Happy Sunday, readers! Welcome back to our final spotlight on Scandinavian crime fiction this year! If you’re new to CBTB, every Sunday this November, I’ve been spotlighting crime fiction from a particular Scandinavian country, and sharing with you a rundown of my personal favorite crime writers from that country. We’ve “traveled” (virtually!) to Norway, Sweden, Denmark, and Iceland, and today we’re going to be exploring crime fiction from Finland! Of all the Nordic crime fiction traditions, I am the least familiar with Finnish crime fiction—but I’m on a mission to change that! As always, in today’s blog post I will share with you a rundown of the Finnish crime writers whose work I’ve read and loved. But given that I’m still in the learning-what’s-out-there phase of exploring crime fiction from Finland, I’m also going to give you a little sneak peek into another Finnish crime book that’s on my TBR list. I hope this will be a helpful resource for anyone else who wants to start on their own journey into Finnish crime fiction!
Read MoreBest Scandinavian Crime Novels of 2018
Dark atmospheres, richly developed characters, vivid sense of place, complex plots—these are just a few of the qualities that the Scandinavian crime fiction genre boasts, and they are all qualities that shine in the books I’ve selected for my Best Scandinavian Crime Novels of 2018. As CBTB readers well know, there’s nothing I love more than a really great Nordic crime read, and the Scandinavian books I read in 2018 absolutely blew me away. From new series launches to the return of old favorite characters and everything in between, I loved every moment spent in these books’ pages - and I’m so excited to share them with you today, too! Read on for my favorite Scandinavian crime fiction releases of the year—and make sure you’re all caught up on the best Nordic Noir of 2018 before 2019 arrives!
Read MoreSpotlight on Orenda Books @OrendaBooks
If you haven’t heard of Orenda Books yet, that’s all about to change. The UK-based independent publisher continues to make a splash with a growing list of crime fiction and literary fiction authors, including many CBTB favorites: Ragnar Jonasson, Thomas Enger, Matt Wesolowski, and more! Today I’m thrilled to share a “Spotlight on Orenda Books” - aka a chance for you to explore Orenda’s growing list, learn about my personal favorite Orenda titles, and read a Q&A with Orenda Books’ publisher, Karen Sullivan!
Read MoreBlog Tour | Book Review: THE MAN WHO DIED by Antti Tuomainen
I’m delighted to be on the blog tour today for the newest book from the King of Helsinki Noir, Antti Tuomainen! Tuomainen’s newest, THE MAN WHO DIED, is engaging and immersive; readers looking for a new crime read with a dash of dark humor and plenty of personality will find their perfect match in this Finnish crime novel. I’m not usually a reader who looks for humor in their crime fiction, but Tuomainen’s smart and poignant story delivered the perfect blend of thrills, investigation, character development, and comedy to keep me engaged from the first page to the last. THE MAN WHO DIED is yet another example of publisher Orenda Books’ sharp eye for unique, original crime fiction; it’s smart, sensitive, and engaging, and guaranteed to be unlike anything else in your crime fiction library.
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