strange and random happenstance

A Deadly Episode by Anthony Horowitz
Published by: Harper
Publication Date: April 28th, 2026
Format: Hardcover, 384 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"They're making a major feature film of the first Hawthorne/Horowitz mystery novel. Except - they're behind schedule, they've run out of money and...oh! The star has just been murdered.

Ex-Detective Inspector Daniel Hawthorne is dead.

Or, rather, the actor playing him in the film adaptation of The Word is Murder is. Rising star David Caine has been stabbed, and it seems that everyone on the set had a motive.

Caine had just fired his PA. He had fallen out with his director, slept with the screenwriter, humiliated his co-star and dropped his agent days before he was about to sign a multi-million-dollar deal to appear in the next Spider-Man movie.

But what if Caine's murderer had made a mistake? What if it was the real Hawthorne who was the intended victim? For it turns out that the brilliant detective may have got it wrong ten years earlier. An innocent man has died in jail. And perhaps someone has decided that Hawthorne must pay the price.

From the film set on the south coast of England, the story moves to Reeth, in Yorkshire, the village where Hawthorne grew up. A burned-down school, a car accident that isn't what it seems, blackmail and murder in an Elizabethan country house...somehow they combine to unlock the secret of what has happened in Hastings.

For once, the local police are helpful. DS Sarah Milnes gives Hawthorne carte blanche to investigate and there may even be a hint of romance in the air. Which leaves his hapless sidekick, Horowitz, on his own, stumbling his way to the truth.

A riddle wrapped in a mystery inside an enigma, A Deadly Episode is an intriguing page-turner that once again demonstrates why Anthony Horowitz is the reigning king of the modern whodunit."

I mean, the meta onion that is this series would so be upped if they adapted it, and, in particular, this volume, for the screen.

The Dead Room by Catriona McPherson
Published by: Thomas and Mercer
Publication Date: April 28th, 2026
Format: Paperback, 335 Pages
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The official patter:
"In this atmospheric thriller from Catriona McPherson, a young widow seeking refuge from her grief wades into the mists at the far end of memory lane - where something even darker awaits.

Reeling from the death of her husband, thirty-something audiobook narrator Lindsay Hale retreats to her Scottish hometown and the comforts of old times. The bungalow where she grew up is just as she left it, next to the scrapyard her family still owns. But something is wrong...something beyond grief.

Something she can only glimpse from the corner of her eye.

Lindsay's brother and best friend are there to welcome her back. An elderly widow helps Lindsay make sense of her new normal, and a kind man hints at unexpected possibilities. But when her widow friend vanishes, only Lindsay seems to notice. And while she starts "recognizing" strangers, she begins forgetting familiar faces.

Every night, as Lindsay's dream house fills with nightmares, she wonders whether she's truly unraveling - or if something more sinister's at play. Buried secrets surface and reality bends, forcing Lindsay to face the terrifying truth that her new haven isn't so safe after all."

But what if it's even more terrifying and she's unraveling while something sinister is at play?

The Girl Upstairs by Jessica R. Patch
Published by: Love Inspired Trade
Publication Date: April 28th, 2026
Format: Paperback, 384 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"She bought this house to save her marriage. Unearthing its secrets might just claim her life.

Gwen McDaniel's life is broken. But she knows the perfect place to fix it. Cold Harbor, Maine, an idyllic small town with views of Acadia National Park, is where she used to vacation with her parents as a child. Here, she and Steven can start over, renovating their cliff-side fixer-upper while patching up their marriage. Soon, everything will be better.

Except from the moment they arrive, Gwen sees and hears things, and it's more than just the drafts and shadows that are part of any old house. Steven downplays her fears, warning her not to fixate on problems as she has in the past. But Gwen spent years as a homicide detective, and her instincts don't lie. Something happened here. Proof comes when she rips up the attic's carpet to discover a chilling message carved into the wood underneath.

As Gwen delves into the history of the house and the Cold Harbor community, she begins to piece the fragments together. And gradually, a terrifying picture emerges: A missing girl. A house of horrors. And a dark, decades-old nightmare that is more haunting than Gwen ever imagined..."

Trying to save your marriage by going through the hell of home renovation never works.

Live Through This by Douglas Corleone
Published by: Thomas and Mercer
Publication Date: April 28th, 2026
Format: Paperback, 303 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"A crime novelist reunites with old college friends to solve a decades-old murder in a riveting novel of psychological suspense by the bestselling author of Falls to Pieces.

Crime writer Gregg Dryer returns to his Pennsylvania campus for Homecoming weekend to revisit the death of his girlfriend Jess. During their freshman year, everyone assumed she took her own life when she fell from the roof of D'Amelio Hall - everyone except Gregg. After thirty years of struggling with grief, guilt, and personal demons, Gregg still has his doubts about how and why Jess really died that night.

His search for answers is also a chance to reconnect with four friends from his college class. Most of them have moved on from that terrible tragedy. Not Gregg. Nor Jess's mother, who is convinced to this day that her daughter was murdered. As Gregg's investigation leads deeper into a past he doesn't recognize, the trail grows darker and more dangerous with each new revelation.

As a reunion among old friends becomes one of secrets and suspicions, Gregg must confront his own troubled history - and a truth with which he may not be able to live."

If you murdered someone in college, would you go back for a reunion? That just seems to be playing with fire.

How to Cheat Your Own Death by Kristen Perrin
Published by: Dutton
Publication Date: April 28th, 2026
Format: Hardcover, 336 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"From the gritty streets of 1960s Soho to the lofty galleries of present-day West London, two interlocking mysteries decades apart unfold in this latest instalment in the award-winning, New York Times bestselling Castle Knoll Murder Mystery series.

Some secrets are deadlier than others.

1968: Frances Adams is loving her new London life, and she's stepped into a world of glamour thanks to her new friend, Vera Huntington - a magnetic socialite as mysterious as she is provocative. Vera dances around London like she owns it, taking Frances with her.

Present day: When Annie Adams heads to London to visit her famous artist mother, Laura, the last thing she expects to find is a dead body. Least of all for it to be Laura's new protégée, left in an alley with her heart surgically removed from her chest.

Annie is no stranger to murder - after all, she's solved a few already. And something about this case feels familiar. She's read about one just like it in the journals of her late great aunt Frances, whose friend Vera was killed in the 1960s in the exact same way.

As Annie investigates, threats pile up on Laura's doorstep, and it soon becomes clear that she's next. With her mother's life on the line, can Annie find the killer before it's too late?"

A nice Last Night in Soho vibe.

A Murder Most Camp by Nicholas DiDomizio
Published by: Poisoned Pen Press
Publication Date: April 28th, 2026
Format: Paperback, 368 Pages
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The official patter:
"The Guncle meets Every Time I Go On Vacation Someone Dies in this fun, twisty mystery following a spoiled nepo baby forced to work at a struggling summer camp who stumbles into a real-life murder mystery he has no choice but to solve.

Rustic cabins. Lakefront bonfires. A painfully hot lifeguard. And a murder? Summer has never been this camp.

Mikey Hartford IV has coasted through his twenties in a distracted blur of yachts and sex and partying. But when his father discovers his latest million-dollar impulse buy and changes the terms of his trust, the party's finally over. Now, unless Mikey can make a positive contribution to the world before his thirtieth birthday - one that doesn't involve throwing cash at his problems - he'll never see another yacht again. (Or even so much as a canoe.)

