strange and random happenstance

A Most Agreeable Murder by Julia Seales
Published by: Random House
Publication Date: June 27th, 2023
Format: Hardcover, 352 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"When a wealthy bachelor drops dead at a ball, a young lady takes on the decidedly improper role of detective in this action-packed debut comedy of manners and murder.

Feisty, passionate Beatrice Steele has never fit the definition of a true lady, according to the strict code of conduct that reigns in Swampshire, her small English township - she is terrible at needlework, has absolutely no musical ability, and her artwork is so bad it frightens people. Nevertheless, she lives a perfectly agreeable life with her marriage-scheming mother, prankster father, and two younger sisters -  beautiful Louisa and forgettable Mary. But she harbors a dark secret: She is obsessed with the true crime cases she reads about in the newspaper. If anyone in her etiquette-obsessed community found out, she'd be deemed a morbid creep and banished from respectable society forever.

For her family's sake, she's vowed to put her obsession behind her. Because eligible bachelor Edmund Croaksworth is set to attend the approaching autumnal ball, and the Steele family hopes that Louisa will steal his heart. If not, Martin Grub, their disgusting cousin, will inherit the family's estate, and they will be ruined or, even worse, forced to move to France. So Beatrice must be on her best behavior...which is made difficult when a disgraced yet alluring detective inexplicably shows up to the ball.

Beatrice is just holding things together when Croaksworth drops dead in the middle of a minuet. As a storm rages outside, the evening descends into a frenzy of panic, fear, and betrayal as it becomes clear they are trapped with a killer. Contending with competitive card games, tricky tonics, and Swampshire's infamous squelch holes, Beatrice must rise above decorum and decency to pursue justice and her own desires - before anyone else is murdered."

Swampshire's squelch holes. Hehe. 

Deborah Goes to Dover by M.C. Beaton
Published by: Blackstone Publishing
Publication Date: June 27th, 2023
Format: Paperback, 177 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"A dead employer's legacy of five thousand pounds has allowed spinster Hannah Pym to resign from housekeeping and enjoy traveling the English countryside by coach. But adventure soon finds Miss Pym in the form of runaway brides, spirited heiresses, and international refugees, who continue to test her expert matchmaking skills.

Destined for Dover, Miss Pym scents the potential for a match between fellow coachmates when she meets Abigail Conningham, traveling with her mother to a loveless marriage arranged by an uncle, and Captain Beltravers, an army officer still mourning his dead wife and child. And that's just the beginning.

Next, Miss Pym has her matchmaking work cut out for her when she encounters the pretty but hoydenish Lady Deborah Western. Encouraged by an unruly twin brother, the spirited, golden-haired Deborah seems set on dressing and acting the tomboy, much to the dismay of her handsome neighbor, the Earl of Ashton. But with the help of Pym's clever maneuverings, Lady Deborah will soon be well and truly matched."

Again, I am SO HAPPY that this books are being made available stateside. 

Manslaughter Park by Tirzah Price
Published by: Harperteen
Publication Date: June 27th, 2023
Format: Hardcover, 416 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"In this queer retelling of the classic novel and third book in Tirzah Price's Jane Austen Murder Mystery series, Mansfield Park is the center of a deadly accident (or is it?) Perfect for fans of the Lady Janies and Stalking Jack the Ripper.

Aspiring artist Fanny Price is an unwelcome guest at her uncle Sir Thomas Bertram's estate. It's his affection for Fanny that's keeping her from being forced out by her cousins Tom and Maria and nasty Aunt Norris, back to a home to which she never wants to return. But then Sir Thomas dies in a tragic accident inside his art emporium, and Fanny finds evidence of foul play that, if revealed, could further jeopardize her already precarious position.

Edmund, her best friend and secret crush, urges Fanny to keep quiet about her discovery, but Fanny can't ignore the truth: a murderer is among them.

Determined to find the killer, Fanny's pursuit for justice has her wading into the Bertram family business, uncovering blackmail, and brushing with London's high society when Henry and Mary Crawford arrive at Mansfield Park with an audacious business proposal. But a surprising twist of fate - and the help of local legends Lizzie Bennett and Fitzwilliam Darcy - brings Fanny more complications than she ever expected and a life-altering realization about herself she never saw coming."

There has NEVER been no never will be a better title for a Mansfield Park retelling than Manslaughter Park.

