Another month, another huge list of books to read. It’s a great life, a life that I am proud to live.
There are a lot of highlights for this month and this list was tough to narrow down. It would be impossible not to mention Later, the new Stephen King book. This looks like some classic Stephen King with a powerful young man who helps the NYPD using his gifts. We also have a new Adrian Tchaikovsky that looks funny and timey-wimey in all the right ways.
I’m also looking forward to the latest entry in the Maisie Dobbs series from Jacqueline Winspear. That series has been going on awhile now, but shows no signs of slowing down. I’m also very excited for Premee Mohamed’s follow-up to Beneath the Rising that comes out this month. That first book was amazing and I can’t wait to see where they take it with A Broken Darkness.
The Lost Village by Camilla Sten looks like a ton of fun. A little Blair Witch style thriller about a documentary filmmaker investigating a spooky old mining town. Whee! We also have No Sin Unpunished, the lastest in the Faith McClellan series which looks like it just may be the best yet.
All this plus some really nice looking romance stories from Meghan Quinn, Kendall Ryan, and Roni Loren. This should be a great month!
A lot of people associate the month of March with March Madness, but for me it’s just madness – book madness! I’m mad about books, what can I say? Let’s take a look at some of my favorite books for the month of March 2020.
Best Upcoming Cozy Mystery Books: March 2020
The Dark Heart of Florence by Tasha Alexander: The fifteenth book in the Lady Emily Mystery series takes place in 1903 as the tensions between Britain and Germany are dominating Europe. Emily’s husband is an agent of the Crown and that is never far from his mind, but him and Emily are drawn to Florence when their daughter’s palazzo is the victim of a series of robberies. Soon after their arrival, a man is thrown to his death, and Colin begins a top secret mission excluding Emily. However, she soon launches her own inquiry.
Haunted Hibiscus by Laura Childs: Laura Childs’ Tea Shop Mystery is always comforting to me like, well, a warm cup of tea! The latest takes place during Halloween when a murder takes place and Theodosia is on to investigate.
The Consequences of Fear by Jacqueline Winspear: The long-running Maisie Dobbs sees the latest release this month with The Consequences of Fear. The book takes place in 1941 as the Nazi occuptation of Europe is in full swing. The book sees a message runner for a government office who comes face-to-face with a killer, but is dismissed by police when he attempts to report the crime. In need of answers, he seeks out Maisie for help. However, she needs to be careful as she is working secretly for the Special Operations Executive, assessing candidates for work with the French resistance. Her worlds will collide when she sees the killer somewhere that she couldn’t have imagined.
Murder at the Taffy Shop by Maddie Day: This is a new series from Maddie Day that started back in 2019 with Murder on Cape Cod. The second book in the series will have Mackenzie “Mac” Almeida and her mystery book club helping her friend Gin to clear her name after a wealthy genealogist named Beverly Ruchart dies outside of her shop.
Mrs. Morris and the Sorceress by Traci Wilton: The Salem B&B Mystery series continues with the Fourth of July in Salem, Massachusetts. This one sees Charlene and Detective Sam investigating the murder of the star of the Independence Day play who took a bullet from what was meant to be a prop gun.
Best Upcoming Fantasy/Sci-Fi Books: March 2020
One Day All This Will Be Yours by Adrian Tchaikovsky: Adrian Tchaikovsky is always an author to watch and his latest looks like a ton of fun. The book is a “time-looped” dramedy that sees a time warrior who broke time going to the end of time to make sure it never happens again. I think? I just know I’m pumped to read this!
Blood and Whispers by A.C. Haskins: A new fantasy series from A.C. Haskins begins with Blood and Whispers. The book sees Thomas Quinn, a sorcerer haunted by memories of his past for the things he’s done for the Arcanum. The scars of his past have left him a broken man and now he wishes for nothing more than to be left alone. However, when a murder takes place in his city, Quinn is forced to take up the mantle of a Sorcerer of the Arcanum once more to confront those who are threatening the peace between the human and magical worlds.
Dead Space by Kai Wallace: Hester Marley’s plans for life were dashed after an attack and she now finds herself working a dead-end job in security for a powerful mining company in the asteroid belt. Her job is to investigate crimes that help her employer’s make more money. Her past comes back to haunt her when an old friend claims to have discovered something shocking about the tragedy that cost them their lives. Before she can find out what he knows, her friend is murdered and she needs to investigate. The case takes on a deeper meaning as she not only looks to find the killer, but why and what he knew.
The Nightland Express by J.M. Lee: This story takes place in antebellum America when a young orphaned named Jessamine disguises herself as a man to join the Pony Expres on special assignment. At the station she meets Ben, a boy with a secret origin, and the two become partners. They are an odd pairing who grow close as they travel. Their mission turns out to be anything but ordinary as they encounter mysterious portals that carry them miles at a time and face creatures with glowing eyes. They find a magical realms existing below the surface below ours. A world that, along with ours, they need to save.
Body of Stars: A Novel by Laura Maylene Walter: I always like to check out new authors and this looks like a good one. The book takes place in a world very similar to our own, but with some key differences. For instance, Celeste is a growing young woman who fears about entering her “changeling period”: the time when women are nearly irresistible to men and the risk of abduction is rife. Her brother is also anticipating her change as he is a skilled interpreter of the future and hopes to use his sister as his practice. However, her change sees her learning a secret about her brother’s fate that could destroy the family. Both brother and sister will keep secrets and those lies could prove catastrophic for them both.
