Before I go any further, a confession: This was the first Elmore Leonard novel I’ve ever read. Of course, I knew about Leonard’s work—I’m not a complete philistine. I knew he was the master of fast, authentic dialogue. Crime fiction’s valedictorian of voice. And I’d seen the famous films made… Read more
Earlier this year, Carmen Amato and Jeanine Kitchel introduced us to Narco Noir, a literary gamechanger that continues to grow, and now they return with a follow-up account of the women in Narco Noir and the various roles they play in both real life and fiction. They are cops and… Read more
Join author Patrick Coleman as he shares a curated playlist of crime-related songs that he compiled with the help of singer-songwriter Nicholas Altobelli. It just might be the perfect musical cocktail to inspire a future crime novel. And be sure to leave a comment below for a chance to win… Read more
“If I could make a living writing short stories I would” That was Jeffery Deaver earlier this week at The Mysterious Bookshop at the launch event for Invisible Blood, a brand new anthology series edited by crime fiction legend Maxim Jakubowski. Cards on the table, I hadn’t heard of Maxim… Read more
Billingsgate Shoal launches out of the gates from the first page with one of the best hooks I’ve read in a while. Charles “Doc” Adams introduces himself as a doctor and dental surgeon, with a wife and two college-aged sons. He immediately offers up a juicy tidbit: My most interesting… Read more
My thriller, The Escape Room, set in an elevator, is a 21st-century twist to the locked-room mystery genre of crime novels. The locked-room mystery novel developed in the late 19th century and the early 20th century when readers were invited to solve the murder mystery using clues in the story,… Read more
A killer is on the loose. Soaring through the skies above Manhattan, one of nature’s most deadly predators, a peregrine falcon, eyes its potential prey on the sidewalks below. A flash of reflective light on the ground marks the target and signals the moment to strike. A beautiful ice skater… Read more
I had my pick of several compelling reads, all past Edgar Award winners, but felt drawn to the novel Whip Hand by Dick Francis. I’ve long been curious about Dick Francis’s stories, though I have never actually read one. I offer this confession willingly and with regret for what I’ve… Read more
In stark contrast to her husband, Mary Todd Lincoln has a bad reputation.
Sheryl Browne, author of The Babysitter, discusses how people and ordinary (though unfortunate) events, such as falling off a boat into the water, can be the perfect cocktail of inspiration to write a psychological thriller. I’m often asked what inspires me to write psychological thrillers. The short answer is people…. Read more
