June News from the Short Mystery Fiction Society

 In June, the members of the Short Mystery Fiction Society closed out the first half of 2025 with another round of gripping stories for readers of all tastes.  A lot of the highlights are listed here--but if you love reading, writing, or talking about short stories and mystery, why not join the Society?  It's free, and you'll get to rub elbows with many of the best writers working today.  Onward to some of the best stuff that came out in June!

It was a fantastic month for anthologies!

MIDNIGHT SCHEMERS AND DAYDREAM BELIEVERS is the fifth entry in the outstanding series of Superior Shores Press anthologies, edited by SMFS's own Judy Penz Sheluk.  Desire or desperation, revenge or retribution--these twenty-two stories explore how far people are willing to go to make a dream come true.  Among the host of SMFS authors included are Joseph S. Walker ("Quincy and Crow"), donalee Moulton ("Maladaptives Anonymous"), Debra Bliss Saenger ("Checking Out at the Live Free or Die Motel" ), and of course Judy Penz Sheluk herownself ("A Foolproof Plan").  The previous anthology in this series was just nominated for a Silver Falchion award, and you won't want to have missed out when the honors start flooding in for this one.  Be sure to check out Judy's appearances on the Write Focus and House of Mystery podcasts, too!

Another long-running anthology series saw a terrific new entry in June with the release of CRIMEUCOPIA: A LOAD OF BALLS from Murderous Ink Press.  Once again, a host of SMFS's finest grace the pages of this collection of sports-themed stories that take twists as unexpected as a major league knuckleball.  Check out stellar contributions from Arthur Vidro ("The Purple Figurine Murders"), Robert Petyo ("The Perfect Game"), Wendy Harrison ("Be Careful What You Wish For"), John M. Floyd ("Rules of the Game"), and S. B. Watson ("Dust in the Field").  As the name suggests, there's always more great stuff to be found in Crimeucopia!

And now for something completely different!  DESERT OF DREAMS is the first anthology of short stories from the Historical Novel Society North America, exploring all the comic and tragic elements of the fascinating history of America's city of dreams, Las Vegas.  SMFS member Sally Millikin joins the fun with "Cowboy Justice."

Of course, it was also a fantastic month . . . for magazines!

The July/August issue of ELLERY QUEEN'S MYSTERY MAGAZINE, on shelves now, includes contributions by Joseph S. Walker ("When You Leave This Place") and Terena Elizabeth Bell ("What Blue Found"), alongside a wealth of legendary writers like Sara Paretsky, Marcia Muller and Bill Pronzini.  Decades after its founding, EQ remains, as the cover proclaims, the world's leading mystery magazine.  No serious reader should be without it!

BLACK CAT WEEKLY shouldn't be overlooked--every week it brings readers hundreds of pages of mystery, science fiction, and pulp goodness, both classic and new.  donalee Moulton ("Second Line"), Paula Messina ("The Little Girl") and Veronica Leigh ("Two Against Time") are just a few of the tremendous writers who graced its digital pages in June.  If you don't have a subscription to BCW yet, what's stopping you?  They're still going strong after 200 issues, delivering the best value any reader could ask for!

The prolific donalee Moulton also appears in the new issue of JOURN-E: THE JOURNAL OF IMAGINATIVE LITERATURE with "Shadowbird," in which a Halifax PI is hired to find a stalker--and win a candlepin bowling tournament.

Over in THE LOUISVILLE REVIEW, SMFS member Robert Weibezahl delivers a bouquet of "Red Rhododendrons," in which a forgotten memory of a childhood encounter has an unexpected impact on the present.

The past comes back again when Gregory Meece offers up "Something Lost," a haunting mystery about memory, love, and the secrets time refuses to keep in the pages of the quarterly PARABNORMAL MAGAZINE.

And of course, it wouldn't be an SMFS news report without a mention of the amazing John M. Floyd's latest contribution to WOMAN'S WORLD, "A Case of Names and Numbers," in which a cashbox goes missing from a local festival.  Another masterclass in the short form from SMFS's most prolific member!

And it need hardly be said that it was a fantastic month . . . for online magazines!

