O Murder Night by J.T. Ellison

Chapter 1
Western Coast of Ireland
1935

When Yeats O’Malley was thirty-seven years old, he bought a crumbling old manor house by a small inlet of the Carrowbeg River on the western coast of Ireland. It was a crowning glory moment for him, an achievement he’d spent a decade working toward. The house had a long and storied but unverifiable history, as parts of the foundation’s stone walls and the dungeon, including the terrifying oubliette, dated back to the sixteenth century and the pirate days of the queen of the seas, Granuaile – Grace O’Malley. It was supposedly built on the site where her castle was originally situated. The woman who would not bow to the queen of England.

He shared the pirate’s surname, though he wasn’t related to her bloodline. It mattered not; what he shared with Granuaile was the mythical call of more… that something waited for him, something bigger than himself. The house was only the beginning.

They called it Edge House, because it sat on the edge of the inlet, perched above the water so close that a spring king tide would make the river rise high enough to kiss the first-floor windows.

Its most recent owner before Yeats was a famed mystery writer with one hundred books to her name who, rather inconveniently, had gone missing on Christmas Eve eleven years earlier, never to be seen again. There were rumors, of course, that she faked her own death because the pressure of her illustrious career was getting to her, or that her lover was a cheat and a liar and killed her outright, or that she’d drowned in the river that swept the shores of the manor’s gardens after a late-night ramble.

Yeats didn’t particularly care about the truth of her disappearance, only that the manor was at last available, and in disrepair, which hurt his soul. It needed millions to renovate: the roof was gone in certain spots; the walls were turning black with mold. He had just enough cash to buy the place and strip the walls back to the original stone before his accounts ran dry.

So he held a party. A Christmas Eve fundraiser. He invited everyone he knew, and the local press, and charged 1000 punt a head.

Fifteen people came.

The great ballroom was decked out and empty. He had a month’s worth of food he was forced to donate to the tent people camped on the manor’s grounds, those starving wastrels he hated to look upon, he with the largesse they had not, and egg on his very handsome face.

Insult to injury, 15,000 was only enough to patch one corner of the roof.

He knew if he could make the manor a destination, he could raise the remaining five million to renovate the old gal properly. So two weeks and seven bottles of fine Irish whiskey later, Yeats got creative. People might not be willing to give him money to renovate his dream home, but they would certainly come to see where the infamous Agnes Sweet was last seen.

With permission from her family, whom he promised a substantial cut (but never delivered, the last of them having passed away before he finished, and who needs money when you’re dead?) he turned the house into a shrine. He wrote an emotional script that described the history of the house, the circumstances of Agnes’ disappearance, and a few suppositions of her death, and hired a couple of local boys to conduct tours, making sure they ended in the dungeons. It was a salacious tale: A century earlier, a small door had been carved into the wall to access a cat that had fallen through the angstloch and become trapped inside the oubliette, and all manner of horrors had been found. The local archeology team had excavated skeleton after skeleton. Lord knows how many had perished after being shoved through the angstloch. Though now covered with a small wooden trapdoor that was always kept locked, it gave him the chills. He had to pass the short hallway that housed the fear hole, as it was sometimes called, on his way to the wine cave, and every time he felt as if the eyes of the dead were upon him.

It was cold and damp down there, perfectly spooky, and struck just the right note for an afternoon learning about a missing mystery writer. The patrons would stick their heads in, feel that ominous chill, and back away, happy to return to the surface.

Bolstered by the warm reception to his newfound profit scheme, he opened a bookshop off the grand dining room, stocked all of Agnes’ titles, as well as several avant-garde biographies done on her life and career. He hired a local watercolorist to paint the house and grounds (imagining them lush and green, of course), and hung the art all over the house with discreet gold price tags dangling from the frames. The art sold as well as the books; the artist became famous and moved to Dublin. Yeats held weekly movie nights, a rare treat, showing the adaptations of Agnes’ most famous novels. He commissioned a bespoke brand of tea, Irish breakfast with a hint of whiskey on the finish, which was a huge hit. He forced out the tent people and opened a section of the grounds to proper caravaners, stocked the pond with trout, and started a flora and fauna tour for the outdoorsy types.

The first year, he was able to repair the rest of the roof and plaster the walls. The second, he restored the oak and ebony parquet floors and the soaring Sicilian marble staircase. And the third, he opened the second-floor bedrooms to private groups, usually writers who wanted to soak up the glory of their hero’s creative space, or the ghoulish, who came convinced the place was haunted.

It was, of course – it was too old not to be – but Yeats himself had never seen a spirit. The lore, though, grew and grew. There was a five-foot marble statue in the stairwell of an angelic woman, and some said if you stood at the base of the stairs at midnight during a full moon, she would glow red with the spirit of Agnes Sweet herself. That sort of nonsense made everyone want to visit. He’d only noticed something odd about the statue once, and he wasn’t eager to repeat the experience. Yeats wasn’t a superstitious man, either.

Year five, he threw the Christmas Eve party again. They capped the attendees at one thousand; the waiting list was three times that.

Yes, Yeats O’Malley had struck gold.

But all veins run dry eventually.

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In these stories, dear student, retribution visits a lothario lecturer; the sinister truth is revealed about a missing professor; a forsaken lover uses a séance for revenge; an obsession blooms about a possible illicit affair; two graduates exhume the secrets of a reclusive scholar; horrors are uncovered in an obscure academic department; five hopeful initiates must complete a murderous task and much more!

In These Hallowed Halls is a brand-new stories from Olivie Blake, M.L. Rio, David Bell, Susie Yang, Layne Fargo, J.T. Ellison, James Tate Hill, Kelly Andrew, Phoebe Wynne, Kate Weinberg, Helen Grant, and Tori Bovalino.

INTRODUCTION
Marie O’Regan and Paul Kane

Dark Academia.

What do those words conjure up for you? Mysterious and dangerous occurrences in various seats of learning? Students, and sometimes their tutors, in peril? Murder? Magic? Ghosts? Dusty books in old libraries? Clandestine cults and secret societies devoted to ancient rituals? All or none of the above?

