Help Me, I’m Not Dead

Crime Fiction By Anika K. Clausen The plastic lies heavy on my frozen limbs. My efforts to move are pointless, screaming –impossible. My idle olfactory capabilities allow me to discern the remaining air underneath my suffocating duvet. An iron odor fills my uncompromising trap. With my limited peripheral vision, I can sense the bed ofContinue reading “Help Me, I’m Not Dead”

Julia and Katherine

Noir Fiction By Andy Betz “Hello.  My name is Katherine Adams.” It was my reserved opening.  Neither abrupt nor capricious, I remained steadfast in my resolve to make a singular opening.  I made discreet inquiries about her idiosyncrasies and decided to discard such second hand information and decide for myself. “I read your ad inContinue reading “Julia and Katherine”

Nicole and Julia: Death at Poolside

By Andy Betz “The brochure says the Williams Aquatic Center houses a full sized Olympic swimming pool, bleachers, separate locker rooms and showers, and ample parking for up to 500 spectators.  The hours today are from 8am to 10pm which includes lifeguard and CPR classes from 10am to 1pm and free swimming for the restContinue reading “Nicole and Julia: Death at Poolside”

Judge and Jury

Crime Fiction By William M. McIntosh I’ve seen just about everything. Thirty-three years in and I still get excited, though. The chase. The capture. The power. The idea that your hard work has paid off and you’re still the man; there ain’t a feeling that comes close. I remember my first. I still think aboutContinue reading “Judge and Jury”

The Criminal Prosecutor Series

By Victor Kusske The Criminal Prosecutor is a series of crime fiction books, self- published by author Victor Kusske. It is a “crime trilogy that takes place in the 1970’s in the west. It’s a story of the murder of a mother and wife combined with the adventures of a downtown foot patrol officer.” TheContinue reading “The Criminal Prosecutor Series”

Detective Santana’s Holiday

By Russell Guenther It was 11:25, Tuesday evening, and Detective Rogelio Santana drove up to his unlit and empty house. By no means a paranoid man like many of his colleagues, he rarely locked his own car when parked under the shelter of the carport. Tonight, however, Santana had driven the county car home withContinue reading “Detective Santana’s Holiday”

Death by Leaf Blower

By Susan E. Rogers He yanked the pillow down over his head and jammed the sides up against his ears. The noise still leaked through. Rrruhrrr… Rrruhrrrr… Rrrruuuuuhhhrrrr… Rrruhrrr… Rrrruuuuuhhhrrrr… He jumped out of bed and ran to the open window. “Stop! Stop! Just stop!” Of course, no one heard him over the roar ofContinue reading “Death by Leaf Blower”

Stacks of Cord Wood

By David Larson Chapter One The bodies were stacked like cord wood. Four high like dominoes. Except these weren’t flat like dominoes. Nor like pizza boxes. More like the old glass bottles soda pop came in. Try to visualize four odd-shaped potatoes stacked. I’ve been a homicide detective for twelve years now. My partner andContinue reading “Stacks of Cord Wood”

Victor Pauline Reports

By Courtney Webb It was the end of a dry, hot summer in Central Valley. Everything was dusty and reports of fires in the mountains blared from every newscast. In Tranquility, California, a small Central Valley town, Sam Reynolds stared at the morning news with a scowl. The paper was spread out on the kitchenContinue reading “Victor Pauline Reports”

Bedford Drive

By Charles Jacobson Los Angeles: Friday, April 4, 1958. 8:06 pm. Detective Ken Stricker left his ailing mother at the Valley Hospital, put on a coat and slid into his black ’56 Packard. Vice had been quiet. He caught a 273 and 314 on the scanner, switched it off and dialed in Guy Lombardo. VeeringContinue reading “Bedford Drive”