Intrigued? Read on to discover the synopsis and an excerpt from A Pair of Aces by Marie Benedict and Victoria Christopher Murray, which releases on June 2nd 2026.

Eunice Carter, assistant district attorney for the City of New York and Manhattan’s first Black female prosecutor, has her sights set on the one and only Lucky Luciano, head of New York City’s five largest organized crime families. Other prosectors have tried to bring down Lucky, but they’ve all focused on the crime syndicate’s traditional businesses—bootlegging, gambling, loan sharking, and drug dealing—or tax evasion. No one has thought to approach the mob through its role in prostitution. Until Eunice. But she can’t get Luciano alone.

Polly Adler has worked long and hard to build up her high-class brothel business. Her client list is filled with well-known names, both the famous and the infamous, who all know her booze is top-notch, her music first-rate, her food exquisite, and her girls the best. But Lucky has gone too far, putting her girls in danger, and Polly finally sees the chance to end his reign once and for all.

Together, Eunice and Polly fashion a case utilizing a network of women. Bridging the enormous divide between them and risking their own lives, they assemble evidence bit by bit, under the nose of the man they’re trying to convict. It is this very alliance—of two women from vastly different worlds—that launches the most sensational trial New York City has ever seen.

Chapter Three

Polly

New York, New York

April 4, 1935

The sharp clip of heels on concrete echoes throughout my cell, growing louder with each step, and I brace myself. The fast tempo isn’t the lazy thunk of a guard’s boots or even the confident, slightly bored stride of a lawyer’s dark tan Derby shoes. No, the staccato, metallic sound is unusual for the corridors of the 30th Precinct Station House, and yet, I should be able to identify it. After all, I’ve spent many a long hour listening to the clatter of shoes as they cross bedroom floors to engage in all manner of debauchery.

I start to get concerned, and then I have it. Only the heel of a woman’s oxford pump could make that sort of solid but somehow dainty rat-a-tat-tat. With its elegant, womanly heel curving into a narrow point and its sensible perforated top designed to resemble a man’s oxford dress shoe, the oxford pump is the shoe of a woman who stands between two worlds. The shoe of a woman who means business but hasn’t entirely surrendered her femininity. Among other things.

But now I’m even more curious. Because it’s strange that the sort of person who’d wear those shoes would be in this jail. The 30th Precinct Station House is the place for the drug addicts and drunks and streetwalkers and thieves who’ve been hauled in; even I don’t really belong here, and neither do my girls. Unless, it comes to me, the woman in the oxford pumps is a rare female lawyer. Who else would have access to jail cells in the 30th Precinct Station House?

With this thought, a new sort of worry sets in. Could she be here for me? When I was booked into the station, the charge was listed as pandering, or “facilitating prostitution.” I’ve batted away this charge time and time again, but I haven’t heard a peep from the cops or my lawyer since. Even when I asked to call my attorney. What if I’m being held here on pandering charges, but they’re really planning on squeezing me for information on Dutch? Do the cops know that he and his thugs were in that hotel suite with us—just before Coll was murdered?

My heart begins thudding in time with her step. Not that an onlooker could tell. Should the unkempt detainee slouched against the cinder block wall in the cell abutting mine wake up and look in my direction, she’d see a petite, well-manicured, composed woman of an indeterminate age in sky-high heels. I’d seem out of place among the common criminals surrounding me, with the exception of my girls, of course. And they’ve been placed in cells scattered around the jail, so we aren’t close enough to talk.

I pull my fur stole tight around my shoulders like a shield. I’ve worked long and hard to build up my business—traveled far from Russia with its poverty and its pogroms and endured far worse on the shores of this so-called Golden Land—and I have no intention of returning to a desultory existence. Just like I have no intention of a life without the regular feel of a fur stole on my cheek.

So when the clatter of heels grows louder and abruptly stops in front of my cell, I do not look up. Leaning against the hard steel bars that constitute one of the walls of my cell, I keep my eyes firmly fixed on the dingy gray cell floor before me as if there’s no one there at all.

A long moment ensues. A powdery lemon scent drifts into my cell—could it be Charles of the Ritz’s new Jean Naté?—and I learn something else about the woman outside my cage. Her fragrance, decidedly not floral or fussy, is worlds away from the heavy, spicy, sometimes musky perfumes my girls wear. Or the distinctive Chanel and Lanvin concoctions chosen by the few select grand dames who frequent my house. It is the scent chosen by a woman with means who intends to be taken seriously.

Neither of us speaks for a long moment. Finally, she clears her throat. “Miss Adler?”

There, between the steel-gray bars of my cell, I peer first at her shoes: two-toned oxford pumps. I have to suppress a self-satisfied smile. I knew it. Working my way upward, I take note of the sensible stockings and the navy worsted wool skirt, the coordinating jacket cinched at the waist with a cordovan leather belt that matches her shoes. All as I expected for a woman lawyer.

Then my eyes reach her attractive face with its symmetrical features, arched brows, and stern lips, and nothing is as I guessed. Because the woman standing before me is the rarest of creatures. Not only is she a woman in a man’s world, but she’s a colored woman in a white man’s world. I’ve forged my way in a man’s world, too, but nothing quite like this.

“Who’s asking?” I answer when my eyes meet hers.

My tone is barbed, because I’ve got to be very, very careful to whom I speak and what I say. I’m no stranger to getting pinched, but the more I think about it, the stranger this latest arrest seems. The timing on the heels of Dutch and his men rushing out to witness the shoot-up of Mad Dog Coll, for instance, which I know did happen, because I’ve heard the guards natter on about it. The way in which the Algonquin lobby had been cleared out and the cops ready for us, as another example. Either I’m being set up to turn on Dutch, maybe for the role he played in the murder of Mad Dog, or someone identified me as the Polly Adler on the way to an assignation with my girls at the Algonquin Hotel and really has it out for me. Regardless, I’ve got to protect myself, and that includes not becoming a rat.

“Assistant District Attorney Eunice Carter,” the woman answers.

A colored female assistant district attorney? I thought I’d never see the day. In fact, it occurs to me that the only one I’ve ever heard of is the woman Dewey hired for his special group of lawyers dedicated to fighting the Mob. My stomach lurches at the thought that this Eunice Carter could be one of Dewey’s and that she might be here specifically to get me to talk about Dutch. Why else would she come here now?

Even if this Eunice Carter doesn’t know that I’ve interacted with Dutch, and even if she’s not one of Dewey’s special twenty, the fact that an assistant district attorney is here to talk to me isn’t good news. It means that this was no normal police roundup. Or maybe that I’m no normal inmate.

I will myself to stay still, stay silent, and I remind myself that it isn’t necessarily about Dutch. After all, the name Polly Adler is known in and of itself, and arresting me for pandering is a feather in the cap for any cop or assistant district attorney. I must wait for this unusual woman to play her cards.

She’s patient and steely, though, and can play the waiting game, too. Our eyes are locked—hers deep, dark brown and mine a coppery shade. Just when I think I might break first, she says, “I’m here to talk to you about your work.”

“And what work would that be?” I ask, trying to make my face the picture of innocence. I will give up nothing to this woman.

“I understand you run a house of prostitution,” she says matter-of-factly, gesturing down the row of jail cells. “In fact, I think a few of your girls might have been brought in with you.”

“I don’t know what on earth you’re talking about.” I shake my head as if her comment is ludicrous.

“Actually, I’ve heard that you run the most prestigious house of prostitution in the city. Apparently, you’re so famous that the phrase ‘going to Polly’s’ has become a euphemism for engaging in the sort of illicit fun you offer.”

I will not be lured in by her compliments; I wasn’t born yesterday.

When I don’t speak, she continues. “Miss Adler, I am not here to gather evidence for the pandering charges that have been lodged against you. I’m only interested in learning how your business operates. I promise.”

She seems earnest, and honestly, I’m relieved that she’s not asking any questions about Dutch or the Mob. But it’s clear this Eunice Carter doesn’t understand anything about me or my business if she thinks I’ll roll over so easily. I keep my lips sealed.

“Miss Adler, I’d be grateful for any information you might be willing to share. It must be a thrill to run an establishment as well-known as Polly’s, and quite exciting for the girls who work there.” She pushes on, a pleading note in her voice.

