Close

Opening Line

The opening line of a story should grab a reader’s attention like a flash of lightning, the sound of tires squealing to a stop, the blast of an air horn, or the bugle of a bull elk rumbling through dark woods. A well-crafted opening line is a tease, a seduction, a baited hook that threatens…

Book Binge

Over the holiday weekend, I caught a bug and spent nearly a week inside, avoiding the cold snap of weather and partaking in an epic book binge. The days passed quickly as I blazed through five books in as many days. And with the holidays upon us and winter bearing down, I thought it would…

San Fernando Body Dump

The call had come in as a body dump. The media gathered in the parking lot among the spectators, many of them pressed against the yellow tape that had been strung from a corner of the building to a light pole fifty yards away, and then fifty yards across the parking lot to another pole…

Ghettoside: Part II

Ghettoside: A True Story of Murder in America As they walked him out of the building, Devin was back to whining. He wanted something—a soda. Skaggs turned, and for an instant, the calm, imperturbable patina he had maintained for two decades of working homicides slipped. Farell caught his look, surprised; he had never known Skaggs…