Sunday, July 31, 2022
Little Big Crimes: Mr. Moto at Manzanar, by George Zebrowski
Little Big Crimes: Mr. Moto at Manzanar, by George Zebrowski: "Mr. Moto at Manzanar," by George Zebrowski, in Sherlock Holmes Mystery Magazine, #30, 2022. I'm not generally a fan of past...
SMFS Member Publishing News: Ripen by Ashley-Ruth M. Bernier
Website Description:
For this week's Black Cat Weekly, Michael
Bracken has acquired an original mystery by Ashley-Ruth M. Bernier, Barb
Goffman found a tale by SJ Rozan that will surely satisfy crime fans, and
Cynthia Ward tracked down a Matthew Hughes story. Plus, for the sheer silliness
of it all, there’s a Mickey Spillane parody from 1954 (which manages to be both
a mystery and fantasy…but wasn’t everything of Spillane’s?) and classics from
R. Austin Freeman (a Dr Thorndyke story), a Nick Carter novel, and the first
Skylark of Space novel by E.E. “Doc” Smith.
Here’s the complete lineup:
Mysteries / Suspense / Adventure:
“Ripen,” by Ashley-Ruth M. Bernier
[Michael Bracken Presents short story]
“Death Takes a Swing,” by Hal Charles
[Solve-It-Yourself Mystery]
“E-Golem,” by SJ Rozan [Barb Goffman
Presents short story]
“The Case Of Oscar Brodski,” by R. Austin
Freeman [short story]
A Human Counterfeit, by Nicholas Carter
[novel]
“The Shaky Undertaker,” by Ed Cox [short
story]
Science Fiction & Fantasy:
“The Shaky Undertaker,” by Ed Cox [short
story]
“To the Sons of Tomorrow,” by Irving Cox,
Jr. [short story]
“Mastermindless,” by Matthew Hughes
[Cynthia Ward Presents short story]
“Problem In Solid,” by George O. Smith
[short story]
“Sequel,” by Ben Smith [short story]
The Skylark of Space, by E.E. “Doc” Smith
[novel]
SleuthSayers: Writing My First PI Story by R. T. Lawton
SleuthSayers: Writing My First PI Story: .38 Super Last September, I wrote a blog article in SleuthSayers challenging myself to create my first PI story. In that article, I bemoan...
Saturday, July 30, 2022
SleuthSayers: Isn't This Where We Came In? by John Floyd
SleuthSayers: Isn't This Where We Came In?: The idea for this post came to me a few weeks ago, when my daughter and I went to see Top Gun: Maverick at a multiplex nearby. (Unlike my w...
Thursday, July 28, 2022
SMFS Member Nominees for the 2022 Macavity Awards
The Macavity Award is named for the “mystery cat” of T.S.
Eliot (Old Possum’s Book of Practical Cats). Each year The Macavity Awards are
nominated and voted on by members of Mystery Readers International, subscribers
to Mystery Readers Journal, and friends and supporters of MRI who all nominate
and vote for their favorite mysteries in four categories. The winners will be
announced at Bouchercon in Minneapolis, Minnesota, in September.
This year we have five members of the Short Mystery Fiction Society nominated in the category of Best Short Story. The nominees are:
Richard Helms: “Sweeps Week” (Ellery
Queen’s Mystery Magazine: July/August 2021)
Steve Hockensmith: “Curious Incidents” (Ellery
Queen’s Mystery Magazine: January/February 2021)
R.T. Lawton: “The Road to Hana” (Alfred Hitchcock’s Mystery
Magazine: May/June 2021)
G.M. Malliet: “The White Star” (Ellery
Queen’s Mystery Magazine: July/August 2021)
Gigi Pandian for “The Locked Room Library” (Ellery Queen’s Mystery Magazine: July/August 2021) The story is also nominated for an Anthony Award.
The full list of nominees and their categories can be found here.
SMFS Member Publishing News: Dead Ends and One Way Streets by Mike McHone
SMFS list member Mike McHone’s short story, Dead Ends and One Way Streets, appears online today at Shotgun Honey. You can read it for free here.
