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: INBORN by Thomas Enger
A couple of weeks ago, I found myself in the airport in Oslo, Norway, waiting on a (very) delayed flight back to New York. What could have been a frustrating way to pass an evening was saved by my bookish companion on the trip: Norwegian author Thomas Engerβs thought-provoking standalone crime novel INBORN. Part courtroom drama, part exploration of small-town life in Engerβs native Norway, INBORN is an effortless read--one enhanced by precise plotting and the authorβs knack for rich character development. Following a teenage boy who is accused of murder, INBORN moves readers between the courtroom, wherein the boy is being questioned by the prosecution, and the past, where readers slowly but surely unravel the secrets of what really happened on that fateful night. Given that this book did begin as a Young Adult novel, INBORN is lighter on violence and grit than is Engerβs Henning Juul series, but thatβs no detriment to the story Enger tells here. Enger has done a superb job adapting this Young Adult crime novel for an adult readership, and readers will find the bookβs clean, crisp prose and precise plotting appealingly easy to devour. I come to Thomas Engerβs writing when I want to read a book with characters who feel three-dimensional and endearing, and I found exactly that in his newest standalone. INBORN is a compelling blend of courtroom drama and heart-tugging examination of adolescence--Enger has delivered again.
Read MoreBook Review: THE LINGERING by S.J.I. Holliday
I will never be a reader who gravitates towards pure horror, but 2018 has, thus far, made me a bit of a convert when it comes to crime novels laced with touches of the supernatural. Earlier this year, I read Yrsa Sigurdardottirβs brilliant Icelandic ghost story-meets-mystery I REMEMBER YOU; I recently devoured Sharon Boltonβs THE CRAFTSMAN, a procedural with some otherworldly undercurrents; and I similarly loved S.J.I. Hollidayβs forthcoming THE LINGERING, an atmospheric psychological thriller set in a building with a dark past life. If you are strictly anti-supernatural in your crime fiction (which I totally understand!), todayβs featured title will be one youβre better off skipping. If, however, you are open to something a little different as you plan your fall reading list, S.J.I. Hollidayβs THE LINGERING will make for an addictive, binge-worthy, utterly chilling suspense read. Pick THE LINGERING up on a dark, cold winterβs night, and you will find yourself transported to the mysterious, richly atmospheric world of Rosalind House, a building with a history as dark as those of its residents. Part locked-room mystery, part Gothic suspense, part ghost story, THE LINGERING is one of the most unusual - and chilling - suspense novels you will read this fall.
Read MoreBook Review | Blog Tour: THE OLD YOU by Louise Voss
Show me a psychological suspense novel called βHitchcockianβ and βmodern domestic noirβ and itβs pretty much a given that this book is something Iβve got to check out. Louise Vossβ newest release THE OLD YOU, then, promised to tick all the boxes I look for in a story of psychological suspense: rich character development, Hitchcockian undertones, and a healthy dose of hidden interpersonal secrets. Voss has written a page-turning story that keeps the reader constantly wrong-footed, unraveling deceit after deceit in a relationship over the bookβs 300-odd pages. While I had hoped for a bit more darkness and tension in THE OLD YOU, this book is an undeniable binge-readβand itβs one that will work quite well for readers looking for lighter, more subtle suspense to add to their summer reading list.
Read MoreSpotlight on Orenda Books @OrendaBooks
If you havenβt heard of Orenda Books yet, thatβs all about to change. The UK-based independent publisher continues to make a splash with a growing list of crime fiction and literary fiction authors, including many CBTB favorites: Ragnar Jonasson, Thomas Enger, Matt Wesolowski, and more! Today Iβm thrilled to share a βSpotlight on Orenda Booksβ - aka a chance for you to explore Orendaβs growing list, learn about my personal favorite Orenda titles, and read a Q&A with Orenda Booksβ publisher, Karen Sullivan!
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