Misfortune Cookie by Vivien Chien
Published by: St. Martin's Press
Publication Date: June 27th, 2023
Format: Paperback, 336 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"In Vivien Chien's Misfortune Cookie, Lana Lee returns for another delectable cozy set in a Chinese restaurant in Cleveland, OH.

They say fortune favors the bold, and Lana Lee is determined to prove that true.

Lana, now officially manager of her family's restaurant, the Ho-Lee Noodle House, is headed to sunny Irvine, California to attend a restaurant convention with her sister, Anna May, along for the ride. The girls' very Americanized Aunt Grace has asked them to stay in her posh rental, and as the trip begins, it seems to be just what they both needed. Even the restaurant convention proves to be worthwhile and entertaining, especially when Lana witnesses a dramatic cat fight between a fortune cookie vendor and a journalist.

Lana and Anna May can't imagine things getting any better until they learn their aunt has yet another surprise in store for them - a swanky cocktail party hosted for the freelancers of Southern California. But on the night of the party, things go south when a close journalist friend of Grace's mysteriously plunges from the roof top of the hotel. Even more suspicious is the fact that Aunt Grace's friend is the same journalist Lana saw getting into a screaming match with the fortune cookie vendor at the convention.

The police rule the death a gruesome accident, but Aunt Grace refuses to accept that explanation and begs Lana for her help uncovering the truth. Lana, Anna May, Aunt Grace attempt to keep up appearances as they search for answers, but unwanted attention from suspicious colleagues and convention attendees starts to surface, causing Lana to wonder if they'll find the killer in time...or if they'll be the next ones pushed over the edge."

When you've seen a lot of death in your hometown, it's best to go see bodies elsewhere.

Fatal Fudge Swirl by Meri Allen
Published by: St. Martin's Press
Publication Date: June 27th, 2023
Format: Paperback, 320 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"A movie production brings drama - and murder - to a close-knit New England village, forcing Riley Rhodes to scoop out the suspects.

Former CIA librarian and amateur sleuth Riley Rhodes is loving her fresh start as the manager of the Udderly Delicious Ice Cream Shop. The leaves are turning, tourists are leaf-peeping, and Penniman, Connecticut is putting finishing touches on the weekend long Halloween Happening. But the village is also buzzing. Former child star Cooper Collins is overseeing the production of a romantic comedy that's filming on the town green and his domineering socialite mother, Diantha, is planning her lavish Halloween themed wedding at her Inn on the Green. Her fiancé has run the Inn's kitchen for years, ably aided by his recent ex-wife, chef Mary Ann Dumas. An old friend of Riley's, Mary Ann turns to her when the bride requests a spooky ice cream wedding cake.

But the weekend takes a frightful turn when Diantha is found dead and suspicion falls on Mary Ann. The cast of potential suspects is long - each wedding guest had a chilling motive to kill the vicious heiress. Can Riley unmask the murderer before another guest ends up on ice?"

Tell me more about this Halloween Happening...

Dead Eleven by Jimmy Juliano
Published by: Dutton
Publication Date: June 27th, 2023
Format: Hardcover, 448 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"On a creepy island where everyone has a strange obsession with the year 1994, a newcomer arrives, hoping to learn the truth about her son's death - but finds herself pulled deeper and deeper into the bizarrely insular community and their complicated rules...

Clifford Island. When Willow Stone finds these words written on the floor of her deceased son's bedroom, she's perplexed. She's never heard of it before, but soon learns it's a tiny island off Wisconsin's Door County peninsula, 200 miles from Willow's home. Why would her son write this on his floor? Determined to find answers, Willow sets out for the island.

After a few days on Clifford, Willow realizes: This place is not normal. Everyone seems to be stuck in a particular day in 1994: They wear outdated clothing, avoid modern technology, and, perhaps most mystifyingly, watch the OJ Simpson car chase every evening. When she asks questions, people are evasive, but she learns one thing: Close your curtains at night.

High schooler Lily Becker has lived on Clifford her entire life, and she is sick of the island's twisted mythology and adhering to the rules. She's been to the mainland, and everyone is normal there, so why is Clifford so weird? Lily is determined to prove that the islanders' beliefs are a sham. But are they?

Five weeks after Willow arrives on the island, she disappears. Willow's brother, Harper, comes to Clifford searching for his sister, and when he learns the truth - that this island is far more sinister than anyone could have imagined - he is determined to blow the whole thing open.