Criminal Minds: Superman or Batman? from James W. Ziskin
Criminal Minds: Superman or Batman? from James W. Ziskin: Which side of the fence are you most comfortable writing from, the good, the bad, or the ugly? Do you consider one side or the other more ma...
Tuesday, July 26, 2022
Little Big Crimes: Storm Warning, by Dana Haynes
Little Big Crimes: Storm Warning, by Dana Haynes: "Storm Warning ," by Dana Haynes, in Ellery Queen's Mystery Magazine, July/August 2022. This is the third appearance on this...
SMFS Member Publishing News: There Goes The Neighborhood by Karen Keeley
Amazon Synopsis:
“I know he’s been abducted by aliens. They whisked him
away in the ship, left me standing there, watching the ship grow smaller and
smaller. Len has to be somewhere, and you’re a tracker. Word on the street, you
can track anything.”
Syd Malloy smiled. Yes, he was a tracker but he
preferred private investigator which meant searching for people who had gone
missing or rustling up clues with regard to stolen property, collecting his
standard rate for his efforts.
Excerpt from ONE WOMAN TOO MANY, the first of nine
short stories featuring Syd Malloy, Private Investigator and his long-time pal
Detective Al Simms with the Vancouver Police Force. Join them as they battle
crime in post-WWII Vancouver, British Columbia.
SMFS Members Published in Vautrin - Volume 4, Issue 1, Summer 2022
Michael Bracken with “Sparks.” (Cover image comes from Mr. Bracken's recent Facebook post regarding his story.)
Jacqueline Freimor with “Foreword.”
Curtis Ippolito with “The Estate Sale.”
Saira Viola with “The Future’s A Fraud.”
Website Synopsis:
Gritty urban fiction. Crime Fiction. Or gritty urban
fiction with crime fiction elements. A touch of mythology, the supernatural.
While laughing at the absurdity of it all. That’s the Vautrin mojo.
In this issue:
Fiction
C. R. Resetarits, Quem Quaeritis?
Eli Cranor, Mussel
Dennis Tafoya, Last Night At Jack’s
Saira Viola, The Future’s
A Fraud
Hector Acosta, El Diablero
Zach Vasquez, Panama
M. E. Proctor, Bathing Beauty
Thomas Pluck, Blue Canaries
Curtis Ippolito, The Estate Sale
You can also read more about the issue with details
about the content and other information here.
SMFS Member Publication News: John M. Floyd
SMFS list member John M. Floyd once again has a short story appearing in Woman’s World Magazine. His latest tale, "A Very Deadly Clue" is in the current issue (August 1, 2020) of Woman’s World Magazine. The publication is available on some newsstands and by subscription.
Members
are reminded that Mr. Floyd shared in his piece at SleuthSayers
Blog how he goes about writing short stories for this market. Well worth
reading, especially if you are looking to break into this market. Especially
when you consider the fact that Mr. Floyd has had his short stories published considerably
over 100 times by this market.
SleuthSayers: The Importance of Tenacity by Barb Goffman
SleuthSayers: The Importance of Tenacity: Hi, everyone. I'm taking a mental-health break. Instead of writing a new column to run today, I'm rerunning one from New Year's ...
Monday, July 25, 2022
SleuthSayers: What’s It All About, Reader? by Elizabeth Zelvin
SleuthSayers: What’s It All About, Reader?: A couple of posts on DorothyL, the mystery lovers’ e-list, got me thinking the other day. DLers read widely and voraciously, and are a great...
Sunday, July 24, 2022
Do Some Damage: James L'Etoile's New Thriller, DEAD DROP
Do Some Damage: James L'Etoile's New Thriller, DEAD DROP: Thriller writer James L'Etoile stops by today with a few training tips for writers. The cute dog photos are just a coincidence. - Clai...
