A Word From the Editor
Remembering Dorien Grey (Roger Margason) the author of the Dick Hardesty mysteries as well as the Elliot Smith and John series. A prolific and dedicated author, Dorien was never too busy to help fellow writers. He was a friend and will be missed. Mysterical-E has featured Dorien before and in …
Stories
THE GETAWAY CAB: The Copper and Goldie Mysteries, Episode Four
Ex-detective Kamuela (“Sam”) Nahoe owned and operated a bright yellow Checker taxi with a ring of black and white squares painted just below its windows. Black lettering on both sides and rear of the cab read “Copper and Goldie Taxi Service.” This particular Monday afternoon found Sam driving his cab …
Stories
A Remarkable Chronicle of the Unfortunate Fate That Befell the Lives of Mr. and Mrs. Hyde
Part 1 It is early morning in London’s West-end Soho district. In past years, a fashionable area of rich families and aristocrats—but over time, the parasitic moral and economic decaying that historically happens to all metropolitan cities has resulted in an influx of scalawags and miscreants. But sadly, the area …
Stories
The Law & Daughter Series: SPEED TRAP
This time: Retired schoolteacher Fran Valentine has probably solved more criminal cases than her daughter Lucy, who is the county sheriff. But this time Fran’s unavailable, and Lucy’s on her own . . . Sheriff Lucy Valentine’s wristwatch alarm was beeping as she and Deputy Ed Malone arrived at …
Stories
"Two hours," Kyle said. I nodded. "Two hours and that kid hasn't shut up for one minute. Ray, let's just blow him away as soon as he comes out of the bathroom, we'll tell Jesse and Jay it was an accident." "We can't do that. Now just relax. It won't …
Stories
If you’re reading this now, I’m gone. You won’t be able to find me, but at least you’ll know my story. It starts with a woman. Don’t they always? This woman was different. Aren’t they all? And, it ends with, well you’ll find out soon enough. *** I live in …
Stories
I’d never killed a woman before, but the more Cindy talked, the more inclined I was to change my position. The only thing I wanted to hear come out of her mouth had to do with a pile of money, not some bullshit about gun control. As far as I …
Stories
“I don’t think I can make it, Harry,” The old man said, shuffling around the room, gnawing a nicotine-stained thumb and avoiding eye contact with the halfway house supervisor. “Sure you can,” Harry Yocum told him. “Don’t be so negative. All you have to do is believe in yourself.” Ed …
Stories
I felt a pulsing deep inside me as I zoomed in on Sara’s sweetheart-shaped face bathed in the warm glow of the nursery nightlight. I drew closer on her chest rising and falling beneath the bodice of her dress. Gently. So gently. Whenever she entered the room, she unbuttoned the …
Stories
She was blond…naturally. She strode into my office, enthroned herself in the chair opposite my desk and said without a trace of sincerity, “Sorry to interrupt your… lunch.” I looked down at the remains of Tuesday night’s moo goo gai pan. She was right, it wasn’t much of a lunch. …
Stories
She is a looker—long blond hair, deep blue eyes, bumps in all the right places, and a smile that could wake the dead. She drags me to the dance floor and sways in front of me, like an Amazon seductress. Van Morrison's "Brown Eyed Girl" plays in the background. She …
Columns
Catching Up with This Fall's Crime TV Writing this column in the third week of October, I've had more than the usual time to sample the fall's new crime TV series, and I'm particularly glad to see two of my favorites get full season orders, Blindspot (NBC) and Quantico (ABC). …
Columns
Halloween has come and gone again along with Thanksgiving and that means Christmas is right around the corner. Lots of good reading coming up! Today I’m talking with multi-published author Joanna Campbell Slan, author of the Kiki Lowenstein scrapbooking series (her 11th title is Shotgun Wedding Bells) and the Cara Mia …
Interviews
An Interview with Mars Preston
Website: http://marpreston.com BMH: What is the hardest thing about writing? What is the easiest thing about writing? MP: The hardest thing about writing is making yourself do it when you feel as though your plot has collapsed and your characters are like crash test dummies who leap up to …
Interviews
An Interview with Virgil Alexander
Website: http://virgilalexander.weebly.com Virgil Alexander is a Public Safety Writers Association award winning Author of three murder mysteries set in the contemporary west, The Wham Curse, Saints & Sinners, and The Baleful Owl. He is an Arizona native who was born and grew up in a rural area between Globe and …
Reviews
Pitts, Tom. Knuckleball. Charleston: One Eye Press, 2015. EPUB file. Reviewed by RJ Cresswell Tom Pitts lives in San Francisco where he writes well-regarded crime fiction like the books Piggyback and Hustle. He is also an acquisitions editor at Gutter Books, and the co-editor of Out of the Gutter’s Flash …
