Oct 20

Oct 20 Books Publishing This Week

By late October, autumn has settled into its most beautiful, fleeting days. The trees are ablaze with copper, crimson, and gold, though each gust of wind sends another handful of leaves swirling toward the ground. The mornings are cold enough to see your breath, and the afternoons carry that particular golden light that makes even an ordinary walk feel extraordinary. Pumpkins glow on front porches, fallen leaves gather along the sidewalks, and the anticipation of Halloween lends a little mystery to the increasingly early evenings.

You find yourself drawn to the comforts of home, especially when the wind begins rattling the windows and the sky turns gray. You pull on your favorite sweater, make yourself something warm to drink, and choose a new book from the stack waiting patiently on your nightstand. Perhaps you're in the mood for something atmospheric and mysterious, a story filled with secrets and unexpected twists. Or maybe you'd prefer a sweeping historical novel or a romance that offers a little warmth against the October chill.

You settle into your favorite chair, tucking a blanket around your legs as the scent of a candle fills the room. Outside, the last leaves cling stubbornly to the branches, and somewhere in the neighborhood, children are already dreaming of costumes and candy. You open the book and begin reading, enjoying that delicious uncertainty of not knowing where the story will take you.

Before long, the afternoon slips into evening. The windows reflect the warm glow of the lamps, your drink has cooled, and you've already begun to care about characters who were complete strangers an hour ago. You turn another page, grateful for the excuse to stay exactly where you are.

As October draws to a close, there is no better time to lose yourself in a new story. Whether you're craving a chilling thriller, an enchanting fantasy, a heartfelt romance, or something entirely unexpected, here are the new books publishing this week to add to your fall reading list.

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Books Publishing October 18 - 24

Our Dark Incantations by Wanda Hellmund

In this achingly romantic dark academia fantasy a young woman must embrace Dark Magic and an alliance with a deadly Wielder to fight a powerful threat cloaked in shadow.

After the war, ex-healer Mira Winters swore she’d never touch magic again. And yet here she is attending the newly reopened Ivercrest University, enrolled in the wrong magic department, paired up with the absolute wrong partner—the infuriating Aidric Dawson.

Instead of learning how to make a potion strong enough to heal her incurable scar, Mira attends demonology lessons, casts deadly spells…and is accidentally dragged into a murder investigation on campus—one with devasting ripples that bleed into the magical world far beyond the university.

Even more devastating? Aidric Dawson. Rumored to have been a high-ranking soldier during the war, the lethal Wielder is arrogant, aristocratic, and shrouded in secrets…but with his own wounds from the war, he may also be the only one who truly understands Mira.

A labyrinth of clues pulls Mira and Aidric deep into a sinister plot hiding in the shadows of magical society, threatening war once more. Can the two enemies work together without losing their hearts—or their lives—in the process?

Into the Flow: A Journey to Freedom by Trying It All by Kathleen Branigan

For fans of Eat, Pray, Love and You Are a Badass, a bold and hilarious memoir of seeking and striving with a profound message: True awakening and fulfillment isn’t found in chasing “more” but in coming home to ourselves.

What would you let go of to be free—to live a life that feels truly yours?

When personal loss, burnout, and divorce upend her world, Kathleen Branigan launches a quest for transformation that takes her places she never imagined—devouring self-help books, jumping out of airplanes, earning a master’s in religious studies, and venturing into the Amazon for a life-changing ayahuasca retreat.

Into the Flow is an irresistibly funny, soul-baring spiritual memoir for anyone seeking answers to life’s Big Questions, healing from heartbreak, or craving deeper purpose in a world where the old maps have stopped working. Through entertaining encounters with metaphysical teachers, therapists, and shamans—plus a few wild adventures—Kathleen discovers that true awakening and freedom aren’t about miracle cures or doing “more.” They’re about finally coming home to yourself.

If you’re navigating fear, uncertainty, identity crisis—or simply want a real story about reinvention and manifesting an authentic life—Into the Flow delivers honest reflection, laughter, and a powerful reminder: clarity, fulfillment, and love arrive when you stop searching, connect with your own inner wisdom, and trust the flow of life.

