Sometimes you have to look beneath the surface to find the treasure within

After years of searching, Bren Ryan has found her place in Hope Harbor. Working as a barista suits her to a T, as does the laid-back vibe of her adopted town. Nothing is lacking in her life--except romance. But that's okay. Men are a complication she doesn't need. 

Buttoned-up CPA Noah Ward isn't looking for love, either, when he arrives in town on a mission to convince his father to move closer to him. And he certainly doesn't intend to fall for the quirky, free-spirited woman who's taken up residence in his father's guest cottage. 

But when Noah finds himself sucked into Bren's quest to help a struggling teen, might the two of them discover there's more to each other than meets the eye?

Come home to Hope Harbor--where hearts heal . . . and love blooms.


Praise for Sandcastle Inn

"A beautiful novel about hope and a second chance."--Interviews & Reviews

"Strong characters and positive yet realistic relationships . . . Fans of Debbie Macomber may also enjoy this series."--Booklist

The eccentric detective Ana Dolabra matches wits with a seemingly omniscient adversary in this brilliant fantasy-mystery from the author of The Tainted Cup.

“Wonderfully clever and compulsively readable . . . another winning blend of fantasy and classic detection.”—Publishers Weekly

In the canton of Yarrowdale, at the very edge of the Empire’s reach, a Treasury officer has disappeared into thin air—vanishing from a room within a heavily guarded tower, its door and windows locked from the inside. 

To solve the case, the Empire calls on its most brilliant and mercurial detective, the great Ana Dolabra. At her side, as always, is her bemused assistant Dinios Kol.

Ana soon discovers that they are investigating not a disappearance but a murder—and one of surpassing cunning, carried out by an opponent who can pass through warded doors like a ghost. 

Worse still, the killer may be targeting the high-security compound known as the Shroud, where the Empire harvests fallen titans for the volatile magic found in their blood. Should it fall, the Empire itself will grind to a halt, robbed of the magic that allows its wheels of power to turn. 

Din has seen his superior solve impossible cases before. But as the death toll grows and their quarry predicts each of Ana’s moves with uncanny foresight, he fears that she has at last met an enemy she can’t defeat.

The first in a brand-new crime thriller series from Edgar nominee and Pulitzer Prize-winning author Bryan Gruley. Feisty defence attorney Devyn Payne faces off against veteran detective Garth Klimmek as they work to solve a vicious double homicide in their small, icy town of Bitterfrost.

Thirteen years ago, former ice hockey star Jimmy Baker quit the game after almost killing an opponent. Now, as the Zamboni driver for the amateur team in his hometown of Bitterfrost, Michigan, he's living his penance. Until the morning he awakens to the smell of blood . . .

Jimmy soon finds himself arrested for a brutal double murder. The kicker? He has no memory of the night in question. And as the evidence racks up against him, Jimmy's case is skating on thin ice. Could he have committed such a gruesome crime?

As his defence attorney Devyn Payne and prosecuting detective Garth Klimmek race to uncover the truth, time is running out for Jimmy. Because all he can really be sure of is that he is capable of taking a life. The question is, in his blacked-out state, did he take two?

This gritty drama is the first in the Bitterfrost series, perfect for fans of Dennis Lehane!

When the Village Blend opens a Writer’s Block Lounge, a cold case crime turns up the heat on Clare and her crew in this gripping new entry in the beloved Coffeehouse Mystery series from New York Times bestselling author Cleo Coyle.

As much as master roaster Clare Cosi adores coffee, the landmark shop she manages won’t survive if she doesn’t sell enough of it. So when the Village Blend’s customer traffic grinds to a halt, she turns to her staff for creative ideas, and the Writer’s Block Lounge is born.

Madame, the eccentric octogenarian owner of the shop, is upset by this news. Years ago, a group of accomplished writers used the shop’s second-floor lounge to inspire each other, but the group disbanded when something dark occurred. Though that history is shrouded in mystery, Clare presses forward…

Soon the Village Blend tables are filled with aspiring novelists, playwrights, and poets, all happy to be coaxed, cajoled, and caffeinated by her coffeehouse crew. Clare admires the stamina of these scribes, many of them toiling at night jobs—driving taxis, tending bar, ushering for Broadway—while penning projects during the day.

