CBTB's February 2018 Wrap-Up
Another bookish month down! I can’t believe how quickly this February has flown by. It was a busy one in my personal life: I announced on Instagram this month that I’ve officially accepted (and started!) a new job in publicity at Alfred A. Knopf, the publisher of crime fiction greats like Jo Nesbo, the late Stieg Larsson, David Lagercrantz, Lars Kepler, and many more! It’s a total dream job, and I’ve been having such fun getting started in it.
It was also a great month in books for me! I managed to read 5 full-length novels and one novella this February… and I genuinely enjoyed all of them. (Picking a "least favorite" read of the month was really changing this time around—all of the books in today's post had their own merits.) This month was heavy on psychological suspense for me, and included a chilling boarding school mystery, a twisted serial killer story, and, perhaps most exciting of all, the new Ruth Ware book!
First things first: a few stats from my month in books:
Books Read: 5, + 1 novella
Pages Read: 1,733
Favorite Read of the Month: THE DEATH OF MRS. WESTAWAY by Ruth Ware
Least Favorite Read of the Month: THE ROSES OF MAY by Dot Hutchison
And now, on to my February Wrap Up!
THE BUTTERFLY GARDEN by Dot Hutchison
Thomas & Mercer; 5/23/17
CBTB Rating: 4.5/5
The Verdict: twisted, utterly addictive crime fiction
Read CBTB’s Review Here
Do you have any books that seem to have been sitting on your TBR forever? I finally made time to read one of the books I’ve been intending to get around to forever - THE BUTTERFLY GARDEN by Dot Hutchison - and I’m so glad I did. THE BUTTERFLY GARDEN grabs readers by the throat and doesn’t let go—from its first page to its cinematic finale, this stunning launch to Hutchison’s Collector Trilogy will thrill and disturb even the most seasoned crime reader. Fans of serial killer thrillers will be hooked on the story’s disturbed villain; fans of police procedurals will love the author’s measured, masterful plotting. I would have read this book in one sitting if my schedule had allowed—that’s how utterly gripping and all-consuming a read THE BUTTERFLY GARDEN is. Come for this book’s stunning cover, stay for the brutal, inventive crimes at its core; with the final installment in this trilogy releasing in May 2018, now is the perfect time to enter Hutchison’s dark and twisted world.
KILLED by Thomas Enger
Orenda Books; 2/15/18 (UK Publication)
CBTB Rating: 4/5
The Verdict: an emotional conclusion to a much-loved series
Read CBTB’s Review Here
Have you ever picked up a book by a new-to-you author and just felt instantly in step with the author’s voice and style? That’s exactly how I felt when I first dove into Thomas Enger’s Henning Juul series. I started the series about a year and a half ago, after meeting the author at Iceland Noir, and was totally hooked. Enger’s writing is accessible and engaging, his stories’ atmospheres are gloomy and moody, and (perhaps best of all) his main character, Henning Juul, is endearing and sympathetic for the entirety of the series. These are crime novels with a heart—Enger infuses each story with humanity, delivering characters the reader will root for and cry over - sometimes quite literally. The fifth and final installment in the Henning Juul series, KILLED, will be best appreciated by readers who have followed the series from the beginning; if you’re intrigued by this series, you can read about Book 1, BURNED, here. For long-standing fans of Henning Juul, KILLED will prove a satisfying and heartbreaking finale to a much-loved series.
THE BROKEN GIRLS by Simone St. James
Berkley; 3/20/18
CBTB Rating: 4/5
The Verdict: page-turning suspense with a supernatural edge
Read CBTB’s Review Here
Of the many books I’ve read so far in 2018, it’s hard to think of one that could beat THE BROKEN GIRLS by Simone St. James in sheer entertainment value. Many books are referred to as “page-turners”; few actually succeed at pulling me in and keeping me glued to every single page. THE BROKEN GIRLS falls into the category of books that really did live up to their “page-turner” classification. Told in alternate timelines, this chilling and unputdownable novel of psychological - and otherworldly - suspense delivered an imaginative and gripping mystery with a ghostly twist. Readers who love crime novels set in boarding schools will find THE BROKEN GIRLS’ backdrop engaging; readers who look for psychological thrillers with a supernatural twist will find the book’s central mystery more than satisfying; readers who don’t typically prefer either might just surprise themselves with how much they love Simone St. James’ shiver-inducing story of long-buried secrets in rural Vermont. THE BROKEN GIRLS will make a fantastic choice for escapist reading this March—just don’t read it right before bed.
