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.

‘Tis the season for beach reads - and what better way to ring in the summer than with Sandie Jones’ newest psychological thriller? THE FIRST MISTAKE, Sandie’s sophomore psychological suspense novel, releases June 11th, and thanks to the team at Minotaur Books, I’m thrilled to give CBTB readers the chance to dip in to an early excerpt on the blog today! Sandie Jones made a splash last summer with her debut, THE OTHER WOMAN. It was a New York Times bestseller and was selected as one of Reese Witherspoon’s book club picks! Now, Sandie is back with THE FIRST MISTAKE: a suspense novel that looks just as juicy and binge-worthy as the author’s debut. The summer season always puts me in the mood for a “popcorn read” just like this one, and I can’t wait to dig in to THE FIRST MISTAKE this week! Learn all about THE FIRST MISTAKE, and read an excerpt from the book’s prologue and first chapter, in today’s blog post!

Mark your calendars, psychological thriller readers--Sara Shepard, #1 New York Times bestselling author of the Pretty Little Liars series, has a new adult suspense novel on sale later this year: REPUTATION, coming December 3rd, 2019 from Dutton Books! Thanks to Sara’s team at Dutton, I’m absolutely thrilled to reveal the (gorgeous!) cover for REPUTATION on CBTB today -- and not only that, but CBTB readers will also be treated to a mini Q&A with Sara right here, too! This is a personal dream come true for me - I’m a huge fan of Pretty Little Liars, and couldn’t be more excited for Sara’s newest adult suspense release later this year. If you love juicy suspense novels with twists, turns, and lots of intrigue, you’ll want to add REPUTATION to your reading list immediately. Read on to get the inside scoop on Sara Shepard’s newest release, including plot details, a mini Q&A with the author, and a look at the book’s gorgeous cover!

There’s nothing I love more than a buzzy new Scandinavian crime novel—so suffice it to say, M.T. Edvardsson’s US debut A NEARLY NORMAL FAMILY has been high on my “most anticipated” list this year. I devoured this thoughtful and thought-provoking story just about a month ago, and have been mulling it over ever since. There’s a lot about this book that’s hard to categorize (and if you’ve been around CBTB for a while, you’ll know I’m a huge fan of categorizing my reads!): is it a legal thriller? A domestic drama? A “whodunnit”? In the end, the answer may not really matter, because what A NEARLY NORMAL FAMILY is is wholly original and compelling. This slow-burn of a story takes readers into the midst of a family at the exact moment that their blissfully ordinary life is shattered. With the news that their daughter has been arrested for murder, a mother and father must face the unthinkable. How far will they go to protect their child? And what if their child really is guilty? This isn’t a pulse-pounding thriller in the traditional sense - as in, you won’t find shootouts or fight scenes within this book’s pages - but author M.T. Edvardsson ratchets up the tension and emotional investment all the same. Told in a wildly engrossing three-part structure, this domestic suspense-meets-courtroom drama is sure to be one of summer’s buzziest releases.

Kate White - former editor-in-chief of Cosmopolitan and bestselling writer - has a brand-new crime novel out this week: SUCH A PERFECT WIFE, available tomorrow (May 7th) from Harper Books! In honor of Kate’s newest release, I’m thrilled to share with CBTB readers a fantastic conversation between Kate and bestselling crime writer Alafair Burke, in which these two very talented women discuss SUCH A PERFECT WIFE, writing gutsy female characters, advice for aspiring writers, and more. If there ever were a fascinating and inspiring pair of women to learn from, it’s these two, and I’m absolutely thrilled to share their Q&A with CBTB readers today! In this post, you can learn more about Kate’s forthcoming release SUCH A PERFECT WIFE, plus get all the details on Alafair’s newest book, THE BETTER SISTER, too. Huge thanks to HarperCollins, Kate White, and Alafair Burke for sharing this Q&A with us today! Read on for all the details on both books, and the Q&A between Kate and Alafair.

In the mood for a book that’s dark and binge-worthy? You’ve come to the right place. In her stellar sophomore suspense novel, queen of the plot twist Alice Feeney delivers a genuine nail-biter, and a book that’s a worthy follow-up to her knockout debut, SOMETIMES I LIE. I KNOW WHO YOU ARE is a psychological thriller that pushes boundaries and delivers a truly twisted reading experience; it’s not for the faint of heart, but if you’re up for a suspense novel with an edge, it will be right up your alley. Following an actress who has spent her life adopting identities other than her own, I KNOW WHO YOU ARE takes readers inside a troubled marriage, and into the past our protagonist has worked so hard to keep hidden. When our protagonist’s husband goes missing, suspicion falls on her. Can she keep her past from catching up to her? Feeney made a splash with her debut thriller SOMETIMES I LIE, and in I KNOW WHO YOU ARE, she ups the ante. You might not guess it from this book’s relatively innocuous plot and seriously stylish cover, but I KNOW WHO YOU ARE is dark through and through. Alice Feeney has a dark imagination, and she pulls no punches in her sophomore thriller. What begins innocently enough twists and turns into something altogether shocking and utterly addictive. Clear your calendars: I KNOW WHO YOU ARE begs to be devoured whole.

