Tuesday Tomorrow
This Vicious Hunger by Francesca May
Published by: Redhook
Publication Date: August 26th, 2025
Format: Hardcover, 432 Pages
To Buy
The official patter:
"This Vicious Hunger is a dark, gothic fantasy of intoxication, obsession, and two women's desperate hunger for knowledge, whatever the cost.
Thora Grieve finds herself destitute and an outcast after the sudden death of her husband, but a glimmer of hope arrives when a family friend offers her the chance to study botany under the tutelage of a famed professor. Once at the university, Thora becomes entranced by a mysterious young woman, Olea, who emerges each night to tend to the plants in the private garden below Thora's window.
Hungry for connection, Thora befriends Olea through the garden gate and their relationship quickly and intensely blossoms. Thora throws herself into finding a cure for the ailment confining Olea to the garden and sinks deeper into a world of beauty, poison, and obsession. Thora has finally found the freedom to pursue her darkest desires, but will it be worth the price?"
In Gothic literature it's never worth the price. That's why I love it!
If You're Seeing This, It's Meant for You by Leigh Stein
Published by: Ballantine Books
Publication Date: August 26th, 2025
Format: Paperback, 320 Pages
To Buy
The official patter:
"Fates collide after a tarot influencer disappears from a decaying Hollywood mansion in this unnerving gothic mystery and "incisive social satire" (Town and Country) from the acclaimed author of Self Care.
After her boyfriend dumps her in a Reddit post, unemployed thirty-nine-year-old Dayna accepts an unusual opportunity from a man she stopped speaking to twenty years ago: If Dayna can help Craig transform his crumbling mansion into a successful hype house of influencers, he can restore his birthright to its former glory, and she can bring her career back from the dead.
But missing from the mansion is Becca, an enigmatic tarot card reader who built a rabid fandom with her cryptic, soul-touching videos...and then vanished. With nineteen-year-old Olivia, the newest member of the hype house (and one of Becca's biggest fans), Dayna begins to build a social media campaign around Becca's disappearance that will catapult the creators to new heights of success. Too bad Craig forbids Dayna from pursuing the mystery at its heart.
As Olivia searches for traces of Becca in a labyrinthine house that seems intent on hiding its secrets, and Dayna becomes entangled with both Craig and Jake, the resident heartthrob and the last person to see Becca, the two women make a shocking discovery that will upend everything.
The internet: You may think you're inhabiting it, but is it really inhabiting you?"
Three things I love, tarot, crumbling mansions, and old Hollywood!
The Executioners Three by Susan Dennard
Published by: Tor Teen
Publication Date: August 26th, 2025
Format: Hardcover, 304 Pages
To Buy
The official patter:
"From New York Times bestselling author Susan Dennard comes The Executioners Three, a mystery filled with rivalry, romance, best friends, and a gruesome curse that dates back centuries.
Freddie Gellar didn't mean to get half the rival high school arrested. She'd simply heard shrieks coming from the woods, so she'd called the cops like any good human would do. How was she supposed to know it was just kids partying?
Except the next day, a body is found. And while the local sheriff might call it suicide, Freddie's instincts tell her otherwise. So, like the aspiring sleuth (and true X-Files aficionado) she is, Freddie sets out to prove there's a murderer at large.
But her investigation is quickly disrupted by the rivalry between her school and the school of the partying teens she got arrested. For over twenty years, the two student bodies have had an ongoing prank war, and Freddie's failed attempt at Good Samaritanism has upped the ante. Worse, the clever - and gorgeous - leader of the rival prank squad has set his sights on Freddie.
As more pranks unfurl, more bodies also start piling up in the forest. But it's the supernatural warning signs around town, each plucked straight from an old forgotten poem called "The Executioners Three," that worry Freddie the most. She knows the poem and its blood curse can't be real, but she's quickly running out of time to prove it.
Because the murderer - or executioners? - knows she's onto them now, and their next target just might be Freddie."
Sounds like everyone is out to get Freddie.
Damned by Genevieve Cogman
Published by: Tor UK
Publication Date: August 26th, 2025
Format: Hardcover, 336 Pages
To Buy
The official patter:
"For a former English maid, the stakes have never been higher...
