Anthologies

Chesapeake Crimes II is an eclectic mix of mystery and murder. No sooner do the stories start than the bodies begin to fall. Fifteen mysteries written by fifteen different authors―all members of Chesapeake Sisters in Crime and some of the hottest authors in mystery today―are a must-read for anyone serious about murder mysteries. In these pages you will find Edgar, Anthony, and Agatha Award winners. Authors include Goodie Cantwell, Nora Charles, Leone Ciporin, Carla Coupe, Elizabeth Foxwell, Chris Freeburn, Barb Goffman, Peggy Hanson, G. M. Malliet, Sherriel Mattingly, Valerie O. Patterson, Judy Pomeranz, Harriette I. Sackler, Marcia Talley, and Sandi Wilson.

In case you didn't know, Wolfmont Press has, for the last three years, published anthologies of short crime fiction, with the theme of crimes around the winter holiday season. By the sale of those books, Wolfmont Press has been able to donate a total of over $6,600 to the Toys for Tots Foundation--not bad for a small press publisher with one full-time employee. This fourth book will be our largest thus far to help Toys for Tots, with 278 pages of great stories. The 2009 anthology contains nineteen fantastic stories of winter holiday crime from some very talented and generous authors. And all the publisher's profits from this book go to Toys for Tots. Our goal in 2008 was to raise at least $3,000 more for these kids, and we made it, overtopping our goal to reach $3,300. Our goal with THE GIFT OF MURDER is to be able to push our total for the four years up to over $10,000 for Toys for Tots! We have stories not only of Christmas crime, but Chanukah and Kwanzaa, and some stories that combine all three! Treat yourself to a gift of holiday crime fiction, and treat someone else, too! In the process you'll help us to meet our goal and make a lot of kids happier this holiday season. What's not to like?

"Not many of us would admit, even to ourselves, that we had actually wished for something awful to befall anybody we knew. On the other hand, if we've ever felt exploited by an acquaintance, or undervalued in a job that we felt trapped in-if we've experienced an unappreciative boss, a backstabbing co-worker, a jealous rival, a manipulative friend, a faithless lover, an intrusive neighbor, or even a controlling homeowners' association board . . . well, you get the picture. "Each of us has doubtless gone a round or two with someone whom we secretly felt deserved more than a small dose of Divine Justice. This probably explains why most of us can't help but smile upon hearing that somebody who "done us wrong" has, at long last, gotten his "just desserts." In extreme cases (that is, if you're anything like me) you might even have gone so far, in the past, as to uncork a small split of champagne! "I suspect there'll be plenty of bubbly flowing as you relish reading about twenty of literature's most deserving villains, who get their comeuppance in Chesapeake Crimes: They Had It Comin'." --Katharine Neville, from the Foreword

A collection of mystery short stories by 15 J. F. Benedetto, Mitzi Flyte, Barb Goffman, Carole Hall, Erika Hoffman, Paul D. Marks, Rosemary Olson, Judith R. O'Sullivan, John Reisinger, T. S. Rider, Charles Schaeffer, D. I. Telbat, Elise Warner, Alice M. Weyers, and Lina Zeldovich. Edited by Debby Buchanan.All profits from the sale of this book will be donated to The Christopher Reeve Spinal Cord Injury and Paralysis Foundation - dedicated to curing spinal cord injury by funding innovative research, and improving the quality of life for people living with paralysis.

Chosen from over 200 submissions, these ten mystery short stories come from new and established authors alike. Never before published, they are gathered together in our First Annual Mystery Times Ten YA collection. Each story was read and rated by three panels of judges, which included book bloggers, teen readers aged 12 to 19, and YA buyers and marketing mavens from the largest book wholesalers in the United States. Each author was given the same set of parameters to use; each brought his or her own unique talents and tastes to the task at hand. There is something here for every YA mystery fan, from hardboiled to paranormal. Each story is a small bite of mystery that will satisfy and delight even the most discerning of readers. So sit down and dip in. We guarantee you won't stop at just one!

