strange and random happenstance

Queen B by Juno Dawson
Published by: Penguin Books
Publication Date: July 23rd, 2024
Format: Paperback, 224 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"This next spellbinding installment of Juno's "irresistible" fantasy series Her Majesty's Royal Coven (Lana Harper) takes us back to the reign of Henry VIII and the origins of Her Majesty's Royal Coven under the beautiful, the bewitching, Anne Boleyn.

It's 1536 and the Queen has been beheaded.

Lady Grace Fairfax, witch, knows that something foul is at play - that someone had betrayed Anne Boleyn and her coven. Wild with the loss of their leader - and her lover, a secret that if spilled could spell Grace's own end - she will do anything in her power to track down the traitor. But there's more at stake than revenge: it was one of their own, a witch, that betrayed them, and Grace isn't the only one looking for her. King Henry VIII has sent witchfinders after them, and they're organized like they've never been before under his new advisor, the impassioned Sir Ambrose Fulke, a cold man blinded by his faith. His cruel reign could mean the end of witchkind itself. If Grace wants to find her revenge and live, she will have to do more than disappear.

She will have to be reborn.

In this gripping, propulsive, sultry short novel, Juno Dawson takes us back to the bloody beginnings of Her Majesty's Royal Coven to show us the strength, steel and sacrifice it takes to make a sisterhood."

For all those who knew Anne Boleyn was a witch and wanted vengeance in her name.

The Haunting of Hecate Cavendish by Paula Brackston
Published by: St. Martin's Press
Publication Date: July 23rd, 2024
Format: Hardcover, 368 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"The Haunting of Hecate Cavendish is book one in New York Times bestselling author Paula Brackston's new, magic-infused series about Hecate Cavendish, an eccentric and feisty young woman who can see ghosts.

England, 1881. Hereford cathedral stands sentinel over the city, keeping its secrets, holding long forgotten souls in its stony embrace. Hecate Cavendish speeds through the cobbled streets on her bicycle, skirts hitched daringly high, heading for her new life as Assistant Librarian. But this is no ordinary collection of books. The cathedral houses an ancient chained library, wisdom guarded for centuries, mysteries and stories locked onto its worn, humble shelves. The most prized artifact, however, is the medieval world map which hangs next to Hecate's desk. Little does she know how much the curious people and mythical creatures depicted on it will come to mean to her. Nor does she suspect that there are lost souls waiting for her in the haunted cathedral. Some will become her dearest friends. Some will seek her help in finding peace. Others will put her in great peril, and, as she quickly learns, threaten the lives of everyone she loves."

Books that are chained for reasons other than theft have always intrigued me...

Feisty Felines edited by Kevin J. Anderson and Allyson Longueira
Published by: Wordfire Press
Publication Date: July 23rd, 2024
Format: Hardcover, 336 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"When the witches and wizards are away, the familiars will play!

Gifted adventurers across time and space often travel with an animal familiar - usually a cat, but possibly other fuzzy, scaly, or prickly creatures. These magical companions lead their humans into mischief, help them out of sticky situations, or offer opinionated commentary along the way.

We're familiar with familiars...or are we?

Compiled by New York Times bestselling author Kevin J. Anderson and award-winning editor Allyson Longueira - and their Publishing graduate students at Western Colorado University - Feisty Felines and Other Fantastical Familiars features 26 never-before-published short stories and poems crafted by Mercedes Lackey, Heather Graham, Jody Lynn Nye, John Hartness, Steve Rasnic Tem, and many others.

You'll love this collection kitty-littered with surprises at every turn. Some stories are whimsical, some are sad, some will tug at your heartstrings - and some will stay with you long after you close this book.

From mischievous cats to cunning ravens, skittering spiders to - a cow? - these feisty familiars will take you on a magical trip to places even wizards don't tread."

Here's not just to awesome stories but awesome editors giving their graduate students due credit.

