CBTB’S MOST ANTICIPATED MARCH 2022 CRIME BOOKS
ORGANIZED BY PUBLICATION DATE
Listen, I wasn’t planning to do any single-month “most anticipated” lists this year… but then I realized how many incredible new crime, mystery, and thriller books are publishing this March, and I changed my tune. In today’s blog post, I’ve rounded up my personal picks for most-anticipated new crime books publishing in March—aka your one-stop shopping list if you’re in the market for a great new read this month! From serial killer thrillers to Nordic Noir, from books involving snakes (!!) to books involving comics, March has an incredible variety of new crime novels for us to devour. Mark your calendars, clear your to-read list, and get ready to do some book shopping. Without further ado, let’s dive into my picks for most-anticipated new crime books of March 2022!
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THE NIGHT SHIFT BY ALEX FINLAY
AVAILABLE MARCH 1, 2022
WHY I’M EXCITED:
Do you ever pick up a book not really sure what to expect, and end up completely obsessed with it?! That was my experience with Alex Finlay’s sophomore thriller THE NIGHT SHIFT, which I read on a whim this winter and absolutely loved. This thriller has major appeal for those of us who love 90’s nostalgia—if you loved that aspect of Riley Sager’s Survive the Night, you’ll love that element of this book, too. (To be clear, this book is quite different from Survive the Night in a lot of ways, but the 90’s nostalgia is an absolute commonality!) This unique spin on a serial killer story takes readers deep into the heart of a mysterious series of crimes in the present day that harken back to a spree killing at a Blockbuster in 1999. Twisty, gripping, and character-driven, this is a top notch thriller that you’ll want to read in one sitting. THE NIGHT SHIFT is a genuine thrill ride with a tender heart at its core.
ABOUT THE BOOK:
“The night was expected to bring tragedy.” So begins one of the most highly-anticipated thrillers in recent years.
It’s New Year’s Eve 1999. Y2K is expected to end in chaos: planes falling from the sky, elevators plunging to earth, world markets collapsing. A digital apocalypse. None of that happens. But at a Blockbuster Video in New Jersey, four teenagers working late at the store are attacked. Only one inexplicably survives. Police quickly identify a suspect, the boyfriend of one of the victims, who flees and is never seen again.
Fifteen years later, more teenage employees are attacked at an ice cream store in the same town, and again only one makes it out alive.
In the aftermath of the latest crime, three lives intersect: the lone survivor of the Blockbuster massacre who’s forced to relive the horrors of her tragedy; the brother of the fugitive accused, who’s convinced the police have the wrong suspect; and FBI agent Sarah Keller who must delve into the secrets of both nights—stirring up memories of teen love and lies—to uncover the truth about murders on the night shift.
Twisty, poignant, and redemptive, The Night Shift is a story about the legacy of trauma and how the broken can come out on the other side, and it solidifies Finlay as one of the new leading voices in the world of thrillers.
LIKE A SISTER BY KELLYE GARRETT
AVAILABLE MARCH 8, 2022
WHY I’M EXCITED:
One of spring 2022’s buzziest crime books, Kellye Garrett’s LIKE A SISTER has earned praise from some of the biggest names in crime fiction. Praised as “equal parts charm and heartbreak” (Laura Lippman) and “smart with twists you never see coming” (Walter Mosley), this crime novel follows a woman who refuses to believe the police and the media’s narrative about her half-sister’s tragic and untimely death. The deeper our protagonist delves into the mystery, the more dangerous her quest for justice for her sister becomes. LIKE A SISTER is timely, relevant, and gripping, a story that grapples with the ways women’s stories are told—and, far too often, ignored or forgotten. Garrett has a knack for blending significant and thought-provoking topics with clever humor, and brings her story to life through a compelling protagonist. Bonus: this book has a truly excellent first line! Tell me this doesn’t immediately grab you: “I found out my sister was back in New York from Instagram. I found out she’d died from the New York Daily News.”
ABOUT THE BOOK:
When the body of disgraced reality TV star Desiree Pierce is found on a playground in the Bronx the morning after her 25th birthday party, the police and the media are quick to declare her death an overdose. It’s a tragedy, certainly, but not a crime.
But Desiree’s half-sister Lena Scott knows that can’t be the case. A graduate student at Columbia, Lena has spent the past decade forging her own path far from the spotlight, but some facts about Desiree just couldn’t have changed since their childhood. And Desiree would never travel above 125th Street. So why is no one listening to her?
Despite the bitter truth that the two haven’t spoken in two years, torn apart by Desiree’s partying and by their father, Mel, a wealthy and influential hip-hop mogul, Lena becomes determined to find justice for her sister, even if it means untangling her family’s darkest secrets—or ending up dead herself.
