Crime Fiction Links of the Week for April 12, 2025

It's time again for Crime Fiction Links of the Week, our weekly round-up of interesting links about crime fiction from around the web, this week with Towards Zero, Your Friends and Neighbours, Black Snow  Daredevil: Born Again, season 3 of Yellowjackets, Drop, Reunion, The Amateur, G20, season 7 of Black Mirror, tributes to Kerry Greenwood, Peter Lovesey, Andrew Gross, Val Kilmer and Robert McGinnis and much more.
 

Crime fiction in general: 

• CrimeReads shares ten new crime novels coming out this week,  
• Kelly Mullen explains why small towns are perfect mystery settings.
  
• Molly Harper explains how romantic subplots enhance mysteries.
  
• Kelly Mullen talks about vintage elements in modern crime fiction.
  
• Matt Plass explains why people like murder mysteries with wealthy victims. 
• Scottish crime writer Tariq Ashkanani explains why he chose to set his latest crime novel in the US. 
• Adam Platinga explains why desert settings fascinate him.
  
• Lucy Knight reports that Thomas Pynchon has announced Shadow Ticket, his first novel in more than a decade 
  
• Scott Montgomery remembers Ken Bruen.

 

Tributes to Kerry Greenwood:

• Australian mystery writer Kerry Greenwood, best known for her Phryne Fisher historical mystery series, has died aged 70 
• Dee Jefferson remembers Kerry Greenwood. 
• Locus remembers Kerry Greenwood and notes that she wrote SFF as well.
  

 

Tributes to Peter Lovesey:

• Mystery writer Peter Lovesey has died aged 88. 
• J. Kingston Pierce remembers Peter Lovesey. 
• Janet Rudolph remembers Peter Lovesey. 
• George Easter remembers Peter Lovesey. 
• SoHo Crime remembers Peter Lovesey.
  

 

 Tributes to Andrew Gross: 

• Thriller author Andrew Gross has died aged 72.
• J. Kingston Pierce remembers Andrew Gross.
  

 

 Tributes to Robert McGinnis:

• Prolific cover and movie poster illustrator Robert E. McGinnis has died aged 99.
• J. Kingston Pierce remembers Robert McGinnis. 
• Justin Carter remembers Robert McGinnis.

 

Film and TV: 

• Jim Vorel calls Dead Mail an utterly unique, disorienting analog thriller
  
• Catherine Bray calls Demise a ludicrous throwback to 1990s erotic thrillers
• Phuong Le calls  All the Mountains Give a gripping documentary about smugglers on the Iran-Iraq border
• Paul Hirons shares five things he'd love to see in the next series of Line of Duty. 
• Paul Hirons revisits the 1990 surreal crime drama Twin Peaks.
• Paul Hirons shares his favourite crime roles of Nicola Walker.
  
• Catherine Shoard shares former James Bond actor Pierce Brosnan's thoughts about the future of the character.
  
• The Guardian reports that screenwriter and director Paul Schrader has been accused of sexually assaulting his personal assistant. 
• Ramon Antonio Vargas reports that actress Bella Thorne has accused Mickey Rourke is bruising her genitals on the set of the thriller Girl in 2020.
• Catherine Shoard reports that China restricts theatrical releases of US movies even further in response to the ridiculous tariffs imposed by the Trump government on Chinese imports.
  

 

Comments on Towards Zero: 

• Lacy Baugher Milas calls Towards Zero an atmospheric Agatha Christie adaptation and praises the performance of Matthew Rhys.
• Saloni Gajjar declares that the Agatha Christie adaptation Towards Zero wastes the talents of Matthew Rhys. 
  

 

Comments on Your Friends and Neighbours:

• Michael Hogan calls Your Friends and Neighbours a blackly comic, propulsively fun tale of a disgraced hedge fund manager turned crook and praises the performance of Jon Hamm. 
• Tim Lowery calls Your Friends and Neighbours a heavy-handed crime comedy and also praises the performance of Jon Hamm. 
• Lucy Mangan calls Your Friends and Neighbours a fun crime drama and also praises the performance of Jon Hamm.
  

Comments on Black Snow:

• Martin Edwards shares his thoughts on season 1 of the Australian crime drama Black Snow.
• Garrick Webster shares his thoughts on season 2 of the Australian crime drama Black Snow. 
  

 

Comments on Reunion:

• Lucy Mangan calls Reunion an excellent sign language thriller and an absolute revelation
• Paul Hirons shares his thoughts on the first two episodes of Reunion. 
• Paul Hirons interviews Matthew Gurney, star of Reunion.
  

