strange and random happenstance

Oh Miriam! by Miriam Margolyes
Published by: John Murray Publishers
Publication Date: January 2nd, 2024
Format: Hardcover, 336 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"From declaring my love to Vanessa Redgrave to being fed cockroaches by Steve Buscemi, from turnip-based comedy with Blackadder to being farted on by Arnold Schwarzenegger, from Graham Norton's sofa to Alan Cumming's camper van, my life has been (and continues to be) an uproarious adventure.

Oh Miriam! has been such a constant refrain in my life, said in all kinds of tones - laughs, surprised gasps and orgasmic sighs (I'm hoping for all of those from you as you read on!) - that it had to be the title of this book. And with a cast list that stretches from Churchill to DiCaprio, Dahl to Dietrich, Princess Margaret to Maggie Smith, I've so much more to tell you and so much more to say.

My chapters range from 'How to Stay Married' to 'Don't Let the Bastards Get You Down'. Discover how to break the thickest conversational ice; why swearing is actually good for you (though not on the Today programme); the unexpected things I learned at school and what my Spice Girl name would be. Not to mention my Tale of the Unexpected and my very own Vagina Monologue.

Buckle up and join me on another unforgettable adventure, but this time through my heart and head..."

Damn I love Miriam Margolyes. And yes, I organized this post based on how amused I would be if the titles of the books were chapter titles in her book.

That Time I Got Drunk and Saved a Demon by Kimberly Lemming
Published by: Orbit
Publication Date: January 2nd, 2024
Format: Paperback, 288 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"Spice trader Cinnamon's quiet life is turned upside down when she ends up on a quest with a fiery demon, in this irreverently quirky rom-com fantasy that is sweet, steamy, and funny as hell.

All she wanted to do was live her life in peace - maybe get a cat, expand the family spice farm. Really, anything that didn't involve going on an adventure where an orc might rip her face off. But they say the goddess has favorites, and if so, Cin is clearly not one of them.

After Cin saves the demon Fallon in a wine-drunk stupor, Fallon reveals that all he really wants to do is kill an evil witch enslaving his people. And who can blame him? But now he's dragging Cinnamon along for the ride whether she like it or not. On the bright side, at least he keeps burning off his shirt...."

I mean, who wouldn't want to read this book? A hot demon that can burn off his shirt?

Barbarian's Touch by Ruby Dixon
Published by: Berkley Books
Publication Date: January 2nd, 2024
Format: Paperback, 352 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"The next novel in the Ice Planet Barbarians series, an international publishing phenomenon - now in a special print edition with a bonus new epilogue!

Lila has never been more frightened in her life, but when Rokan appears, everything changes.

When I wake up on the ice planet, I'm scared of everything: This place is cold, silent, and the locals look more like blue devils than aliens. To make matters worse, one of the strangers decides I'm going to be his girlfriend and kidnaps me away from my sister. I'm completely and utterly alone. What's a girl to do?

Well, this girl escapes.

Of course, that means I go from the frying pan into the fire, and my situation gets even more dangerous. Just when I have no hope left, a new hero shows up. Sure, he's blue, horned, and has a tail. He's also fierce, protective, makes me purr...and thinks I'm perfect.

But is what we have real or just a mating instinct?"

Anyone else think the art of Lila on the cover looks like the British actress Lucy Griffiths?

Heartless by H.G. Parry
Published by: Subterranean Press
Publication Date: January 2nd, 2024
Format: Hardcover, 144 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"At the age of seven, in a London workhouse, newly-orphaned James meets ten-year-old Peter. Mysterious, mercurial, thoughtless to the point of cruelty, Peter nonetheless takes a liking to James. The two forge a strange friendship, bound together by their shared love of stories - stories of a magical island called Neverland, where they adventure as the pirate James Hook and the child-king Peter Pan. But one fateful night, Peter vanishes from his bed, and in the morning James is found lying alone and broken in the courtyard outside. Only James saw Peter fly from the workhouse roof in pursuit of a star, and nobody but James believes that the star was a fairy. Over twenty years later, on the deck of a whaling ship in the frozen wastes of the Arctic, First Mate James Hook sees the same star again. James's obsession with finding his childhood friend will lead him to mutiny and murder, beyond the edges of the world, and finally to an island that shouldn't exist. But neither Neverland nor Peter are what they appear. A new story is about to begin, and not all stories have happy endings."

I will literally read anything put out by Subterranean Press, but the fact that it's written by H.G. Parry and is a retelling of Peter Pan, I have to read it now.

Garth Marenghi's TerrorTome by Garth Marenghi
Published by: Coronet Books (GB)
Publication Date: January 2nd, 2024
Format: Paperbacks, 304 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"Dare you crack open the TerrorTome? (Mind the spine.)

When horror writer Nick Steen gets sucked into a cursed typewriter by the terrifying Type-Face, Dark Lord of the Prolix, the hellish visions inside his head are unleashed for real. Forced to fight his escaping imagination - now leaking out of his own brain - Nick must defend the town of Stalkford from his own fictional horrors, including avascular-necrosis-obsessed serial killer Nelson Strain and Nick's dreaded throppleganger, the Dark Third. Can he and Roz, his frequently incorrect female editor, hunt down these incarnate denizens of Nick's rampaging imaginata before they destroy Stalkford, outer Stalkford and possibly slightly further?

From the twisted genius of horror master Garth Marenghi - Frighternerman, Darkscribe, Doomsage (plus Man-Shee) - come three dark tales from his long-lost multi-volume epic: TerrorTome.

Can a brain leak?

(Yes, it can)"

If you know, you know. Also, if you know you are totally confused.

Rabbit Hole by Kate Brody
Published by: Soho Crime
Publication Date: January 2nd, 2024
Format: Hardcover, 384 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"A twisty, sexy debut exploring the dark side of true crime fandom and the blurry lines of female friendship, perfect for fans of Gillian Flynn, My Favorite Murder, and Fleabag.

