strange and random happenstance

Winter by Val McDermid
Published by: Atlantic Monthly Press
Publication Date: January 13th, 2026
Format: Hardcover, 160 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"In this radiant work of creative nonfiction, internationally beloved novelist Val McDermid delivers a dazzling ode to a lost world, ruminating on a single winter in her life as she journeys into the heart of the season's ever-evolving community-based traditions.

Val McDermid has always had a soft spot for winter: the bitter clarity of a crisp cold day, the crunch of frost on fallen leaves, and the chance to be enveloped in big jumpers and thick socks.

In Winter, McDermid takes us on an adventure through the season, from the frosty streets of Edinburgh to the windblown Scottish coast, from Bonfire Night and Christmas to Burns Night and Up Helly Aa. Recalling in parallel memories from her own childhood - of skating over frozen lakes and carving a "neep" (rutabaga) for Halloween to being taken to see her first real Christmas tree in the town square - McDermid offers a wise and enchanting meditation on winter and its ever-changing, sometimes ephemeral, traditions.

A hygge-filled journey through winter nights, McDermid reminds us that it is a time of rest, retreat and creativity, for scribbling in notebooks and settling in beside the fire. A treat for the hunkering-down, post-holiday reading season, Winter is a charming and cozy celebration of the year's idle months from one of Scotland's best-loved writers."

The perfect book for a cold winter night reading by the fire.

The Briars by Sarah Crouch
Published by: Atria Books
Publication Date: January 13th, 2026
Format: Hardcover, 320 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"The USA Today bestselling author of Middletide returns with a lush and atmospheric novel of suspense following a young woman whose job as a game warden puts her in the path of a murderer in a small town eager to protect its own.

Desperate to escape a relationship gone bad, Annie Heston flees north to accept a job as a game warden in Lake Lumin, a picturesque town in the mountains of the Pacific Northwest.

A cougar has been spotted in the area, and as Annie warns the community of the threat, she quickly discovers that not everyone in the tight-knit town is welcoming of outsiders, except for Daniel Barela, a reclusive carpenter who lives in the shadow of the mountain. They form an instant bond, though Annie soon comes to realize there is more to his past than meets the eye.

When the body of a young woman is found in the briars that border Daniel's property, the peace Annie has found in Lake Lumin shatters. As she assists the local sheriff with the investigation, Annie must rely on her wilderness training and intuition to find a murderer hiding in plain sight.

Urgent and emotionally complex, The Briars is a captivating literary thriller that marries an exploration of human nature with a plot as thorny and twisted as the brambles for which it is named."

Even when there are cougars about man is still the deadliest animal. 

Murder Your Darlings by Jenna Blum
Published by: Harper
Publication Date: January 13th, 2026
Format: Hardcover, 368 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"For every woman who's ever fallen for a bad man comes a hilarious and eviscerating tale of love, loss, and deadlines from New York Times bestselling author Jenna Blum.

Known for such brilliant historical novels as Those Who Save Us and The Lost Family, A Mighty Blaze co-founder and New York Times bestselling author Jenna Blum now offers a contemporary, suspenseful novel about love, loss, and revenge in the world of books.

Simone "Sam" Vetiver is a mid-career novelist finishing a lukewarm publicity tour while facing a deadline for a new book on which she's totally blocked. Recently divorced, Sam is worrying where her life is going when she receives glowing fan mail from stratospherically successful author William Corwyn, renowned for his female-centric novels. When William and Sam meet and his literary sympathy is as intense as their chemistry, both writers think they've found The One.

But as in their own novels, things between Sam and William are not what they seem. William has multiple stalkers, including a scarily persistent one named The Rabbit. He lives on a remote Maine island, where his writer life resembles The Shining. And when writers turn up dead, including from The Darlings support group William runs, Sam has to ask: Is it The Rabbit - William's #1 Stalker? Another woman scorned? Can William be everything he seems?

Narrated by Sam, William, and The Rabbit, Murder Your Darlings is a wickedly witty look at today's literary landscape and down-the-rabbit-hole tale of how far people will go for love."

Murdering members of your own writers group on a remote island smacks of stupidity. Or... hubris... 

The Lodge by Paul Finch
Published by: Thomas and Mercer
Publication Date: January 13th, 2026
Format: Paperback, 350 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"It's the perfect getaway. Until there's no way out.

You have been dreaming of an unforgettable weekend escape, and Black Tarn Lodge seems to offer everything - a magnificent Gothic mansion with towering turrets nestled in the misty Lancashire hills.

Expecting elegant dinners, vintage wines and a screening of a legendary lost film in the private cinema, all seems perfect. Until night falls and a thick fog isolates you from the world. Your phones go missing. Guests start vanishing. And then you find the body.

Someone, it seems, fell from the roof. But you can't help wondering if he was pushed. Totally cut off, you cannot leave or call for help. You don't know these people. But you need to decide who you can trust soon. Because someone is going to be next - will it be you?

From Sunday Times bestseller Paul Finch comes a totally addictive thriller that will leave you utterly breathless as you race through the pages. Perfect for fans of Lucy Clarke, Ruth Ware and Lucy Foley."

Just saying, wine bottles make a nice weapon. Though I'm sure in a Gothic mansion there's plenty of weaponry on the walls to choose from.

The Chateau Murder by Greg Mosse
Published by: Hodder and Stoughton
Publication Date: January 13th, 2026
Format: eBook, 352 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"Wish accidental detective Zoe Pascal bonne chance as she finds herself embroiled in another murder!

Zoe Pascal has settled into her new life in the picturesque village of Sainte-Catherine, running her beloved bookshop with her new companion, Russell the dog.

When an old friend invites Zoe to join her family at Chateau Palotte for the holidays, Zoe heads off into the French countryside to the grand, yet slightly dilapidated, castle.

But there's a frosty atmosphere at the chateau - and when the butler is found dead, Zoe is forced to ask: Was this an accident, or is there a murderer in the grounds?

Soon, Zoe uncovers that everyone staying at the chateau has a motive for murder - can she uncover the truth, before they strike again?"

Well, of course everyone has a motive for murdering the butler. A butler is the one person whom everyone would have had contact with. 

