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Discover weekly, the best short stories

Looking for a steady supply of crime short stories? Every week thousands of writers submit stories to our writing contest.

150+ Crime Short Stories to read

Submitted by writers on Reedsy Prompts to our weekly writing contest. Feed your fascination with the latest crime short stories. From thrilling accounts of lovable burglars to chilling tales of stone-cold murderers, these bite-sized pieces are so addictive, they should be illegal.

Crime Short Stories – Page 10 of 10

The Bear Necessities of Contract Law

Winner of Weekly Contest #334 🏆

Goldilocks Lockwood v. Bear FamilySmall Claims Court, Woodland DistrictCase No. 2024-SC-0847Transcript of the Plaintiff's Opening Statement THE COURT: Ms. Lockwood, you may proceed with your statement.MS. LOCKWOOD: Thank you, Your Honor.[Sound of papers shuffling]My name is Goldilocks Lockwood. I am a licensed house-sitting professional, bonded and insured, operating in the Forest District for the past five years. I hold certification number 4721-GL from the Forest District Professional Standards Board, and I am a dues-paying member in good ...

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The Fire in the Pantry

Weekly Contest #333

“Charlie, Charlie!” Henry burst through the door. Charlie jumped out of her seat, stubbing her toe on her office desk in the process. She had been looking over the budget for the Strawberry Hotel. “What now”, Charlie sighed. Lately they were having a lot of problems at the Strawberry. As the associate manager, Henry’s job was to inform her of all the happenings in the hotel. Sometimes - she thought - he knows too much about the lives of our guests. She ran her hand over her mahogany-stained desk, as Henry introduced her to the new probl...

10 likes 1 comment 1
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Needing The Dough

Weekly Contest #333

CW: Mature themes and strong language. I could not really believe my luck. Here I was, on the run, and I found this nerdy guy with a bank account. Nice too. He did not even mention my accent. Most do. They say things like, “I love a Northern accent,” as if it is a party trick. Southern pricks cannot tell the difference between Leeds and Liverpool. Really. They talk like the BBC invented English and they own it.Rob seemed kind. He had given me two hundred and fifty pounds like it was pocket fluff. Either he wanted my bones far too much or he ...

7 likes 1 comment 1
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The Taste of Victory

Weekly Contest #333

“I’ve come to a decision,” Compound declared. The groans from Oriceye echoed throughout Compound’s commlink. “Alright, what is this decision?” Compound drew an arrow and nocked it onto his bow. He shot it through the concrete between his feet. A cable trailed behind the arrow, through a loop on his bow, and snaked up his sleeve to a miniature winch beneath his hoodie. “You know how comic books are a thing, right?” A gust of wind blew against Compound from behind. He let it tilt him over and off the edge of the rooftop. “No,” Oriceye dr...

8 likes 0 comments 0
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Prosciutto and Gin

Weekly Contest #333

CW: References to pedophilia Bell Moon prefers to have his photo taken if there is a dead tiger around. So whoever is lucky enough to capture a glimpse of his life can assume the mahogany top, leather boots are tailored specifically for his feet, and that he shot the cat—not out of sport or defense, but out of pity, and not for the Tiger but for the word, pity. It leaves a good taste in the mouth with those who share his transatlantic accent that teeters to the right of Bermuda and to the left of Lord Mountbatten’s, assuming his Lordship is ...

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Salt in the Wound

Weekly Contest #333

ARIA VERRE LOG #1It’s a beautiful morning! The sun is shining, I woke up next to my fiancé, and best of all I have the coolest job ever! If you’re reading this, I’m a superhero! My power isn’t too hard to spot— I have a pair of GIANT wings. They make everything so much easier, but I can’t go into small places. Anyways, I have to get ready for the day. I’ll come back to writing soon!ARIA VERRE LOG #2I’m back! Not for long though, I’m giving my fiancé, Olive, my journal for a bit. I’ve finally convinced her to start journaling her day! I will ...

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Inside a storm

Weekly Contest #333

You started by saying you’d found an empty glass on a table with red wine dregs, a portable gas stove still burning and a notebook and pen. Then you realised you needed to start the story at an earlier stage. You were in a whiteout. The snow-filled cloud surrounded you, obliterating everything else. White without texture, without form. The cold, bitter wind drove the snow-filled mist into your exposed skin. Bumps in the ground reared up and tried to trip you. Icicles grew on your eyebrows. You kept moving because stopping was not a good opt...