SMFS members could be found all over the web in June, serving up free reads that pack a punch readers would be happy to pay for.  You can enjoy them on the virtual pages of THE SATURDAY EVENING POST (Billie Livingston's "Bringing in the Dead"), THE FREEDOM FICTION JOURNAL (Robert J. Binney's "Ghosted") YELLOW MAMA (Abe Margel's "Country Living" and Gregory Meece's "Lightning Strikes"), GUILTY (James Patrick Focarile's "The Drop"), SPILLWORDS (Bern Sy Moss's "The Man Under the Bridge"), and CLOSE TO THE BONE (Gregory Meece's "Straight Shooter").  In just a few minutes each, these stories prove that great writers deliver, no matter the length!

Of course, SMFS members don't only publish short stories in magazines and anthologies.  June was a fantastic month . . . for single-author books!

Anna Scotti's IT'S NOT EVEN PAST collects her massively popular "Librarian on the Run" stories, many of which appeared in Ellery Queen's Mystery Magazine and three of which were selected for BEST MYSTERY STORIES OF THE YEAR.  Two previously unpublished stories flesh out what is unquestionably one of the great series of stories in the recent history of our genre.  This belongs on every mystery lover's shelf!

SMFS member Veronica Leigh's novel THE KEEPER OF LOST DAUGHTERS is a deeply moving story of a woman's desperate bid for survival in WWII Krakow, and the adopted daughter she'll do anything to save.  A treat for any lover of historical fiction!

In his collection CRIME FANTASTIQUE: STORIES OF MYSTERY AND SUSPENSE, short story master David H. Hendrickson shares eight riveting tales combining mystery and suspense with elements of the fantastic.  Includes introductions to each story, for those who want a glimpse behind the curtain!

Finally, a highlight of any month is new work from SMFS master craftsman Steve Liskow.  His collection SWEET LADIES OF DEATH brings together no fewer than 30 of his finest, all delving into crime and mystery but dabbling in romance, science fiction, and the supernatural.  You won't soon forget Liskow's ladies!

Looking for still more great reading?  Be sure to check out KEVIN'S CORNER, the blog where former SMFS president and his guests, including SMFS members like Paula Messina, review recent releases and keep you up to date on news.  Always worth a visit!

And with that, the SMFS will see you again in a month.  Happy reading!

May News From the Short Mystery Fiction Society

As 2025 turned the corner from spring to summer in May, the talented writers of the Short Mystery Fiction Society kept the thrills coming with a bevy of new publications.  Readers take note--there's a lot of great stuff to seek out here!

Issue 22 of the quarterly MYSTERY, CRIME, AND MAYHEM focuses on white-collar crime, and SMFS members are there to document the evil deeds of the well-to-do!  David H. Hendrickson's "The Telltale Scrape" pits some particularly ruthless players against each other at a new casino's poker tables.  In Annie Reed's "Not Dead Yet," a pair of crooks long retired from the protection racket are called back into action when young punks make a play for their old boss's territory.  Diana Deverell's "Reckless Endangerment" concerns another one-time felon, a bookkeeper who has to find an embezzler before the cops decide her record makes her the guilty party.  And in Joslyn Chase's "Judge, Jury, and Executioner," two rural policemen risk everything to root out corruption in their local justice system.

Not content with their publications in MCM, Annie Reed and David H. Hendrickson also have powerful contributions to the 39th issue of PULPHOUSE FICTION MAGAZINE.  Annie's "Be Someone" dives into the harrowing world of a pair of fifteen-year-old car thieves, while David's "Blue Note Heaven" has what is surely a most unusual setting for a crime story--heaven, where a newly arrived jazz musician isn't quite ready to play by the rules. 

Taking a quick trip across the pond, British publication THE PEOPLE'S FRIEND features SMFS member Liz Filleul's "School for Murder" in their 2025 Feel-Good Fiction Special.  When a teacher dies at an evacuated boarding school during WWII, policewoman Evelyn Masefield quickly realizes there's more to this "accident" than meets the eye!

In Christina Hoag's "My Mother's Knives," a May feature at ALL DUE RESPECT, we meet Mary Grace, whose interest in her new downstairs neighbor just might be edging into obsession, with murderous results.  A free-to-read thriller!

SMFS's Rob Lopresti graces BLACK CAT WEEKLY with "Shanks Gets Lost," the latest tale featuring his popular series character, mystery writer Leopold Longshanks, who has a puzzle to solve after a confrontation with an angry man.  Another issue of BCW brings us John M. Floyd's "Thursday's Child," about a loser who steps up when his workplace is robbed.

Of course, the prolific Mr. Floyd is never happy with just one publication a month!  Over at THE STRAND, he offers readers another treat with "Boom," in which two Army criminals face an unusual form of military justice.