Inside Man by John McMahon
Published by: Minotaur Books
Publication Date: January 13th, 2026
Format: Hardcover, 400 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"In this sequel to McMahon's electrifying series debut, Head Cases, Gardner Camden and the PAR team return to investigate potentially connected cases.

FBI Agent Gardner Camden is an analytical genius with an affinity for puzzles. He and his squad of brilliant yet quirky agents make up the Patterns and Recognition (PAR) unit, the FBI's hidden edge, brought in for cases that no one else can solve.

PAR's latest case involves a militia group stockpiling weapons. When their confidential informant in the case is killed, it quickly becomes clear that the militia did not kill him.

As the squad looks into the evidence surrounding his murder, an unidentified man is caught on camera with their informant. This mystery man's picture is connected to another case at the FBI, an unsolved series of murdered women, buried in the ground in north Florida. Could they have uncovered a serial killer? And if so, what is his connection to their C.I.?

As PAR juggles an investigation into both the dead women and the militia, they enroll a new informant, only to find the case escalating in dangerous ways. How will PAR handle a case that increasingly looks like a terrorist plot? And in the serial case, with no puzzles or witnesses, and few leads, how will a group set up to decode riddles be successful?"

Maybe the C.I. was a serial killer looking to cover his ass?

Divine Ruin by Margot Douaihy
Published by: Gillian Flynn Books
Publication Date: January 13th, 2026
Format: Hardcover, 336 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"In the latest in the USA Today bestselling, award-winning, critically acclaimed series, New Orleans punk rock nun-detective Sister Holiday plunges into a "hellish underworld of drug trafficking, addiction, and her own dark past in a journey that is both riveting and sacred." (Ana Reyes, New York Times bestselling author of The House in the Pines)

It's a steamy, restless end of the school year in New Orleans. Sister Holiday is finishing her music classes and preparing for her permanent vow ceremony, a pivotal moment in her journey of faith. But when one of her favorite students is found dead of a fentanyl overdose, Sister Holiday and her partner-in-PI, Magnolia Riveaux, are determined to track down the drug dealers. As students continue to fall prey to this sinister drug, Sister Holiday becomes more desperate to stop the epidemic - while facing her own past with addiction, a demon that is never too far.

With Douaihy's signature mix of grit, heart, and faith, Divine Ruin tests the limits of Sister Holiday's devotion in her darkest and most shocking case yet."

Nuns busting drug dealers!

Pig Wife by Abbey Luck
Published by: Top Shelf Productions
Publication Date: January 13th, 2026
Format: Paperback, 540 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"Accidentally trapped in an underground bunker, a teen girl must navigate the bizarre secrets within. This astonishing indie-horror graphic novel will keep readers guessing - and turning pages!

Mary had a bad feeling even before they arrived at dead Aunt Pearl's house. Dragged to a remote mining town so her mom and stepdad can settle Pearl's estate, Mary can't wait to escape from her wreck of a family - but she's stuck with them in the middle of nowhere. After a vicious fight, Mary runs off to hide in an abandoned gold mine. Her escape plan backfires when she realizes she's trapped inside. Even more terrifying...she's not alone.

Filled with suspense, dark humor, and spectacular nightmares, Pig Wife is a shockingly ambitious debut from graphic novelist Abbey Luck, seizing readers by the heart and the throat with a story of isolation, abuse, trauma, and survival.

In this truly twisted coming-of-age tale, Luck suggests that survival doesn't depend on our strength and wits alone - but on our ability to love others, even in the most horrific circumstances."

A lesson all should have learned from The Goonies.

Detour by Jeff Rake and Rob Hart
Published by: Random House Worlds
Publication Date: January 13th, 2026
Format: Hardcover, 320 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"A space shuttle flight crew discovers that the Earth they've returned to is not the home they left behind in the first book of this emotional, mind-bending thriller series from the creator of the hit Netflix show Manifest and the bestselling author of The Warehouse.

Ryan Crane wasn't looking for trouble - just a cup of coffee. But when this cop spots a gunman emerging from an unmarked van, he leaps into action and unknowingly saves John Ward, a billionaire with presidential aspirations, from an assassination attempt.

As thanks for Ryan's quick thinking, Ward offers him the chance of a lifetime: to join a group of lucky civilians chosen to accompany three veteran astronauts on the first manned mission to Saturn's moon Titan.

A devoted family man, Ryan is reluctant to leave on this two-year expedition, yet with the encouragement of his loving wife - and an exorbitant paycheck guaranteeing lifetime care for their disabled son - he crews up and ventures into a new frontier.

But as the ship is circling Titan, it is rocked by an unexplained series of explosions. The crew works together to get back on course, and they return to Earth as heroes.

When the fanfare dies down, Ryan and his fellow astronauts notice that things are different. Some changes are good, such as lavish upgrades to their homes, but others are more disconcerting. Before the group can connect, mysterious figures start tailing them, and their communications are scrambled.

Separated and suspicious, the crew must uncover the truth and decide how far they're willing to go to return to their normal lives. Just when their space adventure seemingly ends, it shockingly begins."

AKA another in a long long list of why I'd never go to space.

The Last of Earth by Deepa Anappara
Published by: Random House
Publication Date: January 13th, 2026
Format: Hardcover, 352 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"From the award-winning author of Djinn Patrol on the Purple Line comes a stunning historical novel set in nineteenth-century Tibet that follows two outsiders - an Indian schoolteacher spying for the British Empire and an English "lady" explorer - as they venture into a forbidden kingdom.

1869. Tibet is closed to Europeans, an infuriating obstruction for the rap­idly expanding British Empire. In response, Britain begins training Indians - permitted to cross borders that white men may not - to undertake illicit, dangerous surveying expeditions into Tibet.

Balram is one such surveyor-spy, an Indian schoolteacher who, for several years, has worked for the British, often alongside his dearest friend, Gyan. But Gyan went missing on his last expedition and is rumored to be imprisoned within Tibet. Desperate to rescue his friend, Balram agrees to guide an English captain on a foolhardy mission: After years of paying others to do the exploring, the captain, disguised as a monk, wants to personally chart a river that runs through southern Tibet. Their path will cross fatefully with that of another Westerner in disguise, fifty-year-old Katherine. Denied a fellowship in the all-male Royal Geographical Society in London, she intends to be the first European woman to reach Lhasa.

