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There are so many fascinating books coming out in the first half of 2023! Today, I have a list of new releases that caught my attention. I can't wait to get these books in my hands!
Note: The release dates may change or be different in your part of the world. Publishing is notorious for delays.
Get your scrolling fingers ready. This is a big post.
📖 Best New Book Releases 2023 🎆
How To Sell A Haunted House by Grady Hendrix
Horror
January 14, 2023
Every childhood home is haunted, and each of us are possessed by our parents.
When their parents die at the tail end of the coronavirus pandemic, Louise and Mark Joyner are devastated but nothing can prepare them for how bad things are about to get. The two siblings are almost totally estranged, and couldn’t be more different. Now, however, they don’t have a choice but to get along. The virus has passed, and both of them are facing bank accounts ravaged by the economic meltdown. Their one asset? Their childhood home. They need to get it on the market as soon as possible because they need the money. Yet before their parents died they taped newspaper over the mirrors and nailed shut the attic door.
Sometimes we feel like puppets, controlled by our upbringing and our genes. Sometimes we feel like our parents treat us like toys, or playthings, or even dolls. The past can ground us, teach us, and keep us safe. It can also trap us, and bind us, and suffocate the life out of us. As disturbing events stack up in the house, Louise and Mark have to learn that sometimes the only way to break away from the past, sometimes the only way to sell a haunted house, is to burn it all down.
Why it caught my attention: Grady Hendrix is one of my favorite horror writers. His books are both hilarious and terrifying. You can't beat that combination.
The 12th Commandment by Daniel Torday
Literary Fiction
January 17, 2023
The Dönme sect—a group of Jewish-Islamic adherents with ancient roots—lives in an isolated community on rural land outside of smalltown Mt. Izmir, Ohio. Self-sustaining, deeply-religious, and heavily-armed, they have followed their self-proclaimed prophet, Natan of Flatbush, from Brooklyn to this new land.
But the brutal murder of Natan’s teenage son throws their tight community into turmoil.
When Zeke Leger, a thirty-year-old writer at a national magazine, arrives from New York for the funeral of a friend, he becomes intrigued by the case, and begins to report on the murder. His college girlfriend Johanna Franklin prosecuted the case, and believes it is closed. Before he knows it, Zeke becomes entangled in the conflict between the Dönme, suspicious local citizens, Johanna, and the law—with dangerous implications for his body and his soul.
Why it caught my attention: Is this a cult book? It sounds like a cult book. I can't resist those. Also, smalltown murders? Sounds awesome to me.
The Witch Of Tin Mountain by Paulette Kennedy
Historical Fantasy / Horror
February 1, 2023
1931. Gracelynn Doherty lives peacefully on Tin Mountain, helping her adoptive granny work her cures. Despite whispers that the women are witches, the superstitious locals still seek them out, whether they suffer from arthritis or a broken heart. But when evangelist Josiah Bellflower comes to town touting miracle healing, full bellies, and prosperity, his revivals soon hold Tin Mountain in thrall—and Granny in abject fear.
Granny recognizes Josiah. Fifty years ago, in a dark and desperate moment, she made a terrible promise. Now Josiah, an enemy, has returned to collect his due.
As Granny sickens and the drought-ridden countryside falls under a curse, Gracelynn must choose: flee Tin Mountain and the only family she knows or confront the vengeful preacher whose unholy mission is to destroy her.
Why it caught my attention: Witches with family secrets? Historical fiction? Vengeance? These are a few of my favorite things!
A Spell Of Good Things byÂ
Eniola is tall for his age, a boy who looks like a man. Because his father has lost his job, Eniola spends his days running errands for the local tailor, collecting newspapers, begging when he must, dreaming of a big future.
Wuraola is a golden girl, the perfect child of a wealthy family. Now an exhausted young doctor in her first year of practice, she is beloved by Kunle, the volatile son of an ascendant politician.
