strange and random happenstance

Before you even ask, yes, I will watch anything set in Wisconsin to sit in judgement on it. Because that's what a true Wisconsinite does. Which means, don't ever get me started on Picket Fences. And you know what, Revival was doing pretty good until episode eight wherein Wausau has magically acquired an Amtrak station. The lack of railways in Wisconsin, and the fact that the capital doesn't have a stop with the minimal Amtrak service there is is a very sore subject for the state's residents. As for the Milwaukee corridor rumors, bite me. And this plot point, which was kind of a major plot point, was just throwing salt in the wounds. But at least they avoided any mispronunciations, which is why I will forever hate Jack Trotter on The Gilded Age for his mangling of Peshtigo. I know I should feel so happy for him becoming rich and buying a house and everything, but I'm sorry, you can't pronounce the town where your mother died and you were presumably born!?! Plus, I'm additionally sorry that the Chicago fire took the focus away from Peshtigo, but, whatever, learn to pronounce it Jack. Because at least Revival redeemed itself for the Amtrak error by putting in a wicked Milwaukee Bucks burn in the finale that they had lost to the Indiana Pacers. Again. Seriously, if you're a Bucks fan, you feel this joke in your very soul. And has The Gilded Age done anything to make it up to me yet? No. It hasn't. Moving on, if I can, as a connoisseur of everything to do with my home state I had obviously heard about the graphic novel by Tim Seely and Mike Norton. Patrick Rothfuss put me on to it, and well, Patrick Rothfuss has really bad taste in reading material. Something I have painfully learned over time. I just didn't like it but at least I have since realized why Martha's nickname is Em. It's not Em it's "M." Get it? Anyway. So, this is a zombie story, so if you have zombie issues, maybe don't tune in. But even if you do have zombie issues, maybe try it anyway, because while this is a zombie story it's also about how we treat others and militias and religious zealotry and personal agency and MAGA and the CDC and all of that and it hits really close to the bone. Luckily though if you were one of the Revivers that came back from the dead that injury will heal right up. I'm a fan of zombie stories that try to tell a bigger tale, that about family and connection and identity and our place in the world, which is why I love iZombie and Shaun of the Dead so much. Because who says zombies have to be humorless? And while Revival does have it's more amusing moments this is a darker but far more fascinating tale. It's like a puzzle you're piecing together. There's a cold case but there's also this new miracle that's happened and how they connect is everything. And while we are given an ending and Martha's MAGA dipshit father is given a few glorious smackdowns, there is more to explore in this world. When reading that comic all those years ago I would never have thought I'd enjoy, let alone embrace, a show based on it, here I am. Just shows that many kinds of miracles were worked on this show. Plus the wrestler CM Punk is brutally murdered in an episode if that's your jam...

Posted by Miss Eliza at 7:23 PM 0 comments  

Labels: And the Emmy Goes To, CM Punk, Graphic Novel, iZombie, Jack Trotter, Mike Norton, Milwaukee Bucks, Patrick Rothfuss, Peshtigo, Picket Fences, Revivers, Shaun of the Dead, The Gilded Age, Tim Seely, Timely, Wausau, Wisconsin, Zombies

At the Bottom of the Garden by Camilla Bruce
Published by: Del Rey Books
Publication Date: January 28th, 2025
Format: Paperback, 368 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"A murderess becomes the guardian of two very unusual girls in this mesmerizing Gothic novel from acclaimed author Camilla Bruce.

Clara Woods is a killer - and perfectly fine with it, too. So what if she takes a couple of lives to make her own a little bit better? At the bottom of her garden is a flower bed, long overgrown, where her late husband rests in peace - or so she's always thought.

Then the girls arrive.

Lily and Violet are her nieces, recently orphaned after their affluent parents died on an ill-fated anniversary trip. In accordance with their parents' will, the sisters are to go to their closest relative - who happens to be Clara. Despite having no interest in children, Clara agrees to take them, hoping to get her hands on some of the girls' assets - not only to bolster her dwindling fortune but also to establish what she hopes will be her legacy: a line of diamond jewelry.

There's only one problem. Violet can see the dead man at the bottom of the garden. She can see all of Clara's ghosts...and call them back into existence. Soon Clara is plagued by her victims and at war with the gifted girls in her care. Lily and Violet have become a liability - and they know far more than they should."

A very interesting Henry James vibe!

The Weekend Guests by Liza North
Published by: Harper Paperbacks
Publication Date: January 28th, 2025
Format: Paperback, 336 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"In the vein of Lucy Foley's chilling, atmospheric mysteries, a compulsive, psychological thriller about a group of old university friends whose seaside reunion will end in betrayal and murder.

Five old friends...One reunion to die for.

After years apart, old college friends Aline, Sienna, Rob, Michael, and Brandon reunite in idyllic Dorset, for a weekend at Aline's beautiful house perched on a cliff above the sea. It should be the perfect chance to relax, rekindle friendships, and meet each other's partners; plus, there's a sitter to watch the kids.

What most of the guests don't know, however, is that Aline has called them all together for a reason: someone has threatened to expose the dark crime they committed at university. Long ago, these old friends swore one another to silence, and have never spoken of the deed since. But now, menacing postcards have begun to appear - and Aline is convinced it's one of them turning on the rest.

In Liza North's propulsive and unsettling dual timeline narrative, truths emerge, secrets surface, and long-simmering grudges explode - and by the end of this reunion weekend, at least one of them will be dead..."

I don't know why but any book that is basically a murderous version of Peter's Friends is a book I have to read.

Head Cases by John McMahon
Published by: Minotaur Books
Publication Date: January 28th, 2025
Format: Hardcover, 352 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"Head Cases follows an enigmatic group of FBI agents as they hunt down a murderer seeking his own justice in this electrifying - and commercial - series debut.

FBI Agent Gardner Camden is an analytical genius with an affinity for puzzles. He also has a blind spot on the human side of investigations, a blindness that sometimes even includes people in his own life, like his beloved seven-year-old daughter Camila. Gardner and his squad of brilliant yet quirky agents make up the Patterns and Recognition (PAR) unit, the FBI's hidden edge, brought in for cases that no one else can solve.

When DNA links a murder victim to a serial killer long presumed dead, the team springs into action. A second victim establishes a pattern, and the murderer begins leaving a trail of clues and riddles especially for Gardner. And while the PAR team is usually relegated to working cold cases from behind a desk, the investigation puts them on the road and into the public eye, following in the footsteps of a killer.

Along with Gardner, PAR consists of a mathematician, a weapons expert, a computer analyst, and their leader, a career agent. Each of them must use every skill they have to solve the riddle of the killer's identity. But with the perpetrator somehow learning more and more about the team at PAR, can they protect themselves and their families...before it's too late?

With an enigmatic case that will keep readers on the edge of their seats and a thoroughly engaging ensemble cast, John McMahon's Head Cases is a triumph."

I mean, if she wasn't seven wouldn't it be great if Camila was the killer?

The Rules of Fortune by Danielle Prescod
Published by: Mindy's Book Studio
Publication Date: January 28th, 2025
Format: Hardcover, 304 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"A daughter's investigation into her family history threatens to destroy their legacy in a gripping novel about power, money, and secrets by the author of Token Black Girl.

On their Martha's Vineyard estate, the Carter family prepares to celebrate. But when the billionaire patriarch dies right before his seventieth birthday, the media is quick to question the future of the multi-industry conglomerate that makes the Carters living legends. Amid the succession crisis, his daughter, Kennedy, is questioning her father's past.

Kennedy is an aspiring filmmaker, and the documentary she'd planned to present at her father's party begins an inquest into the life of a man she never really knew. A thoughtful outlier in an elite and fiercely guarded dynasty, she's not interested in keeping up the appearances that define her impeccably poised mother or in the capitalist games her ruthless brother plays. Kennedy wants only to understand the origins of their empire, and the lethally ambitious man behind it. That understanding comes at a cost.

As a twisted history emerges, the fault lines in the family grow. Torn between morality and the promise of maintaining wealth, Kennedy must decide what's most important - the Carter legacy or exposing the shocking truth of how it was built."

