Can't Wait Wednesday/Waiting on Wednesday #587:Self-Help for Serial Killers byAsia Mackay

 

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly event that had been hosted by Jill over at Breaking the Spine where we spotlighted upcoming releases we are eagerly anticipating. I'm now linking up with Can't Wait Wednesday hosted over at Wishful Endings.

From the publisher: In this rollicking sequel to A Serial Killer's Guide to Marriage, two (mostly) reformed serial killers discover something more deadly than murder: living in suburbia.

This couple’s midlife crisis is murder . . . literally.

Hazel and Fox have it all: two children, a beautiful home, and a late-night habit of eliminating people who deserve it. Yet work-life balance is hard when you want to kill bad men but raise good kids.

With a school mum tyrant on Hazel's case, and Fox struggling with performance anxiety after a botched kill, things are spiraling. Therapy isn't helping, and bullet journaling has taken on a whole new meaning.

But when they accidentally draw a dangerous group to their doorstep, the couple must pull it together—and fast. Because surviving in suburbia is no longer just a challenge. Now it's a real fight for their family's lives.

And it turns out, self-help starts with staying alive.

Self-Help for Serial Killers by Asia Mackay is expected out June 16, 2026 from Bantam.

Why am I waiting on this book? Book one is already on my TBR. Book two sounds like what happens after the Happily Ever After. I haven't read book one yet, but I am liking the premise of book two. How do you do a job like that, keep it a secret, and raise kids in suburbia? 

What book are you waiting on? Leave a note about it in the comments so we can check it out and maybe add it to our ever growing TBR lists. Happy Reading!

Can't Wait Wednesday/Waiting on Wednesday #586: Nine Goblins by T. Kingfisher

 

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly event that had been hosted by Jill over at Breaking the Spine where we spotlighted upcoming releases we are eagerly anticipating. I'm now linking up with Can't Wait Wednesday hosted over at Wishful Endings.

From the Publisher: From New York Times bestselling and Hugo Award-winning author T. Kingfisher comes Nine Goblins, a tale of low fantasy and high mischief.

No one knows exactly how the Goblin War began, but folks will tell you that goblins are stinking, slinking, filthy, sheep-stealing, henhouse-raiding, obnoxious, rude, and violent. Goblins would actually agree with all this, and might throw in “cowardly” and “lazy” too for good measure.

But goblins don't go around killing people for fun, no matter what the propaganda posters say. And when a confrontation with an evil wizard lands a troop of nine goblins deep behind enemy lines, goblin sergeant Nessilka must figure out how to keep her hapless band together and get them home in one piece.

Unfortunately, between them and safety lies a forest full of elves, trolls, monsters, and that most terrifying of creatures…a human being.

Nine Goblins: A Tale of Low Fantasy and Mischief by T. Kingfisher is expected out January 20, 2026 from Tordotcom.

Why am I waiting on this book? This book intrigues me. It sounds like it will have humor and adventure. And T. Kingfisher is an excellent writer. I like the shift in perspective to the goblin's point of view.

What book are you waiting on?  Leave a note about it in the comments so we can check it out and maybe add it to our ever growing TBR lists. Happy Reading!

Teaser Tuesday: King Sorrow by Joe Hill

Welcome to Teaser Tuesday, the weekly Meme that wants you to add books to your TBR! You can also just share what you are currently reading. We make it very easy to play along. It's as easy as 1, 2, 3! Teaser Tuesday is hosted by Ambrosia at the Purple Booker.

1: Grab your current read. 2: Open to a random page. 3: Share two "teaser" sentences from somewhere on that page.

BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! Share the title and author so that other people can add the book to their TBR lists if they like your teaser!

The dragon had been hunting people off Colin's Enemies List since 1990, five years now, and all of them had prayed for intercession, had suffered, bled, feared, and bargained with Jesus, Allah, and the stars. It always ended in fire. Allie didn't know how hard it would be to penetrate the scales slabbing King Sorrow's body, but she was quite certain that devout prayer bounced right off them. (page 326)

King Sorrow by Joe Hill was published October 1, 2025 by William Morrow. What have you been reading? Share it or a teaser in the comments. Happy Reading!

