strange and random happenstance

Winter Lost by Patricia Briggs
Published by: Ace
Publication Date: June 18th, 2024
Format: Hardcover, 416 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"Mercy Thompson, car mechanic and shapeshifter, must stop a disaster of world-shattering proportions in this exhilarating entry in the #1 New York Times bestselling series.

In the supernatural realms, there are creatures who belong to winter. I am not one of them. But like the coyote I can become at will, I am adaptable.

My name is Mercy Thompson Hauptman, and my mate, Adam, is the werewolf who leads the Columbia Basin Pack, the pack charged with keeping the people who live and work in the Tri-Cities of Washington State safe. It's a hard job, and it doesn't leave much room for side quests. Which is why when I needed to travel to Montana to help my brother, I intended to go by myself.

But I'm not alone anymore.

Together, Adam and I find ourselves trapped with strangers in a lodge in the heart of the wilderness, in the teeth of a storm of legendary power, only to discover my brother's issues are a tiny part of a problem much bigger than we could have imagined. Arcane and ancient magics are at work that could, unless we are very careful, bring about the end of the world...."

Hands down Patricia Briggs is my favorite urban fantasy author ever. I have been dying to read Mercy's newest adventure. Seriously, dying.

The Witchstone by Henry H. Neff
Published by: Blackstone Publishing
Publication Date: June 18th, 2024
Format: Hardcover, 476 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"An unforgettable, high-stakes, laugh-out-loud funny novel, The Witchstone blends the merciless humor of The Good Place with the spellbinding fantasy of Neil Gaiman's American Gods.

Meet Laszlo, eight-hundred-year-old demon and Hell's least productive Curse Keeper. From his office beneath Midtown, he oversees the Drakeford Curse, which involves a pathetic family upstate and a mysterious black monolith. It's a sexy enough assignment - colonial origins, mutating victims, et cetera - but Laszlo has no interest in maximizing the curse's potential; he'd rather sunbathe in Ibiza, quaff martinis, and hustle the hustlers on Manhattan's subway. Unfortunately, his division has new management, and Laszlo's ratings are so abysmal that he's given six days to shape up or he'll be melted down and returned to the Primordial Ooze.

Meet Maggie Drakeford, nineteen-year-old Curse Bearer. All she's ever known is the dreary corner of the Catskills where the Drakeford Curse has devoured her father's humanity and is rapidly laying claim to her own. The future looks hopeless, until Laszlo appears at the Drakeford farmhouse one October night and informs them that they have six days - and six days only - to break the spell before it becomes permanent. Can Maggie trust the glib and handsome Laszlo? Of course not. But she also can't pass up an opportunity to save her family, even if it means having a demon as a guide...

Thus begins a breakneck international adventure that takes our unlikely duo from a hot dog stand in Central Park to the mountains of Liechtenstein. As the clock ticks down, tough-as-nails Maggie and conniving Laszlo will uncover a secret so profound that what began as a farcical quest to break a curse will eventually threaten the very Lords of Hell."

This has that Evil vibe. And Evil is one of my favorite shows ever.

Hearts That Cut by Kika Hatzopoulou
Published by: Razorbill
Publication Date: June 18th, 2024
Format: Hardcover, 336 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"In this heart-pounding, much-anticipated sequel to Threads That Bind, Io will face threats even more dangerous and players even more powerful as she discovers what it will mean to follow - or defy - her fate.

It's been five weeks since Io left Alante to follow the golden thread, and she's no closer to finding the god on the other end. She spends her days in constant, grueling travel and her nights worrying over the fate-thread she shares with Edei - which seems to be fraying. Making matters worse, she and Bianca soon realize that their only lead has shaken them off, snapped the golden thread, and disappeared.

But not before Io gathers some crucial clues. Her investigation leads her to a new mystery, a rash of sibling disappearances across the Wastelands that seems to be connected to the murders in Alante. And all signs point to Nanzy, the golden city, as the center of the whole conspiracy.

As Io and Bianca make their way to Nanzy, they face powerful enemies, find allies new and old, and uncover a horrifying plot that traces back centuries. The more Io learns, the more she begins to suspect that the future of the world may truly rest on her shoulders. But she will have to determine how much of the future is her choice - and how much is simply her fate."

This series deserves far better cover art. Take note OwlCrate and LitJoy and all others of that ilk.

Dead Girls Talking by Megan Cooley Peterson
Published by: Holiday House
Publication Date: June 18th, 2024
Format: Hardcover, 288 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"The town of Wolf Ridge calls him The Smiley Face Killer. Bettina Holland calls him her father.

Everyone knows Bettina's father was the one who murdered her mother a decade ago. It's the subject of podcasts, murder tours, and even a highly anticipated docuseries. But after growing up grappling with what that means, a string of copycat murders forces Bett to answer a harder question: What if he didn't?

Old-money Bett must team up with the only person willing to investigate alongside her: bookish goth girl Eugenia, the mortician's daughter, who everyone says puts the makeup on corpses. Can this "true crime princess" unmask a murderer who's much closer to home than she ever imagined?

Gritty, gripping, and propulsive from page one, Dead Girls Talking is a ride for readers who love to see girls get their hands dirty as they claw their way to the truth. Peterson's knife-sharp thriller cuts deep, with a wicked sense of humor, a wire-taut atmosphere, and a deadly serious approach to bigger issues of justice and female anger."

But what if it is just a copycat?

The Cautious Traveller's Guide to the Wastelands by Sarah Brooks
Published by: Flatiron Books
Publication Date: June 18th, 2024
Format: Hardcover, 336 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"For fans of Piranesi and The Midnight Library, a stunning historical fantasy novel set on a grand express train, about a group of passengers on a dangerous journey across a magical landscape.

It is said there is a price that every passenger must pay. A price beyond the cost of a ticket.

There is only one way to travel across the Wastelands: on the Trans-Siberian Express, a train as famous for its luxury as for its danger. The train is never short of passengers, eager to catch sight of Wastelands creatures more miraculous and terrifying than anything they could imagine. But on the train's last journey, something went horribly wrong, though no one seems to remember what exactly happened. Not even Zhang Weiwei, who has spent her life onboard and thought she knew all of the train's secrets.

Now, the train is about to embark again, with a new set of passengers. Among them are Marya Petrovna, a grieving woman with a borrowed name; Henry Grey, a disgraced naturalist looking for redemption; and Elena, a beguiling stowaway with a powerful connection to the Wastelands itself. Weiwei knows she should report Elena, but she can't help but be drawn to her. As the girls begin a forbidden friendship, there are warning signs that the rules of the Wastelands are changing and the train might once again be imperiled. Can the passengers trust each other, as the wildness outside threatens to consume them all?"

