It’s that time of year again: time to start compiling a wishlist of 2018 crime fiction! There’s no better way to kick off this year’s “Buzzworthy 2018 Books” series than with a superb crime fiction debut: THE CHALK MAN by C.J. Tudor. Part dark coming of age story, part psychological thriller, this outstanding debut will be a must-read for fans of Stephen King, Ruth Ware, and Liz Nugent—a bit of an eclectic blend, perhaps, but an appropriate illustration of the many facets that will make this debut so widely-appealing. THE CHALK MAN releases January 9th, 2018—mark your calendars now, and stay tuned for a full review of THE CHALK MAN and an interview with author C.J. Tudor closer to publication!
Read More
September 2017 Recommended New Releases
September is always the biggest month of the year for new books, and this year is proving to be no exception! September has been jam-packed with fantastic crime fiction releases, and it’s not done yet. If there’s any possible downside to this month full of new books, it’s simply that it can be hard to keep track of all the amazing releases publishers are serving up each week—so I’m here to fix that. Consider this post your guide to the best crime fiction September 2017 has to offer!
Read More
Book Review: PERFECT REMAINS by Helen Fields (DI Callanach Series)
What’s a crime reader to do when visiting a new country for the first time? Find a crime book set there, of course! On my first-ever trip to Scotland this fall, I picked up a copy of PERFECT REMAINS by Helen Fields - a Scottish crime novel which came highly recommended to me by friends and a Waterstones bookseller alike! PERFECT REMAINS has all the gore and shock value that readers expect from a serial killer thriller, coupled with its uniquely-Scottish backdrop and roots. If you’re in the market for a visceral and relatively gory crime novel with a side of police procedural, PERFECT REMAINS will be right up your alley. While this book didn’t upend some of my recent favorite serial killer thrillers (THE FOURTH MONKEY by J.D. Barker and HIDE AND SEEK by M.J. Arlidge, to name a couple), I thoroughly enjoyed this chilling story.
Read More
Author 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 More
Blog Tour | Book Review: MARIA IN THE MOON by Louise Beech
Some books seem to defy categorization and expectation entirely—Louise Beech’s MARIA IN THE MOON is that kind of read. Releasing from Orenda Books on September 30th, this enchanting and brooding story managed to captivate me, unsettle me, and keep me fully immersed from the first page to the last. I’m delighted to participate in the blog tour for this stunning novel today! Whatever your expectation for this story might be, MARIA IN THE MOON is likely to surprise you; this book is neither crime fiction nor literary fiction, it’s neither terribly dark nor is it wholly uplifting. What it is is honest: Beech’s writing feels raw, as though the reader is privy to the author’s innermost self, laid bare on the page. MARIA IN THE MOON is a beautifully-constructed and wholly transporting novel, one that draws readers into a young woman’s search for her own memories—a search which reveals truths she has long since hidden from herself.
Read More