The Haunting of Lavender House by Natalie Kikić

2026. All Petra has inherited are tales of loss. Which is why, after her mother’s passing, she is shocked to learn that her grandmother is not dead like she’s always believed, but alive and living on Tolba, a small island in Croatia. Desperate to find her last surviving family member, Petra ventures to her ancestral home, famed for its sprawling lavender fields. While she's happy to be reunited with her grandmother, rarely does a night go by that Petra doesn’t lose herself to vivid nightmares and the dizzying sense that something—or someone—is always watching in Lavender House.

1895. Whore. Sinner. Witch. No matter how many people Magdalena heals, the rumors persist. So, when she’s asked to help the matriarch of Lavender House, she seizes the opportunity to rehabilitate her reputation. As Magdalena races against time to heal the ailing woman, she finds herself unexpectedly falling for the son of her greatest enemy, the man responsible for her ostracization. But are true love and acceptance possible for a woman who has always lived on the margins?

Back in the present, Petra finds it increasingly difficult to ignore the rumors plaguing her family: that a mora, a spirit from Croatian folklore, haunts Lavender House for revenge. Her grandmother says it’s nothing more than gossip made up by jealous townsfolk. But as her nightmares turn darker, invading her waking hours and threatening her newfound romance, she suspects there’s something more sinister lurking beneath the island’s surface. As the sole heir to Lavender House, Petra must discover the truth of her inheritance, or else fall prey to the same curse that claimed her family.

Through the intersecting stories of Petra and Magdalena, Natalie Kikic’s gorgeous debut asks us to consider the lengths to which we go to belong, the cost of choosing love, and what it really means to be a monster.

The Betrayal of Cora Wexford by Bethany Joy Lenz

From the New York Times bestselling author of Dinner for Vampires, Bethany Joy Lenz, comes a romantic psychological suspense set in Victorian-era London when Jack the Ripper's victims were still invisible women.

1880s London. Cora Wexford is single and childless at thirty-eight, with secrets that drove her to flee life in America and come to London. Now, she makes a living by painting the dead.

On the evening of her birthday, she is introduced through friends to a charming and successful stranger named Miles Vale. As Cora falls deeper into trust and surrender with Miles, she's given an opportunity to catapult her career. A suffragist and esteemed gallery owner commission Cora to create a series of portraits featuring ordinary women whose recent deaths have been caused or enabled by a system that ignores them. But when several women turn up murdered in the same gruesome way, Cora's work turns to obsession and her life begins unraveling. Is it the city’s brutal violence or something closer? As her relationship with Miles becomes increasingly disorienting, she can't stop herself from asking one question: Is it worse to die like a victim of this "Jack the Ripper” or to be dismantled over years, one slice at a time, by someone sharing your bed?

The Betrayal of Cora Wexford is a gripping novel of psychological suspense that examines intertwined themes of desire, manipulation and community complicity—and shows how truly terrifying love can be.

The Foreign Correspondent's Wife by Jenna Helwig

Paris, 1949. It’s been five years since the war ended. The City of Light is only just beginning to rediscover its joie de vivre. Americans are arriving in droves including the fiercely independent former reporter Kat Kelly and her husband—a hotshot foreign correspondent. Forced out of journalism by the old boys’ club, the tenacious Kat has moved on to pursue her love for French cuisine. But this new chapter turns deadly when she finds the bloody body of an American classmate, Toby.

After giving her statement to the police and breaking the news to Toby’s girlfriend, Kat quickly suspects that Toby’s life—and death—were more complicated than she imagined. The more Kat learns, the more certain she is that the police are only scratching the surface of the case. When another body turns up Kat and her husband, Charlie, find themselves embroiled in the investigation. With the killer on the loose and time running out, Kat races to solve the case and save her marriage—and her life.

In a glittering city desperate to forget the devastation of war, some secrets refuse to remain buried. But when agonizing truths are forced into the light, no one is safe.