The Ornithologist's Field Guide to Love by India Holton
Published by: Berkley Books
Publication Date: July 23rd, 2024
Format: Paperback, 384 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"Rival ornithologists hunt through England for a rare magical bird in this historical-fantasy rom-com reminiscent of Indiana Jones but with manners, tea, and helicopter parasols.

Beth Pickering is on the verge of finally capturing the rare deathwhistler bird when Professor Devon Lockley swoops in, capturing both her bird and her imagination like a villain. Albeit a handsome and charming villain, but that's beside the point. As someone highly educated in the ruthless discipline of ornithology, Beth knows trouble when she sees it, and she is determined to keep her distance from Devon.

For his part, Devon has never been more smitten than when he first set eyes on Professor Beth Pickering. She's so pretty, so polite, so capable of bringing down a fiery, deadly bird using only her wits. In other words, an angel. Devon understands he must not get close to her, however, since they're professional rivals.

When a competition to become Birder of the Year by capturing an endangered caladrius bird is announced, Beth and Devon are forced to team up to have any chance of winning. Now keeping their distance becomes a question of one bed or two. But they must take the risk, because fowl play is afoot, and they can't trust anyone else - for all may be fair in love and war, but this is ornithology."

Does anyone else hope that the cover is velvet? I want to stroke it.

The Modern Fairies by Clare Pollard
Published by: Avid Reader Press / Simon and Schuster
Publication Date: July 23rd, 2024
Format: Hardcover, 272 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"Lauren Groff's Matrix meets Ophelia Field's The Favourite in this wry, sexy, and sharp historical novel - inspired by true events - featuring an elite group of Paris intellectuals who perform fairy tales that will change the course of literature - and put both the storytellers and their closely kept secrets in grave danger.

Why don't they tell you it is the beautiful princess who becomes the evil queen; that they are just the same person at different points in their story?

At a safe distance from the intrigues of courtly life at Louis XIV's Versailles, an intellectual crowd of mostly women have been gathering in a Parisian home to share what hostess Marie D'Aulnoy herself has christened contes de fées: fairy tales. Recently ousted from court and still raw from the death of his beloved wife, Charles Perrault finds companionship and creative camaraderie at the salon, where he eagerly joins the storytellers. Their hostess is impressive, fiercely intelligent, but somehow unreadable. She is harboring secrets of her own: sold off as a child in marriage to a brutal baron, imprisonment, scandal. Despite the vicious Versailles gossip, Marie has mysteriously been allowed to return to polite society and establish her salon in the heart of Paris.

A devastating winter soon sweeps in, bringing with it all kinds of rumors and fears. A spate of poisonings at Versailles has led to several arrests, and no matter how high born the suspect, it seems no one is safe. Paranoia stokes the King's insecurities, and there is a wolf among the salon's members - someone more dangerous than any force they could conjure in their own tales, watching and waiting, reporting on the secret goings-on, and threatening to destroy them one by one.

Brilliant and bawdy, witty and wise, Modern Fairies is a dazzling novel of stories within stories, familiar tales spun with fresh and provocative meaning, perfect for fans of Jenny Offill, Deborah Levy, and Angela Carter."

I mean, I'm all about stories within stories, but will it have copious nun sex? I'm just asking, because that is a large portion of Lauren Groff's Matrix.

Peking Duck and Cover by Vivien Chien
Published by: Minotaur Books
Publication Date: July 23rd, 2024
Format: Paperback, 304 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"Lana Lee and friends return for a fiery Chinese New Year celebration that rattles their quaint community. After all, an Asia Village party wouldn't be complete without an explosive finale.

Chinese New Year is supposed to be a time of fresh beginnings and celebrations of good fortune to come. Naturally, the shop owners of Asia Village jump at the chance to participate in creating a memorable holiday event that will bring positive light to the plaza, and prosperity for all those involved.

With Lana Lee as his right-hand woman and head event planner, Ian Sung orchestrates an extravagant evening filled with music, live entertainment, and generous giveaways. But at the end of the night, during an elaborate firework show in the parking lot, a member of the lion dance performance team is found dead backstage with a single bullet hole through the heart and a red envelope in their pocket containing four one-dollar bills - an omen of death.

