strange and random happenstance

Vagabond by Tim Curry
Published by: Grand Central Publishing
Publication Date: October 14th, 2025
Format: Hardcover, 304 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"This memoir is a celebration of Tim Curry's life's work, and a testament to his profound impact on the entertainment industry as we know it today.

There are few stars in Hollywood today that can boast the kind of resume Tony award-nominated actor Tim Curry has built over the past five decades. From his breakout role as Dr. Frank-N-Furter in The Rocky Horror Picture Show to his iconic depiction as the sadistic clown Pennywise in It to his critically acclaimed role as the original King Arthur in both the Broadway and West End versions of Spamalot, Curry redefined what it meant to be a "character actor," portraying heroes and villains alike with complexity, nuance, and a genuine understanding of human darkness.

Now, in his memoir, Curry takes readers behind-the-scenes of his rise to fame from his early beginnings as a military brat to his formative years in boarding school and university, to the moment when he hit the stage for the first time. He goes in-depth about what it was like to work on some of the most emblematic works of the 20th century, constantly switching between a camera and a live audience. He also explores the voicework that defined his later career and provided him with a chance to pivot after surviving a catastrophic stroke in 2012 that nearly took his life.

With the upcoming 50th anniversary of The Rocky Horror Picture Show and the 40th anniversary of Clue, there's never been a better time for Tim to share his story with the world."

Seeing as The Worst Witch, Clue, and later, The Rocky Horror Picture Show, are literally the defining movies of my life, you know how much I NEED this book. I even have a signed copy preordered. Though the highlight of my Tim Curry obsession will still be getting to see him in Spamalot. The second time, not the first, because the second time had Alan Tudyk as well. 

The Works of Vermin by Hiron Ennes
Published by: Tor Books
Publication Date: October 14th, 2025
Format: Hardcover, 432 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"He was sent to kill a pest. Instead, he found a monster.

Enter the decadent, deadly city of Tiliard, a metropolis carved into the stump of an ancient tree. In its canopy, the pampered elite warp minds with toxic perfume; in its roots, gangs of exterminators hunt a colossal worm with an appetite for beauty.

In this complex, chaotic city, Guy Moulène has a simple goal: keep his sister out of debt. For her sake, he'll take on any job, no matter how vile.

As an exterminator, Guy hunts the uncanny creatures that crawl up from the river. These vermin are all strange, and often dangerous. His latest quarry is different: a centipede the size of a dragon with a deadly venom and a ravenous taste for artwork. As it digests Tiliard from the sewers to the opera houses, its toxin reshapes the future of the city. No sane person would hunt it, if they had the choice.

Guy doesn't have a choice."

Since I first read Leech I knew Hiron Ennes was an author to watch. I can not wait for this latest mind-bending journey. 

A Riddle of Thorns by Saren Nanua and Sasha Nanua
Published by: Holiday House
Publication Date: October 14th, 2025
Format: Hardcover, 352 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"A Riddle of Thorns is a twisty Dark Academia mystery - glittering, elegant, unsettling, and perfect for fans of Divine Rivals and The Inheritance Games.

Sana Gupta has waited years to return to her ancestral home in Paris, with its labyrinthine halls and overgrown gardens. Sent away as a child when her mother disappeared, Sana has long puzzled over whether her mother's departure was just another of her famously unsolvable riddles.

Now eighteen and ready to claim her inheritance, Sana arrives at the dark and dilapidated estate to find three strangers awaiting her: Fox, an eccentric prodigy who models himself after Sherlock Holmes; Isabelle, a seemingly innocent girl who shares an icy history with Sana; and Minho, a handsome young genius always wearing half a smirk. Per her mother's will, they've each received a cryptic invitation to compete in a contest of riddles for the deed to Razorthorn Manor - and the rumored treasure hidden within: a flower created by the gods themselves, able to grant any wish.

Feeling betrayed by her mother, Sana sets out to uncover the truth of where her mother really went, what links the competitors together, and what secrets the crumbling and disquieting house conceals. But her task won't be easy - for her competitors will do anything to win this twisted game...Set in a darkly shimmering Edwardian Paris where worship of the Roman gods never ended, A Riddle of Thorns drips with Gothic atmosphere, sizzles with romantic tension, and confounds with intricate puzzles and long-buried mysteries."

I'd be far more concerned about those Roman gods...

A Nest of Magic by Kate Moseman
Published by: Fortunella Press
Publication Date: October 14th, 2025
Format: Paperback, 396 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"There once was a town where nothing ever happened - until, one day, it did.

Corinthia, the librarian of Shadow Ridge, doesn't fall for mysterious strangers. She doesn't go for long walks in the woods. And she most certainly does not believe in magic.

She has her books, her rescued hound, and her Cabinet of Chocolate - everything she needs for a cozy evening alone, thank you very much.

But when a bet with her best friend leads to a hike in the maze-like nature preserve behind the Shadow Ridge Library, she meets a mysterious woman who challenges everything she thought she knew about her town, her destiny, and her heart.

She doesn't believe in magic...but magic believes in her."

Note to self, get a Cabinet of Chocolate before indulging in this delightful book.

Our Gifted Hearts by Jennifer Kennedy
Published by: Angry Robot
Publication Date: October 14th, 2025
Format: Paperback, 400 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"When she's accused of witchcraft, Fortune must flee her village to spare her neck, marrying a man she barely knows. But is the man who promises to be her saviour all he seems?

Fortune Blyth suffered the loss of a secret child when she was sixteen and vowed never to let another man touch her. Ten years later she is content with her beloved birds. But when witch hunters come to town it isn't long before fingers are pointed at the spinster and she is forced to choose; stay and hang, or marry a man who can offer her safety far from home.

She chooses marriage.

Her husband's island home is not the safe haven she expected, with a surly housekeeper and an eccentric mother-in-law to contend with. And there is something else; secrets hiding in the walls, demons creeping in her nightmares. Something sinister in the concealed tunnels below the house. It turns out she is not his first bride...Perhaps she would have been better off hanging after all."

Some Bluebeard for you?

The Missing Pages by Alyson Richman
Published by: Union Square and Co.
Publication Date: October 14th, 2025
Format: Paperback, 416 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"A ghost in a library. A story waiting to be told. The Missing Pages is a rich, lyrical novel that reminds us that books are as eternal as the soul.

1912: Harry Widener, a promising and passionate book collector, boards the Titanic holding tight to a priceless volume he's just purchased in London. After catastrophe strikes the ship, Harry's last known words are that he must return to his cabin to retrieve his latest treasure. Neither the young man nor the book are ever seen again. Honoring her son's memory, Harry's mother builds the Harry Widener Memorial Library at Harvard to house his extensive book collection and ensure his legacy.

Decades later, Violet Hutchins, a Harvard sophomore recovering from her own great loss, is working as a page at the Widener Library. When mysterious things begin happening at the library, Violet wonders if Harry Widener's ghost is trying to communicate with her, seeking Violet to uncover a long-buried secret that the ardent young Harry took with him to the grave.

For fans of The Midnight Library and The Book Thief, bestselling author Alyson Richman has written a love story, a ghost story, and an elegy to the healing power of books."

I totally didn't know that the Widener Library had such a tragic backstory. 

The Ghost House by Andie Newton
Published by: One More Chapter
Publication Date: October 14th, 2025
Format: Kindle, 333 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"Occupied France, 1944

In the shadow of the ravaged battlefields of Verdun, where the scars of the First World War never healed, Vianne, struggling to hold onto her crumbling family chateau, takes in her traumatized nephew Blaise after the arrest of her sister by the Nazis.