I mean, a character named Kennedy unearthing family secrets? It's totally about THE Kennedys, and I'm all for taking down that corrupt family, even if only fictionally. 

Beast of the North Woods by Annelise Ryan
Published by: Berkley Books
Publication Date: January 28th, 2025
Format: Hardcover, 320 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"When a local fisherman is mauled to death, it seems like the only possible cause is a mythical creature in the latest puzzling entry in this USA Today bestselling series.

An ice fisherman is savagely mauled to death in Rhinelander, Wisconsin, and an eyewitness claims the man was attacked by a hodag. There's just one problem with that: it's well known that the creature is not real and was created by a local hoaxer. So how could an imaginary creature be chomping on local sportsmen?

The suggestion that a hodag killed someone isn't well received by the townsfolk because of its beloved ties to the town and the money it generates from tourist dollars. Due to this, people begin to suspect the witness is the real killer, especially when it's discovered he has a tangled past with the victim.

The witness to the attack happens to be the nephew of Morgan Carter's bookstore employee, Rita Bosworth, who convinces the professional cryptozoologist to travel to Wisconsin to prove that a hodag not only exists but killed the victim.

Clues may be hard to come by, but one thing's for sure: something killed that man, and that something now has its eyes focused on Morgan."

As a Wisconsinite just seeing that hodag on the cover brings me joy. And yes, I obviously was able to identify it before reading the blurb.

Barbarian's Heart by Ruby Dixon
Published by: Berkley Books
Publication Date: January 28th, 2025
Format: Paperback, 288 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 novella!

The unthinkable happens when a devastating accident causes Pashov to forget his mate, but Stacy will do whatever it takes to make her family whole again...

The first time I laid eyes on Pashov, we resonated. I was happy and in love, and we were raising a beautiful child together. All of that was torn apart when the world shook.

My mate nearly died.

He woke up from his coma...but he can't remember me. Or our son. Every memory of the past two years is gone. And that changes everything between us. How can I love someone who doesn't remember me?

How can I not when I know he's still my mate underneath it all?"

It's cold out, Valentines is near, come enjoy the Ice Planet Barbarians series!

A Lady Would Know Better by Emma Theriault
Published by: Entangled: Amara
Publication Date: January 28th, 2025
Format: Paperback, 352 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"Get ready to swoon for this dreamy, forget-me-not romance that's filled with the delightful tartness of Jane Austen and the sweeping, unputdownable drama of Bridgerton.

There are many things an English lord might encounter on the grounds of his wintry estate. Trees. Birds. Perhaps a wandering gamekeeper. Instead, the Earl of Belhaven finds a woman in the snow, unconscious and nearly frozen to death. Then her luminous gray eyes open just long enough for her to plead, "Don't let them get me."

Now Jasper Maycott has his hands full with a woman who has absolutely no memory of who she is or where she came from - to say nothing of her name! Just a gold ring, some fine clothes, and a penchant for pert conversation. But while "Jane" dresses and speaks quite like a lady, Jasper can't make any assumptions. After all, she could be a crafty fortune hunter...albeit a charming and unutterably beautiful one.

Only there's no room for romantic love in the Earl of Belhaven's world. There is just grim duty, a lingering sense of loss, and the knowledge that love - in any form - can only bring heartbreak in its wake.

But while a lady should know better, the heart heeds no rules...even if its every beat portends the danger she was running from."

Well hopefully the danger will be dealt with and a HEA is on the cards. It should be if Jane Austen and Bridgerton are anything to go by...

Lord of Intrigue by Nina Jarrett
Published by: Rogue Press
Publication Date: January 28th, 2025
Format: Kindle, 416 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"A mysterious heir is on his way to England. Will Molly be able to find her place in his household, or will a tragic fate befall one of them within the week?

In this steamy mystery romance, two people are thrust together on the ashes of a disastrous murder plot. Now they must find a way to work together despite the unexpected attraction between them.

No one knows the new heir...

Marco Scott has never been to England, but now he is next in line to a title. Surrounded by potential enemies, he must find his footing in this strange land. Learning he is to act as guardian to an enticing young woman only makes matters more complicated.

A ward stuck in a stranger's home...

Molly Carter is handed over to the new heir, a man no one knew existed until it was revealed a peer was murdered to conceal his existence. To make matters worse, he might be the most beautiful man alive, which is making her blurt out the most embarrassing nonsense.

But someone is not happy that Marco will inherit. Danger lurks in the shadows, and he can't inherit if he's dead. Can Molly and Marco come to terms with their newfound passion to solve the mystery before one of them ends up in a grave?

Lord of Intrigue is the delightful fifth book in the Inconvenient Scandals series of steamy Regency suspense romance books. If you like worthy heroes, fast-paced plots, and enduring connections, then you'll adore Nina Jarrett's charming novel. Can be read as a standalone book."

That cover captured by imagination, and then the blurb? Yeah, I gotta read it.

The Girl Made of Stars by K.E. Le Veque
Published by: Dragonblade Publishing, Inc.
Publication Date: January 28th, 2025
Format: Paperback, 346 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"Lola Grayson had it all.

In 1934, Lola was on top of the world. Dubbed "The Siren" by MGM, she was a protégé of Louis B. Mayer, the original talkie sex symbol before the rise of stars like Carole Lombard and Jean Harlow. But like Harlow, Lola Grayson had a dominant stage mother and bad health that struggled to meet the demand of the Golden Age of Hollywood. Exploited, pushed, primped, and promoted as MGM's biggest star, Lola Grayson made one fatal mistake - falling in love with fellow MGM star Robert Taggart. Together, they were the golden couple that audiences demanded to see. But Lola wanted what every young woman at the time wanted - a husband and a family. For a major star, that was a death sentence.

Lola Grayson's death rocked the world.

In the present day, Joey Cabot is a novelist with a struggling career. In a stroke of fate, she purchases Lola Grayson and Robert Taggart's former home in Los Angeles. It was a secret love nest they kept hidden from the world, but what comes out of the old walls is a secret no one wanted to see the light of day. Something so explosive that it could lay Hollywood history wide-open. In discovering that secret, Joey sees the salvation of her career, but it soon becomes apparent that Joey isn't working for her salvation, but for Lola's.

Old Hollywood glamour and tragedy brings together two lost souls in this masterpiece fictional tale of one woman's death... and one woman's life."

I'm such a sucker for Old Hollywood.

There's Something About Mira by Sonali Dev
Published by: Lake Union Publishing
Publication Date: January 28th, 2025
Format: Hardcover, 317 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"From USA Today bestselling author Sonali Dev comes the heartfelt story of a woman determined to reunite a lost ring with its owner, who ends up finding herself along the way.

Mira Salvi has the perfect life - a job she loves, a fiancé everyone adores, and the secure future she's always imagined for herself. Really, she hasn't a thing to complain about, not even when she has to go on her engagement trip to New York alone.

While playing tourist in the city, Mira chances upon a lost ring, and her social media post to locate its owner goes viral. With everyone trying to claim the ring, only one person seems to want to find its owner as badly as Mira does: journalist Krish Hale. Brooding and arrogant, he will do anything to get to write this story.

As Krish and Mira reluctantly join forces and jump into the adventure of tracing the ring back to where it belongs, Mira begins to wonder if she is in the right place in her own life. She had to have found this ring for a reason...right? Maybe, like the owner of the lost ring, her happy ending hasn't been written yet either."

There's a certain serendipity to Sonali Dev's latest book...

Abduction of a Slave by Dana Stabenow
Published by: Head of Zeus - An Aries Book
Publication Date: January 28th, 2025
Format: Hardcover, 272 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"The gripping new historical mystery from New York Times bestselling author Dana Stabenow. In Cleopatra's Egypt, the clouds of war are on the horizon...

Cleopatra, seventh of her name, all-powerful ruler of Egypt, has found her most able and trusted agent in Tetisheri, her Eye of Isis. So when Tetisheri asks permission to visit the Kingdom of Cyrenaica, she is surprised - and suspicious - when her queen grants her leave from Alexandria.

