Crime Fiction Links of the Week for August 8, 2026

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 The Shards, Super Troopers 3, the 2026 Theakston Old Peculier Crime Fiction Festival and much more.
 

Crime fiction in general: 

• CrimeReads shares ten new crime novels coming out this week. 
• Molly Odintz shares her favourite international crime novels coming out in August 2026. 
• Lisa Gardner shares her five favourite mysteries set in New England. 
• Paraic O'Donnell explains what matters more in crime fiction than revealing the killer 
• Brianna Labuskes shares eight mysteries and thrillers with unique protagonists  
• Debbie Baldwin talks about the allure of society thrillers 
• Margrét Ann Thors talks about how writing thrillers helped her overcome lifelong fears
• Rachel Peterson talks about humor in crime fiction and thrillers. 
• Thomas Mogford explains how he moved from writing contemporary to historical crime fiction. 
• Sandra Jackson-Opuku talks about the inspiration behind her Savvy Summers cozy mysteries.  
• Olivia Rutigliano wonders what the extent of Sherlock Holmes's random scientific knowledge is.
• Benjamin Svetskey and Julian Sancton explain what Ian Fleming wanted James Bond to look like. 
• Erin Britton remembers the late Keigo Higashino. 

 

Film and TV:  

• Paul Hirons shares his favourite crime dramas currently streaming on Netflix. 
• Phil Hoad calls This Tempting Madness a watchable psychological thriller. 
• Lucy Mangan calls Possession a nightmarish plantation drama with a divisive paranormal twist   
• Garrick Webster shares his thoughts on the French crime drama Everybody Lies 
• Kayleigh Donaldson shares her thoughts on the latest episode of Furious.
• Paul Hirons shares his thoughts on episodes 3 and 4 of The Rapture. 
• Paul Hirons shares his thoughts on Spider-Noir. 
• Jack Seale calls The Salisbury Poisonings: A Spy Next Door a fascinating documentary. 
• Tam Phan revisits the 1971 crime movie Shaft. 
• Paul Hirosn revisits the 1985 Canadian crime drama Night Heat.  
• Jacob Oller revisits the 1994 gangster film Little Odessa. 
• Martin Edwards revisits the 1997 noir thriller Affliction.  
• Paul Hirons revisits the 2011 cosy crime drama Death in Paradise. 

 

Comments on The Shards:

• Saloni Gajjar calls The Shards an unwieldy, oddly compelling adaptation takes a few too many creative liberties.
• Lucy Mangan calls The Shards a story of murder and 1980s set mayhem. 
• Ben Rosenstock shares his thoughts on the first two episodes of The Shards.

 

Comments on Super Troopers 3: 

• Andrew Lawrence calls Super Troopers 3 a misfiring cop comedy threequel 
• Jesse Jassenger calls Super Troopers 3 much better than comedy sequels usually are.  

 

 

 Writing, publishing and promotion: 

• Justine Larbalastier and Scott Westerfeld talk about co-writing.
• Chris Bohjalian talks about writing his latest thriller. 
• Hugh Howey talks about writing and publishing in the age of AI. 
• Children's book writer Katherine Rundell delcares that she hates what AI is doing to the minds of the young. 

 

Awards: 

• The winner of the 2026 Munsey Award has been announced.

 

Interviews: 

• Ayo Onatade interviews Vaseem Khan. 
• John Connolly interviews Sarah Waters. 
• Ayo Onatade interviews Natasha Cooper. 
• Jenna Gordon interviews Laura Sims. 
• Garrick Webster interviews Damien Boyd. 
• Barbara Peters interviews Bryan Gruley. 
• Sisters in Crime interviews Liz Bullard. 
• Radha Vatsal interviews Erica Wright.
• Deborah Kalb interviews J.T. Ellison. 
• Authors on the Air itnerviews Lauren Nossett. 
• Garrick Webster interviews Daniel Laz. 
• Kathleen Antrim and D.P. Lyle interview Elizabeth Little 

 

Reviews:

• Mary Picken reviews One of Us is Guilty by Steve Cavanagh 
• Jen Lucas reviews One of Us is Guilty by Steve Cavanagh  
• Lesa Holstine reviews The Witch’s Orchard by Archer Sullivan 
• In Search of the Classic Mystery Novel reviews The Chapel Of Bones by Kate Ellis  
• In Search of the Classic Mystery Novel reviews In The Cold Dark Ground by Stuart MacBride 
• In Search of the Classic Mystery Novel reviews Black Summer by M.W. Craven  
• Kerry Hood reviews Under the Cold Bright Lights by Garry Disher  
• Vicki Weisfeld reviews The Blue Flame by George Pelecanos 
• Mandie Griffiths reviews A Breath on Dying Embers by Denzil Meyrick 
• Jen Lucas reviews The High Island by Lin Anderson 
• Mary Picken reviews Please Help Me by Gytha Lodge 
• Janet Webb reviews Getting Away with Murder by Shari Lapena 
• Lesa Holstine reviews Wed to the Bratva King by Sierra Voss 
• Lesa Holstine reviews Tin City by David Housewright 
• Ali Karim reviews Seething Lane by Jack Jewers 
• Paul Burke reviews Deception by Alan Parks  
• Vicki Kondelik reviews A Fatal Flourish by Kathleen Marple Kalb.
• Cathy Akers.-Jordan reviews The Castle in the Glen by Rhys Bowen. 
• Joseph B. Hoyos reviews Death at a Scottish Halloween by Lucy Connelly
• Marlene Harris reviews Murder at the Spirit Lounge by Jess Kidd
• Cathy Akers-Jordan reviews Purranormal Activity by Cate Conte.
• Robin Agnew reviews Killer Art by Jon St. Denis.
• In Search of the Classic Mystery Novel reviews A Killer In Paradise by Tom Hindle 
• Paul Burke reviews The Hotel Manager’s Guide to Murder by Erlander Arason, translated by Quentin Bates.  
• Doreen Sheridan reviews A Cyclist’s Guide To Poppies & Predicaments by Ann Claire and tries a recipe from the book. 
• Jen Lucas reviews The Art Of Getting Hammered by Joanna Wallace 

 

Classics reviews: 

• Martin Edwards revisits the 1938 crime dossier File on Claudia Cragge by Q. Patrick. 
• B.V. Lawson revisits the 1961 Hedley Nicholson mystery The Spoilt Kill by Mary Kelly. 
• Kate Jackson revisits the 1969 Masters and Green mystery Death After Evensong by Douglas Clark  
• In Search of the Classic Mystery Novel revisits the 1969 Masters and Green mystery Death After Evensong by Douglas Clark  
• Sonja van der Westhuizen revisits the 1977 historical thriller The Madman by Henning Mankell

 

Con and event reports:

• Sandra Mangan reports about the 2026 Theakston Old Peculier Crime Fiction Festival in Harrogate, Yorkshire.
• Vaseem Khan and Abir Mukherjee report about the 2026 Theakston Old Peculier Crime Fiction Festival in Harrogate, Yorkshire.

 

Research: 

• Olesya Lyuzua talks about various positive thinking cults and scams that flourished in the 1920s.

 

Free online fiction: 

• Wound Us All" by Craig Kirchner in The Five-Two. 

 

Trailers and videos: 

• Watch a trailer for The X-Files: I Want to Believe – Vrach Frankenshteyn  
• Watch a trailer for The Only Living Pickpocket in New York.