strange and random happenstance

A Fashionably French Murder by Colleen Cambridge
Published by: Kensington
Publication Date: April 29th, 2025
Format: Hardcover, 272 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"American expat Tabitha Knight has found a new life in postwar Paris, along with a delightful friend in aspiring chef Julia Child. Yet there are perils in peacetime too, as a killer infiltrates one of the city's most famous fashion houses.

If there's one art the French have mastered as well as fine cuisine, it's haute couture. Tabitha and Julia are already accustomed to sampling the delights of the former. Now fashion is returning to the forefront in Paris, as the somber hues of wartime are replaced by vibrant colors and ultra-feminine silhouettes, influenced by Christian Dior's "New Look."

Tabitha and Julia join a friend for a private showing at an exclusive fashion atelier, Maison Lannet. The event goes well, but when Tabitha returns later that evening to search for a lost glove, she finds the lights still on - and the couturier dead, strangled by a length of lace. The shop manager suspects that a jealous rival - perhaps Dior himself - committed the crime. Tabitha dismisses that idea, but when another body is found, it's apparent that someone is targeting employees of Maison Lannet.

Meanwhile, Tabitha's Grand-père and Oncle Rafe are in the midst of their own design-related fracas, as they squabble over how to decorate their new restaurant. And there are strange break-ins at a nearby shoe store - but are the crimes related? It's up to Tabitha to don her investigative hat and find answers before someone commits another fatal fashion faux pas."

You can always be confident that the inside of one of Colleen's books is top notch, but this series also looks smashing on your bookshelves. Seriously, I love the design.

The Seaside Murders by Helena Dixon
Published by: Bookouture
Publication Date: April 29th, 2025
Format: Kindle, 258 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"A pretty seaside town, a body on the beach, and a boatload of clues. Can super-sleuth Miss Jane Treen solve the mystery?

England, 1941. When Jane Treen is summoned to her boss's office at the end of a long day, she smooths down her tweed skirt and makes them both another strong pot of coffee. Brigadier Remmington-Blythe slides a folded copy of the evening newspaper towards her, with one small article circled in red ink. A body has been found on an English beach in the little seaside town where she grew up, and he wants her to investigate.

Jane is used to managing secret agents and spies, but she is now part of The Secret Detective Agency, England's answer to solving the most mysterious murders. Making her way to the coast and brimming with curiosity, she's heartened that shy and handsome codebreaking genius Arthur Cilento will be joining her to help her wade through the fishy goings-on. Although Jane doubts he will appreciate her bringing her beloved one-eyed cat, Marmaduke...

Together, Jane and Arthur drop anchor in her crumbling childhood home overlooking the sandy beach where the body was found. Surrounded by potential suspects, their eyes are on a devious doctor, an eccentric artist and a secret sweetheart. But as Jane and Arthur are searching for the truth, those giving evidence start to clam up. One thing seems sure: they need to reel in the killer before they're out of their depth...

Can The Secret Detective Agency triumph again, or will they meet their watery end at high tide?

If you love twisty crime novels, top-secret intrigue and the very best of Golden Age mysteries, then you will adore Helena Dixon's totally gripping cozy novel, perfect for fans of Agatha Christie, T.E. Kinsey and Verity Bright!"

I mean, we have to admit that the reason she's bringing her cat along is because the cat is solving the crimes.

How to Seal Your Own Fate by Kristen Perrin
Published by: Dutton
Publication Date: April 29th, 2025
Format: Hardcover, 320 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"Kristen Perrin is back with the second novel in her Castle Knoll series. Annie Adams is caught in a new web of murder that spans decades, returning us to the idyllic English village that holds layers of secrets.

Present day: Annie Adams is just settling into life in Castle Knoll when local fortune teller Peony Lane crosses her path and shares a cryptic message. When Peony Lane is found dead only hours later inside the locked Gravesdown Estate, Annie quickly realizes that someone is out to make her look guilty while silencing Peony at the same time. Annie has no choice but to delve into the dark secrets of Castle Knoll in order to find out just what Peony Lane was trying to warn her about, before the new life she's just begun to build comes crashing down around her.

1967: A year has passed since her friend Emily disappeared, and teenage Frances Adams finds herself caught between two men. Ford Gravesdown is one of the only remaining members of a family known for its wealth and dubious uses of power. Archie Foyle is a local who can't hold down a job and lives above the village pub. But when Frances teams up with Archie to investigate the car crash that claimed the lives of Ford's family, it quickly becomes clear that this was no accident - hints of cover-ups, lies, and betrayals abound. The question is, just how far does the blackness creep through the heart of Castle Knoll? When Frances uncovers secrets kept by both Ford and Archie, she starts to wonder: What exactly has she gotten herself into?"

Whenever there's a character named Ford I have to wonder if they're an alien.

A Death on Corfu by Emily Sullivan
Published by: Kensington
Publication Date: April 29th, 2025
Format: Hardcover, 288 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"Living in Greece at the turn of the twentieth century, widow Minnie Harper struggles to find her place in a swiftly changing world. But when a local woman is murdered, her resolve is put to the test in a race to shed light on the truth...

The first in a new series for readers of Tasha Alexander, Deanna Raybourn, Anna Lee Huber, and Rhys Bowen.

Minnie Harper isn't used to putting herself first. Not after she moved away from England only to be left raising two children alone on the Greek Island of Corfu following her husband's unexpected death. But with her daughter begging to be sent to school abroad and her son grasping at his own independence, Minnie realizes she must prepare for the next stage of her life.

When famous mystery author Stephen Dorian settles into a neighboring villa to escape writer's block and hidden scandals, she is intrigued at first by the handsome Londoner - until he proves to be nothing more than a boorish grump. Determined to avoid the man as much as possible, Minnie is shocked when he offers her a well-paid job as his typist. She isn't in a position to turn down work, even from a man she has sworn to hate.

But before Minnie can fully regret her decision to take the job, she makes a horrifying discovery that changes everything. A young maid has been murdered, and local authorities aren't moving fast enough to bring justice to the terrible crime. Unwilling to allow the death to fade into obscurity like the stories of so many other women deemed unworthy by society, Minnie launches an investigation of her own - and reluctantly accepts Stephen's help. As she embarks on a dangerous search for answers that reveals another side of Corfu, unsettling questions take shape about her employer-turned-confidant and the culprit who just might do whatever it takes to strike again..."

It's The Durrells but without the insufferable Durrells! Although if the Durrells showed up eventually and were murdered, I wouldn't object. 

The Mystery of the Crooked Man by Tom Spencer
Published by: Pushkin Vertigo
Publication Date: April 29th, 2025
Format: Paperback, 320 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"Fraudulent cozy mystery expert Agatha Dorn is cancelled - and severely ticked off! - in this quirky homage to Golden Age detectives, lost manuscripts, and famous authors

Meet Agatha Dorn, cantankerous archivist, grammar pedant, gin afficionado and murder mystery addict. When she discovers a lost manuscript by Gladden Green, the Empress of Golden Age detective fiction, Agatha's life takes an unexpected twist. She becomes an overnight sensation, basking in the limelight of literary stardom.

But Agatha's newfound fame takes a nosedive when the 'rediscovered' novel is exposed as a hoax. And when her ex-lover turns up dead, with a scrap of the manuscript by her side, Agatha suspects foul play.

Cancelled, ostracised and severely ticked off, Agatha turns detective to uncover the sinister truth that connects the murder and the fraudulent manuscript. But can she stay sober long enough to catch the murderer, or will Agatha become a whodunit herself?

Don't miss this distinctive, delightfully quirky, English cozy murder mystery featuring an unforgettably spiky protagonist - perfect for fans of The Twyford Code, Magpie Murders, and Yellowface."