When a local politician takes an interest in Eniola and sudden violence shatters a family party, Wuraola and Eniola's lives become intertwined.
Why it caught my attention: I feel like I've been waiting forever for this author's second book. Her first one probably holds the world record for most plot twists. Every time I thought I knew what was going to happen, the story went in a totally unexpected direction. I loved it.
Brutes by Dizz Tate
Literary Fiction
February 7, 2023
In Falls Landing, Florida—a place built of theme parks, swampy lakes, and scorched bougainvillea flowers—something sinister lurks in the deep. A gang of thirteen-year-old girls obsessively orbit around the local preacher's daughter, Sammy. She is mesmerizing, older, and in love with Eddie. But suddenly, Sammy goes missing. Where is she? Watching from a distance, they edge ever closer to discovering a dark secret about their fame-hungry town and the cruel cost of a ticket out. What they see will continue to haunt them for the rest of their lives.
Why it caught my attention: It sounds like a coming-of-age novel with a strong sense of place. Goodreads says it "captures the violence, horrors, and manic joys of girlhood. Brutes is a novel about the seemingly unbreakable bonds in the 'we' of young friendship, and the moment it is broken forever."
The Last Tale Of The Flower Bride by Roshani Chokshi
Fantasy
February 14, 2023
Once upon a time, a man who believed in fairy tales married a beautiful, mysterious woman named Indigo Maxwell-Casteñada. He was a scholar of myths. She was heiress to a fortune. They exchanged gifts and stories and believed they would live happily ever after—and in exchange for her love, Indigo extracted a promise: that her bridegroom would never pry into her past.
But when Indigo learns that her estranged aunt is dying and the couple is forced to return to her childhood home, the House of Dreams, the bridegroom will soon find himself unable to resist. For within the crumbling manor's extravagant rooms and musty halls, there lurks the shadow of another girl: Azure, Indigo's dearest childhood friend who suddenly disappeared. As the house slowly reveals his wife's secrets, the bridegroom will be forced to choose between reality and fantasy, even if doing so threatens to destroy their marriage . . . or their lives.
Why it caught my attention: This is Roshani Chokshi's first novel for adults! I've read her children's books and love her creativity and quick pacing. Goodreads says her new book combines "the lush, haunting atmosphere of Mexican Gothic with the dreamy enchantment of The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue." I can get onboard with that.
Prize Women by Caroline Lea
Historical Fiction
February 14, 2023
Toronto, Canada, 1926.
Best friends Lily di Marco and Mae Thebault were once inseparable. They lived under the same roof and cared for each other's children. But with mouths to feeds and demanding husbands to keep happy, both women are forced into terrible decisions as the Great Depression tightens its grip.
When lawyer Charles Vance Miller's will promises a handsome sum of money to the woman who can produce the most babies in the next ten years, it is initially dismissed as a vanity project. But as the Great Depression worsens, and times get increasingly tough across the world, for the most desperate in society this contest known as The Great Stork Derby suddenly seems like a way out.
Ten years later, Lily and Mae couldn't be further apart. And as The Great Stork Derby continues to make headlines, for all the wrong reasons, both these women must face up to their part in it, and the consequences.
Why it caught my attention: Goodreads says it's "based on one of history's most shocking but largely untold scandals." I remember the first time I learned about The Great Stork Derby. I was like, "Someone should write a book about this!" Welp, here's the book I wanted.
The Woman With The Cure by Lynn Cullen
Historical Fiction
February 21, 2023
In 1940s and ’50s America, polio is as dreaded as the atomic bomb. No one’s life is untouched by this disease that kills or paralyzes its victims, particularly children. Outbreaks of the virus across the country regularly put American cities in lockdown. Some of the world’s best minds are engaged in the race to find a vaccine. The man who succeeds will be a god.