REPTILE MEMOIRS BY SILJE ULSTEIN
AVAILABLE MARCH 15, 2022
WHY I’M EXCITED:
REPTILE MEMOIRS by Silje Ulstein is another Norwegian crime novel that earned major buzz upon its publication abroad, and it’s finally coming to the U.S. this March! (I’ve been waiting actual years for this to happen—I am so excited!) REPTILE MEMOIRS is set in the beautiful town of Ålesund, which was actually the very first place I ever visited on my first trip to Norway way back in the day (pre-CBTB!). It’s been quite a while since I was last there, and I’m so excited to armchair travel back through REPTILE MEMOIRS. Not only does the setting sound instantly-intriguing, but this plot sounds genuinely unlike anything else I’ve read in ages. (Keep reading below to see what I mean.) REPTILE MEMOIRS promises to be one of the most original and unique crime stories of the spring, and I can’t wait to dive in.
ABOUT THE BOOK:
Liv has a lot of secrets. For her, home is the picturesque town of Ålesund, perched on a fjord in western Norway. One night, in the early-morning embers of a great party in the basement apartment she shares with two friends, Liv is watching TV, high on weed, and sees a python on an Australian nature show. She becomes obsessed with the idea of buying a snake as a pet. Soon Nero, the baby Burmese python, becomes the apartment's fourth roommate. As Liv bonds with Nero, she feels extremely protective, like a caring mother, and she is struck by a desire that surprises her with its intensity. Finally she is safe.
Thirteen years later, in the nearby town of Kristiansund, Mariam Lind goes on a shopping trip with her eleven-year-old daughter, Iben, who angers her mother by asking for a magazine one too many times. Mariam storms off, leaving Iben in the shop and, expecting her young daughter to find her own way home, heads off on a long calming drive. When she returns home in the evening, her husband is relieved to see her but terrified that Iben isn't also there. Detective Roe Olsvik is assigned to the case of Iben's disappearance; he has just turned sixty and is new to the Kristiansund police department. As he interrogates Mariam, he instantly suspects her—but there is much more to this case and these characters than their outer appearances would suggest.
A biting and constantly shifting tale of family secrets, rebirth, and the legacy of trauma, Reptile Memoirs is a brilliant exploration of the cold-bloodedness of humanity, and the struggle to mend broken lives and families.
THE BOOK OF COLD CASES BY SIMONE ST. JAMES
AVAILABLE MARCH 15, 2022
WHY I’M EXCITED:
I feel like I almost don’t need to explain myself on this one… but just in case anyone reading this has never tried a Simone St. James book before, allow me a couple sentences to convince you to give her work a try! Believe it or not, back in the day, I hated crime novels involving anything remotely supernatural or otherworldly. Then I began reading two authors whose work changed my mind—one of whom was Simone St. James. (The other was C.J. Tudor, in case anyone is curious!) Simone St. James writes the most deliciously dark, wildly entertaining crime stories that blend earthly mysteries with supernatural scares in the most perfect of ways. Simone’s 2022 release THE BOOK OF COLD CASES is utterly exceptional. I loved the two characters around whom this story revolves (a true crime blogger + a woman acquitted of two cold case murders), and I loved the way the author laces this murder mystery with possibly-supernatural, spooky elements. Simone St. James never fails to deliver gripping, majorly entertaining crime stories, and THE BOOK OF COLD CASES is excellent in every way.
ABOUT THE BOOK:
In 1977, Claire Lake, Oregon, was shaken by the Lady Killer Murders: Two men, seemingly randomly, were murdered with the same gun, with strange notes left behind. Beth Greer was the perfect suspect—a rich, eccentric twenty-three-year-old woman, seen fleeing one of the crimes. But she was acquitted, and she retreated to the isolation of her mansion.
Oregon, 2017. Shea Collins is a receptionist, but by night, she runs a true crime website, the Book of Cold Cases—a passion fueled by the attempted abduction she escaped as a child. When she meets Beth by chance, Shea asks her for an interview. To Shea’s surprise, Beth says yes.
They meet regularly at Beth’s mansion, though Shea is never comfortable there. Items move when she’s not looking, and she could swear she’s seen a girl outside the window. The allure of learning the truth about the case from the smart, charming Beth is too much to resist, but even as they grow closer, Shea senses something isn’t right. Is she making friends with a manipulative murderer, or are there other dangers lurking in the darkness of the Greer house?
