strange and random happenstance

Silent Bones by Val McDermid
Published by: Atlantic Crime
Publication Date: December 2nd, 2025
Format: Hardcover, 432 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"The new installment in the "relentlessly engrossing series" (Wall Street Journal) finds Karen Pirie and her team investigating the murder of a journalist paved under a motorway - but was it his work or his private life that put him there?

Scotland, 2025. When torrential winter rain causes a landslide on a motorway, it dislodges more than mud and asphalt - it reveals a skeleton, concealed when the road was built eleven years prior.

Sam Nimmo, an investigative journalist who'd been poking his nose into the murky politics of the Scottish independence referendum, had become the prime suspect in the brutal murder of his girlfriend when he vanished. Now he's reappeared, buried under the motorway. It's the perfect cold case for DCI Karen Pirie, chief of Police Scotland's Historic Cases Unit. What was Nimmo investigating that was worth killing over? Or was it revenge for murdering his girlfriend? Meanwhile, an allegation of murder has surfaced over the supposedly accidental death of a hotel manager. It may have links to another accident on a remote Highland road. It's a series of puzzles that tests Karen and her team to their limits. And possibly beyond...

A darkly propulsive thriller of secrets hidden at the core of a Scottish Highlands town, Silent Bones reaffirms Val McDermid as a crime writer of inimitable power."

I am here for ALL the Karen Pirie I can get! Also, interesting that the journalist's last name was Nimmo...

Kirkyards and Kindness by Kelley Armstrong
Published by: K.L.A Fricke Inc
Publication Date: December 2nd, 2025
Format: Kindle, 155 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"Mallory Mitchell and Dr. Duncan Gray take a break from investigating murder to find the most famous dog in Victorian Scotland.

A year ago, twenty-first-century detective Mallory found herself in 1869 Edinburgh, in the body of Catriona Mitchell, a housemaid working for Dr. Duncan Gray, pioneer in forensic science. Shortly after she arrived, she made the unfortunate acquaintence of Catriona's former criminal mentor, Davina, an entanglement that nearly got Mallory killed. Now she's about to meet Davina again.

Greyfriars Bobby has disappeared. The little terrier is already a legend, and Davina has made a tidy living showing him off on graveyard tours...while picking the pockets of her guests. When the elderly dog vanishes, Davina calls in a favor from her old student. Mallory agrees to help find Bobby in return for the one thing she's been unable to get from Davina - the mysterious Catriona's life story.

Note this is not a full-length novel. It's a novella set after Death at a Highland Wedding."

Oh, this is a backstory you don't want to miss!

Dark Humor by Matt Goldman
Published by: Severn House
Publication Date: December 2nd, 2025
Format: Hardcover, 256 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"Nils Shapiro embarks on an international quest to avenge his wife's murder in this gripping, emotionally charged thriller from New York Times bestselling and Emmy Award-winning author Matt Goldman.

Sammy Sykes is evading the law - and justice.

Nils is on a mission to hunt down Sammy Sykes, the drug kingpin responsible for the ambush that led to his wife's death two years ago. Despite the efforts of local law enforcement and the FBI, Sammy is still on the loose.

It's time for Nils to take the law into his own hands.

A trip to see Sammy's daughter in prison gifts him a lead that's impossible to ignore. Resuming his life as a private investigator, Nils goes deep undercover. Fueled by revenge and a deep sense of justice, Nils' pursuit of Sammy takes him all the way from Minnesota to Europe, where his survival skills - and resolve - are put to the ultimate test...

A page-turning detective novel written in Matt Goldman's unique, sharp style. The long-awaited return of beloved private eye Nils Shapiro is perfect for fans of Michael Connelly, Robert Crais, and Harlan Coben."

I mean, I'd go to any length for vengeance, so it's nice to read about someone who has the same values.

Watch Us Fall by Christina Kovac
Published by: Simon and Schuster
Publication Date: December 2nd, 2025
Format: Hardcover, 272 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"Lucy and her three best friends share a glamorous but decaying house in the heart of Georgetown. They call themselves "the Sweeties" and live an idyllic post-grad lifestyle complete with exciting jobs, dramatic love lives, and, most importantly, each other.

But when Addie, the group's queen bee, discovers that her ex-boyfriend Josh has gone missing, the Sweeties' worlds are turned upside down. In the days leading up to his disappearance, Josh, a star investigative journalist from a prominent political family, was behaving erratically - and Lucy is determined to find out why. All four friends upend their lives to search for him, but detectives begin to suspect that the Sweeties might know more than they're letting on.

As the investigation unfolds, Lucy's obsession with the case reaches a boiling point, and with it, her own troubling secrets begin bubbling to the surface of her carefully curated life. A thrilling account of the lies and delusions that lurk beneath cloistered groups of female friends and the sinister realities of celebrity, Watch Us Fall is a gripping mystery and an examination of the things we tell ourselves when we can't face the truth."

So here for the decaying grandeur and secrets of close-knit friend groups!

Friends and Liars by Kit Frick
Published by: Atria/Emily Bestler Books
Publication Date: December 2nd, 2025
Format: Paperback, 272 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"From "edge-of-your-seat suspense" (Booklist) author Kit Frick comes an insidious thriller about four estranged friends trapped in a powerful family's deadly games at a luxe estate in the Italian countryside.

It's been five years since heiress Clare Monroe tragically died on New Year's Eve at her family's opulent Italian palazzo. Since that time, her college friends have harbored a dark secret - their lies and betrayals led to Clare's untimely death.

What happened that fateful night was a horrible accident, but Luca, Harper, Sirina, and David are guilty, nonetheless. And their desperate decision to conceal the truth destroyed their once-close bond.

Now, the estranged friends are each the recipient of an invitation from the Monroes to return to the lakeside palazzo for a long-overdue memorial for Clare. Accepting the Monroes' invitation means playing with fire, but they can hardly refuse.