If he can get out alive...."

I spent every summer in Door County as a kid, my brother loves to talk about our trips, so for him, where is this island and when can he visit?

The Night It Ended by Katie Garner
Published by: Mira Books
Publication Date: June 27th, 2023
Format: Paperback, 416 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"Intertwining the narrative with the transcript of an anonymous interview, this stunning suspense debut from Katie Garner will take you on a twisting path where nothing - and no one - is what it seems.

Finding the truth seems impossible when her own dark past has her seeing lies everywhere she looks...

From the outside, criminal psychiatrist Dr. Madeline Pine's life appears picture-perfect - she has a beautiful family, a successful mental health practice and a growing reputation as an expert in female violence. But when she's called to help investigate a mysterious death at a boarding school for troubled girls, Madeline hesitates. She's been through tragic cases before, and the one she was entangled in last year nearly destroyed her...

Yet she can't turn away when she hears about Charley Ridley. After the girl was found shoeless and in pajamas at the bottom of an icy ravine on campus, the police ruled it a tragic accident. But the private investigator hired by her mother has his doubts. If it were Madeline's daughter who died, she'd want to know why.

Arriving at the secluded campus in upstate New York, Madeline's met by an unhelpful skeleton staff and the four other students still on campus during winter break. Each seems to hold a piece of the puzzle. And everyone has secrets - Madeline included. But who would kill to protect them?"

Boarding schools with a few students left for the holidays is like my catnip.

The Ghost Theatre by Mat Osman
Published by: Overlook Press
Publication Date: June 27th, 2023
Format: Hardcover, 320 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"A wild and hallucinatory reimagining of Elizabethan London, with its bird worshippers, famed child actors, and the Queen herself; a dazzling historical novel about theatre, magic, and the dangers of all-consuming love.

London, 1601 - a golden city soon to erupt in flames. Shay is a messenger-girl, falconer, and fortune teller who sees the future in the patterns of birds. Nonesuch is the dark star of the city's fabled Blackfriars Theatre, where a cast of press-ganged boys perform for London's gentry. When the pair meet, Shay falls in love with the performances - and with Nonesuch himself. As their bond deepens, they create the Ghost Theatre, an underground troupe that performs fantastical plays in the city's hidden corners. As their fame grows the troupe fans the flames of rebellion among the city's outcasts, and the lovers are drawn into the dark web of the Elizabethan court. Embattled, with the plague on the rise throughout the country, the Queen seeks a reading from Shay, a moment which unleashes chaos not only in Shay's life, but across the whole of England too.

A fever-dream full of prophecy and anarchy, gutter rats and bird gods, Mat Osman's The Ghost Theatre is a wild ride from the rooftops of Elizabethan London to its dark underbelly, and a luminous meditation on double lives and fluid identities and the bewitching, transformative nature of art and power, with a bittersweet love affair at its heart. Set amid the vividly rendered England of Osman's imagination and written in rich, seductive prose, The Ghost Theatre will have readers under its spell from the very first page."

Can I can I read this now please!?!

Posted by Miss Eliza at 12:00 AM 0 comments  

Labels: 1994, Door County, Elizabethan, Jane Austen, Jimmy Juliano, Julia Seales, Katie Garner, M.C. Beaton, Mansfield Park, Manslaughter Park, Mat Osman, Meri Allen, O.J., The Ghost Theatre, Tirzah Price, Vivien Chien

The Half Life of Valery K by Natasha Pulley
Published by: Bloomsbury Publishing
Publication Date: July 26th, 2022
Format: Hardcover, 384 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"From the author of The Watchmaker of Filigree Street and The Kingdoms, an epic Cold War novel set in a mysterious town in Soviet Russia.

In 1963, in a Siberian prison, former nuclear specialist Valery Kolkhanov has mastered what it takes to survive: the right connections to the guards for access to food and cigarettes, the right pair of warm boots, and the right attitude toward the small pleasures of life so he won't go insane. But one day, all that changes: Valery's university mentor steps in and sweeps him from the frozen camp to a mysterious unnamed city. It houses a set of nuclear reactors, and surrounding it is a forest so damaged it looks like the trees have rusted from within.

In City 40, Valery is Dr. Kolkhanov once more, and he's expected to serve out his prison term studying the effect of radiation on local animals. But as Valery begins his work, he is struck by the questions his research raises. Why is there so much radiation in this area? What, exactly, is being hidden from the thousands who live in the town? And if he keeps looking for answers, will he live to serve out his sentence?

