NEWS

December 2025

My newest story, “Half-Topless,” has been published in issue 25 of Von Stray’s Crimestalker Casebook. The magazine has released its first new issue after a two-decade hiatus, and I was delighted publisher Andrew McAleer asked me to contribute a story.

This tale opens with a PI and his assistant staring in confusion at the sign outside a Minnesota strip club that says the place is “half topless.” They heard a woman they’ve been searching dances there, so they head inside, hoping to find her—and figure out how somebody could be half-topless. I had fun writing this story, and I hope you enjoy it.

The issue also includes new stories by Michael Bracken, Libby Cudmore, John M. Floyd, Gay Toltl Kinman, Stephen D. Rogers, and Shawn Reilly Simmons, as well as a reprint story by John McAleer, a new poem by Art Taylor, and a new interview with Janet Rudolph. It is available in ebook version from Amazon. Just click here. I expect it will be available elsewhere, and also in a paper version, soon.

August 2025

I’m thrilled that my first PI story, “Baby Love,” has been published in Double Crossing Van Dine. In this anthology, the authors each break one of Golden Age author S.S. Van Dine’s rules for writing detective stories. I chose rule # 3, which declares there should be no love interest in a detective story because romance would clutter up what should be a purely intellectual experience with irrelevant sentiment.

I love a challenge, so I created a PI, Dan, who recently moved to a small town with his wife, Hannah. Dan wants to get his business off the ground and is determined to solve his current case, but it isn’t easy, what with his wife repeatedly trying to lure him into bed so she could get pregnant. But instead of hindering the investigation, every seductive move Hannah makes gives Dan an idea of where to look for his next clue. In the end, love—and lust—are the very things that help Dan to solve his case.

This anthology is available in hardcover, trade paperback, and ebook from the usual online sources, as well as from the publisher, Crippen & Landru. To buy directly from the publisher, click here.

While I hope you will buy this anthology, I am putting “Baby Love” up on this website for you to read for a limited time. Just click the “Baby Love” tab at the top.

June 2025

I’m honored that my story “The Postman Always Flirts Twice” was named a finalist for the Macavity Award for Best Short Story. It was published in the anthology Agatha and Derringer Get Cozy, which came out last year from Down & Out Books.

May 2025

I’m delighted that my short story “A Matter of Trust,” from the anthology Three Strikes—You’re Dead!, was named a finalist for the Anthony Award. This sports/crime anthology was published in 2024 by Wildside Press.

I’m elated that Murder, Neat: A SleuthSayers Anthology, which I edited with Michael Bracken, was named a finalist for the Anthony Award in the Best Anthology category. This book was published in 2024 by Level Short, an imprint of Level Best Books.

And even more good news: Murder, Neat won the inaugural Derringer Award for Best Anthology.

April 2025

I am thrilled that my whodunit “The Postman Always Flirts Twice” won the Agatha Award for Best Short Story. The story appears in the anthology Agatha and Derringer Get Cozy.

I also am honored that my short story “A Matter of Trust,” from the sports anthology Three Strikes—You’re Dead!, was an Agatha finalist too.

March 2025

My newest short story, “Keep It Dark,” was published in the anthology In Too Deep: Crime Fiction Inspired by the Songs of Genesis. In this story, it’s the spring of 1972, and lifeʼs been good for Gary. He loves working at the pawn shop, where he helps people out of their financial jams. But a sleazy new employee has changed the vibe, and Garyʼs in his crosshairs. Can this good guy find a way out of the jam heʼs about to find himself in? Read “Keep It Dark” to find out. 

This Down & Out Books anthology can be purchased from the usual online sources. Thanks to editor Adam Meyer for inviting me to contribute a story. 

Autumn 2024

I have two new short stories published and a reprint that came out recently. The newest story is the cozy “The Postman Always Flirts Twice.”  It’s a whodunit about love, family, and friendship. Someone murdered Hazel’s mailman and hid his body in the woods behind her cul-de-sac. Desperate to point the cops in another direction so they don’t discover her secret, Hazel starts her own investigation—focusing on her neighbors.

The story appears in the anthology Agatha and Derringer Get Cozy: Thirteen Tales of Murder, Mystery, and Master Detection. All the stories in the book are written by winners of the Agatha and/or Derringer awards. Thanks to editors Gay Toltl Kinman and Andrew McAleer for inviting me to contribute a story. You can learn more about this story and what inspired it here. You can find it at Amazon, Barnes and Noble, and at your local indie bookstore.

“Gone to Pot”

The second new story is “Gone to Pot,” and it appears in the anthology Crimes Against Nature: New Stories of Environmental Villainy. In this comic story, Annabelle loves her next-door neighbor Micki like family. So when the regular pot smoking of Micki’s other next-door neighbors causes Micki’s cat, Chairman Meow, to get contact highs, endangering his health, yet those neighbors don’t care, Annabelle takes action, launching project We Vow to Save Chairman Meow.

