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“Dark Thread, Loose Strands”
“Dark Thread, Loose Strands” shuttles between three perspectives whose storylines intersect in an incident of schoolyard bullying.
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“Two For One”
Murder, Neat: A SleuthSayers Anthology features short fiction by members of the group blog SleuthSayers, whose contributors include some of the…
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“We Keep The Wall Between Us As We Go”
Warring neighbors, clashing perspectives, and a journey back to the heart of their conflict. Taking its title from a line…
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“Ordeals”
My story “Ordeals” breaks one of Monsignor Ronald Knox’s cardinal rules for writing crime fiction—but readers will have to read…
Continue reading →![](https://arttaylorwriter.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/CastleThief_Cover-160x240.jpg)
The Adventure of the Castle Thief and Other Expeditions and Indiscretions
A man hears a melody in the night and begins a dangerous quest to locate its source. Ghosts of the…
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“The Invisible Band”
Agatha Award Finalist, Best Short Story Read here for free for a limited time! I’m pleased to have my story…
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“We Are All Strangers Here”
A woman sipping an Amaretto Sour at a hotel bar during a business convention. A man approaching the stool beside her, asking if the seat is taken. Flirtation ensues, and assessments too—head to toe . . . and in other directions as well . . .
Continue reading →![](https://arttaylorwriter.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/cover-cudmore-taylor-lawyers-guns-money-print-160x245.jpg)
Lawyers, Guns, and Money
Anthony Award Finalist! Lawyers, Guns, and Money celebrates the music of Warren Zevon with a wide range of crime stories.
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“Love Me or Leave Me”
“Love Me or Leave Me” appears in the new anthology from the Crime Writers Association.
Continue reading →![](https://arttaylorwriter.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/cover-westmoreland-trouble-no-more-300x464px-160x247.webp)
“Little Martha”
“Little Martha” appears in the anthology Trouble No More, edited by Mark Westmoreland and featuring crime fiction inspired by Southern…
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How to Write a Mystery
Mystery Writers of America’s new handbook features my essay on writing short stories.
Continue reading →![](https://arttaylorwriter.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/Ornamental-Cover-160x246.jpg)
“Ornamental, My Dear Watson”
A standalone Christmas story, published by Crippen & Landru in a limited edition for their subscribers.
Continue reading →![](https://arttaylorwriter.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/California-Schemin-Cover-160x236.jpg)
California Schemin’—Bouchercon Anthology 2020
The 2020 Bouchercon anthology features first-time writers as well as celebrated authors—and stories across a wide array of genres as well.
Continue reading →![](https://arttaylorwriter.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/Invitation-to-Murder-cover-160x238.jpg)
“All Tomorrow’s Parties”
In some ways a twist on the Cinderella tale, “All Tomorrow’s Parties” looks toward a fateful midnight at a party where the stakes are literally life and death.
Continue reading →![](https://arttaylorwriter.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/BoyDetective_Cover-160x238.jpg)
The Boy Detective & The Summer of ’74 and Other Tales of Suspense
Sixteen stories highlighting nearly a quarter century of my short mystery fiction.
Continue reading →![](https://arttaylorwriter.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/jonicover.final_-160x250.jpg)
“Both Sides Now”
My first collaboration with my wife Tara Laskowski—first LITERARY collaboration, that is!—was inspired by one of Joni Mitchell’s most popular songs.
Continue reading →![](https://arttaylorwriter.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/cover-chen-aymar-swamp-killers-red-off-160x240.jpg)
“A Close Shave”
“A Close Shave” offers more than one tip of the razor toward Ring Lardner’s classic story “Haircut.”
Continue reading →![](https://arttaylorwriter.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/Crime-Travel-cover-160x247.jpg)
“Hard Return”
“Hard Return” is part of an anthology exploring the intersection of crime fiction and time travel.
