Tara Laskowski

GOOD MOTHERS... Never show their feelings. Never spill their secrets. Never admit to murder. The annual Halloween block party is the pinnacle of the year on idyllic suburban cul-de-sac Ivy Woods Drive. An influential group of neighborhood moms--known as the Ivy Five--plans the event for months. Except the Ivy Five has been four for a long time. When a new mother moves to town, eager to fit in, the moms see it as an opportunity to make the group whole again. This year's block party should be the best yet... until the women start receiving anonymous messages threatening to expose the quiet neighborhood's dark past--and the lengths they've gone to hide it. As secrets seep out and the threats intensify, the Ivy Five must sort the loyal from the disloyal, the good from the bad. They'll do anything to protect their families. But when a twisted plot is revealed, with dangerous consequences, their steady foundation begins to crumble, leaving only one certainty: after this year's block party, Ivy Woods Drive will never be the same. From award-winning author Tara Laskowski, The Mother Next Door is an atmospheric novel of suspense in which the strive for perfection ends in murder...

A Novel of Suspense

The Mother Next Door

"A subtly but relentlessly unsettling novel." --TANA FRENCH, author of The Witch Elm It was the perfect place to disappear... One sultry summer, Maureen Haddaway arrives in the wealthy town of Opal Beach to start her life anew--to achieve her destiny. There, she finds herself lured by the promise of friendship, love, starry skies, and wild parties. But Maureen's new life just might be too good to be true, and before the summer is up, she vanishes. Decades later, when Allison Simpson is offered the opportunity to house-sit in Opal Beach during the off-season, it seems like the perfect chance to begin fresh after a messy divorce. But when she becomes drawn into the mysterious disappearance of a girl thirty years before, Allison realizes the gorgeous homes of Opal Beach hide dark secrets. And the truth of that long-ago summer is not even the most shocking part of all... "A heart-wrenching and suspenseful novel of betrayal and revenge. Stunning!" --Carol Goodman, award-winning author of The Night Visitors "Featuring a brilliantly executed dual timeline with two unforgettable narrators, One Night Gone is a timely and timeless mystery that will keep you obsessively reading well past your bedtime." --Paul Tremblay, author of The Cabin at the End of the World

One Night Gone

A wealthy family's vacation at their lush winery estate becomes a weekend to kill for in this deliciously twisted novel of suspense “Absolutely captivating! A riveting and immersive puzzle for fans of Lucy Foley and Ruth Ware.” —Hank Phillippi Ryan Every year, the illustrious Van Ness siblings, heirs to a copper fortune, gather at their secluded winery estate for a joint birthday celebration. It's a tradition they've followed nearly all their lives, and now they are back with their significant others for a much-needed weekend of rest and relaxation, away from the public spotlight. With lavish comforts, gorgeous scenery, and indulgent drinking, the trip should be the perfect escape. But it soon becomes clear that even a remote idyllic getaway can’t keep out the problems simmering in each of their lives. As old tensions are reignited, the three couples are pushed to the edge. Will their secrets destroy them, or will they destroy each other first? And who’s been watching them from beyond the vineyard gates? When a torrential rainstorm hits, plunging them into darkness, the answers prove all too deadly… “Clever… [A] satisfying mash-up of Succession and Agatha Christie.” —Publishers Weekly

A Novel

The Weekend Retreat

Weekend Retreat

Bonnie Jo Campbell

Cat Warren

Beth Kephart

Diane Lefer

Carol Guess

Sybil Baker

Ethel Rohan

Kim Chinquee

Kathleen Rooney

Tama Janowitz

Kathi Appelt

Sherrie Flick

Victoria Redel

Robin Black

Deb Olin Unferth

Kathy Fish

Molly Gaudry

Debra Di Blasi

Xu Xi

Ellen Meister

Jennifer Steil

Amina Gautier

Jo-Ann Mapson

Elaine Chiew

Kristine Ong Muslim

Natasha Saje

Roberta Allen

Susanna Sonnenberg

Pamela Painter

Jillian Sullivan

Nancy Stohlman

Liza Gardner Walsh

Tara Campbell

Patricia McConnell

Lisa Kastner

Ellen Boscov

Kristin Burcham

Sara Chansarkar

Mare Chapman

Watsuki Harrington

Tara Masih

Robin OIivera

Alina Pleskova

Zalisa Rabin

Trisha Rodriguez

C. J. Spataro

Wendy Stetson

Chelsea Stickle

Julia Strayer

Girija Tripp

Fifty-two writers responded in exactly 100 words to the fine art photography of Meg Boscov to create an anthology of healing visions.

