NEEDLE

Needle is consistently one of the most solid noir publications around, as is clear in their latest issue.

Outstanding work from writers I've been following for a while, like Patti Abbott, David Cranmer, Cam Ashley, Matthew C. Funk, and Jason Duke.

There are also a few that are new to me. My tastes tend toward the brief and punchy -- like Mel Clayton's Double Check. Two criminals are out dumping a body and both are paranoid that the other's going to cross them. Clayton's sharp sense of humor and keen ear for dialog make this story a winner.

Scott Morse has a fun and absurdist chess/skateboarding adventure with Check. Like many of the pieces in Needle, the stylish writing makes this one sizzle.

So if you haven't gotten your copy yet, now's the time.