The Best Private Eye Stories of the Year 2025

Level Short, 2025

Guest Editor Matt Coyle and Series Editor Michael Bracken read hundreds of private eye stories, ultimately selecting the twenty stories included here as The Best Private Eye Stories of the Year. The included stories represent the work of long-established private-eye writers as well as those just beginning their publishing journey, and they were found in genre publications such as Alfred Hitchcock’s Mystery Magazine and Ellery Queen’s Mystery Magazine, anthologies such as Private Dicks and Disco Balls, and in unexpected publications such as Jerry Jazz Musician—proving that the private eye genre is alive and well in short form.

Includes stories by:
Tom Andes • Pete Barnstrom • Robert J. Binney • Alec Cizak • Libby Cudmore • O’Neil De Noux • Luke Deckard • BV Lawson • Andrew McAleer • Ron Miller • Bruce W. Most • Marcia Muller • Twist Phelan • Neil S. Plakcy • William Dylan Powell • M.E. Proctor • Mark Thielman • Vicki Weisfeld • Andrew Welsh-Huggins • Sam Wiebe • And “The Private Eye Year in Review” by Kevin Burton Smith

Sleuths Just Wanna Have Fun

Private Eyes in the Materialistic Eighties

Down & Out Books, 2025

The 1980s saw the first space shuttle lift off, the end of the Cold War, Live Aid, Chernobyl, the fall of the Berlin Wall, the release of the first personal computer, the rise of Reaganomics, the Tiananmen Square protests, and creation of the first designer babies.

At the same time, Cyndi Lauper was “The Voice of the MTV generation,” and girls weren’t the only people who wanted to have fun.

In this rapidly changing environment, private eyes provided clients with legal and extra-legal services, and the stories included here explore the lighter side of sleuthing during the 1980s.

Sleuths Just Wanna Have Fun features fourteen of today’s top PI writers and talented newcomers, including:
Elizabeth Elwood • John M. Floyd • Debra H. Goldstein • James A. Hearn • Richard Helms • Kathleen Marple Kalb • Tom Milani • Sandra Murphy • Laura Oles • Alan Orloff • William Dylan Powell • Mark Thielman • Joseph S. Walker • Andrew Welsh-Huggins

Janie’s Got a Gun

Crime Fiction Inspired by the Music of Aerosmith

White City Press, 2024

With a career spanning over 50 years, Aerosmith has been a trend-setter in the world of rock and roll. From early hits such as “Dream On” and “Sweet Emotion” to their legendary collaboration with Run DMC for a cover of “Walk This Way” to their contribution of “Don’t Wanna Miss a Thing” on the soundtrack for Armageddon, Aerosmith has proved time and again to be a band capable of reinvention and constant influence on the music scene.

With their 2024 announcement that the band will no longer tour, 16 crime fiction authors have come together to produce an anthology paying tribute to some of Aerosmith’s greatest hits and their studio albums. This literary trip across the rock and roll landscape is courtesy of multi-award winning editor Michael Bracken with stories by:
Bill Baber • John C. Bruening • Leone Ciporin • Mary Dutta • Eve Fisher • John M. Floyd • Avram Lavinsky • Steve Liskow • Jeffrey Marks • Tom Mead • Adam Meyer • Tom Milani • M.E. Proctor • Ed Ridgley • Joseph S. Walker • Jim Winter

Scattered, Smothered, Covered & Chunked

Crime Fiction Inspired by Waffle House

Down & Out Books, 2024

There’s no closing time for crime.

Editors Michael Bracken and Stacy Woodson order up hardboiled and noir stories by talented and award-winning crime-fiction writers.

Tales of redemption, revenge, and rebirth fill these pages, and each story serves someone (or something) scattered or smothered or covered or chunked. If Michelin rated crime (not food), the diners in these stories would all be three-star establishments.