The latest installment in the Chesapeake Crimes mystery series focuses on working stiffs—literally! Included in this collection are new tales by: Shari Randall, C. Ellett Logan, Karen Cantwell, E. B. Davis, Jill Breslau, David Autry, Harriette Sackler, Barb Goffman, Ellen Herbert, Smita Harish Jain, Leone Ciporin, Cathy Wiley, Donna Andrews, Art Taylor. Foreword by Elaine Viets.

It's the Thanksgiving mystery anthology everyone's been dying for! In 2010, The Killer Wore Cranberry showed how funny murder and food could be. Now, in 2012, Untreed Reads presents a new installment of the worldwide, bestselling anthology with a table full of seasoned authors and new voices alike. Join all of these fantastic authors as they make your holidays murderous and fill you with laughter: Arthur C. Carey, John Weagly, Earl Staggs, Amanda Lundberg, Betsy Bitner, S. Furlong-Bolliger, Steve Shrott, Andrew MacRae, Zoe Burke, Arlen Blumhagen, Lesley A. Diehl, Gail Farrelly, Herschel Cozine, Linda S. Reilly, Stephen D. Rogers, Barb Goffman and Laura Hartman. So make some room for that extra portion of turkey, scarf down another slice of pumpkin pie and make room in the basement for all the dead bodies in this hilarious short story anthology that's destined to become a holiday classic.

The sixth volume in the Agatha, Anthony, Derringer, and Macavity award-winning series. This volume includes stories by: Barb Goffman Rosemary and Larry Mild E. B. Davis Shaun Taylor Bevins Cathy Wiley Art Taylor Shari Randall Meg Opperman Carla Coupe Timothy Bentler-Jungr Linda Lombardi Debbi Mack Clyde Linsley Donna Andrews "One thing I’ve learned during a long career as a writer is that a good short story is one of the hardest things to write. To capture mood, character, tension, and a satisfying climax in a few pages requires more skill than having the luxury of a novel to get things right. That’s why I’m so impressed that the writers of Chesapeake Crimes seem to deliver quality work in anthology after anthology. This one is especially fun as the theme is holidays. And who hasn’t wanted to commit a murder at a family holiday celebration?" from the introduction by Rhys Bowen

COMPASSION, CONNECTION, AND INSPIRATION... The path of a writing career can be rocky and twisty and full of dead ends. But it's also well-traveled-and in Writes of Passage, fifty-nine mystery authors offer the secrets that helped them navigate their success. When you're in need of an author's roadmap, "pick up this book," as Hank Phillippi Ryan says in the introduction. "Open it to any page. The sisters of SinC have shared their personal journeys-and they have many tales to tell." These tales reveal the "Writes of Passage" every author encounters, and Sisters in Crime hopes these beautifully told experiences will guide you along your way. Praise for WRITES OF PASSAGE: "Every writer-beginner or bestseller-gets lost sometimes. Some days words don't flow and the path is hidden. Writes of Passage is a magic-box of wise words for those cloudy days. Like a lunch-date with all your funniest, kindest friends, this book will remind you of the joy of writing, inspire you to stick at it and remind you that you're not alone." - Catriona McPherson, Agatha, Macavity and Bruce-Winning Author of the Dandy Gilver Series and the Anthony-Nominated As She Left It "Writes of Passage is that centering book every author needs, whether multi-published or still striving, the one that captures our collective experience as writers with compassion, connection, and inspiration. Its insightful essays will surprise you and renew you every time you open it, for as long as your writer's journey continues." - Laura DiSilverio, 2014 President, Sisters in Crime; Author of the Lefty-Nominated Swift Investigations Series, the Mall Cop Series, and The Reckoning Stones (2015) Books in the Sisters in Crime The Writing Life Collection: WRITES OF PASSAGE: Adventures on the Writer's Journey BREAKING AND ENTERING: The Road to Success SHAMLESS PROMOTION FOR BRAZEN HUSSIES Part of the Henery Press Non-Fiction Collection, if you like one, you'll probably like them all...

