If you’ve been following my work for a while, you may already know that Frank Leland wasn’t originally supposed to be the star of this series. He began as a secondary character in an early draft of THE BETRAYAL OF DANNY PRYOR.

But Frank had other ideas...

There’s a reason I haven’t blogged lately — and this is it.
I’ve been hard at work on the next Frank Leland novel: THE BETRAYAL OF DANNY PRYOR, coming Winter 2027.

What makes this one unusual is that it didn’t begin as a Frank Leland story at all. In fact, Frank wasn’t even the main character when I first wrote it.

This post is a behind-the-scenes look at how the novel evolved — and how Frank Leland unexpectedly took over the story.

This Halloween, I'm giving away a free short story featuring ex-cop turned private detective Frank Leland. THE NEEDLE IN THE CANDY STACK is set during Halloween 1977 in Manhattan, when someone starts poisoning children's trick-or-treat candy.

From Tar Beach rooftops in the Bronx to seeing my book on Barnes & Noble shelves, this is the story of my journey from childhood reader to published author. Discover WORKING STIFF: A Frank Leland Mystery and where to get your copy.

Most detectives fall for a femme fatale or lean on a love interest to humanize them. In this post, I show how I flipped that classic noir trope — and gave Frank Leland a very different kind of B plot to expose his vulnerability even more intensely.

Frank’s not your usual PI. No trench coat full of bourbon. Just regrets, compulsions, and a city full of bad choices.

Book marketing for a noir-mystery indie author can feel like trying to tail a suspect through foggy alleys with a broken flashlight — especially when promoting a new novel like WORKING STIFF. I’m a mystery writer, not a marketer — well, not exactly. But I do own a carry permit for my one secret weapon: a background in advertising.

Frank Leland walks the hardboiled streets of noir fiction — but his vice isn’t whiskey. It’s food. And that changes everything.

Discover how the Working Stiff cover evolved from a bold graphic design to a scene that deepens the story’s mystery — featuring Frank Leland in a creaky old elevator alongside a stranger who changes everything. A behind-the-scenes look at the art and the inspiration behind it.

How do you recreate 1977 New York — a city teetering on the edge of collapse — for a modern noir mystery? Author Bill Krieger takes you behind the scenes of Frank Leland’s gritty, broken world.

A mystery fiction blog diving into true crime, classic detectives, murder methods, and storytelling secrets. Plus recommendations for mystery novels, films, and unforgettable characters.