8 Recommended Bookish Mysteries & Suspense Novels

January 5, 2020

What could be better than a crime novel about books? For so many of us bookworms (myself included!), there’s something especially fun about reading a book about books or authors. In today’s blog post, I’m rounding up 8 mystery and suspense novels that deal with exactly that! The books discussed here all relate to the world of books in one way or another. Some of them feature protagonists who are authors or aspiring writers, some have “book within a book” style plots, and all of them will satisfy your desire to dig into some good old bookish intrigue. This is a category of crime novel I personally never tire of, and I hope this list will help you find a book or two that catches your eye, too! Happy reading!

Book Review: UNSPEAKABLE THINGS by Jess Lourey

January 2, 2020

Some books terrify with blood and gore, others with the realities of life’s darkest corners. Jess Lourey’s stunning suspense novel UNSPEAKABLE THINGS falls into the latter camp. Inspired by a true story from the author’s hometown, UNSPEAKABLE THINGS explores exactly what its title suggests: the unspeakable horrors of a small town with unthinkable secrets. Something is rotten in the town of Lilydale, Minnesota. Young boys are disappearing, and then they’re returning… changed. For protagonist Cassie, the world is a strange and dangerous place; threats both outside and inside her own home make her young life a treacherous one. Told through the eyes of a girl on the brink of becoming a teenager, struggling to understand the dangers lurking on the periphery of her life, UNSPEAKABLE THINGS is an exceptional piece of suspense fiction. This book is sure to provoke strong reactions on both sides of the fence, in large part owing to the challenging themes explored within its pages, but it was a home-run for me. Vivid, atmospheric, and genuinely unsettling, UNSPEAKABLE THINGS is a coming-of-age story as you’ve never read it before.

CBTB's Best Nordic Noir of 2019

December 27, 2019

There's nothing I love more than a great Nordic Noir novel, and today’s blog post is dedicated to celebrating the best of the Scandinavian crime novels 2019 had to offer. 2019 saw the return of some of my personal favorite authors (new Nesbø book, here’s looking at you!) and introduced me to a number of new-to-me authors as well. As always with these sorts of lists, narrowing down my picks proved a very tricky task, but I’m absolutely confident that the titles listed here will deliver all the atmosphere, rich character development, and gritty mystery that any Nordic Noir reader could hope for. Whether you’re a longtime fan of this category of crime fiction or are new to the genre entirely, there’s a book for you on this list.

CBTB’s Best Psychological Thrillers of 2019

December 20, 2019

What a year it has been for new crime fiction!! At the end of the year, there’s nothing quite as fun as reflecting on all the incredible books we’ve been able to read thanks to the hard work of so many talented authors. Today I want to kick off a series of “Best of 2019” posts with a roundup of the best psychological thrillers and psychological suspense of the year! This year saw the release of so many exciting new debut novels and the return of tons of CBTB-favorite psychological thriller authors, and I am so excited to share this list with you all. It’s always so challenging to narrow down lists like this, but I had to cut this list off at 11 titles - otherwise I would have kept adding to it forever. Read on for my picks for best psychological thrillers of 2019!

Book Review: THE ABSOLUTION by Yrsa Sigurdardottir

December 13, 2019

It’s the rare author who truly gets better with each new book, but then nothing about Yrsa Sigurdardottir is typical. A director at one of Iceland’s largest engineering firms, Yrsa’s second job just happens to be as a bestselling crime novelist with a growing international readership and a fantastic movie adaptation of one of her novels, I Remember You, under her belt, too. Yrsa’s qualifications alone make her a great candidate for your next author to investigate, and that’s before we even talk about her books themselves. Yrsa is currently in the middle of releasing her Children’s House series—a stellar Nordic crime series that is one of my favorite new series launches of the 2010’s. THE ABSOLUTION, the third installment in the Children’s House series, releases in the US on February 11, 2020, and it’s the best book in the series yet. True to theme for the Children’s House books, THE ABSOLUTION explores the lasting impact of childhood trauma; in this case, our story centers around the insidious nature of bullying. As with all of her series releases thus far, Yrsa displays in THE ABSOLUTION astute emotional intelligence and crafty, masterful plotting in equal measure. A rich, layered crime novel with a dark atmosphere and darker crimes, THE ABSOLUTION is a must-read this winter.

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