I mean, we do have an unreliable narrator... Who's to say she didn't write the 'rediscovered' manuscript herself? You'll have to read to find out!

The Cornish Castle Murder by Fiona Leitch
Published by: One More Chapter
Publication Date: April 29th, 2025
Format: Kindle, 301 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"The time has finally come for former Met police officer Jodie 'Nosey' Parker to wed her fiancé DCI Nathan Withers. But their long-anticipated wedding doesn't quite go to plan...

As their guests descend on a luxurious Cornish castle for a weekend of pre-wedding activities, the happy couple look forward to spending time with friends and family. But celebrations grind to a halt when an arrow flies off-course during the archery session, and they find the body of a young woman floating face down in an ornamental pond.

With the champagne chilling and canapes assembled, and an old London adversary brought in to investigate, it's up to Jodie and Nathan to uncover the killer, before they strike again.

Could the murderer be on the guest list?"

Of course the murderer is on the guest list! Now which guest is it!?!

Off the Beaten Path by Eloise Corvo
Published by: Level Best Books
Publication Date: April 29th, 2025
Format: Kindle, 230 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"Stone's Throw State Park Ranger Maudy Lorso spends her days playing cards and sipping drinks with her millennial gal pals, hiking steep sand dunes with her scruffy dog, Martin Short, and trying to ignore the pain of a recent, devastating breakup. After building a quiet life in the Lake Michigan coastal village of Stone's Throw, Maudy's emotional safety net is turned inside out when her boss informs her of looming budget cuts that threaten to permanently close the park - and eliminate her job. Determined to prove the park's value, Maudy throws herself into organizing a successful campground opening weekend, just one week away. But when the body of a missing tourist is discovered in the park, her hope of saving Stone's Throw State Park quickly begins to fade. In order to save her dream job and maintain her quirky, quiet life, Maudy jumps in to solve the murder of the dead man."

I mean, I'd want to preserve this job too if it were mine, it seems she doesn't do much...

Julie Chan Is Dead by Liann Zhang
Published by: Atria Books
Publication Date: April 29th, 2025
Format: Hardcover, 320 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"In this debut thriller perfect for fans of Bunny and Yellowface, a young woman steps into her deceased twin's influencer life, only to discover dark secrets hidden behind her social media façade.

Julie Chan has nothing. Her twin sister has everything. Except a pulse.

Julie Chan, a supermarket cashier with nothing to lose, finds herself thrust into the glamorous yet perilous world of her late twin sister, Chloe VanHuusen, a popular influencer. Separated at a young age, the identical twins were polar opposites and rarely spoke, except for one viral video that Chloe initiated (Finding My Long-Lost Twin And Buying Her A House #EMOTIONAL). When Julie discovers Chloe's lifeless body under mysterious circumstances, she seizes the chance to live the life she's always envied.

Transforming into Chloe is easier than expected. Julie effortlessly adopts Chloe's luxurious influencer life, complete with designer clothes, a meticulous skincare routine, and millions of adoring followers. However, Julie soon realizes that Chloe's seemingly picture-perfect life was anything but.

Haunted by Chloe's untimely death and struggling to fit into the privileged influencer circle, Julie faces mounting challenges during a weeklong island retreat with Chloe's exclusive group of influencer friends. As events spiral out of control, Julie uncovers the sinister forces that may have led to her sister's demise and realizes she might be the next target."

I mean, sure, being a popular influencer might be exciting, but then again, why is she dead!?! Those are questions you should ask BEFORE impersonating said influencer. 

The Murder Machine by Heather Graham
Published by: Mira Books
Publication Date: April 29th, 2025
Format: Hardcover, 304 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"Artificial intelligence meets genuine murderous intent.

This state-of-the-art smart home has everything: a next-generation entertainment system, an ultramodern kitchen where every appliance is online and even a personal AI to control it all. Standing above its owner's lifeless body, FBI agent Jude Mackenzie is faced with the daunting task of discovering how the woman was killed by her own home. How do you catch a murderer that doesn't leave any fingerprints?

Enter Special Agent Victoria Tennant, whose familiarity with cybercrime reveals the stark truth: a machine can only do what it's been directed to. As the number of grisly "accidents" begins to rise, the pair must race to uncover the perpetrator even as they find themselves caught in their digital crosshairs! There's nowhere to hide when danger may be as close as the very phones in their pockets."

Not so much rise of the machines as programmers revolt.

25 Alive by James Patterson and Maxine Paetro
Published by: Little Brown and Company
Publication Date: April 29th, 2025
Format: Hardcover, 336 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"Sergeant Lindsay Boxer, medical examiner Claire Washburn, Assistant District Attorney Yuki Castellano, and crime reporter Cindy Thomas investigate the shocking murder of a former SFPD chief in San Francisco's Golden Gate Park.

SFPD homicide detective Lindsay Boxer knows her way around a crime scene.

But nothing can prepare her for the shock of recognition: the victim is Warren Jacobi, Lindsay's onetime partner who rose to chief of police.

A top investigator until the end, Jacobi managed to leave Lindsay a clue.

Following a trail of evidence along the west coast, the Women's Murder Club pledges to avenge Jacobi's death before the killer can take another one of their own."

Anyone else really want to make a Johnny 5 joke?

Serial Killer Games by Kate Posey
Published by: Berkley
Publication Date: April 29th, 2025
Format: Paperback, 384 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"What would you do if you thought your coworker was getting away with murder - literally?

Dolores dela Cruz has been dying to spot one in the wild, and he fits the mold perfectly: strangler gloves, calculated charm, dashing good looks that give a leg up in any field...including fields of unmarked graves.

The new office temp is definitely a serial killer.

Jake Ripper finds a welcome distraction in his combative and enigmatic new coworker. He hasn't come across anyone as interesting as Dolores in a long time. But when mere curiosity evolves into a darkly romantic flirtation, Jake can't help but wonder if, finally, he's found someone who really sees him, skeletons in the closet and all.

Until Dolores asks Jake's help to dispose of a body...

A morbidly funny and emotionally resonant novel about the ways life - and love - can sneak up on us (no matter how much pepper spray we carry)."

The main mystery I want solved is why anyone would name their kid Jake if their last name was Ripper. I mean, it's not Jack, but it's damn close.

The Hidden Dead by Tracy Whitwell
Published by: Pan
Publication Date: April 29th, 2025
Format: Paperback, 448 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"The Hidden Dead is the fourth book in a hilarious series featuring Tanz, the accidental medium who, with the help of the dead, has become an unwilling crime-solver. When the dead call, she listens...

On a night out in a London bar, our accidental medium Tanz meets Einar, a charismatic and sexy Viking travelling for business. He offers Tanz an irresistible proposition: return to Iceland with him for an all-expenses-paid writing retreat and some no-strings-attached fun.

Promised a mix of work, play and maybe a bit of romance, Tanz follows her heart (and the voices in her head) off to Iceland on a whim; but when she arrives, she quickly realises that Einar and his charm might not be all they're cracked up to be.

Heartbroken, abandoned and left to the mercy of the long, haunting nights, Tanz finds herself surrounded not just by the rugged beauty of a land steeped in legend but also the mysteries that lurk in its shadows. With only the dead for guidance, Tanz is thrust back into the heart of a chilling cold case, where the echoes of the forgotten and the allure of old magic compel her to listen, to understand and to act..."

And in Iceland the cold cases are really cold!

Whisper in the Wind by Luke Arnold
Published by: Orbit
Publication Date: April 29th, 2025
Format: Paperback, 416 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"The fourth installment of Luke Arnold's Fetch Phillips series, Whisper in the Wind, takes readers to a very different Sunder City. One where government corruption is rampant and tensions are rising.