 

 Comments on The Amateur:

• Jesse Hassenger calls the spy thriller The Amateur little meat, mostly potatoes
  
• Peter Bradshaw praises the performance of Rami Malek in the spy thriller The Amateur.
  

 

  Comments on G20:

• Tim Grierson calls G20 a political thriller on autopilot 
• Rory Doherty declares that Viola Davis’ action president can’t rescue the woeful G20
• Benjamin Lee calls G20 a so-so action thriller
  

 

Comments on Drop: 

• Olivia Rutigliano calls Drop is a psychological thriller for our surveillance age 
  
• Jesse Hassenger declares that the technothriller Drop aims for De Palma and hits Collet-Serra
• Matt Schimkowitz calls Drop a  small-scale and over-stylized thriller
• Inspired by Drop, Rory Doherty discusses the evolution of the phone thriller. 
  

 

Comments on Daredevil: Born Again:

• Leah Schnelbach shares her thoughts on “Isle of Joy”, the latest episode of Daredevil: Born Again. 
• Jarrod Jones shares his thoughts on  “Isle of Joy”, the latest episode of Daredevil: Born Again. 
• Justin Carter shares his thoughts on “Isle of Joy”, the latest episode of Daredevil: Born Again.  
• Justin Carter revisits the 2015 Daredevil series for its tenth anniversary.

 

Comments on season 3 of Yellowjackets:

• Jen Lennon shares her thoughts on the latest episode of Yellowjackets.
• Melody McCune shares her thoughts on the latest episode of Yellowjackets.
• Natalie Zutter shares her thoughts on the latest episode of Yellowjackets. 
• Lacy Baugher Milas declares that the character of Shauna Shipman has always been Yellowjackets’ dark heart 

 

Comments on Black Mirror:

• Jack Seale calls season 7 of Black Mirror the warmest, most human season ever 
• Jenna Scherer declares that Black Mirror falls more vital than ever in season 7. 
• Cheryl Eddy declares that season 7 of  Black Mirror comes with a knife-twist of emotion
• Gabriel Tate interviews Charlie Brooker, creator of Black Mirror.
• Max Goldbart interviews Charlie Brooker. 
• Mickey O'Connell interviews Charlie Brooker. 
• Cheryl Eddy revisits the 2017 Black Mirror episode "USS Callister". 
• Cheryl Eddy reports that you can now play Thronglets, the fictional videogame from the Black Mirror episode "Plaything". 
  
• Lorna Wallace recommends five must-read short fiction collections for fans of Black Mirror

 

Tributes to Val Kilmer:

• Will Forte remembers Val Kilmer with whom he co-starred in MacGruber.
  
• Matthew Jackson remembers Val Kilmer and particularly his turn as Doc Holliday in Tombstone.
• Kimberly Pierce remembers Val Kilmer. 
  
• Readers of The Guardian remember Val Kilmer.

 

Writing, publishing and promotion: 

• Catherine Tavares explains how disability changed her writing habits. 
• Zoe Calstrom talks about writing more interesting characters. 
• Omar Hussein explains how he created a fictional serial killer.
  
• Richard Curtis explains what a shopping option is.
  
• Annie Allison reports that the U.S. Copyright Office has issued a highly anticipated report on the copyrightability of AI-generated works
  
• Ella Creamer reports that several copyright lawsuits brought by authors, publishers and newspapers against AI companies have been combined into one.
• Jeremy Szal shares some statements on AI use. 
• The American Booksellers Association explains how tariffs imposed by the Trump government affect publishing and bookselling.
  
• Sophia Stewart reports that the American Library Association has issued a report of the most challenged library books of 2024 
• Ella Creamer reports that the majority of book banning attempts at US libraries don't come from parents, but from organised far right groups. 
• Jennifer Schuessler reports that several US states are blocking the Trump government's attempts to dismantle the  Institute of Museum and Library Services

 

Awards:

•  The winners of the 2025 Pulp Factory Awards have been announced. 
• The shortlist for the 2025 Romantic Novel of the Year Awards has been announced.  
• The shortlist for the 2025 International Booker Prize has been announced. 
  
• The winners of the 2025 Olivier Awards have been announced.  
• Katcy Stephan reports that the Oscars have finally added a category for Best Stunt Design. 
  

 

Interviews: 

• Bloody Scotland: The Podcast interviews Denise Mina and Jenny Morris
  
• Eric Rickstad and Don Winslow interview each other.
• Garrick Webster interviews Nick Quantrill
• John B. Valeri interviews David Handler.
• Abir Mukherjee and Vaseem Khan interview Jeremy Vine. 
• Jenny Bartoy interviews Belinda Bauer. 
• John B. Valeri interviews Barbara Early. 
• Teresa Inge interviews Michael Rigg.
  

