There’s nothing I love more than a buzzy new Scandinavian crime novel—so suffice it to say, M.T. Edvardsson’s US debut A NEARLY NORMAL FAMILY has been high on my “most anticipated” list this year. I devoured this thoughtful and thought-provoking story just about a month ago, and have been mulling it over ever since. There’s a lot about this book that’s hard to categorize (and if you’ve been around CBTB for a while, you’ll know I’m a huge fan of categorizing my reads!): is it a legal thriller? A domestic drama? A “whodunnit”? In the end, the answer may not really matter, because what A NEARLY NORMAL FAMILY is is wholly original and compelling. This slow-burn of a story takes readers into the midst of a family at the exact moment that their blissfully ordinary life is shattered. With the news that their daughter has been arrested for murder, a mother and father must face the unthinkable. How far will they go to protect their child? And what if their child really is guilty? This isn’t a pulse-pounding thriller in the traditional sense - as in, you won’t find shootouts or fight scenes within this book’s pages - but author M.T. Edvardsson ratchets up the tension and emotional investment all the same. Told in a wildly engrossing three-part structure, this domestic suspense-meets-courtroom drama is sure to be one of summer’s buzziest releases.
Read MoreBook Review: I KNOW WHO YOU ARE by Alice Feeney
In the mood for a book that’s dark and binge-worthy? You’ve come to the right place. In her stellar sophomore suspense novel, queen of the plot twist Alice Feeney delivers a genuine nail-biter, and a book that’s a worthy follow-up to her knockout debut, SOMETIMES I LIE. I KNOW WHO YOU ARE is a psychological thriller that pushes boundaries and delivers a truly twisted reading experience; it’s not for the faint of heart, but if you’re up for a suspense novel with an edge, it will be right up your alley. Following an actress who has spent her life adopting identities other than her own, I KNOW WHO YOU ARE takes readers inside a troubled marriage, and into the past our protagonist has worked so hard to keep hidden. When our protagonist’s husband goes missing, suspicion falls on her. Can she keep her past from catching up to her? Feeney made a splash with her debut thriller SOMETIMES I LIE, and in I KNOW WHO YOU ARE, she ups the ante. You might not guess it from this book’s relatively innocuous plot and seriously stylish cover, but I KNOW WHO YOU ARE is dark through and through. Alice Feeney has a dark imagination, and she pulls no punches in her sophomore thriller. What begins innocently enough twists and turns into something altogether shocking and utterly addictive. Clear your calendars: I KNOW WHO YOU ARE begs to be devoured whole.
Read MoreBook Review: THE ISLAND by Ragnar Jonasson
It’s getting hard to think of new ways to say how much I love Ragnar Jonasson’s crime novels, but allow me to try once more. Just when I think Jonasson has surely written what will be my forever favorite book of his, he goes and outdoes himself yet again—and that’s exactly what’s happened here. I absolutely loved Jonasson’s 2018 release THE DARKNESS, the launch of his new trilogy featuring Detective Inspector Hulda Hermannsdottir, and I can now decidedly say that I loved the second trilogy installment, THE ISLAND, even more. In THE ISLAND, Jonasson ratchets up the tension and bone-chilling atmosphere of this Icelandic mystery trilogy—and the result is a downright unputdownable crime novel that captivates as much with its spine-tingling suspense as it does with its clever plotting. Jonasson has a knack for writing crime fiction that blends the old with the new seamlessly, and his skill is on full display in THE ISLAND. Weaving together a years-old crime with a present-day “locked room mystery”, Jonasson masterfully crafts a complex story that is hugely readable and entertaining. And let’s not forget this trilogy’s fantastic protagonist, Hulda; any excuse to spend more time with this spirited and down-to-earth character is one I’ll jump at. It’s worth reading THE DARKNESS (Book 1 in the Hulda trilogy) before THE ISLAND, but don’t let that two-book commitment put you off: these books are well worth your time. Inventive and original, atmospheric and chilling, THE ISLAND is another stellar release from one of Iceland’s foremost crime writers.
Read MoreBook Review: INBORN by Thomas Enger
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 MoreBook 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.
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