Luca, Harper, Sirina, and David have barely settled into their idyllic accommodations on Lake Como before someone at the memorial party begins targeting them. Haunted by little "gifts" left in their rooms, taunting notes, and the unshakable sense of being watched, it soon becomes clear that someone on the guest list knows the whole truth about the night Clare died - and the secrets her friends have been keeping. Nothing is as it seems at the palazzo on the lake, and under their tormentor's vengeful gaze, their secrets - and their lives - are in danger."

Feels a bit Ready or Not and I am SO here for that.

Needle Lake by Justine Champine
Published by: The Dial Press
Publication Date: December 2nd, 2025
Format: Hardcover, 256 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"Two cousins on very different sides of teen girlhood spend a winter together that changes both of their lives forever.

And once, after Elna came to stay, I watched a man drown there on Christmas Eve, his body trapped beneath the ice.

Fourteen-year-old Ida was born with a hole in her heart. Forbidden from most physical activities and considered strange by her teachers and peers, she prefers spending time alone, memorizing countries and capitals on her globe and imagining the world outside the tiny logging town of Mineral, Washington.

One afternoon, in walks her cousin Elna, there to stay for a few weeks. Ida hasn't seen Elna since they were children, and she's immediately drawn to her older cousin, who's everything Ida is not: confident, glamorous, charismatic, and daring. Elna lives in San Francisco, a city Ida has seen only as a dot on her globe. She doesn't treat Ida like she's a fragile kid whose heart might give out at any moment. She isn't scared off by Ida's quirks and fixations. Ida is enraptured.

Then, on Christmas Eve, a man dies out in the woods near Mineral, and the two cousins suddenly share a secret beyond the scope of anything Ida has dealt with before. Fear begins to mix with the reverence Ida feels toward her cousin, especially when she discovers Elna is hiding more than she ever suspected. Brimming with lush prose and careful observation, Needle Lake is an arresting portrait of girlhood and the overwhelming, sometimes dangerous intensity of adolescence."

If it's wrong to be mildly obsessed with corpses trapped beneath ice I don't want to be right. 

The Italian Secret by Tara Moss
Published by: Dutton
Publication Date: December 2nd, 2025
Format: Hardcover, 368 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"An old family secret leads from the streets of Sydney to Italy's sun-drenched Neapolitan coast, in this immersive historical mystery from #1 international bestselling author Tara Moss.

Pacific Ocean, 1907. A girl embarks on a journey to begin a new life far from home.

Naples, 1943. A woman shelters underground from a wartime air raid, praying her husband will return home.

Sydney, 1948. Billie Walker, returned from a stint as a wartime investigative journalist, uncovers a dusty box in her father's old office whose contents - correspondence with a woman on the other side of the world - just might explain how they all are connected.

Plunged into a perilous search that will take her onto the first postwar luxury passenger ship to sail across the ocean to Italy, Billie finds herself up against a dangerous adversary - someone with a mysterious grudge against her family - as she races to uncover the secrets her father left behind. And as the trail leads her towards two women whose histories may be entwined with her own, she realizes that her father's Italian secret just might upend everything she thought she knew."

Two places I'm obsessed with, Australia and Italy! 

Pearls and Poison by Erin Lindsey
Published by: Severn House
Publication Date: December 2nd, 2025
Format: Hardcover, 336 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"Rose is back and this time she's flying solo as she investigates criminal paranormal activity in Gilded Age New York City.

Murder in Manhattan.

Fully fledged Pinkerton agent Rose Gallagher has just caught her first solo case. Stolen jewels and suspicious deaths in a building on Pearl Street with supernatural markings in the wall are right up her alley. But without her partner, Thomas - whose abrupt departure still hurts her bruised heart - Rose fears she might not be up to the challenge. Especially when the investigation takes a deadly turn...

Attending a high society séance hosted by a psychic of dubious repute should have been nothing more than a great opportunity to gather clues. And yet Rose finds herself being followed, her dear friend is brutally attacked, and her mother's life is threatened. With her loved ones in danger, can Rose stop the killer before their sinister scheme claims another victim?

The fourth installment in Erin Lindsey's Rose Gallagher series, Pearls and Poison is an exciting adventure through Gilded Age New York. Fans of historical mysteries and all things supernatural will love this!"

Séance!!! 

Two Spinsters and a Villain by Eve Tarrington
Published by: Eve Tarrington
Publication Date: December 2nd, 2025
Format: Kindle, 256 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"A Regency-era opera house sees more than its share of drama when its imposing patron is murdered.

Louisa-Margaretta Haddington, back from Russia, is eager to find a theatre for her future husband's operatic debut. But a visitor from her past, Mr Fortescue, threatens both her marriage and her reputation. It is plain that he cannot stand to see his beloved Miss Haddington marry another. And when he turns up murdered, Louisa-Margaretta must fight for her future and her reputation.

Judith St Clair is in London trying to get help for her own fiance, who has vanished on a diplomatic mission. But when her cousin is accused of Mr Fortescue's murder, Judith must intervene immediately. But the theatrical world is full of secrets, and the actors are both secretive and skilled.

As Louisa-Margaretta and Judith attempt to find the killer, rumors fly in Europe that Napoleon Bonaparte has returned and is raising an army. As all London descends into panic, the two friends must unravel the best-kept secrets of the opera world in order to save both Jasper and themselves.

This Regency cozy historical mystery will transport you to a candlelit opera house and the wild London streets of 1815."

I love me a good Regency tale about the opera. Seriously, any theatrical venue during the Regency is fascinating to me.

Whispers at Painswick Court by Julie Klassen
Published by: Bethany House Publishers
Publication Date: December 2nd, 2025
Format: Hardcover, 368 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"She expected her return to Painswick would bring memories of the past - not danger and romance.

