Crime Reads » Essays

Kieran Scott on Closed Circle and Locked Room Mysteries (Plus Her 3 Faves)

Kieran Scott on Closed Circle and Locked Room Mysteries (Plus Her 3 Faves)

The author of The Getaway explores the intersections between two great subgenres

By Kieran Scott | September 2, 2026

Rebecca Stafford on the Entrancing Moral Quandaries of Dark Academia

Rebecca Stafford on the Entrancing Moral Quandaries of Dark Academia

The perennial appeal of challenging elite insiderism in life and literature

By Rebecca Stafford | September 1, 2026

Madeline Martin on Matthew Hopkins and the Deadliest Witch Hunt in England

Madeline Martin on Matthew Hopkins and the Deadliest Witch Hunt in England

The author of A Time of Witches shares the sordid history of Britain's Witchfinder General

By Madeline Martin | September 1, 2026

Gabbi Calabrese on What Kids Can Learn from Reading Mysteries

Gabbi Calabrese on What Kids Can Learn from Reading Mysteries

The author of Little Bookworm: Mystery values whodunits in an age of AI and spoon-fed answers

By Gabbi Calabrese | September 1, 2026

The Watergate Theory That Never Made It Into the Movies

The Watergate Theory That Never Made It Into the Movies

There's a widely-circulated alternate theory about the break-in, but does it hold water?

By Kent Heckenlively | September 1, 2026

7 Books That Take Readers to Extraordinary, Uncharted Regions

7 Books That Take Readers to Extraordinary, Uncharted Regions

Henry Wise recommends Willa Cather, James Hilton, Tim Winton, and more

By Henry Wise | August 31, 2026

Best Reviewed
Books of the Week

Linwood Barclay on Writing Ordinary Characters in Extraordinary Situations

By Linwood Barclay | August 28, 2026

Isolation as an Antagonist

By Holly Craig | August 28, 2026

Pantser or Plotter: How Poe, Christie, King, and Other Greats Outlined Their Mysteries

By J.J. Unthank | August 27, 2026

Clare Edge on Using Small Town Settings to Create Locked Room Mysteries

Clare Edge on Using Small Town Settings to Create Locked Room Mysteries

The author of Natural Selection deromanticizes the image of the safe, quaint town

By Clare Edge | August 27, 2026

How Anthony Franze Became Alex Finlay, and How a Rebrand Birthed a Bestselling Author

How Anthony Franze Became Alex Finlay, and How a Rebrand Birthed a Bestselling Author

My First Thriller: Alex Finlay

By Rick Pullen | August 26, 2026

Fair Play Mysteries and Mother Nature's Fury

Fair Play Mysteries and Mother Nature's Fury

Nina Simon on deadly settings, human motives, and exploding mules

By Nina Simon | August 26, 2026

"A woman's weapon": Maria Malone on the Tropes and Truths of Female Poisoners

The author of Killing in the Countryside explores the complex history and portrayals of women who wield toxins

By Maria Malone | August 26, 2026

The Most Powerful Question in Any Mystery

The Most Powerful Question in Any Mystery

The author of Storm Damage ponders the narrative power of moral dilemmas

By Terry R. Bacon | August 26, 2026

The Demystification of the Giant Monster: A Brief History of Giant Fictional Behemoths

The Demystification of the Giant Monster: A Brief History of Giant Fictional Behemoths

"[A] creature, maybe out of time or space but certainly out of place, stumbles upon human civilization. And a monster is a fantastic thing, so of course some people want to own it once they see it in all its glory."

By W.H. Chizmar | August 25, 2026

Who Cares Whodunit: Paraic O'Donnell on What Matters More Than Revealing a Story's Killer

Who Cares Whodunit: Paraic O'Donnell on What Matters More Than Revealing a Story's Killer

The author of The Naming of the Birds explains why crime fiction should focus less on endings

By Paraic O'Donnell | August 25, 2026

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