strange and random happenstance

The Familiar by Leigh Bardugo
Published by: Flatiron Books
Publication Date: April 9th, 2024
Format: Hardcover, 400 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"From the #1 New York Times bestselling author Leigh Bardugo comes a spellbinding novel set in the Spanish Golden Age.

In a shabby house, on a shabby street, in the new capital of Madrid, Luzia Cotado uses scraps of magic to get through her days of endless toil as a scullion. But when her scheming mistress discovers the lump of a servant cowering in the kitchen is actually hiding a talent for little miracles, she demands Luzia use those gifts to improve the family's social position.

What begins as simple amusement for the nobility takes a perilous turn when Luzia garners the notice of Antonio Pérez, the disgraced secretary to Spain's king. Still reeling from the defeat of his armada, the king is desperate for any advantage in the war against England's heretic queen - and Pérez will stop at nothing to regain the king's favor.

Determined to seize this one chance to better her fortunes, Luzia plunges into a world of seers and alchemists, holy men and hucksters, where the lines between magic, science, and fraud are never certain. But as her notoriety grows, so does the danger that her Jewish blood will doom her to the Inquisition's wrath. She will have to use every bit of her wit and will to survive - even if that means enlisting the help of Guillén Santángel, an embittered immortal familiar whose own secrets could prove deadly for them both."

THE BOOK of the year. Seriously, I can not wait.

Against the Darkness by Kendare Blake
Published by: Disney Hyperion
Publication Date: April 9th, 2024
Format: Hardcover, 384 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"This epic finale to the Buffy: The Next Generation trilogy by New York Times bestselling author Kendare Blake (Three Dark Crowns) features the next generation of Scoobies and Slayers who must defeat a powerful new evil.

For generations, the Slayer was supposed to be the chosen, the one girl in all the world with the power to stand against the vampires, demons, and forces of darkness. When Willow used the scythe to call up all the potential slayers at once, it changed everything. For years, the slayers have been working and fighting together as a team.

Then the Darkness came, killing many slayers and trapping the rest in an alternate dimension. And Frankie Rosenberg, the world's first Slayer-Witch, found herself fighting evil alone. Sort of.

After their latest confrontation with the Darkness, the Scooby gang is more fragmented than ever. Jake is having a werewolf identity crisis, and the return of his troublemaker brother Jordy is only making things worse. Hailey is off pretending to be one of the rogue slayers. Sigmund is burying his broken heart in books. And Frankie's mom, Willow, and Watcher, Spike, only seem to care about bringing Buffy back.

Now, Frankie must forge her own path, save the slayers, reunite her friends, and lead the charge to defeat the Darkness once and for all."

Willow will always be obsessed with bringing Buffy back... The more things change the more they stay the same.

Catchpenny by Charlie Huston
Published by: Vintage
Publication Date: April 9th, 2024
Format: Paperback, 416 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"A thief who can travel through mirrors, a video game that threatens to spill out of the virtual world, a doomsday cult on a collision course with destiny, and a missing teenager at the center of it all. With the world on the brink of every kind of apocalypse, humanity needs a hero. What it gets is Sid Catchpenny.

Sidney Catchpenny has had a bad run. Laid low by a years-long bout of debilitating depression, he's all but squandered his reputation as one of the most uniquely talented thieves in LA. There aren't many who can do what Sid does. He's a sly, a special kind of crook with the uncanny ability to move through mirrors. And the spoils he's after are equally unusual. Forget jewels and cold cash - Sid steals curiosities - items imbued with powerful mojo, a magical essence gleaned from the accumulated emotion that seeps into interesting, though often banal objects. That spot on the carpet where your old dog used to lay at your feet? The passed-down family heirloom nobody wants but everybody refuses to throw away? These curiosities are full of mojo, which is both the currency of the criminal underground and the secret source of magic in the world.

When a friend from Sid's past comes looking for his help with an important client, and the chance to pay off old debts presents itself, Sid seizes the opportunity...as best he can. But the case he stumbles into is more complicated than it seems, and it portends a seismic shift in the world, one that will leave no one untouched. As the fog of his depression begins to lift, Sid sees connections everywhere he looks, and the once disparate threads of the case - a missing teenage girl, an entire bedroom saturated with mojo, and Sid's own long-dead wife - begin to coalesce."

Mojo dojo catchpenny housebreaker? Sorry, I couldn't resist.

The Vacancy in Room 10 by Seraphina Nova Glass
Published by: Graydon House
Publication Date: April 9th, 2024
Format: Hardcover, 304 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"When Anna Hartley's husband, Henry, calls her with a terrible, guilty confession, she can't believe what she hears. It has to be a bad joke - the mild, predictable artist she married would never hurt a fly, let alone commit murder. But her confusion turns to horror when police find his body washed up on the banks of the Rio Grande.

Desperate for answers to the millions of questions his untimely death has raised, Anna checks in to The Sycamores, the run-down motel turned apartment Henry rented as an art studio. As she absorbs every bit of gossip the eclectic mix of residents are willing to share about her husband and each other, she begins to piece together a picture of a very different man than the one she married, and the life he led behind her back. The more she learns, and the less sense things seem to make, she finds herself wondering: Did she ever really know Henry at all?

But Henry's secrets aren't the only ones; as Anna's search for clues expands, Cass, the mysterious, jaded motel manager, seems more and more determined to keep Anna in the dark. And when threatening letters start appearing at her door, Anna has to decide what's more important - the truth, or her own safety."

Oh, you know Anna will choose the truth. They all do.

The Vinyl Detective: Noise Floor by Andrew Cartmel
Published by: Titan Books (UK)
Publication Date: April 9th, 2024
Format: Paperback, 384 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"The Vinyl Detective plunges into the world of electronic dance music in his seventh adventure. Expect laughs, LPs, cats and the return of fan favourites, Nevada, Tinkler, Stinky Stanmer and more.

The Vinyl Detective enters the fraught and frenzied realm of electronic dance music.

Lambert Ramkin aka Imperium Dart, techno trickster and ambient music wizard of the 1990s, has gone walkabout, disappearing from his rather palatial home in Kent.

This isn't the first time he's pulled a vanishing act, but he's never been gone so long before and his wife - wives, actually; it's complicated - are worried and hire the Vinyl Detective to find the old rascal.