As Balram and Katherine make their way into Tibet, they will face storms and bandits, snow leopards and soldiers, fevers and frostbite. What's more, they will have to battle their own doubts, ambitions, grief, and pasts in order to survive the treacherous landscape.

A polyphonic novel about the various ways humans try to leave a mark on the world - from the enduring nature of family and friendship to the egomania and obsessions of the colonial enterprise - The Last of Earth confirms Deepa Anappara as one of our greatest and most ambitious storytellers."

Has a slight Black Narcissus vibe.

The Bookbinder's Secret by A.D. Bell
Published by: St. Martin's Press
Publication Date: January 13th, 2026
Format: Hardcover, 400 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"Every book tells a story. This one tells a secret.

A young bookbinder begins a hunt for the truth when a confession hidden beneath the binding of a burned book reveals a story of forbidden love, lost fortune, and murder.

Lilian ("Lily") Delaney, apprentice to a master bookbinder in Oxford in 1901, chafes at the confines of her life. She is trapped between the oppressiveness of her father's failing bookshop and still being an apprentice in a man's profession. But when she's given a burned book during a visit to a collector, she finds, hidden beneath the binding, a fifty-year-old letter speaking of love, fortune, and murder.

Lily is pulled into the mystery of the young lovers, a story of forbidden love, and discovers there are more books and more hidden pages telling their story. Lilian becomes obsessed with the story but she is not the only one looking for the remaining books and what began as a diverting intrigue quickly becomes a very dangerous pursuit.

Lily's search leads her from the eccentric booksellers of London to the private libraries of unscrupulous collectors and the dusty archives of society papers, deep into the heart of the mystery. But with sinister forces closing in, willing to do anything for the books, Lilian's world begins to fall apart and she must decide if uncovering the truth is worth the risk to her own life."

If I were to leave a scandalous story after my death I'd totally hide it in books that then get flung to the four corners of the Earth. My story would be a treasure hunt!

Graceless Heart by Isabel Ibañez
Published by: Saturday Books
Publication Date: January 13th, 2026
Format: Hardcover, 488 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"#1 New York Times bestseller Isabel Ibañez in her adult debut: a gorgeous, historical, and romantic fantasy that will leave readers breathless for more!

She was never meant to be seen. Now she's a weapon the world can't ignore.

As a sculptress, Ravenna Maffei has always shaped beauty from stone but she has a terrible secret. Desperate to save her brother, she enters a competition hosted by Florence's most feared immortal family, revealing a dark power in a city where magic is forbidden.

Now a captive in the cutthroat city of Florence, Ravenna is forced into a dangerous task where failure meets certain death at the hands of Saturnino dei Luni, the immortal family's mesmerizing but merciless heir. But as he draws her closer, Ravenna realizes the true threat lies beyond Florence's walls.

The Pope's war against magic is closing in, and Ravenna is no longer just a prisoner but a prize to be claimed. As trusting the wrong person becomes lethal, Ravenna must survive the treacherous line between a pope's obsession and the seductive immortal who might be the end of her - or surrender her power to a city on the brink of war."

I would totally choose an immortal over the pop any day. 

The Poisoner by I.V. Ophelia
Published by: Simon Maverick
Publication Date: January 13th, 2026
Format: Paperback, 400 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"The Lost Apothecary meets Gothikana in a Victorian era Gothic romance about a botanist who likes to poison unsavory men, but when her next target visits her apothecary, they discover their dark bond runs deeper than they imagined.

"Have you ever wondered how long it would take for a lethal dose of arsenic to kill you?
Thirty-five hours, twenty-nine minutes, and fifteen seconds.
I should know. I counted myself."

Amidst the gaslit alleys and cobblestone streets of Victorian London, two killers find themselves entangled in a waltz they cannot escape.

Alina Lis, a botanist and hobbyist poisoner, has a pastime of killing unsavory men in her twisted sense of poetic justice. When she targets the conceited playboy, Silas Forbes, only to find him in her apothecary the following week, she discovers human men are the least of her problems.

The pair's unlikely association sparks gossip among affluent society. As their mysterious bond deepens, a chilling truth emerges - concealed identities, lurking foes, and questions as plentiful as the hydra's head brew within this haunting Gothic tale of violent passion.

Will Silas and Alina find themselves in each other's arms, or will the shadows of their past keep them apart?"

Or will they bring their vengeance down on London?

The East Wind by Alexandria Warwick
Published by: S and S/Saga Press
Publication Date: January 13th, 2026
Format: Paperback, 432 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"Rapunzel meets the myth of Psyche and Cupid in a stand-alone fantasy romance tale of love, survival and healing, as a mortal woman and a god unite to overcome deadly trials - and their own tortured pasts - in the climactic final installment of the Four Winds series.

Min of Marles is a skilled apprentice, assisting the town's apothecarist in brewing potions, tonics, and deadly poisons. High in the estate tower where she works, a powerful immortal is kept chained, tortured daily for information. His screams haunt her waking and dreaming hours. A god, she learns. The East Wind, Eurus, who commands the sea-born storms.

A hasty attempt to free him leads to Min's own capture and forced employment to the East Wind as an aide to his grand plans for revenge. In the City of Gods, a tournament is held every thousand years, in which the winner may ask a favor from the esteemed Council of Gods. If Eurus wins, the council must reverse his banishment, the sentence that exiled him and his brothers to the mortal realms. But he requires a deadly poison to ensure that, once the favor is granted, the council will pay for his centuries long exile.

To earn her freedom, Min reluctantly assists in Eurus's plans. As they work together to defeat the deadly trials, she realizes her relationship to the East Wind isn't purely transactional. But if she ever wishes to return home, she must betray the god she loves.

For more stories from the world of the Four Winds, check out The North Wind, The West Wind, and The South Wind."

Is home home or is home the person you love?

