Stephen Usery interviews authors of mysteries, thrillers, and crime fiction.



The Big Interrogation: Thomas Maltman's first novel, the Civil War-era set The Night Birds won an Alex Award, a Spur Award, and the Friends of American Writers Literary Award. His new novel, Little Wolves is set in a small Minnesota town at the end of summer in 1987. A high school boy walks into town and kills a sheriff and then himself. His father and his English teacher both search for understanding in a town that has hidden many ills over the years.

Direct download: Case025-ThomasMaltman.mp3
Category:Arts - Literature -- posted at: 6:30am EDT
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Day Twelve: Another tale of true crime for the last of the 12 Crimes of Christmas. Alex Heard reminds of us of one of America's highest profile rape trials that became an international story. The Eyes of Willie McGee: A Tragedy of Race, Sex, and Secrets in the Jim Crow South was an Edgar finalist for true crime book of the year  

Direct download: DAY_12_-_ALEX_HEARD.mp3
Category:Arts - Literature -- posted at: 6:00am EDT
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Day Eleven: Here's brief interview with Charlaine Harris about Deadlocked, the 12th and penultimate Southern Vampire Mystery, a.k.a. The Sookie Stackhouse Books. The final book in the series, Dead Ever After, will be released in early May 2013.

Direct download: DAY_11_-_CHARLAINE_HARRIS.mp3
Category:Arts - Literature -- posted at: 9:29am EDT
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Day Ten: Eoin Colfer is best known for his Artemis Fowl series, but in 2011 he released his first grown up crime novel, Plugged. I got a chance to interview him at Bouchercon in St. Louis that year.

Direct download: DAY_10_-_EOIN_COLFER.mp3
Category:Arts - Literature -- posted at: 6:00am EDT
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Day Nine: Here's my 2010 interview with Laura Lippman about her stand-alone novel, I'd Know You Anywhere. I truly think this is one of the best interviews I've ever been a part of. Please listen.

Direct download: DAY_9_-_LAURA_LIPPMAN.mp3
Category:Arts - Literature -- posted at: 6:00am EDT
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Day Eight: Here's a 2011 interview with Bill Loehfelm about the first book in his Maureen Coughlin series, The Devil She Knows.

Direct download: DAY_8_-_BILL_LOEHFELM.mp3
Category:Arts - Literature -- posted at: 6:00am EDT
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Day Seven: I got a chance to interview Rita Mae Brown, one of the most popular mystery writers in American history. We talked about her then-recent Mrs. Murphy novel, Hiss of Death. And no, Sneakypie did not come with.

Direct download: DAY_7_-_RITA_MAE_BROWN.mp3
Category:Arts - Literature -- posted at: 6:00am EDT
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Day Six: Edgar-winner Tom Franklin is one of the most-respected writers of literary crime fiction in America. His third novel, Crooked Letter, Crooked Letter, was an Edgar finalist among many other honors. Race relations, friendships, and history converge into a story that will break your heart.

Direct download: DAY_6_-_TOM_FRANKLIN.mp3
Category:Arts - Literature -- posted at: 6:00am EDT
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Day Five: A full-length Tale of True Crime today! Hampton Sides is a native of Memphis and an award-winning writer of non-fiction. I interviewed him upon the release of Hellhound on His Trail, which chronicles the movements of James Earl Ray prior to his assassination of Martin Luther King, Jr. and his flight from the country afterwards.

Direct download: DAY_5_-_HAMPTON_SIDES.mp3
Category:Arts - Literature -- posted at: 6:00am EDT
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Day Four: A couple of years ago, Tess Gerritsen stopped by the studio to talk about the eighth installment of her best-selling Rizzoli and Isles series, Ice Cold.

Direct download: DAY_4_-_TESS_GERRITSEN.mp3
Category:Arts - Literature -- posted at: 6:00am EDT
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