I can hardly believe it, but we’re coming to the end of 2021… and that means that it’s time to celebrate the incredible crime books that this year has given us! Let’s be honest, every year is a great year for new crime fiction, and 2021 was no exception. This year saw the return of some of my personal all-time favorite authors and introduced me to debut and new-to-me crime writers whose work I will be following for years to come. From atmospheric mysteries to page-turning thrillers to Nordic crime fiction and everything in between, 2021 had so much to offer us crime fiction readers. In today’s blog post, I’m thrilled to share my picks for the best of the best that this year had to offer! Today’s blog post is dedicated to rounding up my 10 Best Crime Books of 2021 (and a few bonus selections at the end of this blog post as well!). In keeping with a tradition I started last year, I’ve given each of my selections in this blog post a superlative—everything from “Best Book of 2021” to “Best Plot Twist” to “Best Setting” and more. Whether you’re someone who has been closely following the books I’ve been reading and loving this year or someone who’s just stumbled upon CBTB and is curious what my favorites from the year were, I hope this blog post will be useful! I am so thankful for all of the amazing authors whose books kept us readers company this year, and I hope you’ll find a book or two on this list that catches your eye!