Happy Friday the 13th, CBTB readers!! Whenever a Friday the 13th rolls around, I always find myself in the mood to revisit some of my favorite horror movies—and in today’s blog post, I’m doing exactly that! I’m pairing a few of my personal favorite horror movies with crime novels that involve some of the same themes, topics, or tropes. Since CBTB is a crime fiction-focused blog, the books recommended here will primarily be crime fiction, rather than straight horror - though they’ll each have a certain element of something particularly chilling or even horror-inspired to them.
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Book Review: LYING IN WAIT by Liz Nugent
What an absolute talent Liz Nugent is. The Irish crime writer made a splash with her debut UNRAVELING OLIVER, and this June, her sophomore effort releases in the US. LYING IN WAIT is every bit a propulsive, compulsively-readable psychological suspense novel. You would be hard pressed to find another psychological suspense author who writes with the same unfussy dexterity as Nugent—her clean, to-the-point prose and candid observations of human nature come together here to deliver a truly outstanding summer read.
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Book Review: MACBETH by Jo Nesbø
Raw, gritty, and rough around the edges, Jo Nesbø’s MACBETH captures the ageless dark heart of Shakespeare’s original work, and packages it in the razor-sharp crime writing only Nesbø can deliver. Revenge, love, guilt—themes that permeate Nesbø’s own works are perfectly reflected in Shakespeare’s Macbeth, and come together in Nesbø’s remake to pitch-perfect effect. It takes a masterful writer to deliver what Nesbø does here: a remake as fiercely original and as it is faithful to its inspiration. MACBETH is a must-read for readers of Shakespeare and fans of Nordic Noir alike.
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March 2018 Wrap-Up
At the end of every month, I absolutely love looking back on my reading list and reliving what I loved about the books I devoured in the preceding month. I’ve been on a really good reading streak recently, and March was no exception! My month was dominated by psychological thrillers in March, even more so than usual—though I did have one totally engrossing police procedural in the mix, too. There’s nothing like the feeling when you’re in a great groove with the books you’re reading - and I’m excited to keep that going into the new month!
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Book Excerpt: HELL'S PRINCESS by Harold Schechter
Any fans of true crime here? Crime by the Book is first and foremost a place to explore crime fiction, but every now and then, a little glimpse into the world of true crime is called for. When I’m not reading crime fiction, I actually spend a lot of time absorbing all things true crime. My personal favorite true crime story? Belle Gunness. Today I’m so excited to share an excerpt from HELL’S PRINCESS: The Mystery of Belle Gunness, Butcher of Men by Harold Schechter, on sale April 1st!
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