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Articles by E.A. Aymar
An Interview with Hilary Davidson
“Jackie Swift’s professional and personal worlds collide one night when she gets a call from her younger sister, Madi, telling her she overdosed. Rushing to the rescue, Jackie stumbles on an awful scene at an Upper East Side mansion. Madi is nowhere to be found, but she’s left behind a dead body.
Raps of Resistance: How Kendrick Lamar and J. Cole Reignited a Hip-Hop Tradition
Raps of Resistance: How Kendrick Lamar and J. Cole Reignited a Hip-Hop Traditiongoes far beyond its subtitle. More than simply a celebration of the two titular, iconic rappers, this study by professor Jeremy C. McCool and journalist Earl Hopkins is an unvarnished exploration of the history of hip hop (both the good and the bad), the importance of the tradition, and how the music has grown into a global phenomenon.
'The First Time I Saw Him' review: Hubby returns in gripping sequel
"The First Time I Saw Him" by Laura Dave. MUST CREDIT: Scribner By E.A. AymarThe Washington PostJanuary 29, 2026 11:03 am THE FIRST TIME I SAW HIM by Laura Dave (Scribner, 288 pp., $29) Laura Dave struck literary gold in 2021 with "The Last Thing He Told Me," a propulsive thriller about a woman named Hannah Hall whose husband, Owen Michaels, disappears. That bestselling novel was a Reese’s Book Club pick and is now an Apple TV series starring Jennifer Garner.
3 twisty new thrillers make for perfect company in winter’s chill
3 twisty new thrillers make for perfect company in winter’s chill (washingtonpost.com) 3 twisty new thrillers make for perfect company in winter’s chill By E.A. Aymar 2026012413010400 'The First Time I Saw Him' by Laura Dave Laura Dave struck literary gold in 2021 with "The Last Thing He Told Me," a propulsive thriller about a woman named Hannah Hall whose husband, Owen Michaels, disappears.
Slough House’s lovable sad sacks are back in ‘Clown Town’
Slough House’s lovable sad sacks are back in ‘Clown Town’ (washingtonpost.com) Slough House’s lovable sad sacks are back in ‘Clown Town’ By E.A. Aymar 2025090815000000 Mick Herron's Slough House series is all about outcasts — its heroes are a group of ragtag spies in exile from MI5's London headquarters. But on screen and on the page, these losers are having a winning moment.
A new thriller asks: Can a dying woman solve her own murder?
A new thriller asks: Can a dying woman solve her own murder? (washingtonpost.com) A new thriller asks: Can a dying woman solve her own murder? By E.A. Aymar 2025071811000000 Jet Mason has seven days to solve a murder — her own. This is the clever premise of Holly Jackson's new thriller, "Not Quite Dead Yet." The novel, Jackson's first for adults, opens on Halloween night when Jet, the snarky daughter of one of the richest families in Woodstock, Vermont, is violently attacked in her kitchen.
Review | Never mind that this is a crime novel, ‘Bitterfrost’ is all heart
Bryan Gruley has built a career writing about small towns with tragic names — Starvation Lake, Purgatory Bay, Bleak Harbor. He has conjured up another in Bitterfrost, which is also the title of his eighth book.
William Boyle’s new thriller hooks readers with more than suspense
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Review | William Boyle’s new thriller hooks readers with more than suspense
Jane the Stain, Religious Pete, All Bad Allie, Widow Marie: The characters in William Boyle’s new novel, “Saint of the Narrows Street,” are a colorful bunch. Denizens of Gravesend, a working-class Italian neighborhood in Brooklyn, they are bound by a curse common among Americans: the unrealized hope of leaving their enclave for a better life. At the center of the story is Risa Franzone, who kills her abusive husband, Sav, one night in 1986 — hitting him with a cast-iron pan in their kitchen.
Stories for Children
On Wednesday of last week, at five in the morning, our 10-year-old son quickly padded down the hall from his bedroom to ours and climbed into bed between me and my wife. She and I were already awake, quietly talking about the election. “Who won?” he asked. We told him Donald Trump had won. He knew we’d voted for Kamala Harris, and he knew the reasons why. And, that morning, we talked a little about the election results and what they might mean. And I could see that he was growing worried.
Review | Violence in thrillers can be gratuitous. It feels necessary in ‘Exposure’
Review by E.A. Aymar October 17, 2024 at 10:30 a.m. EDT “Exposure” is a necessarily violent book. The novel, a sequel to Ramona Emerson’s critically acclaimed “Shutter” (2022), opens with a frank description of a family brutally murdered in their home: “Mother’s and daughter’s bodies were unusually twisted together, falling together after they were shot.” Understandably, some readers will find Emerson’s portrayals off-putting.