This is a charity anthology, with half the royalties going to ecological nonprofits. Thanks to Editor Robert Lopresti for including my story. You can buy the book from Amazon. You can also find it at other stores, including Barnes and Noble. I talk more about the anthology and my story at SleuthSayers. Click here to read the column.

And the reprint …

My story “Dear Emily Etiquette,” which won the Agatha Award and the Ellery Queen Readers Award a few years ago, has been republished in the anthology Twisted Voices: Stories from Ellery Queen’s Mystery Magazine.  I am delighted editors Janet Hutchings and Jackie Sherbow chose to include it. You can buy the book in the usual online places, including Amazon. Click  here for the ebook version and here for the paper version.

May 2024

I have three bits of great news! Anthony Award nomination and Macavity Award nomination I’m thrilled my short story “Real Courage” has been named a finalist for the Anthony Award and for the Macavity Award. It appeared in issue 14 of Black Cat Mystery Magazine. In the story, a seemingly insignificant incident winds up affecting many lives over many years. It’s a story about good intentions, moral quandaries, questionable judgment, unintended consequences, and courage. This is the same story that was a finalist for the Agatha Award this spring.


You can find the issue for sale via various online outlets. The Anthony Award winners will be voted upon and announced at the Bouchercon convention in August. The Macavity Award winners also will be announced at Bouchercon. UPDATE: Alas, “Real Courage” did not win any of the three awards it was nominated for this year, but I so appreciate all my readers’ support.

Edward D. Hoch Memorial Golden Derringer Award

I was honored and delighted to learn that the Short Mystery Fiction Society has named me this year’s recipient of the Edward D. Hoch Memorial Golden Derringer Award. This is the SMFS’s lifetime achievement award. The recipients are chosen for “having produced an impressive body of short crime fiction, and having made a major impact on the genre.” This award will be provided to me during Opening Ceremonies at Bouchercon in August.

April 2024

I’m delighted that the anthology Three Strikes–You’re Dead! has been released.  It has fourteen short stories mixing sports and crime, including my story “A Matter of Trust.” In this story, when an emotional eater cycles past a donut shop, his weight-loss plans–and so much more–go awry. The anthology was published by Wildside Press and was edited by Donna Andrews, Marcia Talley, and me.

Reader Sherri Mayer said of the book, “It’s a truly striking cover … and the stories in it are even better.” In June, author and editor Robert Lopresti named “A Matter of Trust“ his favorite read of the week on his blog. Click here to read what he said.

Paperback and ebook copies can be ordered from Amazon (click here). You also can purchase paperback copies from Barnes & Noble (click here) and ebook copies directly from the publisher to avoid the middleman (click here).

February 2024

I have a new story out this month and award finalist news! The new story first.

Murder, Neat

The anthology Murder, Neat was published on February 13 by the Level Short imprint of Level Best Books. Edited by Michael Bracken and me, the book has twenty-four crime stories, all written by members of the SleuthSayers blog. Edgar Award finalist Joseph S. Walker said of the book, "Simply put, the SleuthSayers are the finest authors of short crime fiction working today. For readers, this collection will be a joy. For aspiring writers, it's a chance to belly up to the bar and let the best in the business show you how it's done. Not to be missed."

Award news

My short story "Real Courage" has been named a finalist for the Agatha Award, and I couldn't be more pleased. It appeared in issue 14 of Black Cat Mystery Magazine. In the story, a seemingly insignificant incident winds up affecting many lives over many years. It's a story about good intentions, moral quandaries, questionable judgment, unintended consequences, and courage.

The book includes my short story "Never Have I Ever." In this story, Tamara’s playing her favorite secrets-sharing drinking game with her friends. But she has secrets she’ll never share.
Because she’s obsessed.
Because she’s haunted.
Because she has a plan.

You can read more about the book on SleuthSayers here . The book is being released in ebook and trade paperback. You should be able to find it at the usual online outlets any time now. At the moment, here's a link for the Amazon ebook version.

You can find the issue for sale via various online outlets.The Agatha Award winners will be voted upon and announced at the Malice Domestic mystery convention in April.

January 2024

I hope you’ll check out  my newest story, “Teenage Dirtbag,” which appears in the just released anthology (I Just) Died In Your Arms: Crime Fiction Inspired by One-Hit Wonders. Inspired by the Wheatus song of the same name, the story takes place in 1985, when Travis rules his high school, tormenting other kids and pushing his girlfriend around—until nerd Brian falls for her and devises a plan to free all the beleaguered kids from Travis’s bullying ways. It’s my tribute to 1980s teen movies.

  The anthology is available in trade paperback and ebook formats and can be purchased from all the usual sources. The authors will make the most money from books purchased directly from the publisher, Misti Media. Just click here.