Welcome to the October edition of Emma’s Anticipated Treasures. There’s lots of exciting books in store this month, including intriguing debuts, and new releases from Antti Tuomainen, C.J. Cooke, Stephanie Garber, Sophie Kinsella, and Janice Hallett. There are also re-releases or special editions of some of my favourite books that I can’t wait for.
So, here’s what I’m most excited about being released in October:
Throne of the Fallen by Kerri Maniscalco
Published October 3rd by Hodderscape
Romantic Fantasy, Fantasy Fiction, High Fantasy, Dark Fantasy, Hisotrical Fantasy
SYNOPSIS:
She didn’t want Prince Charming. She wanted the demon.
From #1 New York Times bestselling author Kerri Maniscalco, Throne of the Fallen is a seductive new standalone novel set within the Kingdom of the Wicked world.
A wicked prince. A fallen painter. Let the games begin . . .
The Prince of Envy has never claimed to be a saint. But when a cryptic note arrives at his demon court, signalling the beginning of a deadly game, he knows it will take more than a hint of sin to win. Riddles, hexed objects, anonymous players, nothing will stand in his way.
Camilla is an artist with troubles of her own: a desperate mistake has landed her in debt to a notorious rake. Threatened with ruinous scandal, she is forced to enter a devil’s bargain with Envy. A bargain that reveals secrets and ignites passions that neither of them expects.
Together, Envy and Camilla must embark on a perilous journey through the underworld – from glittering demon courts to the sultry vampire realm and beyond – while trying to avoid the most dangerous trap of all: falling in love.
Pre-order here*
The Takedown by Carlie Walker
Published October 3rd by Orion
Romance, Mystery, Holiday Fiction
SYNOPSIS:
MISS CONGENIALITY meets Emily Henry with the spice of MR AND MRS SMITH in this fun, sexy and absolutely irresistible romcom.
—
He wants to take her out. She wants to take him down…
Sydney’s mission is simple:
1. Stop her little sister from marrying a notorious criminal
2. Seduce his bodyguard to gather intel for the FBI
3. Definitely do not fall in love…
Agent Sydney Swift is going home for the holidays. She’s just discovered that her younger sister, Calla, is engaged to Johnny Jones – the heir to the nation’s most notorious crime dynasty – and she’s determined to stop their perfect winter wedding at any cost.
But gathering incriminating evidence on Johnny isn’t as easy as she’d hoped, especially as her biggest obstacle is Nick, his infuriatingly handsome and charming bodyguard!
As Sydney spends more time with Nick, lines begin to blur, and while seducing him to gather intel was bad enough, falling for him is even worse.
Soon Sydney is faced with a difficult decision – one that certainly wasn’t covered in her training . . .
Pre-order here*
While Idaho Slept: The Hunt For Answers in the Murders of Four College Students by J. Reuben Appleman
Published October 3rd by Harper Paperbacks
True Crime
SYNOPSIS:
The author of the acclaimed true-crime memoir, The Kill Jar, tells the inside story of the “University of Idaho Murders,” offering a memorable, thoughtful dive into our societal fascination with true crime, the media’s seeming blood-frenzy, and the future of homicide investigations, while cultivating an intimate look into the minds and hearts of the victims and their suspected killer alike.
Just after 4:00 am on November 13, 2022, four University of Idaho students were viciously stabbed to death in an off-campus house. The killings would shake the small blue-collar college town of Moscow, Idaho, dominate mainstream news coverage, and become a social media obsession, drawing millions of clicks and views. While a reticent Moscow Police Department, the FBI, and the Idaho State Police searched for the killer, unending conjecture and countless theories blazed online, in chatrooms and platforms from Reddit and YouTube to Facebook and TikTok. For more than a month, the clash of armchair investigators and law enforcement professionals raged, until a suspect—a 28-year-old Ph.D. candidate studying criminology—was arrested at his family home 2,500 miles away in the Pocono Mountains of Pennsylvania on the day before New Year’s Eve.
While Idaho Slept is a thought-provoking, literary chronicle of a small-town murder investigation blistering beneath the unceasing light of international interest, as traditional investigators, citizen sleuths, and the true-crime media acted—sometimes together, often in conflict—to uncover the truth. As J. Reuben Appelman brings this terrible crime into focus, he humanizes the four victims, examining the richness of their lives, dissects the mind and motivations of their presumed killer, and explores the world of northern Idaho, a rugged, deeply conservative stronghold steeped in Christian values and American patriotism.
Going deep inside the case, Appelman addresses a crucial question: With so many millions of citizens armed by access and hungry to take part in a true crime hunt of their own, has the nature of homicide investigations permanently changed? Rising above the sensational, While Idaho Slept illuminates the intrinsic connection between today’s media, citizen sleuths, our societal mania for murder tales, and an impatient public’s insatiable appetite for spectacle as never before. Running beneath, the pulse of the story is a heartbreaking narrative of the people we love, the dreams we all share, and the uncertain time left for sharing them.
Pre-order here
The Kamogawa Food Detectives by Hisashi Kashiwai
Published October 5th by Mantle
Mystery, Literary Fiction, Psycholgical Fiction, Urban Fiction, Translated Fiction
SYNOPSIS:
The Kamogawa Food Detectives, translated from Japanese by Jesse Kirkwood, is the first book in the bestselling, mouth-watering Japanese sleuthing series for fans of Before the Coffee Gets Cold.
What’s the one dish you’d do anything to taste just one more time?
Down a quiet backstreet in Kyoto exists a very special restaurant. Run by Koishi Kamogawa and her father Nagare, the Kamogawa Diner treats its customers to wonderfully extravagant meals. But that’s not the main reason to stop by . . .
The father-daughter duo have started advertising their services as ‘food detectives’. Through ingenious investigations, they are capable of recreating a dish from their customers’ pasts – dishes that may well hold the keys to unlocking forgotten memories and future happiness.
From the widower looking for a specific noodle dish that his wife used to cook, to a first love’s beef stew, the restaurant of lost recipes provides a link to the past – and a way to a more contented future.
A bestseller in Japan, The Kamogawa Food Detectives is a celebration of good company and the power of a delicious meal.
Pre-order here*
The Babysitter by Emma Curtis
Published October 5th by Corvus
Psychological Fiction, Psychological Thriller
SYNOPSIS:
Three women. Three secrets.
Claudia‘s life imploded ten years ago when she was convicted of the murder of her child. Now she has done the unthinkable and confessed to manslaughter in order to be granted parole – her only hope of finding out what really happened to Tilly.
Sara is married to Joe, Claudia’s ex-husband, and they have a young child together. She finally has everything she ever wanted, but Claudia’s release threatens the perfect life she has created.
Anna was the babysitter who let Claudia and Joe down on day their daughter disappeared. Married with a child of her own, Claudia’s reappearance in her quiet cul-de-sac is an unwelcome surprise.
These three women are tied together in more ways than they realize. But only one of them is capable of killing.
Pre-order here*
She’s A Killer by Kirsten McDougall
Published October 5th by Gallic Books
Thriller, Dark Comedy, Satire
SYNOPSIS:
‘Smart, assured, and extremely funny’ Eleanor Catton
‘A fabulously dark pleasure, delivered in prose of singing tautness’ Luke Jennings
Eleanor Oliphant meets Killing Eve in this darkly funny and gloriously unhinged New Zealand sensation, longlisted for the Dublin Literary Award 2023.
ALICE: 30-something, IQ of 159 (almost a genius), only communicates with her mother in Morse code. Her imaginary friend is back.
