strange and random happenstance

Death Card by Jasmine Smith
Published by: G.P. Putnam's Sons Books for Young Readers
Publication Date: August 11th, 2026
Format: Paperback, 304 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"A dark contemporary fantasy featuring witchcraft, tarot, death, and a bit of romance that's perfect for fans of Immortal Dark and Cinderella Is Dead.

On an ordinary Monday morning, eighteen-year-old Mikaela Broussard receives the shock of her life. During a customer's tarot reading at her family's occult shop, she turns over the Death card and envisions the beautiful stranger stabbing her in the heart.

In order to determine why the girl, Joelle, wants to kill her, she'll have to keep her close. But the more time Mikaela spends with her soon-to-be murderer, the more irresistible she finds her.

As if imminent death isn't worrisome enough, witches are turning up with their magic stolen. And it's clear some very dark magic is at work. Mikaela, as the next Witch Queen of her coven, is tasked with figuring out who's behind the horrific acts - a mystery that will put her and her power to the test.

Death Card is a dark, pacy, and romantic fantasy about one witch's journey to find the strength to fight for herself, her future, and her beloved community."

Maybe avoid the person you saw killing you? 

Want Me, Take Me, Haunt Me, Make Me by Isabel Crowley
Published by: Sourcebooks Casablanca
Publication Date: August 11th, 2026
Format: Paperback, 384 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"Hazel Lewis has a serious problem. The guy who hired her to conduct a seance before he died turned out to be a serial killer with a demonic contract, and the seance itself was a trap. Hazel escaped with her life, but not as she knew it: the bite of a demon is spreading through her body, letting the supernatural bleed into the world around her, and the now-dead serial killer is waiting to take over her body if she dies.

Hoping to contain the damage, Hazel moves to a small house in a remote location. She figures she'll stay on her own until she gets a handle on her new dark reality, but she soon finds out that she's not alone. There's the reporter demanding answers, the friendly neighbor with chemistry she doesn't need and problems he can't talk about...and the mysterious face she sees beyond her window, watching her every night with glowing red eyes.

Making her hunger.

Hazel knew a little bit about the world beyond the physical. Now she's learning how much she doesn't know, including who she can trust...and who she can become if she trusts herself enough to give in to the shadows stalking her dreams."

See, this is why I like reading about seances but not participating in them, so much can go wrong.

Saint Delilah by Isabelle Spotts
Published by: Berkley
Publication Date: August 11th, 2026
Format: Hardcover, 320 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"Delilah is dead. But her story is far from over. In this feminist supernatural suspense novel, she will find her peace - and give hell to the man who killed her.

Delilah's death was not swift or painless. A ghost at nineteen, business entirely unfinished, her last breath was angry. Someone killed her, but she doesn't know who.

Undead creatures stalk Delilah's spirit, eager to feed on her soul until nothing is left but a frightening poltergeist. She can't pass on until the violence of her death is balanced with a life for her life.

Her killer must be killed.

If anyone can find her murderer and keep the darkness at bay, it's Magda, the owner of the strip club where Delilah danced - and a powerful spirit medium. And when a young man comes to town seeking Magda's supernatural services, he can see Delilah. He can hear her, touch her, and make her feel alive again.

The three come together to search for Delilah's murderer. As the creatures close in, Delilah's soul weakens but her power as a poltergeist grows, allowing her to affect the living.

Delilah may be dead, but she won't waste this second chance - she'll take those who've harmed her down with her."

This is a week for mediums and I am loving it!

There Are Ghosts Here by Adrienne Tooley
Published by: Delacorte Press
Publication Date: August 11th, 2026
Format: Hardcover, 272 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"Willa has no memory of anything before arriving at Dorsey House, and when she meets two sinister girls who seem to already know her, she slowly begins to lose her grip on what is real...and what is a lie. A haunting contemporary speculative thriller for fans of Kill Creatures and We Were Liars.

Willa Childs doesn't know why she's at Dorsey House. The tragic accident that banished her to the mysterious reformatory perched at the edge of the sea is lost in the recesses of her murky memory. The Dorseys themselves offer no answers, and the only other wards, Caroline and Ivy, seem intent on keeping Willa in the dark - and on the outside of their obsessive friendship.

Yet as the days pass, it begins to feel like the sinister twosome knows Willa better than she knows herself. And as her memories gradually return to focus, the girls become even stranger, doing their best to convince Willa that she's been at Dorsey House before. Only, that's impossible.

Or is it? If they're telling the truth, Willa can no longer trust her own mind. The line between reality and nightmare begins to blur. Willa is certain Dorsey House is haunted, but by what? And if she can't remember leaving, how will she ever escape?"

Or, she's really being gaslit... 

She Haunts Me Still by De Elizabeth
Published by: Dutton
Publication Date: August 11th, 2026
Format: Paperback, 432 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"These violent delights have violent ends.

After surviving a shadowed childhood marked by ghost stories and loss, Mallory Webb is ready to start fresh as a theater major at her mother's alma mater, a sanitarium turned liberal arts university in Rhode Island. Landing the lead role in Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet feels like a dream - until the blood-soaked spirit she suspects caused her mother's death resurfaces after years of quiet. With nothing to go on but cryptic symbols in an old college notebook, Mallory hopes the reason behind her mother's haunting lies somewhere on campus, and resolves to find answers before she meets the same fate.

She's surprised to make an unexpected ally in Ezra Pierce, the magnetic fourth year directing the play, and takes solace in their undeniable chemistry. But Ezra is a master secret-keeper, and it's clear he knows more than he's letting on about Saskia Garin, Mallory's elusive understudy whose past eerily mirrors her own.

When an ancient, bloodthirsty evil calls to collect on a bargain that dates back to the New England vampire panic, Mallory, Ezra, and Saskia will have to untangle the tragic ways in which their histories are linked - and face the devastating consequences of their own star-crossed love story."

Anyone who isn't Westworld should stop using that Shakespeare quote.

Dreamland by Olivie Blake
Published by: Tor Books
Publication Date: August 11th, 2026
Format: Hardcover, 368 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"From New York Times bestselling author Olivie Blake comes a tantalizing story of power, seduction, and the omens you'll ignore when everything you've dreamed of feels just within reach.

The headlines are calling it the "summer of exsanguination" in LA - girls are being murdered, the Santa Ana winds are blowing a strange energy into the city, and all signs point to fire season.

More pressing for Anya Morris, though, is the drudgery of living at home, working part time at the family store, and contending with her mother's disdain for the acting career Anya knows she's destined for but that feels more impossible by the day.

It's in this suffocating late summer heat that Anya receives a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, an invitation to work for the de Witt family, one of LA's most influential film dynasties. Soon, she's spending her days and nights at their strange villa high in the Hollywood Hills, where she meets Jude, a recluse who is both the family's heir apparent and its most closely guarded secret.

There's a magnetism to Jude that Anya cannot resist, despite warning signs that scream like sirens in the night. Because the villa holds generations of bloodstained history, and an occult family curse may even live within its walls - or within Jude himself.

In this city, everyone cuts a deal with the devil. When Anya comes face to face with a devil of her own, she'll learn just how far she's willing to go to get everything she's ever wanted."

It's Hollywood, she'll sign on the dotted line.

Night Songs by Alli Dyer
Published by: Atria Books
Publication Date: August 11th, 2026
Format: Hardcover, 384 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"In this haunting family saga, a young woman must delve into her country star mother's music to break a curse that has plagued the women in her family for generations - before her time runs out.

On the morning of Rhea's eighteenth birthday, she makes a shocking discovery - her mother was the famed singer of some of country music's most iconic tunes, the legendary Lulabelle "Belle" Powers, and she's just inherited her massive estate. Eager to know more about this woman she barely remembers, Rhea travels to Nashville to retrace her mother's footsteps. But as she gets to know Belle's closest friends and learns more of her story, she can't help but think something is being kept from her.

It isn't until years later that her mother's best friend Hess reveals the truth - her mother believed all the women in her family were cursed to die at thirty-three - Belle's exact age when she passed away in a mysterious plane crash. Hess dismisses the curse as pure superstition, but Rhea feels something sinister stalking her, her own life beginning to mirror her mother's as she gets closer to her thirty-third birthday. Desperate for answers, Rhea delves deeper into her mother's music, uncovering Belle's last unpublished album Night Songs, which leads her back to her roots in ways she never could have imagined.

Alternating between Rhea's journey and Lulabelle's untold rise to country queen, Night Songs is an electric story of inheritance and resilience, love and freedom, and the power of music to connect across generations."

