SleuthSayers: Sixteen Lives

SleuthSayers: Sixteen Lives: Launched in 2017, BCMM lasted 16 issues. Black Cat Mystery Magazine —not to be confused with Black Cat Weekly , though it often is—lasted si...

Review: Mystery Magazine: August 2024

 

Mystery Magazine: August 2024 opens with the cover story “A Tale Of Trucidation” by Tracy Falenwolfe. Daphne Peters just escaped a nearby house and is contemplating the closed Edgar Warner Memorial Library. The three story Victorian mansion is dark and she could hide in the bushes around it. First, she needs to swipe a bottle of water or three as she sees cases are stacked on the porch. Once she gets some water in her, she can think and make a plan. Whatever happens, she can’t get caught as she is in considerable danger. She isn’t the only one.

 

Leah is at her neighbor’s apartment when the detective came to say that the body of Sarah’s husband, Paul, had been found. How that came to be and a lot more is revealed in “Won’t You Be My Neighbor?” by Matt Kingcroft.

 

Next up is “The Poppy Flower Forgeries” by Richard D. Hallows. Leaving the antiquities shop in the hands of Jonathan might have proved to be a serious mistake. He isn’t the brightest nephew. Now she has a serious problem that she did not need. What to do with a stolen Van Gough?

 

Readers go back in time with the next short story, “The Eyes Ff St. Thomas” by S. B. Watson. People in the area know that a local establishment, The Masse D’armes, is full of bad folks, doing bad stuff. Among the various things that happen there, fake relics are bought and sold. A knight has just ridden to the place and gone inside. He can’t be there for any good reason.

 

An antiquity of sorts, is also at work in the next tale where a young teen, Draymond, is poking around a hole in a riverbank. He works at the hole and soon finds a soggy old candy box. Inside that he finds a confession on a sheet of paper dated 1998. There is a mastery to solve. Draymond is on the case in “a Small Town Mystery, Solved” by M.C. Schmidt.

 

He likes to hide out in a certain very isolated spot in the park. He is always alone until that day when she first shows up. Pretty soon, they meet up every day in “Here Is Where My Amy Lies” by April Kelly. The place is pretty, peaceful, and isolated--- much like their evolving relationship.

 

It is off to Italy in “The Trade” by Dale Phillips. This final story features the Italian Mafia, a man who is in great fear of being killed, and a smart investigator, Dante LaGuardia. Vincent has managed to cross Roberto Pazzi, the most dangerous man in Florence, and needs LaGuardia’s help. Good thing LaGuardia has an idea.

 

Mystery Magazine: August 2024 is another fun filled issue. Plenty of interesting characters, complex storylines, and twisty tales make the issue entertaining. As always, things are not excessively dark, violent, or too much in terms of language. All in all, a good read and another issue sure to have at least a couple of stories, you will really like. 

Amazon Associate Purchase Link: https://amzn.to/4g0TkwV

For quite some time now I have been gifted a subscription by the publisher with no expectation at all of a review.  

 

Kevin R. Tipple ©2024

Short Story Wednesday Review: Mystery Magazine: July 2024

 

Mystery Magazine: July 2024 opens with the cover story, “Cocaine Cowboy” by Michael Bracken. The musician had to insist on getting paid before performing. Now Carter Reese, the owner of the Dew Drop Inn on the outskirts of Chicken Junction, Texas, is dead, the musician and a female companion are on the road to the musician’s next gig, and guys that one does not want hunting them are doing exactly that.

 

“I’m Not Roger Whitley Simmons” by Arthur Davis comes next where things are also going not so great for our narrator up in Iowa. Our narrator is a widower who is awaiting the arrival of Hudly Bernard. He is waiting for the federally sanction contract assassin to show up as running is not an option. Which is not to say that he is out of options--even if they have the right guy.

 

Though magic and more are involved in “The Dead Girl And The Rock” by Arwyn Sherman, murder is still murder. Khallesiah is dead in the bar and clearly the death was violent. Enforcer Edan Stairnwen is going to figure out who did it and why regardless of what anyone, including his coworkers and his boss, think.

 

If you have ever walked anywhere, you probably had at least one meal stolen over the years. Maybe you thought of revenge. Both ideas are heavily in play in “Lactose Intolerance” by Gerard J. Waggett.

