strange and random happenstance

The Everlasting by Alix E. Harrow
Published by: Tor Books
Publication Date: October 28th, 2025
Format: Hardcover, 320 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"From Alix E. Harrow, the New York Times bestselling author of Starling House, comes a moving and genre-defying quest about the lady-knight whose legend built a nation, and the cowardly historian sent back through time to make sure she plays her part - even if it breaks his heart.

Sir Una Everlasting was Dominion's greatest hero: the orphaned girl who became a knight, who died for queen and country. Her legend lives on in songs and stories, in children's books and recruiting posters - but her life as it truly happened has been forgotten.

Centuries later, Owen Mallory - failed soldier, struggling scholar - falls in love with the tale of Una Everlasting. Her story takes him to war, to the archives - and then into the past itself. Una and Owen are tangled together in time, bound to retell the same story over and over again, no matter what it costs.

But that story always ends the same way. If they want to rewrite Una's legend - if they want to tell a different story - they'll have to rewrite history itself."

What heartbreak to be doomed to die to inspire the future generations. 

Redneck Revenant by David R. Slayton
Published by: Blackstone Publishing
Publication Date: October 28th, 2025
Format: Hardcover, 288 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"From bestselling author David R. Slayton, Redneck Revenant is an exciting new chapter in the Adam Binder series.

Adam Binder's life has never been better. Sure, he has no money, no car, no home to call his own, and he's worried about creating a future with his boyfriend Vic, but he's closer to his family than ever before. He's also Page to the Elven Court of Swords, and that appointment is not without its perks - like the invisible sword strapped to his back.

But on Halloween night, Adam's life takes a disturbing turn. Annie, his brother's long-lost wife, turns up on her husband's doorstep alive and well, with no memory of her death. But is it really Annie, or a Trojan horse from some new magical enemy?

To uncover the truth, Adam will need help from those he loves most - as well as a couple of friends at Rogue Community College. As he navigates a perilous maze of magical politics and battles terrifying creatures from beyond the known realms, Adam will discover a secret darker and more unsettling than anything he could have imagined."

You know it could be both a magical Trojan horse AND his sister-in-law. 

The Book of Autumn by Molly O'Sullivan
Published by: Kensington
Publication Date: October 28th, 2025
Format: Hardcover, 384 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"For readers of Adrienne Young, Olivie Blake, Erin Sterling, Hazel Beck, and Leigh Bardugo's Ninth House, a spellbinding debut about ambition, privilege, second chance romance, and ancient magic set at an enchanted school tucked among the red mesas of rural New Mexico, where a formidable pair of magicians are summoned to pursue an alleged killer.

Try as she might, anthropologist Marcella Gibbons can't escape the fact that she's a dimidium, one half of a formidable pair of Magicians, forever tied together to enable the other's powers. After a tumultuous final year at Seinford and Brown College of Agriculture (and Magic) in rural New Mexico, Cella felt more than a little uneasy about returning to the sun-drenched desert campus ever again. She'd cut ties with her other half - the charming and rugged rancher Max Middlemore - and sworn off Magic, academia, and heartache for good.

Until Max turns up at her door, grinning under his cowboy hat for one last favor. Something is shifting at her alma mater, something bigger than anyone understands. One student is dead. Another is floating midair in the infirmary, growling guttural nonsense and terrifying the staff. Their best, perhaps only, chance to intervene requires Cella and Max to work together. But the origins of the disturbances lie centuries ago. To unravel them, Cella will have to confront the truth about her past - and Max. Because she might be challenging a power she could never rival alone..."

I love me magical schools, I love this more because it's not in the expected place.

Witches of Dubious Origin by Jenn McKinlay
Published by: Ace
Publication Date: October 28th, 2025
Format: Paperback, 384 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"When a librarian discovers she's descended from a long line of powerful witches, she'll need all of her bookish knowledge to harness her family's magic, in this enchanting cozy fantasy from New York Times bestselling author Jenn McKinlay.

Zoe Ziakas enjoys a quiet life, working as a librarian in her quaint New England town. When a mysterious black book with an unbreakable latch is delivered to the library, Zoe has a strange feeling the tome is somehow calling to her. She decides to consult the Museum of Literature, home to volumes of indecipherable secrets, some possessing dark magic that must be guarded.

Here, among their most dangerous collection, the Books of Dubious Origin, Zoe discovers that she is the last descendant of a family of witches and this little black book is their grimoire. Zoe knows she must decode the family's spell book and solve the mystery of what happened to her mother and her grandmother. However, the book's potential power draws all things magical to it, and Zoe finds herself under the constant watch of a pesky raven, while being chased by undead Vikings, ghost pirates, and assorted ghouls.

With assistance from the eccentric staff of the Books of Dubious Origin department - including their annoyingly smart and handsome containment specialist, Jasper Griffin - Zoe must confront her past and the legacy of her family. But as their adventure unfolds, she'll have to decide whether or not she's ready to embrace her destiny."

New England and witches? Is there anything more perfect to read right before Halloween? 

The Library of Lost Girls by Kristen Pipps
Published by: Delacorte Press
Publication Date: October 28th, 2025
Format: Hardcover, 336 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"When her sister returns from finishing school a total stranger, a teen seeks out the cause and discovers that the cost of becoming a perfect lady is much higher - and more sinister - than ever expected. A lush, gothic tale that will haunt readers long after they turn the last page.

Gwen Donavan adores her beautiful and rebellious older sister, Izzy. But the Izzy who returns from the Delphi School for Girls is not the sister who left. Now she is Isolde: dull and complacent and - most shocking - eager to marry.

Gwen is determined to discover what happened to Izzy at Delphi, and the only solution she can conceive of is to cheat her way into the mysterious school. If she can see for herself what they did, maybe she can get her Izzy back.

But Delphi is far from the finishing school Gwen expects. Sinister shadows lurk in the hallways of the remote estate, and she is told to never leave her room after dark. More curious, though, are the thousands of books, each with the name of a girl on its spine. They line the walls from floor to ceiling, and the students are forbidden to read them.

Delphi says they're reforming the girls, but when Gwen discovers a note left for her by her sister, she realizes that what is happening at the school is more terrifying than she could ever have imagined. There's something dark at the center of Delphi, and somehow it's tied to those books - and to the girls who are sent there. And if Gwen doesn't confront what hides in the shadows, it won't be just Izzy who's lost forever."

Oh look, the nightmare of Margaret Atwood that so many men dream off. Which is why it's important for us women to read books like this!

The Changeling Queen by Kimberly Bea
Published by: Erewhon Books
Publication Date: October 28th, 2025
Format: Hardcover, 480 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"A lyrical, sensual, feminist retelling of the Scottish "Ballad of Tam Lin," combining folklore, desire, sacrifice, and nature's wonder in a tale perfect for fans of Natalie Haynes, Genevieve Gornichec, Holly Black, Quicksilver by Callie Hart, and Outlander.

"I am Faery and Faery is me."

On Samhain in medieval Scotland, pregnant Janet rescues her lover Tam Lin from being sacrificed by the Wild Hunt - but the callous Faery Queen is not finished with them yet. Over the span of a single night, the Queen and Janet spar over Tam Lin's fate. The Queen aims to win, knowing how fickle mortals can be. Long before she was royalty, she was simply Bess, the changeling daughter of a midwife.

Born with magical and mortal blood, Bess feared there was no true place for her on either side of the veil. She found refuge in the arms of the charming Thomas Shepherd, the bastard son of a local noble. While villagers viewed her as a scandal, Bess's cunning knowledge and secret dark gifts attracted the attention of the elf lord Amadan. Wily and silver-tongued, Amadan led Bess into Faery's realm of decadence, where her heart warred against her destiny. She fought to keep both - but at what cost?

Inspired by Scotland's famous "Ballad of Tam Lin" and weaving together mystical folklore and tragic romance, The Changeling Queen's journey into memory, betrayal, and redemption will leave you spellbound."

Who doesn't like to read about a Faery bargain? 

Hazelthorn by CG Drews
Published by: Feiwel and Friends
Publication Date: October 28th, 2025
Format: Hardcover, 368 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"CG Drews, instant New York Times-bestselling author of Don't Let the Forest In, returns with another deeply unsettling and yet hauntingly beautiful tale of murder and botanical body horror, perfect for fans of Andrew Joseph White, Annihilation, and We Have Always Lived in the Castle.

Evander has lived like a ghost in the forgotten corners of the Hazelthorn estate ever since he was taken in by his reclusive billionaire guardian, Byron Lennox-Hall, when he was a child. For his safety, Evander has been given three ironclad rules to follow:

He can never leave the estate. He can never go into the gardens. And most importantly, he can never again be left alone with Byron's charming, underachieving grandson, Laurie.

That last rule has been in place ever since Laurie tried to kill Evander seven years ago, and yet somehow Evander is still obsessed with him.

When Byron suddenly dies, Evander inherits Hazelthorn's immense gothic mansion and acres of sprawling grounds, along with the entirety of the Lennox-Hall family's vast wealth. But Evander's sure his guardian was murdered, and Laurie may be the only one who can help him find the killer before they come for Evander next.