Conspiracy theories from Reddit seduce a disaster-prone woman into an obsession with solving her older sister's cold-case disappearance.

Ten years ago, Theodora "Teddy" Angstrom's older sister, Angie, went missing. Her case remains unsolved. Now Teddy's father, Mark, has killed himself. Unbeknownst to Mark's family, he had been active in a Reddit community fixated on Angie, and Teddy can't help but fall down the same rabbit hole.

Teddy's investigation quickly gets her in hot water with her gun-nut boyfriend, her long-lost half brother, and her colleagues at the prestigious high school where she teaches English. Further complicating matters is Teddy's growing obsession with Mickey, a charming amateur sleuth who is eerily keen on helping her solve the case.

Bewitched by Mickey, Teddy begins to lose her moral compass. As she struggles to reconcile new information with old memories, her erratic behavior reaches a fever pitch, but she won't stop until she finds Angie - or destroys herself in the process.

A biting critique of the internet's voyeurism, Rabbit Hole is an outrageous and heart-wrenching character study of a mind twisted by grief - and a page-turning mystery that's as addictive as a late-night Reddit binge."

I was sold at Fleabag and Reddit binge.

Posted by Miss Eliza at 12:01 AM 0 comments  

Labels: Garth Marenghi, Garth Marenghi's Darkplace, H.G. Parry, Heartless, Ice Planet Barbarians, Kate Brody, Kimberly Lemming, Lucy Griffiths, Miriam Margolyes, Petter Pan, Rabbit Hole, Ruby Dixon, Subterranean Press

Survive the Night by Riley Sager
Published by: Dutton
Publication Date: June 29th, 2021
Format: Hardcover, 336 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"It’s November 1991. George H. W. Bush is in the White House, Nirvana's in the tape deck, and movie-obsessed college student Charlie Jordan is in a car with a man who might be a serial killer.

Josh Baxter, the man behind the wheel, is a virtual stranger to Charlie. They met at the campus ride board, each looking to share the long drive home to Ohio. Both have good reasons for wanting to get away. For Charlie, it’s guilt and grief over the murder of her best friend, who became the third victim of the man known as the Campus Killer. For Josh, it’s to help care for his sick father. Or so he says. Like the Hitchcock heroine she’s named after, Charlie has her doubts. There’s something suspicious about Josh, from the holes in his story about his father to how he doesn’t seem to want Charlie to see inside the car’s trunk. As they travel an empty highway in the dead of night, an increasingly worried Charlie begins to think she’s sharing a car with the Campus Killer. Is Josh truly dangerous? Or is Charlie’s suspicion merely a figment of her movie-fueled imagination?

What follows is a game of cat and mouse played out on night-shrouded roads and in neon-lit parking lots, during an age when the only call for help can be made on a pay phone and in a place where there's nowhere to run. In order to win, Charlie must do one thing - survive the night."

Riley Sager, to me, writes THE BOOK of the summer, so here it is, THE BOOK of this summer! I can't wait!

Black Ice by Carin Gerhardsen
Published by: Scarlet
Publication Date: June 29th, 2021
Format: Hardcover, 384 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"In the snow-covered silence of Swedish midwinter, a terrible accident and a deadly secret draws several strangers together...

January in Gotland. The days are short, the air is cold, and all the roads are covered in snow. On a deserted, icy backroad, these wintery conditions will soon bring together a group of strangers with a force devastating enough to change their lives forever when, in the midst of a brief period, a deadly accident and two separate crimes leave victims in their wake.

Four years later a single phone call is all it takes to bring back the terror of that day and to set in motion a plot for revenge. For Sandra it started as an unremarkable wintery day of shopping followed by a kind gesture from a stranger. For Jeanette it began with the thrill of an illicit rendezvous with her lover. Both women had driven past the same icy ravine, but only one was in the car that caused a deadly crash, and only one left a man to die alone in the snow.

Each carried a secret from that day, a secret that, if revealed, could connect them to a larger, more terrible transgression...And there is someone out there who knows the whole picture, and who would rather kill than allow it all to come to light.

Chilling and atmospheric, Black Ice is a gripping standalone novel of suspense from the author of the internationally-bestselling Hammarby series."

Shivers! From the suspense, not the cold!

Little Black Book by Kate Carlisle
Published by: Berkley
Publication Date: June 29th, 2021
Format: Hardcover, 384 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"San Francisco book-restoration expert Brooklyn Wainwright is on the case when a rare edition of Rebecca leads to murder in this latest installment of the New York Times bestselling Bibliophile Mystery series.

Brooklyn and her hunky husband, security expert Derek Stone, have just returned from a delightful trip to Dharma, where the construction of their new home away from home is well underway, when a little black book arrives in the mail from Scotland. The book is a rare British first edition of Rebecca, and there’s no return address on the package. The day after the book arrives, Claire Quinn shows up at Brooklyn and Derek’s home. Brooklyn met Claire when the two women worked as expert appraisers on the television show This Old Attic. Brooklyn appraised books on the show and Claire’s expertise was in antique British weaponry, but they bonded over their shared love of gothic novels.

Claire reveals that during a recent trip to Scotland she discovered her beloved aunt was missing and her home had been ransacked. Among her aunt’s belongings, Claire found the receipt for the package that wound up with Brooklyn and Derek. Claire believes both her own life and her aunt’s are in danger and worries that her past may be coming back to haunt her.

But just as Brooklyn and Derek begin to investigate, a man who Claire thinks was following her is found murdered, stabbed with a priceless jeweled dagger. With a death on their doorstep, Brooklyn and Derek page through the little black book, where they discover clues that will take them to the shadows of a medieval Scottish castle on the shores of Loch Ness. Under the watchful gaze of a mysterious laird and the irascible villagers who are suspicious of the strangers in their midst, Brooklyn and Derek must decode the secrets in Rebecca to keep their friend’s past from destroying their future...."

I don't care if I have to deal with murder if I get my hands on a rare edition of Rebecca! 

