The Spellshop is Sarah Beth Durst’s romantasy debut–a lush cottagecore tale full of stolen spellbooks, unexpected friendships, sweet jams, and even sweeter love. Kiela has always had trouble dealing with people. Thankfully, as a librarian at the Great Library of Alyssium, she and her assistant, Caz—a magically sentient spider plant—have spent the last decade sequestered among the empire’s most precious spellbooks, preserving their magic for the city’s elite. When a revolution begins and the library goes up in flames, she and Caz flee with all the spellbooks they can carry and head to a remote island Kiela never thought she’d see again: her childhood home. Taking refuge there, Kiela discovers, much to her dismay, a nosy—and very handsome—neighbor who can’t take a hint and keeps showing up day after day to make sure she’s fed and to help fix up her new home. In need of income, Kiela identifies something that even the bakery in town doesn’t have: jam. With the help of an old recipe book her parents left her and a bit of illegal magic, her cottage garden is soon covered in ripe berries. But magic can do more than make life a little sweeter, so Kiela risks the consequences of using unsanctioned spells and opens the island’s first-ever and much needed secret spellshop. Like a Hallmark rom-com full of mythical creatures and fueled by cinnamon rolls and magic, The Spellshop will heal your heart and feed your soul.

The definitive, dramatic, minute-by-minute story of the Challenger disaster based on new archival research and in-depth reporting. On January 28, 1986, just seventy-three seconds into flight, the space shuttle Challenger broke apart over the Atlantic Ocean, killing all seven people on board. Millions of Americans witnessed the tragic deaths of a crew including New Hampshire schoolteacher Christa McAuliffe. Like 9/11 or JFK’s assassination, the Challenger disaster is a defining moment in 20th-century history—yet the details of what took place that day, and why, have largely been forgotten. Until now. Based on extensive archival records and meticulous, original reporting, Challenger follows a handful of central protagonists—including each of the seven members of the doomed crew—through the years leading up to the accident, a detailed account of the tragedy itself, and into the investigation that followed. It’s a tale of optimism and promise undermined by political cynicism and cost-cutting in the interests of burnishing national prestige; of hubris and heroism; and of an investigation driven by leakers and whistleblowers determined to bring the truth to light. Throughout, there are the ominous warning signs of a tragedy to come, recognized but then ignored, and ultimately kept from the public. Higginbotham reveals the history of the shuttle program, the lives of men and women whose stories have been overshadowed by the disaster as well as the designers, engineers, and test pilots who struggled against the odds to get the first shuttle into space.

A Wall Street Journal and USA Today bestseller. She can’t ignore a cry for help. But in this remote hunting town, it’s open season. Gwen Proctor escaped her serial-killer husband and saved her family. What she can’t seem to outrun is his notoriety. Or the sick internet vigilantes still seeking to avenge his crimes. For Gwen, hiding isn’t an option. Not when her only mission is to create a normal life for her kids. But now, a threatened woman has reached out. Marlene Crockett, from the remote town of Wolfhunter, is panicked for herself and her daughter. When Gwen arrives in the small, isolated rural community, Marlene is already dead—her own daughter blamed for the murder. Except that’s not the person Marlene feared at all. And Gwen isn’t leaving until she finds out who that was. But it may already be too late. A trap has been set. And it’s poised to snap shut on everyone Gwen loves. Her stalkers are closing in. And in a town as dark as Wolfhunter, it’s so easy for them to hide…

From the #1 New York Times bestselling author of Just for the Summer comes a new playful yet deeply emotional contemporary romance. 

Vera Wong is back and as meddling as ever in this follow-up to the hit Vera Wong's Unsolicited Advice for Murderers.… Ever since a man was found dead in Vera's teahouse, life has been good. For Vera that is. She’s surrounded by loved ones, her shop is bustling, and best of all, her son, Tilly, has a girlfriend! All thanks to Vera, because Tilly's girlfriend is none other than Officer Selena Gray. The very same Officer Gray that she had harassed while investigating the teahouse murder. Still, Vera wishes more dead bodies would pop up in her shop, but one mustn't be ungrateful, even if one is slightly...bored. Then Vera comes across a distressed young woman who is obviously in need of her kindly guidance. The young woman is looking for a missing friend. Fortunately, while cat-sitting at Tilly and Selena's, Vera finds a treasure Selena's briefcase. Inside is a file about the death of an enigmatic influencer—who also happens to be the friend that the young woman was looking for. Online, Xander had it a parade of private jets, fabulous parties with socialites, and a burgeoning career as a social media influencer. The only problem is, after his body is fished out of Mission Bay, the police can't seem to actually identify him. Who is Xander Lin? Nobody knows. Every contact is a dead end. Everybody claims not to know him, not even his parents. Vera is determined to solve Xander's murder. After all, doing so would surely be a big favor to Selena, and there is nothing she wouldn't do for her future daughter-in-law.

