Mystery Fiction Short Stories

*(Dimitri's story) Can be read as a standalone novel* Alyanna Rosellini's life is on pause because of a murderer on the loose. Only being able to live through the present by holding on to the past while hoping for a better future, she will do anything she can to go back to her old life. Even if it is to act as bait to draw out the killer. Jayden Carlton is in a relationship with two women - his dead childhood sweetheart and a woman who won't leave him alone. Everyone has only one piece of advice for him - go to therapy and move on. But that advice is applicable to people who want to get better, not Jayden. How can he, when moving on also means letting go? Katerina Van Acker has a heart of gold but the world convinced her to use it sparingly. So she wore a bitchy attitude for armour, sharpened her tongue into a sword, and waged a war against it. But if she doesn't stop fighting, she might chase away everyone she cares about. And nothing short of her own guardian angel can convince her of that. Dimitri Volkov might be a prince but he is no guardian angel. Haunted by the memories of the one he was supposed to love and protect but ended up killing, he knows that he deserves no second chance. But fate has other plans. Now, his future rests in his shaky hands. Their life is on pause. The only way to move ahead is to reflect back on the past, learn from their mistakes, and make better choices this time around. Because with stakes higher than last time, they will either get everything they hoped for and more or lose more than their soul can bear.

Sarah Killian is not your average thirty-year-old single woman. Foul-mouthed, mean-spirited, and a text-book-case loner. Also, she is a Professional Serial Killer. But a wrench is thrown into the clockwork of Sarah's comfortable lifestyle when, on her latest assignment, she is forced to take on an apprentice, Bethany—a bubbly, perky, blonde with a severe case of verbal-vomit. In short, Bethany is everything Sarah is not. Will Sarah be able to adjust and work with her new apprentice, or will she break her contract with T.H.E.M. and murder the buxom bimbo? ©️ Crystal Lake Publishing

Annually, Allison University broadcasts the names of the 100 students that they picked to study in their university and be a licensed professional killer that will hunt criminals for bounty. Axelle Esguerra was one of the lucky students that were picked, and her journey is not going to be easy. It's kill or be killed situation, can she survive?

Three siblings are sent away to visit their estranged wealthy relatives, the Apions, in picturesque WavesPort. But the town is not as idyllic as it seems. A mystery that the town has buried, three siblings unearth. Avid curiosity that leads them on a perilous journey. A journey of uncovering the truth. And what they find is beyond unfathomable.

Janelle is only but a normal pre-law student living in a small apartment with the rest of her friends for college. Everything was enough for her. Until the time her Professor set her up for an alternative pt, coincidentally being a moot court case of the homicide of her and her group's previous acquaintance. Unknowingly through the knowledge of her professor, the group must put all their efforts into solving the case in order to survive? Checking the actual document, every single one of them was written as potential suspects, even when they didn't know their acquaintance's death just about a minute ago. She trusts all of her friends, but are they to be trusted?

The things we want are so very rarely the things we need. Clifton Heights, a modest Adirondack town, offers many unique attractions. Arcane Delights sells both paperbacks and hard-to-find limited editions. The Skylark Diner serves the best home-cooked meals around, with friendly service and a smile. Every August, Mr. Jingo’s County Fair visits, to the delight of children and adults. In essence, Clifton Heights is the quintessential small American town. Everyone knows everyone else, and everyone is treated like family. It is quiet, simple, and peaceful. But shadows linger here. Flitting in dark corners, from the corner of the eye. If you walk down Main Street after dark, the slight scrape of shoes on asphalt whispers you're not alone, but when you look over your shoulder, no one is there. The moon shines high and bright in the night sky, but instead of throwing light, it only seems to make the shadows lengthen. Children disappear. Teens run away. Hunters get lost in the woods with frightening regularity. Husbands go mad, and wives vanish in the dead of night. And still, when the sun rises in the morning, you are greeted by townspeople with warm waves and friendly smiles, and the shivers pass as everything seems fresh and new... Until night falls once more. Handy's Pawn and Thrift sits several blocks down from Arcane Delights. Like any thrift store, its wares range from the mundane to the bizarre. By daylight, it seems just another slice of small town Americana. But in its window hangs a sign which reads: We Have Things You Need. And when a lonely traveling salesman comes looking for something he desperately wants, after normal visiting hours, after night has fallen, he will face a harsh truth among the shelves of Handy’s Pawn and Thrift: the things we want are rarely the things we need. ©️ Crystal Lake Publishing

Micaela Elrod can is presumed to be a normal girl by anyone who sees her. She is beautiful with a figure that has men turning their heads whenever she passes. What no one knows is that she is no ordinary girl. She is in the army and her skills are unmatched by anyone in the academy. When Ace Duhamel is told by his superior that they were expecting a new addition to his team, he hates the person automatically. He does not want anyone new in his team as he believes that they are okay as they are. He tries to convince the major general that the new lieutenant could join another team but the decision has already been made. He vows to make the new team leader's life a living hell in the team until they leave on their own. He is shocked to see the person who arrived two days later to join his team.

It was supposed to be a joyful celebration for the homecoming of Mayor Javier's family. But, everything turned into a nightmare. Ang inaasahang gabi na puno ng kasiyahan ay napalitan ng takot at misteryo. Ang bayan na minsa'y nabalot ng kapayapaan, sa isang iglap, nabalot ng mga kagimbal-gimbal na pangyayari. Little did they know, that homecoming is not just for the Javier Family...but also for him. He's gone for a long time... He's a psycho... and now, he's back.

University of Antiquity. Kung saan tatawagin kang ginoo at binibini. Isang unibersidad na purong tagalog lang ang dapat lenggwahe. May mga patakaran na dapat sundin, may mga parusa na dapat bayaran. Kung gusto mong lisanin ang lugar, hanapin mo muna ang kasagutan sa misteryong nababalot sa loob ng Unibersidad. Lahat ng misteryo, nasasagot sa tamang proseso. Lahat ng misteryo, may nakabaon ritong kwento...

Bryony Adams is destined to be murdered, but fortunately Fate has terrible marksmanship. In order to survive, she must run as far and as fast as she can. After arriving in Seattle, Bryony befriends a tortured musician, a market fish-thrower, and a starry-eyed hero who is secretly a serial killer bent on fulfilling Bryony’s dark destiny. ©️ Crystal Lake Publishing