Then one of their fictions turns fatal when a shocking secret leads to a deadly end. Unless Clare can untangle this mystery, uncover the truth, and stop a desperate killer, she fears more of these weary writers may be marked for eternal rest.

Includes a knockout menu of recipes!

"The Raven Scholar is a labyrinth of a book--vast and intricate, full of fiendish twists and clever traps--with a deeply human heart at its center. It's thrilling, romantic, often tragic, and always funny; I'm obsessed." --Alix E. Harrow, New York Times bestselling author of Starling House


From an electrifying new voice in epic fantasy comes a masterfully woven tale of imperial intrigue, cutthroat competition, and one scholar's quest to uncover the truth.


Let us fly now to the empire of Orrun, where after twenty-four years of peace, the reign of Bersun the Brusque has come to an end. In the dizzying heat of midsummer, seven exceptional warriors, thinkers, strategists compete to replace him. 


When one of them is murdered, it falls to Neema Kraa, the emperor's brilliant, idiosyncratic High Scholar, to find the killer and fight for the throne. Neema believes she is alone. But we are here to help; all she has to do is let us in.


If she succeeds, we will win an empire. If she fails, death awaits her. But we won't let that happen.


We are the Raven, and we are magnificent.


★ "Sharply written and intricately plotted. A masterclass in storytelling!" --Ann Leckie, Hugo Award-winning author of Ancillary Justice 


★ "Fiendishly charming and clever, this is a book you absolutely must devour." --Tasha Suri, World Fantasy Award-winning author of The Jasmine Throne


★ "The Raven Scholar is as clever as its namesake--each beloved character, each twist and each turn, is a shiny new gift. It is magnificent." --C. L. Clark, author of The Unbroken 


★ "Epic fantasy at its finest--fiendish political intrigue, the ultimate trial for the throne and a shocking crime at the center. Simply glorious!" --Georgia Summers, author of The City of Stardust


★ "Engrossing and unputdownable...my favorite read of the year. A conflagration of court intrigue, religious folktale, and characters with deliciously murky motivations, The Raven Scholar is a pure delight." --Bethany Jacobs, Philip K. Dick Award-winning author of These Burning Stars 

The word atavism, coined by a botanist and popularized by a criminologist, refers to the resurfacing of a primitive evolutionary trait or urge in a modern being. This inventive collection from Lydia Millet offers overlapping tales of urges ranging from rage to jealousy to yearning--a fluent triumph of storytelling, rich in ideas and emotions both petty and grand.

The titular atavists include an underachieving, bewildered young bartender; a middle-aged mother convinced her gentle son-in-law is fixated on geriatric porn; a bodybuilder with an incel's fantasy life; an arrogant academic accused of plagiarism; and an empty-nester dad determined to host refugees in a tiny house in his backyard.

As they pick away at the splitting seams in American culture, Millet's characters shimmer with the sense of powerlessness we share in an era of mass overwhelm. A beautician in a waxing salon faces a sudden resurgence of grief in the midst of a bikini Brazilian; a couple sets up a camera to find out who's been slipping homophobic letters into their mailbox; a jilted urban planner stalks a man she met on a dating app.

In its rich warp and weft of humiliations and human error, Atavists returns to the trenchant, playful social commentary that made A Children's Bible a runaway hit. In these stories sharp observations of middle-class mores and sanctimony give way to moments of raw exposure and longing: Atavists performs an uncanny fictional magic, full of revelation but also hilarious, unpretentious, and warm.

She lives her life on the fly. His heart is double-knotted to home. Can two different souls create a life together

Popular travel writer and podcaster Katie Campbell roams the world collecting other people's stories. She's built a career as "Miss Adventure," known for saying yes to anything new--country, food, or experience--and predictably finding those adventures taking a downward turn into misadventures.

Offered the chance to explore her ancestral roots through a three-week Edwardian experience, Katie finds herself immersed in the beauty and eccentricity of Scotland. In her period attire, with traditional foods and activities, the opportunities for misadventures are endless, especially with the presence of a maniacal macaw, a jealous co-worker, and an all-too-surly Scotsman.