Perhaps even more concerning is how the overgrown garden is refusing to stay behind its walls, slipping its vines and spores deeper into the house with each passing day. As the family's dark secrets unravel alongside the growing horror of their terribly alive, bloodthirsty garden, Evander needs to find out what he's really inheriting before the garden demands to be fed once more."

Feed me Seymour! 

Birdlane Island by V.C. Andrews
Published by: Gallery Books
Publication Date: October 28th, 2025
Format: Hardcover, 304 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"From the #1 New York Times bestselling author of the Flowers in the Attic and Landry series - now popular Lifetime movies - an evocative and tender tale of star-crossed lovers on an isolated island.

Off the coast of Maine, on an island shaped like a seagull in flight, shrouded by mists off the bay, lives a novelist Jason Lorraine and his teenage daughter Lisa. They live a simple life, largely cut off from the mainland, and Lisa's weak health poses a frequent concern.

After the sudden and untimely death of Lisa's mother, Jason becomes even more reclusive and protective. Lisa is forbidden to see Jamie, the charming fisherman's son who has quickly become her closest confidante in her grief. The star-crossed lovers steal time with one another, but fate intervenes, and they may never find a happy ending. A brooding artist from out of town, Kyle, arrives and brings more color to Lisa's world. As Lisa fights for love, independence, and agency, will her beloved island become her sanctuary or her prison?"

It's hard to keep two people apart when they live on a small island.

The Restoration Garden by Sara Blaydes
Published by: Lake Union Publishing
Publication Date: October 28th, 2025
Format: Paperback, 315 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"A landscape architect unearths the tangled history of a once-celebrated English garden - and all its mysteries - in a captivating novel by the author of The Last Secret of Lily Adams.

Julia Esdaile is hired to restore the historic gardens at Havenworth Manor - the grounds of which are now an abandoned snarl of bramble and weeds - to their original splendor. For the enigmatic lady of the manor, ninety-two-year-old Margaret Clarke, the reason for the restoration is the deeply private story of a promise made a lifetime ago, and a vow to keep it before she dies.

It's 1940, and Margaret's older half sister, Irene, an aspiring artist, dreams of an exciting world beyond Havenworth. Her only escapes are James Atherton, a handsome officer in the RAF, and her sketchbook of flower drawings. Bonding over their disdain for war, Irene follows James to London, where, irrevocably in love, she is forced to make a choice she never imagined. With that, Irene vanishes from Margaret's life forever.

Now, with the help of Margaret's godson, Andrew, Julia is determined to uncover both the long-buried secrets of the past and the truth behind a heartbreaking mystery that only restoring the gardens of Havenworth can solve."

I love garden restoration, especially how in recent years in England drought has shown us original layouts that we never knew about.

In Deadly Fashion by Rosemary Simpson
Published by: Kensington
Publication Date: October 28th, 2025
Format: Hardcover, 336 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"Heiress Prudence MacKenzie and ex-Pinkerton Geoffrey Hunter are about to become more than partners as investigators - they are to be wed at Trinity Church in Lower Manhattan. But a killer has designs on ruining the wedding as well as their lives...

AUGUST 1891: Prudence has her heart set on wearing her mother's wedding gown on the happy day, but she soon discovers the material has deteriorated so badly that it cannot be refurbished. With time running out, she decides to seek out a new American designer, a woman who trained in the House of Worth, the makers of the original dress in Paris, who now has a shop in New York City.

The gown is nearly complete when the expert seamstress overseeing the project is found dead in the studio, with Prudence's wedding dress slashed to ribbons and scattered over the body. The murder incites a scandal, as client after client deserts the now struggling designer. Now not only must Prudence find the murderer, she must rescue the talented young couturière's reputation - all while another gown is being hastily sewn.

The police suspect the seamstress's disgruntled lover. Prudence wonders about other designers competing in the cutthroat world of high fashion. But when additional wedding plans start to go awry, it's clear there is an elaborate campaign of sabotage and that either Prudence or Geoffrey or both are being targeted.

Once again they must work as a team to expose whoever is determined to ruin their lives - before the future they've so long dreamed of is left in tatters..."

You know, restoring one's reputation easily equals the price of one's wedding dress. 

Sisters in Death by Eli Frankel
Published by: Citadel
Publication Date: October 28th, 2025
Format: Hardcover, 368 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"Who killed the Black Dahlia? In this eye-opening shocker, an award-winning producer, true-crime researcher, and Hollywood insider finally solves the greatest - and most gruesome - murder mystery of the twentieth century just before its 80th anniversary.

In January 1947, the bisected body of Elizabeth Short, completely drained of blood, was discovered in an undeveloped lot in Los Angeles. Its gruesome mutilations led to a firestorm of publicity, city-wide panic, and an unprecedented number of investigative paths led by the LAPD - all dead ends. The Black Dahlia murder remained an unsolved mystery for over seventy years.

Six years earlier and sixteen hundred miles away, another woman's life had ended in a similarly horrific manner. Leila Welsh was an ambitious, educated, popular, and socially connected beauty. Though raised modestly on a prairie farm, she was heiress to her Kansas City family's status and wealth. On a winter morning in 1941, Leila's butchered body was found in her bedroom bearing the marks of unspeakable trauma.

One victim faded into obscurity. The other became notorious. Both had in common a killer whose sadistic mind was a labyrinth of dark secrets.

Eli Frankel reveals for the first time a key fact about the Black Dahlia crime scene, never before shared with the public, that leads inexorably to the stunning identification of a criminal who was at the same time amateurish and fiendish, skilled and lucky, sophisticated and brutish. Drawing on newly discovered documents, law enforcement files, interviews with the last surviving participants, the victims' own letters, trial transcripts, military records, and more, this epic true-crime saga puts together the missing pieces of a legendary puzzle.

In Sisters in Death, the Black Dahlia cold case is finally closed."

Can we ever really say the case is "solved?" At best this posits another good theory. As to why Elizabeth Short because a sensation and Lelia Welsh didn't... It's all about Hollywood. 

Lincoln's Ghost by Brad Ricca
Published by: St. Martin's Press
Publication Date: October 28th, 2025
Format: Hardcover, 320 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"The incredible untold story of how the world's greatest magician, Harry Houdini, waged war upon Spiritualism, uncovering unknown magic, political conspiracies, and surprising secrets along the way.

You won't live forever, Houdini. You've got to DIE. I put a curse on you...

During a séance in 1924, Houdini - the greatest entertainer in the world - was cursed by a vengeful spirit, who said his days were numbered. Houdini laughed. He believed talking to the dead was impossible. By 1926, Houdini was dead.

This is the untold story of the last performance of Harry Houdini, who - inspired by his hero Abraham Lincoln - devotes himself full-time to a personal crusade against Spiritualism, the practice of speaking to the dead. In a spellbinding journey across Jazz Age America, haunted by the aftermath of the Great War and a deadly pandemic, Houdini encounters modern-day haunted houses, warlocks, and monsters, and uncovers a shocking conspiracy that stretches all the way to the American presidency - and to the House of Houdini itself.

In a compelling dual-timeline narrative alternating between Houdini's 1926 dramatic courtroom testimony before Congress and the last otherworldly cases he takes on that lead him there, Lincoln's Ghost is a powerful examination of deception, love, politics, the afterlife, and the very nature of magic itself."

Wait, his war upon Spiritualism was untold!?! Some one should tell the authors of all those books I've read... 

Kooky Spooky Love by Josie Silver
Published by: Dell
Publication Date: October 28th, 2025
Format: Paperback, 320 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"An up-and-coming ghostbuster and her motley crew tackle a devilish high-wire act, aided (or more often, interrupted) by her rakish ex and the sarcastic reporter she can't seem to shake - from the #1 New York Times bestselling author of Crazy Spooky Love.

Maplemead Castle is crawling with ghosts, and the new owners need them gone. When Melody Bittersweet and the Girls' Ghostbusting Agency arrive on scene, they quickly identify the main troublemaker swinging from the chandeliers. A century ago, stunning trapeze artist Britannia Lovell plunged to her death in the castle's grand ballroom, and has continued to haunt it ever since. But did she really just fall, or was there something more to her demise?

Forced to work with Leo Dark, her scoundrel ex, and the infuriating, irresistible reporter Fletcher Gunn, Melody's investigative powers are under the strain of a heart pulled in two directions. She needs her team in top form, but her best friend Marina's cake pipeline goes AWOL, her assistant Artie's distracted by a giant sausage roll, and the pug Lestat is scared witless by a lion. Melody has her work cut out for her.

Somewhere, hidden in the castle, is a heart-breaking secret, but what will it take to find it? And is there a chance it could set Britannia free, or is she doomed to repeat her last fateful act forever?"

Just saying, I think a trapeze artist could make a helluva lot of racket as a ghost. I approve. 