A middleman in Cyrenaica has ceased communication and Tetisheri's uncle, a master trader, is on a mission to find out why. But there are others in Cyrenaica with hidden agendas: Julius Caesar's spies, Caesar's sworn enemy Mettelus Scipio, and the ever duplicitous King Juba I.

Tetisheri soon realises why Cleopatra consented to her mission, for Cyrenaica is a web of intrigue that also includes Pompey's widow and an army readying to take on the might of Caesar, who is massing his legions in Sicily. With war on the horizon, Tetisheri's skills will be stretched to the limit as she also tries to decipher a murder mystery closer to home."

I am ALL. ABOUT. EGYPT! Especially with a side of Rome!

Posted by Miss Eliza at 12:00 AM 0 comments  

Labels: Annelise Ryan, Camilla Bruce, Dana Stabenow, Danielle Prescod, Emma Theriault, Henry James, John McMahon, K.E. Le Veque, Liza North, Nina Jarrett, Peter's Friends, Regency, Ruby Dixon, Sonali Dev, Wisconsin

Superhero fatigue is real. I honestly want to know if there's someone out there who has watched all of the almost forty movies out there in the Marvel Cinematic Universe and loved every single one. Because I sure as hell haven't. There were ones I liked and enjoyed, but there are literally only three that I can watch over and over. They're Captain America: The First Avenger, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 1, and Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2, if you were interested to know. The thing that amazes me most is that Marvel takes actors I really like and makes them almost unwatchable. Seriously, what is that accent Benedict Cumberbatch is using? And as for Paul Rudd's Ant-Man? I'd rather watch his CoBro. But the actor and character criminally underutilized is Tom Hiddleston's Loki. Therefore I couldn't at first bring myself to actually watch Loki, we shall ignore the fact that I actually didn't get Disney+ until long after it started. Yes, Marvel seems to have a far better handle on their television properties, but for every win like Agent Carter, there's a massive loss. Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D anyone? How did that show last seven seasons? I don't know if I got beyond season two it was so bad. Tom Hiddleston has been in seven movies as the God of Mischief and they just never knew what to do with this character and his glorious purpose. Well, his glorious purpose was this show. A show that's written almost as a play. Loki is notorious for monologuing, but by teaming him up with Owen Wilson's Mobius he has someone perfectly dispositioned to play off of and chew the scenery with. This show makes Marvel more cerebral. You actually have to think versus mindlessly enjoy. It's multilayered and deals with Loki's true purpose, his villainy, and his possible redemption. There's a Wizard of Oz quality to the first season's arc, to the reveal of the Kang behind the curtain. And that's where we start to encounter a possible problem, Kang. Not just that Loki was what jump-started Phase Four which begins Marvel's Multiverse Saga which is built around Kang, but they felt a need to link it into the greater mythos. Therefore Loki suffers a bit because it feels like it's serving the Multiverse versus just serving itself. And lets not even get into the problem that is Jonathan Majors. All this means is going into season two the stakes were even higher, especially given how disappointing Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania performed and how depressing Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 was. But the thing about how Loki is written is, for the most part, it doesn't make sense until the end. It's this big puzzle and they know where every single piece is going to slot and you have to just have faith. And episode three, "1893," really tried my faith. Aside from the fact they somehow actually made The World's Columbian Exposition boring and obviously didn't know where Wisconsin was, we are NORTH of Illinois not "across the lake" not that that matters seeing as that boat was going south and would be shortly in Indiana, but they really failed the female stars of the show. A trend that was consistent throughout this season. Sylvie was almost a nonentity, and as for Renslayer? Her and Miss Minutes should talk to their agents. But then the ending happened. The most perfect episode that rested completely on the shoulders of Tom Hiddleston. Loki's "Glorious Purpose" was revealed and he was redeemed, and who knows, he might not just have saved all timelines he might have saved the MCU. Rarely is an ending so perfect that I don't want more. It's a compliment to this show, the cast, and the writers, that I don't want more. Take a bow, you've earned it. Bonus points if it's in a seventies tux.

Posted by Miss Eliza at 12:00 AM 0 comments  

Labels: Agent Carter, And the Emmy Goes To, Ant-Man, Benedict Cumberbatch, Captain America, CoBro, Glorious Purpose, Guardians of the Galaxy, Jonathan Majors, Loki, Mobius, Owen Wilson, Paul Rudd, Tom Hiddleston, Wisconsin

The Immortalists by Chloe Benjamin
Published by: G.P. Putnam's Sons
Publication Date: January 9th, 2018
Format: Hardcover, 352 Pages
Rating: ★★
To Buy

On a hot summer day in 1969 the four Gold siblings, ranging in age from seven to thirteen, embark on an adventure. Daniel, age eleven, has heard rumors of a woman on Hester Street who will tell you the day that you will die. They have combined their allowances into a bag and head off in search of the woman. For an epic quest she is found quite easily, only they must each face her alone. They never speak of what they learned except once, nine years later, after their father's funeral, when they will be together for the last time. Klara dares her siblings to reveal when they will die. Varya has a long life ahead of her, Daniel will only life to forty-eight, Klara to thirty-one, Simon just says it's when he's young. It is clear that all of them have spent the last nine years dwelling on their fates and this knowledge will forever shape their lives consciously and unconscionably. Simon, youngest sibling and soonest to die, has his life laid out for him. Varya and Daniel went off to college, Klara has always had a weird desire to be a magician, but Simon, Simon is the last sibling at home, taking care of their mother and the family business. But Klara knows that his fate is weighing on him so she offers him an alternative, follow her to San Francisco and live the life he was meant to lead now. He throws himself into dance and hedonism and dies four years later from AIDS, on the day he was told he would die. This shakes the siblings considerably, but seeing as they didn't know his exact date, they can't lend too much credence to it. It's Klara who makes sure her death date is right to continue the augury. Is there any chance for Daniel or Varya to avoid their fates? Or were they given self-fulfilling prophecies? And is it better to burn bright and flame out than exist without really living?

The undeserved success of The Immortalists is why I will never like populist literature. This book wanted to be everything to everyone and failed because the vision and the execution were worlds apart. There is no unifying style, first we have Armistead Maupin shorthand, then magic, then vengeance, then Michael Crichton, yes, I get it, the siblings are vastly different, but a book needs to feel cohesive, and this doesn't. Could we perhaps have had one narrator? An overseer or omniscient being, perhaps one of the siblings that unifies all their stories, not shatters it. Klara is the only one whose voice didn't feel like nails on a chalkboard. She was mystical, magical, she could have been our narrator. After all she believes she can hear Simon after his death, why doesn't she carry the narrative weight? Because as this stands, the only way to really fix The Immoralists would be if each sibling had their own book instead of some shorthand story that is painted in such broad strokes that it doesn't just verge on but is stereotypical. And that is why I loath this book. Take away the fact that the storylines are nothing special and you see that Chloe Benjamin is a lazy writer. She wants readers to connect to a time instead of to a character. She uses cultural shorthand, Forest Gumping her way through the 20th century, so that us readers will connect to their own nostalgia of that time versus bothering to create characters who the readers can connect to on their own. I mean, these siblings literally can not have been there for all these events. Oh, the day they found the fortuneteller was the day of the Stonewall Riots? And the day Simon hooked up with his boyfriend was the day Harvey Milk was shot? Oh, they were listening to Paul Simon's Graceland? Give me some more rampant consumerism in-between cultural touchstones why don't you? Because I know Benjamin has to be shilling for the drug companies and I know she wants some Milwaukee's pickles! She is supposedly now a Wisconsinite after all but does she actually know that Devil's Lake isn't between Chicago and Madison but further north? And that no one has ever referred to Door County as a collection of islands.

