strange and random happenstance

The Fatal Unpleasantness at Netherfield by Claudia Gray
Published by: Vintage
Publication Date: June 16th, 2026
Format: Paperback, 320 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"The fifth book in New York Times bestselling author Claudia Gray's Jane Austen sequel series, which finds amateur sleuths Jonathan Darcy and Juliet Tilney investigating a suspicious murder at Netherfield Park.

Jonathan Darcy has recovered from the wound he received in a duel three months prior, during a disastrous London Season. But his parents aren't over the shock, and they remain convinced that, no matter how many murderers have been caught via their investigations, Jonathan must end his association with Miss Juliet Tilney - particularly now that she is a young lady of ruined reputation. He prays for some opportunity to be with her again, but unfortunately, the answer to those prayers comes in the form of murder: his uncle Charles Bingley's brother-in-law, Mr. Hurst, is found dead from poisoning at Netherfield Park. Aunt Jane is desperate for answers, which means Miss Tilney must be invited to Netherfield to investigate!

Juliet, still reeling from her newfound ruination, is happy to be back in the thick of an investigation. The reunion with Mr. Darcy is difficult - Juliet has missed Jonathan terribly, but she is tormented by the knowledge that his parents will never approve their match. Adding to her troubles are the scheming Caroline Bingley Allerdyce and her daughter Priscilla, whose machinations threaten any hope Juliet might have of societal rehabilitation, much less an engagement. Then, Mr. Hurst proves to be only the first victim at Netherfield, casting a pall of danger - and worse, scandal - over the Bingleys' household. Jonathan and Juliet must find the culprit, and will ultimately be called to make a final choice between respectability...and love."

Hehe, Mr. Hurst. No one deserved death more.

The Missing Baroness by Bianca M. Schwarz
Published by: Central Avenue
Publication Date: June 16th, 2026
Format: Paperback, 256 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"A cozy Regency mystery with a hidden heiress, slow-burn romance, and layered intrigue - perfect for fans of heroines who fight for their place in the world.

No one has seen Georgina Bligh in a decade - not since the night her uncle murdered her father and tried to eliminate her as well. Hidden away with her best friend's family, Georgina has spent the intervening years preparing to claim her rightful place as Baroness of Elmsford. But when a near collision with her uncle on a London street shatters her anonymity, she's forced to act before her twenty-first birthday.

Silas Bligh is desperate. Deep in debt and determined to control the Elmsford estate, he's on the verge of having Georgina declared legally dead. But unbeknownst to him, her father's true will disinherited Silas - and Georgina must find it to expose his lies.

With the aid of her steadfast beau, Lord Bertram Redwick, and a tight-knit group of loyal allies, Georgina embarks on a tense and dangerous search through hidden ledgers, long-buried secrets, and the upper echelons of London society. As the legal deadline looms, a new threat rises - someone willing to use extortion and violence to ensure the truth stays buried forever.

For fans of Mimi Matthews's fiercely independent heroines, Sophie Irwin's nuanced character arcs, and the dark intrigue of Kelly Bowen, this first book in The Inconvenient Heirs Series blends mystery, romance, and feminist grit in a compelling fight for justice and identity - set against the opulent and treacherous upper crust of Regency London."

Justice and identity in The Ton! 

Death Was Not on the Guest List by Jenni L. Walsh
Published by: Thomas and Mercer
Publication Date: June 16th, 2026
Format: Paperback, 267 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"From USA Today bestselling author Jenni L. Walsh comes a witty Jazz Age mystery where rivalry, ambition, and deceit glitter under every chandelier...and no one gets out until the killer is unmasked.

In Chicago's Gold Coast district, twenty of the city's most glamorous socialites gather for a charity whist drive at the Bellevue House mansion. Brightest among them are Ginevra King Mitchell and Edith Cummings, real-life debutantes who inspired Daisy Buchanan and Jordan Baker in The Great Gatsby.

But when their sharp-tongued hostess turns up dead and a blizzard traps everyone inside, suspicion and gossip give way to fear. After all, one guest has a habit of burying husbands, another a proclivity for poison. Their charming veneers belie jealousies, ambitions, and deceits aplenty, enough to drive any one of them to kill.

As whispers turn to accusations, the police start closing in. Ginevra and Edith compete to solve the murder, uncovering secrets far more dangerous than the gossip columns ever revealed. But when a second body is found - strangled with Ginevra's own pearls - their restless rivalry becomes a race for survival. Who's next? And is the answer hidden in Fitzgerald's exasperating novel?"

Those pearls must have been well strung to survive a strangling! 

The Butler by Clare Mackintosh
Published by: Podium Publishing
Publication Date: June 16th, 2026
Format: Paperback, 208 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"From the New York Times-bestselling author: A glamorous French villa. A carefully curated guest list. A body in the pool.

The South of France is stunning, though not without its imperfections, from pickpockets to burglars to the occasional cold-blooded killer. But in his twenty-five years of service, Baxter - with a spotless reputation as a polished, well-mannered butler - has never run into any issues catering to the ultrawealthy. Until now.

Baxter's latest assignment is at Villa Sérénité, where Alec Prescott is hosting a colorful cast of characters, including his ex-wife, his much younger lady friend, and some Hollywood hotshots, after the Cannes Film Festival. But it doesn't take long for a week of sun, wine, and a family birthday celebration to devolve into bickering and backstabbing. And soon, secrets aren't the only thing floating to the surface...

When one of the guests is found dead in the villa's glittering pool, the gendarmes turn to the unflappable Baxter to help determine who's responsible. A good butler is expected to see everything and say nothing - but what if he too becomes a target?"

If the butler didn't do it the butler knows who did.

The Pinnacle by Abir Mukherjee
Published by: Little Brown and Company
Publication Date: June 16th, 2026
Format: Hardcover, 432 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"When an over-the-hill American actor finds his wife, a rising star in Bollywood, dead in their Mumbai high-rise, he quickly becomes the prime suspect in this atmospheric, razor-sharp social mystery. Perfect for fans of The White Lotus, Only Murders in the Building and Age of Vice.

Washed-up American heart throb George Abercrombie hates India, even from his apartment on the 68th floor of Mumbai's grandest luxury skyscraper. He hates the noise, he hates the heat, and just maybe he's grown to hate his wife, the newest queen of Bollywood, Sweety Sahota, decades his junior. So when George wakes from a drunken stupor (free whiskey, for which he's the national spokesperson) to find his wife murdered in their bedroom, he knows quite well just how badly he's cooked. But where is her computer, her cellphone, and where has his personal assistant gone?

The Pinnacle is a dazzling and addictive thriller that's three plots in one, as George seeks to find the killer, as a conflicted young woman working as Sweety's P.A. struggles to find out who's blackmailing her, and as a servant who knows too much goes on the run. A dark sendup of world's most privileged coexisting with the world's most desperate, from the winner of the 2025 British Book Awards Thriller of the Year."

The contrast between the worlds living side by side is astonishing. 

The Last Time We Saw Her by Jaclyn Goldis
Published by: Atria/Emily Bestler Books
Publication Date: June 16th, 2026
Format: Paperback, 368 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"Ten years ago, a teenage summer camper disappeared while searching for a rumored treasure on a remote island. Now, the long-buried truth of what happened to her and the long-lost gold threatens the lives of her friends in this thriller from the critically acclaimed author of The Chateau.

Ten years ago, a group of American teenage summer campers went to a lush and isolated Azores island for a hiking and heritage trip. But when a clue to a local legend of buried treasure emerged, the summer devolved into a frenzied hunt and culminated in the disappearance - and rumored murder - of "it girl" camper, Sydney. She was never seen again and the treasure never found.

Now, a decade later, Sydney's closest circle returns to honor her memory: Sydney's sister and fellow camper, Olivia; a group of childhood camp friends; and their beloved counselors. They've all agreed to participate in a documentary probing what really happened to Sydney.

