I can’t believe how fast this summer is going. I know for some of you it’s already been too long. But, I enjoy summer. There are quite a number of good books in my closet, though, that are September releases. And, I’m sure you have a number of other books to add to the list. Let us know what I’m missing, please. Now, enjoy these treasures.
Let’s start with a debut, Tessa Bickers’ The Book Swap. A story of second chances and new beginnings, this is a love letter to books—and a love letter to life. Still reeling from a recent tragedy, Erin Connolly knows she needs to start living, but has no idea how. When she accidentally donates her favorite book—a heavily annotated copy of To Kill a Mockingbird containing a memento she can’t be without—to a local little community library, she’s devastated. But then the book turns up a week later, back in the library with fresh notes in the margins, along with an invitation in a copy of Great Expectations to meet her newfound pen pal. A life-changing conversation, written only in the margins of beloved classic books, begins between Erin and her Mystery Man. Following each other through the pages of their favorite novels as the book exchange continues, they both begin to open up, falling into a friendship…and maybe something more. (Release date is Sept. 3.)
Readers have been waiting for the latest Flavia de Luce novel, Alan Bradley’s What Time the Sexton’s Spade Doth Rust. Flavia has taken on the mentorship of her odious moon-faced cousin Undine, who has come to live at Buckshaw following the death of her mother. Undine’s main talent, aside from cultivating disgusting habits, seems to be raising Flavia’s hackles, although in her best moments she shows potential for trespassing, trickery, and other assorted mayhem. When Major Greyleigh, a local recluse and former hangman, is found dead after a breakfast of poisonous mushrooms, suspicion falls on the de Luce family’s longtime cook, Mrs. Mullet. After all, wasn’t it she who’d picked the mushrooms, cooked the omelet, and served it to Greyleigh moments before his death? But Flavia knows the beloved Mrs. Mullet is innocent. Together with Dogger, estate gardener and partner-in-crime, and the obnoxious Undine, Flavia sets out to find the real killer and clear Mrs. Mullet’s good name. (Release date is Sept. 3.)
In Michelle Chouinard’s mystery, The Serial Killer Guide to San Francisco, the granddaughter of a serial killer shows readers another side of the beloved city. The chill of a San Francisco summer can be deadly. No one knows this better than Capri Sanzio, who makes her living giving serial killer tours of the city. Capri has been interested in the topic since she was a kid, when she discovered she’s the granddaughter of serial killer William ‘Overkill Bill’ Sanzio. She’s always believed in his innocence, though she’s never taken the leap to fully dive into the case. But now an Overkill Bill copycat has struck in San Francisco. And Capri’s former mother-in-law, Sylvia, just cut off Capri’s daughter’s tuition payments. Needing cash, Capri wonders if this is the time to exonerate her grandfather. The case is back in the news and the police will be looking to understand the past to catch a present-day killer. Capri could finally uncover the truth about Overkill Bill—documenting the process with a podcast and a book—and hopefully earn some money. Before Capri can get very far, the cops discover the copycat’s latest victim: Sylvia. Capri soon finds herself at the heart of the police’s investigation for an entirely different reason. She and her daughter are prime suspect. (Release date is Sept. 24.)
I Dreamed of Falling is a standalone from Julia Dahl. Roman Grady is the sole reporter for the local newspaper in a tiny Hudson Valley town – a town so small that every store opening and DUI is considered newsworthy. But when Roman’s longtime girlfriend, Ashley, the mother of his four-year-old son, is found dead, he realizes he had no idea what was really going on in her life.And when he starts asking questions, he’s not prepared for the answers. (Release date is Sept. 17.)
Jeffery Deaver and Isabella Maldonado join forces for Fatal Intrusion, the first Sanchez and Heron novel. Carmen Sanchez is a tough Homeland Security agent who plays by the rules. But when her sister is attacked, revealing a connection to a series of murders across Southern California, she realizes a conventional investigation will not be enough to stop the ruthless perpetrator. With nowhere else to turn, Sanchez enlists the aid of Professor Jake Heron, a brilliant and quirky private security expert who, unlike Sanchez, believes rules are merely suggestions. The two have a troubled past, but he owes her a favor and she’s cashing in. They team up to catch the assailant, who, mystifyingly, has no discernible motive and fits no classic criminal profile. All they have to go on is a distinctive tattoo and a singular obsession that gives this chillingly efficient tactician his nickname: Spider. (Release date is Sept. 1.)
Set in beautiful Positano, Italy, Murder in an Italian Cafe by Michael Falco is the second mystery to feature Bria Bartolucci, a widowed B&B owner. Though she still misses her late husband, Carlo, Bria couldn’t be happier that their dream bed and breakfast, Bella Bella, is humming along nicely. Of course, even on the stunning Amalfi Coast, things seldom run smoothly. Like Bria’s mother and mother-in-law dueling over a suitable communion site for Bria’s eight-year-old son Marco. Bria’s also juggling the demands of the famous Chef Lugo, his producer, Massimo, and Pippa, a member of the production crew who is staying at Bella Bella for a nice, long-term stay . . .Until Lugo mysteriously dies on-camera, a victim of apparent murder. (Release date is Sept. 24.)
