The Baroness’ Choices of New Books Publishing This Week
2024, Week 42’s New Books
My choices for this week include Private Investigator Paranormal Southern Holiday Mystery, Cozy Holiday Mysteries, Paranormal Romance, Cozy Animal Holiday Mystery, Young Adult Sci-Fi, Private Investigator Mystery, Cozy Mystery, Police Procedural Mystery, Middle Grade, Cozy Paranormal Mystery, and Sweet Holiday Romance.
How’s the weather where you are at? It’s been tricky to know whether it will be hot or warm enough that we don’t need to wear summer clothes.
Another week of some fabulous books though! Jen has read two of these books.
Here are my choices for New Books Publishing Week 42 of 2024!
Blue Christmas Bones by Carolyn Haines
Sarah Booth Delaney Mysteries #28
Publication Date: October 15, 2024
Genre: Private Investigator Paranormal Southern Holiday Mystery
Goodreads | Bookhype | BookBub | StoryGraph | Amazon | Jen’s Book Review
Blue Christmas Bones is the next Christmas mystery in the series that Kirkus Reviews characterizes as “Stephanie Plum meets the Ya-Ya Sisterhood,” featuring sassy Southern private investigator Sarah Booth Delaney.
Sarah Booth Delaney and her friends can’t help falling in love with Christmas this year, which they plan to spend celebrating the King of Rock n’ Roll at the annual Elvis Festival in Tupelo. The main attraction is an Elvis impersonator competition, drawing impersonators from all over the world to honor the king.
But before the revelry can get underway, a priceless jewel-encrusted replica of a belt once worn by Elvis is stolen from its display case, and Sarah Booth and Tinkie are roped into one of the biggest heists in the history of Mississippi. Soon suspicious minds are lurking around every corner, with one eyewitness even claiming to have seen Colonel Tom Parker, Elvis’s long deceased and highly questionable manager, prowling around the festivities. Sarah Booth will have to find the devil in disguise or she might just end up singing Jailhouse Rock herself.
Deadlines and Valentines by Heather Weidner
Jules Keene Glamping Mystery #4
Publication Date: October 15, 2024
Genre: Cozy Holiday Mystery
Goodreads | StoryGraph | Amazon
Fern Valley, nestled in the heart of the Blue Ridge Mountains, is ground zero for all things romance. The town has pulled out all the stops for the first Valentine’s Day “Love is in the Air” Book Festival with events like Death by Chocolate, author speed-dating, a character masquerade, and a male cover model fashion show.
Everything is candy and roses until the sparks start to fly. Jules Keene and her team at the glamping resort spend their time trying to tamp down fiery tempers because opposites may not always attract.
When a popular author with a heart of gold is found murdered in the barn at the resort, Jules has to find the culprit before more than just hearts are broken.
Death at a Scottish Christmas by Lucy Connelly
Scottish Isle Mysteries #3
Publication Date: October 15, 2024
Genre: Cozy Holiday Mystery
Goodreads | Bookhype | BookBub | StoryGraph | Amazon | Jen’s Book Review
Merriment, mistletoe, and murder await in the third installment of the Scottish Isle mystery series, perfect for fans of Sheila Connolly and Joanne Fluke.
Sea Isle, Scotland, is magical during the holiday season, and Dr. Emilia McRoy can’t wait to enjoy everything her village has to offer. But when the lead singer of a famous band is murdered in the village, just as they were about to launch a world tour, her holiday instantly comes to a halt.
As the band’s future hangs in the balance, Emilia discovers that the victim was working on new music that has since disappeared. Were these new lyrics worth killing for? And if so, who is the culprit? It seems more than one person wanted this music star dead. Shockingly, beloved constable Ewan Campbell becomes the prime suspect in the investigation, putting a damper on the town’s festivities.
With an ever-growing list of suspects, Emilia will need all the help she can get to figure out who is framing poor Ewan. Between a secret Santa that wants her dead, stalkers, and killer holiday celebrations, Emilia must see the devil in the details and discover the truth before it’s too late.
