Crime Reads » Essays

Why Motive Matters Even More than Truth in Crime Fiction

Why Motive Matters Even More than Truth in Crime Fiction

Nadine Matheson mulls how to create narrative satisfaction rather than random violence

By Nadine Matheson | March 13, 2026

Writing into Gaps: Joshilyn Jackson on Creating a Fictional Sister

Writing into Gaps: Joshilyn Jackson on Creating a Fictional Sister

The author of Missing Sister heals real-life loss with imagined characters

By Joshilyn Jackson | March 13, 2026

Sujata Massey on Indian Mysteries, Saradindu Bandyopadhyay, and South Asian Cinema

Sujata Massey on Indian Mysteries, Saradindu Bandyopadhyay, and South Asian Cinema

The author of The Star from Calcutta charts the rise of crime stories in India

By Sujata Massey | March 12, 2026

Tiffany Crum on Translating the Unique Intimacy of Podcasts into Fiction

Tiffany Crum on Translating the Unique Intimacy of Podcasts into Fiction

Exploring how to build suspense and knowing the voices of people we've never met

By Tiffany Crum | March 12, 2026

Noelle W. Ihli on Reading Survival Thrillers in a World of Real Danger

Noelle W. Ihli on Reading Survival Thrillers in a World of Real Danger

How suspense fiction can help readers quell their all-too-real anxieties

By Noelle Ihli | March 12, 2026

Why Does Anne Boleyn Still Fascinate Us So Deeply?

Why Does Anne Boleyn Still Fascinate Us So Deeply?

Karen E. Olson on the enduring popularity of one Tudor wife in particular.

By Karen E. Olson | March 12, 2026

Best Reviewed
Books of the Week

The Greatest Dangerous Female Characters in Literature

By Lisa Unger | March 11, 2026

Lenore Nash on Writing International, Character-Driven Detective Stories

By Lenore Nash | March 11, 2026

Cowboy Capos: Linda Stasi on Writing About the "Mountain Mafia" of Colorado

By Linda Stasi | March 10, 2026

Murder Mysteries Are the Best Way to Understand the Slow Death of Abortion Rights

Murder Mysteries Are the Best Way to Understand the Slow Death of Abortion Rights

Amy Littlefield uses the structure of crime fiction to gain insight into the end of Roe v. Wade

By Amy Littlefield | March 10, 2026

Nick Petrie: The Joys and Challenges of Writing a Long-Running Series

Nick Petrie: The Joys and Challenges of Writing a Long-Running Series

"After ten books, Peter Ash’s world is deep in my bones, as familiar and comfortable as an old sweater. But I can’t let it stay that way."

By Nick Petrie | March 10, 2026

Crime and the City: Martha's Vineyard

Crime and the City: Martha's Vineyard

The globetrotting mystery series takes a holiday on the seemingly idyllic Massachusetts island.

By Paul French | March 9, 2026

Kirsten Kaschock Imagines a New Landscape for the Gothic

Kirsten Kaschock Imagines a New Landscape for the Gothic

On contorted geography, haunting history, and literary potential

By Kirsten Kaschock | March 6, 2026

A True Crime History of the Los Angeles Central Library

A True Crime History of the Los Angeles Central Library

Over its 100 years, L.A.'s historic library has been home to sinister encounters and unsolved mysteries.

By James T. Bartlett | March 6, 2026

Lyla Lane on the Charm and Challenges of Setting Cozies in Small Towns

Lyla Lane on the Charm and Challenges of Setting Cozies in Small Towns

Craft advice from the author of The Best Little Motel in Texas

By Lyla Lane | March 5, 2026

America's Christie: How Mignon G. Eberhart Helped Shape the Modern Female Sleuth

America's Christie: How Mignon G. Eberhart Helped Shape the Modern Female Sleuth

Excerpted from Lisa Unger's introduction to While the Patient Slept

By Lisa Unger | March 4, 2026

« First ‹ Previous 11 12 13 141516 17 18 19 Next ›Last »

Page 15 of 208