The group reunites in paradise and retraces their old haunts, hiking along crater lakes and submerging in thermal hot springs. But not everyone has innocent motives for returning to the island. And when the documentary filming reveals explosive truths and fresh hints resurrect the tantalizing treasure hunt, the group begins to implode. Old feuds reignite - and then one of them turns up dead.

Which means that a murderer has surfaced...again."

I mean, doesn't anyone get that if you're going to do a true crime documentary there's a chance you will die!?!

The Summer Fun Massacre by Craig DiLouie
Published by: Run for It
Publication Date: June 16th, 2026
Format: Paperback, 304 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"Surviving the massacre is just the beginning in this razor-sharp summer-camp slasher with a bloody twist from horror master Craig DiLouie.

It's 1992, and in the heat of Texas, camp Summer Fun rests by a crystalline lake surrounded by a shady forest. The counselors have set out the kayaks, prepped the kitchens, and refurbished the cabins. Now, on the night before camp begins, a bonfire and the teenage counselors' rites of passage await.

But the camp has a horrifying history. In the '80s, there was a massacre that left a sole survivor. One final girl. The killer never caught.

Deputy Tom Bailey is always on edge this time of year. There are rumors that the woods are haunted. That the killer might one day return. Tom has deeply personal ties to the '80s massacre, and those ties have plagued his dreams.

Then Tom gets a call reporting bloodcurdling screams coming from the camp. The real nightmare is just beginning...."

Love the concept, hate the cover.

Hemlock Bay by Martin Edwards
Published by: Poisoned Pen Press
Publication Date: June 16th, 2026
Format: Paperback, 384 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"The new seaside resort of Hemlock Bay offers something for everyone. For families, it's the ideal summertime playground for kids and parents alike. For artists, the seascapes are peerless. For swindlers and blackmailers, it's the perfect place to craft a new identity. And for murderers? That's what Rachel Savernake, the enigmatic heiress and brilliant amateur sleuth, is about to discover.

When crime-beat journalist Jacob Flint receives a visit from a fortune teller who insists he's had a vision of a murder soon to occur in Hemlock Bay, Jacob consults with Rachel to get her take on the man's outlandish claim. Rachel is so intrigued, she rents a cottage at the seaside resort where an artist she admires also happens to be spending the summer. Meanwhile, mild-mannered accountant Basil Palmer is en route to Hemlock Bay, determined to murder a man he's never met - a man he holds responsible for his beloved wife's death six months prior. Could this be the murder foretold by the fortune teller?

Whether pre-destined or plotted, a murder does occur. But as Rachel plunges deeper and deeper into the morass of mysterious events and suspects, and as alibis exonerate each suspect one by one, she begins to wonder whether she is equal to the case. Has Rachel finally mired herself in mystery she can't solve?"

Death foretold is a seed of death planted.

Murder at the Spirit Lounge by Jess Kidd
Published by: Atria Books
Publication Date: June 16th, 2026
Format: Hardcover, 368 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"In the second installment of the Nora Breen Investigates series - "perfect for cozy mystery lovers" (Book Riot) - beloved former nun Nora Breen returns, this time to track down a ghostly killer before it's too late.

When Dolores Chimes, a famous medium, arrives in Gore-on-Sea, even surly Detective Inspector Rideout is lured in by her promises of messages for the afterlife.

But after a reading goes disastrously wrong, Dolores loses her life - and the six sitters at the séance with her fall victim to supernatural deaths themselves in the days following the nightmare of a reading.

Determined to unveil the truth, Nora finds herself chasing a ghostly serial killer she believes to be responsible, before the sixth victim - Detective Rideout himself - perishes along with the others."

Dammit, nothing hits the spot quite like a séance gone sideways.

Tell Me My Future by Eileen M. Ruvane
Published by: Amulet Books
Publication Date: June 16th, 2026
Format: Hardcover, 336 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"Perfect for fans of Krystal Sutherland and Courtney Summers, this YA debut follows a girl who pretends to be a psychic to solve a long-ago murder - and starts having real visions of the future.

Kess Turner is used to starting over. Her mom has dragged her all around the country her whole life, never spending longer than a few months in one place.

But nothing is normal about their new home - a dusty psychic shop - or the the way Kess's mom was summoned when a mysterious accident left the psychic Madame Amalia in a coma. When Kess finds coded messages and cash hidden among the crystal balls and Tarot cards, she knows there's a lot more to the story than her mom is telling her.

Desperate for answers, Kess poses as a psychic in order to pump Madame Amalia's clients for information - only to start experiencing strange visions of events that actually come true. The more she investigates, the more she suspects her mom and Madame Amalia were involved in a murder years ago.

When Kess's visions escalate - and seem to predict her own death - it becomes clear that if she wants to save her future, she'll first have to unravel the secrets of the past..."

I'm even happy for a fake psychic... Though I don't think Kess will be one for long...

Such a Lucky Girl by Wendy Heard
Published by: Christy Ottaviano Books - Little Brown and Hachette
Publication Date: June 16th, 2026
Format: Hardcover, 384 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"Perfect for fans of Rory Power and Tiffany D. Jackson, this twisty horror novel follows a magnetic young influencer who gets ensnared in a web of dark, jealousy-fueled magic.

Three years ago, Bella dumped her best friend Kerry to follow her dreams of becoming an influencer. It worked; she is Such a Lucky Girl, famous for her epic manifesting glow-up and dedicated to helping other girls be "lucky," too. She's living the dream - success, sponsorships, and fame. She burned her old life to the ground and never looked back.

Leaving Kerry behind. Alone. Angry.

When Kerry picks up a vintage self-help book on shadow work, she's fascinated by the suggested rituals. Get back at those who have wronged her? Yes, please. She has one person in mind, and that girl is smiling at her millions of followers, having forgotten Kerry long ago. But there's something attached to the book, something dark and ancient, and Kerry and Bella may not be ready for what is about to be unleashed."

Anyone else think the cover girl looks like Sarah Michelle Gellar?

Three Coffin Problem by Lavie Tidhar
Published by: Jab Books
Publication Date: June 16th, 2026
Format: Paperback, 290 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"Medieval Europe. A world of darkness. Of Gothic castles, isolated monasteries, of monks and knights and things that go bump in the night. A world where vampires can roam at will.... At least, as long as they obey the rules! For a vampire may not murder another vampire. Not unless they have a really good reason to, anyway.

Enter Judge Dee. Ancient. Immortal. Ascetic. His cold intellect draws him wherever a mystery is present, and he will rest at nothing to solve the puzzle. Jonathan, the judge's human assistant, on the other hand, mostly just wants cheese. With bread, if possible. And some pickles would be nice. After all, it's not easy spending your life in the company of murderous vampires who only see you as a tasty snack...

Their adventures take them from the warm Italian valleys to the heights of the French Alps as they come face to fang with fiendishly complicated puzzles - not the least of which is love! But as they are drawn inexplicably onwards to London, Jonathan wonders what awaits them when they finally arrive - and what choices he may have to make once they get there."

Cheese! I relate so hard to Jonathan. 

Blink and You'll Miss It by Ethan S. Parker, Griffin Sheridan, and Keith Browning
Published by: BOOM! Studios
Publication Date: June 16th, 2026
Format: Paperback, 128 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"In the strange town of Perennial Harbor, time doesn't just heal wounds - it reopens them.

Decades after their love faded, Melody and Jesse find themselves caught in a spiraling mystery where the past is more alive than the present. As Melody slips further back in time, she finds herself reliving memories and rewriting fate for a time and place she thought she'd left behind. Can she discover the unsettling truth causing reality to unravel around her? Or will it ultimately destroy her and the only person she's ever truly cared for?

