Tuesday Tomorrow
We Solve Murders by Richard Osman
Published by: Pamela Dorman Books
Publication Date: September 17th, 2024
Format: Hardcover, 400 Pages
To Buy
The official patter:
"From the #1 bestselling author of The Thursday Murder Club Series.
A brand new mystery. An iconic new detective duo. And a thrilling new murder to solve...
Steve Wheeler is enjoying retired life. He still does the odd bit of investigation work, but he prefers his familiar routines: the pub quiz, his favorite bench, his cat waiting for him at home. His days of adventure are over. Adrenaline is daughter-in-law Amy's job now.
Amy Wheeler thinks adrenaline is good for the soul. Working in private security, every day is dangerous. She's currently on a remote island protecting mega-bestselling author Rosie D'Antonio, until a dead body and a bag of money mean trouble in paradise. So she sends an SOS to the only person she trusts...
As a thrilling race around the world begins, can Amy and Steve outrun and outsmart a killer?
Solving murders. It's a family business."
I already have it on hold at my library!
Bleeding Hearts by Erin Lark Maples
Published by: Lodestar Literary
Publication Date: September 17th, 2024
Format: Kindle, 227 Pages
To Buy
The official patter:
"Declan takes aim at his first mystery...
Burnt out from his day job, Declan hangs up his past for a fresh start in the charming coastal town of Astoria, Oregon. He rents an apartment and opens a quaint shop downtown, hoping to blend into the human world. But Declan's plans for a peaceful new life are shattered when he discovers a lifeless body in his own backyard.
All fingers point to the new guy in town, and with the police watching his every move, Declan finds himself at the center of every target. Desperate to clear his name and get out of the spotlight, he enlists the help of a quirky group of locals. They dive into the mystery to uncover secrets - to uncover secrets about the victim, and each other - that Astoria's picturesque streets have long concealed.
As they unravel a web of intrigue, magic, and murder, Declan is running out of time. Will they solve the case before Declan's true identity is revealed, or will the killer strike again?
Join Declan and his motley crew in this heartwarming, humorous, and engaging cozy mystery series debut that will leave you eager for a trip to the coast!"
I mean, what kind of magical creature is Declan? Please say it's a cat!
Buried Deep and Other Stories by Naomi Novik
Published by: Del Rey Books
Publication Date: September 17th, 2024
Format: Hardcover, 448 Pages
To Buy
The official patter:
"A thrilling collection of thirteen short stories that span the worlds of the New York Times bestselling author of the Scholomance trilogy, including a sneak peek at the land where her next novel will be set.
From the dragon-filled Temeraire series and the Gothic magical halls of the Scholomance trilogy, through the realms next door to Spinning Silver and Uprooted, this stunning collection takes us from fairy tale to fantasy, myth to history, and mystery to science fiction as we travel through Naomi Novik's most beloved stories. Here, among many others, we encounter:
- A mushroom witch who learns that sometimes the worst thing in the Scholomance can be your roommate.
- The start of the Dragon Corps in ancient Rome, after Mark Antony hatches a dragon's egg and bonds with the hatchling.
- A young bride in the Middle Ages who finds herself gambling with Death for the highest of stakes.
- A delightful reimagining of Pride and Prejudice, in which Elizabeth Bennet captains a Longwing dragon.
- The first glimpse of the world of Abandon, the setting of Novik's upcoming epic fantasy series - a deserted continent populated only by silent and enigmatic architectural mysteries.
Though the stories are vastly different, there is a unifying theme: wrestling with destiny, and the lengths some will go to find their own and fulfill its promise."
AND REGENCY MAGIC! YAROO!
A Dark and Drowning Tide by Allison Saft
Published by: Random House Worlds
Publication Date: September 17th, 2024
Format: Paperback, 384 Pages
To Buy
The official patter:
"A sharp-tongued folklorist must pair up with her academic rival to solve their mentor's murder in this lush and enthralling sapphic fantasy romance from the New York Times bestselling author of A Far Wilder Magic.
Lorelei Kaskel, a folklorist with a quick temper and an even quicker wit, is on an expedition with six eccentric nobles in search of a fabled spring. The magical spring promises untold power, which the king wants to harness in order to secure his reign over the embattled country of Brunnestaad. Lorelei is determined to use this opportunity to prove herself and make her wildest, most impossible dream come true: to become a naturalist, able to travel freely to lands she's only read about.
