CONTENTS

1. Title Page
2. Copyright
3. Otto Penzler, Foreword
4. Anthony Horowitz, Introduction
5. Ace Atkins, Stunts
   Austin Noir, ed. by Hopeton Hay, Scott Montgomery, & Molly Odintz (Akashic Books)
6. Michael Bracken, Beat the Clock
   Alfred Hitchcock’s Mystery Magazine, March/April
7. Fleur Bradley, How to Teach Yourself to Swim
   Dark Yonder, Summer
8. Shelley Costa, The Knife Sharpener
   Alfred Hitchcock’s Mystery Magazine, July/August
9. Doug Crandell, Down the Fire Road
   Ellery Queen Mystery Magazine, May/June
10. Jeffery Deaver, The Lady in My Life
    Thriller, ed. by Don Bruns (Blackstone)
11. John M. Floyd, Last Day at the Jackrabbit
    The Strand Magazine, Vol. 69
12. Nils Gilbertson, Lovely and Useless Things
    Prohibition Peepers, ed. by Michael Bracken (Down & Out)
13. Peter W. J. Hayes, El Paso Heat
    Black Cat Mystery Magazine, Vol. 14
14. Shells Legoullon, The Backwoods
    Thrill Ride: The Magazine, Summer
15. Victor Methos, Kill Night
    Amazon Original Stories
16. Leonardo Padura, A Family Matter
    Southwest Review, Vol. 108, No. 3
17. Dan Pope, Snow over Hartford
    Bellevue Literary Review, No. 44
18. Annie Reed, Dead Names
    WMG Publishing
19. Cameron Sanders, Billowing Down the Bayou
    The Greensboro Review, Spring
20. Anna Scotti, It’s Not Even Past
    Ellery Queen Mystery Magazine, September/October
21. Archer Sullivan, Good Harvest
    Rock and a Hard Place, No. 9
22. Andrew Welsh-Huggins, Wonder Falls
    Mystery Tribune, July/August
23. Stacy Woodson, One Night in 1965
    More Groovy Gumshoes, ed. by Michael Bracken (Down & Out)
24. Bonus Story
25. L. Frank Baum, The Suicide of Kiaros
26. The Best Crime Stories 2024 Honour Roll
27. Additional outstanding stories published in 2023
28. Extended Copyright
29. About the Editors
30. An Invitation from the Publisher