Seriously, this is a dust jacket so perfectly designed I'm jealous it isn't mine.

Daughter of Calamity by Rosalie M. Lin
Published by: St. Martin's Press
Publication Date: June 18th, 2024
Format: Hardcover, 352 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"Genres collide in this dark and atmospheric reimagining of 1930s Shanghai for fans of Nghi Vo and S. A. Chakraborty.

Jingwen spends her nights as a showgirl at the Paramount, one of the most lavish clubs in Shanghai, competing ruthlessly to charm wealthy patrons. To cap off her shifts, she runs money for her grandmother, the exclusive surgeon to the most powerful gang in the city. A position her grandmother is pressuring her to inherit...

When a series of dancers are targeted - the attacker stealing their faces - Jingwen fears she could be next. And as the faces of the dancers start appearing on wealthy foreign socialites, she realizes Shanghai's glittering mirage of carefree luxury comes at a terrible price.

Fighting not just for her own safety but that of the other dancers - women who have simultaneously been her bitterest rivals and only friends - Jingwen has no choice but to delve into the city's underworld. In this treacherous realm of tangled alliances and ancient grudges, silver-armed gangsters haunt every alley, foreign playboys broker deals in exclusive back rooms, and the power of gods is wielded and traded like yuan. Jingwen will have to become something far stranger and more dangerous than her grandmother ever imagined if she hopes to survive the forces waiting to sell Shanghai's bones."

Given the whole transplanting of flesh, it's odd that the elegant cover reminds me of a tattoo I saw recently.

The Case of the Singer and the Showgirl by Lisa Hall
Published by: Hera
Publication Date: June 18th, 2024
Format: Kindle, 304 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"Murder and scandal in the heat of 1950s Las Vegas: can Lily Jones stop a murder that happened before she was born?

Lily Jones can't forget her incredible time-slip adventure back to the Golden Age of Hollywood and the friends she made there - especially a handsome barman by the name of Louis, with whom she felt such a strong connection.

Back in 2020, life isn't going so well for her and Lily is idly googling when she is horrified to discover that Evelyn, Louis' ex-girlfriend, is brutally murdered in 1953.

She is compelled to go back to the 1950s and try to save Evelyn's life, but this time it isn't just the gilded stars of Tinseltown she will have to contend with, but The Mob as she finds herself in the seedy glamour of Vegas and learns that Evelyn's future depends upon her first solving the murder of a Vegas showgirl.

Thankfully she has Louis and his sister, Tilda, to help her, but her own life is in danger as she tries to find the killer and change Evelyn's fate.

What will she risk to save a life?"

Well I'd totally choose the 1950s of 2020 any day...

We Used to Live Here by Marcus Kliewer
Published by: Atria Books
Publication Date: June 18th, 2024
Format: Hardcover, 320 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"Get Out meets Parasite in this eerily haunting debut and Reddit hit - soon to be a Netflix original movie starring Blake Lively - about two homeowners whose lives are turned upside down when the house's previous residents unexpectedly visit.

As a young, queer couple who flip houses, Charlie and Eve can't believe the killer deal they've just gotten on an old house in a picturesque neighborhood. As they're working in the house one day, there's a knock on the door. A man stands there with his family, claiming to have lived there years before and asking if it would be alright if he showed his kids around. People pleaser to a fault, Eve lets them in.

As soon as the strangers enter their home, uncanny and inexplicable things start happening, including the family's youngest child going missing and a ghostly presence materializing in the basement. Even more weird, the family can't seem to take the hint that their visit should be over. And when Charlie suddenly vanishes, Eve slowly loses her grip on reality. Something is terribly wrong with the house and with the visiting family - or is Eve just imagining things?"

I've always been suspicious of people who just show up at a house randomly and claim to have lived there... Hence I totally buy everything in this book.

Middle of the Night by Riley Sager
Published by: Dutton
Publication Date: June 18th, 2024
Format: Hardcover, 384 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"In the latest jaw-dropping thriller from New York Times bestselling author Riley Sager, a man must contend with the long-ago disappearance of his childhood best friend - and the dark secrets lurking just beyond the safe confines of his picture-perfect neighborhood.

The worst thing to ever happen on Hemlock Circle occurred in Ethan Marsh's backyard. One July night, ten-year-old Ethan and his best friend and neighbor, Billy, fell asleep in a tent set up on a manicured lawn in a quiet, quaint New Jersey cul-de-sac. In the morning, Ethan woke up alone. During the night, someone had sliced the tent open with a knife and taken Billy. He was never seen again.

Thirty years later, Ethan has reluctantly returned to his childhood home. Plagued by bad dreams and insomnia, he begins to notice strange things happening in the middle of the night. Someone seems to be roaming the cul-de-sac at odd hours, and signs of Billy's presence keep appearing in Ethan's backyard. Is someone playing a cruel prank? Or has Billy, long thought to be dead, somehow returned to Hemlock Circle?

The mysterious occurrences prompt Ethan to investigate what really happened that night, a quest that reunites him with former friends and neighbors and leads him into the woods that surround Hemlock Circle. Woods where Billy claimed ghosts roamed and where a mysterious institute does clandestine research on a crumbling estate.

The closer Ethan gets to the truth, the more he realizes that no place - be it quiet forest or suburban street - is completely safe. And that the past has a way of haunting the present."

Don't worry folks, summer can officially begin as the new Riley Sager has dropped. This is how other people determine the start of summer right? It's not just me?

The Midnight Feast by Lucy Foley
Published by: William Morrow and Company
Publication Date: June 18th, 2024
Format: Hardcover, 368 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"Secrets. Lies. Murder. Let the festivities begin...

The deliciously twisty new locked room murder mystery from the #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Guest List and The Paris Apartment.

It's the opening night of The Manor, and no expense, small or large, has been spared. The infinity pool sparkles; crystal pouches for guests' healing have been placed in the Seaside Cottages and Woodland Hutches; the "Manor Mule" cocktail (grapefruit, ginger, vodka, and a dash of CBD oil) is being poured with a heavy hand. Everyone is wearing linen.

But under the burning midsummer sun, darkness stirs. Old friends and enemies circulate among the guests. Just outside the Manor's immaculately kept grounds, an ancient forest bristles with secrets. And the Sunday morning of opening weekend, the local police are called. Something's not right with the guests. There's been a fire. A body's been discovered."

Oh, Sunday mornings are the best time for police to be called.

We Made a Garden by Margery Fish
Published by: Batsford
Publication Date: June 18th, 2024
Format: Hardcover, 176 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"An elegant reissue of a classic book from one of the twentieth century's greatest garden writers.