Posted by Miss Eliza at 12:00 AM 0 comments  

Labels: AIDS, Armistead Maupin, Chloe Benjamin, For the Love of Book Clubs, Forest Gump, Fortune Teller, Harvey Milk, Magic, Michael Crichton, Nostalgia, Populist, Prophecy, Stonewall Riots, The Immoralists, Wisconsin

What Waits in the Woods by Terri Parlato
Published by: Kensington Publishing Corporation
Publication Date: December 26th, 2023
Format: Hardcover, 352 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"Her ballet career derailed by injury, a once-promising young dancer returns to her hometown only to face a grisly discovery - and the increasingly alarming realization that nothing from her past is quite what she believed - in this electrifyingly twisty suburban thriller for fans of Stacy Willingham, Greer Hendricks, and Megan Miranda.

When Esmé Foster left the Boston suburbs to become a professional ballerina, the future shimmered with promise. Eleven years later, her career has been derailed by an injury, and Esme knows it's time to come back to Graybridge to help her brother care for their ailing father. But her return coincides with an unthinkable crime. Kara Cunningham, one of Esme's high school friends, is found dead in the woods behind the Fosters' house.

Esmé is shocked and grieving, but also uneasy. In her dreams, she still sees the man who showed up at the scene of the car accident that killed her mother - and told Esmé he was going to kill her too. Family and friends insisted the figure was a product of Esmé's imagination, that she was concussed after the crash. But she and Kara looked alike, sharing the same petite build, the same hair color. Could Kara's murder have been a case of mistaken identity?

Detective Rita Myers is familiar with close-knit communities like Graybridge, where, beneath the friendliness, there are whispers and secrets. The town has seen other tragedies too, including the long-ago drowning of a young girl in a pond, deep in the woods. Even within the once-close circle of friends that included Kara and Esmé, Rita discerns a ripple of mistrust.

Day by day, Esmé discovers more about the place she left behind - and the friends and family she thought she knew. Soon, shining a light into the darkness to learn what really happened the night Kara died is the only way she can bring the nightmare to an end..."

It would be super frustrating to be a killer and kill the wrong person I think.

Public Anchovy #1 by Mindy Quigley
Published by: St. Martin's Press
Publication Date: December 26th, 2023
Format: Paperback, 320 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"Public Anchovy #1 is the third book in Mindy Quigley's delectable Deep Dish Mystery series, set in a Wisconsin pizzeria.

While Geneva Bay's upper crust gets ready to party down at a Prohibition-themed fundraiser, pizza chef Delilah O'Leary is focused on seeing her struggling restaurant through the winter slow season. The temperature outside is plummeting, but Delilah's love life might finally be heating up, as hunky police detective Calvin Capone seems poised to (finally) make a move.

But Delilah's hopes of perfecting a new "free-from" pizza recipe for a charity bash are dashed when a dead body crashes the party. Soon, Capone, Delilah, and her entire staff are trapped in an isolated mansion and embroiled in a dangerous game of cat and mouse.

To catch an increasingly-desperate killer, Delilah will have to top all of her previous crime-solving accomplishments, and a few pizzas, too."

Personally I don't think you can call yourself a Wisconsinite and not be in for a cozy mystery about pizza and cats.

Coconut Drop Dead by Olivia Matthews
Published by: Minotaur Books
Publication Date: December 26th, 2023
Format: Hardcover, 288 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"The case in Olivia Matthews's Coconut Drop Dead is going to be a tough nut to crack.

Brooklyn's annual Caribbean American Heritage Festival is finally here, and Spice Isle Bakery is thrilled to be one of the event's food vendors. After all, the Murrays have been attending the festival for years. Co-owner Lyndsay Murray hopes their West Indian pastries and finger foods draw people back to the bakery in Little Caribbean. She's looking forward to having fun, connecting with customers, and celebrating with her family.

The day's festivities are cut short when Camille, lead singer of an up-and-coming reggae band, dies. The police think it may be a tragic accident. But Lyndsay's cousin Manny was close to Camille, and he believes someone cut her life short. Now Manny needs Lyndsay's help to make sure a killer faces the music."

Anyone lucky enough to get giftcards for books for Christmas should definitely buy this and then spend the day reading it.

Posted by Miss Eliza at 12:00 AM 0 comments  

Labels: Ballet, Coconut Drop Dead, Cozy Mystery, Deep Dish Pizza, Mindy Quigley, Murder, Olivia Matthews, Public Anchovy #1, Spice Isle Bakery, Suburbia, Terri Parlato, Tuesday Tomorrow, What Waits in the Woods, Wisconsin

An Imporbable Season by Rosalyn Eves
Published by: Farrar, Straus and Giroux (BYR)
Publication Date: April 25th, 2023
Format: Hardcover, 352 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"For fans of Bridgerton, a Regency romance by Rosalyn Eves about three young women, their big dreams, and a London Season gone awry.

When Thalia, Kalliope, and Charis set off to Regency London for their first Season, they each have clear goals - few of which include matrimony. Thalia means to make her mark among the intelligentsia and publish her poetry, Charis hopes to earn her place among the scientific elite, and Kalliope aims to take the fashionable ton by storm. But this Season, it doesn't take long for things to fall apart. Kalli finds herself embroiled in scandal and reliant upon an arranged marriage to redeem her reputation, Thalia's dreams of publication are threatened by her attraction to a charming rake, and Charis finds herself an unexpected social hit - and the source of a family scandal that her heart might not survive. Can this roller-coaster Season find its happily ever after?

An Improbable Season is a voicy, swoony regency drama about falling in love - with another person, with new opportunities, and with yourself."

I am here for all things Regency!

Penelope Goes to Portsmouth by M.C. Beaton
Published by: Blackstone Publishing
Publication Date: April 25th, 2023
Format: Paperback, 179 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"A dead employer's legacy of five thousand pounds has allowed spinster Hannah Pym to resign from housekeeping and find adventure traveling the English countryside by coach. But adventure soon finds Miss Pym in the form of runaway brides, spirited heiresses, and international refugees, who give her an opportunity to test her expert matchmaking skills.

In the coach to Portsmouth, Miss Pym faces her most difficult matchmaking challenge yet. The lovely Miss Penelope Wilkins, daughter of a rich merchant, would be the perfect match for the handsome Lord Augustus, a nobleman whose fortune is almost depleted. She would be, that is, if the two were at all compatible.

Though strikingly beautiful, the too-practical Penelope seems to stand on quite the opposite cliff from the carefree Lord Augustus. But when the undaunted Miss Pym enlists their help in untangling an intrigue - and Lord Augustus steals an astounding kiss from the shocked Penelope - Miss Pym is convinced that her matchmaking expertise will soon bridge any chasm between the reluctant lovers."

How glad I am that these books are finally being published stateside, but how sad I am that my mom isn't here to enjoy them.

An American Beauty by Shana Abe 
Published by: Kensington
Publication Date: April 25th, 2023
Format: Paperback, 384 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"Amidst the opulent glamor and vicious social circles of Gilded Age New York, this stunning biographical historical novel by the New York Times bestselling author of The Second Mrs. Astor conjures the true rags-to-riches story of Arabella Huntington - a woman whose great beauty was surpassed only by her exceptional business acumen, grit, and artistic eye, and who defied the constraints of her era to become the wealthiest self-made woman in America.

1867, Richmond, Virginia: Though she wears the same low-cut purple gown that is the uniform of all the girls who work at Worsham's gambling parlor, Arabella stands apart. It's not merely her statuesque beauty and practiced charm. Even at seventeen, Arabella possesses an unyielding grit, and a resolve to escape her background of struggle and poverty.

Collis Huntington, railroad baron and self-made multimillionaire, is drawn to Arabella from their first meeting. Collis is married and thirty years her senior, yet they are well-matched in temperament, and flirtation rapidly escalates into an affair. With Collis's help, Arabella eventually moves to New York, posing as a genteel, well-to-do Southern widow. Using Collis's seed money and her own shrewd investing instincts, she begins to amass a fortune.

Their relationship is an open secret, and no one is surprised when Collis marries Arabella after his wife's death. But "The Four Hundred" - the elite circle that includes the Astors and Vanderbilts - have their rules. Arabella must earn her place in Society - not just through her vast wealth, but with taste, style, and impeccable behavior. There are some who suspect the scandalous truth, and will blackmail her for it. And then there is another threat - an unexpected, impossible romance that will test her ambition, her loyalties, and her heart...

