Recommended Weekend Binge-Reads
6 Crime Books to Read in One Sitting
It’s Friday, which can only mean one thing: it’s time to set your weekend reading list! If you’re like me, weekends are the perfect time to get cozy and bury your nose in a totally addictive, genuinely unputdownable read. Thankfully, crime fiction has (in my humble - and totally biased!) opinion, some of the most accessible, most entertaining binge-reads out there - and today, I’m rounding up a few of them for your weekend TBR! This list highlights just a few of the many fantastic binge-worthy thrillers out there—and if you need additional recommendations, please don’t hesitate to reach out!
In the meantime: add a trip to your favorite local bookstore or library to your to-do list, and settle in for a weekend of great reading.
6 Crime Books to Read in One Sitting
For the Psychological Thriller Addict…
SOMETIMES I LIE by Alice Feeney
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There are few things more totally entertaining than a truly great psychological thriller... but with the many, many recent releases that fall into this category, it can feel harder and harder to figure out what’s actually worth your money, and what’s better left at the store. Alice Feeney’s debut SOMETIMES I LIE is one of those rare psychological thrillers that manages to deliver on the twists and turns it promises to the reader—and it delivers in a big way. There’s nothing predictable about this stellar thriller; the farther into the story you go, the more reveals and shocking truths you’ll discover. Feeney has simply nailed it. If you’re a fan of UK-imported, trendy crime fiction - or if you’re just a fan of really entertaining, just-plain-fun reading material - SOMETIMES I LIE should be at the top of your reading list.
For the Criminal Minds Afficionado…
THE BUTTERFLY GARDEN by Dot Hutchison
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At the complete opposite end of the spectrum from Feeney’s light-and-twisty suspense novel we have Dot Hutchison’s dark and twisted THE BUTTERFLY GARDEN, Book 1 in Hutchison’s Collector trilogy. You know when you’re reading a book that’s genuinely disturbing… but you just can’t look away from it? This is that book. THE BUTTERFLY GARDEN takes readers into the world created by “The Gardener,” a twisted man who express his love of all things beautiful in a truly disturbing way. This “Gardener” has crafted a world unto himself - a world he calls the Garden - in which he can keep his “butterflies” - young woman whom he has kidnapped and branded with butterfly wing tattoos. In THE BUTTERFLY GARDEN, readers watch as the horrors of the Garden are unraveled bit by bit - as narrated by one of the few survivors of the Garden herself.
For the Nordic Noir Devotee…
THE DEVIL’S WEDDING RING by Vidar Sundstol
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This gem of a book is one that’s totally under-appreciated in its genre. THE DEVIL’S WEDDING RING is a standalone crime novel from one of Nordic Noir’s most critically-acclaimed writers, Vidar Sundstol. THE DEVIL’S WEDDING RING is a brilliant blend of ancient folklore and modern-day investigation, a pairing that Sundstol executes to pitch-perfect effect. Readers travel to the Telemark region of Norway, to an area where unexplained deaths have occurred coinciding with Midsummer’s Eve. When a former police officer becomes one of those deaths, one of his former colleagues (now a private investigator) decides to look more closely at the case. With the help of a detective novel-loving librarian, our main character finds himself drawn into a mystery that is shrouded in mystery and secrets. Any Nordic Noir novel that incorporates a detective novel-loving librarian is one that’s basically meant for me—but Sundstol’s vivid writing elevates this book to a whole other level.
For Readers of Silence of the Lambs…
THE SANDMAN by Lars Kepler
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Nordic Noir gets its very own Hannibal Lecter-level villain in Lars Kepler’s brilliant and totally addictive THE SANDMAN. This is one hefty book, but don’t be alarmed—Kepler writes in short, impactful chapters that will keep you glued to every last page. THE SANDMAN is Book 4 in Kepler’s internationally-bestselling Joona Linna series, but it absolutely can be read as a standalone—in fact, I would encourage you not to read the previous editions of Kepler’s first three books that were previously released in the US. For this release, the publisher has re-translated and re-edited the book to optimize it for English readers, and the difference (as someone who previously tried reading the original English translations of Kepler’s work) is huge. In THE SANDMAN, readers meet Joona (a police officer) and his colleague Saga Bauer as they face off against a mythic serial killer: Jurek Walter. THE SANDMAN is just impeccable crime fiction: its pacing, its storytelling, and its character development all combine to deliver an outstanding read. A+ reading material.
*Disclaimer: I now work for Lars Kepler’s US publisher, but I read and reviewed this book before taking that job! All opinions my own.
For the Ghost Story Fan…
HOUSE OF SPINES by Michael J. Malone
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What do you get when you cross a Scottish mansion with a dark past and a down-on-his-luck writer? In the case of HOUSE OF SPINES, you get a totally addictive psychological suspense novel with a hint of the supernatural. This book is shiver-inducing, page-turning fun—I vividly remember the day that I read this book (and yes, I really did read this book in one day) because of how desperate I was to keep reading even while running errands. In HOUSE OF SPINES, a writer inherits a gorgeous mansion in Scotland from a relative he never even knew he had. He jumps at the chance to change his fortune, and moves in at once. But as he settles into his new home, he begins to realize that not everything is as it seems… and that the house may have its own plans for him. HOUSE OF SPINES isn’t too dark or twisted - but it does deliver a perfect amount spine-tingling chills. This one is just plain fun.
For the Podcast Listener…
SIX STORIES by Matt Wesolowski
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Anyone who has ever listened to a true crime podcast simply must check out Matt Wesolowski’s inventive and original crime novel. SIX STORIES examines an unsolved crime through the perspective of a podcaster pursuing the case for his own true crime podcast. As the podcaster delves into the mystery, he interviews individuals relevant to the case - thus giving us the “six stories” of the book’s title. I’m always on the lookout for authors doing something really new and inventive, and Wesolowski does this in spades in SIX STORIES. As someone who listens to a lot of true crime podcasts, I found it just plain fun to see how Wesolowski would incorporate this form of storytelling into his novel—and he does an impeccable job. Bonus: this story includes a bit of an urban legend, too, which I always love!
This post contains Amazon Affiliate links. Crime by the Book is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com. This in no way affects my opinion of the above books.
Home ownership feel like a distant dream? Zillow listings have you convinced you’ll be renting for the rest of your life? The woman at the heart of Carissa Orlando’s debut The September House feels your pain—and she’s prepared to put up with a lot if it means she and her husband can finally have a place to call their own. In this case, that might just mean living in a house that’s haunted. Playful and irreverent, spine-tingling and spooky, The September House puts a fresh spin on the classic haunted house story, delivering an immersive tale about the secrets lurking within one building’s walls, and within the lives of its inhabitants.