ERIKA: 15, daughter of hot ‘wealthugee’ who loves Russian literature, genuine genius, killer eyeliner and killer instincts.
The climate is in crisis and wealthy immigrants are flocking to New Zealand for shelter, stealing land, driving up food prices and taking over. But Alice has far more important things to worry about: hating her best friend’s husband, getting free wine and quiet-quitting her dull day job. Until she meets Erika.
Now, Alice is about to find herself drawn into action of the most radical – and dangerous – kind. Just what is a slacker to do?
Bold and brilliantly bizarre, She’s a Killer is the satirical dystopian cli-fi thriller you never knew you needed. Until now.
Pre-order here*
The Good Part by Sophie Cousens
Published October 26th by Hodder & Stoughton
Contemporary Romance, Romance Novel, Romantic Comedy, Humorous Fiction
SYNOPSIS:
From the New York Times bestselling author of Just Haven’t Met You Yet, This Time Next Year, and Before I Do
‘Sophie’s books are always filled with warmth, but she’s outdone herself here. It’s the definition of a feel-good read! Funny, poignant, and heartfelt, I fell head-over-heels for this one’ LAURA JANE WILLIAMS
Lucy Young is only twenty-six, but she’s exhausted. She’s tired of bad dates, being on the bottom rung at work, and living off Rice Krispies.
She’s ready to skip to the good part.
The part where she’s happily married, running the office, and never even thinking about her overdraft.
But you should be careful what you wish for . . .
Pre-order here*
Where The Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens (Collector’s Edition)
Published October 5th by Corsair
Mystery, Literary Fiction, Contemporary Fiction, Thriller, Bildungsroman
SYNOPSIS:
‘Painfully beautiful’ The New York Times Book Review
‘Heart-wrenching… a compelling love story’ Entertainment Weekly
‘Astonishing’ People
For years, rumours of the ‘Marsh Girl’ have haunted Barkley Cove, a quiet town on the North Carolina coast. So in late 1969, when handsome Chase Andrews is found dead, the locals immediately suspect Kya Clark, the so-called Marsh Girl. But Kya is not what they say. Sensitive and intelligent, she has survived for years alone in the marsh that she calls home, finding friends in the gulls and lessons in the sand. Then the time comes when she yearns to be touched and loved. When two young men from town become intrigued by her wild beauty, Kya opens herself to a new life – until the unthinkable happens.
Pre-order here*
Lilith by Nikki Marmery
Published October 9th by Legend Press
Historical Fiction, Fairy Tale, Alternative History, Religious Fiction
SYNOPSIS:
LILITH IS THE HEROINE WOMEN HAVE WAITED SIX THOUSAND YEARS FOR.
ONE OF STYLIST’S BEST NEW FEMINIST RETELLINGS TO READ IN 2023
‘FEISTY, FURIOUS, AND STARTLINGLY FUNNY… EVERY PAGE SEETHES WITH LILITH’S RAGE AND HEARTACHE’ NAOMI KELSEY
In the Garden of Eden, at the beginning of time, an outrageous lie is born: that women are inferior.
Lilith and Adam are equal and happy in the Garden of Eden. But when Adam decides Lilith should submit to his will and lie beneath him, she refuses – and is banished forever from Paradise. Demonised and sidelined, Lilith watches in fury as God creates Eve, the woman who accepts her submission. But Lilith has a secret: she has already tasted the fruit of the Tree of Knowledge. Endowed with Wisdom, she knows why Asherah – God’s wife and equal, the Queen of Heaven – is missing. Lilith has a plan: she will rescue Eve, find Asherah, restore balance to the world and regain her rightful place in Paradise
Pre-order here*
Sword Catcher by Cassandra Clare
Published October 10th by Tor
Fantasy Fiction, High Fantasy, Coming of Age Story
SYNOPSIS:
Two outcasts find themselves at the centre of world-altering change in Sword Catcher, the start of a riveting epic fantasy series from the No. 1 New York Times bestselling author of The Shadowhunter Chronicles.
‘Everything I look for in fantasy’ – George R. R. Martin
One was raised to rule. One was trained to die. Welcome to the Chronicles of Castellane.
In the vibrant city-state of Castellane, a young orphan named Kel is stolen from his old life to enter a new one of luxury and peril. He’s to become Prince Conor Aurelian’s body-double, shielding the Prince from all dangers. As his ‘Sword Catcher,’ he and Conor become close as brothers – yet Kel lives for one purpose: to die for Conor.
Lin Caster is an Ashkar physician, part of a community ostracised for its rare magical abilities. But events pull her and Kel together and into the web of the mysterious Ragpicker King who rules Castellane’s criminal underworld.
Together, they’ll discover an extraordinary conspiracy. But can forbidden love bring down a kingdom? And will their discoveries plunge their nation into war and the world into chaos?
Lose yourself in a vibrant world of power, intrigue and magic in this spellbinding epic from an internationally bestselling sensation.
Pre-order here*
Hatchet Girls by Diana Rodriguez Wallach
Published October 10th by Delacorte Press
Mystery, Thriller, Young Adult Fiction
SYNOPSIS:
Set more than one hundred years after the Borden murders, this propulsive, supernatural thriller imagines what might happen if history were to repeat itself today. Perfect for fans of Kara Thomas and Courtney Summers!
When Mariella Morse accuses her boyfriend, Vik Gomez, of murdering her wealthy parents with an axe, the town is quick to believe her. It doesn’t help that Vik is caught standing over her parents’ bodies with blood on his hands, unable to remember anything about the night in question.
But Vik’s sister, Tessa, knows that Vik would never be capable of such a gruesome crime. Haunted by the mistakes she made that led her family to move to Fall River, MA in the first place, she sets out to prove her brother’s innocence.
Tessa’s search for answers will lead her into a sprawling, notoriously cursed forest, where she and Mariella must face a darkness that has lurked within their town since before the days of Lizzie Borden–the original axe murderess of Fall River.
Pre-order here*
I Wanted You To Know by Laura Pearson
Published Octoebr 10th by Boldwood Books
Romantic Comedy, Contemporary Fiction
SYNOPSIS:
Dear Edie, I wanted you to know so many things. I wanted to tell you them in person, as you grew up by my side. But it wasn’t to be…
When Jess gives birth to Edie, it’s the happiest day of her life. She knows, from the moment her little girl’s hand grasps her finger, that her daughter owns her heart, completely and utterly. And even though Edie’s father has left them, and single motherhood isn’t easy, her beautiful, innocent child brings her untold joy.
But then Jess receives a diagnosis that changes everything. Edie’s life – that is just beginning – is interrupted by worried looks, heavy conversations. And Jess must face the possibility of leaving her daughter to grow up without her.
Propelled by a ticking clock, Jess knows what she has to do. She begins to put pen to paper, to tell her daughter everything she might need to know.
How to love, how to lose, how to forgive, and, most importantly, how to live when you never know how long you have…
Pre-order here*
The Black Feathers by Rebecca Netley
Published October 12th by Michael Joseph
Gothic Fiction, Ghost Story, Horror Fiction, Supernatural Fiction
SYNOPSIS:
Where ghosts tread, black feathers fall . . .
When Annie marries widower Edward Stonehouse and arrives at Guardbridge, his estate on the Yorkshire moors, she thinks she has finally put darkness behind her.
She is mistaken.
Edward’s sister, Iris, still lives in the family home. A taxidermist and medium, she urges Annie to watch out for black feathers – claiming that they mark the spot where a spirt has visited.
