Intrigued? Read on to discover the synopsis and an excerpt from You’ll Be Sorry by Lisa Gardner, which releases on August 4th 2026.

For Raquel and Theo Collins, it appeared to be love at first sight. Raquel, a renowned interior designer, and Theo, a brash financial wizard met and married in a matter of months, only to confront a terrible tragedy. Now, unbearably aware of the distance between them, they’ve come to a remote town in New Hampshire to begin anew.

Perched on a ledge with stunning views, the Dixon’s family lodge was once a crown jewel of the mountains. Until late one August night, when both parents and their four children vanished, leaving behind a trail of bloody footprints, and a mystery that has endured for thirty years. Now, its latest occupants, the Collinses, are arriving, and the former grand lodge is once more stirring to life.

For Amanda Grady, following in her father’s footsteps as the recently appointed Shereford police chief, it’s good to see a fresh start for the derelict Dixon place. However, not everyone is happy about a new family in the old home and its hidden past may have returned with a vengeance.

When a stray dog leads to the discovery of a skeleton on the property, Raquel and Theo face a daunting choice of what to believe, who to trust, and how to survive. Because in the tiny village of Shereford the time has come. The local residents, the new neighbors, and the fledgling police chief must work together to unravel the terrifying events that happened one night thirty years ago, or …

You’ll be sorry.

EXCERPT

“I made you a sandwich,” Betty greeted her at the door.

“I’m fine,” Mandy replied out of habit.

“Don’t be stupid.”

That was harder to refute. Mandy stepped inside, accepted the

sandwich. Which involved slow- roasted turkey, homemade stuffing, and cranberry sauce, though Betty had been out all day, same as Mandy. Sometimes she couldn’t decide if such offerings were a gift or a rebuke. Because God knows the best Mandy could do for sustenance after such a grueling experience was corn flakes. Fine, Cap’n Crunch.

Sandwiches, at least, didn’t rate full dining room regalia. Mandy

was allowed to carry the late- night offering to the sofa, where Betty had both a cup of steaming tea and two fingers of whiskey sitting on a side table. Tough day for both of them.

“You’re spiraling,” Betty stated.

“You are too.” Mandy nodded toward the older woman’s beverages.

“My word,” Betty sighed. “I never thought, never anticipated… This was a day for the ages.”

“On that we agree.”

“You have questions.”

“More than I assume you have answers.”

“On that we agree.”

Mandy took a bite of sandwich. Damn, it was good. And, man, was she starving. Funny the things you could overlook until they all but slapped you in the face. Is this what her mother had done for her father? Greeted him with food and sympathy, knowing she’d married a cop and this came with the job? Mandy had grown up with a lawman father, and sometimes the sheer resentment over missed meals, events, promises had gnawed on her like a rat. Her parents, best she could tell, had had a solid marriage. The resentment had belonged to Mandy and Mandy alone, which had only alienated her more as she grew up.

With age came regret, which was mostly useless, so Mandy tried to focus on understanding instead.

“My father would disappear into his study after hard days. Kiss my mother on the cheek, pat me on top of the head, then grab his food and retreat behind closed doors. I always assumed he was going back to work, maybe writing down his thoughts while they were still fresh in his head. Now I wonder if it wasn’t so he could collapse out of sight of prying eyes.”

“Probably a bit of both.”

“What do we know?” Mandy mused. “I’ve been trying to break it down in my head. We can be pretty certain a young female was sealed into that well, alive long enough to try to force her way out. I’m leaning toward historic crime. Like early eighteenth century.”

“The register would support that. No entries after 1791.”

Mandy kept staring at her. That wasn’t the main reason behind her reasoning, and they both knew it.

At long last, Betty exhaled. She raised her glass of whiskey. “You’re wondering about the local legend. How much of it did we just uncover, turning folklore into fact?”

“So are you. And Mason. I heard you both whispering.”

“She appeared midwinter,” Betty recited softly. “Walking straight out of a blizzard without any coat or shoes, appearing before the townsfolk like a product of the storm itself. Jet-black hair, bloodred lips. A maid barely out of the classroom. She told them she’d lost her way in the woods. She begged for a cup of tea, a chunk of bread. The villagers felt sorry for her, a mere girl all alone in the world. They offered her a hot meal and warm shelter. Afterward, with no means to pay for her food and board, she announced she’d best move on.”

“The villagers begged her to stay,” Mandy provided. “The men staggered by her beauty, the women drawn to her tender years.”

“She agreed to work for her keep, tending the young, nursing the old. House by house.”

