270/366
From the anthology By the Chimney With Care (Wolfmont Publishing, 2006).
This is a cute flash story, written in the manner of “Twas the Night Before Christmas,” with Ellery Queen on the case to determine who murdered Santa.
263/366
From the anthology The Killer Wore Cranberry: A Second Helping (Untreed Reads Publishing, 2012).
It’s Thanksgiving again, and Aunt Nozzie has commanded that her niece Darcie attend dinner. Darcie’s family is filled with women. The men always die off young or – when they marry in – quickly. This year, Aunt Nozzie has demanded that everyone bring dates so there will be some testosterone at the dinner. Given that Aunt Nozzie’s Thanksgiving dinners are typically chaotic, this addition certainly bodes well.
262/366
From the anthology The Killer Wore Cranberry: A Second Helping (Untreed Reads Publishing, 2012).
Cooks sometimes like to improvise. And that can be great, except on Thanksgiving. When your family expects a certain recipe, you better give it to them. Or learn the hard way.
261/366
From the anthology The Killer Wore Cranberry: A Second Helping (Untreed Reads Publishing, 2012).
It’s Thanksgiving, and Annabelle is meeting her boyfriend’s grandmother for the first time. She wants to make a good impression, but when a neighbor is murdered in the grandmother’s kitchen, Annabelle can’t stop asking questions – no matter who she pisses off.
A well-written, amusing story.
260/366
From the anthology The Killer Wore Cranberry: A Second Helping (Untreed Reads Publishing, 2012).
The owner of an old English estate is trying to raise funds to save it by throwing a traditional Thanksgiving weekend for some American tourists. Well, what’s more traditional than a murder at the manor?
259/366
From the anthology The Killer Wore Cranberry: A Second Helping (Untreed Reads Publishing, 2012).
You’ve heard of doctors to the stars. Well, this story is about a dentist to the mob who uses his dental know-how solve a Thanksgiving murder.
253/366
From the anthology Deadly Treats (Nodin Press, 2011)
Rachel is tired of waiting for Mr. Right, so she casts a spell to make the last guy who blew her off become enamored with her. Of course, using magic for personal gain never works out well.
246/366
From the anthology The Killer Wore Cranberry: A Second Helping (Untreed Reads, 2012).
The sheriff’s been murdered, and the deputy’s sure the sheriff was done in by a member of the Hill Gang. Or, as they’re better known these days, the Over the Hill Gang: one guy’s nearly blind and another’s nearly deaf, one guy can’t remember his own name half the time, another’s an arthritic former gunslinger, and finally there’s the gang leader who gets along just fine … with his walker. The deputy sits down to Thanksgiving with them as they discuss which one of them might have done in the sheriff. They all want the credit.
225/366
A family moves away a year after their teenage daughter disappeared. They say they need closure. But they really need something else … a bloodhound.
This story won the 2012 Golden Donut Award given out at the Writers Police Academy conference. All submitted stories must be exactly 200 words (including the title) and be based off a picture. This year the picture was of a shack and old car. You can read the story here.
223/366
From the anthology Deadfall (Level Best Books, 2008)
An elderly woman visits her town police department weekly to report one crime or another, such as the burglar who broke into her apartment and cleaned it instead of stealing things. (The maid.) But this week, the woman is on to an actual crime – not that the police believe her at first.
A short story a day review 