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Crime by the Book

A girl investigates crime fiction from around the world, by the book.
  • Blog
  • Quick Reviews
  • Nordic Noir
    • Introduction
    • Background
    • Book Recommendations
    • By Country
    • Interviews
    • Reviews
    • Features
  • #ReadWithCBTB
  • Features
  • Reading Lists
  • Events
  • Go-to Book Recs
  • As Seen In
  • About
  • Connect

the cbtb blog

One girl's ongoing investigation of the crime fiction genre.

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Crime Books to Get You Hooked on Nordic Noir

August 2, 2020

If there’s one request I’ve been getting most frequently on Crime by the Book lately, it’s for Nordic Noir books for newcomers to the genre - and you can imagine how happy that makes me! Nordic Noir (aka Scandinavian crime fiction) is my all-time favorite crime fiction subgenre, and it’s a subgenre overflowing with talented writers for you to discover. But, like with anything, figuring out where to start can be tricky. To help solve that dilemma, I’ve put together a blog post designed to be your launching point into the world of Nordic Noir. Here you’ll find recommendations suitable for readers who are totally new to the Scandinavian crime fiction subgenre: this list includes books by many of the biggest names in Scandinavian crime writing, books that will give you the perfect introduction to the genre and its most prominent characteristics. If you’ve been hoping to dig into Scandinavian crime fiction but weren’t quite sure where to start, let this list be your guide!

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In Book Recommendation, Scandinavian Crime, Reading List Tags Stieg Larsson, The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, Jo Nesbo, The Redbreast, Sara Blaedel, The Forgotten Girls, Lars Kepler, The Sandman, Asa Larsson, Sun Storm, Camilla Lackberg, The Ice Princess, Jorn Lier Horst, Jussi Adler-Olsen, Helene Tursten, Nordic Noir, Scandinavian Crime Fiction, The Snowman
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CBTB's July Must-Read Crime Fiction

July 12, 2020

Summer is here, and it’s bringing with it all kinds of amazing new crime fiction releases. From binge-worthy psychological thrillers to the return of CBTB-favorite crime writers to sleep-with-the-lights-on creepy suspense stories and much more, July 2020 has a little something for everyone. In today’s blog post, I’m highlighting the new releases I personally recommend this month, and the July publications that are still on my TBR list! Dive on in for the best of the best of this month’s new crime fiction, and grab yourself a new read (or two!) to add to your summer reading list.

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In New Releases, Reading List Tags Summer Reading, July Books, July New Book Releases, Alex North, The Shadows, Alice Feeney, His & Hers, The Golden Cage, Camilla Lackberg, They All Fall Down, Rachel Howzell hall, The Safe Place, Anna Downes, He Started It, Samantha Downing, Blacktop Wasteland, SA Cosby
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CBTB's Guide to Ruth Ware Thrillers

May 16, 2020

There are so many talented crime writers at work today, but there’s no one quite like Ruth Ware. Ruth Ware has been a staple of Crime by the Book since I first began my Instagram and blog—her debut novel was published just a few weeks after I launched my Instagram account, and it was one of the first I photographed for my Instagram, too! (Spot the very early CBTB-Instagram photo above!) Her books will always hold a special place in my heart, but nostalgia isn’t the only reason I’m such a die-hard Ruth Ware fan. Ruth Ware is one of those authors whose writing just consistently works for me. Picking up a new Ruth Ware book is, for me, the ultimate pleasure: it’s an instant-escape, and a return to a writing style that never fails to captivate me and sweep me up in a thrilling, page-turning mystery. Ware has been called “the Agatha Christie of our generation” (by David Baldacci, no less!), and that very high praise is so well-deserved. Ware’s books feature an irresistible blend of the old and the new, crafting clever crime stories that would make the Queen of Crime proud. In today’s blog post, I’ll be walking you through Ruth Ware’s books—including a general overview of why I love her crime stories, what kind of reader I think will best appreciate each of her books, and a little glimpse into her 2020 release, too! Ruth Ware is one of my absolute favorite authors, and I hope this blog post will encourage you to give her work a try. Read on for my guide to Ruth Ware’s thrillers! 

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In Book Recommendation, Reading List Tags Ruth Ware, In a Dark Dark Wood, The Woman in Cabin 10, The Lying Game, The Death of Mrs Westaway, The Turn of the Key
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CBTB’s Favorite Crime Fiction Series

May 3, 2020

If there’s one thing I love as a reader, it’s finding a crime fiction series that I can’t put down. There’s something so special about finding a fictional world that you never want to leave, and if you’re in the market for a crime fiction series to sink your teeth into while you stay home, you’ve come to the right place. In this blog post, I’m rounding up my personal favorite crime fiction series—the series I personally come back to over and over again. As you’ll see in this list, my personal tastes skew Nordic. You’ll find here a whole assortment of (if I may say so myself!) top-notch Scandinavian crime series to immerse yourself in this spring, and sprinkled in among these Nordic picks are a number of excellent serial killer thrillers and police procedurals from elsewhere in the world, too. These books have a lot of differences—some are fast-paced, some are slow-burns; some are gritty and violent, some are stylish and refined—but they are all staples of my crime fiction library, and books that I would highly recommend to any crime reader.