If Hess was her mother's best friend perhaps telling Rhea about the curse before she's about to turn thirty-three would have been nice?

Devil by Sierra Simone
Published by: Bloom Books
Publication Date: August 11th, 2026
Format: Paperback, 528 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"From USA Today bestselling author Sierra Simone comes an ALL-NEW standalone romance in the Priest universe.

Birdie Cooper has nothing left.

Just one moment of weakness seven years ago - and she lost her job, her church, her only friend. Now she's working nights at a gas station to scrape together a living and a way to care for her sister, completely alone and separated even from the art that gave her life meaning.

Ryan Bell has never forgotten his first obsession.

He's been trying to find the tremblingly shy lecturer from his senior year of college after she abruptly disappeared after their first and only kiss. So when he comes upon a statue of Lucifer carved in Ryan's own likeness, two things become starkly apparent.

One: he knows how to find her now. And two: he's been haunting Birdie Cooper's memory as much as she's been haunting his.

Ryan can't offer love - or even an apology - but he can offer her a bargain, one crafted first and foremost to free him from his punishing obsession with her. If Birdie agrees to be his in every way for a single year, then he'll pay for her sister's care for as long as she's alive. And what does Birdie have left to lose anyway? The forbidden fruit is her only chance at salvation.

Unfortunately for Birdie, she might just be the only chance for his..."

I'd take this deal...

A Plagued Sea by Kim Bo-Young
Published by: Tor Nightfire
Publication Date: August 11th, 2026
Format: Hardcover, 112 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"First the flood
Next the sickness
Last the change

Visionary Korean author Kim Bo-Young unleashes a Lovecraftian nightmare of infection, transformation, and abomination.

While waiting for a train to Haewon, an isolated Korean seaside village, bodyguard Mu-young gets a disaster alert on her phone. TVs throughout the station report breaking news of a massive earthquake on the eastern coast. Despite the danger, Mu-young boards the train with her niece: she'd rather face the earthquake than leave the girl in her mother's care. That choice haunts her for the rest of her life.

Three years later, Haewon Village is home to horrors. The earthquake unleashed an ancient plague that transforms its victims into fishy monsters, and the government's lockdown has cut off any hope for help. Mu-young's niece is dead, and all that's left for her is to hunt villagers who break isolation. When an officious bureaucrat from Seoul arrives in the village, he stirs up even deeper trouble. Will Mu-young survive? Does she even deserve to?"

Yeah, she shouldn't have got on that train...

Reliquary by Hannah Whitten
Published by: Run for It
Publication Date: August 11th, 2026
Format: Hardcover, 320 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"A young woman is lured to her late fiancé's remote island estate - only to uncover eerie family secrets, a haunting past, and a monstrous hunger stirring beneath the sea in this deliciously atmospheric horror debut from New York Times bestselling author Hannah Whitten.

When Claire's fiancé mysteriously dies of an unknown neurological illness, she's prepared to sink back into the lonely life she lived before. Orphaned by a freak boating accident in her childhood, she never expected to find connection like she did with Elias, anyway. Their relationship wasn't perfect - his coldness, his secrets, his strange aversion to the ocean - but what relationship is?

When Elias's family reaches out - his incredibly wealthy family, from whom he was estranged - and invites Claire to a three-day wake at Harrow Point, their family home on a private island, Claire is given the chance to find family again. To belong to something, just like she's always wanted. Just like Elias knew she was desperate to have.

Even if that family is a little strange. Even if their coastal home stirs up memories of the accident that killed her parents and sister. Even if Ash, Elias's older brother, seems insistent on Claire leaving as soon as possible.

As she dives deeper into the world of Harrow Point, she will uncover the nature of her own traumatic connection to the ocean. There is something swimming in the bowels of Harrow Point, and it is hungry..."

Final girl orphans, run from that island!

Stay Buried by Jennifer McMahon
Published by: Gallery Books
Publication Date: August 11th, 2026
Format: Hardcover, 400 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"From the New York Times bestselling author of Children on the Hill comes a queer folk horror in which a woman must confront decades of secrecy and superstition to learn the truth about her mother's death.

Some towns stay isolated for a reason.

1919: Frankie O'Massey has always been the black sheep of isolated Boone's Ferry, Vermont. Her uncle, Dr. Thomas Endicott, has been training her in the science of medicine, something the townspeople are wary of. When a mysterious illness strikes the town, and the community suspects supernatural forces, the two desperately search for a logical explanation. Patient zero seems to be the town's knackerman - a recluse who collects dead and dying farm animals to make use of their parts.

2016: Siblings Ashley and Malcolm lost their mother two years ago. When their grandmother dies, they inherit a property in Boone's Ferry - a place they've heard of but their grandmother has always refused to talk about - and embark on a trip to their ancestral home. The idyllic town is full of autumnal décor, picturesque farmland, and small-town charm. But some of the townspeople aren't very welcoming - and they have some unsettling traditions, like leaving offerings to a vengeful spirit four times a year."

Widow's Bay meets The Wicker Man.

The Hill in the Dark Grove by Liam Higginson
Published by: Hogarth
Publication Date: August 11th, 2026
Format: Hardcover, 304 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"In this gripping debut, steeped in Welsh folklore, a husband and wife living in the beautiful but isolated mountains of Snowdonia stumble upon a buried Neolithic ruin - awakening a mysterious, ancient presence with its own dark designs.

Carwyn and his wife, Rhian, have lived a quiet life as sheep farmers in the remote Welsh mountains for decades, tending to ancestral land that has been in Carwyn's family for generations. But recent years have taken their toll: local friends lost one by one to old age or rising prices; the accumulation of debts; new English tourists, more every year, disrespecting the land - littering, camping on private property, needing to be rescued when they misjudge the elements.

When Carwyn finds a strange stone head in a disused corner of the farm, he realizes the artifact is just one piece of something much larger - something unfathomably old. Despite Rhian's protests, Carwyn becomes obsessed with unearthing the structure, and soon neglects the daily work of the farm to keep digging. Meanwhile, the sheep fall sick more easily than any season before, and a tragic accident on market day threatens to leave an increasingly isolated Rhian without a way to satisfy their ever-more-insistent creditors. Through it all, Carwyn becomes convinced that uncovering the site and determining its original purpose will be the key to solving everything. But there was a reason his ancestors kept the past buried, and in disturbing the earth, he has called forth a power greater and more terrible than he could have imagined.

Enthralling and atmospheric, Liam Higginson's The Hill in the Dark Grove expertly weaves together myth, psychological suspense, and supernatural horror, heralding a sparkling new literary talent."

I mean, when your ancestors don't leave guidelines, it's their fault as much as yours...

The Beautiful Ones by Silvia Moreno-Garcia
Published by: Bramble
Publication Date: August 11th, 2026
Format: Paperback, 304 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"From the New York Times bestselling author of Mexican Gothic comes a tale of love and betrayal set in a world where scandal is a razor-sharp weapon.

They're called the Beautiful Ones.

Loisail's most notable socialites: the wealthy, powerful, beloved.

This spring is Nina's last chance to join their ranks, but the Grand Season has just begun and Nina's debut has already gone disastrously awry. Neighbors call her the Witch of Oldhouse - the haphazard manifestations of her powers making her the subject of malicious gossip.

So when entertainer and fellow telekinetic Hector Auvray arrives to town, Nina is dazzled. He's traveled the world performing his talents for admiring audiences. And he sees Nina not as a witch, but as something more. With Hector's help, Nina's talent blossoms, as does her love for him.

But great romances are just for fairytales. In the glittering, gossip-laden world of Loisail, where everyone conceals secrets, can their courtship survive?"

I have something to say, I hated the original cover of this book. Hated it. To have this amazing cover from Bramble just makes my day. 

World's Okayest Oracle (Reluctantly) Seems Demon by Olivia Dade
Published by: Berkley
Publication Date: August 11th, 2026
Format: Paperback, 464 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"An oracle who can see the future teams up with the far-too-hot demon from her past to avert catastrophe, in this steamy paranormal romance from the USA Today bestselling author of Zomromcom.

Gwen Wexloff might be able to see the future, but not when it matters. Her visions invariably involve piddling issues, which means - unlike most oracles - she's spent her life predicting for everyday humans instead of international power brokers. After a clutch of brain-slurping zombies escapes from their walled-off compound, though, Gwen experiences the first genuinely world-altering vision of her life...and now she needs help.