Reclusive and protective Graeme MacKerrow doesn't venture far from his island home. A stoic Scotsman, Graeme's comfort zone has always been family, and after his sister's death, he's even more determined to save the MacKerrow ancestral home and keep those he loves close. The sudden intrusion of a six-foot-one American lass, famous for her traveling misfortunes, was far from his plan.

As this world of folklore, community, and woodworkers-in-kilts tempts Katie to discover her own story, could this one grand series of misadventures lead her directly to where she belongs And would a settled-in-Scot ever risk loosening his grip on what's familiar to allow a wanderlust writer a home in his heart How could their very different worlds share the same page of life's story when "home" is in two very different places But maybe home--and the future--isn't quite what either one imagined it would be. Maybe home is less about a place . . . and more about a person.

What would you do if you thought your coworker was getting away with murder—literally?

Dolores dela Cruz has been dying to spot one in the wild, and he fits the mold perfectly: strangler gloves, calculated charm, dashing good looks that give a leg up in any field . . . including fields of unmarked graves.

The new office temp is definitely a serial killer.

Jake Ripper finds a welcome distraction in his combative and enigmatic new coworker. He hasn’t come across anyone as interesting as Dolores in a long time. But when mere curiosity evolves into a darkly romantic flirtation, Jake can’t help but wonder if, finally, he’s found someone who really sees him, skeletons in the closet and all.

Until Dolores asks Jake’s help to dispose of a body . . .

A morbidly funny and emotionally resonant novel about the ways life—and love—can sneak up on us (no matter how much pepper spray we carry).

Living in Greece at the turn of the twentieth century, widow Minnie Harper struggles to find her place in a swiftly changing world. But when a local woman is murdered, her resolve is put to the test in a race to shed light on the truth . . .

The first in a new series for readers of Tasha Alexander, Deanna Raybourn, Anna Lee Huber, and Rhys Bowen.

Minnie Harper isn’t used to putting herself first. Not after she moved away from England only to be left raising two children alone on the Greek Island of Corfu following her husband’s unexpected death. But with her daughter begging to be sent to school abroad and her son grasping at his own independence, Minnie realizes she must prepare for the next stage of her life.

When famous mystery author Stephen Dorian settles into a neighboring villa to escape writer’s block and hidden scandals, she is intrigued at first by the handsome Londoner—until he proves to be nothing more than a boorish grump. Determined to avoid the man as much as possible, Minnie is shocked when he offers her a well-paid job as his typist. She isn’t in a position to turn down work, even from a man she has sworn to hate.

But before Minnie can fully regret her decision to take the job, she makes a horrifying discovery that changes everything. A young maid has been murdered, and local authorities aren’t moving fast enough to bring justice to the terrible crime. Unwilling to allow the death to fade into obscurity like the stories of so many other women deemed unworthy by society, Minnie launches an investigation of her own—and reluctantly accepts Stephen’s help. As she embarks on a dangerous search for answers that reveals another side of Corfu, unsettling questions take shape about her employer-turned-confidant and the culprit who just might do whatever it takes to strike again . . .

A Best Book of the Spring: Bustle and Harper's Bazaar
A Literary Hub Most Anticipated Book of the Year
Winner of PEN/O. Henry Prize: “Exit Zero”
Included in The Best American Short Stories: “Viola in Midwinter”

Twelve delightfully strange, haunting stories from the acclaimed, oracular author of Beautyland. 

Death-shaped entities—with all of their humor and strangeness— haunt the twelve stories in Exit Zero. Vampires, ghost girls, fathers, blank spaces, day-old peaches, and famous paintings all pierce through their world into ours, reminding us to pay attention! and look alive! and offering many other flashes of wisdom from the oracle and author of Beautyland, Marie-Helene Bertino.

“Do you mind me asking—what kind of help do you need?”

After losing her job and her fiancé and moving back from the city to live with her parents, Shell Pine needs some help. And according to the sign in the window, the florist shop in the mall does too. Shell gets the gig, and the flowers she works with there are just the thing she needs to cheer up. Or maybe it’s Neve, the beautiful shop manager, who is making her days so rosy?

