Murder at the Olympics: Crime Fiction set at the Olympics

I hope you're enjoying the Winter Olympics. I am. If you're a mystery reader, it should come as no surprise that the Olympics have actually been filled with drug scandals, sexual intrigue, disappearing athletes, death, murder, and theft! Consequently, the Olympics have played a very important part in crime fiction and in true crime. Here's my updated Olympics Mystery List (both Summer and Winter Olympics). As always, let me know any titles/authors I've missed.

Murder at the Olympics

Skate Crime and On Think Ice by Alina Adams
Rush for the Gold by Susan Carol Anderson

End Game by Jeffrey Archer 
Olympic Sleeper by Tom Barling
Beneath the Rings by Joe Battaglia

Echo of the Reich by James Becker
2012 Olympic Sabotage by D.M. Blowers
Mrs Hudson's Olympic Triumph by Barry S. Brown
Rush for the Gold: Mystery at the Olympics by F.J. Campbell (YA)

A Game of Lies by Rebecca Cantrell
40 Days 40 Nights by Wendy Cartmell
Bear Pit by Jon Cleary
Gold by Chris Cleave
Sacred Games by Gary Corby
The Rat Catchers' Olympics by Colin Cotterill
No Mark Upon Her by Deborah Crombie
Typhoon by Charles Cummings
See Delphi and Die by Lindsey Davis
Garden of Beasts by Jeffery Deaver
Time Heals No Wounds by Hendrik Falkenberg
Rush for the Gold: Mystery at the Olympics by John Feinstein 
Beyond Gold by Elaine Forder
Trial Run by Dick Francis
Legacy by Michael Gillard

The Blue Fence by Jonathan Hales
Death on the Range by Nikki Haverstock

Olympic Sacrifice by John Hocutt
Terror-Olympic Size by George L. Hoffman
Flight from Berlin by David John
March Violets, If the Dead Rise Not by Phillip Kerr
Lights Out by Elise Hart Kipness

Going for the Gold by Emma Lathen
Golden Girl by Peter Lear (Peter Lovesey) 
Olympia '36 by John Lee
The Bomber by Liza Marklund
Peril is My Pay by Stephen Marlowe
The Runner by Peter May
One or the Other by John McFetridge
Nightmare in Nagano; Murder at the Winter Games by Roy MacGregor
Dragon Games by Stephen Mertz
An Olympic Death; Off Side by Manuel Vazquez Montalban

Olympic Nemesis by James Morley
A Medal of Honor by John Morton
A Private Business by Barbara Nadel 

The Judas Goat; Carol Heiss Olympic Queen by Robert B. Parker
Target America: Terror at the 2002 Olympics by Frederick W. Parkins
See How They Run by James Patterson 
Private Games by James Patterson and Mark Sullivan
Deadlock by Sara Paretsky

The Black Jersey by Jorge Zepeda Patterson

Death Spiral by Meredith Phillips
Olympic Fusion by Scott Pickard
The Runner by Christopher Reich
Whiz Tanner and the Olympic Snow Caper by Fred Rexroad

Death was in the Blood by Linda L. Richards
Hartliss Protector (Assignment: Prince William at the Olympics) by Mike Scantlebury
Kudo Kids: The Mystery of the Masked Medalist by Maia and Alex Shibutani (Middle School)

Black Rain by David Shone
Red Snow by Michael Slade
The Eighth Day by Alistair Smith
Geronimo and the Gold Medal Mystery by Geronimo Stilton  
Murder at the Olympics by Lee Strauss

Rogue Agent by Sean Sweeney
Lestrade and the Deadly Game by M.J. Trow
The Perfect Blindside by Leslea Wahl
Tess and the Olympic Rings Mystery by C. Wilson and Malcolm Turnbull

Summer Games: An Olympic Murder Mystery by Sabrina Wylly
Not Just a Game by Doug Zipes 

Short Stories: 

 “And Now, an Inspiring Story of Tragedy Overcome” by Joseph S. Walker in Three Strikes--You're Dead!)

Non-Fiction:  
Vengeance: The True Story of an Israeli Counter-Terrorist Team by George Jonas

Cartoon of the Day: Cat Winter Olympics

 

AUTHORS & THEIR CATS: James Joyce

Happy Caturday! Authors & their Cats: James Joyce

Be sure to scroll down for some fascinating information on James Joyces's cat fiction!

You may not know this, but James Joyce was a big cat lover and children's book author, as well as adult fiction writer.

There are two versions of The Cat and the Devil (1981), both based on a letter James Joyce wrote to his grandson Stephen in 1936 and illustrated by French artist Blachon. The UK edition was published earlier and illustrated by Gerald Rose. They're both wonderful, but I prefer the UK edition.

