I've been busy adding to the Al Pennyback series, and in those I follow the rules of mystery writing; a crime, a criminal and victim, lots of clues, and a protoganist who faces long odds but prevails in the end.  A good mystery story, though, doesn't always have to be about a crime.  In my latest short story, Sour Note, a continuation of a series of stories about Louis Dumkowski, a born loser who…

New issue of Kings River Life is up and we have a fun mystery short story by Barry Ergang, "The Mall Tea's Fall Kin" http://kingsriverlife.com/09/03/the-mall-teas-fall-kin-an-original-mystery-short-story/ And a double header book reviews of a pair of mysteries with Western American/Native American settings-"Devil's Kitchen" by Clark Lohr & "Death Along The Spirit Road" by C. M. Wendelboe…

I've written this story as an immediate response to the murder and arrest of anti-government demonstrators all over Syria--and elsewhere in the Arab world. It’s a work of fiction based on the characters in my series of Palestinian crime novels. But real people are still being killed. 

DAMASCUS TRANCE

An Omar Yussef story

By Matt Rees

The crowd started to clear the wide, covered arcade of the Souk Hammidiyye even before the first shot. Omar Yussef saw a dread…

In honor of May being National Short Story Month, my new short mystery story  Laundy Day is now available as a free download at Smashwords. When Gregg accidentally discovers his neighbor’s lingerie collection drip-drying in her shower, he stares in fascination at a scene that looks like laundry day at the whorehouse. After his neighbor is found dead – strangled with her own fishnet stocking – the next victim might even be closer to home. The Stacy Juba Mystery Sampler at…

I have observed in this space before that author bios tend to be short on interesting detail and overfull of prize lists. Philip Roth, for example, doesn’t seem to exist, according to his bio. He doesn’t live anywhere, nor was he born. He simply receives prizes. This week I’m reading a very good historical novel by a writer who shall remain nameless. Perhaps it’s best that she…

A thief goes into a confessional to search for a hidden treasure but instead finds a priest willing to hear his past sins. 

I’m giving away my short story Absolution Withheld. It was originally published in the now defunct Amazon Short programs but now is yours to have. To get it, I won’t ask you to search for hidden pictures, or fill out a questionnaire, or buy any thing upfront. This time it’s a giveaway plain and simple.

Just email me at jhbogran at…