The cover of Tiffany Tsao’s novel The Majesties is an abstract painting of a head with a monarch butterfly and this stunning yellow cover is enough to draw a reader in and to want to learn more about what this story is about. The Majesties begins with Gwendolyn (Doll) Sulinado in a coma, on life support, recounting the murderous actions of her sister Estella on the evening of their Opa’s eightieth birthday celebration. The reader immediately finds out that Estella has taken her own life and the lives of 300 others with Doll being the sole survivor. What seems like a fast paced thriller in the beginning turns into a story about family dysfunction, secrets, and that even those closest to us, and most treasured by us, are not always as they seem.

The Sulinado family is a large, rich, and powerful Chinese-Indonesian family living in Indonesia in the mid 1990’s. The beginning of The Majesties can seem a little overwhelming to the reader as there are a lot of characters that are introduced in a short period of time. Thankfully, as the story progresses the focus zeros in on Doll and Estella as the main characters with Doll trying to figure out how and why her sister could murder 300 people so callously. The novel is told from Doll’s perspective and even though she is the one telling the story and she does discuss things about herself, the emphasis is more on Estella’s life and the relationship that the two of them share. Doll talks about different events throughout hers and Estella’s lives that she believes impacted her sister enough to commit mass murder and suicide.

Family dynamics and dysfunction are huge themes in Tsao’s novel. The reader will find that as Doll describes different things that happen throughout hers and Estella’s life that the plot can sometimes feel like a coming-of-age story. The sister’s learn a lot about who they are through their family and as the story progresses, Doll and Estella have to come to terms with the seedy parts of their family’s history, both individually and collectively.

Throughout the novel, the reader will learn about the love of entomology (the study of insects) that both Doll and Estella share as it becomes a huge theme through the entire plot. Tsao takes such an interesting and unique topic and does a wonderful job at introducing, describing, and explaining what entomology is throughout as it is likely a topic most readers are not overly knowledgeable in. Tsao weaves this theme into the plot seamlessly with other themes and characters, and makes sure that it is a focal point to the novel.

Tsao has absolutely brilliant prose all throughout The Majesties and in the end, the reader is bound to see connections that they may not have noticed right away. While the beginning of the novel may seem misleading and a little daunting with all of the characters right off the bat, it finds its footing and Tsao tells a wonderful story about what we can and cannot see, and how those things shape us into who we are. The Majesties truly isn’t all that it seems, and maybe that is how Tsao meant for the story to be all along. Instead of a suspenseful thriller throughout the entire plot, the reader is gifted with learning about the Sulinado family and their secrets to remind the reader that those around us are never as they seem.

Tsao comes full circle with the plot and creates a thrilling and suspenseful end that is bound to leave the reader satisfied. While the novel was not entirely what I was expecting it to be, I was pleasantly surprised with where the story went. Tsao has created a stunningly smart story about a messy family full of dysfunction, deceit, and drama while tying in pieces of plot that feel similar to a coming-of-age story. What drew me to The Majesties in the first place was its stunning cover and while many people say not to judge a book by its cover, this one connects the entire story together so poetically. Pick up a copy of Tsao’s absolutely brilliant novel to learn for yourself how her entire novel is a metaphor for the life cycle of the butterfly and the emergence of that butterfly in the end.

The Majesties is available from Amazon, Book Depository, and other good book retailers.

Have you read The Majesties? Will you be picking it up? Tell us in the comments below!

Synopsis | Goodreads

In this riveting tale about the secrets and betrayals that can accompany exorbitant wealth, two sisters from a Chinese-Indonesian family grapple with the past after one of them poisons their entire family.

Gwendolyn and Estella have always been as close as sisters can be. Growing up in a wealthy, eminent, and sometimes deceitful family, they’ve relied on each other for support and confidence. But now Gwendolyn is lying in a coma, the sole survivor of Estella’s poisoning of their whole clan.

