In a matter of two books, Stephanie Wrobel has cemented herself as one of my must-read thriller writers. You know that magical feeling when you find an author whose work seems to somehow just click for you? That’s me with Stephanie Wrobel. Wrobel’s debut suspense novel Darling Rose Gold hooked me with its nod to true crime and its dark, intimate exploration of a treacherous mother-daughter relationship; now, in Wrobel’s sophomore thriller, she blends a ripped-from-the-headlines plot (think: a cult story perfect for those fascinated by disturbing real-world cases like that of NXIVM) with a propulsive story of the ties that bind family together. The result? A book that’s guaranteed to be on my list of best crime books of 2022. THIS MIGHT HURT is an outstanding psychological thriller on every level, from its immediately-intriguing cult thriller premise to the complex layers readers will discover within its pages. Is blood really, as the saying goes, thicker than water? Can we ever escape the lasting legacy of childhood trauma? In THIS MIGHT HURT, readers follow three women as they exorcise their demons, face their fears, and, if the folks at Wisewood have their way, reach their “maximized selves”—no matter the cost. Stephanie Wrobel has knocked it out of the park with her sophomore thriller; if you only read one book this month, make it this one.
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CBTB's Most Anticipated Early 2022 Crime Books
A new year is upon us, and there’s only one way to kick off 2022 here on CBTB: by celebrating some of the outstanding crime books that the year has in store for us!! To ring in 2022, I’m thrilled to share my picks for most-anticipated crime books releasing in January, February, and March 2022! As always, there are way too many crime books I’m excited about this year for me to put them all into one blog post, so I’ll be divvying the year up into a few different “most-anticipated” lists for you to peruse. Today I want to focus on crime books I’m particularly excited about that will be published in the first three months of this year—and boy oh boy, there are a lot of them. From the return of CBTB favorite authors (Lars Kepler! Camilla Sten! Stephanie Wrobel! and so many more!!) to the release of international crime books I’ve been online-stalking ever since I first heard of their publications overseas, from serial killer thrillers and cult stories to seafaring suspense and private investigator mysteries, there’s a little bit of something for everyone on today’s list. 2022 is already shaping up to be another outstanding year for new crime fiction, and I can’t wait to embark on a new year of crime fiction exploration with you all!
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Crime Books to Read While You Stay at Home
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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Mini Review & Author Interview: DARLING ROSE GOLD by Stephanie Wrobel
I had the pleasure of reading Stephanie Wrobel’s stunning debut novel DARLING ROSE GOLD this past fall, and boy oh boy did I love it. Today marks the US publication day for this exceptional new suspense read, and to celebrate, I’m so excited to give CBTB readers a two-for-one feature on what is sure to be one of my favorite books of 2020. In this blog post, you’ll find a mini review of DARLING ROSE GOLD, plus an interview with author Stephanie Wrobel herself! I had the pleasure of sitting down with Stephanie to talk all things DARLING ROSE GOLD when she was in New York in advance of her book’s publication, and I absolutely loved our conversation. We talked true crime, mental health, getting into the heads of your characters, and a whole lot more. For any reader looking for a deliciously dark suspense novel to dig into this spring, consider DARLING ROSE GOLD a must-read. Read on for details on DARLING ROSE GOLD, my mini review, and an interview with the author!
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