The Luminous Fairies and Mothra by Shin'ichirō Nakamura, Takehiko Fukunaga, and Yoshie Hotta
Published by: University of Minnesota Press
Publication Date: January 13th, 2026
Format: Paperback, 120 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"The original story that hatched Mothra, one of the most beloved monsters in the "kaijuverse" - available in English for the first time.

Mystical and benevolent, the colossal lepidopteran Mothra has been one of the most beloved kaiju since 1961, when The Luminous Fairies and Mothra was originally published in Japanese. Commissioned by Tōhō Studios from three of Japan's most prominent postwar literary writers (Shin'ichirō Nakamura, Takehiko Fukunaga, and Yoshie Hotta), the novella formed the basis for the now-classic monster film Mothra, with a protagonist second only to Godzilla in number of film appearances by a kaiju. Finally available in its first official English translation, The Luminous Fairies and Mothra will captivate ardent, longtime fans of the films as well as newcomers.

Written just months after the largest political demonstrations Japan had ever seen, The Luminous Fairies and Mothra reflects the rebellious spirit of the time. In this original story, explorers visit a South Pacific island and capture a group of fairies, inciting the fury of the goddess Mothra, who sets out for Japan on a mission of rescue and revenge. Expressing a powerful social stance about Japan's need to chart its own foreign policy during the Cold War, the novella's political message was ultimately toned down in the Tōhō Studios film. Through this translation, Anglophone audiences will discover Mothra as a figure of protest fiction intricately reflecting the complex geopolitical situation in early 1960s Japan.

The Luminous Fairies and Mothra is translated into lively prose by Jeffrey Angles, who also wrote an extensive afterword about the novella's cultural context, the unusual story of its composition, and the development of the 1961 film. Following Angles's best-selling translation of the original Godzilla novellas, this new work will once again delight kaiju fans everywhere."

And release just in time to tide you over until season two of Monarch: Legacy of Monsters. 

Starling Nights by Merit Niemeitz
Published by: One More Chapter
Publication Date: January 13th, 2026
Format: Kindle, 430 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"The Secret History meets Twilight in this gripping Dark Academia with a romantasy twist!

Some secrets are written in the stars.

Others hide in the shadows.

There were many myths told about Cambridge. Stories woven from rumour and skewed half-truths, the thin fabric passed from hand to hand in the shadows.

The university kept the true, unfiltered secrets of this place. Only a select few were capable of understanding what it had to tell. People like us. We understood because we were part of it. Because we were the biggest secret of all.

Cambridge student Mabel Golding learned long ago to keep her head down and avoid getting entangled in other people's drama, but when her best friend, Zoe, is drawn into the circle of a mysterious student society with centuries of history, Mabel feels inordinately uneasy. Even more so when she soon finds herself dangerously close to the heart of The League of Starlings, and to its inscrutable leader, Blake..."

ALL about secret societies! 

Into the Midnight Wood by Alexandra McCollum
Published by: Dutton
Publication Date: January 13th, 2026
Format: Paperback, 416 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"A whimsical queer romance about two mismatched roommates whose fragile - and definitely not romantic at all - balance is upended by an impending family wedding and an otherworldly danger in the nearby enchanted wood.

There are at least 100 things wrong with Meredith Schwarzwelder. In fact, keeping track of these things is the only way David Carew has managed to remain living with him for as long as he has. Meredith is an irredeemable eccentric who flirts with everyone in his path (#3 on the list), cries at anything (#35), makes the worst coffee in the world (#70), and talks to mice, or imagines he does (#50).

It's bad enough living with such a person on the edge of the Midnight Wood, but when magic starts to seep from the wood and a dark being emerges with a sinister plan involving Meredith, David decides that it's time to leave the cottage, and his roommate, behind. Then Meredith's brother gets engaged to the daughter of David's boss, and David sees an opportunity: If he can insert himself into the festivities, maybe he can advance his career and get himself out of a personal rut.

With wedding bells sounding and the dangers of the Midnight Wood encroaching, David realizes there's much more hiding beneath the surface of his roommate's seemingly carefree charm, and that perhaps his own exasperation carries more fondness than he'd like to admit.

Cozy, sharp, steamy, and poignant, Into the Midnight Wood is a contemporary queer fairy tale about the masks we wear, the stories we tell, and the powerful need for true, honest connection to heal old wounds and new."

I mean, if you can enough to make a numbered list about the ways someone annoys you, you are already so far gone it isn't even funny. 

A Midnight Pastry Shop Called Hwawoldang by Lee Onhwa
Published by: William Morrow
Publication Date: January 13th, 2026
Format: Hardcover, 240 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"For readers of Before the Coffee Gets Cold, The Dallergut Dream Department Store, and The Midnight Library, a sweetly magical and uplifting novel about a young woman who inherits an enchanted bakery that spirits visit on their last stop before the afterlife.

Twenty-seven-year-old Yeon-hwa has inherited a neighborhood bakery from her grandmother. Curiously, her grandmother's will spells out two conditions: Yeon-hwa must keep the shop going for at least another month and only open it to customers from 10 PM until midnight. Yeon-hwa is hesitant at first; her grandmother was always distant, raising Yeon-hwa after her parents died in a car accident. But she agrees to the terms, hoping that running the bakery will help her to finally understand her grandmother after all these years.

Yeon-hwa soon learns that the Hwawoldang - the name means "flower moon temple" - is not an ordinary dessert shop. The customers who arrive late at night are spirits, there to attend to unfinished business before being reincarnated. The sweets they crave hold some deep significance in their earthly lives, and they expect Yeon-hwa to meet their requests, as her grandmother did.

With each customer who arrives, Yeon-hwa learns which special desserts live in their memories and will help them on their way. Aided by the shop's resident black cat, Yeon-hwa learns how to find closure for her customers - and begins to unravel her own family's secrets as well."

This is such a feel good type of tale, which is why I would like books like this to stop being compared to The Midnight Library. That is NOT a feel good book. Not. At. All. 

The Lust Crusade by Jo Segura
Published by: Berkley
Publication Date: January 13th, 2026
Format: Paperback, 384 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"A plucky librarian and an archaeologist on the run fake an engagement to save their lives, leading them into the labyrinth of their own desires.

