Fish Tales: The Guppy Anthology

Guppy Anthology

by Leslie Budewitz, Leslie Budewitz, James Montgomery Jackson

"Fish Tales, The Guppy Anthology, casts a wide net across the mystery genre, delivering thrills, chills, and gills. This water-themed collection features locked room puzzles, police procedurals, cozy characters and hardboiled detectives. With a pool of motivations ranging from greed and revenge to loyalty and justice, these stories will lure you in with killer hooks and fishy characters.Come on in, the water’s fine. But be careful, or you might find yourself sleeping with the fishes.INTRODUCTION, by Chris RoerdenTHICKER THAN BLOOD, by Leslie BudewitzTHE SECRET OF THE RED MULLET, by Nancy AdamsACCIDENTS HAPPEN, by James Montgomery JacksonIDENTITY CRISIS, by Diane VallereSLEEPING WITH THE FISH, by KB IngleeFEEDING FRENZY, by Patricia WintonSASE, by Karen PullenNEW AGE OLD STORY, by Sarah E. GlennTHE SHADOW OF THE RIVER, by Gigi PandianTHE TURKEY HILL AFFAIR, by Warren BullSOMETHING FISHY, by Peggy EhrhartTHE TRUCK CONTEST, by Kaye GeorgeAMAZING GRACE, by Betsy BitnerA MURDER RUNS THROUGH IT, by Annette DashofyDEAD-EYE GRAVY, by Krista DavisTHE PROFESSOR’S BOOKS, by Gloria AldenKOI PALACE, by Heidi SaundersSOMETHING FISHY THIS WAY COMES, by Deborah J. BenoitPALACE ON THE LAKE, by Daryl Wood GerberFATAL FISH FLOP, by Beth GroundwaterTHE FRAIN LEGACY, by Darlene RyanTHE CRITIQUE GROUP, by Patricia Gulley"

Genres: Short Stories, Mystery, Fiction, Anthologies, Mystery Thriller

272 pages, Kindle Edition

First published March 23, 2011

About the author

*Also publishes as Alicia Beckman*

Leslie Budewitz is the three-time Agatha Award winner and bestselling author of the Food Lovers’ Village and Spice Shop mysteries, continuing with the 9th installment, LAVENDER LIES BLEEDING (July 2025). Her historical short mystery collection, ALL GOD'S SPARROWS AND OTHER STORIES: A STAGECOACH MARY FIELDS COLLECTION (September 2024), featuring a remarkable figure from Montana history, is a finalist in the 2025 High Plains International Book Awards. She also writes standalone moody suspense as Alicia Beckman.

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What a delight to return to the Spice Shop, a fictional shop in Seattle’s Pike Place Market, a place I fell in love ages ago as a college freshman. I made it my mission to eat my way through the place, and since it’s constantly changing, I’ll never be done!

In LAVENDER LIES BLEEDING, Spice Shop owner Pepper Reece is shocked when vandals destroy the greenhouse at her friend Liz Giacometti’s lavender farm. But then Liz is killed, and Pepper digs in to solve the crimes. As her questions threaten to unearth secrets others desperately want to keep buried, danger creeps closer to her and those she loves. Can Pepper root out the killer, before someone nips her in the bud?

Writing about Seattle and its surroundings never gets old. Plus it's an excuse to keep up with places I love, and to make regular research trips. And by research, you know I mean eat!

ALL GOD’S SPARROWS AND OTHER STORIES imagines the life and heart of Mary Fields (1832-1914), a real-life woman born into slavery who spent her last 30 years in Montana, where she found freedom and community, and her own place in the West, bringing solace and justice to those in need. The collection brings together three stories originally published in Alfred Hitchcock Mystery Magazine, and a new novella, “A Bitter Wind,” set in 1897 and 1914, in which Mary helps a young picture bride solve the mystery of her fiancé’s death, his homesteading neighbors’ bitterness, and her own future. The title story won the 2018 Agatha Award for Best Short Story; others were finalists for awards from the Short Mystery Fiction Society and the Western Writers of America. The collection is a finalist for the 2025 High Plains International Book Awards.

I’m also the author of the Food Lovers' Village Mysteries, set in fictional Jewel Bay, Montana. DEATH A DENTE, first in the series, won the 2013 Agatha Award for Best First novel. My guide for writers, BOOKS, CROOKS & COUNSELORS: How to Write Accurately About Criminal Law & Courtroom Procedure, drawing on my long career as a lawyer, won the 2011 Agatha for Best Nonfiction.

I’m a past president of Sisters in Crime and former regional and national board member of Mystery Writers of America. I love to cook, eat, hike, travel, garden, and paint—not necessarily in that order. My husband and I live in northwest Montana.

For regular updates, please visit my website, http://www.LeslieBudewitz.com, and click on the newsletter tab to sign up for emails crammed with book news, peeks inside the writing life, and more, along with two free short stories.

Readers are my favorite people. Drop me a line at Leslie at LeslieBudewitz.com. Join me at my website, LeslieBudewitz.com, or on Facebook at Leslie Budewitz & Alicia Beckman.