An American Beauty brings to vivid life the glitter and drama of a captivating chapter in history - and a remarkable woman who lived by her own rules."

I'm a bit Gilded Age obsessed at the moment...

Mastering the Art of French Murder by Colleen Cambridge
Published by: Kensington
Publication Date: April 25th, 2023
Format: Hardcover, 272 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"Set in the City of Light and starring Julia Child's (fictional) best friend, confidant, and fellow American, this magnifique new historical mystery series from the acclaimed author of Murder at Mallowan Hall combines a fresh perspective on the iconic chef's years in post-WWII Paris with a delicious mystery and a unique culinary twist. Perfect for fans of Jacqueline Winspear, Marie Benedict, Nita Prose, and of course, Julia Child alike!

As Paris rediscovers its joie de vivre, Tabitha Knight, recently arrived from Detroit for an extended stay with her French grandfather, is on her own journey of discovery. Paris isn't just the City of Light; it's the city of history, romance, stunning architecture...and food. Thanks to her neighbor and friend Julia Child, another ex-pat who's fallen head over heels for Paris, Tabitha is learning how to cook for her Grandpère and Oncle Rafe.

Between tutoring Americans in French, visiting the market, and eagerly sampling the results of Julia's studies at Le Cordon Bleu cooking school, Tabitha's sojourn is proving thoroughly delightful. That is, until the cold December day they return to Julia's building and learn that a body has been found in the cellar. Tabitha recognizes the victim as a woman she'd met only the night before, at a party given by Julia's sister, Dort. The murder weapon found nearby is recognizable too - a knife from Julia's kitchen.

Tabitha is eager to help the investigation, but is shocked when Inspector Merveille reveals that a note, in Tabitha's handwriting, was found in the dead woman's pocket. Is this murder a case of international intrigue, or something far more personal? From the shadows of the Tour Eiffel at midnight, to the tiny third-floor Child kitchen, to the grungy streets of Montmartre, Tabitha navigates through the city hoping to find the real killer before she or one of her friends ends up in prison...or worse."

I love the new direction Collen is taking with her writing, cozy yet historical.

Ashes to Ashes, Crust to Crust by Mindy Quigley
Published by: St. Martin's Paperbacks
Publication Date: April 25th, 2023
Format: Paperback, 320 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"Ashes to Ashes, Crust to Crust is the second book in Mindy Quigley's delectable Deep Dish Mystery series, set in a Wisconsin pizzeria.

Newly single pizzeria owner Delilah O'Leary is determined to keep her restaurant afloat in the picturesque resort town of Geneva Bay, Wisconsin. To boost her bottom line, she sets her sights on winning the hefty cash prize in the town's annual "Taste of Wisconsin" culinary contest. In her corner, she's got her strong-willed, "big-boned" cat Butterball, her wisecracking BFF, her cantankerous great-aunt, and a nearly-flawless recipe for Pretzel Crust Deep-Dish Bratwurst Pizza. But while Delilah and her team have been focused on pumping out perfect pizza pies, her ex-fiancé has cozied up to a new squeeze, juice bar owner Jordan Watts - Delilah's contest rival.

When one of Jordan's juice bar customers is poisoned by a tainted smoothie, Delilah lands deep in the sauce. Accusations fly, suspects abound, and a menacing stranger turns up with a beef over some missing dough. Between kale-juicing hipsters and grudge-bearing celebrity chefs, Delilah must act quickly before another one bites the crust."

Just saying, the way to win a "Taste of Wisconsin" culinary contest is cheese, cheese, and just when you think you've added enough cheese, you add some more.

The Last Remains by Elly Griffiths
Published by: Mariner Books
Publication Date: April 25th, 2023
Format: Hardcover, 368 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"The discovery of a missing woman's bones force Ruth and Nelson to finally confront their feelings for each other as they desperately work to exonerate one of their own in this not-to-be-missed Ruth Galloway mystery from USA Today bestselling author Elly Griffiths.

When builders discover a human skeleton during a renovation of a café, they call in archeologist Dr. Ruth Galloway, who is preoccupied with the threatened closure of her department and by her ever-complicated relationship with DCI Nelson. The bones turn out to be modern - the remains of Emily Pickering, a young archaeology student who went missing in 2002. Suspicion soon falls on Emily's Cambridge tutor and also on another archeology enthusiast who was part of the group gathered the weekend before she disappeared - Ruth's friend Cathbad.

As they investigate, Nelson and his team uncover a tangled web of relationships within the archeology group and look for a link between them and the café where Emily's bones were found. Then, just when the team seem to be making progress, Cathbad disappears. The trail leads Ruth a to the Neolithic flint mines in Grimes Graves. The race is on, first to find Cathbad and then to exonerate him, but will Ruth and Nelson uncover the truth in time to save their friend?"

I love Elly Griffiths Magic Men series and I have got to start the Ruth Galloway mysteries one of these days...

The Notorious Scarlett and Browne by Jonathan Stroud
Published by: Knopf Books for Young Readers
Publication Date: April 25th, 2023
Format: Hardcover, 432 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"The now notorious outlaws Scarlett and Browne are back in their second death-defying adventure - and this time it's not just their own lives on the line....

Albert and Scarlett are a formidable pair. With his ability to read minds and her way with a weapon, no bank can keep them out and no jail can keep them in.

But their notoriety may have spread a bit too far. Now old enemies from Scarlett's past and a sinister new threat from Albert's world are boxing them in - and holding their friends hostage.

To win their freedom, the outlaws Scarlett and Browne are charged with pulling off an impossible mission.

And the clock is ticking . . .

Fans of Jonathan Stroud's The Outlaws Scarlett and Browne won't want to miss their next adventure."

After adoring Stroud's Lockwood and Co. series I am so excited I have this new series of his to dive into!

In the Lives of Puppets by T.J. Klune
Published by: Tor Books
Publication Date: April 25th, 2023
Format: Hardcover, 432 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"New York Times bestselling author T.J. Klune invites you deep into the heart of a peculiar forest and on the extraordinary journey of a family assembled from spare parts.

In a strange little home built into the branches of a grove of trees, live three robots - fatherly inventor android Giovanni Lawson, a pleasantly sadistic nurse machine, and a small vacuum desperate for love and attention. Victor Lawson, a human, lives there too. They're a family, hidden and safe.

The day Vic salvages and repairs an unfamiliar android labelled "HAP," he learns of a shared dark past between Hap and Gio - a past spent hunting humans.

When Hap unwittingly alerts robots from Gio's former life to their whereabouts, the family is no longer hidden and safe. Gio is captured and taken back to his old laboratory in the City of Electric Dreams. So together, the rest of Vic's assembled family must journey across an unforgiving and otherworldly country to rescue Gio from decommission, or worse, reprogramming.

Along the way to save Gio, amid conflicted feelings of betrayal and affection for Hap, Vic must decide for himself: Can he accept love with strings attached?

Inspired by Carlo Collodi's The Adventures of Pinocchio, and like Swiss Family Robinson meets Wall-E, In the Lives of Puppets is a masterful stand-alone fantasy adventure from the beloved author who brought you The House in the Cerulean Sea and Under the Whispering Door."

I think we also have to mention Philip K. Dick too right? I mean, "Electric Dreams."

A Sleight of Shadows by Kat Howard
Published by: Gallery / Saga Press
Publication Date: April 25th, 2023
Format: Hardcover, 320 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"Return to Kat Howard's Alex Award–winning world begun in An Unkindness of Magicians, a secret society of power-hungry magicians in New York City.

After taking down the source of the corruption of the Unseen World, Sydney is left with almost no magical ability. Feeling estranged from herself, she is determined to find a way back to her status as one of the world's most dangerous magicians. Unfortunately, she needs to do this quickly: the House of Shadows, the hell on earth that shaped her into who she was, the place she sacrificed everything to destroy, is rebuilding itself.

"The House of shadows sits on bones. All of the sacrifices, all of the magicians who died in Shadows, they're buried beneath the foundations. Bones hold magic."

