CHRIS HOLM

“The only thing that stops a bad guy with a gun,” quoth Wayne LaPierre, “is a good guy with a gun.” When he and his acolytes say that—and they say it a fucking lot—they're not talking about trained law enforcement officials, but armed civilians. LaPierre is the executive vice president—and, oftentimes, the public face—of the National Rifle Association, so it’s safe to say that he’s got skin in the game. His words have become a rallying cry for gun rights advocates, and it’s easy to see why. They’re simple, unfussy, and direct. They’ve got a nice ring to them. The problem is, they’re utter horseshit—a pop-culture-fueled wish-fulfillment fantasy with no basis in reality. I should know. As a thriller writer, I make my living peddling that fantasy. And as a scientist, I know a thing or two about analyzing data. LaPierre’s axiom is repeated ad nauseam every time a mass shooting dominates the news cycle. And don’t get me wrong: an armed civilian has, on occasion, had a positive imp...

Join me Monday, March 5 at Portland Stage for an event unlike any other, in which actors perform readings of local crime fiction authors Brenda Buchanan , Richard Cass , Barbara Ross , Lea Wait , and yours truly. Some of the readings will be excerpts from larger works. Mine will be a short story in its entirety—specifically, my Derringer Award nominated "Pretty Little Things," which first appeared in Ellery Queen's Mystery Magazine  way back in 2013. (We were such kids back then, foolish and innocent... or was that just me?) I participated in this event last year , and it was an absolute blast. The house was packed, and the readings slayed. (The picture at the top of this post was taken during their performance of my short story "Eight Pounds," which I'm proud to say was the most gruesome of the readings by a damn sight.) The event is pay-what-you-can, with a suggested donation of $10 in advance and $15 at the door. It kicks off with a reception a...

Fair warning: beyond here be spoilers (not to mention deep-dive Star Wars nerdery). If you haven't seen The Last Jedi yet, you may want to navigate away. I'm serious. If you keep reading, you will be spoiled. This is your final warning. From here on out, it's all spoilers, all the time.

Yesterday, I had elections on the brain, so I failed to celebrate a bit of book news: Hex Publishers' latest anthology, BLOOD BUSINESS , is now available! BLOOD BUSINESS, edited by Mario Acevedo and Joshua Viola, is actually two anthologies in one—each featuring its own cover. (The image I've included here is the back cover, because, well, my name's on it.) All of the stories are gritty crime tales, but half of them take place in the real world, while the other half contain supernatural elements. My story, "The Group Home," is the latter. No matter your preference, the lineup—which includes Paul Goat Allen, Betsy Dornbusch, Jason Heller, Stephen Graham Jones, Mark Stevens, and Alyssa Wong, to name but a few—can't be beat. Grab yourself a copy today!

Dustin Tucker , who starred in the irreverent Portland Stage production of Sherlock Holmes' "The Hound of the Baskervilles," for which I participated in a Q&A last year, is adapting my short story "The Well" for the stage as part of his Haunting Hour series. The Haunting Hour runs from October 25th to November 4th, and also features work from Tess Gerritsen, John Cariani, and many more. Bob Keyes wrote  a fantastic article about it for Maine Today . If you're interested in attending, you can get tickets here . I'll be on hand for the Saturday, October 28th performance , if you'd like to say hello or get a book signed. I'll have a few books on sale for the duration of the run, but please feel free to bring your own copies on the 28th if you'd like. I hope to see you there!