This landmark work on creating a garden was first published in 1956 and has rarely been out of print since. We Made a Garden is the story of how Margery Fish, the leading British gardener of the mid-twentieth century, and her husband, Walter, transformed an acre of wilderness into a stunning cottage garden, still open to the public at East Lambrook Manor, Somerset, England. Quirky and readable, this book details her creation of a world-renowned cottage garden, as well as her battles with Walter in the process, who preferred the standard suburban approach.

In this beautiful and timeless work, she recounts the trials and tribulations, the successes, and failures of her venture with ease and humor. This book has been hailed as everything from a blueprint for the creation of a modern cottage garden to a feminist manifesto, and the author's practical knowledge, imaginative ideas, and general good sense will encourage and inspire gardeners everywhere."

How have I never heard of this classic!?! Thankfully this has now been rectified. 

The Perils of Lady Catherine de Bourgh by Claudia Gray
Published by: Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group
Publication Date: June 18th, 2024
Format: Paperback, 352 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"The third book in the Mr. Darcy and Miss Tilney Mystery series, which finds the amateur sleuths facing their most daunting challenge yet: preventing the murder of the imperious Lady Catherine de Bourgh.

Someone is trying to kill Lady Catherine de Bourgh. Esteemed aunt of Mr. Fitzwilliam Darcy, generous patroness of Mr. William Collins, a woman of rank who rules over the estate of Rosings Park with an unimpeachable sense of propriety - who would dare? Lady Catherine summons her grand-nephew, Mr. Jonathan Darcy, and his investigative companion, Miss Juliet Tilney, to find out.

After a year apart, Jonathan and Juliet are thrilled to be reunited, even if the circumstances - finding whoever has thus far sabotaged Lady Catherine's carriage, shot at her, and nearly pushed her down the stairs - are less than ideal. Also less than ideal: their respective fathers, Mr. Fitzwilliam Darcy and Mr. Henry Tilney, have accompanied the young detectives to Rosings, and the two men do not interact with the same felicity enjoyed by their children.

With attempts against Lady Catherine escalating, and no one among the list of prime suspects seemingly capable of committing all of the attacks, the pressure on Jonathan and Juliet mounts - even as more gentle feelings between the two of them begin to bloom. The race is now on to provoke two confessions: one from the attempted murderer before it is too late - and one, perhaps, of love."

Oh, but couldn't Lady Catherine also, you know, die. Because that would be funny... Though I do see their problem in narrowing down their suspect list... 

A Deceptive Composition by Anna Lee Huber
Published by: Berkley Books
Publication Date: June 18th, 2024
Format: Paperback, 384 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"Lady Kiera Darby and her dashing husband, Sebastian Gage, hope they've finally found peace after a tumultuous summer, but long-buried family secrets soon threaten to unravel their lives...

October 1832. Kiera is enjoying the slower pace of the English countryside. She, Sebastian, and their infant daughter have accompanied her father-in-law, Lord Gage, home so that he can recuperate from the injuries he sustained in a foiled attempt on his life. But as the chill of autumn sweeps across the land, they receive a summons from an unexpected quarter. Lord Gage's estranged uncle - a member of the notorious Roscarrock family - has been murdered, and his family is desperate for answers. Despite Lord Gage's protests, Kiera and Sebastian press on to Cornwall to assist.

It isn't long before they discover that almost nothing is as it seems among the Roscarrocks, and they've been lured to their isolated cove under false pretenses. There are whispers of a lost treasure and frightening allusions to a series of murders stretching back decades that touch the lives of the family personally. Kiera and Sebastian are left with no choice but to uncover the truth before the secrets of the past threaten to destroy them all."

And maybe find some treasure along the way?

The Longest Exile by Tana Rebellis
Published by: Little Piggy Publishing
Publication Date: June 18th, 2024
Format: Paperback, 371 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"Rome, 8 CE. Julia, eldest granddaughter of Augustus, is four months pregnant, and it should be cause for celebration. The only problem is that her husband was executed a year ago for treason. The math is simple, and damning.

Julia is exiled to a remote Adriatic island as punishment for her indiscretion, upending her privileged life. As she struggles to adjust to her new circumstances, a suspicious accident kills her only confidante, and she finds that trust is increasingly hard to come by - especially in a world where power is everything and where people will do anything to get it. Soon, Julia is forced not only to question what else fate has in store, but to fight for her illegitimate baby's survival.

Julia's scheming mother and slightly insane younger brother are already political exiles, but their newest plots pull her further into a deadly web of family betrayal and treason that threatens to taint Rome for generations to come. Further complicating matters is Titus, the bastard son of a senator. As one of the guards tasked with ensuring that Julia never escapes her island prison, she should resent him - but instead she finds herself increasingly drawn to him, at great risk to both their lives."

I am more than a little obsessed with Rome and one thing I know is they loved their island exiles.

Posted by Miss Eliza at 12:00 AM 0 comments  

Labels: Anna Lee Huber, Claudia Gray, Henry H. Neff, Kika Hatzopoulou, Lisa Hall, Lucy Foley, Marcus Kliewer, Margery Fish, Megan Cooley Peterson, Patricia Briggs, Riley Sager, Rosalie M. Lin, Sarah Brooks, Tana Rebellis

Starter Villain by John Scalzi
Published by: Tor Books
Publication Date: September 19th, 2023
Format: Hardcover, 272 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"Inheriting your uncle's supervillain business is more complicated than you might think. Particularly when you discover who's running the place.

Charlie's life is going nowhere fast. A divorced substitute teacher living with his cat in a house his siblings want to sell, all he wants is to open a pub downtown, if only the bank will approve his loan.

Then his long-lost uncle Jake dies and leaves his supervillain business (complete with island volcano lair) to Charlie.

But becoming a supervillain isn't all giant laser death rays and lava pits. Jake had enemies, and now they're coming after Charlie. His uncle might have been a stand-up, old-fashioned kind of villain, but these are the real thing: rich, soulless predators backed by multinational corporations and venture capital.

It's up to Charlie to win the war his uncle started against a league of supervillains. But with unionized dolphins, hyper-intelligent talking spy cats, and a terrifying henchperson at his side, going bad is starting to look pretty good.

In a dog-eat-dog world...be a cat."

The best cover art EVER has arrived, all others are just pretenders.

42: The Wildly Improbable Ideas of Douglas Adams by Douglas Adams
Published by: Unbound
Publication Date: September 19th, 2023
Format: Hardcover, 336 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"Over 60 boxes full of notebooks, research, letters, scripts, jokes, speeches, to-do lists, hard drives and even poems...Welcome to the incredible archive of Douglas Adams.