If you’re new to the subject, you’ve picked the perfect place to start. If you’re already a fan, then we think you’re going to love what we’ve got in store for you within these pages! In the last few years the phenomenon of Dark Academia has, quite literally, exploded. Fuelled by book clubs on social media platforms like Tumblr and Instagram, where people discuss classic and Gothic books, this wave developed into a subculture in its own right that grew even more popular during the pandemic and lockdowns. Let’s face it, there wasn’t much else to do during those times than watch things and read.

Books like Donna Tartt’s The Secret History, the Harry Potter series and classics such as Oscar Wilde’s The Picture of Dorian Gray and the ghost stories of M. R. James have all been credited as inspiring the trend, as well as films like Love Story, Dead Poets Society and Cruel Intentions, not to mention more recent TV shows like A Discovery of Witches (based on the excellent novels by Deborah Harkness), A Series of Unfortunate Events and The Queen’s Gambit, which all helped to fan the flames.

So, you can imagine our delight when we were asked to edit this anthology and gather together some of the finest exponents of this type of fiction around. Author of The Atlas Six and The Atlas Paradox, Olivie Blake, brings you a timely and unique social commentary – which still connects to the past – in her story “Pythia”, while M. L. Rio (If We Were Villains) reminds us of the pitfalls and potential benefits of being in the wrong place at the right time – or perhaps that should be the right place at the wrong time? – in “Weekend at Bertie’s”.
The author who brought you novels such as Good Girls Lie and Her Dark Lies, J. T. Ellison, and Tori Bovalino – who wrote The Devil Makes Three and Not Good for Maidens – show us the real dark side of Dark Academia in “X House” and “Phobos” respectively. Whereas Helen Grant (Ghost and Too Near the Dead), Layne Fargo (Temper and They Never Learn) and Kelly Andrew (The Whispering Dark) introduce us to the disturbing strangeness of the subject in “The Professor of Ontography”, “The Ravages” and “The Hare and the Hound”.
Both Kate Weinberg and James Tate Hill return us to the worlds of their books (The Truants, and Blind Man’s Buff, Academy Gothic) in their stories “1000 Ships” and “Sabbatical”. Author of Kill All Your Darlings and The Finalists, David Bell, presents us with a thought-provoking tale, “Four Funerals”, that will stay with you long after you’ve finished reading it, as will Phoebe Wynne’s (Madam, The Ruins) story “Playing” and its intriguing insights. All this plus Susie Yang (White Ivy) and her meditation on relationships, secrets and longing, “The Unknowable Pleasures”.

Excellent contributions by authors writing at the top of their game, showing the full range and power of what Dark Academia can do. So, settle back in your favourite reading spot with your favourite tipple, preferably surrounded by books, and let the lessons begin!

Marie O’Regan and Paul Kane
February 2023

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Hi, David! Welcome back! We last spoke 12 months ago. How have things been for you?

-have been going well. In November, I released my first YA suspense novel, SHE’S GONE, and to my great shock it spent two months on the New York Times bestseller list. I’m very excited for everyone to read my adult thriller, TRY NOT TO BREATHE, a book I’m very proud of.

Your latest novel, Try Not To Breathe, is out now! If you could only describe it in five words, what would they be?

Suspenseful, sisters, secrets, caves, marijuana

What can readers expect?

It’s a family story at its heart. Two half-sisters, who really don’t get along that well, are forced to work together when one of them runs away. In the process, they learn how much they really care for each other while also discovering some long-hidden secrets about their family. The surprises continue until the very last page.

Where did the inspiration for Try Not To Breathe come from?

I often write about families and family secrets. I can’t give anything away—either about the book or about my own life—but let’s just say I recently learned something suprising about my own family and used as inspiration for the book. You’ll know what I’m talking about when you get there…

Were there any moments or characters you really enjoyed writing or exploring?

I certainly enjoyed writing about the two sisters, Avery and Anna. They’re very different people, united by kind of growing up in the same house. They’re both flawed and have resentments toward each other, but like a lot of families, when the chips are down, they try to prove how deep their love runs. Maybe they’re not even aware of how deep their love for each other runs until their in the most extreme moments. And this book has a few extreme moments.

Did you find any particular scenes challenging to write?

I ended up doing a lot of research into cave systems in Kentucky, labor trafficking, and marjijuana farming. All of these things end up playing a prominent role in the story, and I learned a lot while writing the book.

You’ve had books published over the last 15 years. What are some of the key lessons you have learned as a writer?

A lot, I hope. But the big one remains the same across time—the market and the publishing business are unpredictable. No one really know what will succeed or not succeed or when or why. It’s best for a writer to figure out what they want to do and then do it to the best of their ability. Enduring and surviving are the most important things in this business. And it helps to have a few lucky bounces along the way.

What draws you to the thriller genre?

I hate to be bored as a reader or a writer. I want to read and write books that grab readers and keep them turning the pages as fast as they can. I’m trying to write the kinds of books that I would pick up in a bookstore and want to read. Thrillers are one of my favorite genres…although I guess I’d say every book should be a thriller, right? Every book should grab and thrill the reader.

What’s next for you?

I’ve completed two more books—one a YA novel called THE MIDNIGHT DRIVING CLUB, the other an adult thriller called STORM WARNING. Something tells me those titles could change, but I’m excited about both of those books. I had a lot of fun writing them and can’t wait for readers to see them.

Lastly, do you have any book recommendations for our readers?

So many great books to choose from these days. I recently read a great thriller called SIEGE OF SILENCE by AJ Quinnell. That’s a classic.

Will you be picking up Try Not To Breathe? Tell us in the comments below!

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Intrigued? Well we are thrilled to be revealing the cover for David Bell’s upcoming novel, Try Not To Breathe, along with an excerpt from Chapter 1! Releasing on June 27th 2023, Try Not To Breathe is available to pre-order.

A traumatic experience in the line of duty forces thirty-year-old Avery Rogers to abandon both her relationship and her position as a Kentucky State Police officer. She retreats to a college town where she works an unfulfilling job as a security guard, breaking up fights between drunken frat boys. 

But a frantic phone call turns Avery’s life upside down. Her father—a retired cop who never fails to convey his disappointment in Avery—says her half sister is missing and in danger. Avery is sure Anna’s just crashing with friends, but her father strong-arms her into searching for the sister she barely knows.

Anna Rogers is fed up with her family—a half sister who resents her existence and a domineering father who thinks it’s okay for cops to shoot unarmed civilians. She hits the road to attend a protest against police brutality, unaware of the danger that awaits her there. 