An Unlikely Coven by AM Kvita
Published by: Orbit
Publication Date: October 28th, 2025
Format: Paperback, 400 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"The outcast daughter of a powerful family of witches returns home to New York City and is immediately embroiled in a supernatural power struggle in this wickedly funny fantasy debut from AM Kvita. After seven long years Joan Greenwood is finally returning home. Unfortunately, her family totally forgot about it.

Joan's homecoming is lukewarm at best, but soon turns disastrous when news hits that someone has created a spell that can turn an ordinary human into a powerful witch, threatening the balance of the magical world and the Greenwood's place at the top of it.

When her best friend confesses that he has secretly, accidentally, saved this human-turned-witch from an uncertain fate, Joan is thrust headfirst into a desperate race to undo the spell before it does permanent damage to its unwilling host.

Soon, Joan finds herself drawn deeper into the heart of the city's magic, into an uncertain alliance with a (very attractive) family rival, and far beyond the limits of everything she thought her own magic capable of.

Welcome home Joan Greenwood."

It's always sad when your family forgets about you... But perhaps a rival family with a very attractive member... 

The White Octopus Hotel by Alexandra Bell
Published by: Del Rey
Publication Date: October 28th, 2025
Format: Paperback, 368 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"Journey to a magical hotel in the Swiss Alps, where two lost souls living in different centuries meet and discover if a second chance awaits them behind its doors.

"Have you travelled a long way?" she asked carefully.
A smile twitched at the corner of his mouth. "Well, yes," he said slowly. "Yes, you could say that. But it was worth the wait."

London, 2015. When reclusive art appraiser Eve Shaw shakes the hand of a silver-haired gentleman in her office, the warmth of his palm sends a spark through her.

His name is Max Everly - curiously, the same name as Eve's favorite composer, born one hundred sixteen years prior. And she has the sudden feeling that she's held his hand before...but where, and when?

The White Octopus Hotel, 1935. In this belle époque building high in the snowy mountains, Eve and a young Max wander the winding halls, lost in time.

Each of them has been through the trenches - Eve through a family accident and Max on the battlefields of the Great War - but for an impossible moment, love and healing are just a room away...if only they have the courage to step through the door."

I want to go to a time hotel!

Two Truths and a Murder by Colleen Cambridge
Published by: Kensington
Publication Date: October 28th, 2025
Format: Hardcover, 272 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"Agatha Christie's trusted housekeeper, Phyllida Bright, has become an amateur sleuth in her own right, using her little grey cells to solve crimes. When a party game leads to murder, she decides to crash the investigation in this latest sparkling mystery from Colleen Cambridge.

While her famous employer is happily back home at Mallowan Hall, wrestling with her Belgian detective's dilemma on board the Orient Express, Phyllida is finding her local renown as a sleuth has put her in high demand. A distraught Vera Rollingbroke suspects her husband of infidelity and has invited Phyllida to a dinner party to observe his behavior, particularly in regard to one Genevra Blastwick.

What she does observe at the party is that Genevra craves attention, in contrast to her shy sister Ethel. Genevra introduces a game called Two Truths and a Lie, and one of her questionable statements is that she once witnessed a murder. At this bold claim, the guests react with disbelief and pepper her with questions. Genevra remains cagey, withholding details, but insists this is not her lie.

The next morning Phyllida learns poor Ethel was purposely run down by a motorcar the previous night while inexplicably walking home alone from the party. She fears Genevra may have been the target, which means someone at the party is a killer - twice over. A chilling thought. With Genevra in potential danger - and Inspector Cork proceeding ponderously as usual - Phyllida takes it upon herself to unmask the killer. With two murders to solve, she will need to grill Genevra and the guests as well as re-examine any past sudden deaths or disappearances. And if she's smart, she'll look twice before crossing the road..."

Who knows how long Two Truths and a Lie has been around.... All I know is it's a risky game to play.

Final Cut by Olivia Worley
Published by: Wednesday Books
Publication Date: October 28th, 2025
Format: Hardcover, 352 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"The set of a low-budget slasher film turns into a real-life horror movie in this twisty, wicked blend of Scream meets The Reappearance of Rachel Price from Olivia Worley.

When recent high school graduate Hazel Lejeune gets the lead role in a slasher film, it feels like a dream come true. This is her chance to break into the industry, build her reel, and prove to her mom that this "gap year" can turn into a career. So what if it's set in the nothing town of Pine Springs, Louisiana - the same place her father, the Pine Springs Slasher, was convicted of a series of murders fifteen years ago?

But when Haze arrives on set, she gets much more than she bargained for. The shoot is plagued by suspicious "accidents." Mentions of her dad dot the entire script. And then, a gruesome murder shocks everyone to the core. Now, it's clear there's a real killer on set - one who's determined to finish the film at all costs. But is this merely a copycat, or is the wrong Slasher behind bars?

As the body count rises and reality blurs with fiction, Haze must unmask the killer before she becomes a real-life final girl…or before the killer flips the script and makes her the next victim."

Isn't she just slightly suspicious about all coincidences to get her to Pine Springs? I mean, that right there doesn't mark her out as final girl material. 

Long Shot by Luke Jennings
Published by: Boldwood Books
Publication Date: October 28th, 2025
Format: Kindle, 257 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"The BRAND NEW instalment in the explosive, obsessive Killing Eve series - the inspiration behind the BAFTA-winning drama starring Jodie Comer and Sandra Oh!

All these battle scars, my love…You're running out of lives.

Determined to escape the iron shackles of the Twelve, Eve and Oxana are trying something new. Something risky, even for them. They're going freelance.

Their first client, sent their way by MI5, is Majid Ismailov. An international power player and an important friend to Britain, Majid is also a passionate racehorse owner with his eye on the racing calendar's most fiercely contested prize - the Prix de Arc de Triomphe, run annually in Paris.

When one of Majid's prize fillies is stolen from his Newmarket stable, Eve and Oxana enter a world new to both of them. What at first appears to be an amateurish ransom attempt is gradually revealed as something more sinister. A carefully plotted move in a superpower chess game.

Meanwhile Oxana has a deadly secret of her own, a secret that threatens her already volatile relationship with Eve. Can she contain the violence within her before it destroys them both?"

Sigh, Killing Eve without the horrid ending. I'm in love. 

What She Saw by Mary Burton
Published by: Montlake
Publication Date: October 28th, 2025
Format: Paperback, 351 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"An investigative reporter returns to the scene of a decades-old crime to put her own unsettled past to rest in this chilling suspense novel by New York Times bestselling author Mary Burton.

Cold case reporter Sloane Grayson has come to a small mountain town in Virginia to solve a mystery.

Thirty years ago, her mother was one of four women who vanished during a music festival. The event's promoter was eventually convicted of their murders, and Sheriff CJ Taggart closed the case. But for Sloane, it's still open. Because the bodies were never found.

With Taggart now long dead, Sloane must make do with questioning the victims' families and the few remaining witnesses once again. If they're still willing to dredge up memories of a crime that made their town notorious. As for the incarcerated killer, he has always maintained his innocence. Sloane isn't entirely convinced he's lying.

Somewhere nearby, unmarked graves conceal the bones and secrets of the dead. Sloane will do anything to find them and unearth the truth, even if that means playing a dangerous game of cat and mouse with someone determined to stop her..."

What She Saw twining with The Trespassers this week!

The Trespassers by Jennifer Lynn Alvarez
Published by: Delacorte Press
Publication Date: October 28th, 2025
Format: Paperback, 352 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"In the frozen depths of an Alaskan winter, a house party turns deadly in this tightly wound thriller packed with icy suspense and devastating secrets.

You think you can bury the past...but some truths refuse to stay hidden.

Finley, Mya, River, and Eli were inseparable as kids, running wild on Alaska's vast wide-open spaces. Then tragedy struck, and Finley moved to the lower 48. But now it's Senior year, and Finley's back in Anchorage. When Mya throws a house party on a snowy Valentine's Day night, it's supposed to be a chance for the friends to heal old wounds. But an encounter with a mysterious stranger quickly turns the evening into a nightmare.

As the group scrambles to cover up what they've done, the fault lines they've grown so good at ignoring begin to crack as the police investigate and the media hounds them. Are they the most vicious teens in America, or deeply misunderstood? Everyone wants to know - even the teens themselves.

Fast-paced and thrillingly tense, The Trespassers explores guilt, loyalty, and the complex nature of friendship."

The Trespassers twining with What She Saw this week!

The Black Wolf by Louise Penny
Published by: Minotaur Books
Publication Date: October 28th, 2025
Format: Hardcover, 384 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"The 20th mystery in the #1 New York Times-bestselling Armand Gamache series.

Somewhere out there, in the darkness, a black wolf is feeding.

Several weeks ago, Chief Inspector Armand Gamache of the Sûreté du Québec and his team uncovered and stopped a domestic terrorist attack in Montréal, arresting the person behind it. A man they called the Black Wolf.

But their relief is short-lived. In a sickening turn of events, Gamache has realized that plot, as horrific as it was, was just the beginning. Perhaps even a deliberate misdirection. One he fell into. Something deeper and darker, more damaging, is planned. Did he in fact arrest the Black Wolf, or are they still out there? Armand is appalled to think his mistake has allowed their conspiracy to grow, to gather supporters. To spread lies, manufacture enemies, and feed hatred and division.