After his death in 2001, Douglas Adams's papers were loaned to his old Cambridge college, St John's. Reproduced here, in facsimile form and in close association with Adams's family and literary estate, 42 is a full-colour, large-format hardback that follows Adams career from early collaborations with Graham Chapman to his work on Doctor Who, through the Hitchhiker years, Dirk Gently, his groundbreaking non-fiction book Last Chance to See and his later digital work. Alongside this are details of projects that never came to fruition like a proposed theme park ride and a TV series provisionally entitled The Secret Empire.

Edited by Kevin Jon Davies, who has worked on a number of Hitchhiker-related projects and had a personal friendship with Adams spanning more than twenty years."

I'm very intrigued by the idea of Adams doing a theme park ride... I mean, it would be terrifying but oh so unique.

Wandering Through Life by Donna Leon
Published by: Atlantic Monthly Press
Publication Date: September 19th, 2023
Format: Hardcover, 208 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"The internationally bestselling author of the Guido Brunetti mysteries tells her own adventurous life story as she enters her eighties.

In a series of vignettes full of affection, irony, and good humor, Donna Leon narrates a remarkable life she feels has rather more happened to her than been planned.

Following a childhood in the company of her New Jersey family, with frequent visits to her grandfather's farm and its beloved animals, and summers spent selling homegrown tomatoes by the roadside, Leon got her first taste of the classical music and opera that would enrich her life. She also developed a yen for adventure. In 1976, she made the spontaneous decision to teach English in Iran, before finding herself swept up in the early days of the 1979 Revolution. After teaching stints in China and Saudi Arabia, she finally landed in Venice. Leon vividly animates her decades-long love affair with Italy, from her first magical dinner when serving as a chaperone to a friend, to the hunt for the perfect cappuccino, to the warfare tactics of grandmothers doing their grocery shopping at the Rialto Market.

Some things remain constant throughout the decades: her adoration of opera, especially Handel's vocal music, and her advocacy for the environment, embodied in her passion for bees - which informs the surprising crux of the Brunetti mystery Earthly Remains. Even as mass tourism takes its toll on the patience of residents, Leon's passion for Venice remains unchanged: its outrageous beauty and magic still captivate her.

Having recently celebrated her eightieth birthday, Leon poignantly confronts the dual challenges and pleasures of aging. Complete with a brief letter dissuading those hoping to meet Guido Brunetti at the Questura, and always suffused with music, food, and her sharp sense of humor, Wandering through Life offers Donna Leon at her most personal."

You only can hope that one day you will be as cool as Donna Leon.

The Mysterious Double Death of Honey Black by Lisa Hall
Published by: Hera
Publication Date: September 19th, 2023
Format: Kindle, 337 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"You know she has been murdered. Can you stop it happening twice?

Two very different lives...

It is 2019 and Lily Jones is living her dream in LA. Sort of. It hasn't quite turned out as she planned and instead of working as a movie producer, she is cleaning at the prestigious Beverly Hills Hotel. At least she gets to work in the renowned Paul Williams suite, site of the brutal murder of Honey Black 70 years ago, shrouded in rumour and dark glamour.

It is 1949 and Honey Black is about to hit the big time. She may have started out a country girl from Hicksville but now she is a star. And Hollywood had better watch out - nothing can stop her now!

One Hollywood murder...

After an accidental bump to the head, Lily finds herself in Hollywood, 1949. Like a dream come true, she is rubbing shoulders with the great and good of Tinseltown. Including Honey Black...Horrified, Lily realises that the actress has only two weeks left to live before she will be murdered.

Could this be why she has found herself in 1949?

To find the killer and stop them in their tracks?

A glamorous, time-slip murder mystery set in the Golden Age of Hollywood - All About Eve meets Back to the Future. Don't miss this unforgettable read from bestselling author Lisa Hall; fans of Stuart Turton and cosy crime will love this!"

Oh yes, definitely for fans of Stuart Turton!

The Golden Gate by Amy Chua
Published by: Minotaur Books
Publication Date: September 19th, 2023
Format: Hardcover, 384 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"Amy Chua's debut novel, The Golden Gate, is a sweeping, evocative, and compelling historical thriller that paints a vibrant portrait of a California buffeted by the turbulent crosswinds of a world at war and a society about to undergo massive change.

In Berkeley, California, in 1944, Homicide Detective Al Sullivan has just left the swanky Claremont Hotel after a drink in the bar when a presidential candidate is assassinated in one of the rooms upstairs. A rich industrialist with enemies among the anarchist factions on the far left, Walter Wilkinson could have been targeted by any number of groups. But strangely, Sullivan's investigation brings up the specter of another tragedy at the Claremont, ten years earlier: the death of seven-year-old Iris Stafford, a member of the Bainbridge family, one of the wealthiest in all of San Francisco. Some say she haunts the Claremont still.

The many threads of the case keep leading Sullivan back to the three remaining Bainbridge heiresses, now adults: Iris's sister, Isabella, and her cousins Cassie and Nicole. Determined not to let anything distract him from the truth - not the powerful influence of Bainbridges' grandmother, or the political aspirations of Berkeley's district attorney, or the interest of China's First Lady Madame Chiang Kai-Shek in his findings - Sullivan follows his investigation to its devastating conclusion.

Chua's page-turning debut brings to life a historical era rife with turbulent social forces and groundbreaking forensic advances, when race and class defined the very essence of power, sex, and justice, and introduces a fascinating character in Detective Sullivan, a mixed race former Army officer who is still reckoning with his own history."

I can never get enough of San Francisco, especially when it's Historical Fiction with a slice of reality.

Murder in the Family by Cara Hunter
Published by: William Morrow and Company
Publication Date: September 19th, 2023
Format: Paperback, 480 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"Mega-bestselling British crime novelist Cara Hunter makes her big American debut with a shocking thriller about a cold case, a fictional true crime series, and the family caught in the middle.

Eight Episodes. One Killer.

It was a case that gripped the nation. In December 2003, Luke Ryder, the stepfather of acclaimed filmmaker Guy Howard (then aged 10), was found dead in the garden of their suburban family home.

Luke Ryder's murder has never been solved. Guy Howard's mother and two half-sisters were in the house at the time of the murder - but all swear they saw nothing. Despite a high-profile police investigation and endless media attention, no suspect was ever charged.

But some murder cases are simply too big to forget...

Now comes the sensational new streaming series Infamous, dedicated to investigating - and perhaps cracking - this famous cold case. The production team will re-examine testimony, re-interview witnesses, and once again scour the evidence. The family will speak. The key players will be reunited - on camera. The truth will come out.

Are you ready to see it?"

Oh yes I am! This book is so of the moment in true crime obsessions.