Just after catching a glimpse of Avery at the protest, Anna receives a shocking text. Now she’s no longer road-tripping; she’s running, pursued by an older sister she doesn’t trust and a violent stranger who has been stalking her for weeks. 

When Avery discovers Anna’s hiding place near a remote cave system, she risks everything to save her. Little do the sisters know that the past is catching up with them—including the explosive secret at the very heart of the Rogers family.

Chapter One 

Anna stepped out of the Uber.

               Correction—she stumbled out of the Uber.

               She steadied herself in the parking lot, waiting for the world to stop tilting. The driver, relieved to have deposited his drunk passenger, drove off into the night, red taillights glowing.

               “Thanks, man,” Anna muttered.

               The steps to her apartment rose ahead of her. One flight, but it might as well have been fifty. Why did she and Kayla sign a lease for a second-floor unit?

               The night sky was clear, a million stars like glowing dots. No wind, but it was cold. Anna shivered, tugged her jean jacket tighter. Her body shook. Just go inside, into your warm bed.

               The world stopped spinning. Anna mouthed a silent prayer of thanks. She told herself she’d never drink tequila again. She amended the statement right away—she would never drink anything again. She’d been partying too much, staying out too late. Failing out of school. Everything spiraling—

               Stop the out-of-control thoughts. Just get your ass inside.

               Anna started forward, stepping cautiously. Don’t rush, don’t fall. She dug in her purse, reaching for her keys. She knew Kayla would lock the door. Dependable, reliable Kayla. Asleep at eleven, homework finished. Dishes washed and put away. The next day’s clothes ready to go.

               Anna lived with her opposite. She loved Kayla dearly, but how did they become and stay such good friends?

               Anna grabbed the keys. Score. She hated to have to ring the bell, get Kayla out of bed to let her in. That had happened a few times. Missing keys, lost phone. Forgotten credit card. But not tonight—Anna made it home and gripped the keys as her foot hit the bottom step.

               Something moved on her left. From the corner of her eye, she saw it.

               The breath caught in her throat.

A figure coming from the direction of the building next door. A dark blur. A neighbor? Another drunk student?

               It couldn’t be him, could it?

The Midnight Rambler. The town pervert. A guy who’d been creeping around outside girls’ apartments, peeking in windows, watching girls sleep. But he hadn’t been spotted in their complex, and Anna thought he’d get caught soon or go away, some loser who didn’t know how to get laid on his own—

               Then the guy said something, called out a word in the dark.

               Did he really just say that? Her name?

               “Anna?”

               She froze, looked his way. His face remained obscured. He wore dark clothes, walked with his hands in his pants pockets. What was the name of the guy next door? The one who helped her get her car started the day she left her lights on? Was that him?

               Why was he slinking around outside the building at…It was after two. Anna stayed out until last call, slamming back one more shot before she summoned a ride.

               And did the dude next door even know her name?

               Maybe he’d said something else. Maybe he just said hello. Or maybe he’d said nothing, Anna just heard a branch scraping or the tequila caused auditory hallucinations. Her stomach turned when she thought of the number of shots she’d consumed. Why do I do this to myself? Inside. She needed to get inside. Bathroom, Tylenol, water, bed—

               She started up the stairs, turning away from the shadowy figure. She dismissed him. He wasn’t the Rambler. Just another drunken student, one of her brethren in late-night debauchery. Like her, he needed to get into his apartment, sleep off his drunk all while vowing never to do it again—

               “Anna?”

               Anna stopped again, halfway up. She looked back into the gloom. The man stood five feet back from the lowest step, his face still obscured. How did he know her name?

               And if he knew her name, if he was a friend, why did he linger in the dark? Why not come right out and speak to her in the light?

               Anna started up the stairs again. She missed the next step. Her foot came down on nothing but air, and her knees pounded against the concrete. Her eyes watered with pain.

               “Shit. Fuck.”

               She regained her footing, started up. Moving quickly, stepping carefully. She didn’t look back.

               She drew the keys out, eyed the lock. She prayed Kayla—who worried more about the Rambler than Anna ever did—hadn’t put the chain up as well.

               Anna’s key hit the lock, she turned. The lock stuck, as it sometimes did.

               No.

               The guy behind her started up the steps, heavy shoes against the concrete. Sweat popped out on Anna’s forehead. She jiggled the key, turned it again. Mercifully, the lock turned. Anna pushed, almost fell into the living room.

               “Kayla?”

               Anna spun, slammed the door shut, shaking the walls. Anna’s hands shook as she turned the lock, grabbed the chain and put it in place. Her heart jumped against her ribs like a bucking horse. She collapsed against the door, holding herself up.

               She risked a look. She pressed her eye to the peephole. With a fisheye view, she saw the dude on the landing, hands still stuffed in his pockets. He looked down, his face still obscured. He didn’t reach for the knob, but Anna worried he might. Maybe he’d try to kick the door in.

               “Anna?”

               She jumped a foot, almost screamed.

               Anna turned around, saw Kayla behind her in the living room. Her roommate wore sweats and a Titans t-shirt. Her eyes were puffy from sleep. “Hey, Anna. What’s going on? I heard the door—”

               “Look outside. Look. It’s the Rambler—or it’s—I don’t know.”

               Kayla came over, rubbing her upper arms. “I was dead asleep. Are you okay?”

               “Look.”

               Kayla pressed her face to the door, turned her head from one side to the other. “I don’t see anything.”

               “Kayla, there was a dude. He was out there in the dark. He came toward me—and—and—I think he said my name.”

               “Do you know him?”

               “No, Kayla. I mean, I didn’t get a good look at his face. Oh, God, I think I’m going to be sick.” She dropped her keys and purse on the floor, clutched her stomach. The tequila roiled like a stormy sea. As if that wasn’t enough, tears leaked from her eyes. “He scared the shit out of me.”

               “Anna, I’ve never seen you like this.” Kayla covered the distance between them, reached out and took Anna in her arms. “My God, you’re shaking. Let’s call the police. Okay? Right now. That could be the Rambler. Or if he said your name—”

               “I don’t know. Maybe I imagined it. I don’t know…”

               “Let’s call the police, okay?”

