strange and random happenstance

The Rose Field by Philip Pullman
Published by: Knopf Books for Young Readers
Publication Date: October 23rd, 2025
Format: Hardcover, 672 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"The breathtaking conclusion to Philip Pullman's Book of Dust! This landmark trilogy, set in the world readers first glimpsed in The Golden Compass, continues the story of Lyra: "one of fantasy's most indelible heroines" (The New York Times Magazine).

Picking up right where The Secret Commonwealth left off, this story finds Lyra alone in a city haunted by daemons, searching for her beloved Pan. Malcolm Polstead isn't far behind, searching for Lyra. And they are both racing toward the desert of Karamakan, following the trail of roses said to hold the secret of Dust.

Their allies and enemies are converging on the mysterious red building at the heart of the desert: Marcel Delamare and the military might of the Magisterium; the radical Men from the Mountains; scientists, scholars and spies; troops of witches and other people of the air. And awaiting them all is a previously unseen and chilling new threat that will change everything.

The intertwining odysseys of Malcolm and Lyra, their journeys both internal and external, will test their limits and challenge even their most dearly held beliefs.

As ever, Philip Pullman is using the language of fantasy to illuminate our world and to explore the deepest questions of what it means to be alive and awake to all the splendors and horrors around us. The extraordinary novels of The Book of Dust speak powerfully to today's readers and will take their place alongside the forever-favorites of His Dark Materials."

It's here! It's finally here! Yes, I'm slightly hyperventilating. What with Pullman's Long COVID I really never thought we'd see this day.

A Legacy of Blood and Bone by Millie Abecassis
Published by: Brick and Bloom
Publication Date: October 21st, 2025
Format: eBook, 240 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"For fans of Shannon Fay's Innate Magic and Alix E. Harrow's Starling House comes A Legacy of Blood and Bone - a spellbinding debut set in an alternate Belle Époque France, brimming with intrigue, dangerous magic, and a swooning, slow-burn sapphic romance.

"Blood is life. Bones are strength. Flesh is control. Skin is death."

Every blessed family knows this mantra, and Aubeline - gifted with blood magic and heiress to the powerful Sterraux line - is no exception.

When her father dies unexpectedly, Aubeline inherits the title of Countess. But her brother Renan soon challenges her claim, demanding the title of Count for himself - and quietly coveting guardianship of their young niece, Damarisse.

As sinister forces gather around Renan and his allies wield forbidden, deadly power, Aubeline must seek out unlikely companions to protect Damarisse, expose her brother's true intentions, and stop a catastrophe that could unravel their world.

She never expected her greatest ally to be Damarisse's new private teacher, Vinnie - a clairvoyant woman cursed with uncontrollable visions. Nor did she expect to fall in love with her, defying every rule of polite society and risking everything for a chance at love in a world built on blood and secrets."

There's something here that reminds me of Carnival Row at it's very best.

A Curious Kind of Magic by Mara Rutherford
Published by: Wednesday Books
Publication Date: October 21st, 2025
Format: Hardcover, 368 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"Howl's Moving Castle meets Little Thieves in this cozy fantasy about the teenage owner of a (mostly fake) magical curiosity shop and a girl cursed to turn everything she touches into magic.

Everyone in Ardmuir knows that Willow Stokes is a charlatan, including Willow herself. Her father's shoppe hasn't sold anything magical in decades, and it's only hanging on by the skin of the fake dragon's teeth Willow sells as charms, along with "enchanted" ostrich eggs, taxidermied chimeras, and talismans made of fools' gold.

Until outlander Brianna Hargrave appears and turns Willow's fakes into exactly what they're purported to be. But try as Willow might to enlist Bri's help, she wants nothing to do with Willow and her curiosities.

Because Brianna is harboring a secret of her own: everything she touches turns to magic, and the consequences have chased her all the way to Ardmuir. All she wants to do is find a particular missing grimoire, which contains a spell that can finally put an end to her curse.

Desperate to keep her father's shoppe, Willow proposes a bargain that could save them both. Together with the frustratingly handsome printer's assistant, the girls will uncover a plot that goes far deeper than either could have imagined. But when Willow is forced to participate in an ambitious collector's quest for the rarest magical object in the world - a quest that risks almost-certain death - she learns that not all treasure is for sale, and that true magic is closer than she ever could have imagined."

Yes, not all treasure is for sale, which is why there's theft. 

Psychopomp and Circumstance by Eden Royce
Published by: Tordotcom
Publication Date: October 21st, 2025
Format: Hardcover, 176 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"Shirley Jackson and Nebula Award finalist author Eden Royce pens a Southern Gothic historical fantasy story of a contentious funeral in her adult fiction debut.

Phee St. Margaret is a daughter of the Reconstruction, born to a family of free Black business owners in New Charleston. Coddled to within an inch of her life by a mother who refuses to let her daughter live a life other than the one she dictates, Phee yearns to demonstrate she's capable of more than simply marrying well.

When word arrives that her Aunt Cleo, long estranged from the family, has passed away, Phee risks her mother's wrath to step up and accept the role of pomp - the highly honored duty of planning the funeral service. Traveling alone to the town of Horizon and her aunt's unsettling home, Phee soon discovers that visions and shadows beckon from every reflective surface, and that some secrets transcend the borders of life and death."

I have been dreaming of the day when I can add this book to my shelves. How could I not with that amazing cover?

The Black Carnival by Harlequin Grim
Published by: Quill and Crow Publishing House
Publication Date: October 21st, 2025
Format: Hardcover, 258 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"The year is 1886 in New Sarum, England, and Atherton Graves only knows a life surrounded by corpses. Amidst a rash of child deaths, he alone suspects they are the product of murder. At least, that's what the ghosts in his mortuary tell him. But there's hardly time to hunt the killer; Atherton has just sold a cadaver to a spiritualist at the notorious Black Carnival, and the town gang known as the Disciples is not going to take that lightly. Caught between a serial killer, a circus bursting with foul characters, and his spiraling madness amongst the restless dead, Atherton will undoubtedly become the villain of his own story. The question remains: who, if any, will be unscathed by the rampant destruction he's invited?"

Side hustle in cadavers to a spiritualist? Tell me more.

The Bell Tolls at Traeger Hall by Jaime Jo Wright
Published by: Bethany House Publishers
Publication Date: October 21st, 2025
Format: Hardcover, 352 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"In 1890, the tolling of the Traeger Hall bell announces that death has come to the estate, leaving orphaned Waverly Pembrooke to piece together the puzzle behind her relatives' murders.

In the present day, the hall's new owner, Jennie Phillips, realizes its dark legacy threatens not only the Traeger descendants but also, chillingly, Jennie herself."

I'm all about Cornwall lately, and Traeger is a very Cornish name. So I'm in.

A Play About a Curse by Caroline Macon Fleischer
Published by: Clash Books
Publication Date: October 21st, 2025
Format: Paperback, 216 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"From the author of the viral phenomenon The Roommate comes a literary horror novel following a young playwright who conjures up a true tragedy through a Machiavellian curse when spurned by her mentor.

Enter COREY, a passionate young nobody, and her professor, MAXINE, an award-winning playwright and living legend of the American theatre. When Maxine shatters Corey's dreams of artistic collaboration after graduation, Corey seeks revenge. At a clairvoyant's den in a violet-lit Dallas strip mall, the young playwright unleashes a life-altering curse on Maxine.