Saturday, July 23, 2022
Ladies of Mystery: Discovering the Story by Susan Oleksiw
Ladies of Mystery: Discovering the Story by Susan Oleksiw
2022 Public Safety Writers Association Award Winners: Jim Guigli, Ellen Kirschman, Frank Zafiro
Jim Guigli came in third place for his short story,
“Looking for Mishka,” in the “Short Story Published” category. The tale was
originally published in Rock and a Hard Place, Issue 7: Winter 2022
(January 2022).
Jim Guigli also came in third place for his flash
fiction short story, “Listen to the Gunsmith,” in the “Flash Writing Fiction” category.
It was then published online at Guilty
Crime Story Magazine: Flash! and can be read for
free.
Ellen Kirschman won second place for Answer to
His Prayers (the fourth book of the Dr. Dot Mystery Series) in the “Fiction
Book Published” category. Published by Hillcrest House Publishing in digital
last December and then in print last March, the book also took second place in the
“Fiction
Book Unpublished” category in 2020.
Frank Zafiro won three awards in the “Short Story
Published” category.
In first place, “One Fine Day” which appeared in The
Tattered Blue Line: Short Stories of Contemporary Policing anthology.
Independently published, Mr. Zafiro was also the editor for the anthology.
In second place, “Hallmarks of the Job.” Published by
P. I. Tales, this novella was published in the book titled, Hallmarks
Of The Job / Aloha Boys: A P.I. Tales Double Feature,
by Frank Zafiro and Michael Bracken last August.
Mr. Zafiro also won a “Honorable Mention” for the
short story, “The Last Cop,” which appeared in the To
Serve, Protect, and Write: Cops Writing Crime Fiction anthology
published last February. Published by Publicious Pty Ltd, the book was edited
by A. B. Patterson.
The full list of the Public Safety Writers Association Award winners can be found here.
Wednesday, July 20, 2022
SleuthSayers: Doing the Math by Robert Lopresti
SleuthSayers: Doing the Math: For months I have had a fragment of a story idea kicking around my head. Just something I knew I wanted to write about someday. Then on ...
Tuesday, July 19, 2022
Little Big Crimes: The Secret Sharer, by W. Edward Blain
Little Big Crimes: The Secret Sharer, by W. Edward Blain: "The Secret Sharer," by W. Edward Blain, in Ellery Queen's Mystery Magazine, July/August 2022. In the last two years many fi...
SMFS Member Publishing News: Dead Drop: A Detective Nathan Parker Novel by James L'Etoile
Synopsis:
Hundreds go missing each year making the dangerous crossing over the border. What if you were one of them?
While investigating the deaths of undocumented migrants in the Arizona desert, Detective Nathan Parker finds a connection to the unsolved murder of his partner by a coyote on a human smuggling run. The new evidence lures Parker over the border in search of the truth, only to trap him in a strange and dangerous land. If he’s to survive, Parker must place his life in the hands of the very people he once pursued.
Border violence, border politics, and who is caught in the middle. The forces behind it might surprise you.
SMFS Member Publishing News: Peppermint Barked: A Spice Shop Mystery by Leslie Budewitz
Today is publication day for Peppermint Barked:
A Spice Shop Mystery by Leslie Budewitz. This is the sixth book in the
series that began with Assault and Pepper. Published by Seventh
Street Books in print and digital formats, the book is available at Amazon and
other vendors.
Synopsis:
As the holiday season lights up Seattle’s famed Pike
Place Market, Pepper Reece’s beloved Spice Shop is brimming with cinnamon,
nutmeg, and shoppers eager to stuff their stockings. Add to the mix a tasty
staff competition—a peppermint bark-off—along with Victorian costumes for this
year’s Dickensian Christmas theme, and Pepper almost forgets to be nervous
about meeting her fisherman boyfriend’s brother for the first time.
But when a young woman working in her friend Vinny’s
wine shop is brutally assaulted, costumed revelers and holiday cheer are the
last things on Pepper’s mind. Who would want to hurt Beth? Or were they looking
for Vinny instead?
The vicious attack upsets everyone at Pike Place, but
none more than Pepper’s own employee, Matt Kemp. At first, Pepper is baffled by
his reaction, but his clandestine connection to Beth could hold the key to the
assailant’s motive. Or perhaps it’s Vinny’s ex-wife who knows more than she’s
letting on . . . and what about the mysterious top-hatted man with whom Pepper
saw Beth arguing that morning?