               “No, no. I feel…I had too much to drink. I need to go to bed.”

               “But Anna, if you’re so scared…”

               “Just, just…” Anna moved back, out of Kayla’s arms. “I can’t involve the cops. My dad—it’s just too complicated.”

               “Anna, are you sure? You look terrified.”

               “I’m just going to go to bed. I need to sleep this off, okay? I’m sorry I woke you.”

               “It’s not about that, Anna. It’s about you—”

               “I’m fine. Really.” Anna started for the bathroom, but she looked back once, studied the door.

She wanted to make sure—really, sure—that the lock and chain were in place.

###

Morning light leaked through the blinds, assaulting Anna’s eyes. She pulled the pillow over her head, burrowed into the warm sheets. She willed the world away.

               Until the bedroom door swooshed open. Kayla. Always on time, always prepared.

               “Anna? Hey, girl. Are you ready to talk about last night?”

Excerpted from TRY NOT TO BREATHE by David Bell, published by Berkley, an imprint of Penguin Publishing Group, a division of Penguin Random House, LLC. Copyright © 2023 by David Bell.

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Hi, David! Can you tell our readers a bit about yourself?

I’m a suspense writer and a college professor who lives in a college town in southern Kentucky just one hour north of Nashville. I spend my days writing and teaching and rooting for the Cincinnati Bengals and the Cincinnati Reds.

When did you first discover your love for writing?

I’ve always loved to read, so I read all the time growing up. I didn’t think of myself as a writer back then, but looking back, I can see that all that reading was really just preparing me for trying to write someday.

Quick lightning round! Tell us the first book you ever remember reading, the one that made you want to become an author, and one that you can’t stop thinking about!

I can remember reading the book MIKE MULLIGAN AND HIS STEAM SHOVEL way back when I was little. I thought it was fascinating. In some ways, every book made me want to be an author, but reading Elmore Leonard set me on the path toward writing thrillers. I can’t stop thinking about the great historical novel THE EAGLE OF THE NINTH by Rosemary Sutcliff. A beautiful and moving book.

Your new novel, The Finalists, is out now! If you could only describe it in five words, what would they be?

Timely, claustrophobic, suspenseful, surprising, explosive.

What can readers expect?

A locked room mystery. A wealthy donor at a small private college awards a lucrative scholarship every year. Six students are selected to be locked in a creepy old house and compete for the prize. Once the doors are locked, people start dying. And the rest can’t get out.

Where did the inspiration for The Finalists come from?

I’ve taught at the college level for years, and I’ve seen up close how difficult it is for students to pay for school—and for the schools themselves to keep the lights on sometimes. I had my own protracted experience with student loan debt as an undergraduate. I turned all of that into a locked-room mystery set on a college campus.

Can you tell us a bit about the challenges you faced while writing and how you were able to overcome them?

The locked room—or should I say locked house—was the biggest challenge. Most of us are used to moving pretty freely through our lives, and thanks to our ever-present phones, we’re always connected to people in some way. The challenge was creating a situation in which eight people could be locked in a house with no way to get out and no way to communicate. Imagine college students surrendering their phones?!

Were there any favourite moments or characters you really enjoyed writing or exploring?

I enjoyed writing all of the characters because they all had a backstory and, at some point, all of them became suspects in the murders. It was a lot of fun to create both empathy and suspicion around everyone.

What helps to motivate you when it comes to writing?

All writers have to be able to block out the world—and that sometimes includes the publishing world—in order to sit down and get their work done. And if the daily act of writing and creating the story isn’t fun then there’s a problem. I try my best to enjoy every day of creating the story

What’s next for you?

My first young adult suspense novel, SHE’S GONE, will be released in November of 2022. And next summer another adult suspense novel for Berkley about a former police officer who goes looking for her missing sister. I really enjoyed writing that one!

Lastly, do you have any 2022 book recommendations for our readers?

There are too many good books to read, but I’d suggest THE FERVOR by Alma Katsu, MY SUMMER DARLINGS by May Cobb, and NEVER COMING HOME by Hannah Mary McKinnon.

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Hello second half of 2022 and hello to all the incredible upcoming book releases we can look forward to!

In this round up, we take a look at some of the most exciting titles to be released between the months of July and December with releases from the likes of Sarah Gailey, Ruth Ware, Alexis Hall, Taylor Jenkins Reid, Courtney Summers, and many more, along with delightful debuts from new authors you should keep on your radar!

Read on to discover just a few of our favourite July to December 2022 releases and tell us in the comments if you’re looking forward to any of them! 

JULY

Violet Made of Thorns by Gina Chen
Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository

A darkly enchanting fantasy debut about a morally gray witch, a cursed prince, and a prophecy that ignites their fate-twisted destinies—perfect for fans of The Cruel Prince and Serpent & Dove.

Just Like Home by Sarah Gailey
Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository

Just Like Home is a darkly gothic thriller from nationally bestselling author Sarah Gailey, perfect for fans of Netflix’s The Haunting of Hill House as well as HBO’s true crime masterpiece I’ll Be Gone in the Dark.

The Accidental Pinup by Danielle Jackson
Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository

Rival photographers are forced to collaborate on a body-positive lingerie campaign, but they might have to readjust their focus when sparks fly.

Fellowship Point by Alice Elliott Dark
Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository

The masterful story of a lifelong friendship between two very different women with shared histories and buried secrets, tested in the twilight of their lives, set across the arc of the 20th century.

A Strange and Stubborn Endurance by Foz Meadows
Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository

The It Girl by Ruth Ware
Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository

The #1 New York Times bestselling author of the “claustrophobic spine-tingler” (People) One by One returns with an unputdownable mystery following a woman on the search for answers a decade after her friend’s murder.

Youngblood by Sasha Laurens
Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository

For fans of Vampire Diaries and dark academia, two queer teen bloodsuckers at an elite vampire-only boarding school must go up against all of Vampirdom when they uncover a frightening conspiracy on campus.

Acts of Violet by Margarita Montimore
Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository

From Margarita Montimore, the author of GMA Book Club pick and national bestseller Oona Out of Order, Acts of Violet is a dazzling and twisty new novel about a famous magician who disappears, leaving her sister to figure out what really happened.