As Gwendolyn struggles to regain consciousness, she desperately retraces her memories, trying to uncover the moment that led to this shocking and brutal act. Was it their aunt’s mysterious death at sea? Estella’s unhappy marriage to a dangerously brutish man? Or were the shifting loyalties and unspoken resentments at the heart of their opulent world too much to bear? Can Gwendolyn, at last, confront the carefully buried mysteries in their family’s past and the truth about who she and her sister really are?

Traveling from the luxurious world of the rich and powerful in Indonesia to the most spectacular shows at Paris Fashion Week, from the sunny coasts of California to the melting pot of Melbourne’s university scene, The Majesties is a haunting and deeply evocative novel about the dark secrets that can build a family empire—and also bring it crashing down.

The post Review: The Majesties by Tiffany Tsao appeared first on The Nerd Daily.

Read on to discover our picks and tell us if you will be checking out any of these releases in the comments below!

American Dirt by Jeanine Cummins
Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository

Already being hailed as “a Grapes of Wrath for our times” and “a new American classic,” Jeanine Cummins’s American Dirt is a rare exploration into the inner hearts of people willing to sacrifice everything for a glimmer of hope.

The Other People by C.J. Tudor
Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository

A gripping thriller about a man’s quest for the daughter no one else believes is still alive, from the acclaimed author of The Chalk Man and The Hiding Place.

All the Ways We Said Goodbye by Beatriz Williams, Lauren Willig, and Karen White
Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository

The New York Times bestselling authors of The Glass Ocean and The Forgotten Room return with a glorious historical adventure that moves from the dark days of two World Wars to the turbulent years of the 1960s, in which three women with bruised hearts find refuge at Paris’ legendary Ritz hotel.

Long Bright River by Liz Moore
Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository

Alternating its present-day mystery with the story of the sisters’ childhood and adolescence, Long Bright River is at once heart-pounding and heart-wrenching: a gripping suspense novel that is also a moving story of sisters, addiction, and the formidable ties that persist between place, family, and fate.

The Whispers of War by Julia Kelly
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The start of World War II looms over three friends who struggle to remain loyal as one of them is threatened with internment by the British government, from the author of the “sweeping, stirring” (Kristin Harmel, internationally bestselling author of The Room on Rue Amélie ) The Light Over London.

Followers by Megan Angelo
Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository

An electrifying story of two ambitious friends, the dark choices they make and the profound moment that changes the meaning of privacy forever.

When We Were Vikings by Andrew David MacDonald
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A heart-swelling debut for fans of The Silver Linings Playbook and The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time. When We Were Vikings is an uplifting debut about an unlikely heroine whose journey will leave you wanting to embark on a quest of your own, because after all… We are all legends of our own making.

A Long Petal of the Sea by Isabel Allende
Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository

From the New York Times bestselling author of The House of the Spirits comes an epic novel spanning decades and crossing continents, following two young people as they flee the aftermath of the Spanish Civil War in search of a new place to call home.

The Majesties by Tiffany Tsao
Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository

In this riveting and disquieting thriller about the secrets and betrayals that accompany exorbitant wealth—imagine Crazy Rich Asians as written by Gillian Flynn—two sisters from a Chinese-Indonesian family grapple with the past after one of them poisons their entire family.

Such a Fun Age by Kiley Reid
Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository

A striking and surprising debut novel from an exhilarating new voice, Such a Fun Age is a page-turning and big-hearted story about race and privilege, set around a young black babysitter, her well-intentioned employer, and a surprising connection that threatens to undo them both.

The Better Liar by Tanen Jones
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An electric, twisted portrait of sisterhood and the ties that bind, The Better Liar is a stunning debut with a heart-stopping, twist-after-twist finale that will beg the question: How far would you go to get what’s yours?

How Quickly She Disappears by Raymond Fleischmann
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The Dry meets Silence of the Lambs in this intoxicating tale of literary suspense set in the relentless Alaskan landscape about madness and obsession, loneliness and grief, and the ferocious bonds of family …

Which release are you most excited for? Tell us in the comments below!

The post January 2020 Fiction Book Releases appeared first on The Nerd Daily.

Read on to discover our picks and tell us in the comments if you’ll be picking up any of these releases!

