October is a great time to be a live. You have Halloween, pumpkin spice, leaves falling from the trees, hot apple cider, pumpkin spice, flannel weather, corn mazes, and… did I mention pumpkin spice? Not only that, but we also have some great books this month!
A lot of great horror is coming out this month as is to be expected. I’m not much of a costume girl, but I do love horror movies and I really love horror books. Such Sharp Teeth by Rachel Harrison is one that I am especially excited for.
There are also some really interesting science fiction and fantasy books coming out in October. Illuminations: Stories by Alan Moore is the first ever collection of stories from the legendary writer and I think that could really be something special.
You like thrillers? Oh yeah, we got thrillers! A new Jack Reacher is always a treat. We also have a great looking legal thriller from John Grisham as he returns to Mississippi with The Boys of Biloxi.
One great thing about October is that we are that much closer to Christmas. The Christmas cozy mysteries and Christmas romance novels are already starting to drop and I couldn’t be more excited for it.
A lot worth reading this month, let’s take a look at the Best Upcoming Books for October 2022.
Best Upcoming Cozy Mystery Books: October 2022
A Trip with Trouble by Diane Kelly: This will be the second book in the Mountain Lodge Mystery series. Misty Murphy is thrilled when the Dangerous Curves Motorcycle Club ladies make their way to the Mountaintop Lodge. The place is packed and the ladies even invite Misty and her assistant on a scenic ride. When they make it to their destination, one of the riders is missing and can’t be contacted. Is she lost? Or missing? Misty will help the motorcycle club find out.
Blackmail and Bibingka by Mia P. Manasala: The latest in Tita Rosie’s Kitchen Mystery takes place at Christmastime in Shady Palms. Lila’s cousin Ronnie is in town and with the family for the first time in fifteen years. He claims to be back on his feet and Tita is happy to have him back. However, Ronnie always manages to find trouble and soon he is accused of murder. Lila will put away her personal feelings about her cousin and seek to uncover the truth.
Dashing Through the Snowbirds by Donna Andrews: There are certain series that you just know are quality and Andrew’s Meg Langslow is one of them. This will be a Christmas cozy mystery which are three of my all-time favorite words put together.
Santa's Little Yelpers by David Rosenfelt: Speaking of quality Christmas cozies, we have a new Andy Carpenter this month as well. The Tara Foundation has their hands full with six puppies and one of Andy’s co-workers agrees to foster them. Chris Myers is a new employee who spent time in jail for a crime he didn’t commit. He ends up finding out that a witness lied on the stand and seeks Andy as his lawyer to get the case overturned. Things get complicated when that witness is murdered and Chris is arrested for the crime. It will be up to Andy and his golden retriever Tara to clear his name.
High Spirits by Carol J. Perry: Maureen is determined to make Christmas on the Gulf Coast feel like it did back home in Massachusetts, even with the ghostly guests at her inn. There is going to be a Twelve Days of Christmas event at the local theater, but nobody told Maureen that the theater is haunted. A second body is found dead on the first day of the festival and Maureen will have to defend her staff and guests before they have more ghostly company.
Best Upcoming Fantasy/Sci-Fi Books: October 2022
The Spare Man by Mary Robinette Kowal: Tesla Crane is a brilliant inventor on her honeymoon on an interplanetary space liner. Her incognito vacation is ruined when someone is murdered on the cruise and her spouse is arrested. Tesla must clear their name and find the real killer so they can get back to their honeymoon!
Illuminations: Stories by Alan Moore: This is a collection from the great Alan Moore, his first short story collection. It features everything from ghosts to creatures from other worlds, a truly fantastical take on reality by an influential writer.
Dead Man's Hand by James J. Butcher: This is the son of Jim Butcher of The Dresden Files making his urban fantasy writing debut and this family has earned my trust. The story sees a young man throw out the magical rule book in hopes of finding his mentor’s killer.
Self-Portrait with Nothing by Aimee Pokwatka: Pepper Rafferty was abandoned at birth and raised by two loving mothers. She’s thirty-six now, but never told anyone that she found out who her biological mother was. The reason for that is that her mother was a painter named Ula Frost who believed that her portraits summoned their subjects’ doppelgängers from parallel universes. Pepper decides to look into her birth mother’s claims as she wonders if there is a universe where she is better or her mother kept her.
Daughter of Darkness by Terry Brooks: The legendary fantasy author returns with the second book in the Child of Light series. The first book introduced a human girl named Auris trying to find her place in a magical world. The second book in the series picks up two years later.
Best Upcoming Horror Books: October 2022
The Vessel by Adam Nevill: Jess McMachen takes a job caring for an elderly patient as a way to support their child. Flo Gardner is a disturbed shut-in and invalid who lives in a home called Nerthus House. The place is filled with pagan artefacts and a sinister enigma that wants to drive Jess to insanity. As if the house wasn’t bad enough, Flo is starting to influence her daughter. This job will turn into a battle for Jess and her daughter’s lives.
Such Sharp Teeth by Rachel Harrison: Rory moves back to her hometown and isn’t too thrilled about it with so many bad memories there. Her sister is pregnant and the father isn’t around so she needs her help. One night she goes out and hits a large animal with her car. When she goes out to check on it, she is attacked. She survives the attack, but life is different now. The moon has her in its thrall and she’s averse to silver. Now, she must decide whether or not to embrace the wildness inside of her.