From the breakout writing team of Ethan S. Parker (Hello Darkness) and Griffin Sheridan (Kill Your Darlings) and featuring stunning debut art by Keith Browning, this genre-blurring emotional thriller blends sci-fi, romance, and psychological horror into one unforgettable story.

Collects Blink and You'll Miss It #1–5."

Isn't romance technically psychological horror?

Voyagers by Meg Charlton
Published by: Harper
Publication Date: June 16th, 2026
Format: Hardcover, 320 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"When the Signal - a mysterious transmission pulsing from the edge of the solar system - arrives, the world changes overnight. Planes are grounded, satellites fail, and speculation abounds. With many believing this could be first contact with extraterrestrial life, humanity holds its breath. But for Alex, a thirtysomething lawyer who's spent years distancing himself from the unexplainable, the Signal feels deeply personal - the opening of an old wound.

Decades ago, Alex and a girl named Ana both vanished for thirty-six hours while on vacation near Palm Springs. When they returned, dazed but unharmed, the six-year-olds' account of their experience had all the hallmarks of an alien abduction. The media frenzy that followed made them famous, and the long months of child stardom, of talk shows and sitcom cameos, forged a seemingly unbreakable bond between them - until the mystery behind their disappearance began to tear them apart.

Now, with the world on edge and the Signal growing stronger, Alex is drawn back to the one person who might have answers. Ana - now a professional advocate for experiencers of extraterrestrial contact - is leading a retreat near Palm Springs, a stone's throw from the site of their childhood disappearance. As the former best friends tentatively reunite, what starts as a quest to confront the reality of their original experience becomes a larger reckoning with friendship, faith, family, and truth itself - what it means to see the stories we tell ourselves for what they really are.

With the imaginative scope and propulsive storytelling of Station Eleven and The Ministry of Time, Voyagers is a thrillingly original and brilliantly ambitious literary debut about friendship at the end of the world."

I read a book recently about experiencers and this is right up my alley.

The Frenzy: Stories by Joyce Carol Oates
Published by: Hogarth
Publication Date: June 16th, 2026
Format: Hardcover, 336 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"Frenzy (noun): a temporary madness; a violent mental or emotional agitation; intense usually wild and often disorderly compulsive or agitated activity

Joyce Carol Oates is a master of the short story and one of the legends of the form. Her collections of short fiction have twice been finalists for the Pulitzer Prize and have won numerous awards, including the O. Henry Award and the PEN/Malamud Award for Excellence in the Art of the Short Story. In The Frenzy: Stories, Oates plunges us into the lives of her characters at moments of crisis and confusion, when much of what they understand about themselves and those they love comes undone.

A young woman on a supposedly romantic weekend trip to Cape May, New Jersey, turns the tables on her older, married lover. A freak bicycle accident on a bridge haunts one family for decades. A girl jealous of her popular cousin discovers she is the lucky one. A widow waits at her riverside house for her dead husband's return. A young man hiking in the woods comes upon a couple in a heated, possibly violent argument - should he intervene?

Suspenseful and psychologically astute, Oates's short stories enthrall and captivate as they dissect her character's deepest fears - revealing our own in turn. "Literature is a texture of words," says Oates of her short fiction, "evoking life in the most vivid ways - psychologically, physically." These new stories blazingly evoke life at its most vivid and perilous, when fate and free will intersect, and one ominous encounter or bad choice can be the difference between an ordinary day and the point of no return."

I'm not usually a fan of short stories, but I make an exception for Joyce Carol Oates because my Dad thinks she might be one of the greatest living writers. 

Liberty Street by Heather Marshall
Published by: Ballantine Books
Publication Date: June 16th, 2026
Format: Paperback, 480 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"From the #1 internationally bestselling author of Looking for Jane comes a riveting novel about one journalist's harrowing journey into an infamous real-life 1960s women's prison - and the detective who uncovers her story decades later.

1961: Emily Radcliffe works as an editorial assistant at Chatelaine magazine, surrounded by the best women journalists in the country, whose articles tackle the controversial topics no other women's publication dares to touch. When a bombshell letter from an inmate at the notorious Mercer Women's Prison lands on Emily's desk, she senses a scoop that could launch her career as a real, hard-boiled journalist. But after going undercover to investigate the inmate's shocking claims, Emily discovers that getting into the prison is the easy part; the real challenge will be getting back out ...

1996: Unidentified female remains are discovered in an unmarked grave in a small-town Ontario cemetery, and Detective Rachel Mackenzie is tasked with unraveling the mystery. But when the investigation leads her to the now-shuttered Mercer Women's Prison, Rachel's own dark history threatens to surface from where she's kept it carefully buried.

Inspired by true events, Liberty Street weaves back and forth through time to shine a light on mental health, incarceration, and the various "prisons" that hold women captive."

After learning about Nellie Bly I vowed to never go undercover anywhere. 

Forever Stamps by Gail Anderson and Brian E. Smith
Published by: Clarkson Potter
Publication Date: June 16th, 2026
Format: Hardcover, 336 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"Bold and beautiful, Forever Stamps tells the story of United States history, pop culture, and art through hundreds of vibrantly rendered stamps.

Forever Stamps is a visually stunning cultural celebration of the United States, told by the beautiful and unique stamps issued by the United States Postal Service since its inception in 1775. For the first time, this book looks at the breadth of American history through the lens of stamps. It showcases the artisty and pop culture influence of the tiny pieces of art we mail around the world in a way never seen before. Alongside the images, captions, essays, and interviews tell the stories behind the stamps and the historic moments, big and small that led to their creation.

Forever Stamps captures the essence of America's most memorable and influential stamps, including:
-Pop culture moments, from the iconic Elvis Presley stamp to the beloved Sesame Street collection
-Iconic artists who have contributed to U.S. stamps, like Ruth Asawa, Ellsworth Kelly, and Charles and Ray Eames
-Historic commemorative stamps that mark how the U.S. has changed over time, including stamps celebrating 1965 Voting Rights Act, memorializing the first openly gay elected official Harvey Milk, and honoring the Underground Railroad.

Organized into chapters covering U.S. historical events, activism and diversity, national parks and the American landscape, and pop culture, Forever Stamps covers 250 years of American history. This is a unique and captivating journey through the world of USPS stamps and the history of the United States, reminding us of the enduring impact and beauty of these miniature works of art."

Now THIS is how I want to celebrate 250 years of America. Cool books about cool things we've done. And trust me, stamps are cool. Ask any philatelist. 

Agnes, We're Not Murderers! by Jessica Alexander
Published by: Clash Books
Publication Date: June 16th, 2026
Format: Paperback, 236 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"Lesbian vixens from another dead world thread through moon-drenched cornfields and opulent drawing rooms in this literary horror remix of iconic gothic sagas.

Agnes is wasting away. In a bed of velvet and silk, she dreams of death - and Mary.

Mary - a wraith with bloodstained gown and mouth - drips mystery and menace. She materializes beside a lake, beneath a pear tree, outside the window. She turns servants feral and plunges the manor into anarchy. Since her arrival, nothing is right. The maids snarl. The nights grow strange. Agnes swoons.

Her brother, Arthur, calls it a sickness. A curse. He stalks the halls with scissors in his fist. He wants purity and order. He'll strike out the unintelligible. He is not the only one. Others have begun to stir - jilted lovers, disgraced doctors, moralists with sharpened knives. The disorder is spreading. It's riotous. Contagious. They'll purify the world in flame.

Written partially through footnotes and with a mystery of interwoven red text, Agnes, We're Not Murderers! is an atmospheric gothic vampire journey for fans of Kathe Koja and Mark Z. Danielewski."

I love how just the description of this book kind of breaks my brain and yet wants me to investigate further. Hence mentioning Mark Z. Danielewski is spot on. 

