March News from the Short Mystery Fiction Society

 March of 2025 was another exciting and productive month for the writers belonging to the Short Mystery Fiction Society!  Readers looking for the best crime and mystery short stories being published today had a lot to choose from.  Let's take a look at some of the highlights!

It's been a fantastic month for anthologies!  First up, from White City Press, we have A KILLING AT THE COPA: CRIME FICTION INSPIRED BY THE MUSIC OF BARRY MANILOW, edited by J. Alan Hartman and featuring a range of terrific writers including SMFS Vice President Linda Kay Hardie and such members as John Floyd, Christine Verstraete, Shari Held and Karen Keeley.  Manilow may be filed under "easy listening," but this collection provides 13 hard-hitting tales of love, life, relationships, and other situations gone horribly wrong.  He writes the songs, SMFS writes the thrills!

Stephen Sondheim might seem like an even less likely inspiration for crime fiction than Manilow--until you remember that he cowrote a classic film whodunit (The Last of Sheila) and that many of his musicals revolve around murder.  In EVERY DAY A LITTLE DEATH: CRIME FICTION INSPIRED BY THE SONGS OF STEPHEN SONDHEIM, edited by Golden Derringer winner Josh Pachter for Level Best Books, one song from each Sondheim musical becomes the basis for a masterful tale, some by the best crime writers working today and some from Broadway insiders.  SMFS members in the cast list include Pachter, President Joseph S. Walker, Jeffrey Marks, John Floyd, and Marcia Talley.  Josh says there are literally hundreds of Easter eggs here for dedicated Sondheim fans--how many can you find?

Two terrific music-based anthologies not enough for you?  You're in luck!  The hits just keep on coming, as Down & Out Books is proud to present IN TOO DEEP: CRIME STORIES INSPIRED BY THE SONGS OF GENESIS, edited by SMFS's own Adam Meyer.  The seventeen stories presented here span the whole history of this iconic group, from prog rock to pop, Peter Gabriel to Phil Collins.  And once again, SMFS members are well represented, with standout stories from our own stars--including Barb Goffman, Michael Bracken, Joseph S. Walker, Tom Milani, Alan Orloff, Josh Pachter and Stacy Woodson.

Of course, not every collection of stories has to be based on music!  March also saw the release of ELEMENTARY, MY DEAR MARPLE, a special issue of The MockingOwl with seven fabulously fun cozy shorts for your reading pleasure, including SMFS members donalee Moulton and Arthur Vidro.  Classic mystery never goes out of style!

donalee Moulton is also among the SMFS members represented in CRIMEUCOPIA: CHICKA-CHICKA BOOMBA!, a special edition of the regular anthology series celebrating four years of publication with an all-women lineup of nineteen fabulous Countesses of Crime.  Let these talented scribes, including N. M. Cedeno, Vera Brook, Denise Johnson, Ruth Morgan, and many more, take you on a tour of every corner of today's mystery landscape!

The anthology THUGGISH ITCH: SCHOOL collects stories set in the world of school, and Robert Petyo's "Endless Recess," about a teacher who finds a strange little boy on the playground, would be a standout in any volume.  Don't miss it!

Looking for a good listen?  Check out the Mysteries to Die For podcast, in which listeners are challenged to beat the detective to the solution of a devilishly complicated case.  In the episode "Clipped," from Robert J. Binney, Henri Beauchamp, hairdresser extraordinaire, is forced to play sleuth when a wedding is burglarized.  Can you solve the case before Henri?

Meanwhile, the online magazine BULL hosts M. E. Proctor's "Back Seat Surprise," in which a hitman makes a discovery that changes everything.  Not for the faint of heart!

Over in SHERLOCK HOLMES MYSTERY MAGAZINE #34, globetrotting Josh Pachter gives us "X Marks the Spot," in which a Kansas police chief has to grapple with the kidnapping of his own wife.  With this story's release, Josh has officially published stories with titles starting with every letter of the alphabet.  Time to dive into titles that start with numbers, Josh!

GUILTY plays host to "Yellow Bird," by Zakariah Johnson, a flash piece about a man who decides that robbing his employer sounds like more fun than working for him.  Not many words, but plenty of power!

"Taking the Plunge," by the prolific Steve Liskow, is the cover story for BLACK CAT WEEKLY #186.  In this story, PI Tatiana Kova wonders what reason a handsome, wealthy, and healthy man would kill himself just before his wedding to a supermodel.  You won't soon forget the answer!  And hey, it's worth noting that BCW is closing in on 200 issues of the providing the best crime, sf and pulp reading you could ask for at a bargain price.  Why not reward them, and support the writers and genres you love, with a subscription?

