Welcome In: Notes from Queer Crime Writers
Representation in mystery anthologies, a conversation with Robyn Gigl, and a celebration of Fall 2025 LGBTQIA+ crime fiction.
Hello, friends—
Welcome—whether you’ve been part of Queer Crime Writers for years or you’ve just stumbled in from the wider mystery world. This Substack is one way we stay in conversation: with one another, with our readers, and with the genre we love. It’s part bulletin board, part check-in, part friendly wave. Moving forward, we hope to make this a quarterly, outward-facing newsletter—one that fosters an ongoing dialogue with the broader crime reading and writing community.
In this issue, you’ll find our overdue report on queer inclusion in mystery anthologies (2025 threw the organizing team some personal curveballs), a thoughtful conversation with Robyn Gigl about her writing life, and our LGBTQ+ Fall 2025 Reads round-up—a celebration of the range and vitality of queer crime fiction.
This letter is public, and we hope you’ll share it with anyone who reads, writes, and wants to celebrate LGBTQ+ crime fiction.
With gratitude,
The QCW Organizing Team
One in Six Is Not Equity: The State of Queer Representation in Mystery Anthologies
Report of Queer Inclusion in Mystery Anthologies for 2024
One of the objectives of the Queer Crime Writers (QCW) has been to monitor the representation of members and their short stories within the mystery community. Throughout 2024, QCW continued our study of the mystery stories included in mystery anthologies written by queer authors.
Since our inception, we have heard anecdotally that queer mystery authors were not included in mystery short story markets. We listened to these complaints. For the second year, QCW has investigated and shared the inclusion of queer authors in mystery short story anthologies for the previous year.
We did not choose to submit to other short story markets, although we might at some later point. Given the amount of time and energy, we are committed to focusing on a single market for the moment.
We are not pointing fingers. The only anthologies and editors mentioned in this report are those doing it right. However, we did find areas where we, as a community, can improve. This report is designed to look at the issues and make suggestions on how best to move forward.
Methodology
The methodology was simple. The Short Mystery Fiction Society website was used to find a list of anthologies for the calendar year of 2024. We defined an anthology as any short story work featuring more than two authors participating in the book. QCW matched the publishers from that list against those included in the Mystery Writers of America’s Approved Publishers List. This gave us twenty-seven anthologies in 2024, down from thirty the previous year.
From this list, we looked at the number of stories in each anthology written by out, queer authors. We defined out as someone who has made a public statement of their orientation or gender identity. We chose not to include those who did not fit this definition as we were concerned that a deep dive into the data might require us to name those authors. Under no circumstances did we want to invade anyone’s privacy.
Data
Using the abovementioned criteria, the 2024 study developed twenty-seven (27) anthologies. Only six of those anthologies contained a story by a queer author. (Note: this does not mean that six unique authors participated.
In 2023, five books of thirty anthologies contained a story by a queer author. The numbers indicate queer participation of 16.6% of anthologies, or one out of every sixth anthology, include a story by a queer author.
For 2024, the percentage of anthologies with at least one queer story was 22%, representing a small increase in percentage that could, in part, be attributed to a smaller number of anthologies in the study.
While ideally, all anthologies strive to be inclusive, we’re currently not even at the halfway (50%) mark.
In 2024, eight queer short stories were found in 304 stories in the twenty-seven anthologies. With this data, the stories represented 2.2% of potential stories. Again while the percentage increased, part of that increase could be attributed to the difference in the number of anthologies and the stories within.
Using Kinsey’s studies, representation should be closer to 10% of all stories, a shortfall of more than 90%.
Our 2024 data areas have remained stagnant
The inclusion of queer authors in anthologies has increased from 16.6 to 22%, with at least part of the increase attributed to sample size. In short, the issues brought to light last year continue to exist.
In the past few months, we’ve seen the downfall of multiple mystery short story publishers. In addition to those who have been lost, there are rumors of others leaving as well. We hate to see any publisher disappear. The drop in publishers will lead to a much smaller sample size, which will result in skewed data for our report.
We hope to see more publications in the future, and they will read our reports.