Another wonderful Joyce cat story is The Cats of Copenhagen, also based on another letter to Stephen which was found posthumously and published in 2012. Anastasia Herbert of Ithys Press first published the book in Ireland with a 200 copy illustrated print run. In early August 1936, Joyce had sent his grandson ‘a little cat filled with sweets’ – a kind of Trojan cat to outwit the grown-ups (see above). A few weeks later, while in Copenhagen and probably after hunting for another  gift, Joyce penned ‘Cats’, which begins: ‘Alas! I cannot send you a Copenhagen cat because there are no cats in Copenhagen.’ Surely there were cats in Copenhagen! But perhaps not ones filled with candy. The story proceeds to describe a Copenhagen in which things are not what they seem…There is definitely an adult subtext here: note the 'fat cat'

CWA Diamond Dagger: Mark Billingham

Crime Writers' Association (CWA) 2026 Diamond Dagger. This award “recognises authors whose crime-writing careers have been marked by sustained excellence, and who have made a significant contribution to the genre.” 

MARK BILLINGHAM

Sleepyhead introduced Detective Inspector Tom Thorne, leading to a further 18 books in Billingham's series, which was adapted to screen by Sky 1 in 2010, starring David Morrissey as Thorne. The latest Thorne book, What the Night Brings, was published in June 2025 - Billingham’s 25th book.

Mark Billingham said: “Presuming this is not an administrative error, I could not be more thrilled or honoured. To be added to a list that features most of my literary heroes is fantastic. That so many are also friends is the icing on the cake and, for me, a mark of how very special the crime-writing community is.”

HT: The Rap Sheet

SUPER BOWL: Super Bowl Crime Fiction & Football Mysteries

It's no longer just Super Bowl Sunday--it's Super Bowl Week! The game this year is being played in San Francisco - -but it's not. The game will actually be held in Santa Clara, some 30 miles south of the City. But that isn't stopping the City of San Francisco from celebrating. Lots of special events, concerts, and street closures. I am not going into the City this week! 

But that's not stopping me from posting Super Bowl Mysteries.There is a lot of real crime surrounding the Super Bowl: drugs, money, gambling, egos, and so much more. All fodder for the crime writer. So in 'honor' of the Super Bowl, I've updated my lists of Super Bowl and other Football Mysteries. These are in no way definitive lists -- just some football crime fiction for you to enjoy in case you're not watching the Super Bowl! And, you have a full week to read them all! As always, I welcome additions!

If you're interested in other Sports Mysteries and essays on Football Mysteries, Mystery Readers Journal has had several Sports Mysteries issues. The last Sports Mysteries Issue of MRJ was Volume 25:4 (Winter 2009-2010). Available as PDF download

Super Bowl Mysteries

The Hidden Key by George Harmon Coxe
Super-Dude by John Craig
Cover-Up: Mystery at the Super Bowl by John Feinstein (YA)
Black Sunday by Thomas Harris
Paydirt by Paul Levine
The Last Super Bowl by Robin Moore & David Harper
4th and Fixed by Reggie Rivers
Murder at the Super Bowl by Fran Tarkenton and Herb Resnicow
Life's Work by Jonathan Valin
Killerbowl by Gary K. Wolf

Movie:  
Ace Ventura: Pet Detective (1994)
 
Other Football Mysteries (not including British Football, of which there are many titles)

The Professor by Robert Bailey
Memory Man; The Might Johns by David Baldacci

Rough and Tumble by Mark Bavaro
Pass Judgment by Jerry Brewer
Sweeper by Steve Bruce 
Deal Breaker by Harlan Coben
Coliseum by Barney Cohen
Et Tu Brady by Joseph Collum

Football is Murder by Kathy Cranston
All Saints Day: A New Orleans Football Mystery by Sean Patrick Doles
Backfield Boys by John Feinstein

Under the Stadium Lights by Hunter Mills Gallo

Day of the Ram by William Campbell Gault
Murder at Cleaver Stadium by Douglas Lee Gibboney
Quarterback Trap by Dallas Gorham
Double Reverse; Ruffians by Tim Green
Playing for Pizza; Bleachers by John Grisham
Bleeding Maize and Blue by Susan Holtzer
Crown of All Virtues by Reece Kepler
The Prophet by Michael Koryta
Two-Minute Warning by George LaFountaine
Bump and Run by Mike Lupica
The Draft by Wil Mara
Dead Ball Foul by Kayla McGrady
A Cardinal Offense by Ralph McInerny
Parker's Blood by William Miller
Foul Play; Dead Ball; Off Side; Killer Pass; Foul Play: Own Goal by Tom Palmer