Lightning in Her Hands by Raquel Vasquez Gilliland
Wild Magic #2
Publication Date: October 15, 2024
Genre: Paranormal Romance
Goodreads | Bookhype | BookBub | StoryGraph | Amazon
Gifted—or cursed—with the power to influence the weather, one woman must embrace her wild heart in the next electric romance from the author of Witch of Wild Things.
Teal Flores is desperate for two things—control over her gift of weather, and a date to her ex’s wedding. The first isn’t possible until she finds her long-lost mother, but the second has a very handsome last-ditch solution: Carter Velasquez.
Carter needs Teal too. His chance at receiving an inheritance is dependent on him being married by age thirty (blame his traditional Cuban grandmother), so who better to pose as his wife than Teal? But fake marriage and cohabitation prove tricky when mutual attraction charges the atmosphere—quite literally for Teal, whose volatile emotions cause lightning strikes.
Together, Teal and Carter embark on a quest to find her mother and the answers she’s searching for. But along the way, they’ll discover something even better: a love that can weather any storm.
Rockin’ Around the Chickadee by Donna Andrews
Meg Langslow Mysteries #36
Publication Date: October 15, 2024
Genre: Cozy Holiday Mystery
Goodreads | Bookhype | BookBub | StoryGraph | Amazon
Bells are ringing and alarms are sounding in Donna Andrews’ latest cheery addition in the New York Times bestselling Meg Langslow series.
Meg’s sister-in-law, Delaney, is pregnant. Since her due date is on or around Christmas Day, this is putting a bit of a damper on the usual holiday festivities. Meg and Michael are NOT hosting the usual house full of relatives and parties. Instead, Meg, along with her mother, her grandmother, her cousin Rose Noire, and her good friend Caroline, are militantly doing everything they can think of to keep Delaney quiet and healthy. All the relatives are farmed out to friends and neighbors; all the parties are being held somewhere else; and while Delaney is bored and mutinous, she’s doing well, and they’re managing to maintain a serene, peaceful environment for her . . . until a body is found in Meg and Michael’s yard.The body turns out to be an attendee at Presumed Innocent, a nearby conference that Meg’s grandmother has organized. Some of the attendees want to learn how to exonerate a friend or family members who has been unjustly convicted, while the rest are avid true crime aficionados. And since the dead guy has been very vocal about his belief that most actual and would-be exonerees are guilty, guilty GUILTY!, nearly everyone at the conference dislikes him. But would any of them hate him enough to kill him? And can Meg still keep Delaney calm in the middle of a murder investigation, all while trying to catch the killer?
Sixteen Minutes by K.J. Reilly
Publication Date: October 15, 2024
Genre: Young Adult Sci-Fi
Goodreads | Bookhype | BookBub | StoryGraph | Amazon
When a new girl arrives in town, seemingly from the future, three teens’ lives are turned upside down in this speculative YA novel full of love and loss, and the power of the unknown.
Seventeen-year-old Nell knows two things for sure—she’s never going to get out of her rural, dead-end hometown of Clawson, NY and her best friend Stevie B and longtime boyfriend Cole are never going to leave her. That is until Charlotte, a new girl, arrives at their school and their lopsided friend triangle is turned on its axis. While Nell and Stevie B are certain that Charlotte isn’t who she says she is, Cole is caught fully in her thrall. There are secret calls and meetings between the two, and Nell knows Cole is keeping something big from her. Now, for the first time in their lives, Nell worries she could lose Cole.
When Nell and Stevie B finally confront Cole and Charlotte, they learn the impossible—Charlotte is actually from the future, and for life altering reasons none of them could have imagined, she wants Cole to jump to the future with her, leaving Nell behind. It’s dangerous, it’s reckless, but Charlotte convinces them that it’s the only choice they have. The trio’s future has always seemed set—but with the knowledge that time travel is real, and with a multiverse of futures before them, they now have the option to live lives they could have only dreamed about. The only questions are, who will take the leap and who will be left behind?