On the menu, you’ll find stories by:
J.D. Allen • Donna Andrews • Ann Aptaker • Mark Bergin • Michael Bracken • Austin S. Camacho • Tammy Euliano • Nils Gilbertson • Sherry Harris • Hugh Lessig • Sean McCluskey • Deb Merino • Penny Mickelbury • Alan Orloff • Bonnar Spring • Andrew Welsh-Huggins

Edited by Michael Bracken and Stacy Woodson

Private Dicks and Disco Balls

Private Eyes in the Dyn-O-Mite Seventies

Down & Out Books, 2024

The Sixties were a time of great cultural upheaval, and that upheaval continued into the 1970s. In the midst of all this, private eyes worked with clients across the generations, from those still clinging to the social mores of Nixon’s “silent majority” to those who embraced the rapid societal changes that began in the 1960s.

From old-school private eyes to the Baby Boomers coming of age and entering the trade, these private eyes will take readers on a funky frolic through the Dyn-O-Mite Seventies.

Contributors include:
Ann Aptaker • N.M. Cedeño • Bill Fitzhugh • James A. Hearn • Laura Oles • Alan Orloff • Gary Phillips • Neil S. Plakcy • William Dylan Powell • Stephen D. Rogers • Mark Thielman • Bev Vincent • Andrew Welsh-Huggins

Murder, Neat

A SleuthSayers Anthology

Level Short, 2024

Whether they drink whiskey or wine, crime fiction writers can often be found indulging in their favorite libations at all manner of drinking establishments (especially the hotel bar at most mystery conventions!). So, what better way to recognize this natural affinity than Murder, Neat, a collection of twenty-four crime stories set in a variety of bars, taverns, and tasting rooms, written by many of the most honored living crime fiction short story writers.

Edited by Anthony Award-nominated editors Michael Bracken and Barb Goffman, and featuring the work of many of the contributors to the SleuthSayers group blog, Murder, Neat includes new stories from:
Michael Bracken • Melodie Campbell • Joseph D’Agnese • David Dean • O’Neil De Noux • Eve Fisher • John M. Floyd • David Edgerley Gates • Barb Goffman • Kristin Kisska • Janice Law • R.T. Lawton • Steve Liskow • Robert Lopresti • Leigh Lundin • Lawrence Maddox • Bob Mangeot • Travis Richardson • Stephen Ross • Art Taylor • Mark Thielman • Brian Thornton • Jim Winter • Elizabeth Zelvin

So, prepare to quench your literary thirst when you open this tantalizing cocktail of crime.

Edited by Michael Bracken and Barb Goffman

Prohibition Peepers

Private Eyes During the Noble Experiment

Down & Out Books, 2023

The 18th Amendment created prohibition—a “noble experiment” that banned the manufacture, transportation, and sale of intoxicating liquors—and gave rise to criminal activity associated with bootlegging, gang violence, and more. During the 1920s and early 1930s, the police had their hands full, and private investigators were there working both sides of the law.

Prohibition Peepers stories are set during and immediately after the end of Prohibition, with private eyes serving clients of all social statuses. These hardboiled and fast-paced tales written by some of today’s hottest crime fiction short story writers will have you reaching for your own mason jar of moonshine or highball glass of bathtub gin.

Contributors include:
Michael Bracken • Susanna Calkins • David Dean • Jim Doherty • John M. Floyd • Nils Gilbertson • Richard Helms • Hugh Lessig • Steve Liskow • Leigh Lundin • Adam Meyer • Penny Mickelbury • Joseph S. Walker • Stacy Woodson

Jukes & Tonks

Down & Out Books, 2021
Audecyn Books, 2026

The stories in Jukes & Tonks introduce sinners and saints, love begun and love gone wrong, and all manner of unsavory criminal endeavors. What they have in common is that they plop you down in worlds where the music pulsating from the stage provides the backbeat for tales that are unsparing, heartbreaking, twisty, and a few are as dark as the night.

Co-edited with Gary Phillips, Jukes & Tonks features powerful crime fiction by some of today’s hottest crime fiction writers!

Featuring original stories by:
Trey R. Barker • Michael Bracken • Jonathan Brown • S.A. Cosby • John M. Floyd • Debra H. Goldstein • Gar Anthony Haywood • Penny Mickelbury • Gary Phillips • William Dylan Powell • Kimberly B. Richardson • Stacy Woodson

The Eyes of Texas

Private Eyes from the Panhandle to the Piney Woods

Down & Out Books, 2019

Texas has it all, from bustling big cities to sleepy small towns, and law enforcement alone can’t solve every crime. That’s where private eyes come in. They take the cases law enforcement can’t—or won’t. Private eyes may walk the mean streets of Dallas and Houston, but they also stroll through small West Texas towns where the secrets are sometimes more dangerous. Whether driving a Mustang or riding a Mustang, a private eye in Texas is unlike any other in the world.

