CBTB’S TOP 10 CRIME BOOKS OF 2022
I can hardly believe we’ve come to the end of 2022—and what a year it’s been! I’m pretty sure I say this every year, but 2022 has truly been another outstanding year for crime fiction readers. As I reflected on my year in books while writing this blog post, it felt nearly impossible to narrow down my picks. I genuinely think we might be in the golden age of crime writing; the books crime writers had in store for us this year were nothing short of superb. From the return of fan-favorite authors to thrilling new voices being published for the first time, the crime fiction genre was in top form in 2022—making it all the more challenging to pick just 10 books from the year to highlight here! But tough choices had to be made, and made they were. Without further ado, I’m so excited to share with you my personal picks for the Top 10 Crime Books of 2022 in today’s blog post! More than any other criteria, the key thing these books have in common is simple: they are all books I’ve continued to think about since I finished reading them. These are stories that entertained me, challenged me, thrilled me, and kept me on the edge of my seat; in this list you’ll find Gothic horror, Nordic Noir, psychological suspense, and much more; a wide array of crime fiction subgenres, but all excellent books that stood out from the pack for me in 2022.
Before we dive into this list, I want to take a moment to say a huge thank you to every single author whose work I’ve read this year. Thank you for sharing your writing talent with all of us readers! And last but certainly not least, thank you, the person reading this, for coming along for the journey with me in 2022. CBTB wouldn’t exist without your support and enthusiasm, and I’m so grateful to you for being a part of this bookish adventure! Here’s to 2023, and to what’s sure to be a year filled with great new reads ahead of us. Happy New Year, friends!! xx Abby
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10. YOU’RE INVITED by Amanda Jayatissa
WHY I LOVED IT:
Amanda Jayatissa became an instant must-read author for me last year with her outstanding debut psychological thriller, MY SWEET GIRL. This year, Amanda returned with her sophomore suspense novel—a razor-sharp, wickedly entertaining thriller that further established Amanda as one of the crime genre’s most exciting up-and-coming voices. YOU’RE INVITED is a “wedding-gone-wrong” thriller: a story that centers around a lavish Sri Lankan wedding, following a young woman determined to ensure that this wedding doesn’t move forward, no matter the cost. When the bride goes missing, everyone at the wedding is a suspect… but none more so than our protagonist. YOU’RE INVITED is the kind of deliciously addictive mystery where everyone has dark secrets to hide. It’s a fresh spin on the wedding-gone-wrong thriller that will appeal to readers who loved Lucy Foley’s The Guest List or Jaime Lynn Hendricks’ It Could Be Anyone—but it’s more than just another entry into a familiar thriller sub-category. YOU’RE INVITED also delves astutely into the complexities of female friendships and what happens when those friendships fall apart. Darkly humorous and impeccably plotted, YOU’RE INVITED comes to life thanks to the compelling, irreverent, multifaceted characters who fill its pages—and uncovering the dark secrets these characters are hiding proves to be a gripping, wickedly entertaining ride.
About the Book:
What could be worse than your ex-boyfriend marrying your childhood best friend? Getting accused of her murder… From the award-winning author of My Sweet Girl comes a dangerously addictive new thriller about a lavish Sri Lankan wedding celebration that not everyone will survive.