Damned is the final book in the Scarlet Revolution series, a spellbinding adventure of magic, vampires and mayhem from the bestselling author of the Invisible Library series.
1794. Eleanor, former English maid, is a member of the League of the Scarlet Pimpernel - and now a promising mage. With a vampire plot thwarted in Paris, the League's next daring rescue is that of the Pimpernel's beloved wife, Lady Marguerite, imprisoned in her London townhouse on unjust charges of treason and espionage.
But Lady Marguerite's captivity is only the first threat from the League's vampiric enemy. With the King known to be ill, possibly mad, England is not as it should be. Vampires conspire to take control over the whole country whilst challenging Eleanor and the League at every turn.
But then, using her growing magical powers, Eleanor uncovers a devastating, centuries-old secret. It is one so steeped in blood, that it will change not only England, but the entire vampire world, forever...
Discover where Eleanor's journey first began in the Sunday Times bestseller, Scarlet."
Oh my, Regency Magic is so my jam.
Katabasis by R.F. Kuang
Published by: Harper Voyager
Publication Date: August 26th, 2025
Format: Hardcover, 560 Pages
To Buy
The official patter:
"Dante's Inferno meets Susanna Clarke's Piranesi in this all-new dark academia fantasy from R.F. Kuang, the #1 New York Times bestselling author of Babel and Yellowface, in which two graduate students must put aside their rivalry and journey to Hell to save their professor's soul - perhaps at the cost of their own.
Katabasis, noun, Ancient Greek:
The story of a hero's descent to the underworld.
Alice Law has only ever had one goal: to become one of the brightest minds in the field of Magick. She has sacrificed everything to make that a reality: her pride, her health, her love life, and most definitely her sanity. All to work with Professor Jacob Grimes at Cambridge, the greatest magician in the world.
That is, until he dies in a magical accident that could possibly be her fault.
Grimes is now in Hell, and she's going in after him. Because his recommendation could hold her very future in his now incorporeal hands and even death is not going to stop the pursuit of her dreams....
Nor will the fact that her rival, Peter Murdoch, has come to the very same conclusion.
With nothing but the tales of Orpheus and Dante to guide them, enough chalk to draw the Pentagrams necessary for their spells, and the burning desire to make all the academic trauma mean anything, they set off across Hell to save a man they don't even like.
But Hell is not like the storybooks say, Magick isn't always the answer, and there's something in Alice and Peter's past that could forge them into the perfect allies...or lead to their doom."
Um, maybe they shouldn't be going to hell if they don't like the professor. Just forge the recommendation. After all, he's dead, he won't know!
Roar of the Lambs by Jamison Shea
Published by: Henry Holt and Co. (BYR)
Publication Date: August 26th, 2025
Format: Hardcover, 416 Pages
To Buy
The official patter:
"If you knew the world was ending, who would you save? And would they let you?
Sixteen-year-old Winnie Bray is a liar. As the resident psychic at an oddities shop, Winnie truly can see the future. But her customers only want reassurance, and Winnie only wants their money. Favorable fortunes are a fast track to funding her way out of Buffalo, New York for good, after all.
But all of that changes when a vision sends her stalking in the remains of her family home that burned down in a fire 10 years ago. Among the ash and rubble, Winnie finds a box made of bone, untouched by flames and…whispering. At the touch of her finger, the box shows her a vision of death, chaos, and apocalypse, with her and rich kids Apollo and Cyrus Rathbun at the center.
Apollo knows their cousin is up to no good, and with the Rathbun family scattered to the wind, they know Cyrus is aiming to present himself as the new patriarch. Despite an initial attraction, Apollo is reluctant to believe Winnie. But soon it becomes clear that their family histories are intertwined, with the whispering, hungry box at the very center, and more than their lives are on the line. Together, they must discover the origins of the box and stop unforeseen forces from fulfilling the apocalyptic prophecy, or die trying.
From the author of I Feed Her to the Beast and the Beast is Me comes a speculative thriller about the ties that bind us to places and people, perfect for fans of Andrew Joseph White and Tochi Onyebuchi."
Stay away from anything that whispers to you my precious.
