Older Features
An archive of past features in mystery, thriller, crime, horror, and other suspense-related genres.
Kidnappings in Thrillers
Abductions, Ransoms, and Desperate Rescues
Crime and Board Games
The Connection Between Crime Fiction and Board Games
Mystery Mythology
When Gods and Monsters Turn Detective
What is Psychological Suspense?
The Intricate Weave of Psychological Suspense
Shapeshifting Creatures
Monsters of Horror from Page to Screen
The Characteristics of Hercule Poirot
Peculiar habits and unmatched deductive abilities
Terrorism Thrillers
Nail-biting novels and heart-racing film adaptations
Social Commentary in Horror
When Scary Stories Get Political
Getaway Cars
The Most Memorable Getaway Cars in Crime Fiction
Killers for Hire
The best killers for hire in fiction
Urban Legends of Suspense
The Curious Connection Between Suspense Fiction and Urban Legends
What is the Suspense Genre?
The unique qualities of the suspense genre
Detective Novels
The pinnacle of sleuthing
Survival Thrillers
The Eternal Dance with Death
Florida Crime Thrillers
Crime thrillers find an exotic yet seemingly incongruous home
Sci-Fi Movie Mysteries
From Blade Runner to 2001: A Space Odyssey
Magical Thrillers
Where thriller and magic collide
Splatterpunk Horror
What is Splatterpunk Horror? And why do you need to know about it?
From Faulkner to Flynn
Tracing the Evolution of Southern Noir
Amateur Sleuth Short Stories
The mysterious world of amateur sleuth short stories
Iconic Characters of True Crime
True crime characters that stand out more starkly than the rest
Gothic Mystery Settings
The power of place in gothic mysteries
Underrated Thrillers
The most underrated thriller movies of all time
Historical Legal Thrillers
A testament to history and the relentless pursuit of justice
Psychological Suspense
Stories we tell ourselves, about ourselves
Lore in Mysteries
Mystery stories and the lore we love
Villains and Setting
The importance of setting on crafting a villain
Hiding Bodies
The sinister act of hiding bodies in thrillers
Baldacci at Bouchercon
Conversations with David Baldacci at Bouchercon 2023
LA Crime
Los Angeles Unveiled Through Iconic Crime Novels
Twists, Hooks, and Reveals
The difference between a twist, a hook, and a reveal.
Mind Games
Mind Games in Psychological Thrillers
High Concept Fiction
What does “High Concept” mean in fiction?
Poison in Murder Mysteries
Poison as a tool of murder in beloved fiction
The Psychology of Fear
Why We Love Horror Fiction
Twisted Enchantments
The Macabre Marriage of Fairy Tales and Horror
Campus Crime Thrillers
The Secret History, Brick, and Other Campus Crime Thrillers
Victorian Gothic
Victorian gothic in suspense and horror
Deadly Heroic Acts
The Thrill of Sacrifice in Mystery's Mightiest Moments
Wilderness Survival Thrillers
A Walk on the Wild Side
Criminology
The Appeal of Criminology in Crime Thrillers
Morally Compromised Thrillers
Right, Wrong, and Everything in Between
On The Run Thrillers
A Sprint Through Mystery’s Finest
International Mysteries
A Globe-trotting Adventure in Crime
The Mob in Mystery
The Charm of Gangsters in the Mystery Genre
Horror Short Stories
FeatureIn a dim, flickering room, with a storm brewing outside and shadows dancing on the walls, the allure of a horror short story is undeniable. It’s a tantalizing venture into a world of spookiness, where within the span of a few pages, the ordinary turns eerie and...
Revenge and Redemption
A Twisted Tango of Tension and Triumph
Veterans in Mysteries
Soldiers of Suspense, From Battlefields to Whodunnits
Con Artists in Fiction
The Allure of Con Artists in Crime Stories
Edgy Cozy Mysteries
Where Shadows Meet Sunshine
Women in Spy Novels
The golden era of female protagonists in espionage fiction
Darkness in Horror
How Dark is Too Dark in Horror?
