Thank you PRH Audio for the ALCs and Dutton and Berkly Pub, #partner for the e- galleys in exchange for my honest reviews.
I’ve said it before & I’ll say it again…the debut game is strong this year!! Both these were great debuts & I’ll definitely be keeping an eye out for what these authors write next!!
THE HOUSE BUILT ON ALLIGATOR BONES by Sophia Huneycutt
Published: October 6, 2026, Dutton / Penguin Audio
Summary:
The Greers built their fortune on alligator bones.
Dartrine Beaumont believes her mother’s sudden death has left her alone in the world—until she learns of long-lost wealthy relatives living in Florida. Confused but delighted by the possibility of extended family, Dart travels to her grandmother’s stately Gilded Age mansion on Amelia Island for answers, just in time to stake a claim on an unusual an alligator farming empire.
Her arrival at Greer House isn’t everything she hoped. Without warning, Dart finds herself in fierce competition with her grandmother’s arrogant heir-apparent, and tensions rise as threatening acts of vandalism escalate on one of the farms. More unsettling is her hostile grandmother’s fanatical belief that the danger stems from a curse; according to legend, a larger-than-life alligator hunted down by a bloodthirsty ancestor still haunts the family. Yet Dart can’t deny that the farm’s placid alligators hiss only at Greers, or that a shadowy figure creeps through the mansion’s halls, plaguing her with suspicions that the mythical alligator and monstrous, long-dead matriarch may have unfinished business.
As Dart uncovers the truth about her violent birthright, she faces a terrible accept her place in her family’s grim legacy or forge a new path by slaying a different beast entirely.
My thoughts:
A thriller with Gothic and horror vibes that had me from the prologue! Twisted, dysfunctional families are my favorite but then when you add in alligator farming and the conversation aspects, you get so much more!! I couldn’t get enough of this & loved how the author wove in facts about the alligators, too!
I loved the twisted family drama, the real and haunted alligators that make-up this story and the facts about these animals that are embedded throughout.
Audio thoughts:
Jorjeana Marie does an amazing job with this narration, giving each character their own voice and infusing just the right amount of tension & emotion into her voice as needed.
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HAUNTING OF A PORTRAIT by Madison Tyler Nelson
Published: October 6, 2026, Berkley Pub / Penguin Audio
Summary:
After fearing it all her life, a young woman embraces her ability to see ghosts after a murder occurs that appears dangerously linked to her past.
To Tatum Alexander, the Sight—her ability to see spirits—has always been more of an affliction than a gift. Having inherited the power from her mother, Amarina, an infamous artist known for murdering her lover and using his blood for her final painting, Tatum has been reluctant to step into her talent or even get close to the man she loves.
She’s been able to find a safe space to hide her Sight with the largest witch coven in Manhattan and her best friend, Mischa. But when Mischa is murdered, the act eerily connected to Amarina’s own crime, a traumatized Tatum must reckon with both the loss and the sudden surge of spirits vying for her attention and her life.
The spirits have a the murderer is coming for her next and a price must be paid. To learn the truth of her past and catch the killer she’ll have to rely on her loved ones’ helping hands—some witchy friends, the man who won’t let her go, and her eternally perplexing mother—in order to embrace her Sight while keeping them all safe.
The clues will lead Tatum to a dangerous secret that Amarina has spent decades trying to keep. And when the secret is out, Tatum will be forced to risk it all.
My thoughts:
This book was a hauntingly beautiful tale. I’m very particular about books with paranormal elements but this one worked really well for me…it felt almost believable, if that makes any sense. While I don’t believe in ghosts, reading this, I believed in Tatum and felt that she did…and that’s a testament to the writing. I have come to appreciate books that explore grief and I love how it is done here.
Audio thoughts:
This was narrated by a new-to-me narrator, Patricia Santomasso, and I loved how she handled it. She had the perfect voice for this haunting story and her pacing was spot on.
Have you read either of these books or do you plan to? Have you read any debuts lately?
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