Possessed by dark powers and even darker ambitions, Corey follows Maxine to a prestigious playwriting residency in Chicago where the women become fatally entwined. Through three acts, two interludes, and one curse, Corey pushes her mentor toward theatre's haunted margins, where reality begins to crumble.

Caroline Macon Fleischer's A Play About A Curse reads like an A24 film. Part psychological horror and part theatrical fever dream, Curse shadows a heroine-turned-villain as she confronts the supernatural power struggle between mentor and protégé, learning that to achieve our dreams, someone else must suffer a nightmare."

Anyone else love the Rosemary's Baby prequel movie Apartment 7A? Because this has similar spooky vibes.

The Midnight Knock by John Fram
Published by: Atria Books
Publication Date: October 21st, 2025
Format: Hardcover, 416 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"A locked-room mystery meets white-knuckle horror in this mind-bending thriller, where strangers must survive a deadly night in a remote Texas motel.

In the frigid west Texas desert, weary travelers converge at a lonely roadside motel nestled at the foot of a massive mountain. Ethan and Hunter have left behind a corpse, a fire, and a horrific act of violence. Kyla and Fernanda are fleeing for the border. Stanley and his granddaughter are returning from Mexico with a mysterious man in hot pursuit. All of them are on the run from something. All of them are hiding something.

And somehow, they're all connected to the motel’s other guest, an enigmatic woman named Sarah Powers.

Within hours, Sarah is dead. The strange twins who run the Brake Inn Motel inform the surviving guests that her murder demands justice. The guests are given an ultimatum: uncover the killer by midnight - or die when the protective lights around the motel go out.

Because something very old and very dangerous lurks in this corner of the desert. And it's hungry.

But nothing at the Brake Inn Motel is quite as it seems. As time ticks away, alliances fracture, secrets unravel, and the guests will not only have to confront the violence of the past - they will need to face the darkness within themselves.

A masterful blend of psychological tension, supernatural horror, and layered storytelling, The Midnight Knock pushes the boundaries of what a mystery can be. And with its unforgettable climax, this novel cements John Fram as a contemporary master of the genre."

If Drew Goddard had added a soupcon of supernatural to Bad Times at the El Royale. 

King Sorrow by Joe Hill
Published by: William Morrow
Publication Date: October 21st, 2025
Format: Hardcover, 896 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"From #1 New York Times bestselling author Joe Hill, a chilling tale of modern-world dangers, dark academia, and the unexpected consequences of revenge as six friends dabble in the occult and are tragically, horrifyingly successful...calling forth an evil entity that demands regular human sacrifice.

Arthur Oakes is a reader, a dreamer, and a student at Rackham College, Maine, renowned for its frosty winters, exceptional library, and beautiful buildings. But his idyll - and burgeoning romance with Gwen Underfoot - is shattered when a local drug dealer and her partner corner him into one of the worst crimes he can imagine: stealing rare books from the college library.

Trapped and desperate, Arthur turns to his closest friends for comfort and help. Together they dream up a wild, fantastical scheme to free Arthur from the cruel trap in which he finds himself. Wealthy, irrepressible Colin Wren suggests using the unnerving Crane journal (bound in the skin of its author) to summon a dragon to do their bidding. The others - brave, beautiful Alison Shiner; the battling twins Donna and Donovan McBride; and brainy, bold Gwen - don't hesitate to join Colin in an effort to smash reality and bring a creature of the impossible into our world.

But there's nothing simple about dealing with dragons, and their pact to save Arthur becomes a terrifying bargain in which the six must choose a new sacrifice for King Sorrow every year - or become his next meal."

I never thought Joe Hill would go all dark academia. I am SO here for it.

A Heart So Haunted by Hollie Nelson
Published by: Alcove Press
Publication Date: October 21st, 2025
Format: Hardcover, 352 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"In this evocative and stunning debut, secrets in the very bones of Harthwait House are disturbed when a new tenant moves in, for fans of Ashley Poston and A House with Good Bones.

Be wary the beds and the space beneath,
the cracks in the floors and the furnace teeth.
Keep your eyes from the shadows and tongue so still.
Because once Harthwait grows dark, the monsters become real.

Landry is ready to clean house - not just Harthwait, but the traumatic memories and family entanglements that haunt her. Left reeling from her aunt's sudden death, Landry knows she has to restore the old house and sell it for much needed cash. Preferably, before autumn arrives. But as renovations begin on Harthwait, she notices some peculiarities: motion sensors activate when no one is home, doors slam shut, and every night, at a quarter after midnight, the disembodied crying begins. Then, when she uncovers a hidden door during the renovations, she dares to open it.

Behind the door is a world of nightmares, some of which are hers, while others belong to a monster - who is trapped inside and desperate to get out. Both haunted by their pasts, Landry makes a deal with the monster, but as they develop feelings for each other, she realizes that the thing that looks like a beast may not be the most beastly thing after all.

This rich and spellbinding tale explores the idea of what we call home and who we call family."

If I house has a rhyme associated with it, run.

Death at the Door by Olivia Blacke
Published by: Minotaur Books
Publication Date: October 21st, 2025
Format: Hardcover, 352 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"The odd couple of crime-solving returns in Olivia Blacke's Death at the Door, where a ghost and her living roommate find another mystery on their doorstep.

Ruby Young is slowly adjusting to her new life in Boston. A big part of that is her unexpected roommate - the ghost of the woman who lived there before. For Cordelia Graves, she may no longer be breathing, but it's still her apartment and Ruby is the somewhat unwanted houseguest. They're both happy they've managed to become friends, which is a miracle considering they struggle to communicate with each other. Cordelia even set Ruby up with her old job.

When Ruby discovers the body of a delivery guy at work, the new life she's been building hangs in the balance. The last time Cordelia dragged Ruby into a murder investigation, it was almost two ghosts living in the apartment, not one. Determined to protect Ruby, Cordelia tries to shield her from the investigation, but Ruby has other ideas. It will take both of them working together to navigate the fine line between the dead and the living to bring a killer to light."

But would Ruby haunt the apartment as well if she was killed? I mean, she's a far more recent tenant... 

Blind Date with a Werewolf by Patricia Briggs
Published by: Ace
Publication Date: October 21st, 2025
Format: Hardcover, 288 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"When the deadly werewolf Asil is gifted five blind dates by some anonymous "friends," his reclusive life will never be the same, in this enthralling novel in stories from the #1 New York Times bestselling author of the Mercy Thompson series.

Includes two all-new stories as well as three previously published stories.

Dear Asil:

We are worried about you. A werewolf alone is a sad thing, especially at Christmastime. So we have a challenge for you: five dates in three weeks. We have taken the work out of it and connected you with five people from online dating sites. You should also know that we have informed the whole pack and instigated a betting pool. Have fun!

Sincerely,
Your Concerned Friends."

Finally all Asil all in one place! With a bonus. And yes. I am mildly obsessed with Asil, as I am with anything in the Mercyverse. 

Slayers of Old by Jim C. Hines
Published by: DAW
Publication Date: October 21st, 2025
Format: Hardcover, 352 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"Buffy the Vampire Slayer meets Golden Girls in this humorous contemporary standalone fantasy about a group of former Chosen Ones coming out of retirement to save the world one last time.

