As determined by volunteer judges from the SMFS membership.
Some titles are linked to stories available in online magazine archives. The SMFS encourages you to read or listen to these free stories.
BEST FLASH STORY (Up to 1,000 Words)
"And Here's To You, Mrs. Edwardson" by Hamilton Waymire
Published in the webzine Big Pulp, November 23, 2009
"Awake" by David Dean
Published in EQMM, July 2009
"Gutterball" by Stephen D. Rogers
Published in Woman's World Magazine, September 7, 2009
"The Right Track" by R.T. Lawton
Published in Woman's World Magazine, October 26, 2009
"Unplanned" by Libby Cudmore
Published in Thrillers, Killers 'n' Chillers, August 2009
BEST SHORT STORY (1,001 - 4,000 Words)
"Identity Theft" by Robert Weibezahl
Published in Beat to a Pulp, March 2009
"The Biography of Stoop the Thief" by Steven Torres
Published in Uncage Me!, July 2009
"The Hard Sell" by Jay Stringer
Published in Beat to a Pulp, May 3, 2009
"The Right to Remain Silent" by Debbi Mack
Published in The Back Alley, August 2009
(Debbi also read this story on Seth Harwood's CrimeWAV podcast. Download her episode here, or listen with the player below.)
"Twas the Night" by Anita Page
Published in The Gift of Murder, October 2009
BEST LONG STORY (4,001 - 8,000 Words)
"A Stab in the Heart" by Twist Phelan
Published in EQMM, February 2009
(Twist also read this story on Seth Harwood's CrimeWAV podcast. Download her episode here, or listen with the player below.)
"Famous Last Words" by Doug Allyn
Published in EQMM, November 2009
"Regarding Certain Occurrences in a Cottage at the Garden of Allah" by Robert S. Levinson
Published in AHMM, November 2009
"Snow on Bloedkoppie" by Berhard Jaumann (translated from the German by Mary Tannert)
Published in EQMM, August 2009
"The Shipbreaker" by Mike Wiecek
Published in EQMM, March/April 2009
BEST NOVELETTE (8,001 - 17,500 Words)
"Adjuncts Anonymous" by B.K. Stevens
Published in AHMM, June 2009
"Julius Katz" by Dave Zeltserman
Published in EQMM, September/October 2009
"The Last Drop" by R.W. Kerrigan
Published in EQMM, February 2009
"The Pirate's Debt" by Toni L.P. Kelner
Published in EQMM, August 2009
"Uncle Brick and Jimmy Kills" by Allan Leverone
Published in Mysterical-E, Summer 2009
The SMFS membership at large will read the finalist stories and vote between April 1-30, 2010. Winners announced May 1, 2010.