Book Review: THE BONE KEEPER by Luca Veste

January 20, 2019

Luca Veste’s chilling standalone crime novel THE BONE KEEPER will add a welcome dose of spine-tingling fun to your early-2019 TBR. Part police procedural, part urban legend, THE BONE KEEPER reads like the creepiest story kids in your neighborhood used to tell to scare each other… only this time, it’s all grown up, and it might just be real. In his newest work, Veste slyly weaves together a detail-oriented police procedural with a story of suspense that’s the stuff of nightmares—and the result is the twisted, engrossing THE BONE KEEPER. The ideal reader for THE BONE KEEPER will be one who loves an immersive, layered police procedural, replete with all the details of a police investigation, but who also looks for books with a unique edge and personality—all qualities that THE BONE KEEPER has in spades. This slow-burning crime novel will best suit readers who love a traditional police procedural structure; if you fall into that category, you will find THE BONE KEEPER to be a highly original - and highly creepy - winter read.

CBTB's Weekend Checklist - 1/18/19

January 18, 2019

Happy Friday, reader! With a long weekend ahead of us in the U.S., I thought this would be the perfect moment to share my first “Weekend Checklist” of 2019! If you’re a new CBTB reader, my “weekend checklists” are every-so-often features that I share, in which I round up all the different crime fiction entertainment I’m recommending - and enjoying myself! - over the weekend. In this post, you’ll find recommendations for a weekend binge-read, a TV show I’m personally watching myself, a true crime podcast, and more. These posts are always such fun to put together, and I hope you’ll love reading this Weekend Checklist as much as I loved writing it! Without further ado, let’s dive right in. Happy reading!

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CBTB's Most-Anticipated Crime Books of Early 2019

January 10, 2019

Dear crime readers: we have so much to look forward to in 2019. Whether you’re a reader of psychological thrillers, Nordic Noir, Gothic suspense, police procedurals, or anything (and everything!) in between, 2019 has some amazing reads in store for you. My biggest problem at the moment is just that I have no idea how I’m going to make time to read all of them! But, to that end, and to hopefully help all of us (myself included!) pace ourselves and not overlook any promising books along the way, I’ve decided to keep today’s Most-Anticipated list focused on new crime fiction from January 2019 through March 2019. But not to worry: I will be sharing additional “most anticipated” lists throughout the year, too! Without further ado, let’s dive on in to my picks for Most-Anticipated Crime Books of Early 2019!

Book Review: THE SILENT PATIENT by Alex Michaelides

January 7, 2019

A gruesome murder, a woman held captive in her own mind, and a therapist determined to unlock her secrets - what’s not to love about Alex Michaelides’ THE SILENT PATIENT? This sophisticated debut suspense novel is every bit deserving of the effusive early praise it’s already receiving. Reading more like a character study than a psychological thriller, THE SILENT PATIENT is a maze-like exploration of the psyches of both a woman convicted of murdering her husband and the therapist determined to treat her. The impactfulness of Michaelides’ exceptional first novel lies not in mile-a-minute pacing or whiplash-inducing twists, but in the author’s masterful, methodical building - and breaking down - of his characters. Just as his protagonist explores and unveils the mental state of his subject, so, too, does Michaelides methodically reveal to his readers the psychology of the characters upon which THE SILENT PATIENT is built. Rather than investigating a crime, THE SILENT PATIENT investigates the mind of a criminal - and what a gripping investigation it is. THE SILENT PATIENT is immersive and hypnotic—the kind of confidently drawn suspense story that doesn’t need big, flashy twists to keep you hooked… but that delivers an exceptional twist or two anyway. Believe the hype: THE SILENT PATIENT may well be the debut crime novel of the season.

Book Review: THE HIDING PLACE by C.J. Tudor

January 6, 2019

If my first read of 2019 is any indication, this year is going to be an outstanding one for crime fiction. In 2018, C.J. Tudor broke on to the crime fiction scene with her exceptional debut novel THE CHALK MAN; in 2019, she’s back, and she’s delivered something even better. THE HIDING PLACE is small-town noir meets dread-inducing horror—a sharp, gritty story that draws readers into a community with an almost unthinkable secret at its core. In Tudor’s expert hands, readers will enthusiastically follow wayward protagonist Joe Thorne as he returns to his childhood hometown of Arnhill: a place where the past can never truly stay buried. It’s impossible to narrow down which element of this outstanding suspense story I liked best; from its grimy, gloomy atmosphere and razor-sharp plotting to its thread of horror-inspired chills and gut-punch of a conclusion, THE HIDING PLACE is every bit a superb crime novel. C.J. Tudor has proven herself once again to be one of the most exciting, genuinely unique talents at work in the genre. It’s not every day that your first read of the year turns out to be a (very early) contender for favorite book of the year, but here we are: THE HIDING PLACE is stellar, and a 2019 standout.

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