R.T. LAWTON

Bio

R.T. Lawton is retired federal law enforcement with 25 years of undercover work. He served on the national Board of Directors for the Mystery Writers of America and has over 140 short stories in publications, to include 5 series in Alfred Hitchcock Mystery Magazine. He also has stories in the Die Behind the Wheel (2019 Steely Dan) anthology, Mystery Writers of America 2013 anthology (The Mystery Box), 2016 Bouchercon anthology (Blood on the Bayou), Easyriders Magazine, Outlaw Biker Magazine, the Who Died in Here? anthology, the West Coast Crime Wave e-anthology, with 10 mini-mysteries in Woman's World Magazine, in addition to stories in various other publications. He also has six e-books for Kindle and other e-readers, plus six KDP Paperbacks on Amazon.

Short Stories and Anthologies
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Latest News

In April 2020, Linda Landrigan bought "St. Paddy's Day," 12th in my Holiday Burglars series, for Alfred Hitchcock Mystery Magazine. Then in May, she bought "Green Eyes," 9th in my 1660's Paris Underworld series. That makes 47 short stories sold to Alfred Hitchcock Mystery Magazine to date, with hopefully several more to be purchased from those currently residing in AHMM's e-slush pile.

"Reckoning with your Host" is the 6th in my Tales from the Golden Triangle series where the younger half-brother must decide how much it is worth to rescue Elder Brother from the clutches of a rival opium warlord.

"A Loaf of Bread" is the 7th in my 1660's Paris Underworld series. In this story, the young orphan, incompetent pickpocket is unjustly sent to prison for stealing a loaf of bread. Some of his adult cell mates use him in their escape plans and then leave him behind. Now, he must find his own way to get out of the prison and disappear from the authorities.

"The Horse" in my Armenian series has the Little Nogai Boy recognizing a horse in the Cossack herd as belonging to the uncle who raised the boy after he became an orphan. Tamur dyes the horse and tries to return it to his uncle in the Nogai Horde. The Cossack who originally stole the horse has other plans.

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"Vet's Day" is the 11th in my Holiday Burglars series. In order to repay a favor to his old Army sergeant, Beumont agrees to get the Sarge's dog out of a veterinarian clinic. Unfortunately, he doesn't have enough money to pay the bill, so he enlists Yarnell's assistance to burglarize the clinic and steal the dog. Beaumont has planned for the clinic's alarm system and locked doors, but there is one thing he didn't plan for.

"The Chinese Box," 5th in the Shan Army series, has the two half brothers vying to become the sole heir to their warlord father's opium empire in the Golden Triangle of Southeast Asia. For this year's trek south to the dragon powder factories hidden in the jungles of northern Thailand, each brother has been given half of the opium harvest for separate mule convoys. Their father has also given each of them a Chinese Puzzle Box with something hidden inside.

"The Left Hand of Leonard," 6th in my 1660's Paris Underworld series, finds the young orphan pickpocket travelling south from the criminal enclave in Paris to a church where the bones of Saint Leonard are entombed. The boy and his two criminal companions have been ordered to steal the bones, so these religious relics can be sold to a Parisian noble, but unknown to them, a deadly scam has already been set in place.

Otto Penzler requested one of my stories for this anthology. The story, "Boudin Noir," is the 3rd in my Paris Underworld series, involving a young, inept pickpocket, a threatening criminal and the hidden catacombs under the Benedictine Monastery.

"Black Friday," 10th in my Holiday Burglars series has Yarnell returning to the pawn shop where he hocked his wife's wedding ring. She's under the impression her ring is being repaired.
When the pawn shop door shuts behind Yarnell, he suddenly realizes he's stepped into the middle of an armed robbery by an amateur. Not at all a professional criminal like Yarnell and his partner Beaumont.