Two SMFS members saw stories published in May in the venerable Saturday Evening Post.  In Marcelle Dube's "Liminal State," Estelle's last Christmas with her sister proves more fraught than anyone expected.  And in "Redemption Blues," Jennifer Slee takes us back to the Old West with the gripping story of an outlaw gang and one member who may see a way to a different kind of life.

Issue 14 of GUILTY CRIME STORY MAGAZINE hits hard with a double dose of SMFS member Brandon Barrows, who delivers both "Seen This Girl?," featuring his series character Sam Harrigan, and "Yowl," a you-solve-it mystery.

M. E. Proctor is yet another SMFS writer with two May publications to celebrate!  "Shadow Play" is her contribution to the horror flash Twitter/X magazine Mythic Picnic; "Shag Haul," in the Workers Write! anthology TALES FROM THE CLEANERS, features a pair of crime scene cleaners making a discovery that will change their lives forever.

As always, SMFS members don't confine themselves to fiction, and aspiring writers can learn a lot from their blog posts and other writings.  At THE FIRST TWO PAGES, Kevin Egan discusses the opening pages of "Buds," his recent story in Alfred Hitchcock's Mystery Magazine.  Over at MYSTERY FANFARE, Christopher Deliso reflects on how to create a sense of place in a story.  Meanwhile, at THE GOTHIC WANDERER, P. A. DeVoe is recognized for "Cold Blooded Murder," her winning story in their Gothic contest.  Congrats, P. A.!

SMFS President Joseph S. Walker's story "Bonus Round," first published in Alfred Hitchcock's Mystery Magazine in 2019, was the subject of a May episode of THE MYSTERY HOUR podcast, hosted by Rabia Chaudry.  The episode includes a reading of the story, about a murder timeline that just doesn't add up, as well as a discussion of the real-life case that inspired it.  Find it wherever you get your podcasts!

Finally, let's recognize those members of SMFS who published full-length books in May!  First up, Brandon Barrows is back again with LONG BEFORE THEY DIE, in which part-time PI Tom Ahearn is plunged into the sex and drugs of the hippie scene in 1968 Los Angeles.

In the gripping YA novel IMHOTEP AND THE QUEST TO KUSH, the second in a series, A. L. Sirois takes us to ancient Egypt's Third Dynasty as young Imhotep embarks on a perilous search, seeking remedies for his ailing king.

In Tom Milani's thriller PLACES THAT ARE GONE, a man who leads a life of dull routine is drawn into dangers beyond anything he's experienced when he picks up a hitchhiker whose past refuses to be left behind.

And we finish this month's news where we started, with David H. Hendrickson.  The multi-talented writer caps off a strong SMFS May with his collection CRIME FROM ANOTHER TIME, six stories of mystery and suspense set in times ranging from the ancient world to just a few decades ago.  Don't miss this riveting set from an acclaimed writer!

Stay tuned for more engaging reads from SMFS as we approach the second half of the year.  And remember, if you love writing or reading short mysteries, there's a place in the Society for you!

 

April News from the Short Mystery Fiction Society

 Following a brief delay to allow recognition of the winners of the 2025 Derringer Awards (and a huge congratulations to them all!), here's a roundup of just some of the terrific April publications and other news from the ever-prolific members of the Short Mystery Fiction Society.  Readers take note--there could well be some future Derringer winners here!

The May/June issue of Ellery Queen's Mystery Magazine--still on sale now!--included work from a number of SMFS members.  Paul Ryan O'Connor's "Shamus & Buster" draws on many parts of the spectrum of mystery fiction, as an alley cat teams up with a police detective to solve his master's murder.  Meanwhile, in "A Short Madness," Josh Pachter (winner of the 2025 Derringer for Best Short Story!) spins the yarn of a locked-room murder, as relayed to a reporter decades later in 1917 Belgium.

SMFS is also well-represented in the May/June Alfred Hitchcock's Mystery Magazine.  John M. Floyd brings us "Heading West," in which a struggling rancher and his wife face a tornado and train robbers in the Old West, while Kevin Egan's "Buds" is the impressive 18th story in his series set in the New York County Courthouse. 

 

(Writers looking for valuable tips from some of the best in the game should also know that both AHMM writers discuss their stories in detail in recent blog posts, John at SleuthSayers and Kevin at Trace Evidence.  More writerly insight comes from SMFS member Jennifer Slee, whose "Taking a Bite Out of Food Crime" at MYSTERY READERS JOURNAL discusses the real-life origins of one of her stories.)

