Crime Scenes

David Dean has called Joseph S. Walker "arguably the best short crime fiction writer on the scene today," and in Crime Scenes, the first collection of his stories, you'll find ample evidence of why.

In the Edgar-nominated "Etta at the End of the World," a woman on the run after killing her abusive husband discovers an unexpected chance for redemption on a Florida beach. She's just the first of many remarkable characters in these twenty stories-stories which have also been finalists for Thriller, Derringer, and Shamus awards, won two Al Blanchard Awards, and been featured in multiple editions of The Best Mystery Stories of the Year. There's the therapist who takes a desperate step to resolve the conflict her client can't get past. The retired pitcher coping with a bizarre ransom demand when his wife is abducted. The young pickpocket struggling to protect her aging mentor. The mob boss whose niece just might make the Olympics, if he can stay out of her way. The assassin whose latest assignment makes him a little too curious for his own good.

All of them will keep you turning the pages, eager to see what's coming next. As Janet Hutchings, longtime editor of Ellery Queen's Mystery Magazine, writes, "The styles of this author's stories vary; when he's in classic noir mode, he could rival Chandler for similes that hit the mark and stay in the brain. Every fan of short crime fiction will find something to enjoy in this volume!"

Joseph S. Walker is the author of more than a hundred published crime and mystery stories, which have appeared in various magazines and anthologies (including four editions of Best Mystery Stories of the Year). He has been a finalist for the Edgar, Derringer, Shamus, and Thriller awards and is a two-time winner of the Al Blanchard Award. From 2024 to 2026, he served as the president of the Short Mystery Fiction Society. He lives in Indiana.