Here she goes with the flattery again. I’ve got to shut this down. “Assistant District Attorney Carter,” I say, enunciating every syllable. “I don’t know a thing about running a ‘house of prostitution.’ My arrest is a big mistake. I’m just a lady who was out on the town for a few drinks with some friends. But I will tell you something for nothing. No girl wakes up in the morning wishing to spend her life as a whore.”

Excerpted from A Pair of Aces by Marie Benedict and Victoria Christopher Murray Copyright © 2026 by Marie Benedict and Victoria Christopher Murray. Excerpted by permission of Berkley. All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.

The post Read An Excerpt From ‘A Pair of Aces’ by Marie Benedict and Victoria Christopher Murray appeared first on The Nerd Daily.

Get ready to look forward to some great fiction book releases in 2026! We’ve rounded up just a few fiction books releasing between January and June from thrillers and historical fiction, to stories of friendship and family, and more. With new releases from Jennifer Niven, Simone St. James, Claire Heywood, Catriona Ward, CG Drews, Natalie Haynes, Megan Lally, Xochitl Gonzalez, Emma Straub, Kylie Lee Baker, Nick Cutter, Catherine Adel West, Jennifer Saint, Rob Hart, and more, plus debut novels, you’ll be sure to find quite a few exciting new reads within this list!

Be sure to check out our other 2026 round-ups too, including our Most Anticipated, Romance, Fantasy and Sci-Fi, and Young Adult lists!

JANUARY 2026 FICTION BOOK RELEASES

Meet the Newmans by Jennifer Niven

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Funny, big-hearted, and deeply moving, Meet the Newmans is a rich family story about the dual lives we lead. Because even when our lives aren’t televised weekly, we all have a behind-the-scenes.

Is This A Cry For Help? by Emily Austin

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A luminous new novel following a librarian who comes back to work after a mental breakdown only to confront book-banning crusaders in an empowering story of grief, love, and the power of libraries.

Women of a Promiscuous Nature by Donna Everhart

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Based on the long-buried history of the American Plan, this powerful and shockingly timely story of resistance and resilience exposes the real government program designed to regulate women’s bodies and sexuality throughout the first half of the 20th century.

Dandelion Is Dead by Rosie Storey

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With sparkling wit and aching tenderness, debut author Rosie Storey gives us a modern love story about the courage it takes to live again after loss and finding hope in the most unexpected places.

Skylark by Paula McLain

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The New York Times bestselling author of The Paris Wife weaves a mesmerizing tale of Paris above and below—where a woman’s quest for artistic freedom in 1664 intertwines with a doctor’s dangerous mission during the German occupation in the 1940s, revealing a story of courage and resistance that transcends time.

You’ll Never Forget Me by Isha Raya

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In this captivating cat-and-mouse thriller, a struggling actress is only just beginning to enjoy the life sheʼs always wanted after inadvertently killing her rival—but now she must contend with the woman who threatens to take it all away.

Burn Down Master’s House by Clay Cane

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Inspired by long-buried true stories of enslaved people who dared to fight back, this powerful novel offers a searing portrayal of resistance. 

The Midnight Carousel by Fiza Saeed McLynn

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The Night Circus meets Water for Elephants in this enchanting, darkly glittering story of grief, obsession, revenge, and enduring love.

The Briars by Sarah Crouch

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The USA TODAY bestselling author of Middletide returns with a lush and atmospheric novel of suspense following a young woman whose job as a game warden puts her in the path of a murderer in a small town eager to protect its own.

Just Watch Me by Lior Torenberg

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Fleabag meets Big Swiss in this bold debut about a charismatic misfit who livestreams her life for seven days and nights to raise money to save her comatose sister—a poignant and darkly funny exploration of grief, forgiveness, and redemption.

A Box Full of Darkness by Simone St. James

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Simone St. James, the New York Times bestselling author of The Sun Down Motel, returns with her scariest, most shocking novel yet in this pulse-pounding story about siblings who return to the house they fled 18 years before, called back by the ghost of their long-missing brother and his haunting request: Come home.

The Seven Daughters of Dupree by Nikesha Elise Williams

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From the two-time Emmy Award–winning producer and host of the Black and Published podcast comes a sweeping multi-generational epic following seven generations of Dupree women as they navigate love, loss, and the unyielding ties of family in the tradition of Homegoing and The Love Songs of W.E.B. DuBois.

FEBRUARY 2026 FICTION BOOK RELEASES

The Exes by Leodora Darlington

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Who hasn’t wanted to murder an ex—figuratively, at least? In this explosive debut thriller, a woman’s seemingly perfect romantic life is on the verge of collapse as she uncovers a hidden history surfacing dark secrets that have deadly consequences.

A Crown of Stars by Shana Abe

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A sumptuously vivid and poignant account of the Lusitania’s fateful last days, drawn from the true story of an extraordinary young actress who survived the unthinkable—for fans of Marie Benedict, Louis Bayard, Fiona Davis, Kate Quinn, and HBO’s The Gilded Age.

The Wandering Queen by Claire Heywood

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An epic and fiercely imaginative retelling of the story of queen Dido, the legendary founder of Carthage, from the author of the national bestseller Daughters of Sparta.

Where the Wildflowers Grow by Terah Shelton Harris

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From acclaimed author Terah Shelton Harris comes a poignant story of survival and redemption that questions what it means to stop existing and start living.

The Fourth Princess by Janie Chang

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From the internationally bestselling author of The Porcelain Moon comes a haunting Gothic novel set in 1911 China. Two young women living in a crumbling, once-grand Shanghai mansion face danger as secrets of their pasts come to light, even as the mansion’s own secret threatens the present.

Out of the Loop by Katie Siegel

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The Seven Year Slip meets Vera Wong’s Unsolicited Advice for Murderers in this wholly original time loop mystery.

Superfan by Jenny Tinghui Zhang

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From National Book Foundation 5 Under 35 honoree Jenny Tinghui Zhang, a novel about a pop idol and his superfan, whose stories shockingly collide

The Midnight Taxi by Yosha Gunasekera

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When the last fare of the night turns up dead in her backseat, a Sri Lankan American taxi driver works off the clock to clear her name in this mystery novel by debut author Yosha Gunasekera.

Adrift by Will Dean

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A high-tension thriller about a family’s descent into darkness that is perfect for fans of Dennis Lehane and Lisa Jewell.

A Sociopath’s Guide to a Successful Marriage by MK Oliver

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A whip-smart and darkly funny crime novel—perfect for fans of My Sister, the Serial Killer and The Maid—that follows a wife and mother with a deadly secret that she must suppress if she wants to maintain her picture-perfect façade.

Bad Asians by Lillian Li

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From the acclaimed author of Number One Chinese Restaurant comes an affecting novel about an unforgettable group of friends trying to make their way in the world without losing themselves, or one another.

Nowhere Burning by Catriona Ward

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Nowhere Burning is a harrowing tale of survival that places the dark fairy tale of Peter Pan and the ruthless dangers of Lord of the Flies into the unforgiving maw of the Colorado Rockies.

MARCH 2026 FICTION BOOK RELEASES

No Friend To This House by Natalie Haynes

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No Friend to This House is an extraordinary reimagining of the myth of Medea from the Sunday Times bestselling author of Stone Blind, Natalie Haynes.

Wretch by Eric LaRocca

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From rising horror star and award-winning author of Things Have Gotten Worse Since We Last Spoke comes a nightmarish, haunting, tech-Gothic thrill ride about sorrow, memory, and the unabashed complexity of love as a transgressive act.

You Did Nothing Wrong by C.G. Drews

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Domestic suspense meets haunted house horror in this adult debut from the New York Times bestselling author of Don’t Let the Forest In.

Strangers In The Villa by Robyn Harding

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From the international bestselling author of The Drowning Woman, a psychological thriller about a couple rocked by infidelity who moves to a villa in Spain’s Costa Brava to rebuild their relationship, only to welcome a pair of visitors who have no intention of leaving.  

How Simi Got Her Groom Back by Sonali Dev

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Two sisters face the real consequences of a fake marriage scheme in an emotional yet hilarious novel about immigration, healing, and family from USA Today bestselling author Sonali Dev.

Bloom by Robbie Couch

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From the New York Times bestselling author of If I See You Again Tomorrow comes a delightful and heartwarming novel about family, love, grief, and one precocious houseplant, that reminds us of the beauty of living a life in full Bloom.

Dig by J. H. Markert

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J. H. Markert returns with a surreal horror novel, perfect for fans of Graveyard Shift and What Moves the Dead.

