I’m so honored to be able to share with CBTB readers some very exciting news: later this year, one of my go-to crime fiction series - Tessa Wegert’s Shana Merchant series - will return! December, Tessa will publish her newest Shana Merchant novel—THE KIND TO KILL (available December 6). Today on CBTB, I have the honor of revealing the book’s gorgeous cover, and giving you a sneak peek into this new series installment! In today’s blog post, you can learn more about the book, check out its beautiful and atmospheric cover, and read an early excerpt from its first chapter. (Plus: if you’re totally new to Tessa’s work, be sure to scroll all the way to the bottom of this post for a quick overview of the Shana Merchant series thus far.)
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CBTB'S MOST-ANTICIPATED SPRING 2022 CRIME BOOKS
Is it just me, or have the first few months of 2022 flown by?! I can’t believe it’s already April—but here we are, and it’s time to talk about the incredible crop of new crime fiction that Spring 2022 has in store for us!! 2022 is already shaping up to be an outstanding year for new crime fiction (then again, when is it not a great year for new crime books!), and in today’s blog post, I’m shining a spotlight on my most-anticipated new crime books publishing in April and May 2022! Whether you’re in the market for a new detective novel, a twisty psychological thriller, a spine-tingling supernatural suspense novel, or just about anything in between, you’ll find it in this blog post. April and May 2022 will see the return of fan-favorite thriller writers including Sarah Pinborough, Tessa Wegert, and May Cobb, and they might just introduce you to some new-to-you voices, too! I’ve been lucky enough to read advance copies of many of the books on this list, and others are on my to-read list as soon as they publish. It’s going to be an incredible spring for new crime fiction, and I hope you’ll find a book (or two, or three!) to add to your to-read list in this blog post!
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Cover Reveal & Excerpt: DEAD WIND by Tessa Wegert
I’m so honored to be able to give Crime by the Book readers an exclusive sneak peek into the newest novel by a writer who has quickly become one of my go-to, must-reads: Tessa Wegert! If you’re in the market for a new detective series to add to your fall reading list, Tessa’s novels featuring Senior Investigator Shana Merchant might just be your perfect fit. I’m so excited to be able to give the Crime by the Book community the inside scoop on Tessa’s next Shana Merchant novel, DEAD WIND, coming to a bookstore near you April 5, 2022! In today’s blog post, you can check out the atmospheric and intriguing cover for Tessa’s newest book, learn more about its plot, and read an exclusive excerpt from the book’s prologue. (Plus, if you’re interested in checking out all of Tessa’s books, scroll all the way down on this blog post and you’ll find links to them all!) Huge thanks to Tessa for letting me get involved in this cover reveal—I’m so excited to be able to participate, and to share this sneak peek with the CBTB community!
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CBTB’s Recommended Locked Room Mysteries
It’s one of crime fiction’s oldest tropes, and one of its most perennially-appealing, too: a group of individuals find themselves locked in a hotel (or on an island, or in a house… you get the idea!), a murderer in their midst. Who among them is the killer? The locked room mystery is an unfailingly entertaining crime fiction subgenre. Clever plots, impossible solutions, red herrings a plenty—there is so much to love about books that fall into this category, and they’ve been a longtime favorite for me ever since I began reading Agatha Christie novels back in the day! With the recent popularity of locked room-style mysteries including THE GUEST LIST by Lucy Foley and THE SANATORIUM by Sarah Pearse, I’ve been receiving more requests than ever for a blog post dedicated to my personal favorite locked room mystery recommendations. Well, the day is finally here! I’m thrilled to share my list of Recommended Locked Room Mysteries with CBTB readers today. From Nordic mysteries to modern-day twists on the genre to classics and more, I hope that every reader will find a little something to catch their eye in today’s blog post.
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CBTB's Best Crime Books of 2020
Another year is drawing to a close, and what a year it’s been. To call 2020 a challenge would be, frankly, the understatement of the year. I’ve always been thankful for the escape that a great crime book can bring, but I don’t think I’ve ever been quite as thankful for great books as I have been this year. 2020 brought with it outstanding new crime fiction from CBTB favorites and new-to-me authors alike; it saw some of my longtime favorite writers embarking on new directions in their writing careers; it introduced me to new series that I expect I’ll be following for years to come. From psychological thrillers to Nordic Noir to creepy, horror-inspired suspense and a little bit of everything in between, this year brought with it lots of new crime novels to love, and in today’s blog post, I’m sharing my picks for the very best of the best that this year had to offer. I’m thrilled to share with you my picks for Best Crime Books of 2020, this year with a fun twist! I’ve given each book included in this list a superlative: everything from “Best Plot Twist” to “Best ‘Popcorn Thriller’” to “Best Nordic Noir Series Installment” and more. Happy reading!
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