Ain't That Good News? Hot New Reads from the Short Mystery Fiction Society!

As spring turns the corner into summer, 2026 continues to heat up with a wealth of exciting offerings from the writers of the Short Mystery Fiction Society. SMFS means quality! And remember, if you read something you enjoy--from this list or anywhere else--support the writers with ratings and reviews at your favorite websites. Help other readers find the stories you love--stories like these!

• The Derringer Awards, given annually by the members of SMFS, have been recognizing excellence in short mystery stories for almost three decades. Now, Level Best Books has released a volume destined to be a milestone! HOT SHOTS: CELEBRATING THIRTY YEARS OF THE SHORT MYSTERY FICTION SOCIETY, edited by Golden Derringer recipient Josh Pachter, gathers one Derringer-winning story for every year from 1998, when the Derringers were first given, through 2025. You'll find many of the top writers in the field today represented in these pages, including a number of masters who are no longer with us, but who are richly deserving of continued admiration. HOT SHOTS isn't just a collection; it's proof that short crime fiction is as vibrant, entertaining and accomplished as it's ever been, and a compelling snapshot of what the field looks like today. Don't miss this one!
  
  
  
• Speaking of the Derringers, don't miss the thrilling announcement of this year's winners. Congratulations to the winners, and to the readers who will find great new reads by seeking them out!
  
  
  
  
• SMFS all-star M.E. Proctor teams with Russell Thayer in KANSAS CITY BREAKDOWN. Thayer's series assassin Gunselle, the mob, and the FBI are on a collision course in 1952, and the stylish cover is just your first hint to the fun ride you'll find in these pages!
  
  
  
• Another SMFS member proves they don't just excel at the short form in Sandra J. Cady's novel A GAME OF LUCK, in which Detroit homicide detective Sam Roma has to deal with the puzzling murder of a popular teacher and a new partner bringing their own baggage to the job.
  
  
  
• Rounding out a trifecta of hard-hitting novels, David H. Hendrickson's PAIN TRAIN is the riveting story of a former football great turned PI whose old teammate's painkiller addiction leads both men down a deadly road. A must for fans of contemporary noir!
  
  
  
• From sprawling novels to the razorblade narratives of flash fiction--SMFS authors cover all the bases! VIRGINIA FANTASTIC is an anthology of speculative flash stories set in the Commonwealth, including a tale of hidden treasure in Jane Limprecht's "The General's Gold."
  
  
  
• As always, SMFS members are well represented in the May/June issue of ELLERY QUEEN'S MYSTERY MAGAZINE. You'll always find the best in contemporary mystery in these pages, with this issue including stellar contributions from DK Snyder, S. B. Watson, Gabriela Giteler, James D.F. Hannah and many more.
  
  
  
• Meanwhile, the new ALFRED HITCHCOCK'S MYSTERY MAGAZINE is highlighted by a new entry in the Julius Katz series by SMFS stalwart Dave Zeltserman--who just won an Edgar Award for a 2025 Katz story. Congratulations, Dave!
  
  
  
• BLACK CAT WEEKLY continues to bring you hundreds of pages of mystery, science fiction and rediscovered pulp treasures every week--the most bang for your buck! Recent issues have featured SMFS authors like Rob Lopresti, Tom Milani and N.M. Cedeňo, alongside many others. BCW is truly a weekly gift for passionate readers!
  
  
  
• The MYSTERIES TO DIE FOR podcast delivers fair-play mysteries for your ears, with this episode featuring Larry M. Keeton's "A Cast of Crabs."
• Short fiction can pack a hell of a punch. For proof, look no further than James Patrick Focarile's "The Cold, Hard Weight of It" at LITERARY GARAGE.
• SMFS members make regular appearances across the pond at the UK periodical THE PEOPLE'S FRIEND, most recently Veronica Leigh with "Learn to Forgive" and Liz Filleul with "A Turn Up For The Books."
  
  
  
• YELLOW MAMA has become one of the web's best sites for gritty crime fiction. Don't miss Bern Sy Moss's "Bragging Rights" and Elizabeth Dearborn's "Lived My Life Too Fast" in the latest issue.
• DARK YONDER is another periodical that's rapidly become a must-read for fans of crime fiction on the noir side of the spectrum The newly released issue #12 includes dynamite work by SMFS members Veronica Leigh, Steve Liskow, Mark Coggins and Christina Hoag. All this and a cocktail recipe, too!
  
  
  
• CURATED BY COSTUIC brings readers a monthly dose of only the best in short crime fiction. This month, the endlessly entertaining John M. Floyd brings us a fateful encounter on a plane in "Creativity."
  
  
  
• THE RANGER'S ALMANAC is an annual collection of stories and art inspired by America's national parks--and by golly, here's John M. Floyd again, bringing Boy Scouts and bank robbers together in "Lewis and Clark."
  