Unfortunately, that help comes from Hugh Blacke, the same starchy (but annoyingly cute) demon who watched her bomb her oracle verification test years ago. To Gwen's dismay, the two of them will need to work together to unravel the deadly conspiracy behind the zombie breach, despite their complicated past and the secrets they're keeping.

Even with her newfound power, she couldn't have foreseen how quickly they'd both want more than a simple partnership. But the clock is ticking - and with the fate of humanity at stake, Gwen and Hugh will have to decide how much they're willing to risk for an unexpected, passionate love...and a future together that might prove very short indeed."

Deal with the zombies first.

Twice Bitten by S.E. Babin
Published by: Second Sky
Publication Date: August 11th, 2026
Format: Kindle, 331 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"I was bitten by a vampire AND a werewolf. Now everyone wants a piece of me.

I never wanted to be a powerful witch. I'm happiest pulling espresso shots at the Three Beans café and keeping my magic secret.

But trouble is brewing...

When a turf war between vampires and shifters erupts outside the café, I get caught between the irresistibly charming Vampire Prime and the ruggedly handsome Shifter King. As these two apex predators blindly tear into each other, I am bitten, clawed, and left for dead.

My magic flares just in time to save my life, but there are...side effects. Suddenly, I find myself staring at customers' necks. And feeling suspiciously twitchy before the full moon.

It's impossible but...am I transforming into a vampire and a werewolf?

The Vampire Prime finds me immediately. Captivated by my scent, he tempts me with danger and luxury. The Shifter King is equally obsessed, and determined to claim me for his pack.

I am caught between them once more - but this time it's me that they're fighting over. And since my new blood brings strange new powers, it won't be long before I'm the most wanted prey in town...

Perfect for fans of Patricia Briggs and Charlaine Harris, the Fangs and Fur series is a thrilling urban fantasy adventure with a love triangle romance to die for."

An urban fantasy with humdinger of a twist. 

In What World by Bridget Morrissey
Published by: Berkley
Publication Date: August 11th, 2026
Format: Paperback, 352 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"Two high school rivals begrudgingly reunite as adults to investigate the disappearance of their beloved former teacher, only to wind up traveling through a series of alternate realities together.

Total opposites, Marlowe Jenkins and Priscilla Covington-French hated each other in high school. Now in their thirties, Marlowe is barely scraping by while Priscilla is wildly successful. Their rivalry should be long dead, yet both women remain connected through their mutual mentor, drama teacher Dallas Winthrop. Their unending tension has nothing to do with the fact that they've kissed. More than once.

When Dallas goes missing, each woman believes she can figure out where he is. Except this is no ordinary disappearance. Dallas has found a way to explore alternate versions of reality. While trying to follow him, Marlowe and Priscilla find other versions of themselves instead, surprised to learn not all Marlowes and Priscillas are fueled by hate. In fact, some Marlowes and Priscillas have very different strong feelings for one another...

The more Marlowe and Priscilla are forced to rely on each other, the harder it becomes to ignore their simmering attraction. But with every alternate reality they search, they only get further from their real life and responsibilities. Do they play it safe and hide behind their rivalry, or take a chance on each other that could permanently change the world as they know it?"

Or are they being manipulated by seeing all these other options their lives could have taken?

A Witch in Notting Hill by Alexandra Paige
Published by: Avon a
Publication Date: August 11th, 2026
Format: Paperback, 352 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"Perfect for fans of The Very Secret Society of Irregular Witches, this cozy and whimsical romance follows an accident-prone witch and a hot grumpy occult bookstore owner who doesn't believe in magic as they travel across London to undo a spell gone awry.

When rising Hollywood actress and secret witch Willow James accidentally turns her manager into a cat while trying to escape her contract, she's sure she's hit her magical low point. Determined to fix her mistake, she journeys to London in search of a rare spell hidden within the famed occult bookstore, Coven and Codex. The last thing she expects? The shop's brooding, handsome owner, Oliver Hadley, who'd rather avoid magic altogether.

Together - with a ragtag group of friends (both human and feline) - Willow and Oliver must scour every corner of the city, from museums to festivals to bustling street markets, to find the missing pieces of the spell. Along the way, Willow's unpredictable magic and Oliver's skeptical heart will face the one thing they can't escape...love.

Filled with enchanting adventures, sparkling romance, and a dash of mischief, A Witch in Notting Hill is a sweet and spirited tale of discovering magic where you least expect it."

Personally I'd keep the manager as a cat...

You'll Be the Death of Me by Holly Michelle
Published by: Avon
Publication Date: August 11th, 2026
Format: Paperback, 336 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"Cole is spending the rest of his eternity as an overworked Afterlife Clerk, processing souls for the Afterlife Administration. But when he accidentally claims the soul of the wrong Verdella Rodgers, Cole and Verdella must race to fix his cosmic blunder - and try not to catch feelings along the way. A swoony and whimsical romp, You'll Be the Death of Me is a romance to die for.

Verdella "Dell" Rodgers is at the top of her game. As the chef de cuisine at San Francisco's hottest new restaurant and on the cusp of marrying the mayor's son in the social event of the season, her life is perfect. That is until the week before her wedding when she wakes up and finds herself very much dead.

Enter Cole, a charming but bumbling entry-level clerk in the Afterlife Administration who accidentally confuses Dell for a 95-year-old woman in Kansas with the same name, claiming the wrong soul. When Cole tries to fix his mistake, their worlds collide in life-and death-changing ways.

Now walking the city as a ghost only visible to Cole, Dell is frantic to get back to her perfect life but soon learns that it wasn't what it appeared to be, particularly when it came to the man she was about to marry and his high-profile family.

Meanwhile, Cole has no memory of who he was before working for the Afterlife Administration. As they try to uncover Cole's past and remedy Dell's future, they realize the mistake that brought them together might just be a twist of fate. With time running out to bring Dell back to the land of the living, she'll have to decide if the life she left behind is truly what she wants, or if Cole's untimely appearance could lead to an unexpected change that she didn't know she needed."

A change as in, staying dead!?!

The Magic We Made by Meg Cabot
Published by: Avon
Publication Date: August 11th, 2026
Format: Hardcover, 384 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"She doesn't believe in magic. He is magic. But when they meet, a spark is lit, and neither will ever be the same - in this charming new stand-alone in the Witches of West Harbor series from New York Times bestselling author Meg Cabot.

Frankie
A trained therapist, Francesca Giovanni knows there's a scientific explanation for everything. Unfortunately, she lives in West Harbor, CT, a town that's recently exploded in popularity thanks to "witch tourism." Suddenly, witches are everywhere, offering locals their psychic services. Frankie's fine with this...until aspiring teenage witches begin to disappear, and strange things start happening in the lake house next door. Frankie suspects not all newcomers to West Harbor have the good of the community in mind - especially not her new neighbor, Ash Merit.

Ash
Ash Merit finds lost things - and people - for a living. All he wants is to help his clients, and maybe get to know the stunningly beautiful (and newly single) Dr. Frankie Giovanni a little better. But thanks to some troublesome young witches - not to mention his often faulty psychic "superpower" - everything goes wrong. If only Frankie wasn't so distractingly attractive...and so unwilling to admit there might not be a logical reason for everything, including the flames that ignite whenever the two of them kiss. Ash hopes to change that, but first he and Frankie have to find the missing girls, as well as the truth about what's happening in West Harbor…a truth that could change everything they thought they knew about themselves - and the magic of love."

People unwilling to believe in magic when the proof is right in front of them exasperate me.

A Thousand Painted Hours by Barbara O'Neal
Published by: Lake Union Publishing
Publication Date: August 11th, 2026
Format: Hardcover, 543 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"An epic, emotionally charged novel about love, art, and survival spanning 1900s colonial India to Blitz-era London by the USA Today bestselling author of When We Believed in Mermaids.

In the shadow of the London Blitz, artist Elsie Turner clings fiercely to her canvases, refusing to let war dim the colors that define her. The bombs test her nerve, but the struggle also stirs memories of her golden youth in India and of the long-lost love of her life.

The daughter of a British civil servant in the Himalayan station of Nainital, Elsie crosses cultural divides to forge an unlikely bond with Tanveer Singh, a Sikh prince with hopes, dreams, and far-reaching ideas. What begins as shared sketchbooks and stargazing becomes first love and a secret correspondence. When Elsie's father is summoned to England, Elsie is severed from the world she knows - and is determined to preserve it through both her art and a connection with Tanveer that endures through the most tumultuous years of their lives.

