Best mystery fiction subgenres for new readers
Start with the kind of mystery that matches your brain on a Tuesday night. Not the kind you think you “should” read. Because picking the wrong subgenre is how people decide mystery “isn’t for them.” It is. Trust me, there’s something for you here. You just have to grab the right flavor. I write mysteries, […]
How mystery fiction satisfies curiosity and control
You don’t pick up a mystery because you want to feel calm. You pick it up because you want that itch. Those little, nagging questions. Who did it? Why? And what else are they hiding? And weirdly…mysteries don’t just feed curiosity. They give you a kind of control. Not real-life control (I wish). Story control. […]
Thrillers That Heal
How Suspense Stories Help Us Face Fear, Find Justice, and Feel Hope Have you ever finished a thriller with your pulse still racing… and yet felt strangely lighter? It seems counterintuitive, doesn’t it? We immerse ourselves in stories filled with danger, deception, betrayal, and loss. We stay up past midnight, whispering just one more chapter […]
The Many Flavors of Plot Twist
Have you ever finished a book, stared at the last page, and thought… Wait. WHAT? Not in the “I’m confused” way. But rather in the “I need to sit here for a minute and re-evaluate my entire life” way. That’s the power of a good plot twist. When it’s done well, a twist doesn’t just […]
Why Readers Crave Impossible Mysteries
Imagine this. A man lies dead in a room bolted from the inside.The windows are sealed.The chimney is too narrow for a cat.The snow outside the door is smooth and untouched. No footprints. No weapon. No way in. And yet… someone did it. From the moment Edgar Allan Poe introduced “The Murders in the Rue […]
When justice gets personal, Judge, Jury, & Executioner gets it done
Have you ever been sure—deep in your bones—that something wasn’t right, even when all the evidence said otherwise? That’s the question at the heart of Judge, Jury, & Executioner, the newest installment in my Steadman Mysteries series. And it’s a question that Chief Deputy Randall Steadman can’t stop asking after the death of his colleague, […]
How Many Books Did Dick Francis Write? A Mystery Worth Solving
I still remember the first time I opened a Dick Francis novel. I was young, impressionable, and hungry for a story that would pull me in and not let go. That book was Nerve — and it delivered in spades. From that moment on, I was hooked. I devoured every Dick Francis book I could get […]
Perk Up Your Day with a Sip of Suspense
Have you ever noticed how the best stories often start with a simple setting—a quiet café, the clink of a spoon against porcelain, the gentle hum of conversation… until something goes deliciously wrong? I’m thrilled to share that my newest short story, “A Few Telling Details,” is now available in the just-released Coffee House Capers […]
Was Alfred Hitchcock Presents Based on Books? Let’s Knock on That Door…
You know the sound. That iconic “Good evening,” delivered with deadpan charm as a rotund silhouette strolls across a minimalist screen. Then a sharp, suspenseful story unfolds—strange, ironic, sometimes chilling. And always captivating. Have you ever wondered where those stories came from? I found myself mulling over that question the other day while watching an […]
The Legend Comes to Life in Audio
If you’ve been following my stories for a while, you know I have a deep fondness for tales steeped in mystery, history, and a touch of legend. So it’s with great pleasure that I announce—Falling for The Lost Dutchman is now available as an audiobook! This story has always been close to my heart. I […]
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