Books

Summer vacation has arrived, and with it the euphoric urge to pack a bag and hit the road (or skies. Or sea). But what is a well-traveled LGBTQIA+ person (or ally!) to do when the same old vacation spots have gotten a bit too-well trodden? Let Out in the World: An LGBTQIA+ (and Friends!) Travel

Happy May, everyone! I hope you’re getting nice weather where you are. We’ve been alternating between rain and sunny skies here — often on the same day — as spring is wont to do. Luckily, both rain and sun are reading weather. This week, I shared some recommendations for task #10: Read a historical fiction

Well known for his series of mysteries set in 1920s colonial India, Abir Mukherjee has produced his first contemporary standalone thriller. Hunted is a fascinating exploration of what people will do when they think they have no choice, that sense of desperation which makes them feel vulnerable. It’s also a critique of unethical political leaders

Apples Never Fall Challengers was all about competition and the drive to be the best. Competing with lovers and friends is one thing, but what if the conflict was within your own family? Apples Never Fall stars a tennis dynasty, made up of two retired stars—Stan and Joy—whose four adult children also played professionally. When

Here’s a new crime thriller that will upend your expectations at every turn – Steven Max Russo’s The Debt Collector. The literati say there are only two plots in all of literature: a person goes on a journey or a stranger comes to town. This story flows from the latter tradition, and it’s about a

Welsh author Carys Davies (West) is still breaking into American readership, but it won’t take her long. Her latest historical novel, Clear, which thoughtfully explores a passionate friendship set against religious and civic changes in mid-19th century Scotland, is bound to expand her audience. John Ferguson is a poor Presbyterian minister struggling to provide for

This originally appeared in our Today in Books daily newsletter, where each day we round up the most interesting stories, news, essays, and other goings on in the world of books and reading. Sign up here if you want to get it. _______________________________ ‘Fyre Festival of Books’ conference descends into chaos Now that is a

Translated by Quentin Bates — Last year, Stella Blómkvist made their debut in English with Murder at the Residence and we discovered that the author’s identity is a mystery, even among the Icelandic writing community, which seems quite amazing. Now as second novel from this long running popular series, which has even been made into

Cat Sebastian’s latest queer historical romance is a love letter to resilience and the power of bravery. Set in 1960 New York City, the same midcentury journalism milieu of Sebastian’s 2023 novel, We Could Be So Good, You Should Be So Lucky tells the story of shortstop Eddie O’Leary and journalist Mark Bailey, both of

Pulitzer-winning novelist Viet Thanh Nguyen (The Sympathizer) takes his first foray into children’s books with Simone, a thoughtful and emotionally intense family story set during the California fire season. Simone, a young Vietnamese American girl, is dreaming of floating in the ocean when she is awakened by her mother (whom she calls M&aacute, the only

Beyoncé’s new album, Cowboy Carter, has sparked a sometimes contentious debate about the nature and identity of country music. It’s an invigorating topic that has long been explored by writers and scholars. A number of excellent books, such as Charles L. Hughes’ Country Soul, Francesca Royster’s Black Country Music and Daphne Brooks’ Liner Notes for

The women of the WISE Enquiries Agency, Wales’s premier private detectives, face a busy summer of sleuthing in The Case of the Bereaved Butler. It marks the ninth outing for Cathy Ace’s intrepid female investigators, who are once again faced with a plethora of complex cases, both at home in the picturesque village of Anwen-by-Wye

The Northern Irish author Stuart Neville probably doesn’t get credit he deserves, but crime fiction lovers know him as one of Britain’s leading authors in the genre. A couple of years back we enjoyed his domestic noir novel The House of Ashes, and he’s written standalone novels and series from political thrillers like Ratlines to

The second season of the Belgian crime drama The Twelve is coming to the UK with a case entitled The Cinderella Murder. A young woman stands accused of killing her step-mother, but beside her in the dock is her father – and 12 jurors must determine their fates. The first two episodes will hit British

There’s been a big, big buzz around our lead book this week – Missing White Woman by Kellye Garrett – and both John Connolly and Abir Mukherjee are favourites here at Crime Fiction Lover. We’ve also got a fascinating mystery visit to Guatemala (first time, I think) with Andromeda Romano-Lax, and GT Karber is here with

