As the author of psychological thrillers, plot ideas often come out of nowhere. I’ll be running at the track and see a plastic bag in the woods—hmmm, what if it was used to kill someone that morning? I’ll hear a creak on the wood floor outside my room—hmmm, what if it’s not the dog or…
This week marks the publication of Katherine Hall Page’s 25th mystery in the Faith Fairchild series, and to help celebrate this momentous occasion, I chatted with Katherine about her career, her motivations, her favorite foods, and so much more. Learn more about Katherine’s series and make sure to sign in and comment below for a…
When I started writing They All Fall Down, my intent wasn’t to write an unlikeable character. Miriam, in my mind, was simply a mother… who may have gone too far. What woman, hell, what parent, can’t relate to that? Yelling at the ref during Soccer Saturdays. Sending the kid to the liquor store to buy…
To help celebrate, Criminal Element has partnered with World Editions to bring you an exclusive interview with Kristien Hemmerechts, author of The Woman Who Fed the Dogs. Comment for a chance to win a copy! In the Netherlands and Belgium, Boekenweek (Book Week) is an annual celebration of literature, happening every Spring since 1932. During…
Join S.C. Perkins, author of Murder Once Removed—the first in a new cozy mystery series starring Lucy Lancaster, a Texas genealogist who uses her skills to solve murders in both the past and present—as she shares a list of genealogical facts guaranteed to impress at your next dinner party! Somewhere, years ago, I heard the term…
I am a true-crime junkie. Since I was a teenager, I’ve binged on Discovery ID and true-crime documentaries. Watching the new episodes of Dateline, 48 Hours Mystery, and 20/20 is a weekly ritual. And I devour true-crime books by some of my favorite authors including Ann Rule, Gregg Olsen, John Glatt, Kathryn Casey, and Michael…
I have a thing for unreliable narrators. I’m suspicious of polarities, of the black and white, and I tend to gravitate toward the grey area where, ironically, not-completely-trustworthy characters reside. I think I’m drawn to them because I see myself there. Not because I’m hiding bodies (or am I?) or because I lie compulsively (or…
In a culture of prequels and sequels, origin stories and franchise reboots, it seems no box-office hit can be considered safe from the recycling junkies in Hollywood. Psycho, Minority Report, The Karate Kid, Fargo—all have been variously updated and rebranded for the 21st century, with wildly different results. For every Dawn of the Dead there…
A deadly race for the Vatican’s oldest secret fuels Steve Berry’s latest international Cotton Malone thriller, The Malta Exchange. Enter for a chance to win one of 50 advanced copies!
Seven a.m. in early December is the best time to visit Times Square. The hordes of holiday tourists have yet to descend; the stores and theaters are closed; the costumed “performers” won’t show up to hustle the passersby for another few hours. Sure, you have to deal with the visual offense of building-sized screens flashing…