But when Blaise says he can see eerie figures in the fog and whispers from the forbidden forest beyond the fence, it seems something ancient and sorrowful stirs in the soil where soldiers of the Great War once bled. As strange guests arrive at the old house and secrets surface, Vianne must face the terrifying possibility that the brutal SS aren't the only horrors she must face...

If you loved The Others you'll love this!"

Oh, I love The Others! 

When Shadows Burn by Todd Brown
Published by: Koehler Books
Publication Date: October 14th, 2025
Format: Hardcover, 312 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"Some houses whisper. This one screams.

In the heart of Raven's Cross, Virginia, the decaying Scott house looms. Its broken-window eyes watch a town desperate to forget. When Roxy, a teenage girl, vanishes into a sweltering night, long-buried fears erupt, and suspicion turns savage. The townspeople turn on the newcomers, blaming them for what they refuse to face in themselves. As polite smiles crack and old grudges resurface, Raven's Cross's genteel mask begins to slip, revealing the rot beneath.

Timothy Michaels came to town chasing a story. A true crime podcaster investigating the haunted legacy of the Scott house, he never expected to be pulled into something so immediate - and so dangerous. Alongside unexpected allies, Tim begins to unearth a legacy of complicity and cruelty - one the town would kill to keep buried. Because, in Raven's Cross, the shadows don't just linger. They burn."

I can see why it's being compared to Shirley Jackson!

The Haunting of Paynes Hollow by Kelley Armstrong
Published by: St. Martin's Press
Publication Date: October 14th, 2025
Format: Hardcover, 288 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"From New York Times bestselling author Kelley Armstrong comes a nail-biting supernatural horror about a haunted lakeside property and twisted family secrets.

When Samantha Payne's grandfather dies, she figures she won't even get a mention in the will. After all, she hasn't seen him in fourteen years, not since her father took his own life after being accused of murdering a child at their lakefront cottage. Her grandfather always insisted her father was innocent, despite Sam having caught him burying the child's body, his clothing streaked with blood.

But when she does attend the reading of the will at the behest of her aunt, she discovers that her grandfather left her the very valuable lakefront property where the family cottage sits. There's one catch: Sam needs to stay in the cottage for a month. To finally face the fact she was wrong and her father was innocent, in her grandfather's words.

Traveling to Paynes Hollow, Sam is faced with the realities of her childhood and the secrets kept hidden in the shadows of her memories. When her aunt goes missing a couple days into their stay, Sam begins to question everything again. Plagued by nightmares and paranoia, she begins hearing sounds in the forest and seeing shapes crawling from the water as the rippling waves of the lake promise something unspeakably dark lurking just below their surface."

Sam totally killed the kid and her father was trying to cover it up, right? 

Happy People Don't Live Here by Amber Sparks
Published by: Liveright Publishing Corporation
Publication Date: October 14th, 2025
Format: Hardcover, 256 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"Just past the edge of summer, Alice and her daughter, Fern, arrive at the Pine Lake Apartments - a former sanatorium occupied by an ensemble of peculiar neighbors and a smattering of ghosts. Among the living: the Mermaid Lady, who performs in a nightclub fish tank; the building's handyperson, moonlighting as a medium; and an awkwardly charming professor of medieval studies. Fern alone is acquainted with the undead, who pass like troubled clouds through the apartments, humanity mostly lost ages ago. For the determinedly private Alice, Pine Lake seems the perfect place at the edge of the world to hide herself and her daughter - until the day Fern finds a dead body in the dumpster.

Intent on solving the mystery of this discarded corpse, Fern eagerly puts her encyclopedic knowledge of detective novels to good use while dodging warnings from her increasingly paranoid mother. She soon comes to realize that within the strange tapestry of Pine Lake residents, nothing is ever quite as it seems. Her investigation digs up long-buried secrets, including her mother's, that implicate each of her neighbors...and conjures a new one from beyond the grave.

The hotly anticipated debut novel from "master of the fantastic" (Roxane Gay) Amber Sparks, Happy People Don't Live Here is an unforgettable portrait of family - whether by birth or by chance or by choice - and the sometimes dangerous myths we make to keep ours together."

I don't think there have been nearly enough Mermaid Ladies in my life. This book helps to rectify that. 

The Last Spirits of Manhattan by John A. McDermott
Published by: Atria Books
Publication Date: October 14th, 2025
Format: Hardcover, 336 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"Based on a true story, this sparkling and witty novel whisks you to 1956 Manhattan, where famed director Alfred Hitchcock is hosting a star-studded party in an allegedly haunted house…only for the soiree to be interrupted by a ghostly party crasher.

After fleeing her mundane life in the Midwest, Carolyn Banks finds herself in her enigmatic great-aunts' eerie mansion on Manhattan's Upper East Side. Inside its crumbling façade, suspense director Alfred Hitchcock is throwing a party, gleefully informing his celebrity guests that the venue is supposedly haunted. It all seems like a fun gag, but Carolyn knows that the line between reality and the supernatural is dangerously blurred here.

Soon, the paranormal entities are mingling with guests like Charles Addams and Henry Fonda. As Carolyn grapples with romantic entanglements and ghostly encounters, she discovers long-buried family secrets, challenging her understanding of love, loyalty, and legacy. A striking mix of the haunting and the heartwarming, The Last Spirits of Manhattan is an unputdownable novel about a family reunion unlike any other, set against the bewitching backdrop of 1950s New York City."

I was sold at Charles Addams being at a party thrown by Alfred Hitchcock. 

Christmas at the Women's Hotel by Daniel M. Lavery
Published by: HarperVia
Publication Date: October 14th, 2025
Format: Hardcover, 144 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"New York Times bestselling author Daniel M. Lavery returns to the world of Women's Hotel in this delightful and heartwarming novella about one especially lively Christmastime at the Biedermeier.

Christmas at the Biedermeier Hotel means work. For much of the year, employment comes infrequently to Biedermeier residents. But during the Advent season, they're in high demand all over the city: as holiday window dressers, sales-girls at the card stores on Forty-Second Street, Broadway usherettes, assisting the Lincoln Center laundress at the Nutcracker, or working for Pinkerton as off-season security guards at the World's Fair.

Katherine explores the possibility of reconnecting with a younger sister moving to New York. Lucianne goes into business for herself, running a telephone-order, strictly Social Register male escort agency out of her room, while Mrs. Mossler attempts to solve the mystery of the Biedermeier's skyrocketing phone bill and frets over Christmas tips for the hotel's few remaining employees.

And while the three gem thieves who broke into the American Museum of Natural History have recently been apprehended, not all of the stolen jewels have been recovered - and Patricia and Carol have been behaving very strangely recently. Christmas is a season of wonder and mystery, after all."

Because I need some lighter fare amongst all the murders I plan to read about this holiday season...

The Gallery Assistant by Kate Belli
Published by: Atria/Emily Bestler Books
Publication Date: October 14th, 2025
Format: Hardcover, 288 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"This twisty and sinister thriller follows a New York art gallery assistant reckoning with her past and now trapped in a web of deceit after an up-and-coming painter is murdered - perfect for fans of Katy Hays and Julia Bartz.

November 2001: Chloe Harlow wakes up late, with hazy memories of the party the night before but no recollection of how she got back to her Brooklyn apartment. Ever since the terrifying and catastrophic terrorist attack, it seems she has been on a collision course with destruction.