Three former Chosen Ones have joined together to spend their retirement in peace and quiet, running Second Life Books and Gifts in Salem, MA. A calm, peaceful, tourist-filled oasis, where they never have to worry about saving the world. Until some of the locals start summoning ancient creatures best left where they were...and they discover that their bookstore basement just may be the portal to the underworld. These ex-heroes may have thought they were done...but if they want to finish their retirement in peace, they’ll have to join together to save the world one last time.

Why leave saving the world to the young? Cozy mystery readers looking for an extra dash of magic will eat this story up: fun, funny, and heartwarming, it's a novel about community, second chances, and the healing power of scones."

Old Buffy in Buffy the Last Vampire Slayer is easily my favorite of the Buffy continuations, which is why I'm super hyped about this book. 

Firefly by Robert Macfarlane and Luke Adam Hawker
Published by: Magic Cat
Publication Date: October 21st, 2025
Format: Hardcover, 32 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"The first title in the forthcoming Night Creatures trilogy, created by two of the U.K.'s best- known book makers: Robert Macfarlane and Luke Adam Hawker.

From two of the U.K.'s best-known book makers, Robert Macfarlane and Luke Adam Hawker, comes a stunning picture book to ignite wonder in readers everywhere.

In the darkness of December,
Through the winter's deepest snowing,
When the world is steep in camber,
And all hope is downwards-flowing
Then's the time to seek what's glowing...

Written in lyrical verse, this story follows one sun-seeking child who discovers a meadow illuminated by fireflies: "fallen constellations" that dance like stars among the summer grasses, setting fears to flight. Enchanting to read aloud and exquisite to hold in the hand, each scene is rendered in spellbinding detail, showing the power of hope in a world steeped in darkness."

Fireflies are pure magic, as are the words of Robert Macfarlane. 

The Sister's Curse by Nicola Solvinic
Published by: Berkley
Publication Date: October 21st, 2025
Format: Hardcover, 384 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"There's something in the water in Bayern County...

When mysterious drownings plague her small town, a detective haunted by her serial killer father must uncover whether revenge, ancient legends, or something darker lurks beneath the surface.

Lieutenant Anna Koray thought she'd finally found solid ground and escaped her past as the daughter of a notorious serial killer. A loving boyfriend, a loyal dog, a life that almost feels normal - except darkness has a way of seeping in. When she saves a boy from drowning, the strange marks on his body tell a disturbing story: something in the depths tried to drag him under.

Days later, another victim surfaces with identical marks and Anna's instincts scream that these are no accidents. Both victims are connected to the Kings of Warsaw Creek - men of the town's wealthiest and most influential families. And they have enemies.

Others whisper that there are witches in Bayern County, seeking revenge for a long-ago murder. Perhaps it's the work of Vivian Carson, the enigmatic bartender who's rumored to cast hexes on those who wrong her. Or maybe it's a secret coven who's been leaving serpentine symbols and skulls behind at the scenes of the drownings.

But Anna's investigation reveals an even more sinister truth: something is stirring in the water, and it wants the Kings to pay.

With time running out and more victims appearing, Anna must separate superstition from truth. But in Bayern County, where legends and curses run deep as the water itself, one wrong step could drag her into the depths - this time for good."

Eh, let the wealthy pay for their crimes with their blood.

Witches of Honeysuckle House by Liz Parker
Published by: Alcove Press
Publication Date: October 21st, 2025
Format: Hardcover, 320 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"Haunted by a curse that kills someone close to their family every thirteen years, two sisters must come together to break the spell and save that which they hold most dear.

This enchanting novel explores the fraught lines between family and the secrets they keep, perfect for fans of Ava Morgyn and Heather Webber.

Florence and Evie Caldwell have long disagreed on how to break their family's curse, and tension has been high since their mother's death thirteen years ago. Honeysuckle House, the family estate where every Caldwell has lived, now only houses one of the sisters. Evie has crafted it into an enchanted bed and breakfast while Florence runs a magical bookstore in town, refusing to even set foot inside Honeysuckle House.

But when the house starts behaving dangerously and catches fire, Florence and Evie must set aside their differences and dig into past generations of their family and the town's history before the curse claims someone they love.

Witches of Honeysuckle House is an exploration of sisterhood, family, and the places we call home, perfect for readers who love the darker aspects of Weyward and the sister dynamics of The Crescent Moon Tearoom."

I mean, thirteen years isn't even a generation, so there will come a point where everyone is just dead unless the curse is broken...

The Book of Lost Stories by Trisha Ashley
Published by: Penguin
Publication Date: October 21st, 2025
Format: Paperback, 336 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"A lost journal. A long-buried secret. A story waiting to be told.

Cleo Finch has loved gothic literature all her life. She's spent years researching and writing her thesis on the works of one gothic novelist in particular, Orlando Browne, and is determined to prove that Browne was the pen name of a female author, Alys Weston.

But as her best friend Tris never fails to remind her, she still hasn't succeeded in finding concrete evidence that proves this to be true.

That is, until Cleo's Uncle Ambrose unknowingly gifts her Alys' very own journal, forgotten in a stack of first-edition gothic novels.

As Cleo begins deciphering Alys' diary entries, she finds herself utterly absorbed by Alys' vivid descriptions of the people in her own life - particularly the rakish Lord Rayven - and the challenges Alys faced trying to keep Orlando's true identity a secret.

And so, newly inspired, Cleo sets aside her thesis to pen a gothic novel of her own..."

I have a friend who views that the holiday season cannot start until they read a Trisha Ashley book. This year my friend will have a new one to read!

The Land of Sweet Forever by Harper Lee
Published by: Harper
Publication Date: October 21st, 2025
Format: Hardcover, 224 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"From one of America's most beloved authors, a posthumous collection of newly discovered short stories and previously published essays and magazine pieces, offering a fresh perspective on the remarkable literary mind of Harper Lee.

Harper Lee remains a landmark figure in the American canon - thanks to Scout, Jem, Atticus, and the other indelible characters in her Pulitzer-winning debut, To Kill a Mockingbird; as well as for the darker, late-'50s version of small-town Alabama that emerged in Go Set a Watchman, her only other novel, published in 2015 after its rediscovery. Less remembered, until now, however, is Harper Lee the dogged young writer, who crafted stories in hopes of magazine publication; Lee the lively New Yorker, Alabamian, and friend to Truman Capote; and the Lee who peppered the pages of McCall's and Vogue with thoughtful essays in the latter part of the twentieth century.

The Land of Sweet Forever combines Lee's early short fiction and later nonfiction in a volume offering an unprecedented look at the development of her inimitable voice. Covering territory from the Alabama schoolyards of Lee's youth to the luncheonettes and movie houses of midcentury Manhattan, The Land of Sweet Forever invites still-vital conversations about politics, equality, travel, love, fiction, art, the American South, and what it means to lead an engaged and creative life.

This collection comes with an introduction by Casey Cep, Harper Lee's appointed biographer, which provides illuminating background for our reading of these stories and connects them both to Lee's life and to her two novels."

I am so excited for this collection, mostly for the nonfiction essays. 

Murder on the S.S. Cleopatra by Sara Rosett
Published by: McGuffin Ink
Publication Date: October 21st, 2025
Format: Hardcover, 292 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"Luxury, lies, and murder on a Nile cruise.

Join Blix Windway, an adventurous lady traveler, on a journey down the Nile in 1924. An eclectic mix of passengers boards the steamer, including a captain of industry, a former stunt-girl reporter turned lady of the manor, an archaeologist, an American teacher, a British doctor and his invalid wife, and a German photographer.