Murder at Keyhaven Castle by Clara McKenna
Published by: Kensington
Publication Date: June 29th, 2021
Format: Hardcover, 288 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"With her wedding to Viscount "Lyndy" Lyndhurst just days away, strong-willed American ex-pat Stella Kendrick is the talk of Edwardian society - and the focus of a deadly mystery - in Clara McKenna's third historical mystery set in England's New Forest region at the turn of the 20th century.

Between ornate bridal gown fittings and meetings with Lyndy's distant relatives, Stella finally feels less like an out-of-place American and more like a respected aristocrat. Everything changes as the arrival of an anonymous gift and return of her overbearing father cast a dark shadow over the festivities, conjuring difficult memories and new fears...

Tensions intensify when a daytrip to Southampton ends with a suspicious stranger getting trampled by a horse-drawn cab. Before anyone can explain why the victim possessed a newspaper clipping about the upcoming ceremony at Morrington Hall, tragedy strikes again, this time resulting in a murder that turns Stella's world completely upside down while implicating one of Lyndy's well-regarded family members...

Facing loss, postponed nuptials, and uncertain threats, Stella and Lyndy rush to connect two very different crimes and identify the guilty culprit hiding among elite wedding guests. But as the couple blows the lid off of scandalous secrets, they realize that catching this killer - and living to tell the tale - may prove as impossible as closing the class divide."

Oh, I NEED to know how the deaths are connected, don't you?

The Poison Heart by Kalynn Bayron
Published by: Bloomsbury YA
Publication Date: June 29th, 2021
Format: Hardcover, 384 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"Darkness blooms in bestselling author Kalynn Bayron's new contemporary fantasy about a girl with a unique and deadly power.

Briseis has a gift: she can grow plants from tiny seeds to rich blooms with a single touch.

When Briseis's aunt dies and wills her a dilapidated estate in rural New York, Bri and her parents decide to leave Brooklyn behind for the summer. Hopefully there, surrounded by plants and flowers, Bri will finally learn to control her gift. But their new home is sinister in ways they could never have imagined - it comes with a specific set of instructions, an old-school apothecary, and a walled garden filled with the deadliest botanicals in the world that can only be entered by those who share Bri's unique family lineage.

When strangers begin to arrive on their doorstep, asking for tinctures and elixirs, Bri learns she has a surprising talent for creating them. One of the visitors is Marie, a mysterious young woman who Bri befriends, only to find that Marie is keeping dark secrets about the history of the estate and its surrounding community. There is more to Bri's sudden inheritance than she could have imagined, and she is determined to uncover it...until a nefarious group comes after her in search of a rare and dangerous immortality elixir. Up against a centuries-old curse and the deadliest plant on earth, Bri must harness her gift to protect herself and her family.

From the bestselling author of Cinderella Is Dead comes another inspiring and deeply compelling story about a young woman with the power to conquer the dark forces descending around her."

Grade school me would have reveled in this as my summer reader. Adult me feels the same. 

The Return of the Sorceress by Silvia Moreno-Garcia
Published by: Subterranean Press
Publication Date: June 29th, 2021
Format: Hardcover, 96 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"Yalxi, the deposed Supreme Mistress of the Guild of Sorcerers, is on a desperate mission. Her lover and confidant seized her throne and stole the precious diamond heart, the jewel that is the engine of her power. Yalxi sets out to regain her magic and find a weapon capable of destroying the usurper. But this will mean turning to unlikely allies and opening herself up to unpleasant memories that have been suppressed for many years. For Yalxi is no great hero, but a cunning sorceress who once forged her path in blood - and must reckon with the consequences. Set in a fantastical land where jewels and blood provide symbiotic magical powers to their wearers, The Return of the Sorceress evokes the energy of classic sword and sorcery, while building a thoroughly fresh and exciting adventure ripe for our era."

Everyone is getting in on the success of Silvia Moreno-Garcia but I can guarantee you that Subterranean Press will have the best editions. Hands down. 

Posted by Miss Eliza at 12:00 AM 0 comments  

Labels: Black Ice, Carin Gerhardsen, Clara McKenna, Kalynn Bayron, Kate Carlisle, Rebecca, Riley Sager, Silvia Moreno-Garcia, Subterranean Press, Survive the Night, The Poison Heart, The Return of the Sorceress

Star Wars: Thrawn Ascendancy by Timothy Zahn
Published by: Del Rey
Publication Date: April 27th, 2021
Format: Hardcover, 432 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"Thrawn and his allies race to save the Chiss Ascendancy from an unseen enemy in the second book in the epic Star Wars: Thrawn Ascendancy trilogy from bestselling author Timothy Zahn.

Thrawn’s latest triumph still rests newly on his shoulders. He has led the Chiss to victory and brought glory to the House of Mitth, but the true threat to the Ascendancy has not yet been extinguished. Their foes do not send threats or ultimatums, do not mass ships on the edge of the Chaos. Their weapons come cloaked in smiles and generosity: Gifts offered freely. Services granted unconditionally.

Across the Ascendancy, seemingly inconsequential events could herald the doom of the Chiss. As Thrawn and the Expansionary Defense Fleet rally to uncover the plot, they discover a chilling truth: Rather than invade Chiss capitals or pillage resources, their enemy strikes at the very foundation of the Ascendancy, seeking to widen the rifts between the Nine Ruling Families and the Forty Great Houses below. As rivalry and suspicion sow discord among allies, each warrior must decide what matters most to them: the security of their family or the survival of the Ascendancy itself."

No one will ever understand the joy I have that Thrawn was brought back from the expunged EU! 

Fugitive Telemetry by Martha Wells
Published by: Tordotcom
Publication Date: April 27th, 2021
Format: Hardcover, 176 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"The New York Times bestselling security droid with a heart (though it wouldn't admit it!) is back in Fugitive Telemetry!

Having captured the hearts of readers across the globe (Annalee Newitz says it's "one of the most humane portraits of a nonhuman I've ever read") Murderbot has also established Martha Wells as one of the great SF writers of today.

