strange and random happenstance

Mockingbird Court by Juneau Black
Published by: Vintage
Publication Date: October 7th, 2025
Format: Paperback, 272 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"In the latest installment in the beloved Shady Hollow series, everyone's favorite vulpine investigator Vera Vixen must contend with a cold-hearted killer - and the ghost of her own past.

It's a crisp, cool autumn in Shady Hollow, and preparations are underway for the annual Harvest Festival. Creatures have flocked from far and wide to partake in the seasonal festivities, from pumpkin carving to pie tasting to soup throwing. With all these new faces around town, it's the perfect time for someone to slip in unnoticed.

Unless that someone is Bradley Marvel, the most famous author - and most noticeable personality - in any woodland warren. It seems the wolf is on the lam. Back in the city, a body was found in his penthouse apartment at Mockingbird Court, and Marvel skipped town before the questioning could commence.

Marvel claims to be innocent, and it's up to Vera and her friends to piece together what might have happened that fateful night so many miles away in the beating heart of the big city. But things get complicated when Vera learns that she also knows the victim...and might even be implicated herself."

Not just the latest, but sadly the LAST Shadow Hollow book. I don't know how I'm going to handle this. Especially as I finally got my book club to read the first volume. 

Murder at Holly House by Denzil Meyrick
Published by: Poisoned Pen Press
Publication Date: October 7th, 2025
Format: Paperback, 416 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"A festive mystery perfect for fans of Murder on the Christmas Express and Agatha Christie's Hercule Poirot's Christmas.

A village of secrets.

Yorkshire, 1952. Christmas is fast approaching when a dead stranger is found lodged up the chimney of Holly House in the snow-covered village of Elderby. Is he a simple thief, or a would-be killer?

A mystery that can't be solved.

Inspector Frank Grasby is ordered to investigate. But as is often the way for him, things don't go according to plan.

A Christmas to remember.

When the local doctor's husband is murdered, Grasby begins to realize that everyone in Elderby is hiding something.

And if he can't uncover the truth soon, the whole country will pay a dreadful price..."

Um, did whomever write this review actually read Murder on the Christmas Express, because I really can't think of a book further from anything Agatha Christie... 

Miss Winter in the Library with a Knife by Martin Edwards
Published by: Poisoned Pen Press
Publication Date: October 7th, 2025
Format: Hardcover, 432 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"Six down-on-their-luck people with links to the world of crime writing have been invited to play a game this Christmas by the mysterious Midwinter Trust. The challenge seems simple but exciting: Solve the murder of a fictional crime writer in a remote but wonderfully atmospheric village in north Yorkshire to win a prize that will change your fortunes for good.

Six members of staff from the shadowy Trust are there to make sure everyone plays fair. The contestants have been meticulously vetted but you can never be too careful. And with the village about to be cut off by a snow storm, everyone needs to be extra vigilant. Midwinter can play tricks on people's minds.

The game is set - but playing fair isn't on everyone's Christmas list."

Yes, I am using this to plan my holiday reading, and this is at the top of the list.

Murder Most Haunted by Emma Mason
Published by: William Morrow Paperbacks
Publication Date: October 7th, 2025
Format: Paperback, 320 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"An unforgettable heroine is faced with an unbelievable crime in this snarky, charming locked-room mystery that asks: would you rather be snowed-in with a ghost, or a murderer?

A grand country estate.
On her last day as a detective, Midge McGowan is given the retirement present from hell: a ticket to a haunted house tour. She'll have to spend a weekend ghost-hunting in an isolated mansion with a group of misfits, including a know-it-all paranormal investigator and a has-been pop star.

A puzzle that can't be solved.
The guests soon realize that the house has a mind of its own...and that they might not be the only ones there. An eerie figure appears on the property, and then the unthinkable happens: someone is murdered in a room that's been locked from the inside.

A ghostly weekend they might not survive.
When a blizzard cuts the group off from help, the house's own dark secrets begin to surface, and Midge can't shake the creeping sense that they are walking into a nightmare. Could a ghost really be responsible? Or is the culprit one the guests, who have somehow, impossibly, endeared themselves to Midge?"

I know it's a mystery trope, but retiring detectives do not actually have to use their retirement presents. Midge could, I don't know, NOT go to the scary house in the middle of nowhere. But then that wouldn't be as fun to read now would it? Oh, unless it was written like she has to investigate after the fact and she's all, now that was a close call....

12 Ways to Kill Your Family at Christmas by Natasha Bache
Published by: One More Chapter
Publication Date: October 7th, 2025
Format: Kindle, 326 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"Perfect for fans of The White Lotus, Knives Out and anyone who's ever wanted to strangle someone over Christmas lunch.

All Olivia wanted was one last miserable Christmas with her husband's awful family before moving to Australia. She didn't expect a murder.

Now the snow has cut them off and she's stuck in a stately country house, with her increasingly deranged relatives and the rising suspicion that someone is picking them off one by one.

As the bodies pile up and the festive façade starts to crack, Olivia must survive the season, or, at the very least, get through lunch without anyone else choking on a sprout.

Sharp, smart and deliciously twisted, this is Christmas with all the trimmings: cold cuts, warm lies and at least one suspicious pudding."

This is why I read murder mysteries over the holidays, so I don't strangle someone over Christmas lunch.

What a Way to Go by Bella Mackie
Published by: Harper Perennial
Publication Date: October 7th, 2025
Format: Paperback, 384 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"With the bite of The White Lotus and the family dynamics of Succession, What a Way to Go is an uproarious and satirical whodunnit about people behaving badly - and perhaps finally getting their just deserts - from the author of the mega-bestseller How to Kill Your Family.

When Anthony Wistern died, he expected his family to make a bit more of a fuss about it. Especially after he'd died in such dramatic fashion: skewered by an exorbitantly expensive party decoration in the private lake of his Cotswold's manor house at his sixtieth birthday party, surrounded by the people for whom he most loved flaunting his wealth. And now even death has disappointed him; instead of Heaven or Hell or an empty void, Anthony's soul is stuck in a strange kind of purgatory while he tries to figure out who killed him - before he is finally released from this interminably exasperating waiting room.

Olivia Wistern knows she should probably try to appear at least a little upset about her husband's death, but she honestly can't be bothered. As usual, he's left behind an unbelievable mess - financially, socially, personally - that she's going to have to clean up. Their four grown children will be of absolutely no help; she shouldn't have let them become so hopelessly spoiled. And is it just her, or are the police and their "murder investigation" intentionally getting underfoot? There's no shortage of people who hated Anthony, so can't they look for a killer somewhere other than her house?

While the Wisterns are more concerned about the fate of their money than the fate of their patriarch, one internet sleuth is highly interested in Anthony Wistern's death. She isn't about to let the opportunity to create a sure-to-be smash true crime podcast pass by, not when the murder was committed mere yards away, and not when she has her own history with the victim. She'll make her name and her own fortune off Anthony's death one way or another, whatever it takes...."

It's really the podcast combined with a dramatic death that has me sitting up and taking notice. 

Sisters Before Misters by Amelia Diane Coombs
Published by: Thomas and Mercer
Publication Date: October 7th, 2025
Format: Hardcover, 287 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"A missing husband, a sister acting sus, and a tantalizing tangle of lies - well, there goes Remi's plan for a chill Halloween.

Remi and her sisters, Maeve and Eliana, have a knack for stumbling into murder mysteries. And after a killer family camping trip last year, they're back together for a Halloween they'll never forget.

Remi is living her best life in Seattle until Eliana's husband, Chad, who refused to sign their divorce papers, disappears on the spookiest night of the year. Eliana swears she has no idea where he is, though her obvious motive and weird behavior don't really weigh in her favor. Nor does the severed finger they find in his house...

Torn between loyalty to her sister and mounting suspicions she can't ignore, Remi and her boyfriend, Leo, embark on a manhunt to find Chad - or the rest of him. But the further Remi digs into Chad's movements on Halloween, the more trouble she finds. With a ruthless detective on their tail, threatening texts, a mysterious flash drive, and dubious legal advice from a kooky aunt, the Finch sisters are in over their head. But Remi is determined to prove her sister's innocent, even though the bloody evidence points right at her."

Does the severed finger point right at her? I'm sorry. I couldn't help myself. 

Death of the Eleven-Toed Man by Gaynor Torrance
Published by: Joffe Books
Publication Date: October 7th, 2025
Format: Kindle, 267 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"They say curiosity killed the cat, but in the sleepy village of Monksworthy, it's about to unearth a body.

When local aristocrat Sir Barnaby Cavendish-Mortimer joins the village detectorists, he's expecting old Roman coins and a Saturday morning stroll - not a dead body buried on his estate.

A body with eleven toes.

Naturally, the villagers do what they do best: jump to conclusions. And all fingers - and toes, it seems - point to Sir Barnaby as the killer.