When a passenger is found dead, the elegant cruise turns into a floating crime scene. With everyone confined on board, tensions rise and secrets surface. Even her traveling companion, Hildy Honeyworth, is behaving as if she has something to hide. Blix must navigate the treacherous waters of the investigation and uncover the truth.

Set against the stunning backdrop of the Nile River and the ancient wonders of Egypt, this classic whodunit is the second book in the 1920s Lady Traveler in Egypt series from USA Today bestselling author Sara Rosett."

I adore Sara Rosett, and if you so happen to want a physical copy of this book and not just have it on an electronic device, might I advise you to check out her website... 

Apprehension/Red Star Hustle by Mary Robinette Kowal and Sam J. Miller
Published by: S and S/Saga Press
Publication Date: October 21st, 2025
Format: Hardcover, 416 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"Two expertly crafted crime stories set in a far-future science fiction universe, from two award-winning authors known for their gripping plots and unforgettable characters - a short novel and a long novella that will thrill fans of space adventures, mystery, and intergalactic intrigue in this Saga Double.

Red Star Hustle
Aran, a happy-go-lucky high-class escort, is on the run after he's framed for the assassination of his famous filmmaker client. The last thing he needs is to fall for the studly and noble clone of a murderous puppet monarch while he's trying to stay one step ahead of an ace bounty hunter, who is trying to keep a fatal secret from her toxic boss/mom, which means she can't stop to worry about a little thing like whether her target might actually be innocent. Set within a universe of epic mech battles, and billions of human-made wormholes that make traveling to a distant star as easy as walking through a door or scheduling car service. This science fiction thriller by Nebula Award-winning author Sam J. Miller is a crisscross of heartbreak, addiction struggles, queer messiness, and resisting evil empires, coming together in a space-hopping fight with the whole damn galaxy.

Apprehension
A family vacation arranged by Bonnyjean, a grieving mother, her son-in-law Jax, and her six-year-old grandson Tristan, quickly becomes disastrous as Tristan is kidnapped by a terrorist operation that is hoping to affect the planet's upcoming elections between rival parties. They believe Bonnyjean was given a secret by the double agent who died in her arms. However, not only is this a deadly misunderstanding, but it's also a dangerous one as Bonnyjean was last on Nahatanau when she was a special forces operative. Unfortunately, that was over thirty years ago, but she won't let the years nor her bad hip get in the way of rescuing her grandson. Beloved Hugo Award-winning author Mary Robinette Kowal has crafted an intricate mystery of mistaken identity on an alien planet."

I mean, I literally will buy anything Mary Robinette Kowal writes. So this is a must buy for me with the added bonus of discovering Sam J. Miller. 

Posted by Miss Eliza at 12:00 AM 0 comments  

Labels: Eden Royce, Harper Lee, Jaime Jo Wright, Jim C. Hines, Joe Hill, Liz Parker, Mary Robinette Kowal, Nicola Solvinic, Olivia Blacke, Patricia Briggs, Philip Pullman, Robert MacFarlane, Sam J. Miller, Sara Rosett, Trisha Ashley

The Masquerades of Spring by Ben Aaronovitch
Published by: Subterranean Press
Publication Date: October 29th, 2024
Format: Hardcover, 192 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"Meet Augustus Berrycloth-Young - fop, flaneur, and Englishman abroad - as he chronicles the Jazz Age from his perch atop the city that never sleeps. That is, until his old friend Thomas Nightingale arrives, pursuing a rather mysterious affair concerning an old saxophone - which will take Gussie from his warm bed, to the cold shores of Long Island, and down to the jazz clubs where music, magic, and madness haunt the shadows..."

If you've ever wanted magical P.G. Wodehouse, well, Ben Aaronovitch has answered the call. This is a delightful tale with Wodehouse argot that is pitch perfect and a magician who very much shares my views on the Nightingale.

Bindle Punk Jefe by Desideria Mesa
Published by: Harper Voyager
Publication Date: October 29th, 2024
Format: Paperback, 368 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"From award-winning author Desideria Mesa comes the glittering sequel to Bindle Punk Bruja in which Earth witch Rose (Luna) Lane's secret life comes to a breaking point as outside threats lurk - perfect for fans of Trouble the Saints by Alaya Dawn Johnson, Libba Bray's The Diviners, and Chloe Gong's These Violent Delights duology.

Prohibition is in full swing, and the glamorous life of upper-class Kansas City is everything Rose (Luna) Lane ever hoped it would be. Being married to her best friend isn't so bad either, considering their agreement to keep their real love lives out of the public eye. However, try as she might to continue her life of anonymity, her popularity as a land developer's wife - and as a successful club owner - draws even more attention to her personal endeavors. Soon, the balancing act between the life of Luna and Rose becomes a full-time job itself, making visiting home harder than ever before.

However, her haven, which once offered a place of acceptance, is growing more hostile. Her community of brujas criticizes her methods of using magic for economic and social gain while consorting with nefarious witches of the North. Meanwhile, the Pendergast Machine is running at full force, pushing his will and money all over the city. Keeping her true identity and powers a secret while posing for the society papers gets all the more dangerous as new enemies start to question her origins...and old ones creep up from dark realms.

The pressure could force Rose to do questionable things for the greater good, distancing herself from her loved ones and who she wants to be. She may have mastered her earth magic, but she still has a lot to learn about the heart..."

Don't be making me feel bad about books I've been planning on reading. So now I have to read The Diviners before I read this because it's been on my TBR Pile for years...

A New Lease on Death by Olivia Blacke
Published by: Minotaur Books
Publication Date: October 29th, 2024
Format: Hardcover, 336 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"Death is only the beginning in Olivia Blacke's A New Lease on Death, a darkly funny supernatural mystery that introduces an unlikely crime-solving duo.

Ruby Young's new Boston apartment comes with all the usual perks. Windows facing the brick wall of the next-door building. Heat that barely works. A malfunctioning buzzer. Noisy neighbors. A dead body on the sidewalk outside. And of course, a ghost.

Since Cordelia Graves died in her apartment a few months ago, she's kept up her residency, despite being bored out of her (non-tangible) skull and frustrated by her new roommate. When her across-the-hall neighbor, Jake Macintyre, is shot and killed in an apparent mugging gone wrong outside their building, Cordelia is convinced there's more to it and is determined to bring his killer to justice.

Unfortunately, Cordelia, being dead herself, can't solve the mystery alone. She has to enlist the help of the obnoxiously perky, living tenant of her apartment. Ruby is twenty, annoying, and has never met a houseplant she couldn't kill. But she also can do everything Cordelia can't, from interviewing suspects to researching Jake on the library computers that go up in a puff of smoke if Cordelia gets too close. As the roommates form an unlikely friendship and get closer to the truth about Jake's death, they also start to uncover other dangerous secrets."

An apartment haunted by someone named Cordelia? The Angel fanatic in me is appeased. 

The Debutantes by Olivia Worley
Published by: Wednesday Books
Publication Date: October 29th, 2024
Format: Hardcover, 352 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"Jessica Goodman meets The Agathas in this taut, twisty YA thriller set in the glittering world of Mardi Gras in New Orleans, where secrets - and bodies - never stay buried.