No, I didn't kill the dead human. If I had, I wouldn't dump the body in the station mall.

When Murderbot discovers a dead body on Preservation Station, it knows it is going to have to assist station security to determine who the body is (was), how they were killed (that should be relatively straightforward, at least), and why (because apparently that matters to a lot of people - who knew?)

Yes, the unthinkable is about to happen: Murderbot must voluntarily speak to humans!

Again!

A new standalone adventure in the New York Times-bestselling, Hugo and Nebula Award winning series!"

I am SO here for more Murderbot!

Alias Space and Other Stories by Kelly Robson
Published by: Subterranean Press
Publication Date: April 27th, 2021
Format: Hardcover, 420 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"Alias Space and Other Stories is the first fiction collection from Nebula Award-winning writer Kelly Robson, who vaulted onto the Science Fiction, Fantasy, and Horror stage in 2015, earning spots in multiple Year’s Best anthologies. This volume collects Robson’s best stories to date, along with exciting new work, and notes to accompany each piece.

Robson’s stories are noted for their compassion, humanity, humor, rigor, and joy. This volume includes the chilling gothic horror “A Human Stain,” winner of the 2018 Nebula Award; the madcap historical fantasy “Waters of Versailles,” which was a finalist for both the Nebula and World Fantasy Awards; and science fiction stories such as the touching “Intervention,” chilling “The Three Resurrections of Jessica Churchill,” obscene “What Gentle Women Dare,” heartbreaking “Two-Year Man,” and many others.

These fourteen stories showcase Robson’s whip-smart richness of invention, brilliant storytelling, deep worldbuilding, and devilish sense of humor."

There's nothing I love more than a beautiful new book from Subterranean Press!

Smithy by Amanda Desiree
Published by: Inkshares
Publication Date: April 27th, 2021
Format: Paperback, 500 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"In the tumultuous summer of 1974, in the shadowy rooms of a rundown mansion in Rhode Island, renowned psychologist Dr. Piers Preis-Herald brings together a group of seven collegiate researchers to study the inner lives of man's closest relative - the primate. They set out to teach their subject, who would eventually be known to the world as Smithy, American Sign Language. But as the summer deepens and the history of the mansion manifests, the messages signed by their research subject become increasing spectral.

Nearly twenty-five years after the Smithy Project ended in tragedy at Trevor Hall, questions remain: Was Smithy a hoax? A clever mimic? A Rorschach projection of humanity's greatest hopes and fears? Or was he indeed what devotees of metaphysics have claimed for so long: a link between our world and the next?"

This is like my dream, a Gothic Michael Crichton-esque book!

The Beautiful Ones by Silvia Moreno-Garcia
Published by: Del Rey
Publication Date: April 27th, 2021
Format: Paperback, 432 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"From the New York Times bestselling author of Mexican Gothic comes a sweeping romance with a dash of magic.

They are the Beautiful Ones, Loisail’s most notable socialites, and this spring is Nina’s chance to join their ranks, courtesy of her well-connected cousin and his calculating wife. But the Grand Season has just begun, and already Nina’s debut has gone disastrously awry. She has always struggled to control her telekinesis - neighbors call her the Witch of Oldhouse - and the haphazard manifestations of her powers make her the subject of malicious gossip.

When entertainer Hector Auvray arrives to town, Nina is dazzled. A telekinetic like her, he has traveled the world performing his talents for admiring audiences. He sees Nina not as a witch, but ripe with potential to master her power under his tutelage. With Hector’s help, Nina’s talent blossoms, as does her love for him.

But great romances are for fairytales, and Hector is hiding a truth from Nina - and himself - that threatens to end their courtship before it truly begins.

The Beautiful Ones is a charming tale of love and betrayal, and the struggle between conformity and passion, set in a world where scandal is a razor-sharp weapon."

A re-issue not to be missed from one of the hottest writers on the scene!

An Earl, The Girl, and A Toddler by Vanessa Riley
Published by: Zebra
Publication Date: April 27th, 2021
Format: Paperback, 384 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"Masterminded by the ton's most clever countess, the secret society The Widow’s Grace helps ill-treated widows regain their reputations, their families, and even find true love again - or perhaps for the very first time...

Surviving a shipwreck en route to London from Jamaica was just the start of Jemina St. Maur's nightmare. Suffering from amnesia, she was separated from anyone who might know her, and imprisoned in Bedlam. She was freed only because barrister Daniel Thackery, Lord Ashbrook, was convinced to betray the one thing he holds dear: the law. Desperate to unearth her true identity, Jemina’s only chance is to purloin dangerous secrets with help from The Widow’s Grace - which means staying steps ahead of the formidable Daniel, no matter how strongly she is drawn to him...

Married only by proxy, now widowed by shipwreck, Daniel is determined to protect his little stepdaughter, Hope, from his family’s scandalous reputation. That’s why he has dedicated himself not just to the law, but to remaining as proper, upstanding - and boring - as can be. But the closer he becomes to the mysterious, alluring Jemina, the more Daniel is tempted to break the very rule of law to which he's devoted his life. And as ruthless adversaries close in, will the truth require him, and Jemina, to sacrifice their one chance at happiness?"

Because every remarkable woman wants a rogue right?

The Music of Bees by Eileen Garvin
Published by: Dutton
Publication Date: April 27th, 2021
Format: Hardcover, 336 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"A heartwarming debut novel for readers of Eleanor Oliphant Is Completely Fine, following three lonely strangers in a rural Oregon town, each working through grief and life's curveballs, who are brought together by happenstance on a local honeybee farm where they find surprising friendship, healing - and maybe even a second chance - just when they least expect it.

Forty-four-year-old Alice Holtzman is stuck in a dead-end job, bereft of family, and now reeling from the unexpected death of her husband. Alice has begun having panic attacks whenever she thinks about how her life hasn't turned out the way she dreamed. Even the beloved honeybees she raises in her spare time aren't helping her feel better these days.

