strange and random happenstance

The Murder at World's End by Ross Montgomery
Published by: William Morrow
Publication Date: January 6th, 2026
Format: Hardcover, 336 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"Knives Out meets Downton Abbey! Secrets, murder, and mayhem collide as this unlikely sleuthing duo - an under-butler and a foul-mouthed octogenarian - hunt a killer in a manor sealed against the end of the world, in this locked-room mystery by #1 New York Times bestselling author Ross Montgomery.

Cornwall, 1910. On a remote tidal island, the Viscount of Tithe Hall is absorbed in feverish preparations for the apocalypse that he believes will accompany the passing of Halley's Comet. The Hall must be sealed from top to bottom - every window, chimney, and keyhole closed off before night falls. But what the pompous, dishonest Viscount has failed to take into account is the danger that lies within... By morning, he will be dead in his sealed study, murdered by his own ancestral crossbow.

All eyes turn to Steven Pike, Tithe Hall's newest under-butler. Fresh out of Borstal for a crime he didn't commit, he is the wrong man in the wrong place at the wrong time. His unlikely ally? Miss Decima Stockingham, the foul-mouthed, sharp as a tack, eighty-year-old family matriarch. Fearless and unconventional, she relishes chaos and puzzles alike, and a murder is just the thrill she's been waiting for.

Together, this mismatched duo must navigate secret passages, buried grudges, and rising terror to unmask the killer before it's too late..."

I mean, technically it is still the season for murder... Well, every season is the season for murder for me...

A Party to Murder by Diana Harper
Published by: Diana Harper
Publication Date: January 6th, 2026
Format: Kindle, 314Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"Romance, intrigue, family quarrels, secrets, murder: the party at Cheveley Manor has it all. And everyone but the butler is a suspect.

It's the summer of 1922, and preparations for an extravagant party are underway at the Marchmont's stately country pile. Patriarch Richard Marchmont is fabulously wealthy, moderately eccentric, and very fond of getting his own way. With the family gathered to celebrate his 85th birthday, the scene is set for a memorable weekend...in more ways than one, because Richard has quarreled with his heirs and is set upon changing his Will to teach them all a lesson. The arrival of unexpected guests, return of a long-lost relative, and sundry romantic entanglements only make matters more complicated.

When Richard is found dead in his study, a glass of poisoned wine by his side, there is a surfeit of suspects on hand. Clever Inspector Hawthorne has his work cut out for him; everyone at Cheveley Manor is hiding something - and for the murderer, the party isn't over yet.

A classic English country-house whodunit garnished with a dash of fizzy romance, A Party to Murder will delight fans of Agatha Christie, Georgette Heyer, and Golden Era murder mysteries."

Here for every single family dispute and every single country pile!

Fire Must Burn by Allison Montclair
Published by: Severn House
Publication Date: January 6th, 2026
Format: Hardcover, 256 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"The owners of The Right Sort Marriage Bureau are back, and more determined than ever to bring love matches to the residents of Post-WWII London...so something as trivial as being dragged into a spy mission isn't going to stop them!

Sparks fly when an old friend comes to town...

London, 1947. After recent events have left the normally steadfast Iris Sparks thoroughly shaken, she's looking forward to some peace. With The Right Sort doing well, she and business partner Gwen Bainbridge are due a holiday. Until Iris's former boss enlists their help for a secret mission.

Iris, who left British intelligence after the war, is being recruited for her Cambridge connection to one Anthony Danforth. She hasn't seen Tony in almost ten years, yet she and Gwen must manipulate him into hiring their marriage service.

Tony's suspected of being a Soviet operative, and an undercover agent posing as his perfect match could discover the truth. Despite her reluctance at being dragged back into the world of espionage, Iris agrees. After all, Tony was once a very good friend. If he's innocent, she'll happily prove it. If not? Well, no one ever said being a spy was easy...

Those who enjoy reading Kerry Greenwood's Phryne Fisher Mysteries and Dorothy Sayers will adore this warm and witty historical mystery!"

Cambridge spies time!

The Storm by Rachel Hawkins
Published by: St. Martin's Press
Publication Date: January 6th, 2026
Format: Hardcover, 288 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"New York Times bestselling author Rachel Hawkins is back with a thrilling new gothic suspense set in a Gulf Coast beach motel where hurricane season can be murder.

St. Medard's Bay, Alabama is famous for three things: the deadly hurricanes that regularly sweep into town, the Rosalie Inn, a century-old hotel that's survived every one of those storms, and Lo Bailey, the local girl infamously accused of the murder of her lover, political scion Landon Fitzroy, during Hurricane Marie in 1984.

When Geneva Corliss, the current owner of the Rosalie Inn, hears a writer is coming to town to research the crime that put St. Medard's Bay on the map, she's less interested in solving a whodunnit than in how a successful true crime book might help the struggling inn's bottom line. But to her surprise, August Fletcher doesn't come to St. Medard’s Bay alone. With him is none other than Lo Bailey herself. Lo says she's returned to her hometown to clear her name once and for all, but the closer Geneva gets to both Lo and August, the more she wonders if Lo is actually back to settle old scores.

