The Baroness’ Choices of New Books Publishing This Week
2026, Week 38’s New Books
My choices for this week include Cozy Crafts and Hobbies Mystery, Romantic Fantasies, Cozy Mystery, Police Procedural Mystery, Historical Private Investigator Mystery, Historical Mystery, and Holiday Romance.
One week away from being in the Spooky Season. In Texas, we are yoyoing between warm, hot, or hotter. I would like Mother Nature to lean toward the warm side so it can then go to the cool side. Still looking forward to seeing the pumpkins everywhere. Reading is still enjoyable despite that, especially when Bella decides to sleep next to me on the couch.
This week’s books are quite good. I have some of them on my TBR list, and I can’t wait to read them. You should be seeing some reviews from us.
Here are my choices for New Books Publishing Week 38 of 2026!
Death By Mail by Abigail Keam
Josiah Reynolds Mystery #23
Publication Date: September 14, 2026
Genre: Cozy Crafts and Hobbies Mystery
In the Bluegrass world of oak-cured bourbon, antebellum mansions,
and Thoroughbred horse farms are secrets—deadly secrets!
Kentucky is not called “the dark and bloody ground” for nothing!Josiah’s phone won’t stop ringing. Both Hunter Wickliffe and Eli Bradley are vying for her attention. At first, it was flattering and fun, but now she doesn’t have a moment’s peace. Meanwhile, Josiah and her dog, Baby, take their daily trip to give treats to the horses and llamas before checking the mailbox. Baby is occupied with sniffing out the scents left overnight by the rabbits, foxes and coyotes, as Josiah leafs through the bills and junk mail. A small blue envelope at the bottom of the stack catches her attention. It is just inscribed with JOSIAHabove her address in crude block letters. There is no return address. She quickly tears it open, and a single sheet of paper falls to reveal one word – DEATH!
There’s the law, and there is Josiah’s justice!
The Teacup Dragon Sanctuary by Jessica Thorne
Starling Island #1
Publication Date: September 14, 2026
Genre: Romantic Fantasy
Goodreads | Bookhype | BookBub | StoryGraph | Amazon
Every lost soul can find a home on Starling Island…
When apothecary Portia Starling clashes with the Academy, she knows exactly how it will end. With her family’s notorious reputation, someone has to take the blame — and it’s going to be her. So, reluctantly, she retreats to Starling Island – a place she hasn’t considered home in years – to await news of her future.
Noah Turner has always dreamed of travelling north to study the great dragons of Elanholm. However, as a vet with no magic, funding his research feels impossible. But when an opportunity arises to help at Iris Starling’s dragon sanctuary, he can’t afford to turn it down. If he can prove himself there, he might finally reach his dream.
Portia and Noah immediately dislike one another. Noah assumes Portia is an entitled Academy poser, collecting dragons as a trend, while Portia finds him bossy and overbearing. But with the lives of the poor, sickly rescue dragons on the line, can they see past their differences?
A Field Guide to Death and Deceit by Michelle L. Cullen
Harry & Emma Mystery #2
Publication Date: September 15, 2026
Genre: Cozy Mystery
Goodreads | Bookhype | BookBub | StoryGraph | Amazon
Widower and anthropologist Harry Lancaster and his Gen Z colleague Emma are back for more murder and mayhem when they stumble upon a dead farmer.
One Split Second by Robert Dugoni
Tracy Crosswhite #12
Publication Date: September 15, 2026
Genre: Police Procedural Mystery
Goodreads | Bookhype | BookBub | StoryGraph | Amazon
An Amazon Charts and Wall Street Journal bestselling series.
A girl’s unsolved disappearance. A tragic shooting. Two crimes, forty-five years apart, with a blood-chilling connection in a gripping new Tracy Crosswhite novel by New York Times bestselling author Robert Dugoni.
Detective Tracy Crosswhite is assigned to defend an old friend. Sheriff Jenny Almond has been charged with first-degree murder for shooting an unarmed veteran on a stormy night of confusion, paranoia, and split-second choices. Tracy is certain there’s more to the story of Anthony Alvarez’s killing―and her investigation draws her back to a cold case that still haunts the community.
More than forty years ago, Alvarez was the prime suspect in the unsolved disappearance of a teenage babysitter. The lead investigator, Jenny’s late father Buzz Almond, always believed Alvarez had been framed. Decades later, his suspicions of a conspiracy are driving Tracy to find answers. Digging deeper into both the past and the present, she discovers a complex web of sinister motives and long-buried secrets, unearthing them one by one.
As a decades-old mystery casts its dark shadow on a small town, only the truth will finally set the innocent free.
The Palace Beneath the Sea by Lauren Wiesebron
Publication Date: September 15, 2026
Genre: Romantic Fantasy
Goodreads | Bookhype | BookBub | StoryGraph | Amazon | Karen’s Book Review
The acclaimed author of House of Frost and Feathers returns with a sweeping, lyrical novel inspired by a mermaid folktale filled with exploration, love, adventure, and magic.
A GREAT LOVE. A MYSTERIOUS KINGDOM BENEATH THE WAVES. A DEVASTATING BETRAYAL.
A doomed love story created the city of Ys, it’s fitting that another one would end it . . .