Last Looks by Cate Holahan

A vengeful divorcée lures her husband’s mistress into a trap in a riveting psychological thriller about deception, manipulation, and the dark side of relationships by a USA Today bestselling author.

Bonjour, Miss Berry. I follow you…

Ensconced in a fabulous apartment overlooking the Eiffel Tower, Cécile Duval is anxious for a postdivorce makeover. Who is Nina Berry, an on-the-rise personal stylist in America, to say no to a career-making proposal from an older, wealthy étranger? Except Cécile has secrets. She already knows Nina. Nina was her husband’s mistress, or so she believes. And Cécile doesn’t want a glow-up. She wants revenge.

Arriving in Paris with her fiancé, Jean, Nina is ready to absorb all the city has to offer and transform her new client’s closet, confidence, and entire life. She even tries to set Cécile up with a handsome man her age. Shopping together, working out together, and getting closer, they’re almost like friends. But Nina has no idea what’s coming. Neither does Cécile. Because she’s not the only one keeping secrets.

As the line between predator and prey disappears, a guessing game of deadly deceptions has only just begun.

Dead in Three Two One by Peter James

Brighton is celebrating. A killer is waiting. And Roy Grace is the target . . .

Brighton Pride is the biggest date on the city’s calendar with half a million people lost in the party. But behind the opulent façade of the Royal Courteney Hotel, a nightmare is checking in.

Dritan Dervishi, the cold-blooded consigliere for Albanian mob boss Roel Albazi, has arrived with a beautiful woman on his arm and a lethal secret in his suitcase. He has specifically requested Room 321 – a room with a perfect view of the sea, and a deadly proximity to a target he’s been dreaming of for years.

Detective Superintendent Roy Grace is already pushed to the limit, coordinating the city’s massive security operation amid whispers of a potential terrorist attack. But the threat is more personal than he could ever imagine. Back in a prison cell, his old nemesis Albazi is counting down the seconds to a revenge that will not just take Roy’s life, but erase his entire bloodline.

And as Roy and his wife Cleo prepare for a night of celebration at the Royal Courteney, they have no idea that they are stepping into a deadly trap.

As the relentless countdown nears zero, Roy must outsmart an invisible enemy and protect his loved ones before their time finally runs out

Drama Drama Drama by Gerilyn Bass Greenberg

Mona is living the dream until, at 38, her busy stay-at-home-mom life is upended. Her grandmother moves into assisted living, her teenager, Grace, doesn’t need her anymore, her charity work kicks her to the curb, and none of her friends are showing up for her.

Suddenly, Mona has no purpose, unless you count stress-eating. But she’s the only one struggling. Shy Grace, ignoring her mother’s dreams for her to join the “it kids” in drama club, is off finding her voice (and a new band) at Bubby’s retirement home. Bubby is busy fending off retired mean girls, and finding romance. Then, on top of it all, Mona’s twenty-year high school homecoming goes viral for all the wrong reasons, leaving her convinced she’s wasted her life.

But when tragedy strikes, she is forced to face the truth: the only person who can make you feel small is you, and sometimes you have to lose everything you thought defined you to find what truly matters.

The 10:12 by Anna Maloney

When a train hijacking turns middle-aged art lecturer Claire Fitzroy into an accidental hero, the real danger begins after the guns go silent. In Anna Maloney's breathtaking debut thriller The 10:12, Claire rallies a carriage of strangers to defeat the hijackers and save hundreds of lives—but when two men end up dead, the public and the law start questioning whether she's a hero or something else. Propulsive and morally knotty, this white-knuckle "what would you do?" thriller turns an overlooked demographic into an unforgettable protagonist—perfect for thriller fans and book clubs alike.

The Phoebe Variations by Jane Hamilton

The Phoebe Variations is told from the perspective of an older Phoebe reflecting on the defining summer of 1974: her adoptive mom insists 17-year-old Phoebe meet her biological parents and siblings. After learning the truth about her adoption, Phoebe runs away with the help of her best friend. What begins as an adolescent rebellion soon spirals into a journey that reshapes her life.