Fetch is done being a hero. Once a detective, all he wants now is to run his cafe in peace. Sunder City is still recovering from the sudden and violent end of magic, and if one man can't solve all its problems, he can at least stop some people going hungry. But when a kid on the run shelters in Fetch's cafe, and a chain of gruesome murders begins among Sunder's high and mighty, trouble is brought to Fetch's door.

There's a word whispered on the wind, and that word is revolution..."

I wish the wind would whisper revolution more often...

Love at Second Sight by F.T. Lukens
Published by: Margaret K. McElderry Books
Publication Date: April 29th, 2025
Format: Hardcover, 368 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"When a teen has an unexpected vision about a future murder, he must juggle newfound interest from the supernatural community with trying to prevent the murder from happening in this "riveting" (Publishers Weekly, starred review) new romantic fantasy from New York Times bestselling author F.T. Lukens.

Fifteen-year-old Cam Reynolds wants to spend his sophomore year flying under the radar. That shouldn't be too hard, considering he's a human going to school with kids who have paranormal powers, like his best friend and witch, Al, and his longtime werewolf crush, Mateo.

Then Cam has a psychic glimpse of the future in front of most of the student body, seeing a gruesomely murdered teen girl from the point of view of the killer. When Cam comes to, he knows two things: someone he goes to school with is a future murderer, and his life is about to change. No longer a mere human but a clairvoyant, one of the rarest of supernatural beings, Cam finds himself at the center of attention for the first time.

As the most powerful supernatural factions in the city court Cam and his gift, he'll have to work with his friends, both old and new, to figure out who he can trust and who might be a werewolf in sheep's clothing. Because the clock is ticking, and Cam and his friends must identify the girl in the vision, find her potential killer, and prevent the murder from happening. Or the next murder Cam sees might be his own."

I'm just saying, Cam should have expected to have some supernatural power what with going to a school full of supes. I really don't think many regular humans go there...

Barbarian's Hope by Ruby Dixon
Published by: Berkley
Publication Date: April 29th, 2025
Format: Paperback, 256 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"The next novel in the Ice Planet Barbarians series, an international publishing phenomenon - now in a special print edition with bonus material!

Asha and Hemalo's relationship has never been easy, for there is just as much hurt between them as there is love. Will they find their way back to each other, or will they let tragedy keep them separated for good?

Seasons ago, I resonated to the quietest of tribesmates, a male content to love me from afar while I was the center of attention. We could have been happy. Despite our differences, I loved him and he loved me.

But then a terrible thing happened...and my world was never the same again.

Now resonance is giving us a second chance, but...I'm afraid. What if our bond is too broken to be fixed? What if there's no hope left for us at all?"

You KNOW you've been longing for the new Ice Planet Barbarians book!

The Unlikely Pursuit of Mary Bennet by Lindz McLeod
Published by: Carina Adores
Publication Date: April 29th, 2025
Format: Paperback, 304 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"Jane Austen meets Bridgerton in this sapphic romance between Charlotte Lucas and Mary Bennet that begins four years after the end of Pride and Prejudice.

When Mr. Collins dies after just four years of marriage, Charlotte is lost. While not exactly heartbroken, she will soon have to quit the parsonage that has become her home. In desperate need of support, she writes to her best friend, Lizzie. Unable to leave Pemberley, Lizzie sends her sister Mary Bennet in her stead.

To Charlotte's surprise, Mary Bennet is nothing like she remembers. Mary's discovery of academia and her interest in botany (as well as getting out from under her mother's thumb) have caused her to flourish. Before long, Charlotte is enraptured, and with each stolen glance and whispered secret, their friendship quickly blossoms into something achingly real.

But when her time at the parsonage begins to dwindle and a potential suitor appears, Charlotte must make a choice - the safety and security of another husband, or a passionate life with Mary outside the confines of the ton's expectations."

Like Bridgerton because of the Regency or because of the sapphic?

Saint Catherine by Anna Meyer
Published by: 23rd St.
Publication Date: April 29th, 2025
Format: Hardcover, 368 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"A relatable adult graphic novel about a woman who skips Sunday mass for the first time in her life only to discover she's possibly being possessed by a demon.

In her 20-something years of existence, Catherine never skipped mass once. As a recovering Irish American Catholic, she has mostly traded the world of communion and confessionals for the "city-girl" struggle of work-life balance, family, and her relationships. The only thing she has not been able to shake is her fear that something bad will happen if she misses Sunday mass.

But her fears become a reality when she skips mass for the first time and discovers she is now being possessed by a demon claiming to be the prince of hell. As she takes matters into her own hands and attempts to exorcise these demons (both the paranormal and emotional kind), Catherine must face her buried guilt and what it truly means to be good.

A cathartic and engaging view into the messy life of an urban women in her early twenties, Anna Meyer's Saint Catherine is truly a story of letting go of guilt and taking responsibility for your desires, hopes, and mistakes."

There's nothing Irish American Catholics do better than guilt. I should know.

Night Swimming by Aaron Starmer
Published by: Penguin Workshop
Publication Date: April 29th, 2025
Format: Hardcover, 240 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"From the author of Spontaneous comes a '90s mixtape of a young adult novel that delivers a summer romance with an unearthly twist. Perfect for fans of The Gravity of Us.

One final swim of the summer. Let’s make it last all night...

Summer, 1994. Trevor can barely wrap his mind around the fact that he and his friends have graduated high school. And yet there's no rush to get to college. He's determined to live one night at a time. Riding shotgun from party to party, windows down, music up, his focus is entirely on his crush, the enigmatic girl in the driver's seat. Will things ever go anywhere with Sarah?

Maybe? Because Sarah has proposed a mission: They're going to swim all the pools in town. Before long, they’re sneaking into backyards every night, splashing, floating, and loving every minute of it. But it's still not enough for Trevor. He yearns for Sarah, despite her college boyfriend, despite her "not yet"s, despite the way she keeps pulling away the moment it starts to feel truly magical.

Things finally change when they learn about a natural pool hidden deep in the woods. It seems like just another spot to check off their summer bucket list. But once they get there, they realize that this place has a curious hold on them, and something very strange is happening..."

Ever since I watched The Resort I totally don't trust natural pools hidden deep in anywhere.

The Amalfi Curse by Sarah Penner
Published by: Park Row
Publication Date: April 29th, 2025
Format: Hardcover, 336 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"Powerful witchcraft. A hunt for sunken treasure. Forbidden love on the high seas. Beware the Amalfi Curse...

Haven Ambrose, a trailblazing nautical archaeologist, has come to the sun-soaked village of Positano to investigate the mysterious shipwrecks along the Amalfi Coast. But Haven is hoping to find more than old artifacts beneath the azure waters; she is secretly on a quest to locate a trove of priceless gemstones her late father spotted on his final dive. Upon Haven's arrival, strange maelstroms and misfortunes start plaguing the town. Is it nature or something more sinister at work?

As Haven searches for her father's sunken treasure, she begins to unearth a centuries-old tale of ancient sorcery and one woman's quest to save her lover and her village by using the legendary art of stregheria, a magical ability to harness the ocean. Could this magic be behind Positano's latest calamities? Haven must unravel the Amalfi Curse before the region is destroyed forever...

Against the dazzling backdrop of the Amalfi Coast, this bewitching novel shimmers with mystery, romance and the untamed magic of the sea."

Maybe the witches want the jewels for themselves.....

One Way Witch by Nnedi Okorafor
Published by: DAW
Publication Date: April 29th, 2025
Format: Hardcover, 240 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"Set in the universe Africanfuturist luminary Nnedi Okorafor first introduced in the World Fantasy Award-winning Who Fears Death, One Way Witch is the second in the She Who Knows trilogy.