Enter: Camp Lore, a struggling summer camp in upstate New York where Mikey has to work as the oldest, least-qualified staffer to prove that he can "do good" alongside his twelve-year-old aunt. (Yes, aunt.) But Mikey isn't sure he'll be able to survive the camp's ramshackle living conditions, let alone the gaggle of preteens who won't leave his side. And when his campers become obsessed with a local legend set at an abandoned cabin on the grounds, Mikey's chances of not making it through the summer become dangerously real - because it turns out there's a murder hidden beneath Camp Lore. And someone there will stop at nothing to keep it that way.

Solving a decade-old cold case will surely be enough "good" for Mikey to earn his inheritance. He just has to stay alive long enough to do it..."

My friend Johnnie has been talking about this book for quite awhile now. You don't want to disappoint Johnnie do you? So get this book!

The Witch Finder by Tracy Whitwell
Published by: Pan
Publication Date: April 28th, 2026
Format: Paperback, 448 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"History is revealing itself, and the lines between past and present are becoming hauntingly blurred...

The Witch Finder is the fifth and final installment in the hilarious Accidental Medium series featuring Tanz, who with the help of the dead, has become an unwilling crime-solver.

When Tanz returns to her hometown in Newcastle, she comes face-to-face with dark, ancestral secrets lurking in its shadows. Haunted by chilling visions of the witch-trials, a voice from the past warns her, You're the one. Burn it, chosen one. As a sinister figure threatens to ruin everything she's built for herself, Tanz must embrace her connection to the dead to uncover her destiny.

With everything on the line, Tanz finds herself entangled in a web of folklore, mystery and imminent danger. Elements collide as the echoes of history demand intervention and new relationships entwine in her mystical journey. Tanz must wield courage against paranormal forces and listen to old and new allies in order to prevent ominous threats from consuming her world.

Will Tanz unravel the mysteries surrounding the witch pricker and her own lineage in time, or will she fall prey to the darkness that stalks her?"

The last!?! Why the last!?! No final installment. Just another installment!

Confessions of an Amateur Sleuth by Lynn Cahoon
Published by: Kensington Cozies
Publication Date: April 28th, 2026
Format: Hardcover, 256 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"Bainbridge Island bookseller, aspiring author, and amateur sleuth Meg (no relation to Bill) Gates investigates the murder of a crabby food critic in New York Times bestselling author Lynn Cahoon's latest Pacific Northwest-set mystery for fans of Kate Carlisle, Lorna Barrett, Jenn McKinlay, and Ellery Adams.

Twenty-something bookseller and sleuth Meg Gates has a confession: solving crimes may be easier than writing. She's been working on a guide to becoming a detective - but she's her own worst critic. She needs a how-to in order to write her how-to!

At the Bainbridge Island writers' group, she meets freelance food critic Lee Anderson, who invites her to join him for dinner at the Local Crab so he won't be suspected of reviewing the place. Lee is a bit of a crab himself and intends to do a hatchet job on the eatery.

Instead, someone does a job on the critic - he's found dead by the marina. Now Bainbridge's culinary elite are on the suspect list.

With help from her beau, Dalton, and the Mystery Crew at Island Books, Meg dons her sleuthing cap to solve the mystery du jour - before another murder is served cold..."

I feel like mentioning that you're no relation to Bill Gates, despite the same last name and Pacific Northwest locale, is weird. Turns me off even picking up the book.

In the Spirit of French Murder by Colleen Cambridge
Published by: Kensington
Publication Date: April 28th, 2026
Format: Hardcover, 272 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"After moving to France, Tabitha Knight has a new friend in fellow expat and Cordon Bleu student Julia Child, whose culinary tips can come in quite handy. But something's cooking in postwar Paris, and it isn't just cheese soufflé...

Tabitha has enjoyed an entertaining afternoon in Julia's kitchen, but her return home is a bit jarring. As she arrives at her grandfather's rue de l'Universitémansion, a woman bursts out the door babbling about messages from spirits and a warning Grand-père must heed. Oncle Rafe angrily sends the woman on her way, and neither man will answer Tabitha's questions.

It's not the last she sees of the mysterious visitor. While she's on a date that evening, she's accosted by her again - and learns that Madame Vierca is a medium who claims to have visions of a dark fate that awaits Grand-père and Oncle Rafe. The very next night, Tabitha's messieurs host a soiree at their new restaurant, inviting fellow Resistance fighters from the war known as the Nine Bluets. To commemorate the work of the Resistance network, the vase on the dinner table sports nine of the pretty blue flowers.

But shortly after the revelers leave the restaurant, one of Grand-père's old friends is found dead on the street...and one of the nine flowers is missing from the vase. When a second member of the Nine Bluets is found poisoned the next day, and a bluet flower is left with the body, Tabitha cannot ignore Madame Vierca's frightening predictions about her dear messieurs. She has no choice but to share her suspicions and fears with the enigmatic and unruffled Inspecteur Merveille.

Tabitha soon finds herself caught up in an investigation that takes her and Merveille to the seediest, most dangerous parts of the Left Bank - home of strange, fantastical legends, disquieting events, and unusual people. As she and Merveille desperately try to find a killer, they know they don't have much time before the rest of the Nine Bluets are targeted...including Grand-père and Oncle Rafe."

I'll read anything by Colleen Cambridge, but a medium!?! Heck yeah!

The Roaring Ridleys by K.M. Colley
Published by: Thomas and Mercer
Publication Date: April 28th, 2026
Format: Paperback, 283 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"In Jazz Age New York, a shocking murder shatters the privileged life of the city's most elite family in a propulsive mystery-thriller debut from author K.M. Colley that spans from Harlem to Long Island's Gold Coast and high society's glittering world of deadly secrets.

In the glittering world of 1920s New York, the seven Ridley heirs seem to have it all: wealth, status, and protection as the city's most powerful family. But when notorious gossip columnist Dale Caimen is found dead during their family's renowned summer soiree, their carefully constructed world begins to crack.

Behind the champagne and jazz, each adopted Ridley sibling harbors secrets that could destroy them. There's Amelia, the responsible eldest trying to hold it all together; Adesua, whose artistic ambitions in the Harlem Renaissance threaten her family's expectations; and wild child Kavita, whose dangerous nights in speakeasies may have finally caught up with her.

As the murder investigation intensifies, long-buried tensions surface and family loyalties unravel. Someone knows the truth about the Ridleys - and they're willing to kill to expose it. In a world where appearance is everything and power comes at a deadly price, the siblings must decide what matters more: protecting the family name or each other."

My grandmother would have so gotten along with Kavita.

A Murder in Marylebone by Emily Sullivan
Published by: Kensington
Publication Date: April 28th, 2026
Format: Hardcover, 336 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"After over a decade away, widowed mother of two Minnie Harper has left sunny Greece and returned to her native England at the turn of the 20th century - just as a cloud of suspicion falls over her younger sister in this cozy historical mystery for fans of Jessica Fellowes, Tasha Alexander, Deanna Raybourn, Rhys Bowen, and the PBS series The Durrells in Corfu.

The world is changing at the dawn of the 20th century, but respectable English families still dread a public scandal. So Minnie agrees to accompany her reckless sister, Delia, for a night on the town with her Bohemian friends. The evening involves a raucous house party, a visit to a fortune-teller, and an encounter with a flirtatious baron, but none of that unsettles Minnie more than running into Stephen Dorian, her former employer in Corfu, who stirs in her a mix of resentment and attraction.

Soon after, Delia discovers the body of her rumored beau in his own home, and Minnie insists on playing by the rules and informing the police. After all, fleeing the scene could suggest Delia is guilty of more than an improper late-night rendezvous...

