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...

Little Big Crimes: Wax On, Wax Off, by Nina Mansfield

Little Big Crimes: Wax On, Wax Off, by Nina Mansfield:   "Wax On, Wax Off," by Nina Mansfield, in    Malice Domestic: Mystery Most Humorous , edited by John Betancourt, Michael Bracken,...

Little Big Crimes: Ash Tuesday, by M.S. Greene

Little Big Crimes: Ash Tuesday, by M.S. Greene:   "Ash Tuesday," by M.S. Greene , in  Malice Domestic: Mystery Most Humorous , edited by John Betancourt, Michael Bracken, and Car...

Little Big Crimes: Dirty Deeds, by Donna Andrews

Little Big Crimes: Dirty Deeds, by Donna Andrews: "Dirty Deeds," by Donna Andrews, in Malice Domestic: Mystery Most Humorous , edited by John Betancourt, Miochael Bracken, and Carl...

Short Story Wednesday: Three Strikes-You’re Dead! Edited by Donna Andrews, Barb Goffman, and Marcia Talley

 

After an interesting introduction by SJ Rozan that points out the parallels connecting sports and crime, it is on to the fourteen stories that make up the anthology, Three Strikes-You’re Dead! The entering anthology edited by Donna Andrews, Barb Goffman, and Marcia Talley was published in April 2024. While it has been in my massive TBR pile for months, that is only because I am way slower in everything I do these days.

 

One thing that has never changed is I read anthologies straight through from front to back. I have always believed that, even when I don’t necessarily see it, and editor or editor has a plan and thus the stories are set up in the sequence they want readers to read the book.

 

So, the stories I briefly cover below are my personal favorites in the order that they appear in the read. All the stories in the anthology are very good. These are just the ones that resonated with me the best.

 

P. J. “Bulldog” Johnson provided the heroics that propelled his team to victory and their shot in the World Series. He then went and died at the plate in “Murder At Home” by Alan Orloff. Now the Mets General Manager, George Willingham, wants to know what happened and has tasked Assistant Hitting Coach Rick Baines with the job of finding out.

 

Elspeth Mead knows what she knows about bounty hunting from watching some videos and extensive reading of the Stephanie Plum series of books by Janet Evanovich. (Editorial note---the early books are good and then the series got way too predictable and I dropped it.) She lives in Massachusetts and found her own bail bondsman to work for by the name of Antonio Raffagino. As the short story, “The Ultimate Bounty Hunter,” by Sherry Harris begins, she is doing better than her idol in one respect—no cars have blown up to this point in her career. But, she is freezing as she lies on the nearly frozen ground at 11:30 at night as she watches a house and waits for a sign of Culver Krantz.

 

Detective Paddy Doyle is grinding out his last few weeks on the job as carefully as he can so that he can get his pension. Kennedy and Johnson are now in office, things are looking good for the country, and his plan is to keep his head down and not rock the boat. Then the journeyman boxer walks into the precinct and finds his desk. Johnny “Tag” Rowley shows up and wants to get his name cleared. Considering what he did, that is nearly an impossible task.

 

Instead of trying to fix a reputation, getting even is the theme of “Runny Interference” by Kathryn Prater Bomey. Elena Martinez deserves her moment as the star of the band show. With that now in jeopardy, Kinsey Kennedy plans to even the scales of justice.

 

Though sports are involved, “Of Mice And (Murdered) Men” by Rosalie Spielman is a bit of a departure from what is expected. It is also highly entertaining. Zooey isn’t human. She is a member of a large group that calls themselves “Transfigurateurs” or “Tfigs.” Basically, she is a shape shifter, and has the power to shape shift into any creature. That ability means she can go places and see things while being ignored by people unless she does something really obvious. So, you know she is going to witness a murder, right?

 

Back in the day, Mitchell Street was a cop. These days he runs a dojo and also works as a private investigator. That means he knows how to work the case when his friend, Sister George, comes to him about a serious problem. She has known Rory Alvarado since he started coming to the local community center many years ago. In the here and now, he was about to be called up to the majors. But, he failed a drug test. Sister George is sure he isn’t using steroids and wants Street to prove it and clear his name in “Cui Bono” by F. J. Talley.