As full-time busybodies and part-time sleuths, Sylvie, Liz and Harriet can't just sit back while their friend's reputation crumbles.

With a little snooping, a lot of eavesdropping and more pastries than strictly necessary, the trio are determined to clear Sir Barnaby's name.

But while the gossip swirls and suspicions mount, another body is discovered. And this time, Sylvie, Liz and Harriet know the victim.

This isn't just a case of whodunit - it's a question of who's next.

Can the three amateur sleuths crack the case before the killer strikes again - or will one of them be next to end up six feet under...?

Perfect for fans of Faith Martin, the Reverend Richard Coles, Kristen Perrin, Veronica Heley or Fiona Leitch."

Two, Ten, Eleven. Eyes, fingers, toes. If you know what that's from you're my new best friend. 

The Little Black Book Killer by Fiona Walker
Published by: Boldwood Books Ltd
Publication Date: October 7th, 2025
Format: Paperback, 314 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"The third in the charming, page-turning cosy mystery series from million-copy bestseller Fiona Walker matchmaking has never been so murderous...

Juno is feeling ready - at last - to start dating again, after losing her husband some years ago. She is sure she can make time from being a Village Detective, indeed it might help distract her from her crush on hunky (but far-too-young!) pub landlord - Mil.

So she's signed up to an exclusive new dating app and cannot wait. But when one of the founding investors in that same dating app drops dead in front of fellow Village Detective Phoebe in a nearby hotel - and then a second investor is found hanging in the local cricket pavilion just days later - Juno knows she'll have to put her love life on hold.

Teaming up once more with Phoebe, Felix and Mil...the Village Detectives are back. And this time Juno - who'd thought she was getting under the covers with a new lover - is going undercover to catch a killer...

Wickedly funny cozy crime, from million-copy bestselling author Fiona Walker. Fans of Richard Osman, Janet Evanovich and Rev. Richard Coles will love the Village Detectives!"

I mean, isn't the founding investor of a dating app dropping dead in front of you a sign that you should be investigating murders and not dating?

The Peculiar Incident at Thistlewick House by Jenni Keer
Published by: Boldwood Books
Publication Date: October 7th, 2025
Format: eBook, 368 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"As the bones start to fall, the spirits will rise...

Norfolk, England, 1895: When renowned spiritualist Edward Blackmore receives a desperate message from his cousin Barnabas, begging him to come to the coastal village of Thistlewick Tye, his first thought is to ignore the request. Despite his cousin's insistence that his wife is possessed by a malevolent spirit, Edward has no time for the man who stole his inheritance.

Lured by the promise of money, along with a genuine concern for Barnabas's wife - who he'd once loved - he reluctantly travels to at Thistlewick House, only to arrive too late. Emma is dead.

Barnabas suspects there are supernatural forces at play. But Edward is convinced murder is afoot. As he begins to investigate, he finds himself drawn into the lives of those in this isolated and unnerving village, especially the beguiling woman who gathers up the human bones falling from the rapidly eroding cliffs.

Then he discovers that a travelling circus completely disappeared in the area forty years previously and no one is willing to talk about it. Perhaps not everything at Thistlewick Tye is quite what it seems...

A totally gripping and unmissable historical novel, perfect for reading groups and fans of Louise Douglas, Sarah Waters and Erin Morgenstern, from the bestselling author of No. 23, Burlington Square."

There's a spiritualist, I'm in.

Mirage City by Lev A.C. Rosen
Published by: Minotaur Books
Publication Date: October 7th, 2025
Format: Hardcover, 272 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"Lev A.C. Rosen delivers a new and captivating 1950s mystery in this dazzling, award-winning series.

Private Investigator Evander "Andy" Mills' next case takes him out of his comfort zone in San Francisco - and much to his dismay, back home to Los Angeles. After a secretive queer rights organization called the Mattachine Society enlists Andy to find some missing members, he must dodge not only motorcycle gangs and mysterious forces, but his own mother, too.

Avoiding her proves to be a challenge when the case leads Andy to the psychiatric clinic she works at. Worlds collide, buried secrets are dug up, and Andy realizes he's going to have to make some hard choices. With secrets, drugs, and doctors swirling around him, time is running out for Andy to locate the missing and get them to safety. And for him to make it back to San Francisco in one piece."

Oh please, I hope he does get those people to safety because I can guess what the doctors are up to...

All of Us Murderers by KJ Charles
Published by: Poisoned Pen Press
Publication Date: October 7th, 2025
Format: Paperback, 352 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"The lush Gothic drama of Crimson Peak meets the murderous intrigue of Knives Out with an LGBTQIA+ love story to die for from award-winning author KJ Charles.

WHO WILL SURVIVE LACKADAY HOUSE?

When Zeb Wyckham is summoned to a wealthy relative's remote Gothic manor, he is horrified to find all the people he least wants to see in the world: his estranged brother, his sneering cousin, and his bitter ex-lover Gideon Grey. Things couldn't possibly get worse.

Then the master of the house announces the true purpose of the gathering: he intends to leave the vast family fortune to whoever marries his young ward, setting off a violent scramble for her hand. Zeb wants no part of his greedy family - but when he tries to leave, the way is barred. The walls of Lackaday House are high, and the gates firmly locked. As the Dartmoor mists roll in, there's no way out. And something unnatural may be watching them from the house's shadowy depths...

Fear and paranoia ramping ever-higher, Zeb has nowhere to turn but to the man who once held his heart. As the gaslight flickers and terror takes hold, can two warring lovers reunite, uncover the murderous mysteries of Lackaday House - and live to tell the tale?"

Yeah, I'd leave once I saw the guest list.

The Hong Kong Widow by Kristen Loesch
Published by: Berkley
Publication Date: October 7th, 2025
Format: Hardcover, 368 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"Hong Kong, 1953: In a remote mansion, witnesses insist a massacre took place. The police see nothing but pristine rooms and declare it a collective hallucination. Until decades later, when one witness returns…from the Edgar®-nominated author of The Last Russian Doll.

In 1950s Hong Kong, Mei is a young refugee of the Chinese Communist revolution struggling to put her past in Shanghai behind her. When she receives a shocking invitation - to take part in a competition in one of the city's most notorious haunted houses, pitting six spirit mediums against one another in a series of six séances over six nights, until a single winner emerges - she has every reason to refuse.

Except that the hostess, a former Shanghainese silent film star, is none other than the wife of the man who once destroyed Mei's entire life.

It is promised the winner will receive a fortune, but there is only one prize Mei wants: revenge.

Decades later, the final night of that competition has become an infamous urban legend: The police were called to the scene of a brutal massacre but found no evidence, dismissing it as a collective hallucination. Mei knows what she saw, but now someone else is convinced they know what she did. She must uncover the truth about the last night she ever spent in that house - even if the ghosts of her past are waiting for her there...."

Has even such a fascinating blurb had such a lackluster cover?

How to Fake a Haunting by Christa Carmen
Published by: Thomas and Mercer
Publication Date: October 7th, 2025
Format: Paperback, 349 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"A desperate woman's plot to frighten her husband out of her life takes a nightmarish turn in a chilling novel of modern horror by a Bram Stoker Award-winning author.

Lainey Taylor is being pushed to the brink by her alcoholic husband, Callum. Prone to hallucinations and erratic behavior, it's only a matter of time before he puts Lainey's life - and that of their daughter, Beatrix - in jeopardy. A divorce and full custody is out of the question. In Callum's words: Over my dead body.

Lainey's sympathetic friend Adelaide has a wild solution. They'll stage a haunting so convincing it will drive Callum out of Lainey's life for good. Nothing too over the top: strange smells, noises in the walls, and flies unleashed along the windowsills. It could work. Considering Callum's alcohol-induced night terrors, he's already close to broken. With each new scare, Lainey is closer to seeing the haunting through to its bitter, freeing end.

But in a house filled with so much rage, resentment, and fear, is it any wonder that Lainey and Adelaide's plan goes horribly wrong? As their fake haunting spirals into something no one can control, Lainey discovers that the only way out of this frightening trap is to join forces with Callum, or die trying."

No, don't join forces with the enemy, run for you life and leave him behind!

Atlas of Unknowable Things by McCormick Templeman
Published by: St. Martin's Press
Publication Date: October 7th, 2025
Format: Hardcover, 320 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"Perfect for fans of The 7½ Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle, with a modern gothic twist.

High in the Rocky Mountains on a secluded campus, sits Hildegard College, a celebrated institution known for its scientific innovation and its sprawling, botanical gardens. Historian Robin Quain has been awarded a residency to examine Hildegard's impressive collection of ancient manuscripts, but she has a secret. She's actually on the hunt for an artifact - one she must find before her former best friend turned professional rival gets his hands on it first.

