strange and random happenstance

The Antiquarian's Object of Desire by India Holton
Published by: Berkley
Publication Date: April 21st, 2026
Format: Paperback, 368 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"When two history professors and best friends are forced to fake hate to protect their reputations, chaos ensues, in the next rollicking historical-fantasy rom-com from beloved author India Holton.

Magical-antique experts Amelia Tarrant and Caleb Sterling have been best friends forever, although lately each has begun secretly wishing for more than friendship. But when rumors about their relationship spread, they're forced to fake being enemies to protect their reputations and keep their jobs.

The resulting arguments spark havoc across Oxford University, and when they cause an explosion while fighting over a magical antique, it's the final straw for their exasperated faculty head. He dispatches them to a job in Cumbria where even they can't get into trouble....

Which proves just how wrong one man can be. In a stormbound old manor house, Amelia and Caleb face magical mayhem and rampaging ghosts that make the previous havoc look mild in comparison. Most troublesome of all, though, is the secret of how they feel about each other. When it comes to tackling deadly antiques, hiding the truth in their hearts could destroy them for real."

India Holt's Love Academic series is legitimately already enshrined as a classic. Why else is Julia Quinn featuring the first book in her publishing imprint Kickstarter?

Blackthorne Faire by John Adcox
Published by: Story Plant Gold
Publication Date: April 21st, 2026
Format: Hardcover, 688 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"Welcome to Blackthorne Faire, a place of wild music and unbridled, boisterous dance! Of theatre and pageantry! Of deadly duels and rapier-fast quips! Of roasting turkey legs and drinking bouts!

Welcome to Blackthorne Faire, a place of whispered rumors of unexplained disappearances. Of mystery, intrigue, and murder.

Welcome to Blackthorne Faire, a modern Renaissance Festival where nothing is what it seems. It is a place where a lost tune rediscovered in The Hidden Book of Secret Knowledge stirs long forgotten magic, and where never-before-seen tarot cards foretell unexpected futures that always, always come true.

Welcome to Blackthorne Faire, where true love is found and lost and lost again in the shadow of a coming war between the mob and the Courts of Faerie.

Beware, mortal, oh, beware the sounds that echo over the hills, across the bluffs, and through the winding pathways, for no one can hear the horns of Elfland and remain unchanged."

Mainly due to A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms I've been having Ren Faire withdrawal. This book perfectly fits the bill.

Tea and Treachery at the Infinite Pantry by Jo Miles
Published by: Jo Miles
Publication Date: April 21st, 2026
Format: eBook, 348 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"A good cup of tea can fix any problem, she's always said. For this one, she's going to need more tea.

To Glendevyn, the Infinite Pantry is far more than a magical museum of the world's most treasured foods. It's the home she's always longed for. As the new head curator, she expected to wrestle with ornery funders and too-tight budgets…but when rare items in the collection suddenly start decaying, reduced to dust despite their protection spells, she's out of her depth.

The elven mage Irdruan would do anything for Glendevyn - even hide their feelings for her. She clearly doesn't return those feelings, after all, and how can they risk their friendship when she's relying on their support? But even with all Irdruan's magic, they can't find a way to do the one thing Glendevyn needs from them: to put a stop to the growing destruction.

Caught between an unknown magic threatening everything they've built and a wealthy funder pushing to take control, Glendevyn and Irdruan will do whatever it takes to save the Infinite Pantry. They'll have to learn to trust each other - and themselves - as they fight for their home with the power of love, friendship, and delicious food.

The first book in a new series, this sweet cozy fantasy is steeped in magic and deliciousness, like curling up with a warm mug of tea."

Those chonky cats on the cover have already stolen my heart.

Thristlemarsh by Moorea Corrigan
Published by: Berkley
Publication Date: April 21st, 2026
Format: Hardcover, 432 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"Faeries disappeared over one hundred years ago, as suddenly as slipping through a doorway. It was only the very foolish, or the very determined, who held out hope for their return.

Welcome to Thistlemarsh - a ramshackle estate where an impoverished orphan and a beguiling Faerie collide in an enchanting novel of love, revenge, and ruin.

In the wake of The Great War, the world is a decidedly unmagical place for Mouse Dunne. She once dreamed of becoming a Faerie anthropologist, but with one telegram, her world shattered. At the Battle of the Somme, her cousin's body disappeared into the mud, and her brother was left with debilitating shell shock. It was time, she knew, to put aside childish dreams.