Six Savage Thrones by Holly Race
Published by: Orbit
Publication Date: June 16th, 2026
Format: Hardcover, 400 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"From a major new voice in epic fantasy, Six Savage Thrones continues the Queens of Elben trilogy, a breathtaking epic fantasy of dragons, courtly intrigue, sapphic yearning, and the wives of Henry VIII defying their destiny.

DIVIDED HE WINS, UNITED HE FALLS.

The kingdom of Elben is in turmoil. One of its magical palaces lies in ruins at the bottom of the ocean and the king is on the hunt for the traitor Queen Seymour. He will not stop until he brings her to her knees.

No one would ever suspect Queen Howard of treachery or spy craft, but she is no longer content to be the king's songbird. She will see to Henry's downfall. But there is a new gentleman at court, one who seems to know more about her true motives than he should - is he friend or foe?

Queen Cleves has already survived a war. She knows what she must do to protect herself, but now she finds herself fighting a longing for another queen that is so fierce it might swallow her up.

Amidst the turmoil, King Henry's sister Cecilia vies for the power she has been denied. But the queens will soon learn they must work together to break the bonds that tie them to the king. For Henry is delving deeper into strange old magics, ones that could birth a monster."

While I have somewhat tired of the Tudor era, I have fully embraced Tudor era fantasy. Thank you My Lady Jane for bringing me into this amazing historical fantasy subgenre. 

Wildflower by Becky Jenkinson
Published by: Del Rey
Publication Date: June 16th, 2026
Format: Hardcover, 352 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"A magical florist journeys from the kingdom's capital to its wild woods to fulfill an unusual request, and stumbles upon friendship, conspiracy, and the buds of new love in this debut cozy fantasy.

The book contains hand-drawn floral sketches inside!

Cursed from birth to always tell the truth, magical florist Felicity "Fliss" Farrow chooses her words carefully to avoid trouble. But when she receives an anonymous request for a mysterious flower, her search leads her directly into trouble's path: to Willoh Vane.

Fliss knows the outcast - yet teasingly handsome - sorcerer is rumored to have used dark magic to corrupt the northern forest five years ago. She's witnessed the resulting feud with Prince Bastion, whom her best friend, Card, is soon to marry. Despite her divided loyalty, Fliss reluctantly accepts Will's help with gathering rare flowers and finds herself increasingly drawn to him.

As the royal wedding approaches, Fliss fears the flowers she's delivered are intended for a sinister purpose. But when her warnings are ignored, can she and Will save the kingdom from disaster, and ultimately discover what Fliss has sought for so long - the truth."

There's nothing I find more interesting than death brought about by unexpected means. This is a whole new way for flowers to ruin a wedding.

The Shape of Monsters by Tessa Gratton
Published by: Orbit
Publication Date: June 16th, 2026
Format: Paperback, 560 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"A talented heretic and the emperor she both loathes and loves will learn what monsters are really made of in the second installment of the Moon Heresies trilogy by New York Times bestselling author Tessa Gratton.

Iriset - prodigy, outlaw, now sunderer - has broken the Moon-Eater god's prison at the heart of the empire. But the consequences of her actions land her in a city of monsters where the heretical magic of human architecture is freely practiced, and the only person she knows - and can trust - is Lyric, the emperor she's lied to and loved in equal measure.

As scheming kings and capricious gods drive them towards different extremes, they soon realize that to find their way home, they must remake the world...at the risk of breaking it forever."

Sometimes something has to be broken before it can be mended.

Posted by Miss Eliza at 12:00 AM 0 comments  

Labels: Abir Mukherjee, Becky Jenkinson, Bianca M. Schwarz, Claudia Gray, Craig DiLouie, Heather Marshall, Holly Race, Jaclyn Goldis, Jess Kidd, Jessica Alexander, Joyce Carol Oates, Lavie Tidhar, Martin Edwards, Tessa Gratton

The Maid's Secret by Nita Prose
Published by: Ballantine Books
Publication Date: April 8th, 2025
Format: Hardcover, 336 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"When a daring art heist takes place at the Regency Grand, Molly's life is threatened. The question is who's out to get her, and why? Long-buried secrets will be revealed in this intriguing and heartwarming novel from the #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Maid and The Mystery Guest.

A wedding. A heist. A secret.

Molly Gray's life is about to change in ways she could never have imagined. As the esteemed Head Maid and Special Events Manager of the Regency Grand Hotel, two good things are just around the corner - a taping of the hit antiquities TV show Hidden Treasures and, even more exciting, her wedding to Juan Manuel.

When Molly brings in some old trinkets to be appraised on the show, one item is revealed to be a rare and coveted artifact worth millions. Molly becomes a rags-to-riches sensation, and a media frenzy swirls as she prepares to sell her priceless treasure. Then, on auction day, the treasure suddenly vanishes. and Molly and her friends find themselves at the center of the boldest art heist in recent memory.

But the key to this mystery lies in the past, in a long-forgotten diary written by Molly's Gran. For the first time ever, Molly learns about her grandmother's secrets: how she was born into a wealthy family and fell head-over-heels in love with a young man her parents deemed below her. As fate would have it, Gran's greatest love was someone Molly knows quite well.

A spirited heist caper and an epic love story, The Maid's Secret is a spell-binding whodunit that will capture your heart."

I really wonder how my life would be different if I had gone into art and jewel thefts and forgeries... 

This Is Not a Game by Kelly Mullen
Published by: Dutton
Publication Date: April 8th, 2025
Format: Hardcover, 320 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"MURDER
MARTINIS
A GRANDMOTHER-GRANDDAUGHTER SLEUTHING DUO
DACHSHUNDS (x2)
A GLAMOROUS ISLAND MANOR

Widow Mimi lives on idyllic Mackinac Island, where cars are not allowed and a Gibson martini with three onions at the witching hour is compulsory. Her estranged granddaughter, Addie, is getting over the heartbreak of not only being dumped by her fiancé, Brian, but also being cut out of the deal for the brilliantly successful video game Murderscape they invented together (with Addie doing most of the heavy lifting).

When Mimi gets an invitation from local socialite Jane Ireland - a seventysomething narcissist who's having a salacious affair with her son-in-law - to a charity auction, she invites Addie. But Mimi doesn't tell her that a blackmail threat from Jane looms over the party's invitation.

Once they arrive, a big storm rolls in, trapping everyone in the mansion. And then, Jane is murdered. Soon Mimi and Addie's strained relationship is put to the test when they must team up to narrow down the suspects. When another body turns up, the sleuthing pair realize someone else is playing a deadly game, and they might not survive the night."

Well, at least the murderer is stuck on the island with them. That's both a pro and a con in the sleuthing business.

Murder at Gulls Nest by Jess Kidd
Published by: Atria Books
Publication Date: April 8th, 2025
Format: Hardcover, 336 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"From Jess Kidd, the bestselling author of Things in Jars who "is so good it isn't fair" (Erika Swyler, nationally bestselling author), the first in a cozy mystery series about a former nun who searches for answers in a small seaside town after her pen pal mysteriously disappears.

I believe every one of us at Gulls Nest is concealing some kind of secret.

1954: When her former novice's dependable letters stop, Nora Breen asks to be released from her vows. Haunted by a line in Frieda's letter, Nora arrives at Gulls Nest, a charming hotel in Gore-on-Sea in Kent.

A seaside town, a place of fresh air and relaxed constraints, is the perfect place for a new start. Nora hides her identity and pries into the lives of her fellow guests. But when a series of bizarre murders rattles the occupants of Gulls Nest it's time to ask if a dark past can ever really be left behind."

Jess Kidd is a fabulous writer, but what draws me most to this is the Goreyesque town of Gore-on-Sea.

