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. 6D AGO

    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.

    15 min

  2. MAR 20

    Ep. #18 | 2025 Thrillers You Missed, London Book Fair, Hard Times & War Machine

    Welcome to Unreliable Sources—a quick hit of mystery, murder, and mayhem. In this episode, thriller author Mike Donohue covers the biggest news out of the London Book Fair—including Idris Elba's splashy new MI6 thriller series—a cautionary tale about scammers impersonating authors to target aspiring writers, and a BookRiot list worth bookmarking for your next TBR emergency. He then dives into the best thriller books of 2025 that flew completely under the radar—six hidden gems that deserve a second look before they hit paperback. Books & topics mentioned: London Book Fair 2026 wrap-up & Idris Elba's Exiles thriller dealA Head Full of Ghosts by Paul Tremblay — adaptation finally movingJohn Marrs on the author impersonation scam targeting writersBookRiot's Best Mystery & Thrillers of the Century So FarThe Hiding Season by Ava GlassEveryone in This Bank is a Thief by Benjamin StevensonFinlay Donovan Crosses the Line by Elle CosimanoHard Times by Jeff BoydMissed 2025 thrillers deep dive: Ruth, Run (Elizabeth Kaufman), The House on Buzzards Bay (Dwyer Murphy), Leverage (Amran Gowani), Crooks (Lou Berney), Everybody Wants to Rule the World (Ace Atkins), The Living and the Dead (Christoffer Carlsson)What I'm reading/watching: The Dark Time (Nick Petrie), The Guilty Sleep (Jeremy Baker — audio), War Machine (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.

    13 min

  3. MAR 6

    Ep. #17 | The Amateur Sleuth, Left Coast Crime & Wolf Hour

    Welcome to Unreliable Sources—a quick hit of mystery, murder, and mayhem. In this episode, thriller author Mike Donohue celebrates the world's strangest bookstore, weighs in on the eternal book-to-film adaptation debate, warns aspiring authors about a growing wave of publishing scams, and pays tribute to the late Dan Simmons. He then dives deep into the amateur sleuth exploring why ordinary people solving crimes has never felt more culturally urgent, from Poe and Miss Marple to Gone Girl and Richard Osman's 15-million-copy empire. Books & topics mentioned:– Alabama Booksmith — The New Yorker's profile of America's strangest bookstore– The book-to-film adaptation debate — NPR & Cultured magazine– Publishing scams — New York Times investigation– 2026 Left Coast Crime Lefty Award winners– RIP Dan Simmons — Hyperion, The Terror, and the Joe Kurtz noir trilogy– The Tree of Light and Flowers by Thomas Perry– The Crossroads by C.J. Box– I Did Not Kill My Husband by Linda Keir– The Best Little Motel in Texas by Lyla Lane– Amateur sleuth deep dive — Poe, Christie, Flynn, Osman, and the psychology of institutional distrust– What I'm reading/watching: Wolf Hour (Jo Nesbø), Home Is Where the Bodies Are (Jeneva Rose — audio), Steal (Amazon Prime Video) 📚 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.

    13 min

  4. FEB 20

    Ep. #16 | Mystery Slump Busters, Genre Fight, & Vera Wong

    Welcome to Unreliable Sources—a quick hit of mystery, murder, and mayhem. In this episode, thriller author Mike Donohue digs into the controversy around Michael Connelly's true crime podcast Killer in the Code and why even the best crime fiction minds can fall into confirmation bias, covers Mike Flanagan's latest Stephen King adaptation announcement, and spotlights strong new releases from Don Winslow, Johnny Compton, and Nalini Singh. He then tackles a topic every reader knows too well—the reading slump—with ten specific thriller prescriptions matched to exactly where your brain is at. Books & topics mentioned:– Killer in the Code podcast controversy (Michael Connelly)– Mike Flanagan adapting Stephen King's The Mist– The Final Score by Don Winslow– Such a Perfect Family by Nalini Singh– Dead First by Johnny Compton– The Midnight Taxi by Yosha Gunasekera– Reading slump deep dive: The Crash (Freida McFadden), None of This Is True (Lisa Jewell), The Man Who Died Seven Times (Yasuhiko Nishizawa), The Silent Patient (Alex Michaelides) What I'm reading/watching: The Final Score (Don Winslow), Vera Wong's Unsolicited Advice for Murderers (Jesse Q. Sutanto — audio, narrated by Eunice Wong), Steal (Prime Video) 📚 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.

