Critiquing some of the most interesting recent crime, mystery, and thriller releases. Click on the individual covers to read more ..read more

This year’s departure of actor Ralf Little from his role as Detective Inspector Neville Parker on the BBC-TV series Death in Paradise left a hole at the top of that program’s cast. Early speculation surrounded Diane Morgan, Simon Bird, and Mathew Horne as replacements, but The Killing Times brings word that, instead, ex-EastEnders and Sherwood star Don Gilét will step into Little’s big shoes. The site says Gilet will “make his debut in a feature-length Christmas special this year, before a brand-new series in 2025. Gilet will play Detective Inspector Mervin Wilson—who arrives on the idyllic i ..read more

Five novels, all published in the United States or Canada last year, have been announced as finalists for the 2023 Hammett Prize for literary excellence in crime writing. They are: • Night Letter, by Sterling Watson (Akashic) • The Almost Widow, by Gail Anderson-Dargatz (Harper Avenue) • Crook Manifesto, by Colson Whitehead (Doubleday) • Stealing, by Margaret Verble (Mariner) • The Quiet Tenant, by Clémence Michallon (Knopf) Taking its name from American detective novelist Dashiell Hammett, this award has been handed out annually since 1991 by the North American Branch of the International A ..read more

The Short Mystery Fiction Society has announced its winners of the 2024 Derringer Awards, in four categories. Best Flash Story (up to 1,000 words): “The Referee,” by C.W. Blackwell (Shotgun Honey, October 2023) Also nominated: “Sleep Rough,” by Brandon Barrows (Shotgun Honey, September 2023); “To Whom It May Concern,” by Serena Jayne (Shotgun Honey, January 2023); “Teddy’s Favorite Thing,” by Paul Ryan O’Connor (Ellery Queen Mystery Magazine, September/October 2023); and “Supply Chains,” by Andrew Welsh-Huggins (Black Cat Weekly #89) Best Short Story (1,001-4,000 words): “Last Day at the Ja ..read more

During a ceremony last evening in New York City, the 78th annual Edgar Awards—“honoring the best in mystery fiction, non-fiction and television published or produced in 2023”—were handed out. The event was live-streamed on YouTube. Best Novel: Flags on the Bayou, by James Lee Burke (Atlantic Monthly Press) Also nominated: All the Sinners Bleed, by S.A. Cosby (Flatiron); The Madwomen of Paris, by Jennifer Cody Epstein (Ballantine); Bright Young Women, by Jessica Knoll (S&S/Marysue Rucci); An Honest Man, by Michael Koryta (Mulholland); The River We Remember, by William Kent Krueger (Atria ..read more

(Editor’s note: March of this year brought the welcome re-release of four paperback thrillers from the 1970s, all starring Brian Petersen—otherwise known as The D.C. Man—and credited to James P. Cody. The essay below reveals Cody’s surprising background. It was penned by Tom Simon, who spent 26 years as an FBI Special Agent, and is now a licensed private investigator based in Jacksonville, Florida. He reviews vintage paperbacks for the blog Paperback Warrior and co-hosted 100 episodes of The Paperback Warrior Podcast. Tom can be found on both Instagram and TikTok at SimonInvestigations, where ..read more

With the sun finally breaking through the persistent cloud cover here in Seattle, and myriad birds finding their way back to my trees, I’m reminded of what Emily Brontë said: “May is the month of expectation, the month of wishes, the month of hope.” However, another author, Ellen Jackson, was also right when she remarked that “May can be a month of sneezing, itchy eyes, and runny noses.” At least for the nonce, my hay fever is leaving me be and letting me find a comfortable place on the front porch to do my reading. This fifth month of 2024 promises a plenitude of captivating new crime, myste ..read more

I have grown quite fond of the ITV-TV crime drama McDonald & Dodds over the last few years, so am pleased to hear that the first of three brand-new episodes is coming to BritBox on Thursday, May 23. Telly Visions tells us what to expect from this new season: Return to the beautiful city of Bath as mismatched detective duo [Detective Chief Inspector Lauren] McDonald and [Detective Sergeant] Dodds are presented with more original and inventive crimes to solve. Season 4 features three new emotionally engaging feature-length crime stories told with flair and mischief. In the first story, McDo ..read more

Historical crime fiction endured a stinging blow this last weekend with the demise C.J. Sansom, the UK author of seven novels starring hunchbacked 16th-century lawyer and investigator Matthew Shardlake. He was 71 years old. Cause of death is described as “multiple myeloma, a rare cancer that affects bone marrow.” “His publisher confirmed the news,” reports The Guardian, “noting that Sansom died on 27 April, just days before Shardlake, the TV adaptation of Dissolution starring Arthur Hughes and Sean Bean, is released on Disney+ on 1 May.” The newspaper goes on to recall that Christopher John S ..read more

The winners of the 2024 Agatha Awards for best “traditional mysteries” (defined as containing no explicit sex, excessive gore, or gratuitous violence) were given out this last weekend at the Malice Domestic conference in Bethesda, Maryland. Best Contemporary Mystery Novel: The Weekend Retreat, by Tara Laskowski (Graydon House) Also nominated: Wined and Died in New Orleans, by Ellen Byron (Berkley); Helpless, by Annette Dashofy (Level Best); A Case of the Bleus, by Korina Moss (St. Martin’s Press); and The Raven Thief, by Gigi Pandian (Minotaur) Best Historical Mystery Novel: The Mistress of ..read more