Hello and welcome to Thursday on damppebbles. Less than a week to go now until the big day. Are you perfectly in control? A picture of calm and Christmas poise? No, me neither 😂. I’m sure it will all turn out good in the end, right…..??

Today I am delighted to welcome the brilliant Sonja van der Westhuizen to the blog to share her three #R3COMM3ND3D2019 picks with us. Sonja has her own fantastic website over at West’s Words as well as contributing to one of my favourite crime fiction sites, the awesome Crime Fiction Lover. If you’re a crime fiction fan then you need to subscribe to both as otherwise, you’re missing out.

So, what is #R3COMM3ND3D2019? It’s about sharing the book love. It’s a chance for authors and book bloggers to shout about three (yes, *only* three) books they love. They can be written by any author, in any genre and published in any way (traditionally, indie press or self-published). But there is a catch. All three books must have been published in 2019. To make things interesting I have added a couple of teeny, tiny rules this year which are; 1) the book must have first been published in 2019 and 2) special editions and reissues do not count. I like to keep you lovely people on your toes. 😉

Here are Sonja’s three recommended reads…

The Boy in the Headlights (Munch & Krüger #3) by Samuel Bjork
If you’re a Nordic Noir addict like I am, this will satisfy your craving for some dark, cold, twisted crime fiction. Bjork grips from the starts and delivers a satisfying story-line with a range of interesting characters.
Sonja’s Review of The Boy in the Headlights

Blood Song (Roy & Castells #3) by Johana Gustawsson
Not only does Johana Gustawsson write a solid crime story, she weaves a horrid piece of Spain’s almost forgotten history into her novel without alienating her readers – on the contrary – this makes Blood Song so much more powerful.
Sonja’s Review of Blood Song

The Dance of Death (Black Forest Investigations Series #3) by Oliver Bottini
As with many of 2019’s crime writers Bottini also addresses one of the major crisis the world is experiencing at the moment – that of immigrants and their lack of place in the world, as well as their struggles. He does this against the backdrop of an intriguing crime story.
Sonja’s Review of The Dance of Death

Thanks so much, Sonja. I’m adding two of your recommendations to my wish list and the other I have read and absolutely adore. People, if you haven’t read Johana Gustawsson’s Blood Song yet then make it your next read. One of my top books of the year!

If Sonja has managed to tempt you, or if you would like to find out more about the books she recommends, please see the following links:

The Boy in the Headlights by Samuel Bjork
Blood Song by Johana Gustawsson
The Dance of Death by Oliver Bottini

About Sonja:
Compulsive reader and reviewer for both print and online publications in South Africa and internationally. Running out of shelf space, yet keeps on buying Nordic Noir. Fuelled by coffee and travel.

Sonja’s Blog and Social Media Links:
| West’s Words | Twitter @sonjavanderwest | Instagram @westswords |

If you’re a book blogger or an author and you have three books published this year which you want to shout about then please complete the following form (or click this link: https://forms.gle/PE483qCyrKEgV5Uq6). But hurry, there’s only ONE space left!