The Sea Witch by Eva Leigh
Published by: Canary Street Press
Publication Date: August 26th, 2025
Format: Paperback, 448 Pages
To Buy
The official patter:
"From a world where women are forbidden to use magic and the only freedom is found on the Caribbean high seas comes a swashbuckling romantasy from USA TODAY bestselling author Eva Leigh.
Condemned as a witch, sentenced to die, Alys Tanner uses her innate magical power to flee Puritanical New England. Stealing a ship, Alys becomes captain of The Sea Witch, leading its all-female, sorcery-wielding pirate crew. But the colonial British navy is in hot pursuit. The navy fights for a choke hold on the Caribbean and will destroy anything they cannot control, especially witches.
When Ben Priestley, a headstrong naval navigator, is inadvertently captured by the lady pirates, dangerous truths are revealed. A quest that could turn the tides against the navy's might ignites a reluctant partnership between the by-the-books prisoner and the fierce witch pirate captain. While they brave backstabbing pirates, perilous tropical islands and monster-filled seas, Alys and Ben's mistrust grows into unexpected desire as they battle an enemy that will stop at nothing to rule the waves."
This book is all that child me could have wished for her life to be.
The Book of Heartbreak by Ova Ceren
Published by: Alcove Press
Publication Date: August 26th, 2025
Format: Hardcover, 352 Pages
To Buy
The official patter:
"From BookTok and Bookstagram sensation Ova Ceren: A Middle Eastern legend gets a magically romantic modern makeover perfect for fans of The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue.
A young woman must find a way to end the curse on her heart before it claims her forever in this delightfully witty fantasy romance.
Sare Silverbirch has already had her heart broken three times. A fifth heartbreak will stop her heart forever. Such is the nature of the curse she was born under, which forces her to live a life without letting anyone get too close.
When her mother dies unexpectedly and her heart breaks for the fourth time, Sare begins to urgently question the curse. Where did it come from? Why her? And rather than accept it, could there be a way to break it?
Her questions lead her to Istanbul, where she meets Leon, a seer who helps her track down the mysteries of her mother's past. But Sare's heart is a fragile thing, and their blossoming romance poses a great risk to her survival. Especially when she discovers that her fate is in the hands of celestials beyond this earthly realm.
Now the heavens are stirring, for they have a stake in Sare's destiny - and they don't like their plans being overturned.
The Book of Heartbreak is a dazzling, haunting romantasy sure to break - and mend again - the hearts of readers everywhere."
But if the book breaks our hearts five times are we also doomed?
The Little Ghost Quilt's Winter Surprise by Riel Nason and Byron Eggenschwiler
Published by: Tundra Books
Publication Date: August 26th, 2025
Format: Hardcover, 48 Pages
To Buy
The official patter:
"When you're a quilt instead of a sheet, being a ghost is hard! But it does mean you can float around in cold weather...an adorable picture book about a ghost who wants to share the magic of the season with his chilly sheet friends.
The little ghost quilt loves being out in the cold. For once, he doesn't overheat, and he likes how the snowflakes make his patches look polka-dotted. His friends, who are sheets, get too cold in the winter weather and have to stay inside, but the little ghost quilt doesn't mind. He enjoys slowly drifting along on his own.
On one of his frosty flights, he sees something happening in the town. People are putting up warm, twinkling lights, and there's a fun festive feeling everywhere - like Halloween, his favorite season, but with snowmen and wreaths and candles in windows instead of pumpkins. He is filled with excitement and happiness looking at all the beautiful decorations and joyous people, yet he can't help but feel sad that his friends can't be there.
But then, after almost getting caught in a blizzard, the little ghost quilt is struck by inspiration..."
I just love the little ghost quilt. His way of sharing the holiday spirit with his friends who are more suited to summer was a sheer delight to read.
Mrs. Christie at the Mystery Guild Library by Amanda Chapman
Published by: Berkley
Publication Date: August 26th, 2025
Format: Hardcover, 3568 Pages
To Buy
The official patter:
"Book conservator Tory Van Dyne and a woman claiming to be Agatha Christie on holiday from the Great Beyond join forces to catch a killer in this spirited mystery from Amanda Chapman.
Tory Van Dyne is the most down-to-earth member of a decidedly eccentric old-money New York family. For one thing, as book conservator at Manhattan's Mystery Guild Library, she actually has a job. Plus, she's left up-town society behind for a quiet life downtown. So she's not thrilled when she discovers a woman in the library's Christie Room who calmly introduces herself as Agatha Christie, politely requests a cocktail, and announces she's there to help solve a murder - that has not yet happened.