JANUARY

American Dirt by Jeanine Cummins
Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository

Already being hailed as “a Grapes of Wrath for our times” and “a new American classic,” Jeanine Cummins’s American Dirt is a rare exploration into the inner hearts of people willing to sacrifice everything for a glimmer of hope.

Followers by Megan Angelo
Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository

An electrifying story of two ambitious friends, the dark choices they make and the profound moment that changes the meaning of privacy forever.

All the Ways We Said Goodbye by Beatriz Williams, Lauren Willig, and Karen White
Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository

The New York Times bestselling authors of The Glass Ocean and The Forgotten Room return with a glorious historical adventure that moves from the dark days of two World Wars to the turbulent years of the 1960s, in which three women with bruised hearts find refuge at Paris’ legendary Ritz hotel.

The Majesties by Tiffany Tsao
Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository

In this riveting and disquieting thriller about the secrets and betrayals that accompany exorbitant wealth—imagine Crazy Rich Asians as written by Gillian Flynn—two sisters from a Chinese-Indonesian family grapple with the past after one of them poisons their entire family.

The Look-Alike by Erica Spindler
Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository

From the New York Times bestselling author of The Other Girl and Justice for Sara comes a thrilling psychological drama about a woman who believes she escaped a brutal murder years ago—but does anyone else believe her?

A Long Petal of the Sea by Isabel Allende
Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository

From the New York Times bestselling author of The House of the Spirits comes an epic novel spanning decades and crossing continents, following two young people as they flee the aftermath of the Spanish Civil War in search of a new place to call home.

The Other People by C.J. Tudor
Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository

A gripping thriller about a man’s quest for the daughter no one else believes is still alive, from the acclaimed author of The Chalk Man and The Hiding Place.

Long Bright River by Liz Moore
Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository

Alternating its present-day mystery with the story of the sisters’ childhood and adolescence, Long Bright River is at once heart-pounding and heart-wrenching: a gripping suspense novel that is also a moving story of sisters, addiction, and the formidable ties that persist between place, family, and fate.

FEBRUARY

The Glass Hotel by Emily St. John Mandel
Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository

From the award-winning author of Station Eleven, an exhilarating novel set at the glittering intersection of two seemingly disparate events-a massive Ponzi scheme collapse and the mysterious disappearance of a woman from a ship at sea.

The Mercies by Kiran Millwood Hargrave
Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository

After a storm has killed off all the island’s men, two women in a 1600s Norwegian coastal village struggle to survive against both natural forces and the men who have been sent to rid the community of alleged witchcraft.

The King at the Edge of the World by Arthur Phillips
Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository

“One of the best writers in America” (The Washington Post) delivers a mesmerising new novel in which Queen Elizabeth’s spymasters recruit an unlikely agent for an impossible mission: the only Muslim in England.

The Girl with the Louding Voice by Abi Dare
Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository

A powerful, emotional debut novel told in the unforgettable voice of a young Nigerian woman who is trapped in a life of servitude but determined to get an education so that she can escape and choose her own future.

Minor Dramas & Other Catastrophes by Kathleen West
Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository

Perfect for fans of Where’d You Go, Bernadette and Small Admissions, a wry and cleverly observed debut novel about the privileged bubble that is Liston Heights High–the micro-managing parents, the overworked teachers, and the students caught in the middle–and the fallout for each of them when the bubble finally bursts.

Death in the Family by Tessa Wegert
Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository

A storm-struck island. A blood-soaked bed. A missing man. Senior Investigator Shana Merchant believes it all adds up to a killer in their midst—and that murder is a family affair.

The Love Story of the Century by Märta Tikkanen and Stina Katchadourian
Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository

As much a story of resilience as it is suffering, The Love Story of the Century is a bittersweet account of the complexities of addiction, the power of creativity, and the redemption of love.