    12 min

  5. FEB 6

    Ep. #15 | The Best Cold Case Thrillers, Prison Book Clubs & The Rip

    Welcome to Unreliable Sources—a quick hit of mystery, murder, and mayhem. In this episode, thriller author Mike Donohue explores the rise of absurdly long book titles dominating mystery shelves, shares a heartwarming story about a decade-old book club at Rikers Island, covers the boom in book retreat travel, and gets excited about Damon Lindelof adapting Adrian McKinty's The Chain for HBO. He spotlights new releases then dives deep into cold case thrillers, delivering five essential reads that prove justice delayed doesn't mean justice denied. Books & topics mentioned:– Genre trends: ⁠the mouthful mystery phenomenon⁠– ⁠Rikers Island women's book club⁠ (NYT feature)– ⁠Book retreats as travel trend⁠– ⁠The Chain adaptation⁠ (HBO series with Damon Lindelof)– ⁠The Exes by Leodora Darlington⁠– ⁠Jigsaw by Jonathan Kellerman⁠ (#49 Alex Delaware)– ⁠Dirty Metal by Allison LaMothe⁠– ⁠Double Trouble by Joyce Carol Oates⁠– ⁠Cold case thrillers deep dive⁠: ⁠The God of the Woods (Liz Moore)⁠, ⁠The Waiting (Michael Connelly)⁠, ⁠Listen for the Lie (Amy Tintera)⁠, ⁠The Book of Cold Cases (Simone St. James)⁠, ⁠Murder in the Family (Cara Hunter)⁠– What I'm reading/watching: ⁠Tell Me What You Did (Carter Wilson)⁠, ⁠Hide (Lisa Gardner — audio)⁠, ⁠The Rip (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.

    14 min

  6. JAN 23

    Ep. #14 | Boston v LA Noir, Bookstore Econ & New Releases

    Welcome to Unreliable Sources—a quick hit of mystery, murder, and mayhem. In this episode, thriller author Mike Donohue explores the harsh economics of indie bookshops (and why we still dream of owning one), celebrates classic crime stories entering the public domain, and shares exciting adaptation news for The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo and Jonathan Kellerman's Alex Delaware novels. He spotlights new releases including Alice Feeney's mind-bending identity thriller and Matthew Quirk's action-packed espionage tale, then dives deep into the Boston-LA noir divide—comparing two giants of American crime fiction, Michael Connelly and Dennis Lehane, and revealing how geography shapes everything from detective archetypes to the darkness we fear. Books & topics mentioned:– Bookshop economics & the romantic dream of opening one (Financial Times)– The quest to digitize all human knowledge (Asterisk Magazine)– Nine classic crime stories entering public domain 2026 (CrimeReads)– The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo series adaptation (Sky)– Alex Delaware series development (Amazon)– The Infamous Gilberts by Angela Tomaski– My Husband's Wife by Alice Feeney– The Method by Matthew Quirk– Such a Clever Girl by Darby Kane Michael Connelly vs Dennis Lehane deep dive: Harry Bosch, Patrick Kenzie, and the geography of American noir What I'm reading/watching: Exit Strategy (Lee Child/Andrew Child), Alone by Lisa Gardner (audio), The Rip (Affleck-Damon), STEAL (Sophie Turner - Prime Video) 📚 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.

