One of the trickiest things about blogging for me personally is finding time to highlight books that I loved before starting Crime by the Book. Recently, though, I’ve been feeling particularly inspired to put together a post on one of the very first Scandinavian crime series I fell in love with—so that’s exactly what I’m doing today! After reading (and loving) Stieg Larsson’s Millennium trilogy many years ago, I found myself on a personal quest to learn as much as I could about the Nordic Noir genre. It was during this time period that I discovered Jo Nesbø, Sara Blaedel, and today’s featured author: Camilla Läckberg. In the years since, my love of Camilla Läckberg’s endearing, engrossing Fjällbacka Series has only grown. If you’re a reader who prefers mysteries that focus less on violence and more on character development, these books will be right up your alley; they are undeniably lighter novels than many of their Nordic peers, but that’s not at all a negative. Instead, think of these books as the kind of “comfort read” that you’ll want to come back to over and over, thanks to their rich atmosphere, endearing characters, and chilling (but not terrifying) mysteries. I couldn’t be more excited to finally be taking the time to share exactly why I love this series - and why I think you’ll love it, too.
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Author Interview: M.J. Arlidge (DI Helen Grace Series)
Every reader has that dream list of favorite authors they would love to meet; for me, one of the people at the top of my list is M.J. Arlidge, author of the DI Helen Grace series. While in Scotland for the Bloody Scotland crime festival, I had the fantastic chance to sit down with Arlidge and interview him about the Helen Grace series as a whole, and HIDE AND SEEK in particular! I'm thrilled to share this interview as part of the Graceland Blog Tour, a week spent exploring the world of Helen Grace, one book at a time.
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Book Review: SCARRED by Thomas Enger
Thomas Enger’s Henning Juul series has quickly become a staple of my crime fiction library. These books effortlessly blend a driving plot with vivid, three-dimensional characters, all built upon the foundation of brooding, atmospheric Scandinavian crime. The Henning Juul books are excellent recommendations for readers looking for an entry point into Scandinavian crime; this is a series that is both exemplary of the Nordic Noir genre, and that stands apart for its accessibility and bingeworthy pacing.
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CBTB's Beginner's Guide to Jo Nesbø
It will come as a surprise to absolutely no one that, here at CBTB, I am always looking for a reason to talk about my favorite crime writer: Jo Nesbø. Back in March 2017, I created this “Beginner’s Guide to Jo Nesbø” to help readers begin their own journeys with Nesbø’s work. Five years later (in March 2022, to be precise!), I’m still obsessed with Jo Nesbø—and, at long last, I’m revamping this blog post with all the latest information on Nesbø’s work. My goal is for this blog post to be your one-stop shopping list + personal companion through Nesbø’s body of work. Here you’ll find a rundown of Nesbø’s bestselling detective series (including answers to frequently-asked questions I’ve received over the years!), plus an overview of his standalone novels (and my recommendations for which standalones of his to prioritize!). As always, if you have any questions whatsoever about Nesbø that I haven’t addressed here, please don’t hesitate to reach out—I am truly always happy to help, and nothing makes me happier than seeing readers get hooked on Jo Nesbø novels! Happy reading!
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CURSED Blog Tour Part 2: Interview with Henning Juul
As part of my stop on the blog tour for CURSED by Thomas Enger, I'm thrilled to be sharing a fun "first" for my blog: an interview with the main character of Enger's series, Henning Juul! Henning is one of the most endearing series protagonists I've ever read, and I hope you'll love meeting him in this interview.
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