For the New Orleans elite, the Les Masques Ball is sure to be the social event of the season - if they can avoid another dead Queen. When debutante Margot Landry was found dead the morning after her reign at last year's ball, it was a tragedy, but not a shocking one. Margot was a wild child with a self-destructive streak, nothing like this year's Queen, Lily LeBlanc. With a perfectly poised debutante on the throne, everything is going according to plan...until the ball is hijacked by a mysterious figure in a Jester costume. That night, Lily sends a text to three of the Maids on her royal court - her best friend, Vivian; her boyfriend's sister, Piper; and April, her former frenemy - asking them all to meet the next morning. But Lily never shows up.

On the surface, these three debutantes don't have anything in common except their exclusive private school and their ties to Les Masques. But soon, they realize why Lily brought them together: something dark is lurking beneath the glamorous surface of the debutante world, and it might be the reason she disappeared. And the further the girls dig, the more they begin to suspect that Margot's death may not have been an accident - and that Lily may be next. When the Jester starts threatening to expose their own secrets, this unlikely trio must team up to uncover the monsters behind the Mardi Gras masks - before they're left with another dead debutante."

A wonderful combination of the dark underbelly of being a deb with the equally dark underbelly of Mardi Gras!

Leave the Girls Behind by Jacqueline Bublitz
Published by: Atria Books
Publication Date: October 29th, 2024
Format: Paperback, 368 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"The acclaimed author of the "tour de force" (The New York Times Book Review) Before You Knew My Name returns with a fresh suspense novel about a woman haunted by a serial killer and the ghosts he left behind.

Ruth-Ann Baker is a college dropout, a bartender - and an amateur detective who just can't stay away from true crime. Nineteen years ago, her childhood friend was murdered by suspected serial killer Ethan Oswald. Still tormented by the case, Ruth can't help but think of the long-dead Oswald when another young girl goes missing from the same town. And when she uncovers startling new evidence that suggests Oswald did not act alone, she is determined to find his deadly partner in crime.

Embarking on a global investigation, Ruth becomes close to three very different women - one of whom might just hold the key to what happened to the missing girl. And her childhood friend, all those years ago."

I mean, isn't every true crime devotees secret passion to discover a serial killer didn't act alone?

A Very Bad Thing by J.T. Ellison
Published by: Thomas and Mercer
Publication Date: October 29th, 2024
Format: Hardcover, 495 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"From New York Times bestselling author J.T. Ellison comes a taut thriller about one author at the pinnacle of her career, whose past threatens to destroy everything she has - and everyone she knows.

A great writer knows when to deliver a juicy plot twist. But for one author, the biggest twist of all is her own murder.

With a number of hit titles and a highly anticipated movie tie-in, celebrated novelist Columbia Jones is at the top of her game. Fans around the world adore her. But on the final night of her latest book tour, one face in the crowd makes the author collapse. And by the next morning, she's lying dead in a pool of blood.

Columbia's death shocks the world and leaves Darian, her daughter and publicist, reeling. The police have nothing to go on - at first. But then details emerge, pointing to the author's illicit past. Turns out many people had motive to kill Columbia. And with a hungry reporter and frustrated cop on the trail, her secrets won't stay buried long. But how many lives will they shatter as the truth comes out?"

I've always wondered how authors who have secret pasts can survive going on a book tour? Hint, maybe they don't...

The Grey Wolf by Louise Penny
Published by: Minotaur Books
Publication Date: October 29th, 2024
Format: Hardcover, 432 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"The 19th mystery in the #1 New York Times-bestselling Armand Gamache series.

Relentless phone calls interrupt the peace of a warm August morning in Three Pines. Though the tiny Québec village is impossible to find on any map, someone has managed to track down Armand Gamache, head of homicide at the Sûreté, as he sits with his wife in their back garden. Reine-Marie watches with increasing unease as her husband refuses to pick up, though he clearly knows who is on the other end. When he finally answers, his rage shatters the calm of their quiet Sunday morning.

That's only the first in a sequence of strange events that begin The Grey Wolf, the nineteenth novel in Louise Penny's #1 New York Times-bestselling series. A missing coat, an intruder alarm, a note for Gamache reading "this might interest you," a puzzling scrap of paper with a mysterious list - and then a murder. All propel Chief Inspector Gamache and his team toward a terrible realization. Something much more sinister than any one murder or any one case is fast approaching.

Armand Gamache, Jean-Guy Beauvoir, his son-in-law and second in command, and Inspector Isabelle Lacoste can only trust each other, as old friends begin to act like enemies, and long-time enemies appear to be friends. Determined to track down the threat before it becomes a reality, their pursuit takes them across Québec and across borders. Their hunt grows increasingly desperate, even frantic, as the enormity of the creature they're chasing becomes clear. If they fail the devastating consequences would reach into the largest of cities and the smallest of villages.

Including Three Pines."

I have to put on my graphic designer hat and just say, damn, I love the cut paper wolf of the cover. So striking. So different than previous covers. I love it.

Agony in Amethyst by A.M. Stuart
Published by: Oportet Publishing
Publication Date: October 29th, 2024
Format: Kindle, 368 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"An important visitor casts a shadow of darkness and death over Singapore.

Harriet Gordon, newly settled in her new role as a teacher at a girls' school in Singapore, faces uncertainty in her budding relationship with Robert Curran, who has just returned from months in Kuala Lumpur. Curran's expected promotion turns sour when the position is given to an old adversary from his Scotland Yard days.

The arrival of the Colonial foreign secretary, Sir Henry Cunningham, revives memories of one of Curran's unresolved cases. The death of a schoolgirl at a lavish ball, hosted by the Governor in honour of the visitor, brings Curran into direct conflict with his new superior officer. When he confides his suspicions to Harriet, she inadvertently betrays his trust, threatening his already shaky career.

With their relationship on the brink of irreparable damage, a second death changes the course of the investigation. Can Harriet and Curran bring justice to a grieving family and emerge from this ordeal with their connection intact?

Delve into the captivating world of the Harriet Gordon mysteries. Grab your copy today for a tale of intrigue and suspense set in the tropical heat of colonial Singapore."

They just can't break up. They just can't!

The Naturalist Society by Carrie Vaughn
Published by: 47north
Publication Date: October 29th, 2024
Format: Paperback, 395 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"In this magical tale of self-discovery from New York Times bestselling author Carrie Vaughn, a young widow taps into the power that will change the world - if the man's world she lives in doesn't destroy her and her newfound friends first.

In the summer of 1880, the death of Beth Stanley's husband puts her life's work in jeopardy. The magic of Arcane Taxonomy dictates that every natural thing in the world, from weather to animals, can be labeled, and doing so grants the practitioner some of that subject's unique power. But only men are permitted to train in this philosophy. Losing her husband means that Beth loses the name they put on her work - and any influence she might have wielded.

Brandon West and Anton Torrance are campaigning for their expedition to the South Pole, a mission that some believe could make a taxonomist all-powerful by tapping into the earth's magnetic forces. Their late friend Harry Stanley's knowledge and connections would have been instrumental, but when they attempt to take custody of his work, they find that it was never his at all.

Tied together by this secret and its implications, Beth, Bran, and Anton must find a way for Beth to use her talent for the good of the world, before she's discovered by those who would lay claim to her rare potential - and her very freedom."

I love the concept that somehow discovery leads to power, but in a very magical way.

An Age of Winters by Gemma Liviero
Published by: Lake Union Publishing
Publication Date: October 29th, 2024
Format: Paperback, 331 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"In the seventeenth century, witchfinders rule and paranoia thrives in a chilling novel about unrequited love, persecution, and betrayal by the bestselling author of The Road Beyond Ruin and Broken Angels.