As the secrets of the market come to light, long-held
grudges, family ties, and hidden plans only further obscure the truth. Is it a
ghost of the past rattling its chains, or a contemporary Scrooge with more
earthly motives? As Pepper chases down a killer, someone is chasing her, and in
the end, the storied market itself may hold the final, deadly clue.
A cozy holiday mystery full of culinary delights and a
rich cast of characters, the sixth installment in the Spice Shop Mystery series
will keep you turning the page . . . and reaching for another piece of
peppermint bark.
SMFS Member Publishing News: Death in the New Land: A People of the Wind Mystery Book by Kaye George
Synopsis:
Enga Dancing Flower and her tribe have reached a place
they can stay in safety. Or have they?
It's clear the groups of other settlers in the area do
not want more neighbors, and this is made even more evident when a male of
Enga's tribe is murdered, and a baby is kidnapped.
The future of the tribe is immediately put into
question. Can Enga and her people find the killer and rescue the baby? Or will
the security and bright future the tribe has dreamed of fall to pieces?
Monday, July 18, 2022
SMFS Member Award Nominee: Tara Laskowski for The Mother Next Door
SleuthSayers: Question Number One by Steve Liskow
SleuthSayers: Question Number One: Next spring, I'll be part of a panel discussing where writers get ideas. If you're a writer at an event (or anywhere else, for that ...
SMFS Member Publishing News: Lost But Not Forever by Glen Bush
SMFS Member Publishing News: Listen to the Gunsmith by Jim Guigli
Saturday, July 16, 2022
SleuthSayers: Mixing Genres by John Floyd
SleuthSayers: Mixing Genres: A bit of background, first, before I get to the topic today . . . This past week I was fortunate enough to speak via Zoom to the Southeas...
Friday, July 15, 2022
Thursday, July 14, 2022
Tuesday, July 12, 2022
Little Big Crimes: Murder for Sale, by Hunter Liguore
Little Big Crimes: Murder for Sale, by Hunter Liguore: "Murder for Sale," by Hunter Liguore, in Mystery Magazine, July 2022. This is a one-joke story in terrible taste. I liked it a ...
SMFS Member Publishing News: A Burning Man by Susan Kuchinskas
SMFS list member Susan Kuchinska’s short story, A Burning Man, appears online at TOUGH. You can read it for free here.
SMFS Member Publishing News: Death and the Conjuror by Tom Mead
Synopsis:
A magician-turned-sleuth in pre-war London
solves three impossible crimes.
In 1930s London, celebrity psychiatrist
Anselm Rees is discovered dead in his locked study, and there seems to be no
way that a killer could have escaped unseen. There are no clues, no witnesses,
and no evidence of the murder weapon. Stumped by the confounding scene, the
Scotland Yard detective on the case calls on retired stage
magician-turned-part-time sleuth Joseph Spector. For who better to make sense
of the impossible than one who traffics in illusions?
Spector has a knack for explaining the
inexplicable, but even he finds that there is more to this mystery than meets
the eye. As he and the Inspector interview the colorful cast of suspects among
the psychiatrist’s patients and household, they uncover no shortage of dark
secrets―or motives for murder. When the investigation dovetails into that of an
apparently-impossible theft, the detectives consider the possibility that the
two transgressions are related. And when a second murder occurs, this time in
an impenetrable elevator, they realize that the crime wave will become even
more deadly unless they can catch the culprit soon.
A tribute to the classic golden-age
whodunnit, when crime fiction was a battle of wits between writer and reader,
Death and the Conjuror joins its macabre atmosphere, period detail, and
vividly-drawn characters with a meticulously-constructed fair play puzzle. Its
baffling plot will enthrall readers of mystery icons such as Agatha Christie
and John Dickson Carr, modern masters like Anthony Horowitz and Elly Griffiths,
or anyone who appreciates a good mystery.
