The Third Black Beacon Book of Mystery - Publication Date

Black Beacon Books is pleased to announce the publication date for The Third Black Beacon Book of Mystery. The puzzles will be ready for you to solve (with the help of our host of talented investigators) on Friday the 18th of April, 2025.

These are the cases you'll be cracking...

The Painting and the Password by Cameron Trost
Death Goes Gourmet by Edward Lodi
Webster's Wallet by Robert Petyo  

A Veiled Truth by Karen Keeley

Gunning for a Promotion by Jon Matthew Farber

Take Care of Zozo for Me by Christina Hoag

A Study of Death by Teel James Glenn

Storm in a Teapot by Chris Hook

The Roman in the Fountain by Ron Fein

The Lunt by S. B. Watson

The Adventure of Woodbury Barrow by Cameron Trost

In the meantime, you can get your fix of mystery in the first two volumes.

First Mystery Acceptances for 2025

Black Beacon Books is proud to announce the following acceptances from the first round of submissions for The Third Black Beacon Book of Mystery. The table of contents will be finalised in October.

Mystery writers should get their submissions in by the end of September after reading the full guidelines on our submissions page.

 

Shelter from the Storm

An anthology for readers who love stormy weather, whether it be the thunderstorms of the tropics, the tempests of the Atlantic, or the blizzards of the frozen north. Seek shelter, batten down the hatches, and lose yourself in this short anthology of suspense, mystery, and terror, designed to be read in one stormy sitting while the wind howls or thunder bellows.

Purchase your print or ebook copy via Amazon, or go to our shop for other options.

Excerpt from "The Murder at Karreg Du":

Wind shook Oscar Tremont’s black Peugeot 403 as the vintage car advanced at a prudent speed. Over the trees lining the narrow back road, dark clouds raced like celestial stallions and rain fell in waves, the volleys of unseen archers opening battle. Leaves struck the windscreen, where they remained momentarily, until a sweep of the wipers sent them hurtling into the night. Following what was little more than a sealed lane in such conditions demanded the driver’s undivided attention.

‘I’m not so sure about your shortcut, Oscar. Have you noticed you have a knack for transforming relaxing weekends away into treasure hunts, rescue missions, and historical investigations?’

‘There’s a definite trend,’ he replied, shooting her a mischievous glance.

‘The storm’s growing. I do hope we arrive soon.’

He said nothing, and they went back to listening to the baying of the wind.

‘I’ve just lost my internet connection, so I can’t navigate at all now.’

‘We shouldn’t be far from Le Gâvre. This road cuts through the forest, close to where we had a picnic with your parents years ago. Once we’re out of the woods, we’ll get back onto the departmental road.’

‘Watch out!’ Louise yelled, but he was already easing the car to a standstill.

Two yellow hazard lights were blinking at them through the darkness, and the fainter reflection of two others could be seen on the rough surface that blocked the road in front of the car.

Having come to a complete stop, the full force of the gale could be better appreciated. The Peugeot was being jostled and the branches all about them were thrashing maniacally.

‘A fallen tree,’ Louise mused. ‘I suppose I ought to be surprised.’

‘I assure you it wasn’t me, chérie. Believe it or not, I was looking forward to an uneventful weekend.’

Subtropical Suspense in the Queensland Capital

Brisbane Times has just published an article on Subtropical Suspense. Since the anthology was released on the 19th of July, Black Beacon Books has been receiving a great deal of interest from local media - 4ZZZ radio, The Courier-Mail, West End Magazine, and Brisbane Times. We would like to thank them all for their support.

If you haven't yet read Subtropical Suspense, you really are missing out. Brisbane residents can purchase the anthology at Black Cat Books, Pulp Fiction, or Riverbend Books. Those of you who are further afield can order it from our online store. Click HERE for more details.

Brisbane Times, "Subtropical Suspense in the Queensland Capital"

    Photo by Glenn Hunt

City's Dark Heart Revealed

Subtropical Suspense has been creating panic in the streets of Brisbane since it was released at Black Cat Books, Paddington, just over two weeks ago. Copies are disappearing from bookshop shelves faster than a murderer can toss a bloody dagger down a storm water drain. The anthology is now available at three independent Brisbane bookshops; Black Cat Books in Paddington, Pulp Fiction on Adelaide Street, and Riverbend Books in Bulimba. Those living further afield have the option of ordering it directly from our online store.