When Mouse receives news that her uncle has left her the Faerie-blessed Thistlemarsh Hall, a dilapidated manor in the English countryside, she must leave her brother's side and return to her childhood home to claim her birthright. But there is a catch in her uncle's offer: If Mouse does not rehabilitate the crumbling house in one month's time, she will forfeit her inheritance and any hope of caring for her brother.

It quickly becomes clear it's impossible to repair the manor in the allotted time, until a mysterious Faerie appears with a proposition. He offers to restore Thistlemarsh...for a price. Mouse knows better than to trust a Faerie - especially one so insufferably handsome and arrogant - but she is out of options. There are dark and magical forces at work in the house, and Mouse must confront the ghosts of her past and the secrets of her heart or lose Thistlemarsh, and herself, in the process."

Desperate times call for desperate measures. In fact, they might call for Faerie bargains...

City of Iron and Ivy by Thomas Kent West
Published by: Forever
Publication Date: April 21st, 2026
Format: Paperback, 576 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"This beguiling historical romantasy debut blends dark academia with the glamour of Bridgerton, as a scholar of magic investigates her sister's murder - perfect for fans of Heather Fawcett and H. G. Parry.

In an alternate London alive with botanical magic, Elswyth Elderwood is a thorn among roses: a bristly, scarred scholar in a world of socialites. Her sister Persephone is the opposite: a graceful debutante seeking a marriage that will save their family from ruin. At least, until Persephone is murdered.

Suddenly the last scion of her house, Elswyth must abandon her studies and find a wealthy husband. She is thrust into a London fueled by floromancy: hedge witches sprout nightshade from their fingertips, high-born ladies weave gowns from wildflowers...and a serial killer called the Reaper transforms his victims into plant-human hybrids.

When clues suggest the Reaper is a powerful nobleman, Elswyth's search for her sister's killer and her hunt for a husband become one and the same. But she is drawn to bastard-born archaeologist Silas Blackthor - -who may have dark, twisted secrets of his own.

Elswyth must determine friend from foe and lover from liar - or suffer the same fate as her sister."

I love a ton tormented by terror. 

Aphrodite in Pieces by Lauren J.A. Bear
Published by: Ace
Publication Date: April 21st, 2026
Format: Hardcover, 384 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"Experience the myth and magic of antiquity's most alluring - and provocative - goddess as never witnessed before, in this gorgeously rendered, unflinching, and deeply vulnerable retelling from the author of Mother of Rome and Medusa's Sisters.

Two hundred years before the common era, Aphrodite surprises an itinerant sculptor with a shocking request: Hear my story, see me for who I truly am, and carve it into stone. Never before has the goddess posed for her likeness, and as the artist works, she shares pieces of herself.

Her greatest triumphs and most grievous mistakes. The truth behind the tales of her beneficence and vengeance. And the one epic romance that slips through her perfect fingers, time and time again.

Part memoir, part fantasy, and all heart, Aphrodite in Pieces begs the eternal, essential questions: what do love and beauty truly mean? And can they last?"

Totally here for a muse baring her soul to a sculptor. 

May the Dead Keep You by Jill Baguchinsky
Published by: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers
Publication Date: April 21st, 2026
Format: Hardcover, 384 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"Perfect for fans of Don't Let the Forest In and Wuthering Heights, this gothic horror novel is about the pasts that haunt us and the stories we decide to make for ourselves.

There's nowhere Catie East would rather be than the redwood forest that surrounds her family's unusual historic home, the Heights.

She prefers being alone in the forest. People are...complicated. But when a scientist and his son move into the estate's cottage, planning to study the woods around them, the boy catches Catie's eye. And when a dead woodpecker miraculously comes back to life in his precious hands...he captures her heart.

Necromancy isn't the only strange thing happening in the Heights. There's an unfamiliar face in the mirror. Blood on the floors. Eyes in the wallpaper. And the men around her - including her once-sweet nature boy - are becoming something else. Something possessive and frightening. Something violent.

As the Heights's dark history starts to come to light, Catie discovers that the home she loves is imbued with pain. And even though the pain isn't her own, it will corrupt her and the people around her all the same - unless she can stop it.

A story about breaking cycles of abuse and overcoming generational trauma, May the Dead Keep You is an edge-of-your-seat read - equally horrifying, heart-wrenching, and hopeful."

Confronting generational trauma can start the healing of house and home.

Odessa by Gabrielle Sher
Published by: Little Brown and Company
Publication Date: April 21st, 2026
Format: Hardcover, 288 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"In a powerfully imagined Russia at the height of the pogroms, a grief-stricken family turn to ancient magic to bring their daughter back from the grave.

