Crime Reads » Essays

The Lost Art of the

The Lost Art of the "Cast of Characters" Lists That Opened Midcentury Mystery Novels

Wordplay, witty insults, and the occasionally lurid remark rounded out a popular feature of paperback crime novels.

By J. Kingston Pierce | December 15, 2020

Some Misconceptions About Sexism in Thrillers

Some Misconceptions About Sexism in Thrillers

An author and her reader debate the history and shifting interpretations of feminism as seen in thrillers.

By Courtney Evan Tate | December 15, 2020

How Many of the Greatest Crime Books of All-Time Have You Read? (Wait, Which Books?)

How Many of the Greatest Crime Books of All-Time Have You Read? (Wait, Which Books?)

Spelunking the must-read lists for crime, and checking them twice

By Gray Basnight | December 15, 2020

The Girl Detective Disappears: On Searching for Nancy Drew, and Finding Myself

The Girl Detective Disappears: On Searching for Nancy Drew, and Finding Myself

Nancy Drew has always been a liminal figure, caught between girl and woman, masculine and feminine, traditional and modern...

By Bethany Kaylor | December 14, 2020

On the Incredible, Gruesome Legacy of Paris's Grand Guignol Theater

On the Incredible, Gruesome Legacy of Paris's Grand Guignol Theater

Exaggerated spectacles of violence and gore played to fainting audiences night after night, for six decades

By Olivia Rutigliano | December 14, 2020

Thirty Years Later, Is <em>Goodfellas</em> The Greatest Mob Movie Ever Made?

Thirty Years Later, Is Goodfellas The Greatest Mob Movie Ever Made?

A demented, predatory nihilism runs through Martin Scorsese's 1990 mob classic, and audiences are still cheering for it. Why?

By Andy McCarthy | December 11, 2020

Best Reviewed
Books of the Week

Famed mystery writer G.K. Chesterton proudly, sincerely believed in Santa Claus

By Olivia Rutigliano | December 11, 2020

The Politically Engaged, Wildly Entertaining Novels of Paco Ignacio Taibo II

By Gabino Iglesias | December 11, 2020

The Good Thief: The Best Heist Movie You’ve (Probably) Never Seen

By Nick Kolakowski | December 10, 2020

Evelyn Waugh Loved Perry Mason With All His Heart

Evelyn Waugh Loved Perry Mason With All His Heart

He read every single one of Erle Stanley Gardner's books. But his passion didn't stop there.

By Olivia Rutigliano | December 10, 2020

The Long, Dark Legacy of William Hjortsberg's Supernatural Neo-Noirs

The Long, Dark Legacy of William Hjortsberg's Supernatural Neo-Noirs

Revisiting the 'Angel' novels and their occult obsessions

By Andrew Nette | December 9, 2020

The Unexpected Stars of Crime Cinema: Audrey Hepburn

The Unexpected Stars of Crime Cinema: Audrey Hepburn

She's usually thought of as a romantic comedy star. But she featured in some of the era's greatest thrillers.

By Olivia Rutigliano | December 8, 2020

In Praise of Second Chances

In Praise of Second Chances

On learning, late in life, to give things a second look (and take people as they are).

By Jane Cleland | December 8, 2020

The Meticulous Noir of David Fincher

The Meticulous Noir of David Fincher

Exploring the movies that have fed the worldview of a legendarily exacting director who inspires, and is inspired by obsession.

By Zach Vasquez | December 4, 2020

Jean-Patrick Manchette: Inside the Decades-Long Effort to Bring a Master of French Crime Fiction to American Readers

Jean-Patrick Manchette: Inside the Decades-Long Effort to Bring a Master of French Crime Fiction to American Readers

Manchette's translator reflects on the legacy of an author who revolutionized French noir (twice).

By Donald Nicholson-Smith | December 4, 2020

A P.I. in Paradise: How ‘Magnum’ Set the Standard for ‘80s TV Detectives

A P.I. in Paradise: How ‘Magnum’ Set the Standard for ‘80s TV Detectives

The Hawaiian shirts. The short-short shorts. In 1980, CBS was in need of a Hawaii-set hit, and they found a P.I. for a new era.

By Keith Roysdon | December 4, 2020

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