Reviews

[Gwen Mayo · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Sisters in Crime GUPPY Chapter has come up with a winning recipe for mystery and intrigue. The twenty-two stories that make up Fish Tales are a tasty blend of flavors and writing styles. The anthology is well-written and has enough variety to suit any mystery reader. I look forward to seeing more from these new voices in mystery fiction.

While the collection as a whole is very good, there are some stories that were so delightful or delightfully evil that they merit individual recognition. My personal favorite story was Betsy Bitner's Amazing Grace. Her murder method is ingenious and her writing style made the story a fun read. I haven't seen Betsy's work before, but will be looking for more. SASE by Karen Pullen was an excellent read. Her dark humor and tongue-in-cheek look at the publishing industry made the story stand out from the crowd. Sarah E. Glenn puts an interesting spin an old fashioned PI story in a new age setting in New Age Old Story. Her characters are well drawn and I would like to see her detective again in a longer work.

With twenty-two authors in the anthology, I don't have space to talk about every story I liked or to mention every author, so I will end with a shout-out to Nancy Adams for her historical mystery story, The Secret of the Red Mullet. Her young protagonist came alive on the page. Her bio states that she is working on novels with an older version of the girl, but she should consider doing some young adult stories with the character.

Now that I have given you a small sampling of what is in store for you in Fish Tales, I hope you'll consider diving into the book and sampling these stories for yourself.

[Susan Wical Baughman · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was an awesome Anthology,
And I am an admitted Anthology connoisseur and junkie--
I had bought this several years ago, just discovered it in my "unread" Kindle files,
so read it.
It was the Guppies/Sisters-In-Crime first anthology (I believe),
and had some fab stories...I ended up buying the books and even the series'
of many of the writers--
Especially loved the story "Amazing Grace," which is built around the theme of the
old hymn, where the MC is plotting and planning her husband's funeral.
Great idea for another Anthology Theme--old hymns!
Thanks! Love the Guppies and all they do.

[Melinda Loomis · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Guppies (short for The Great Unpublished) are a subgroup of Sisters in Crime, and serves as a support group for aspiring crime writers, providing a safe haven where writers in progress can congregate and support each other, and where published writers can offer their expertise and encouragement.

The stories run the gamut from a few where I felt the endings/ reveals were somewhat predictable to some really neat stories. The part I was most impressed about was the variety of how the theme was used - if I hadn't already known, I'm not sure I would have picked up on it.

[Midu Hadi · Rating 2 out of 5]

Usually, I review anthologies bit by bit. But this one was so lackluster that I don't feel like doing that. Most of the mysteries had no mystery about them. They went from Point A to B almost in a straight line. The others may have had some twists but I cannot remember any of them. It means that they failed to leave an impression. I only picked this book for a challenge. It mentions many animals, so if that is what you need to get out of a tight spot in a reading challenge, go ahead! Oh, and it is a short read too, so there's that.

[Joyce · Rating 3 out of 5]

Just read The Shadow of the River by Gigi Pandian.

[Betsy · Rating 5 out of 5]

This fun collection of 22 stories all share a common thread of water and/or fish. The way authors work in that theme and comes up with a totally unique story showcases their imaginations very well.

There's too many stories to review them all, but I'll mention some I particularly enjoyed.

Note: In reviewing I ignored my occasional urge to take out a red pencil. This is a "Guppy", or the "Great Unpublished", Anthology, so many of the authors haven't been in print before. I'm not going to nitpicked about using commas correctly or a few run-on sentences. It's the imagination and the story that counts.

That said, the writing style of Identity Crisis by Diane Vallere, had me laughing all the way through.
Some other favorites:
The Secret of the Red Mullet by Nancy Adams, esp. for old Roman setting.
Sleeping with the Fish by KB Inglee, for early 19th-century Quaker setting (with appropriate language & community dynamics)
SASE by Karen Pullen for a clever way of structuring the story
The Professor's Books by Gloria Alden, because I like books about books, and because, well, to avoid a spoiler you'll just have to read it yourself.
The Koi Palace by Heidi Saunders, for the Korean woman working as a hostess in a Chinese restaurant
The Critique Group by Patricia Gulley, because it was just plain fun.

[Judy Sheluk · Rating 4 out of 5]

As the first anthology of the Sisters in Crime Guppies, it was interesting to find so many now-published authors in this collection: Gigi Pandian, Annette Dashofy, Krista Davis, and Kaye George to name just four. A solid collection, my favourites were THE PROFESSOR'S BOOKS by Gloria Alden and AMAZING GRACE by Betsy Bitner. If you love short crime fiction, this is a collection to consider adding to your library.

[Jenni · Rating 4 out of 5]

Each story is written by a member of Sisters in Crime, Guppies (Great Unpublished) Internet Chapter. There are some great little gems. All of the stories held my attention and kept me reading to the end. There were a lot of really good twists. I really enjoyed them. :)

[Phillis · Rating 4 out of 5]

Nice stories. I enjoyed them all.