Most crime stories have a beginning and an end. They start with the crime, then the investigation by law enforcement authorities—and finally the solving of the case. But that’s not the way it works with cold cases. All we have left is unanswered questions. Which is what makes cold cases so fascinating. As a longtime…
“Find my heart, and you will spy my treasure.” —”Gentleman George’s Lost Hoard” from Sugar and Vice Lost treasure. The phrase conjures up chests of gleaming gold, crates of sparkling gemstones, and every wish granted. In Sugar and Vice, the discovery of a pirate skeleton—one who was rumored to have been buried with a…
Music means everything to me. If there were ever a day that music was to inexplicitly vanish from the planet as an art form, then I would most likely never be able to write another word. The two mediums are that intertwined with me. I’ll try to lay it out for you. I’m sure at…
Balancing the demands of law-enforcement with family isn’t always easy, especially if you’re a single parent. Fortunately, as a former detective for Santa Fe PD and now the newly elected sheriff of Del Sol, New Mexico, I can offer a few dos and don’ts—mostly don’ts—to help you harmonize the two loves of your life. My…
Despite being the subject of countless romance and literary fiction novels, the City of Light also wields the dark and disturbing ambience for thrillers. Dead end pedestrian streets, loose cobblestone, underground lairs, and mass graves stemming from epidemics offer up the perfect setting for a tense narrative. Get transported to Paris’ atmospheric arrondissements in each…
If you are wondering why crime is such a big genre that doesn’t appeal to you because you prefer fantasy, romance, period drama or because you tried a Poirot once and didn’t get it (this was me, too), these might change your mind. They’re not just crime books—they’re good books. Best Book for Romance Readers…
I picked up The Stranger Beside Me at a garage sale in the spring of 1983. Thirteen years old, I was deep in my V. C. Andrews phase and searching for books that awoke that same forbidden thrill.
Hi there, reader! 2019 has been an incredible year for new crime fiction. From debut authors to returning favorites, serial killer thrillers to psychological suspense, this year has offered up a little something for everyone. I’m thrilled to share with Criminal Element readers my picks for the Best Crime Books of 2019 by Month—aka my…
Every holiday season, I get bombarded with messages from friends and fans telling me they’re dying to buy me a crime-fiction-related present but aren’t sure what to get such an accomplished author…
Film is a medium of two senses: sight and sound. We can’t touch the people or objects depicted, we can’t smell or taste them. But horror? Horror involves all the senses.
