Game. Changed.
But, also, not really. Plus some Cool Stuff in Crime Fiction!
You’re very needy.
Okay, look, yes, this was supposed to be a monthly newsletter, but now it’s twice a month. I’m changing the game!
I don’t think you’re cool enough to use that expression.
Aren’t you supposed to be asking me questions? I thought that was the whole thing here.
Fine. Why twice monthly, after you promised once a month?
I can never stop editing or tinkering (my editor loves this about me, FYI). And I haven’t been happy with the format of this newsletter ever since I moved to the Substack neighborhood. I really like it here, mind you! The neighbors are friendly. The rent is free. But there’s not a lot of allowance for different models, which means my newsletters are LONG. I don’t like that.
So what’s changing?
A while ago I changed “Two Writers You Should Read” to “Kiss, Marry, Kill,” and lots of you told me that you like that approach more. I do, too. It’s fun. And readers get to learn more about a writer’s book and their style.
But I’m not doing that twice-a-month. That would be TOO MUCH KISSING. I’m going to rotate “Kiss, Marry, Kill” with “Cool Things in Crime Fiction,” which will be an interview with someone doing something different and cool in our genre, or just stuff I’ve found recently in crime fiction that I’m excited about - events, opportunities, how to find available singles in YOUR area, etc.
I can handle that. What else?
The section that made my newsletter so long was “Books I’m Adding to My TBR,” which usually featured 8-10 titles. I’d add their synopsis, but I just copied that from the publisher site and, as a writer, that felt kind of lame. So then I wrote my own thoughts about why I was excited to read these books, but I didn’t have enough space for the plot and my very-deep thoughts.
Now I’m featuring four books in each newsletter, which gives me the space to include both a plot summary and my super-interesting reflections. That’s called math, homie.
Are you now and, really, this is all I care about, also doing contests twice a month?
I am. Books will be given with each newsletter.
Anything else?
My goal with Crime Fiction Works has always been to give writers and readers something they want to read. I love writing this newsletter. It’s very personal to me, and I want this to be fun.
In America, we’re heading to an election year, and the sun is going to melt us away in a few decades, and Marvel movies really haven’t delivered recently. It’s hard out there, is what I’m saying. I hope this newsletter is a little source of happiness in your inbox.
Like the last newsletter you sent?
Well, no, that’s not a great example.
I still think you’re needy.
We really need to work on the Q of this Q&A format.
EA
No Home for Killers is STILL only $2.49 this month in the Mystery, Thriller & Suspense Kindle book deals in the US marketplace, because that’s how months work! Click HERE to check out the special promotion!
If you live in the DC/MD/VA region, then you’ve probably heard of Elaine’s. The new restaurant, owned by writer Jeffrey James Higgins and his wife, specializes in modern Mediterranean cuisine, and Jeff has taken the noble step of pairing it with a literary salon. He’s held a slew of wonderful literary events and, on September 21, will be hosting Alexandria’s first Noir at the Bar! I’ll be reading along with a group of terrific writers (for real, check out the flyer below). The event is free and open to the public, but he does ask that you respond via this Eventbrite link.
I made friends recently with former spy I.S. Berry whose debut, The Peacock and the Sparrow, dropped earlier this year to praise from The New Yorker, Publishers Weekly, and more. That book is on my TBR, but I read a short essay Berry wrote about her time in Iraq during the height of the war. It’s an emotional, harrowing essay, and I can’t recommend it enough. You can check it out HERE.
All of these books were - in almost every case - published a month prior to this newsletter.
What Never Happened, Rachel Howzell Hall
Summary: Colette “Coco” Weber has relocated to her Catalina Island home, where, twenty years before, she was the sole survivor of a deadly home invasion. All Coco wants is to see her aunt Gwen, get as far away from her ex as possible, and get back to her craft—writing obituaries. Thankfully, her college best friend, Maddy, owns the local paper and has a job sure to keep Coco busy, considering the number of elderly folks who are dying on the island. But as Coco learns more about these deaths, she quickly realizes that the circumstances surrounding them are remarkably similar…and not natural. Then Coco receives a sinister threat in the mail: her own obituary.
