CHRIS HOLM

Wanna score some killer book swag, from signed copies to namesake characters, while supporting a vital cause? Of course you do! Who wouldn't? That's why you owe it to yourself to check out this awesome online auction benefitting the Transgender Law Center ! Bidding opens 3/26, but you can browse right now—and if you feel like bidding on personalized, first-edition hardcovers of THE KILLING KIND, RED RIGHT HAND, and CHILD ZERO from my private stash of author’s copies, you'll find that listing here .

Maine Crime Wave 2024 is nigh! If you're an aspiring crime writer who lives in New England, you owe it to yourself to check this conference out. It's intimate enough to afford attendees ample opportunities to chat with authors, yet respected enough to attract ferocious talent such as ITW cofounder Gayle Lynds, MWA Grand Master Katherine Hall Page, and 2024 Crime Master Michael Koryta, to name but a few. I'll be there, as will the missus , and a veritable boatload of amazing authors. If you're interested in attending, you can learn more here . Hope to see you there!

Yea verily, I am pleased, for Bouchercon 2023 is nearly upon us! If you, too, are San Diego-bound, here's where you can find me—and, more importantly, my better third by weight : Crime & Punishment: Prison, Death, and Other Ways to Deal with the Antagonists Thursday, August 31 12:45 to 1:35 PM w/R.G. Belsky, John C. Foster, James Hankins, Rob Hart, and Sarah Tomlinson (m) Readers Panel: Book Clubs, Blogs, Reviewing, and Reading Thursday, August 31 12:45 to 1:35 PM Rich Ehisen, Larry Gandle, Katrina Niidas Holm, Kristopher Zgorski, and Lisa Benton (m) The eagle-eyed among you may have noticed that Katrina and I are scheduled opposite each other. That's right: it's in an honest-to-God, no-holds-barred Spaceholm* Thunderdome! Truth is, I'm bummed I'll miss her panel, because I'm sure it'll be a kick, and I'm even more bummed she'll miss mine, because sneaking peeks at her is the only way I can ever tell if I'm blathering like an idiot. That sai...

Maine Crime Wave is almost here! The festivities begin Friday, June 9, with an event that's free and open to the public ! After she receives the Maine CrimeMaster Award, Guest of Honor Carla Neggers will be sitting down with fellow New York Times bestseller Julia Spencer-Fleming for what promises to be a fascinating conversation. In addition, several of this year's attendees—including yours truly—will be reading short samples of their work. There'll be complimentary appetizers, a cash bar, and books available for purchase/signing, so don't miss out ! Then, on Saturday, June 10, registered attendees will be treated to a full day of killer programming in a friendly and intimate setting, with plenty of opportunities for informal chats with panelists in between. If you're interested in registering, you can do so here . I hope to see you there!

Three dang years. That's how long it's been since we've been able to celebrate the biggest mystery event of the year in person. I'm not gonna lie: I'm nervous comma elated. If you, too, are bound for Minneapolis , here's where you'll find me—and, more importantly, my ferociously talented wife : Things Fall Apart: Celebrating dystopian, sci-fi, and fantastical mysteries Saturday, September 10 9:00 to 9:45 AM Marquette Ballroom 6 and 7 (2nd Floor) w/Yasmin Angoe, Elizabeth Crowens, Matthew FitzSimmons, Glenn Parris, and Rob Hart (m) Guest of Honor Interview: Lou Berney in conversation with Katrina Niidas Holm Saturday, September 10 1:45 to 2:30 PM Minneapolis Grand Ballroom EFG (3rd Floor) Reviewers Recommend: Fresh New Reads Saturday, September 10 4:15 to 5:00 PM Duluth (3rd Floor) Scott Adlerberg, Christie Bunting, Oline H. Cogdill, Katrina Niidas Holm, Danielle Trussoni, and Dwyer Murphy (m) In addition, I'll be hanging around from Thursday to Sunday, s...