An Anthology of Micro Writing and Fine Art Photography

Healing Visions

GOOD MOTHERS… Never show their feelings. Never spill their secrets. Never admit to murder. The annual Halloween block party is the pinnacle of the year on idyllic suburban cul-de-sac Ivy Woods Drive. An influential group of neighbourhood mums — known as the Ivy Five — plans the event for months. Except the Ivy Five has been four for a long time. When a new mother moves to town, eager to fit in, the mums see it as an opportunity to make the group whole again. This year’s block party should be the best yet…until the women start receiving anonymous messages threatening to expose the quiet neighbourhood's dark past — and the lengths they’ve gone to hide it. As secrets seep out and the threats intensify, the Ivy Five must sort the loyal from the disloyal, the good from the bad. They’ll do anything to protect their families. But when a twisted plot is revealed, with dangerous consequences, their steady foundation begins to crumble, leaving only one certainty: after this year’s block party, Ivy Woods Drive will never be the same. From award-winning author Tara Laskowski, The Mother Next Door is an atmospheric novel of suspense in which the strive for perfection ends in murder…

It was the perfect place to disappear... One sultry summer, Maureen Haddaway arrives in the wealthy town of Opal Beach to start her life anew — to achieve her destiny. There, she finds herself lured by the promise of friendship, love, starry skies and wild parties. But Maureen’s new life just might be too good to be true, and before the summer is up, she vanishes. Decades later, when Allison Simpson is offered the opportunity to house-sit in Opal Beach during the off-season, it seems like the perfect chance to begin fresh after a messy divorce. But when she becomes drawn in to the mysterious disappearance of a girl thirty years before, Allison realises the gorgeous homes of Opal Beach hide dark secrets. And the truth of that long-ago summer is not even the most shocking part of all...

GOOD MOTHERS... Never show their feelings. Never spill their secrets. Never admit to murder. The annual Halloween block party is the pinnacle of the year on idyllic suburban cul-de-sac Ivy Woods Drive. An influential group of neighborhood moms--known as the Ivy Five--plans the event for months. Except the Ivy Five has been four for a long time. When a new mother moves to town, eager to fit in, the moms see it as an opportunity to make the group whole again. This year's block party should be the best yet... until the women start receiving anonymous messages threatening to expose the quiet neighborhood's dark past--and the lengths they've gone to hide it. As secrets seep out and the threats intensify, the Ivy Five must sort the loyal from the disloyal, the good from the bad. They'll do anything to protect their families. But when a twisted plot is revealed, with dangerous consequences, their steady foundation begins to crumble, leaving only one certainty: after this year's block party, Ivy Woods Drive will never be the same. From award-winning author Tara Laskowski, The Mother Next Door is an atmospheric novel of domestic suspense in which the strive for perfection ends in murder...

Susi Holliday

Tom Sweterlitsch

Hilary Davidson

Art Taylor

Jenny Milchman

Rebecca Drake

Shannon Kirk

Elizabeth Heiter

Alan Orloff

Gwen Florio

Wendy Tyson

Alex Dolan

J.J. Hensley

Here’s what we know is true. Timmy Milici, a low-level hitter with the infamous Atlanta-based Duplass crime family, ran off with Melody Duplass to Jacksonville, Florida. Olivia Duplass, her mother and head of the Duplass family, was incensed, and put a price on Timmy—a hundred thousand for his corpse, but with explicit instructions that her daughter not be harmed. We know that’s true. Or, at least, we think we do. Sixteen writers tell their versions of what happened those fateful days in this gripping novel-in-stories, brought to you from the team behind The Night of the Flood. Contributors: E.A. Aymar, Sarah M. Chen, Hilary Davidson, Alex Dolan, Rebecca Drake, Gwen Florio, Elizabeth Heiter, J.J. Hensley, Susi Holliday, Shannon Kirk, Tara Laskowski, Jenny Milchman, Alan Orloff, Tom Sweterlitsch, Art Taylor, and Wendy Tyson.

The Swamp Killers

"A heart-wrenching and suspenseful novel of betrayal and revenge. Stunning!" --Carol Goodman, award-winning author of The Stranger Behind You One sultry summer, Maureen Haddaway arrives in the wealthy town of Opal Beach to start her life anew--to achieve her destiny. There, she finds herself lured by the promise of friendship, love, starry skies and wild parties. But Maureen's new life just might be too good to be true, and before the summer is up, she vanishes. Decades later, when Allison Simpson is offered the opportunity to house-sit in Opal Beach during the off-season, it seems like the perfect chance to begin fresh after a messy divorce. But when she becomes drawn into the mysterious disappearance of a girl thirty years before, Allison realizes the gorgeous homes of Opal Beach hide dark secrets. And the truth of that long-ago summer is not even the most shocking part of all... "This multi-layered and gorgeously structured tale will haunt you long after the book is over." --Hank Phillippi Ryan, bestselling author of Her Perfect Life