  
  
• Another new player quickly making a mark on the crime fiction scene, COLD CALLER, proudly presents Jessica Slee's "Home Sweet." And for another sample of Slee's powerful work, don't miss "Life's a Peach" at FLASH FICTION MAGAZINE.
  
  
  
• HOUSE OF LONG SHADOWS brings you an unusual tale of Sherlock Holmes and vampires in Mark Coggins's "Adventure of the Baker Street Vampires."
  
  
  
• And finally this month, Terena Elizabeth Bell ventures into the unknown in "Gold-Face" at COSMIC HORROR MONTHLY.

And there you have it--another round-up of fantastic new offerings for readers and fans of some of the best fiction being published today. And remember, if you want to support the writers doing this work, leaving ratings and reviews at places like Amazon and Goodreads is the best way to help promote their work and lead more readers their way. Look for more news coming soon!

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 Ellery Queen’s Mystery Magazine: January/February 2025

SMFS list members are published in the Ellery Queen’s Mystery Magazine: January/February 2025 issue. The issue is available at the publisher and other vendors. The SMFS members that reported being in the issue are:

 

David Bart with “Going the Distance.”

 

Marcelle Dubé with “No Title, No Clout.”

 

Paul Ryan O'Connor with “As You See The World.”

 

Josh Pachter with a translation of François Bloemhof’s “The Wages of Sin.”

 

Manon Wogahn with “Kanab Noon.”

SMFS Members Published in Alfred Hitchcock’s Mystery Magazine: January/February 2025

SMFS list members are published in the Alfred Hitchcock’s Mystery Magazine: January/February 2025 issue. The issue is available at the publisher and other vendors. Those list members that reported being published in the issue are:

 

Joslyn Chase with “Santa's Eyes.”

 

Marcelle Dubé with “King of the Visigoths.”

 

Kevin Egan with “The Guardianship of Willie Musslburgh.”

 

John M. Floyd with “The Cado Devil.”

 

James A. Hearn with “The Nine Lives of Dr. Impossible.”

 

Jillian Grant Shoichet with “The Toll.”

SMFS Member Publishing News: Scorched Earth by Elizabeth Zelvin

SMFS list member Elizabeth Zelvin reported that her short story, Scorched Earth, was published in Black Cat Weekly #171. Published by Wildside Press, the issue is available here in digital format.

 

Publisher Description:

This time, we have holiday-themed stories from Ron Miller (a great new tale featuring burlesque-queen-turned-private detective Velda), Nina Kiriki Hoffman (who remains one of my favorite fantasists active today), and Lillian M. Roberts (thanks to Acquiring Editor Barb Goffman).

   Plus, we have great originals by Elizabeth Zelvin (courtesy of Acquiring Editor Michael Bracken), Hala Dika, Joshua David Bellin, and Edmund Glasby (concluding his two-part novel serial from last issue). Our classic reprints are by John S. Glasby and Philip E. High.

   Here’s the complete lineup—

 

Cover Art: Ron Miller

 

SERIAL NOVEL

The Battle of Mageddo, by Edmund Glasby [Part 2 of 2]

   The Third Apocalypse of Brother Santiago concludes!

 

NOVELET

“Ho, Ho, Ho, Velda!” by Ron Miller [Velda series]

   Velda’s holiday turns chaotic when a cryptic clue leads to a baffling mystery. Can she solve it before Christmas is ruined?

 

SOLVE-IT-YOURSELF MYSTERY

“An Uncharitable Tournament,” by Hal Charles

   Can you solve the mystery before the detective? All the clues are there!

 

SHORT STORIES

“Scorched Earth,” by Elizabeth Zelvin [Michael Bracken Presents short story]

   Family tensions simmer as ambition and secrets collide. A gripping tale of loyalty and betrayal!

 

“The Reunion,” by Lillian M. Roberts [Barb Goffman Presents short story]

   A stray dog leads Andi to a mystery that shakes up her holiday.

 

“The Best Farnsworth,” by Hala Dika

   Detective Margot Cabot infiltrates a glittering world of wealth to uncover a deadly secret. Can she outwit the powerful Farnsworth family?

 

“Company for the Holidays,” by Nina Kiriki Hoffman

   Aunt Phyllida’s Christmas guest is a boy with a mysterious past—and her house is hosting a party of shadows….

 

“The Troop,” by Joshua David Bellin

   A girl raised among apes warns of a threat to their sanctuary. As two worlds collide, survival means navigating trust, betrayal, and primal instincts.

 

“The Method,” by Philip E. High

   In a galaxy where ancient instincts clash with advanced technologies, can Marsin ignite a rebellion and restore humanity’s place among the stars?

 

“Where Dead Men Dream,” by John S. Glasby

   In Haiti, a reporter uncovers a sinister ritual. The drums call, the dead rise—and terror awaits!

