Print Books: Paying It Forward

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Print books are enjoying a revival, some say. So what’s up with that? Print has been the poor cousin as the digital revolution looked set to change the way we consume literature. But ebooks didn’t kill print after all, just as video didn’t kill the movies, and TV didn’t kill radio. Some people have always valued the … Read more

A Fabulous Story Bundle Is Here!

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I am thrilled and honored to be a part of a brand new, just-launched crime fiction Box Set… Story Bundle.. or whatever you like to call it. Take a look at some of the authors in this bundle (like Lawrence Block, Kris Nelscott, Rebecca Cantrell, Julie Hyzy, and Dean Wesley Smith) and tell me you don’t … Read more

2015’s Top 7 Thriller Movies (according to IMDb)

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Thriller films are incredibly popular right now. In fact for every thriller that is released, there are probably ten more in development or, at least, requested by Hollywood. (I’ve been offering mine to the film-making universe as we speak). It’s a genre that fascinates, keeps us riveted, and then makes us come back for more. … Read more

It’s the Neighborhoods, Stupid…

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There’s something about Chicago-based authors. Darkness is part of the scenery. Take the brilliant Chicago resident Gillian Flynn, whose super-dark thrillers have spooked millions of readers all over the world. Or the legendary Silver Dagger award winner Scott Turow. Goodreads reports an impressive 136 thrillers set in Chicago with works by myself, Hugh Holton, Andrew M. … Read more

Spy Tradecraft: A Baker’s Dozen

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As some of you know, World War Two has always called to me, and the research I did for An Incidental Spy was a journey of discovery into the creative ways spies communicated with each other and their spymasters. Here in the US, well before we joined the war, Nazi spies were active on our … Read more

The Incidental Spy — Where It Came From

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Hi, all. Now that the The Incidental Spy is out in print and ebook, I thought I’d tell you where I got the idea. This segment is part of an interview that I will excerpt all week on the blog. In addition, there’s a summary of wartime spies in the US that you might not know about … Read more

A Discussion About Great Writing in the Mystery Genre

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57th Street Books 10-4-15

57th Street Books 10-4-15

I hope you’ll join me along with Michael Harvey and Lori Rader-Day for a discussion about Great Writing in the Mystery Genre.

Here’s the info:

Genre fiction is widely read, even admired, but seldom considered the equal of its literary counterparts. The mere label “mystery” acts as a sort of downgrade.

Panelists Michael Harvey, Lori Rader-Day and Libby Fischer Hellmann will explore the whos, whats, whys and hows of great mystery fiction. Don Evans will moderate.

Join us Sunday, October 4, 5 pm at 57th Street Books. 1301 E. 57th Street, Chicago. Hope to see you there!

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Is It OK To Mix Fictional And Non-fictional Characters?

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Purists probably disagree. But I think it’s OK to bring a mix of fictional and ‘real’ characters into a story. TV has been doing it for a while with docu-dramas that blend real footage and eyewitness accounts with dramatized content played by actors. It has proven to be a popular format, and it works equally well for … Read more

The Manhattan Project — Chicago Style

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Everyone’s heard about Los Alamos, where they built and tested the first nuclear weapon. But few people seem to know about the role that Chicago played in the development of nuclear fission and its ultimate military application. That fascinated me when I set off on a voyage of discovery into the dark days before the bomb. … Read more