strange and random happenstance

The Girl from Greenwich Street by Lauren Willig
Published by: William Morrow and Company
Publication Date: March 4th, 2025
Format: Hardcover, 352 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"Based on the true story of a famous trial, this novel is Law and Order: 1800, as Alexander Hamilton and Aaron Burr investigate the shocking murder of a young woman who everyone - and no one - seemed to know.

At the start of a new century, a shocking murder transfixes Manhattan, forcing bitter rivals Alexander Hamilton and Aaron Burr to work together to save a man from the gallows.

Just before Christmas 1799, Elma Sands slips out of her Quaker cousin's boarding house - and doesn't come home. Has she eloped? Run away? No one knows - until her body appears in the Manhattan Well.

Her family insists they know who killed her. Handbills circulate around the city accusing a carpenter named Levi Weeks of seducing and murdering Elma.

But privately, quietly, Levi's wealthy brother calls in a special favor....

Aaron Burr's legal practice can't finance both his expensive tastes and his ambition to win the 1800 New York elections. To defend Levi Weeks is a double win: a hefty fee plus a chance to grab headlines.

Alexander Hamilton has his own political aspirations; he isn't going to let Burr monopolize the public's attention. If Burr is defending Levi Weeks, then Hamilton will too. As the trial and the election draw near, Burr and Hamilton race against time to save a man's life - and destroy each other.

Part murder mystery, part thriller, part true crime, The Girl From Greenwich Street revisits a dark corner of history - with a surprising twist ending that reveals the true story of the woman at the center of the tale."

This book really has the buzz, and not just from me, though you can read my full review here.

The Undoing of Violet Claybourne by Emily Critchley
Published by: Sourcebooks Landmark
Publication Date: March 4th, 2025
Format: Paperback, 400 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"For fans of Sarah Penner and The Foundling comes a slow-burn Gothic mystery following Gillian, a young girl enthralled by the enigmatic Claybourne sisters, their house at Thornleigh Hall, and the tragedy that binds them together for good.

To become a Claybourne girl, she'll have to betray one first.

1938. Gillian Larking, lonely and away at boarding school, is used to going unnoticed. But then she meets Violet Claybourne, her vibrant roommate who takes Gilly under her wing. Violet is unlike anyone Gilly has ever met, and she regales Gilly with tales of her grand family estate and her two elegant sisters. Gilly is soon entranced by stories of the Claybournes, so when Violet invites Gilly to meet her family at Thornleigh Hall, she can't believe her luck.

But Gilly soon finds that behind the grand façade of Thornleigh Hall, darkness lurks.

Dazzled by the crumbling manor and Violet's enigmatic sisters, Gilly settles into the estate. But when a horrible accident strikes on the grounds, she is ensnared in a web of the sisters' making, forced to make a choice that will change the course of her life forever. Because the Claybournes girls know how to keep secrets, even at the cost of one of their own.

With ensnaring prose and layers of friendship, privilege, mental health, and more, The Undoing of Violet Claybourne is a poignant book club read with characters you won't soon forget."

Hmm... I wonder if I could get my book club to read this...

We Were Warned by Chelsea Ichaso
Published by: Sourcebooks Fire
Publication Date: March 4th, 2025
Format: Paperback, 368 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"Everyone knows the legend of Fairport Village: twenty-five years ago, a shocking murder closed the place down. This year, the ruins will be bulldozed at last. But tonight, it's not too late to die.

All her life, Eden Stafford has heard the lore about the abandoned beach resort at the edge of town: ever since the notorious murder there, anyone who sets foot on the property is cursed to die, It's more than just a story: over the years, two high school students who dared to explore the ruins of Fairport Village were killed there.

Eden is no stranger to notoriety, having endured a family scandal that's made her a target at school. So when she reluctantly attends an overnight party at the ruins, she's on edge - not because of some legend, but because the clique that has made her life hell for years is there, too, including Caleb Durham, the worst of them all.

Yet out of all the things Eden expected to happen that night, finding another student dead at Fairport Village wasn't one of them.

Though the death is ruled an accident, Eden knows she saw something suspicious at the ruins - and Caleb and her other longtime tormentors did too. Now they're all being followed by a deadly stranger, and to save themselves, they must work together to uncover the truth about Fairport Village. But after all that's happened, can Eden really trust Caleb and his friends? Or will they leave her to face a killer alone?"

I'm getting peak Wes Craven vibes from this book!

Kills Well With Others by Deanna Raybourn
Published by: Berkley
Publication Date: March 4th, 2025
Format: Hardcover, 368 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"Four women assassins, senior in status - and in age - sharpen their knives for another bloody good adventure in this riotous follow-up to the New York Times bestselling sensation Killers of a Certain Age.

After more than a year of laying low, Billie, Helen, Mary Alice, and Natalie are called back into action. They have enjoyed their time off, but the lack of excitement is starting to chafe: a professional killer can only take so many watercolor classes and yoga sessions without itching to strangle someone...literally. When they receive a summons from the head of the elite assassin organization known as the Museum, they are ready to tackle the greatest challenge of their careers.

Someone on the inside has compiled a list of important kills committed by Museum agents, connected to a single, shadowy figure, an Eastern European gangster with an iron fist, some serious criminal ambition, and a tendency to kill first and ask questions later. This new nemesis is murdering agents who got in the way of their power hungry plans and the aging quartet of killers is next.

Together the foursome embark on a wild ride across the globe on the double mission of rooting out the Museum's mole and hunting down the gangster who seems to know their next move before they make it. Their enemy is unlike any they've faced before, and it will take all their killer experience to get out of this mission alive."

Personally, I'd totally read about these women killing their watercolor instructor.

The Widow's Guide to Murder by Amanda Ashby
Published by: Storm Publishing
Publication Date: March 4th, 2025
Format: Kindle, 295 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"Sixty-year-old widow Ginny Cole thought she'd used up her life quota of bad luck. So she's dismayed when her move to the quaint village of Little Shaw begins with finding the murdered body of rude and dislikeable library manager, Louisa Farnsworth. Has misfortune followed her cross-country?

When suspicion falls on the daughter of her friend Hen, because of a perfectly innocent threatening letter, Ginny's sure the police are letting the real killer walk free, and together with fellow widows JM, Tuppence and Hen, the Widows' Detective Club is born.

Between following the trail of local gossip, digging up graveyards at midnight, and discovering dark secrets about the village's past, sleuthing seems simple enough. But when another body is found, Ginny starts to wonder, are they in over their heads?

And when the widows' snooping puts Ginny too close for the killer's comfort, will her new life in Little Shaw end as dramatically as it began...?

If you love Sarah Yarwood-Lovett, Robert Thorogood and The Thursday Murder Club mysteries, you'll adore this charming cozy mystery full of page turning twists and endearing characters."

I mean, fellow widow Tuppence I think had to at some point start solving crime right? It's all in the name!

Finlay Donovan Digs Her Own Grave by Elle Cosimano
Published by: Minotaur Books
Publication Date: March 4th, 2025
Format: Hardcover, 320 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"From New York Times bestseller and Edgar-Award nominee Elle Cosimano, comes Finlay Donovan Digs Her Own Grave - the hugely anticipated next installment in the fan-favorite Finlay Donovan series.

Finlay Donovan may have skeletons in her closet...but at least there's not a body in her backyard.

Finlay Donovan and her nanny/partner-in-crime, Vero, have not always gotten along with Finlay's elderly neighbor, Mrs. Haggerty, the community busybody and president of the neighborhood watch. But when a dead body is discovered in her backyard, Mrs. Haggerty needs their help. At first a suspect, Mrs. Haggerty is cleared by the police, but her house remains an active crime scene. She has nowhere to go...except Finlay's house, right across the street.

Finlay and Vero have no interest in getting involved in another murder case - or sacrificing either of their bedrooms. After all, they've dealt with enough murders over the last four months to last a lifetime and they both would much rather share their beds with someone else.

When the focus of the investigation widens to include Finlay's ex-husband, Steven, though, Finlay and Vero are left with little choice but to get closer to Mrs. Haggerty and uncover her secrets...before the police start digging up theirs. But who will solve the mystery first?"

There so much to love here, but the fact that Finlay has protective eyewear on the cover to dig a grave is just the cherry on top of the sundae. 

The Last Days of Kira Mullan by Nicci French
Published by: William Morrow
Publication Date: March 4th, 2025
Format: Hardcover, 464 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"From international bestselling master of suspense Nicci French comes a chilling new psychological thriller about a woman determined to get justice for a murder no one else believes happened.

