Short Mystery Fiction Society 2026 Derringer Award Winners

SMFS Official Announcement: 2026 Derringer Award Winners

Photo by Art Taylor

The Short Mystery Fiction Society is a community of writers, readers, editors, publishers, and others dedicated to the promotion and celebration of mystery and crime short stories. Since 1998, the SMFS has awarded the annual Derringers to outstanding published stories and people who have greatly advanced or supported the form. 

The 2026 Derringer Award Winners

Edward D. Hoch Memorial Golden Derringer

David Dean

David Dean is an Army veteran, a retired Chief of Police, and an accomplished novelist, in addition to being one of the most popular and prolific short story writers working in the crime genre today. His stories have appeared regularly in ELLERY QUEEN MYSTERY MAGAZINE, as well as a number of anthologies, including BEST AMERICAN MYSTERY STORIES, since 1990. He has won a Derringer Award and an impressive four EQMM Readers Awards. His stories have also been nominated for the Shamus and Barry Awards and been finalists for an Edgar and multiple Derringer Awards.

Best Flash Story

(Up to 1,000 words)

"The Man Under the Bridge" by Bern Sy Moss (Spillwords, 6/1/2025)

Best Short Story

(1,001 to 4,000 words)

"Blind Pig" by Michael Bracken (Ellery Queen's Mystery Magazine, September/October 2025)

Best Long Story

(4,001 to 8,000 words)

"Whatever Kills the Pain" by C.W. Blackwell (Whatever Kills the Pain, Rock and a Hard Place Press)

Best Novelette

(8,001 to 20,000 words)

"The Temporary Murder of Thomas Monroe" by Tia Tashiro (Clarkesworld, January 2025) (audio version)

Best Anthology (tie)

Hollywood Kills: An Anthology edited by Adam Meyer & Alan Orloff (Level Best Books - Level Short)

On Fire and Under Water: A Climate Change Crime Fiction Anthology edited by Curtis Ippolito (Rock and a Hard Place Press)

HT: Kevin Tipple

DERRINGER AWARD FINALISTS: Short Mystery Fiction Society

The Short Mystery Fiction Society is a group of writers, readers, editors, publishers, and others dedicated to the promotion and celebration of mystery and crime short stories. Since 1998, the SMFS has awarded the annual Derringers to outstanding published stories and people who've greatly advanced or supported the form. Congratulations to all!

The 2026 Derringer Award Finalists:

Best Flash Story

(Up to 1,000 words)

"Bradycardia" by Elizabeth Dearborn (Punk Noir Magazine, 2/4/2025)

"Check Rear Seat" by Carl Tait (Exquisite Death, 5/1/2025)

"It All Comes Out in the Wash" by James Patrick Focarile (Gumshoe Review, 10/31/2025)

"Just Like Old Times" by Shari Held (Yellow Mama, 2/15/2025)

"The Man Under the Bridge" by Bern Sy Moss (Spillwords, 6/1/2025)

Best Short Story

(1,001 to 4,000 words)

"Blind Pig" by Michael Bracken (Ellery Queen's Mystery Magazine, September/October 2025)

"Chains" by Frank Vatel (All Due Respect, 9/1/25)

"Hollywood Prometheus" by Christa Faust (Crime Ink: Iconic: An Anthology of Crime Fiction Inspired by Queer Icons, Bywater Books)

"The Artist" by Linda Ann Bennett (Midnight Schemers & Daydream Believers: 22 Stories of Mystery & Suspense, Superior Shores Press)

"Wax On, Wax Off" by Nina Mansfield (Donna Andrews Presents Malice Domestic: Mystery Most Humorous, Wildside Press)

Best Long Story

(4,001 to 8,000 words)

"A Sign of the Times" by Tom Milani (Sleuths Just Wanna Have Fun: Private Eyes in the Materialistic Eighties, Down & Out Books)

"Masterpiece" by Mark Thielman (Black Cat Mystery Magazine 16, September 2025)

"Six-Armed Robbery" by Ashley-Ruth M. Bernier (Donna Andrews Presents Malice Domestic: Mystery Most Humorous, Wildside Press)

"Whatever Kills the Pain" by C.W. Blackwell (Whatever Kills the Pain, Rock and a Hard Place Press)

"Zebra Finch" by donalee Moulton (The Most Dangerous Games, Level Best Books - Level Short)

Best Novelette

(8,001 to 20,000 words)

"Aswarby Hall" by David Dean (Ellery Queen's Mystery Magazine, March/April 2025)