The magic of the Unseen World is acting strangely, faltering, bleeding out from the edges. Determined to keep the House of Shadows from returning to power and to defeat the magicians who want nothing more than to have it back, Sydney turns to extremes in a desperate attempt to regain her sacrificed magic. She is forced to decide what she will give up and what she will lose and whether what must be destroyed is not only the House of Shadows, but the Unseen World itself.

World Fantasy Award finalist Kat Howard has written a sequel that asks how you have a happily ever in a world that doesn’t want it, where the cost of that happiness may be too much to bear."

Why do I love evil magic so much?

That Self-Same Metal by Brittany N. Williams
Published by: Amulet Books
Publication Date: April 25th, 2023
Format: Hardcover, 352 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"A stunning YA fantasy debut, perfect for fans of Holly Black and Justina Ireland, about a Black girl (and sword expert) fighting a Fae uprising in Shakespearean London.

Sixteen-year-old Joan Sands is a gifted craftswoman who creates and upkeeps the stage blades for William Shakespeare’s acting company, The King's Men. Joan's skill with her blades comes from a magical ability to control metal - an ability gifted by her Head Orisha, Ogun. Because her whole family is Orisha-blessed, the Sands family have always kept tabs on the Fae presence in London. Usually that doesn't involve much except noting the faint glow around a Fae's body as they try to blend in with London society, but lately, there has been an uptick in brutal Fae attacks. After Joan wounds a powerful Fae and saves the son of a cruel Lord, she is drawn into political intrigue in the human and Fae worlds.

Swashbuckling, romantic, and full of the sights and sounds of Shakespeare's London, this series starter delivers an unforgettable story - and a heroine unlike any other."

Fae? Shakespearean London? Sold!

Posted by Miss Eliza at 12:00 AM 0 comments  

Labels: Brittany N. Williams, Colleen Cambridge, Elly Griffiths, Fae, Gilded Age, Jonathan Stroud, Julia Child, Kat Howard, M.C. Beaton, Mindy Quigley, Regency, Rosalyn Eves, Shakespeare, Shana Abe, T.J. Klune, Wisconsin

Caddie Woodlawn's Family by Carol Ryrie Brink
Published by: Aladdin
Publication Date: 1939
Format: Paperback, 208 Pages
Rating: ★★★★★
To Buy

Growing up on a farm can be full of fun if you know how to play a good prank or keep a secret. The work day seems that much lighter when you magically find watermelons in the barn or when there's a little lamb all your own whom you have to care for or a very special doll that has to have the perfect handmade dress ready in time for Christmas. But the real excitement comes from visitors! Oh, when people gather for a celebration, a stranger comes to town, a new family moves in, or a long lost friend returns with stories of their travels, that is something to look forward to! The Circuit Rider told tales of Indian braves that he heard at his father's knee to the enraptured Woodlawn children! Such stories of their ferocity and their kindness that they could hardly believe their ears. The new neighbors brought children for the the Woodlawn's to play with, and their dutiful daughter Emma was going to miss the big show everyone was going to, Dr. Hearty's Marvelous Cure-All, until her duty and a twist of fate intervened. Dr. Hearty's wagon had trouble and Emma, due to her kindness, got a show all her own. But life also has it's hardships and heartaches, what if you have to stand up in front of the entire school and do a recitation!?! Or what if your beau is riding out in a sled with some other girl? And worst yet, what if at an auction what you think is the height of fashion turns out to be mourning wear and you end up buying your mother widow's weeds!?! But at the end of the day family is family and full of love and a gathering to celebrate Independence Day is just the tonic everyone needed, no offense to Dr. Hearty, even if Caddie does end up ruining her new dress. That's just Caddie for you!

If you're a girl who grew up in the Midwest you were raised on Laura Ingalls Wilder. It's just part of the Midwestern package. But if you're a girl who grew up in Wisconsin you were raised on Laura Ingalls Wilder and Carol Ryrie Brink. Carol Ryrie Brink wrote Caddie Woodlawn, a seminal classic about her maternal grandmother growing up in Northern Wisconsin around Dunnville. In fact, during Caddie's adventures Laura Ingalls Wilder was being born about only twenty miles away. I remember in sixth grade my teacher really focused on regional literature and was very encouraging of my reading. In fact sixth grade was one of the better grades in school learning all about Wisconsin from the glaciers and grit to the literature of place. While I thankfully didn't decide to go live a rural life with a raccoon as my best friend Caddie Woodlawn quickly became a favorite book. I connected to Caddie's family on a more personal level than I ever did with the Ingalls clan. I'm not sure why but Caddie was it for me. Perhaps it's because Wisconsin is my home and the Ingalls did roam. This past summer I decided to re-read Caddie Woodlawn for a sense of nostalgia, a more pleasant past to retreat into than the current horrible present, and that's when a friend of mine asked if I had read the sequel. What!?! Yes people, I know I have astonished some of you with this fact as it astonished me, but there is a sequel. Caddie Woodlawn's Family, originally published as Magical Melons, consists of fourteen short stories, the first titled "Magical Melons." While there isn't a through line with the plot like the first book, the structure of interconnected short stories allows us to move away from Caddie and see more of her family. In fact my favorite story, "The Christmas Costume," a continuation of the prior story "Mrs. Nightingale's House," concerns Caddie's younger sister, Hetty, and a kindness to a friend that keeps a tradition alive. The story just warmed my heart and made it grow larger than the story of the Grinch ever did.

Posted by Miss Eliza at 12:00 AM 0 comments  

Labels: Caddie Woodlawn, Caddie Woodlawn's Family, Carol Ryrie Brink, Christmas, Farm, Grade School, Grandmother, Laura Ingalls Wilder, Magical Melons, Regional Literature, The Circuit Rider, Wisconsin

My love of all things Gothic isn't going away anytime soon, so I figure, Going Gothic is here to stay. A permanent fixture during the blustery time of year when the snow melts and reveals all the secrets it's been hiding. Even though that can happen as late as May in Wisconsin, I am ever hopeful that it will be in March. What I love about the "umbrella" of the term Gothic is that so many books can fit under it, from romantic parody of the Gothic tropes, to all out horror, and everything in between, and yes, that is basically what you're getting this time around. A veritable cornucopia of Gothic goodness. Also here's hoping, knock on wood, that I do not have a whole bunch of health issues, including the worst cold I might have ever had, happen again this month so everything arrives on time instead of a few hours to a few weeks later... sorry Assassination Vacation, you will shortly have all your posts up. I think.  

Posted by Miss Eliza at 12:00 AM 0 comments  

Labels: Assassination Vacation, Going Gothic, Gothic, Health Issues, Horror, Parody, Sick, Wisconsin

The Priory of the Orange Tree by Samantha Shannon
Published by: Bloomsbury Publishing
Publication Date: February 26th, 2019
Format: Hardcover, 848 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"From the internationally bestselling author of The Bone Season, an enthralling epic fantasy about a world on the brink of war with dragons - and the women who must lead the fight to save it.

A world divided.
A queendom without an heir.
An ancient enemy awakens.
The House of Berethnet has ruled Inys for a thousand years. Still unwed, Queen Sabran the Ninth must conceive a daughter to protect her realm from destruction--but assassins are getting closer to her door.

Ead Duryan is an outsider at court. Though she has risen to the position of lady-in-waiting, she is loyal to a hidden society of mages. Ead keeps a watchful eye on Sabran, secretly protecting her with forbidden magic.

Across the dark sea, Tané has trained all her life to be a dragonrider, but is forced to make a choice that could see her life unravel.

Meanwhile, the divided East and West refuse to parley, and forces of chaos are rising from their sleep."

This book has literally been recommended to me by every author I love. Plus DRAGONS! I should note that no dragon actually recommended this book to me.

American Duchess by Karen Harper
Published by: William Morrow
Publication Date: February 26th, 2019
Format: Hardcover, 368 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"Before there was Meghan Markle, there was Consuelo Vanderbilt, the original American Duchess. Perfect for readers of Jennifer Robson and lovers of Downton Abbey.