One Of Us Must Die by Zelly Ruskin

For fans of Kimberly Belle and Apple TV+’s Bad Sisters, a domestic suspense exploring the lengths a woman trapped in an unhappy marriage by an ironclad trust fund clause will go to in order to escape her greedy, gaslighting husband.

She married for love. He married for trust. Specifically, her trust fund—the one with the iron-clad “no divorce, no matter the circumstances” clause her mother insisted on.

Sterling (not as good as gold) has always come second to her family’s wealth—but unlike her mother, she’ll do anything to protect her three children. For years, she’s kept up the perfect family illusion to shield them from their manipulative, gaslighting father. But now her husband is becoming more reckless, and her children more exposed. And when her daughter’s fiancé says he wants a marriage just like hers, Sterling knows her charade has gone too far.

To free herself, she must outwit her husband and the legal ties meant to trap her—before it’s too late. Because in this family, there’s only one way out: One of them must die.

Sorry, We’re Funny by Kliph Nesteroff

The definitive history of the world's most polite revolution: How Canadian comics took over the comedy world.

"Canada is chock-full of broadcasting talent but hasn't a comedian worth his salt." So said the first Canadian Radio Commissioner echoing a near universal sentiment throughout most of the twentieth century: Canadians simply weren't that funny. They were too deferential, too serious, too Canadian to be funny. And yet, behind their polite exterior, Canadians were pioneering modern comedy.

Canadians built the first Hollywood studios, produced the first comedy films and trained scores of burgeoning comedy directors, writers and actors. "You can hardly move about Hollywood and Manhattan without bumping into Canadians," wrote Variety in the 1960s, so ubiquitous were their presence in writers' rooms, studios and TV boardrooms. This wasn't because they preferred working in the US to Canada; rather, the lack of opportunity and appreciation in their home country offered them few other choices.

But Canadian comics continued to dream of a comedy scene they could call their very own. And from Vancouver to St. John's, from one generation to the next, they began building the country's comedy infrastructure, one revue, comedy troupe and late-night sketch show at a time. Pushing back against cultural conservatism, media control and national modesty, they were inventing a new kind of comedy—sly and subversive, character-driven and absurdist, and quietly revolutionary. It was distinctly Canadian, made by and for Canadians, and it would soon take the comedy world by storm.

Weaving together more than a century of Canada’s funniest voices, Sorry, We're Funny is the most in-depth telling yet of how—against all odds—Canada discovered its comedic voice and became a comedy powerhouse.

Monster in the Mirror by Janasha Prabhu

Dark, twisty, and atmospheric debut thriller for readers of The Quiet Tenant and The Butcher.

Her uncle was a serial killer. The town whispers, could she be a killer too?

On the night Jiah Rai was found cradling her girlfriend Georgia's dead body at the bottom of Wailing Cliff, everyone suspected her. There wasn't enough evidence to charge her, but the town refuses to forget. Murder must run in the family. Jiah's uncle was a convicted serial killer, and while he died behind bars, his legacy lives on in Jiah and her sister. It doesn't matter that they've lived in Dumont their whole lives―they have never fit into the insular white community, and perhaps they never will

But legacy isn't done with Jiah just yet. A few years later, a threat from Georgia's brother threatens to crumble the shaky peace Jiah has rebuilt. Desperate to feel safe again, Jiah decides to take matters into her own hands and seeks support from her best friend, Estrella. After all, Estrella has been there for Jiah ever since they met after Georgia's death. But when Estrella never shows up to a dinner party, a series of texts lead Jiah to the beach below, where she finds a body positioned exactly how her uncle displayed his victims over a decade ago. The killer mocks Jiah, hinting they know about her secrets, too. But is Jiah really the monster Dumont thinks she is? As Jiah hunts the killer, she begins to realize she might be unable to save the next victim…and that she may not want to.