The Book of Gothel by Mary McMyne
Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository

Everyone knows the story of Rapunzel in the tower, but do you know the story of the witch who put her there? Told from her own perspective, The Book of Gothel is a lush, historical retelling filled with dark magic, crumbling towers, mysterious woods, and evil princes. This is the truth they never wanted you to know, as only a witch might tell it.

What Souls Are Made Of: A Wuthering Heights Remix by Tasha Suri
Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository

What Souls Are Made Of, British Fantasy Award-winning author Tasha Suri’s masterful new take on Brontë’s Wuthering Heights and fourth book in the Remixed Classics, will leave readers breathless.

The Daughter of Doctor Moreau by Silvia Moreno-Garcia
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From the New York Times bestselling author of Mexican Gothic and Velvet Was the Night comes a dreamy reimagining of The Island of Doctor Moreau set against the backdrop of nineteenth-century Mexico.

The Bodyguard by Katherine Center
Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository

New York Times bestselling author Katherine Center’s The Bodyguard is unabashedly romantic, laugh-out-loud funny, and the perfect summer read.

AUGUST

Husband Material by Alexis Hall
Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository

Luc and Oliver met, pretended to fall in love, fell in love for real, dealt with heartbreak and disappointment and family and friends…and somehow figured out a way to make it work. Now it seems like everyone around them is getting married, and Luc’s feeling the social pressure to propose. But it’ll take more than four weddings, a funeral, and a bowl full of special curry to get these two from I don’t know what I’m doing to I do.

These Fleeting Shadows by Kate Alice Marshall
Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository

The Haunting of Hill House meets Knives Out in a bid for an inheritance that will leave Helen Vaughan either rich…or dead.

Belladonna by Adalyn Grace
Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository

New York Times bestselling author Adalyn Grace brings to life a highly romantic, Gothic-infused world of wealth, desire, and betrayal.

The Book Eaters by Sunyi Dean
Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository

Sunyi Dean’s The Book Eaters is “a darkly sweet pastry of a book about family, betrayal, and the lengths we go to for the ones we love. A delicious modern fairy tale.”― Christopher Buehlman, Shirley Jackson Award-winning author

Carrie Soto Is Back by Taylor Jenkins Reid
Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository

In this powerful novel about the cost of greatness, a legendary athlete attempts a comeback when the world considers her past her prime—from the New York Times bestselling author of Malibu Rising.

Sophie Go’s Lonely Hearts Club by Roselle Lim
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A new heartfelt novel about the power of loneliness and the strength of love that overcomes it by critically acclaimed author Roselle Lim.

Daisy Darker by Alice Feeney
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With a wicked wink to Agatha Christie’s And Then There Were None, Daisy Darker’s unforgettable twists will leave readers reeling.

The Art of Prophecy by Wesley Chu
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A “superb fantasy saga” (Helene Wecker) of martial arts and magic, about what happens when a prophesied hero is not the chosen one after all—but has to work with a band of unlikely allies to save the kingdom anyway, from the #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Lives of Tao

You’re Invited by Amanda Jayatissa
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What could be worse than your ex-boyfriend marrying your childhood best friend? Getting accused of her murder… From the author of My Sweet Girl comes a dangerously addictive new thriller about a lavish Sri Lankan wedding celebration that not everyone will survive.

The Last Housewife by Ashley Winstead
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From the author of the acclaimed In My Dreams I Hold a Knife comes a pitch-black thriller about a woman determined to destroy a powerful cult and avenge the deaths of the women taken in by it, no matter the cost.

Luck and Last Resorts by Sarah Grunder Ruiz
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They have a second chance at love, but there are some rough seas ahead in the new contemporary romance from the acclaimed author of Love, Lists, and Fancy Ships.

The First Binding by R.R. Virdi
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A thrilling new take on Epic Fantasy, inspired by the many culturally divergent stops along a fantastical Silk Road, that follows a storyteller and a singer on the run from their old lives and secrets. 

SEPTEMBER

I’m the Girl by Courtney Summers
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Angelika Frankenstein Makes Her Match by Sally Thorne
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From USA Today bestselling author of The Hating Game Sally Thorne comes something a little unexpected… a historical rom-com that imagines Victor Frankenstein’s sheltered younger sister, and her attempts to create the perfect man.

Ithaca by Claire North
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This is the story of Penelope of Ithaca, famed wife of Odysseus, as it has never been told before. Beyond Ithaca’s shores, the whims of gods dictate the wars of men. But on the isle, it is the choices of the abandoned women—and their goddesses—that will change the course of the world.

The Door of No Return by Kwame Alexander
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From New York Times Bestselling author Kwame Alexander comes the first book in a searing, breathtaking trilogy that tells the story of a boy, a village, and the epic odyssey of an African family.

Princess of Souls by Alexandra Christo
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From the author of To Kill a Kingdom comes Princess of Souls, a Rapunzel-inspired YA fantasy romance about a teen witch groomed to steal souls for an immortal king and the reckless, rebellious boy to whom her fate is tied.

Nona the Ninth by Tamsyn Muir
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Tamsyn Muir’s New York Times and USA Today bestselling Locked Tomb Series continues with Nona …the Ninth?

The Gathering Dark: An Anthology of Folk Horror
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Spells for Forgetting by Adrienne Young
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From New York Times bestselling author Adrienne Young comes a deeply atmospheric story about ancestral magic, an unsolved murder, and a second chance at true love.

People Person by Candice Carty-Williams
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From an author with “a flair for storytelling that appears effortlessly authentic” (Time), People Person is a vibrant and charming celebration of discovering family as an adult.

Foul Lady Fortune by Chloe Gong
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From the #1 New York Times bestselling author of These Violent Delights and Our Violent Ends comes the first book in a captivating new duology following an ill-matched pair of spies posing as a married couple to investigate a series of brutal murders in 1930s Shanghai.

Silver Under Nightfall by Rin Chupeco
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Full of court intrigue, queer romance, and terrifying monsters—this gothic epic fantasy will appeal to fans of Samantha Shannon’s The Priory of the Orange Tree and the adult animated series Castlevania.

Direwood by Catherine Yu
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In this velvet-clad 1990s gothic horror, Aja encounters a charming vampire who wants to lure her into the woods―just like her missing sister.