But as soon as Tory determines that this is just a fairly nutty Christie fangirl, her socialite/actress cousin Nicola gets caught up in the suspicious death of her less-than-lovable talent agent. Nic, as always, looks to Tory for help. Tory, in turn, looks to Mrs. Christie. The woman, whoever or whatever she is, clearly knows her stuff when it comes to crime.
Aided by an unlikely band of fellow sleuths - including a snarky librarian, an eleven-year-old computer whiz, and an NYPD detective with terrible taste in suits - Tory and the woman claiming to be her very much deceased literary idol begin to unravel the twists and turns of a murderer's devious mind. Because, in the immortal words of Miss Jane Marple, "murder is never simple.""
I think Mrs. Christie would warn Tory off a detective with terrible taste in suits.
A Spell to Wake the Dead by Nichole Lesperance
Published by: G.P. Putnam's Sons Books for Young Readers
Publication Date: August 26th, 2025
Format: Hardcover, 352 Pages
To Buy
The official patter:
"Two teen girls must uncover the dark, occult secrets lurking in their Cape Cod town to solve a series of murders - and save themselves from the same fate - in this twisty, witchy thriller.
When Mazzy and her best friend Nora sneak down to the beach one moonlit night to cast a spell, they don't expect to find a dead body. But as the tide rolls in, it carries the remains of a woman who is missing her hands and teeth.
The girls know they should leave the investigation to the police, but they can't shake the weird, supernatural connection they feel with the dead woman. Using spellwork and divination, they set out to find answers of their own. But after they uncover a rash of local disappearances stretching back years - and both girls start having occult visions and hearing ghostly, whispering voices - Mazzy worries that she and Nora are in danger.
Then, Nora finds a second body. And the whispering voice is telling her where to find more. With everything spiraling, Mazzy needs to figure out who to trust and how to sever this supernatural connection - or she and Nora might be the next bodies to wash up on the beach."
See, step one, if you find a dead body missing it's hands and teeth perhaps don't try to reach out to it beyond the veil... It's a very bad idea.
The Red Knot by Monique Asher
Published by: Rising Action
Publication Date: August 26th, 2025
Format: Paperback, 416 Pages
To Buy
The official patter:
"Gripping, atmospheric, and off-putting, The Red Knot is the perfect blend of occult mystery and small-town horror.
On a tiny, isolated island off the southern Alaskan coast, three girls have vanished without a trace, and Audra's close friend - the island's therapist - has been found murdered. A recent storm has severed all communication with the outside world, leaving Audra, the town's lead detective, trapped and at the head of a very personal case.
Her lead suspect, Valorie, the daughter of a notorious cult leader and the town's outcast, was discovered blood-covered and dazed at the crime scene. Valorie's memory is a gaping void, a dark well hiding traumatic secrets, including the truth about the teenage kidnappings that haunt the island.
As Audra digs deeper into the town's twisted history, it becomes clear other murders on the island, dating back decades, might be connected. The clock is ticking for the missing girls, and every clue leads Audra to question even those she's known her whole life.
Valorie must confront the horrors of her past while Audra's investigation becomes a descent into madness. On this cursed island, the line between neighbor and nightmare blurs, revealing that true horror often wears a familiar face."
I mean, it can't be that big an island can it?
Son by Johana Gustawsson and Thomas Enger
Published by: Orenda Books
Publication Date: August 26th, 2025
Format: Hardcover, 3537 Pages
To Buy
The official patter:
"Everyone here is lying...
Expert on body language and memory, and consultant to the Oslo Police, psychologist Kari Voss sleepwalks through her days, and, by night, continues the devastating search for her young son, who disappeared on his birthday, seven years earlier.
Still grieving for her dead husband, and trying to pull together the pieces of her life, she is thrust into a shocking local investigation, when two teenage girls are violently murdered in a family summer home in the nearby village of Son.
When a friend of the victims is charged with the barbaric killings, it seems the case is closed, but Kari is not convinced. Using her skills and working on instinct, she conducts her own enquiries, leading her to multiple suspects, including people who knew the dead girls well...
