One of my favorite elements of storytelling is momentum. Reading a well-written thriller is a bit like standing in a river current—whether it’s a violent tug or a steady pull, the narrative is always moving inexorably forward and taking you along with it. With escalating stakes, white-knuckle action, or a dazzling concept explored to its…
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, a new James Patterson and Dean Koontz combine with a murder in the 42nd Street Library to highlight a…
The Audies, sponsored by the Audio Publishers Association (APA), recognize “distinction in audiobooks and spoken word entertainment.” They offer awards in many, many different categories, and of course, we wanted to highlight both Mystery and Thriller/Suspense categories specifically for crime fans. However, since we also discuss things like horror, pulp, historical conspiracy, tales of military…