Nancy North is ready to put her life back together. After suffering a psychotic break that ruined friendships, stalled her fledgling restaurant, and forced her to move out of her comfortable flat, she'll do anything to get back to normal. She and her partner Felix - who has been a saint through her recent troubles - move into a new flat for a fresh start.

Nancy is taking her pills, seeing her therapist, and avoiding unnecessary stress. She's doing absolutely everything right, but something is still very, very wrong. On the first day in the new flat, she hears them again; the mysterious voices that triggered her first episode. It could just be the unfamiliar sounds of water in the pipes, or the screaming baby across the hall, but deep down she knows something more sinister is going on. Her fears are confirmed when the young woman in the downstairs flat, Kira, is found dead. Felix, her neighbors, and even the police insist it's a tragic suicide, but the pieces aren't adding up for Nancy. Can she trust her own instincts, or is it all in her head?

Meanwhile, Detective Inspector Maud O'Connor has misgivings about her colleagues' investigation of Kira's death. The boys club at the top seems intent on closing the case as quickly as possible, especially since the only person who thinks it could be anything other than suicide is known to be unreliable. But Maud knows what it's like to be dismissed as an overemotional woman and isn't so quick to discount Nancy's claims. As tensions reach an explosive breaking point, the line between fact and delusion becomes dangerously blurred, but Maud will stop at nothing to ensure that the truth comes to light."

I mean, sometimes unreliable narrators can be reliable right?

They Bloom at Night by Trang Thanh Tran
Published by: Bloomsbury YA
Publication Date: March 4th, 2025
Format: Hardcover, 272 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"The author of the New York Times bestselling horror phenomenon She Is a Haunting is back with a novel about the monsters that swim beneath us...and live within us.

Since the hurricane, the town of Mercy, Louisiana has been overtaken by a strange red algae bloom. Noon and her mother have carved out a life in the wreckage, trawling for the mutated wildlife that lurks in the water and trading it to the corrupt harbormaster. When she's focused on survival, Noon doesn't have to cope with what happened to her at the Cove or the monster itching at her skin.

Mercy has never been a safe place, but it's getting worse. People are disappearing, and the only clues as to why are whispers of underwater shadows and warnings to never answer the knocks at night. When the harbormaster demands she capture the creature that's been drowning residents, Noon finds a reluctant ally in his daughter Covey. And as the next storm approaches, the two set off to find what's haunting Mercy. After all, Noon is no stranger to monsters..."

My skin is just crawling at the mention of the red algae bloom!

The Unworthy by Agustina Bazterrica
Published by: Scribner
Publication Date: March 4th, 2025
Format: Paperback, 192 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"The long-awaited new novel from the author of global sensation Tender Is the Flesh: a thrilling work of literary horror about a woman cloistered in a secretive, violent religious order, while outside the world has fallen into chaos.

From her cell in a mysterious convent, a woman writes the story of her life in whatever she can find - discarded ink, dirt, and even her own blood. A lower member of the Sacred Sisterhood, deemed an unworthy, she dreams of ascending to the ranks of the Enlightened at the center of the convent and of pleasing the foreboding Superior Sister. Outside, the world is plagued by catastrophe - cities are submerged underwater, electricity and the internet are nonexistent, and bands of survivors fight and forage in a cruel, barren landscape. Inside, the narrator is controlled, punished, but safe.

But when a stranger makes her way past the convent walls, joining the ranks of the unworthy, she forces the narrator to consider her long-buried past - and what she may be overlooking about the Enlightened. As the two women grow closer, the narrator is increasingly haunted by questions about her own past, the environmental future, and her present life inside the convent. How did she get to the Sacred Sisterhood? Why can't she remember her life before? And what really happens when a woman is chosen as one of the Enlightened?

A searing, dystopian tale about climate crisis, ideological extremism, and the tidal pull of our most violent, exploitative instincts, this is another unforgettable novel from a master of feminist horror."

I don't know, a mysterious convent with no access to the outside world seems nice right about now no matter the horrors inside they can't be as bad as out here.

The Encanto's Curse by Melissa de la Cruz
Published by: G.P. Putnam's Sons Books for Young Readers
Publication Date: March 4th, 2025
Format: Hardcover, 352 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"The vampire queen must break her curse in this YA romantasy inspired by Filipino folklore, a sequel to The Encanto's Daughter by #1 New York Times bestselling author Melissa de la Cruz!

A curse has befallen Biringan. Stalking the night sky and sinking sharp teeth in its prey, a vampire-like creature - a manananggal - is terrorizing the kingdom. Now MJ Robertson-Rodriguez must fulfill her duties as the newly crowned queen and restore peace. Except...when MJ wakes up in tattered clothes stained with blood, she quickly realizes the monster lives within her.

To prevent more destruction, MJ flees to Mount Makiling with select members of her court, all while keeping her curse secret. By her side is Lucas, the talented knight who broke her heart by giving his own to another. And there's Prince Qian, the devilishly handsome monster hunter from the Jade Empire who's visiting on a diplomatic mission.

In the mountains, MJ is charmed by Qian's valiant spirit. Could he be the one to finally mend her broken heart, which still beats for Lucas? But as the manananggal fills MJ with bloodthirst, she must set love aside and break the curse before it consumes her forever.

When a neighboring kingdom threatens to wage war on Biringan, can the young queen regain control of herself before she loses control of the crown?"

Or can the young queen just kill all the enemies now that she's a manananggal?

Our Infinite Fates by Laura Steven
Published by: Wednesday Books
Publication Date: March 4th, 2025
Format: Hardcover, 352 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue meets This is How You Lose The Time War in this fantastical love story that defies death as two souls reincarnate through the centuries.

They've loved each other in a thousand lifetimes. They've killed each other in every one.

Evelyn can remember all her past lives. She can also remember that in every single one, she's been murdered before her eighteenth birthday by Arden, a supernatural being linked to her soul. The problem is that she's quite fond of the life she's in now, and her little sister needs her in order to stay alive. If Evelyn wants to save her sister, she'll have to find the centuries-old devil who hunts her through each life before they find her first, figure out why she's being hunted and finally break their curse, and try not to fall in love...again."

You can still kill the one you love, just look to Buffy.

Cold Iron Task by James J. Butcher
Published by: Ace
Publication Date: March 4th, 2025
Format: Hardcover, 480 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"Grimsby, a junior Auditor in the magical Department of Unorthodox Affairs, finds himself on the other side of the law in this spellbinding urban fantasy.

Grimshaw Griswald Grimsby may have one case under his belt, but he's still a novice Auditor in Boston's Department of Unorthodox Affairs. And he's already made mistakes.

Desperate to repair his fraying friendships, he doesn't ask too many questions when a mysterious patron offers him the chance to join a heist of an otherworldly vault - and in the process find answers that could make things right.

Complications arise when Grimsby learns that his partner, Mayflower, is keeping secrets about his past. Between facing new demons, old horrors, and monsters - both Usual and Unorthodox - Grimsby soon realizes nothing is how it appears and that not asking enough questions just might be his downfall."

Seriously, you only pull a heist with people you trust.

Spells, Strings, and Forgotten Things by Breanne Randall
Published by: Dell
Publication Date: March 4th, 2025
Format: Paperback, 400 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"A young witch cursed with sacrificing memories to cast spells must decide how much she's willing to lose to save her town in this thrilling tale of magic, love, and self-discovery - from the New York Times bestselling author of The Unfortunate Side Effects of Heartbreak and Magic.

In the small town of Gold Springs, Calliope Petridi and her two sisters carefully guard the secret of their magic and the price they must pay to practice it: memories. Luckily, all Calliope wants to do is forget: the mother who left without a trace, the sisters from whom she feels increasingly distant, and most of all, the way the love of her life shattered her heart two years ago.

But when an ancient evil awakens, the fragile thread that holds the sisters together breaks. As their magic slowly begins to fade, Calliope accidentally binds herself to the handsome leader of a rival coven infamous for their ruthless pursuit of power. Battling the sizzling chemistry with a man she can't trust, Calliope must confront painful memories of her past, dark family secrets, and ancient magic in order to protect the town and all she loves. But will she have anything left of herself?"

Just looking at the cover of this book makes me want to read it. For some reason it really reminds be of Bilbo's birthday bash.