Can't Wait Wednesday/Waiting on Wednesday #585: Model Actress Whatever by Kim Newman

 

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly event that had been hosted by Jill over at Breaking the Spine where we spotlighted upcoming releases we are eagerly anticipating. I'm now linking up with Can't Wait Wednesday hosted over at Wishful Endings.

From the publisher: From the acclaimed critic and award-winning author of Anno Dracula comes a bitingly satirical story of superheroism, soap opera and alternative reality -- for readers of Austin Grossman’s Soon I Will Be Invincible and George R.R. Martin’s Wild Cards.

When Chrissie Chambers (model actress whatever) discovers her soap opera character is about to be killed off, she finally stops dieting and discovers hitherto untapped supernatural abilities. Meanwhile, Chrissie’s aunt - former national heroine Lady Shade - goes missing. Afraid for Jasmine’s safety and itching to costume-up, Chrissie and her ghost-possessed best friend Loulee break into Devil’s Dyke, the asylum where Jasmine works as a therapist with the most dangerous cutthroats (supervillains) in Britain… only to find the inmates have taken over…  Chrissie debuts successfully as a cloak (superheroine), but who will become the arch-nemesis of Lady Shade II?

In Chrissie’s timeline, the Beatles didn’t split up and recorded a hallucinodelic album in 1972 – Never Mind (strictly, Never Mind the Beatles) – which literally changed the world. Set in an alternative 2020s London, this hugely entertaining, darkly humorous superhero tale is packed with Newman’s trademark wit, and comes with wickedly sharp edges.

Model Actress Whatever by Kim Newman is expected out May 12, 2026 from Titan Books.

Why am I waiting on this book? I love the idea that stopping dieting could give someone super powers. And I like the idea that she decides to use them for good as a "cloak." I wonder what her powers are and who her "cutthroat" will be. I like the idea of an alternate 2020s timeline. And I like that it's supposed to be "hugely entertaining" and full of "darkly humorous wit with wicked sharp edges."

What book are you waiting on?  Leave a note about it in the comments so we can check it out and maybe add it to our ever growing TBR lists. Happy Reading!

Book Review: A Drop of Corruption by Robert Jackson Bennett

 

Ana Dolabra and her assistant Dinios Kol are called in again to solve a seemingly impossible mystery. This time a man has disappeared from a locked room at the far edge of the empire. Ana and Din quickly discover there is more murder than missing about this crime. And discovering one mystery leads to another and things snowball fast. The number and complexity of mysteries puts Ana to work. The suspects and crimes seem impossible. And the perpetrators seem one step ahead of Ana which is nigh on to impossible. 

We see what's going on filtered through Din's eyes, much the same way Ana does. And we are privy to his worry that Ana may finally have met her match.

This is the sequel to The Tainted Cup by Robert Jackson Bennett. It's the second book in the Shadow of the Leviathan series. It was released April 1, 2025 from Del Rey.

The setting for A Drop of Corruption is another well realized portion of the world we were introduced to in The Tainted Cup. This time we are at the edge of the Empire bumping hips with a more primitive autocracy. Some people are born into a life of nobility. Others are born as slaves. And still others are the ruling class of the autocracy. There is a busy port town which is primarily run by people from the Empire. More rural areas are home to the nobility and their slaves. And then there is the capital city where negotiations are taking place to give them a place in the Empire. The world is complex and fully realized.

I have read other reviews that compare the partnership of Din and Ana to Watson and Sherlock. This seems valid since both are told from the non  eccentric genius's point of view. And Ana and Sherlock are masters at deduction. My favorite other character is Malo who has enhanced vision, smell, and hearing. These things help Ana and Din to move towards solving the mysteries at hand.

The book gets your attention and keeps it. Every scene helps move the plot forward. There are very few slower scenes. And as I said, each mystery leads to another. They are not all solved until the big reveal scene, although we get many clues along the way. 

I gave this book 5 out of 5 stars. It's very well written and enjoyable as a fantasy mystery. If you read The Tainted Cup and enjoyed it, this book is not to be missed. It can be read as a standalone, but it's better read in order. I recommend this book to people who like their mysteries in new, fantastical, fully realized settings. It's also perfect for fans of locked room mysteries.

I received a copy of this book from the publisher through NetGalley. This did not affect my opinion.