The Jetsetters by Amanda Eyre Ward
Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository

The story of a vibrant but dysfunctional family trapped together on a ten-day Mediterranean cruise–a riveting, irresistible novel from bestselling author Amanda Eyre Ward

MARCH

The Sea of Lost Girls: A Novel by Carol Goodman
Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository

In the tradition of Daphne du Maurier, Shari Lapena, and Michelle Richmond comes a new thriller from the bestselling author of The Lake of Dead Languages—a twisty, harrowing story set at a prestigious prep school in which one woman’s carefully hidden past might destroy her future.

The Herd by Andrea Bartz
Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository

When an exclusive New York women’s workspace is rocked by the mysterious disappearance of its enigmatic founder, two sisters must uncover the haunting truth before they lose their friendships, their careers–maybe even their lives.

You Are Not Alone by Greer Hendricks and Sarah Pekkanen
Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository

The #1 Bestselling authors of The Wife Between Us and An Anonymous Girl deliver a thriller about a circle of friends with deadly intentions–where trust is their weapon and revenge is their trigger….

The Red Lotus by Chris Bohjalian
Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository

From the #1 New York Times bestselling author of Midwives and The Flight Attendant comes a twisting story of love and deceit: an American man vanishes on a rural road in Vietnam, and his girlfriend, an emergency room doctor trained to ask questions, follows a path that leads her home to the very hospital where they met.

The Sunday Potluck Club by Melissa Storm
Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository

New friends can be found in unexpected places. For Bridget and Amy, that place was the cancer ward of an Anchorage hospital. Now, as each struggles to overcome loss, they lean on each other for support—sharing suppers, laughter and tears.

Conjure Women by Afia Atakora
Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository

A mother and daughter with a shared talent for healing–and for the conjuring of curses–are at the heart of this dazzling first novel.

The Deep by Alma Katsu
Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository

Brilliantly combining fact and fiction, the historical and the horrific, The Deep reveals a chilling truth in an unputdownable narrative full of unnerving moments and with a growing, inexorable sense of foreboding.

The Familiar Dark by Amy Engel
Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository

A spellbinding story of a mother with nothing left to lose who sets out on an all-consuming quest for justice after her daughter is murdered on the town playground.

APRIL

The Year of the Locust by Terry Hayes
Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository

With The Year of the Locust, Hayes has penned a breathtaking story about cutting-edge science, a government conspiracy, and one man’s desperate attempt to unravel it all. (Note: According to some retailers, this title has been pushed back yet again to June 2020. The UK version is currently set to September 2020, but after years of previous release dates and delays, this could still change).

If I Had Your Face by Frances Cha
Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository

A riveting debut novel set in contemporary Seoul, Korea, about four young women making their way in a world defined by impossibly high standards of beauty, secret room salons catering to wealthy men, strict social hierarchies, and K-pop fan mania.

A Bad Day for Sunshine by Darynda Jones
Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository

Sheriff Sunshine Vicram finds her cup o’ joe more than half full when the small village of Del Sol, New Mexico, becomes the center of national attention for a kidnapper on the loose.

The New Husband by D.J. Palmer
Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository

The New Husband is a riveting thriller about the lies we tell ourselves from D. J. Palmer, the author of Saving Meghan.

The Southern Book Club’s Guide to Slaying Vampires by Grady Hendrix
Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository

Fried Green Tomatoes and Steel Magnolias meet Dracula in this Southern-flavoured supernatural thriller set in the ’90s about a women’s book club that must protect its suburban community from a mysterious and handsome stranger who turns out to be a blood-sucking fiend.

The Ancestor by Danielle Trussoni
Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository

From the New York Times, USA Today, and internationally bestselling author of the Angelology series comes a bewitching gothic novel of suspense that plunges readers into a world of dark family secrets, the mysteries of human genetics, and the burden of family inheritance.

Something She’s Not Telling Us by Darcey Bell
Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository

From the New York Times bestselling author of A Simple Favor comes an electrifying domestic thriller of how one woman’s life is turned upside down when her brother brings his new girlfriend to visit—and no one is telling the truth about who they really are.