 

No doubt your favorites would and will be different from mine. Regardless of that simple fact, all the stories in the anthology are good ones. Three Strikes-You’re Dead! is a mighty good read and is sure to score with you.

 

What? You thought I would not make at least one sports related Dad joke? It had to be done. Put the whistle away.

 

Amazon Associate Purchase Link: https://amzn.to/3H9aQ5p

 

I bought this read in digital format many months ago using funds in my Amazon Associate Account.

 

 

Kevin R. Tipple ©2025

Short Story Wednesday Review: Black Cat Mystery Magazine: Issue One Edited by John Gregory Betancourt and Carla Coupe

 

From the massive archive….

 

Black Cat Mystery Magazine: Issue One opens with a note from editors John Gregory Betancourt and Carla Coupe stating that their magazine will focus on mystery short stories. In addition to publishing the occasional classic piece from decades ago, they will publish quality mystery stories regardless of the niche the story fits in the genre. In short, this is a magazine designed to appeal to all mystery readers. That goal is easily met in the first issue.

 

“Getting away” by Alan Orloff starts the issue off. Eddie “Light Touch” Elkins needs a new identity and he now has one thanks to his new passport. The forgery looks perfect. Good thing the guy at Lloyd Birnbaum Travel knew who to hook him up with so that he could make a clean getaway. For the guy at the travel agency, having a side business is important, as the internet has pretty much killed the travel industry. Why use a travel agent when you can make all the arrangements yourself?

 

Back in the day kids were respectful when they walked through the neighborhood. Those days are long gone in “Fairy Tales” by Art Taylor. In the here and now, William Washington is fed up and getting closer and closer to taking back his neighborhood.  

 

At 92 Uncle Eb tends to tell the same several stories over and over including the one about he meet Aunt Flo. It is part of his routine at the Choctaw Nursing Home. So too is the Wednesday visit with his nephew, the sheriff of Lamar County. This Wednesday he is running a bit behind due to a murder. He has a tale for his uncle and his Aunt in “Eb and Flo” by Josh Pachter.

 

Her cat, Sammy, is missing as the “Crazy Cat lady” by Barb Goffman begins. The horror and suspense author, Zephyr, is sure somebody has been in the house. Zephyr is a bit spooked, but as she looks around she begins to think her worry was for nothing as Sammy is fine though he does not seem pleased. He might have a good reason.

 

She is looking forward to seeing Benedict again. The rendezvous is set for thirty minutes from now. Her only obstacle is how to get away from her husband so she can do what she yearns to do in “A Pie To Die For” by Meg Opperman.

 

Albert Poe loves introducing new attractions to visitors at the world famous wax museum. The latest unveiling in 1888 goes spectacularly wrong in “Murder At Madame Tussauds” by Dan Andriacco. The new figure was supposed to be a wax impression of Ormond Struthers known to one and all as the “Grosvenor Square Ghoul” with wax impressions of some of the heads he had severed. The latest addition looks all too real because it is. Time to contact Scotland Yard. They will need help and that is where the ‘Count of Conjuring” and his assistant will step in whether they are wanted or not.

 

Katie Harrison is in big trouble as “Rooster Creek” by John M. Floyd begins. As long as she can balance on the chair with that rope around her neck and up into the tree she will be okay. How she got to this position in the month since she stepped of the stagecoach in Perdition is the focus of this highly entertaining western tale.

 

Her name is Marilyn Baker. She is a bank teller at First American Union. She is unforgettable in “Don’t Bank On It” by Jack Halliday. Good thing he is a private investigator.

 

Every town has that notorious motel where business is done in hourly increments.   In “Dixie Quickies” by Michael Bracken, the Dixie Motel located on the outskirts of Chicken Junction is one such place. The twelve rooms are the site of quite few romantic encounters. The most recent encounter did not result in a happy ending for one guy as he is very much dead in his room. His death and the repercussions of that are going to become a bigger and bigger problem in this steadily expanding tale.

