Another year is drawing to a close, and what a year it’s been. To call 2020 a challenge would be, frankly, the understatement of the year. I’ve always been thankful for the escape that a great crime book can bring, but I don’t think I’ve ever been quite as thankful for great books as I have been this year. 2020 brought with it outstanding new crime fiction from CBTB favorites and new-to-me authors alike; it saw some of my longtime favorite writers embarking on new directions in their writing careers; it introduced me to new series that I expect I’ll be following for years to come. From psychological thrillers to Nordic Noir to creepy, horror-inspired suspense and a little bit of everything in between, this year brought with it lots of new crime novels to love, and in today’s blog post, I’m sharing my picks for the very best of the best that this year had to offer. I’m thrilled to share with you my picks for Best Crime Books of 2020, this year with a fun twist! I’ve given each book included in this list a superlative: everything from “Best Plot Twist” to “Best ‘Popcorn Thriller’” to “Best Nordic Noir Series Installment” and more. Happy reading!
Read MoreCBTB's Best Crime Books of 2020
Wintry Mysteries & Thrillers for Your End-Of-Year TBR
Winter is the perfect time to cozy up with a crime book. For me personally, my holiday break from work is always my time to dig into some slow-burning and immersive detective novels—there’s nothing more blissful to me than a quiet morning cozied up under a blanket, sipping some coffee, and reading a murder mystery while the snow falls outside. If that sounds like your idea of a perfect winter morning too, today’s blog post is for you! In today’s blog post, I’ve rounded up a whole bunch of mysteries, thrillers, and suspense novels with wintertime vibes for your end-of-2020 reading list! Whether you’re in the mood for chilling psychological suspense, Nordic Noir, or a good old fashioned detective story, there’s a little something for everyone in this reading list. (I’m even sharing one of the books I bought for myself this year at the end of the list, too!) So grab your coziest blanket, put on a pot of coffee, and dig in to find your perfect winter read.
Read MoreBook Review: THE KINGDOM by Jo Nesbø
Where to begin with this book review? If you’ve been around Crime by the Book for more than a couple days, you’ve probably already picked up on the fact that Norwegian crime writer Jo Nesbø is my all-time, hands-down favorite author. I could go on and on about my long standing love of Nesbø’s books. I could tell you about the moment I was recommended his books while on my first trip to Norway years ago; I could share how his books got me through heartbreak, a cross-country move, job changes, health challenges, and a whole lot more; I could tell you about the time I spent a day in Oslo, Norway retracing the most significant locations from his bestselling crime fiction series. But (contrary to how it seems so far!) this blog post isn’t actually about me. It’s about Nesbø’s outstanding new standalone novel THE KINGDOM—a book that captivated me and swept me up in its gritty, tragic tale of love and betrayal. In THE KINGDOM, Nesbø departs from his beloved Harry Hole series with a standalone novel that trades serial killers and police procedure for long-buried interpersonal secrets and the fallout of their resurrection. THE KINGDOM is a masterful work of rural noir, a story that will pluck you up from wherever you are sitting and bring you to a small (fictional) town nestled in the mountains of western Norway. Slow-burning yet propulsive, THE KINGDOM showcases a new side of Nesbø’s crime writing talent. With THE KINGDOM, he has delivered another outstanding work of crime fiction, a story that explores themes of family, love, and loyalty, all wrapped up in a gritty, slow-burning, rural noir package.
Read MoreNordic Noir November: Spotlight on Norwegian Crime Fiction
Happy Sunday, readers, and welcome to our first #NordicNoirNovember feature! If you’ve been around Crime by the Book for a while, you’ll know that I’m always looking for a reason to talk about my favorite crime fiction subgenre: Nordic Noir, aka Scandinavian Crime Fiction. This year, we’re celebrating Nordic Noir November here on CBTB! Every Sunday this November, I’ll be spotlighting a different Nordic country and my personal favorite crime writers from that country here on my blog, and on my Instagram account. To kick off our Nordic Noir November celebration, we’re starting with my personal favorite Nordic country to visit: Norway. From my favorite city, Oslo, to the country’s beautiful fjords and mountains, to smaller (and no less beautiful!) cities and towns in between, Norway is a country filled with stunning locations to visit, and since most of us have to stay home for the time being, now is the perfect time to “armchair travel” to this incredible part of the world. The authors highlighted in today’s blog post will take you from the streets of Oslo to the stunning and remote landscape of northern Norway and beyond, in some of my personal favorite crime books I’ve ever read.
Read MoreCBTB's Most-Anticipated Fall 2020 Crime Fiction Releases
The best time of year is upon us! As we head into the chillier months of the year, now is the perfect moment to start stocking up on some equally-chilling reads. In today’s blog post, I’m rounding up my personal most-anticipated releases of Fall 2020! This list by no means encompasses all of the thrilling new crime books that will be published this fall, but it does highlight the books I’m personally most excited to read, and most excited to talk about with you! For ease of reference, I’ve organized this blog post in order of publication date. Some of these books I’ve already been lucky enough to read, others are still on my fall TBR list—but all of them look poised to deliver some truly outstanding crime fiction storytelling. Dive into this blog post and start building your own Fall 2020 crime fiction reading list!
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