What Remains of Teague House by Stacy Johns
Published by: Poisoned Pen Press
Publication Date: April 8th, 2025
Format: Paperback, 432 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"For readers of Megan Collins with the taut character study of Angie Kim comes a searing mystery that follows three siblings as they reckon with the darkness hidden within their family after multiple graves are discovered behind their childhood home.

All families are complicated. But not all families have bodies buried in their backyard.

One put there just that week...

When the Rawlins family matriarch unexpectedly passes, all three adult children rush home. What they find is a house bursting with grief, dark memories surfacing around each corner, and multiple bodies buried deep in the woods. The Rawlins want to believe the discovery points to a crime long past.

But one of the graves behind Teague House is fresh, the earth disturbed just that week - and its inhabitant a local woman they all knew.

Is the youngest Rawlins sibling with something to hide somehow involved in her murder? Is his sister experiencing false memories of her late father digging near the graves? And why is the Rawlins aunt in such a rush to leave town after her sister's funeral?

Enter private detective Maddie Reed, who has her own reasons for being curious about the bodies buried behind Teague House. Maddie sets out to unmask a killer. One she may have been hunting all her life."

I mean, this is the number one problem with moving, if you have bodies buried in the backyard you're screwed.

The Impossible Thing by Belinda Bauer
Published by: Atlantic Monthly Press
Publication Date: April 8th, 2025
Format: Hardcover, 336 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"From the exceptionally original mind of CWA Gold Dagger Award winner and Booker longlisted author Belinda Bauer, a sweeping tale of obsession, greed, ambition, and a crime that has remained unsolved for a hundred years.

How do you find something that doesn't exist?

1926. On the cliffs of Yorkshire, men are lowered on ropes to steal the eggs of the sea birds who nest there. The most beautiful are sold for large sums. A small girl - penniless and neglected by her family - retrieves one such treasure. Its discovery will forever alter the course of her life.

A century later. In a remote cottage in Wales, Patrick Fort finds his friend, Nick, and his mother tied up and robbed. The only thing missing: a carved case containing an incredible scarlet egg. Doggedly attempting to retrieve it, Patrick and Nick discover the cruel world of egg trafficking, and soon find themselves on the trail of a priceless collection of eggs lost to history. Until now.

A taut, wonderfully imagined novel brimming with skullduggery at every turn, The Impossible Thing is a blazing testament to Belinda Bauer's status as one of our greatest living crime writers."

Reminiscent of The Feather Thief by Kirk Wallace Johnson.

Impact of Evidence by Carol Carnac
Published by: Poisoned Pen Press
Publication Date: April 8th, 2025
Format: Paperback, 256 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"Near St. Brynneys in the Welsh border country, isolated by heavy snow and flooding from the thaw, a calamity has occurred. Old Dr. Robinson, a known 'menace on the roads', has met his end in a collision with a jeep on a hazardous junction. But when the police arrive at the scene, a burning question hints at something murkier than mere accident: why was there a second body - a man not recognised by any locals - in the back of Robinson's car?

As the local inspectors dive into the muddy waters of this strange crime, Chief Inspector Julian Rivers and Inspector Lancing are summoned from Scotland Yard to the windswept wilds, where danger and deceit lie in wait.

Puzzling and atmospheric, this exceedingly rare mystery from one of the masters of crime fiction's Golden Age returns to print for the first time since its publication in 1954."

Wales with heavy snow! YAS!

The Mysterious Bakery on Rue de Paris by Evie Woods
Published by: One More Chapter
Publication Date: April 8th, 2025
Format: Paperback, 352 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"From the million-copy bestselling author of The Lost Bookshop.

Nestled among the cobblestone streets of Compiègne, there existed a bakery unlike any other.

Rumours were whispered through the town that its pastries offered a taste of magic, chasing away the darkest of sorrows. Just one bite of a croissant might bring luck, unlock a precious memory or reveal hidden longings.

But dark clouds were looming on the horizon...

For Edie Lane, a recipe for disaster doesn't require that many ingredients. Take an unhealthy amount of wishful thinking and a sprinkle of desperation and that's how Edie left everything behind in Ireland for her dream job at a bakery in Paris. Except the bakery isn't in Paris - and neither is Edie.

This might not be where Edie intended to be but she soon realizes it's exactly where she needs to be..."

Did Proust eat here?

The Folklore of Forever by Sarah Hogle
Published by: G.P. Putnam's Sons
Publication Date: April 8th, 2025
Format: Paperback, 400 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"From the acclaimed author of Old Flames and New Fortunes comes a steamy enemies-to-lovers romantasy about a paranormal skeptic who is roped into a ghost hunting romp by the charming boy next door...who might just show her what real fantasies are made of.

Paranormal skeptic Zelda Tempest is hoping for a much-needed creativity boost for a new paranormal mystery novel. But despite the alleged magic of her hometown, Moonville, Ohio, she's as stuck as ever.

With two witch sisters, not believing in magic is strange for a Tempest, but no one is more disappointed than Morgan Angelopoulos, the charming man next door. So, to cure her of her writer's block and her disbelief in magic, Morgan ropes her into a ghost-hunting romp, only for Zelda to discover something else entirely: bizarre, never-before-seen creatures that appear as ordinary pets to everyone else.

Curious about what else might be lurking in Moonville's woods, Zelda and Morgan embark on a quest to uncover the true magic that lies in their midsts...and perhaps, just maybe, they will find that the magic they're searching for has been with them all along."

But but, how can you be a nonbeliever when you have magic literally in the family!?!

The Cat Who Saves the Library by Sosuke Natsukawa
Published by: HarperVia
Publication Date: April 8th, 2025
Format: Hardcover, 224 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"The long-awaited sequel to the #1 international bestseller The Cat Who Saved Books - an uplifting tale from Japan about a talking cat, a book-loving girl and the power of books to make a difference in the world.

A chronic asthma condition prevents thirteen-year-old Nanami from playing sports or spending time with her friends after school. But nothing can stop her from one of her favorite activities. Nanami loves to read and happily spends much of her free time in the library, cocooned among the stacks.

Then one day, Nanami notices that, despite the library being as deserted as ever, some of her favorite books, including literary classics like Arsène Lupin, Gentleman Thief and Anne of Green Gables are disappearing from the shelves. When she alerts the library staff, they dismiss her concerns. But just as Nanami is about to return to her reading, she spots a suspicious man in a gray suit. Eager to discover what he's up to, she follows him. The chase is cut short when Nanami suffers an asthma attack. By the time she catches her breath, the man has disappeared and all that is left behind is a mysterious light filtering through the library's familiar passageways.

That's when Tiger, the talking tabby cat who saves books, comes to the rescue. Are Nanami and Tiger prepared to face the dangerous challenges that lie ahead? Why are faceless gray soldiers burning books in a stone castle? And what happened to Rintaro, the socially withdrawn hero who helped Tiger save books in a second-hand bookshop? At a time of increased book bannings worldwide, Sosuke Natsukawa urges us not to underestimate the power of great literature - and to be prepared to defend our freedom to choose."

Thursday Next with a cat and a more dystopian world... That is sadly too close to reality.

The Butcher's Masquerade by Matt Dinniman
Published by: Ace
Publication Date: April 8th, 2025
Format: Hardcover, 720 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"Carl and Princess Donut refuse to be prey in the fifth book in the New York Times bestselling Dungeon Crawler Carl series - now with bonus material exclusive to this print edition!

Attention. Attention. The gates are down. The hunters are loose.
Run, Run, Run.

A lush jungle teeming with danger. Savage dinosaurs seeking blood. A fallen princess intent on vengeance. A mysterious, end-of-floor celebration for the top crawlers, dubbed "The Butcher's Masquerade." But that's not all.

Just when Coast Guard vet Carl and his ex-girlfriend's cat, Princess Donut, think they've seen it all as they compete to survive in the galaxy's most popular game show, the latest dungeon level introduces a terrible new threat.

