For readers of the 1974 Edgar finalists, the authors took extra care to embed some of the reigning societal and political issues of the time into excellent mysteries and thrillers. While women’s rights were slowly advancing with the passage of Title IX (U.S., 1972) and the Equal Pay Act (Great… Read more
For a writer, obsessions are more useful than ideas. One of mine is true crime. I’m a sucker for it. As a teen, my copy of Helter Skelter, Vincent Bugliosi’s account of prosecuting the Manson murderers, was thumbed to the point of disintegration, and I’ll Be Gone in the Dark,… Read more
The Lingala Code might be the most mysterious Edgar award-winning novel out there, and I don’t just mean the plot. Even getting a copy of this book required internet research and a special order. Doing background for this review, I stayed up until 3:00 AM one night trying to untangle… Read more
As the author of psychological thrillers, plot ideas often come out of nowhere. I’ll be running at the track and see a plastic bag in the woods—hmmm, what if it was used to kill someone that morning? I’ll hear a creak on the wood floor outside my room—hmmm, what if… Read more
Amanda Quick, New York Times bestselling author of the new historical thriller, Tightrope, recounts the portrayal of robot technology on the screen in the 1930s and the sweeping concerns it caused, splitting public opinion on the matter. Amanda writes about this interesting era in Tightrope is the third book in… Read more
Kylie Logan is the author of The Scent of Murder, the first book in a new mystery series about Jazz Ramsey, a cadaver dog handler. Join Kylie as she discusses the history of cadaver dogs and the roles they play in locating those who are lost. Anyone who lives with… Read more
I’m a mystery author these days, and I’ve published a dozen novels. But I’m also a longtime journalist who’s covered most of the big crime stories over the years while working for the New York Post, Star magazine, New York Daily News and NBC News. My new book, Below the… Read more
For a Scandinavian crime fiction devotee like yours truly, no author’s legacy looms larger than that of Maj Sjöwall and Per Wahlöö, whose Martin Beck books are largely considered the launching point for the Nordic Noir sub-genre. Writing in the 1960s and 1970s, husband and wife duo Sjöwall and Wahlöö… Read more
Hello again, reader! It’s officially spring, and I’m thrilled to spotlight these five Apirl books that you’re going to want to check out. When I’m not reading or writing about crime fiction as Crime by the Book, I can often be found perusing Criminal Element’s fantastic selection of crime book… Read more
In 1929, there were two “Canary Murder” Cases. The first was a film starring Louise Brooks, William Powell, and Jean Arthur, released in February, which told the story of a showgirl (“The Canary”) who was strangled after a failed attempt at blackmail. The second “Canary Murder” occurred in Chicago towards… Read more