 

“The adventure of Cecil Scumbleby” by Aggie Novak features Cecil who fancies himself a detective. He is sure that somebody in the family killed Great Aunt Edna. They did it for the tea strainer that he was supposed to inherit. He plans on figuring out who did it and getting the tea strainer back.

 

Armed, she has a plan and walks into a Las Cruces, New Mexico, strip mall. A client wishes to have her use her skills to end another. Murder for hire pays pretty well and she knows how to protect herself in “A Performance For Shadows” by Ed Teja. This one really stood out and I would like to see a lot more with this character.

 

“The Black Scarf” by Cay Rademacher features a narrator who is not a fan of driving through toll plazas on French highways. The incident he has happen reinforces his fear. Soon the local police arrive and bring him in for questioning. No matter where in the world, having to answer questions of law enforcement is never a good thing.

 

The police are also quickly involved in “Bridge To Nowhere” by William Kitcher. Standing in the middle of the bridge over a river as the heavens open and dump a deluge pretty much makes you look suicidal. Greenizan is not suicidal. He absolutely is not planning that. He also can’t tell the cop why he is standing there.

 

The solution to the June “You-Solve-it” follows where you find out what happen in “A Shock To The System by John M. Floyd. This brings the issue to a close.

 

As one expects from this publication, all the stories are good ones. Variety is always the key here. That fact always makes every issue an entertaining read. Mystery Magazine: July 2024 works well across the board and is a very pleasant way to take a break from the real world. 

 

Amazon Associate Purchase Link: https://amzn.to/3Xar1o8

 

 

For quite some time now I have been gifted a subscription by the publisher with no expectation at all of a review.  

 

Kevin R. Tipple ©2024

Short Story Wednesday Review: Mystery Magazine: June 2024

 

Mystery Magazine: June 2024 opens with the featured cover story, “Sky Pirate Of The Golden Age” by Eric Cline. In 1972, there were a lot of skyjackings. Braniff Flight #1225 from Kanas City, Missouri, to Los Angeles, is going to be one of those flights interrupted by a skyjacking. For a ten-year-old boy, what he knows, will be impactful for everyone on that plane for decades to come.

 

The ladies gather to drink and evaluate others in “Friends” by David Bart. Two guys they all know are now widowers. That makes them fair game to talk about. But the ladies don’t know as much, as they think they do.

 

Andrew Welsh-Huggins short story, “They Always Took Longer,” is up next. Carter transports people long distance for a fee. He is moving people on the run or otherwise who can’t use planes, buses, etc. They need to get from one place to another without being tracked. His latest client, Heiser, is more than a bit difficult, he will be glad to be done with him once they make Denver.

 

“Death And Deception At The Codwall Inn” by Denise Johnson proves that booking a stay based on the write up in a bridal magazine may not have been the best idea. They came to attend a wedding. Ellie isn’t about to leave early even if they can’t lock the door to their room. Being unable to lock their room door is the first of many oddities.

 

“The Gate Of Hades” by Robert Lopresti takes readers to Greece and tourists on holiday. Our narrator and his wife, Melissa, are part of an American tourist group seeing the sights and learning the history around Cape Matapan in the southernmost point of main land Greece.  Specifically, the Mani Peninsula which has a notorious reputation. It is also where Hades is thought to have dragged Cerberus and other things in Greek Mythology occurred. No wonder things begin to turn for various members of the tour group.

 

Gordon Stack is looking around for a new wife in “Swimming With Sharks” by Bond Elam. The current wife, Gwen, is now into her mid-30s, and Gordon, 15 years older, is ready for a replacement. But, she has not violated her prenuptial agreement. He isn’t about to give up any of his millions in order to move on. So, something else must be done.

 

The “You-Solve-It” short story this month is from John M. Floyd and titled, “A Shock To The System.” Frances Valentine is on a ride along with deputy Earl Malone on patrol. They respond to call to Zeke Mooney’s house where Zeke is soon on his way to the hospital. Something went wrong during a poker game and Malone and Valentine have a case to work.

 

The issue concludes with the solution to the May 2024 “You-Solve-It” short story, “A Failure To Communicate,” by John H. Dromey.

 

As always, the short stories here are diverse in terms of writing style and other factors. This is not a niche publication, but one that prides itself on diversity under the mystery umbrella. As always, the situations are interesting and the tales are good ones. Mystery Magazine: June 2024 is another issue well worthy of your attention.

