Hiding in Plain Sight, by Tom Larsen

 "Hiding in Plain Sight," by Tom Larsen, in Black Cat Weekly, 193.

Most of Larsen's stories are set in Ecuador. Some feature a cop but this is from his other series about private eye Wilson Salinas.  

Our hero explains that a big part of his job is hunting down gringos who have come to Ecuador to hide from governments or other agencies.  

All my clients wanted from me was a location where they could find the subject of their search. "We'll take it from here," was the common response when I located someone.  I had a standard disclaimer that I gave all my clients stating that if they were after someone to beat them down or kill them, I wouldn't help. I doubt if any of them even read it. 

Now he's looking for John McIntyre who ran a jazz club in New Orleans that laundered money for the mob.  Finding him is easy; surviving an encounter with the man's bodyguard is harder.  But then it turns out that nothing about the case is as it appears.

A twisty and satisfactory tale.

You Know What You Did, by Karen Harrington

"You Know What You Did," by Karen Harrington, in Trouble in Texas, edited by Michael Bracken, North Dallas Chapter of Sisters in Crime, 2025.

This is the third story by Harrington to make my list.  By coincidence it is her third story about Dr. Kellog. I say coincidence because this is the first time those two groups have overlapped, if you follow me.

Serena's daughter has been kidnapped.  At least, that's how Serena sees it.  Reasonable people may disagree.   (Is Ava a minor or has she turned eighteen? The story is ambiguous, as far as I can tell.)  

What is clear is that Ava has been collected by the insufferable parents of her boyfriend who won't allow Serena any contact with her.

So Serena goes to the aforementioned Dr. Kellog who runs a Remedy Clinic.  His solutions are, shall we say, not mainstream (and non-violent, by the way).

I won't reveal any more about this charming tale except to say, while it's not a particularly funny story, one line made me laugh out loud.

Above Suspicion, by Victoria Weisfeld

 

"Above Suspicion," by Victoria Weisfeld, in Sherlock Holmes Mystery Magazine, #26, 2025.

This is a caper story, inspired by an actual crime.  (And, interestingly enough, the second mystery I have read based on that crime.)

We watch Amit Madoor carefully recruiting a couple of unlikely accomplices for a crime.  Why does he want to hire two young surgeons?  What characteristics do surgeons have that would make them good candidates?  And what is he offering them a million dollars each to do? No violence, he promises; just one simple felony.

I won't spoil the story by revealing the secrets.  But it is a satisfying read.