This Story Might Save Your Life by Tiffany Crum

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Best friends Benny and Joy like to say they’ve been saving each other’s lives since the moment they met. Until the day Joy disappears and Benny is suspected of murder . . .

Turn Off the Light by Jacquie Walter

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Two women living centuries apart are bound by the same dark secret in this haunting novel that “upends everything you think you know about ghost stories” (Jennifer McMahon, author of The Winter People).

Sweetbitter Song by Rosie Hewlett

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Perfect for fans of The Song of Achilles and from the award-winning author of The Witch of Colchis comes a profoundly moving story of two women on the shores of Ithaca, in the shadows of a legendary war, who must face their own battle – one of sisterhood, survival, and a forbidden love that could destroy them both.

What We Did To Survive by Megan Lally

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A vacation in paradise turns deadly when four teens’ sailing charter hits stormy seas in this propulsive new thriller from New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Megan Lally!

Finlay Donovan Crosses The Line by Elle Cosimano

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From New York Times bestseller Elle Cosimano comes Finlay Donovan Crosses the Line—the highly anticipated next installment in the beloved Finlay Donovan series.

APRIL 2026 FICTION BOOK RELEASES

Last Night in Brooklyn by Xochitl Gonzalez

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New York Times bestselling author Xochitl Gonzalez delivers a captivating story about a young woman whose life becomes ensnared in her glamorous neighbor’s secret past

A Murder Most Camp by Nicolas DiDomizio

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The Guncle meets Every Time I Go On Vacation Someone Dies in this fun, twisty mystery following a spoiled nepo baby forced to work at a struggling summer camp who stumbles into a real-life murder mystery he has no choice but to solve.

We Would Never Tell by Anne-Sophie Jouhanneau

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A high-glamour, high-stakes thriller trailing three ambitious women as they navigate Hollywood’s secrets, sins, and scandals during 12 days at the Cannes Film Festival. 

American Fantasy by Emma Straub

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From New York Times bestselling author of This Time Tomorrow, an irresistible story about what happens when your teenage fantasy comes true after you’re already an adult.

The Girls Trip by Ally Condie

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From the author of Reese’s Book Club Pick and instant USA Today bestseller The Unwedding, a novel of suspense and friendship about three friends who decide to disappear from their lives for a few days while on a trip to a national park—only to have one of them vanish.

The Ending Writes Itself by Evelyn Clarke

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Fans of Agatha Christie’s locked-room mysteries and modern tales like Knives Out will fall for The Ending Writes Itself, which masterfully blends classic mystery elements with genre-bending tropes. Crafted with razor-sharp wit and a meta twist, this satirical take on the publishing world ensures readers will hang on every word, right up to its breathtaking finale.

The Book Witch by Meg Shaffer

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Come along with the Book Witch in this magical and inspiring love letter to reading from the USA Today bestselling author of The Wishing Game.

The Caretaker by Marcus Kliewer

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From Marcus Kliewer, a new “titan of the macabre and unsettling” (Erin A. Craig, #1 New York Times bestselling author), comes a supernatural horror about a young woman who accepts a caretaking job from Craigslist, only to discover the position has consequences far greater—and more dangerous—than she ever could have imagined.

Japanese Gothic by Kylie Lee Baker

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In this lyrical, wildly inventive horror novel interwoven with Japanese mythology, two people living centuries apart discover a door between their worlds.

The Island Club by Nicola Harrison

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Set against the sun-drenched beaches of Balboa Island, with its prim and proper 1950s facade, The Island Club is a story of love, loneliness and the lies we tell ourselves―and what can be gained when the truth is finally revealed.

Ms. Mebel Goes Back to the Chopping Block by Jesse Q. Sutanto

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A nearly divorced trophy wife enrolls in culinary school to win back her husband, only to find a fresh start in the unlikeliest of places in this new novel from the USA Today bestselling author of Vera Wong’s Unsolicited Advice for Murderers.

Go Gentle by Maria Semple

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The New York Times bestselling author of Where’d You Go, Bernadette returns to form in her most exuberant and life-affirming novel yet with the story of one woman’s cheerful determination to live a life of the mind only to have the heart force its way in.

MAY 2026 FICTION BOOK RELEASES

The Library After Dark by Ande Pliego

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A bookseller must escape the infamously haunted library that holds her darkest secrets, but with a murderer in her tour group, escaping alive is not as simple as it seems, in this twisty locked-room thriller from bestselling author of You Are Fatally Invited.

The Dorians by Nick Cutter

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The all-new novel of terror from “one of the hottest horror authors on the planet” (Paste) and writer of the #HorrorBookTok sensation The Troop!

Caller Unknown by Gillian McAllister

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How far would you go to rescue your child? A mother races against the clock—and finds herself on the wrong side of the law—in a desperate fight to save her teenage daughter in this pulse-pounding thriller.

The Calamity Club by Kathryn Stockett

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The Calamity Club will make you laugh, cry, and cheer—an epic testament to underestimated women who know that calamity can be the spark of new beginnings. This is Kathryn Stockett at her most confident, heartfelt, and hilarious—the triumphant return of one of the most beloved storytellers of our time.

The Anniversary by Alex Finlay

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Twisty, high-concept, and emotionally charged, this novel is an utterly compelling story of the hunt for a serial killer. But it’s also a heartfelt―and heartrending―novel about fate, innocence lost, and two souls who find that sometimes being broken is the only way for the light to get in. 

The Young Will Remember by Eve J. Chung

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A sweeping novel about a correspondent trapped behind enemy lines during the Korean War, and the women who help her find her way home, from the national bestselling author of Daughters of Shandong.

Villain by Natalie Zina Walschots

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The Boys meets Assistant to the Villain in the electrifying, sharp, violent, and hilarious sequel to the highly acclaimed novel, Hench. Filled with a queer and neurodiverse cast, Villain asks the question: what happens when a diabolically brilliant henchperson looks back at their already storied career and thinks, I can be so much worse.

The One Day You Were My Husband by Rosie Walsh

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From the New York Times–bestselling author of Ghosted and The Love of My Life comes an unmissable emotional thriller: an up-all-night, page-turning love story with a very dark secret at its heart.

Homebound by Portia Elan

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Five interlocking lives. One beloved story. A dazzling adventure across centuries and continents in search of the things that hold us together.

Lady X by Molly Fader

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The search for a notorious vigilante exposes the secrets among three generations of women in this propulsive novel of female resistance and rage, sweeping from contemporary L.A. to gritty 1970s New York.

The Hope Keeper by Heather Webb

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Set in Jazz Age D.C., the story of possession and obsession, and the ever-looming curse of the legendary Hope Diamond, comes to life as the socialites scheme and the jewels glitter in the evening light. 

The Players Club by Rachel Mills

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For fans of Lessons in Chemistry and Eleanor Oliphant Is Completely Fine, a bold, big concept debut about a secret club of women who risk everything to ask the question: If you could be anyone…who would you dare to become?

JUNE 2026 FICTION BOOK RELEASES

Tell Your Friends by Lauren Wilson

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A former child star and an envious fan collide in this cat-and-mouse psychological thriller about obsession, self-invention, and the dark side of internet fame.

There’s Only One Sin In Hollywood by Rasheed Newson

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A cinematic, razor-sharp novel following a backlot fixer’s daring investigation into the suspicious death of a closeted Black actor within the glamorous world of Hollywood, from the bestselling author of My Government Means to Kill Me.

A Pair of Aces by Marie Benedict and Victoria Christopher Murray

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A gripping novel about two trailblazing women on opposite sides of the law—a prosecutor and a madam—who team up to bring down notorious mob boss Lucky Luciano in 1930s New York, from the New York Times bestselling authors of the million-copy bestseller The Personal Librarian.

Strangers Behind Closed Doors by Catherine Adel West

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A twisty thriller about a woman who vanishes from a luxury hotel, and the detective who believes the case is tied to the unsolved disappearances of other Black women in the city.

The Break-Up Retreat by Camilla Sten

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An undercover journalist goes to expose an exclusive psychological wellness clinic where women go to recover from heartbreak, with dire consequences, in this creepy thriller from The Bachelorette Party author Camilla Sten.

A Fortune of Sand by Ruta Sepetys

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The daughter of an automotive magnate escapes to an artistic retreat that holds more secrets—and more intrigue—than she could have ever imagined, in this Prohibition-era novel from the #1 New York Times bestselling author of Salt to the Sea.