The Great Hippopotamus Hotel by Alexander McCall Smith
No. 1 Ladies’ Detective Agency #25
Publication Date: October 15, 2024
Genre: Private Investigator Mystery
Goodreads | Bookhype | BookBub | StoryGraph | Amazon
In this latest installment of Alexander McCall Smith’s beloved No. 1 Ladies’ Detective Agency, Mma Ramotswe and Mma Makutsi take on an intriguing new case and uncover surprising truths
In the rolling hills just outside Gaborone, surrounded by a grove of acacia trees, lies The Great Hippopotamus Hotel. With spacious rooms overlooking the Botswanan countryside and a fine and loyal staff, the hotel has served as a refuge to weary travelers for many years. But a sudden string of misfortunes threatens to ruin the hotel’s reputation. Food poisoning befalls an unlucky diner, laundry mysteriously disappears from the drying line, and a scorpion stings one of the guests. Mishap after mishap, until it seems these incidents are more than simple coincidences—something foul is afoot.
Mma Ramotswe and Mma Makutsi are on the case to find out who could be responsible for these unfortunate events. The answer at first seems clear, especially when they find out Violet Sephotho is involved. But as they dig deeper, they realize that the solution is not as simple as it initially seems. Meanwhile, one of Mr. J.L.B. Matekoni’s most important clients has asked him to source a sports car, putting him in a ticklish position as the man’s wife seems to be unaware of the purchase and the client is taking great pains to keep it that way. Nevertheless, with a healthy dose of good humor and kindness, Mma Ramotswe and her associates must help restore the reputation of the hotel and prove that even the most difficult situations can be remedied with honesty and compassion.
The Mysterious Case of the Missing Motive by Michele Pariza Wacek
Redemption Detective Agency #1
Publication Date: October 15, 2024
Genre: Cozy Mystery
Goodreads | BookBub | StoryGraph | Amazon
When life gives you lemons, make lemonade. Or maybe a gin and tonic.
Emily Hildebrandt has run into a bit of a rough patch. She’s lost her job, her fiance and her apartment. Still, she never expected to be desperate enough to accept an invitation to live with her eccentric Aunt Tilde in Redemption, Wisconsin.
But, beggars can’t be choosers. Even if part of the deal is she has to pretend to work at her aunt’s latest hair-brained scheme, The Redemption Detective Agency.
Seriously, the woman is a retired nurse. Why does she think she’s remotely qualified to run a detective agency, especially in a creepy little town like Redemption?
But, when a strange phone call suddenly thrusts them into an actual case, Emily finds herself hoping her aunt really does know what she’s doing … or an innocent person may be the one to suffer the consequences.
A spin-off from the Charlie Kingsley Mystery series! The Redemption Detective Agency is a funny, twisty cozy mystery series set in the 1990s featuring silver sleuths solving cold cases. Great for fans of the Thursday Murder Club.
The Waiting by Michael Connelly
Renee Ballard and Harry Bosch #6
Publication Date: October 15, 2024
Genre: Police Procedural Mystery
Goodreads | Bookhype | BookBub | StoryGraph | Amazon
LAPD Detective Renée Ballard tracks a serial rapist whose trail has gone cold, and enlists a new volunteer to the Open-Unsolved Unit: Patrol Officer Maddie Bosch, Harry’s daughter.
Renée Ballard and the LAPD’s Open-Unsolved Unit get a hot shot DNA connection between a recently arrested man and a serial rapist and murderer who went quiet twenty years ago. The arrested man is only twenty-four, so the genetic link must be familial: His father was the Pillowcase Rapist, responsible for a five-year reign of terror in the city of angels. But when Ballard and her team move in on their suspect, they encounter a baffling web of secrets and legal hurdles.
