In Reference to Murder: Mystery Melange

In Reference to Murder: Mystery Melange: We had some sad news this week at the passing of Scottish crime author Peter May at the age of 74. He wife posted a tribute on Facebook fro...

Thursday Treats: 10/1/2026

Some reading opportunities of interest this week.

 

Black Cat Weekly #265 is out and includes the cover short story, s Huck Finn Goes West, by A.L. Sirois. You can pick up the latest issue here.

 

SMFS list member Raymond J. Brash announced that his short story, Flower Girl, was published online at September Smoke: September Smoke. You can read his tale, for free, at the website.

 

Short Mystery Fiction Society Mystery Magazine: Volume 1 Number 1 - October 2026 has been published by Murderous Ink Press. This first issue includes short stories by SMFS list members, such as myself, and other features. You can get it on Amazon.

 

SMFS list member M. E. Proctor announced that her new book, The Way You Say My Name, will be coming out later this month from Shotgun Honey Books. I do not yet see the purchase links at the publisher or Amazon for this third book in the Declan Shaw Mystery series. If they pop up, I will come back and edit this listing to add them. 

 

 

The fourth and final installment of the ongoing FAFO—A Punk Noir series is up. The final batch of free to read tales in this run is here. You can also read number three here, the second here, and the first group here.

 

 

Until  next time…. 

 

Kevin R. Tipple ©2026

Bitter Tea and Mystery: Short Story Wednesday: The Tiger in the Grass: Stories and Other Inventions

Bitter Tea and Mystery: Short Story Wednesday: The Tiger in the Grass: Sto...:   This short story collection is divided into 5 sections. First is the story "The Tiger in the Grass," which I enjoyed very much. ...

George Kelly: Wednesday’s Short Stories #290: THE VAMPIRE ARCHIVES Edited by Otto Penzler

 George Kelly: Wednesday’s Short Stories #290: THE VAMPIRE ARCHIVES Edited by Otto Penzler

Lesa's Book Critiques: The Twelve Loves of Christmas

 Lesa's Book Critiques: The Twelve Loves of Christmas

Beneath the Stains of Time: Locked and Loaded, Part 8: A Selection of Short Impossible Crime and Locked Room Mystery Stories

Beneath the Stains of Time: Locked and Loaded, Part 8: A Selection of Short Im...: Back in 2020, I posted the first "Locked and Loaded" blog-post reviewing five, or six, randomly picked, usually uncollected short ...

Thursday Treats: 9/24/2026

Some reading opportunities of interest this week.

 

Coming at the end of the month in time for Bouchercon is the new publication, Short Mystery Fiction Society Mystery Magazine: Volume 1 Number 1 - October 2026. Published by Murderous Ink Press, this first issue of the new venture includes short stories by SMFS list members, such as myself, and other features. You can pre-order it on Amazon.

 

I’d never heard of this publication until several SMFS list members announced they had been published in the new third issue. Trifles : a Quarterly for Devotees of Sherlock Holmes Volume I Issue 3 was released last week. It includes short stories by SMFS list members John Aquino (Sherlock Holmes Tussles with Reel Life), Thomas Gorham (The Old Digs), and Edward Lodi (The Yorkshire Vicar). Published by Foolscap & Quill, you can pick it up at Amazon or other vendors.

 

SMFS list member Brandon Barrows announced that he had published his own flash story at Guilty Crime Story Magazine Flash. His story, Trust Me, can be read, for free, here. While there, you could also read my published tale from early August, Consequences, here as well.

Mr. Barrows also announced the publication of his short story, The Note, at Shotgun Honey. You can read the tale, for free, at their website.

 

SMFS list member Tim Wright announced that his short story, Low Tide, was published in the MacGuffin 41.3. Published by School Craft Books, you can pick up a copy at their bookstore.

 

SMFS list member and occasional guest poster here on the blog, Tom Milani, announced on Facebook that his novel, Places That Are Gone, was now back in print. The new publisher, Open Road Media Mystery & Thriller, has released in digital and print versions. You can pick it up at Amazon and other vendors.