When she finally arrives at the exclusive Upper East Side art gallery where she works, she is immediately called into her boss's office. A pair of NYPD detectives greet her, also very curious to know how her evening ended…because the host of the party, a rising painter and the gallery's newest artist, is dead.

Navigating both the sophisticated high-stakes art world and her personal life in burgeoning Williamsburg, Chloe struggles to piece together a complete picture of that lost night. As she digs deeper, inconsistencies emerge between what she remembers and what people tell her actually happened, and more questions are raised. Everything begins to feel like a conspiracy and maybe it is. Because Chloe is the only one who glimpses the secrets the murdered artist left behind, and the closer she gets to the truth…the more deadly it becomes."

Anything to do with the art world fascinates me, if there's a murder, doubly so. 

Gone Before Goodbye by Harlan Coben and Reese Witherspoon
Published by: Grand Central Publishing
Publication Date: October 14th, 2025
Format: Hardcover, 352 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"An unforgettable suspense novel that combines the storytelling talents of Academy Award-winning actor Reese Witherspoon and internationally bestselling author Harlan Coben. Gone Before Goodbye is the story of a woman trapped in a deadly conspiracy - where uncovering the truth could cost her everything.

Maggie McCabe is teetering on the brink. A highly skilled and renowned Army combat surgeon, she has always lived life at the edge, where she could make the most impact. And it was all going to plan...until it wasn't.

Upside down after a devastating series of tragedies leads to her medical license being revoked, Maggie has lost her purpose, but not her nerve or her passion. At her lowest point, she is thrown a lifeline by a former colleague, an elite plastic surgeon whose anonymous clientele demand the best care money can buy, as well as absolute discretion.

Halfway across the globe, sequestered in the lap of luxury and cutting-edge technology, one of the world's most mysterious men requires unconventional medical assistance. Desperate, and one of the few surgeons in the world skilled enough to take this job, Maggie enters his realm of unspeakable opulence and fulfills her end of the agreement. But when the patient suddenly disappears while still under her care, Maggie must become a fugitive herself - or she will be the next one who is...Gone Before Goodbye."

Hey look, Reese Witherspoon has found a new pipeline to produce shows based on guaranteed bestsellers, write them herself with a bestselling author. 

Murder in Constantinople by A.E. Goldin
Published by: Pushkin Vertigo
Publication Date: October 14th, 2025
Format: Paperback, 352 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"Alfred Hitchcock meets Indiana Jones in this acclaimed, globe-trotting historical mystery about a wayward Jewish kid drawn into a sinister plot.

This entertaining historical mystery is the exciting debut novel from London-based musician and screenwriter A.E. Goldin. Thrillingly paced and with an enchanting historical setting, it launches an unforgettable new hero in a series that provides all the nostalgic reading pleasure of classic Sherlock Holmes.

London, 1854. 21-year-old Ben Canaan attracts trouble wherever he goes. His father wants him to be a good Jewish son, working for the family business on Whitechapel Road, but Ben and his friends, the 'Good-for-Nothings', just want adventure.

Then the chance discovery of an enigmatic letter and a photograph of a beautiful woman bring Ben an adventure more dangerous than anything he'd imagined. Suddenly he is thrown into the heart of a mystery that takes him away from everything he has known and all the way to Constantinople, the jewel of an empire and the centre of a world on the brink of war.

Ben's only clue is 3 words: 'The White Death.' Now he must find what links a string of grisly murders, following a trail through kingmaking and conspiracy, poison and high politics, bloodshed and betrayal. In a city of deadly secrets, no one is safe - and one wrong step could cost Ben his life."

Hey, if you go looking for adventure you can't be put out when it comes knocking.

And Then There Was The One by Martha Waters
Published by: Atria Books
Publication Date: October 14th, 2025
Format: Paperback, 352 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"From Martha Waters, the author of the "enchanting" (Entertainment Weekly) Regency Vows series, a new historical romance set in 1930s England with a murder mystery twist.

In a quaint village in the Cotswolds, Georgiana Radcliffe has accidentally become an amateur detective after helping solve four murders in a single year. When the chairman of the village council turns up dead, everyone agrees with the official ruling of a heart attack, but Georgie can't help but suspect that the council chairman is a fifth victim. Now, murder tourists are flocking from around the country, in hopes of becoming sleuths themselves.

Along with her reporter friend, she reaches out to a famous London detective for assistance in ascertaining why they have become a magnet for murder. But the fancy detective is simply too busy - or can't be bothered - to help, and instead dispatches his secretary, Sebastian Fletcher-Ford - a posh womanizer who, truthfully, he is just trying to get out of his hair, much to practical, no-nonsense Georgie's dismay. But as they investigate in the charming Buncombe-upon-Woolly - with plentiful scones, sheep on the village green, and murder tourists at every turn - Georgie finds that her previous assessment of Sebastian may have been wrong, and rather than solving a murder, she may be solving for love instead."

Is it wrong that I find the title of this book so adorable? 

Sugar and Spite by M.C. Beaton with R.W. Green
Published by: Minotaur Books
Publication Date: October 14th, 2025
Format: Hardcover, 256 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"Beloved New York Times bestseller M. C. Beaton's cranky, crafty Agatha Raisin - the star of her own hit T.V. series - is back on the case again.

When a series of deaths within the small Cotswolds birdwatching community begins to unravel her village, Agatha and her team at Raisin Investigators are certain there has been foul play involved. Now, they must dig up decades' worth of tempestuous relationships and simmering secrets among the birdwatching enthusiasts of the village in order to prevent any further deaths.

But with Agatha's own relationship with John Glass on the rocks after he is called away on his job as a cruise ship dance instructor, and Sir Charles Fraith now attempting to step into John's shoes as her lover, Agatha has her work cut out for her.

Agatha will have to break out her binoculars and embrace her bitter side to solve the murders and wrangle the sickly-sweet temptations in her own life. Will she be able to gather all the breadcrumbs and put together the clues before she becomes a sitting duck herself?"

Cruise ship dance instructor? I know my mom would have loved that little detail in this series.

Menu of Happiness by Hisashi Kashiwai
Published by: G.P. Putnam's Sons
Publication Date: October 14th, 2025
Format: Hardcover, 208 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"A beloved Japanese bestseller, Menu of Happiness is for fans of Before the Coffee Gets Cold and asks the question: What's the one dish you'd do anything to taste just one more time?

Every memory has a flavor. A very special restaurant in Kyoto helps find them...

Welcome to the Kamogawa Diner, where every meal is a mystery ready to be solved. This unique establishment is run by a father-daughter duo who offer more than just mouth-watering meals. They act as "food detectives," delving into the past to produce nostalgia-infused dishes for their hungry clientele.

Among the patrons is a once-renowned pianist whose promising career was marred by a self-inflicted injury. She longs to taste the yakisoba shared with the only man she ever truly loved. The diner also welcomes a man haunted by shadows of regret. His mind is haunted by the memory of gyoza served by the parents of a lover he once jilted, as he seeks understanding and, perhaps, forgiveness.

The Kamogawa Diner doesn't just serve food - it recreates forgotten recipes, helping its patrons to revisit memories lost to time. Each dish is a portal to the past, serving not just sustenance but solace and reconnection through the miracle of delicious food."

The taste of certain foods is both sentimental and heartbreaking.

The Keepers of Magical Things by Julie Leong
Published by: Ace
Publication Date: October 14th, 2025
Format: Paperback, 368 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"An almost-mage discovers friendship - and maybe something more - in the unlikeliest of places in this delightfully charming novel from the USA Today bestselling author of The Teller of Small Fortunes.