 

Reviews:

• Mike Parker reviews The Reluctant Sheriff by Chris Offutt
• Mandie Griffiths reviews Crucified by Lynda La Plante
  
• Mary Picken reviews When Shadows Fall by Neil Lancaster 
• Vicki Weisfeld reviews Falls to Pieces by Douglas Corleone
  
• Joseph B. Hoyos reviews Blood on the Vine by J.T. Falco
• Doreen Sheridan reviws Trust Issues by Elizabeth McCullough Keenan and Greg Wands
  
• Jen Lucas reviews Burn After Reading by Catherine Ryan Howard 
• Jen Lucas reviews The Death of Us by Abigail Dean
  
• Mary Picken reviews The Burial Place by Stig Abell  
• Runalong the Shelves reviews The Cost by Morgan Cry
  
• Adam Colclough reviews Baby Teeth by Celia Silvani  
• Lesa Holstine reviews The Summer Guests by Tess Gerritsen
  
• The Quick and the Read reviews The Secret Room by Jane Casey
• Marlene Harris reviews The Three Locks by Bonnie MacBird 
• Kevin Tipple reviews The Silence of the Dead by Colin Conway and Frank Zafiro 
  
• Robin Agnew reviews No Precious Truth by Chris Nickson.
• Jen Lucas reviews Lovers Of Franz K. by Burhan Sönmez, translated by Semi Hêzil 
• Paul Burke reviews A Pact With the Devil by Anna Legat
  
• Vicki Weisfeld reviews The Railway Conspiracy by John Shen Yen Nee and S.J. Rozan
• Lesa Holstine reviews Murder at Gulls Nest by Jess Kidd 
• Alex Wallace reviews Murder Your Employer by Rupert Holmes 
  
• Carla Schantz reviews One Sharp Stitch by Allie Pleiter.
• Robin Agnew reviews Vera Wong’s Guide to Snooping (on a Dead Man) by Jesse Q. Sutanto.
• In Search of the Classic Mystery Novel reviews Vera Wong’s Guide to Snooping (on a Dead Man) by Jesse Q. Sutanto. 
• Doreen Sheridan reviews No Roast For The Weary by Cleo Coyle and tries a recipe from the book. 
• Alex Clark reviews The Evin Prison Bakers’ Club: Surviving Iran’s Most Notorious Prisons in 16 Recipes by Sepideh Gholian
  

 

Classics reviews:

• Crossexamining Crime revisits the 1929 Lieutenant Valcour mystery Murder by the Clock by Rufus King 
• Crossexamining Crime revisits the 1941 noir novel The Black Curtain by Cornell Woolrich
  
• Crossexamining Crime revisits the 1943 Rachel Murdock mystery Cat’s Claw by Dolores Hitchens  
• Happiness is a Book revisits the 1969 Benton Safford mystery Murder in High Place by R. B. Dominic
  

 

Con and event reports:

• Joy Kluver reports about an author event featuring S.E. Lynes and Lily Samson at the West Barnes Library in Merton, UK.
• Ayo Onatade shares a call for papers for Narratives of Captivity: An Interdisciplinary Symposium in Newcastle, UK. 
• Germain Lussier shares his fifteen favourite things he saw at the 2025 CinemaCon in Las Vegas, Nevada.
  

 

Research: 

• Jenny Kleeman reports about comic artist Rebecca Burke's ordeal when detained by ICE at the US Canadian border. 
• Diana Ramirez-Simon reports that a Chinese woman detained by ICE in Arizona has committed suicide in prison.
• Larry Neumeister reports that an AI avatar attempted to argue a case before a New York City court, but that the judges were not having it. 
  

 

Free online fiction: 

• "The Hunted" by Steven Max Russo in Mystery Tribune.
• "Midnight In Paris" by Thomas Trang in Mystery Tribune.
• "Pleasant Drive" by Chelle Martin in Mysteryrat's Maze Podcast.
• "Pale Fawn" by Seamus Scanlon in Shotgun Honey.
  
  

Trailers and videos: 

• Watch a trailer for The Glass Dome.
  
• Watch a trailer for The Phoenician Scheme. 
• Watch a trailer for Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning
• Watch a trailer for The Stolen Girl. 
• Watch a trailer for Murderbot. 
  
• Watch a trailer for Like Tears in the Rain.