When Amaya is invited to Kaavi’s over-the-top wedding in Sri Lanka, she is surprised and a little hurt to hear from her former best friend after so many years of radio silence. But when Amaya learns that the groom is her very own ex-boyfriend, she is consumed by a single thought: She must stop the wedding from happening, no matter the cost. But as the week of wedding celebrations begin and rumors about Amaya’s past begin to swirl, she can’t help but feel like she also has a target on her back. When Kaavi goes missing and is presumed dead, all evidence points to Amaya. However, nothing is as it seems as Jayatissa expertly unravels that each wedding guest has their own dark secret and agenda, and Amaya may not be the only one with a plan to keep the bride from getting her happily ever after…
9. THE LAST HOUSEWIFE by Ashley Winstead
WHY I LOVED IT:
Ashley Winstead’s cult thriller THE LAST HOUSEWIFE was one of the year’s most-buzzed-about suspense novels, and it’s easy to see why—this book is, in my opinion, one of the most outstanding psychological thrillers that 2022 had to offer readers. In this gripping, triumphant story of suspense, Winstead spins a tale of a woman’s quest for justice in the face of horrific abuses of power. This is not an easy book, I’ll say that up front; it explores male violence against women in many forms, and interrogates power structures and abuse of that same power. It’s also seductive, immersive, gripping, and just plain irresistible. THE LAST HOUSEWIFE follows protagonist Shay, a woman who has worked hard to put the dark events of her past firmly behind her. But the peaceful life she’s built for herself comes crashing down one day when she puts on the latest episode of her favorite true-crime podcast, and learns that her former best friend - a woman with whom Shay escaped a cult (!) - has died. Is the past that Shay thought she had successfully buried really gone for good? THE LAST HOUSEWIFE follows Shay as she, with the help of the podcast host, digs into the events surrounding her friend’s death—and discovers that the powerful forces that once held her captive might still be at large. This is a thriller that grapples with dark themes in an unflinching way; readers will be instantly drawn into this story’s world and captivated by the author’s masterful unspooling of this story’s sinister plot. THE LAST HOUSEWIFE is a blend of cult thriller, feminist thriller, and murder mystery, with a touch of dark romance elements as well. It’s a fascinating (and horrifying) deep-dive into a cult, plus a consideration of true crime and how we consume true crime content. It’s a knockout, a standout thriller that I will be thinking about for years to come.
About the Book:
From the author of the acclaimed In My Dreams I Hold a Knife comes a pitch-black thriller about a woman determined to destroy a powerful cult and avenge the deaths of the women taken in by it, no matter the cost.
While in college in upstate New York, Shay Evans and her best friends met a captivating man who seduced them with a web of lies about the way the world works, bringing them under his thrall. By senior year, Shay and her friend Laurel were the only ones who managed to escape. Now, eight years later, Shay's built a new life in a tony Texas suburb. But when she hears the horrifying news of Laurel's death—delivered, of all ways, by her favorite true-crime podcast crusader—she begins to suspect that the past she thought she buried is still very much alive, and the predators more dangerous than ever.
Recruiting the help of the podcast host, Shay goes back to the place she vowed never to return to in search of answers. As she follows the threads of her friend's life, she's pulled into a dark, seductive world, where wealth and privilege shield brutal philosophies that feel all too familiar. When Shay's obsession with uncovering the truth becomes so consuming she can no longer separate her desire for justice from darker desires newly reawakened, she must confront the depths of her own complicity and conditioning. But in a world built for men to rule it—both inside the cult and outside of it—is justice even possible, and if so, how far will Shay go to get it?
8. THE IT GIRL by Ruth Ware
WHY I LOVED IT:
Ruth Ware has been a staple of CBTB since the very beginning, and she is one author whose work will quite literally always be on my to-read list. In 2022, Ruth gave us a mystery that’s a little bit different from the locked room-inspired suspense she has come to be known for—but it’s no less entertaining, clever, or immersive than what Ruth’s legion of fans have come to expect from this prolific author. THE IT GIRL is an irresistible blend of dark academia atmosphere and “whodunnit” murder mystery. Set against the backdrop of Oxford, THE IT GIRL follows a sympathetic protagonist whose college experience was marked by tragedy when her roommate, April, was murdered in their dormitory. Fast forward ten years, and protagonist Hannah is married and expecting her first child, when a shocking piece of news upends all she thought she knew about her roommate’s death. THE IT GIRL is a flawlessly executed mystery, a story that moves seamlessly between past and present in pursuit of the truth about the book’s central mystery. Readers who love campus suspense novels will relish Ware’s immersive, atmospheric depiction of Oxford; readers in the market for a compelling “whodunnit” will be hooked on protagonist Hannah’s amateur investigation into her former roommate’s death. As always, Ware’s writing is immersive and easy to devour; every single time I pick up a Ruth Ware book, I know I’m going to be immediately transported into the world she has crafted within that book’s pages. The same was absolutely true for me with THE IT GIRL. Masterful plotting, compelling characters, dark academia vibes, and a wholly satisfying conclusion made THE IT GIRL a winner for me. If you loved The Maidens by Alex Michaelides, you’ll love this one.
