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Crime by the Book

A girl investigates crime fiction from around the world, by the book.
  • Blog
  • Quick Reviews
  • Nordic Noir
    • Introduction
    • Background
    • Book Recommendations
    • By Country
    • Interviews
    • Reviews
    • Features
  • #ReadWithCBTB
  • Features
  • Reading Lists
  • Events
  • Go-to Book Recs
  • As Seen In
  • About
  • Connect

the cbtb blog

One girl's ongoing investigation of the crime fiction genre.

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CBTB's Most-Anticipated November 2022 Crime Fiction

November 2, 2022

I honestly can’t believe it’s already November—but I’m not complaining! I (obviously) believe that thrillers and mystery novels can (and should!) be read year-round, but there’s something undeniably perfect about cozying up with a great crime novel as the weather gets colder. This month has an amazing lineup of new crime novels in store for us, and today I’m rounding up my picks for most-anticipated new crime, mystery, and suspense novels publishing in November 2022! This month sees the return of a couple of my longtime favorite authors, plus new installments in Nordic crime series I’m loving, a chilling isolated location thriller, and more. Whether you’re hoping to keep the spooky season Halloween vibes going a little bit longer or are ready to dive into a wintry, chilling crime story, this month’s selection of new releases has you covered. A few of the books on this list I’ve already been lucky enough to read, and the rest of them are all on my personal to-read pile for the weeks ahead—but I’m excited about all of them. Read on for my picks for November most-anticipated crime fiction!

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In Most Anticipated Books Tags November Books, November Thrillers, November New Releases, Anne Mette Hancock, CJ Tudor, Jess Lourey, Lisa Unger, Clare Mackintosh, Eva Bjorg Aegisdottir
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CBTB's Top 10 Crime Books of 2021 (So Far)

July 12, 2021

It’s hard to believe we are already more than halfway through 2021! This year has already delivered truly outstanding crime, mystery, thriller, and suspense books for us to devour, and today I wanted to round up a list of my favorite crime books published in the first half of the year! Whether you’re in the market for a chilling suspense story, a clever locked room mystery, or an edge-of-your-seat psychological thriller, this list has a little something for you. From new releases by returning favorites (Riley Sager, C.J. Tudor, Ragnar Jonasson, and more!) to thrilling debuts and new-to-me authors, 2021 has given me some absolutely incredible crime books to sink my teeth into - and I hope that this list will help you find a new favorite crime book or two for yourself, too! As you can imagine it was very difficult to narrow this list down. When making my selections here, I focused on books that I haven’t been able to stop recommending to others and thinking about myself—books that have had the kind of staying power for me that we all look for in favorite reads. The books included on this list were published from January 1, 2021 through July 6, 2021; stay tuned, because I’ll be rounding up a list of my favorite crime books from the second half of 2021 - plus a definitive list of my favorite crime books of the whole year - when 2021 comes to a close. Without further ado, let’s dig into this rundown of my favorite crime books of 2021 so far!

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In Best Crime Books of 2021 Tags 2021 Crime Books, Best Crime Books 2021, Jess Lourey, Bloodline, Allie Reynolds, Shiver, Sarah Pearse, The Sanatorium, C.J. Tudor, The Burning Girls, Camilla Sten, The Lost Village, The Girl Who Died, Ragnar Jonasson, Bath Haus, P.J. Vernon, The Maidens, Alex Michaelides, Survive the Night, Riley Sager, Razorblade Tears, S.A. Cosby
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CBTB's Most-Anticipated Early 2021 Crime Books

January 9, 2021

A new year is upon us, and it’s bringing with it some very exciting new crime, mystery, and thriller releases to devour! In today’s blog post, I’m rounding up my most-anticipated crime fiction releases publishing between January and March 2021. A few of these books I’ve already been fortunate enough to read, and the others are all on my TBR list as we head into the new year! From new psychological thrillers to suspense novels with horror movie-worthy plots to Nordic Noir and more, the first few months of 2021 have so many thrilling reads in store for us, and I hope this list will help you find a new book (or two, or three!) to look forward to in the coming months!

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In 2021 Most-Anticipated Tags New Crime Books, 2021 Crime Books, 2021 Crime Thrillers, 2021 Crime Fiction, Jess Lourey, Katrine Engberg, Sarah Pearse, CJ Tudor, The Sanatorium, The Burning Girls, Lucy Atkins, Jorn Lier Horst, Thomas Enger, Nalini Singh, Alex Finlay, JT Ellison, Peter Swanson, The Lost Village, Camilla Sten, Eva Garcia Saenz, Elly Griffiths
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Book Review: BLOODLINE by Jess Lourey

