I’m delighted to welcome bestselling, beloved crime writer Lisa Unger to Crime by the Book today for a Q&A on her newest release, THE STRANGER INSIDE. An expert balance of page-turning plotting and rich character development, THE STRANGER INSIDE is an excellent choice if you’re in the market for a crime novel to cozy up with - and stay up all night reading - this fall. THE STRANGER INSIDE follows a new mother living a picture-perfect suburban life… only she has a very dark secret lurking in her past, and it’s about to be unearthed. In her childhood, our protagonist had a near brush with death; she escaped a kidnapping attempt, but her closest childhood friends weren’t so lucky. One was brutally murdered, and another was held captive and subjected to unspeakable trauma before he managed to flee his captor. Now, in the present day, a series of vigilante killings have begun, and our protagonist has reason to believe they might be connected to her own dark past. THE STRANGER INSIDE is gripping, page-turning suspense - a psychological thriller that delves deep into the inner lives of its protagonists and its villains. I loved this book, and am betting a whole lot of you will love it, too. It was such a pleasure to get to ask Lisa Unger a few of my most pressing questions on her excellent new release, and I’m so excited to share this Q&A with CBTB readers today!
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Book Review: THE STRANGER INSIDE by Lisa Unger
Love crime novels that put a fresh spin on the serial killer thriller? Looking for a suspense book that reads a bit like an episode of Criminal Minds? I’ve got the book for you. This week, Lisa Unger - a prolific New York Times bestselling author with 17 novels under her belt - has released a harrowing “popcorn read” of a thriller: THE STRANGER INSIDE. This gripping character study takes readers inside the mind of a villain with terrifying authenticity, examining the fallout of a brutal crime through the inner lives of its survivors. Following a young mother living in suburban bliss, but harboring a dark past, THE STRANGER INSIDE doesn’t ask “whodunnit”—instead, it asks “whydunnit,” and the answer will be revealed to the reader bit by tantalizing bit over this book’s 380-odd pages. Lisa Unger is a master at crafting truly palpable tension, and her skill at plotting and suspense-building ensure that readers will be glued to the pages here, even long after the killer’s identity has been revealed. THE STRANGER INSIDE will prove to be a surefire hit for crime fiction readers looking for a page-turning, richly developed thriller with serious entertainment value. My only complaint? That now I’ve got to wait patiently to see what Lisa Unger does next.
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Book Preview: THE STRANGER INSIDE by Lisa Unger
If you’ve been a crime fiction fan for even a short while, there’s a very good chance you’ve heard of Lisa Unger—and if you haven’t heard of her yet, not to worry, today’s post will serve as the perfect introduction to this prolific author’s work. Lisa Unger is the New York Times bestselling author of seventeen novels, including her forthcoming release THE STRANGER INSIDE. Lisa Unger’s novels have been published in twenty-six languages, and Lisa has received multiple Edgar Award nominations, among numerous other accolades. Her books have been selected as “Best of the Year” picks by the Today Show, Good Morning America, Entertainment Weekly, Amazon, IndieBound, and many, many more. I could go on, but you get the picture: Lisa Unger is a master of the suspense genre with a huge readership around the world. And today on CBTB, I’m so thrilled to spotlight Lisa’s forthcoming release THE STRANGER INSIDE, available September 17th from Park Row.
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Bouchercon Author Interview: Lisa Unger
Are there any authors on your TBR that you just can’t believe you haven’t read yet? That’s how I feel about Lisa Unger. I’ve been fortunate enough to meet Lisa at a number of crime fiction conferences now; I’ve heard her speak on panels, I’ve read glowing reviews of her books, and I’ve listened to some of my best bookish friends rave about her work, too. So when I discovered that Lisa would also be at this year’s Bouchercon conference, I knew it was the perfect time to learn a bit more about her work—and to finally put one of her books on my fall reading list, too! I had an absolute blast chatting with Lisa about all things crime writing at Bouchercon, and I’m so excited to share our conversation with CBTB readers today. If you haven’t yet read Lisa Unger, consider this your “Lisa Unger 101” - and if you’re already one of Lisa’s myriad fans, consider this your chance to get a little behind-the-scenes glimpse into the writing life of one of America’s foremost female crime writers.
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Crime Festival Journal: Bouchercon 2018
This past weekend, I had the incredible opportunity to attend Bouchercon 2018! Known as the “World Mystery Convention,” Bouchercon brings together crime writers, readers, industry members, and more for a long weekend of crime fiction fun. One of my personal favorite things about Bouchercon is that it changes location every year; last year, Bouchercon was held in Toronto, Canada, and this year it was held in St. Petersburg, Florida! There’s nothing more inspiring to me than spending time with folks who are as passionate about the crime fiction genre as I am, and I left Bouchercon 2018 feeling totally energized and excited by all that I learned over the course of the conference. In my Bouchercon 2018 Crime Festival Journal, you will find a day-by-day recap of my time in St. Petersburg, including book and author recommendations from the weekend, recaps of author interviews and panels, and lots of photos!
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