Episodes

  • Ep. #3 | 1970s Crime Fiction, Cool Reads & Killer Adaptations
    Aug 8 2025

    Welcome to Unreliable Sources—a quick hit of mystery, murder, and mayhem. In this episode, thriller author Mike Donohue runs through the week’s crime-fiction headlines — from the Obamas’ Higher Ground picking up S.A. Cosby’s All the Sinners Bleed for Netflix and flags a slate of late-summer adaptations. He also spotlights new releases, dives into how 1970s crime fiction reshaped the genre (Travis McGee, Matthew Scudder, Spenser, and the 87th Precinct), and shares what he’s been reading and watching.

    Books & topics mentioned:
    All the Sinners Bleed by S.A. Cosby
    She Rides Shotgun by Jordan Harper
    – WSJ: 25 Best Mystery Novels of the Past 25 Years list
    Sheepdogs by Jordan Snowden
    Mississippi Blue 42 by Eli Cranor
    Departure 37 by Michael Koryta (writing as Scott Carson)
    Mrs. Christie at the Mystery Guild Library by Amanda Chapman
    – 1970s crime fiction primer & five essentials: The Deep Blue Good-by (John D. MacDonald), The Sins of the Fathers (Lawrence Block), Cotton Comes to Harlem (Chester Himes), Promised Land (Robert B. Parker), Ten Plus One (Ed McBain)
    – What I’m reading/watching: King of Ashes (S.A. Cosby), Joe Country (Mick Herron — audio), Smoke (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.

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    13 mins
  • Mini Ep. #2.5 | 7 Books I'm Packing for August Vacations
    Aug 5 2025

    Welcome back to Unreliable Sources—a quick hit of mystery, murder, and mayhem. In this in-between mini episode, thriller author Mike Donohue runs through the variety pack of crime fiction that he is planning to read during his August holidays.

    Books mentioned:

    - Killing Moon by Jo Nesbo

    - King of Ashes by S.A. Cosby

    - The Woman in Suite 11 by Ruth Ware

    - Not Quite Dead Yet by Holly Jackson

    - City of Dreams by Don Winslow

    - Death at the White Hart by Chris Chibnall

    - The Frozen People by Elly Griffiths


    📚 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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    6 mins
  • Ep. #2 | Elmore Leonard, Cooler Than Cool & Crime Fiction Buzz
    Jul 25 2025

    Welcome back to Unreliable Sources—a quick hit of mystery, murder, and mayhem. In this episode, thriller author Mike Donohue dives into the world of Elmore Leonard, spurred by a revealing New Yorker profile and the new biography Cooler Than Cool.

    Plus: new books to watch, adaptation buzz, and crime fiction news you might have missed.

    Books & topics mentioned:
    Cooler Than Cool by C.M. Kushin
    – “Elmore Leonard's Perfect Pitch” by Anthony Lane (The New Yorker, July 2025)
    Get Shorty, Out of Sight, Rum Punch, Glitz, LaBrava
    Florida Palms by Joe Pan
    Pariah by Dan Fesperman
    The Bewitching by Silvia Moreno-Garcia
    Killer on the Road / The Babysitter Lives by Stephen Graham Jones
    Hard Town by Adam Plantinga
    The Man Made of Smoke by Alex North
    Murderbot on 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, and don’t trust anyone who skips to the end.

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    13 mins
  • Ep. #1 | Crime fiction news, Killer Books & Gateway Mysteries
    Jul 11 2025

    Welcome to Unreliable Sources—a quick hit of mystery, murder, and mayhem. In this debut episode, thriller author Mike Donohue lays out what to expect from the show, covers the 2025 CWA Dagger Awards, hot new releases, and breaks down three gateway mysteries for new and seasoned fans alike.


    🕵️‍♂️ Books & topics mentioned:
    The Book of Secrets by Anna Mazzola (CWA Gold Dagger Winner)
    Dark Ride by Lou Berney and Nightwatching by Tracy Sierra
    Gone Girl, The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, The Murder of Roger Ackroyd, Bluebird, Bluebird, Blacktop Wasteland


    - The Frozen People by Elly Griffiths, What the Night Brings by Mark Billingham, The Woman in Suite 11 by Ruth Ware, Welcome to Cottonmouth by Jay Bell

    The Thomas Crown Affair remake
    – Libby’s most popular mystery/thrillers


    📚 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, and don’t trust anyone who skips to the end.

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    12 mins