Unreliable Sources

Mike Donohue Books
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Unreliable Sources is your bi-weekly alibi for all things mystery, thriller, and suspense. Author Mike Donohue brings you 15-minute dispatches packed with shady characters, twisty plots, and dangerously good books—plus the occasional screen adaptation worth interrogating. If you crave clues, cold cases, and clever writing, tune in. Just remember: trust no one… especially the narrator.

  1. 4d ago

    Ep #26 | The Big Fall Crime Fiction Preview, B&N Strikes Again, plus Cliff Booth

    Welcome to Unreliable Sources—a quick hit of mystery, murder, and mayhem. In this episode, thriller author Mike Donohue covers Barnes & Noble's latest indie bookstore acquisition and what "independent" still means, the 2026 Ned Kelly Award winners, Quentin Tarantino's new Cliff Booth novel and film, and one reader's case for chopping up your books. He spotlights new releases from Sarah Langan, Ann Cleeves, David McCloskey, and Michael Koryta, then dives into the most anticipated crime fiction of fall 2026 and winter 2027. Books & topics mentioned:– Barnes & Noble acquires Joseph-Beth Booksellers– 2026 Ned Kelly Award winners, including Mad Mabel by Sally Hepworth– The Adventures of Cliff Booth by Quentin Tarantino– Chop Up Your Books (Matt Kirkland)– Trad Wife by Sarah Langan– The Dying Light by Ann Cleeves– London Station by David McCloskey– Die Famous by Michael Koryta– The Most Anticipated Crime Fiction of Fall 2026 and Winter 2027– What I'm reading: We Chase Shadows (Richard Osman): and Past Tense (Lee Child, audio) Disclosure: Some links above are Amazon affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases, at no extra cost to you. 📚 Like twisty books and tense shows? Subscribe for bi-weekly episodes packed with killer reads, news, and sharp takes. Free books from Mike: SLEEPING DOGS, the Max Strong prequel, plus the short story collection OCTOBER DAYS. Get them at mikedonohuebooks.com/podcast 🌐 Learn more: https://mikedonohuebooks.com Until next time—stay sharp, follow the clues, and don't trust anyone who skips to the end.

  2. Sep 18

    Ep #25 | The Darkest Crime Series, Library Card Receipts & We Chase Shadows

    Welcome to Unreliable Sources—a quick hit of mystery, murder, and mayhem. Season two kicks off with thriller author Mike Donohue remembering Dolly Parton's legacy as a champion of reading. He also covers the McIlvanney Prize shortlist, a library perk that tracks how much your card saves you, and what an ampersand in a screen credit really means. He spotlights new releases from Richard Osman, Garry Disher, Hank Phillippi Ryan, and the final Dave Gurney novel from John Verdon. Then he asks how dark is too dark, ranking seven of the darkest crime series from bleak but restrained to the genre's outer edge, with honest content warnings for each. Books & topics mentioned:– Dolly Parton's favorite books & the Imagination Library– 2026 McIlvanney Prize shortlist– CrimeReads' most anticipated mysteries & thrillers of fall 2026– Chicago Public Library's savings receipts (Salon)– An Ode to the Ampersand by Adam Gopnik (Town & Country)– Ghost Barn by John Verdon– We Chase Shadows by Richard Osman– Sanctuary by Garry Disher– Mother Daughter Sister Stranger by Hank Phillippi Ryan– The darkest crime series deep dive: Tana French, Val McDermid, Karin Slaughter, Stieg Larsson, Jo Nesbø, Mo Hayder, and Pierre LemaitreWhat I'm reading/listening to: The Spy Coast (Tess Gerritsen), Northwoods (Amy Pease — audio), plus a writing update on Max Strong #9 📚 Like twisty books and tense shows? Subscribe for bi-weekly episodes packed with killer reads, news, and sharp takes. Free books from Mike: SLEEPING DOGS, the Max Strong prequel, plus the short story collection OCTOBER DAYS. Get them at mikedonohuebooks.com/podcast 🌐 Learn more: https://mikedonohuebooks.com Until next time—stay sharp, follow the clues, and don't trust anyone who skips to the end.

