Mystery Scene

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Features

Val McDermid

This critically acclaimed and reader beloved writer makes a specialty of considering the human condition in all its complexity and variety.
Oline H. Cogdill

Brighton Rock

The new Brighton Rock takes place in the early 1960s when mods and rockers battled in the streets.
by Teri Duerr

Arthur B. Reeve: Pioneer Feminist

Forget Anna Katharine Green, Reeve has the real feminist cred.
by Jon L. Breen

Building Your Book Collection: Following the Flag

An author’s nationality can be a critical element in deciding which first editions to collect.
by Nate Pedersen

James Sallis: In the Driver’s Seat

A hot new novel, critical respect, and a star-studded feature film.
by Craig McDonald

Spider-Man and the American Dream

A comic book character who offers a window into the heart of a nation.
by Nick Harkaway

Sarah R. Shaber: This Woman’s War

A new series that sends a young North Carolina widow off to WWII-era Washington.
by Art Taylor

Supernatural Mysteries

Psychics, ghosts, witches and vampires—it’s the subgenre that won’t die.
by Steve Hockensmith

Nate Heller’s 20th Century

Max Allan Collins’ iconic sleuth has hit both the high- and low-points of the last century.
by Jon L. Breen

The Murders in Memory Lane: Scott Meredith, Pt. 1

A young man’s first foray into the publishing business.
by Lawrence Block

The Return of Inspector Lewis

Season Four is off to a great start.
by Matt Schlecht

Departments

At the Scene

by Kate Stine

Mystery Miscellany

by Louis Phillips

Hints & Allegations

Thriller Awards, MS Online, Alexander McCall Smith

The Hook

First Lines That Caught Our Attention

Martin H. Greenberg, 1941-2011

by Ed Gorman

Gormania

Steven Hockensmith, Mary Higgins Clark, Anne Frasier
by Ed Gorman

New Books

Getting Medieval
by Jeri Westerson

Life in the Fast Lane
by Simon Wood

Joy of Genre
by Michael Lister

A Character Charges into the Future
by L.J. Sellers

Mystery Crossword

"Deep into that Darkness Peering"
by Verna Suit


Reviews

Small Press Reviews: Covering the Independents

by Betty Webb

Short & Sweet: Short Stories Considered

by Bill Crider

Very Original: Paperback Originals Reviewed

by Lynne Maxwell

What About Murder? Reference Books Reviewed

by Jon L. Breen

Sounds of Suspense: Audiobooks Reviewed

by Dick Lochte

Mystery Scene Reviews

Miscellaneous


The Docket

Letters

Readers Recommend

Advertiser Index

Advertiser Info

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Peter Swanson on Reading for the Season
Wednesday, 15 September 2021

Naomi Hirahara’s powerful new book, Clark and Division, follows the Ito family in 1944.

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Naomi Hirahara on "Clark and Division"
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Jane Stanton Hitchcock on Giving Voice to Great Reads
Thursday, 18 October 2018

"For me, the books I read were the call—the call to adventure, to thinking, to acknowledging other points of view. But to complete the ritual, I needed to respond."

kareem-abdul-jabbar-on-reading-a-call-and-response
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar on Reading: A Call and Response
Saturday, 16 June 2018

Cynthia RiggsI am surrounded by books. Every room, every space in my large, sprawling 1750s house is full of books...

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Cynthia Riggs on Living in a House of Books
Monday, 30 April 2018

Our history and experiences can define us, inspire our actions, and as writers impact our words and stories. Mine most definitely has: my father was a small-time gangster. Really.

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My Book: The Gangster’s Daughter
Thursday, 12 April 2018

"My ah-ha moment came when I read The Great Gatsby, by F. Scott Fitzgerald.... That was it for me – I was off to the races."

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Jacqueline Winspear on The Great Gatsby
Sunday, 01 April 2018

Nietzsche once wrote, “There is always some madness in love. But there is also always some reason in madness.”

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My Book: Head Wounds
Thursday, 15 February 2018

"Mystery books were daring and exciting, firing up my imagination and making me yearn to become a girl detective or even a secret agent. They also empowered me to make up impromptu ghost stories around the campfire for my Girl Scout troop and sneak into the cemetery at night on a dare."

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Laura Childs on Growing Up Reading
Thursday, 27 July 2017

vietselaineCR CristianaPecheanuFire and Ashes, the latest Angela Richman Death Investigator mystery, is an exploration of a fatal fire. To research this novel, Viets delved into the devastating consequences of junk science and arson investigations.

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Fire and Ashes and Arson