With the help of Chief Constable Ramona Norum, she discovers that no one - including the victims - are what they seem. And that there is a dark secret at the heart of Son village that could have implications not just for her own son's disappearance, but Kari's own life, too...
For fans of Harlan Coben, Lars Kepler, Jo Nesbo and Jorn Lier Horst...and The Mentalist."
All the different sons!
The Poison Grove by Jill Johnson
Published by: Poisoned Pen Press
Publication Date: August 26th, 2025
Format: Paperback, 384 Pages
To Buy
The official patter:
"From the author of The Woman in the Garden, Jill Johnson is back with another gripping Professor Eustacia Rose Mystery...
Betrayal is a bitter poison...
After getting caught in the middle of a murder investigation involving her very own poisonous plants, Professor Eustacia Rose was sure she'd never see the inside of a classroom again. With the case now closed, she finds herself back teaching toxicology to a group of grad students, spending time with her plant collection, and even forming a blossoming relationship.
But when your work is with poisons, peace is sometimes hard to find. When a man is found dead with a needle in his neck, and a disturbing painting of Eustacia links her and the body, she suddenly finds herself thrust back into a world of crime.
And at work, there's yet another threat for Eustacia to deal with. A PhD student is desperate to get access to her poisonous plant collection, and when she refuses to help him, he starts buying illegal plant toxins from an unknown source - and soon turns up dead as well. Are the two deaths connected? And could she be the link? With no leads and the body count rising, Eustacia is left with no choice but to investigate herself, however dangerous it may become.
With a quirky protagonist, dark academia aesthetic and an array of exotic poisonous plants, this unique spin on the classic murder mystery novel will hook fans Gail Honeyman's Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine and Richard Osman's The Thursday Murder Club."
If someone wants to buy illegal plant toxins, it's on them when they turn up dead.
A Moment's Shadow by Anna Lee Huber
Published by: Kensington
Publication Date: August 26th, 2025
Format: Paperback, 368 Pages
To Buy
The official patter:
"Violence, reprisal, and intrigue abound in post-World War I Ireland as the bloody conflict between the Irish Republican Army and the British authorities continues to escalate. But former Secret Service agent Verity Kent must deal with a more immediate concern - the possession of poisonous gas by a ruthless adversary...
August 1920, Dublin, Ireland: A fraught task keeps Verity and her husband Sidney in the country after their initial clandestine mission has been completed: the traitor Lord Ardmore is scheming to employ the deadly phosgene gas he's stolen for some terrifying purpose, and the couple will need both the Crown forces and the rebels' help to thwart him.
As they pursue their quarry, they are drawn into a case involving a series of cunning and brazen jewel thefts. Many believe it is the work of the Irish rebels, seeking to fund their revolution, but when Verity and Sidney are also approached by Michael Collins and the IRA to unmask the thief, they suspect he may instead be an opportunist using the political unrest as a cover for his crimes.
As the thief continues to pull ever more risky jobs - including targeting Verity and their friends - the couple receive new intelligence that the gas they seek may be intended for a crowded event, one that the entire world will be attuned to. They must stop Lord Ardmore at all costs - or the consequences will be devastating..."
I mean, civil unrest is ripe for a thief... and a JEWEL thief at that!
A Lethal Cocktail by Ciar Byrne
Published by: Headline Accent
Publication Date: August 26th, 2025
Format: Paperback, 336 Pages
To Buy
The official patter:
"Three ex-husbands. Two ex-wives.
One shocking murder.
A wedding that's the talk of the town...
Tudor Close Hotel, Rottingdean, is the most glamorous venue of the season. And not somewhere Virginia or her sister Vanessa would usually choose to frequent. They're far happier at home with their writing or painting, than brushing shoulders with debutantes or starlets.
But Lady Ottoline has had a difficult year, so - despite her rather outlandish tastes - they let her choose the meeting spot. And when the group bumps into fashion designer Mimi Mason in the hotel bar, they begrudgingly accept an invite to her wedding breakfast the next morning.
No one imagined that, a few cocktails later, Mimi would be dead.
As the sisters are drawn into a new case, it becomes clear that someone meticulously planned this murder. Beneath the glittering exterior, there was a dark side to this beautiful bride - and every wedding guest had a reason to sabotage this happy union.
