Today's TTT topic is an Indie Freebie, which includes a wide range of possible topics: indie bookstores, indie publishers, indie authors, indie books on your TBR list, etc. It was suggested by the brilliant bloggers behind Dark Shelf of Wonders and Books Are the New Black. I wasn't sure quite what to do with this one, but I finally decided to highlight an indie publisher with roots right here in Arizona. I'm going to tell you a little bit about the history of Poisoned Pen Press (gleaned from online sources), then show you ten books I want to read that they have published recently. 

As always, Top Ten Tuesday is hosted by the lovely Jana over at That Artsy Reader Girl.

Poisoned Pen Bookstore is an indie shop located in Scottsdale, Arizona, that specializes in mystery, thrillers, as well as American Southwest literature. The store was founded in 1989 by author Barbara J. Peters. In 1997, Peters and her husband founded Poisoned Pen Press, a separate entity which is dedicated to publishing mystery books. Sourcebooks acquired Poisoned Pen Press in 2018. This popular imprint publishes novels by well-known authors like Freida McFadden, Sulari Gentill, Martin Edwards, Vicki Delany/Eva Gates, and many more. 

Although I live in a suburb of Phoenix, I've actually only been to the Pen once and it was quite a long time ago. I'm on a self-imposed book-buying ban at the moment; when I finish with it, I need to revisit the shop. They're known for hosting lots of author events, so I'll be keeping an eye out on future offerings. In the meantime, here are ten of their recently published or soon-to-be published titles that I would like to read.

1. Someone Else's Daughter by Andrea Stewart (available 23 February 2027)—Although she is estranged from the YouTuber parents who monetized her childhood, Ellie Campbell still watches their viral videos. When she notices some alarming details in one of their videos, then finds out that a close friend of the family is missing, Ellie rushes home to make sure her younger sister is safe—only to find that she has run away. If Olivia needed protecting, surely she would have come to Ellie, but she didn't, so where is she? Ellie won't stop until she finds out.

2. The Marlow Murder Club by Robert Thorogood—At 77, Judith Potts is living her best life as an independent woman who spends her time doing whatever she pleases with no one looking over her shoulder. While swimming in the Thames one evening, she witnesses a vicious killing. The police don't believe her protests of innocence, so she launches her own investigation into the murder. Soon, she is joined by two friends, who form the titular club. This is the first installment in the popular cozy series.

3. Saddled With Murder by Eileen Brady—Another series opener, this one stars veternarian Kate Turner, who is busy juggling a busy practice, a complicated personal life, and now, a series of suspicious deaths and doings that all seem to point to her. All these complications mean Kate is having a very difficult time having a holly jolly Christmas. Instead, she must find the answers that will prove her innocence.

4. The Murders in Great Diddling by Katarina Bivald—This series begins by introducing author Berit Gardner, who is desperately in need of a good story to tell. The quiet, rundown village of Great Diddling is just the kind of place that must be hiding some bangers. Berit just needs to dig a little. A suspicious death at a village tea party provides not only the story spark the author's been looking for but also a chance for the eccentric residents of Great Diddling to do some creative reinventing of themselves and their town.

5. It Ends Here by Heidi Perks (available 6 October 2026)—A small, seaside town is rocked by the sound of a gunshot coming from inside a local cafe on a quiet morning. Inside, are five strangers. Outside, is a growing crowd of onlookers desperate for answers. Who fired the shot, and why?

6. A Doomful of Sugar by Catherine Bruns—When her father is murdered, Leila Khoury returns to her Vermont hometown to take over his maple syrup business. Although she believed her dad was well-liked by his community, she learns that that's not exactly the truth. With her family consumed by grief and the police eyeing them all with suspicion, it's up to Leila to find out who killed her father and why.

7. The Clock Struck Murder by Betty Webb—In 1920s Paris, Zoe Barlow is dismayed when a guest at her home accidentally breaks her favorite clock. Intent on acquiring a replacement, she heads to the flea market where she is shocked to discover that the clockmaker has wrapped her purchases in a lost Chagall painting. When Zoe comes seeking more priceless paintings, she finds the vendor's murdered body. The police are preoccupied with the 1924 Summer Olympics, so Zoe takes it upon herself to figure out who killed the woman and what role the paintings might have played in her untimely death. 

8. When They Find Me by Carter Wilson (available 10 November 2026)—Expanse, Colorado, is so tiny and remote that it almost doesn't exist, making it the perfect place to hide. That's exactly what Annie Wolfe and her daughter are doing in their off-the-grid cabin. When another woman with a reason to hide comes to Annie's door, their lives collide, sending them on a dangerous hunt for the truth. 

9. Finders Keepers by Natalie Barelli—When Rose discovers that all the secrets she's been keeping about her troubled past are now exposed in a newly-published novel, she's furious—and baffled. The author claims the story is fiction, but Rose knows it's not. How does the author know so much about Rose's secret past? Posing as a fan and assistant, Rose sets about infiltrating the writer's life and carrying out her dark intentions.

10. Miss Winter in the Library With a Knife by Martin Edwards—Six people who are involved with the world of crime writing are invited to a remote village in North Yorkshire by a mysterious entity called the Midwinter Trust. They are contestants in a murder mystery game. The person who solves the mystery will win a life-changing prize. With a winter storm incoming and a group of competitive players vying for victory no matter the cost, it's a dangerous place to be...

There you go, ten Poisoned Pen Press titles that I'm looking forward to reading. What do you think? Have you read any of them? What did you choose to chat about for your Indie Freebie today? I'd truly love to know. Leave me a comment on this post and I will gladly return the favor on your blog.

