Criminal Element — Mysteries, Thrillers, and all things Killer! -- Login / Register Search for: -- Search for: Read Excerpts Reviews Author Spotlight Essays Interviews Book Listicles On-Screen Television Film Trailers Cooking the Books Newsletter Login / Register From the bestselling author of Look Closer comes a new domestic thriller about betrayal and murder inside one twisted family. With new books from Linda Castillo, Ashley Winstead, Sandra Jackson-Opoku, and Christopher Golden, this July has plenty of must-reads just for you! Final Destination meets The Cabin at the End of the World in this supernatural horror from New York Times bestselling author Kelley Armstrong. -- -- -- -- -- -- New Reads The Key to a Killer by Olivia Blacke" excerpt Heiress Of Nowhere by Stacey Lee" review The Delivery by Andrew Welsh-Huggins" review Rules for Aging and Larceny by Julia London" review Home for the Homicides by Hannah Morrissey and Elle Cosimano" excerpt Where There’s Smoke by Rachel Louise Adams" excerpt More The Key to a Killer by Olivia Blacke" The Key to a Killer by Olivia Blacke" class="front-page__latest-post__content__title" Featured Excerpt: The Key to a Killer by Olivia Blacke By Crime HQ July 17, 2026 Chapter One: Cordelia “Cordelia, help!” The voice calling me was a frantic, life-or-death cry, and when Ruby asked for help, I came running. Every single time. “On my way,” I said, even though she couldn’t hear me. I rushed toward the sound of her voice, then stopped abruptly when I realized it was coming from… Heiress Of Nowhere by Stacey Lee" Heiress Of Nowhere by Stacey Lee" class="front-page__latest-post__content__title" Book Review: Heiress Of Nowhere by Stacey Lee By Doreen Sheridan July 17, 2026 Lucy Nowhere is a foundling who grew up on the vast island estate of eccentric shipbuilder Dakon Sanders, just off the coast of Washington State. While essentially raised as a servant, she was allowed to have lessons with Mr. Sanders’ son Daniel, eventually growing up to become a trusted research assistant and artist in Mr.… The Delivery by Andrew Welsh-Huggins" The Delivery by Andrew Welsh-Huggins" class="front-page__latest-post__content__title" Book Review: The Delivery by Andrew Welsh-Huggins By Doreen Sheridan July 16, 2026 The Delivery was one of my most anticipated books of 2026, and I’m so happy to announce that it does not disappoint! This sequel to 2025’s The Mailman is just as smart, funny, and action-packed as its predecessor, as former federal agent turned private courier Merc Carter finds his latest assignment interrupted by murder and… All Shell Breaks Loose by Molly MacRae" All Shell Breaks Loose by Molly MacRae" class="front-page__latest-post__content__title" Cooking the Books: All Shell Breaks Loose by Molly MacRae By Doreen Sheridan July 15, 2026 Maureen Nash is settling happily into her new life as the owner of a store selling seashells on North Carolina’s Ocracoke Island. Between Burt and Glady Weaver, the squabbling yet charming octogenarian siblings who are her immediate neighbors, and Emrys Lloyd, the ghost who haunts the spectacularly carved moon shell that gives her shop its… Reliably Unreliable By Araminta Hall July 14, 2026 I so often find myself inspired not by a specific event, but by a series of news stories, a pattern to conversations I’m having with friends, a rash of films about the same subject, a feeling of something in the air. Unreliable Narrator was no different. Over the last few years, I have found myself… Rules for Aging and Larceny by Julia London" Rules for Aging and Larceny by Julia London" class="front-page__latest-post__content__title" Book Review: Rules for Aging and Larceny by Julia London By Janet Webb July 14, 2026 “Frances Deluca was kicked out of the Pecan Springs Pickleball Club league the week before the championships, which she considered a direct assault on her unbeaten record.” Sue Landis, the chirpy director of the club, didn’t mince words: “I warned you, Fran. You’re too aggressive on the court.” Whatever. Being thrown out of a club… Home for the Homicides by Hannah Morrissey and Elle Cosimano" Home for the Homicides by Hannah Morrissey and Elle Cosimano" class="front-page__latest-post__content__title" Featured Excerpt: Home for the Homicides by Hannah Morrissey and Elle Cosimano By Crime HQ July 13, 2026 Prologue WELCOME TO CHRISTMAS, A TOWN WRAPPED IN JOY. Allow me to set the stage for you. See that welcome sign, the one just off the freeway? While outsiders might deem the snow-covered marker to be sappy and hinging on cringe, residents of Christmas know that there is no better way to capture the spirit… Where There’s Smoke by Rachel Louise Adams" Where There’s Smoke by Rachel Louise Adams" class="front-page__latest-post__content__title" Featured Excerpt: Where There’s Smoke by Rachel Louise Adams By Crime HQ July 10, 2026 Chapter One Dolores stared at the words with an odd shade of fascination. They seemed unfamiliar, somehow, more magical than any combination of letters in the English language. Hocus-pocus. Abracadabra. The lawyer cleared his throat. “Miss Diaz?” Dolores looked up. A painting hung on the wall, of blindfolded Lady Justice, which wouldn’t have looked out… Murder on 34th Street by Mariah Fredericks" Murder on 34th Street by Mariah Fredericks" class="front-page__latest-post__content__title" Featured Excerpt: Murder on 34th Street by Mariah Fredericks By Crime HQ July 10, 2026 Chapter One It’s not every day you get a letter from Santa Claus. Often, it’s the other way round. And a disappointment. Usually, my correspondence with the man in red goes something like this: “Dear Santa, this year I have been very good and would like the doll with the red bow from FAO Schwarz.”… Storm Tide by Paul Doiron" Storm Tide by Paul Doiron" class="front-page__latest-post__content__title" Book Review: Storm Tide by Paul Doiron By Janet Webb July 9, 2026 Pitch Dark, published in 2024, gives us insight into Mike Bowditch: “Almost always the smartest man in the room, Maine Warden Investigator Mike Bowditch’s career exemplifies courage, self-possession, and off-the-scales stubbornness.” He’s earned his share of admirers and critics. Storm Tide opens with a furious conflagration. A hallmark of Doiron’s writing is gorgeous simplicity: it’s… More About Advertise With Us Terms of Use Privacy Notice Your Privacy Choices Contact Us Site Powered by Supadu The owner of this website has made a commitment to accessibility and inclusion, please report any problems that you encounter using the contact form on this website. This site uses the WP ADA Compliance Check plugin to enhance accessibility.