The Sleeping Land by Ella Alexander
Published by: Unnamed Press
Publication Date: March 4th, 2025
Format: Hardcover, 250 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"Less than three years after the collapse of the Soviet Union, three archaeology grad students and their enigmatic adviser arrive at a remote cave in the heart of the Siberian wilderness to carry out the first extensive Western dig on Russian soil since the execution of the czar.

Surrounded by a looming forest with eerie silences and flickering shadows, Valerie, Kit, and Mark begin their dig under the eccentric and charismatic guidance of the venerable George Auberon. The excavation yields fascinating discoveries, and excitement grows among the team, but George's true motivations soon reveal themselves to be less noble than he originally let on.

As each member of the party grapples with the challenges of the dig, going deeper into the cave, a strange feeling sets in. Is there something else in the forest with them? Or has George's paranoid ambition gotten to them?

A powerful debut with vast imaginative range, The Sleeping Land follows a cast of memorable characters as the barriers between past and present collapse around them."

T. Kingfisher by way of Michael Crichton.

Helen of Wyndhorn by Tom King, Bilquis Evely, Mathieus Lopes, and Clayton Cowles
Published by: Dark Horse Books
Publication Date: March 4th, 2025
Format: Hardcover, 176 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"A Gothic sword and sorcery epic graphic novel that's Conan the Barbarian meets The Wizard of Oz.

From Tom King and Bilquis Evely, the Eisner award-winning, bestselling creative team of Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow.

Following the tragic death of her late father C.K. Cole, the esteemed pulp writer and creator of the popular warrior character Othan, Helen Cole is called back to her Grandfather's enormous and illustrious estate, Wyndhorn House.

Scarred by Cole's untimely passing and lost in a new, strange world, Helen wreaks drunken havoc upon her arrival. However, her chaotic ways begin to soften as she discovers a lifetime of secrets hiding within the myriad rooms and hallways of the expansive manor. For outside its walls, within the woods, dwell the legendary adventures that once were locked away within her father's stories.

Collects the hit series Helen of Wyndhorn #1–#6 and features a sketchbook section and bonus art by Walt Simonson, Greg Smallwood, Clay Mann, Elsa Charretier, Tula Lotay, Massimo Carnivale, Fabio Moon, and Jill Thompson."

One of the most interesting and easily the most beautiful graphic novels I've read in years.

The King's Messenger by Susanna Kearsley
Published by: Sourcebooks Landmark
Publication Date: March 4th, 2025
Format: Hardcover, 352 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"New York Times, USA Today and international bestselling author Susanna Kearsley explores romance, court alliances, and the limits of one's duty in this rich story of an honorable man in service to a treacherous king, and the mission that brings him to love and his true calling.

It is the year 1613, and King James is sending his messenger Andrew Logan into Scotland with secret orders to arrest Sir David Moray, close friend and advisor of the late Prince Henry. Secrets are second nature to Andrew, who must hide his Second Sight to stay alive. Joined by a court scrivener and the scrivener's spirited daughter Phoebe, Andrew slowly untangles the true purpose of his mission - to frame Sir David for Prince Henry's murder. But Andrew is unwilling to betray an innocent man.

Phoebe Westaway dislikes Andrew, and their history makes it hard for her to trust him. But as their journey draws them deeper into the dark web of court intrigue, Phoebe begins to suspect that she might have more need of the King's Messenger and his unusual gifts than she could ever have foreseen."

I love Susanna Kearsley and lately I've been obsessed with the 1600s.

Once Was Willem by M.R. Carey
Published by: Orbit
Publication Date: March 4th, 2025
Format: Paperback, 320 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"Presenting an enthrallingly dark medieval fantasy - a fable of twisted folklore, macabre magic and the strangest of found families - from M. R. Carey, author of the million-copy bestseller, The Girl With All the Gifts.

Eleven hundred and some years after the death of Christ, in the kingdom that had but recently begun to call itself England, I, Once Was Willem, rose from the dead to defeat a great evil facing the humble village of Cosham. The words enclosed herein are true.

I speak of monsters and magic, battle and bloodletting, and the crimes of desperate men. I speak also of secret things, of that which lies beneath us and that which impends above. By the time you come to the end of this account you will know the truth of your own life and death, the path laid out for your immortal soul, your origin and your inevitable end.

You will not thank me."

I get chills just reading Willem's words.

Tea You at the Altar by Rebecca Thorne
Published by: Bramble
Publication Date: March 4th, 2025
Format: Paperback, 336 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"The Princess Bride meets Bookshops and Bonedust in the third book of the Tomes and Tea series, where our favorite lesbian pirates must navigate the ultimate maelstrom - their own wedding!

Kianthe and Reyna are ready to finally walk down the aisle - in just seven days, their wedding of a wifetime will be a reality. There's loads to do - but like all best laid plans, everything seems to be going awry.

Between their baby dragons causing mayhem in Tawney, Kianthe's uptight parents inviting themselves to the wedding, and Reyna becoming embroiled in a secret plot to overthrow Queen Tilaine, the world seems against them - how are they going to live long enough to say "I do"?"

I was going to say, this will hold you over until the next Travis Baldree book, but then I got distracted by the baby dragons.

Wizard of Most Wicked Ways by Charlie N. Holmberg
Published by: 47north
Publication Date: March 4th, 2025
Format: Paperback, 271 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"When dead enemies rise, grave matters of the heart, mind, and body clash in the fantastical fourth Whimbrel House novel by Amazon Charts and Wall Street Journal bestselling author Charlie N. Holmberg.

Whimbrel House is changing. Merritt and Hulda are raising a family. Owein has signed a marriage contract with the magically compatible Lady Cora, a heavyweight of British nobility who's an ocean away. And the lovely shape-shifting druid Fallon makes a distractingly fetching friend for Owein. But another change is in the air, and this time it's something wicked.

The greatest wizard of the millennium, Silas Hogwood, is back - after five years dead. New body, same foul scent, and driven by madness and revenge. Owein, fearing he isn't strong enough to fend off Silas, seeks Cora's help and influence in England. Alarms ringing, Queen Victoria dispatches her League of Magicians, including her personal necromancer, to aid in Owein's defense.

As magic, both good and evil, converges on Blaugdone Island, Owein realizes how harrowing the forces against them are. Combating them will require some digging - literally - for half-formed secrets of magic Hulda doesn't want him to have. But no promise, lock, or government red tape will keep Owein from doing what's necessary to protect those he loves. One way or another, Silas will only take Whimbrel House over Owein's third dead body."

I mean, it's hard to fight evil when it keeps coming back from the dead...

A Song for You and I by K. O'Neill
Published by: Random House Graphic
Publication Date: March 4th, 2025
Format: Hardcover, 240 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"Being a ranger means adventure, action, and protecting the weak. But who protects the ranger when they lose their way? From the bestselling author of The Moth Keeper and the Tea Dragon Society comes a must read MG graphic novel for fans of soft sweeping fantasy romances.

Rowan knows exactly what they want: to be a ranger, protecting their village alongside their trusted flying horse Kes. But when Rowan's eagerness to show off their worth gets Kes injured, Rowan is suddenly unsure if they're capable of being the protector they've always dreamed of becoming.

With Kes needing to heal, Rowan is assigned a slow and winding expedition across the outlying lands. Paired with a lackadasical sheep hearder Leone, Rowan only finds frustration as they seem to fail even the simplest tasks. But Leone's own struggles, and endless support brings a new possibility to Rowan. Could their unlikely friendship be something more? And if it is, will Rowan be able to leave Leone behind to pursue being a ranger once Kes is healed?"

I will read anything K. O'Neill does and I am not at all being forced to write this by the tea dragon that is still on the shelf to my left.

Posted by Miss Eliza at 12:00 AM 0 comments  

Labels: Charlie N. Holmberg, Deanna Raybourn, Ella Alexander, Elle Cosimano, Helen of Wyndhorn, James J. Butcher, K. O'Neill, Lauren Willig, M.R. Carey, Melissa de la Cruz, Nicci French, Rebecca Thorne, Susanna Kearsley

A Stroke of the Pen by Terry Pratchett
Published by: Harper
Publication Date: October 10th, 2023
Format: Hardcover, 240 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"A delightfully funny, fantastically inventive collection of twenty newly unearthed short stories by Sir Terry Pratchett, the award-winning and bestselling author and creator of the phenomenally successful Discworld fantasy series. This special trove - featuring charming woodcut illustrations - is a must-have for Pratchett fans of all ages and includes a foreword by Neil Gaiman.