The world has forgotten Onyesonwu.

As a teen, Najeeba learned to become the beast of wind, fire and dust: the kponyungo. When that took too much from her, including the life of her father, she let it all go, and for a time, she was happy - until only a few years later, when the small, normal life she'd built was violently destroyed.

Now in her forties and years beyond the death of her second husband, Najeeba has just lost her beloved daughter. Onyesonwu saved the world. Najeeba knows this well, but the world does not. This is how the juju her daughter evoked works. One other person who remembers is Onyesonwu's teacher Aro, a harsh and hard-headed sorcerer. Najeeba has decided to ask him to teach her the Mystic Points, the powerful heart of sorcery. There is something awful Najeeba needs to kill and the Mystic Points are the only way. Najeeba is truly her daughter's mother.

When Aro agrees to help, Najeeba is at last ready to forge her future. But first, she must confront her past  - for certain memories cannot lie in unmarked graves."

This series seriously has cover art to die for.

Bat Eater and Other Names for Cora Zeng by Kylie Lee Baker
Published by: Mira Books
Publication Date: April 29th, 2025
Format: Hardcover, 304 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"In this explosive horror novel, a woman is haunted by inner trauma, hungry ghosts, and a serial killer as she confronts the brutal violence experienced by East Asians during the pandemic.

Cora Zeng is a crime scene cleaner, washing away the remains of brutal murders and suicides in Chinatown. But none of that seems so terrible when she's already witnessed the most horrific thing possible: her sister, Delilah, being pushed in front of a train.

Before fleeing the scene, the murderer shouted two words: bat eater.

So the bloody messes don't really bother Cora - she's more bothered by the germs on the subway railing, the bare hands of a stranger, the hidden viruses in every corner, and the bite marks on her coffee table. Of course, ever since Delilah was killed in front of her, Cora can't be sure what's real and what's in her head.

She pushes away all feelings and ignores the advice of her aunt to prepare for the Hungry Ghost Festival, when the gates of hell open. But she can't ignore the dread in her stomach as she keeps finding bat carcasses at crime scenes, or the scary fact that all her recent cleanups have been the bodies of East Asian women.

As Cora will soon learn, you can't just ignore hungry ghosts.

For fans of Stephen Graham Jones and Gretchen Felker-Martin, Bat Eater and Other Names for Cora Zeng is a wildly original, darkly humorous, and subversive contemporary novel from a striking new voice in horror."

Again, a new take on pandemic fiction that is worth the horrors.

The Staircase in the Woods by Chuck Wendig
Published by: Del Rey
Publication Date: April 29th, 2025
Format: Hardcover, 400 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"A group of friends investigates the mystery of a strange staircase in the woods in this mesmerizing horror novel from the New York Times bestselling author of The Book of Accidents.

Five high school friends are bonded by an oath to protect one another no matter what.

Then, on a camping trip in the middle of the forest, they find something extraordinary: a mysterious staircase to nowhere.

One friend walks up - and never comes back down. Then the staircase disappears.

Twenty years later, the staircase has reappeared. Now the group returns to find the lost boy - and what lies beyond the staircase in the woods...."

Did they have someone watching the woods for twenty years so they'd know when the stairs reappeared!?! 

Mapping the Interior by Stephen Graham Jones
Published by: Tor Nightfire
Publication Date: April 29th, 2025
Format: Paperback, 112 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"Stephen Graham Jones, the New York Times bestselling author of The Only Good Indians, brings readers on a spine-tingling journey through a young boy's haunted home.

Times have been tough for twelve-year-old Junior, his mom, and especially for his younger brother Dino. When his dad makes a surprise visit late one night, Junior is desperate to make him part of their family again. The only problem is Dad drowned eight years ago.

And bringing back the dead always comes at a cost..."

Yes, this is a reissue, but look at that new cover, you know you want!

Murder Ballads by Katy Horan
Published by: Andrews McMeel Publishing
Publication Date: April 29th, 2025
Format: Hardcover, 144 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"In this unique, illustrated collection, Literary Witches co-creator Katy Horan unearths the true and fictional stories behind twenty traditional murder ballads, exploring the beauty and horror of the art form through stories, lyrics, and original illustrations.

Murder Ballads is a guide to the origins and cultural impact of murder ballads as a music genre, covering its roots in patriarchal violence and white supremacy, as well as its contemporary relationship to true crime.

From "Delia's Gone" to "The Death of Queen Jane," each of twenty carefully chosen ballads is accompanied by one of Horan's beautifully macabre illustrations and a thoroughly researched reflection on the song's history and evolution. At the back of the book, readers can browse a list of essential recordings for each ballad.

Mysterious and alluring as the songs themselves, Murder Ballads will delight history enthusiasts, armchair musicologists, true crime fans (and critics), as well as anyone who appreciates the darker side of folk music."

I really need to do more of a deep dive on murder ballads. 

The Traitor of Sherwood Forest by Amy S. Kaufman
Published by: Penguin Books
Publication Date: April 29th, 2025
Format: Paperback, 416 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"An immersive, sultry, heart-pounding historical reimagining of the Robin Hood ballads, told through the piercing eyes of one of his spies.

Jane Crowe is an ordinary peasant girl who never dreamed she would work for the infamous Lord of the Greenwood. But when she's forced out of her home, she has no choice but to turn to Robin Hood for help - and he makes her an irresistible offer. He needs a pair of eyes in the King's Houses, and quiet, unassuming Jane - who has spent her whole life going unnoticed - will be the perfect spy.

At first, Jane's work for Robin seems straightforward. She whispers to him about the nobles at King's Houses and all their secrets, including the new Sheriff of Nottingham, who would like nothing more than to see Robin Hood's head on a spike. But the more Jane is drawn into Robin's world, the more she's drawn to Robin himself - a man as charismatic as he is cunning, capable of plucking at her heart as easily as he notches an arrow. As Robin's tricks grow increasingly dangerous, and shockingly violent, Jane starts to suspect that her hero cares more about his own legacy than helping the common people - and that despite his declarations of affection, he sees her as just another object to be stolen.

When Robin's schemes implicate Jane in a brutal murder, she must decide: is she prize to be won, a pawn to be used and discarded - or is she an equal player in the game between nobles and thieves?"

Ever since I first watched Disney's Robin Hood I am here for ALL THING Robin Hood.

Posted by Miss Eliza at 12:00 AM 0 comments  

Labels: Chuck Wendig, Colleen Cambridge, Emily Sullivan, Fiona Leitch, Heather Graham, Helena Dixon, James Patterson, Kristen Perrin, Luke Arnold, Nnedi Okorafor, Ruby Dixon, Sarah Penner, Stephen Graham Jones

My Life Solving America's Cold Cases by Paul Holes
Published by: Celadon Books
Publication Date: April 26th, 2022
Format: Hardcover, 288 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"From the detective who found the Golden State Killer, a memoir of investigating America’s toughest cold cases and the rewards - and toll - of a life solving crime.

I order another bourbon, neat. This is the drink that will flip the switch. I don’t even know how I got here, to this place, to this point. Something is happening to me lately. I’m drinking too much. My sheets are soaking wet when I wake up from nightmares of decaying corpses. I order another drink and swig it, trying to forget about the latest case I can’t shake.

Crime solving for me is more complex than the challenge of the hunt, or the process of piecing together a scientific puzzle. The thought of good people suffering drives me, for better or worse, to the point of obsession. People always ask how I am able to detach from the horrors of my work. Part of it is an innate capacity to compartmentalize; the rest is experience and exposure, and I’ve had plenty of both. But I have always taken pride in the fact that I can keep my feelings locked up to get the job done. It’s only been recently that it feels like all that suppressed darkness is beginning to seep out.