In 1625, the Franconian village of Eisbach has been plagued by disease, famine, heinous crimes, and a merciless winter. Katarin Jaspers is the maidservant to the enigmatic Reverend Zacharias Engel, appointed by Rome to cure the village of suspected diabolism and save every God-fearing soul.

Zacharias soon finds his first witch, and the public burning of a local man could spell the end of misfortune. As a sense of peace settles over the village, Katarin finds herself increasingly infatuated with Zacharias, who is a disruption to her predictable existence and a balm for her cruel past. But peace for Katarin is short-lived. Margaretha Katz - the new midwife - is seen as a rival for the reverend's attention. Fear and recrimination reach a fever pitch when a great tragedy sets the town fully on edge.

With the walls of winter closing in around Eisbach once again, rumours flourish and villagers turn on each other. Now, no one is safe from the pyre."

It's just the perfect season for witchfinders and winter looming on the horizon. 

This Will Be Fun by E.B. Asher
Published by: Avon Books
Publication Date: October 29th, 2024
Format: Paperback, 416 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"Ten years ago, they saved the realm. It ruined their lives.

Everyone in Mythria knows the story of how best friends Beatrice and Elowen, handsome ex-bandit Clare, and valiant leader Galwell the Great defended the realm from darkness. It's a tale beloved by all - except the heroes. They haven't spoken in a decade, devastated by what their quest cost them.

But when they all receive an invitation to the queen of Mythria's wedding, it's a summons they can't refuse...and a reunion for the ages - with Clare secretly not over his long-ago fling with Beatrice, Beatrice fighting the guilt she feels over how everything ended, Elowen unprepared for the return of her ex-love (the cunning Vandra), and all of them lost without Galwell. And if reuniting with former friends and lovers wasn't perilous enough, dark forces from their past have also returned.

Dusting off old weapons and old instincts, Beatrice, Clare, and Elowen will face undead nemeses, crystal caves, enchanted swords, coffee shops, games of magical Truth or Dare, and, hardest of all, their past - rife with wounds never healed and romances never forgotten.

This time around, will their story end in happily ever after?"

If Lev Grossman and Travis Baldree wrote a book together. 

Blood Over Bright Haven by M.L. Wang
Published by: Del Rey Books
Publication Date: October 29th, 2024
Format: Hardcover, 448 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"The first woman ever admitted to a prestigious order of mages unravels a secret conspiracy that could change the practice of magic forever, in this standalone dark fantasy from the author of The Sword of Kaigen.

For twenty years, Sciona has devoted every waking moment to the study of magic, fueled by a mad desire to achieve the impossible: to be the first woman ever admitted to the High Magistry at the University of Magics and Industry.

When Sciona finally passes the qualifying exam and becomes a highmage, she finds her challenges have just begun. Her new colleagues are determined to make her feel unwelcome - and, instead of a qualified lab assistant, they give her a janitor.

What neither Sciona nor her peers realize is that her taciturn assistant was not always a janitor. Ten years ago, he was a nomadic hunter who lost his family on their perilous journey from the wild plains to the city. But now he sees the opportunity to understand the forces that decimated his tribe, drove him from his homeland, and keep the privileged in power.

At first, mage and outsider have a fractious relationship. But working together, they uncover an ancient secret that could change the course of magic forever - if it doesn't get them killed first."

NEVER underestimate a janitor! NEVER!

Red Dwarf: Discovering the TV Series: Volume I: 1988-1993 by Tom Salinsky
Published by: White Owl
Publication Date: October 29th, 2024
Format: Hardcover, 224 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"Explores the unique journey of the long-running British sitcom, detailing its creation, cast changes, and enduring legacy through critical analysis and behind-the-scenes insights.

Red Dwarf is virtually unique among British sitcoms. It began in 1988 and was still releasing new episodes in 2020, making it one of the longest running sitcoms of all time, but the core cast has remained largely unchanged. And its science fiction flavour contrasts strongly with the drawing rooms and sofas which were the norm when it launched, and the fast-cut mockumentary style which is popular today. And yet, this is a show which nobody wanted to make, and which only barely made it to our screens at all. In this work, Tom Salinsky will look at exactly how it came to be; who was considered for the cast but didn't make it; how it was radically reinvented for the third, sixth, seventh, ninth and tenth seasons; how it survived the breakup of its key creative partnership, the loss of the original spaceship models, BBC strikes, the departure of a major cast member, and the seemingly self-defeating rules which the writers imposed on themselves. But this isn't just a behind-the-scenes account. It's also a detailed critical analysis, examining why the best episodes succeed and why the less impressive episodes struggle, while also finding time to ask just how a hologram made of light can smell burning camphor wood, why a creature evolved from a cat is familiar with Wilma Flintstone, or just how long Lister and Kochanski were dating for. How can all this possibly be contained in one book? It can't! Volume I will cover the first six series and Volume II will conclude the story of Red Dwarf on television as well as looking at the novels, comic strips, computer games and more."

Yeah... I was wondering why they were mentioning season seven and nine when this only goes through 1993, which is season six. Also can we, just, you know, never talk about season eight?

Morning Star by Tim Daniel and David Db Andry
Published by: Mad Cave Studios
Publication Date: October 29th, 2024
Format: Paperback, 128 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"1956. Kootenai National Forest, Montana. When smokejumper Nathan Garrett perishes in a raging wildfire, his surviving family's hopes and happiness turn to ashes.

One year following her husband Nathan's death, wife, and mother of two, Jolene Garrett, takes her crumbling family to the Morning Star lookout seeking solace through closure - to scatter her husband's remains. But something far beyond the reach of their wildest imaginings awaits the Garrett family in the Montana wilderness - something more powerful than their anguish and torment. Something that transcends space and time. No telephones. No electricity. No transportation. No escape."

Oh yeah, perfectly spooky and scary for this week!

I Shall Never Fall in Love by Hari Conner
Published by: Harperalley
Publication Date: October 29th, 2024
Format: Paperback, 288 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"The Prince and the Dressmaker goes to Austenland in this historically inspired, joyfully queer, stunningly romantic graphic novel mash-up of Jane Austen novels - where two friends discover their feelings for each other and find a space in their world for their love and identity.

George has major problems: They've just inherited the failing family estate, and the feelings for their best friend, Eleanor, have become more complicated than ever. Not to mention, if anyone found out they were secretly dressing in men's clothes, George is sure it would be ruination for the family name.

Eleanor has always wanted to do everything "right," including falling in love - but she's never met a boy she was interested in. She'd much rather spend time with her best friend, George, and beloved cousin Charlotte. However, when a new suitor comes to town, she finds her closest friendships threatened, forcing her to rethink what "right" means and confront feelings she never knew she had.

Perfect for fans of Alice Oseman and Ngozi Ukazu, I Shall Never Fall in Love shines a light on what it means to be true to yourself and rewrites the rules for what makes a happily ever after."

You just mentioned two books I love! SOLD!