Review | Most crime novelists are afraid to address politics. Not Attica Locke.
Review by E.A. Aymar August 30, 2024 at 7:00 a.m. EDT Crime fiction authors are generally comfortable writing about any number of awful crimes, but often we’re hesitant to write about topical, controversial issues, particularly when real-life politicians or political parties are held at fault. Many of us prefer to remain in the dispassionate, neutered realm of objectivity; also there’s the crass fear of alienating huge swaths of readers who don’t agree with us.
‘Hunted’ has the rush of a thriller without the unnecessary violence
The setup may sound familiar, but “Hunted,” the new thriller from Abir Mukherjee, offers a welcome alternative to the typical cops-and-robbers thriller. Days after a terrorist organization kills dozens of people in a Los Angeles shopping mall, law enforcement officials arrest Sajid Khan at his place of employment in London and ruthlessly interrogate and beat him, seeking information about his 18-year-old daughter.
Review | Walter Mosley again shows why he is a master of crime fiction
A crop of new, talented crime-fiction writers has begun to make its mark — appearing on bestseller lists, earning award nominations and filling spots at respected book festivals. This is encouraging, even as the genre’s lodestars remain. Smoothly gliding through this chorus of hungry voices is Walter Mosley. His latest Easy Rawlins mystery, “Farewell, Amethystine,” shows that he is still at the top of a genre he helped to pioneer.
Review | ‘Hunted’ has the rush of a thriller without the unnecessary violence
The setup may sound familiar, but “Hunted,” the new thriller from Abir Mukherjee, offers a welcome alternative to the typical cops-and-robbers thriller. Days after a terrorist organization kills dozens of people in a Los Angeles shopping mall, law enforcement officials arrest Sajid Khan at his place of employment in London and ruthlessly interrogate and beat him, seeking information about his 18-year-old daughter.
The Importance of Humor in Crime Fiction
This isn’t exactly the hottest take you’ll come across today…but crime is bad. Even experiencing a minor crime is pretty terrible. But that doesn’t mean you can’t have fun with it! No wait, I said that wrong. That sucks. Sorry. Let me start over.
Crime Fiction Releases to Look Forward to This Year
Thriller writer E.A. Aymar recommends new and upcoming 2024 crime fiction releases you won’t want to miss! Amid the constant chaos and uncertainty of publishing – layoffs, AI-generated work, feverish book bans – I feel oddly optimistic to be a writer nowadays. Publishing, of course, always seems to be on the ropes, and industry prophets are forever foretelling its doom but, in the last few years, there has been such an explosive growth and increasing diversity in crime fiction.
Review | 'Smoke Kings’ is a thrilling look at vigilante justice
In fiction, revenge is often reduced to its simplest form — a hero has been undeniably wronged and must seek retribution. The hero’s motives are never doubted, not by the author, the audience or the protagonist. There may be a slight moral reckoning at the degree of vengeance taken, but rest assured, the audience will be satisfied by the conclusion. We’re ecstatic that John Wick has murdered hundreds to find justice for his dead dog.
Review | The ‘Gone Girl’-style thriller you were waiting for is here
Comment Save Gillian Flynn’s “Gone Girl” was far from being the first psychological thriller, but it was one of the most successful in recent years, widening the door for outstanding writers including Megan Abbott, Angie Kim, Kathleen Barber, Jennifer Hillier and Tara Laskowski. Lindsay Hunter should be considered in those lofty ranks.
An Interview with Lydia Kang and Alex Segura
It’s not difficult to find critics of what Marvel and Star Wars have done in recent years. Given how their sprawling storytelling efforts have dominated the entertainment industry, both properties have received occasional indignant pushback and imitation. While shows like “Andor” and “WandaVision” were revered as critical successes, their influence and fandom have been met with no small amount of discontent (mainly from Martin Scorsese, but also some others).
Ava Glass isn't her real name, but her thrillers are the real thing
By Ava Glass Bantam. 336 pp. $28 - - - Advertisement Article continues below this ad There is, within spy fiction, some consternation that the genre has typically favored male writers and protagonists, content to leave women in the shadows. Thankfully, writers like Ava Glass, Alma Katsu, I.S. Berry and others are stepping out of those shadows and using their real-life experiences and considerable narrative powers to reframe the field. Glass's new novel, "The Traitor," is a case in point.
