Short Stories
The Persimmon Stories
One of my favourite characters, Persimmon Worthing, appears in the stories that I’ve grouped below.
Squashed to Death
Did you know there is a National Sneak a Zucchini onto Your Neighbour’s Porch Day? There is, and it led to Squashed to Death. This story is the first interaction between Persimmon Worthing, a woman who knows almost everything about almost everyone in Blossom City, and Sergeant Courgette, head of the local police force. Squashed to Death appeared in early 2022 in Seeds, the Texas Gardeners’ newsletter. You can read the story here.
Pickled to Death
Persimmon once more helps Sergeant Milton Courgette solve a murder, this time at Blossom City’s renowned pickling competition.
This short story appears in Crime Wave, an anthology published by the Canada West chapter of Sisters in Crime.
You can purchase Crime Wave here.
Deadly Drama at the
Accordion-o-rama
Not every person in Blossom City loves the accordion—grumblings and protests are standard operating procedure during the lead-up to the town’s annual Accordion-o-rama. But this year accordion fanciers have no sooner parked their RVs in the town’s fairgrounds than a murder occurs, drawing the crime-fighting duo of Persimmon Worthing and Sergeant Courgette into a search for the killer, who may not be finished protesting Blossom City’s ode to the squeezebox. You can purchase this issue of Black Cat Weekly here.
Lazy Days Parade Takes a Tragic Turn
Persimmon Worthing teams up with Sergeant Courgette of the Blossom City Police to solve a murder during the famed Lazy Days Parade .
This short story appears in Black Cat Mystery Magazine, #12.
You can purchase Black Cat Magazine here.
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Deadly Days in Blossom City, Again
This story appears in Blood is Thicker, an anthology of twisted family traditions, published by Iguana Books in partnership with the Canadian Authors Association.
Each of the stories in the anthology opens with the same first line:
“It was February 29 again, and I was wondering which member of my family would try to kill me this time.”
You can purchase Blood is Thicker from Iguana Books or on Amazon.ca.
Standalone Stories
My standalone stories are grouped below.
Done and Dusted
This story features a woman of a certain age, setting things right in her world. You can find this story, and 15 other fabulous short mysteries, in Crime Wave: Women of a Certain Age, an anthology published by Sisters in Crime-Canada West.
The anthology is available here.
Creatures of Habit
Have you ever wondered what really goes on behind the scenes when members of a family not only own a business together but share living accommodations? That was the leaping off point for my story, Creatures of Habit, which features the owners of the fictional Four Sisters Resort outside Sedona, Arizona.
The story appears in So West: Love Kills, an anthology of the Desert Sleuths chapter of Sisters in Crime, Inc. The anthology contains 22 stories set in Arizona and written by members of Desert Sleuths and is available now.
You can purchase a copy of So West: Love Kills here.
All My Darlings
My short story, All My Darlings, joins 44 other stories that will make you chuckle or laugh out loud in Die Laughing, An Anthology of Humorous Mysteries, a publication of Mystery Weekly.
The story centres around a writer who has challenges finishing stories (hmm, I wonder where I got that idea?) until her characters take control of things.
And great news! All My Darlings has been nominated by Crime Writers of Canada for a 2022 Award of Excellence (in the categor of Best Crime Short Story).
Die Laughing, An Anthology of Humorous Mysteries is available here.
You can learn more about the Crime Writers of Canada Awards of Excellence here.
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