But which one of them decided it was time to give Mimi a taste of her own poison?"
Poisoned cocktails are so last season Mimi.
Murder at Arleigh by Alyssa Maxwell
Published by: Kensington
Publication Date: August 26th, 2025
Format: Hardcover, 304 Pages
To Buy
The official patter:
"A dazzling wedding at the Bellevue Mansion, Arleigh, loses its shine when reporter, sleuth, and new mother Emma Cross Andrews is called to investigate the groom, an infamous Gilded Age prankster.
April 1903: Emma and Derrick Andrews have been invited to the wedding of her cousin Reggie Vanderbilt and heiress Cathleen Neilson at the Bellevue Mansion, Arleigh. Their hosts are a popular young couple who are leasing the home for the summer - Harry and Elizabeth "Bessie" Lehr. Known for his practical jokes, Harry is the toast of parties, earning a reputation as the court jester of the Gilded Age. However, as Emma soon learns, behind closed doors he is dead serious.
Following the wedding, Bessie comes to Emma for help, insisting that her husband is cruel to her in private, telling her outright he married her only for her money and finds her repulsive. Divorce is unthinkable. Now she believes he is plotting to murder her and make it look like an accident: a broken balcony railing she might have leaned on, a loose stair runner that could have sent her tumbling down a staircase, faulty brakes in the car she uses...
Some would say being trapped in a loveless marriage is a fate worse than death. Not Bessie - she wants to live! Unsure if these situations are mere coincidences or add up to premeditated sabotage, Emma agrees to investigate and determine if Newport's merry prankster is engaged in a cold-blooded game of life or death..."
Because we're all suffering from withdrawal with The Gilded Age's season being over. Thankfully this is the cure.
The Secret Book Society by Madeline Martin
Published by: Hanover Square Press
Publication Date: August 26th, 2025
Format: Hardcover, 336 Pages
To Buy
The official patter:
"A captivating new historical novel from Madeline Martin, set in Victorian London about a forbidden book club, dangerous secrets and the women who dare to break free.
You are cordially invited to the Secret Book Society...
London, 1885: Trapped by oppressive marriages and societal expectations, three women receive a mysterious invitation to an afternoon tea at the home of the reclusive Lady Duxbury. Beneath the genteel facade of the gathering lies a secret book club - a sanctuary where they can discover freedom, sisterhood and the courage to rewrite their stories.
Eleanor Clarke, a devoted mother suffocating under the tyranny of her husband. Rose Wharton, a transplanted American dollar princess struggling to fit the mold of an aristocratic wife. Lavinia Cavendish, an artistic young woman haunted by a dangerous family secret. All are drawn to the enigmatic Lady Duxbury, a thrice-widowed countess whose husbands' untimely deaths have sparked whispers of murder.
As the women form deep, heartwarming friendships, they uncover secrets about their marriages, their pasts and the risks they face. Their courage is their only weapon in the oppressive world that has kept them silent, but when secrets are deadly, one misstep could cost them everything."
Here's to Lady Duxbury, the kind of woman I'd love to know.
Backstage by Donna Leon
Published by: Atlantic Monthly Press
Publication Date: August 26th, 2025
Format: Hardcover, 288 Pages
To Buy
The official patter:
"A memorable collection of stories and essays on writing, reading, teaching, and Venice by the celebrated author of the bestselling Guido Brunetti series.
Donna Leon's memoir, Wandering Through Life, gave her legions of fans a colorful tour through her life, from childhood in New Jersey to adventures in China and Iran, to her love of Venice and opera. Nowhere, however, did she discuss her writing life.
In Backstage, Donna reveals her admiration for, and inspiration from, the great crime novelists Ruth Rendell and Ross Macdonald, examining their approach to storytelling as she dissects her favorite books of theirs. She expresses her love for Charles Dickens's Great Expectations and her appreciation for Sir Walter Scott's generosity of spirit. And she chronicles the amount of research she undertakes to be able to present authentically, through Guido Brunetti and his colleagues, places and characters far from her own experience - from interviewing a diamond dealer in Venice to open up the world of blood diamonds, to meeting, through back channels, a courageous sex worker and women's rights activist to depict accurately the trafficking of women in Italy. By contrast, the idea and opening scene of one of her novels came to her as she was walking through Venice.