From 7/18 to 7/24, CHILD ZERO 's ebook is only $4.99, wherever ebooks are sold! That's 82% off the hardcover price, so if you've been holding off on buying it, now's the time! Act fast before my publisher wises up!  Apple / Kindle / Nook

It's been a dizzying two weeks, give or take, since CHILD ZERO was released into the wild. Here's a brief update on where I've been, and where I'll be in the near future. Where I've Been: The downright dazzling Steve Weddle was kind enough to interview me for Do Some Damage I swung by CrimeReads to offer up a list of Eight Biological Horror Movies Guaranteed to Make Your Skin Crawl Speaking of CrimeReads, ace editor Lisa Levy snuck CHILD ZERO onto her list of May's Best Psychological Thrillers Do Some Damage also published a guest post by yours truly about the impending threat of a post-antibiotic era My virtual Murder by the Book event with good friend Matthew Quirk is up on YouTube for your viewing pleasure As is my Rogue Reads panel with Tracy Clark, Sara Paretsky, Amanda Quick, and James Rollins John Valeri penned this very kind review of CHILD ZERO for Criminal Element My pal Nick Petrie and I stayed up late for our virtual Mysterious Galaxy event , ...

I've waited six long years, from inception to publication date, to say this: CHILD ZERO is now available wherever books are sold! I'll be celebrating tonight at Hunt + Alpine . You're welcome to join me, if you're so inclined. In other news: Marshal Zeringue was kind enough to interview me for his blog He also subjected CHILD ZERO to the Page 69 Test Novel Suspects included CHILD ZERO on this list of anticipated crime novels Jenn's Bookshelves offered up this glowing review Rogue Women Writers had me by for a guest post As did Jungle Red Writers, who let me blather on about JURASSIC PARK Many thanks to all, as well as anyone who's purchased a copy of CHILD ZERO , or supported my work along the way!

It's hard to believe the publication date of CHILD ZERO is only a week away—particularly since I've been working on this book since late 2016. As you might imagine, my promotional cycle is in full swing, so I thought a quick roundup was in order. Hit the deck, 'cause here come the bullets: Amazon's editors named CHILD ZERO one of May's best science fiction novels Canadian publication Everything Zoomer did 'em one better, calling it  one of May's ten best works of fiction If you want a sneak peek at CHILD ZERO before you buy,  Novel Suspects has you covered They also posted my proposed canon of biological thrillers , a subgenre whose roots extend far deeper than you might imagine If you're light on cash, pop over to Goodreads by 5/6 for a chance to win one of twenty-five CHILD ZERO hardcovers The latest issue of  The Big Thrill features an interview with yours truly I've also got a ton of events lined up, both virtual and in-person, which you can ...

The release date for  CHILD ZERO  is nearly upon us, and I've got a veritable boatload of events lined up to celebrate—including an HONEST-TO-GOD, NO-FOOLING, IN-PERSON RELEASE PARTY hosted by one of Maine's most venerated drinking establishments! CHILD ZERO Release Party Tuesday, May 10, 2022 7PM Eastern Hunt + Alpine 75 Market Street Portland, ME Mark your calendar and call your babysitter, because I've joined forces with the fine folks of Print: A Bookstore and Hunt + Alpine  (one of Thrillist's Best Cocktail Bars in America ) to launch CHILD ZERO in style! This event—which is free and open to the public—will feature door prizes, custom cocktails, and piles of brand spankin' hardcovers just waiting to be personalized! As an added bonus, if you buy a copy of CHILD ZERO at the event, you'll get a free drink courtesy of yours truly! Virtual Event: Murder by the Book (Houston, TX) in conversation w/ Matthew Quirk Friday, May 13, 2022 8PM Eastern (7PM Central) ...

On April 26, 1991, Stephen King spoke at the Landmark Theatre in Syracuse, New York. Thirteen-year-old-me was in attendance. Mr. King was kind enough to sign my tattered mass-market copy of THE DARK HALF . It'd come out not long before, so I hadn't yet read it to pieces, as I had with all his other books. Thirty-one years later, that copy of THE DARK HALF still has pride of place in my living room. In addition to producing an unparalleled body of work, King's commitment to championing his fellow authors turned me on to writers such as Elmore Leonard , Michael McDowell , Anne Rivers Siddons , and Donald Westlake , to name but a few. When I became an author, I thrilled to see King sing the praises of talented friends such as Lou Berney , Meg Gardiner , and Scott Von Doviak . And, as someone whose first three books were paperback originals, his work with Hard Case Crime meant the world to me, because it served to shine a light on writers like me who toiled in relative obscur...