Yetta is a bright, quick teenage girl with a wild, searching spirit. Stifled by her mother's anxiety, her father's rules, and the path that's been laid out for her, she craves freedom, the edges of which she doesn't know. But her family has reason to be cautious and restrictive. Fear has wrapped itself around their shtetl. Jews are mysteriously disappearing, and there are whispers of an impending attack. When violence comes to their door, Yetta is killed.

Her father, in his grief, fumbles through his nascent knowledge of ancient texts and old magic to bring her back. By some miracle, Yetta is returned - but although she looks the same, she is not the girl she once was. Yetta senses there is a secret her family is keeping from her. The answer resides, in part, in the creature lurking in the woods beyond the shtetl - something that may be of her father's making, and a being that has plans of its own."

The Gothic vibes of that cover combined with necromancy make this a book that needs to be on my shelves.

Crossroads by Laurel Hightower
Published by: Shortwave
Publication Date: April 21st, 2026
Format: Paperback, 112 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"How far would you go to bring back someone you love?

When Chris's son dies in a tragic car crash, her world is devastated. The walls of grief close in on Chris's life until, one day, a small cut on her finger changes everything.

A drop of blood falls from Chris's hand onto her son's roadside memorial and, later that night, Chris thinks she sees his ghost outside her window. Only, is it really her son's ghost, or is it something else - something evil?

Soon Chris is playing a dangerous game with forces beyond her control in a bid to see her son, Trey, alive once again."

Yeah, I have a feeling you can see the theme I'm going for here...

The Caretaker by Marcus Kliewer
Published by: Atria/Emily Bestler Books/12:01 Books
Publication Date: April 21st, 2026
Format: Hardcover, 320 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"Follow the Rites...

Nothing less than the survival of humanity is at stake.

From Marcus Kliewer, a new "titan of the macabre and unsettling" (Erin A. Craig, #1 New York Times bestselling author), comes a supernatural horror about a young woman who accepts a caretaking job from Craigslist, only to discover the position has consequences far greater - and more dangerous - than she ever could have imagined.

EXCITING OPPORTUNITY:
Caretaker urgently needed. Three days of work. Competitive pay. Serious applicants ONLY.

Macy Mullins can't say why the job posting grabbed her attention - it had the pull of a fisherman's lure, barbed hook and all - vaguely ominous. But after an endless string of failed job interviews, she's not exactly in the position to be picky. She has rent to pay, groceries to buy, and a younger sister to provide for.

Besides, it's only three days' work...

Three days, cooped up in a stranger's house, surrounded by Oregon Coast wilderness.

What starts as a peculiar side gig soon becomes a waking nightmare. An incomprehensible evil may dwell on this property - and Macy Mullins might just be the only thing standing between it, and the rest of humanity.

Follow the Rites...

Follow the Rites...

Follow the Rites...

..--- / ..... / ---.."

Wait, is Craigslist still a thing? Also, if you're getting paid to save the world, it's not all bad...

The Black Crow Book of Best New Horror Volume 1 edited by Matt Holland and Jamie-Lee Nardone
Published by: Black Crow Books
Publication Date: April 21st, 2026
Format: Hardcover, 200 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"13 original tales to terrify in a brand new anthology showcasing the very best and bizarre in horror fiction.

Featuring horror legends and worldwide bestsellers Olivie Blake, Ramsey Campbell, Lisa Tuttle, Tim Lebbon, V Castro, Ally Wilkes, Rian Hughes, Lindy Ryan, Susi Holliday, Lily Kade, T.L. Huchu, Adrian Tchaikovsky, and Clay McLeod Chapman.

Be careful what you wish for.

Whether searching for love, fame, money or revenge, remember that everything comes with a price. From stepping into an unknown in nature to ignoring the warnings of locals, to finding your perfect match or facing the hidden horrors of your past, beware.

The thirteen stories in this brand-new anthology explore the dark side of human nature and take us into the hidden, terrifying recesses of a world we never see. Until it's too late..."

Why is this cover so familiar to me!?!

The Voice Said Kill by Si Spurrier and Vanesa Del Rey
Published by: Image Comics
Publication Date: April 21st, 2026
Format: Paperback, 136 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"Fargo meets Deliverance in this trippy fever-dream thriller, juxtaposing gorgeously pastel sunsets and vibrant hues of the wilderness with shadowy nightmares and dark deeds.

The wet heat of the Louisiana bayou.

Alligator poachers prowl the mudbug mire.

A park ranger, heavily pregnant, raises a hateful mug of moonshine with a criminal matriarch.

And one deadly sonuvabitch, out of his mind on shrooms and retribution, loads his rifle for the human hunt and screams down the stars.