These rediscovered tales were written by Terry Pratchett under a pseudonym for a British newspaper during the 1970s and 1980s. The stories have never been attributed to him until now, and might never have been found - were it not for the efforts of a few dedicated fans.

As Neil Gaiman writes in his introduction, "through all of these stories we watch Terry Pratchett becoming Terry Pratchett." Though none of the short works are set in the Discworld, all are infused with Pratchett's trademark wit, satirical wisdom, and brilliant imagination, hinting at the magical universe he would go on to create.

Meet Og the inventor, the first caveman to cultivate fire, as he discovers the highs and lows of progress; haunt the Ministry of Nuisances with the defiant evicted ghosts of Pilgarlic Towers; visit Blackbury, a small market town with weird weather and an otherworldly visitor; and embark on a dangerous quest through time and space with hero Kron, which begins in the ancient city of Morpork...

Irresistibly entertaining, A Stroke of the Pen is an essential collection from the late, great Sir Terry Pratchett, a "master storyteller" (A. S. Byatt) who "defies categorization" (The Times); a writer whose "novels have always been among the most serious of comedies, the most relevant and real of fantasies" (Independent UK)."

I literally can not believe we're getting a new Terry Pratchett book. I literally might cry.

Nature Tales for Winter Nights edited by Nancy Campbell
Published by: Elliott and Thompson
Publication Date: October 10th, 2023
Format: Hardcover, 272 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"From the author of Fifty Words for Snow comes a treasure trove of nature tales from storytellers across the globe, bringing a little magic and wonder to every winter night.

As the evenings draw in - a time of reckoning, rest and restoration - immerse yourself in this new seasonal anthology. Nature Tales for Winter Nights puts winter - rural, wild and urban - under the microscope and reveals its wonder.

From the late days of autumn, through deepest cold, and towards the bright hope of spring, here is a collection of familiar names and dazzling new discoveries.

Join the naturalist Linnæus travelling on horseback in Lapland, witness frost fairs on the Thames and witch-hazel harvesting in Connecticut, experience Alpine adventure, polar bird myths and courtship in the snow in classical Japan and ancient Rome. Observations from Beth Chatto's garden and Tove Jansson's childhood join company with artists' private letters, lines from Anne Frank's diary and fireside stories told by indigenous voices.

A hibernation companion, this book will transport you across time and country this winter."

I want to hibernate with this book but also visit a frost fair!

An Inheritance of Magic by Benedict Jacka
Published by: Ace Books
Publication Date: October 10th, 2023
Format: Paperback, 384 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"The super-rich control everything - including magic - in this thrilling and brilliant, contemporary fantasy from the author of the Alex Verus novels.

The wealthy seem to exist in a different, glittering world from the rest of us. Almost as if by...magic.

Stephen Oakwood is a young man on the edge of this hidden world. He has talent and potential, but turning that potential into magical power takes money, opportunity, and training. All Stephen has is a minimum wage job and a cat.

But when a chance encounter with a member of House Ashford gets him noticed by the wrong people, Stephen is thrown in the deep end. For centuries, the vast corporations and aristocratic Houses of the magical world have grown impossibly rich and influential by hoarding their knowledge. To survive, Stephen will have to take his talent and build it up into something greater - for only then can he beat them at their own game."

All you need to start out in life is a minimum wage job and a cat.

Sword Catcher by Cassandra Clare
Published by: Del Rey Books
Publication Date: October 10th, 2023
Format: Hardcover, 624 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"Two outcasts find themselves caught in a web of forbidden love, dangerous magic, and dark secrets that could change the world forever in the start of a riveting epic fantasy series from the #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Shadowhunter Chronicles.

In the vibrant city-state of Castellane, the richest of nobles and the most debauched of criminals have one thing in common: the constant search for wealth, power, and the next hedonistic thrill.

Kel is an orphan, stolen from the life he knew to become the Sword Catcher - the body double of a royal heir, Prince Conor Aurelian. He has been raised alongside the prince, trained in every aspect of combat and statecraft. He and Conor are as close as brothers, but Kel knows that his destiny is to die for Conor. No other future is possible.

Lin Caster is one of the Ashkar, a small community whose members still possess magical abilities. By law, they must live behind walls within the city, but Lin, a physician, ventures out to tend to the sick and dying of Castellane. Despite her skills, she cannot heal her best friend without access to forbidden knowledge.

After a failed assassination attempt brings Lin and Kel together, they are drawn into the web of the mysterious Ragpicker King, the criminal ruler of Castellane's underworld. He offers them each what they want most; but as they descend into his world of intrigue and shadow, they discover a conspiracy of corruption that reaches from the darkest gutters of Castellane to the highest tower of its palaces. As long-kept secrets begin to unravel, they must ask themselves: Is knowledge worth the price of betrayal? Can forbidden love bring down a kingdom? And will their discoveries plunge their nation into war - and the world into chaos?"

I notice they're no longer touting this as her "adult" debut. They probably realized all her readers were adults all along.

Long Past Dues by James J. Butcher
Published by: Ace Books
Publication Date: October 10th, 2023
Format: Hardcover, 416 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"Grimsby, the newest Auditor in the magical Department of Unorthodox Affairs, finds himself in hot water when he intercepts a friend's case in this fast-paced and thrilling urban fantasy.

Against all odds, Grimshaw Griswald Grimsby has become an Auditor, enforcing laws about magic for Boston's Department of Unorthodox Affairs. But Grimsby soon realizes the daily grind of his job is far removed from the glamour he imagined. Overlooked for every exciting case, Grimsby tires of being told to handle mundane magical troubles, and appropriates a case file intended for a friend.

Alongside Leslie Mayflower, the temporarily unretired Huntsman, Grimsby aims to crack the case and discover the origin of a strange, unfinished ritual - one that seems to imitate the handiwork of a foe Mayflower put down twenty years ago.

Together, they'll have to deal with escaped werewolves, a cursed artifact, and a perilous journey to the mysterious subterranean city below Boston, all to uncover the shocking truth. At any cost, Grimsby must stop this ritual from finally being completed. Yet the cost may be paid not by himself but by his friends...."

An Urban Fantasy to fill my Peter Grant void.

The Witch of Maracoor by Gregory Maguire
Published by: William Morrow and Company
Publication Date: October 10th, 2023
Format: Hardcover, 272 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"The multimillion-copy bestselling story of Wicked comes full circle in The Witch of Maracoor, the final installment of Gregory Maguire's Another Day series.

Following a confrontation with her reclusive great-grandfather, the one-time Wizard of Oz, Rainary Ko - the granddaughter of Oz's Wicked Witch of the West - has re-upped in a mission to settle a few scores and right a wrong or two. Her memory and her passions reviving, Rain turns her gaze back to her native Oz. Though the Grimmerie, which she had cast into the sea, retains its arcane power over her, the lover she left behind in Oz proves no less haunting. Traveling companions and arrivistes can befuddle a young witch coming into her own, but Rain marshals a steely determination to stare her troubles in the eye and see who blinks first.

In the Another Day cycle, a lost young woman grows through a cautious adolescence into an adult state of fervor and daring. Enchantment imprisons and it also liberates. Pay heed, pay respect, but above all, pay attention."

I love that Wicked has "continued" in this new trilogy.

The Night Hunt by Alexandra Christo
Published by: Feiwel and Friends
Publication Date: October 10th, 2023
Format: Hardcover, 384 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"From Alexandra Christo, the author of To Kill a Kingdom, comes The Night Hunt, a dark fantasy romance about a monstrous girl who feeds on fear and the Gods-cursed boy who falls in love with her.

Atia is a monster who feeds on fear. As the last of her kind, she hides in the shadows of the world to escape the wrath of the unpredictable Gods. Silas is a Herald, carrying messages and ferrying the dead as punishment for a past he can't remember. Stripped of his true name, he yearns to recover his identity.

Atia would never dream of allying with someone like him, but when she breaks a sacred law and the Gods send monsters to hunt her, Silas offers an irresistible deal: he'll help avenge her family and take on the Gods who now hunt her, if she helps him break his curse and restore his humanity. All they need to do is kill three powerful creatures: a vampire, a banshee, and one of the very Gods who destroyed both their lives. Only together can they finally rewrite their destinies."

Because why not kill a God?

The Daughters of Block Island by Christa Carmen
Published by: AThomas and Mercer
Publication Date: October 10th, 2023
Format: Paperback, 332 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"In this ingenious and subversive twist on the classic Gothic novel, the mysterious past of an island mansion lures two sisters into a spiderweb of scandal, secrets, and murder.

