Today on the site I’m delighted to be offering a peek inside the anthology Crime Ink: Iconic ed. by John Copenhaver and Salem West, a collection of crime fiction inspired by queer icons. How awesome does that sound?? Here’s the gist:
Crime Ink: Iconic is a bold and electrifying anthology that brings together a powerhouse lineup of some of the most compelling voices in queer mystery writing today. Within its pages, master storytellers like Ann Aptaker, Christopher Bollen, Marco Carocari, Katrina Carrasco, John Copenhaver, Meredith Doench, Diana DiGangi, Margot Douaihy, Christa Faust, Kelly J. Ford, Katherine V. Forrest, Stephanie Gayle, Robyn Gigl, Cheryl Head, Greg Herren, Renee James, Kristen Lepionka, Anne Laughlin, Mia P. Manansala, Jeffrey Marks, Ann McMan, Penny Mickelbury, David S. Pederson, J.M. Redmann, Jeffrey Round, and Baxter Clare Trautman deliver gripping, fearless tales that redefine the genre. This collection is not just a celebration—it’s a statement: queer voices are, and always have been, at the heart of crime fiction.
Now peek inside, with a behind-the-scenes look brought to you by editors John Copenhaver and Salem West, and, of course, some of the illustrious contributors!
CRIME DOESN’T DISCRIMINATE—NEITHER SHOULD CRIME FICTION
In 2023, crime fiction anthologies featured 517 stories across 30 titles—yet fewer than 1 percent were written by LGBTQ+ authors. Crime Ink: Iconic (An Anthology of Crime Fiction Inspired by Famous Queer Icons) responds decisively to that disparity, offering a bold collection of stories by and about queer authors and characters.
Inspired by queer icons—James Baldwin, Oscar Wilde, Candy Darling, Geena Rocero, Langston Hughes, Radclyffe Hall, the Babadook, Megan Rapinoe, Elton John, Lorraine Hansberry, Laverne Cox, Tennessee Williams, Dolly Parton, Vita Sackville-West, and many more—these stories span the crime fiction spectrum, from cozy mysteries and whodunits to noir, psychological thrillers, and police procedurals. Each tale showcases the depth, ingenuity, and originality of queer voices in the genre.
This anthology features 26 stories by an impressive range of talent, including New York Times Best Crime Novels of 2024 honorees, Lambda Literary Award winners, and other celebrated and emerging writers—ensuring a reading experience that is dynamic, inclusive, and thoroughly engaging.
With a foreword by Ellen Hart and an afterword by Katherine V. Forrest—two legends of queer crime fiction—Crime Ink: Iconic is more than a collection of ink and intrigue. It’s a movement. Bursting with deception, twists, and unforgettable characters, this anthology is essential reading for crime fiction fans and anyone seeking authentic representation in the stories they love.
Here’s a small sampling of what’s inside:
“Hollywood Prometheus” by Christa Faust:
A haunting noir set in 1950s Los Angeles, where a coroner’s assistant discovers a mutilated teen boy’s body dressed in a flashy purple jacket. As he digs deeper, his investigation leads him into the shadows of Hollywood’s glamorous facade—into hidden parties, secret identities, and a chilling culture of exploitation. Haunted by the boy’s death and his own buried past, the narrator navigates a city that devours the vulnerable and shields the powerful. What begins as a quest for truth becomes an intimate reckoning with identity, trauma, and the quiet courage it takes to remember the forgotten.
“Finding Jimmy Baldwin” by Cheryl A. Head:
A poignant tale of friendship, longing, and loss set against the vibrant, volatile rhythms of 1950s Harlem. When celebrated writer Jimmy Baldwin vanishes, Roy Willoughby—his oldest friend, once his fiercest protector—embarks on a search that becomes as much about memory as it is about truth. In cafés and crowded tenements, through smoky jazz and shattered silences, Roy confronts the ache of unspoken love, the scars of war, and the weight of a country that cages Black brilliance. This is a story of two boys grown into men—adrift, bound, and forever reaching for home.
“The Prophet Daniel” by Christopher Bollen:
While tagging along on his boyfriend Loren’s art trip to Venice, a man falls under the spell not of the city’s canals or cathedrals, but of its Annunciation paintings—visions of divine arrival that haunt him more than he expects. But when a smooth-talking stranger cons him out of sixty euros, his gaze shifts from the sacred to the slippery, launching him into a twisting chase through shadowed alleys and sunlit squares. The trail leads not to confrontation, but to Matteo—a golden-voiced charmer with stories as elaborate as the mosaics overhead. Caught between fantasy and justice, the narrator dances a delicate line through longing, lies, and a moment of theatrical redemption that proves, in Venice, salvation wears many masks.