The Eyes of Texas: Private Eyes from the Panhandle to the Piney Woods features seventeen original tales of Lone Star State private eyes from:
Trey R. Barker • Chuck Brownman • Michael Chandos • John M. Floyd • Debra H. Goldstein • James A. Hearn • Richard Helms • Robert S. Levinson • Scott Montgomery • Sandra Murphy • Josh Pachter • Michael Pool • Graham Powell • William Dylan Powell • Stephen D. Rogers • Mark Troy • Bev Vincent

SMALL CRIMES

Betancourt & Co., 2004

Small Crimes.

Big consequences.

Little things send our lives spinning in unexpected directions. Small crimes, thoughtless actions, and momentary lapses in judgment all have consequences we can’t begin to imagine. Stealing apples, failing to leave contact information after a minor traffic accident, accepting a small bribe to overlook faulty wiring, and many other small crimes change the course of people’s lives in Small Crimes.

Fifteen tales from today’s finest mystery writers, including:
Jack Bludis • Michael Bracken • Gary R. Bush • James S. Dorr • Kevin Egan • Ted Hertel, Jr. • T. P. Keating • Chelle Martin • Paula J. Matter • Dorothy Rellas • Stephen D. Rogers • Neil Schofield • Tom Sweeney • Tim Wohlforth • Simon Wood

HARDBROILED

Betancourt & Co., 2003

Fourteen delicious private eye tales guaranteed to whet your appetite for detection!

Wining, dining, and death. Fast living and fine dining combine to present today’s private eyes with culinary crimes suitable for even the most refined palate.

The private eyes in these stories face delicious dangers, savory sins, and tasty temptations…and the bad guys always get their just deserts. An appetizing selection of today’s top private eye writers and talented newcomers season their tales with the exciting spices of love, hate, justice, and vengeance.

Here are fourteen delicious private eyes tales—and one poem—guaranteed to whet your appetite for detection.

Featuring original stories by:
Nick Andreychuk • Jack Bludis • Carol Kilgore • Robert Lopresti • Andrew McAleer • D. Jeanette McSherry • Art Montague • Linda Summers Posey • Dorothy Rellas • Stephen D. Rogers • Kenneth Thornton Samuels • Dan Sontup • Tom Sweeney • Tim Wohlforth

FEDORA III

EVEN MORE PRIVATE EYES, EVEN MORE TOUGH GUYS

Betancourt & Co., 2004

This ain’t never gonna be your Mama’s anthology. Like a sucker punch with a fistful of quarters, these stories will knock you off your feet.

From cold freezers to hot fires, the private eyes and tough guys between these covers travel through the blackness of men’s souls. Working skip traces, investigating abusive spouses, and collecting bad debts brings them face-to-face with their worst fears. They fight back the only way they know how, using every trick they’ve learned while working the mean streets.

Hot blood. Cold sweat. A quick glance over the shoulder. You’ll be with them every step of the way.

These and many more dark, hardboiled stories from some of the best crime fiction writers working today:
J. L. Abramo • Nick Andreychuk • Ann Aptaker • David Bart • Michael Bracken • James S. Dorr • Kevin Egan • Lee Goldberg • Michael Hemmingson • Carol Kilgore • Chelle Martin • Graham Powell • Dorothy Rellas • David Terrenoire • Tom Sweeney • Bev Vincent • George Wilhite

FEDORA II

MORE TOUGH GUYS AND PRIVATE EYES

Betancourt & Co., 2003

This still ain’t your Mama’s anthology! Whether they crawl up from the gutters or stroll down from the mansions, the private eyes and tough guys in these stories make the mean streets meaner and the dark alleys darker. While some stories punch you full in the face, others sneak up from behind and place the cold steel barrel of a .38 against the back of your skull. Either way, you won’t be able to defend yourself against the raw, gritty power between these covers.

