Stephen Douglas was a towering figure of the mid-19th century in every sense but the literal one. Standing barely five feet tall, Douglas acquired the moniker “Little Giant” early in his public life, and he kept it until his death. And his outsized life fully justified the nickname. Born into… Read more
Now that I’ve written my debut crime thriller, I’ve been reflecting on the lessons I learned as a murder investigator and how those lessons shaped my writing. I began investigating Class 1 Felonies in Washington, D.C., in the early ‘90s when D.C. was considered the “murder capital” of the United… Read more
Think of the most mind-numbing thing you’ve read lately, and I’ll ask you to hold my beer. A big win for an investigative reporter is to dig up enough misdeeds on the part of an elected official or an agency that the state launches an audit, so it was with… Read more
Jagger sings that a storm is threatening, that a fire is sweeping, that war is just a shot away. The lyrics to “Gimme Shelter” were penned in 1969 in response to the Vietnam War and to an altogether troubling era in the world’s history. It’s a political song and a… Read more
What happens when the perfect thriller comes into your life at just the right time, a second time? You loved the storyline and characters, and the journey was so dynamite you don’t want it to end. So you do what any self-respecting bookaholic would do and read it again. I’m… Read more
City of Devils is set in old Shanghai—that crazy period between the wars when the International Settlement and French Concession of Shanghai were the most wide-open places on earth. No passport required; no visas necessary. Simply arrive, walk down the gangplank, tell an uninterested Customs man any name you like,… Read more
“It’s been an adventure. We took some casualties over the years. Things got broken. Things got lost…” –Anthony Bourdain Without an instant’s hesitation, I confess: I write about the late Anthony Bourdain as an avid admirer. Despite his worldwide celebrity chef status, in recent days, I’ve been gratified to note… Read more
When I first visited the convicted murderer of Senator Robert Kennedy, I was struck by how ordinary he seemed. At that time, in his mid-40s, Sirhan B. Sirhan was kind of like everybody’s kid brother. He was mild-mannered and well-spoken, and unlike most prisoners, he didn’t have a TV in… Read more
Every once in a while, I come across a book with an idea so cool that I’m simultaneously awed and envious. I’m sure most writers know the feeling. Some books start with an old premise and do a new, never-before-seen take on it, while others come up with something so… Read more
Aaron Hernandez, the former New England Patriot tight end, was a murderer. A jury said so. Hernandez suffered from chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) caused by repeated blows to the head. The medical examiner said so. An autopsy showed that Hernandez was suffering from the most severe case of the brain… Read more
