This month, hints take the form of “What’s in my bag?” videos. It is difficult to know how many hints there will be since BOTM does not post them on a consistent date.
Book #1
Bag contents: MTA Metrocard, tie, & Amarone Covalli (Italian red wine)
This hint dropped on September 17th, which happens to be the publication date for Entitlement by Rumaan Alam, whose previous novel Leave the World Behind, was a BOTM selection. The other possible book that fits this teaser is The Boyfriend by Frieda McFadden, a popular past self-published and Amazon-published author. McFadden’s newest novel will be published on October 1st by one of Sourcemark’s publishing houses. I am hoping against all hope that The Boyfriend is not a pick since McFadden’s novels are poorly written and steal plots from other popular novels. (If BOTM decides to feature McFadden, that will say to me that the service no longer cares about book quality and solely cares about revenue and appealing to Tiktokkers, in which case they will lose my business.)
The Boyfriend
Frieda McFadden
A new, twisting thriller from the #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Teacher and The Housemaid!
She’s looking for the perfect man. He’s looking for the perfect victim.
Sydney Shaw, like every single woman in New York, has terrible luck with dating. She’s seen it all: men who lie in their dating profile, men who stick her with the dinner bill, and worst of all, men who can’t shut up about their mothers. But finally, she hits the jackpot.
Her new boyfriend is utterly perfect. He’s charming, handsome, and works as a doctor at a local hospital. Sydney is swept off her feet.
Then the brutal murder of a young woman―the latest in a string of deaths across the coast―confounds police. The primary suspect? A mystery man who dates his victims before he kills them.
Sydney should feel safe. After all, she is dating the guy of her dreams. But she can’t shake her own suspicions that the perfect man may not be as perfect as he seems. Because someone is watching her every move, and if she doesn’t get to the truth, she’ll be the killer’s next victim…
A dark story about obsession and the things we’ll do for love, #1 New York Times bestselling author Freida McFadden proves that crimes of passion are often the bloodiest…
Publication Date: October 1, 2024
Genre: Thriller
Publisher: Poisoned Pen Press
Book #2
Bag contents: Scarf, lip gloss/glow, a dagger/sword, and matches.
The items are in the title of this one that has a romance storyline.
The Dagger and the Flame
Catherine Doyle
In the dark underbelly of a beautiful city, two rival assassins are pitted against each other in a deadly game of revenge, where the most dangerous mistake of all is falling in love in this searing young adult fantasy.
In Fantome, a kingdom of cobbled streets, flickering lamplight, beautiful buildings, and secret catacombs, Shade-magic is a scarce and deadly commodity controlled by two enemy guilds: the Cloaks and the Daggers—the thieves and the assassins. On the night of her mother’s murder, eighteen-year-old Seraphine runs for her life. Seeking sanctuary with the Cloaks, Sera’s heart is set on revenge. But are her secret abilities a match for the dark-haired boy whose quicksilver eyes follow her around the city?
Nothing can prepare Sera for the moment she finally comes face-to-face with Ransom, heir to the Order of Daggers. And Ransom is shocked to discover that this unassuming farm girl wields a strange and blazing magic he has never seen before. As the Cloaks and the Daggers grapple for control of Fantome’s underworld, Sera and Ransom are consumed by the push and pull of their magic…and the deadly spark and terrible vengeance that keeps drawing them back together.
Publication Date: October 1, 2024
Genre: Young Adult
Publisher: Margaret K. McElderry Books
Book #3
Bag contents: Melatonin, shell casing, & prescription drug bottle
This is the toughest hint so far. In Dearest, the protagonist is a new mother who has trouble sleeping, explaining 2 of the 3 items.
Dearest
Jacquie Walters
A new mom in need of help opens her door to her long-estranged mother—only to invite something much darker inside—in this “fast-paced and frightening debut” (Rachel Harrison) about the long shadows cast by family secrets, perfect for readers of Grady Hendrix or Ashley Audrain.
Flora is a new mom enamored of her baby girl, Iris, who has arrived a few weeks early. But with her husband still deployed, Flora must navigate the newborn stage alone. As the sleepless nights pass in the loneliness of their half-empty home, the edges of her reality begin to blur.
Just as Flora becomes convinced she is losing her mind, a surprising guest shows up to help: Flora’s own mother, to whom she hasn’t spoken in years. Can they mend their fraught relationship? Or is there more that Flora’s mother isn’t telling her about the events that led to their estrangement?
As stranger and scarier events unfold, Flora begins to fear that her mother’s secrets have allowed something truly evil to enter her home. She must decide: is her hold on reality slipping dangerously away? Or is she, in fact, the only thing standing between a terrifying visitor and her baby?
Publication Date: September 17, 2024
Genre: Horror
Publisher: Mullholland Books
Bonus Hint
The only book in this photo that is not a part BOTM pick is The Wild Huntress.
The Wild Huntress
Emily Lloyd-Jones
From the bestselling author of The Bone Houses and The Drowned Woods comes a thrilling fantasy about three unlikely allies bound together in a deadly, magical competition—perfect for fans of Holly Black and Erin A. Craig.
Every five years, two kingdoms take part in a Wild Hunt. Joining is a bloody risk, and even the most qualified hunters can suffer the deadliest fates. Still, hundreds gamble their lives to participate—all vying for the Hunt’s life-changing prize: a magical wish granted by the Otherking.
BRANWEN possesses a gift no other human has: the ability to see and slay monsters. She’s desperate to cure her mother’s sickness, and the Wild Hunt is her only option.
GWYDION is the least impressive of his magically talented family, but with his ability to control plants and his sleight of hand, he’ll do whatever it takes to keep his cruel older brother from becoming a tyrant.
PRYDERI is prince-born and monster-raised. Deep down, the royal crown doesn’t interest him—all he wants is to know where he belongs.
A trickster, a prince, and a wild huntress—all in pursuit of the Champion’s prize. If they band together against the monstrous creatures within the woods, they have a chance to win. But nothing is guaranteed. After all, all are fair game in love and the Hunt.
Set in the same world as The Bone Houses and The Drowned Woods but with a whole new, unforgettable cast of characters—The Wild Huntress will have readers hooked from the very first page.
Publication Date: October 1, 2024
Genre: Young Adult
Publisher: Little, Brown Books for Ypung Readers