  3. Jun 12

    Ep #24 | The PI Novel Revival, Author Bookstores & Lisa Gardner

    Welcome to Unreliable Sources—a quick hit of mystery, murder, and mayhem. In this episode, thriller author Mike Donohue covers Goodreads' mid-year most-read list and what it reveals about where genre readers are right now, Anna Kendrick finally taking the director's chair on The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo, and a feel-good story about authors opening bookstores for all the wrong (right) reasons. He then dives deep into why the private investigator is having its best decade in years—and why the new wave of PI fiction looks nothing like Philip Marlowe. Books & topics mentioned: – Goodreads Most-Read List 2026 – Authors opening bookstores – A professional book reader for Hollywood – A River Red with Blood by John Connolly (Charlie Parker #23) – Red Sheet by James Ellroy (Freddy Otash #3) – You First by Caroline Kepnes (You series #5) – The Clock House Murders by Yukito Ayatsuji – The Dogwalker's Detective Agency by Michael Hogan – PI revival deep dive What I'm reading/watching: The Curator (M.W. Craven), The Man Who Came Uptown (George Pelecanos — audio) Hidden Fury by Mike Donohue (Marti #4 — June 26th) 📚 Like twisty books and tense shows? Subscribe for bi-weekly episodes packed with killer reads, news, and sharp takes. Free books from Mike: SLEEPING DOGS, the Max Strong prequel, plus the short story collection OCTOBER DAYS. Get them at mikedonohuebooks.com/podcast 🌐 Learn more: ⁠https://mikedonohuebooks.com⁠ Until next time—stay sharp, follow the clues, and don't trust anyone who skips to the end.

  4. May 29

    Ep. #23 | Connelly Read Alike Series, Summer Books List Season & Ironwood

    Welcome to Unreliable Sources—a quick hit of mystery, murder, and mayhem. In this episode, thriller author Mike Donohue takes on the Guardian's 100 Best Novels of All Time list (crime fiction fans will have thoughts), the Atlantic's piece on typos, and James Patterson putting $10 million behind getting kids to read. He then dives into ten crime series for readers who've burned through every Bosch and Ballard novel and are standing in front of their shelves wondering what comes next. Books & topics mentioned:– The Guardian's 100 Best Novels of All Time– The Atlantic: Typos as proof of humanity– James Patterson's $10M literacy pledge– Reading retreats: the "readaway" trend– NPR's most anticipated summer books 2026 – Ironwood by Michael Connelly: – Mist and Malice by Rachel Howzell Hall: – The Brothers McKay by Craig Johnson: – Hurricane Room by Kim Sherwood: – 10 crime series for Connelly fans full blog post What I'm reading/watching:– Ironwood by Michael Connelly: – The Last One at the Wedding by Jason Rekulak (audio): – Widow's Bay (TV)📚 Like twisty books and tense shows? Subscribe for bi-weekly episodes packed with killer reads, news, and sharp takes.🌐 Learn more: ⁠https://mikedonohuebooks.comUntil next time—stay sharp, follow the clues, and don't trust anyone who skips to the end.

  5. May 15

    Ep. #22 | The Lost Decade of Thrillers, Awards Season & Yesteryear

    Welcome to Unreliable Sources—a quick hit of mystery, murder, and mayhem. In this episode, thriller author Mike Donohue runs through a bumper crop of awards news — ThrillerFest winners, Anthony nominations, the Capital Crime Fingerprint Award shortlists, and a belated Edgar catch-up. On the streaming front, the creator of Adolescence has a new limited series that won't help you sleep. He spotlights four new releases worth your TBR, then dives into the thrillers that quietly disappeared after Gone Girl hit and makes the case for why you should be reading them now. Books & Topics mentioned: – ThrillerFest 2026 winners – 2026 Anthony Award nominations – Capital Crime Fingerprint Award shortlists — voting open through May 30th – 2026 Edgar Award winners – My Name Was Gerry Sass by Tiffany Hanssen – The Anniversary by Alex Finlay – The Last Mandarin by Louise Penny & Mellissa Fung – Red Verdict by James Comey – Forgotten thrillers of 2005–2015 What I'm reading/watching: Mr. Whisper by Andrew Mayne, Yesteryear by Caro Claire Burke (audio), Widow's Bay (Apple TV+) 📚 Like twisty books and tense shows? Subscribe for bi-weekly episodes packed with killer reads, news, and sharp takes. 🌐 Learn more: https://mikedonohuebooks.com Until next time—stay sharp, follow the clues, and don't trust anyone who skips to the end.

