Book excerpt: Welcome to San Diego, where the perpetual sunshine blurs the line between good and evil, and sin and redemption are two sides of the same golden coin. Killin’ Time in San Diego is a gripping anthology edited by Holly West, featuring twenty of today’s best crime and mystery writers. Published in conjunction with Bouchercon 2023, this new anthology peels back the postcard-perfect image of San Diego to expose its darker side. With contributions from #1 New York Times bestseller C.J. Box and the Edgar-award-winning author Naomi Hirahara, plus a new story from Ann Cleeves OBE, published for the first time in the U.S., Killin’ Time in San Diego showcases an impressive lineup of writers, including Mary Keenan, C.W. Blackwell, J.R. Sanders, John M. Floyd, Kathy A. Norris, Kathleen L. Asay, L.H. Dillman, Richie Narvaez, Wesley Browne, Désirée Zamorano, James Thorpe, Kim Keeline, Victoria Weisfeld, Anne-Marie Campbell, Jennifer Berg, Tim P. Walker, and Emilya Naymark. From the haunted hallways of the Hotel del Coronado to the tranquil gardens of Balboa Park, from the opulent estates of La Jolla to the bustling Gaslamp Quarter, Killin’ Time in San Diego is your ticket to the hidden side of “America’s Finest City.” Critical Acclaim for KILLIN’ TIME IN SAN DIEGO: “Killin’ Time in San Diego is a knock-it-out-of-the-park grand slam. A must-have anthology for mystery readers everywhere." —Reed Farrel Coleman, New York Times bestselling author of Sleepless City “Anguished characters and desperate situations coil through this collection of uniquely creative plots—a fabulous anthology.” —Joe Ricker, author of Some Awful Cunning and All the Good in Evil “Killin’ Time in San Diego is weird, gothic, subtle, illicit, and a riot concocted by crime writers at the top of their game.” —Jay Gertzman, author of Beyond Twisted Sorrow “Another worthy addition to the Bouchercon legacy. Top writers on top of their game.” —Colin Campbell, author of the Jim Grant Thrillers “Holly West helms another fine anthology, proving once again that short crime fiction is alive and well…and living in San Diego.” —Josh Pachter, editor of Paranoia Blues: Crime Fiction Inspired by the Songs of Paul Simon “It’s not enough that San Diego has great beaches, natural attractions, the world’s best climate, and great food and nightlife. No, now San Diego also has this terrific anthology of canny crime fiction by some of the best authors in the business.” —Albert Tucher, author of Blood Like Rain and The Same Mistake Twice “A powerhouse anthology boasting stellar talent in top form.” —Tom Mead, author of Death and the Conjuror and The Murder Wheel “A lively, varied and well-written collection distinguished by sharp characterizations. Stories range from the gritty Gold Rush era to the high tech present and include a most unusual incarnation of Sherlock Holmes. Revenge and survival, sly cozies and twisty plots all confirm that fabulous weather is no barrier to bad behavior and successful sleuthing in Killin’ Time in San Diego.” —Janice Law, author of the Francis Bacon mysteries “Killin’ Time in San Diego, a collection of short crime fiction, continues a decade-long tradition of absorbing annual anthologies celebrating the Bouchercon World Mystery Convention.” —J.L. Abramo, Shamus Award-winning author of Circling the Runway and Gravesend “Twenty authors present a delightful tapestry of tales that go from touching to twisty to amusing, populating them with a cast of characters you won’t soon forget.” —R.J. Koreto, author of the Historic Homes mysteries “A criminally rich compendium of San Diego-set mysteries that entertainingly spans the city geographically and throughout its history.” —Andrew Welsh-Huggins, Shamus-, Derringer- and International Thriller Writers-Award-nominated author of the Andy Hayes private eye series and editor of Columbus Noir “Bookended by two of the strongest stories I've read in a long time, this collection is thoroughly fantastic. Seen through these eyes, San Diego is both more appealing and threatening now.” —Ryan Sayles, author of Like Whitewashed Tombs and The Richard Dean Buckner trilogy “From chatty Canadian tourists, clandestine hitmen and (my favorite) a smelly killer whale detective, this collection of twenty criminally entertaining stories is the perfect companion when you’re stuck in traffic on the I-5.” —Linda Sands, former San Diego resident and award-winning Georgia Author of the Year “A superior collection of crime stories punctuated by comic tales of murderous merriment, this will not be your heaviest read of the summer but it will rank among the best.” —Rob Pierce, author of Snake Slayer and the Uncle Dust series