I Judge Books By Their Covers: "Rubbernecker"

Hello, my name is Lindsay, and I judge books by their covers.

Confession: I always judge books by their covers. A book's appearance -- from the artwork to the font to the colors to the texture to the weight and cut of the pages (I like the ragged-edged ones) -- is very important to me. And there are certain kinds of covers I like and certain ones I'd never pick up unless I was already planning to read the book. It's fascinating to see how covers change between editions -- hardcover and paperback, or U.S. and international -- and it's so fun to see who prefers what!

U.K // U.S.

French ("Cadaver 19") // German ("What Is Dead")

My review of "Rubbernecker."

Wow, this is a tough choice! I don't dislike any of these covers, which is rare! I find it super-interesting that the French cover is totally different from the other three: it's almost cheerful, where the others all feature a dead bird and copious amounts of red and black. I actually really like the colors and the gorgeous bird on the French cover, but it's a little too cutesy for a murder mystery -- especially one that's not at all "cozy."

I'm choosing the German cover as my favorite. I find it just a little bit more aesthetically pleasing than the U.S. and U.K. covers. I like the symmetry created by the words and the bird, the "worn" font and the slightly more muted (but somehow more blood-colored) shade of red. It's stark but eye-catching. Which cover do you like best?

Winner: the German cover