When you write mystery/thriller novels like I do, one of the questions frequently asked by editors, reviewers, and readers is: “But is this story really believable?” It’s a tough balance to maintain in a fiction book. If the story is totally “believable,” it might also be boring, But you don’t want to push the envelope…
During this strange, pandemic-induced homebound year, my reading habits have changed. I still love mysteries, crime fiction, and thrillers, especially those that incorporate a political motive or occur against a political background. But I have a new appreciation for authors able to transport me to distant places across the globe, through their vibrant prose and…
Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis, one of the most glamorous and fiercely private women of the twentieth century, spent more than thirty years as a regular visitor to the small village of Middleburg, Virginia because she loved foxhunting and horseback riding—but mostly because no one fussed over her or made a big deal when she was there.…
Theories abound as to the ideal writing environment. A rustic cabin, a Central Park bench, a room in the upper reaches of a grand hotel. A Brooklyn cafe with erratic wifi and ornery baristas does not rank high on this list. Yet there my wife and I sat, night after night, forcing down gallons of…
If you can’t decide on what to read, the Minotaur Spring Sampler is the perfect way to choose. Whether you want to start a series or read a standalone novel, the Sampler has you covered. With five books to choose from, the Sampler contains the beginnings of five different mysteries. Just download for free on…
I am a very visual person. I learn by reading, not by listening. When I write (and read!) I see the scene unfold. But it wasn’t until my third published book, The Kill, back in 2006 (!) I learned how to choreograph the action in my books. Order The Kill here: During revisions, my editor…
The Riddle of the Traveling Skull (1934) is an incredible book and my sixth favorite novel of all time. At the beginning of this story, the protagonist comes upon an oddly adorned human skull in a travel bag, and what follows is the wildly twisting investigation of the aforementioned cranial artifact. After reading eighty pages…
Six years ago, in the run-up to wrenching political chaos in this country, I faced an important personal choice: continue on my comfortable path in romance as Victoria Dahl or try something terrifyingly new. I’d faced the question before and been able to ignore it. Romance is a blindingly busy genre, and I wrote two…
My new novel, The Night Gate, found its roots in the Coronavirus pandemic which has swept the world. I had planned to write a book set on the Norwegian archipelago of Svalbard, in the Arctic Circle. My story was well-developed, the research done, and my trip to research the location booked for last May. Then…
In my Kinship Historical Mystery Series, Lily Ross serves as Sheriff of Bronwyn County in the Appalachian foothills of Ohio, in the 1920s. Lily’s character is inspired by Ohio’s true first female sheriff—Maude Collins, who became sheriff of Vinton County in 1925 after her husband was killed in the line of duty. (In real life,…