Two sisters, strangers since birth yet bound by family secrets, are caught up in a century-old mystery on an isolated island.

After arriving on Block Island to find her birth mother, Blake Bronson becomes convinced she's the heroine of a Gothic novel - the kind that allowed her intermittent escape from a traumatic childhood. How else to explain the torrential rain, the salt-worn mansion known as White Hall, and the restless ghost purported to haunt its halls? But before Blake can discern the novel's ending, she's found dead, murdered in a claw-foot tub. The proprietress of White Hall stands accused.

Summoned by a letter sent from Blake before she died, Thalia Mills returns to the island she swore she'd left for good. She finds that Blake wasn't the first to die at White Hall under suspicious circumstances. Thalia must uncover the real reason for Blake's demise before the forces conspiring to keep Block Island's secrets dead and buried rise up to consume her too."

Who hasn't convinced themselves that they are the star of their own Gothic novel? Hopefully it ended better though...

Bluebeard's Castle by Anna Biller
Published by: Verso
Publication Date: October 10th, 2023
Format: Paperback, 384 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"Charles Perrault's Bluebeard gets a feminist Gothic makeover in this subversive take on the famous French fairy tale - from the filmmaker behind the cult film, The Love Witch, and for fans of Jane Eyre.

Judith is a successful novelist, but she's a little sensitive. She's from a good family, even if that family favors her more beautiful sister. She loves a drink (or 3) but isn't sure if she loves the handsome doctor who is courting her. She yearns for a romance to yield to but remains a virgin. Judith receives visions from the saints.

Then Judith meets Gavin, a handsome and charming baron, at a wedding on the Cornish coast. His love transforms her from a plain, lonely girl into a beautiful, glamorous woman overnight.

After a whirlwind honeymoon in Paris, he whisks her away to a Gothic castle in the countryside. But soon her perfect marriage begins to fall apart and she finds herself trapped in a nightmare, as her husband's mysterious nature, and his alternation of charm and violence, become more and more confusing and frightening. And then there are those whispers amongst the staff, unsettling rumors from London, and strange rattlings from the crypt...

From the visionary filmmaker of The Love Witch, this is a modern Gothic feminist take on the classic folktale Bluebeard."

This cover wins this Halloween season. There really is no other competition, I mean, look at it?

Final Acts edited by Martin Edwards
Published by: Poisoned Pen Press
Publication Date: October 10th, 2023
Format: Hardcover, 368 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
""... and what a motive! Murder to save one's artistic soul... who'd believe that?"

Behind the stage lights and word-perfect soliloquies, sinister secrets are lurking in the wings. The mysteries in this collection reveal the dark side to theatre and performing arts: a world of backstage dealings, where unscrupulous actors risk everything to land a starring role, costumed figures lead to mistaken identities, and on-stage deaths begin to look a little too convincing...

This expertly curated thespian anthology features fourteen stories from giants of the classic crime genre such as Dorothy L. Sayers, Julian Symons and Ngaio Marsh, as well as firm favourites from the British Library Crime Classics series: Anthony Wynne, Christianna Brand, Bernard J. Farmer and many more.

Mysteries abound when a player's fate hangs on a single performance, and opening night may very well be their last."

Big props for using the arrival of the Queen of the Night from The Magic Flute for the cover.

The Bell in the Fog by Lev A.C. Rosen
Published by: Forge
Publication Date: October 10th, 2023
Format: Hardcover, 272 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"The Bell in the Fog, a dazzling historical mystery by Lev A.C. Rosen, asks - once you have finally found a family, how far would you go to prove yourself to them?

San Francisco, 1952. Detective Evander "Andy" Mills has started a new life for himself as a private detective - but his business hasn't exactly taken off. It turns out that word spreads fast when you have a bad reputation, and no one in the queer community trusts him enough to ask an ex-cop for help.

When James, an old flame from the war who had mysteriously disappeared, arrives in his offices above the Ruby, Andy wants to kick him out. But the job seems to be a simple case of blackmail, and Andy's debts are piling up. He agrees to investigate, despite everything it stirs up.

The case will take him back to the shadowy, closeted world of the Navy, and then out into the gay bars of the city, where the past rises up to meet him, like the swell of the ocean under a warship. Missing people, violent strangers, and scandalous photos that could destroy lives are a whirlpool around him, and Andy better make sense of it all before someone pulls him under for good."

San Francisco fog and a PI, my perfect night in.

The Socialite's Guide to Death and Dating by S.K. Golden
Published by: Crooked Lane Books
Publication Date: October 10th, 2023
Format: Hardcover, 336 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"Perfect for fans of Rhys Bowen and Ashley Weaver, the second Pinnacle Hotel mystery finds another murder that strikes too close to home, and hotel heiress Evelyn Murphy knows she's the only one who can save the hotel before it's lights out.

New York, 1958. Even though Evelyn Murphy has made progress conquering her agoraphobia by leaving the Pinnacle, she still feels most comfortable in her father's hotel. With Malcolm Cooper, her new boyfriend and fellow employee at the hotel, Evelyn feels prepared for whatever happens next. In this case, it's throwing a big fundraiser with the who's who of New York City.

The night is a success, and Evelyn finally takes up Malcolm's offer to finally visit his apartment in Yonkers. As the party ends, they sneak away to the garage to get Evelyn's car. But Evelyn's always been good at finding things, and she discovers the dead body of a guest, Judge Baker, in a car - with a needle in his arm.

Detective Hodgson and his new partner, Detective McJimsey, arrive on the scene, but before they can begin to question Evelyn, they are startled by another mysterious discovery: there's a woman in the trunk of the car, and she screams as soon as she sees Evelyn's face. Tangled up in the police investigation, Evelyn's got another problem, too - her father insists she break off her relationship with Mac. The next day, her father is found attacked just like the judge, only this time the detectives find a dead woman nearby.

With Mac accused of the attacks and in police custody, Evelyn will have to find the killer on her own before she's checked out of the hotel - this time, for good."

I think there's a slight difference between being good at finding things a stumbling upon corpses...

Hitchcock's Blondes by Laurence Leamer
Published by: G.P. Putnam's Sons
Publication Date: October 10th, 2023
Format: Hardcover, 336 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"Bestselling author of Capote's Women Laurence Leamer shares an engrossing account of the enigmatic director Alfred Hitchcock that finally puts the dazzling actresses he cast in his legendary movies at the center of the story.

Alfred Hitchcock was fixated - not just on the dark, twisty stories that became his hallmark, but also by the blond actresses who starred in many of his iconic movies. The director of North by Northwest, Rear Window, and other classic films didn't much care if they wore wigs, got their hair coloring out of a bottle, or were the rarest human specimen - a natural blonde - as long as they shone with a golden veneer on camera. The lengths he went to in order to showcase (and often manipulate) these women would become the stuff of movie legend. But the women themselves have rarely been at the center of the story, until now.

In Hitchcock's Blondes, bestselling biographer Laurence Leamer offers an intimate journey into the lives of eight legendary actresses whose stories helped chart the course of the troubled, talented director's career - from his early days in the British film industry, to his triumphant American debut, to his Hollywood heyday and beyond. Through the stories of June Howard-Tripp, Madeleine Carroll, Ingrid Bergman, Grace Kelly, Janet Leigh, Kim Novak, Eva Marie Saint, and Tippi Hedren - who starred in fourteen of Hitchcock's most notable films and who bore the brunt of his fondness and sometimes fixation - we can finally start to see the enigmatic man himself. After all, "his" blondes (as he thought of them) knew the truths of his art, his obsessions and desires, as well as anyone.

From the acclaimed author of Capote's Women comes an intimate, revealing, and thoroughly modern look at both the enduring art created by a man obsessed...and the private toll that fixation took on the women in his orbit."

Yes, but still trying to understand him through them makes it about him not them...

Becoming the Boogeyman by Richard Chizmar
Published by: Gallery Books
Publication Date: October 10th, 2023
Format: Hardcover, 448 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"The terrifying sequel to the acclaimed New York Times and USA Today bestselling novel Chasing the Boogeyman, which was hailed as "genuinely chilling and something brand-new and exciting" (Stephen King) and "unforgettable" (Harlan Coben).

A riveting, haunting sequel to the New York Times bestselling thriller Chasing the Boogeyman - a tale of obsession and the adulation of evil, exploring modern society's true-crime obsession with unflinching honesty, sparing no one from the glare of the spotlight. Will those involved walk away from the story of a lifetime in order to keep their loved ones safe? Or will they once again be drawn into a killer's web? As the story draws to its shattering conclusion, only one person holds all the answers - and he just may be the most terrifying monster of them all."