We have received support from many suspicious types locally, nationally, and internationally. In particular, our thanks goes out to Tom Snowdon for his article in The Courier-Mail (5/8/2014) in which he explains how Subtropical Suspense reveals Brisbane's "dark heart", Nix Fullmoon of 4ZzZ radio's The Witching Hour, which is broadcast Saturdays from 10pm to midnight on 102.1 FM, and Brisbane author and screenwriter, Stephen M. Irwin for this review:
 

"In the anthology, Subtropical Suspense, editor Cameron Trost has brought

together a dark pantry of crime stories and mysteries, and cooked up a
gumbo rich and spicy enough to befit any of the world’s sultry cities… but
these happen to be set in Brisbane.
   Sixteen short stories take the reader from Morningside to Indooroopilly, from
Hamilton to Acacia Ridge. There is baking sun and flooding rains, police
procedurals and criminal capers, murderous mermaids and poison pens...
   Some stories hit their notes more cleanly than others, but all give a ripple of
pleasure to the reader who knows Brisbane – or wants to know it – and who
has wondered why stories of murder, malice, and magic couldn’t be set here.
   And of course, they should be: Brisbane’s shadows are as dark and good to
hide in as any in the world – and Subtropical Suspense revels in this."

Below: a picture of Tom Snowdon's article in The Courier-Mail:

Subtropical Suspense Launch

What an afternoon we all had at Black Cat Books for the launch of Subtropical Suspense!

Several of the authors were present; Linda Brucesmith, Duncan Richardson, Alice Godwin, Helen Stubbs, Barry Rosenberg, David Dolan, and Kerry Lown Whalen. Sam Muller lives in Japan but he was represented by his mother. Alice, Kerry, and Linda read passages from their stories and got the audience teetering on the edge of their seats. Thank you to all of the authors for making the day such a success and signing copies of the anthology. Thanks to Jodi Cleghorn of eMergent Publishing for donating books to the raffle, to my friend, Matthew Charles, for selling raffle tickets while I was running around (I wish I'd had more time to mingle), to everybody for coming along and supporting independent publishing (you're going to love the stories), and a big thanks to the Black Cat Books team for their hard work.

If you missed out on the launch, don't worry, the anthology is now available at Black Cat Books. It will be available at other bookshops and online at a later date, and the ebook version will be available in September, but Black Cat is the exclusive outlet at the moment. Please, support local business by dropping in to buy a copy; 179 Latrobe Tce, Paddington, Brisbane.

Here are some photos from yesterday's launch:

Cameron Trost, Black Beacon Books

Alice Godwin, author, and  "Phryne Fisher"

Cameron with Vivienne Muller, mother of contributing author, Sam Muller

Alice Godwin

Linda Brucesmith reading from "The Final Cut"

Alice Godwin and son... or Doctor Who?

Alice Godwin reading from "Scarlett Fever"

Hamish Danks Brown, poet, and "Carmen Sandiego"

David Dolan, author, and guest

Cameron Trost and son, Fergus

Matthew Charles selling raffle tickets - good show!

The Matthews

Kindred spirits, Emmanuelle Loquet-Trost with Alice Godwin

Kerry Lown Whalen reading from "Missing" while Cameron tries to get the mike right

El and Megs - Megs, teach him how to pose for a photo!

Barry Rosenberg, author, signing a copy of the anthology

A quiet drink before an early night falling asleep while watching Doctor Blake Mysteries

Subtropical Suspense Cover Reveal

It is with great pleasure that Black Beacon Books reveals the cover design for our inaugural anthology, Subtropical Suspense. Greg Chapman, who provided the striking cover for Kit Power's The Loving Husband and the Faithful Wife, has once again done an outstanding job by creating a cover that perfectly fits the theme and feel of the anthology. Don't you agree?

The anthology will be launched at Black Cat Books (179 Latrobe Tce, Paddington, Brisbane) at 2 pm on Saturday the 19th of July. More information about the launch will be announced soon, but please put that date down in your diary this very instant.

The anthology will feature sixteen gripping tales of mystery and suspense set in Brisbane!

The impressive table of contents is as follows:

A Lasting Impression    FN Karmatz
Penelope Potter    Frank Ince
The Deluge    Gerry Huntman
Magnetic North    FN Karmatz
Scarlett Fever    Alice Godwin
Downpour    Sophie Yorkston
Missing    Kerry Lown Whalen
The Woman from the West    David Dolan
Living Statue    Barry Rosenberg
Incident in Wilston    Phil Brown
Like Me, The River    Duncan Richardson
Campus of Fear    Frank Ince
Cold Comfort    Sam Muller
The Final Cut    Linda Brucesmith
Blood on the Ice    Helen Stubbs
The Death, Rise and Deliverance of Greer Cabot    Kirk Marshall

Introducing "Black Beacon's Subtropical Suspense"

Black Beacon Books is entering its second year and our priority for 2014 is to bring a unique anthology to the reading public. "Black Beacon's Subtropical Suspense" will be the first of what is planned to be a series of themed anthologies. As an independent publisher based in Brisbane, Australia, we want to salute our amazing city in this anthology. Therefore, all of the stories included will be mysteries or tales of suspense set in or around Brisbane. Seven gripping submissions have made the grade so far but we are still after a few more before the table of contents is finalised. If you want to be part of the adventure and have a well-written, attention-holding yarn that meets the submission guidelines, send it through to us. We are particularly in need of stories that feature a Brisbane landmark as an intrinsic part of the plot and / or stories set in the city's past. However, only the very best will be accepted. So, get writing and fill the river city with mystery and suspense!