But Dorothy Horstmann is not focused on beating her colleagues to the vaccine. She just wants the world to have a cure. Applying the same determination that lifted her from a humble background as the daughter of immigrants, to becoming a doctor—often the only woman in the room—she hunts down the monster where it lurks: in the blood.
This discovery of hers, and an error by a competitor, catapults her closest colleague to a lead in the race. When his chance to win comes on a worldwide scale, she is asked to sink or validate his vaccine—and to decide what is forgivable, and how much should be sacrificed, in pursuit of the cure.
Why it caught my attention: It's based on the true story of a woman who worked on the polio vaccine. The fastest way to get me to read a historical fiction book is to slap "based on a true story" somewhere in the synopsis.
Marvelous by Molly Greeley
Historical Fiction
February 28, 2023
1547: Pedro Gonsalvus, a young boy living on the island of Tenerife, understands that he is different from the other children in his village. He is mercilessly ridiculed for the shiny layer of hair covering his body from head to toe. When he is kidnapped off the beach near his home, he finds himself delivered by a slave broker into the dangerous and glamorous world of France’s royal court. There “Monsieur Sauvage,” as he is known, learns French, literature, and sword fighting, becoming an attendant to the French King Henri II and a particular favorite of his queen, the formidable Catherine de’ Medici. Queen Catherine considers herself a collector of unusual people and is fascinated by Pedro . . . and determined to find him a bride.
Catherine D’Aubray is a beautiful eighteen-year-old girl whose merchant father has fallen on hard times and offers up his daughter to Queen Catherine. The queen will pay his debts, and his daughter will marry Monsieur Sauvage.
Catherine meets Pedro for the first time on their wedding day. Barely recovered from the shock of her father’s betrayal, she soon finds herself christened “Madame Sauvage” by the royal courtiers, and must learn to navigate this strange new world, and the unusual man who is now her husband.
Why it caught my attention: Can I just say "ditto?" This is another "Based on a true story" book. Goodreads calls it, "A mesmerizing novel set in the French royal court of Catherine de’ Medici during the Renaissance, which recreates the touching and surprising true story behind the Beauty and the Beast legend."
The Secrets Of Hartwood Hall by Katie Lumsden
Historical Fiction
February 28, 2023
It's 1852 and Margaret Lennox, a young widow, is offered a position as governess at Hartwood Hall. She quickly accepts, hoping this isolated country house will allow her to leave her past behind.
Cut off from the village, Margaret soon starts to feel there's something odd about her new home, despite her growing fondness for her bright, affectionate pupil, Louis. There are strange figures in the dark, tensions between servants and an abandoned east wing. Even stranger is the local gossip surrounding Mrs. Eversham, Louis's widowed mother, who is deeply distrusted in the village.
Margaret finds distraction in a forbidden relationship with the gardener, Paul. But despite his efforts to reassure her, Margaret is certain that everyone here has something hide. And as Margaret's own past threatens to catch up with her, she must learn to trust her instincts before it's too late . . .
Why it caught my attention: A creepy house story? Yes, please. Goodreads calls it, "a chilling gothic mystery, and an authentic and atmospheric love letter to Victorian fiction."
Old Babes In The Woods: Stories by Margaret Atwood
Short Stories
March 7, 2023
The two intrepid sisters of the title story grapple with loss and memory on a perfect summer evening; "Impatient Griselda" explores alienation and miscommunication with a fresh twist on a folkloric classic; and "My Evil Mother" touches on the fantastical, examining a mother-daughter relationship in which the mother purports to be a witch. At the heart of the collection are seven extraordinary stories that follow a married couple across the decades, the moments big and small that make up a long life of uncommon love—and what comes after.
Why it caught my attention: Margaret Atwood is (maybe?) my favorite author ever. My goal is to read all of her novels and short stories. Of course I need to read this one! I love her writing style. It's very vivid. Scenes from her novels will be stuck in my mind forever.
