160 Summer cover, Lori Roy

Hi Everyone,

It was a visit to Georgia’s Stone Mountain that sparked Lori Roy’s interest in the Ku Klux Klan, and became the catalyst for her new novel Gone Too Long. While writing, Roy found painful parallels between the early 20th century—when the KKK was revitalized— and now. “White supremacy has an ebb and flow.... It’s always there, waiting to rise up again, given another set of circumstances,” she says.

Dennis Lehane is one of the giants of modern crime fiction and Tom Nolan’s conversation with him covers, among other things, developing an ear for dialogue, the difference between writing short stories and novels, and creating three-dimensional characters.

Step right up, ladies and gentlemen and children of all ages! Ben Boulden explores Murder under the Big Top in his review of circus mysteries. One versatile writer examines another as our Michael Mallory provides an engaging look at the work of Mignon G. Eberhart.

John B. Valeri catches up with S. J. Rozan whose new mystery features her Chinese-American PI Lydia Chin and her sometimes partner, Bill Smith. It’s the first in this beloved series since 2011, so there’s lots to catch up on.

Nancy Bilyeau takes a look at Philip Kerr’s Bernie Gunther novels in this issue. Sadly, Kerr died last year, but his novels of a man caught in the barbed wire of mid-20th century German history will live on.

“Southern wit was a staple in our household, along with Sunday fried chicken,” says G.A. McKevett. Her sleuth, Savannah Reid, shares the author’s Southern heritage and sense of humor. John B. Valeri talks to her in this issue.

Craig Sisterson, who is originally from New Zealand, has a special treat for us in this issue: an overview of Southern Cross brime. Australia and New Zealand have spawned some of the brightest new talents in the genre recently and Craig gives us the inside scoop on death Down Under. Don’t miss his list of recent novels to get you started.

Hope you enjoy the issue! We’ll be back in September with more criminous fun.

By the time you read this our new Readers Forum will be up and running at our website. Stop by, say hello, ask questions, visit with fellow fans, and join in the discussions— we’ll be waiting for you!

Kate Stine
Editor-in-chief

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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."

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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