When news of a curse on Asia Village make its way around the plaza, Lana readily agrees to find who killed the talented dancer before anyone else is marked for death."

AS a fan of this series personally I think this has the best title of the lot.

Charlotte Illes Is Not a Teacher by Katie Siegel
Published by: Kensington Publishing Corporation
Publication Date: July 23rd, 2024
Format: Paperback, 320 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"The déjà vu is strong for 25-year-old former kid detective Charlotte Illes when she lands back in Frencham Middle School - this time as a substitute teacher with a sideline in sleuthing - in the second zany mystery based on the much-loved TikTok web series from @katiefliesaway.

For fans of Poker Face, Knives Out, Elle Cosimano's Finlay Donovan Series, and anyone seeking to satisfy their Harriet the Spy, Encyclopedia Brown, or Nancy Drew nostalgia!

Mention "returning to the scene of a crime," and people don't usually picture a middle school. But that's where kid detective Lottie Illes enjoyed some of her greatest successes, solving mysteries and winning acclaim - before the world of adult responsibilities came crashing in...

Twentysomething Charlotte is now back in the classroom, this time as a substitute teacher. However, as much as she's tried to escape the shadow of her younger self, others haven't forgotten about Lottie. In fact, a fellow teacher is hoping for help discovering the culprit behind anonymous threats being sent to her and her aunt, who's running for reelection to the Board of Education.

At first, Charlotte assumes the messages are a harmless prank. But maybe it's a good thing she left a detective kit hidden in the band room storage closet all those years ago - just in case. Because the threats are escalating, and it's clear that untangling mysteries isn't child's play anymore..."

There's prepared and there's Charlotte Illes prepared with a detective kit hidden for over a decade just "in case."

The Drowning House by Cherie Priest
Published by: Poisoned Pen Press
Publication Date: July 23rd, 2024
Format: Paperback, 432 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"A violent storm washes a mysterious house onto a rural Pacific Northwest beach, stopping the heart of the only woman who knows what it means. Her grandson, Simon Culpepper, vanishes in the aftermath, leaving two of his childhood friends to comb the small, isolated island for answers - but decades have passed since Melissa and Leo were close, if they were ever close at all.

Now they'll have to put aside old rivalries and grudges if they want to find or save the man who brought them together in the first place - and on the way they'll learn a great deal about the sinister house on the beach, the man who built it, and the evil he's bringing back to Marrowstone Island.

From award-winning author Cherie Priest comes a deeply haunting and atmospheric horror-thriller that explores the lengths we'll go to protect those we love."

There's not many authors who are must buy for me. Cherie Priest is one. If only so I can get the undying devotion of her cat Monty.

The Book of Elsewhere by Keanu Reeves and China Miéville
Published by: Del Rey Books
Publication Date: July 23rd, 2024
Format: Hardcover, 352 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"A mind-blowing epic from Keanu Reeves and China Miéville, unlike anything these two genre-bending pioneers have created before, inspired by the world of the BRZRKR comic books.

She said, We needed a tool. So I asked the gods.

There have always been whispers. Legends. The warrior who cannot be killed. Who's seen a thousand civilizations rise and fall. He has had many names: Unute, Child of Lightning, Death himself. These days, he's known simply as "B."

And he wants to be able to die.

In the present day, a U.S. black-ops group has promised him they can help with that. And all he needs to do is help them in return. But when an all-too-mortal soldier comes back to life, the impossible event ultimately points toward a force even more mysterious than B himself. One at least as strong. And one with a plan all its own.

In a collaboration that combines Miéville's singular style and creativity with Reeves's haunting and soul-stirring narrative, these two inimitable artists have created something utterly unique, sure to delight existing fans and to create scores of new ones."

I'm just saying, most celebs get a relative unknown as a coauthor, but then there's Keanu who gets China Miéville!