“High Hit Area” by Margot Douaihy:
In the relentless winter of a small Maine town, Sam Al-Khoury’s quiet life is unsettled by a trapped, screaming fox and the mysterious collapse of George Kendall, heir to a local fortune. As snow buries the landscape, Sam reconnects with her ex, Lucy, a veterinarian with a sharp mind and a complicated past. Together, they navigate secrets hidden beneath layers of frost and family ties, unraveling a web of deceit, love, and survival. In a place where the cold reveals as much as it conceals, Sam must confront the traps of her own making—and those set by others.
“Level Up” by Katrina Carrasco:
A queer tech worker in Seattle leads a double life as a top player in Bananagramz—a covert, gamified justice app where users subtly stalk and psychologically torment men accused of harassment or abuse. After 499 “hits,” she’s invited to Ghost Level, a secret tier with more extreme tactics. But what begins as symbolic retribution spirals into trespassing, abduction, and moral collapse. In a chilling group hit, lines blur between justice and vengeance, revealing how collective trauma can curdle into violence. Carrasco’s story is a razor-sharp exploration of rage, anonymity, and the illusion of control in a broken system.
“Red Dirt and Regret” by Ann McMan:
In the heart of North Carolina’s pottery country, mail carrier Jolene McLeod lives a life of quiet routine and simmering disappointment—until a mysterious delivery and a string of freak potter deaths disrupt her dusty status quo. With the help of her sharp-tongued friend (and maybe more), Patsy, Jolene uncovers a sinister scheme tied to an online pottery store, vintage grave markers, and a spurned lover. As her route winds deeper into dark secrets and red clay, Jolene must decide if she’ll once again stand by—or finally stand up. A darkly funny tale of legacy, loss, and small-town justice.
“The Fledgling” by John Copenhaver:
Freshman Sam and his closest friend Derek face a brutal fraternity hazing ritual: kill a goose with a golf club to earn their place in Kappa Sigma. Pressured by Teeter, the charismatic yet cruel fraternity leader, the boys grapple with fear, conformity, and violence. As Derek falters under the emotional weight, Sam is forced into a moment of reckoning—between becoming the man others expect or claiming his own moral compass. A haunting coming-of-age tale, “The Fledgling” explores masculinity, toxic loyalty, and the violence young men inflict—to prove themselves, to survive, and to belong.
“Invisible” by Robyn Gigl:
When transgender police officer Christine Madison is found dead, it’s ruled a suicide—until Homicide Detective Max Kirby notices subtle signs suggesting murder. As Kirby digs deeper, he uncovers a hidden identity, a relationship with a powerful senator’s son, and a chilling DNA test that may have exposed Christine’s truth. The deeper the investigation goes, the more it reveals about identity, bias, and the cost of being unseen. As Kirby confronts his own secrets, he races to bring justice to a woman the world refused to see. “Invisible” is a searing, twist-filled thriller that explores identity, prejudice, and survival.
“Never Meet Your Heroes” by Mia P. Manansala:
A queer Filipina cosplayer’s dream comes true when she meets her lifelong idol, fantasy author Bryan Sedgwick, at Chicago ComiKon. Swept up in the glitz of fandom and attention, she’s thrilled—until a shocking moment at the cosplay contest reveals a dark undercurrent. As secrets unravel, her hero’s charm gives way to something far more sinister. Trapped between adoration and horror, she must rely on her strength, her voice, and the power of her community to expose the truth. A fierce tale of fandom, identity, and the dangerous myths we build around our idols.
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John Copenhaver is an award-winning author whose latest novel, Hall of Mirrors, was named a New York Times Crime Novel of the Year and won the Left Coast Crime Award for Best Historical Mystery. His earlier books include Dodging and Burning and The Savage Kind, which won the Lambda Literary Award for Best LGBTQ Mystery. He serves on the board of International Thriller Writers. A founding member of Queer Crime Writers, he teaches at Virginia Commonwealth University and mentors in the University of Nebraska Omaha’s MFA program.
Salem West is the publisher and editor-in-chief of Bywater Books. A 2014 Lambda Literary Award finalist, West later served as a trustee of Lambda Literary, deepening her commitment to uplifting LGBTQ+ and BIPOC voices in publishing. She is a vocal opponent of book bans and the censorship of marginalized literature, using her platform to champion First Amendment rights and advocate for intellectual freedom. Through her work, West continues to amplify underrepresented voices and support stories that foster empathy, challenge norms, and reflect the diverse realities of today’s readers and writers.
