Six Best Suspense Duos In a lot of my favorite suspense and detective fiction, there is one main protagonist around whom the whole story revolves. Right now, I’m reading the latest Sue Grafton book. Kinsey Millhone is a great example—she does it all. But as much as I like the lone wolf, the hard-driving […]
Category Archives: Blog Article
Top 10 Unreliable Narrators
Top 10 Unreliable Narrators After writing a novel with an unreliable narrator, I’m often asked to name my favorite unreliable narrators out there who inspired me, whether I realized it at the time or not. We’re all unreliable narrators of sorts in our own lives, of course. Especially with social media: we can filter […]
DVD Review– Agatha Christie’s Family Murder Party and Agatha Christie’s Criminal Games
DVD Review– Agatha Christie’s Family Murder Party and Agatha Christie’s Criminal Games The DVD releases of Agatha Christie’s Family Murder Party and Agatha Christie’s Criminal Games are French adaptations of Christie novels, originally released under the title The Little Murders of Agatha Christie (Les Petits Meurtres d’Agatha Christie). The productions are notable for taking […]
TOP 10 SPRINGSTEEN CRIME SONGS
TOP 10 SPRINGSTEEN CRIME SONGS Bruce Springsteen has mentioned in interviews his being influenced by James M. Cain, Flannery O’Connor, and Jim Thompson, the latter holding a special place in his heart for the writer’s concision, power, and purity. It’s no surprise. One need only listen to Springsteen’s album Nebraska, many of its tracks […]
The Evolution of Other Press
The Evolution of Other Press How many publishers can say they got their start by translating Lacan texts into English, and then segued that into publishing bestselling novels? Most likely the answer is “just one.” Other Press is unique in every way, and its staff members have turned their passion for the written word […]
The Five Books That Inspired J.A. Jance to Become a Writer
The Five Books That Inspired J.A. Jance to Become a Writer By far the most influential book in my life—and the one that inspired my career path for the past forty years—was L. Frank Baum’s The Wizard of Oz, which I read as a second grader in Mrs. Spangler’s classroom at Greenway School in […]
The Long Arduous Path to Becoming a Professional Author
The Long Arduous Path to Becoming a Professional Author I often wonder what brought me here. Here, being my writing desk in my office at home, sitting under my framed Wall Street Journal review and posters of the covers of my three novels. Here, being me, being a full-time writer. I know I took […]
Canadian Noir? Eh?
Canadian Noir? Eh? Much has been made recently of the quintessentially sunny Canadian personality. Our impossibly handsome prime minister loves selfies with the common folk and our favorite word is sorry, even when someone steps on our toe or slams the door in our face. Today, it seems, Canada is all things bright and beautiful, […]
Top Ten Dystopian Mysteries
Top Ten Dystopian Mysteries Dystopia is the place where science fiction goes noir. Twentieth-century crime stories and dystopian sci-fi both explore the urban shadows where our worst behaviors are most often on exhibit, trust is always betrayed, and establishment institutions are corrupt if not actively malevolent. They share a dark realism, which the hard-boiled pulps […]
10 Great Fictional Detectives who aren’t Sherlock Holmes—and aren’t Male
10 Great Fictional Detectives who aren’t Sherlock Holmes—and aren’t Male Ask the average reader to name his or her favorite female literary sleuth and you’re likely to hear Miss Marple, Jessica Fletcher, and Nancy Drew. At least, that’s what I found out in my admittedly unscientific survey recently. However, some of the best mysteries out […]
Eight Ways to Get Your Non-Food Kicks in Chinatown
From Hidden Tunnels to History…Eight Ways to Get Your Non-Food Kicks in Chinatown Chinatown, even for many Chinese-Americans, has become a bit of a necessary evil. So-and-so is in town and they want to have dim sum, have to have dim sum. It takes forever for your group of twenty to individually trickle into the […]
Using Art to Solve Crime: The Top 10 Techniques Used By Forensic Artists
Using Art to Solve Crime: The Top 10 Techniques Used By Forensic Artists Since 1981, I’ve been a forensic artist—an amazing feat since I’m only . . .um. . . well, younger than that. In those years, I’ve seen some shifts and trends, but some things have never changed. Despite the overwhelming prevalence of computers […]