The sixth floor. The Hunting Grounds.

As the remaining crawlers battle for their lives, outside tourists are finally allowed to enter the game, and they are ready to hunt. Among them is Vrah, a famed and veteran hunter, intent on collecting the biggest trophy of her career.

But her prey is far from harmless, and this season they are fighting back.

Welcome, crawlers. Welcome to the sixth floor of the dungeon."

It's like a never ending Hunger Games for the gaming generation! 

Slayers, Every One of Us by Kristin Russo and Jenny Owen Youngs
Published by: St. Martin's Press
Publication Date: April 8th, 2025
Format: Hardcover, 256 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"A memoir reflecting on heartbreak, perseverance, and life lessons learned from Buffy the Vampire Slayer, from the hosts of the hit podcast Buffering the Vampire Slayer.

Kristin and Jenny's marriage started with an ultimatum: to further their relationship, Kristin must watch Jenny's favorite show, Buffy the Vampire Slayer. With the terms set, they began a journey that has led them through seven seasons of the beloved genre show, a podcast rewatching the series with their newly minted listenership of "Scoobies," unexpected success, and a divorce. Through it all, their love for Buffy and their commitment to their community held them together against the odds.

Slayers, Every One of Us is the story of how two queer women navigated divorce on a very public level and managed to stay in each other's lives through it all. While chock full of Buffy-related content (and Buffering!) for true fans, this is ultimately a memoir of queer love and chosen family. It's a heartwarming story for anyone who's experienced lost love, and a roadmap for staying close with your ex."

Seeing as I'm not really a podcast person I'm so here for this book about how Buffy forms and informs our lives and chosen family.

Their Monstrous Hearts by Yigit Turhan
Published by: Mira Books
Publication Date: April 8th, 2025
Format: Hardcover, 320 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"A haunting novel about the boundaries people will cross to keep their dreams alive.

A mysterious stranger shows up at Riccardo's apartment with some news: his grandmother Perihan has died, and Riccardo has inherited her villa in Milan along with her famed butterfly collection.

The struggling writer is out of options. He's hoping the change of scenery in Milan will inspire him, and maybe there will be some money to keep him afloat. But Perihan's house isn't as opulent as he remembers. The butterflies pinned in their glass cases seem more ominous than artful. Perihan's group of mysterious old friends is constantly lurking. And there's something wrong in the greenhouse.

As Riccardo explores the decrepit estate, he stumbles upon Perihan's diary, which might hold the key to her mysterious death. Or at least give him the inspiration he needs to finish his manuscript.

But he might not survive long enough to write it."

The age old question, to write the book or survive the horrors...

Don't Sleep with the Dead by Nghi Vo
Published by: Tordotcom
Publication Date: April 8th, 2025
Format: Hardcover, 112 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"From award-winning author Nghi Vo comes Don't Sleep with the Dead, a standalone companion novella to The Chosen and the Beautiful, her acclaimed reimagining of The Great Gatsby.

Nick Carraway - paper soldier and novelist - has found a life and a living watching the mad magical spectacle of New York high society in the late thirties. He's good at watching, and he's even better at pretending: pretending to be straight, pretending to be human, pretending he's forgotten the events of that summer in 1922.

On the eve of the second World War, however, Nick learns that someone's been watching him pretend and that memory goes both ways. When he sees a familiar face one very dark night, it quickly becomes clear that dead or not, damned or not, Jay Gatsby isn't done with him.

In all paper there is memory, and Nick's ghost has come home."

I love connected stories wherein you don't need to have read the previous volume. That being said, you'd be doing yourself a disservice if you don't read The Chosen and the Beautiful. 

Perspective(s) by Laurent Binet
Published by: Farrar, Straus and Giroux
Publication Date: April 8th, 2025
Format: Hardcover, 272 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"A pulse-quickening murder mystery set in Renaissance Florence by the renowned author of HHhH.

As dawn breaks over the city of Florence on New Year's Day 1557, Jacopo da Pontormo is discovered lying on the floor of a church, stabbed through the heart. Above him are the frescoes he labored over for more than a decade - masterpieces all, rivaling the works of Michelangelo in the Sistine Chapel. When guards search his quarters, they find an obscene painting of Venus and Cupid - with the face of Venus replaced by that of Maria de' Medici, the Duke of Florence's oldest daughter. The city erupts in chaos.

Who could have committed these crimes: murder and lèse-majesté? Giorgio Vasari, the great art historian, is picked to lead the investigation. Letters start to fly back and forth - between Maria and her aunt Catherine de' Medici, the queen of France; between Catherine and the scheming Piero Strozzi; and between Vasari and Michelangelo - carrying news of political plots and speculations about the identity of Pontormo's killer. The truth, when it comes to light, is as shocking as the bold new artworks that have made Florence the red-hot center of European art and intrigue.

Bursting with characters and historical color, Laurent Binet’s Perspective(s) is a whodunit like no other - a labyrinthine murder mystery that shows us Renaissance Florence as we've never seen it before. This is a dark, dazzling, unforgettable read."

I'm here for everything Florence, but throw in Catherine de' Medici, and I'm wild for it!

The Geographer's Map to Romance by India Holton
Published by: Berkley
Publication Date: April 8th, 2025
Format: Hardcover, 368 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"Geography professors in a failed marriage of convenience inconveniently reconnect for an emergency mission in this swoony historical-fantasy rom-com.

Professor Elodie Tarrant is an expert in magic disasters. Nothing fazes her - except her own personal disaster, that is: Professor Gabriel Tarrant, the grumpy, unfriendly man she married for convenience a year ago, whom she secretly loves.

Gabriel is also an expert in magic disasters. And nothing fazes him either - except the walking, talking tornado that is his wife. They've been estranged since shortly after their wedding day, but that hasn't stopped him from stoically pining for her.

When magic erupts in a small Welsh village, threatening catastrophe for the rest of Britain, Elodie and Gabriel are accidentally both assigned to the case. With the fate of the country in their hands, they must come together as a team in the face of perilous conditions like explosions, domesticated goats, and only one bed. But this is easier said than done. After all, there's no navigational guide for the geography of the heart."

Does anyone else just want to stroke this book cover or is it just me?

House of Blight by Maxym M. Martineau
Published by: Harper Voyager
Publication Date: April 8th, 2025
Format: Hardcover, 384 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"The first novel in an eerie, darkly creative, and romantic new gothic fantasy duology from Maxym M. Martineau, for readers of Sarah J. Maas and Rachel Gillig.

Edira Brillwyn is a threadmender. She holds a rare, lifesaving power that can cure disease and heal injuries in the blink of an eye. But magic always comes with a cost, and saving anyone sacrifices a sliver of her own life. She's always kept her abilities hidden…until the powerful Fernglove family discovers her secret.

The Ferngloves are charming and beautiful, possess powerful magic, and don't take no for an answer - especially Orin, the head of these ruling elites. When Edira's brothers unexpectedly contract blight - an incurable virus killing people throughout the town, and an illness too strong for her to heal them both - Orin offers to help. Together at his estate they'll research a cure while Orin slows their sickness and Edira hones her magic. His kindness and honesty surprises Edira, as does her undeniable attraction to him.

But the other Ferngloves are suspicious of her power and may be more dangerous than the ever-present disease. The longer Edira stays within the confines of the Manor, the more the family's pristine exterior begins to crack - until Edira discovers a terrifying secret and must choose who she can save and at what cost..."

It's a hard decision to make when your own life is on the line...

