Review by Lily Gardner (March 2013) I'M GOING to say it right off: Right as Rain is a kick-ass book. If you haven't read it, you should kick yourself. First off, it's vivid writing. Consider the first sentence: "What Derek Strange was worried about, looking at Jimmy Simmons sitting there, spilling over a chair on … Continue reading Right As Rain by George Pelecanos
Tag: Non-Fiction
Protected: The Suicide Murders by Howard Engel
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Crime Scenes by Joseph S. Walker
A Review by John Larsen (June 2026) FOR THOSE who have not fallen down the rabbit hole of biographies, histories, and books on authoritarianism as I have, every once in awhile I happen across a work of fiction which just grabs me by the lapels in terms of quality. This book is CRIME SCENES by … Continue reading Crime Scenes by Joseph S. Walker
Protected: The Godwulf Manuscript by Robert B. Parker
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Protected: Shackled by Bill Pronzini
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“A Penny a Word”
By Anonymous From The American Mercury March 1936 The following rant, by a presumably disgruntled and disillusioned writer, seems somehow still remarkably relevant, almost a century after it was written. Sure, writers — particularly those who never quite reach the heights of literary and popular acclaim to which they believe they are entitled — love … Continue reading “A Penny a Word”
A Matter of Point of View
By M.E. Proctor Pseudonym of Martine Proctor Classic detectives are outsiders, if not necessarily in the geographic sense. They see the world and people through a different lens; they’re wired to be observers. Which doesn’t mean they’re always neutral and when they’re sucked into a case, the consequences can be dire. That detective stories are … Continue reading A Matter of Point of View
The New Black Mask
A Review and Tribute by Mark Coggins Edited by J. Kingston Pierce  Many fans of hard-boiled fiction are aware of the importance of Black Mask, the pulp magazine that flourished in the 1920s and 30s and launched the careers of Dashiell Hammett, Raymond Chandler and Erle Stanley Gardner. What fewer mystery readers may know … Continue reading The New Black Mask
Nero Wolfe: A Social Commentary on the US
An Essay by Marcia Kiser (2003) All genre fiction provides a glimpse of life for the period in which the works are written. Science fiction shows the reader what the future may hold. Romance can, and does, give the reader insight into social customs and dress for the period covered, usually for a specific group, … Continue reading Nero Wolfe: A Social Commentary on the US
Why I Love Crime Fiction
By Leonard Chang What is a private detective but a philosopher in a trench coat? Picture this: You are a nine-year-old listening to your parents scream at each other in Korean, their words incomprehensible because you don't understand the language, but the savagery of their intent is clear enough. You don't want to leave your … Continue reading Why I Love Crime Fiction