Continue reading →![](https://arttaylorwriter.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/AHM120-Cover-160x228.jpg)
“The Boy Detective & The Summer of ’74”
Finalist for the Agatha Award for Best Short Story and the Derringer Award for Best Novelette.
Continue reading →![](https://arttaylorwriter.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/A_Dark_Thread_2048x2048-160x243.jpg)
“Des Fils Un Peu Trop Distendus”
A French translation of my story “Loose Strands,” still forthcoming in its original English publication.
Continue reading →![](https://arttaylorwriter.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/EQMM-May-June-2019-color-160x230.jpg)
“Better Days”
Macavity Award Winner, Best Short Story.
Agatha & Anthony Award Finalist, Best Short Story.
A follow up to my Derringer Award-winning story “A Drowning at Snow’s Cut.”
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“English 398: Fiction Workshop”
Edgar Award Winner, Best Short Story
Macavity Award Winner, Best Short Story
Agatha and Anthony Award Finalist, Best Short Story
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“Sunday Morning, Saturday Night”
This noir tale barely tops 1000 words, but I hope it packs a wallop well beyond its word count.
Continue reading →![](https://arttaylorwriter.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/BlackCatDebut-160x242.jpg)
“Fairy Tales”
The debut issue of this new mystery magazine features my story “Fairy Tales”—about a generational showdown over a small bit of street (with much, much more ultimately at stake).
Continue reading →![](https://arttaylorwriter.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/cover-mcaleer-marks-coast-to-coast-2-600x900px-160x240.jpg)
“A Necessary Ingredient”
Agatha, Anthony, and Macavity Award Finalist, Best Short Story
Continue reading →![](https://arttaylorwriter.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/EQM-NOV-2016-160x236.jpg)
“The Great Detective Reflects”
My first try at Sherlockiana (does it really count?) appears in the November 2016 issue of EQMM.
Continue reading →![](https://arttaylorwriter.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/09/BAMS2016-160x240.jpg)
The Best American Mystery Stories 2016
Featuring ”Rearview Mirror,” the opening story in my novel in stories On the Road with Del & Louise.
Continue reading →![](https://arttaylorwriter.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/02/CC_StormWarning_FINAL-160x238.jpeg)
“Parallel Play”
Agatha Award Winner, Best Short Story
Macavity Award Winner, Best Short Story
Anthony Award Finalist, Best Short Story
Thriller Award Finalist, Best Short Story
![](https://arttaylorwriter.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/12/Crime-Syndicate-160x255.jpg)
“Restoration”
“Restoration” is a noir tale with a dose of speculative fiction, featured in the debut issue of Crime Syndicate: A Magazine of Crime Fiction.
Continue reading →![On the Road with Del & Louise](https://arttaylorwriter.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/on-the-road-160x247.jpg)
On the Road with Del & Louise: A Novel in Stories
Agatha Award Winner, Best First Novel
Anthony & Macavity Award Finalist, Best First Novel
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Murder Under the Oaks: Bouchercon Anthology 2015
The 2015 Bouchercon anthology, which I edited and which features 21 stories from veterans and newcomers alike.
Continue reading →![](https://arttaylorwriter.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/EQMMCommissionCover-copy-160x235.jpg)
“Commission”
My second story featuring Del and Louise—both a follow-up to the Derringer Award-winning story “Rearview Mirror” and a preview of On the Road with Del & Louise: A Novel in Stories.
Continue reading →![](https://arttaylorwriter.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/EQMMNov14-160x234.jpg)
“The Odds Are Against Us”
Winner of the Agatha and Anthony Awards and finalist for the Macavity for Best Short Story.
Continue reading →![](https://arttaylorwriter.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/gar61-160x202.jpg)
“Precision”
A safecracker who has tried to put his criminal past behind him gets pulled into one more job—possibly his last.
Continue reading →![](https://arttaylorwriter.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/moleskines-300x300-160x160.jpg)
Fiction Bibliography
A frequently updated list of fiction publications in magazines, journals, and anthologies.
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