They theorise that wherever the missing man is, he won't be able to resist turning up at a record fair somewhere in search of 12-inch white label acid house singles, which he collects compulsively.

And no one knows the world of record fairs better than the Vinyl Detective.

They're not wrong...

But once our hero finds the wandering Lamb the trouble really begins - including terrifying mind-fucks with a side order of, if things break the wrong way, mass murder."

I just learned about this series last year because of Andrew Cartmel's work with Ben Aaronovitch on the Rivers of London graphic novels. So I'm very excited to see what this world is all about.

The Poison Pen by Paige Shelton
Published by: Minotaur Books
Publication Date: April 9th, 2024
Format: Hardcover, 304 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"The Poison Pen, the ninth installment in the Scottish Bookshop series by Paige Shelton, set in a specialty bookstore in Edinburgh called The Cracked Spine.

Edinburgh is mourning recent the death of Queen Elizabeth II when Bookseller Delaney Nichols's boss comes to her with a most unusual assignment. An old friend of his, living in an estate in the village of Roslin, has found what could be a priceless relic on her property, and Delaney is tasked with investigating. Could Jolie possibly have an item of breathtaking Scottish historical significance in her possession? But when Delaney arrives at Jolie's estate, she is greeted by a legal team with a vested interest in the property. Jolie manages to remove the interlopers, but as they're examining the priceless item, they hear a scream, and meet a much less welcome discovery: a body.

As Delaney digs deeper, she discovers Jolie's own fascinating history. Jolie's mother had long claimed that her daughter was the rightful heir to the throne, not Elizabeth II, because of an affair she claimed to have with King Edward VIII. The only evidence, however, is in the form of a purported journal that one of Edward's secretaries kept. The puzzles become more confusing when a connection is uncovered between this far-fetched story and the murdered man. Delaney will have to read between the lines to put together the pieces...or become history herself."

Oh, pretenders to the throne!?!

Death in the Details by Katie Tietjen
Published by: Crooked Lane Books
Publication Date: April 9th, 2024
Format: Hardcover, 288 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"Inspired by the real-life mother of forensic science, Frances Glessner Lee, and featuring a whip-smart, intrepid sleuth in post-WWII Vermont, this debut historical mystery will appeal to fans of Victoria Thompson and Rhys Bowen.

Maple Bishop is ready to put WWII and the grief of losing her husband, Bill, behind her. But when she discovers that Bill left her penniless, Maple realizes she could lose her Vermont home next and sets out to make money the only way she knows how: by selling her intricately crafted dollhouses. Business is off to a good start - until Maple discovers her first customer dead, his body hanging precariously in his own barn.

Something about the supposed suicide rubs Maple the wrong way, but local authorities brush off her concerns. Determined to help them see "what's big in what's small," Maple turns to what she knows best, painstakingly recreating the gruesome scene in miniature: death in a nutshell.

With the help of a rookie officer named Kenny, Maple uses her macabre miniature to dig into the dark undercurrents of her sleepy town, where everyone seems to have a secret--and a grudge. But when her nosy neighbor goes missing and she herself becomes a suspect, it'll be up to Maple to find the devil in the details - and put him behind bars.

Drawing inspiration from true crime and offering readers a smartly plotted puzzle of a mystery, Death in the Details is a stunning series debut."

I've been obsessed with anything to do with Frances Glessner Lee since I read Maureen Johnson's Truly Devious books!

Cast a Cold Eye by Robbie Morrison
Published by: Bantam
Publication Date: April 9th, 2024
Format: Paperback, 448 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"In 1930s Glasgow, partners Jimmy Dreghorn and Archie McDaid face a danger that threatens to set their city aflame - the second novel in the acclaimed mystery series that began with Edge of the Grave.

Glasgow, 1933. Murder is nothing new in the Depression-era city, especially to war veterans Inspector Jimmy Dreghorn and his partner, "Bonnie" Archie McDaid. But the dead man found in a narrowboat on the Forth and Clyde Canal, executed with a single shot to the back of the head, is no ordinary killing.

Violence usually erupts in the heat of the moment - the razor-gangs that stalk the streets settle scores with knives and fists. But firearms suggest something more sinister, especially when the killer strikes again.

Meanwhile, other forces are stirring within the city. A suspected IRA cell is at large, embedded within the criminal gangs and attracting the ruthless attention of Special Branch agents from London.

With political and sectarian tensions rising and the body count mounting, Dreghorn and McDaid pursue an investigation into the dark heart of humanity - where one man's freedom fighter is another man's terrorist, and noble ideals are swept away by bloody vengeance."

One of my friends has been spending a lot of time in Glasgow so I'm now a little Glasgow obsessed. OK, a lot Glasgow obsessed.

The Clock Struck Murder by Betty Webb
Published by: Poisoned Pen Press
Publication Date: April 9th, 2024
Format: Paperback, 320 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"One woman's trash is another woman's - lost Chagall masterpiece?!?

Expat Zoe Barlow has settled well into her artist's life among the Lost Generation in 1920s Paris. When a too-tipsy guest at her weekly poker game breaks Zoe's favorite clock, she's off to a Montparnasse flea market to bargain with the vendor Laurette for a replacement. What Zoe didn't bargain for was the lost Chagall painting that's been used like a rag to wrap her purchases! Eager to learn whether Laurette has more Chagalls lying about like trash, Zoe sets off to track her down at her storage shed. With no Laurette in sight, Zoe snoops around and indeed finds several additional Chagalls - and then she finds Laurette herself, dead beneath a scrap heap, her beautiful face bashed in.

With Paris hosting the 1924 Summer Olympics, the police are far too busy with tourist-related crimes to devote much time to the clock seller's murder. After returning the paintings to a grateful Marc Chagall, Zoe begins her own investigation. Did the stolen paintings play any part in the brutal killing? Or was it a crime of passion? Zoe soon discovers that there were many people who had reason to resent the lovely Laurette. But who hated the girl enough to stop her clock permanently? When Zoe discovers a second murder victim, the pressure is on to find the killer before time - and luck - run out."

Wait, I just realized are they doing the Summer Olympics in Paris this year because it's been a hundred years since these Olympics? Also, as much as I dislike the Summer Olympics, I'd totally go if I could find a lost Chagall masterpiece.

