Far removed from the world of Detective Harry Hole, Nesbo sinks his teeth into a village full of fascinating characters to bring us this standalone novel that the reader will immediately be immersed in, but likely not be able to leave nearly so easily. This epic story that takes us from boyhood to manhood in the Opgard household will continue to bring up questions of morality, ethics, family bonds, secrets, and lies long after it is over.

The Opgard brothers long ago inherited what their father often referred to as “The Kingdom” – their land on top of a mountain. Roy has remained here in the village all his life while Carl has traveled, been schooled abroad, and grown into a prosperous-looking business developer. Now Carl is coming back to the village – with big plans. Carl’s return brings back old stories and rumours, reopens old wounds, and exposes old secrets.

Carl’s return is what causes Roy to ruminate over old childhood memories, and the reader is taken back to the beginning – to the traumatic childhood that they long ago stopped speaking of. We come to know Roy deeply, beginning in childhood, as it is through his eyes that we see the world where all of these events take place. But, through Nesbo’s exquisite writing, though we see this world through Roy, we are able to clearly understand the motivations of other characters, even when Roy does not. In other words, there are events in the story that come as a surprise to Roy, but all we can do as the reader is wait and dread the pain that he will eventually have to face.

The incredibly tight bonds that are born out of their childhood cause a great deal of the conflict in the story itself, and as the reader it makes sense to start thinking about when those family bonds actually start to turn in to enabling. Does brotherly love come before absolutely all else? No matter what? Once you have crossed a line for your brother, will you do it again? Will you refuse, or will it be even easier?

There are some twists and reveals in the story where the reader may be able to predict the ‘what’ but will still be completely engrossed in learning the ‘how’ and the ‘why.’ For instance, there comes a point in the story where the rug is pulled out from under us. The facts we have come to accept are not so and we see our reality slowly dismantled. We might have thought we had the Opgard’s and their lives figured out, but this lets us know that we do not have any idea what is going to come next.

The Kingdom is a story of shame, lies, lust, grief, family, and love. It is an epic tale of contrasts as it sees people (and life) as both beautiful and harsh, looks at people in the village as cogs in a machine while those living outside the village are almost anonymous strangers, and sees just how ugly the beautiful concept of brotherly love can be.

The Kingdom is available from Amazon, Book Depository, and other good book retailers, like your local bookstore.

Will you be picking up The Kingdom? Tell us in the comments below!

Synopsis | Goodreads

Roy and Carl have spent their whole lives running from the darkness in their past, but when Carl finally returns to make peace with it, the two brothers are inexorably drawn into a reckoning with their own demons.

Roy has never left the quiet mountain town he grew up in, unlike his little brother Carl who couldn’t wait to get out and escape his troubled past. Just like everyone else in town, Roy believed Carl was gone for good. But Carl has big plans for his hometown. And when he returns with a mysterious new wife and a business opportunity that seems too good to be true, simmering tensions begin to surface and unexplained deaths in the town’s past come under new scrutiny. Soon powerful players set their sights on taking the brothers down by exposing their role in the town’s sordid history.

But Roy and Carl are survivors, and no strangers to violence. Roy has always protected his younger brother. As the body count rises, though, Roy’s loyalty to family is tested. And then Roy finds himself inextricably drawn to Carl’s wife, Shannon, an attraction that will have devastating consequences. Roy’s world is coming apart and soon there will be no turning back. He’ll be forced to choose between his own flesh and blood and a future he had never dared to believe possible.

The post Review: The Kingdom by Jo Nesbo appeared first on The Nerd Daily.

These Violent Delights by Chloe Gong
Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository

Perfect for fans of The Last Magician and Descendant of the Crane, this heart-stopping debut is an imaginative Romeo and Juliet retelling set in 1920s Shanghai, with rival gangs and a monster in the depths of the Huangpu River.

Written in the Stars by Alexandria Bellefleur
Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository

With nods to Bridget Jones and Pride and Prejudice, a charming #ownvoices queer rom-com debut about a free-spirited social media astrologer who agrees to fake a relationship with an uptight actuary until New Year’s Eve—with results not even the stars could predict!

The Bright and Breaking Sea by Chloe Neill
Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository

Chloe Neill brings her trademark wit and wild sense of adventure to a stunning seafaring fantasy starring a dauntless heroine in a world of magic and treachery. 

Master of One by Jaida Jones and Dani Bennett
Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository

With the heist and intrigue of Six of Crows and the dark fairy tale feel of The Cruel Prince, this young adult fantasy debut will have readers rooting for a pair of reluctant heroes as they take on a world-ending fae prophecy, a malicious royal plot, and, most dangerously of all, their feelings for each other.

