Ten Thrilling Mothers by Jenny Milchman   Some of our oldest stories have mothers behind them—think Jocasta from Oedipus Rex or even Eve, mother of two very troubled brothers. This may be attributable to the fact that as disparate as the human experience is, we all have a mother, she’s part of our origin stories, […]

“A Freudian slip is when you say one thing but mean your mother.”   As a clinical psychologist (as well as both a daughter and a mom), I appreciate a good mother joke. Fortunately, we’re (mostly) past the days when all psychological quirks and ills are blamed on the lady who birthed us. Nonetheless, from […]

  Five Debut Writers Making a Splash in the Thriller World By Amy Stuart   The past few months have been a difficult time for writers promoting books, with all in-person events cancelled in favour of Zoom readings. But many debut authors have made the best of it, finding creative and unique ways to connect […]

Eight Frothy, Female-Led Thrillers To Read If You Loved Dead To Me By Michele Campbell, author of The Wife Who Knew Too Much When I was cooped up during quarantine and in need of diversion, bingeing Dead to Me on Netflix kept me sane. It was the perfect escape.  A suspenseful thriller leavened with laughs. […]

How Soap Operas Influence My Writing   When asked about my biggest influences as a writer, I usually launch into my list of literary powerhouses: Toni Morrison, Tana French, Marisha Pessl. But there’s another influence I’ve never named until now, one that has taught me more about pacing, suspense, and storytelling than any single author: […]

  HONESTLY, WHAT IS AND IS WHAT IS NOT, QUINTESSENTIALLY BRITISH: HIGH TEA, SNOBBERY AND RESERVE My American friends (and I’m lucky enough to have many) are always a little disconcerted to discover that High Tea is not actually something we Brits do on a regular basis, nor is Afternoon Tea, really. And even if […]

Who doesn’t love a good mystery? The thrill of catching the culprit or finding the treasure—whatever the adventure involves, fascinates book lovers of all ages. And yes, I put treasure hunting in with mysteries because there’s almost always puzzles and riddles to solve. Plus, not everyone’s idea of an exciting read involves coming across a […]

Is it Ever OK to Tell a Lie?   We humans have one particular gift that no other creature on this planet has, the ability to communicate verbally. A gift that has built communities, knowledge and trust – ultimately civilizations and history. Maybe that is why most of us find lying so wrong, it’s squandering […]

Cozy Mysteries are a Perfect Escape in Stressful Times   When times are stressful, there are many methods one can use to alleviate that stress, but perhaps the most delightful is reading. Yes, it’s true, simply reading a book can lower heart rate and soothe tension according to a University of Sussex study.  I think […]