Two best friends fake date to reach their holiday happily ever after in this first romantic comedy in the Lovelight series. A pasture of dead trees. A hostile takeover of the Santa barn by a family of raccoons. And shipments that have mysteriously gone missing. Lovelight Farms is not the magical winter wonderland of Stella Bloom’s dreams. In an effort to save the Christmas tree farm she’s loved since she was a kid, Stella enters a contest with Instagram-famous influencer Evelyn St. James. With the added publicity and the $100,000 cash prize, Stella might just be able to save the farm from its financial woes. There’s just one problem. To make the farm seem like a romantic destination for the holidays, she lied on her application and said she owns Lovelight Farms with her boyfriend. Only…there is no boyfriend. Enter best friend Luka Peters. He just stopped by for some hot chocolate and somehow got a farm and a serious girlfriend in the process. But fake dating his best friend might be the best Christmas present he’s ever received.

Brooklynite Eva Mercy is a single mom and bestselling erotica writer, who is feeling pressed from all sides. Shane Hall is a reclusive, enigmatic, award-winning literary author who, to everyone's surprise, shows up in New York. When Shane and Eva meet unexpectedly at a literary event, sparks fly, raising not only their past buried traumas, but the eyebrows of New York's Black literati. What no one knows is that twenty years earlier, teenage Eva and Shane spent one crazy, torrid week madly in love. They may be pretending that everything is fine now, but they can't deny their chemistry - or the fact that they've been secretly writing to each other in their books ever since. Over the next seven days in the middle of a steamy Brooklyn summer, Eva and Shane reconnect, but Eva's not sure how she can trust the man who broke her heart, and she needs to get him out of New York so that her life can return to normal. But before Shane disappears again, there are a few questions she needs answered... With its keen observations of Black life and the condition of modern motherhood, as well as the consequences of motherless-ness, Seven Days in June is by turns humorous, warm and deeply sensual. Alternate cover edition of ISBN 9781538719107.

For fans of Anthony Horowitz, Tana French, and Sally Rooney, a wonderfully original, genre-breaking literary debut from Ireland that’s an homage to the brilliant detective novels of the early twentieth century, a twisty modern murder mystery, and a searing exploration of grief and loss. A group of friends gather at an Airbnb on New Year’s Eve. It is Benjamin’s birthday, and his sister Abigail is throwing him a jazz-age Murder Mystery themed party. As the night plays out, champagne is drunk, hors d’oeuvres consumed, and relationships forged, consolidated or frayed. Someone kisses the wrong person; someone else’s heart is broken. In the morning, all of them wake up—except Benjamin. As Abigail attempts to wrap her mind around her brother’s death, an eminent detective arrives determined to find Benjamin's killer. In this mansion, suddenly complete with a butler, gardener and housekeeper, everyone is a suspect, and nothing is quite as it seems.  Will the culprit be revealed? And how can Abigail, now alone, piece herself back together in the wake of this loss? Gripping and playful, sharp and profoundly moving, Fair Play plumbs the depths of the human heart while subverting one of our most popular genres.

Amateur sleuth and brewer Sloan Krause returns in Ale I Want for Christmas is a Clue, a new cozy mystery novella from author Ellie Alexander. Includes recipes!'Tis the season for frothy winter ales and the annual Bavarian holiday market in the charming alpine village of Leavenworth, Washington. Brewing partners Sloan Krause and Garrett Strong are debuting their latest collaboration, “Merry Brew Year,” a hoppy ale brewed with caramel, toffee, and cinnamon for the opening night of Christkindlmarkt. It’s a festival atmosphere in Front Street Park as the snow begins to fall and the children’s lantern parade illuminates the street. But not all is merry and bright when a twisted turn of events leaves a local vendor as dead as last year's Tannenbaum. Now Sloan Krause must tap into the mystery and pour over the clues. Can she barrel through the lies and uncask the truth, or will the holiday season end in a bitter finish? With their new beer on the line and a killer who's not afraid to malt the competition, Sloan must unravel the mystery before the final toast is made. Will it be a "hoppy" holiday, or will the murderer's cold-hearted draft leave everyone's spirits flat?

It’s the opening weekend of the spring farmers market in the charming Bavarian village of Leavenworth, Washington, where the hills are alive with the sound of...murder. Includes recipes! Sloan Krause and Garrett Strong are eager to showcase their latest offering—canned hoppy Northwest ales. They’re even more enthusiastic when Josh, a young travel influencer known for scaling peaks and downing pints, offers to feature Nitro’s new cans at the top of the latest mountain he’s set to climb. Josh’s A Brew to a View has millions of followers and should mean great exposure for Nitro. But when Josh is found stone-cold dead at the local youth hostel, leaving a trail of breadcrumbs and brews behind, Sloan and Garrett will have to tap into their sleuthing skills to solve a crime that has left the picturesque village in a state of shock. Could the killer be a jealous rival travel influencer, an enigmatic hiker who has been seen around town, or perhaps someone closer to home? Can Sloan piece together this intoxicating puzzle before it's too late? Because if she can’t crack open the truth, she might just find herself crushed under the weight of a sinister beer can conspiracy.