Always here for a true-crime obsession.

Here, and Only Here by Christelle Dabos
Published by: Europa Editions
Publication Date: October 10th, 2023
Format: Hardcover, 200 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"The new novel from the million-copy bestselling author of The Mirror Visitor Quartet.

Welcome to the School of Here, an unsettling and peculiar place that is nonetheless familiar to us all. A place full of codes and unspoken rules that are passed down from year to year.

At Here, society is highly stratified, the pairs, friend groups, and outcasts are all ruled by a godlike prince. This year - as all other years - things are not at all as they seem. A self-effacing first-year student vanishes into thin air. A persecuted outsider delivers himself into permanent exile. A tyrannical upperclassman meets his match. A newly-minted prophetess tests her powers. And, behind the scenes, a cabal of students conducts a top-secret investigation into the unexplained phenomenon at the heart of it all. Back to school season marks the start of a time-honored cycle of revolution and rebirth in which each must play their part.

With Here, and Only Here, Christelle Dabos - author of the international sensation The Mirror Visitor Quartet - gives readers an intriguing and penetrating novel that explores the difficulties of fitting in and the private, individual choices that make up the sometimes abhorrent, always unpredictable Collective."

You really need to read it to understand.

Alice Atherton's Grand Tour by Lesley M.M. Blume
Published by: Alfred A. Knopf Books for Young Readers
Publication Date: October 10th, 2023
Format: Hardcover, 208 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"The heartwarming story of a young girl sent to live with the extraordinary Murphy Family in southern France.

Ten-year-old Alice Atherton is sent by her father to spend the summer with his dear friends the Murphys who live with their three children and pet monkey in the French Riveria. There, Alice will meet and learn from some of the most extraordinary luminaries of the time. She visits a junk yard with Pablo Picasso looking for objects to make into art, performs a dance inspired by celestial bodies with the renowned Ballet Russes, and imagines magical adventures with Zelda and F. Scott Fitzgerald.

An uplifting story that will appeal to readers who love books by authors like Kate DiCamillo and Jeanne Birdsall"

And will really appeal to lovers of The Durrells!

The Burnout by Sophie Kinsella
Published by: Dial Press
Publication Date: October 10th, 2023
Format: Hardcover, 416 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"Sparks fly in this delightful novel about two burned out professionals who meet at a ramshackle resort on the British seaside - from the #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Party Crasher.

She can do anything...just not everything.

Sasha has had it. She cannot bring herself to respond to another inane, "urgent" (but obviously not at all urgent) email or participate in the corporate employee joyfulness program. She hasn't seen her friends in months. Sex? Seems like a lot of effort. Even cooking dinner takes far too much planning. Sasha has hit a wall.

Armed with good intentions to drink kale smoothies, try yoga, and find peace, she heads to the seaside resort she loved as a child. But it's the off season, the hotel is in a dilapidated shambles, and she has to share the beach with the only other occupant: a grumpy guy named Finn, who seems as stressed as Sasha. How can she commune with nature when he's sitting on her favorite rock, watching her? Nor can they agree on how best to alleviate their burnout (Sasha: manifesting, wild swimming; Finn: drinking whisky, getting pizza delivered to the beach).

When curious messages, seemingly addressed to Sasha and Finn, begin to appear on the beach, the two are forced to talk - about everything. How did they get so burned out? Can either of them remember something they used to love? (Answer: surfing!) And the question they try and fail to ignore: what does the energy between them - flaring even in the face of their bone-deep exhaustion - signify?"

Might I suggest taking a mental health day because you, yourself, are burned out and read this book...

A Holly Jolly Ever After by Julie Murphy and Sierra Simone
Published by: Avon Books
Publication Date: October 10th, 2023
Format: Hardcover, 432 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"An actress and a perpetually single former boy-band member are reunited as costars on a steamy holiday film in this all new spicy rom-com by Julie Murphy and Sierra Simone, bestselling coauthors of A Merry Little Meet Cute.

Kallum Lieberman is the funny one(TM). As the arguably lesser of the three former members of the boy band INK, he enjoyed his fifteen minutes of fame and then moved home where he opened a regional pizza chain called Slice, Slice, Baby! He's living his best dad bod life, hooking up with bridesmaids at all his friends' weddings. But after an old one-off sex tape is leaked and quickly goes viral, Kallum decides he's ready to step into the spotlight again, starring in a sexy Santa biopic for the Hope Channel.

Winnie Baker did everything right. She married her childhood sweetheart, avoided the downfalls of adolescent stardom, and transitioned into a stable adult acting career. Hell, she even waited until marriage to have sex. But after her perfect life falls apart, Winnie is ready to redefine herself - and what better way than a steamier-than-a-steaming-hot-mug-of-cider Christmas movie?

With decade old Hollywood history between them, Winnie and Kallum are both feeling hesitant about their new situation as costars...especially Winnie who can't seem to fake on screen pleasure she's never experienced in real life. She's willing to do the pleasure research - for science and artistic authenticity, of course. And there's no better research partner than her bridesmaid sex tape hall of fame costar, Kallum. But suddenly, Kallum's teenage crush on Winnie is bubbling to the surface and Winnie might be catching feelings herself.

They say opposites attract, but is this holly jolly ever after really ready for its close-up?"

I mean would the "Hope" Channel really do basically Satan Porn? Oh who cares, just embrace the pleasure.

The Mysteries by Bill Watterson and John Kascht
Published by: Andrews McMeel Publishing
Publication Date: October 10th, 2023
Format: Hardcover, 72 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"From Bill Watterson, bestselling creator of the beloved comic strip Calvin and Hobbes, and John Kascht, one of America's most renowned caricaturists, comes a mysterious and beautifully illustrated fable about what lies beyond human understanding.

In a fable for grown-ups by cartoonist Bill Watterson, a long-ago kingdom is afflicted with unexplainable calamities. Hoping to end the torment, the king dispatches his knights to discover the source of the mysterious events. Years later, a single battered knight returns.

For the book's illustrations, Watterson and caricaturist John Kascht worked together for several years in unusually close collaboration. Both artists abandoned their past ways of working, inventing images together that neither could anticipate - a mysterious process in its own right."

Ever since it was announced that Bill Watterson was doing an adult book I have been impatiently awaiting it's arrival. Well it's here, today's the day!

Posted by Miss Eliza at 12:00 AM 0 comments  

Labels: Alexandra Christo, Cassandra Clare, Gregory Maguire, Hitchcock, James J. Butcher, Julie Murphy, Lev A.C. Rosen, Martin Edwards, Richard Chizmar, S.K. Golden, Sierra Simone, Sophie Kinsella, Terry Pratchett

The Space Man by Mary Robinette Kowal
Published by: Tor Books
Publication Date: October 11th, 2022
Format: Hardcover, 368 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"Hugo, Locus, and Nebula-Award winner Mary Robinette Kowal blends her no-nonsense approach to life in space with her talent for creating glittering high-society in this stylish SF mystery, The Spare Man.

Tesla Crane, a brilliant inventor and an heiress, is on her honeymoon on an interplanetary space liner, cruising between the Moon and Mars. She's traveling incognito and is reveling in her anonymity. Then someone is murdered and the festering chowderheads who run security have the audacity to arrest her spouse. Armed with banter, martinis and her small service dog, Tesla is determined to solve the crime so that the newlyweds can get back to canoodling - and keep the real killer from striking again."

Even when money is short, Mary Robinette Kowal is a must buy, no matter what genre the book is in. But space service Asta? Need I really say more?

Dead Man's Hand by James J. Butcher
Published by: Ace
Publication Date: October 11th, 2022
Format: Hardcover, 384 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"In the tradition of his renowned father, James J. Butcher's debut novel is a brilliant urban fantasy about a young man who must throw out the magical rule book to solve the murder of his former mentor.

On the streets of Boston, the world is divided into the ordinary Usuals, and the paranormal Unorthodox. And in the Department of Unorthodox Affairs, the Auditors are the magical elite, government-sanctioned witches with spells at their command and all the power and prestige that comes with it. Grimshaw Griswald Grimsby is…not one of those witches.

