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, Iβve been feeling particularly inspired to put together a post on one of the very first Scandinavian crime series I fell in love withβso thatβs exactly what Iβm doing today! After reading (and loving) Stieg Larssonβs 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 NesbΓΈ, Sara Blaedel, and todayβs featured author: Camilla LΓ€ckberg. In the years since, my love of Camilla LΓ€ckbergβs endearing, engrossing FjΓ€llbacka Series has only grown. If youβre 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 thatβs not at all a negative. Instead, think of these books as the kind of βcomfort readβ that youβll want to come back to over and over, thanks to their rich atmosphere, endearing characters, and chilling (but not terrifying) mysteries. I couldnβt be more excited to finally be taking the time to share exactly why I love this series - and why I think youβll love it, too.
Read MoreAuthor 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.
Read MoreCBTB's Beginner's Guide to Jo NesbΓΈ
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 NesbΓΈ. Back in March 2017, I created this βBeginnerβs Guide to Jo NesbΓΈβ to help readers begin their own journeys with NesbΓΈβs work. Five years later (in March 2022, to be precise!), Iβm still obsessed with Jo NesbΓΈβand, at long last, Iβm revamping this blog post with all the latest information on NesbΓΈβs work. My goal is for this blog post to be your one-stop shopping list + personal companion through NesbΓΈβs body of work. Here youβll find a rundown of NesbΓΈβs bestselling detective series (including answers to frequently-asked questions Iβve 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 NesbΓΈ that I havenβt addressed here, please donβt hesitate to reach outβI am truly always happy to help, and nothing makes me happier than seeing readers get hooked on Jo NesbΓΈ novels! Happy reading!
Read MoreUnofficial Character Guide: The Henning Juul Series
Thomas Enger's Henning Juul series is one of my favorites, and Orenda Books has just released Book 4 in the seriesβCURSED. To help new readers who want to dive into the series with this new installment, I've written up an unofficial character guide that will introduce you to Enger's series! You'll also find all my coverage of Enger's books linked at the bottom of this post.
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