OCTOBER

Night of the Raven, Dawn of the Dove by Rati Mehrotra
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In Rati Mehrotra’s Night of the Raven, Dawn of the Dove, a young guardswoman struggles with her unwitting role as a major pawn in the deadly games between two kingdoms in a monster-infested alternate medieval India.

Sign Here by Claudia Lux
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A darkly humorous, surprisingly poignant, and utterly gripping debut novel about a guy who works in Hell (literally) and is on the cusp of a big promotion if only he can get one more member of the wealthy Harrison family to sell their soul.

A Cosmic Kind of Love by Samantha Young
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Space is the last thing an event planner and an astronaut need in this charming new romantic comedy from New York Times bestselling author Samantha Young.

Just Like Magic by Sarah Hogle
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From the author of Twice Shy comes a sprightly Christmas novel, a rollicking romp through the absurdity of family holidays and the hope of new love.

Our Missing Hearts by Celeste Ng
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From the number one bestselling author of Little Fires Everywhere, a deeply suspenseful and heartrending novel about the unbreakable love between a mother and child in a society consumed by fear.

The Storyteller’s Death by Ann Dávila Cardinal
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From International Latino Book Award-winning author Ann Dávila Cardinal comes a gorgeously written family saga about a Puerto Rican teenager who finds herself gifted (or cursed?) with a strange ability.

Dead Man’s Hand by James J. Butcher
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In the tradition of his renowned father, James J. Butcher’s debut novel is a brilliant urban fantasy about a young man who must throw out the magical rule book to solve the murder of his former mentor.

A Scatter of Light by Malinda Lo
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Award-winning author Malinda Lo returns to the Bay Area with another masterful coming-of-queer-age story, this time set against the backdrop of the first major Supreme Court decisions legalizing gay marriage. And almost sixty years after the end of Last Night at the Telegraph Club, Lo’s new novel also offers a glimpse into Lily and Kath’s lives since 1955.

Station Eternity by Mur Lafferty
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Amateur detective Mallory Viridian’s talent for solving murders ruined her life on Earth and drove her to live on an alien space station, but her problems still follow her in this witty, self-aware novel that puts a speculative spin on murder mysteries, from the Hugo-nominated author of Six Wakes.

Jackal by Erin E. Adams
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A young Black girl goes missing in the woods outside her white Rust Belt town. But she’s not the first—and she may not be the last. . . .

Lavender House by Lev A.C. Rosen
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A delicious story from a new voice in suspense, Lev AC Rosen’s Lavender House is Knives Out with a queer historical twist.

Strike the Zither by Joan He
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A dazzling new fantasy from New York Times and Indie bestselling author Joan He, Strike the Zither is a powerful, inventive, and sweeping fantasy that reimagines the Chinese classic tale of the Three Kingdoms.

NOVEMBER

The Ones We Burn by Rebecca Mix
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Love and duty collide in this richly imagined, atmospheric young adult debut about a witch whose dark powers put her at the center of a brewing war between the only family she’s ever known and the enemy who makes her question everything.

She’s Gone by David Bell
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When 17-year-old Hunter Gifford wakes in the hospital on the night of homecoming, he’s shocked to learn he and his girlfriend, Chloe Summers, have been in a terrible car accident. Hunter has no memory of the crash, and his shock turns to horror when he is told Chloe’s blood has been found in the car—but she has disappeared.

Ship Wrecked by Olivia Dade
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After All the Feels and Spoiler Alert, Olivia Dade once again delivers a warm and wonderful romantic comedy about two co-stars who once had an incredible one-night stand—and after years of filming on the same remote island, are finally ready to yield to temptation again…

The Luminaries by Susan Dennard
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From Susan Dennard, the New York Times bestselling author of the Witchlands series, comes a haunting and high-octane contemporary fantasy, about the magic it takes to face your fears in a nightmare-filled forest, and the mettle required to face the secrets hiding in the dark corners of your own family.

White Horse by Erika T. Wurth
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White Horse is a gritty, vibrant debut from Erika T. Wurth about an Indigenous woman who must face her past when she discovers a bracelet haunted by her mother’s spirit.

Kiss Her Once for Me by Alison Cochrun
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The author of the “swoon-worthy debut” (Harper’s Bazaar) The Charm Offensive returns with a festive romantic comedy about a woman who fakes an engagement with her landlord…only to fall for his sister.

Into the Forest: Tales of the Baba Yaga by Lindy Ryan and Christina Henry
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A collection of new and exclusive short stories inspired by the Baba Yaga. Featuring Gwendolyn Kiste, Stephanie M. Wytovich, Mercedes M. Yardley, Monique Snyman, Donna Lynch, Lisa Quigley, and R. J. Joseph, with a foreword by Christina Henry.

Someday, Maybe by Onyi Nwabineli
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A stunning and witty debut novel about a young woman’s emotional journey through unimaginable loss, pulled along by her tight-knit Nigerian family, a posse of new friends, and the love and laughter she shared with her husband. Onyi Nwabineli is a fresh new voice for fans of Yaa Gyasi, Queenie and I May Destroy You.

The Cloisters by Katy Hays
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The Secret History meets Ninth House in this sinister, atmospheric novel following a circle of researchers as they uncover a mysterious deck of tarot cards and shocking secrets in New York’s famed Met Cloisters.

Wait For Me by Sara Shepard
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Dating New York socialite Marcus Coleman, Casey has had trouble recognizing herself lately. But things only get stranger when she begins to hear a voice in her head: one that warns her of danger and leads her to the sleepy town of Avon, where she recognizes people and places she couldn’t possibly know, including a beguiling local boy who seems important to her past—and her present.

Two Wrongs Make a Right by Chloe Liese
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Opposites become allies to fool their matchmaking friends in this swoony reimagining of Shakespeare’s beloved comedy, Much Ado About Nothing.

The Family Game by Catherine Steadman
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A rich, eccentric family. A time-honored tradition. Or a lethal game of survival? One woman is about to find out if she has what it takes to join her husband’s family in this riveting, must-read thriller from the author of Something in the Water, Mr. Nobody, and The Disappearing Act.

DECEMBER

Queen of Myth and Monsters by Scarlett St. Clair
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Queen becomes conqueror in this powerful follow-up to King of Battle and Blood where Queen Isolde de Lara has come into her own as the newly coronated queen of Cordova.  She and her mate, the vampire King Adrian, battle insurrection from the Nine Kingdoms…and a mysterious plague that turns humans to monsters. But hell hath no fury like Isolde’s wrath when she discovers that one of the vassal kings has enslaved her mother’s people.

