Every year, there are one or two books that become what I like to call my “out-of-left-field favorites”—books that I picked up on a whim and ended up just absolutely loving. In 2020, one of my “out-of-left-field favorites” was Eva García Sáenz’s exceptional serial killer thriller THE SILENCE OF THE WHITE CITY. The first in a trilogy of crime novels set in the Basque country, THE SILENCE OF THE WHITE CITY is an immersive, intricate, compulsively readable crime novel perfect for fans of serial killer thriller classics like The Silence of the Lambs. This trilogy has already found great success with readers around the world, and it’s easy to see why: THE SILENCE OF THE WHITE CITY has crime fiction must-read written all over it, from its vivid characters to its chilling central mystery and its immersive sense of place. Today, author Eva García Sáenz is stopping by CBTB to answer my questions about her heart-pounding thriller THE SILENCE OF THE WHITE CITY, and to give us a little teaser for what’s to come in this trilogy’s second installment!
Read MoreBook Review: THE SILENCE OF THE WHITE CITY by Eva García Sáenz
What was the last book you read that turned out to be exactly the book you never knew you needed? For me, the answer to that question is easy: it was Eva García Sáenz’s outstanding trilogy launch, THE SILENCE OF THE WHITE CITY—published in the US for the first time this July. This gritty, intricate serial killer thriller is the perfect late-summer read for any crime fiction aficionado looking to get caught up in a truly immersive puzzle. Set in the Basque country, THE SILENCE OF THE WHITE CITY places readers in the heart of a terrifying series of events: a shadowy villain appears to be replicating the city of Vitoria’s most infamous crimes, twenty years after their initial occurrence. The perpetrator for the original crimes, an archaeologist whose charm and charisma propelled him to fame, has been locked away in prison for all these years. So who is committing these gruesome murders now? Is a copycat killer at work, or is there more to this story? Following an endearing and troubled detective known as “Kraken,” THE SILENCE OF THE WHITE CITY draws readers deep into the history and mythology of the Basque country—and into the mind of a sinister and shadowy villain whose reach and intelligence are far greater than the police ever suspected. Chilling crimes, page-turning pacing, endearing characters, and a healthy dose of local lore are woven together seamlessly in THE SILENCE OF THE WHITE CITY. This is a serial killer thriller for anyone who has loved genre greats like The Silence of the Lambs, and for anyone who just plain loves a great mystery to solve. Pick this book up for pure, chilling entertainment.
Read MoreBook Review: BIRDMAN by Mo Hayder
You know those books that have been sitting on your to-read list for ages, but you just never seem to find the time to read them? I’ve got plenty of crime novels like that, and one of my goals during this period of self-isolation is to tackle a couple of them. First on my list: Mo Hayder’s BIRDMAN, a serial killer thriller that I’ve had my eye on for years. Compared to the work of Thomas Harris, Mo Hayder’s BIRDMAN promises a gritty, psychologically complex reading experience—and boy, does it deliver. BIRDMAN is an excellent piece of crime writing: a detailed procedural, a masterfully-crafted thriller, and an arresting deep-dive into the psychology of a twisted criminal. Blending the classic British procedural with the blood and guts of a terrifying serial killer thriller, BIRDMAN casts an enticing and chilling spell over the reader. The premise is simple: a newly-appointed detective finds himself in over his head, chasing down a killer with a penchant for not just kidnapping and murdering young women, but mutilating them, too. What Hayder does with this premise is far from ordinary. Moving from the police department to the underbelly of London to the personal lives of its characters, BIRDMAN puts readers up close and personal with the cruelties—big and small—that people inflict on one another. Not every scene in this book is dripping with blood and guts, but the scenes that are violent are violent enough to put you off your next meal. Hayder’s writing is methodical and precise, and layer by layer, she paints a vivid picture of a deeply damaged individual and the truly horrific atrocities he commits on women unlucky enough to cross his path. BIRDMAN is not a book for the faint of heart, but readers in the market for a deeply twisted crime novel will find it an irresistible ride.
Read MoreInterview with Lars Kepler, Author of THE RABBIT HUNTER
I’ve been a Lars Kepler fan for years now, and a new book by Kepler is always cause for celebration! Today, Kepler’s newest U.S. release THE RABBIT HUNTER hits bookstores, and I’m thrilled to share a Q&A with the authors to celebrate their newest crime novel. Kepler, the pen name for a husband-and-wife writing duo, is known for writing big, intricate, terrifying serial killer thrillers. These books follow a police officer in Stockholm, Sweden, but their real focal points are their villains: psychopaths with well-crafted, totally creepy backstories and motivations, whose shocking crimes seem built for the big screen. THE RABBIT HUNTER is no exception. In THE RABBIT HUNTER, the Stockholm police face off against a twisted killer with a terrifying modus operandi: first, his victims hear a nursery rhyme… and nineteen minutes later on the dot, his victims die. Read on for more information on THE RABBIT HUNTER, including plot details, early praise, and my conversation with Lars Kepler!
Read MoreBook Review: CAGED by Ellison Cooper
I’m always on the lookout for new, buzzworthy serial killer thrillers to add to my reading list, and that’s how I came to find CAGED by Ellison Cooper, a chilling crime novel releasing from Minotaur Books this July. With a dark premise, complex female lead, and eye-catching cover, CAGED initially ticked all my boxes for serial killer thriller “must-haves.” While I certainly enjoyed CAGED, I would recommend it most of all for readers who are new to the genre; experienced readers of serial killer thrillers are likely to find that the book relies a bit too heavily on genre stereotypes and cliches. There’s nothing hugely, offensively wrong here—CAGED just never quite kicks into the gear I had hoped it would. I’m confident many readers will enjoy CAGED this summer, but I would hypothesize that those who will enjoy it most of all will be the readers dipping their toes into the genre for the first time - not a negative by any means, but a qualification to be aware of. To me, the story of CAGED is most of all a story of unfilled potential: a crime novel with an eye-catching cover and a chilling plot that delivers page-turning entertainment value, but doesn't quite reach the levels of darkness or psychological insight I had hoped it would.
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