Daniela Guiterrez has been in love with her brother's best friend for as long as she can remember - until he went missing a year ago during an archaeological expedition. But on a solo trip to Greece, the intrepid librarian discovers that Theo is very much alive, although judging by the criminals holding him hostage, he is not doing well.

An expert in Ancient Greek archaeology, Dr. Theo Galanis has been abducted by artifact smugglers in search of a priceless gemstone - the Eye of the Minotaur. This ridiculous assignment was supposed to get Dani out of his system, not keep her tied up next to him. But when a little white lie spirals into his captors believing Theo and Dani are engaged, they must utilize her research skills and his expertise to solve the centuries' old Minoan mystery, all while feigning a romance to keep each other alive.

Now with less than six days to find the jewel, underground societies, mythological beings, and pesky abductors are only half the battle. Because among the ancient ruins and temples they explore is an even bigger danger: falling in love for real."

The third Indiana Jones "homage" by Jo Segura that has me questioning if she will continue with Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull and Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny. The latter of which has a banging title I've thought of for Jo Segura to use...

What Have I Done? My Autobiography by Ben Elton
Published by: Macmillan UK
Publication Date: January 13th, 2026
Format: Hardcover, 352 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"Many people think they know who Ben Elton is - but does he?

For the first - and only - time, Ben tackles this question head on in his frank, forthright and entertaining autobiography. Taking a deep dive into his life and times, both private and public, to reveal the true stories behind iconic hits such as The Young Ones, Blackadder and We Will Rock You, his pioneering routines hosting Saturday Live, which birthed a revolution in stand-up comedy, and so much more. Ben recounts his life and uniquely varied career from his Catford childhood and being the BBC's youngest ever sitcom writer at 21 right up to the present day, with yet another hit sitcom, Upstart Crow; a surprise late-life BAFTA; and his most critically acclaimed stand-up comedy show to date.

Alongside unique insights into his ground-breaking work, Ben talks honestly and hilariously about his personal and professional relationships with two generations of brilliant friends, inspiring contemporaries, occasional foes, and the times in which they all lived. And Ben's life has been just as challenging, rewarding and funny off screen as it has been on. He unpacks it all with wit, insight and complete honesty. And of course, there's a 'little bit of politics.'

After living sixty five years on the planet, forty-five of them in public, tickling many funny bones and getting on a respectable number of wicks, Ben has a lot of stories to tell, and he tells them unvarnished and uncensored - because that's who he is."

I'd buy this just to read about Blackadder, but if he can justify how horrible Maybe Baby was, well then, it's totally worth the price.

Posted by Miss Eliza at 12:00 AM 0 comments  

Labels: A.D. Bell, Alexandra McCollum, Alexandria Warwick, Ben Elton, Deepa Anappara, Greg Mosse, I.V. Ophelia, Isabel Ibañez, Jo Segura, John McMahon, Kaiju, Lee Onhwa, Margot Douaihy, Merit Niemeitz, Mothra, Sarah Crouch, Val McDermid

Horror Movie by Paul Tremblay
Published by: William Morrow and Company
Publication Date: June 11th, 2024
Format: Hardcover, 288 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"A chilling twist on the "cursed film" genre from the bestselling author of The Pallbearers Club and The Cabin at the End of the World.

In June 1993, a group of young guerilla filmmakers spent four weeks making Horror Movie, a notorious, disturbing, art-house horror flick.

The weird part? Only three of the film's scenes were ever released to the public, but Horror Movie has nevertheless grown a rabid fanbase. Three decades later, Hollywood is pushing for a big budget reboot.

The man who played "The Thin Kid" is the only surviving cast member. He remembers all too well the secrets buried within the original screenplay, the bizarre events of the filming, and the dangerous crossed lines on set that resulted in tragedy. As memories flood back in, the boundaries between reality and film, past and present start to blur. But he's going to help remake the film, even if it means navigating a world of cynical producers, egomaniacal directors, and surreal fan conventions - demons of the past be damned.

But at what cost?

Horror Movie is an obsessive, psychologically chilling, and suspenseful feat of storytelling genius that builds inexorably to an unforgettable, mind-bending conclusion."

Cursed movies is a whole subgenre that I can't get enough of.

That Night in the Library by Eva Jurczyk
Published by: Poisoned Pen Press
Publication Date: June 11th, 2024
Format: Hardcover, 288 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"One night locked in the library. What could go wrong?

On the night before graduation, seven students gather in the basement of their university's rare books library. They're not allowed in the library after closing time, but it's the perfect place for the ritual they want to perform - one borrowed from the Greeks, said to free those who take part in it from the fear of death. And what better time to seek the wisdom of ancient gods than in the hours before they'll scatter in different directions to start their real lives?

But just a few minutes into their celebration, the lights go out - and one of them drops dead. As the body count rises, with nothing but the books to protect them, the group must figure out how to survive the night while trapped with a murderer. That Night in the Library is a chilling literary mystery that transports readers to a world where secrets live in the dark, books breathe fears to life, and the only way out is to wait until morning."

As The Doctor would say when being hunted in a library and you're in need of weapons; "You want weapons? We're in a library. Books are the best weapon in the world."

A Talent for Murder by Peter Swanson
Published by: William Morrow and Company
Publication Date: June 11th, 2024
Format: Hardcover, 272 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"A newlywed librarian begins to suspect the man she married is a murderer in this spectacularly twisty and deviously clever novel by Peter Swanson, New York Times bestselling author of The Kind Worth Killing and Eight Perfect Murders.

No murder is by the book.

Martha Ratliff conceded long ago that she'd likely spend her life alone. She was fine with it, happy with her solo existence, stimulated by her work as a librarian in Maine. But then she met Alan, a charming and sweet-natured salesman whose job took him on the road for half the year. When he asked her to marry him, she said yes, even though he still felt a little bit like a stranger.

A year in and the marriage was good, except for that strange blood streak on the back of one of his shirts he'd worn to a conference in Denver. Her curiosity turning to suspicion, Martha investigates the cities Alan visited over the past year and uncovers a disturbing pattern - five unsolved cases of murdered women.