THE DEATH OF MRS. WESTAWAY by Ruth Ware
Gallery/Scout Press; 5/29/18
CBTB Rating: 5/5
The Verdict: unputdownable, gothic-inspired suspense - my favorite Ware book yet
Read CBTB’s Review Here
If you know me, you know I love Ruth Ware. Her books have been a staple of Crime by the Book ever since I started this blog—in fact, IN A DARK, DARK WOOD was actually one of my first-ever CBTB-specific purchases! I have a certain amount of nostalgia tied up in Ware’s writing; her books have been there for me through this whole book blogging adventure, and always manage to strike the right tone for me as a reader. To top it all off: Ware is one of those authors who continually reinvents herself with each new novel, giving readers stories that are fresh, inventive, and totally engaging—all while maintaining that trademark Ruth Ware pacing and tone that I love so much. All of this is simply to say: when I first read that Ware had announced the title and plot of her 2018 release, THE DEATH OF MRS. WESTAWAY, I immediately started a countdown to it… and I’m so thrilled to share a (very) early review of this unputdownable, quasi-gothic story of family secrets. THE DEATH OF MRS. WESTAWAY is another outstanding novel of psychological suspense from an author who has quickly earned her title of "modern-day Agatha Christie." Dare I say it? THE DEATH OF MRS. WESTAWAY is my favorite Ruth Ware book yet.
THE PRETTY ONES - A Novella
Collection: APART IN THE DARK by Ania Ahlborn
CBTB Rating: 4.5/5
The Verdict: twisted, jaw-dropping horror
Whenever I’m in the mood to be genuinely creeped out, I turn to Ania Ahlborn’s books. Ahlborn is a queen of horror writing; whether you prefer your horror grounded in reality or more supernatural-leaning, she’ll have something to offer that’s right up your alley. Personally, my favorite stories of hers are those that take the familiar and turn it into something dark and twisted—and that’s exactly what I got in her novella THE PRETTY ONES. This page-turning read is set against the backdrop of New York during the “Summer of Sam,” aka the summer when David Berkowitz (The “Son of Sam” killer) was terrorizing residents of the city. Against this backdrop, readers meet a young woman who is trying to fit in with the “mean girl” culture at her office. But as tensions rise that summer, things start to go very wrong. Ahlborn has done it again - this novella is fantastic! This novella is available as an e-book (linked below), or it’s also available in a print collection called APART IN THE DARK.
THE ROSES OF MAY by Dot Hutchison (The Collector Trilogy, Book 2)
Thomas & Mercer;
CBTB Rating: 3.5/5
The Verdict: a compelling story on its own, but doesn’t compare to Book 1
After reading - and loving - THE BUTTERFLY GARDEN earlier this month, I could hardly wait to get my hands on a copy of the second book in Hutchison’s Collector Trilogy. THE ROSES OF MAY is technically a sequel, but much of this story focuses on a case other than the infamous “Gardener” of Book 1. THE ROSES OF MAY isn’t best classified as a “serial killer thriller,” even though it does have a serial killer in its midst. Instead of focusing on the vicious actions of the story’s villain, this book focuses primarily on the experiences of survivors. Readers meet a young woman named Priya who lost a sister years prior to the killer who becomes central to THE ROSES OF MAY. We are immersed in her emotional and mental state as she continues to grapple with the terrible tragedy her family endured, and we watch her put her own life on the line to get justice for her sister. THE ROSES OF MAY is a compelling read, to be sure - but it’s fundamentally so different from THE BUTTERFLY GARDEN, your expectations going into it will be essential. Overall enjoyable, but not as much of a must-read as the first in the trilogy.
And that's a wrap up on February 2018! Have you read any of these titles? Are any of them on your TBR? I'd love to hear from you! xx A
Home ownership feel like a distant dream? Zillow listings have you convinced you’ll be renting for the rest of your life? The woman at the heart of Carissa Orlando’s debut The September House feels your pain—and she’s prepared to put up with a lot if it means she and her husband can finally have a place to call their own. In this case, that might just mean living in a house that’s haunted. Playful and irreverent, spine-tingling and spooky, The September House puts a fresh spin on the classic haunted house story, delivering an immersive tale about the secrets lurking within one building’s walls, and within the lives of its inhabitants.