Nolwenn is sure that her life’s purpose is to defend her beloved coastal city of Ys as a lighthouse keeper. But when a dangerous, unnatural tide threatens Ys, the queen instead tasks Nolwen with collecting enough rare seasilk to shield the city from the deadly monsters who lurk deep beneath the waves.
Determined to fulfill her task, Nolwenn recklessly puts her life in danger, only to be attacked by the very creatures she’s trying to defend her city against. She’s saved by Morvan, a member of the korrigez people, with the torso of a human and the tail of a fish. Against her will, Morvan drags her deeper into the ocean to the coral palace of Below-Ys. Although Nolwenn is terrified and homesick, Below-Ys is also strange and beautiful…as is Morvan. The more time Nolwenn spends below the surface, the less she is sure she wants to leave.
As danger draws ever nearer to her homeland and Ys remains precariously unprotected, Nolwenn must decide between her heart and her home.
The Thief and the Labyrinth by Alys Clare
World’s End Bureau Mystery #6
Publication Date: September 15, 2026
Genre: Historical Private Investigator Mystery
Goodreads | Bookhype | StoryGraph | Amazon
Private investigators Lily and Felix hunt a rogue thief in this gripping and atmospheric World’s End Bureau historical mystery from critically acclaimed author Alys Clare.
A clear crime hides an untold secret . . .
London, 1882. American agents Henry and Johanna McClellan need the help of the World’s End Bureau to find Bruno Schmidt, a cunning lecturer who cajoled a young American woman called Ava into eloping to Europe.
Now Ava’s father wants her back. Though the McClellans have followed the missing pair’s trail to London, they can’t find their way around the busy city without help. PI duo Lily and Felix accept the case and soon discover a promising clue regarding Bruno and Ava’s whereabouts.
But the more Lily and Felix investigate, the more complicated and implausible this seemingly straightforward case becomes. Their suspicion quickly falls on their clients, who might not be as honest as they first seemed to be . . .
‘Perfect for fans of gothic thrillers and historical mysteries’ (Booklist Starred Review), the World’s End Bureau series is a fantastic read for fans of Anne Perry, Will Thomas and Deanna Raybourn.
Holmes Away from Home by Samantha Larsen
Althea Adler #1
Publication Date: September 16, 2026
Genre: Historical Mystery
Goodreads | Bookhype | StoryGraph | Amazon | Karen’s Book Review
Introducing Althea Adler, accomplished thief and daring heroine with a mysterious link to Sherlock Holmes.
A heart-racing game of wits, murder and romance is about to commence . . .
London, 1911. Althea Adler receives a mysterious postcard with just four words, ‘Holmes away from home.’ Surely her mother, notorious thief and opera star Irene Adler, is instructing her to break into Sherlock Holmes’s safe? But when she does, Althea makes a shocking discovery . . .
Still reeling from events at 221b Baker Street, Althea accepts an invitation to a party at Twickenham Towers, the ancestral home of Lord Slough, where a murder throws her into further turmoil―as does handsome fellow guest William, the Marquess of Sheffield, who has been tasked with staking out Slough by the British Government.
Althea and William form an unlikely alliance as they set about catching a killer. But can they trust each other when they both have something to hide?
An addictive new cozy mystery trilogy featuring a super smart, lively heroine, a dashing lord and a fiendishly good whodunnit, perfect for fans of Sherlock Holmes’s classic mysteries, Deanna Raybourn’s Veronica Speedwell Mysteries, and Netflix’s The Residence.
The Scottish Island Wedding by Kennedy Kerr
Scottish Island Inn #2
Publication Date: September 17, 2026
Genre: Holiday Romance
As snow blankets the Isle of Skye and hot cocoa warms by the fire, Heather Balhennie is busy tying the final bow on her wedding arrangements. But can Heather and her fiancé Matthew melt the frostiness with his family to find their happily ever after?
The most romantic of the Balhennie sisters, Heather is totally wrapped up in her whirlwind romance with handsome and kind Matthew Campbell, planning a beautiful festive wedding. Strewn with glittering Christmas lights, tartan ribbon and mistletoe, Balhennie Castle is ready for the wedding of the year. That is, until the groom’s family arrive…
Heather always knew Matthew wasn’t close with his family and was looking forward to welcoming him wholeheartedly into her own. But now she knows he never told her the whole truth. Matthew is the youngest son of the richest and most powerful family in Scotland. And his mother Elizabeth is absolutely opposed to their wedding, forbidding it from going ahead.
The well-to-do Campbells are the total opposite to Heather’s warm, tight-knit clan and tensions between the families turn icy. With just seven days to save their relationship, will a sprinkling of Christmas magic help Heather and Matthew find their way back to each other?
A Scottish romance filled with sisterhood, secrets and family drama. Fans of Pamela Kelley, Hope Holloway and Debbie Macomber will be totally swept away.
Well, that’s it for the New Books Releasing Week 38 of 2026
Drop a comment if you like one of the books above or if you have one to recommend.
Thank you for stopping by,
Happy Reading!
Baroness’ Book Trove is an Amazon affiliate, meaning that if you click the link and purchase something, this blog gets a tiny percentage back. This mainly helps cover the cost of the website and a few giveaways.
Leave a Reply