Crime Reads » Essays

The Real Dangers of Conspiracy Fiction

The Real Dangers of Conspiracy Fiction

Alan Drew on thrillers, lies, and the power of fiction, for good and evil

By Alan Drew | June 24, 2022

Norman Lloyd, King of the Hitchcock Collaborators

Norman Lloyd, King of the Hitchcock Collaborators

He performed one of the most famous deaths in cinema. He went on to a very long life, collaborating with the great director.

By Keith Roysdon | June 24, 2022

Triggered: Gun Crazy in America

Triggered: Gun Crazy in America

Michael Gonzales: "As a kid coming of age in 1970s New York City, I grew-up in a cultural environment that celebrated guns and encouraged young boys to daydream about owning one."

By Michael Gonzales | June 23, 2022

Death Goes Drag: How the Queer Experiences of Mystery Writers Rufus King and Clifford Orr Influenced Their Golden Age Detective Fiction

Death Goes Drag: How the Queer Experiences of Mystery Writers Rufus King and Clifford Orr Influenced Their Golden Age Detective Fiction

Skilled at switching gender roles in masquerade, King and Orr translated their college drag experiences into queer-coded fiction.

By Curtis Evans | June 23, 2022

On Writing Unlikeable Characters

On Writing Unlikeable Characters

(And Falling in Love with Them)

By Kate Williams | June 23, 2022

July 22, 2020: The World Ends (For Some)

July 22, 2020: The World Ends (For Some)

How could a couple kill their own children? The answer lies in the unimaginable.

By Leah Sottile | June 23, 2022

Best Reviewed
Books of the Week

In Defense of Unsympathetic Protagonists

By Jon Bassoff | June 22, 2022

All Agents Defect: Espionage in the Films of David Cronenberg

By Zach Vasquez | June 21, 2022

The Case for Catharsis in Crime Fiction

By Julie Mayhew | June 21, 2022

Gillian Flynn Is the Real Gone Girl

Gillian Flynn Is the Real Gone Girl

10 years later, the seminal thriller still has a few twists and reveals left for unsuspecting readers.

By Lisa Levy | June 20, 2022

Javier Cercas and The Art of the Back Story

Javier Cercas and The Art of the Back Story

With the launch of a new detective series, the enigmatic Spanish author begins a new chapter.

By Paul French | June 17, 2022

Unusual and Iconic Tales of Intentional Poisonings

Unusual and Iconic Tales of Intentional Poisonings

Kate Khavari on the long and sordid history of murder by poison

By Kate Khavari | June 17, 2022

Want to Write a Great Mystery? Read a Great Romance.

Want to Write a Great Mystery? Read a Great Romance.

Mindy Carlson on lessons learned from a pandemic-inspired turn toward romance novels.

By Mindy Carlson | June 16, 2022

The Story of Lee Marvin, Gene Hackman, and Quite Possibly the Strangest American Crime Film of the 1970s

The Story of Lee Marvin, Gene Hackman, and Quite Possibly the Strangest American Crime Film of the 1970s

Prime Cut was a movie filled with stars – and violent, grotesque meat metaphors. Also, it was a mirror for the decade's American experience.

By Andrew Nette | June 16, 2022

The Constellation of Possibilities: An Approach to Writing Historical Fiction

The Constellation of Possibilities: An Approach to Writing Historical Fiction

Matt Bondurant on a natural disaster, a discovered photograph, and the craft exercise that followed.

By Matt Bondurant | June 15, 2022

A Real Desire to Write Fake Lawyers

A Real Desire to Write Fake Lawyers

Joey Hartstone always thought he wanted to be a lawyer. But maybe just wanted to be a lawyer in a story.

By Joey Hartstone | June 15, 2022

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