But you have to get your hands dirty if you want your garden to grow—and Neve’s secrets are as dark and dangerous as they come. In the back room of the flower shop, a young sentient orchid actually runs the show, and he is hungry . . . and he has a plan for them all.

When the choices are to either bury yourself in the warmth of someone else’s fertile soil, or face the cold and disappointing world outside—which would you choose? And what if putting down roots came at a cost far higher than just your freedom?

This is a story about desire, dreams, decay—and working retail at the end of the world.

Feeling the heat from her Filipino family, a frustrated florist reaches out to a romantic "good luck charm" in this hilarious and heartwarming retelling of the Pinoy rom-com classic Got 2 Believe.

Some rumors turn out to be true...

Love isn't easy. Especially when everyone seems to have found it but you. For florist Mara Barretto, her romantic life--or lack thereof--has baffled her close-knit family for years. Now that her baby sister is getting married, however, the pressure to settle down is at an all-time high. Then she meets Jay Montinola, a fellow wedding guest who's equally single.

And rumor has it that every girl who kisses Jay finds The One immediately after.

So Mara does what any girl would do: try it for herself.

It's only a kiss--one that will supposedly put an end to her single life and thrust Mara into the arms of Mr. Right, wherever he is. Yet the moment Jay's lips are on hers, Mara's plan takes an unexpected turn. Will she finally find the relationship she longs for, or is true love a lot closer than she thinks?

From showing up to glowing up, the characters in Afterglow Books are on the path to leading their best lives and finding sizzling romance along the way. Don't miss any of these other fun titles...

Manila Takes Manhattan by Carla de Guzman

Out of Office by A.H. Cunningham

The Summer of Perfect Mistakes by Cynthia St. Aubin

“Exhilarating and darkly comic. . . Craven effectively mixes the unvarnished brutality and high body count of Lee Child with the black humor of Mick Herron. . . A must read.” —Publishers Weekly (starred review)

"This high-body-count romp is told with such verve and relish that even readers who shy from mayhem might find themselves on Koenig’s side as he hurtles from one impossible near-death experience to the next." —The New York Times Book Review

A man who can't feel fear is in a race against time to find a woman who knows a secret that could take down the United States

When a shocking murder and abduction on the streets of London leads investigators to open a safe in Langley for the first time in ten years, they find a note directing them to a few key individuals. Three of the people on the list are dead. The fourth is Ben Koenig.

Koenig has no idea why his name is on the list. Then he realizes that he knows the woman who carried out the killings. Ten years earlier, without being told why, he was tasked with helping her disappear. Far from being a deranged killer, she is the gatekeeper of a secret that could take down America, and for the safety of the country, she has been in hiding for years—until now. And if she has resurfaced, the danger may be closer and more terrifying than anyone can imagine.

Ben Koenig has to find her before it’s too late. But Ben suffers from a syndrome that means he can’t feel fear. He doesn’t always know when he should walk away . . . or when he’s leading others into danger. Fast, brutal, smart, and violent, Nobody’s Hero is an engrossing story of contract killers, international terrorism, hard choices, and the future of the country—and the world as we know it. 

“Craven has unleashed Ben Koenig into the thriller world. Long may he raise hell in the pages." —David Baldacci

A Punjabi American lawyer at a mysterious federal intelligence agency fights to keep his career, marriage, and morality intact in this gripping post-9/11 drama from a thrilling new voice.

“Here is, at long last, our immigrant John le Carré. . . . Rav Grewal-Kök is a fearless and visionary writer.”—Xuan Juliana Wang, author of Home Remedies

“Are you happy where you are? Toiling in the trenches of the Justice Department?”

In the waning months of George W. Bush’s presidency, Neel Chima, a former naval officer and federal prosecutor, is recruited to join a new federal intelligence agency—one with greater than usual powers and fewer than usual restrictions. Neel soon finds himself intimately involved in the surveillance of domestic terrorism suspects and the selection of foreigners for drone assassination—men who often look just like his Sikh family members. As both his ambitions and his moral qualms mount, he is drawn farther and farther away from his wife and two young daughters. When he makes a critical mistake at work, he is left vulnerable to shadowy figures in the intelligence world who seek to use him in their own, still more radical counterterrorism missions. If he agrees, the world of power will open up even wider to him. If he doesn’t . . .