Chesapeake Crimes: Storm Warning is the latest installment of the Agatha- and Anthony-award-winning Chesapeake Crimes series. This volume features tales by: Donna Andrews, Timothy Bentler-Jungr Shaun Taylor Bevins Carla Coupe Maddi Davidson Linda Ensign Barb Goffman Kim Kash Adam Meyer Alan Orloff KM Rockwood Lauren R. Silberman Marianne Wilski Strong Art Taylor Robin Templeton "The diabolical sisters of the Chesapeake Chapter of Sisters in Crime have raised the stakes: not only asking their astute members to offer up a gem of a short story, but to add a degree of difficulty. It has to be about the weather.... Rain, snowstorms, hurricanes. The glare of the sun. The shrouding fog. Clouds, mist, hail, and icy roads. The Chessies have used their writerly talent to embrace the weather, to relish it, and to provide us with a raft of meteorological (and deadly) delights." - Hank Phillippi Ryan, bestselling author of the Jane Ryland series

The Malice Domestic cozy anthology series returns with a new take on cozy mysteries in the Agatha Christie tradition. Here are 22 original stories (and one modern classic reprint) set at conventions, conferences, and gatherings of all kinds! Included are: Conventional Wisdom, by Marcia Talley Djinn And Tonic, by Neil Plakcy The Vanishing Wife, by Victoria Thompson The Right to Bare Arms, by John Gregory Betancourt Message in a Bottle, by Su Kopil Anonymous, by Kate Flora What Goes Around, by B.K. Stevens The Hair of the Dog, by Charles Todd The Best-Laid Plans, by Barb Goffman A Dark and Stormy Light, by Gigi Pandian The Clue in the Blue Booth, by Hank Phillippi Ryan Wicked Writers, by Frances McNamara Coverture, by KB Inglee Dark Secrets, by Kathryn Leigh Scott Tarnished Hope, by KM Rockwood Not Forgotten, by L.C. Tyler Boston Bouillabaisse, by Nancy Brewka-Clark Killing Kippers, by Eleanor Cawood Jones Elemental Chaos, by M Evonne Dobsonv Outside the Box, by Ruth Moose The Perfect Pitch, by Marie Hannan-Mandel Two Birds with One Stone, by Rhys Bowen A Gathering of Great Detectives, by Shawn Reilly Simmon

In vino mysterium is the theme for this anthology of short stories, each blending a baffling mystery and a glass (or more) of cabernet. When eighteen mystery writers combine their talents, the result is the perfect “flight” of stories that range from light-bodied puzzles to sparkling cozies to darker, heavier tales of deceit and murder. While cabernet is the featured wine, this anthology will appeal to connoisseurs of all varietals—in both wine preference and mystery style.

Beneath the icy depths of this next installment, you’ll be plunged into a world where 38 female horror writers give you a glimpse of their inner-demons, unleashing the hell-fire they suppress in the ‘real’ world. It will disturb you to discover what really lurks inside their minds, because many of these stories delve into pain that can only be experienced by women—leaving you unhinged as you curl up with them during their darkest hour.Post-partum depression, hording, anorexia, and mental health will be brought to light when viewed through the shadowy perspective of cognitive deception.Sci-fi, romance, steam-punk, and fantasy intertwine with horror to deliver unsettling, chilling stories; traditional tales of witches, zombies, werewolves, and vampires will be told in twisted new ways that will shock, unnerve, and even repulse you…and within these pages, sometimes new monsters will arise from the ashes.You will discover that women not onlly write good horror…but in some cases, can do it better.

The Malice Domestic anthology series returns with a new take on mysteries in the Agatha Christie tradition -- 30 original tales set around the world! Included are: The Barrister's Clerk, by Michael Robertson The Belle Hope, by Peter DiChellis Arroyo, by Michael Bracken Muskeg Man, by Keenan Powell The End of the World, by Susan Breen To Protect the Guilty, by Kerry Hammond Dying in Dokesville, by Alan Orloff The House in Glamaig's Shadow, by William Burton McCormick Summer Smugglers, by Triss Stein The Jamaican Ice Mystery, by John Gregory Betancourt Death at the Congressional Cemetery, by Verena Rose Cabin in the Woods, by Sylvia Maultash Warsh Mad About You, by G. M. Malliet What Goes Around, by Kathryn Johnson Summer Job, by Judith Green Death in a Strange and Beautiful Place, by Leslie Wheeler We Shall Fight Them, by Carla Coupe Marigold in the Lake, by Susan Thibadeau Murder on the Northern Lights Express, by Susan Daly Czech Mate, by Kristin Kisska Keep Calm and Love Moai, by Eleanor Cawood Jones Isaac's Daughters, by Anita Page A Divination of Death, by Edith Maxwell Payback With Interest, by Cheryl Marceau Island Time, by Laura Oles If It's Tuesday, This Must Be Murder, by Josh Pachter The Breaker Boy, by Harriette Sackler Death on the Beach, by Shawn Reilly Simmons Ridgeline, by Peter W. J. Hayes Ho'oponopono, by Robin Templeton Also features a new Foreword, by Nancy Pickard

