Hi Everyone,
Finding someone you want to spend a lot of time with is always a treat. Ask Gregg Hurwitz, who, after a series of bestselling standalone thrillers, has finally found a character he can hang with for the long haul—Evan Smoak, former assassin in the black ops “Orphan” program and current vigilante do-gooder. Evan Smoak is already being called the next Jack Reacher or Jason Bourne and Oline Cogdill chats with Hurwitz in his first interview about Orphan X to discuss his hard-charging new hero.
Ausma Zehanat Khan’s second novel, The Language of Secrets, returns to the world of Detective Esa Khattak, a devout Muslim assigned to Canada’s Community Policing Section that investigates minority-sensitive cases. Khan, a British-born Canadian human rights activist, scholar, and lawyer, notes, “I have been reading mysteries all my life, but have not often seen characters of color or writers of color. To have the chance to add my voice and perspective has been very heartening.” Khan is interviewed in this issue. The intersection of pop culture, the entertainment industry, and the media fascinates
Alison Gaylin. Gaylin, a graduate of Columbia’s School of Journalism, worked as a celebrity reporter for the Star tabloid in her early career and that experience informs her new thriller What Remains of Me. Oline Cogdill chats with the author in this issue.
Also, Jon Breen is back in court again to render his verdicts on current legal thrillers, and Ed Gorman chats with T.J. MacGregor, author of mysteries with a supernatural twist.
Tom Nolan discusses the work of Margaret Millar, a very popular mid-century writer whose star has dimmed over the years. This may be changing, and Nolan looks at all the reasons why in his essay.
Superheroes are all the rage, but Jessica Jones has more on her mind than your typical muscle-bound behemoth. She’s working through a failed stint as a crusading crimefighter and an even more traumatic turn as the puppet of another “super” with mind control abilities. And as Jessica is the first to admit, she’s not dealing with all this in a healthy way. Kevin Burton Smith takes a look at this thoughtful, absorbing, and unusual new series in this issue.
“Fave Raves” is back! Our wide-ranging, expert selection of the best of 2015 allows our critics to bring to your attention worthy books that you may have missed last year. We’re always interested in hearing your recommendations as well. Please send in your fave raves for our next issue. Email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. and you’ll be entered to win a free book.
Kate Stine
Editor-in-chief