Lee Goldberg unites his arson investigators, Sharpe and Walker, with homicide investigators Eve Ronin and Duncan Pavone in Ashes Never Lie. Vacant homes in a new housing development are erupting into flames in broad daylight with no apparent cause. It’s a perplexing mystery for dogged arson investigator Walter Sharpe and his restless new partner, Andrew Walker, an ex–US marshal who craves action. But as they puzzle over the blazes, another home miles away burns to the ground, leaving a man’s corpse in the ashes and homicide detectives Eve Ronin and Duncan Pavone demanding answers. The burn patterns and charred body tell Sharpe a bizarre story that only creates more questions for Eve. So the four detectives team up to find the answers. Their investigation into the two unrelated cases leads to one shocking discovery after another. (Release date is Sept. 17.)
April Claus is back in Liz Ireland’s Mrs. Claus and the Nightmare Before New Year’s. Santaland is scrambling to keep its secrets hidden from a trio of unexpected guests, but before the New Year’s Eve ball drops, the countdown is on for April Claus to catch a killer…April Claus is looking forward to relaxing with her hubby, Nick (aka THE Santa Claus), in the week between Christmas and New Year’s Eve. But just after Santa departs for his deliveries, an elf pulls into Santaland with three people he found lost in the frozen wilderness. The survivors of a scientific expedition are injured, but their presence endangers the future of Santaland. So, while the strangers recuperate at the infirmary, April convinces Christmastown to pull off its grandest, most impossible, most magical feat yet . . . pretend to be normal! (Release date is Sept. 24.)
Sofie Kelly’s Furever After is the sixteenth cozy mystery in her Magical Cats series. Kathleen Paulson is busy running the library and planning her upcoming wedding to detective Marcus Gordon when she suddenly stumbles across a body in the library. She is surprised to learn that the deceased was in the middle of an unlikely heist—it seems he was trying to steal one of the paintings that had been in a box in the library’s workroom. Kathleen never knew any of the library’s rotating artwork was valuable and can’t imagine what the dead man wanted with it. (Release date is Sept. 3.)
We Solve Murders is a departure for Richard Osman, author of The Thursday Murder Club. Steve Wheeler is enjoying retired life. He still does the odd bit of investigation work, but he prefers his familiar routines: the pub quiz, his favorite bench, his cat waiting for him at home. His days of adventure are over. Adrenaline is daughter-in-law Amy’s job now. Amy Wheeler thinks adrenaline is good for the soul. Working in private security, every day is dangerous. She’s currently on a remote island protecting mega-bestselling author Rosie D’Antonio, until a dead body and a bag of money mean trouble in paradise. So she sends an SOS to the only person she trusts . . .As a thrilling race around the world begins, can Amy and Steve outrun and outsmart a killer? (Release date is Sept. 17.)
The latest Eve Dallas novel by J.D. Robb is Passions in Death. On a hot August night, Lt. Eve Dallas and her husband, Roarke, speed through the streets of Manhattan to the Down and Dirty club, where a joyful, boisterous pre-wedding girls’ night out has turned into a murder scene. One of the brides lies in a pool of blood, garroted in a private room where she was preparing a surprise for her fiancée―two scrimped and saved-for tickets to Hawaii. Despite the dozens of people present, useful witnesses are hard to come by. It all brings back some bad memories for Eve who once suffered an assault in the very same room―but she’d been able to fight back and survive. She’d gotten justice. And now she needs to provide some for poor young Erin. (Release date is Sept. 3.)
The Grim Steeper is Gretchen Rue’s latest Witches’ Brew Mystery. Amateur witch Phoebe Winchester is excited to host her first big author event at the Earl’s Study, her book and tea store. The author, Sebastian Marlow, is a famous birder excited to put Raven Creek on the map for his rediscovery of a presumed-extinct bird. When Sebastian is found dead before his planned bird hike, where he expected to prove the existence of the bird to fellow birding enthusiasts, it’s obvious someone wanted him to be extinct, too. (Release date is Sept. 10.)
Mansi Shah’s latest novel is A Good Indian Girl. Jyoti is the “perfect” Indian American daughter: She stayed out of trouble, looked after her younger sisters, and married a man her parents approved of. So when her husband, Ashok, pushes her to quit her dream job as head chef to focus on conceiving, she obliges, knowing this will please her parents—only for Ashok to leave her when she cannot carry to term. Now unemployed, childless, and divorced, a disgrace to her Gujarati family, Jyoti books a ticket to Tuscany for the summer to visit her best friend (and fellow social outcast), Karishma. Carbs, chianti, and la bella vita slowly restore Jyoti’s confidence, inspiring her to experiment with Indian-Italian fusion recipes. But when she unexpectedly goes viral for her impromptu cooking vlogs—and candid vent sessions—her gossiping aunties have a field day. And when a shocking reveal comes to light, Jyoti must choose between family acceptance, a fulfilling career, and even motherhood, all before the summer ends… (Release date is Sept. 3.)