 

Amazon Associate Purchase Link: https://amzn.to/4cs5c8D

 

 

For quite some time now I have been gifted a subscription by the publisher with no expectation at all of a review. 

 

 

Kevin R. Tipple ©2024

Short Story Wednesday Review: Mystery Magazine: May 2024

Mystery Magazine: May 2024 opens with the historical mystery, “The Mysterious Woman In The Life-Guard Chair” by Bruce W. Most. In this featured cover story, Weegee, New York City’s most famous crime photographer, is walking the dark beach in search of good subjects to photograph in the night. The summer heat is brutal. While the rich have new-fangled air conditioning and can sleep at home, the not rich sleep on the beach, or at least try to, and wait for any wind off the water. There was the woman in the life guard chair. Considering what happened after he took her picture, maybe he should have never taken her picture, and just moved on in the night.

 

It is always annoying for those of us that truly need to use disabled parking to find somebody parked in the space that does not need it. Especially when it is some fool with a new car that ends up parking across it and another spot, in the angle, in order to protect their new car. That is the issue that Coralee Pettigrew faces when she arrives at the local post office in “My Son, My Son” by Kathleen Gerad. Already annoyed when she picks up the letter requiring a signature, once she reads the contents, she is going to be very annoyed and with very good reason.

 

The three entered the cave in search of science. Now things have gone very wrong in “Bad Eagle Road” by John M. Floyd. For a few, now is the time to implement the coverup to make sure nobody else finds out and upsets the plan. After all, there is money to be made.

 

He’s been cleaning pools and doing other stuff for Uncle Richie since he was a little kid. Every summer he worked in the Florida heat and humidity. Been a long time since he worked in the rich areas of town, but thanks to Uncle Richie’s heart attack, he has to do it today starting at dawn. Makes for a long and very weird day in “The Pool Boy” by Julie Hastrup.

 

Planning had not taken into account that there might be a puppy on the premises. He only discovered that issue after he was inside. In “Villains, Vipers, And Dogs” by A. D. Price, he is now having to ad lib on the fly as he still needs to find what he was hired to get. The puppy is an increasing problem.

 

The kids are plotting revenge in “The Asphalt Bungle” by John Wesick. Principle Hornyak loves his authority. He and loves to confiscate student possessions. While he says you will get it back at the end of the year in the fine tradition of school administrators everywhere, you never get your stuff back. He just confiscated Tony Grisbi’s Mad Magazine as Grisbi served his detention. A classmate, Mark Riedenschneider, is assembling a team and has plan to get stuff back in a tale worthy of any heist novel.

 

John H. Dromey’s short story, “A Failure To Communicate” is the “You-Solve-It” offering this month. Detective Murphy has quite the story to tell Detective Anderson. Good thing that is quiet this afternoon at the 3rd Precinct.

 

The issue closes with the solution to last month’s offering, “In-Laws And Outlaws” by John M. Floyd.

 

Mystery Magazine: May 2024 is another fun and interesting issue. Diversity of time periods, writing styles, and yet, every tale is an interesting and solidly good read. Unlike the niche offerings by other publications, anything mystery related goes here, and it all works well. The read is well worth your time.

 

Amazon Associate Purchase Link: https://amzn.to/4e9bf3p  

 

For quite some time now I have been gifted a subscription by the publisher with no expectation at all of a review.   

 

Kevin R. Tipple ©2024

Short Story Wednesday Review: Mystery Magazine: April 2024

 

“Palomino Coal” by Doug Crandell opens the Mystery Magazine: April 2024 issue. Dani and her cousin, Kimmy, at the coal mine at Snow Hill awaiting their grandfather to come out of the mine. Coal mine located in Vigo County, Indiana. When the shift ends, their grandfather does not come out, and the hunt for him is on.

 

He went to the speakeasy to see a dame in “On The Pad” by R.T. Lawton. The cop was setup and now he has to go have a meet with a local crime boss. Not only did Detective Everett Maitland get played by the woman, she has put him in a real bind. The kind that could easily get him killed.

 

Larry Alan Ruse is next with “Dance with the Dolly.” Jennifer Seymour is visiting with her friend, Matilda Gray, who has a great home in the suburbs outside New Haven Connecticut. The retired Yale University librarian is quite the mystery fan. She has an extensive mystery collection as well as textbooks on forensic science. She has an extensive mystery collection as well as textbooks on forensic science. That means she knows a thing or three. That will come in handy as this package is going to be far more complicated than she expected when she did the gift order for her granddaughter’s birthday.