 

Kaye George is up next with her tale, “Flight To The Flirty Flamingo.” In this case, the main setting is not a motel, but a strip club known as “The Flirty Flamingo.” Fin runs the place and treats the talent right and makes sure the customers do too. Jodie Vive is in trouble and on the run for good reason. Whether Fin can help with a problem that big is the real question.

 

“The Italian Tile Mystery” by James Holliday was originally published in Ellery Queen’s Mystery Magazine in September 1961 and is republished as the next story in this first issue of Black Cat Mystery Magazine. It is a drab wintery day with the rain coming down in Positano. The dampness penetrates everything in the village on the cliffs above the Mediterranean Sea. That penetrating dampness invades the guests of Savoia Hotel. Several of the guests are huddled in their sweaters before the fire while being intrigued by a certain table and the tiles across its top. The table was created by Lemuel v. Bishop. He was an American who lived in Italy most of his life. During those last months as he battled illness he lived at the hotel and created the table. The table holds a secret that several guests, including two mystery authors, are determined to figure out.

 

“Beside A Flowering Wall” by Fletcher Flora comes next. This short story was originally published in April 1968 in Alfred Hitchcock’s Mystery Magazine. Ruth has a sterile stale life of regimen. She lives this certain way in order to hold things together. That is until Pat Brady calls and intrudes into her life once again.

 

“The ABC’s Of Murder” by Josh Pachter winds up the first issue. Every letter of the alphabet has its own special mystery related designation in this poem dedicated to all things murder and crime related.

 

Black Cat Mystery Magazine: Issue One is a broad spectrum mystery magazine filled with good stories. Built off of classic tales as well as modern ones, the reads here all meet the editors stated intention of ignoring niches and being open to all types of tales. This is a magazine designed to appeal to a broad swath of mystery readers and does so with ease. Black Cat Mystery Magazine: Issue One is also a good one.

 

Wildside Press http://wildsidepress.com/magazines/BCMM/

 

Amazon Associates Purchase Link: https://amzn.to/4hYuQoI

 

Material was purchased to read and review back in December 2017 by way of funds in my Amazon Associate account.

 

 

Kevin R. Tipple ©2018, 2025

Little Big Crimes: And Now, an Inspiring Story of Tragedy Overcome, by Joseph S. Walker

Little Big Crimes: And Now, an Inspiring Story of Tragedy Overcome, b...: "And Now, an Inspiring Story of Tragedy Overcome," by Joseph S. Walker, i n  Three Strikes -- You're Dead!,  edited by Donna  ...

Little Big Crimes: A Matter of Trust, by Barb Goffman

Little Big Crimes: A Matter of Trust, by Barb Goffman:  "A Matter of Trust, by Barb Goffman, in Three Strikes -- You're Dead!, edited by Donna  Andrews, Barb Goffman, and Marcia Talley,...

Little Big Crimes: Tamsin & the Church Ladies, by Susan Daly

Little Big Crimes: Tamsin & the Church Ladies, by Susan Daly:   "Tamsin & the Church Ladies," by Susan Daly, in Malice Domestic 17: Mystery Most Traditional, edited by Verona Rose, Rita O...

Little Big Crimes Review: Book Drop by Susan A. Bresniker

Little Big Crimes: Book Drop, by Susan A. Bresniker:   "Book Drop," by Susan A. Bresniker, in The Fish That Got Away, edited by Linda M. Rodriquez, Wildside Press, 2021. I admit to b...

Little Big Crimes Review: Catch and Release by Mark Thielman

Little Big Crimes: Catch and Release, by Mark Thielman: "Catch and Release," by Mark Thielman, in The Fish That Got Away, edited by Linda M. Rodriquez, Wildside Press, 2021. This is the ...