"Loose Change from a Mini Cooper" by Frank Zafiro (Chop Shop Episode 10, Down & Out Books)

"Saint Bullethead" by Nick Kolakowski (Fighting Words: Bruisers, Brawlers, & Bad Intentions, Leonardo Audio)

"The High Priest of Low Men" by C.W. Blackwell (Myopic Duplicity: Do the Ends Ever Justify the Means?, Leonardo Audio)

"The Temporary Murder of Thomas Monroe" by Tia Tashiro (Clarkesworld, January 2025) (audio version)

Best Anthology

(previously announced)

Crimeucopia - The Not So Frail Detective Agency edited by John Connor (Murderous Ink Press)

Gone Fishin': Crime Takes a Holiday, The Eighth Guppy Anthology edited by James M. Jackson (Wolf's Echo Press)

Hollywood Kills: An Anthology edited by Adam Meyer & Alan Orloff (Level Best Books - Level Short)

Midnight Schemers & Daydream Believers: 22 Stories of Mystery & Suspenseedited by Judy Penz Sheluk (Superior Shores Press)

On Fire and Under Water: A Climate Change Crime Fiction Anthology edited by Curtis Ippolito (Rock and a Hard Place Press)

SoWest: Danger Awaits! A Desert Sleuths Anthology edited by Claire A. Murray, Eva Eldridge, Suzanne E. Flaig, Denise Galley, and Sarah Smith (DS Publishing)

DERRINGER AWARD BEST ANTHOLOGY FINALISTS 2026

Derringer Award: 2026 Best Anthology Finalists

The Short Mystery Fiction Society is a group of writers, readers, editors, publishers, and others dedicated to the promotion and celebration of mystery and crime short stories. 

The winning anthology will be determined via member vote in April and announced May 1. Derringer Award medals will be presented in October at Bouchercon in Calgary, Alberta.

The finalists for the 2026 Best Anthology Derringer Award are

Crimeucopia - The Not So Frail Detective Agency

Edited by John Connor, Murderous Ink Press)

Gone Fishin': Crime Takes a Holiday, The Eighth Guppy Anthology

Edited by James M. Jackson, Wolf's Echo Press

Hollywood Kills: An Anthology

Edited by Adam Meyer & Alan Orloff, Level Best Books - Level Short

Midnight Schemers & Daydream Believers: 22 Stories of Mystery & Suspense: A Superior Shores Anthology

Edited by Judy Penz Sheluk, Superior Shores Press

On Fire and Under Water: A Climate Change Crime Fiction Anthology

Edited by Curtis Ippolito, Rock and a Hard Place Press

SoWest: Danger Awaits! A Desert Sleuths Anthology

Edited by Claire A. Murray, Eva Eldridge, Suzanne E. Flaig, Denise Ganley, and Sarah Smith, DS Publishing

***

Judges are currently evaluating 495 story submissions to determine the finalists in four categories. Finalista will be announced April 1. The winners will be determined via member vote in April and announced May 1. 

The story categories are

• Best Flash Story (Up to 1,000 words)
• Best Short Story (1,001 to 4,000 words)
• Best Long Story (4,001 to 8,000 words)
• Best Novelette (8,001 to 2

CHRISTMAS MYSTERY SHORT STORY ANTHOLOGIES AND NOVELLAS

Here's my list of Christmas Mystery Short Story Anthologies and Novellas. There may be some overlaps from my other lists, as well as omissions. Let me know, and I can easily update.

For the Christmas Mystery Novel lists by author, go here: Authors A-E,  Authors F-L, Authors M-Z.

Happy Holidays. Be sure and check back for Boxing Day Mysteries.

SHORT STORY ANTHOLOGIES

Adrian, Jack: Crime at Christmas.
Andrew, Donna, Barb Goffman & Marcia Talley (editors): Homicidal Holidays: Fourteen Tales of Murder and Merriment.
Asimov, Isaac (ed.): Twelve Crimes of Christmas.
Avocato, Lori. Sugarplums and Scandal.
Bedford, Jean (ed): Moonlight Becomes You.