A Million to One by Adiba Jaigirdar
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Adiba Jaigirdar, author of one of Time‘s Best YA books of all time, gives Titanic an Ocean’s 8 makeover in this nail-biting heist set onboard the infamous ship.

Never Ever Getting Back Together by Sophie Gonzales
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A girl enters a reality dating competition to get revenge on her cheating, royal-adjacent ex-boyfriend, and ends up falling for another girl on the show—in fact, the girl he cheated on her with.

The Widowmaker by Hannah Morrissey
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A wealthy family shrouded in scandal; a detective tasked with solving an impossible cold case; and a woman with a dark past collide in Hannah Morrissey’s stunning new Black Harbor mystery, The Widowmaker.

A Dash of Salt and Pepper by Kosoko Jackson
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Sometimes two cooks in the kitchen are better than one in this swoony romantic comedy from the author of I’m So (Not) Over You.

The Last Invitation by Darby Kane
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Darby Kane, the author of the critically acclaimed and #1 International Bestseller Pretty Little Wife, has crafted another gripping and twisty suspense about an invitation to an exclusive club that comes with deadly consequences.

Acting the Part by Z.R. Ellor
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This delightfully tropey teen romance perfect for fans of Ashley Poston and Lyla Lee follows a queer teen actor navigating their gender identity—while pretending to date their co-star.  

All the Dark Places by Terri Parlato
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A savage murder rocks a quiet Massachusetts suburb, revealing the dark secrets at the center of a group of friends and setting two women – one with a traumatic past, the other a Boston police detective – on a hunt for truth in this stylish debut thriller for fans of Megan Miranda and Shari Lapena…

The Light Pirate by Lily Brooks-Dalton
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For readers of Station Eleven and Where the Crawdads Sing comes a hopeful, sweeping story of survival and resilience spanning one extraordinary woman’s lifetime as she navigates the uncertainty, brutality, and arresting beauty of a rapidly changing world.

The Key to My Heart: A Novel by Lia Louis
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A heartwarming novel about hope after loss as a young widow receives mysterious messages of love from the “must-buy author” (Jodi Picoult) of Eight Perfect Hours.

The Ingenue by Rachel Kapelke-Dale
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My Dark Vanessa meets The Queen’s Gambit in this new novel of suspense about the bonds of family, the limits of talent, the risks of ambition, and the rewards of revenge.

Witcha Gonna Do by Avery Flynn
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An unlucky witch and her know-it-all nemesis must team up in the first of a new, spicy romantic comedy series from USA Today bestselling author Avery Flynn.

What July to December releases are you looking forward to? Tell us in the comments below!

The post Get Your Hands On These Anticipated July To December 2022 Book Releases appeared first on The Nerd Daily.

We Were Never Here by Andrea Bartz
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An annual backpacking trip has deadly consequences in a chilling new novel from the bestselling author of The Lost Night and The Herd.

Ghost Forest by Pik-Shuen Fung
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Buoyant, heartbreaking, and unexpectedly funny, Ghost Forest is a slim novel that envelops the reader in joy and sorrow. Fung writes with a poetic and haunting voice, layering detail and abstraction, weaving memory and oral history to paint a moving portrait of a Chinese-Canadian astronaut family.

Just One Look by Lindsay Cameron
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A young woman’s escalating obsession with a seemingly perfect man leads her down a dangerous path in this novel of suspense brimming with envy, desire, and deception.

The Tiger Mom’s Tale by Lyn Liao Butler
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When an American woman inherits the wealth of her Taiwanese family, she travels to confront them about their betrayals of the past in this stunning debut by Lyn Liao Butler.

The Forest of Vanishing Stars by Kristin Harmel
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The New York Times bestselling author of the The Book of Lost Names returns with an evocative coming-of-age World War II story about a young woman who uses her knowledge of the wilderness to help Jewish refugees escape the Nazis—until a secret from her past threatens everything.

Kill All Your Darlings by David Bell
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When a student disappears and is presumed dead, her professor passes off her manuscript as his own–only to find out it implicates him in an unsolved murder in this new thriller from the USA Today bestselling author of The Request.

The View Was Exhausting by Mikaella Clements and Onjuli Datta
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The View Was Exhausting is a funny, wickedly observant modern love story set against the backdrop of exotic locales and the realities of being a woman of colour in a world run by men.

The Book of Accidents by Chuck Wendig
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A family returns to their hometown—and to the dark past that haunts them still—in this masterpiece of literary horror by the New York Times bestselling author of Wanderers.

Her Last Breath by Hilary Davidson
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From the bestselling author of One Small Sacrifice comes a suspenseful thriller about a dead woman who predicted her own murder—and the sister who won’t let the truth be buried.

Radar Girls by Sara Ackerman
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An extraordinary story inspired by the real Women’s Air Raid Defense, where an unlikely recruit and her sisters-in-arms forge their place in WWII history.

Not a Happy Family by Shari Lapena
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The new domestic suspense novel from the New York Times bestselling author of The Couple Next Door and and Someone We Know who has sold more than 7 million copies of her books worldwide.

No More Words by Kerry Lonsdale
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From the Amazon Charts and Wall Street Journal bestselling author comes the first book in a trilogy about love, betrayal, and the secrets families keep.

The post July 2021 Fiction Book Releases appeared first on The Nerd Daily.

Twists and turns abound as the publishing of the missing student’s manuscript (as if it were the professor’s own work) starts to reveal even more than Professor Nye was ever aware of. When that formerly missing student reappears, very much still alive, it prompts an avalanche of revelations and consequences.

The reader enters the story at something of a mid-point as the action will both move forward in time, but we also learn very significant information from the past two years as well. Bell does an excellent job of making these “time jumps” clear and easy to follow. It can be frustrating when authors move back and forth on a story’s timeline without giving the reader enough vital information to keep up, but you will find none of that here. Bell has given each character their own unique voice and perspective and switches narrators, dates, or times with purpose, always in service of the story. This technique is used to perfection to constantly build up the suspense and tension at the climax of this story.