Short Story Wednesday Review: Remission by Michael Bracken

 

“Remission” by Michael Bracken opens with our narrator walking into a local bar. He is known to frequent the place so the overdressed woman at one end of the bar is probably looking for him. He has a reputation of retrieving things for folks and she wants stuff retrieved.

 

She wants back from her soon to be ex-husband, her father's burial flag and his medals. According to her, the guy is hanging on to them for no other reason than spite. It would go a lot easier if her husband was somebody else instead of the John Carter. A local legend and a lot of trouble.

 

Despite knowing who her husband is, our narrator thinks he can get her stuff back for her.

 

Easier thought than done.

 

Part of the “Barb Goffman Presents” series, this reprint story, a twisty mystery tale, is the first read in Black Cat Weekly #1 from Wildside Press. A solidly good tale as one expects from this author who always delivers. It was also a very good choice to kick off the first issue of the new venture.

 

This is the first issue of a new product that bundles together reprint short stories as well as reprint novels of mystery and science fiction. Black Cat Weekly #1 came out on September 5 and was made free to all to kick off the new magazine. More info can be found the website. 

 

Kevin R. Tipple ©2021

Review: Cat Mystery Magazine: Issue Four -- Editors John Gregory Betancourt and Carla Coupe

After a short introduction to the issue, Black Cat Mystery Magazine: Issue 4 opens with “Something Fishy” by Michael Bracken. If you have read Mr. Bracken’s fiction before you know he always weaves an interesting story where everything is not as it seems. Such is the case here where readers are taken to the mermaid show at Weeki Wachee in Florida and more. Erin is one of the mermaids and she has a friend with a major problem. She also has a cellphone left by a patron. She also has a plan that becomes increasingly dangerous and detrimental to her health and the health of others.

Alan Orloff is up next with “In Separable, In Sufferable.”  Ripping off the drug dealer was easy compared to dealing with that annoying voice in his head. That voice has plans for better days for Earl and expects him to comply.

“Use Of The Awkward Hand” by Julie Leo features handwriting analysis, a polygraph machine, and a possible classic femme-fatale. The woman in question, Mrs. Nicole Hightower, is a widower, a fiction author, and a murder suspect.

The short poem “The Timeline Murders” by the late Janet Fox is next. The short poem details the current/past/future case being worked by Inspector Quick.

Dayle A. Dermatis and “Umberto Scolari And The Feast Of Paradise.” Umberto Scolari is having a hard time. The Duke’s astrologer has declared that tomorrow should be the wedding feast. If he can’t fix the rotating stage the Duke of Milan will not be happy. Nor will his boss, Leonardo. Then someone uses poison and the stage is a secondary issue for Scolari. How the person died is an easy question to answer. Who did it and why are questions that are a part of tale of intrigue among the nobles.

“Moe’s Seafood House” by Ramona Defelice Long opens at the named establishment. Saturday night and the place is packed. Ken is not pleased and his companion, Amanda, is trying to keep him calm and excuse his boorish behavior. As the evening rolls on she has to make a lot of excuses for him.

For Masie Finch and Emmaline, the anniversary each year when their parents died is tough. It happened years ago and yet the anniversary still haunts them both. As the years have passed it also become clear that Masie has to take care of Emmaline as the younger sister just can’t cope with life. The anniversary this year means they are at a Bed and Breakfast in Londonberry, Vermont. In “Mud Season” by Su Kopril, their fiftieth anniversary and trip is getting off to a strange start and not just because there is mud everywhere and the place is a little shabby.

Blackie Rose is dead on the stage as “Messin' Wih The Kid” by Steve Liskow begins.  Detective Tracy Hendrix and his partner, Timmy Bryne, have their hands full to figure out why he died. None of his band mates and assorted other folks can believe he is dead, though as the investigation proceeds they had all noticed he seemed a bit off in the hours leading up to his sudden death. Was it a drug overdose as possibly indicated by the white residue around his nostrils or was it something else that killed the star of the group known as fireworks?