About the Book:
The #1 New York Times bestselling author of the “claustrophobic spine-tingler” (People) One by One returns with an unputdownable mystery following a woman on the search for answers a decade after her friend’s murder.
April Clarke-Cliveden was the first person Hannah Jones met at Oxford.
Vivacious, bright, occasionally vicious, and the ultimate It girl, she quickly pulled Hannah into her dazzling orbit. Together, they developed a group of devoted and inseparable friends—Will, Hugh, Ryan, and Emily—during their first term. By the end of the year, April was dead.
Now, a decade later, Hannah and Will are expecting their first child, and the man convicted of killing April, former Oxford porter John Neville, has died in prison. Relieved to have finally put the past behind her, Hannah’s world is rocked when a young journalist comes knocking and presents new evidence that Neville may have been innocent. As Hannah reconnects with old friends and delves deeper into the mystery of April’s death, she realizes that the friends she thought she knew all have something to hide…including a murder.
“The Agatha Christie of our generation” (David Baldacci, #1 New York Times bestselling author) proves once again that she is “as ingenious and indefatigable as the Queen of Crime” (The Washington Post) with this propulsive murder mystery that will keep you on the edge of your seat.
7. THE HACIENDA by Isabel Cañas
WHY I LOVED IT:
If you had told me a few years ago that someday I would be selecting a book with supernatural components as one of my favorite books of the year, I honestly wouldn’t have believed you. It wasn’t long ago that I basically refused to read any supernatural suspense novels. Thankfully, I’ve seen the error of my ways—and now here I am, seeking these exact same kinds of stories out! If you love stories that blend horror, supernatural elements, and Gothic influences, Isabel Cañas’ debut THE HACIENDA is going to be a must-read for you. This book is a total knockout: a horror story, a love story, a story of Gothic suspense, and one of the most wholly immersive books I read this year. You know those books that you don’t so much read as experience? That’s how I felt about THE HACIENDA. Author Isabel Cañas’ lush, vivid prose brings this book’s setting and characters to life in such a visceral way, I found myself immediately transported into the world she has crafted in her debut novel. Set in the aftermath of the Mexican War of Independence, THE HACIENDA follows protagonist Beatriz as she settles into her new home, Hacienda San Isidro—and discovers that this house has other plans for its new resident. Not only does this book deliver genuine scares and spine-tingling tension, but it also has a touch of forbidden romance in store for readers. This combination is, simply put, irresistible. Cañas has recently announced her 2023 release (more information on that book here!) and I already can’t wait to read it.
About the Book:
Mexican Gothic meets Rebecca in this debut supernatural suspense novel, set in the aftermath of the Mexican War of Independence, about a remote house, a sinister haunting, and the woman pulled into their clutches...
During the overthrow of the Mexican government, Beatriz’s father was executed and her home destroyed. When handsome Don Rodolfo Solórzano proposes, Beatriz ignores the rumors surrounding his first wife’s sudden demise, choosing instead to seize the security that his estate in the countryside provides. She will have her own home again, no matter the cost.
But Hacienda San Isidro is not the sanctuary she imagined.
When Rodolfo returns to work in the capital, visions and voices invade Beatriz’s sleep. The weight of invisible eyes follows her every move. Rodolfo’s sister, Juana, scoffs at Beatriz’s fears—but why does she refuse to enter the house at night? Why does the cook burn copal incense at the edge of the kitchen and mark the doorway with strange symbols? What really happened to the first Doña Solórzano?