The Last Carolina Girl by Meagan Church
Historical Fiction
March 7, 2023
For fourteen-year-old Leah Payne, life in her beloved coastal Carolina town is as simple as it is free. Devoted to her lumberjack father and running through the wilds where the forest meets the shore, Leah's country life is as natural as the Loblolly pines that rise to greet the Southern sky.
When an accident takes her father's life, Leah is wrenched from her small community and cast into a family of strangers with a terrible secret. Separated from her only home, Leah is kept apart from the family and forced to act as a helpmate for the well-to-do household. When a moment of violence and prejudice thrusts Leah into the center of the state's shameful darkness, she must fight for her own future against a world that doesn't always value the wild spirit of a Carolina girl.
Why it caught my attention: The synopsis reminds me of Where the Crawdad's Sing. I loved the nature writing in that book but had issues with other parts of it. It would be awesome if this book was a Crawdads do-over without the eyeroll-inducing parts. Also, Carolina Girl is supposedly about eugenics. That's a frightfully interesting topic to read about.
Y/N by Esther Yi
Literary Fiction
March 21, 2023
It's as if her life only truly began once Moon appeared in it. The desultory copywriting work, the philosopher boyfriend, and the want of anything not-Moon quickly fall away as she discovers him in concert, where Moon dances as if his movements are creating their own gravitational field; on live streams, where fans comment in dozens of languages; even on the packaging of skincare products endorsed by the wildly popular Korean boyband, of which Moon is the youngest member. Bursting with untenable desire, our unnamed narrator begins writing strange fanfiction in which [Your/Name] has an intimate relationship with the unattainable star.
But when Moon vanishes from public view without explanation, she falls into total disorientation. As Y/N flies from Berlin to Seoul, our narrator, too, journeys to the city where her parents were born, in search of the star. In Korea, an escalating series of unhinged circumstances land her at the headquarters of the Kafkaesque entertainment company that manages the boyband—where, in a turn of events befitting her wildest fanfiction, she finally gets a chance to meet the object of her affection. At a secret location, together with Moon at last, fantasy and real life approach their final convergence until she can no longer hide her obsession from Moon.
Why it caught my attention: Fangirls are a fascinating phenomenon. I've never been so obsessed with something that it consumes my entire life, but I've seen it happen to other people. I'd like to know why. This book probably won't tell me because it's fiction, but it'll be fun to explore.Â
The London SĂ©ance Society by Sarah Penner
Historical Fiction
March 21, 2023
1873. At an abandoned château on the outskirts of Paris, a dark séance is about to take place, led by acclaimed spiritualist Vaudeline D’Allaire. Known worldwide for her talent in conjuring the spirits of murder victims to ascertain the identities of the people who killed them, she is highly sought after by widows and investigators alike.
Lenna Wickes has come to Paris to find answers about her sister’s death, but to do so, she must embrace the unknown and overcome her own logic-driven bias against the occult. When Vaudeline is beckoned to England to solve a high-profile murder, Lenna accompanies her as an understudy. But as the women team up with the powerful men of London’s exclusive Séance Society to solve the mystery, they begin to suspect that they are not merely out to solve a crime, but perhaps entangled in one themselves.
Why it caught my attention: The spiritualist movement in the 1800s is one of my favorite time periods to read about. It was full of con artists, amateur scientists, and passionate believers in the supernatural. The time period provides excellent fodder for fiction.
Lone Women by Victor LaValle
Historical Horror
March 21, 2023
Adelaide Henry carries an enormous steamer trunk with her wherever she goes. It’s locked at all times. Because when the trunk is opened, people around her start to disappear . . .
The year is 1914, and Adelaide is in trouble. Her secret sin killed her parents, and forced her to flee her hometown of Redondo, California, in a hellfire rush, ready to make her way to Montana as a homesteader. Dragging the trunk with her at every stop, she will be one of the "lone women" taking advantage of the government's offer of free land for those who can cultivate it—except that Adelaide isn't alone. And the secret she's tried so desperately to lock away might be the only thing keeping her alive.
