A couple of weeks ago, I found myself in the airport in Oslo, Norway, waiting on a (very) delayed flight back to New York. What could have been a frustrating way to pass an evening was saved by my bookish companion on the trip: Norwegian author Thomas Enger’s thought-provoking standalone crime novel INBORN. Part courtroom drama, part exploration of small-town life in Enger’s native Norway, INBORN is an effortless read--one enhanced by precise plotting and the author’s knack for rich character development. Following a teenage boy who is accused of murder, INBORN moves readers between the courtroom, wherein the boy is being questioned by the prosecution, and the past, where readers slowly but surely unravel the secrets of what really happened on that fateful night. Given that this book did begin as a Young Adult novel, INBORN is lighter on violence and grit than is Enger’s Henning Juul series, but that’s no detriment to the story Enger tells here. Enger has done a superb job adapting this Young Adult crime novel for an adult readership, and readers will find the book’s clean, crisp prose and precise plotting appealingly easy to devour. I come to Thomas Enger’s writing when I want to read a book with characters who feel three-dimensional and endearing, and I found exactly that in his newest standalone. INBORN is a compelling blend of courtroom drama and heart-tugging examination of adolescence--Enger has delivered again.
Read More
Book Review: MY LOVELY WIFE by Samantha Downing
Appropriately billed as “Mr. And Mrs. Smith meets Dexter,” Samantha Downing’s deliciously dark debut crime novel MY LOVELY WIFE follows a married couple with a unique way of keeping the spark alive… serial murder. That’s right, this book centers around a pair of ordinary suburban spouses whose date nights involve death. Sound over the top? It is, but in the best possible way. In MY LOVELY WIFE, Downing pushes the domestic suspense novel to its limits—and the result is a hugely entertaining, seriously sinister suspense read. Let’s be clear: this book has a wild, larger-than-life premise - and it’s one that, frankly, could go wrong in less capable hands. But rest assured, Downing gets it very right. MY LOVELY WIFE is wicked fun to read; readers looking for a suspense novel with plenty of entertainment value that doesn’t take itself too seriously will be hooked on Downing’s razor-sharp debut. As for me, it had been a long time since I read a book that was this fun to devour, and I’m already eagerly anticipating what Downing will do next.
Read More
Book Review: UNTIL THE DAY I DIE by Emily Carpenter
A woman grieving the loss of her husband is thrown into the center of a shocking conspiracy in suspense writer Emily Carpenter’s page-turning newest. In UNTIL THE DAY I DIE, suburban bliss is shattered by a tragic accident: in an instant, Erin’s beloved husband is gone, leaving her and her teenage daughter, Shorie, to fend for themselves. In the wake of this unthinkable tragedy, Erin’s mental state begins to unravel. As she spirals towards rock bottom, her best friends (and the co-founders of the prominent tech company Erin and her husband ran) intervene, sending Erin to a luxury rehabilitation center on a remote Caribbean island. What could go wrong? A lot, as it turns out. UNTIL THE DAY I DIE is hair-raising, cinematic fun to read. From its interpersonal secrets to its high-stakes chase scenes in the Caribbean jungle, UNTIL THE DAY I DIE delivers thrills both big and small - a highly entertaining and larger-than-life concoction. Readers in the market for a binge-worthy book with a healthy dose of drama will find Carpenter’s UNTIL THE DAY I DIE right up their alley. (It doesn’t hurt that the cover is absolutely gorgeous, either!)
Read More
Book Review: HUNTING GAME by Helene Tursten
Helene Tursten, best known for her Irene Huss crime fiction series, returns this week with HUNTING GAME—an atmospheric detective novel that launches her brand-new series featuring Detective Inspector Embla Nyström. And what a fantastic series launch it is. HUNTING GAME is in many ways a classic detective novel; its moody atmosphere, measured pacing, and down-to-earth plotting will make it a perfect fit for readers of traditional procedurals. However, thanks to its stellar protagonist, HUNTING GAME feels decidedly modern as well. At the heart of this superb mystery is Embla Nyström, a young woman working for the mobile unit of the police department in Gothenburg, Sweden. Fiercely independent and as physically tough as she is mentally strong, Embla is an inspiring character—but, even better, she’s relatable, too. She’s the kind of down-to-earth, realistic protagonist that readers will wish they could get to know in real life. In a genre where “damaged detectives” with all manner of bad habits and outlandish behavior can seem a dime a dozen, Embla’s realism and relatability set her apart. From its intriguing cast of characters to its immersive atmosphere and delightfully classic crime-inspired plotting, HUNTING GAME is an excellent read from first to last, and the start of a series I will look forward to following.
Read More
Book Review: THE STRANGER DIARIES by Elly Griffiths
How is this the first time I’ve read a book by Elly Griffiths? There’s no other way to say it: I’ve been missing out. Griffiths’ exceptional standalone THE STRANGER DIARIES is a spring 2019 must-read. Layered and immersive, atmospheric and authentic, this brilliant twist on Gothic suspense will captivate the reader. Following Clare Cassidy, a teacher who specializes in Gothic literature, THE STRANGER DIARIES takes readers into a bookish mystery with sinister undertones. When one of Clare’s closest colleagues is found murdered, Clare is grief-stricken—but things take an ominous turn when a clue is discovered on the corpse that tie the gruesome crime to the work of a Gothic writer who happens to be one of Clare’s favorites. Could life be imitating art? As Clare ventures into the dark heart of the goings on at her place of employment, it begins to appear that this work of fiction is playing out in the real world—to deadly end. In THE STRANGER DIARIES, Griffiths masterfully blends Gothic influence with modern-day suspense sensibility, and the result is effortless, spine-tingling, page-turning fun. Masterfully blurring the lines between reality and fiction, Elly Griffiths has crafted an exceptional bookish mystery that is both an ode to Gothic literature and an effective work of Gothic suspense unto itself.
Read More