Write a murder mystery with an amateur sleuth who must navigate a fantastical world in a quest to discover the truth.

Posted in Mystery on May 12, 2021

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✍️ 38 stories

“The Ghostwriter” by Gabrielle Gerstley

🏆 Winner of Contest #24

“I can’t believe you live here.” “I know,” Sylvia says. She smiles and steps aside for me to drag my suitcase through the entrance hall. “There’s ivy trellises for chrissakes. Ivy trellises.” “I’m glad you like it.” We sit on her loveseat in the foyer. It is afternoon, and the sun is starting to wane and drip shade on the room. I take a sip of the earl grey tea she delivers on a worn gold platter. Her tea set is pretty, scalloped and covered in tiny, blood-red flowers. I rub my sweating hands on the velvet fabric of the sofa, hoping it...

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“Fridge Logic” by Vivien Leanne Saunders

Submitted to Contest #24

Goodwin couldn’t quite shake off the feeling that he was missing something. He closed his eyes. The house was quiet. Too quiet, he thought wryly, and winced at the cliche. Where were the gossiping neighbours, the reporters’ phones buzzing and chirping like insects? He had clicked off his radio so he could bloody well string two words together, but he couldn’t even hear the busybodies stomping through the daisies.He stuck his fingers in his ears and swallowed hard. Sound rattled back with a pressurised pop. Pressurised? His stomach lurch...

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“The Magic of Logic” by Iona Cottle

Submitted to Contest #24

“Another mage corpse. Give it to the priests and get on with guard duty.” Bellus’ ears pricked up. Was that another one? With a quick check to make sure that the quarter-master wasn’t watching he slipped out the armoury line and made his way across the room to the captain. “Another one captain?” “What- Oh gods no. No Bellus. Don’t you have other work to do?” “But sir-” It wasn’t the first time they’d had this conversation, but that was never going to put Bellus off. He pulled out the sketch that he had on him. “I can figure it out. Look- all...

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“The Interdim Bureau” by Bruno Lowagie

Submitted to Contest #24

I wake up in a strange bed, next to a woman who isn’t my wife.Diffuse light penetrates through the curtains. The only sound in the room is the soft ticking of a clock. I’m looking right into the half open mouth of my supposed one-night stand. What have I done? How did I end up here? What happened? I blink my eyes and then I recognize the woman; it’s Linda from accounting. Suddenly I realize she isn’t breathing anymore.My throat feels dry. I try to rub the sleep from my face and discover that I have a mustache and a beard. Not the usual stubb...

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“The Scent” by Tim Law

Submitted to Contest #24

Sheoak loved the smells of her world. It was the perfumes of nature on the wind of the forest at night. With her almond eyes closed and her sharp ears listening Sheoak could see the silver owl drop from a branch and narrow in on its prey, a silent hunter. The babble of the brook called to her telling her secrets as did the whisper of the wind through each branch, caressing each leaf. The forest was her home, the home of her people and she knew each and every inch intimately. That was why it was such a shock for the elf when she discovered th...

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“The Alchemist's Grave” by Arthur Tiberio

Submitted to Contest #24

As anyone over the age of thirty, Captain Lona Honder had a particular pining, at times, for the "good old days." Though, to be fair, that sort of thing usually entailed cheerful anecdotes about flashy cars and better beer and a downright suspicious amount of sunshine, while he contented himself with one extremely practical feature of his days on the Force, which played at the keys of Nostalgia with the maestro's zeal. "Would it be too much," he wondered aloud, "to have a normal murder for once?" He'd given up smoking a year ago, but he stil...

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“Amusement” by Lee Kull

Submitted to Contest #24

God and the Devil had played this game of chess for thousands of years. The Devil’s playing was clever and cunning, but gradually his pieces were being taken, one by one. God was patient, biding His time, knowing He would triumph in the end. It was all part of His plan. The Devil knew he was methodically being beaten after working so hard for the power he craved, and in a fit of rage, he dashed the chesspieces. They fell in all directions, unleashing his fury. He would yet have his day.Joe stared at his reflection in the mirror, and hazel ey...

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“The first case of Vicky Travers, gnome” by Marte Van Der Linden

Submitted to Contest #24

Mr Herbert Billingsley, the curator of the griffinology department at the Central Museum, was murdered in his office at seventeen minutes past two by creature or creatures unknown. Detectives Blitz and Blunt, who were only slightly less dumb than they looked, had no trouble establishing this once they arrived on the scene.They were met by a crowd of excited curators, historians and archaeologists, who filled the corridor outside the office.“We heard shouting,” someone said when the detectives approached.“And crashes!”“And then a scream, a th...

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“The Puzzle Solvers” by Deborah Mercer

Submitted to Contest #24

“I’m the team captain, for my sins,” Flora Fenton said, every few days. Or sometimes a few times every day. Nobody was deluded, and probably Flora herself (and say what you liked about her, she wasn’t stupid) wasn’t either. Had anyone suggested that someone other than Flora should be the captain of the Archer’s Arms pub quiz team, then Flora’s sin might well be murder. Or at least GBH. Nobody did suggest it. And her teammates tolerated her with resigned good humour. Anything she didn’t know about the f...

