The best in Short Mystery Fiction

In Mystery Weekly Magazine's tradition of almost-anything-goes publishing, this month's issue is an eclectic mix of crime, comedic, literary, and even somewhat disturbing short stories having one thing in common: maximum entertainment value. This is an issue you'll be recommending to friends and family.


"Terrible Tilly," our cover story by Jake Teeny, is one to be read slowly and savoured for its rich and evocative language. It centers around an isolate lighthouse and three quarrelsome keepers at the brink of madness; one of them has been stealing the lamp's kerosene, but is there a motive behind the madness? This captivating lighthouse tale is a shining example of the effective use of voice in storytelling.


Kassandra Montag's, "Water Wolf," is a haunting, lyrical mystery involving children who disappear while picking berries in the forest. There is certainly a compelling question at the heart of this story, and readers who don't get lost in the beautiful prose will find subtle clues strewn about. Certainly those who appreciate poetry or a well-turned phrase will come to the end of this story wanting more.


"Finder's Fee," by JM Taylor, is a fresh and amusing take on an age-old theme: be careful what you wish for!


And following with a similar theme is "Au Lait," by Dan Crawford, a hilarious story about an enchanted swizzle stick falling into the hands of a very undeserving lady at a coffee shop. Readers are advised not to have a mouthful of coffee while reading this one!


Our darker story is "Encumbered," by William R. Eakin. A canoe trip on a swollen river, a baby lost, a new husband with a love for campsites with high vistas—what else could a woman want to become unencumbered?


In his genre-crossing tale, "The End Of The Road," Manny Frishberg gives us the most remote setting of any we have ever run, the surface of the moon. A new moon buggy modelled after a Plymouth Barracuda is about to be unveiled, and soon proves that wherever there are people, there is also greed, crime, and evil.


"The Idiot's Guide To Killing Your Mother-In-Law," by James Mathews, is a Hollywood movie waiting to happen. This thoroughly entertaining and fast-paced story that will keep you guessing and chuckling right to the end. Besides the sparkling dialogue and vividly realized characters, the plotting is as clever and deliciously ironic as mystery lovers could possibly hope for.


The best in Short Mystery Fiction

Mystery Weekly is a monthly mystery magazine that presents crime and mystery short stories by some of the world's best established and emerging mystery writers. The original stories selected for each issue include noir, cozy, hardboiled, locked room, comic, and historical mysteries--plus occasional genre-busting stories that lean toward speculative or literary fiction. However you classify them, all of our stories feature strong writing and unsurpassed entertainment value.