Crime Fiction Blog: Reading Guides, Book Lists & Writing Craft
Reading guides, curated book lists, and writing-craft insight from Phillip Strang — author of 144 crime and thriller novels across 19 series. Explore recommendations by setting, detective, and sub-genre, and go behind the scenes on how crime fiction is built.
Best Police Procedural Novels: A Definitive Guide to Crime Fiction’s Most Realistic Genre
Police procedural novels offer readers an authentic glimpse into the methodical world of criminal investigations....
Best Cozy Mystery Novels: A Guide to Murder with a Side of Charm
When the world feels overwhelming, there’s nothing like sinking into a comfortable chair with a cup of tea and a cozy mystery novel....
The Best Dark Fantasy Novels to Read in 2026
Dark fantasy earns its name not through gore but through moral weather — worlds where power corrupts visibly, where heroism is provisional, and where the cost...
Best Urban Fantasy Novels: A Magical Journey Through Modern Cityscapes
Urban fantasy has exploded in popularity over the past two decades, bringing magic into familiar contemporary settings and transforming...
The Best Cyberpunk Novels to Read in 2026
Cyberpunk has always been less about technology than about who gets ground up by it — the genre's real subject is power, bodies and the people living in the...
Best Space Opera Novels: Epic Adventures Among the Stars
Space opera novels transport readers across vast interstellar civilizations, combining high adventure with complex characters and thought-provoking...