Craig Kingsman's Blog

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Who would think that a local, independent bookstore would run what may be the best mystery writers conference in the country? But that’s exactly what I got this past weekend at the Book Passage Mystery Writers Conference held at the Book Passage location just north of San Francisco in Corte Madera. Now you might be … Continue reading Book Passage Mystery Writers Conference →

Fiction writers often worry about using real brand names and company names, for fear that they’ll get sued. If you put the product or company in a good light, you’ll be fine. However…and this is important…make sure you use the name correctly. There are a few of ways you can get this wrong. The first …

I frequently see questions similar to “Does the Medical Examiner pick up the body from the crime scene and then do the autopsy?” or “Does the coroner always do an autopsy?” I’m going to try to give you some general information here. If you’re writing about a real location, contact your ME or Coroner to … Continue reading Coroner, Medical Examiner, or Something Else? →

As you know, TV usually gets many things wrong about how cops work. In my Write Crime Right presentation, I discuss many of these, then talk about how cops really work. This class is suitable for writers in any genre. Contact me if you want me to present to your writer group. One area I … Continue reading Arrests on TV →

Well, 2021 is behind us. I join many others by sharing a list of the best books I read during the year. Some were published in 2021, others many years ago. Craft If you’ve ever wanted to ask some of the world’s greatest mystery writers for their advice on writing, Howdunit: A Master Class in … Continue reading Best Books of 2021 →

Earlier this year, I read a book in which the main character visited a foreign embassy in Los Angeles. Hold on, I thought. No way he can visit an embassy in L.A. There’s not a single one there. None. From any country. Luckily I was a beta-reader and the author was able to fix the … Continue reading The Foreign Embassy →

We’ve all heard stories of the celebrity who is stalked by a psycho fan. But we’ve never heard it as told in Fan Fiction: A Mem-Noir Inspired by True Events written by Brent Spiner. The story opens on the set of Star Trek: The Next Generation where Spiner is removing the gold makeup that turns … Continue reading Review: Fan Fiction →

Attorney Gil Henry gets a call to help a woman sell some stock. He’s not exactly the right person to do this, but he helps anyway. And that’s when trouble starts. His car tire is shot out. The man trying to buy the stock is shot to death. His client’s adopted brother is arrested for … Continue reading Review: The Rat Began to Gnaw the Rope →

Naia Thulin is ready to leave the Major Case squad in Denmark for a new position with the cybercrimes unit, NC3. But when she’s suddenly paired with Hess, a screw-up from Europol in the Hague who has been sent back to Denmark, she can’t wait to get out. They are soon assigned to investigate a … Continue reading Review: The Chestnut Man →