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Crime by the Book

A girl investigates crime fiction from around the world, by the book.
  • Blog
  • Quick Reviews
  • Nordic Noir
    • Introduction
    • Background
    • Book Recommendations
    • By Country
    • Interviews
    • Reviews
    • Features
  • #ReadWithCBTB
  • Features
  • Reading Lists
  • Events
  • Go-to Book Recs
  • As Seen In
  • About
  • Connect

the cbtb blog

One girl's ongoing investigation of the crime fiction genre.

He Started It Samantha Downing.jpg
The Golden Cage Camilla Lackberg.jpg
The Shadows Alex North.jpg
Alice Feeney His & Hers.jpg

CBTB's July Must-Read Crime Fiction

July 12, 2020

Summer is here, and it’s bringing with it all kinds of amazing new crime fiction releases. From binge-worthy psychological thrillers to the return of CBTB-favorite crime writers to sleep-with-the-lights-on creepy suspense stories and much more, July 2020 has a little something for everyone. In today’s blog post, I’m highlighting the new releases I personally recommend this month, and the July publications that are still on my TBR list! Dive on in for the best of the best of this month’s new crime fiction, and grab yourself a new read (or two!) to add to your summer reading list.

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In New Releases, Reading List Tags Summer Reading, July Books, July New Book Releases, Alex North, The Shadows, Alice Feeney, His & Hers, The Golden Cage, Camilla Lackberg, They All Fall Down, Rachel Howzell hall, The Safe Place, Anna Downes, He Started It, Samantha Downing, Blacktop Wasteland, SA Cosby
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Book Review: HOME BEFORE DARK by Riley Sager

June 30, 2020

Riley Sager has done it again. The New York Times bestselling author of LOCK EVERY DOOR, THE LAST TIME I LIED, and FINAL GIRLS is back this summer with another irresistible work of chilling psychological suspenseβ€”and it’s his best, and most ambitious, book yet. HOME BEFORE DARK is a modern-day ghost story-meets-family mystery sure to deliver all the page-turning entertainment value readers of Sager’s work have come to expect, but this time, with an extra-chilling twist. In HOME BEFORE DARK, readers follow protagonist Maggie Holt as she returns to the home her family ownedβ€”and fledβ€”years prior, an experience that became the inspiration for her father’s bestselling nonfiction book, House of Horrors. There’s just one problem: Maggie doesn’t believe a word of what her father has written about her childhood, and she’s determined to prove that this storied home is nothing more than a dilapidated house in need of some TLC. But as Maggie settles into the house, events unfold that defy logicβ€”and begin to call into question all that Maggie believed (or didn’t believe) about her family’s ordeal years prior. Ghosts aren’t real… are they? HOME BEFORE DARK will make you think twice. Blending a chilling present-day mystery of family secrets with a glimpse into the book that defined Maggie’s childhood, House of Horrors, HOME BEFORE DARK is as masterfully-plotted and relentlessly readable a thriller as you’ll read this summer. So turn on all the lights in your room, double-check that your closet is as empty as you think it is, and dive into the spine-tingling world of Riley Sager’s HOME BEFORE DARK. 

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In Book Review Tags Home Before Dark, Riley Sager, Baneberry Hall
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THE MIST Ragnar Jonasson.jpg

Book Review: THE MIST by Ragnar Jonasson

June 23, 2020

Very few recent crime fiction series have hooked me the way Ragnar Jonasson’s Hidden Iceland Trilogy has. This impeccably-crafted Icelandic crime series is an astonishing accomplishment: a trilogy plotted as beautifully as it is written, brimming with the humanity of its characters and immersing readers in the stunning landscape of Iceland.. In the Hidden Iceland books, author Ragnar Jonasson wraps readers up in the chilling atmosphere of his trilogy’s setting, and draws readers into the inner life of its endearing and compelling protagonist. The Hidden Iceland trilogy has captivated me with its stylish prose, clever plotting, and unputdownable suspense, and with THE MIST, Jonasson delivers a conclusion worthy of its exceptional predecessors. In THE MIST, readers follow series protagonist Hulda Hermansdottir as she returns to work following a personal leave necessitated by an undefined tragedy. Hulda will soon face a disturbing - and puzzling - case: a mysterious death at a remote farmhouse in the Icelandic countryside, where two bodies have been found. Weaving together Hulda’s personal life with an extended flashback at the farm in the lead-up to our victims’ deaths, THE MIST is a complex and heartbreaking mystery, a feather in the cap of an already-exceptional crime fiction series. If you’re in the market for elegant suspense that relies more on atmosphere and character development than blood and gore, Ragnar Jonasson’s superb Hidden Iceland trilogy might just be your perfect match. I will sincerely miss this series and its standout protagonist, but I am already looking forward to seeing what Ragnar will write next. 

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In Book Review Tags The Mist, Ragnar Jonasson, Icelandic Crime Fiction
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I Will Miss You Tomorrow_Heine Bakkeid.jpg

Book Review: I WILL MISS YOU TOMORROW by Heine Bakkeid

June 8, 2020

You know those books that come seemingly out of nowhere and knock you sideways with how very much you love them? That was Heine Bakkeid’s extraordinary crime fiction debut I WILL MISS YOU TOMORROW for me. This Norwegian crime novel blends the atmosphere and grit of the Nordic Noir tradition with the spine-tingling chills found in the work of authors like Yrsa Sigurdardottir and C.J. Tudor. I WILL MISS YOU TOMORROW is an outstanding crime novel about grief, loss, and the ghosts that haunt us. Set against the backdrop of remote northern Norway, I WILL MISS YOU TOMORROW follows a disgraced former police officer who is given a chance at redemption in the form of an off-the-books missing persons investigation. Hired as a private investigator by the parents of a young man who has gone missing at a lighthouse off the coast of northern Norway, Thorkild Aske sets out on what he assumes will be a fruitless missionβ€”a journey that becomes as much about tracking down this missing man as it is about Thorkild confronting his personal demons. With immersive atmosphere and propulsive plotting, I WILL MISS YOU TOMORROW wraps readers up in a chilling suspense novel worthy of every bit of praise it has earned. This promising series launch is a must-read for fans of melancholy, atmospheric Nordic suspense.

