Crime Fiction Links of the Week for October 17, 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 Lanterns, Masterplan, Street Fighter, Ray Gunn, tributes to Eva Marie Saint and much more.
 

Crime fiction in general: 

• CrimeReads shares ten new crime novels coming out this week. 
• Molly Odintz shares her favourite debut crime novels coming out in October 2026. 
• Molly Odintz shares her favourite international crime novels coming out in October 2026.  
• Laura Wilson shares her favourite recent crime novels and thrillers. 
• CrimeReads shares LGBTQ+ crime fiction to check out this fall. 
• Keith Roysdon interviews seven crime writers on whether they prefer novels or short stories. 
• James Davis Nicoll wonders whether to distinguish between “best” and “favourite” books  
• Tom Gauld shares a cartoon about picking titles for British cosy crime novels.
• Mystery writer Mark Pryor has died aged 59. 

 

Film and TV:  

• Lacy Baugher Milas discusses the evolution of Agatha Christie on screen  
• Ellen E. Jones calls Pierre a twisty noir series and an instant crime classic  
• Lucy Mangan calls The Party a pacey, perfectly cast thriller 
• Peter Bradshaw calls Winter of the Crow an intriguing cold war thriller 
• Monica Castillo calls The Only Living Pickpocket In New York a heartbreaking throwback drama. 
• Leslie Felperin calls The Influencer Project an ick-inducing thriller  
• Arturo Serrano shares his thoughts on Verity.  
• Josh Spiegel shares his thoughts on the season 2 premiere of The Lowdown.  
• William Hughes shares his thoughts on the latest episode of Slow Horses.  
• Paul Burke shares his favourite spy shows and movies of the 1960s. 
• Cora Buhlert revisits the 1971 musical espionage comedy When My Sweetheart Gets Loud.
• Charles Carrall revisits the 2010 psychological thriller Black Swan.  
• Actor R.J. Mitte, who played Walter White Jr. in Breaking Bad, has died aged 34

 

Tributes to Eva Marie Saint:

• Eva Marie Saint, star of North by Northwest, On the Waterfront, Raintree Country, Superman Returns and many others, has died aged 102.
• Anne Billson ranks her favourites of Eva Marie Saint's movies. 
• Greg Whitmore shares photos from Eva Marie Saint's long life and career. 

 

Comments on Masterplan:

• Owen Myers calls Masterplan a heist movie that wastes Stanley Tucci. 
• Caroline Siede calls Masterplan an uninspired international heist.thriller.

 

Comments on Lanterns:

• Arturo Serrano calls Lanterns the type of science fiction that considers the inner space of the human mind as vast and fascinating as outer space.  
• Emmet Asher-Perrin shares their thoughts on "Dirt and Stars”, the season 1 finale of Lanterns. 
• Dennis Perkins shares his thoughts on "Dirt and Stars”, the season 1 finale of Lanterns. 

 

Comments on Ray Gunn: 

• Germain Lussier calls Ray Gunn a fun science fiction detective story and little more  
• Siddhant Adlakha declares that Ray Gunn gives Zootopia a run for its money in the weird metaphor department 
• Germain Lussier interviews Brad Bird, director of Ray Gunn. 

 

Comments on Street Fighter:  

• Jen Lennon declares that Street Fighter is exactly what you hoped and feared it would be  
• Jacob Oller calls Street Fighter a punishing, fetishistic mess—and that's when it's at its best. 
• Radheyan Simonpillai calls Street Fighter a largely incoherent mess 
• Anthony d'Alessandro reports that Street Fighter had a lower opening than expected, mostly driven by long-time fans.  

 

Writing, publishing and promotion: 

• Mike Glyer reports that there are once again issues with the contracts of Must-Read Magazines, this time regarding cover art.
• Jason Sanford declares that Must Read Magazines must change or they will destroy Asimov's Science Fiction, Analog Science Fiction and Fact, The Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction, Alfred Hitchcock’s Mystery Magazine and Ellery Queen’s Mystery Magazine 
• Mike Glyer reports that it appears that Must Read Magazine has caved in regarding cover art, following blowback from artists.  
• Adam Morgan reports that book publishers are quietly using more and more AI and that their staff is revolting. 
• Emma Loffhagen reports that thriller writer Lee Child is supporting a scheme to send half a million books to British prisons. 

