I’m Not Done With You Yet by Jesse Q. Sutanto
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Some friends–and friendships–are worth killing for in this dark, twisty suspense novel by national bestselling author Jesse Q. Sutanto.

The Invisible Hour by Alice Hoffman
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From the beloved New York Times bestselling author of The Marriage of Opposites and the Practical Magic series comes an enchanting novel about love, heartbreak, self-discovery, and the enduring magic of books.

None of This Is True by Lisa Jewell
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Lisa Jewell returns with a scintillating new psychological thriller about a woman who finds herself the subject of her own popular true crime podcast.

The Hurricane Blonde by Halley Sutton
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A former child starlet is plunged back into the dangerous glitter of Hollywood after discovering a young actress’s body in this scorching thriller about the deadly sides of both fame and family.

Oh God, The Sun Goes By David Connor
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Oh God, the Sun Goes is a hallucinatory and deadpan picaresque that suddenly swerves into a love story of soaring poignance. Truly “the stuff that dreams are made of” – or maybe nightmares?

Under the Tamarind Tree by Nigar Alam
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A compellingly heartbreaking debut novel about the echoes of Partition and four friends whose dark secrets lead to a life-changing night that comes back to haunt them decades later.

The Trap by Catherine Ryan Howard
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From award-winning, internationally bestselling crime writer Catherine Ryan Howard comes The Trap: an unsettling mystery inspired by a series of still-unsolved disappearances in Ireland in the nineties, wherein one young woman risks everything to catch a faceless killer.

Learned by Heart by Emma Donoghue
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A heartbreakingly gorgeous novel based on the true story of two girls who fall secretly, deeply, and dangerously in love at boarding school in 19th century York, from the bestselling author of Room and The Wonder.

The Continental Affair by Christine Mangan
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With gorgeous prose, European glamour, and an expansive wanderlust, Christine Mangan’s The Continental Affair is a daring literary caper that is quick on its feet and delightfully surprising.

After That Night by Karin Slaughter
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Will Trent and Sara Linton are back in an electrifying thriller featuring GBI investigator Will Trent and medical examiner Sara Linton from New York Times bestselling author Karin Slaughter.

Dark Corners by Megan Goldin
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Rachel Krall, the true crime podcaster star of Megan Goldin’s acclaimed The Night Swim, returns to search for a popular influencer who disappears after visiting a suspected serial killer.

Good Bad Girl by Alice Feeney
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Our Queen of Twists, bestselling author of Daisy Darker and Rock Paper Scissors Alice Feeney, returns with another thrilling mystery filled with drama and her trademark surprises.

Family Lore by Elizabeth Acevedo
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From the bestselling, National Book Award–winning author Elizabeth Acevedo comes her first novel for adults, the story of one Dominican American family told through the voices of its women as they await a gathering that will forever change their lives.

The Heaven & Earth Grocery Store by James McBride
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From James McBride, author of the bestselling Oprah’s Book Club pick Deacon King Kong and the National Book Award–winning The Good Lord Bird, a novel about small-town secrets and the people who keep them

Tom Lake by Ann Patchett
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In this beautiful and moving novel about family, love, and growing up, Ann Patchett once again proves herself one of America’s finest writers.

Mister Magic by Kiersten White
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Who is Mister Magic? Former child stars reunite to uncover the tragedy that ended their show—and discover the secret of its enigmatic host—in this dark supernatural thriller from the #1 New York Times bestselling author of Hide.

What August fiction releases are you looking forward to reading? Tell us in the comments below!

The post August 2023 Fiction Book Releases appeared first on The Nerd Daily.

Read on to discover just a few of our picks and let us know if you’ll be checking any of them out!

Guardians of the Dawn: Zhara by S. Jae-Jones
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Sailor Moon meets Cinder in Guardians of Dawn: Zhara, the start of a new, richly imagined fantasy series from S. Jae-Jones, the New York Times bestselling author of Wintersong.

Accidentally in Love by Danielle Jackson
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A delightful rom-com where grumpy-meets-sunshine collides with enemies-to-lovers in this perfect summer novel, written for fans of Kate Stayman-London, Olivia Dade, and Denise Williams.

The Water Outlaws by S.L. Huang
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Inspired by a classic of martial arts literature, S. L. Huang’s The Water Outlaws are bandits of devastating ruthlessness, unseemly femininity, dangerous philosophies, and ungovernable gender who are ready to make history—or tear it apart.

