From New York Times bestselling author J.T. Ellison comes a twisted psychological thriller about the bonds of family and the disconnect between memory and the truth.
“My favorite kind of thriller–dark family secrets, high-stakes mystery, and a shocked daughter who will stop at nothing to determine the truth. Wherever J.T. Ellison goes, I want to follow.” —Lisa Gardner, New York Times bestselling author of Kiss Her Goodbye
“In LAST SEEN, J.T. Ellison weaves a gripping tale of family secrets, broken trust, and the slippery nature of memory. When Halley James learns her mother was murdered—not killed in an accident—her search for the truth leads to a deceptively perfect town hiding dark secrets. With twists that keep you guessing, this masterfully crafted thriller showcases Ellison at the top of her game.” –Liv Constantine, New York Times bestselling author of The Last Mrs. Parrish
“Darkly original and bursting with hold-your-breath suspense, LAST SEEN by J.T. Ellison is a haunting deep dive into a harrowing crime, buried memories, and one woman’s obsession to discover the truth no matter the consequences. At the top of her game, Ellison’s expert storytelling is on full display – LAST SEEN is a must-read for thriller fans.” —Heather Gudenkauf, New York Times bestselling author of The Overnight Guest and The Perfect Hosts
If you’ve never read a psychological thriller by New York Times bestselling author J.T. Ellison, you should grab her latest standalone page-turner, LAST SEEN, which Thomas & Mercer will release on August 1, 2025. Literary legends including Mary Kubica, Ruth Ware, Lisa Scottoline, Lee Child and the above listed authors are just a few examples of the many who sing her praises, and major review outlets join in to call her books “exceedingly brilliant” (Bookreporter on A Very Bad Thing), “mesmerizing… compulsively readable” (Publishers Weekly on Her Dark Lies), “well paced and creative” (Kirkus Reviews on Tear Me Apart), “entertainingly twisted” (BookPage on Good Girls Lie) and “immensely readable . . . lush” (Booklist on Lie To Me).
With LAST SEEN, J.T. Ellison has outdone herself.
“Combining my upbringing in a very isolated environment with the vivid dream I had of a bucolic but subversive town called Brockville created the framework for a deep, dark, unsettling thriller,” Ellison explains. “LAST SEEN was hard to write, but I hope it will be even harder to put down.”
Darkness Hides in Unlikely Places
Come here. Come closer.
Halley James knows her marriage is over. But she’s not prepared for the rest of her life to fall apart too.
No one can hear you. No one can help you.
She just lost her job at the forensics lab. Her dad needs emergency surgery. But the biggest blow comes back home in Marchburg, Virginia, where she discovers her mother didn’t actually die in a car crash. Her mom was murdered―and her father lied about it all these years.
I have nothing to hide from you. Are you hiding something from me?
Since she was six years old, it’s been Halley and her dad. Now, she doesn’t know what to believe. Desperate for the truth, Halley chases down a lead in Brockville, Tennessee. But all there is not as it seems. Brockville’s utopian charm hides a chilling darkness. And Halley’s search for answers threatens to expose an unspeakable reality.
To celebrate the release of LAST SEEN, we are hosting a virtual book tour starting in late July through the end of August featuring this stellar list of book influencers. Follow along for features, reviews, excerpts, and GIVEAWAYS!
