History is a Mystery

Looking for a christmas present? This bundle avaialble for the next week:

The Historical Mystery Bundle – Curated by Kristine Kathryn Rusch

Most people misunderstand the mystery genre. They expect Agatha Christie type stories—you know, bodies in the library and implausible murders and lots of puzzles. And while that is a form of mystery (cozy), it is not the entire genre.

Really, if we were going to name the genre correctly, we would call it the crime genre. But if we do that, then readers expect true crime, which is a nonfiction genre.

So we’re stuck with the inadequate word “mystery” when we mean “crime.” At least the word “historical” works for us. Although it covers a broad scope. At least in this bundle.

All of the authors in this bundle take us somewhere vivid and give us a crime appropriate to the era. Note that I did not say all eleven authors in this bundle, because we have two anthologies, Fiction River: Past Crime (which I edited) and Quoth The Raven (edited by Lyn Worthen).

And, frankly, I cheated when I put Quoth The Raven in this bundle, because the stories aren’t historical: they’re contemporary. But they’re here for two reasons: First, many scholars believe Edgar Allen Poe invented the mystery genre. Or, at least, detective fiction. (Because if you say he invented the genre, you’d be ignoring half of Shakespeare. But detective fiction? Yeah, you might have a point there.)

The second reason is that this anthology is reimagined Poe, so the stories have a distinct 19th century flavor because of their subject matter. (Besides, they might give you a good excuse to revisit Poe’s short stories. They’re stunning.)

Fiction River: Past Crime really is historical crime fiction. The twelve authors in Past Crime cover everything from Ancient Egypt to 1969 New York, and do so in a fresh and exciting way.

The volume includes one of my Kris Nelscott short stories, set in the 1920s. Kris Nelscott is known for the bestselling Smokey Dalton series set mostly in the 1960s, in Chicago. Stone Cribs explores family relationships, with a few murders thrown in along the way.

J. Steven York’s A Breath Away From Dying is also set in the 1960s. This book is part of Steve’s Panorama Beach mystery series, set in Florida. Steve’s powerful stories in this series have received a lot of attention, including being considered one of the best short stories of the year.

New York Times bestselling author Rebecca Cantrell’s Hannah Vogel mysteries have also received incredible acclaim. Set in the 1930s in Berlin, the Hannah Vogel books have received starred reviews and have won a number of awards. We’re lucky to have Game of Lies, set at the 1936 Olympics in this bundle.

I think you’ll love these books. And, as you pick up copies for yourself, I hope you also give a few dollars to our charity, Able Gamers.

AbleGamers helps disabled people participate in online games by providing equipment tailored toward their needs. Sometimes the online community is the only community available to people who are house- or bedbound. Dreams are important for all of us, as is being social, so please, if you decide to purchase this bundle, add a donation to AbleGamers.

Enjoy! – Kristine Kathryn Rusch

For StoryBundle, you decide what price you want to pay. For $5 (or more, if you’re feeling generous), you’ll get the basic bundle of four books in any ebook format—WORLDWIDE.

• Women’s Justice by Chrissy Wissler
• Past Crime by Fiction River
• Stone Cribs by Kris Nelscott
• The Silk Train Murder by Sharon Rowse

If you pay at least the bonus price of just $15, you get all four of the regular books, plus SEVEN more books!

• Crimes of Yesteryear by Annie Reed (StoryBundle exclusive!)
• Umberto Scolari and the Five Mysteries by Dayle A. Dermatis (StoryBundle exclusive!)
• A Breath Away from Dying by J. Steven York
• The Tower by Joslyn Chase
• The Idanha Hotel by Dean Wesley Smith
• Quoth the Raven by Lyn Worthen
• A Game of Lies by Rebecca Cantrell

— more details at Story Bundle