SleuthSayers: All We Want for Christmas is a Fair Shot by Michael Bracken

SleuthSayers: All We Want for Christmas is a Fair Shot: Earlier this year, Alex Acks, in “ Slush v Solicitations: Just tell us where we stand ,” wrote about magazines’ and anthologies’ “complete l...

SleuthSayers: Playing the Numbers by Michael Bracken

SleuthSayers: Playing the Numbers: I like to think the process of getting a short story published is a numbers game—submit enough stories to enough publications and sooner or ...

SleuthSayers: Prepare to Launch by John Floyd

SleuthSayers: Prepare to Launch: Here's the deal. If you're a writer of short stories, you probably use a certain process. Mine is as follows: I come up with an i...

A Short Walk Down A Dark Street: Issue 118

As posted by SMFS list member Peter DiChellis…

This week’s blog gulps lemonade under a shade tree with short mystery & crime fiction: links to cool reviews, releases, free reads, and more.

Includes all the latest free-to-read stories from Mystery Tribune.

Plus—Tricks of the trade: EQMM editor Janet Hutchings discusses pandemic reading, writing, and story acceptances.

And a reviewer says the new Ray Bradbury collection demonstrates the “imagination and creativity Bradbury brought to crime fiction.”

A short walk down a dark street (#118). Celebrating short mystery and crime fiction.

https://shortwalkdarkstreet.wordpress.com/2020/08/23/short-walk-118/

Best wishes,

Peter

A Short Walk Down A Dark Street: Issue 117

As posted by Peter DiChellis to our list…

This week’s blog scours the world of short mystery & crime fiction for links to an ominous assortment of reviews, releases, free reads, and more.

Includes new free-to-read crime stories from All Due Respect and Beat to a Pulp.

Plus—Tricks of the trade: A devotee of “rejectomancy” (the arcane practice of divining hidden meaning from rejection letters) analyzes whether a series of rejections from the same market indicate your writing style isn’t right for that market. Check the comments for an insightful observation from short fiction guru Michael Bracken.

A short walk down a dark street (#117). Celebrating short mystery and crime fiction.

https://shortwalkdarkstreet.wordpress.com/2020/08/16/short-walk-117/

Best wishes,

Peter

A Short Walk Down A Dark Street: Issue 116

As posted by Peter DiChellis to our list…

This week’s blog swoons over short mystery & crime fiction with links to star-studded reviews, releases, free reads, and more.

Includes free-to read-stories by Tom Piccirilli, Bill Pronzini, and S.J. Rozan (all repeated from previous posts, in case you missed them the first time).

Plus—Submission calls: Hoosier Noir is open for Indiana-related crime stories. Submissions close September 13th, but the publisher will then open September 15th for marijuana-related crime stories. (Write what you know?)

And a collection of crime stories is on the way from legendary author Ray Bradbury.

A short walk down a dark street (#116). Celebrating short mystery and crime fiction.

https://shortwalkdarkstreet.wordpress.com/2020/08/09/short-walk-116/

Best wishes,

Peter DiChellis

A Short Walk Down A Dark Street: Issue 107

News of the latest issue from SMFS list member Peter DiChellis…

This week’s blog toasts short mystery and crime fiction with links to a tasty slug of reviews, releases, free reads, and more.

Includes: Free stories from the Akashic Books anthologies New Jersey Noir and Long Island Noir.

Plus, Tricks of the Trade: A retired homicide detective offers insights about using non-verbal communication when interviewing uncooperative people.

And reviews of four anthologies, including two edited by Short Mystery Fiction Society members.

A short walk down a dark street (#107). Celebrating short mystery and crime fiction.

https://shortwalkdarkstreet.wordpress.com/2020/06/07/short-walk-107/

Best wishes,

Peter

A Short Walk Down A Dark Street: Issue 106

As posted by Peter DiChellis to our list…

This week’s blog applauds short mystery and crime fiction with links to a trouble-making troupe of reviews, releases, free reads, and more.

Includes: About a gazillion free reads from the short story archives of the Crime Readers’ Association, all written by members of the prestigious Crime Writers’ Association (which sponsors the CWA Dagger Awards).

Plus—Tricks of the Trade: Two essays for mystery writers on hiding clues. With two more from previous Short Walk posts.