From award-winning creators Si Spurrier (Coda, X-Men, Step by Bloody Step) and Vanesa Del Rey (Redlands, The Creeping Below) comes a fever-dream Cajun crime thriller about murder, madness and motherhood.

Collects all 4 issues."

I can not tell you much I dislike the art of Vanesa Del Ray. If her name is attached to a comic I will never buy it.

Liar's Creek by Matt Goldman
Published by: Minotaur Books
Publication Date: April 21st, 2026
Format: Hardcover, 336 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"From New York Times bestselling author and Emmy Award-winner Matt Goldman comes Liar's Creek, which asks how far we'll go to protect the people we love.

Riverwood, Minnesota is a scenic town threaded with trout streams carving their way through limestone bluffs. But beneath its picturesque facade, danger runs rampant.

Clay Hawkins isn't a stranger to the secrets of his hometown. After twenty years away, Clay has recently returned home from abroad with his twelve-year-old son, and his relationship with his father, the recently replaced sheriff, is as strained as ever.

But when Clay's beloved uncle disappears, the three generations of Hawkinses must overturn every stone in Riverwood and confront deep familial wounds to find the one person who brings them together. As danger looms, Clay worries that it might be too late to save his uncle - and that the rest of the family might be next."

Best time to have your family at your back? When otherwise you'd die.

Mad Mabel by Sally Hepworth
Published by: St. Martin's Press
Publication Date: April 21st, 2026
Format: Hardcover, 352 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"From Sally Hepworth, the New York Times bestselling author of The Soulmate and The Good Sister, comes a twist-filled, darkly funny mystery about the two kinds of people no one ever expects to be murderers: little girls and old ladies.

Meet Mad Mabel.

Elsie Mabel Fitzpatrick is eighty-one years old. She's lived on her idyllic street, Kenny Lane, for sixty years - longer than anyone else. Aside from being a curmudgeon who minds everyone else's business, few would suspect that Elsie has a past that she has worked exceedingly hard at concealing. Because when it comes to murder, no one ever suspects little girls or old ladies. And Elsie Mabel Fitzpatrick, once a little girl and now an old lady, has a strange history of people in her life coming to a foul end.

When a new little girl (talkative, curious, nosy) moves into the neighborhood and stops at nothing to befriend Elsie, her carefully-constructed life threatens to come crashing down as the secrets in Elsie's past start coming to light. Who was "Mad Mabel" fifty years ago? Who is Elsie Fitzpatrick today? And if the past has a habit of repeating itself, who has the most to lose?

Told with Sally Hepworth's twists, humor, charm, and heart, Mad Mabel is novel that weaves past and present together - through the power of justice and redemption, and all the way to its stunning conclusion."

Well, if a little girl were nosing around why not just teach her the subtle arts of murder? Win win.

A Cute Little Murder by Molly Harper
Published by: Berkley
Publication Date: April 21st, 2026
Format: Paperback, 368 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"She used to be the sidekick. Now she might be the only one who can survive.

As teens, Harlow Drake and Lainey Piper built an online fandom solving small-town crimes. Harlow was the star, Lainey the behind-the-scenes genius (and often, Harlow's scapegoat). Years later, Harlow's hosting a hit true crime tv show. Lainey? She's working in forensics. Well, forensic accounting...from home. In pajamas. With her cat.

But when Harlow faces significant backlash over fumbling a case, she needs a quick win - like a special investigation into the decades-old disappearance of a starlet from a once-glamorous, now decrepit island hotel. The catch? It's bankrolled by Deke and Bryce of DBag Games, who are looking to shed their "frat bro" reputations. As long-time fans, they have one requirement for their funding: Lainey has to play the sidekick again.

Lainey is wary, but the offer is a lifeline in a sea of unpaid student loans. After reaching the Crossings Hotel, she realizes she's not content to be Harlow's helper anymore. As the cold case heats up, a crew member falls over dead, presenting Harlow and Lainey with a more modern mystery: what secrets does this hotel hide within its walls?

With sabotage, hidden staircases, and a killer in their midst, Lainey steps into the spotlight and takes charge of the investigation. It's up to her to crack the case - as long as she can stay alive."

Hey, working from home with your cat is a valid career path.

Flirting with Murder by Amanda Sellet
Published by: Wednesday Books
Publication Date: April 21st, 2026
Format: Paperback, 320 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"The Agathas meets Thursday Murder Club in Amanda Sellet's next YA novel, a cozy mystery with a splash of romance.