Is Neel an insider or an outsider? The hunter or the hunted? An idealist or a mercenary? What truths, and whose lives, is he willing to sacrifice? The novel plunges readers into the human turmoil behind the faceless operations—the torture, secret assassinations, and drone strikes—of the American security state, creating an eye-opening meditation on morality, violence, and the price of a human soul.

“If you’re a fan of Stephen King and Stranger Things, then this is the book for you.” —Richard Chizmar, New York Times bestselling author

Stranger Things meets The Walking Dead in this chilling novel based on the terrifying urban legend about a video game created by the government for psychological warfare.

October, 1982. Forced to move to the quiet seaside town of Tasker Bay by her mother, the only thing on high schooler Andi’s mind is saving up enough money to return to her old stomping grounds in Silicon Valley. Her self-taught skills with all things electronic make her a perfect fit for a job at the dingy local arcade where she can tune out from life and bankroll her eventual escape.

Pining over the distant and aloof Andi is Ro, the son of Tasker Bay’s sheriff, who begins spending more time at the arcade. Despite promising herself she wouldn’t get attached to anyone in town, Andi finds herself opening up to the thoughtful, like-minded Ro.

When Polybius—a new bleeding-edge game of unknown origin arrives—the shop is suddenly overwhelmed with players fighting for time on the machine. Seemingly overnight, a virus-like epidemic grips Tasker Bay while a violent coastal storm rolls in, isolating it from the outside world. People begin experiencing fits of anger, paranoia, and hallucinations—no one can be trusted. After a grisly act of violence goes unsolved, the town descends into chaos. Is the arrival of this mysterious game and the disorder in Tasker Bay a coincidence? Convinced the dire situation is somehow linked to Polybius, Andi and Ro desperately search for clues that might stop the spread before they, too, begin experiencing side effects…

"Smart, sexy, and absolutely memorable . . ." --J.T. Ellison, New York Times bestselling author of A Very Bad Thing

"[A] fizzy, flirty, and fun space opera . . ." --Yume Kitasei, author of The Stardust Grail

Let's get one thing straight: I am not your chosen one.

Forty-five-year-old Imogen has always struggled to fit in, never finding her passion in life. And while that may include having cold feet in her impending nuptials, that doesn't mean she's ready to ditch planet Earth--and her entire life--completely.

When Imogen is kidnapped by an alien prince in disguise, there's nothing she can do to stop him. He's sidhe--a being with powerful abilities--and he's grown up used to getting what he wants. The prince is convinced Imogen will fall in love with him, and that her new powers, once she's turned sidhe, will help his country win a centuries-old feud.

With the help of the prince's much more tolerable brother, Imogen starts to get her feet back under her, but even he can't protect her from those who would use her for her powers. If Imogen can't find a way to fight for herself, she'll become a pawn in a world that has already decided what she's going to be.

For readers who enjoy From Blood and Ash by Jennifer L. Armentrout, Faebound by Saara El-Arifi, and the Crescent City series by Sarah J. Maas.

Fraudulent cozy mystery expert Agatha Dorn is cancelled — and severely ticked off! — in this quirky homage to Golden Age detectives, lost manuscripts, and famous authors

“Oh how I enjoyed this thoroughly delightful and nasty mystery” – Alice Bell, author of Grave Expectations

Meet Agatha Dorn, cantankerous archivist, grammar pedant, gin afficionado and murder mystery addict. When she discovers a lost manuscript by Gladden Green, the Empress of Golden Age detective fiction, Agatha's life takes an unexpected twist. She becomes an overnight sensation, basking in the limelight of literary stardom.

But Agatha's newfound fame takes a nosedive when the 'rediscovered' novel is exposed as a hoax. And when her ex-lover turns up dead, with a scrap of the manuscript by her side, Agatha suspects foul play.

Cancelled, ostracised and severely ticked off, Agatha turns detective to uncover the sinister truth that connects the murder and the fraudulent manuscript. But can she stay sober long enough to catch the murderer, or will Agatha become a whodunit herself?

