The Mexican is a crime story that follows a young man as he makes a fateful series of decisions that place him right square in the middle of an ongoing drug deal gone bad. Murder, betrayal, violence, hot women, guns, car chases and killers all thrown together for a fast ride through Mexico… #Mexico #dellsweet #audiostory #Free #crimestory The book is available from Amazon in Kindle Unlimited, Audiobook or Paperback: The Mexican – Kindle edition by Sweet, Dell. Literature & Fiction Kindle eBooks @ Amazon.com. https://youtu.be/0CGNCMkYg0g
It is Bear and the Outrunners that will become the bridge between The Nation and its biggest rivals. It is also the Outrunners who will eventually unravel the mystery of how the Zombie Apocalypse came to be. They will protect The Nation, search out weapons and stockpiled foodstuffs, and they will fight the Zombie Plagues. Bear is the key to all of it. The one man who lives on the edge and likes the view there. With Beth he is the major force behind the Outrunners, who keep the Nation safe and allow the society there to live in relative peace in their valley. …
The battered chassis of the “Razorback,” Bear’s customized gas-guzzler, groaned under the strain. Dust devils, kicked up by their passage across the cracked asphalt, swirled around them like vengeful spirits. The midday sun beat down mercilessly on the wasteland, baking the already parched earth to a crisp. Behind them, the rusted skeletons of long-dead skyscrapers clawed at the sky, grim reminders of a world lost. This was their last run, a desperate gambit to reach Haven, a remote settlement clinging to life amidst the ruins.
The Crime Novel Genre: An Exploration of a Literary Staple
From the intricate puzzles of the “whodunnit” to the gritty realism of the hardboiled detective, the crime novel genre has captivated readers for centuries. Far more than simple tales of good versus evil, these books serve as a mirror to society, exploring themes of justice, morality, and the darker side of human nature. The genre’s appeal lies in its ability to simultaneously entertain and challenge us, inviting us to solve puzzles and confront uncomfortable truths. While the core elements—a crime, an investigation, and the pursuit of a perpetrator—remain constant, the crime novel has continuously evolved, branching into a diverse family of sub-genres that reflect the changing world around us.
The Foundations of a Genre
The modern crime novel as we know it emerged in the mid-19th century, fundamentally shaped by the work of Edgar Allan Poe. His 1841 short story, “The Murders in the Rue Morgue,” is widely considered the birth of detective fiction. It introduced the brilliant, eccentric sleuth, C. Auguste Dupin, who uses deductive reasoning to solve a seemingly unsolvable crime. This formula proved immensely popular and laid the groundwork for the most iconic figure in the genre: Sherlock Holmes. Created by Arthur Conan Doyle, Holmes and his loyal sidekick, Dr. Watson, became a global phenomenon, establishing the detective as a heroic figure of intellect and order.
This early period of crime fiction, often referred to as the “Golden Age,” was defined by British authors like Agatha Christie and Dorothy L. Sayers. Their novels were intellectual exercises, focusing on complex plots, a limited cast of suspects, and a final, grand revelation that tied all the clues together. The emphasis was on fair play—the reader was given all the same information as the detective and encouraged to solve the puzzle themselves. The crimes were often committed within closed, controlled environments like country estates or remote islands, a setting that allowed for intricate plotting and character-driven mystery.
The Shift to Sub-Genres
While the Golden Age dominated, a starkly different approach was brewing across the Atlantic. The hardboiled genre, born in the pages of American pulp magazines, offered a gritty and cynical contrast to its British counterpart. Authors like Dashiell Hammett and Raymond Chandler traded drawing-room mysteries for the mean streets of Los Angeles and San Francisco. Their protagonists, such as Sam Spade and Philip Marlowe, were flawed, morally ambiguous private investigators. They operated in a world of corruption, betrayal, and violence, where the lines between good and evil were blurred. The hardboiled style was defined by its terse, direct prose and its exploration of urban decay and social injustice, a reflection of the tumultuous era of the Great Depression and Prohibition.
From these two foundational pillars, a multitude of sub-genres emerged. Police procedurals focus on the realistic, day-to-day work of law enforcement. Instead of a single, brilliant amateur sleuth, these stories follow a team of detectives as they navigate bureaucracy, forensics, and the slow grind of an investigation. Authors like Ed McBain and Joseph Wambaugh brought a new level of authenticity to the genre, showing the human toll of police work.