Some people visit Florida for theme parks and beaches. High school junior Virginia Tillis is there for murder. Accidents, electrocution, tainted hand lotion: every victim meets a different end at her grandmother Lainey's rococo pink condo. Such is life (and death) when you roll with a crew of theater retirees who roleplay murder mysteries from the comfort of their own home in a game they fondly call Killing Me Softly.

But this summer, fictional murder has given way to the very real death of the building's beloved owner and his dramatic last testament has the vultures circling, from estranged relatives to sleazy property developers, dead set on getting the most from his will.

Adding to the tension for Virginia is the appearance of Felix, the cute guy she met at the airport who turns out to be the grandson of one of the condo's residents. With his charm and musical theater chops, he's the person Virginia most wants to beat at Killing Me Softly. That is, until the day they discover an actual dead body while playing the game, forcing them to work together to figure out whodunit.

In this comedic mystery about finding the Watson to your Holmes, Virginia and Felix must banter their way from rivals to co-detectives in time to save their eccentric grandparents from a shocking disruption to the community they've always loved."

Seriously though, why isn't this book called Killing Me Softly!?! 

Piece by Piece by Erin Frankel and Stacy Innerst
Published by: Calkins Creek
Publication Date: April 21st, 2026
Format: Hardcover, 48 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"Stephen Sondheim learns to assemble musicals like the pieces of a puzzle on his way to becoming an American theater icon.

An inspiring nonfiction picture book on the creative process that will spark an interest in music for kids ages 7–10.

Before he became a greatest lyricist and composer, Stephen Sondheim was a boy filled with curiosity - a boy who loved figuring out how things worked. After his parents' divorce scattered the pieces of his life, he found comfort in music.

Guided by his mentor, Oscar Hammerstein II, Stephen learned that the best way to get better was to practice: choosing notes, choosing words, and putting it all together, piece by piece. Writing musicals wasn't easy, and not everyone loved Stephen's new and unusual shows. But Stephen loved figuring it out, and loved the way the people in every show became like a family.

Author Erin Frankel's prose and illustrator Stacy Innerst's art combine in beautiful harmony. Together, they bring to life Stephen Sondheim as he solves musical puzzles, writing hit shows like West Side Story, Into the Woods, Sweeney Todd, and many more!"

Wait this actually is for kids!?! When I read it I couldn't picture anyone who'd by it. Now I'm doubly sure no one will buy it if it's aimed at kids. It's too niche.

Margery and Me by Maryka Biaggio
Published by: Regal House Publishing
Publication Date: April 21st, 2026
Format: Paperback, 292 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"In the 1920s, Margery Crandon captivated both Boston society and psychic researchers with her astonishing seances.

At her gatherings, her deceased brother Walter regularly appeared, entertaining the circle with his witty and cheeky remarks.

Margery's abilities earned her the admiration of luminaries, including Sir Arthur Conan Doyle and William Butler Yeats.

But one man stood in opposition: Harry Houdini, the legendary magician, who was determined to expose her as a fraud.

Margery and Me tells the true story of the medium who mystified scientists, challenged skeptics, and sparked a sensation across America and Europe.

As Houdini and Margery clashed in a battle of wits and wills, the question remained: Could the master illusionist unmask her, or would her extraordinary powers be enough to convert even the most resolute of doubters?"

Always here for anything about mediums. Extra here because of Houdini.

Posted by Miss Eliza at 12:00 AM 0 comments  

Labels: Amanda Sellet, Gabrielle Sher, India Holton, Jill Baguchinsky, Laurel Hightower, Lauren J.A. Bear, Marcus Kliewer, Maryka Biaggio, Matt Goldman, Molly Harper, Moorea Corrigan, Sally Hepworth, Stephen Sondheim, Thomas Kent West

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Sammy Sykes is evading the law - and justice.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Murder in Manhattan.

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

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

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

Séance!!! 

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Pride comes before the fall.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Watch your head."

Gothic power throuple? 

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

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

Ten couples. United by love. Divided by danger.

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

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

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

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

Oh, there are more books coming? OK.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

The sea is a harsh mistress. 

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Dinosaurs and Rome? Yes please!

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Say it isn't so!?! Not THE LAST!?! 

Posted by Miss Eliza at 12:01 AM 0 comments  

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

Murder by Cheesecake by Rachel Ekstrom Courage
Published by: Hyperion Avenue
Publication Date: April 15th, 2025
Format: Paperback, 336 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"The first novel in the all-new Golden Girls Cozy Mystery Series!

When Dorothy's obnoxious date is found dead in a hotel freezer, it not only ruins a gorgeous cheesecake but threatens the elaborate St. Olaf - themed wedding Rose is hosting.