When I look back at my long career, there is a lot I am proud of. I have caught some of the most notorious killers of the twenty-first century and brought justice and closure for their victims and families. I want to tell you about a lifetime solving these cold cases, from Laci Peterson to Jaycee Dugard to the Pittsburg homicides to, yes, my twenty-year-long hunt for the Golden State Killer.

But a deeper question eats at me as I ask myself, at what cost? I have sacrificed relationships, joy - even fatherhood - because the pursuit of evil always came first. Did I make the right choice? It’s something I grapple with every day. Yet as I stand in the spot where a young girl took her last breath, as I look into the eyes of her family, I know that, for me, there has never been a choice. "I don’t know if I can solve your case," I whisper. "But I promise I will do my best."

It is a promise I know I can keep."

I am a total fangirl of Paul Holes because of the Golden State Killer, therefore this book isn't just on my to buy list, I'm getting a signed first edition!

The Mad Girls of New York by Maya Rodale
Published by: Berkley
Publication Date: April 26th, 2022
Format: Paperback, 336 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"An exciting novel based on the fearless reporter Nellie Bly, who would stop at nothing to expose injustices against women in early 19th century New York, even at the risk of her own life and freedom.

In 1887 New York City, Nellie Bly has ambitions beyond writing for the ladies pages, but all the editors on Newspaper Row think women are too emotional, respectable and delicate to do the job. But then the New York World challenges her to an assignment she'd be mad to accept and mad to refuse: go undercover as a patient at Blackwell's Island Insane Asylum for Women.

For months, rumors have been swirling about deplorable conditions at Blackwell’s, but no reporter can get in - that is, until Nellie feigns insanity, gets committed and attempts to survive ten days in the madhouse. Inside, she discovers horrors beyond comprehension. It's an investigation that could make her career - if she can get out to tell it before two rival reporters scoop her story.

From USA Today bestselling author Maya Rodale comes a rollicking historical adventure series about the outrageous intrigues and bold flirtations of the most famous female reporter - and a groundbreaking rebel - of New York City’s Gilded Age."

As I have been saying, Nellie Bly is the It Girl of the moment!

The Children on the Hill by Jennifer McMahon
Published by: Gallery/Scout Press
Publication Date: April 26th, 2022
Format: Hardcover, 352 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"From the New York Times bestselling author of The Drowning Kind comes a genre-defying new novel, inspired by Mary Shelley’s masterpiece Frankenstein, that brilliantly explores the eerie mysteries of childhood and the evils perpetrated by the monsters among us.

1978: At her renowned treatment center in picturesque Vermont, the brilliant psychiatrist, Dr. Helen Hildreth, is acclaimed for her compassionate work with the mentally ill. But when she’s home with her cherished grandchildren, Vi and Eric, she’s just Gran - teaching them how to take care of their pets, preparing them home-cooked meals, providing them with care and attention and love.

Then one day Gran brings home a child to stay with the family. Iris - silent, hollow-eyed, skittish, and feral - does not behave like a normal girl.

Still, Violet is thrilled to have a new playmate. She and Eric invite Iris to join their Monster Club, where they catalogue all kinds of monsters and dream up ways to defeat them. Before long, Iris begins to come out of her shell. She and Vi and Eric do everything together: ride their bicycles, go to the drive-in, meet at their clubhouse in secret to hunt monsters. Because, as Vi explains, monsters are everywhere.

2019: Lizzy Shelley, the host of the popular podcast Monsters Among Us, is traveling to Vermont, where a young girl has been abducted, and a monster sighting has the town in an uproar. She’s determined to hunt it down, because Lizzy knows better than anyone that monsters are real - and one of them is her very own sister.

A haunting, vividly suspenseful page-turner from the “literary descendant of Shirley Jackson” (Chris Bohjalian, author of The Flight Attendant), The Children on the Hill takes us on a breathless journey to face the primal fears that lurk within us all."

If I hadn't already been sold with the Frankenstein vibe, name checking Shirley Jackson put the nail in the coffin.

In the Face of the Sun by Denny S. Bryce
Published by: Kensington
Publication Date: April 26th, 2022
Format: Paperback, 320 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"At the height of the Civil Rights Movement amidst an America convulsed by the 1960s, a pregnant young woman and her brash, profane aunt embark upon an audacious road trip from Chicago to Los Angeles to confront a decades-old mystery from 1920’s Black Hollywood in this haunting novel of historical fiction from the author of Wild Women and the Blues.

A lime-gold Ford Mustang is parked outside my building. Unmistakable. My Aunt Daisy, the driver, is an audacious woman that no one in our family actually speaks to. They only speak about her - and not glowingly. Still, she is part of my escape plan...

1928, Los Angeles: The newly-built Hotel Somerville is the hotspot for the city's glittering African-American elite. It embodies prosperity and dreams of equality for all - especially Daisy Washington. An up-and-coming journalist, Daisy anonymously chronicles fierce activism and behind-the-scenes Hollywood scandals in order to save her family from poverty. But power in the City of Angels is also fueled by racism, greed, and betrayal. And even the most determined young woman can play too many secrets too far...

1968, Chicago: For Frankie Saunders, fleeing across America is her only escape from an abusive husband. But her rescuer is her reckless, profane Aunt Daisy, still reeling from her own shattered past. Frankie doesn't want to know what her aunt is up to so long as Daisy can get her to LA—and safety. But Frankie finds there’s no hiding from long-held secrets—or her own surprising strength.

Daisy will do whatever it takes to settle old scores and resolve the past - no matter the damage. And Frankie will come up against hard choices in the face of unexpected passion. Both must come to grips with what they need, what they’ve left behind - and all that lies ahead..."

An old Hollywood mystery? Yes please!

A Queen for All Seasons by Joanna Lumley
Published by: Hodder and Stoughton
Publication Date: April 26th, 2022
Format: Hardcover, 320 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"A sparkling celebration of our much-loved Queen Elizabeth II for her Platinum Jubilee including special writings and illuminating insights around key moments in her 70-year reign, introduced and edited by her biggest fan Joanna Lumley.

In 2022 Queen Elizabeth II celebrates seventy years as Queen and Head of the Commonwealth. She is Britain's longest reigning monarch and the very first to celebrate a Platinum Jubilee.

A Queen For All Seasons, edited and introduced by Joanna Lumley, is a perceptive, touching and engaging tribute to this unique woman. A treasure chest of first-hand writings, insights and snapshots of the Queen during key moments of her reign to form a vibrant portrait of the woman herself and the extraordinary role she plays.

Joanna Lumley guides us as we meet Princess Elizabeth in 1952, aged just twenty-five, and about to become Queen, and brings us through to the present day when, as our matriarch, the Queen keeps the national ship steady, including in moments of crisis and suffering. Here are unique perspectives into some of the most fascinating aspects of the Queen's life - her role as head of state at home and abroad, her private passions and public interests and a bird's-eye look at key events that have held the nation together and the Queen in our affection throughout Britain and beyond.

This book is a special and unique portrait of our constant Queen in an ever-changing world."

The obligatory anglophile Platinum Jubilee book post. With 100% more Joanna Lumley!

One Foot in the Fade by Luke Arnold
Published by: Orbit
Publication Date: April 26th, 2022
Format: Paperback, 464 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"Welcome back to the streets of Sunder City, a darkly imagined world perfect for readers of Ben Aaronovitch and Jim Butcher.

In a city that lost its magic, an angel falls in a downtown street. His wings are feathered, whole - undeniably magical - the man clearly flew, because he left one hell of a mess when he plummeted into the sidewalk.

