya back to the past...and to the secret she's kept all these years."

Oh, I need to know the secret that's MORE secret than the secret society!

Suggested in the Stars by Yoko Tawada
Published by: New Directions Publishing Corporation
Publication Date: October 1st, 2024
Format: Paperback, 224 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"It's hard to believe there could be a more enjoyable novel than Scattered All Over the Earth - Yoko Tawada's rollicking, touching, cheerfully dystopian novel about friendship and climate change - but surprising her readers is what Tawada does best: its sequel, Suggested in the Stars, delivers exploits even more poignant and shambolic.

As Hiruko - whose Land of Sushi has vanished into the sea and who is still searching for someone who speaks her mother tongue - and her new friends travel onward, they begin opening up to one another in new and extraordinary ways. They try to help their friend Susanoo regain his voice, both for his own good and so he can speak with Hiruko - and amid many often hilarious misunderstandings (some linguistic in nature) - they empower each other against despair. Coping with carbon footprint worries but looping singly and in pairs, they hitchhike, take late-night motorcycle rides, and hop on the train (learning about railway strikes but also packed-train-yoga) to convene in Copenhagen. There they find Susanoo in a strange hospital working with a scary speech-loss doctor. In the half-basement of this weird medical center (with strong echoes of Lars von Trier's 1990s TV series The Kingdom), they also find two special kids washing dishes. They discover magic radios, personality swaps, ship tickets delivered by a robot, and other gifts. But friendship - loaning one another the nerve and heart to keep going - sets them all (and the reader) to dreaming of something more...Suggested in the Stars delivers new delights, and Yoko Tawada's famed new trilogy will conclude in 2025 with Archipelago of the Sun, even if nobody will ever want this "strange, exquisite" (The New Yorker) trip to end."

Yeah, it is heard to believe someone found the first book enjoyable because it was literally one of the worst books I've ever read brimming with racism and trans hate.

Elevator in Sài Gòn by Thuân
Published by: New Directions Publishing Corporation
Publication Date: October 1st, 2024
Format: Paperback, 192 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"A young Vietnamese woman living in Paris travels back to Saigon for her estranged mother's funeral. Her brother had recently built a new house in Saigon, and staged a grotesquely lavish ceremony for their mother to inaugurate what was rumored to be the first elevator in a private home in the country. But shortly after the ceremony, in the middle of the night, their mother mysteriously fell down the elevator shaft, dying in an instant.

After the funeral, the daughter becomes increasingly fascinated with her family's history, and begins to investigate and track an enigmatic figure, Paul Polotsky, who emerges from her mother's notebook. Like an amateur sleuth, she trails Polotsky through the streets of Paris, sneaking behind him as he goes about his usual routines; meanwhile, she researches her mother's past - zigzagging across France and Asia - trying to find clues to the spiraling, deepening questions her mother left behind unanswered - and perhaps unanswerable.

Still banned in Vietnam, Elevator in Sài Gòn is a thrilling novel combining elements of the detective thriller, historical romance, postcolonial ghost story, and a biting satire of life in a communist state."

Yes, just so much yes.

The Mistletoe Mystery by Nita Prose
Published by: Ballantine Books
Publication Date: October 1st, 2024
Format: Hardcover, 128 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"Molly the Maid has a whole new mystery to solve in this heartwarming novella from the #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Maid and The Mystery Guest.

Molly Gray has always loved the holidays. When Molly was a child, her gran went to great lengths to make the season merry and bright, full of cherished traditions. The first few Christmases without Gran were hard on Molly, but this year, her beloved boyfriend and fellow festive spirit, Juan Manuel, is intent on making the season Molly's mofinst joyful yet.

But when a Secret Santa gift exchange at the Regency Grand Hotel raises questions about who Molly can and cannot trust, she dives headfirst into solving her most consequential - and personal - mystery yet. Molly has a bad feeling about things, and she starts to wonder: has she yet again mistaken a frog for a prince?

A heartwarming, magical story about the true spirit of the season, The Mistletoe Mystery reminds us that love is the greatest mystery of all."

Can we make it mandatory that series we love have to have Christmas novellas? Because that would really make my holiday season.

