Colorado Mystery Merge (#1)

One perplexing murder mystery … plus eighteen different short stories containing the clues to solve it.

You've never read a short story anthology like this one!

These stories—unrelated, but all set in Colorado during the same week—will each merge for a moment to drop a pertinent clue about an overarching mystery, the news of which is blanketing the entire state that week.

Colorado icon and local celebrity, Doctor Dictionary, is murdered at a fundraiser where he was to be honored for his philanthropy. "Murder at the Twelve Mooses Ballroom" by Becky Clark kicks off the fun.

As you read each standalone short story that follows, channel your inner detective and collect the mystery merge clues to figure out who killed Doctor Dictionary.

You'll find nineteen entertaining short mysteries by talented Colorado authors—all members of Sisters in Crime Colorado—writing in various crime fiction genres from cozy to thriller. There's something for everyone!

We published our first collection of short stories by members in 2025 and were honored to be named a finalist in the Colorado Authors League 2025 Awards!

Reflecting the broad range of our membership, writers in our first anthology ranged from first-time authors to best-selling veterans.

We had so much fun with our first anthology that we decided to do it again. So on Oct. 23, 2026, Colorado Mystery Merge Crime Fiction Collection 2 will be published! And yes, we're having a party to celebrate - all are invited!

Want to join the fun?

Only members may submit short stories for inclusion in the chapter anthology. You must be a member of Sisters in Crime-Colorado for a year before your story can be considered.