Crime Reads » Essays

How Harry Kurnitz Conquered Hollywood, Broadway, and the Biblio-Mystery

How Harry Kurnitz Conquered Hollywood, Broadway, and the Biblio-Mystery

The life and times of a pioneering writer.

By Nicholas A. Basbanes | September 4, 2026

How the New T.J. English Reader Mines the Dark Soul of America

How the New T.J. English Reader Mines the Dark Soul of America

David Masciotra on the new collection of journalistic stories and essays, 'Blood in the Desert'

By David Masciotra | September 4, 2026

6 Great Thrillers About Mothers and Daughters and Sisters

6 Great Thrillers About Mothers and Daughters and Sisters

Hank Phillippi Ryan on family secrets and complicated relationships.

By Hank Phillippi Ryan | September 3, 2026

Kevin C Morris on Worldbuilding and Setting a Mystery in Alaska's Rugged Southeast

Kevin C Morris on Worldbuilding and Setting a Mystery in Alaska's Rugged Southeast

The author of Untamed Coast finds inspiration on Radioville Island

By Kevin C. Morris | September 2, 2026

Kieran Scott on Closed Circle and Locked Room Mysteries (Plus Her 3 Faves)

Kieran Scott on Closed Circle and Locked Room Mysteries (Plus Her 3 Faves)

The author of The Getaway explores the intersections between two great subgenres

By Kieran Scott | September 2, 2026

Rebecca Stafford on the Entrancing Moral Quandaries of Dark Academia

Rebecca Stafford on the Entrancing Moral Quandaries of Dark Academia

The perennial appeal of challenging elite insiderism in life and literature

By Rebecca Stafford | September 1, 2026

Best Reviewed
Books of the Week

Madeline Martin on Matthew Hopkins and the Deadliest Witch Hunt in England

By Madeline Martin | September 1, 2026

Gabbi Calabrese on What Kids Can Learn from Reading Mysteries

By Gabbi Calabrese | September 1, 2026

The Watergate Theory That Never Made It Into the Movies

By Kent Heckenlively | September 1, 2026

7 Books That Take Readers to Extraordinary, Uncharted Regions

7 Books That Take Readers to Extraordinary, Uncharted Regions

Henry Wise recommends Willa Cather, James Hilton, Tim Winton, and more

By Henry Wise | August 31, 2026

Linwood Barclay on Writing Ordinary Characters in Extraordinary Situations

Linwood Barclay on Writing Ordinary Characters in Extraordinary Situations

The author of the thriller Not a Word captures the reactions of the unprepared

By Linwood Barclay | August 28, 2026

Isolation as an Antagonist

Isolation as an Antagonist

Why thriller readers love reading about characters who are trapped

By Holly Craig | August 28, 2026

Pantser or Plotter: How Poe, Christie, King, and Other Greats Outlined Their Mysteries

Pantser or Plotter: How Poe, Christie, King, and Other Greats Outlined Their Mysteries

JJ Unthank explores the craft inclinations of crime writers past and present

By J.J. Unthank | August 27, 2026

Clare Edge on Using Small Town Settings to Create Locked Room Mysteries

Clare Edge on Using Small Town Settings to Create Locked Room Mysteries

The author of Natural Selection deromanticizes the image of the safe, quaint town

By Clare Edge | August 27, 2026

How Anthony Franze Became Alex Finlay, and How a Rebrand Birthed a Bestselling Author

How Anthony Franze Became Alex Finlay, and How a Rebrand Birthed a Bestselling Author

My First Thriller: Alex Finlay

By Rick Pullen | August 26, 2026

Fair Play Mysteries and Mother Nature's Fury

Fair Play Mysteries and Mother Nature's Fury

Nina Simon on deadly settings, human motives, and exploding mules

By Nina Simon | August 26, 2026

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