Ghost Station by S.A. Barnes
Published by: Tor Nightfire
Publication Date: April 9th, 2024
Format: Hardcover, 384 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"A crew must try to survive on an ancient, abandoned planet in the latest space horror novel from S.A. Barnes, acclaimed author of Dead Silence.

Space exploration can be lonely and isolating.

Psychologist Dr. Ophelia Bray has dedicated her life to the study and prevention of ERS - a space-based condition most famous for a case that resulted in the brutal murders of twenty-nine people. When she's assigned to a small exploration crew, she's eager to make a difference. But as they begin to establish residency on an abandoned planet, it becomes clear that crew is hiding something.

While Ophelia focuses on her new role, her crewmates are far more interested in investigating the eerie, ancient planet and unraveling the mystery behind the previous colonizer's hasty departure than opening up to her. That is, until their pilot is discovered gruesomely murdered. Is this Ophelia's worst nightmare starting - a wave of violence and mental deterioration from ERS? Or is it something more sinister?

Terrified that history will repeat itself, Ophelia and the crew must work together to figure out what's happening. But trust is hard to come by...and the crew isn't the only one keeping secrets."

I love what amounts to haunted house stories in outer space.

A Slice of Fried Gold: Taste My Memories by Nick Frost
Published by: Mango
Publication Date: April 9th, 2024
Format: Hardcover, 320 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"How the Joy of Cooking Saved Me.

Follow comedic actor Nick Frost's journey with family recipes that reconnect him to memories and loved ones from long ago.

A cookbook of laughs, tears, and stroganoff. Known for comedy movies such as Shaun of the Dead and Hot Fuzz, Nick Frost has touched the hearts of millions throughout his career. Now, he shares his culinary side in an all-new celebrity memoir that mixes humorous advice with honest truths. A Slice of Fried Gold is a love letter to cooking, the people who inspired him, and how his emotional connection to food has impacted his life and relationships. Full of delicious recipes, familiar faces, and touching moments from Nick's life, discover how cooking can create bonds that last a lifetime.

Make every meal a memory. When twelve-year-old Nick first recreated his mom's beef stroganoff, he found that it brought out a version of her that he only saw when she was sober: pride. Now, years after her death, he continues to make it so he and his family can still know her and her best moments with every bite. With many other memories about how the joy of cooking helped him cope with the loss and chaos in his life, Nick's story will inspire you to find your own uplifting way of reconnecting with loved ones and your happiest moments with them.

Inside A Slice of Fried Gold, you'll also discover:

-15+ meaningful recipes and how Nick Frost adds his own techniques to each meal
-How cooking has helped with his ADHD
-His experience of sharing his famous Pie in a Bowl with friend and co-star Simon Pegg
-Ways to cherish memories and traditions with the next generation

If you liked celebrity cookbooks such as Snoop Dog Presents Goon with the Spoon, Pie is Messy, or How to Cook That, you'll love A Slice of Fried Gold."

I love this book if there is not a single mention of a kibbutz, unlike his previous book.

Posted by Miss Eliza at 12:00 AM 0 comments  

Labels: Andrew Cartmel, Betty Webb, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Charlie Huston, Katie Tietjen, Kendare Blake, Leigh Bardugo, Nick Frost, Paige Shelton, Robbie Morrison, S.A. Barnes, Seraphina Nova Glass, The Familiar

One Girl In All The World by Kendare Blake
Published by: Disney-Hyperion
Publication Date: January 31st, 2023
Format: Hardcover, 352 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"#1 New York Times best-selling author Kendare Blake returns to New Sunnydale in this sequel to In Every Generation, set in the world of Buffy the Vampire Slayer.

Frankie Rosenberg is the world's first slayer-witch, but she doesn't have that slay-life balance figured out just yet. She’s still reeling from the deadly explosion at the annual slayer retreat - and new evidence that some slayers may have survived. And while she's defeated her first Big Bad, Frankie soon realizes it was just a warm up act - and bigger, badder forces of evil are only just getting started. The Hellmouth has been reawakened, inter-dimensional portals are opening, and an oracle warns of a new foe on its way: the Darkness.

Could this be what attacked the slayers? And is it coming for Frankie?"

You know, people are making way too much out of Sarah Michelle Gellar saying she doesn't envision Buffy going forward, but they forget to notice she clearly said WITH HER involved. Well, with the likes of Kendare Blake and Frankie Rosenberg, fans have to realize the fandom is in good hands.

Dream to Me by Megan Paasch
Published by: Feiwel and Friends
Publication Date: January 31st, 2023
Format: Hardcover, 384 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"From debut author Megan Paasch comes Dream to Me, a YA contemporary fantasy about generational magic, grief, and what it takes to forgive ourselves.

Eva Sylvan didn't ask for any of this. Not the cross-country move with her sister to a town in the middle of nowhere, not the family estate, inherited from a late great-aunt, that's falling apart at the hinges, and definitely not the sudden death of her beloved father. So when the locals react with hostility to the very mention of her last name, Eva's pretty sure things can't get any worse.

Until she has a dream about a gas station employee and the next day, he's in a coma.

And then it happens again.

Something sinister is lurking in the corners of Eva's dreams, something that's having devastating effects on the waking world. People are dropping left and right, and Eva finds herself squarely in the town's crosshairs. In order to defeat the shadows of her unconscious, Eva must not only unearth the magic tied to her family history, but she must confront the guilt that has been haunting her since her father's death. Only she can save the town from the dark power in her dreams - if the threat is truly even her dreams at all."

Oh yes, like an extra Gothic YA!

The Black Queen by Jumata Emill
Published by: Delacorte Press
Publication Date: January 31st, 2023
Format: Hardcover, 400 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"Nova Albright was going to be the first Black homecoming queen at Lovett High - but now she's dead. Murdered on coronation night. Fans of One of Us Is Lying and The Other Black Girl will love this unputdownable thriller.

Nova Albright, the first Black homecoming queen at Lovett High, is dead. Murdered the night of her coronation, her body found the next morning in the old slave cemetery she spent her weekends rehabilitating.

Tinsley McArthur was supposed to be queen. Not only is she beautiful, wealthy, and white, it's her legacy - her grandmother, her mother, and even her sister wore the crown before her. Everyone in Lovett knows Tinsley would do anything to carry on the McArthur tradition.