 

I mentioned last week that this short story collection was coming. Big time thank you to fellow SMFS list member Nikita Costiuc who brought a number of our fellow members and their short stories to my attention. So, now with even more names and their titles listed, I remind you that DEATH CAMAS: Best New England Crime Stories 2026 is scheduled to be released in early October from Crime Spell Books. Some of the SMFS list members in the read are:  Bruce Robert Coffin (Pump Number 2), C. Dan Castro (The Mass Murderer and a Little Disorder), Zakariah Johnson (Dangerous Tastes in Literature) Nikki Knight (Milk. Bread. Homicide.), Avram Lavinsky (The Daughter of the King), Steve Liskow (A Deed without a Name), Edith Maxwell (Cough Lasagnas and Salty Memories), Ruth McCarty (I Hereby Bequeath), Ang Pompano (The Angel of Sachem Creek), Susan Oleksiw (All’s Well That Ends . . .), Eugenia Parrish (Stopping by the Woods), Stephen D. Rogers (A Scene of Salt and Sea), Bonnar Spring (Safe?), and Leslie Wheeler (The Wound Clinic). It can be preordered now at Amazon and elsewhere.

 

Also coming in October is the latest book by Dallas area author Harry Hunsicker. I have long been a fan over the decades and now doubt will enjoy the thriller, Mother May I. You can learn more about the book, and where to preorder it, at Mr. Hunsicker’s website. If you are not already reading him, you should be and there is a lot of really good stuff to read.

 

 

Black Cat Weekly #264 is out and includes short stories by SMFS list members. John M. Floyd has the cover story, Sweet Loretta Morgan. The issue also contains Shari Held’s short story, The Secret of Echo Village. You can pick up the latest issue here.

 

 

I mentioned back in August that prolific author, D. V. Berkom, had the first two books in a new series out. The third book in the series, Final Dawn: Mackenzie Reynolds Thriller Book 3, is about to come out. Published by Duct Tape Press, it is up for preorder at Amazon.

 

Coming in early October is the anthology, The Speculative Detective Agency: Case Files of the Supernatural and Fantastic. Published by Diversion Books, the read is available to preorder at Amazon and other vendors.

 

 

The third installment of the ongoing FAFO—A Punk Noir series is up. You can read the new series of four stories here. This is free to read, as is the second group here and the first group here.

 

 

You are reminded again that SMFS list member, and editor, Michelle Kubitz announced that Shotgun Honey Books will be releasing the new anthology, Daydream Believer: Crime Stories Inspired by the Songs of the Monkees!. The book includes a short story by fellow SMFS list member Alan S. Orloff as well as tales by numerus other folks. Proceeds go to American Library Association. You can preorder the book now at the publisher or at Amazon. September 29^th is the planned release date.

 

Until next time…. 

 

 

Kevin R. Tipple ©2026

Jerry's House of Everything: SHORT STORY WEDNESDAY: MUCKLE-MOUTHED MEG

Jerry's House of Everything: SHORT STORY WEDNESDAY: MUCKLE-MOUTHED MEG: "Muckle-Mouthed Meg" by Howard Pease  (from Border Ghost Stories , 1919)     'Hang him, Provost!' cried the Town Clerk; ...

Patricia Abbott: Short Story Wednesday; "Some Things You Never Forget" Gar Anthony Haywood from Damn Near Dead 2

 Patricia Abbott: Short Story Wednesday; "Some Things You Never Forget" Gar Anthony Haywood from Damn Near Dead 2

The First Two Pages: “The Legend of Samuel Savage” by Robin Templeton

 The First Two Pages: “The Legend of Samuel Savage” by Robin Templeton

The Stiletto Gang: Finding a Short Mystery Fiction Writing Community by Paula Gail Benson

 The Stiletto Gang: Finding a Short Mystery Fiction Writing Community by Paula Gail Benson

Publication Day Review: The Mysterious Bookshop Presents the Best Mystery Stories of the Year 2026

After a forward by Series Editor Otto Penzler and an introduction by Guest Editor Tess Gerritsen it is on to the nineteen short stories in the Mysterious Bookshop Presents the Best mystery stories of the Year 2026. Each of the stories selected begins with a short bio of the author, the tale itself, followed by a short background explanation from the author as to how the story came to be, a point they were hoping to accomplish, the context of the tale, etc. With nineteen short stories included, I am highlighting several that really struck a chord with this reader. But to be clear, there is not a bad one in the bunch. I just liked some more than others.

