Many mystery novelists also write murderous short stories. Learn how writers plot, construct, and populate the short mystery, from the light-hearted to the noir tale. Panelists Gerald Elias, Toni L.P. Kelner, and Susan Oleksiw will share their expertise. This program is presented by Sisters in Crime, New England Chapter.

Gerald Elias leads a double life as a critically acclaimed author and world-class musician. His award-winning Daniel Jacobus mystery series––most recently, "Cloudy With a Chance of Murder" in 2021 ––takes place in the dark corners of the classical music world. In addition, he has penned "The Beethoven Sequence," a chilling political thriller. His self-published books include an eclectic collection of short mysteries and his musical memoir, "Symphonies & Scorpions." An ardent short story writer, Elias has been a finalist in the New England Crime Bake’s Al Blanchard contest. His short fiction and essays have appeared in prestigious journals ranging from Ellery Queen Mystery Magazine to The Strad. A former Boston Symphony violinist, Elias has concertized worldwide and recently made the first complete recording, available on Centaur Records, of the Opus 1 violin sonatas of the Baroque virtuoso-composer, Pietro Castrucci. Elias divides his time between the shores of Puget Sound in Seattle and his cottage in the Berkshire Hills of Massachusetts, maintaining a vibrant concert career while continuing to expand his literary horizons. Visit geraldeliasmanofmystery.wordpress.com.

Toni L.P. Kelner is two authors in one. As Leigh Perry, she writes the Family Skeleton series featuring a walking, talking skeleton named Sid. The series debuted with "A Skeleton in the Family" and "The Skeleton Stuffs a Stocking" is the sixth and most recent addition to the series. As Toni L.P. Kelner, she's the author of the eight Laura Fleming mysteries and the three books in the "Where are they now?" series (all available as audio downloads, audiobooks, and ebooks). She also co-edited seven urban fantasy anthologies with NYT bestseller Charlaine Harris. Their most recent is "Dead But Not Forgotten." In between novels and anthologies--and under both names--she writes short stories about pirates, PIs, serial killers, zombies, and demonic phone calls. Her most recent story is "Nasty," published in "Shattering Glass," edited by Heather Graham. Forthcoming is "The Skeleton Rides a Horse," a Family Skeleton short story being published in Ellery Queen Mystery Magazine. Leigh and/or Toni have been nominated multiple times for the Anthony, the Macavity, and the Derringer, and won an Agatha Award for Best Short Story and an RT BOOK review Career Achievement Award. No matter what you call her, she lives north of Boston with her husband, fellow author Stephen P. Kelner. They have two daughters and an ever-increasing number of books.

Susan Oleksiw writes both series and stand-alone crime novels. The Anita Ray series explores the clash between traditional and modern India through the eyes of an Indian-American photographer. Anita Ray lives with her aunt at her tourist hotel and investigates murder among both tourists and Indians in nearby villages. Susan lived and studied in India, and received a PhD in Sanskrit from the University of Pennsylvania. The Mellingham series set in a coastal New England town features Chief of Police Joe Silva. The seven books in the series follow Joe through his day as a small-town cop and his life from a single man to a stepfather of two. In "Below the Tree Line" the setting shifts to a small farm in rural New England owned by Felicity O'Brien, healer and farmer. Susan's short fiction has appeared in Alfred Hitchcock Mystery Magazine and numerous anthologies. Her nonfiction appears in "A Reader's Guide to the Classic British Mystery" (1988) and "The Oxford Companion to Crime and Mystery Writing" (1999).She is a co-founder of Level Best Books, which published an annual anthology of Best New England Crime Stories. This was discontinued in 2019. As a result, Susan co-founded Crime Spell Books, which will continue to publish the Best New England Crime Stories annual anthology.