Murder and Mamon by Mia P. Manansala
Published by: Berkley Books
Publication Date: September 19th, 2023
Format: Paperback, 288 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"When murder mars the grand opening for Lila Macapagal's aunties' new laundromat, she will have to air out all the dirty laundry in Shady Palms to catch a killer...

Lila Macapagal's godmothers April, Mae, and June - AKA the Calendar Crew - are celebrating the opening of their latest joint business venture, a new laundromat, to much fanfare (and controversy). However, what should've been a joyous occasion quickly turns into a tragedy when they discover the building has been vandalized - and the body of Ninang April's niece, recently arrived from the Philippines, next to a chilling message painted on the floor. The question is, was the message aimed at the victim or Lila's gossipy godmothers, who have not-so-squeaky-clean reputations?

With Ninang April falling apart from grief and little progress from the Shady Palms Police Department in this slippery case, it's up to Lila and her network to find justice for the young woman.

The Calendar Crew have stuck their noses into everybody's business for years, but now the tables are turned as Lila must pry into the Calendar Crew's lives to figure out who has a vendetta against the (extremely opinionated yet loving) aunties and stop them before they strike again."

I just realized that I really need a name for my crew...

The Last Devil to Die by Richard Osman
Published by: Pamela Dorman Books
Publication Date: September 19th, 2023
Format: Hardcover, 368 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"A new mystery is afoot in the fourth book in the Thursday Murder Club series from million-copy bestselling author Richard Osman.

It's rarely a quiet day for the Thursday Murder Club.

Shocking news reaches them - an old friend has been killed, and a dangerous package he was protecting has gone missing.

The gang's search leads them into the antiques business, where the tricks of the trade are as old as the objects themselves. As they encounter drug dealers, art forgers, and online fraudsters - as well as heartache close to home - Elizabeth, Joyce, Ron, and Ibrahim have no idea whom to trust.

With the body count rising, the clock ticking down, and trouble firmly on their tail, has their luck finally run out?

And who will be the last devil to die?"

It's September, time for your latest Thursday Murder Club fix.

Dead on Target by M.C. Beaton
Published by: Minotaur Books
Publication Date: September 19th, 2023
Format: Hardcover, 256 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"Beloved New York Times bestseller M. C. Beaton's cranky, crafty Agatha Raisin - the star of her own hit TV series - is back on the case again in Dead on Target.

A visit to the local village fete for a spot of fun and relaxation turns into a nightmare for Agatha Raisin when she discovers the body of the local landowner in the woods - with an arrow in his chest and trousers round his ankles.

Agatha's old adversary, Detective Chief Inspector Wilkes, declares the death a tragic accident, believing the victim has been hit by a stray arrow from an archery demonstration. Agatha is convinced of foul play, however, and is shocked when Wilkes eventually agrees...with her as his prime murder suspect.

Determined to clear her name and find the real killer, Agatha launches her own investigation, quickly becoming involved with a family at war, an unscrupulous gangster - and a killer who is determined to make her the next victim..."

I'm so glad that Agatha Raisin lives on.

Murder at Midnight by Katharine Schellman
Published by: Crooked Lane Books
Publication Date: September 19th, 2023
Format: Hardcover, 320 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"Perfect for fans of Deanna Raybourn and Ashley Weaver, when a body is found shot to death after an unexpected snowstorm, Lily Adler quickly realizes that some people will stop at nothing to bury their secrets.

Regency widow Lily Adler is looking forward to a quiet Christmastide away from the schemes and secrets she witnessed daily in London. Not only will she be visiting the family of her late husband; she will be reunited with Captain Jack Hartley, her friend and confidante, finally returned after a long voyage at sea.

But secrets aren't only found in London. Jack's younger sister, Amelia, is the center of neighborhood scandal and gossip. She refuses to tell anyone what really happened, even when an unexpected snowstorm strands the neighborhood families together after a Christmas ball. Stuck until the snow stops, the Adlers, Hartleys, and their neighbors settle in for the night, only to be awakened in the morning by the scream of a maid who has just discovered a dead body.

The victim was the well-to-do son of a local gentleman - the same man whose name has become so scandalously linked to Amelia's.

With the snow still falling and no way to come or go, it's clear that someone in the house was responsible for the young man's death. When suspicion instantly falls on Jack's sister, he and Lily must unmask the true culprit before Amelia is convicted of a crime she didn't commit."

Does anyone else horde Christmas books like a festive dragon for their holiday reading? Because if not, you should. You should also put this book on your list.

A Nobleman's Guide to Seducing a Scoundrel by K.J. Charles
Published by: Sourcebooks Casablanca
Publication Date: September 19th, 2023
Format: Paperback, 336 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"Bridgerton goes Gothic in this sweeping Regency romance by celebrated author K.J. Charles.

Major Rufus d'Aumesty has unexpectedly become the Earl of Oxney, master of a remote Norman manor on the edge of the infamous Romney Marsh. There he's beset on all sides, his position contested both by his greedy uncle and by Luke Doomsday, son of a notorious smuggling clan.

The earl and the smuggler should be natural enemies, but cocksure, enragingly competent Luke is a trained secretary and expert schemer - exactly the sort of man Rufus needs by his side. Before long, Luke becomes an unexpected ally...and the lover Rufus had never hoped to find.

But Luke came to Stone Manor with an ulterior motive, one he's desperate to keep hidden even from the lord he can't resist. As the lies accumulate and family secrets threaten to destroy everything they hold dear, master and man find themselves forced to decide whose side they're really on...and what they're willing to do for love."

An LGBTQ Poldark!

Hex and the City by Kate Johnson
Published by: One More Chapter
Publication Date: September 19th, 2023
Format: Paperback, 384 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"Something wickedly sexy this way comes...

A laugh out loud witchy romcom for fans of Lana Harper and Erin Sterling !

Spice: ️️️

Things you should know about Poppy:
1. She's a witch
2. She has magical hair like Rapunzel from Tangled
3. She lives with Iris, the head of her coven, in a beautiful, ramshackle house next to Highgate cemetery
4. She works at Hubble Bubble, a magic shop in Covent Garden. Though none of it is real magic as that would be highly irresponsible. Until...
...Poppy accidentally sells gorgeous celebrity magician Axl Storm, all six-foot-four of him, a cursed pendant.

When all hell breaks loose can the guy with fake magic and the girl with real magic fix the chaos they've caused? Or will sparks fly both in and out of the cauldron?"

I was sold at ramshackle house next to Highgate cemetery.

Hex Education by Maureen Kilmer
Published by: G.P. Putnam's Sons
Publication Date: September 19th, 2023
Format: Hardcover, 336 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"Nice witches finish last...

A guilt-ridden former coven is forced to tap into the magic of their past...if they want to stop their lives from going up in flames again.