Across four decades and two continents, Elsie navigates a journey from lush colonial India to war-torn London, amid landscapes of beauty, protest, and peril. As past and present collide, the most impossible choices and sacrifices are yet to be made in the name of love, war, and survival."

A more artistically bend to The Jewel in the Crown.

A Betrothed's Betrayal by Deb Marlowe
Published by: Deb Marlowe
Publication Date: August 11th, 2026
Format: Paperback, 224 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"A Regency-set Cozy Mystery featuring a charming Cotswold village, an intrepid heroine, a cast of quirky characters, a handsome but reserved carpenter, an attractive but suspicious constable, and a baby goat or two.

Lady Lisette Birtwhistle is feeling bereft and very much alone after ending her betrothal, then losing her brother, the Duke of Winbury, to an unexpected illness.

The duke knew his sister well, however, and has inexplicably left her the leases on nearly the entirety of Lockstone Hollow, a village near one of the ducal estates. Perplexed, but hopeful, Lisette travels to the small Cotswold village.

Her spirits lift a little when she finds a sleepy little spot in need of someone with her abilities in managing, organizing, and décor, but she is shocked to her core when a body is discovered in the village soon after her arrival - and it is her former fiancé.

With the help of some new friends, a cast of colorful local characters, a handsome but reserved carpenter, an attractive but suspicious constable, and a baby goat or two, Lisette must uncover secrets and expose lies in order to find the killer and clear her own name."

SO HERE for the baby goats!

Murder in Blackfriars by Jennifer Ashley
Published by: Berkley
Publication Date: August 11th, 2026
Format: Paperback, 320 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"In Victorian London, valiant cook and amateur sleuth Kat Holloway must help the man she loves solve the murder that will finally uncover his mysterious past, from the New York Times bestselling author of A Silence in Belgrave Square.

Kat Holloway's beau, Daniel McAdam, has always had a past shrouded in mystery. He knows nothing about his origins, only that he was rescued from the streets many years ago. So when someone claiming to know where Daniel came from turns up dead moments before meeting with him, Daniel goes on the hunt for the killer. It soon becomes clear that to see justice served, Daniel will have to figure out who he truly is. When he asks Kat for her assistance, she readily complies, knowing she'll do whatever she must to protect the man she's come to love.

The quest takes Kat and Daniel deep into the East End, where they face dangerous foes from Daniel's rugged past who will stop at nothing to keep Kat and Daniel from uncovering their secrets. As Kat begins to learn things about Daniel's history, she fears that the darkest secret - his true name and lineage - will tear apart the tender bonds they've begun to form."

Either you trust that your bonds are strong enough or you don't help him!

A Killer Plot by E.C. Nevin
Published by: Knopf
Publication Date: August 11th, 2026
Format: Hardcover, 320 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"In the follow-up to A Novel Murder, mystery author Jane Hepburn is back and determined to keep her sleuthing skills in the pages of her novels. That is, until she's invited to a prestigious literary party in London - where the gathering of glamorous attendees may be hiding a killer.

Jane Hepburn has almost made it. After solving the murder of her literary agent at last season's crime-book festival, Jane receives a burst of internet fame that lands her an invite to a splashy book launch in London. Visiting beloved bookstores along the winding alleyway of Cecil Court, and brushing shoulders with famous writers and the editors and agents who made them stars, Jane is looking forward to a fun, murder-free weekend and a distraction from her own writer's block. The party might not be for her novel, but still, Jane's happy to celebrate her far more successful friend with free wine and plenty of books.

However, things take a turn for the worse when the hotshot editor is nowhere to be seen. And they really go south after Jane discovers a body in the bookshop cellar.

To ensure that another event isn't overshadowed by an unsolved murder, Jane and her two friends - debut novelist and star of the party Natasha Martez and clumsy publicity assistant Daniel Thurston - must put their sleuthing skills to the test. But nothing is as it seems at a party full of attendees with secrets they'd do anything to keep."

If Midsomer Murders has taught me anything, it's that authors are all prime suspects. 

Death at a Scottish Halloween by Lucy Connelly
Published by: Crooked Lane Books
Publication Date: August 11th, 2026
Format: Hardcover, 272 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"When Dr. Emilia McRoy stumbles upon a dead body in a haunted house, she resolves to find the killer before another body can fall.

Halloween isn't the only cause for fright in the fifth Scottish Isle mystery, perfect for fans of Paige Shelton and Connie Berry.

It's the week of Halloween - or as they say in Scotland, All Hallows' Eve - and the town of Sea Isle is full of spooky celebrations. Dr. Emilia McRoy loves being part of her new community and is eager to help out in any way she can. But the festivities are interrupted when she and her assistant, Abigail, find a dead body in a haunted house. A real one. They're too late to save the victim, but they'll do whatever it takes to find his killer.

There's just one problem: There are too many suspects.

Constable Ewan would prefer the good doctor and her friends stay out of the investigations, but that isn't how Dr. Em rolls. As she and her gang investigate, they realize the killer is searching for something - and has no problem murdering anyone who gets in the way of finding it.

Dr. Em must stay one step ahead if she's to survive this Halloween season alive - either that or she might just end up the next victim."

The title didn't need that outline. It's tacky.

Brimstone Hollow by Archer Sullivan
Published by: Minotaur Books
Publication Date: August 11th, 2026
Format: Hardcover, 304 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"Following her powerful debut in The Witch's Orchard, private investigator Annie Gore returns in Brimstone Hollow, bringing readers back to the mountains that author Archer Sullivan, a ninth-generation Appalachian, knows so well.

There isn't much that happens in the Appalachian Mountains that Private Investigator Annie Gore hasn't seen. Before she was an Air Force Special Investigator, she was born and raised in those rolling hills, and lately Annie's cases have called her away from her Louisville office and closer to the small towns of her youth than she ever anticipated. But when her newest client asks if she's ever been to a snake-handling church, Annie knows she's about to enter unknown territory.

Katie May has been estranged from her father - one of Appalachia's last infamous snake handling preachers - for twenty years. But when Katie finds out he's been fatally bitten, and a funeral was held within twenty-four hours, she questions whether someone deliberately rushed the process. Despite Annie's doubts, she takes the case. After all, when she looks at Katie, she sees a version of herself: a girl who needs to understand her father in order to understand herself.

As she navigates the hidden hollers and dangerous secrets of this insular Eastern Kentucky town, Annie works fast, hoping to find the truth in record time for her client - and before too many memories from her own childhood surface. But it soon becomes apparent that someone wants Annie's investigation to stop - by any means necessary."

The worst thing about investigating a murder by snake is that the killer might send the snake after you.

Don't Cross Mo Ellery by Birdie Horne
Published by: William Morrow Paperbacks
Publication Date: August 11th, 2026
Format: Paperback, 336 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"A laugh-out-loud mystery following the indomitable hot mess Mo Ellery, whose job as a school crossing guard pulls her into an unhinged murder investigation.

Mo Ellery's 29th birthday is a disaster. After one small accident - the exposure of her boyfriend's genitals (well, maybe not that small) on a work video call - she manages to get fired, dumped, and kicked out of their overpriced Chicago apartment. Luckily, a sign appears to guide Mo to her new life: "Looking for flexible part-time work? Become a school crossing guard!" It's everything Mo has been looking for: health insurance. How hard can it be?

A few weeks later, Mo is adjusting to her new low-paying job, her bisexual reawakening, and her new neighborhood's wacky characters. There's Claudia, an old woman who refuses to let Mo help her cross the street, and Marlowe, a tween cell phone prodigy whose antics terrify her. But Mo's greatest nemesis is Poodle Dude, a guy with an SUV full of poodles who speeds through her intersection each morning...until the day he speeds into a sinkhole. Mo tries and fails to shield innocent eyes from his bloody corpse, but succeeds in accidentally becoming the guardian to his three poodles.

And that's not the worst of it: some of the locals are convinced that Poodle Dude was murdered. Their allegations are obviously ridiculous, but Mo, desperate for distractions - and for several hot neighbor-suspects - reluctantly agrees to help. But Mo the detective is just as chaotic as Mo the underemployed adult, and the three entitled poodles are not helping. When a second local dies under mysterious circumstances, it's going to take all of Mo's broadly applicable and transferrable skills to find the killer.

Murderers beware...DON'T CROSS MO ELLERY!"

Wait, crossing guards get health insurance!?! Looks like a Illinois thing.