Teach the Torches to Burn: A Romeo & Juliet Remix by Caleb Roehrig
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In the Remixed Classics series, authors from marginalized backgrounds reinterpret classic works through their own cultural lens to subvert the overwhelming cishet, white, and male canon. Queer star-crossed love amid a centuries-old feud takes center stage in this Romeo & Juliet remix that knows sometimes, the best way is to make it gay.

The Trap by Catherine Ryan Howard
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From award-winning, internationally bestselling crime writer Catherine Ryan Howard comes The Trap: an unsettling mystery inspired by a series of still-unsolved disappearances in Ireland in the 90s, wherein one young woman risks everything to catch a faceless killer.

House of Odysseus by Claire North
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This “powerful, fresh, and unflinching” reimagining from the award-winning author of the Penelope trilogy breathes life into ancient myth and gives voice to the women who stand defiant in a world ruled by ruthless men (Jennifer Saint).

Night of the Living Queers: 13 Tales of Terror Delight
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Night of the Living Queers is a YA horror anthology that explores a night when anything is possible, exclusively featuring queer authors of color putting fresh spins on classic horror tropes and tales.

Kiss the Girl by Zoraida Córdova
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A modern tale of unexpectedly falling in love and finding your voice, Kiss the Girl is the highly anticipated third installment in the acclaimed and best-selling Meant to Be collection.

The Blonde Identity by Ally Carter
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The New York Times bestselling YA author of the beloved Gallagher Girls series bursts onto the adult scene with a fast-paced, hilarious road trip rom-com about a woman with amnesia who discovers she’s the identical twin sister of a rogue spy… and must team up with a rugged, grumpy operative to stay alive.

More Perfect by Temi Oh
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A reimagining of the Greek myth of Eurydice and Orpheus, for fans of Becky Chambers and William Gibson by Alex Award–winning author Temi Oh.

Delicate Condition by Danielle Valentine
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The Push meets The Silent Patient in a gripping thriller that follows a woman convinced a sinister figure is going to great lengths to make sure her pregnancy never happens—while the men in her life refuse to believe a word she says.

With Love, from Cold World by Alicia Thompson
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She has a to-do list a mile long and falling for her coworker isn’t on it–yet somehow he’s become her top priority in this romantic comedy from the national bestselling author of Love in the Time of Serial Killers.

What August book releases are you looking forward to? Tell us in the comments below!

The post August 2023 Book Releases appeared first on The Nerd Daily.

Intrigued? Well read on to discover the synopsis and an excerpt from Catherine Ryan Howard’s The Trap, which is out August 1st.

One year ago, Lucy’s sister, Nicki, left to meet friends at a pub in Dublin and never came home. The third Irish woman to vanish inexplicably in as many years, the agony of not knowing what happened that night has turned Lucy’s life into a waking nightmare. So, she’s going to take matters into her own hands.

Angela works as a civilian paper-pusher in the Missing Persons Unit, but wants nothing more than to be a fully-fledged member of An Garda Síochána, the Irish police force. With the official investigation into the missing women stalled, she begins pulling on a thread that could break the case wide open—and destroy her chances of ever joining the force.

A nameless man drives through the night, his latest victim in the back seat. He’s going to tell her everything, from the beginning. And soon, she’ll realize: what you don’t know can hurt you …

CHAPTER ONE

She’d been out-out, and town had been busy. Stumbled out of the club to discover that there wasn’t a taxi to be had. Spent an hour trying to flag one down with one hand while trying to hail one via an app with the other until, resigned, she’d pushed her way on to a packed night bus headed not far enough in sort of the right direction. Her plan was to call someone at its terminus, apologize for waking them and ask them to come get her, but by the time she got there—to a tiny country village that was sleepy by day and empty by night—her phone had died. She’d been the last passenger and the bus had driven off before she could think to ask the driver if she could perhaps borrow his phone. It was four in the morning and beginning to drizzle, so she’d started walking. Because, really, what other choice did she have?

This is the story she tells herself as she leaves the village and crosses into the dark its streetlights had been holding back.

All around her, the night seems to thrum with disapproval.

Silly girl. This is exactly the kind of thing your mother told you not to do. There has to be some kind of personal responsibility, doesn’t there?

An ex-boyfriend had once told her that his favorite part of a night out was the walk home. Just him and his thoughts on deserted streets, the evening’s fun still warm in his chest. He had no tense wait for a taxi. He didn’t need to walk to the front door with his keys squeezed between his fingers, ready to scratch, to disable. He had never texted a thumbs-up emoji to anyone before he went to sleep so that they could go to sleep as well.

