There’s something so special about discovering a debut author whose work just clicks for you. It’s that thrill of discovering something new - a hidden gem, an author whose work you’ll want to follow for years to come. 2018 was a hugely exciting year for new crime fiction talent, but there were five debut crime writers whose work stood out to me in particular - and those are the authors whose work you will find in this list! The authors featured in this list write in very different crime fiction spaces, but their work has one very important thing in common: it’s exceptional. From a harrowing coming-of-age story to a Scandinavian domestic drama to a modern take on a classic procedural and much more, this list highlights the expansive, elastic quality of the crime fiction genre—and proves that women are leading the charge across the board. I can’t wait to see what these talented writers will do next. In no particular order (because I loved them all!), let’s dive in to my picks for Best Debut Crime Novels of 2018.
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CBTB's Recommended June 2018 Releases
June has brought with it some outstanding new crime fiction releases! Whether you’re in the market for a dark and twisted psychological thriller, a suspense novel exploring the pressures of motherhood, or an immersive and atmospheric police procedural, there’s a little something for everyone on sale this month. Along with my four picks for June Recommended Releases, I’m also including a roundup at the bottom of this post highlighting three new June releases I haven’t had a chance to read yet, but which I’m hoping to get to sooner or later! (Because the saying "so many books, so little time" is way too real.) Happy reading!
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May 2018 Wrap-Up
Happy June, reader! I feel like I say this every month, but I can’t believe how quickly this year is flying by. May has been a busy, busy month for me (as per usual), but it’s also been a fantastic month in books for me as well! I devoured the third installment in a trilogy I love (The Collector Trilogy by Dot Hutchison), I read a superb Nordic police procedural, and a whole lot more. I’m also about to wrap up a fantastic summer psychological suspense novel - OUR HOUSE by Louise Candlish - but I’ll save that one for my June Wrap-Up, since I still have a few pages of it left! Before we dive into my wrap-up, let’s take a look at a few quick stats from my month in books:
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Book Review: THE GOOD SON by You-jeong Jeong
THE GOOD SON is the first of South Korean writer You-jeong Jeong’s books to be made available to English-speaking audiences—and it’s a must-read, plain and simple. With harrowing precision and unflinching bluntness, Jeong draws readers into the mind of her tormented main character, Yu-jin - a young man with a faulty memory and some very dark secrets. THE GOOD SON will shock with blood and guts as much as it will delight with originality and unpredictability. In Jeong’s masterful hands, this story of memory loss and familial secrets is nothing short of spectacular. All I can hope for (beyond my hope that you pick up a copy of this book upon its release) is that more of Jeong’s work will be translated into English as soon as possible -- I, for one, will be waiting!
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