Recommendations
Over the past year, we’ve been approached by authors, editors, publishers, and reviewers who say that they will no longer participate in or review anthologies that lack diversity. Asking about inclusion when approached about writing or inclusion is a simple question. This ensures that future books will be singled out for their lack.
Many anthologies created for specialized organizations still do not include any queer stories. In some cases, this is because queer crime writers are not included in those organizations. Just as we want to see queer stories in anthologies, we would like to see inclusion in the organizations and groups that produce them. The current Crime Ink: Iconic series includes a Table of Contents listing the names of queer authors who write short stories, as well as many of the members of Queer Crime Writers.
We have seen more issues with cultural appropriation in anthologies. When a queer event (such as Supreme Court rulings or violent acts against our community) is used as the basis for an anthology, the importance of these events to our community should be recognized, and queer writers should be included. Likewise, anthologies that are focused on musicians, artists, and authors from Tchaikovsky to Lil Nas X have a strong connection to our community and should include queer writers, who will have a unique perspective on these icons. (Note: For the second year, a shout-out to Josh Pachter, who included multiple queer authors in his Sondheim anthology.)
A number of conferences and organizations have added a category for anthologies to their awards. Given current statistics, it is likely that the award category will include few (if any) queer authors among the nominees. Celebrating a lack of queer writers is a questionable way to show inclusion. This lack of queer writers underlines the deficit in anthologies and could become an issue as we continue to review the representation in these books.
Conclusions
The inclusion of more queer authors in the anthologies currently being published each year would increase the visibility of queer crime writers and lead to greater recognition of their works.
Closing the door to queer writers ensures that they will not be nominated for awards, included in “best of” anthologies, named as Readers’ Favorites, or reviewed. All of these opportunities are available to straight authors only until the playing field is leveled.
Five Questions with QCW member Robyn Gigl
Robyn Gigl writes mysteries with the authority of someone who understands both the law and the human cost of it. An attorney, advocate, and award-winning novelist, Gigl is the creator of Erin McCabe—whom The New York Times calls “one of the best series characters around.” Her books have been hailed as “quietly groundbreaking,” named among the best crime novels of the year by The New York Times and CrimeReads, and, in the case of Survivor’s Guilt, selected by TIME as one of the 100 greatest mysteries ever written. In 2026, she returns with All We Hide, a legal thriller featuring trans detective Lauren Kelly, probing a cold case that collides with her own past.
What are you writing/working on now?
I’m working on a new book, currently titled All We Hide. My four previous novels were all legal thrillers featuring Erin McCabe—a transgender criminal defense attorney as the protagonist. The new book is a police procedural and not part of the Erin McCabe series. Whether this book will be a stand-alone or the start of a new series, remains to be seen. As one of the few trans authors writing in the crime/mystery genre, no one will be surprised that the protagonist of this book is also a transgender woman. This time a detective in a DA’s office working on a cold case involving the murder of a trans woman, which leads to another investigation much closer to home.
What’s your favorite thing about writing?
I love creating characters that didn’t exist before I put my fingers to the keyboard. In my four Erin McCabe novels, I think I’ve created characters that feel real— characters that readers want to hang out with and find out what’s going to happen to them next. For me, there’s nothing better than when someone comes up to me and says, “I love Erin McCabe,” or Peg (Erin’s mom), or Swish (her law partner). That means that my characters, and their stories, were able to connect with folks in a real and personal way.
The other thing I enjoy is the solitude. For those who don’t know me, my day job is being a lawyer. Someone once said that they’d love the practice of law, if it weren’t for the clients (in fact, it might have been me who said that). Seriously, as a lawyer, I’m constantly engaging with clients, other lawyers, judges, etc. With writing, it’s just me and my laptop, creating a story out of nothing.
What’s one movie/book/song by a queer artist you think is underappreciated? Shout it out.
Kokomo City—a documentary about four Black transgender women by transgender film director D. Smith.
Why do you write crime fiction/nonfiction?