Bridget and Gabe Are Not Okay by Lex Croucher
Published by: Wednesday Books
Publication Date: August 11th, 2026
Format: Hardcover, 416 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"The sequel to the unforgettable New York Times bestseller Gwen and Art Are Not In Love that invites readers on a quest chock full of wit, undeniable yearning, and second chances.

They fell in love. They fought a great battle. And they won. Now, Camelot's famous couples have fallen apart.

Newly crowned King Gabriel is having panic attacks in cupboards in-between council meetings. He can't tell Arthur just how not okay he is - so he's set him free, to find love with someone who can get through the day without breaking down.

Bridget has lost her spark for sparring, forfeiting again and again in the lists. When she's invited to join Gabriel's round table, she hopes it'll be the change she needs. But trying to navigate the post-happily-ever-after reality of a relationship with Gwen, when Bridget no longer feels like the dashing knight Gwen fell in love with, feels impossible.

With the kingdom still reeling from an attempted uprising, and rumored sightings of the holy grail, the questing beast, and the green knight happening across the country, the gang depart on a PR tour destined for disaster. Can Gabriel be the king his country deserves? Can Bridget get her jousting groove back? And will they find their way back to the courtly love that once seemed fated?

In the much anticipated follow-up to Gwen and Art Are Not in Love, Gabriel and Bridget set out on a daring quest to put love back on the table."

Because happily ever after isn't the end...

For the Love of the Quest by Alexandra Ammon Parthun
Published by: Alcove Press
Publication Date: August 11th, 2026
Format: Hardcover, 320 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"The search for King Arthur's Excalibur invites danger - and potentially love - in this sapphic historical romance, perfect for fans of Cat Sebastian and Freya Marske.

Lady Edith Darling is supposed to live a quiet life in her family's manor. She is not supposed to go unchaperoned on a quest to find Excalibur. But Edith won't let that stand in her way, especially not when she's on this mission to honor her beloved grandmother's dying wish. Determined to prove her grandmother right, Edith packs her satchel with Arthurian legends, pastries, and her grandmother's ashes and runs off to hire a mercenary.

Thomasin Shaw leads the most feared gang in London. For years, she had the constabulary safely in her pocket, until a scandal involving the chief inspector's wife was brought to light. Now he's demanding an enormous sum of money - without which Thomasin will lose the protection of the police along with her criminal empire. But when the rich Lady Edith waltzes into her life seeking an escort for a treasure hunt, Thomasin sees a willing kidnapping victim and a massive ransom.

As Edith's clues lead them to underground chambers booby-trapped with arrows, doors locked with arcane puzzles, and even Arthur's fabled round table, Thomasin finds herself swept up in the quest - and in Edith herself. Edith is also drawn to Thomasin, despite the ruthless mask she wears. But the chief inspector won't let Thomasin forget her crimes, and Edith's father is intent on bringing her home. Every legendary quest has an ending, but finding Excalibur might not be enough to make this a happy one."

There HAS to be a secret society keeping all these Indiana Jones level puzzles in action.

The Wandering Inn by pirateaba 
Published by: Harper Voyager
Publication Date: August 11th, 2026
Format: Paperback, 640 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"Enter the Innverse: the massive epic fantasy world created by pirateaba that has become a LitRPG sensation, now for the first time in a physical edition!

"No killing Goblins."

So reads the sign outside of The Wandering Inn, a small building run by a young woman named Erin Solstice. She serves pasta with sausage, blue fruit juice, and dead acid flies on request. And she comes from another world. Ours.

It's a bad day when Erin finds herself transported to a fantastical world and nearly gets eaten by a Dragon. She doesn't belong in a place where monster attacks are a fact of life, and where Humans are one species among many. But she must adapt to her new life. Or die.

In a dangerous world where magic is real and people can level up and gain classes, Erin Solstice must battle somewhat evil Goblins, deadly Rock Crabs, and hungry [Necromancers]. She is no warrior, no mage. Erin Solstice runs an inn. She's an [Innkeeper].

Thus starts the first volume of The Wandering Inn, an epic fantasy series filled with heart and fear, magic, dragons, and monsters, adventurers and chess players…and humans pulled from the real world into a wondrous and deadly land where the game is to survive and these new pieces could decide who's the winner."

Your new LitRPG obsession. 

All the Queen's Curses by Alyssa Hollingsworth
Published by: Page Street YA
Publication Date: August 11th, 2026
Format: Hardcover, 384 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"Kit may be a princess, but her life is no fairy tale.

Chronically ill and abused by her new stepfather, Princess Kit finds solace in her kind stepsister Catharine. Yet the sisters may not be together for long - Catharine is intended to be wed to a prince of the Northern Isles.

Kit's mother, the queen, strikes a bargain with the fae to free her daughter from the king's abuse and give Kit a happier ending; the fae swaps Kit's ailing body for Catharine's before Catharine can depart. Horrified, Kit and Catharine abandon their home and travel north to find the fae who cursed them.

Kit and Catharine soon discover the prince is under his own fae curse. He offers to help the princesses. But Kit finds herself unsure she wants to switch back if it means she can't be with the prince - and worse, must return to her own suffering body..."

When dealing with the fae there are always moral dilemmas. 

These Vile Hearts by Melody Robinette
Published by: G.P. Putnam's Sons
Publication Date: August 11th, 2026
Format: Hardcover, 400 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"A delightfully wicked, fizzy debut romantasy - an enemies to lovers tale about a desperate mortal woman and a cursed fae prince.

Maddox Sinclair has run out of options. No job means no health insurance - a death sentence for a type one diabetic like herself. She flees to the forest to make a desperate deal with a dryad queen: kill the Redwood King and be cured of the illness that threatens her life.

In the redwood treetops, Prince Castor, is cursed - anyone who loves him is doomed to die. Like Maddox, he has made an equally unwise pact with his brother, the Redwood King: get a mortal to fall in love with him by solstice and be free of his curse forever.

When Maddox mistakes Castor for the king, sparks fly and troubles ensue. Each must decide what is more important - survival and freedom, or the love they (kind of, almost) feel in their traitorous, vile hearts.

Darkly funny and brimming with magic, These Vile Hearts by Melody Robinette manages to be both wicked and warm, beguiling and moving - a richly woven story of survival and fate."

I love that we have this fairy tale world yet it has the serious real life concern of diabetes. 

Season of the Serpent by Suyi Davies Okungbowa
Published by: Orbit
Publication Date: August 11th, 2026
Format: Paperback, 368 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"Award-winning author Suyi Davies Okungbowa returns in the final installment of the Nameless Republic trilogy with a tale of villains, allies, and a world on the brink of destruction, perfect for fans of Tasha Suri, Evan Winter, and James Islington.

The old world has fallen. Now is the time of serpents.

The continent is split. The islands have sunk. The empire of Bassa is no more. With the resistant Nameless Republic and the conquering Kangalaland on the brink of war, all must choose a side: ally, or fall. Oon's heroes and villains must rise from their ashes and meet a Third Great War.

Peace won't come easy. Long-lost family will fight to reach Danso before war erases him forever. Lilong has survived the island catastrophe but lost her power, and will do anything to get it back. And fate will find Esheme where it left her - will the dead queen rise again?

For Oon, the first season of the five states is a season of serpents. After the storms pass and winds blow, what will remain? And who will survive?"

Another epic cover by Dan Dos Santos! 

Posted by Miss Eliza at 12:00 AM 0 comments  

Labels: Alli Dyer, Alyssa Hollingsworth, Barbara O'Neal, Bridget Morrissey, E.C. Nevin, Jennifer McMahon, Lex Croucher, Meg Cabot, Melody Robinette, Olivia Dade, Olivie Blake, pirateaba, Silvia Moreno-Garcia, Suyi Davies Okungbowa

The Gilded Blade by Jennifer Lynn Barnes
Published by: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers
Publication Date: July 14th, 2026
Format: Hardcover, 384 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"In the stunning finale to the global phenomenon of the Inheritance Games Saga (over 6 million copies sold!), discover danger, riches, romance - and the staggering answers to long-brewing mysteries.

Everyone is a player.

In the grandest of games, there is everything to win - money, love, power, revenge - and even more to lose. From Texas to Prague to London and beyond, the Hawthorne family, the players from the Grandest Game, and allies old and new are drawn into a web of centuries-old secrets and mind-bending puzzles. Every clue pulls them deeper; every answer demands a price.

To survive, they must unravel the mysteries that bind them together...but some truths are deadly.