Feminist Horror
The High Priestesses of Feminist Horror
The Gavel and the Thriller
The Inescapable Judges of Legal Thrillers
The Femme Fatale
The Enigmatic Allure of the Femme Fatale
What is a Cozy?
A Comfy Dive into Whodunits
The Characters of Stephen King
Stephen King's Enigmatic Ensemble
Common Horror Themes
What are some of the most common horror themes?
Family Dynamics in Thrillers
The Most Unusual Family Dynamics in Thriller Fiction
Unlikely Amateur Sleuths
The Most Unlikely Amateur Sleuths in Mystery Fiction
Diabolical Plots
The Most Ingenious Criminal Schemes in Crime Fiction
Supernatural Chills
The Most Haunting Ghost Stories in Suspense Fiction
Horror Mythology
Frightening Legends and Creatures from Around the World
Mystery Screenwriters
M. Night Shyamalan, Anthony Horowitz, and Gillian Flynn
Monsters of Slasher Horror
Five of the most frightening characters of the slasher horror genre
Villains of Psychological Horror
Four villains of psychological horror
Marvel Mysteries
Three Marvel Movies That Are Actually Mysteries
Underrated Suspense
The most underrated suspense movies of all time
Amateur Sleuth Villains
The Enigmatic Allure of Amateur Sleuth Villains
Noir Versus Hard-Boiled
A Look into Noir and Hard-Boiled Mysteries
Ruth Rendell
Messages Wrapped in Mysteries
The Best of Sherlock Holmes
Four Sherlock Holmes Mysteries You Need to Read
Horror and Mystery
A Marvelous Matrimony of Fear and Intrigue
The Art of Crime
The Intricate Role of Art and Antiques in Crime Narratives
Crafting Unseen Locales
How to write about a place you’ve never been
Underdogs of Suspense
Unanticipated Saviors in Mystery and Thriller Narratives
RoboCop as a Horror Thriller
Seven reasons RoboCop is a horror thriller
Top Survival Thrillers
A Tribute to Five Elite Survival Thrillers
Crowning the King
How Stephen King Revamped a Genre
Unsolved Mysteries
Five books on spine-tingling unsolved mysteries
Courtesans & Conspiracies
The Enthralling Dance of Danger in Thrillers
Our Infatuation with Mysteries
The Psychology Behind Our Fascination with Mystery Fiction
Unlikely Heroes in Thrillers
Ordinary People Facing Extraordinary Dangers
Twists in Suspense Fiction
Five Suspenseful Twist Endings
Psychological Crime Thrillers
The Twisted Trails of Psychological Crime Thrillers
The Best of Dean Koontz
A top 5 list of must-read novels by master of suspense, Dean Koontz
New York City Crime
Why do we love crime novels set in New York City?
Small Town Crime
From Picket Fences to Police Lines
Political Thriller Protagonists
What are the qualities of a good protagonist in a political thriller?
Spy Thriller Villains
Unraveling the Bad Guys of Espionage Fiction
LGBTQ Thrillers
What is an LGBTQ Thriller? The Novelty and Nuance of the Genre.
Decoding Military Thrillers
An Uncharted Expedition into the Landscape of High Stakes
Best of Agatha Christie
The 5 best mysteries by Agatha Christie
The Allure of the Locked Door
The Crucial Role of Settings in Locked Room Mysteries
Suspense Adaptations
The Art of Bated Breath: Riveting Suspense Adaptations On Screen
The Gangsters of Crime Fiction
A Journey into Gangster Crime Fiction
The Characters of Cozy Mystery
A Cozy Encounter with the Most Relatable Stars of Whodunit Lore
California Mysteries
What makes mysteries from The Golden State so special?