Things are heating up, and not just because of Blanche's hot flashes. Rose's cousin is eloping to Miami, and Rose is playing host. If she can't balance the groom's family's snobbery against the traditional St. Olaf wedding week guidelines, her hometown may never accept her cousin again!

Dorothy quickly realizes she needs a date with whom she can exchange wedding-related wisecracks. Turning to a newfangled VHS dating service, she believes she's found the ideal conversationalist. Unfortunately, what looks good on TV can actually be a total jerk in real life. It seems she'll just have to enjoy the company of Sophia, Blanche, and whomever Blanche has targeted for a hookup.

As the Girls all pitch in, Rose is thrilled that the tea-and-fish-themed kickoff event is perfect, not a herring out of place. That is until Dorothy's date is found dead - face-planted in an otherwise scrumptious-looking cheesecake. With every guest a suspect (especially Dorothy) and a marriage on the line, the four besties must ID the real killer, get the should-be-happy couple down the aisle, and make sure nobody from St. Olaf gets lost in the wilds of Miami. It's up to the Golden Girls to sleuth out a way for friendship and love to win the day!"

WHY HAS NO ONE THOUGHT OF THIS BEFORE!?! Seriously brilliant. Like a perfect cheesecake.

The Murder Show by Matt Goldman
Published by: Forge Books
Publication Date: April 15th, 2025
Format: Hardcover, 304 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"The Murder Show is a pulse-racing novel about secrets, old friends, and how the past never leaves us by New York Times bestselling and Emmy Award winning author Matt Goldman!

Showrunner Ethan Harris had a hit with The Murder Show, a television crime drama that features a private detective who solves cases the police can't. But after his pitch for the fourth season is rejected by the network, he returns home to Minnesota looking for inspiration.

His timing is fortunate - his former classmate Ro Greeman is now a local police officer, and she's uncovered new information about the devastating hit and run that killed their mutual friend Ricky the summer after high school. She asks Ethan to help her investigate and thinks that if he portrays the killing on The Murder Show, the publicity may bring Ricky's killer to justice.

Ethan is skeptical that Ricky's death was anything but a horrible accident, but with the clock running out on his career, he's willing to try anything. It doesn't take long for them to realize they've dug up more than they bargained for. Someone is dead set on stopping Ethan and Ro from looking too closely into Ricky's death  - even if keeping them quiet means killing again..."

I love the kernel of truth in Matt Goldman's stories. Here it's that he moved home to Minnesota after fleeing Hollywood.

One death at a Time by Abbi Waxman
Published by: Berkley
Publication Date: April 15th, 2025
Format: Paperback, 400 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"A cranky former actress teams up with her Gen Z sobriety sponsor to solve the murder that threatens to send her back to prison in this dazzling new mystery novel from the USA Today bestselling author of The Bookish Life of Nina Hill.

When Julia Mann, a bad-tempered ex-actress and professional thorn in the side of authority, runs into Natasha Mason at an AA meeting, it's anything but a meet-cute. Julia just found a dead body in her swimming pool, and the cops say she did it (she already went to jail for murder once, so now they think she's making a habit of it). Mason is eager to clear Julia's name and help keep her sober, but all Julia wants is for Mason to leave her alone.

As their investigation ranges from the Hollywood Hills to the world of burlesque to the country clubs of Palm Springs, this unconventional team realizes their shared love of sarcasm and poor life choices are proving to be a powerful combination. Will secrets from their past trip them up, or will their team of showgirls, cat burglars, and Hollywood agents help them stay one step ahead? Are dead piranhas, false noses, and a giant martini glass important clues or simply your typical day in Los Angeles? And will they manage to solve the crime before they kill each other, or worse, fall off the wagon? Trying to keep it simple and take it easy is one thing - trying to find a murderer before they kill again is a whole other program."

Here for sarcasm and poof life choices! 

The French Honeymoon by Anne-Sophie Jouhanneau
Published by: Sourcebooks Landmark
Publication Date: April 15th, 2025
Format: Hardcover, 288 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"The Paris Apartment meets A Simple Favor in an unputdownable thriller about a honeymoon gone horribly wrong.

Sometimes, Paris is a terrible idea.

This is not how she imagined it, any of it. Taylor Quinn arrives at her honeymoon suite in the City of Love alone, sans suitcase, but with wads of stolen cash. When she catches a glimpse of newlyweds Cassie and Olivier enjoying their happily ever, she can't tear her eyes away. And Cassie makes their antics easy to follow as she reveals every detail of their picture-perfect trip on social media. Taylor's obsession builds as she tracks their every move. This was the kind of life she was supposed to be living, this was the marriage she should have had, this was the honeymoon she dreamed of.