On the outside, luxury realtor Sarah Nelson looks like every other mom in the neighborhood. But she has an edge that others don't: She's a witch. And no one knows...except her estranged ex-coven and college friends, Katrina and Alicia.

One terrible night during their freshman year, the trio accidentally burned down their dorm, and soon after they scattered. Their secret had been safe, until Sarah learns they've been invited back to commemorate the anniversary of the fire.

Suddenly, the magic doesn't want to be controlled. Sarah's orange tabby cat, Katy Purry, now argues with her. Her broom has become self-brooming, and her fridge somehow restocks thirty pounds of sliced turkey for school lunches. As it grows increasingly difficult to hide the magic and the past, Sarah, Katrina, and Alicia must harness their power together to keep their secrets safe...before they find out if polite society still burns witches."

Um, who needs thirty pounds of sliced turkey? Like ever, not just for school lunches.

A Study in Drowning by Ava Reid
Published by: Harperteen
Publication Date: September 19th, 2023
Format: Hardcover, 384 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"Bestselling author Ava Reid makes her YA debut in this dark academic fantasy perfect for fans of Melissa Albert and Elana K. Arnold.

Effy Sayre has always believed in fairy tales. Haunted by visions of the Fairy King since childhood, she's had no choice. Her tattered copy of Angharad - Emrys Myrddin's epic about a mortal girl who falls in love with the Fairy King, then destroys him - is the only thing keeping her afloat. So when Myrddin's family announces a contest to redesign the late author's estate, Effy feels certain it's her destiny.

But musty, decrepit Hiraeth Manor is an impossible task, and its residents are far from welcoming. Including Preston Héloury, a stodgy young literature scholar determined to expose Myrddin as a fraud. As the two rivals piece together clues about Myrddin's legacy, dark forces, both mortal and magical, conspire against them - and the truth may bring them both to ruin.

Part historical fantasy, part rivals-to-lovers romance, part Gothic mystery, and all haunting, dreamlike atmosphere, Ava Reid's powerful YA debut will lure in readers who loved The Atlas Six, House of Salt and Sorrows, or Girl, Serpent, Thorn."

Doesn't everyone survive because of a tattered copy of some book?

The Collectors: Stories edited by A.S. King
Published by: Dutton Books for Young Readers
Publication Date: September 19th, 2023
Format: Hardcover, 272 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"From Michael L. Printz Award winner A.S. King and an all-star team of contributors including Anna-Marie McLemore and Jason Reynolds, an anthology of stories about remarkable people and their strange and surprising collections.

From David Levithan's story about a non-binary kid collecting pieces of other people's collections to Jenny Torres Sanchez's tale of a girl gathering types of fire while trying not to get burned to G. Neri's piece about 1970's skaters seeking opportunities to go vertical - anything can be collected and in the hands of these award-winning and bestselling authors, any collection can tell a story. Nine of the best YA novelists working today have written fiction based on a prompt from Printz-winner A.S. King (who also contributes a story) and the result is itself an extraordinary collection."

I wish we celebrated collecting more as a society, like back when there were cabinets of curiosities.

The Winds of Poppy Pendleton by Melanie Dobson
Published by: Tyndale House Publishers
Publication Date: September 19th, 2023
Format: Hardcover, 352 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"In this compelling new time-slip mystery, a little girl goes missing from her family's castle in the Thousand Islands of New York. Eighty-five years later, a journalist teams up with a woman living on Koster Isle to find out what happened to Poppy, once and for all.

1907. On the eve of her fifth birthday, Poppy Pendleton is tucked safely in her bed, listening to her parents entertain New York's gilded society in their Thousand Islands castle; the next morning, she is gone, and her father is found dead in his smoking room.

1992. Though Chloe Ridell lives in the shadows of Poppy's castle, now in ruins, she has little interest in the mystery that still captivates tourists and locals alike. She is focused on preserving the island she inherited from her grandparents and reviving their vintage candy shop. Until the day a girl named Emma shows up on Chloe's doorstep, with few possessions, save a tattered scrapbook that connects her to the Pendleton family. When a reporter arrives at Chloe's store, asking questions about her grandfather, Chloe decides to help him dig into a past she'd thought best left buried. The haunting truth about Poppy, they soon discover, could save Emma's life, so Chloe and Logan must work together to investigate exactly what happened long ago on Koster Isle."

A more time-slippy Truly, Devious.

Red Rabbit by Alex Grecian
Published by: Tor Nightfire
Publication Date: September 19th, 2023
Format: Hardcover, 464 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"From bestselling author Alex Grecian comes a folk horror epic about a ragtag posse that must track down a witch through a wild west beset by demons and ghosts - and where death is always just around the bend.

Sadie Grace is wanted for witchcraft, dead (or alive). And every hired gun in Kansas is out to collect the bounty on her head, including bona fide witch hunter Old Tom and his mysterious, mute ward, Rabbit.

On the road to Burden County, they're joined by two vagabond cowboys with a strong sense of adventure - but no sense of purpose - and a recently widowed schoolteacher with nothing left to lose. As their posse grows, so too does the danger.

Racing along the drought-stricken plains in a stolen red stagecoach, they encounter monsters more wicked than witches lurking along the dusty trail. But the crew is determined to get that bounty, or die trying.

Written with the devilish cadence of Stephen Graham Jones and the pulse-pounding brutality of Nick Cutter, Red Rabbit is a supernatural adventure of luck and misfortune."

I love the supernatural combined with the wild west.

The Forest Grimm by Kathryn Purdie
Published by: Wednesday Books
Publication Date: September 19th, 2023
Format: Hardcover, 352 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"A spellbinding YA fantasy from #1 New York Times bestselling author Kathryn Purdie, where fairy tales come to life with dark, deadly twists.

"Tell me again, Grandmère, the story of how I die."

The Midnight Forest. The Fanged Creature. Two fortune-telling cards that spell an untimely death for 17-year-old Clara. Despite the ever-present warning from her fortune-teller grandmother, Clara embarks on a dangerous journey into the deadly Forest Grimm to procure a magical book - Sortes Fortunae, the Book of Fortunes - with the power to reverse the curse on her village and save her mother.

Years ago, when the villagers whispered their deepest desires to the book, its pages revealed how to obtain them. All was well until someone used the book for an evil purpose - to kill another person. Afterward, the branches of the Forest Grimm snatched the book away, the well water in Grimm's Hollow turned rancid, and the crops died from disease. The villagers tried to make amends with the forest, but every time someone crossed its border, they never returned.

Now, left with no alternative, Clara and her close friend, Axel - who is fated never to be with her - have set their minds to defying fate and daring to accomplish what no one else has been able to before. But the forest - alive with dark, deadly twists on some of our most well-known fairy tales - has a mind of its own."