Friday, July 25 Addicted to Books AND Sunflower Book Lover AND Stacy 40 Pages
Saturday, July 26 Sam K Wiatkowski
Monday, July 28 Andrea C. Lowry Reads AND Cassie’s Book Reviews AND Galayda Book Reviews
Tuesday, July 29 Just Your Basic Bookstagram AND Kim Reads And Reads AND Sue the Bookie
Wednesday, July 30 Lit Wit Wine Dine AND Booked With Julia AND Nissa The Bookworm
Thursday, July 31 Audrey Oaks Reads Everything AND Bit of Everything AND Pages and Pups
Friday, August 1 Holly Read It AND Dive Into A Good Book AND Thrillers Wine And Chill
Saturday, August 2 Novel Gossip AND Madi’s Mysteries AND The Dusti Bookshelf
Sunday, August 3 Caffeinated Reader AND Mabel Journals AND We Love Big Books And We Cannot Lie
Monday, August 4 Bethany Buried in Books AND Read More Thrillers AND Stories On Bookshevles
Tuesday, August 5 Always Reading AND Books Cats Travel Food AND Briana’s Best Reads
Wednesday, August 6 Rebekah Dolmat AND Secret Reading Life AND Rozier Reads And Wine
Thursday, August 7 2 Many Books 2 Little Time AND Biblio Peeks AND We Break For Books
Friday, August 8 Go Fetch A Book AND Elliot Reads AND Always With A Book
Saturday, August 9 Alyma Verina Reads AND Katie Needs A Bigger Bookshelf AND Book Kitty Books
Sunday, August 10 Suzy Approved Book Reviews AND Meg’s Book Club AND Purrfect Pages
Monday, August 11 Subakka Bookstuff AND Simply Kelina AND Bookphile Belle
Tuesday, August 12 Love My Dane Dolly AND Megan’s Book Corner AND Gym Girl Reads
Wednesday, August 13 Nikki Lee Thrill Seeker AND My Bursting Book Bag AND Books and Chinooks
Thursday, August 14 Wuthering Vines AND The Book Club Mom AND Suspense Is Thrilling Me
Friday, August 15 Reading 2 Escape AND Carol Doscher Reader AND Book Girl Brown Reviews
Saturday, August 16 Rebecca Reviewed It AND Nurse Bookie
Sunday, August 17 Karen’s Library AND Library of Bookish
Monday, August 18 It’s All About The Thrill AND Bookish Spren AND Jen’s Towering TBR
Tuesday, August 19 Books with Courtney AND Books On My Mind AND Girl Loves Dog Books Wine
Wednesday, August 20 Back Porch Pages AND Sarah’s Bookstack AND Book Recs By Celeste
Thursday, August 21 Travelisfers AND Nikki H Rose AND Reading Is Your Destiny
Friday, August 22 Fish Girl Loves Books AND Plots Paws Pinot AND Book Boss 12
Saturday, August 23 Books Writing And More AND Bookapotamus
Sunday, August 24 Cathy’s Cozy Book Nook AND Journal of Jaida AND Legally Booked Up
Monday, August 25 Books Coffee MX AND Books and Biewers AND Nik’s Bookshelf
Tuesday, August 26 Danish Mustard Reads AND Dea’s Bookshelf AND Sarah’s Bookish Reviews
Wednesday, August 27 Full of Lit AND Chapters of Chase AND WBTB Book Review
Thursday, August 28 Love My Books 2020 AND Candice Reads AND Suzy’s Bookshelf
Friday, August 29 Athena Noone Asked You AND A Bookworm With Wine AND Belle Book Corner
Saturday, August 30 Meow Skins Book Skins AND Hooked By Books
Sunday, August 31 Book Dragon AND The Pages In Between
June Virtual Tour for THE PALACE AT THE END OF THE SEA by Simon Tolkien!
A young man comes of age and crosses continents in search of an identity—and a cause—at the dawn of the Spanish Civil War in a thrilling, timely, and emotional historical saga.
“In epic fashion worthy of his namesake, Tolkien crafts a remarkable novel of an American boy swept up by love and circumstance and cast into the crucible of the Spanish Civil War. Intense, vivid, and moving.” ―Mark Sullivan, bestselling author of Beneath a Scarlet Sky and All the Glimmering Stars
Critically acclaimed author Simon Tolkien, grandson of literary legend J.R.R. Tolkien, will captivate readers with the release of his new historical saga, THE PALACE AT THE END OF THE SEA (Lake Union | June 1, 2025). The first installment in a two-part series, the novel introduces us to Theo Sterling, a young man who comes of age and crosses continents in search of an identity―and a cause―at the dawn of the Spanish Civil War. As Theo engages with political and religious beliefs, including Capitalism, Communism, Anarchism, Fascism, and Catholicism, this sweeping novel examines the effect they have on him and his ultimate disillusionment with their promises. Rich in details and beautifully told by the talented Simon Tolkien, THE PALACE AT THE END OF THE SEA is historical fiction at its best.
Theo’s story continues with THE ROOM OF LOST STEPS, which will be released on September 16, 2025 (Lake Union).
“Through intense research over many years,” Tolkien explains, “I have tried to bring the vanished world of America, England and Spain in the 1930s to life – a time that shares many similarities with the troubled world we live in today. I believe in the value of historical fiction. The past is another country just as rich as ours, and I want to bring it to life.”
New York City, 1929. Young Theo Sterling’s world begins to unravel as the Great Depression exerts its icy grip. He finds it hard to relate to his parents: His father, a Jewish self-made businessman, refuses to give up on the American dream, and his mother, a refugee from religious persecution in Mexico, holds fast to her Catholic faith. When disaster strikes the family, Theo must learn who he is. A charismatic school friend and a firebrand girl inspire him to believe he can fight Fascism and change the world, but each rebellion comes at a higher price, forcing Theo to question these ideologies too.
