Mystery Magazine: January 2024

At the cutting edge of crime fiction, Mystery Magazine presents original short stories by the world’s best-known and emerging mystery writers. The stories we feature in our monthly issues span every imaginable subgenre, including cozy, police procedural, noir, whodunit, supernatural, hardboiled, humor, and historical mysteries. Evocative writing and a compelling story are the only certainty. Get ready to be surprised, challenged, and entertained--whether you enjoy the style of the Golden Age of mystery (e.g., Agatha Christie, Arthur Conan Doyle), the glorious pulp digests of the early twentieth century (e.g., Dashiell Hammett, Raymond Chandler), or contemporary masters of mystery. ★ In this issue ★In our cover story, “Jake Brown’s Anomalies” by Arend In his small Nebraska town, Jake Brown sits on his porch and watches the world go by. When he begins to notice anomalies in the passing scene, though, his observations lead to the solution to multiple murders. …“Spinning Monkey Thriller” by Martin Hill While awaiting his assignment, a hitman has a potentially life-changing encounter.“Something Like Happiness” by Joslyn In 1925 Bavaria, Rein Werner seizes a chance to avenge his brother's death and sabotage a corrupt Third Reich official rising to power. He puts together a crack team of criminals to make it happen.In “What The Boy Said” by Wynn Quon, two partners-in-crime are angling for their next assignment. Their rich client is supposed to meet them but why hasn't she shown up?In “Freezer Burn” by April Kelly, two larcenous country boys find out the hard way that there are cold cases and then there are—“The Good Neighbor” by Martin Sitting in a Berlin café, an American tourist sees a woman he knew years ago in the Gulf. Back then, she got into trouble with the police and he lied for her, without understanding the cause of her predicament. The mystery is about to be solveIn our You-Solve-It mystery, “Orange Cones And Alibis” by Kate Fellowes, a construction project's power cut sets the scene for an unlikely burglary. Can you guess who did it?Custom Cover Art by Robin Grenville Evans.