Welcome to the Geek Vibes Nation book round-up for Spring 2026, where we take a look at the latest and greatest book and audiobook releases. This round-up sees a debut mystery from Evelyn Clarke, a creepy-crawly thriller from T. Kingfisher, a heartbreakingly gorgeous novella from TJ Klune, and the latest in The Murderbot Diaries from Martha Wells. So, without further ado, let’s jump into some books!
Nobody’s Baby by Olivia Waite
Detective Dorothy Gentleman is back on the case in Olivia Waite’s delightfully cozy sci-fi mystery, Nobody’s Baby. After a mysterious infant is left at her nephew’s doorstep, detective Dorothy Gentleman must uncover who the baby’s parents are and, more importantly, how the baby exists at all given the HMS Fairweather’s prohibition on procreation. It’s a race against time as Dorothy tries to unravel this mystery and protect the baby’s rights as a passenger on the HMS Fairweather before all hell breaks loose in this delightfully twisty mashup of cozy mysteries and space operas.
Olivia Waite’s Nobody’s Baby offers readers a welcome return to Dorothy’s out-of-this-world adventures. But while the previous novella was more of a murder mystery, this one’s more of a thriller and a why-dunnit. And yet, Waite explores this seemingly lower-stakes mystery with as much pomp and circumstance as she did the previous novella’s murder. What results is a fun homage to the cozy mysteries of yesteryear with a new coating of sci-fi paint. Once again, the novella’s brisk pacing proves to be its greatest strength and biggest weakness as the mystery itself feels both appropriately fast-paced and a little bit rushed. But thankfully, Waite takes every chance she gets to deepen Dorothy’s character. And really, Dorothy’s the main draw here, not the mysteries she solves.
Put simply, Nobody’s Baby offers a rip-roaringly fun adventure in the best way possible. If you’re looking for a light, fun mystery with a dash of sci-fi oddities, look no further than the continuing adventures of Dorothy Gentleman, long may she reign! (8/10, Reviewed by Michael Cook)
Note: A review copy of Nobody’s Baby was provided by the publisher.
Available March 10 from tordotcom in hardcover, ebook, and audiobook formats.
Wolf Worm by T. Kingfisher
In the exquisitely creepy, crawly Wolf Worm, T. Kingfisher takes readers into the depths of rural North Carolina, where something far more dangerous than even the devil himself haunts the woods. When scientific illustrator Sonia arrives in North Carolina to aid a reclusive scientist with his research, she expects a simple gig illustrating the myriad of bugs at his disposal. But what she finds in the depths of the North Carolina woods proves far stranger and more horrific than she could have possibly expected. With animals mysteriously dying and local legends telling of a pack of “blood thieves”, Sonia finds herself caught in the middle of an experiment straight out of hell with no time to escape. T. Kingfisher’s Wolf Worm is a disgusting, often-uncomfortable read in the most complementary of ways. It’s creepy, crawly, and burrows its way deep underneath your skin in ways that stick with you long after you turn the final page.
The problem, however, is that it takes ages for the story to really get moving. Much of the first half of Wolf Worm’s remarkably brief page count is devoted to the ins and outs of Sonia’s experience with her reclusive benefactor and his strange research. It’s a slow burn in the most literal sense, with the danger lurking just out of sight at the edges of the story, slowly seeping its way further and further into the story. But if you can make it through that slow first half, the second half hits the pedal to the metal and takes a hard turn into body horror and insect horror. It’s just so gross in the best way possible, truly horrific and frightening in the most visceral of ways. It’s a gift Kingfisher often displays with her horror novels, and it’s certainly on display here, too.
Overall, Wolf Worm is a bit of a mixed bag. When it works, it works exceedingly well. It’s gripping, horrific, and genuinely frightening. But the novella’s uneven pacing proves to be a bit of a downfall, with the first half of the story being a bit of a slog to endure and the climax feeling a bit rushed and underbaked. Still, it’s an effective bit of horror with an excellent setting and some truly horrific imagery. It’s well worth a read if folk horror’s your thing or if you’re looking for some new nightmare fuel to haunt your dreams. (7.5/10, Reviewed by Michael Cook)
Note: A review copy of Wolf Worm was provided by the publisher.
