FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
We do not recommend our boxes for children (those under the age of 18 years old) - the content of the books is written with adults in mind and contains varying levels of violence as well as other adult themes. In addition to this the story gifts may, on occasion, be inappropriate to give to children.
Just click on any of the Subscribe or Sign Me Up buttons you see on the website, choose your subscription plan and go through the checkout. Simples :) And if you have any problems just drop us an email at hello@crimefreaksbookbox.com
We dispatch our subscription boxes via Royal Mail Tracked 48hr service on the 1st working day of the month, with a cut off date each month of 29th. For example, if you subscribe by 29th Jan you get the February box dispatched to you on 1st Feb. If you subscribe from 30th Jan - 29th Feb you will get the March box mailed to you on 1st March. If you have not received your box within 5 working days on the start of the month then drop us an email at hello@crimefreaksbookbox.com and we'll chase that up for you.
All one-off boxes (those that are not part of a subscription) are mailed out via Royal Mail Tracked 48 hours service within one working day of ordering.
Subscriptions will be billed on the day you subscribe and then, depending on the subscription model you chose, on the same day either monthly, quarterly or bi-annually until you cancel. Eg Subscribe on 20th on a monthly plan & you'll always be billed on 20th monthly. If you'd like to change the day on which you are billed just drop us an email at hello@crimefreaksbookbox.com
In each box you will receive:
📚 A fantastic crime fiction novel - we ignore the best sellers list and scour the internet looking for the best of the genre to ensure we surprise and delight you with a quality book you may never have discovered on your own.
🎁 Up to 3 Story Gifts, to be opened on specific pages of the book, that bring the sights, sounds, smells and tastes of the story off the page and into real life.
🧧 Up to 5 pieces of bonus content - maps, association charts, crime scene sketches, pieces of evidence, recipes, songs, playlists and all sorts of custom designed ephemera.
🔖 A custom designed bookmark with artwork inspired by the book.
🗣️ Plus you'll have access to our private member's club where you'll find a drama-free community of like-minded readers.
Sorry, but the surprise is a big part of the experience so we don't divulge what individual items are in a box. We carefully choose items for you to open at specific pages in the book that help to bring the story off the page. They may be edible, or drinkable, they may be a useful everyday item, they may be an entertaining distraction. Wherever the story takes you we promise not to send anything that isn't edible, useful or entertaining. No plastic tat or pointless novelty key rings we promise.
We are now able to offer a vegan alternative for edible gifts. Around 75% of the time this is the same as everyone else receives but sometimes it varies a little because it is not always possible to source vegan versions of the specific gift that ties with the story. In these circumstances your edible gift might seem a bit random in terms of the story line but will always be an enjoyable, vegan treat of the same size / value as the regular gift.
To receive the vegan option, once you have subscribed simply email us at hello@crimefreaksbookbox.com and let us know that vegan is your preference.
Please note that vegan options are not always available for one-off purchases. If you are buying a one-off gift for a vegan then feel free to get in touch and we'll be able to tell you if any of the current gift boxes are suitable for vegans.
If you're signing up for Crime Freaks Book Box then it stands to reason you're a bookworm and a fan of the genre so it is conceivable that you may already have a book that you receive. It happens surprisingly infrequently though! But don't worry, just drop us an email at hello@crimefreaksbookbox.com and we'll arrange to swap it for something you haven't read.
Unless the subscription you chose has a tie in period you can just log in to your account and cancel whenever you like. If you're on a monthly plan then you'll stop receiving boxes after your last paid box has been sent. If you're on a 3 month or 6 month Pre-Pay plan you can cancel whenever you like but you'll still receive any boxes that have been paid for but that we have not yet dispatched. We cannot give part refunds on these plans as they are sold at a special reduced rate because you are committing to a certain number of boxes.
If you chose one of our Tie-In plans then you are committed to monthly payments for the full duration of the tie in. You can only cancel AFTER those 12 monthly payments have been made and after that point you can cancel whenever you like.
Of course, Crime Freaks Book Box makes a fantastic gift for the hard-to-buy-for bookworm in your life! Click on the 'Gift A Box' page to see your options (this will go live on 3rd May 2024).
All the books in our boxes are in the crime or thriller genres. Be it a police procedural, a detective novel, a cosy crime - so long as there is a crime being investigated then all crime sub-genres are welcome. Full disclosure though, there isn't likely to be any crime/romance cross overs, romance is not our bag! There will be a mix of new releases and older books, some very typical for the genre, some left-of-field, some character driven, some action packed, some super-stars and some lesser known. We hope to introduce you to some new authros and styles within the genre.
Currently we only mail witin the United Kingdom and, with ongoing export and import issues relating to Brexit as well as the international supply chain problems, we don't currently know if this will change any time soon. Watch this space though and do get in touch and let us know where you are so we know which contries to focus on first when the time comes!
There is no additional charge, your subscription includes postage and packing within the UK.
Easy peasy - just log in to your account and you can update your card details, add a new card and update your address.
If your box has not arrived please get in touch and we will make it right.
If you forgot to cancel your subscription or you would like a refund for any other reason, and:
- Your box has already been dispatched - sorry but we cannot refund under these circumstances
- Your box has not yet been dispatched - we'd be happy to refund you, just drop us an email and we'll get that sorted for you. We will retain a £2 administration fee towards the costs we incur in first taking the payment and then refunding it.
We really love hearing from authors, especially indie authors and those with smaller publishing houses. So if your book (or your client's book) fits the following criteria then do get in touch with us at hello@crimefreaksbookbox.com with your press pack and we'll let you know if we'd like to see a copy.
Your book must be:
- in the crime genre or in another genre but where the main element of the plot relates to a crime and the investigation / solving of the crime
- written in English
- a minimum of 300 pages
- available in paperback (hardback will be considered if we can negotiate a favourable trade price).