Certainty Bulrush wants to be useful - to the Guild of Mages that took her in as a novice, to the little brother who depends on her, and to anyone else she can help. Unfortunately, her tepid magic hasn't proven much use to anyone. When Certainty has the chance to earn her magehood via a seemingly straightforward assignment, she takes it. Nevermind that she'll have to work with Mage Aurelia, the brilliant, unfairly attractive overachiever who's managed to alienate everyone around her.

The two must transport minorly magical artifacts somewhere safe: Shpelling, the dullest, least magical village around. There, they must fix up an old warehouse, separate the gossipy teapots from the kind-of-flaming swords, corral an unruly little catdragon who has tagged along, and above all, avoid complications. The Guild's uneasy relationship with citizens is at a tipping point, and the last thing needed is a magical incident.

Still, as mage and novice come to know Shpelling's residents - and each other - they realize the Guild's hoarded magic might do more good being shared. Friendships blossom while Certainty and Aurelia work to make Shpelling the haven it could be. But magic is fickle - add attraction and it might spell trouble."

Catdragon!?! 

Kill the Beast by Serra Swift
Published by: Tor Books
Publication Date: October 14th, 2025
Format: Hardcover, 320 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"The Witcher meets Howl's Moving Castle in this debut original faerie tale of revenge, redemption, and friendship - for fans of T. Kingfisher, Naomi Novik, and cozy fantasy with a dash of gritty adventure.

The night Lyssa Cadogan's brother was murdered by a faerie-made monster known as the Beast, she made him a promise: she would find a way to destroy the immortal creature and avenge his death. For thirteen years, she has been hunting faeries and the abominations they created. But in all that time, the one Beast she is most desperate to find has never resurfaced.

Until she meets Alderic Casimir de Laurent, a melodramatic dandy with a coin purse bigger than his brain. Somehow, he has found the monster's lair, and - even more surprising - retrieved one of its claws. A claw Lyssa needs in order to forge a sword that can kill the Beast.

Alderic is ill-equipped for a hunt and almost guaranteed to get himself killed. But as the two of them search for the rest of the materials that will be the Beast's undoing, Alderic reveals hidden depths: dark secrets that he guards as carefully as Lyssa guards hers. Before long, and against Lyssa's better judgment, an unlikely friendship begins to bloom - one that will either lead to the culmination of Lyssa's quest for vengeance, or spell doom for them both."

Anyone else singing a certain song sung by Gaston on the way to the bookstore? 

The Princess Knight by Cait Jacobs
Published by: Harper Voyager
Publication Date: October 14th, 2025
Format: Paperback, 512 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"A princess desperate to win back the prince who broke her heart follows him to his kingdom's prestigious military academy - and in doing so, falls in love, saves the realm, and continues to look fabulous in this delightful debut fantasy.

Domhnall and Clía are an ideal match - or so everyone says. They are prince and princess of neighboring kingdoms. An alliance the gods will smile on. Until Domhnall ruins everything by refusing to propose.

Heartbroken but determined, Clía makes the perfect plan: Follow Domhnall to Caisleán Cósta, the military academy he's attending. Show she can protect her kingdom. Secure the betrothal. Sure, the castle has a brutal reputation. But how hard can dueling really be?

Warrior Ronan promised himself he'd never lose his focus. He fought and sacrificed for his place at Caisleán Cósta, and he has no time for blonde princesses who waltz into arenas like they're attending a ball. Even if she and her otter-like pet are…well, cute.

He doesn't want to be intrigued by Clía. But her hunger to prove herself is something he understands. He tells himself there's no harm training her. Even if his heart does race around her. Even if Domhnall is his best friend.

But as they say, love is a battlefield - and unfortunately for them all, a very real war is looming on the horizon. It's a fight that will threaten all their kingdoms…and test all their hearts."

I'm all about dangerous military institutions in fantasy books lately... 

Sense and Suitability by Pepper Basham
Published by: Thomas Nelson
Publication Date: October 14th, 2025
Format: Paperback, 368 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"In this clean Regency romance, a woman with a scandalous past (and an even more scandalous secret) swears off love - until the man who broke her heart needs her help. What could possibly go wrong? Perfect for fans of Tessa Dare and Eloisa James looking for a low-spice, witty Regency romance.

After two failed social seasons, her family may think the third time will be a charm, but Emmeline Lockhart just wants to survive with her dignity (and singleness) intact. She thought she'd found her perfect match in Simon Reeves - charming, handsome, a veritable hero from a novel - until he vanished from her life without so much as a "farewell" or "my deepest regrets" (or even a vague apology scribbled on the back of a calling card). Lesson learned: never fall for a man known for his charm.

Fortunately, and unlike many of the other eligible young ladies of the ton, Emmeline has no need for a husband - because she's already found success in her scandalous (and very anonymous) profession as an author. Why bother with matrimony when she can make her own fortune and write men exactly the way she wants them?

But fate - or the misfortune of Simon's reckless patriarchs - has other plans. Simon's once-proud estate is in shambles, his family fortune has been gambled away, and the younger impressionable siblings in his care are running wild across his estate (and possibly across all of England). Simon is in desperate need of a wealthy, prestigious bride...and a friend.

Emmeline may not fit the role of heiress, but she can certainly be a friend. Just a friend. She'll help him find a suitable match, ensure his reputation remains intact, and keep things strictly platonic - no matter how dangerously appealing his new-and-improved sincerity and regret may be.

There's just one small problem: the undeniable chemistry that still smolders between them. Can Emme play matchmaker for the man she's still in love with without losing her heart all over again? And is it possible that some love stories - especially the messy, inconvenient, impossible ones - are worthy of a rewrite?

Filled with lively banter, adorable children, a frog named Blast, and swoony kisses, Sense and Suitability is the sweet Regency romance you've been looking for. Basham brings her signature humor to the Regency era where social strictures keep the tension tight in this second-chance, enemies-to-lovers romance."

Unless Simon has a damn good excuse, write him off.

A Lady Most Wayward by Darcy McGuire
Published by: Boldwood Books
Publication Date: October 14th, 2025
Format: eBook, 312 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"A breathtaking historical romance featuring espionage, scandal, and forbidden love in the Queen's service.

Her enemy. Her ally. Her temptation...

Phillipa, Duchess of Dorsett is not your average demure lady in society. For behind her charming smile, she hides a secret and a wicked reputation. Tasked by Queen Victoria to protect the innocent, she's recruited the most formidable women of the ton - The Queen's Deadly Damsels. And now they have one final mission…but this time it's anything but simple...It's personal.

Lady Olivia Smithwick sold her soul to save her daughter, and in return has made an enemy of the Duchess. But when she's faced with an offer of Phillipa's protection and a promise to bring down The Devil's Sons, she can't refuse.

As they attempt their mission, together and alone, their simple deal becomes dangerously complicated. Because when their tension makes way for an unexpected desire, the heat between them becomes impossible to ignore. To reveal their true selves is a risk, especially when even one touch is strictly forbidden. But who said it was a good idea to follow the rules?

Perfect for fans of Cat Sebastian, Emma Orchard and Beverley Watts."

Love will, hopefully, find a way.

Boleyn Traitor by Philippa Gregory
Published by: William Morrow
Publication Date: October 14th, 2025
Format: Hardcover, 496 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"#1 New York Times bestselling author and "queen of royal fiction" (USA Today) Philippa Gregory returns with a dazzling historical novel of ambition, betrayal, and survival in the court of Henry VIII.