Girl’s Girl by Sonia Feldman

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From a dazzling new talent, a sensual and spellbinding novel about one summer that shatters the balance between three best friends, forcing them to confront the line between friendship and desire.

This Immortal Heart by Jennifer Saint

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The epic, captivating tale of Aphrodite, the goddess of love, who must reconcile her mind and heart when she is drawn against all odds to Ares, the god of war, from the internationally bestselling author of Ariadne and Hera.

Our Sister’s Keeper by Jasmine Holmes

Publisher | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Bookshop.org | Goodreads
A gripping blend of historical fiction and Southern gothic psychological horror, Our Sister’s Keeper is a fierce exploration of Black sisterhood, rage, and resistance.

Three Hitmen and a Baby by Rob Hart

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Welcome back to Assassins Anonymous, where family is everything and danger lurks around every corner.

Pool House by Mary H.K. Choi

Publisher | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Bookshop.org | Goodreads
Bestselling young adult author Mary H.K. Choi debuts a brilliantly observed adult novel about mothers, daughters and the complexity of family set against the backdrop of Hollywood.

The Shampoo Effect by Jenny Jackson

Publisher | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Bookshop.org | Goodreads
An ambitious young woman insinuates herself into a tight-knit social set, shaking up friendships and marriages in a small seaside town.

What 2026 fiction book releases are you looking forward to? Tell us in the comments below!

The post Fiction Book Releases To Check Out In 2026 appeared first on The Nerd Daily.

Intrigued? Well read on to discover the synopsis and an excerpt from Victoria Christopher Murray’s Harlem Rhapsody, which is out February 4th 2025.

In 1919, a high school teacher from Washington, D.C arrives in Harlem excited to realize her lifelong dream. Jessie Redmon Fauset has been named the literary editor of The Crisis. The first Black woman to hold this position at a preeminent Negro magazine, Jessie is poised to achieve literary greatness. But she holds a secret that jeopardizes it all.

W. E. B. Du Bois, the founder of The Crisis, is not only Jessie’s boss, he’s her lover. And neither his wife, nor their fourteen-year-age difference can keep the two apart. Amidst rumors of their tumultuous affair, Jessie is determined to prove herself. She attacks the challenge of discovering young writers with fervor, finding sixteen-year-old Countee Cullen, seventeen-year-old Langston Hughes, and Nella Larsen, who becomes one of her best friends. Under Jessie’s leadership, The Crisis thrives…every African American writer in the country wants their work published there.

When her first novel is released to great acclaim, it’s clear that Jessie is at the heart of a renaissance in Black music, theater, and the arts. She has shaped a generation of literary legends, but as she strives to preserve her legacy, she’ll discover the high cost of her unparalleled success.

Chapter 1

Sunday, October 19, 1919

I thrust open the taxicab’s door, and the moment my T-strap heels hit the pavement, a cacophony of city sounds welcomes me. The music enraptures me first.

I can’t sleep at night . . . I can’t eat a bite . . .

From a Victrola perched near an opened window, the lyrics from “Harlem Blues” float down, and then Mamie Smith’s contralto drifts into the breeze. The joyous sound of two giggling girls skipping past draws me from the song.

“You’re just bumping your gums,” a man shouts, and uproarious laughter rises from the circle of men dawdling in front of the barbershop a few doors away.

I stand, absorbing it all: the patter of a thousand footsteps of men and ladies and kiddies rushing past . . . motorcars chugging and clanking and clicking behind me . . . honking horns squealing into the air.

‘Cause the man I love . . . he don’t treat me right . . .

It isn’t a cacophony, it’s a rhapsody, and my heart races to match its beat.

“Jessie!”

I face my mother and am surprised to see her brown eyes framed by a frown. She points to my valise on the sidewalk next to hers. “Are you expecting me to carry both?”

“Oh.” I laugh, and a smile fills her face. “Apologies, Maman. But we’re in New York.” I twirl in front of her, and my wrap coat billows at my ankles.

“We are.” She gives me a short nod. “You’re behaving as if you’ve never lived in a big city.”

“You can’t compare Philadelphia and Washington, DC, to this. New York is everything. It’s music and theater and . . . come on, Maman.” Carrying my valise, I rush toward the sienna-brick brownstone.

At the first step, I glance over my shoulder. My mother stands in the same spot. In her pale gold overcoat and matching cloche, she is as fashionable as any New Yorker. But her eyes are as wide as mine as she soaks in the city’s vivacity.

My heart swells for the woman who didn’t birth me but who, for the last twenty-five years, has nurtured me with love. “You were born from my heart,” she’s told me since I was twelve.

Over the city’s music, I call out, “Allez, Maman!” in the same tone she’d used with me moments before.

At the front door, my hand trembles with excitement as I try to steady the key. We step into the vestibule and then through another door before we enter the hallway and I move to the only door on the first floor. But before I insert the key, the door swings open.

“Will!”

“Welcome to New York!”

I study the man I’d first contacted when I was a student at Cornell University, some sixteen years ago. His mustache has been trimmed since I last saw him in August. And there is a bit more silver blending with the jet-black hair of his beard. As always, he’s dressed impeccably in one of his brown three-piece, wide-lapel suits. Tonight, though, he wears a more formal bow tie rather than the neckties I know he prefers.

The twinkle in his eyes and his wide smile draw me closer. However, just as I reach for him, I remember. My mother. How had I forgotten her so quickly?

That is the effect of W. E. B. Du Bois. His mere presence emits a magnetic force that is difficult to deny or resist.

This is a reminder that now, living in New York, I must be measured in my actions. This will be different from seeing Will on his occasional stopovers in Washington, DC.

I shift so my mother can enter our new apartment, but she doesn’t take a single step. She expects an introduction. “Maman, allow me to present Dr. William Du Bois.”

“Mrs. Fauset, it is my absolute pleasure to finally make your acquaintance.” He takes her valise.

My mother’s smile has vanished. She steps over the threshold and greets Will with a curt “Good afternoon.”

My mother strolls around the parlor, taking in the regal Victorian-style room decorated in crimson and gold, and runs her hands over the oak edge of the sofa, then the matching damask-upholstered wingback chairs.

“This is a nice apartment.” I hope my mother agrees. I turn to the bay windows facing Seventh Avenue. “But look at this, Maman. This . . . will be my favorite place.”

The windows jut out of the brownstone like a pair of owl’s eyes keeping watch over the neighborhood.

Will says, “This is the largest apartment, the only one in the building that hasn’t been split.”

“What do you mean?” My eyes are once again on my mother as she rounds the room.

“With so many people flocking to New York from the South, landlords are reconstructing the spaces, dividing apartments in half, then doubling the rent,” Will explains. “I know the owner of this brownstone, so I secured one of the best furnished spaces in Harlem for you.”

My mother’s steps are silent against the Oriental area rug as she saunters toward the back.

“Some of the gals from the office prepared the apartment. Then, of course, Helen,” he says, referring to my sister. “We wanted to make certain you had everything you’d need until your belongings arrive.”

My mother pauses where the parlor spills into the kitchen. Even with the icebox, stove, and sink, there is space for a hutch and a small dining table.

“Would you like me to show you the two bedrooms and the water closet, Mrs. Fauset?”

“No.” She waves her hand. “I’m certain those rooms are sufficient.”

I nod, Will nods, and my mother says nothing as she lowers herself onto the sofa. She sits-back straight, shoulders squared, her coat still buttoned-as if she hasn’t determined whether she’ll stay.

After a moment, I sit in one chair and Will in the other. Maman speaks first: “Dr. Du Bois, thank you for not only finding us this home, but for securing this job with The Crisis magazine for my daughter.”

“No thanks is necessary. I wanted to make certain you would be comfortable, and Jessie . . . I mean, Miss Fauset has earned this position as the literary editor. I expect that section of The Crisis to thrive under her leadership.”

“I agree; my daughter will be a credit to your magazine. Jessie has always been a writer, and has been educated well. She’s not only a Phi Beta Kappa graduate, but she’s proficient in several languages. And in her teaching career, she has already-”

“Maman,” I interrupt, dismayed. My glance shifts between her and Will. “I’m certain Dr. Du Bois doesn’t desire a recapitulation of my credentials.”

“Yes, I was quite impressed with your daughter when I interviewed her for this position.”