Based on real events in a surreal Soviet city, and told with bestselling author Natasha Pulley's inimitable style, The Half Life of Valery K is a sweeping new adventure for readers of Stuart Turton and Sarah Gailey."

I'm always here for Natasha Pulley, even if I've had a bit too much of Russia lately.

Old Country by Matt Query and Harrison Query
Published by: Grand Central Publishing
Publication Date: July 26th, 2022
Format: Hardcover, 352 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"Based on the Reddit sensation, a horror thriller of a young couple who buys the perfect, secluded house - only to discover the terror within.

It's the house of their dreams. Former marine Harry and his wife, Sasha, have packed up their life and their golden retriever, Dash, and fled the corporate rat race to live off the land in rural Idaho. Their breathtaking new home sits on more than forty acres of meadow, aspen trees, and pine forest in the Teton Valley. Even if their friends and family think it’s a strange choice for an up-and-coming pair of urban professionals, Harry and Sasha couldn’t be happier about the future they’re building, all by their lonesome.

That is, until their nearest neighbors, Dan and Lucy Steiner, come bearing more than housewarming gifts. Dan and Lucy warn Harry and Sasha of a malevolent spirit that lives in the valley, one that with every season will haunt them in fresh, ever-more-diabolical ways. At first, it seems like an old wives' tale. But when spring arrives, so does the first evil manifestation, challenging everything Harry and Sasha thought they knew about the world.

As each season passes, the spirit grows stronger, the land more sinister, and each encounter more dangerous. Will Harry and Sasha learn the true meaning of a forever home before it’s too late? Haunting and bone-chilling, Old Country is a spellbinding debut in the horror genre."

Never knock stories that start out non-traditionally, I've spent many a sleepless night due to horror stories on Twitter and Reddit, and I'm not talking about the news thank you very much.

The Last to Vanish by Megan Miranda
Published by: Scribner / Marysue Rucci Books
Publication Date: July 26th, 2022
Format: Hardcover, 336 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"New York Times bestselling author Megan Miranda returns with a gripping and propulsive thriller that opens with the disappearance of a journalist who is investigating a string of vanishings in the resort town of Cutter's Pass - will its dark secrets finally be revealed?

Ten years ago, Abigail Lovett fell into a job she loves, managing The Passage Inn, a cozy, upscale resort nestled in the North Carolina mountain town of Cutter's Pass. Cutter's Pass is best known for its outdoor offerings - rafting and hiking, with access to the Appalachian trail by way of a gorgeous waterfall - and its mysterious history. As the book begins, the string of unsolved disappearances that has haunted the town is once again thrust into the spotlight when journalist Landon West, who was staying at the inn to investigate the story of the vanishing trail, then disappears himself.

Abby has sometimes felt like an outsider within the community, but she's come to view Cutter's Pass as her home. When Landon's brother Trey shows up looking for answers, Abby can't help but feel the town closing ranks. And she's still on the outside. When she finds incriminating evidence that may bring them closer to the truth, Abby soon discovers how little she knows about her coworkers, neighbors, and even those closest to her.

Megan Miranda brings her best writing to The Last to Vanish, a riveting thriller filled with taut suspense and shocking twists that will keep you guessing until the very end."

A close community and a history of outsiders vanishing? Yes please!

Into the Sublime by Kate A. Boorman
Published by: Henry Holt and Co. (BYR)
Publication Date: July 26th, 2022
Format: Hardcover, 368 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"A new YA psychological thriller from the author of What We Buried about four teenage girls who descend into a dangerous underground cave system in search of a lake of local legend, said to reveal your deepest fears.

When the cops arrive, only a few things are clear:
- Four girls entered a dangerous cave.
- Three of them came out alive.
- Two of them were rushed to the hospital.
- And one is soaked in blood and ready to talk.

Amelie Desmarais' story begins believably enough: Four girls from a now-defunct thrill-seeking group planned an epic adventure to find a lake that Colorado locals call "The Sublime." Legend has it that the lake has the power to change things for those who risk - and survive - its cavernous depths. They each had their reasons for going. For Amelie, it was a promise kept to her beloved cousin, who recently suffered a tragic accident during one of the group's dares.

