You know those authors whose work just instantly clicks for you? That’s me with Riley Sager’s thrillers. Over the past few years, Riley Sager has quickly cemented himself as one of my absolute favorite writers working in the psychological thriller space. His books are an irresistible blend of compelling characters, can’t-stop-reading plots, and ode to horror film and fiction, and he’s one of those rare authors whose novels truly seem to just get better and better. I’m basically always waiting for the next book that Riley will release, and if you haven’t tried his books yet, consider this blog post your sign that it’s time to give them a try! I promise, time spent in any of Sager’s books is time well spent. In today’s blog post, I’ll be sharing my personal story and experience with Sager’s books, plus giving you a rundown of what kind of reader I think will best appreciate each of his fantastic previous releases. Sager is one of those authors I just can’t stop cheering for—he is so deserving of the success that has come his way over the past few years, and I can’t wait to hopefully get a few more readers hooked on his work today! Read on for my personal anecdotes on Sager’s books, and a guide to his thrillers so far.
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CBTB’s Guide to Early-2020 Nordic Noir
Scandinavian crime fiction is my personal favorite crime fiction subgenre, and a staple of Crime by the Book—and luckily for all of us who adore it, 2020 is going to be a fantastic year for new releases in this category! Today I’m rounding up the Scandinavian crime fiction that belongs on your to-read list early this year, including both books I’ve already read and covered here on CBTB, and titles that I haven’t yet dug into, but which are on my personal TBR list. The books included in this post have US publication dates that fall between January and April 2020—which means that some of them are already on sale, and some are releasing very soon! From new installments in beloved series to exciting debuts, there’s a little something for every Scandinavian crime fiction fan releasing early this year. Dive into this list and fill your TBR with all the gritty, gripping storytelling that Scandinavian crime fiction has to offer.
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8 Recommended Bookish Mysteries & Suspense Novels
What could be better than a crime novel about books? For so many of us bookworms (myself included!), there’s something especially fun about reading a book about books or authors. In today’s blog post, I’m rounding up 8 mystery and suspense novels that deal with exactly that! The books discussed here all relate to the world of books in one way or another. Some of them feature protagonists who are authors or aspiring writers, some have “book within a book” style plots, and all of them will satisfy your desire to dig into some good old bookish intrigue. This is a category of crime novel I personally never tire of, and I hope this list will help you find a book or two that catches your eye, too! Happy reading!
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CBTB's Best Nordic Noir of 2019
There's nothing I love more than a great Nordic Noir novel, and today’s blog post is dedicated to celebrating the best of the Scandinavian crime novels 2019 had to offer. 2019 saw the return of some of my personal favorite authors (new Nesbø book, here’s looking at you!) and introduced me to a number of new-to-me authors as well. As always with these sorts of lists, narrowing down my picks proved a very tricky task, but I’m absolutely confident that the titles listed here will deliver all the atmosphere, rich character development, and gritty mystery that any Nordic Noir reader could hope for. Whether you’re a longtime fan of this category of crime fiction or are new to the genre entirely, there’s a book for you on this list.
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6 Nordic Noir Series to Read This Fall
Chilling atmospheres, intricate plots, and engaging protagonists—Scandinavian crime novels are the perfect books to reach for when you’re looking for an atmospheric fall or winter mystery. If you’ve been around CBTB for a little while, you’ve probably already heard me discuss a number of the genre’s heavy-hitters (and some of my personal favorite authors!) including Jo Nesbo, Camilla Lackberg, and Lars Kepler, to name just a few. But there are so very many fantastic authors writing truly stellar crime novels that fall under this category, and, for one reason or another, far too many of them don’t get the attention they deserve here in the U.S., despite being massive bestsellers all around the world. To hopefully do my part and remedy that, today I want to highlight for you a few under-discussed Nordic Noir series that will make for perfect chilly-weather reading material—the kinds of books you may not have heard about elsewhere, but that you’ll want to tell everyone about once you give them a try.
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