SMFS Members Published in The Book of Extraordinary Femme Fatale Stories: The Best New Original Stories of the Genre Featuring Female Villains, Detectives, and Other Mysterious Women
Today is publication day for The Book of Extraordinary Femme Fatale Stories: The Best New Original Stories of the Genre Featuring Female Villains, Detectives, and Other Mysterious Women anthology. Published by Mango, the read is edited by Maxim Jakubowski, and is available in both print and digital formats at Amazon and other vendors. The SMFS list members in the anthology are:
O’Neil De Noux with “The Obsidian Knife.”
Robert Lopresti with “The Dance of Love
and Hunger.”
Bev Vincent with “Kane’s Alibi.”
Joseph S. Walker with “Bliss.”
Synopsis:
A World of Sexy Sleuths, Mysterious
Missus, and Female Villains
Flip through tales of beautiful women,
female villains, and clever consorts. Delight in crime, mystery, and suspense
in story after story featuring femme fatales.
A delightful menu of villainy and
seduction. Dangerous women are a steadfast tradition of crime and mystery
books. Choose between stories that compare to mystery best sellers, tales that
feature the smart sleuth, the daring detective, the mystery
date-turned-nemesis, or the baby-faced beauty. Perfect for fans of crime
novels, fiction, strong female characters, or mystery and suspense books, The
Extraordinary Book of Femme Fatales honors its heritage with stories featuring
strong women and female villains who have mastered the art of seduction.
Marvelous mysteries, hand-picked by an
expert. Maxim Jakubowski, one of the top best selling authors in mystery
fiction books, has scoured the genre for the best new mystery and thriller
stories featuring femme fatales. In The Extraordinary Book of Femme
Fatales, he presents the best of the best in mystery literature
featuring strong women, fiction, and good for her stories.
Inside The Extraordinary Book of Femme
Fatales, you’ll find:
Stories with strong female leads, female
villains, and more
Crime, seduction, and adventure
A look at what happens when women are the
big bad heroes
If you liked The Maidens, The
Jealousy Man and Other Stories, or The Best American Mystery and
Suspense 2021, you’ll love The Extraordinary Book of Femme
Fatales.
Sunday, July 10, 2022
SMFS Members Published in Black Cat Weekly #45
Two SMFS list members are featured this week in Black Cat Weekly #45. Published by Wildside Press, the issue is available here in digital format. The SMFS list members in the issue are:
John Floyd with "From Ten to Two." (Michael
Bracken Presents)
Steve Hockensmith with "Frank." (Barb Goffman
Presents)
Synopsis:
Welcome to Black Cat Weekly #45. This is an fun issue, and
I’ve selected Tobias S. Buckell’s fantasy “The Fisher Dragon” as the cover
story. (I must admit to having a fondness for dragons. The very first story I
sold professionally, way back at the dawn of time when I was 16 years old, was
about a dragon. And they appear in several of my novels, most notably Master of
Dragons.) Thanks to acquiring editor Cynthia Ward for selecting it.
Black Cat’s other acquiring editors are represented in this
issue, too—Michael Bracken selected an original mystery from John M. Floyd, and
Barb Goffman has a tale about a retired detective by Steve Hockensmith (whose
“Holmes on the Range” series of historical mystery stories are must-reads, as
far as I’m concerned. Check then out if you get a chance.) And last (but not
least), Darrell Schweitzer unearthed one of his paleo-interviews for us—this
time with Craig Shaw Gardner. It's from the 1990s, when Gardner had just become
a best-selling author, thanks to his Batman movie novelization.
And we have classics by George O. Smith, Henry Kuttner, and
many others, including a 1915 Nick Carter mystery novel. And, of course, a
modern solve-it-yourself mystery from Hal Charles (the writing team of Hal
Blythe and Charlie Sweet).