Jane Boleyn watches from the shadows of the Tudor court, where secrets are currency, every choice is dangerous, and even the faintest whisper can seal the fate of queens.

For Jane, survival demands playing every role required of her: a loving wife who conceals her doubts, a devoted sister to Anne Boleyn at the height of her power, and an obedient spy who carefully wields her words. But in a court ruled by ambition and a tyrant's sword, Jane must rely on her sharp wit and skillful maneuvering to outthink those around her, knowing that one wrong move could cost her everything.

Philippa Gregory masterfully shines a spotlight on the untold story of Jane Boleyn, peeling back the myths to reveal a complex portrait of a woman who dared to survive at any cost. Perfect for fans of thrilling historical drama and readers captivated by the intrigue of the Tudor period, Boleyn Traitor is a must-read."

Yeah... But she didn't survive. The Viscountess Rochford made so really stupid decisions near the end...

Posted by Miss Eliza at 12:00 AM 0 comments  

Labels: A.E. Goldin, Cait Jacobs, Daniel M. Lavery, Darcy McGuire, Harlan Coben, Hiron Ennes, Hisashi Kashiwai, Julie Leong, Kelley Armstrong, M.C. Beaton, Martha Waters, Pepper Basham, Philippa Gregory, Serra Swift, Tim Curry

Miss Austen Investigates: The Hapless Milliner by Jessica Bull
Published by: Union Square and Co.
Publication Date: February 27th, 2024
Format: Paperback, 368 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"A witty, engaging murder mystery featuring Jane Austen as an intrepid amateur sleuth - the first in a series.

Jane Austen - sparkling, spirited, and incredibly clever - is suddenly thrust into a mystery when a milliner's dead body is found locked inside a cupboard in the middle of a ball. When Jane's brother Georgy is found with some jewelry belonging to the deceased, the local officials see it as an open-and-shut case: one which is likely to end with his death. Jane is certain that he is innocent, and there is more to the murder than meets the eye. Her investigations send her on a journey through local society, as Jane's suspect list keeps on growing - and her keen observational skills of people will be put to the test to solve the crime and save her brother."

I mean, I'm here for all the Jane Austen, but if you want a complete series that has been lauded over the years Stephanie Barron's series about Jane Austen just ended this past fall...

A Lady's Guide to Marvels and Misadventures by Angela Bell
Published by: Bethany House Publishers
Publication Date: February 27th, 2024
Format: Paperback, 384 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"When Clara Marie Stanton's ex-fiancé begins to spread rumors that her family suffers from hereditary insanity, it's all Clara can do to protect them from his desperate schemes and society's prejudice. Her family may be eccentric, yes, but they certainly aren't insane. Then Clara's Grandfather Drosselmeyer brings on an apprentice with a mechanical leg, and all pretense of normalcy takes wing.

Theodore Kingsley, a shame-chased vagabond skilled in repairing clocks, wants a fresh start far from Kingsley Court and the disappointed father who declared him dead. Upon returning to England, Theodore meets clockmaker Drosselmeyer, who hires him as an apprentice, much to Clara's dismay. When Drosselmeyer spontaneously disappears in his secret flying owl machine, he leaves behind a note for Clara, beseeching her to make her dreams of adventure a reality by joining him on a merry scavenger hunt. Together, Clara and Theodore set off to follow Drosselmeyer's trail of clues, but they will have to stay one step ahead of a villain who wants the flying machine for himself - at any cost."

So we're going Steampunk Nutcracker now?

The Highgate Cemetery Murder by Irina Shapiro
Published by: Storm Publishing
Publication Date: February 27th, 2024
Format: Kindle, 383 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"His heart pounding, the man scribbles the words in his notebook as fast as he can: "Woman dead in Highgate. Man in caped coat. Milky way and red streaks. I'm being followed."

Hours later, the man's cold body lies in the city mortuary, alongside the woman he couldn't save. And his sister, unconventional nurse Gemma Tate, tracks down troubled police inspector Sebastian Bell to unravel the truth.

Sebastian has enough pressure to solve the murder of an aristocratic heiress without Gemma meddling in his case. But the cryptic sentences she brings him from her brother's notebook could be a crucial lead. If only they knew what "milky way" meant. But as the trail of clues takes them away from the gilded drawing rooms of the nobility and into the dangerous slums of London, how far will their partnership be tested on the quest for justice, and will they both emerge unscathed?"

Oh, cryptic last messages? Yes please!

Normal Women by Philippa Gregory
Published by: HarperOne
Publication Date: February 27th, 2024
Format: Hardcover, 688 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"The #1 New York Times bestselling historical novelist delivers her magnum opus - a landmark work of feminist nonfiction that radically redefines our understanding of the extraordinary roles ordinary women played throughout British history.

Most histories have been written by men, about men, relegating women - with the exception of a few queens - to the shadows of time. Now, bestselling author Philippa Gregory reveals the importance of ordinary women, providing a more balanced and truer chronicle that expands and adds rich detail to the story of Great Britain.

In Normal Women, Gregory draws on an enormous archive of primary and secondary sources to rewrite British history, focusing on the agency, persistence, and effectiveness of everyday women throughout periods of social and cultural transition. She sweeps from the making of the Bayeux tapestry in the eleventh century to the Black Death in 1348 - after which women were briefly paid the same wages as men, the last time for seven centuries - to the 1992 ordination of women by the Church of England, when the church accepted, for the first time, that a woman could perform the miracle of the mass.

Through the stories of the female soldiers of the civil war, the guild widows who founded the prosperity of the City of London, highwaywomen and pirates, miners, ship owners, international traders, the women who ran London theaters and commissioned plays from Shakespeare, and the "female husbands" who married each other legally in church and lived as husband and wife, Gregory redefines "normal" female behavior to include heroism, rebellion, crime, treason, money-making, and sainthood. As she makes clear, normal women make history.

Normal Women will include black-and-white illustrations throughout and a full-color insert."

I will literally read anything Philippa Gregory writes but that cover is so so horrible. I know it's like lots of little pictures of women to make a big tapestry, but it looks like they uploaded the wrong resolution image to the file for the printers. At first I actually thought it was an error. I wish I had been right.

King Nyx by Kirsten Bakis
Published by: Liveright Publishing Corporation
Publication Date: February 27th, 2024
Format: Hardcover, 320 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"Anna Fort wants to be a supportive wife, even if that means accompanying her husband for the winter of 1918 to a remote, frozen island estate so he can finish his book as the guest of an eccentric millionaire. When she learns three girls are missing from a school run by their host, Anna realizes finding them is up to her - even if that means risking her husband's career, and possibly her life.

Her husband's masterpiece-in-progress features strange meteorological anomalies along with wild speculations about "facts" he believes scientists hide from the public. Most people think Charles Fort is a crackpot. That's about to change now that wealthy Claude Arkel is his patron.

Yet Anna is sure something's not right on Prosper Island, though the alarming return of her "troubles" makes her question her own sanity. Is the figure in the woods really the ghost of her long-lost friend Mary, or a product of her disturbed imagination? Accompanied reluctantly by a fellow guest, the elegant and troubled Stella Bixby, Anna embarks on a dangerous quest to find the missing girls before Arkel finds her - or her own mind unravels.

A contemporary feminist tale with a dreamlike, Gothic setting, King Nyx reintroduces readers, twenty-five years after her acclaimed debut, to one of our most astonishingly imaginative storytellers."