I’ve always been an avid reader, and as a reader, the crime/mystery genre has always been one of my favorites. But in terms of why I write it, I think it’s primarily because I had been a lawyer for over 40 years when I started writing, many of those years were spent as a criminal defense attorney. So, I was familiar with courtrooms and how the criminal justice system works. Plus, since I also wanted to draw on my experiences as a transgender woman, I thought it would be perfect to create a character that was a transgender criminal defense attorney. In the end, it boils down to ‘write what you know.’
What’s a career you’d love to do if money/talent/training was no obstacle?
Acting. Although some might say that as a lawyer, I’m already an actor. What I mean is movie/theater actor.
QCW round-up: LGBTQIA+ Crime Fiction Fall 2025 Reads
Originally, a version of this round-up appeared in CrimeReads last fall. It’s reprinted here to help continue spreading the word.
Whether you’re looking for something to sink into on a long evening or searching for a page-turning mystery or thriller that keeps you up far too late, these selections reveal fascinating trends in contemporary queer crime fiction. The novels gathered here are increasingly unafraid to wade overtly into political waters—from anti-LGBTQ+ legislation to the machinations of power itself. They also burrow deep into the psychological, exploring guilt, secrecy, and identity, while wielding humor as both a shield and a scalpel. Whether historical, noir, or darkly comic, these books remind us that crime fiction is at its best when it exposes not just who did it, but why we hide what we do.
Edited by: John Copenhaver & Salem West
Pub Date: September 2
A 2023 study of thirty leading crime anthologies found that of 517 published stories, fewer than one percent were written by LGBTQ+ authors. Crime Ink: Iconic, co-edited by Bywater Books publisher Salem West and award-winning novelist John Copenhaver, seeks to redress that imbalance. Drawing inspiration from queer icons including James Baldwin, Radclyffe Hall, Candy Darling, Oscar Wilde, Megan Rapinoe, and Laverne Cox, the anthology features a powerhouse lineup of contributors such as Robyn Gigl, Margot Douaihy, Katrina Carrasco, Ann Aptaker, Greg Herren, and Cheryl Head. Together, these writers deliver a vibrant showcase of how queer voices are reshaping the boundaries of contemporary crime fiction.
A Murderous Business: A Harriman and Mancini Mystery
Author: Cathy Pegau
Pub Date: September 16
In 1912 New York, determined businesswoman Margot Baxter Harriman fights to keep her late father’s company, B&H Foods, afloat. When she finds his former assistant dead beside a half-written confession, she turns to private investigator Loretta “Rett” Mancini for help. Rett, who took over her father’s detective agency after he became increasingly forgetful, agrees to go undercover at the factory. As the two women uncover layers of deceit and corruption, their partnership deepens into something more. Pegau’s historical mystery pairs wit and tension, exploring ambition, loyalty, and forbidden connection against the backdrop of an era that left little room for women to lead—or to love freely.
Mirage City: An Evander Mills Mystery
Author: Lev Rosen
Pub Date: October 7
In 1950s Los Angeles, private investigator Andy Mills is summoned from San Francisco to help the Mattachine Society locate missing members of the fledgling queer rights group. The search turns perilous when the trail leads to a psychiatric clinic run by his estranged mother. As Andy navigates Hollywood’s glittering façades and the shadows behind them—drugs, deceit, and covert identities—he must confront old wounds and mounting danger. Mirage City, the fourth entry in Lev Rosen’s acclaimed Evander Mills series, brings noir intrigue and emotional depth to a story about secrecy, survival, and the costs of truth in a world that refuses to see it.
Author: Tom Ryan
Pub Date: October 14
In 2000, the small town of Edgar Mills, Massachusetts, became obsessed with its so-called Teen Detectives—a pair of twin sisters, Alice and Samantha VanDyne, who helped their sheriff father crack a drug ring, and a tech-savvy boy, Joey O’Day, who exposed an online scammer. Their friendly rivalry made them national sensations, landing on talk shows and magazine covers. But the story took a dark turn when a string of murders led to the brutal deaths of Sheriff VanDyne and Alice’s boyfriend at the hands of a killer known as the Janitor. Twenty-five years later, the surviving detectives—now grown and estranged—are pulled back together when a new murder bears the Janitor’s unmistakable signature.