But as her account unwinds, and the girls' personalities and motives are drawn, things get complicated. Amelie is hardly the thrill-seeking type, and it appears she's not the only one with the ability to deceive. Worse yet, Amelie is covered in someone's blood, but whose exactly? And where's the fourth girl?

Is Amelie spinning a tale to cover her guilt? Or was something inexplicable waiting for the girls down there? Amelie's the only one with answers, and she's insisting on an explanation that is more horror-fantasy than reality. Maybe the truth lies somewhere in between?

After all, strange things inhabit dark places. And sometimes we bring the dark with us."

Personally, I would have been out at the underground cave system, which I why I love to read about spooky things I would never ever do.

The Three Dahlias by Katy Watson
Published by: Mobius
Publication Date: July 26th, 2022
Format: Hardcover, 304 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"It wouldn't be a country house weekend without a little murder...

Three rival actresses team up to solve a murder at the stately home of Lettice Davenport, the author whose sleuthing creation of the 1930s, Dahlia Lively, had made each of them famous to a new generation. A contemporary mystery with a Golden Age feel, perfect for fans of Agatha Christie and Jessica Fellowes - and Janice Hallett and Richard Osman, of course!

In attendance at Aldermere: the VIP fans, staying at house; the fan club president turned convention organizer; the team behind the newest movie adaptation of Davenport's books; the Davenport family themselves; and the three actresses famous for portraying Dahlia Lively through the decades.

There is national treasure Rosalind King, from the original movies, who's feeling sensitive that she's past her prime, TV Dahlia for thirteen seasons, Caro Hooper, who believes she really IS Dahlia Lively, and ex-child star Posy Starling, fresh out of the fame wilderness (and rehab) to take on the Dahlia mantle for the new movie - but feeling outclassed by her predecessors.

Each actress has her own interpretation of the character and her own secrets to hide - but this English summer weekend they will have to put aside their differences as the crimes at Aldermere turn anything but cosy.

When fictional death turns into real bodies, can the three Dahlias find the answers to the murders among the fans, the film crew and the family - or even in Lettice's books themselves?"

It's like meta Agatha Christie if David Suchet and Kenneth Branagh stopped by!

The Unkept Woman by Allison Montclair
Published by: Minotaur Books
Publication Date: July 26th, 2022
Format: Hardcover, 320 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"Allison Montclair returns with the fourth Sparks and Bainbridge mystery, The Unkept Woman: London, 1946, Miss Iris Sparks - currently co-proprietor of the Right Sort Marriage Bureau - has to deal with aspects of her past exploits during the recent war that have come back around to haunt her.

The Right Sort Marriage Bureau was founded in 1946 by two disparate individuals - Mrs. Gwendolyn Bainbridge (whose husband was killed in the recent World War) and Miss Iris Sparks who worked as an intelligence agent during the recent conflict, though this is not discussed. While the agency flourishes in the post-war climate, both founders have to deal with some of the fallout that conflict created in their personal lives. Miss Sparks finds herself followed, then approached, by a young woman who has a very personal connection to a former paramour of Sparks. But something is amiss and it seems that Iris's past may well cause something far more deadly than mere disruption in her personal life. Meanwhile, Gwendolyn is struggling to regain full legal control of her life, her finances, and her son - a legal path strewn with traps and pitfalls.

Together these indomitable two are determined and capable and not just of making the perfect marriage match."

Because life, and marriage, are always in need of investigative assistance.

Mint Chocolate Murder by Meri Allen
Published by: St. Martin's Paperbacks
Publication Date: July 26th, 2022
Format: Paperback, 304 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"Riley Rhodes returns in the second delicious cozy set in a New England ice cream shop, Meri Allen's Mint Chocolate Murder!

When Udderly Delightful Ice Cream shop manager Riley Rhodes is summoned to Penniman’s Moy Mull Castle, it's the cherry on top of a successful summer season. The Gothic pile built by an eccentric New England Gilded Age millionaire has been transformed into a premiere arts colony by Maud Monaco, a reclusive former supermodel. As part of Moy Mull's Fall Arts Festival, Maud is throwing a fantasy ice cream social and hires Riley to whip up unique treats to celebrate the opening of an exhibit by Adam Blasco, a photographer as obnoxious as he is talented.

As Penniman fills up with Maud’s art-world friends arriving for the festival, gossip swirls around Blasco, who has a dark history of obsession with his models. Riley’s curiosity and instincts for sleuthing - she was a CIA librarian - are piqued, and she wonders at the hold the cold-hearted photographer has over the mistress of Moy Mull.

