Menu

Menu
Prompts
Contests
Stories
Blog
Directory
Contests
Magazine
FAQ

Write a story where a murder occurs — and the suspects are all pointing the finger at one another.

Posted in Mystery on Sep 23, 2022

Submissions are closed

Make sure you don't miss our next contest by creating your free Reedsy account.

Sign in with Google
Sign in with Facebook

Or use an email address:

Why not check out our active contest?

✍️ 26 stories

A Case of the Obvious

Shortlisted for Contest #165 ⭐️

It was a strange dinner party. Four of the guests sat deathly silent, flicking their eyes left and right accompanied by discreet raises of their eyebrows and short, quick jerks of their necks – as if trying to communicate a strange form of bodily semaphore. The intended recipient of such a choir of twitches and tight lips seated around the table was none other than Anthony Pratt, the co-creator of the board game, Cluedo. Seated next to him, his wife Elva was engrossed in full conversation with the evening’s soiree host, Mrs. Hannah Osmington...

39 likes 36 comments 36
Read story

For the Love of Murder

Submitted to Contest #165

      The wine glass shattered, and instantly conversations at the table came to a halt. There wasn’t even a dull whisper to be heard, the silence utterly shocking. Nervous eye contact was made between the group until their attention was drawn elsewhere. His body was convulsing as foam began to form at the edge of his lips. The shock in his eyes left unchanged while the pigment of his face turned from white, to red and then horrifically blue.           “SOME...

35 likes 22 comments 22
Read story

It's Murder, Sir

Shortlisted for Contest #165 ⭐️

A scream. The sharp clatter of a dropped tea service. The sound of soft sobs. A rush of footsteps up the stairs. The sight of a dead body. And then, silence. ______________ “It’s murder, sir,” PC Connors spoke. DCI Whitcomb eyed the constable wearily, sighing inwardly. He was tired already, and they had just arrived at the scene of a particularly bloody crime. “For future reference, if we ever come across the body of an old lady sitting at her writing desk with a knife through her neck, let’s take it as read that it’s murder, Connors.” DCI W...

34 likes 33 comments 33
Read story

The Breakfast Murder Club

Shortlisted for Contest #165 ⭐️

A hush fell upon the gathering at the large clover-shaped mansion that Lucky the Lucky Charms Leprechaun lived in. The guests looked in horror and sadness as they saw the body of the effusive leprechaun floating in the large clover-shaped pool that was located in the courtyard of the luxurious estate.Tony the Tiger, Toucan Sam, Count Chocula, Frankenberry, Buzz the Honey Nut Cheerios Bee, and Snap, Crackle and Pop all stood silently staring at the corpse. While their first impulse was to consider it an accidental death by drowning, something...

26 likes 19 comments 19
Read story

Death by Misadventure

Submitted to Contest #165

Death by Misadventure 1 The last thing that I remember – and I do not use this metaphorically – is struggling for breath under a pillow. There was far too much whisky in my system for my resistance to have any effect but alcohol or not, the memory of my struggle is real and not imagined as some of the detective theorists may have thought. Ah, hell, I am jumping the gun. Wait, let me rewind a little to the night of my murder. Hi, I am Ria Chattopadhyay or Chats as my friends call me. As of right now, I am ephemeral – in a decidedly un-yash-ch...

15 likes 6 comments 6
Read story

Glendora Retirement Village

Submitted to Contest #165

“I do find policemen frightfully tiresome!’Mrs Marigold Smith sat at the round table waving away the Detective Sargent’s polite question with a bored hand. The table had been moved to the window side of the dining hall so as not to interfere with the resident’s lunch service. Detective Wallace reminded himself not to take anything personally. ‘Keep the professional wall up’ was his own internal advice. But as the old woman’s blue rinse hair and necklace of huge round glistening baubles caught the sun’s light, it gave her the glowing app...

13 likes 7 comments 7
Read story

Follow the Money

Submitted to Contest #165

Follow the Money In any instances of corruption and murder of a prominent family, they say to “follow the money.” I was just a green gumshoe in 1964 when the Morales family was discovered by the housekeeper that Monday morning before Christmas. The whole town was sinking under the heavy rain. The drainpipes can’t keep the water from coming in my back door. My family says every time there’s trouble at home I run off to work. Not planned, but that’s the nature of murder!The Morales family was four generations of medical practitioners. Great Gr...

12 likes 3 comments 3
Read story

Who Dunnit?

Submitted to Contest #165

Everyone jumped as Marcus slammed the phone down. Silence followed the drama, then whispering turned to chatter. As police headquarters returned to its normalcy, Marcus continued to brood. A simple DNA test is all I asked for, and what do I get? Delays and excuses! Don’t they realize the longer it takes, the longer the murderer is loose? It took all his willpower not to pick up the phone and throw it across the room. Instead, he took a deep breath and replayed the recorded statements from the three suspects. It was a strange way to calm one’...

