Every year, there are one or two books that become what I like to call my βout-of-left-field favoritesββbooks that I picked up on a whim and ended up just absolutely loving. In 2020, one of my βout-of-left-field favoritesβ was Eva GarcΓa SΓ‘enzβs 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 itβs 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 GarcΓa SΓ‘enz 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 whatβs to come in this trilogyβs second installment!
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 MoreCBTB's Halloween 2020 Reading List
Friends, itβs the most wonderful time of year: spooky season!! Halloween is my favorite time of year (yes, I consider it a time of yearβnot just a single day!), and itβs the perfect time to cozy up with an extra-chilling crime, suspense, or thriller read. Iβm so excited to share with you a blog post that has been quite a while in the making: my Halloween 2020 Reading List! While many (if not most!) of the books I read and cover here on Crime by the Book could fit on a Halloween reading list, the books Iβve chosen for this blog post have that little something extra that will make each of them perfect for Halloween reading (think: ghosts, supernatural sightings, extra-creepy villains, and more!). Dive on in and find your perfect Halloween read!
Read MoreBook Review: THE SILENCE OF THE WHITE CITY by Eva GarcΓa SΓ‘enz
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 GarcΓa SΓ‘enzβs outstanding trilogy launch, THE SILENCE OF THE WHITE CITYβpublished 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 Vitoriaβs 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 βKraken,β THE SILENCE OF THE WHITE CITY draws readers deep into the history and mythology of the Basque countryβand 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.
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