Very few recent crime fiction series have hooked me the way Ragnar Jonasson’s Hidden Iceland Trilogy has. This impeccably-crafted Icelandic crime series is an astonishing accomplishment: a trilogy plotted as beautifully as it is written, brimming with the humanity of its characters and immersing readers in the stunning landscape of Iceland.. In the Hidden Iceland books, author Ragnar Jonasson wraps readers up in the chilling atmosphere of his trilogy’s setting, and draws readers into the inner life of its endearing and compelling protagonist. The Hidden Iceland trilogy has captivated me with its stylish prose, clever plotting, and unputdownable suspense, and with THE MIST, Jonasson delivers a conclusion worthy of its exceptional predecessors. In THE MIST, readers follow series protagonist Hulda Hermansdottir as she returns to work following a personal leave necessitated by an undefined tragedy. Hulda will soon face a disturbing - and puzzling - case: a mysterious death at a remote farmhouse in the Icelandic countryside, where two bodies have been found. Weaving together Hulda’s personal life with an extended flashback at the farm in the lead-up to our victims’ deaths, THE MIST is a complex and heartbreaking mystery, a feather in the cap of an already-exceptional crime fiction series. If you’re in the market for elegant suspense that relies more on atmosphere and character development than blood and gore, Ragnar Jonasson’s superb Hidden Iceland trilogy might just be your perfect match. I will sincerely miss this series and its standout protagonist, but I am already looking forward to seeing what Ragnar will write next.
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Book Review: I WILL MISS YOU TOMORROW by Heine Bakkeid
You know those books that come seemingly out of nowhere and knock you sideways with how very much you love them? That was Heine Bakkeid’s extraordinary crime fiction debut I WILL MISS YOU TOMORROW for me. This Norwegian crime novel blends the atmosphere and grit of the Nordic Noir tradition with the spine-tingling chills found in the work of authors like Yrsa Sigurdardottir and C.J. Tudor. I WILL MISS YOU TOMORROW is an outstanding crime novel about grief, loss, and the ghosts that haunt us. Set against the backdrop of remote northern Norway, I WILL MISS YOU TOMORROW follows a disgraced former police officer who is given a chance at redemption in the form of an off-the-books missing persons investigation. Hired as a private investigator by the parents of a young man who has gone missing at a lighthouse off the coast of northern Norway, Thorkild Aske sets out on what he assumes will be a fruitless mission—a journey that becomes as much about tracking down this missing man as it is about Thorkild confronting his personal demons. With immersive atmosphere and propulsive plotting, I WILL MISS YOU TOMORROW wraps readers up in a chilling suspense novel worthy of every bit of praise it has earned. This promising series launch is a must-read for fans of melancholy, atmospheric Nordic suspense.
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Cover Reveal + Q&A: THE KINGDOM by Jo Nesbø
The stunning cover for one of Fall 2020’s biggest crime novels has arrived, and I am so honored to be able to reveal it here on Crime by the Book! In September, bestselling and beloved crime writer Jo Nesbø’s newest release will hit bookstores. THE KINGDOM is a standalone work of suspense that delves into the troubled relationship between brothers, and the deadly family secrets that they have been keeping for years. If you’ve been around Crime by the Book for even just a little bit, you will already know how obsessed I am with Jo Nesbø’s writing. He is hands-down my favorite author, and any new book from him is cause for celebration—but I am particularly excited about THE KINGDOM (and not just because its cover is killer!). Jo Nesbø is best known for his crime series featuring a troubled detective in Oslo, Norway, but THE KINGDOM is a standalone crime story that promises to explore a new side of Nesbø’s talent—and provide the perfect opportunity for readers new to Nesbø’s work to dive in and give it a try, too. Not only am I completely honored to be able to share the stunning cover for THE KINGDOM with you today, but I also had the incredible opportunity to ask Jo a couple of teaser questions about his newest release! In this blog post, you can catch the cover for THE KINGDOM, learn more about its plot, and get a little sneak-peek into the book from Jo Nesbø himself.
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CBTB's Guide to Ruth Ware Thrillers
There are so many talented crime writers at work today, but there’s no one quite like Ruth Ware. Ruth Ware has been a staple of Crime by the Book since I first began my Instagram and blog—her debut novel was published just a few weeks after I launched my Instagram account, and it was one of the first I photographed for my Instagram, too! (Spot the very early CBTB-Instagram photo above!) Her books will always hold a special place in my heart, but nostalgia isn’t the only reason I’m such a die-hard Ruth Ware fan. Ruth Ware is one of those authors whose writing just consistently works for me. Picking up a new Ruth Ware book is, for me, the ultimate pleasure: it’s an instant-escape, and a return to a writing style that never fails to captivate me and sweep me up in a thrilling, page-turning mystery. Ware has been called “the Agatha Christie of our generation” (by David Baldacci, no less!), and that very high praise is so well-deserved. Ware’s books feature an irresistible blend of the old and the new, crafting clever crime stories that would make the Queen of Crime proud. In today’s blog post, I’ll be walking you through Ruth Ware’s books—including a general overview of why I love her crime stories, what kind of reader I think will best appreciate each of her books, and a little glimpse into her 2020 release, too! Ruth Ware is one of my absolute favorite authors, and I hope this blog post will encourage you to give her work a try. Read on for my guide to Ruth Ware’s thrillers!
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Book Excerpt: THE NESTING by C.J. Cooke
You know that feeling when you learn about a book that sounds so extremely up your alley, it almost feels like the author wrote it tailor-made for you? That’s my sneaking suspicion about C.J. Cooke’s forthcoming release THE NESTING, which will hit US bookstores in September. This book is—wait for it—a Gothic suspense novel set in Norway. Yes, you read that right, and this might just be the perfect combination for my reading tastes (and, I suspect, for many of yours, too!). THE NESTING follows an architect who has just built his dream high-concept home in Norway, and a nanny who begins to suspect that something isn’t quite right in the house… and that something sinister might be lurking in its shadows. I am beyond excited for this book: it has a Norwegian setting, a story of Gothic suspense, a character working on writing a Scandinavian crime novel… basically all of my favorite things wrapped up in one chilling package. THE NESTING is one of my personal most-anticipated reads of the fall season. Thanks to C.J. Cooke’s US publisher, I’m absolutely thrilled to be able to give CBTB readers an early glimpse into THE NESTING. In this blog post, you will be able to learn more about the book, including plot details and fabulous early praise from CBTB-favorite authors like Simone St. James (!), and you will also be able to read an early excerpt from the book’s first chapter.
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