Older Features
An archive of past features in mystery, thriller, crime, horror, and other suspense-related genres.
Settings as Character
Five Settings with the Energy of a Main Character
Unlikely Villains
The most dangerous foes might be hiding in plain sight
Culinary Cozy Mysteries
This subgenre reaffirms its place in the hearts of mystery and food lovers alike
Sleuth Detectives
Sleuth detectives hold a special place in literature and screen adaptations
Real-Life Mysteries
Real-Life Mysteries That Inspire Fiction
Weather in Thrillers
Storms, Heatwaves, and Natural Disasters
Vehicles of Suspense
High-Speed Chases and Narrow Escapes
Female Characters in Horror
From Victims to Heroes
Thanksgiving Mysteries
Gobble, gobble, mystery buffs
Whodunnit Mysteries
The spine-tingling genre that keeps readers on the edge of their seats
Mystery Websites
Eight websites to find your next mystery
Crime Stories
Why are crime stories so popular?
Detectives, PIs and Sleuths
The difference between private eyes, detectives, and sleuths
Cold Cases
Why are cold cases so hard to solve?
The Global Appeal of Noir
Nordic Noir, Southern Noir, and other Noir
Planting Clues
How to Plant Clues Without Giving Away the Ending
Horror Movie Popularity
The popularity of horror movies
Hostage Situations
Memorable Hostage Situations in Suspense Fiction
Criminal Professions
Bizarre Criminal Professions in Crime Fiction
Crime-Solving Animals
The Furry and Feathered Detectives of Mystery Fiction
Priest Detectives
These holy detectives are not content with the mysteries of faith
The Morality of Shapeshifters
Are Shapeshifters Evil?
Suspense and Pacing
How to Balance Suspense and Pacing in Mystery Writing
Getaway Drivers
The greatest heist drivers
Archetypes
Turning archetypes on their head
Underrated Horror
The Underrated Horrors Lurking in Cinema’s Shadows
Tropes of Psychological Horror
When Your Mind Plays Tricks on You
Occult Horror
The Unseen Shadows of Fiction
Nordic Film Noir
The boundless allure of Nordic Film Noir
Time-Traveling Detectives
Sci-fi mystery sleuths in action
YA Horror Movies
A reflection, a journey, a confrontation, and a celebration of the human spirit
Crime Scenes
How to Create a Chilling Crime Scene in Your Mystery Novel
Mysteries Set in the 1940s
This tumultuous decade served as a fertile ground for mysteries
MacGuffin Examples
The Heartbeat of Narrative Intrigue
Crime and the Domestic Thriller
The melding of crime with domestic narratives
Monster Horror Adaptations
The best monster horror film and television adaptations
Halloween Horror
A Dance with Halloween Horrors
Mysteries of the 1970s
A Golden Era for Mysteries
California Crime
From Bosch to Mulholland Drive
Suspense Weapons
Unconventional Weapons in Suspense Fiction
Unnerving Psychological Horror
A Journey into the Dark Corners of the Mind
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