When the sisters return to the townhouse, their parents, dreading the threat of gossip, insist that Minnie help clear Delia's name. Her discreet investigation will take her back into Delia's decadent circle and have her crossing paths again with the baron - a collector of antiques - and the infuriating Stephen Dorian. But her new social life is soon overshadowed by dangerous intrigue that leads her to question even her own past..."

I'm sorry, but Lady Emily would not get on with the Durrells as depicted in the PBS series.

How to Fake It in Society by KJ Charles
Published by: Bramble
Publication Date: April 28th, 2026
Format: Paperback, 320 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"Bridgerton meets The Goldfinch in How to Fake It in Society, a stunning queer romance by rising genre star KJ Charles.

It is 1821 and Nicolas-Marc, Comte de Valois de La Motte is making a splash in London Society. The son of Jeanne de Valois de La Motte, infamous for stealing a priceless diamond necklace meant for Marie Antoinette, Nico hopes to restore his wronged mother's reputation, if only he can raise the funds. But he must operate with great secrecy, because the Bourbon dynasty murdered his mother, and he fears for his life.

At least, that's what he tells Titus Pilcrow. Titus was a simple shopkeeper, making and selling artists' paints, when he found himself suddenly married to an immensely wealthy woman who wanted to disinherit her nephew on her deathbed. As word spreads of his fortune, Titus finds himself a target of every scammer and beggar in London...including one Nicolas-Marc, Comte de Valois de La Motte.

Nico is on his last legs, out of money, and on the run from some terrifying gangsters. When Titus offers Nico a space in his household, it's the perfect chance for him to exploit London's newest golden purse - until he falls in love with the man he needs to cheat. Still, Nico is sure they can have a happy ending together. If he can just find his way out of his own web of lies..."

Oh, a tie in to the Affair of the Diamond Necklace!?!

The Duke's Got Mail by Samara Parish
Published by: Forever
Publication Date: April 28th, 2026
Format: Paperback, 400 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"Anonymous love letters are all well and good...until you discover you've been flirting with the enemy.

Eleanor Wright is the best compositor in London and in high demand with every printing press in town. But when whispers spread of a new machine that could put her out of a job, writing to a mysterious pen pal quickly becomes her only relief from a life that's coming apart like a badly bound book.

Peter Montgomery, Duke of Strafford, has spent years trying to get his estate out of debt. Now he finally has the solution in a machine set to revolutionize the publishing industry. If only finding a wife was as straightforward. Peter wants a lady who cares about him, not his title. Someone like his charming, witty pen pal - the only person in London who knows his most intimate secrets but not his real name. But when Peter's invention makes them bitter rivals in person, can the bond they've created on paper survive the test?"

Please say Eleanor's letters are all typeset. Please. The letterpress geek in me demands it!

Ms. Mebel Goes Back to the Chopping Block by Jesse Q. Sutanto
Published by: Berkley
Publication Date: April 28th, 2026
Format: Paperback, 304 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"A nearly divorced trophy wife enrolls in culinary school to win back her husband, only to find a fresh start in the unlikeliest of places in this new novel from the USA Today bestselling author of Vera Wong's Unsolicited Advice for Murderers.

Retirement should mean long-awaited trips to the sapphire waters of Santorini or careening down a sand dune in Dubai. For sixty-three-year-old Mebel, retirement means her husband of more than forty years announcing that he's leaving her for their private chef. Mebel isn't sure who's the bigger loss.

Not to worry, Mebel has the perfect plan: she's going to win back her husband. No one knows what he needs better than her - after all, she's been anticipating his needs their whole marriage. And if he wants a wife who can cook (why else would he leave her for a chef?), she will simply go to cooking school. And where better to learn to cook for your husband than France, the most romantic country in the world?

However, Mebel quickly learns that she has mistakenly enrolled in a culinary school not in glamorous Paris but rather in England - and in some small village outside of Oxford no less. Despite the less-than-warm welcome from her much younger classmates, Mebel manages to befriend Gemma, the breakout star of the program. And this unlikely friendship starts to show Mebel that maybe there's more to her than being the perfect trophy wife..."

Yeah, maybe there's more than cooking dinner for a man who no longer wants you...

Bertie's Theory of Ice Cream by Alexander McCall Smith
Published by: Vintage
Publication Date: April 28th, 2026
Format: Paperback, 272 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"The latest installment in the lively and deliciously charming 44 Scotland Street series finds all our favorite residents of Scotland's most celebrated address navigating their enchanting and eventful lives.

Settle in and take a trip back to Scotland's favorite fictitious street with Bertie, Irene, Big Lou, newcomer Galactica Macfee and all the rest.

Once more, we catch up with the delightful goings-on in 44 Scotland Street. With his singular warmth and charm, Alexander McCall Smith gives us another installment in this popular series, where anything could happen to Bertie and the gang..."

My mom loved this series so much. Pick it up in honor of her.

Liar's Dice by Juliet Faithfull
Published by: Random House
Publication Date: April 28th, 2026
Format: Hardcover, 384 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"An astonishing debut about a teenage girl in 1970s Brazil who is torn away from her twin sister - and who must learn what it means to fight for those she loves when all the odds are stacked against her.

Dolores and Mita grow up in rural Brazil, identical and inseparable. But Mita develops a mysterious illness that challenges the family. One day, Dolores wakes up to find her sister gone - sent to a hospital in their father's native London. There is no Dolores without Mita. And now Mita is gone.

When the family moves to Rio, Dolores' parents act as if Mita never existed. Lonely and grief-stricken, Dolores struggles to learn to read and write at the stodgy British School - until she meets Andrea, a headstrong, streetwise girl from the dangerous part of town. Andrea shows Dolores a new side of Rio - and how to survive it. As the dictatorship cracks down on dissenters, and people disappear, Dolores begins to wonder if her sister is dead, and her parents are lying. Determined to uncover the truth, Dolores is willing to do whatever it takes - lie, gamble and steal - to get her sister back.

Liar's Dice captures the precarious intensity of coming of age in a volatile time - when repression and silence are the fabric of everyday life - and the cost of family secrets. Heartrending and tender, Juliet Faithfull's debut novel is a testament to the unbreakable bonds of sisterhood."

Just growing up in a volatile time in anyone's life. Dolores's journey is just compounded by loss and danger.

We Burned So Bright by TJ Klune
Published by: Tor Books
Publication Date: April 28th, 2026
Format: Hardcover, 176 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"A heart-wrenching standalone novel by #1 New York Times bestselling author TJ Klune, We Burned So Bright follows an elder gay couple on an end-of-the-world road-trip.

The road stretched out before them. No other cars, just the headlights on the blacktop. Above, the cracked moon in a kaleidoscope sky....

Husbands Don and Rodney have lived a good long life. Together they've experienced the highest highs of love and family, and lows so low that they felt like the end of the world.

Now, the world is ending for real. A rogue black hole is coming for Earth and in a month everything and everyone they've ever known will be gone.

Suddenly, after 40 years together, Don and Rodney are out of time. They're in a race against the clock to make it from Maine to Washington State to take care of some unfinished business before it's all over.

On the road they meet those who refuse to believe death is coming and those who rush to meet it. But there are also people living their final days as best they know how - impromptu weddings, bright burning bonfires, shared meals, and new friends.

And as the black hole draws near, among ball lightning and under a cracked moon in a kaleidoscope sky, Don and Rodney will look back on their lives and ask if their best was good enough.