SMFS Members Published in Dark Yonder: Issue 8

SMFS list members reported being published in Dark Yonder: Issue 8. Billed as the Holiday Issue 2024, the print version came out back on November 13^th with the digital version released on December 1^st. Published by Thalia Press, the read is available at Amazon. The SMFS list members that reported being in the read are:

 

Recita Clemons with “Have Turkey, Will Travel.”

 

Zakariah Johnson with “Residents and Renters.”

 

Ed Teja for “Toys for Thugs.”

 

Amazon Description:

Bah, Humbug!

Yeah, yeah, we know. Peace on earth and all that. We’re fans. But we also recognize that all the eggnog in the world can’t stop reality from eventually crashing down on us amidst the revelry. Check out ten great stories of holiday mayhem and mystery by these outstanding neo noir authors:

Starter Home by Jedidiah Ayres

Have Turkey, Will Travel by Recita Clemons

Isaiah by Bradley Harper

Residents and Renters by Zakariah Johnson

Merry Christmas, You Son of a Bitch by Charlie Kondek

All I Want for Christmas by Meagan Lucas

A Lot in Common by Stanton McCaffery

Silver Cord by Sarah Smith

Go Elf Yourself by Casey Stegman

Toys for Thugs by Ed Teja

Issue 8 also features the Drunk Uncle, a special holiday cocktail recipe that honors everyone’s favorite holiday dinner guest, along with commentary by editors Katy Munger and Eryk Pruitt.

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 Black Cat Weekly #170

SMFS list members are published in Black Cat Weekly #170. Published by Wildside Press, the issue is available here in digital format. The list members that reported being in the issue are:

 

 

John M. Floyd with “Christmas Gifts.”

 

Paula Messina with "O Tannanbaum.” 

 

Publisher Description:

We kick off December with several holiday-themed stories. First up is John M. Floyd’s tale of a Christmas scam artist (with thanks to Acquiring Editor Barb Goffman). Then we have Paula Messina’s tale of a stray Christmas tree found on a beach. Finally, blasting off to outer space, we have an AI reindeer full of mischief in a story by Theresa Duck.

   Of course, we have our usual assortment of mystery, fantasy, and science fiction stories, including originals by Dave Zeltserman (thanks to Acquiring Editor Michael Bracken), R.M. Linning, and Steve Rasnic Tem. Plus we have classic reprints from E.C. Tubb and Manly Bannister, plus we begin the serial of Edmund Glasby’s The Battle of Mageddo, final volume of the Apocalypses of Brother Santiago trilogy. (See our previous four issues for volumes 1 and 2 of this great fantasy series.)

   We also have Mary Roberts Rhinehart’s mystery novel Two Flights Up. And no issue would be complete without a solve-it-yourself mystery from Hal Charles. All told, another great issue.

   Here’s the complete lineup—

 

Cover Art: Stephen Hickman

 

NOVEL

Two Flights Up, by Mary Roberts Rhinehart

   In 1920s America, a mysterious lodger becomes entangled in scandal, stolen bonds, and forbidden love in an aristocratic household fallen from grace.

 

SERIAL NOVEL

The Battle of Mageddo, by Edmund Glasby [Part 1 of 2]

   The Third Apocalypse of Brother Santiago begins!

 

NOVELET

“A Song in the Thicket,” by Manly Bannister

   When the Drakes move into a new suburban development, impossible, persistent, and always returning puddles appear on their property.

 

SOLVE-IT-YOURSELF MYSTERY

“Book Smart,” by Hal Charles

   Can you solve the mystery before the detective? All the clues are there!

 

SHORT STORIES

“The Roommate,” by Dave Zeltserman [Michael Bracken Presents short story]

   A new boyfriend with strange habits, a mysterious past, and a deadly curfew—is Lisa dating a liar or something worse?

 

“Christmas Gifts,” by John M. Floyd [Barb Goffman Presents short story]

   Meeting a troubled woman in an elevator, a suave businessman is reminded that Christmas is a time for helping those in need—especially if he benefits, too.

 

“Legacies,” by R.M. Linning

   In a powerful Chicago dynasty, secrets, ambition, and ruthless manipulation bind generations of the Nyland family together.

 

“O Tannenbaum,” by Paula Messina

   On a stormy Revere Beach, Margaret stumbles upon a forlorn Christmas tree that stirs memories of love and loss.

 

“Silent Night in System Nine,” by Theresa Duck

   A space captain and exuberant mechanic race to deliver holiday trees, but chaos erupts when an AI reindeer joins the crew.

 

“Catch and Release,” by Steve Rasnic Tem

   A man recalls his eerie foster mother, whose strange abilities and secrets haunt him as he searches for her—and himself—years later.



“Honour Bright,” by E.C. Tubb

   A spaceship’s engine malfunctions mid-journey, threatening the lives of its crew.