Rough Pages by Lev A.C. Rosen
Published by: Forge
Publication Date: October 1st, 2024
Format: Hardcover, 272 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"Set in atmospheric 1950s San Francisco, Rough Pages asks who is allowed to tell their own stories, and how far would you go to seek out the truth.

Private Detective Evander "Andy" Mills has been drawn back to the Lavender House estate for a missing person case. Pat, the family butler, has been volunteering for a book service, one that specializes in mailing queer books to a carefully guarded list of subscribers. With bookseller Howard Salzberger gone suspiciously missing along with his address book, everyone on that list, including some of Andy's closest friends, is now in danger.

A search of Howard's bookstore reveals that someone wanted to stop him and his co-owner, Dorothea Lamb, from sending out their next book. The evidence points not just to the Feds, but to the Mafia, who would be happy to use the subscriber list for blackmail.

Andy has to maneuver through both the government and the criminal world, all while dealing with a nosy reporter who remembers him from his days as a police detective and wants to know why he's no longer a cop. With his own secrets closing in on him, can Andy find the list before all the lives on it are at risk?"

A wonderful mystery that is sadly still very timely.

Violet Kelly and the Jade Owl by Fiona Britton
Published by: Allen and Unwin
Publication Date: October 1st, 2024
Format: Paperback, 296 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"An arch, out-of-the-box debut historical crime caper for fans of Phryne Fisher.

A centuries-old curse, a house of secrets and a young woman determined to find out the truth.

Sydney, 1930: In a well-heeled corner of Paddington, just a short distance from the razor gangs of Darlinghurst and Kings Cross, sits La Maison des Fleurs, an upscale brothel run by the indomitable Madame. The star of La Maison is Violet Kelly - beautiful, clever and determined to make something of herself in a world that has already taken so much.

When a former associate of Madame's emerges to claim a long-owed favor involving a kidnapped girl and an ancient curse, Violet is drawn into a risky game of cat and mouse that takes her from dangerous underworld dealings to raucous parties to untold stories about her own past, and, eventually, right into the heart of La Maison des Fleurs. But how much is she willing to risk to save her friends, her home and the life she's come to love? And will it be enough?

Violet Kelly is Agatha Christie with a Beretta tucked into her French lingerie."

A hooker with a good right hook?

Murder Among the Pyramids by Sara Rosett
Published by: McGuffin Ink
Publication Date: October 1st, 2024
Format: Paperback, 318 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"Escape on an Egyptian Excursion to the Land of the Pyramids!

Tour highlights include: Hieroglyphics and high tea in the desert, followed by murder after sunset...

It's 1924 and Blix Windway has made a career out of her wanderlust, giving lectures to ladies' groups about everything from the flora of the American desert to the beauty of the Swiss Alps, but she needs new material for her talks.

She strikes what seems to be an ideal agreement with an eccentric older lady. Blix will be her travel companion during a journey to Egypt, helping to smooth the way through customs and coordinate sightseeing tours. The arrangement will provide Blix with the perfect opportunity to photograph the pyramids and gather material for her next lecture series. But they've barely left England before the trouble begins-rough seas and an attempted robbery. Then a murder occurs during a tour of the pyramids.

Despite the attempts of the British officials to sweep the death under the rug, Blix becomes increasingly convinced that one of their tour party is a murderer. Blix's search for the truth takes her from the posh sporting clubs and lavish gardens of Cairo to the narrow, twisting lanes of the city's centuries-old bazaar and the vast desert around the Giza Plateau. Can Blix unearth the truth before the killer makes this journey her last?

Join Blix on this classic murder mystery from Sara Rosett, author of the beloved High Society Lady Detective series."

I already have my signed copy preordered! I so can't wait to meet Blix!

Tomb of the Sun King by Jacquelyn Benson
Published by: Vaughan Woods Publishing
Publication Date: October 1st, 2024
Format: Paperback, 496 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"Respectable lady scholars shouldn't be dodging evildoers, escaping lost tombs, and chasing down magical artifacts.

Archivist and suffragette Ellie Mallory always dreamed of putting her scholarly skills to work in the ancient sands of Egypt. She never imagined she would be doing so in order to save an object of legendary power from a batch of ruthless villains.