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“Magic No Magic ” by Dawn Mandzik

Submitted to Contest #24

“Who stole my locket?” Meg cried!The giggling and laughing suddenly stopped. The five girlfriends were in a tent in Meg’s backyard having their last sleepover before they went back to school. The last party of the summer and then they were in high school!“What makes you think someone stole it?” Sally, Meg’s best friend asked. “Because it’s missing. I had it in my purse and now it’s gone. That’s why!” Meg yelled, looking at her pals.“Oh, hold on.” The “Nancy Drew” of their group said. Let’s all calm dow...

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“The Bottler” by Natalie Nicole

Submitted to Contest #24

His cellar is dark, but the Bottler knows its cataloged contents better than anyone. He peruses the shelves which contain his private collection of bottles, his fingers carefully lingering on one in particular. This specimen is a larger bottle that has been rubbed and polished enough that the cheap, gold veneer is changing color and wearing through. For a moment, he becomes abstractly aware of the darker emotions he once possessed and their associated memories, but it is difficult to reconstruct them. What remains in the bottles tell the sto...

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“Ludvig” by Aha Blume

Submitted to Contest #24

I remember the case distinctly, because it was unlike one I’d ever worked on before. My partner Roger and I had mostly looked for cats in trees, or recovered someone’s missing money. But one day, I got an interesting call."Hector and Roger, Private Investigators, no case too small. How can I help you?""This is Dr. Paley in the morgue. I need your help.""No problem, with what can we help you?""A body has disappeared.""What?""I think you better come down here and I can explain."So I drove the few blocks to the morgue, and met with Dr. Paley. "...

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“Havenhell” by Sage Kahn

Submitted to Contest #24

Lura slumped back against the front door, staring down at the dead pixie pinioned to the gate with pale, thorny vines, throat slit, green blood pooling like antifreeze across her mother’s pristine yard. The words “never return” and “death awaits” marred its gossamer wings.This can’t be happening, she told herself. Yet clearly, it was.Lura scanned the front yard, the street beyond. Nothing. No sign of whoever had done this, and, more importantly, no sign of anyone—or anything—lying in wait to do worse. Only the mundane sou...

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“Land of Creation” by Kennedy White

Submitted to Contest #24

The man was alert as a chamois, his body shifting constantly in the wicker chair as if living stirred anxiety in his bones. He was strangely thin for a fisherman, there was more life on discarded fish bones, and even stranger that he urged to fish in Corvin. Overflowing with technology and artificial life, the city was more than modernized. It seemed some people had the strength to hold the wheel steady. Did this twig have it in him, though? Morrison’s eyes vined up the man’s body, already knowing it was as futile as trying to change th...

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“The Lost Clown” by Sandra Skipper

Submitted to Contest #24

Awakened by a shrill scream, Matt was shocked as he realized with cold sweat rolling off his body it was his own voice screaming in the night.The memory of the nightmare still filling his mind caused him to shudder violently.He had been dreaming almost every night about a clown. At times the clown was laughing with a deep resonating laugh. Other times he was giggling as he squeaked the balloons he was forming into animal shapes. The dream always ended with the same plea from the clown, "I'm lost, please find me." It was always the same...the...

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Ended on 23:59 - Jan 17, 2020 EST

Won by Gabrielle Gerstley 🏆

Title: The Ghostwriter

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Write a murder mystery with an amateur sleuth who must navigate a fantastical world in a quest to discover the truth.

Submissions are closed

✍️ 38 stories

“The Ghostwriter” by Gabrielle Gerstley

“Fridge Logic” by Vivien Leanne Saunders

“The Magic of Logic” by Iona Cottle

“The Interdim Bureau” by Bruno Lowagie

“The Scent” by Tim Law

“The Alchemist's Grave” by Arthur Tiberio

“Amusement” by Lee Kull

“The first case of Vicky Travers, gnome” by Marte Van Der Linden

“The Puzzle Solvers” by Deborah Mercer

“Magic No Magic ” by Dawn Mandzik

“The Bottler” by Natalie Nicole

“Ludvig” by Aha Blume

“Havenhell” by Sage Kahn

“Land of Creation” by Kennedy White

“The Lost Clown” by Sandra Skipper

🌟 Similar prompts

Write a story set in the dark recesses of space where the two main characters are often at odds with each other in humorous and comedic ways.

Write a sweeping romantic tale of two lovers who must overcome the horror of being hunted by an unseen foe.

Write a thrilling adventure of a special agent who is harboring a paranormal secret.

Write a magical realism story that takes place in the Wild West.

Contest #24

Enter our weekly contest!

$50

Prize money

293

Contest entries

0

Stories

Win $250 in our short story competition 🏆

Explore more writing prompt ideas: