The month of November is the 11th month of the year, but I have a lot more than eleven books that I’m looking forward to reading this month. The second to last month of the year just might be one of my favorite with many great series continuing this month and new ones beginning.
Louise Penny is back with another entry in the Inspector Gamache series. This has to be one of the most consistent series of all-time and I’m really looking forward to checking out A World of Curiosities. The cozy mystery space also has new books from Lee Hollis, Anne Perry, and Rhys Bowen.
A lot of great books coming out this month, but there are two fantasy/science fiction sequels coming out that are shooting to the top of my book pile on the day they are released. One is N.K. Jemisin’s sequel to The City We Became, The World We Make and the other is Chuck Wendig’s Wayward. I really enjoyed the first book in both of these series and have been patiently waiting for November to get here so I could start reading these ones.
There are also some real heavy hitters coming out this month in the world of mysteries and thrillers. Jess Lourey, Michael Connelly, B.A. Paris, Lisa Unger, and Robert Crais?! You gotta be kidding me. That’s like releasing new albums by the Rolling Stones, the Beatles, Fleetwood Mac, and Elvis Presley on the same weekend.
November is a great month for new release books. Let’s take a look at the best upcoming books for November 2022.
Best Upcoming Cozy Mystery Books: November 2022
Murder on the Class Trip by Lee Hollis: The author of this series is a veteran of Hollywood screenwriting and he’s been just as successful in his writing career. This will be the third book in the Maya and Sandra Mystery series. This book’s story follows two moms on a school trip with their kids to Washington, DC when they end up catching Sandra’s soon-to-be-ex-husband, Senator Stephen Wallage, in a compromising position. The Senator is desperate to avoid scandal and begs the ladies for their help in solving the case.
Death on a Winter Stroll by Francine Matthews: The seventh book in the Merry Folger Nantucket Mystery series sees a large scale TV production and the Secretary of State making their way to Nantucket. There is a lot going on and it’s hard to figure out all that is going on. Then the bodies begin to turn up and Police Chief Merry and Detective Howie Seitz to find the connection between the politicians, the celebrities, and the murders in order to catch the killer.
Peril in Paris by Rhys Bowen: It’s hard to talk about cozy mysteries without mentioning Rhys Bowen. She’s one of the best in the world in the genre and this book will be the 16th entry in the Royal Spyness series. Rhys has been nominated for every major award in mystery writing and she has more than earned my trust.
A Christmas Deliverance by Anne Perry: Scuff was once a poor orphan, but now he studies medicine under Dr. Crowe at a free clinic. Dr. Crowe is having a hard time as a woman he has feeling for is being forced to marry another. The good doctor decides to investigate the troubling connections between her father and her fiance. As he investigates, Scuff is left to run the clinic. He ends up offering a young girl a warm place to stay and together they’ll need to fend off the police who are suspicious of Crowe’s sleuthing.
A World of Curiosities by Louise Penny: The Inspector Gamache series could rest on its laurels and put out the same book over and over, but it never does that. It’s always surprising and challenging readers which is why it always makes it on these lists for me.
Best Upcoming Fantasy/Sci-Fi Books: November 2022
Crystal Awakening by Andrew Rowe & Kayleigh Nicol: This will be the first book in a brand new fantasy series called Shatter Legacy. It follows a team of adventures attempting to claim the treasures of the Tortoise Spire of Dalenos. Team Guilding Star is made up of Nieve, Sage, Lani, and Emiko, but they are a couple of allies short and recruit some new members in Hane and Aldis. They all have their own reasons for wanting to scale the spire, but their goal is the same. Together they must master the levels of ice and fire, monsters, and illusions.
Wayward by Chuck Wendig: If you haven’t read Wanderers then you need to check it out ASAP and then read the sequel. That book follows a group of people who begin to wander across the country, all with the same destination. Society is collapsing all around them with a militia out to destroy them as an epidemic rages. A great premise for a first book and Wayward will pick up where it left off. No spoilers, just trust me!