NINE LIVES BY PETER SWANSON
AVAILABLE MARCH 15, 2022
WHY I’M EXCITED:
I’ve already had the pleasure of reading Peter Swanson’s outstanding new crime novel NINE LIVES, and it’s now my new favorite Swanson book! This clever and utterly unique crime novel draws inspiration from a classic of the genre—Agatha Christie’s And Then There Were None—and weaves a gripping, thoroughly surprising tale that nods to one of crime fiction’s greatest classics while also paving its own inventive path. This story centers around a group of strangers who receive a list in the mail with their names on it…and soon discover that it might just be a “kill list.” No one in this book is safe, and readers will be glued to the pages as Swanson unspools his deliciously dark and wickedly clever take on one of Christie’s greatest works. (If you’ve never read And Then There Were None, you can absolutely still appreciate this book—but I’m betting it will inspire you to read Christie’s classic once you finish it! And for And Then There Were None fans out there, this one is an absolute must-read. You’ll love the ways both obvious and subtle that NINE LIVES pays tribute to Christie’s work.)
ABOUT THE BOOK:
Nine strangers receive a list with their names on it in the mail. Nothing else, just a list of names on a single sheet of paper. None of the nine people know or have ever met the others on the list. They dismiss it as junk mail, a fluke—until very, very bad things begin happening to people on the list.
First, a well-liked old man is drowned on a beach in the small town of Kennewick, Maine. Then, a father is shot in the back while running through his quiet neighborhood in suburban Massachusetts. A frightening pattern is emerging, but what do these nine people have in common? Their professions range from oncology nurse to aspiring actor, and they’re located all over the country. So why are they all on the list, and who sent it?
FBI agent Jessica Winslow, who is on the list herself, is determined to find out. Could there be some dark secret that binds them all together? Or is this the work of a murderous madman? As the mysterious sender stalks these nine strangers, they find themselves constantly looking over their shoulders, wondering who will be crossed off next…
SECRET IDENTITY by Alex Segura
Available March 15, 2022
WHY I’M EXCITED:
Following a woman contending with the sexism of her industry (the comic book industry in 1970’s New York), SECRET IDENTITY explores what happens when protagonist Carmen’s work is stolen out from under her, and submitted to a publisher without her name appearing anywhere on it. I love books about books, but I can honestly say I’ve never read a crime novel about comic books—and I can’t wait to rectify that! SECRET IDENTITY looks poised to deliver all the thrills you could want, plus a compelling protagonist you’ll be cheering for every step of the way and a highly-unique storytelling structure. (This book gives readers a glimpse into the comic book that our protagonist has been working on—yes, there are actual comic book pages in this novel, and they are stunning!) SECRET IDENTITY has earned incredible early praise, and I particularly love this quote from P.J. Vernon, who raves that the book is “beautifully spun and relentlessly gripping, reminding us that heroes and villains do exist—and we’re all quite capable of being both.” Sign me up!
ABOUT THE BOOK:
It’s 1975 and the comic book industry is struggling, but Carmen Valdez doesn’t care. She’s an assistant at Triumph Comics, which doesn’t have the creative zeal of Marvel nor the buttoned-up efficiency of DC, but it doesn’t matter. Carmen is tantalizingly close to fulfilling her dream of writing a superhero book.
That dream is nearly a reality when one of the Triumph writers enlists her help to create a new character, which they call “The Lethal Lynx,” Triumph's first female hero. But her colleague is acting strangely and asking to keep her involvement a secret. And then he’s found dead, with all of their scripts turned into the publisher without her name. Carmen is desperate to piece together what happened to him, to hang on to her piece of the Lynx, which turns out to be a runaway hit. But that’s complicated by a surprise visitor from her home in Miami, a tenacious cop who is piecing everything together too quickly for Carmen, and the tangled web of secrets and resentments among the passionate eccentrics who write comics for a living.
Alex Segura uses his expertise as a comics creator as well as his unabashed love of noir fiction to create a truly one-of-a-kind novel--hard-edged and bright-eyed, gritty and dangerous, and utterly absorbing.
A HARMLESS LIE BY SARA BLAEDEL
AVAILABLE MARCH 22, 2022
WHY I’M EXCITED:
This one is a no-brainer! Sara Blaedel’s books have been a part of CBTB since the very beginning, and I’m so excited for the return of her series protagonist Louise Rick in A HARMLESS LIE. I’m especially excited about this book because it sounds like it’s going to show us a new side of Louise—and it sounds like it will be a great choice for readers who are new to this series to pick up, too. Past Louise Rick books have featured Louise in various professional capacities, whether working as a homicide detective or as part of a missing persons task force, but A HARMLESS LIE delves into Louise’s family life and shows her first and foremost as a sister, not as a police officer. I’m so excited to read this one and explore a new facet of Louise’s character!
