Articles

Author Tracy Clark is testament not only to great writing but also the power of determination and persistence. After years of fits and starts, her novel "Broken Places" - the first in the new Chicago Mystery series - debuted this year to rave reviews. I sat down with her recently to talk about the series, the success of the new book and the challenges and opportunities for writers of color in today's publishing world.

Horror and thriller writers know a million ways to scare their readers. But rarely is something as frightening as a story based mostly in fact. Such is the case with "Fear the Reaper," a fabulous new historical thriller from author David Simms. A fictionalized story based in the very real practice of eugenics, a social programming policy that sought to rid society of people some deemed undesirable, such as the physically or mentally disabled. Although now most often now associated with the atrocities of Nazi Germany, eugenics was practiced in a number of countries, including the United States. We sat down recently with Simms to talk about his work, the horrors of eugenics and the joys of having the likes of David Morrell and Heather Graham as friends and bandmates.

Newcomer Kellye Garrett had the kind of debut most authors can only dream of. Her first novel in the Detective by Day series, "Hollywood Homicide," not only garnered  gobs of great reviews but also won a handful of prestigious awards and earned nominations for several more. We sat down with her recently to talk about the series, the landscape for women of color who write in the mystery genre and her views on chasing literary trends.

For award-winning author Terrence McCauley,  noir's the thing. From his fast-paced University series of techno-thrillers to the prohibition gangster tales of books like "Prohibition" and "Slow Burn" - all via some of the best short crime fiction you will ever read - noir is the backbone of everything McCauley writes. I sat down with him recently to talk about this new book, "The Fairfax Incident," the fine art of the noir novel and the power of binge reading.

Every mystery and suspense writer dreams of creating characters so compelling they form the backbone of a series of stories their fans devour as soon as they are released. Paul Levine is just such an author, the man behind the fantastic - and bestselling - Jake Lassiter legal thriller series. With the newest Lassiter book, Bum Deal, hitting bookstores today, Levine was kind enough to take some time out of his busy schedule to share some insights into the publishing industry, the fine art of crafting award winning mysteries and the joy and pain of bringing an iconic series to a close.