Benedict, Laura, Carolyn Haines, & Lisa Morton (ed): Haunted Holidays.
Browning, Abigail (ed.): Murder Most Merry.
Burton, Tony (ed.): By the Chimney with Care; Carols and Crimes, Gifts and Grifters; Dying in a Winter Wonderland.
Cornwell, Bernard: Sharpe's Christmas--Two Short Stories.
Bill Crider, Terence Faherty, Wendi Lee, & Aileen Schumacher: Murder, Mayhem, and Mistletoe
Dalby, Richard (ed.): Crime for Christmas; Mistletoe & Mayhem.
Doyle, Arthur Conan: "The Adventure of the Blue Carbuncle".
Edwards, Martin (ed.): Crimson Snow (British Library Crime Classics); A Surprise for Christmas; Silent Nights; Who Killed Father Christmas and Other Seasonal Mysteries.
Floyd, John (ed.): The Gift of Murder.
Fowler, Christopher: "Bryant & May and the Secret Santa".
Gayford, Cecily (ed): Murder Under the Christmas Tree: Ten Classic Crime Stories for the Festive Season.
Godfrey, Thomas (ed.): Murder for Christmas--26 Tales of Seasonal Malice.
Goffman, Barb (et al., eds.): Chesapeake Crimes--Homicidal Holidays.
Greenberg, Martin H (ed.): Cat Crimes for the Holidays; Holmes for the Holidays; Santa Clues; More Holmes for the Holidays; Twelve Crimes of Christmas.
Halliday, Gemma (ed): Cozy Christmas Capers: 19 Holiday Short Stories.
Harris, Charlaine (ed.): Wolfsbane and Mistletoe.
Hartman, J. Alan (ed.): Santa Rage: A Killer Claus Compendium.

Heald, Tim (ed.): A Classic Christmas Crime.
Hochensmith, Steve: Naughty: Nine Tales of Christmas Crime.
Holmes, Dee: Silent Night.
James, P.D.: The Mistletoe Murder and other stories.
Knight, Stephen (ed.): A Corpse at the Opera House; Murder at Home; Crimes for a Summer Christmas; More Crimes for a Summer Christmas.
Lovesey, Peter (Forward by): The Usual Santas: A Collection of Crime Christmas Capers.
MacLeod, Charlotte (ed.): Mistletoe Mysteries--Tales of Yuletide Murder; Christmas Stalkings--Tales of Yuletide Murder.
McCoy, Judi, Katherine Hall Page, Joanne Pence, et al: Mistletoe and Mayhem.

McDermid, Val: Christmas is Murder
Manson, Cynthia (ed.): Christmas Crimes; Merry Murder; Murder Under the Mistletoe; Mystery for Christmas; Murder at Christmas.
Marks, Jeffrey (ed.): Canine Christmas.

O'Connor, Carlene, Maddie Day, Peggy Ehrhart: Christmas Scarf Murder.
O'Regan and Paul Kane (ed): Death Comes at Christmas

Penzler, Otto (ed.).: Christmas Crimes at the Mysterious Bookshop; The Big Book of Christmas Mysteries; Golden Age Christmas Mysteries.
Simenon, Georges: A Maigret Christmas and Other Stories; also published as Maigret's Christmas, Nine Stores (1976), Translated by Jean Stewart (UK).
Slater, Susan: Crooks, Crimes and Christmas.
Soles, Caro (ed.).: Blood on the Holly.
Todd, Charles. A Christmas Witness. 

Walling, R.A.J., Three Christmas Mysteries. Three Noel Pinson Mystery Stories.

Wilson, Gahan: Murder for Christmas: 26 Tales of Seasonal Malice.

Christmas Crimes: Stories from Ellery Queen's Mystery Magazine and Alfred Hitchcock Mystery Magazine: stories by Ron Goulart, Edward D. Hoch, John Dickson Carr, Anne Cleeves, and more.

NOVELLAS

Allan, Barbara: Antiques Fruitcake.
Baker, Deb: Murder Trims the Tree.
Barritt, Christy. Pranced.
Bennett, Jenna: Contingent on Approval.
Berry, Linda (and others): The Last Noel.
Block, Barbara (and others): Murder Most Merry.
Brewer, Steve (and others): The Last Noel; Sanity Clause (e-novella).
Burke, Christina: Queenie Baby: Pass the Eggnog.
Calhoun, Lynn: Santa Puppy.
Coco, Nancy: All I Want for Christmas is Fudge.
Collins, Kate:  Missing Under the Mistletoe.
Coward, Mat (and others): The Last Noel.
Dane, Catherine (and others): The Last Noel.
Early, Barbara: Gold, Frankincense, and Murder.
Emrick, K.J.: The Ghost of Christmas.
Faherty, Terence (and others): Murder, Mayhem and Mistletoe.
Fluke, Joanne (and others): Candy Cane Murder; Gingerbread Cookie Murder.

