Everything was going along swimmingly at the Romance Writers conference . . . until the body floated up from under the lazy river ride. Many of the folks in attendance thought the body was a mannequin, but realized the cold hard truth when someone realized it was the body of the conference chair, Hector. Resembling…
To tide Orphan X readers over before the new novel, Lone Wolf, comes out in February, Gregg Hurwitz has written an eBook short story called The Recital that takes place in the world of Evan Smoak. It’s perfect for both long-time fans and readers new to the series, and it’s only $1.99. Story Description The Orphan Program—which recruited…
Thank you to Denise Johnson, for suggesting the title for this story on our Instagram Post! “sELF Preservation” As the bullets flew over his head, he returned fire by shooting out the gang member’s kneecaps. The bullets continued, and he was worried he was about to run out of ammo. It was tough being an…
“Arsenic and the Shepherd” Eyebrows knotted, Superintendent McIntyre said, “Mee-thay?” My superior officer’s grasp of the vernacular was questionable, even after a decade in charge of the growing Bombay police force. 1892 had not been a good year for him—the hot summer air that the three-bladed punkha fans barely circulated, complaints from the Governor’s council, and constant interference from…
1 It had snowed the night before, just a trace, but now the sky was a deep blue, and a faint breeze was blowing powder off the boughs of the pines. Spellbound by the glitter in the air, I slowed my patrol truck and thought how it might have seemed to someone more innocent than…
We teamed up with five crime writers to create a short story in real-time. The end result was “Axel’s Lament” which you can read in full below. A special thank you goes out to the participating authors (in order of appearance): C. J. Box, Ellison Cooper, Gregg Hurwitz, Michele Campbell, and Allison Brennan. The full…
We teamed up with six crime writers to create a short story in real-time. The end result was “Murder on the Cul de Sac” which you can read in full below. A special thank you goes out to the participating authors (in order of appearance): Jess Montgomery, D.J. Palmer, Sarah Stewart Taylor, Brian Panowich, Sandie…
Enjoy “Backtrack”—an original, brand new, Criminal Element-exclusive short story from Edgar Award finalist Paul Doiron, author of the bestselling Mike Bowditch series. When a visiting hunter goes missing in the middle of a snowstorm, a young Charley Stevens (later the mentor to game warden Mike Bowditch) sets off to rescue him—but begins to suspect the…
“The Bear Trap” by Paul Doiron is an original short story in the Mike Bowditch mystery series, where legendary Maine woodsman and bush pilot Charley Stevens tries to convince young Mike Bowditch of the dangers awaiting rookie game wardens. “The Bear Trap” The wind moved across the surface of the lake like breath upon a…