The thriller shifted the genre’s focus from who did it to what happens next. The mystery is often less important than the suspense, the high stakes, and the relentless pace. In a thriller, the protagonist is usually a regular person thrust into an extraordinary and dangerous situation, often in a race against time to stop a larger catastrophe. Authors like Tom Clancy and Michael Crichton popularized the techno-thriller, while others, like Robert Ludlum, perfected the spy thriller.
The psychological thriller, popularized by authors such as Patricia Highsmith and Daphne du Maurier, delves into the minds of its characters. It focuses less on the external plot and more on the internal turmoil, the paranoia, and the often unreliable narrator. These stories are built on psychological tension and emotional manipulation, keeping the reader on edge as they question what is real and what is just a figment of a disturbed mind.
The Enduring Appeal and Modern Evolution
So why does the crime novel continue to resonate with us? At its core, it offers a sense of control over chaos. A crime shatters order, and the detective’s role is to restore it. This narrative arc, from disruption to resolution, is deeply satisfying. The intellectual puzzle of the mystery and the adrenaline rush of the thriller provide a form of escapism, allowing us to confront our fears from a safe distance. Moreover, the genre’s moral landscape, especially in its modern form, allows for a nuanced exploration of complex issues.
Today’s crime novel has expanded to encompass a vast array of topics. Authors blend elements of classic detective fiction with contemporary social commentary. The modern crime novel can be a vehicle for exploring themes of racial injustice, political corruption, environmental crime, and the implications of new technologies. Authors like Dennis Lehane and Tana French are celebrated for their ability to write crime novels that are also profound works of literary fiction, with complex characters and a deep understanding of place. Their stories demonstrate that a crime novel can be both a gripping page-turner and a thoughtful reflection on the human condition.
The crime novel genre has proven to be incredibly adaptable and resilient. From its methodical beginnings to its modern-day psychological and social complexity, it continues to evolve. It’s a genre that thrives on a simple yet powerful premise: something is wrong, and someone has to figure out why. This fundamental human drive—to seek truth, to find justice, and to understand the darkness within and around us—ensures that the crime novel will remain a vital and popular literary staple for generations to come.
The city breathed with a rhythm all its own, a symphony of sounds and smells that were as much a part of Vinnie LaRosa as his own heartbeat. Little Italy, mid-20th century, was a vibrant, chaotic organism, its narrow streets a pulsing artery crammed with life. From the cramped tenements that clawed at the sky, their fire escapes a tangled lace against the brick, to the bustling trattorias that spilled the rich, intoxicating aroma of simmering tomato sauces and roasted garlic onto the cobblestones, the neighborhood was a constant, humming presence. Laundry flapped like colorful prayer flags from windows, a cacophony of Italian dialects spilled from doorways, and the ever-present rumble of streetcars added a bass note to the urban opera. #Crime #Fiction #Amazon #KU #Kindle #WGSweet #Mafia #Organizedcrime
The city sprawled beneath him, a glittering tapestry woven with threads of ambition and illuminated by a million indifferent stars. From the aerie of his penthouse, high above the cacophony of the streets, Vinny LaRosa surveyed his kingdom. It wasn’t a kingdom of stone and mortar, but of shadow and influence, a sprawling, illicit empire that pulsed with a life of its own. The lights weren’t just streetlamps and neon signs; they were signals, markers of territories controlled, deals brokered, and lives manipulated. Each flicker was a testament to his reach, a silent acknowledgment of the power he wielded. This was the zenith, the apex of his ascent, a plateau of opulence built on a foundation of calculated ruthlessness and an almost supernatural understanding of the human appetite for both order and chaos. #Crime #Fiction #Amazon #KU #Kindle #WGSweet #Mafia #Organizedcrime
EASY CRIME SERIES
Easy Crime 01 Kindle Edition
Book 1 of 4: Easy Crime
Then I saw him. Robby.