The expedition gets off to a harrowing start when its leader - Lorelei's beloved mentor - is murdered in her quarters aboard their ship. The suspects are the five remaining expedition mates, each with their own motive. The only person Lorelei knows must be innocent is her longtime academic rival, the insufferably gallant and maddeningly beautiful Sylvia von Wolff. Now in charge of the expedition, Lorelei must find the spring before the murderer strikes again - and a coup begins in earnest.
But there are other dangers lurking in the dark: forests that rearrange themselves at night, rivers with slumbering dragons hiding beneath the water, and shapeshifting beasts out for blood.
As Lorelei and Sylvia grudgingly work together to uncover the truth - and resist their growing feelings for each other - they discover that their leader had secrets of her own. Secrets that make Lorelei question whether justice is worth pursuing, and if this kingdom is worth saving at all."
Yes, wonderful dark world, but you see there's also a locked room mystery at it's heart! Be still MY heart.
An Academy for Liars by Alexis Henderson
Published by: Ace Books
Publication Date: September 17th, 2024
Format: Hardcover, 464 Pages
To Buy
The official patter:
"A student will find that the hardest lessons sometimes come from outside the classroom in this stunning dark academia novel from the acclaimed author of The Year of the Witching and House of Hunger.
Lennon Carter's life is falling apart.
Then she gets a mysterious phone call inviting her to take the entrance exam for Drayton College, a school of magic hidden in a secret pocket of Savannah. Lennon has been chosen because - like everyone else at the school - she has the innate gift of persuasion, the ability to wield her will like a weapon, using it to control others and, in rare cases, matter itself.
After passing the test, Lennon begins to learn how to master her devastating and unsettling power. But despite persuasion's heavy toll on her body and mind, she is wholly captivated by her studies, by Drayton's lush, moss-draped campus, and by her brilliant classmates. But even more captivating is her charismatic adviser, Dante, who both intimidates and enthralls her.
As Lennon continues in her studies, her control grows, and she starts to uncover more about the secret world she has entered into, including the disquieting history of Drayton College. She is increasingly disturbed by what she learns, for it seems that the ultimate test is to embrace absolute power without succumbing to corruption...and it's a test she's terrified she's going to fail."
But to be among those like her that would level the playing field...
Bringer of Dust by J.M. Miro
Published by: Flatiron Books
Publication Date: September 17th, 2024
Format: Hardcover, 608 Pages
To Buy
The official patter:
"In this highly anticipated second book in the Talents Trilogy, the world of the dead is closer than you think.
Agrigento, Sicily, 1883. With the orsine destroyed, Cairndale lies in ruins, and Marlowe has vanished. His only hope of rescue lies in a fabled second orsine - long-hidden, thought lost - which might not even exist.
But when a body is discovered in the shadow of Cairndale, a body wreathed in the corrupted dust of the drughr, Charlie and the Talents realize there is even more at stake than they'd feared. For a new drughr has arisen, ferocious, horned, seemingly able to move in their world at will - and it is not alone. A malevolent figure, known only as the Abbess, desires the dust for her own ends. And deep in the world of the dead, a terrible evil stirs - an evil that the corrupted dust just might hold the secret to reviving or destroying forever.
So the dark journey begun in Ordinary Monsters surges forward, from the sinister underworld of the London exiles, to the mysteries of a sunlit villa in nineteenth-century Sicily, to the deep catacombs hidden under Paris. Against bone witches, mud glyphics, and a house of twilight that exists in a netherworld all its own, the Talents must work together - if they are to have any hope of staving off the world of the dead, and saving their long-lost friend."
And so begins the supernatural grand tour, if you will.
A Pocketful of Diamonds by Pam Lecky
Published by: Storm Publishing Ltd
Publication Date: September 17th, 2024
Format: Paperback, 318 Pages
To Buy
The official patter:
"Lucy Lawrence smoothed her silk travelling gown and watched as darkness fell over the shimmering waters of Lake Como - her honeymoon bliss shattered in an instant by a telegram carrying deadly tidings...
Newlyweds Lucy Lawrence and Phineas Stone arrive at the glittering shores of Lake Como, Italy, not to enjoy a romantic honeymoon but to answer a frantic plea for help. Phin's brother-in-law - the charismatic Count Luca Carmosino - has vanished without a trace from his Belle Époque villa, and the couple find themselves thrust into a world of stolen diamonds and smuggling rings.
From the opulent Grand Hotel Bellagio with its crystal chandeliers to the misty mountain passes of the Swiss border, Lucy must solve the mystery of the Count's disappearance and navigate the treacherous waters of Italian high society, all while maintaining the decorum expected of a proper Victorian lady... But as Lucy edges closer to the truth about what happened to Count Carmosino, the stakes rise dramatically. When an attempt is made on her life while Phin is out of town, Lucy realizes they're both in grave danger. Can she unravel this conspiracy and save those she loves before it's too late?