Posted by Miss Eliza at 12:00 AM 0 comments  

Labels: Allyson Longueira, Anne Boleyn, BRZRKR, Cherie Priest, China Mieville, Clare Pollard, Feisty Felines, India Holton, Juno Dawson, Katie Siegel, Keanu Reeves, Kevin J. Anderson, Paula Brackston, Vivien Chien

Looking Glass Sound by Catriona Ward
Published by: Tor Nightfire
Publication Date: August 8th, 2023
Format: Hardcover, 352 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"From Catriona Ward, author of The Last House on Needless Street, comes a masterful story about friendship and betrayal, dark obsessions, and the impossibility of escaping your own story.

In a cottage overlooking the windswept Maine coast, Wilder Harlow has begun the last book he will ever write.

It is the story about the sun-drenched summer days of his youth in Whistler Bay, and the blood-stained path of the killer that stalked his small vacation town. About the terrible secret he and his companions, Nat and Harper, discovered entombed in the coves off the bay. And how the pact they swore that day echoed down the decades, forever shaping their lives.

But the more Wilder writes, the less he trusts himself and his memory. He starts to see things that can't be real - notes hidden in his cupboards, from an old friend now dead; a woman with dark hair drowning in the icy waters below, calling for help; entire chapters he doesn't recall typing, appearing overnight. Who, or what, is haunting Wilder?

No longer able to trust his own eyes, Wilder begins to fear that this will not only be his last book, but the last thing he ever does."

This right here has summer blockbuster thriller beach read written all over it!

A Killer in the Family by Gytha Lodge
Published by: Random House Trade
Publication Date: August 8th, 2023
Format: Paperback, 416 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"A woman uploads her DNA online, searching for her father - but the man who contacts her is Detective Chief Inspector Jonah Sheens. From the acclaimed author of Little Sister, this endlessly twisty crime novel asks: What might a family do to protect or expose a serial killer in its midst?

When the police found the first body, left on a bonfire in the forest, they worried it had the hallmarks of a serial killer.

Now, as they find the second, they know for sure.

Panic about the "Bonfire Killer" quickly spreads through the sedate suburban area of Southampton. Women are urged not to travel alone at night, and constant vigilance is encouraged among the local residents. But single mom Aisling Cooley has a lot to distract her: two beloved teenage sons and a quest to find her long-lost father, whom she hasn't seen since she was a teenager.

After much debate, she decides to upload her DNA to an ancestry website. When she gets a match she is filled with an anxious excitement that her questions about her father's disappearance from her life might finally be answered.

But to her horror, it's not her father who's found her. It's a detective.

And they say her DNA is a close match for the Bonfire Killer...."

I love how ancestry sites have changed crime solving and storytelling.

The Handyman Method by Nick Cutter and Andrew F. Sullivan
Published by: Gallery / Saga Press
Publication Date: August 8th, 2023
Format: Hardcover, 304 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"A chilling domestic story of terror for fans of Black Mirror and The Amityville Horror.

When a young family moves into an unfinished development community, cracks begin to emerge in both their new residence and their lives, as a mysterious online DIY instructor delivers dark subliminal suggestions about how to handle any problem around the house. The trials of home improvement, destructive insecurities, and haunted house horror all collide in this thrilling story perfect for fans of Nick Cutter's bestsellers The Troop and The Deep."

Like evil This Old House, I'm SO here for it!

Dark Corners by Megan Goldin
Published by: St. Martin's Press
Publication Date: August 8th, 2023
Format: Hardcover, 352 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"Rachel Krall, the true crime podcaster star of Megan Goldin's acclaimed The Night Swim, returns to search for a popular influencer who disappears after visiting a suspected serial killer.

Terence Bailey is about to be released from prison for breaking and entering, though investigators have long suspected him in the murders of six women. As his release date approaches, Bailey gets a surprise visit from Maddison Logan, a hot, young influencer with a huge social media following. Hours later, Maddison disappears, and police suspect she's been kidnapped - or worse. Is Maddison's disappearance connected to her visit to Bailey? And why was she visiting him in the first place?