Beatriz only knows two things for certain: Something is wrong with the hacienda. And no one there will save her.
Desperate for help, she clings to the young priest, Padre Andrés, as an ally. No ordinary priest, Andrés will have to rely on his skills as a witch to fight off the malevolent presence haunting the hacienda and protect the woman for whom he feels a powerful, forbidden attraction. But even he might not be enough to battle the darkness.
Far from a refuge, San Isidro may be Beatriz’s doom.
6. THINGS WE DO IN THE DARK by Jennifer Hillier
WHY I LOVED IT:
There are many amazing authors out there whose work deserves more recognition, but if you forced me to pick just one, I’d pick Jennifer Hillier. Hillier has been writing some of the best psychological thrillers in the game for years now (if you’re new to her work, in addition to her 2022 release, check out her older books Jar of Hearts, Little Secrets, and Wonderland!). Her 2022 release THINGS WE DO IN THE DARK exemplifies the qualities that make Hillier’s work so outstanding. This book begins with a simple premise: a woman is arrested under suspicion of having murdered her celebrity husband. But this shocking event is just the tip of the iceberg in THINGS WE DO IN THE DARK, which quickly reveals itself to be a layered, intricate story of past traumas and their present-day fallout. Hillier is ever the expert at crafting multifaceted characters who are just as much of a mystery to be unraveled as is the story’s central crime, and readers will feel that the women and men who fill the pages of this outstanding book might in fact be real people, not characters at all. THINGS WE DO IN THE DARK effectively blends a traditional “whodunnit” setup with a story that expands into something much darker and deeper, thoughtfully and sensitively exploring the bonds that tie even the most dysfunctional of families together. I will follow Jennifer Hillier wherever she takes us in her books, and THINGS WE DO IN THE DARK further cements her as one of my favorite authors.
About the Book:
Things We Do in the Dark is a brilliant new thriller from Jennifer Hillier, the award-winning author of the breakout novels Little Secrets and Jar of Hearts. Paris Peralta is suspected of killing her celebrity husband, and her long-hidden past now threatens to destroy her future.
When Paris Peralta is arrested in her own bathroom—covered in blood, holding a straight razor, her celebrity husband dead in the bathtub behind her—she knows she'll be charged with murder. But as bad as this looks, it's not what worries her the most. With the unwanted media attention now surrounding her, it's only a matter of time before someone from her long hidden past recognizes her and destroys the new life she's worked so hard to build, along with any chance of a future.
Twenty-five years earlier, Ruby Reyes, known as the Ice Queen, was convicted of a similar murder in a trial that riveted Canada in the early nineties. Reyes knows who Paris really is, and when she's unexpectedly released from prison, she threatens to expose all of Paris's secrets. Left with no other choice, Paris must finally confront the dark past she escaped, once and for all.
Because the only thing worse than a murder charge are two murder charges.
5. THE MIRROR MAN by Lars Kepler
WHY I LOVED IT:
When I’m in the market for a great serial killer thriller, I always turn to Lars Kepler. The Swedish husband-and-wife crime writing duo can always be counted on to deliver dark, gritty, gripping serial killer stories, and in 2022, they gave their American readers what became my favorite book of theirs yet! THE MIRROR MAN is Kepler’s most psychologically-complex story to date, a sinister thriller that centers around unmasking a mysterious and brutal villain whose identity, once revealed, genuinely shocked me. THE MIRROR MAN is an installment in Kepler’s series following investigators in Stockholm, Sweden, but it can easily be read on its own; Kepler intentionally writes their thrillers in such a way that any of them can be read as standalone novels, and I think THE MIRROR MAN is particularly easy to read solo. Kepler’s books are not for the faint of heart, but they’re the perfect choice for fans of Nordic Noir and dark serial killer stories alike. Readers who like their thrillers on the dark side will love Kepler’s deep-dive into the minds of their villains; combine this quality of Kepler’s writing with their short, action-packed chapters and page-turning plotting, and you’ve got a winning combination. Pick up THE MIRROR MAN if you love TV shows like Mindhunter or Criminal Minds and I promise, you’ll be hooked.