But when Adam is found dead behind the locked door of Moy Mull's dungeon, Riley realizes there’s more than one suspect who’d wanted to put the malicious photographer on ice."

Yes, the Gothic pile and Gilded Age mansion are all well and good but I can't be the only one willing to kill for that ice cream on the cover can I?

Bayou Sweetheart by Lexi Blake
Published by: Berkley
Publication Date: July 26th, 2022
Format: Paperback, 336 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"Sparks fly in Louisiana's Butterfly Bayou when a Hollywood starlet falls for a local deputy in a small-town contemporary romance from New York Times bestselling author Lexi Blake.

After leaving the military, Major Blanchard moved to Papillon, Louisiana, to be with his aging father, where he's taken a deputy position with the sheriff's department. Now that he's settling into life on the bayou, he's trying out the dating scene. Every single woman in town seems to be pining after the handsome newcomer. But so far, nothing's worked out, and he's had some spectacularly bad dates. Major's getting ready to give up on love when a new lady roars into town to film a movie and turns his world upside down.

Actress Brynn Pearson is trying to make a successful transition from child star to leading lady. Now that she's landed her first lead in a major film, nothing can stop her. She's committed to focusing solely on her work, so romance is the last thing she needs - too bad she can’t get her mind off the dreamy deputy she keeps running into. He’s gorgeous, and something about him makes her feel safe. As Brynn’s feelings for Major deepen, she starts to wonder if maybe there’s more to life than her career.

When a family crisis throws Major's life into a tailspin, he turns to Brynn for support, and hopes their budding relationship will shine brighter than Hollywood lights."

A little southern comfort of a lazy summer day.

The Rake's Daughter by Anne Grace
Published by: Berkley
Publication Date: July 26th, 2022
Format: Paperback, 368 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"An earl is forced to play matchmaker for the daughters of a rake in a smart and witty new Regency romance from the national bestselling author of The Scoundrel;s Daughter.

Recently returned to England, Leo, the new Earl of Salcott, discovers he's been thrust into the role of guardian to an heiress, the daughter of a notorious rake. Even worse, his wealthy ward has brought her half-sister, the beautiful but penniless Isobel, with her. Leo must find Clarissa a suitable husband, but her illegitimate half sister, Izzy, is quite another matter. Her lowly birth makes her quite unacceptable in London’s aristocratic circles.

However, the girls are devoted to each other and despite the risk of scandal if Izzy's parentage is discovered, they refuse to be separated. To Leo’s frustration, nothing will convince them otherwise. Even worse, sparks fly every time Leo and Izzy interact.

Called away to his country estate, Leo instructs the young ladies to stay quietly at home. But when he returns, he's infuriated to discover that Izzy and Clarissa have launched themselves into society - with tremendous success! There's no going back. Now Leo must enter society to protect Clarissa from fortune hunters, and try not to be driven mad by the sharp-witted, rebellious, and intoxicating Izzy."

Here for ALL the Regency and ALL the Rakes!

Storm Echo by Nalini Singh
Published by: Berkley
Publication Date: July 26th, 2022
Format: Hardcover, 384 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"New York Times bestselling author Nalini Singh takes us into the hearts of two fractured people in a world on the brink of a psychic Armageddon...

Silence has fallen. The Psy are free to feel emotion. Free to love. But Silence was never a prison for Ivan Mercant. The biggest threat to his future lies dormant in his brain - a psychic monster that wants only to feed. And now, the brutal leash he's kept on that monster is slipping. He prepared for this day, for the end of Ivan Mercant...but that was before he met Lei.

As primal as she is human, this wild changeling brings color into his life, laughter to his soul. Then the dream shatters in a rain of blood, in silent bodies in the snow. Lei is gone. Vanished without a trace...until he meets strangely familiar eyes across a busy San Francisco street.

Soleil Bijoux Garcia is a healer who has lost everything. She exists in a world of desolate aloneness...till the day she finds herself face-to-face with a lethal stranger. The animal who is her other half knows this man, but her memories are tattered fragments. Sorrow and a need for vengeance are all that drive her. Her mission? To kill the alpha of the DarkRiver leopard pack.

But fate has other plans. Soon, a deadly soldier who believes himself a monster and a broken healer might be all that stand between life and death for the entire Psy race...."