He hadn’t changed much. Still the same lean build, the same unsettlingly calm demeanor that had always made me both wary and fascinated. His eyes, though, held a sharper glint, a honed edge that spoke of survival in a world even harsher than the one behind bars. He was a predator, disguised in the sheep’s clothing of a casual acquaintance, and the way he sat at the bar, radiating an aura of dangerous nonchalance, sent a chill down my spine… #Crime #Fiction #KU #Readers #Thriller #Kindle #Audible https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0FNFVBNTF
Easy Crime 02 Kindle Edition
Book 2 of 4: Easy Crime
The air hung thick and heavy, a humid blanket clinging to the skin even in the pre-dawn chill. The city, normally a cacophony of distant sirens and rumbling traffic, was unusually quiet, punctuated only by the rhythmic tremor that vibrated through the very foundations of the buildings… #Crime #Fiction #KU #Readers #Thriller #Kindle #Audible #Series https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0FND96CM1
Easy Crime 03 Kindle Edition
Book 3 of 4: Easy Crime
Marva took a slow sip of her drink, her expression unreadable. “Midnight’s risky, Robbie. The place is usually crawling with people that late.” Her voice was flat, devoid of any emotion, a stark reflection of her hardened exterior. Years spent surviving in the unforgiving landscape of the city’s underbelly had honed her survival instincts, turning her into a creature of stark pragmatism. She had seen too much death, too much violence, to afford herself the luxury of fear or sentimentality. #Crime #Fiction #KU #Readers #Thriller #Kindle #Audible #Series https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0FN8KT8PM
Easy Crime 04 Kindle Edition
Book 4 of 4: Easy Crime
Jenna clutched the strap of her worn messenger bag, her knuckles white. Her gaze was fixed on the two figures illuminated by the erratic neon. One was a burly man, his face obscured by the deep shadow cast by a baseball cap pulled low, his frame hunched as if carrying the weight of the world, or perhaps just the heavy duffel bag clutched between his hands. #Crime #Fiction #KU #Readers #Thriller #Kindle #Audible #Series https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0FNNHYSFF
Gus Dyer: The Jimmy West Case
Gus Dyer is a hardcore detective in the big city. He knows what crime is, and he has seen the worst of the worst walk her streets and taken those same people down. Some to jail, some to the gates of hell where they belonged in the first place.
This time he is on the trail of a hired killer, Jimmy West. West works out of the city. It is his base and fortress, the place where he can roam free among millions of other people unseen, unchallenged and free to continue his crimes. #crime #thriller #mystery #amazon #ku
Gus Dyer: The road to redemption
Gus Dyer is a detective no more. Staring into the deep wells of corruption for too many years sent him into a spiral. He tried to use the bottle to find his way out, but that only dragged him in deeper. The road to Redemption is a look at that fall and how hard that fall was. But Gus is determined to stand on his own two feet again. It remains to be seen whether he will ever become a detective again, but he is finding out that being a detective is not about a badge. It isn’t something you take on with the position either. It is in your blood, and if you have it, you cannot help but follow those impulses that flood through your body with that blood when you know something is wrong. Dead wrong… #crime #thriller #mystery #amazon #ku
Breakout
The Trap
The air hung thick and heavy, a miasma of stale cigarette smoke, cheap weed, and something else… something indefinably rotten. It clung to the peeling wallpaper, to the stained mattress shoved against the wall, to the very fabric of the room itself. This wasn’t just a dilapidated apartment in Harlem; it was a tomb, a suffocating cage built from neglect and despair. Rose-Lee, her eyes sharp and assessing, took it all in, the grime, the shadows, the sense of impending doom that settled like a shroud. Across the room, Alice huddled beneath a threadbare blanket, her eyes wide and fearful, a stark contrast to Rose-Lee’s steely gaze… #Crime #Thriller #Psychological #Readers #Urban
A look at the town of Glennville. Bobby, Moon and Lois are the central points of this book, but they will also introduce you to their parents, the Sherif Kyle Stevens and some of the other town locals that make Glennville, Glennville. They are trying to spend the summer enjoying the beauty of the upstate New York town, camping, adventures, all the things three eleven year old kids could do for a summer in 1969. But Glennville is no ordinary town and there is always something else going on…
The Black River was more than just a geographical feature; it was a whispered legend in the hushed corners of Glennville, a dark, sinuous promise on the edge of their ordinary lives. For Lois, Bobby, and Moon, it represented the untamed, the exhilarating unknown that lay just beyond the familiar streets and the oppressive normalcy of their days. Summer had settled over Glennville like a thick, humid blanket, but beneath the languid heat, a different kind of energy was building – a shared hunger for adventure, a yearning to push the boundaries of their small-town existence. The river, with its murky depths and shadowed banks, beckoned with an irresistible allure.
