Introduction / by Lee Child -- Rules and genres. Rules and when to break them / Neil Nyren ; Carolyn Hart ; Keeping it thrilling / Meg Gardiner ; Beth Amos ; Insider, outsider: the amateur sleuth / Naomi Hirahara ; Lindsey Davis ; Finding Lou: the police procedural / Rachel Howzell Hall ; Linwood Barclay ; Mindset of darkness: writing noir / Alex Segura ; Hank Phillippi Ryan ; Crossing the genres / Charlaine Harris ; Kate White ; Historical mystery / Jacqueline Winspear ; Suzanne Chazin ; Medical thriller / Tess Gerritsen ; Gigi Pandian ; Researching the spy thriller / Gayle Lynds ; Stephanie Kane -- Other mysteries. Mysteries for children: an introduction / Susan Vaught ; S. M. Surrisi ; Unleash your inner child ; Chris Grabenstein ; Elizabeth Sims ; Young adult mystery / Kelley Armstrong ; Pat Gallant Weich ; Graphic novels / Dale W. Berry and Gary Phillips ; Dag Öhrlund ; Short mystery / Art Taylor ; Charles Salzberg ; Ten stupid questions about true crime / Daniel Stashower ; Carold Buggé -- Writing. On style / Lyndsay Faye ; Steve Hockensmith ; Always outline! / Jeffery Deaver ; Rob Hart ; Hallie Ephron ; Never outline! / Lee Child ; Shelly Frome ; Art of the rewrite / Laurie R. King ; Rae Franklin James ; Leslie Budewitz ; Plot and the bones of a mystery / Deborah Crombie ; Tim Maleeny ; Robert Lopresti ; Diversity in crime fiction / Frankie Y. Bailey ; Elaine Viets ; Protagonist / Allison Brennan ; Stephanie Kay Bendel ; Villain of the piece / T. Jefferson Parker ; Kris Neri ; Supporting characters / Craig Johnson ; Gay Toltl Kinman ; Writing the talk / Greg Herren ; Bradley Harper ; Stephen Ross ; Setting / William Kent Krueger ; Thomas B. Sawyer ; Humor in crime fiction / Catriona McPherson ; James W. Ziskin ; Writing in partnership / Caroline & Charles Todd ; Bradley Harper ; Tie-ins and continuing a character / Max Allan Collins ; Hal Bodner -- After the writing. Secrets of a book critic / Oline H. Cogdill ; Marilyn Stasio ; Self-publishing / Liliana Hart ; Nancy J. Cohen ; Authors online / Maddee James ; Mysti Berry ; Building your community / Louise Penny ; Bev Vincent ; Legal considerations / Daniel Steven.