And five reviews (count ‘em) by Short Mystery Fiction Society Prez Kevin Tipple.

A short walk down a dark street (#106). Celebrating short mystery and crime fiction.

https://shortwalkdarkstreet.wordpress.com/2020/05/31/short-walk-106/

Best wishes,

Peter

A Short Walk Down A Dark Street: Issue 105

News of the latest issue as posted by SMFS list member Peter DicChellis to our list….

This week’s blog cheers short mystery and crime fiction with links to deviously delightful reviews, releases, free reads, and more.

Includes: Three free-to-read Father Brown mysteries by G.K. Chesterton.

Plus, Tricks of the Trade—A Science-Fiction editor and author (who also writes occasional crime stories) offers a three-stage approach to revising stories before submitting them.

And reviews of a Joe R. Lansdale Hap and Leonard collection about the duo’s early years as well as two collections of classic Agatha Christie mystery stories.

A short walk down a dark street (#105). Celebrating short mystery and crime fiction.

https://shortwalkdarkstreet.wordpress.com/2020/05/24/short-walk-105/

Best wishes,

Peter

A Short Walk Down A Dark Street: Issue 104

As posted by Peter DiChellis to our list…

Looking for trouble? This week’s blog delivers plenty, with links to a wicked mix of reviews, releases, free reads, and more—all about short mystery and crime fiction.

Includes: Tricks of the Trade—One of the editors at All Due Respect riffs about writing short crime stories, with notes on characters, plot, action, and focus. (ADR is open for submissions too. Check out the details.)

Plus, Free-to-read crime stories from ADR and Tough.

As well as a bad-ass bunch of anthology reviews.

A short walk down a dark street (#104). Celebrating short mystery and crime fiction.

https://shortwalkdarkstreet.wordpress.com/2020/05/17/short-walk-104/

Best wishes,

Peter

A Short Walk Down A Dark Street: Issue 103

As posted by Peter DiChellis to our list…

Instead of flowers or chocolates, this week’s blog brings moms (and everyone else) links about short mystery and crime fiction: reviews, releases, free reads, and more.

Includes all the latest free-to-read flash fiction from Mystery Tribune.

Plus, Tricks of the Trade: A third generation cop offers real-world tips on avoiding glaring procedural mistakes in crime fiction.

And two fresh reviews from SMFS Prez Kevin Tipple, as well as reviews of over four-dozen Edward D. Hoch impossible crime shorts.

A short walk down a dark street (#103). Celebrating short mystery and crime fiction.

https://shortwalkdarkstreet.wordpress.com/2020/05/10/short-walk-103/

Best wishes,

Peter

A Short Walk Down A Dark Street: Issue 102

As posted by SMFS list member Peter DiChellis:

This week’s blog is dodging a home internet outage to juice short mystery and crime fiction with links to reviews, releases, free reads, and more.

Includes: Four free-to-read stories in the new issue of Flash Bang Mysteries.

Plus, Tricks of the Trade: Hank Phillippi Ryan on making every word count.

And one of this week's reviews covers a new collection of six Don Winslow novellas.

A short walk down a dark street (#102). Celebrating short mystery and crime fiction.

https://shortwalkdarkstreet.wordpress.com/2020/05/03/short-walk-102/

Best wishes,

Peter

A Short Walk Down A Dark Street: Issue 101

As posted by Peter DiChellis to our list…

This week’s blog lauds short mystery and crime fiction with links to a crime-infested crush of reviews, releases, free reads, and more.

Includes: The Dark City Crime & Mystery Magazine posted all five stories from its April 2020 issue, free to read.

Also free to read: the anthology 101 Great Thriller Short Stories is free on Kindle.

Plus: Occult Detective Magazine is open for submissions until June 5. Check out the details. (And for the editor’s views on submissions, writing, and rejections you can click back to Short walk #62.)

And—a review of a “very entertaining” private eye anthology without a “weak tale” anywhere in it.

Also, a thoughtful essay— what will happen to public libraries, even after the pandemic?

A short walk down a dark street (#101). Celebrating short mystery and crime fiction.

https://shortwalkdarkstreet.wordpress.com/2020/04/26/short-walk-101/

A Short Walk Down A Dark Street: Issue 100

As posted by SMFS list member Peter DiChellis to our list…

This week’s blog hits the century mark with a bunch of links to bad-ass reviews, releases, free reads, and more—all of them about short mystery & crime tales.

