M. H. Callway

Nov 2022 30

The Mesdames of Mayhem’s Fifth Anthology, In the Spirit of 13

2022 Articles, Mysteryrat's Maze

by Linda Lovely

Ten years ago in Toronto, two separate writing critique groups came together to form the Mesdames of Mayhem, the brainchild of Madeleine Harris-Callway and Donna Carrick, with the purpose of pooling their talent and promoting the work of women authors. Originally, there were thirteen writers in total, all women, so naturally their first anthology was called Thirteen. Since then, they’ve grown to twenty-four authors stretched across Canada – and they now include three Messieurs.

The Lizard: A Mystery Short Story

2014 Articles, Mysteryrat's Maze, Terrific Tales

by

by M. H. Callway

Margaret sat alone in the vet’s examining room, clutching the empty cat carrier the way she’d held Mr. Kim in his blanket. All over now. Death was so simple, so complete. Why did she still fear it when it seemed the most natural thing in the world? The young technician came back into the room carrying a pamphlet. She began explaining the different options for pet memorials. If Margaret wanted to be certain that she’d have only Mr. Kim’s ashes in the urn, instead of commingled pet remains, the cost would be far greater.