The fourth in the beloved Lucy Lawrence mystery series! A gripping tale of stolen diamonds, family intrigue, and hard-won redemption set against the stunning backdrop of glamorous Italy."
I'm just saying, Lucy needs to embrace the ability to see things from both sides, sure, there may be danger, but at least their honeymoon is still in a beautiful locale...
When We Flew Away by Alice Hoffman
Published by: Scholastic Press
Publication Date: September 17th, 2024
Format: Hardcover, 304 Pages
To Buy
The official patter:
"Bestselling author Alice Hoffman delivers a stunning novel about one of contemporary history's most acclaimed figures, exploring the little-known details of Anne Frank's life before she went into hiding.
Anne Frank's The Diary of a Young Girl has captivated and inspired readers for decades. Published posthumously by her bereaved father, Anne's journal, written while she and her family were in hiding during World War II, has become one of the central texts of the Jewish experience during the Holocaust, as well as a work of literary genius.
With the Nazi occupation of the Netherlands, the Frank family's life is turned inside out, blow by blow, restriction by restriction. Prejudice, loss, and terror run rampant, and Anne is forced to bear witness as ordinary people become monsters, and children and families are caught up in the inescapable tide of violence.
In the midst of impossible danger, Anne, audacious and creative and fearless, discovers who she truly is. With a wisdom far beyond her years, she will become a writer who will go on to change the world as we know it.
Critically acclaimed author Alice Hoffman weaves a lyrical and heart-wrenching story of the way the world closes in on the Frank family from the moment the Nazis invade the Netherlands until they are forced into hiding, bringing Anne to bold, vivid life.
Based on extensive research and published in cooperation with the Anne Frank House in Amsterdam, When We Flew Away is an extraordinary and moving tour de force.
Perfect for Alice Hoffman fans and readers of every age."
I'm glad that the story of Anne Frank is continuing to inspire and that this was done so thoughtfully.
Hampton Heights by Dan Kois
Published by: Harper Perennial
Publication Date: September 17th, 2024
Format: Hardcover, 208 Pages
To Buy
The official patter:
"From the author of the Washington Post notable novel Vintage Contemporaries, something completely unexpected: a hair-raising and rollicking adventure set on one night in 1987, when six paperboys must confront a slew of monsters as well as their own personal demons in a haunted Midwestern neighborhood.
On a cold winter's evening in 1987, six middle-school paperboys wander an unfamiliar Milwaukee neighborhood, selling newspaper subscriptions, fueled by their manager Kevin's promises of cash bonuses and dinner at Burger King. But the freaks come out at night in Hampton Heights. Sent out into the neighborhood in pairs, the boys will encounter a host of primordial monsters - and triumph over them.
Sigmone, who is bussed to a white school, is stuck with Joel, a white kid who idolizes Black culture. Mark, who's wrestling with his sexuality, joins his secret crush, Ryan. Nishu and Al are outsiders; one is a second-generation immigrant, the other a poor kid in a rich school. Over the course of one eventful evening, the three pairs will encounter the wild things of Hampton Heights - werewolves, witches with a centuries-old story to tell, and a creepy, ancient monster who feeds on memories. Meanwhile, Kevin is having an adventure of his own, seducing a beautiful woman in the neighborhood's tavern...but who is actually in control?
Funny, thrilling, outrageous, and sneakily beautiful, Dan Kois's Hampton Heights captures without sentimentality the dreams and fears of teenage boys in a tender horror-comedy about camaraderie, bravery, vulnerability, and the terrifying prospect of growing up."
Paper Girls for those who prefer prose.
The Lies We Conjure by Sarah Henning
Published by: Tor Teen
Publication Date: September 17th, 2024
Format: Hardcover, 400 Pages
To Buy
The official patter:
"Knives Out meets The Inheritance Games with magic in this standalone supernatural thriller by Sarah Henning: thirteen witches, a locked-room murder, and two non-magical sisters trapped in a deadly whodunit.
Ruby and her sister, Wren, are normal, middle-class Colorado high school students working a summer job at the local Renaissance Fest to supplement their meager college savings.
So when an eccentric old lady asks them to impersonate her long-absent grandchildren at a fancy dinner party at the jaw-dropping rate of two grand - each - for a single night... Wren insists it's a no-brainer. Make some cash, have some fun, do a good deed.
But less than an hour into the evening at the mysterious Hegemony Manor, Ruby is sure she must have lost her mind to have agreed to this.