Venice is central in her memory, whether recounting the semi-comic irritation of a noisy elderly neighbor or the origins of the city's Carnevale. Her teaching career yields memorable tales: helping a young Black boy in a Newark, New Jersey, elementary school; instructing young Iranian pilots in English just before the 1979 Iranian Revolution; and taking her students at a Swiss private high school to the famous Frank Zappa concert in Montreux interrupted by fire.
Throughout, she is as good a storyteller about herself as she is a chronicler of Guido Brunetti's crime adventures. Readers will be as caught up in her world as she is in his."
Because every great book has a story behind it, and Donna Leon has written a lot of books...
Cesar Romero: The Joker Is Wild by Samuel Garza Bernstein
Published by: University Press of Kentucky
Publication Date: August 26th, 2025
Format: Hardcover, 288 Pages
To Buy
The official patter:
"Dynamic and debonair, Cesar Romero was best known for creating the role of the Joker in the 1960s Batman television series. As the first actor to play Batman and Robin's villainous nemesis, Romero established the character's giddy, manic tone and the distinctive laugh that subsequent actors like Jack Nicholson, Heath Ledger, and Joaquin Phoenix would use as the starting points in their own Oscar-nominated (Nicholson) and Oscar-winning (Ledger and Phoenix) performances. As a closeted gay man of Latin American descent, Romero gracefully faced many personal challenges while maintaining his suave public image and starring opposite legends ranging from Shirley Temple to Marlene Dietrich, Carmen Miranda to Frank Sinatra, and Kurt Russell to Jane Wyman.
The first biography of the consummate entertainer, Cesar Romero: The Joker Is Wild, captures the critical moments of Romero's childhood, adolescence, and accomplishments in Hollywood. Author Samuel Garza Bernstein shares anecdotes regarding Romero's public and personal life, as well as Romero's private disdain for his reputation as the "Latin lover," a discriminatory stereotype he found constrictive both in terms of his range as an actor and as a man who kept his sexuality private.
Cesar Romero is an in-depth study of a significant Hollywood star and his impact on the entertainment industry. Batman made him immortal, but with more than four hundred film and television credits, his six-decade career as an actor, dancer, and singer made him a true Hollywood icon."
I love the story that he wouldn't shave his mustache to play the Joker because it would rule him out for the "Latin lover" roles. Something this cover catches perfectly.
Summer's Hum by Angela Harding
Published by: Sphere
Publication Date: August 26th, 2025
Format: Hardcover, 80 Pages
To Buy
The official patter:
"'The wildflower bank outside my window hums and buzzes. At midday, the summer sun spreads the perfume of roses and honeysuckle to every corner.'
Summer's Hum is the second book in a stunning seasonal quartet from beloved printmaker and illustrator Angela Harding.
This series will take readers on a journey through the seasons, reflecting Angela's view as the nature around her transforms and evolves over the months. Taking in landscapes across the UK, from views from her home studio in Rutland to the Scottish wilderness, via the low-lying marshlands of Suffolk and the windswept hills of Yorkshire, the beautiful illustrations and evocative imagery of the prose make this the perfect book for nature lovers and art lovers everywhere.
Featuring many of Angela's most beloved prints, alongside Angela's observations and inspirations, Spring Unfurled, Summer's Hum, Falling into Autumn and Winter's Song are a joyful celebration of nature and wildlife across the UK at all times of year."
I just adore Angela Harding's work.
Two Gentlemen and a Lady by Alexander Woollcott
Published by: Pushkin Press
Publication Date: August 26th, 2025
Format: Paperback, 112 Pages
To Buy
The official patter:
"Dorohty Parker meets Lady and the Tramp: 3 charming dog stories set in 1920s Jazz Age New York - back in print for the first time in decades.
Featuring illustrations by America's 1st female editorial cartoonist, whose comics career began before she even had the right to vote!
Dogs may be man's best friend, but every friendship is different. Prepare to revisit the glamorous 1920s Jazz Age of The Great Gatsby and meet Nicholas, a gregarious Airedale Terrier whose arrival in a moneyed Long Island home unleashes complete and total chaos throughout the neighbourhood.