 

In order of appearance as I read straight through from front to back…

 

Doug Allyn’s “Dead Man’s Mail” revolves around escape, the legacy of what came before you in the place you now reside in, and how isolationism can have severe consequences when others want what you have right now.

 

Eli is on a mission in “The Lord God Bird” by Andy Boyle. He’s doing it for Belle. Secrecy is important. The first thing to do is to get Greg to actually honor their deal.

 

Amanda and Madeline are on their best behavior at the elegant restaurant. They are in public and therefore, on stage, as both are aware. Deceit, double cross, and revenge are all on the menu in “The Luncheon” by Christopher Fowler.

 

Arthur Stancil is sure that Dougal Canterbury must die. The question as “The Twenty-Fourth Canterbury” by Richard Helms begins is how, exactly, to kill him. The fact that the potential murder victim is the most decorated detective in Yorkshire presents a complication, though not unsurmountable.

 

A murder case is at work in “Juror Number Three” by Joel Nedecki. Told from the perspective of the juror who has a lot going on, we follow a case that has plenty of twists and turns.

 

He just wanted a quiet walk in the woods with his dog.  That is not at all what he got in “Murder by the Creek” by H.K. Slade. Now he is on the wrong side of the cuffs and disrespected. Not cool at all.

 

After the reprinted short stories, there is a listing of “The Best Mystery Stories 2026 Honor Roll.” This year, eleven stories and their authors are featured. Each listing includes the publication so that one can hunt down these good reads.

 

It should be noted that my digital ARC review copy from NetGalley did not contain the bonus short story by Agatha Christie. I have no idea if that was deliberate for the review copy or just an accidental oversight.

 

The latest book in the series, The Mysterious Bookshop Presents the Best Mystery Stories of the Year 2026, is chockful of good reading. It is well worth your time and recommended.

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

 

 

My digital ARC came from the publisher, The Mysterious Press, through the NetGalley platform with no expectation of a positive review.

 

Kevin R. Tipple ©2026  

SleuthSayers: The Way I Do It

SleuthSayers: The Way I Do It: The other day, as I sat here wondering what to post for my  SleuthSayers  column, I received an emailed request from an editor for an interv...

Thursday Treats: 9/17/2026

 Some reading opportunities of interest this week.

 

The news is starting to appear across social media. DEATH CAMAS: Best New England Crime Stories 2026 is scheduled to be released in early October from Crime Spell Books. As always, the anthology includes short stories from numerous SMFS list members. Sone of those members are: Bruce Robert Coffin (Pump Number 2), C. Dan Castro (The Mass Murderer and a Little Disorder), Zakariah Johnson (Dangerous Tastes in Literature) Nikki Knight (Milk. Bread. Homicide.), Avram Lavinsky (The Daughter of the King), Steve Liskow (A Deed without a Name), Edith Maxwell (Cough Lasagnas and Salty Memories), Ruth McCarty (I Hereby Bequeath), Ang Pompano (The Angel of Sachem Creek), Susan Oleksiw (All’s Well That Ends . . .), Eugenia Parrish (Stopping by the Woods), Stephen D. Rogers (A Scene of Salt and Sea), Bonnar Spring (Safe?), and Leslie Wheeler (The Wound Clinic). It can be preordered now at Amazon and elsewhere. (Big time thank you to fellow SMFS list member Nikita Costiuc who brought a number of our member's and their short stories to my attention.)