No one is more certain of that than Duchess Simmons, Nova's best friend. Duchess's father is the first Black police captain in Lovett. For Duchess, Nova's crown was more than just a win for Nova. It was a win for all the Black kids. Now her best friend is dead, and her father won't face the fact that the main suspect is right in front of him. Duchess is convinced that Tinsley killed Nova - and that Tinsley is privileged enough to think she can get away with it. But Duchess's father seems to be doing what he always does: fall behind the blue line. Which means that the white girl is going to walk.

Duchess is determined to prove Tinsley's guilt. And to do that, she’ll have to get close to her.

But Tinsley has an agenda, too.

Everyone loved Nova. And sometimes, love is exactly what gets you killed."

A socially conscious Carrie. 

The Carrefour Curse by Dianne K. Salerni
Published by: Holiday House
Publication Date: January 31st, 2023
Format: Hardcover, 224 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"The Addams Family meets The Westing Game in this exhilarating mystery about a modern magical dynasty trapped in the ruins of their once-grand, now-crumbling ancestral home.

Twelve-year-old Garnet regrets that she doesn't know her family. Her mother has done her best to keep it that way, living far from the rest of the magical Carrefour clan and their dark, dangerous mansion known as Crossroad House.

But when Garnet finally gets summoned to the estate, it isn't quite what she hoped for. Her relatives are strange and quarrelsome, each room in Crossroad House is more dilapidated than the last, and she can’t keep straight which dusty hallways and cobwebbed corners are forbidden.

Then Garnet learns the family secret: their dying patriarch fights to retain his life by stealing power from others. Every accident that isn’t an accident, every unexpected illness and unexplained disappearance grants Jasper Carrefour a little more time. While the Carrefours squabbles over who will inherit his role when (if) he dies, Garnet encounters evidence of an even deeper curse. Was she brought to Crossroad House as part of the curse . . . or is she meant to break it?

Written with loads of creepy atmosphere and an edge-of-your-seat magical mystery, this thrilling story reads like The Haunting of Hill House for preteens. Perfect for late-night reading under the covers."

Wait, are you saying that preteens shouldn't be reading The Haunting of Hill House?

Chain of Thorns by Cassandra Clare
Published by: Margaret K. McElderry Books
Publication Date: January 31st, 2023
Format: Hardcover, 800 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"James and Cordelia must save London - and their marriage - in this thrilling and highly anticipated conclusion to the Last Hours series from the #1 New York Times and USA TODAY bestselling author Cassandra Clare. Chain of Thorns is a Shadowhunters novel.

All first edition hardcovers will include full-color reverse jacket art, ten black-and-white interior illustrations, and a bonus short story!

Cordelia Carstairs has lost everything that matters to her. In only a few short weeks, she has seen her father murdered, her plans to become parabatai with her best friend, Lucie, destroyed, and her marriage to James Herondale crumble before her eyes. Even worse, she is now bound to an ancient demon, Lilith, stripping her of her power as a Shadowhunter.

After fleeing to Paris with Matthew Fairchild, Cordelia hopes to forget her sorrows in the city's glittering nightlife. But reality intrudes when shocking news comes from home: Tatiana Blackthorn has escaped the Adamant Citadel, and London is under new threat by the Prince of Hell, Belial.

Cordelia returns to a London riven by chaos and dissent. The long-kept secret that Belial is James and Lucie's grandfather has been revealed by an unexpected enemy, and the Herondales find themselves under suspicion of dealings with demons. Cordelia longs to protect James but is torn between a love for James she has long believed hopeless, and the possibility of a new life with Matthew. Nor can her friends help - ripped apart by their own secrets, they seem destined to face what is coming alone.

For time is short, and Belial's plan is about to crash into the Shadowhunters of London like a deadly wave, one that will separate Cordelia, Lucie, and the Merry Thieves from help of any kind. Left alone in a shadowy London, they must face Belial's deadly army. If Cordelia and her friends are going to save their city - and their families - they will have to muster their courage, swallow their pride, and trust one another again. For if they fail, they may lose everything - even their souls."

Oh, the irony of this book being released the same week as a Buffy book. If you didn't know already Cassandra Clare has built her ENTIRE career "writing" books that are badly written but somehow addicting Buffy fanfic.

The Davenports by Krystal Marquis
Published by: Dial Books
Publication Date: January 31st, 2023
Format: Hardcover, 384 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"The Davenports delivers a totally escapist, swoon-worthy romance while offering a glimpse into a period of African American history often overlooked.

The Davenports are one of the few Black families of immense wealth and status in a changing United States, their fortune made through the entrepreneurship of William Davenport, a formerly enslaved man who founded the Davenport Carriage Company years ago. Now it's 1910, and the Davenports live surrounded by servants, crystal chandeliers, and endless parties, finding their way and finding love - even where they're not supposed to.

There is Olivia, the beautiful elder Davenport daughter, ready to do her duty by getting married...until she meets the charismatic civil rights leader Washington DeWight and sparks fly. The younger daughter, Helen, is more interested in fixing cars than falling in love - unless it’s with her sister's suitor. Amy-Rose, the childhood friend turned maid to the Davenport sisters, dreams of opening her own business - and marrying the one man she could never be with, Olivia and Helen’s brother, John. But Olivia's best friend, Ruby, also has her sights set on John Davenport, though she can’t seem to keep his interest ... until family pressure has her scheming to win his heart, just as someone else wins hers.

Inspired by the real-life story of the Patterson family, The Davenports is the tale of four determined and passionate young Black women discovering the courage to steer their own path in life - and love."

For fans of The Guilded Age but showing the actual diversity that existed.

Finlay Donovan Jumps the Gun by Elle Cosimano
Published by: Minotaur Books
Publication Date: January 31st, 2023
Format: Hardcover, 304 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"From USA Today bestseller and Edgar Award nominee Elle Cosimano, comes Finlay Donovan Jumps the Gun - the hilarious and heart-pounding next installment in the beloved Finlay Donovan series.

Dating. Diapers. And dodging bullets. Who said single moms can't have fun?

Finlay Donovan has been in messes before - after all, she's an author and single mom who's a pro at getting out bloodstains for rather unexpected reasons - but none quite like this. After she and her nanny/partner-in-crime Vero accidentally destroyed a luxury car that they may have "borrowed" in the process of saving the life of Finlay's ex-husband, the Russian mob got her out of debt. But now Finlay owes them.

Still running the show from behind bars, mob boss Feliks has a task for Finlay: find a contract killer before the cops do. Problem is, the killer might be an officer.

