Use this page to scan recent stories from Criminalelement, see the themes that keep appearing, and jump into complete story briefs.
Miss Wolcott’s Ghost by Louise Penny Armand Gamache returns in the latest novel from Louise Penny in which he is thrust out of a deep sleep and into the surrounding forests in search of the mythical Lost Nation. And a body. Dive Bar at the End of the Road by Kelley Armstrong Final Destination meets The Cabin…
Five people will gather on the platform of a suburban train station one morning, waiting for the 7:06 to London Victoria. One of them will die in the next few minutes, and the challenge that Ilona Bannister gives to readers as she skillfully weaves the tale of her characters’ lives and histories, their passions and…
Learn more about The Minotaur Sampler here!
Prologue An early-morning jogger spotted the woman on the beach. At first he only noticed blond hair spilling out of a sleeping bag. Her back was to him, and she was facing the dunes. He kept running. People slept on Clearwater Beach from time to time—it wasn’t that uncommon. On his return loop, though, he…
Ingrid Slocum, Maggie Bird, Declan Rose, and Ben Diamond, “met nearly four decades ago at Camp Peary, where the four of them trained as covert Agency operatives.” Lloyd, Ingrid’s husband of many years, worked behind the scenes at the Agency when they met. It may seem unusual for four retired CIA operatives to live in…
What if Barney the Dinosaur were an evil tyrant whose primary goal was to reign in a world of his own creation, in total control of all children and sentient beings around him? That’s the fun and frightening question that Casper Kelly’s horror-comedy Buddy explores. Buddy starts refreshingly; the first third of its run
In the world of words, Kevin Wade is a triple threat. While readers are likely best acquainted with him through his Edgar Award-nominated debut novel, Johnny Careless (2025)—which introduced second generation police officer Jeep Mullane—he has also written extensively for the stage and film/television. His plays includ
“It’s worse when they come at night.” It sounds like a line from a horror movie, but the woman who says those words to me wasn’t trying to be ominous or cryptic. If anything, she was very matter-of-fact, talking about the destructive forces that have, over the past few decades, maimed and murdered, stolen and…
Matthew Redd, a former Marine, quickly regrets offering to help former operative Aaron Decker in Steck’s latest thriller. Decker has two kids and faked his own death to build a family free from the danger that defined his old life. When someone connected to the Russian mafia spots him, he shoots to the top of…
Have you ever put a Mentos into a Coke? Each of the two things is delicious: the Mentos candy is wonderful, and a Coke is always good. But together, when you put the Mentos into a Coke, kaboom! Don’t try this at home, but the whole thing froths and explodes and turns into something different…
In A Map to Murder , the newest release of my Serial Killer Guide to San Francisco mysteries, I send my true-crime tour guide protagonist Capri Sanzio on a trip to San Francisco’s Haight-Ashbury neighborhood that connects its modern-day incarnation back in time to when the Summer of Love was in full swing. Why? Because
Fresh starts. New beginnings. Blank slates. We’ve all felt the urge for reinvention, considering a new style, a different career, or a bold move somewhere far away. But clichés always exist for a reason, and one of my favorites is this: “Wherever you go, there you are.” There are so many incredible books about characte
Open the app view when you want faster scanning, saved stories, and source-focused reading in one place.