TESS MAKOVESKY
Human nature red in tooth and claw...
Coming soon:
Tess has three new short stories due out in charity anthologies. First is 'Rabbit Stew', a ghoulishly funny tale based on a WW2 joke, in Kannibal Cookbook from Down & Out Books. Then there's 'Bang to Rights', about animal liberation and the search for belonging, due in the second Paladins anthology. Lastly, the second Crime & Publishment anthology, Wish You Weren't Here, will feature a reprint of 'Last Chance Saloon', about a dirty weekend with a difference. Check Tess's blog for more details.
Raise the Blade
Would you go, alone and unarmed, into the home of a murderer?
"...this deliciously clever novella will appeal to those who enjoy the likes of ‘The Wasp Factory’" B. A. Morton, author
"...gritty and gruesome in the best possible way..." Deborah Swift, author
This darkly humorous psychological noir novella featuring a serial killer and six victims trapped in a web of violence is available in both paperback and Kindle versions from Caffeine Nights Publishing.
Tess who?
Liverpool lass Tess is now settled in the far north of England where she roams the fells with a brolly, dreaming up new stories and startling the occasional sheep. Tess writes a distinctive brand of British comedie noir and her short stories have darkened the pages of over a dozen anthologies and magazines. Her debut pyschological noir novella 'Raise the Blade' is out now from Caffeine Nights Publishing.
More stories...
Tess has stories in the following anthologies and magazines. To buy the books, click the thumbnail to take you to the relevant page on Amazon. Most of the books are available in both paperback and Kindle versions, and you can also find most of them on Amazon.com.
Dark Minds
My Own Eggsecutioner: an antiques shop, a stolen Faberge egg and a pair of scissors lead to disaster. Charity anthology benefiting Sophie's Appeal and Hospice UK.
Drag Noir
Wheel Man: This wasn't car theft, this was a coup...
Locked and Loaded
Running Late: Calling time on a bent copper, in every sense of the words.
Rogue
Singing From the Same Sheet: The difference between good and bad may be smaller than you think...
Exiles: An Outsider Anthology
Dead Man Walking: because you can't be done for murder if you're dead. The story is also available on Soundcloud. Charity anthology benefiting the Marfan Foundation.
Last Word
Snow Joke: two burglars caught in a snow-storm... but this is snow joke. Charity anthology benefiting Nation Inside.
Happily Never After
The Train Now Leaving: A marriage made in heaven? Definitely not... Charity anthology benefiting Hearing Dogs for the Deaf.
The Best of 81 Words
Money Laundering: a whole new spin on laundering cash in just 81 words.
Crime Syndicate Magazine
Tuning the Old Joanna: a man, his wife, her lover, and his piano. A lesson in disharmony.
Betty Fedora Vol 1
Going Off the Deep End: plumbing new depths in the search for revenge...
Sorry - sold out
Betty Fedora Vol 2
Last Chance Saloon: a dirty weekend, a clapped-out car, a deserted country road...
Sorry - sold out
Even more stories...
Tess has also had short stories published in the following online magazines. All these are free to read - click the story title to take you to the relevant page.
Art Attack - metal thieves; a sculpture made from knives; what could possibly go wrong? Based on a true story. At Near to the Knuckle.
Troubled Waters - poignant tale set in Liverpool during two different (real-life) riots and featuring Simon and Garfunkel, the Pied Piper of Hamelin, and a magic flute, in Pulp Metal Magazine.
The Red Umbrella - a dark, tragic tale inspired by Tess's trademark red umbrella, at Spelk Fiction.
Clickbait - Markie's nervous about his new job when he meets some nutter on the bus. But it seems he needn't have worried after all... In Out of the Gutter Online.
Scorpio - the frog and the scorpion, transferred to a pilot and a murderer. At Thrills Kills 'n' Chaos.
Trick of the Trade - a wry tale about a highwayman with a modern twist, at Spelk Fiction.
The Drop - ultra-short story about a pervert and a missing mobile phone, where everything isn't as it seems. At Out of the Gutter Online.
The Floor's the Limit - bringing a whole new meaning to 'look before you leap'. In Out of the Gutter Online. Also appearing, translated into Polish, at Polski Noir.
Badge of Honour - dark, vicious tale about a kid growing up on a modern estate, in Pulp Metal Magazine.
Biter Bit - black-as-night tale that blurs the edges between fantasy and reality, in Out of the Gutter Online.
Enjoy the Trip - a slighted crime boss and a banana skin. At Shotgun Honey magazine. There may be a problem with this website.
Buried Treasure - metal detectors, in places you might not expect to find them, at 81 Words.
Pandora's Box - the secrets revealed by a stealthy trip to the attic, in 81 Words.
Money Laundering - a whole new spin on laundering cash, at 81 Words.
Don't take Tess's word!
Don't just take Tess's word for it - here's what others are saying about her writing:
"Tess Makovesky writes with an immediacy that pulls you instantly into the story."
Michael J Malone, author of 'Blood Tears' and 'Bad Samaritan'
"Another great new author to the crime scene."
Sheila Quigley, author of the Seahills series and the Holy Island trilogy
"[...one of] a group of writers that live by a formula for creating unexpected twists at the ends of their stories."
Dana Kabel, author
"...splendidly crafted to mislead readers about who the protagonist is and what he does for a living before kicking them in the gut with the truth at the end."
William E Wallace, author, on 'Singing From the Same Sheet'
Tess is a member of International Thriller Writers.