Includes: More free stories from the Akashic Books anthologies Kansas City Noir and Staten Island Noir.

Plus: Switchblade Magazine editor Scotch Rutherford’s views on what crime fiction editors want (and don’t want) and differences between submitting to established mystery magazines and indie crime ‘zines. Reminder: Switchblade is open for submissions until April 25. Check out the details.

A short walk down a dark street (#100). Celebrating short mystery and crime fiction.

https://shortwalkdarkstreet.wordpress.com/2020/04/19/short-walk-100/

Best wishes,

Peter

A Short Walk Down A Dark Street: Issue 99

As posted by Peter DiChellis to our SMFS list…

This week’s blog skipped the Easter egg hunt to ferret out links to reviews, releases, free reads, and more—all of them about short mystery & crime tales.

Includes: submission call—All Due Respect ‘zine is open for submissions (pays $25). Check out the details.

Plus: four free stories that All Due Respect published in 2020, so writers can see what the ADR editors are looking for.

A short walk down a dark street (#99). Celebrating short mystery and crime fiction.

https://shortwalkdarkstreet.wordpress.com/2020/04/12/short-walk-99/

Best wishes,

Peter

A Short Walk Down A Dark Street: Issue 98

As posted by Peter DiChellis to our list…

This week’s blog dishes the straight dope on short mystery and crime fiction with links to a dangerous dose of reviews, releases, free reads, and more.

Includes five free stories from Beat to a Pulp and Tough.

Plus, Tricks of the Trade: Submission call—Switchblade Magazine will be open for submissions April 15-25. Check out the details.

And two-dozen anthologies of original private eye stories (1984-2019).

A short walk down a dark street (#98). Celebrating short mystery and crime fiction.

https://shortwalkdarkstreet.wordpress.com/2020/04/05/short-walk-98/

Best wishes,

Peter

A Short Walk Down A Dark Street: Issue 82

As posted by SMFS list member Peter DiChellis:

This week’s blog cheers short mystery and crime fiction with links to a concoction of crime-infested reviews, releases, free reads, and more.

Includes the entire past library of stories from crime ‘zine All Due Respect—58 of ‘em, free to read. (And ADR has now reopened for ‘zine submissions and suggests reading past stories as examples of what they want.)

Plus: How stuff works—Standard police interrogation technique, step-by-step.

A short walk down a dark street (#82). Celebrating short mystery and crime fiction.

https://shortwalkdarkstreet.wordpress.com/2019/12/08/short-walk-82/

Best wishes,

Peter

A Short Walk Down A Dark Street: Issue 81

As posted by Peter DiChellis to our SMFS list earlier this afternoon…

This week’s blog brings it, with links to a trouble-making troupe of reviews, releases, free reads, and more.

Includes: Twenty free stories and novella excerpts, courtesy of The Strand Magazine.

Plus: The inside story on the current status of Occult Detective Quarterly (now Occult Detective Magazine).

A short walk down a dark street (#81). Celebrating short mystery and crime fiction.

https://shortwalkdarkstreet.wordpress.com/2019/12/01/short-walk-81/

Best wishes,

Peter

A Short Walk Down A Dark Street: Issue 80

As posted by Peter DiChellis to our SMFS list…

Need a quick buzz? This week’s blog brings it on, with links to a dangerous dose of reviews, releases, free reads, and more.

Includes: free-to-read, the classic crime story "Lamb to the Slaughter" by Roald Dahl (which later became an Alfred Hitchcock Presents TV episode).

Plus: A short walk encore presentation—two Michael Bracken essays on selling stories.

A short walk down a dark street (#80). Celebrating short mystery and crime fiction.

https://shortwalkdarkstreet.wordpress.com/2019/11/24/short-walk-80/

Best wishes,

Peter

SleuthSayers: The Last Lesson: Queen vs Hitchcock by Robert Lopresti

SleuthSayers: The Last Lesson: Queen vs Hitchcock: Two weeks ago I reported that I had been invited to speak to the Northwest branch of the Mystery Writers of American on the subject: &...