Racing baddies to an arcanum of Biblical proportions is only one of Ellie's problems. Her hopelessly academic and perpetually mortified step-brother, Dr. Neil Fairfax, is about to learn that she's been gallivanting around the globe with his danger-magnet best friend, Adam Bates - the roguish surveyor for whom Ellie harbors increasingly complicated feelings. Add the petite and terrifyingly fearless Constance Tyrrell to the mix, and Ellie either has a crack team of artifact-saving experts on hand...or a recipe for disaster.

Together, they'll need to follow a trail of three-thousand-year-old clues from the necropolis of Saqqara to the temples of Luxor - and beyond, where the ruined capital of a heretic pharaoh hides a secret with the potential to upend history.

To keep an earth-shattering magic from falling into the wrong hands, Ellie will need to pull out all the stops, even if that means resorting to fisticuffs, ignoring proper archaeological processes...and solving one of Egypt's greatest mysteries.

Dive into Tomb of the Sun King now to experience the next action-packed historical fantasy adventure in the Raiders of the Arcana series!"

I'm just saying, a crack team can also be a recipe for disaster, it's not an either or situation. 

Specters in the Glass House by Jaime Jo Wright
Published by: Bethany House Publishers
Publication Date: October 1st, 2024
Format: Paperback, 368 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"In 1921, Marian Arnold, the heiress to a brewing baron's empire, seeks solace in the glass butterfly house on her family's Wisconsin estate as Prohibition and the deaths of her parents cast a long shadow over her shrinking world. When Marian's sanctuary is invaded by nightmarish visions, she grapples with the line between hallucinations of things to come and malevolent forces at play in the present. With dead butterflies as the killer's ominous signature, murders unfold at a steady pace. Marian, fearful she might be next, enlists the help of her childhood friend Felix, a war veteran with his own haunted past.

In the present day, researcher Remy Shaw becomes entangled in an elderly biographer's quest to uncover the truth behind Marian Arnold's mysterious life and the unsolved murders linked to an infamous serial killer. Joined by Marian's great-great-grandson, can Remy expose the evil that lurks beneath broken wings? Or will the dark legacy surrounding the manor and its glass house destroy yet another generation?

Renowned as a "trailblazer extraordinaire" (Booklist) of inspirational dual-time suspense, award-winning author Jaime Jo Wright weaves a haunting tale of mystery, legacy, and the relentless pursuit of truth across two distinct eras."

I mean, Wisconsin and serial killers do go together...

Love and the Downfall of Society by Melinda Copp
Published by: Tiny Piano Press
Publication Date: October 1st, 2024
Format: Paperback, 280 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"After turning society upside down with her debut story, provincial Charlotte Deveraux arrives in Paris poised for literary stardom. She's not sure where her next rent payment will come from, but she's determined to make a name for herself as a respected writer in the cultural capital of the world.

Antoine de Larminet is the last surviving son of an aristocratic family. In line to inherit a title, he has promised his parents that he'll marry a peer and carry on the centuries-old tradition. He was raised in an antiquated world where love was often found outside of arranged society marriages. Even as the French aristocracy is losing relevance to modernity, Antoine never questioned this commitment to this family legacy - until his chance meeting with clever and beautiful Charlotte.

Their attraction is immediate, and the more they bump into each other at the clubs and salons of Paris, the stronger their attachment grows. But Antoine can't marry Charlotte because she's as proletarian as they come. And Charlotte will lose all credibility as a writer and social critic if she becomes the mistress of an aristocrat.

The world around them is changing, but if love is to win, one of them will have to give up everything they stand for."

I have a feeling that love can find a compromise...

Frostfire by Elly MacKay
Published by: Tundra Books (NY)
Publication Date: October 1st, 2024
Format: Hardcover, 44 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"Follow dragon-expert Miriam and curious Celeste on a magical winter's day walk through their garden, where a snow dragon just might be hiding! Elly MacKay's luminous artwork and sweet sibling story will cast a spell over readers of all ages in this playfully imaginative picture book that's perfect for fans of Frozen.

On a walk through a snow-covered garden, big sister Miriam claims to hear the sound of a snow dragon. Little sister Celeste has lots of questions: snow dragons are real? Where do they hide? What do they eat? And is that frost on the greenhouse windows or is it...frostfire?

