Staff Picks
Booked to Die
First published in 1992, this book was an instant sensation and an instant classic of the mystery genre. Booked to Die is, like its protagonist, energetic, ornery, passionate and a true original. Full of insider detail about the world of antiquarian bookselling, the novel builds to an elegant and satisfying solution. We have a limited number of remainder copies at a bargain price. Don't miss out!
- Jim Huang, BMC Bookshop Director
Mexican Gothic
Mexican Gothic is reminiscent of classics such as Rebecca and Wuthering Heights. It is a dark tale that speaks to the effects of colonization on families and the strength it takes for them to survive. I enjoyed this book as it reads like a psychological thriller with tones of magical realism, evoking similar themes to gothic films of the 1940s and 50s.
-- Taylor W., BMC '23
NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER - "It's Lovecraft meets the Brontës in Latin America, and after a slow-burn start Mexican Gothic gets seriously weird."--The Guardian
IN DEVELOPMENT AS A HULU ORIGINAL LIMITED SERIES PRODUCED BY KELLY RIPA AND MARK CONSUELOS - WINNER OF THE LOCUS AWARD - NOMINATED FOR THE BRAM STOKER AWARD
ONE OF THE BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR: The New Yorker, Vanity Fair, NPR, The Washington Post, Tordotcom, Marie Claire, Vox, Mashable, Men's Health, Library Journal, Book Riot, LibraryReads
An isolated mansion. A chillingly charismatic aristocrat. And a brave socialite drawn to expose their treacherous secrets. . . . From the author of Gods of Jade and Shadow comes "a terrifying twist on classic gothic horror" (Kirkus Reviews) set in glamorous 1950s Mexico.
After receiving a frantic letter from her newly-wed cousin begging for someone to save her from a mysterious doom, Noemí Taboada heads to High Place, a distant house in the Mexican countryside. She's not sure what she will find--her cousin's husband, a handsome Englishman, is a stranger, and Noemí knows little about the region.
Noemí is also an unlikely rescuer: She's a glamorous debutante, and her chic gowns and perfect red lipstick are more suited for cocktail parties than amateur sleuthing. But she's also tough and smart, with an indomitable will, and she is not afraid: Not of her cousin's new husband, who is both menacing and alluring; not of his father, the ancient patriarch who seems to be fascinated by Noemí; and not even of the house itself, which begins to invade Noemi's dreams with visions of blood and doom.
Her only ally in this inhospitable abode is the family's youngest son. Shy and gentle, he seems to want to help Noemí, but might also be hiding dark knowledge of his family's past. For there are many secrets behind the walls of High Place. The family's once colossal wealth and faded mining empire kept them from prying eyes, but as Noemí digs deeper she unearths stories of violence and madness.
And Noemí, mesmerized by the terrifying yet seductive world of High Place, may soon find it impossible to ever leave this enigmatic house behind.
"It's as if a supernatural power compels us to turn the pages of the gripping Mexican Gothic."--The Washington Post
"Mexican Gothic is the perfect summer horror read, and marks Moreno-Garcia with her hypnotic and engaging prose as one of the genre's most exciting talents."--Nerdist
"A period thriller as rich in suspense as it is in lush '50s atmosphere."--Entertainment Weekly
Pachinko
Pachinko is so soapy! I went through it so quickly and cried my eyes out toward the end. It is the book I recommend to anyone and everyone!
- Angelica C., Book Associate
Right Sort of Man
Allison Montclair (pseudonym of Alan Gordon, author of the beloved Fool's Guild mysteries) has a deft touch with this lively cast of characters, spinning a entertaining tale of love of murder in London just after World War II. This novel, first in a series, is a lovely lark, but there are also post-war and familial undercurrents that are surprisingly affecting.
- Jim Huang, BMC Bookshop Director
From debut author Allison Montclair comes an engrossing historical mystery novel set in post-war London, The Right Sort of Man.
In a London slowly recovering from World War II, two very different women join forces to launch a business venture in the heart of Mayfair--The Right Sort Marriage Bureau. Miss Iris Sparks, quick-witted and impulsive, and Mrs. Gwendolyn Bainbridge, practical and widowed with a young son, are determined to achieve some independence and do some good in a rapidly changing world. But their promising start is threatened when their newest client is found murdered and the man arrested for the crime is the prospective husband they matched her with. While the police are convinced they have their man, Miss Sparks and Mrs. Bainbridge are not. To clear his name--and to rescue their fledgling operation's reputation--Sparks and Bainbridge decide to investigate on their own. Little do they know that this will put their very lives at risk. *BONUS CONTENT: This edition of The Right Sort of Man includes a new introduction from the author and a discussion guideArt of Violence
My favorite hardboiled writer working today. S.J. Rozan's Lydia Chin/Bill Smith novels feature characters you'll love, snappy banter, and intricate, beautifully constructed plots. Art of Violence offers all this plus sharp observations about the New York art scene. Tragically, Rozan's publishers have worked overtime to make earlier titles in this series difficult to find -- we'd stock, recommend and sell all of them if we could -- but you can pick up this thirteenth in the series without missing a beat.
- Jim Huang, BMC Bookshop Director