Gothic dreamlin setting with "troubles!?!" Yes!

The Butcher of the Forest by Premee Mohamed
Published by: Tordotcom
Publication Date: February 27th, 2024
Format: Paperback, 160 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"A world-weary woman races against the clock to survive a deadly forest in this dark, otherworldly fairytale from Nebula and World Fantasy Award-winning author Premee Mohamed.

At the northern edge of a land ruled by a merciless foreign tyrant lies a wild, forbidden forest ruled by powerful magic.

Veris Thorn - the only one to ever enter the forest and survive - is forced to go back inside to retrieve the tyrant's missing children. Inside await traps and trickery, ancient monsters, and hauntings of the past. One day is all Veris is afforded. One misstep will cost everything."

If this book hasn't been on your radar I think it's time to get it checked.

Lore of the Wilds by Analeigh Sbrana
Published by: Harper Voyager
Publication Date: February 27th, 2024
Format: Hardcover, 352 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"A stunning Romantasy debut about an enchanted library, two handsome Fae, and one human who brings them all together.

A library with a deadly enchantment.

A Fae lord who wants in.

A human woman willing to risk it all for a taste of power.

In a land ruled by ruthless Fae, twenty-one-year-old Lore Alemeyu's village is trapped in a forested prison. Lore knows that any escape attempt is futile - her scars are a testament to her past failures. But when her village is threatened, Lore makes a desperate deal with a Fae lord. She will leave her home to catalog/organize an enchanted library that hasn't been touched in a thousand years. No Fae may enter the library, but there is a chance a human might be able to breach the cursed doors.

She convinces him that she will risk her life for wealth, but really she's after the one thing the Fae covet above all: magic of her own.

As Lore navigates the hostile world outside, she's forced to rely on two Fae males to survive. Two very different, very dangerous, very attractive Fae males. When undeniable chemistry ignites, she's not just in danger of losing her life, but her heart to the very creatures she can never trust."

Most people would be here for the Romantasy, I'm here for the library.

Tender Beasts by Liselle Sambury
Published by: Margaret K. McElderry Books
Publication Date: February 27th, 2024
Format: Hardcover, 416 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"After her private school is rocked by a gruesome murder, a teen tries to find the real killer and clear her brother's name in this psychological thriller perfect for fans of The Taking of Jake Livingston and Ace of Spades.

Sunny Behre has four siblings, but only one is a murderer.

With the death of Sunny's mother, matriarch of the wealthy Behre family, Sunny's once picture-perfect life is thrown into turmoil. Her mother had groomed her to be the family's next leader, so Sunny is confused when the only instructions her mother leaves is a mysterious note: "Take care of Dom."

The problem is, her youngest brother, Dom, has always been a near-stranger to Sunny...and seemingly a dangerous one, if found guilty of his second-degree murder charge. Still, Sunny is determined to fulfill her mother's dying wish. But when a classmate is gruesomely murdered, and Sunny finds her brother with blood on his hands, her mother's simple request becomes a lot more complicated. Dom swears he's innocent, and although Sunny isn't sure she believes him, she takes it upon herself to look into the murder - made all the more urgent by the discovery of another body. And another.

As Sunny and Dom work together to track down the culprit, Sunny realizes her other siblings have their own dark secrets. Soon she may have to choose: preserve the family she's always loved or protect the brother she barely knows - and risk losing everything her mother worked so hard to build."

Choices, choices, when you might be harboring a killer...

Remedial Magic by Melissa Marr
Published by: Bramble
Publication Date: February 27th, 2024
Format: Paperback, 336 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"The Magicians meets One Last Stop in this brand-new fantasy romance Remedial Magic, about an unassuming librarian who 1) has fallen in love with a powerful witch; 2) has discovered that she is a witch; and 3) must attend magical community college to learn how to save her new world from complete destruction by New York Times bestselling author Melissa Marr!

Ellie loves working in her local library in the small town of Ligonier. She loves baking scones and investigating the mysterious and captivating in her spare time. And there is nothing more mysterious and captivating than the intriguingly beautiful, too properly dressed woman sipping tea in her library who has appeared as if out of nowhere. The pull between them is undeniable, and Ellie is not sure that she wants to resist.

Prospero, a powerful witch from the magical land of Crenshaw, is often accused of being... ruthless in her goals and ambitions. But she is driven to save her dying homeland, and a prophecy tells her that Ellie is the key. Unbeknownst to Ellie, her powers have not yet awakened. But all of that is about to change."

Melissa Marr bringing a Magicians vibe to Tor's new imprint Bramble? Pinch me now!

The Book of Ile-Rien by Martha Wells
Published by: Tordotcom
Publication Date: February 27th, 2024
Format: Paperback, 752 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"Collecting Martha Wells' Element of Fire and Death of the Necromancer for the first time in one place, in a new and revised edition!

From the author of Witch King and the Murderbot Diaries:

Both novels included in this volume have been revised and updated. These are the author's preferred texts.

The Element of Fire
The kingdom of Ile-Rien lies in peril, menaced by sorcerous threats and devious intrigue, when Kade, bastard sister of King Roland, appears unexpectedly at court. The illegitimate daughter of the old king and the Queen of Air and Darkness herself, Kade's true desires are cloaked in mystery.

It falls to Thomas Boniface, Captain of the Queen's Guard, to keep the kingdom from harm. But is one man's steel enough to counter all the magic of fayre?

The Death of the Necromancer
Nicholas Valiarde is a passionate, embittered nobleman and the greatest thief in all of Ile-Rien. On the gaslit streets of the city, Nicholas assumes the guise of a master criminal, stealing jewels from wealthy nobles to finance his quest for a long-pursued vengeance.

But Nicholas's murderous mission is being interrupted by a series of eerie, unexplainable, and fatal events. A dark magic opposes him, and traces of a necromantic power that hasn't been used for centuries abound. Nicholas and his compatriots find themselves battling an ancient evil.

And if they lose? Death would be preferable to the fate that awaits them...."

Because we've all become addicts of Martha Wells and have to wait out the time until the next Murderbot book somehow...

Moon of the Turning Leaves by Waubgeshig Rice
Published by: William Morrow and Company
Publication Date: February 27th, 2024
Format: Hardcover, 320 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"In this gripping stand-alone literary thriller set in the world of the award-winning post-apocalyptic novel Moon of the Crusted Snow, a scouting party led by Evan Whitesky ventures into unknown and dangerous territory to find a new home for their close-knit Northern Ontario Indigenous community more than a decade after a world-ending blackout.

For the past twelve years, a community of Anishinaabe people have made the Northern Ontario bush their home in the wake of the power failure that brought about societal collapse. Since then they have survived and thrived the way their ancestors once did, but their natural food resources are dwindling, and the time has come to find a new home.

Evan Whitesky volunteers to lead a mission south to explore the possibility of moving back to their original homeland, the "land where the birch trees grow by the big water" in the Great Lakes region. Accompanied by five others, including his daughter Nangohns, an expert archer, Evan begins a journey that will take him to where the Anishinaabe were once settled, near the devastated city of Gibson, a land now being reclaimed by nature.

But it isn't just the wilderness that poses a threat: they encounter other survivors. Those who, like the Anishinaabe, live in harmony with the land, and those who use violence."

Northern Exposure meest Escape from L.A.? Sold.

Tomorrow's Children by Daniel Polansky
Published by: Angry Robot
Publication Date: February 27th, 2024
Format: Paperback, 400 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"From Hugo Award nominated author comes a high-octane post-apocalyptic romp set in the ruins of Manhattan.

