I do have shout-outs to bands and musicians I like in my books, but the musical references can be misunderstood. Often, I have people listening to mu….

There's a school of thought that says if you legalize drugs it will solve the problem. We're all good liberals, we said let's do it and see what happ….

The worst kind of novel is one that blames other people for the racial problem in order to make the reader feel good about himself. As if it's only r….

Top-shelf fiction, a Crown Royal ride into the heart of Night and New York. Con Lehane's work is reminiscent of the best of Lawrence Block, which is ….

We couldn't have known - who could've predicted what happened in American politics in the 2016? The rise of racism again, or the peeling back of the ….

My name recognition has opened doors on the research side. I used to go into crack houses and drug markets and really bad neighborhoods by myself, ro….

We remember when women were spoken of differently. I don't mean that we didn't speak of women sexually - that happened. It was never this crude: ther….

I'm proud to be a crime novelist. What I've chosen is the best way to convey the questions I'm trying to raise..

The Next Right Thing has humanity, humor, and insight to burn. Author Dan Barden takes the clay of the California hard-boiled novel and shapes it int….

Soon it began to drizzle for the second time that night. The drops grew heavier and became visible in the headlights of the cars. It was said by some….

In Europe, I'm recognized on the street sometimes. And that's cool, because I don't have to live there and deal with it every day. Unless you're Step….

The most popular American fiction seems to be about successful people who win, and good crime fiction typically does not explore that world. But hone….

The reason some crime writers have a chip on their shoulder about the label is because their good books are shelved beside books about nuns and birdw….

I can write any kind of novel I want, any time, and sell it, but there's not that many people watching it. Even a low-rated TV show is a couple milli….

But when I do book signings and personal appearances, the audiences are mostly white. Growing up here, I expected that and understand it. Black audie….

I'm a better writer now because I've worked very hard at getting better. My long-range goal will always be to write better books..

We get schooled by the people around us, and it stays inside us deep..

If the storytellers told it true, all stories would end in death..

What's more interesting are the dynamics between people that involve hypocrisy or ignoring each other. That's what I want to write about. I like to m….

The thirst for knowledge is like a piece of ass you know you shouldn't chase; in the end, you chase it just the same..

Things seem to be at a boiling point all the time. In fact, it has been that way my whole life. I find it interesting, and I like the fact that the e….