Crime Writing Prompts

Mom's hair used to be strawberry blonde. The sort of blonde you would only see on American bombshells at the bar.

But mom was nothing like a bar-goer in her manner. On the contrary, she was a gentle caretaker of two kids, that would choose sunbathing on a midsummer's beach over intoxication any day. Her skin was painted a pale, ethereal gold from her days spent by the sea, and bright specks of c...

“Another one,” Detective Hank Langdon said.

His partner, Detective Hen Ball, took in a steadying breath. There had been the elderly man found garroted in a tub of milk in the white tiled changing room at Maxim Gym. Eight days later, a teenage couple were reported missing. Their bodies were found blue and bloated inside an abandoned blue spray painted garage.

It was at the blue murders that Bal...

The day of my 13th kill, a special number for obvious reasons. Years ago, I couldn’t have fathomed that I would be amongst the likes of the famed Zodiac killer for my cryptic messages. Walking the streets like BTK, unknown and not cared about. The old bookstore was my dominion. I didn’t even know the owner and he saw me as just another patron, but after each kill I came here and placed a new journ...

With room temperature white table wine and orange cubes of cheddar, Mercury Bookstore was hosting its Spring Author Q&A followed by a book signing. Tonight’s author was Seattle Tribune star journalist Sam Jenkins, writer of One-Eyed Jacks, the Hunt to Find the Wayne City Sniper. Bookstore owner, Loretta King beamed in front of the rows of folding chairs. Shove that in your pipe and smoke it BookBu...