Karen Harper tells the tale of Consuelo Vanderbilt, her “The Wedding of the Century” to the Duke of Marlborough, and her quest to find meaning behind “the glitter and the gold.”

On a cold November day in 1895, a carriage approaches St Thomas Episcopal Church on New York City’s Fifth Avenue. Massive crowds surge forward, awaiting their glimpse of heiress Consuelo Vanderbilt. Just 18, the beautiful bride has not only arrived late, but in tears, yet her marriage to the aloof Duke of Marlborough proceeds. Bullied into the wedding by her indomitable mother, Alva, Consuelo loves another. But a deal was made, trading some of the vast Vanderbilt wealth for a title and prestige, and Consuelo, bred to obey, realizes she must make the best of things.

At Blenheim Palace, Consuelo is confronted with an overwhelming list of duties, including producing an “heir and a spare,” but her relationship with the duke quickly disintegrates. Consuelo finds an inner strength, charming everyone from debutantes to diplomats including Winston Churchill, as she fights for women’s suffrage. And when she takes a scandalous leap, can she hope to attain love at last…?

From the dawning of the opulent Gilded Age, to the battles of the Second World War, American Duchess is a riveting tale of one woman’s quest to attain independence - at any price."

Yes, I'm missing Downton Abbey... this book feels like the perfect cure. 

The Missing Sister by Dinah Jefferies
Published by: Penguin
Publication Date: February 26th, 2019
Format: Kindle, 315 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"A stolen sister. A daughter determined to uncover the truth.

Belle Hatton has embarked upon an exciting new life far from home: a glamorous job as a nightclub singer in 1930s Burma, with a host of sophisticated new friends and admirers. But Belle is haunted by a mystery from the past - a 25 year old newspaper clipping found in her parents' belongings after their death, saying that the Hattons were leaving Rangoon after the disappearance of their baby daughter, Elvira.

Belle is desperate to find out what happened to the sister she never knew she had - but when she starts asking questions, she is confronted with unsettling rumours, malicious gossip, and outright threats. Oliver, an attractive, easy-going American journalist, promises to help her, but an anonymous note tells her not to trust those closest to her...

Belle survives riots, intruders, and bomb attacks - but nothing will stop her in her mission to uncover the truth. Can she trust her growing feelings for Oliver? Is her sister really dead? And could there be a chance Belle might find her?"

A slightly more exotic historical fiction book...

The Lost Night by Andrea Bartz
Published by: Crown
Publication Date: February 26th, 2019
Format: Hardcover, 320 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"What really happened the night Edie died? Years later, her best friend Lindsay will learn how unprepared she is for the truth.

In 2009, Edie had New York’s social world in her thrall. Mercurial and beguiling, she was the shining star of a group of recent graduates living in a Brooklyn loft and treating New York like their playground. When Edie’s body was found near a suicide note at the end of a long, drunken night, no one could believe it. Grief, shock, and resentment scattered the group and brought the era to an abrupt end.

A decade later, Lindsay has come a long way from the drug-addled world of Calhoun Lofts. She has devoted best friends, a cozy apartment, and a thriving career as a magazine’s head fact-checker. But when a chance reunion leads Lindsay to discover an unsettling video from that hazy night, she starts to wonder if Edie was actually murdered - and, worse, if she herself was involved. As she rifles through those months in 2009 - combing through case files, old technology, and her fractured memories - Lindsay is forced to confront the demons of her own violent history to bring the truth to light."

A love a good cold case and personal secrets story!

Dead of Winter by Annelise Ryan
Published by: Kensington
Publication Date: February 26th, 2019
Format: Hardcover, 352 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"Winters in Sorenson, Wisconsin, can be unforgiving. But it’s murder that keeps Mattie and her family from settling into their new home...

A new home, a new marriage, a new family. It’s a lot to sort out. But before medicolegal death investigator Mattie can smooth out the unexpected chaos of her new life, duty calls. At the local ER, a battered and bruised teenage girl has been brought in by a mysterious man who claimed she’d fallen out of a car. The staff is suspicious, but while they attend to the teenager, the unidentified man slips out. Then the girl dies, but not before informing social worker Hildy Schneider that the man had her little sister as well.

Mattie’s exam reveals forensic evidence of long-term IV drug use and physical abuse, findings consistent with Hildy’s suspicion that the girl was a victim of human trafficking. They are able to confirm her identity as a teen who went missing six months ago, along with her sister - facts that are deeply unsettling to Mattie who now shares a home with her husband’s teenaged daughter.

Working closely with Hildy and Sorenson homicide detectives, including her husband Steve Hurley, Mattie must delve into a dark underworld to stop the ruthless trafficking of human lives - before it's too late for another young girl..."

I love murder mysteries in my home state! Be sure to check out Annelise Ryan when she stops by Mystery to Me later this week!

Posted by Miss Eliza at 12:00 AM 0 comments  

Labels: American Duchess, Andrea Bartz, Annelise Ryan, Dead of Winter, Dinah Jefferies, Downton Abbey, Karen Harper, Samantha Shannon, The Lost Night, The Missing Sister, The Priory of the Orange Tree, Wisconsin

The Clockmaker's Daughter by Kate Morton
Published by: Atria Books
Publication Date: October 9th, 2018
Format: Hardcover, 512 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"A rich, spellbinding new novel from the author of The Lake House - the story of a love affair and a mysterious murder that cast their shadows across generations, set in England from the 1860s until the present day.

My real name, no one remembers.
The truth about that summer, no one else knows.

In the summer of 1862, a group of young artists led by the passionate and talented Edward Radcliffe descends upon Birchwood Manor on the banks of the Upper Thames. Their plan: to spend a secluded summer month in a haze of inspiration and creativity. But by the time their stay is over, one woman has been shot dead while another has disappeared; a priceless heirloom is missing; and Edward Radcliffe's life is in ruins.

Over one hundred and fifty years later, Elodie Winslow, a young archivist in London, uncovers a leather satchel containing two seemingly unrelated items: a sepia photograph of an arresting-looking woman in Victorian clothing, and an artist's sketchbook containing the drawing of a twin-gabled house on the bend of a river.

Why does Birchwood Manor feel so familiar to Elodie? And who is the beautiful woman in the photograph? Will she ever give up her secrets?

Told by multiple voices across time, The Clockmaker's Daughter is a story of murder, mystery, and thievery, of art, love and loss. And flowing through its pages like a river, is the voice of a woman who stands outside time, whose name has been forgotten by history, but who has watched it all unfold: Birdie Bell, the clockmaker's daughter."

Kate Morton is an author who has really matured as a writer, each book better than the last and I can't wait for this one!

The Witch Elm by Tana French
Published by: Viking
Publication Date: October 9th, 2018
Format: Hardcover, 528 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
" From the writer who "inspires cultic devotion in readers" (The New Yorker) and has been called "incandescent" by Stephen King, "absolutely mesmerizing" by Gillian Flynn, and "unputdownable" (People), comes a gripping new novel that turns a crime story inside out.

Toby is a happy-go-lucky charmer who's dodged a scrape at work and is celebrating with friends when the night takes a turn that will change his life - he surprises two burglars who beat him and leave him for dead. Struggling to recover from his injuries, beginning to understand that he might never be the same man again, he takes refuge at his family's ancestral home to care for his dying uncle Hugo. Then a skull is found in the trunk of an elm tree in the garden - and as detectives close in, Toby is forced to face the possibility that his past may not be what he has always believed.

A spellbinding standalone from one of the best suspense writers working today, The Witch Elm asks what we become, and what we're capable of, when we no longer know who we are."

Family secrets and murder? Yes please!

The World of Lore: Dreadful Places by Aaron Mahnke
Published by: Del Rey
Publication Date: October 9th, 2018
Format: Hardcover, 352 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"Captivating stories of the places where human evil has left a nefarious mark—featuring both rare and best-loved stories from the hit podcast Lore, now a streaming television series.

Sometimes you walk into a room, a building, or even a town, and you feel it. Something seems off—an atmosphere that leaves you oddly unsettled, with a sense of lingering darkness. Join Aaron Mahnke, the host of the popular podcast Lore, as he explores some of these dreadful places and the history that haunts them.

