Crime Reads » Bruce Riordan

Breakthrough: Ross Macdonald, Lew Archer and 'The Doomsters'

Breakthrough: Ross Macdonald, Lew Archer and 'The Doomsters'

Macdonald's seventh novel in the Lew Archer series was a turning point in the history of crime fiction.

By Bruce Riordan | May 15, 2025

Don’t Make Graves: The Essential Harlem Detectives

Don’t Make Graves: The Essential Harlem Detectives

Bruce Riordan looks at the legacy of Chester Himes and a new edition of his most enduring work.

By Bruce Riordan | May 9, 2024

Every Picture Tells a Story: <em>Cinema Speculation</em>, <em>The Getaway</em> and Me

Every Picture Tells a Story: Cinema Speculation, The Getaway and Me

Bruce Riordan traces a personal history through Quentin Tarantino's analysis of a Sam Peckinpah classic.

By Bruce Riordan | October 20, 2023

Good Company: Mickey Haller and the Enduring Appeal of 'The Lincoln Lawyer'

Good Company: Mickey Haller and the Enduring Appeal of 'The Lincoln Lawyer'

Michael Connelly's lawyer and LA-operator guides readers through "the world without truth."

By Bruce Riordan | January 5, 2023

The Devil’s in the Details: 'Reservoir Dogs' at 30

The Devil’s in the Details: 'Reservoir Dogs' at 30

30 years later, Bruce Riordan remembers the early showing of 'Reservoir Dogs' at the Vista, and how it changed everything he thought he knew about trial preparation—and storytelling.

By Bruce Riordan | October 21, 2022

Code Blue: Ballard, Bosch and a City in Crisis in Michael Connelly's <em>The Dark Hours</em>

Code Blue: Ballard, Bosch and a City in Crisis in Michael Connelly's The Dark Hours

Connelly – the shadow historian for the LAPD and the city of Los Angeles – shows both institutions approaching a crisis point.

By Bruce Riordan | November 10, 2021

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Books of the Week

The Needle and the Damage Done: The Genius of Robert Stone’s Dog Soldiers

By Bruce Riordan | July 16, 2021

Betrayal Is Timeless: The Evolution of George Smiley

By Bruce Riordan | March 19, 2021

Border Stories: A Guide to the Novels of Don Winslow

By Bruce Riordan | April 3, 2020

The Evolution of Harry Bosch

The Evolution of Harry Bosch

How Michael Connelly's Bosch and L.A. Have Changed Together

By Bruce Riordan | January 24, 2019

The Evolution of the Police Procedural

The Evolution of the Police Procedural

50 Years and 2 Golden Ages of Cops on Screen

By Bruce Riordan | September 26, 2018

The Evolution of Ross Macdonald

The Evolution of Ross Macdonald

A Family Crisis and Three Novels That Changed the Course of Crime Fiction

By Bruce Riordan | August 24, 2018