Today marks the release of All the Crime in the World: Locked Room Mysteries and Impossible Puzzles from Across the Globe, edited by Gigi Pandian and Tom Mead, and I'm delighted to have my story "The Fourth Guest" included among its fourteen original impossible-crime tales. This is a particularly exciting anthology for fans of locked-room… Continue reading All the Crime in the World Is Here!
I sometimes fall into the trap of thinking of children's murder mysteries as stepping stones—books that get young readers interested in the genre before they graduate to the "real" mysteries as adults. The Big Bad Wolf Murder reminded me how unfair that way of thinking is. This is simply a well-crafted mystery, regardless of the… Continue reading The Big Bad Wolf Murder
I ended up ordering the next proof of Goodnight Irene. I think it's done. I love the imagery and the colors. I might be uploading this and removing the old Irene sooner rather than later. Editing on The Opening Night Murders is going slowly. Today was productive nonetheless. I outlined a new scene and made… Continue reading Editing update: The Opening Night Murders 2.0
As these Friday adventures have continued, my strategy has become clearer. I want to hike trails in the morning and early afternoon. Then, I want to visit towns in Illinois that I've never been to...which is most of them. Yesterday, I started off with Humistan Woods. It was difficult finding the place. There were multiple… Continue reading Humiston Woods and Pontiac
I got the author's copy of the new Goodnight Irene paperback. The text is far too thin and the image far too dark, especially the back. This happens a lot. The look of a digital image is brighter than that of a physical copy. I still remember the first proof of The Opening Night Murders… Continue reading Editing Project Update 7/20/26
James Scott Byrnside 