Top Ten Tuesday: New-to-Me Authors I Read In 2018

This week’s installment of Top Ten Tuesday (hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl) is about new-to-me authors I read in 2018. I tried out a TON of new authors last year and fell in love with so many that it was a real struggle to put this list together. In no particular order…

1. Matt Wesolowski: I absolutely fell in love with Wesolowski’s Six Stories series last year! These books are written in the format of a podcast and each chapter is an episode or “story” that gives you a new perspective to the case. I highly recommend every book in the series and while you don’t need to read them in order, I do think it’s best.

2. Kealan Patrick Burke: This is certainly a case of #bookstagram leading me to a new author. Burke is widely regarded in the Instragram horror community and as someone trying to get more into horror books, I rely on a lot of reviews from there. In 2018 I read two novellas, one short story collection, and one book by Burke and fell in love! I have another short story collection that will be perfect for winter coming up in my TBR!

3. Caroline Kepnes: Kepnes easily makes my list of authors whose works I will check out every time they publish something new! I adored YOU and all the sci-fi fun that made up PROVIDENCE. I still have HIDDEN BODIES on my self waiting for me to read this year, although I’m not sure how I feel about having no Kepnes backlist left.

4. Johana Gustawsson: I think we all have those backlist books that we desperately want to read because everyone told you they were amazing, yet you still can’t squeeze them in. No? Just me? Well even if you don’t have the same TBR struggles, that’s what BLOCK 46 was for me. I waited far too long to try out Gustawsson’s work, but I am so happy I did! I devoured both BLOCK 46 and KEEPER. I cannot wait to see what she has in store next!

5. Britney King: Another #bookstagram recommendation that came through in a huge way was Britney King! I read THE SOCIAL AFFAIR on a cross country flight and have never enjoyed a long flight so much in my life! This book has everything I could ask for bundled together with a religious cult and pure deceptive crazy! On my 2019 agenda is to continue this phenomenal series with THE REPLACEMENT WIFE and SPEAK OF THE DEVIL.

6. Ragnar Jonasson: Jonasson is possibly the most absolutely brilliant atmospheric writer that I have ever read! I get so swept away in Iceland and his books that I never want to put them down. I love Jonasson’s more classical and subtle crime fiction writing style as well. There is nothing aggressive or in your face, just pure, plotted out fun!

7. Lilja Sigurdardottir: What a series! What a main character! I adore Sigurdardottir’s Reykjavik Noir series! These books put such a fun, high-stakes twist on crime fiction by focusing on a woman working in the underground cocaine network of Iceland. These books are action packed and extremely addictive, so go ahead and purchase both together!

8. Kanae Minato: Not only was Minato a new-to-me author, but reading Japanese crime fiction was also new to me in 2018. Minato has an unbelievable delivery method in her writing. Everything is so subtle, yet powerful and jaw-dropping. I need more!

9. Shannon Kirk: One of the highlights of my summer was discovering Shannon Kirk’s IN THE VINES. This story is a captivating Gothic piece of crime fiction with family drama packed to the brim. I will definitely be adding METHOD 15/33 to my 2019 reading.

10. Pierre Lemaitre: BLOOD WEDDING was one of my favorite books from 2018 and solidified Lemaitre as an author I wanted to get to know more. While I wasn’t a huge fan of INHUMAN RESOURCES, I still appreciated the beauty of Lemaitre’s writing. I’m hoping to get to his Camille Verhoeven trilogy this year, which I’ve heard is absolutely amazing!