I have a story in the 2024 Bouchercon anthology, Tales of Music, Murder and Mayhem.1 The anthology includes contributions from some of the best crime fiction writers working today, and I can’t wait to read the other stories in it!
I’ve always gravitated toward longform rather than short story writing (the novel I’m working on came out of a short story that I realized had “failed” when I hit 10,000 words with the end nowhere in sight). Most of the short stories I’ve attempted have been more on the literary than genre side. But when I saw this year’s prompt, I knew I had to come up with something.
Traditional short crime fiction that involves an element of music: performing, songwriting, producing, recording, even murder at a radio station, you decide! You can set it in Nashville or anywhere else the story fits.
People who have known me for a while (or read my author bio, lol) know that I used to play in bands. Probably my longest-term project was an indie rock three-piece called Two Finger Suicide (interpret that however you want) which was all women.
This being the early 2000s we put up with our share of sexist comments, “benevolent” and otherwise, but it was a great experience. So I knew I wanted my narrator to be in an all-woman rock group. Since this was a crime fiction prompt, there had to be a dead body in there somewhere. What better candidate than the predatory frontman of the local scene’s resident “big fish in a small pond” band? You’ll have to read my story, “Goodbye Pearl,” to find out how he meets his fate.
Bouchercon is in Nashville this year, and I grew up listening to country music thanks to my Oklahoman grandparents, so I had to include some Easter eggs for murder ballads in the story as well. Just a few you might see mentioned:
The Chicks, “Goodbye Earl”
I definitely did not build the premise of my story2 around a reference to this song describing what can happen when no-fault divorce doesn’t work out (Project 2025 fanboys take note). Watch to the end for Zombie Earl!
“Pretty Polly” (traditional)
Versions of this folk ballad about a man who just can’t take responsibility for his actions have been around for several hundred years.
“Cell Block Tango” (Chicago)
A lot of people’s favorite subgenre of crime fiction is “Women’s wrongs” and I have to agree! Pop, six, squish, etcetera.
Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds ft. PJ Harvey, “Henry Lee”
Of course my gothy little heart loves this song, a variant of the traditional ballad “Young Hunting” about a woman who murders her faithless lover.
Danny Dill and Marijohn Wilkin, “Long Black Veil”
Originally recorded by Lefty Frizzell, “Long Black Veil” has been covered by a long list of artists including Johnny Cash and Joni Mitchell and—apparently!—Dave Matthews and Emmylou Harris. In the song, a man is hanged for murder after he refuses to use his alibi (he was in bed with his best friend’s wife) and she mourns him while wearing the titular headgear.
Neko Case, “Deep Red Bells”
Case has said she wrote this song about Gary Leon Ridgway, aka the Green River Killer, as a response to growing up with the background fear of being victimized in a society where some women’s lives weren’t seen as important.
Taylor Swift, “No body, no crime”
Would 1000% read a novel based on this song.
You can order Tales of Music, Murder and Mayhem: Bouchercon Nashville 2024 Anthology here! (I have no idea what’s going on with that preorder link but hopefully it’ll be back up at some point!)
Author updates
I’ll be at the Auk Market Book + Art Faire in Gainesville, Fla. on August 18!
Join us at our Back-to-School Book + Art Faire on AUG 18 from 10-3pm. Indulge in delicious beignets while browsing a fantastic selection of local books and back-to-school maker goods. We'll have book signings by local authors, back-to-school swag, tarot and other special treats. Perfect for kicking off the school year with creativity and fun!
I’m also heading to Bouchercon, where I’ll be on the “Spirits in the Material World” panel about paranormal elements in mystery fiction on Friday, August 30 at 9am.
Weird thing I am researching
The immortality industry, parts of which are as wild as you would think, considering a dude who looks like Father Time is one of the movement’s more famous representatives.
Reading/watching/listening
Blood in the Machine from
is a sharp, fascinating, and sometimes terrifying newsletter about big tech, its effects on modern society, and its winners and losers—all topics that preoccupy me in my own writing.I just finished watching the first season of My Lady Jane and it’s such a good time. My obsession with Anna Chancellor knows no bounds.
I recently discovered the Teen Creeps podcast and I’ve actually been setting aside time to listen to episodes (which I usually don’t do, but I’m trying to get over my complex that listening to things is not as “““productive””” as reading). If you spent your adolescent years tearing through Christopher Pike, VC Andrews, Lois Duncan et al then this podcast is for you!
If you enjoy my ramblings, you might like my books!
The Other Me, which PopSugar called a “Black Mirror-esque rabbit hole,” is an inventive page-turner about the choices we make and the ones made for us.
When I’m Her asks the question: How far would you go to get even with the woman who ruined your life?
Former anthology editor Brendan DuBois is no longer involved with the Bouchercon anthology in any capacity. It has a new editor, Heather Graham, and a new charity beneficiary, the Nashville Public Library Foundation. After the news of DuBois’ arrest, I did a lot of thinking about whether I still wanted my name attached to the anthology, and ultimately decided it would be a shame if a significant number of authors dropped out and the charity were to lose out on funding because of the disgusting, criminal actions of one person.
That is a lie, I 100% did do that.
omg this anthology could not be any MORE up my alley! really excited to read your story in it. and I LOVED your roundup of murder ballad songs -- I haven't listened to "Henry Lee" in way too long