HeyJaredPRESENT TENSE: Suspense, Mystery, Thriller Craft and More
A gathering place for readers and writers of suspenseful fiction
- Indexed issues, last 90 days
- 6
- Latest publication
- Sep 25, 2026
- Audience
- Checking…
- Earliest in this view
- Jul 9, 2026
Latest issues
Agatha Christie, Life Lesson #4. Going Pro: How Adversity and Dire Financial Need Turned a Dilettante into a Steely Professional (opens the original)
Read excerpt
<img alt="" class="sizing-normal" height="396" src="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!hj_4!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fbea3e607-69e0-4fea-a6d2-47ef9698f41e_254x396.jpeg"
Meaningful, character-rich fiction for readers who want page turners (opens the original)
Read excerpt
I grabbed onto Andromeda’s idea of making Present Tense an opportunity for a self-made MFA (with a concentration in suspense, of course). Andromeda and I have a shared topic of self-study, which she put best: “how to write meaningful, character-rich fiction that satisfies readers who want page-turners.”I wasn’t far into Caitlin Mullen’s HEATHER when I thought to myself, I’m reading that exact kind of book.So I started lea
Suspense, But Make It Brighter (opens the original)
Read excerpt
Today we have a guest post from Katie at All the Things. I knew it was a big old YES just a few words into her pitch, which promised a list of suspense series that kept content/tone on the lighter side. (Want to pitch us, too? More here!) Andromeda and I definitely lean toward the moodier suspense. Let’s lighten it up around here!!And then when Katie sent the piece I had a geek out because her first recommendation is Jasper Fforde’s Thursday Next series, and JASPER FFORDE!!! I had
Leah Rowan's Ambitious Retelling Pays Off (opens the original)
Read excerpt
I don’t know Leah Rowan personally, but when I first heard about her thriller, MARION, prior to publication, I went ahead and pre-ordered it (ding-ding-ding) and started sharing her news with others. That’s the power of a high-concept premise. It can turn a stranger into a potential superfan. I finished the book poolside, on my way-too-short vacation (almost crying now—this summer was too short and too busy), and let me tell you, I was satisfied. Thank you, Leah Rowan, for giving me th
Everything is Southern Gothic (opens the original)
Read excerpt
<img alt="" class="sizing-normal" height="1192" src="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!TJ0G!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fed29fa00-0c9d-4cac-a826-a44e254d0497_5208x4262.t
Publishing over time
Last 90 days. Choose a month to open its work.
Recurring subjects
Named in the text we hold. One piece can cover several.
Audience
No verified audience measurement yet.
About this data
Counts cover the work we have indexed. Tone needs enough text and a confident classification. Excerpts and episode notes are not full articles or transcripts.
Identity or attribution wrong? Suggest a correction.
See coverage about PRESENT TENSE: Suspense, Mystery, Thriller Craft and More