Excerpted from an interview in the Hillsboro, TX, Beacon, October, 7, 1936. Behind the counter, the cook stands eyeballing the three of us as we come in. There’s a couple of farmers at a table to our left and a husband and wife drinking coffee on the far end. We march to the right and […]
The mouth heals quickly. In two or three days, this hole two-thirds of the way through the inside of my face will be gone. That is if I could just keep my tongue out of it. Ironically enough, I received this war wound preventing violence. Or, at least, attempting to prevent it. See, my drinking […]
March 10th Dear Highland Woods, You are the perfect neighborhood for us! You offer an ideal place for me and Alex to start over after her. We will leave the past behind as we settle down here in a lovely home with our very own garden. I can’t wait to live in bliss. With gratitude, […]
We’d gotten across the border with no problem. Patrol was lazy, as I’d barely been patted down. My assistant, they left her alone completely. I think age and beauty had something to do with it. Me in my seventies and her an intimidating sight you’d more likely see on canvas than walking down a street. […]
Over the last two years we’ve had the pleasure to release Bobby Mathew’s debut, LIVING THE GIMMICK, and sophomore release, MAGIC CITY BLUES. Once again into the breach with NEGATIVE TILT: Stories, a collection that is more than crime, but full of heart, hope, and sorrow. What to Expect inside… An out-of-work journalist finds a […]
“Baby, I like this new, kinky side of you,” I said, touching the cool cloth covering my eyes. “I thought you would,” she purred. “Did you miss me?” “You know it.” It’d been a few weeks since I’d seen her. Now here she was, lingering outside my usual haunt, tempting me to take a walk […]
They were married, but not to each other. Their destruction was mutually assured. You’re telling my husband? Not before I tell your wife. They met at a school drop-off, and were late for pick-up. During their third tryst they discovered they were also into guns. They took turns pulling the trigger on probably-empty cylinders, late […]
For as long as I remember, Eric Beetner has been a fixture of the crime writing community. He became part of the Shotgun Honey community with his story “A Measure of Time” back in 2011, our inaugural year. He’s contributed to our Shotgun Honey Presents series, kindly blurbed some of our novels, and is often […]
Grandpa Dave had sleeves of tattoos and a full back piece, but not that artistic black and grey or colorful Japanese shit. You couldn’t get that kind of work in prison. His ink was light blue, with thin lines and minimal shading. Two angels kissing. A bear. Script that had become unreadable. Dave was a […]
Nguyen clocks the Matisse on the wall—ignores it. Kessler broke it down when he laid out the score. “It’s a fake.” Then that trademark Kessler grin. “Real one’s on loan to the Guggenheim. You think he’d leave ninety million with his cokehead son?” The safe’s been left on day lock. Four turns until the door […]
Somewhere in Los Angels tonight there is a body in a trunk. The car is traveling south on the 110 from Compton to San Pedro. The man driving the car doesn’t know who it is, or why they are there. He doesn’t care. The car is a four-door sedan and the ads when it was […]