When it comes to Florida, no crime is too unusual and no criminal too peculiar to be impossible. Florida is the one state where fiction has to catch up to the headlines, and the contributors to FLORIDA HAPPENS: Tales of Murder, Mayhem, and Suspense from The Sunshine State do not hold back! Edited by award-winning author/editor Greg Herren, with an introduction by New York Times bestselling author Tim Dorsey, FLORIDA HAPPENS is a riveting anthology featuring some of the brightest stars of mystery writing. Published in conjunction with Bouchercon, the world's biggest mystery convention, this new anthology offers stories of pristine white sands and palm trees, snowbirds and theme parks, mangroves and manatees, pirates and policemen—from the redneck Riviera to the southernmost point of the United States. Jam-packed with stories from top authors, FLORIDA HAPPENS promises to surprise and thrill lovers of mystery and suspense. Included are classic tales from the legendary John D. MacDonald and Lawrence Block , plus fresh new fiction from bestselling mystery authors Susanna Calkins , Alex Segura , Hilary Davidson , Reed Farrel Coleman , and Craig Pittman . The collection also includes thrilling new stories by top mystery writers Holly West , Paul D. Marks , Greg Herren , Debra Lattanzi Shutika , Jack Bates , Barb Goffman , Angel Luis Colon , J. D. Allan , Eleanor Cawood Jones , Neil Plakcy , Michael Wiley , John M. Floyd , and Patricia Abbott . A portion of the proceeds from the anthology will go to support Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library, a program that provides free books to children from birth to school age regardless of family income. A personal mission of Dolly Parton’s, the Imagination Library fosters literacy, a love of reading, and is meant to inspire children to succeed.

CRIME TRAVEL features time-travel mysteries by a terrific lineup of authors. Included are: James Blakey Melissa H. Blaine Michael Bracken Anna Castle Brendan DuBois David Dean John M. Floyd Barb Goffman Heidi Hunter Eleanor Cawood Jones Adam Meyer Barbara Monajem Korina Moss Art Taylor Cathy Wiley

**WINNER** 2021 Derringer Award for Best Short Story: Stacy Woodson for "River" **NOMINATED** 2021 Anthony Award for Best Anthology **NOMINATED** 2021 International Thriller Awards for Best Short Story: Elaine Viets for "Dog Eat Dog" **NOMINATED** 2021 Macavity Award for Best Short Story: Elaine Viets for "Dog Eat Dog" 1/3 of the author royalties will be donated to the Brain Aneurysm Foundation in Joni Mitchell's name.With nine Grammys, multiple lifetime achievement awards, inductions into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and the Canadian Songwriters Hall of Fame, and a Top Ten ranking on Rolling Stone’s “100 Greatest Songwriters of All Time,” Joni Mitchell has established herself as one of the most important singer/songwriters, not only of her generation, but in the history of popular music.In this collection, 28 crime writers pay tribute to Joni’s musical legacy with short stories inspired by her lyrics, representing each of her seventeen studio albums from 1968’s Song to a Seagull to 2007’s Shine.Many of the classics are represented here, including “Both Sides, Now” (in the first literary collaboration between Art Taylor and Tara Laskowski, who have each won major awards for their fiction), “Big Yellow Taxi” (by Kathryn O’Sullivan, author of the Colleen McCabe series), and “River” (by Stacy Woodson, winner of the 2019 Readers Choice Award from Ellery Queen’s Mystery Magazine), plus such equally fascinating titles as “Cold Blue Steel and Sweet Fire” (by Donna Andrews, author of the award-winning Meg Lanslow series), “The Dry Cleaner From Des Moines” (by Amber Sparks), and “Ray’s Dad’s Cadillac” (by Michael Bracken).

