It’s Almost There

I’ve been hard at work editing my 7th book, The Architecture of Murder. It’s a collection of four stories. They are all nearing final edits. I might be releasing this thing very soon, so watch this space! Here is an update.

1. KILLER PETE

I finished a 3rd edit of this on Tuesday. The final step will be printing the story and doing a final pass with a pencil. Other than a very important picture, the changes on Killer Pete were small character moments. I decided to leave in the Challenge to the Reader. My stories of late haven’t been geared toward Challenges, but Pete is. Here’s the most recent blurb:

A machine is built to kill—and it works.

In a quiet workshop filled with mechanical creations, a man is murdered under circumstances that defy explanation. There are no intruders, no witnesses, and no clear way the crime could have been carried out.

But among the lifeless figures and carefully constructed devices, one thing becomes clear: this was not an act of chaos. It was designed.

To solve the mystery, the truth must be uncovered piece by piece—because when the mechanism is finally revealed, it will show that nothing about the crime was accidental.

2. MADMEN PREFER BLONDES

This is at the same editing stage as Killer Pete. I finished the third pass about an hour ago. I added an entire scene to this today. It wasn’t necessary to the plot, but it was necessary to the story. And I think improvement as a writer has a lot to do with balancing plot needs with story needs. I also toned this book down a lot. I was surprised. That’s usually not my style. This is more character-driven than Killer Pete. Here’s the blurb:

Blondes are being murdered across Chicago—and no one knows why.

The killings are brutal, deliberate, and seemingly without pattern. The victims have no clear connection, no shared history, and no reason to be targeted—except for one unsettling detail they all have in common.

Psychologist Ferris Brandt is called in to understand the mind behind the crimes. To stop the killer, he must work alongside Detective Rowan Manory—a man who trusts logic over instinct, and evidence over theory. Each approaches the case differently. Both may be right. Or both may be wrong.

As the murders continue and the pattern begins to take shape, the truth proves more elusive—and more dangerous—than either of them expects. Because this is not just a question of who is killing. It’s a question of why.

3. RED RIVER

I’m working the 3rd pass on Red River now. I’ve already added a diagram. This one is the centerpiece, the most important story. In some ways, it feels like the culmination of my short story journey. Most of the changes will be cosmetic. It’ll take a couple of days. Then, I’ll print it up and do a 4th edit. Here’s the blurb:

In the isolated town of Red River, a carefully staged demonstration turns into something far more disturbing when a man vanishes from a house that can be observed from a single point of entry. The ground has been prepared. Every movement should be visible. And yet, when the time comes, there are no footprints leading away.

What follows is not an answer, but an escalation. As the truth begins to take shape, another murder occurs—more brazen, more shocking, and even less possible than the first. What seemed like a single impossibility becomes something larger, more deliberate, and far more dangerous.

With the past of the town hanging over the present, what begins as a puzzle quickly becomes something deeper—an illusion built on belief, performance, and a truth no one is prepared to face.

4. THE CARNY MURDERS

The Carny Murders is the least developed of the four. When I’m done with the 3rd edit of Red River, I will begin the 3rd edit of The Carny Murders. This is logical because this was the last story I wrote. The time away has done me good because I can see a major flaw that is fixable. I just have to add some details. I added an action at the end that wasn’t based on logic or psychology. I just put it in because it happened in a book I like. I will take it out first thing when I start the 3rd edit. Here’s the blurb:

The carnival comes alive at night—but something else does too.

At Hargrove Carnival, the midway glows with laughter, cheap thrills, and the promise of easy money. But behind the canvas walls, something is wrong. Performers are vanishing without warning—leaving behind their clothes, their wages… and no explanation.

As whispers of a maniac spread through the lot, suspicion falls on everyone: the soft-spoken ventriloquist with his unnerving dummy, the strongman with secrets to bury, the bearded woman who sees more than she says—and Sheila, the tattooed beauty who knows exactly how to get what she wants.

With the law kept at a distance and the carnival trapped in its own flickering world of illusion, one truth becomes impossible to ignore:

The killer isn’t passing through. He’s part of the show.

And as another body surfaces—more brutal, more impossible than the last—the question is no longer who will be next, but whether anyone will survive long enough to leave the midway at all.

I don’t know when I’ll be done, but it won’t be too long. I’m working every day. I’ve even found some time to navel-gaze and think about my writing journey. I won’t put any of it here, but I’m glad I did it. When I write, I want to be mindful of my goals.

I believe the order is going to be

1. Killer Pete
2. Madmen Prefer Blondes
3. Red River
4. The Carny Murders

I always knew Carny would be last. It’s the type of story a certain reader may read and then quit reading. For a while, I was going to put Red River first, but Red River is heavy. Killer Pete is fun and light on its feet. It’s a good start. We’ll build slowly to Red River and then send you home with some candy for The Carny Murders.

Hopefully, the next time you see me I’ll have an estimated publication date.

The important picture in Killer Pete.