Poul Anderson

Leslie Ford

Ralph Milne Farley

Frank Lovell Nelson

Hal Charles

Eleanor Arneson

Rog Phillips

﻿The third issue of Black Cat Weekly presents more tales of the mysterious and fantastic—3 mystery shorts, a mystery novel, 2 science fiction stories and a fantasy story, plus a science fiction novella. Here are: THE MAN FROM SCOTLAND YARD, by Leslie Ford [mystery novel] THE CASE OF THE ZINC CASE, by Frank Lovell Nelson [Serial story - 3 of 12] THE CASE OF THE VANISHING PROFESSOR, by Tara Laskowski [Barb Goffman Presents - mystery short] CLEARLY GUILTY, by Hal Charles [Solve it yourself mystery!] HOLMES SHERLOCK, by Eleanor Arneson [Paul Di Filippo Presents - sci-fi short story] WORLD OF THE MAD, by Poul Anderson [sci-fi short story] MYSTERY OF THE MISSING MAGNATE, by Ralph Milne Farley [sci-fi short story] THE COSMIC JUNKMAN, by Rog Phillips [fantasy novella]

Black Cat Weekly #3

Legacies of violence and tragedy haunt these thirteen stunning stories from Tara Laskowski, author of Modern Manners for Your Inner Demons. A woman becomes obsessed with her co-worker's murderer; an investigative reporter with a nose for scandal finds his own life suddenly unraveling; eerie sights in a video baby monitor haunt a new mother. When the unexpected happens, these bystanders—who are not always innocent—come face to face with their own choices and fates. Bound together by danger, fear, paranoia, and the bumps we all hear in the night, these potent stories illuminate the darker side of the human condition. From a vicious newspaper strike that rocks a small Pennsylvania community to an unpredictable road trip in the vast desert of the American West, Bystanders explores the ways in which terror and uncertainty both consume and invigorate us—and yet reveal our strengths, hopes, and passions. Selected as the Grand Prize Winner for the SFWP Literary Awards Program, 2010, by Pulitzer Prize-winner Robert Olen Butler.

Bystanders

Carol Anne Davis

Brendan DuBois

Amber Sparks

Sherry Harris

Alison McMahan

Donna Andrews

Matthew Iden

Michael Bracken

Barb Goffman

John M. Floyd

David Dean

Elaine Viets

Greg Herren

Abby Bardi

Christine Poulson

Edith Maxwell

Ricki Thomas

Marilyn Todd

Mindy Quigley

Stacy Woodson

Kathryn O'Sullivan

Emily Hockaday

Adam Meyer

Alan S. Orloff

Jackie Sherbow

1/3 of the author royalties will be donated to the Brain Aneurysm Foundation in Joni Mitchell's name. **WINNER** 2021 Derringer Award for Best Short Story: Stacy Woodson for "River" **NOMINATED** 2021 Anthony Award for Best Anthology **NOMINATED** 2021 International Thriller Awards for Best Short Story: Elaine Viets for "Dog Eat Dog" **NOMINATED** 2021 Macavity Award for Best Short Story: Elaine Viets for "Dog Eat Dog" With nine Grammys, multiple lifetime achievement awards, inductions into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and the Canadian Songwriters Hall of Fame, and a Top Ten ranking on Rolling Stone’s “100 Greatest Songwriters of All Time,” Joni Mitchell has established herself as one of the most important singer/songwriters, not only of her generation, but in the history of popular music. In this collection, 28 crime writers pay tribute to Joni’s musical legacy with short stories inspired by her lyrics, representing each of her seventeen studio albums from 1968’s Song to a Seagull to 2007’s Shine. Many of the classics are represented here, including “Both Sides, Now” (in the first literary collaboration between Art Taylor and Tara Laskowski, who have each won major awards for their fiction), “Big Yellow Taxi” (by Kathryn O’Sullivan, author of the Colleen McCabe series), and “River” (by Stacy Woodson, winner of the 2019 Readers Choice Award from Ellery Queen’s Mystery Magazine), plus such equally fascinating titles as “Cold Blue Steel and Sweet Fire” (by Donna Andrews, author of the award-winning Meg Lanslow series), “The Dry Cleaner From Des Moines” (by Amber Sparks), and “Ray’s Dad’s Cadillac” (by Michael Bracken).

Crime Fiction Inspired by the Songs of Joni Mitchell

The Beat of Black Wings

Tara Laskowski

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