Anne Loveday, a surgeon's daughter, is determined to live a single, useful life. To escape her matchmaking stepmother, she accepts an invitation from an old friend to return to Painswick, the place where she and her sister spent many happy summers until that last, fateful year.

Soon after arriving, Anne is asked to serve as sickroom nurse to Lady Celia, who forbade her nephew to marry Anne's sister years before. Pushing aside resentments, Anne moves into Painswick Court, a shadowy old house rumored to be haunted. Also in residence are Lady Celia's spinster daughter, her handsome adult nephews, and a secretive new lady's maid. Two local doctors visit regularly as well, one of whom admires Anne while concealing secrets of his own.

As an escalating series of mishaps befalls her patient, Anne realizes someone is trying to kill the woman. But who? When Anne finds herself a suspect and her resolution to avoid romance challenged, can she discover the real culprit - and protect her heart - before it's too late?

Agatha Christie meets Jane Austen in this compelling Regency-era novel laced with intrigue, love, and English village charm for fans of historical romance and whodunit mysteries."

I would totally be Anne Loveday, though I probably would just be stuck with a patient and death threats and no romance.

Not Exactly Mr. Darcy by Carolyn Miller
Published by: Barbour Fiction
Publication Date: December 2nd, 2025
Format: Paperback, 256 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"Pride, Pemberley, and Second Chances.

When history-loving Olivia Bennett's teaching contract isn't renewed, she is considered her family's logical choice to care for her ailing grandmother in a tiny English village. While there, she soon finds additional work at nearby Hartbury Hall - one of England's great houses once used as Pemberley in a filmed production of Pride and Prejudice. The head gardener there, however, proves to be anything but the gentlemanly hero of that famous book. Little does she know that behind Liam Browne's brusque exterior is both a family tragedy and a legacy that demands truth and honor, creating a crisis that only Liv's vivacious determination can resolve. Along the way, she may just learn that appearances count for naught...and that love can be found in unexpected ways."

Always keep in mind, no one thought Darcy gentlemanly until the end!

The Last Vampire by Romina Garber
Published by: Wednesday Books
Publication Date: December 2nd, 2025
Format: Hardcover, 400 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"Pride and Prejudice meets Crave when Austen-loving Lorena Navarro attends a new boarding school expecting to find her own Mr. Darcy, but accidentally awakens the world's last vampire instead!

Pride comes before the fall.

When a boarding school opens in a once-condemned Victorian manor buried in the woods of New Hampshire, Austen-loving Lorena Navarro enrolls in hopes of finding her own Mr. Darcy. Instead, she stumbles across a coffin and accidentally awakens the world's last vampire.

After hibernating for nearly three centuries, William Pride is desperate to find his family - and clueless about the modern world. Relying on Lorena for more than just blood, he enrolls at the school to catch up on all he's missed.

Soon, William uncovers a chilling truth: He is the last hope for his kind's return to power. Torn between protecting the humans around him and fulfilling his fate, William must make a choice that could change everything. Will he sacrifice his species for love...or will he embrace his dark destiny at last?"

It's gotta be sacrifice right? Also, what house inspector missed a coffin!?!

Legend by Karina Halle
Published by: Ace
Publication Date: December 2nd, 2025
Format: Paperback, 480 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"The scorching conclusion to Hollow, a sexy, dark reimagining of The Legend of Sleepy Hollow.

Welcome back to Sleepy Hollow. Though Katrina Van Tassel, Ichabod Crane, and Brom Bones have begun to pull apart the bone-chilling mystery of the Headless Horseman, their journey is far from its end. As they share the enigmatic halls of Sleepy Hollow Institute, their lives become increasingly entangled. Amidst their exploration of dark desires, Kat grapples with the affections of two possessive men who hunger not just for her, but for each other.

As their passions deepen, unsettling secrets within the school's ancient coven come to light, threatening to unravel the very fabric of their existence. Each must face a profound test, with one harboring a hidden past that could shatter their newfound unity.

In a suspenseful tale of desire, obsession, and the ever-lurking shadows of Sleepy Hollow, these three souls will be pushed to the brink, facing the chilling consequences of their deepest secrets and darkest cravings.

Watch your head."

Gothic power throuple? 

Better in Black by Cassandra Clare
Published by: Knopf Books for Young Readers
Publication Date: December 2nd, 2025
Format: Hardcover, 464 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"Ten original love stories by the reigning queen of romantasy, featuring fan-favorite couples from her #1 New York Times bestselling Shadowhunter Chronicles - one of the most popular series of all time, with more than 50 million copies in print worldwide!

Ten couples. United by love. Divided by danger.

Jace and Clary, seeking out an exiled Shadowhunter and learning that love can save the world - or destroy it. Will and Tessa, honeymooning in Paris when a séance sends them down an unexpected path. Simon and Izzy, observing increased demonic activity around New York, on a hilarious urban romp.

These are just a few of the beloved couples whose romantic escapades will have you on the edge of your seat across time and storylines from Cassandra Clare's expansive Shadowhunters series. Don't miss a chance to reunite with:

-Anna and Ari
-Emma and Julian
-Kieran, Mark, and Cristina
-James and Cordelia
-Thomas and Alastair
-Sebastian and the Seelie Queen
-Jocelyn and Luke

A love letter to every fan of the Shadowhunter Chronicles, this riveting story collection also includes a sneak peek at The Wicked Powers, the majestic trilogy that will be the grand finale of the entire series!"

Oh, there are more books coming? OK.

Something Wicked by Falon Ballard
Published by: G.P. Putnam's Sons
Publication Date: December 2nd, 2025
Format: Hardcover, 384 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"The country of Avon is in deep turmoil...