Lute by Jennifer Thorne: On the island of Lute, seven people die on the seventh summer. No more and no less. The inhabitants are blessed with great lives as long as the island’s gift is honored. Nina Treadway is new to The Day, but she’s heard the horror stories. She doesn’t believe them… until The Day begins.
Sign Here by Claudia Lux: Peyote Trip works on the fifth floor of Hell in the deals department. He’s on the cusp of a big promotion if he is able to get one last member of the Harrison family to sell their soul to his boss. However, things aren’t always quite as they seem, on Earth or in Hell.
Ghostwritten by Ronald Malfi: I love a good collection of horror and this is four new creepy stories from Malfi. They all look good to me, but The Skin of Her Teeth is about a novel that drives people to death. If that isn’t right up my alley, I don’t know what is!
Best Upcoming Mystery/Thriller Books: October 2022
No Strangers Here by Carlene O'Connor: The body of a wealthy 69-year-old man is found on the beach in southwest Ireland. Near the body is sixty-nine polished black stones. The man had been a racehorse owner in life and now Detective Inspector Cormac O’Brien is brought in to lead the investigation. Dimpna Wilde is from the town and decides to move back to help her family. Her mother was rumored to be in a relationship with the victim and now they are the top suspects. Now, Dimpna and Cormac will race to uncover the truth.
A Strange Habit of Mind by Andrew Klavan: English professor and ex-spy Cameron Winter takes an interest in a young man that was expelled from the university. He goes to visit him and the young man only says “help me” before jumping off the roof of his apartment. Something doesn’t sit right with Cameron and he has the ability to reconstruct crime scenes in his mind and something isn’t right. Cameron discovers that the dead man was in a relationship with a Big Tech billionaire’s niece and he believes that the powerful businessman had something to do with it.
No Plan B by Andrew Child: Jack Reacher is back! This time he’s in Gerrardsville, Colorado where a woman dies under a bus. The death is ruled a suicide, but Jack saw what really happened. Someone pushed her. A second homicide in the town is also ruled an accident and Jack knows exactly what is going on. Now, it’s time to find the ones who are responsible, but Jack has no idea that these crimes are apart of something much bigger.
The Boys from Biloxi by John Grisham: Biloxi is the setting for this one and there’s nothing better than Grisham in Mississippi. Keith and Hugh grew up in Biloxi, but life took them in different directions. Keith’s father was a lawyer who tried to clean up the Coast while Hugh’s father rose through the ranks of the criminal underground. Keith followed in his father’s footsteps and so did Hugh. Now, the family’s are headed for a showdown in court.
By Way of Deception by Amir Tsarfati and Steve Yohn: The Mossan has found plans by Iran to smuggle weapons of mass destruction into Isreal. Agents Nir Tavor and Nicole le Roux are on the job to stop it. They find themselves in a world of assassinations, espionage, and recon where they may have to sacrifice their own lives to save the lives of millions.
Best Upcoming Romance Books: October 2022
Bad Girl Reputation by Elle Kennedy: Genevieve returns home for her mother’s funeral and while she’s home she plans to keep her distance from her ex-boyfriend, Evan. However, it’s impossible not to run into him and the connection between the two is as strong as ever. She resists, but Evan wants her back.
Once Upon a December by Amy E. Reichert: For Astra Noel Snow, the holidays are a way of life even after a divorce. She’s ready to head to the Milwaukee Christmas Market to eat, drink, and be merry. There she meets Jack Clausen, who lives a charmed existence, magically leaping from one December to the next every four weeks. He’s enjoyed his life… until he meets Astra. The two go on a series of dates and must decide if this is just a bit of Christmas magic or something that can last the whole year.
Runaway Groomsman by Meghan Quinn: Sawyer Walsh is great at writing Hollwyood romances, but he’s really bad at doing it for himself. He ends up watching his ex-girlfriend marry his best friend before making a run for it as the cameras flash. He needs to lay low from the media and ends up in the small town of Canoodle, California. He ends up renting a cabin from Fallon Long who thinks of him as just another Hollywood hack. He begins to prove her wrong and the two form a bond, but could it be more?
A Cosmic Kind of Love by Samantha Young: Hallie Goodman is an event planner dealing with a bride. The bride sends her some inspiration material and includes a collection of videos from the bride’s ex-boyfriend. She knows in her heart she shouldn’t be watching them, but he’s a cute, funny astronaut and can’t help herself. Hallie begins sending emails and videos to his discontinued NASA address knowing he’ll never see them. Only he does when a friend from NASA’s IT department sends them his way. They don’t even know each other, but they are falling for one another in a major way.
Before I Do by Sophies Cousens: Aubery is going to marry Josh, but worries if he is really “The One.” Josh’s sister brings Fred to the rehearsal dinner and he’s her “What if?” guy. The two had one great day together and she’s always wondered. When things start going wrong with the wedding she wonders if this is fate trying to tell her something. Or if destiny simply has a sick sense of humor.
A lot of great books this month! The fall is a great time for reading and I know I’ll be cozying up in my flannel and check out the books above. How about you? Anything you are looking for? Let me know in the comments below!
