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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
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  • #ReadWithCBTB
  • Features
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  • As Seen In
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the cbtb blog

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

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CBTB’s Favorite Crime Fiction Series

May 3, 2020

If there’s one thing I love as a reader, it’s finding a crime fiction series that I can’t put down. There’s something so special about finding a fictional world that you never want to leave, and if you’re in the market for a crime fiction series to sink your teeth into while you stay home, you’ve come to the right place. In this blog post, I’m rounding up my personal favorite crime fiction series—the series I personally come back to over and over again. As you’ll see in this list, my personal tastes skew Nordic. You’ll find here a whole assortment of (if I may say so myself!) top-notch Scandinavian crime series to immerse yourself in this spring, and sprinkled in among these Nordic picks are a number of excellent serial killer thrillers and police procedurals from elsewhere in the world, too. These books have a lot of differences—some are fast-paced, some are slow-burns; some are gritty and violent, some are stylish and refined—but they are all staples of my crime fiction library, and books that I would highly recommend to any crime reader.

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In Book Recommendation, Reading List Tags Crime Fiction Series, Crime Series Recommendation, Jo Nesbo, Lars Kepler, Yrsa Sigurdardottir, Ragnar Jonasson, MJ Arlidge, Dot Hutchison, Sara Blaedel
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CBTB's Best Crime Books of 2017

December 17, 2017

It’s that time of the year - time for me to round up my picks for the best crime novels of 2017! This is always my favorite blog post to write, and 2017 gave me a run for my money when it came to narrowing down my list of favorites. Reflecting on this past year, my favorite reads were those that pushed the envelope, breaking new ground, providing new twists on current trends, and delivering reads that were as emotionally impactful as they were chilling and entertaining. Without further ado - let's dive in!

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In Crime Books of the Year Tags Best Crime Books of 2017, Jo Nesbo, Clare Mackintosh, JP Delaney, MJ Arlidge, Matt Wesolowski, Ragnar Jonasson, Peter Swanson, Michael Robotham, Emily Carpenter
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Book Review: HIDE AND SEEK by M.J. Arlidge (Helen Grace #6)

September 18, 2017

The wait is nearly over: one of crime fiction's most compelling, complicated detectives DI Helen Grace returns this October in HIDE AND SEEK by MJ Arlidge (Berkley; on sale 10/10/17) – and she's back in a big way. Arlidge's gripping crime series has been a favorite of mine ever since I first dove into Book 1 (EENY MEENY) nearly two years ago. Somehow, Arlidge manages to just get better and better; with each new series installment, Arlidge ups the ante, delivering more insight into Helen's complicated character and higher stakes for the crimes she must solve. True to form, Arlidge has outdone himself yet again with HIDE AND SEEK: this superb thriller reads like a cross between a locked room mystery and an episode of Criminal Minds, serving up one of my favorite reads of the series so far.

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In Book Review, Book Recommendation Tags MJ Arlidge, Berkley, Helen Grace, Book Review, Book Recommendation
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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!🤓) •
Thank you guy
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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