William Burton McCormick

Set in Latvia between 1905 and 1941, this historical thriller is about a young Latvian-German aristocrat named Wiktor Rooks who gets involved in the Bolshevik Revolution and is eventually coerced into the Russian Army and by a twist of fate, becomes a member of the elite Red Riflemen of the Revolution, a regiment nicknamed "Lenin's Harem" for their absolute loyalty to the cause. Wiktor hides his aristocratic past and finds friendship among the soldiers, and falls inlove with a communist girl. In the ensuing years of war, he realizes that he has lost everything... home and heritage and the very purpose of his life. He has faced seductions, an unscrupulous woman, a doomed nation, and a treacherous ideology. When the wars end, he returns to his homeland, but betrayals await and Stalin's soldiers are soon knocking on his door.

Lenin's Harem

David Krugler

Arendse Lund

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 feature, "Down To The Bear Bone" by C. L. Cobb, stories of loyalty are nothing new. But it's still frightening what a mother will do. In "Every Fire Wants To Kill" by David Krugler, an arsonist-for-hire is burning down vacant homes in a 1970s Chicago slum for a crooked landlord, who pockets insurance checks. The landlord's assistant, exposes the scheme to the fire department. But is he really trying to stop the fire? "Quelle Horreur!" by William Burton Mccormick: When Dubois can find no other free room on a stormy night in Odessa, he must lodge at a shadowed rooming house where few last the night. "Letter To The Archivist" by Arendse Lund: A letter arrives for the Archivist, espousing the virtues of the incredible collection in intricate and alarmingly intimate detail. "Murder Over Easy" by Ewan A. Dougall is a noir story investigating a murder scene as two partners become increasingly suspicious of one another. "A Diagnosis At Dinner" by Barton Paul Levenson: One of three men at a dinner at Winston Churchill's wartime retreat is a Nazi spy. But which one? "The Containment Spell" by Pablo Patiño is a ghost story with a spell-binding twist. "Cousin Ronald And The Dead Man" by Ryan Micheal Hines: A bootlegger in 1940s Appalachia runs moonshine to support his young orphan cousin, but the appearance of a strange and dangerous criminal known as the Dead Man threatens to destroy everything and unearth an old secret. "A Deceased In The Dumpster" by Linda Norlander: Greta of Greta's Green Clean is asked to investigate after a body is found in the dumpster of a trailer court "The Felonious Feline," A You-Solve-It, by John H. Dromey: Is a cat living one of its nine lives as a criminal? Or is the feline perhaps an unwitting accomplice in a caper that includes a home invasion? Custom Cover Art By Robin Grenville Evans

August 2023

Mystery Magazine

The year is 1900. The port city of Odessa on the Black Sea is being terrorized by a brutal killer called the Specter. With five people already dead, the murderer promises more. One family, the Karadopoulinas, run a boarding house. Sisters Tasia and Eleni feel certain the killer is a scarred, shambling Londoner who took lodging with them one night during a thunderstorm. Furtive and threatening, Henry Humble, stalks Odessa's labyrinth of interlocking courtyards and foggy docks at night, armed with weapons and skeleton keys. As the body count rises, so do the questions... Who is the mysterious figure haunting the catacombs below the streets of Odessa? Why won't Eleni's police constable sweetheart investigate? Who will be the next to die? A Victorian-style murder mystery with elements of horror, adventure, and Hitchcockian black humor. "A Stranger from the Storm" by William Burton McCormick is a novella published by Mannison Press, LLC. Praise for A Stranger from the Storm "Unimaginable evil stalks the dark, labyrinthian streets in the Greek Quarter of Victorian Odessa. Meanwhile another haunts the eerie catacombs below. Only the Karadopoulinas twin sisters can solve the string of grisly murders that have terrorized the city--but they'll have to stop sparring with each other first and work together as a team. A delightful and gripping Gothic murder mystery with a pair of humorous, courageous and refreshingly different young sleuths." ~Karen Charlton, author of The Detective Lavender Mysteries series "A rollicking gothic-horror comedy magically set in 1900 Odessa." ~Judith Cutler, author of the Harriet and Matthew Rowsley series "As dark and labyrinthine as the tunnels beneath Odessa, and with as many twists. Enthralling!" ~Clio Gray, author of Booker Nominated & Bailey's Longlisted The Anatomist's Dream "A sly, wry look at murder, William Burton McCormick has given us the perfect read for Halloween--and the whole year. With a pair of quip-trading twins for sleuths, enough red herrings to fill a lake in Odessa, and a villain you won't readily guess, A Stranger from the Storm gives the reader a fast, snappy tour of times gone by in a place laden with history and secrets kept far underground." ~Jenny Milchman, USA Today bestselling author of Cover of Snow and The Second Mother

