Discover weekly, the best short stories

Looking for a steady supply of mystery short stories? Every week thousands of writers submit stories to our writing contest.

7420+ Mystery Short Stories to read

Submitted by writers on Reedsy Prompts to our weekly writing contest. No need to go out hunting for clues — you’ve solved the puzzle of where to find the newest mystery short stories just by landing on this page.

🏆 Winning stories

⭐️ Recommended stories

Introducing Prompted, a new magazine written by you!

🏆 Featuring 12 prize-winning stories from our community. Download it now for FREE.

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The Best New Mystery Short Stories

There’s nothing quite like sitting down to read a good mystery short story. From the first line, we’re already putting on our detective hats and trying to figure things out. Together with the protagonists, we suss out clues, consider the evidence, and take a hard look at each of the suspects and their alibis.

But whether you work out the solution yourself or are thrown by a convincing red herring, the adventure, thrill, and suspense of a mystery is its own reward. Where else can you get a story with so many twists, turns, and surprises?

Uncover the latest mystery short stories

Short stories have been keeping mystery fans satiated for decades. From new Sherlock Holmes adventures in The Strand to Megan Abbott’s thrilling crime stories, mysteries have a proud tradition of packing tons of adventure into a small space. And, just like the ingenious crimes they solve, such a feat will leave readers marveling at how these authors managed it.

The mystery stories you’ll find here are provided by the ever-growing community of writers who participate in Reedsy’s weekly short story contest. Shortlisted and winning stories appear at the top of the page, so you don’t need to hunt for the best of the best. With so many emerging writers submitting to Reedsy, you never know when you’ll stumble across mystery’s next Conan Doyle! And if you'd like to read the best of the best entries from across 40+ genres, be sure to check out Prompted, our new literary magazine — there's a free copy waiting for you.