Posted by Miss Eliza at 12:00 AM 0 comments  

Labels: Belinda Bauer, Buffy, Carol Carnac, Evie Woods, India Holton, Jess Kidd, Kelly Mullen, Laurent Binet, Matt Dinniman, Maxym M. Martineau, Nghi Vo, Nita Prose, Sarah Hogle, Sosuke Natsukawa, Stacy Johns, Yigit Turhan

The Haunting Season by Bridget Collins, Imogen Hermes Gowar, Kiran Millwood Hargrave, Andrew Michael Hurley, Jess Kidd, Elizabeth Macneal, Natasha Pulley, and Laura Purcell
Published by: Pegasus Crime
Publication Date: October 12th, 2021
Format: Hardcover, 336 Pages
Rating: ★★★
To Buy

Morton is not a good man. He has secrets in his past, but his future looks bright. He has just stumbled upon the most perfect house he has ever seen. His love of chess was obviously shared by the previous owner. Everything about this place is perfection. He is so in love with it he inquires about leasing it immediately. Deciding to spend the night there without any provisions might have been unwise. There's a storm coming and there's something lurking in the house. Could Morton have been lured here? It seems inconceivable, but someone who plays chess knows that it's best to anticipate your enemy's plan of attack. A mother and her son have taken refuge in many places, but now that the money has run out they have resorted to the old Thwaite house. Yet her father insists after a time that she return to her husband. Yet what choice does she have, her husband or a house that creaks and groans with thuds in the night. Perhaps neigther is in option and she must run again. Ketia Mori is exhausted from remembering the future. For the holidays he and Thaniel and Six are going to have a respite. But a place that dampens powers giving a long desired rest might have reasons for the powers to be dampened. Lily Wilt has passed away. Young Walter Pemble has been hired to take her memorial photograph. Yet something odd happens in the development of the print. Something that sends him back to Lily. All are being drawn to Lily and her beauty in death. Yet something in Walter makes him do things he would never thought himself capable of. He must have Lily, even if the darkest of rites are all that will bring her back to him. Evelyn was injured at Chillingham Grange. Old Chillingham had an infirmity that led him to use a chair. A chair that is given to Evelyn to help her in her recovery. But if anything the chair is driving her insane. As her sister's wedding day grows near her family and the Chillinghams are worried for Evelyn's sanity. But what if the chair was trying to give her a warning? Salter Farm was bedecked with greens, yet they hid a secret in their depths. A secret that they will try to tell. Catherine Mary Blake has reached her confinement. Yet upon the birth of her daughter she wasn't allowed to care for her. She knew something evil was coming for her daughter. A witch. A witch who can only be stopped by the blessing of God on her child. Victor plans to make an archaeological find in Lyme Regis. Yet he can't see what is happening right in front of him. Could his great discovery come at too high a cost?

I have issues with short story collections. Mainly just because I have issues with short stories. I'm always the one who wants more. I agree a story should be just as long or as short as it takes to tell the tale, but I will always gravitate towards a television show over a movie because they have more time to be expansive. Therefore a collection of short stories isn't something I'm inclined to pick up. That is unless it's a book of stories by a favorite author or a collection of favorite authors. And here I had Natasha Pulley and Laura Purcell. So right there I was sold. Also, I do like the very British tradition of telling ghost stories around Christmas, and that is what this book sets out to do, entertain on a long winter's night. But there's also an unspoken rule that this has to be new material. You aren't here to sell your other work in any way other than writing a story so good that the reader goes and picks up your back catalog. Natasha Pulley just did not get this brief. Which pains me more than I can say. She made it not about the theme of the book but about shoehorning a story about her own characters into this book. That's just not cool. It takes you out of the book, it makes you confused, it just isn't done! Oddly enough one of my friends whom I always disagree with about books but who has contributed to and edited several short story collections heartily seconded my disbelief that Natasha Pulley did this. Why didn't the editors go back to her and make her do it again? In fact it makes me actually not want to pick up The Watchmaker of Filigree Street series because I was forced to read about Ketia Mori, Thaniel, and Six before I wanted to read about them. And there's the whole I wasn't sure what was going on with them and their powers angle, but that just feeds into the whole THIS IS WHY YOU DON'T DO THIS! Another downside to short story collections is the whole consistency aspect. There's just no conceivable way that each story will be equally awesome to each individual reader. Which is why the overall collection gets a middling grade. It's not that there weren't amazing stories here, it's just they were balanced by some truly spectacularly bad ones. Ironically the friend whom I disagree with got the same rating as me but each story we disagreed on. So read this collection for the haunting "Confinement" by Kiran Millwood Hargrave, the Mary Anning inspired "Monster" by Elizabeth Macneal, and the VERY Avengers-esque "A Study in Black and White" by Bridget Collins. And I mean the Steed and Peel Avengers, not the Marvel. They were truly spectacular, in my mind.

Posted by Miss Eliza at 12:00 AM 0 comments  

Labels: Andrew Michael Hurley, Bridget Collins, Elizabeth Macneal, Imogen Hermes Gower, Jess Kidd, Kiran Millwood Hargrace, Laura Purcell, Natasha Pulley, The Haunting Season, The Watchmaker of Filigree Street

Things in Jars by Jess Kidd
Published by: Atria Books
Publication Date: February 4th, 2020
Format: Hardcover, 384 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"In the dark underbelly of Victorian London, a formidable female sleuth is pulled into the macabre world of fanatical anatomists and crooked surgeons while investigating the kidnapping of an extraordinary child in this gothic mystery - perfect for fans of The Essex Serpent and The Book of Speculation.

Bridie Devine - female detective extraordinaire - is confronted with the most baffling puzzle yet: the kidnapping of Christabel Berwick, secret daughter of Sir Edmund Athelstan Berwick, and a peculiar child whose reputed supernatural powers have captured the unwanted attention of collectors trading curiosities in this age of discovery.

Winding her way through the labyrinthine, sooty streets of Victorian London, Bridie won’t rest until she finds the young girl, even if it means unearthing a past that she’d rather keep buried. Luckily, her search is aided by an enchanting cast of characters, including a seven-foot tall housemaid; a melancholic, tattoo-covered ghost; and an avuncular apothecary. But secrets abound in this foggy underworld where spectacle is king and nothing is quite what it seems.

Blending darkness and light, history and folklore, Things in Jars is a spellbinding Gothic mystery that collapses the boundary between fact and fairy tale to stunning effect and explores what it means to be human in inhumane times."

True Gothic goodness!

Out of the Attic by V.C. Andrews
Published by: Gallery Books
Publication Date: February 4th, 2020
Format: Hardcover, 336 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"The twisted, beloved Dollanganger legend began two generations before Corrine Foxworth locked away her children in Flowers in the Attic. The second book in a new prequel story arc, Out of the Attic explores the Dollanganger family saga by traveling back decades to when the clan’s wicked destiny first took root.

Married to the handsome, wealthy Garland Foxworth following a wildfire romance, and an unexpected pregnancy, young Corrine Dixon finds her life very different from how she imagined it. Often alone in the mansion of Foxworth Hall, she can practically feel the ancestors’ judgment of her as insufficient - as not a Foxworth. Stern portraits glare at her from the walls, and the servants treat her strangely. Nothing in the vast place is truly hers.

Even her son, Malcolm Foxworth, born in the luxe Swan Room and instantly whisked away to a wet nurse, feels alien to her. With a husband alternately absent and possessively close, Corrine doesn’t yet realize that she’s barely scratched the surface of what lies beneath Foxworth Hall’s dark facade and the family that guards its legacies.

With the fortieth anniversary celebration of Flowers in the Attic, and ten new Lifetime movies in the past five years, there has never been a better time to experience the forbidden world of V.C. Andrews."

I am one who devoured all those Lifetime movies, especially this past August, and am in need of a V.C. Andrews fix!

Straight on Till Morning by Liz Braswell
Published by: Disney-Hyperion
Publication Date: February 4th, 2020
Format: Hardcover, 496 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"What if Wendy first traveled to Neverland...with Captain Hook?