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In Book Recommendation, Reading List Tags Crime Fiction Series, Crime Series Recommendation, Jo Nesbo, Lars Kepler, Yrsa Sigurdardottir, Ragnar Jonasson, MJ Arlidge, Dot Hutchison, Sara Blaedel
3 Comments
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Crime Books to Read While You Stay at Home

March 19, 2020

It’s safe to say these are unprecedented times. With the rapid spread of the new coronavirus around the world, a whole lot of us (yours truly included!) are finding ourselves with a whole lot more solitary time on our hands as we stay home and self-isolate. If you’re in this position and looking for a new book or two to take your mind off the news cycle, you’ve come to the right place! I’ve compiled a big list of highly-recommended crime books for you to peruse—and my hope is that one of these (or a few of these!) can keep you company and give you a sense of escape during these very overwhelming times. To help you find a book that will suit your reading tastes, I’ve organized this reading list by mood. Whether you’re in the mood for something binge-worthy, something bookish, or something downright scary, there’s a book for you here.

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In Reading List, Recommendation Tags Crime Books to Read, Lars Kepler, Riley Sager, Sandie Jones, Dot Hutchison, Alex Michaelides, C.J. Tudor, Simone St. James, Catherine Ryan Howard, Stephanie Wrobel, Elly Griffiths, Peter Swanson, J.T. Ellison, M.J. Arlidge, Jo Nesbo, Sara Blaedel, Ragnar Jonasson
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View fullsize My personal crime fiction collection 🕵🏻‍♀️🖤 aka my favorite corner of my apartment. 📚🙌🏻 If anyone feels so inclined, I’d love to see what YOUR bookshelves look like! Snap a pic, share in your stories, & tag me - I’d love to
View fullsize I can never say no to a creepy read with a gorgeous black & white cover. 🕵🏻‍♀️🤍🖤 next on my TBR: THE SHADOWS by Alex North, available on my birthday, 7/7!!😉🔎 (huge thank you to @celadonbooks for this review copy!🤓) •
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View fullsize Being stuck at home isn’t so bad when you’ve got a massive stack of books to read. 🕵🏻‍♀️🖤 What’s on your social-distancing TBR?! 📖
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I went WAY overboard with books I brought home to CT for my self-isolation TBR list. ?
View fullsize Early afternoon light & a large latte ☕️ & a gripping crime read 🕵🏻‍♀️🖤 aka the perfect combination 🙌🏻
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This right here is my usual Sunday tradition 👆🏻 BUT I’ll be spending this Sunday (and this coming week, and probabl
View fullsize My last day in the city for a while calls for a lunch break coffee stop ☕️🖤 with my totally gripping current read 🕵🏻‍♀️
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Today is my last day in Manhattan for a while 😔 we’re all transitioning to working from home to try and preve
View fullsize In the midst of a crazy week, my brain needs a quick, binge-worthy read, and I think this beauty right here is just the ticket. 👌🏻🖤 NO BAD DEED by Heather Chavez is on sale now, and I can’t wait to dive in! 🕵🏻‍♀️
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Friends, I can&
View fullsize Happy Monday, friends! 🖤 Back in NYC and back to work after an amazing (if much too short) visit to Oslo 🇳🇴 annnd currently drinking a cold brew ☕️ at my desk & hoping it keeps me awake this afternoon 😂 jet lag + not enough sleep last night =
View fullsize Last looks at beautiful Oslo 🇳🇴 for this trip. ❤️ So very sad to leave, but I’m bringing wonderful memories & a suitcase stuffed with books 📚 back to NYC with me. 😉 See you soon, Oslo... you know I can’t stay away for long. 🥰❤️
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View fullsize Spent today doing all my favorite things in Oslo, so obviously a coffee stop was included. ☕️🖤 How are you spending your Saturday?! •
Okay I used to always think the phrase “living your best life” was SO cheesy but if I’m bein
View fullsize *Years* of admiring this Norwegian edition of my favorite book (THE SNOWMAN by Jo Nesbø) have finally resulted in this. 🕵🏻‍♀️🖤 Best. Purchase. Ever. 🙌🏻
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Does anyone else collect books by a favorite author?! 📚 I don’t have

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    RT @vanessalillie: I’ve had box of Blood Sister arcs unopened for two weeks waiting on tomorrow - cover reveal by @crimebythebook & IG… https://t.co/fnQ35GO1Nd
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    RT @TheMysterious: We’re making plans to head out to @HamptonsWhodun next month, Long Island’s exciting new crime fiction festival. Se… https://t.co/ra7RPgf7Fv
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    RT @TheMysterious: Love mystery fiction? We’re hiring a part-time bookseller, beginning immediately. Email info@mysteriousbookshop.com… https://t.co/AJrBLH0Q1t
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    RT @TheMysterious: BREAKING: We’re thrilled that our friend Michael Connelly is (finally) being recognized as a mystery fiction Grand… https://t.co/3QgWojXVVw
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