The hostess is dead, the gates are locked, and a magical curse ensures no one can leave until they solve both her murder and the riddles she left behind - in just three days. Because everyone else at this party is a powerful witch. And if the witches realize Ruby and Wren are imposters? The sisters won't make it out of Hegemony Manor alive."
Three things I love; magic, locked room mystery, and standalone.
The Others: Book 1 by Evette Davis
Published by: Sparkpress
Publication Date: September 17th, 2024
Format: Paperback, 352 Pages
To Buy
The official patter:
"True Blood meets Supernatural in the kickoff of this urban paranormal fantasy series from an acclaimed author. Readers enter a dystopian San Francisco filled with empaths and vampires embroiled in political unrest - and Book 1 is just the beginning.
Much as she wishes otherwise, superstar political consultant Olivia Shepherd was born a powerful empath. It's a legacy she walked away from long ago - but when she wakes up one morning to find Elsa, a tenacious time-walker, standing in her kitchen, she realizes she can no longer ignore her gifts. She is quickly plunged into the hidden world of powerful "Others" and drafted to work for the Council, a shadowy organization that summons the fog to San Francisco to obscure their involvement in human affairs.
Complicating matters further is Olivia's new love interest, William. A centuries-old vampire, William is far too jaded to take an interest in human affairs - but Olivia no longer has the luxury of remaining impartial. As shocking details from Olivia's own past emerge and her role in the Council begins to take shape, will she rise to the challenge of her destiny?"
I will read anything set in San Francisco. Throw in a supernatural element and I am SO there.
Stage Fright by Wendy Parris
Published by: Random House Children's Books
Publication Date: September 17th, 2024
Format: Paperback, 224 Pages
To Buy
The official patter:
"A new locked room scary story about thirteen-year-old Avery, who plans a séance at a deserted theater to bond with her friends, only to realize they're locked inside with someone - or something - else. This spine tingling read is perfect for fans of Katherine Arden and Lindsay Currie!
When Avery returns to her hometown after moving away a year earlier, she is hoping to jump back into her friend group as if nothing's changed.
Unfortunately, new interests, secret crushes, and changing dynamics get in her way. To reunite her BFFs, she suggests they host a séance at an abandoned theater that was the site of a horrible tragedy.
What starts as a fun outing, soon becomes a fight for survival after the group gets locked in...and discovers they're not alone."
I adore that the cover has the theater's ghost light front and center.
The School for Wicked Witches by Will Taylor
Published by: Scholastic Inc.
Publication Date: September 17th, 2024
Format: Paperback, 256 Pages
To Buy
The official patter:
"Ava isn't ready to leave her home in Oz - especially not to become a witch. Then the worst thing that could possibly happen occurs - Ava's magic goes very wrong and she is banished to a school for wicked witches. Perfect for fans of Wicked, Witchlings, and The School for Good and Evil!
In Oz, most girls and boys with magical powers are sent from the north, south, east, and west to renowned witch academies, where they are elevated and taught all the finer ways to be a responsible witch. But if you misbehave? Or are thought to harbor darker magic? You're sent to the equivalent of witch reform school - The School for Wicked Witches. ONLY! Once you get there, you find that the witches running it are so powerful that they've managed to trick the rest of the outside world. Yes, it looks to outside like they are taming the wickedness out of the witches... but in truth, the school is run by wicked witches (who, incidentally, don't see themselves as wicked at all... although some of them really are.)
Ava Heartstraw has never even considered being wicked. But when she goes to take her entrance test for a witch academy, she doesn't get the reaction she's expecting - and is the first kid in memory from the west to be sent to the School for Wicked Witches."
This fall it's all about Oz!
Rewitched by Lucy Jane Wood
Published by: Ace Books
Publication Date: September 17th, 2024
Format: Paperback, 384 Pages
To Buy
The official patter:
"In this spellbinding warm and cozy debut novel, a burned-out witch will need to turn to her friends and trust in herself to find the magic in her own life again.
Belladonna Blackthorn hasn't lost her magical spark, precisely...but she hasn't seen it in a while either.
With her witchcraft under wraps and a toxic boss making her days miserable, Belle is struggling to keep her beloved Lunar Books afloat and just make it through the day. The last thing she has time for is perfecting her magic.
So when her thirtieth birthday brings a summons from her coven and a trial that tests her worthiness as a witch, Belle fears the worst. With only the month of October left to prove herself or risk losing her magic forever, Belle will need all the help she can get - from the women in her life, from an unlikely mentor figure and even from an infuriating coven watchman who's sworn to protect her..."