The Uprising has overthrown Avon's monarchial rulers, and a decree has been issued. Candidates for the first presidential election will be selected by the completion of a special task: to kill the former monarch of their home province.

Callum, the son of the recently dethroned king, is determined to be in the running. But coming to terms with patricide will require the help of Lady Caterine, a Gifted courtesan at La Puissance, Avon's premiere sex club.

Lady Caterine has always had the magical ability to manipulate the emotions of anyone who experiences an orgasm in her presence. If Callum can only open up to Cate, he will be able to commit the newly fated murder without suffering the guilt and take his place as the rightful candidate from his province. But Callum has a deep-seated mistrust of the Gifted. And the last thing he expects is to be confronted with an undeniable connection with Cate that neither of them understands or wants.

With the fate of the country at stake, Callum and Cate search for ways to bare themselves to each other, and discover a darker force building within La Puissance, one that might ruin the future of Avon forever. To stop Avon from falling to ashes, they must sacrifice everything they have...even if it requires betraying each other."

Does her power work if she's just hanging out in a room with an orgy going on?

Tales of Winter and Whimsy by Amanda Aggie, Whitney Dean, Gabbie Dixon, L.R. Friedman, Morgan Gauthier, Kate King, V.B. Lacey , Ophelia Wells Langley, Hillary Raymer, and K.C. Smith
Published by: K.C. Smith
Publication Date: December 2nd, 2025
Format: Kindle, 500 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"Ten fantasy and romantasy authors. Ten delightfully cozy tales.

This enchanting collection of short stories will have you traveling through snow-covered landscapes, winter solstice balls, small town universities, seaside cottages, and time itself. From a grumpy blacksmith and a chicken cult to a budding romance in the most unlikely of places and everything in between. Each tale offers low stakes, varying spice levels, and whimsical winter worlds that are sure to fill your soul with joy.

So pour yourself a warm brew, wrap up in a cozy blanket, and step into these ten wintery, whimsical tales."

Who doesn't want to whimsy for winter as December starts?

The Curse of the Cole Women by Marielle Thompson
Published by: Alcove Press
Publication Date: December 2nd, 2025
Format: Hardcover, 336 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"Three generations of women struggle with a curse unfairly placed on their ancestor in this gothic story of magic, queer love, and mother-daughter relationships, perfect for fans of Spells for Forgetting and Practical Magic.

The Cole women are cursed. Each generation will birth a daughter, lose their love, and, as surely as the tide beats against the rocky shore, take her own life by giving herself to the sea. For generations, the Cole women have lived as outcasts, maintaining a lighthouse on a small island off the coast of New Hampshire. Ever since their ancestor was accused of witchcraft and cast into the sea hundreds of years prior, the islanders have ostracized the Coles, distrusting their rumored magic and their control of the lighthouse.

Despite their mistreatment, the Cole women are compelled to remain on the island because they know that if a Cole woman does not light the beacon on Juniper Island, anyone who is out at sea will be drowned. Out of guilt and obligation, the Cole women live out their solitary lives on the island, knowing someday their recompense for protecting the people from the sea will be to die in the sea themselves.

Told in three interwoven timelines in the late twentieth century, The Curse of the Cole Women unravels the lives of three women who struggle with their relationships with each other as they contend with the reality of their fates - is it truly a curse, or is it generational madness that drives Cole women to the sea?

Readers will be swept into this evocative and moving story about challenging misogyny, finding community, and struggling with fate."

The sea is a harsh mistress. 

Canticle by Janet Rich Edwards
Published by: Spiegel and Grau
Publication Date: December 2nd, 2025
Format: Hardcover, 368 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"A masterful debut novel following a spirited young woman's explorations of faith, agency, and love in thirteenth-century Bruges.

Aleys is sixteen years old and unusual: stubborn, bright, and prone to religious visions. She and her only friend, Finn, a young scholar, have been learning Latin together in secret - but just as she thinks their connection might become something more, everything unravels. When her father promises her in marriage to a merchant she doesn't love, she runs away from home, finding shelter among the beguines, a fiercely independent community of religious women who refuse to answer to the Church.

Among these hardworking and strong-willed women, Aleys glimpses for the first time the joys of belonging: a life of song, meaning, and friendship in the markets and along the canals of Bruges. But forces both mystical and political are at work. Illegal translations of scripture, the women's independence, and a sudden rash of miracles all draw the attention of an ambitious bishop - and bring Aleys and those around her into ever-increasing danger, a danger that will push Aleys to a new understanding of love and sacrifice.

Grounded in the little-told stories of medieval women - mystics, saints, anchoresses, and beguines - and introducing a major new talent, Canticle is a luminous work of historical fiction, vividly evoking a world on the verge of transformation."

If I were in Bruges in the thirteenth century I'd be with Aleys.

Out of Time by Jodi Taylor
Published by: Headline
Publication Date: December 2nd, 2025
Format: Hardcover, 464 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"The nail-bitingly tense, rib-crackingly funny new Time Police mission from the million-copy bestselling author of The Chronicles of St Mary's.

The Time Police are accustomed to jumping to the past. This time, however, the past has come to them.

What connects a dead dinosaur with Romulus the founder of Rome, a shocking cover-up at TPHQ and a plot to murder the Princes in the Tower?

The Time Police are determined to find out, helped - and occasionally hindered - by a wayward member of St Mary's and a recently reunited Team 236. Each in their own unique way, obviously.

As if all that wasn't enough - something somewhere in the Timeline is wrong. Very, very wrong. What is the Time Map trying to tell them?

Can the Time Police find the answers before Time runs out?"

Dinosaurs and Rome? Yes please!

A Grim Reaper's Guide to Cheating Death by Maxie Dara
Published by: Berkley
Publication Date: December 2nd, 2025
Format: Paperback, 288 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"When a determined killer targets her brother, a grim reaper risks everything to save him in this delightful cozy mystery.