Luckily, hot cop Nick has started up a citizen's police academy, and combined pressure from Finlay's looming book deadline and Feliks is enough to convince Finlay and Vero to get involved. Through firearm training and forensic classes (and some hands-on research with the tempting detective), Finlay and Vero have the perfect cover-up to sleuth out the real criminal and free themselves from the mob's clutches - all the while dodging spies, confronting Vero's past, and juggling the daily trials of parenthood."

Because if there's one group you DO NOT want to be in debt to it's the Russian mob.

The Real-Life Murder Clubs by Nicola Stow
Published by: Ad Lib Publishers
Publication Date: January 31st, 2023
Format: Paperback, 240 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"The story behind real-life clubs of ordinary citizens who come together to solve true crime mysteries - including the sleuths behind Don't F**k with Cats: Hunting an Internet Killer.

In 2019, Netflix had a hit with documentary series Don't F**k with Cats: Hunting an Internet Killer. It was based on one of Canada's most infamous crimes: the 2012 murder of thirty-three-year-old Lin Jun by his porn-star boyfriend, Luka Magnotta, in Montreal. Magnotta filmed himself killing and (apparently) eating parts of his victim; he also mailed Jun's feet and hands to two Canadian political parties and two elementary schools.

Prior to Jun's murder, though, Magnotta had anonymously posted online videos of himself killing kittens. Horrified Facebook sleuths worked tirelessly to uncover the kitten-killer's identity and location. Armchair detective Deanne Thompson, a data analyst for a Vegas casino by day, spent countless hours researching Lithuanian doorknobs, among other things, to help identify items in Magnotta's videos during her quest to unmask him.

Nicola Stow reveals the fascinating stories behind this and and similar cases in which ordinary citizens, in real-life murder clubs, as in Richard Osman's bestselling fiction, help to investigate crimes, both recent and cold cases. Includes the cases of Casey Anthony, John Wayne Gacy, JonBenét Ramsey, Golden State Killer, Boston Marathon bombings, and many more."

Because being an armchair detective these days is legitimate and helpful work, done right!

Sorry, Bro by Taleen Voskuni
Published by: Berkley
Publication Date: January 31st, 2023
Format: Paperback, 368 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"An Armenian-American woman rediscovers her roots and embraces who she really is in this vibrant and heartfelt queer rom-com by debut author Taleen Voskuni.

When Nareh Bedrossian's non-Armenian boyfriend gets down on one knee and proposes to her in front of a room full of drunk San Francisco tech boys, she realizes it's time to find someone who shares her idea of romance.

Enter her mother: armed with plenty of mom-guilt and a spreadsheet of Facebook-stalked Armenian men, she convinces Nar to attend Explore Armenia, a month-long series of events in the city. But it's not the mom-approved playboy doctor or the wealthy engineer who catch Nar's eye - it's Erebuni, a woman as immersed in the witchy arts as she is in preserving Armenian identity. Suddenly, with Erebuni as her wingwoman, the events feel like far less of a chore, and much more of an adventure. Who knew cooking up kuftes together could be so...sexy?

Erebuni helps Nar see the beauty of their shared culture and makes her feel understood in a way she never has before. But there's one teeny problem: Nar's not exactly out as bisexual. The clock is ticking on her double life - the Explore Armenia closing banquet is coming up, and her entire extended family will be there, along with Erebuni. Her worlds will inevitably collide, but Nar is determined to be brave and to claim her happiness: proudly Armenian, proudly bisexual, and proudly herself for the first time in her life."

A feel good Queer romance ins San Francisco, I can't think of anything more perfect.

A Very British Affair edited by David Roach
Published by: Rebellion
Publication Date: January 31st, 2023
Format: Hardcover, 224 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"The definitive celebration of romance comics in postwar Britain, curated by Eisner award nominated author and historian David Roach.

Rebellion is proud to present the finest romance comics in British history in one spectacular volume!

Curated by Eisner-nominated historian and artist David Roach, A Very British Affair charts the stratospheric rise of romance comics in postwar Britain with a selection of the greatest romance comics ever printed in the UK. Featuring an eclectic mix of artists from Spain, Italy, and the UK, this collection unearths the sensual art and emotional writing which delighted generations of comics readers.

Featuring over 50 comics stories - many of which have never been reprinted before - this lavish book is a stunning tribute to the often uncredited creators who crafted an industry of love. Roach shines a spotlight on the Spanish and Italian artists who dominated romance, as well as the genre's forgotten female contributors, like Jenny Butterworth, Pat Tourett and Diane Gabbott. Featuring art by comics icons like Shirley Bellwood (Misty), Jordi Badía Romero (Creepy) and Enrique Badía Romero (AXA), Mike Hubbard (Jane), Carlos Ezquerra (Judge Dredd), John M. Burns (Modesty Blaise), Purita Campos (Patty's World), Jesus Blaco (Steel Claw), Pepe Gonzalez (Vampirella) Jesus Redondo (Kitty Pryde) and Blas Gallego (Black Beth)."

I think more people need to know the history of romance comics. They were very successful and prove, without a doubt, that females have always been a part of the comics landscape.

Posted by Miss Eliza at 12:00 AM 0 comments  

Labels: Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Cassandra Clare, David Roach, Dianne K. Salerni, Elle Cosimano, Jumata Emill, Kendare Blake, Krystal Marquis, Megan Paasch, Nicola Stow, Romance Comics, Taleen Voskuni, The Gilded Age

In Every Generation by Kendare Blake
Published by: Disney-Hyperion
Publication Date: January 4th, 2022
Format: Hardcover, 400 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"The first in an all-new series by New York Times best-selling author Kendare Blake continues the world of Buffy the Vampire Slayer featuring the next generation of Scoobies and Slayers who must defeat a powerful new evil.

A new Slayer for a new generation...

Frankie Rosenberg is passionate about the environment, a sophomore at New Sunnydale High School, and the daughter of the most powerful witch in Sunnydale history. Her mom, Willow, is slowly teaching her magic on the condition that she use it to better the world. But Frankie’s happily quiet life is upended when new girl Hailey shows up with news that the annual Slayer convention has been the target of an attack, and all the Slayers - including Buffy, Faith, and Hailey’s older sister Vi - might be dead. That means it’s time for this generation’s Slayer to be born.

