Another year is drawing to a close, and what a year itβs been. To call 2020 a challenge would be, frankly, the understatement of the year. Iβve always been thankful for the escape that a great crime book can bring, but I donβt think Iβve 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 Iβll 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 todayβs blog post, Iβm sharing my picks for the very best of the best that this year had to offer. Iβm thrilled to share with you my picks for Best Crime Books of 2020, this year with a fun twist! Iβve given each book included in this list a superlative: everything from βBest Plot Twistβ to βBest βPopcorn Thrillerββ to βBest Nordic Noir Series Installmentβ 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 novelsβthereβs 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, todayβs blog post is for you! In todayβs blog post, Iβve rounded up a whole bunch of mysteries, thrillers, and suspense novels with wintertime vibes for your end-of-2020 reading list! Whether youβre in the mood for chilling psychological suspense, Nordic Noir, or a good old fashioned detective story, thereβs a little something for everyone in this reading list. (Iβm 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 NesbΓΈ
Where to begin with this book review? If youβve been around Crime by the Book for more than a couple days, youβve probably already picked up on the fact that Norwegian crime writer Jo NesbΓΈ is my all-time, hands-down favorite author. I could go on and on about my long standing love of NesbΓΈβs 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 isnβt actually about me. Itβs about NesbΓΈβs outstanding new standalone novel THE KINGDOMβa book that captivated me and swept me up in its gritty, tragic tale of love and betrayal. In THE KINGDOM, NesbΓΈ 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 NesbΓΈβs 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 youβve been around Crime by the Book for a while, youβll know that Iβm always looking for a reason to talk about my favorite crime fiction subgenre: Nordic Noir, aka Scandinavian Crime Fiction. This year, weβre celebrating Nordic Noir November here on CBTB! Every Sunday this November, Iβll 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, weβre starting with my personal favorite Nordic country to visit: Norway. From my favorite city, Oslo, to the countryβs 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 βarmchair travelβ to this incredible part of the world. The authors highlighted in todayβs 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 Iβve 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 todayβs blog post, Iβm 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 Iβm personally most excited to read, and most excited to talk about with you! For ease of reference, Iβve organized this blog post in order of publication date. Some of these books Iβve already been lucky enough to read, others are still on my fall TBR listβbut 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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