Mark Linsky

“The Poor Thief” by Mark Linsky

   Pierre Le Gran was a starving but brilliant young man living on the outskirts of Paris.  Desperation and abject poverty had driven him to make a decision to improve his life by turning to a life of crime--  a single crime-- that would change everything.  He was determined to pull off the greatest art heist in history, more daring than the 1966 Old Masters robbery in London, more brilliant than the loss of Klimt art in Italy, even more breathtaking than the kidnapping of the Mona Lisa in 1911. He wou...

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“The Trial of Big Bill Gantz” by Mark Linsky

Submitted to Contest #204

                                 The Trial of Big Bill Gantz When he looked down from the stage, all Horace saw were the shadowed heads of horses off in a hollow below the roadway, a sunken area given over to sagebrush and weeds. There were no riders to be seen, no movement save for the  fluttering of horse manes as the animals danced a little against one another. But it was a certainty  that there had to...

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“Take It Off” by Mark Linsky

Submitted to Contest #199

                                            One Hot Night     Carolyn Wellsley Bochar was the  richest  woman  on the Cap d’ Azure. She was able to lay claim to the title thanks to the genius and wealth of her late husband Norman who knew a great deal about fine wine, valuable real estate and beautiful women. In  wine  he had made a fortune in the Alexander Valley of California  growing a Cabernet Sauvign...

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“Eight Nights of Arnold” by Mark Linsky

Submitted to Contest #178

                                     Eight Nights of Arnold A note: Sari said I had to include the following definitions if I was really going to tell you all about what happened over Hanukkah. So here goes: Shamas—Hanukkah candle that lights the other candles in the menorah. Challah—Jewish egg bread.  Mensch---A real man Latkes---Potato pancakes Shikse---A non-...

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“The Gift of Maggie” by Mark Linsky

Submitted to Contest #173

                                 The Gift of  Maggie                          (With apologies to O. Henry) Author’s Note: Nobody told a tale with a twist better than O.Henry. His short story ‘The Gift of the Magi’ is a classic, perfect for the holiday season and it can be read in about five minutes.  If you’ve never read it, or if it has been a long time since you have, I’d urge you to...

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“Packwood” by Mark Linsky

Submitted to Contest #159

                                        Packwood     Bogie (Full name William Bogart and no relation to Humphrey) was an I.T. guy who had worked for Flame Optics since 2012 and had  moved up  the corporate food chain far enough so that he occupied a corner office with a view of Sixth Street. There was a big window which hinged wide open and as the office was  ten stories about the street Bogie loved the ...

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“Plywood Walls” by Mark Linsky

Submitted to Contest #148

                                                Plywood Walls     I took it for as long as I could. So did Dean and Bob. But at last we had no choice but to head over to the property management office a few blocks down the beach where we laid it out: William was out of control we told Maggie, the woman who handled our fourplex for the out of town owners.   From the day he moved in  things had been getting...

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“One Hot Night” by Mark Linsky

Submitted to Contest #145

                                            One Hot Night     Carolyn Wellsley Bochar was the  wealthiest woman residing on the Cap d’ Azure. She was able to lay claim to the title thanks to the genius and wealth of her late husband Norman who knew a great deal about fine wine, valuable real estate and beautiful women. In the instance of wine he had made a fortune in the Alexander Valley of California , g...

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“The Real Hitler Diaries” by Mark Linsky

Submitted to Contest #139

                          The Real Hitler Diaries Author’s note: For those not old enough to remember the 1980’s, one of the most astonishing events of that decade was the discovery of diaries kept by Adolph Hitler. Stern Magazine, Newsweek and the Sunday Times in London all planned to serialize and publish and were  prepared to hand over millions of ...

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“Outcasts of Granny Flats” by Mark Linsky

Submitted to Contest #137

                                 The Outcasts of Granny Flats                                                An Original Story         (But With Apologies to Bret Harte's 'Outcasts of Poker Flat')     As John Brokeworse, a gambler known to numerous San Diego casino pit bosses stepped onto the street, he noticed his landlord and several other homeowners conversin...

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“Tell Us A Grotesquie” by Mark Linsky

                                            Tell Us A Grotesquie    “Oh, injector, not yet!” Pleaded Moroga. “tell us a story before you turn down the illuminators.”     “Yes Injector,” Orlok chimed in from his pallet. “In fact, tell us a Grotesquie. You know how much I enjoy those tales."     Jywar paused at the illuminator panel. He knew it wasn’t a good idea to let the ...

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“The Trial if Big Bill Gantz” by Mark Linsky

                                 The Trial of Big Bill Gantz When he looked down from the stage, all Horace saw were the shadowed heads of horses off in a hollow below the roadway, a sunken area given over to sagebrush and weeds. There were no riders to be seen, no movement save for the  fluttering of horse manes as the animals danced a little against one another. But it was a certainty  that there had to...

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“Outcasts of Granny Flats” by Mark Linsky

Submitted to Contest #118

                                  The Outcasts of Granny Flats                                                              An Original Story                                               (But With Apologies to Bret Harte)     As John Brokeworse, a gambler known to numerous San Diego casino pit bosses, stepped onto the street he noticed his landlord and...

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