It’s the most wonderful time of the year: Halloween season is upon us! I firmly believe that you can read thrillers any time of year, but there’s something undeniably perfect about digging into a dark, creepy crime novel in the lead-up to Halloween. Honestly, every year I have a little bit of a hard time coming up with a list of Halloween reading recommendations, not because I don’t have enough books to recommend—quite the opposite! Just about every single book I’ve ever talked about here on Crime by the Book could be a great Halloween read, and that can make narrowing down my lists of Halloween reading recommendations really tricky. But I’m up for the challenge—and I’m thrilled with how this year’s reading list turned out! For this year’s Halloween reading list, I’m focusing on new (or new-ish!) releases—primarily books that have been published in 2022, with a few slightly older releases in the mix, too. Happy reading, and happy haunting!
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Ranking Freida McFadden Thrillers
If you follow me on Instagram, you might remember me going down the rabbit hole last month and binge-reading a whole bunch of psychological suspense novels by an author named Freida McFadden. I dove into Freida’s buzzy suspense novel THE HOUSEMAID earlier this summer on a whim—and quickly found myself hooked on the author’s deliciously binge-worthy popcorn thrillers. My August 2022 reading list ended up being dominated by Freida McFadden books, and I realized it’s about time I documented my journey with her work so far! The next time I find myself falling into a reading slump and just need something lighter and binge-worthy to pull me out of it, I can almost guarantee I’ll be turning to a Freida McFadden book for the perfect “popcorn read” solution. Without further ado: read on for my ranking of the Freida McFadden thrillers I’ve read so far!
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Cover Reveal + Mini Q&A: IT'S ONE OF US by J.T. Ellison
If you’ve been around Crime by the Book for a little bit, you probably already know how much I love J.T. Ellison’s psychological suspense novels. Ellison’s thrillers always feature highly entertaining plots, compelling characters, and the kind of just-one-more-page pacing that will genuinely keep you up reading all night. I discovered J.T. Ellison’s work in the early days of CBTB, and I haven’t looked back since! In 2023, J.T. Ellison will return with her newest story of psychological suspense—and I am so honored to be able to reveal the cover for it right here on Crime by the Book! IT’S ONE OF US will be published in February 2023, but this beauty looks like it’s worth adding to your TBR pile right now. IT’S ONE OF US delves into the lies that we tell to keep our relationships together…lies that can also tear relationships apart. In today’s blog post, you can get a glimpse of the book’s stunning cover, plus read a mini Q&A with author J.T. Ellison that will give you a sneak peek into what’s sure to be one of 2023’s must-read suspense books. Bonus: since we do have a little bit of a wait until IT’S ONE OF US is published, I’ve also compiled a little rundown of my top recommendations for J.T. Ellison thrillers you should read while we wait for the publication of IT’S ONE OF US—you can find that list at the very bottom of this blog post! Huge thanks to J.T. Ellison and her publisher for allowing me to share this cover reveal on CBTB today—it’s an honor to be able to do so, and I can’t wait to read IT’S ONE OF US.
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CBTB'S MUST-READ SUMMER 2022 CRIME BOOKS
I have a confession to make: this blog post was originally supposed to be my “Most-Anticipated” summer books list…but then life got really busy! Before I knew it, I looked up and it was July, and not only had a bunch of the books on the list already been published, but I realized that I had actually already read all of the books I wanted to include in this list anyway. So instead of making this a “most-anticipated” list, I’ve culled my initial list a little bit and converted it into a “must-read” list, highlighting my picks for the best new crime fiction that Summer 2022 has to offer. In a way, I hope that this new format might actually be even more helpful for you; these aren’t just books I’m anticipating, they’re all books I’ve read and loved and highly recommend! From returning favorites to new-to-me voices, from twisty psychological thrillers to “book within a book”-style stories and more, Summer 2022 has some absolutely incredible new crime fiction releases in store for us. Whether your idea of a perfect “beach read” is a page-turning domestic suspense novel or a dark, visceral horror story, I’m betting (and hoping!) you’ll be able to find it on this list. Without further ado, let’s dive on in to my picks for Summer 2022’s Must-Read Crime Books!
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Cover Reveal + Excerpt: THE KIND TO KILL by Tessa Wegert
I’m so honored to be able to share with CBTB readers some very exciting news: later this year, one of my go-to crime fiction series - Tessa Wegert’s Shana Merchant series - will return! December, Tessa will publish her newest Shana Merchant novel—THE KIND TO KILL (available December 6). Today on CBTB, I have the honor of revealing the book’s gorgeous cover, and giving you a sneak peek into this new series installment! In today’s blog post, you can learn more about the book, check out its beautiful and atmospheric cover, and read an early excerpt from its first chapter. (Plus: if you’re totally new to Tessa’s work, be sure to scroll all the way to the bottom of this post for a quick overview of the Shana Merchant series thus far.)
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