But what sent him up? What brought him down? And will the answers help Fetch bring the magic back for good?

Working alongside necromancers, genies, and shadowy secret societies, through the wildest forests and dingiest dive bars, this case will leave its mark on Fetch's body, his soul, and the fate of the world."

Luke Arnold should be gleeful for the Aaronovitch comparison, and not just in cover design.

Veil by Dylan Farrow
Published by: Wednesday Books
Publication Date: April 26th, 2022
Format: Hardcover, 400 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"Dylan Farrow's Veil is the thrilling sequel to Hush, one of the most talked about YA fantasies of 2020.

Shae’s entire world has been turned upside down, and everything she’s ever believed is a lie. More determined than ever, she sets out to the mysterious land of Gondal - a place forbidden to mention and resigned to myth - in search of a dangerous magical book that could alter the fabric of the world.

Following the trail of Ravod, the boy she thought she knew and trusted, Shae discovers there is far more to the young man who stole the Book of Days than she ever realized. Together, with her friends, Mads and Fiona, and a newfound ally in her fierce former trainer, Kennan, Shae crosses the borders of the only home she’s ever had and into a world ruled not by magic, but technology and industry - one fraught with perils of its own.

In a world shrouded in lies, Shae is desperate for answers and to restore peace, but who will lift the veil?"

Most talked about for a good reason!

Locke and Key: The Golden Age by Joe Hill, Gabriel Rodriguez, and Jay Fotos
Published by: IDW Publishing
Publication Date: April 26th, 2022
Format: Hardcover, 264 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"The beloved graphic novel series turned Netflix hit continues!

Take a trip through the past and unlock moments from Keyhouse's long history that expand the saga of the Locke family in this collection of stories including the crossover with Neil Gaiman's Sandman Universe!

Contains three prequel short stories, "Small World," "Open the Moon," and, collected for the first time, "Face the Music," leading into the gut-wrenching tour de force that begins with ...In Pale Battalions Go... and culminates with the Sandman Universe crossover Hell and Gone.

Each of these individual stories takes a glimpse into the lives of the Locke family ancestors from the early 20th century as they use the keys to fight battles big and small. From the killing fields of Europe during WWI to the depths of Hell, the Lockes struggle desperately to keep the dark forces of their world at bay."

Wait, they didn't say that "Open the Moon" will also have you balling your eyes out!

Posted by Miss Eliza at 12:00 AM 0 comments  

Labels: Denny S. Bryce, Dylan Farrow, Golden State Killer, I'll Be Gone in the Dark, Jennifer McMahon, Joanna Lumley, Joe Hill, Locke and Key, Luke Arnold, Maya Rodale, Nellie Bly, Paul Holes, Queen Elizabeth

A Bride's Story, Volume 12 by Kaoru Mori
Published by: Yen Press
Publication Date: September 22nd, 2020
Format: Hardcover, 192 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"Acclaimed creator Kaoru Mori's tale of life on the nineteenth-century Silk Road continues. Camera in tow, Smith retraces his journey to photograph the people and places that have come to mean so much to him. Though he has vast ground to cover, the inevitable delays of travel afford Smith an opportunity to rest and reflect. On Amir and Karluk, who have since sought the tutelage of Karluk's hardy brother-in-law. On Pariya, struggling to complete the elaborate embroideries for her dowry. On the young, energetic twin brides, Laila and Leily. On the grand mansion that is to be the first stop on his return journey...

Crafted in painstaking detail, Ms. Mori's pen breathes life into the scenery and architecture of the period in this heartwarming, slice-of-life tale that is at once wholly exotic yet familiar and accessible through the everyday lives of the characters she has created."

The historical fiction lover in me adores this series. The artist in me adores this series. In fact everything in me adores this series!

Solutions and Other Problems by Allie Brosh
Published by: Gallery Books,
Publication Date: September 22nd, 2020
Format: Hardcover, 528 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"For the first time in seven years, Allie Brosh - beloved author and artist of the extraordinary #1 New York Times bestseller Hyperbole and a Half - returns with a new collection of comedic, autobiographical, and illustrated essays.

Solutions and Other Problems includes humorous stories from Allie Brosh’s childhood; the adventures of her very bad animals; merciless dissection of her own character flaws; incisive essays on grief, loneliness, and powerlessness; as well as reflections on the absurdity of modern life.

This full-color, beautifully illustrated edition features all-new material with more than 1,600 pieces of art. Solutions and Other Problems marks the return of a beloved American humorist who has “the observational skills of a scientist, the creativity of an artist, and the wit of a comedian” (Bill Gates)."

Damn, she got Bill Gates to blurb this book!?!

Kenny and the Book of Beasts by Tony DiTerlizzi
Published by: Simon and Schuster Books for Young Readers
Publication Date: September 22nd, 2020
Format: Hardcover, 224 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"In this highly anticipated sequel to New York Times bestselling and Caldecott Honor - winning author Tony DiTerlizzi’s Kenny and the Dragon, Kenny must cope with many changes in his life - including the fear that he’s losing his best friend.

What can come between two best friends?

Time has passed since Kenny Rabbit’s last adventure with his best friend, the legendary dragon Grahame, and a lot has changed in the sleepy village of Roundbrook.

For starters, Kenny has a whole litter of baby sisters. His friends are at different schools and Sir George is off adventuring.

At least Kenny still has his very best friend, Grahame. That’s before Dante arrives. Dante is a legendary manticore and an old friend of Grahame’s. Old friends spend a lot of time catching up. And that catching up does not involve Kenny.

But there’s a Witch to defeat, a pal to rescue, and a mysterious book to unlock. And those are quests for best friends, not old friends. Right?"

There are authors you like and you meet and you cool on them. That's not Tony DiTerlizzi, I went from being a fan to being a true follower. 

The Silvered Serpents by Roshani Chokshi
Published by: Wednesday Books
Publication Date: September 22nd, 2020
Format: Hardcover, 416 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"Returning to the dark and glamorous 19th century world of her New York Times instant bestseller, The Gilded Wolves, Roshani Chokshi dazzles us with another riveting tale as full of mystery and danger as ever in The Silvered Serpents.

They are each other’s fiercest love, greatest danger, and only hope.

Séverin and his team members might have successfully thwarted the Fallen House, but victory came at a terrible cost - one that still haunts all of them. Desperate to make amends, Séverin pursues a dangerous lead to find a long lost artifact rumored to grant its possessor the power of God.

Their hunt lures them far from Paris, and into the icy heart of Russia where crystalline ice animals stalk forgotten mansions, broken goddesses carry deadly secrets, and a string of unsolved murders makes the crew question whether an ancient myth is a myth after all.

As hidden secrets come to the light and the ghosts of the past catch up to them, the crew will discover new dimensions of themselves. But what they find out may lead them down paths they never imagined.

A tale of love and betrayal as the crew risks their lives for one last job."

I really still want to read the first book it's got to be around here somewhere, I think I got it in an OwlCrate...

The Left-Handed Booksellers of London by Garth Nix
Published by: Katherine Tegen Books
Publication Date: September 22nd, 2020
Format: Hardcover, 416 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"A girl’s quest to find her father leads her to an extended family of magical fighting booksellers who police the mythical Old World of England when it intrudes on the modern world. From the bestselling master of teen fantasy, Garth Nix.

In a slightly alternate London in 1983, Susan Arkshaw is looking for her father, a man she has never met. Crime boss Frank Thringley might be able to help her, but Susan doesn’t get time to ask Frank any questions before he is turned to dust by the prick of a silver hatpin in the hands of the outrageously attractive Merlin.