Genova, Rosie: The Seven-Course Christmas Killer.
Hathaway, L.B.: A Christmas Case: A Posie Parker Novella.
Jaffarian, Sue Ann: The Ghost of Mistletoe Mary. 
Kelly, Diane: Death, Taxes, and Mistletoe Mayhem.
Kelner, Toni L.P. (and others): Murder Under the Tree.
Khan, Vaseem: A Yuletide Murder in Old Bombay.

Langtree, Leslie: Merry Christmas Murder: a Merry Wrath Mysteries.
Martin, Nancy: Slay Belles.
Mitcheltree, Tom (and others): How Still We See Thee Lie.

Nardi, Christa: Holidays, Hijinks & Murder; Holly and Holidays, Another Murder.
O'Donohue, Clare: Cathedral Windows.
Pence, Joanne: Cook's Christmas Capers.

Prose, Nita: The Mistletoe Mystery.

Raybourn, Deanna: Silent Night--A Lady Julia Christmas Novella.
Robb, J.D. (and others): Silent Night.
Shelton, Connie: Holidays Can Be Murder.
Stout: Rex: Christmas Party.

Unger, Lisa: Christmas Presents.
Walker, Martin: Bruno and the Carol Singers.
Walling, R.A. J.: Three Christmas Mysteries: Three Noel Pinson Mystery Stories.

Ward, Tamara: Jade O'Reilly and the 12 Days of Christmas.
Winston, Lois: Elementary, My Dear Gertie.

There are so many short stories that appear in magazines that I can't list them all...but here's one..

Robert Lopresti "Christmas Dinner," AHMM

A Mystery Love Letter to Ottawa: Guest Post by Mike Martin

A Capital Mystery is an anthology of 21 short stories that are all set and written in Ottawa, Canada’s capital city. The idea for such an anthology has been percolating for some time and finally brewed over into this new anthology featuring stories from well-known authors Barbara Fradkin and Brenda Chapman as well as rising star, Katie Tallo. But it was an also an opportunity for new and emerging writers to join the team. Some with their very first publishing credit.

The key to getting this project off the ground was eager and active support from Crime Writers of Canada who along with a local mystery writing group, Capital Crime Writers, agreed to sponsor and promote this anthology. There are stories from modern day Ottawa and others reaching back into the 1950’s. One goes all the way back to the 1800’s when Ottawa was called Bytown, a muddy hole in pre-Confederation Canada. The stories range from mild to dark to darker. There are department store owners, a famous Canadian hero, jilted lovers, and desperate people during desperate times. Even a weird ceramic polar bear enters the scene.

Early readers and reviewers have been impressed by the depth and quality of the stories. Melodie Campbell, the best-selling author of The Silent Film Star Murders said: “From clever whodunits to edge of seat thrillers, this anthology covers all the bases. Ottawa takes the stage front and centre in twenty-one crime stories by seasoned writers and fresh new voices. A historical mystery places us deftly into 19th century Bytown. Blackmailers and burglars terrorize our current day capital, and even the weather has a part to play.”

And Judy Penz Sheluk author and publisher of the Derringer-nominated Superior Shores Anthologies said: “This is a love letter to Ottawa, a city these writers call home, and they’ve done it proud. If you can only read one anthology this year, read this one. It would be a capital crime to miss it.”

A Capital Mystery was published by Ottawa Press and Publishing and available from Amazon all over the world.

***

Mike Martin is the Co-editor of A Capital Mystery along with Bernadette Cox and the author of the Sgt. Windflower Mystery series.

  

He Had to Die: Guest Post by Anna Scotti

Sometimes I truly regret having Federal Marshal Owen James captured, tortured, and killed while in pursuit of a felon. 

Sure, writers are often instructed to "murder our darlings," but Owen was such a darling! He was never the star of my "librarian on the run" series for Ellery Queen Mystery Magazine, but he was a featured player. Six foot-two or -three, tawny hair, eyes variously described as the color of the sky over Huntington Beach, the color of faded denim, the cerulean blue of new hydrangeas, the - well, you get the idea. He even wore the sleeves of his crisp cotton shirts rolled up to show muscled forearms, and gentlemen, in case you're not aware, that's a look we ladies love. And Owen wasn't just good to look at - he was good inside! He resisted the charms of his WITSEC charge, Lori, for eight years, despite her relentless flirting and sometimes cringe-worthy pleading for a kiss - or more - to take the edge off the loneliness of nights on the run. Owen gave up his beloved job and went rogue in an effort to free Lori from her servitude toward the Feds. He even left her a good hunk of dough in his will - after taking care of his parents, of course. 