Is it enough to burn bright if nothing comes from the ashes?"

For those broken by Nick Offerman and Murray Bartlett on The Last of Us.

Hex House by Amy Jane Stewart
Published by: Titan Books
Publication Date: April 28th, 2026
Format: Paperback, 368 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"A feverishly told, dark and unsettling Scotland-set fairy-tale about a safe haven for women which transforms them into vessels of revenge, perfect for fans of T. Kingfisher, A. G Slatter and Julia Armfield.

ELLY

Elly is running. Pregnant and still in her wedding dress, she flees the cottage that her new husband has rented for their wedding night. Because he's not what people think he is - and she knows that, one day, he'll hurt her in a way she can't fix. Freezing and lost in the dead of night, Elly begins to lose hope.

A woman in the woods alone is never the beginning of the story. It's usually the end.

So, when a beautiful house appears out of nowhere and a woman beckons her inside, it almost feels too good to be true.

Welcome to Hex House: a refuge, a home, a sanctuary. A place that can only be found by those who truly need it; a place that promises to teach Elly how to access a power more incredible - and more terrifying - than anything she could have imagined.

SIOBHAN

Four years after Siobhan meets Elly at Hex House, her life is in ruins. Once a promising filmmaker invited to the house to make a documentary with her brother, Theo, she's given up on her dream after witnessing unspeakable horrors there. Now, she spends her time drinking too much, toying with an older man in increasingly dangerous ways, and trying to get Theo to speak to her again. She ignores the scar on her stomach that never fully heals.

That is, until someone reaches out with news about Hex House that could change everything.

And Siobhan knows, deep down, that she was always destined to return."

The woods is where the story begins.

An Arcane Study of Stars by Sydney J. Shields
Published by: Redhook
Publication Date: April 28th, 2026
Format: Paperback, 512 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"From Sydney J. Shields, the breakout author of The Honey Witch, comes An Arcane Study of Stars, a historical dark academia fantasy filled with ancient secret societies, a swoon-worthy rivals-to-lovers romance, and dangerous deals made after dark. Perfect for fans of The Atlas Six and The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue.

When Claudia Jolicoeur is rejected from Cygnus University, a devilish stranger named Dorian appears in her nightmares and offers her a bargain: he will get her into Cygnus if she learns how to free him from a prison of stars. He takes a bite of her soul to seal the deal, and Claudia wakes to a letter from the High Sage of Cygnus stating she will take the place of Odette Dufort, a Rhetoric student who passed away.

Her arrival raises suspicions, rumors that she had a hand in Odette's death spread like wildfire, and Cassius MacLeod, the High Sage's apprentice and Claudia's fellow Rhetoric student, seems hellbent on humiliating her. Determined to clear her name, she searches for any evidence that could prove her innocence. When someone - or something - starts slipping her pieces of Odette's diary, Claudia uncovers a horrifying truth: over the last century, celestial witches at Cygnus have been murdered. Odette was one of them, and Claudia could be next. For her own protection, Claudia needs to free Dorian - and fast.

By night, she studies the stars, slowly unraveling the mystery of Dorian's prison. By day, she and Cassius wage rhetorical war as debate partners in class. What begins as a fierce rivalry devolves into something deeper, darker, and dangerously sensual. As Claudia inches closer to the truth, she must decide: would trusting Cassius be the last mistake she ever makes?"

I can see why this is compared to The Atlas Six. 

The Boyfriend Academy by JS Strange
Published by: One More Chapter
Publication Date: April 28th, 2026
Format: Paperback, 332 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"Love is forbidden. Truth is dangerous. Survival is everything.

Ganymede's is no ordinary boarding school. Behind its spiral towers and manicured lawns, boys are forged into the men society demands - strong, obedient, perfect. Graduate, and the world is yours: a home, a career, a wife. But fail...and you're no longer useful to society.

For Dylan Cecil it should be simple: keep his head down, survive graduation, and earn his place. But when his friend, Blake, disappears, Dylan can't silence the questions gnawing at him, even as whispers of danger shadow the school's gilded halls.

As June's trials close in - eight tests that will decide who is worthy of manhood - Dylan is haunted by Blake's absence and drawn to Roman Edwards, a boy as magnetic as he is unknowable.

In a world rebuilt on order and obedience, Dylan must decide: will he become the man the academy wants - or the man he really is?"

Always be yourself. 

This Dream Will Devour Us by Emma Clancey
Published by: Amulet Books
Publication Date: April 28th, 2026
Format: Hardcover, 384 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"The Inheritance Games meets Caraval in this YA contemporary fantasy debut about a girl thrust into the intoxicating and dangerous world of magical high society.

Sometimes you have to kill a dream to escape a nightmare.

Nora is the opposite of lucky. She's still wrangling her late father's debts when a mysterious illness lands her brother in the hospital. But her fortunes take an unexpected turn when she wins the lottery to attend the Lamour family's exclusive, magical Dream Gala.

If Nora can win over the Lamour heirs, she'll get a coveted spot on their magical training program - and the money she needs to save her brother.

There's just one problem: Nora never bought a lottery ticket.

Determined to discover who wants her at the gala - and why - Nora plunges headfirst into magical high society. Caught up in a decadent world of brutal billionaires and cutthroat celebrities, Nora is soon in over her head and entangled in a messy love triangle.

When her search for answers uncovers a sinister conspiracy, will Nora stay silent or risk the wrath of a family powerful enough to get away with murder?"

Yeah, that ticket is sus.

The Night King's Court by Elisa A. Bonnin
Published by: HarperCollins
Publication Date: April 28th, 2026
Format: Hardcover, 400 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"Caraval meets Flowerheart in this rich and immersive cozy fantasy, where dazzling magic, lush descriptions, and a sweet sapphic romance cast an irresistible spell.

Ida's father went missing without a trace seven years ago, last seen at the court of the enigmatic Night King, which comes to life only after dark with magic and revelry.

So when a position opens up for a new court Luminaire, Ida doesn't hesitate. She inherited her gift for enchantments from her father - and with this position, she'll use it to find him again.

Ida is swept into the king's collection of magical beings, those who bring light and entertainment to the Court's midnight gatherings - and swept away by the Court, where faerie gardens edge into underwater masquerades, dreaming revels offer blissful escapes, and life is a mesmerizing euphoria.

Yet a sinister thread interrupts Ida's nights of decadence. Memories go missing, the castle's magic takes on a malevolence, and Ida can't seem to leave the boundaries of the court itself.

Enlisting the help of the king's breathtakingly beautiful daughter Lenore, Ida must unravel the castle's secrets...before this enchanted world destroys her."

First, let's just stop comparing books to Caraval. Second, of course you mind goes in a faerie court...

By Blood, Shadow, and Fire by Orin Steele
Published by: Emrae Publishing
Publication Date: April 28th, 2026
Format: Hardcover, 502 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"Marked by gods. Hunted by fate. Bound to a warrior she shouldn't want.

In a realm teetering on the edge of war, Islyn never asked to be chosen by the gods, by destiny, or by the dangerously compelling warrior sworn to protect her. But power like hers doesn't stay hidden for long. As ancient forces stir and enemies close in, she must navigate a world of secrets, shifting alliances, and a connection that burns hotter than it should.

Caught between duty and desire, Islyn has to decide who she can trust and what she's willing to become to survive.

By Blood, Shadow, and Fire is a sweeping fantasy romance about fate, forbidden longing, and the kind of magic that demands everything."

Doesn't magic always demand everything?