11 likes 2 comments 2
Read story

Murder Most Fowl

Submitted to Contest #165

Murder Most Fowl—George Davis   Henry Hawk pointed his wing at Carol Cluck who, in turn, pointed to Henrietta Henderson. “She, Carol Cluck, murdered young Charlie Chick that was still in his mother’s shell,” Henry Hawk shouted. “I saw her do it. I am a witness.”    “Wait just a minute,” Humpty Dumpty said. “I am the judge here, Mr. Hawk, and you will wait until you have been called, to speak.”    “I’m sorry, Your Honor. Even so, I saw her do it.”    “One more word from you, and I’ll ho...

9 likes 2 comments 2
Read story

Try to find me

Submitted to Contest #165

Here we go again, Matthew murmured as he entered the manor house a few hours after they received the call this morning. It was another typical day at the office. When the phone started to ring frantically at this early time, it was a sign that something big has happened. And when the person on the other end of the line was screaming that he found the lifeless body of Timothy Rogan, the world-famous solar energy businessman, the whole precinct was up in the air. Matthew hated rich people. Most of the time the police department had to cov...

9 likes 2 comments 2
Read story

A Death Triangle

Submitted to Contest #165

Violet Simmons (secretary):   I just wanna start off by saying, yeah, I killed him. Let's just say, he had it comin' to him. As I sit across from this cop in front of me, I ain't worried he will find out. Not a bit.  "So, Ms. Simmons, I assume you know why you're here," the cop says.  I nod, but he continues. "We are investigating the murder of Jonathan Howards, your boss. You were on board of a yacht with your entire company of sixty four people when a splash was heard and your boss was found dead in the water below,...

8 likes 4 comments 4
Read story

The Case of a Murdered Teacup

Submitted to Contest #165

It was evening, a chill breeze had swept through Lockeside, and leaves left their carefully crafted piles for pebbled roads. Fall was well on its way and, though he was reminded time and time again to bundle up, Waltie couldn’t help but find every excuse to play outside. After all, he was four and no weather, no matter how severe, would stop him from finding the next shiny thing. He’d trudge through the hill behind his house or lean close by nearby streams if it meant adding to his assortment of oddities.  During one of his ...

8 likes 6 comments 6
Read story

Soft and Sweet and Intoxicating

Submitted to Contest #165

[This story contains a scene of violence.]Frank was against the wall for sure, now - literally.“Heh, n-now now,” the charming businessman said as the knife was pressed against his neck. “Let’s not do anything ra-”A large shadow on his still-trembling body and a pool of his blood stood still for a moment, then receded into the darkness.Mr. Frank Smithers - a prominent local businessman - had been found dead in a back alley by a homeless man early Saturday morning, his throat cut with a knife. Within half an hour, two detectives from the Empir...

8 likes 7 comments 7
Read story

Midnight Murder Hotel

Submitted to Contest #165

The crackling of burning branches set the mood for a hazy trip down memory lane. At night, a forest held secrets that couldn’t be seen in the daylight. Makes you wonder if those things are real. But then again; the acts of the moon are mysterious. “Remember how we used to go to the arcade in the middle of the night just to watch the lights?” Ashley said. The group of girls was sitting on the ground, some were sitting on their jackets or a blanket that they laid down. Others used their blanket to keep themselves warm on this autumn night. T...

7 likes 0 comments 0
Read story

A small murder

Submitted to Contest #165

Margo sucked in as much air as her lungs could hold before screaming with all her eight-year-old might. When she finished, she heaved anew and yelled again- her dad rushed in first. Still wearing a stained apron and wielding a spatula that dripped grease on her hot pink carpet, he asked “What happened?”On her knees, Margo sat among woodchips scattered across her floor. Next to her was a small cage toppled over its side. Margo looked up to her father, tears, and boogers flowing freely. Snorting back a loogy, she managed to whimper out, “Mr. G...

7 likes 3 comments 3
Read story

🌟 Similar prompts

Begin your story with somebody getting (or taking) the blame for something they didn’t do.

High School – 40 stories

Write a story that includes the phrase “This is all my fault.”

Adults – 95 stories

Write a story about a corrupt politician trying to avoid blame at all costs.

Adults – 10 stories

Start your story with a character telling their best friend that their spouse is having an affair, only for their friend to “shoot the messenger”.

Dramatic – 29 stories

How to Write a Novel

Join Tom Bromley for a writing master class and finish your first draft in 3 months. Learn more →

How to Write a Novel