Discover danger, riches, romance - and the long-awaited revelations at the heart of Jennifer Lynn Barnes's most intricate and explosive puzzle yet.

All games must come to an end."

I mean, the series gets more and more absurd and unrealistic, but I can't stop reading!

Cross My Heart I Hope You Die by Mallory Arnold
Published by: Poisoned Pen Press
Publication Date: July 14th, 2026
Format: Hardcover, 352 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"From the USA Today bestselling author of How to Survive a Horror Story comes a biting slasher perfect for fans of John Tucker Must Die and The Final Girl Support Group, following three women who lure their cheating boyfriend to a remote mountain cabin, only to realize that darkness lurks within the very walls, waiting to pick them off one by one.

One isolated cabin. One cheating boyfriend. One plan to get even.

When Nora, Ruby, and Cham discover that they've each been dating the same man, what starts as outrage quickly spirals into a plot for revenge. Together they hatch a plan to lure their boyfriend to a romantic getaway in a secluded cabin at the top of a snow-covered mountain.

Only what was meant to be harmless payback soon takes a chilling turn when their not-so-adoring boyfriend is found dead in the cabin.

Stranded and snowed in, the women begin to look at each other with increasing suspicion. And as tensions rise, hidden motives come to light. To survive, each woman must confront her own demons as they fight to uncover if one of them is the killer, or if something else lurks in the freezing wilderness, waiting to pick them off one by one."

It would be so unfair if it's something darker, I mean, their mutual boyfriend did deserve it...

Killer Vibes by Jack Friday
Published by: Minotaur Books
Publication Date: July 14th, 2026
Format: Hardcover, 352 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"A wild and wickedly funny series debut, introducing readers to the irresistible and irrepressible private investigator, Peter Key.

Meet Peter Key: self-proclaimed "laziest private investigator in Texas" (it's harder than it looks), unapologetic bisexual, dedicated stoner, and the surprised recipient of a windfall inheritance from an uncle he barely knew. Peter's life was a mess before, but now - as the owner of a dilapidated house in one of the most desirable neighborhoods in Austin - he has a mountain of debt to deal with and pressure to sell from every side.

But Peter doesn't like to be pushed around. And when he discovers a bag full of cash, he starts to suspect his uncle's death wasn't an accident. He soon finds himself pulled into a lethal game where not everybody plays by the rules.

Fortunately, Peter's never been good at following rules.

Sexy, suspenseful, and packed with Austin's quirks, Killer Vibes is a wild and wickedly funny romp that introduces us to the irresistible and irrepressible PI, Peter Key."

I just saying, could the author have chosen a name different than Peter Key, it's way too close to Peter Kay, and I don't think that's the vibe the author would want...

Lady X by Molly Fader
Published by: Ballantine Books
Publication Date: July 14th, 2026
Format: Hardcover, 352 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"The search for a notorious vigilante exposes the secrets among three generations of women, from contemporary L.A. to gritty 1970s New York, in this propulsive novel hailed as "an unputdownable paean to female rage and retribution" by #1 bestselling author Jodi Picoult.

Los Angeles, 2024. After learning that her A-list actor husband sent explicit photos to multiple girls on social media, Margot Cooper runs away from the world - and the paparazzi - by fleeing to her childhood home with her teenage daughter in tow.

But home isn't the sanctuary Margot was hoping for. In a cardboard box in the corner of the attic, she finds damning evidence of an infamous urban legend, the mysterious vigilante "Lady X" - including a blurry newspaper photo of a woman who looks an awful lot like Margot's mother.

New York City, 1977. In the midst of an infamous summer, Ginger Daughtry and her two beloved roommates are able to shield one another from the chaos - until one of them is assaulted. Astounded by the lack of response from police, the young women decide to engage in some light payback, signing their handiwork as "Lady X."

Soon copycats appear, and a movement inspired by acts of vandalism against terrible men spirals out of control, with criminals running amok under the guise of the enigmatic Lady X. When a body is found fallen - or pushed - from five stories high, the hunt reaches a boiling point."

I'm all for rightful vengeance. 

The Intrigue by Silvia Moreno-Garcia
Published by: Del Rey
Publication Date: July 14th, 2026
Format: Hardcover, 336 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"From the New York Times bestselling author of Mexican Gothic and Velvet Was the Night comes a sizzling noir about desire, danger, and greed, in which seduction is the ultimate con.

Handsome con artist Ulises has long charmed lonely women via letters in order to steal their money, but money is hard to come by in 1940s Mexico. Ulises knows his looks won't last forever, and he's desperate to get his hands on a real fortune.

He thinks he's found it when he captivates his newest correspondent, Perla, the owner of a small-town boardinghouse in picturesque Veracruz. But when he meets her, he finds something he didn't expect. The woman has a niece, Inés, who is as observant as she is desperate to escape her aunt's household.

When Inés discovers Ulises's true intentions, she wants in on the scheme. They'll convince her aunt that Ulises is a great catch, Perla will marry him, and her money will vanish. Easy, fast, and clean. But Perla is not the desperate, silly spinster Ulises imagines. She harbors secrets. And although Ulises does not believe in true romance, Inés is more alluring than he bargained for. Suddenly, a simple plan may become perilously complicated.

Venture into the streets of a small town where a patina of convention and good manners conceals a cauldron of avarice and lust."

I'm rooting for the aunt!

The Cherkely Court Conundrum by Benedict Brown
Published by: Storm Publishing
Publication Date: July 14th, 2026
Format: Paperback, 290 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"A maid found bludgeoned, a priceless treasure stolen, and the likely suspect gone without a trace...

When an old flame from Marius Quin's past turns up at his door with knowledge of a shocking crime, he is drawn into a new case. A devoted maid has been brutally attacked, a valuable jewellery box stolen, and the head gardener has fled from the grand estate where they work.

With his sleuthing partner, Lady Bella, alongside him, Marius descends on Cherkley Court, the home of the domineering business magnate Lord Sheridan. But conflicting accounts from the man, his glamorous wife, a trio of young artists, and the troubled staff only lead to more questions. Although plenty of evidence points to the missing gardener, Marius isn't convinced, and his hunch is proven right when the killer strikes again.

Faced with a conspiracy that reaches into the heart of the household itself, can Marius and Bella unravel a devious plot or will the killer get away with murder twice over?

A twisting, atmospheric 1920s country house mystery with a devastating final act. Perfect for fans of Agatha Christie, T E Kinsey and Lee Strauss."

Always here for a country house mystery. Especially if it has artists!

The Cloak and Dagger Club by Jackie McMahon
Published by: Berkley
Publication Date: July 14th, 2026
Format: Hardcover, 368 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"Inspired by Agatha Christie's real-life Detection Club, a murder among a group of golden age mystery writers meets a second chance romance in this debut novel from author Jackie McMahon.

London, 1930. Lucy Hubbard is on the cusp of achieving her dreams. With her first mystery novel debuting with strong sales and glowing reviews, she's been invited by Horace Hazelmoor, the king of crime fiction, to join his elite group of writers - the Cloak and Dagger Club.

Thrilled at the opportunity, Lucy finds herself swept up into Horace's glamorous world at the Ritz hotel. She's even willing to put up with the inconvenient presence of her former fiancé, Frank Murray, the club's rising star who is on track to eclipse Horace as Britain's most popular crime writer.

But when Horace is found with a knife in his back, Frank is the police's prime suspect. Despite their complicated history, Lucy knows he's not capable of murder. With suspects galore and the danger rising, these two mystery writers must race to solve the crime - and fight their lingering feelings for each other - before the murderer strikes again."

So many Agatha Christie vibes. People tend to forget she always loved to pair death with romance. 

The Great Game by Arvind Ethan David
Published by: Thomas and Mercer
Publication Date: July 14th, 2026
Format: Paperback, 236 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"An outsider in London investigates a series of brutal murders targeting English aristocrats in a timely and provocative historical novel brimming with intrigue, wit, and rage.

London, 1905: Law student and military veteran Balvinder dev Singh has found an extralegal way to fund his studies. As friend and accomplice to the infamous gentleman thief AJ Raffles, he rubs shoulders with the upper crust - and steals their valuables. That is, until their next mark, an imperialist general, is grotesquely murdered in the library of his Mayfair mansion. Bal and Raffles find themselves implicated in a series of killings that soon attracts the attention of Scotland Yard - and the aging Sherlock Holmes himself.