But Hildegard has secrets of its own. Strange sounds echo across the alpine lake, lights flicker through the pines, and the faculty seem more like Jazz-age glitterati than academics. And then there's the professor who holds the key to Robin's research. She vanished suddenly last spring. What exactly did she do at the college, and why does no one want to talk about her?

As Robin searches for answers, an unknown source sends her a series of cryptic messages that makes her question whether she's the one doing the hunting, or whether someone is hunting her. Drawing on historical, botanical, and occult research, and steeped in the gothic tradition, Atlas of Unknowable Things considers what it means to search for meaning in the scientific, only to come face to face with the sublime."

And the supernatural. Never discount the supernatural.

The Glass Slide World by Carrie Vaughn
Published by: 47north
Publication Date: October 7th, 2025
Format: Paperback, 284 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"Award-winning author Carrie Vaughn's sequel to The Naturalist Society follows a young scientist unlocking her magical abilities amid a high-seas adventure filled with international intrigue.

The year is 1902, and the world is changing with the new century. Twenty-one-year-old Ava Stanley, the daughter of two celebrated Arcane Taxonomists, has much to live up to - however scarce her magical abilities may be.

While her parents draw power from spectacular birds and megafauna, Ava's connection to the natural world is much smaller, stemming from the microscopic. This is useful in her quest to become a doctor, as she studies the burgeoning links between bacteria and disease, but it means Ava's power itself is also smaller. Even so, she plans to make the most of it when she boards a ship to Nassau, where she'll continue her research.

But those plans change when pirates take over the ship, bringing with them danger, mystery, and the stirrings of war. Amid the chaos, Ava forges connections with her fellow travelers. And in them, she begins to find that every tiny piece of the world has the power to strengthen it...or shatter it completely."

First mention of Nassau I was hoping for pirates. This book did not disappoint. 

The Resurrectionist by Kathleen S. Allen
Published by: Roaring Brook Press
Publication Date: October 7th, 2025
Format: Hardcover, 336 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"A young Victorian woman unwittingly unleashes a monster into being in this gothic tale of medical mystery and sinister suspense, perfect for fans of Don't Let the Forest In and Belladonna.

Death is just the beginning.

When seventeen-year-old Dilly Rothbart finds her recently deceased father's hidden journal, her entire world is upended - for what she finds within are the steps to bring a dead soul back to life.

Intent on finishing her father's work and establishing herself as the greatest scientist in history, Dilly plunges into a medical underworld of corpse-stealing, grave-robbing, and even murder. And when her twin sister steps in the way of her studies, she'll do whatever is necessary to secure the recognition she deserves.

This twisty, atmospheric, Frankensteinian tale is about a group of ambitious young scientists who descend into corruption when a breakthrough discovery grants them the power of gods."

Here's hoping this takes place before the Anatomy Act of 1832 otherwise you're going to hear a lot of grumbling from me.

The Essential Horror by Joe R. Lansdale
Published by: Tachyon Publications
Publication Date: October 7th, 2025
Format: Paperback, 332 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"In this career horror retrospective, World Horror Grandmaster Joe R. Lansdale (Bubba Ho-tep; Hap and Leonard) tackles racism and human cruelty as deftly as he conjures demon nuns and Elder Gods. Featuring an original introduction from Joe Hill, this much-anticipated volume showcases the best of Lansdale's terrifying short stories - menacing, astute, and wildly inappropriate.

Bestselling author Joe R. Lansdale is known for his gritty mysteries and his eccentric horror. As an eleven-time Bram Stoker Award winner, Joe Lansdale cooks up an inimitable recipe of Southern Gothic and Southern fried chicken that continues to delight his many fans and influence generations of horror legends.

Lansdale mashes up crime, Gothic, mystery, fantasy, and science-fiction, filtered through a raw, violent world of dark humor and unique characters. Lansdale is one of the early American horror writers to portray racism not as abstract but as realistic, intimate, and impossible to ignore.

In Lansdale's nightmarish visions, you'll discover psychotic demon nuns, a psychopathic preacher, cannibals, 80-year-old Elvis, undead strippers, flying ghost fish, Elder Gods, possessed cars, and the worst evil of all: mankind.

Table of contents:
Introduction by Joe Hill
"The Folding Man"
"Hoodoo Man and the Midnight Train"
"God of the Razor"
"My Dead Dog Bobby"
"Tight Little Stitches in a Deadman's Back"
"By Bizarre Hands"
On the Far Side of the Cadillac Desert with Dead Folk
"Love Doll: A Fable"
"Mister Weed-Eater"
"The Bleeding Shadow"
"Not From Detroit"
"The Hungry Snow"
"Dog, Cat, and Baby"
Bubba Ho-tep
"Fish Night"
"Night They Missed the Horror Show""

Here for it all but really here for Bubba Ho-tep! 

The Salvage by Anbara Salam
Published by: Tin House Books
Publication Date: October 7th, 2025
Format: Paperback, 368 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"It is 1962, and Marta Khoury, a trailblazing marine archaeologist, has been called to Cairnroch, a small island off the east coast of Scotland. A Victorian shipwreck, dragged from arctic waters, holds the remains of a celebrated explorer and the treasures of his final expedition. But on her first dive down to the ship, Marta becomes convinced she has seen a dark figure lurking amid the wreckage.

When the Cuban Missile Crisis and the deep chill of a record-breaking winter keeps Marta stranded on Cairnroch, she forms a relationship with Elsie, a local woman working in the island's only hotel. When the ship's artefacts inexplicably disappear, Marta and Elsie have to brave the freezing conditions to search for the missing objects before anyone else catches on. As something eerie seems to follow her at every step, Marta must confront if the haunting is a figment of her imagination, the repercussions from a terrible mistake from her past, or if something more sinister is at play that will trap her and everyone on the island - and their secrets - in an icy wilderness."

I'm always here for the more sinister option! 

Secrets of the Snakestone by Piu Dasgupta
Published by: Nosy Crow
Publication Date: October 7th, 2025
Format: Hardcover, 288 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"A remarkable middle-grade debut that takes readers on a thrillingly fast-paced race through the murky and magical underbelly of 19th-century Paris.

Zélie is often accused of being a witch, but she doesn't believe in magic. That is until Jules climbs up from the reeking Parisian sewer and hands her the gold locket he found there. Zélie recognizes it immediately - it belongs to her missing father, who is supposed to be back in India, and it once held the magical Snakestone. If Zélie can find the stone, she might also find her father.

But a sinister secret society is equally desperate to get their hands on the Snakestone and its terrible powers. Zélie and Jules must beat them to it, risking their lives in the dark tunnels twisting beneath the city streets..."

Giving be Theodosia Throckmorton vibes. And yes, that's a very very good thing.

Hole in the Sky by Daniel H. Wilson
Published by: Doubleday
Publication Date: October 7th, 2025
Format: Hardcover, 288 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"A Native American first contact story and gripping thriller from the New York Times bestselling author of Robopocalypse.

On the Great Plains of Oklahoma, in the heart of the Cherokee Nation, a strange atmospheric disturbance is noticed by Jim Hardgray, a down-on-his-luck single father trying to reconnect with his teenage daughter, Tawny. At NASA's headquarters in Houston, Texas, astrophysicist Dr. Mikayla Johnson observes an interaction with the Voyager 1 spacecraft on the far side of the solar system, and she concludes that something enormous and unidentified is heading directly for Earth. And in an undisclosed bunker somewhere in the United States, an American threat forecaster known only as the Man Downstairs intercepts a cryptic communication and sends a message directly to the president and highest-ranking military brass: "First contact imminent."

Daniel H. Wilson's Hole in the Sky is a riveting thriller in the most creative tradition of extraterrestrial fiction. Drawing on Wilson's unique background as both a threat forecaster for the United States Air Force and a Cherokee Nation citizen, this propulsive novel asks probing questions about nonhuman intelligence, the Western mindset, and humans' understanding of reality."

So much sci-fi yes here!

The Door on the Sea by Caskey Russell
Published by: Solaris
Publication Date: October 7th, 2025
Format: Hardcover, 400 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"An epic quest fantasy debut that is the Tlingit indigenous response to The Lord of the Rings.

When Elān trapped a salmon-stealing raven in his cupboard, he never expected it would hold the key to saving his people from the shapeshifting Koosh invaders plaguing their shores. In exchange for its freedom, the raven offers a secret that can save Elān's home: the Koosh have lost one of their most powerful weapons, and only the raven knows where it is.

Elān is tasked with captaining a canoe crewed by an unlikely team including a human bear-cousin, a massive wolf, and the endlessly vulgar raven. To retrieve the weapon, they will face stormy seas, cannibal giants and a changing world. But Elān is a storyteller, not a warrior.

As their world continues to fall to the Koosh, and alliances are challenged and broken, Elān must choose his role in his own epic story."