At first, Annie dismisses her warnings. But, before long, she begins to feel haunted.
What exactly happened to Edward’s first wife? Why is Iris so disturbed?
And should Annie really be watching for signs from the dead – or is she the one being watched?
SET ON THE YORKSHIRE MOORS IN THE 1800S, THE BLACK FEATHERS IS A GHOSTLY TALE OF MAGIC AND WICKEDNESS.
Pre-order here*
A Haunting in the Arctic by C.J. Cooke
Published October 12th by Harper Collins UK
Gothic Fiction, Mystery, Psychological Thriller, Suspense, Supernatural Fiction, Ghost Story, Horror Fiction
SYNOPSIS:
Something has walked the floors of the Ormen for over a century.
Something that craves revenge…
1901. On board the Ormen, a whaling ship battling through the unforgiving North Sea, Nicky Duthie awakes. Attacked and dragged there against her will, it’s just her and the crew – and they’re all owed something only she can give them.
1973. Decades later, when the ship is found still drifting across the ocean, it’s deserted. Just one body is left on board, his face and feet mutilated, his cabin locked from the inside. Everyone else has vanished.
Now, as urban explorer Dominique travels into the near-permanent darkness of the northernmost tip of Iceland, to the final resting place of the Ormen’s wreck, she’s determined to uncover the ship’s secrets.
But she’s not alone. Something is here with her. And it’s seeking revenge…
‘Rich, chilling and gorgeously gothic. A Haunting in the Arctic is the kind of enchanting, terrifying mystery I just adore’ Chris Whitaker
Pre-order here*
The Hurrican eWars by Thea Guanzon
Published October 12th by HarperVoyagerUK
Fantasy Fiction, Romantic Fantasy, Romance Novel, Hight Fantasy, War Story
SYNOPSIS:
THE EPIC ENEMIES-TO LOVERS FANTASY THAT WILL TAKE THE WORLD BY STORM
All Talasyn has ever known are the Hurricane Wars. An orphan of the struggle, she uses the power of light to fight for her people against the Night Empire.
All Alaric has ever known is darkness. The son of the Night Emperor and their deadliest weapon, he wields terrifying shadow magic to crush the rebellion.
Then he sees Talasyn, his sworn enemy burning bright across the battlefield. The moment they clash their lives are changed forever.
Now a greater threat is rising and only they can stop it.
The coming storm threatens to destroy everything. If they don’t destroy each other first . . .
Pre-order here*
The Beaver Theory (Rabbit Factor Trilogy 3) by Antti Tuomainen
Published October 12th by Orenda Books
Mystery, Thriller, Dark Comedy, Noir Fiction, Horror Fiction, Book Series, Translated Fiction
SYNOPSIS:
Can everyone’s favourite insurance mathematician, Henri, combine the increasingly dangerous world of adventure parks with the unpredictability of blended-family life? He’s about to find out in the final instalment of the hilarious, nail-biting Rabbit Factor Trilogy.
Henri Koskinen, intrepid insurance mathematician and adventure-park entrepreneur, firmly believes in the power of common sense and order. That is until he moves in with painter Laura Helanto and her daughter…
As Henri realises he has inadvertently become part of a group of local dads, a competing adventure park is seeking to expand their operations, not always sticking to the law in the process…
Is it possible to combine the increasingly dangerous world of the adventure-park business with the unpredictability of life in a blended family? At first glance, the two appear to have only one thing in common: neither deals particularly well with a mounting body count.
In order to solve this seemingly impossible conundrum, Henri is forced to step far beyond the mathematical precision of his comfort zone … and the stakes have never been higher…
Warmly funny, quirky, touching, and a nail-biting triumph of a thriller, The Beaver Theory is the final instalment in the award-winning Rabbit Factor Trilogy, as Henri encounters the biggest challenge of his career, with hair-raising results…
Pre-order here
White As Snow (An Arora Investigation Valume 3) by Lilja Sigurdadottir
Published October 12th by Orenda
Mystery, Thriller, Hardboiled, Police FictionBook Series, Translated Fiction
SYNOPSIS:
Daníel and Áróra hunt a brutal killer when a shipping container with the bodies of five women is found outside Reykjavik, as Áróra continues the search for her missing sister. Book three in the addictive, chilling An Áróra Investigation series.
On a snowy winter morning, an abandoned shipping container is discovered near Reykjavík. Inside are the bodies of five young women – one of them barely alive.
As Icelandic Police detective Daníel struggles to investigate the most brutal crime of his career, Áróra looks into the background of a suspicious man, who turns out to be engaged to Daníel’s former wife, and the connections don’t stop there…
Daníel and Áróra’s cases pit them both against ruthless criminals with horrifying agendas, while Áróra persists with her search for her missing sister, Ísafold, whose devastating disappearance continues to haunt her.
As the temperature drops and the 24-hour darkness and freezing snow hamper their efforts, their investigations become increasingly dangerous … for everyone.
Atmospheric, twisty and breathtakingly tense, White as Snow is the third instalment in the riveting, award-winning An Áróra Investigation series, as crimes committed far beyond Iceland’s shores come home…
Shortlisted for The Blood Drop – Icelandic Crime Novel of the Year, 2022
Pre-order here*
Geneva by Richard Armitage
Published October 12th by Faber & Faber
Suspense, Thriller, Mystery, Literary Fiction
SYNOPSIS:
‘An outstanding debut – ingenious, fast-paced and unpredictable.’ HARLAN COBEN
‘An atmospheric, icily tense thriller.’ Telegraph
‘Geneva is one of the best thrillers I’ve ever read. And I’ve read quite a few.’ A. J. FINN
A SPECTACULAR DESTINATION THRILLER WITH HEART
Nobel Prize-winning scientist Sarah Collier has started to show the same tell-tale signs of Alzheimer’s disease as her father: memory loss, even blackouts. So she is reluctant to accept the invitation to be the guest of honour at a prestigious biotech conference – until her husband Daniel, a neuroscientist, persuades her that the publicity storm will be worth it. The technology being unveiled at this conference could revolutionise medicine forever. More than that, it could save Sarah’s life.
In Geneva, the couple are feted as stars – at least, Sarah is. But behind the five-star luxury, investors are circling, controversial blogger Terri Landau is all over the story, and Sarah’s symptoms are getting worse. As events begin to spiral out of control, Sarah can’t be sure who to trust – including herself.
Pre-order here*
Family Meal by Bryan Washington
Published October 12th by Atlantic Books
Literary Fiction, Contemporary Fiction, Gay Romance
SYNOPSIS:
Growing up , TJ was Cam’s boy next door. When Cam needed a home, TJ’s parents – Mae and Jin – took him in. Their family bakery became Cam’s safe place. Until he left, and it wasn’t anymore.
Years later, Cam’s world is falling apart. The love of his life, Kai, is gone: but his ghost keeps haunting Cam, and won’t let go. And Cam’s not sure he wants to let go, not sure he’s ready. When he has a chance to return to his home town, to work in a gay bar clinging on in a changing city landscape, he takes it. Back in the same place as TJ, they circle each other warily, their banter electric with an undercurrent of betrayal, drawn together despite past and current drama. Family is family. But TJ is no longer the same person Cam left behind; he’s had his own struggles. The quiet, low-key, queer kid, the one who stayed home, TJ’s not sure how to navigate Cam – utterly cool, completely devastated and self-destructing – crashing back into his world.