The Kingdom by Jo Nesbø
Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository

Roy and Carl have spent their whole lives running from the darkness in their past, but when Carl finally returns to make peace with it, the two brothers are inexorably drawn into a reckoning with their own demons.

Dearly: New Poems by Margaret Atwood
Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository

In Dearly, Margaret Atwood’s first collection of poetry in over a decade, Atwood addresses themes such as love, loss, the passage of time, the nature of nature and – zombies. Her new poetry is introspective and personal in tone, but wide-ranging in topic. In poem after poem, she casts her unique imagination and unyielding, observant eye over the landscape of a life carefully and intuitively lived.

Ruinsong by Julia Ember
Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository

In Julia Ember’s dark and lush LGBTQ+ romantic fantasy Ruinsong, two young women from rival factions must work together to reunite their country, as they wrestle with their feelings for each other.

Ready Player Two by Ernest Cline
Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository

Lovingly nostalgic and wildly original as only Ernest Cline could conceive it, Ready Player Two takes us on another imaginative, fun, action packed adventure through his beloved virtual universe, and jolts us thrillingly into the future once again.

Girls of Brackenhill by Kate Moretti
Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository

Haunted by her sister’s disappearance, a troubled woman becomes consumed by past secrets in this gripping thriller from the New York Times bestselling author of The Vanishing Year.

Ink by Jonathan Maberry
Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository

From New York Times bestselling author Jonathan Maberry comes a standalone supernatural thriller Ink, about a memory thief who feeds on the most precious of dreams.

The Flip Side by James Bailey
Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository

Penny wise or pound foolish? A heartbroken young Brit decides to turn his love life over to the flip of a coin—in this delightfully British rom-com in the vein of Jenny Colgan, Rosie Curtis, Nick Hornby, and David Nicholls.

Spellbreaker by Charlie N. Holmberg
Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository

A world of enchanted injustice needs a disenchanting woman in the newest fantasy series by the Wall Street Journal bestselling author of The Paper Magician.

What November book releases are you looking forward to? Tell us in the comments below!

The post November 2020 Book Releases appeared first on The Nerd Daily.

MAY

Black Mountain by Laird Barron

Laird Barron is continuing the story of ex-mob enforcer, now private investigator, Isaiah Coleridge that began in his book Blood Standard, which came out last May.  Laird’s genre-switch to crime fiction was met with positive reviews.  Black Mountain will see Coleridge deal with the local mafia boss when a small-time criminal turns up without a heartbeat…or a head … or his hands.  A case that starts out looking like pure revenge will drag Coleridge deeper than he would ever have imagined into a case that spans decades!

The Paris Diversion by Chris Pavone

Kate Moore is back!  From Pavone’s 2012 best-selling thriller The Expats, Kate Moore is now living in Paris, where a terror attack threatens the city, and involves her family.  With glowing reviews from the likes of Harlan Coben, Shari Lapena, Megan Abbott, and Jeffrey Deaver, this is not to be missed.

The Night Before by Wendy Walker

The author of best sellers All Is Not Forgotten and Emma In The Night is back with a new dark and twisted thriller.  It includes sisters, relationships, blind dates, buried trauma, and so much more.  In advanced reviews, this book has been called fast-paced, addictive, gripping, and a tension-filled wild ride!

Keep You Close by Karen Cleveland

Karen Cleveland, a former CIA analyst herself, is the author of last year’s New York Times best-seller Need To Know, which was her debut novel.  Cleveland is back with her sophomore effort, and it is a fast-paced domestic thriller about a mother (who is also the head of a division within the FBI) and how far she will go to protect her son when he is accused of something unimaginable.

JUNE

The First Mistake by Sandie Jones

Sandie Jones is the author of last year’s best-seller The Other Woman, which was also one of Reese Witherspoon’s Book Club picks.  The First Mistake is her second book, and it has already been called “addictively readable!”  This is a domestic thriller centered around a husband, a wife, and her best friend.  Some advanced readers have stated they liked this even more than her first book!

The Perfect Plan by Bryan Reardon

Bryan Reardon’s The Real Michael Swann certainly proved that he could bring the tension, twists and suspense! The Perfect Plan is about two brothers who could not seem more different from each other.  But these brothers are both locked in a dangerous game when it comes to keeping the family’s dark secrets hidden.

JULY

Never Look Back by Alison Gaylin

Combining a podcast-type format with a series of brutal murders from the 1970’s, Alison Gaylin brings us a book that will make us all ask how well we know our parents, how well we know our partners, and just how well we know ourselves.