The part of the night he loved was the part she had to survive.

When she’d told him this, he’d pulled her close and kissed her face and whispered, “I’m so sorry that you think that’s the world you live in,” in so patronizing a tone that, for a brief moment, she’d considered using her keys on his scrotum.

The drizzle gives way to a driving rain. When the footpath runs out, her high heels make her stumble on the crumbling surface of the road. The balls of her feet burn and the ankle strap on the right one is rubbing her skin away.

For a while, there’s a watery moonlight inviting forms to take on a shape and step out of the night—a telephone pole, a hedgerow, a pothole—but then the road twists into a tunnel of overhanging trees and the dark solidifies. She can’t see her own legs below the hem of her dress now. Her body is literally disappearing into the night. And then, through the roar of the rain— A mechanical whine.

Getting louder.

She thinks engine and turns just in time to be blinded by a pair of sweeping high beams. Twin orbs are still floating in her vision when the car jerks to a stop alongside her. Silver, some make of saloon. She stops too. The passenger window descends in a smooth, electronic motion and a voice says, “You all right there?”

She dips her head so she can see inside.

There’s a pair of legs in the driver’s seat, lit by the blue glow of the dashboard display, wearing jeans.

“Ah . . . Yeah.” She bends lower again to align her face with the open window just as the driver switches on the ceiling light. He is a man in his thirties, with short red hair and a splotchy pink face of irritated skin. His T-shirt is on inside out; she can see the seams and, at the back of his neck, the tag. There are various discarded items in the passenger-side footwell: fast-food wrappers, a tabloid newspaper, a single muddy hiking boot. In the back, there’s a baby seat with a little stuffed green thing belted into it. “I got off the night bus back in the village, and I was going to ring for a lift but—”

“Sorry.” The man taps a forefinger to a spot just behind his left ear, a move which makes her think of her late mother applying a perfume she seemed to fear was too expensive to ever actually spritz. “My hearing isn’t great.”

“I got off the night bus,” she says, louder this time.

He leans towards her, frowning. “Say again?”

The passenger side window isn’t all the way down. An inch or so of glass digs into the palm of her hand when she puts it on the door and leans her head and shoulders into the opening, far enough for the roar of the rain to fall away into the background, for the sickly sweet smell of a pine air freshener to reach her nostrils and—it occurs to her—for the balance of her body weight to be inside the car.

If he suddenly drove off, he’d take her with him.

“I got off the night bus in the village,” she says. “I was going to ring home for a lift, but my phone died.”

She pulls the device from her pocket, a dead black mirror, and shows it to him.

“Ah, feck,” he says. “And I came out without mine. Although maybe . . .” He starts rooting around, checking the cubbyholes in the driver’s door, the cup holders between the front seats, inside the glove box. There seems to be a lot of stuff in the car, but not whatever he’s looking for. “I thought I might have a charger, but no. Sorry.” “It’s OK,” she says automatically.

“Look, I’m only going as far as the Circle K, but they’re open twenty-four hours and they have that little seating area at the back. Maybe you could borrow a charger off someone there. Or they might even let you use their phone. It’d be a better place to wait, at least?”

“Yeah.” She pulls back, out of the window, and looks down the road into the empty black. “Is it far?”

“Five-minute drive.” He’s already reaching to push open the passenger door and she steps back to make room for the swing of its arc. “Hop in.”

Somehow, the last moment in which she could’ve decided not to do this has passed her by. Because if she steps back now, pushes the passenger door closed and says, “Thanks, but I think I’ll walk,” she may as well say, “Thanks for your kindness, but I think you might be a monster so please leave me alone.”

And if he is a monster, then he won’t have to pretend not to be anymore, and she won’t be able to outrun him, not out here, not in these shoes—and where is there to run to?

And if he isn’t a monster, well, then . . .

It’s perfectly safe to get in the car. She gets in the car.

The post Read An Excerpt From ‘The Trap’ by Catherine Ryan Howard appeared first on The Nerd Daily.

This is, however, a perfect book club choice or “buddy read” as there are so many things to discuss as the story plays out. Personally, I was very few pages in when I called my best friend and told her she had to read this book next because I needed to talk about it!

56 Days is set in Ireland, where Oliver and Ciara have just met and started dating at the same time COVID-19 appears in their country. When a national lockdown is scheduled to begin only a short time later, they take the plunge and decide to move in together during the lockdown to give the relationship a chance to develop, as the alternative would be total isolation from each other at such an early stage of their budding relationship.