When things said – or left unsaid – become so insurmountable that they devour us from within, hope and sustenance and friendship can come from the most unlikely source. Nourishment has many forms: eating croissants, sitting together at a table with bowls of curry, sharing history, confronting demons, growing flowers, showing up. This is a story about how the people who know us the longest can hurt us the most, but how they also set the standard for love, and by their necessary presence, create a family.
Pre-order here*
The Burnout by Sophie Kinsella
Published October 12th by Bantam
Literary Fiction, Contemporary Fiction, Romance Novel, Humorous Fciton
SYNOPSIS:
‘I’ll drop anything for a new Sophie Kinsella. The Burnout is hilarious, sparky and joyful – just the book you need if you’re desperate for a break’ BETH O’LEARY
‘I devoured The Burnout in one greedy gulp. Funny, sad, relatable, and so brilliantly done. Sophie Kinsella is the queen of romantic comedy’ JOJO MOYES
‘The Burnout is a glorious off-season holiday love story that will sweep you off your feet. Funny, feelgood, touching and full of the bittersweet, incisive wit that puts every Sophie Kinsella novel in a league of its own. I could not have loved it more.’ LISA JEWELL
The irresistible new romantic comedy from the number one bestselling author. Discover the joy that awaits when you set yourself free…
Sasha is well and truly over it all: work (all-consuming), friendships (on the back burner), sex-life (non-existent). Sasha has hit a brick wall.
Armed with good intentions to drink kale smoothies, try yoga and find solitude, she heads to the Devon resort she loved as a child. But it’s off-season, the hotel is falling apart and now she has to share the beach with someone else: a grumpy, stressed-out guy called Finn. How can she commune with nature when he’s sitting on a rock, watching her? Especially when they don’t agree on burnout cures. (Sasha: manifesting, wild swimming, secret Mars bars; Finn: drinking whisky.)
But when curious messages start appearing on the beach, Sasha and Finn are forced to begin talking – about everything. What’s the mystery? Why are they both burned out? What exactly is ‘manifesting’, anyway?
They might discover that they have more in common than they think…
Pre-order here*
A Winter in New York by Josie Silver
Published October 12th by Viking
Contemporary Fiction, Romance Novel
SYNOPSIS:
‘Joyous, uplifting and heart-racingly romantic. I devoured it. You’ll find me in Little Italy licking gelato off a hot Italian stallion’s chest’ Cathy Bramley
—–
Where better to start again than New York?
Iris arrives in the city of dreams, intent on restarting her culinary career, and leaving her recent heartache behind.
Wandering the streets at a famous food festival, Iris feels like she’s living in a movie. Then she stumbles upon a gelateria that looks strangely familiar. Inside, she meets Gio: a perfect leading man with an irresistible smile – and a crisis of his own.
As fate would have it, Iris is the one person with the answer to his problem. She just can’t tell him that . . .
So, can Iris finally let go of the past – and let herself fall in love?
A sumptuously cosy seasonal love story set in sparkling New York, from the queen of the ‘what if?’ romance Josie Silver.
Pre-order here*
My Brother’s Keeper by Tim Powers
Published October 12th by Head of Zeus
Historical Fiction, Historical Fantasy, Fantasy Fiction, Gothic Fiction, Paranormal Fantasy
SYNOPSIS:
Howarth, 1846. The edge of the Yorkshire moors.
Here, in solitude, live a widowed parish priest and his family: three daughters and their single brother.
Though the future will celebrate the three daughters, right now they are unknown, their genius concealed. In just a few short years, they will all be dead.
And it will be middle daughter Emily’s chance encounter with a grievously wounded man on the moor that sets them on the path to their doom.
My Brother’s Keeper introduces an ancient secret haunting the moors, a dark inheritance in the family bloodline and something terrible buried under an ogham-inscribed slab in the church.
An atmospheric, claustrophobic gothic novel from a revered fantasy author… featuring… have you not guessed yet?
Pre-order here*
Midnight is the Darkest Hour by Ashley Winstead
Published October 12th by Head of Zeus
Thriller, Psychological Thriller
SYNOPSIS:
From TikTok sensation Ashley Winstead comes her newest thriller. For fans of Verity and A Flicker in the Dark, Midnight is the Darkest Hour is a twisted tale of murder, obsessive love, and the beastly urges that lie dormant within us all…
In her small hometown, librarian Ruth Cornier has always felt like an outsider, even as her beloved father rains fire-and-brimstone warnings from the pulpit at Holy Fire Baptist. Unfortunately for Ruth, the only things the townspeople fear more than the God and the Devil are the myths that haunt the area, like the story of the Low Man, a vampiric figure said to steal into sinners’ bedrooms and kill them on moonless nights. When a skull is found deep in the swamp next to mysterious carved symbols, Bottom Springs is thrown into uproar?and Ruth realizes only she and Everett, an old friend with a dark past, have the power to comb the town’s secret underbelly in search of true evil.
A dark and powerful novel like fans have come to expect from Ashley Winstead, Midnight is the Darkest Hour is an examination of the ways we’ve come to expect love, religion, and stories to save us, the lengths we have to go to in order to take back power, and the monstrous work of being a girl in this world.
‘Where The Crawdads Sing meets Twilight meets Thelma and Louise in this brilliantly realized, totally original thriller. Absolutely sensational! I couldn’t put it down.’ Clare Mackintosh, New York Times bestselling author
Pre-order here*
Hazardous Spirits by Anbara Salam
Published October 12th by Baskerville
Historical Fition, Gothic Fiction,Thriller, Historical Fantasy, Contemporary Fantasy
SYNOPSIS:
‘An exquisitely written work of Caledonian gothic’ Francine Toon, author of Pine
‘A darkly sparkling jewel of a book’ Kirsty Logan, author of Now She is Witch
Edinburgh, 1923.
Evelyn Hazard is a young woman living a comfortable and unremarkable middle-class life. One day, her quiet existence is shattered when her steady, reliable husband Robert makes a startling announcement: he can communicate with the dead.
As the couple are pulled into the spiritualist movement that emerged following the mass deaths caused by the First World War and the Spanish Flu, Evelyn’s life becomes increasingly unsettled as dark secrets from her past threaten to surface.
Faced with the prospect of losing all that is dear to her, Evelyn finds herself asking: is the man she loves a fraud, a madman or – most frighteningly – is he telling the truth?
A gothic literary mystery, written in sparkling prose, Hazardous Spirits evokes the spirit of 1920s Edinburgh, in all its bohemian vibrancy.
Pre-order here*
A Midwinter’s Tail by Lili Hayward
Published October 12th by Sphere
Mystery, Cozy Mystery, Fairy Tales, Myths & Fairy Tales
SYNOPSIS:
A town in need.
An extraordinary cat.
A season for miracles…
It’s nearly Christmas and committed Londoner, Mina Kestle, is close to signing a deal that will make her career and give her everything she’s ever wanted. And then she receives a mysterious letter in the post along with an ancient key, sent by her long-estranged godfather . . .
Davy Penhallow is an artist who lives on the tiny Cornish island of Morgelyn with only his pet cat, Murr, for company. Mina hasn’t seen or heard from him in decades, but now it seems he wants her to look after his cottage – and his cat – while he recovers from a stroke in hospital. Mina doesn’t know why Davy has written after all these years, but she intends to do what’s right: sort out the cottage and the cat and then get back to London in time for her career-saving meeting, before everything she’s built comes crashing down around her.