I swear, if I could move into the cover of a book it would be this one.
My Vampire Plus-One by Jenna Levine
Published by: Berkley Books
Publication Date: September 17th, 2024
Format: Paperback, 400 Pages
To Buy
The official patter:
"Nothing sucks more than fake dating a vampire in this paranormal romantic comedy from the USA Today bestselling author of My Roommate Is a Vampire.
Amelia Collins is by definition successful. She would even go so far as to say successfully single. But not according to her family, and she's tired of the constant questions about her nonexistent dating life. When an invitation to yet another family wedding arrives, she decides to get everyone off her back once and for all by finding someone - anyone - to pose as her date.
After a chance encounter with Reginald Cleaves, Amelia decides he's perfect for her purposes. He's a bit strange, but that's fine; it'll discourage tough questions from her family. (And it certainly doesn't hurt that he's very handsome.) For centuries-old vampire Reggie, posing as her plus-one sounds like the ultimate fun. And if it helps his ruse of pretending to be human, so much the better.
As Amelia and Reggie practice their fauxmance, it becomes clear that Reggie is as loyal to her as the day is long, and that Amelia's first impressions could not have been more wrong. Suddenly, being in a real relationship with Reggie sounds pretty fang-tastic."
But what if the wedding is outside at noon?
Does This Taste Funny? by Stephen Colbert and Evie McGee Colbert
Published by: Celadon Books
Publication Date: September 17th, 2024
Format: Hardcover, 336 Pages
To Buy
The official patter:
"Stephen and Evie Colbert invite you to pull up a chair as they share their favorite recipes from family and friends and offer a glimpse of food and fun in their South Carolina home.
"Hopefully reading this book and cooking these recipes will feel like hanging out with us at home. We basically live in the kitchen anyway." - Evie and Stephen Colbert
As Evie and Stephen explain it, Does This Taste Funny? had its beginnings in the Covid lockdown. "We were all stuck together and couldn't go out, so we cooked. We had all three kids back under one roof for the first time in a long time, and we had dinner each night as a family. Cooking together became a major source of entertainment."
Now, the Colberts invite us into their kitchen and around their dining room table. Sharing Stephen and Evie's favorite recipes, as well as those of their family and friends, this book offers everything from Party Food (called "party food" because "appetizers" implies something to follow when we all know that, often, this is the only course), to Seafood, to Poultry and Meat ("Evie and I have different relationships to meat. I like it. Evie can take it or leave it, and mostly she leaves it."), to Desserts ("This is one of the largest sections of the book. Evie always reminds me that desserts are a great way to postpone clearing up."), to Drinks ("I love cocktail hour. It feels like a reward for having gone so long without a cocktail."), all tied together with playful dialogue between Stephen and Evie and gorgeous shots of their food, family, and home."
Now THIS is the cookbook I've been waiting for. Plus, I mean, don't you love Stephen and Evie and that awesome cover?
A Shot in the Dark by Lynne Truss
The Colors of All the Cattle by Alexander McCall Smith
An Unexplained Death by Mikita Brottman
The Splendor Before the Dark by Margaret George
Unholy Land by Lavie Tidhar
The Omega Objection by Gail Carriger
The Wellspring Trilogy: The Crystal Key by Robert Gronewold
How to Fracture a Fairy Tale by Jane Yolen
The Girl with the Dragon Heart by Stephanie Burgis
Are You Ready to Hatch an Unusual Chicken? by Kelly Jones
Archenemies by Marissa Meyer
Born to be Posthumous by Mark Dery
Hedy Lamarr: An Incredible Life by William Roy and Sylvain Dorange
Whose Boat Is This Boat? by Donald J. Trump (by Accident)
Fall. The time of year when thoughts turn to the new TV season while also lauding the past year's work. While I love award shows and the Emmys are certainly a favorite, especially in a year when Stephen Colbert is hosting, it also makes me sad because my favorite shows are considered "genre" television so no matter how amazing the acting or the writing they just never get their plaudits just because they may have vampires. So I decided, I'm going to change that right here, right now. No, I'm not rigging the votes or casting my own statues, but I am going to pick my favorite shows that aired over the last year that just happen to have started out in book form and convince you to give them a chance! Be it science fiction, graphic novels, horror, some of my favorite shows got their start on my bookshelves. So let's hear it for Oz and Fillory and Midnight, Texas, and all the places in between that the Academy of Television Arts and Sciences looks down on. Let's hear it for the underdogs, the Ross Poldarks of the world! Here's to who the Emmy should be going to...
