A Magical Mailbox: Sunday Salon

 IN THE MAILBOX

Our Winter Monster by Dennis Mahoney

Publication: January 28, 2025

Soho Press

Can you tell by the cover alone that this is a horror novel? 

It seemed to me that someone rolled themself in the snow and became an eerie snowman, but.... here's the book description.

Description: 

Chilling holiday horror about an unhappy couple, Holly and Brian, running from their problems and straight into the maw of a terrifying beast, perfect for fans of Paul Tremblay and Sara Gran.

Now Sheriff Kendra Book is getting calls about a couple in trouble—along with reports of a brutal and mysterious creature rampaging through town, leaving a trail of crushed cars, wrecked buildings, and mangled bodies in the snow.

Holly and Brian... are starting to see the past, the present, and themselves in a monstrous new light. 

This last line of the description has me curious about the monster and the couple. What do you think?

Thanks to publicist Johnny Nguyen of Soho Press for an ARC of this book

Riddle of Spirit and Bone by Carolyn Korsmeyer

Publication: February 4, 2025; Regal House Publishing

The cover made me think of another horror novel. But it seems to be a mystery with magical elements.

Here's the description:

In contemporary Buffalo, Dan's world is upended when he unearths a young woman's skeleton while replacing the gas main in a city neighborhood. He and his archaeologist friends embark on a quest to piece together the mystery of her death.

In 1851, newly widowed Madeleine Talmadge and her orphaned nieces, Jane and Lydia, seek the aid of a cunning spiritualist, Alexander Dodge Lewis. Lewis leads them on a perilous journey from one séance to the next. Layers of time peel back to reveal long-buried secrets of loss, love, and murder. Riddle of Spirit and Bone offers subtle rumination on what can be observed, what can be known, and what can be trusted.

Thanks to Wiley Saichek of Saichek Publicity for an ARC of this book

Watching Helene on TV

I've been glued  to the television watching the progress of Hurricane Helene from Mexico to Florida and up through Georgia and beyond. This was not just for entertainment, as I have relatives and friends up and down the Florida coast, and a few living near Atlanta as well. 

I was glad to find out though that damages were not serious or were near misses. One had a Jamaican ackee tree split in half and a few other trees also felled in the front yard. Others described the hurricane leaving only minor damages. What a relief!

I loved visiting Tampa, St. Peterburg and Clearwater, and thought it would be ideal to live there. But I changed my mind after seeing all three cities under water after Helene! 

Were you one of those who had to undergo Helene's wrath? 

They say that since this was such a gigantic storm, no other hurricanes will be given the same name. Helene will be unique in U.S. hurricane history.

What are you reading/watching this week? 

Memes:  The Sunday Post, It's Monday: What Are You Reading, Sunday Salon, and Stacking the Shelves