Merlin is a young left-handed bookseller (one of the fighting ones), who with the right-handed booksellers (the intellectual ones), are an extended family of magical beings who police the mythic and legendary Old World when it intrudes on the modern world, in addition to running several bookshops.

Susan’s search for her father begins with her mother’s possibly misremembered or misspelt surnames, a reading room ticket, and a silver cigarette case engraved with something that might be a coat of arms.

Merlin has a quest of his own, to find the Old World entity who used ordinary criminals to kill his mother. As he and his sister, the right-handed bookseller Vivien, tread in the path of a botched or covered-up police investigation from years past, they find this quest strangely overlaps with Susan’s. Who or what was her father? Susan, Merlin, and Vivien must find out, as the Old World erupts dangerously into the New."

I'm a sucker for alternate worlds and anything "Merlin!" 

Dead Man in a Ditch by Luke Arnold
Published by: Orbit
Publication Date: September 22nd, 2020
Format: Paperback, 464 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"A former soldier turned PI solves crime in a world that's lost its magic in this brilliant sequel to actor Luke Arnold's debut The Last Smile in Sunder City.

The name's Fetch Phillips - what do you need?

Cover a Gnome with a crossbow while he does a dodgy deal? Sure.

Find out who killed Lance Niles, the big-shot businessman who just arrived in town? I'll give it shot.

Help an old-lady Elf track down her husband's murderer? That's right up my alley.

What I don't do, because it's impossible, is search for a way to bring the goddamn magic back.

Rumors got out about what happened with the Professor, so now people keep asking me to fix the world.

But there's no magic in this story. Just dead friends, twisted miracles, and a secret machine made to deliver a single shot of murder.

Welcome back to the streets of Sunder City, a darkly imagined world perfect for readers of Ben Aaronovitch and Jim Butcher."

That Black Sails guy wrote a sequel to his book! 

Mortmain Hall by Martin Edwards
Published by: Poisoned Pen Press
Publication Date: September 22nd, 2020
Format: Paperback, 368 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"Next in the Rachel Savernake series, perfect for fans of the Golden age of mystery and readers of Anthony Horowitz and Sherry Thomas.

Framed for murder and with nowhere to go, Jacob Flint turns to an eclectic group of people on a remote estate to save him...

1930. A chilling encounter on London's Necropolis Railway leads to murder and a man escapes the gallows after a witness gives sensational evidence. After this string of strange, fatal events, journalist Jacob Flint discovers that he has been framed for murder. To save himself, he flees to Mortmain Hall, a remote estate on the northern coast. There, an eccentric female criminologist hosts a gathering of eclectic people who have all escaped miscarriages of cruel justice. This strange group puts Jacob a little on edge, but they may be his only hope to clear his name.

When a body is found beneath the cliffs near the house, it seems this gathering might be an ingenious plot to get away with murder. Are these eccentrics victims or are they orchestrators of the great deception? Jacob must now set out to uncover the labyrinthine of secrets within Mortmain Hall, alongside Rachel Savernake, woman whose relentless quest for the truth might just bring down the British establishment..."

I was sold at Golden age meets Anthony Horowitz, throw in a remote country estate and I might just move into this book.

Posted by Miss Eliza at 12:00 AM 0 comments  

Labels: A Bride's Story, Allie Brosh, Black Sails, Fetch Phillips, Garth Nix, Kaoru Mori, Luke Arnold, Manga, Martin Edwards, Merlin, Rachel Savernake, Roshani Chokshi, Tony DiTerlizzi, Tuesday Tomorrow

Firewatching by Russ Thomas
Published by: G.P. Putnam's Sons
Publication Date: February 25th, 2020
Format: Hardcover, 368 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"A taut and ambitious police procedural debut introducing Detective Sergeant Adam Tyler, a cold case reviewer who lands a high-profile murder investigation, only to find the main suspect is his recent one-night stand...

When financier Gerald Cartwright disappeared from his home six years ago, it was assumed he'd gone on the run from his creditors. But then a skeleton is found bricked up in the cellar of Cartwright's burned-out mansion, and it becomes clear Gerald never left alive.

As the sole representative of South Yorkshire's Cold Case Review Unit, Detective Sergeant Adam Tyler is not expected to get results, but he knows this is the case that might finally kick start his floundering career. Luckily, he already has a suspect. Unluckily, that suspect is Cartwright's son, the man Tyler slept with the night before.

Keeping his possible conflict-of-interest under wraps, Tyler digs into the case alongside Amina Rabbani, an ambitious young Muslim constable and a fellow outsider seeking to prove herself on the force. Soon their investigation will come up against close-lipped townsfolk, an elderly woman with dementia who's receiving mysterious threats referencing a past she can't remember, and an escalating series of conflagrations set by a troubled soul intent on watching the world burn..."

My friend Johnnie Cakes has made it his business to make sure EVERYONE knows about this new book. Therefore it is my business to make sure EVERYONE knows about Firewatching!

The King's Justice by Susan Elia MacNeal
Published by: Bantam
Publication Date: February 25th, 2020
Format: Hardcover, 352 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"Can a stolen violin lead secret agent and spy Maggie Hope to a new serial killer terrorizing London? Find out as the acclaimed World War II mystery series from New York Times bestselling author Susan Elia MacNeal continues.

Maggie Hope started out as Winston Churchill’s secretary, but now she’s a secret agent - and the only one who can figure out how the missing violin ties into a series of horrifying murders.

London, December 1943. As the Russian army repels German forces from Stalingrad, Maggie Hope takes a much-needed break from spying to defuse bombs in London. But Maggie herself is an explosion waiting to happen. Traumatized by her past, she finds herself living dangerously - taking huge risks, smoking, drinking, and speeding through the city streets on a motorbike. The last thing she wants is to get entangled in another crime.

But when she’s called upon to look into the theft of a Stradivarius, one of the finest violins ever made, Maggie can’t resist. Meanwhile, there’s a serial killer on the loose in London, targeting conscientious objectors. Little does Maggie know that investigating this dangerous predator will pit her against a new evil - and old enemies. Only Maggie can uncover the connection between the robbery, the murders, and a link to her own past."

The newest Maggie Hope book brings a little hope into my life.

A Silent Stabbing by Alyssa Maxwell
Published by: Kensington
Publication Date: February 25th, 2020
Format: Hardcover, 288 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"As England recovers from its costly involvement in the Great War, Lady Phoebe Renshaw and her lady’s maid, Eva Huntford, find the steady comforts of their lives unsettled by a local case of murder...

Eva is excited for a visit from her sister Alice, who lives in Suffolk with her husband and three children. But when Alice arrives alone, desiring a break from her family, Eva becomes concerned. Her dismay deepens as Alice starts spending time with a former beau, Keenan Ripley, who owns the nearby pear orchard. At the same time, Phoebe's sister Julia, now a widow and pregnant, is in a fretful state, and Phoebe struggles to be helpful to her.

When Keenan's brother Stephen, the new head gardener at the Renshaw estate, Foxwood Hall, is found impaled by a pair of hedge clippers, the police - including Eva's beau, Constable Miles Brannock - suspect his closest kin. Stephen had been eager to sell their orchard to an American developer, but Keenan had fiercely resisted. A table set with two teacups and scones suggests Keenan had company the morning of the murder - and Eva fears her sister was with him.

If Alice were to provide Keenan with an alibi, her reputation and marriage would be ruined. She denies being there but is clearly withholding secrets, much to Eva's consternation. Now, to protect her sister, Eva and Phoebe set off to expose the gardener's real killer, putting their own lives at risk..."

I am ALL about books set right after WWI at the moment. 