Miriam seems to have an answer for everything about snow dragons. But when Celeste wanders off, she has a magical encounter that changes everything she thought she knew.

Told through gently playful dialogue and brought to life with spectacular works of paper diorama art, Elly Mackay's newest picture book is an enchanting wintertime adventure destined to become a classic seasonal fairy tale that readers will enjoy for years to come."

Oh my, so much to love here, foxes and dragons on a winters day!

Bowie by Martin Popoff
Published by: Motorbooks International
Publication Date: October 1st, 2024
Format: Hardcover, 208 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"This value-priced reissue of Bowie at 75 (2022) celebrates the beloved rock star with expert commentary, hundreds of images, and an illustrated gatefold timeline.

Hendrix, Joplin, Mercury...few rock artists garner as much adulation after passing as they did in life. In David Bowie, veteran rock journalist Martin Popoff examines the rocker's extraordinary life through the lens of 75 significant career achievements and life events, guiding you through all 27 studio albums, as well as a curated selection of earworm singles. But Popoff delves deeper to reveal the events that helped chart the course of Bowie's career:
-Guest appearances with artists like Iggy Pop, Lou Reed, Tina Turner, and Queen
-Key performances such as Live Aid
-Collaborations with an incredible roster of guitarists that included Mick Ronson, Adrian Belew, Robert Fripp, Stevie Ray Vaughan, Nile Rodgers, and Earl Slick
-Film and television roles
-Romance...and more.

From his eponymous 1967 debut LP and ending with Blackstar, released just two days before his death, Bowie is regarded as one of the most influential musicians and performers of the previous five decades, during which he constantly redefined himself. In examining 75 touchstones, Popoff gives you a unique view of Bowie's career arc from folkie to the breakthrough single "Space Oddity" to his flamboyant glam rock alter ego, Ziggy Stardust, and beyond.

Illustrated with live concert and candid offstage photography as well as memorabilia including gig posters, 7-inch picture sleeves, and more, this incredible package also includes a gatefold timeline, making for a stunning tribute to one of the most influential and admired stars in rock history."

Dammit. I miss David Bowie so much.

Crave by Maria Llovet
Published by: Image Comics
Publication Date: October 1st, 2024
Format: Paperback, 176 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"Black Mirror meets Eyes Wide Shut in this dark and sexy erotic thriller.

Crave, a mysterious app that promises to make your desires come true, spreads among the students of an elite university who use it as a hookup app. David, a top student, engages in a game of seduction with the unattainable Alexandra. But as requests to the app escalate and wreak havoc on campus, David and his friends' only chance to stop this spiral is to find out what really lies behind Crave.

In this dark, sexy mystery, writer/artist Maria Llovet (Luna, Faithless, Sandman Universe Thessaly) explores how we connect to the world and to others in the dawn of AI.

Collects Crave #1-#6"

I don't like AI at all, but I love stories about how AI can go evil.

The Lonesome Hunters Library Edition by Tyler Crook
Published by: Dark Horse Books
Publication Date: October 1st, 2024
Format: Hardcover, 240 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"From Russ Manning award-winning and Eisner-nominated Harrow County co-creator Tyler Crook comes this supernatural fantasy about loss, power, and destiny.

An old and out-of-practice monster hunter in hiding crosses paths with a young girl that forces him to confront these chaotic creatures. As the beasts invade their tenement, they set off on a supernatural road trip to stop these ancient evils in a story that explores the ways that youth informs adulthood and how early traumas can haunt us in old age.

Collects Lonesome Hunters series I and II together for the first time in a deluxe, library edition hardcover book with a dustjacket and a new cover."

The BEST part of the release is that it says "Volume One" which means at some point we're getting another arc in this wonderfully strange world that Tyler Crook has created.

Posted by Miss Eliza at 12:00 AM 0 comments  

Labels: Beth Revis, David Bowie, Elly MacKay, Jacquelyn Benson, Jaime Jo Wright, Kelley Armstrong, Kevin Hearne, Lev A.C. Rosen, Melinda Copp, Nita Prose, Sara Raasch, Sara Rosett, Seana Kelly, Tyler Crook, Yoko Tawada