But being the first ever Slayer-Witch means learning how to wield a stake while trying to control her budding powers. With the help of Hailey, a werewolf named Jake, and a hot but nerdy sage demon, Frankie must become the Slayer, prevent the Hellmouth from opening again, and find out what happened to her Aunt Buffy, before she’s next.

Get ready for a whole new story within the world of Buffy!"

I am a sucker for ALL things Buffy!

It Will End Like This by Kyra Leigh
Published by: Delacorte Press
Publication Date: January 4th, 2022
Format: Hardcover, 352 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"For fans of They Wish They Were Us and Sadie comes a propulsive thriller that reminds us that in real life, endings are rarely as neat as happily ever after. A contemporary take on the Lizzie Borden story that explores how grief can cut deep.

Charlotte lost her mother six months ago, and still no one will tell her exactly what happened the day she mysteriously died. They say her heart stopped, but Charlotte knows deep down that there's more to the story.

The only person who gets it is Charlotte's sister, Maddi. Maddi agrees - people’s hearts don’t just stop. There are too many questions left unanswered for the girls to move on.

But their father is moving on. With their mother’s personal assistant. And both girls are sure of one thing: she's going to steal everything that's theirs for herself. She'll even get rid of them eventually.

Now, in order to get their lives back, Charlotte and Maddi have to decide what kind of story they live in. Do they remain the obedient girls their father insists they be, or do they follow their rage to the end?"

I'm sure watching a TV movie on Lizzie Borden at such a young age is why I am the way I am, but that also means any book that name checks Lizzie Borden is a must read!

Where the Drowned Girls Go by Seanan McGuire
Published by: Tordotcom
Publication Date: January 4th, 2022
Format: Hardcover, 160 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"In Where the Drowned Girls Go, the next addition to Seanan McGuire's beloved Wayward Children series, students at an anti-magical school rebel against the oppressive faculty.

"Welcome to the Whitethorn Institute. The first step is always admitting you need help, and you’ve already taken that step by requesting a transfer into our company."

There is another school for children who fall through doors and fall back out again.
It isn't as friendly as Eleanor West's Home for Wayward Children.
And it isn't as safe.

When Eleanor West decided to open her school, her sanctuary, her "Home for Wayward Children," she knew from the beginning that there would be children she couldn’t save; when Cora decides she needs a different direction, a different fate, a different prophecy, Miss West reluctantly agrees to transfer her to the other school, where things are run very differently by Whitethorn, the Headmaster.

She will soon discover that not all doors are welcoming..."

Well, it's the first Tuesday of the year, and to meet her insane number of books published this year, like every year, Seanan McGuire has her first book out!

The Mermaid in the Millpond by Lucy Strange
Published by: Barrington Stoke Ltd
Publication Date: January 4th, 2022
Format: Kindle, 63 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"History and myth entwine in this atmospheric tale of freedom and friendship from bestselling author Lucy Strange and acclaimed illustrator Pam Smy.

Bess has left the London workhouse behind for a job at a rural cotton mill. But life at the mill is hard and cruel - a far cry from the fresh start Bess hoped for. The only way to survive is to escape, but the mill is like a prison with no way out.

Meanwhile, rumours are spreading about a vicious creature that lurks in the millpond. Bess is sure it’s all nonsense, until one night she sees something stir in the murky water.

But is it really a monster that lives in the depths of the pond? Or a creature trapped and alone, just like Bess, desperate to escape..."

Pam Smy drew me in, the millpond myth made me stay!

Beautiful Little Fools by Jillian Cantor
Published by: Harper
Publication Date: January 4th, 2022
Format: Hardcover, 368 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"USA Today bestselling author Jillian Cantor reimagines and expands on the literary classic The Great Gatsby in this atmospheric historical novel with echoes of Big Little Lies, told in three women’s alternating voices.

On a sultry August day in 1922, Jay Gatsby is shot dead in his West Egg swimming pool. To the police, it appears to be an open-and-shut case of murder/suicide when the body of George Wilson, a local mechanic, is found in the woods nearby.

Then a diamond hairpin is discovered in the bushes by the pool, and three women fall under suspicion. Each holds a key that can unlock the truth to the mysterious life and death of this enigmatic millionaire.

Daisy Buchanan once thought she might marry Gatsby - before her family was torn apart by an unspeakable tragedy that sent her into the arms of the philandering Tom Buchanan.

Jordan Baker, Daisy’s best friend, guards a secret that derailed her promising golf career and threatens to ruin her friendship with Daisy as well.

Catherine McCoy, a suffragette, fights for women’s freedom and independence, and especially for her sister, Myrtle Wilson, who’s trapped in a terrible marriage.

Their stories unfold in the years leading up to that fateful summer of 1922, when all three of their lives are on the brink of unraveling. Each woman is pulled deeper into Jay Gatsby’s romantic obsession, with devastating consequences for all of them.

Jillian Cantor revisits the glittering Jazz Age world of F. Scott Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby, retelling this timeless American classic from the women’s perspective. Beautiful Little Fools is a quintessential tale of money and power, marriage and friendship, love and desire, and ultimately the murder of a man tormented by the past and driven by a destructive longing that can never be fulfilled."

If you've ever wondered what the women had to say about Jay Gatsby, well, this is the book for you!

The Last Dance of the Debutante by Julia Kelly
Published by: Gallery Books
Publication Date: January 4th, 2022
Format: Hardcover, 336 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"The author of the "sweeping, stirring, and heartrending" (Kristin Harmel, author of The Room on Rue Amélie) The Light Over London returns with a masterful, glittering novel that whisks you to midcentury Britain as it follows three of the last debutantes to be presented to Queen Elizabeth II.

When it’s announced that 1958 will be the last year debutantes are to be presented at court, thousands of eager mothers and hopeful daughters flood the palace with letters seeking the year’s most coveted invitation: a chance for their daughters to curtsey to the young Queen Elizabeth and officially come out into society.

In an effort to appease her traditional mother, aspiring university student Lily Nichols agrees to become a debutante and do the Season, a glittering and grueling string of countless balls and cocktail parties. In doing so, she befriends two very different women: the cool and aloof Leana Hartford whose apparent perfection hides a darker side and the ambitious Katherine Norman who dreams of a career once she helps her parents find their place among the elite.

