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Is Suspense the Enemy of Realism?
In the inevitable wrestling match each writer has with plot, some enter the ring swaggering, to the matter born, and some, like me, skulk in with a reluctant side-shuffle. One of the aspects of plot...
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Martin Edwards Revisits E.C.R. Lorac’s 1946 Opus, The Theft of the Iron Dogs
The Theft of the Iron Dogs strikes me as a pleasing and intriguing title for a crime novel. The author, E. C. R. Lorac, published more than seventy books, but this has long been one of the most highly...
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Why Are There So Many Characters Named Hannah in Mystery Novels?
What’s in a name—particularly, the name Hannah being a prominent one in mystery novels? A character named Hannah plays an important role in my ninth Deputy Donut Mystery, Blame the Beignets. I...
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Christmas Capers and Hanukkah Hijinks: A Holiday Mystery Round-Up
Season’s readings! If you’ve happened upon this list (and obviously you have), then you probably agree that books make the perfect gift—both to give and receive. Alas, so many of them and such little...
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The Best Crime Novels of 2024
Another terrible year for the world and another great year for books! While we have plenty of spinoff lists to come before the end of the year, it’s time to share the CrimeReads editors’ picks for the...
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Beloved Mystery Series, and Why They Are Successful
What makes an outstanding mystery series? At a minimum, each book in the series must meet professional standards with respect to plot (especially important for mysteries), characters, setting and so...
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Crime Fiction from the Real Hawaiʻi
I did the thing they say you’re never supposed to do. I wrote the book I wanted to read — a mystery set in Hawaiʻi. Not the kind with a cookie-cutter, tropical setting at a glamorous resort full of...
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The Best Traditional Mysteries of 2024
If you know anything about me, you know that there are few things I like more than a whodunnit, a nice, “someone in this room is a murderer” or “I suppose you’re all wondering why I called you all here...
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Rhythm in Storytelling
I came to writing novels late in life but I was born to be a storyteller. It came naturally. I’m an enrolled member of the Kiowa Tribe, known as the Orators of the Plains. Like most Plains Indian...
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How Misunderstanding Can Drive a Plot in Crime Fiction
Like all writers, I’m great at procrastinating. One of my favorite guilty pleasures is Reddit’s AmItheA**hole thread. If you haven’t yet succumbed to this black hole, random people submit real life...
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