When I started writing North of Nowhere, I knew that setting would be important to the story. Small plane crash during a snowstorm in the mountains — I needed a rural area where help wouldn’t be fast coming. I could have set the story in a variety of places — in fact, the first draft…
I’ve always been fascinated by cold cases. I’ve often thought about why—is it because I love mysteries? Is it about human nature and the need for answers? Is it a bit darker than that…a fascination with the unknown or the unknowable, or an interest in the murder of strangers? Whatever the reason, I’m not the…
I am a very visual person. I learn by reading, not by listening. When I write (and read!) I see the scene unfold. But it wasn’t until my third published book, The Kill, back in 2006 (!) I learned how to choreograph the action in my books. Order The Kill here: During revisions, my editor…
New York Times bestseller P. J. Tracy returns with Deep into the Dark, a brand new series set in L.A. and featuring up-and-coming LAPD Detective Margaret Nolan and murder suspect Sam Easton. I have been a fan of P.J. Tracy since the first Monkeewrench novel and have read virtually all the books since. Twisty, dark,…
Stephen King was my first favorite author. Growing up in the 1970s, there were very few YA books. (I’m honestly jealous of my kids who have these HUGE young adult sections and lots of great books across all genres to choose from.) So I read all the Trixie Belden and Nancy Drew and even Agatha…
A year ago, I saw the trailer for Prodigal Son, a new series on FOX, and loved the premise: the son of a serial killer becomes a profiler while battling his own demons and missing memories. It was one of those ideas I wish I’d thought of. But as we all know, great ideas can…
An edgy female police detective… An ambitious FBI special agent. Together they are at the heart of the ticking-clock investigation for a psychopathic serial killer. Detective Kara Quinn, on leave from the LAPD, is on an early morning jog in her hometown of Liberty Lake when she comes upon the body of a young nurse.…
This time last year I reviewed Liars’ Paradox by Taylor Stevens and said, “It’s fun, violent, fast-paced, and original. The comment, “I couldn’t put the book down,” is somewhat trite because everyone says that about a good thriller. Except, I literally could not put the book down until I read every page.” Now, multiply that…
Life Is Short and Then You Die is the Mystery Writers of America’s first teen anthology, edited by #1 New York Times bestselling author Kelley Armstrong. Short stories aren’t easy to write. I wrote my first short story in Killer Year, an anthology edited by Lee Child, published more than a decade ago. It was one of the…
My mom loves Spenser. She has almost every Spenser book Robert B. Parker wrote. Parker himself wrote nearly 70 books, but his characters are so popular his series continued even after his death in 2010. Years ago, I read a couple of Spenser books because they were on my mom’s shelf, but I mostly loved…