In addition to a solidly built mystery, Kill All Your Darlings also speaks to several very real societal issues that many people face on a daily basis. Bell examines sexual harassment (particularly in the world of academia), the complicated ethics of professors socialising with adult students, and very universal issues like substance abuse, grief, and socioeconomics. Never in an overbearing manner, but instead all of these issues are woven into the story with grace and a deft hand.

A great choice for a first read if you are new to David Bell, or to the mystery/thriller genre, Kill All Your Darlings is a complex, well-written mystery with a unique plot and interesting, realistic characters.

Kill All Your Darlings is available from Amazon, Book Depository, and other good book retailers, like your local bookstore.

Will you be picking up Kill All Your Darlings? Tell us in the comments below!

Synopsis | Goodreads

After years of struggling to write following the deaths of his wife and son, English professor Connor Nye publishes his first novel, a thriller about the murder of a young woman.

There’s just one problem: Connor didn’t write the book. His missing student did. And then she appears on his doorstep, alive and well, threatening to expose him.

Connor’s problems escalate when the police insist details in the novel implicate him in an unsolved murder from two years ago. Soon Connor discovers the crime is part of a disturbing scandal on campus and faces an impossible dilemma–admit he didn’t write the book and lose his job or keep up the lie and risk everything. When another murder occurs, Connor must clear his name by unraveling the horrifying secrets buried in his student’s manuscript.

This is a suspenseful, provocative novel about the sexual harassment that still runs rampant in academia–and the lengths those in power will go to cover it up.

The post Review: Kill All Your Darlings by David Bell appeared first on The Nerd Daily.

David Bell said of what readers expect from KILL ALL YOUR DARLINGS ABOUT:“It’s about Connor Nye, an English professor who takes advantage of the disappearance of one of his best students by passing her novel off as his own and getting it published. When the student who everyone assumes is dead returns to town very much alive Connor finds himself on the brink of losing everything: his job, his reputation, his writing career. It’s a story about the way that one bad decision leads to many more bad decisions, and it also shows the ways that professors and other authority figures can use and abuse their positions of power over young people. I also think readers can expect a lot of surprises and twists and turns all the way up until the final pages.”

He is excited for readers to look forward to this novel because “Any really good thriller has to have great characters, and I feel as though this novel has the most complex and wildest set of characters I’ve ever created. It’s told in multiple points of view and takes place in multiple timelines, and I hope the reader is guessing about everyone’s motives until the very end of the book. I had a lot of fun writing it, and, to be honest, I think it’s the best book I’ve written so far. I hope readers feel the same way.”

Read on to discover the cover and synopsis, as well as an excerpt!

After years of struggling to write after the deaths of his wife and son, English professor Connor Nye publishes his first novel, a thriller about the murder of a young woman.

There’s just one problem: Connor didn’t write the book. His missing student did. And then she appears on his doorstep, alive and well, threatening to expose him.

Connor’s problems escalate when the police insist details in the novel implicate him in an unsolved murder from two years ago. Soon Connor discovers the crime is part of a disturbing scandal on campus and faces an impossible dilemma–admit he didn’t write the book and lose his job or keep up the lie and risk everything. As the murders pile up, Connor must clear his name by unraveling the horrifying secrets buried in his student’s manuscript.

This is a suspenseful, provocative novel about the sexual harassment that still runs rampant in academia–and the lengths those in power will go to cover it up.

EXCERPT

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Excerpted from KILL ALL YOUR DARLINGS by David Bell, published by Berkley, an imprint of Penguin Publishing Group, a division of Penguin Random House, LLC. Copyright © 2021 by David Bell

Will you be picking up Kill All Your Darlings? Tell us in the comments below!

The post Cover Reveal: Kill All Your Darlings by David Bell appeared first on The Nerd Daily.

Summertime has always felt like peak reading season for me. Work is slower, the days are longer, and nothing feels better than sitting outside and reading a great book. So I’ve put together a list of books perfect for summer reading. Even if you don’t have a beach near you, you can pick up one of these and head out to the pool and pretend!

Whether you’re in need of a page-turning thriller or an adorable romance, there is something for everyone on this summer reading list!

1. A Stranger on the Beach by Michele Campbell | Goodreads
2. The Wedding Party by Jasmine Guillory | Goodreads
3. The Other Mrs. Miller by Allison Dickson | Goodreads
4. Breathe In, Cash Out by Madeleine Henry | Goodreads
5. Spin the Dawn by Elizabeth Lim | Goodreads

6. The Bookish Life of Nina Hill by Abbi Waxman | Goodreads
7. Layover by David Bell | Goodreads
8. Surfside Sisters by Nancy Thayer | Goodreads
9. The Bookshop on the Shore by Jenny Colgan | Goodreads
10. The Most Fun We Ever Had by Claire Lombardo | Goodreads

11. Hungry Hearts: 13 Tales of Food and Love Anthology | Goodreads
12. The Last Guest House by Megan Miranda | Goodreads
13. The Last Resort by Marissa Stapley | Goodreads
14. Mrs. Everything by Jennifer Weiner | Goodreads
15. Waiting for Tom Hanks by Kerry Winfrey | Goodreads

16. Natalie Tan’s Book of Luck & Fortune by Roselle Lim | Goodreads
17. Man of the Year by Caroline Lousie Walker | Goodreads
18. Honestly We Meant Well by Grant Ginder | Goodreads
19. The Perfect Date by Evelyn Lozada & Holly Lorincz | Goodreads
20. Providence by Caroline Kepnes | Goodreads

21. Screen Queens by Lori Goldstein | Goodreads
22. Naturally Tan by Tan France | Goodreads
23. When Katie Met Cassidy by Camille Perri | Goodreads
24. The Rest of the Story by Sarah Dessen | Goodreads
25. If It Makes You Happy by Claire Kann | Goodreads

26. Mine by Courtney Cole | Goodreads
27. The Royal Secret by Lucinda Riley | Goodreads
28. The Unhoneymooners by Christina Lauren | Goodreads
29. Red, White, and Royal Blue by Casey McQuiston | Goodreads
30. The Southern Side of Paradise by Kristy Woodson Harvey | Goodreads

Will you be adding any of these to your list? Or do you have any others you would recommend? Tell us in the comments below!

The post 30 Perfect Summer Beach Reads For 2019 appeared first on The Nerd Daily.