As the summer heats up and another monster storm begins twisting its way towards St. Medard's Bay, Geneva learns that some people can be just as destructive - and as deadly - as any hurricane, and that the truth of what happened to Landon Fitzroy may not be the only secret Lo is keeping..."

A Lo pressure system is moving in!

Wildwood by Amy Pease
Published by: Atria/Emily Bestler Books
Publication Date: January 6th, 2026
Format: Hardcover, 288 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"From the award-winning author of the "riveting debut" (People) Northwoods, a mother-son law enforcement team confront buried secrets in their small town as they work to expose a conspiracy that goes far beyond the tight-knit community.

Deputy Sheriff Eli North has spent the last year getting his life back together. He hasn't touched a drop of alcohol, he's working through his PTSD from his military deployment, and he's repairing his most important relationships. When an undercover informant disappears and all signs point to murder, Eli must expose the dark underbelly of his idyllic Wisconsin small town while safeguarding his newfound stability.

Then, with the unexpected arrival of FBI Agent Alyssa Mason, Eli and his mother, the sheriff, are pulled deeper into a violent criminal network built on the backs of the lost and forgotten.

As the case deepens, loyalties fracture and the line between justice and survival begins to blur. In a town where everyone has something to hide, exposing the truth may cost them everything."

Always here for Wisconsin and its murderous rep.

The Wind Witch Murders by Casey Dunn
Published by: Severn House
Publication Date: January 6th, 2026
Format: Hardcover, 304 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"Her mother took secrets to the grave. They didn't stay buried.

1999, Arkansas. Being the daughter of a witch and alleged murderer isn't easy. Yet Raven has carried that burden for the twelve years since her mother, Deanne, was locked away for the apparent ritualized murder of two boys. Murders she never admitted to.

Now Deanne is dead, the truth buried with her. When a stranger appears at her funeral to place a feather on her casket, Raven realizes the mystery of her mother is still alive and well. But as she looks harder into Deanne's past, more lies about her own life surface. Lies that drag her to the infamous cult at the edge of town that Deanne once belonged to. As Raven connects the secrets surrounding the cult, the infamous Wind Witch murders, and her mother's death, she finds herself in incredible danger.

A mesmerizing dark treat of a novel, full of twists and suspense, perfect for fans of Rebecca James and Tana French."

Dood, how often do protagonists have to be told to stay away from cults!?!

You've Lost That Livin' Feelin' by Nicholas George
Published by: Severn House
Publication Date: January 6th, 2026
Format: Hardcover, 256 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"Introducing Adam Parrall - retired drummer, vinyl record store owner...and amateur sleuth!

Adam Parrall's wild days as a drummer in a rock band are far behind him. Now semi-retired and running a record store in the sleepy town of Cordoba on the mid-California coast, life is considerably calmer, with pleasant surprises such as winning a lifetime achievement award (which Adam learns, depressingly, is intended for deceased artists).

There's plenty of life left in Adam yet, though sadly the same can't be said of Righteous Brother tribute artist Barry Haddon, whose dead body is discovered by Adam outside a nightclub. Suddenly Adam discovers an exciting new hobby - sleuthing! Is a knife-wielding robber terrorizing the locals responsible for Barry's murder? As panic and confusion sweep through the town, Adam can't rule anything - or anyone - out. Unfortunately, his meddling may mean that he'll qualify for that lifetime achievement award sooner than he thought!

The first in an irresistibly charming cozy mystery series featuring a retired drummer seeking to recapture the excitement of his rock band heyday by solving crime. A page-turning must-read for fans of M.C. Beaton, Richard Osman and J.M. Hall!"

I have a feeling Adam Parrall won't be collecting that lifetime achievement award anytime soon!

Beth Is Dead by Katie Bernet
Published by: Sarah Barley Books / Simon and Schuster Books for Young Readers
Publication Date: January 6th, 2026
Format: Hardcover, 400 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"Beth March's sisters will stop at nothing to track down her killer - until they begin to suspect each other - in this "brilliantly snappy…electrifying" (Publishers Weekly, starred review) debut thriller that's also a bold, contemporary reimagining of the beloved classic Little Women.

When Beth March is found dead in the woods on New Year's Day, her sisters vow to uncover her murderer.

Suspects abound. There's the neighbor who has feelings for not one but two of the girls. Meg's manipulative best friend. Amy's flirtatious mentor. And Beth's lionhearted first love. But it doesn't take the surviving sisters much digging to uncover motives each one of the March girls had for doing the unthinkable.

Jo, an aspiring author with a huge following on social media, would do anything to hook readers. Would she kill her sister for the story? Amy dreams of studying art in Europe, but she'll need money from her aunt - money that's always been earmarked for Beth. And Meg wouldn't dream of hurting her sister...but her boyfriend might have, and she'll protect him at all costs.