Still recovering from wounds received in stopping the first attack, Armand is confined to the village of Three Pines, leading a covert investigation from there. He must be careful not to let the Black Wolf know he has recognized his mistake. In a quiet church basement, he and his senior agents Beauvoir and Lacoste, pore over what little evidence they have. Two notebooks. A few mysterious numbers on a tattered map of Québec. And a phrase repeated by the person they had called the Grey Wolf. A warning...

In a dry and parched land where there is no water.

Gamache and his small team of supporters realize that for the Black Wolf to have gotten this far, they must have powerful allies, in law enforcement, in industry, in organized crime, in the halls of government.

From the apparent peace of his little village, Gamache finds himself playing a lethal game of cat and mouse with an invisible foe who is gathering forces and preparing to strike."

An enemy spreading lies and feeding hatred? Yep. That is spot on for right now.

6:40 to Montreal by Eva Jurczyk
Published by: Poisoned Pen Press
Publication Date: October 28th, 2025
Format: Hardcover, 352 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"No WiFi, no distractions. No way out...

Agatha's husband has bought her a first-class ticket on the scenic six-hour train from Toronto to Montreal as a gift - a one-day writing retreat so she can get some serious work done on her new book, a highly-anticipated follow-up to Agatha's runaway bestseller debut novel. The first-class car is the perfect place to be productive, with only a handful of other passengers, plenty of snacks and drinks, and beautiful views flying by outside the window.

But Agatha has other plans for her day out...plans that are unexpectedly derailed when the train breaks down in the middle of the frigid Canadian woods and one of Agatha's fellow passengers dies quietly in his seat. Soon, a pleasant morning in transit turns into a fight for survival against an unknown and unseen enemy. Will Agatha - or any of the passengers - make it out alive?

From international bestselling author Eva Jurczyk, 6:40 to Montreal is a claustrophobic, deceivingly bloody thriller that twists and turns until the very last page."

For years I always thought a train ride through Canada would be so scenic. But then one of my friends told me the number one delay in Canadian trains is because of suicides parking on the tracks and now I'm totally good never being on a train in Canada. 

Murder by the Millions by Daryl Wood Gerber
Published by: Kensington Cozies
Publication Date: October 28th, 2025
Format: Hardcover, 320 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"In a beautiful mountain community near Asheville, North Carolina, caterer and personal chef Allie Catt serves up mouthwatering, literary-themed dinner parties inspired by her clients' favorite books. Her next event is sure to be a roaring success - if a murderer isn't a killjoy...

If it were true that the best thing a girl can be in this world is a fool, then Allie Catt would be out of luck. Fortunately, Allie's business is a smashing success. And following her Pride and Prejudice event, grander plans await...

Feast for the Eyes bookstore manager and Allie's best friend, Tegan, is hosting a book club soiree and wants it to be a glittering affair based on F. Scott Fitzgerald's iconic Jazz Age-set novel, The Great Gatsby. Soon, Art Deco table settings and visions of flappers are dancing the Charleston in their heads. Even Tegan's prickly sister, Vanna, is on board. And surely, Allie's tuxedo cat, Darcy, thinks it's the cat's meow. Amid the planning, charismatic developer Jason Gardner arrives in town to buy some historic buildings on Main Street. He, too, has plans: to create a modern mall. Allie is more than concerned. She even wants to protest. But when Jason invites her to cater a lavish party, she finds him surprisingly likable. Then she's summoned to his estate for a meeting - and finds him dead.

Once again Allie's landed in the middle of a crime scene. Worse, one of her earrings is later discovered near the body. And when police learn she was upset about the mall, she's suspect #1. Allie's blossoming sleuthing skills once cleared Tegan's name, but can she save herself - before a killer writes her a not-so-great Gatsbyesque ending..."

Just saying, you'd have to put on quite the party to approach Gatsby level...

A Death's Dough by Mindy Quigley
Published by: Minotaur Books
Publication Date: October 28th, 2025
Format: Paperback, 320 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"The next book in the delectable Deep Dish Mystery series by Mindy Quigley, set in a Wisconsin pizzeria.

It's February in the ritzy lakeside resort town of Geneva Bay, Wisconsin, and love is in the air. Pizza chef Delilah O'Leary is gearing up to celebrate her first Valentine's Day with hunky police detective Calvin Capone, great-grandson of the infamous Chicago mobster. But their romance is put on ice when a shocking discovery plunges them into a century-old crime with ties to Capone's notorious forefather.

As old secrets surface, Delilah realizes that nearly everyone in town - from Capone's cagey cousin to her own quirky customers - has something to hide. With the pressure mounting and the past closing in, Delilah must help Capone follow a trail of clues that could lead them to a priceless treasure...or into a deadly trap. Can Delilah serve up justice before history repeats itself? Or will she and Capone end up sleeping with the anchovies?"

Can I just say, as a Wisconsinite, the heart shaped pizza on the cover of this book is so spot on and nostalgic. The designer knew what they were doing that's for sure. 

The Cornish Christmas Pantomime Murder by Fiona Leitch
Published by: One More Chapter
Publication Date: October 28th, 2025
Format: Kindle, 295 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"Pantomime season has arrived in the brand new hilarious murder mystery from Fiona Leitch. Available to pre-order now!

It's Christmas in Penstowan, and local amateur dramatics group the Penstowan Players are putting on their annual pantomime.

This year it's 'Aladdin,' and half the town have been drafted in to help, including Shirley Parker, who only has a small part in the chorus but will no doubt upstage everybody, and Tony Penhaligon, who's treading the boards as the baddie, Abanazar. Ex-Metropolitan police officer turned caterer Jodie Parker has managed to get away with not appearing, but only if she agrees to cater the opening night party.

But it's not just terrible jokes, quick costume changes and backstage chaos that wait in the wings...When the Widow Twankey (otherwise known as Tim, the mayor's husband) trips over a corpse lying next to Aladdin's bloodstained magic lamp, it's time for Jodie and her partner, DCI Nathan Withers, to find the killer.

Was it the genie of the lamp or an overly harsh theatre critic? Or does someone in the Penstowan Players have a dark secret they will do anything to protect?"

I mean, this is ticking all the boxes for my holiday reading, murder, panto, AND Cornwall.

Cowboy, It's Cold Outside by Maisey Yates
Published by: Canary Street Press
Publication Date: October 28th, 2025
Format: Paperback, 320 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"A favor owed. An Off-limits romance. Four Corners is in for the hottest Christmas it's ever seen.

Sheena Patrick has done well, all things considered. After her father's death, she raised her sisters and did all she could to give them the best life possible. But they're grown and gone now and Sheena is ready to do something for herself. But to accomplish her goals she needs Denver King.

Denver owes Sheena. He spent years watching from afar and making sure she was all right after his father's illegal activities caused her father's death. So when Sheena rolls up to the ranch looking to call in the favor he promised, Denver can't say no. He'll help her get her axe-throwing bar up and running by Christmas, and consider his debt square. But as the snow falls, sparks fly between the two black sheep of Pyrite Falls. They might be all wrong for everyone else, but are they just right for each other?"

Because sometimes you need romance instead of murder for the holidays...

Best Wishes from the Full Moon Coffee Shop by Mai Mochizuki
Published by: Ballantine Books
Publication Date: October 28th, 2025
Format: Hardcover, 224 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"From the bestselling author of the Japanese sensation The Full Moon Coffee Shop, this charming and heartfelt novel showcases the magic of Christmas as lost souls find themselves - with a little help of from an enchanted café run by cats.

Welcome back to the Full Moon Coffee Shop, serving up star-spun treats and magical insights for the holidays.

In Japan, cats are a symbol of good luck. As the myth goes, if you are kind to them, they'll one day return the favor. And if you are kind to the right cat, you might just find yourself invited to a mysterious coffee shop under a Christmastime Kyoto moon.

Satomi is devoted to her job in Tokyo, but when her long-distance boyfriend hints that he is going to propose to her on Christmas Day, she feels pulled between the career that she loves and a quieter life in the country. What will the magical cats see for her future?

Satomi's colleague Koyuki has been playing the role of the good, cheerful daughter ever since her father passed away in an accident on Christmas Day. But now that her mother has remarried, it's hard to pretend she feels part of her new happy family. What will our feline friends reveal as her true wish this Christmas?

Junko, Satomi's sister-in-law, lives in a small town with her husband and their young daughter, Ayu. When Junko's estranged father becomes ill, she returns home with Ayu in tow, where she'll learn something surprising at the enchanted coffee shop that will change her life forever.

This holiday season, each woman stands at a crossroad. With the help of some feline divinations, will they finally have the courage to seek what they most desperately wish for?"

And sometimes for the holidays you need a feel good read. 