Here’s the complete lineup:
Mysteries / Suspense / Adventure:
“From Ten to Two” by John M. Floyd [Michael Bracken Presents
short story]
“An Eggceptional Solution” Hal Charles [Solve-It-Yourself
Mystery]
“Frank” by Steve Hockensmith [Barb Goffman Presents short
story]
The Bush-Rancher, by Harold Bindloss [novel]
The Suicide, by Nicholas Carter [novel]
Non-Fiction:
“Speaking with Craig Shaw Gardner” [Interview with Darrell
Schweitzer]
Science Fiction & Fantasy:
“The Fisher Dragon”by Tobias S. Buckell [Cynthia Ward
Presents short story]
“Catspaw,” by George O. Smith [short story]
“The Half-Haunted,” by Manly Wade Wellman [short story]
“The Sea-Witch,” by Nictzin Dyalhis [short story]
“Chameleon Man,” by Henry Kuttner [short story]
SMFS Members Published in Guilty Crime Story Magazine: Issue 005 - Summer 2022
SMFS list members are published in the Guilty Crime Story Magazine: Issue 005 - Summer 2022 issue. Published by Full Speed Publishing, the read is available in digital and print formats at Amazon. The SMFS list members in it are:
Brandon Barrows with "Double or Nothing."
Mr. Barrows is also the editor.
Christine Eskilson with "A Tale of Two Wives."
Susan Oleksiw with "Edwin Gets an Idea."
Dustin Walker with "Lunch."
Robb T. White with "A Mischief of Rats."
Synopsis:
Guilty is a magazine of crime stories, of criminals,
their motivations and their beginnings and ends.
In issue five:
"Blood Loss" by Trey R. Barker - It's been
years since John saw Diane, but she was still beautiful, the wound still bled,
and John wasn't the only one who'd hurt.
"A Tale of Two
Wives" by Christine Eskilson - Two wives, two deaths -
I swear it's just a coincidence!
"Edwin Gets an Idea" by Susan Oleksiw - It
was rare, but Edwin had an idea and it might even be a good one.
"Double or
Nothing" by Brandon Barrows - It was all on the line:
the payoff of a lifetime or the end of the road.
"A
Mischief of Rats" by Robb T. White - The worst
neighbors simply require the worst solutions.
"Mercy Killings" by Marie Anderson - It
wasn't murder, he was just doing them a favor putting them out of their misery.
"Lunch" by
Dustin Walker - Mac needs an in. All he has to do is
survive one little luncheon...
"Eden Praire Heist" (article) by Antony
Perconti
All brand-new material by top writers!
SMFS Members Published in Jacked: An Anthology of Crime Fiction
SMFS list members are published in the recently released Jacked:
An Anthology of Crime Fiction. Published by Runamok Books and edited by
Vern Smith, the read is available in print from Amazon
and other vendors. The members in the anthology are:
Eric Beetner with “First Timers.”
Jacqueline Seewald with “Worst Enemy.”
Ricky Sprague with “The Gryfters.”
Synopsis:
Edited by award-winning crime-fiction author Vern
Smith, JACKED runs the gamut in crime fiction. From hard-boiled to humorous to
gritty noir to straight-up mystery, the anthology promises to please the most
diverse and discriminating reading audience. With offerings from heavy-hitters
like Matt Witten, Andrew Miller, Meagan Lucas, Eric Beetner, and Allison
Whittenberg, and equally impressive contributions by relative newcomers to
crime fiction, like Paul Alexander, Zephaniah Sole, and Meredith Craig, JACKED
is a debut anthology not to be missed.
Saturday, July 9, 2022
SMFS Member Publishing News: Wages of Gold by Gary Phillips
Gary Phillips’ short story, Wages of Gold, appears in the just released anthology, Bass Reeves: Frontier Marshal Volume 5. Published by Airship 27 Productions, the read is available in print and digital formats at Amazon.
Synopsis:
In this volume of Bass
Reeves Frontier Marshal, the legendary black lawman faces another four
challenges as he rides the badlands of Oklahoma before it became a state.
From the curse of a Mexican witch to chasing a
renegade Indian Chief, Reeves is relentless in his pursuit of lawbreakers and
devoted to justice.