Despite the growing suspicion within the family, it's hard to know for sure if the crime was committed by someone close to home. After all, the March sisters were dragged into the spotlight months ago when their father published a controversial bestseller about his own daughters. Beth could have been killed by anyone.

Beth's perspective told in flashback unfolds next to Meg, Jo, and Amy's increasingly fraught investigation as the tragedy threatens to rip the Marches apart."

Amy did it right? I mean, it has to be Amy.

Brunner in the Black by Will Nichols
Published by: Close To The Bone Publishing
Publication Date: January 6th, 2026
Format: Kindle, 316 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"Lenya Fisher is the private eye equivalent of a pirate.

She was in Stasi in the Eighties and never unlearned their ruthless ways.

Now she's 63 and hired to dig up dirt on Peter Brunner's Austrian lumber company Brunner Group. The client is his jealous cousin Ilsa.

Lenya needs her lover Orell Schneider's network since opaque Liechtenstein foundations own Brunner Group and hide its blackest secrets. Orell used to head up Liechtenstein's financial intelligence unit and did the same for Vatican City until he fled the Pope's trumped up charges against him. She brings him in, a car bomb kills him, and she comes home to find her house trashed and her cat hanging from a noose of piano wire. Everything is connected.

Now it's only justice for Orell or death as Lenya chases dirty drug and gun money into Brunner Group, the Vatican Bank, and the pockets of a corrupt European establishment cornered like rats by the millions of protestors filling the streets. Globalization's upperworld criminals may just have picked the wrong fräulein to fool with."

If someone kills a cat that someone HAS to pay.

We're Taking Everyone Down With Us by Matthew Rosenberg, Stefano Landini, and Jason Wordie
Published by: Image Comics
Publication Date: January 6th, 2026
Format: Paperback, 256 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"James Bond meets The Island of Doctor Moreau in this graphic novel about a young girl who discovers her father isn't the hero she believed, but one of the most dangerous super-spy villains on the planet.

After her mad-scientist father is killed by the world's greatest spy, 13-year-old Annalise is left all alone in the world. Sort of. Her dead dad's robot bodyguard won't stop following her around for some reason. Now Annalise has a choice: try to lead a normal life for the first time ever…or seek revenge and maybe overthrow the world order in the process.

Embark on a journey of regret and retribution, super spies and pseudoscience, growing up and global domination from brilliant artist Stefano Landini (Prodigy, Hellblazer) and okay writer Matthew Rosenberg (What's the Furthest Place From Here?, Uncanny X-Men.)"

Only an okay writer? Hmm...

The Starseekers by Nicole Glover
Published by: Harper Voyager
Publication Date: January 6th, 2026
Format: Paperback, 496 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"Indiana Jones meets Hidden Figures in this brand-new stand-alone historical fantasy set in the world of The Conductors, in which the space race of the mid-20th century will be determined by magic...if not murder.

In the 1960s, the world was caught up in reaching beyond our planet and into the cosmos. It felt impossible - but there was nothing science, math…and magic couldn't make possible. The race to space was on, and the Moon was what everyone had their eyes on.

Including Cynthia Rhodes, a brilliant arcane engineer at NASA's Ainsworth Research Labs. Talented in math and magic, she hosts a magical educational show...a job she took mostly for a chance to regularly see the dashing Theodore Danner, a professor of arcane archeology.

She is also an amateur sleuth - something that has run in her family for generations.

When a cursed museum curator nearly interrupts a broadcast of their show, Cynthia finds an eager sleuthing partner in Theo. Pairing up, they begin investigating the strange behavior of the curator and a mysterious theft at the arcane history museum - until one of Cynthia's own coworkers perishes right in front of her in a major lab accident that endangers Ainsworth's role in the space race.

Certain it was murder instead of an accident, Cynthia sees this as a separate case at first. However the more she and Theo investigate, Cynthia uncovers a surprising link between the two incidents. The museum theft and murder are part of a larger equation - one that includes deadly enchantments, rumored pirate treasure, a peculiar plant, and a dire threat to the space program as well as everything she holds dear.

The Starseekers is another rip-roaring adventure for the Rhodes family, who have been using magic to aid their community and solve mysteries since before the Civil War. The times may have changed, but a Rhodes once again finds themselves thrust into a world of murders, theft, sabotage, and curses, and this time the stakes extend to the stars themselves."

Cursed museum curator!?! Oh hell yes.

The Charmed Library by Jennifer Moorman
Published by: Harper Muse
Publication Date: January 6th, 2026
Format: Hardcover, 352 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"With her signature blend of magical and heartfelt storytelling, USA TODAY bestselling author Jennifer Moorman returns with The Charmed Library, a love letter to libraries, favorite childhood stories, and readers who have fallen for fictional heroes.