Like a fairy tale version of this season of Nancy Drew.

A Bride's Story, Volume 14 by Kaoru Mori
Published by: Yen Press
Publication Date: September 19th, 2023
Format: Hardcover, 210 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"The Halgals enter talks of marriage with another clan, but first, Azel and the other men must be tested to see if they are worthy. They face off against their prospective brides in a horse-riding competition, and whoever retrieves an arrow and makes it to the finish line first will hold the future of both clans in their hands!"

I've loved this series from day one and can never get enough!

Posted by Miss Eliza at 12:00 AM 0 comments  

Labels: Amy Chua, Ava Reid, Cara Hunter, Donna Leon, Douglas Adams, John Scalzi, K.J. Charles, Kaoru Mori, Katharine Schellman, Kathryn Purdie, Lisa Hall, M.C. Beaton, Melanie Dobson, Mia P. Manansala, Richard Osman

The It Girl by Ruth Ware
Published by: Gallery/Scout Press
Publication Date: July 12th, 2022
Format: Hardcover, 432 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"The #1 New York Times bestselling author of the "claustrophobic spine-tingler" (People) One by One returns with an unputdownable mystery following a woman on the search for answers a decade after her friend’s murder.

April Clarke-Cliveden was the first person Hannah Jones met at Oxford.

Vivacious, bright, occasionally vicious, and the ultimate It girl, she quickly pulled Hannah into her dazzling orbit. Together, they developed a group of devoted and inseparable friends - Will, Hugh, Ryan, and Emily - during their first term. By the end of the year, April was dead.

Now, a decade later, Hannah and Will are expecting their first child, and the man convicted of killing April, former Oxford porter John Neville, has died in prison. Relieved to have finally put the past behind her, Hannah’s world is rocked when a young journalist comes knocking and presents new evidence that Neville may have been innocent. As Hannah reconnects with old friends and delves deeper into the mystery of April's death, she realizes that the friends she thought she knew all have something to hide…including a murder.

"The Agatha Christie of our generation" (David Baldacci, #1 New York Times bestselling author) proves once again that she is "as ingenious and indefatigable as the Queen of Crime" (The Washington Post) with this propulsive murder mystery that will keep you on the edge of your seat."

The IT beach read of the summer is here!

We Lie Here by Rachel Howzell Hall
Published by: Thomas and Mercer
Publication Date: July 12th, 2022
Format: Hardcover, 416 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"A woman's trip home reveals frightening truths in a twisty novel of murder and family secrets by the New York Times bestselling author of And Now She's Gone and These Toxic Things.

TV writer Yara Gibson's hometown of Palmdale, California, isn't her first choice for a vacation. But she's back to host her parents' twentieth-anniversary party and find the perfect family mementos for the celebration. Everything is going to plan until Yara receives a disturbing text: I have information that will change your life.

The message is from Felicia Campbell, who claims to be a childhood friend of Yara's mother. But they've been estranged for years - drama best ignored and forgotten. But Yara can't forget Felicia, who keeps texting, insisting that Yara talk to her "before it's too late."

But the next day is already too late for Felicia, whose body is found floating in Lake Palmdale. Before she died, Felicia left Yara a key to a remote lakeside cabin. In the basement are files related to a mysterious tragedy, unsolved since 1998. What secrets was Felicia hiding? How much of what Yara knows about her family has been true?

The deeper Yara digs for answers, the more she fears that Felicia was right. Uncovering the truth about what happened at the cabin all those years ago will change Yara's life - or end it."

Proving that you should always listen when someone says "before it's too late."

The Woman in the Woods by Lisa Hall
Published by: HQ
Publication Date: July 12th, 2022
Format: Paperback, 368 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"She's out there. Waiting for you.

A haunting read about witchcraft and superstition from Lisa Hall...

Is her family in danger?

When Allie moves to a quaint old cottage with her husband, it's their dream home. Nestled in the village of Pluckley, it seems a perfect haven in which to raise their two children. But Pluckley has a reputation. It's known as England's most haunted village. And not long after the birth of their new son, Allie begins to notice strange things...

What's the flash of white she sees moving quickly through the woods to the back of their house? And what's the strange scratching noise coming from the chimney?

As Allie discovers more about the history of their new home, she uncovers a story of witchcraft and superstition, which casts a long shadow into the present day. And not everything is as it seems. Her family might well be in danger, but it's a danger none of them could have foreseen...

Bestseller Lisa Hall's The Woman in the Woods is full of creeping unease and nerve-wracking tension, and will have readers on the edge of their seats..."

Aw yeah, haunted villages!

They Drown Our Daughters by Katrina Monroe
Published by: Poisoned Pen Press
Publication Date: July 12th, 2022
Format: Paperback, 384 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"If you can hear the call of the water,
It's already far too late.

They say Cape Disappointment is haunted. That's why tourists used to flock there in droves. They'd visit the rocky shoreline under the old lighthouse's watchful eye and fish shells from the water as they pretended to spot dark shapes in the surf. Now the tourists are long gone, and when Meredith Strand and her young daughter return to Meredith's childhood home after an acrimonious split from her wife, the Cape seems more haunted by regret than any malevolent force.

But her mother, suffering from early stages of Alzheimer's, is convinced the ghost stories are real. Not only is there something in the water, but it's watching them. Waiting for them. Reaching out to Meredith's daughter the way it has to every woman in their line for generations - and if Meredith isn't careful, all three women, bound by blood and heartbreak, will be lost one by one to the ocean's mournful call.

Part queer modern Gothic, part ghost story, They Drown Our Daughters explores the depths of motherhood, identity, and the lengths a woman will go to hold on to both."

Gothic ghost story? Yes please.

Wake the Bones by Elizabeth Kilcoyne
Published by: Wednesday Books
Publication Date: July 12th, 2022
Format: Hardcover, 320 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"The sleepy little farm that Laurel Early grew up on has awakened. The woods are shifting, the soil is dead under her hands, and her bone pile just stood up and walked away.

After dropping out of college, all she wanted was to resume her life as a tobacco hand and taxidermist and try not to think about the boy she can’t help but love. Instead, a devil from her past has returned to court her, as he did her late mother years earlier. Now, Laurel must unravel her mother’s terrifying legacy and tap into her own innate magic before her future and the fate of everyone she loves is doomed.

Elizabeth Kilcoyne's Wake the Bones is a dark, atmospheric debut about the complicated feelings that arise when the place you call home becomes hostile."

Haven becomes horrifying!