Heart of the Sun Warrior by Sue Lynn Tan: The follow-up to Daughter of the Moon Goddess looks likes one of this month’s best. The first book was an epic page turner that kept me glued to the pages and this one can hopefully be more of the same. Xingyin and her companions will flee her home and venture into the unexplored lands of the Immortal Realm where they will encounter legendary creatures and shrewd monarchs.
The World We Make by N.K. Jemisin: It’s looking like a great month for sequels. Jemisin’s The City We Made was a truly unique story that will wrap up in the second half of the duology here. A new candidate for mayor of New York is pushing the populist rhetoric of gentrification, xenophobia, and “law and order” which may bring down the city from the inside. It will be up to the avatars to join together with the other Great Cities to bring him, and the Enemy, down.
The Voyage of the Forgotten by Nick Martell: This will be the third and final book of the The Legacy of the Mercenary King trilogy. The series has some great worldbuilding, a unique magic system, and some unforgettable characters. Read the first two while you still have time.
Best Upcoming Horror Books: November 2022
White Horse by Erika T. Wurth: Kari James loves heavy metal and horror, and spends most of her time at a dive bar in Denver called the White Horse. She does her best to forget about her past and the questions surrounding what happened to her mother who abandoned her at the age of two. Then one day her cousin brings her a bracelet that once belonged to her mother which leads to Kari seeing disturbing visions of her mother and an unknown creature. The visions refuse to go away which leads Kari on a mission to find out what happened all those years ago. The search for the truth will lead her to confront the dysfunctional relationships with her family and her own desire for the thing she’s always wanted but could never have.
A Sliver of Darkness: Stories by C.J. Tudor: Tudor is basically the English, female version of Stephen King so I’m really excited to see her make her short story collection debut here. Eleven stories in this one with “I’m Not Ted” about a case of mistaken identity that proves fatal.
Breakable Things by Cassandra Khaw: There must be something in the air this month as this is another collection debut by a great horror author. Khaw heard that Tudor was doing eleven stories and said “I’ll double it. Plus one!” That’s right, twenty-three stories of horror goodness.
Dangerous Blues by Stephen Policoff: Paul and his daughter Spring have come to New York City to escape the sorrow of their old house after the death of Nadia, his wife and her mother. Spring takes to the new life well and makes a new friend at school named Irina. Through Irina, Paul meets her mother, Tara, who brings a spark to his life that had been missing. Before he can move forward, Paul begins to fear that he is being haunted by Nadia. Is she real? Or is this only his mind playing tricks? Tara has her own dark past as she grew up in a New England cult and now her brothers are after her. They want back a magical object that they claim she stole. Paul is being steered towards resolution with Nadia’s ghost, but when is it okay to let go?
The Stone Serpent by Nicholas Kaufmann: A completely petrified corpse ends up on the table of Medical Examiner Dr. Laura Powell who believes it is a fossil. However, the evidence says otherwise as this man died only that same day. She wonders what could be doing this, but she is not prepared for the answer.
Best Upcoming Mystery/Thriller Books: November 2022
The Quarry Girls by Jess Lourey: Minnesota, 1977 is the setting for this one as teens in the summer enjoy swimming in the quarry, the county fair, and going into the tunnels beneath the city. It’s all fun and games to many of them, but not for Heather and Brenda. They saw something in the dark that they can’t forget and have vowed to never tell anyone. However, that vow is quickly tested when another girl vanishes. Heather worries that what she saw is connected to that night and begins to realize that her community isn’t quite what it seems. She decides to start digging as more girls are in danger, including her.
Desert Star by Michael Connelly: This is the fifth entry in the Renee Ballard and Harry Bosch series and it looks like another winner. Renee and Bosch team up to hunt a brutal killer that has been Bosch’s “white whale” thus far. He is a particularly brutal killer too, responsible for the death of an entire family. Bosch is obsessed with that case while Renee has her own case on her plate that leads to the discovery of a killer who has been on the loose for years. The two will need to put aside differences in order to catch two killers.