Like many other public libraries, the one in Blue Sky Valley, North Carolina, is a haven for readers. But it's also unlike any other. In this library, fictional characters step off the page into real life. Assistant librarian Stella Parker has no idea. Still reeling from her father's death and - more recently - a breakup, she hasn't noticed. All she knows is she's stuck in a job she's overqualified for and stumped about what to do with her life.

Everything changes when she burns her beloved journal.

Words matter to Stella. For as long as she can remember, she's seen them. Words appear - in varying colors and fonts - rising from surfaces, bouncing over objects, and even wiggling out of people. Words give her insight into emotions and untold stories. But the words change for Stella after she burns her journal. Suddenly they're demanding, urgent - and painful.

Then Stella stumbles upon strange characters in the library after hours. One is an oddly familiar World War II soldier who introduces himself as Jack - Jack Mathis, the main character from her favorite book. A fictional hero and Stella's first crush. Standing in front of her in the flesh.

Jack tells Stella about the magic hidden in the library. Skeptical, Stella rashly invites a villain to visit, and chaos ensues. As she discovers the importance of protecting the library's secret and gets to know the real Jack, words continue to appear. What are they trying to tell her?

Much too quickly, Stella is faced with the reality that all stories must end, and magic comes at a price. The characters who visit the library can only stay for fourteen days. And Jack's time is almost up.

A cozy, Hallmark-esque rom-com, The Charmed Library invites readers to escape to a world where words come alive and book boyfriends leap off the page."

Knowing my luck if I could see fonts rising from surfaces it would be all Papyrus and Comic Sans. 

Through Gates of Garnet and Gold by Seanan McGuire
Published by: Tordotcom
Publication Date: January 6th, 2026
Format: Hardcover, 160 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"A fan-favorite character returns in this action-packed installment of the Hugo Award-winning Wayward Children series.

After Nancy was cast out of the Halls of the Dead and forced to enroll at Eleanor West's School for Wayward Children, she never believed she'd find her door again, and when she did, she didn't look back. She disappeared from the school to resume her place in the Halls, never intending to return.

Years have passed. A darkness has descended on the Halls, and the living statues who populate them are dying at the hands of the already dead. The Lord and Lady who rule the land are helpless to stop the slaughter, forcing Nancy to leave the Halls again, this time on purpose, as she attempts to seek much-needed help from her former schoolmates.

But who would volunteer to quest in a world where the dead roam freely?

And why are the dead so intent on adding to their number?"

It's the first book release day of the year so OF COURSE Seanan McGuire has a new release.

Order of Royals by Jude Deveraux
Published by: Mira Books
Publication Date: January 6th, 2026
Format: Hardcover, 336 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"The second book in Jude Deveraux's spellbinding and unforgettable Blue Swan series weaves an intricate tapestry of fantasy and intrigue on the enigmatic planet of Bellis.

Princess Aradella is trapped in the iron grip of her evil and powerful aunt, Queen Olina. Navigating the treacherous waters of political machinations and familial duties, Aradella discovers allies in unexpected places, including Tanek, a swansman with his own mysterious connections. Set in a world where royalty, magic, and mythical beings coexist, Aradella's path is intertwined with that of Kaley Arens, an Earthling who becomes deeply entangled in the planet's intricate social hierarchy, as she is faced with a choice between her homeland and newfound love. As Aradella and her companions uncover dark secrets and hidden agendas, they embark on an adventure filled with loyalty, romance, and courage, where the lines between magic and reality blur, but where love has the power to transform destinies.

Aradella's heart finds a beacon in Mekos, the son of Tanek, whose distinct heritage and protective nature captivate her. As their bond deepens amidst political intricacies, their love story unfolds through secret plans and whispered promises. But in this world, nothing is as it seems and destiny can't be denied..."

I can't express how much I love the cover of this book.

Posted by Miss Eliza at 12:00 AM 0 comments  

Labels: Allison Montclair, Amy Pease, Casey Dunn, Jennifer Moorman, Jude Deveraux, Katie Bernet, Matthew Rosenberg, Nicholas George, Nicole Glover, Rachel Hawkins, Ross Montgomery, Seanan McGuire, Stefano Landini, Will Nichols

Witchcraft for Wayward Girls by Grady Hendrix
Published by: Berkley Books
Publication Date: January 14th, 2025
Format: Hardcover, 496 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"There's power in a book...

They call them wayward girls. Loose girls. Girls who grew up too fast. And they're sent to Wellwood House in St. Augustine, Florida, where unwed mothers are hidden by their families to have their babies in secret, to give them up for adoption, and most important of all, to forget any of it ever happened.

Fifteen-year-old Fern arrives at the home in the sweltering summer of 1970, pregnant, terrified and alone. Under the watchful eye of the stern Miss Wellwood, she meets a dozen other girls in the same predicament. There's Rose, a hippie who insists she's going to find a way to keep her baby and escape to a commune. And Zinnia, a budding musician who plans to marry her baby's father. And Holly, a wisp of a girl, barely fourteen, mute and pregnant by no-one-knows-who.

