CBTB’s Best Psychological Thrillers of 2019

December 20, 2019

What a year it has been for new crime fiction!! At the end of the year, there’s nothing quite as fun as reflecting on all the incredible books we’ve been able to read thanks to the hard work of so many talented authors. Today I want to kick off a series of “Best of 2019” posts with a roundup of the best psychological thrillers and psychological suspense of the year! This year saw the release of so many exciting new debut novels and the return of tons of CBTB-favorite psychological thriller authors, and I am so excited to share this list with you all. It’s always so challenging to narrow down lists like this, but I had to cut this list off at 11 titles - otherwise I would have kept adding to it forever. Read on for my picks for best psychological thrillers of 2019!

Book Review: GOOD GIRLS LIE by J.T. Ellison

October 1, 2019

Welcome to The Goode School: an elite all-girls boarding school dedicated to preparing the daughters of the world’s most powerful men and women for Ivy League college degrees and high-powered careers. Nestled among the rolling hills of rural Virginia, The Goode School - and its students - are a picture of elegance, success, and wealth. But a newcomer has arrived at Goode, and she’s bringing with her secrets that aren’t just shocking—they’re deadly. Enter the world of J.T. Ellison’s pitch-perfect boarding school suspense novel, GOOD GIRLS LIE. Following a young woman who moves from the UK to attend The Goode School in the wake of a family tragedy, GOOD GIRLS LIE traces the fallout from our protagonist’s arrival at Goode and examines the series of events that led her to Goode in the first place. Intricately woven and cleverly plotted, GOOD GIRLS LIE is a masterclass in psychological suspense writing. It’s a story with as many dark corners and hidden secrets as the fabled school in which it’s set. Blending drama worthy of Pretty Little Liars with layered, intricate plotting and seriously sinister secrets, GOOD GIRLS LIE is, simply put, a heck of a lot of fun to read. This wicked psychological thriller is my new favorite Ellison book, and that’s saying something—I’ve loved every book of hers I’ve reviewed here. Readers looking for an adult suspense novel in the vein of Gossip Girl and Pretty Little Liars: add this book to your holiday wishlist immediately.

Recommended August 2018 Releases

August 29, 2018

It’s hard to believe that summer is coming to an end! I, for one, am so excited about the encroaching autumn - can you say perfect mystery reading weather?! But before summer comes to an end, there’s still time to grab a few end-of-summer (and totally fantastic) reads. My August recommendations list has a whole variety of new crime fiction for your consideration: from claustrophobic Icelandic crime fiction to a modern spin on the police procedural to binge-worthy “popcorn reads.” There are some genuinely unique and very exciting new reads to add to your TBR this month, and I'm so excited to share this list with you today!

Book Review: TEAR ME APART by J.T. Ellison

August 27, 2018

I fell head-over-heels for bestselling author J.T. Ellison’s 2017 standalone thriller LIE TO ME last summer—so you can imagine my excitement when a copy of her newest release, TEAR ME APART, landed on my doorstep. There’s something about Ellison’s writing that just seems to work for me; though my exposure to her writing has been relatively limited compared to the extensive bibliography she has under her belt, I’m now two-for-two on loving her binge-worthy brand of psychological suspense. Though totally distinct stories, LIE TO ME and TEAR ME APART both feature a deep-dive into the personal lives of individuals working in unique professions: in LIE TO ME, the protagonists were authors, and in TEAR ME APART, the story’s central character is a professional skier and Olympic hopeful. Ellison has a knack for using these unique backdrops as springboards for truly gripping suspense stories—the page-turning fun of her writing is rivaled by the fascinating worlds in which these stories take place. TEAR ME APART is a more-than-satisfying follow-up to 2017’s LIE TO ME, and an excellent choice for readers looking to sneak in another “summer read” before the season ends. I’d expect nothing less from Ellison than a book this fun to devour, and she delivers and then some in TEAR ME APART.

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CBTB's Most-Anticipated Crime Books of Late 2018

August 14, 2018

2018 is flying by - and it's been bringing with it some really outstanding new crime fiction. From Jo Nesbo's MACBETH to Lucy Atkins' THE NIGHT VISITOR and a whole lot more, there's been a little something for everyone to love in the year so far—and now that summer reading is winding down, it's time to look towards the fall. In this post, you'll find the tail-end-of-summer reads I'm most excited about (publication date of 8/28 and onward!), plus an assortment of the upcoming fall releases that are a priority on my reading list. There are psychological thrillers, horror story prequels, Nordic Noir novels, and a whole lot more—so settle in, grab a cup of coffee, and discover some upcoming releases to add to your TBR, too!

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