Every month, Daneet Steffens uncovers the latest goings on in mystery, suspense, and crime fiction. See previous columns on the Criminal Fiction archive page

Daneet Steffens is taking a well-earned month off. But don’t worry — you can still get your Criminal Fiction fix. Browse the archives for more than a year’s worth of recommendations; Daneet casts a wide net, and every column is a gem: a handful of smart short reviews and an interview with a writer of note, topped by a recap of genre news, a list of essential articles, or a podcast worth your time (follow her on Twitter for a constant feed of the same great stuff).

Here are just a few of our favorite “quintessential interviews”:

• Ruth Ware: "I love a pub with a proper beer garden."
• Elizabeth George: "I write in silence unless my dog starts barking."
• Dennis Lehane: "There are at least 700 songs on my Infinite Writing Playlist."
• Chris Holm: "I’m fascinated by what drives good people to do bad things. By how bad one can be without becoming irredeemable. By the slipperiness of identity and what we consider to be our essential selves."
• Justine Larbalestier: "Never have more than one psychopath: it strains credibility."
• Lori Rader-Day: "What people whisper about is what they care about."

See you next month!