Favorite Authors

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

Your 2015 Summer Reading List

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Summer Reading List

Hi, all. It’s summer, when millions of us look forward to spending time reading in the sun or shade. Here are six books I’m excited about this summer: some are thrillers and crime fiction; others aren’t. But they’re all going to be great reads. Promise. The Swimmer by Joakim Zander I read The Swimmer, an espionage … Read more

News: Second Sunday Crime and PW

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    Hi, all. As some of you know, since January I have hosting an Authors on the Air radio show which I call “Second Sunday Crime.” It’s going  well, and I’m having fun doing it. So I wanted to bring you up to speed on a couple of interviews I just recorded.   The … Read more

Second Sunday Crime Starts This Sunday!

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As I mentioned a couple of weeks ago, one of my long-time dreams is coming true. Ever since I was in high school, listening to Motown and then the Beatles, I’ve had a hankering to be a radio DJ. I worked at the college radio station at the University of Pennsylvania, and my first paid … Read more

Where In The World Was Agatha?

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Those of you who are students of Agatha Christie and her work probably know this story, but I didn’t until recently, and I think it’s a pretty interesting tale about one of our most popular mystery authors. You could even call it a “mystery within a mystery.” In 1926, shortly after the publication of her … Read more

Espionage Movie Classics (IMHO)

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Since the cold weather will be with us for a while longer, I’m planning to re-watch some of my favorite spy thriller films. I’d even call them “classics.” But which ones? Excluding James Bond films, here are a few of my all-time favorites, mostly because of their excellent use of suspense techniques. In fact, if … Read more

Twisted Love (and Crime) – Valentine Reading for Cynics

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Confession: I am a Valentines Day cynic. Not for me the cards, roses, candy, and romantic dinners. In fact, for me Valentine’s Day is a Hallmark holiday that breaks up winter. It’s also a merchandising opportunity for florists, candy stores, restaurants, and jewelers. I mean, really, why do we only express our love on February … Read more

Espionage Thrillers and Women

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I started reading spy thrillers around the time of Watergate (Hmm… think there’s a connection?). The first two I read were The Wind Chill Factor by Thomas Gifford and The Eye of the Needle by Ken Follett, and I was blown away by them both. The Wind Chill Factor – Thomas Gifford I love this … Read more

Reviewing From The Other Side

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This is a reprint from CrimeSpree magazine but it appeared back in 2007. So I think it’s safe to say  most of  you never read it. I’ve updated it. As I wait for the reviews of Havana Lost to come in, I can’t help but remember the first (and only) first professional review I wrote. It was … Read more

My Favorite Non US Crime Authors

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I started out thinking I’d write about my favorite Nordic crime authors, but as prolific as they are, I’m afraid my Nordic love affair is dimming. In fact, I’m loath to say it, since I am someone who loves the darkest shades of noir, but reading them has not been as satisfying as it once was. They’ve started to feel far too dreary, dark and cold. Even for me.

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