A PRACTICAL GUIDE TO POISONING Growing up, I always knew that one day I’d kill someone with poison. That was partly because I was fascinated by Agatha Christie novels, in which poison often plays a prominent role. Alfred Hitchcock used it to wonderful effect in his films — think of how Ingrid Bergman […]
Category Archives: Blog Article
The Top Twelve Mystery Novels of 2019
The Top Twelve Mystery Novels of 2019 The Whisper Man by Alex North (Celadon Books) We seem to be inundated with domestic suspense novels these days—I guess we have to blame Gone Girl for that (depending on your tastes). In this imaginative departure a crucial question is asked. Have you ever been away from home […]
Top Ten New England Suspense Novels
Top Ten New England Suspense Novels I’m from New England, and something about the combination of landscape—craggy coastlines, blue-blood cities, university towns, and country roads winding into dark forests, and history—witch trials, whaling ships, the first constitution of the United States hidden in the hollow of an oak tree—has always made me wonder (and want […]
Research Fun!
Research Fun! (Are crime writers armchair adventurers or do they take their research so seriously to the point of getting hurt? Bestselling author Allison Brennan shows us that research is not all cocoa and cozy fireplace.) Most authors—especially mystery writers—do a lot of research to make sure they make their stories believable. But no one […]
Ten of the World’s Most Enticing Borders
Ten of the World’s Most Enticing Borders Borders have always fascinated me. With just one step, you can cross culture, language, food, politics and much more. Some are tense. Some are awash with welcome. Sometimes, there’s the swipe of a biometric code. Sometimes, a creaking pole across a dusty road, miles from anywhere. […]
The Mathematics of Mystery
The Mathematics of Mystery Some novelists are all but born knowing they should write. Some study literature, or creative writing, become experts is the academic form of the art. Some belong to families of writers and words are their legacy. But not me. I came to writing via the scenic route, completely oblivious to the […]
Is True Crime Good for You?
Is True Crime Good for You? I never gave much thought to true crime until I began working on my new true crime anthology series. Suddenly it occurred to me that I’d been a consumer of true crime since my teens, though at the time I wasn’t conscious of the fact that all those […]
Search of “Dunits”
Search of “Dunits” We’re all familiar with the term “Whodunit.” Classic mysteries by authors like Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, Agatha Christie, and Dorothy L. Sayers set the standard that has endeared the genre to millions of readers throughout the years. The challenge? Can the reader match wits with the detective and unmask the killer first. […]
Who The Spies Really Were
Who The Spies Really Were Most of us hold a certain image in our minds of who a spy is: Ian Fleming’s James Bond— particularly as interpreted by the movies, John le Carré’s George Smiley, or Alan Furst’s Jean Casson. By turns they are sexy and athletic, quiet and self-effacing, or glamorous and artistic, […]
Ten Great Crime Stories Set During the Holidays
Ten Great Crime Stories Set During the Holidays As we head toward the cold, night-wrapped end of the year, let us reflect on crime classics that take place in December. The holidays have it all: thrillers, heists, espionage, true crime, and noir. As winter descends and Christmas carols slide into a minor key, toss […]
A CRIME WRITER IS BORN
A CRIME WRITER IS BORN In 1981 my parents purchased a JVC HR-3660, one of the first VHS-based VCRs commercially available in Ireland. It was top-loading, weighed more than thirty pounds and had a row of gleaming silver levers that reminded my mother of piano keys. The VCR cost 795 Irish pounds or almost […]
MY TOP TEN AUSTRALIAN MYSTERIES WITH A UNIQUE SENSE OF PLACE
MY TOP TEN AUSTRALIAN MYSTERIES WITH A UNIQUE SENSE OF PLACE The diverse Australian landscape offers a wealth of opportunities for the mystery and thriller writer. Beyond the cosmopolitan cities it’s a harsh, unforgiving country, and there’s peril at every turn for those who are unprepared, desperate or unaware. There’s a vast maze of tinder-dry […]