Not saying I’m on too many platforms, but I just got a notification that someone followed me on Substack and my first thought was, “Wait, I have a Substack?”

Wowsers. CAPE FEAR is some mighty fine TV.

“MOTHER MAY I is as fierce and relentless as a Texas tornado. Don’t mess with an ex-CIA agent on a quest to find her long lost daughter.” —Meg Gardiner, #1 New York Times bestselling author of SHADOWHEART . Thank you @meggardiner.bsky.social the kind words!

Publishing is a hard business. Here’s something they never talk about in creative writing class. What it’s like to find your books in a used bookstore….inscribed to someone. #mysterywriting #amwriting #thrillerbooks

Pleased to announce that my latest short story is headed to Alfred Hitchcock’s Mystery Magazine this fall. What a thrill to place a story with one of the great mystery publications. Stay tuned for more details.

What do you do when you can’t figure out what happens next in your story? I like to talk to my writers group. Just make sure you sit down at the right table. If you were working on a mystery or a crime thriller—or any piece of fiction—what’s your go-to method to get over writer’s block?

TAKEN meets THELMA & LOUISE in this adrenaline-rush read that packs plenty of heart in with the non-stop action. This may be Harry's best novel yet." Thank you Lee Goldberg for your kind words! MOTHER MAY I is now available for preorders. See link in bio to snag your copy today!

THE OSWALD TRILOGY: All three novels in the Shamus Award-nominated series of hard-boiled PI novels by Harry Hunsicker. “If this doesn’t light you up, seek immediate medical help.” —Lee Child https://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/asin/B0BXBLMXR8/brash-twitter-20

Anthony Award ballots are due today for those of you attending Bouchercon in Calgary this October. If you haven’t yet voted, I would appreciate your consideration for my short story “The Girl of Steel” in Dark Yonder Issue 11. Thanks!

Really enjoyed CRIME 101. As heist movies go, this one checks all the boxes. Action packed, a sympathetic hero, and a great story. Bonus points for Barry Keoghan’s excellent portrayal of a motorcycle-riding sociopath. (Confession: I didn’t know Nick Nolte was still alive.)

Watching Don Siegel’s MADIGAN (1968), a gritty precursor to his film DIRTY HARRY. Richard Widmark is a cop who has 72 hours to find the gun he lost or he’ll run afoul of Henry Fonda, the police commish. Bonus points for everyone wearing a fedora and having a mistress.

I’m thirty minutes into HAMNET. Great movie so far but why does everything happen at a Steak and Ale?

I had zero expectations going into SENTIMENTAL VALUE (family drama, dysfunctional father-daughter relationship, subtitled…🤦‍♂️) but this may be my favorite Oscar nominee of the year.

I sure like to write except for the writing part.

If you’re wondering how Snow Lockdown is going at my house, I’m currently watching a YouTube video of a guy singing the Epic of Gilgamesh in the original Sumerian.

For your end of the year viewing pleasure, allow me to suggest RELAY on Netflix, about a fixer who helps whistleblowers while hiding his identity using a relay service for the deaf. That pitch does not do justice to the film. It’s edge-of-your-seat tension from start to finish.

My personal noir film festival continues with John Cassavetes’ THE KILLING OF A CHINESE BOOKIE. Ben Gazzara, owner of the saddest strip club in LA, is a degenerate gambler who finds himself in debt to some bad people. Complications ensue. Great film if for nothing more than the gritty 1970s setting.

My personal Thanksgiving film festival continues with Yorgos Lanthimos’ THE LOBSTER, a bleak but humorous story about a dystopian future where you have 30 days to find love or you’ll be turned into the animal of your choice. Spoiler: It gets weird after that. Really enjoyed the film.

Why aren’t more people talking about AMERICANA, Tony Tost’s crime thriller/neo noir western? Utterly captivating film. Quirky, darkly humorous, maybe a little too languid for some. I loved it. Think Quentin Tarantino crossed with Wim Wenders but very much its own thing.