About the Book:
#1 INTERNATIONAL BEST SELLER • Detective Joona Linna is on the trail of a kidnapper who targets teenage girls and makes their worst nightmares a reality.
Sixteen-year-old Jenny Lind is kidnapped in broad daylight on her way home from school and thrown into the back of a truck. She’s taken to a dilapidated house, where she and other girls face horrors far beyond their worst nightmares. Though they’re desperate to escape, their captor foils everyone of their attempts.
Five years later, Jenny’s body is found hanging in a playground, strung up with a winch on a rainy night. As the police are scrambling to find a lead in the scant evidence, Detective Joona Linna recognizes an eerie connection between Jenny’s murder and a death declared a suicide years before. And when another teenage girl goes missing, it becomes clear to Joona that they’re dealing with a serial killer—and his murderous rampage may have just begun.
4. RUN TIME by Catherine Ryan Howard
WHY I LOVED IT:
We already know how obsessed I am with Catherine Ryan Howard. Of all the new-to-me authors I’ve begun reading over the last couple years, Catherine Ryan Howard is right there at the top of the list. I simply cannot get enough of her creative, inventive storytelling; I can always count on CRH to deliver suspense stories told in ways I just won’t find anywhere else. So you can imagine my excitement, then, when I learned that Catherine Ryan Howard was writing a psychological thriller about one of my other obsessions: slasher movies. RUN TIME follows an actress whose career has all but dried up…until, in the middle of the night, she gets a call that could change everything. Final Draft, a slasher movie being filmed deep in the forest in Ireland, has just had their lead actress drop out. Can our protagonist step in urgently and take over the leading role? What follows is a gripping, page-turning, wildly entertaining thrill ride: because, much to our protagonist’s horror, it soon begins to appear that the events of Final Draft might just be playing out in real life, too. Catherine Ryan Howard’s RUN TIME is somehow both thrilling and playful all at once; it’s a story that pokes fun at genre tropes even while effectively utilizing them to create tension on the page. CRH’s skill at telling thrillers in inventive ways shines through here, too, as RUN TIME is told in a “book within a book” (or, in this case, “script within a book”!) style, moving between the script of Final Draft itself and our protagonist’s experiences in the real world. Catherine Ryan Howard is one of the most exciting thriller writers at work today, and she’s a personal favorite author of mine. I’m already looking forward to what she writes next.
About the Book:
An ingenious new high-concept thriller from #1 internationally bestselling author Catherine Ryan Howard (56 Days and The Nothing Man).
Movie-making can be murder.
Lights
Feeling her stardom fading, struggling soap-actress Adele Rafferty is ready to give up on her dreams when she gets a last-minute offer to play the lead in upcoming horror film Final Draft. Could this be her big break? Will she have redemption for what happened the last time she was on a film set? Adele doesn’t think twice before signing the dotted line.
Camera
Adele quickly makes her way to set, deep into the isolated and wintry woods of West Cork, Ireland, miles away from civilization and cell service.
Action
When real life on set starts to somehow mirror the sinister events portrayed in the script, Adele fears the real horror lies off the page. Isolated and unsure who in the crew she can trust, is there anywhere or any time left to run?