Meanwhile, Ballard’s badge, gun, and ID are stolen—a theft she can’t report without giving her enemies in the department ammunition to end her career as a detective. She works the burglary alone, but her mission draws her into unexpected danger. With no choice but to go outside the department for help, she knocks on the door of Harry Bosch.
At the same time, Ballard takes on a new volunteer to the cold case unit: Bosch’s daughter Maddie, now a patrol officer. But Maddie has an ulterior motive for getting access to the city’s library of lost souls—a case that may be the most iconic in the city’s history. Complex, satisfying, and full of dexterous twists, The Waiting demonstrates once more that “you can’t do better than Michael Connelly” (Forbes).
Thea and the Mischief Makers by Tracy Badua
Publication Date: October 15, 2024
Genre: Middle Grade
Goodreads | Bookhype | BookBub | StoryGraph | Amazon
In this magical adventure that’s perfect for fans of Lisa Yee and Erin Entrada Kelly, star athlete Thea must face her worst fears when two mischievous duwendes, Filipino goblins, threaten to wreak havoc on her life—and destroy her town.
Thea gets a chance to begin anew at Pacific Academy. There, she’s a star athlete, someone with friends and popularity.
But disaster strikes at Junior Stunt Warrior summer camp with her new friends: Her extremely uncool former best friend, Evan, shows up too, and she discovers that stunt class is the one activity she’s not good at. Actually, it’s something she’s terrified of. It all reminds Thea of the shy, invisible version of herself she’s determined to leave behind.
Then, in the midst of building a practice obstacle course, Thea wrecks a tree that a pair of grumpy duwendes—Filipino goblins—call home. She’s shocked that not only are duwendes real, but the two in her backyard want revenge.
Now Thea must team up with friends new and old to fend off the duwendes before they destroy her entire neighborhood. But can she pull it off while saving her cool-girl image, too?
Going Ghost by Dina Marie
Salem Spirits Cozy Mysteries #1
Publication Date: October 16, 2024
Genre: Cozy Paranormal Mystery
Goodreads | BookBub | StoryGraph | Amazon
A chance to escape. A haunting surprise. Dragged into a homicide by the spooky victim, can a reluctant sleuth solve the case and set up a fresh start?
Clara Kelly only wants to be free. Fleeing her abusive husband and holing up in his empty historic Salem, Massachusetts house, she’s shocked to find it already occupied by the ghosts of a sad-eyed Union soldier and cat. And just as the thirty-two-year-old fugitive accepts that the supernatural is real, a deadly car accident out front brings the phantom of the recently deceased to her door claiming he’s been murdered.
Afraid every moment she lingers will bring more trouble, she tries to ignore his pleas. But after the desperate spirit agrees to aid a puppy in peril in exchange for her help, Clara relents to playing sleuth while looking over her shoulder for the slime who made her marriage a living hell.
Can she find purpose in parting the veil of possibilities?
Going Ghost is the light-hearted first book in the Salem Spirits Cozy Mysteries series. If you like endearing characters, unexpected journeys, and stories with a lot of heart, then you’ll love Dina Marie’s twist of fate.
Buy Going Ghost to unbury the truth today!
A Brass Anchor Inn Christmas by Jennifer Faye
Turner Family of Bluestar Island #6
Publication Date: October 18, 2024
Genre: Sweet Holiday Romance
Join Harvey Coleman, manager of the Brass Anchor Inn, and Aunt Carol, interior designer, as they are thrown together for the holidays in A BRASS ANCHOR INN CHRISTMAS. They dated briefly in the past, but circumstances drew them apart. Now a bit of matchmaking and a lot of holiday magic just might bring these two back together. With the community center otherwise occupied for the holidays, the town is moving their celebrations to the inn. And Carol has been assigned the task of giving the Brass Anchor Inn a holiday refresh. It could be a holiday of second chances for these two if they can let themselves once again believe in the power of love…
Well, that’s it for the New Books Releasing Week 42 of 2024
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. Mainly, this helps with the cost of the website and a few giveaways.
Leave a Reply