Sick to Death is the latest Andy Hayes mystery by Andrew Welsh-Huggins. After years of personal and professional turmoil, things are finally looking up for Columbus, Ohio, private eye Andy Hayes. As Sick to Death opens, Andy is relishing his new gig: a drama-free, family-friendly stint as a guard at the Columbus Museum of Art. What could be better than regular hours, a steady paycheck, and an attractive coworker who may be just as interested in him as he is in her? Right on schedule, Andy’s newfound equilibrium comes crashing down when he interrupts the theft of a painting by famed Ashcan school realist George Bellows―and is promptly fired for breaking museum protocols. Helping him thwart the robbers is a young woman whom Andy has caught staring at him several times at the museum. To his shock, she reveals she’s an adult daughter he never knew he had, the result of a one-night stand during his misspent youth a quarter century earlier. But Alex Rutledge, about to enter the Columbus Police Academy, isn’t looking for family time. She wants to hire her newly discovered father to find the driver who killed her mother, Kate, five months earlier in a still unsolved hit-skip accident. Even as Andy reels from this personal development, he uncovers troubling details about Kate’s death that increasingly point toward murder and an angry anti-vax sentiment roiling below the surface at the hospital where she worked. Complicating Andy’s case, he finds himself in the crosshairs of an FBI investigation into the attempted art theft. With time running out and his and Alex’s lives on the line, Andy rushes to defend his reputation as a private eye and find Kate’s killer. (Release date is Sept. 10.)
What about you? What treasures are you waiting to read in September?
The only one I gave here is the Ashes Never Lie read thanks to NetGalley.
And, I think you mentioned it to me, Kevin. Thank you!
Lee Goldberg. Richard Osman. Julia Dahl. Those are the three that immediately go on my list. For Jackie, of course, it is the J. D. Robb (and the Osman and Dahl). There might be others too.
Also September:
3 Kate Atkinson, Death at the Sign of the Rook (Jackson Brodie!) on my list
3 Attica Locke, Guide Me Home (Darren Mathews)
3 Jess Lourey, The Reaping (Steinbeck & Reed)
3 Lee Child, Safe Enough (short stories) will read this
3 James R. Benn, The Phantom Patrol (Billy Boyle)
10 Ragnar Jonasson, Death at the Sanatorium
10 J. A. Jance, Den of Iniquity (J. P. Beaumont)
12 Peter May, The Black Loch (Fin Macleod)
17 Shelley Burr, Murder Town
24 Tami Hoag, Bad Liar
24 Val McDermid, Queen Macbeth
Lots of possibilities this month.
September looks so good, Jeff. At the moment, there’s almost nothing in November. But, there’s plenty of time before then.
I have this one as well— J. A. Jance, Den of Iniquity (J. P. Beaumont)
And one can safely ignore the recently released novella, Girl’s Night Out. Marketed as a Beaumont, I bought the stupid thing as Dallas Public Library is not getting it. Beaumont is NOT in it. He is referenced. Such a rip off.
Review coming next Wednesday.
Not really a fan of J.A. Janice, but that’s lousy,Kevin.
September already!
Thanks for the list(s). I placed one hold and had the Osman on hold already.
Hard to believe, isn’t it, MM? Oh, good. I’m glad you found one to put on hold.
Hi, Lesa. I also feel that summer has sped by, and I love summer. How can tomorrow be August 1? In Switzerland, school starts again in the middle of August, which makes autumn seem all the nearer. As for books, I’m excited about the new Attica Locke, but otherwise I’m still catching up with things published months or even years ago. I’m ashamed to say I’ve never read anything by Lee Goldberg. What would you and other readers suggest that I try first?
I’d start with Lost Hills by Lee Goldberg, Kim. Oh, I’ll never be caught up. Today, I picked up the first Merrily Watkins. We’ll see if it works for me.
If you’ve ever watched MONK, Lee Goldberg’s paperback tie-in series is a lot of fun. In fact, I enjoyed the books more than the series. I liked his Fox & O’Hare series written with Janet Evanovich; light fun about an FBI agent forced to work with a criminal. And, of course, I loved CALICO, a standalone mystery/western/time travel story.
Thanks, Jeff! Maybe I’ll get Calico AND Lost Hills for my Kindle.
You’re trying a Merrily Watkins, Lesa! Hope I haven’t misled you. So many books, so little time, right?
Some schools here in the Dallas area resume next Monday. The Dallas Independent School District gets back going on August 14th.
So many titles to choose from. I’m especially looking forward to the Richard Osman and J.D. Robb releases. Two books coming in September that I’ve already read, enjoyed and reviewed thanks to Netgalley are The Red House Mystery by A.A. Milne (this is technically a re-release) and Hemlock Bay by Martin Edwards.
Yes, a re-issue. The Red House Mystery was originally published in 1922.
I love NetGalley for that opportunity, Marleen. J.D. Robb is just so satisfying.
The In Death series is the only one of many I started years ago that I still read a new book as soon as I can get my hands on it.
Every one is different, isn’t it, Marleen? And, it’s fun to catch up with all the characters.
I definitely want to read Good Indian Girl. I am reading an ARC of The Teller of Small Fortunes by Julie Leong. and I am loving it.
Isn’t it so nice to have a book you’re loving, Carol?