Sherlock Holmes and The Closed Room Murder Mystery: The Vicar’s Last Homily Rev. Alfred E. Critchley, Vicar, St. Swithins BA, MA, Ed.D, DD, D.Min, J.C.D. 1824-1895 Preamble “Somewhere in the vaults of the bank of Cox and Co., at Charing Cross, there is a travel-worn and battered tin dispatchbox with my name, […]
Category Archives: Fiction
DVD Review: Manhunt: Series 1, Blood, and London Kills, Series 1
DVD Review: Manhunt: Series 1, Blood, and London Kills, Series 1 This review will cover three newly released Acorn Media UK crime series, two British police procedurals and a Irish family tragedy. Manhunt: Series 1 Based on the memoirs of the police officer at the center of this drama, Manhunt is a three-part […]
Timeless Stories: 9 Favorite Books Inspired by Mythology
Celebrate the release of The Lost History of Dreams by Kris Waldherr by (re)discovering some of these timeless stories in Waldherr’s collection of her 9 Favorite Books Inspired by Mythology. Summon your inner god or goddess, and don’t forget to pick up your copy of Kris Waldherr’s debut novel, The Lost History of Dreams. […]
10 Frightening Fictional Homes: Spine-Chilling Thrillers at Their Best
As Vanessa Savage celebrates the release of her debut psychological thriller, The Woman in the Dark, she narrows down her list of spine-chilling homes in some of her favorite novels in this collection of 10 frightening fictional homes. Home. The word conjures up a place of love and security, relaxing in front of the […]
Joseph Finder on the Element of Surprise
Joseph Finder on the Element of Surprise Suspense writer Joseph Finder examines the art of twists and shocking endings as he discusses the element of surprise in five novels with endings he never saw coming. There’s a paradox to being a suspense writer. We writers get into this business because we love reading—but the […]
Read an Excerpt from What Doesn’t Kill Her by Christina Dodd
“What’s your new book about?” An author can write 100,000 words, create an insightful tale of terror, humor, adventure, romance, and mystery, yet when someone—in this case, a writer-friend—asks, “What’s your new book about?” all the insightful words dry up. All that’s left is babble. I told my friend What Doesn’t Kill Her is a thriller. […]
HAVE YOU EATEN?
HAVE YOU EATEN? Frederick placed the three plastic trays balanced on his arms atop the green cafeteria-style table. He sat, and after three hours of wandering through Chinatown, and another half hour queuing up at three different food stalls, it felt good to sit. It was just after the dinner rush and most of […]
Crossroad: A Short Story
Crossroad: A Short Story Even the windows shook when the lightning burst overhead. Our front room lit like a Polaroid time and again as light flashed through blinds I hadn’t closed. Rain, endless, came in a deluge. I looked up from the armchair again. My worrying at the clock wouldn’t get Dad home any sooner, […]
The Heist by Richard Brewer and Gary Phillips (Part 4)
The Heist by Richard Brewer and Gary Phillips (Part 4) Gonzales studied the screen of his homemade electronic device. The safe’s lock required a combination punched in cor- rectly on its keypad. But he wasn’t trying to hack the sequence. What he wanted was to short-circuit the alarm feature. He knew these modern safes were […]
The Heist by Richard Brewer and Gary Phillips (Part 3)
The Heist by Richard Brewer and Gary Phillips (Part 3) The three in the plane were dressed in casual but stylish attire, a trio out looking at Texas real estate their clothes said. O’Conner even wore loafers. Once on the ground, after the plane was checked in, they walked to the two vehicles they’d driven. […]
The Heist by Richard Brewer and Gary Phillips (Part 1)
The Heist by Gary Phillips and Richard Brewer O’Conner crossed his arms before his face as the blast from the shotgun knocked him down. *** Less than two weeks before, he’d gotten a cup of coffee from the ink-laden barista with the pierced lip and boxer’s biceps. At the setup on the side […]
Sentences: A Love Story
Sentences: A Love Story My Love for the Sentence I am in love with sentences. I am a philanderer of sentences, a polyamorous glutton, a syntax satyr, a serial sentencer. And I have no intention of ever changing my ways, no 12-step program for me, even though, with each passing year, I become more of […]