A Stranger from the Storm

David Goodis

Hal Charles

Tom Marcinko

Shannon Taft

Arthur Leo Zagat 

Stephen Marlowe 

E.E. “Doc” Smith

Welcome to Black Cat Weekly #52. This week, our acquiring editors have outdone themselves—Michael Bracken has an original story by William Burton McCormick, “House of Tigers,” which was a Black Orchid Novella Award finalist. Though it didn’t win, it’s a great story. (Competition is fierce for this particular award, since it judged by Linda Landrigan, editor of Alfred Hitchcock’s Mystery Magazine. I won the first Black Orchid for my story “Horse Pit,” and I haven’t dared enter since—I try to read all the winners, and they keep getting better and better. These days I probably wouldn’t stand a chance!) Barb Goffman also has an original, “It’s Not Tennis” by Shannon Taft, another good one. And Cynthia Ward has selected the modern classic “Whiter Teeth, Fresher Breath” by Tom Marcinko, which proves aliens do have it all. Even better oral hygiene! Plus we have a mystery novel by David Goodis (author of Dark Passage and Shoot the Piano Player), a space opera by E.E. “Doc” Smith, and science fiction from Arthur Leo Zagat and Stephen Marlowe! Here’s the complete lineup: Mysteries / Suspense / Adventure: “House of Tigers,” by William Burton McCormick [Michael Bracken Presents, Novella] “Mailed It,” by Hal Charles [Solve-It-Yourself Mystery] “It’s Not Tennis,” by Shannon Taft [Barb Goffman Presents short story] Cassidy’s Girl, by David Goodis [novel] Science Fiction & Fantasy: “Whiter Teeth, Fresher Breath,” by Tom Marcinko [Cynthia Ward Presents short story] “Picnic,” by Stephen Marlowe [short story] “The Cavern of the Shining Pool,” by Arthur Leo Zagat [novella] Galactic Patrol, by E.E. “Doc” Smith [novel]

Black Cat Weekly #52

Dashiell Hammett

Brian Stanley

Boris Dralyuk

Michael Bracken

Isaac Babel

Frederick C. Davis

Jane Jakeman

Carroll John Daly

Frederick Nebel

Brian Townsley

Hannah Honeybun

Katrina Younes

Frank Megna

Jonathan Sheppard

Jim Doherty

D.L. Champion

T.T. Flynn

Arthur Rodman Bowker

Norman Saunders

Black Mask, the greatest American detective magazine of all time, is back with another issue. This time around, it includes nine new stories in the Black Mask vein by Brian Townsley, Jane Jakeman, Brian Stanley, Hannah Honeybun, William Burton McCormick, Frank Megna, Jonathan Sheppard, Michael Bracken, Jim Doherty, as well as a new article on Raymond Chandler’s The Little Sister by Katrina Younes. In addition, Boris Dralyuk has kindly supplied his translation of Isaac Babel’s “Lyubka the Cossack” and arranged for its reprinting here. And, as with previous issues, Black Mask collects some of the best hard-boiled detective fiction from the Popular Publications vaults, as written by some of the genre’s best: Dashiell Hammett, D.L. Champion, Carroll John Daly, Frederick Nebel, T.T. Flynn, and Frederick C. Davis.

Black Mask 2019 Yearbook

Michael Sears

Jade Kerrion

Robert Rotstein

Daco Auffenorde

Elle Andrews Patt

Bria Burton

Charles A. Cornell

Parker Francis

Ken Pelham

Melanie Terry Griffey

John Hope

M.J. Carlson

The twelve stories comprising In Shadows Written: An Anthology of Modern Horror takes us into the hearts and minds of thirteen award-winning authors. Explore the wide reach of horror fiction of the early 21st century. “Familiar” by Ken Pelham. Is it research or witchcraft? Science or magic? A young Bostonian discovers the connection between her disintegrating marriage and a mysterious accident on the dark wet highway to Salem. “The Legend of Johnny Bell” by Elle Andrews Patt. Ah, Johnny Bell. His heart is in the right place, but he’s not the sharpest machete in the zombie apocalypse. Finally, an author has found a good use for Pomeranians. “The Antiquary’s Wife” by William Burton McCormick. Folk legend, prejudice, and suspicion haunt a young American couple traveling the Ukrainian countryside of the 19th century. This novelette was a Finalist for the prestigious Derringer Award. “Kev” by Michael Sears. Two boys out on a late-night lark, looking for thrills, a little breaking and entering. You take into account the things that could go wrong but forget that the world has real-life flesh and blood monsters among its vast web of living things. “Insecurity Complex” by Jade Kerrion. What’s a self-respecting ghost to do when everyone is so over-entertained with their gadgets and personal electronics? Short, sweet, and funny. Winner of the Royal Palm Literary Award. “A Dream Within A Dream” by Bria Burton. Our memories and realities are shaped by that which we need to be true. A young girl struggles through family tragedy in this haunting story inspired by Edgar Allan Poe. “Texting April” by Parker Francis. Consumer electronics puts a horrifying spin on the traditional ghost story. Text messages will never be the same. Winner of the Royal Palm Literary Award. “Gabriel” by Melanie Terry Griffey. We’ve all brought home a stray at one time or another, and loved that poor beast as if it were family. Not all strays are what they seem. Winner of the 2010 Flights of Fantasy award. “The Alexandrite Necklace” by Daco Auffenorde and Robert Rotstein. Vanity, jealousy, and jewelry to die for steer a Hollywood actress on an upward career arc. But every arc must ultimately reach a zenith. A modern retelling of Guy de Maupassant’s “The Necklace.” “Beating Cats” by John Hope. Addiction preys upon innocence in this dark, disturbing tour of the human psyche, the monsters within us, and the slide into depravity. “Three Two One, Wake Up” by M.J. Carlson. Science fiction in the tradition of Philip K. Dick meets horror in the tradition of Jack Finney and H.P. Lovecraft. Are your friends and neighbors really who you think? Are you better off not knowing? “Die Fabrik (The Factory)” by Charles A. Cornell. In a dieselpunk vision of Nazi Germany, weapons research and genocide become one in a nightmarish, secret factory in this novella.

An Anthology of Modern Horror

In Shadows Written

Jim Snowden

Felicity Bloomfield

'What is a blood promise?' Finally they ask something useful. I peel the tissues off my hand and show them. A blood promise is a promise that cannot be broken. You have to keep your promise or die trying. From Felicity Bloomfield's "Blood" Blood Promises and Other Commitments contains three stories about unbreakable commitments: to family, to social class, or to the ideal plane. With settings ranging from war-torn East Timor to Reagan-era Utah to Prerevolutionary Russia, the stories in Blood Promises tell of unique characters paying the price of devotion.

Blood Promises, and Other Commitments

William Burton McCormick

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