Welcome to Texas Reads Mysteries, where I get to share my love of books. 

What’s better than a mystery novel with all the secrets and hidden agendas of the characters and downright dirty, double-dealing skullduggery? How about a plethora of intriguing, tantalizing, page-turning mysteries of TEXAS dirty, double-dealing skullduggery? As anthologies have gained momentum over the last few years, they have become one of my favorite types of books. The perspective multiple authors bring to the plot and characters is fascinating. For this month, I’m dishing up a sizeable menu of captivating mysteries.  

NOTORIOUS IN NORTH TEXAS

Metroplex Mysteries Volume III 

It is true that there is violent crime to be found all over the country. But a particular brand of “Texas Noir” has taken root and flourished within the canon of contemporary crime fiction. And the award-winning writers included in this anthology are some of the best illuminators of Lone Star mayhem. Whether it be committed on a lonely and far-flung cattle ranch, or in the luxurious dressing rooms of Neiman Marcus, it has a unique flavor that is purely Texas. —from the Foreword by Kathleen H. Kent  

A perfect gift for mystery lovers! Welcome to the third anthology by the chapter members of Sisters in Crime North Dallas. The cities of Dallas, Fort Worth, and surrounding locales offer great fodder for mystery writers—and readers. These have inspired the stories contained in Notorious in North Texas: Metroplex Mysteries Volume II. 

“The Untitled Gunfighter Ballad” by Mark Thielman 

“Don’t Get Caught” by Karen Harrington 

“Oliver Kowalski” by Terry Shepherd 

“Amarillo by Morning” by Dänna Wilberg 

“Grave News” by Cindy Martin 

“Longshot at Lone Star Park” by ML Condike 

“Truly, Madly, Deeply” by Pam McWilliams 

“A Vague Threat” by Tiffany Seitz 

“Whatever Happened To…?” by Kevin R. Tipple 

“High Window” by Amber Royer 

“Bitter Cold” by Shannon Taft 

“Citizens Arrested” by Joseph S. Walker 

About the Editor 

MICHAEL BRACKEN (www.CrimeFictionWriter.com), who edited this anthology, is the Edgar Award- and Shamus Award-nominated, Derringer Award-winning author of more than twelve hundred short stories, including crime fiction published in Alfred Hitchcock’s Mystery Magazine, Ellery Queen Mystery Magazine, The Best American Mystery and Suspense, The Best Mystery Stories of the Year, and many other publications. Additionally, Bracken is the editor of Black Cat Mystery Magazine, associate editor of Black Cat Weekly, and editor or co-editor of thirty-one published or forthcoming anthologies, including the Anthony Award-nominated The Eyes of Texas: Private Eyes from the Panhandle to the Piney Woods. In 2024, he was inducted into the Texas Institute of Letters for his contribution to Texas literature.  

DETECTIVES, SLEUTHS, & NOSY NEIGHBORS

Do you love mystery stories? Suspense? 

Do you need to know who done it? 

Detectives, Sleuths, & Nosy Neighbors is a mystery anthology with short stories which range from the classic nosy neighbor and detective to a space sleuth. Curated and edited by A. Balsamo, these tales twist and turn until the very end. Many of the authors have published books available, so you might just find a new favorite to read. 

Stories by:  

A.R.R. Ash 

Mark Beard 

L.N. Hunter 

Mary Sophie Filicetti 

Tiffany Seitz 

J.F. Benedetto 

N.M. Cedeño 

Cassondra Windwalker 

Joe Giordano 

Kay Hanifen 

Robert Richter 

Tracy Falenwolfe 

Veronica Leigh 

Michelle Kaseler 

Kevin A. Davis 

My kind of books!