It was a place where the predictable rhythm of Glennville seemed to break, where the rules that governed their lives felt distant and irrelevant. The hushed reverence with which the older kids spoke of its hidden coves and treacherous currents only fueled the younger ones’ fascination. They’d seen glimpses of it from the dusty backroads, a dark ribbon weaving through overgrown trees, hinting at secrets the town couldn’t contain. Lois, ever the observer, had always felt its pull. She’d imagine the smooth, cool water against her skin, the quiet murmur of its flow as a counterpoint to the constant hum of her mother’s worries or the distant roar of the mill. It was a space that felt entirely their own, a canvas for the adventures their limited world couldn’t otherwise provide.
Bobby, with his boundless optimism, was the first to voice the nascent plan. He’d arrived at Lois’s doorstep one sweltering afternoon, his face flushed with excitement, a hastily drawn map clutched in his hand. The map, sketched on the back of a discarded flyer for a long-forgotten town picnic, depicted a rough, ambitious route to the furthest reaches of the Black River accessible by foot. “Lois,” he’d panted, barely containing his enthusiasm, “We have to go. To the end of it. The real end.”
The email arrived on a Tuesday, nestled amongst press releases about a new city ordinance and a celebrity chef opening a pop-up restaurant. Its subject line, “Assignment: Blackwood Creek Disappearances,” was bland enough to be ignorable, but Clara’s editor, a man who subsisted on a diet of caffeine and sensationalism, had flagged it with a rare “URGENT” and a single, emphatic exclamation mark. Clara, a journalist whose reputation was built on dissecting hoaxes with the precision of a surgeon, initially scrolled past it. Blackwood Creek. The name itself conjured images of damp, forgotten corners of the country, places where old wives’ tales clung to the air like the ubiquitous mist described in local folklore. Another sensationalized story for the gullible masses, she’d assumed. Just another ghost story peddled by a town desperate for attention, or perhaps a clever cover for something far more mundane, yet equally grim, like serial killings or human trafficking. But her editor’s insistence gnawed at her. He was rarely wrong about a potential scoop, and the few cryptic lines in the email hinted at something more substantial than the usual small-town drama. “Multiple disappearances over the past decade,” it read. “Local authorities baffled. Persistent rumors point to a malevolent entity, ‘The Hollow Whisperer,’ as the cause. High degree of local fear and cooperation with external investigation minimal.” Clara’s fingers, usually flying across the keyboard with practiced ease, hesitated. The mention of an “entity” and a lack of cooperation from local authorities wasn’t just intriguing; it was a siren call to her deeply ingrained skepticism. Such things, in her experience, were invariably fabrications, elaborate smokescreens for human deceit. Yet, the sheer persistence of the rumors, the “local fear,” and the minimal cooperation piqued her professional curiosity. This wasn’t just another missing person case; it was a potential unraveling of a carefully constructed narrative, and Clara lived to pull at those threads.
The Streets By Wendell Sweet One evening, I found myself back at the scene of the car accident—the snow-covered road where my life nearly ended. The scars on my body served as tangible reminders of that brutal night; the emotional scars were far deeper. The silence was deafening, broken only by the occasional rustle of the wind. The cold night air, the harsh sounds of snow crunching under my boots; it all was reminiscent of the night that would nearly cost my life. Standing there, I felt a wave of sadness, a flicker of the old fear, but it quickly subsided. The trauma was still there, woven into the fabric of my being, but it no longer controlled me. I had faced it, processed it, and emerged stronger.#True #NonFiction #Crime #Memoir #Kindle #KU Kindle:
Same model in other renders I did after the Christine render…
The Wastelands build…
And more…
Murdered out and lowered…
How to: Build the Christine car Christine. The movie car build. I made this while I was building the basic Plymouth Fury build. I enjoyed the build. #Christinecar #plymouthfury #horrorjunkie #dellsweet #3dmodel #directx