Review | Ava Glass isn’t her real name, but her thrillers are the real thing Original
There is, within spy fiction, some consternation that the genre has typically favored male writers and protagonists, content to leave women in the shadows. Thankfully, writers like Ava Glass, Alma Katsu, I.S. Berry and others are stepping out of those shadows and using their real-life experiences and considerable narrative powers to reframe the field. Glass’s new novel, “The Traitor,” is a case in point.
Female Friendships in Crime and Thriller Novels
Female friendships can be complicated—just like the women in them. My own best friend and I have been through it all. The ups: laughing so hard our sides hurt about jokes from years before; confessing our deepest secrets; crying on each other’s shoulders. The downs: growing apart during university; awkward catch-ups via messages on birthdays that sometimes went unanswered; getting into stupid arguments and simmering about them for far too long. But I know I can call her anytime, and she’ll be there.
Female Friendships in Crime and Thriller Novels
Female friendships can be complicated—just like the women in them. My own best friend and I have been through it all. The ups: laughing so hard our sides hurt about jokes from years before; confessing our deepest secrets; crying on each other’s shoulders. The downs: growing apart during university; awkward catch-ups via messages on birthdays that sometimes went unanswered; getting into stupid arguments and simmering about them for far too long. But I know I can call her anytime, and she’ll be there.
Review | Former flight attendant T.J. Newman’s novel is the ultimate airplane read Original
Comment on this story Comment T.J. Newman faced a nearly impossible task. Her first novel, “Falling,” was one of the most successful publishing stories of 2021: It debuted at No. 2 on the New York Times bestseller list, it was translated into more than 30 languages, and film rights were sold after an intense bidding war. Second novels are notoriously difficult, from both a commercial and a creative standpoint. For Newman, the stakes and expectations are even higher.
NO HOME FOR KILLERS
by E.A. Aymar ‧ Think your family is dysfunctional? Welcome to the big time. The Peña siblings have never exactly been close, but the rifts between them have widened to gulfs since their mother’s funeral two years ago, the last time either former social worker Melinda or nonprofit marketer Emily spoke to their brother, Markus, a well-known performer of protest songs.
Location, Location, Location
I re-discovered Jill Krementz’s The Writer’s Desk by accident. It was buried in a box, the lengthy shape of its covers unhelpfully sized for any bookcase, which is peculiar for a book of particular interest to writers and readers. I loved this collection of photos and short essays — showcasing the places where many members of the 20th century’s literary canon composed their most famous works — when I first read it a year after it was published in 1997.
Women Writing Women in Crime Fiction
It’s always seemed odd to me that, in crime fiction, a moment of intimacy is a moment too far. Especially since quite a few of the books in our genre happily dwell on the minute details of depraved murders. But I’ve noticed something different lately. More and more writers are willing to cross into ground long considered forbidden in service of their characters. And when I refer to intimacy, it’s not just sex.
A Question of Character: On James Patterson and Diversity in Crime Fiction
Ah, the classics. He’s since apologized and the news cycle has slogged on, but James Patterson’s comments were familiar to many of us. I’ve heard variations of this complaint from fellow novelists for years now, always from white men. It usually comes after they’ve confided about a rejection of some sort, and I feel that unsettling dread marginalized people are familiar with, that sense that you’re about to be blamed for someone’s lack of success. And then it happens.
A Conversation with Alex Segura
There was a lot of pressure on Alex Segura; there always is when an author is poised to publish their breakout novel. Segura had already achieved success with his award-winning short fiction and the five books in his Pete Fernandez mystery series, and he’d made a name for himself in the crime fiction community by taking on various leadership roles. But Secret Identity, his newest novel, was different.
Writing Outside Representation
Lately, I’ve been thinking about Mitch Albom’s panicked column last year. For those that don’t remember, the controversy about American Dirt was in its heyday, and Albom wrote about his frustration that writers aren’t allowed to write outside their own identity. He worried that writers would only be allowed to rep their own race and sex, and lamented at the amount of famous work that would never have been published.
An Author's Balancing Act
By E.A. Aymar | This snippet, from an interview on WGBH News with a former prostitute recalling her life at 14, spurred my new novel: “Whenever I would get into a car, some part of me hoped that this guy would see me as the child I was and I wouldn’t have to do it.
The Unrepentant by E.A. Aymar, Paperback | Barnes & Noble®
Read an Excerpt CHAPTER 1 Mace Peterson expected to see silhouettes of trees, a surprised deer or two, the smudge of a shadowed moon, maybe even a startled snake slithering away at midnight in the woods of Baltimore County. What he hadn't expected was some man pulling a struggling woman out of a car's trunk. Another man emerges from the passenger side. Mace shrinks back into the trees on the other side of the road, hoping he doesn't snap a twig.
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