TOUGH is another venue regularly turning out great work for anyone who loves crime fiction.  In Vinnie Hansen's "Justice Served," they offer the chance to see how a long-ago LSD trip plays out today.

Finally, SMFS members don't just write fiction--they review it, too.  You'll find even more great reading through the regular reviews published on the invaluable blog Kevin's Corner by Kevin Tipple and his guests, like this take on Leo Bruce's "Our Jubilee is Death" by SMFS Derringer Coordinator Paula Messina.

That's just a sampling of what the SMFS had to offer in March!  If you're looking for more, remember that membership is free and offers a host of benefits, including the chance to rub (virtual) elbows with some legends of mystery writing.  April promises to be another fantastic month, so don't miss out!  

  

  

SMFS Members Published in Santa Rage: A Killer Claus Compendium

SMFS list members are published in the new anthology, Santa Rage: A Killer Claus Compendium. Edited by fellow SMFS list member Jay Hartman, the book is currently available from the publisher, White City Press, and will be available at other vendors soon. The SMFS list members that reported being in the read are:

 

KM Rockwood with “Burn, Baby, Burn.”

 

Kevin R. Tipple with “First Contact.”

 

Publisher Description:

Inspired by a suggestion from legendary book reviewer, author and multi-term Short Mystery Fiction Society President Kevin R. Tipple, here’s the holiday anthology that’s definitely not filled with Christmas cheer. It will, however, be sure to entertain the darker side of your imagination.

Christmastime is a season full of stress. Cooking, decorations, trying to find the perfect gift for people you barely know. It’s enough to make anyone snap. Now, imagine you’re Santa Claus and you’ve got the entire world to take care of.

Yeah, cookies and milk isn’t going to make that kind of pressure go down any easier. Add in flippant reindeer, elves who slack and Mrs. Claus nagging that you never spend enough time with her during the holidays and it’s enough to make your Kris wanna Kringle, if you know what we mean.

Welcome to Santa Rage: A Killer Claus Compendium in which Mr. North Pole himself finally snaps and gets his just desserts…and we’re not talking gingerbread. Within these ten stories Claus dishes out his own brand of justice to nonbelievers, kidnappers, meth and other drug dealers while protecting strippers and doling out some of the best doses of karma Santa ever dealt that did not involve coal.

These ten stories of grindhouse-level revenge, horror, and action come courtesy of Kevin R. Tipple, Alexander Bayliss, KM Rockwood, Dante Bilec, Kurtis Rupé, MJ McClymont, E. Catherine Tobler, Erica Barnes, Justin Hunter and Leon Peter Blanda.

 

SMFS Members Published in Lost and Loaded: a Gun's Tale (the 509 Crime Anthologies)

Today is publication day for the new book, Lost and Loaded: a Gun's Tale (the 509 Crime Anthologies). The anthology from High Speed Creative, LLC, includes short stories by SMFS list members. The read is available from Amazon and other vendors. The SMFS list members that reported being in the read are: 

 

James D.F. Hannah with “Do You See the Light?”

 

Curtis Ippolito with “8-Hour Detour.”

 

Robert Lopresti with “The Book Deal.”

 

Amazon Description:

Taking the revolver was their first mistake. Using it was their second.

Marlin Hattenburg has no idea of the mayhem he’s about to unleash when he discovers an ugly gun while at work. Holding the snub-nose revolver fills him with hope that his marital problems will soon melt away.

He’s dead wrong.

The same pistol soon winds up in the hands of a junkie, followed by a mother, a spy, and even a failed clown. Each of them believes a found revolver to be good fortune or a solution to their problems. They, too, are wrong.

How does one discarded revolver lead to so much trouble? Follow the gun through one Pacific Northwest summer and find out.

Lost and Loaded: a Gun’s Tale is a collection of fourteen stories from crime fiction’s freshest voices. Get your copy today and experience a summer of broken dreams and murder.

SMFS Members Published in Mickey Finn Volume 5: 21st Century Noir

This is publication day for the new book, Mickey Finn Volume 5: 21st Century Noir. Edited by SMFS list member Michael Bracken, who also wrote the introduction, the anthology from Down & Out books features short stories from a number of SMFS list members. The read is available from the publisher, Amazon, and other vendors.  The SMFS list members that reported being in the read are:

 

 

K.L. Abrahamson with “Red Dust Express.”

 

Eddie Generous with “Sister.”

 

James A. Hearn with “Gone Fishin'.”

 

Hugh Lessig with “Burned.”