“Is that when you first became”-she pauses-“impressed?” Another pause. “With my daughter?”

If Will hears my mother’s derision, he gives no indication. “I was very impressed. Beyond Miss Fauset’s writings is her understanding that literature is a venue that must be utilized to display the best of the Negro race.”

“On that, we can agree, Dr. Du Bois. Literature can be useful in this fight for equality. That’s what I tell my daughter. She can change this world with words.”

My mother’s sentiments are no surprise to Will. I’ve shared her background, especially the two factors of most interest to me when my widower father, the Reverend Redmon Fauset, introduced Bella Huff as the woman he was going to marry. Bella, herself a widow, was Jewish and a staunch integrationist.

At twelve, I understood Judaism, but had no understanding of an “integrationist.” I came to understand the term more by my stepmother’s actions than by explanation. She supported the complete social integration of the races, something she spoke about often in my father’s church, after she converted to Christianity, and at local NAACP meetings. But she didn’t just speak her belief, she lived it. Bella had married a Negro-twice-and in those unions, she’d birthed six mixed-race children.

Will’s voice draws me back. “I’m excited for Miss Fauset to be with us at this propitious time, Mrs. Fauset. The war is over, the world is changing, and we not only need to be part of that change, but must also facilitate that change. This is the time for the new Negro, and literature must play its role. At its best, literature is a useful form of propaganda.”

My mother tilts her head. “That’s an interesting concept.”

Will says, “I am not interested in any kind of literature that isn’t propaganda. Any art by Negroes must serve one purpose alone-to uplift the race and present Negroes in a way white folks have never seen. Art must serve to change more than minds, art must change hearts. Through literature, stories can be shared that recognize the contributions colored folks have made in just fifty years, post-emancipation. The written word can be more powerful than any speech I can deliver.”

“I hear your passion, Dr. Du Bois, and I am inspired by your words.”

I release my apprehension about Maman and Will finally meeting. Here, the two can agree. William Du Bois and Bella Fauset possess the same fervor for equality.

But then my mother abruptly says, “How old are you, Dr. Du Bois?”

“Maman!”

Will sits up straighter. “I am fifty-one,” he proclaims, with a bit of grandiosity. I do not fault him for this. In his fifty-one years, there are few-colored or white-who can match the accomplishments of W. E. B. Du Bois, the professor and civil rights leader. From his two college degrees, to being the first Negro to receive a PhD from Harvard, along with all of his teaching and writing and speaking, his achievements precede him.

My mother knows this. Yet when he tells her his age, she hums and smirks, and I am at once embarrassed. She says, “It seems you are closer to my age than my daughter’s.”

Inside I pray to the almighty God above to open the floorboards below and swallow me whole. But it appears I am the only one perturbed.

“What you say may be true, Mrs. Fauset.” He responds with an innocence that makes me question how he’d missed the edge in my mother’s tone. “That is one thing I admire about your daughter. Her youthful exuberance.”

“At thirty-seven, I’m hardly youthful.” I laugh through my jitters.

“Perhaps then I’m the exuberant one. Mrs. Fauset, the poetry, essays, and even the book reviews your daughter has contributed to The Crisis are some of the best writing we’ve published. She will bring that excellence to the magazine.”

My mother’s smile returns. “You have chosen well, Dr. Du Bois. I understand why you are impressed with my daughter.”

Again, my mother and Will have reached a respite . . . until: “Dr. Du Bois, I’m certain you’re a busy man.”

Will nods. “My schedule is quite full.”

“Which is why I’m surprised you’re here. You knew my daughter had the keys. I understand you’d personally delivered them to her weeks ago. Although, I cannot conjure up a single reason as to why you’d make a trip all the way to Washington, DC, just to give my daughter . . . the keys.”

Heat warms my cheeks, and I make a mental note to give Arthur quite a talking-to. I am certain it is my younger brother who shared those details with our mother, since he was visiting when Will came to Washington.

“Yes.” Will’s eyes are wide. My mother has finally surprised him, and he scrambles for an explanation. “I wanted to make certain, in case I was not available, you would have access to the apartment, as I knew Helen and her husband would be away. However, when my schedule opened up, I thought it best to greet you myself.”

My mother asks, “Do you live in Harlem, Dr. Du Bois?”

“Yes. I love it here. This part of New York isn’t just a neighborhood. Harlem is a character, with its own personality. I plan to make this place my permanent home.”

“Do you and your wife live close by?”

I wince. Will stiffens. “Yes. About a mile away.”

“So close,” she says, then adds, “It won’t take you very long to get home.” My mother stands, and Will does the same. “I’m going to look at the bedrooms while Jessie shows you out, Dr. Du Bois.”

When she disappears into the hallway, I am both astonished and mortified.

I whisper to Will, “I’m so sorry.”

His volume matches mine. “She doesn’t like me.”

“That’s not true,” I deny and lie. “She doesn’t know you.”

He chuckles. “It seems your brother has shared some stories about us.”

“No.” I shake my head emphatically. “Arthur would never discuss such things, and besides, what does he know? Anything he’s heard about us is merely rumor.”

“Ma chérie,” Will begins, making me smile, “every rumor about us is true.” He reaches for my hand, and although I should pull away, I don’t. Weeks have passed since I’ve felt his touch, and I want to slow time.

“I’m so glad you’re finally here, Jess.” His voice remains low. “This is quite an endeavor. I’ve built The Crisis into the most important periodical for Negroes, and now, with you, it will become the preeminent magazine for Negro writers. Everyone with a poem or a story will want their name inside these pages.”

“I’m looking forward to it all.”

His voice is thick when he adds, “I’m looking forward to the magazine . . . and much more.”

I want to draw closer, but we aren’t at the Whitelaw Hotel in Washington, DC, and my mother is not even a stone’s throw away.

When I hear my mother’s footsteps, Will and I move apart. He takes an envelope from his jacket. “Here is the address and directions to the office. Everyone on staff is looking forward to meeting you.”

There is so much more that I want to say and know and ask. But I feel the heat of my mother’s stare, so I only thank Will before he exits.

If Maman hadn’t been standing so close, I would have rushed to the window to watch him. Instead, I paste on a smile and face her.

She says, “So, that is your Dr. Du Bois.”

Her statement is designed to set a snare, so I press my lips together and say nothing.

“He’s not at all what I expected.”

I am unable to resist. “What do you mean, Maman?”

“He has the reputation of being such an important and grand man.” A beat. “And yet, he’s rather short.”

Excerpted from Harlem Rhapsody by Victoria Christopher Murray Copyright © 2025 by Victoria Christopher Murray. Excerpted by permission of Berkley. All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.

The post Read An Excerpt From ‘Harlem Rhapsody’ by Victoria Christopher Murray appeared first on The Nerd Daily.

Get ready to look forward to some great fiction book releases in 2025! We’ve rounded up just a few fiction books releasing between January and June from thrillers and historical fiction, to stories of friendship and family, and more. With releases from Megan Collins, Scott Turow, Kate Alice Marshall, Jojo Moyes, Elle Cosimano, Stephen Graham Jones, Alex North, Fredrik Backman, Maggie Stiefvater, and many more, plus those making their debut.

Read on to discover new books hitting shelves in the first half of the year and be sure to check out our other 2025 round-ups too, including our Most Anticipated, Romance, Fantasy & Sci-Fi and Young Adult lists.

JANUARY 2025 FICTION BOOK RELEASES

Old Soul by Susan Barker

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The Historian meets Under the Skin in this searingly provocative literary horror novel about one woman’s determination to stay alive at any terrifying cost.

The Stolen Queen by Fiona Davis

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From New York Times bestselling author Fiona Davis, an utterly addictive new novel that will transport you from New York City’s most glamorous party to the labyrinth streets of Cairo and back.

A Serial Killer’s Guide to Marriage by Asia Mackay

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Two former serial killers trying to keep their past buried realize that old habits die hard in this “wildly original, razor-sharp thriller” (Chris Whitaker, New York Times bestselling author of All the Colors of the Dark).

Tell Me What You Did by Carter Wilson

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From the USA Today bestselling author of The Dead Girl in 2A and The New Neighbor comes a chilling new thriller that forces the question: are murderers always the bad guys?

The Inheritance by Trisha Sakhlecha

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A billionaire is primed to announce the succession plan for his company to his family at a lavish reunion, but at least one person won’t make it through the week alive. . . Most family reunions end in tears. This one will end in murder. 

