Crime Reads » Essays

Why Exposing Kids to Horror Might Actually Be Good for Them

Why Exposing Kids to Horror Might Actually Be Good for Them

An open letter to the two girls still stuck in the early showing of 'The Conjuring'

By Stephen Graham Jones | July 15, 2020

The Exhilarating, Dangerous World of Helen Eustis

The Exhilarating, Dangerous World of Helen Eustis

Her 1947 novel, The Horizontal Man, was a wry, subversive take on the campus mystery. It's as timely as ever.

By Charles Finch | July 15, 2020

How I Stopped Worrying About the Rules and Learned to Write a Mystery Novel

How I Stopped Worrying About the Rules and Learned to Write a Mystery Novel

Workshops, an MFA, and a pair of literary novels couldn't prepare him for the intricate workings of noir, so he turned to the masters.

By Sung J. Woo | July 14, 2020

Safe as Houses: The

Safe as Houses: The "Property-Porn Thriller" Is Here to Stay

In this property-obsessed age, why are houses such a source of fictional terror?

By Anna Downes | July 14, 2020

Why Marshes Capture Our Imaginations—And Inspire Some of Our Most Unsettling Folklore

Why Marshes Capture Our Imaginations—And Inspire Some of Our Most Unsettling Folklore

Elly Griffiths on marshes, moors, and cautionary tales.

By Elly Griffiths | July 14, 2020

Rethinking the Meaning of

Rethinking the Meaning of "Border Noir"

"Borders, like crime novels, let people be in many places at once: the familiar, the unfamiliar and the space between the two."

By Alex Gilly | July 14, 2020

Best Reviewed
Books of the Week

My sister's overdose looked like an accident. It may have been murder.

By Rose Andersen | July 10, 2020

Finally, A New Children's Book About Agatha Christie

By Radha Vatsal | July 10, 2020

How I Helped Bring Gay Men to the World of International Thrillers—And Found a Readership of Women in the Process

By Timothy Jay Smith | July 10, 2020

The Day Dashiell Hammett Was Dragged Into Court Over a Bail Fund for Political Prisoners and Refused to Name Names

The Day Dashiell Hammett Was Dragged Into Court Over a Bail Fund for Political Prisoners and Refused to Name Names

The godfather of noir fiction went up against a notorious Communist hunter and refused to back down. It would cost him his freedom.

By Olivia Rutigliano | July 9, 2020

My First Thriller: Steve Berry

My First Thriller: Steve Berry

After twelve years and eighty-six submissions, Steve Berry's persistence finally paid off with the launch of a blockbuster series.

By Rick Pullen | July 9, 2020

The Massively Popular, Mostly Forgotten Craze for American Style Noir in WWII-Era Britain

The Massively Popular, Mostly Forgotten Craze for American Style Noir in WWII-Era Britain

In 1939, amidst violence and wartime shortages, one hardboiled noir took the nation by storm, provoked moral outrage, and inspired legions of imitators.

By Andrew Nette | July 9, 2020

Do the Best Adaptations Keep the Author At Arm's Length?

Do the Best Adaptations Keep the Author At Arm's Length?

A screenwriter and crime writer thinks back on 20 years of the collaborative process.

By David Klass | July 8, 2020

Why Genre Labels Are Utterly Meaningless But Incredibly Fun to Debate, Especially While Drinking

Why Genre Labels Are Utterly Meaningless But Incredibly Fun to Debate, Especially While Drinking

Is Indiana Jones an adventure story or a heist movie? Is Brody the hero of 'Jaws' or is the shark? It all depends on perspective.

By Jay Stringer | July 8, 2020

Growing up Queer in Texas—and Discovering a Different World Through the Mysteries of Barbara Vine

Growing up Queer in Texas—and Discovering a Different World Through the Mysteries of Barbara Vine

"How could anyone possibly be accepted as two people at once?"

By John Fram | July 7, 2020

Terror and Power: Is Gothic Horror Poised for 21st Century Revival?

Terror and Power: Is Gothic Horror Poised for 21st Century Revival?

Gothic fiction isn't outdated—on the contrary, it's the best method of capturing our present day anxieties.

By Jasper DeWitt | July 7, 2020

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