Nora Bird works for S.C.Y.T.H.E., which might seem odd for someone as terrified of death as she is. But ever since her parents died in an accident when she was six, she's been obsessed with avoiding risk, and what better place to learn how to cheat death than the company that employs the nation's grim reapers?

The work enables Nora to learn all about the myriad ways you can kick the bucket, which is comforting...until one day, a file crosses her desk with a name she recognizes. Her twin brother's.

The twins haven't spoken in six months, but Charlie is all Nora has left. Completely against her cautious nature, Nora steals the file and flees, racing to her brother's house. She begs him to trust her that his death is imminent, and they hit the road (with his parrot, Jessica, who has plenty to say) in an attempt to evade both death and S.C.Y.T.H.E., whose sole mission of collecting souls has been disrupted by Charlie's continued existence.

Alas, every time Nora saves him, a new cause of death appears in his file. Someone is determined to take Charlie out, and Nora will have to use everything she's ever learned about death to discover the culprit."

I mean, working S.C.Y.T.H.E. has to have some added benefit right? Like saving your nearest and dearest...

Snake-Eater by T. Kingfisher
Published by: 47north
Publication Date: December 2nd, 2025
Format: Paperback, 271 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"From New York Times bestselling and Hugo Award-winning author T. Kingfisher comes an enthralling contemporary fantasy seeped in horror about a woman trying to escape her past by moving to the remote US desert - only to find herself beholden to the wrath of a vengeful god.

With only a few dollars to her name and her beloved dog Copper by her side, Selena flees her past in the city to claim her late aunt's house in the desert town of Quartz Creek. The scorpions and spiders are better than what she left behind.

Because in Quartz Creek, there's a strange beauty to everything, from the landscape to new friends, and more blue sky than Selena's ever seen. But something lurks beneath the surface. Like the desert gods and spirits lingering outside Selena's house at night, keeping watch. Mostly benevolent, says her neighbor Grandma Billy. That doesn't ease the prickly sense that one of them watches too closely and wants something from Selena she can't begin to imagine. And when Selena's search for answers leads her to journal entries that her aunt left behind, she discovers a sinister truth about her new home: It's the haunting grounds of an ancient god known simply as "Snake-Eater," who her late aunt made a promise to that remains unfulfilled.

Snake-Eater has taken a liking to Selena, an obsession of sorts that turns sinister. And now that Selena is the new owner of his home, he's hell-bent on collecting everything he's owed."

Is T. Kingfisher secretly entering a competition against Seanan McGuire for who can write the most books in a year? Personally, I think the more they both write makes us all winners.

Secrets of the First School by T.L. Huchu
Published by: Tor Books
Publication Date: December 2nd, 2025
Format: Paperback, 400 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"One final adventure for Ropa Moyo - orphan, mischief-maker and failed magician. Secrets of the First School is the mystery-filled finale to T. L. Huchu's USA Today bestselling Edinburgh Nights series.

"I've had my arse kicked more times than I can count"

Ropa Moyo is dead, banished to the Other Place by the reanimated spirit of Henry Dundas, 1st Viscount Melville of Scotland. Turns out being on the losing side sucks worse than being skint.

Now, the Cult of Dundas intends to ascend to godhood, spreading their corrupting reach from Edinburgh to all of Scotland's schools of magic. Ropa must find some way to escape the Other Place, save her sister and gather allies across the country before Edinburgh falls.

A royal plot, a family secret and a stolen body. As Scotland descends into petty in-fighting, Ropa's only hope lies in her grandmother's final secret: the first school of magic.

An ancient power is returning...and is hungry for revenge."

Say it isn't so!?! Not THE LAST!?! 

Posted by Miss Eliza at 12:01 AM 0 comments  

Labels: Cassandra Clare, Erin Lindsey, Falon Ballard, Janet Rich Edwards, Jodi Taylor, Julie Klassen, Karina Halle, Kelley Armstrong, Marielle Thompson, Matt Goldman, Maxie Dara, Romina Garber, T. Kingfisher, T.L. Huchu, Val McDermid

The Midnight Hour by Elly Griffiths
Published by: Mariner Books
Publication Date: December 7th, 2021
Format: Hardcover, 352 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"The Brighton police force is on the hunt for another killer, but this time they have some competition - a newly formed all-women’s private eye firm, led by none other than the police chief’s wife.

Newly minted PI Emma Holmes and her partner Sam Collins are just settling into their business when they’re chosen for a high-profile case: retired music-hall star Verity Malone hires them to find out who poisoned her husband, a theater impresario. Verity herself has been accused of the crime. The only hitch - the Brighton police are already on the case, putting Emma in direct competition with her husband, police superintendent Edgar Stephens.

Soon Emma realizes that Verity’s life intersects closely with her own - most notably in their mutual connection, Max Mephisto, who has returned to England from America with his children and famous wife, Hollywood star Lydia Lamont. Lydia, desperately bored in the countryside, catches wind of what Emma and Sam are up to and offers her services. What secret does Lydia know about Verity’s past?

The team of female PIs circle closer to the killer, with the Brighton police hot on their tail. The clues suggest they’re looking for a criminal targeting the old music-hall crew. How long will it be before that trail leads straight back to Max?"

I started this series this year and it has quickly become an all-time favorite. So how felicitous there's a new entry in the series!

Bryant and May: London Bridge is Falling Down by Christopher Fowler
Published by: Bantam
Publication Date: December 7th, 2021
Format: Hardcover, 464 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"The brilliant duo of Arthur Bryant and John May uncovers a nefarious plot behind the seemingly innocuous death of an old lady - and when the case leads them to London Bridge, it all comes down on the Peculiar Crimes Unit.