Everything the girls eat, every moment of their waking day, and everything they're allowed to talk about is strictly controlled by adults who claim they know what's best for them. Then Fern meets a librarian who gives her an occult book about witchcraft, and power is in the hands of the girls for the first time in their lives. But power can destroy as easily as it creates, and it's never given freely. There's always a price to be paid...and it's usually paid in blood."

Hopefully the blood of their oppressors! 

Clever Little Thing by Helena Echlin
Published by: Pamela Dorman Books
Publication Date: January 14th, 2025
Format: Hardcover, 352 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"A taut, powerful psychological thriller following a mother who must confront a sudden and terrifying change in her daughter after the abrupt death of their babysitter.

Charlotte's daughter Stella is sensitive and brilliant, perhaps even a genius, but a recent change in her behavior has alarmed her mother. Following the sudden death of Stella's babysitter, Blanka, the once disruptive and anti-social child has become docile and agreeable. But what's unsettling is that she has begun to mirror Blanka's personality, from Blanka's repetitive phrases to her accent, to fierce cravings for Armenian meat stew after being raised a vegetarian.

Charlotte is pregnant with her second child, and depleted and sick with the pregnancy. She is convinced that Blanka herself is somehow responsible for Stella's transformation. But how could Blanka, dead, still be entwined in their lives? Has Blanka somehow possessed Stella? Has Stella become Blanka? As Charlotte becomes increasingly obsessed, she is sure that only she can save her daughter...even though it's soon clear that her husband believes this is all in Charlotte's head.

Helena Echlin's singular, chilling voice holds light to the blurred lines of diagnosis in children and to the vital power of maternal instinct. Kaleidoscopic and tense, pulse-pounding and genuinely creepy, and infused with shades of the supernatural, Clever Little Thing is an ode to motherhood and a nuanced critique of the caretaking industry, a page-turner that will haunt readers long after its epic, surprising finale."

Seriously, when a kid's behavior changes, be suspicious. Be very suspicious. 

Honeysuckle and Bone by Trisha Tobias
Published by: Zando - Sweet July Books
Publication Date: January 14th, 2025
Format: Hardcover, 320 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"On the run from her own dark secrets, a teen girl becomes the nanny for a prestigious family on their Jamaican estate, where she quickly discovers even paradise may be haunted.

Carina Marshall is looking to reinvent herself, and what better place to do it than Jamaica, her mother's alluring homeland where she conveniently has access to an au pair gig for the wealthy and powerful Hall family. After months of being the target of vicious rumors and hate online, Carina might have found everything she wants at the luxurious Blackbead House: a world of mango trees, tropical breezes, and glamorous parties - and a place to disappear.

Once there, Carina finds herself settling right into her busy, but comfortable, new life. Yes, the family runs a tight ship, and yes, there is some tension between the Halls, but Carina is content flying under the radar and hanging out with her new friends - not least, the handsome and charming Aaron. But when inexplicable things start happening to her in the house, only getting worse each night, Carina realizes that someone, or something, is out to get her. Is it the Halls? The house itself? Or is her own past catching up with her? With Aaron's help, she must figure out what is haunting her, and fast, before she's forced out of Blackbead House for good.

Honeysuckle and Bone is a deliciously atmospheric and utterly spooky young adult novel following an imperfect yet courageous teen as she seeks to remake herself in the homeland she always idealized, discovering that new beginnings don't always come easy."

A Wide Sargasso Sea vibe that's even more Gothic.

Death of the Author by Nnedi Okorafor
Published by: William Morrow and Company
Publication Date: January 14th, 2025
Format: Hardcover, 448 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"In this exhilarating tale by New York Times bestselling and award-winning author Nnedi Okorafor, a disabled Nigerian American woman pens a wildly successful Sci-Fi novel, but as her fame rises, she loses control of the narrative - a surprisingly cutting, yet heartfelt drama about art and love, identity and connection, and, ultimately, what makes us human. This is a story unlike anything you've read before.

The future of storytelling is here.

Disabled, disinclined to marry, and more interested in writing than a lucrative career in medicine or law, Zelu has always felt like the outcast of her large Nigerian family. Then her life is upended when, in the middle of her sister's lavish Caribbean wedding, she's unceremoniously fired from her university job and, to add insult to injury, her novel is rejected by yet another publisher. With her career and dreams crushed in one fell swoop, she decides to write something just for herself. What comes out is nothing like the quiet, literary novels that have so far peppered her unremarkable career. It's a far-future epic where androids and AI wage war in the grown-over ruins of human civilization. She calls it Rusted Robots.

When Zelu finds the courage to share her strange novel, she does not realize she is about to embark on a life-altering journey - one that will catapult her into literary stardom, but also perhaps obliterate everything her book was meant to be. From Chicago to Lagos to the far reaches of space, Zelu's novel will change the future not only for humanity, but for the robots who come next.