In the grip of a panic attack, she nearly collides with Jake - a troubled, paraplegic teenager with the tallest mohawk in Hood River County - while carrying 120,000 honeybees in the back of her pickup truck. Charmed by Jake's sincere interest in her bees and seeking to rescue him from his toxic home life, Alice surprises herself by inviting Jake to her farm.

And then there's Harry, a twenty-four-year-old with debilitating social anxiety who is desperate for work. When he applies to Alice's ad for part-time farm help, he's shocked to find himself hired. As an unexpected friendship blossoms among Alice, Jake, and Harry, a nefarious pesticide company moves to town, threatening the local honeybee population and illuminating deep-seated corruption in the community. The unlikely trio must unite for the sake of the bees - and in the process, they just might forge a new future for themselves.

Beautifully moving, warm, and uplifting, The Music of Bees is about the power of friendship, compassion in the face of loss, and finding the courage to start over (at any age) when things don't turn out the way you expect."

Read it for the bees! 

Posted by Miss Eliza at 12:00 AM 0 comments  

Labels: Amanda Desiree, Eileen Garvin, Kelly Robson, Martha Wells, Murderbot, Silvia Moreno-Garcia, Smithy, Star Wars, Subterranean Press, The Beautiful Ones, The Music of Bees, Thrawn, Timothy Zahn, Vanessa Riley

A Stitch in Time by Kelley Armstrong
Published by: Subterranean Press
Publication Date: October 27th, 2020
Format: Hardcover, 336 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"Thorne Manor has always been haunted...and it has always haunted Bronwyn Dale. As a young girl, Bronwyn could pass through a time slip in her great-aunt's house, where she visited William Thorne, a boy her own age, born two centuries earlier. After a family tragedy, the house was shuttered and Bronwyn was convinced that William existed only in her imagination.

Now, twenty years later Bronwyn inherits Thorne Manor. And when she returns, William is waiting.

William Thorne is no longer the boy she remembers. He’s a difficult and tempestuous man, his own life marred by tragedy and a scandal that had him retreating to self-imposed exile in his beloved moors. He’s also none too pleased with Bronwyn for abandoning him all those years ago.

As their friendship rekindles and sparks into something more, Bronwyn must also deal with ghosts in the present version of the house. Soon she realizes they are linked to William and the secret scandal that drove him back to Thorne Manor. To build a future, Bronwyn must confront the past."

A Gothic timeslip in a beautiful edition by Subterranean Press! 

Magic Dark and Strange by Kelly Powell
Published by: Margaret K. McElderry Books
Publication Date: October 27th, 2020
Format: Hardcover, 208 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"The Bone Witch meets Sherlock Holmes in this thrilling historical fantasy about a girl with the ability to raise the dead who must delve into her city’s dangerous magical underworld to stop a series of murders.

Catherine Daly has an unusual talent. By day she works for a printer. But by night, she awakens the dead for a few precious moments with loved ones seeking a final goodbye. But this magic comes with a price: for every hour that a ghost is brought back, Catherine loses an hour from her own life.

When Catherine is given the unusual task of collecting a timepiece from an old grave, she is sure that the mysterious item must contain some kind of enchantment. So she enlists Guy Nolan, the watchmaker’s son, to help her dig it up. But instead of a timepiece, they find a surprise: the body of a teenage boy. And as they watch, he comes back to life - not as the pale imitation that Catherine can conjure, but as a living, breathing boy. A boy with no memory of his past.

This magic is more powerful than any Catherine has ever encountered, and revealing it brings dangerous enemies. Catherine and Guy must race to unravel the connection between the missing timepiece and the undead boy. For this mysterious magic could mean the difference between life and death - for all of them."

Is it wrong I'm just as interested in Catherine working in a print shop as her being a necromancer?

The Magpie Society by Zoe Sugg and Amy McCulloch
Published by: Penguin
Publication Date: October 27th, 2020
Format: Kindle, 336 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"Seven for a secret, never to be told...

Illumen Hall is a boarding school of tradition and achievement.

But tragedy strikes when the body of a girl, a student, is discovered - on her back is an elaborate tattoo of a magpie.

For new student Audrey, it is just another strange and unsettling thing about her new surroundings. And for her roommate Ivy, well, she's just annoyed she has to share with the new girl from America.

As an unlikely friendship develops, the two are drawn deeper into the mystery of this strange and terrible murder. They will discover that something dangerous is at the heart of their school.

Welcome to The Magpie Society.

Told from two alternating view-points, this is the first book in a modern gothic thriller series that will have you gripped like no other book this year. Get ready for your new YA obsession..."

GOTHIC!!! 

The Witch Hunter by Max Seeck
Published by: Berkley
Publication Date: October 27th, 2020
Format: Paperback, 400 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"A shocking murder in an affluent Helsinki suburb has ties to witchcraft and the occult in this thrilling U.S. debut from Finnish author Max Seeck.

A bestselling author’s wife has been found dead in a gorgeous black evening gown, sitting at the head of an empty dining table. Her most chilling feature - her face is frozen in a ghastly smile.

At first it seems as though a deranged psychopath is reenacting the gruesome murders from the Witch Hunt trilogy, bestsellers written by the victim’s husband. But investigator Jessica Niemi soon realizes she’s not looking for a single killer but rather for dozens of believers in a sinister form of witchcraft who know her every move and are always one step ahead.

As the bodies start piling up, Jessica knows they won’t stop until they get what they want. And when her dark past comes to light, Jessica finds herself battling her own demons while desperately trying to catch a coven of killers before they claim their next victim."

I'm all about hints of the occult in my killings!

Spellbreaker by Charlie N. Holmberg
Published by: 47north
Publication Date: October 27th, 2020
Format: Paperback, 304 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"A world of enchanted injustice needs a disenchanting woman in an all-new fantasy series by the Wall Street Journal bestselling author of The Paper Magician.