Why it caught my attention: Historical horror is my jam right now. It's a mixture of my two favorite genres, and I want to read all of it. Goodreads calls this book "Shimmering" and "Inventive." Let's find out.
Her Lost Words: A Novel Of Mary Wollstonecraft And Mary Shelley by Stephanie Marie Thornton
Historical Fiction
March 28, 2023
1792. As a child, Mary Wollstonecraft longed to disappear during her father's violent rages. Instead, she transforms herself into the radical author of the landmark volume A Vindication of the Rights of Woman, in which she dares to propose that women are equal to men. From conservative England to the blood-drenched streets of revolutionary France, Mary refuses to bow to society's conventions and instead supports herself with her pen until an illicit love affair challenges her every belief about romance and marriage. When she gives birth to a daughter and is stricken with childbed fever, Mary fears it will be her many critics who recount her life's extraordinary odyssey.
1818. The daughter of infamous political philosopher Mary Wollstonecraft, passionate Mary Shelley learned to read by tracing the letters of her mother's tombstone. As a young woman, she desperately misses her mother's guidance, especially following her scandalous elopement with dashing poet Percy Bysshe Shelley. Mary struggles to balance an ever-complicated marriage with motherhood while nursing twin hopes that she might write something of her own one day and also discover the truth of her mother's unconventional life. Mary's journey will unlock her mother's secrets, all while leading to her own destiny as the groundbreaking author of Frankenstein.
Why it caught my attention: Another "Based on a true story" novel. Mary Wollstonecraft and Mary Shelley had a massive impact on modern literature, so I'm always happy to read about them, even in fictional form.
Chrysalis by Anna Metcalfe
Literary Fiction
April 11, 2023
Chrysalis is the story of a mysterious young woman transforming first her body and then her digital presence, told by three distinct people, each differently mesmerized by her. Elliot, a recluse who notices her at the gym, witnesses her physical evolution as she becomes bigger and stronger, in order to still her body and mind. Bella, her mother, worries about the strange, dark effect her daughter's new way of life is beginning to have on others as she reflects on their relationship, a close cocoon from which her daughter has broken free. Susie, her ex-colleague and best friend, houses and feeds her as she makes the transition to self-created online phenomenon, posting videos of herself meditating for hours in strange physical positions and encouraging her followers to renounce their previous lives and join her in meditative solitude.
Why it caught my attention: As someone who is chronically online, I'm fascinated by the gaps between people's real lives and what they choose to share publicly. According to Goodreads, this book is about "what truth lies between the observers and the observed."
The Last Animal by Ramona Ausubel
When Eve and Vera stumble upon a four-thousand-year-old baby mammoth that has been perfectly preserved, their discovery sets off a chain of events that pits Jane against her colleagues, and soon her status at the lab is tenuous at best. So what does a female scientist do when she's a passionate devotee of her field but her gender and life history hold her back? She goes rogue.
As Jane and her daughters ping-pong from the slopes of Siberia to a university in California, from the shores of Iceland to an exotic animal farm in Italy, The Last Animal takes readers on an expansive, bighearted journey that explores the possibility and peril of the human imagination on a changing planet, what it's like to be a woman and a mother in a field dominated by men, and how a wondrous discovery can best be enjoyed with family. Even teenagers.
In The Lives Of Puppets by TJ Klune
Science Fiction
April 25, 2023
In a strange little home built into the branches of a grove of trees, live three robots—fatherly inventor android Giovanni Lawson, a pleasantly sadistic nurse machine, and a small vacuum desperate for love and attention. Victor Lawson, a human, lives there too. They're a family, hidden and safe.
The day Vic salvages and repairs an unfamiliar android labelled "HAP," he learns of a shared dark past between Hap and Gio—a past spent hunting humans.
