"Counting Windows," by V.S. Kemanis, in Ellery Queen's Mystery Magazine, November/December 2025.
This is the second story by Kemanis to make my list.
Among the ten thousand rules for writing the proper short story you can find recommendations that you should keep the cast of characters small and the focus tight. Good advice and, like most good advice, there are times to ignore it.
This tale centers on a neighborhood of twelve households which have been been gathering for parties for years. One family includes Daria, a teenager who suffers from OCD in the form of a germ phobia which makes eating a misery.
Another home includes Melody Wolfe who is found dead in the woods, an apparent suicide. How do these two relate, and how do the rest of the neighbors connect? That's the interesting part.
No reader will be surprised by the solution, but watching the characters figure it out is a pleasure.
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