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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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CBTB's Frequently Recommended Supernatural-ish Mysteries & Chillers

March 19, 2021

If you had told me when I started this blog that I would someday be writing a blog post recommending a few of my personal favorite crime books with some supernatural elements to them, I would have never believed you. I used to be staunchly opposed to crime books with any supernatural touches, but as time has gone on, and thanks to the work of very talented authors including Yrsa Sigurdardottir, C.J. Tudor, and many more, I’ve not only become open to books in this category… I’ve actually begun actively seeking them out. While I think it will always be important to me as a reader that the crime novels I read, even the supernatural-ish ones, have an earthly, logical solution to the mysteries at their core, I’ve come to discover just how much fun a thriller with a dash of the supernatural can be. Today, I’m so excited to share a roundup of my frequently recommended supernatural-ish mysteries and thrillers! Some of these books have true supernatural elements to them, while in others, the supernatural is more of a suggestion or a question to be answered over the course of the story. No matter what, all of these books have an extra-creepy edge to them that will have you reading with all the lights on. To help you guide you through this list and narrow down which books might be of interest to you, I’ve divvied this list up into three categories: Ghosts & Haunted Houses, Folklore & The Occult, and Possessions & Inexplicable Events. The books in this list exemplify that delicious blend of earthly mystery and supernatural touches that I’ve come to love so much, and I’m so excited to share this rundown of books in this category that I recommend most frequently with you today! Grab your coziest blanket, turn on all the lights, and dive in to my frequently-recommended supernatural-ish mysteries & thrillers.

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In Book Recommendation, Reading List Tags Supernatural Thriller, Ghost Stories, Haunted House, CJ Tudor, Riley Sager, Yrsa Sigurdardottir, Alex North, The Shadows, The Whisper Man, Home Before Dark, The Burning Girls, The Sun Down Motel, Simone St. James, The Lingering, SJI Holliday, Theme Music, T. Marie Vandelly, The Nesting, C.J. Cooke, The Witch Hunter, Max Seeck
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Cover Reveal + Q&A: THE LIGHTHOUSE WITCHES by C.J. Cooke

March 18, 2021

Last year, I read and got totally hooked on author C.J. Cooke’s Gothic suspense novel The Nesting, a sinister story set in the wilds of Norway. This October, just in time for Halloween, C.J. Cooke is back—and this time, she is bringing readers along on a bookish journey to a remote Scottish island, where the secrets of Scotland’s history are reaching across the centuries. THE LIGHTHOUSE WITCHES will be published October 15, 2021, and in today’s blog post, I’m so thrilled to reveal its gorgeous and creepy cover, and to give CBTB readers a sneak peek into this chilling upcoming thriller. In THE LIGHTHOUSE WITCHES, two sisters have gone missing on a remote Scottish island. Twenty years later, one is found… but she’s still the same age as she was when she disappeared. To uncover the secrets of her sister’s fate, this book’s protagonist will have to travel back to the remote island from which her sister disappeared over two decades ago. THE LIGHTHOUSE WITCHES is a story of Gothic suspense that incorporates an exploration of witch trials in Scotland’s history, and looks absolutely perfect for anyone looking to add a sinister, extra-creepy suspense tale to their Fall 2021 wishlist. I cannot wait to dig into THE LIGHTHOUSE WITCHES as part of my Halloween reading this fall, and I’m absolutely thrilled to give readers a glimpse into C.J. Cooke’s newest release today. Read on to learn more about THE LIGHTHOUSE WITCHES, check out its gorgeous cover, and get the inside scoop on the book through a Q&A with C.J. Cooke!

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In Author Q&A, Cover Reveal Tags CJ Cooke, The Lighthouse Witches, Gothic Suspense, The Nesting
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Book Review: THE NESTING by C.J. Cooke

October 30, 2020

Gothic suspense gets a Nordic makeover in C.J. Cooke’s beguiling and bone-chilling 2020 release THE NESTING. In this inventive suspense novel, there’s more than just wildlife lurking in the woods of Norway, and an unsuspecting young woman is about to realize that her new home isn’t just slightly creepy… it’s flat-out dangerous. When I first learned of C.J. Cooke’s book THE NESTING, I could hardly believe my good luck. It felt like one of those rare moments when an author somehow managed to craft the exact right combination of things you personally love as a reader—for me, in this case, a combination of Gothic suspense and a Norwegian setting—and I could hardly wait to dive in. I’m happy to report that Cooke’s latest release more than met my (high!) expectations. THE NESTING puts a modern spin on a classic Gothic suspense premise, and wraps it all up in the atmosphere of Scandinavia. Fans of Netflix’s The Haunting of Bly Manor and Ruth Ware’s THE TURN OF THE KEY (both of which pay homage to Henry James’ classic THE TURN OF THE SCREW, I would be remiss not to add!) will adore the immersive Gothic tale Cooke spins in her latest novel, while readers who love stories set in Scandinavia will sink effortlessly into the dark forests of Norway in which THE NESTING is set. As we enter the colder, darker months of the year, C.J. Cooke’s THE NESTING is the perfect spine-tingling story to add to your TBR list.

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In Book Review Tags The Nesting, CJ Cooke, Gothic Suspense
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CBTB's Halloween 2020 Reading List

October 6, 2020

Friends, it’s the most wonderful time of year: spooky season!! Halloween is my favorite time of year (yes, I consider it a time of year—not just a single day!), and it’s the perfect time to cozy up with an extra-chilling crime, suspense, or thriller read. I’m 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 I’ve 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!

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In Reading List Tags Halloween Books, Halloween Reading, Riley Sager, Home Before Dark, The Turn of the Key, Ruth Ware, C.J. Tudor, Kill Creek, Scott Thomas, Simone St. James, The Sun Down Motel, Final Girls, Halloween 2020, Rachel Harrison, The Sandman, Lars Kepler, Birdman, Mo Hayder, The Nesting, C.J. Cooke, The Craftsman, Sharon Bolton, The Silence of the White City, Catherine House, Elisabeth Thomas, In the Vines, Shannon Kirk
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CBTB's Most-Anticipated Fall 2020 Crime Fiction Releases

September 1, 2020

The best time of year is upon us! As we head into the chillier months of the year, now is the perfect moment to start stocking up on some equally-chilling reads. In today’s blog post, I’m rounding up my personal most-anticipated releases of Fall 2020! This list by no means encompasses all of the thrilling new crime books that will be published this fall, but it does highlight the books I’m personally most excited to read, and most excited to talk about with you! For ease of reference, I’ve organized this blog post in order of publication date. Some of these books I’ve already been lucky enough to read, others are still on my fall TBR list—but all of them look poised to deliver some truly outstanding crime fiction storytelling. Dive into this blog post and start building your own Fall 2020 crime fiction reading list!

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In Reading List, Most Anticipated 2020 Tags Jo Nesbo, The Kingdom, One By One, Ruth Ware, Don't Look For Me, Wendy Walker, And Now She's Gone, Rachel Howzell Hall, To Tell You The Truth, Gilly Macmillan, The Nesting, C.J. Cooke, Confessions on the 7:45, Lisa Unger, Dear Child, Romy Hausmann, Invisible Girl, Lisa Jewell, The Witch Hunter, Max Seeck, Little Cruelties, Liz Nugent, Lazarus, Lars Kepler, Shed No Tears, Caz Frear, Snowdrift, Helene Tursten, The Dead Season, Tessa Wegert
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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
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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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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 =
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