Much Ado About Mistletoe by Christina Dodd
Published by: Kensington Books
Publication Date: October 28th, 2025
Format: Kindle, 93 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"Fair Verona celebrates the most joyful Christmas season in all of this flat earth, and for spirited 20-year-old Rosie Montague, sleuth and daughter of Romeo and Juliet (alive and well and still passionately in love), the season holds a thrilling new kind of mystery...

My famously optimistic and romantic mother, Lady Juliet, has declared, "I'm determined the Montagues and all of Verona shall experience a peaceful start to this holy Christmastime!"

Mamma...what were you thinking? Why would you so challenge the Fates? This season already promises to be especially eventful because Prince Escalus the younger is to be married. To me, Lady Rosaline.

Now a P.R. visit to Verona's market with Prince Escalus is dampened by a fortune teller's dire prophecy, a blaze in Verona's orphanage forces Verona's tempestuous citizens to unite to save their city from ruin, and I discover more about Escalus, his secret kindnesses and his many masks. And much to my discomfort, I also make discoveries about myself, and realize that Mamma's resolve may indeed be exactly what we need to create a joyous Montague family Christmas."

Mamma totally jinxed it.

Posted by Miss Eliza at 12:00 AM 0 comments  

Labels: Alix E. Harrow, Christina Dodd, Colleen Cambridge, Daryl Wood Gerber, Eva Jurczyk, Fiona Leitch, Josie Silver, Louise Penny, Luke Jennings, Mai Mochizuki, Maisey Yates, Mindy Quigley, Olivia Worley, V.C. Andrews

The Wood at Midwinter by Susanna Clarke
Published by: Bloomsbury Publishing
Publication Date: October 22nd, 2024
Format: Hardcover, 64 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"From the internationally bestselling and prize-winning author of Piranesi and Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell, an enchanting, beautifully illustrated short story set in the world of Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell.

'A church is a sort of wood. A wood is a sort of church. They're the same thing really.'

Nineteen-year-old Merowdis Scot is an unusual girl. She can talk to animals and trees - and she is only ever happy when she is walking in the woods.

One snowy afternoon, out with her dogs and Apple the pig, Merowdis encounters a blackbird and a fox. As darkness falls, a strange figure enters in their midst - and the path of her life is changed forever.

Featuring gorgeous illustrations truly worthy of the magic of this story and an afterword by Susanna Clarke explaining how she came to write it, this is a mesmerizing, must-have addition to any fantasy reader's bookshelf."

If there's one author who is daily in my thoughts it's Susanna Clarke. She is everything to me. And you can bet I've been eagerly awaiting this new story.

Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell by Susanna Clarke
Published by: Bloomsbury Publishing
Publication Date: October 22nd, 2024
Format: Hardcover, 864 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"The 20th Anniversary Edition of the Hugo-award winning, epic New York Times Bestseller and basis for the BBC miniseries, where two men change England's history when they bring magic back into the world, now with a new introduction from V.E. Schwab.

In the midst of the Napoleonic Wars in 1806, most people believe magic to have long since disappeared from England - until the reclusive Mr. Norrell reveals his powers and becomes an overnight celebrity.

Another practicing magician then emerges: the young and daring Jonathan Strange. He becomes Norrell's pupil, and the two join forces in the war against France.

But Strange is increasingly drawn to the wild, most perilous forms of magic, and he soon risks sacrificing his partnership with Norrell and everything else he holds dear.

Susanna Clarke's brilliant first novel is an utterly compelling epic tale of nineteenth-century England and the two magicians who, first as teacher and pupil and then as rivals, emerge to change its history."

Quite possibly my favorite book ever. Not sure if I'm sold yet on the 20th Anniversary artwork... But you can be sure it will still be on my shelf that's for sure.

A Vile Season by David Ferraro
Published by: Page Street YA
Publication Date: October 22nd, 2024
Format: Hardcover, 400 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"Bridgerton meets The Bachelor in this queer regency romance of a vampire competing for the heart of a duke.

After being run out of his castle by vampire hunters, Count Lucian encounters the god of vampires, Vrykolakas, while in hiding. Unhappy with how many vampires have been bested by hunters, Vrykolakas gives Lucian a test: Infiltrate the future duke's marriage games as a suitor and uncover the clandestine vampire hunters Vrykolakas suspects lurk in their midst. The god strips Lucian of his immortality so he can walk amongst mortals - making him human for the first time in centuries. If Lucian succeeds, Vrykolakas will make him the most powerful vampire in existence, but if he fails, the god of vampires will torture him for the rest of his life.

Unfortunately, Lucian isn't prepared for the emotions that come with humanity, nor the treacheries of courting season with fellow nobles posing as friends, enemies, and wholly unsuitable romantic distractions. To win the life he wants, Lucian will have to decide if being a vampire is worth giving up the friendship and love he's found."

And in the spirit of this Susanna Clarke laden week, MORE Regency Magic!

The Elgin Conspiracy by Julia Golding
Published by: One More Chapter
Publication Date: October 22nd, 2024
Format: Kindle, 376 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"1812

Lord Elgin's Greek marbles are the talk of London society, so when a death threat arrives, the earl hires actress Dora Fitz-Pennington and the honourable Dr. Jacob Sandys to investigate. They plunge into the scandals of society's most eminent members, from the Byron circle to the secret world of collectors.

As danger lurks around London's every corner, in the most exclusive ballrooms and the roughest taverns, Dora and Jacob will face not only what has been left unsaid simmering between them but the threat of silent assassins, traitorous acquaintances and the darkest of secrets..."

You know what would solve ALL death threats related to the Elgin marbles? RETURN THEM!

Murder in Highbury by Vanessa Kelly
Published by: Kensington Publishing Corporation
Publication Date: October 22nd, 2024
Format: Hardcover, 400 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"First in a captivating new series, Jane Austen's Emma Knightley entertains a different role in Highbury - going from clever matchmaker to Regency England's shrewdest sleuth.

Less than one year into her marriage to respected magistrate George Knightley, Emma has grown unusually content in her newfound partnership and refreshed sense of independence. The height of summer sees the former Miss Woodhouse gracefully balancing the meticulous management of her elegant family estate and a flurry of social engagements, with few worries apart from her beloved father's health...

But cheery circumstances change in an instant when Emma and Harriet Martin, now the wife of one of Mr. Knightley's tenant farmers, discover a hideous shock at the local church. The corpse of Mrs. Augusta Elton, the vicar's wife, has been discarded on the altar steps - the ornate necklace she often wore stripped from her neck...

As a chilling murder mystery blooms and chaos descends upon the tranquil village of Highbury, the question isn't simply who committed the crime, but who wasn't secretly wishing for the unpleasant woman's demise. When suspicions suddenly fall on a harmless local, Emma - armed with wit, unwavering determination, and extensive social connections - realizes she must discreetly navigate an investigation of her own to protect the innocent and expose the ruthless culprit hiding in plain sight."

First, good on the killer for going for Mrs. E. Secondly, the killer is Frank Churchill right? I mean, we all know he has problems. Possibly ones that can only be slacked by the blood of his victims? 

Much Ado About Margaret by Madeleine Roux
Published by: Dell
Publication Date: October 22nd, 2024
Format: Paperback, 272 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"Madeleine Roux's next season in Regency England follows a rebellious writer and the man who risks everything to publish her.

Margaret Arden yearns to live like the passionate and daring women in her novel. The idyllic life at Mosely Cottage with her two younger sisters and mother is fine, but Margaret wants more than the demure and dainty existence she's known. After a particularly brutal rejection from an annoyingly attractive publisher, Margaret fears being forced into marriage to protect her family if their financial situation doesn't improve - until her cousin's glamorous wedding masquerade brings her onto a collision course with scandal, notoriety, and even love.

Captain Bridger Darrow is starting over after fighting for his country. Now home, he is struggling to save his family from destitution and succeed in a new venture of passion: book publishing. It's all going rather poorly, until he stumbles upon loose pages of an astonishing novel while in attendance at his dearest friend's wedding. Bridger knows he must publish it. But upon meeting the author, Bridger is stunned to discover that he - she - is a woman, and he has already told her off in grand fashion.

While Bridger is keen to gain her trust and rescind the initial rejection, Margaret can't help but be skeptical of his intentions. Sparks fly between the two, just as the wedding of the season starts to descend into chaos when a masked dance leads to a case of mistaken identities."

One can't help wonder why he rejected the manuscript in the first place...

The Improbable Tales of Baskerville Hall: The Sign of Five by Ali Standish
Published by: HarperCollins
Publication Date: October 22nd, 2024
Format: Hardcover, 320 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"In the second thrilling installment to The Improbable Tales of Baskerville Hall series, Arthur returns to the elusive Baskerville Hall and must solve the mystery behind a poisoned Sherlock Holmes, facing new threats, harrowing challenges, and ghastly ghouls along the way. It's time for a new adventure, are you ready?

When Arthur Conan Doyle returns to Baskerville Hall, a secretive school for extraordinary students, he's excited to begin winter term with the friends he loves. However, soon after his arrival, a dangerous foe threatens his favorite professor, Sherlock Holmes, and all signs seem to point to a force that Arthur had hoped he'd seen the last of...the Green Knight. But Sherlock isn't the only target; others begin to fall prey as well. The question is: how are they all connected?