But the glorious effervescence of the Season evaporates once Lily learns a devastating secret that threatens to destroy her entire family. Faced with a dark past, she’s forced to ask herself what really matters: her family legacy or her own happiness.

With her signature "intricate, tender, and convincing" (Publishers Weekly) storytelling, Julia Kelly weaves an unforgettable tale of female friendship amid the twilight days of Britain’s grand coming out balls."

If you're obsessed with debutantes, like I am, and are fascinated by the end of that longstanding tradition, this book is for you as well as me.

The Maid by Nita Prose
Published by: Ballantine Books
Publication Date: January 4th, 2022
Format: Hardcover, 304 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"A charmingly eccentric hotel maid discovers a guest murdered in his bed. Solving the mystery will turn her once orderly world upside down in this utterly original debut.

Molly Gray is not like everyone else. She struggles with social skills and misreads the intentions of others. Her gran used to interpret the world for her, codifying it into simple rules that Molly could live by.

Since Gran died a few months ago, twenty-five-year-old Molly has been navigating life’s complexities all by herself. No matter - she throws herself with gusto into her work as a hotel maid. Her unique character, along with her obsessive love of cleaning and proper etiquette, make her an ideal fit for the job. She delights in donning her crisp uniform each morning, stocking her cart with miniature soaps and bottles, and returning guest rooms at the Regency Grand Hotel to a state of perfection.

But Molly’s orderly life is upended the day she enters the suite of the infamous and wealthy Charles Black, only to find it in a state of disarray and Mr. Black himself dead in his bed. Before she knows what’s happening, Molly’s unusual demeanor has the police targeting her as their lead suspect. She quickly finds herself caught in a web of deception, one she has no idea how to untangle. Fortunately for Molly, friends she never knew she had unite with her in a search for clues to what really happened to Mr. Black - but will they be able to find the real killer before it’s too late?

A Clue-like, locked-room mystery and a heartwarming journey of the spirit, The Maid explores what it means to be the same as everyone else and yet entirely different - and reveals that all mysteries can be solved through connection to the human heart."

Clue-like you say? I will be the final judge on that!

A Narrow Door by Joanne Harris
Published by: Pegasus Crime
Publication Date: January 4th, 2022
Format: Hardcover, 448 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"Now I'm in charge, the gates are my gates. The rules are my rules.

It's an incendiary moment for St Oswald's school. For the first time in its history, a headmistress is in power, the gates opening to girls.

Rebecca Buckfast has spilled blood to reach this position. Barely forty, she is just starting to reap the harvest of her ambition. As the new regime takes on the old guard, the ground shifts. And with it, the remains of a body are discovered.

But Rebecca is here to make her mark. She'll bury the past so deep it will evade even her own memory, just like she has done before. After all, you can't keep a good woman down."

Scholastic and ivy intrigue? Yes please!

Reckless Girls by Rachel Hawkins
Published by: St. Martin's Press
Publication Date: January 4th, 2022
Format: Hardcover, 320 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"From Rachel Hawkins, the New York Times bestselling author of The Wife Upstairs, comes Reckless Girls, a deliciously wicked Gothic suspense, set on an isolated Pacific island with a dark history, for fans of Lucy Foley and Ruth Ware.

ONE ISLAND

Beautiful, wild, and strange - Meroe Island is a desolate spot in the middle of the Pacific Ocean with a mysterious history of shipwrecks, cannibalism, and even rumors of murder. It’s the perfect destination for the most adventurous traveler to escape everything... except the truth.

SIX VISITORS

Six stunning twentysomethings are about to embark on a blissful, free-spirited journey - one filled with sun-drenched days and intoxicating nights. But as it becomes clear that the group is even more cut off from civilization than they initially thought, it starts to feel like the island itself is closing in, sending them on a dangerous spiral of discovery.

COUNTLESS SECRETS

When one person goes missing and another turns up dead, the remaining friends wonder what dark currents lie beneath this impenetrable paradise - and who else will be swept under its secluded chaos. With its island Gothic sensibility, sexy suspense, and spine-tingling reimagining of an Agatha Christie classic, Reckless Girls will wreck you."

I love it when authors explore other locals where the Gothic can reside!

Serendipity edited by Marissa Meyer
Published by: Feiwel and Friends
Publication Date: January 4th, 2022
Format: Hardcover, 320 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"Love is in the air in Serendipity, a collection of stories inspired by romantic tropes and edited by #1 New York Times bestselling author Marissa Meyer.

The secret admirer.

The fake relationship.

The matchmaker.

From stories of first love, unrequited love, love that surprises, love that’s been there all along, 10 of the brightest and award-winning authors writing YA have taken on some of your favorite romantic tropes, embracing them and turning them on their heads. Readers will fall for this collection of stories that celebrate love at its most humorous, inclusive, heart-expanding, and serendipitous.

Contributors include Elise Bryant, Elizabeth Eulberg, Leah Johnson, Anna-Marie McLemore, Marissa Meyer, Sandhya Menon, Julie Murphy, Caleb Roehrig, Sarah Winifred Searle, and Abigail Hing Wen."

I love it when tropes are reimagined to become something more.

Posted by Miss Eliza at 12:00 AM 0 comments  

Labels: Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Jillian Cantor, Joanne Harris, Julia Kelly, Kendare Blake, Kyra Leigh, Lizzie Borden, Lucy Strange, Marissa Meyer, Nita Prose, Pam Smy, Rachel Hawkins, Seanan McGuire, The Great Gatsby

Hex by Thomas Olde Heuvelt
Published by: Tor Nightfire
Publication Date: September 21st, 2021
Format: Paperback, 384 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"The English language debut of the bestselling Dutch novel, Hex, from Thomas Olde Heuvelt - a Hugo and World Fantasy award nominated talent to watch.

Whoever is born here, is doomed to stay 'til death. Whoever settles, never leaves.

Welcome to Black Spring, the seemingly picturesque Hudson Valley town haunted by the Black Rock Witch, a seventeenth century woman whose eyes and mouth are sewn shut. Muzzled, she walks the streets and enters homes at will. She stands next to children's bed for nights on end. Everybody knows that her eyes may never be opened or the consequences will be too terrible to bear.

The elders of Black Spring have virtually quarantined the town by using high-tech surveillance to prevent their curse from spreading. Frustrated with being kept in lockdown, the town's teenagers decide to break their strict regulations and go viral with the haunting. But, in so doing, they send the town spiraling into dark, medieval practices of the distant past.

