Thursday Treats: 7/2/2026

Some reading opportunities of interest this week. For a change of pace this week, we start in the world of books….

 

Tomorrow is publication day for A Fatal Flourish: An Ella Shane Mystery by Kathleen Marple Kalb. This 3^rd book in the mystery series, published by Level Best Books, is available in eBook and print formats at Amazon.

 

Boots, BBQ, and Bloodshed: Metroplex Mysteries Vol. V, is now out. Edited by SMFS list member Michael Bracken, published by Sisters in Crime North Dallas, the read has short stories by SMFS list members Karen Harrington (We Have Lost The Plot), M.E. Proctor (Five-Pointed Stars), Tiffany Seitz (The L-Knife Murder), and Shannon Taft. You can pick up the digital read at Amazon.

A reminder that SMFS list member and the force behind Guilty Crime Story Magazine, Brandon Barrows, latest book, The Darker the Night, is scheduled to be released on July 7^th. The mystery, published by Rowan Prose Publishing, is available to preorder in multiple formats at Amazon and other vendors.

 

Moving on to short stories, and most of these are again this week, free reads…

 

Fellow SMFS list member Stephen M. Pierce announced that his short story, Six Shots for a Sharpshooter, was published online at Close to the Bone Magazine. Read the tale for free here. 

 

Fellow SMFS list member John A. Tures announced that his short story, The Ultimate Sacrifice, was published online at Exquisite Death. The story is free to read here. I also remind you of his recent blog guest post appearance here.

 

Fellow SMFS list member Andy Boyle announced that his short story, Video 191, was published online at The Temz Review. You can read it for free here.

 

SMFS list member Abe Margel announced the publication of his short story, Travis’ Benefit, at The Yard: Crime Blog. You can read it for free here.

 

Today is publication day for Rock and a Hard Place: Issue 16: Summer 2026. Features 11 crime fiction short stories including SMFS list member Christina Hoag’s “Last Night on the Track.” You can pick it up on Amazon.

 

Black Cat Weekly #252 is now out. Among the various reads is the cover story, Ship Island, by John M. Floyd. His story is also the latest in a long line of SMFS list members being featured on the cover. You can pick up the latest issue here. 

 

And we close with an anthology ….

 

Finally, Level Best Books—Level Short is scheduled to release the anthology, What the World Needs Now: Mystery Stories Inspired by the Music of Burt Bacharach. SMFS list members Joseph Goodrich (The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance) and Josh Pachter (Me Japanese Boy) are included in the charity anthology edited by Martin Edwards. Funds raised are for autism charities in the US and UK. The digital version is up for preorder at Amazon.

 

 

Until next time…. 

 

 

Kevin R. Tipple ©2026