In anthology news, the ever-prolific John Floyd is also among several SMFS members contributing to SLEUTHS JUST WANNA HAVE FUN: PRIVATE EYES IN THE MATERIALISTIC EIGHTIES, edited by SMFS all-star Michael Bracken.  John's inventive "Redwood Creek" weaves a puzzle plot around clues from the Oscar-winning films of the decade, while Debra H. Goldstein tackles the biggest whodunit of the period in "Who Shot J.R.?"  SMFS President Joseph S. Walker offers "The Right Size of Favor," in which a novice PI has to figure out who's trying to derail the Hands Across America charity event.  And check that fantastic cover!

Michael is also the editor of TROUBLE IN TEXAS: METROPLEX MYSTERIES VOLUME IV, the latest in the terrific series of anthologies from the North Dallas chapter of Sisters in Crime, featuring a foreword by Joseph S. Walker.  Veteran writer M. E. Proctor's contribution is "Goldenrod," in which PI Harry McLean investigates an art theft nobody seems to want to talk about. 

 

April was an especially great month for M. E., whose novel BOP CITY SWING, coauthored with Russell Thayer, is a hard-hitting story of a cop and a hitwoman racing to solve a murder in 1951 San Francisco.  Another San Francisco novel-length adventure, this one involving a shapeshifter you won't soon forget, comes from SMFS member Annie Reed in GUARDIANS OF THE BAY.

April produces another standout anthology with MALICE DOMESTIC 19: MYSTERY MOST HUMOROUS, featuring a number of SMFS all-stars.  Ashley-Ruth M. Bernier brings us "Six-Armed Robbery," featuring a group of renegade 12-year-olds in a standoff with a tyrannical nun, and Gregory Meece delivers "The Ladder Runs Both Ways," with a summer job leading to an unusual, and dangerous, opportunity.

Over in THE THIRD BLACK BEACON BOOK OF MYSTERY, Christina Hoag's "Take Care of Zozo for Me" gives us a parolee trying to recover a stolen gold statue and facing some stiff competition.  In S. B. Watron's "The Lunt," the writer puts some masterful twists on the genre as an amateur sleuth tackles the mysterious murder of a Scottish laird.

Proving once again that SMFS authors are not restricted to writing about crime, and having a very productive month Veronica Leigh's "Dance With Me," in EVER AFTER: VOLUME ONE, is a moving romance novella about a woman learning to dance for her wedding, even as doubts begin to surface.  At THE PEOPLE'S FRIEND, her "Sweet Nothings" concerns a woman wondering how to identify her secret admirer.  But don't worry--Veronica hasn't abandoned mystery!  In "Triple Rib Stitch," her contribution to DETECTIVES, SLEUTHS, & NOSY NEIGHBORS: DYING FOR AN ANSWER, a sheriff doing a wellness check on an elderly lady is surprised to find her with a knitting needle buried in her chest.

Another lauded SMFS member strays from the confines of mystery in Judy Penz Sheluk's "Author, Author," at Thema, inspired by Judy's own first author experience at a big box bookstore.  She dares you not to feel a tear welling up at the ending of this one!

Another unusual death features in Shari Held's "A Stinging Rebuke," available online at YELLOW MAMA.  When a farmer dies by bee sting, is it an accident or something more sinister?

Also available online, at BRIEF WILDERNESS, is SMFS member Abe Margel's "Dancing With Kayla" in which marital disagreements over money lead to much larger problems.  At TOUGH, Steve Liskow gives us "Sugar Pie Honey Bunch," in which a teenager confronts a racist boss in 1965.  And at KILLER NASHVILLE, Barbara Ristine's "No One Found It Curious That Grandfather Left Without His Oil Paints" is a fiendish little piece of murderous fun.

Finally, for those who like their mystery in audio form, the MYSTERIES TO DIE FOR podcast has a treat for you in Debra H. Goldstein's "Opera Dinner Club," a sneak peek at an anthology coming soon.  Look for news of that, and other SMFS May news, at the start of June.  Happy reading!