A book-within-a-book that blends the line between writing and being written, Death of the Author is a masterpiece of metafiction that manages to combine the razor-sharp commentary of Yellowface with the heartfelt humanity of Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow. Surprisingly funny, deeply poignant, and endlessly discussable, this is at once the tale of a woman on the margins risking everything to be heard and a testament to the power of storytelling to shape the world as we know it."

And how once out in the world, an author's words are no longer theirs to control.

Water Moon by Samantha Sotto Yambao
Published by: Del Rey Books
Publication Date: January 14th, 2025
Format: Hardcover, 384 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"A woman inherits a pawnshop where you can sell your regrets, and then embarks on a magical quest when a charming young physicist wanders into the shop, in this dreamlike and enchanting fantasy novel.

On a backstreet in Tokyo lies a pawnshop, but not everyone can find it. Most will see a cozy ramen restaurant. And only the chosen ones - those who are lost - will find a place to pawn their life choices and deepest regrets.

Hana Ishikawa wakes on her first morning as the pawnshop's new owner to find it ransacked, the shop's most precious acquisition stolen, and her father missing. And then into the shop stumbles a charming stranger, quite unlike its other customers, for he offers help instead of seeking it.

Together, they must journey through a mystical world to find Hana's father and the stolen choice - by way of rain puddles, rides on paper cranes, the bridge between midnight and morning, and a night market in the clouds. But as they get closer to the truth, Hana must reveal a secret of her own - and risk making a choice that she will never be able to take back."

Why can't I ever inherit a mystical shop or for that matter just stumble upon one...

The Vanishing of Josephine Reynolds by Jennifer Moorman
Published by: Harper Muse
Publication Date: January 14th, 2025
Format: Paperback, 320 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"Can one thoughtless wish erase a life?

Widowed at thirty-five, Josephine Reynolds wishes she could disappear, but her concerned sister convinces her to buy their ancestral home, a Craftsman bungalow in disrepair and foreclosure. It's a welcome distraction, and Josephine can't believe her luck when she finds the home's original door in a salvage yard.

When she installs the door and steps through it, Josephine is transported into 1927, where she meets her great-grandmother Alma, a vivacious and daring woman running an illegal speakeasy in the bungalow's basement. Immersed in the vibrant Jazz Age, Josephine forms a profound bond with Alma, only to discover upon her return to the present that history has been altered. Alma's life was tragically cut short in a speakeasy raid just a week after their fateful meeting.

Josephine has a chilling revelation - her own existence is unraveling/vanishing - and she must race against time to rewrite history. Josephine is desperate to not only save Alma but save her own future in a time-bending journey where past and present intertwine in a desperate battle for survival."

Always be careful to not Marty McFly yourself!

The Lost House by Melissa Larsen
Published by: Minotaur Books
Publication Date: January 14th, 2025
Format: Hardcover, 352 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"In Melissa Larsen's The Lost House comes the mesmerizing story of a young woman with a haunting past who returns to her ancestral home in Iceland to investigate a gruesome murder in her family.

Forty years ago, a young woman and her infant daughter were found buried in the cold Icelandic snow, lying together as peacefully as though sleeping. Except the mother's throat had been slashed and the infant drowned. The case was never solved. There were no arrests, no conviction. Just a suspicion turned into a certainty: the husband did it. When he took his son and fled halfway across the world to California, it was proof enough of his guilt.

Now, nearly half a century later and a year after his death, his granddaughter, Agnes, is ready to clear her grandfather's name once and for all. Still recovering from his death and a devastating injury, Agnes wants nothing more than an excuse to escape the shambles of her once-stable life - which is why she so readily accepts true crime expert Nora Carver's invitation to be interviewed for her popular podcast. Agnes packs a bag and hops on a last-minute flight to the remote town of Bifröst, Iceland, where Nora is staying, where Agnes's father grew up, and where, supposedly, her grandfather slaughtered his wife and infant daughter.

Is it merely coincidence that a local girl goes missing the very same weekend Agnes arrives? Suddenly, Agnes and Nora's investigation is turned upside down, and everyone in the small Icelandic town is once again a suspect. Seeking to unearth old and new truths alike, Agnes finds herself drawn into a web of secrets that threaten the redemption she is hell-bent on delivering, and even her life - discovering how far a person will go to protect their family, their safety, and their secrets.

Set against an unforgiving Icelandic winter landscape, The Lost House is a chilling and razor-sharp mystery packed with jaw-dropping twists that will leave you breathless."

A true crime podcast, a family mystery, and Iceland? Sold!

The Last Room on the Left by Leah Konen
Published by: G.P. Putnam's Sons
Publication Date: January 14th, 2025
Format: Hardcover, 336 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"Kerry's life is in shambles: Her husband has left her, her drinking habit has officially become a problem, and though the deadline for her big book deal - the one that was supposed to change everything - is looming, she can't write a word. When she sees an ad for a caretaker position at a revitalized roadside motel in the Catskills, she jumps at the chance. It's the perfect getaway to finish her book and start fresh.