From New York’s Lower East Side to an English boarding school to an Andalusian village in the foothills of the Sierra Nevada, Theo’s harrowing journey from boy to man is set against a backdrop of societies torn apart from within, teetering on the edge of a terrible war to which Theo is compulsively drawn like a moth to a flame.
With historical depth and compelling storytelling, Tolkien weaves a stunning tale about how hope, courage, loss and disillusionment affect the formation of one’s character. Fans of historical fiction and literary fiction will devour THE PALACE AT THE END OF THE SEA.
To celebrate the publication of THE PALACE AT THE END OF THE SEA, we are hosting a virtual book tour throughout the month of June featuring this fantastic group of book influencers that will feature reviews, spotlights, excerpts and giveaways!
Sunday, June 1 Purrfect Pages
Monday, June 2 Books Coffee MX
Tuesday, June 3 Dive Into A Good Book
Wednesday, June 4 Bookalong
Thursday, June 5 Suzy Approved Book Reviews
Friday, June 6 Wuthering Vines
Monday, June 9 We Love Big Books And We Cannot Lie
Tuesday, June 10 Cassie’s Book Reviews
Wednesday, June 11 Lexijava
Thursday, June 12 Subakka Bookstuff
Friday, June 13 Sarah’s Bookish Reviews
Monday, June 16 Gym Girl Reads
Tuesday, June 17 The Maddie Hatter
Wednesday, June 18 Dana Mustard Reads
Thursday, June 19 Briana and Her Books
Friday, June 20 What Is That Book About
Friday, June 20 Linda’s Book Obsession
Sunday, June 22 Nissa The Bookworm
Monday, June 23 Bailey’s Book Recs
Tuesday, June 24 Book Girl Brown Reviews
Wednesday, June 25 Rebekah Dolmat Reads
Thursday, June 26 Gloriana Wong
Friday, June 27 Kim Reads and Reads
Sunday, June 29 Karen’s Library
Monday, June 30 Enjoying Books Again
Filed Under: Blog Tours, Fiction, Uncategorized Tagged With: fiction, historical fiction, Lake Union Publishing, Literary fiction, OTRPR, Over the River PR, Over the River Public Relations, Simon Tolkien, Virtual book tour
JUNE 2025 Virtual Book Tour for FAMILY & OTHER CALAMITIES by Leslie Gray Streeter!
A successful journalist returns to her hometown just as her biggest mistake becomes headline news in this vibrant, funny, and heartfelt novel about facing the past, and its secrets, head-on.
“Family & Other Calamities delivers exactly what I want when I sit down to read a novel. It has genuinely memorable characters, a fresh voice that kept me reading, lines that made me laugh out loud, and scenes that brought me to tears.” ―James Patterson, #1 New York Times bestselling author
“a romp that plumbs emotional depths of family ties and what we sacrifice to follow our dreams. Streeter’s debut novel (succeeding the memoir, Black Widow, 2020) is a winner.” ―Booklist
“Family & Other Calamities is about love in many forms―family, friendship, and standing up for what is yours. Dawn Roberts is a funny and charming character you will want to root for. Streeter’s signature humor and charisma shine bright in this bighearted debut.” ―Karin Slaughter, New York Times and #1 international bestselling author
“A compelling story of truth, justice, and the American way. Leslie Streeter understands both the news business and the heartbreak business.” ―Josh Mankiewicz, correspondent for Dateline NBC
“Leslie Streeter’s dialogue is delightful. Even when the good times slam into bad times, her heroine holds on to her sense of humor and you won’t want to leave her side. As a bonus, this novel offers deep wisdom about being a journalist, so not only will you laugh―and be moved―but you will also learn how to be a better writer.” ―Nell Scovell, author of Just the Funny Parts
“Family & Other Calamities is vintage Leslie Gray Streeter: hilariously funny, and with a powerful emotional punch. It’s a deep study in the gifts we get from the people we love the most, even when we don’t always like them.” ―Jen Lancaster, New York Times bestselling author of Housemoms
An award-winning journalist and columnist for the Baltimore Banner, Leslie Gray Streeter knows a thing or two about chasing down a good story and scoring in-depth interviews with celebrities. In FAMILY & OTHER CALAMITIES (Lake Union Publishing; June 1, 2025), she has tapped into her years of experience in the biz to create a riotous, emotionally relatable novel about a Black woman journalist who is going through it all – grief, betrayal, family drama, long buried secrets, and so many carbs.
Fans of Jasmine Guillory, Candice Carty-Williams, and Dolly Alderton will delight in Gray Streeter’s fiction debut with a tell-it-like-it-is protagonist, an eclectic cast of endearing characters, and a wildly entertaining story you won’t soon forget.
