The Best American Mystery and Suspense 2021, edited by Alafair Burke and Steph Cha, is a collection of the 20 best crime short stories from the year 2020, featuring tales rife with the stress, anxiety, crime, and violence inspired by an unprecedented year. After taking over as series editor, Steph Cha found herself facing the…
The famously acerbic author, poet, and alcoholic Charles Bukowski once said, “Without literature, life is hell.” Sure, he was likely drunk and didn’t remember saying it, but that doesn’t make the quote any less profound. Great works of fiction entertain and inspire. They educate and heal. Yes, even crime fiction. In fact, especially crime fiction.…
Why was writing The Murder List like doing math? Because it’s all about understanding the properties of a triangle. One of the basic shapes of in geometry, right? And one of the basic shapes of conflict. Three points on a triangle. Or three points of view. And in a twisty triangle thriller, it all depends…
Every Wednesday, we here at Criminal Element will put together a list of Staff Picks of the books that published the day before—sharing the ones that we are looking forward to reading the most! This week, the first in Jessica Fellowes's new historical mystery series set in the Mitford household joins Ann Cleeves's third Vera…
Every Breath You Take by Mary Higgins Clark & Alafair Burke follows television producer’s Laurie Moran investigation of the unsolved Met Gala murder—in which a wealthy widow was pushed to her death from the famous museum’s rooftop. America’s “Queen of Suspense,” Mary Higgins Clark, has been a mainstay in reader’s hearts and on bestsellers lists since…
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The Ex by Alafair Burke follows a woman who agrees to help an old boyfriend who has been framed for murder—but she begins to suspect that she is the one being manipulated. It is nominated for an Edgar Award for Best Novel. Olivia Randall, a top New York defense attorney, and Jack Harris, bestselling fiction…
Every Wednesday, we here at Criminal Element will put together a list of Staff Picks of the books that published the day before—sharing the ones that we are looking forward to reading the most! This week was a powerhouse of releases, with a new Patricia Cornwell, David Morrell, and more! See what else came out…
Can a vegetarian be tough? Strong? How about kick-ass? It’s been a few years since I ate meat. I’m often in the minority, so it doesn’t really surprise me when characters in crime fiction load their plates with chicken, steak, and burgers. Besides, “real men” eat meat, right? And crime fiction heroes are often “real…