 

Tom Milani with “Barstow.”

 

Alan Orloff with “Solid Six.”

 

Travis Richardson with “No Requests Denied.”

 

Joseph S. Walker with “Ronnie Mercer is Back in Town.”

 

Andrew Welsh-Huggins with “All Apples.”

 

Description

Mickey Finn: 21st Century Noir, Volume 5, the fifth entry of the hard-hitting anthology series, is another crime-fiction cocktail that will again knock readers into a literary stupor.

Contributors push hard against the boundaries of crime fiction, driving their work into places short crime fiction doesn’t often go, into a world where the mean streets seem gentrified by comparison and happy endings are the exception rather than the rule. And they do all this in contemporary settings, bringing noir into the 21st century.

Like any good cocktail, Mickey Finn is a heady mix of ingredients that packs a punch, and when you’ve finished reading every story, you’ll know that you’ve been “slipped a Mickey.”

The eighteen contributors, including some of today’s most respected short-story writers and new writers making their mark on the genre, include: K.L. Abrahamson, Alan Barker, Michael Chandos, Caleb Coy, Eddie Generous, Nils Gilbertson, James A. Hearn, Hugh Lessig, Sean McCluskey, Tom Milani, Bill W. Morgan, Alan Orloff, Travis Richardson, Andrew Welsh-Huggins, Robb T. White, Sam Wiebe, Joseph S. Walker, and Stacy Woodson.

 

SMFS Members Published in Midsummer Mysteries Short Stories: From the Crime Writers Association (Beyond and Within)

 

SMFS members have short stories in the recently published anthology, Midsummer Mysteries Short Stories: From the Crime Writers Association (Beyond and Within). Published by Flame Tree Collections, the book is available from the publisher, Amazon, and other vendors. The SMFS list members that reported their short stories in the book are:

 

G.M. Malliet with “Fear of Missing Out.”

 

William Burton McCormick with “City Without Shadow.”

 

Art Taylor with “The Gained Ground.”

 

Publisher Description:

From the Crime Writers' Association, a beautiful new book of short stories, designed as a perfect gift for the reader of crime and mystery, and a lifetime of reading pleasure.

Editor Martin Edwards has commissioned an entertaining range of stories from the membership of the world's most celebrated group of crime and mystery writers, the Crime Writers' Association (CWA). Founded over 70 years ago by John Creasey, the Crime Writers’ Association supports, promotes and celebrates this most durable, adaptable and successful of genres, while supporting writers of every kind of crime fiction and non-fiction. In this new collection, enjoy 19 original, thrilling mysteries packed full of enthralling characters, drama and intrigue, by the following authors: SJ Bennett, J.C. Bernthal, Chris Curran, Judith Cutler, Luke Deckard, Victoria Dowd, Martin Edwards, Kate Ellis, Helen Fields, Paula Lennon, G.M. Malliet, William Burton McCormick, Tom Mead, Christine Poulson, Jacquie Rogers, Meeti Shroff-Shah, Chris Simms, Art Taylor and L.C. Tyler.

The Flame Tree Beyond and Within short story collections bring together tales of myth and imagination by modern and contemporary writers, carefully selected by anthologists, and sometimes featuring short stories from a single author. Overall the series presents a wide range of diverse and inclusive voices, often with myth-inflected short fiction, and an emphasis on the supernatural, science fiction, the mysterious and the speculative. The books themselves are gorgeous with foiled covers, printed edges and published only in hardcover editions, offering a lifetime of reading pleasure.

SMFS Members Published in Tales of Music Murder and Mayhem: Bouchercon Nashville 2024 Anthology

Tales of Music Murder and Mayhem: Bouchercon Nashville 2024 Anthology is now available.  Published by Down & Out Books, the anthology is available from the publisher, Amazon, and other vendors. The SMFS list members that reported their short stories in the book are:

 

 

Mary Dutta with “The Boyz in the Band.”

 

Merrilee Robson with “The Guadagnini Cello.”

 

Peggy Rothschild with “The Same Old Song.”  

 

H.K. Slade with “A Piper Has Fallen.”

 

Mark Troy with “The Car Hank Died In.”

 

Publisher Description

Music City, sometimes known as Nashville, has a 200-year history indelibly intertwined with music. Folk, R&B, rock ‘n’ roll, bluegrass, jazz, C&W, disco, classical, the sounds of Nashville are woven into the heart and soul of the city. Every city has its dark side and Nashville is no exception. Music may soothe the savage beast, but when the piper falls the beast emerges from the shadows to murder the not-so-innocent and sow mayhem on the unsuspecting.

