by Linda Kay Hardie

I’ve been a writer ever since I made them teach me the alphabet when I was four years old. I’ve been told all my life to “write what you know” by schoolteachers, writing instructors, editors, agents, and college professors. I also trained to be a journalist and report “just the facts, ma’am.” I know how this all works. So, yikes! After reading these stories, I’m kind of afraid to meet some of the authors I share space with in Sex & Violins: An Erotic Crime Anthology edited by Sandra Murphy.

Still, this was a fun prompt to write for: start with involving an instrument found in an orchestra. Make sure there’s a consensual-adult scene that warms the heart and other important body parts. The publisher’s caveat was to not murder the conductor. Been there, done that, got the T-shirt and the slap on the wrist. Nix the cliches. And whoo-boy, the authors are all over the place, in the best possible ways. And, uh, positions.

Here are a few of the crimes in these adults-only stories: extortion for love and a life free of mobster retribution; sex and espionage for a good cause; an evening of bacchanalian revelry taking a strange turn – or two; and gruesome, inexplicable murders that threaten to crawl out of the past to menace (or worse) the protagonists.

The spectrum of exotic and erotic behavior is also a sight to behold: mermaid sex under water; partner-swapping orgy in a luxurious setting; desirable damsels in distress – or not; more-than-multiple climaxes; late-in-life lesbian first-time passion; and so much more. Whew. I think I need a break. Maybe a cold drink. Or a hot partner.

I haven’t seen many crime anthologies come with warning labels. In fact, I can’t remember a single one. But White City Press cautions potential readers: “This anthology contains scenes with graphic depictions of sexual acts between consenting and wildly enthusiastic adults. We advise readers to read a maximum of two stories at a time to reduce the risk of overheating.”

Editor extraordinaire Sandra Murphy also wrote a story here. I had to take a cold shower after reading her offering in the book. And what’s worse is I had to do that alone!

What an idea, though! Sex, murder, extortion, musical instruments, and consenting adults coming together in provocative positions (if you’ll excuse the puns). From these hints, you can see that the writers lived up to the written and implied demands of the anthology call, producing distinctive, exceptional, heated, and even grisly, peculiar, slightly-paranormal stories. That last one describes my story.
Wait. What?

Just a minute. The anthology had some bumps along the road to publication, so it’s been a while since I wrote my story, The Cello of Monkey Pawn Shop. Let me think. I wrote it in… May 2021. Hmm. I don’t remember it very well, but the title sounds innocuous enough. Peculiar? Maybe I should take a moment to reread it.

Uh-oh. No wonder I’m not getting replies to the social media friend requests I send to my cohorts in crime fiction. I’m starting to see a pattern here. It’s me. I’m the scary author in this anthology. Only one thing for me to do. I’ll simply double down on my idiosyncrasies. It’s always worked for me in the past. But maybe first I’ll reread a story or two in Sex & Violins. Do I want to revisit Chandler Christie’s The Tail or Albert Tucher’s The Law of Stephanie?

Go away. Three’s a crowd. But not always unwelcome. Certainly not for White City Press.

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Linda Kay Hardie is a freelance writer in Reno, Nevada. She writes short stories in many genres including horror, dark fantasy, and crime, but not romance. She tried once, and everyone ended up dead. Tragic. She also writes recipes and is the reigning Spam champion for Nevada (yes, the tasty treat canned mystery meat). Her writing has won awards dating back to fifth grade, with first place for an essay on fire safety. In 2022, she was honored with the Sierra Arts Foundation Literary Arts Award for fiction. For more, see amazon.com/author/lindakayhardie.

Disclosure: This post contains links to an affiliate program, for which we receive a few cents if you make purchases. KRL also receives free copies of most of the books that it reviews, that are provided in exchange for an honest review of the book.