CBTB's Favorite Lisa Unger Thrillers

April 26, 2022

You know that feeling when you start reading a new-to-you author and suddenly can’t believe you never made time to read their work sooner? That was me just a few short years ago when I first began exploring the work of New York Times bestselling thriller writer Lisa Unger. Fast forward a few years, and Lisa has become a go-to psychological suspense author for me—I always know that I can count on her books to deliver major entertainment value, twisty and original plotting, and psychologically-complex characters. If you’re not reading Lisa Unger yet, consider this your official reminder that it’s time to do so! Today happens to be Lisa’s birthday (Happy Birthday, Lisa!!!), and it’s also officially Lisa Unger Day on CBTB! Over on Instagram today, I’m so honored to be revealing the cover for Lisa’s 2022 release SECLUDED CABIN SLEEPS SIX—a locked-room mystery that centers around a group of friends who rent a luxury cabin the woods for a weekend getaway…and soon discover that a killer might be in their midst. (Yes, this does in fact sound like my perfect thriller, and I simply cannot wait to read it.) Pop on over to Instagram for the inside scoop on the book, and then come back to today’s blog post for an overview of my personal favorite Lisa Unger thrillers thus far!

Book Review: INSOMNIA by Sarah Pinborough

April 12, 2022

I’ve finally read my first Sarah Pinborough thriller, and it absolutely won’t be my last. INSOMNIA—available today in the US—is one of the most genuinely unsettling and utterly gripping psychological thrillers I’ve read in ages, and it’s sure to be one of my favorite books of 2022. In this twisty, paranoia-inducing tale, a woman anxiously awaits her 40th birthday—but not for the reason you might think. When Emma’s mother turned 40, she lost her mind…and now, as Emma’s own 40th birthday approaches, she begins to fear the very same thing might be happening to her. INSOMNIA is an “unreliable narrator” thriller done right—Pinborough expertly draws readers into Emma’s increasingly terrifying world, where no one and nothing can be trusted, not even Emma’s own mind. This book will keep you on your toes, never quite sure who to trust, and who might be hiding dark secrets. INSOMNIA is a story about what we inherit from our family, and the pieces of those inheritances that we wish we could escape. It’s also one of the most downright entertaining thrillers I’ve read in ages. Clear your schedule and—cheesy as it may be to say, it’s true—prepare to lose sleep over INSOMNIA.

CBTB'S MOST-ANTICIPATED SPRING 2022 CRIME BOOKS

April 7, 2022

Is it just me, or have the first few months of 2022 flown by?! I can’t believe it’s already April—but here we are, and it’s time to talk about the incredible crop of new crime fiction that Spring 2022 has in store for us!! 2022 is already shaping up to be an outstanding year for new crime fiction (then again, when is it not a great year for new crime books!), and in today’s blog post, I’m shining a spotlight on my most-anticipated new crime books publishing in April and May 2022! Whether you’re in the market for a new detective novel, a twisty psychological thriller, a spine-tingling supernatural suspense novel, or just about anything in between, you’ll find it in this blog post. April and May 2022 will see the return of fan-favorite thriller writers including Sarah Pinborough, Tessa Wegert, and May Cobb, and they might just introduce you to some new-to-you voices, too! I’ve been lucky enough to read advance copies of many of the books on this list, and others are on my to-read list as soon as they publish. It’s going to be an incredible spring for new crime fiction, and I hope you’ll find a book (or two, or three!) to add to your to-read list in this blog post!

Cover Reveal + Excerpt: YOU'RE INVITED by Amanda Jayatissa

March 24, 2022

If you’ve been around Crime by the Book since last year, you will no doubt remember how completely obsessed I was (and, let’s be honest, still am!) with Amanda Jayatissa’s debut thriller MY SWEET GIRL. Ever since I devoured that outstanding book last fall, I’ve been not-so-patiently waiting for more information on Amanda’s next book—and the wait is over!! I am so incredibly honored to reveal the cover for Amanda’s 2022 thriller YOU’RE INVITED, and to give CBTB readers an exclusive sneak peek into the book today. YOU’RE INVITED falls into a crime fiction subgenre that I have a particular soft spot for: the wedding thriller. In this book, Amanda Jayatissa invites readers to attend a lavish Sri Lankan wedding—one which not every guest will survive. I simply cannot wait to see what Amanda does with this book’s instantly-appealing premise; based on how utterly original, dark, and gripping her debut MY SWEET GIRL was, I have no doubt YOU’RE INVITED will be another instant-hit! YOU’RE INVITED will hit US bookstores on August 9, but you can get an early glimpse into the book right here in today’s blog post! Read on to check out the book’s stunning cover, learn more about its plot, and read an exclusive, early excerpt. Huge thanks to Amanda’s US publisher Berkley for allowing me to do this reveal today—I am a huge Amanda Jayatissa fan, and it’s an absolute honor to be able to share this reveal with the CBTB community today! Happy reading!

Cover Reveal + Excerpt: THE COLLECTOR by Anne Mette Hancock

March 3, 2022

Nordic Noir fans, listen up: your new Danish crime fiction obsession is here! Last year, Anne Mette Hancock’s debut crime novel THE CORPSE FLOWER was published in the US to tremendous acclaim, and this coming November, she returns with her newest dark, psychological crime story: THE COLLECTOR. I’m so honored to be able to reveal the cover of THE COLLECTOR today, and to give you the opportunity to read an early, exclusive excerpt from the book! If you’re a Nordic crime fiction fan like I am, you’re going to love Anne Mette Hancock’s gritty, intricate writing—and if you’ve never tried a Nordic crime book before, Anne Mette’s work would make a great entry point into the genre for you. Anne Mette’s crime fiction exemplifies the qualities I love so much about the Nordic Noir genre as a whole. Her debut novel THE CORPSE FLOWER relied on vivid, complex character development, taking readers into the darkest corners of her characters’ lives, and introduced an unlikely investigative duo—a journalist and a police officer—whose parallel investigations of a crime made for seriously engaging reading. I think it’s fair to say that Anne Mette Hancock’s intricate and seriously dark plotting can rival that of many of the genre’s greats, and fans of books from the likes of Jo Nesbø, Lars Kepler, and Stefan Ahnhem will find much to love in her work.

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