Recently, I sat down over Zoom to talk CHILD ZERO with Julia, Kelly, and Rachael of the What You Should Read podcast—and my episode is now live! If you wanna hear what a breakneck thriller would sound like as an AITA post—and, c'mon, of course you do—then click through to give it a listen . Thanks to Julia, Kelly, and Rachael for having me! Du Jour means friendship. (Also, seatbelts.)

As a longtime subscriber to—and daily reader of—the Portland Press Herald , I'm beyond thrilled they chose to run a feature on CHILD ZERO . If you'd like to give it a gander, click here ! Many thanks to features writer Ray Routhier and photographer Ben McCanna for their time and talent. Thanks as well to Julia Spencer-Fleming and Kathleen Pigeon for speaking to Ray on my behalf! Oh, and let the record state that my feature is on E1 (with a teaser on A1, below the masthead), while the piece on Dan Brown's  collaboration with The Portland Symphony Orchestra is relegated to E3—which means that in this instance, and only this instance, I'm bigger than Dan Brown.

Recently, Lenny Picker of Publishers Weekly  and I got together over Zoom to talk about CHILD ZERO . That interview is now live. Click through to give it a read!

Kashif Hussain of Best Thriller Books was kind enough to take an early peek at CHILD ZERO , and his review has me grinning from ear to ear. Click through to give it a read. Many thanks, Kashif! There's nothing more satisfying to an author than a rave from someone who really gets what you were trying to accomplish.

I'm delighted to report that Publishers Weekly awarded CHILD ZERO a starred review! Here's a taste (click through to read the rest): Could a future pandemic be exponentially worse than COVID-19? Holm answers yes in this alarmingly plausible thriller. Holm perfectly balances plot, characterizations, and science. Fans of Lawrence Wright’s THE END OF OCTOBER won’t want to miss this one. They also called the book Orwellian, which is doubly cool because it contains an Orwell reference so subtle, only the most eagle-eyed of readers will spot it.

Recently, I sat down to talk CHILD ZERO with Alan Warren and John Copenhaver of the House of Mystery Radio Show . Our chat will air Thursday, 3/3, at 9PM Pacific on California's  KCAA Radio  and 5PM Mountain on Utah's KYAH Radio . No worries if you're outside the listening area—you can stream the episode live, or find it on your favorite podcasting app  not long after! UPDATE: The episode is now available in its entirety on YouTube. Listen below!

CHILD ZERO 's very first review, courtesy of Brandon Sears at Every Read Thing , is an unqualified rave! Here's a taste (click through to read the rest): When this book hits shelves in May, you need to race to your local bookstore and grab a copy... CHILD ZERO reads like the literary equivalent of a standalone big budget summer blockbuster... CHILD ZERO is not only a thrilling novel, but an urgent warning about our future and the dire consequences we all face if nothing is done to alter the course.  Many thanks, Brandon! I'm elated (and not just a little relieved) that you enjoyed it.

I'm thrilled to report that my thirty-first short story—a seasonally appropriate crime tale called "Christmas, 1983"—is now  live for your reading pleasure at Beat to a Pulp ! Editor David Cranmer and I go way back, so I'm delighted to once more grace the pages of his publication. Oddly, this is my third Christmas story, after 2011's "The Final Bough" (for my former publisher's website) and 2018's "Con Season" (for the gun-control charity anthology UNLOADED 2). Nine more, and I'll have enough for a TWELVE CRIMES OF CHRISTMAS themed collection!

Though CHILD ZERO 's release date is still five months away, advance reading copies have begun making their way into the world. I'm elated comma terrified. Don't get me wrong; I think the book is good. I worked hard to make it so, and early feedback has been overwhelmingly positive. But, after five years of obsessing over every plot point and punctuation mark, I'm finding it a challenge to cede control—particularly knowing that the version many peers, reviewers, and book bloggers are going to see is not final. For the uninitiated, ARCs are typically printed from uncorrected proofs, meaning the text has been copyedited, but not yet reread—and, having since reviewed my proof pages, I know  CHILD ZERO 's ARCs contain errors. Intellectually speaking, I'm aware  all books contain errors, and CHILD ZERO 's are relatively minor. Hell, of the twenty items I flagged for correction, at least seven aren't technically errors , so much as clumsy writing—and another ...