A different side of San Francisco!

Master of Shadows by Joss Walker and R.K. Perez
Published by: Two Tales Press
Publication Date: July 26th, 2022
Format: Paperback, 368 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"A lost grimoire. A dangerous new enemy. And a powerful magical weapon that could destroy the world.

Jayne Thorne, CIA Librarian, is back for another exciting mission. When her mentor goes missing, Jayne is sent to Paris to find him, only to land in the crosshairs of a deadly terrorist organization and their diabolical weapon, a mysterious poison that renders their enemies powerless.

Fighting to combat this weakness, Jayne struggles to make peace with her sister, who has been hiding the truth of their family history for years, and overcome difficulties with her shifter boyfriend, who can't quite sync up with Jayne's new powers. Even worse, the terrorists demand she locate a necromantic grimoire in France, or they will kill her mentor.

As Jayne hunts for the grimoire, she unlocks the secret to summoning the Master of Shadows-a long-dead master magician possessing a dark and destructive magic. With this lethal power unleashed, she must protect her team from the worst magical threats they've ever faced...or suffer the deadly consequences."

A series heartily endorsed by Johnnie Cakes, and therefore a must buy from me!

Violet Made of Thorns by Gina Chen
Published by: Delacorte Press
Publication Date: July 26th, 2022
Format: Hardcover, 368 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"A darkly enchanting fantasy debut about a morally gray witch, a cursed prince, and a prophecy that ignites their fate-twisted destinies - perfect for fans of The Cruel Prince and Serpent and Dove.

Violet is a prophet and a liar, influencing the royal court with her cleverly phrased - and not always true - divinations. Honesty is for suckers, like the oh-so-not charming Prince Cyrus, who plans to strip Violet of her official role once he's crowned at the end of the summer - unless Violet does something about it.

But when the king asks her to falsely prophesy Cyrus's love story for an upcoming ball, Violet awakens a dreaded curse, one that will end in either damnation or salvation for the kingdom - all depending on the prince's choice of future bride. Violet faces her own choice: Seize an opportunity to gain control of her own destiny, no matter the cost, or give in to the ill-fated attraction that's growing between her and Cyrus.

Violet's wits may protect her in the cutthroat court, but they can't change her fate. And as the boundary between hatred and love grows ever thinner with the prince, Violet must untangle a wicked web of deceit in order to save herself and the kingdom - or doom them all."

A very Storyteller Sleeping Beauty vibe. 

The Book of Gothel by Mary McMyne
Published by: Redhook
Publication Date: July 26th, 2022
Format: Hardcover, 384 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"This dark, lush, and beautiful reimagining of the story of Rapunzel presents the witch's perspective in this tale of motherhood, magic, and the stories we pass down to our children.

Everyone knows the tale of Rapunzel in her tower, but do you know the story of the witch who put her there?

Haelewise has always lived under the shadow of her mother, Hedda - a woman who will do anything to keep her daughter protected. For with her strange black eyes and even stranger fainting spells, Haelewise is shunned by her village, and her only solace lies in the stories her mother tells of child-stealing witches, of princes in wolf-skins, of an ancient tower cloaked in mist, where women will find shelter if they are brave enough to seek it.

Then, Hedda dies, and Haelewise is left unmoored. With nothing left for her in her village, she sets out to find the legendary tower her mother used to speak of - a place called Gothel, where Haelewise meets a wise woman willing to take her under her wing.

But Haelewise is not the only woman to seek refuge at Gothel. It’s also a haven for a girl named Rika, who carries with her a secret the Church strives to keep hidden. A secret that reveals a dark world of ancient spells and murderous nobles behind the world Haelewise has always known...

Told from her own perspective, The Book of Gothel is a lush, historical retelling filled with dark magic, crumbling towers, mysterious woods, and evil princes. This is the truth they never wanted you to know, as only a witch might tell it."

I have always been obsessed with the story of Rapunzel and still remember being four or five and being shocked my teacher didn't know how to spell her name. She forever went down in my estimation.

Posted by Miss Eliza at 12:00 AM 0 comments  

Labels: Allison Montclair, Anne Grace, Cold War, Gina Chen, Harrison Query, Joss Walker, Kate A. Boorman, Katy Watson, Lexi Blake, Mary McMyne, Matt Query, Megan Miranda, Meri Allen, Nalini Singh, Natasha Pulley, Russia