In the ultimate race against time, Arthur will have to dodge old enemies, befriend new faces, and brave encounters with spirits to solve the mystery before it's too late. But there are more puzzles to solve than one; it seems a new term at Baskerville Hall may not only test Arthur's wits...but his friendships too."

This is a good antidote to their being no more Enola Holmes books.

Murder at the Foundling Hospital by Irina Shapiro
Published by: Storm Publishing Ltd
Publication Date: October 22nd, 2024
Format: Paperback, 318 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"Gemma's boots slip on uneven ground and her black cape catches in the wind as she runs. "Please, not Lucy," she prays.

Nurse Gemma Tate is heartbroken when she hears that one of her young charges at the Foundling Hospital has been killed. She knows that police inspector Sebastian Bell will work tirelessly to uncover the truth, but obstructed by the curt matron, he'll need her help navigating the cloistered world of the orphanage.

The mystery thickens when Sebastian finds a small wooden doll clutched in the murdered girl's hand and Gemma hears whispers of a shadowy romance. But that isn't the darkest secret hidden behind the high hospital walls. As time runs down on the investigation, Gemma won't give up. But could the shocking discovery she makes be her last?

A gripping gaslit Victorian mystery, perfect for fans of Andrea Penrose, the Lady Sherlock mysteries, and Miss Scarlet and the Duke."

You know, blurbs need to keep up with the times, never mention Neil Gaiman again, and it's now just Miss Scarlet, thank you very much.

Murder Takes the Stage by Colleen Cambridge
Published by: Kensington Publishing Corporation
Publication Date: October 22nd, 2024
Format: Hardcover, 288 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"In this delightful historical mystery, Phyllida Bright - amateur sleuth and Agatha Christie's esteemed housekeeper - discovers a killer stalking the stages of London's illustrious theaters.

Housekeeper Phyllida Bright is quite in her element at Mallowan Hall, the charming English manor that she keeps in tip-top shape. By contrast, the bustling metropolis of London, where her famed employer Agatha Christie has temporarily relocated, leaves Phyllida a bit out of her depth. Not only must she grapple with a limited staff, but Phyllida also has to rein in a temperamental French cook who has the looks of Hercule Poirot, but none of the charm.

When a man named Archibald Allston is found dead in an armchair onstage at the Adelphi Theater, first impressions are that he died of natural causes. But the very next day, the unlucky actor playing Benvolio at the Belmont Theater is found with his head bashed in. And when a third victim turns up, this time with double-C initials, the fatal pattern is impossible to ignore.

With panic erupting among theater folk - a superstitious bunch at the best of times - Phyllida steps up to help with the investigation. The murderer's MO may be easy to read, but can Phyllida uncover the killer's identity before the final curtain falls on another victim?"

I will read whatever Colleen writes under whatever name.

Murder on the Page by Daryl Wood Gerber
Published by: Kensington Cozies
Publication Date: October 22nd, 2024
Format: Hardcover, 336 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"This delectably intriguing new series debut from one of the queens of cozy mysteries features a caterer who crafts literary-themed dinner parties - and must ensure that a killer gets their just desserts...

It's a truth universally acknowledged that a genuinely top-notch party must be in want of a theme. Allie Catt, caterer and personal chef in the beautiful mountain community of Asheville, North Carolina, has devised a winning formula by using her clients' favorite books as inspiration. Her first themed event is based on Pride and Prejudice (Allie's cat, Darcy, approves), and it's so popular that soon she has grand ideas for future parties based on Rebecca, The Great Gatsby, Babette's Feast and more.

Business is booming, and a rival catering company is fuming. But there's a sting in the tale when the aunt of one of Allie's clients and best friends, Tegan, is murdered. Tegan is the victim's sole heir, and quickly becomes the main suspect. Allie has no doubts about her friend's innocence, but how to prove it?

Once again, her love of literature comes to the rescue, and with some guidance from her favorite fictional detectives, including Hercule Poirot and Sherlock Holmes, Allie sifts through the clues.

With a little luck - and the kind of pluck that would make Elizabeth Bennett proud - she may be able to stop a killer from serving up a second course of murder..."

I am really wondering how you'd stage a Rebecca themed dinner... A glowering housekeeper and showing up in the wrong outfit and crying in another room?

Sleep in Heavenly Pizza by Mindy Quigley
Published by: Minotaur Books
Publication Date: October 22nd, 2024
Format: Paperback, 320 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"Sleep in Heavenly Pizza is the fourth book in Mindy Quigley's delectable Deep Dish Mystery series, set in a Wisconsin pizzeria.

Pizza chef Delilah O'Leary and her kitty companion, Butterball, get into the holiday spirit as Geneva Bay, Wisconsin hosts the nation's premier snow sculpting championship. The annual event transforms the charming resort town into a wonderland of snow castles, ice rinks, and cozy cups of cocoa.

On the eve of the festival though, a too-good-to-be-true Chrismukkah catering gig brings some frosty tidings and heralds an unexpected visit from Delilah's high-intensity older sister. Suddenly it seems that the holidays may not be the hap-happiest season of all. And when one of the town's snowy sculptures reveals a chilling surprise, murder threatens to put the celebrations - and Delilah's crew - on ice for good."

OBVIOUSLY based on the Lake Geneva ice sculpting competition, which means I'm OBVIOUSLY going to read it.

Death Comes at Christmas edited by Marie O'Regan and Paul Kane
Published by: Titan Books (UK)
Publication Date: October 22nd, 2024
Format: Hardcover, 368 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"18 festive stories of murder and mystery in the grand tradition of Christmas crime fiction, from the masters of the genre.

Including the New York Times bestselling J.T. Ellison, USA Today bestseller Sam Carrington, Sunday Times bestseller C.L. Taylor, and many more...

The award-winning Marie O'Regan and Paul Kane invite you to a festive gathering of bestselling, critically acclaimed and award-winning writers in tribute to classic crime stories.

From locked room mysteries on Christmas Eve to devilish whodunits and tales of simmering rivalries unfolding at the dinner table, these eighteen seasonal tales will delight and shock at every twist and turn.

So, unwrap the presents, pour a mug of mulled wine and follow the bloodstained footprints through the freshly fallen snow as winter descends and darkness lurks in the shadows.

Featuring stories by:
Fiona Cummins
Angela Clarke
A.K. Benedict
Susi Holliday
J.T. Ellison
David Bell
Sarah Hilary
Claire McGowan
Tina Baker
Sam Carrington
Liz Mistry
C.L. Taylor
Helen Fields
Russ Thomas
Tom Mead
Vaseem Khan
Samantha Hayes
Belinda Bauer"

Here for all of this but especially A.K. Benedict!

Christmas Crimes at the Mysterious Bookshop edited by Otto Penzler
Published by: Mysterious Press
Publication Date: October 22nd, 2024
Format: Hardcover, 288 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"The oldest mystery specialty bookstore in the world, The Mysterious Bookshop, has for most of its forty-five-year history commissioned an original short story as a holiday gift for its customers. Written exclusively for the store and never published elsewhere, the stories were given as a holiday gift to its customers as a thank you for their business, handed out or mailed between Thanksgiving and New Year's Day.

The prompt for the story requires three elements: that it be set at Christmastime, that it involve a crime of some kind, or the suspicion of one, and that it be set at least partially in the bookstore. And from these loose structural guidelines, diverse tales took flight. The dozen tales included in this volume are among the finest to be produced in this annual tradition, sure to charm any reader looking for a holiday-themed escape.

Included herein are the ingenious "Snowflake Time" by Laura Lippman; Lyndsay Faye's tale of vengeance "A Midnight Clear"; the challenging brainteaser, "A Christmas Puzzle," by Ragnar Jónasson; "Hester's Gift," an impossible crime story by Tom Mead; the suspenseful "The Christmas Party" by Jeffery Deaver; Thomas Perry's hilarious comedy of errors, "Here We Come A-Wassailing;" and other tales appropriate for the season, collected and introduced by Otto Penzler. The result is, objectively speaking, the finest "stocking stuffer" that a mystery fan could hope to find."

A wonderful tradition finally being shared far and wide!

Everyone This Christmas Has a Secret by Benjamin Stevenson
Published by: Mariner Books
Publication Date: October 22nd, 2024
Format: Hardcover, 192 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"Benjamin Stevenson returns with a Christmas addition to his bestselling, "deviously good fun" (Nita Prose), Ernest Cunningham mysteries. Unwrap all the Christmas staples: presents, family, an impossible murder or two, and a deadly advent calendar of clues. If Knives Out and The Thursday Murder Club kissed under the mistletoe.

My name's Ernest Cunningham. I used to be a fan of reading Golden Age murder mysteries, until I found myself with a haphazard career getting stuck in the middle of real-life ones. I'd hoped, this Christmas, that any self-respecting murderer would kick their feet up and take it easy over the holidays. I was wrong.