But as she hunkers down in a blizzard, she spots something through the window: a pale arm peeking out from a heap of snow. Trapped in the mountains and alone with a dead, frozen body, Kerry must keep her head and make it out before the killer comes for her too. But is the deadly game of cat-and-mouse all in her mind? The body count begs to differ..."

I mean, everyone wants a nice read alike to The Shining right? It can't JUST be me.

Vantage Point by Sara Sligar
Published by: MCD
Publication Date: January 14th, 2025
Format: Hardcover, 400 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"Succession meets Megan Abbott in this seductive, technological suspense about the dramatic downfall of one of America's most affluent families.

The old-money Wieland family has it all - wealth, status, power. They're also famously cursed.

Clara and her brother, Teddy, grew up on a small island in Maine in the shadow of their parents' tragic deaths, haunted by rumors and paparazzi. Fourteen years later, they've mostly put their turbulent past to rest. Teddy has married Clara's best friend, Jess, and the three of them have moved back home to take over the sprawling, remote family mansion known as Vantage Point.

Then Teddy decides to run for the Senate - an unnerving prospect made much worse when intimate videos of Clara are leaked online. The most frightening part is that she doesn't remember filming any of them. Are the videos real? Or are they deepfakes? Is someone trying to take down the Wielands once and for all?

Everyone thinks Clara is losing her grasp on reality. But she knows the truth: the videos are only the beginning. Years ago, the curse destroyed her parents. Now, it's coming for her.

Sara Sligar, the critically acclaimed author of Take Me Apart, returns with a shocking family drama full of suspense. Brimming with palpable tension, Vantage Point carefully unravels a twisted web of family secrets and political ambition that raises questions about the nature of "truth" in our digital age."

First mistake, trying to run for office. That right there will activate a curse every time.

The New Rector by Rebecca Shaw
Published by: George Weidenfeld and Nicholson
Publication Date: January 14th, 2025
Format: Paperback, 272 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"When Peter Harris arrives in Turnham Malpas as the new rector, he finds the village people welcoming but set in their ways. Yet despite his own weaknesses, and a deeply felt sadness his wife keeps hidden, he comforts and advises his new parishioners, growing more and more involved with the rural way of life.

Then the whole village is rocked by spiteful trick that goes terribly wrong, and a gruesome murder that points to a killer in its midst. Now, more than ever, Peter's pastoral role is crucial - and yet he is wrestling with his own private hell that may still wreck his own life."

Is his own private hell the secret that he's a killer? Because that could be a fun twist...

Frankie by Graham Norton
Published by: Harpervia
Publication Date: January 14th, 2025
Format: Paperback, 304 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"From the internationally bestselling author and host of The Graham Norton Show, a dazzling and decades-sweeping story about love, bravery, and what it means to live a significant life.

Always on the periphery, looking on, young Frankie Howe was never quite sure enough of herself to take center stage - after all, life had already judged her harshly. Now old, Frankie finds it easier to forget the life that came before.

Then Damian, a young Irish caretaker, arrives at her London flat, there to keep an eye on her as she recovers from a fall. A memory is sparked, and the past crackles into life as Damian listens to the story Frankie has kept stored away all these years.

Traveling from post-war Ireland to 1960s New York - a city full of art, larger-than-life characters and turmoil - Frankie shares a world in which friendship and chance encounters collide. A place where, for a while, life blazes with an intensity that can't last but will perhaps live on in other ways and in other people."

As someone in entertainment I find it odd that Graham named his character Frankie Howe which is so close to Frankie Howerd... 

Unromance by Erin Connor
Published by: Forever
Publication Date: January 14th, 2025
Format: Paperback, 352 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"A recently dumped TV heartthrob enlists a jaded romance novelist to ruin romance for him - one rom-com trope at a time - so he never gets swept off his feet again...

Sawyer Greene knows romance. She's a bestselling author of the genre - or she was, until her ex left her with nothing but writer's block and a broken heart. But when she gets stuck in the elevator with a handsome stranger, she sees their meet cute for what it is: just a one-night stand. It might have worked, too, if they could stop running into each other.

Actor Mason West sees Sawyer's reappearance in his life as a sign. Obviously, they're meant to cure each other. Him of the hopeless romanticism that only ends in heartbreak - and tabloid trainwrecks - and Sawyer of her writer's block. Their agreement is simple: 1. No (more) sex, and 2. No matter how swoony the circumstances, absolutely no falling in love.

It's a foolproof plan - until Sawyer and Mason find that, once set in motion, some plots can't be stopped - and that they might be hurtling towards a happy ending..."

I mean, how can you NOT fall for all the rom-com tropes? They're tropes for a reason.