    16 min

  7. JAN 9

    Ep. #13 | Why Thrillers Are Breaking, Reading Habits & The Puppet Show

    Welcome to Unreliable Sources—a quick hit of mystery, murder, and mayhem. In this episode, thriller author Mike Donohue covers encouraging reading habit data proving mysteries and thrillers still dominate, the most borrowed library books of 2025, and the massive wave of crime fiction adaptations hitting screens in 2026. He spotlights stormy new releases from Rachel Hawkins, Lucy Clarke, and Lori Rader-Day then dives deep into a problem plaguing modern thriller writers: has technology killed the MacGuffin? From dead phone batteries to cloud storage, Mike explores why Hitchcock's favorite plot device doesn't work anymore—and how the best writers are adapting to a world where everything is backed up, tracked, and instantly shareable. Books & topics mentioned: – ⁠American reading habits: mysteries & thrillers still winning⁠– ⁠Most borrowed library books of 2025 (NPR)⁠– 2026 adaptations: ⁠Crime 101 (Don Winslow/Chris Hemsworth)⁠, ⁠Scarpetta (Patricia Cornwell/Nicole Kidman/Amazon Prime)⁠, ⁠The Seven Dials Mystery (Agatha Christie/Netflix)⁠, ⁠His and Hers (Alice Feeney/Netflix)⁠– ⁠2026 Lefty Award nominees announced⁠– ⁠Wreck Your Heart by Lori Rader-Day⁠– ⁠Wildwood by Amy Pease⁠– ⁠The Storm by Rachel Hawkins⁠– ⁠The Castaways by Lucy Clarke⁠– ⁠The MacGuffin's death: technology vs. thriller plots⁠ – What I'm reading/watching: ⁠ The Puppet Show (M.W. Craven)⁠, ⁠Alone (Lisa Gardner — audio)⁠, ⁠Caught Stealing 📚 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.

    15 min

  8. 12/19/2025

    Ep. #12 | 5 Genre Reader Types & Exactly Which Thrillers to Gift Them

    Welcome to Unreliable Sources—a quick hit of mystery, murder, and mayhem. In this episode, thriller author Mike Donohue explores the slow death of mass market paperbacks, unpacks why certain books become overnight blockbusters, and celebrates the eclectic 2026 Tournament of Books shortlist that doesn't shy away from genre fiction. He spotlights new releases perfect for winter reading, then dives deep into holiday book gifting—breaking down five distinct reader types and exactly which thrillers to gift each one. Because the best gifts show you know the person, not just the bestseller lists. Books & topics mentioned:– ⁠Tournament of Books 2026 shortlist⁠ – ⁠The slow death of mass market paperbacks⁠ (Publishers Weekly)– ⁠Dungeon Crawler Carl phenomenon⁠: how books become blockbusters overnight (New York Times)– ⁠Why some books become blockbusters overnight⁠ (The Guardian)– ⁠Agatha Christie adaptation⁠ from The End of the F***ing World director New releases:– ⁠The Red Scare⁠ by Con Lehane– ⁠The Quiet Mother⁠ by Arnaldur Indridason (Detective Konrad #3)– ⁠Cape Fever⁠ by Nadia Davids– ⁠Murder in Manhattan⁠ by Julie Mulhern Holiday book gifting deep dive:Five reader types and their perfect matches—⁠The Purist⁠ (Tana French, Mick Herron), ⁠The Speed Reader⁠ (Freida McFadden, Riley Sager), ⁠The Sophisticate⁠ (Louise Penny, Kate Atkinson), ⁠The Genre Tourist⁠ (Richard Osman, Ruth Ware), ⁠The Collector⁠ (special editions, signed copies). Plus: matching books to moments and the secret weapon that makes any book gift personal. What I'm reading/watching:⁠Black Summer⁠ (M.W. Craven), ⁠Nash Falls⁠ (David Baldacci), ⁠Pluribus⁠ (Vince Gilligan — Apple TV+), ⁠Knives Out 3: Wake Up Dead Man⁠ (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.

    14 min
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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
    20
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © Mike Donohue Books
  • Show Website
    Unreliable Sources