When ninety-one-year-old Amelia Hoffman dies in her top-floor flat on a busy London road, it’s considered an example of what has gone wrong with modern society: she slipped through the cracks in a failing system.

But detectives Arthur Bryant and John May of the Peculiar Crimes Unit have their doubts. Mrs. Hoffman was once a government security expert, though no one can quite remember her. When a link emerges between the old lady and a diplomat trying to flee the country, it seems that an impossible murder has been committed.

Mrs. Hoffman wasn’t the only one at risk. Bryant is convinced that other forgotten women with hidden talents are also in danger. And, curiously, they all own models of London Bridge.

With the help of some of their more certifiable informants, the detectives follow the strangest of clues in an investigation that will lead them through forgotten alleyways to the city’s oldest bridge in search of a desperate killer.

But just when the case appears to be solved, they discover that Mrs. Hoffman was smarter than anyone imagined. There’s a bigger game afoot that could have terrible consequences."

Pardon if I've made this joke before but it's too good to pass up.... It's a wonderful day when there's a new Bryant and May!

Observations by Gaslight by Lyndsay Faye
Published by: Mysterious Press
Publication Date: December 7th, 2021
Format: Hardcover, 295 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"A new collection of Sherlockian tales that shows the Great Detective and his partner, Watson, as their acquaintances saw them.

Lyndsay Faye - international bestseller, translated into fifteen languages, and a two-time Edgar Award nominee - first appeared on the literary scene with Dust and Shadow, her now-classic novel pitting Sherlock Holmes against Jack the Ripper, and later produced The Whole Art of Detection, her widely acclaimed collection of traditional Watsonian tales. Now Faye is back with Observations by Gaslight, a thrilling volume of both new and previously published short stories and novellas narrated by those who knew the Great Detective.

Beloved adventuress Irene Adler teams up with her former adversary in a near-deadly inquiry into a room full of eerily stopped grandfather clocks. Learn of the case that cemented the lasting friendship between Holmes and Inspector Lestrade, and of the tragic crime which haunted the Yarder into joining the police force. And witness Stanley Hopkins’ first meeting with the remote logician he idolizes, who will one day become his devoted mentor.

From familiar faces like landlady Mrs. Hudson to minor characters like Lomax the sub-librarian, Observations by Gaslight - entirely epistolary, told through diaries, telegrams, and even grocery lists - paints a masterful portrait of Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson as you have never seen them before."

I've been on a bit of a Sherlock Holmes adjacent kick this year, there Observations by Gaslight by the author of Jane Steele is just what I've been looking for!

The Hanged Man's Tale by Gerald Jay
Published by: Nan A. Talese
Publication Date: December 7th, 2021
Format: Hardcover, 320 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"In the shadowy back alleys and opulent homes of Paris, hard-nosed police inspector Paul Mazarelle of The Paris Directive sets out on the trail of a serial killer.

A murdered man is discovered dangling inside the tunnels of a Paris canal - the only clue, the tarot card in his pockets: the Hanged Man. When an innocent suspect is railroaded into prison for the homicide, Mazarelle sets off on the hunt for the real killer.

For the charming, hot-tempered, impulsive Frenchman - now back from the provinces and leading his own homicide unit out of Paris’s famed Quai des Orfevres - it’s an investigation that takes him far from the comforts of Beaujolais and bouillabaisse, and plunges him into an underworld of ruthless white supremacists looking for scapegoats in Paris’s growing immigrant community, corrupt cops eager to cover up a shady side business, and a conspiracy of secrets that threaten his own life.

Meanwhile, Claire Girard, an irresistible and ambitious journalist at a popular tabloid, is wrapped up in the same story. On the trail of the Tarot Card killer, Mazarelle finds himself blindsided by their growing attraction. And when his team’s case collides with Girard's latest scoop, and the body count keeps rising, Mazarelle himself becomes a prime suspect who must clear his own name. Gerald Jay’s latest Mazarelle adventure is a riveting, fast-paced thriller about a classic French detective making his way through the dangerous streets of a very modern world."

I might be a bit serial killer and tarot obsessed, therefore this book is SO in my wheelhouse.

The Witching Tree by Alice Blanchard
Published by: Minotaur Books
Publication Date: December 7th, 2021
Format: Hardcover, 336 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"Welcome to Burning Lake, a small, isolated town with a dark history of witches and false accusations. Now, a modern-day witch has been murdered, and Detective Natalie Lockhart is reluctantly drawn deep into the case, in this atmospheric mystery from Alice Blanchard, The Witching Tree.

As legend has it, if you carve your deepest desire into the bark of a Witch Tree, then over time as the tree grows, it will swallow the carvings until only a witch can read them.

Until now.

Detective Natalie Lockhart gained unwanted notoriety when she and her family became front and center of not one, but two sensational murder cases. Now she’s lost her way. Burned out and always looking over her shoulder, Natalie desperately thinks that quitting the police force is her only option left.

All that changes when a beloved resident - a practicing Wiccan and founder of the town’s oldest coven - is killed in a fashion more twisted and shocking than Natalie has ever seen before, leaving the town reeling. Natalie has no choice but to help solve the case along with Detective Luke Pittman, her boss and the old childhood friend she cannot admit she loves, even to herself. There is a silent, malignant presence in Burning Lake that will not rest. And what happens next will shock the whole town, and Natalie, to the core."

Witch persecution and murder is always a must read for me.

The Excalibur Curse by Kiersten White
Published by: Delacorte Press
Publication Date: December 7th, 2021
Format: Hardcover, 368 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"The gripping conclusion to the acclaimed Arthurian fantasy trilogy from New York Times bestselling author Kiersten White finds Guinevere questioning everything - friends and enemies, good and evil, and, most of all, herself.