Writers Michael Panush, Thomas McNulty, Gary
Phillips, and Mel Odom offer up tales of the frontier as seen through the eyes
of the greatest lawman of them all. This is old fashion, western action as only
these gritty pulp scribes can deliver. So saddle up and get ready to ride into
adventure!
SMFS Member Publishing News: Cyclists Hit the Road: A Mystery Short Story by Mary Jo Robertiello
Published today on the KRL website is the short story,
Cyclists Hit the Road: A Mystery Short Story, by Mary Jo Robertiello. It can be
read online here
for free.
SleuthSayers: The Big Mo by Robert Mangeot
SleuthSayers: The Big Mo: THE BIG MO GETS ITS, WELL, MO In 1980, George H.W. Bush won the up-first Iowa caucuses and crowned himself the GOP presidential frontrunner,...
Friday, July 8, 2022
SMFS Member Interview: Chatting With Authors: Terry Shames
Hosted by Janet Lynn and Will Zeillinger, Terry Shames
is interviewed on the latest “Chatting With Authors.” The interview is at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P6uU7FY59fw
From the Site:
Terry shares the background of her award winning
Samuel Craddock series and insight to the writing of her next book, and
suggestions for new writers.
Jacqueline Seewald: Interview with Author/editor/publisher Harriette Sackler
Jacqueline Seewald: Interview with Author/editor/publisher Harriette S...: I am interviewing author/editor/publisher Harriette Sackler. Harriette has served on the Malice Board of Directors longer than she can remem...
Thursday, July 7, 2022
SMFS Member Nominees for Killer Nashville’s 2022 Silver Falchion Award
Best Comedy
Chris Chan for Sherlock's Secretary (MX
Publishing, December 2021)
Best Investigator
Emilya Naymark for Hide in Place
(Crooked Lane Books, February 2021)
Best Juvenile / YA
William Burton McCormick for A Stranger From the
Storm (Independently Published, October 2021)
Best Nonfiction
Chris Chan for Murder Most Grotesque: The
Comedic Crime Fiction of Joyce Porter (Level Best Books, September
2021)
Best Suspense
Jeffrey James Higgins for Furious: Sailing into
Terror (Black Rose Writing, May 2021)
Best Attendee Thriller Finalists
James L’Etoile for Black Label (Level
Best Books, July 2021)
Additionally, Lies Along the Mississippi: A
Memphis Mysteries Anthology (Malice in Memphis, A Killer Writing Group,
July 2021) is a Silver Falchion Award finalist in the Best Short Story
Collection / Anthology category. SMFS list members Jackie Ross Flaum and Lynn
Maples have short stories in the book.
Wednesday, July 6, 2022
SleuthSayers: Choose Somebody's Own Adventure by Robert Lopresti
SleuthSayers: Choose Somebody's Own Adventure: A few months ago I woke up in the middle of the night and asked myself: "Whatever happened to adventure stories?" Yeah, I know. ...
SMFS Member Publishing News: Wolf Bog: A Berkshire Hilltown Mystery by Leslie Wheeler
Today is publication day for Wolf Bog: A Berkshire
Hilltown Mystery by Leslie Wheeler. This
is the latest entry in the Berkshire Hilltown Mystery Series. Published by Encircle
Publications, the read is available in print and digital formats at the publisher, Amazon,
and other vendors.
Synopsis:
It's August in the Berkshires, and the area is
suffering from a terrible drought. As wetlands dry up, the perfectly-preserved
body of a local young man, missing for forty years, is discovered in Wolf Bog
by a group of hikers that includes Kathryn Stinson. Who was he and what was his
relationship with close friend Charlotte Hinckley, also on the hike, that would
make Charlotte become distraught and blame herself for his death? Kathryn's
search for answers leads her to the discovery of fabulous parties held at the
mansion up the hill from her rental house, where local teenagers, like the
deceased, mingled with the offspring of the wealthy. Other questions dog the
arrival of a woman claiming to be the daughter Charlotte gave up for adoption
long ago. But is she really Charlotte's daughter? And if not, what's her game?
Once again, Kathryn's quest for the truth puts her in grave danger.