Is she married to a serial killer? Or could it merely be a coincidence? Unsure what to think, Martha contacts an old friend from graduate school for advice. Lily Kintner once helped Martha out of a jam with an abusive boyfriend and may have some insight. Intrigued, Lily offers to meet Alan to find out what kind of man he really is...but what Lily uncovers is more perplexing and wicked than they ever could have expected."

More perplexing? Was she targeted to be his wife as a perfect alibi?

What Fire Brings by Rachel Howzell Hall
Published by: Thomas and Mercer
Publication Date: June 11th, 2024
Format: Hardcover, 384 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"A writer's search for her missing friend becomes a real-life thriller in a twisting novel of suspense by the New York Times bestselling author of These Toxic Things.

Bailey Meadows has just moved into the remote Topanga Canyon home of thriller author Jack Beckham. As his writer-in-residence, she's supposed to help him once again reach the bestseller list. But she's not there to write a thriller - she's there to find Sam Morris, a community leader dedicated to finding missing people, who has disappeared in the canyon surrounding Beckham's property.

The missing woman was last seen in the drought-stricken forest known for wildfires and mountain lions. Each new day, Bailey learns just how dangerous these canyons are - for the other women who have also gone missing here...and for her. Could these missing women be linked to strange events that occurred decades ago at the Beckham estate?

As fire season in the canyons approaches, Bailey must race to unravel the truth from fiction before she becomes the next woman lost in the forest."

But her investigation could become a True Crime bestseller depending of she makes it out alive...

Hope to Die by Cara Hunter
Published by: William Morrow and Company
Publication Date: June 11th, 2024
Format: Paperback, 432 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"Self-defense or murder? In the continuation of one of Britain's most popular crime series from Cara Hunter - the author of the instant New York Times bestseller Murder in the Family - DI Fawley returns to determine if someone has staged a crime scene in connection with another homicide from years past.

Midnight. A grisly murder scene at isolated farm on the outskirts of Oxford.

A man lies dead in the kitchen - shot point blank. The farm's elderly owners claim the shooting was self-defense against a burglar. But something about the crime scene doesn't sit right with DI Adam Fawley, whose gut tells him there's more to their story. If the victim came to rob the house, why wasn't he wearing gloves or carrying tools? Why didn't the owner of the house call the police right after the shooting? Why did his wife wash his blood splattered clothes immediately?

Digging deeper, the police realize this is no ordinary burglary gone wrong. There's an unmistakable link to an infamous case from years earlier involving a child's murder and an alleged miscarriage of justice. When the news leaks out, the press goes wild.

Suddenly Fawley's team are under tremendous pressure to crack the case - and to bring one formidable criminal to justice."

Thames Valley, ah, murders there are everything to me.

Middletide by Sarah Crouch
Published by: Atria Books
Publication Date: June 11th, 2024
Format: Hardcover, 288 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"In this gripping and intensely atmospheric debut, disquiet descends on a small town after the suspicious death of a beautiful young doctor, with all clues pointing to the reclusive young man who abandoned the community in chase of big city dreams but returned for the first love he left behind. Perfect for fans of All Good People Here and Where the Crawdads Sing.

One peaceful morning, in the small, Puget Sound town of Point Orchards, the lifeless body of Dr. Erin Landry is found hanging from a tree on the property of prodigal son and failed writer, Elijah Leith. Sheriff Jim Godbout's initial investigation points to an obvious suicide, but upon closer inspection, there seem to be clues of foul play when he discovers that the circumstances of the beautiful doctor's death were ripped straight from the pages of Elijah Leith's own novel.

Out of money and motivation, thirty-three-year-old Elijah returns to his empty childhood home to lick the wounds of his futile writing career. Hungry for purpose, he throws himself into restoring the ramshackle cabin his father left behind and rekindling his relationship with Nakita, the extraordinary girl from the nearby reservation whom he betrayed but was never able to forget.

As the town of Point Orchards turns against him, Elijah must fight for his innocence against an unexpected foe who is close and cunning enough to flawlessly frame him for murder in this scintillating literary thriller that seeks to uncover a case of love, loss, and revenge."

Oh, a murder just like he wrote? Someone's trying to frame him!

The Countryside by Corinne Fowler
Published by: Scribner Book Company
Publication Date: June 11th, 2024
Format: Hardcover, 432 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"Ten walks through idyllic scenery reveal the countryside's forgotten links to transatlantic slavery and colonialism - a work of accessible history that will transform our understanding of British landscapes and heritage.

The green fields, rugged highlands, and rolling hills of England, Scotland, and Wales are commonly associated with adventure, romance, and seclusion as well as literary figures like Jane Austen and William Wordsworth. But in reality, many of these rural places - with their country houses, lakes, and shorelines - were profoundly changed by British colonial activity. Even hamlets and villages were affected by distant colonial events.

Taking ten country walks, author Corinne Fowler explores the unique colonial dimensions of British agriculture, copper-mining, landownership, wool-making, coastal trade, and factory work in cotton mills. One route shows the links between English country houses and Indian colonization. Another explores banking history in Southern England and its link to slavery on Louisianan plantations. Other walks uncover the historical impact of sugar profits on the Scottish isles and 18th-century tobacco imports on an English coastal port. The history of these countryside locations - and the people who lived and worked in them - is closely bound up with colonial rule in far-away continents.

Accompanying the author on her walks are a fascinating group of people - artists, musicians, and writers - with strong attachments to the landscapes featured in this book and family links to former British colonies like Barbados and Senegal. These companions illuminate the meaning of colonial history in local settings. Crucially, this is not just a history book but a compassionate reflection on the way we respond to sensitive, shared histories which link people across cultures, generations, and political divides."

History is all around us if we'd only look.

The Devil's Berries by Patti Flinn
Published by: Patti Flinn
Publication Date: June 11th, 2024
Format: Paperback, 442 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"Inspired by the true life of Louis-Benoit Zamor.

Serving Madame du Barry by day and rubbing shoulders with revolutionaries at night, Louis-Benoit Zamor is ready to find his greatness. In this, his time in the sun, he will lend his voice to the revolutionary movement and love like he's never dared.

But the Ancient Régime isn't done with him, yet.