Cast in Blood by Michelle Sagara
Published by: Hanover Square Press
Publication Date: April 28th, 2026
Format: Paperback, 512 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"DO NOT MEDDLE IN THE AFFAIRS OF BARRANI.

Kaylin has been warned to steer clear of the lords of the Barrani High Court. She'd be more than happy to oblige, but it's a bit difficult considering she lives with ten of them, all sent to the green to gain power or die. With Kaylin's help, they finally escaped their imprisonment. But their attempts at freedom had devastating consequences - and a price that has yet to be paid.

The first warning sign is the Consort's invitation to visit the High Halls - a Barrani invitation, which means an immediate visit.

The second sign is less subtle: Kaylin finds Nightshade's unresponsive body. He hovers on the edge of death, beyond saving through Kaylin's healing power. No one can explain his state, nor why she's powerless to save him. And if she and her Barrani friends can't figure out a way to bring him back, he'll be lost forever.

Yet even as Kaylin struggles to keep Nightshade from death, there is deeper magic at play, a growing threat with the potential to affect the entire Barrani race. Factions are shifting, new lines are being drawn - and Nightshade's near assassination is only the beginning. Can Kaylin uncover the nebulous forces that threaten the balance of Barrani - and their entire world - before it's too late?"

Always here for Michelle Sagara.

The Redwood Bargain by Markelle Grabo
Published by: Page Street YA
Publication Date: April 28th, 2026
Format: Hardcover, 400 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"I'm the fourth Redwood girl, and I mean to be the last.

Indentured servant Katrien longs to make amends after a difficult choice extended her cousin Helsa's servitude with their lord of the manor. So when a dark creature in the forest known as The Redwood Man demands the lord's youngest daughter as payment for saving his life, Katrien is eager to make her own bargain that will guarantee her cousin's freedom - so long as she can successfully lie.

Katrien must fool The Redwood Man into believing she is the daughter he was promised, Lady Zaviera. Yet three girls have already lost their lives trying to pose as the young noblewoman, with the increasingly impatient forest lord seeing through each deception and exerting his wrath in return.

To ensure Katrien's success where the girls before her have failed, Zaviera and her sisters teach her how to be the perfect imposter, even as The Redwood Man's sentient vines threaten to consume the manor and its staff. Turning a kitchen maid into a proper lady is no simple task, and matters are complicated further as Katrien begins to fall for the tenderhearted lady she might die for. Caught between duty, desire, and Zaviera's own blooming feelings, Katrien must decide if she's truly willing to risk her life to right past wrongs and sacrifice herself for the girl she's come to love."

Can't the sentient vines, I don't know, spy on their plans and thus make success impossible?

Death Meets Cute by J. Penner
Published by: Poisoned Pen Press
Publication Date: April 28th, 2026
Format: Paperback, 304 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"I am more than capable of being evil today. I think...

Iris Weyward wants to be bad. Truly bad. Terrifyingly, gloriously villainous. But after helping her sisters unleash a spell to throw the realm into chaos, Iris is left feeling strangely empty - and not at all like the villain of her dreams. So, she sets off for the quiet town of Fraywell to build her wicked legacy alone.

Things start promisingly: a crooked little cottage, a reputation for curses and potions, and a healthy dose of fear from the locals. But when her ogre bodyguard disappears, Iris needs new muscle. Good thing a fearsome orc just toppled over in her yard. Naturally, she decides to reanimate him. It's a perfect solution.

Only, Talon isn't the brooding warrior she was hoping for. He's gentle. He bakes. Worst of all, he's nice. But Iris can't possibly have a thing for her new employee. She's supposed to be the most wicked witch in town!

While Iris struggles to turn Talon into the enforcer she deserves, her sisters arrive seeking help - their magic is fading, and the cause may be closer than any of them realize. The timing couldn't be worse, and falling for an orc wasn't supposed to be part of her villain era, but love might turn out to be the best spell she's ever cast..."

I mean, who wouldn't fall for a baking orc?

The Sixth Gun: Battle for the Six by Cullen Bunn, Brian Hurtt, and Bill Crabtree
Published by: Oni Press
Publication Date: April 28th, 2026
Format: Paperback, 146 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"In celebration of 15 years of one of the most beloved smash hits in the history of creator-owned comics, return to the Eisner Award–nominated world of The Sixth Gun as co-creators Cullen Bunn (Harrow County) and Brian Hurtt (The Midnite Show) reunite for an all-new, self-contained entry point into the acclaimed saga that fantasy icon Michael Moorcock calls "an epic in its own right."

Becky Montcrief's great sacrifice destroyed the Sixth Gun - and the Grey Witch Griselda with it - but the power of the timeless weapons was also released into the world, ready to be reborn.... Familiar heroes - Ghost Eyes, Izzy, Henry Grey, Unega, and more - race to prevent the deadly cabal of villains old and new from gaining control of the reborn mythical weapons known as the Six. With the power of travel on the mystical Crossroads, the whole world is the stage for the newest battle to control its fate - the Battle for the Six!

Collecting The Sixth Gun: Battle for the Six #1–3, plus the three prelude short stories collected in The Sixth Gun: Road to the Six #0!"

Always here for Cullen Bunn and awhile back I read the first art which was enough to intrigue me. Plus, this is self-contained! 

Posted by Miss Eliza at 12:00 AM 0 comments  

Labels: Alexander McCall Smith, Anthony Horowitz, Catriona McPherson, Colleen Cambridge, Cullen Bunn, J. Penner, Jesse Q. Sutanto, Kristen Perrin, Lynn Cahoon, Markelle Grabo, Michelle Sagara, mily Sullivan, Orin Steele, TJ Klune

Death at Morning House by Maureen Johnson
Published by: Harperteen
Publication Date: August 6th, 2024
Format: Hardcover, 384 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"From the bestselling author of the Truly Devious books, Maureen Johnson, comes a new stand-alone YA about a teen who uncovers a mystery while working as a tour guide on an island and must solve it before history repeats itself.

The fire wasn't Marlowe Wexler's fault. Dates should be hot, but not hot enough to warrant literal firefighters. Akilah, the girl Marlowe has been in love with for years, will never go out with her again. No one dates an accidental arsonist.

With her house-sitting career up in flames, it seems the universe owes Marlowe a new summer job, and that's how she ends up at Morning House, a mansion built on an island in the 1920s and abandoned shortly thereafter. It's easy enough, giving tours. Low risk of fire. High chance of getting bored talking about stained glass and nut cutlets and Prohibition.

Oh, and the deaths. Did anyone mention the deaths?

Maybe this job isn't such a gift after all. Morning House has a horrific secret that's been buried for decades, and now the person who brought her here is missing.

All it takes is one clue to set off a catastrophic chain of events. One small detail, just like a spark, could burn it all down - if someone doesn't bury Marlowe first."

In all seriousness, I'm a huge fan of Maureen Johnson and I quite frankly think this is her best book. Initially you'll be sad it's not the newest Truly Devious book but then you'll come to realize it's something even better. It's THE MOST Maureen Johnson book the Maureen Johnson has ever written. And it's a perfect read for these late summer nights.

The Thirteenth Husband by Greer Macallister
Published by: Sourcebooks Landmark
Publication Date: August 6th, 2024
Format: Paperback, 336 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"Based on a real woman from history, The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo meets The Haunting of Hill House in this fictional tell-all narrated by the glamorous Aimee Crocker, revealing everything from her mischievous days in German finishing school to dinners with Hawaiian royalty to lavish Astor parties in Manhattan. But behind Aimee's public notoriety, there's private pain.