It’s getting hard to think of new ways to say how much I love Ragnar Jonasson’s crime novels, but allow me to try once more. Just when I think Jonasson has surely written what will be my forever favorite book of his, he goes and outdoes himself yet again—and that’s exactly what’s happened here. I absolutely loved Jonasson’s 2018 release THE DARKNESS, the launch of his new trilogy featuring Detective Inspector Hulda Hermannsdottir, and I can now decidedly say that I loved the second trilogy installment, THE ISLAND, even more. In THE ISLAND, Jonasson ratchets up the tension and bone-chilling atmosphere of this Icelandic mystery trilogy—and the result is a downright unputdownable crime novel that captivates as much with its spine-tingling suspense as it does with its clever plotting. Jonasson has a knack for writing crime fiction that blends the old with the new seamlessly, and his skill is on full display in THE ISLAND. Weaving together a years-old crime with a present-day “locked room mystery”, Jonasson masterfully crafts a complex story that is hugely readable and entertaining. And let’s not forget this trilogy’s fantastic protagonist, Hulda; any excuse to spend more time with this spirited and down-to-earth character is one I’ll jump at. It’s worth reading THE DARKNESS (Book 1 in the Hulda trilogy) before THE ISLAND, but don’t let that two-book commitment put you off: these books are well worth your time. Inventive and original, atmospheric and chilling, THE ISLAND is another stellar release from one of Iceland’s foremost crime writers.

Dear crime readers: ‘tis the season for another “most anticipated” list! 2019 has already delivered a whole slew of stellar new crime reads, and there is so much more to come as we look towards the summer months. Between May, June, and July 2019, we crime readers will be treated to some of the best the genre has to offer: from new Nordic Noir to page-turning psychological thrillers and dark stories of revenge, there’s a little something for everyone on sale in the coming months! Today’s blog post will be focused on crime fiction releasing from May 2019 through July 2019 -- aka all the crime books you need to take you from spring into summer with a jam-packed TBR list. And not to worry: I will be sharing additional “most anticipated” lists for late summer, fall, and winter 2019 down the road, too! Without further ado, read on for my picks for Most-Anticipated Crime Books Hitting Shelves May - July 2019!

It’s hard to believe it, but summer is right around the corner - and it’s bringing with it a whole crop of hugely exciting new crime fiction releases! Right at the top of my personal list of most-anticipated Summer 2019 reads is today’s featured title: A NEARLY NORMAL FAMILY by M.T. Edvardsson, releasing in the U.S. June 25th, 2019. This Scandinavian psychological thriller is gathering major buzz; it’s been on my radar for quite a while now, and I’m so excited to finally be digging in to it this weekend. Thanks to the book’s publisher, I’m also thrilled to be able to share with CBTB readers a sneak peek into what’s sure to be one of summer’s hottest crime reads! In today’s blog post, you can get the inside scoop on A NEARLY NORMAL FAMILY, including plot details, advance praise, and an excerpt from the book’s prologue and first chapter.

A couple of weeks ago, I found myself in the airport in Oslo, Norway, waiting on a (very) delayed flight back to New York. What could have been a frustrating way to pass an evening was saved by my bookish companion on the trip: Norwegian author Thomas Enger’s thought-provoking standalone crime novel INBORN. Part courtroom drama, part exploration of small-town life in Enger’s native Norway, INBORN is an effortless read--one enhanced by precise plotting and the author’s knack for rich character development. Following a teenage boy who is accused of murder, INBORN moves readers between the courtroom, wherein the boy is being questioned by the prosecution, and the past, where readers slowly but surely unravel the secrets of what really happened on that fateful night. Given that this book did begin as a Young Adult novel, INBORN is lighter on violence and grit than is Enger’s Henning Juul series, but that’s no detriment to the story Enger tells here. Enger has done a superb job adapting this Young Adult crime novel for an adult readership, and readers will find the book’s clean, crisp prose and precise plotting appealingly easy to devour. I come to Thomas Enger’s writing when I want to read a book with characters who feel three-dimensional and endearing, and I found exactly that in his newest standalone. INBORN is a compelling blend of courtroom drama and heart-tugging examination of adolescence--Enger has delivered again.