Much like the deadly devil's berries, Madame's bitter anger takes root at the chateau. Zamor will discover that when facing the devil in disguise only one thing is for sure:

Every fox must survive its own hunt...and all that."

Vive la révolution!

The Imposter Heiress by Annie Reed
Published by: Diversion Books
Publication Date: June 11th, 2024
Format: Paperback, 352 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"Paroled felon. Rich doctor's wife. Famous clairvoyant. Cassie Chadwick, one of history's most successful con artists, was a master of reinvention. In the dusk of the Gilded Age, she swept from town to town, assuming fresh identities to swindle a fortune so large that it rivaled the robber barons of the time.

Then came arguably the greatest con in American history. Using forged documents and her peerless wits, Cassie convinced prominent men from Cleveland to New York City that she was the illegitimate daughter of the world's wealthiest man - Andrew Carnegie.

Businessmen loaned her hundreds of thousands of dollars at a time; the ensuing crash shattered banks and bankers alike. Her sensational trial made her a household name. The newspapers called her the "Queen of Swindlers," the "Duchess of Diamonds," the "High Priestess of Fraudulent Finance."

Interspersing Cassie's crimes with stories of an unsuspecting Andrew Carnegie, author Annie Reed spins an enthralling, page-turning tale of true crime. Long before Anna Delvey captivated national attention, there was Cassie Chadwick - mother of the American con."

I marvel at those who could pull of these kind of cons, one of which we saw on this most recent season of The Gilded Age.

Truth Be Told by Patricia Raybon
Published by: Tyndale House Publishers
Publication Date: June 11th, 2024
Format: Hardcover, 416 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"Denver's newest detective. A garden's deadly secrets.

On a lovely June night in 1924, amateur detective Annalee Spain is mingling bravely at a high-class political fundraiser in the lush backyard garden of famed political fixer Cooper Coates, one of the wealthiest men in Denver's Black neighborhood of Five Points. When Coates's young daughter discovers a pretty stranger dead in her father's garden shed, Annalee is thrust onto the baffling new case just as she's reeling from another recent discovery - a handwritten letter, found buried in her own garden, that reveals the identity of her mother.

Not ready to face the truth about her hidden past, Annalee throws herself into solving the mystery of the young woman's demise. With the help of her pastor boyfriend Jack Blake, her orphaned buddy Eddie, and her trustworthy church friends, Annalee follows the clues to three seemingly disconnected settings - a traveling carnival set up downtown, a Black civic club, and a prestigious white seminary on the outskirts of Denver. Intriguing advice also comes from a famous, real-life Denver visitor. But is Annalee on the right track or just running in circles, fleeing from conflicts racing in her heart?

In a taut, heart-gripping narrative driven by secrets, romance, and lies, Annalee must unravel a case with higher stakes than she imagined - one where answers about a lovely woman's death point to truths and tensions still throbbing today."

Personally I'd blame the seminarians. 

The Pyramid Murders by Fiona Veitch Smith
Published by: Embla Books
Publication Date: June 11th, 2024
Format: Kindle, 300 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"A night at the museum, a dead body and a trail to Cairo. Sounds like a case for Miss Clara Vale!

1930: Miss Clara Vale, chemistry major turned detective, is taking a night off from sleuthing to attend the launch party of a new exhibition at the Hancock Museum in Newcastle. But when the piece de resistance, a rare ornate sarcophagus, is finally opened and it turns out the mummy inside it is a fake it looks like there is no rest for Clara after all...

Later that night, she is summoned back to the museum and asked to investigate a series of stolen Egyptian artefacts. Using her scientific and forensic prowess, Clara, with her trusted assistant Bella in tow, embarks on a trail that will lead from Newcastle to London and along the river Nile to Cairo.

But she is not the only person hunting for stolen antiquities and when she uncovers an international smuggling ring with a penchant for murder, it becomes clear that Clara's own life is in danger too.

Can Clara catch the smugglers before they get away with another murder among the pyramids?"

Egyptian and Egyptian adjacent murders are my catnip. Or should that me Skehmetnip?

The Final Act of Juliette Willoughby by Ellery Lloyd
Published by: Harper
Publication Date: June 11th, 2024
Format: Hardcover, 336 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"The gripping follow up to the "smart, stylish, and savage" (People) New York Times bestseller and Reese's Book Club pick The Club - a twisty mystery involving a cursed wealthy family and a Surrealist painting which holds the key to three suspicious deaths over the course of a century.

Some women won't be painted out of history...

Everybody knows that in 1938, runaway heiress artist Juliette Willoughby perished in an accidental studio fire in Paris, alongside her masterpiece Self Portrait As Sphinx.

Fifty years later, two Cambridge art history students are confounded when they stumble across proof that the fire was no accident but something more sinister. What they uncover threatens the very foundation of Juliette's aristocratic family and revives rumors of the infamous curse that has haunted the Willoughbys for generations.

But what does their discovery mean? And how is it connected to a brutal murder in present-day Dubai?

A tale of love and madness, obsession and revenge, The Final Act of Juliette Willoughby unravels the riddle posed by a Sphinx who refuses to reveal her secrets..."

Because somehow Louis and Armand got the painting? Yes, I am a bit obsessed with the new adaptation of Interview with the Vampire. As we all should be.

Do What Godmother Says by L.S. Stratton
Published by: Union Square and Co.
Publication Date: June 11th, 2024
Format: Paperback, 384 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"A modern-day writer and a Harlem Renaissance artist are connected by a painting with a deadly secret in this gripping dual-timeline Gothic thriller.

Shanice Pierce knows better than to heed bad omens. But she has a hard time ignoring the signs when she finds herself newly single and out of a job on the same seemingly cursed day.

Then, while cleaning out her grandmother's house, Shanice comes across a painting she hasn't seen in years. Drawn to the haunting portrait in a way she can't explain, Shanice accepts her grandmother's offer to keep the family heirloom.

She soon uncovers the story of the artist, a Harlem Renaissance painter named Estelle Johnson. The young woman was taken under wing by the wealthy art patron Maude Bachmann - or "Godmother" as she insisted her artists call her - and vanished shortly after Bachmann's brutal murder a century ago.