December 31, 2020

If “small-town suspense-meets-horror” were a genre, Jess Lourey would be its queen. The author of 2020 standout UNSPEAKABLE THINGS returns on January 1 with her next work of dread-inducing rural horror, BLOODLINE. Set in 1960’s Minnesota, BLOODLINE draws readers into the heart of a picture-perfect town harboring unthinkable secrets. For pregnant journalist Joan Harken, her fiancé’s hometown of Lilydale represents a bright future: a place where their unborn child can grow up with all the safety and security that a tight-knit community has to offer—the kind of safety and security that was missing from her own upbringing. But as Joan settles into her new home, she can’t shake the feeling that something is just a bit off. Her neighbors have taken a keen interest in every aspect of her life, her fiancé is growing distant, and she swears someone is following her in the town. Joan is right to be suspicious—but even her wildest imaginings could never have prepared her, or the reader, for what is in store. Evil is lurking in the town of Lilydale, and Joan is going to have to rely on all her wits and inner strength to make it out with her life. BLOODLINE is a spine-tingling, up-all-night-reading psychological suspense novel-meets-horror story worthy of the comparisons to Rosemary’s Baby that it is receiving. If small-town scares are your cup of tea, BLOODLINE belongs on your 2021 reading list.

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In Book Review Tags Bloodline, Jess Lourey
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Book Review: UNSPEAKABLE THINGS by Jess Lourey

January 2, 2020

Some books terrify with blood and gore, others with the realities of life’s darkest corners. Jess Lourey’s stunning suspense novel UNSPEAKABLE THINGS falls into the latter camp. Inspired by a true story from the author’s hometown, UNSPEAKABLE THINGS explores exactly what its title suggests: the unspeakable horrors of a small town with unthinkable secrets. Something is rotten in the town of Lilydale, Minnesota. Young boys are disappearing, and then they’re returning… changed. For protagonist Cassie, the world is a strange and dangerous place; threats both outside and inside her own home make her young life a treacherous one. Told through the eyes of a girl on the brink of becoming a teenager, struggling to understand the dangers lurking on the periphery of her life, UNSPEAKABLE THINGS is an exceptional piece of suspense fiction. This book is sure to provoke strong reactions on both sides of the fence, in large part owing to the challenging themes explored within its pages, but it was a home-run for me. Vivid, atmospheric, and genuinely unsettling, UNSPEAKABLE THINGS is a coming-of-age story as you’ve never read it before.

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In Book Review Tags Unspeakable Things, Jess Lourey, Psychological Suspense
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View fullsize My personal crime fiction collection 🕵🏻‍♀️🖤 aka my favorite corner of my apartment. 📚🙌🏻 If anyone feels so inclined, I’d love to see what YOUR bookshelves look like! Snap a pic, share in your stories, & tag me - I’d love to
View fullsize I can never say no to a creepy read with a gorgeous black & white cover. 🕵🏻‍♀️🤍🖤 next on my TBR: THE SHADOWS by Alex North, available on my birthday, 7/7!!😉🔎 (huge thank you to @celadonbooks for this review copy!🤓) •
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View fullsize Being stuck at home isn’t so bad when you’ve got a massive stack of books to read. 🕵🏻‍♀️🖤 What’s on your social-distancing TBR?! 📖
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I went WAY overboard with books I brought home to CT for my self-isolation TBR list. ?
View fullsize Early afternoon light & a large latte ☕️ & a gripping crime read 🕵🏻‍♀️🖤 aka the perfect combination 🙌🏻
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This right here is my usual Sunday tradition 👆🏻 BUT I’ll be spending this Sunday (and this coming week, and probabl
View fullsize My last day in the city for a while calls for a lunch break coffee stop ☕️🖤 with my totally gripping current read 🕵🏻‍♀️
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Today is my last day in Manhattan for a while 😔 we’re all transitioning to working from home to try and preve
View fullsize In the midst of a crazy week, my brain needs a quick, binge-worthy read, and I think this beauty right here is just the ticket. 👌🏻🖤 NO BAD DEED by Heather Chavez is on sale now, and I can’t wait to dive in! 🕵🏻‍♀️
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Friends, I can&
View fullsize Happy Monday, friends! 🖤 Back in NYC and back to work after an amazing (if much too short) visit to Oslo 🇳🇴 annnd currently drinking a cold brew ☕️ at my desk & hoping it keeps me awake this afternoon 😂 jet lag + not enough sleep last night =
View fullsize Last looks at beautiful Oslo 🇳🇴 for this trip. ❤️ So very sad to leave, but I’m bringing wonderful memories & a suitcase stuffed with books 📚 back to NYC with me. 😉 See you soon, Oslo... you know I can’t stay away for long. 🥰❤️
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View fullsize Spent today doing all my favorite things in Oslo, so obviously a coffee stop was included. ☕️🖤 How are you spending your Saturday?! •
Okay I used to always think the phrase “living your best life” was SO cheesy but if I’m bein
View fullsize *Years* of admiring this Norwegian edition of my favorite book (THE SNOWMAN by Jo Nesbø) have finally resulted in this. 🕵🏻‍♀️🖤 Best. Purchase. Ever. 🙌🏻
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Does anyone else collect books by a favorite author?! 📚 I don’t have

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