Head Cases by John McMahon

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Head Cases follows an enigmatic group of FBI agents as they hunt down a murderer seeking his own justice in this electrifying―and commercial―series debut.

We Rip the World Apart by Charlene Carr

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Weaving the women’s stories across multiple timelines, We Rip the World Apart reveals the ways that simple choices, made in the heat of the moment and with the best of intentions, can have deep and lasting repercussions―especially when people stay silent.

The Three Lives of Cate Kay by Kate Fagan

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The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo meets First Lie Wins in this electric, voice-driven debut novel about an elusive bestselling author who decides to finally confess her true identity after years of hiding from her past.

Cross My Heart by Megan Collins

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She has his wife’s heart; the one she wants is his. The author of The Family Plot brings her signature “taut, emotionally charged, and propulsive” (Jeneva Rose, New York Times bestselling author) prose to a twisty novel about a heart transplant patient who becomes romantically obsessed with her donor’s husband.

We Could Be Rats by Emily Austin

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A moving story about two very different sisters, and a love letter to childhood, growing up, and the power of imagination—from the bestselling author of Everyone in This Room Will Someday Be Dead and Interesting Facts About Space.

Presumed Guilty by Scott Turow

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New from the author of Presumed Innocent, the #1 bestseller that redefined the legal thriller and is the basis for Apple TV+’s most-watched drama series ever.

The Crash by Freida McFadden

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A gut-wrenching story of motherhood, survival, and twisted expectations, #1 New York Times bestselling author Freida McFadden delivers a snowbound thriller that will chill you to the bone.

FEBRUARY 2025 FICTION BOOK RELEASES

A Killing Cold by Kate Alice Marshall

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A woman invited to her wealthy fiance’s family retreat realizes they are hiding a terrible secret―and that she’s been there before, by the bestselling author of What Lies in the Woods.

Junie by Erin Crosby Eckstine

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A young girl must face a life-altering decision after awakening her sister’s ghost, navigating truths about love, friendship, and power as the Civil War looms.

Maya & Natasha by Elyse Durham

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This stunning debut novel set in the fascinating world of Cold War Soviet ballet follows the fates of twin sisters whose bond is competitive, complicated, but never broken.

The Garden by Nick Newman

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An eerie, hypnotic, darkly beautiful novel about two elderly sisters living alone at the edge of the world and how their lives unravel when their sanctum is breached, for fans of Piranesi and The Testaments.

The Lamb by Lucy Rose

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From an incendiary new talent, a contemporary queer folktale about a mother and daughter living in the woods, for fans of Angela Carter, Margaret Atwood, and Julia Armfield.

Last Twilight in Paris by Pam Jenoff

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A Parisian department store, a mysterious necklace and a woman’s quest to unlock a decade-old mystery are at the center of this riveting novel of love and survival, from New York Times bestselling author Pam Jenoff.

We All Live Here by Jojo Moyes

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The #1 New York Times bestselling author, whose books so many love, brings us a fresh, contemporary story of a woman and her unruly blended family.

Harlem Rhapsody by Victoria Christopher Murray

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She found the literary voices that would inspire the world…. The extraordinary story of the woman who ignited the Harlem Renaissance, written by Victoria Christopher Murray, New York Times bestselling coauthor of The Personal Librarian.

You Are Fatally Invited by Ande Pliego

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An exclusive thriller writer’s retreat hosted on a private island turns lethal when one of the authors is found murdered.

The Lost Passenger by Frances Quinn

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An immersive historical drama about a young mother who starts a new life with her son in New York after faking their deaths on the Titanic—the U.S. debut of acclaimed British novelist Frances Quinn.

Three Days in June by Anne Tyler

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A new Anne Tyler novel destined to be an instant classic: a socially awkward mother of the bride navigates the days before and after her daughter’s wedding.

Isola by Allegra Goodman

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A young woman and her lover are marooned on an island in this breathtaking saga, an epic story of love, faith, and defiance from the bestselling author of Sam

MARCH 2025 FICTION BOOK RELEASES

The King’s Messenger by Susanna Kearsley

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New York Times, USA Today and international bestselling author Susanna Kearsley explores romance, court alliances, and the limits of one’s duty in this rich story of an honorable man in service to a treacherous king, and the mission that brings him to love and his true calling.

Broken Country by Clare Hall

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A sweeping love story with the pace and twists of a thriller, Broken Country is a novel of simmering passion, impossible choices, and explosive consequences that toggles between the past and present to explore the far-reaching legacy of first love.

Jane and Dan at the End of the World by Colleen Oakley

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Date night goes off the rails in this hilariously insightful take on midlife and marriage when one unhappy couple find themselves at the heart of a crime in progress, from the USA Today bestselling author of The Mostly True Story of Tanner & Louise.

This Book Will Bury Me by Ashley Winstead

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From the national bestselling author of In My Dreams I Hold a Knife and Midnight is the Darkest Hour comes a chilling, compulsive story of five amateur sleuths, whose hunt for an elusive killer catapults them into danger as the world watches.

The Story She Left Behind by Patti Callahan Henry

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Inspired by a true literary mystery, New York Times bestselling author of the mesmerizing The Secret Book of Flora Lea returns with the sweeping story of a legendary book, a lost mother, and a daughter’s search for them both.

Finlay Donovan Digs Her Own Grave by Elle Cosimano

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From New York Times bestseller and Edgar-Award nominee Elle Cosimano, comes Finlay Donovan Digs Her Own Grave―the hugely anticipated next installment in the fan-favorite Finlay Donovan series.

Wild Dark Shore by Charlotte McConaghy

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A novel of breathtaking twists, dizzying beauty, and ferocious love, Wild Dark Shore is about the impossible choices we make to protect the people we love, even as the world around us disappears.

Count My Lies by Sophie Stava

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A read-in-one-night suspense thriller narrated by a compulsive liar whose little white lies allow her to enter into the life and comfort of a wealthy married couple who are harboring much darker secrets themselves. For the millions of us still chasing those gone girls, this is perfect for fans of Lisa Jewell, Lucy Foley, and Laura Dave.

The Buffalo Hunter Hunter by Stephen Graham Jones

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A chilling historical horror novel set in the American west in 1912 following a Lutheran priest who transcribes the life of a vampire who haunts the fields of the Blackfeet reservation looking for justice.

Retreat by Krysten Ritter

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A beautiful con artist insinuates herself into a wealthy socialite’s life . . . with deadly consequences, in this serpentine thriller about identity and obsession, from actress, director and bestselling author Krysten Ritter.

Dissolution by Nicholas Binge

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A woman dives into her husband’s memories to uncover a decades-old feud threatening reality itself in this staggering technothriller from the bestselling author of Ascension.

Early Thirties by Josh Duboff

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A hilarious and painfully relatable debut novel about two thirtysomething best friends’ messy search for connection and love in New York, perfect for fans of Rebecca Serle, Gabrielle Zevin, and Dolly Alderton.

APRIL 2025 FICTION BOOK RELEASES

The French Honeymoon by Anne-Sophie Jouhanneau

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The Paris Apartment meets A Simple Favor in an unputdownable thriller about a honeymoon gone horribly wrong.

Coram House by Bailey Seybolt

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Sharp Objects meets I Have Some Questions for You in this haunting novel—inspired by a true story—about a crime writer who risks everything as she investigates the mystery of two deaths, decades apart, at a crumbling Vermont orphanage.

Passion Project by London Sperry

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A compassionate and hopeful romantic comedy, Passion Project is a reminder that love is waiting for us to let it in.

Happy Land by Dolen Perkins-Valdez

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A woman learns the astonishing truth of her family’s ties to a vanished American Kingdom in this riveting new novel from the New York Times bestselling, NAACP Image Award-winning author of Take My Hand.

Bad Nature by Ariel Courage

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Armed with a terminal diagnosis, a grudge, and a rental car, Hester sets out to fulfill her lifelong dream of killing her father in this brilliantly subversive and bleakly funny debut novel.

What If I Never Get Over You by Paige Toon

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One Day meets a contemporary Bridgerton in this high-drama, escapist wonder of a love story, Paige Toon’s best yet.

A Town with Half the Lights On by Page Getz

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For readers of J. Ryan Stradal and The Music of Bees (with a dash of FX’s The Bear) comes a quirky and refreshing epistolary novel about family of culture-shocked Brooklynites transplanted to Goodnight, Kansas and their fight for their unexpected lifeline: the legendary May Day Diner.