Featuring original crime fiction by:

Ann Aptaker • Michael Bracken • Gary R. Bush • Brian Evankovich • Justin Gustainis • Robert D. Hughes • O’Neil De Noux • Percy Spurlark Parker • Anthony Neil Smith • Dan Sontup • Dan A. Sproul • James Stevens-Arce • Tom Sweeney • Simon Wood

FEDORA

PRIVATE EYES AND TOUGH GUYS

Wildside Press, 2001

This ain’t your Mama’s anthology and these tales ain’t for the faint-hearted. These are raw, gritty stories exploring the dark abyss of men’s souls.

With the sound of gunfire ringing in their ears and the stench of blood on their clothes, these private eyes and tough guys face their darkest fears and most cunning adversaries.

Here are tales of love and hate, sex and power, crime and punishment, fear and retribution—tales that grab you by the throat, slam you against the wall, then drag you back for more.

Here are men and women who catch everything life throws at them, then throw it right back.

Here are 14 hardboiled tales guaranteed to blow your hat off!

Featuring hard-hitting tales from some of the most talented crime fiction writers working today, including:

Nick Andreychuk • Michael Bracken • Ernest B. Brown • Michael Collins • Ruthe Furie • Michael Hemmingson • Robert D. Hughes • Fredrick Obermeyer • Percy Spurlark Parker • Shelley Singer • Dan A. Sproul • Tom Sweeney • Mark Troy • Tim Wohlforth

Malice Domestic 19

Mystery Most Humorous

Wildside Press, 2025

The Malice Domestic anthology series returns with a new take on mysteries in the Agatha Christie tradition—original tales with a humorous bent! Included in the new collection are works by:

Donna Andrews • Marcia Talley • Gigi Pandian • William Ade • Gregory Meece • Nikki Knight • M.S. Greene • Becky Clark • Brian Cox • Melinda Mullet • Nina Mansfield • Sylvia Maultash Warsh • Suzanne Flaig • Donna Clancy • Susan Love Brown • Ed Ridgley • Ashley-Ruth M. Bernier • Sarah Bewley • Hugh Lessig • P.J. Nelson • Melissa Westemeier • Patricia Gouthro • Jean Macaluso • Victoria Dowd • Steve Shrott • David Bart • J. Jamie Groce • Rebecca Brittenham

Edited by John Betancourt, Michael Bracken, and Carla Coupe

Malice Domestic 18

Mystery Most Devious

Wildside Press, 2024

The Malice Domestic anthology series returns with a new take on mysteries in the Agatha Christie tradition—original tales with a devious bent! Included are all-new works by:

Susan Love Brown • Jackie McMahon • Mary Adler • Leone Ciporin • Sue Anger • Sarah Stephens • P.A. De Voe • Roberta Gibson • Jill K. Quinn • Jennifer Slee • Ashley-Ruth M. Bernier • Joslyn Chase • Christine Eskilson • Linda Norlander • Smita Harish Jain • Hope Hodgkins • Josh Pachter • Introduction by Michael Bracken

Edited by John Betancourt, Michael Bracken, and Carla Coupe

MICKEY FINN: 21ST CENTURY NOIR

vol. 5

Down & Out Books, 2024

Mickey Finn: 21st Century Noir Vol. 5, the fifth volume of the hard-hitting anthology series, is another crime-fiction cocktail that will again knock readers into a literary stupor.

Contributors push hard against the boundaries of crime fiction, driving their work into places short crime fiction doesn’t often go, into a world where the mean streets seem gentrified by comparison and happy endings are the exception rather than the rule. And they do all this in contemporary settings, bringing noir into the 21st century.

Like any good cocktail, Mickey Finn is a heady mix of ingredients that packs a punch, and when you’ve finished reading every story, you’ll know that you’ve been “slipped a Mickey.”

The eighteen contributors, including some of today’s most respected short-story writers and new writers making their mark on the genre, include:

K.L. Abrahamson • Alan Barker • Michael Chandos • Caleb Coy • Eddie Generous • Nils Gilbertson • James A. Hearn • Hugh Lessig • Sean McCluskey • Tom Milani • Bill W. Morgan • Alan Orloff • Travis Richardson • Andrew Welsh-Huggins • Robb T. White • Sam Wiebe • Joseph S. Walker • Stacy Woodson

MICKEY FINN: 21ST CENTURY NOIR

vol. 4

Down & Out Books, 2023

Mickey Finn: 21st Century Noir Vol. 4, the fourth volume of the hard-hitting anthology series, is another crime-fiction cocktail that will again knock readers into a literary stupor.