Gold for the Dead: Cantor Gold Crime Series 7
Author: Ann Aptaker
Pub Date: October 14
In late-1950s New York, art thief and smuggler Cantor Gold hunts the killer of her close friend, bookmaker Nick Fortunato. With suspects ranging from Nick’s right-hand, the gorgeous Abbey O’Brien to gambling queen Sylvia Georgiadis, Cantor plunges into the city’s underworld of risk and betrayal. Aided by her assistant Judson Zane, getaway driver Rosie Bliss, and mentor Esther “Mom” Sheinbaum, she races to uncover the truth while evading the NYPD’s scrutiny. In her seventh adventure, Cantor navigates the fine line between loyalty and survival, love and danger, in the period-noir style for which the series is known.
Author: Rick R. Reed
Pub Date: October 25
Ted Cornish believes he’s found love with Joshua Kade—until a true-crime podcast reopens the unsolved murder of Josh’s ex, Reggie Baker. A decade earlier, Reggie was found stabbed to death in a Chicago alley, and though Josh was never charged, the rumors never faded. Now, podcaster Bailey Anderson is investigating the case, and new evidence begins to point directly at Josh. As Ted reexamines their relationship, unsettling memories of jealousy, control, and flashes of rage resurface. But Bailey harbors secrets of his own, and as the truth comes to light, Ted must decide whom to trust before history repeats itself in this psychological thriller.
Author: Austin Thomas Burton
Pub Date: October 21
When Drew returns to his quiet Oklahoma hometown, he expects monotony—until he hears rumors of a secret gay cruising spot deep in the woods. Curiosity turns to fear when a body is discovered nearby. As suspicion ripples through the conservative town, Drew becomes both investigator and suspect, forced to confront old grudges, dangerous desires, and long-suppressed truths. Burton’s debut blends mystery and psychological tension, tracing the impact of secrecy and identity in a close-knit community where everyone knows your name—and some will do anything to keep their secrets buried.
Winter of Discontent for Henry Milch: The Wyandot County Mysteries Book 4
Author: Marshall Thornton
Pub Date: October 28
In the fourth Wyandot County Mystery, Henry Milch’s life is turned upside down when his mother vanishes, leaving him to care for his infant sister. Between bottles and bedtime, Henry takes on his first case as an investigator for PI Hamlet Gilbody looking into a woman suing a local winery. But when the woman’s body is found dumped outside the tasting room, the small-town scandal explodes into something far darker. Balancing family, work, and danger, Henry must untangle a web of secrets before the killer strikes again and before his fragile new life unravels completely.
Author: Michael Craft
Pub Date: November 1
For years, Meghan Auric has lived in seclusion in her penthouse overlooking the Great Plains, distancing herself from a past marked by betrayal. When a special election threatens to expose long-hidden truths, she is drawn back into public view to confront events from twenty-five years earlier. As political tensions rise and personal history resurfaces, Not Out Crowd, Darling examines the intersection of power, secrecy, and consequence, exploring the price of ambition and the struggle to reconcile with one’s past.
Author: Ronica Black
Pub Date: November 1
After catching her girlfriend cheating, Dr. Gianna Walford leaves city life behind for the seaside town of Cliffside, Oregon. Embracing small-town medicine, she makes house calls and builds trust with her patients—until she meets the guarded and magnetic Kiera Davenport. Gianna’s curiosity draws her closer, unaware that Kiera is really Jenny McAllister, a woman living under a false identity after witnessing a murder. As attraction deepens, danger follows. The Secrets of Rhydian Hill intertwines romance and suspense in a tale of reinvention, risk, and the blurred line between who we are and who we pretend to be.
Thanks for the shout-out. I will continue to make every effort to ensure that my anthologies include a diverse range of contributors. Great crime fiction is being written by a wide range of authors, not just the old-guard straight white men (like me!), and I aim to see that my readers are given the opportunity to hear from as many as possible of those voices.
Many thanks for this newsletter and all that went into it. Question: is there a list of organizations that sponsor the anthologies in our survey? Access to such a list might help some of us on the fringes of short fiction do a better job marketing our work.
Again, many thanks for all of this. It's special.
--Renee