There’s something inherently interesting about a mystery set on an island. There are those that are set on small islands: ones that are remote, wind-swept, and hopefully facing a devastating storm. The threat of isolation without the possibility of outside assistance makes for great storytelling. Then there are the ones that explore those tiny close-knit…
Why was writing The Murder List like doing math? Because it’s all about understanding the properties of a triangle. One of the basic shapes of in geometry, right? And one of the basic shapes of conflict. Three points on a triangle. Or three points of view. And in a twisty triangle thriller, it all depends…
When I was a kid, I watched a documentary about reincarnation. There was a little girl featured in it, and based on things she’d said, her parents were convinced she had lived past lives. I watched her visiting old houses and cemeteries, the whole time telling seemingly impossible tales of what had happened to her…
Most of my favorite stories, whether written or on the big screen, have one thing in common: it’s difficult to put them in a box. Shamelessly borrowing tropes from multiple genres and subverting expected plot structures serves to expand our understanding of how narrative works. As a result, suspense is even more suspenseful for being…
When I was a little girl, there was one thing we were not allowed to do in our house: talk during The Perry Mason Show. Seriously. When Perry Mason was on TV, my sister and I were required, if we wanted to watch it and of course we did, not to say a word. During…
My thriller, The Escape Room, set in an elevator, is a 21st-century twist to the locked-room mystery genre of crime novels. The locked-room mystery novel developed in the late 19th century and the early 20th century when readers were invited to solve the murder mystery using clues in the story, and they’ve been popular ever…
Weston Ochse, author and Bram Stoker Award winner, sits down with Jeremy Finley to discuss his background as an investigative reporter in Nashville, getting inside of the head of your characters, breakneck pacing, aliens, and the worst puppy on the planet. Learn more about Jeremy’s new book, The Dark Above, and comment below to enter…
In stark contrast to her husband, Mary Todd Lincoln has a bad reputation.
In the summer of 1984, I entered the U.S. Naval Academy as a plebe, or fourth-class midshipman. In October of that same year, Tom Clancy published his first novel, The Hunt for Red October. A few months later, our paths crossed. The meeting was the opposite of memorable. In fact, it was purely mercenary on…
With centuries of history to dive into, the U.K. has borne some of the most notorious serial killers the world has ever seen. But it’s the streets of London that have seen the grisliest goings-on. From as far back as the early 1800s, the once poverty-stricken areas either side of the River Thames have witnessed…
