When you think “summer reading,” what kinds of books pop into your head? Something light and feel-good, maybe an inspiring memoir, or, if you want to venture into crime, a twisty domestic suspense novel... now, I love a good “beach read” as much as the next person, but today I want to make the case for why your summer reading list needs - or, dare I say, why it deserves - a dark and gritty Scandinavian crime novel, too. With each of the six reasons listed below, I’ll also provide an accompanying book recommendation that exemplifies that particular quality!
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Book Review: SLOWLY WE DIE by Emelie Schepp
Emelie Schepp is a self-made success story. Schepp self-published her debut novel, MARKED FOR LIFE, and went on to break records for self-published book sales in Sweden. Now an internationally-bestselling author, Schepp delivers her newest thriller to American audiences this June. SLOWLY WE DIE may be part of the Jana Berzelius series, but much of this book reads like a stand-alone. Shifting focus away from Jana’s personal backstory and towards a new - and chilling - case, SLOWLY WE DIE will be largely accessible to readers who have never dipped into this series before. Perhaps most interesting, though, is the decision by Schepp to take her Nordic thriller away from the traditional layered plotting and slow-burn pacing of Scandinavian crime, and towards a more commercial, brisk tone. With crimes plaguing the medical community at the center of this story, fans of medical thrillers by Tess Gerritsen and Patricia Cornwell are likely to be the audience best suited to Schepp’s story of decades-old vendettas in Sweden.
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May 2018 Wrap-Up
Happy June, reader! I feel like I say this every month, but I can’t believe how quickly this year is flying by. May has been a busy, busy month for me (as per usual), but it’s also been a fantastic month in books for me as well! I devoured the third installment in a trilogy I love (The Collector Trilogy by Dot Hutchison), I read a superb Nordic police procedural, and a whole lot more. I’m also about to wrap up a fantastic summer psychological suspense novel - OUR HOUSE by Louise Candlish - but I’ll save that one for my June Wrap-Up, since I still have a few pages of it left! Before we dive into my wrap-up, let’s take a look at a few quick stats from my month in books:
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Book Review | Blog Tour: THE OLD YOU by Louise Voss
Show me a psychological suspense novel called “Hitchcockian” and “modern domestic noir” and it’s pretty much a given that this book is something I’ve got to check out. Louise Voss’ newest release THE OLD YOU, then, promised to tick all the boxes I look for in a story of psychological suspense: rich character development, Hitchcockian undertones, and a healthy dose of hidden interpersonal secrets. Voss has written a page-turning story that keeps the reader constantly wrong-footed, unraveling deceit after deceit in a relationship over the book’s 300-odd pages. While I had hoped for a bit more darkness and tension in THE OLD YOU, this book is an undeniable binge-read—and it’s one that will work quite well for readers looking for lighter, more subtle suspense to add to their summer reading list.
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Author Q&A: Ruth Ware, THE DEATH OF MRS. WESTAWAY
If I had to make a shortlist of authors I would love to interview about their work, Ruth Ware is easily in my top five - if not higher! I’m beyond thrilled, then, to be able to welcome Ruth to CBTB today to chat about her newest novel: THE DEATH OF MRS. WESTAWAY. On sale in the US today (5/29), THE DEATH OF MRS. WESTAWAY is Ruth Ware at her very finest. In this atmospheric and quasi-gothic story of long-kept family secrets, a case of mixed identities sets a young woman (Hal) on the path to claim a massive fortune… so long as she can successfully con her way into a wealthy - and very eccentric - family. I’m so excited to share this Q&A with Ruth Ware - I hope you’ll enjoy reading it as much as I’ve enjoyed putting it together!
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