Political Thrillers for Independence Day
4th of July Political Thrillers
Spy Thriller Adaptations
The Covert Journey from Codewords to Camera Reels
Female Spies
Female Operatives in Spy Fiction: Breaking Barriers and Redefining the Genre
Best Fiction Podcasts 2023
The most popular and highest-rated fiction podcasts of the year
Mystery Anthologies
The depth and beauty of mystery anthologies
The Mystery-Thriller Crossover
The Essential Elements of a Mystery / Thriller Crossover
The Thriller Formula
One writer’s formula for crafting a thriller
Romancing the Macabre
Decoding the Enigmatic Settings of Romantic Horror
Apocalypse Now, Please
The Unstoppable Allure of Apocalyptic Thrillers
Real Life Monsters
The Appeal of True Crime: When Real Life Becomes a Monster Story
A Dance with Shadows
The Timeless Allure of Literary Horror
The Best Sports Thrillers
Charting the Twists and Turns in Sports Thrillers
Tropes of Survival Thrillers
Unraveling the Hidden Stitchings of Survival Thrillers
1930s Detectives
The Detectives Who Shaped Popular Culture
Folk Horror
Unraveling the Threads of Folk Horror
The Best British Crime Novels
From Agatha Christie to Robert Galbraith
What is an Amateur Sleuth?
Exploring the World of the Unassuming Amateur Detective
The Writers of Horror Movies
The Masterminds Behind Your Favorite Horror Movies
Your Next Page-Turner
10 Tips for Unearthing the Ideal Suspense Novel
The Witcher's Web
A Whirlwind of Wicked Wiles and Witchcraft
Speculative Thriller Novels
The Intricate Tapestry of Speculative Thrillers
Catholic Mystery Novels
Three thrilling novels in the Catholic murder mystery genre
Characters of Southern Noir
The iconic Characters and World of Southern Noir
The Allure of Sci-Fi Mysteries
Why Readers Love Sci-Fi Mysteries
Forensics in Mysteries
The Breathtaking Evolution of Forensics in Murder Mysteries
Death for Hire
The Drama and Intrigue of Hitmen in Thrillers
Clairvoyants in Fiction
Clairvoyance in the Whodunit and the Thrill-a-Minute
The Evolution of Crime Fiction
From Sherlock Holmes to Jack Reacher
When a Place Becomes a Character
How Mystery Settings Can Drive the Plot and Shape the Story
Fear in Suspense
The psychology of fear in suspense fiction
Father's Day Action Thrillers
Dads, Dangers, and Decoding: A Father’s Day Dive into Action Thrillers
Unusual Settings in Crime Fiction
Crime Settings, From Space Stations to Remote Islands
For the Love of Serial Killers
Where does our obsession with serial killers come from?
Prison Escapes in Thrillers
he Most Memorable Prison Escapes in Thriller Fiction
Twists in Horror
Charting Unforgettable Twists in the Labyrinth of Horror Fiction
Unmasking the Underrated
Mystery Movies That Deserve a Second Glance
Red Herrings in Mystery Writing
The Art of Misdirection: Mastering Red Herrings in Mystery Writing
The Best Fictional Detectives
The top ten fictional detectives of all time
What Makes Fiction Gothic?
A Wisp of the Macabre: Unmasking Gothic Fiction
False Identity in Suspense Fiction
The Art of Crafting the Perfect False Identity in Suspense Fiction
Crime-Solving Duos
The Most Unexpected Crime-Solving Duos in Fiction
MacGuffins in Thrillers
The Enigma of Mysterious Objects and Elusive Goals
The Science of Horror
Exploring Real-Life Phenomena Behind Fictional Fears
Mysteries of the 1920s
The best mysteries set in the 1920s and why it was a great decade for detectives
Shadow Sleuths and Phantom Files
The Supernatural Sleight in Mystery Fiction
The Horror of Sweet Tooth
The Unraveling Horror Beneath the Sweet Exterior of Sweet Tooth
What is a Hard-Boiled Mystery?
The origins, characteristics, and appeal of the hard-boiled mystery
Hercule Poirot
The brilliance of Hercule Poirot, the detective created by Agatha Christie
Why Murder Mysteries Intrigue
Why do we love the murder mystery genre?
Character Creation
A Shared Strategy for Mystery Writers and Trial Lawyers
Horror for Teens
The best horror novels for teenage readers
Best of Lee Child
The five best books by The Jack Reacher author