But Owen had to die, and I'm the one who killed him. 

Oh, I teased for a bit. Lori first meets Owen - and experiences his kindness and courtesy - in one of the few "librarian" stories not originally published in Ellery Queen Mystery Magazine, "Perfumes of Arabia." He's a nice guy, but Lori - known to us then as "Juliet" - is still smarting from betrayal by her one-time fiancé, cartel boss Mateo Andres. In the next few stories, Owen is mentioned, but only peripherally. Lori - now known as "Cam" - is busy making a fool of herself over the handsome and happily married Detective Antonio Morales in "No Legacy So Rich," and Owen is standing by to pick up the pieces when Lori then falls into the arms of a murdering lawyer in "A Heaven or a Hell." Throughout the series, Lori sometimes references the time Owen saved her by strangling a paid killer with his bare hands. We also know he gave her an expensive folding knife because she hates guns, despite having aced her lessons from Detective Morales. Owen doesn't play a major part in every story, but the bond between the two is growing. In "It's Not Even Past," Lori blows her cover and explodes the tidy life she's constructed for herself. Owen whisks her out of town, but not before Lori puts both her mother and Detective Morales' family in jeopardy, causes her dog to be murdered, and loses everything she has - job, friendships, apartment - once again. Lori really has no one left to lean on but Owen, who will share a beer with her and hint at "maybe someday," but who would never dream of taking advantage of the marshal/witness power differential. 

Lori's next adventures take place in a beach town in South Carolina. Owen is very much a part of "Sonia Sutton's" lonely life, but at the end of "Into the Silent Land," he tells her he is being reassigned, and at the end of "A New Weariness," she learns that he is dead. 

Or is he? 

When I turned the story in to my editor at EQMM, she told me it was the best one yet, and then she exclaimed, "but Owen's not really dead…is he?" 

Hmmm. I gave her a sphinx-like smile and hoped she didn't realize that I didn't actually know, myself. 

Since the reader had not actually seen Owen die, but had only heard about it third-hand, the possibilities were endless. Indeed, in "Not With Hibiscus, but With Blood," Lori, now living as Dana Kane, is surfing a little and drinking a lot on the Hawaiian island of Maui. She comes to believe that Owen is very much alive… 

He's not. He's dead, although it takes some pretty brutal dialogue to convince her.   

I hated to do it, but it was necessary. Owen represented safety and security for Lori; though she's very bright and pretty damned courageous, Owen was always there to bail her out in an emergency. He snatched her out of harm's way more than a few times. But as Lori's character developed and became ever more cynical, streetwise, and resourceful, the safety net represented by Owen began to hold her back. If the reader - and Lori herself - could trust that Owen was always there in the shadows keeping a watchful eye on her, how could she truly evolve into the fully-realized character I'd imagined? I didn't want Lori to end up answering phones at Owen's private detective agency or folding his laundry in the basement of a suburban ranch house. 

Lori's next adventures, "Where Speaking Fails" and "Traveller from an Antique Land," take place back in L.A. Speaking is the final story in the collection, and the second that did not first appear in Ellery Queen. Lori is no longer in witness protection but still in hiding from her past. She hits bottom and begins to recover with the help of her friends. No love, no romance…but wait. In the next installment, coming sometime in 2026, Lori discovers that Owen had a younger brother…and he's missing. Stay tuned! 

***

Anna Scotti has recently been a finalist for the Derringer, Thriller, Claymore, and EQ Readers Choice Awards, as well as for the Macavity (for Schrödinger, Cat in 2023). Stories from Scotti's "librarian on the run" series for Ellery Queen Mystery Magazine have been recorded for Rabia Chaudry's The Mystery Hour podcast and have been selected for Best Mystery Stories of the Year three times (Mysterious Press 2022, 2024, 2025). In June, Down & Out Books will release all of the "librarian" stories as a collection entitled "It's Not Even Past." 