After flunking out of the Auditor training program and being dismissed as "not Department material," Grimsby tried to resign himself to life as a mediocre witch. But he can’t help hoping he’ll somehow, someway, get another chance to prove his skill. That opportunity comes with a price when his former mentor, aka the most dangerous witch alive, is murdered down the street from where he works, and Grimsby is the Auditors’ number one suspect.

Proving his innocence will require more than a little legwork, and after forming a strange alliance with the retired legend known as the Huntsman and a mysterious being from Elsewhere, Grimsby is abruptly thrown into a life of adventure, whether he wants it or not. Now all he has to do is find the real killer, avoid the Auditors on his trail, and most importantly, stay alive."

Talent AND really good cover art run in the family.

1989 by Val McDermid
Published by: Atlantic Monthly Press
Publication Date: October 11th, 2022
Format: Hardcover, 416 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"In the new installment to her historical crime series that began with 1979, internationally bestselling author Val McDermid delivers a propulsive new thriller that finds journalist Allie Burns has become an editor, and as the Cold War and AIDS crisis deliver a nonstop tide of news, most of it bad, a story falls into her lap. And then there's a murder.

Hailed as Britain's Queen of Crime, Val McDermid's award-winning, internationally bestselling novels have captivated readers for more than thirty years. In her Allie Burns series, she returns to the past - both ours and in some ways her own - with the story of a female journalist whose stories lead her into world of corruption, terror, and murder.

It's 1989 and Allie Burns is back. Older and maybe wiser, she's running the northern news operation of the Sunday Globe, chafing at losing her role in investigative journalism and at the descent into the gutter of the UK tabloid media. But there's plenty to keep her occupied. The year begins with the memorial service for the victims of the bombing of Pan Am Flight 103 over Lockerbie, Scotland, but Allie has barely filed her copy when she stumbles over a story about HIV/AIDS that will shock her into a major change of direction. The world of newspapers is undergoing a revolution, there's skullduggery in the medical research labs and there are seismic rumblings behind the Iron Curtain. When murder is added to this potent mix, Allie is forced to question all her old certainties.

Readers are having a great time time-traveling with Val, and 1989 is a seamless, riveting novel that brings us once again face to face with how very much past is prologue, and how history's sins stay with us."

What I love most about this series is that it's crime solving when it was still really compelling, not all tied into gadgets.

The Socialite's Guide to Murder by S.K. Golden
Published by: Crooked Lane Books
Publication Date: October 11th, 2022
Format: Hardcover, 320 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"The hotel was her refuge, but scandal is afoot - and a killer stalks the halls in this charming series debut perfect for fans of Rhys Bowen and Ashley Weaver.

It's 1958 and Evelyn Elizabeth Grace Murphy has not left the Pinnacle Hotel in fourteen months. She suffers from agoraphobia, and what's more, it's her father's hotel, and everything she needs is there. Evelyn's always been good at finding things, she discovered her mother dead in a Manhattan alleyway fifteen years earlier. Now she's finding trouble inside her sanctuary. At a party for artist Billie Bell, his newest work is stolen, and Evelyn's fake boyfriend (and real best friend), movie star Henry Fox, is accused of the theft. But just as Evelyn sets out to prove Henry's innocence, she finds Billie Bell dead.

The murder weapon links the crime to the hotel's chief of security. But why would he use a knife with his initials on the handle? With her beloved home in disarray, Evelyn joins up with hotel employee (and her secret crush) Mac Cooper to get to the bottom of the case.

As Mac picks locks and Evelyn snoops around the hotel, they discover the walls around them contain more secrets than they previously knew. Now, Evelyn must force herself to leave the hotel to follow the clues - but when she and Mac set off to chase a lead, their car crashes and they barely escape with their lives. Someone snipped Evelyn's brake lines, and now the stakes have become dangerously high.

Evelyn's knack for sleuthing - and her playful imagination - are always hard at work, and she throws an elaborate party at the hotel where every guest is a suspect. But will the killer emerge from the glamorous lineup? If not, Evelyn just might find herself…next in line for murder."

I really have a thing for murders at hotels.

The Dark Between the Trees by Fiona Barnett
Published by: Solaris
Publication Date: October 11th, 2022
Format: Hardcover, 304 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"An unforgettable, surrealist gothic folk-thriller with commercial crossover appeal from a brilliant new voice.

1643: A small group of Parliamentarian soldiers are ambushed in an isolated part of Northern England. Their only hope for survival is to flee into the nearby Moresby Wood...unwise though that may seem. For Moresby Wood is known to be an unnatural place, the realm of witchcraft and shadows, where the devil is said to go walking by moonlight...

Seventeen men enter the wood. Only two are ever seen again, and the stories they tell of what happened make no sense. Stories of shifting landscapes, of trees that appear and disappear at will...and of something else. Something dark. Something hungry.

Today, five women are headed into Moresby Wood to discover, once and for all, what happened to that unfortunate group of soldiers. Led by Dr Alice Christopher, an historian who has devoted her entire academic career to uncovering the secrets of Moresby Wood. Armed with metal detectors, GPS units, mobile phones and the most recent map of the area (which is nearly 50 years old), Dr Christopher's group enters the wood ready for anything.

Or so they think."

Folkloric Annihilation.

The Premonition at Withers Farm by Jaime Jo Wright
Published by: Bethany House Publishers
Publication Date: October 11th, 2022
Format: Hardcover, 400 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"In 1910 Michigan, Perliett VanHilton is a self-proclaimed rural healer, leaving the local doctor, George Wasziak, convinced she practices quackery. It doesn't help that her mother, Maribeth VanHilton, is a Spiritualist who regularly offers her services to help others speak to their dearly departed. But when Perliett is targeted by a superstitious killer, she relies on both George and an intriguing newcomer for help.

In the present day, life has not developed the way Molly Wasziak dreamed. Facing depression after multiple miscarriages, Molly is adapting to her husband's purchase of a new farm. A search for a family tree pulls Molly deep into a vintage web of deceptions, made more mysterious by the disturbing shadows and sounds in the old farmhouse.

Perliett fights for her life, and Molly seeks renewed purpose for hers as she uncovers the records of the dead. Will their voices be heard, or will time silence their truths forever?"

Say it with me: Spiritualists!

The Hollow Kind by Andy Davidson
Published by: MCD
Publication Date: October 11th, 2022
Format: Hardcover, 448 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"Andy Davidson's epic horror novel about the spectacular decline of the Redfern family, haunted by an ancient evil.

Nellie Gardner is looking for a way out of an abusive marriage when she learns that her long-lost grandfather, August Redfern, has willed her his turpentine estate. She throws everything she can think of in a bag and flees to Georgia with her eleven-year-old son, Max, in tow.

It turns out that the "estate" is a decrepit farmhouse on a thousand acres of old pine forest, but Nellie is thrilled about the chance for a fresh start for her and Max, and a chance for the happy home she never had. So it takes her a while to notice the strange scratching in the walls, the faint whispering at night, how the forest is eerily quiet. But Max sees what his mother can't: They're no safer here than they had been in South Carolina. In fact, things might even be worse. There's something wrong with Redfern Hill. Something lurks beneath the soil, ancient and hungry, with the power to corrupt hearts and destroy souls. It is the true legacy of Redfern Hill: a kingdom of grief and death, to which Nellie's own blood has granted her the key.

From the author of The Boatman's Daughter, The Hollow Kind is a jaw-dropping novel about legacy and the horrors that hide in the dark corners of family history. Andy Davidson's gorgeous, Gothic fable tracing the spectacular fall of the Redfern family will haunt you long after you turn the final page."

A family inheritance of Gothic horror? Yes please!

Little Eve by Catriona Ward
Published by: Tor Nightfire
Publication Date: October 11th, 2022
Format: Hardcover, 288 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"From Catriona Ward, the international bestselling author of The Last House on Needless Street comes Little Eve, a heart-pounding tale of faith and family, with a devastating twist.

Winner of the Shirley Jackson Award for Best Novel.

"A great day is upon us. He is coming. The world will be washed away."

On the wind-battered isle of Altnaharra, off the wildest coast of Scotland, a clan prepares to bring about the end of the world and its imminent rebirth.

The Adder is coming and one of their number will inherit its powers. They all want the honor, but young Eve is willing to do anything for the distinction.

A reckoning beyond Eve's imagination begins when Chief Inspector Black arrives to investigate a brutal murder and their sacred ceremony goes terribly wrong.

And soon all the secrets of Altnaharra will be uncovered."

Shades of The Wicker Man anyone?