Available March 24 from Tor Nightfire in hardcover, ebook, and audiobook formats.
The Ending Writes Itself by Evelyn Clarke
Writing as Evelyn Clarke, Cat Clarke and V.E. Schwab invite readers into the cutthroat world of publishing in the thrillingly suspenseful The Ending Writes Itself. When renowned mystery novelist Arthur Fletch suddenly dies just before finishing his final novel, his beleaguered editor and agent find themselves in a pickle. They’re desperate to publish that final novel, but before they can do that, it needs an ending. There’s just one catch—who could possibly finish the greatest mystery novelist’s final magnum opus? Hopefully, one of the six writers Fletch’s agent has summoned to his remote island off the coast of Scotland. With 72 hours to craft the final 10,000 words, these writers are in for the challenge of their lives—and that’s before something (or someone) starts picking them off one by one. With The Ending Writes Itself, Clarke and Schwab spin a yarn that’s equal parts thrilling and humorous; an ode to the very act of writing and a condemnation of the viciousness of the publishing industry.
While The Ending Writes Itself is a little bit more Knives Out than it is Agatha Christie in tone, it’s still got all the hallmarks of a locked room mystery. You’ve got the cast of bigger-than-life, almost archetypal characters trapped in a remote location facing what seems to be an impossible mystery. And that’s before you factor in the fact they’ve got to finish another writer’s mystery while trying to survive their own real-life one. But underneath all of that murder and mystique lies a pretty biting condemnation of the publishing industry—the way it chews up authors and spits them out on an endless quest to find the next big thing. And that critique is almost more interesting than the mystery itself, especially as the novel (ironically) kind of fumbles its ending a bit.
But still, The Ending Writes Itself is a compulsively readable page turner in the very best of ways. Packed to the brim with twists, turns, and over-the-top characters, it’s a delightful, suspenseful read from start to finish. (8/10, Reviewed by Michael Cook)
Note: A review copy of The Ending Writes Itself was provided by the publisher.
Available April 7 from HarperCollins in hardcover, ebook, and audiobook formats.
How to Survive Camping: The Lady in Chains by Bonnie Quinn
Bonnie Quinn welcomes readers back to the world’s most dangerous campground in the spine-tingling How to Survive Camping: The Lady in Chains. Having narrowly defeated the Man With No Shadow and saving her campground from certain destruction in the process, Kate hopes the upcoming camping season will be calmer and far safer than the previous one. Of course, the odds are not in Kate’s favor as this season proves to be a bad year—a year where the campground’s otherworldly inhabitants are more restless and dangerous than usual. And all of that is before the Lady in Chains appears, targeting both humans and inhumans alike with her rage. With the Lady in Chains wreaking havoc across the campground and putting the entire town at risk, it’s up to Kate to find a way to end this bad year before it’s too late.
Bonnie Quinn’s The Lady in Chains tells a spooky campfire tale that’s sure to leave you shaking in your boots long after you turn the final page. While the previous novel frequently read like a collection of short stories, The Lady in Chains offers a far more cohesive narrative—even as it retains its origins as a collection of posts on the r/nosleep subreddit. Every chapter still tells an often stand-alone story, but Quinn does a much better job this time around of connecting all of these stories to the Lady in Chains’ overarching threat. What emerges is a tense, truly horrific little tale. It takes everything you loved about The Man With No Shadow and cranks it to an eleven. The scares are more horrific, the monsters are more threatening, and the stakes are higher than ever. Put simply, The Lady in Chains feels wholly unique. While it wears its inspirations on its sleeve (Night Vale fans, look no further!), there’s nothing else quite like it.
If you’re looking for a healthy dose of terror to kick off your summer, then The Lady in Chains might just be worth a gander. It’s fast-paced, it’s funny, and it’s spine-tinglingly creepy. What more could you ask for? (8.5/10, Reviewed by Michael Cook)
Note: A review copy of How to Survive Camping: The Lady in Chains was provided by the publisher.
