Issue 22 of the quarterly MYSTERY, CRIME, AND MAYHEM focuses on white-collar crime, and SMFS members are there to document the evil deeds of the well-to-do! David H. Hendrickson's "The Telltale Scrape" pits some particularly ruthless players against each other at a new casino's poker tables. In Annie Reed's "Not Dead Yet," a pair of crooks long retired from the protection racket are called back into action when young punks make a play for their old boss's territory. Diana Deverell's "Reckless Endangerment" concerns another one-time felon, a bookkeeper who has to find an embezzler before the cops decide her record makes her the guilty party. And in Joslyn Chase's "Judge, Jury, and Executioner," two rural policemen risk everything to root out corruption in their local justice system.
Not content with their publications in MCM, Annie Reed and David H. Hendrickson also have powerful contributions to the 39th issue of PULPHOUSE FICTION MAGAZINE. Annie's "Be Someone" dives into the harrowing world of a pair of fifteen-year-old car thieves, while David's "Blue Note Heaven" has what is surely a most unusual setting for a crime story--heaven, where a newly arrived jazz musician isn't quite ready to play by the rules. 
Taking a quick trip across the pond, British publication THE PEOPLE'S FRIEND features SMFS member Liz Filleul's "School for Murder" in their 2025 Feel-Good Fiction Special. When a teacher dies at an evacuated boarding school during WWII, policewoman Evelyn Masefield quickly realizes there's more to this "accident" than meets the eye!
In Christina Hoag's "My Mother's Knives," a May feature at ALL DUE RESPECT, we meet Mary Grace, whose interest in her new downstairs neighbor just might be edging into obsession, with murderous results. A free-to-read thriller!
SMFS's Rob Lopresti graces BLACK CAT WEEKLY with "Shanks Gets Lost," the latest tale featuring his popular series character, mystery writer Leopold Longshanks, who has a puzzle to solve after a confrontation with an angry man. Another issue of BCW brings us John M. Floyd's "Thursday's Child," about a loser who steps up when his workplace is robbed.
Of course, the prolific Mr. Floyd is never happy with just one publication a month! Over at THE STRAND, he offers readers another treat with "Boom," in which two Army criminals face an unusual form of military justice.
Two SMFS members saw stories published in May in the venerable Saturday Evening Post. In Marcelle Dube's "Liminal State," Estelle's last Christmas with her sister proves more fraught than anyone expected. And in "Redemption Blues," Jennifer Slee takes us back to the Old West with the gripping story of an outlaw gang and one member who may see a way to a different kind of life.
Issue 14 of GUILTY CRIME STORY MAGAZINE hits hard with a double dose of SMFS member Brandon Barrows, who delivers both "Seen This Girl?," featuring his series character Sam Harrigan, and "Yowl," a you-solve-it mystery.
M. E. Proctor is yet another SMFS writer with two May publications to celebrate! "Shadow Play" is her contribution to the horror flash Twitter/X magazine Mythic Picnic; "Shag Haul," in the Workers Write! anthology TALES FROM THE CLEANERS, features a pair of crime scene cleaners making a discovery that will change their lives forever.
As always, SMFS members don't confine themselves to fiction, and aspiring writers can learn a lot from their blog posts and other writings. At THE FIRST TWO PAGES, Kevin Egan discusses the opening pages of "Buds," his recent story in Alfred Hitchcock's Mystery Magazine. Over at MYSTERY FANFARE, Christopher Deliso reflects on how to create a sense of place in a story. Meanwhile, at THE GOTHIC WANDERER, P. A. DeVoe is recognized for "Cold Blooded Murder," her winning story in their Gothic contest. Congrats, P. A.!
SMFS President Joseph S. Walker's story "Bonus Round," first published in Alfred Hitchcock's Mystery Magazine in 2019, was the subject of a May episode of THE MYSTERY HOUR podcast, hosted by Rabia Chaudry. The episode includes a reading of the story, about a murder timeline that just doesn't add up, as well as a discussion of the real-life case that inspired it. Find it wherever you get your podcasts!
Finally, let's recognize those members of SMFS who published full-length books in May! First up, Brandon Barrows is back again with LONG BEFORE THEY DIE, in which part-time PI Tom Ahearn is plunged into the sex and drugs of the hippie scene in 1968 Los Angeles.
In the gripping YA novel IMHOTEP AND THE QUEST TO KUSH, the second in a series, A. L. Sirois takes us to ancient Egypt's Third Dynasty as young Imhotep embarks on a perilous search, seeking remedies for his ailing king.
In Tom Milani's thriller PLACES THAT ARE GONE, a man who leads a life of dull routine is drawn into dangers beyond anything he's experienced when he picks up a hitchhiker whose past refuses to be left behind.
And we finish this month's news where we started, with David H. Hendrickson. The multi-talented writer caps off a strong SMFS May with his collection CRIME FROM ANOTHER TIME, six stories of mystery and suspense set in times ranging from the ancient world to just a few decades ago. Don't miss this riveting set from an acclaimed writer!
Stay tuned for more engaging reads from SMFS as we approach the second half of the year. And remember, if you love writing or reading short mysteries, there's a place in the Society for you!