Posted by Miss Eliza at 12:00 AM 0 comments  

Labels: A.M. Stuart, Ben Aaronovitch, Carrie Vaughn, Desideria Mesa, E.B. Asher, Gemma Liviero, Hari Conner, J.T. Ellison, Jacqueline Bublitz, Louise Penny, M.L. Wang, Morning Star, Olivia Blacke, Olivia Worley, Red Dwarf

How to Solve Your Own Murder by Kristen Perrin
Published by: Dutton
Publication Date: March 26th, 2024
Format: Hardcover, 368 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"For fans of Knives Out and The Thursday Murder Club, an enormously fun mystery about a woman who spends her entire life trying to prevent her foretold murder only to be proven right sixty years later, when she is found dead in her sprawling country estate.... Now it's up to her great-niece to catch the killer.

It's 1965 and teenage Frances Adams is at an English country fair with her two best friends. But Frances's night takes a hairpin turn when a fortune-teller makes a bone-chilling prediction: One day, Frances will be murdered. Frances spends a lifetime trying to solve a crime that hasn't happened yet, compiling dirt on every person who crosses her path in an effort to prevent her own demise. For decades, no one takes Frances seriously, until nearly sixty years later, when Frances is found murdered, like she always said she would be.

In the present day, Annie Adams has been summoned to a meeting at the sprawling country estate of her wealthy and reclusive great-aunt Frances. But by the time Annie arrives in the quaint English village of Castle Knoll, Frances is already dead. Annie is determined to catch the killer, but thanks to Frances's lifelong habit of digging up secrets and lies, it seems every endearing and eccentric villager might just have a motive for her murder. Can Annie safely unravel the dark mystery at the heart of Castle Knoll, or will dredging up the past throw her into the path of a killer?

As Annie gets closer to the truth, and closer to the danger, she starts to fear she might inherit her aunt's fate instead of her fortune."

Just putting it out there, but perhaps in trying to prevent her murder she caused it to happen...

Beneath the Stairs by Jennifer Fawcett
Published by: Atria Books
Publication Date: March 26th, 2024
Format: Paperback, 352 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"In this spine-tingling, atmospheric "nail-biter of a novel" (Shelf Awareness), a woman returns to her hometown after her childhood friend attempts suicide at an alleged haunted house - the same place where a traumatic incident shattered their lives twenty years ago. Few in sleepy Sumner's Mills have stumbled across the Octagon House hidden deep in the woods. Even fewer are brave enough to trespass. A man had killed his wife and two young daughters there, a shocking, gruesome crime that the sleepy upstate New York town tried to bury. One summer night, an emboldened fourteen-year-old Clare and her best friend, Abby, ventured into the Octagon House. Clare came out, but a piece of Abby never did. Twenty years later, Clare receives word that Abby has attempted suicide at the Octagon House and now lies in a coma. With little to lose, Clare returns to her roots to uncover the darkness responsible for ruining their lives. A "spellbinding horror story, where the terror comes not from ghosts, but from the haunted places we find within ourselves" (Elizabeth Brundage, author of The Vanishing Point), Beneath the Stairs is perfect for fans of Jennifer McMahon, Simone St. James, and Chris Bohjalian."

I mean, I get tingles up and down my spine just at the name of the house, Octagon House!

A Trace of Hares by Sarah Yarwood-Lovett
Published by: Embla Books
Publication Date: March 26th, 2024
Format: Kindle, 352 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"A family wedding. An unsolved murder. Til death us do part?

Dr. Nell Ward is in the lush, emerald-green hills of Ireland to attend the wedding of two dear friends at a picture-perfect farmhouse.

But family tensions are running high in the days before the happy couple tie the knot. And when Nell hears a fox kill a hare in the early morning, the bad omen sends shivers down her spine. Almost like it is a sign of something to come...

Then one of the locals makes a gruesome discovery in a nearby peat bog. The habitats are famous for the ancient bodies they can preserve for thousands of years. This woman, however, died much more recently and was clearly a victim of foul play.

Nell and her friends are suddenly in the middle of another murder case. Can they trace the truth to unmask a long-hidden killer and save the wedding, before it's too late?

An absolutely gripping and page-turning cozy mystery to curl up with. Perfect for fans of Richard Osman, Robert Thorogood and Janice Hallett."

I mean, bodies in peat bogs is a thing with me. A thing I love.

Rhythm and Clues by Olivia Blacke
Published by: St. Martin's Press
Publication Date: March 26th, 2024
Format: Paperback, 304 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"The rhythm is gonna get you.

It's been five whole months since the last murder in Cedar River, Texas, and Juni Jessup and her sisters Tansy and Maggie have been humming along when disaster strikes again.

Their struggling vinyl records shop/coffee nook, Sip and Spin Records, is under pressure from predatory investors, though the Jessup sisters aren't ready to face the music and admit defeat. But the night after their meeting, the sketchy financier is killed outside their shop during a torrential Texas thunderstorm that washes out all the roads in and out of town. Now the sisters find themselves trapped in Cedar River with a killer, and Juni is determined to solve the case.

When the river spits out an unexpected surprise, Detective Beau Russell asks for Juni's help, never predicting her investigation will spin her into danger. Up until now, the Jessup sisters have been playing it by ear, but with the whole town watching, can they catch a killer before he strikes again?"

Plus, rain tends to wash away evidence, making it even trickier to catch a killer!

Off the Air by Christina Estes
Published by: Minotaur Books
Publication Date: March 26th, 2024
Format: Hardcover, 320 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"Equal parts thought-provoking and entertaining, Off the Air introduces Jolene Garcia in Emmy Award-winning reporter Christina Estes's Tony Hillerman Prize-winning debut.

Jolene Garcia is a local TV reporter in Phoenix, Arizona, splitting her time between covering general assignments - anything from a monsoon storm to a newborn giraffe at the zoo - and special projects. Stories that take more time to research and produce. Stories that Jolene wants to tell.

When word gets out about a death at a radio station, Jolene and other journalists swarm the scene, intent on reporting the facts first. The body is soon identified as Larry Lemmon, a controversial talk show host, who died under suspicious circumstances. Jolene conducted his final interview, giving her and her station an advantage. But not for long.

As the story heats up, so does the competition. Jolene is determined to solve this murder. It's an investigation that could make or break her career - if it doesn't break her first."

Get a murderous inside scoop from an author who knows what's what.

You'd Look Better as a Ghost by Joanna Wallace
Published by: Penguin Books
Publication Date: March 26th, 2024
Format: Paperback, 4336 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"A comic thriller following the trials and tribulations of Claire, a part-time serial killer, who is keen to keep her favorite hobby a secret - despite the efforts of a determined blackmailer.

The night after her father's funeral, Claire meets Lucas in a bar. Lucas doesn't know it, but it's not a chance meeting. One thoughtless mistyped email has put him in the crosshairs of an extremely put-out serial killer. But before they make eye contact, before Claire lets him buy her a drink - even before she takes him home and carves him up into little pieces - something about that night is very wrong. Because someone is watching Claire. Someone who is about to discover her murderous little hobby.

The thing is, it's not sensible to tangle with a part-time serial killer, even one who is distracted by attending a weekly bereavement support group and trying to get her art career off the ground. Will Claire finish off her blackmailer before her pursuer reveals all? Let the games begin..."

How can you not be enchanted by that cover?

Secrets of a Scottish Isle by Erica Ruth Neubauer
Published by: Kensington Publishing Corporation
Publication Date: March 26th, 2024
Format: Hardcover, 272 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"Spirited American Jane Wunderly must investigate a secret society on an isolated isle off the western coast of Scotland where esoteric rituals blur the line between what's real, what's illusion, and what's deadly...