As Bal works to clear his name, he must hide his checkered past from a new acquaintance, the beautiful Irish violinist Maud Adler. Her fiery views lead Bal to question his own place in the world. But when he comes face-to-face with a plot to strike at the very heart of the British government, he must decide how much he's willing to risk for his adopted city."

Raffles rides again!

The Knocking by Laura Lee Bahr
Published by: Little a
Publication Date: July 14th, 2026
Format: Hardcover, 315 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"In a house this haunted, both the living and the dead pose dangers to a female journalist in nineteenth-century New York in a chilling historical gothic by the author of Who Is the Liar.

It's 1850 when intrepid journalist and women's-rights advocate Edith Ann, "E. A.," Howe arrives at the home of iconic newspaper founder Horace Greeley. Her assignment is to chronicle the uncanny gifts of Cathie Fox, an eleven-year-old medium in Horace's charge. Mysterious knocking sounds follow Cathie as she channels the restless spirit of the Greeleys' deceased son, Pickie - a ghostly consolation to Horace's profoundly unwell and grieving wife. As her condition worsens, E. A. suspects foul play.

Something is very wrong in this house. Sharp-tongued housekeepers warn her to steer clear of the attic. Pickie's alleged messages from beyond are more disturbing than comforting. And the seemingly guileless Cathie claims that the house is eating her alive. All the while Cathie's beautiful English governess is awakening something restless in E. A.

As she wrestles with her own childhood terrors, E. A. must investigate the story of the spirit-knockings and reveal whether the greatest threats are coming from the living or the dead."

A spooky story with a nice grounding in the time period.  

The Sea Hides Its Dead by Megan Bontrager
Published by: Run for It
Publication Date: July 14th, 2026
Format: Paperback, 368 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"Trapped in an underwater cave, a group of academics must face a series of deadly, supernatural trials - each one demanding they confront their darkest sins - in this chilling aquatic cult horror debut from Megan Bontrager.

Grad student Caro has no idea what she wants to do with her life, but when the opportunity arises to act as a research assistant on an anthropological expedition for her professor and lover, Edward Beck, she doesn't hesitate.

Beck assembles a team of academics and professionals to study the ancient sea-based Cult of the Leviathan, and the expedition descends into the sea caves where the cult is said to have dwelt.

But when the cave entrance collapses, trapping them inside, the expedition will find they are not alone in the darkness. An ancient trial has been set in motion. One by one, the members of the expedition will be tested and forced to atone for their greatest sins...or die."

I love that this feels like the best Michael Crichton novel. Yes, I'm a huge fan of Sphere. 

The House with Nobody in It by Jon Klassen
Published by: Candlewick
Publication Date: July 14th, 2026
Format: Hardcover, 18 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"Peek through doors and windows to explore a mysterious house in this innovative shaped novelty book for young readers who relish the lightly spooky, from the Caldecott Medal-winning and New York Times bestselling Jon Klassen, creator of I Want My Hat Back and The Skull.

Here are the things in this house: a chair, a clock on the wall, a stool, a lamp. And more. What's missing from this house? Somebody. This is the house with nobody in it. Well, there might be something...

Designed as a sturdy keepsake to read, play with, and treasure, The House with Nobody in It takes readers through a recognizable, cozy house, while layered die-cut doors and windows throughout introduce a hint of intrigue. This is the house with nobody in it - or is it?

Pairing the familiar with a touch of mystery, Jon Klassen proves once again to be a master of breaking the mold, playing with expectations...and delighting even the youngest of readers."

I adore everything Jon Klassen. Throw in something extra, and I can't get enough. 

To Crown a Witch by Lindsey Olsson
Published by: G.P. Putnam's Sons Books for Young Readers
Publication Date: July 14th, 2026
Format: Hardcover, 352 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"A criminal and a royal guard are drawn into the hunt for a dangerous witch - and an unexpected romance - in this YA enemies-to-lovers romantasy, the first in a duology. Perfect for fans of Heartless Hunter.

In Gadore, the Witch is feared above all else. Reborn into each generation, she is the only person with magic running innately through her veins, able to wield that magic with a single thought.

So when guards across the city begin to drop dead, gruesomely murdered by violent and vicious magic, everyone knows the Witch has returned - and no one will be safe until she's killed.

Toran is the Prince's Crown, the most highly skilled fighter in the King's Guard. Tasked with the responsibility of leading the hunt for the Witch, Toran tries to focus on his assignment to forget the ghosts of his past. And after he learns of Nes, a thief with an uncanny ability to sniff out magic, he forcibly recruits her into joining his hunt.

As the two face deadly magic and otherworldly threats, their mutual dislike soon turns to something more electric, and they find themselves drawn to each other in ways they'd never imagined. But the Witch is always a step ahead of them, and with bodies piling up, secrets threaten to come to light - secrets that could destroy everything from the fragile trust between them to the very city of Gadore itself."

Please say the identity of the Witch is a big twist!

Airrelle of the Maroon Witches by Sumayyah Beck
Published by: Holiday House
Publication Date: July 14th, 2026
Format: Hardcover, 304 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"Kiki's Delivery Service meets Black Panther in this middle grade fantasy set in a richly imagined world where once-enslaved people have built an enchanted network of hidden witch communities.

Anyone can become a witch in Missen Dessalin. If you can find the Missen, that is. Some say the whole reason it was called a "Missen" is because it was a gathering place for those who wanted to stay missin'.

Twelve-year-old Airrelle Bookman, born and raised in Missen Dessalin by two witch parents, has been waiting for magic to call to her for years now. She just has to secure her four patron animals, complete four rites, master four skills, and pass the initiation ceremony. Then she'll be a fully confirmed maroon witch, able to fly beyond the walls of the Missen as she pleases. Just like her parents, older siblings, and best friend Hosniya.

When the time for her trial finally seems to arrive, so do familial troubles and threats to the very safety and secrecy of Missen Dessalin itself. But an ordinary girl from beyond the protected walls of Missen, one who has grown up in our own tumultuous and unenchanted world, may just be the key to Airrelle's troubles.

Informed by the history of maroon societies and inspired by the fantasy worlds of Studio Ghibli, Airrelle of the Maroon Witches is a beautiful coming of age story about a shy but resourceful girl discovering her own power."

I love everything about this. 

Mirka Andolfo's Sweet Paprika: Open for Business by Steve Orlando and Emilio Pilliu
Published by: Image Comics
Publication Date: July 14th, 2026
Format: Paperback, 128 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"Love, ambition, and total workplace chaos collide when a rookie editor juggles a devilish boss, his confusing boyfriend, and one impossible author in this spicy romance comic!

At Infernum Press, Aubrey Jean tries to balance it all: winning the approval of his idol Miss Paprika, figuring out what his "boyfriend" Persica really means to him, and surviving the impossible demands of Durian - an infamously eccentric author no one else dares to handle. Between complicated romance and chaotic work life, Aubrey is about to learn just how messy chasing your dreams (and your heart) can get.

Sexy, emotional, and irresistibly stylish, this brand-new spin-off of the Harvey Award-winning series brings back the wicked charm of Sweet Paprika with a fresh, heartfelt queer perspective, starring the characters who debuted on the Eisner Award-nominated book Sweet Paprika: Black, White and Pink #1 but can be easily read by newcomers alike!

A queer love drama spin-off of the best-selling Sweet Paprika book, from acclaimed writer Steve Orlando (Scarlet Witch, Marauders, Commanders in Crisis) and rising Italian star Emilio Pilliu (X-Men: The Wedding Special, DC Pride 2025)."

Now that we have other people writing Sweet Paprika is Mirka Andolfo EVER going to get Merciless, the spin-off from Mercy finished? Or even started?

The Dragon Has Some Complaints by John Wiswell
Published by: DAW
Publication Date: July 14th, 2026
Format: Hardcover, 400 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"In this heartfelt and humorous fantasy from the Nebula-winning author of Someone You Can Build a Nest In, a dragon whose three heads bear rather…different...personalities finds family in the most unexpected of places.

Garrodigh was once a four-headed dragon, among the most powerful in Kardoša. After an unfortunate incident, he now has three heads, one stump, and a daily whirlwind of internal bickering. Centerhead wants to rain death upon all humanity, Bottomhead is like a feral cat, and Upperhead is under the delicate delusion that he is, in fact, human.

When a nearby battle goes awry, Garrodigh sneaks into an elite dragon rider academy, pretending to be tame to get free food and a warm bed. Lucky for him, rider Rania Charvátová is desperate enough for a dragon of her own that she overlooks his eccentricities.

