CACKLE
by Rachel Harrison
Release Date: October 5, 2021

A darkly funny, frightening novel about a young woman learning how to take what she wants from a witch who may be too good to be true, from the author of The Return.
 
All her life, Annie has played it nice and safe. After being unceremoniously dumped by her longtime boyfriend, Annie seeks a fresh start. She accepts a teaching position that moves her from Manhattan to a small village upstate. She’s stunned by how perfect and picturesque the town is. The people are all friendly and warm. Her new apartment is dreamy too, minus the oddly persistent spider infestation.  
 
Then Annie meets Sophie. Beautiful, charming, magnetic Sophie, who takes a special interest in Annie, who wants to be her friend. More importantly, she wants Annie to stop apologizing and start living for herself. That’s how Sophie lives. Annie can’t help but gravitate toward the self-possessed Sophie, wanting to spend more and more time with her, despite the fact that the rest of the townsfolk seem…a little afraid of her. And like, okay. There are some things. Sophie’s appearance is uncanny and ageless, her mansion in the middle of the woods feels a little unearthly, and she does seem to wield a certain power…but she couldn’t be…could she?

I’m not even sure what to expect with this book, but the second I saw the cover I knew I had to get my hands on it. Is CACKLE suspense? Humor? Horror? Contemporary fiction? All I know is that I’m thrilled to have been approved on NetGalley to read it!

It’s never too early to plan your Fall/Halloween reading. What’s on your list? — 𝓓𝓲𝓪𝓷𝓪

THE BOOK OF COLD CASES
by Simone St. James
Release Date: Mar 15, 2022

A true crime blogger gets more than she bargained for while interviewing the woman acquitted of two cold case slayings in this chilling new novel from the New York Times bestselling author of The Sun Down Motel.

In 1977, Claire Lake, Oregon, was shaken by the Lady Killer Murders: Two men, seemingly randomly, were murdered with the same gun, with strange notes left behind. Beth Greer was the perfect suspect—a rich, eccentric twenty-three-year-old woman, seen fleeing one of the crimes. But she was acquitted, and she retreated to the isolation of her mansion.

Oregon, 2017. Shea Collins is a receptionist, but by night, she runs a true crime website, the Book of Cold Cases—a passion fueled by the attempted abduction she escaped as a child. When she meets Beth by chance, Shea asks her for an interview. To Shea’s surprise, Beth says yes.

They meet regularly at Beth’s mansion, though Shea is never comfortable there. Items move when she’s not looking, and she could swear she’s seen a girl outside the window. The allure of learning the truth about the case from the smart, charming Beth is too much to resist, but even as they grow closer, Shea senses something isn’t right. Is she making friends with a manipulative murderer, or are there other dangers lurking in the darkness of the Greer house?

How can I wait until next March for this book? I am a HUGE fan of Simone St. James. Even if I get a copy from NetGalley, I’ll still have to buy the hardcover for my shelf. Do you enjoy suspense novels with a touch of the paranormal? — 𝓓𝓲𝓪𝓷𝓪

BEFORE YOU KNEW MY NAME
by Jacqueline Bublitz
Release Date: ???

This is not just another novel about a dead girl.

When she arrived in New York on her 18th birthday carrying nothing but $600 cash and a stolen camera, Alice was looking for a fresh start. Now, just one month later, she is the city’s latest Jane Doe, an unidentified murder victim.

Ruby Jones is also trying to start over; she travelled halfway around the world only to find herself lonelier than ever. Until she finds Alice Lee’s body by the Hudson River.

From this devastating first encounter, the two women form an unbreakable bond. Alice is sure that Ruby is the key to solving the mystery of her life – and death. And Ruby – struggling to forget what she saw that morning – finds herself unable to let Alice go. Not until she is given the ending she deserves.

Before You Knew My Name doesn’t ask whodunnit. Instead, this powerful, hopeful novel asks: who was she? And what did she leave behind? The answers might surprise you.

I’ve seen rave reviews for this “exquisitely written, absolutely devastating novel,” and I am intrigued! It’s already out in Australia & New Zealand, and comes out tomorrow in the UK. Since I have no idea when the US release date is (if ever), I ordered a copy from The Book Depository. Have you heard of this book? — 𝓓𝓲𝓪𝓷𝓪