Do the human-bear cousin and the massive wolf cub demand second breakfast?

A Mouthful of Dust by Nghi Vo
Published by: Tordotcom
Publication Date: October 7th, 2025
Format: Hardcover, 112 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"Hunger makes monsters in this dark new tale in Nghi Vo's Hugo Award-winning Singing Hills Cycle.

Wandering Cleric Chih of Singing Hills and their hoopoe companion Almost Brilliant come to the river town of Baolin chasing stories of a legendary famine. Amid tales of dishes served to royalty and desserts made of dust, they discover the secrets of what happens when hunger stalks the land and what the powerful will do to hide their crimes.

Trapped in the mansion of a sinister magistrate, Chih and Almost Brilliant must learn what happened in Baolin when the famine came to call, and they must do so quickly...because the things in the shadows are only growing hungrier.

The Singing Hills Cycle has been shortlisted for the Lambda Literary Award, the Locus Award, and the Ignyte Award, and has won the Crawford Award and the Hugo Award.

The novellas are standalone stories linked by the Cleric Chih, and may be read in any order."

What happens when there's famine is a true horror story.

Queen Demon by Martha Wells
Published by: Tor Books
Publication Date: October 7th, 2025
Format: Hardcover, 400 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"From the breakout SFF superstar author of Murderbot comes the remarkable sequel to the USA Today and Sunday Times bestselling novel, Witch King. A fantasy of epic scope, Queen Demon is a story of power and friendship, of trust and betrayal, and of the families we choose.

Dahin, a beloved member of the Witch King's coterie, believes he has clues to the location of the Hierarchs' Well, and the Witch King Kai, along with his companions Ziede and Tahren, knowing there's something he isn't telling them, travel with him to the rebuilt university of Ancartre, which may be dangerously close to finding the Well itself.

Can Kai stop the rise of a new Hierarch?

And can he trust his companions to do what's right?

Follow Kai to the end of the world in this thrilling sequel to the USA Today-bestselling Witch King."

Because everyone should be reading Martha Wells right now. EVERYONE!

The Women of Wild Hill by Kirsten Miller
Published by: William Morrow
Publication Date: October 7th, 2025
Format: Hardcover, 368 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"A witty, spectacular, and timely tale of modern-day witches waging war on the patriarchy, from fan favorite Kirsten Miller, the author of The Change and Lula Dean's Little Library of Banned Books.

There are places on earth where nature's powers gather. Girls raised there are bequeathed strange gifts. A few have powers so dark that they fear to use them. Such a place is Wild Hill, on the tip of Long Island. For centuries, the ghost of a witch murdered by colonists claimed the beautiful and fertile Wild Hill…until a young Scottish woman with strange gifts arrived. Sadie Duncan was allowed to stay.

Five generations of Sadie's descendants called Wild Hill home, each generation more powerful than the last. Then, in the aftermath of a terrible tragedy, the last of the Duncans, once prophesized to be the most powerful of their kind, abandoned their ancestral home.

One of them, Brigid Laguerre moved to California and turned her dark gift into fame and fortune. Her sister, Phoebe, settled on a ranch in Texas, where women visit in secret for her tonics and cures. Phoebe's daughter, Sybil, has become a famous chef. Seemingly powerless, Sibyl has never been told of the Duncan bloodline.

Now Brigid, Phoebe, and Sibyl have been brought to Wild Hill to discover their family legacy. The Old One, furious at the path mankind has taken, has chosen three powerful witches to turn the tide. The Duncans will fulfill their destinies - but only if they can set aside their grievances and come together as a family."

I mean, if they called me up I'm all for coming together to wreck some havoc. All in a good cause of course.

The Hearth Witch's Guide to Magic and Murder by Kiri Callaghan
Published by: Poisoned Pen Press
Publication Date: October 7th, 2025
Format: Paperback, 448 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
""For all intents and purposes, we are still blissfully separated from the mortals, but there have been...complications."

When a rise in London's supernatural crime puts Fey society at risk of discovery, the Winter Council turns to an unlikely solution: Avery Hemlock, the changeling they sentenced to 500 Years of Nightmares. Inherently lacking social grace and missing approximately two centuries of world knowledge, Avery must find a way to acclimate and solve the case or lose her probationary freedom.

After being left at the altar and dropping out of medical school, Saga Trygg attempts to rekindle her faith in life, humanity, and witchcraft. But when her new neighbor, Avery, accidentally reveals the Fey that have been living among humanity all along, Saga realizes magic is far more than prayers, intention, and candles.

Each faced with navigating an unfamiliar world, the two form an unexpected partnership - but shortly into Avery's investigation, they discover the threat might be closer to Saga than either of them imagined, and Avery will do anything to protect the first friend she's had in more than two hundred years."

Found family can stand against any threat!

The Witching Moon Manor by Stacy Sivinski
Published by: Atria Books
Publication Date: October 7th, 2025
Format: Paperback, 336 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"The magical Quigley sisters return to bargain with fate once more in this follow-up to the "charming, uplifting, and utterly enchanting" (Lana Harper, New York Times bestselling author) national bestseller The Crescent Moon Tearoom.

The Crescent Moon is thriving after a much-needed expansion, with the ladies who step through its doors continuing to seek comfort in the glimpses of their futures found in the swirls at the bottom of their teacups. Anne is leading the city's witches as Chicago's Diviner, Beatrix is swept away on a book tour across the country, and Violet has found her place with her feet swinging through the air above the circus crowds. That is, until the Quigley sisters find themselves stumbling on their chosen paths, and they are drawn back home in search of refuge in each other's company.

As Anne struggles to balance her growing responsibilities, Beatrix fears she has lost her gift for storytelling, and Violet is shaken after an accident at the circus, the future the sisters had drawn for themselves feels murkier than ever. And, when the threads of fate begin to unravel, Anne must lean on her sisters and team up with a mysterious - and oddly infuriating - necromancer to save the city from an uncertain destiny and help old friends find a happy end.

With all three Quigleys back in the warm comfort of the Crescent Moon, they set out to bargain with Fate once more. But will the sisters find the courage to embrace who they have become while returning to what they left behind, or will the future unfold in a way that even a Quigley couldn't have predicted?"

It's nice to have a soft place to land.

Cinder House by Freya Marske
Published by: Tordotcom
Publication Date: October 7th, 2025
Format: Hardcover, 144 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"Sparks fly and lovers dance in this gorgeous, yearning Cinderella retelling from bestselling author Freya Marske - a queer Gothic romance perfect for fans of Naomi Novik and T. Kingfisher.

Ella is a haunting.

Murdered at sixteen, her ghost is furiously trapped in her father's house, invisible to everyone except her stepmother and stepsisters.

Even when she discovers how to untether herself from her prison, there are limits. She cannot be seen or heard by the living people who surround her. Her family must never learn she is able to leave. And at the stroke of every midnight, she finds herself back on the staircase where she died.

Until she forges a wary friendship with a fairy charm-seller, and makes a bargain for three nights of almost-living freedom. Freedom that means she can finally be seen. Danced with. Touched.

You think you know Ella's story: the ball, the magical shoes, the handsome prince.

You're halfway right, and all-the-way wrong."

Totally here for this dark take on Cinderella. 

The Finest Edge of Twilight by R.A. Salvatore
Published by: Random House Worlds
Publication Date: October 7th, 2025
Format: Hardcover, 400 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"The daughter of legendary Dungeons and Dragons adventurers Drizzt Do'Urden and Catti-brie fights to build her own legacy in a brand-new series from R. A. Salvatore.

My name is not "Drizzt's daughter."

Breezy Do'Urden is more than just the heir of legendary heroes. For the past decade, she has dedicated herself to the study of combat, magic, and more recently, to the elusive Way of Shadow, honing her body and mind into a keen and singular weapon. But even after years of effort, her parents, Drizzt and Cattie-brie, struggle to see Breezy as more than just their little girl. Determined to prove them wrong, Breezy takes on the most intense challenge she can: to fight her way to becoming a Master of Dragons at the renowned Monastery of the Yellow Rose.

Meanwhile, in the shadows of Westbridge, Dahlia Sin'felle plots her rise to power. Once a broken soul, Dahlia has few friends and fewer options to make her way through the world. But Dahlia believes she has discovered a new path to restored glory: the transformative charm and cunning of a vampire. With every step toward immortality, she consolidates her influence, building an empire from the darkness, even as she contends with her own monstrous instincts - and her complicated past with Breezy's family.

As Breezy fights her way through the shadows, and Dahlia follows her dark ambitions, both seek to find their place in a world that can be both brutal and beautiful. No matter the challenges, their divergent paths are forged by the same choice: their fates will be theirs and theirs alone."

Score, I can add this to my vampire shelf. And yes. Of course I have a vampire shelf. Or should I say shelves...