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The Cook Who Couldn't

Weekly Contest #333

“I cannot believe I won the drawing!” Bernadine said excitedly, as she knocked on the door of the large home.Every week, Bernadine watched Mrs. Cook Cooks, the number one cooking show in the country.Mrs. Cook was Melissa Cook, a former paralegal turned overnight culinary sensation specializing in traditional Norwegian food.Bernadine had registered for a drawing when ordering some cookware and won a ticket to a live show and dinner party with Melissa Cook herself.The door was opened by a distinguished butler wearing a white jacket, white glov...

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Three Drops of Vinegar

Weekly Contest #333

The order ticket didn’t flutter; it hung heavy on the wire, weighted down by the impossibility of the request. Rabbit stew with juniper berries and exactly three drops of vinegar. His mother’s recipe.Thomas stood in the prison kitchen, fluorescent lights buzzing overhead like trapped wasps. The industrial dishwasher churned its final cycle. Steam rose from the sanitizer, sharp with chlorine. He read the ticket again. Richard Potts Block D. Execution scheduled for midnight.The paper trembled in his hands. Not from the ventilation system that ...

18 likes 6 comments 6
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Tanya's Testimony on The Disappearance of Branderson and Ritchie

Weekly Contest #333

I repeat to you GENTLEMEN, that your inquisition on this particular matter is fruitless. There is nothing in this world that I could do, however I would like to on the case revolving around Branderson few weeks ago except for the fact that his nail marks were found outside of Tanya's window. Whatever you might want or need to know about this particular gentleman could only be found through his diary which, the record was ended abruptly on the fateful day. Or, if you do desire a more comprehensive yet peculiar testimony of the case at hand, y...

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Empty Plate

Weekly Contest #333

Empty Plate I sat alone in my little bedroom, reading a children’s book, looking at pictures of far away places and stars that seemed to beckon to me as if to say, “come to me!” I smiled as I imagined starships crossing the vastness of open space, far away from the confines of my little room. Just as I was about to turn the page, I heard the sound of a sizzling frying pan and the unmistakable scent of homemade French Fries coming from the kitchen. These were not the fries from your usual fast food joint; these were hand sliced into wedges, s...

13 likes 5 comments 5
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The Sacrament

Weekly Contest #332

Northern Sink,Twenty two levels below Ground A bark of gunfire echoed through the corridors of the decrepit factory.Then another.Then, silence.As Rina stood waiting patiently in the doorway, she could hear yelling, pleading and groans of pain. Eventually, men emerged limping from the smoke, hands raised in surrender. Her own crew in black stormcloaks followed behind them, weapons ready to discourage any last-minute heroics. The raid was a success.Kai, her second cousin and trusted right-hand man, rounded the corner. ‘We got ‘em, Ri. We got ...

18 likes 0 comments 0
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Needin’ Cleanin’ by Holden Wennekers

Weekly Contest #332

CW: Physical violence, gore, strong language “Raining like a Goddamned bitch out there.”“I don’t give two shits about the Goddamned rain! What the hell are we gonna do about the mess you made?!”“Calm down, Benny.”“Don’t tell me to calm down! You trigger happy son-of-a-bitch! Don’t tell me to calm down!”“You’re right. You’re right. I’m sorry.”Benny had his head in his hands.“We have to do something, Dennis, and we have to do it now! If we don’t act fast, we’ll end up just like him.”“You don’t think I already know that?!”He pauses a moment.An ...

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Covering the Ugly

Shortlisted for Contest #332 ⭐️

Frederick Bond walked briskly down the sidewalk heading for the pharmacy. It was unseasonably warm in Chicago for mid-October, and his fine wool topcoat was unbuttoned and swung freely as he walked. Still, gloves felt good.Heavy gray clouds pushed back on the sun’s attempts to get the day started, but the city ran on its own schedule. Delivery trucks and vans were starting to fill the streets and alleyways, supplying all manners of produce and products to Chi-Town businesses. The quantity of things a person might acquire still fascinated F...

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YOU COULD BET YOUR LIFE ON IT

Weekly Contest #333

Bucky McKeever was sick and tired of not having it all. Everywhere he looked, he saw men living large; high on the hog, if you will. As a low-level manager at a large investment firm, he was surrounded by the high-voltage energy of day-trading and financial wheelings and dealings. His boss, Mr. Jonathan Stevens, a man of only 35, was already a multi-millionaire; a graduate of Wharton Business School and a mergers and acquisitions expert, he could earn more in one deal than Bucky made in a year. Bucky McKeever developed a plan to remedy this...

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RBE | Illustrated Short Stories | 2024-06

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