Crime Reads » Essays

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

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

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

A writer investigates the suspicious death of her younger sister, tied to a wider crime story involving drugs, robberies, and homicide.

By Rose Andersen | July 10, 2020

Finally, A New Children's Book About Agatha Christie

Finally, A New Children's Book About Agatha Christie

An exciting find in a children's book landscape that rarely celebrates the heroines of genre fiction.

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

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

In a genre long dominated by action and archetypes, an author discovers a new audience.

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

Best Reviewed
Books of the Week

My First Thriller: Steve Berry

By Rick Pullen | July 9, 2020

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

By Andrew Nette | July 9, 2020

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

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

Getting to Know My Aunt Through Her Cold War Cookbook

Getting to Know My Aunt Through Her Cold War Cookbook

How a comforting family relic gave birth to a new story of espionage, intrigue, and adventure.

By Celia Rees | July 6, 2020

Counting Down the Greatest Crime Films of All-Time: # 9

Counting Down the Greatest Crime Films of All-Time: # 9

White Heat (1949)

By Otto Penzler | July 6, 2020

My Writing Will Never Be as Good as Charles Willeford's

My Writing Will Never Be as Good as Charles Willeford's

But I keep on writing anyway.

By Chip Mosher | July 3, 2020

On the Endless Symbolism of <em>Jaws</em>, Which Owes Its Dark Soul to <em>Moby Dick</em>

On the Endless Symbolism of Jaws, Which Owes Its Dark Soul to Moby Dick

Olivia Rutigliano discusses punishment, redemption, and fate in her favorite movie of all time.

By Olivia Rutigliano | July 2, 2020

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