Happy, Happy October!! Halloween is just around the corner, and you know what that means—it’s time to stock up on spooky reads to get you in the Halloween spirit! While the majority of books I read and review here on Crime by the Book could work for your Halloween TBR, I decided to turn to the experts for advice. I’m delighted to share a fantastic Halloween guest post from Ania Ahlborn, queen of all things Halloween and horror, recommending her top Halloween reads for your TBR!
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Author Q&A: Dirk Kurbjuweit, FEAR
There are a select few authors where, whenever I see their name associated with anything, I simply must investigate their connection to it. Dutch writer Herman Koch is one such author for me. When I saw his fantastic praise quote for German crime novel FEAR by Dirk Kurbjuweit (on sale this week - 10/3/17), I knew right away this was a book I had to read—and I am so glad that I listened to that instinct. Thanks to Kurbjuweit’s US publisher, I had the opportunity to ask a few of my most pressing questions of the author of FEAR, which will surely be one of the smartest and most unsettling books I’ll read this year.
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Book Review: THE LAST MRS. PARRISH by Liv Constantine
Try as I might not to judge a book by its cover, some are just too pretty to resist—THE LAST MRS. PARRISH by Liv Constantine is a prime example. Unfortunately, my experience reading this book didn’t quite live up to how enamored I was with its cover. While undeniably entertaining and fast-paced, THE LAST MRS. PARRISH won’t work for crime readers looking for dark, twisty psychological suspense; on the other hand, this book does still tackle themes that might be too dark for readers looking to enjoy a work of women’s fiction. Is it dark romance? Psychological suspense? Contemporary fiction? This genre-bending wouldn't be an issue, aside from the fact that I've seen this book largely promoted as a "twisty psychological thriller". I would not recommend THE LAST MRS. PARRISH for crime readers, but I also would never deny that there is something very entertaining about this book—it’s just not quite the shocking thriller it’s billed to be.
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Meet the Author: Gilly Macmillan
I’m thrilled to welcome crime writer Gilly Macmillan to the blog today for a “Meet the Author” Q&A! Gilly’s 2016 psychological suspense novel THE PERFECT GIRL was an instant-hit for me, and to make things even better, she has a new book out this coming Tuesday: ODD CHILD OUT (10/3/17)! In this author interview, Gilly shares insight into the path that led her to become a crime writer, the sources of inspiration for her novels, what her writing routine looks like, and a whole lot more. Many thanks to Gilly for answering my questions so thoughtfully - her responses are absolutely fantastic, and I hope you’ll enjoy reading them as much as I have!
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Buzzworthy 2018 Books: THE CHALK MAN by C.J. Tudor
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!
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