SMFS Official Announcement: 2025 The Silver Derringer For Editorial Excellence

The Short Mystery Fiction Society is pleased to announce the 2025 recipient of

THE SILVER DERRINGER FOR EDITORIAL EXCELLENCE

Janet Hutchings

On rare occasions, the SMFS Awards Committee presents a special lifetime award: The Silver Derringer for Editorial Excellence.  The award was most recently presented to Cathleen Jordan in 2002.  This year, the committee is delighted to present the award once more, to Janet Hutchings.  From 1991 until her retirement at the end of 2024, Janet served as just the third editor-in-chief of Ellery Queen’s Mystery Magazine, indisputably the most important publication in our genre.  To mention just a few of her accomplishments during this remarkable thirty-three year run, Janet introduced readers to a huge number of the best authors in the business, including Ian Rankin, Ann Cleeves, Jeffrey Deaver, Val McDermid, Marcia Muller, and many more; created the “Passport to Crime” department, which has presented the work of hundreds of international authors; and guided Queen into the twenty-first century with its first blog, podcasts, and digital editions.  It is safe to say that no living person has done as much for short mystery fiction, and we are honored to recognize Janet’s overwhelming contributions and influence.

Photo by Melodie Campbell

SMFS Official Announcement: 2025 Edward D. Hoch Memorial Golden Derringer For Lifetime Achievement

The Short Mystery Fiction Society is pleased to announce the 2025 recipient of the

EDWARD D. HOCH MEMORIAL GOLDEN DERRINGER FOR LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT

Art Taylor

This year’s recipient of the Edward D. Hoch Memorial Golden Derringer for Lifetime Achievement is Art Taylor.  Jon L. Breen has accurately described Art as “one of the finest short-story writers to come to prominence in the twenty-first century.”  His many awards include an Edgar, an Anthony, four Agathas, four Macavitys, and four Derringers.  Art brings to the mystery story an unusually rich sense of character and theme; his stories are not merely puzzles to be solved, but insightful and engaging meditations on the mystery of life itself.  He is also one of the finest scholars of the history of mystery fiction, particularly in its short form, and unfailingly generous in his support for other writers, including through his continuation of the “First Two Pages” blog series begun by B. K. Stevens.

Art Taylor's words on this honor:

"I’ll admit to being of two minds about receiving this year’s Golden Derringer Award. Thrilled by the honor, of course, but also stumbling over that phrase lifetime achievement—scrambling suddenly to take stock of where I’m at, what I’ve accomplished, what more I might have accomplished, and what possibilities still await (hopefully!) in the further lifetime ahead. To be honest, a lifetime achievement suggests I at least know what I’m doing, but—another admission—each blank page still leaves me scratching my head a-fresh: What now? What next? 

Whatever my struggles or status, however, I hope my work as a writer, an editor, and especially as a teacher have helped inspire and encourage other writers, at all stages, who have endeavored  to find their own way past that blank page and into a short story—both throughout our mystery community and especially in the Short Mystery Fiction Society, to whom I’m so overwhelmingly grateful for this award."

Image by Bethany Maines

SMFS Official Announcement: 2025 Hall of Fame

The Short Mystery Fiction Society is pleased to announce the 2025 Hall of Fame inductee.

HALL OF FAME

O. Henry (William Sydney Porter)

This year’s inductee to the Hall of Fame is O. Henry (1862-1910), real name William Sydney Porter.  Though best remembered today for the Christmas story “The Gift of the Magi,” O. Henry’s hundreds of published short stories also include a huge number of influential crime narratives, including “The Ransom of Red Chief,” “The Cop and the Anthem,” and “A Retrieved Reformation.”  A master of plotting and effective twist endings, O. Henry exemplified the depth, range and flexibility of the short story.

SMFS Official Announcement: 2025 Derringer Award Winners

  

Since 1998, the Short Mystery Fiction Society has awarded the annual Derringers—named after the popular pocket pistol—to outstanding published stories. The Short Mystery Fiction Society is proud to announce the winners of the 2025 Derringer Awards for works published in 2024.

 As reported by Derringer Coordinator Paula Messina…

FLASH

"Kargin the Necromancer" by Mike McHone
(Mystery Tribune, December 15, 2024)

SHORT STORY

"The Wind Phone" by Josh Pachter
(Ellery Queen’s Mystery Magazine, September/October 2024)

LONG STORY

"Heart of Darkness" by Tammy Euliano
(Scattered, Smothered, Covered & Chunked: Crime Fiction Inspired by Waffle House, Down & Out Books)

NOVELETTE

"The Cadillac Job" by Stacy Woodson
(Chop Shop Episode 1, Down & Out Books, January 1, 2024)

ANTHOLOGY

Murder, Neat: A SleuthSayers Anthology
Edited by Michael Bracken and Barb Goffman, Level Best Books

The complete list of 2025 finalists can be found here.