Scotti also writes young adult fiction, literary fiction, and poetry. Her work can be found in journals ranging from The New Yorker to Lunch Ticket, Nimrod, and Chautauqua. Learn more at annakscotti.com

2025 Derringer Awards: Short Mystery Fiction Society Awards

The 2025 Derringer Awards: Short Mystery Fiction Society

Best Flash Story (up to 1,000 words): “Kargin the Necromancer,” by Mike McHone (Mystery Tribune, December 15, 2024)

Best Short Story (1,001-4,000 words): “The Wind Phone,” by Josh Pachter (Ellery Queen Mystery Magazine, September/October 2024)

Best Long Story (4,001-8,000 words): “Heart of Darkness,” by Tammy Euliano (from Scattered, Smothered, Covered & Chunked: Crime Fiction Inspired by Waffle House, edited by Michael Bracken and Stacy Woodson; Down & Out)

Best Novelette (8,001-20,000 words): “The Cadillac Job,” by Stacy Woodson (Chop Shop, Episode 1, edited by Michael Bracken; 
Down & Out)

Best Anthology: Murder, Neat: A SleuthSayers Anthology, edited by Michael Bracken and Barb Goffman (Level Short)

The Silver Derringer for Editorial Excellence goes to Janet Hutchings, former Editor in chief of Ellery Queen Mystery Magazine. 

The Edward D. Hoch Memorial Golden Derringer for Lifetime Achievement goes to short-story writer and English professor Art Taylor. 

The 2025 Hall of Fame recipient is O. Henry.

***

HT: The Rap Sheet & Kevin Tipple

Short Mystery Fiction Society 2025 Derringer Award Finalists

The 2025 Short Mystery Fiction Society Derringer Award Finalists. Named after the popular pocket pistol, this award recognizes outstanding stories published during 2024. Results of membership voting are scheduled to be posted on May 1, 2025.
 
FLASH
 
Sweet Red Cherries by C.W. Blackwell
(Punk Noir Magazine, November 28, 2024)
 
Mob Mentality by James Patrick Focarile
(Shotgun Honey, June 20, 2024)
 
La Petite Mort by Susan Hatters Friedman
(Bristol Noir, February 16, 2024)
 
Kargin the Necromancer by Mike McHone
(Mystery Tribune, December 15, 2024)
 
Lockerbie, 1988 by Mary Thorson
(Cotton Xenomorph, October 13, 2024)
 
 
SHORT STORY 
 
"Skeeter's Bar and Grill" by Julie Hastrup
(Larceny & Last Chances: 22 Stories of Mystery & Suspense, Superior Shores Press)
 
"The Wind Phone" by Josh Pachter
(Ellery Queen’s Mystery Magazine, September/October 2024)
 
"The Heist" by Bill Pronzini
(Shamus and Anthony Commit Capers: Ten Tales of Criminals, Crooks, and Culprits, Level Best Books)
 
"The Last Chance Coalition" by Judy Penz Sheluk
(Larceny & Last Chances: 22 Stories of Mystery & Suspense, Superior Shores Press)
 
"The Kratz Gambit" by Mark Thielman
(Private Dicks and Disco Balls: Private Eyes in the Dyn-O-Mite Seventies, Down & Out Books)
 
LONG STORY
 
"How Mary’s Garden Grew" by Elizabeth Elwood
(Ellery Queen’s Mystery Magazine, January/February 2024)
 
"Heart of Darkness" by Tammy Euliano
(Scattered, Smothered, Covered & Chunked: Crime Fiction Inspired by Waffle House, Down & Out Books)
 
"Putting Things Right" by Peter W. J. Hayes
(Thrill Ride - The Magazine, December 21, 2024)
 
"Motive Factor X" by Joseph Andre Thomas
(Howls from the Scene of the Crime: A Crime Horror Anthology, Howl Society Press)
 
"Cold Comfort" by Andrew Welsh-Huggins
(Private Dicks and Disco Balls: Private Eyes in the Dyn-O-Mite Seventies, Down & Out Books)
  
NOVELETTE
 
"A Band of Scheming Women" by Joslyn Chase
(Thrill Ride - The Magazine, March 21, 2024)
 
"Christmas Dinner" by Robert Lopresti
(Alfred Hitchcock’s Mystery Magazine, November/December 2024)
 
"Barracuda Backfire" by Tom Milani
(Chop Shop Episode 4, Down & Out Books, April 1, 2024)
 
"Her Dangerously Clever Hands" by Karen Odden
(Crimeucopia - Through the Past Darkly, Murderous Ink Press)
 
"The Cadillac Job" by Stacy Woodson
(Chop Shop Episode 1, Down & Out Books, January 1, 2024

ANTHOLOGY

(Previously Announced)

