by Susan Van Kirk | Feb 23, 2026 | Blog, fiction, mystery
What do a nasty communist mother-in-law and a Shakespeare-quoting parrot have in common? They’re both characters in my Anastasia Pollack Crafting Mystery Series. However, Ralph, the African Grey parrot, is a lot more likeable than Lucille Pollack, Anastasia’s...
by Susan Van Kirk | Nov 16, 2025 | Blog, fiction, mystery, suspense, writing novels
Are you aware Susan Van Kirk’s first book-length published work was a memoir? Yup: The Education of a Teacher (Including Dirty Books and Pointed Looks). It’s out of print now, but rumor has it that may change in 2026. Given that, I’d forgive you if...
by Susan Van Kirk | Nov 7, 2025 | fiction, historical fiction, mystery
I have enjoyed and loved Charles Finchs’ Lenox series since the day I picked up the first one. His creation, Charles Lennox, is a Victorian detective from the upper class who investigates and solves cases, eventually creating a detective agency. It would be hard...
by Susan Van Kirk | Oct 28, 2024 | fiction, mystery, suspense, writing novels
When it comes to real world mysteries, certain settings stand out as the most compelling. An opera house is one, and in my Julia Kogan Opera Mystery series I use the mischief and mayhem found behind those golden curtains to portray the setting as an important...
by Susan Van Kirk | Jun 16, 2024 | fiction, mysteries, suspense, writing
Judy Penz Sheluk, whom I met at a Malice Domestic Conference, is a Canadian author who writes mysteries. Judy’s been a great writing friend to me, and she’s helped me considerably at various times in my own writing career. She collects, edits, and...
by Susan Van Kirk | Jun 12, 2024 | book reviews, fiction, mysteries
Recently, I’ve been trying to make some progress with my TBR pile. So far, so good. Below are reviews of a couple of books I’ve read and enjoyed. I’m hoping you might like them too! Camino Ghosts by John Grisham I’ve read most of John...
by Susan Van Kirk | Jun 3, 2024 | Blog, fiction, mysteries, suspense
I grew up in a newsroom. By that, I mean that by the time I was in high school, my safe place became the newspaper office. The room dedicated to putting out the weekly paper, the school’s annual, and the hangout for what today would probably be called the uncool...
by Susan Van Kirk | Mar 25, 2024 | Blog, fiction, mysteries, small towns, suspense, writing
Today, I’m featuring another Level Best Book author, Lynn-Steven Johanson, who lives only forty minutes away from me in the heart of the country–downstate Illinois. It’s all yours, Lynn…. People often ask writers where their inspiration comes...
by Susan Van Kirk | Feb 5, 2024 | Blog, fiction, mysteries, reading, writing novels
There’s a lot to love about cozy mysteries. Almost always, they begin in a picturesque small town filled with quirky characters we can easily imagine as our neighbors and friends. While a thriller might keep us on the edge of our seats, a cozy mystery pulls us into...
by Susan Van Kirk | Oct 9, 2023 | Blog, fiction, suspense, writing
Whenever I tell someone I’m a writer, the question I’m most commonly asked is: ‘Where do you get your ideas from?’ The question supposes that ideas are phantasmal, evanescent creatures that can be plucked from the aether with the correct combination of lures and...