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In Book Review Tags I Will Miss You Tomorrow, Heine Bakkeid, Nordic Noir, Norwegian Crime Fiction
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The Kingdom Cover Reveal.jpg

Cover Reveal + Q&A: THE KINGDOM by Jo NesbΓΈ

May 26, 2020

The stunning cover for one of Fall 2020’s biggest crime novels has arrived, and I am so honored to be able to reveal it here on Crime by the Book! In September, bestselling and beloved crime writer Jo Nesbø’s newest release will hit bookstores. THE KINGDOM is a standalone work of suspense that delves into the troubled relationship between brothers, and the deadly family secrets that they have been keeping for years. If you’ve been around Crime by the Book for even just a little bit, you will already know how obsessed I am with Jo Nesbø’s writing. He is hands-down my favorite author, and any new book from him is cause for celebrationβ€”but I am particularly excited about THE KINGDOM (and not just because its cover is killer!). Jo NesbΓΈ is best known for his crime series featuring a troubled detective in Oslo, Norway, but THE KINGDOM is a standalone crime story that promises to explore a new side of Nesbø’s talentβ€”and provide the perfect opportunity for readers new to Nesbø’s work to dive in and give it a try, too. Not only am I completely honored to be able to share the stunning cover for THE KINGDOM with you today, but I also had the incredible opportunity to ask Jo a couple of teaser questions about his newest release! In this blog post, you can catch the cover for THE KINGDOM, learn more about its plot, and get a little sneak-peek into the book from Jo NesbΓΈ himself.

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In Author Q&A, Cover Reveal Tags Jo Nesbo, The Kingdom, Cover Reveal
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View fullsize My personal crime fiction collection πŸ•΅πŸ»‍β™€οΈπŸ–€ aka my favorite corner of my apartment. πŸ“šπŸ™ŒπŸ» If anyone feels so inclined, I’d love to see what YOUR bookshelves look like! Snap a pic, share in your stories, & tag me - I’d love to
View fullsize I can never say no to a creepy read with a gorgeous black & white cover. πŸ•΅πŸ»‍β™€οΈπŸ€πŸ–€ next on my TBR: THE SHADOWS by Alex North, available on my birthday, 7/7!!πŸ˜‰πŸ”Ž (huge thank you to @celadonbooks for this review copy!πŸ€“) •
Thank you guy
View fullsize Being stuck at home isn’t so bad when you’ve got a massive stack of books to read. πŸ•΅πŸ»‍β™€οΈπŸ–€ What’s on your social-distancing TBR?! πŸ“–
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I went WAY overboard with books I brought home to CT for my self-isolation TBR list. ?
View fullsize Early afternoon light & a large latte β˜•οΈ & a gripping crime read πŸ•΅πŸ»‍β™€οΈπŸ–€ aka the perfect combination πŸ™ŒπŸ»
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This right here is my usual Sunday tradition πŸ‘†πŸ» BUT I’ll be spending this Sunday (and this coming week, and probabl
View fullsize My last day in the city for a while calls for a lunch break coffee stop β˜•οΈπŸ–€ with my totally gripping current read πŸ•΅πŸ»‍♀️
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Today is my last day in Manhattan for a while πŸ˜” we’re all transitioning to working from home to try and preve
View fullsize In the midst of a crazy week, my brain needs a quick, binge-worthy read, and I think this beauty right here is just the ticket. πŸ‘ŒπŸ»πŸ–€ NO BAD DEED by Heather Chavez is on sale now, and I can’t wait to dive in! πŸ•΅πŸ»‍♀️
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Friends, I can&
View fullsize Happy Monday, friends! πŸ–€ Back in NYC and back to work after an amazing (if much too short) visit to Oslo πŸ‡³πŸ‡΄ annnd currently drinking a cold brew β˜•οΈ at my desk & hoping it keeps me awake this afternoon πŸ˜‚ jet lag + not enough sleep last night =
View fullsize Last looks at beautiful Oslo πŸ‡³πŸ‡΄ for this trip. ❀️ So very sad to leave, but I’m bringing wonderful memories & a suitcase stuffed with books πŸ“š back to NYC with me. πŸ˜‰ See you soon, Oslo... you know I can’t stay away for long. πŸ₯°β€οΈ
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View fullsize Spent today doing all my favorite things in Oslo, so obviously a coffee stop was included. β˜•οΈπŸ–€ How are you spending your Saturday?! •
Okay I used to always think the phrase “living your best life” was SO cheesy but if I’m bein
View fullsize *Years* of admiring this Norwegian edition of my favorite book (THE SNOWMAN by Jo Nesbø) have finally resulted in this. πŸ•΅πŸ»‍β™€οΈπŸ–€ Best. Purchase. Ever. πŸ™ŒπŸ»
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Does anyone else collect books by a favorite author?! πŸ“š I don’t have

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