 

Also coming in October is the latest book by Dallas area author Harry Hunsicker. I have long been a fan over the decades and now doubt will enjoy the thriller, Mother May I. You can learn more about the book, and where to preorder it, at Mr. Hunsicker’s website. If you are not already reading him, you should be and there is a lot of really good stuff to read.

 

Just a few minutes before I was setting up this post on Tuesday afternoon, fellow SMFS list member Nikita Costiuc, and welcomed frequent commenter here, announced that he is in the inaugural issue of Betascape as is fellow SMFS list member A.L. Sirois. This is a free to read publication aimed at, according to the website, “speculative, crime, and genre fiction” pieces and readers. They also generate editorial comment on the stories by highlighting certain segments. You click on that and you get information on story structure, character development, pacing, etc. Nikita Costiuc’s short story, A Narrative Concerning the Allocation of Assets, as well as  A.L. Sirois’ short story, The Cage, can be read here in this first issue.

 

SMFS list member Aimee Kluck announced the publication of her short story --Late, But Right on Time—was published ay Shotgun Honey. You can read the tale online, for free, here.

 

Black Cat Weekly #263 is out and includes the short story, The Raven Messenger, by Teel James Glenn of the SMFS. You can pick up the latest issue here.

 

And, now for something completely different--- as they used to say on a certain show when I was growing up. I have long been a fan of the science fiction and fantasy works by author Terry W. Ervin II. He has a lot of stuff out there and I am always behind. I just found out that his latest book, Relic Shield: Book Three of the Crax War Chronicles, is now out. You can pick it up on Amazon where it is also available through the KindleUnlimited program.

 

I now pause to remind you, that as we have discovered the hard way, the KindleUnlimited program, in fact, is very limited. You are limited to no more than twenty titles at a time. Makes as much sense as telling me the buffet is unlimited and then I get one serving of three things and can do no more. If you share the deal, as I do with Scott,  you are even more limited. Boo.

 

Coming in early October is the anthology, The Speculative Detective Agency: Case Files of the Supernatural and Fantastic. Published by Diversion Books, the read is available to preorder at Amazon and other vendors.

 

Back to crime fiction and mystery reads…

 

Punk Noir Press announced on Twitter that FAFO—A Punk Noir series that the second installment of the new series is available to  read. Four more stories are here.  You can also still read, for free, the first group here.

 

 

SMFS list member, and editor, Michelle Kubitz recently announced that Shotgun Honey Books will be releasing the new anthology, Daydream Believer: Crime Stories Inspired by the Songs of the Monkees!. The book includes a short story by fellow SMFS list member Alan S. Orloff as well as tales by numerus other folks. Proceeds go to American Library Association. You can preorder the book now at the publisher or at Amazon. September 29^th is the planned release date.

 

I have been a fan of author Frank Zafiro for quite a few decades now. His latest read in his River City police procedural series, The Quick of the Night, is now out. Assuming everything with Amazon and Kindle worked right. Published by Code 4 Press, the read is available now for preorder at Amazon and will be part of the Kindle Unlimited program at time of publication.

 

Also now out is the latest read from fellow SMFS list member and author, C. W. Blackwell. The Cold Dark Forever: A Novel, published by Shotgun Honey Books, is a crime fiction read set in 1942. The read is now available  at Amazon.

 

Additionally, now out is the young adult read, It Should Have Been You: A Novel by Lynn Slaughter. Now published by Picarones Press, an imprint of Misti Media Publishing, the book is available at the White City Press.

 

 

Back last June, professor and author John A. Tures did a guest post here on the blog about his book, Branded, published by Huntsville Independent Press. His next book, Independent Thought, is now out with the same publisher. This sequel deals with the possibility of a third-party presidential candidate and more. 

 

 

Until next time…. 