Sixteen-year-old Wendy Darling's life is not what she imagined it would be. The doldrums of an empty house after her brothers have gone to school, the dull parties where everyone thinks she talks too much, and the fact that her parents have decided to send her away to Ireland as a governess-it all makes her wish things could be different.

Wendy's only real escape is in writing down tales of Never Land. After nearly meeting her hero, Peter Pan, four years earlier, she still holds on to the childhood hope that his magical home truly exists. She also holds on to his shadow.

So when an opportunity to travel to Never Land via pirate ship presents itself, Wendy makes a deal with the devil. But Never Land isn't quite the place she imagined it would be. Unexpected dangers and strange foes pop up at every turn, and a little pixie named Tinker Bell seems less than willing to help.

But when Captain Hook reveals some rather permanent and evil plans for Never Land, it's up to the two of them to save Peter Pan-and his world."

I am rather a sucker for all things Peter Pan.

Snug by Catana Chetwynd
Published by: Andrews McMeel Publishing,
Publication Date: February 4th, 2020
Format: Hardcover, 136 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"Why bother getting out of bed when you could stay bundled up with that special someone and a book of cozy, cute comics. From the author of the bestselling Little Moments of Love comes Snug, a collection of comics that perfectly captures the honest, playful, and relatable snapshots of romantic life.

Chetwynd’s second book has the same charming and inviting style as her first and includes 50 percent new, never-before-shared comics. Snug is a celebration of the quirks and peculiarities of every one of us - and the magic that happens when we find our matching puzzle piece."

I've liked the Catana comics I've seen online so was excited for this book, I got a digital ARC. BUT the digital ARC crashed my computer repeatedly and what I did read before the inevitable crash didn't impress me. So for me, this is a pass, but I guess someone could use it as a gift for Valentine's Day, AKA that most exclusionary of holidays. 

Posted by Miss Eliza at 12:00 AM 0 comments  

Labels: Catana Chetwynd, Gothic, Jess Kidd, Liz Braswell, Out of the Attic, Peter Pan, Snug, Straight on Till Morning, Things in Jars, Tuesday Tomorrow, V.C. Andrews, Victorian

The 17th Shooter by James Patterson and Maxine Paetro
Published by: Little, Brown and Company
Publication Date: May 1st, 2018
Format: Hardcover, 368 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"A series of shootings exposes San Francisco to a methodical yet unpredictable killer, and a reluctant woman decides to put her trust in Sergeant Lindsay Boxer. The confidential informant's tip leads Lindsay to disturbing conclusions, including that something has gone horribly wrong inside the police department itself.

The hunt for the killer lures Lindsay out of her jurisdiction, and gets inside Lindsay in dangerous ways. She suffers unsettling medical symptoms, and her friends and confidantes in the Women's Murder Club warn Lindsay against taking the crimes too much to heart. With lives at stake, the detective can't help but follow the case into ever more terrifying terrain.

A decorated officer, loving wife, devoted mother, and loyal friend, Lindsay's unwavering integrity has never failed her. But now she is confronting a killer who is determined to undermine it all."

My mom's favorite James Patterson series, and mine too because San Francisco! 

Mr. Flood's Last Resort by Jess Kidd
Publication Date: May 1st, 2018
Format: Hardcover, 352 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"Maud Drennan is a dedicated caregiver whose sunny disposition masks a deep sadness. A tragic childhood event left her haunted, in the company of a cast of prattling saints who pop in and out of her life like tourists. Other than visiting her agoraphobic neighbor, Maud keeps to herself, finding solace in her work and in her humble existence–until she meets Mr. Flood.

Cathal Flood is a menace by all accounts. The lone occupant of a Gothic mansion crawling with feral cats, he has been waging war against his son’s attempts to put him into an old-age home and sent his last caretaker running for the madhouse. But Maud is this impossible man’s last chance: if she can help him get the house in order, he just might be able to stay. So the unlikely pair begins to cooperate, bonding over their shared love of Irish folktales and mutual dislike of Mr. Flood’s overbearing son.

Still, shadows are growing in the cluttered corners of the mansion, hinting at buried family secrets, and reminding Maud that she doesn’t really know this man at all. When the forgotten case of a missing schoolgirl comes to light, she starts poking around, and a full-steam search for answers begins. Packed with eccentric charms, twisted comedy, and a whole lot of heart, Mr. Flood’s Last Resort is a mesmerizing tale that examines the space between sin and sainthood, reminding us that often the most meaningful forgiveness that we can offer is to ourselves."

Can you tell I like anything slightly Gothic?

The Dead House by Billy O'Callaghan
Published by: Arcade Publishing
Publication Date: May 1st, 2018
Format: Hardcover, 224 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"Sometimes the past endures—and sometimes it never lets go.

This best-selling debut by an award-winning writer is both an eerie contemporary ghost story and a dread-inducing psychological thriller. Maggie is a successful young artist who has had bad luck with men. Her last put her in the hospital and, after she’s healed physically, left her needing to get out of London to heal mentally and find a place of quiet that will restore her creative spirit. On the rugged west coast of Ireland, perched on a wild cliff side, she spies the shell of a cottage that dates back to Great Famine and decides to buy it. When work on the house is done, she invites her dealer to come for the weekend to celebrate along with a couple of women friends, one of whom will become his wife. On the boozy last night, the other friend pulls out an Ouija board. What sinister thing they summon, once invited, will never go.

Ireland is a country haunted by its past. In Billy O'Callaghan's hands, its terrible beauty becomes a force of inescapable horror that reaches far back in time, before the Famine, before Christianity, to a pagan place where nature and superstition are bound in an endless knot."

Moody with a Ouija board!

Magick Run Amok by Sharon Pape
Published by: Lyrical Underground
Publication Date: May 1st, 2018
Format: Kindle, 337 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
" The answer to whodunit may lie beyond the veil...

November in upstate New York can be chilly, but Kailyn Wilde’s shop, Abracadabra, is a cozy respite where you can find lotions, potions, and plenty of warm, feline company. But what customers don’t know is that the proprietor has some unusual powers—and unusual friends, including the renowned magician Merlin, who’s been transported into the modern world. All of which comes in handy when there’s a murder to be solved...

Investigative journalist Ryan Cutler has perished in a car accident in New Camel, and his friend, Travis, suspects foul play—especially when the reporter’s notes reveal a mysterious list of dead men’s names. Kailyn wants to help, but she’s also got her hands full with the curmudgeonly Merlin, who’s not exactly maintaining a low profile. Between keeping the wizard under wraps and mixing up cold remedies that work like magic, she’ll have to tap into her many talents to figure out a killer’s fatal formula..."

I sucker for anything with a cat on the cover.

A Court of Frost and Starlight by Sarah J. Maas
Published by: Bloomsbury YA
Publication Date: May 1st, 2018
Format: Hardcover, 272 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"Narrated by Feyre and Rhysand, this bridges the events in A Court of Wings and Ruin and the upcoming novels in the series.

Feyre, Rhys, and their close-knit circle of friends are still busy rebuilding the Night Court and the vastly-changed world beyond. But Winter Solstice is finally near, and with it, a hard-earned reprieve. Yet even the festive atmosphere can't keep the shadows of the past from looming. As Feyre navigates her first Winter Solstice as High Lady, she finds that those dearest to her have more wounds than she anticipated--scars that will have far-reaching impact on the future of their Court."

I really need to make some time and binge Sarah J. Maas!

Posted by Miss Eliza at 12:00 AM 0 comments  

Labels: A Court of Frost and Starlight, Billy O'Callaghan, James Patterson, Jess Kidd, Magick Run Amok, Maxine Paetro, Mr. Flood's Last Resort, Sarah J. Maas, Sharon Pape, The 17th Shooter, The Dead House