Gregory was part of the family and now he is very much dead. He was found floating in the river next to the family houseboat. Clearly shot in the back, he was murdered. Like any family member, his death has to be avenged in “Assassin Scroll” by Tais Teng. Even if he was the idiot of the family and thus had to be left out of their thefts of antiquities and such. Stealing a scroll that dates back to the Crusades might have something to do with the escalating problem that will lead to a showdown in Amsterdam.

Baby sister Tay is in love again and there will be problems in “Trouble In Mind” by Cynthia Ward. There always is with Tay and her love life. Tanis will have plenty to do to try and fix this mess as winter reluctantly loosens its grip on Maine and their dairy farm. That last blast of winter serves as a backdrop for hot passion and problems that can’t be allowed to foster and grow. 


Black Cat Mystery Magazine: Issue 4 is another solidly good issue. As has been clear before, the authors and stories in this issue are another wide ranging mix of styles and substance showing the fact that the mystery tent is a wide ranging one open to all. Unlike the various niche markets that all have their place, Black Cat Mystery Magazine embraces all and not all deaths are undeserved.

Black Cat Mystery Magazine: Issue Four

Editors John Gregory Betancourt and Carla Coupe

Wildside Press

http://wildsidepress.com/magazines/BCMM/

ASIN: B07MQBJ99T

January 2019

eBook (also available in print)

130 Pages

$3.99

By using funds on my Amazon Associate account, I picked this up late last January in order to read and review. 

Kevin R. Tipple ©2019

Review: Black Cat Mystery Magazine: Issue One Edited by John Gregory Betancourt and Carla Coupe

Black Cat Mystery Magazine: Issue One opens with a note from editors John Gregory Betancourt and Carla Coupe stating that their magazine will focus on mystery short stories. In addition to publishing the occasional classic piece from decades ago, they will publish quality mystery stories regardless of the niche the story fits in the genre. In short, this is a magazine designed to appeal to all mystery readers. That goal is easily met in the first issue.

“Getting away” by Alan Orloff starts the issue off. Eddie “Light Touch” Elkins needs a new identity and he now has one thanks to his new passport. The forgery looks perfect. Good thing the guy at Lloyd Birnbaum Travel knew who to hook him up with so that he could make a clean getaway. For the guy at the travel agency, having a side business is important, as the internet has pretty much killed the travel industry. Why use a travel agent when you can make all the arrangements yourself?

Back in the day kids were respectful when they walked through the neighborhood. Those days are long gone in “Fairy Tales” by Art Taylor. In the here and now, William Washington is fed up and getting closer and closer to taking back his neighborhood.  

At 92 Uncle Eb tends to tell the same several stories over and over including the one about he meet Aunt Flo. It is part of his routine at the Choctaw Nursing Home. So too is the Wednesday visit with his nephew, the sheriff of Lamar County. This Wednesday he is running a bit behind due to a murder. He has a tale for his uncle and his Aunt in “Eb and Flo” by Josh Pachter.

Her cat, Sammy, is missing as the “Crazy Cat lady” by Barb Goffman begins. The horror and suspense author, Zephyr, is sure somebody has been in the house. Zephyr is a bit spooked, but as she looks around she begins to think her worry was for nothing as Sammy is fine though he does not seem pleased. He might have a good reason.

She is looking forward to seeing Benedict again. The rendezvous is set for thirty minutes from now. Her only obstacle is how to get away from her husband so she can do what she yearns to do in “A Pie To Die For” by Meg Opperman.

Albert Poe loves introducing new attractions to visitors at the world famous wax museum. The latest unveiling in 1888 goes spectacularly wrong in “Murder At Madame Tussauds” by Dan Andriacco. The new figure was supposed to be a wax impression of Ormond Struthers known to one and all as the “Grosvenor Square Ghoul” with wax impressions of some of the heads he had severed. The latest addition looks all too real because it is. Time to contact Scotland Yard. They will need help and that is where the ‘Count of Conjuring” and his assistant will step in whether they are wanted or not.

Katie Harrison is in big trouble as “Rooster Creek” by John M. Floyd begins. As long as she can balance on the chair with that rope around her neck and up into the tree she will be okay. How she got to this position in the month since she stepped of the stagecoach in Perdition is the focus of this highly entertaining western tale.

