Purchase as an Ebook here ($3.99) or as a paperback below.
Malicious Mysteries — Twenty-two award-winning stories from the Stringybark Malicious Mysteries Short Story Awards
edited by David Vernon, e-book and paperback (in press), Stringybark Publishing,
ISBN: 978-0-9875239-5-2 $14.95 includes postage within Australia. Discounts for multiple purchases.
Further up the shore, past the small dog playing in the sand, Alisha is standing barefoot at the water’s edge. Her silver strapless dress catches the light, holds it for a moment then lets it escape. The dog barks, distracting her from her downward gaze. She lunges towards him, chasing him as he runs playful circles around her. Alisha grabs something silver from the dog’s mouth, changing direction, she runs, full stride, with an urgency only hampered by the tightness of her dress.
— From The Silver Stiletto by Su White
It took a long, dirty hour to clean him up. It took a full fifteen minutes just to ease the twigs and leaves from his matted hair and another fifteen to gently pull out the small thorns and prickles that were stuck in his hands and feet. On the verandah they filled a metal tub with warm, soapy water and encouraged the boy in by adding a plastic duck to the bubbles. The men looked at each other, shaking their heads and half smiling as the boy, naked from the outset, climbed in.
— From Boy by Tania Favazza
Murder most foul. Ghostly images. A stumped detective. Lost treasure. An icy poltergeist. A lost boy. A skilled taxidermist. They are all here in this malicious collection of mysterious short stories from the Stringybark Malicious Mystery Short Story Awards. Twenty-two award-winning tales that will chill your bones and delight your senses are showcased here for your shivery delight.