Lights. Camera. Murder.

In Celluloid Crimes, the silver screen casts long, dangerous shadows. This gripping anthology of short stories pays homage to the spirit of the razor-sharp wit and smoky intrigue of classic noir—think The Thin Man with a fresh twist of lemon and blood.

Tales include sharp-talking investigators, private eyes, weary cops, rookie reporters, and even the occasional actors, on the way up, or on the way down. One thing is for sure: Everyone is hiding something. Smart, stylish, and steeped in grit and glamour, Celluloid Crimes delivers mystery with a knowing smile and a loaded .38.
Cue the dramatic music. The reel is rolling. Time to solve a murder.

Stories by: Gabriel Valjan – Robert Lopresti – Peter W.J. Hayes – P.A. De Voe – J.J. White – Deborah Lacy – Jeff Tanner – Nina Wachsman – Nicky Nielsen – C. C. Guthrie – Greg Herren – Wendy Harrison – M.E. Proctor – Devon Ellington – Kerry Hammond – Matt Cost – Colin Campbell

CELLUOID CRIMES
Short Story Mystery Anthology
BY DEBORAH WELL ETAL

LOLA’S LAST DANCE
Short Story By Kerry Hammond

Editor’s Note: Sensitive readers, please take note of the title and book description before proceeding.

Excerpt

She shot herself with a .45 and didn’t even drop her cigarette. She may have pulled the trigger, but I refused to consider it a suicide. It was murder, pure and simple. I didn’t know why she did it, but I knew who made her feel like it was the only option. I also knew what I was going to do about it.

Lola was her stage name, something she used for ten of the twenty-seven years she was on this earth. I had never known her by any other name, but I don’t think anything else would suit her quite like Lola.

I met her back in ’44 when she first arrived in the great state of California. She was chasing the dream of being a Hollywood actress but ended up as a dancer at the Rooster Club. Back then, the clubs were classy and full of young girls who thought it was just a pitstop on the way to stardom. I was the piano player, and when I got the gig I thought I’d won the lottery. ‘I get to play music and watch beautiful girls take their clothes off?’ I thought. ‘What could be better?’ But then I got to know the girls, and I got to know the club owner.

Lola and I hit it off right away. The kid had spunk. This might sound like a line, but she was different from the other dancers. All the Rooster girls had survival instinct; they came with the territory. But Lola also had a heart of gold. That heart of gold, in the end, proved to be her downfall.