The Prisoner by B.A. Paris: Amelie lost her parents as a child and had to make it on her own in London. She’s a survivor and has built a pretty good life for herself when she meets a handsome billionaire named Ned Hawthorne. She ends up being swept up into his glamorous lifestyle and marries him. Then one day she wakes up in a pitch-black room with no idea of how she got there. Has she been taken? Who took her? And why does she feel safer here than with her husband?
Secluded Cabin Sleeps Six by Lisa Unger: There is nothing more relaxing than a getaway with friends. Throw in a luxury cabin, a personal chef, and a hot tub, and you couldn’t ask for a better deal. The trip is for Hannah and six friends, including her significant other and her brother. The dreamy weekend ends up turning into a nightmare. There is a storm brewing, the host is a constant presence, and the house has a dark history. Hannah begins to question how well she knows her friends and family as someone is determined to ruin the weekend.
Racing the Light by Robert Crais: It’s another entry in the long-running, and still excellent, Elvis Cole and Joe Pike series. I love this series and the latest features the two on the case of a missing podcaster at the behest of his mother. The case will put them on a case of corrupt politicians and dirty business cartels.
Best Upcoming Romance Books: November 2022
Princess and the Player by Ilsa Madden-Mills: The latest Strangers in Love story from Madden-Mills sees a woman leave her own wedding and heading to a masquerade ball after betrayal by her fiance. She meets a man named Tuck Avery, dressed as a prince and heading behind a mask, and the two spend the night together. No strings attached. Or so she thinks. Francesca then realizes that her masked prince is actually the rich NFL player who lives in the penthouse of her apartment building. He has a reputation as a shallow jerk so she hopes he doesn’t find out who she really is. Until she gets a plus sign on her pregnancy test…
Ship Wrecked by Olivia Dade: Maria had a one night stand with a Viking of a man and thought that was it. Now she learns that Peter is her new co-star who she’ll spend the next six years filming with. She still wants him, but he doesn’t seem to want anything to do with her. Peter knows that this role could be a game changer for him and he’s not willing to risk his career for a relationship right now. No matter how badly he wants to be with her. The two end up working together for years and now it’s their last night of filming. And their last chance.
Better than Fiction by Alexa Martin: Drew Young believes that movies are better than books and calls herself a book hater. That’s why she’s more surprised than anyone when her grandma leaves her bookstore, the Book Nook, to her in her will. She’s in over her head and then the shop’s resident book club starts to meddle. A bestselling author named Jasper Williams is doing a book signing at the Book Nook where he meets Drew. He finds out that she doesn’t like reading and becomes determined to change her mind by showing the beauty of reading. The two will begin to connect in a way that, for them, is better than any fiction.
Astrid Parker Doesn't Fail by Ashley Herring Blake: Astrid is a driven designer who doesn’t accept failure as an option. Ever since her engagement fell apart she’s been obsessed with work. She gets a big break when Pru Everwood asks her to renovate the Everwood Inn, a job that will see them featured on HGTV. Astrid always has the perfect plan for her jobs, but she didn’t plan on having Pru’s granddaughter Jordan as the lead carpenter. Astrid wants to change things while Jordan wants to preserve the history. There is a tension there which the HGTV people ask them to play up. However, that tension soon turns into much different feelings.
A Very Merry Bromance by Lyssa Kay Adams: Colton Wheeler is country music’s golden boy, but he’s not been as lucky at love. He felt most happy with Gretchen Winthrop, but she left him and he’s never been quite the same since. Gretchen is an immigration attorney who is invited home by her wealthy family. They need help with their whiskey brand and that involves getting Colton to be the face of the brand. Colton agrees in exchange for three dates with Gretchen as he’ll look to throw himself fully into proving that their relationship is worth saving.
This year is almost over, but I still have so much to read. These books are what I’m reading this month. How about you? I’m always looking for more to add to the pile and Christmas is right around the corner. Let me know in the comments!