New obsession: THE BEAST IN ME. Murder and intrigue. Secrets. The crazy woman from Homeland still being crazy. Four episodes in and I have no idea what the payoff is but I’m up for the ride. Totally bingeable.

Guillermo del Toro’s FRANKENSTEIN. Bad dads make bad dads. I loved every frame. Spectacular film.

Finally watched THE BRUTALIST, which, come to find out, is not named for its nearly four hour runtime. (Though honestly it didn’t feel that long.) The film is excellent but depressing. In a nutshell: artists be crazy; don’t trust rich dudes. Stellar performances from Adrian Brody and Guy Pearce.

New holiday tradition: drive around my neighborhood in mid November and silently judge people who have Xmas trees in their windows.

Spotted in the wild! Thank you Garcia Street Books for stocking THE LIFE AND DEATH OF ROSE DOUCETTE! This is my latest crime thriller and a 2025 Thriller Award nominee. If you’re in Santa Fe and need something to read, Garcia Street Books has a great selection.

Getting my 1950s melodrama on with Vincent Minnelli’s SOME CAME RUNNING. Frank Sinatra is a hard-drinking writer learning how hard it is to return home. Dean Martin is his pal, a professional gambler. Yes, it’s as awesome as it sounds.

I loved every frame of SINNERS. See it if you haven’t. <End of Post>

Mr. Blonde has left the building. RIP Michael Madsen. www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news...

Looking for a great cop show? Check out DEPARTMENT Q on Netflix. It’s about a burnt out antisocial detective assigned to handle cold cases. Yeah we’ve seen this before, but show runner Scott Frank (The Queen’s Gambit) manages to put a fresh binge-worthy spin on it.

Writers Group Field Trip. The Circus Cemetery in Hugo, Oklahoma.

Dear hair: please grow fast. Not saying I got a bad haircut, but I do look like I’m in a Flock of Seagulls cover band.

It’s hard to adequately describe how much I don’t care about the Met Gala.

Thanks for reading!

If you’re in the neighborhood, please join me this June at #thrillerfest in NYC. I’m going to be on a killer panel on Saturday with some great authors. Very much looking to that, not to mention the awards banquet that night. #thrillerawards #internationalthrillerwriters #rosedoucette #mysterywriters

How would one go about acquiring a dire wolf as a pet? Asking for a friend.

The Studio on AppleTV. Funniest show on TV right now. Embrace the cringe.

Car chases galore. Willem Dafoe barely old enough to shave. 1980s soundtrack by Wang Chung. Why yes, I am watching TO LIVE AND DIE IN LA. And it is as glorious as I remembered.

Meta is stealing authors’ work to train their AI. I searched my name and this is the first thing that came up. Have fun with that, AI Overlords. (Also, stop the stealing!)

How come nobody’s talking about DOPE THIEF on AppleTV+? I loved the book, and the show is every bit as good.

Private Eye Panel at Left Coast Crime. Great crowd! Glad the mosh pit didn’t get out of control like last time.

How many times a week can you google yourself before it gets weird?

What a great way to start a Monday! Shortlisted for a Thriller Award by the International Thriller Writers!Congrats to my fellow nominees.

Really enjoyed THE PRESIDENT’S LAWYER by Lawrence Robbins, an Edgar nominee for best first novel. The story is about a former president standing trial for murder and the attorney representing him. Some great twists that I didn’t see coming.

Being a writer is to reading what being a porn star is to sex. It takes some of the fun out of it.

Really enjoyed The Menu. Ralph Fiennes is like Gordon Ramsey in Hell’s Kitchen but not as warm and cuddly.

I love dogs and good reviews. Wait…can that dog read?

If you’re of a certain age—and even if you’re not—check out SATURDAY NIGHT on @netflix. It’s the story of Lorne Michaels and the 90 minutes before Saturday Night Live aired for the first time. Great film. Bonus points for J. K. Simmons’s use of a prosthetic to portray Milton Berle.

Had a great time at the turtlecreekparkconservancy fundraiser, taking about my new crime thriller The Life and Death of Rose Doucette. Many thanks to @interabangbooks for handling the sales. We sold a lot of copies!