But the more time Mina spends in the cottage, looking after Murr and remembering the magic of Cornish folklore, the harder it becomes for her to tear herself away. And when she discovers that a set of ruthless property developers are coming for Morgelyn, she realises she might be the only one who can stand in their way to save the island, Davy’s cottage and Murr’s home.
As Christmas draws ever closer and echoes of the past – her own and the island’s – wash up in her memory, Mina begins to unravel a generation of secrets… and discover what it is she has truly always wanted . . .
Pre-order here*
Mrs Sidhu’s Dead and Scone by Suk Pannu
Published October 12th by Harper Collins UK
Cozy Mystery, Thriller, Mystery
SYNOPSIS:
The debut cosy culinary crime thriller from Suk Pannu, creator of BBC Radio 4’s Mrs Sidhu Investigates and writer for Goodness, Gracious, Me and five series of the Emmy Award winning Kumars at No. 42
Mrs. Sidhu – unofficial Aunty to everyone, caterer, and amateur sleuth from Slough – spices up the lives of Berkshire’s elite with both her mouth-watering dishes and her sharp detective skills. But when she stirs up trouble among the rich and ruthless, she finds herself an outsider in her own community.
Banished to the kitchen by her boss and sentenced to an endless loop of aubergine bhajis, Mrs. Sidhu seizes the opportunity to whip up a new recipe for success – getting a job as a private chef at an exclusive celebrity rehab retreat. But when a therapist is found dead in the quiet village, Mrs Sidhu’s appetite for mystery is rekindled.
As the plot thickens, it becomes clear that the killer is picking victims through a twisted raffle at the village fete. Is a vengeful spirit returning to exact a horrifying revenge, or is there an impostor among the residents hiding a deadly secret?
Pre-order here*
The Goodbye Cat by Hiro Arikawa
Published October 12th by Transworld
Historical Fiction, Contemporary Fiction, Short Stories, Translated Fiction
SYNOPSIS:
The uplifting new Japanese cat novel from the million-copy bestselling author of The Travelling Cat Chronicles
THE PERFECT READ FOR CAT LOVERS
‘Quirky and life-enhancing’ THE TIMES Biggest Books of the Autumn 2023
_____________________
Against changing seasons in Japan, seven cats weave their way through their owners’ lives.
– A needy kitten rescued from the recycling bin teaches a new father how to parent his own human baby
– An elderly cat hatches a plan to pass into the next world as a spirit so that he and his owner may be together for ever
– A colony of wild cats on a holiday island shows a young boy not to stand in nature’s way
– A family is perplexed by their cat’s devotion to their charismatic but uncaring father
– A woman curses how her cat constantly visits her at night
Bursting with empathy and love, THE GOODBYE CAT explores the unstoppable cycle of life as we see how the steadiness and devotion of a well-loved cat never lets us down.
A huge bestseller in Japan, every page is a joyous celebration of cats and how we cannot resist sharing our lives with them.
‘A book for every cat lover. An enchanting insight into the mysterious world of cats and their humans’ CELIA HADDON, author of Being Your Cat
Pre-order here*
The Exchange by John Grisham
Published Octber 17th by Hodder & Stoughton
Thriller, Legal Thriller, Suspense, Contemporary Fiction
SYNOPSIS:
***THE BIGGEST GRISHAM IN OVER A DECADE***
The Exchange is John Grisham’s epic follow-up to his phenomenal global bestseller The Firm, the novel that launched his career as the world’s favourite storyteller – it will take you on a rollercoaster journey across the globe, from New York to London, and Rome to Marrakech.
TEN DAYS TO SAVE A LIFE. ONE SECOND TO END IT.
Mitch McDeere has cheated death and come out the other side. Fifteen years ago, he stole $10 million from the mob and disappeared. Now, with his enemies jailed or dead, he has fought his way to the top of the biggest law firm in the world.
When a new case takes Mitch to Libya, danger awaits: he’s soon in the biggest hostage negotiation in recent history with terrorists who have murdered and will murder again. Their demand is staggering: a ransom of $100 million must be paid within 10 days.
But this isn’t a random kidnapping – it’s personal. And no one, not even Mitch’s wife in New York, is safe.
With the clock ticking, can Mitch stay one step ahead of his enemies?
This time, there’s nowhere to hide.
Pre-order here*
The Unmaking of June Farrow by Adrienne Young
Published October 17th by Quercus
Contemporary Fantasy, Suspense, Magical Realism, Fairy Tales, Myths & Fairy Tales
SYNOPSIS:
With The Unmaking of June Farrow, Adrienne Young delivers a brilliant story with romance, mystery, and a touch of the impossible: a story you will never forget.
In the small mountain town of Jasper, North Carolina, June Farrow is waiting for fate to find her. The Farrow women are known for their thriving flower farm – and the mysterious curse that has haunted them for generations.
The madness that led to Susanna Farrow’s disappearance left her daughter, June, to be raised by her grandmother. Everyone in Jasper is certain it’s only a matter of time before she finds the same end, but June has kept secret that her unravelling has already begun.
After her grandmother’s death, June follows a series of clues that link her mother’s disappearance to the town’s dark history, leading finally to a mysterious door.
Behind it may lay the answer to the mysteries that have always lingered like a dark shadow. Upon crossing the threshold, June embarks on a journey that will not only change both the past and the future, but entangle her fate and her heart in a star-crossed love.
Pre-order here*
The Winter Spirits : Ghostly Tales for Frosty Nights by Various
Published October 19th by Sphere
Historical Fiction, Short Stories
SYNOPSIS:
FROM THE CREATORS OF THE HAUNTING SEASON COMES A DAZZLING COLLECTION OF NEVER-BEFORE-SEEN GHOSTLY TALES.
‘Terrific – every bit as good as an MR James collection’ ROSIE ANDREWS, author of THE LEVIATHAN
Featuring new and original stories from:
Bridget Collins, author of The Binding
Imogen Hermes Gowar, author of The Mermaid and Mrs Hancock
Kiran Millwood Hargrave, author of The Mercies
Andrew Michael Hurley, author of The Loney
Jess Kidd, author of Things in Jars
Natasha Pulley, author of The Watchmaker of Filigree Street
Elizabeth Macneal, author of The Doll Factory
Laura Purcell, author of The Silent Companions
Susan Stokes Chapman, author of Pandora
Laura Shepherd-Robinson, author of The Square of Sevens
Stuart Turton, author of The Seven Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle
Catriona Ward, author of The Last House on Needless Street
The tradition of a haunted tale at Christmas has flourished across the centuries. These twelve stories – authored by some of today’s most loved and lauded writers of historical and gothic fiction – are all centred around Christmas or Advent, boldly and playfully re-imagining a beloved tradition for a modern audience.
Taking you from a haunted Tuscan villa to a remote Scottish island with a dark secret,, these vibrant haunted stories are your ultimate companion for frosty nights.
So curl up, light a candle, and fall under the spell of winters past . . .
Pre-order here*
The Hidden Language of Cats by Dr. Sarah Brown
Published October 19th by Michael Joseph
Animal Behaviour, Biology
SYNOPSIS:
THIS BOOK TRANSLATES ALL THE MEOWS – IN CASE YOU MISSED ANYTHING
Descended from shy, solitary North African wild cats, domestic cats set up homes with devoted owners all over the world. But how did those wildcats of old creep into our homes and our hearts, convincing us to keep them warm, fed, and pampered? Quite simply, they learned to talk to us.