“But then the children started dying,” Mandy intoned. “House by house. First the older ones, then the younger ones, then the babies. House by house by house.”

“And the townspeople began to whisper.” Betty’s voice picked up. “Surely there must be a reason. Some great sin or terrible evil driving their punishment. A witch, stealing away the souls of their children.”

“A witch with jet-black hair and bloodred lips.”

“They rounded up the girl they’d allowed to live in their midst. They demanded she repent her evil ways. And when she refused—”

“Protested her innocence, more likely.”

“They dragged her to a frozen pond, where they hacked a hole in the ice and tied rocks around her waist. Let this be the test: A god- fearing woman would be saved.”

“Poor thing,” Mandy murmured.

“Staring into the icy abyss, the young woman swore one last time she was not a witch. And then she uttered a great and terrible curse. As they had accused her of, so it would be. They would lose a child every winter, to remind them of their treacherous ways.”

“A pretty safe curse, if you think about it,” Mandy interrupted. “In those days, I’m sure at least one child died every winter.”

“But according to the legend, she would appear with the snow and lure away an innocent into the woods never to be seen again. That’s fairly specific.”

“Nah. This whole place was woods. Is still mostly woods. And every winter, we still get a few locals and hikers who go missing. Nowadays, we’re just better at finding them.” Mandy set down her empty plate. “I always thought of it as little more than a local ghost story, something to titter about while sitting around a campfire. Or possibly be threatened with by an exasperated parent if you were a naughty kid. In fact, that might be how I first heard the tale. Of course, there’s also the childhood rhyme we recited on the playground. ‘Red witch, blue witch, black or white. One for love, one for fright. One will dance all night long. One will see you dead and gone. Night’s a- coming, she draws near. Wind’s a- howling, which one’s here!’ I never equated the rhyme with the story, though. It’s New England, after all. We have plenty of witch lore.”

Betty took another sip of her whiskey. “There’s another line to that song. From back in my day. The rhyme should begin: ‘Ding dong bell, the witch is in the well. Red witch, blue witch…’” She gave a little nod of her chin. “You know the rest.”

“The witch is in the well? Shit.” Despite herself, Mandy shivered. “I’d never heard that version, but given today’s developments…that seems rather prophetic.”

“Shoving a young girl into a frozen pond versus pushing her into an icy well,” Betty mused. “Those actions don’t feel so different.”

“Especially if you’re the girl.” Mandy had to sit back. “So what we found on the Dixon property— this proves there was a young woman accused of witchcraft, and what the town did to her?”

“Witch hysteria in the colonies peaked in the late seventeenth century,” Betty commented, “but allegations continued for hundreds more years. Especially against women perceived as threats. Possibly due to their beauty, but also power, say, a female business owner, or midwife who oversaw births and deaths.”

“Proving once and for all men have always been sore losers.”

The post Read An Excerpt From ‘You’ll Be Sorry’ by Lisa Gardner appeared first on The Nerd Daily.

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

I live in the beautiful mountains of New Hampshire, with an office view of Mt. Washington.  When not glued to my computer, I love to roam the trails and enjoy the great outdoors.  I’m passionate about animal rescue, and currently have three dogs to assist with both writing and hiking.  Basically, they’ll do anything for a cookie.  I also have a thing for penguins, my favorite trip during my world travels having been to Antarctica.  And yes, I can’t wait to go again!

When did you first discover your love for writing and stories?

I attempted my first book at 6.  Involved a lot of flying monkeys a la Wizard of Oz.  (For the longest time, they were the scariest creatures I could imagine!!!).  A gradeschool teacher commented that I had some talent for writing and recommended my parents get me a journal.  From then on I wrote constantly, tried everything from animal stories to terrible poetry to horror.  Mysteries were always my first love, however—all hail Nancy Drew!  Once I focused on how to get away with murder, things took off.  I sold my first book at 21 and have never looked back.

Quick lightning round! Tell us:

• The first book you ever remember reading: Dear lord that’s like tens of thousands of books ago, lol.  Let’s go with the first book that impacted my impressionable mind:  Where the Red Fern Grows
• The one that made you want to become an author: Cujo by Stephen King     
• The one that you can’t stop thinking about: The Far Pavilions by M.M.Kaye  (I read it for the first time at 12, have re-read it every few years since. It’s that epic novel that has everything—sweeping setting, incredible characters, dramatic action sequences and beautiful romance.)

Kiss Her Goodbye is the fourth installment in your Frankie Elkin series and it’s out now! If you could only describe it in five words, what would they be?