While journeying north toward the Dark Queen, Guinevere falls into the hands of her enemies. Behind her are Lancelot, trapped on the other side of the magical barrier they created to protect Camelot, and Arthur, who has been led away from his kingdom, chasing after false promises. But the greatest danger isn’t what lies ahead of Guinevere - it’s what’s been buried inside her.

Vowing to unravel the truth of her past with or without Merlin’s help, Guinevere joins forces with the sorceress Morgana and her son, Mordred - and faces the confusing, forbidden feelings she still harbors for him. When Guinevere makes an agonizing discovery about who she is and how she came to be, she finds herself with an impossible choice: fix a terrible crime, or help prevent war.

Guinevere is determined to set things right, whatever the cost. To defeat a rising evil. To remake a kingdom. To undo the mistakes of the past...even if it means destroying herself.

Guinevere has been a changeling, a witch, a queen - but what does it mean to be just a girl?"

Damn, I'm a sucker for all things Camelot!

Shadows of Swanford Abbey by Julie Klassen
Published by: Bethany House Publishers
Publication Date: December 7th, 2021
Format: Hardcover, 416 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"News of her brother's worrisome behavior spurs Miss Rebecca Lane to return home to her village. Upon her arrival, he begs her to go to nearby Swanford Abbey, a medieval monastery turned grand hotel rumored to be haunted. Feeling responsible for her brother's desperate state, she reluctantly agrees to stay at the abbey until she can deliver his manuscript to a fellow guest who might help him get published - an author who once betrayed them.

Soon, Rebecca starts seeing strange things, including a figure in a hooded black gown gliding silently through the abbey's cloisters at night. For all its renovations and veneer of luxury, the ancient foundations seem to echo with whispers of the past - including her own. For there she encounters Sir Frederick - baronet, magistrate, and former neighbor - who long ago broke her heart. Now a handsome widower of thirty-five, he is trying to overcome a past betrayal of his own.

When the famous author is found dead, Sir Frederick makes inquiries and quickly discovers that several people held grudges against the author, including Miss Lane and her brother. As Sir Frederick searches for answers, he is torn between his growing feelings for Rebecca and his pursuit of the truth. For Miss Lane is clearly hiding something...."

It's like Jane Austen meets Midsomer Murders. You know, that episode in Maggie Smith's house from Gosford Park! 

Posted by Miss Eliza at 12:00 AM 0 comments  

Labels: Alice Blanchard, Bryant and May, Camelot, Christopher Fowler, Elly Griffiths, Gerald Jay, Jane Austen, Julie Klassen, Kiersten White, Lyndsay Faye, Midsomer Murders, Sherlock Holmes, Tarot, The Midnight Hour

A Friendly Game of Murder by J.J. Murphy
Published by: Signet
Publication Date: January 1st, 2013
Format: Mass Market Paperback, 336 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"Why should Dorothy Parker’s friends be the only ones making “enviable names” in “science, art, and parlor games”? Dorothy can play with the best of them—as she sets out to prove at a New Year’s Eve party at the Algonquin Hotel. Since the swanky soiree is happening in the penthouse suite of swashbuckling star Douglas Fairbanks, some derring-do is called for. How about a little game of “Murder”?

Each partygoer draws a card to be detective, murderer, or victim. But young Broadway starlet Bibi Bibelot trumps them all when her dead body is found in the bathtub. No one knows who the killer is, but one thing is for sure—they won’t be making gin in that bathtub.

When more partiers are put in peril, it becomes clear the game is indeed on, and it’s up to Dorothy, surprise guest Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, and the members of the Round Table to stay alive—and relatively sober—long enough to find the killer…"

THE BOOK I've been waiting over a year to read! I just adore this cozy series.

Fonduing Fathers by Julie Hyzy
Published by: Berkley
Publication Date: January 1st, 2013
Format: Mass Market Paperback, 304 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"White House executive chef Olivia Paras has enough on her plate. But after gaining new information about her father’s death, the First Family isn’t the only family Olivia is concerned about…

Olivia has always believed that her father was an honorable man—until a trip to visit her mother reveals that he was dishonorably discharged from the army. Olivia is even more shocked to learn that he was brutally murdered because someone at his company suspected him of selling corporate secrets. Refusing to believe that her father was a scoundrel, Olivia won’t rest until she proves his innocence.

Enlisting the help of her boyfriend, Gav, Olivia must reach out to her father’s colleagues to discover the truth behind his murder. What she’s about to discover may not only put her at risk, but threaten national security as well…"

My Mother's favorite cozy series, which sadly comes out after Christmas, but right before her birthday, score!

Touch of Demon by Diana Rowland
Published by: DAW
Publication Date: January 1st, 2013
Format: Mass Market Paperback, 448 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"Kara Gillian is in Seriously Deep Trouble.

She's used to summoning supernatural creatures from the demon realm to our world, but now she's the one who's been summoned. Kara is the prisoner of the demonic Lord Mzatal, but quickly discovers that she's far more than a mere hostage. He has his own plans to use Kara and keep her from Rhyzkahl-the demonic lord she is sworn to serve. However, waiting for rescue has never been Kara's style, and she has no intention of being a pawn in someone else's game.

Yet intrigue and treachery run rampant amongst all lords, and Kara is hard pressed to keep her wits about her. Her abilities as a homicide detective are put the the test as she seeks the truth about FBI Agent Ryan Kristoff, Rhyzkahl, and herself. But, the answers she finds only raise more questions. She soon discovers that she has her own history in the demon realm-one that goes back farther than she could have ever imagined. But that history may yet spell her doom as she’s faced with a peril beyond mortal comprehension.

She’s going to need all the strength and tenacity she’s developed as a cop and a summoner, or the hell she endures may well last forever."

I haven't read this series of Rowland's, being familiar with her Zombie White Trash series, but, according to Felicia Day it's "amaze-balls" so I'm sold.