  6. May 1

    Ep. #21 | How Bestselling Authors Build Suspense, Super Readers & Old Theakston

    Welcome to Unreliable Sources—a quick hit of mystery, murder, and mayhem. In this episode, thriller author Mike Donohue celebrates Indie Bookstore Day, investigates the habits of people who read hundreds of books a year, and previews the stacked Theakston Crime Writing Festival lineup in Harrogate. On the adaptation front: talking sheep solve a murder (seriously), and Nicolas Cage goes noir as a 1930s Spider-Man P.I. He then breaks down how today's best thriller writers build suspense—and what readers can look for once they know the tricks, from the ticking clock to keeping the shark underwater. Books & topics mentioned: – Indie Bookstore Day & favorite mystery bookshops – Super-readers: the habits of people who read 100–600 books a year (Literary Hub) – Theakston Old Peculier Crime Writing Festival 2026 — Harrogate, July 23–26 – The Sheep Detectives (Amazon MGM, May 8) — Hugh Jackman, Bryan Cranston, Julia Louis-Dreyfus – Spider-Noir (Prime Video, May 27) — Nicolas Cage – A Violent Masterpiece by Jordan Harper – How to Cheat Your Own Death by Kristen Perrin – A Murder Most Camp by Nicolas DiDomizio – Sanctuary by James Cleary – Suspense deep dive: Lee Child, Karin Slaughter, Gillian Flynn, Tess Gerritsen & more What I'm reading/watching: Welcome to Cottonmouth by Jay Bell, Finlay Donovan is Killing It by Elle Cosimano (audio), Apex (Netflix) 📚 Like twisty books and tense shows? Subscribe for bi-weekly episodes packed with killer reads, news, and sharp takes. 🌐 Learn more: https://mikedonohuebooks.com Until next time—stay sharp, follow the clues, and don't trust anyone who skips to the end.

  7. Apr 17

    Ep. #20 | 10 Great Crime Fiction Sequels, Easter Crime, and Revenge Prey

    Welcome to Unreliable Sources—a quick hit of mystery, murder, and mayhem. In this episode, thriller author Mike Donohue covers the biggest author identity reveal in years, Norway's century-old Easter crime fiction obsession that will make you want to book a cabin immediately, and the London crime festival you should already have on your calendar. He then dives deep into the best crime and thriller sequels ever written—why book two is the hardest thing a series will ever do, and which ten sequels not only survived the test but redefined what their series was capable of being, from The Silence of the Lambs to Die Trying. Books & topics mentioned: – ⁠Freida McFadden identity reveal ⁠– Norway's Påskekrim Easter crime fiction tradition ⁠– ⁠Capital Crime Festival 2026, London⁠ – ⁠Dalziel and Pascoe BritBox reboot ⁠– ⁠Hope Rises by David Baldacci⁠ – ⁠Last One Out by Jane Harper⁠ – ⁠Spies and Other Gods by James Wolff ⁠– ⁠The Children of Eve by John Connolly ⁠– ⁠Best crime fiction sequels deep dive – What I'm reading/watching: ⁠Revenge Prey by John Sandford⁠, ⁠Kill For Me, Kill For You by Stuart MacBride (audio)⁠, ⁠Crime 101 (Amazon)⁠ 📚 Like twisty books and tense shows? Subscribe for bi-weekly episodes packed with killer reads, news, and sharp takes. 🌐 Learn more: ⁠https://mikedonohuebooks.com⁠ Until next time—stay sharp, follow the clues, and don't trust anyone who skips to the end.

  8. Apr 3

    Ep. #19 | 5 Reacher-like Series, Sherlock Holmes, The Wicked Bible, and Dark Times

    Welcome to Unreliable Sources—a quick hit of mystery, murder, and mayhem. In this episode, thriller author Mike Donohue covers the timeless appeal of Sherlock Holmes, Yale's fascinating new exhibition on five centuries of publishing typos (really), and the unlikely resurgence of Barnes & Noble. He then dives deep into the knight errant formula that makes Jack Reacher work—and spotlights five lone wolf thriller series that come closest to scratching that same itch. Books & topics mentioned:– The eternal appeal of Sherlock Holmes– Yale's errata exhibition and the Wicked Bible of 1631– Barnes & Noble's brick-and-mortar comeback – Film Noir quotes– The Keeper by Tana French (final Cal Hooper novel)– Sorry for Your Loss by Georgia McVeigh– Two Kinds of Stranger by Steve Cavanagh (Eddie Flynn #9) – The Survivor by Andrew Reid– Reacher deep dive: Peter Ash (Nick Petrie), Orphan X (Gregg Hurwitz), The Gray Man (Mark Greaney), Joe Pike (Robert Crais), Quinn Colson (Ace Atkins)– What I'm reading/watching: Dark Times (Nick Petrie), Don't Let Him In (Lisa Jewell — audio) 📚 Like twisty books and tense shows? Subscribe for bi-weekly episodes packed with killer reads, news, and sharp takes. 🌐 Learn more: ⁠https://mikedonohuebooks.com⁠ Until next time—stay sharp, follow the clues, and don't trust anyone who skips to the end.

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About

Unreliable Sources is your bi-weekly alibi for all things mystery, thriller, and suspense. Author Mike Donohue brings you 15-minute dispatches packed with shady characters, twisty plots, and dangerously good books—plus the occasional screen adaptation worth interrogating. If you crave clues, cold cases, and clever writing, tune in. Just remember: trust no one… especially the narrator.

Information

  • Creator
    Mike Donohue Books
  • Years Active
    2025 - 2026
  • Episodes
    27
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © Mike Donohue Books
  • Show Website
    Unreliable Sources