So here I am, backstage at the show of world-famous magician Rylan Blaze, whose benefactor has just been murdered. My suspects are all professional tricksters: masters of the art of misdirection.

The Magician

The Assistant 

The Executive 

The Hypnotist 

The Identical Twin 

The Counsellor 

The Tech 

My clues are even more abstract: A suspect covered in blood, without a memory of how it got there. A murder committed without setting foot inside the room where it happens. And an advent calendar. Because, you know, it's Christmas.

If I can see through the illusions, I know I can solve it.

After all, a good murder is just like a magic trick, isn't it?"

Oh Ernest, but Christmas is THE BEST time for murder!

Christmas is All Around by Martha Waters
Published by: Atria Books
Publication Date: October 22nd, 2024
Format: Paperback, 304 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"A former child star learns that holiday magic can come from a change in perspective in this charming and hilarious holiday rom-com.

Charlotte hates the holidays. As a former child actress, she starred in a modern classic of a holiday movie, and its fans won't let her move on. When a piece revealing that her reluctance nixed plans for a reboot, she flees to London to spend the five-week countdown to the holidays with her sister.

But the ghosts of Christmas past follow her there when she ends up at Eden Priory, a filming location for the movie she has never visited. There, after being recognized by a fan while viewing the extraordinary holiday decorations, she's accidently left behind, forcing her to accept a ride back to London from Graham, the son of the owners. Their family business - and the funds to keep their historic house running - relies on holiday cheer, and Graham knows a visit from a holiday star would bring in more visitors.

Now an illustrator, Charlotte accepts a commission illustrating iconic holiday movie scenes in London and its environs. Graham offers to help escort her, as long as she'll commit to an art workshop at Eden Priory. But as Charlotte's chaotic family holiday goes awry, she begins spending more time scouting locations with Graham. She may not love a Christmas romance...but what if she has one of her own?"

Hey, personally I'd do anything to help out a historic house that needs a little financial boost. Especially one run my Graham.

The Coat Check Girl by Laura Buchwald
Published by: Radiance
Publication Date: October 22nd, 2024
Format: Hardcover, 298 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"Sometimes, it's in confronting the shadows that we find the brightest light.

Embark on a touching journey with Josie Gray as she navigates the turbulent waters of loss, love, and the supernatural. After bidding farewell to her cherished grandmother, Josie finds herself adrift in a sea of grief, compounded by the complexities of an ambiguous romantic entanglement and the return of her unsettling "gift" - the ability to sense and communicate with spirits. A presence haunts the restaurant where she works, dredging up long-buried memories from her childhood.

But amidst the shadows, a luminous figure emerges - the restaurant's new coat check girl. Mia is a beacon of understanding and solidarity, offering solace in shared experiences and a determination to unravel the mystery shrouding the restless spirit. Bolstered by a vibrant ensemble of characters, from restaurant comrades to familiar faces in the neighborhood, Mia keeps Josie afloat during one of the most difficult seasons of her life, helping her to embrace her unique talents and confront the ghostly enigma looming over them.

Set against the backdrop of the bustling restaurant scenes of New York City and New Orleans, The Coat Check Girl is a compelling tale weaving together threads of sorrow, redemption, and the enduring power of connection. Join Josie as she discovers that sometimes, it's in confronting the shadows that we find the brightest light."

Just saying, loss and the return of a power to connect to that loss... Makes sense...

Dreaming of Autumn Skies by V.C. Andrews
Published by: Gallery Books
Publication Date: October 22nd, 2024
Format: Hardcover, 288 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"A young girl does whatever's necessary to take back her agency when she is sent to live with her controlling grandfather in this atmospheric novel from the #1 New York Times bestselling author of Flowers in the Attic and the Landry series - now popular Lifetime movies.

With her mother deceased and her father remarried, Caroline is forced to live with her domineering grandfather. But having endured so much loss and cruelty in her young life, she is determined to not let her suffering to have been in vain. Soon, Caroline embarks on a campaign to reclaim her own power and win over the most influential person in her family. She will stop at nothing to build the life - and the independence - she so desperately dreams of."

Dammit, it's been awhile since my most recent V.C. Andrews fix. Well this book will "fix" that!

It Will Only Hurt for a Moment by Delilah S. Dawson
Published by: Del Rey Books
Publication Date: October 22nd, 2024
Format: Hardcover, 368 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"In this highly atmospheric thriller from the Bram Stoker Award-nominated author of The Violence, a young woman hopes to reinvent herself at an isolated artists' colony...only to be drawn into its dark, twisted past. Sarah Carpenter is starting over.

She's on the run - leaving behind her unsupportive, narcissistic ex-boyfriend and alcoholic, abusive mother - and headed for a new beginning at Tranquil Falls, a secluded artists' colony on the grounds of a closed hotel. There, with no cell signal or internet to distract her, she hopes to rediscover her love for pottery and put the broken pieces of her life back together.

But when Sarah uncovers the body of a young woman while digging a hole for a pit kiln, things start to fall apart. Her fellow artists begin to act in troubling ways. The eccentric fiber artist knits an endless scarf. The musician plays the same carousel song over and over until his fingers bleed. The calligrapher grins with ink-stained teeth. Not to mention the haunting dreams Sarah has night after night.

When she discovers glass shards in her clay, Sarah wonders if someone is out to get her - or if she's losing her grip on reality out here in the wilds, where the pounding of the waterfall never, ever fades. As she investigates the beautiful valley and the crumbling resort looming over them all, she unearths a chilling past that refuses to remain buried..."

Well, it won't remain buried if you keep digging holes for a pit kiln! In all seriousness, this is THE BOOK everyone is talking about this October.

Invasive by Cullen Bunn
Published by: Oni Press
Publication Date: October 22nd, 2024
Format: Paperback, 128 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"A 2023 National Cartoonists Society Reuben Awards Comics Finalist.

Beyond excess, beyond ethics, beyond science.... Enter a terrifying new experiment in pain from Eisner Award nominee Cullen Bunn (The Sixth Gun, Basilisk), 2023 Reuben Award Finalist illustrator Jesús Hervás (The Empty Man, ) and Federico Sabbatini (Moon Knight)!

Dr. Carrie Reynolds was a veteran trauma surgeon with a godlike mastery of muscle and bone. But outside the operating room, her rigidly ordered life spiraled into chaos when her daughter, Heather - a recovering plastic surgery addict - suddenly disappeared, only to mysteriously reemerge in a catatonic state, her vocal cords removed...the latest in a series of victims scarred by a battery of brazenly cruel medical procedures that have baffled police and left an alarming number of once-ordinary citizens maimed, mutilated, or dead on arrival.

Deep beneath the streets of Carrie's city, a new kind of underground hospital has just opened its doors...and, once inside, there are no rules, no oaths, and no taboos too deep to not to be broken. Together, a new class of surgeon has sworn to pierce the final threshold of accepted medical orthodoxy one incision at a time. The scalpel is their tool. The alleys are their operating theater. Murder is their medicine. And only Carrie can stop what they're planning next...

Collecting Invasive #1-4."

If you are desperate for top notch horror in graphic novel form I urge you to look no further than Cullen Bunn.

Absolution by Jeff VanderMeer
Published by: MCD
Publication Date: October 22nd, 2024
Format: Hardcover, 464 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"The surprise fourth volume in Jeff VanderMeer's Southern Reach series - and the final word on one of the most provocative and popular speculative fiction series of our time.

When the Southern Reach trilogy was first published a decade ago, it was an instant sensation, celebrated in a front-page New York Times story before publication, hailed by Stephen King and many others. Each volume climbed the bestseller list; awards were won; the books made the rare transition from paperback original to hardcover; the movie adaptation became a cult classic. All told, the trilogy has sold more than a million copies and has secured its place in the pantheon of twenty-first-century literature.

And yet for all this, for Jeff VanderMeer there was never full closure to the story of Area X. There were a few mysteries that had gone unsolved, some key points of view never aired. There were stories left to tell. There remained questions about who had been complicit in creating the conditions for Area X to take hold; the story of the first mission into the Forgotten Coast - before Area X was called Area X - had never been fully told; and what if someone had foreseen the world after Acceptance? How crazy would they seem?

Structured in three parts, each recounting a new expedition, Absolution is a brilliant, beautiful, and ever-terrifying plunge into unique and fertile literary territory. There are some long-awaited answers here, to be sure, but also more questions, and profound new surprises. It is the final word on one of the most provocative and popular speculative fiction series of our time."

Is it the final word? I mean "surprise" books are wonderful.... But how can we be sure now there aren't more surprises to come?

Where the Dead Brides Gather by Nuzo Onoh
Published by: Titan Books (UK)
Publication Date: October 22nd, 2024
Format: Paperback, 288 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"A powerful Nigeria-set horror tale of possession, malevolent ghosts, family tensions, secrets and murder from the recipient of the Bram Stoker Award for Lifetime Achievement and 'Queen of African Horror'. For readers of Octavia Butler, Ben Okri and Koji Suzuki.