Ed’s Note: Rachel Howzell Hall is so utterly talented and prolific that it’s markedly unfair to other writers. She’s been nominated for and won a slew of awards and hit a few bestseller lists, including the New York Times for The Good Sister, which she co-wrote with James Patterson. Los Angeles has a storied history in crime fiction, and that tradition is steadfastly continuing. Hall is one of the reasons why.
The Japanese Box and Other Stories, Jennifer Anne Gordon
Summary: The Japanese Box is a story that blends memoir, creative nonfiction, and the horror of a coming-of-age story, and a coming of middle-aged story. Imagine growing up with a reflection that is often absent, and a Japanese box that is filled with things that should never have been there.
Ed’s Note: Yes, this is horror, but horror and crime fiction often rub shoulders, and it’s not uncommon for a writer in one of those genres to write in the other (see Gabino Iglesias and Cynthia Pelayo for just two examples). And horror has received some mainstream recognition recently, which is lovely to see. I first met Jennifer Anne Gordon through Vox Vomitus, the popular interview series she co-hosts with fellow writer Allison Martine and, as is often the case when you meet cool writers, you want to read their books. I’m excited to dive back into horror reading with The Japanese Box.
To Catch a Storm, Mindy Mejia
Summary: When her husband’s car is found abandoned and on fire—in the middle of a rainstorm—Eve Roth becomes the police's number one suspect. After all, her husband was suspended from the University of Iowa for inappropriate conduct with a student, and who else but an atmospheric physicist could incinerate a car in a downpour? But Eve has no idea why her husband disappeared. She's desperate to find him, both for herself and her beloved, disabled father-in-law.
Jonah Kendrick appears on their doorstep with a theory. He’s seen Eve’s husband, bound and bleeding in a barn. Claiming to be a psychic detective who dreams of the lost, Jonah has helped find missing people his entire life. He dreamed about a young woman trapped in the same barn months ago, and she’s still missing.
As a firm believer in the laws of nature, Eve rejects anything to do with psychics, but their investigations soon collide. As the temperature drops and Iowa turns to ice, Eve and Jonah race across the state to discover what happened to the people they’ve lost. But the truth is more deadly either of them expected, and the physicist and the psychic must learn to believe in each other if they want to escape this storm alive.
Ed’s Note: I was on a panel recently at the Creatures, Crimes, and Creativity Conference, and I talked about how much I loved what psychological thrillers are doing. The deep character insight, combined with compelling twists and painfully buried emotions, makes for a fascinating read. Mindy Mejia has been at the forefront of this wave for years, and I admire any writer who is able to blend their studies in science or math into compelling fiction.
Black Vault, Alma Katsu
Summary: When CIA officer Craig Norton glimpses an unexplainable object in the sky over Mongolia, he can’t quite believe it. Frankly, he isn’t sure Langley will either. Despite his misgivings, Craig reports the sighting in a cable to headquarters detailing the incident.
Fast-forward fifteen years. Craig is still reeling from the report that tanked his career and his personal life. That fleeting moment on the Mongolian steppe made him a pariah at the Agency, and he still hasn’t recovered. At this point, he doubts he ever will. But when the navy confirms on national television reports of unexplained aerial phenomena, Craig finds himself pulled back into the fold. Assigned to a CIA task force investigating sightings of unexplained aerial phenomena—including his own—Craig stumbles upon a mystery that could strain global relations and expose an international cover-up.
Ed’s Note: Oh hey! Remember what I just said about writers who slip back-and-forth between horror and crime fiction? Alma Katsu has made her mark in both worlds, with wide acclaim and awards. I’ve been a fan of Alma’s for years, and short stories are such a terrific way for readers to discover their next favorite writer. Also this one is super timely since the government has said we probably almost definitely have seen aliens.
The winner of this newsletter contest is el***fra***.mc***@gmail.com! Congrats, and you’ve won any of the books listed in the “Books I’m Adding to my TBR” section! I’ll slide into your DMs (send you an email, so not exactly slide into your DMs) soon.
Until next time, much love and Happy Reading!