3. DAISY DARKER by Alice Feeney
WHY I LOVED IT:
Queen of the killer twist Alice Feeney returned in 2022 with what is officially my favorite book of hers yet! Anyone who has read an Alice Feeney thriller in the past will already know what a gift Feeney has for writing thrillers with genuinely unpredictable twists—stories that challenge even the most seasoned suspense reader, and defy all of our cleverest assumptions. This has never been more true than in DAISY DARKER, Feeney’s jaw-dropping ode to Agatha Christie’s classic, And Then There Were None. I know what you might be thinking: does the world really need another homage to Christie’s best-known work? Yes, in this case, we really, really do. DAISY DARKER is unlike any other Christie homage you’ve read before. It all centers around a highly dysfunctional family, the Darker family, who have gathered at their grandmother’s isolated old home to celebrate her 80th birthday. There’s just one oddity about this home: it’s located on a tidal island, so when the tide comes in, the Darker family will be cut off from the world for 8 hours. The tide comes in, and then their grandmother is found dead. Who among the Darkers is the killer? DAISY DARKER is a fresh, ambitious spin on one of the Queen of Crime’s greatest stories. It’s brought to life by an eccentric, highly memorable cast of characters, and the process of peeling back their secrets and uncovering their hidden motivations is a ton of fun. Add in an immersive, atmospheric setting that amps up the story’s claustrophobia and sinister chill (not just the island but the house itself, which is just as eccentric as its owner!), plus an absolute knockout of a twist that will surprise even the savviest reader, and you’ve got an absolute winner.
About the Book:
The NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLING AUTHOR of Rock Paper Scissors returns with a locked-room mystery when a family reunion leads to murder in a delightfully twisty and atmospheric thriller.
Daisy Darker was born with a broken heart. Now after years of avoiding each other, Daisy Darker’s entire family is assembling for Nana’s 80th birthday party in her crumbling gothic house on a tiny tidal island. The family arrives, each of them harboring secrets. When the tide comes in, they will be cut off from the rest of the world for eight hours.
But at the stroke of midnight, as a storm rages, Nana is found dead. And an hour later, the next family member follows…
Trapped on an island where someone is killing them one by one, the Darkers must reckon with their present mystery as well as their past secrets, before the tide goes out and all is revealed. As seen on the TODAY show and picked by Book of the Month, Daisy Darker's family secrets and Alice Feeney's trademark shocking twists will keep readers riveted.
2. THE HOUSE ACROSS THE LAKE by Riley Sager
WHY I LOVED IT:
No surprise here: every year, I look forward to the newest release by one of my very most favorite authors, Riley Sager—and every year, Sager delivers another jaw-dropping thriller that goes straight to the top of my annual favorites list. In 2022, Sager delivered what I think must be his most ambitious—and just plain fun—thriller yet. THE HOUSE ACROSS THE LAKE is Riley’s take on a Rear Window-inspired story of voyeuristic suspense (think: Riley’s spin on a story that sounds a whole lot like The Woman in the Window or The Girl on The Train… but in reality is anything but). In THE HOUSE ACROSS THE LAKE, Riley takes a familiar premise—a woman whose life is spiraling out of control, and who relies a bit too much on alcohol to escape from her woes, spots something suspicious about her neighbors—and twists and turns this story in genuinely shocking ways you absolutely won’t see coming. Sager expertly plays on familiar genre tropes to craft something that is wildly unique, playful, and unpredictable; readers who know Riley’s love of movies will see the influence not only of Hitchcock but of other seminal horror films on THE HOUSE ACROSS THE LAKE (movies I can’t name for fear of spoilers, which you know I’d never do to you!). I loved every moment spent in this wildly entertaining and truly unpredictable thriller. Inspired by movies Riley loves, and aimed at upending all our expectations of what has become quite a familiar thriller premise, THE HOUSE ACROSS THE LAKE is bold, ambitious, and seriously fun to read.
About the Book:
The bestselling author of Final Girls and Survive the Night is back with his “best plot twist yet.” (People, "Best Summer Books")
Be careful what you watch for . . .
Casey Fletcher, a recently widowed actress trying to escape a streak of bad press, has retreated to the peace and quiet of her family’s lake house in Vermont. Armed with a pair of binoculars and several bottles of bourbon, she passes the time watching Tom and Katherine Royce, the glamorous couple living in the house across the lake. They make for good viewing—a tech innovator, Tom is powerful; and a former model, Katherine is gorgeous.