It’s the opening weekend of the spring farmers market in the charming Bavarian village of Leavenworth, Washington, where the hills are alive with the sound of...murder. Includes recipes! Sloan Krause and Garrett Strong are eager to showcase their latest offering—canned hoppy Northwest ales. They’re even more enthusiastic when Josh, a young travel influencer known for scaling peaks and downing pints, offers to feature Nitro’s new cans at the top of the latest mountain he’s set to climb. Josh’s A Brew to a View has millions of followers and should mean great exposure for Nitro. But when Josh is found stone-cold dead at the local youth hostel, leaving a trail of breadcrumbs and brews behind, Sloan and Garrett will have to tap into their sleuthing skills to solve a crime that has left the picturesque village in a state of shock. Could the killer be a jealous rival travel influencer, an enigmatic hiker who has been seen around town, or perhaps someone closer to home? Can Sloan piece together this intoxicating puzzle before it's too late? Because if she can’t crack open the truth, she might just find herself crushed under the weight of a sinister beer can conspiracy.

Amateur sleuth Sloan Krause is back to brewing in the next installment of author Ellie Alexander's popular cozy mystery series, Beer and Loathing. Includes recipes and a travel guide to Leavenworth! It’s ski week in everyone’s favorite Bavarian village of Leavenworth, Washington. Sloan Krause and her brewing partner in crime Garrett Strong are pouring pints of their deliciously decadent obsidian IPA and serving up slices of peanut butter chocolate pretzel bars. The mid-winter has everyone buzzing with excitement, especially Garrett. His family is arriving for a long overdue visit to Nitro. He can’t wait to show them around the village, spend afternoons skiing the surrounding alpine slopes, and curling up in front of a crackling fire with a hearty evening stout. But the cozy vibe takes a dark turn when a young doctor has a fatal fall from the ski lift. At first, everyone assumes it was a terrible accident, but Sloan isn’t convinced. Hazel Anders had insider information on medical research that could be worth killing for. Now barstool sleuth Sloan is on the case and using her nose for hops to sniff out murder.

Vera Wong is back and as meddling as ever in this follow-up to the hit Vera Wong's Unsolicited Advice for Murderers.… Ever since a man was found dead in Vera's teahouse, life has been good. For Vera that is. She’s surrounded by loved ones, her shop is bustling, and best of all, her son, Tilly, has a girlfriend! All thanks to Vera, because Tilly's girlfriend is none other than Officer Selena Gray. The very same Officer Gray that she had harassed while investigating the teahouse murder. Still, Vera wishes more dead bodies would pop up in her shop, but one mustn't be ungrateful, even if one is slightly...bored. Then Vera comes across a distressed young woman who is obviously in need of her kindly guidance. The young woman is looking for a missing friend. Fortunately, while cat-sitting at Tilly and Selena's, Vera finds a treasure Selena's briefcase. Inside is a file about the death of an enigmatic influencer—who also happens to be the friend that the young woman was looking for. Online, Xander had it a parade of private jets, fabulous parties with socialites, and a burgeoning career as a social media influencer. The only problem is, after his body is fished out of Mission Bay, the police can't seem to actually identify him. Who is Xander Lin? Nobody knows. Every contact is a dead end. Everybody claims not to know him, not even his parents. Vera is determined to solve Xander's murder. After all, doing so would surely be a big favor to Selena, and there is nothing she wouldn't do for her future daughter-in-law.

Looking for a new cozy mystery author to love? Dive in to this collection of excerpts from the Minotaur Books/St. Martin's Press Winter 2017 season (books published from January to April). The collection Fudge and Jury by Ellie AlexanderFever In the Dark by Ellen HartDeath at the Yoga Cafe by Michelle KellyDeath, Taxes, and Sweet Potato Fries by Diane KellySnowed In with Murder by Auralee WallaceSwiss Vendetta by Tracee de HahnA Death In the Dales by Frances BrodyBel of the Brawl by Maggie McConnonDeath By Any Other Name by Tessa ArlenNo. 2 Feline Detective Agency by Mandy MortonDying On the Vine by Marla CooperA Date With Death by Julia ChapmanOf Books and Bagpipes by Paige SheltonDevil's Breath by G.M. Malliet "

Amateur sleuth Sloan Krause is back to brewing in the next installment of author Ellie Alexander's popular cozy mystery series, Beer and Loathing. Includes recipes and a travel guide to Leavenworth! It’s ski week in everyone’s favorite Bavarian village of Leavenworth, Washington. Sloan Krause and her brewing partner in crime Garrett Strong are pouring pints of their deliciously decadent obsidian IPA and serving up slices of peanut butter chocolate pretzel bars. The mid-winter has everyone buzzing with excitement, especially Garrett. His family is arriving for a long overdue visit to Nitro. He can’t wait to show them around the village, spend afternoons skiing the surrounding alpine slopes, and curling up in front of a crackling fire with a hearty evening stout. But the cozy vibe takes a dark turn when a young doctor has a fatal fall from the ski lift. At first, everyone assumes it was a terrible accident, but Sloan isn’t convinced. Hazel Anders had insider information on medical research that could be worth killing for. Now barstool sleuth Sloan is on the case and using her nose for hops to sniff out murder.