When Aimee is ten years old, as the night dips into the witching hour, the Woman in White appears to her. Minutes later, Aimee's father is dead - and Aimee inherits a fortune. But the Woman in White never really leaves Aimee, appearing as a sinister specter before every tragedy in her life. Despite Aimee's wealth, her cross-continental travels, and her increasingly shocking progression through husbands, Aimee is haunted by the unidentifiable Woman's mysterious motivations.

Tearing through millions of dollars, four continents, and a hearty collection of husbands, real-life heiress Aimee Crocker blazed an unbelievable trail of public scandal, private tragedy, and the kind of strong independent woman the 1880s had never seen. Her life was stranger than fiction and brighter than the stars, and she whirled through her days as if she was being chased by something larger than herself. Greer Macallister brilliantly takes us into her world and spins a tale that you won't soon forget."

Oh yes, though I think I might have leaned into the Bly Manor vibe more in hyping this...

Ghost Mother by Kelly Dwyer
Published by: Union Square and Co.
Publication Date: August 6th, 2024
Format: Paperback, 336 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"Ghost Mother is a mesmerizing psychological ghost story that blurs the thin line between reality and delusion.

Lilly Bly desperately wants to have a baby. She is struggling with infertility and bad spending habits when her husband, Jack, gets a new job that moves them from Chicago to a small town in Wisconsin. Impractical Lilly falls in love with a decrepit mansion well out of their price range - she is convinced that she will finally get pregnant and have a baby in this house - and Jack reluctantly agrees to buy the wreck. But when Lilly learns that her dream house was the site of a gruesome triple homicide/suicide in the 1950s, she begins to experience strange occurrences that soon lead her to believe the house is haunted. Are her ghostly encounters real, or is this a cascading mental breakdown? As Lilly learns more about the deaths and her visions become increasingly vivid, her relationship with Jack deteriorates, leading to a dramatic and irreversible climax.

Perfect for fans of classic, Gothic horror fiction, like Henry James's The Turn of the Screw and Shirley Jackson's The Haunting of Hill House, as well as contemporary suspense and horror fiction by everyone from Stephen King to Ruth Ware."

I mean, obviously I was excited because it's set near me, but now I learn that the author is local and it's kind of based on reality!?! Oh yes.

Agony Hill by Sarah Stewart Taylor
Published by: Minotaur Books
Publication Date: August 6th, 2024
Format: Hardcover, 320 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"Set in rural Vermont in the volatile 1960s, Agony Hill is the first novel in a new historical series full of vivid New England atmosphere and the deeply drawn characters that are Sarah Stewart Taylor's trademark.

In the hot summer of 1965, Bostonian Franklin Warren arrives in Bethany, Vermont, to take a position as a detective with the state police. Warren's new home is on the verge of monumental change; the interstates under construction will bring new people, new opportunities, and new problems to Vermont, and the Cold War and protests against the war in Vietnam have finally reached the dirt roads and rolling pastures of Bethany.

Warren has barely unpacked when he's called up to a remote farm on Agony Hill. Former New Yorker and Back-to-the-Lander Hugh Weber seems to have set fire to his barn and himself, with the door barred from the inside, but things aren't adding up for Warren. The people of Bethany - from Weber's enigmatic wife to Warren's neighbor, widow and amateur detective Alice Bellows - clearly have secrets they'd like to keep, but Warren can't tell if the truth about Weber's death is one of them. As he gets to know his new home and grapples with the tragedy that brought him there, Warren is drawn to the people and traditions of small town Vermont, even as he finds darkness amidst the beauty."

And those interstates will bring a whole lot more death!

A Family of Killers by Bryce Moore
Published by: Sourcebooks Fire
Publication Date: August 6th, 2024
Format: Paperback, 384 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"From the author of The Perfect Place to Die and Don't Go to Sleep comes another chilling horror that explores the eerie story of America's first serial killer family.

Warren Bullock always thought he was a decent person. But lately he's been haunted by a sinister voice in his head urging him to commit unspeakable acts of violence against the people around him.

And then the rumors start... There have been a string of disappearances in southeastern Kansas, and his father's friend is one of the missing travelers. When Warren's father leaves to investigate and doesn't return, Warren knows this is his chance to prove that he is stronger than his darkest impulses.

As he makes his way through Kansas, he finds himself at a suspicious inn run by the Benders, a family with deeply unsettling mannerisms. They watch every move he makes, stand over him in his sleep, and the daughter seems to be able to see into both the past and future.

As he delves further into the disappearances, he realizes one or all of the Benders may be responsible for all the missing people - and might be the reason his father never came home. It's up to Warren to set things right, even if that means giving into the voice he has been working so hard to ignore."

I really can't explain the joy I'm feeling at this rediscovery of the Benders.

Fire and Bones by Kathy Reichs
Published by: Scribner Book Company
Publication Date: August 6th, 2024
Format: Hardcover, 288 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"#1 New York Times bestselling author Kathy Reichs returns with a twisty, unputdownable thriller featuring forensic anthropologist Temperance Brennan, who finds herself at the center of a Washington, DC, arson investigation that spawns deepening levels of mystery and, ultimately, violence.

Always apprehensive about working fire scenes, Tempe is called to Washington, DC, to analyze the victims of a deadly blaze and sees her misgivings justified. The devastated building is in Foggy Bottom, a neighborhood with a colorful past and present, and Tempe becomes suspicious about the property's ownership when she delves into its history.

The pieces start falling into place strangely and quickly, and, sensing a good story, Tempe teams with a new ally, telejournalist Ivy Doyle. Soon the duo learns that back in the thirties and forties the home was the hangout of a group of bootleggers and racketeers known as the Foggy Bottom Gang. Though interesting, this fact seems irrelevant--until the son of a Foggy Bottom gang member is shot dead at his home in an affluent part of the district. Coincidence? Targeted attacks? So many questions.

As Tempe and Ivy dig deeper, an arrest is finally made. Then another Foggy Bottom Gang-linked property burns to the ground, claiming one more victim. Slowly, Tempe's instincts begin pointing to the obvious: somehow, her moves since coming to Washington have been anticipated, and every path forward seems to bring with it a lethal threat."

Temperance Brennan is kind of omnipresent, you can always find Bones on. But, you do know, that new stories exist if you pick up the books? Like this one!

The Rose Arbor by Rhys Bowen
Published by: Lake Union Publishing
Publication Date: August 6th, 2024
Format: Hardcover, 379 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"An investigation into a girl's disappearance uncovers a mystery dating back to World War II in a haunting novel of suspense by the bestselling author of The Venice Sketchbook and The Paris Assignment.

London: 1968. Liz Houghton is languishing as an obituary writer at a London newspaper when a young girl's disappearance captivates the city. If Liz can break the story, it's her way into the newsroom. She already has a scoop: her best friend, Marisa, is a police officer assigned to the case.

Liz follows Marisa to Dorset, where they make another disturbing discovery. Over two decades earlier, three girls disappeared while evacuating from London. One was found murdered in the woods near a train line. The other two were never seen again.

As Liz digs deeper, she finds herself drawn to the village of Tydeham, which was requisitioned by the military during the war and left in ruins. After all these years, what could possibly link the missing girls to this abandoned village? And why does a place Liz has never seen before seem so strangely familiar?"

Oh, I just have to know what Liz finds out!

The Seventh Veil of Salome by Silvia Moreno-Garcia
Published by: Del Rey Books
Publication Date: August 6th, 2024
Format: Hardcover, 336 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"A young woman wins the role of a lifetime in a film about a legendary heroine - but the real drama is behind the scenes in this sumptuous historical epic from the New York Times bestselling author of Mexican Gothic.

