CRIMINALLY BRIEF by Steve Steinbock It’s an odd paradox that the postings on a blog devoted to short fiction are so long. The weblog columns of those of us here at Criminal Brief tend to be on the longish side as far as weblogs go. That’s no crime. Columns and feature stories in print magazines […]

PHONE-LAG by Steve Steinbock I know people who have given up their land-lines and now use wireless (cellular) phones exclusively. This summer, being away from home, I’ve had to rely on my cell phone for all telephone communications. I’m not a phone-junkie, but after two months, I can’t wait to have access to my home […]

A HUNDRED AND NINETY-TWO by Steve Steinbock A Hundred and ninety-two. That’s the number of pages in the current Double Issue of Ellery Queen’s Mystery Magazine (September/ October 2009). I mentioned it last week, only briefly. At the time, with my regular subscription copy a few thousand miles away, I’d just procured a copy at […]

DEAD RINGERS AND HUMDINGERS by Steve Steinbock This week Rob wrote a wonderful piece on pastiches in which he referred to Dave Zeltserman’s “Julius Katz,” which is the lead story in the newest issue (Sept./Oct. 2009) of Ellery Queen’s Mystery Magazine. I had hoped to devote today’s column to reviewing that issue. It’s a humdinger, […]

MYSTERY TOUR by Steve Steinbock I don’t know if I ever mentioned it to the Criminal Brief community at large, but I’ve been on the road all summer with my two teen-age sons. We’re in Seattle right now, doing family catch-up time with my sisters and their families. Last week the boys were getting bored. […]

GENERATION GAFFS by Steve Steinbock All writers and most non-writers know the old adage, write what you know.  Most writers are smart enough to ignore it. But when trying to write faithful to a particular age or generation that is not one’s own, that foul old rule often hits us right where it hurts.  Good […]

STEAL this BURGLAR by Steve Steinbock For the past two weeks I’ve been trying to get to the point, but my meandering brain keeps getting in the way. So before I digress again, here’s my thesis: G.K. Chesterton’s invention of “Father Brown” (1910) marked a watershed moment in detective fiction. By pitting the modest, diminutive […]