This chilling novel heralds the arrival of an exciting new voice in mainstream horror and dark fantasy."

A whole town being haunted? YAS!

All These Bodies by Kendare Blake
Published by: Quill Tree Books
Publication Date: September 21st, 2021
Format: Hardcover, 304 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"Sixteen bloodless bodies. Two teenagers. One impossible explanation. In this edge-of-your-seat mystery from #1 New York Times bestselling author Kendare Blake, the truth is as hard to believe as it is to find.

Summer 1958. A gruesome killer plagues the Midwest, leaving behind a trail of bodies completely drained of blood.

Michael Jensen, an aspiring journalist whose father happens to be the town sheriff, never imagined that the Bloodless Murders would come to his backyard. Not until the night the Carlson family was found murdered in their home. Marie Catherine Hale, a diminutive fifteen-year-old, was discovered at the scene - covered in blood. She is the sole suspect in custody.

Michael didn’t think that he would be part of the investigation, but he is pulled in when Marie decides that he is the only one she will confess to. As Marie recounts her version of the story, it falls to Michael to find the truth: What really happened the night that the Carlsons were killed? And how did one girl wind up in the middle of all these bodies?"

A fantastical In Cold Blood. 

Malpertuis by Jean Ray
Published by: Wakefield Press
Publication Date: September 21st, 2021
Format: Paperback, 256 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"Jean Ray brilliantly upends the haunted-house tradition in this widely acclaimed puzzlebox of a novel.

A reinvention of the Gothic novel and an established classic of fantastic literature, Malpertuis is as inventive and gripping today as when it first appeared in French in the dark year of 1943.

Malpertuis is a puzzle box of nested narratives wrested from a set of manuscripts stolen from a monastery. A bizarre collection of distrustful relatives has gathered together in the ancient stone mansion of a sea-trading dynasty for the impending death of the occult scientist, Uncle Cassave, and the reading of his will. Forced to dwell together for the remainder of their lives within the stifling walls of Malpertuis for the sake of a cursed inheritance, their banal existence gradually gives way to love affairs and secret plots, as the building slowly exposes a malevolence that eventually leads to a series of ghastly deaths.

The eccentric personalities it houses - which include an obsessive taxidermist, a hypochondriac, a trio of vengeful sisters and a former paint store manager who has gone mad - begin to shed like skins to reveal yet another hidden story buried in the novel's structure, one that turns the haunted-house tradition on its head and culminates in an apocalyptic denouement."

I am ALL about different takes on the Gothic and the haunted house tradition in literature!

When Things Get Dark edited by Ellen Datlow
Published by: Titan Books
Publication Date: September 21st, 2021
Format: Hardcover, 352 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"A chilling anthology in tribute to the genius of Shirley Jackson, collecting today’s best horror writers. Featuring Joyce Carol Oates, Josh Malerman, Paul Tremblay, Richard Kadrey, Stephen Graham Jones, Elizabeth Hand and more.

A collection of new and exclusive short stories inspired by, and in tribute to, Shirley Jackson.

Shirley Jackson is a seminal writer of horror and mystery fiction, whose legacy resonates globally today. Chilling, human, poignant and strange, her stories have inspired a generation of writers and readers.

This anthology, edited by legendary horror editor Ellen Datlow, will bring together today’s leading horror writers to offer their own personal tribute to the work of Shirley Jackson.

Featuring Joyce Carol Oates, Josh Malerman, Carmen Maria Machado, Paul Tremblay, Richard Kadrey, Stephen Graham Jones, Elizabeth Hand, Kelly Link, Cassandra Khaw, Karen Heuler, Benjamin Percy, John Langan, Laird Barron, Jeffrey Ford, M. Rickert, Seanan McGuire, Gemma Files, and Genevieve Valentine."

It's about Shirley Jackson, so I'm here for it! Though I find it funny that the stock photo is in use by a lot of books right now, even one my friend designed!

MR Cadmus by Peter Ackroyd
Published by: Canongate Books
Publication Date: September 21st, 2021
Format: Paperback, 192 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"Two apparently harmless women reside in cottages one building apart in the idyllic English village of Little Camborne. Miss Finch and Miss Swallow, cousins, have put their pasts behind them and settled into conventional country life. But when a mysterious foreigner, Theodore Cadmus - from a Mediterranean island nobody has heard of - moves into the middle cottage, the safe monotony of their lives is shattered.

Soon, long-hidden secrets and long-held grudges threaten to surface, drawing all into a vortex of subterfuge, theft, violence, mayhem...and murder."

So, in other words, just my Midsomer Murders-esque kind of dream! 

Cats Galore Encore! by Susan Herbert
Published by: Thames and Hudson
Publication Date: September 21st, 2021
Format: Hardcover, 192 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"This second litter of cultured cats delves further into the work of painter Susan Herbert, with another helping of cats in much-loved works of art.

This follow-up to the smash hit Cats Galore delves further into the work of artist Susan Herbert, whose delightful reimaginings of famous artworks have won her a devoted international following. Herbert’s first book, The Cats Gallery of Art, was published in 1990, and since then her work has appeared in numerous books, featuring cats in iconic works of art, as well as scenes from opera, Shakespearean plays, and the movies - all with her trademark blend of humor and her ability to capture those essential feline characteristics instantly recognizable to cat lovers everywhere.

In Cats Galore Encore!, furry felines take over yet more of the world’s most famous masterpieces. They crowd into the pages of the fifteenth-century Tres Riches Heures tapestry, zoom through the air as cherubs in royal portraits, before loosening things up in the nineteenth century as artists take paint and palette out into the countryside. Ranging from medieval illuminated manuscripts to old master stalwarts such as Rembrandt and Johannes Vermeer, through to the likes of Claude Monet and Dante Gabriel Rossetti, this second helping of cats in art will delight fans of the beloved artist."

Susan Herbert was everyone in the nineties and I am HERE FOR THE RENAISSANCE! 

Posted by Miss Eliza at 12:00 AM 0 comments  

Labels: All These Bodies, Cats Galore Encore!, Hex, Jean Ray, Kendare Blake, Malpertuis, Midsomer Murders, MR Cadmus, Peter Ackroyd, Shirley Jackson, Susan Herbert, Thomas Olde Heuvelt, When Things Get Dark