1950s Hollywood: Every actress wants to play Salome, the star-making role in a big-budget movie about the legendary woman whose story has inspired artists since ancient times.

So when the film's mercurial director casts Vera Larios, an unknown Mexican ingenue, in the lead role, she quickly becomes the talk of the town. Vera also becomes an object of envy for Nancy Hartley, a bit player whose career has stalled and who will do anything to win the fame she believes she richly deserves.

Two actresses, both determined to make it to the top in Golden Age Hollywood - a city overflowing with gossip, scandal, and intrigue - make for a sizzling combination.

But this is the tale of three women, for it is also the story of the princess Salome herself, consumed with desire for the fiery prophet who foretells the doom of her stepfather, Herod: a woman torn between the decree of duty and the yearning of her heart.

Before the curtain comes down, there will be tears and tragedy aplenty in this sexy Technicolor saga."

Well, I'm glad that someone is at least talking about Salome herself!

Dinosaurs at the Dinner Party by Edward Dolnick
Published by: Scribner Book Company
Publication Date: August 6th, 2024
Format: Hardcover, 352 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"From the bestselling author of The Clockwork Universe and The Writing of the Gods, a historical adventure story about the eccentric Victorians who discovered dinosaur bones, leading to a whole new understanding of human history.

In the early 1800s the world was a safe and cozy place. But then a twelve-year-old farm boy in Massachusetts stumbled on a row of fossilized three-toed footprints the size of dinner plates - the first dinosaur tracks ever found. Soon, in England, Victorians unearthed enormous bones - bones that reached as high as a man's head. No one had ever seen such things. Outside of myths and fairy tales, no one had even imagined that creatures like three-toed giants had once lumbered across the land. And if anyone had somehow conjured up such a scene, they would never have imagined that all those animals could have vanished, hundreds of millions years ago. The thought of sudden, arbitrary disappearance from life was unnerving and forced the Victorians to rethink everything they knew about the world.

Now, in Dinosaurs at the Dinner Party, celebrated storyteller and historian Edward Dolnick leads us through a compelling true adventure as the paleontologists of the first half of the 19th century puzzled their way through the fossil record to create the story of dinosaurs we know today. The tale begins with Mary Anning, a poor, uneducated woman who had a sixth sense for finding fossils buried deep inside cliffs; and moves to a brilliant, eccentric geologist named William Buckland, a kind of Doctor Doolittle on a mission to eat his way through the entire animal kingdom; and then on to Richard Owen, the most respected and the most despised scientist of his generation.

Entertaining, erudite, and featuring an unconventional cast of characters, Dinosaurs at the Dinner Party tells the story of how the accidental discovery of prehistoric creatures upended humanity's understanding of the world and their place in it, and how a group of paleontologists worked to bring it back into focus again."

OK, so, I had something else to say but was derailed by William Buckland. HOW is he like Doctor Doolittle if he wants to eat them!?!

Strange Folk by Alli Dyer
Published by: Atria Books
Publication Date: August 6th, 2024
Format: Hardcover, 320 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"A woman returns to her estranged, magical family in Appalachia, where a conjuring meant to protect the community may have summoned something sinister in this lush, shimmering, and wildly imaginative debut novel, perfect for fans of Alice Hoffman, Deborah Harkness, and Sarah Addison Allen.

Lee left Craw Valley at eighteen without a backward glance. She wanted no part of the generations of her family who tapped into the power of the land to heal and help their community. But when she abandons her new life in California and has nowhere else to go, Lee returns to Craw Valley with her children in tow to live with her grandmother, Belva.

Lee vows to stay far away from Belva's world of magic, but when the target of one of her grandmother's spells is discovered dead, Lee fears that Belva's magic may have conjured something far more sinister.

As she and her family search for answers, Lee travels down a rabbit hole of strange phenomena and family secrets that force her to reckon with herself and rediscover her power in order to protect her family and the town she couldn't leave behind."

Seeing as we just had a new Deborah Harkness book and it's going to be awhile before we can watch the Practical Magic sequel, how about you try this book!

A Sorceress Comes to Call by T. Kingfisher
Published by: Tor Books
Publication Date: August 6th, 2024
Format: Hardcover, 336 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"From New York Times bestselling and Hugo Award-winning author T. Kingfisher comes A Sorceress Comes to Call - a dark reimagining of the Brothers Grimm's "The Goose Girl," rife with secrets, murder, and forbidden magic.

Cordelia knows her mother is...unusual. Their house doesn't have any doors between rooms - there are no secrets in this house - and her mother doesn't allow Cordelia to have a single friend. Unless you count Falada, her mother's beautiful white horse. The only time Cordelia feels truly free is on her daily rides with him.

But more than simple eccentricity sets her mother apart. Other mothers don't force their daughters to be silent and motionless for hours, sometimes days, on end. Other mothers aren't evil sorcerers.

When her mother unexpectedly moves them into the manor home of a wealthy older Squire and his kind but keen-eyed sister, Hester, Cordelia knows this welcoming pair are to be her mother's next victims. But Cordelia feels at home for the very first time among these people, and as her mother's plans darken, she must decide how to face the woman who raised her to save the people who have become like family."

It's T. Kingfisher a "The Goose Girl!" That's win win in my book!

Apprentice to the Villain by Hannah Nicole Maehrer
Published by: Entangled: Red Tower Books
Publication Date: August 6th, 2024
Format: Paperback, 368 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"NOTICE TO STAFF: There has been a disturbing increase in cheeriness, sprightly behavior, and overall optimism of late. Please resume your former dark, ominous terrors at your earliest convenience. - Mgmt

Evie Sage has never been happier to be the assistant to The Villain. Who would have thought that working for an outrageously handsome (shhh, bad for his brand) evil overlord would be so rewarding? Still, the business of being bad is demanding, the forces of good are annoyingly persistent, and said forbidding boss is somewhat...er, out-of-evil-office.

But Rennedawn is in grave trouble, and all signs - Kingsley's included - point to catastrophe. Something peculiar is happening with the kingdom's magic, and it's made The Villain's manor vulnerable to their enemies...including their nemesis, the king.

Now it's time for Evie to face her greatest challenge: protecting The Villain's lair, all of his nefarious works, and maybe (provided no one finds out) the entire kingdom. No pressure, Evie.

It's time to step out of her comfort zone and learn new skills. Like treason. Dagger work. Conspiring with the enemy. It's all so...so...delightfully fun.

But what happens when the assistant to The Villain is ready to become his apprentice?"

I mean, aren't villains supposed to be outrageously handsome?

Where Is Anybody? by Simon R. Green
Published by: Severn House
Publication Date: August 6th, 2024
Format: Hardcover, 192 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"Legendary master thief and conman Gideon Sable must pull off an impossible heist to save his partner's life in this fast-paced supernatural thriller from New York Times bestselling British fantasy author Simon R. Green.

Gideon Sable specializes in stealing the kind of things that can't usually be stolen. But these days the legendary master thief is officially retired from the caper game. Now, instead of pulling off elaborate heists with his crew of supernatural specialists, he runs a magical shop in the heart of London with his partner Annie Anybody. Still, he can't resist occasionally going out in the night to steal things when Annie's not looking. For old times' sake - and for the joy of the con.