Available April 28 from Saga Press in paperback, ebook, and audiobook formats.
We Burned So Bright by TJ Klune
TJ Klune takes readers on an apocalyptic road trip across America in the achingly beautiful We Burned So Bright. As a black hole makes its way across the Milky Way, heading straight towards Earth, husbands Don and Rodney travel across the United States to make good on one final promise. Along the way, they encounter a variety of people who are all struggling to come to grips with the finality of their lives. How does one come to accept the reality that everything and everyone they’ve ever loved will soon be devoured into nothingness? That’s the question at the heart of TJ Klune’s We Burned So Bright, and it’s a question he follows to its beautiful, heartbreaking conclusion.
We Burned So Bright is a story about humanity—facing your mortality, accepting your regrets, and living life to the fullest. It’s a beautiful read but a brutal one all at the same time. There are few things harder than facing the reality that your time on Earth is finite, and everyone reacts differently when forced to accept their own mortality. What Klune captures perfectly here is the sheer variety of responses. Some people fall into dismay and depression, others grab their remaining time by the horns and live life to the fullest. And others, still, veer completely off track, heading straight into lawlessness and chaos. But all of those feelings are what make us human; there’s nothing more human than wondering what happens after things end and being wholly horrified by the prospect of finding out, and Klune captures that dichotomy perfectly.
While a hard read at times, We Burned So Bright is a beautiful ode to humanity. It’s a story of absolution, forgiveness, and acceptance wrapped around an elderly couple’s quest to find peace in the end of everything. It’s well worth a read, though you might want to have a box of tissues at the ready. (9/10, Reviewed by Michael Cook)
Note: A review copy of We Burned So Bright was provided by the publisher.
Available April 28 from Tor Books in hardcover, ebook, and audiobook formats.
Platform Decay by Martha Wells
Everyone’s favorite antisocial Security Unit returns with a romp of an adventure in Martha Wells’ Platform Decay, the latest entry in The Murderbot Diaries. As Murderbot embarks on a quest to rescue the captured loved ones of one of its closest friends, it finds itself drawn into a corporate conspiracy beyond its wildest expectations. Danger lurks around every corner, and Murderbot’s only got a limited amount of time to get the humans to safety—a task made all the more complicated by the involvement of children. With Platform Decay, Martha Wells returns The Murderbot Diaries to its earlier roots: mostly self-contained heists and prison breaks. And, on the one hand, it’s a lot of fun to find yourself dropped into an adventure requiring little previous knowledge or homework. But on the other hand, longtime readers may walk away feeling slightly underwhelmed by the lack of character development and connection to the series’ overarching storylines.
In fairness, Platform Decay is a thrilling romp of a read. Wells drops readers right in the thick of things, partway into a complicated rescue mission. And she takes her time revealing the specifics of that mission too, really inviting readers to get invested in the chaos surrounding Murderbot’s latest foray. But when you’re fresh off of more bombastic entries like Network Effect and System Collapse, Platform Decay feels rather quaint in comparison. It’s more akin to something like Rogue Protocol or Fugitive Telemetry in the sense that the story further delves into Murderbot’s ongoing understanding of its emotions and connections to others rather than focusing on a big galactic conspiracy. But it certainly backburners the series’ ongoing galaxy-spanning mystique in favor of a more standalone heist. And while Platform Decay delivers an immensely satisfying heist, it feels a bit lacking. You can feel Wells setting the stage for later adventures, how the ramifications of this seemingly standalone quest may later blow up in Murderbot and the rest of the Preservation Alliance’s faces.
Until then, Platform Decay offers a welcome return to the world of The Murderbot Diaries. Though it may be light on bombastic reveals and galaxy-changing adventures, it delivers on all the action, humor, and emotion you expect from a Murderbot adventure. There’s nothing quite like Murderbot, and Wells is more than welcome to continue returning to this world as long as she wants. (8/10, Reviewed by Michael Cook)
Note: A review copy of Platform Decay was provided by the publisher.
Available May 5 from Tor Books in hardcover, ebook, and audiobook formats.
Part-time writer, part-time theatre nerd, full-time dork.