The orphaned Elsie Camden learned as a girl that there were two kinds of wizards in the world: those who pay for the power to cast spells and those, like her, born with the ability to break them. But as an unlicensed magic user, her gift is a crime. Commissioned by an underground group known as the Cowls, Elsie uses her spellbreaking to push back against the aristocrats and help the common man. She always did love the tale of Robin Hood.

Elite magic user Bacchus Kelsey is one elusive spell away from his mastership when he catches Elsie breaking an enchantment. To protect her secret, Elsie strikes a bargain. She'll help Bacchus fix unruly spells around his estate if he doesn't turn her in. Working together, Elsie's trust in - and fondness for - the handsome stranger grows. So does her trepidation about the rise in the murders of wizards and the theft of the spellbooks their bodies leave behind.

For a rogue spellbreaker like Elsie, there's so much to learn about her powers, her family, the intriguing Bacchus, and the untold dangers shadowing every step of a journey she's destined to complete. But will she uncover the mystery before it's too late to save everything she loves?"

Magic and murders? YAS!

The Lost Spells by Robert MacFarlane and Jackie Morris
Published by: Anansi International
Publication Date: October 27th, 2020
Format: Hardcover, 120 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"Since its publication in 2017, The Lost Words has enchanted readers with its poetry and illustrations of the natural world. Now, The Lost Spells, a book kindred in spirit and tone, continues to re-wild the lives of children and adults.

The Lost Spells evokes the wonder of everyday nature, conjuring up red foxes, birch trees, jackdaws, and more in poems and illustrations that flow between the pages and into readers' minds. Robert Macfarlane's spell-poems and Jackie Morris's watercolour illustrations are musical and magical: these are summoning spells, words of recollection, charms of protection. To read The Lost Spells is to see anew the natural world within our grasp and to be reminded of what happens when we allow it to slip away."

I've had a signed copy of this book ordered for what seems like forever now!

The Key to Tarot by A.E. White
Published by: Rider
Publication Date: October 27th, 2020
Format: Hardcover, 176 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"First published in 1910, The Key to the Tarot is the essential guide to unlocking the secrets of tarot from the legendary creator of the Rider Waite Tarot Deck and renowned scholar of occultism, A. E. Waite. This practical book explains the history and symbolism of the tarot deck as well as providing a step-by-step guide to using the cards for divination practices. From mapping out your next career move to discovering your true passion in life, this is your key to harnessing the power of the tarot."

I have the deck and a friend of mine keeps saying I'd be good at this, perhaps I should give it a go?

Outlander Knitting by Kate Atherley
Published by: Clarkson Potter
Publication Date: October 27th, 2020
Format: Hardcover, 192 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"Feel the magic of Outlander at your fingertips with this officially licensed book of knitting: twenty patterns inspired by the hit series from STARZ and Sony Pictures Television, based on Diana Gabaldon's bestselling novels.

From the Scottish Highlands to the courts of Versailles to the eastern shores of North America, the TV show Outlander brings to life in gorgeous detail the epic love story of Jamie Fraser and Claire Beauchamp Randall Fraser. But beyond the drama and passion, what has captured fans’ imagination the most are the rustic knits worn on the show.

Now knitters of all skill levels can recreate them with twenty projects for apparel, accessories, and home décor that take inspiration from memorable episodes. Knit the capelet cowl that Mrs. Fitz gives to Claire at Castle Leoch, warm your feet with Clan Mackenzie Boot Socks, swaddle your bairn with the Mo Chridhe Baby Blanket, and dress your Jamie in a warm waistcoat. From chunky knits to Celtic cables, each project includes a clearly written pattern, gorgeous photography, and scenes from the set.

A love letter to the fans, Outlander Knitting will have you wishing you could time travel to the Highlands."

People think I'm joking when I say I watch Outlander for the knitwear. I'm totally serious.

The Tea Dragon Tapestry by Katie O'Neill
Published by: Oni Press
Publication Date: October 27th, 2020
Format: Hardcover, 128 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"Join Greta and Minette once more for the heartwarming conclusion of the award-winning Tea Dragon series!

Over a year since being entrusted with Ginseng's care, Greta still can't chase away the cloud of mourning that hangs over the timid Tea Dragon. As she struggles to create something spectacular enough to impress a master blacksmith in search of an apprentice, she questions the true meaning of crafting, and the true meaning of caring for someone in grief. Meanwhile, Minette receives a surprise package from the monastery where she was once training to be a prophetess. Thrown into confusion about her path in life, the shy and reserved Minette finds that the more she opens her heart to others, the more clearly she can see what was always inside.

Told with the same care and charm as the previous installments of the Tea Dragon series, The Tea Dragon Tapestry welcomes old friends and new into a heartfelt story of purpose, love, and growth."

My addiction to this series is such that I now have Tea Dragons...

Sue and Tai-chan by Konami Kanata
Published by: Kodansha Comics
Publication Date: October 27th, 2020
Format: Paperback
To Buy

The official patter:
"The adorable new odd-couple cat comedy manga from the creator of the beloved Chi's Sweet Home and Chi's Sweet Adventures, in full color and formatted for English readers, just like Chi!

Sue is an aging housecat who's looking forward to living out her life in peace...but her plans change when the mischievous black tomcat Tai-chan enters the picture! Hey! Sue never signed up to be a catsitter! Sue and Tai-chan is the latest from the reigning meow-narch of cute kitty comics, Kanata Konami."

More cats from Konami Kanata!!!

Vagrant Queen by Magdalene Visaggio and Jason Smith
Published by: Vault Comics
Publication Date: October 27th, 2020
Format: Paperback, 144 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"Get ready - Vagrant Queen is BACK! Elida Al-feyr has finally managed to build a happy life...until a mysterious man in an ancient white ship shows up and takes it all away. And hey, where the hell is Isaac?"

If you're still pissed the show was cancelled... 