When the tropes of crime fiction become too much – the secrets, the deceit, the evasions, the jealousies – that’s when a no-holds-barred thriller like The Infiltrator by TR Hendricks makes a welcome cleanse. Its adventure-first approach scours your veins as you follow retired US Marine and wilderness survival expert Derek Harrington in his continuing

Millions of UK and US readers have basked in the sunny French countryside via the books by the late Peter Mayle, author of 1989’s A Year in Provence. If you’re one of them, then the more recently written Bruno, Chief of Police series by Martin Walker will produce similar results. With a police escort, you’ll

Plane crashes make fertile ground for crime fiction authors. The drama! The unpredictability! One of my favourites is Dead Woman Walking by Sharon Bolton – although strictly speaking that was a hot air balloon, rather than an aircraft. It came out seven years ago and stays with me still. So The Alone Time had a

Do you love spy fiction? Do you thrive on subtitles? How does a Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy vibe grab you? If we’re speaking your language then you’ll be thrilled to discover that the Romanian series Spy/Master starts on BBC Four in the UK at 9pm on Saturday 4 May, with a double bill. Check out

A few weeks back one of our readers asked us on Xwitter who we would recommend for serial killer thrillers. Everyone piled in and the name that consistently came up was Chris Carter. Bloody though they may be, his books are on the money, and that could be because the author has studied criminal behaviour

If you enjoyed the TV series Bones, inspired by the Tempe Brennan books by Kathy Reichs, then this week’s report should be of interest. The show’s creator, Hart Hanson, has turned his talents to crime fiction with a new novel, but it’s a far cry from forensics with a priest and a stuntwoman as an

We’re a quarter of the way through the year, if you can believe it, which makes it a good time to look back at the state of books so far in 2024. Goodreads has just released a list of 51 Nonfiction Hits of 2024 (So Far), separated into Essays, Memoirs, History & Biography, Science, and

Crime fiction lovers, we have some pretty important releases for you this week. Anthony Horowitz and Sara Paretsky are established names in the genre, Alyssa Cole and Ella Berman are rising stars, plus we’ve got a classic from the 1940s reprinted. April is off to a very fine start in our book… Read on to

The 2024 PEN/Faulkner Award for Fiction has been announced. Out of the 445 eligible novels, this year’s judges, Xochitl Gonzalez, Alan Michael Parker, and Lynn Steger Strong, named What Happened to Ruthy Ramirez by Claire Jiménez as the book that is a “first among equals.” In addition to the award, Ramirez will be granted $15,000,

A new Stuart Turton novel is always met with great anticipation and high expectations. The author, who frequently draws inspiration from Golden Age crime fiction, is undoubtedly skilled at crafting original mysteries. In his latest high-concept thriller he creates an entirely fictitious and post-apocalyptic setting on a remote Greek island. Here, 122 villagers and three

Everyone wants a shortcut to love, especially if a happily ever after is guaranteed. So it’s not surprising that Justin Dahl gets a big response when he explains his gift (or curse) on Reddit: Whoever he dates goes on to meet her perfect match right after things end with him. To his shock, Justin soon

Sometimes, a book takes you by surprise. In an age where cosy crime is having a resurgence and shop shelves creak with hybrid novels more romance than thriller, Razor Country comes along and punches you in the gut. This hardboiled collection of tales by author Nicholas Wagner reminds us why we’ve always loved short, punchy,

When shape-shifting monster Shesheshen is woken from her hibernation by monster hunters, she does what she must: She kills and eats one of them. In retaliation, the nearby townsfolk, scared and desperate to hand over a “wyrm” heart to Baroness Wulfyre, poison Shesheshen with rosemary and hunt her until she toddles over a cliff .

Erica Ezeifedi, Associate Editor, is a transplant from Nashville, TN that has settled in the North East. In addition to being a writer, she has worked as a victim advocate and in public libraries, where she has focused on creating safe spaces for queer teens, mentorship, and providing test prep instruction free to students. Outside

The Napoleonic wars have been fertile ground for historical fantasy in recent years. From the draconic aerial combat of Naomi Novik’s Temeraire series to Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell, Susanna Clarke’s wry fairy tale of manners, that continent-spanning conflict provides an ideal canvas for fantastical retellings. It’s sweeping in scope, and is easier to romanticize