The Crimson Throne by Sara Raasch and Beth Revis
Published by: Sourcebooks Fire
Publication Date: October 7th, 2025
Format: Hardcover, 368 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"Powerless meets Reign in this new historical romantasy from the New York Times bestselling authors of Night of the Witch.

Samson Calthorpe's curse has isolated him from everyone he has ever cared about. So, when the opportunity arises to break the curse, he grabs it. All he has to do for his freedom is risk his life and become a royal spy, using every bit of the skills and resolve he's picked up on the streets of London to infiltrate the court of the Scottish Queen and uncover a plot to assassinate Queen Elizabeth.

For years, Alyth Graham has been protecting Mary Queen of Scots from threats both physical and magical, including the Queen's own husband, Lord Darnley. Alyth is more than meets the eye though, the child of a fae prince and a human mother, she is among the most powerful protectors in Scotland: guardians sworn to defend against the Red Caps, a bloodthirsty fae clan...that Lord Darnley is in league with to overtake Scotland.

As Alyth and Samson circle each other in the volatile and glamorous Scottish court, both seek to uncover threats to their own countries. They have one unifying link: their shared hatred and suspicion of Lord Darnley...and their undeniable pull towards each other. Using secret codes, hidden messages, and a little bit of magic, Alyth and Samson unravel a plot centuries in the making. Lord Darnley is only a pawn, and in this game, the queen takes all."

I mean, Lord Darnley could only hope to be a pawn. And yes, I have Lord Darnley issues. But he got what he deserved...

Witchkillers by Ashlee Latimer
Published by: Scholastic Press
Publication Date: October 7th, 2025
Format: Hardcover, 336 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"Gretel had no choice.

Her brother Hansel was in danger, and she had to kill the witch. Five months later, she is still ripped from her dreams and awoken by the noise of her sword tearing into the witch's flesh. Her waking hours are no better. Hansel has grown more and more like their monstrous father by the day. The society she now inhabits has trapped her in an endless cycle of balls with nobles who sneer at her family's new money. And worst of all, her greedy father has issued his newest ploy to increase his wealth. Gretel must marry, and soon.

Devastated at the prospect of a lifetime with an old, decrepit husband, she flees a ball...and runs right into Prince Wilfried. When Gretel divulges the reality of her situation, Wilfried comes up with a solution. He is also being pressured to find a suitable future queen - they can both delay the inevitable by faking an engagement. Gretel agrees, and what starts as a ruse quickly deepens as she finds herself falling for the handsome prince.

But in the quiet of night, still trapped in her castle with her memories, Gretel feels the walls closing in and ventures into the neighboring woods. There, she meets Katharina, a beautiful witch who introduces her to the witch community. But these women aren't evil  - they're healers, and Gretel is drawn to them.

When information comes to light implicating her family's involvement in a traitorous plot and endangering the lives of herself and those she's grown to care about, Gretel must ask herself - did the wrong person die in that cottage? And can the Witchkiller become a witch?"

Go Gretel! Join the witches, kill your brother!

The Mermaid's Bubble Lounge by Seana Kelly
Published by: NYLA
Publication Date: October 7th, 2025
Format: Kindle, 293 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"The vampire Guild is in shambles. My husband Clive and I might have given more than a few Masters their final deaths - allegedly - so it's fallen on us to fix the problem. Mostly on Clive, that is, as he's the Master vampire. I'm Sam Quinn, werewolf book nerd and owner of The Slaughtered Lamb Bookstore and Bar.

Vlad (yes, that one) and Cadmael are the houseguests no one would want, but we're trying to grin and bear it because the Guild must be rebuilt, and we must make haste as rogue vamps are becoming a big bloody problem.

Finvarra, the fae king who had it out for me even before I helped cause his brother's death, is coming to do what none of his assassins have managed: end me in as painful a manner as possible.

In other news, Stheno and Vlad have been hooking up and we're all a little afraid of those two together."

SO here for Stehno and Vlad!

Her Wicked Roots by Tanya Pell
Published by: Gallery Books
Publication Date: October 7th, 2025
Format: Hardcover, 352 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"In this queer retelling of Nathaniel Hawthorne classic gothic story, Rappaccini's Daughter, a young woman is lured to a lush estate owned by a botanist who might be hiding dark secrets.

Cordelia Beecher is on the run. In search of her missing brother Edward, she has fled the oppressive charity school she was raised in, desperate to find the only family she knows. Using clues from his past letters, she sets off for the sleepy town of Farrow but everyone there claims to have never heard of Edward - not even the man he was supposedly working for as an apprentice.

With nowhere to go, Cordi turns to Lady Evangeline, a local botanist who owns the magnificent Edenfield estate. The benevolent lady of the manor has made it her mission to take young, often traumatized, women into her employ and protect them from man's world of wicked desires and deceits. Hired as a maid and companion to her enigmatic daughters, Prim and Briar, Cordi quickly settles into Edenfield. Even as her relationship with Briar blossoms, Cordi can't help but suspect that there are secrets in the estate…and when she stumbles across evidence that Edward was once there, she's determined to find answers."

This just sounds like a fascinating retelling that I don't want to put down.

The Sacred and the Divine by Kate Christensen and Melissa Henderson
Published by: Melissa de la Cruz Studio
Publication Date: October 7th, 2025
Format: Hardcover, 336 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"History, romance, and the occult come together in a mesmerizing tale of sisterhood, fate, and the darkness lurking in our world.

Past, Present, Future. What do the cards say? Only the Wolfson sisters know.

The year is 1848, and Daisy, Morrigan, and Avery Wolfson are skilled in the supernatural, particularly tarot readings. Daisy has insights about the future, Morrigan has ties to the past, and Avery has a special connection to the present. Although Massachusetts is known for its hostility to such talents, the village of Redcliffe is eager to use the sisters' abilities for its own gain.

Then Daisy meets Harvard medical student and occult skeptic Jasper Fitzwilliam, as well as handsome newcomer Nate Winthrop, whose fiery nature might just rival Daisy's. Caught up in the throes of first love, Daisy grows distracted, which is only further muddled by a mysterious feud between the girls' mother and their spiritual tutor.

But when the sisters accidentally unleash a bloodthirsty demon on their sleepy town, the lines between friend and enemy get blurred. Will Daisy, Morrigan, and Avery escape unscathed, or is an unfortunate fate written in the stars?"

The cards say that this book is in your future.

Savage Blooms by S.T. Gibson
Published by: Redhook
Publication Date: October 7th, 2025
Format: Hardcover, 464 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"S.T. Gibson, the queen of erotic fantasy romance, returns with this ravishingly dark trilogy of gothic manors, faery magic, and forbidden desires set in the foreboding Highlands of Scotland.

For as long as Adam can remember, the legends passed down from his world-traveling grandfather have called him to a crumbling manor in the Highlands. His closest friend Nicola longs for the same adventure, as well as for Adam himself. She'll follow him just about anywhere - even to the remote wilds of Scotland - if it pushes the pair to surrender to their shared attraction.

But when a storm strikes and strands them unexpectedly, Adam and Nicola find themselves at the mercy of the eccentric owner of the infamous house, Eileen, as well as her brooding groundskeeper, Finley.

Trapped by the weather, and bound by ancient faery magic, Nicola and Adam get more than they bargained for as they become entangled in Eileen and Finley's world of mind games, deceit and forbidden desire. As ancestral sins are unearthed, Adam and Nicola will have to reckon with the spell Eileen and Finley have cast over them - and whether or not they even want to be free."

I am so drawn in by that lascivious cover.

The Dark Cove Theatre Society by Sierra Marilyn Riley
Published by: Annick Press
Publication Date: October 7th, 2025
Format: Hardcover, 280 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"An aspiring young actor must find her place at a cutthroat arts boarding school in this gothic YA debut for fans of Ace of Spades and If We Were Villains.

Violet Costantino knows she is already on thin ice this school year: her scholarship has taken a significant hit due to her panic attack during her final performance in acting class last semester - which simultaneously shattered her dreams of becoming a leading lady. This year, she is determined to keep her head down and just get through unscathed. But the school seems to have other plans for Violet: to her extreme foreboding, she is cast as one of the leads in the annual Halloween play. What's worse, the beautiful, infuriatingly talented Frankie Lin and Violet's ex-crush, Hunter Kinsey, are both cast as her love interests. Despite her initial reluctance, Violet is drawn in by the glamor of the Dark Cove Theatre Society, and she cautiously starts believing that maybe she is cut out for this after all. But lurking in the shadows of Violet's fragile self-confidence is the rumor of the Society curse, which is said to cause one cast member to drop out before opening night every year, mysteriously and without reason.

In this captivating YA debut, The Dark Cove Theatre Society illustrates both the intoxicating and insidious nature of success and the price we are often forced to pay for it. Passages of found text - glimpses of the school's handbook, secret letters, and other peeks into life at the Academy - seamlessly woven into the plot will immerse readers even further into the lush, magnetic world of Dark Cove."