The Haunting of Crimshaw Manor by Mark E. Drotos
Published by: BHC Press
Publication Date: July 12th, 2022
Format: Hardcover, 266 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"Every town has a mystery. The Crimshaw family were once the caretakers of the prestigious Strathmore Estate. After the great blizzard of 1868, the townspeople found Elizabeth Crimshaw's body hanging from the banister. Her young son and husband were declared missing and never found. Every town has a legend.The locals say they have seen Elizabeth's ghost and that the manor is haunted. Others claim to have heard a woman's scream and have witnessed strange lights and shadow people.Some mysteries are better left unsolved.What really happened to the promising Crimshaw family? Are the rumors surrounding the family true? Intent on investigating these claims, Stephen Davenport, adjunct professor of Paranormal Studies at Strathmore University, along with students from the school's paranormal investigations club begin a weekend investigation.What they find confirms their beliefs in the paranormal-and challenges them to simply stay alive."

I love paranormal investigations that go really really wrong.

Peril at the Exposition by Nev March
Published by: Minotaur Books
Publication Date: July 12th, 2022
Format: Hardcover, 352 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"Captain Jim Agnihotri and his new bride, Diana Framji, return in Nev March's Peril at the Exposition, the follow up to March's award-winning, Edgar finalist debut, Murder in Old Bombay.

1893: Newlyweds Captain Jim Agnihotri and Diana Framji are settling into their new home in Boston, Massachusetts, having fled the strict social rules of British Bombay. It's a different life than what they left behind, but theirs is no ordinary marriage: Jim, now a detective at the Dupree Agency, is teaching Diana the art of deduction he’s learned from his idol, Sherlock Holmes.

Everyone is talking about the preparations for the World's Fair in Chicago: the grandeur, the speculation, the trickery. Captain Jim will experience it first-hand: he's being sent to Chicago to investigate the murder of a man named Thomas Grewe. As Jim probes the underbelly of Chicago’s docks, warehouses, and taverns, he discovers deep social unrest and some deadly ambitions.

When Jim goes missing, young Diana must venture to Chicago's treacherous streets to learn what happened. But who can she trust, when a single misstep could mean disaster?

Award-winning author Nev March mesmerized readers with her Edgar finalist debut, Murder in Old Bombay. Now, in Peril at the Exposition, she wields her craft against the glittering landscape of the Gilded Age with spectacular results."

I am ALL about the Chicago World's Fair!

Death and the Conjuror by Tom Mead
Published by: Mysterious Press
Publication Date: July 12th, 2022
Format: Hardcover, 288 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"A magician-turned-sleuth in pre-war London solves three impossible crimes.

In 1930s London, celebrity psychiatrist Anselm Rees is discovered dead in his locked study, and there seems to be no way that a killer could have escaped unseen. There are no clues, no witnesses, and no evidence of the murder weapon. Stumped by the confounding scene, the Scotland Yard detective on the case calls on retired stage magician-turned-part-time sleuth Joseph Spector. For who better to make sense of the impossible than one who traffics in illusions?

Spector has a knack for explaining the inexplicable, but even he finds that there is more to this mystery than meets the eye. As he and the Inspector interview the colorful cast of suspects among the psychiatrist’s patients and household, they uncover no shortage of dark secrets - or motives for murder. When the investigation dovetails into that of an apparently-impossible theft, the detectives consider the possibility that the two transgressions are related. And when a second murder occurs, this time in an impenetrable elevator, they realize that the crime wave will become even more deadly unless they can catch the culprit soon.

A tribute to the classic golden-age whodunnit, when crime fiction was a battle of wits between writer and reader, Death and the Conjuror joins its macabre atmosphere, period detail, and vividly-drawn characters with a meticulously-constructed fair play puzzle. Its baffling plot will enthrall readers of mystery icons such as Agatha Christie and John Dickson Carr, modern masters like Anthony Horowitz and Elly Griffiths, or anyone who appreciates a good mystery."

Will this fill the Elly Griffiths Magic Men hole in my life?

Classic Monsters Unleashed edited by James Aquilone
Published by: Black Spot Books
Publication Date: July 12th, 2022
Format: Hardcover, 443 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"Stories of famous monsters in a new horror anthology edited by James Aquilone and featuring Joe R. Lansdale, F. Paul Wilson, Jonathan Maberry, Ramsey Campbell, and many others.

Dracula, Frankenstein’s Monster, the Bride of Frankenstein, Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, Dr. Moreau, the Headless Horseman, the Invisible Man, the Phantom of the Opera, the Wicked Witch of the West - they're all here, in this collection of horror short stories that reimagine, subvert, and pay homage to our favorite monsters and creatures.

Written by the biggest names in the genre - including Joe R. Lansdale, F. Paul Wilson, Jonathan Maberry, Ramsey Campbell, Lisa Morton, Owl Goingback, Richard Christian Matheson, Seanan McGuire, Maurice Broaddus, Dacre Stoker, Linda D. Addison, Alessandro Manzetti, Tim Waggoner, John Palisano, Mercedes M. Yardley, Lucy A. Snyder, Gary A. Braunbeck, Rena Mason, and Monique Snyman.

And monstrously illustrated by Colton Worley and Mister Sam Shearon."

It's like B-Movie schlocky fun in book form!

We Have Always Been Here by Lena Nguyen
Published by: DAW
Publication Date: July 12th, 2022
Format: Hardcover, 368 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"This psychological sci-fi thriller from a debut author follows one doctor who must discover the source of her crew's madness...or risk succumbing to it herself.

Misanthropic psychologist Dr. Grace Park is placed on the Deucalion, a survey ship headed to an icy planet in an unexplored galaxy. Her purpose is to observe the thirteen human crew members aboard the ship - all specialists in their own fields - as they assess the colonization potential of the planet, Eos. But frictions develop as Park befriends the androids of the ship, preferring their company over the baffling complexity of humans, while the rest of the crew treats them with suspicion and even outright hostility.

Shortly after landing, the crew finds themselves trapped on the ship by a radiation storm, with no means of communication or escape until it passes - and that’s when things begin to fall apart. Park’s patients are falling prey to waking nightmares of helpless, tongueless insanity. The androids are behaving strangely. There are no windows aboard the ship. Paranoia is closing in, and soon Park is forced to confront the fact that nothing - neither her crew, nor their mission, nor the mysterious Eos itself - is as it seems."

And when this is made into a movie sci-fi staple Grace Park will play Grace Park right?

Posted by Miss Eliza at 12:00 AM 0 comments  

Labels: Chicago World's Fair, Classic Monsters Unleashed, Elizabeth Kilcoyne, Gothic, Grace Park, Katrina Monroe, Lena Nguyen, Lisa Hall, Magic Men, Mark E. Drotos, Nev March, Rachel Howzell Hall, Ruth Ware, Tom Mead