Author Description

The best in Short Mystery Fiction In Mystery Weekly Magazine's tradition of almost-anything-goes publishing, this month's issue is an eclectic mix of crime, comedic, literary, and even somewhat disturbing short stories having one thing in common: maximum entertainment value. This is an issue you'll be recommending to friends and family. "Terrible Tilly," our cover story by Jake Teeny, is one to be read slowly and savoured for its rich and evocative language. It centers around an isolate lighthouse and three quarrelsome keepers at the brink of madness; one of them has been stealing the lamp's kerosene, but is there a motive behind the madness? This captivating lighthouse tale is a shining example of the effective use of voice in storytelling. Kassandra Montag's, "Water Wolf," is a haunting, lyrical mystery involving children who disappear while picking berries in the forest. There is certainly a compelling question at the heart of this story, and readers who don't get lost in the beautiful prose will find subtle clues strewn about. Certainly those who appreciate poetry or a well-turned phrase will come to the end of this story wanting more. "Finder's Fee," by JM Taylor, is a fresh and amusing take on an age-old theme: be careful what you wish for! And following with a similar theme is "Au Lait," by Dan Crawford, a hilarious story about an enchanted swizzle stick falling into the hands of a very undeserving lady at a coffee shop. Readers are advised not to have a mouthful of coffee while reading this one! Our darker story is "Encumbered," by William R. Eakin. A canoe trip on a swollen river, a baby lost, a new husband with a love for campsites with high vistas--what else could a woman want to become unencumbered? In his genre-crossing tale, "The End Of The Road," Manny Frishberg gives us the most remote setting of any we have ever run, the surface of the moon. A new moon buggy modelled after a Plymouth Barracuda is about to be unveil