New Release Tuesday: February 5th, 2019
Clear your TBR list: today’s newly-released crime fiction begs to be read immediately. Today, Tuesday, February 5th, marks the release of not one, not two, not three, but four exciting new crime fiction releases—and this blog post will give you a quick rundown of each! From a debut psychological suspense novel to a new Nordic Noir release from one of Scandinavia’s bestselling authors, there’s a fantastic variety of stellar crime fiction on sale today. Read on for my picks for this week’s new crime fiction!
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THE HIDING PLACE by C.J. Tudor
My Quick Take:
Crime writer C.J. Tudor made a splash with her debut suspense novel THE CHALK MAN, but her sophomore release, THE HIDING PLACE, is even better. Grim and gritty with a dose of horror-inspired scares, THE HIDING PLACE is addictive, dread-inducing entertainment. This story plumbs the depths of the twisted secrets festering in a quiet town—and what the reader uncovers, thanks to Tudor’s deft and incisive writing, will genuinely terrify.
From My Review:
If my first read of 2019 is any indication, this year is going to be an outstanding one for crime fiction. In 2018, C.J. Tudor broke on to the crime fiction scene with her exceptional debut novel THE CHALK MAN; in 2019, she’s back, and she’s delivered something even better. THE HIDING PLACE is small-town noir meets dread-inducing horror—a sharp, gritty story that draws readers into a community with an almost unthinkable secret at its core. In Tudor’s expert hands, readers will enthusiastically follow wayward protagonist Joe Thorne as he returns to his childhood hometown of Arnhill: a place where the past can never truly stay buried. It’s impossible to narrow down which element of this outstanding suspense story I liked best; from its grimy, gloomy atmosphere and razor-sharp plotting to its thread of horror-inspired chills and gut-punch of a conclusion, THE HIDING PLACE is every bit a superb crime novel. C.J. Tudor has proven herself once again to be one of the most exciting, genuinely unique talents at work in the genre. It’s not every day that your first read of the year turns out to be a (very early) contender for favorite book of the year, but here we are: THE HIDING PLACE is stellar, and a 2019 standout. | Continue Reading
Plot Details:
Joe never wanted to come back to Arnhill. After the way things ended with his old gang--the betrayal, the suicide, the murder--and after what happened when his sister went missing, the last thing he wanted to do was return to his hometown. But Joe doesn't have a choice. Because judging by what was done to that poor Morton kid, what happened all those years ago to Joe's sister is happening again. And only Joe knows who is really at fault.
Lying his way into a teaching job at his former high school is the easy part. Facing off with former friends who are none too happy to have him back in town--while avoiding the enemies he's made in the years since--is tougher. But the hardest part of all will be returning to that abandoned mine where it all went wrong and his life changed forever, and finally confronting the shocking, horrifying truth about Arnhill, his sister, and himself. Because for Joe, the worst moment of his life wasn't the day his sister went missing.
It was the day she came back.
THE SILENT PATIENT by Alex Michaelides
My Quick Take:
Come for its attention-grabbing premise, stay for the intimate and hypnotic character studies at its core—Alex Michaelides’ debut novel THE SILENT PATIENT lives up to the hype and then some. This book is many things: a “why-dunnit,” a case study of a terrible crime, a character study of the woman accused of that crime’s commission and of the therapist determined to treat her—the list could go on and on, but what’s most important is its sum total, and its sum total is stellar. Hypnotic and slow-burning, THE SILENT PATIENT is a captivating unraveling of the veiled truths that lie behind even the most picture-perfect of facades.
From My Review:
A gruesome murder, a woman held captive in her own mind, and a therapist determined to unlock her secrets - what’s not to love about Alex Michaelides’ THE SILENT PATIENT? This sophisticated debut suspense novel is every bit deserving of the effusive early praise it’s already receiving. Reading more like a character study than a psychological thriller, THE SILENT PATIENT is a maze-like exploration of the psyches of both a woman convicted of murdering her husband and the therapist determined to treat her. The impactfulness of Michaelides’ exceptional first novel lies not in mile-a-minute pacing or whiplash-inducing twists, but in the author’s masterful, methodical building - and breaking down - of his characters. Just as his protagonist explores and unveils the mental state of his subject, so, too, does Michaelides methodically reveal to his readers the psychology of the characters upon which THE SILENT PATIENT is built. Rather than investigating a crime, THE SILENT PATIENT investigates the mind of a criminal - and what a gripping investigation it is. THE SILENT PATIENT is immersive and hypnotic—the kind of confidently drawn suspense story that doesn’t need big, flashy twists to keep you hooked… but that delivers an exceptional twist or two anyway. Believe the hype: THE SILENT PATIENT may well be the debut crime novel of the season. | Continue Reading
Plot Details:
Alicia Berenson’s life is seemingly perfect. A famous painter married to an in-demand fashion photographer, she lives in a grand house with big windows overlooking a park in one of London’s most desirable areas. One evening her husband Gabriel returns home late from a fashion shoot, and Alicia shoots him five times in the face, and then never speaks another word.
Alicia’s refusal to talk, or give any kind of explanation, turns a domestic tragedy into something far grander, a mystery that captures the public imagination and casts Alicia into notoriety. The price of her art skyrockets, and she, the silent patient, is hidden away from the tabloids and spotlight at the Grove, a secure forensic unit in North London.
