October has come and gone, and what a great reading month it was! I genuinely enjoyed every single book I read this month. From dark and gritty Nordic Noir to a charming crime fiction short story collection and a Hitchcock-inspired psychological thriller, my bookish October was outstanding. (So much so that I had a hard time picking a "least favorite read of the month" below!) Read on for a recap of my reads from the month of October, plus a roundup of the additional blog posts featured on Crime by the Book this past month!
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Blog Tour | Book Review: WHITEOUT by Ragnar Jonasson
It’s hard to imagine an author whose work can genuinely be called an heir to Agatha Christie, but Iceland’s Ragnar Jonasson might be modern crime fiction’s strongest contender. In Jonasson’s newest Dark Iceland series installment, WHITEOUT, readers are treated to a Christmas-themed mystery that delivers all the atmosphere, intrigue, and charm that has made this series so popular. Jonasson’s books are not “cozy mysteries,” but they are the perfect choice for a cozy autumn or winter afternoon spent reading, and WHITEOUT is perfectly timed to the approaching holiday season. Readers of Agatha Christie will love the distinctly classic crime style of Jonasson’s writing, and will also be drawn to WHITEOUT for its quasi-“locked room mystery” structure—in this case, the “locked room” being a very small, very isolated little community in rural Iceland. Grab a cozy sweater and a cup of coffee and prepare to be drawn into Jonasson’s immersive and endearing mystery series.
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Blog Tour | Author Q&A: Cath Staincliffe, CWA Anthology
I've only recently begun to explore crime fiction short stories in earnest, so when the offer came around to participate in the blog tour for the newest CWA Anthology of Short Stories, I knew I had to jump at the chance! This fantastic short story collection is published by Orenda Books, and has a “Mystery Tour” theme, which means it highlights crime writers from around the world, writing stories set in countries from across the globe. I love to travel and I (clearly!) love crime fiction, so I couldn’t imagine a better theme for an anthology. I'm delighted to share my stop on the CWA Anthology of Short Stories blog tour today!
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Buzzworthy 2018 Books: THE SANDMAN by Lars Kepler
Crime fiction readers, listen up: if you love gritty, cinematic, edge-of-your-seat thrillers, I did the legwork for you—meet one of your future contenders for favorite book of 2018. Today’s featured Buzzworthy 2018 Book, THE SANDMAN by Lars Kepler (March 2018), is one of those rare books that balances meticulous plotting, edge-of-your-seat suspense, and an almost mythic serial killer to pitch-perfect effect. Cinematic, action-packed, and bone-chilling, THE SANDMAN is poised to deliver a standout 2018 thriller read. It might release in March, but I’m betting it will top the “Best Of” lists for fans of Scandinavian greats like THE GIRL WITH THE DRAGON TATTOO by Stieg Larsson and THE SNOWMAN by Jo Nesbo.
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CBTB's Recommended Halloween Reads
It’s the most wonderful time of the year: Halloween!! Time for all things creepy and chilling—and undeniably the perfect season to dig into a great thriller. I’ve been getting lots of questions about Halloween reads this year, so to make things easy for you, I’ve put together this list of recommended Halloween crime books! To keep things easy to navigate, I decided to organize this list in an “If You Like That, Read This” format. Explore the list below based on your current favorites, and find a new creepy read perfect for your 2017 Halloween!
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