Bata, a young girl tormented by nightmares, wakes up one night to find herself standing sentinel before her cousin's door. Her cousin is to get married the next morning, but only if she can escape the murderous attack of a ghost-bride, who used to be engaged to her groom.

A supernatural possession helps Bata battle and vanquish the vengeful ghost bride, and following a botched exorcism, she is transported to Ibaja-La, the realm of dead brides. There, she receives secret powers to fight malevolent ghost-brides before being sent back to the human realm, where she must learn to harness her new abilities as she strives to protect those whom she loves.

By turns touching and terrifying, this is vivid supernatural horror story of family drama, long-held secrets, possession, death - and what lies beyond."

I mean, is there that many ghost-brides that they have their own realm? I mean obviously they have their own book and film genre...

Memorials by Richard Chizmar
Published by: Gallery Books
Publication Date: October 22nd, 2024
Format: Hardcover, 480 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"A group of students encounter a supernatural terror while on a road trip through Appalachia in this chilling new novel from the New York Times bestselling author of the "unforgettable and scary" (Harlan Coben) Chasing the Boogeyman.

1983: Three students from a small college embark on a week-long road trip to film a documentary on roadside memorials for their American Studies class. The project starts out as a fun adventure with long stretches of empty road and nightly campfires where they begin to open up with one another.

But as they venture deeper into the Appalachian backwoods, the atmosphere begins to darken. They notice more and more of the memorials feature a strange, unsettling symbol hinting at a sinister secret. Paranoia sets in when it appears they are being followed. Their vehicle is tampered with overnight and some of the locals appear to be anything but welcoming. Before long, the students can't help but wonder if these roadside deaths were really random accidents...or is something terrifying at work here?"

I mean, hell yeah, this has some Evil Dead vibes going on.

The Dungeon Anarchist's Cookbook by Matt Dinniman
Published by: Ace Books
Publication Date: October 22nd, 2024
Format: Hardcover, 544 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"Welcome to the Iron Tangle! Carl and his ex-girlfriend's cat, Princess Donut, have to team up with other contestants not just to survive, but to solve a deadly puzzle in this third, mind-twisting novel in the addictive Dungeon Crawler Carl series by Matt Dinniman - now with bonus material exclusive to this print edition.

Earth has been transformed into the set of the galaxy's most watched game show: Dungeon Crawler World, a nightmarish, multilevel, video game-like dungeon filled with traps, monsters, and mind-bending puzzles. Carl and Donut have survived so far, but this fourth level is unlike anything they could imagine. The Iron Tangle: an impossibly complicated subway system tied together into a knot of trains of all kinds, from classic steam engines to sleek modern cars. Up is down. Down is up. Close is far. The cars are filled with monsters, the railway stations aren't always what they seem, and the exit is perpetually just a few stops away.

The top ten list is populated, and Carl and Donut have made it. But that popularity comes with a price. They each now have a bounty on their head. They must work with other crawlers to solve the puzzle of the floor, but how can they do that when they don't know who to trust? The secret to unraveling it all may be hidden in the pages of a seemingly useless book.

Welcome, Crawlers. Welcome to the fourth floor of the dungeon.

Includes part three of the exclusive bonus story "Backstage at the Pineapple Cabaret.""

Oh hell yes, especially to the bonus story, "Backstage at the Pineapple Cabaret!"

Night and Day by John Connolly
Published by: Atria Books
Publication Date: October 22nd, 2024
Format: Paperback, 368 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"New York Times bestselling author John Connolly, "one of the best thriller writers we have" (Harlan Coben, #1 New York Times bestselling author), returns with a shivery collection of supernatural tales.

Filled with eerie surprises and dark delights, Night and Day takes us from the dusty shelves of an uncanny library filled with fictional characters to a bunker deep beneath the earth where scientists seek revenge on old Nazis; from an English marsh haunted by a mother and her son to a country house where a grieving widower finds comfort from a most unlikely source. Concluding with the author's account of how an obscure horror film brought him closer to his lost father, and how nostalgia can help to keep us sane, this is a collection that will move, entertain, and keep you reading late into the night."

I love the vintage vibe I'm getting from the cover, very Edward Gorey.

The Scholar and the Last Faerie Door by H.G. Parry
Published by: Redhook
Publication Date: October 22nd, 2024
Format: Paperback, 464 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"From the author of The Magician's Daughter comes The Scholar and the Last Faerie Door, a mythic, magical tale full of secret scholarship, faerie curses, and the deadliest spells of all - the ones that friends cast on each other.

All they needed to break the world was a door, and someone to open it.

Camford, 1920. Gilded and glittering, England's secret magical academy is no place for Clover, a commoner with neither connections nor magical blood. She tells herself she has fought her way there only to find a cure for her brother Matthew, one of the few survivors of a faerie attack on the battlefields of WWI which left the doors to faerie country sealed, the study of its magic banned, and its victims cursed.

But when Clover catches the eye of golden boy Alden Lennox-Fontaine and his friends, doors that were previously closed to her are flung wide open, and she soon finds herself enmeshed in the seductive world of the country's magical aristocrats. The summer she spends in Alden's orbit leaves a fateful mark: months of joyous friendship and mutual study come crashing down when experiments go awry, and old secrets are unearthed.

Years later, when the faerie seals break, Clover knows it's because of what they did. And she knows that she must seek the help of people she once called friends - and now doesn't quite know what to call - if there's any hope of saving the world as they know it."

The thing that is amazing about H.G. Parry is she is able to create these amazing magical worlds that are perfectly grounded in actual history. It's her secret faerie power.

The Dark Heart Unicorns by Melanie Reynard
Published by: Michael O'Mara Books
Publication Date: October 22nd, 2024
Format: Hardcover, 128 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"A brand-new compendium from the Magical Unicorn Society, exploring the shadowy and mysterious world of the Dark Hearts.

The Magical Unicorn Society is opening its doors once again to reveal an exciting and previously undiscovered family of unicorns called the Dark Hearts.

Long ago, there was a conflict among the unicorn families and a ninth blessing was banished from our world to a dark and dreadful place called the Shadow Realm. Here, they were forced to live in exile with terrifying beasts, but worst of all, the creator of these malevolent creatures, the Demon King himself. Previously undiscovered and misunderstood, it is now time to explore the truth about the Dark Hearts.

This beautifully illustrated compendium brings together the untold stories of their creation and banishment, as well as special encounters with the Dark Hearts from all over the world. The book culminates in an epic battle between the nine unicorn families and the dark forces of the Shadow Realm in an effort to protect all life on Earth.

Featuring fact files which examine the unique features and special powers of the Dark Hearts, as well as tips for how to spot them in the wild, this compendium presents everything readers need to know about these beautiful and elusive creatures."

Because of course there are dark unicorns!

The Book of Purrs by Luis Coelho
Published by: Andrews McMeel Publishing
Publication Date: October 22nd, 2024
Format: Hardcover, 96 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"The internet's favorite googly-eyed feline - @purr.in.ink - wrote a book to send you a little bit of love and a whole lot of joy.

As every cat-lover knows, purring is the way a cat shows affection and happiness, and The Book of Purrs is just that! From cover to cover, Portuguese illustrator Luis Coelho's delightful collection of comics - an extension of his popular Instagram @purr.in.ink - is filled with affirmations and encouraging reminders to find joy in making mistakes, chasing lost dreams, and refilling empty food bowls...they are still cats, after all.

The Book of Purrs: Everyday Thoughts from Your Feline Friends is the purr-fect gift for the cat lover in your life, and anyone in need of a daily dose of paws-itivity!"

Seriously, you need this purr-fectly awesome book in your life.

The Worlds of Wes Anderson by Adam Woodward
Published by: Frances Lincoln
Publication Date: October 22nd, 2024
Format: Hardcover, 208 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"In all his films, Wes Anderson turns the mundane into magic by building distinctive and eccentric worlds. But how well do you know the man behind the camera? Discover the inspirations of one of our most revered auteurs with The Worlds of Wes Anderson.

Anderson's playful and vibrant aesthetic is universally admired - but how has he managed to create such a recognisable identity?

From Hitchcock and Spielberg to Truffaut and Varda, there are countless homages and references scattered throughout Anderson's filmography, while his cultural anchor points go far beyond film and into the worlds of art and literature.

Evocations of place and time underpin his work, from mid-century Paris in The French Dispatch to grand pre-war Europe in The Grand Budapest Hotel, while cultural institutions - such as Jacques Cousteau and The New Yorker magazine - are other touchstones.

For Wes Anderson fans and cinephiles alike, this is an essential insight into the creative process of one of the world's most unique filmmakers."

Wes Anderson is a genius. His films are culturally spot on while also being so uniquely his own.

Posted by Miss Eliza at 12:00 AM 0 comments  

Labels: Ali Standish, Benjamin Stevenson, Colleen Cambridge, Cullen Bunn, David Ferraro, Delilah S. Dawson, H.G. Parry, Julia Golding, Matt Dinniman, Mindy Quigley, Richard Chizmar, Susanna Clarke, V.C. Andrews