Devil's Snare: Best New England Crime Stories 2024

Edited by Susan Oleksiw, Ang Pompano, Leslie Wheeler, Crime Spell Books

Friend of the Devil: Crime Fiction Inspired by the Songs of the Grateful Dead

Edited by Josh Pachter, Down & Out Books

Larceny & Last Chances: 22 Stories of Mystery & Suspense

Edited by Judy Penz Sheluk, Superior Shores Press

Murder, Neat: A SleuthSayers Anthology

Edited by Michael Bracken and Barb Goffman, Level Best Books

New York State of Crime: Murder New York Style 6

Edited by D.M. Barr and Joseph R.G. De Marco, Down & Out Books

The 13th Letter

Edited by Donna Carrick, Carrick Publishing

ShortCon, The Premier Conference for Writers of Short Crime Fiction

Saturday, June 7, 2025, in Alexandria, Virginia. 

 

Presenters include: 

 

SJ Rozan, author of nearly 100 short stories (and 20 novels) and editor or co-editor of three anthologies, is recipient of two Edgars as well as Shamus, Anthony, Nero, and other awards. She’s received lifetime achievement awards from The Private Eye Writers of America and the Short Mystery Fiction Society and teaches a summer writing workshop in Assisi, Italy. Rozan will lead a three-hour writing workshop focused on short crime fiction. 

Jeffrey Marks, publisher for Crippen & Landru, is the author of numerous short stories and biographies of mystery writers, the editor of four anthologies, and has been nominated for Agatha, Anthony, Edgar, Macavity, and Maxwell awards. Marks will lead a seminar on crafting a short story collection. 

Michael Bracken, author of almost 1,300 short stories and editor or co-editor of 32 published and forthcoming anthologies, is an Anthony, Edgar, and Shamus nominee and multiple Derringer Award recipient. Bracken will discuss writing for anthologies. 

 

Stacy Woodson, author of 40 short stories and co-editor of three published or forthcoming anthologies, received Ellery Queen’s Mystery Magazine’s Readers Award for her first short story and has since received two Derringer Awards and been nominated for both Macavity and Thriller awards. Woodson will moderate an end-of-day discuss with all the presenters. 

Included in the registration fee for this one-day conference is breakfast, lunch, and two breaks. 

For more information and to register, visit https://www.eastcoastcrime.com/#/

Be Thankful You Don’t Have These Families: Guest Post by Barb Goffman

Ahh, Thanksgiving. A wonderful time of year when family gets together. You hug and bond and share happy memories.

At least that’s what the Hallmark Channel movies want you to think. But, c’mon, you know the truth. Every family has one member that everyone else just can’t stand. The brother who chews with his mouth open. On purpose. The cousin who won’t stop talking. The aunt who snoops around the house and then tells everyone what she found. Yep, after a few hours of wonderful family togetherness, you just might want to kill someone.

And that’s why mystery writers love Thanksgiving so much. The essence of a good story is conflict. And nothing provides more conflict than family. 

Take my character, Dotty, from my short story “Biscuits, Carats, and Gravy.” She’s a grandmother who loves Thanksgiving. The whole family comes to her home, and she gets to show off her gorgeous crystal, her perfect decorations, and her Martha Stewart-like dishes. So far so good. But then throw into the mix a twenty-year-old airhead intent on marrying into the family—and on getting her hands on Dotty’s deceased mother’s engagement ring—and now you have conflict.

Will Dotty let the airhead get her way? Are you kidding? Dotty comes up with a plan to save the ring involving cunning, deception, and some horrible, horrible gravy. Things start out okay, but sometimes the best laid plans ... well, you know.

I had a story published in 2009, “The Worst Noel,” in The Gift of Murder anthology, that started at Thanksgiving and ended at Christmas. In between was a holiday season filled with so much family-togetherness that my main character, Gwen, was pushed right over the edge. When a narcissistic mother clearly loves one sister more the other, you shouldn’t be surprised when the less-favored daughter decides to seek a little personal justice, should you?

Dotty and Gwen aren’t the only devious character running around these days. The anthology The Killer Wore Cranberry, where “Biscuits, Carats, and Gravy” appears, is comprised of nine Thanksgiving stories, each with memorable characters. Mobsters. Felons. Even turkeys and spuds. Each story is funny, and each one involves a Thanksgiving food, which is perfect, because the only thing better than mysteries with conflict are mysteries with conflict and good hearty laughs. 