Three Hours in Paris by Cara Black
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In June of 1940, when Paris fell to the Nazis, Hitler spent a total of three hours in the City of Light—abruptly leaving, never to return. To this day, no one knows why. The New York Times bestselling author of the Aimée Leduc investigations reimagines history in her masterful, pulse-pounding spy thriller, Three Hours in Paris.

MAY

Malorie by Josh Malerman
Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository

In the thrilling sequel to Bird Box, the inspiration for the record-breaking Netflix film that starred Sandra Bullock and “absolutely riveted” Stephen King, New York Times bestselling author Josh Malerman brings unseen horrors to life.

The Paris Hours by Alex George
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Told over the course of a single day in 1927, The Paris Hours takes four ordinary people whose stories, told together, are as extraordinary as the glorious city they inhabit.

If It Bleeds by Stephen King
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From #1 New York Times bestselling author, legendary storyteller, and master of short fiction Stephen King comes an extraordinary collection of four new and compelling novellas—Mr. Harrigan’s Phone, The Life of Chuck, Rat, and the title story If It Bleeds—each pulling you into intriguing and frightening places.

All Adults Here by Emma Straub
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In All Adults Here, Emma Straub’s unique alchemy of wisdom, humor, and insight come together in a deeply satisfying story about adult siblings, aging parents, high school boyfriends, middle school mean girls, the lifelong effects of birth order, and all the other things that follow us into adulthood, whether we like them to or not.

The Queen’s Secret: A Novel of England’s World War II Queen by Karen Harper
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If you love Jennifer Robson or The Crown you will love New York Times bestselling author Karen Harper’s novel about Elizabeth, The Queen Mother.

The Only Good Indians by Stephen Graham Jones
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Peter Straub’s Ghost Story meets Liane Moriarty’s Big Little Lies in this American Indian horror story of revenge on the Blackfeet Indian Reservation.

The Jane Austen Society by Natalie Jenner
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“Fans of The Chilbury Ladies’ Choir and The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society will adore The Jane Austen Society… A charming and memorable debut, which reminds us of the universal language of literature and the power of books to unite and heal.” —Pam Jenoff, New York Times bestselling author of The Lost Girls of Paris

Don’t Make A Sound by T.R. Ragan
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Her own past could be a reporter’s biggest story in this twisting thriller about murder and family secrets by the New York Times bestselling author T.R. Ragan.

JUNE

The Wife Who Knew Too Much by Michele Campbell
Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository

From Michele Campbell, the bestselling author of It’s Always the Husband comes a new blockbuster thriller in The Wife Who Knew Too Much.

Safecracker by Ryan Wick
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In this wicked debut, safecracker Michael Maven must pull off the most dangerous theft of his long career―or his friends and family will be killed.

The Half Sister by Sandie Jones
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From the New York Times bestselling author of the Hello Sunshine Book Club pick The Other Woman, comes a compelling new domestic suspense novel about a family who is forever changed when a stranger arrives at their door.

The Lies That Bind by Emily Giffin
Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository

In the irresistible new novel from the #1 New York Times bestselling author of All We Ever Wanted, a woman is falling hard for a man she’s just met when he disappears without a trace on 9/11.

The Last Train to Key West by Chanel Cleeton
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In 1935 three women are forever changed when one of the most powerful hurricanes in history barrels toward the Florida Keys in New York Times bestselling author Chanel Cleeton’s captivating new novel.

The Girl from Widow Hills by Megan Miranda
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From the New York Times bestselling author of The Last House Guest—a Reese Witherspoon Book Club pick—comes a riveting new novel of psychological suspense about a young woman plagued by night terrors after a childhood trauma who wakes one evening to find a corpse at her feet.

The Vanishing Half by Brit Bennett
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From The New York Times -bestselling author of The Mothers , a stunning new novel about twin sisters, inseparable as children, who ultimately choose to live in two very different worlds, one black and one white.

Self Care by Leigh Stein
Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository

The female cofounders of a wellness start-up struggle to find balance between being good people and doing good business, while trying to stay BFFs.

What 2020 fiction releases are you looking forward to? Tell us in the comments below!

The post Fiction Book Releases To Check Out In 2020 appeared first on The Nerd Daily.