Little Bones by N.V. Peacock
Published by: Subterranean Press
Publication Date: October 27th, 2020
Format: Hardcover, 336 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"I have three names: I was born Leigh-Ann. I became Cherrie. When I was a child, they called me Little Bones...
My father was Mr Bones - the notorious serial killer of 25 years ago.
As a child I witnessed his crimes.
Everything is different now. I have a new identity. I’m a mother. I am finally free.
Until that podcast. I should never have listened.
They’re linking a recent disappearance to the crimes of the past.
They know who I am. They’re calling me Little Bones again.
They say I’m a villain but I’m not. I’m a victim.
You believe me, don’t you?"

A legacy of murder and an unreliable narrator, a perfect Halloween read!

Posted by Miss Eliza at 12:00 AM 0 comments  

Labels: Amy McCulloch, Charlie N. Holmberg, Katie O'Neill, Kelley Armstrong, Kelly Powell, Knitting, Konami Kanata, Max Seeck, N.V. Peacock, Outlander, Robert MacFarlane, Subterranean Press, Tarot, Vagrant Queen, Zoe Sugg

A Wicked Magic by Sasha Laurens
Published by: Razorbill
Publication Date: July 28th, 2020
Format: Hardcover, 368 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"The Chilling Adventures of Sabrina meets The Craft when modern witches must save teens stolen by an ancient demon in this YA fantasy-thriller debut.

Dan and Liss are witches. The Black Book granted them that power. Harnessing that power feels good, especially when everything in their lives makes them feel powerless.

During a spell gone wrong, Liss's boyfriend is snatched away by an evil entity and presumed dead. Dan and Liss's friendship dies that night, too. How can they practice magic after the darkness that they conjured?

Months later, Liss discovers that her boyfriend is alive, trapped underground in the grips of an ancient force. She must save him, and she needs Dan and the power of The Black Book to do so. Dan is quickly sucked back into Liss's orbit and pushes away her best friend, Alexa. But Alexa has some big secrets she's hiding and her own unique magical disaster to deal with.

When another teenager disappears, the girls know it's no coincidence. What greedy magic have they awakened? And what does it want with these teens it has stolen?

Set in the atmospheric wilds of California's northern coast, Sasha Laurens's thrilling debut novel is about the complications of friendship, how to take back power, and how to embrace the darkness that lives within us all."

There's a cat on the cover. I was sold on this book before they even mentioned The Craft! 

Tales from the Folly by Ben Aaronovitch
Published by: JABberwocky Literary Agency, Inc.
Publication Date: July 28th, 2020
Format: Kindle, 139 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"Return to the world of Rivers of London in this first short story collection from bestselling author, Ben Aaronovitch. Tales from the Folly is a carefully curated collection that gathers together previously published stories and brand new tales in the same place for the first time.

Each tale features a new introduction from the author, filled with insight and anecdote offering the reader a deeper exploration into this absorbing fictional world. This is a must read for any Rivers of London fan.

Join Peter, Nightingale, Abigail, Agent Reynolds and Tobias Winter for a series of perfectly portioned tales. Discover what’s haunting a lonely motorway service station, who still wanders the shelves of a popular London bookshop, and what exactly happened to the River Lugg...

With an introduction from internationally bestselling author of the Sookie Stackhouse series, Charlaine Harris."

Really excited about this, but I think, perhaps, the cover needed some more work...

Subterranean Tales of Dark Fantasy 3 edited by William Schafer
Published by: Subterranean Press
Publication Date: July 28th, 2020
Format: Hardcover, 240 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"Tales of darkness and inexplicable happenings have always been with us - and always will. In its contemporary form, this sort of story is not only alive and well, but flourishing, and it continues to speak to us in a variety of voices. Subterranean: Tales of Dark Fantasy 3 is the latest installment in an acclaimed anthology series, and it brings together ten voices - some familiar, some less so - that are at once distinctive, compelling, and irresistible. The volume opens with award-winning novelist Kat Howar's “An Ordinary Progression of Hearts,” an elegant meditation on the fragility of the human heart; and closes with acclaimed newcomer P. Djèlí Clark's “Skin Magic,” a stunning account of sorcery and dark magic set in an unnamed third world country. Elsewhere in the anthology, Caitlin R. Kíernan (“Cherry Street Tango, Sweat Box Waltz”) offers a piece of near-future noir in which a “blackstrap” (a hired assassin) contemplates the failure of her latest murderous assignment. “At the Threshold of Your Bedchamber on the Fifth Night” by Sarah Gailey is the tale of a courtship that leads to a most unusual consummation. In “Final Course,” a rare short story by rising star C.J. Tudor, the reunion of old school friends takes a savage and unexpected turn. In addition to these and other stellar tales by the likes of Bentley Little, Richard Kadrey, Stephen Gallagher and Ian R. MacLeod, Tales of Dark Fantasy 3 contains Robert R. McCammon's “Death Comes for the Rich Man,” a rare novella set in Colonial America and featuring McCammon's popular “problem solver,” Matthew Corbett."

I am here for literally any book Subterranean Press puts out! 

Crossings by Alex Landragin
Published by: St. Martin's Press
Publication Date: July 28th, 2020
Format: Hardcover, 384 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"Alex Landragin's Crossings is an unforgettable and explosive genre-bending debut - a novel in three parts, designed to be read in two different directions, spanning a hundred and fifty years and seven lifetimes.

On the brink of the Nazi occupation of Paris, a German-Jewish bookbinder stumbles across a manuscript called Crossings. It has three narratives, each as unlikely as the next. And the narratives can be read one of two ways: either straight through or according to an alternate chapter sequence.

The first story in Crossings is a never-before-seen ghost story by the poet Charles Baudelaire, penned for an illiterate girl. Next is a noir romance about an exiled man, modeled on Walter Benjamin, whose recurring nightmares are cured when he falls in love with a storyteller who draws him into a dangerous intrigue of rare manuscripts, police corruption, and literary societies. Finally, there are the fantastical memoirs of a woman-turned-monarch whose singular life has spanned seven generations.

With each new chapter, the stunning connections between these seemingly disparate people grow clearer and more extraordinary. Crossings is an unforgettable adventure full of love, longing and empathy."