A Dangerous Beauty by Mark Allen and Tricia Aurand

In 1960, Hollywood socialite Judith Campbell Exner was introduced to Senator John F. Kennedy in the throes of his run for president. Their secret romance soon entangled her with one of the most dangerous men in America—Chicago mob boss Sam Giancana, along with his associate, the sharply dressed “Handsome Johnny” Rosselli. What began as her passion for JFK, quickly became her peril. At Kennedy’s request, Judith became the secret link between him and the Mafia, carrying money and messages—first to help JFK’s presidential campaign, and then to monitor the mob’s progress in their CIA-sponsored attempts to assassinate Fidel Castro at the height of the Cold War.

In the decades since, Exner’s claims have been dismissed, her reputation attacked by the press, and her true story buried beneath the myth of Camelot. Now, former federal attorney Mark Allen and award-winning writer Tricia Aurand have sorted through the mountain of misinformation that has hidden the facts, drawing on decades of research, original interviews with Judith and Mark, and newly released government records.

Mark spent 30 years piecing the puzzle together by revealing Exner to be a significant part of JFK’s presidency and by refuting the lies that have relegated her to a shameful footnote from the time. Through their collaboration, Mark and Tricia tell the story of a woman who lived with secrets that could have toppled a presidency and ended a political dynasty—a woman who paid the price for both withholding and then telling the truth. Now, her voice can be heard.

The Great Remembering by June Cohen

In her forthcoming book, THE GREAT REMEMBERING: Powerful Ancient Practices — And the New Science Bringing Them Back (Authors Equity; on-sale: October 20), TED Talks co-creator June Cohen travels across cultures, continents, and centuries to investigate ancient practices that offer us a path forward in the present — among them the epic physical challenge, the festival, the sauna, and psychedelics. Blending immersive storytelling, cutting-edge science, and interviews with leading researchers, healers, and practitioners, Cohen guides readers through a set of "wisdom systems" long appreciated by early human cultures and now enlightening us once again to live happier and healthier lives.

Stories, Like Illnesses by James Elkins

Biologist Samuel Emmer’s imagination is spinning out of control. As he confronts an increasingly mystifying and unreliable past, he is also losing sight of his future. Brilliant but lost, Emmer desperately tries to engage with those he cares about: the memory of his grief-stricken mother, obsessed with mycology and cosmology; a potential romance with co-worker Rosie, dependent on healing crystals to feel safe; and the fraying relationship with his older brother, disappearing into the ether of his own success. Strange imagery (mushrooms, crystals, microscopes, technical diagrams, comets, amoebas and idyllic skies) disrupts and diverts the text as the narrative itself fractures into competing voices. In the midst of it all is Samuel Emmer, at risk of vanishing himself.

Legally Yours, Violet Lopez by Elba Luz

A serious and studious teen reluctantly agrees to defend her elite private school’s lazy golden boy in this young adult rom-com with courtroom intrigue, an opposites attract romance, and witty banter.

Violet Lopez has planned exactly how her life will go: She’ll graduate valedictorian, attend Harvard, and become a big shot lawyer, all so that her injury-prone single dad can finally take a break.

As a member of her elite private school’s law society, Violet is proud to hold a near-perfect record of defending students against the disciplinary board. But when the popular and infuriatingly charming Theo Hudson is accused of a prank he swears he didn’t commit, Violet recuses herself from his case on the grounds of despising the school’s privileged golden boy, and not even a couple classmates’ offer of a four-figure payout to purposely tank his trial can change her mind.

Then Theo uncovers a secret Violet wants to keep under wraps and blackmails her into representing him. Sick of being pushed around by rich kids, Violet decides she can get sweet revenge on the arrogant jock and some much-needed cash at the same time. She’ll twist his alibi, lose key evidence, mislead witnesses—all while playing the perfect lawyer on the surface. Theo goes down, and Violet gets paid.

But the closer Violet gets to Theo, the more she sees beneath his devil-may-care attitude to someone caring and surprisingly sensitive…who she’s been planning to sabotage. Is it too late to change her mind? And even if she does, would Theo ever forgive her?

Violet can object to falling in love all she wants, but her heart overrules every time.

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