The editors of New Mystery proudly announced their pick for best short story in the mystery, crime and suspense fields.

The Music Lesson by Rosemarie Santini has been named Best New Mystery Short Story for 1997. The Blaggard Award annual ceremony was held at the New Mystery Annual Lock Museum Happening! during Edgar Week in Manhattan, (April 29, 1997 at the Lock Museum, General Library of the Society of Mechanics and Tradesmen, 20 West Fortieth Street, NYC).

This story is also nominated for the Macavity Award presented by Mystery Readers International, a respected fan organization with active chapters all over the world. Miss Santini is a professional author and teacher, known for her Rick `N' Rosie SOHO detective team novels and short stories. She writes non-fiction, also. Her tale of a heroic sister with a rock star past standing against the music biz assassins, is a singular and delightful event in modern American literature. The story appeared in IV#2, the Bad Catholics special issue.

Rick and Rosie are here again sleuthing stylishly from SoHo to St Patrick's Cathedral. Follow the whirlwind investigation of the murder of a rock and roll nun amid the punk rapper suspects and other anti-Catholic denizens of the corporate music biz.

Miss Santini's short story has also been nominated for the Macavity Award for Best Short Story 1997 by the members of Mystery Readers International, a respected fan organization. Click here for news of the Macavity Award.. The Bad Catholics issue of New Mystery Magazine, The World's Best Mystery/Crime/Suspense Short Stories and Reviews, features a knock-out cover by artist/model Esmee. The cover features a Roman Catholic Sister in a habit with a machine gun on her shoulder.to introduce the latest stories featuring Catholic characters by infamous mystery authors: Rosemarie Santini, Fr Andrew Greeley, Robert Leuci, and Paco Taibo.

The lead story is Cold Desdemona featuring that rogue man of the cloth, Bishop Blackie Ryan as he tries to mend a destiny and stop a murder in the Windy City. Blockbuster author Father Andrew M. Greeley is here with a rare short story appearance.

Also here find Gray Eyes, a blues ballad from the cop on the beat penned by Robert Prince-of-the-City Leuci. Leuci's adventure as an undercover detective assigned to the Knapp Commission in the 70's is told in the famous film Prince of the City. He is now an acclaimed novelist in his own right.

Also don't miss The Slatterns of Zacatecas, who all disappeared one day as remembered by Hector Belascoan Shayne, the brooding ribald Mexican gumshoe from Paco Taibo II.

Our illustrious stable of critics include Leslie Horvitz, Karen and Bill Palmer, Linda Wong, Will Goldschein, Sibylle Barrasso and others join our regular gang of celebrity mystery authors themselves weighing in with reviews of the new mystery novels. Here find also the sharpest reviews of new mystery books, CD's, New Media and film. Plus many mystery ads and lists and news and views of the mystery world. New Mystery is a critically-acclaimed quarterly...and Larry Beinhart's short story, Death In A Small Town (IV#1), is a 1996 Edgar Nominee.

Single copy costs US$9 by mail/on stands now - 4 issues sub/membership is $27.77 includes code for web site, NewMystery.org. Click Here to order now!

or write: New Mystery, 101 West 23rd St Ph#1, New York, NY 10011. fax 212/353-3495.