Contributors push hard against the boundaries of crime fiction, driving their work into places short crime fiction doesn’t often go, into a world where the mean streets seem gentrified by comparison and happy endings are the exception rather than the rule. And they do all this in contemporary settings, bringing noir into the 21st century.

Like any good cocktail, Mickey Finn is a heady mix of ingredients that packs a punch, and when you’ve finished reading every story, you’ll know that you’ve been “slipped a Mickey.”

The nineteen contributors, including some of today’s most respected short-story writers and new writers making their mark on the genre, include:

Ann Aptaker • Trey R. Barker • Michael Bracken • John M. Floyd • Nils Gilbertson • David Hagerty • James A. Hearn • Hugh Lessig • Sean McCluskey • Adam Meyer • Gabe Morran • Alan Orloff • Josh Pachter • Stephen D. Rogers • Bev Vincent • Joseph S. Walker • Sam Wiebe • Andrew Welsh-Huggins • Stacy Woodson

MICKEY FINN: 21ST CENTURY NOIR

vol. 3

Down & Out Books, 2022

Mickey Finn: 21st Century Noir is a crime-fiction cocktail that will knock readers into a literary stupor.

Contributors push hard against the boundaries of crime fiction, driving their work into places short crime fiction doesn’t often go, into a world where the mean streets seem gentrified by comparison and happy endings are the exception rather than the rule. And they do all this in contemporary settings, bringing noir into the 21st century.

Like any good cocktail, Mickey Finn is a heady mix of ingredients that packs a punch, and when you’ve finished reading every story, you’ll know that you’ve been “slipped a Mickey.”

Contributors include many of today’s best noir writers:

Ann Aptaker • Trey R. Barker • C.W. Blackwell • John Bosworth • John M. Floyd • Nils Gilbertson • James A. Hearn • Janice Law • Steve Liskow • Sean McCluskey • Adam Meyer • Alan Orloff • Jon Penfold • C. Matthew Smith • Joseph S. Walker • Michael Wegener • Andrew Welsh-Huggins • Sam Wiebe • Stacy Woodson

MICKEY FINN: 21ST CENTURY NOIR

vol. 2

Down & Out Books, 2021

Mickey Finn: 21st Century Noir is a crime-fiction cocktail that will knock readers into a literary stupor.

Contributors push hard against the boundaries of crime fiction, driving their work into places short crime fiction doesn’t often go, into a world where the mean streets seem gentrified by comparison and happy endings are the exception rather than the rule. And they do all this in contemporary settings, bringing noir into the 21st century.

Like any good cocktail, Mickey Finn is a heady mix of ingredients that packs a punch, and when you’ve finished reading every story, you’ll know that you’ve been “slipped a Mickey.”

Contributors include many of today’s best noir writers:

Trey R. Barker • John Bosworth • Michael Bracken • Scott Bradfield • S.M. Fedor • Nils Gilbertson • J.D. Graves • James A. Hearn • Janice Law • Hugh Lessig • Gabe Morran • Rick Ollerman • Josh Pachter • Robert Petyo • Stephen D. Rogers • Albert Tucher • Joseph S. Walker • Sam Wiebe • Stacy Woodson

MICKEY FINN: 21ST CENTURY NOIR

vol. 1

Down & Out Books, 2020

Mickey Finn: 21st Century Noir is a crime-fiction cocktail that will knock readers into a literary stupor.

Contributors push hard against the boundaries of crime fiction, driving their work into places short crime fiction doesn’t often go, into a world where the mean streets seem gentrified by comparison and happy endings are the exception rather than the rule. And they do all this in contemporary settings, bringing noir into the 21st century.

Like any good cocktail, Mickey Finn is a heady mix of ingredients that packs a punch, and when you’ve finished reading every story, you’ll know that you’ve been “slipped a Mickey.”