Lock Every Door by Riley Sager

In Riley Sager’s newest thriller, we find an apartment sitter at a high-profile building in Manhattan, that is also full of mystery.  But are they really just ghost stories?  With the disappearance of another apartment sitter, we dig deep into the past and the secrets hidden within the building… before time runs out!  Sager’s two previous thrillers, Final Girls and The Last Time I Lied, have been best sellers all over the world.  Lock Every Door sounds like it will do the same!

Layover by David Bell

According to David Bell’s website (davidbellnovels.com), “In this high concept psychological suspense novel…a chance meeting with a woman in an airport sends a man on a pulse-pounding quest for the truth.”  Full of lies and deceit, this is a high-speed thriller where every time one mystery is solved, another one begins.

Knife by Jo Nesbo

Harry Hole is back again!  We find the brilliant police officer in a low point in both his professional and personal life.  He is stuck in the cold case office when he wants and NEEDS to be out hunting the murderer who has haunted Harry’s entire career.  If you are reading the Harry Hole books in order, this book directly follows the events of The Thirst.

A Stranger on the Beach by Michele Campbell

Best-selling author Michele Campbell’s newest thriller is full of passion, intrigue, and nail-biting drama.  It sounds like this is going to be a full-on gender swapped version of Fatal Attraction, but maybe with even more at stake!

Someone We Know by Shari Lapena

In a quiet suburb, there is some teenage mischief going on, houses are being broken into, as well as computers.  So who is it that is learning all the secrets of the neighborhood?  Suspicion begins to mount, and the tension boils over when a woman down the street is murdered.  Has someone gone this far to protect their family’s secrets?  I have recommended Shari Lapena’s An Unwanted Guest and The Couple Next Door more times that I can count, so I am very excited about this new thriller!

AUGUST

Turn of the Key by Ruth Ware

Ware, the #1 New York Times Best-Selling author of In a Dark, Dark Wood, The Woman in Cabin 10, The Lying Game, and The Death of Mrs. Westaway is back with a new thriller and I could not be more excited!  In this un-put-down-able thriller, our main character takes a position as a live in nanny with a generous salary, but she doesn’t realize taking this job has resulted in her stepping into a nightmare that will soon end in tragedy.

The Last Widow by Karin Slaughter

There is not a lot of information out yet on Slaughter’s upcoming novel, but it will be a continuation of her Will Trent series.  Will and Sara are going to find themselves pitted against a mysterious group with plans to cause a deadly epidemic!

Mark your calendar and get ready to spend the summer making trips to the bookstore!  Anyone that enjoys thrillers or crime fiction at all should be able to find something to get lost in!

Which thriller do you think will be the book everyone is talking about this summer? Tell us in the comments below!

The post 14 Upcoming 2019 Crime Thriller Books appeared first on The Nerd Daily.

Read on to discover our picks and tell us in the comments below if you will be checking any of them out!

The Elizas by Sara Shepard | Goodreads

When debut novelist Eliza Fontaine is found at the bottom of a hotel pool, her family at first assumes that it’s just another failed suicide attempt. But Eliza swears she was pushed, and her rescuer is the only witness. She investigates what happened, but it seems everyone in her life are mixing up events from her novel with events from her life? Reality and fiction begins to blur between Eliza’s protagonist and Eliza herself.

My Dear Hamilton: A Novel of Eliza Schuyler Hamilton by Stephanie Dray and Laura Kamoie | Goodreads

An epic story of Eliza Schuyler Hamilton—a revolutionary woman who, like her new nation, struggled to define herself in the wake of war, betrayal, and tragedy. Haunting, moving, and beautifully written, Dray and Kamoie used thousands of letters and original sources to tell Eliza’s story as it’s never been told before—not just as the wronged wife at the center of a political sex scandal—but also as a founding mother who shaped an American legacy in her own right.

Digging In by Loretta Nyhan | Goodreads

Paige Moresco found her true love in eighth grade—and lost him two years ago. Since his death, she’s been sleepwalking through life, barely holding on for the sake of her teenage son. As Paige stares at her neglected lawn, she knows she’s hit rock bottom. So she does something entirely unexpected: she begins to dig. As the hole gets bigger, Paige decides to turn her entire yard into a vegetable garden. Paige knows nothing about gardening, but with the help of new friends, a charming local cop, and the transformative power of the soil, Paige starts to see potential in the chaos of her life. Something big is beginning to take root—both in her garden and in herself.

The Extraordinary Life of Sam Hell by Robert Dugoni | Goodreads

Sam Hill always saw the world through different eyes. Born with red pupils, he was called “Devil Boy” by his classmates; “God’s will” is what his mother called his ocular albinism. Sam believed it was God who sent Ernie Cantwell, the only African-American kid in his class, to be the friend he so desperately needed. Forty years later, Sam, a small-town eye doctor, is no longer certain anything was by design—especially not the tragedy that caused him to turn his back on his friends, his hometown, and the life he’d always known. Now, as he looks back on his life, Sam embarks on a journey that will take him halfway around the world.

