Let’s Share – Crime Fiction Fun Topics!

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“Crime fiction“ includes all sub-genres of mysteries and thrillers and any blend thereof. (FYI: One list of 21 crime fiction sub genres.)

“Fun“ includes reviews, information, suggestions, and your added comments about any of it. Please participate and share by commenting on any “post.”

    If you think of it, check back to this tab regularly. See what is newly posted.

    PARTICIPATE! Your involvement will be fun for you and others.

    Send me mystery-related news you find that should be passed along to the group! Yes, for this to be really successful, we need YOU to share what you are discovering in the way of new books, movies, mystery news items etc etc (see bullets above). HOW? (1) Write it up as an article and email it to me. OR, (2) just send me a link or clipping of something juicy, and I’ll take it from there. My contact information is in all of the regular MBC meeting notices sent to you. What do you want to suggest, recommend, or just share with us? Let me know!

    Now – let’s have fun together! Fun is optional. But I prefer it, don’t you?

    Poisons in Crime Fiction

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    For certain, we can agree on the Golden Age of Detective Fiction as a term that applies to stories written mainly in the 1920s and 1930s that tended to be about light-hearted ‘cosy’ crimes, within which you could reliably expect to find upper-class characters in a secluded country estate, where at least one of them usually died. Leading the pack of Golden Age writers was Agatha Christie. Poison Expert Speakers and … Continue reading →

    Why the MBC Can’t Always Choose Book #1 in a Mystery Book Series

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    That was the issue raised at the last meeting of our Mystery Book Club (MBC). I presume it is based on the notion that reading Book #9 without reading Books #1 through #8 would be akin to walking into a movie that has a mystery type of plot… but arriving one hour late. Or similar to watching a 10-episode mystery show on PBS TV (the kind where the inspector struggles … Continue reading →

    Why You Might Be Unable to Find an Author Listed in the SYKM Website

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    Stop You’re Killing Me (SYKM) is a website dedicated to crime fiction books. Its index at the top of every page can connect you with mysteries and thrillers of nearly 5,900 authors, both contemporary and from the past. It is a valuable resource. I have been using SYKM multiple times a month for the last 18 years. At times you will wonder why you cannot find a specific author in … Continue reading →

    Best beverage while reading crime fiction

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    So a year ago, the dentist told me to stop drinking Coke. Too much sugar in my mouth. She suggested Diet Coke but I didn’t like the taste. Then I discovered “Green Cola” and I was drinking quite a bit of that; it was sweetened with stevia which I think is the healthiest substitute for sugar. Then about 5 weeks ago, it was not on the shelf at Market Basket. … Continue reading →

    What is a Mystery Book? (Part 1 & 2)

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    It is not a simple thing because the term, “mystery book,” is used in two ways and it’s not always clear which way a person is using the term. Plus, how does a mystery differ from a “thriller” – and you’ll get a lot of different answers on that, also. It’s further complicated because authors are always looking to be different, and that can lead to blending one or more … Continue reading →

    Fun Trivial Facts About Books, Genres, and Publishing

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    Find Extended Answers Below to the Quiz regarding “Mystery Book Publishers and Their Readers” Do the Quiz Before Reading Further. You have Two Ways to Do the Quiz: (1) To use an online version of the quiz, CLICK HERE. Or, (2) to get a PDF of the quiz to read and answer with scrap paper or to print out the quiz CLICK HERE. Do the Quiz Before Reading Further. Then … Continue reading →

    Censured Crime

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    by J. Kingston Pierce on The Rap Sheet (blog) Re-Published here with permission. Banned Books Week 2025 began yesterday and continues through this coming Saturday, October 11. As the organizers explain, “Banned Books Week was launched in 1982 in response to a sudden surge in the number of challenges to books in libraries, bookstores, and schools. Held in the last week of September or first week of October, the annual event … Continue reading →

    My goal was to keep a list of books; I did it.

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    This is only my 2nd post here in 2024. And it relates to my first post back in January where I discussed the number of mystery books that various reviewers I admire read. One of them, George Easter read 121 books in 2023. That is beyond my capacity, but in that post I suggested I might: READ ONE BOOK A WEEK. No, I couldn’t do that at all. My total … Continue reading →

    Is Reading in Your New Year’s Resolution?

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    “Do you read a lot?” you ask. “I don’t know, compared to what?” I respond. On December 13, with still 18 days to go, George Easter, editor of Deadly Pleasures, wrote on his blog: “My reading goal for 2023 was to read 120 mysteries, crime novels and thrillers. Today the count stands at 121 read. So my goal was reached.” Holy book pages, Batman! Gosh all Fiddlesticks! Damn, that’s amazing!! … Continue reading →