Tomorrow, the funk descends on Manhattan, a noxious cloud which separates the island from the rest of the world and mutates the population. Some generations on, the surviving population exists amid the rubble of modernity, wearing our cast-off clothing, worshipping celebrities as dim gods and using emojis in place or written language. The Island exists in a state of uneasy peace, with each neighborhood an independent fiefdom, protecting itself with scrap metal spears and Molotov cocktails.

But something new has come to the Island, the first tourist in centuries, and this uneasy equilibrium is about to shatter..."

Apocalypse tourism. Yeah, that seems about right. Look at Pompeii... 

Posted by Miss Eliza at 12:00 AM 0 comments  

Labels: Analeigh Sbrana, Angela Bell, Daniel Polansky, Irina Shapiro, Jessica Bull, Kirsten Bakis, Liselle Sambury, Martha Wells, Melissa Marr, Philippa Gregory, Premee Mohamed, Stephanie Barron, Waubgeshig Rice

Cursed by Marissa Meyer
Published by: Feiwel and Friends
Publication Date: November 8th, 2022
Format: Hardcover, 496 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"In Cursed, #1 New York Times bestselling author Marissa Meyer brings the haunting fairytale-inspired Gilded duology to a thrilling conclusion that will have fans - old and new - spinning.

Be still now, and I will tell you a tale.

Adalheid Castle is in chaos.

Following a shocking turn of events, Serilda finds herself ensnared in a deadly game of make-believe with the Erlking, who is determined to propel her deeper into the castle’s lies. Meanwhile, Serilda is determined to work with Gild to help him solve the mystery of his forgotten name and past.

But soon it becomes clear that the Erlking doesn't only want to use Serilda to bring back his one true love. He also seeks vengeance against the seven gods who have long trapped the Dark Ones behind the veil. If the Erlking succeeds, it could change the mortal realm forever.

Can Serilda find a way to use her storytelling gifts for good - once and for all? And can Serilda and Gild break the spells that tether their spirits to the castle before the Endless Moon finds them truly cursed?

Romance and adventure collide in this stunning finale to the Rumpelstilskin-inspired fairy tale."

Oh my yes, Marissa Meyer and Fairy Tale retellings are just what I need right now.

Even Though I Knew the End by C.L. Polk
Published by: Tordotcom
Publication Date: November 8th, 2022
Format: Hardcover, 144 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"C. L. Polk turns their considerable powers to a fantastical noir with Even Though I Knew the End.

A magical detective dives into the affairs of Chicago's divine monsters to secure a future with the love of her life. This sapphic period piece will dazzle anyone looking for mystery, intrigue, romance, magic, or all of the above.

An exiled augur who sold her soul to save her brother's life is offered one last job before serving an eternity in hell. When she turns it down, her client sweetens the pot by offering up the one payment she can't resist - the chance to have a future where she grows old with the woman she loves.

To succeed, she is given three days to track down the White City Vampire, Chicago's most notorious serial killer. If she fails, only hell and heartbreak await."

Magical Noir, someone's been reading my dream genre mashups again!

External Forces by Shannon Fay
Published by: 47north
Publication Date: November 8th, 2022
Format: Paperback, 507 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"A mage for the British royals matches wits with a power-mad old foe in a beguiling novel of enchantments and daring by Shannon Fay, author of Innate Magic.

London, 1958. By crafting magical outfits for his friend, Princess Katherine, cloth mage Paul Gallagher is getting ahead. It's not a seamless path. Not since the Virtuis Party came to power. The far-right faction is using criminals to create a protective barrier around England. The enchanted uniforms the prisoners wear may beget a demand for mages, but using luckless convicts as tools for warmongering reactionaries isn't Paul's dream for cloth magic.

His road to success takes an even darker turn when the unexpected death of a member of the royal family plunges the country into chaos. The Virtuis Party is rising, its mysterious puppet master is gaining control, and Paul and his allies are prepared to do anything to protect the princess, the throne, and ultimately, the soul of the country. That means falling back on the innate magic Paul dreads using again. It's illegal, dangerous, and so potent it can raise the dead.

But as the fate of the entire nation hangs by a thread, dire times call for extreme magic."

British period magic, yes please.

A Sliver of Darkness by C.J. Tudor
Published by: Ballantine Books
Publication Date: November 8th, 2022
Format: Hardcover, 256 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"The debut short-story collection from the acclaimed author of The Chalk Man, hailed as "Britain's female Stephen King" (Daily Mail), featuring eleven bone-chilling and mind-bending tales

Time slips. Doomsday scenarios. Killer butterflies. C. J. Tudor's novels are widely acclaimed for their dark, twisty suspense plots, but with A Sliver of Darkness, she pulls us even further into her dizzying imagination.

In "The Lion at the Gate," a strange piece of graffiti leads to a terrifying encounter for four school friends. In "Final Course," the world has descended into darkness, but a group of old friends make time for one last dinner party. In "Runaway Blues," thwarted love, revenge, and something very nasty stowed in a hat box converge. In "Gloria," a strange girl at a service station endears herself to a coldhearted killer, but can a leopard really change its spots? And in "I'm Not Ted," a case of mistaken identity has unforeseen fatal consequences.

Riveting, macabre, and explosively original, A Sliver of Darkness is C. J. Tudor at her most wicked and uninhibited."

Not many authors can get me to pick up a short-story collection, but C.J. Tudor is one of them.

Raven Unveiled by Grace Draven
Published by: Ace
Publication Date: November 8th, 2022
Format: Paperback, 352 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"A woman with the gift to speak to the dead - and the assassin pursuing her - may be the only chance a crumbling empire has of holding back true evil, in this electrifying fantasy romance from the USA Today bestselling author of Radiance.

Siora has been on the run for longer than she cares to remember, from her past and her gift. Born with the ability to see and speak to ghosts, she has heard their desperate pleas as an otherworldly predator stalks the dead amid the fertile killing fields of the collapsing Krael Empire. The creature’s power and reach are growing with every soul it consumes, but Siora is preoccupied with her own troubles: namely an assassin who has sworn an oath of vengeance against her.

Gharek of Cabast was once the right-hand man of the reviled empress but is now a wanted fugitive. Although his reasons for hunting Siora are viscerally personal, what Gharek can't anticipate is that when he finally does find her, she will hold the key to saving his world, or what's left of it. To make good on old debts and protect the vulnerable dead from a malevolent force, Gharek and Siora will both need to make an ally out of an enemy - and trust that will be enough to save each other."

Fantasy and the dead!

Legends and Lattes by Travis Baldree
Published by: Tor Books
Publication Date: November 8th, 2022
Format: Paperback, 304 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"The much-beloved BookTok sensation
A Barnes and Noble Best Book of 2022
A Library Reads Pick
An Indie Next Pick

*This paperback edition includes a very special, never-before-seen bonus story, 'Pages to Fill.'*

After a lifetime of bounties and bloodshed, Viv is hanging up her sword for the last time.

The battle-weary orc aims to start fresh, opening the first ever coffee shop in the city of Thune. But old and new rivals stand in the way of success - not to mention the fact that no one has the faintest idea what coffee actually is.

If Viv wants to put the blade behind her and make her plans a reality, she won't be able to go it alone.

But the true rewards of the uncharted path are the travelers you meet along the way. And whether drawn together by ancient magic, flaky pastry, or a freshly brewed cup, they may become partners, family, and something deeper than she ever could have dreamed."

