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Perspectives, book reviews, and guidance from our editors to help authors craft riveting mysteries, suspense novels, and thrillers.

EDITOR’S EAVESDROP: Award-Winning Bestselling Author Joe Ide Dishes Truth on Getting Traditionally Published (And making a living as a novelist!)

[by Ross Browne]

Joe Ide is a brilliant, critically acclaimed author. He also turns out to be a refreshingly straight shooter on what aspiring writers need to know about the business of publishing and how to maximize their chances of making a successful career out […]

By |2025-02-12T22:36:32+00:00|Getting Published|Comments Off on EDITOR’S EAVESDROP: Award-Winning Bestselling Author Joe Ide Dishes Truth on Getting Traditionally Published (And making a living as a novelist!)
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How P.J. Vernon Delivers Fresh, Distinctive Characterization in Mystery Fiction

[by Ross Browne]

When You Find Me was, without a doubt, one of the most pleasant literary surprises I’ve had in a long time. It’s a debut novel that got a warm reception from readers and critics alike, and with good reason. It’s a Southern gothic-style thriller with an inventive […]

By |2025-02-12T22:14:58+00:00December 14th, 2023|Behind The Bestsellers|Comments Off on How P.J. Vernon Delivers Fresh, Distinctive Characterization in Mystery Fiction
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Considering The Lessons of Eight Bestselling Series in Crime Fiction What authors can learn from John Sandford, Lee Child, CJ Box, and others about how to cultivate a loyal readership

[by Ross Browne]

One piece of advice authors who write popular fiction often hear is that your odds of landing an agent and a traditional publishing deal can improve considerably when your novel is conceived as (or has the potential to work as) a series. This should come as no surprise to anyone who enjoys settling down […]

By |2024-01-20T17:37:19+00:00|Getting Published|Comments Off on Considering The Lessons of Eight Bestselling Series in Crime Fiction What authors can learn from John Sandford, Lee Child, CJ Box, and others about how to cultivate a loyal readership
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How JK Rowling (Writing As Robert Galbraith) Sustains Reader Engagement in a Very Long Mystery

[by Ross Browne]

If you’re a fan of JK Rowling writing as Robert Galbraith, you’re probably well aware how much longer her latest release is than the other four books in the series. (About 150,000 words, I’m told.)

My own first reaction to the size of the hefty tome—darn near 1,000 pages […]

By |2025-04-10T23:04:27+00:00May 11th, 2021|Behind The Bestsellers|Comments Off on How JK Rowling (Writing As Robert Galbraith) Sustains Reader Engagement in a Very Long Mystery
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Considering the Pros and Cons of Irredeemable Antagonists in Crime Fiction in WRECKED by Joe Ide

[by Ross Browne]

I’m not exaggerating when I say the discovery of Joe Ide’s IQ series made an often-awful 2020 more bearable. Wrecked is the third book in this series starring the fiercely intelligent but lonely and isolated Isaiah Quintabe (“IQ”), who on first glance might resemble a modern-day Sherlock Holmes of Long Beach. […]

By |2025-01-22T22:01:04+00:00February 24th, 2021|Behind The Bestsellers|Comments Off on Considering the Pros and Cons of Irredeemable Antagonists in Crime Fiction in WRECKED by Joe Ide
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Considering The Sad, Honorable Life of Jack Reacher Contemplating Reacher's future in the hands of Andrew Child

[by Ross Browne]

October 27, 2020 brought two notes of bittersweet dichotomy for fans of the Jack Reacher series. On one hand, we had a new release to dig into, always a good thing in the eyes of “Reacher Creatures.” On the other, The Sentinel is the first book in the series whose byline Lee shares with […]

By |2025-02-04T23:22:15+00:00February 2nd, 2021|Behind The Bestsellers|Comments Off on Considering The Sad, Honorable Life of Jack Reacher Contemplating Reacher's future in the hands of Andrew Child
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