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)

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Until next time—stay sharp, follow the clues, and don't trust anyone who skips to the end.