Another year is drawing to a close, and what a year it’s been. To call 2020 a challenge would be, frankly, the understatement of the year. I’ve always been thankful for the escape that a great crime book can bring, but I don’t think I’ve ever been quite as thankful for great books as I have been this year. 2020 brought with it outstanding new crime fiction from CBTB favorites and new-to-me authors alike; it saw some of my longtime favorite writers embarking on new directions in their writing careers; it introduced me to new series that I expect I’ll be following for years to come. From psychological thrillers to Nordic Noir to creepy, horror-inspired suspense and a little bit of everything in between, this year brought with it lots of new crime novels to love, and in today’s blog post, I’m sharing my picks for the very best of the best that this year had to offer. I’m thrilled to share with you my picks for Best Crime Books of 2020, this year with a fun twist! I’ve given each book included in this list a superlative: everything from “Best Plot Twist” to “Best ‘Popcorn Thriller’” to “Best Nordic Noir Series Installment” and more. Happy reading!
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Book Review: REWIND by Catherine Ryan Howard
I read a lot of books, and I love a lot of books, but I know I’ve found something particularly special when I find a book I genuinely cannot put down. I’ve been eyeing Irish writer Catherine Ryan Howard’s latest suspense novel REWIND for quite a while now, but I finally took the plunge and dove into it this spring—and I’m so glad that I did. REWIND is pure “popcorn reading”—a lighter suspense story with a compulsive, just-one-more-page plot and major entertainment value. In REWIND, readers are drawn into a cleverly-crafted work of psychological suspense, one that utilizes unconventional plot structures and shifting perspectives to build an irresistible story of betrayal, secrets, and suspense. REWIND begins with a shocking crime: a woman is murdered while she sleeps in her hotel room, the only witness to the crime the hotel’s manager, a man who really shouldn’t be watching… but is, thanks to the hidden cameras he has installed around the hotel. Why was our victim in this hotel in the first place? Who killed her, and why? And what does the voyeuristic hotel manager have to do with any of it? From a relatively simple premise, Catherine Ryan Howard unravels a deliciously dramatic and sinister story of psychological suspense. While I did guess the story’s ultimate conclusion, my enjoyment of this engaging suspense book wasn’t diminished in this least; this is a story that’s more about the journey than the ultimate destination. When I started reading REWIND, I simply couldn’t stop. This book’s clever structure and engaging storytelling beg to be devoured whole.
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Crime Books to Read While You Stay at Home
It’s safe to say these are unprecedented times. With the rapid spread of the new coronavirus around the world, a whole lot of us (yours truly included!) are finding ourselves with a whole lot more solitary time on our hands as we stay home and self-isolate. If you’re in this position and looking for a new book or two to take your mind off the news cycle, you’ve come to the right place! I’ve compiled a big list of highly-recommended crime books for you to peruse—and my hope is that one of these (or a few of these!) can keep you company and give you a sense of escape during these very overwhelming times. To help you find a book that will suit your reading tastes, I’ve organized this reading list by mood. Whether you’re in the mood for something binge-worthy, something bookish, or something downright scary, there’s a book for you here.
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