High-stakes family drama.

What can readers expect?

I’ve always loved books that encourage the reader to walk in someone else’s shoes.  For me, that started immediately in the research process, interviewing Afghan refugees about their experiences.  Then talking to the resettlement agencies about their challenges trying to find housing and resources was equally enlightening.  From there, the book took shape—a recently relocated Afghan family doing everything they can to build a better future for their four-year old daughter.  The young mother, a gifted linguist, suddenly missing.  Frankie Elkin, on the case and determined the solve the puzzle—if she can survive her latest gig, babysitting lizards and snakes.  Let the adventures begin!

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

Believe it or not, Petunia the green iguana!  Gonna confess, I share Frankie’s discomfort with reptiles.  Which, of course, made it an excellent challenge for both of us.  One of my friends used to have pet iguanas, so he shared fun stories, and yes, quality time with lizards.  Which led to the creation of Petunia, Frankie’s new, highly uncomfortable charge but maybe future bestie?

Did you face any challenges whilst writing? How did you overcome them?

I always struggle, lol.  I’m a “pantser” meaning I don’t write with an outline, but figure it out as I go along, or, as the saying goes, by the seat of my pants.  That’s a heavy mental load.  What is the young mother, Sabera, so afraid of?  Is her domineering husband the problem or the solution?  And what about little four-year old Zahra who I can already tell knows more than any four-year old should?  I draft a chapter, then hit the trails with my dogs to brainstorm the next.  Write, hike, write, hike, write.  Then suddenly one day, I hit the end and realize who did it.  Which is always a surprise to me, so hopefully also a surprise for you!

What’s next for you?

I’m happily returning to my gothic roots, working on a domestic thriller involving a mysterious couple who purchases a thirty-year old house with an infamous legacy.  Who what when where why how?  Yep, I’m hiking a lot.

Lastly, what books have you enjoyed reading this year? Are there any you’re looking forward to picking up?

For thrillers, I was totally blown away by Noelle Ihli’s Ask for Andrea, a classic serial killer thriller told from the point of view of his three (dead) victims.  Absolutely ingenious and powerful.  Also, loved, loved, loved Saratoga Schaefer’s dark and twisted debut, Serial Killer Support Group.  For mystery fans, check out the Evander Mills series by Lev A.C. Rosen.  The latest, Mirage City, brings Evander to Hollywood in the ‘50s, combining a dangerous new case with a deliciously glam background.  Finally, I love a great cozy fantasy read.  My fav new series is the Tomes and Tea Quartet by Rebecca Thorne.  Fourth book comes out August 12, so you know what I’ll be doing that day (well, after launching my own novel, of course…maybe.).

Will you be picking up Kiss Her Goodbye? Tell us in the comments below!

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Intrigued? Well read on to discover the synopsis and an excerpt from Lisa Gardner’s Still See You Everywhere, which is available from March 12th 2024.

Frankie Elkin is an expert at finding the missing persons that the rest of the world has forgotten, but even she couldn’t have anticipated this latest request—to locate the long-lost sister of a female serial killer facing execution in three weeks’ time. 

She has called herself “death,” but people called her the devil. 

The case was sensational. Kaylee Pierson had confessed from the very beginning, waived all appeals. Despite the media’s chronicling of her tragic circumstances—the childhood spent with a violent father—no one could find sympathy for “the Beautiful Butcher” who had led eighteen men home from bars before viciously slitting their throats. 
Now, with only twenty-one days left to live, Pierson has finally received a lead on the whereabouts of the sister who was kidnapped over a decade ago, and she needs Frankie’s help to find her. The Beautiful Butcher’s offer:

When was the last time your search ended with finding the living? 

Unable to resist the chance for a rescue, Frankie takes on Pierson’s request. Twelve years ago, five-year-old Leilani went missing in Hawaii. The main suspect? Pierson’s tech mogul ex-boyfriend, Sanders MacManus. Now, on a remote island in the middle of the Pacific—the site of MacManus’s latest vanity project—fresh evidence has appeared. In order to learn the truth and possibly save a young woman’s life, Frankie must go undercover at the isolated base camp. Her challenge: A dozen strangers. Countless dangerous secrets. Zero means of calling for help. And then the storm rolls in…

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Excerpted from STILL SEE YOU EVERYWHERE by Lisa Gardner. Copyright © 2024 by Lisa Gardner, Inc. Reprinted with permission of Grand Central Publishing. All rights reserved.

