May 20, 2025
In this newsletter, you will find books releasing the weeks of May 19th and May 26th that we think will be of interest to Bookreporter.com readers, along with Bonus News, where we call out a contest, feature or review that we want to let you know about so you have it on your radar.
This week, we are calling attention to our Women's Fiction Author Spotlight & Contest for Lori Foster’s upcoming book, THE GUEST COTTAGE, which kicks off her Firefly Summer series. In anticipation of its May 27th publication, we’re awarding a copy to 25 readers and asking them to share their feedback on it by Monday, July 7th. The deadline for your entries is Friday, May 30th at noon ET.
May 20, 2025
This Bookreporter.com Special Newsletter spotlights a book that we think is a great summer reading selection. Read more about it, and enter our Summer Reading Contest by Wednesday, May 21st at noon ET for a chance to win one of five copies of JUST BEACHY by Wendy Wax, which releases on June 3rd. Please note that each contest is only open for 24 hours, so you will need to act quickly!
May 17, 2025
ReadingGroupGuides.com is celebrating a big anniversary --- 25 years --- and we are looking for ways to honor this major milestone! Over the years, we have gotten some of our best ideas from readers. So we would love to hear yours! Send me your suggestions at Carol@bookreporter.com with the subject line “25!”
We will be hosting our 14th Annual Book Group Speed Dating event on Friday, June 13th at 1pm ET. If you are a librarian, bookseller, or book club leader of four or more groups, and you would be interested in attending this event, please email me and tell me a bit about yourself using the subject line “Speed Dating.” Invites will be going out next week. This is a “trade only” event, but we will be sharing the publisher videos, PowerPoint slides and other materials with you later next month.
Editorial Content for Marble Hall Murders
Book
Contributors
Reviewer (text)
MARBLE HALL MURDERS marks the return of London books editor Susan Ryeland, who is working on a new Atticus Pünd novel, Pünd’s Last Case. Even though it could be read as a stand-alone, Anthony Horowitz makes it clear that there is a correlation to the prior books featuring Susan --- MAGPIE MURDERS and MOONFLOWER MURDERS --- and the solution to the Magpie Murders is revealed here. Read More
Teaser
Freelancing for a London publisher, editor Susan Ryeland has been given the last job she wants: working on an Atticus Pünd continuation novel called Pünd’s Last Case. Worse still, she knows the new writer. Eliot Crace is the troubled grandson of legendary children’s author Miriam Crace, who died 20 years ago. Eliot is convinced that she was poisoned. To her surprise, Susan enjoys reading the manuscript, which is set in the South of France and revolves around the mysterious death of Lady Margaret Chalfont, days before she was about to change her will. But when it is revealed that Lady Margaret was also poisoned, alarm bells begin to ring. The more Susan reads, the clearer it becomes that Eliot has deliberately concealed clues about his grandmother’s death inside the book.
Promo
Freelancing for a London publisher, editor Susan Ryeland has been given the last job she wants: working on an Atticus Pünd continuation novel called Pünd’s Last Case. Worse still, she knows the new writer. Eliot Crace is the troubled grandson of legendary children’s author Miriam Crace, who died 20 years ago. Eliot is convinced that she was poisoned. To her surprise, Susan enjoys reading the manuscript, which is set in the South of France and revolves around the mysterious death of Lady Margaret Chalfont, days before she was about to change her will. But when it is revealed that Lady Margaret was also poisoned, alarm bells begin to ring. The more Susan reads, the clearer it becomes that Eliot has deliberately concealed clues about his grandmother’s death inside the book.
About the Book
Murder links past and present once again in this mind-boggling metafictional mystery from Anthony Horowitz featuring detective Atticus Pünd and editor Susan Ryeland, stars of the New York Times bestsellers MAGPIE MURDERS and MOONFLOWER MURDERS.
Editor Susan Ryeland has left her Greek island, her hotel and her Greek boyfriend, Andreas, in search of a new life back in England.
Freelancing for a London publisher, she's given the last job she wants: working on an Atticus Pünd continuation novel called Pünd’s Last Case. Worse still, she knows the new writer. Eliot Crace is the troubled grandson of legendary children’s author Miriam Crace who died 20 years ago. Eliot is convinced that she was murdered --- by poison.
To her surprise, Susan enjoys reading the manuscript, which is set in the South of France and revolves around the mysterious death of Lady Margaret Chalfont, days before she was about to change her will. But when it is revealed that Lady Margaret was also poisoned, alarm bells begin to ring.
The more Susan reads, the clearer it becomes that Eliot has deliberately concealed clues about his grandmother’s death inside the book.
Desperately, Susan tries to prevent Eliot from putting himself in harm’s way --- but his behavior is becoming increasingly erratic. Another murder follows...and suddenly Susan finds herself to be the number one suspect.
Once again, the real and the fictional worlds have become dangerously entangled. And if Susan doesn't solve the mystery of Pünd’s Last Case, she could well be its next victim.
Audiobook available, read by Lesley Manville and Tim McMullen
Editorial Content for The Man Made of Smoke
Contributors
Reviewer (text)
THE MAN MADE OF SMOKE is a gripping serial killer thriller from an author whose trademark combination of horrifying shock and eerie suspense proves yet again that no one writes --- or puts readers in the minds of --- killers like Alex North. Read More
Teaser
Dan Garvie’s life has been haunted by the crime he witnessed as a child --- narrowly escaping an encounter with a notorious serial killer. He has dedicated his life since to becoming a criminal profiler, eager to seek justice for innocent victims. So when his father passes away under suspicious circumstances, Dan revisits his small island community, determined to uncover the truth about his death. Is it possible that the monster he remembers from his childhood nightmares has returned after all these years?
Promo
Dan Garvie’s life has been haunted by the crime he witnessed as a child --- narrowly escaping an encounter with a notorious serial killer. He has dedicated his life since to becoming a criminal profiler, eager to seek justice for innocent victims. So when his father passes away under suspicious circumstances, Dan revisits his small island community, determined to uncover the truth about his death. Is it possible that the monster he remembers from his childhood nightmares has returned after all these years?
About the Book
The latest gripping serial killer thriller from the New York Times bestselling author Alex North.
Dan Garvie’s life has been haunted by the crime he witnessed as a child --- narrowly escaping an encounter with a notorious serial killer. He has dedicated his life since to becoming a criminal profiler, eager to seek justice for innocent victims. So when his father passes away under suspicious circumstances, Dan revisits his small island community, determined to uncover the truth about his death. Is it possible that the monster he remembers from his childhood nightmares has returned after all these years?
With his signature shock and suspense, Alex North brings us THE MAN MADE OF SMOKE. By turns emotional, introspective and utterly terrifying, this is a story of fathers and sons, shadows and secrets, and the fight we all face to escape the trauma of the past.
Audiobook available, read by Shane Zaza