Mahnke takes us to Colorado and the palatial Stanley Hotel, where wealthy guests enjoyed views of the Rocky Mountains at the turn of the twentieth century—and where, decades later, a restless author would awaken from a nightmare, inspired to write one of the most revered horror novels of all time. Mahnke also crosses land and sea to visit frightful sites—from New Orleans to Richmond, Virginia, to the brooding, ancient castles of England—each with its own echoes of dark deeds, horrible tragedies, and shocking evil still resounding.

Filled with evocative illustrations, this eerie tour of lurid landmarks and doomed destinations is just the ticket to take armchair travelers with a taste for the macabre to places they never thought they’d visit in their wildest, scariest dreams.

This volume includes some of the best stories from the Lore podcast, such as “Echoes,” “Withering Heights,” and “Behind Closed Doors” as well as rare material."

I love it when podcasts jump to books, because it's rare I'll listen to a podcast, but I will sure read a book!

Ghosts of Christmas Past by Neil Gaiman et al
Published by: John Murray
Publication Date: October 9th, 2018
Format: Paperback, 304 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"A present contains a monstrous secret.
An uninvited guest haunts a Christmas party.
A shadow slips across the floor by firelight.
A festive entertainment ends in darkness and screams.

Who knows what haunts the night at the dark point of the year? This collection of seasonal chillers looks beneath Christmas cheer to a world of ghosts and horrors, mixing terrifying modern fiction with classic stories by masters of the macabre. From Neil Gaiman and M. R. James to Muriel Spark and E. Nesbit, there are stories here to make the hardiest soul quail - so find a comfy chair, lock the door, ignore the cold breath on your neck and get ready to welcome in the real spirits of Christmas."

Did you know that Halloween didn't used to be the only time for ghost stories? This book plans to bring back the tradition of Christmas Chills!

Carols and Chaos by Cindy Anstey
Published by: Swoon Reads
Publication Date: October 9th, 2018
Format: Paperback, 336 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"From the author of Suitors and Sabotage comes a swoonworthy Christmas adventure, perfect for fans of Jane Austen and Downton Abbey. 

1817. The happy chaos of the Yuletide season has descended upon the country estate of Shackleford Park in full force, but lady's maid Kate Darby barely has the time to notice. Between her household duties, caring for her ailing mother, and saving up money to someday own a dress shop, her hands are quite full. Matt Harlow is also rather busy. He's performing double-duty, acting as valet for both of the Steeple brothers, two of the estate's holiday guests.

Falling in love would be a disaster for either of them. But staving off their feelings for each other becomes the least of their problems when a devious counterfeiting scheme reaches the gates of Shackleford Park, and Kate and Matt are unwittingly swept up in the intrigue.

Full of sweetness, charm, and holiday mischief, Carols and Chaos - a standalone companion novel to Suitors and Sabotage - is perfect for readers who like their historical fiction with a side of romance and danger."

And now that we've radically shifted holidays to Christmas, how about this book that promises a fix for fans of Jane Austen and Downton Abbey? Because I am I fan of both!

The Hour of Death by Jane Willan
Published by: Crooked Lane Books
Publication Date: October 9th, 2018
Format: Hardcover, 314 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"Jane Willan’s The Hour of Death will be a Christmas delight for fans of G. M. Malliet, set on an island in Wales.

Sister Agatha and Father Selwyn make sleuthing a work of art. But will they paint themselves into a corner when they investigate the Village Art Society president’s death?

As Yuletide settles upon Gwenafwy Abbey, the rural Welsh convent’s peace is shattered when Tiffany Reese, president of the Village Art Society, is found dead on the floor of the parish hall. Sister Agatha, whose interests lie more with reading and writing mystery stories than with making the abbey’s world-renowned organic gouda, is not shy about inserting herself into the case. With the not-entirely-eager assistance of Father Selwyn, she begins her investigation.

Sister Agatha has no shortage of suspects to check off her naughty-or-nice list, until finally, Tiffany’s half-brother, Kendrick Geddings, emerges as the prime suspect. There never was any love lost between Tiffany and Kendrick, and of late they had been locked in a vicious battle for control of the family estate. But if Sister Agatha thinks she has the case wrapped up, she’ll have to think again.

As the days of Advent tick by, Sister Agatha is determined to crack the case by Christmas in The Hour of Death, Jane Willan’s perfectly puzzling second Sister Agatha and Father Selwyn Mystery."

A Welsh Christmas cozy for a cold winter night!

Queen of Kenosha by Howard Shapiro and Erica Chan
Published by: Animal Media Group LLC
Publication Date: October 9th, 2018
Format: Paperback, 160 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"A coming of age tale, this is the first installment of the Thin Thinline Trilogy, the fiercely independent Nina Overstreet has an axe to grind. A talented singer-songwriter slogging her way through the burgeoning Greenwich Village folk music scene of 1963, the Queen of Kenosha, Wisconsin, realizes that standing on the cusp of stardom gets her little respect and barely a cup of coffee in New York City. It finally comes, but in a way she could have never imagined. A chance encounter with the mysterious Nick Ladd at a late-night gig spins her life in a different direction―one that becomes a daily balance between life and death, right and wrong. Nick recruits Nina to join him and a team of ex-FBI operatives in a clandestine agency to stop the establishment of the Fourth Reich by undercover Nazis in post-War America. It’s a cause Nina believes in … until she’s forced to compromise the very principles of fairness and patriotism she holds dear. As she and Nick grow closer as partners, she forces him to question his own intentions. But as the body count mounts in pursuit of the Nazi ringleader, the evasive Alex, the stakes grow even higher for Nick and Nina."

I think more small towns in Wisconsin need to be represented in books! Congrats Kenosha!

My Squirrel Days by Ellie Kemper
Published by: Scribner
Publication Date: October 9th, 2018
Format: Hardcover, 256 Pages
To Buy

The official patter:
"Comedian and star of The Office and Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt Ellie Kemper delivers a hilarious and uplifting collection of essays about one pale woman’s journey from Midwestern naïf to Hollywood semi-celebrity to outrageously reasonable New Yorker.

There comes a time in every sitcom actress’s life when she is faced with the prospect of writing a book. When Ellie Kemper’s number was up, she was ready. Contagiously cheerful, predictably wholesome, and mostly inspiring except for one essay about her husband’s feet, My Squirrel Days is a funny, free-wheeling tour of Ellie’s life - from growing up in suburban St. Louis with a vivid imagination and a crush on David Letterman to moving to Los Angeles and accidentally falling on Doris Kearns Goodwin.

But those are not the only famous names dropped in this synopsis. Ellie will also share stories of inadvertently insulting Ricky Gervais at the Emmy Awards, telling Tina Fey that she has “great hair - really strong and thick,” and offering a maxi pad to Steve Carell. She will take you back to her childhood as a nature lover determined to commune with squirrels, to her college career as a benchwarming field hockey player with no assigned position, and to her young professional days writing radio commercials for McDonald’s but never getting paid. Ellie will guide you along her journey through adulthood, from unorganized bride to impatient wife to anxious mother who - as recently observed by a sassy hairstylist - “dresses like a mom.” Well, sassy hairstylist, Ellie Kemper is a mom. And she has been dressing like it since she was four.

Ellie has written for GQ, Esquire, The New York Times, McSweeney’s, and The Onion. Her voice is the perfect antidote to the chaos of modern life. In short, she will tell you nothing you need to know about making it in show business, and everything you need to know about discreetly changing a diaper at a Cibo Express."

I mean firstly, it's a book with Ellie Kemper and a squirrel on the cover, and buy that no matter the contents. But secondly, PLEASE tell me she's going on a book tour!

Posted by Miss Eliza at 12:00 AM 0 comments  

Labels: Christmas, Cindy Anstey, Ellie Kemper, Ghost of Christmas Past, Jane Willan, Kate Morton, Lore, My Squirrel Days, Neil Gaiman, Queen of Kenosha, Tana French, The Clockmaker's Daughter, Wales, Wisconsin