Her name is Marilyn Baker. She is a bank teller at First American Union. She is unforgettable in “Don’t Bank On It” by Jack Halliday. Good thing he is a private investigator.

Every town has that notorious motel where business is done in hourly increments.   In “Dixie Quickies” by Michael Bracken, the Dixie Motel located on the outskirts of Chicken Junction is one such place. The twelve rooms are the site of quite few romantic encounters. The most recent encounter did not result in a happy ending for one guy as he is very much dead in his room. His death and the repercussions of that are going to become a bigger and bigger problem in this steadily expanding tale.

Kaye George is up next with her tale, “Flight To The Flirty Flamingo.” In this case, the main setting is not a motel, but a strip club known as “The Flirty Flamingo.” Fin runs the place and treats the talent right and makes sure the customers do too. Jodie Vive is in trouble and on the run for good reason. Whether Fin can help with a problem that big is the real question.

“The Italian Tile Mystery” by James Holliday was originally published in Ellery Queen’s Mystery Magazine in September 1961 and is republished as the next story in this first issue of Black Cat Mystery Magazine. It is a drab wintery day with the rain coming down in Positano. The dampness penetrates everything in the village on the cliffs above the Mediterranean Sea. That penetrating dampness invades the guests of Savoia Hotel. Several of the guests are huddled in their sweaters before the fire while being intrigued by a certain table and the tiles across its top. The table was created by Lemuel v. Bishop. He was an American who lived in Italy most of his life. During those last months as he battled illness he lived at the hotel and created the table. The table holds a secret that several guests, including two mystery authors, are determined to figure out.

“Beside A Flowering Wall” by Fletcher Flora comes next. This short story was originally published in April 1968 in Alfred Hitchcock’s Mystery Magazine. Ruth has a sterile stale life of regimen. She lives this certain way in order to hold things together. That is until Pat Brady calls and intrudes into her life once again.

“The ABC’s Of Murder” by Josh Pachter winds up the first issue. Every letter of the alphabet has its own special mystery related designation in this poem dedicated to all things murder and crime related.

Black Cat Mystery Magazine: Issue One is a broad spectrum mystery magazine filled with good stories. Built off of classic tales as well as modern ones, the reads here all meet the editors stated intention of ignoring niches and being open to all types of tales. This is a magazine designed to appeal to a broad swath of mystery readers and does so with ease. Black Cat Mystery Magazine: Issue One is also a good one.

Black Cat Mystery Magazine: Issue One

Editors John Gregory Betancourt and Carla Coupe

Wildside Press

http://wildsidepress.com/magazines/BCMM/

ASIN: B075FDS9PP

September 2017

eBook (also available in print)

152 Pages

$3.99

Material was purchased to read and review back in December 2017 by way of funds in my Amazon Associate account.

Kevin R. Tipple ©2018

SleuthSayers: Introducing Black Cat Mystery Magazine

SleuthSayers: Introducing Black Cat Mystery Magazine: by Barb Goffman It's not everyday you get to blog about the premier issue of a new magazine, especially on the very day it's sch...

Little Big Crimes: A Gathering of Great Detectives, by Shawn Reilly S...

Little Big Crimes: A Gathering of Great Detectives, by Shawn Reilly S...: "A Gathering of Great Detectives," by Shawn Reilly Simmons in Malice Domestic: Murder Most Conventional,  edited by Verena Rose,...

Little Big Crimes: The Best Laid Plans, by Barb Goffman

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Via SleuthSayers: How Not to Be the Guy Biting the Heads Off of Chic...

Where the CITY CRIMES, COUNTRY CRIMES anthology that I was cut from on the final cut and later the anthology was cut by the publisher is mentioned...

SleuthSayers: How Not to Be the Guy Biting the Heads Off of Chic...: by Brian Thornton Friend and colleague Hilary Davidson is guest editing this week over at The National Post , and she's got something...