Theo Faber is a criminal psychotherapist who has waited a long time for the opportunity to work with Alicia. His determination to get her to talk and unravel the mystery of why she shot her husband takes him down a twisting path into his own motivations―a search for the truth that threatens to consume him....
STALKER by Lars Kepler
My Quick Take:
If you love a dark and twisted serial killer thriller, you will love STALKER by Lars Kepler. The newest release in Kepler’s Joona Linna series is my favorite of the series yet. This propulsive, page-turning thriller blends Kepler’s seriously twisted imagination with meticulous plotting (and some jaw-dropping plot twists!) to pitch-perfect effect. This book is not for the faint of heart, but if dark thrillers are your thing, this one’s for you. STALKER reads like an episode of your favorite crime TV show (Criminal Minds, anyone?!); it has short chapters that beg to be binge-read, and features action-packed plotting that will keep you flipping pages late into the night. Bonus: though it’s part of the Joona Linna series, it can be read as a standalone - it’s a self-contained case for police officers to solve.
From My “Buzzworthy 2019 Books” Post:
So why, in big-picture terms, do I love Lars Kepler? If you’ve been around Crime by the Book for a little while, you’re likely to already know my answers to this question, but they bear repeating. No surprise here, but Scandinavian crime fiction is my personal favorite crime fiction sub-genre, and Kepler is one of the most unique and compelling authors working in this space. Kepler is actually the pseudonym for a husband-and-wife writing team (!), and their approach to crime writing is wholly unique and fascinating. Kepler’s books are action-packed, page-turning thrillers; Kepler stays true to Nordic Noir in the grit and melancholic atmosphere of their writing, but their thrillers are more focused on compact writing and binge-able pacing than the work of many of their peers. These aren’t your standard police procedurals - they’re page-turning, up-all-night reads. When I want a crime novel that’s gritty, unputdownable, and very dark, Kepler is one of my go-to authors; Kepler’s books are as much for readers of classic Nordic Noir as they are for fans of serial killer thrillers like The Silence of the Lambs and The Fourth Monkey. | Continue Reading
Plot Details:
The internationally bestselling authors of The Sandman and The Hypnotist return with a terrifying new thriller: Detective Joona Linna--recently returned from compassionate leave--reunites with hypnotist Erik Maria Bark in a search for a seemingly unassailable sadistic killer.
The Swedish National Crime Unit receives a video of a young woman in her home, clearly unaware that she's being watched. Soon after the tape is received, the woman's body is found horrifically mutilated. With the arrival of the next, similar video, the police understand that the killer is toying with them, warning of a new victim, knowing there's nothing they can do. Detective Margot Silverman is put in charge of the investigation, and soon asks Detective Joona Linna for help. Linna, in turn, recruits Erik Maria Bark, the hypnotist and expert in trauma, with whom Linna's worked before. Bark is leery of forcing people to give up their secrets. But this time, Bark is the one hiding things.
Years before, he had put a man away for an eerily similar crime, and now he's beginning to think that an innocent man may be behind bars--and a serial killer still on the loose. . .
THE BONE KEEPER by Luca Veste
My Quick Take:
If serial killer stories are your thing, but you prefer a more traditional, slow-burning police procedural pacing over a mile-a-minute thriller, Luca Veste’s chilling standalone THE BONE KEEPER will be right up your alley. Veste turns a traditional procedural on its head in this hair-raising story, injecting it with a dose of terrifying urban legend. In THE BONE KEEPER, two police officers find themselves investigating a crime that the victim - a woman found bruised and bloody, having just escaped from a nearby forest - claims was perpetrated by none other than “The Bone Keeper,” a childhood urban legend that she claims is all too real. Gritty and grim, THE BONE KEEPER is a slow-burner that will keep you immersed - and thoroughly creeped out.
From My Review:
Luca Veste’s chilling standalone crime novel THE BONE KEEPER will add a welcome dose of spine-tingling fun to your early-2019 TBR. Part police procedural, part urban legend, THE BONE KEEPER reads like the creepiest story kids in your neighborhood used to tell to scare each other… only this time, it’s all grown up, and it might just be real. In his newest work, Veste slyly weaves together a detail-oriented police procedural with a story of suspense that’s the stuff of nightmares—and the result is the twisted, engrossing THE BONE KEEPER. The ideal reader for THE BONE KEEPER will be one who loves an immersive, layered police procedural, replete with all the details of a police investigation, but who also looks for books with a unique edge and personality—all qualities that THE BONE KEEPER has in spades. This slow-burning crime novel will best suit readers who love a traditional police procedural structure; if you fall into that category, you will find THE BONE KEEPER to be a highly original - and highly creepy - winter read. | Continue Reading
Plot Details:
What if the figure that haunted your nightmares as a child was real?
Twenty years ago, four teenagers went exploring in the local woods, trying to find the supposed home of the Bone Keeper. Only three returned.
Now, a woman is found wandering the streets, horrifically injured, claiming to have fled the evil urban myth.
And then a body turns up.
Home ownership feel like a distant dream? Zillow listings have you convinced you’ll be renting for the rest of your life? The woman at the heart of Carissa Orlando’s debut The September House feels your pain—and she’s prepared to put up with a lot if it means she and her husband can finally have a place to call their own. In this case, that might just mean living in a house that’s haunted. Playful and irreverent, spine-tingling and spooky, The September House puts a fresh spin on the classic haunted house story, delivering an immersive tale about the secrets lurking within one building’s walls, and within the lives of its inhabitants.