Don’t miss this distinctive, delightfully quirky, English cozy murder mystery featuring an unforgettably spiky protagonist – perfect for fans of The Twyford Code, Magpie Murders, and Yellowface.

The first novel in the all-new Golden Girls Cozy Mystery Series!

When Dorothy's obnoxious date is found dead in a hotel freezer, it not only ruins a gorgeous cheesecake but threatens the elaborate St. Olaf-themed wedding Rose is hosting.

Things are heating up, and not just because of Blanche's hot flashes. Rose's cousin is eloping to Miami, and Rose is playing host. If she can't balance the groom's family's snobbery against the traditional St. Olaf wedding week guidelines, her hometown may never accept her cousin again!

Dorothy quickly realizes she needs a date with whom she can exchange wedding-related wisecracks. Turning to a newfangled VHS dating service, she believes she's found the ideal conversationalist. Unfortunately, what looks good on TV can actually be a total jerk in real life. It seems she'll just have to enjoy the company of Sophia, Blanche, and whomever Blanche has targeted for a hookup.

As the Girls all pitch in, Rose is thrilled that the tea-and-fish-themed kickoff event is perfect, not a herring out of place. That is until Dorothy's date is found dead-face-planted in an otherwise scrumptious-looking cheesecake. With every guest a suspect (especially Dorothy) and a marriage on the line, the four besties must ID the real killer, get the should-be-happy couple down the aisle, and make sure nobody from St. Olaf gets lost in the wilds of Miami. It's up to the Golden Girls to sleuth out a way for friendship and love to win the day!

"[A] thorough success . . . A dazzling romp." —Steven Poole, The Guardian

"Historical fiction doesn’t get much better than this." —George Cochrane, The Telegraph (5/5 stars)

A Literary Hub Most Anticipated Book of 2025

A pulse-quickening murder mystery set in Renaissance Florence by the renowned author of HHhH. 

As dawn breaks over the city of Florence on New Year’s Day 1557, Jacopo da Pontormo is discovered lying on the floor of a church, stabbed through the heart. Above him are the frescoes he labored over for more than a decade—masterpieces all, rivaling the works of Michelangelo in the Sistine Chapel. When guards search his quarters, they find an obscene painting of Venus and Cupid—with the face of Venus replaced by that of Maria de’ Medici, the Duke of Florence’s oldest daughter. The city erupts in chaos. 

Who could have committed these crimes: murder and lèse-majesté? Giorgio Vasari, the great art historian, is picked to lead the investigation. Letters start to fly back and forth—between Maria and her aunt Catherine de’ Medici, the queen of France; between Catherine and the scheming Piero Strozzi; and between Vasari and Michelangelo—carrying news of political plots and speculations about the identity of Pontormo’s killer. The truth, when it comes to light, is as shocking as the bold new artworks that have made Florence the red-hot center of European art and intrigue. 

Bursting with characters and historical color, Laurent Binet’s Perspective(s) is a whodunit like no other—a labyrinthine murder mystery that shows us Renaissance Florence as we’ve never seen it before. This is a dark, dazzling, unforgettable read.

INDIES INTRODUCE SELECTION * DEBUT AUTHOR, MOLLY OLGUÍN brings us THE SEA GIVES UP THE DEAD, a collection of stories sprinkled into the soil of fairy tales, left to take root and grow wild there.

"A wunderkammer of beauty and sorrow."--Carmen Maria Machado, author of In the Dream House * "Witty, witchy, darkly brilliant"--Andrea Barrett, author of Natural History and Ship Fever * "Mix the wildness of fairy tales with horror."--Kim Brock, Joseph-Beth Booksellers * "Fantastical, queer, wildly inventive stories."--Austin Carter, Pocket Books Shop * "A mouthwatering ride."--Desirae Wilkerson, Paper Boat Booksellers * "Absolutely fantastic!"--Randy Schiller, Left Bank Books, St. Louis, MO

A lovesick nanny slays a dragon. The devil tries to save her mother. A girl drowns and becomes a saint. Three kids plot to blow up their dad, a grieving mother sails the sea to find her son's grave, a scientist brings a voice to life, and a mermaid falls into the power of a witch. Here, historical fiction, horror, and fantasy tangle together in a queer garden of love, grief, and longing.