NBS Special Report: 2008 Derringer Awards

As voted by the Short Mystery Fiction Society:

BEST STORY, 1000 or LESS:
"My Hero" by Patricia Abbott
Published in DZ Allen's Muzzle Flash

BEST STORY, 1001 to 4000 WORDS:
"In the Shadows of Wrigley Field" by John Weagly
Published in The Back Alley

BEST STORY, 4001 to 8000 WORDS:
"The Gospel According to Gordon Black" by Richard Helms
Published in The Thrilling Detective

BEST STORY, 8001 to 17500 WORDS:
"Paper Walls/Glass Houses" by Eric Shane
Published in The Back Alley

Congratulations to the winners.

Male Ducks are Drake, Females are Hens by John Weagly

Ducks are Drakes... well, I can't tell you much about ducks, but I can tell you more now. This story made me laugh and it was intentional, so that's good. The premise is simple enough. It turns out Mary wants to know if Paula killed her husband. Paula evades the question with a series of non-sequitors about ducks. She claims, in fact, that duck quacks don't echo. That just sounds freaky to me. Like vampires don't have reflections.

Anyway, the duck facts are part of a funny banter between Mary and Paula, but it's not the only reason the story deserves a read. Can't say more - it's flash fiction after all. Take a look.