The illusion is shattered when she overhears a heated argument between Cassie and Olivier, which reveals that they're not the lovestruck couple they pretend to be. But Cassie and Olivier have agendas of their own and Taylor can't see the danger in getting in the middle of this until it's too late. And now, no one will get out of Paris unscathed."

I am very much obsessed with A Simple Favor right now as I await the sequel, so thankfully The French Honeymoon is here to temporarily fill the gap.

The Penford Manor Murders by Fiona Veitch Smith
Published by: Embla Books
Publication Date: April 15th, 2025
Format: eBook, 352 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"It's open season at Penford Manor! But someone has murder in their sights...

At Penford Manor, the guests are arriving to celebrate the start of the grouse-hunting season: lords and ladies, barons and baronesses, a Member of Parliament - and chemistry graduate turned detective, Miss Clara Vale, an old friend of the family. But Clara is no ordinary guest: she's secretly investigating a blackmail plot against Lady Penford herself.

Someone in the house is already up to no good, but when the body of a local trade unionist is found in the grounds, Clara's case gets even more complicated because a clue left by the body links it to the blackmail note.

Who has discovered Lady Penford's secret? Can Clara and her trusted assistant Bella work together to find the murderer? And what do the cornflowers which keep popping up everywhere mean?

Amidst the glittering dresses and sparkling conversation of society, Clara must find the truth - before the killer acts again!

The perfect Golden Age cosy mystery for fans of Helena Dixon, Agatha Christie and Verity Bright won't want to miss this!"

Is it weird that I know none of my local hunting season dates but know when grouse seasons starts in England?

Who Will Remember by C.S. Harris
Published by: Berkley
Publication Date: April 15th, 2025
Format: Hardcover, 384 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"The macabre murder of a prominent nobleman throws an already unsettled London into chaos in this electrifying new historical mystery by the USA Today bestselling author of What Cannot Be Said.

August 1816. England is in the grip of what will become known as the Year Without a Summer. Facing the twin crises of a harvest-destroying volcanic winter and the economic disruption caused by the end of the Napoleonic Wars, the British monarchy finds itself haunted by the looming threat of bloody riots not seen since the earliest days of the French Revolution. Amidst the turmoil, a dead man is found hanging upside down by one leg in an abandoned chapel, his hands tied behind his back. The pose eerily echoes the image depicted on a tarot card known as Le Pendu, the Hanged Man. The victim - Lord Preston Farnsworth, the younger brother of one of the Regent's boon companions - was a passionate crusader against what he called the forces of darkness, namely criminality, immorality, and sloth. His brutal murder shocks the Palace and panics the already troubled populace.

Sebastian St. Cyr, Viscount Devlin, learns of the murder from a ragged orphan who leads him to the corpse and then disappears. At first, everyone in the dead man's orbit paints Lord Preston as a selfless saint. But Sebastian quickly realizes that the man had accumulated more than his fair share of enemies, including Major Hugh Chandler, a close friend of Sebastian's who once saved his life. Sebastian also discovers that the pious Lord Preston may have been much more dangerous than those he sought to redeem.

As dark clouds press down on the city and the rains fall unceasingly, two more victims are found, one strangled and one shot, with ominous tarot cards placed on their bodies. The killer is sending a gruesome message and Sebastian is running out of time to decipher it before more lives are lost and a fraught post-war London explodes."

Technically they didn't know it was caused by a volcano until later...

The Eights by Joanna Miller
Published by: G.P. Putnam's Sons
Publication Date: April 15th, 2025
Format: Hardcover, 384 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"They knew they were changing history.
They didn’t know they would change each other.

Following the unlikely friendship of four women in the first female class at Oxford, their unshakeable bond in the face of male contempt, and their coming of age in a world forever changed by World War I.

Oxford, 1920. For the first time in its one-thousand-year history, Oxford University officially admits female students. Burning with dreams of equality, four young women move into neighboring rooms in Corridor 8. Beatrice, Dora, Marianne, and Otto - collectively known as The Eights - come from all walks of life, each driven by their own motives, each holding tight to their secrets, and are thrown into an unlikely, unshakable friendship.

Dora was never meant to go to university, but, after losing both her brother and her fiancé on the battlefield, has arrived in their place. Politically-minded Beatrice, daughter of a famous suffragette, sees Oxford as a chance to make her own way - and some friends her own age. Otto was a nurse during the war but is excited to return to her socialite lifestyle in Oxford where she hopes to find distraction from the memories that haunt her. And finally Marianne, the quiet, clever daughter of a village pastor, who has a shocking secret she must hide from everyone, even her new friends, if she is to succeed.