 

It is back to a historical setting in the next tale that focuses on the legendary lawman, Gus Hachette. In “First Arrest” by Jim Doherty, the backstory on how Gus Hachette became a lawman, instead of a preacher, is explained. Hachette was lucky to survive.

 

It is just a few years after the depression has ended in “Cover Of The Moon” by Robert Mitchell and our narrator is a man that rides the rails with no set place. He’s back in Hogg Bend, Kentucky, because he heard his Pa has died. Lots of things have changed. Some for the better. Others for considerably worse. One of those worst deals is the fact that a bully from school back in the day is now the deputy sheriff. The man is best avoided. Easier said than done.

 

It is back to contemporary times in “Flight Control” by Jacob Aaron Reingold. Elenna is on the plane with her children, Daniil, 14, and Zarya, 7, and headed back to their home in the Middle East. She is less than thrilled to be going back to the Sheikdom. She doesn’t have much of a choice as she is on the plane headed there from Paris. It will fly over her homeland, Balgor, which she has not been in since the war. Her options are very limited and one man on her flight seems intent on making things worse.

 

“In-Laws And Out-laws by John Floyd is the “You-Solve-It” this month. Retired Valentine is looking for her daughter, the sheriff. She finds her at a house where Sheriff Lucy Valentine is annoyed that her barbecue grill has vanished from her back patio. Good thing mom came to help investigate. The solution appears in the May issue.

 

This issue closes with the solution to the March “You-Solve-It” story, “The Wisdom of Solomon” by Eric B. Ruark.

 

The seven tales presented in the Mystery Magazine: April 2024 issue are all good ones. Diversity, as always, is the concept with this publication. It is again present here as the tales involved showcase a wide range of storytelling styles and themes. Those who like historical tales will find much to enjoy here as most of the stories presented in the issue fit that designation.

 

The result is another solidly good issue.

 

Amazon Associate Purchase Link: https://amzn.to/4btE5tf

 

For quite some time now I have been gifted a subscription by the publisher with no expectation at all of a review.  

 

Kevin R. Tipple ©2024

Short Story Wednesday Review: Mystery Magazine: March 2024

 

Mystery Magazine: March 2024 opens with the cover story, “The Five Wives Book Club” by Victor Kreuiter. Every place, no matter how small, has at least one book club. This is true of the small midwestern farm town of Escher. When you are in a book club, you read a lot, and get closer to the other members of the book club. That solidarity, along with the knowledge, can lead you to places you might not visit alone.

 

“Someone Went And Killed Tickly Thomason” by Robert Mangeot is next. Tickly was a legend in Nashville and beyond. Now he is dead. Central Precinct Detective S.R. Jefferson is sure it was murder. S.R. knows this his moment to claim fame and fortune and intends to do so by exposing the truth and making the arrest.

 

As long as he keeps his anger under control and makes his boss happy at the Super-Max Supercomputer, he takes another step closer to getting out. That is easier said than done in “Solitary” by Leland Neville. Good deal that they, like any other workplace, are family, according to the boss. They even have a great softball team.

 

Next up is an espionage story that takes readers to the nation of Turkey. Levon Grace is in Ankara to contact, and bring home, Aisha Aydin. She was an informant from her job in the Turkish National Intelligence Organization. She sent a message that she was burned and went dark. She is hiding, somewhere in the city, and awaiting extraction. The question is where and how to get her out in “Yellow Tulips” by Peter W. J. Hayes.

 

Sheryl and Myra cowrite a successful book series. But, there is friction between the partners in “Four To Go” by Richard Ciciarelli. Sheryl Case, responsible for all the plotting in each book, now has to come up with a new plot by the time Myra Borne, responsible for all the writing, gets back from vacation with her latest boyfriend.  She will be back in a week.

 

Matthew And Jeremy have an idea for a brilliant new app. In fact, they are an hour away from launch as “The Cold Case Geniuses” by David Krugler begins. Instead of working on last minute fixes, they are face to face with an intruder, hiding behind a Richard Nixon mask, and waving a gun at them. This is a burning hot problem that quickly escalates.

 

As it happens, her college roommate is a real life Princess. Amber does not make a big deal about it and neither does anyone else in “The Princess by Janice Law. She needs her prince and they may have found each other. Or not.

