May 23, 2023
From Our TBR Pile

Review — The Cloisters by Katy Hays

The Cloisters
By: Katy Hays
Release Date: November 1, 2022
Publisher: Atria Books
Rating:


Art historian and author Katy Hays’s debut novel The Cloisters is an intensely gothic, gripping tale that oozes suspense. Protagonist Ann Stilwell finds herself in New York City at the Metropolitan Museum of Art with an internship lined up for the summer. Unfortunately, these plans fall through when she learns her would-be boss is off in Europe. Despite the unexpected circumstances, Ann still has a coveted internship, though not at the MET proper.

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Apr 29, 2023
From Our TBR Pile

Review — Night of the Living Trekkies by Kevin David Anderson and Sam Stall

Night of the Living Trekkies
By: Kevin David Anderson, Sam Stall
Release Date: September 15, 2010
Publisher: Quirk Books
Rating:


If anyone is looking to beef up their TBR for the next GarbAugust Readathon, look no further. Night of the Living Trekkies by Kevin David Anderson and Sam Stall is the sort of adventure- and horror-laden fare that makes for an excellent palate cleanser and the perfect sort of book to pick up your mood.

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Apr 18, 2023
From Our TBR Pile

Review — Hex by Thomas Olde Heuvelt

Woman in a tattered dress floating near rooftops with birds flying in an eerie green sky. Hex
By: Thomas Olde Heuvelt
Release Date: September 21, 2021
Publisher: Tor Nightfire
Series: Robert Grim #1
Rating:


Horror author Thomas Olde Heuvelt flexes his abilities to leave readers shaking in terror in his latest novel, Hex. Traditional hauntings, the reverberations of the US’s witch trials, and an exploration of the darker aspects of humanity are blended beautifully into a novel that is simultaneously unputdownable and will have you sleeping with all the lights on. Like many books that rise above their brethren, Hex is much more than the sum of its parts.

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Mar 21, 2023
From Our TBR Pile Uncategorized

Review — The Decagon House Murders by Yukito Ayatsuji

The Decagon House Murders
By: Yukito Ayatsuji
Translator: Ho-Ling Wong
Release Date: December 3, 2020
Publisher: Pushkin Vertigo
Rating:


Author Yukito Ayatsuji is known for supporting a return to classic detective fiction—the sort of fare produced by the likes of Christie and Doyle—and his novel The Decagon House Murders is no exception. In fact, this novel is credited with beginning the shinhonkaku movement, a literary movement in Japan to restore Golden Age mystery novel plotting and style, while at the same time, influencing anime as well.

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Mar 20, 2023
From Our TBR Pile

Review — All the Horses of Iceland by Sarah Tolmie

All the Horses of Iceland
By: Sarah Tolmie
Release Date: March 1, 2022
Publisher: Tor.com
Rating:


Sarah Tolmie—author, poet, and writer of sonnets—brings us a novella combining fantasy and historical fiction that captures all the feel of an old tale found in an ancient, labyrinthine library. As a medievalist, Tolmie’s knowledge of the time period and literature of the age are keenly apparent in All the Horses of Iceland.

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Mar 18, 2023
From Our TBR Pile Uncategorized

Review — We Lie Here by Rachel Howzell Hall

An old yellow car parked diagonally on a road We Lie Here
By: Rachel Howzell Hall
Release Date: July 12, 2022
Publisher: Thomas & Mercer
Rating:


Rachel Howzell Hall is no stranger to mystery and thriller novels, in fact being a former member of the board of directors for the Mystery Writers of America. Her latest book isn’t another installment in the Detective Elouise Norton series but a standalone novel titled We Lie Here.

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Feb 24, 2023
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Review — Hourglass by Keiran Goddard

Birds creating an hourglass shape against a pink background with whispy clouds. Hourglass
By: Keiran Goddard
Release Date: February 14, 2023
Publisher: Europa Editions
Award: Desmond Elliott Prize Nominee for Longlist (2022)
Received From: Publisher
(All reviews are our own, honest opinions.)
Rating:


Keiran Goddard’s 2022 novel Hourglass straddles the line between prose and poetry, giving readers a lyrical insight into love in all of its aspects: yearning for love, finding love, and losing love. Goddard has previously published two volumes of poetry titled For the Chorus and Votive. His works have also been shortlisted for both the Melita Hulme and William Blake prizes. Hourglass is his first novel, however, and one that certainly succeeds in what it sets out to do.

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Feb 20, 2023
From Our TBR Pile

Review — Death and the Conjuror by Tom Mead

Top hat floating over a magician's magic wand with the London skyline in the distance. Death and the Conjuror
By: Tom Mead
Release Date: July 12, 2022
Publisher: Mysterious Press
Series: Joseph Spector (#1)
Rating:


Tom Mead’s Death and the Conjuror isn’t the first story in which the character Joseph Spector has appeared, formerly appearing in several of the author’s short stories. Here, however, his prowess and intellect shine in a novel-length work, the first in a series.

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