Christmas comes but once a year—and with it, a bookish bounty of murder, mayhem, and merriment! Seasonal cozies are as much tradition as cookies, cakes, and pies, and pair equally well with a hot cup of tea (or something stronger) and a roaring fire. If you’re looking for something delightfully… Read more
It’s difficult now to imagine watching a crime film set to the jaunty live piano playing that accompanied most early 20th Century silent movies. Without soundtrack and score music, some of our most cherished crime thrillers would be different animals altogether. Imagine Pulp Fiction’s pawn-shop S&M dungeon scene without the… Read more
Narrowing down to five the thrillers that served as catalysts for me to write Virtual Sabotage was difficult. I’ve read hundreds of thrillers and each one has inspired in its own way. But these five, in no particular order, have all taught me valuable lessons. The following authors demonstrate a… Read more
What is it that makes for a great crime film? Is a movie a crime film simply because it deals with illicit characters? In that case, couldn’t a lot of political films be classified as such? Or what about corporate life? Aren’t these people infinitely worse than the robbers, thugs,… Read more
Everybody loves Iris Johansen's animal-whispering character Margaret Douglas! Read about some of her best moments & make sure to sign in and comment below for a chance to win a copy of No Easy Target! Iris Johansen has given us so many fascinating characters over the years. Kendra Michaels, the… Read more
This post was originally going to be about my favorite/influential mysteries, but I realized that the designation was too large. In order to hone the number down to 5—such a small number—I have to specify historical mysteries … in a series. Even then, the choice is difficult—except for #1!
It’s hard to believe that this is my fourth time writing this article. What started out as merely a brainstorming joke has turned into my favorite singular piece of writing I do each year. On Sunday, February 26th, the Oscar’s return, and with it comes nine nominees for Best Picture…. Read more
Crime and mystery fiction’s diversity attracts a broad readership. For instance, I prefer the soft stuff and am attracted to the puzzle rather than grizzly details, while many of my friends enjoy peeled skin and body parts. Knowing that, it seems immensely impertinent for me to try to compile a… Read more
In my twelve years as the crime analyst for the Whatcom County Sheriff’s Office, I’ve seen and heard a lot of funny and unusual things—some of which provided great inspiration while writing Collecting the Dead and the follow-on books in my FBI Special Tracking Unit series. Here’s a sampling of… Read more
Why do we love heroes with a bit of bad in them? Antiheroes are popping up more and more in novels, TV shows and movies. Here's a look at why:
