For this edition of The First Line, J.B. Stevens is tripling up focusing on 3 opening by Michel Lee Garrett, Libby Cudmore, and Kim Godwin. The First Line is a recurring column by J.B. Stevens. Mystery Tribune readers (you) get an inside look at what goes through the author’s mind as they craft their opening. For the column, an author presents the initial sentence of their story. Then J.B. writes his impression of the passage. Next, the author discusses what […] The post Finding Great Openings: We’re Tripling Up! appeared first on MysteryTribune ..read more

George Wilhite, author of “No Mystery Here”, has previously published short fiction in Rio Grande Review, American Western Magazine, and Fedora III, among others. He’s an active member of Mystery Writers of America, a two-time Edgar judge, retired associate professor at Texas State Technical School, and an instructor at Baylor University. ***** First off, let’s get this straight. There ain’t no mystery here. Not from my side. Maybe for the police. But I don’t think there’s one there either. The […] The post No Mystery Here: Noir Short Story By George Wilhite appeared first on MysteryTribune ..read more

Upon departing a successful career in television, in 2017, Kellye Garrett helped launch the “Black cozy mystery” phenomenon with her Agatha-, Lefty-, and Anthony-winning Hollywood Homicide, featuring plucky amateur Dayna Anderson, and its sequel, Hollywood Ending. Never resting on her laurels, Garrett’s third novel, Like a Sister, veered into grittier, ultra-modern territory featuring shady record executives, professional social-media influencers, and the double-edged sword of family. Ever-protean, Garrett’s newest crime novel, Missing White Woman (out April 30, 2024), starts off like […] The ..read more

Our April 2024 list of best crime, mystery and thriller books includes highly-anticipated titles such as Pay Dirt by Sara Paretsky and A Calamity of Souls by David Baldacci, as well as fan favorites such as Close to Death by Anthony Horowitz. Note: Mystery Tribune’s Reading Lists include the best crime and thriller books of each month as well as our picks for different sub-genres: Check them out here. Feline Fatale by Rita Mae Brown (April 16) Spring flowers may be […] The post 18 Best Crime, Mystery And Thriller Books of April 2024 appeared first on MysteryTribune ..read more

Darrell J. Wiens, author of “The Lost Mustang”, is Professor Emeritus of Biology at the University of Northern Iowa, now living and writing short stories in Kansas City, Missouri. A newcomer, he loves to create stories that involve believable characters engaged in college life, long distance running, coming of age, travels, bicycle touring, biological research, and personal or social issues. He grew up on a farm near Inman, Kansas. An award-winning teacher, researcher, and mentor, he is author of 27 […] The post The Lost Mustang: Thriller Short Fiction By Darrell J. Wiens appeared first on Mys ..read more

In “Pink Is For Blondes” by Alan Kroeber, Cookie chats up Suzanne in a bar, asking her for advice on his love life.  Los Angeles, 1946  The little guy walked into the bar with a mashed fedora on his head and an air of defeat, like he was looking for something the he had lost.  His clothes were rumpled like he had forgotten how to make them do anything else.  He took a stool at the bar, right next to a […] The post Pink Is For Blondes: Hard-Boiled Short Fiction By Alan Kroeber appeared first on MysteryTribune ..read more

A.A. Weiss, author of The Spy, is the author of the Luke Lundy thriller series (The Agency Books) and the travel memoir Lenin’s Asylum (Everytime Press). His essays and short stories have appeared in various journals and twice received special mention in the Pushcart Prize Anthology. A recipient of grants from the Bronx Council on the Arts and the Maryland State Arts Council, he currently lives in Washington, D.C. ***** A false Canadian passport, a mistranslated code phrase, a rush […] The post “The Spy”: Literary Short Fiction By A.A. Weiss appeared first on MysteryTribune ..read more

As part of “Murder in The First,” a series reviewing and celebrating debuts within the genres of crime, mystery, grit-lit, and all things dark, Casey Stegman investigates S. A. Cosby’s My Darkest Prayer.  ***** It’s December 2022. And I’m at my local bookstore, buying presents. I’ve taken a little break from working on a half-completed novel manuscript that I’m not entirely confident I’ll finish. I have yet to publish anything at this point. And, like a lot of aspiring writers, […] The post Murder In The First: S.A. Cosby’s My Darkest Prayer appeared first on MysteryTribune ..read more

J.B. Stevens reviews the opening of two outstanding short stories from Burning Down the House — Crime Fiction Incited by Songs of the Talking Heads. The First Line is a recurring column by J.B. Stevens. Mystery Tribune readers (you) get an inside look at what goes through the author’s mind as they craft their opening. For the column, an author presents the initial sentence of their story. Then J.B. writes his impression of the passage. Next, the author discusses what their […] The post First Line: Two Stories With Outstanding Openings appeared first on MysteryTribune ..read more

Robert Sumner, author of “Bingo” grew up in Virginia and has been a Californian for twenty-five years. His fiction have appeared in Riprap, The Quotable, and The Emerson Review, among others. ***** Doug Hollingsworth carried a box wrapped festively with a bow toward the entrance of a single-story brick building in front of which a sign posted in a patch of lawn read: TIPPECANOE RETIREMENT HOME. His daughter, Sherri, and her younger brother, Ronnie, followed.             “How long do we […] The post Bingo: A Caper Story By Robert Sumner app ..read more