Molly Odintz

Austin, Brooklyn

Managing Editor at CrimeReads

Managing Editor at Literary Hub

managing editor, @crimereads. Slattern. Jewish. Cat fancier. Peter Lorre stan. Ceasefire now. She/her, they/them

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Articles

Murder at the Museum

1 week ago | crimereads.com | Molly Odintz

As funding gets cut off and climate change gets worse, all our cultural treasures are at risk of being stolen by kleptocrats, sold off by bankrupt cities, or at the very least, environmentally damaged in heat waves. So while we still have museums, why not read some museum-based mysteries and thrillers! here are four excellent recent and upcoming novels featuring cultural institutions and plenty of crimes.
Margot Douaihy Talks Hardboiled Fiction, Queer Themes, and her Iconic Sleuthing Nun

2 weeks ago | crimereads.com | Molly Odintz

I know, the series is only three books in (and that’s if we count the upcoming installment), but I’m already batting hard for Sister Holiday as one of the most startlingly original protagonists of the century. Margot Douaihy is just as cool as her protagonist, and let me ask a few questions about the series and its characters as we reveal the cover design for the next installment in the series, Divine Ruin, to be published in January 2026.
The State of the Mystery, Part 2: Issues, Concerns, and The Long Road Ahead

2 weeks ago | crimereads.com | Molly Odintz

Welcome to part two of our roundtable discussion featuring nominees for the Edgar Awards (as well as other special categories awarded during the same ceremony). 29 writers weighed in on the most pressing issues facing the genre today, and the place of crime writing in our current political landscape (perfectly timed for May Day!). Article continues after advertisementCheck out part one of the discussion, published yesterday, for thoughts on craft, tropes, and favorite reads.
The State of the Mystery, Part 1: Craft Lessons and Favorite Reads

2 weeks ago | crimereads.com | Molly Odintz

For the past 7 years, I’ve had the privilege of putting together a roundtable discussion between the nominees for the Edgar and other MWA awards, with predictably spectacular (and somewhat long-winded) results, necessitating the result of publishing the collated responses in two parts. This year had the most contributors yet, and may be my favorite conversation thus far (I know, I say that every year).
The Best Psychological Thrillers of April 2025

3 weeks ago | flipboard.com | Molly Odintz

A look at Joni Mitchell’s life and her music’s influence from the perspective of three booksTo love Joni Mitchell, and there are no casual Joni Mitchell fans, is to acknowledge an uncanny affinity between her music and your innermost feelings. She is our secret sharer, the songwriter who trusts us with the storms of her life, which are invariably consonant with the anguish that informs …
The Best Psychological Thrillers of April 2025

3 weeks ago | crimereads.com | Molly Odintz

This month’s batch of psychological thrillers features an eclectic bunch of authors and a wide variety of plots, yet a surprisingly unified theme emerges: stay off the internet! Stay off social media! And don’t believe anything you read in the marketing copy (that is, except for the quotes that shall inevitably be taken from the blurbs below and placed upon front and back covers of future editions). This is also a rather fun list.
7 Novels Set In Supernatural Hotels

3 weeks ago | flipboard.com | Molly Odintz

Pope Francis' conservative critics had a unique way to oppose him: a retired pontiffVATICAN CITY (AP) — As Amazonian bishops gathered at the Vatican on Oct. 21, 2019, a man entered a nearby church after dawn and stole three Indigenous statues brought to Rome for the occasion. He threw them into the Tiber River in a videotaped protest to denounce what he called the “pagan idolatry” …
6 Novels Set In Supernatural Hotels

3 weeks ago | crimereads.com | Molly Odintz

After finishing up a list of books to read that evoked the luxurious settings and flexible morals of The White Lotus, I realized I wasn’t quite done thinking about nice places to rest one’s head (I’m reminded of the Ambrose Bierce definition of “home” in his iconic Devil’s Dictionary: “Open all night.”) 2025 is not just full of releases set in resorts—there’s also a plethora of works set in elegant accommodations beset by supernatural forces and/or haunted by terrifying creatures and curses.
5 New Thrillers (and One Classic Noir) to Read When You’re Done with White Lotus

1 month ago | crimereads.com | Molly Odintz

A resort vacation? Thousands. A novel making fun of one? Less than 30 bucks! And the look on your rich cousin’s face when she realizes you don’t give a shit about her tan and plan to ask her leading questions about labor conditions instead of letting her show you pictures? Priceless. (This is a hypothetical cousin I’m making up here, in case any of my actual family is reading).
New International Fiction to Check Out This Spring

1 month ago | crimereads.com | Molly Odintz

Ariel Dorfman, Allegro(Other Press)Could Johann Sebastian Bach have been murdered by an unscrupulous eye doctor? And could Mozart have put the pieces together and decided to investigate the unexpected death of his beloved mentor? That is the premise of Ariel Dorfman’s immersive new novel, Allegro, divided between Mozart’s precocious childhood and disillusioned adulthood.