1986: Stories by Will Stepp
Published by: Bookbaby
Publication Date: January 14th, 2025
Format: Paperback, 164 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"Ten interconnected stories about a boy growing up in a small town in Georgia, set against the backdrop of the 1980s. From a secret pond nestled in the woods to the fog-shrouded rooftop of an interstate truck stop, to the shadowy corridors of a YMCA basement, familiar landscapes transform into realms of childhood wonder and discovery. Together, these dreamlike and often surreal tales weave a nostalgic meditation on family, home, memory, and time."

You can't get more 80s than a YMCA basement. 

Everything Is Poison by Joy McCullough
Published by: Dutton Books for Young Readers
Publication Date: January 14th, 2025
Format: Hardcover, 304 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"A Blood Water Paint-style historical YA in prose and verse from New York Times bestselling author Joy McCullough.

Early Seventeenth-Century Rome.

For as long as she can remember, Carmela Tofana has desperately wanted one thing: to be a part of La Tofana's, her mother's apothecary in Campo Marzio, Rome. When she finally turns sixteen, she's allowed into the inner sanctum: the workroom where her mother and two assistants craft renowned remedies for their customers. But for every sweet-smelling flower extract in the workroom, there's another potion requiring darker ingredients. And then there's Aqua Tofana, the apothecary's remedy of last resort. In all Carmela's years of wishing to follow in her mother's footsteps, she never realized one tiny vial could be the death of them all.

Everything Is Poison is a story of a deadly secret hiding in plain sight and of the women who risk everything to provide care for those with nowhere else to turn."

Oh, feminist and deadly!

Queen of Diamonds by Beezy Marsh
Published by: William Morrow and Company
Publication Date: January 14th, 2025
Format: Paperback, 304 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"Peaky Blinders - but with women! In the thrilling final installment of Beezy Marsh's riveting crime trilogy about a real-life London gang that began with Queen of Thieves, we go back to crime queen Alice Diamond's bold beginnings in 1920s Soho.

London, 1922. Orphan girl Alice dreams of more than toiling long hours in Pink's jam factory. Inspired by stories about the legendary Queen of Thieves, Mary Carr, who terrorized the streets of Victorian London, Alice decides to set up her own gang: the Forty Thieves. She has an accomplice too: sly seamstress Kate Felix from Whitechapel persuades Alice they'd make the perfect team. Before long, the pair are making headlines in the glitzy world of 1920s Soho, known for their daring heists and for the row of heavy diamond rings that Alice uses like brass knuckles in her frequent brawls.

What Alice soon discovers is that a life of crime makes her powerful enemies, including some who are closer to home than they'd like. Alice must sacrifice more than she ever imagined - but the toughest and most beautiful diamonds are formed under pressure.

From squalid slums and the grim confines of Holloway Prison to the glittering nightclubs of London in the roaring twenties, Queen of Diamonds is a fast-paced, gritty story of love, loss, and loyalty to the gang. Women's fiction with brass knuckles on!"

You know how a few years back now Ada Lovelace was everywhere? Well, replace Ada with Alice Diamond. She's the star of the moment.

A Treasury of XXth Century Murder Compendium II by Rick Geary
Published by: Nantier Beall Minoustchine Publishing
Publication Date: January 14th, 2025
Format: Paperback, 320 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"400 pages of real murder cases from the 20th century! From the famous Sacco and Vanzetti story through the ever-intriguing renowned Black Dahlia murder of a striking aspiring actress in Los Angeles, the mysterious murder of silent movie director William Desmond Taylor in early Hollywood to that of a preacher and his lover found murdered in a park, here is a collection of scandalous murders which were never solved or marked the century. Meticulously researched, they are presented in Geary's inimitable tongue-in-cheek style."

As someone who's read everything that Rick Geary has written in the true crime genre I have to say this reissued collection contains easily his best work. Especially Lovers' Lane!

Marvel Studios' She-Hulk: Attorney at Law - The Art of the Series by Jess Harrold
Published by: Marvel Universe
Publication Date: January 14th, 2025
Format: Hardcover, 224 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"Jennifer Walters is a talented, ambitious lawyer trying to balance her work life and personal life just like anyone else...except hers is complicated by Hulk-like super-powers that she never asked for, gained from her cousin Bruce Banner! Now six feet tall, super-strong and emerald green, Jen has just landed her dream job at a prestigious law firm...but her first big case is representing Emil Blonsky, better known as Bruce's archnemesis the Abomination! Continuing their popular Art Of series of tie-in books, Marvel Studios presents another blockbuster achievement! Featuring exclusive concept artwork and in-depth interviews with the creative team, this deluxe volume provides insider details about the making of the highly anticipated series!"

And maybe we'll get a second season? Pretty please!

Posted by Miss Eliza at 12:00 AM 0 comments  

Labels: Erin Connor, Grady Hendrix, Graham Norton, Helena Echlin, Jennifer Moorman, Leah Konen, Melissa Larsen, Nnedi Okorafor, Rebecca Shaw, Rick Geary, Sara Sligar, She-Hulk, Trisha Tobias, Will Stepp