When Hap unwittingly alerts robots from Gio's former life to their whereabouts, the family is no longer hidden and safe. Gio is captured and taken back to his old laboratory in the City of Electric Dreams. So together, the rest of Vic's assembled family must journey across an unforgiving and otherworldly country to rescue Gio from decommission, or worse, reprogramming.
Along the way to save Gio, amid conflicted feelings of betrayal and affection for Hap, Vic must decide for himself: Can he accept love with strings attached?
Why it caught my attention: Someday I'll read a TJ Klune book and learn what the hype is about. People are obsessed with them. I want to be obsessed too!
Ascension by Nicholas Binge
Horror
April 25, 2023
An enormous snow-covered mountain has appeared in the Pacific Ocean. No one knows when exactly it showed up, precisely how big it might be, or how to explain its existence. When Harold Tunmore, a scientist of mysterious phenomena, is contacted by a shadowy organization to help investigate, he has no idea what he is getting into as he and his team set out for the mountain.
The higher Harold’s team ascends, the less things make sense. Time moves differently, turning minutes into hours, and hours into days. Amid the whipping cold of higher elevation, the climbers’ limbs numb and memories of their lives before the mountain begin to fade. Paranoia quickly turns to violence among the crew, and slithering, ancient creatures pursue them in the snow. Still, as the dangers increase, the mystery of the mountain compels them to its peak, where they are certain they will find their answers. Have they stumbled upon the greatest scientific discovery known to man or the seeds of their own demise?
Why it caught my attention: A mountain survival book with creepy horror critters? That's a very "me" plot. It reminds me of The Hunger by Alma Katsu, which is one of my favorite horror novels.
Yellowface by R.F. Kuang
Literary Fiction
May 16, 2023
Authors June Hayward and Athena Liu were supposed to be twin rising stars: same year at Yale, same debut year in publishing. But Athena’s a cross-genre literary darling, and June didn’t even get a paperback release. Nobody wants stories about basic white girls, June thinks.
So when June witnesses Athena’s death in a freak accident, she acts on impulse: she steals Athena’s just-finished masterpiece, an experimental novel about the unsung contributions of Chinese laborers to the British and French war efforts during World War I.
So what if June edits Athena’s novel and sends it to her agent as her own work? So what if she lets her new publisher rebrand her as Juniper Song—complete with an ambiguously ethnic author photo? Doesn’t this piece of history deserve to be told, whoever the teller? That’s what June claims, and the New York Times bestseller list seems to agree.
But June can’t get away from Athena’s shadow, and emerging evidence threatens to bring June’s (stolen) success down around her. As June races to protect her secret, she discovers exactly how far she will go to keep what she thinks she deserves.
Why it caught my attention: Someday I'll read a R.F. Kuang book. This is another beloved author who I've never read! This book is being compared to White Ivy by Susie Yang, which I read last year and loved. White Ivy has shocking plot twists and a protagonist who makes terrible choices for understandable reasons. I'd be thrilled with another book like White Ivy.
Silent Came The Monster: A Novel Of The 1916 Jersey Shore Shark Attacks by Amy Hill Hearth
Historical Fiction
May 16, 2023
Sharks are as timid as rabbits. So says a superintendent of the Coast Guard, dismissing the possibility that a shark could be the culprit in an unprecedented fatal attack on a swimmer at the Jersey Shore.
It's July 1916, a time when little is known about ocean creatures, and swimming in the sea is a relatively new pastime. Americans up and down the East Coast are shocked and mystified by the swimmer's death. Little do they know that this is only the beginning.
A prominent surgeon at the shore, Dr. Halsey, after examining the wounds of the first victim, is the only person who believes that the creature is a shark and that it will strike again. But the public as well as the authorities—and even those who witnessed the attacks—don't believe him. Dr. Halsey finds himself fighting widespread confusion, conspiracy theories, defiance, and outright denial of the shark.