But after one of his late-night illicit jaunts, Gideon returns to the shop to find that while he's been stealing, someone else has been hard at work...stealing from him. I have taken Annie Anybody, reads the note on the countertop. If you ever want to see her again, you must find and steal Time's Arrow. You have forty-eight hours.

Stealing the legendary Arrow isn't a challenge; it's certain death. But Gideon will stop at nothing to save Annie from their unknown enemy - with or without the help of his talented, terrifying former crew..."

Thieves can never retire. It will be work work work until the day they die.

The Dead Cat Tail Assassins by P. Djèlí Clark
Published by: Tordotcom
Publication Date: August 6th, 2024
Format: Hardcover, 224 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"The Dead Cat Tail Assassins are not cats.

Nor do they have tails.

But they are most assuredly dead.

Nebula and Alex Award winner P. Djèlí Clark introduces a brand-new world and a fantastical city full of gods and assassins.

Eveen the Eviscerator is skilled, discreet, professional, and here for your most pressing needs in the ancient city of Tal Abisi. Her guild is strong, her blades are sharp, and her rules are simple. Those sworn to the Matron of Assassins - resurrected, deadly, wiped of their memories - have only three unbreakable vows.

First, the contract must be just. That's above Eveen's pay grade.

Second, even the most powerful assassin may only kill the contracted. Eveen's a professional. She's never missed her mark.

The third and the simplest: once you accept a job, you must carry it out. And if you stray? A final death would be a mercy. When the Festival of the Clockwork King turns the city upside down, Eveen's newest mission brings her face-to-face with a past she isn't supposed to remember and a vow she can't forget."

Damn I love P. Djèlí Clark's worldbuilding.

Guardians of Dawn: Ami by S. Jae-Jones
Published by: Wednesday Books
Publication Date: August 6th, 2024
Format: Hardcover, 368 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"Monsters hide. Love divides. The dead will rise.

They say that when the world is out of balance, the Guardians of Dawn are reborn.

Li Ami is an exile. Exiled from friendships, from ordinary magic, and from her own family, Ami is sent to the outermost West to care for her mentally ill father, whose rantings and ravings might actually spell out a dire prophecy. When her father is arrested for stealing from the sacred grounds of the castle, Ami must make herself of use to the presiding Beast by finding a cure to the mysterious blight that is decimating their harvest.

Guardian of Wood...There you are...

Meanwhile, as signs of magical corruption arise throughout the Morning Realms and the threat of the Mother of Ten Thousand Demons looms ever larger, the tenuous peace holding the Realms together begins to unravel. Jin Zhara, the newly empowered Guardian of Fire, realizes that she might be out of her element. Her magic is no match for the growing tide of undead, and she needs the Guardian of Wood to defeat the revenants razing the countryside. The two must journey to the Root of the World in order to seal the demon portal there and restore balance to an increasingly chaotic world.

Filled with adventure, romance and a race against time, Guardians of Dawn: Ami is the next book in the richly imagined Guardians of Dawn series."

I'm loving the Beauty and the Beast vibes!

Cast in Atonement by Michelle Sagara
Published by: Mira Books
Publication Date: August 6th, 2024
Format: Paperback, 480 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"In the City of Elantra, only one holds the key to peace - or eternal darkness.

At the end of three long wars, Bellusdeo is the last of her kind, the sole surviving female Dragon in the City of Elantra. When she appears one evening on the doorstep of her former roommate, Corporal Kaylin Neya, her demeanor is dreadful - more so than what's expected of the Dragons' notoriously tempestuous temperament. Kaylin's new roommate, Mrs. Erickson, is quick to see the reason for Bellusdeo's despair--the eight ghosts of the Dragon's dead sisters, chained to her and unseen. Pleading for release, revenge and, above all, peace.

Now Kaylin and Mrs. Erickson must embark on a perilous journey, from the hallowed halls of the Academia to the depths of forbidden magic, to confront the very essence of mortality itself. Can Kaylin help release the untapped power within Mrs. Erickson to save Bellusdeo's sisters...or will unlocking the past plunge the realm into an unfathomable darkness forever?"

I love that the "Cast in" series keeps on going strong!

Friday Book Three: Christmas Time Is Here Again by Ed Brubaker, Marcos Martin, and Muntsa Vincente
Published by: Image Comics
Publication Date: August 6th, 2024
Format: Paperback, 128 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"This genre-defying adventure from award-winning creators Ed Brubaker, Marcos Martin and Muntsa Vicente, finally reaches its conclusion!

Friday Fitzhugh has been sent back to the night she first arrived in Kings Hill. But the question is why: to save Lancelot Jones, the smartest boy in the world, or to have to watch him die yet again? Is she traveling in time, or caught in a time loop? And what is the White Lady's secret plan for their town back in the present time? All will be revealed in the stunning final chapter of this older-YA masterpiece!"

Here for all the Ed Brubaker there is.

Umbrella Academy: The Commission Handbook: A Complete Commission Guide to Temporal Anomalies by Matt Epstein
Published by: Abrams Books
Publication Date: August 6th, 2024
Format: Hardcover, 152 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"From the world of Netflix's Umbrella Academy comes The Commission Handbook, an officially licensed, in-universe guide to protecting the space time continuum.

Umbrella Academy: The Commission Handbook gives fans of Netflix's hit show - based on the Eisner Award-winning Dark Horse comic book series and produced by USG - a chance to step into the shoes of a Commission agent. This secret organization is well known to the show's fan-favorite character Number Five, a former Commission agent/assassin who regularly references this guide for the skills necessary to ensure the continuity of Earth's timeline.

Designed to look and feel like an in-universe object, readers will learn about the hazards of time travel, including the symptoms of paradox psychosis; gain insight into the roles of analyst, special operations, and infinite switchboard operator; and read in-depth dossiers on the members of the Umbrella and Sparrow Academies."

I love in-universe tie-ins! Now if the show wasn't ending this week! I can't handle it.

The Friend Zone Experiment by Zen Cho
Published by: Bramble
Publication Date: August 6th, 2024
Format: Paperback, 352 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"From the renowned, award-winning author Zen Cho comes a delightfully funny romance about family, class, and love in modern London.

From the outside, Renee Goh's life looks perfect. She's thirty and beautiful, runs a glamorous - and profitable - women's clothing company in London, and is dating a hot Taiwanese pop star.

But Renee is lonely. Estranged from her family in Singapore, she practically lives at the office, and now she's just been dumped by her supposed boyfriend. Who she never saw anyway, so why is she ruining her Instagram-ready makeup by crying?

Before she can curl up on the couch with a pint of Ben and Jerry's, Renee's father calls. He's retiring, and, thanks to the screw-ups of her wastrel brothers, he is considering her as the next CEO of the family business: Chahaya Group, one of the largest conglomerates in Southeast Asia. That stamp of her father's approval would mean everything to Renee, but can she cooperate with the brothers who drove her out of Singapore?

But fate isn't done with her. That same night, Renee bumps into her first love, Yap Ket Siong, who broke her heart during university. They spend a wonderful night together, but Ket Siong is pursuing a dangerous vengeance for his family. In the light of day is there any hope for the two of them?"

Grab this wonderful book by a favorite author. Pairs well with Ben and Jerry's.

Posted by Miss Eliza at 12:00 AM 0 comments  

Labels: Alli Dyer, Bryce Moore, Ed Brubaker, Kathy Reichs, Kelly Dwyer, Maureen Johnson, Michelle Sagara, P. Djèlí Clark, Rhys Bowen, Silvia Moreno-Garcia, Simon R. Green, T. Kingfisher, The Umbrella Academy, Zen Cho