Six books in total were published in The Killer Wore Cranberry series. I had stories in the first four. My story in volume two, "Murder a la Mode," involves a murder mystery during Thanksgiving at a nudist colony. My story in volume three, "Operation Knock Her Down a Peg," has cousins who work together on a cooking show despite hating each other—and then they spend Thanksgiving together. And my story in volume four, "It's A Trap!" involves estranged sisters who get together for Thanksgiving to please their dying mother. By the end, Mama might have wished she hadn’t pushed so hard. To find these anthologies, click here: https://www.amazon.com/stores/Barb-Goffman/author/B00CC5NC1K/allbooks. You also can buy “Biscuits, Carats, and Gravy” as a standalone story.

So when you’re on your last nerve this week, with the children screaming and the pots overflowing, and you’re about to beat your husband with your turkey baster, stop, download, and relax. I promise, in the few minutes it takes to read one of these short stories, you’ll regain your sanity and your smile. And then you’ll be ready to spend time with your family. Well, as ready as you can be.

Happy Thanksgiving!

***

Barb Goffman has been nominated for major crime-fiction short story awards forty-three times and has won the Agatha three times, the Macavity twice, and the Anthony and Ellery Queen Readers Award once each. She is this year’s recipient of the Edward D. Hoch Memorial Golden Derringer Award, which is the Short Mystery Fiction Society’s lifetime achievement award. Barb makes her living as a freelance editor, especially enjoying working on traditional and cozy mysteries. She’s also an associate editor of Black Cat Weekly and has edited or co-edited fourteen published anthologies with two more forthcoming. Barb blogs every third Tuesday at www.SleuthSayers.org. Learn more atwww.barbgoffman.com

2024 DERRINGER AWARD NOMINATIONS

The Short Mystery Fiction Society announced the nominations for the 2024 Derringer Awards. I Congratulations to all. Click to read the nominations below. 

Open for Submissions: DEADLY YELLOWSTONE: A COLLECTION OF MYSTERY SHORTS

Thalia Press announces an opportunity for your mystery short story to be included in our next anthology, Deadly Yellowstone: A Collection of Mystery Shorts.

Here is the description of the anthology:

Explore the treacherous and awe-inspiring landscape of America's first national park in this new anthology, “Deadly Yellowstone." With scalding geysers, stampeding buffalo, and ravenous grizzlies, danger lurks at every turn.
As a global tourist magnet, Yellowstone National Park attracts not only nature enthusiasts but also those with sinister intentions. Unravel the mysteries within the park's boundaries as ten gripping short stories delve into baffling events amidst the beauty and danger of Yellowstone.

Submissions guidelines include: *Note extended deadline—June 30.

·      Your story should be set within the borders of Yellowstone National Park. Use of the unique landscape and wildlife of Yellowstone is encouraged!
·       We’re looking for great stories and unique voices that entertain the reader. Your story can be serious or humorous, but it must be a mystery or crime fiction story. 
·       Your story should not exceed 10,000 words. Our sweet spot is 3,000 to 7,000 words. No flash or fan fiction, please.
·       Submit your story as a Word Doc attachment to thaliapress@gmail.com.
·       For the subject line of your submission: please start with the title of your story, followed by a dash and your full name. 
·       While we prefer original stories, we will consider reprint submissions so long as you have all rights back to your story. If your story is a reprint, please indicate this on the manuscript when submitting it.
·       Publication is projected for October 2024. The book will be printed in both eBook and paperback formats.
·       Ten short stories will be chosen for inclusion in this anthology. 
·       The deadline to submit your story is June 30, 2024. Authors of stories selected for inclusion will be notified by July 30, 2024. 
·       If your submission is selected for publication, you will be asked to provide a 150 word or less author bio. You may include information on where readers can purchase your other work in this bio.
·       Payment for accepted stories will be $25.
·       Authors accepted for publication will be able to order author copies of the anthology at cost.
·

       For questions please email Lise McClendon, Editor at thaliapress@gmail.com. 

NEWS FROM MALICE DOMESTIC: Anthology, Website, and more!

The new Malice Domestic website is live. Visit: www.MaliceDomestic.net

Short Story authors chosen for the 18th Malice Domestic anthology titled Mystery Most Devious.

Stories by

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Susan Love Brown

Jackie McMahon

Mary Adler

Leone Ciporin

Sue Anger

Sarah Stephens

P.A. De Voe

Roberta Gibson

Jill K. Quinn

Jennifer Slee

Ashley-Ruth M. Bernier

Joslyn Chase

Christine Eskilson

Linda Norlander

Smita Harish Jain

Hope Hodgkins

Josh Pachter