Nordic Noir fans, listen up: if youβre not already reading the Blix and Ramm series, add it to your to-read pile immediately. Co-written by powerhouse Norwegian crime writers Thomas Enger and JΓΈrn Lier Horst, the Blix and Ramm series merges the best of its authorsβ crime writing strengths to deliver a gripping blend of realistic procedural elements and character-driven, emotional suspense. Out last month in e-book and coming soon in paperback, the latest installment, UNHINGED, takes this already-excellent series to the next level. In UNHINGED, protagonists Alexander Blix and Emma Ramm face their most personal case yet when one of their colleagues is targeted in an execution-style killing. UNHINGED pushes this seriesβ endearing characters to their breaking points in a thrilling plot that is both gripping and deeply heartfelt. I do recommend reading at least this seriesβ first installment (Death Deserved) before diving into UNHINGED; while the case itself here is stand-alone, much of this storyβs impact relies on our connection to its characters, and having a bit of background exposure to them will make readers all the more invested in their fates. Fans of Lars Kepler, Stefan Ahnhem, and SΓΈren Sveistrup wonβt want to miss this top-notch Nordic thriller series.
Read MoreBook Review: SMOKE SCREEN by Thomas Enger and JΓΈrn Lier Horst
The writing partnership between Thomas Enger and JΓΈrn Lier Horst is the stuff that Nordic Noir readersβ dreams are made of. Enger and Horst, both acclaimed crime writers in their own right, are now dominating Norwegian bestseller charts with their gripping thriller series featuring police officer Alexander Blix and journalist Emma Ramm. This pacey, page-turning Nordic crime series blew me away with its first installment, DEATH DESERVED, which found a serial killer at work in Oslo, Norway, committing a series of very public murders. This month, Blix and Ramm are back with the second installment in this inspired crime series. SMOKE SCREEN finds our two protagonists on the heels of a very different kind of villain: a bomber who disrupts the annual New Yearβs Eve fireworks display with his own deadly spectacle. Blix and Ramm find themselves independently drawn into the investigation, and it isnβt long before they each discover the shadowy connection between this bombing and a decade-old missing persons case. How do these events fit together? And what is the motivation behind this bomberβs horrific acts? SMOKE SCREEN delivers another intricate, page-turning thriller from two of Norwayβs most acclaimed crime writing talents. Long may the partnership between Thomas Enger and JΓΈrn Lier Horst continueβthe Blix and Ramm series is a fresh, engaging addition to any Scandinavian crime fiction readerβs library, and a series I hope to be reading for years to come.
Read MoreCBTB's Most-Anticipated Early 2021 Crime Books
A new year is upon us, and itβs bringing with it some very exciting new crime, mystery, and thriller releases to devour! In todayβs blog post, Iβm rounding up my most-anticipated crime fiction releases publishing between January and March 2021. A few of these books Iβve already been fortunate enough to read, and the others are all on my TBR list as we head into the new year! From new psychological thrillers to suspense novels with horror movie-worthy plots to Nordic Noir and more, the first few months of 2021 have so many thrilling reads in store for us, and I hope this list will help you find a new book (or two, or three!) to look forward to in the coming months!
Read MoreCBTB's Best Crime Books of 2020
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 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.
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