The Bright Years by Sarah Damoff

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One family. Four generations. A secret son. A devastating addiction. A Texas family is met with losses and surprises of inheritance, but they’re unable to shake the pull back toward each other in this big-hearted family saga perfect for readers of Mary Beth Keane and Claire Lombardo.

Bearer of Bad News by Elisabeth Dini

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A sharply funny and moving debut in which a young woman accepts a job that takes her though the Italian Dolomites and into an international mystery far greater—and more personal—than she could have ever expected.

The Strange Case of Jane O. by Karen Thompson Walker

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In this spellbinding and provocative novel from the New York Times bestselling author of The Age of Miracles, a young mother is struck by sudden and puzzling psychological symptoms that illuminate the mysterious dimensions of the human mind—and of love.

The Murder Show by Matt Goldman

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The Murder Show is a pulse-racing novel about secrets, old friends, and how the past never leaves us by New York Times bestselling and Emmy Award winning author Matt Goldman.

The Amalfi Curse by Sarah Penner

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Powerful witchcraft. A hunt for sunken treasure. Forbidden love on the high seas. Beware the Amalfi Curse…

MAY 2025 FICTION BOOK RELEASES

Austen At Sea by Natalie Jenner

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Two pairs of siblings, devotees of Jane Austen, find their lives transformed by a visit to England and Sir Francis Austen, her last surviving brother and keeper of a long-suppressed, secret legacy.

All the Mothers by Domenica Ruta

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From New York Times bestselling author Domenica Ruta comes a heartfelt, hilarious novel about a single mom reimagining what the perfect family can look like.

Girls of Good Fortune by Kristina McMorris

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A captivating tale of resilience and hope, The Girls of Good Fortune explores the complexity of family and identity, the importance of stories that echo through generations, and the power of strength found beneath the surface.

The Retirement Plan by Sue Hincenbergs

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Three middle-aged best friends turn to murder in order to collect on their husbands’ life insurance policies…but are unaware that their husbands have a devious plan of their own, in this darkly funny debut—perfect for fans of The Thursday Murder Club and Everyone in My Family Has Killed Someone.

The Manor of Dreams by Christina Li

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Mexican Gothic meets The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo in Christina Li’s haunting novel about the secrets that lie in wait in the crumbling mansion of a former Hollywood starlet, and the intertwined fates of the two Chinese American families fighting to inherit it.

Aftertaste by Daria Lavelle

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What if you could have one last meal with someone you’ve loved, someone you’ve lost? Combining the magic of Under the Whispering Door with the high-stakes culinary world of Sweetbitter, Aftertaste is an epic love story, a dark comedy, and a synesthetic adventure through food and grief.

The Missing Half by Ashley Flowers

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Two women haunted by their sisters’ unsolved disappearances band together in this captivating mystery from the #1 New York Times bestselling author of All Good People Here and host of the #1 true crime podcast Crime Junkie.

Immaculate Conception by Ling Ling Huang

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From the author of Natural Beauty, set in the fiercely competitive art world, a novel about an obsessive friendship upended by a cutting-edge technology purported to enhance empathy and connection

My Name Is Emilia del Valle by Isabel Allende

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In this spellbinding historical novel from the New York Times bestselling author of A Long Petal of the Sea and The Wind Knows My Name, a young writer journeys to South America to uncover the truth about her father—and herself.

The Man Made of Smoke by Alex North

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With his signature shock and suspense, Alex North brings us The Man Made of Smoke. In turn emotional, introspective, and utterly terrifying, this is a story of fathers and sons, shadows and secrets, and the fight we all face to escape the trauma of the past.

Slaying You by Michelle Gagnon

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A wildly funny thriller about reluctant partners who hit the danger jackpot when they discover that a serial killer is on their heels . . . again.

The Night Birds by Christopher Golden

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The next gripping, atmospheric horror novel from New York Times bestselling author Christopher Golden, set in a deteriorated, half-sunken freighter ship off the coast of Galveston, TX.

JUNE 2025 FICTION BOOK RELEASES

My Friends by Fredrik Backman

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#1 New York Times bestselling author Fredrik Backman returns with an unforgettably funny, deeply moving tale of four teenagers whose friendship creates a bond so powerful that it changes a complete stranger’s life twenty-five years later.

Don’t Let Him In by Lisa Jewell

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From #1 New York Times bestseller Lisa Jewell, an author “at the very top of her game” (Lucy Foley)—three women are connected by one man in this kaleidoscopic thriller.

The Listeners by Maggie Stiefvater

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#1 New York Times bestselling novelist Maggie Stiefvater dazzles in this mesmerizing portrait of an irresistible heroine, an unlikely romance, and a hotel—and a world—in peril.

A Language of Limbs by Dylin Hardcastle

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A beautifully inventive, tender novel—the author’s first to be published in the U.S.—following two lives as they almost intersect over three heartbreaking yet euphoric decades

The Accidental Favorite by Fran Littlewood

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From the New York Times bestselling author of Amazing Grace Adams comes a wryly resonant and deeply moving family dramedy investigating the question so many of us have asked ourselves: do my parents have a favorite?

The Stolen Life of Colette Marceau by Kristin Harmel

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Kristin Harmel, the New York Times bestselling author who “is the best there is at sweeping historical drama” (Kelly Harms, author of The Seven Day Switch), returns with an electrifying new novel about two jewel thieves, a priceless bracelet that disappears in 1940s Paris, and a quest for answers in a decades-old murder.

The Bachelorette Party by Camilla Sten

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Scream meets The Guest List in this wickedly compelling and compulsively page-turning thriller of friendship and murder from the author of The Lost Village, Camilla Sten.

Confessions of a Grammar Queen by Eliza Knight

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There are no female publishing CEOs in 1960’s New York. And that is exactly what savvy, ambitious Bernadette Swift plans to change.

Tell Me Something Good by Court Stevens

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This is a story of the rich and the very poor. This is a story of an illegal auction with dire consequences. This is a story of murders past and present. This is a story of intertwined relationships and the silent ripples they leave behind, where love becomes a guiding force, revealing the lengths one will go to protect those they cherish.

The Ghostwriter by Julie Clark

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A blistering literary suspense novel about a ghostwriter who is hired to write the last book for her estranged father and finds herself investigating the brutal murder of both his siblings in the summer of 1975.

The Other Side of Now by Paige Harbison

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A hilarious and heartfelt novel about how loves and lives are never truly lost, for fans of Rebecca Serle and Taylor Jenkins Reid.

Park Avenue by Renée Ahdieh

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#1 NYT-bestselling YA author Renee Ahdieh’s adult debut novel, about a young lawyer who gets pulled in to manage a crisis with her firm’s biggest client, a family whose Korean beauty brand is worth a billion dollars, pitched as Crazy Rich Asians meets Succession.

What releases are you looking forward to? Any other recommendations for us? Tell us in the comments below!

The post Fiction Book Releases To Check Out In 2025 appeared first on The Nerd Daily.

Intrigued? Well read on to discover the synopsis and an excerpt from Marie Benedict and Victoria Christopher Murray’s The First Ladies, which is out June 27th!

The daughter of formerly enslaved parents, Mary McLeod Bethune refuses to back down as white supremacists attempt to thwart her work. She marches on as an activist and an educator, and as her reputation grows she becomes a celebrity, revered by titans of business and recognized by U.S. Presidents. Eleanor Roosevelt herself is awestruck and eager to make her acquaintance. Initially drawn together because of their shared belief in women’s rights and the power of education, Mary and Eleanor become fast friends confiding their secrets, hopes and dreams—and holding each other’s hands through tragedy and triumph.

When Franklin Delano Roosevelt is elected president, the two women begin to collaborate more closely, particularly as Eleanor moves toward her own agenda separate from FDR, a consequence of the devastating discovery of her husband’s secret love affair. Eleanor becomes a controversial First Lady for her outspokenness, particularly on civil rights. And when she receives threats because of her strong ties to Mary, it only fuels the women’s desire to fight together for justice and equality.

This is the story of two different, yet equally formidable, passionate, and committed women, and the way in which their singular friendship helped form the foundation for the modern civil rights movement.