 

 

Kevin R. Tipple ©2026

George Kelly: WEDNESDAY’S SHORT STORIES #288: THE GIRL WHO FELL FROM THE SKY By Kate Wilhelm

 George Kelly: WEDNESDAY’S SHORT STORIES #288: THE GIRL WHO FELL FROM THE SKY By Kate Wilhelm

Patricia Abbott: SSW: Lost Child, Joyce Carol Oates (from the New Yorker)

 Patricia Abbott: SSW: Lost Child, Joyce Carol Oates (from the New Yorker)

SleuthSayers: Mixing Urban Legends and Crime Stories

SleuthSayers: Mixing Urban Legends and Crime Stories: Coming up with anthology themes isn't always so easy. Ideally a good theme is at least a little different from what's  already  been...

Thursday Treats: 9/10/2026

Some reading opportunities of interest this week.

 

SMFS list member Norman Birnbach announced that his short story, Bad Drivers & Careless People, was published online at Bull magazine. Billed as a “…  noir retelling of The Great Gatsby…” you can read it, for free, here.

 

SMFS list member Edith Maxwell’s short story, Labor’s Peril, appears online in the latest installment of Kings River Life Magazine. You can read it online, for free, here.

 

Black Cat Weekly #262 is out and includes the short story, Sugar and Spice and a Spoonful of Vice, by Ashley-Ruth M. Bernier of the SMFS. You can pick up the latest issue here.

 

SMFS list member Elizabeth Zelvin announced that her latest short story collection, Rifts & Reprisals: Collected Stories II, is now available in digital form at Amazon. The fifteen tales were previously published between 2017 and 2025 in EQMM, AHMM, Black Cat Mystery Magazine, and online at Yellow Mama. This book joins her previously published short story collection, Breaches & Betrayals: Collected Stories, released in 2016 and also available on Kindle Unlimited.

 

Punk Noir Press announced on Twitter that FAFO—A Punk Noir series had started. The first group of four stories are online, and free to read here. Had 138 submissions. Word count limit of 300 words. The results should be highly entertaining.

 

A reminder that quite a few SMFS list members are in the new anthology, Hooked on Urban Legends—and Murder! The members are Editor Barb Goffman (Into the Woods), Shari Held (The House of Blue Lights Revisited), Kathryn Holland (A Knocking at Fairweather Hall), Smita Harrish Jain (Poison Maidens), Jane Limprecht ( Alan Orloff (Face to Face), Pat Remick (Screaming Jenny), KM Rockwood (They Lurk In The Lake), Daphne Silver (A Curse to Remember), Shannon Taft (The Cave Man), and Joseph S. Walker (The Things We Remember). Published by Wildside Press, the read is available in digital and prints formats at Amazon.

 

SMFS list member, and editor, Michelle Kubitz announced that Shotgun Honey Books will be releasing the new anthology, Daydream Believer: Crime Stories Inspired by the Songs of the Monkees!. The book includes a short story by fellow SMFS list member Alan S. Orloff as well as tales by numerus other folks. Proceeds go to American Library Association. You can preorder the book now at the publisher or at Amazon.

 

I have been a fan of author Frank Zafiro for quite a few decades now. His latest read in his River City police procedural series, The Quick of the Night, is coming out on September 15^th. Published by Code 4 Press, the read is available now for preorder at Amazon and will be part of the Kindle Unlimited program at time of publication.

 

Also out on September 15^th is the latest read from author C. W. Blackwell. The Cold Dark Forever: A Novel, published by Shotgun Honey Books, is a crime fiction read set in 1942. The read is now available for preorder at Amazon.

 

Also out on the 15^th is the young adult read, It Should Have Been You: A Novel by Lynn Slaughter. Now published by Picarones Press, an imprint of Misti Media Publishing, the book is available for preorder at the White City Press.

 

 

Back last June, professor and author John A. Tures did a guest post here on the blog about his book, Branded, published by Huntsville Independent Press. His next book, Independent Thought, is now up for preorder at the same publisher. This sequel deals with the possibility of a third-party presidential candidate and more. 

 

 

Until next time…. 

 

 

Kevin R. Tipple ©2026