The post Read An Excerpt From ‘Still See You Everywhere’ by Lisa Gardner appeared first on The Nerd Daily.

The Push by Ashley Audrain
Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository

A tense, page-turning psychological drama about the making and breaking of a family–and a woman whose experience of motherhood is nothing at all what she hoped for–and everything she feared.

In the Garden of Spite by Camilla Bruce
Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository

An audacious novel of feminine rage about one of the most prolific female serial killers in American history–and the men who drove her to it.

Before She Disappeared by Lisa Gardner
Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository

From #1 New York Times bestselling author Lisa Gardner, a propulsive thriller featuring an ordinary woman who will stop at nothing to find the missing people that the rest of the world has forgotten

Find Me in Havana by Serena Burdick
Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository

From the bestselling author of THE GIRLS WITH NO NAMES, a new historical novel based on the dazzling story of one of Hollywood’s most celebrated Hispanic actresses and her daughter’s search for closure.

The Last Garden in England by Julia Kelly
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From the author of the international bestseller The Light Over London and The Whispers of War comes a poignant and unforgettable tale of five women living across three different times whose lives are all connected by one very special place.

Our Darkest Night by Jennifer Robson
Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository

To survive the Holocaust, a young Jewish woman must pose as a Christian farmer’s wife in this unforgettable novel from USA Today bestselling author Jennifer Robson—a story of terror, hope, love, and sacrifice, inspired by true events, that vividly evokes the most perilous days of World War II.

A Splendid Ruin by Megan Chance
Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository

A spellbinding novel of dark family secrets and a young woman’s rise and revenge set against the backdrop of the devastating 1906 San Francisco earthquake.

Waiting for the Night Song by Julie Carrick Dalton
Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository

A startling and timely debut, Julie Carrick Dalton’s Waiting for the Night Song is a moving, brilliant novel about friendships forged in childhood magic and ruptured by the high price of secrets that leave you forever changed.

If I Disappear by Eliza Jane Brazier
Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository

When her favourite true crime podcast host goes missing, an adrift young woman plunges headfirst into the wild backcountry of Northern California and her own dangerous obsession.

Lie, Lie Again by Stacy Wise
Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository

Lies, Secrets, and Revenge: For three women with so much to hide, there’s no such thing as a little white lie…

Yellow Wife by Sadeqa Johnson
Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository

In the tradition of Wrench and Twelve Years a Slave, this harrowing story follows an enslaved woman forced to barter love and freedom while living in the most infamous slave jail in Virginia.

Bloodline by Jess Lourey
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Perfect town. Perfect homes. Perfect families. It’s enough to drive some women mad…

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

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

Fall is a season beloved by many around the world. The leaves change colour, the wind temperature drops, and pumpkin spice fragrance fills the morning air. Sweater season brings an onslaught of fashionable sweaters into the market and scarves are socially acceptable to wear. But best of all, this is the perfect weather to curl up with a book! Even though Halloween may now be behind us, there’s always time to enjoy a few books that may seep into your nightmares…

Ghosts by Raina Telgemeier
Goodreads

With beautiful illustrations to accompany the story, Ghosts is about two sisters, Catrina and Maya, whose family has just moved to a town on the Northern California coast in hopes that the cool air will help Maya with cystic fibrosis to breathe better. Turns out that the town is full of ghosts, but the thing that haunts Catrina more than anything is that her sister might soon become one of them. Raina Telgemeier writes about a tough topic in a humorous way from the perspective of a child. Follow Catrina through her journey as she learns that sometimes ghosts aren’t the scariest things around.

Lockwood & Co: The Screaming Staircase by Jonathan Stroud
Goodreads

A middle-grade novel about ghost hunters with special abilities, The Screaming Staircase by Jonathan Stroud is a thrill and the first book in the Lockwood & Co series. Anthony, Lucy, and George have various gifts that allow them to see, hear, and sense ghosts. Anthony Lockwood, the founder of Lockwood & Co, leads the group to various terrifying investigations as the group strives to solve hauntings around London. Screaming Staircase may be the talented trio’s biggest challenge yet.

A Game for All the Family by Sophie Hannah
Goodreads

This psychological thriller will haunt your thoughts until all the answers are revealed. After quitting her job as a TV producer, Justine moves to the countryside for some peace and quiet in her life, but she finds none when her daughter grows visibly more upset when her best friend is unjustly expelled from her school. When Justine talks to the principal to reconsider, she’s told that George hasn’t been expelled because George doesn’t exist. What is real? Who is lying? A series of threatening phone calls increases the drama and suspense as Justine tries to make sense of what is happening around her.

