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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 Spring & Summer 2021 Crime Books

April 11, 2021

Is it a little bit early to be talking about summer crime fiction releases? Maybe… though I don’t know about you, but I for one am already eagerly anticipating summer and all that it will bring with it! It’s been a long year since the pandemic began, and I will take any and every excuse to look forward to the future - including looking forward to future crime fiction releases. In that spirit, rather than doing separate Spring 2021 and Summer 2021 Most-Anticipated lists, I decided to combine them both into one massive rundown of the upcoming crime fiction releases that I’m most looking forward to in the coming months! Some of these books I have been fortunate enough to read already, others are waiting for me on my TBR pile, and others I’ve got on pre-order - but all of these books are on my wishlist as we look towards the months ahead. Whether you’re in the mood for light psychological suspense, gritty noir, creepy thrills, or anything in between, there’s a little something on this list for everyone! Grab a cup of coffee and dig into my picks for Most-Anticipated Spring & Summer 2021 Crime Books. For ease of reference, and to help you plan your own summer TBR list, this list is organized by publication month and date.

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In Reading List, Summer Reading List Tags Summer Reading, Summer Books, Summer 2021 Crime Books, Summer 2021 New Mysteries, Paula Hawkins, A Slow Fire Burning, 56 Days, Catherine Ryan Howard, Sandie Jones, Razorblade tears, SA Cosby, Riley Sager, Survive the Night, Ashley Winstead, Cate Holahan, Her Three Lives, Ragnar Jonasson, The Girl Who Died, Camilla Lackberg, Silver Tears, Bath Haus, PJ Vernon, The Lords of Time, Eva Garcia Saenz, People Like Them, Samira Sedira
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Crime Books to Read While You Stay at Home

March 19, 2020

It’s safe to say these are unprecedented times. With the rapid spread of the new coronavirus around the world, a whole lot of us (yours truly included!) are finding ourselves with a whole lot more solitary time on our hands as we stay home and self-isolate. If you’re in this position and looking for a new book or two to take your mind off the news cycle, you’ve come to the right place! I’ve compiled a big list of highly-recommended crime books for you to peruse—and my hope is that one of these (or a few of these!) can keep you company and give you a sense of escape during these very overwhelming times. To help you find a book that will suit your reading tastes, I’ve organized this reading list by mood. Whether you’re in the mood for something binge-worthy, something bookish, or something downright scary, there’s a book for you here.

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In Reading List, Recommendation Tags Crime Books to Read, Lars Kepler, Riley Sager, Sandie Jones, Dot Hutchison, Alex Michaelides, C.J. Tudor, Simone St. James, Catherine Ryan Howard, Stephanie Wrobel, Elly Griffiths, Peter Swanson, J.T. Ellison, M.J. Arlidge, Jo Nesbo, Sara Blaedel, Ragnar Jonasson
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CBTB’s Best Psychological Thrillers of 2019

December 20, 2019

What a year it has been for new crime fiction!! At the end of the year, there’s nothing quite as fun as reflecting on all the incredible books we’ve been able to read thanks to the hard work of so many talented authors. Today I want to kick off a series of “Best of 2019” posts with a roundup of the best psychological thrillers and psychological suspense of the year! This year saw the release of so many exciting new debut novels and the return of tons of CBTB-favorite psychological thriller authors, and I am so excited to share this list with you all. It’s always so challenging to narrow down lists like this, but I had to cut this list off at 11 titles - otherwise I would have kept adding to it forever. Read on for my picks for best psychological thrillers of 2019!

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In Book Recommendation, Best Crime Books of 2019 Tags Best 2019 Books, Best 2019 Psychological Thrillers, Must-Read 2019 Books, Ruth Ware, Riley Sager, Alex Michaelides, C.J. Tudor, Lisa Unger, Sandie Jones, Lisa Jewell, J.T. Ellison, Samantha Downing, Alice Feeney
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Q&A: Sandie Jones, Author of THE FIRST MISTAKE

July 11, 2019

Still on the hunt for the perfect domestic thriller to bring on your next vacation? Look no further: Sandie Jones’ THE FIRST MISTAKE is the book for you. Twisty and shocking, THE FIRST MISTAKE takes a relatively familiar suspense setup - a wife who fears her spouse is being unfaithful - and pushes it in addictive, jaw-dropping new directions. Sandie Jones made a splash with her debut novel The Other Woman, which was a selection for Reese Witherspoon’s book club and a New York Times bestseller… but I actually loved THE FIRST MISTAKE even more. This book is a perfect example of what I like to call “popcorn reading”: an utterly entertaining story that you’ll want to binge-read in one or two sittings. Fans of B.A. Paris, J.P. Delaney, and Shari Lapena will absolutely love the domestic drama, plot twists, and chilling suspense Sandie Jones serves up in THE FIRST MISTAKE. I’m thrilled to welcome Sandie Jones to CBTB today to talk all things THE FIRST MISTAKE! In this blog post, you’ll find all the details on Sandie’s newest release, an excerpt from my review of this deliciously addictive suspense read, and, of course, my conversation with Sandie.

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In Author Q&A Tags The First Mistake, Sandie Jones, The Other Woman, Beach Reads, Psychological Suspense, Domestic Suspense
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Book Review: THE FIRST MISTAKE by Sandie Jones

June 10, 2019

Sandie Jones made a splash last summer with her debut suspense novel THE OTHER WOMAN, a New York Times bestseller and a pick for Reese Witherspoon’s book club—and she’s back this summer, and better than ever, with THE FIRST MISTAKE. A juicy, page-turning story of marital secrets, THE FIRST MISTAKE takes a familiar plot - a wife who suspects her husband might be hiding something from her - and turns it on its head. Following Alice, her husband Nathan, and her best friend Beth, THE FIRST MISTAKE unravels a layered story of deceit and betrayal… and I’m betting even the most seasoned suspense reader will be genuinely shocked by the twists author Sandie Jones has in store. Sophomore novels have a reputation for being particularly tricky to get right, but Sandie Jones has executed hers effortlessly; I thoroughly enjoyed last year’s THE OTHER WOMAN, but I liked THE FIRST MISTAKE even more. This book is pure pleasure reading. For readers of fan-favorite domestic thrillers Behind Closed Doors by B.A. Paris and Lie To Me by J.T. Ellison, THE FIRST MISTAKE is the perfect beach read: a story of what happens when happily ever after goes wrong.

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In Book Review Tags The First Mistake, Sandie Jones, The Other Woman
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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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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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