Isle of Iona, 1927 Cast away on a remote locale, Jane's latest assignment depends on concealing her identity and blending in at an occult gathering. Not even her fiancé, Redvers, can be too close as she uncovers the truth about Robert Nightingale, enigmatic leader of the Order of the Golden Dawn - a group made up of supernatural ceremonies, influential people, and an undefinable darkness. When a woman tries to escape to the mainland only to be found murdered in the moors, the shocking scene reveals it's easier to join the Golden Dawn than it is to leave.

Jane, set on solving the crime and catching the next ferry with Redvers, realizes she may be among the few still grasping reality. One high-ranking member searches for the killer by attempting to access otherworldly planes of existence, while others become immersed in a strange solstice ritual. Then there's Nightingale and the rivals who discarded him to start a new temple. As a second death brings fresh clues into focus, Jane needs to navigate a frightening dilemma - playing along won't help her crack the mystery, but revealing too much could be a fatal mistake..."

I mean, I'm always here for local author Erica Neubauer, but this volume? Scotland? An occult gathering? Sign me up!

Forgetting to Remember by M.J. Rose
Published by: Blue Box Press
Publication Date: March 26th, 2024
Format: Hardcover, 226 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"Discover a spellbinding love story in this dazzling time-travel adventure from the NYT bestselling author of The Last Tiara, M.J. Rose.

Setting aside grief from the fallout of the second World War and putting her energy into curating an upcoming show critical to her career as the Keeper of the Metalworks at London's renowned Victoria and Albert Museum, Jeannine Maycroft stumbles upon a unique collection of jewel-framed miniature eye portraits-a brilliant romantic device and clandestine love token of the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries.

One piece among the assembly intrigues her more than all the others: a twilight-blue man's eye framed by opals shimmering with enchanting flashes of fiery color. But the beauty is just the beginning. Not only is the painting a self-portrait of one of her favorite Pre-Raphaelite artists, Ashe Lloyd Lewis, but the brooch itself is a portal eight decades into the past.

Despite being cast into an era she was never meant to be in, Jeannine and Ashe develop an immediate and passionate bond, complicated by the undeniable fact that she does not belong in 1867, and the disaster about to destroy her family and reputation in her time.

Striving to live a dual life and dangerously straddling two time periods, Jeannine fights to protect her career and her father from scandal in the present while desperately trying to save her lover's life in the past.

Forgetting to Remember - richly embroidered with historical detail and heartbreaking conflict - is another luscious and thrilling masterpiece by M.J. Rose. A beautiful and compelling story of art, war, magic, and survival, wrapped in a love that defies time."

Somewhere in Time with Pre-Raphaelites! 

The Duchess: The Scandalous Ladies of London by Sophie Jordan
Published by: Avon Books
Publication Date: March 26th, 2024
Format: Paperback, 304 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"The thrilling second book in New York Times bestselling author Sophie Jordan's amazing new high concept series, The Scandalous Ladies of London, which chronicles the lives of a group of affluent ladies reigning over glittering, Regency-era London, vying for position in the hierarchy of the ton. They are the young wives, widows, and daughters of London's wealthiest families. The drama is big, the money runs deep, and the shade is real. Life is different in the ton.

"I liked my husband well enough...but I like him even better dead."

It's been a year since her wretched cad of a husband died and Valencia, the Dowager Duchess of Dedham, is finally her own woman. Flitting from party to party, freedom is sweet and life should be perfect. Until the new duke surfaces.

Nothing like the haughty noblemen who populate the ton, Rhain, the newly minted Duke of Dedham, is a big brawny Welshman with an accent that makes Valencia's knees go weak as he boldly moves into her home with his six wild unwed sisters. The rude and humorless usurper thinks her vain and spoiled. But with a pittance to her name, Valencia needs his support to remain in London and enjoy all the pleasures her new position as a merry widow has to offer.

So a bargain is struck. Valencia will usher his sisters into Good Society and see them happily betrothed. In return, he'll give her the financial security and independence she craves. But the more time they spend beneath the same roof, the more she realizes it's not safety she wants but the dangerously seductive Rhain. Valencia has vowed never to risk marriage again. And yet how can she resist the tempting man when he might be the greatest adventure of her life?"

Ah, to be a merry widow when a Welshman calls.

Diavola by Jennifer Thorne
Published by: Tor Nightfire
Publication Date: March 26th, 2024
Format: Hardcover, 304 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"Jennifer Thorne skewers all-too-familiar family dynamics in this sly, wickedly funny vacation-Gothic. Beautifully unhinged and deeply satisfying, Diavola is a sharp twist on the classic haunted house story, exploring loneliness, belonging, and the seemingly inescapable bonds of family mythology.

Anna has two rules for the annual Pace family destination vacations: Tread lightly and survive.

It isn't easy when she's the only one in the family who doesn't quite fit in. Her twin brother, Benny, goes with the flow so much he's practically dissolved, and her older sister, Nicole, is so used to everyone - including her blandly docile husband and two kids - falling in line that Anna often ends up in trouble for simply asking a question. Mom seizes every opportunity to question her life choices, and Dad, when not reminding everyone who paid for this vacation, just wants some peace and quiet.

The gorgeous, remote villa in tiny Monteperso seems like a perfect place to endure so much family togetherness, until things start going off the rails - the strange noises at night, the unsettling warnings from the local villagers, and the dark, violent past of the villa itself.

(Warning: May invoke feelings of irritation, dread, and despair that come with large family gatherings.)"

Damn, I love the "Warning!"

The Godd, the Bad, and the Aunties by Jesse Q. Sutanto
Published by: Berkley Books
Publication Date: March 26th, 2024
Format: Hardcover, 304 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"What should have been a family celebration of Chinese New Year descends into chaos when longtime foes crash the party in this hilariously entertaining novel by Jesse Q. Sutanto, bestselling author of Dial A for Aunties.

After an ultra-romantic honeymoon across Europe, Meddy Chan and her husband Nathan have landed in Jakarta to spend Chinese New Year with her entire extended family. Chinese New Year, already the biggest celebration of the Lunar calendar, gets even more festive when a former beau of Second Aunt's shows up at the Chan residence bearing extravagant gifts - he's determined to rekindle his romance with Second Aunt and the gifts are his way of announcing his courtship.

His grand gesture goes awry however, when it's discovered that not all the gifts were meant for Second Aunt and the Chans - one particular gift was intended for a business rival to cement their alliance and included by accident. Of course the Aunties agree that it's only right to return the gift - after all, anyone would forgive an honest mistake, right? But what should have been a simple retrieval turns disastrous and suddenly Meddy and the Aunties are helpless pawns in a decades-long war between Jakarta's most powerful business factions. The fighting turns personal, however, when Nathan and the Aunties are endangered and it's up to Meddy to come up with a plan to save them all. Determined to rescue her loved ones, Meddy embarks on an impossible mission - but with the Aunties by her side, nothing is truly impossible..."

Nothing more awkward then recovering a "gift." Moreso when things get dangerous.

Posted by Miss Eliza at 12:00 AM 0 comments  

Labels: Christina Estes, Erica Ruth Neubauer, Jennifer Fawcett, Jennifer Thorne, Jesse Q. Sutanto, Joanna Wallace, Knives Out, Kristen Perrin, M.J. Rose, Olivia Blacke, Pre-Raphaelite, Sarah Yarwood-Lovett, Sophie Jordan