Crime Reads » Essays

It Isn't Genre That Matters—It's Story.

It Isn't Genre That Matters—It's Story.

Characters, writing, and tension make or break a book. You can step over the genre fence and still appeal to your readers.

By Clare Mackintosh | December 3, 2020

The Unconventional Private Eyes of Stanley Ellin

The Unconventional Private Eyes of Stanley Ellin

A master of the short story, Ellin's detective novels are now mostly forgotten. They shouldn't be.

By J. Kingston Pierce | December 2, 2020

6 Reasons to Hook Your Kid on Mysteries

6 Reasons to Hook Your Kid on Mysteries

Mystery novels can teach your child the tricks of amateur sleuthing, spark a new interest in storytelling, and strengthen family bonds.

By Marthe Jocelyn | December 2, 2020

The Revival of Todd Downing, The Golden Age Author Fascinated by Death in Mexico

The Revival of Todd Downing, The Golden Age Author Fascinated by Death in Mexico

He was an author of Choctaw descent writing traditional mysteries set in Mexico. Will a new generation discover his work?

By James Sallis | December 1, 2020

Cry Your Own Cry: Why Accra Is the Perfect City for Noir

Cry Your Own Cry: Why Accra Is the Perfect City for Noir

At the center of the world, an African story with a complex history and storytelling tradition turns to noir fiction.

By Nana-Ama Danquah | December 1, 2020

Jakarta: Indonesia’s Megalopolis of Crime

Jakarta: Indonesia’s Megalopolis of Crime

Crime and the City visits one of the world's most densely populated places in search of crime fiction.

By Paul French | November 30, 2020

Best Reviewed
Books of the Week

Why Every Crime Writer Should Know How to Spot a Fake Diamond

By Rosemary Simpson | November 25, 2020

Linda, Interrupted

By Sarah Weinman | November 24, 2020

The Enduring Noir Legacy of John Cassavetes

By Zach Vasquez | November 23, 2020

Phantasmagoria: A Look at Dark Romanticism, Romanticism's Black Mirror

Phantasmagoria: A Look at Dark Romanticism, Romanticism's Black Mirror

"Romanticism explores the world’s and the mind’s potential for the sublime; Dark Romanticism explores their most frightening depths."

By Nicolas Lietzgau | November 23, 2020

A Long Fall from Grace: The Trial of Genaro Garcia Luna, Mexico's Former Security Chief

A Long Fall from Grace: The Trial of Genaro Garcia Luna, Mexico's Former Security Chief

Garcia Luna led the hunt for Mexico's top cartel fugitives. Now he's awaiting trial in New York, accused of decades of corruption.

By Malcolm Beith | November 20, 2020

Arthur Conan Doyle and the Mutineers

Arthur Conan Doyle and the Mutineers

After killing off Sherlock Holmes, why did Arthur Conan Doyle take a detour into true crime writing with the story of a bloody mutiny?

By Dean Jobb | November 20, 2020

Theodore Roosevelt and The Frontier Lawman

Theodore Roosevelt and The Frontier Lawman

Long before heading to the White House, Teddy Roosevelt hung out with the wildest badge-wearers of the Old West.

By Erin Lindsey | November 19, 2020

Can You Write Your Deepest Fears Into Existence?

Can You Write Your Deepest Fears Into Existence?

In writing fiction, many authors find that the pain they inflict on characters returns to them down the line.

By Stav Sherez | November 19, 2020

Why Writing About Cults—and People Who Join Them—Is Never Easy

Why Writing About Cults—and People Who Join Them—Is Never Easy

40 years after Jonestown, an author reflects on the empathy gap between those who joined, and those who think they never would.

By Courtney Summers | November 18, 2020

Aileen Wuornos and the Powerful Allure of (Certain) Serial Killers

Aileen Wuornos and the Powerful Allure of (Certain) Serial Killers

What my fascination with Aileen Wuornos taught me about the strange relationship between violent offenders and their many fans.

By Phyllis Chesler | November 18, 2020

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