Best Upcoming Horror Books: March 2020
A Broken Darkness by Premee Mohamed: Beneath the Rising was one of the best science fiction and fantasy books of the year upon its release and now we get the anticipated sequel, A Broken Darkness. It’s hard to really preview this one without spoiling the first book, but it’s definitely worth checking out both!
Our Last Echoes by Kate Alice Marshall: This supernatural thriller sees a young woman named Sophia returning to Bitter Rock where he mother disappeared with hopes of finding out just what happened to her. As she investigates this island that she doesn’t remember going to, it becomes clear that her mother is just one in a chain of disappearances. Now, Sophia can either the cycle or become apart of it.
Bridge of Souls by Victoria Schwab: Th is the third book in Victoria (V.E.) Schwab’s City of Ghost series. This one sees Cass taking her ghost-hunting skills to New Orleans, but finding the city to be far more than she was prepared for. I can relate to that one!
Later by Stephen King: New Stephen King? New Stephen King! A classic King premise as the son of single mother wants an ordinary child, but he is anything but. He was born with an unnatural ability that allows him to see what no one else can see and learn what no one else can learn. His mother wishes for him to keep it secret and he finds just how right she was when he’s drawn into a NYPD detective’s hunt for a killer.
The Shadow in the Glass by JJA Harwood : A dark fairy tale set in the Victorian era? Yes, please! The book follows Ella who escapes from her life by reading books as she wishes to get away from this place. Her life is changed when a fairy godmother appears to make her an offer that could change everything. The fairy offers seven wishes, hers to make as she pleases, but each wish comes at a price that she must decide if she’s willing to pay.
Best Upcoming Mystery/Thriller Books: March 2020
The Lost Village: A Novel by Camilla Sten: This book has been getting a lot of most anticipated buzz and I’m in on it. The story will follow a documentary filmmaker as she investigates an old mining town known as “The Lost Village.” She has a personal connection as in 1959, her grandmother’s entire family disappeared in this mysterious tragedy. She brings a small crew to the village and it is not long before mysterious things start happening and they realize that they are not alone.
Heartbreak Bay by Rachel Caine: The fifth book in the Stillhouse Lake series sees Gwen Proctor and Kezia Claremont on the case of a killer so invisible that their crimes are the only proof they exist. They have little to go on and their investigation will put them right into the crosshairs of the killer.
Firekeeper's Daughter by Angeline Boulley: Daunis has never fit in with her hometown or at the Ojibwe reservation, and she dreams of a fresh start at college. That dream is put on hold after an accident and she needs to look after her mother. She tries to make the most of it and meets Jamie, a dashing hockey star, who she falls for. Her life is rocked when she witnesses a shocking murder that puts her into an FBI investigation of a lethal new drug. She’ll have to rely on her knowledge of chemistry and Ojibwe traditional medicine to track down the source. Things end up being more complicated than she could have imagined and she’ll grow disillusioned with an investigation that seems more focused on punishing the offenders than protecting the victims.
An Unexpected Peril by Deanna Raybourn: The sixth book in the Veronica Speedwell Mystery series sees Veronica joining the elite Curiosity Club of brilliant, intrepid women. She is excited to show off for her new club by putting together a memorial exhibition for pioneering mountain climber Alice Baker-Greene. However, her research leads her to believe that Alice’s death was no climbing accident, but a murder and now she’s out to solve it.
No Sin Unpunished by LynDee Walker: The third book in the Faith McClellan series sees Faith on the case of a serial killer who is killing people with political ties. The case will force Faith to confront some long-buried family secrets that have her questioning the justice system that she serves. She’ll need to put all that aside if she hopes to catch the killer before he strikes again.
Best Upcoming Romance Books: March 2020
The Wedding Game by Meghan Quinn: Megahn Quinn is a master of romance and her latest looks like another home run. The story follows a crafting genius, Luna, who convinces her brother and husband-to-be to compete on a reality TV show. Alec is brother to her brother’s fiance who is no fan of wedding and romance, but agrees to go on the show for some family bonding. Luna and Alec clash on the show as both are so competitive, but the rivalry is doing a bad job of hiding the mutual attraction between the two.
The Rebel by Kendall Ryan: This will be the start of a sexy, new hockey series from Kendall Ryan. The first books focuses on the relationship between Eden, the new female owner of the team, and Holt, her head of security with whom she shares a complicated past.
The Devil Wears Black by L.J. Shen: Maddie thinks she has it all figured out with her perfect NY life, until Chase, her ex, comes back into her life with an outrageous request: pretend to be his fiancee.
Yes & I Love You by Roni Loren: This will be the first book in a series called Say Everything by Roni Loren. The contemporary romance will follow Hollyn, a New Orleans reviewer, who is better known by her alter ego of Miz Poppy. Her boss says that she needs to add video to her blog or lose her job. She’ll get some help from a local actor named Jasper who thinks that she could be his opportunity for attention. His job is to help her get out of her shell and find her voice, but the connection between the two ends up much stronger than that.
Rewrite the Stars by Christina Consolino: Sadie is the loyal mother of three who is going through a divorce from her PTSD-addled husband. Theo asked for the divorce, but now he’s hoping to reconcile. Sadie is conflicted by keeping her family together or pursuing things with a stranger who made her feel things she never thought she’d feel again. Rewrite the Stars looks like an honest look at love, life, and redemption.
1 comment
I am GREATLY looking forward to “The Rose Code” by Kate Quinn, “Act Your Age, Eve Brown” by Talia Hibbert, and “Klara and the Sun” by Kazuo Ishiguro. March is going to be a great month for readers!