Happy New Year! I hope 2025 is off to a good start for everyone. My first week of the year has mostly been spent in packing away Christmas decorations, cleaning my house, and trying to get myself organized for the year to come. The beginning of a new year always feels like a fresh start full of possibilities. We'll see what the year brings.

The first TTT prompt of the year is all about new releases we're excited about: Top Ten Most Anticipated Books Releasing in the First Half of 2025. There are a lot of great-looking books coming out and, honestly, I could have done a whole list of just those coming out in January. Or just sequels. I decided to leave out the sequels and choose a variety of titles I haven't talked about before that have been or will be released between January and May.

As always, Top Ten Tuesday is hosted by the lovely Jana over at That Artsy Reader Girl.

1. Radiant by Vaunda Micheaux Nelson (published January 7)—Set in 1963, this middle-grade verse novel is about a young Black girl who's navigating life in a predominantly white Pennsylvania community. Amid Beatlemania, race riots, and the assassination of JFK, she struggles to find herself and her place in a confusing, chaotic world.

2. Freeze by Chris Priestley (available January 14)—Another middle-grade title, this one is a spooky tale about a girl whose class is given the assignment to write shivery stories with a winter theme. At first, it's fun to hear everyone's creepy ideas read aloud, but when Maya realizes that she features in all of them, she starts to feel a little...uneasy. As snow piles up outside the school, it becomes increasingly obvious that she and her classmates are going to be trapped inside for the forseeable future. Why does it suddenly seem like she's the star of a terrifying horror flick?

3. Mask of the Deer Woman by Laurie L. Dove (available January 21)—Carrie Starr, formerly a Chicago detective, fell apart after her daughter was murdered. In search of purpose, she accepts a job as the tribal marshal on the reservation where her father was raised. An unnerving amount of young women have disappeared from the rez and Carrie is tasked with finding the latest one. The investigation is taking its toll on the still-fragile detective, especially when she sees a mythological creature she recognizes from her father's fantastical tales. Either she's going crazy or something truly unimaginable is happening in her new home.

4. The Crash by Freida McFadden (available January 28)—All the mystery/thriller lovers I know seem to be raving about McFadden's books. I haven't tried her out yet, but her upcoming novel definitely sounds intriguing. The story revolves around a woman who is eight months pregnant and desperate to start a new life. She's driving to Maine to stay with her brother while she figures things out when she's trapped by a surprise blizzard. When a couple offers her a place to stay while she rides out the storm, she thinks she's saved. Then, things take a dangerous turn that will put both her life and that of her unborn child at grave risk.

5. The Frozen People by Elly Griffiths (available February 13)—The first in a new series, this novel stars police officer Ali Dawson, who works on cases so cold, they're practically frozen. Unbeknownst to most, Ali's team is able to travel back in time to investigate old mysteries. When Ali is tasked with clearing the name of an eccentric old man in Victorian England, she finds herself investigating a woman's murder. Things get complicated when Ali gets stuck in the 1850s with no way to get home.

6. Famous Last Words by Gillian McAllister (available February 25)—McAllister's newest mystery/thriller has a simple, but very intriguing premise. A literary agent wakes up on the morning she's supposed to return to work after months of maternity leave only to find her husband gone, with only a cryptic note left in his place. Breaking news informs her that her missing spouse is involved in an escalating hostage situation—as the gunman.

7. The Lost Passenger by Frances Quinn (available February 27)—This historical novel is about a wealthy English woman trapped in a loveless marriage, who is pushed into letting her young son be raised mostly by a nanny. When she is gifted tickets to sail to America onboard the Titanic, she jumps at the chance to get away with her son. The ship's sinking gives her a chance to shed her identity, fleeing a life she doesn't want. With nothing to her name but another woman's identity papers, can she survive on the streets of New York City? What will she do when someone threatens to expose her secret to her husband in England?

8. The Filling Station by Vanessa Miller (available March 11)—In the 1920s, there are few places Black Americans can safely stop to gas up while traveling. The Threatt Filling Station is one of them. It's not just a place to fill up on fuel, but a place to gather for support, community, and strength. After the 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre, it's where two sisters find refuge. What they really need is the courage to return to their hometown and rebuild their lives. Can they find what they need at the filling station?

9. Rebellion 1776 by Laurie Halse Anderson (available April 1)—Anderson's newest is a middle-grade historical novel centering around Elspeth Culpepper, a 13-year-old who's desperate to avoid being sent to an orphanage after her father disappears. Alone and scared, the young woman must deal with not just the Siege of Boston but also a smallpox outbreak that has the city in a panic. Can Elspeth safely navigate the chaos to find her missing father?

10. The River Knows Your Name by Kelly Mustian (available April 1)—I loved Mustian's debut novel, The Girls in the Stilt House, so I'm eager to read her second book. It concerns 42-year-old Nell, who was raised, along with her younger sister, by a reclusive mother who never spoke about her past. Nell promised her sister she wouldn't confront their mother about the birth certificate they found—the one that identifies a different woman as Evie's mother—but Nell can't shake the disturbing memories that still linger in her memory that hint at long-buried secrets and dangerous lies. 

11. Death in the Cards by Mia P. Manansala (available May 13)—Manansala's YA debut, this mystery stars Danika Dizon, a mystery lover who runs a tarot card reading business between classes. When one of her clients disappears after receiving a death card, Danika takes on the case, eager to prove to her parents that she deserves to be part of her family's detective agency. The more she digs into the missing girl's background, though, the darker—and more dangerous—the case becomes.

There you go, eleven upcoming releases I'm excited to read. How about you? Which 2025 books are you looking forward to? I'd love to know. Leave me a comment on this post and I'll gladly return the favor on your blog.