“It, it is nice to finally meet you, Dr. Bethune. I am Mrs. Franklin Roosevelt. When my mother-in-law mentioned that you’d accepted our invitation, I was thrilled to have the opportunity to meet the woman who serves not only as the President of the National Association of Colored Women, but also as the President of Bethune-Cookman College.”

Dr. Bethune carefully places her spoon down next to her bowl, and replies, “It’s a pleasure, Mrs. Roosevelt, and please call me Mrs. Bethune. I thought you’d forgotten about me.”

Her words, spoken bluntly but without acrimony, cut through me. How could I have allowed her to flounder in the face of this disrespect? What I’ve done is unforgivable, and my cheeks flush with heat.

“I cannot apologize enough for putting you in this awkward position, Mrs. Bethune. My mother-in-law and I did not anticipate that the ladies would behave in this way. After all, these women have pledged to lift up other women in their work,” I say, feeling that I must give her a complete explanation for what she’s had to endure.

She smiles and asks, “How did you think this luncheon would go?”

I am silent. What can I say?

“Mrs. Roosevelt,” she continues, the smile never leaving her lips, “you only need to have asked me. While many will sit in a meeting or a conference with me, there aren’t too many white folks in this country who care to break bread with colored people, no matter their station in life.” She gives a rueful chuckle.

“Mrs. Bethune, I’m so sorry for what you may have heard.”

“Oh, there is no may, I definitely heard them.”

“I don’t know what to say. I have never . . . ”

“You may have never, but I have. Women and men like this pass through my life every day.” Her voice holds no anger or even frustration.

“It’s unacceptable, and I want to apologize.”

“You must never apologize for a sin someone else has committed,” she says with a shake of her head.

“I appreciate that, but still, I’m terribly sorry. May I join you for lunch?”

“I was hoping you would,” she answers with a nod. “I have a feeling we’ve got lots to talk about.” Then she smiles at me with such warmth that I feel at ease for the first time since the luncheon began.

“I agree,” I say, lowering myself onto the chair next to her. “I have been following your impressive career for years, and I’m in awe of your accomplishments.”

“And I yours.”

Excerpted from The First Ladies by Marie Benedict and Victoria Christopher Murray, published by Berkley, an imprint of Penguin Publishing Group, a division of Penguin Random House, LLC. Copyright © 2023

The post Read An Excerpt From ‘The First Ladies’ by Marie Benedict and Victoria Christopher Murray appeared first on The Nerd Daily.

Thank you, Marie Benedict and Victoria Christopher Murray for writing this book. I’ve been waiting for a story that would keep me engaged till the end and finally, after a long and arduous search, I’ve found it! Writing a historical fiction about lesser-known real-life-characters is a challenging task on its own, and to make it engaging and realistic to the reader is another level altogether. But this dynamic duo did it, so kudos to them!

Set in the year 1905, the Personal Librarian is a historical fiction based on the life of Belle da Costa Greene. At just 26 years old, she was hired by J.P. Morgan, the financier, to be his personal librarian to create and curate a collection of collection of rare manuscripts, incunabula, books, and artwork for his newly built Pierpont Morgan Library in New York. But Belle wasn’t who she claimed to be. She was a coloured girl named Belle Marion Greener, but her light complexion could pass her off as white, and with the advice from her mother, she lived and led her life as one. With that, Belle accomplished what many other African Americans weren’t able to during that era of Jim Crow. By living as a white person, she was able to live more ‘freely’, attending balls, dining at restaurants, traveling and most of all, created a name for herself.

Marie Benedict, in her ‘Author’s Note’, shared that she discovered Belle when she was in an unhappy phase in her life and the Pierpont Morgan Library became her refuge. There she learned about Belle from a passing docent. Her story haunted her for decades, but she knew she couldn’t write this alone if she wanted an authentic voice and point of view of an African American woman. And that was how, author Victoria Christopher Murray came into this collaboration. I’m so glad that Benedict made this decision because it made the whole story all the more engaging.

I loved how the authors were able to combine history with fiction so seamlessly, making the whole story come alive. It kept me intrigued, fascinated, and mesmerised throughout. What a life Bella led! After her father left them, she took over the reign and worked hard to support her family. As much as she loved her father, she knew her mother was right and had to do what she had to do in order to survive—to live her life as a white person. But Bella not only survived, she thrived, excelled, and surpassed all expectations. She worked her way up a male-dominated world, earned their respect with her achievements and her forthright, tenacious, and indomitable character. And she realised, early in her career, despite what her mama told her—to be cautious and blend— that she ‘must be bold, daring to hide my differences in plain sight’ in order to fit in.

What kept me turning the pages wasn’t only Belle and the question of if her true identity would ever be found out, but also her complicated relationships with the people around her especially her boss, Mr. Morgan. They had such a unique relationship. When asked if she was his mistress, she replied, “We tried!” And in one scene, Mr. Morgan said he wished he were younger and when Belle asked why, he said, “It would give me longer with you.” Belle admittedly had romantic feelings for him too, had reciprocated his kiss, but also oftentimes look up to him as her partner in crime, her boss and also a father figure. They clearly held each other in high regards and were such a powerful pair. Their chemistry, the song and dance they played, their passion of wanting to turn the library into one of a kind, their celebratory toasts to Belle’s many successes, and the question of, will they ever be together (no I didn’t Google to get this question answered), kept me interested. Their feelings for each other were undeniable. Sometimes I wondered if Mr Morgan would still accept her were she to reveal her true self?

Then there was Belle’s love life; the one with Mr. Berenson. She found someone whom she loved and loved her back, but of course, with Belle’s life, nothing was simple and straightforward. Mr. Berenson was married. Nevertheless, they had a relationship, one that was ‘approved’ by Mrs. Berenson herself. Is he trustworthy? Will he stay true to her?

Amidst all the ups and downs that happened in Belle’s life, two things stayed constant—her drive to succeed and her passion for her job. I only wished she could share her success with her father openly, the one person who started and encouraged her love for books. It just goes to show that racism just continues to break families apart. It wasn’t easy for Belle to come to terms with her life living as a white, even as she became more confident, she still always had to be cautious, look behind her back, for always having that fear of being found out. She saw that it wasn’t easy for her mother too, especially when they went back to Washington, DC for Gramma Fleet’s funeral and received a cold welcome from their family, who felt betrayed by Belle’s mother’s decision to live as whites and said that ‘turned her back on [them]’, chiding her for taking on the name ‘Greenes’.

This book would also make you want to visit Morgan Library Museum in New York, walk through its ornate bronze doors, enter the lavish entryway rotunda, and be immersed in the grandeur of it all. Read the book first of course, then google the images, then book a tour when it’s safe to start traveling!

The Personal Librarian is an immersive, well-told, and thoroughly researched historical fiction about a remarkable personal librarian, whose name I think, should be mentioned alongside J.P. Morgan’s whenever the Morgan Library Museum is mentioned, because everyone should know about the woman who took risks, carved her own path, silenced the naysayers, and forged ahead to becoming one of America’s most prominent librarians in history.

Definitely a must-read, especially for fans of historical fiction!

The Personal Librarian is available from Amazon, Book Depository, and other good book retailers, like your local bookstore, as of June 29th 2021.

Will you be picking up The Personal Librarian? Tell us in the comments below!

Synopsis | Goodreads

The remarkable, little-known story of Belle da Costa Greene, J. P. Morgan’s personal librarian–who became one of the most powerful women in New York despite the dangerous secret she kept in order to make her dreams come true, from New York Times bestselling author Marie Benedict and acclaimed author Victoria Christopher Murray.

In her twenties, Belle da Costa Greene is hired by J. P. Morgan to curate a collection of rare manuscripts, books, and artwork for his newly built Pierpont Morgan Library. Belle becomes a fixture on the New York society scene and one of the most powerful people in the art and book world, known for her impeccable taste and shrewd negotiating for critical works as she helps build a world-class collection.

But Belle has a secret, one she must protect at all costs. She was born not Belle da Costa Greene but Belle Marion Greener. She is the daughter of Richard Greener, the first Black graduate of Harvard and a well-known advocate for equality. Belle’s complexion isn’t dark because of her alleged Portuguese heritage that lets her pass as white–her complexion is dark because she is African American.

The Personal Librarian tells the story of an extraordinary woman, famous for her intellect, style, and wit, and shares the lengths to which she must go–for the protection of her family and her legacy–to preserve her carefully crafted white identity in the racist world in which she lives.

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