The Female Persuasion by Meg Wolitzer | Goodreads

Greer Kadetsky is a shy college freshman when she meets the woman she hopes will change her life. Faith Frank, dazzlingly persuasive and elegant at sixty-three, has been a central pillar of the women’s movement for decades, a figure who inspires others to influence the world. Upon hearing Faith speak for the first time, Greer–madly in love with her boyfriend, Cory, but still full of longing for an ambition that she can’t quite place–feels her inner world light up. Then, astonishingly, Faith invites Greer to make something out of that sense of purpose, leading Greer down the most exciting path of her life as it winds toward and away from her meant-to-be love story with Cory and the future she’d always imagined.

Macbeth by Jo Nesbø | Goodreads

Set in a dark, rainy northern town, Nesbo’s Macbeth pits the ambitions of a corrupt policeman against loyal colleagues, a drug-depraved underworld and the pull of childhood friendships. Get ready to helter-skelter through the darkest tunnels of human experience.

How To Be Safe by Tom McAllister | Goodreads

Recently suspended for a so-called outburst, high school English teacher Anna Crawford is stewing over the injustice at home when she is shocked to see herself named on television as a suspect in a shooting at the school where she works. Though she is quickly exonerated, and the actual teenage murderer identified, her life is nevertheless held up for relentless scrutiny and judgement as this quiet town descends into media mania. Gun sales skyrocket, victims are transformed into martyrs, and the rules of public mourning are ruthlessly enforced. Anna decides to wholeheartedly reject the culpability she’s somehow been assigned, and the rampant sexism that comes with it, both in person and online.

Bluff by Michael Kardos | Goodreads

At twenty-seven, magician Natalie Webb is already a has-been. Shunned by the magic world after a disastrous liaison with an older magician, she now lives alone with her pigeons and a pile of overdue bills. In a desperate ploy to make extra cash, she follows up on an old offer to write a feature magazine article―on the art of cheating at cards. But when she meets the perfect subject for her article, what begins as a journalistic gamble brings into question everything Natalie thinks she knows about her talent, and herself. Natalie is dazzled by the poker cheat’s sleight of hand and soon finds herself facing a proposition that could radically alter her fortune―to help pull off a $1.5 million magic trick that, if done successfully, no one will ever even suspect happened.

Dead Girl Running by Christina Dodd | Goodreads

Girl running…from a year she can’t remember, from a husband she prays is dead, from homelessness and fear. Tough, capable Kellen Adams takes a job as assistant manager of a remote vacation resort on the North Pacific Coast. There amid the towering storms and the lashing waves, she hopes to find sanctuary. But when she discovers a woman’s dead and mutilated body, she’s soon trying to keep her own secrets while investigating first one murder…then another.

Tin Men by Mike Knowles | Goodreads

Woody was working on getting high when the phone rang. Dennis was on a date — it was a date he paid for, but a date all the same. Os had blood on his hands from a little extracurricular law enforcement. All three men picked up their phones because they were cops, and cops are never really off-duty — not even when they’re crooked. Detective Julie Owen was savagely killed in her own bed, and the unborn child she was carrying is nowhere to be found. The grisly crime has the brass breathing down the necks of the three detectives tasked with finding Julie’s killer. Woody, Dennis, and Os each shared a bond with Julie that went deeper than the blue of their uniforms and have their own reasons to want to find the person responsible for her murder.

The Comedown by Rebekah Frumkin | Goodreads

A blistering dark comedy, The Comedown is a romp across America, from the Kent State shootings to protest marches in Chicago to the Florida Everglades, that explores delineating lines of race, class, religion, and time.

Family and Other Catastrophes by Alexandra Borowitz | Goodreads

Emily Glass knows she’s neurotic. But she’s got it under control. Sort of. Thankfully, she also has David, the wonderful man she’ll soon call husband—assuming they can survive wedding week with her wildly dysfunctional family. Emily’s therapist mother sees their homecoming as the perfect opportunity for long-overdue family therapy sessions. As the week comes to a tumultuous head, Emily wants nothing more than to get married and get as far away from her crazy relatives as possible. But that’s easier said than done when Marla’s meddling breathes new life into old secrets. After all, the ties that bind family together may bend, but they aren’t so easily broken.

Discover more April releases on our Goodreads list!

Any other April book releases you would recommend? Tell us in the comments below!

The post April Book Releases: Fiction appeared first on The Nerd Daily.