One day on the lake, Casey saves Katherine from drowning, and the two strike up a budding friendship. But the more they get to know each other—and the longer Casey watches—it becomes clear that Katherine and Tom’s marriage isn’t as perfect as it appears. When Katherine suddenly vanishes, Casey immediately suspects Tom of foul play. What she doesn’t realize is that there’s more to the story than meets the eye—and that shocking secrets can lurk beneath the most placid of surfaces.
Packed with sharp characters, psychological suspense, and gasp-worthy plot twists, Riley Sager’s The House Across the Lake is the ultimate escapist read . . . no lake house required.
1. REPTILE MEMOIRS by Silje Ulstein
WHY I LOVED IT:
Reflecting on my reading year while writing this blog post, there were so many amazing contenders for this “Top 10” list—but there was really only one choice for my top favorite book that 2022 had to offer. REPTILE MEMOIRS by Silje Ulstein was, for me, the very best of my bookish year. I’m going to preface this by saying: REPTILE MEMOIRS will not be a book for everyone (not that there’s any such thing as a book that is for everyone to begin with!), but if anything I’m about to say about REPTILE MEMOIRS appeals to you, I would encourage you to give this wildly underrated, fiercely original thriller a try. This debut Norwegian psychological thriller is one I’d been online-stalking for years before it released in the US; it was published in Norway a few years ago to tremendous acclaim, and it finally made its way to American bookstores in early 2022. It was worth the wait. REPTILE MEMOIRS is a singular work: hypnotic, original, dark, and deeply strange in the best way. This is one of those books that’s nearly impossible to categorize. It’s a disturbing thriller, a missing persons mystery, a coming-of-age story… and, yes, a book about a pet snake. This dual-timeline literary crime novel follows a young woman who purchases a pet snake in the early 2000’s, and a woman whose daughter goes missing in the present day. Set in Norway, REPTILE MEMOIRS blends Nordic sensibility with razor-sharp thriller writing; this is not traditional Nordic Noir, and it’s not your typical psychological thriller, either. Silje Ulstein seems to have figured out how to draw the very best from multiple crime writing traditions, combining them into an irresistible, deeply-weird-in-the-best-way concoction all her own. REPTILE MEMOIRS is a book about loneliness and connection, a book filled with people desperate to shed their pasts and start over—and, moreover, it’s a book that asks whether or not that kind of rebirth is ever actually possible. It’s tragic, dark, disturbing, and hypnotic, a fiercely original and utterly excellent crime story, and my personal favorite book I read this year.
About the Book:
A bestselling Norwegian debut already sold in thirteen territories, Reptile Memoirs is a brilliantly twisty and unusual literary thriller for fans of Gillian Flynn, Jo Nesbø, Kate Atkinson, and Tana French, asking the question: Can you ever really shed your skin?
Liv has a lot of secrets. For her, home is the picturesque town of Ålesund, perched on a fjord in western Norway. One night, in the early-morning embers of a great party in the basement apartment she shares with two friends, Liv is watching TV, high on weed, and sees a python on an Australian nature show. She becomes obsessed with the idea of buying a snake as a pet. Soon Nero, the baby Burmese python, becomes the apartment's fourth roommate. As Liv bonds with Nero, she feels extremely protective, like a caring mother, and she is struck by a desire that surprises her with its intensity. Finally she is safe.
Thirteen years later, in the nearby town of Kristiansund, Mariam Lind goes on a shopping trip with her eleven-year-old daughter, Iben, who angers her mother by asking for a magazine one too many times. Mariam storms off, leaving Iben in the shop and, expecting her young daughter to find her own way home, heads off on a long calming drive. When she returns home in the evening, her husband is relieved to see her but terrified that Iben isn't also there. Detective Roe Olsvik is assigned to the case of Iben's disappearance; he has just turned sixty and is new to the Kristiansund police department. As he interrogates Mariam, he instantly suspects her—but there is much more to this case and these characters than their outer appearances would suggest.
A biting and constantly shifting tale of family secrets, rebirth, and the legacy of trauma, Reptile Memoirs is a brilliant exploration of the cold-bloodedness of humanity, and the struggle to mend broken lives and families.
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.