Renowned cat behaviour scientist Dr. Sarah Brown has been at the forefront of research in the field, discovering how cats use tail signals to interact with each other and their owners. Now she reveals the previously unexplored secrets of cat communication in a book that is both scientifically grounded and utterly delightful.
Each chapter dives into a different form of communication, including vocalisation, tail signals, scents, rubbing, and ear movements. The iconic meow, for example, is rarely used between adult cats – cleverly mimicking the cries of a human infant, the meow is in fact a feline invention for conversing with people.
Through observing the behavior of two cat colonies in rural England, readers will also have the opportunity to glimpse into the lives of some of the cats behind Dr. Brown’s science.
Can we understand what cats’ meows and other signals mean? How do cats actually perceive us? And how can we use this information to inform how we communicate with our feline friends? Referencing historical records, exploring modern scientific studies of cat-human communication, and including simple, elegant line drawings, The Hidden Language of Cats is perfect for any cat lover who wants to learn more about their companion.
Pre-order here*
Let Us Descend by Jesmyn Ward
Published October 24th by Bloomsburty Publishing
Historical Fiction
SYNOPSIS:
The astonishing new novel from two-time National Book Award-winner Jesmyn Ward
‘Leaves you in awe of the human capacity to not only endure, but to ascend back to the light … Spectacular’
ANTHONY DOERR, author of All the Light We Cannot See
‘A stunning achievement. Will grip you from the first word to the last’
NATHAN HARRIS, author of The Sweetness of Water
Let Us Descend is a reimagining of American slavery, as beautifully rendered as it is heart-wrenching. Searching, harrowing, replete with transcendent love, the novel is a journey from the rice fields of the Carolinas to the slave markets of New Orleans and into the fearsome heart of a Louisiana sugar plantation.
Annis, sold south by the white enslaver who fathered her, is the reader’s guide through this hellscape. As she struggles through the miles-long march, Annis turns inward, seeking comfort from memories of her mother and stories of her African warrior grandmother. Throughout, she opens herself to a world beyond this world, one teeming with spirits: of earth and water, of myth and history; spirits who nurture and give, and those who manipulate and take. While Ward leads readers through the descent, this, her fourth novel, is ultimately a story of rebirth and reclamation.
From one of the most singularly brilliant and beloved writers of her generation, this miracle of a novel inscribes Black American grief and joy into the very land – the rich but unforgiving forests, swamps, and rivers of the American South. Let Us Descend is Jesmyn Ward’s most magnificent novel yet, a masterwork for the ages.
Pre-order here*
A Curse For True Love (Once Upon A Broken Heart 3) by Stephanie Garber
Published October 24th by Hodder & Stoughton
Fantasy Fiction, Epic Fantsy, Fairy Tales, Folklore, Young Adult Fiction
SYNOPSIS:
Two villains, one girl, and a deadly battle for happily ever after.
Evangeline Fox ventured to the Magnificent North in search of her happy ending, and it seems as if she has it. She’s married to a handsome prince and lives in a legendary castle. But Evangeline has no idea of the devastating price she’s paid for this fairytale. She doesn’t know what she has lost, and her husband is determined to make sure she never finds out . . . but first he must kill Jacks, the Prince of Hearts.
Blood will be shed, hearts will be stolen, and true love will be put to the test in A Curse for True Love, the breathlessly anticipated conclusion to the Once Upon A Broken Heart trilogy.
Pre-order here*
West Heart Kill by Dann McDorman
Published October 24th by Raven Books
Mystery, Crime Fiction, Psychological Thriller, Hardboiled
SYNOPSIS:
‘Engrossing, surprising, clever, genre-bending’ Val McDermid
‘A remarkable novel by a major talent…entirely unique’ Stuart Turton
‘Any respectable practitioner must follow the rules in making the truth – however skilfully camouflaged by lies – accessible to all’
It’s the Fourth of July weekend at the prestigious West Heart country club. Gathered for cocktails on the first evening are just some of the guests: the club president, the treasurer and his pregnant wife, the snooping school boy, the bereaved father, the taciturn caretaker, the prospective member, the private detective…
And there will also be a body.
And a fiendish mystery to solve.
But everything else is to play for.
And you are about to find out that youhave a role to play in this mystery too..
West Heart Kill is an outrageously original and imaginative murder mystery that is both a love letter to the greats of classic crime fiction and a brilliant puzzle the likes of which you will never have read before.
Pre-order here*
The Last Applicant by Rebecca Hanover
Published October 24th by Lake Union Publishing
Suspense, Psychologival Fiction
SYNOPSIS:
From award-winning author Rebecca Hanover comes an emotional thrill ride about two women whose lives take a dangerous turn in the high-stakes arena of private school admissions.
Audrey Singer revels in her position as the admissions director of an exclusive Manhattan private school. Parents cater to her whims and desires, desperate to give their children an edge. Audrey’s power is undeniable; privilege comes with the territory. Her perfect marriage completes the glossy picture of her life.
Until the arrival of the neurotic, vulnerable Sarah Price. Determined to get her son into the city’s most coveted kindergarten class, Sarah inserts herself into Audrey’s world, testing boundaries at every turn. For Sarah, everything Audrey has is a potential target: her job, her friends…even her marriage.
But what seems to be another ploy by an overachieving mother takes a dark and ominous turn. Sarah seems to be hiding secrets of her own. Are her designs on Audrey’s life purely about getting what she wants for her son?
Or is there something more sinister at play in this cutthroat game?
Pre-order here*
The Christmas Appeal by Janice Hallett
Published October 26th by Viper Books
Mystery, Thriller, Cozy Mystery, Humorous Fiction
SYNOPSIS:
* THE CAST OF SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLING THE APPEAL RETURN FOR A FESTIVE MURDER MYSTERY *
* FROM THE WINNER OF THE BRITISH BOOK AWARDS CRIME AND THRILLER BOOK OF THE YEAR *
One dead Santa. A town full of suspects. Will you discover the truth?
Christmas in Lower Lockwood, and the Fairway Players are busy rehearsing their festive pantomime, Jack and the Beanstalk, to raise money for the church roof appeal. But despite the season, goodwill is distinctly lacking amongst the amateur dramatics enthusiasts. Sarah-Jane is fending off threats to her new position as Chair, the fibreglass beanstalk might be full of asbestos, and a someone is intent on ruining the panto even before the curtain goes up.
Of course there’s also the matter of the dead body. Who could possibly have had the victim on their naughty list? Join lawyers Femi and Charlotte as they read the round robins, examine the emails and pore over the police transcripts. Will the show go on?
Pre-order here*
The Twelve Days of Murder by Andreina Cordani
Published October 26th by Zaffre
Mystery, Thriller, Suspense, Cozy Mystery
SYNOPSIS:
Find the truth. Solve the murder. Never reveal your secret.
Twelve years ago, eight friends ran an exclusive group at university: The Murder Masquerade Society. The mysteries they solved may have been grisly, but they were always fictional – until their final Christmas Masquerade, when one of the group disappeared, never to be seen again.
Twelve years later, the remaining members of the group receive an invitation to a reunion masquerade, to be held in a beautiful and remote country house in Scotland. When they arrive they are each assigned a new identity themed around the Twelve Days of Christmas – they become Lady Partridge or Mr Gold; Lord Leapworth or Doctor Swan. The game begins, and it feels just like old times.
Until the next morning, when Lady Partridge is found hanging from a pear tree.
