blog – Mike Donohue Books

Darkness Unveiled: Top 5 Dennis Lehane Books You Can’t…

One of my favorite crime writers, Dennis Lehane, is back with a new novel next week, Small Mercies. It’s been a long time coming. It’s his first since 2017’s Since We Fell. He took time off from novels, but he was still writing, mostly for television, including The Wire, Mr. Mercedes, and the recent Apple TV limited series Blackbird. Set in 1974 amid the Boston busing crises, Small Mercies appears to blend three of his consistent motifs: history, crime, working-class Boston, and his exploration of the darker side of human nature. Lehane is known for his meticulous research and his ability to create vivid and immersive settings. Advance reviews have been glowing and I can’t wait to read it.

The History and Flavor of the Oklahoma Onion Burger:…

If you read The Salt House, you might recall it continues Max’s love of diner food, this time hitting up the southwest for one of the most beloved burgers in the United States – the Oklahoma onion burger. This burger has a fascinating history and a unique flavor that keeps people coming back for more. The Oklahoma onion burger appears to be having a bit of a moment recently, including a write up and recipe in The New York Times. Great! More people deserve to know about this quirky American classic.

Uncover the Best Mysteries & Thrillers Published Since 2012

Mysteries, thrillers, and suspense books have been capturing the imaginations of readers for centuries. Whether it’s the twists and turns of a classic whodunit or the nail-biting suspense of a psychological thriller, there’s something about this genre that keeps us readers coming back for more. In this post, I’ll be discussing the my picks for the best mysteries, thrillers, and suspense books published in the last ten years.

Shaking the Tree Audiobook – Coming this Fall

Shaking the Tree is now officially in audiobook production with Tom Campbell narrating.

Here is a quick 30 second tease from the book’s opening prologue.

Best Mystery & Thrillers of ’21 Lists

I never met a book list that I didn’t click on. Maybe you share my compulsion? Then let me make it easier for you.

I am aggregating every mystery, thriller, suspense, or crime fiction online year-end book list I find. I will be making updates regularly.

Please feel free to e-mail me with any I have missed.

(Last update: January 19th)

Me, Max, & a Podcast

I had a great time recently reading an excerpt from BURN THE NIGHT and talking Max, the impact of setting, genre tropes, writing, and thrillers with fellow author Alexandra Amour on the It’s a Mystery Podcast.

5 of My Favorite Philly Places

Max Strong returns next week in BURN THE NIGHT, the fifth book in the series. Max is lying low driving nights for a car service when he picks up a woman in a bloody wedding dress with a mysterious box. Max soon finds himself forced from the shadows and drawn into a dangerous vendetta with a long history.

This one is set in Philadelphia. A place where I still have a lot of family and visit often. America’s fifth largest city has a lot to offer from food, to history, to art, to nightlife.

The book was a blast to write and it was really fun to “virtual” re-visit a lot of my favorite places in the city. Read more “5 of My Favorite Philly Places” →

Mystery or Thriller?

The next Max Strong, TROUBLE WILL FIND ME, is currently out with beta-readers and will be published next month. I’m excited for the rest of you to soon get a chance to read Max’s latest adventure.

While the first three Max’s were more straight thrillers, I’ve found myself almost apologizing (writers – such insecure creatures) that this latest is less thriller and more mystery but blends elements of both genres. Someone finally asked me what the hell I meant. Fair question. I probably spend more time than most thinking about these things. Read more “Mystery or Thriller?” →

My Favorite Current Thriller Series

One of my favorite things as a reader and crime fiction fan is to discover a new series. Even better if it’s well established with plenty of books to catch up on. I know I won’t have to wonder what book I’ll be reading next for a little while. And once I catch up, I know I can look forward to spending some time with ‘new friends’ each year.

Often it’s the high concept hook or unconventional crime that will initially drawn you in but once you commit to a series the crimes rarely matter all the much, you keep coming back for the characters. Sure, justice and catching the bad guy are great but series are a staple in the mystery and suspense genre for creating compelling characters and worlds that you want to keep coming back to, not only for the action and thrills, but for the emotional attachment to the characters. Read more “My Favorite Current Thriller Series” →

8 Characteristics of a Thriller

I just finished up the first draft of my fourth full length Max Strong thriller. A first draft is a long way from done. I’ll spend the next month, at least, editing and refining but a first draft is a good time to see if the bones of the story are working. Will it meet reader’s expectations for the genre? If those aren’t in place now, it’s hard to add them later. So what are the most important elements or characteristics of a modern commercial thriller?

These are the 8 plot elements that I make sure are in each of my novels. These are what I would expect as a reader (there are of course exceptions to every rule) when I cracked the spine on a thriller. If they are missing…the reader will notice. They might not know why but they will feel disappointed or let down by the book. Writer, omit these at your own peril! Read more “8 Characteristics of a Thriller” →

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