When they hit a wall in the investigation, the FBI reluctantly asks for Rachel Krall's help in finding the missing influencer. Maddison seems to only exist on social media; she has no family, no friends, and other than in her posts, most people have never seen her. Who is she, really? Using a fake Instagram account, Rachel goes undercover to BuzzCon, a popular influencer conference, where she discovers a world of fierce rivalry that may have turned lethal.

When police find the body of a woman with a tattoo of a snake eating its tail - identical to a tattoo Rachel had seen on Bailey's hand - the FBI must consider a chilling possibility: Bailey has an accomplice on the outside and a dangerous obsession with influencers, including Rachel Krall herself. Suddenly the target of a monster hiding in plain sight, Rachel is forced to confront the very real dangers that lurk in the dark corners of the internet."

Maybe Maddison Logan is nothing more than bait for Rachel Krall?

The Dark Place by Britney S. Lewis
Published by: Disney Hyperion
Publication Date: August 8th, 2023
Format: Hardcover, 368 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"You can only hide from your nightmares for so long.

Seventeen-year-old Hylee Williams didn't ask to disappear. But she did disappear, and not only that, but when she vanished from our world, she materialized in a dark, twisted version of the night that changed her life forever: the night her older brother went missing.

Just as Hylee realizes this moment could be the key to unraveling the truth about her brother, she's yanked away from the dark place back to our world. Craving a sense of normalcy, she goes to a party with her best friend - where she meets Eilam Roads. Tall, handsome, and undeniably, inexplicably familiar, Hylee can't help the pull she feels towards him. It's a classic teen girl-meets-boy situation, until it happens again. She disappears, right in front of him.

Together, Hylee and Eilam investigate the truth about time, space, and reality, with Hylee increasingly convinced her time travel holds the key to saving her brother. But the more they learn, the more Hylee begins to see darkness lurking in her world - and in herself.

Britney S. Lewis's sophomore novel combines the quotable relatability, swoony romance, and emotional resonance of John Green with the surrealist horror imagery and razor-sharp wit of Jordan Peele. At once haunting and enchanting and entirely unforgettable."

Here for the "surrealist horror imagery!"

Mister Magic by Kiersten White
Published by: Del Rey Books
Publication Date: August 8th, 2023
Format: Hardcover, 304 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"Who is Mister Magic? Former child stars reunite to uncover the tragedy that ended their show - and discover the secret of its enigmatic host - in this "skin-crawling story of pop culture fandom and '90s nostalgia" (Melissa Albert, author of The Hazel Woods) from the #1 New York Times bestselling author of Hide.

Thirty years after a tragic accident shut down production of the classic children's program Mister Magic, the five surviving cast members have done their best to move on. But just as generations of cultishly devoted fans still cling to the lessons they learned from the show, the cast, known as the Circle of Friends, have spent their lives searching for the happiness they felt while they were on it. The friendship. The feeling of belonging. And the protection of Mister Magic.

But with no surviving video of the show, no evidence of who directed or produced it, and no records of who - or what - the beloved host actually was, memories are all the former Circle of Friends has. Then a twist of fate brings the castmates back together at the remote desert filming compound that feels like it's been waiting for them all this time. Even though they haven't seen each other for years, they understand one another better than anyone has since.

After all, they're the only ones who hold the secret of that circle, the mystery of the magic man in his infinitely black cape, and, maybe, the answers to what really happened on that deadly last day. But as the Circle of Friends reclaim parts of their past, they begin to wonder: Are they here by choice, or have they been lured into a trap?

Because magic never forgets the taste of your friendship...."

"Try, try, try to understand, he's a magic man!"

The Blonde Identity by Ally Carter
Published by: Avon Books
Publication Date: August 8th, 2023
Format: Hardcover, 304 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"The New York Times bestselling YA author of the beloved Gallagher Girls series bursts onto the adult scene with a fast-paced, hilarious road trip rom-com about a woman with amnesia who discovers she's the identical twin sister of a rogue spy...and must team up with a rugged, grumpy operative to stay alive.

It's the middle of the night in the middle of Paris and a woman just woke up with no memory.

