This week's guest advice columnist is Jack Reacher, who's sipping black coffee at a diner in Omaha, Nebraska as he watches a pretty woman with a gun and a badge get out of her rented Impala and wipe blood from the knuckles on her left hand. Dear Jack Reacher, My husband works, while I…
After you’ve read Barry Lancet and Anthony Franze’s piece about some of the masters of opening lines, comment below with your own favorite opening from a thriller, mystery, or crime fiction novel and you’ll be entered for a chance to win a copy of Barry’s new novel, PACIFIC BURN, from his acclaimed Jim Brodie series,…
An observation I had in my years working for Sports Illustrated: athletes and the heroes of crime fiction have much in common, but most simply this—a ruthless clarity of purpose and an ability to perform at their best when the action reaches its climax. Below I’ve assembled a football team populated by great characters from…
In not-surprising-in-the-least news, Tom Cruise is set to return as Lee Child's silent but intimidating hero, Jack Reacher in a sequel to 2012's Jack Reacher. This new film is reported to be based upon the newest Reacher thriller, Never Go Back. Irony, of course, being something completely alien to Hollywood execs. The newest book…
Lee Child is one of the best thriller writers, period, and one of my favorite authors. After 18 novels, even Child isn't immune from repeating himself a smidge. It's like a Bond movie: there are going to be gadgets, girls, tuxedos, and sharks, because such things are required by law. Here's a handy recipe for…
Not only do we get a new trailer for the upcoming James Bond film Skyfall, but we also have a new, slightly more in-depth look at Tom Cruise’s take on Jack Reacher. Giveth and taketh and all that, I suppose. On one hand, Skyfall is looking like everything I’ve come to want from Daniel Craig’s…
Who’s the star? The man or the car? This trailer doesn’t tell. Here’s the thing about Tom Cruise. He always, always looks like Tom Cruise. You may like or dislike his look, and it may fit some roles very well while others not so well, but it never changes. And he always sounds like Tom…
It is perhaps one of the most dubious casting choices Hollywood has recently made. You could say that it has sparked a bit of a debate here at Criminal Element; one that we have even revisited once or twice now. But, be it good, evil, poor, or dead on, Tom Cruise is our Jack Reacher.…
We’ve got a few nibbles of news to share: 1) They’re not calling the new movie based upon Lee Child’s novels One Shot anymore. They’re calling it Jack Reacher. Makes sense to us. Star Tom Cruise recently said he’s bringing to the part “everything but the height.” 2) The first part of the Hatfields &…
If you’re not familiar with the Bad Sex in Literature Awards, you’re missing out. Every year, the Literary Review (U.K.) selects some of the worst-written sex scenes in literature and excerpts them for the enjoyment(?) of readers. Then they choose a “winner.” Normally, the Bad Sex Awards aren’t fodder for us here at Crime HQ,…