ABOUT THE BOOK:
Detective Louise Rick is on a beach in Thailand when the panicked call from her father comes through. Louise′s beloved brother, Mikkel, has attempted suicide. His wife, Trine, left him days earlier, walking out the door one day with no warning and leaving Mikkel devastated.
Louise rushes home to Osted, the small, insular Danish town where she grew up and where Mikkel still lives. But the more Louise learns about Trine—a devoted wife and the mother of two young children—and her state of mind in the days before she left Mikkel, the more Louise begins to wonder whether Trine really meant to leave him. Or whether something much darker may have taken place.
As the local police begin to suspect that Mikkel may have had a hand in Trine’s disappearance, Louise struggles to clear his name but is forced to confront some hard truths: Small towns always hide secrets. The past always comes back to haunt you. And lies are never harmless.
THE RESTING PLACE BY CAMILLA STEN
AVAILABLE MARCH 29, 2022
WHY I’M EXCITED:
I was obsessed with Camilla Sten’s US debut THE LOST VILLAGE last year, and I’ve been counting down the days until her next release ever since! THE RESTING PLACE is described by the publisher as “Crimson Peak meets The Sanatorium,” and, having now read THE RESTING PLACE, I can safely say that’s a perfect comparison—and my ideal mash-up. (Can we have a moment for how underrated Crimson Peak is??) THE RESTING PLACE is the Gothic, horror-tinged, locked room-inspired suspense story of my dreams. I loved this book’s chilling atmosphere, claustrophobic setting, and impeccable blend of earthly chills + possibly-supernatural elements. If you love “chillers” (aka crime books that blend earthly suspense with touches of the supernatural), check this one out ASAP.
ABOUT THE BOOK:
Deep rooted secrets.
A twisted family history.
And a house that will never let go.
Eleanor lives with prosopagnosia, the inability to recognize a familiar person's face. It causes stress. Acute anxiety.
It can make you question what you think you know.
When Eleanor walked in on the scene of her capriciously cruel grandmother, Vivianne’s, murder, she came face to face with the killer—a maddening expression that means nothing to someone like her. With each passing day, the horror of having come so close to a murderer—and not knowing if they’d be back—overtakes both her dreams and her waking moments, thwarting her perception of reality.
Then a lawyer calls. Vivianne has left her a house—a looming estate tucked away in the Swedish woods. The place her grandfather died, suddenly. A place that has housed a chilling past for over fifty years.
Eleanor. Her steadfast boyfriend, Sebastian. Her reckless aunt, Veronika. The lawyer. All will go to this house of secrets, looking for answers. But as they get closer to uncovering the truth, they’ll wish they had never come to disturb what rests there.
THE LONG WEEKEND BY GILLY MACMILLAN
AVAILABLE MARCH 29, 2022
WHY I’M EXCITED:
If you love authors like Clare Mackintosh and Alice Feeney, you need to be reading Gilly Macmillan. Gilly is the author of spine-tingling suspense novels including WHAT SHE KNEW and THE NANNY, and this spring, she returns with what I think is her most impressive psychological thriller yet. THE LONG WEEKEND is an intricately woven tale of a group of friends tied together by secrets and bound for tragedy. I devoured this book in a couple of sittings, and have been left marveling at Gilly’s masterful command of this complex-yet-binge-worthy story. What begins as a locked in-style suspense story (a group of women whose “girl’s trip” takes a dangerous turn when they receive a threatening letter and find themselves stranded due to a storm) expands into a deeply sinister and shocking story of obsession, manipulation, and murder. There are some truly terrific reveals and twists in this book that I genuinely never saw coming, and the entire story is woven together masterfully. I truly think this is Gilly Macmillan’s best book yet.
ABOUT THE BOOK:
Three couples
Two bodies
One secret
Dark Fell Barn is a “perfectly isolated” retreat, or so says its website when Jayne books a reservation for her friends. A quiet place, far removed from the rest of the world, is exactly what they need.
The women arrive for a girls’ night ahead of their husbands. There’s ex-Army Jayne, hardened and serious, but also damaged. Ruth, the driven doctor and new mother who is battling demons of her own. Young Emily, just wed and insecure, the newest addition of this tight-knit band. Missing this year is Edie, who was the glue holding them together, until her husband died suddenly.
But what they hoped would be a relaxing break soon turns to horror. Upon arrival at Dark Fell Barn, the women find a devastating note claiming one of their husbands will be murdered. There are no phones, no cell service to check on their men. Friendships fracture as the situation spins wildly out of control. Betrayal can come in many forms.
This group has kept each other’s secrets for far too long.
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.