The House at Phantom Park by Graham Masterton
Published by: Head of Zeus
Publication Date: October 11th, 2022
Format: Hardcover, 480 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"Disturbing. Original. Terrifying. The 'master of horror' is back with the chilling tale of what lurks in the walls of an abandoned hospital.

Those who walk their dogs along the Sussex coastline in the morning might wander past St Rosalia's Hospital, and wonder what happens inside the large, mysterious Victorian building that overlooks the sea. Until recently, the hospital was run by one doctor with a total of 15 patients, all of whom were terminally ill. The epidemiologist Dr Vincent Grayling was a pioneering practitioner for his radical belief that old medicinal practices should not be so-readily dismissed. But the doctor recently passed away, and so the building was sold to John and Petulia Pearson, hoteliers from Dorset.

At first, the couple are brimming with excitement for their seaside hotel. But before long, they start to hear coughs and groans in the middle of the night. And when they discover Grayling's medical notes, it becomes clear that the noises are not in their head..."

Places I would never stay but want to read about, old abandoned hospitals.

The Belle of Belgrave Square by Mimi Matthews
Published by: Berkley
Publication Date: October 11th, 2022
Format: Paperback, 432 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"A London heiress rides out to the wilds of the English countryside to honor a marriage of convenience with a mysterious and reclusive stranger.

Tall, dark, and dour, the notorious Captain Jasper Blunt was once hailed a military hero, but tales abound of his bastard children and his haunted estate in Yorkshire. What he requires now is a rich wife to ornament his isolated ruin, and he has his sights set on the enchanting Julia Wychwood.

For Julia, an incurable romantic cursed with a crippling social anxiety, navigating a London ballroom is absolute torture. The only time Julia feels any degree of confidence is when she’s on her horse. Unfortunately, a young lady can't spend the whole of her life in the saddle, so Julia makes an impetuous decision to take her future by the reins - she proposes to Captain Blunt.

In exchange for her dowry and her hand, Jasper must promise to grant her freedom to do as she pleases. To ride - and to read - as much as she likes without masculine interference. He readily agrees to her conditions, with one provision of his own: Julia is forbidden from going into the tower rooms of his estate and snooping around his affairs. But the more she learns of the beastly former hero, the more intrigued she becomes..."

A girl with dreams I totally relate to!

To Capture His Heart by Nancy Campbell Allen
Published by: Shadow Mountain
Publication Date: October 11th, 2022
Format: Paperback, 288 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"Seaside, England, 1886.

Eva Caldwell is an accomplished and well-known photographer who often works with the local constabulary to assist in documenting crime scenes, which means she also often works alongside the handsome and charming detective, Nathan Winston. She appreciates his intellect and how he treats her like an equal, but Eva's heart is still healing from a past relationship, so, for now, she decides to keep her feelings for Nathan a secret.

One evening, Nathan arrives on her doorstep asking for a personal favor. Would Eva be available to photograph his mother's legendary, week-long dinner party and matchmaking event? The catch is that Eva would also have to pretend they are courting in order for Nathan to avoid the many single women seeking his attention.

Though wary of the charade, Eva agrees. Spending a week with the two things she loves most - her detective and her camera - sounds simple enough. And if she wants to imagine that Nathan's pretend courtship of her is real, well, what's the harm in that?

But when a criminal from Nathan's past threatens revenge on the detective, Nathan must be extra vigilant to keep his mother and the rest of the partygoers safe. He confides in Eva, and as the two work together to solve the mystery and apprehend the criminal, they find that they might capture more than they expected - each other's heart."

Bridgerton meets Miss Scarlet and the Duke! 

The Secrets of Summer House by Rachel Burton
Published by: Aria
Publication Date: October 11th, 2022
Format: Paperback, 416 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"1976. Rushing out of the University Library, undergraduate Alice Kenzie bumps straight into PhD student Tristan Somers. There begins a whirlwind romance, and Alice falls pregnant and gives birth to a baby girl. Then Tristan is killed in a car accident. Unable to cope, Alice takes her baby to Summer House, Tristan's family home in Suffolk, leaves her there and disappears.

2018. Olivia Somers has always been told that her mother died in the same accident as her father. But when she finds a bundle of old letters in Summer House, everything she ever believed about her mother is called into question. Can she find her  - and even more importantly, forgive her?"

Family secrets that sound a lot like an episode of Inspector Morse. I'm in!

The Night Eaters: She Eats the Night Book 1 by Marjorie Liu and Sana Takeda
Published by: Abrams ComicArts
Publication Date: October 11th, 2022
Format: Hardcover, 208 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"The first volume in a new graphic novel horror trilogy from Marjorie Liu and Sana Takeda - the creative team behind the New York Times bestselling series Monstress.

Chinese American twins, Milly and Billy, are having a tough time. On top of the multiple failures in their personal and professional lives, they’re struggling to keep their restaurant afloat. Luckily their parents, Ipo and Keon, are in town for their annual visit. Having immigrated from Hong Kong before the twins were born, Ipo and Keon have supported their children through thick and thin and are ready to lend a hand - but they're starting to wonder, has their support made Milly and Billy incapable of standing on their own?

When Ipo forces them to help her clean up the house next door - a hellish and run-down ruin that was the scene of a grisly murder - the twins are in for a nasty surprise. A night of terror, gore, and supernatural mayhem reveals that there is much more to Ipo and her children than meets the eye.

Eisner Award–winning and bestselling author Marjorie Liu and illustrator Sana Takeda have crafted a wild and wicked tale that will leave readers hungry for more. She Eats the Night is the perfect start to The Night Eaters trilogy, which is a combination of Monsters by Barry Windsor-Smith and Crazy Rich Asians by Kevin Kwan."

Even if the story didn't sound amazing, the talent of Marjorie Lie and Sana Takeda would make it so!

Joe Golem Occult Detective by Mike Mignola and Christopher Golden
Published by: Dark Horse Books
Publication Date: October 11th, 2022
Format: Hardcover, 536 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"Joe Golem is an occult detective...and so much more.

In an alternate, half-submerged version of Manhattan, Joe Golem uncovers the truth behind strange and occult happenings that threaten the city’s inhabitants. But perhaps the biggest mystery of all is his own past. Fight demonic rats, pursue forbidden knowledge, and much more as Joe and his compatriots tackle the supernatural together.

Mike Mignola and Christopher Golden bring us a heartfelt and harrowing saga that combines hardboiled detective with emotional drama and lots of magic and mystery! Featuring art by Patric Reynolds and Peter Bergting with colors by Dave Stewart and Michelle Madsen.

Collects Joe Golem: Occult Detective Volumes 1–4."

Who loves Mike Mignola and Christopher Golden collaborations? Is it me!?! Yes it is!

The Oracle of Maracoor by Gregory Maguire
Published by: William Morrow
Publication Date: October 11th, 2022
Format: Hardcover, 288 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"Multimillion-copy bestselling author Gregory Maguire brings us the enchanting second novel in the series Another Day, returning to the world he first created in Wicked.

The Oracle of Maracoor, the second in the trilogy called Another Day, continues the story of Elphaba’s green-skinned granddaughter, Rain. That strange land, Maracoor - across the ocean from Oz - is beset by an invading army. In the mayhem, Rain and Cossy, a child felon, break out of prison. Helped by a few flying monkeys, they struggle to escape the city before it falls under siege. Their arresting officer, Lucikles, also retreats with his family to a highland redoubt. But safety eludes them all. Chaos thunders upon them in the form of warriors, refugees, and brigands. The very fabric of reality loosens, liberating creatures of myth and legend - huge blue wolves, harpies, and giants made of the very landscape.

Cued in by secrets known only to the most highly placed members of the royal court, Rain and her companions hunt the fabled Oracle of Maracoor for guidance and soothsaying. Rain has to recover her forgotten past if she is to consider returning home. Cossy, the ten-year-old convicted of murder, must become invisible to avoid being taken into custody again. Meanwhile, the Fist of Mara, an arcane artifact that renders all around it barren, hammers against human lives. If the reclusive Oracle should spin a prophecy, might the desperate wicked years promise another day, one less perilous?"

The only thing I object to is that Gregory Maguire reinterpreted and expanded this world of Oz, he didn't create it. 

Posted by Miss Eliza at 12:00 AM 0 comments  

Labels: Catriona Ward, Christopher Golden, Gregory Maguire, Jaime Jo Wright, James J. Butcher, Marjorie Liu, Mary Robinette Kowal, Mike Mignola, Mimi Matthews, Nancy Campbell Allen, S.K. Golden, Val McDermid