 

Ayden was mugged on the way home from work. Muggings are common. Though the identity of the guy that did it in this case is mind boggling. Ayden is going to have a hard time getting anyone to take him seriously in “No One Will Believe You” by Paul Ryan O’Connor.

 

Harry Johnson needs to focus on his paper. Instead, he has to settle a dispute his younger sister, Meghan, and her two friends are having in “The Wisdom Of Solomon” By Eric B. Ruark. This is the “You-Solve-It” tale of the issue.

 

The solution to the tale last month by John Floyd closes the issue. In a rare stroke of luck, the two-sentence solution of “A New Leaf” explains what this reader had thought after reading the story last month.

 

As one expects with the publication, Mystery Magazine: March 2024 is another solidly good issue. Violence is to the minimum, foul language is not present, and the tales within encompass the wide range mystery palate in every way possible. Unlike some publications, this publication is again open pretty much to readers of all ages and persuasions. You are once again guaranteed to find several enjoyable tales.

 

Amazon Associate Purchase Link: https://amzn.to/3IxZXay

 

For quite some time now I have been gifted a subscription by the publisher with no expectation at all of a review.  

 

Kevin R. Tipple ©2024

Short Story Wednesday Review: Mystery Magazine: February 2024

Mystery Magazine: February 2024 begins with the cover story “Slow News Day” by Robert Lopresti. The DEA supplied the lead, but the execution of the raid in Maryland was done by the Vanaca County Sheriff’s Department. Specifically, their SWAT unit. Things did not go as planned. The tale was inspired, per the author, on a real life incident.

 

He came home to find himself locked out and his suitcase on the porch. That was just the nudge to leave in “Better Than A Dating App” by V.S. Kemanis. The plan is to take his skills to New York where the money will come to him. The location is different, but the game still exists. It is all about the execution.

 

Felix and Elenor are on a train and Eleanor is wondering why the handsome young man they met yesterday has not been seen today. Once Eleanor has something in her mind, she isn’t the type to let it go. In “The Three Thieves: A Canadian Flyer Mystery” by Dan Crosby, a missing man, a legendary book, and history all combine to create a very enjoyable locked room style mystery on wheels.

 

Frank is enjoying his retirement in “You Get What You Get” by Jullien Grant Shoichet. Other folks are not enjoying his retirement as much. This is one those tales, the less said by the reviewer, the better for the reader.

 

Charlotte Boru has gone missing from the small village of Tiperon. It is the 50s, Ireland, and policemen Michael O’ Shay, will have his hands full finding her. In “Michael O’Shay And the Missing Wife” by William J. Demorascki, Constable O’Shay is a good man and the sole police representative in the village. The hunt is on and the husband is irate.

 

Magnolia Culpepper is going through life faking being a southern Belle. Her inner side, “Maggie” as it were, is independent and does not give a whit what society expects in “A Chicken-Fried Mistake” by John H. Dromey. She wants to get out of town. She knows she needs money.  She also has a friend, Amanda, who is also looking to get out of town. She has access to a car. Now they just need a good plan.

 

Herb Campuss has a voice for radio and his own syndicated show that is heard in this country and northern Mexico. Marteens is a private investigator and can speak Spanish. Campuss wants him to go across the border at El Paso and find a certain woman. Whether taking the job was a good idea or not becomes clear in “Mexican Radio” by Pete Barnstrom.

 

Mrs. Mallory is on a mission in “The Writing Room” by Kathleen Ford. She wants what she wants and is not going to go away quietly. Folks are going to understand her position.

 

John M. Floyd offers the “You-Solve-It” story titled, “A New Leaf.” Fran Valentine’s daughter, Lucy, is the County Sheriff. She needs some advice from her retired school teacher mom. Not just advice, as wants her to come look at a possible crime scene.

 

The issue closes with the solution to the January story, “Orange Cones and Alibis” by Kate Fellowes.

 

As one expects from this publication, the latest issue is an entertaining mix of mystery stories. Some are historical, some are contemporary, and all of them are good ones. The latest issue is another good one and well worth your time.

 

Amazon Associate Purchase Link: https://amzn.to/42Si5Fc

 

For quite some time now I have been gifted a subscription by the publisher with no expectation at all of a review.  

 

Kevin R. Tipple ©2024

SleuthSayers: 50th by R.T. Lawton

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SleuthSayers: Hobo Blues by by Robert Lopresti

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SleuthSayers: Mystery Magazine by John Floyd

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