It quickly becomes clear that in this game, the murder will be all too real, and the story is bringing long-hidden secrets to the surface. If they hope to win the game and survive the festive season then they will need to face the truth about their history together, who they have become – and what really happened on that fateful night twelve years before.
Pre-order here*
The Wayward Sisters by Kate Hodges
Published October 26th by Hodder & Stoughton
Fantasy Fiction, Historical Fiction, HIstorical Fantasy, Supernatural Fiction, Horror Fiction
SYNOPSIS:
Inverness, 1769.
On a freezing winter’s night, astronomer Nancy Lockaby arrives at Blackthistle House, home to renowned, enigmatic Shakespeare scholar Caleb Malles.
When, a month before, Nancy received an invitation from Caleb to leave her position at the Royal Observatory and join him as a research fellow, she saw the opportunity to leave behind a past riddled with tragedy – and to find adventure and freedom in Scotland.
In her new home, Nancy initially finds herself captivated by Caleb’s eccentric mind and deep passion for Macbeth. So, when she crosses paths with three old crones who reveal that Caleb is keeping secrets from her, she is dismissive – after all, the women also claim to have lived many centuries and possess powers that defy any logical reasoning.
Yet as Caleb’s behaviour becomes more erratic, she begins to suspect that the mysterious scholar might have had hidden motives to lure her into his home. But can Nancy trust these three strange women when they warn her that if she doesn’t uncover Caleb’s true intentions, great danger awaits them all?
Offering a fresh, feminist perspective on literature’s most infamous trio, The Wayward Sisters is an enthralling, intricately woven story of friendship, intrigue and magic.
Pre-order here*
Saturnalia by Stephanie Feldman
Published October 26th by Verve Books
Literary Fiction, Contemporary Fcition, Thriller, Horror Fiction, Paranormal Fiction
SYNOPSIS:
Doors open at 7. The sacrifice is at 9. The dress code is, as usual, black tie.
It’s the winter solstice in a Philadelphia that has been eroded by extreme weather, economic collapse, and disease-carrying mosquitoes. The Saturnalia carnival is about to begin – an evening on which nearly everyone, rich or poor, forgets their troubles for a moment.
For Nina, Saturnalia is simply a cruel reminder of the night that changed everything for her. It’s now three years since she walked away from the elite Saturn Club, with its genteel debauchery, arcane pecking order, and winking interest in alchemy and the occult. Since then, she’s led an isolated life, eking out a living telling fortunes with her Saturn Club tarot deck.
But when she gets a chance call from Max, her last remaining friend from the Saturn Club, Nina will put on a dress of blackest black and attend the Club’s wild solstice masquerade, the biggest party of the year, on a mysterious errand she can’t say no to.
Before the night is over, she will become the custodian of a horrifying secret – and the target of a mysterious hunter.
As Nina runs across an alternate Philadelphia balanced on a knife’s edge between celebration and catastrophe – through parades, worship houses, museums, hidden mansions, and the place she once called home – she’s forced to confront her past so she can finally take charge of her own, and perhaps everyone else’s, future.
A wholly original blend of feminism, cli-fi, suspense and magical realism, Saturnalia is a story about environmental collapse and class warfare, trauma and rebirth, and magic – the extraordinary, ancient magic of alchemy and the ordinary, timeless magic of bravery and forgiveness.
Pre-order here*
Too Far (Blacklist 2) by Sylvia Day
Published October 26th by Michael Joseph
Romance Fiction, Romantic Comedy, Thriller, Psychological Thriller, Book Series
SYNOPSIS:
From the No. 1 Sunday Times bestselling author of the Crossfire saga comes the conclusion of a twisty tale of three women fighting to outrun their pasts-one for love, one for power and one for revenge.
Lily Black was presumed dead for years.
Now, she’s back in the unquestioning arms of her loving husband, Kane.
Where she’s been remains a mystery, but her past sins haunt her and bring deadly danger into the lives of the family.
Meanwhile Aliyah, Kane’s mother, has worked hard for her position of power. She has never believed Lily is who she says she is, and will stop at nothing to expose her.
Amy, Kane’s sister-in-law, has always been a pawn in the dangerous games this family plays. But she knows she deserves more, and will do anything to claim the biggest prize.
Three women fight to outrun their pasts.
But could they have more in common than they think?
Pre-order here*
Welcome to the Hyunam-dong Bookshop by Hwang Bo-reum
Published October 26th by Bloomsbury Publishing
Literary Fiction
SYNOPSIS:
There was only one thing on her mind.
‘I must start a bookshop.’
Yeongju did everything she was supposed to, go to university, marry a decent man, get a respectable job. Then it all fell apart. Burned out, Yeongju abandons her old life, quits her high-flying career, and follows her dream. She opens a bookshop.
In a quaint neighbourhood in Seoul, surrounded by books, Yeongju and her customers take refuge. From the lonely barista to the unhappily married coffee roaster, and the writer who sees something special in Yeongju – they all have disappointments in their past. The Hyunam-dong Bookshop becomes the place where they all learn how to truly live.
A heart-warming story about finding comfort and acceptance in your life – and the healing power of books.
Pre-order here*
Midnight at the Christmas Bookshop by Jenny Colgan
Published by October 26th by Sphere
Romance Novel, Romantic Comedy, Holiday Fiction
SYNOPSIS:
Wrap up warm and watch the snowflakes fall, the Christmas bookshop welcomes you home…
_______________
The brand new feel-good Christmas novel from Sunday Times top ten bestselling author, Jenny Colgan.
Carmen is at a loose end. Her gorgeous bookshop is the filming site of a cheesy Christmas movie, she’s been ousted from her sister’s house, and the love of her life has just flown thousands of miles away. It’s threatening to be a very unjolly Christmas indeed!
But when the elderly owner of the shop comes to Carmen with a Christmas wish that threatens to never come true, Carmen knows she must buckle down to get the funds to save not only his trip, but the shop itself. While fending off a shady tatt-selling businessman, Carmen discovers wonders to the shop she could have never imagined, and opens a labyrinth of bookish backrooms for the customers to get lost in.
With her deadline looming, it might take more than a fresh coat of paint to solve Carmen’s problems. But with the help of their neighbours, her nieces and nephew, and a very distractingly cute male nanny, Carmen might just pull her greatest magic trick yet…
Pre-order here*
The Snow Girl by Sophie Anderson
Published October 26th by Usborne Publishing
Young Adult Fiction
SYNOPSIS:
From award-winning and critically acclaimed Sophie Anderson, comes a fairy-tale story of friendship, belonging and bravery, in an adventure through a winter wonderland. The perfect read for the whole family this Christmas.
I wish the snow girl would come to life. Then I would have a friend, a real friend I could trust, and I wouldn’t feel so alone.
When Tasha builds a snow girl with her grandpa, all she wants is for her to be real. If only wishes on snow could come true… Then Tasha meets Alyana, a friend made of wishes, starlight, snowfall and magic. But when your best friend is made of winter, what do you do when spring comes?
Pre-order here*
Normal Women: 900 Years of Making History by Philippa Gregory
Published October 26th by William Collins
Historical Biographies
SYNOPSIS:
FROM THE MULTI-MILLION BESTSELLING HISTORICAL NOVELIST COMES THE CULMINATION OF HER LIFE’S WORK.
Normal Women is a radical retelling of our nation’s story – not of the rise and fall of kings and the occasional queen – but of social and cultural change, powered by the determination, persistence and effectiveness of women– from 1066 to modern times.
