In the spring of 2014, a truly shocking story broke: two young teens lured their friend into the woods and stabbed her 19 times. The motivation behind their gruesome crime? The girls were trying to please a fiction character known as Slender Man - an urban legend born of the internet. This real case shocked the world when it first broke—and it’s inspired the newest book by USA Today bestselling author Carter Wilson, too. MISTER TENDER’S GIRL went on sale earlier this year to rave reviews, and, after meeting the author at this year’s Thrillerfest conference, I knew it was finally time to make space for it on my reading list. In this fictionalization of the Slender Man case, readers go down the rabbit hole with Alice, the survivor of a stabbing at the hands of two of her friends. Alice was intended as a sacrifice to a character known as Mister Tender—a bartender from a series of graphic novels dreamed up by Alice’s own father. Carter Wilson blurs the lines between reality and fiction to gripping effect in MISTER TENDER’S GIRL; readers will find themselves drawn into a world that’s just close enough to our own to be genuinely creepy, and just over the top enough to be totally binge-worthy. Our culture’s obsession with true crime doesn’t seem to be going anywhere soon, and if you’re as fascinated by the Slender Man case as I am, Wilson’s reimagining of it belongs on your TBR.
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Recommended July 2018 Releases
How is it already August?! This summer is absolutely flying by - but it's brought with it some fantastic new crime novels, so I'm far from complaining! July was a stellar month for new releases. From new-to-me authors (like Lucy Atkins) to old favorites (like Riley Sager), my reading list was dominated by really stellar reads this month—and I'm so excited to share my picks for Recommended July Releases with you today!
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Book Review: THE HYPNOTIST by Lars Kepler
Book one in husband-and-wife duo Lars Kepler's series, THE HYPNOTIST introduces readers to Joona Linna, the complex, dedicated detective who takes center stage in Kepler's bestselling books. Readers will find THE HYPNOTIST a supremely accessible addition to their Nordic Noir library; where Scandinavian crime novels tend to feature layered, brooding plots, Kepler balances that complexity of plotting with genuinely page-turning pacing - and the result is a gripping thriller you’ll want to devour in just a couple sittings. While THE SANDMAN is (thus far!) my favorite Kepler novel I’ve read, this new edition of THE HYPNOTIST is a fantastic addition to your summer reading list.
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Book Review: JANE DOE by Victoria Helen Stone
Victoria Helen Stone’s biting thriller JANE DOE centers around a woman whose sole motivation is revenge. Protagonist Jane has crafted an identity for herself with a single end result in mind: she is going to become the perfect woman for a particular man, and then she is going to destroy him - just as he destroyed someone whom Jane holds dear. There are no false pretenses or veiled motivations here; Jane has revenge on the brain, and she won’t stop until she gets what she wants. In many ways, JANE DOE achieves what it sets out to accomplish: this book is undeniably addictive and fresh, and more than holds its own against the (arguably a bit tired) trend of the “unreliable narrator.” Jane is exactly what she says she is—no more, no less. Unfortunately, JANE DOE also suffers a bit from a tendency towards the overly-dramatic; readers who prefer subtlety in their crime writing will find JANE DOE too repetitive and loud for their tastes. Every element of JANE DOE is captured in stark relief, from Jane’s caustic personality to her vengeful mission and the corruption of the story’s secondary characters. Whether or not the melodrama of the story’s plot works for you will be another question altogether—and one which will determine how suitable of a selection JANE DOE will be for you.
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Book Preview: TELL ME YOU’RE MINE by Elisabeth Norebäck
I’ve had my eye on Elisabeth Norebäck’s debut novel TELL ME YOU’RE MINE for quite a while now - and, in anticipation of its September release, I’m so excited to share with CBTB readers a preview of this intriguing domestic suspense novel! Swedish author Elisabeth Norebäck explores the delicate balance between love and obsession in her domestic thriller set in Stockholm; I’m digging into TELL ME YOU’RE MINE today, and can’t wait to share my full thoughts on this one with CBTB readers soon. In the meantime, thanks to Elisabeth’s US publisher, I’m thrilled to give you a chance to dip into TELL ME YOU’RE MINE in advance of its release this September! Read on to learn more about TELL ME YOU’RE MINE, and to dip into the book’s first chapter.
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