Seeking the input of commercial fishermen, Dr. Halsey learns that they have long been concerned about a creature they call the beast. The local Native Americans, the Lenape, have their own beliefs as well.
The shark attacks occur in an already fraught time. A brutal war rages in Europe, and Americans are divided about becoming involved. Meanwhile, an unprecedented outbreak of infantile paralysis (polio) creates widespread panic. Into this scenario, the sea monster arrives. But what is it? Theories range from a huge mackerel to a giant sea turtle, or even a German submarine.
Why it caught my attention: I love the cover! This is once again a "Based on a true story" book. Goodreads says, "the 1916 Jersey Shore shark, believed to be a great white, changed the way Americans think of the seashore, reminding us once again that nature plays by its own rules."
Halcyon by Elliot Ackerman
Literary Fiction
May 23, 2023
Virginia, 2004. Gore is entering his second term as president. Our narrator, recently divorced, is living at Halcyon, the estate of renowned lawyer and World War II hero Robert Ableson. Ableson died a few years earlier. Or did he? When it becomes clear that scientists, funded by the Gore administration, have found a cure for death, more and more of life’s certainties get called into question. Is this new science a miraculous good or an insidious evil? Is Ableson a man outside of time, or is he the product of a new era? How does America’s fate hang in the balance?
Why it caught my attention: Alternate history is one of my favorite genres. The premise of this novel reminds me of Scythe by Neal Shusterman but for adult readers. A world without death would be very different. Goodreads says it "grapples with what history means, who is affected by it, and how the complexities of our shared future rest on layers of memory and forgetting."
Fourteen Days: An Unauthorized Gathering by Margaret Atwood (Editor)
Literary Fiction Composite Novel
May 30, 2023
One week into the COVID-19 shutdown, tenants of a Lower East Side apartment building in Manhattan have begun to gather on the rooftop and tell stories. With each passing night, more and more neighbors gather, bringing chairs and milk crates and overturned pails. Gradually the tenants—some of whom have barely spoken to each other—become real neighbors. In this Decameron-like serial novel, general editor Margaret Atwood, Authors Guild president Douglas Preston, and a star-studded list of contributors create a beautiful ode to the people who couldn’t get away from the city when the pandemic hit. A dazzling, heartwarming collection, Fourteen Days reveals how beneath the horrible loss and suffering, some communities managed to become stronger.
Why it caught my attention: All my favorite authors got together to write a pandemic book! Goodreads calls it "a surprising and irresistibly propulsive novel with an unusual twist: each character in this diverse, eccentric cast of New York neighbors has been secretly written by a different, major literary voice—from Margaret Atwood and Douglas Preston to Tommy Orange and Celeste Ng."
Killingly by Katharine Beutner
Historical Fiction
June 6, 2023
Bertha Mellish, “the most peculiar, quiet, reserved girl” at Mount Holyoke College, is missing. One cold November morning the junior is spotted walking through the Massachusetts woods; then, she vanishes.
As a search team dredges the pond where she might have drowned, Bertha’s panicked father and sister arrive at the campus desperate to find some clue as to her fate or state of mind. Bertha’s best friend, Agnes, a scholarly loner studying medicine, might know the truth, but she is being unhelpfully tightlipped, inciting the suspicions of Bertha’s family, her classmates, and the private investigator hired by the Mellish family doctor. As secrets from Agnes and Bertha’s lives come to light, so do the competing agendas driving each person who is searching for Bertha.
Where did Bertha go? Who would want to hurt her? And could she still be alive?
Why it caught my attention: Is this dark academia? It's being compared to Donna Tartt's books, so . . . maybe? Donna Tartt is brilliant at creating unlikeable characters, so if this book is anything like hers, I'll love it. Goodreads says, "Katharine Beutner crafts a real-life unsolved mystery into an immersive, unforgettable work of literary crime fiction."
If you made it through this entire list, you deserve a cookie. 🍪
Which 2023 releases are you looking forward to reading?
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