Since 1998, the Short Mystery Fiction Society has awarded the annual Derringers—named after the popular pocket pistol—to outstanding published stories and people who've greatly advanced or supported the form. The 2023 finalists were announced this weekend, with winners to be voted on by the SMFS membership and announced on May 1. Congrats to all!
Best Flash (Up to 1,000 words)
- Catch and Release, by April Kelly
- Acknowledgments, by Karen Harrington
- Easter Spam, by John Weagly
- The Final Chapter, by James Blakey
- Where Palms Sway and the Surf Pounds, by Curtis Ippolito
Best Short (1,001 to 4,000)
- Double Trouble, by M.E. Proctor
- Hiding Out in Cedar Key, by Sharon Marchisello
- The Shape of Australia, by Christine Poulson
- My Two-Legs, by Melissa Yuan-Innes
- Digging In, by Andrew Welsh-Huggins
Best Long (4,001 to 8,000)
- The Vigil, by Toni Goodyear
- Tethered, by Marcelle Dubé
- The White Calf and the Wind, by Mike Adamson
- The Donovan Gang, by John M. Floyd
- Negative Tilt, by Bobby Mathews
- Something Blue, by G.M. Malliet
Best Novelette (8,001 to 20,000)
- The Wraith of Bunker Hill, by Paul D. Marks
- Two Shrimp Tacos and a .22 Ruger, by Adam Meyer
- Dead Men Tell No Tales, by Liz Filleul
- The Refusal Camp, by James Benn
- Ripen, by Ashley-Ruth M. Bernier
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