Intense obsession… Illicit attraction… Watch Me by Jody Gehrman presents a world where what you desire may be the most dangerous thing of all (available January 23, 2018). Enjoy Crminal Element's exclusive sneak peek below! SAM There’s a key turning in your door. Adrenaline shoots through my body so fast I get a head rush.…
Glass Houses will be the 13th novel in Louise Penny's Chief Inspector Armand Gamache series. Pre-order your copy today! When a mysterious figure appears in Three Pines one cold November day, Armand Gamache and the rest of the villagers are at first curious. Then wary. Through rain and sleet, the figure stands unmoving, staring ahead. From the…
Often, the most tumultuous part of the publishing process is the creation of cover art. Responsible for hundreds of books a year, artists work tirelessly to create the perfect image to represent 300+ pages, and publishers, editors, sales reps, and marketers all weigh in with opinions that the artist has to absorb and consider. Tough!…
I sat down with Brad Latham, a fabulous designer and my creative director at Leader’s Edge magazine, to generate ideas for the cover of my thriller, Naked Ambition. We shifted gears several times before we came up with the final two covers: one for thumbnail images on the Internet and the eBook; and the other…
Follow Me Down by Sherri Smith is a rare find—a gutsy, visceral, and beautifully crafted psychological thriller (Available March 2017). Mia Haas has built a life for herself far from the North Dakota town where she grew up, but when she receives word that her twin brother is missing, she returns home. Once hailed as…
First Strike by Ben Coes is the 6th thriller in the Dewey Andreas series where ISIS troops invade U.S. soil and take 500 college students hostage. Pre-order your copy today! (Available June, 28 2016) The violent terrorist group ISIS has launched a major military campaign to take over Syria. But as they commit more and…
Here’s how it commenced: One night when I was twelve, maybe thirteen, I caught the film Ten Little Indians on TV. It was the 1965 version, not the best (see 1945’s Then There were None) but compelling all the same. The set-up and execution (literally!) really grabbed me: Take ten strangers, strand them in an…
When J. Kingston Pierce of The Rap Sheet brought back the crime cover contest this year, we were delighted—so here's more from him, including a chance to share with you! I come from a very visually oriented family—my father was an architect, my mother had worked in the field of technical drawing. And I…
14 short crime stories on a theme are collected in the inaugural “Girl Trouble” e-issue of Criminal Element's Malfeasance Occasional (available September 24th, 2013). Tender-hearted, tough-minded (and occasionally foul-mouthed) girls take center stage in suspenseful tales that are also touching, haunting, and darkly funny. From modern cities and the middle of nowhere—even a place that…
What is a carny novel? At its simplest it’s a book set in the midways and tents of a traveling carnival, which isn’t quite the same as (but is a close cousin to) a circus, a medicine show, a freakshow, a county fair, or an amusement park. There are rides and concessions and games of…