Did women really do nothing to shape England’s culture and traditions in nine centuries of turmoil, plague, famine, religious reform and the rise of empire and industry? Philippa Gregory answers this question with accounts of female soldiers, guild widows, highwaywomen, pirates, miners and ship owners, international traders, theatre impresarios, runaway enslaved women, ‘female husbands’, social campaigners and rebels. These individuals, and the prejudice they faced, built our society to be as diverse and varied as the women themselves. This is not another book about three or four well-known heroines; it is a book about millions of women: those who left records and those who were ‘hidden from history.’
The ‘normal women’ you will meet in these pages rode in jousts, flew Spitfires, issued their own currency, and built ships, corn mills and houses as part of their everyday lives. They went to war, ploughed the fields, campaigned, wrote, and loved. They committed crimes, or treason, worshipped many gods, cooked and nursed, invented things and rioted. A lot.
A landmark work of scholarship and storytelling, this is a history, not a call to action. It looks back at the past lives of half the population – without the judgemental gaze of the present; telling of women who did not want the vote, as well as those that did, those that wanted to be idle at home as well as those who fought for freedom. It is not – it cannot be – a celebration of women’s ‘rise’; because women are still not yet equal. But by spotlighting women’s presence, in the shadows of men’s history, it puts women where they belong – centre stage.
Pre-order here*
Sweetpea by C. J. Skuse (Sweetpea Series Book 1)
Re-issued October 26th by HQ
Thriller, Mystery, Dark Comedy, Suspense, Psychological Fiction, Police Procedural, Crime Series, Humorous Fiction
SYNOPSIS:
‘If you like your thrillers darkly comic and outrageous this ticks all the boxes’ The Sun
The last person who called me ‘Sweetpea’ ended up dead…
’I haven’t killed anyone for three years and I thought that when it happened again I’d feel bad. Like an alcoholic taking a sip of whisky. But no. Nothing. I had a blissful night’s sleep. Didn’t wake up at all. And for once, no bad dream either. This morning I feel balanced. Almost sane, for once.’
Rhiannon is your average girl next door, settled with her boyfriend and little dog…but she’s got a killer secret.
Although her childhood was haunted by a famous crime, Rhinannon’s life is normal now that her celebrity has dwindled. By day her job as an editorial assistant is demeaning and unsatisfying. By evening she dutifully listens to her friend’s plans for marriage and babies whilst secretly making a list.
A kill list.
From the man on the Lidl checkout who always mishandles her apples, to the driver who cuts her off on her way to work, to the people who have got it coming, Rhiannon’s ready to get her revenge.
Because the girl everyone overlooks might be able to get away with murder…
Pre-order here*
Hunger Games: The Deluxe Collection by Suzanne Collins
Published October 26th by Scholastic
Young Adult Fiction, Science Fiction, Thriller, Adventure Fiction, Alternative History, Dystopian Fiction, Children’s Literature
SYNOPSIS:
This beautiful deluxe hardcover box set includes all three books in Suzanne Collins’s internationally bestselling Hunger Games trilogy together with The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes.
With brand new artwork by Freya Betts: this is a must-have collection for all fans of this groundbreaking, phenomenally bestselling series.
There is only one rule: kill or be killed.
In the ruins of a place once known as North America lies the nation of Panem, a shining Capitol surrounded by twelve outlying districts. The Capitol keeps the districts in line by forcing them all to send one boy and one girl between the ages of twelve and eighteen to participate in the annual Hunger Games, a fight to the death on live TV…
And the odds are against all who play.
- With all four of Suzanne Collins’s Hunger Games novels in one box set, you can step into the world of Panem with the 10th annual Hunger Games, and continue all the way to the electrifying conclusion.
- All four books have been made into feature films, the first three starring Jennifer Lawence, Liam Hemsworth, Josh Hutcherson, Stanley Tucci, Elizabeth Banks and Donald Sutherland.
- The fourth movie of The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes, is released November 2023 and has an all-star cast including Tom Blyth, Rachel Zegler, Viola Davis and Peter Dinklage.
BOOKS INCLUDED IN THE BOXSET
- The Hunger Games
- Catching Fire
- Mockingjay
- The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes
ABOUT THE NEW COVERS
To celebrate the release of Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes feature film, Freya Betts has taken the four iconic logos and added a modern twist.
Freya is a UK based freelance illustrator who focuses on hyper-realistic portraiture, mainly in the medium of digital painting. She has worked predominantly in the film industry – her journey beginning with an apprenticeship at age 18, art-working film campaigns for Universal and Paramount in London.
Now she finds herself illustrating film posters for Disney and Marvel, her work has appeared everywhere from giant murals in New York to t-shirts in H&M. Clients include: Disney, Netflix, Marvel, Apple TV, Uber, Royal Mail, The LA Times
Pre-order here*
Starling House by Alix E. Harrow
Published October 31st by Tor
Fantasy Fiction, Gothic Fiction, Gothic Fairytale, Dark Fiction, Contemporary Fantasy, Fairy Tales, Myth & Fairy Tales
SYNOPSIS:
‘Alix E. Harrow is an exceptional, undeniable talent’ – Olivie Blake
Step into Starling House – if you dare . . . Alix E. Harrow reimagines Beauty and the Beast in this gorgeously modern gothic fantasy, perfect for fans of V.E. Schwab and Naomi Novik.
Nobody in Eden remembers when Starling House was built. But the town agrees it’s best to let this ill-omened mansion – and its last lonely heir – go to hell. Stories of the house’s bad luck, like good china, have been passed down the generations.
Opal knows better than to mess with haunted houses, or brooding men. But when an opportunity to work there arises, the money might get her brother out of Eden. Starling House is uncanny and full of secrets – just like Arthur, its heir. It also feels strangely, dangerously, like something she’s never had: a home. Yet Opal isn’t the only one interested in the horrors and the wonders that lie buried beneath it.
Sinister forces converge on Eden – and Opal realizes that if she wants a home, she’ll have to fight for it. Even if it involves digging up her family’s ugly past to achieve a better future. She’ll have to go down, deep down beneath Starling House, to claw her way back to the light . . .
This is a romantic and spellbinding Gothic fairytale from Hugo, Nebula and Locus Award-shortlisted Alix E. Harrow.
Pre-order here*
Edith Holler by Edward Carey
Pubished October 31st by Riverhead Books
Historical Fiction, Gothic Fiction, Literary Fiction
SYNOPSIS:
The witty and entrancing story of a young woman trapped in a ramshackle English playhouse–and the mysterious figure who threatens the its very survival
The year is 1901. England’s beloved queen has died, and her aging son has finally taken the throne. In the eastern city of Norwich, bright and inquisitive young Edith Holler spends her days among the boisterous denizens of the Holler Theatre, warned by her domineering father that the playhouse will literally tumble down if she should ever leave its confines. Fascinated by tales of the city she knows only from afar, she decides to write a play of her own: a stage adaptation of the legend of Mawther Meg, a monstrous figure said to have used the blood of countless children to make the local delicacy known as Beetle Spread. But when her father suddenly announces his engagement to a peculiar, imposing woman named Margaret Unthank, heir to the actual Beetle Spread fortune, Edith scrambles to protect her father, the theatre, and her play–the one thing that’s truly hers–from the newcomer’s sinister designs.
Teeming with unforgettable characters and illuminated by the author’s trademark fantastical illustrations, Edith Holler is a surprisingly modern fable of one young woman’s struggle to escape her family’s control–and to reveal inconvenient truths about the way children are used.
Pre-order here
********
Emma's Biblio Treasures 