As Shanice digs deeper, a paranoia that's haunted her for years returns. She becomes convinced she's being stalked, and that the deaths happening around her are connected to the staggering offer she turned down for the painting.

But the truth hiding in plain sight is even more shocking - and deadly - than Shanice could possibly have imagined..."

A Gothic haunted painting? Yes please.

The Afterlife of Mal Caldera by Nadi Reed Perez
Published by: Titan Books (UK)
Publication Date: June 11th, 2024
Format: Paperback, 448Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"Mal's life is over. Her afterlife is only just beginning...

By turns irreverently funny and deeply moving, this debut contemporary fantasy is perfect for fans of They Both Die at the End and The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue.

Mal Caldera - former rockstar, retired wild-child and excommunicated black sheep of her Catholic family - is dead. Not that she cares. She only feels bad that her younger sister, Cris, has been left to pick up the pieces Mal left behind. While her fellow ghosts party their afterlives away at an abandoned mansion they call the Haunt, Mal is determined to make contact with Cris from beyond the grave.

She enlists the help of a reluctant local medium, Ren, and together, they concoct a plan to pass on a message to Cris. But the more time they spend together, the more they begin to wonder what might have been if they'd met before Mal died.

Mal knows it's wrong to hold on so tightly to her old life. Bad things happen to ghosts who interfere with the living, and Mal can't help wondering if she's hurting the people she loves by hanging around, haunting their lives. But Mal has always been selfish, and letting go might just be the hardest thing she's ever had to do.

Funny, emotional and life-affirming, The Afterlife of Mal Caldera will have readers laughing one minute and sobbing the next."

I'd totally be Mal.

The Sons of El Rey by Alex Espinoza
Published by: Simon and Schuster
Publication Date: June 11th, 2024
Format: Hardcover, 384 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"A timeless, epic novel about a family of luchadores contending with forbidden love and secrets in Mexico City, Los Angeles, and beyond.

Ernesto Vega has lived many lives, from pig farmer to construction worker to famed luchador El Rey Coyote, yet he has always worn a mask. He was discovered by a local lucha libre trainer at a time when luchadores - Mexican wrestlers donning flamboyant masks and capes - were treated as daredevils or rock stars. Ernesto found fame, rapidly gaining name recognition across Mexico, but at great expense, nearly costing him his marriage to his wife Elena.

Years later, in East Los Angeles, his son, Freddy Vega, is struggling to save his father's gym while Freddy's own son, Julian, is searching for professional and romantic fulfillment as a Mexican American gay man refusing to be defined by stereotypes.

With alternating perspectives, Ernesto and Elena take you from the ranches of Michoacán to the makeshift colonias of Mexico City. Freddy describes life in the suburban streets of 1980s Los Angeles and the community their family built, as Julian descends deep into our present-day culture of hook-up apps, lucha burlesque shows, and the dark underbelly of West Hollywood. The Sons of El Rey is an intimate portrait of a family wading against time and legacy, yet always choosing the fight."

Tell me more about lucha burlesque!

Magro's Got Money Troubles by Rufi Thorpe
Published by: William Morrow and Company
Publication Date: June 11th, 2024
Format: Hardcover, 304 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"A bold, laugh-out-loud funny, and heartwarming story about one young woman's attempt to navigate adulthood, new motherhood, and her meager bank account in our increasingly online world - from the PEN/Faulkner finalist and critically acclaimed author of The Knockout Queen.

As the child of a Hooters waitress and an ex-pro wrestler, Margo Millet's always known she'd have to make it on her own. So she enrolls at her local junior college, even though she can't imagine how she'll ever make a living. She's still figuring things out and never planned to have an affair with her English professor - and while the affair is brief, it isn't brief enough to keep her from getting pregnant. Despite everyone's advice, she decides to keep the baby, mostly out of naiveté and a yearning for something bigger.

Now, at twenty, Margo is alone with an infant, unemployed, and on the verge of eviction. She needs a cash infusion - fast. When her estranged father, Jinx, shows up on her doorstep and asks to move in with her, she agrees in exchange for help with childcare. Then Margo begins to form a plan: she'll start an OnlyFans as an experiment, and soon finds herself adapting some of Jinx's advice from the world of wrestling. Like how to craft a compelling character and make your audience fall in love with you. Before she knows it, she's turned it into a runaway success. Could this be the answer to all of Margo's problems, or does internet fame come with too high a price?

Blisteringly funny and filled with sharp insight, Margo's Got Money Troubles is a tender tale starring an endearing young heroine who's struggling to wrest money and power from a world that has little interest in giving it to her. It's a playful and honest examination of the art of storytelling and controlling your own narrative, and an empowering portrait of coming into your own, both online and off."

Good for her working it on OnlyFans!

Under a Rock by Chris Stein
Published by: St. Martin's Press
Publication Date: June 11th, 2024
Format: Hardcover, 304 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"Debbie Harry defined iconic band Blondie's look. Chris Stein - her performing partner, lover, and lifelong friend - was its architect and defined its sound. "Parallel Lines", their third album, catapulted to #1, sold 20 million copies, and launched singles like "Heart of Glass", "Hangin' On the Telephone," and "One Way or Another", providing the beat when Bianca Jagger and Halston danced at Studio 54 and the soundtrack to every 1970's punk-soundtracked romance.

Chris Stein knows how to tell a story. Under A Rock is his nothing-spared autobiography. It's about the founding of the band, ascending to the heights of pop success, and the hazards of fortune.

Famous names march through these pages - Warhol, Bowie, Jean-Michel Basquiat, and more - but you can get famous names anywhere. What you can't get anywhere else is a plunge into the moments that made a giant 1980's artistic sensation. Stein takes us there in this revelatory, propulsive, distinctive memoir."

A deep dive into a band that has always fascinated me.

Posted by Miss Eliza at 12:00 AM 0 comments  

Labels: Annie Reed, Blondie, Cara Hunter, Corinne Fowler, Ellery Lloyd, Eva Jurczyk, Fiona Veitch Smith, L.S. Stratton, Patricia Raybon, Patti Flinn, Paul Tremblay, Peter Swanson, Rachel Howzell Hall, Sarah Crouch