From Cold Spring Harbor in 1971 to River of Dreams in 1993, Billy Joel released a dozen studio albums that remade the face of American pop music, produced twenty-six Top 10 singles (on Billboard’s Top 100 and Adult Contemporary charts), and earned the Piano Man six Grammys. Although he hasn’t released a recording of new songs in almost thirty years, Joel’s live performances continue to electrify audiences around the globe—and until COVID-19 put things on hold he had sold out New York’s Madison Square Garden for a record-shattering seventy-four consecutive monthly shows!In this collection, twelve award-winning writers of short crime fiction tackle the Joel catalog, and the result—edited by Josh Pachter, whose The Beat of Black Wings: Crime Fiction Inspired by the Songs of Joni Mitchell earned rave reviews in 2020—is a journey down life’s mean streets with a soundtrack by one of the great singer-songwriters of our time, and contributors Michael Bracken, Jeff Cohen, David Dean, John M. Floyd, Barb Goffman, James D.F. Hannah, Richard Helms, Robert Lopresti, Jenny Milchman, Terrie Farley Moran, Richie Narvaez, and Pachter himself are donating a third of their royalties to support the work of the Joel Foundation. In the Gospel According to Billy, only the good die young. Within these pages, though, Death is an equal-opportunity exterminator, and the stories you’ll find here don’t just hit the charts: they go all the way to Number One … with a bullet!

This charity anthology includes 22 stories of crime and suspense by 22 authors: many award-winners, some publishing for the first time in a short story anthology. The publisher donates 100% of the proceeds to Democracy Docket, an organization that is successfully fighting against voter suppression in the United States. Authors from the US, India, Germany, and the UK have crafted visions of the past, present, and future of democracy with tales that range from comic to tragic and from cozy to noir. You'll also find a few stories blended with science fiction, horror, and fantasy. Each author shares their take on the theme: the color of my vote. We know it shouldn't matter, but somehow it still does.

Mystery and magic collide in this thrilling, all-new collection of short stories by some of the top talents in the crime-writing field. Tales of fantasy worlds and stage illusion, of magic-users and magic-abusers, fill these pages with a heady, deadly mix! Here you will find— WHAT'S A LITTLE MURDER BETWEEN MAMMALS, by Rosalie Spielman COURTING DISASTER, by Cathy Wiley THE THIRTEENTH HOUSE, by Jaquelyn Lyman-Thomas THE MIDNIGHT SHOW, by Stacy Woodson THE WIG, by Tara Laskowski A TOUCH OF MAGIC, by Shari Randall THE SNOW GLOBE, by Greg Herren SOMETHING DARK AND DANGEROUS, by Donna Andrews A CHARMING SOLUTION, by Smita Harish Jain WHAT GOES AROUND, by Robin Templeton EVERYDAY MAGIC, by Pam Clark PYEWACKETT, by KM Rockwood BEHIND THE MAGIC 8-BALL, by Marcia Talley WHISKERS McGRUFF AND THE CASE OF THE MISSING CLUE, by Eleanor Cawood Jones ABRACADAVER, by Alan Orloff MR. FILBERT'S CLASSROOM, by Adam Meyer Includes an INTRODUCTION by Daniel Stashower. Edited by Donna Andrews, Barb Goffman, and Marcia Talley

This original collection of sports-themed mystery stories features felonies and foul play across a range of athletics. Readers will find riveting stories involving baseball, biathlon, boxing, cycling, figure skating, swimming, tennis, and more. These clever tales—some penned by award-winning authors—offer something for everyone. From traditional whodunits to historical mysteries from noir tales to cozies, Three Strikes, You’re Dead! is the collection both mystery and sports fans have been waiting for! Included is work by: Alan Orloff, F. J. Talley, Kathryn Prater Bomey, Adam Meyer, Rosalie Spielman, William Ade, Maddi Davidson, Shannon Taft, Sherry Harris, Robin Templeton, Lynne Ewing, Barb Goffman, Joseph S. Walker, and Smita Harish Jain.