12th of Never by James Patterson and Maxine Paetro
The Jook by Gary Phillips
Foul by Will J. Robson

Winter and Night by S. J. Rozan
A Nutcracker Nightmare by Christina Romeril
Sudden Death by David Rosenfelt
Marked Man; Red Card by Mel Stein

The Footballer by Ben Stevens
The Football Manager Murders by Chris Tookey
A Touch of Death by Charles Williams

Short Stories:  

The Mighty Johns, edited by Otto Penzler

Nonfiction: 
Scoreboard, Baby: A Story of College Football, Crime and Complicity by Ken Armstrong and Nick Perry (winner of the 2011 Edgar for Best Fact Crime)
All-American Murder by James Patterson & Alex Abramovich

Children's:

Bones and the Football Mystery by David A. Adler, Barbara Johansen Newman (Illustrator)
The Mystery of the Stolen Football by T. J. Edwards, Charles Tang (Illustrator)
The Big Bling Blitz; The Two-Minute Warning by David A. Kelly

The Football Fiasco by Mike Lupica
Courtney Case and the Missing Football by Jeannie Meekins

International Thriller Writers Thriller Award Finalists!!

The International Thriller Writers Thriller Award Finalists! Congratulations to all!

𝐁𝐄𝐒𝐓 𝐒𝐓𝐀𝐍𝐃𝐀𝐋𝐎𝐍𝐄 𝐍𝐎𝐕𝐄𝐋

-Megan Collins – CROSS MY HEART

-Ruth Knafo Setton – ZIGZAG GIRL

-Gilly Macmillan – THE BURNING LIBRARY

-Sarah Pekkanen – THE LOCKED WARD

-Olivia Worley – SO HAPPY TOGETHER

𝐁𝐄𝐒𝐓 𝐒𝐄𝐑𝐈𝐄𝐒 𝐍𝐎𝐕𝐄𝐋

-James Byrne – CHAIN REACTION

-Robert Crais – THE BIG EMPTY

-John McMahon – HEAD CASES

-Christopher Reich – THE TOURISTS

-Vincent Zandri – TERMINAL MOONLIGHT

𝐁𝐄𝐒𝐓 𝐅𝐈𝐑𝐒𝐓 𝐍𝐎𝐕𝐄𝐋

-Chris Chibnall – DEATH AT THE WHITE HART

-Kelsey Cox – PARTY OF LIARS

-Sophie Stava – COUNT MY LIES

-Zoe B. Wallbrook – HISTORY LESSONS

-Liann Zhang – JULIE CHAN IS DEAD

𝐁𝐄𝐒𝐓 𝐀𝐔𝐃𝐈𝐎𝐁𝐎𝐎𝐊

-S. A. Cosby – KING OF ASHES, Narrated by Adam Lazarre-White

-Mark Edwards – THE WASP TRAP, Narrated by John Hopkins, Anna Burnett

-Marisa Kashino – BEST OFFER WINS, Narrated by Cia Court

-Xan Kaur – WHEN DEVILS SING, Narrated by Michael Crouch, Anjali Kunapaneni, Jennifer Pickens, Landon Woodson

-CN Mabry, N'Dia Rae – THE CHEATER'S WIFE, Narrated by Ruffin Prentiss, Machelle Williams

-Michael Robotham – THE WHITE CROW, Narrated by Katy Sobey

𝐁𝐄𝐒𝐓 𝐘𝐎𝐔𝐍𝐆 𝐀𝐃𝐔𝐋𝐓 𝐍𝐎𝐕𝐄𝐋

-Liz Lawson – MURDER BETWEEN FRIENDS

-Margot McGovern – THIS STAYS BETWEEN US

-Clay McLeod Chapman – SHINY HAPPY PEOPLE

-Diana Rodriguez Wallach – THE SILENCED

-Julie Soto – THE THRASHERS

𝐁𝐄𝐒𝐓 𝐒𝐇𝐎𝐑𝐓 𝐒𝐓𝐎𝐑𝐘

-Katrina Carrasco – LEVEL UP (Bywater Books)

-Scott William Carter – THE SEDUCTION OF DR. DIMENSION (Ellery Queen Mystery Magazine)

-Lee Child – ELEVEN NUMBERS (Amazon Original Stories)

-David Lagercrantz – FALSE NOTE (Amazon Original Stories)

-Jessica Van Dessel – THE VIOLENT SEASON (Alfred Hitchcock Mystery Magazine)