Among the historic spires, and in the long shadow of the Great War, the four women must navigate and support one another in a turbulent world in which misogyny is rife, influenza is still a threat, and the ghosts of the Great War don't always remain dead."

Grumble grumble, it's suffragists not suffragette, unless you want to use it as a slur.

The Curious Inheritance of Blakely House by Joanna Davidson Politano
Published by: Fleming H. Revell Company
Publication Date: April 15th, 2025
Format: Paperback, 400 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"A clever young woman, a contested will, and an estate that does not easily give up its secrets.

It is 1901 when clockmaker and tinker Sydney Forrester receives a most unusual inheritance. Blakely House, the island estate of an estranged uncle she's never met, seems almost alive, revealing and hiding its secrets at will. It is filled with remarkable inventions, including an intriguing unfinished automaton Sydney is itching to get her skilled hands on.

The estate is also home to a number of peculiar people - including two men intent on removing this interloper from the island. Convinced that Sydney has something to do with their uncle's death, the late master's nephews contest the will and work against their cousin at every turn.

Sydney finds a sometimes-ally in the estate's butler, an ex-adventurer who ran aground on the island years ago. But when a mysterious man washes ashore with a stunning surprise that upsets everything, Sydney must prove she has inherited the late master's brilliance as well as his property - or someone else will."

Automaton!?! Run. Run now.

American Spirits by Barb Rosenstock
Published by: Calkins Creek
Publication Date: April 15th, 2025
Format: Hardcover, 304 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"CAN THE DEAD TALK TO THE LIVING? Discover the astonishingly true story of Maggie, Kate, and Leah Fox - the Civil War-era sisters and teen mediums who created the American séance.

A real-life ghost story for young adult readers interested in the supernatural, American history, and women's rights!

Rap. Rap. Rap. The eerie sound was first heard in March of 1848 at the home of the Fox family in Hydesville, New York. The family's two daughters, Kate and Maggie, soon discovered that they could communicate with the spirit that was making these uncanny noises; he told them he had been a traveling peddler who had been murdered. This strange incident, and the ones that followed, generated a media frenzy beyond anything the Fox sisters could have imagined. Kate and Maggie, managed (or perhaps manipulated) by their elder sister Leah, became famous spirit mediums, giving public exhibitions, and advising other celebrities of their day.

But were the Fox sisters legitimate? In the years that followed their rise, the Civil War killed roughly 1 in 4 soldiers, increasing the demand for contacting the dead. However, media campaigns against the sisters gathered steam as well...

This thrilling and mysterious true story from veteran author Barb Rosenstock (Caldecott Honor winner) will spark teens' interest in American history, encourage media literacy, and reveal insights into the Civil War era, fake news, and women's rights."

Um, a family can't have two daughters and then a third elder sister... The family has three daughters. The number is three.

The Night Eaters Book 3: Their Kingdom Come by Marjorie Liu and Sana Takeda
Published by: Abrams Comicarts
Publication Date: April 15th, 2025
Format: Hardcover, 320 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"Their Kingdom Come - by the New York Times bestselling and award-winning creative team Marjorie Liu and Sana Takeda - is the epic conclusion to the Eisner-winning graphic novel horror trilogy The Night Eaters. The thrilling conclusion to the critically acclaimed, award-winning Night Eaters trilogy!

What happens when you and your twin accidentally trigger the apocalypse while trying to defend your family from an evil warlock? Well, Milly and Billy are about to find out.

Los Angeles has been decimated by the Ting twins and the hole they've accidentally torn in the fabric of the universe. But that's not all...across the world things are...changing. The long-separated realities of Earth and the magical world have collided with disastrous results. Milly and Billy are desperate to set things straight, but Keon and Ipo know better - some things can't be undone. The final war for the fate of our world has begun.

In Their Kingdom Come, the New York Times bestselling creative team Marjorie Liu and Sana Takeda return to conclude their epic tale of magic and monsters, demons and demigods, and the capricious, incontrovertible power of luck."

If you are know an acolyte of Marjorie Liu and Sana Takeda, I have a book for you!

Posted by Miss Eliza at 12:00 AM 0 comments  

Labels: Abbi Waxman, Anne-Sophie Jouhanneau, Barb Rosenstock, C.S. Harris, Fiona Veitch Smith, Golden Girls, Joanna Davidson Politano, Joanna Miller, Marjorie Liu, Matt Goldman, Rachel Ekstrom Courage, Sana Takeda