Indulge in twenty-four mesmerizing tales crafted by talented Bouchercon writers of mystery. These stories share a melody of music, murder, and mayhem: A gift given with strings attached, even to a cello, can backfire. Would you kill for that lucky break—kill to be the One? Do you recognize the murderous details hidden in that ballad’s lyrics? When music and murder mix, will the past remain the past? Are the voices of the dead harmonizing in that hauntingly beautiful song? And more: stories of tailor-made revenge, the price of heckling, and the perils of being in a boy band.

Music lives forever, but while you’re still here, enjoy these tales of revenge and retribution, murder and obsession, robbery and rock ‘n’ roll, stolen dreams and thwarted desires, the blues and a comeback at any cost, all inspired by Nashville’s legacy of music.

With stories by the exceptional and amazing: Eric Beckstrom, Eric Beetner, Valerie (V.M.) Burns, Emily Carpenter, HC Chan, Michael Amos Cody, Tina deBellegarde, Mary Dutta, Michael Ferreter, Barry Fulton, Heather Graham, Rachel Howzell Hall and M.G. Hall, Sarah Zachrich Jeng, D.P. Lyle, Jenny Ramaley, Merrilee Robson, Peggy Rothschild, H.K. Slade, Clay Stafford, Kelli Stanley, JD Trafford, Mark Troy, Gabriel Valjan, and Erica Wright.

 

SMFS Members Published in Larceny & Last Chances: 22 Stories of Mystery & Suspense

Today is publication day for the new anthology, Larceny & Last Chances: 22 Stories of Mystery & Suspense. Published by Superior Shores Press, the anthology includes short stories by numerous SMFS list members. Edited by SMFS list member Judy Penz Sheluk, the book is available at Amazon and other vendors. The SMFS list members that reported their presence in the book are:

 

Christina Boufis with “Hit-and-Run.”

Susan Daly with “Hail Mary Blues.”

Wil A. Emerson with “Incidents and Intentions.”

 

Tracy Falenwolfe with “The Crimson Salamander.”

 

Wendy Harrison with “Red Ink.”

 

Julie Hastrup with “Skeeter’s Bar and Grill.”

Larry M. Keeton with “The Tight Squeeze.” 

 

Edward Lodi with “The Purloined Parchment.”

Gregory Meece with “Once a Thief.”

Cate Moyle with “Robbery at the Birdcage.”

 

Kathleen Rockwood with “The Constellation Necklace.”

 

Kevin R. Tipple with “The Hospital Boomerang.”

 

Robert Weibezahl with “Artifact.”

 

Amazon Description:

Sometimes it's about doing the right thing. Sometimes it's about getting even. Sometimes it's about taking what you think you deserve. And sometimes, it's your last, best, chance. Edited by Judy Penz Sheluk and featuring stories by Christina Boufis, John Bukowski, Brenda Chapman, Susan Daly, Wil A. Emerson, Tracy Falenwolfe, Kate Fellowes, Molly Wills Fraser, Gina X. Grant, Karen Grose, Wendy Harrison, Julie Hastrup, Larry M. Keeton, Charlie Kondek, Edward Lodi, Bethany Maines, Gregory Meece, Cate Moyle, Judy Penz Sheluk, KM Rockwood, Kevin R. Tipple, and Robert Weibezahl.

 

SMFS Members Published in Detectives, Sleuths, & Nosy Neighbors

Today is publication day for the anthology, Detectives, Sleuths, & Nosy Neighbors. Published by Inkd Publishing LLC, the anthology is available from Amazon and other vendors. The SMFS list members that reported their stories in the book are:

 

J. F. Benedetto with “A Corpse in the Martian Sand.”

 

N.M. Cedeño with “The Ghostly Lady's Curse.”

 

Tracy Falenwolfe with “Secret Family Recipie.”

 

Veronica Leigh with “God's Truth.”

 

Tiffany Seitz with “On the Rocks.”

 

Amazon Description:

Do you love mystery stories? Suspense?

Do you need to know who done it?

Detectives, Sleuths, and Nosy Neighbors is a mystery anthology with short stories which range between the classic nosy neighbor and detective to a space sleuth.

Curated and edited by A Balsamo, these tales twist and turn until the very end.

Many of the authors have published books available, so you might just find a new favorite to read.