As Garrodigh recovers under Rania's care, all three heads start to turn, for the first time, in the same direction. Each wants to protect her from the invaders who killed their fourth head - the same invaders who seek to conquer Kardoša. When the academy comes under attack, can this wild dragon and his wilder rider save their homeland together?

This cozy fantasy intertwines epic battles with loving friendships, sharing an utterly unique perspective on what it means to be a "monster.""

I've always thought of dragons of being very cat-like. A three-headed dragon is very much about herding cats.

Dominion by Jean Kwok
Published by: G.P. Putnam's Sons
Publication Date: July 14th, 2026
Format: Hardcover, 448 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"A woman with no past. A warrior with no future. Their love could save the world - or burn it down.

Fourth Wing - by way of Chinese mythology - meets The Hunger Games in a perilous world where a young woman with no memory and little magic may hold the key to uniting the Dominions and saving the mortal realm, from the New York Times bestselling author of Read with Jenna pick Searching for Sylvie Lee and Girl in Translation.

In a world divided into four rival dominions, power is everything - and Rubi Morningtail has almost none. Three years after the Annihilation destroyed her homeland and shattered her memories, she lives as an Azure refugee in the Dominion of the Silver Tyger, scraping by as a ribbon dancer and hiding her little bit of singing magic. When she wounds a massive battle tyger on her doorstep, she draws the notice of Blake Axefire - supreme metal mage, leader of the royal Tyger Warriors, and the last man an Azure should trust. His sentence? Cast her into the Bonding, a brutal trial where tygers choose their riders and slaughter the rest. Surviving is unthinkable.

But survive she does. Now she's stuck on Blake's elite team racing to reseal the Anchors to the Demon Realm. With rebels striking, demons rising, and the dominions at each other's throats, Rubi must unlock the truth of her magic and her past...while resisting her dangerous attraction to the ruthless warrior who could be her redemption - or her ruin."

And now I'll what a massive battle tyger! 

The Eye of Leviathan by M.A. Carrick
Published by: Orbit
Publication Date: July 14th, 2026
Format: Paperback, 512 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"From the author of The Mask of Mirrors comes a sweeping adventure set in a world where fae secretly walk amongst those who seek to persecute them.

In an alternate Spanish Golden Age, the Council of the Sea Beyond has risen to unrivaled power, exploiting the Otherworld's most precious resources for their own gain. Estevan seeks to uncover their secrets, but he risks the exposure of his own: that he is a faerie, masquerading as a mortal.

The Hungry Girl is the human whose place he took. Lost among the fae and desperate to find some purpose for her existence, she leaps at the chance to help a group of Spanish explorers in the Sea Beyond...only to be horrified at the atrocities they commit.

A faerie pact has separated them - but only together can they bring down Spain's worlds-spanning empire and save the homes they have both come to love."

I adore the fact that the fae, notorious for cruelty, are appalled by the Spanish.

The Light of Stars by Jenelle Hovde
Published by: Tyndale Fiction
Publication Date: July 14th, 2026
Format: Paperback, 368 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"An arranged marriage. A powerful company tainted with corruption. Two souls caught between obligation and a longing to find their true calling in this Regency romance set in glittering London ballrooms and Calcutta street markets.

When Kitty Grenville's grandfather announces her engagement to Sebastian Sinclair, she's appalled. She barely remembers the boy she met once as a child - and now he's a man tied to the East India Company, the very organization that tore Kitty and her brother from their mother and home in Hyderabad years ago. Unwilling to relinquish her dream of a love match or her passion for astronomy, Kitty is determined to refuse the marriage and find freedom in her own way.

Sebastian Sinclair carries the weight of duty and regret. To atone for past sins, he complies with his grandfather's orders to return to England, fulfill a long-standing betrothal, and defend the maligned East India Company before Parliament. Though Kitty makes her disinterest clear, Sebastian is drawn to her intellect and spirit.

As Kitty navigates her first London season, her opinion of Sebastian begins to shift, especially when he shields her from scandal. When he's abruptly called back to India, Kitty stuns everyone by marrying him and going with him, hoping to escape her grandfather's control - and to find her mother.

But the challenges that await in India are greater than imagined. Together, Kitty and Sebastian must confront the legacy of family and empire - and discover if a marriage born of obligation can grow into a love strong enough to endure."

They have like three months on the boat to bond. It will be great.

The Hexing Miss Helena by Darcy McGuire
Published by: Boldwood Books Ltd
Publication Date: July 14th, 2026
Format: Paperback, 242 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"Practical Magic meets Bridgerton! Discover the BRAND NEW romantic, witchy series from Darcy McGuire.

Every book in the Society of Scandalous Witches can be read as a standalone.

Secrets. Scandal. Hexes. And a desire that refuses to be tamed.

In gaslit Victorian England, reputation is everything - and Lady Cynthia Burrows has perfected hers. A flawless hostess. A dutiful wife. A paragon of the beau monde. Until her husband is found murdered and Cynthia becomes the most scandalous suspect of the Season. With society sharpening its knives, Cynthia turns to the formidable Blair family-rumoured witches who move through polite society with dangerous ease to help clear her name.

Among them is Helena Blair: sharp-witted, fiercely independent, and blessed with the power to read minds. Until she meets Cynthia. For the first time in her life, Helena hears nothing at all. Could it be that this captivating yet infuriating woman has untapped powers, or she's masking her guilt?

As the investigation unfolds, Cynthia's carefully controlled world begins to unravel. And it's not long before the heat between them threatens to ignite something far more dangerous than gossip. But giving into their desires could ruin everything. To survive, they must risk their hearts before the truth hexes them!"

Yeah, having an opaque mind would be useful if you're a killer.

The Moonsingers by Robyn J. Pritzker
Published by: Poisoned Pen Press
Publication Date: July 14th, 2026
Format: Paperback, 336 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"In a quiet glen beyond the reach of the railway lives a peculiar family who knows the best magic is the kind found in ordinary moments.

When Ismay Gebhardt is dismissed from yet another teaching post after an unfortunate accident (which everyone survived!), she accepts a last-chance job as a private tutor in sleepy Glenmaidens village. The town is brimming with natural beauty, uncanny traditions, and earnest locals, none more unusual than her three young pupils - the Underhill sisters - and their puzzling father.

Determined to make herself useful after several catastrophic lessons with the unbiddable girls, Ismay writes to the transport bureau suggesting an extension to the train line, hoping to bring Glenmaidens into modernity. As usual, Ismay's good intentions lead to chaos with the arrival of the bureau's frustratingly thorough officer, Hamish Breck, whose railway plans threaten not only the glen's tranquility, but also the ancient oak tree at its heart. Amidst a mess of her own making, Ismay unearths Glenmaidens' enchanted secret: the Underhills, like many villagers, are fairies who settled in the mortal world in search of a gentler life, and the oak is their only bridge back to the moonlit realm of the fantastic.

As summer heat rises, Ismay schemes with her magical neighbors to prevent the extension, each day finding herself more entangled with the charming, persistent bureaucrat. With her newfound family, the way between worlds, and her heart all at risk, Ismay must decide how much she would bargain to finally embrace the wonder and belonging she's always wished for."

Nope. No iron near the fairies.

The Missing Mother of Rose Cottage by Cathy Hayward
Published by: Lake Union Publishing
Publication Date: July 14th, 2026
Format: Paperback, 315 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"She thought she knew her family. One photograph proves she has been living a lie.

Joanne has always believed her mother died giving birth to her. It's a painful truth, but one she's accepted. Then, whilst sorting through old baby clothes, she finds a photograph tucked away in a box - her birth mother, smiling and very much alive, cradling a newborn in her arms.

As Joanne starts searching, the answers she gets only lead to more questions. Her journey takes her to Rose Cottage, where her mother once lived, and into a past filled with long-hidden secrets. Can she find out what really happened? What could be so terrible that her father has kept it from her for her whole life - and is she ready for the truth?

Revised edition: Previously released as The Secret of the Brighton House, this edition of The Missing Mother of Rose Cottage includes editorial revisions."

I don't know... If you've been watching Widow's Bay a lot could have gone wrong...

Posted by Miss Eliza at 12:00 AM 0 comments  

Labels: Benedict Brown, Cathy Hayward, Darcy McGuire, Jean Kwok, Jenelle Hovde, Jennifer Lynn Barnes, John Wiswell, Jon Klassen, Lindsey Olsson, M.A. Carrick, Mirka Andolfo, Robyn J. Pritzker, Silvia Moreno-Garcia, Sumayyah Beck