She only knows three things for certain:
1. She has a splitting headache.
2. The hottest guy she has (probably) ever seen is standing over her, telling her to run.
And oh yeah...
3. People keep trying to kill her.

She doesn't know who. Or why. But when she sees footage of herself fighting off a dozen men there's only one explanation: obviously...she's a spy!

Except, according to Mr. Hot Guy, she's not. She's a spy's identical twin sister.

Too bad the only person who knows she's not the woman they're looking for is this very grouchy, very sexy, very secret agent who (reluctantly) agrees to help her disappear.

That's easier said than done when a criminal organization wants you dead and every intelligence service in the world wants you caught. Luckily, no one is looking for a pair of lovesick newlyweds on their honeymoon. And soon they're lying their way across Europe - dodging bullets and faking kisses as they race to unravel a deadly conspiracy and clear her sister's name.

But with every secret they uncover, the truth shifts, until she no longer knows who to trust: the twin she can't remember or the mysterious man she can't let herself forget..."

Because everyone has wanted a rom-com version of The Bourne Identity right? I know I have. Jason and Marie deserved their HEA!

The Raven Throne by Stephanie Burgis
Published by: Bloomsbury Publishing PLC
Publication Date: August 8th, 2023
Format: Hardcover, 272 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"The action-packed sequel to the critically-acclaimed fantasy adventure The Raven Heir, perfect for fans of Robert Beatty and Shannon Hale.

Now that Cordelia sits on the Raven Throne, life in Corvenne must change.

When their triplet sister became the Raven Queen, Giles and Rosalind knew they would have to learn to behave at court. For Rosalind, no more fighting. For Giles, no more loud singing. But what they didn't foresee was having to foil a wicked plot against their sister.

When Cordelia falls into an enchanted sleep and cannot be woken, Rosalind and Giles must quest across the kingdom to seek help from the ancient spirits of the land. But their family's greatest enemies lurk at every turn, and it will take all of the triplets' deepest strengths to fight against them.

From the author of The Dragon with a Chocolate Heart comes a thrilling new fantasy full of magic, adventure, and the power of family."

Not only are we readers lucky enough to get TWO new Stephanie Burgis books this summer, this one has Bufftastic names!

Skeleton in the Closet by Kevin J. Anderson
Published by: Wordfire Press
Publication Date: August 8th, 2023
Format: Hardcover, 242 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"The Princess Bride meets Dirty Rotten Scoundrels.

Join former scamp Cullin and his merry band of confidence men (and one liberated princess) as they put The Sting in the Middle Ages. With dreams of being a hero, or at least a storyteller, Cullin travels with Sir Dalbry, a washed-up knight in shining armor; Reeger, ready and eager for any part of the dirty work; and Affonyl, former princess, who wanted to study science and alchemy, rather than embroidery.

Together, they cross the land with one scam after another, concocting their own heroic deeds, preparing mock dragon heads, or selling kraken tusks and mermaid scales.

But when attempting to con King Longjohn, whose castle is supposedly bursting at the seams with treasure, the caper turns sour. The powerful Wizard-Mage Ugnarok and his army of ugly and muscular (if not too bright) orcs takes over Longjohn's castle, imprisoning the king, pillaging the halls, and carrying on with typical orc-like mayhem.

Cullin and his friends are trapped in the castle's labyrinth of secret passages, just trying to survive...or is this the opportunity for a grander scam than they have ever attempted before?

Orcs are terribly superstitious - you can't bash a ghost, after all - and it's like Die Hard in a castle, as Cullin, Affonyl, Reeger, and Dalbry set up a grand haunting that will scare off even the scariest orc army."

Name check two of my favorite movies and classic Christmas caper and I will totally read your book.

Posted by Miss Eliza at 12:00 AM 0 comments  

Labels: Ally Carter, Andrew F. Sullivan, Britney S. Lewis, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Catriona Ward, Gothic, Gytha Lodge, Kevin J. Anderson, Kiersten White, Megan Goldin, Nick Cutter, Rupert Giles, Stephanie Burgis, Summer