AN INTERVIEW WITH THE AGATHA-NOMINATED SHORT STORY AUTHORS

by Paula Gail Benson

On Wednesday, April 9, we had a virtual visit with the Agatha-nominated authors nominated for Best Contemporary Novel, and on Tuesday, April 15, we met the Agatha-nominated authors for Best Debut Novel. Today, we are pleased to welcome the authors whose short stories have been nominated for an Agatha. Here is the list of the nominated stories (a link to each story is available in the Malice Domestic site):

Best Short Story

"A MATTER OF TRUST" by Barb Goffman, Three Strikes--You're Dead

"REYNISFJARA" by Kristopher Zgorski, Mystery Most International

"SATAN’S SPIT" by Gabriel Valjan, Tales of Music, Murder and Mayhem: Bouchercon 2024

"SINS OF THE FATHER" by Kerry Hammond, Mystery Most International

"THE POSTMAN ALWAYS FLIRTS TWICE" by Barb Goffman, Agatha and Derringer Get Cozy

Each of the short story authors was kind enough to answer the following question:

WHAT MAKES MYSTERY SHORT STORIES SO APPEALING TO WRITE AND APPEALING TO READ?

Many thanks to them for some fascinating insights into their craft!

Barb Goffman

BARB GOFFMAN: I love being able to tell—and to read—in a short time a complete story, with a developed plot, a satisfying ending, maybe some humor, and a character arc too. People are busy. It makes sense to give readers a full experience without demanding too much of their time. I also don't have a ton of time to write, so being able to start and finish writing a story when I have a week between work projects is perfect for me.

KERRY HAMMOND: Short stories are a wonderful way to get lost in a great mystery but not invest in a 300+ page book. It's a puzzle that can be wrapped up in one sitting. Writing them is terrific because writers often get thousands of great ideas floating through their heads, not all of them full length novel material.

Gabriel Valjan

GABRIEL VALJAN: I find myself more involved as a reader when I take in a mystery, as opposed to reading literary or genre fiction. There is a crime to solve and I’m the invisible Watson to the story’s Sherlock. With other genre fiction, I find myself passive, going along for the ride. Most crime fiction feels very real and close to life. Mysteries also tend to have voice and structure, so the reader and writer enter a contract. There will be twists and turns, clues and red herrings, a payoff. This contract makes me feel ‘special’ as if I had a stake in the story myself, and I have a right to be satisfied or displeased.

KRISTOPHER ZGORSKI: I think that short stories are having a bit of a resurgence, but that could just be my perception since I’ve been focusing on writing them for a few years now. With my BA in English, I certainly read my fair share of them—genre and otherwise—during my years of study, before dropping off from that habit until recently.

I think for writers, the short story offers an opportunity to experiment. One isn’t locked into a style or subject for extended periods. This means that if something doesn’t end up working, which we all know happens fairly regularly, a whole year or more hasn’t been wasted. The short story is also designed to narrow the narrative to a pinpoint focus, which is a skill unto itself. Some prefer to stay in that mode, while others want to write longer works, but even then, the lessons about focus come in handy. In many ways, I also think that the element of surprise is, I don’t want to say easier, but more readily attainable, in short fiction because really anything is on the table. One is unlikely to kill off the main character in a novel—especially a series—whereas with short fiction, this is less of a taboo.

As for readers, I think as the World becomes more and more chaotic, the struggle to carve out reading time becomes increasingly difficult. So, the short story provides a little nugget of goodness that can be enjoyed in a finite amount of time. The lack of long-term commitment also gives readers permission to read more widely, maybe in genres they wouldn’t normally try. There is just something totally freeing about knowing you can begin and end something in one sitting.

Bios:

BARB GOFFMAN is the 2024 recipient of the Golden Derringer Award for lifetime achievement, given by the Short Mystery Fiction Society. She has won the Agatha Award three times, the Macavity twice, and the Anthony and the EQMM Readers Award once each. She’s been a finalist for major crime-writing honors forty-six times, including twenty Agatha nominations (a Malice Domestic record). Her stories have appeared in Alfred Hitchcock’s Mystery Magazine, Ellery Queen’s Mystery Magazine, Black Cat Weekly, Black Cat Mystery Magazine, and many anthologies. She works as a freelance editor, often focusing on cozy and traditional mysteries. www.barbgoffman.com

Kerry Hammond

KERRY HAMMOND is a fully recovered attorney living in Denver, Colorado. Several of her short stories have been published in mystery anthologies and her latest, “Sins of the Father,” was nominated for an Agatha Award. One of her stories was featured in The Mysterious Bookshop Presents the Best Mystery Stories of 2023. She also enjoys creating downloadable Murder Mystery party games for BlameTheButler.com. Home | Kerry Hammond

GABRIEL VALJAN is the author of The Company Files, and the Shane Cleary Mysteries with Level Best Books. Gabriel has been listed for the Fish Prize, shortlisted for the Bridport Prize, and received an Honorable Mention for the Nero Wolfe Black Orchid Novella Contest. He has been nominated for the Agatha, Anthony, Derringer, Shamus, and Silver Falchion Awards. He received the 2021 Macavity Award for Best Short Story and the 2024 Shamus Award for Best Paperback PI Novel. Gabriel is a member of the Historical Novel Society, ITW, MWA, and Sisters in Crime. He lives in Boston and answers to tuxedo cat named Munchkin. Home - Gabriel Valjan

Kristopher Zgorski

KRISTOPHER ZGORSKI is the founder and sole reviewer at the crime fiction book blog, BOLO Books. In 2018, he was awarded the MWA Raven Award for his work on the blog. Appearing in 2023, Kristopher’s first published short story—“Ticket to Ride”—(a collaborative work with follow blogger Dru Ann Love) won the Agatha, Anthony, and Macavity Awards. His second short story—“Reynisfjara”—is currently nominated in the Agatha Award Best Short Story category and his latest story—“Losing My Mind”—appears in Every Day a Little Death: Crime Fiction Inspired by the songs of Stephen Sondheim. BOLO BOOKS | Be On the Look Out for These Books