Drop out or are taken out? Just saying, dark academia has it's price...

Sister Creatures by Laura Venita Green
Published by: Unnamed Press
Publication Date: October 7th, 2025
Format: Hardcover, 236 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"In the muggy, insect-ridden town of Pinecreek, Louisiana, college dropout Tess Lavigne is watching two bickering siblings while their parents are away. Her listless day drinking is interrupted when someone emerges from the woods behind the house. Filthy and feral, the daughter of religious fundamentalists, the girl known in town as Sister Gail convinces Tess to take her in for the night. The strange events of that evening will set the course for Tess's future, and Sister Gail's ultimate fate.

Meanwhile, other residents of Pinecreek try to cobble together a future from what little they have, their lives intersecting in small and not-so-small ways. Sisters fight to define independence for themselves (and from each other), while two young women on a bicycling trip wonder what their relationship promises, or threatens. Throughout, a deeply unsettling presence connects the characters to the buried secrets of Pinecreek: the ominous Thea, a malevolent shape-shifting entity whose rage and despair stems from a tragic history of misogyny, maternal loss, and stolen ambitions.

As time marches forward, so does Tess, creating a new path for herself while accepting what can never be entirely left behind. At times atmospheric and eerie, and at others all too real, Sister Creatures is about manufacturing resilience from nothing but the bonds that tie us together."

And the secrets we leave behind. 

Alchemy of Secrets by Stephanie Garber
Published by: Flatiron Books
Publication Date: October 7th, 2025
Format: Hardcover, 336 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"The hotly anticipated adult debut novel by the beloved, #1 New York Times bestselling author of the Caraval and Once Upon a Broken Heart series: a contemporary fantasy kicking off a brand new series! 

It starts with a class in an old movie theater.

Folklore 517: Local Legends and Urban Myths, taught by a woman called the Professor. Most students believe the Professor's stories are just fiction, but Holland St. James has always been convinced that magic is real. When she tracks down a local legend named the Watch Man, who can supposedly tell you when you'll die, the world finally makes sense. Except that the Watch Man tells her she will die at midnight tomorrow unless she finds an ancient object called the Alchemical Heart.

With the clock ticking, Holland is pulled deeper into this magical world in the heart of Los Angeles - and into the path of a magnetic stranger. Everything about him feels like a bad idea, but he promises Holland that her sister sent him to protect her. As they chase clues and stories that take them closer to the Alchemical Heart, Holland realizes everyone in this intoxicating new world is lying to her, even this stranger. And if she can't figure out whom to trust, not even the Alchemical Heart will save her."

I would have so signed up for Folklore 517.

Overdue by Stephanie Perkins
Published by: Saturday Books
Publication Date: October 7th, 2025
Format: Hardcover, 416 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"Is it time to renew love or start a new chapter?

Ingrid Dahl, a cheerful twenty-nine-year-old librarian in the cozy mountain town of Ridgetop, North Carolina, has been happily dating her college boyfriend, Cory, for eleven years without ever discussing marriage. But when Ingrid's sister announces her engagement to a woman she's only been dating for two years, Ingrid and Cory feel pressured to consider their future. Neither has ever been with anybody else, so they make an unconventional decision. They'll take a one-month break to date other people, then they'll reunite and move toward marriage. Ingrid even has someone in mind: her charmingly grumpy coworker, Macon Nowakowski, on whom she's secretly crushed for years. But plans go awry, and when the month ends, Ingrid and Cory realize they're not ready to resume their relationship - and Ingrid's harmless crush on Macon has turned into something much more complicated.

Overdue is a beautiful, slow-burn romance full of lust and longing about new beginnings and finding your way."

Gauging your life by another's isn't wise. But taking the time to reevaluate your life is never not worth it.

A Merry Little Lie by Sarah Morgan
Published by: Canary Street Press
Publication Date: October 7th, 2025
Format: Hardcover, 368 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"This Christmas, the Balfour family will have more secrets to unwrap than presents...

Becky is stranded at the airport, so when she bumps into her brother's best friend, Will, and he suggests they drive home together, Becky reluctantly agrees. For the first time, Becky is dreading Christmas, and only Will knows why. Can she trust him to keep her secret?

Her twin sister, Rosie, married Declan after a whirlwind romance, and now the cracks are starting to appear. Rosie and Declan have agreed to hide their problems from her family, but Rosie's insecurities are growing. Will this Christmas bring them closer or drive them apart?

Hayley can't wait for her first Balfour family Christmas with Jamie. The Balfour Christmas traditions sound wonderful, but she's worried about her place in this close-knit family. Will there be room for her too? And how will they react to the secret she and Jamie have been keeping?

Despite everyone's best intentions, all the chaos and confusion could derail their normally happy holidays. Can they tell each other the truth in time to enjoy a perfect family Christmas?"

Family Christmas chaos without the chainsaws. 

Useless Etymology by Jess Zafarris
Published by: Chambers
Publication Date: October 7th, 2025
Format: Hardcover, 336 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"Did you know that an "astronaut" is literally a "star sailor," that a thesaurus is, in fact, a "treasure trove" of words, and that someone who is "sinister" is actually just "left-handed"?

Have you ever wondered why English isn't considered a Romance language if 60% of our words are Latin-derived?

Did Shakespeare really invent 1,700 words, and if not, why the heck do we say that he did?

Why is the English language stuffed with so many synonyms?

Let's be real: English can seem pretty bonkers. And, well, sometimes it is. But through thorough thought and a pinch of curiosity, method can be found within the madness of our modern tongue-even within the disparate pronunciation of the words "through," "thorough," and "thought."

Derived from Germanic, Romance, Hellenic, Semitic, African and Native American languages, English contains multitudes. It has been (and continues to be) transformed by war and conquest, art and literature, science and technology, love and hate, wit and whim.

Useless Etymology takes readers on a time-traveling adventure to unlock the beauty, wonder, and absurdity within our everyday words, how they came to be, and the unexpected ways their origins weave a global, cross-cultural labyrinth of meaning.

Filled with fun facts and delightful discoveries, this is an enlightening read for anyone who wants to know more about why the English language works the way that it does."

The perfect gift for your wordy friend who likes to wear a t-shirt purchased from PBS about how English can be understood "Through Tough Thorough Thought Though."

Posted by Miss Eliza at 12:00 AM 0 comments  

Labels: Anbara Salam, Carrie Vaughn, Daniel H. Wilson, Fiona Walker, Gaynor Torrance, Jenni Keer, Joe R. Lansdale, Juneau Black, K.J. Charles, Kristen Loesch, Lev A.C. Rosen, Martha Wells, Martin Edwards, Nghi Vo, Seana Kelly

The Maid's Secret by Nita Prose
Published by: Ballantine Books
Publication Date: April 8th, 2025
Format: Hardcover, 336 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"When a daring art heist takes place at the Regency Grand, Molly's life is threatened. The question is who's out to get her, and why? Long-buried secrets will be revealed in this intriguing and heartwarming novel from the #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Maid and The Mystery Guest.

A wedding. A heist. A secret.

Molly Gray's life is about to change in ways she could never have imagined. As the esteemed Head Maid and Special Events Manager of the Regency Grand Hotel, two good things are just around the corner - a taping of the hit antiquities TV show Hidden Treasures and, even more exciting, her wedding to Juan Manuel.

When Molly brings in some old trinkets to be appraised on the show, one item is revealed to be a rare and coveted artifact worth millions. Molly becomes a rags-to-riches sensation, and a media frenzy swirls as she prepares to sell her priceless treasure. Then, on auction day, the treasure suddenly vanishes. and Molly and her friends find themselves at the center of the boldest art heist in recent memory.

But the key to this mystery lies in the past, in a long-forgotten diary written by Molly's Gran. For the first time ever, Molly learns about her grandmother's secrets: how she was born into a wealthy family and fell head-over-heels in love with a young man her parents deemed below her. As fate would have it, Gran's greatest love was someone Molly knows quite well.

A spirited heist caper and an epic love story, The Maid's Secret is a spell-binding whodunit that will capture your heart."

I really wonder how my life would be different if I had gone into art and jewel thefts and forgeries... 

This Is Not a Game by Kelly Mullen
Published by: Dutton
Publication Date: April 8th, 2025
Format: Hardcover, 320 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"MURDER
MARTINIS
A GRANDMOTHER-GRANDDAUGHTER SLEUTHING DUO
DACHSHUNDS (x2)
A GLAMOROUS ISLAND MANOR

Widow Mimi lives on idyllic Mackinac Island, where cars are not allowed and a Gibson martini with three onions at the witching hour is compulsory. Her estranged granddaughter, Addie, is getting over the heartbreak of not only being dumped by her fiancé, Brian, but also being cut out of the deal for the brilliantly successful video game Murderscape they invented together (with Addie doing most of the heavy lifting).

