Spring is officially here, folks, and this is great news for us crime readers—because it means a number of really fantastic new releases are upon us, too! This May saw the release of one of my most-anticipated reads of the year (hint: the new Ruth Ware!!), a fantastic serial killer thriller, the paperback reprint of a 2017 release I loved, and more. We’re definitely in the swing of “beach reading” now - even if the weather here hasn’t exactly been beach-friendly just yet! I’m so excited about the books in today’s Recommended Releases post, so let’s dive right in.

Emelie Schepp is one of the most exciting young authors at work in Scandinavia today. Her Jana Berzelius series has taken the crime-reading world by storm, and her newest book is set to release in the US this June! SLOWLY WE DIE is another novel featuring Jana Berzelius, but, from what I’ve read of it so far, it’s quite different from the previous Berzelius books—making it a great place for readers new to the series to dive in. Unlike her prior Berzelius books, SLOWLY WE DIE takes on a new angle: that of a medical thriller. This Scandinavian crime novel involves a series of killings rocking the medical community, and special prosecutor Jana Berzelius finds herself tasked with the investigation. Thanks to the team at MIRA, CBTB readers can dig into the Prologue and Chapter 1 of SLOWLY WE DIE by Emelie Schepp in today’s post.

Happy weekend, readers! I thought it might be fun to try something totally different today: a “Weekend Checklist,” aka the crime fiction (and other crime-y things!) that I’m recommending you check out this weekend. In this post you’ll find a weekend binge-read, a podcast recommendation, the crime TV show I’m watching, an independent bookstore to visit, and a whole lot more!

It’s been quite a while since I discovered a new-to-me crime series I love as much as Dot Hutchison’s Collector Trilogy. Comprised of THE BUTTERFLY GARDEN, THE ROSES OF MAY, and THE SUMMER CHILDREN, the Collector Trilogy delivers character-driven, often quite gruesome, totally addictive suspense—and perhaps best of all, each book within the trilogy retains a style and tone unique unto itself. THE SUMMER CHILDREN rounds out this trilogy in top form—Hutchison more than lived up to my expectations with her slam-dunk of a series finale. This is a far cry from your standard serial killer thriller, but fans of the genre will find much to love in Hutchison’s binge-worthy and emotional THE SUMMER CHILDREN. A disturbing plot, a strong female lead, page-turning writing… THE SUMMER CHILDREN is a knockout.