Unreliable Sources cover art

Unreliable Sources

Unreliable Sources

By: Mike Donohue Books
Listen for free

About this listen

 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.Mike Donohue Books Art Literary History & Criticism
Episodes
  • Ep. #20 | 10 Great Crime Fiction Sequels, Easter Crime, and Revenge Prey

    Ep. #20 | 10 Great Crime Fiction Sequels, Easter Crime, and Revenge Prey
    Apr 17 2026

    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.
    Show More Show Less
    15 mins
  • Ep. #19 | 5 Reacher-like Series, Sherlock Holmes, The Wicked Bible, and Dark Times

    Ep. #19 | 5 Reacher-like Series, Sherlock Holmes, The Wicked Bible, and Dark Times
    Apr 3 2026

    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.
    Show More Show Less
    15 mins
  • Ep. #18 | 2025 Thrillers You Missed, London Book Fair, Hard Times & War Machine

    Ep. #18 | 2025 Thrillers You Missed, London Book Fair, Hard Times & War Machine
    Mar 20 2026
    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.com⁠Until next time—stay sharp, follow the clues, and don't trust anyone who skips to the end.
    Show More Show Less
    13 mins
No reviews yet
In the spirit of reconciliation, Audible acknowledges the Traditional Custodians of country throughout Australia and their connections to land, sea and community. We pay our respect to their elders past and present and extend that respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples today.