Ragnar Jonasson, you have simply outdone yourself. Just when I thought I couldn’t love Ragnar’s books more, he goes and writes THE DARKNESS - and man, is it excellent. Already known around the world for his modern classic Dark Iceland series, Ragnar proves with THE DARKNESS that his winning brand of crime fiction can work just as well - if not better - in a new series as it did in his Ari Thor books. THE DARKNESS has all the brooding atmosphere of the Dark Iceland books with a creativity and breath-of-fresh-air protagonist all its own. Readers will travel eagerly from the streets of Reykjavik to the desolate wilds of Iceland alongside Hulda, a detective whose retirement is on the horizon—and who is determined to make the most of her time left on the force. There’s an addictiveness to THE DARKNESS that elevates this read—Jonasson beautifully balances slow-burning plotting with binge-worthy tension, and the result is just plain gripping. There’s so much that works so well in this book, and I have a feeling Jonasson’s new series will become my favorite of his work… that is, until we see what this talented writer comes up with next.
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Book Review: MISTER TENDER'S GIRL by Carter Wilson
In the spring of 2014, a truly shocking story broke: two young teens lured their friend into the woods and stabbed her 19 times. The motivation behind their gruesome crime? The girls were trying to please a fiction character known as Slender Man - an urban legend born of the internet. This real case shocked the world when it first broke—and it’s inspired the newest book by USA Today bestselling author Carter Wilson, too. MISTER TENDER’S GIRL went on sale earlier this year to rave reviews, and, after meeting the author at this year’s Thrillerfest conference, I knew it was finally time to make space for it on my reading list. In this fictionalization of the Slender Man case, readers go down the rabbit hole with Alice, the survivor of a stabbing at the hands of two of her friends. Alice was intended as a sacrifice to a character known as Mister Tender—a bartender from a series of graphic novels dreamed up by Alice’s own father. Carter Wilson blurs the lines between reality and fiction to gripping effect in MISTER TENDER’S GIRL; readers will find themselves drawn into a world that’s just close enough to our own to be genuinely creepy, and just over the top enough to be totally binge-worthy. Our culture’s obsession with true crime doesn’t seem to be going anywhere soon, and if you’re as fascinated by the Slender Man case as I am, Wilson’s reimagining of it belongs on your TBR.
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Book Review: THE HYPNOTIST by Lars Kepler
Book one in husband-and-wife duo Lars Kepler's series, THE HYPNOTIST introduces readers to Joona Linna, the complex, dedicated detective who takes center stage in Kepler's bestselling books. Readers will find THE HYPNOTIST a supremely accessible addition to their Nordic Noir library; where Scandinavian crime novels tend to feature layered, brooding plots, Kepler balances that complexity of plotting with genuinely page-turning pacing - and the result is a gripping thriller you’ll want to devour in just a couple sittings. While THE SANDMAN is (thus far!) my favorite Kepler novel I’ve read, this new edition of THE HYPNOTIST is a fantastic addition to your summer reading list.
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Book Review: JANE DOE by Victoria Helen Stone
Victoria Helen Stone’s biting thriller JANE DOE centers around a woman whose sole motivation is revenge. Protagonist Jane has crafted an identity for herself with a single end result in mind: she is going to become the perfect woman for a particular man, and then she is going to destroy him - just as he destroyed someone whom Jane holds dear. There are no false pretenses or veiled motivations here; Jane has revenge on the brain, and she won’t stop until she gets what she wants. In many ways, JANE DOE achieves what it sets out to accomplish: this book is undeniably addictive and fresh, and more than holds its own against the (arguably a bit tired) trend of the “unreliable narrator.” Jane is exactly what she says she is—no more, no less. Unfortunately, JANE DOE also suffers a bit from a tendency towards the overly-dramatic; readers who prefer subtlety in their crime writing will find JANE DOE too repetitive and loud for their tastes. Every element of JANE DOE is captured in stark relief, from Jane’s caustic personality to her vengeful mission and the corruption of the story’s secondary characters. Whether or not the melodrama of the story’s plot works for you will be another question altogether—and one which will determine how suitable of a selection JANE DOE will be for you.
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Book Review: THE LAST TIME I LIED by Riley Sager
What do you get when you cross a creepy cabin in the woods with drama worthy of Pretty Little Liars? Meet one of the most deliciously entertaining “popcorn reads” of the summer: THE LAST TIME I LIED by Riley Sager. Sager took the crime writing world by storm last year with his stellar psychological thriller FINAL GIRLS, and this July, he’s back—and, with his newest release, he’s proving once and for all that he’s here to stay. In his New York Times bestselling novel THE LAST TIME I LIED, Sager leans into a subtle brand of suspense driven by interpersonal secrets, richly-developed atmosphere, and drama a plenty. Where FINAL GIRLS was an ode to slasher films, THE LAST TIME I LIED isn’t quite as dark or bloody—though it’s no feel-good summer camp story, either. Sager strikes a pitch-perfect balance between horror elements and a lighter suspense plotline in his newest book, and the result is an endlessly entertaining summer binge-read. Pick up THE LAST TIME I LIED for its gorgeous cover, stay for its addictive and twisty story of years-old secrets and a summer vacation gone very wrong.
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