When Mimi gets an invitation from local socialite Jane Ireland - a seventysomething narcissist who's having a salacious affair with her son-in-law - to a charity auction, she invites Addie. But Mimi doesn't tell her that a blackmail threat from Jane looms over the party's invitation.

Once they arrive, a big storm rolls in, trapping everyone in the mansion. And then, Jane is murdered. Soon Mimi and Addie's strained relationship is put to the test when they must team up to narrow down the suspects. When another body turns up, the sleuthing pair realize someone else is playing a deadly game, and they might not survive the night."

Well, at least the murderer is stuck on the island with them. That's both a pro and a con in the sleuthing business.

Murder at Gulls Nest by Jess Kidd
Published by: Atria Books
Publication Date: April 8th, 2025
Format: Hardcover, 336 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"From Jess Kidd, the bestselling author of Things in Jars who "is so good it isn't fair" (Erika Swyler, nationally bestselling author), the first in a cozy mystery series about a former nun who searches for answers in a small seaside town after her pen pal mysteriously disappears.

I believe every one of us at Gulls Nest is concealing some kind of secret.

1954: When her former novice's dependable letters stop, Nora Breen asks to be released from her vows. Haunted by a line in Frieda's letter, Nora arrives at Gulls Nest, a charming hotel in Gore-on-Sea in Kent.

A seaside town, a place of fresh air and relaxed constraints, is the perfect place for a new start. Nora hides her identity and pries into the lives of her fellow guests. But when a series of bizarre murders rattles the occupants of Gulls Nest it's time to ask if a dark past can ever really be left behind."

Jess Kidd is a fabulous writer, but what draws me most to this is the Goreyesque town of Gore-on-Sea.

What Remains of Teague House by Stacy Johns
Published by: Poisoned Pen Press
Publication Date: April 8th, 2025
Format: Paperback, 432 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"For readers of Megan Collins with the taut character study of Angie Kim comes a searing mystery that follows three siblings as they reckon with the darkness hidden within their family after multiple graves are discovered behind their childhood home.

All families are complicated. But not all families have bodies buried in their backyard.

One put there just that week...

When the Rawlins family matriarch unexpectedly passes, all three adult children rush home. What they find is a house bursting with grief, dark memories surfacing around each corner, and multiple bodies buried deep in the woods. The Rawlins want to believe the discovery points to a crime long past.

But one of the graves behind Teague House is fresh, the earth disturbed just that week - and its inhabitant a local woman they all knew.

Is the youngest Rawlins sibling with something to hide somehow involved in her murder? Is his sister experiencing false memories of her late father digging near the graves? And why is the Rawlins aunt in such a rush to leave town after her sister's funeral?

Enter private detective Maddie Reed, who has her own reasons for being curious about the bodies buried behind Teague House. Maddie sets out to unmask a killer. One she may have been hunting all her life."

I mean, this is the number one problem with moving, if you have bodies buried in the backyard you're screwed.

The Impossible Thing by Belinda Bauer
Published by: Atlantic Monthly Press
Publication Date: April 8th, 2025
Format: Hardcover, 336 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"From the exceptionally original mind of CWA Gold Dagger Award winner and Booker longlisted author Belinda Bauer, a sweeping tale of obsession, greed, ambition, and a crime that has remained unsolved for a hundred years.

How do you find something that doesn't exist?

1926. On the cliffs of Yorkshire, men are lowered on ropes to steal the eggs of the sea birds who nest there. The most beautiful are sold for large sums. A small girl - penniless and neglected by her family - retrieves one such treasure. Its discovery will forever alter the course of her life.

A century later. In a remote cottage in Wales, Patrick Fort finds his friend, Nick, and his mother tied up and robbed. The only thing missing: a carved case containing an incredible scarlet egg. Doggedly attempting to retrieve it, Patrick and Nick discover the cruel world of egg trafficking, and soon find themselves on the trail of a priceless collection of eggs lost to history. Until now.

A taut, wonderfully imagined novel brimming with skullduggery at every turn, The Impossible Thing is a blazing testament to Belinda Bauer's status as one of our greatest living crime writers."

Reminiscent of The Feather Thief by Kirk Wallace Johnson.

Impact of Evidence by Carol Carnac
Published by: Poisoned Pen Press
Publication Date: April 8th, 2025
Format: Paperback, 256 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"Near St. Brynneys in the Welsh border country, isolated by heavy snow and flooding from the thaw, a calamity has occurred. Old Dr. Robinson, a known 'menace on the roads', has met his end in a collision with a jeep on a hazardous junction. But when the police arrive at the scene, a burning question hints at something murkier than mere accident: why was there a second body - a man not recognised by any locals - in the back of Robinson's car?

As the local inspectors dive into the muddy waters of this strange crime, Chief Inspector Julian Rivers and Inspector Lancing are summoned from Scotland Yard to the windswept wilds, where danger and deceit lie in wait.

Puzzling and atmospheric, this exceedingly rare mystery from one of the masters of crime fiction's Golden Age returns to print for the first time since its publication in 1954."

Wales with heavy snow! YAS!

The Mysterious Bakery on Rue de Paris by Evie Woods
Published by: One More Chapter
Publication Date: April 8th, 2025
Format: Paperback, 352 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"From the million-copy bestselling author of The Lost Bookshop.

Nestled among the cobblestone streets of Compiègne, there existed a bakery unlike any other.

Rumours were whispered through the town that its pastries offered a taste of magic, chasing away the darkest of sorrows. Just one bite of a croissant might bring luck, unlock a precious memory or reveal hidden longings.

But dark clouds were looming on the horizon...

For Edie Lane, a recipe for disaster doesn't require that many ingredients. Take an unhealthy amount of wishful thinking and a sprinkle of desperation and that's how Edie left everything behind in Ireland for her dream job at a bakery in Paris. Except the bakery isn't in Paris - and neither is Edie.

This might not be where Edie intended to be but she soon realizes it's exactly where she needs to be..."

Did Proust eat here?

The Folklore of Forever by Sarah Hogle
Published by: G.P. Putnam's Sons
Publication Date: April 8th, 2025
Format: Paperback, 400 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"From the acclaimed author of Old Flames and New Fortunes comes a steamy enemies-to-lovers romantasy about a paranormal skeptic who is roped into a ghost hunting romp by the charming boy next door...who might just show her what real fantasies are made of.

Paranormal skeptic Zelda Tempest is hoping for a much-needed creativity boost for a new paranormal mystery novel. But despite the alleged magic of her hometown, Moonville, Ohio, she's as stuck as ever.

With two witch sisters, not believing in magic is strange for a Tempest, but no one is more disappointed than Morgan Angelopoulos, the charming man next door. So, to cure her of her writer's block and her disbelief in magic, Morgan ropes her into a ghost-hunting romp, only for Zelda to discover something else entirely: bizarre, never-before-seen creatures that appear as ordinary pets to everyone else.

Curious about what else might be lurking in Moonville's woods, Zelda and Morgan embark on a quest to uncover the true magic that lies in their midsts...and perhaps, just maybe, they will find that the magic they're searching for has been with them all along."

But but, how can you be a nonbeliever when you have magic literally in the family!?!

The Cat Who Saves the Library by Sosuke Natsukawa
Published by: HarperVia
Publication Date: April 8th, 2025
Format: Hardcover, 224 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"The long-awaited sequel to the #1 international bestseller The Cat Who Saved Books - an uplifting tale from Japan about a talking cat, a book-loving girl and the power of books to make a difference in the world.

A chronic asthma condition prevents thirteen-year-old Nanami from playing sports or spending time with her friends after school. But nothing can stop her from one of her favorite activities. Nanami loves to read and happily spends much of her free time in the library, cocooned among the stacks.

Then one day, Nanami notices that, despite the library being as deserted as ever, some of her favorite books, including literary classics like Arsène Lupin, Gentleman Thief and Anne of Green Gables are disappearing from the shelves. When she alerts the library staff, they dismiss her concerns. But just as Nanami is about to return to her reading, she spots a suspicious man in a gray suit. Eager to discover what he's up to, she follows him. The chase is cut short when Nanami suffers an asthma attack. By the time she catches her breath, the man has disappeared and all that is left behind is a mysterious light filtering through the library's familiar passageways.

That's when Tiger, the talking tabby cat who saves books, comes to the rescue. Are Nanami and Tiger prepared to face the dangerous challenges that lie ahead? Why are faceless gray soldiers burning books in a stone castle? And what happened to Rintaro, the socially withdrawn hero who helped Tiger save books in a second-hand bookshop? At a time of increased book bannings worldwide, Sosuke Natsukawa urges us not to underestimate the power of great literature - and to be prepared to defend our freedom to choose."