I love that this book is getting so much love!

The Resemblance by Lauren Nossett
Published by: Flatiron Books
Publication Date: November 8th, 2022
Format: Hardcover, 320 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"Lauren Nossett's artfully written debut, The Resemblance is an exhilarating, atmospheric campus thriller reminiscent of The Secret History and The Likeness.

Never betray the brotherhood On a chilly November morning at the University of Georgia, a fraternity brother steps off a busy crosswalk and is struck dead by an oncoming car. More than a dozen witnesses all agree on two things: the driver looked identical to the victim, and he was smiling.

Detective Marlitt Kaplan is first on the scene. An Athens native and the daughter of a UGA professor, she knows all its shameful histories, from the skull discovered under the foundations of Baldwin Hall to the hushed-up murder-suicide in Waddel. But in the course of investigating this hit-and-run, she will uncover more chilling secrets as she explores the sprawling, interconnected Greek system that entertains and delights the university’s most elite and connected students.

The lines between Marlitt's police work and her own past increasingly blur as Marlitt seeks to bring to justice an institution that took something precious from her many years ago. When threats against her escalate, and some long-buried secrets threaten to come to the surface, she can't help questioning whether the corruption in Athens has run off campus and into the force and how far these brotherhoods will go to protect their own."

Sold at ANY similarity to The Likeness. Most would say sold at The Secret History, but for me, The Likeness is sheer perfection.

Murder at Black Oaks by Phillip Margolin
Published by: Minotaur Books
Publication Date: November 8th, 2022
Format: Hardcover, 288 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"In Phillip Margolin's Murder at Black Oaks, Attorney Robin Lockwood finds herself at an isolated retreat in the Oregon mountains, one with a tragic past and a legendary curse, and surrounded by many suspects and confronted with an impossible crime.

Defense Attorney Robin Lockwood is summoned by retired District Attorney Francis Melville to meet with him at Black Oaks, the manor he owns up in the Oregon mountains. The manor has an interesting history - originally built in 1628 in England, there's a murderous legend and curse attached to the mansion. Melville, however, wants Lockwood's help in a legal matter - righting a wrongful conviction from his days as a DA. A young man, Jose Alvarez, was convicted of murdering his girlfriend only for Melville, years later when in private practice, to have a client of his admit to the murder and to framing the man Melville convicted. Unable to reveal what he knew due to attorney client confidence, Melville now wants Lockwood's help in getting that conviction overturned.

Successful in their efforts, Melville invites Lockwood up to Black Oaks for a celebration. Lockwood finds herself among an odd group of invitees - including the bitter, newly released, Alvarez. When Melville is found murdered, with a knife connected to the original curse, Lockwood finds herself faced with a conundrum - who is the murder among them and how to stop them before there's another victim."

Isolation, murder, and a curse? Oh yes!

Peril in Paris by Rhys Bowen
Published by: Berkley
Publication Date: November 8th, 2022
Format: Hardcover, 304 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"Lady Georgiana Rannoch and her dashing husband, Darcy, are awaiting a bundle of joy, but an unexpected trip to Paris will thrust them straight into a tangled web of international intrigue in this all-new mystery in the New York Times bestselling Royal Spyness series from Rhys Bowen.

What a delight it is to finally be able to enjoy a simple meal again! I have been in the throes of morning sickness for the last few months as Darcy and I prepare to welcome a brand-new addition to our little family. Now that I am feeling better, I have realized I am dreadfully bored! It seems that all my nearest and dearest are off leading their own busy lives while I sit at home and attempt to train our two adorably naughty puppies. Fun as it may be, it is hard not to long for a little adventure, a change of pace, before my true confinement begins when the baby comes.

Happily, it seems that Darcy has read my mind. When I receive a letter from my glamorous best friend, Belinda, Darcy suggests we take a trip to Paris to visit her. It seems he also has a spot of business of which to take care, so I will be staying in Belinda’s flat as she works feverishly on Coco Chanel's fall collection. I happen to know Coco from a disastrous encounter in Nice years ago, and I am hoping this visit will go much more smoothly. But I soon learn that nothing about my time in Paris is going to be simple...or safe for that matter.

Darcy has asked me to take on a small chore as a part of his latest assignment. I am to covertly retrieve something from an attendee of Coco's show. It seems easy enough, but I discover that this little errand could have terrifying consequences for a world on the brink of war. When things go horribly wrong, I am left to find a killer all while trying to fend off a French policeman who is certain that I am a criminal mastermind. But I have no plans to deliver my darling little one in a prison cell, and so I will muster every ounce of my courage to save the day...and, quite possibly, the world!"

Our beloved Royal Spyness is back!

Better Than Fiction by Alexa Martin
Published by: Berkley
Publication Date: November 8th, 2022
Format: Hardcover, 336 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"One of Buzzfeed’s New Romances to Read This Fall!

Love isn't always by the book in this charming romantic comedy about a bookseller discovering how to be the main character in her story.

As a self-proclaimed book hater and a firm believer that the movie is always better, Drew Young didn't anticipate inheriting her grandma's bookstore, the Book Nook. She's in way over her head even before the shop's resident book club, comprising seven of the naughtiest old ladies ever, begin to do what they do best - meddle.

Bestselling author Jasper Williams is a hopeless romantic. When he meets Drew at his Book Nook signing event, he becomes determined to show her the beauty of reading. He curates a book bucket list in exchange for her help exploring the local Denver scene for his current manuscript. From going river rafting to trying local restaurants, Drew begins to connect with Jasper in a way she only thought happened in fiction.

When messy family ties jeopardize the future of the Book Nook, Drew is caught between a bookshelf and a hard place. She's reminded that real life isn't always big dreams and sweeping romance. But Jasper is the plot twist she never saw coming and he's writing a happily ever after just for them."

Yes, this book is a fantasy I would love to live.

Dawnlands by Philippa Gregory
Published by: Atria Books
Publication Date: November 8th, 2022
Format: Hardcover, 512 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"The "superb" (People) Fairmile series from #1 New York Times bestselling author Philippa Gregory continues as the fiercely independent Alinor and her family find themselves entangled in palace intrigue and political upheaval in 17th-century England.

It is 1685 and England is on the brink of a renewed civil war. King Charles II has died without an heir and his brother James is to take the throne. But the people are bitterly divided, and many do not welcome the new king or his young queen. Ned Ferryman cannot persuade his sister, Alinor, that he is right to return from America with his Pokanoket servant, Rowan, to join the rebel army. Instead, Alinor and her daughter Alys, have been coaxed by the manipulative Livia to save the queen from the coming siege. The rewards are life-changing: the family could return to their beloved Tidelands, and Alinor could rule where she was once lower than a servant.

Alinor's son is determined to stay clear of the war, but, in order to keep his own secrets in the past, Livia traps him in a plan to create an imposter Prince of Wales - a surrogate baby to the queen.

From the last battle in the desolate Somerset Levels to the hidden caves on the slave island of Barbados, this third volume of an epic story follows a family from one end of the empire to another, to find a new dawn in a world which is opening up before them with greater rewards and dangers than ever before."

New Philippa Gregory!?! YAS!

Posted by Miss Eliza at 12:00 AM 0 comments  

Labels: Alexa Martin, C.J. Tudor, C.L. Polk, Grace Draven, Her Royal Spyness, Lauren Nossett, Marissa Meyer, Philippa Gregory, Phillip Margolin, Rhys Bowen, Shannon Fay, The Likeness, The Secret History, Travis Baldree