The Splendid and the Vile by Erik Larson
Published by: Crown
Publication Date: February 25th, 2020
Format: Hardcover, 608 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"On Winston Churchill’s first day as prime minister, Adolf Hitler invaded Holland and Belgium. Poland and Czechoslovakia had already fallen, and the Dunkirk evacuation was just two weeks away. For the next twelve months, Hitler would wage a relentless bombing campaign, killing 45,000 Britons. It was up to Churchill to hold his country together and persuade President Franklin Roosevelt that Britain was a worthy ally - and willing to fight to the end.

In The Splendid and the Vile, Erik Larson shows, in cinematic detail, how Churchill taught the British people “the art of being fearless.” It is a story of political brinkmanship, but it’s also an intimate domestic drama, set against the backdrop of Churchill’s prime-ministerial country home, Chequers; his wartime retreat, Ditchley, where he and his entourage go when the moon is brightest and the bombing threat is highest; and of course 10 Downing Street in London. Drawing on diaries, original archival documents, and once-secret intelligence reports - some released only recently - Larson provides a new lens on London’s darkest year through the day-to-day experience of Churchill and his family: his wife, Clementine; their youngest daughter, Mary, who chafes against her parents’ wartime protectiveness; their son, Randolph, and his beautiful, unhappy wife, Pamela; Pamela’s illicit lover, a dashing American emissary; and the advisers in Churchill’s “Secret Circle,” to whom he turns in the hardest moments.

The Splendid and the Vile takes readers out of today’s political dysfunction and back to a time of true leadership, when, in the face of unrelenting horror, Churchill’s eloquence, courage, and perseverance bound a country, and a family, together."

But of course what follows the period after WWI? WWII!

False Value by Ben Aaronovitch
Published by: DAW
Publication Date: February 25th, 2020
Format: Hardcover, 304 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"Now in hardcover, the eighth book of the bestselling Rivers of London series returns to the adventures of Peter Grant, detective and apprentice wizard, as he solves magical crimes in the city of London.

Peter Grant is facing fatherhood, and an uncertain future, with equal amounts of panic and enthusiasm. Rather than sit around, he takes a job with émigré Silicon Valley tech genius Terrence Skinner's brand new London start up - the Serious Cybernetics Company.

Drawn into the orbit of Old Street's famous 'silicon roundabout', Peter must learn how to blend in with people who are both civilians and geekier than he is. Compared to his last job, Peter thinks it should be a doddle. But magic is not finished with Mama Grant's favourite son.

Because Terrence Skinner has a secret hidden in the bowels of the SCC. A technology that stretches back to Ada Lovelace and Charles Babbage, and forward to the future of artificial intelligence. A secret that is just as magical as it technological - and just as dangerous."

Ben Aaronovitch has really hit the big time stateside with this series now being HARDCOVER! I only wonder if it's glow in the dark like in England. And look it up, I'm not joking! 

Imaginary Numbers by Seanan McGuire
Published by: DAW,
Publication Date: February 25th, 2020
Format: Paperback, 448 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"The ninth book in the fast-paced InCryptid urban fantasy series returns to the mishaps of the Price family, eccentric cryptozoologists who safeguard the world of magical creatures living in secret among humans.

Sarah Zellaby has always been in an interesting position. Adopted into the Price family at a young age, she's never been able to escape the biological reality of her origins: she's a cuckoo, a telepathic ambush predator closer akin to a parasitic wasp than a human being. Friend, cousin, mathematician; it's never been enough to dispel the fear that one day, nature will win out over nurture, and everything will change.

Maybe that time has finally come.

After spending the last several years recuperating in Ohio with her adoptive parents, Sarah is ready to return to the world - and most importantly, to her cousin Artie, with whom she has been head-over-heels in love since childhood. But there are cuckoos everywhere, and when the question of her own survival is weighed against the survival of her family, Sarah's choices all add up to one inescapable conclusion.

This is war. Cuckoo vs. Price, human vs. cryptid...and not all of them are going to walk away."

Have we reached the point where Seanan is outwriting Stephen King 2-to-1 because it feels like we've reached that stage...

The Sound of Stars by Alechia Dow
Published by: Inkyard Press
Publication Date: February 25th, 2020
Format: Hardcover, 432 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"Don't miss this spectacular debut novel... Can a girl who risks her life for books and an alien who loves forbidden pop music work together to save humanity? This road trip is truly out of this world A beautiful and thrilling read for fans of Marie Lu and Veronica Roth.

Two years ago, a misunderstanding between the leaders of Earth and the invading Ilori resulted in the deaths of one-third of the world's population.

Seventeen-year-old Janelle "Ellie" Baker survives in an Ilori-controlled center in New York City. With humans deemed dangerously volatile because of their initial reaction to the invasion, emotional expression can be grounds for execution. Music, art and books are illegal, but Ellie breaks the rules by keeping a secret library. When a book goes missing, Ellie is terrified that the Ilori will track it back to her and kill her.

Born in a lab, M0Rr1S was raised to be emotionless. When he finds Ellie's illegal library, he's duty-bound to deliver her for execution. The trouble is, he finds himself drawn to human music and in desperate need of more. They're both breaking the rules for the love of art--and Ellie inspires the same feelings in him that music does.

Ellie's - and humanity's - fate rests in the hands of an alien she should fear. M0Rr1S has a lot of secrets, but also a potential solution - thousands of miles away. The two embark on a wild and dangerous road trip with a bag of books and their favorite albums, all the while creating a story and a song of their own that just might save them both."

I totally identify with anyone willing to risk their lives for books! 

Aliens Phalanx by Scott Sigler
Published by: Titan Books
Publication Date: February 25th, 2020
Format: Hardcover, 512 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"The #1 New York Times best-selling author of Infected delivers medieval carnage as a pre-industrial society fights extinction at the hands of a massive infestation of Xenomorphs.

Ataegina was an isolated world of medieval castles, varied cultures, and conquests, vibrant until the demons rose and spread relentless destruction. Swarms of lethal creatures with black husks, murderous claws, barbed tails and dreaded "tooth-tongues" raged through the lowlands, killing ninety percent of the planet's population. Terrified survivors fled to hidden mountain keeps where they eke out a meager existence. When a trio of young warriors discovers a new weapon, they see a chance to end this curse. To save humanity, the trio must fight their way to the tunnels of Black Smoke Mountain - the lair of the mythical Demon Mother."

I here for ALL things Alien... and THIS!?! Hells yes! 

The Last Smile in Sunder City by Luke Arnold
Published by: Orbit
Publication Date: February 25th, 2020
Format: Hardcover, 368 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"A former soldier turned PI tries to help the fantasy creatures whose lives he ruined in a world that's lost its magic in a compelling debut fantasy by Black Sails actor Luke Arnold.

Welcome to Sunder City. The magic is gone but the monsters remain.

I'm Fetch Phillips, just like it says on the window. There are a few things you should know before you hire me:

1. Sobriety costs extra.
2. My services are confidential.
3. I don't work for humans.

It's nothing personal - I'm human myself. But after what happened, to the magic, it's not the humans who need my help.

Walk the streets of Sunder City and meet Fetch, his magical clients, and a darkly imagined world perfect for readers of Ben Aaronovitch and Jim Butcher."

Even if the blurb didn't name check two authors I love I'd SO be checking this book out because of my favorite Long John Silver, Luke Arnold!

Posted by Miss Eliza at 12:00 AM 0 comments  

Labels: Alechia Dow, Aliens, Alyssa Maxwell, Ben Aaronovitch, Black Sails, Erik Larson, Firewatching, Luke Arnold, Maggie Hope, Rivers of London, Russ Thomas, Seanan McGuire, Susan Elia MacNeal, Tuesday Tomorrow