I LOVE books that aren't easily quantifiable but come together in an epic way.

A Lady's Guide to Mischief and Murder by Dianne Freeman
Published by: Kensington
Publication Date: July 28th, 2020
Format: Hardcover, 288 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"In Dianne Freeman’s charming Victorian-era mystery series, Frances Wynn, the American-born Countess of Harleigh, finds her sister’s wedding threatened by a vow of vengeance.

London is known for its bustle and intrigues, but the sedate English countryside can host - or hide - any number of secrets. Frances, the widowed Countess of Harleigh, needs a venue for her sister Lily’s imminent wedding, away from prying eyes. Risings, George Hazleton’s family estate in Hampshire, is a perfect choice, and soon Frances, her beloved George, and other guests have gathered to enjoy the usual country pursuits - shooting, horse riding, and romantic interludes in secluded gardens.

But the bucolic setting harbors a menace, and it’s not simply the arrival of Frances’s socially ambitious mother. Above and below stairs, mysterious accidents befall guests and staff alike. Before long, Frances suspects these “accidents” are deliberate, and fears that the intended victim is Lily’s fiancé, Leo. Frances’s mother is unimpressed by Lily’s groom-to-be and would much prefer that Lily find an aristocratic husband, just as Frances did. But now that Frances has found happiness with George - a man who loves her for much more than her dowry - she heartily approves of Lily’s choice. If she can just keep the couple safe from villains and meddling mamas.

As Frances and George search for the culprit among the assembled family, friends, and servants, more victims fall prey to the mayhem. Mishaps become full-blooded murder, and it seems that no one is safe. And unless Frances can quickly flush out the culprit, the peal of wedding bells may give way to another funeral toll...."

Now this is what I like, weddings with funerals built in!

The Fate of a Flapper by Susanna Calkins
Published by: Minotaur Books
Publication Date: July 28th, 2020
Format: Paperback, 320 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"The Fate of a Flapper, the second mystery in this captivating new series, takes readers into the dark, dangerous, and glittering underworld of a 1920's Chicago speakeasy.

A 2019 Agatha Award Nominee for "Best Historical Mystery"!

After nine months as a cigarette girl at the Third Door, one of Chicago’s premier moonshine parlors, Gina Ricci feels like she's finally getting into the swing of things. The year is 1929, the Chicago Cubs are almost in the World Series, neighborhood gangs are all-powerful, and though Prohibition is the law of the land, the Third Door can't serve the cocktails fast enough.

Two women in particular are throwing drinks back with abandon while chatting up a couple of bankers, and Gina can't help but notice the levels of inebriation and the tension at their table. When the group stumbles out in the early morning, she tries to put them out of her head. But once at home that night, Gina's sleep is interrupted when her cousin Nancy, a police officer, calls—she's found a body. Gina hurries over to photograph the crime scene, but stops short when she recognizes the body: it’s one of the women from the night before.

Could the Third Door have served the woman bad liquor? Or, Gina wonders, could this be murder? As the gangs and bombings draw ever closer, all of Chicago starts to feel like a warzone, and Gina is determined to find out if this death was an unlucky accident, or a casualty of combat."

It's the 20s again, we ALL need to be flapping it up!

The Last of the Moon Girls by Barbara Davis
Published by: Lake Union Publishing
Publication Date: July 28th, 2020
Format: Paperback, 400 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"A novel of secrets, memory, family, and forgiveness by the bestselling author of When Never Comes.

Lizzy Moon never wanted Moon Girl Farm. Eight years ago, she left the land that nine generations of gifted healers had tended, determined to distance herself from the whispers about her family's strange legacy. But when her beloved grandmother Althea dies, Lizzy must return and face the tragedy still hanging over the farm's withered lavender fields: the unsolved murders of two young girls, and the cruel accusations that followed Althea to her grave.

Lizzy wants nothing more than to sell the farm and return to her life in New York, until she discovers a journal Althea left for her - a Book of Remembrances meant to help Lizzy embrace her own special gifts. When she reconnects with Andrew Greyson, one of the few in town who believed in Althea's innocence, she resolves to clear her grandmother's name.

But to do so, she'll have to decide if she can accept her legacy and whether to follow in the footsteps of all the Moon women who came before her."

A legacy and unsolved murders? Yes please!

Until It's Over by Nicci French
Published by: William Morrow Paperbacks
Publication Date: July 28th, 2020
Format: Paperback, 448 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"From the internationally bestselling author of the Frieda Klein series, Nicci French, comes this steamy and suspenseful stand-alone thriller about a group of housemates who must determine the killer among them when a series of murders occur.

Be careful of the ones closest to you...

London cycle courier Astrid Bell has known most of her housemates for years, but while they have a tangled history together - romantic pairings, one-night stands, friendships - they each have secrets.

Astrid is on her way home one day when her neighbor accidentally knocks her off her bike. Suffering a few bruises, her roommates help her home. The next day, they learn that same neighbor was bludgeoned to death only hours after the accident. Each of them tells the police what little they know and are dismissed. Then a few days later, Astrid is asked to pick up a package from a wealthy woman called Ingrid de Soto. When she arrives, the client is lying in the hall of her luxurious home - and it’s apparent she’s also been murdered.

For the police, it’s more than bad luck. For Astrid and her six housemates, it's the beginning of a nightmare: suspicious glances, bitter accusations, and a growing fear that the worst is yet to come.

As the difference between friend and stranger grows harder to judge, the line between attraction and danger thins. The housemates - unsure if there’s a killer in their midst - guard themselves against becoming the next victim. Because if it’s true that bad luck comes in threes - who will be the next to die?"

Murderous roommates? In the age of Covid-19, it's a real concern!

Posted by Miss Eliza at 12:00 AM 0 comments  

Labels: Alex Landragin, Barbara Davis, Ben Aaronovitch, Dianne Freeman, Flapper, Nicci French, Rivers of London, Sabrina, Sasha Laurens, Short Stories, Subterranean Press, Susanna Calkins, The Craft, William Schafer