Anthology: Killin’ Time in San Diego

Bouchercon 2023 is happy to announce the seventeen short story authors whose work was selected for inclusion in this year’s conference anthology, Killin’ Time in San Diego.

These stories will be published alongside short fiction by three of this year’s Bouchercon Guests of Honor—C.J. Box, Ann Cleeves, and Naomi Hirahara.

More than 180 authors submitted stories. In a two-step blind judging process, first-round readers passed along 41 stories to guest editor Holly West for final consideration. Seventeen stories were selected, and we’re glad to reveal their authors here:

Kathleen L. Asay, “Buy the Farm”

Jennifer Berg, “A Bayside Murder”

C.W. Blackwell, “Hard Rain on Beach Street”

Wesley Browne, “29 Palms”

Anne-Marie Campbell, “Palms Up”

L.H. Dillman, “To Hell and Back”

John M. Floyd, “Plymouth West”

Kim Keeline, “Business of Death”

Mary Keenan, “The Canadians”

Emilya Naymark, “Girl of Gold”

Richie Narvaez, “Shamu, World’s Greatest Detective”

Kathy A. Norris, “Wildfire”

J.R. Sanders, “Dead Even”

James Thorpe, “Casualties of War”

Tim P. Walker, “Bidding War”

Victoria Weisfeld, “Pearl of a Girl”

Désirée Zamorano, “President-Elect”

“Choosing the stories that will appear in this anthology was much more difficult than I expected it to be,” said guest editor Holly West. “But I’m grateful to each and every author who took the challenge of bringing San Diego and Southern California to vivid life in their stories. My job might’ve been hard, but it was an absolute pleasure. I can’t wait for everyone to read what these talented authors have put forth.”

The anthology will be published by Down & Out Books and will be on sale at the Bouchercon 2023 convention and through major online booksellers.