Catherine by April Linder
Published by: Poppy
Publication Date: January 1st, 2013
Format: Hardcover, 320 Pages
To Buy

"A forbidden romance. A modern mystery. Wuthering Heights as you've never seen it before.

Catherine is tired of struggling musicians befriending her just so they can get a gig at her Dad's famous Manhattan club, The Underground. Then she meets mysterious Hence, an unbelievably passionate and talented musician on the brink of success. As their relationship grows, both are swept away in a fiery romance. But when their love is tested by a cruel whim of fate, will pride keep them apart?

Chelsea has always believed that her mom died of a sudden illness, until she finds a letter her dad has kept from her for years -- a letter from her mom, Catherine, who didn't die: She disappeared. Driven by unanswered questions, Chelsea sets out to look for her -- starting with the return address on the letter: The Underground.

Told in two voices, twenty years apart, Catherine interweaves a timeless forbidden romance with a compelling modern mystery."

After the way she handled Jane Eyre, it will be interesting to see what she does with another Bronte classic!

The Tutor's Daughter by Julie Klassen
Published by: Bethany House
Publication Date: January 1st, 2013
Format: Paperback, 416 Pages
To Buy

"Emma Smallwood, determined to help her widowed father when his boarding school fails, accompanies him to the cliff-top manor of a baronet and his four sons. But soon after they arrive and begin teaching the two younger boys, mysterious things begin to happen. Who does Emma hear playing the pianoforte at night, only to find the music room empty? And who begins sneaking into her bedchamber, leaving behind strange mementoes?

The baronet's older sons, Phillip and Henry Weston, wrestle with problems—and secrets—of their own. They both remember the studious Miss Smallwood from their days at her father's academy. But now one of them finds himself unexpectedly drawn to her...

When suspicious acts escalate, can Emma figure out which brother to blame and which to trust with her heart?"

Oh, kind of a Jane Eyre Jane Austen vibe going on, which I don't think I can pass up.

The Missing Manuscript of Jane Austen by Syrie James
Published by: Herkley Trade
Publication Date: January 1st, 2013
Format: Mass Market Paperback, 432 Pages
To Buy

"The minute I saw the letter, I knew it was hers. There was no mistaking it: the salutation, the tiny, precise handwriting, the date, the content itself, all confirmed its ancient status and authorship…

Samantha McDonough cannot believe her eyes--or her luck. Tucked in an uncut page of a two-hundred-year old poetry book is a letter she believes was written by Jane Austen, mentioning with regret a manuscript that "went missing at Greenbriar in Devonshire." Could there really be an undiscovered Jane Austen novel waiting to be found? Could anyone resist the temptation to go looking for it?

Making her way to the beautiful, centuries-old Greenbriar estate, Samantha finds it no easy task to sell its owner, the handsome yet uncompromising Anthony Whitaker, on her wild idea of searching for a lost Austen work--until she mentions its possible million dollar value.

After discovering the unattributed manuscript, Samantha and Anthony are immediately absorbed in the story of Rebecca Stanhope, daughter of a small town rector, who is about to encounter some bittersweet truths about life and love. As they continue to read the newly discovered tale from the past, a new one unfolds in the present--a story that just might change both of their lives forever."

Syrie James had some success with her Jane Austen and Charlotte Bronte lost memoirs, and here she is, hopefully back in stride with those.

The Garden Intrigue by Lauren Willig
Published by: NAL
Publication Date: January 1st, 2013
Format: Mass Market Paperback, 448 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"Secret agent Augustus Whittlesby has spent a decade undercover in France, posing as an insufferably bad poet. The French surveillance officers can’t bear to read his work closely enough to recognize the information drowned in a sea of verbiage.

New York-born Emma Morris Delagardie is a thorn in Augustus’s side. An old school friend of Napoleon’s stepdaughter, she came to France with her uncle, eloped with a Frenchman, and has been rattling around the salons of Paris ever since. Now widowed, she entertains herself by holding a weekly salon, and loudly critiquing Augustus’s poetry.

As Napoleon pursues his plans for the invasion of England, Whittlesby hears of a top-secret device to be demonstrated at a house party. The catch? The only way in is with Emma, who has been asked to write a masque for the weekend’s entertainment. In this complicated masque within a masque, nothing goes quite as scripted—especially Augustus’s unexpected feelings for Emma."

What kind of friend would I be if I didn't promote the lovely paperback edition of Augustus finally getting his lady? Who I like to picture as Bernadette from The Big Bang Theory.

Grave Sight by Charlaine Harris
Published by: InkLit
Publication Date: January 1st, 2013
Format: Hardcover, 160 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"Lightning-struck sleuth Harper Connelly and her stepbrother Tolliver are experts at getting in, getting paid, and then getting out of town fast—because the people who hire Harper have a funny habit of not really wanting to know what she has to tell them. At first, the little Ozarks town of Sarne seems like no exception. A teenage girl has gone missing, and Harper knows almost immediately that this girl is dead. But the secrets of her death—and the secrets of the town—are deep enough that even Harper’s special ability can’t uncover them. With hostility welling up all around them, she and Tolliver would like nothing better than to be on their way. But then another woman is murdered. And the killer’s not finished yet…"

So, I've always like Harper Connelly more than Sookie, even if some people think there's some grosser aspects to these stories, I'm still a fan. I have also been waiting for this to come out in one edition so I didn't have to hunt up all the issues. What's with Harper looking like Doctor Manhattan from Watchmen though?

Posted by Miss Eliza at 12:00 AM 0 comments  

Labels: Charlaine Harris, Diana Rowland, Fonduing Fathers, Harper Connelly, J.J. Murphy, Julie Hyzy, Julie Klassen, Lauren Willig, Pink Carnation, The Garden Intrique, Touch of Demon, Watchmen