7:00 PM

Margaret Ashworth had killed the lamb at four hundred twenty-five degrees for exactly twenty minutes then three hundred fifty degrees for exactly eighty minutes and it was perfect and she knew it was perfect because she had done this forty-four times before, once every New Year's E...

It was so terribly cold. Snow was falling, and it was almost dark. I lay in the cedar brake where my grandfather had denned before me and I did not move. Movement cost heat. Heat cost calories. And I was six days past my last calorie — a frozen rabbit I found under a deadfall, already dead, wh...

If you’ve never seen a dragon try to hold a quill, you’ve missed one of the quiet tragedies of the post-clause era.

Thundros Cloudbelch—a name that sounded like a weather complaint and lived up to it—was hunched over a wrought-stone desk at the Smokevault Retreat Hall, scowling at a blank she...

We are proud to present the 2026 Edition of the definitive list of the best mystery writers of all time, along with a curated list of the best book to start reading each mystery writer. 

That's a bold statement — the definitive list!  Really?

Why is this the 'definitive list' of the best myster...

The StoryBUZZ Platinum Revolver Award (2026 Edition) recognizes the Top 10 mystery writers of all time — writers whose works have profoundly shaped the genre and considered foundational pillars of mystery literature.

For each writer, you can click on their name for an article that provides:

• The ...

The StoryBUZZ Gold Candlestick Award (2026) recognizes the mystery writers who are ranked 11th through 25th best of all time — writers who have achieved outstanding acclaim and influence, delivering high-quality mysteries that resonate deeply across readers, peers, and critics. 

For each writer, yo...

The StoryBUZZ Silver Rope Award (2026 Edition) recognizes the mystery writers who are ranked 26th through 50th best of all time. These writers demonstrate significant contribution and respect within the genre, earning commendable scores in the dimensions of peer recognition, reader preferences, and/...

The StoryBUZZ Bronze Wrench Award (2026 Edition) recognizes the mystery writers who are ranked 51st through 100th best of all time — writers who have made notable contributions and/or possess a loyal reader base.

For each writer, you can click on their name for an article that provides:

• The elem...

The StoryBUZZ Best Mystery Writers of All Time Honorable Mentions (2026 Edition) recognizes a small number of mystery writers who barely missed the cutoff of the Top 100.

For each writer, you can click on their name for an article that provides:

• The elements making up the scoring for their rank ...

The flash fiction story "Getaway" was written in the "Outliner" method, one of the 3 ways to develop an idea into a story. That is: plotting the story in advance of writing it.

Of course, there are **spoilers**, so if you haven't read the story yet, do that first (flash fiction = a very fast ...

"Stay down, everyone. Face on the floor, hands on the back of your head. That’s it. You're doing good. Be smart, and nobody dies today."

Sal makes a fist, pumps it up and down rapidly, military tactical hand signal: Time to go. Hurry up.

Rhett — carrying two large, black, ballistic-nyl...

James M. Cain was a master of the hard-boiled mystery genre, known for his concise and razor-sharp prose that pulls readers into gritty, morally complex tales of passion, betrayal, and crime. His work often explores the darker sides of human nature, creating stories filled with raw emotion and devas...