 

Awards: 

• The 2026 Crime Fiction Lover Awards are open for nominations.

 

Interviews: 

• Alex Clark interviews Ian Rankin.
• Garrick Webster interviews Alexander Szeser. 
• Garrick Webster interviews Mona Marple. 

 

Reviews:

• Kevin Tipple reviews Fury in Death by J.D. Robb  
• Joseph B. Hoyos reviews The Bone Woman by Paige Shelton 
• Jen Lucas reviews The Cold Shore by Rachel Amphlett 
• Chris Connor reviews The Heights by Ian Rankin 
• Jen Lucas reviews The Heights by Ian Rankin 
• Kevin Tipple reviews Dead Drop by James L’Etoile 
• Jen Lucas reviews The Dying Light by Ann Cleeves 
• Mandie Griffiths reviews Everything She Didn’t Say by Jane Casey 
• Mandie Griffiths reviews It Ends Here by Heidi Perks 
• Joseph B. Hoyos reviews The Break-Up Retreat by Camilla Sten
• Lesa Holstine reviews Ten Perfect Guests by Jonathan Santlofer 
• Mandie Griffiths reviews Adam and Eve by Jeffrey Archer 
• Vicki Weisfeld reviews London Station by David McCloskey 
• Sharon Richardson reviews Quant by Anthony Bidulka 
• Vick Weisfeld reviews Shifta by Miles Joyner 
• Chris Connor reviews King Zero by Charlie Higson 
• Chris Connor reviews The Fifteenth Man by William Cook 
• In Search of the Classic Mystery Novel reviews Death At The Elephant House by Paul Waters 
• Lesa Holstine reviews Murder on 34th Street by Mariah Fredericks 
• Erin Britton reviews Murder at the Grand Alpine Hotel by Lucy Foley 
• In Search of the Classic Mystery Novel reviews Marble Hall Murders by Anthony Horowitz
• In Search of the Classic Mystery Novel reviews Bloodshed In The Bookshop by Simon Brett 
• Jen Lucas reviews The Nancys And The Secret Of Tulip Farm by R.W.R. McDonald  
• Joseph B. Hoyos reviews Any More Questions for the Corpse? by J.J. Unthank 
• Mandie Griffiths reviews The Winter Job by Antti Tuomainen, translated by David Hackston 
• Jen Lucas reviews The Winter Job by Antti Tuomainen, translated by David Hackston 

 

Classics reviews: 

• Olivia Rutigliano revisits the 1863 detective play The Ticket-of-Leave Man by Tom Taylor  
• Erin Britton revisits the 1922 mystery The Red House Mystery by A.A. Milne 
• In Search of the Classic Mystery Novel revisits the 1940 Jeff and Haila Troy mystery Made Up To Kill by Kelley Roos 
• Martin Edwards revisits the 1966 Dr. Gideon Fell mystery Panic in Box C by John Dickson Carr. 
• Martin Edwards revisits the 1968 crime novel The Long Short Cut by Andrew Garve 
• In Search of the Classic Mystery Novel revisits the 1977 Inspector Morse mystery The Silent World Of Nicholas Quinn by Colin Dexter 
• Jen Lucas revisits the 2017 David Raker crime novel I Am Missing by Tim Weaver
• Mandie Griffiths revisits the 2019 Kim Stone crime novel Dead Memories by Angela Marsons 

 

Con and event reports:

• Martin Edwards shares his experiences at the 2026 International Agatha Christie Festival in Torquay, UK.

 

Research: 

• Michael Natale takes a look at the seven men who confessed to being the infamous hijacker D.B. Cooper. 
• Mark Kessler takes a look at the criminal history of the so-called Wiregrass region of the US South.

 

Free online fiction: 

• "Fashion Victim" by Ute Orgassa in Punk Noir Magazine.

 

Trailers and videos: 

• Watch a trailer for season 9 of The Rookie.