Thursday Next with a cat and a more dystopian world... That is sadly too close to reality.

The Butcher's Masquerade by Matt Dinniman
Published by: Ace
Publication Date: April 8th, 2025
Format: Hardcover, 720 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"Carl and Princess Donut refuse to be prey in the fifth book in the New York Times bestselling Dungeon Crawler Carl series - now with bonus material exclusive to this print edition!

Attention. Attention. The gates are down. The hunters are loose.
Run, Run, Run.

A lush jungle teeming with danger. Savage dinosaurs seeking blood. A fallen princess intent on vengeance. A mysterious, end-of-floor celebration for the top crawlers, dubbed "The Butcher's Masquerade." But that's not all.

Just when Coast Guard vet Carl and his ex-girlfriend's cat, Princess Donut, think they've seen it all as they compete to survive in the galaxy's most popular game show, the latest dungeon level introduces a terrible new threat.

The sixth floor. The Hunting Grounds.

As the remaining crawlers battle for their lives, outside tourists are finally allowed to enter the game, and they are ready to hunt. Among them is Vrah, a famed and veteran hunter, intent on collecting the biggest trophy of her career.

But her prey is far from harmless, and this season they are fighting back.

Welcome, crawlers. Welcome to the sixth floor of the dungeon."

It's like a never ending Hunger Games for the gaming generation! 

Slayers, Every One of Us by Kristin Russo and Jenny Owen Youngs
Published by: St. Martin's Press
Publication Date: April 8th, 2025
Format: Hardcover, 256 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"A memoir reflecting on heartbreak, perseverance, and life lessons learned from Buffy the Vampire Slayer, from the hosts of the hit podcast Buffering the Vampire Slayer.

Kristin and Jenny's marriage started with an ultimatum: to further their relationship, Kristin must watch Jenny's favorite show, Buffy the Vampire Slayer. With the terms set, they began a journey that has led them through seven seasons of the beloved genre show, a podcast rewatching the series with their newly minted listenership of "Scoobies," unexpected success, and a divorce. Through it all, their love for Buffy and their commitment to their community held them together against the odds.

Slayers, Every One of Us is the story of how two queer women navigated divorce on a very public level and managed to stay in each other's lives through it all. While chock full of Buffy-related content (and Buffering!) for true fans, this is ultimately a memoir of queer love and chosen family. It's a heartwarming story for anyone who's experienced lost love, and a roadmap for staying close with your ex."

Seeing as I'm not really a podcast person I'm so here for this book about how Buffy forms and informs our lives and chosen family.

Their Monstrous Hearts by Yigit Turhan
Published by: Mira Books
Publication Date: April 8th, 2025
Format: Hardcover, 320 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"A haunting novel about the boundaries people will cross to keep their dreams alive.

A mysterious stranger shows up at Riccardo's apartment with some news: his grandmother Perihan has died, and Riccardo has inherited her villa in Milan along with her famed butterfly collection.

The struggling writer is out of options. He's hoping the change of scenery in Milan will inspire him, and maybe there will be some money to keep him afloat. But Perihan's house isn't as opulent as he remembers. The butterflies pinned in their glass cases seem more ominous than artful. Perihan's group of mysterious old friends is constantly lurking. And there's something wrong in the greenhouse.

As Riccardo explores the decrepit estate, he stumbles upon Perihan's diary, which might hold the key to her mysterious death. Or at least give him the inspiration he needs to finish his manuscript.

But he might not survive long enough to write it."

The age old question, to write the book or survive the horrors...

Don't Sleep with the Dead by Nghi Vo
Published by: Tordotcom
Publication Date: April 8th, 2025
Format: Hardcover, 112 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"From award-winning author Nghi Vo comes Don't Sleep with the Dead, a standalone companion novella to The Chosen and the Beautiful, her acclaimed reimagining of The Great Gatsby.

Nick Carraway - paper soldier and novelist - has found a life and a living watching the mad magical spectacle of New York high society in the late thirties. He's good at watching, and he's even better at pretending: pretending to be straight, pretending to be human, pretending he's forgotten the events of that summer in 1922.

On the eve of the second World War, however, Nick learns that someone's been watching him pretend and that memory goes both ways. When he sees a familiar face one very dark night, it quickly becomes clear that dead or not, damned or not, Jay Gatsby isn't done with him.

In all paper there is memory, and Nick's ghost has come home."

I love connected stories wherein you don't need to have read the previous volume. That being said, you'd be doing yourself a disservice if you don't read The Chosen and the Beautiful. 

Perspective(s) by Laurent Binet
Published by: Farrar, Straus and Giroux
Publication Date: April 8th, 2025
Format: Hardcover, 272 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"A pulse-quickening murder mystery set in Renaissance Florence by the renowned author of HHhH.

As dawn breaks over the city of Florence on New Year's Day 1557, Jacopo da Pontormo is discovered lying on the floor of a church, stabbed through the heart. Above him are the frescoes he labored over for more than a decade - masterpieces all, rivaling the works of Michelangelo in the Sistine Chapel. When guards search his quarters, they find an obscene painting of Venus and Cupid - with the face of Venus replaced by that of Maria de' Medici, the Duke of Florence's oldest daughter. The city erupts in chaos.

Who could have committed these crimes: murder and lèse-majesté? Giorgio Vasari, the great art historian, is picked to lead the investigation. Letters start to fly back and forth - between Maria and her aunt Catherine de' Medici, the queen of France; between Catherine and the scheming Piero Strozzi; and between Vasari and Michelangelo - carrying news of political plots and speculations about the identity of Pontormo's killer. The truth, when it comes to light, is as shocking as the bold new artworks that have made Florence the red-hot center of European art and intrigue.

Bursting with characters and historical color, Laurent Binet’s Perspective(s) is a whodunit like no other - a labyrinthine murder mystery that shows us Renaissance Florence as we've never seen it before. This is a dark, dazzling, unforgettable read."

I'm here for everything Florence, but throw in Catherine de' Medici, and I'm wild for it!

The Geographer's Map to Romance by India Holton
Published by: Berkley
Publication Date: April 8th, 2025
Format: Hardcover, 368 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"Geography professors in a failed marriage of convenience inconveniently reconnect for an emergency mission in this swoony historical-fantasy rom-com.

Professor Elodie Tarrant is an expert in magic disasters. Nothing fazes her - except her own personal disaster, that is: Professor Gabriel Tarrant, the grumpy, unfriendly man she married for convenience a year ago, whom she secretly loves.

Gabriel is also an expert in magic disasters. And nothing fazes him either - except the walking, talking tornado that is his wife. They've been estranged since shortly after their wedding day, but that hasn't stopped him from stoically pining for her.

When magic erupts in a small Welsh village, threatening catastrophe for the rest of Britain, Elodie and Gabriel are accidentally both assigned to the case. With the fate of the country in their hands, they must come together as a team in the face of perilous conditions like explosions, domesticated goats, and only one bed. But this is easier said than done. After all, there's no navigational guide for the geography of the heart."

Does anyone else just want to stroke this book cover or is it just me?

House of Blight by Maxym M. Martineau
Published by: Harper Voyager
Publication Date: April 8th, 2025
Format: Hardcover, 384 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"The first novel in an eerie, darkly creative, and romantic new gothic fantasy duology from Maxym M. Martineau, for readers of Sarah J. Maas and Rachel Gillig.

Edira Brillwyn is a threadmender. She holds a rare, lifesaving power that can cure disease and heal injuries in the blink of an eye. But magic always comes with a cost, and saving anyone sacrifices a sliver of her own life. She's always kept her abilities hidden…until the powerful Fernglove family discovers her secret.

The Ferngloves are charming and beautiful, possess powerful magic, and don't take no for an answer - especially Orin, the head of these ruling elites. When Edira's brothers unexpectedly contract blight - an incurable virus killing people throughout the town, and an illness too strong for her to heal them both - Orin offers to help. Together at his estate they'll research a cure while Orin slows their sickness and Edira hones her magic. His kindness and honesty surprises Edira, as does her undeniable attraction to him.

But the other Ferngloves are suspicious of her power and may be more dangerous than the ever-present disease. The longer Edira stays within the confines of the Manor, the more the family's pristine exterior begins to crack - until Edira discovers a terrifying secret and must choose who she can save and at what cost..."

It's a hard decision to make when your own life is on the line...

Posted by Miss Eliza at 12:00 AM 0 comments  

Labels: Belinda Bauer, Buffy, Carol Carnac, Evie Woods, India Holton, Jess Kidd, Kelly Mullen, Laurent Binet, Matt Dinniman, Maxym M. Martineau, Nghi Vo, Nita Prose, Sarah Hogle, Sosuke Natsukawa, Stacy Johns, Yigit Turhan