Stories by

A.R.R. Ash

Mark Beard

L.N. Hunter

Mary Sophie Filicetti

Tiffany Seitz

J.F. Benedetto

N.M. Cedeño

Cassondra Windwalker

Joe Giordano

Kay Hanifen

Robert Richter

Tracy Falenwolfe

Veronica Leigh

Michelle Kaseler

Kevin A Davis

 

SMFS Members Published in Private Dicks and Disco Balls: Private Eyes in the Dyn-O-Mite Seventies

Today is publication day for the anthology, Private Dicks and Disco Balls: Private Eyes in the Dyn-O-Mite Seventies. Published by Down & Out Books, the anthology was edited by SMFS list member Michael Bracken. The read is available from the publisher, Amazon, and other vendors. The SMFS list members that reported their stories in the book are:

 

N.M. Cedeño with "A Woman's Place."

 

Alan Orloff with "Stayin' Alive."

 

Gary Phillips with "The Darklight Gizmo Matter."

 

Stephen D. Rogers with "An Eye for an Eye."

 

Bev Vincent with "Houston, We Have a Problem."

 

Andrew Welsh-Huggins with "Cold Comfort."

 

Amazon Description:

The Sixties were a time of great cultural upheaval, and that upheaval continued into the 1970s. In the midst of all this, private eyes worked with clients across the generations, from those still clinging to the social mores of Nixon's "silent majority" to those who embraced the rapid societal changes that began in the 1960s.

From old-school private eyes to the Baby Boomers coming of age and entering the trade, these private eyes will take readers on a funky frolic through the Dyn-O-Mite Seventies.

Contributors include Ann Aptaker, N.M. Cedeño, Bill Fitzhugh, James A. Hearn, Laura Oles, Alan Orloff, Gary Phillips, Neil S. Plakcy, William Dylan Powell, Stephen D. Rogers, Mark Thielman, Bev Vincent, and Andrew Welsh-Huggins.

SMFS Members Published in Notorious in North Texas: Metroplex Mysteries Volume III

Several SMFS list members are published in the recently released anthology, Notorious in North Texas: Metroplex Mysteries Volume III. Edited by SMFS list member Michael Bracken and published by the Sisters in Crime North Dallas Chapter, the anthology is available from Amazon and other vendors. The SMFS list members that reported their stories in the book are:

 

Tiffany Seitz with “A Vague Threat.”

 

Shannon Taft with "Bitter Cold."

 

Kevin R. Tipple with “Whatever Happened To…?”

 

Joseph S. Walker with "Citizens Arrested."

 

Amazon Description:

It is true that there is violent crime to be found all over the country. But a particular brand of “Texas Noir” has taken root and flourished within the canon of contemporary crime fiction. And the award-winning writers included in this anthology are some of the best illuminators of Lone Star mayhem—whether it be committed on a lonely and far-flung cattle ranch, or in the luxurious dressing rooms of Neiman Marcus—it has a unique flavor that is purely Texas. —from the Foreword by Kathleen H. Kent
A Perfect Gift For Mystery Lovers!
Welcome to the third anthology by the chapter members of Sisters In Crime North Dallas. The cities of Dallas, Fort Worth, and surrounding locales offer great fodder for mystery writers—and readers. These have inspired the stories contained in Notorious in North Texas: Metroplex Mysteries Volume III.

·         THE UNTITLED GUNFIGHTER BALLAD, by Mark Thielman

·         DON’T GET CAUGHT, by Karen Harrington

·         OLIVER KOWALSKI, by Terry Shepherd

·         AMARILLO BY MORNING, by Dänna Wilberg

·         GRAVE NEWS, by Cindy Martin

·         LONGSHOT AT LONE STAR PARK, by ML Condike

·         TRULY, MADLY, DEEPLY, by Pam McWilliams

·         A VAGUE THREAT, by Tiffany Seitz

·         WHATEVER HAPPENED TO…?, by Kevin R. Tipple

·         HIGH WINDOW, by Amber Royer

·         BITTER COLD, by Shannon Taft

·         CITIZENS ARRESTED, by Joseph S. Walker

MICHAEL BRACKEN (www.CrimeFictionWriter.com), who edited this anthology, is the Edgar Award and Shamus Award nominated, Derringer Award winning author of more than twelve hundred short stories, including crime fiction published in Alfred Hitchcock’s Mystery Magazine, Ellery Queen’s Mystery Magazine, The Best American Mystery Stories, The Best Mystery Stories of the Year, and many other publications. Additionally, Bracken is the editor of Black Cat Mystery Magazine, associate editor of Black Cat Weekly, and editor or co-editor of thirty-one published or forthcoming anthologies, including the Anthony Award-nominated The Eyes of Texas: Private Eyes from the Panhandle to the Piney Woods. In 2024, he was inducted into the Texas Institute of Letters for his contribution to Texas literature.