Contributors include many of today’s best noir writers:

J.L. Abramo • Ann Aptaker • Trey R. Barker • Michael Bracken • Barb Goffman • David Hagerty • James A. Hearn • David H. Hendrickson • Jarrett Kaufman • Mark R. Kehl • Hugh Lessig • Steve Liskow • Alan Orloff • Josh Pachter • Steve Rasnic Tem • Mikal Trimm • Bev Vincent • Joseph S. Walker • Andrew Welsh-Huggins • Stacy Woodson

MORE GROOVY GUMSHOES

Private Eyes in The Psychedelic Sixties

Down & Out Books, 2023

The Sixties were a time of great cultural upheaval, when long-established social norms were challenged and everything changed: from music to fashion to social mores. And the Leave It to Beaver households in Middle America didn’t know what to make of it all.

In the midst of this, private eyes tried to understand and bridge the generational divide while providing their clients with legal and extra-legal detecting services.

From old-school private eyes with their flat-tops, off-the-rack suits, and well-worn brogues to the new breed of private eyes with their shoulder-length hair, bell-bottoms, and hemp sandals, the shamuses in More Groovy Gumshoes take readers on a rollicking romp through the Sixties.

Contributors include:
Michael Chandos • Wil A. Emerson • Jeff Esterholm • John M. Floyd • Nils Gilbertson • Wendy Harrison • Dave H. Hendrickson • gay toltl kinman • Lynn Maples • Jarrett Mazza • John McFetridge • Robert Petyo • Graham Powell • Bev Vincent • Joseph S. Walker • Stacy Woodson

GROOVY GUMSHOES

Private Eyes in The Psychedelic Sixties

Down & Out Books, 2022

The Sixties were a time of great cultural upheaval, when long-established social norms were challenged and everything changed: from music to fashion to social mores. And the Leave It to Beaver households in Middle America didn’t know what to make of it all.

In the midst of this, private eyes tried to understand and bridge the generational divide while providing their clients with legal and extra-legal detecting services.

From old-school private eyes with their flat-tops, off-the-rack suits, and well-worn brogues to the new breed of private eyes with their shoulder-length hair, bell-bottoms, and hemp sandals, the shamuses in Groovy Gumshoes take readers on a rollicking romp through the Sixties.

Contributors include:
Jack Bates • C.W. Blackwell • Michael Bracken • N.M. Cedeño • Hugh Lessig • Steve Liskow • Adam Meyer • Tom Milani • Neil Plakcy • Stephen D. Rogers • Mark Thielman • Grant Tracey • Mark Troy • Andrew Welsh-Huggins • Robb White

Metroplex Mysteries, Volume IV

Trouble in Texas

North Dallas Chapter of Sisters in Crime, 2025

Welcome to the fourth 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 Trouble in Texas: Metroplex Mysteries Volume IV.

Stories by:
BJ Condike • ML Condike • Karen Harrington • Nan McCann • M.E. Proctor • Amber Royer • Tiffany Seitz • Liese Sherwood-Fabre • Shannon Taft • Lori E. Tchen • Mark Thielman • Foreword by Joseph S. Walker

Metroplex Mysteries, Volume III

Notorious in North Texas

North Dallas Chapter of Sisters in Crime, 2024

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 Trouble in Texas: Metroplex Mysteries Volume III.

Stories by:
ML Condike • Karen Harrington • Cindy Martin • Pam McWilliams • Amber Royer • Tiffany Seitz • Terry Shepherd • Shannon Taft • Mark Thielman • Kevin R. Tipple • Joseph S. Walker • Dänna Wilberg • Foreword by Kathleen Kent

Chop Shop

Vol. 2

Down & Out Books, 2024

Car thieves and the chop shop that buys from them combine to create high-octane stories of hot cars, hot crimes, and hot times on Dallas, Texas.

Featuring novellas by:
James A. Hearn
Tom Milani
Stephen D. Rogers
With a bonus story by John M. Floyd

Chop Shop

Vol. 1

Down & Out Books, 2024

Car thieves and the chop shop that buys from them combine to create high-octane stories of hot cars, hot crimes, and hot times on Dallas, Texas.

Featuring novellas by:
Hugh Lessig
Joseph S. Walker
Stacy Woodson