The book opens though, with police detectives arriving at Oliver’s apartment “today” and finding a decomposing body.

Told through flashbacks of different times (both before and during the lockdown), and from multiple perspectives, 56 Days gives the reader an almost 360-degree view of Oliver and Ciara, their young relationship, their individual motivations, and their secrets.

Howard crafts the story in a methodical and deliberate manner, giving the reader a scenario through one character’s eyes, then later builds on that with another character’s perspective of the same event, but without getting repetitive or dragging down the action or pacing. As she peels back the lies that hide the half-truths that cover the secrets, the author gives us that perfect book-club discussion opportunity: “When did you know —?”, or “Well, when did you figure out —-?”

Other than those readers who simply refuse to read books that include the COVID-19 pandemic (I get it, sometimes we read to escape reality—not to read more about it) 56 Days is highly recommended for any fan of psychological suspense.

56 Days is available from Amazon, Book Depository, and other good book retailers, like your local bookstore.

Will you be picking up 56 Days? Tell us in the comments below!

Synopsis | Goodreads

No one knew they’d moved in together. Now one of them is dead. Could this be the perfect murder?

56 DAYS AGO
Ciara and Oliver meet in a supermarket queue in Dublin the same week Covid-19 reaches Irish shores.

35 DAYS AGO
When lockdown threatens to keep them apart, Oliver suggests that Ciara move in with him. She sees a unique opportunity for a new relationship to flourish without the pressure of scrutiny of family and friends. He sees it as an opportunity to hide who – and what – he really is.

TODAY
Detectives arrive at Oliver’s apartment to discover a decomposing body inside.

Will they be able to determine what really happened, or has lockdown provided someone with the opportunity to commit the perfect crime?

The post Review: 56 Days by Catherine Ryan Howard appeared first on The Nerd Daily.

Read on to discover some of our picks and tell us in the comments below if you’re looking forward to any of them!

Fresh by Margot Wood
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A hilarious and vulnerable coming-of-age story about the thrilling new experiences––and missteps––of a girl’s freshman year of college.

If the Shoe Fits by Julie Murphy
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Best-selling author Julie Murphy’s reimagining of a beloved fairy tale is an enchanting story of self-love and believing in the happy ending each and every one of us deserves.

Velvet Was the Night by Silvia Moreno-Garcia
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From the New York Times bestselling author of Mexican Gothic comes a “delicious, twisted treat for lovers of noir” about a daydreaming secretary, a lonesome enforcer, and the mystery of a missing woman they’re both desperate to find.

In the Wild Light by Jeff Zentner
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From the award-winning author of The Serpent King comes a beautiful examination of grief, found family, and young love.

The Pariah by Anthony Ryan
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The Pariah begins a new epic fantasy series of action, intrigue and magic from Anthony Ryan, a master storyteller who has taken the fantasy world by storm.

56 Days by Catherine Ryan Howard
Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository

No one knew they’d moved in together. Now one of them is dead. Could this be the perfect murder? Will they be able to determine what really happened, or has lockdown provided someone with the opportunity to commit the perfect crime?

The Last Chance Library by Freya Sampson
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June Jones emerges from her shell to fight for her beloved local library, and through the efforts and support of an eclectic group of library patrons, she discovers life-changing friendships along the way.

The Dead and the Dark by Courtney Gould
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Courtney Gould’s thrilling debut The Dead and the Dark is about the things that lurk in dark corners, the parts of you that can’t remain hidden, and about finding home in places―and people―you didn’t expect.

The Heart Principle by Helen Hoang
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A woman struggling with burnout learns to embrace the unexpected—and the man she enlists to help her—in this heartfelt new romance by USA Today bestselling author Helen Hoang.

The Desert Prince by Peter V. Brett
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A brand-new epic fantasy adventure set in the beloved world of the Demon Cycle, following a new generation of heroes, from New York Times bestselling author Peter V. Brett.

A Lesson in Vengeance by Victoria Lee
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For fans of Wilder Girls and Ninth House comes a dark, twisty, atmospheric thriller about a boarding school haunted by its history of witchcraft and two girls dangerously close to digging up the past.

Ghost Girl by Ally Malinenko
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Perfect for fans of Small Spaces and Nightbooks, Ally Malinenko’s middle-grade debut is an empowering and triumphant ghost story—with spooky twists sure to give readers a few good goosebumps!

What August 2021 books are you looking forward to? Tell us in the comments below!

The post August 2021 Book Releases appeared first on The Nerd Daily.