Verdun Belle, the lady of the title, is a silky-eared spaniel whose loyalty - and litter of puppies - rallies an entire American regiment fighting on the Western Front during World War I. Then there's Egon, a very large German Shepherd, accustomed to summering on the Côte d’Azur, and to managing the diaries and daily activities of his human charges, whether they want him to or not. Ranging in tone from urbane irony to poignant sweetness, these are stories to make you smile at the antics of dogs, and guffaw at the even sillier antics of the people who love them.
This delightful collection of 3 stories (The Passing of Nicholas, The Story of Verdun Belle, My Friend Egon) by an Algonquin Round Table wit, rediscovered after decades out of print, shows our canine companions in all their guises: comic, heroic, companionable.
Don't miss this delightful Jazz Age celebration of the eternal affection that exists between man and dog - even the naughtiest dog!"
Oh, I can see more than a little of Alexander Woollcott in Egon.
Gabriela and His Grace by Liana De la Rosa
Published by: Berkley
Publication Date: August 26th, 2025
Format: Paperback, 3584 Pages
To Buy
The official patter:
"A scandalous arrangement between a hellion heiress and destitute duke reveals truths that neither can outrun....
As the youngest and most rebellious daughter of the overly protective Luna family, Gabriela Luna Valdés claws after her freedom in any way she can. This time, her hunger for adventure has led her aboard a windswept ship bearing for her homeland, away from a mob of fumbling British suitors. But Gabby can't escape her father's expectation that she settle down to find a proper husband - a compromise she's unwilling to make.
For Sebastian Brooks, Duke of Whitfield, the trip to Mexico is his last chance. His last chance to rectify his family's estate and refill their dwindling coffers. And his last chance to match wits with the sharp-tongued but deliciously tempting Gabriela.
When Gabby finds herself in need of a hasty escape, Sebastian agrees to assist her...but their close proximity sparks a red-hot passion that could ruin all their plans. With scandal looming, can Sebastian convince Gabby his regard is sincere or will she sail away with his heart?"
It's nice when expectations and love collide. HEA for all!
The Gilded Heiress by Joanna Shupe
Published by: Avon
Publication Date: August 26th, 2025
Format: Paperback, 352 Pages
To Buy
The official patter:
"From USA Today bestselling author Joanna Shupe comes a spicy Anastasia story full of secrets and betrayal, set among the glittering streets of New York City's Gilded Age.
In 1880 a baby was stolen from the wealthiest family in America. Though no ransom was ever demanded, the Pendelton family never gave up hope...and their reward became the stuff of legend.
After being raised in a children's asylum, Josie Smith ends up on the streets and quickly learns how to take care of herself. Her singing voice draws crowds on every corner, and she'll stop at nothing to become famous and travel the world, loved and adored by all. Maybe then she won't think about the family who gave her away as an infant.
Leo Hardy isn't afraid to use his charm and wits to make a fast buck, especially with a mother and five siblings to support. When he stumbles upon a beautiful young woman singing on the street, Leo notices her striking resemblance to the infamous missing baby's mother, Mrs. Thomas Pendelton. The Hardys lost everything thanks to the Pendeltons, and once Leo sees Josie, he seizes the opportunity to settle the score. All he needs to do is pull off the biggest swindle of his career.
As the two are catapulted into Knickerbocker High Society, they grow closer to their goal, as well as to each other. But secrets can only stay hidden for so long. Soon the truth unfolds, and both Josie and Leo must separate what's real from what's just gilding."
I love a Cinderella swindle, even if this is before Anastasia who wasn't born until 1901...
The Black Bird Oracle by Deborah Harkness
The Bright Sword by Lev Grossman
The Lost Story by Meg Shaffer
The West Passage by Jared Pechaček 
Cabaret Macabre by Tom Mead
I Was a Teenage Slasher by Stephen Graham Jones
Where Are You, Echo Blue? by Hayley Krischer
The White Guy Dies First edited by Terry J. Benton-Walker
The Woman in the Garden by Jill Johnson
The Perfect Sister by Stephanie DeCarolis
Things Don't Break on Their Own by Sarah Easter Collins
Women in the Valley of the Kings by Kathleen Sheppard
Emergence by Kim Harrison