The Lost by Natasha Preston
Goodreads

A heart-pounding story of torture, violence, and hope amidst it all. When teens in their small town go missing one by one, Piper and Hazel suspect that these teens aren’t simply runaways as the police suggest. Kidnapped by three wealthy boys, Piper and Hazel find themselves amongst the missing teens in a building far into the woods locked away from the outside world. They are forced to play a game of torture their goal only to survive in this thrilling book of twists and turns.

The Thirteenth Tale by Diane Setterfield
Goodreads

An instant New York Times Bestseller, The Thirteenth Tale has also been adapted into a movie of the same name. Winter has spent six decades of her life telling stories that have kept her from her own past. At last, she is ready to reveal the truth to the world. To write her biography, she invites Margaret Lea who finds that Winter’s story curiously takes a parallel of her own. Read as Margaret unveils the truth from Vida as she is transformed by her haunting stories.

Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier
Goodreads

A stunning classic about a man, a woman, and another woman’s shadow. When Maxim de Winter proposes to the heroine, she is ecstatic as she is swept away to his massive country estate. She can’t believe her luck. But only when they arrive does she realise the part Maxim’s late wife plays in her new life. Rebecca although dead still feels very much alive to our heroine as she fears the death of her marriage at the hands of a dead woman.

We Have Always Lived in the Castle by Shirley Jackson
Goodreads

The Blackwood family is met with distrust, fear, and hatred by the village people in New England where this story takes place. Everyone in the wealthy Blackwood family is dead except Mary, her sister, Constance, and her Uncle Julian. Six years ago, half the family was poisoned with arsenic in their food. This little family survives in complete isolation as the reader explores them through a set of events while the mystery of the murders hangs in the air.

The Diviners by Libba Bray
Goodreads

With supernatural powers and murder set in 1920s New York, The Diviners is the perfect binge read! Evie O’Neill is banned from her old hometown, so she packs her bags and heads for New York City to live with her Uncle Will, but Evie has a dark secret she is determined to keep: a supernatural power that has brought her nothing but trouble. But when a girl is murdered with a cryptic mark on her arm, she realises that her powers could be used to catch a serial murderer.

Middlegame by Seanan McGuire
Goodreads

“Godhood is attainable. Pray it isn’t attained.” Roger and Dodger are twins containing talents beyond human ability. Roger is skilled with words while Dodger is a magician with numbers. These abnormally talented beings aren’t quite human as they were made by an alchemist, Reed, who monitors their life from afar. He has a dangerous plan. A plan to raise the children into their highest power and claim their authority as his own. This book of fantasy breaks all rules, plays with the mind, and tells a story unlike any other.

Find Her by Lisa Gardner
Goodreads

Flora Dane was kidnapped and kept for 472 days where she learned just how much a person can endure. After surviving the ordeal, Flora learns to navigate life and strives to find a new sense of normal. When it is revealed that Flora has tangled with three other suspects since her return to society, it brings up the question: is Flora Dane a victim or a vigilante? The gruesome details of Flora’s kidnapping and the reality of the situation haunt readers worldwide in this fast-paced thriller.

You by Caroline Kepnes
Goodreads

One of Suspense Magazine’s Best Books of 2014, You by Caroline Kepnes is a terrifying novel for the 21st century. When Guinevere Beck enters a bookstore where Joe Goldberg works, Joe is immediately taken by her. He googles the name on her credit card to find her public Facebook account learning everything he needs to know about her there. Since then, Joe obsesses over Beck going to extreme lengths to make his presence known in her life even if it means getting rid of a few obstacles.

Pet Sematary by Stephen King
Goodreads

A ground-breaking piece of horror fiction, the Pet Sematary by Stephen King is a scare like no other. Rather than lots of blood and gore, this novel is a slow-burning unease that explodes in the final chapters. Dr. Louis Creed’s home is located near a road that is often claims the lives of animals. Children in the area have created a growing cemetery for the animals killed on that road, but even further into the woods, Dr. Creed discovers an ancient Indian burial ground with sinister properties that are better read than said. The less you know going into this book, the better.

House of Leaves by Mark Z. Danielewski
Goodreads

House of Leaves is a complex book that makes your mind work for it. It never hands you the information directly. It has an incredible way of crawling under your skin and taking root in your mind. This book will elicit a reaction from you. Anyone who has ever read this book always has something to say about it. House of Leaves is not an easy book which makes it the perfect for a spooky read.

Do you have any other spooky suggestions? Tell us in the comments below!

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